Disclaimer: See chapter one
Chap. 26
"That can't be. Kaoru...an angel? That can't be."
Shinji and Rei were both brought in soon after the angel alarm. Both Children were
suited in their plugsuits and called before Misato. It was after the briefing when Shinji
made the forehand comment.
"It is. He has also taken control of 02 and is making his way to one of the elevators. 00
is in cyrostasis, so it's up to you, Shinji."
Shinji lowered his head. He still couldn't believe that Kaoru, his beloved friend, was an
angel. It certainly explained a couple a things. Mostly of his appearance. But now he
was being order go down there and stop him. But could he?
"You are the only one, Shinji." Misato stepped out of her commander-role for a
moment and spoke softly. "You have to stop him."
Shinji closed his eyes as fear began to etch into his heart again. He could feel to
hopelessness begin to grow in him and a sense of dread. But he pulled his head up and
called his resolve. There is no death. There is the Force.
"Roger."
*******************
Eva 02 stalked it way toward one of the elevator doors. Bending forward, the red
machine reached out and pried the massive doors open in a great display of strength
while Kaoru hovered beside it. When the doors were wide open, the machine stepped
onto the platform. Kaoru started the controls and the elevator lowered into the depths
of Nerv. As the Eva slowly descended, Kaoru simply stood in its open palm, hands in
his pockets.
'He's coming. Shinji-kun.'
Slowly, he raised his head to see another elevator descend in conjunction to his, but at
a faster rate. And standing on this one was none other than the dreaded Eva 01.
"Kaoru..."
Kaoru simply levitated beside the red Eva and the monster machine stood in attack
posture. 01 jumped off its elevator and onto the other. As soon as it did, 02 attacked,
shooting it arms forward and grabbing 01 by the throat. Shinji was surprised by the
speed.
"It's puzzling." Kaoru spoke. "Angels are hated by lillim, and yet the Evas, the replicas
of the first angel, Adam, are their salvation."
Shinji continued to struggle, trying to get out of the Eva's death grip. Breaking the
controls sideways, Shinji caused his Eva to shoot it arms up in between 02's arms and
bashed them away. Then with a swift knee, 01 caught 02 in the chest plate, causing it to
stumble back. However, before he could make another attack, 02 ducked down a punch
01 in the face. 01 reeled back and the red arms came at him again. 01 did likewise and
both Eva's wound up holding each other's shoulders.
"How...?" Shinji wondered out loud.
Kaoru answered, "As the Evas are copies of Adam, so am I. But they need other souls
to guide them. This one's soul is vacant and so I am its will."
The two Evas continued to grapple for control and Shinji was fighting hard to keep
himself standing. Shinji stared at the fiery Eva from his view-screen.
"Sorry, Asuka."
01 suddenly stopped struggling and fell back, taking 02 with it. But while it fell, Shinji
twisted the Eva around and caused 02 to fall on the bottom, with him holding it down
on top. 02 struggled to rise, but 01 hold was too great. Inside, Shinji struggled to hold
down the Eva when he realized that his target wasn't 02, but rather Kaoru. 01's head
turned to the silver-haired angel, who was still hovering in the sky with his A.T. field
ablaze around him. Shinji was about to slip away one of 01's hands and reach out for
him when he stopped himself.
Use the Force. Let go.
Shinji blinked. Why would he think that now? He felt that that wasn't the way to stop
Kaoru. It wasn't...it didn't feel right. His feelings were telling him something else.
Face him.
Shinji blinked repeatedly before realizing what had to occur. Shinji removed his head
transmitter and released the controls.
"Shinji? What are you...?"
In the control room, "He's exiting 01."
Both Ritsuko and Misato exclaimed, "What?!"
True to those words, 01 knelt down as Shinji had ejected the entry plug and it opened
up. LCL poured down from it as Shinji came out and leaped to the elevator floor below.
Kaoru watched with interest and lowered himself to the floor as well.
"Kaoru. Why have you betrayed me?" Shinji immediately asked.
Kaoru smiled softly, "It is what I must do. To return to the beginning. To Adam."
"Even if it means destroying everyone on the planet?"
"I...It is my fate." Shinji looked surprised. Normally, Kaoru was so sure of things. Kaoru
turned his head to the side,
"I'm truly sorry, Shinji. But this must be."
Kaoru calmly closed his eyes and the shimmering AT field around him began to
intensify and fold. Opening his palm, a blade of red light formed and solidified. Kaoru
lowered the blade.
"I have no choice."
Shinji narrowed his eyes, but made no move. He had nowhere to go and his only
weapon was now useless. He didn't understand why he had to face Kaoru face-to-face
like this, but he was defenseless now.
'Shinji...'
Shinji suddenly shot his head upward and saw a glittering object falling down the
elevator shaft. Raising his hand, Shinji called on the Force to pull the object toward it.
Straight and true, the silver object fell neatly into his hand and Shinji looked in surprise.
'My lightsaber.'
He didn't know how it happened, but he would figure that out later. Kaoru looked on as
Shinji activated his violet lightsaber and held it forward.
"So there it is." Kaoru nodded solemnly as his raised his own saber. "We are both are
tied to this fate."
In that second, the two former friends kept silence, looking; hoping that either would
back down or walk away.
The next second, their lightsabers clashed...