--- I know you're all embittered and rather confused that Gendo's back. But I've got an even nastier fate planned for him. ---
Chapter 22 – Crystal Valley
"Alright Gendo, you go up in front," Gordon ordered, his Hive-Hand still trained on him.
"Do you mind pointing that thing away from me?" Gendo said.
"Let me think," Gordon said, faking thinking for a second, "How about NO?"
"Fair enough," Gendo replied grudgingly.
Gordon planned to make sure Gendo pays for his crimes, and he is going to start by making him walk up in front of the group.
Yui and Shinji kept together as they traversed down the rest of the hill.
"Mother," Shinji said, making sure Gendo wouldn't hear, "Why do you want him to come with us? He tried to kill Gordon."
"He knows things that I think would be of great importance," Yui explained.
"Like, about the Union?" Shinji asked.
"Yes," Yui replied, "But I'll make sure he will not go near you."
Shinji smiled appreciatively, "Thank you."
They were soon only a few yards from the crystal fields.
"Yui," Gordon begun, "Just out of curiosity, why do we need a one of these Displacement Crystals?"
"This special kind of crystal is the only kind that can generate a portal strong enough to displace thousands of Vortgaunts in one setting," Yui begun, "The machine that we are hoping that will get us back to Earth, has taken years to build."
"Why has it taken that long?" Gendo asked, not concerned of Gordon's Hive-Hand.
"We've been hiding for 12 years from the Angel Nihilanth," Yui replied, bluntly towards Gendo, "And that most of the Vortigaunts were under the Union's control through Nihilanth. We started building this machine the second Gordon destroyed the Angel."
'Freeman destroyed an Angel without the use of an Evangelion Unit?' Gendo thought, 'If he is that strong a human being, why hasn't the Union attempted to coerce him into joining. Breen must have seen potential in him.'
He then frowned.
'That is, if he hasn't recruited him yet.'
They were soon before the crystals, which was located in a valley.
"Holy crap!" Gordon said in disbelief.
Thousands of green crystals lined the valley, which made for very pleasant viewing as they let off a green radiance. Surprisingly, they were of the same colour green as Gordon's eyes.
"Now that's a sight for sore eyes," Shinji said, smiling slightly.
They begun walking through it, taking in it's splendour and size.
"So we'll just grab one and head back to the Vortigaunt camp?" Shinji said.
"Yeah," Gordon said, then turning to Gendo, "If you'll begin."
"I beg your pardon?" Gendo said.
"You get the job of harvesting a crystal," Gordon replied, Hive-Hand trained on him, "Now get on with it!"
Gendo glared at him, before saying, "As you wish."
He got down and reached for a small one.
"A medium sized crystal, Gendo," Yui said.
Gordon found one and dug his fingers into the dirt around it. He then pulled and released the crystal.
"That was easy," Gordon said, then turned to Gendo, "You get the job of carrying it, 'Commander' Gendo." He put a lot of sarcasm into 'Commander.'
Gendo carried the crystal with both hands. How dare this lowly bespectacled scientist order him around like that? If this were NERV, he would be in solitary right about now.
But this isn't NERV.
'So this is how the pilots felt,' he thought, but not over regret.
Suddenly, they all heard a shrill in the air.
"Controllers!" Yui cried.
Those big headed aliens floated above them and begun to fire their energy shots at them. Gordon and Yui began firing at them.
Gendo took advantage of this moment. He dropped the crystal and ran for it. Gordon quickly noticed them.
"HEY!" Gordon cried.
"Gordon!" Shinji cried, "Help!"
He forgot about Gendo and went back to firing at the Controllers. Shinji bent over and picked up the crystal, which was surprisingly light for someone like him.
"Let's go!" Yui cried.
Suddenly, a Strider appeared over the cliffs of the valley. It charged it's main cannon.
"RUN!" Gordon cried.
They ran and managed to avoid the blast, which scattered crystals around like debris. They covered their faces and shards deflected off their Hazard Suit. Yui held Shinji, protecting him from the shards.
"The Union has arrived!" Yui cried, "We've got to get this crystal back to the camp immediately.
"My thoughts exactly!" Gordon replied.
As they ran from the valley, they noticed Mantis ships high in the air, as well as these flying insect like machines, small ones and large ones. The large ones were carrying metallic like caskets.
'Shit!' Gordon thought, 'This Union is really pulling it's weight.
'The Union has just deployed combat synths,' Yui thought, 'That's typical of those fat slugs.'
Suddenly, a synth Gunship hovered above them. It pointed it's guns at them.
"Dammit!" Yui cried, "Gordon, put down your weapon. They want us alive!"
Cursing in his mind, Gordon took off the Hive-Hand and dropped it to the ground, as did Yui. They kneeled on the ground and put their hands on their heads.
'So this is how it ends,' Gordon thought, 'Sorry Shinji, Yui.'
Suddenly, shots of green lightning hit the gunship, effectively piercing though it's armour. It fell to the ground, exploding.
They saw Vortigaunts on a nearby floating island, waving down at them.
Yui then heard them speak in her mind.
'Yui,' they begun, 'Head back to the encampment and start the displacement machine. We shall hold the Union off for as long as we can.'
Yui thought back, 'Thank you.'
She then turned to Gordon and Shinji.
"We have to get back to the encampment,' Yui thought, 'The machine must be ready now.'
Gordon and Shinji nodded.
"C'mon Shinji!" Gordon cried, helping Shinji onto his feet, "We're getting off this rock."
They begun to traverse up the hill, not noticing someone was watching them…and waiting.
'I will make you pay for taking her away from me,' he thought, holding a piece of sharp crystal in his hand, the madness within him surfacing, 'The Union will make your friend pay for stopping Instrumentality.'
He smiled.
'And their revenge will be sweet.'
