Disclaimer: Don't own Eva. (I own the soundtrack though.... which is brilliant...)
Hello everyone! another update!
Not much to say...really......so..uh....here ya go!
Chapter 9: Titans
Rain again.
Nothing ever changes in this city, even when you are being hunted down by a major defense organization. It has been exactly two weeks since Shinji became a fugitive, and things were starting to heat up now. The appearance of this new Eva pilot, Geffen Descartes, prompted Asuka to go and attack the pilot head on. Her plan both succeeded and failed; in that she found valuable information about Geffen, but she got very hurt in the process, almost raped too.
Thankfully, Shinj was there to save her from this mess returned her to safety. The only problem being, of course, is the fact that Asuka's assault on the pilot would cause distress at NERV headquarters. The result of her actions put her on the top of NERV's hit list, right up there with Shinji Ikari. NERV would probably resort to more drastic measures now, since Asuka drew the first blood in this fight.
Shinji should be absolutely furious with the girl at this point; after all, she ran off without warning, stole important information from a NERV Evangelion pilot, and nearly killed the man in the process. Now all the attention was on her now, and they probably had the idea of where she lived too. That means that they had to leave her apartment soon, but that also meant for Asuka to leave her job, her few friends, and her life behind...
But for now, they could rest for a while. The attack on the Eva pilot would buy them some time, and Asuka needed medical treatment. After all, the pilot managed to shoot her straight into the leg; she would be lucky just to be able to stand...
Fortunately for her, Shinji knew enough medical training to remove the bullet carefully from the wound, as well as to repair it. They have been inside of Asuka's apartment for about six hours now, and Shinji was just finishing up on patching up the leg. The only other part that hurt Asuka, was the side of her body which was kicked consecutively be Geffen; that is what Asuka claimed anyway.
Shinji (to himself): What kind of pilot would harm a girl like that....
Shinji was quickly reunited with the memory of himself choking Asuka to death, and he instantly dismissed the thought altogether. He put his thoughts back on Asuka's leg, which now only required a rather large bandage job around the leg. The bullet just hit a few inches above Asuka's left kneecap, nearly drilling into her femur. Shinji had to give Asuka some hefty ansthetics (which he managed to find at a local pharmacy), since removing the bullet was such a delicate process. As a result, she became more quiet and relaxed than Shinji had ever saw her before; apart from the times when she slept next to him though.
The medicine was wearing down now, and Asuka was starting to come more conscious of her reactions. She instantly felt a sharp pain within her leg and looked down to see what the problem was. Upon looking, she saw that the bullet was removed, and her leg was completely bandaged up. She was sure that it was Shinji's handywork.
Asuka (to herself): where did he go?
She stood up to her feet, regardless of the pain in her left leg, and let her eyes wander around the room. She spotted the familiar brown haired boy in the kitchen, cooking up a food of some sort. However, he seemed to get the idea that his clothes were monotonous, since he was wearing slightly baggy denim jeans and a grey hooded sweater. He heard a shifting noise coming from the middle room and turned his head to identify the cause. He smiled, seeing that Asuka had finally came to consciousness.
Shinji: Hi, I'm glad to see you're finally awake.
Asuka (smiling back): yeah.....what ya making in there anyway?
Shinji turned his head back to the pot and quickly took it off the burner. He placed it on a potholder and grabbed a bowl and a fork from the cupboard.
Shinji: It's just ramen. Nothing special.
Shinji put some of the ramen in a bowl and handed to Asuka. She gladly accepted, seeing that she had not eaten since yesterday. Anything sounded good right now. She started inhaling the noodles as if they were just the air around them. Shinji looked at her in bewilderment.
Shinji:....wow.....hungry?
Asuka didn't answer and just continued swallowing down her supper. Food seemed most important right now. This gave Shinji the opportunity to tell her his plan.....and knowing Asuka, she may not take it very well at all....
Shinji:....I'm glad that you like it....cuz...well.....I needed to make something quick. You see Asuka, I think that it would be best if we....well....leave this city....tonight.
Asuka choked on her noodles and spatted them all over Shinji's face.
Asuka: WHAT? LEAVE?! WHY?!
Shinji wiped the noodle remanants and looked at Asuka sternly.
Shinji: Come on Asuka....think about it.....You just can't just beat up an essential NERV employee and walk away scot-free. They're after you too....and if my guess is correct, they know exactly where you live....
Asuka's eyes widen a bit at hearing this. She was so excited with trying to help Shinji, she never realized that her actions only made things worse. Her plan was, ironically, flipped backwards.
Shinji: I think that we should pack up some gear and leave in about an hour....the sooner we can get outta here....the better.
Asuka:........
Shinji: Asuka....what's wrong?
Asuka kept her head bowed.
Asuka:....I'm sorry.
Shinji kept looking at Asuka, but now he seemed a little confused.
Shinji:...what?
Asuka: It's all my fault....if I just went home and avoided that jerk....then we would have a little more time...I'm sorry...
Shinji chuckled a little and smiled. He was not used to Asuka being this way, even though he liked her like this. He was used to Asuka snapping back at him and attacking viciously with a couch pillow (Asuka seemed to be the only one capable of making a couch pillow blunt and deadly). But the way she was acting right now....was so familiar to Shinji.
Asuka (surprised): What's so funny?
Shinji: Nothing....you just....remind me of me.....apologizing like that and all.
He sat down across from Asuka and still smiled at her.
Shinji: Don't worry about what happened yesterday. Bad stuff happens all the time, even when we have good intentions in mind. It doesn't really help to keep on dwelling on the mistakes we made in the past, hell, it only makes us screw up even more. So it is just best to accept the fact that bad stuff will happen no matter what you do, and move on. Try to make the best of things, you know.
Asuka felt like the baka for once. Here she was, worrying about stuff that happened and not doing anything to make the situation better. She felt like a total fool...
She had to learn to forgive the past.
Shinji (chuckling):...heh....but who am I, preaching about self-pity.....you're usually the one lecturing ME about that....
Asuka (smiling): yeah....but you're right Shinji.
It was now Shinji's turn to listen.
Asuka: Everything you said.....was exactly the kind of things I've been avoiding all my life.... Thank you....
Shinji was just glad to get throught to her. Helping her out with her problems gave him satisfaction as well, so doing this maded him feel much better as well. He simply smiled and looked at her.
Shinji: You're welcome.....Asuka.....
Asuka giggled a little and winked at him.
Asuka: ....remind me to give you a special reward later...when we get outta here. (seductively) I'm sure you'll like it...
Shinji (blushing):.......ok, Asuka,, bbbut you don't have to....
Asuka: hee hee...modest as usual.
Shinji sighed a little and stood up. It was time for less talking and a lot more working.
Shinji: Well, we should probably get ready to go. We ain't got much time left I'm sure...
Asuka: right.
In a matter of minutes, both Asuka and Shinji were walking (or limping in Asuka's case) around the apartment looking for the proper necessities. They would need clothing, food, some blankets, a couple of light weapons, medical supplies, etc. Asuka had the clothing part pretty much covered since she went shopping the day before, and Shinji could easily take care of the food part. Shinji and Asuka would then just take their futons with them, since it was their only form of shelter available. The only thing they needed was a first aid kit, and something that could be used as a weapon.
Shinji: hey, where is the first aid kit?
Asuka: The top shelf of the kitchen cupboard.
Shinji walked into the kitchen and reached inside the cabinet. He was able to find the medical aid, but the damn fell out of the cupboard and onto the floor; it also caught the file Asuka brought back from Geffen's apartment, spilling the contents of the folder everywhere.
Shinji: damn it....
Shinji reached down and started picking up all the papers and began putting them back in the folder. He never did look inside of this file, seeing as it was just probably background history and shit like that. Stuff that was really boring.
Then something caught his eye. It was a medical report....
No...more like a mental record....
Shinji:......rapist.......disconnection from reality, resulting in mental trauma and extreme aggression....
Shinji flipped through the rest of the files and found something that surprised him.
Shinji (to himself): He was cured two years ago, but he went back to prison for brutally raping a young woman one year ago....doctors still say he is completely mentally stable.....no signs of abnormality in the brain nor signs of chemical imbalance....meaning....he was aware of his actions.....he....just didn't care.....he wanted to do it for his own satisfaction....
This guy was evil. He was pure evil.
Shinji dropped to his hands and knees and looked down at the files with apprehension and fear. Never in his whole life had he ever met someone who was completely evil; someone who joyed in the pleasures of sin...his eyes widen at the very thought of what he could have done to stop such a monster....
Shinji:........
Asuka was rolling up her futon when she saw that Shinji was not working anymore; he was lying on his hands and knees. He was looking at something, but Asuka couldn't make it out.
Asuka: Shinji?
Shinji:......
Asuka (concerned): are you ok?
Shinji: I should have killed him......
Asuka: What?...killed who Shinji?
Shinji: I should have killed him.....I should have killed him.....I should have killed him.....I should have killed him....I shou...
Setting: NERV base camp deep in the mountains. Early morning hours.
The commander sat at his desk, contemplating on what his next maneuver should be. He had just received a report on what happened last night; and personally, he was not happy with it in the least. But he remained calm and composed like a good general should.
He grabbed the clipboard set on his desk and read it over and over again.
Commander:...sigh...lets see.....at around 20:00 hours, Geffen Descartes and a young woman being described as Asuka Sohryu entered Descartes apartment in the Tokyo-2 municipal building. There, she managed to collect classified documents from his office within the said apartment. 15 minutes later, she assaulted Pilot Descartes and attempted to leave the building through the main entrance. Descartes stopped her in her tracks with a military issued 9mm handgun....sigh...then Evangelion unit 01 appeared out of nowhere, took the girl with it, and left Descartes unharmed.
He casually dropped the clipboard from his hand and stared over across the desk.
Commander: right?
Geffen: Yeah! And don't speak like I'm not here! Damn.....
Commander: Are you sure that's all that happened? You didn't see where it went? Did you see anything at all?
Geffen: sir, all I remember was being beaten down and left for dead by that girl. She tried getting away, but I stopped her and restrained her to an armchair carefully. Then out of nowehere, unit 01 just pops up and takes her away! The rain was so dense, I couldn't even see 3 feet in front of my face....
The commander laid back against his chair and stared at the ceiling with exasperation
Commander: Then we got nothing....
Geffen looked at the general with utter disbelief.
Geffen: What the hell do mean we got nothing?! We have her fucking address for crying out loud! We can just bust in and haul her scrawny bitch ass to the ground. Then we just kick the shit out of her tell she's dead!
The commander was completely furious now. NO ONE talks about the Evangelion pilots in that matter of voice. Not even some punked-out bastard with a death wish. He reached over and viciously grabbed Geffen by the shirt collar, getting right into his face.
Commander: You listen to me punk, they maybe be our targets, but that gives us no reason to kill them. OUR mission is to just recover the Evangelion and the two children. NERV plans to handle the rest in a matter they see fit. I don't why they made a shit headed asshole like you an Eva pilot, but I can sure as hell say that you are not fit for such an honorable role.
Geffen looked back at the general with an equal amount of contempt.
Commander: Our mission remains the same: We find them, then we'll bring them back. They shall not be killed in the least. And if you violate that order in ANY way at all, I'll string you up by the balls personally....
He looked at Geffen straight in the eyes, expecting the pilot be completely scared and silent. But to his surprise, Geffen didn't to seem to flinch from the general's little speech. In fact, Descartes was smiling....and chuckling. This didn't seem right, usually Geffen would reply by just simply walking away and calling the commander an 'old fucker' or something of the sort. But this...this was unnatural of Descartes....
Geffen (evilly): 'string me up by the balls' eh? I'd bet you'd love that.....seeing as you love to see pain general...you just love this line of work...where people get hurt left and right...then they scream out in agony...especially those fine young men you call soldiers......you may think that you are a man of good intentions....but you wear a mask too....you are nothing more than a fucking sadist....
One would think that the commander would try and bash the hell out of anyone for saying such things, but instead the General looked.....panicked. Even frightened.
Commander: SHUT UP! SHUT THE HELL UP YOU LITTLE BASTARD!
Geffen just rose his hands in the air and started backing up towards the door.
Geffen: No need to get aggressive General. I don't really want to pry into your pathetic life anyway....all I really desire....is that girl....and the destruction of Shinji Ikari...
The commander pulled out his gun and pointed it directly at Descartes.
Geffen: Listen, I don't care if you're a pilot, you stay the hell away from your Evangelion. That's an ORDER! YOU HEAR ME?! AN ORDER!
Geffen simply smiled.
Geffen: Oh, come on now you old fucker. I would think nothing of the sort. I'am under oath ot never use that thing until YOU command it. So, my hand is forced obviously. Good day General.
Geffen stepped out of the tent and walked away nonchalantly. The general fell back to the chair and stared at the entrance way. He had been around Geffen long enough to know that the boy was some sick, egotistical freak. But the moment when Geffen starting chuckling.....that was when the Commander felt true, unaltered fear spread throughout his body. The boy....Geffen Descartes...was not all he appeared to be....
He was something much worse.....like pure evil.....a truly cunning evil that reciprocated Geffen in every way....like there was a totally different being inside of him.....
Geffen walked along the side of the highway, pondering quietly to himself. He stopped in his tracks abruptly to look over at the patch of trees just a mile away. There his Eva was: glimmering from the sunlight coming through the clouds overcastting Tokyo-2.
Then an idea crossed his mind; why not kill Shinji? He made a total fool out of Geffen last night after all...and he and his girlfriend seemed to be more trouble then they are worth. Besides, he made that vow to himself that he would kill Shinji....no matter what.....
And that meant he must do it by any means possible....
He casually shrugged his shoulders and smiled again.
Geffen: I suppose I really got no choice.....like I said, my hand is being forced.
He slowly changed his course and started heading for the forest; to his Evangelion: The pitch black beast that plagued the very dirt it sat on.
With this weapon, Shinji shall die....and die by the hands of Geffen Descartes.....
Shinji: You ready Asuka?
Asuka threw her backpack and futon over her shoulder and smiled back at Shinji.
Asuka: Yes. Let's go!
Shinji repeated Asuka's action and the both of them hurried out of the door. Asuka was still limping from her wound, but she could move pretty fast nonetheless.
They were both ready for this new journey; all that was left to do was to get to their destination.....
Comet to to think of it, what was their next destination? They were so busy getting everything ready that Asuka forgot to ask.
Asuka: Hey, Shinji?
Shinji:.......
Asuka: Hello? Shinji, are listening to me?
Shinji was still too deep in thought over what he saw in that file. He had never thought that NERV would stoop so low as to recruit a mental case as an Eva pilot. But what bothered him even more was the fact that the man he was talking about was NOT a mental case at all. He was perfectly healthy in every way possible....he was just....evil. And more so, Shinji let him escape from his grasp without knowing the truth behind the mask.
The darkness known as Geffen Descartes was still lurking this city...somewhere...and once he shows his face, complete pandemonium will insue....
Shinji's mental drive was completely shut down when a hand came across his face swiftly, making him jerk to one side. His face stung badly...but now Asuka had his full attention.
Shinji: OW! What is it? Jeez....
Asuka: hmph. You finally woke up baka....I just wanted to ask you..
Shinji continued to rub the side of cheek, but his attention was still kept on Asuka, in order to prevent further injury...
Shinji: yeah?
Asuka: where are...we....go....i...ng......Sh....in....
Shinji looked confusingly at Asuka. At first she was bitching at him for not paying attention. Now she was gaping at something with her eyes wide open. What the hell was she doing anyway?!
Shinji: What was that? Asuka...you were saying?
Asuka slowly pointed her finger behind, still completely frozen in fright over God knows what. Shinji reluctantly turned his head and looked in Asuka's direction. He could understand why she was gaping....he was about to do the same too.....
It was a giant black monster. You couldn't see it at first though, you could only catch a quick glilmpse of it when it passed by a building. And even if you couldn't see the monstrosity, you may just get curious of the rumbling noises that spread throughout the city....
Shinji and Asuka both grabbed onto something as the rubbling grew louder and more intense. Shinji scanned the scene in front of him for any sign of the huge, pitch-black monster....
Then a horrifying thought came to him. What if the angels were not all dead? What IF they actually missed one that was never expected?
Shinji (to himself): no, that's impossible. That thing can't be an angel. Why would it be here anyway? Third impact already happened. It's kinda pointless to be here on Earth, let alone Tokyo-2.
The rumbling subsided temporarily, seeing as the monster was walking away from them. Shinji grabbed onto Asuka's hand and sprinted to the elevator. Once inside, Shinji continued pondering the previous subject...
It if wasn't an angel, there was only one thing that monster could be, and honestly, he wasn't too excited about it.
Shinji: Eva unit 05.
Asuka turned her head at Shinji curiously.
Asuka: hmm?
Shinji: That's Eva unit 05, the second edition obviously. That must mean that Geffen is piloting it.....and he's looking for something....or someone...
Asuka knew what Shinji was hinting at, but she kept her cool nonetheless..
Asuka: That bastard....he can't let anything go can he?! Wait a minute, do you think NERV approved this?! Why the hell would they send an Evangelion into a populated city?!
Shinji merely looked down.
Shinji: It wasn't approved. He came on his own will. Innocent lives are at stake, but it doesn't matter to him until he gets what he wants.....and I'm sure it is us he wants....
Asuka: If he came on his own will, then that means he must have complete control over his Eva too.....
Shinji: People are gonna die.....and it's all my fault.
Asuka looked over at Shinji, not believing what he was saying.
Asuka: Are you feeling sorry for yourself again?! This really isn't the time...
Shinji: Don't you understand?! I could have killed him last night, at the building! It could have ended there, but no.....I decided to let him live......WHAT THE HELL HAVE I DONE?!
Shinji clutched his head in agony and started crying out loud. This would put massive guilt on anyone, meaning it was especially intense for the baka. He could barely stand making a bad meal...
Asuka knew that if she didn't do something to help Shinji, they would have a repeat of Third Impact's destruction....
Shinji kept crying until he felt Asuka's hand darting across his face. He instantly stopped crying and looked over at the girl. She looked at him contemptly, like she was expecting better from the boy.
Asuka: Listen to me Shinji, what happened last night was not your fault. You didn't know that Descartes was a complete lunatic, so how you were supposed to know that you should kill him?!
Shinji:...sniff....he's more than a lunatic Asuka. He's not a lunatic at all actually. He brutually raped and killed a woman last year: one year after he was cured. They re-examined him again for any problems, but they found none. They said that he was perfectly healthy and that he killed the girl because he felt like it.....don't you see Asuka? This guy isn't crazy, he just loves getting what he wants......and if he doesn't, things get worse.....he's pure evil Asuka....like the demons of hell...
Asuka looked at Shinji solemnly and repeated everything he just said back into her head. She never considered that scenario; she always thought that Geffen was just a deranged maniac and always will be one. But then she remembered reading that he was cured inside the documents as well....there was no other explanation. Rei was right about him, Geffen was evil.
Asuka could relate to what Shinji must be going through right now. Hell, she went through the same exact thing just a few hours earlier (a little less dramatic maybe...but still the same). And because of this understanding, Asuka could once again try to help out Shinji the only way possible. There was no way she could fight along side him right now, or ever for that matter. All she could do right now was to calm him down and encourage him...
Asuka took a couple of steps closer to Shinji and spoke softly to him.
Asuka: Listen Shinji, I know that you feel bad for not killing Descartes last night and a lot of people MAY die today as a result of it. But you can't go on feeling bad for yourself like this. YOU told me that it is always best to forgive the past and to focus on what's important right now. It's kind of stupid if you don't even follow your own advice you know....
Shinji:........
Asuka: Here's what you should do. Stop worrying about what you did and go defeat Geffen. By doing that, you could prevent the deaths of A LOT of innocent people. If you just sit here and worry about it, then more people will die Shinji. You'll just feel worse about it then.
Shinji:......
Asuka: Shinji please, I think that it is best for you to do the right thing and take action.
Shinji still remained idle, as if he didn't hear a word she said. But Asuka knew damn well that he could hear her loud and clear. So why wasn't he responding to her?
Maybe he was afraid. Maybe he didn't want to go back inside of the Evangelion....because he was still afraid of it. Or he could be afraid of hurting civilians if he used the Eva...
Whatever the reason, his mind was in complete turmoil. His mind needed to be eased, and Asuka knew only one way to counter this.....
Shinji felt something warm suddenly press against his face. He looked down to see Asuka's moist lips pressing against his.
She was gently clutching onto his shoulders, reaching up and kissing him. Shinji didn't know what the hell brought this up....but he felt.....better. Her lips were so soft and warm....he didn't want to break it just yet....
He closed his eyes and slowly returned the kiss. He was still new at this and he probably wasn't handling it well....but Asuka accepted his advance nonetheless. There they were; the two of them kissing as the elevator descended into the chaos that awaited them on the city streets. They both needed this moment of complete solace.
They both learned something from this experience. First of all, this was a HELL of a lot better than that kiss they shared six years ago. And secondly.....they both felt that, even after everything that happened between them, they could be finally be together....at long last...
Shinji never thought a day like this would come for him: Shinji Ikari, the famous, pitiful, over self-concious, pilot that can't seem to get a break.....falls in love with the arrogant, super-egotistical, equally self-conscious Asuka Sorhyu; who then, in turns, returns his affection. That was one hell of a love story for him.....
The elevator stopped all the sudden; they were at the ground floor to ground zero. Asuka slowly and reluctantly broke the kiss and looked at Shinji lovingly. Shinji looked back at her with strong ease. His mind was stable and his aim clear: He must stop Geffen once and for all.
There were really no words they could say to one another right now. All that needed to be said was projected through that single, desirable kiss; Asuka now felt like she had finally helped out Shinji in a great way, and Shinji got his motive as a result. Henceforth, neither of them said a word to each other, merely looking into each other's eyes for answers to their most emotional questions.....
Then a dark, rumbling voice broke the silence.
Geffen: Shinji Ikari! I know you're out there! Show yourself!
Shinji stepped out of the elevator and looked around the corner of the building. There stood the giant black Evangelion, several hundred feet down the street as if trying to call out Shinji. Along it were several wrecked cars and the sound of people running away frantically. Shinji could spot several scars and craters along the building walls; obviously created by the Evas enormous arms. He could see smoke in the distance and debirs scattering as the wind picked it up. Geffen apparently had done some good damage already.
Geffen: Come on out you pathetic piece of shit! Show me what you are really made of! They call you the famous Third Child: the one able to sync with Evangelion at 49 the very first time! Well Shinji, you are about to meet the man who synced at 97 the first round, and a perfect sync each time after that!
Shinji:........
Geffen's impatience got the better of him....
Geffen:...sigh....face it Shinji. You're gonna fight me......
The Eva out stretched one of it's metallic arms in front of it's body. It looked like it was about to.....destroy something......
Geffen:...whether you like or not.
The Eva's arm moved away from it's body and severely punctured the side of the building next to it. The Eva reached inside the building as if it where looking for something; it then jerked it's hand out of the building and clutched several support beams in it's hands....
Shinji (to himself): SUPPORT BEAMS!? HOLY SHIT!
Shinji watched in horror as the Eva walked two steps forward; the large building collapsed downward....most likely killing the majority of the people in that building.....
Shinij cringed in pain. He never intended for it to go this far....
Geffen: Show yourself you sniveling coward, or else the next building goes...
The unit stretched out it's hand again and prepared for another attack.
Shinji wanted to stop the bastard, hell he'd love to. But he hid the Eva within the bay, and he really couldn't reach in time.....and if he'd tried, a lot more people would probably die.....
Shinji: What do I do....what the hell do I do....
Asuka walked behind Shinji and grabbed his hand supportingly. She lifted towards her face and placed it on her cheek softly. She gave him a determined grin.
Asuka: calm down Shinji...if you lose focus, more will die. Just....try to imagine that....you ARE the Evangelion. Try to think that the both of you are one....
Shinji gave in, seeing as he was completely out of options. He took a deep breath and concentrated hard.....he tried to imagine the smell of blood-scented LCL, the flickering of the controls, the soft cushions of the pilot's chair....and of course, the everlasting presense of his mother....
Shinji (to himself): Mother....help me...please....
Several miles away, a pair of eerie orange lights appeared 1,000 fathoms under the dark, murky bay. Then the bay started getting unstable, as large waves started crashing back and forth against the pier. Some of the workmen got curious and looked over the dock to see what was going on. They knew pretty damn well that the waves near the pier didn't get this rough unless there was a tropical storm heading their way, and there was no such storm to be accounted for. Those who were curious about the waves fell back harshly as a huge jet of water knocked them twenty feet across the pier. Those who recovered quickly looked up to see what the source was.
They really couldn't make out the description that well, but they could make out that a huge, beast-like creature had, for some reason, boosted straight out of the water and cut across the pier. Some of workers darted to the other side of the pier to catch a glimpse of where the monster was headed to (the rest kind of fainted at the sight of a 100 foot behemoth jumping across the bay).
It looked like it was heading for the mountains....where Tokyo-2 resides....
Geffen: Shinji....you really are a coward...sigh.....spineless piece of shit....
Geffen slowly moved his hand again, preparing to attack the next building that was closest to him. And just when Shinji thought that Geffen was going to deconstruct the next high rise, the Evangelion stopped in mid-attack and stayed like that for a few seconds. It neither made a sound nor flinched in the least.
Shinij: What's going on......
Shinji's question was soon answered as a faint sound of rumbling filled the air. The rumbling steadily grew louder and more intense.....but it wasn't Geffen, no.....Geffen was still standing there....
Shinji never thought he would see the day when he was actually delighted to get his Eva back.....
The rumbling became louder and louder; Shinji and Asuka could feel the tremors beneath their feet vibrating like crazy....
Then the rumbling stopped.
Out of curiousity, Shinji peeked his head past the corner again to see if his Eva had finally made it.....
It wasn't there.....
Shinji: What the- Where'd it go?!
Once again, Shinji got the benefit of a quick answer as the huge, bio-mechanic, monstrosity came somewhere out of the sky and landed just ten or twelve feet in front of Shinji and Asuka: It's eyes glowed orange....but they glowed passionately with confidence and the desire to protect.....
This was his Evangelion.
Geffen laughed maniacally at the very sight of the unit.
Geffen:HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!! HOLY SHIT, YOU'RE ACTUALLY GONNA DO IT?! YOU'RE REALLY GONNA FIGHT ME AREN'T YOU?!
Shinji's Eva extended it's hand as Shinji and Asuka both hopped on. The Eva's hand moved slowly towards it back to where the plug suit was. Shinji and Asuka kept their faces turned from Geffen.
Geffen: hmph......well I must say, you ain't much of a coward if you want to fight me...that just makes you a complete fool for thinking that you have a chance at defeating me! You must live up to your reputation of being a complete idiot as well as a coward.....
Shinji turned his slightly, looking at the Evangelion straight in the eyes. Geffen's smug grin fell the second he looked at Shinji's face. Shinji's face gave him a look that said 'I'm gonna bring you down'.....
But that wasn't what worried Geffen. What worried him was the unusual confidence he could see in his eyes....it wasn't just any confidence.....it looked Shinji KNEW he was gonna win no matter what....
But that didn't stop Geffen from backing off. He remained in his spot, waiting patiently for Shinji to get inside his Evangelion. Descartes may have been a complete bastard, but he was looking for a fair fight....that would make things a little more interesting....
Shinji helped Asuka climb up onto the Eva's shoulder and into the plug's doorway. Shinji took control of the pilot's seat as Asuka perched herself directly behind him. Unit 01 then gently pushed the plug into it's back and prepared for command.
Shinji could see it. The familiar flash of colors filling the plug, indicating it's preperation for battle; and the dull yellowish glow of the LCL surrounded him like a blanket. Within minutes, the two of them had a clear view of the surroundings in Tokyo-2....there was the skyscraper Geffen destroyed.....the smoke and debris left in the wake of his destruction.....the thousands upon thousands people running away, sensing that a battle was to insue.....Shinji even now got a good view of unit 05....
A really good view....seeing that it was two feet in front of his face.
Shinji: WHAT THE-
Geffen: too slow.
Geffen took the Evas arm and hooked it right into Unit 01 abdomen. Shinji took a couple of steps back and cringed in pain...
Shinji: Son of a bitch....I wasn't even ready.....oww.....
Geffen merely shrugged it off.
Geffen: thems the breaks.
Geffen followed up his statement with an array of pummels to the chest of unit 01 (Shinji's abdomen was already under painful stress, so that didn't help matters much), a couple of right hooks to the head (that REALLY hurt....), and a kick under underneath the Eva's feet. Shinji fell back-first onto the ground.
Asuka: Sheiss! He really doesn't like to fight fair....
Shinji silently agreed with Asuka and looked around of options. The street was almost completely cleared of people.....the rain was still going.....the streetlights are on.....
Something clicked in Shinji's mind as he took his hand and drilled straight into the street.
Shinji: If doesn't want to play nice...then neither should we!
Shinji found what he was looking for and pulled a large electrical cable right out of the ground. He got to his feet and started tugging on it....
The large cable started breaking out of the ground all the way down the street when it finally broke about a hundred feet away. He grabbed the cable and swung it around and around over his head.......
Geffen (confused): What the hell is he doing.....
Shinji then snapped the cable to towards Geffen like a whip and lassoed him good and tight. It was so damn tight that Geffen couldn't even move his arms....
Geffen: SHIT!
Shinji (smiling): Get ready for some fun....
Shinji yanked the cable high over his head (carrying unit 05 with it) and smashed into the ground on the opposite side. Geffen hit the ground hard and loud.....the crash alone probably created a fairly high magnitude tremor....
Geffen's back felt most of the brunt, but the most noticeable damage was to his left arm....he couldn't even move it....
Geffen: damn it.....that was clever you bastard.....
Geffen broke of the loosen knot around him and stood up shakingly. This wasn't looking good for him....those fighting moves should have put Shinji down for a good few minutes....but he somehow managed to get up without a scratch...
And here was Geffen with a bad back and a malfunctioning arm....
Geffen (to himself): shit.....he's better than I thought....but...I can't let him win that easily...time for the secret weapon....
Geffen got to his feet slowly, crouched down into a skilled fighting position and....
Ran off.
Unit 05 was running away from unit 01. it turned the corner among the skyscrapers and disappeared out of sight.
Shinji: where is he going? Is he chickening out again or something?
Asuka: No...he must got something planned.....follow him, but be cautious.
Shinji obeyed the orders and jolted past the corner towards Descartes. He saw unit 05 twenty blocks ahead of him, running at full speed down the long stretch of road. Shinji followed after him, but he was trying to be careful not to step on any civilians.....which was difficult, considering he never had to fight angels in crowded city streets before....
Shinji did manage to close a good distance between them, despite the crowds. Geffen was mildly surprised.
Geffen; shit....he's pretty fast too.....no matter....he won't escape this...
Geffen once again sharply turned the next corner and disappeared from Shinji's sight for a second. Shinji carefully increased his running speed and turned the corner Geffen disappeared behind.
Unit 05 wasn't there. It just...vanished....
Shinji stopped abruptly and looked around in every direction, scanning for the possible places unit 05 was hiding. He couldn't see him...anywhere.
Asuka; Damn it! Where did that jackass get to now?!
Shinji: Hold on.....do you hear that?.....
Asuka remained quiet for a second and listened intently. She could hear several loud clicking sounds outside the metallic walls of the plug. It was faint and barely recognizable, but Asuka knew that noise...it was the sound of....
Asuka: SHINJI! DODGE!
Unit 01 rolled over to the left upon reflex and was greeted to the sound of bullets hittng the ground; puncturing the ground where he was once standing. The crater was fairly large...only one thing could make that...
Asuka: The bastards got an Assault rifle!
Geffen: YOU STUPID BITCH! YOU MADE ME MISS!
Shinji looked up to the source of the voice and spotted Geffen. There he was on top of the high rise with his gun pointed straight at him. Unit 05 must have scaled the skyscraper right after turning the corner...and he must have had a gun hidden near there this whole time.....
Asuka: WHAT?! WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?!
Geffen: urrggh.....would you just SHUT THE HELL UP?!
Geffen once again pointed his gun at unit 01 and pulled the trigger. A spray of bullets emerged from the shaft and headed Shinji's way. Shinji anticipated this and sprinted down the street, away from the bullets and Geffen...
He turned the next corner sharply, nearly being hit by the rifle. He was now completely out of Geffen's view.
Geffen: Damn it.
Geffen grabbed the gun and jumped straight off the building, landing only a few meters away from the crater the weapon made. He then went after Shinji with his gun raised and finger on the trigger. Cautiously, Geffen stopped at the corner and put his back against the side. He peeked over the side, checking for any sneak attacks; a few seconds later, he flipped around and pointed his gun down the street.
No Unit 01.
Geffen slowed his speed down and started strafing around the blocks, gun ready for the target.
Geffen: hmm....you're still around here aren't you? You know....you could just make a run for it....but then I'd probably destroy this city before I come after and fight you elsewhere.....heh. answered my own question.....
Geffen pointed the gun down the next corner and found no such Evas....
Geffen: but there is another reason isn't there...why you won't run away....what is that reason Shinji? Tell me...
Shinji: You must die.
Geffen pointed the gun in the direction of the voice. He once again found nothing. Unit 01 was just too fast....
Geffen: oh...is that your reason? Why Shinji....why must I die?
The Eva remained silent, wherever it was.
Geffen: Is it because I'm evil? Is that it? Not crazy...just evil.....that must be the reason.
Shinji remained quiet, but he was still surprised to see that Geffen recognized his own fault.
Geffen: hmm....I see.....
Geffen's voice changed....it didn't sound like his....his voice was always arrogant and irritating...but this voice was dark and....creepy....like a dark alter ego of sorts.....
Geffen: You know Shinji...believe it or not you ain't that much different from me....I mean, you had a passion to kill another too.....
Shinji gasped.
Geffen: And I'm not talking about me....no...you want to kill me for the better of the people.....and that's honorable...but before that.....you tried to kill a very close friend of yours....one that you would ironically die for.....
Shinji understood what Descartes meant and looked at the girl behind him....he had almost completely forgotten about that......
Geffen: Yes....her Shinji....why did you want to kill her anyway? Was it because she was unhappy? Were you trying to be noble by unleashing her from the bonds of living? Was she making you miserable? Did you want her to die to relieve your OWN pain?....how wonderful of you...so selfish....
Shinji tried to ignore Geffen's string of accusations as much as possible, but they seemed to weaken him at every turn....he was slowly starting to believe that.....Shinji, he himself, was.....murderously evil....
Geffen: You may think that it is gone Shinji, but that is a fool's paradise.....believing that the evil has left you for good....that's not true in the least. Your darkness is just dormant...that's all....but, what if that part of you where to emerge again? What would happen to the girl then? Would you be able to live with knowing that she died by your hands? If I am evil and I must die......then shouldn't you too? It is only right after all....
Shinji covered his ears, unwilling to accept the endless stream of truths....it couldn't be true.....it WASN'T true....he couldn't possibly be.....evil. And he would never EVER hurt Asuka again, right?
Nothing seemed to make sense to Shinji anymore. He increasingly struggled in his seat and and whimpered like the pathetic worm he thought himself to be...
Then he felt a pair of warm hands grabbing his.
He stopped shivering as he saw Asuka taking his hands and putting them back on the controls. She kept her hands on top of his.
Asuka (softly): don't listen to him Shinji. He's just trying to psych you out...
Shinji:....Asuka.....
Asuka:....that day....the day you tried to kill me......was the day when I saw a completely different person in your eyes. That was the person that tried to murder me, the person who tried to strangle me. I tried to call you back....and it worked. You came back and stopped yourself......then that person inside of you disappeared...
Shinji: then that means that.....sigh.....Geffen's right....
Asuka: No....he's not right. You were able to STOP that evil in you. And you also managed to banish that part of you, maybe even forever. And if that side of you comes back for whatever reason, then I know that will be able to stop it again. Shinji, you are more powerful than that evil can ever be....you must believe it....I do.....and I know you won't let me or yourself down.....
Shinji repeated the words inside his head.
Shinji (to himself): sh-she believes in me....
Shinji lifted his head again and smiled, gently squeezing Auska's hands.
Asuka:...Shinji?
Shinji: I'm fine now.....sorry if I had you worried...
Asuka smiled back at him and was about to reply....that is....until another wave of bullets appeared out of nowhere and started showering down on unit 01's hiding spot.
Fortunately Shinji was too quick for them. He responded to the assault by scaling the small building, landing on top of it's roof. Geffen stood behind him with his gun pointed directly at his head.
Geffen: Well, well....off guard I see....rest assured, I won't miss again....
Geffen reloaded the gun and aimed it at unit 01's head. Shinji slowly turned around and looked at Geffen in the face....
Geffen immediately lowered his gun and staggered back a couple of steps.
Geffen: WHA-WHAT THE HELL IS WITH YOUR EYES?!
It was true: at first, the Eva's eyes were bright orange, but now they were a dark crimson red. The color that usually symbolized bloodshed and carnage....
Geffen was completely frightened. He knew what this color meant.....It meant that the Eva was going to go berserk....he heard about the brutal and bloody attacks berserk Evas made....and he definitely didn't want to be in one of those...
Geffen:...I-IS IT GOING BERSERK!?
Shinji: No....I still have full control.....
This just frightened Geffen even more. How powerful can an Eva pilot be when it can control a berserk Evangelion? His shaky hands moved across the control panel, trying to locate the mechanism that would give him the diagnostics of Unit 01...
He managed to find it and the Eva's synch ratio.....
It was impossible...
GEFFEN: 4-4-4-400?! HE'S AT 400?! HOW, HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?! IT CAN'T BE.....
Shinji: it is.
Geffen looked in the direction of the voice and spotted Shinji hanging off the side of the Tokyo-2 municipal building. Geffen kept his gun lowered long enough for Shinji to gain the upper hand. This was one move that Geffen would eternally regret.....
Shinji jumped to the top of the skyscraper and pulled off one of the large radio antennas. This large, sharp metallic rod was a perfect weapon....
Shinji: Hey Geffen....guess what?
Geffen responded by shakingly raising his gun up at Shinji. But Shinji was still too fast. In one giant leap, Shinji jumped from the top of the building flew straight down towards Geffen. He held the spear-like rod above his head and.....
Shoved it right into Unit 05's cranium.
Geffen: uggg....gasp.....agggg....
Shinji: you lose.
Unit 05 was unable to operate no longer, and the pilot was in worse shape. Geffen was slowly bleeding to death...with no chance of recovery......
Geffen could see.....nothing....nor hear nothing......this was it....he was finally going to die....
Geffen:....but...gasp...I never.....agg....lose.........
Geffen spoke his last word as Unit 05 stumbled back off the edge of the small building and plummeting to the ground.....
The Eva and the pilot both dead.
Shinji jumped to the ground and looked down upon the pitiful sight. Something so massive and powerful was put into the hands of someone so irresponsible.....
Shinji stared at the monster for a few moments. Then he slowly turned around and walked away.....
His next aim was to head back to Tokyo-3 now. There, he could stop all this madness and maybe even find some answers to his unanswered questions.....
Like, who would make such an evil young man an Eva pilot?
With this new aim in mind, Shinji shifted his direction to the mountains and slowly walked the distance there. He was finished with his duties here. Tokyo-2 could rest peacefully once again.
The LCL from the deceased Unit 05 began to leak out slowly from the metallic beast and evaporate into the air. This signaled the release of a soul: The Evangelion and it's child, the pilot. Both were now free of the temptations of reality, and were given a chance to the promised land.....
But something else escaped from the Eva's body. No one could see it with the naked eye, but there a massive presence in that thing, and it was slowly leaking out into the air.....
An evil presence was making itself known again.....
End of Chapter 9
oh yeah....that chapter was fun.....
I had planned to have a chapter like this since the beginning of the fic, so that was my main reason for not killing Geffen earlier...
I think this chapter turned out well, don't you? It may be a little abrupt in some parts, but I think it held together pretty well....(plenty of grammar errors too....oh well....)
as usual, please reveiw! That the key of motivation after all.....
I really don't have much to say right now....sorry....I just ran out of stuff to talk about.
See you later!