Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion. All characters and other affiliated materials are the property of Gainax.
The missile plunged deep into the heart of the black moon. There was a flash of a deep crimson red, and then the black sphere began to splinter and collapse as the entire orb began to fall towards the earth. The force of the impact through Shinji Ikari to the ground and he could hear screams echoing from what seemed like the heavens. They were human screams. The souls of humans trapped inside the black moon were being destroyed, and the wraiths along with them. Shinji could feel the presence of his father as if he had never been gone.
"It's done."
Cain stood straight with his head tilted upwards to the sky, the bright flashes of light casting his shadow on the runway even in the darkness of nightfall. Cain turned to face Shinji.
"Can you feel him? Can you feel father?" he asked.
Shinji's expression grew fierce.
"I have no father."
Cain laughed, his features light and smiling.
"Well lets not be overly dramatic now, Shinji."
Another flash of light erupted in the sky and the third child watched as black chunks of rock began entering the atmosphere. Cain did not turn to look.
"Shinji I will give you one more chance to end this right now. Yui is on her way as we speak, and your friends won't last long against her."
"I can't do that."
"You're a fool."
"I have a faith."
Again Cain laughed.
"Delusion."
Damon Robinson watched as the black moon seemed to crumble before his eyes; breaking down and expelling flame and light as it careened downward.
"Unit-01 should be here any moment."
He turned to where Unit-04 stood.
"Kowaru. Try to let Kaji operate Unit-04 as much as possible. If he really is an angel he should be able to gain a 400% synch ratio."
"I understand."
And then it came. It fell with lighting quickness down through the falling wreckage of the black moon, its arms extended out like a cross, and slammed feet first into the ocean.
Shinji reeled as the waves generated from Unit-01's impact with the sea began to bombard the carrier.
"This wont do," he heard Cain say, and soon after another wave hit the carrier sending it up on its side. Shinji hit the pavement and began to slide down towards the opposite deck. Shinji focused his mind and brought his AT field back around himself. Then, with a colossal burst of strength, Shinji began to run back up to the now almost completely vertical carrier. He reached the top panting and stood to face Cain once again.
"Nice trick."
"Don't worry I have a few more," Shinji said.
"Then you must realize how strong you are; how powerful we are in this place. In fact the only thing that is limiting us from total control and manipulation of reality is, in fact, each other."
Cain bent his knees and with a grunt launched himself upwards into the air. Shinji watched for a moment, but soon found that he had lost sight of his adversary. He also noticed that the ship was capsizing back down towards the water again. Shinji drew his sword and felt power cascading through his body once more. He bent his knees and flew into the air the way Cain had done so.
Asuka Langley Soryu watched as the horrifying eyes of Unit-01 at last emerged from the tumultuous waves and stood on the beach. It glanced around, as if it was sizing up its competition. Asuka noticed that most of its armor had been stripped away, and its mouth was exposed.
"There isn't anything to restrain it. Berserker…"
With an earth shattering roar Unit-01 launched itself at Asuka.
Cain stood calmly upon a piece of the black moon. The fragment was still technically in space, but it would not be long before it entered the atmosphere. Cain looked at his left wrist and scoffed, though he knew that he possessed no watch. At that moment Shinji flew up from somewhere beneath him and landed on another falling fragment. Cain tapped his wrist with his other hand.
"You're late."
Cain leaped calmly to the fragment of black earth that Shinji stood upon. His eyes fell to the black markings covering Shinji's body.
"Sephirothic systems. That's a nice touch."
With a scream Shinji swung his sword in a horizontal arc, causing Cain to leap backwards slightly. Shinji followed the blow yet again, and then once more. Utilizing the low gravity of the environment, Cain did a back flip onto another floating crag.
"It's a wonderful feeling isn't it Shinji? Breathing in space. It's sort of strange to not have to breath. In fact I suppose there are a lot of things one does not have to worry about when he can only be killed by one thing."
Cain drew the lance of longinus and pointed it at Shinji. He heard his adversaries silence and smiled.
"But you're right. We've talked long enough."
The screams came again. The souls burst forth from the wreckage of the falling moon, beckoned by their master's call. Shinji watched as they seemed to orbit the falling battlefield. With a battle cry Cain jumped forward at Shinji, swinging the lance in a downward arc. Shinji parried and the battle for control of existence began anew.
Unit-01 threw Asuka to the ground and spun around to meet Kensuke. Yui landed a punch directly to Unit-I's brain case sending Kensuke reeling. Hikari and Toji leaped at the berserk creature but were easily dispersed, one with a kick and the other with a punch. Damon swung his katana downward and took its right hand off with it. With a roar the beast used its left to grab Unit-X by the throat. Damon could feel his neck being crushed and the air escaping his lungs. He looked around and saw Asuka's body crumpled on the ground along with Nishka. His eyes began to close when he saw Unit-04 sink its progressive knife into Unit-01's back. Unit-01 roared and used Damon's body to beat Unit-04 to the ground. Damon looked upwards one final time to watch Rei Ayanami unload two shotgun blasts into Unit-01's face.
Fwip. Fwip. Fwip. The Lance of Longinus danced before Shinji Ikari's eyes. He dodged to the right to avoid the lance but was not quick enough to avoid the orange glow of an AT field.
Uncle comes home late. He is drunk. He dislikes taking care of me…ever since my mother died…My body is marked with cigarette burns…[I cant take this anymore…why cant I just die? Why does it have to be this way?]
Shinji screamed. With every soul he touched he could feel the pain; the memories of others. Cain spun and swung the blunt handle of the lance into Shinji's cheek. Shinji hit the black dirt and rolled until he met the edge and stopped.
"You felt that one didn't you?" Cain asked. "Just think Shinji that little girl can be happy if you just accept your fate."
Another shocking orange flash hit Shinji as he was bombarded by another soul.
I hate this place. A man sat alone on a bar stool. I don't know why I come here. Perhaps I have nothing else? That is pathetic. The man looked around at the other people in the smoky dive where he routinely drank himself into depression. Are these people happy? Of course not. Just look at them…they are more pathetic than I am. He was lying to himself. He knew why he always came to this bar. He had seen a beautiful woman here once. He immediately felt drawn to her, but he was a coward and could not bring himself to talk to her. He had never seen her again but he hoped if he returned here everyday he might, and perhaps then would have the courage. What was that? Was that her? The man was unsure of who he had seen pass in front of the entrance to the saloon but he stood quickly anyway.
"Hey where the fuck are you going Rokubungi?"
"Out."
"You have to pay your bill."
The man stumbled drunkenly passed the angered bartender and knocked against another customer, spilling his drink.
"Whatch it!"
"Go to hell."
The man felt the blow contact his right cheek and he hit the ground. Immediately he aimed a kick at the other man's crotch and sent him to the floor as well. It was on now; he knew he had done it. The other man's friend picked him up by his collar.
"Ya know what Gendo? I've been waiting a long time for a reason to kick your ass."
Gendo Rokubungi felt another blow contact his face and it sent him spiraling into the pool table. Gendo grabbed a pool cue and slammed it into the side of his assailants head, then, when the man had hit the ground, broke it over his back. Gendo spat. He watched the man coughing up blood on the floor. The scene reminded him of home; it reminded him of his father. Gendo Rokobungi exited the bar and swore to himself to never harm a child as long as he lived.
Father…I will never be like you…
(……………………………………………………………………….)
Shinji panted for breath as his fathers AT field broke contact with his body and floated upward towards the heavens again.
Cain smiled down at Shinji.
"That was him wasn't it?"
Shinji said nothing, his breath still short as Cain continued.
"He's had quite an interesting life you know. I mean, we both blame him for so much, but, in the end, I can at least see why he turned out the way that he did."
Shinji swung his sword where he lay on the ground and came into contact with Cain's shin. He screamed as blood flowed from the wound. The cut wasn't deep, but Cain got the message: Shinji was done talking. Cain stabbed the lance of Longinus down toward Shinji who managed to roll away from the attack and come to his feet again. Cain pulled the back of the lance back up and struck Shinji under the chin with the handle. The third child staggered backwards and then felt the lance dig deep into his left arm, the tips protruding through to the other side. Cain pulled the lance back out and thrusted forward again. Shinji ignited his AT field and parried the blow, bringing his Katana back up across Cain's elbow, splitting the flesh. With a ferocious cry Cain kicked Shinji from the black rock. The third child plummeted for what seemed like hours though in truth it was mere seconds. Shinji grabbed onto a ledge of one of the lower stones.
"Die!"
Cain began motioning with his hands and Shinji realized what was happening. Hundreds of AT fields were swarming above Cain once more. Then, with one swift downward motion, the souls came barreling at the third child.
"Asuka…"
Shinji began to scream as he felt his veins bulge inside of his flesh. He began to bleed and soon his skin began to melt from his body, leaving red muscular tissue exposed. The pain was extreme, unlike anything Shinji had felt before. With a final roar Shinji extended his AT field to cover the entirety of the fallen black moon, pushing his enemies into space.
Cain watched Shinji's AT field extend out at him, pushing him into the black abyss of space.
"No…"
Cain pushed his palm onto Shinji's AT field and concentrated. In moments he managed to penetrate a portion of the field for an instant. And that was all that it took. Cain was now inside with Shinji again; inside the AT field of the enemy. The inside of the orange sphere was playing memories and images of the life of Shinji Ikari; it was his very being, his complete self. Cain hovered above the plummeting rocks and observed the third child. He had managed to pull himself back up to a standing position. The flesh that had melted from Shinji Ikari was seemingly being replaced by black liquid; the sephirothic runes were flooding to his wounds. He looked much changed. His hair had turned angelic gray and his eyes angelic red. Gone were the elegant black tattoos as they were now covering his bleeding muscles. Cain's smiles and witty replies were gone. Both men brandished their weapons again. Shinji flew upward while Cain descended to meet his opponent.
Rei Ayanami felt her body land upon the fragile earth again. Her vision was coming in spots and she found that she could hear nothing. She could see Unit-X locked in battle with Unit-01. Blackness. She could see Unit-X landing a blow to Unit-01's face. Blackness. She could see Unit-01 punching its fist entirely through Damon's stomach and back out the other side. Blackness.
"Shinji…"
Their blades met and sparked, retracted, met and sparked. Shinji flew backwards and darted forwards again. He was unsure of how long they met in combat. After some time Shinji realized he had made a mistake, and watched as the lance of Longinus entered his chest cavity and exited through the other side. He felt nothing. He was beyond pain. He was beyond everything again. It was like…It was like dying. He could see Cain before him grinning madly. Shinji Ikari spun around and brought his sword up cutting off Cain's right arm and then swung his katana in a horizontal arc at neck level. Shinji Ikari watched as Cain's head fell from his body, his eyes blank as his head plummeted downwards, his face still smiling. Shinji released his concentration and his AT field collapsed back into his body. As the black moon fell through earth's atmosphere Shinji Ikari's impaled body ignited with flame before, moments later, it, along with the remnants of the black moon, plummeted into the earths crust.