02:7 – Floating Shadow – Part 2
Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion or any of the characters they are the property of their respective creators. Please be aware that no profit is being made from this work of fan fiction.
I felt tears burning my eyes before they were lost amongst the LCL that surrounded me, even as I looked at the place where, but a moment before, Unit-01 had stood. I think I began to understand something then, I began to see what it was that drove Shinji to pilot an Eva. I heard a story from Misato a while ago, she told me that when Shinji first arrived at Nerv he refused to pilot, the Commander had ordered the First Child brought out, despite the fact she was injured. From what she told me something had happened and Shinji had moved to protect her even as the Eva had somehow moved, trying to protect him. A moment later, he had been on his feet, her blood on his hands screaming at his father to let him pilot the biomechanical beast he had shunned but a moment before. He did not pilot it because he was proud to be a pilot, nor did he do it because someone ordered him to, no, he did it to protect someone, and now he is doing it to protect me…
If only I had realised, that was why he had been so ready to take my place. I could almost see the workings of his mind; he must have planned to defeat the Angel alone, before either Wonder girl or I were engaged…that idiot! I swear when he comes back I am going to give him a piece of my mind…that is, if he comes back at all…
"Asuka! Rei! Get out of there!"
My thoughts were interrupted by Misato's voice; I only just registered the fact she was ordering us to retreat. I turned my attention to Unit-00 and noticed the blue Eva was already moving away, heading towards one of the many elevators that would carry an Eva down to the geofront. I felt my anger rising now, this time not at myself but rather at everyone else. How could Misato order us to retreat when Shinji is still in there, how can wondergirl so calmly walk away when we don't know if her fellow pilot is alive or dead…I won't leave him, I won't leave him alone to die!
I started to move, building up speed to charge the Angel, to exact bloody revenge for what it had done to Shinji and perhaps although it was the faintest glimmer of hope, rescue him from within its murky depths. Once again, Misato's voice issued forth from a comm. window, this time her voice strained and angry.
"Asuka! What the hell do you think you're doing! Get out of there at once! That's an order! We cannot afford to lose a second Eva!"
"No."
I snapped back, filling that single word with all the venom I could muster as I continued my charge. Without warning my Eva suddenly froze, halting mid run. I desperately pulled on the controls, wondering what had happened only to realise that they had severed the nerve connections. I was cut off from my Eva; no longer was I able to give it commands, now little more than a prisoner in this biomechanical shell. I could only watch as Unit-00 approached and took hold of Unit-02 before dragging it towards an elevator and sending me into the earth below.
As the sky vanished from sight the last thing I saw was the dark and ominous shape of the Angel, as it remained floating above the city, a constant reminder of the fate that awaited us all, the darkness that had already claimed Shinji…
Once Unit-02 was secured within its cage the plug was ejected and I was pulled out before being escorted to a holding cell by a pair of Section-2 agents. Shortly after I was pushed inside, Misato finally arrived, dismissing the two agents almost immediately. They bowed before leaving, the two of us now alone in the cell. Misato closed the door without a word before indicating that I should sit down on the small bed provided. Once I was seated, she positioned herself in front of me before finally breaking the silence and proceeding to chew me out.
"What the hell do you think you were doing Asuka? You disobeyed a direct order; not only did you put yourself and your fellow pilot in danger, your irresponsible actions could have lead to the loss of Unit-02 as well. Do you have any idea what would happen if we were left with only one operational Eva unit?"
She paused for a moment, making eye contact for a brief moment before resuming her tirade.
"Asuka…are you even listening to me? The Commander is considering revoking your status as a pilot and possibly even having charges brought against you. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"
"Where's Shinji?"
As soon as those two words fell from my lips Misato's whole body stiffened. Her eyes widened at first and I caught a brief glimpse of a storm of unfamiliar emotions behind her eyes. Then, as quickly as it had come the look was gone although I was sure that I could see something glistening at the corners of her eyes…
"At present Unit-01 remains trapped within the Angel, as to the status of the pilot we have no idea. At present, we believe he has approximately eleven hours of life support, after which time the systems will fail and he will suffocate."
Her tone was flat and for one who did not know they would have truly believed she cared nothing for the person of which she spoke. However, I had lived with Misato long enough to know the signs, the way her hands trembled so she kept them curled into fists, going so far as to allow her nails to dig into her palms. The way her eyes glistened with what I now knew to be unshed tears, she truly believed there was no hope for Shinji; she already spoke of him as if he were already dead…
"No!"
I leapt at her then, fuelled by a mixture of rage and sadness, unwilling to accept it. I beat my fists against her chest while screaming over and over again, calling out his name. I felt her arms wrap around me and a moment later, she began to cry as well. When she, at last, dried her eyes, the seriousness returned to her face as she warned me one last time.
"Asuka, you have to promise me that you won't try anything like that again. The Commander was very upset…he will not tolerate this a second time. Ok?"
Knowing nothing else I could do I simply nodded in agreement before Misato helped me off the floor and onto the bed once again.
"Rest for a while, I'll come and get you when the Commander calms down."
Without further comment, she left me…alone with my thoughts.
I drifted in and out of a fitful sleep, caught between waking and sleeping nightmares, all about Shinji. Misato's words still haunted me; I knew that with every moment that passed Shinji's chances of survival lessened as a little more of the Eva's reserves were drained. I could not help but wonder what he would be doing right now, what he would be thinking of as he lay trapped inside his Eva, waiting for his life to end…
Asuka...
I almost jumped when I heard what almost sounded like his voice; I frantically began to search around me, desperately trying to find where his voice was coming from. At first, it seemed to be coming from all around me until I turned around and saw something moving in the shadows…
Asuka...
The voice seemed louder that time, so I stepped a little closer. I began to be able to make out a figure in the darkness, the silhouette similar to Shinji's.
"Shinji? How did you get here? What happened to the Angel?"
Asuka…
I stepped even closer, trying to catch a glimpse of his face despite the fact he remained cast in shadow. Strange scents began to assault my nose but I ignored them, even as I pushed down the fear that threatened to overwhelm me. I could not understand how he had come to be here but at least he was with me now, at least he was safe…
Help me…
The tone of his voice had changed slightly, going from the dulcet tones now to one of greater urgency. I noticed this time that despite the fact I was closer now his voice still sounded as if it came from far away…I pressed my hands against my ears, and shook my head, trying to shut out the worries that plagued me. When he spoke once again, I was shocked to find I heard his words perfectly and in that moment I realised I was not hearing him with my ears but rather my mind…
Help me!
His voice had risen to a scream as those two words exploded inside my mind. I stumbled and lost my footing, dropping to my knees, as I looked up he stepped forwards from the shadows, at last the light finally illuminating his face…
His eyes were hollow, fixed forever in the empty gaze of death. His flesh had paled and in this light seemed almost grey even as part of it had begun to come lose with decay revealing the tissue and bone beneath. The scent of blood and rotting meat overpowered my senses and in a blind panic, I tried to scramble away. I quickly found my flight blocked by the opposite wall of the holding cell, the cold metal, and an impassable barrier to me. I had nowhere left to go even as he continued to close in on me, once more the stench of death growing stronger. I began to claw at the wall desperately, crying out repeatedly, begging someone, anyone to help me, to save me from the nightmare that with each passing heartbeat drew ever closer to me…
"Shinji!"
I woke up screaming, breathing heavily as I still shook from the nightmare I just awoke from. The blood like smell of the LCL that had now dried onto my plug suit and hair only served to remind me of the image that now burned in my mind, the sight of the dead Shinji…my thoughts were interrupted when the door to the cell opened once again and Misato stepped inside.
"Asuka…it's time."
Steeling myself as I shook off what remained of my nightmare, I followed Misato without a word. We went from my cell, traversing many corridors as she led me through the bowels of Nerv. I was surprised when I found myself on familiar ground, not the Commander's office as I had expected but instead the entryway for the Eva cages. As she turned to face me, I looked at up her, seeking an answer as to why she had brought me here.
"We are about to launch the final attack on the Angel; the Commander wants both Eva's on standby."
For a moment, I stood there, slowly digesting this latest piece of information. Something about what Misato said seemed wrong although I couldn't quite put my finger on it…brushing my thoughts aside I walked the rest of the way to my Eva before being helped into the entry plug, the hatch shutting behind me. I slid into the familiar seat, booting up the Eva's systems as it was loaded onto one of the transports, slowly being hauled over to the launch elevator.
Once Unit-02 was locked into place, the transport retreated, clearing the area. Finally everything was ready, only moments remained until I launched…it was in that instant Misato's words came back to me
We are about to launch the final attack on the Angel; the Commander wants both Eva's on standby.
Standby? What was going on, that must mean that had something else planned something that would not involve the remaining Eva's. Desperate to find out I opened a channel to the command centre, just in time to catch the end of a conversation, Misato was apparently speaking to one of the JSDF commanders, something about dropping N2 mines into the Angel…
"Mi…"
My words were cut off as Unit-02 rocketed skywards, the g-forces, even through the LCL, still having enough effect to snap my jaw shut. Seconds later Unit-02 emerged on the surface and despite the pain; I pushed my mouth open, screaming into the comm. windows I still had open, asking what the hell was going on. Almost immediately, I was greeted by a woman's face, the female tech, Lt. Ibuki I think her name is.
"Asuka? What are you talking about? The operation is about to commence, you should be focused on your job."
"Shisse! What operation? What the hell is happening!"
Her face went blank for an instant and when she next spoke, it was in hushed tones.
"Asuka…didn't anyone tell you? They are planning to drop all the remaining N2 mines directly into the centre of the Angel in hopes of destroying it."
But that would mean…
"But what about the pilot? What about Shinji!"
"I'm sorry Asuka…"
No! They cannot do this to him! How can Misato let the commander do something like this! How can she betray him this way!
My thoughts were silenced by a blood-curdling scream; I looked up finding that it seemed to have come from the Angel. I continued to watch as suddenly the surface expanded then exploded outwards showing blood everywhere. Sticking out from the hole was a crimson stained purple hand, the right arm of the purple Eva. As I continued to gaze in a mixture of hope and horror a second hand emerged before the two gripped at the side of the hole they had created, widening it further. A moment later, the once familiar face of Unit-01 appeared although now I hardly recognised it as its mouth hung open letting out endless bestial cries.
It began to pull its shoulders free; slowly working its way out of the Angel. For a moment, it seemed to be struggling, almost as if the Angel was fighting against its escape. Then, with an almighty cry it finally tore the Angel apart, leaving the berserk Eva standing in a sea of crimson. As I looked on the bloodied form of Unit-01, for the first time in my life I found myself afraid of an Eva.
"Mein gott…is that what I'm piloting?"
I stood outside the door to Shinji's hospital room lost in silent contemplation. As soon as Shinji was pulled from his Eva they had rushed him to the hospital, he had been drifting in and out of consciousness, mumbling incoherently. Amongst the random jumble of words, I heard him speak my name and all at once, wrenching my mind back to my nightmare that had haunted me as I lay in that cell. I looked down into his face, hoping to see his eyes open, to have those familiar blue orbs gaze up at me with a familiar mix of confusion and apprehension as he called my name…
"…Mother…"
He kept saying that, over and over, repeating that single word. I could not help but wonder…from the reports I had read before coming to Japan, Shinji's mother had died when he was four years old, killed in some kind of lab accident. At the time that had sparked my interest and I had tried to find out more only to find that any additional information was classified. What could it have been that she was doing that meant the records had been sealed…could it have been something relating to Eva?
My thoughts were broken when a loud beeping noise erupted from the monitor currently connected to Shinji. The screen now showed a flat line where a moment before it had been showing the steady pattern of his heart beat. The doctors sitting in the emergency vehicle with me began to panic, pushing me out of the way, as they moved about.
"He's going into d-fib! Charge the paddles! Give me 50!"
One them was now standing over him holding a pair defibrillator panels waiting while a second medic was charging the device
"Clear!"
The first man pressed the panels onto Shinji's now bare chest and his body jolted upwards as the electric shock coursed through him. Still, the line remained flat…
"Dammit! Clear!"
Once again, I watched as the medic pushed the panels onto the Shinji's chest and his body spasmed. My breath caught in my throat as I waited to see the outcome, if he would come back or simply slip away…when the slow and rhythmic beep returned I almost fainted, watching as the small peaks returned to the monitor signifying that his heart had once again begun to beat. When we arrived, he was rushed off to the emergency room while I was directed to an area where I could sit and wait. I could do nothing now but silently pray for his safety, his life lay in the hands of these people. About half an hour later, a nurse finally came to get me, informing me that he was now stable and had been taken to a room to recover.
I walked over there, hesitantly, unsure what to say. After all, what had happened to him was partly my responsibility, seeing as I had basically dared him to take the point position. Unsure how he would react to me I remained outside, a war of indecision raging in my mind. So lost in my thoughts was I that I barely even noticed when somebody swept past me and stepped inside, somebody with blue hair and red eyes…
A/N: Well unfortunately chapter 6 didn't do too well, most likely because it was posted at Christmas. I hope this one does a bit better…
Oh and sorry about the Christmas tale I promised, ran out of time and never got to finish it. Will try again this year.
Till next time,
Hououza
Chapter preread by That Other Guy