Disclaimer: See previous chapters
Chap. 34
Rei stood in silent fear as she realized that the commander she had known was gone, replaced by the presence of the First Angel himself. Adam looked around the Dogma in examination and his crimson gaze ultimately settled and stopped upon the crucified Lilith. He then looked down at his hands and clenched them into light fists.
"Foolish lilim. Thinking he could change the destiny of things." His eyes then turned to Rei and he faced her fully. "You are different. A part of you is a part of the mother."
Rei knew what he meant by mother. Lilith
"Yes."
An eerie smile came over his lips, "You must awaken her now. The time has come. The Impact must come and cleanse what is left."
But Rei answer was just as short and quite the opposite, "No."
"You refuse? You can not." His gaze shifted over to the hanging angel for a second and then back to her, "Do you not hear her song?"
Rei didn't know why she felt fear, but she knew how to control it. To let it wash over her and release it until it was no longer a problem or an issue. It was the only way to keep the Force strong within her. "I hear it. But I will not listen. I will not destroy the lilim."
Adam narrowed his eyes, but the smile never disappeared. "Yes, you will."
No sooner than when those words left his lips did his AT shimmer to life like a brilliant fire. On some unknown instinct, a second AT field arose, summoned by Rei and encircling her. But Adam's AT field clashed heavily against hers and Rei was hurled back.
"Aaahh!!"
Rei hit the floor and then gave a low moan as she tried to arise. But standing over her was the reborn Adam, glaring down at her with the same red eyes as her.
"You can not escape your destiny. Yours, or the rest of humanity."
0:57
"MAMAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Eva 02 raged toward the nearest MP Eva, the fist of crimson beast-machine clenched tight. With incredible force, Asuka punched straight into the white Eva and the fist bore on right through it. As the impaled Eva jerked around, Asuka reeled around and tossed it off, sending it crashing into two other and flooring them. One of the three still standing lunged at her, but Asuka's was long aware of it and sent an open hand straight into its face. She then gripped on to it and shot her arm downward. The MP Eva followed but not enough to prevent its face from being ripped off. The two last two came at her from both sides, but Asuka somehow jumped upward and let them crashed into each other. The Eva flipped in the air and landed on the ground, grabbing the fallen progressive knife. The weapon shimmered to life and Asuka rushed forward and stabbed the two through each other.
0:52
Asuka's eye quickly flashed on the screen to see how much time she had left. 'Five seconds? I've never been that fast before.' She wanted to attribute that to the fact that her mother was helping her, but there was more than that. 'The Force…' She could feel energy surge through her, strengthening her and making her more aware of everything around her. The two remaining MP Evas arose and Asuka focused back onto the battle. She was about to pull of the progressive knife and continue to fight with it when she remembered Shinji's battles with the Angels. 02's hand stopped reaching for the knife and then pulled back. Focusing her thought, Asuka caused the AT field to shimmer and then solidify in the Eva's hand as a lightsaber.
0:48
02 remained in place as the white Evas came at her. Seeing the lightsaber in her hand, the two began to form solid blades of their own from their hands and jumped high in the air. Asuka leapt up with then and the first one stabbed in. Asuka rolled the Eva, causing it to make a twirling slice and cut it in half. She splashed down in the water and the second one did the same. Asuka rushed at the final target, but the MP Eva raised its AT field. However, Asuka wasn't perturbed and continued her charge. The saber clashed into the field for a moment before it tore through the field and the Eva as well. In a final move, 02 snapped backward while raising its arm, causing the saber to rip across the body of the Eva and send it to the ground. 02 bent down on in the water, with it pilot amazed, but calm at what happened.
"I…did it…" she breathed. Looking at the clock, it read '0:40' "With seconds to spare…" Asuka relaxed and the lightsaber disappeared.
"Mama. Thank you. We did it."
Unfortunately, it wasn't over. The sensor light blipped and caught her attention. Turning around, she saw three of the seven MP Evas standing up, as though they weren't damaged. Her eyes widened with shock as the fourth, fifth and sixth Evas arose too, and each one regenerating from the damage Asuka had given them.
"No…way…"
Misato stood in the middle of the room, surprised at the person that stood before her in the doorway.
"You."
Back, five minutes…Misato was in bad shape. She had managed to escape the first group of soldiers by climbing into an air vent and moving over to another room. But then soldiers in that area found her and fired at her. With no weapons to fight with, Misato was forced to run in the opposite direction that she needed to go. She ducked into another room, but not before one of the bullets caught her in the shoulder. With a cry of pain, she fell into the room and shut the door. Luckily, the wound wasn't too serious, but it would slow her down. Looking around, she saw that there were no air vents for her to escape through this time. And the feet of the soldiers were heard marching close to the door. Looking around, she grabbed a metal plate and hid around the side of the door. 'Maybe I could disarm one and grab his weapon.' But she knew that wouldn't work. Chances are that they will shoot through first. Even if they didn't, she was outnumbered and outgunned. They would pour in there before she had a chance and gun her down.
'Asuka…Shinji…I'm sorry.'
The marching came close and she raised the plate. Suddenly, the marching stopped and gunfire was soon heard. From the sound of it, it seemed that the soldiers were firing on someone. 'No. Someone's firing on them.' Since Second Impact, Misato had been a firm believer of miracles and she wanted this to be one of them. But considering the way things are, there wasn't anyone around that could fight back. It was possible, but she wasn't sure. And she couldn't take that chance. The gunfire slowly ceased and footsteps were still coming toward the door. Misato raised the plate again and the door opened. With a cry, Misato swung…
"Whoa!"
At the sound of the voice, she stopped midway in her attack and stood in surprise at her rescuer.
"Nice to see you too, Katsuragi."
Ryoji Kaji…
Present…
"You…"
Kaji grinned lightly until he took note of her bleeding shoulder, "You okay?"
Misato shook off her stunned silence, "Yeah I'm fine. But we had to get to the command room. Asuka needs all the help she can get."
Kaji nodded, "I saw 01 leave a little while ago, so I wouldn't worry too much."
Misato took in this information, 'Shinji left? Does that mean they took out that assassin?' If that was the case, then Qui-Gon is probably looking for them now, provided he hadn't been killed.
"In any case, I still have to get to the command room."
"Right. The path is clear from sections 3 - 6." When Misato gave him a strange look, he admitted, "I've been a little busy. But we better hurry before reinforcements get here."
Misato nodded in agreement and moved to the door. However, she stopped in the path just in front of Kaji, turned to him and gave him a deep kiss on the lips. This caught Kaji off guard and before he could even organize his thoughts, Misato moved away.
"Now let's go."
Kaji shook his head and followed, not even thinking about retorting with a comment, much to Misato's added pleasure.
'That makes us even.'
On the top of the Geofront building with the sapphire pyramid in the background, the lightsaber battle continued, with Qui-Gon on the receiving end. Maul was beginning to wear on him with lightning quick slashes and swipes. Qui-Gon had been on the defensive throughout the fight and was being pushed back because of it. On occasion, Qui-Gon changed the pace of the fight and went on the offensive, but the Sith would always find away to reverse it and get back on the offensive once again.
'This is not good.'
Qui-Gon decided to press forward again, whirling his emerald saber over his head in order to strike at Maul's neck. The Sith saw it coming and lifted one end of his saber to block. Then in a single whirl, he brought the other end to clash with Qui-Gon's lightsaber, knocking it away and giving him room to strike back. Qui-Gon brought his lightsaber around struck downward, but Maul ducked the strike and swept down with both blades. Qui-Gon hopped over and stepped back, giving him room away from the dark warrior. Maul seemed to grin at this and stabbed forward. Qui-Gon deflected the strike and it allowed Maul to spin around and swing high at the Jedi's head. Qui-Gon saw the incoming attack though and ducked. An opening in sight, Qui-Gon shot his blade upward. Maul brought his saber back though and blocked the blow, though it clashed heavily and nearly put Maul off-balance. Qui-Gon pressed the advantage, bringing his saber to the midsection. Maul cartwheeled back out of the way and as Qui-Gon came again, he lowered his hand, summoned the Force and hurled a nearby pipe at Qui-Gon. Qui-Gon ducked and Maul charged savagely, coming with a three-strike combination. Qui-Gon was forced back and now it was Maul's turn to press the advantage…again.
'I can't keep this up too long. I have to stop him.'
Fssshhh!Qui-Gon suddenly blinked as he saw what was before his eyes. A blue-white half circle. 'The same as before. What is this?' But the image disappeared as fast as it came and Qui-Gon shot his arm up instinctively to parry an incoming blow from the Sith. Qui-Gon whirled his saber in a circle, causing Maul to whirl back and giving him time to think. 'That vision again…What does it mean?'
Maul struck high with his saber and Qui-Gon locked his blade with it. Maul swiftly whirled backward with Qui-Gon spinning along with him. Maul took a forceful step forward and aimed for the head again. Qui-Gon blocked, but Maul suddenly swung downward. Again, Qui-Gon block and again, Maul swung, aiming for the midsection. Qui-Gon blocked once more and when Maul repeated his attack on the other end, Qui-Gon managed to parry it into a swinging slash, aiming for the Sith lord's back. But Maul used the momentum of the parry to swing his lightsaber around to his back and defend against the attack.
'Why is this so familiar to me?'Maul spun his lightsaber out of the block, with Qui-Gon's saber following the spin and returning to his side. The two warriors glared at each other and Qui-Gon felt a sudden sense of dread.
'Something is wrong. Something will be wrong.'
With a sneer, Maul went on the offensive once again, attacking with two high strikes, both of which were blocked. The sense of dread grew in Qui-Gon. 'What is wrong, aside from the obvious?' Qui-Gon thought as he returned with a high strike. His mind recalled the vision he had of the half circle. The half circle…Obi-Wan…Bandomeer...
The circle that brings the past to the future, yet does not meet. He must make the circle meet. He must bring the past forward. He must…
'Half circle…no, the complete circle.' Qui-Gon swung low, but it was easy blocked. He then swung around to the other end with another low strike which that too was blocked. 'The circle…the cir…no…the past.' At that time, the half-circle meant the past. In that case, his past with Xanatos. But his first apprentice's defection caused Qui-Gon to be reluctant to take another student. It was Obi-Wan's insistence that made him realize that he had to put the past behind him. The full circle. It had saved their lives. Qui-Gon attacked high, but Maul caught it and pushed it back. Qui-Gon spun and block a mid-strike and rolled around for an overhead chop.
'The past…the future…dread…death…'The emerald lightsaber came down and clashed with Maul crimson saber. Maul pushed up again and in a swift action, he hit Qui-Gon's chin with the metal end. Qui-Gon blinked dazedly, but the Force was alerting him strongly, warning him of something.
'Death…'And that was when Maul, in that split second, whirled around and set his lightsaber in to impale him.
Panic soon gripped Asuka as the pale-white Evas charged in unison, tackling her into the water once again. The crash brought Asuka back to her senses and she began to shove back. The weight was almost more than she could stand, so she only forced enough space for her to slide out from underneath.
0:29
The crimson Eva stood in battle stance while the six white Evas reassembled in formation. 'Wait a minute? Six? Weren't there seven?' She glanced at the remains of the seventh, the one she had punch through and saw the hole in its chest. Remains of its core were shattered on the ground behind it. 'That's it. I have to hit them there.' Asuka dashed at the first one before they attacked her. But upon reaching it, she leapt over and landed behind. The Eva's clawed hand opened and she drove it into the back of one of the Evas. But before she core reach its core, one of the MP Evas had whirled around. She didn't understand why until a sliver of light caught her eye. The pale Eva's arm was a blade and bearing down on her.
'NO!'The blade cut right through her and Asuka grabbed her own arm in sheer pain, screaming in agony all the while.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
The red Eva's arm flung limp in the back of the white Eva and Asuka stumbled back, trying her hardest to dismiss the flaring pain she felt in her nerves. But she wouldn't have the time, because the others had turned around and they all lunged in an all-out assault.
0:15
02 was getting battered by the six. Despite her efforts to thwart them off, they were too strong and she had been weakened by the initial injuries. Regardless of this, she continued to fight them, shoving them back and hitting them whenever she could. Her own body was feeling the fatigue and drain and her connection to the Force fell short. One of the blows knocked her Eva to the ground
'I…won't…let it…end like this.'
0:10
Suddenly an object glimmered in the skies above. The MP Evas stopped in their attack and focused in on it. The object sped straight toward the battlefield and stopped between the pale Evas and the fallen red Eva. A red and black lance weapon. The Spear of Longinus.
'Have…to…'But she was far too weak to move fast enough as one of the MP Evas grabbed hold of the weapon. Two of the other Evas grabbed hold of 02's arms and lifted her up as the one with the spear held it against her. She saw what they were going to do. They were going to finish her off by impaling her. She tried to struggle, but her strength had fled from her. 'So this is it. This is how I'm going to die.' The girl closed her eyes, preparing for the inevitable when she felt it. A tremor in the Force…
0:03
Her eyes opened to see something else coming toward them. An object blasting across the waterfront and flying right at them, holding an energy blade in its hands. It was the Eva 01. Meaning…
"Asuka!"
"Shin…ji…"
0:00