The sleek black military SUV pulled up alongside a building that looked as if it had aged a decade, instead of just the few days since Shinji had last seen the city. Even in the darkness, Shinji could see the cracked foundations and the rubble at his feet, as if an earthquake had struck. It looked as if most, if not all, of the city's skyscrapers managed to survive the Third Impact and the SEELE's invasion of Nerv headquarters, even though some no longer stood and most had many of their windows shattered. The shards still crunched underfoot with all the other rubble, and the wind moaned as it whistled through their exposed interiors.
Pristine puddles-- orange LCL fluid, Shinji could make out in the pale moon-- still lay in tranquil pools by the curbside. "Is that what happened to everyone?" he asked.
"Yes," Aoba said behind him, as he watched over the NERV personnel unload an emergency gurney out of the back of the SUV's large rear cargo hold. "Maya's looking into it right now--"
"Maya?" Shinji looked up at the sound of her name, and looked over his shoulder. "Maya's still alive?" he asked, quickly running over to his side. "How is she? Who else made it? Who else!"
"Calm down," one of the personnel said, beside the teenager. "We've got to get--"
"No!" Shinji whirled around and punched him in the face, and he fell instantly onto his face on the street. Shinji's chest hurt as he gulped down deep, desperate breaths of air, but he was too angry to notice. At his sides, his hands opened and closed into fists, then stopped as he finally noticed the man. He was only maybe ten years older than himself, about the same age as Shigeru Aoba, but his standard-issue khaki jumpsuit was soaked through with blood. A gauze compress was wrapped tightly around his shoulder.
"Argh! Stupid kid!" The Nerv technician tried to raise himself up onto his elbow, breathing through his gritted teeth, but instead swayed weakly under his own weight. Another personnel-- older, and heavier-built-- came to his side and helped him up onto his feet.
Shigeru checked on the wounds, and, after spraying a disinfectant aerosol across the bloodied wound, opened a fresh package of gauze roll and began to roll them across the other man's shoulder and chest.
"What.... what happened to him?" Shinji asked, after a moment, his breath caught in his throat.
"Don't talk about me as if I ain't here, kid," the man said, and winced as Shigeru tied off the gauze in a not. Shinji looked at the man again, but he wouldn't meet his gaze-- in fact, he suddenly realized, no one could look him in the eye.
"It's been a very long night," Aoba said, quietly, then laughed. "Night? I meant week. Not even," he corrected himself. "Take care of the teacher," he said to the two Nerv personnel, "and ESPECIALLY take care of the Second Child. The Commander won't be happy if we lose them after finding out they were alive all this time."
Shinji frowned. "Father? He wouldn't care about me," he said, but even he could hear the uncertainty in his own voice. Uncertainty--or hope? And if the latter, what would make him think that anything else was different? He turned his head away, hoping to feign interest in watching the personnel carefully strap down the still-unconscious teacher onto a gurney, while others arranged IV-bags onto a second gurney's hooks. Father's still alive, he thought to himself while watching them.
Shigeru gripped Shinji on both shoulders, and stooped down to speak with him eye-to-eye. "I don't know what you have against your father," he said, then hastily added, "or what your father might have against you. This isn't the time for it.
"The Third Impact has taken place, Shinji-kun. Yes, Maya, Makoto and I are still alive. So is the Commander, but... well, you'll see. There are several dozen others, too, all down in the safety of the headquarters, but you have to realize that this is out of an original couple THOUSAND people working under Nerv. We don't know what happened, but first we have to pick up the pieces. First, we have to rebuild and find out who's made it, and who didn't."
"Then?" Shinji looked at the Nerv technician hopefully.
"Then," Shigeru explained, forcing a smile, "Then, we can start over.
"Now-- are you okay enough to help us? It's still a long walk into headquarters, and we haven't regained power yet-- at least, not enough to run any auxiliary programs or utilities that aren't essential yet."
Shinji nodded. "I think so. I mean... yes. I can do it."
"Good. Now, I want you to help these people take Asuka into the tunnels. Like I said, there won't be any service cars that'll take us into the GeoFront." Aoba Shigeru pointed to the cluster of people hoisting Asuka's bloodied, comatose form onto a gurney. "Help them hold the IV-bags. Steady the way for them-- it's sure to be bumpy on the way down."
Nodding, Shinji went over, but froze as he noticed that the man he hit was among them, and was looking right at him. Setting his jaw firmly, he forced himself forward, and took a corner of the gurney, the one closest to the various tangled hoses and drips that led into Asuka Soryuu Langley's forearm.
"I'm...sorry," he said. He felt them observe him from the corners of their eyes. "I shouldn't have hit you. I'm sorry."
The man-- no, all of them-- watched him for what felt like a long time. Then, suddenly, he nodded and smiled weakly at Shinji. "Glad to have you aboard. We'll take any help we can."
Shinji nodded, and straightened out the IV-drips, and looked at Asuka. Her skin radiated coolness, and her chest barely rose and fell underneath the thick, blood-stained blanket that covered her midsection. Behind them, Shigeru gave the order to go ahead, as another two technicians pried open vault-like metal doors with crowbars. Shinji paid them no mind, but instead, scrutinized Asuka's every labored movement, and the way her golden hair plastered to her brow.
"She'll be okay," the personnel with the arm in a makeshift sling said, as if he were reading his thoughts. "We'll get there as soon as we can. Just be careful," he added as they started to move forward into the service elevators, meant to bring cars and other vehicles to and from the Geofront far below. "We'll need all the help that we can."
Shinji took one last look at Asuka's still form just as they were all consumed by the cave-like darkness.
