Problem fifteen: When does one see the truth...
A want a urge to say something is overwhelming, but for Rei Ayanami who stands staring at her guardian for the first time in nearly three weeks renders her speechless. Next to her is Yukari who sleeps standing up using Rei's shoulder as a pillow. This does not bother Rei, what does is the Commander. He stands next to his faithful patsy Sub Commander Fuyutsuki both looking up to the center chamber in the room of Gauf in mid discussion.
"The interface is nearly complete." The strong words spoken by Fuyutsuki is confident and with a smile at the end.
Gendo looks behind him to the two sisters with a smirk. "Yes, thanks to the Zero child, we were able to complete the Dummy Plug ahead of schedule."
The comment easily saddens Rei, never has she been ignored like this before, her credit to the Dummy Plug seemed to be all in vain. She looks to her sister with envy, this clone hurt her friend, and she steals her very purpose in life. Rei can only sigh, maintaining the discipline taught to her.
"Load the plug into Units Zero thru Three."
The two siblings begin to make their way back to their respective homes. However, they maintain each other's company with in NERV. Both are tired, Gendo had both up all night finishing the Dummy Plug. Rei wears her school Uniform as Yukari wears a white Chinese shirt and a pleaded skirt with biker shorts underneath. Once in the elevator away from everyone Yukari looks over to her sister with a sadden look.
"I'm sorry."
Rei turn to Yukari but does not give her the privilege of making eye contact. "What for..."
With a simple sighs Yukari looks to her feet. "For stealing your purpose... For stealing your life... I see how you look at me..." Rei does not respond she only shifts her stance to look back at the elevator door. "Don't worry, though... I made it so he will never see his dream."
This gets Rie's attention, as she turns to her sister, unable to hold back her emotion. "What do you mean!"
"I sabotaged the Dummy Plug..." Yukari seemed to have switched with her sister as she blankly stares at the elevator door.
Rei turns to her sister, grabs her by the carol, and shakes her. "How dare you ruin my life! How dare you... I will not stand for this, you will be killed for..."
Before Rei can finish the elevator stops and the door goes too open only to stop halfway as the power goes out. Both sisters look around the pitch- black elevator and hallway. Yukari maneuvers herself out of her sister's hold, and wedges herself past the elevator door, and looks into the hallway.
"This is interesting..."
Even with the lights out Rei is not stopped from her anger as she comes up from behind and pushes Yukari to the ground. As she rolls across the ground, she looks up just in time to se Rei's foot coming down on her head.
'I will not fight you Rei...'
Yukari does a kick up and once on her feet she turns to her sister to see, she is about to cry. Unable to hurt her, Yukari lowers her defensive stance and closer her eyes just as Rei attacks. Rei's attack is harsh as she knocks her sister down with the first blow then mounts on top of her and begins to punch her sister restlessly. Through the blood and screams, Rei looks like she will not stop until a single tear strikes the bloody body of Yukari. Rei stops and grabs her face in shock she begins to look around in the dark to see her vision is blurry. She stumbles backwards colliding into the wall staring at her bloodly and bruised hands.
"Why, am I... crying..." Rei tries to wipe away the tires but they keep on coming, she desperately tires to escape her pain but is unable she falls to her knees unable to move. "Why, am I the one crying..."
"Because it hurts..." Yukari rolls to her side and spits out blood as she lets blood drain out of her broken nose. "Its my fault... I... I wish I knew... I wish I knew why I was here..." For some reason Rei cant help but look down at her sister. She still cries but she can't help but feel for her sister. "Rei..." Yukari tries to get up but falls back down in pain. "Why... why would you want to die for that man, for his dream..."
"I..." Rei remains silent as she looks down at her hands she longs for a person but it is not who she would expect. "I..."
"He wants to destroy us all, he wants you to kill everyone, even... Asuka..." Yukari crawls over to the wall next to Rei she holds her ribs in pain. At first it doesn't come to Yukari that she really had no idea of Gendo's plan, but it seemed like she always knew. "What does Asuka want..."
The answer leaves Rei's tongue with little effort. "She doesn't want to die..." Rei looks to her sister as she wipes the tires from her eyes. "She doesn't want to die..."
'Finally...' Yukari smiles as she looks into the darkness. 'She's free... One down one to go...' Yukari resets her nose and winces in pain in doing so. "Rei, I'm sorry for..."
"No..." Rei looks to her sister this time with her face clear of emotion. "I'm sorry..."
Yukari looks around then looks to Rei with a smile. "I'm sorry and you're sorry..."
Both sisters release a sigh at the same time; Rei looks to her beaten sister and placer her arm over she shoulders raising her to her feet. "We must report in, the fact that the power is out is..."
"Disturbing..." Yukari finishes her sister's line as the two walk down the hall. They try to return to silence as they walk down the blackened hallway. "Well its Saturday, so that mean schools over right about now."
Rei says nothing in response as she glances at her watch that reads twelve thirty. With sync tests at two o'clock, Asuka and Shinji should be on their way here. 'But if the powers out...' Rei thinks to her self as she wonders to an emergency ladder. 'They will follow what is said in the emergency manual.'
"Stupid door!"
Asuka stomps on the ground as she stares at the large metal door. "It must be broken!" Asuka looks around to see Shinji reserved in the behind just staring at the door. "Oh well..." Asuka walks past Shinji taking his hand. "Can't say we didn't try, lets go get something to eat."
'They are Eva pilots.'
Rei sighs as she waits for her sister to come down the ladder. Once she is down Rei continues on this time allowing her sister to walk by herself. Once down Yukari smiles at Rei as she walks with a limp in her steps.
'The size of the Geo-front would allow over a hundred thousand live with out the use of filters... hmmm.' Yukari sniffs the blood clot from her nose as she gently rubs her black eye. 'I haven't had a useless thought in a sometime.'
Not to concerned Yukari is un-phased when they enter into the huge open area. Once she notices however, she is impressed in its size as she looks at all the pipes and pillars around her. "Where are we?"
As Rei pulls on a rusted pipe to free its steel support beam she answers. "This is the inner belt." Rei speaks with little care as she frees the meter long metal pole. "About two hundred meters above us are the old constriction access roads."
Impressed with the sight around her and Rei's story, Yukari then points to Rei's pipe. "What's the pipe for? You're not planning to beat me up again."
"No..." Rei mutters in a cold tone as she uses the pipe to point down the long and dark pathway. "Its to be used to brake into the ventilation duct eight hundred meters down."
"Wow..." Yukari follows her sister closely watching every movement she makes. "How did you get to know this place so well?"
Rei stops and looks around before looking to her sister. "When I was a child, I would... explore the Geo-front."
With an ever-cautious look, Yukari comes up beside Rei. "Were you the first..." Yukari looks down before speaking again. "Are you the first... clone."
"No..." Rei continues to walk somewhat hesitant to talk about her past. "I am the second."
With her answer given Yukari looks to see no sadness in her sister's eyes. "So what happened to the first..."
"She was killed..."
Yukari stops in her tracks watching Rei walk on. "She was murdered or just die."
A memory one the two sisters could ever see flash in both of their eyes. Rei and Yukari fall to the ground grabbing their throats and gasping for air. Yukari crawls to her sister's side as she cannot explain what is happening but she can see all to clearly a woman is strangling her. As quick, as the pain came it leaves and both Ayanami's gasp for air.
"What... just happened..."
At first Rei is unable to answer as she sits up rubbing sweat off her brow. "That was the first... That's... How she died..." Rei looks to Yukari with an odd stare as she does she can help but wonder. 'Why would she feel her? She should have no memories of her...'
"Rei..." Yukari slowly stands as she regains her breath. She cannot help but pause as a rush of unknown memories strike her. "I can see why you were trying to escape... since our sister died and all."
"I was not trying to escape..." Rei stands to correct her sister she begins to walk away once more. "I was having..." The thought of why Rei was always exploring eludes her, but for Yukari smiles at her already knowing what Rei wants to say to her.
"Say it..."
Rei stops and swallows her pride as she stares off into space. "I was having... Fun..."
"There you go Rei." Yukari comes up beside her sister and pats her on the back. Feeling a lot better, Yukari runs forwards with her arms out as wings.
"Into the woods its time to go I hate to leave, I have to go. Into the words, its time in so, I must begin my journey..."
There is the sound of metal striking the ground behind Yukari; she turns to see Rei shaking her head. "No singing..."
"Poetry?"
Rei walks past Yukari shaking her head. "No..."
"Rap..." Rei stops and turns to Yukari with a glare. "Okay, how about whistling?"
Still not pleased Rei walks forward trying not to be to annoy by Yukari. "No..."
"Humming?"
"Err..." Rei makes a fist with her hands as she looks down shaking her head. 'She's still a brat.' Before she can answer Yukari, she begins to hear the faint sound of someone screaming.
"Attention all NERV personnel... Attention all NERV personnel..."
With her ears, know focused on the sound Rei holds up her finger to Yukari to make sure she stays quiet.
"Attention all NERV personnel... There's an Angel approaching!"
Both sisters look to each other then up to see a vehicle going down the road above them. Yukari studies the voice as he calls out. "Hey, that's that bridge bunny Hyuga..."
With her strange nickname given Rei looks at Yukari with an odd stare. "We must quicken our pace."
The two look at each other with a nod and then run off down the catacomb.
Pulling into NERV central command is Hyuga and his hijacked emergency vehicle. "Theirs an Angel approaching, we have to dispatch an Eva!"
Everyone in the command center grab his or her ears because of the bullhorn. Maya looks to Ritsuko who looks up to Gendo. He looks to Fuyutsuki with a smile.
"Ready to launch the Evangelions for manual launch."
Ritsuko shakes her head with little confidence. "But we don't have any pilots!"
Giving a maniacal smile, Gendo turns to his subordinates. "Ready Unit One with the dummy plug."
"But with out power how will we tell it what to do?"
With a valid question given Fuyutsuki looks to Gendo. In return, Gendo begins to walk down the ladder. "We will preset its orders then launch."
Fuyutsuki looks to the candle that burns beside him. "You're like a kid with a hundred yen, burning a hole in your pocket."
With a more simple smile then his last, Gendo looks to Fuyutsuki and mutters. "Burn, babe burn."
In the city, the sight of the giant spider like Angel has just crested over the mountains. It begins to make its way into the city district. At the apartment complex home to Misato and the pilots, Asuka stares off from her balcony in disbelief. "Oh crap! There is a Angel out there!"
Shinji looks to his fellow pilot as she nearly hangs off the balcony. "Oh gee you think."
"Shut up jerk!"
Back in the Geo-front, deep underground in the Cage. Evangelion Unit One is ready and waiting Gendo wipes sweat off his brow as Ritsuko come up to him.
"What about the other Eva's?"
Gendo looks down the line of Evangelions then back to Ritsuko. "Ready Unit's Three and Zero." He looks to the crew chiefs and technicians of the Eva's before walking off to the other Evangelions. Ritsuko only watches as he walks away. "Make sure the programming is correct doctor."
A feeling of anger strikes Ritsuko as she looks to Unit One then to her comrade Maya that waits by her side. With a sigh to let out her anger, she turns to Maya. "Lets go."
"Ma'am..." Maya stutters in her speech as walks slightly behind her mentor. "I always followed what you have said before but this dummy plug... I don't like it."
Ritsuko stops and turn to may with a sincere smile. "Beggars can't be choosers."
"Are we there yet..."
"No..."
Crawling down the ventilation ducked are the two Ayanami sisters Rei leads with Yukari not fare behind.
"Are we there yet..."
At first Rei just ignores her sister but when she is about to hear her speak again she stops. "Why must you ask again?"
"I don't know..." Yukari smiles at her sister as she rests her self. "Just for fun."
'Why is her idea of fun always so child like, and annoying.'
In the cage, everyone stands back as the locking bolts for Unit One are manually released. Gendo stands on a platform over looking the Evangelions with Fuyutsuki and Ritsuko at her side. "Begin activation!"
A crew chief on the ground looks up and gives a salute. When he turns his back, he grumbles to himself. "What the hell does that dumb ass think this is a shuttle launch?"
With the turn of a key, the sound of an engine begins and the plug retracts into the back of the Eva. From up above Ritsuko has her laptop out as she begins to watch her monitors. "Activation has started..." She looks with concern as her meters show its status. "Approaching absolute border line..." Everyone watch as the Evangelions eyes glow red. "Borderline clear... She is active sir..."
Gendo smiles as he looks at his creation come to life, and move the umbilical bridge out of the way. Once free, the Eva goes to walk but stops starring at Unit Two. Everyone looks at each other as the Eva stands. Gendo looks to Ritsuko but she can only shake her head unsure of what is happening. With out warning Unit One roars into the air deafening everyone. Once finished the Eva's eyes glow green and begins to pound its head into the wall. After about six good strikes, the Eva goes to walk but trips and falls to the ground destroying parts of the cage. Once on the ground the Eva stays their still trying to swing its arms as if it was still walking.
Everyone looks down at the Eva, some even chuckle at the sight. Fuyutsuki turns to Gendo with a hardy smile. "Is it suppose to be..."
"Srupid..." Everyone looks to there side to see Yukari looking down at the Evangelion. "It rides the short bus."
In shock to even seeing her, everyone followers her as she steps back to stand next to Rei. Ritsuko points to Yukari's face. "You look like hell."
"Yea well..." Yukari looks to her sister then to Ritsuko. "When you fall off a ladder it happens to you."
Unit One powers down but no one takes notice as they look at each other. Fuyutsuki looks to the sisters and points to their Evangelions. "Well you're our last hope get out there and fight."
With lighting speed Gendo and the rest of the Evangelion technicians finish prepping Units Zero and Three for manual launch. By the time Rei and Yukari return, both in their respective Plug Suits. Yukari's Plug suit shares Units Zero's plug suit in design, but its color scheme is a dark gray with dark blue highlights and black trim. Both girls reach their Evangelions just as they are ready for launch. They waste no time as they activate their Eva's and attach their emergency battery packs.
Nearly ten minutes later they find themselves crawling through the launch tubs making their way to the target. Unit Zero leads as they reach the vertical shaft that will lead to the surface.
"Vertical shaft in sight."
Rei announces to her partner as she kicks open the shaft door. Unit Zero looks up the shaft before climbing up. Yukari in Unit Three is next to exit and climb the shaft.
"This Eva feels weird..."
Confused by Yukari's statement Rei looks to her sister's vid screen. "Are you having problem maintaining activation."
The yellow-eyed girl puts a lot of thought into her answer before shaking her head. "No... it felt to easy to activate, it was as if no one was home in side. All the other Eva's I have been in I could feel a someone else."
Rei looks back up the shaft as she has a thought on Yukari's problem. "As long as you are able to continue, we will report Unit Three code two when this operation is ove..."
With widen eyes Rei looks to her side as a thick yellow liquid, pours down the shaft. Before she alerts her sister, she looks up just in time to see the yellow liquid strike her Evangelions head. Before she can activate her AT Field, the acid gauges in to the Units head. Inside Rei grabs her face in pain as the retinas in her eye begin to boil.
"AHHHHH!"
Her Eva grabbing its own face in pain follows the painful screams of Rei. With nothing stopping her from falling, she plummets into Unit Three. Seeing her sister in trouble Yukari has her Eva drop back down to the leave they came in at grabbing the ledge and dropping the Rifle to allow her to catch Unit Zero. Even as Unit Three drags in Unit Zero to safety Rei continues to scream.
"Rei!" Yukari grasps her sister's Eva with her own she looks to see the damage to the Units head is extensive. "Rei stay with me!"
On Yukari's vid screen, she watches helplessly as Rei holds her face still screaming. "I can't see!" Yukari is speechless as Rei moves her hands from her eyes to see them completely covered in blood. She can't even define where her pupils are. "Ahhh...."
"Shit..." Yukari looks around to see that the Acid continues to fall from the surface. "It's using the acid to directly attack the base." She then looks back to Rei who whimpers in her Eva. 'Its up to me now... but I dropped my rifle and I have no more then four minutes of power. That does not leave me with much time... Its going to take a while for Rei's skin to grow back onto her eye balls.' Yukari begins to hit her head with her Evangelion mimicking her actions. 'Think Yukari what the hell can I do...' Once more Yukari studies her surroundings and takes notice of a black pipe near her Eva's head. She studies the faint writing on it. "Danger... Gas... That's it!"
Unable to see Rei floats helplessly in her Eva unable to focus off the pain in her blinded eyes. Never has she felt such pain all she can do is cradle her self when a thought never thought before comes to her. "I don't want to die..."
"Rei!" Yukari calls out over her channel to Rei as she rips the gas line from the wall and angles it to point down into the shaft. "Rei, I need you..." All Rei can do is point her ear towards the voice. "I need you to focus your AT Field around the bottom half of the tube." Rei can only grab at her face as she tries to end her pain. "Rei!"
With only the hum of her Eva and the shouts of Yukari as her guide she does her best to talk to her sister. "Yukari.... I am blind..."
"It will be okay Rei..." Yukari's voice seems to be soothing to Rei's ear as she stares into darkness. "We have to defeat the Angel, okay... I need you to focus your AT Field..."
"Okay..."
Unit Zero moves off Unit Three and lays on the ground. Yukari off the blast plate from the wall and puts it over the hole compressing the gas in the lower corridor. "Okay Rei... your doing good..." Yukari positions her Eva inside the vertical shaft doing her best to avoid the acid that is building up on the plate she laid down in its way.
"A... T... Field to max..."
Rei's stuttered speech is to much for Yukari as she pulls out her progressive knife. "This is for you..." As soon as the Acid penetrates the plate, Yukari tosses her progressive knife in to the gas enriched area. As soon as it strikes the metal ground a spark is made and the gas ignites and begins to fly upwards. The presser is so great Unit Three is launched to the surface. As the Eva rockets upwards, the Angel comes into view and Yukari lets out a battle cry.
"AHHHHH!"
On the surface, both Asuka and Shinji look at the Angel from their balcony's windows just as Unit Three blows right through the Angel and into the air. Then the explosion comes up obliterating the Angel. Both take cover as the Legs of the target fly off, one heading in their direction smashing into the parking lot leveling every car their. One of these car's happens to be Misato's which she did not take in to work for it did not start for her.
Shinji notices the destruction of the car and gives a small sigh. "Finally its been put out of its misery..." The car that Shinji speaks of rolls to a stop nearly in two pieces. "And she cant say that duck tape is going to fix it this time."
"Rei!"
In total darkness, Rei begin to come out of a dream to the familiar voice of Asuka. However, as she tries to open her eyes all she sees is the void of nothingness. "Asuka..."
The jittery and scared voice Rei calls out in takes back those around her in her hospital bed that she lays on. Bandages that rap around her head cover her eyes, she slowly lifts her arm grasping in the air. Asuka takes hold of her arm and grasps it tightly as Shinji Misato and Yukari reserve themselves to the background.
"Asuka..." Rei feels the touch from the hand that grasps her own and pulls it closer so she can touch the persons face. "Was the Angel defeated..."
"Yes..." Asuka smiles as if she expected Rei's question. "The target was destroyed..."
"I..." Sit groggy from drugs that are in her system Rei tries to stay calm. "I would wish to DDR, with you..."
Misato takes Shinji and Yukari by the shoulder and take then out side just as Asuka begins to cry. Once out side Yukari looks to her feet.
"I'm sorry..."
With great confidence, Shinji steps forward. "It wasn't your fault, you to did your best."
"Shinji's right..." Misato gives Yukari a hug. "You did everything you could of done."
Still saddened Yukari walks over to a bench and sits down. Shinji goes over to her and sits beside her. "Your starting to act like me..."
"No..." Yukari smiles at Shinji before looking into Rei's room at Asuka. "I shouldn't of pushed Asuka to ask you out."
"What!" Misato calls out as she looks to Shinji then to Yukari. "Asuka asked out Shinji!"
With unwanted attention on him, Shinji tries to cower from the subject as he looks around. "Well she kinda asked me out yesterday."
Still in shock, Misato looks at Shinji in disbelief. "Well what did you say!"
"Oh, by the way..." Shinji desperately tries to chance the subject to one that he had neglected to bring up since his arrival at the Geo-Front. "Did I mention that your car was destroyed by the Angel blowing up..."
Both Shinji and Yukari watch as Misato chocks up and falls over from even more shocking news.
Next Problem... Can love really exist...
