"What is it?" Fuyutsuki was as calm as ever. "Isn't that where we put the two units from the Eva series after we completed repairs?"
"Affirmative, Sir. Still scanning to determine what..." he stopped, as if his voice had suddenly been stolen from his throat. "Sir! Identity confirmed. It's Unit 04 of the Eva Series!"
"What?" Fuyutsuki was becoming worried. "What's it doing?"
"We can't tell what its objective is, sir, but it appears that someone's inside it!"
The doors suddenly slid open and Ritsuko, Misato, Shinji and Asuka all burst into the room.
"What's going on?" Ritsuko yelled up at Fuyutsuki above the blaring alarm. Shinji and Asuka gazed around the command center. It was exactly as they remembered it.
"Commander, Unit 04 has broken through the partition door and is heading toward the lauchpad! Sir, what do we do?" Fuyutsuki simply stood there silently "Uh, sir?" Fuyutsuki looked down at Shinji.
"Shinji, would you do us a favor?" He sounded like a father asking his son to take out the garbage.
"You want me to pilot it again." He stared at the flashing red dot on the large screen at the end of the room.
"We don't know what its objective is, or even who is controlling it. It may want to kill us all. It might kill you and Asuka, as well."
'Asuka...' Shinji rolled the thought around in his mind. 'It could kill Asuka, and I'd be resposible for not doing anything.'
"Hey! How come you want this idiot to take that thing on and not me? I could do it way better than he could even hope to!" Asuka objected.
"Because you're sync ratio with Unit 01 was never tested, and we can't afford for anything to go wrong in the middle of battle, that's why. Now, pipe down and use your head for once!" Ritsuko answered sternly.
"Y-yes ma'am. Sorry." Ritsuko's scolding only made her more angry.
"But I can't give you orders like that anymore. So, I'm asking you." Fuyutsuki continued.
"I'll do it." He replied flatly. Everyone's attention turned to him. "But only under Misato's command."
"Shinji..." Asuka said quietly. "You don't have to, you know."
"Of course I have to. I'd be responsible if it killed us all."
"All right, it's your decision," Misato looked up at Fuyutsuki. "I'll command the sortie, it'll be just like old times, right?" She forced a smile. That cliche hadn't been as comforting as she'd hoped.
"Right." Shinji also forced a smile.
"Get suited up. Unit 01 is in the same place it used to be." Without a word, he bolted to the locker room.
"Who could this new enemy be?" Fuyutsuki muttered to himself.
"All right, I'm in." Shinji's voice came over the com. "Where do I go?" He sounded like he wanted to get it over with as soon as possible.
"Unit 04 isn't far from your location," Misato answered. "Break through the wall behind you and then through the wall to your right in the next room and you'll be there. Once you're in, you need to..."
"Disable it and capture the pilot for questioning." Fuyutsuki interrupted. "We need to find out who's behind this." Misato turned and glared at him.
"Excuse me, sir, but I believe I am in command of this battle." She objected.
"Correct. And, in turn, I am in command of you, Major Katsuragi." He retorted.
"Misato, what do I do?" Shinji asked her directly.
"Destroy the Eva, Shinji..." she paused. "And the pilot."
"What?!" Asuka exclaimed. "Misato, don't you think that's a little extreme?"
"Shut up, Asuka!" Misato shouted. She glared over her shoulder at the girl.
"No, Shinji, leave the pilot alive!" Fuyutsuki ordered.
"Sir, Shinji has blocked communication from central command."
"Did he hear what I told him?" Fuyutsuki was becoming more and more anxious.
"I believe so, sir." Fuyutsuki seemed to calm down a little.
"Reestablish communication as soon as possible." Fuyutsuki said dryly.
"Yes sir."
"I don't know who that kid's going to listen to."
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Unit 01 finally broke into the storage room where the othe Eva was being held. Unit 04 was trying to break through the last wall to the lauch pad. It saw Shinji and immediately took a defensive position. Shinji lunged toward it and pinned it against the wall. Unit 04 immediately pulled its legs up and kicked him against the far wall. Shinji closed his eyes and braced himself for the attack. Nothing.
"Huh?" He opened his eyes. It was trying to break through the wall again. 'Maybe it just wants to get out,' he thought to himself. 'Even if it won't fight, I still have to stop it.'
He pulled out the Progressive Knife and lept towards the other Evangelion. It sidestepped his attack and forced him to the ground as he passed by it. Shinji landed on his stomach and his knife slid to the other side of the room. He reached out for it, but Unit 04 stepped on his hand before he could get to it. He cried out again as he grabbed it by the ankle and pulled it to the ground. Quickly, he grabbed the knife, rolled on top of the other Eva and buried the vibrating blade in its neck. Its hand reached up as red fluid sprayed from the opening. Shinji twisted the knife and cut up through its head until the knife broke free. Its hand jerked suddenly, then fell the the ground.
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"Sir, communication restored."
"Bring up an image, I want to see what's going on." Fuyutsuki was relieved, although his demeanor seemed exactly the same.
"Yes sir." The large screen flickered on. It was from Unit 01's point of view. It held the entry plug in its left hand. It was still intact.
"Shinji!" Fuyutsuki exclaimed. "Don't do it, Shinji. You don't want to be a murderer, right?" His tone was gentle, like someone negotiating with a kidnapper.
'Murderer...' the word cut through his mind.
"Destroy it, Shinji! That's an order!" Misato shouted.
"No! Don't kill someone who can't fight back!" Fuyutsuki pleaded.
"You said you only follow my orders, right Shinji?" Misato said confidently. "You know better than to listen to these conspirators anymore, right? Who knows what they plan on doing with whomever is inside? Don't let them use to carry out their agenda! Don't you remember the last time? Destroy it, Shinji!"
'Last time...' All the memories of being manipulated came rushing back to him. He closed his hand around the plug.
"Shinji, no!" Asuka screamed. He froze.
"Asuka?" He said quietly.
"Don't do it Shinji, please!" She sobbed. "If you do... I'll never forgive you. Do you hear me? I'll never forgive you!"
'Asuka's crying because of what I'm doing. I always end up making her unhappy.'
"I told you to shut up!" Misato yelled. Shinji heard what sounded like someone being smacked across the cheek over the communicator.
"Misato!" Shinji screamed as loud as he could. He set the plug down. He ejected his plug and climbed down the Eva. Once on the ground, he ran as fast as he could to central command.
He burst through the doors, never slowing down as set his sights on the blue-haired woman standing in front of Asuka. "Misato!" He screamed again. She turned to him just as his fist connected with her nose in full force. Her nose seemed to explode as blood splattered in all directions. She staggered back a few steps before falling to the ground. Shinji immediately jumped on her and grabbed her by the neck.
"I'll kill you if you ever touch her again!" He slammed her head into the ground. "You hear me? I'll kill you! I'll kill you!"
"Shinji, stop it!" Ritsuko pleaded. Everyone else could only watch in shock. "Get off her, Shinji." He didn't move.
"Shinji, stop." Asuka said quietly. "That's enough. I'm all right." He loosened his grip. Misato coughed, frantically gasping for air. He looked down at his hands. A tear dripped down his cheek into his left hand.
"My God..." he said quietly. He trembled as he sat there on her stomach. "What am I doing? What's wrong with me?"
"Shinji..." Asuka sobbed. She sniffled as she wiped her nose on her sleeve.
'It's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault...' He still stared at his hands. "It's all my fault!" He screamed as he ran out through the same doors he had entered.
"I'll go after him." Asuka said quietly as she turned and ran after him.
"Send a security team to storage area 3. Take the pilot into custody." Fuyutsuki seemed unaffected by what had just happened. No one moved. "Before the pilot escapes, if you don't mind."
"Y-yes sir."
Within moments, a security team was positioned around the entry plug. Two men moved toward the hatch. One slowly opened it, while the other kept his gun fixed on it. The hatch creaked open and a blue-haired girl stepped out with her hands up.
"I thought she was confined to Central Dogma." Fuyutsuki was puzzled.
"She was," Ritsuko confirmed. "How did she escape?"