Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion or Godzilla. I just thought that if this story was done right they might go well together.
Author's Note: This chapter is pretty standard for a Godzilla/Evangelion crossover. However, the story will get to be a lot different later on.
Chapter 3: Battle of Titans/In Defense of Tokyo 3
Dedicated to Akira Ifkube whose music still stirs the souls of people around the world.
Hikari sat up. The blast had knocked her off her feet. Silently, she cursed her terrible luck. She had been caught in the bathroom when the alarm had sounded. Of course she had to finish doing her business first, but when she had gotten out she had found that all of the shelters were already closed. None of her pounding yielded an answer.
She stood up to take stock of her surroundings. A military aircraft had almost come down on top of her while she made her way through the streets looking for an open shelter. The shockwaves had sent her tumbling. Fortunately, she had avoided anything more severe than a few bruises.
What do I do now? she wondered, looking at the flaming wreck in front of her. Behind her she heard a low pounding sound, like giant footsteps. Turning around, Hikari saw the most terrifying sight in her life.
She wasn't able to gape at it for long as the sound of crumbling masonry came from above her. Looking up, Hikari screamed as part of the building she was standing by plunged towards her.
***
"Godzilla," gasped Misato, "I don't believe it."
"So, the leviathan has finally arisen," remarked Gendo quietly.
The creature was immense, easily a hundred meters tall. His skin was black in color. Despite Godzilla's reptilian nature, he was not covered in scales. Rather, he was covered with thick skin, rutted not totally unlike the bark of some ancient, giant tree. On his back stood three rows of jagged spines. His eyes were yellow in color, showing his animalistic nature yet also conveying a sense of unnerving intelligence. As his mouth opened, he displayed a fearsome double row of uneven teeth. Many of them were approximately two meters long.
Godzilla's reaction upon seeing the three Evas, also a hundred meters tall, arrayed against him was one of curiosity. The creature tilted its head back and forth, as if trying to make some sense of the strange objects that stood before it. As it did this, it opened its mouth and cut loose with a low growl. After a moment he just stared intently at the three Evas, seeming to wait for them to make the first move. His tail beat the ground, smashing rock and raising a thick cloud of dust.
"Evangelions, engage the enemy," ordered Misato.
"Hold on a minute," protested Ishiro, "We are not anywhere near ready to fight Godzilla. Do you have any idea of what he's capable of?"
"It doesn't matter!" shouted Misato, "You have to fight him."
Ishiro decided to ignore her. "Shinji, Asuka, Misato's right on one account. We can't let Godzilla penetrate any farther into the city. Right now, our best bet is to drive him back into the sea. From what my mother told me, if we can succeed at that, he'll wait for a while at least before trying to come ashore again. Do you think you can manage that?"
"Uh yeah," said Shinji uncertainly.
"Bring him on," said Asuka eagerly.
"Stick to the plan!" nearly screamed Misato.
"Be careful," advised Ishiro, still ignoring Misato, "Godzilla's a lot faster than he looks. And above all else, remember this. When the spines on his back start to glow, it means he's about to fire that heat beam of his, so be ready to evade. I have a feeling that our AT fields aren't up to that kind of strain."
"What should we do sir?" asked Misato, "Should we try to stop them?"
"It is obvious that Pilot Saegusa knows far more about this creature than we do. We'll trust his judgment for now." Ikari's pronouncement drew confused stares from his entire staff.
Misato sighed. "It's in your hands now Ishiro."
"Was it ever not?" he retorted, drawing a growl from her.
"Asuka, Shinji, switch weapons," instructed Ishiro.
"I thought I was supposed to provide cover," said a confused Asuka.
"I still want you to do that," replied Ishiro, "However, if you were to fire at Godzilla from your position, you would actually be drawing him towards you. When fired upon, Godzilla tends to advance on source of the barrage. We can use the rifle to draw him back to the ocean before we can force him in. Unit 01 has superior mobility as it isn't dependant on an umbilical cable, which makes it better suited to the task."
"I understand," said Asuka.
"If you have to fight Godzilla it will be in close range combat. You can't match him in the area of strength. However, your Eva should have the advantage when it comes to agility. Try to engage Godzilla using hit and run tactics." Ishiro flinched as Godzilla let out an impatient roar. "Alright, let's do this."
Units 01 and 02 switched weapons. Unit 14 charged straight towards the creature. "Shinji, circle around and get behind him," ordered Ishiro.
"On it," said Shinji. His Eva began to circle around to Godzilla's right.
Unit 14 continued its charge. Even as it did this, its wrists discharged the cylinders for it's AT blades. The shaped AT extended from the end of each cylinder.
"Wow," gasped Asuka, amazed by the capabilities of this strange new Eva.
Unit 14 ran straight for Godzilla, its swords held outstretched on either side. Just as it was about to collide with Godzilla, it leapt straight up into the air. Godzilla's claws swiped through the empty air where the Eva had been mere seconds ago. "Now Shinji!" shouted Ishiro.
Shinji didn't reply, he just squeezed the trigger. The bullets impacted Godzilla, covering the monster with fiery explosions. Enraged, the creature wheeled about to face the irritant. As it did, Unit 14 dropped down, slashing downwards with one of its swords. Blood flew everywhere as the sword cleaved through Godzilla's skin like a hot knife through butter. However, when Unit 14 backed away to avoid any counterattack that there might have been, there was no sign that the swords had even touched Godzilla.
Godzilla seemed to ignore Unit 14 for the time being. Instead, blue flashes traveled up and down the spines on his back. "Shinji look out!" shouted Ishiro. Unit 01 remained where it was. Shinji seemed to be unsure of where to go. A jet of blue-white superheated plasma roared forth from Godzilla's mouth. Shinji panicked and used the only defense he could think of. The beam lanced out towards Unit 01 but was halted in mid air by Unit 01's AT field.
"Get out of there Shinji!" shouted Ishiro, "Your AT field can't take that kind of strain." Ishiro's words soon proved to be true as the energy beam began to break through the AT field.
"It breaking through with sheer brute force," gasped Ritsuko in awe.
Finally, the beam punched through Unit 01's AT field. The Eva threw itself to one side. However, the beam slammed into its left shoulder, completely destroying the shoulder brace and sending the Eva slamming into the ground. Shinji's scream of pain echoed across the communications channel.
Godzilla relentlessly advanced on Unit 01. First, he raised his foot and slammed it down on the Eva's prone form several times with earthshaking force. Shinji's screams were much more frantic now. Finally, Godzilla reached down, lifting the Eva with both forepaws. Godzilla's jaws opened, revealing the rows of razor sharp teeth. Without hesitation, he bit down on the Eva's already wounded shoulder. Shinji's screams faded and he lost consciousness as Godzilla's powerful neck and jaw muscles went to work and he began to twist.
***
Strong hands grabbed Hikari's shoulders and pulled her out of the way before debris rained down on where she had been standing. Whirling around, Hikari realized that her savior was none other than Touji. Relieved beyond words, she threw her arms around him and buried her face in his shoulder.
Touji held her close, relieved that she was alright. "Let's go," he said to her quietly and began to lead her down another street. However, as they turned a corner, they came face to foot with Eva Unit 14. In fact, the black Evangelion would have stepped on them had they come around the corner any earlier.
To their surprise, the Eva's head turned down to regard them. Without hesitation, the giant knelt down. The plates on the back of its neck opened up and the entry plug extended out. The hatch on the plug opened and Ishiro poked his head out.
"What are you waiting for, an invitation?" he shouted down to them, "Get in!"
Touji went first, helping Hikari to make the tedious climb up the Eva's arm to the entry plug. He let Hikari get in first and then followed, plunging into the warm LCL. Touji nearly gagged as the liquid filled his lungs. Even as the hatch closed and the entry plug reinserted itself into Unit 14, a rush of unpleasant memories came to him: Unit 03, being taken over by the Angel, watching as Unit 01 tore his Eva apart, the pain as his entry plug was crushed.
The plug was pitch black at first, but light soon seeped into the pod from the windows that gave the pilot and Eva's eye view of everything that was going on. In front of Ishiro floated an image of Misato.
"What are you doing?" she growled, "You weren't given permission to let civilians into the entry plug."
"I'm confused," retorted Ishiro, "At what point did I ever ask for it?"
"Why you arrogant little…!" Misato didn't get to finish her sentence as Ishiro shut the communication's channel off.
"Okay," he told his passengers, "Let's go over a few basic rules. Keep your hands and arms inside the Eva at all times and above all else, no backseat driving."
His humor disappeared as Asuka's scream came over the comm. "GET AWAY FROM HIM!"
***
"GET AWAY FROM HIM!" Asuka's Eva charged for Godzilla's unprotected back. She plunged her spear in below the shoulder right next to the first row of spines that rose from Godzilla's back. A high screech of pain emerged from the beast's mouth. Godzilla's tail snapped like a whip, slamming into Unit 02's side. The Eva was knocked flying, plowing into the outskirts of the city and leveling a couple buildings.
Godzilla released Unit 01 and turned towards Unit 02. Deliberately he advanced on Asuka's downed Eva. Unit 14 entered the fray again. Circling around, the black Eva jumped, performing a forward flip in mid-air and slamming both feet into Godzilla's backside, planting its feet on either side of the triple row of spines. In one smooth motion, the swords swung forward and scored Godzilla's flanks as the Eva pushed off, performing a back flip to carry it out of the range of Godzilla's deadly tail.
***
"I don't believe it," gasped Ritsuko, looking over Maya's shoulder, "Two foreign bodies in the matrix and his synchronization ratio hasn't slipped a tenth of a percent."
"Still, we can't just be letting random civilians into a classified area like that," said Gendo.
"One of them is the 4th Child," Misato pointed out, having decided that Ishiro was in the right.
"That does not excuse his actions," replied Commander Ikari, "We will discuss this after this mission is completed."
"Are you sure of this Ikari?" asked Fuyutsuki.
"Pilot Saegusa has overstepped his bounds one too many times," answered Gendo, "We will have to remind him who is in command here."
"Unit 01 has gone silent," announced Maya.
"I'm getting no signs from the pilot, the circuits have been disconnected," reported Makoto.
"Oh no," gasped Misato, "Shinji!"
***
Godzilla turned his neck and bit down on the shaft of the spear. Without hesitation, the creature pulled the spear from its back. Turning around to face Unit 14, Godzilla closed his jaws tighter, biting the spear in half. Unit 14 merely waited sword tips down, for Godzilla to make the first move.
Godzilla surged forward, his speed very surprising for something so large and bulky. He swung his right hand around, trying to slash the Eva with his claws. The Eva seemed to simply lean to the side and dodge around the attack. As it did so, its left sword came up and delivered a backhanded slash to Godzilla's flank. Unit 14 pushed away from the ground and into the air, landing a short distance away.
The monster wheeled around to face the Eva. His spines flared and a heat beam shot out of his mouth. However, Ishiro seemed to anticipate this and his Eva dove to one side. The beam blasted a trench in the ground, setting fire to the forest around it. Godzilla roared his frustration. Unit 14's mouth opened and the Evangelion voiced a gurgling bellow in return.
***
"Amazing," marveled Misato, forgetting Shinji for a moment.
"He has perfect control over his Eva," said Ritsuko.
"Unit 01 has just reactivated itself," announced Maya.
"What?" exclaimed Misato, whirling to look over the lieutenant's shoulder.
"Berserker," said Ritsuko, as if that explained everything.
***
"Damn!" exclaimed Ishiro as he noticed Unit 01 rising to its feet, "If there's one thing we really don't need now it's the berserker."
"Berserker?" inquired Hikari from the cockpit.
"You haven't heard of it?" said Ishiro, "Shinji didn't tell you?"
"I don't think he was allowed to," remarked Touji.
"Well," began Ishiro, even as he directed the Eva to dodge as Godzilla spun around, bring his tail around in an attempt to sweep Unit 14's feet out from under it, "Only Shinji's Eva seems capable of it. Under extreme circumstances, a consciousness from within Unit 01 itself seizes control of the Eva. This seems to give Unit 01 increased power and back when it used to still run on power from an umbilical cable, allowed it to function past the normal limits of its battery power. Shinji is not in control when the Eva goes berserk and oftentimes it happens after he has lost consciousness in the cockpit."
"And why is that a bad thing?" asked Hikari.
"The berserker doesn't know the meaning of strategy. It can no more follow a plan than it can stop itself from ripping an enemy apart," Ishiro grimaced as he looked at the now standing Unit 01, "Even the berserker Eva is no match for Godzilla."
Even as he said this, Unit 01's jaws opened and a howl emerged from the Eva's throat. Godzilla wheeled about to face the new threat. He turned around just in time to take the full force of the Eva's slam. Godzilla was knocked back on his heels. However, he quickly recovered and shifted his weight back towards Unit 01.
For a few seconds, the two titans grappled like giant sumo wrestlers. But to the horror of all those watching, Unit 01 began to fall back, unable to resist the overpowering strength of Godzilla. However, the Eva wasn't finished yet. Its hands reached up and wrapped around the monster's neck. Godzilla's slammed his claws against the arms of the Eva. A wet snap echoed in the afternoon air, however, the Eva's grip did not lessen and gradually, Godzilla's struggles began to weaken.
"We're winning!" shouted Asuka, who had managed to get her Eva to its feet.
"Not yet," declared Ishiro. He watched the battle with grim certainty, knowing that Godzilla was a far cry from dead.
Godzilla's dorsal spines began to flash; blue-white lightning running up and down their lengths. The monster's mouth opened as he prepared to unleash the full force of his radioactive heat beam on Unit 01's head at point blank range. However, as his maw opened, the tiny plumes of energy sputtered and died before they got anywhere close to the Eva's face.
"He can't even fire his heat ray!" yelled Asuka in elation.
"Shit," was all that Ishiro could say as he watched the exchange. Behind him, Hikari and Touji exchanged confused glances.
"Get back!" shouted Ishiro a second later. Unit 14 leapt back away from Unit 01, which maintained its deadly hold on Godzilla's throat.
"What are you talking about?" demanded Asuka, "We're…" She never got to finish her sentence. Suddenly, Godzilla's entire body seemed to flare with blue-white light. A powerful blast radiated outwards, Unit 01 lost its grip on the monster, and was sent flying by the force of the explosion. Unit 02 was similarly toppled by the discharge. Only Unit 14, which had increased the distance between Godzilla and itself in addition to bracing itself, remained standing.
"Are you two okay?" asked Ishiro, turning around to look at Touji and Hikari. Hikari was clinging to Touji with all her might. As they had not been restrained by any kind of safety harness, they had been jolted around a little more than Ishiro had. Touji returned Ishiro's glance and flashed him a shaky thumbs up.
"What was that?" groaned Asuka, massaging her head, feeling both Unit 02's pain from the blast and her own from the jolting of the cockpit.
"A nuclear pulse," replied Ishiro, "It's Godzilla's last resort weapon. When Godzilla fires his radioactive heat beam, what he is channeling is a controlled nuclear explosion on a very small scale. He channels this energy out of his mouth as you can plainly see. However, when the passage from wherever it is that the energy from the beam is generated is blocked, the energy builds up inside of Godzilla and eventually he flushes it out through the pores of his skin in the form of a powerful blast of energy. It's devastating in close quarters."
Unit 01 was in a sorry state. It was slowly forcing itself back onto its feet. The armor over the front of its body had all but melted away, yielding a fine view of the scorched flesh beneath.
Godzilla's dorsal spines flared once more. This time, the heat beam emerged from his mouth in full force, stabbing towards the fallen Unit 01, which had just managed to reach a sitting position. The beam punched straight through the Eva's stomach, hitting the ground behind it. The explosion threw the Eva forward onto its face. Godzilla turned around. His tail rose and fell, hammering the fallen Eva mercilessly.
"Asuka!" shouted Ishiro, "I need your help. We need to tackle Godzilla as a team."
"I can take him down on my own," boasted Asuka.
"This is not the time to argue for bragging rights!" roared Ishiro, "Shinji's life is at stake here. Just one of us alone won't be enough to budge Godzilla."
"What should we do then?" asked Asuka, "Attack him at the same time?"
"Not exactly, we need to stagger our attacks. One of us will have to tackle him first. This should disrupt Godzilla's balance long enough for the second one to finish the job of knocking him over."
"Okay," agreed Asuka, "I go first." Without waiting to listen to anything further from Ishiro, she sent her Eva into a charge.
Unit 02 slammed into Godzilla's flank with all the force it could muster. Godzilla let out a roar as he shifted his weight onto his other foot. It was then that Unit 14, following on the heels of Unit 02's attack slammed into the back of Unit 02. The force of the impact was enough to send Godzilla toppling to the ground. Both of the attacking Eva's rolled clear.
"Good work," said Ishiro, "Now, get Shinji out of here."
"Okay." For once, Asuka didn't argue.
Unit 02 grabbed Unit 01under the shoulders and proceeded to drag the damaged Eva away. Unit 14 stood, waiting for Godzilla to regain his footing. The monster roared in rage as he stood once again. Seeing only the black Eva standing to challenge it, Godzilla surged forward, a black tidal wave of unstoppable destruction. Unit 14 braced itself as if to meet the challenge head on. However, as Godzilla closed with it, the Eva dropped one sword as it lifted the other to point at Godzilla. It then braced its remaining sword with both hands. Mirroring the pilot's determination, the Eva released another gurgling bellow.
Godzilla was to close to stop his momentum. He impaled himself on the AT blade. The tip of the blade emerged from Godzilla's back, sending blood and flesh spraying in the air. The monster's mouth opened and a shrill shriek of pain escaped. Blood rising in the monster's throat exited the mouth and spattered over the head of Unit 14.
Not faltering, Unit 14 pulled down and to the side, bringing the blade tearing down and out of Godzilla's flank. In one smooth motion, Unit 14 stooped to retrieve its other blade and rolled away from Godzilla's massive falling form. The ground shook as the monster impacted. Godzilla wasn't down for long though. With a low growl, the monster forced himself up on his hands and then got back onto his feet.
"No way!" gasped Ishiro. There was no trace of the wound his sword had made, no hint that it had even been created.
"That's impossible," gasped Misato over the comm.
Just great, Ishiro thought, Mother wasn't exaggerating about him. There's no way I can kill him, not here, not now. I have to get him into the ocean. If I can force him into the sea he should leave us be for a short time at least.
Then, Ishiro got an idea. Looking around frantically, his eyes found what they sought…the rifle dropped by Unit 01. Perfect. The AT blades disappeared and their hilts folded back into Unit 14's arms.
Godzilla roared with unmatched fury. His spines were glowing again. The heat beam erupted from his mouth. Unit 14 was already moving however. The Eva managed to dive and escape the attack. Its dive also carried it within reach of the rifle. Not pausing, the Eva rolled to its feet and fired on Godzilla. Godzilla did not answer with his heat beam but rather charged. Unit 14 dodged back away from Godzilla. It fired a second barrage at the beast.
The attack seemed only to magnify the monster's wrath. Godzilla surged forward again. Again Unit 14 retreated. However, Godzilla did not stop his pursuit, chasing after the elusive Eva with every fiber of his being. Unit 14 continued to retreat from Godzilla at a pace that kept a fair distance between them.
Godzilla halted. He fired his heat beam at Unit 14. The Eva back flipped away from the attack which blasted away the ground where it had been standing. It fired another barrage through the still dissipating smoke, fanning the flames of Godzilla's rage. The creature rushed forward yet again, with the Eva retreating at a perfect pace.
This continued for sometime; Godzilla pursuing Unit 14 and stopping occasionally. On these occasions, Unit 14 used a simple barrage from its rifle to goad Godzilla into another charge. Godzilla then charged again. After going through this process several times, Unit 14 halted, its heels resting on the very edge of the cliff overlooking the sea. Godzilla had come to a halt not far away.
Ishiro could tell that Godzilla was preparing himself for another charge. He wouldn't need the rifle to goad the beast this time. He smiled to himself. He knew exactly what it was that he needed to do.
Godzilla surged forward. Unit 14 didn't move. It waited while Godzilla rapidly drew closer. Godzilla's jaws opened, letting out a roar of victory as it closed with its hated foe. In the cockpit, Hikari screamed and clung to Touji. Both of them watched with apprehension as the monster drew nearer.
At the last second, Ishiro fired the rifle, not at Godzilla, but at the ground between them. The bullets exploded, unleashing a thick cloud of smoke that obscured the entire area. The smoke engulfed both Eva and monster, blocking them from the view of NERV's cameras.
"What's going on?" demanded Misato.
Nothing happened for a moment, then Godzilla came bulling out of the smoke…out of the smoke and over the cliff. With a shriek of rage, the monster plunged over the side and into the sea below. The smoke cleared, revealing the Eva, untouched, standing on the edge of the cliff, looking down at Godzilla. It held the rifle at its side, showing that Ishiro had not intention of firing the weapon again.
The waters below parted and Godzilla rose above the surface, standing in water that came up to the height of his waist. The monster tilted his head upwards to regard the Eva. Ishiro met the creature's gaze squarely, not feeling any fear at all. Looking in the monster's eyes, Ishiro thought he saw a flash of something, respect.
"Keep firing," ordered Misato.
"That would be ill-advised," replied Ishiro, "Firing Godzilla now would only draw him back up onto land." He looked away from the image of Misato and down on Godzilla again. "It won't be necessary."
As if to confirm his statement, Godzilla let out one final roar before turning and wading out towards the open ocean. Unit 14 stood on the edge of the cliff, silently watching the monster's departure. Godzilla waded out until the water was deep enough, then dived under the waves and swam out into the ocean.
"Let's go home," said Ishiro wearily after the behemoth had disappeared beneath the waves. Behind him, Touji and Hikari nodded in agreement.
***
"Are you okay Shinji?" asked Misato, examining the third child. Shinji groaned. He felt like crap. He wondered if there was a part of his body that wasn't hurting. Shinji lay in a hospital bed. His left arm was in a cast and in traction. There were bandages across almost every part of his body. His neck was in a brace. His legs appeared to be the only parts of his body not tightly wrapped in bandages. Every injury the Eva had sustained in battle had been inflicted to a lesser extent on its pilot.
"I feel awful," he said, "But I think I'll live."
"I'm glad," said Misato, "I've got to go now and debrief the others."
She left. Shinji sighed and tried to ignore the pain now that there was nothing to take his mind off it.
***
The others sat in the debriefing room. Once again, Ishiro and Asuka sat in the front row in their civilian clothes, having washed and rested a little since the battle. Hikari and Touji sat next to the two pilots. They had been allowed to shower off and uniforms were given to them to wear until their clothes had been cleaned out and dried. However, since there were no NERV uniforms in their size, the clothes looked rather baggy on the two of them. Hikari rested her head on Asuka shoulder, almost drifting into sleep. Rei sat off to one side, watching quietly. Behind them sat various staff members with Gendo sitting in the very back and Fuyutsuki standing by his side. In front of them stood Misato.
"The damage sustained by Unit 01 was substantial," she was saying, "The shoulder has been broken. All the armor on the front of the Eva has been burned away, doing severe damage to the tissue underneath. There is also a severe hole in the Unit's abdomen. The back of the Eva was badly battered in the fight and the head section sustained damage as well.
"The injuries to the pilot were severe but survivable. He should be out of the hospital in about a month's time.
"Unit 02 has some dented armor and a few minor burns but is otherwise fine. Unit 14 sustained no damage whatsoever." Misato looked up from her report and smiled on the two pilots. "The city was virtually undamaged during the fight. A few windows were broken by the shockwaves from the explosion and two buildings were leveled by Unit 02, but the damage is nonexistent otherwise. All three pilots did exceptionally well."
"However," remarked Commander Ikari from the back, "Pilot Saegusa needs to work on setting his priorities straight."
"What do you mean commander?" inquired Ishiro innocently, not even bothering to look back at Gendo.
"What is your mission?" asked Gendo.
"To protect the city of Tokyo 3 and its inhabitants," replied Ishiro.
"Incorrect," stated Gendo, "You're mission is to fight and destroy the enemy."
"That may be your mission Commander; however, mine was and remains the protection of the city and people of Tokyo 3."
"That does not justify letting to unauthorized civilians into the cockpit," declared Gendo. Hikari and Touji flinched reflexively, sensing the hidden reprimand in Gendo's statement. They had explained their situation to Misato earlier and Misato had agreed that Ishiro had done the right thing in letting them in. However, she couldn't justify it to the commander.
"It's too bad that you have a problem with my methods," retorted Ishiro, "However, you are not the one piloting the Eva. The decision whether or not to let them into the cockpit was mine to make."
Gendo's face nearly betrayed his rage. Beside him Fuyutsuki appeared neutral, though in truth, he was fairly impressed with the young pilot's backbone. He had never seen anyone stand up to Gendo Ikari like that.
"You would do well to follow orders if you want to remain a member of this organization," growled Gendo.
"Very well," replied Ishiro, "Throw me out. It doesn't really matter to me. However, what will you do when Godzilla returns? And believe me, he will return. You have no idea what motivates Godzilla, how he functions. You have no knowledge of how to fight Godzilla when he comes again. And what if other kaiju appear? It is obvious that I am the only person in the organization who has any idea what we're up against. Godzilla may be no Angel, but he can be a hundred times more dangerous."
"Give me some examples of how you can be useful in this fashion," said Gendo, his interest raised.
"For example, did you know that right now, you should have people combing the entire area of the battle, collecting all the samples of tissue they can find, treating the area for radioactivity, keeping citizens away? Godzilla's flesh and blood is infused with radiation. Too much exposure can be lethal." Ishiro raised an eyebrow, "Also, any samples may have the key to defeating Godzilla."
"Our scientists are busy working on the Evas currently," stated Fuyutsuki.
"I had no intention of allowing you to delegate this task to your scientists," replied Ishiro nonchalantly, "I intend to conduct this research myself."
"With what experience and what equipment?" asked Ikari skeptically, "Do you mean to say that you are a scientist?"
"Pilot Soryu is not the only person who has had the experience of going through a university. My major was biology, but I also have a de facto degree in kaijuology. I am the closest thing you have to an expert in this particular field," he smirked superiorly, "As for equipment, I will use the lab you are about to provide me."
"Hold on here," snapped Fuyutsuki, "You expect us to allocate valuable space and resources at your whim?"
"Research and study are the only ways in which we will be able to learn anything useful regarding Godzilla," replied Ishiro, "And it appears that I am the only one qualified to do it. I can assure you that there will be other applications from the study of Godzilla's physiology, some of them could have an immense impact on the world at large," Ishiro glanced at Commander Ikari, "Wouldn't you like to be the one who would control these applications sir? If we don't do this now, someone else will."
"Very well," said Gendo after a moment's consideration, "You will be granted lab space and resources at your discretion. However, you must not squander your newfound privileges."
"I understand Commander," replied Ishiro smoothly.
"Very well, then you are dismissed," Gendo cast a glance about the room, "All of you."
Everyone filed out. Ishiro was the last person at the door. Before he left, Fuyutsuki spoke out. "A question Pilot Saegusa," he said gently, "I am curious about your eyes."
"You wonder how sometimes they are brown and other times they are red," stated Ishiro. Fuyutsuki nodded. Ishiro looked away, a faraway look coming into his, brown, eyes. "When I was about ten I was the subject of a human enhancement experiment. Through surgery I was granted the ability to switch from the visible light spectrum to the infrared spectrum at will. When my eyes turn red, I am viewing things through the infrared spectrum." He left.
Gendo was left alone with Fuyutsuki. "So much for your reprimand Ikari," he said after a moment.
"Indeed," agreed Gendo, "This boy is proving to be surprisingly slippery. He is full of surprises. Before I even knew it, he had completely reversed our positions. This one is no stranger to the game of manipulation."
And you are reminded that you are not the sole master of this game, thought Fuyutsuki, merely nodding at Gendo's statement.
***
The door to Shinji's hospital room opened slowly. Shinji tried to turn his head to look at the door and see who was entering. However, the brace around his neck prevented him from doing so. He was forced to try and watch through peripheral vision and see who as coming.
Asuka came into his field of view. She sat in a chair that was placed at the side of the bed, close enough that Shinji didn't have to strain his eyes to look at her.
"How do you feel?" asked Asuka after a moment.
"Like shit," replied Shinji hoarsely.
Asuka couldn't say anything else. Instead she reached over and gently brushed her fingers against Shinji's cheek. Her touch was feather-light and surprised the boy with its gentleness. "Please get well soon," she said softly, "I'd miss you too much."
"I'll be fine," he said, reaching up with his undamaged arm and taking her hand in his.
Asuka nodded and gave him a small smile. "Ishiro told me how you had stayed by me the whole time when I was out; even when the Angel attacked you didn't leave me."
Shinji blushed with shame. "There's something I need to tell you Asuka," he said, "I-I didn't stay with you the whole time. At one point I had thought I couldn't take anymore. I ran away." He looked away from her as best he could. Tears started to trickle down his cheeks. "I ran away and hid like a frightened animal. I don't know how long I was there, but I was there during the fight with the Angel.
"Then Ishiro found me. He just sat there next to me, not asking me any questions not demanding to know why I wasn't around to do my duty. He just sat there and waited until I was ready. Then he asked me why I was so sad and I told him everything. I couldn't hold it in anymore, I had to let it all out. He just sat there and listened to me, and then he brought me back to you." His tears were flowing openly now. "If he hadn't come along, I might have never been there when you woke up. I was such a coward."
"Shinji," said Asuka timidly. However, Shinji had started to sob softly, showing that he wasn't listening. Asuka paused, gathering her strength for what she needed to do. "Shinji, listen to me," she said firmly, the iron in her voice commanding the boy's full attention.
"Shinji, you are not a coward. Think about it, you've piloted the Eva for longer than anyone else, even Rei. Even though you hated piloting it more than you'd ever hated anything else in your life, you still did it. You're also brave in other ways too. Just now, when you told me what really happened while I was in a coma, you told me the whole story, you didn't hold back. You didn't wait until I found out from Misato or from someone else what really happened. That was courage Shinji. You're braver than you think and don't you ever think otherwise." She gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.
The silence following Asuka's statement was a comfortable. They simply sat, hand in hand. Neither was waiting for the other to speak, neither needed the other to speak. Finally, Shinji managed to whisper, "Asuka, thank you."
"You're welcome 3rd child," she said smiling again, "Just try not to stay in bed for too long. Otherwise I might become better than you again."
"Alright," agreed Shinji. A yawn suddenly escaped from his lips, the exhaustion of the day's events catching up with him. Asuka caught on to this and stood up. As she left the room, she turned the lights out. Shinji floated off into a blissfully dreamless sleep.
***
Ishiro strode down one of the complex's many hallways. He found the transit lines to be very boring and preferred to get about under his own power. There were no lights on in this particular corridor, which was to Ishiro's liking. His eyes glowed red in the darkness.
The boy came to a halt. An amused smile played across his face. He turned around to look at the corner he had just turned. "There is no need to hide; I can see the heat of your body like a lantern."
Silently, Rei Ayanami stepped around the corner. Her face was neutral, but Ishiro new that she had been surprised by the fact he had noticed her.
"What prompts you to follow me 1st child?" he inquired, raising an eyebrow.
Rei's expression did not change. "You are more than you seem Pilot Saegusa," she said softly.
"You are not the first to notice that," replied Ishiro smugly, "Nor will you be the last." He smiled knowingly. "You are more than you seem as well Rei. Perhaps you would like to tell me what it is like to be a doll, a tool for a man's selfish ambitions."
A grimace crossed Rei's face. "I am not a doll."
"So you say," retorted Ishiro, "And yet you would do anything he ordered you too. Explain how this does not make you a doll."
"I do not have to obey orders," replied Rei, "But if I don't follow them, what other purpose is there for me?"
"I cannot tell you that. Neither can Ikari. Only you can decide your fate Rei Ayanami, whether you decide to fulfill the purpose Ikari has set out for you, or to break free of his hold, the decision lies in your hands. If you decide to fulfill your own purpose, then it is up to you to decide what that will be."
"How do I decide my purpose?" wondered Rei.
"Open your mind," replied Ishiro, "Shed the barriers that your emotional conditioning have placed around your soul. Learn what it is like to live life as a human, to feel joy, pain, anger, sadness, and love. See for yourself what the world has to offer, and then use that to make your decision. And above all else, make your life your own. Treat life as an experiment."
"I will consider your words…" said Rei, hesitating for a moment, "Ishiro." She turned and left as quickly as she could.
Ishiro grinned. "That Rei is the first step," he said into the darkness.