Hey guys, back with another update.
I struggled a lot with pacing for this chapter and the next, that's why the delay.
There's a lot of characters to juggle per chapter.
Anyway, here's chapter 34 "Crucible" part 1
"I used to think that I knew how hard Eva piloting was.
Back in the old days, it started with just me and Unit 01. That first day… the mission weighed on me, the feeling that I was a part of something bigger than myself.
I hated that feeling. I was a kid, I didn't know anything. Didn't see the bigger picture. I only piloted because I didn't want Rei to get hurt. That's how my father got me to join the Evangelion Program.
The next time, it was the two of us. Rei and I, fighting Shamshel and Armaros. We were the first official Eva team.
Later, Asuka and Mari joined. Eva Teams One and Two. It felt… different with the four of us. Divided into teams, but part of a whole. The Angels were dangerous, but we always prevailed. Though we got hurt, we never really felt it.
The Four of us were teenagers, and deep down we thought we were invincible. That we would always win. We didn't see what the adults did.
My Other once told me that the game we played was filled with many players. That was the problem, too many players. Too many moves that needed to be countered. Too many variables to keep track of… even for him."
- Shinji Ikari
Downtown, somewhere in Tokyo-03
Government outpost
"The two of you dropped the ball" Kaji said harshly.
The men stood across from him, dressed in suits and obviously unaccustomed to taking orders from a man younger than them.
"Cover wasn't blown. We had a story ready and-" one of the agents said.
"Your job was to watch the Third Child for unusual activity. Instead, you two got the local police involved." Kaji glared.
Kaji reached behind him, to the computer in the cubicle he'd taken to using. A series of audio files were laid bare in his file browser, and he played one.
The agents' blood turned cold at the recording. The playback of a phone call from last night.
"Police. What is your emergency?" a calm and polite speaking woman answered.
"Good evening. I'm a tenant in Nerv's apartment complex. And I noticed a strange car has been coming and going for a few days now. They stay in the parking lot, then occasionally leave to follow after other cars. They didn't seem to have a parking pass and they almost never turn off the engine" a boy said into the line calmly and carefully.
The agents exchanged tentative looks.
Kaji let the recording continue.
"Can you describe the vehicle?" the police operator on the line asked
And the boy in the recording did, he described in frightening detail the agency car's make and color, even down to the window tint. The recording left the agents speechless
"We'll send a patrol over to check on things. Stay in your home." the police operator said.
"Yes ma'am" the boy said politely.
The recording ended.
"The Third Child, Shinji Ikari, called the police on you" Kaji said.
"He couldn't have seen us. There's no way-"
"We followed protocol." The agents stammered defensively.
"Shinji knew you were following him. Get out. Both of you" Kaji said, shaking his head at the whole situation.
The agents made to protest but thought better of it. They left Kaji to his cubicle, and he sighed in frustration. The door closed with a heavy thud.
How did the kid know? He thought.
On top of that, something happened that night. The night Shinji got rid of his tail, Rei ended up hospitalized. Logically, that was too much of coincidence. There was no way the two events weren't connected.
And there was more. Another piece of audio Kaji had managed to grab with the agency's resources. Another recorded phone call that had raised flags.
The door opened again, and someone entered the room.
"You're being too hard of them. They did follow protocol" a voice called suddenly.
Kaji didn't even bother to look up as his partner Agent Kunizuka entered the room. She knew he must have been in a bad mood if his usual antics, the laidback and flirtatious attitude, had been abandoned.
"They failed" Kaji said in greeting.
Kunizuka hovered over him as he worked on the computer.
"But the boy showed his hand. By calling the police on them, we know that he knew he was being followed. That's something. We have to reassess him" she said.
What is there to assess in the first place? A teenager with a goddamned Angel in his head? Kaji thought somberly.
He still wasn't used to working with his partner in person like this. But she was good at her job, he'd always known that.
"You found something?" Kunizuka asked pointedly.
Kaji nodded.
"On Gendo's line. His personal one" he said.
Kunizuka gave him a surprised look.
Gendo Ikari had multiple phones, a fact Kaji had observed when he had done espionage for the man, and they were encrypted and secured to an absurd degree. Even the Japanese Ministry of the Interior hadn't been able to tap those phones.
Spying on the Director of Nerv was no easy task.
But a personal line was different. Nothing special about them, a reason that the Director of Nerv rarely used his. Months went by without any calls, and many in the agency had considered it a waste of resources to tap it all.
Except Kaji had insisted. And now it had paid off.
Kaji played the phone recording for him and his partner.
"Dr. Akagi, I trust you have a reason for calling at this hour? And on my personal line." the recording of Gendo Ikari said sternly.
The spies listened to Ritsuko and Gendo's conversation, a call recorded moments after Rei had been hospitalized. It was almost too convenient that Gendo would have allowed such a slip up to go unnoticed.
But Gendo had been cautious. He had investigated the matter personally instead of doing everything over the phone.
Ritsuko's involved. She knew his personal number… and those two have a familiarity. That's… that's sick. She's half his age. He thought.
"Are they speaking about the First Child?" Kunizuka asked with a frown on her face.
"Rei. And that's not all. Iteration? Collective? Current Model? I don't like the phrases Gendo used. I've looked into her before, there's almost nothing." Kaji said.
The spies shook their head. There were pieces in the puzzle missing, things that they had not known were part of the story.
Later that afternoon.
Tokyo 03
We haven't been followed for days now the Broken Man told him.
Are you sure? I keep expecting the car to show up again. Young Shinji thought.
I'm sure. They've backed off for now.
Young Shinji inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. Ever since that night in Ritsuko's apartment he had wondered what had happened to the people following him. He had expected them to show up when he visited Rei in the hospital, but they never did.
He relied on the Broken Man for matters of that kind. The boy wasn't the man, they were things one saw that the other did not.
"Think we can win?" Mari asked.
Shinji turned back to his girlfriend, holding multiple conversations was always strange but not impossible.
"We can try" he said slowly.
She gave him a bemused grin and handed him the hammer.
The small crowd of onlookers gave him a dubious look. The operator gave him a knowing, if encouraging, smile.
The carnival was an odd place. A kind of funfair that moved from city to city, opening its booths and games to the willing public with cheap food and drink. Offering sights to see and a time away from the woes of the world. The city had invited the company over in an effort to increase morale.
Shinji struggled to lift the hammer over his head, and almost laughed at the ridiculous sight, and brought it down with all his weight.
The High Striker chimed as he hit the mark, the puck rose from the ground and lifted into the tower but never quite reached the bell. It missed by centimeters.
"Oh well" Shinji the boy said. The Operator clapped for him and the crowd of people joined in. Honestly, what did they expect from a boy as scrawny as him?
Mari patted him on the arm affectionately and offered to take the hammer for a try. Shinji handed it to her gladly.
The Operator beamed at her and reset the machine.
BAM
Mari brought the hammer down on the High Striker's mark, the puck flew through the tower and hit the bell.
RING
RING
RING
The small crowd watching the game gasped and clapped for her. The Operator clapped enthusiastic and handed her the hard-won prize, a stuffed doll.
Mari made a show of giving a laughing Shinji the doll. The sight of two of them brought a few chuckles from the crowd, before the next contestant for the High Striker came forward.
Those games are rigged. Pointless.
It's not about winning. It's about fun. I learned that from my girlfriend.
Deep in the other place, the Broken Man considered that but said nothing.
"Show off" Shinji teased her.
"Obviously. But it was worth it" Mari countered gleefully.
The boy chuckled good-naturedly. They'd always been like that, and he wasn't afraid of losing to a girl. Mari in particular.
They moved away from the crowd, prize in hand. It was... nice. To forget about the end of the world for a few hours. The couple moved through the carnival, getting on rides or else playing silly games that were more often than not rigged.
...
"Looks like they're having fun" Misato said watching the couple run off.
"An odd pair, to be sure" Kaji commented as he watched them go.
The Angel no one saw coming. Ahhh why did Misato have to take him into her home. the spy thought.
Kaji watched the boy off with his girlfriend and wondered just how much the boy knew. If Misato noticed she didn't mention it. Things between him and his former lover were complicated since the last time they had been out together.
Neither brought it up. And that was good for Kaji, he had too many other things on his mind.
"I'm getting on the Ferris Wheel." Asuka called out suddenly. Hikari stood by her side and gazed up at the attraction.
She turned to Kaji with a hopeful expression saying, "want to join us, Kaji?"
"Sorry kiddo, I'm afraid of heights. Go with your friend" Kaji said nonchalantly.
Asuka pouted but Hikari pulled her by the arm gently, and the two girls left the adults to themselves.
...
"You're not afraid of heights." Misato said, glancing back at him with a knowing expression. An approving tone in her voice.
"She has to outgrow her crush. Not gonna feed into that" Kaji said with a shrug. He pulled a cigarette from his coat pocket and lit it. He took a whiff, breathed in the chemical reaction, and continued "I take it you remember our first date then."
Misato scoffed. She just knew he was going to bring that up, she knew from the moment she saw the Ferris Wheel.
Instead of teasing her the way she expected, Kaji clapped her on the shoulder and let it drop.
"Come on, let's take a ride for old times' sake. Can't let the kids have all the fun" he said.
Misato blinked slowly at that but followed after him. Something was different about Kaji, and she didn't know what to make of that.
Shinji and Mari got off the bumper car rides. He stumbled as he adjusted to the change in motion. Constant ramming into cars was odd, though Mari had enjoyed it and he liked seeing her happy.
She laughed and moved to help steady him. Together, they walked off away from the rides to find a table near the concession stands.
"How are you so bad at these? You're an Eva pilot?" Mari laughed.
"I don't know. I was terrible at video games too" Shinji said with a shrug.
"Still are" Mari commented playfully.
"Ha ha. I've gotten better" Shinji countered softly.
They found a table for themselves and ordered overpriced food. It may not have been healthy, but it tasted good. He sat there enjoying time with his girlfriend, losing himself to that feeling of being carefree and fun. An ease that Mari had always brought with her since they were kids, his first friend.
But it didn't last.
These feelings, they hadn't lasted ever since he had gained the memories of his Other. Even now, those memories lingered like ashes in his mouth. Along with the knowledge that an apocalyptic event was coming, that people were constantly setting plans in motion to bring it about.
A multilayered web of intrigue from which few understood the lines being drawn. A web from which even the Eva pilots were a trivial matter.
You're being watched The Broken Man spoke.
The man didn't project a mental image, he simply spoke from inside Shinji's head.
Young Shinji didn't outwardly respond, he nodded his head listening to Mari talk, but inwardly he grew nervous.
Is it the people from the car? Are they following me again?
No, not them. Its Kaji. He's pretending to take a stroll with Misato, but his eyes are on you. I'm thinking that our stalker has connections to him.
… so, the Japanese government is spying on me now too. Young Shinji thought bitterly.
Probably. No coincidence that Kaji dragged himself along to this night out of yours.
Shinji's eyes fell.
Why now? Why is he so curious about me… us now of all times?
I don't know. Maybe he learned something. He's been… watching from afar ever since you left my memories.
Young Shinji glanced up and saw the two adults walking off in the distance. Kaji and Misato. They chatted and seemed at an ease with each other, but Shinji could see it.
Only half of Kaji's attention was with Misato. Some of the man's mask was loose. His public act of the smooth ladies' man wasn't as dominant as before. Shinji could see that something had shaken the man.
Their eyes met from afar… and Kaji looked away.
Shinji took a halfhearted drink of his soda.
"You're doing that again" Mari said suddenly.
Shinji looked up from his soda, curious expression planted on his face.
"Hmm?"
Mari sighed and looked away. Seemingly at a loss as to how to describe it. Which in and of itself was unusual thing to see from her of all people.
"You're here with me… but at the same time you're not" she said, avoiding his gaze.
Shinji stayed silent, suddenly finding it hard to look at his girlfriend.
"Something happened to you, Shinji. I can see it. It weighs you down when you think people aren't looking" Mari said, voice low and soft.
…
Deep from within the Other Place, the Broken Man turned his attention from Kaji to Mari. Red and brown eyes piercing her from his younger self's sight.
…
"Nothing happened" Young Shinji began.
Mari shook her head. She turned to face to him, and he didn't look away.
"I saw it the last time you spent the night. You cried… but you didn't want to talk about it." Mari said, looking him up and down. A worried expression emerged in the older girl's eyes, a stark contrast to the wild and carefree fire that usually shinned.
"I told you. It was… odd." Young Shinji said slowly. He sighed and continued "it was a lot to deal with. Coming back the way I did."
The boy didn't flinch as he felt the sensation of a hand on his shoulder. A phantom twinge from inside his mind.
You can't tell her, Shinji.
I know
"Ahhhh" Mari muttered in frustration.
"Hey what's wrong-" he began.
"I wish I was better at this. Feel like I'm being a shit girlfriend. You know, dummy?" she said to him.
"You're not. You're-" Shinji stammered.
"I'm sorry. Just, what's wrong Shinji? You're so lost now, and I don't know why?" Mari said quietly.
"I'm not lost. I just have a lot on my mind." Shinji said.
Mari looked at him like she wasn't sure if she believed him or not. Either way, she was worried about him. He was the only person she had ever felt worried about. Their relationship was unlike any she'd ever had.
She didn't want to push him, but she didn't like the distance her dummy put around himself these days. It was far and few in-between, but it was there. Moments where half of him was somewhere else apart from her.
Moments where she could see a change in his eyes.
"Like... what?" Mari asked carefully. Not wanting to pry unless he was ready to talk about it.
...
The Broken Man watched from the Other Place.
...
"Stuff. All that I missed during my two months 'away'. What happened to Rei. Stuff with my father, he came to 'visit' me the other day. It was… awkward." Shinji said.
He wasn't lying, not really. All of those things were on his mind, he just didn't reveal all the problems that were bothering him. Either way, he didn't like 'filtering' things from his girlfriend.
"That asshat came to the apartment?" Mari said bewildered.
Shinji nodded saying "he ordered Misato and Asuka wait to outside. Then decided to chat, we didn't have much to say to each other."
Mari shook her head seeming to get angry on his behalf.
"I'd have thrown him out of the apartment." She muttered.
Shinji chuckled at the mental image.
She gave a concerned look and asked, "he try to hit you again?"
"No. He just wanted to talk" Shinji answered with tired sigh.
Mari shook her head, clearly not approving. She couldn't understand just how Gendo and Shinji were related at all. They were just so different.
Why am I getting so good at weaving lies with the truth? At 'filtering' what I know. Young Shinji thought with a somber lump in his throat.
Because you're growing up The Broken Man answered him.
I don't like it. The boy thought.
The fewer people who know, the safer it is.
Seeing the look on his girlfriend's face, Shinji spoke up again.
"Mari" Young Shinji said gently.
He took her hand in his.
"I'm sorry. I should be enjoying our date, but I lost focus. If anything, I'm the terrible boyfriend who doesn't appreciate what he has" the boy continued.
Mari snorted and rolled her eyes.
"Stop being so hard on yourself, dummy." She countered in a soft tone.
He smiled softly at that and squeezed her hand gently.
"I will be if you will. You're a great girlfriend, you got me these remember?" Shinji said gesturing to his contact lens.
Brown contact lens that covered the red of his new eyes. The closest thing to his old eyes.
"You said you didn't like the red. So… I don't know I just thought it'd be nice" Mari said with a shrug. She'd been nervous when she'd first given them to him. It had been the most unusual she'd done in recent memory, getting her dummy that gift.
"They are."
Mari smiled at that. Feeling a bit better.
"I really am okay. I promise, Mari. You've always been there for me, that's more than I can say for a lot of people in my life" Shinji said genuinely.
In his mind's eye, Shinji saw figures of his past prop up. His parents, Gendo and Yui. His doctor, Page. His teacher, the man whom collected a pay check to look after him.
Mari shook her head at him, playful smile emerging on her lips.
"How do you do that? I'm older than you" she said. She didn't fight the warmth that emerged in her chest at his words.
"I don't know. I'm… better at this side of the relationship" Shinji said with a shrug.
Mari gave him a coy look saying, "you're not too bad at the other side either."
Shinji coughed and flushed slightly. "Thanks" he laughed.
I'm going to enjoy my date. Let Kaji look, nothing going on here. The boy thought determinately.
Good. It'll maintain the cover.
That's not what I meant.
Shinji stood up pulling Mari with him. "Come on, there's a photo booth over there. I wanna remember tonight." he said.
Elsewhere
Hospital room
Rei Ayanami sat up in her bed, hospital gown doing little to keep her warm.
She sat eyes narrowed slightly, headphones adorned with the SDAT player lying in her hands.
Rei cycled through the tracks, lingering on tracks 25 and 26 before moving onto something else. She could not describe why she listened to the music as much as she did. She often spent the days in her room listening through the tracks. She had never had a fondness for music, and never even considered it before, but it was different this time.
It had been a gift. Something to keep her mind occupied in the dullness of the hospital.
"Rei, are you even listening?"
The First Child looked up and hit pause on the current track.
"… I am sorry Dr. Akagi. I was not" the pale girl answered slowly.
Ritsuko looked over the girl and her SDAT player with an annoyed, if knowing, look. The adult sat beside the child and her bed, going over her medical records and briefing the Eva pilot.
Rei blinked sadly and moved to put Shinji's gift away.
"No. Keep it. Just... next time leave the volume low enough that you can hear me too" Ritsuko said suddenly.
Rei tiled her head at that. How strange, a different pattern than the default coldness she had learned to expect from Nerv's head scientist.
"Thank you" she answered politely.
"You should be leaving the hospital soon. Nerv has the facilities to take it from here. Commander Ikari has given you a mission." Ritsuko said moving on.
Rei nodded. She figured as such, she was a tool and tools followed orders.
Ritsuko rose from her seat and turned to leave.
"Oh… and one more thing" the woman called suddenly.
Rei looked up.
"Have you had any other issues? I know you reported severe headaches and cases of unexplained dreaming"
The First Child considered that, and unconsciously she raised a hand to her forehead. Phantoms of the pain from before flashed across her skin, the ache that had torn her up from the inside.
"I have difficulty remember it all. It is… fragmented. Head pain, but it is bearable. Decreasing every day" Rei began, the girl answering as if reading off of a report.
Ritsuko paused, waiting for the girl to gather her thoughts.
"I had a dream where I saw strange things. It is hard to describe. There was an inverted Tree of Life… and stars were missing from the night sky. I… I…" Rei said. The girl's eyes went blank, losing focus as she wobbled in her seat atop the hospital bed.
Ritsuko made to grab the girl, to tell her to stop and just rest. But before she could, Rei spoke.
"The Angels were there." The girl whispered, voice lost and distant.
"Rei." Ritsuko called, putting a hand to the girl's shoulder. A worried expression made it to her face, a stark contrast from the woman whom hadn't cared about the current "iteration".
Rei blinked, and her eyes came back into focus. The pale skinned girl tiled her head and looked at Ritsuko's hand upon her shoulder with a frown.
Ritsuko let the girl go saying, "it's probably nothing. Either way, if it happens again please let me know."
"Yes ma'am" Rei answered slowly.
"And leave the reports to me. I know Commander Ikari has visited, but he's a busy man. No need to bother him, and if it's important I will let him know." Ritsuko said, a strange expression on her face.
"I understand. Commander Ikari will be not bothered unnecessary with my medical updates" Rei said simply.
It has always been this way. Dr. Akagi handles the details. Mr. Ikari gives the orders Rei thought offhandedly.
Ritsuko nodded and turned to leave for good this time.
"… get well soon. Rei" the woman called on her way out.
Rei watched her go. How odd the pale girl thought, before turning back to Shinji's SDAT player and cycling through the music again.
Deep into Nerv HQ
Gendo stood before the gathered holograms in the dark.
"How has the Third Child been since the incident?" Mr. Keel asked pointedly. The man's voice emerged from the holographic display of a monolith. Not a hint of sympathy nor concern in his tone.
Gendo considered that. Eyes hidden behind tinted glasses, gloved hands folded behind his back. Expression unreadable as always in the presence of SEELE.
"He has shown remarkable improvements in his piloting" Gendo answered truthfully.
"The Freak and his Eva are a concern." another of SEELE said.
Eva Unit 01 had shown no strange behavior since it had released its pilot some time ago. A stark contrast to the behavior it had displayed during Zeruel's attack. And whilst it had only been run in simulations, Gendo had reported to SEELE that the machine was listening to its computers once again. That Nerv had regained control of the Second Angel's clone.
"They will be dealt with… when the time comes" Gendo said simply. Again, his face was a mask of polite neutral servitude.
"Yes. And until that time, I trust you not to damage our property in any way. The asset has their role to play" Keel said sternly.
Gendo paused at that.
He could picture the infamously secretive leader of SEELE staring him down. He could imagine the old man observing with a cold hard gaze. Artificial eyes fixed on Gendo through the cover of the hologram.
Ah. You are aware of the incident at Yui's grave. Yet you reveal your hand, how petty. I'm disappointed in you, Keel. Gendo thought.
Mentally, he went through a series of predictions of how such information could have passed. He placed the highest probability on Dr. Page informing her superiors. A rather bothersome woman in his life.
Would you have told Page about the graveyard, Shinji? For what purpose? He thought.
"Piloting is a dangerous endeavor. No asset can be completely protected whilst filling such a role. As director, I make the decisions" Gendo said. His response was almost instant, his speculation running as a background task even as he spoke.
Silence filled the chamber. The various SEELE members glaring at him from the other side of their projections.
"Enough. Mr. Ikari was selected as director for a reason" Keel called suddenly. Their leader spoke more to the other members than to Gendo.
'And he can be replaced' – the words went unsaid but understood by all except Gendo himself.
An empty threat, Keel. The timetable is moving quickly, and you cannot afford such a disturbance. Gendo thought.
"SEELE's assets are under no danger from me" he said truthfully.
The group seemed to have accept his answer, for the moment. SEELE's power over Nerv was not as direct as they liked. Although they had birthed the organization, it was Gendo himself whom ran and maintained it.
"The experimental Eva Unit 04 is on its way." Another member of SEELE spoke.
Gendo turned to the hologram, face expressionless.
"I have selected a testing area for its trial run. The hangar is currently at capacity with four units in place" Gendo answered smoothly. Their previous conflict ignored.
"We trust that you have a subject in mind" Keel asked, earlier tone forgotten.
"I do" Gendo answered.
"See to it. Do not let our investments go to waste." SEELE commanded him. Then, one by one the holograms disappeared.
...
The lights in the room turned back on and Gendo let out a tsk of annoyance. His alliance with the others and their Human Instrumentality Project was growing more and more strained as time went on.
Gendo left the room and returned to his office. Once there, he accessed the encrypted files of his computer and pulled up another scan of Shinji's drawings.
The drawings that Dr. Page had gathered over the years on SEELE's orders, and from which Gendo had been given a copy. For with Yui and Naoko Akagi gone, whom else could decipher them but him? How easier things had been between SEELE and Nerv back then.
Gendo studied the image drawn by the child Shinji. Crude in its shape and color, the image showed strange markings crossing over each other on a metallic surface. A disfigured surface that lay covered in a network of lines protruding through metal, except they weren't truly lines at all.
That was something SEELE had never understood. A prediction that the group could not decipher, and Gendo had never bothered to explain to them what it was.
Back with Kaji
Kaji pulled Asuka aside when a moment came. Misato was getting them a table and Hikari had gone to the restroom, leaving the them alone.
"How've you been kiddo? Been a while since we talked" Kaji asked.
Asuka beamed at him, seemingly at a better mood when with him of all people.
"Fine. My sync ratio is rising faster than ever." The German girl said proudly.
Kaji had heard. He hadn't had much time to check in on her, but he had kept an ear to the ground all the same. Asuka and Shinji, the pilots with the fastest growing sync rates. With Mari close behind, and Rei struggling to improve from her previous scores.
"School is boring as ever, nothing challenging for someone like me. With half the class gone the teachers have been going even easier on us." Asuka continued, a superior tone emerging into her voice. It was no secret that Asuka was a prodigy with a college degree back in Germany. She was only enrolled in Japan to better learn the language and kanji.
"That's good." Kaji cut in with a fake smile. He didn't want her to start going and on, she wanted to impress him with her achievements. To be seen as mature and successful. Despite her many accomplishments, she was still a child deep down. One whom wanted the approval and respect of an adult.
But Kaji did not have time for that. He would never play into her notions of what their relationship was, now more than ever.
"Hey… how are things with Misato? Is she doing well?" Kaji said suddenly.
Asuka paused at that. She knew that the two adults had dated in the past, and inwardly her face fell at the question.
"She's good. Misato does her job." Asuka answered slowly.
"And do you still like living with her and Shinji?" Kaji asked. He kept a polite distance as he spoke, but his eyes focused on her face. Reading her expressions.
"It's alright. Why do you ask?" she answered with a frown.
"Just that… I know Misato. She can be messy, and she has a thing about rules at her place. And Shinji is… well hehe I know you don't always get along" Kaji said.
The idiot is the golden boy, everyone's favorite. But he does cook for us… and he did save my life. And I saved his! So… we're even. Asuka thought offhandedly.
"I was thinking, maybe you'd consider moving out? I'm sure it could be arranged." Kaji asked.
"I… you want me to move in with you?" Asuka said, surprised at the suggestion. She was about to beam up at him, but the man's next words brought another frown to her face.
"No. Sorry kiddo, my place is built for one." Kaji said smoothly, shutting down whatever naive fantasies she had considered.
Her face fell again.
"But, have you thought about it? Come on, think about it. A place of your own. Away from the others. Its more responsibility, but you've never shied away from that." Kaji continued casually.
Please, Asuka. I need to get you out of that apartment. Somewhere I can keep an eye on you. Away from Shinji where you'll be safe. Kaji thought almost pleadingly.
Moving out? A home away from Misato and Shinji? I'd be alone… alone- I she thought. And she couldn't finish the thought. Something deep in her stirred at that, an emotional reaction that she didn't like.
"No" Asuka answered a little too quickly. She paused, unsure of why she had reached a conclusion so quickly.
Kaji watched, unsure of what to say.
"I'm fine where I am. I- " Asuka started, trying to rationalize her decision. Her voice came out with a hurried squeak.
"I understand" Kaji cut in politely. He gave her one of his false smiles and patted her on the shoulder.
Asuka nodded, and Kaji looked up saying "looks like Misato's got us a table. Come on".
He beckoned her forward, and Asuka followed. She fought the frown off her face and beamed as Hikari returned to join them. Yet, the feeling lingered.
Why did I refuse? Asuka thought.
"Where is Shinji?! Ah. He does this every time when he's with Mari. We were supposed to regroup." Misato murmured.
She sat the table near the food stands and greeted Kaji and the girls as they came upon her. The table was littered with the cheap carnival food, and Hikari thanked Misato when she took her seat.
"Sorry, we're late" a voice called.
Misato turned to see Shinji and Mari emerging to greet them from the crowd.
"We're here. Don't worry so much miss mama Misato" Mari said, moving to take a seat as Shinji did the same.
"Uh-huh" Misato answered, before letting the matter drop. She never did like the nickname she'd been assigned.
They group ate together at the table. Chatting and trying their best to enjoy the night out.
Kaji glanced at Shinji and was surprised when the boy glanced back.
"Been a long time, eh Kaji. What brings you out here?" Shinji said. The boy smiled politely, and Kaji kept his face a mask of no expression.
It had indeed been a long time since they'd actually spoken. They hadn't had a real conversation since the Over the Rainbow incident at sea.
"Needed a break from work." Kaji offered with a shrug.
The spy played up his role and gazed at Misato with a comically longing expression. "Never miss a chance to blow off some steam." The man continued.
Misato pointedly ignored that statement. A flicker of annoyance flashed on her face, but her hands gave her away. They didn't ball into fists, she wasn't all together rejecting the idea.
He's good at his role, intertwines the truth and the lie… just like us. The Broken Man stirred.
Shinji spent the rest of the meal chatting with the others. Kaji made a point not to make eye contact with Shinji throughout the rest of the night, it's the little things that can give someone away.
The next day
Shinji Ikari woke and after showering he made breakfast for everyone as was the norm. The boy froze when he glanced outside through Misato's balcony window.
He stood unmoving in the apartment, eyes falling as he read the date on the calendar Misato had hung up on a wall. He felt his shoulders tensing and he flexed his fingers. Five where his Other had only three.
"Today is the day. Bardiel is coming, isn't he" Shinji whispered under his breath.
The Broken Man appeared as a mental projection across from him in the kitchen.
"Things are different in this timeline, but today was the day in my mine" Old Man Shinji said.
The newest Eva model would be arriving soon. The experimental Unit 04, constructed in the United States as a prototype and spare for the Eva Units currently in use. No one had told Shinji of its manufacture or its shipment officially.
It had been Ritsuko whom had debriefed the Shinji(s) on the matter. And in turn, they had debriefed her.
Shinji packed lunches for himself and Asuka, left Asuka's on the breakfast table, then headed out on his way.
He was first out the door. Another habit he had picked up since leaving the Eva.
…
Strangely, Mari didn't meet him at their usual spot. She often gave him a ride to school on that motorbike of hers. But today, she didn't show.
He checked his phone and saw a single message.
Hey dummy, something's come up. I can't give you a ride today. Sorry. – Mari.
Shinji paused at that, frowning at the message. He wondered why it had been so uninformative.
With Mari gone, and Rei in the hospital, Shinji went on his way alone.
School
Shinji made it to school early. Even when walking, he got up so early these days that it didn't matter.
He was walking around the grounds of the school when his Other stopped him.
There's something happening. The Broken Man stirred suddenly.
What? Is it Bardiel? Young Shinji thought.
… I'm not sure. Things are fuzzy. Something is hiding from me again. The Broken Man said, hesitating before he spoke.
Like with Zeruel Shinji thought somberly.
"Shinji" a voice called in greeting.
The boy turned to see Toji walking the grounds before class just as he had been. He waved, and his friend came to join him.
Why are you here? You should be at the testing facility. There's a plan to keep you safe… Shinji thought.
"You hear, the carnival was in town yesterday" Toji said in greeting.
"Yeah. I was there with Mari and the others" Shinji answered nervously. Part of him was racing through implications of him being at the school instead of at Nerv.
Toji gave him a slightly annoyed look.
"And you didn't invite me?"
"Ah. I was with Mari and- and there wasn't any more room in the car. Misato-" Shinji stammered nervously.
He really did not like where his mind was taking things.
"I'm messing with you, chill. I was visiting my sister, so it's fine. Besides, I get it. Wanted time with the girlfriend" Toji said shrugging off his grievances.
The two boys hadn't hung out as much lately. With Kensuke gone, having left the city with his family some time ago, their circle of friends was dwindling.
"Yeah. Thanks for understanding… Hey uh- don't you have somewhere to be?" Shinji asked, nervous chill making it down his spine.
"… we're at school. This is where we're supposed to be" Toji said. He gave Shinji a confused look.
Shinji considered that.
"Listen. I gotta go. Grab my worksheets for me?" Shinji said suddenly, he played it off casually but Toji didn't buy it completely.
"I guess. This a Nerv thing or-"
"Exactly. I'll see you around" Shinji cut in. He turned around leaving his friend behind. Toji watched him go with confused frown.
…
Shinji hurried out of the school and yanked his phone out once he'd left the main entrance.
He walked the city streets, along the pavement of the sidewalks, checking his phone for updates.
Then, a message came in and he stopped in his tracks.
Sorry about the delay. They didn't tell me what it was about. I'm testing a new Eva Unit! Finally! See you tonight. – Mari
Moments before
Nerv's testing facility at Matsushiro.
The facility, sitting just a few miles outside Tokyo-03, was a large flat land set aside for a piloting run. A single small building littered the grounds beside a series of work tents, with the Evangelion Unit standing tall as a titan in the center.
Unit 04 could be seen for miles away, and the locals had been evacuated for the test. Only Nerv staff and the pilot participating in the test were present.
The Evangelion however, was not what it seemed. Moments after it had arrived in Japan, during its transport to the testing site, a spark of light had struck the massive machine. It had been tiny, perhaps the size of baseball. But in that moment, the Evangelion's power systems had spiked along with its computer systems before dying down. The technicians, only having seen the readings, dismissed it. They had been tired after the hours of transport needed to bring the Eva where it needed to be and noted nothing out of the ordinary.
"Not like my Unit 03. But it'll have to do. Sorry girl" Mari said. She stood on the grounds of the site, dressed in a newer modified plug suit, and glanced at Tokyo-03 in the distance as she spoke. Picturing her beloved Eva Unit 03 from afar.
Her original Eva had been so badly damaged during the breach of Nerv, that it had taken all this time to get it operation again. And even then, it was still considered not combat ready.
"Hey" a voice called.
Mari turned to see Misato of all people striding over to her at the grounds of the testing site. The new Eva's feet loomed over both women.
"Hey" Mari said glancing at the older woman.
"Sorry about this. We had another test pilot in mind, but then orders came from the commander himself." Misato said, looking genuinely sorry.
That raised Mari's eyebrow.
"He didn't say why. He never does. Maybe he wanted a more experienced pilot to test Unit 04. Probably wants both Eva teams back to full combat status" Misato said, trying to explain the commander's suddenly change of plans.
"You apologize too much. It's cool." Mari said with a shrug.
"Either way, I don't like that they just pulled out of your apartment. Here, I got this back for you." Misato said suddenly.
Misato pulled out Mari's cellphone, taken by Nerv's security team when they had 'escorted' her to the testing site.
"You can't take it with you during the test. But I thought you'd want to let Shinji know you'd be gone for the day" Misato said in explanation.
Mari stared at the older woman, considering that.
"Yeah, he is a worry wart at times." Mari said, playing on a tease her boyfriend had once given her.
She took the phone and typed a quick message:
Sorry about the delay. They didn't tell me what it was about. I'm testing a new Eva Unit! Finally! Talk to you later. – Mari
and hit send.
Misato took the phone back, and Mari turned to her.
"Thanks. I appreciate it" Mari said honestly. She offered a smile in thanks.
Misato nodded slowly at her words. They had never really 'gotten along', but they were both part of Shinji's life.
"Get ready, we're starting soon. Just a walk around the grounds for now" Misato said, leaving and heading off to her station out back.
…
Ritsuko stared at the computer screen at her table. She and her staff had set up a tent to work out of, with a direct link to the Magi Supercomputers if needed. They were working with the technicians from another Nerv division to run the test.
They had been rather annoyed at Dr. Akagi for implementing a last-minute change to the Eva.
The installation of an emergency release trigger for Unit 04's entry plug. A command that when issued remotely would forcibly eject the pilot from the Eva Unit and completely power the massive machine down.
"A safety feature. I'm considering implementing it in all the Evas" Ritsuko had responded when they had questioned her on the matter.
When she had the time, she snuck out from the tent to take a smoke break. In reality, she pulled out her second phone. The one she had gotten via the instructions from the Broken Man.
Prepaid phones that would let them communicate, with the hope that the disposable phones wouldn't be wire tapped.
There was no time for a phone call. She dialed the only saved number in the system and sent a message.
Tokyo-03
Shinji reached into his backpack and pulled out his second cellphone. The prepaid one Ritsuko had gotten him.
There was one new message.
Change of plans. Toji rejected. M taking his place, orders from Gendo himself. Emergency release installed regardless. – the message read.
"Mari" Shinji hissed in a pained croak. His throat tightened, and he felt his chest growing heavier and heavier.
He paced back and further on the sidewalk, not caring if anyone was watching him.
Shinji ran a hand through his hair and reached for his first phone again. His fingers moved desperately to Mari's contact number. He would tell her not to get into the Eva. He'd think of something, an excuse, anything to stop her.
But his hand froze.
The fingers refused to obey the movements his brain sent. Outwardly, the boy stilled and calmly put his phones away. Then, he took a seat at a nearby bus stop. Inside, the boy was screaming.
The Other Shinji had taken over.
The Other Place
"You can't do that, boy" the Broken Man said.
"Why not?! Mari's in danger! I can't just sit here and do nothing!" Shinji cried. He stood alongside his Other in the white void, hands trembling and eyes frantic.
"Because 'what' exactly are you going to tell her? How do you explain your warning? What will Nerv and SEELE think?" the Broken Man asked.
Shinji panted pleadingly at his Other. He couldn't think of an answer, and so fought with all his willpower. Trying to take his body back.
He failed.
Young Shinji could not take control of his body, not if his Other really didn't want to give it back.
'This' was the truth behind their relationship. Old Man Shinji had shown him kindness in the past, allowing the boy to make his decisions even when they disagreed. But in no world could Young Shinji overpower his Elder.
"We can think of something. A- a hunch that the Eva's damaged." Shinji stammered, clearly panicking.
He fell to his knees in the void. The strain of trying to fight the Broken Man felt like crashing against a steel wall. Invincible, a mountain of raw will that the boy had no hope of breaking.
"No. Shinji, you're being hypocritical. When we thought Toji would be in danger, we agreed that we had to play this through. Ritsuko has rigged an emergency release into the entry plug. That was always the plan. You didn't complain before"
"This is different!" Shinji shouted.
He realized what he said, and shame filled him. He looked away, unable to meet the Broken Man's gaze.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't play favorites like that. One life shouldn't mean more than another… but I… I-" Shinji stammered, his voice hiccuping as he spoke.
"It means you're human." The Broken Man interrupted.
Old Man Shinji knelt before his younger self and sighed deeply. Hoarse dry voice sounding tired as always.
"The plan doesn't change just because of whom is in the Eva. I know you're scared, but I need you to calm down. Listen to me, boy. You're no help to anyone like this. Be calm." The Broken Man told him not unkindly.
"How I can calm down?! Mari is my girlfriend!" Shinji answered pleadingly.
"Breathe. Take a moment to absorb the facts, then calm down. And we can think" the Broken Man said.
Young Shinji did as he was told. He breathed and accepted the lingered weight in his chest. This fear that wheeled up inside him.
What were the facts?
1) Bardiel had arrived and had infected an Eva Unit
2) Ritsuko had rigged a method to eject the pilot from said Eva
3) Toji had been replaced by Mari for the new Unit's piloting run.
4) The Broken Man could sense something more. But not 'what'.
Shinji calmed down.
"What can we do that won't blow our cover, or bring attention to ourselves" he panted harshly, eyes narrowed and hard.
"I don't like this either, boy. There's more than just Bardiel. Something that I can't see yet. So, we call Nerv, tell them to send a car. That you decided to run a sync test at Nerv. That you want to practice more with Asuka. Then, whatever else happens. The two of you will be ready for it."
Shinji nodded slowly, face crestfallen but 'calm' nonetheless.
The Broken Man held out a hand, and Shinji took it. The boy was helped to his feet, and when he blinked he found himself in the real world again.
…
Young Shinji rose from bus stop bench, ignored the curious looks of a bus driver, and started walking back the way he came. Face still, but eyes hollow and empty.
The boy pulled out his first phone and made the call to Nerv.
Nerv's testing facility at Matsushiro.
Mari sat in the entry plug of Unit 04.
"How you doing in there, Mari?" Misato's voice said through the comm.
"Good. Ready to get started" Mari replied eagerly into the comm.
It took a second longer than normal, but Ritsuko chimed in on the comm too.
"… Don't overdo it. This is a basic field test. Walk forward and then come back" Ritsuko called.
"Roger" Mari said into the comm. She stretched in the confined space of the entry plug. It was nearly identical to all the other entry plugs, but this one was newer.
The team of staff and technicians on the ground parted, evacuating to a safe distance as Eva Unit 04 was unbolted from its holding pad.
Stiff and tall, the new Evangelion seemed to come to life as the power was activated. The power cable ran into the Eva's back, and Mari could hear it hum as it delivered a stable source of energy to the massive machine.
Mari breathed, and the LCL filled the cockpit. It filled her lungs, an oxygenated environment that would support her so long as the Eva had power. The computer systems ran their duties as the Eva came online.
"64% sync." Ritsuko called into the comm.
"Not bad for a first try. This makes you the second multi-Eva pilot" Misato called via comm.
Mari nodded, but frowned at the sync. She'd done better with her Unit 03, but this would have to do for now. She shook her head, whatever happened she was going to be a pilot again. A real one whom went out into the field with Shinji and the others.
The return of Eva Teams One and Two.
Mari grabbed the controls and moved the Eva.
Unit 04 took one step after another. The Eva strode through the empty plains, Ritsuko and the others monitored its progress. Mari stretched, getting used to the phantom sensations of the new Eva, her nervous system synced to the machine's artificial one.
Then it happened.
Without warning… something appeared in the sky.
…
Shinji froze as he entered the school grounds for a second time. He had already placed the call to Nerv, and they had agreed to send a car to pick him and Asuka up. He had been on his way to tell Asuka when he had felt it.
The Broken Man stirred. Both Shinji(s) on edge.
More than one. The Broken Man said.
Shinji looked up at the sky, sensing the Angel's presence long before it finally appeared in the sky.
The Angel was smaller than Shinji expected. And that worried him, another change in this timeline. A change in mass from the being he had glimpsed through the memories of his Other.
The creature that appeared in the sky was a luminescent Angel with multiple sets of wings, some of them completely dwarfing the central body, in addition to a pointed head.
Arael Old Man Shinji said darkly.
Deep from within the Other Place, the Broken Man narrowed his eyes at this foe. He remembered 'him' above most Angels.
The diminished Arael was no less a utterly frightening Angel to behold. Whilst not as monstrously large as it had been in the Other Timeline, it hovered above them at a size equal to an Evangelion. With terrifying telepathic powers, it could reach into the minds of a target from a distance and rip their minds to pieces. It could twist one's own worst nightmares into reality, and press that weakness even further.
Arael came lower and lower, appearing to 'drop' down from the atmosphere before soaring through the air. Its path visible for miles around the city.
"An Angel has appeared! All staff retreat! Sound the alarm!" Misato shouted into the comm for all to hear.
Mari looked up, Eva Unit 04's head moving in sync with her. And she spotted the strange Angel emerging from up above.
"Hey, I'm still in here! Maybe I can help-"
"That's a negative. Eva Team One will handle it. If they need back up, we'll send you in" Misato said quickly. Cutting Mari off before she could even finish the sentence.
I hate this. This blows! I'm just sitting here doing nothing while they go and fight that thing! Shinji… I'm sorry Mari thought bitterly.
"I understand. Turning back now" Mari called glumly into the comm.
…
Down on the grounds, Ritsuko took her work laptop with her as the alarm sounded. She eyed the readings from Unit 04, and her fingers shook as they hovered over the emergency release command.
What is this? The Angels… what are they doing? Ritsuko thought.
…
Mari turned Unit 04 and started walking back to base… only the Eva stopped moving.
"What…" Mari murmured softly.
She tried to use the controls again, but the Eva didn't budge.
"Mari, this is no time for games. Get back to base." Misato called sternly into comm.
"I'm trying. The Eva won't move." Mari called back into the comm.
Then, Eva Unit 04 moved of its own accord taking Mari along with it.
Unit 04 knelt all on its own, and its skin rippled underneath the plate armor. Mari hissed at the phantom sensation, she could actually feel a network of 'something' moving along the Eva's veins as if it moved along hers.
"There's something in the Eva!" Mari shouted into the comm.
She fought to gain control, but her sync ratio fell and fell. The computer systems went haywire, the screens blinked in and out of emergency mode. Error after error flashed across the screen.
Unit 04 rose, plate armor shifting as strange fleshy protrusions erupted from deep within the Eva. They oozed out, visible along the openings of the armor.
Misato watched on in horror as newest Evangelion was transformed before their very eyes. Mutating, growing, and moving of its own accord.
Ritsuko tore her gaze from the ungodly sight and slammed a hand onto her laptop. She triggered the emergency release. The laptop chimed in confirmation.
Mari screamed as the Entry Plug twisted, and the inner clamps were released. Compressed air whooshed outside, and the metal tube was forcibly ejected from the infected Evangelion Unit, carrying Mari inside it.
At the same time, the power cable was cut. The line ejected with a loud popping sound before it fell to the ground with a heavy thud.
Evangelion Unit 04 froze, computer systems went offline completely, and the infected machine was left without power. 'It' stood still as statute.
Mari let out a wounded breath and time seemed to slow for her. Her chest pounded and the sheer blow-back of being ejected, literally 'exploded' out of the prototype Unit, sent her reeling in shock.
She and the Entry Plug flew through the air, barely processing what had happened.
But the Eva didn't stop.
The infected Unit hissed, a loud whir that sent chills down the spine of all whom heard it. The Eva's eyes flickered with a white light, one that spread across a network of fleshy protrusions from its body.
CLANG
The Infected Eva moved again, ignoring the loss of power and all built in safeguards, it whirled around and caught the ejected Entry Plug mid fall.
Mari cried out in pain as she was sent into the wall of her cockpit. Fresh bruises littered her skin, and she thought she could feel a cracked rib.
The Angel infected Eva reached its free hand up and tore the plate armor surroundings its mouth free.
"Hssssss" Bardiel the Angel breathed into the open air.
Then, the Angel brought the Entry Plug back into the Eva's spine. And re-inserted it, before bending is own flesh and metal around it. Clamping the metal tube in place with no mechanism in place to remove it again…
The Angel took Mari hostage.
Bardiel roared, and its veins rippled. The power of its father flickered, and an S2 engine materialized deep within its chest. A fully sustaining power source.
"Mari!" Misato and Ritsuko called into the comm.
The Nerv technicians watched in terror as the Bardiel turned its attention to them.
With a single swing of the Eva's hand, Bardiel brought death to the team on the ground. It destroyed the single building in the area and wiped a series of tents from existence. Human bodies flew into the air along with trucks, equipment, and pulverized dirt.
Up above, Arael looked at his brethren.
The two Angels, Arael and Bardiel, met each other's gaze. They nodded to one another, communicating in the non-verbal language that was theirs, and both went on their way.
Misato, Ritsuko, and the surviving staff watched in terrified awe as infected Eva Unit left them behind. Bardiel headed off towards Tokyo-03, his footsteps echoing across the plains and leaving craters in his wake.
Ritsuko stammered up to her feet, having fallen from the blow-back caused by the Angel's attack on the ground.
Misato called it in. Nerv was alerted, the JSSDF was getting involved, and the city would sound the alarms.
Tokyo-03
School
Asuka sat at her desk, not even bothering to take notes, beside Hikari as the teacher lectured on and on to the half empty classroom.
The boredom was broken when Shinji Ikari burst into classroom, getting the attention of everyone in the room. From the elderly teacher to all the students.
"Ikari. You're late-" the teacher began.
Shinji ignored the man to the gasp of the class, and strode over to Asuka whom blinked in surprise.
"Something came up. We're needed at Nerv. They're sending for us" he said. The boy was eerily calm, but Asuka saw something in his eyes that made her pause.
Fear. Real, raw, fear.
Asuka rose saying "what is it?"
Before the boy could answer, the city-wide alarms sounded off. The sirens boomed loud and long, echoing across the entire city.
An Angel has been sighted Asuka thought, getting serious.
"Go on you two. Everyone else, follow me to the bunkers. Single file line" the teacher called. The man waved the two Eva pilots off, dismissing them as he gathered the other confused students.
Toji watched on and raised a hand to Shinji. "Good luck out there!" he called to Shinji.
Asuka was about to say goodbye to Hikari, but Shinji grabbed her by the wrist and hauled her forward.
"Whoa! Hey, what the-"Asuka stammered in surprised.
"No time" Shinji cut in.
Asuka tore her hand free, but Shinji didn't seem to care. Together, they ran through the school grounds and waited by the entrance for their ride.
"What is it?" Asuka called once they were outside
"That" Shinji said, pointing up to the sky.
Asuka looked up and wondered what the hell that thing was. An Angel obviously, a luminescent creature looming over the city as it flew closer and closer to the center.
There's more the Broken Man stirred.
Shinji blinked, and he found himself standing in the Other Place. The white void.
"What is it?" Shinji asked, whirling on the Broken Man.
Old Man Shinji looked above and past Young Shinji. The Elder gazing with Angel eyes through the network that bound all of them.
"Bardiel and Arael… and more" the Broken Man said darkly.
Young Shinji raised his hands as if in prayer, tapping into the Angle senses that his Other had shared with him.
He saw the Angel network. It materialized into existence from within the white void, filling the white with an multicolored overlay. He saw a network represented by threads connecting to many targets. Its scope was massive, unbound by any limits, it reached out into the heavens and passed the entire planet.
But their perception of it was limited.
Adam and Lilith were like bright suns that shimmered with raw power. Their presence the easiest to spot, untold threads looping around them, lay lines of energy that were terrifying to look upon.
Bardiel and Arael were further away. Each moving towards them.
And nearby, something hidden. Whatever had spooked them was closer. The thing, fuzzy and distorted, kept its distance. The threads moved, appearing and disappearing, as if trying to shield their existence from the two Shinji.
Only now, the thing was too close. 'Its' presence no longer able to move undetected.
The Broken Man reached into the power running through his veins, and a flicker of Adam's power shimmered around his body in the Other Place.
"You cannot hide from me. Not anymore. SHOW YOURSELF" Old Man Shinji said, his voice intermixed with the booming thunder of a near god like being.
It hurt Young Shinji's ear to witness. But the network moved as the Abomination commanded.
"Armaros the Beast Angel… three of them" the Broken Man said at last.
Young Shinji whirled to look and saw them moving in the network. The Angels, knowing that they could no longer hide, simply moved into the open. Allowing themselves to be seen.
Elsewhere
The three Beast Angels rose from the ocean and surfaced onto the land. The three moved in unison, big and bulky like hairless gorillas armored in scales, bulging with enormous muscle, faceplates ghost white and menacing.
Nearby, Arael and Bardiel approached. And Mari awoke in the entry plug of an infected Eva Unit.
The power was off in the entry plug, a low powered beam coated the confined cockpit. The emergency light cast Mari's world in red.
Mari rose to unsteady wounded feet. "Shit" she stammered. Blood ran down her forehead, her ankle was sprained at the least, her back was bruised, and she felt her chest hurt with each breath she took.
She tried the comm unit, but no answer came.
...
Tokyo-03 stood in full alarm mode, the JSSDF was scrambling along with Nerv.
An unheard-of crisis faced them. A scenario out of their worst nightmares.
5 Angels. All attacking simultaneously.
Hope you don't mind the chapter being split like this, it was far too long to put into one.
As I said, pacing is harder with so many characters but I'm happy with it.
We see the Players on the board this chapter.
Also bits of Asuka and Rei's growth. Kaji. The Shinji(s). Mari.
And a major change in the timeline. Eva Team One has their work cut out for them in Crucible part 2.
Don't expect it to be like the other Angel battles.
Thanks for Reading and please Review.