Chapter 32 – The Gravity Of Choice
Touji Suzuhara had awoken early once again. Though sleep had still been difficult to attain, this time it was out of necessity that he'd gotten up in the early hours of the morning. Dr. Akagi, the woman that had recruited him, had instructed him to travel to the new NERV facility in Matsushiro after he'd accepted the position as the pilot of Unit 03 at the present date. He'd gone to the train station after a quick breakfast, making there before the sun was even up, at which point he'd boarded the train. Watching the landscape pan by had been a nice escape. So long as he was on that train he could be separate from... everything worrisome or fearful in regards to his situation. It almost lulled him back to sleep where he sat. However, the lingering knowledge was always there, that at some point he'd have to disembark, prevented that.
When he'd arrived in Matsushiro a black sedan with two secret agent looking types had been waiting to take him to the testing facility or wherever he was going to activate the Eva he'd been assigned to pilot. It wasn't a long car ride but it would have been a tiresome walk so he was glad to have the lift. When he arrived, he exited the car and presented the temporary NERV ID card he'd been given. The security personnel let him through without question and he'd proceeded into the main building where Major Katsuragi and Dr. Akagi were waiting for him.
"How are you feeling?" Katsuragi asked him with a sympathetic grin.
"Fine," he lied. In reality he was nervous as all hell, having no idea what to really expect.
Dr. Akagi spoke next. "Today you'll undergo a series of physical examinations followed by an activation test of Unit 03 of which you'll be at the controls."
Touji's brow furrowed. "There's no training before getting in the robot?" he asked.
"Piloting is done primarily via neural link," Dr. Akagi continued. "This test is basically an experiment to see if you can synchronize properly. Combat training will come later."
He frowned. "Alright," he replied. "Where to now?"
"Follow Major Katsuragi to the medical exam room," Dr. Akagi stated. "Someone will be with you shortly."
Katsuragi's smile widened and she gestured for him to follow her. "Come on, kiddo," she said. "Right this way."
Touji said nothing and did as he was told as he fell in beside her. He followed her down a hallway and to a waiting elevator that began moving downward as soon as Katsuragi selected the floor and the doors closed.
"Nervous?" she asked him.
He nodded curtly. "A little," he replied.
She smiled down at him. "Don't worry, everything's going to be fine," she returned. "I'm sure you'll be a natural at it."
Touji stared ahead at the door. "Yeah..." he replied. "Shinji said something along those lines too..."
"So you talked to him about it?" she asked.
Touji nodded. Talking with her was having a calming effect even if the topic at had still filled him with worry. "We talked about it yesterday," he replied.
"That's good to hear," Katsuragi continued. "I didn't have time to tell him before I was told to report here for the tests. How did he take it?"
"He took it alright," Touji returned. "He said something similar to what you just did, about me probably being a good pilot."
Katsuragi laughed softly. "If Shinji said that then it must be true," she replied.
That actually made him smile. "Yeah," he said softly. "I guess it is..."
The elevator opened moments after he said that and the two of them continued on their way. Touji would admit that he was still stressed but those reassuring words had helped, if only just a little bit.
As Rei approached Misato's apartment early in the morning just as she usually did she couldn't shake the nervous, dreadful feeling that permeated her mind. She wondered how similar the dread she was experiencing was to what a condemned prisoner might feel as the hours counted down before they'd face the gallows. Knowing that every minute that passed that the clock was ticking down until the Angel rooted in the flesh of Unit 03 would emerge was... that dread was nearly overwhelming. Less than forty eight, most likely less than twenty four hours remained until that moment would occur. There was a possibility that it wouldn't, but in all likelihood it would occur, she didn't want to get her hopes up in that regard.
She played back the events of the last time she'd faced the coming adversary over and over in her minds eye. The last time she had hesitated and been caught off guard by Unit 03's initial charge of her position and paid the price. This time she wouldn't hesitate but she wouldn't open fire either. No, she would anticipate the initial charge and evade. After doing that she'd be presented a number of options but she'd concluded that the best possible chance of any success would be to fall back to whatever Shinji's position ended up being. It was a good plan... but she still had no idea what to do in regards to Suzuhara. It was imperative that she find a way to extract the entry plug before destroying the target but how? How would she do this with minimal risk to herself, her Eva, and to Shinji? The answer to that question eluded her.
Of course another compounding factor was the fact that there was no Dummy System onboard Unit 01 thanks to her conversations with Dr. Akagi. This was a benefit because it meant that Unit 03 would not be destroyed outright and therefore wouldn't drive a wedge between Shinji and Commander Ikari, however, it also meant there was nothing to come to the rescue should she fail to extract Suzuhara's plug and destroy the target... but they wouldn't fail. She had herself, Asuka, and Shinji to accomplish the task. Together they'd make it work, at least she hoped...
She reached the threshold of the apartment, rang the doorbell, and waited until Shinji answered as she usually did. When he did he looked rather tired like he hadn't slept well. Rei couldn't blame him, she herself hadn't gotten much meaningful rest. "Good morning, Shinji," she greeted. "You look tired."
Shinji gave her a lopsided grin. "I didn't get much sleep," he replied. "I had a lot on my mind."
Rei knew exactly what had kept him up considering Suzuhara had promised to tell him of his pilot status. "Is there something troubling you?" she asked even though she knew the answer.
Shinji sighed. "Yeah..." he replied glumly. "Touji... uh... he told me that he's the new pilot."
"I see..." Rei replied with a frown, remembering just how torn up he'd been in her original timeline after his friend had died. No matter what, she couldn't let that happen again. "I know you might be concerned but I think he will rise to the task."
Shinji smiled gently. "Thanks, Rei," he replied. "It's just... it's hard seeing yet another person I know get roped into piloting Eva."
Rei wanted to reach out to him, to take his hand, but... the thought made her so very nervous, especially considering she was lying to him, feigning ignorance to the situation at hand. "I understand," she replied. "It's not an easy burden that we all share..."
He looked down at the ground for a moment. "Yeah... It really isn't..." he replied, pausing for a moment before continuing, gazing into her eyes with a widening smile. "I'm just glad that I can talk to you about these kind of things, or anything... It's... nice..."
Rei's cheeks felt aflame and she had to look away. Why was receiving these kind of compliments so embarrassing? "You flatter me..." she murmured timidly. It was all she could muster in reply.
"Hey, what are you two doing just standing there?" Asuka's voice shattered the tender moment that she was sharing with Shinji. Rei turned her gaze back to the doorway to see the fiery redhead had appeared behind Shinji with arms folded, leaning against the door frame with a scowl. "Shouldn't we get going soon?"
Shinji shrunk away from Asuka and regarded her with a perplexed and nervous expression. "It's still kinda early..." he replied. "We don't have to worry about being late just yet..."
Asuka shoved past both both herself and Shinji as she exited the apartment. "Well maybe I just want to get an early start," she grumbled as she walked away from the two of them, throwing the satchel she carried her books in over her shoulder. "Come along if you want, I don't care."
Rei frowned as she watched as the redhead continued down the hall toward the elevator. It was plain to see that something was troubling her as well but she couldn't put a finger on exactly what. She wasn't close to Suzuhara so it probably wasn't related to that. Then again... she might have taken his ascension to the status of Fourth Child as an affront to her pride. On the other hand, Asuka's episodes of behavior like this had been escalating since before this had occurred. She worried that she would soon fall into the same terrible place she remembered her reaching in the past timeline... "She seems bothered," she commented softly.
"She's been like that for a while now," Shinji replied glumly.
"Any idea what might be bothering her?" Rei asked in response.
Shinji frowned. "We've been... arguing more than usual," he replied softly. "Also I think she's upset that Touji is the new pilot. She doesn't like him all that much."
"It's still troubling to see her like that," Rei returned.
Shinji sighed. "It is," he replied, a lopsided grin working it's way to his lips. "But I suppose it can't be helped. Do you want to come in for a minute or do you just want to head to school?"
Rei thought on the matter for a moment, staring down at her shoes as she did. So long as they didn't run the risk of running late she supposed that it was alright. She just hoped that they wouldn't talk about Suzuhara. Knowing what was getting closer with every passing minute it was not a subject she wanted to spend much time on. The worst thing about it was that she couldn't explain to him why the topic made her uncomfortable if they were to speak on the matter. She'd have to come up with some kind of lie and she hated lying to him... Of course, since Dr. Akagi had learned her secrets, she'd toyed with the idea of perhaps letting him in them but the risk was too great at present. She could cause a massive strain on his relationship with his father, with everyone, and herself most of all... It was too terrifying and saddening of a price to risk paying in exchange for attaining a clean conscience. Maybe, though... maybe one day when the Angel war was over and Third Impact averted... maybe then she'd tell him. "I think we should head to school," she stated in response.
Shinji nodded with an awkward smile. "Okay," he replied. "But I'm gonna grab a thermos of coffee for the road. I'm still very tired."
"That sounds reasonable," Rei returned softy.
Shinji scratched the back of his head nervously and looked away from her. "I uh... I have a spare," he said timidly. "Would you like me to pour you one too?"
He was always so kind to her... She definitely preferred green tea over coffee but she herself was still feeling rather fatigued so she'd take what she could get. Besides, if they stayed to make tea they would definitely risk running late for school. "I would like that," she replied with a smile.
"Minus three hundred minutes until Unit 03 activation," one of the many technicians called out from their position at the Matsurhiro testing facility's command console.
"Primary power standing by," another stated.
"Repairs to left arm crimp lock completed," yet another declared.
"Refrigeration systems in all sections functioning at all levels," another called.
Ritsuko took in this information and jotted it down in her notes on the clipboard she was holding, not that it mattered. She could barely focus on what was going on. The vision of what could very well happen thanks to what she'd seen of Rei's memories, she knew that the countdown meant was leading to disaster in all likelihood. It was unfortunate that she had no choice but to continue onward with the operation. It was a true lose lose situation. If she were to stop things now then it would just bring suspicion onto herself. The dread she was experiencing listening to the final preparations made it hard to focus... "Roger. Team B commence operation..." she spoke into the microphone on the console before her before taking a few steps back to stand beside Misato.
"Data link to headquarters established," another tech spoke firmly.
Ritsuko turned to her closest friend who stood beside her. "The system is ready for full activation," she stated softly, almost timidly.
Misato folded her arms and a deeps scowl formed on her face. "Terrific..." she muttered. "Let's get started then..."
Ritsuko looked away with a scowl. Clearly Misato knew that the pilot of the unit was a friend of Shinji's and therefore was having an emotional time as it were... "You know... after this operational test this Eva will be transferred to your combat team..." she murmured in response.
"That's something to think about..." Misato muttered, a cheeky smile taking shape on her lips. "With four Evangelions one could conquer the world..."
Ritsuko frowned. Of course her friend would say something like that. If only she could know what was looming over them with every passing moment... "So... have you told Shinji who the pilot is?" she asked.
"I didn't have time to," Misato replied. "I was just assuming I'd tell him after the test but the pilot told me that the two of them talked about it."
Ritsuko's contemplative frown intensified. So Shinji knew who the pilot was, just like he did in Rei's memories. She couldn't help but wonder... if things played out the way they had before would he also refuse to fight? Without the Dummy System onboard Unit 01 that could end up being catastrophic...
She grit her teeth. She had to have faith in Rei of all people. She'd said that she could find a way to beat it without the system being used or killing the pilot of Unit 03. Ritsuko had to take the blue haired girl at her word and hope for the best.
Around the peak of lunch break, Asuka pushed open the doors to the roof of the school with a scowl after pacing through the halls for a good ten minutes. The day was shaping up to be just like so many days as of late: dismal...
Her morning had been uneventful for the most part but it had still put her in a bad mood. Seeing Kaji first thing in the morning would have been wonderful but knowing that he was permanently out of reach since him and Misato were seeing each other again filled her with jealousy. It also didn't help that he'd caught herself and Shinji in an embarrassing state of drunkenness which could easily be held against her... She hated people having things they could hold over her. She was the person who was supposed to hold all the cards... Coupled with this, seeing Shinji and Rei acting so sickeningly cute with each other just pissed her off, and this wasn't even accounting for her frustration that that moron Touji was going to be the pilot of Unit 03... Needless to say, getting away from all of them had been the quickest and easiest way to avoid thinking about any of that crap. So as soon as lunch had began she'd done just that and continued her attempts to avoid everyone. It wasn't like she wasn't comfortable being alone. She'd spent a whole lot of her life alone but for the praise she received from being the best at something...
"Asuka?" a voice she recognized called out from behind her as soon as she'd rested her elbows against the railing to take in the view of the mountains far off in the distance.
She sighed. Of course she'd never get a moment of peace... "What's up, Hikari?" she called back over her shoulder.
"Not much," Hikari replied somberly. "Suzuhara didn't show up today... so I have an extra lunch in case you want it."
Asuka turned around and observed the bento box in her hand. She wasn't hungry, she'd even left the lunch that Shinji had made for her back in the classroom. In spite of this, she knew she'd probably be starving by the time she walked home so she probably should eat something now... Having the lunch Hikari had brought for Touji was better than eating whatever Shinji had made on pure principle alone. She didn't want to rely on him after he'd rejected her and then surpassed her synchronization scores. "Sure, why not," she huffed as she leaned her back against the railing on the roof. So much for the nice view...
Hikari closed the distance between them and handed her the bento box. "I'll be honest I'm a little sad that he didn't come to school today," she muttered softly. "I was looking forward to eating with him."
Asuka looked away from her friend and frowned. She couldn't tell her about Touji being a new pilot, it was too uncomfortable of a topic to bring up considering how she loathed that stooge. "Shit happens..." she replied, hoping Hikari would get the hint that she didn't want to talk about it.
"I guess so," Hikari returned. "But it's still a disappointment..."
Asuka said nothing but she definitely resonated with the sentiment. Disappointment was just about the essence of her existence for the last few weeks.
Shinji sat in his desk finishing up the meal he'd brought for himself with Rei and Kensuke gathered near him. He'd admit that it was hard to focus in class knowing that Touji was out in Matsushiro with his first activation test. He worried about how his friend was holding up considering how nervous the poor guy had been when telling him about his recruitment. Then again, why was he worrying? It wasn't like Touji had to go into combat the very first time he piloted. Soon enough his friend would get used to being among the ranks of NERV, just like he did, even if there were moments where he still despised it...
Who was he kidding, part of him would always despise piloting the Eva. Considering his reluctance and conditions for joining the ranks, Touji would probably be the same way.
"Unit 03 is in Japan by now isn't it..." Kensuke murmured.
"Yeah," Shinji replied, his frown deepening. "It arrived yesterday."
Kensuke sighed. "This sucks," he grumbled. "And it's still unknown who's gonna pilot it... Touji was absent today... maybe it's him..."
Shinji bit his lip and stuffed another bite of food in his mouth as he thought of what to say. Before he could form a response, Rei beat him too it. "I'm sure if Suzuhara were the pilot that he would have informed you as your friend," she said softly.
Shinji turned his eyes to Rei and she looked back at him with a stoic expression. He knew that she was trying to spare Kensuke's feelings. He found the gesture to be very kind, but then again, when was Rei ever unkind to anyone? It was one of the reasons he liked her so much... Though it was inevitable that he'd find out but it was probably better if he'd heard it from Touji instead of either one of them. "Yeah," he added, turning back to Kensuke with a forced smile. "If he was he'd definitely tell you."
Kensuke sighed once again. "I guess you guys have a point," he returned, still frowning.
Touji finished putting on the black latex suit he'd been issued and pressed the vacuum seal button on his wrist as the manual had instructed. It was called a plug suit or something like that and it was supposed to help with synchronization with the Eva. No matter what its purpose was he hated it already. It was too tight in all the wrong places, too warm, and didn't breathe at all. He could only hope that once he was in that goop that filled the Eva's cockpit that it would be more bearable.
He exited the changing room and a security guard was there to greet him. "Follow me, Pilot Suzuhara" the man said, starting off down the hallway.
Touji fell in behind the man and followed him without a word. He was led through a series of corridors until after a few short minutes he exited into a massive room containing the Evangelion he'd been assigned to pilot...
The thing was somehow even uglier than the other Evas that he'd seen before and certainly more threatening in appearance with its black paint scheme and protruding chin. Then there were those vacant, white eyes that shined in the light from it's armored face that intensified that sensation that there was more to this thing than being just a machine. Touji couldn't help but think that it looked like some kind of demon rather than a robot. "Pilot Suzuhara," a voice on the intercom speaker system in the room called out. "Please board the entry plug now."
He spotted the large white cylinder on question attached to the same type of crane system that had extracted the plug from Unit 01 when he'd had the misfortune of being onboard with Shinji that one time. The so called entry plug was off to the side of the catwalk snaking around the Eva's shoulders, just close enough for him to step into it. He traversed the walkway and entered it after a moment of nervous hesitation.
The seat was surprisingly comfortable and the controls in the plug felt just like the sticks of some kind of arcade machine. The hatch slid closed and he was plunged into near total darkness. He felt the plug move and lurch before eventually coming to rest he assumed inside the Eva. Moments later that fluid he remembered breathing began to fill the cockpit. He closed his eyes and let it envelop him, trying to remain calm, trying to focus on why he was doing this...
Somehow though, no matter what he tried to focus on... something just didn't feel right. There was something... just... off about the inside of the cockpit. The LCL or whatever it was called that he was breathing felt thick, thicker than it had the last time he'd been in an Eva. It also... tasted and smelled like... blood, but that wasn't what was really worrisome.
In the dim light inside the plug... it felt like there was something there, watching him...
"Entry plug secure," one of the technical staff on the temporary command center stated from where he sat by the console on the observation deck.
"Initiating primary connection," another spoke up.
"Transmitting pule," a third called out. "Graph readout it normal."
"All checklists up to thirteen fifty have been cleared," a fourth stated.
"Phase one contact has been cleared," the first technician that had spoken called out.
This was it... the test activation of Unit 03 was finally commencing. Ritsuko stood in her position beside Misato, her heart pounding in her chest. She was waiting, hoping with each passing second that things in her native reality would be different than how things had gone in Rei's. So far things were going as they should but she didn't want to breath a sigh of relief just yet. They still had to contend with the full activation which would be happening in a matter of moments. If they could get through that and there was no Angel infecting Unit 03, only then would she breathe easy... "Roger..." she acknowledged shakily. "Operation will proceed to phase two."
"All nerve links established," the first tech declared to the room.
"Harmonics are normal," another one of the staff members stated.
Misato nudged her elbow and Ritsuko turned to regard her friend. "Hey, are you alright?" the dark haired woman asked with a concerned expression. "You look kind of pale..."
Ritsuko forced a smile. "I'm fine, just tired," she replied. "I've just got a lot on my mind right now. The Dummy System has been taking a lot out of me."
Misato nodded. "Well, as soon we're done with this then we can all get some rest," she returned with a sympathetic grin.
"We're now approaching the absolute borderline," a technician stated.
Ritsuko turned her focus back to central display in the room showing the connection ratio. It pulsed up and down, flickering closer and closer to the borderline. She grit her teeth hoping against all odds that nothing bad would happen. Slowly, the pilot's metrics crept over the borderline...
Immediately after doing so a loud alarm klaxon sounded in the room and the emergency lights flashed on, plunging the control room into a blood red glow. It was happening, there was an Angel infecting Unit 03... "Break the nerve circuits!" Ritsuko shouted immediately and frantically. "Abort the test!"
"Signal rejection!" the lead technician shouted. "We have high energy readings coming from inside the Eva!"
She stared out the observation window as Unit 03 began to move on its own, struggling to break free of its holding cage, it's massive jaws breaking free from the helmet restraints. "It's an Angel!" Ritsuko shouted.
"An Angel!?" Misato cried in confusion.
Ritsuko turned back to her friend who was staring at her with a fearful expression. She knew what was going to happen next. Instinctively she dove at her friend and tackled her to the floor just as a massive flash enveloped the control room. Her mind barely had a chance to register the deafening bang as the concussion from the explosion enveloped them before losing consciousness.
Gendo sat in his position perched atop the central command bridge, his hands in their trademarked position obscuring the lower half of his face. Considering the fact that Major Katsuragi was attending the test activation of Unit 03 alongside Dr. Akagi it fell to him to directly oversee the detection and defense systems used by the combat branch, even if the task was beneath his rank. It was times like these where his mind toyed with the idea of promoting someone to deputy director of combat operations or something like that. That said, unfortunately he didn't have many candidates that would fit the role well. The only one he could think of was Lt. Aoba but despite the man having a no nonsense attitude at his station he was also a complete nonconformist outside of it which might pose problems. His attitude could cause clashes with Major Katsuragi and the pilots should he grant him the rank of Captain. It would seem when Katsuragi was absent this was just how things would have to be...
"You seem bored," Fuyutsuki stated.
"Yes," Gendo replied softly but firmly.
Seconds after saying that a loud alarm sounded in the command center and Gendo straightened his posture. "There's been an explosion at the Matsushiro testing facility!" Lt. Aoba called out over the intercom.
"Damage level unknown," Another officer stated.
"Contact the rescue squad of third battalion," Lt. Hyuga ordered. "We need to handle this before the self defense forces get involved."
Gendo couldn't help but grin behind his gloves. He'd ensured that everyone on deck had been trained well. Even without him or Major Katsuragi it would seem they'd be able to handle most situations...
"This is an unexpected development," Fuyutsuki stated, sounding slightly unnerved.
"Yes," Gendo returned.
"We've got an unidentified object detected near the testing site," Lt. Aoba stated to the room.
"Pattern is orange," Lt. Hyuga added. "We can't confirm if it's an Angel yet."
In his mind there was no doubt that whatever had caused the explosion was an Angel, the scrolls had predicted that one would appear around this time after all, though what form it would take was still a mystery. "Go to first stage alert," he commanded to the bridge at large. "Summon the pilots and have them ready to sortie as soon as possible."
"All personnel go to first stage alert!" Lt. Aoba called over the general intercom system. "Prepare for surface to surface combat!"
"Readying all Evas for launch as soon as the pilots arrive," Lt. Ibuki stated. "Sending out automated alert to the pilots. Will have transportation via air to Matsushiro ready by the time they arrive."
Fuyutsuki leaned in close. "Ikari, what to you think is happening?" he asked.
Gendo stared forward at the central display as the data readings continued to scroll across it. "The Thirteenth Angel has arrived," he replied cryptically.
"What of Unit 03?" Fuyutsuki inquired. "Do you think it survived the explosion?"
Gendo scowled. He remembered the incident when the Magi had been infected by the Eleventh Angel. It wasn't too far fetched to think that this new Angel was parasitic just like that one. It would explain why there had been no detection until the moment of the explosion and why the pattern was still showing orange on the unidentified object they were receiving readings of. "That awaits to be seen, sensei," he replied.
"Could it be... infected, like the Magi?" Fuyutuski asked.
Gendo's scowl deepened. "Perhaps..." he replied. "Though it would be... a problem if it is."
"At least we can take comfort in the fact that Dr. Akagi has finished the Dummy System should things go awry," Fuyutsuki stated.
Indeed... but with the system not installed aboard Unit 01 there was still a worry in the back of his mind...
Rei heard her phone ring in her book bag and despite class still being in session for another thirty minutes she hastily dug it out and answered it. As she did she noticed that both Asuka and Shinji were rummaging in their bags or pockets to grab their device. Before she could say anything an automated voice played in her ear. "This is a notification of an emergency level one alert," the voice said. "Repeat, this is a notification of an emergency level one alert. All combat personnel and pilots please report to NERV headquarters. Pilots are required to be at their stations in fifteen minutes. Repeat, pilots are required to be at their stations in fifteen minutes."
Her eyes widened and her heart began to race as she realized what must have just transpired. It was happening. It was happening again. Unit 03 had been possessed by an Angel just like it had before. She took the phone away from her ear and placed it back in her bag with a shaky hand. In a very short time she'd have to put herself to the test, that she could prevent the death of Touji Suzuhara and defeat the Angel infecting Unit 03 without the help of Unit 01's Dummy Plug. She grit her teeth and tried her best to steady her breathing. She needed to remain calm and confident. She'd fought this battle before after all so she knew where to improve her performance. This time she wouldn't fail, she told herself, she wouldn't fail...
She shot up out of her seat and headed for the door to exit the classroom. Though she didn't bother to look, she could hear Asuka and Shinji getting up to follow her. In seconds the two of them were at her side, rushing down the hallways at a fast walking pace. "Hey, what do you think this is about?" Shinji asked.
Rei frowned. "I don't know..." she lied.
"Could it be a possible Angel sighting?" he pressed.
Asuka snorted. "They would be sounding the sirens all over the city if it was that," she scoffed.
"Well then what else could it be?" Shinji countered softly.
"Probably some sort of drill if they're not sending everyone else to shelters," she replied dismissively.
Rei said nothing to quell their argument. She knew what it was that they were headed towards but there was no way she could say anything. If she did then how would she explain it? So she remained silent on the matter. They would all know soon enough what they were heading towards...
Shinji sat in the cockpit of his Eva having reached the station in the rear of the operation zone that had been assigned to him. Rei was in the middle position a couple clicks ahead of him and Asuka was taking point at the very front of the intercept zone. This wasn't concerning, it was all standard procedure. What was concerning was the information that had been shared with them by Lt. Ibuki as they'd reached their positions about why they were undertaking their current sortie. "How could something have happened at Matsushiro?" he asked over the radio. "Is Misato okay? What about everyone else? What about Touji?"
"Contact hasn't been restored yet," Rei's soft voice sounded over the frequency. "The status of Pilot Suzuhara is unknown..."
So that confirmed it, she knew who was the pilot as well... He wasn't bothered by that, in fact, he was glad she hadn't made a big deal of it until now. "What about Misato?" he asked. "We need her to coordinate this operation..."
"We just need to take the initiative ourselves!" Asuka declared over the radio. "There aren't any other options left open to us by my reckoning."
"But how can we fight an Angel without her in command?" he asked, trying to hold back the worry he felt about his guardian from seeping into his tone.
The radio crackled and a new voice sounded over the communication channel. "I'll be taking direct command over the operation," a booming baritone sounded in his ear.
Shinji recognized his father's voice over the radio and flinched reflexively in his seat. In all the times that he'd ridden into combat aboard Unit 01 his father had never taken direct control over an operation. That just when to show exactly how serious the situation really was... "Father..." he murmured. "What's going on? Do you really think there's an Angel?"
There was a pause. "I don't know," his father returned, his voice coming out a little less gruff than before. "But it is your job to determine that. Do your duty, Shinji..."
Shinji gripped the controls of his Eva. His father had a point. With their relationship finally getting better he wasn't about to let him down. He was going to defeat whatever threat that lurked over those hills in the distance, save Misato, and make his father proud... "Yes sir," he replied.
Gendo remained sitting atop his perch as he had for the last hour or so, watching as the intelligence reports and raw data continued to pour in. If pressed, he would admit that he was tense. Considering there was still no visual of the potential target it was worrisome. He was not the kind of man who liked being in the dark and this was one of those moments where he knew he didn't hold all the cards...
"We're getting a visual on the target from the observation station at Nobeyama," Lt. Aoba called out. "Transmitting to the main screen."
Gendo grit his teeth as the camera feed appeared on the central display. From around the hill the target in question emerged... it was the visage of Evangelion Unit 03. Worry filled his veins. He knew from intelligence reports that the pilot of that Eva was a friend of his sons. If his son was forced to fight it would he be able to? Without the dummy system aboard Unit 01 there was no way that he could influence the fight other than words...
"It is as we suspected," Fuyutsuki stated.
He didn't acknowledge his second in command's statement. There was no need. He knew what the next course of action should be. "Transmit the abort signal to cease operations," he ordered to the room. "Eject the entry plug immediately."
"It's not working, sir," Lt. Ibuki responded. "None of the abort or ejection signals are being accepted."
His jaw tensed. This was not looking good... "What of the pilot's vital signs?" he asked.
"Readings indicate that his heart is still beating and he's still breathing," Lt. Aoba stated. "But he's probably..."
Gendo knew exactly what the young lieutenant was trying to get at, that he was assimilated into the Angel. This posed a very difficult situation indeed... "I see..." he replied as coolly as he could. "Then we must accept the loss of Evangelion Unit 03. Designate it as the Thirteenth Angel from here on out..."
The bridge staff turned around to look at him with concerned expressions. "But... sir..." Lt. Hyuga spoke up.
No matter how cold it was, he couldn't let risk his goal because of some kind of humanitarian feeling or sympathies. He'd climbed over far too many corpses so far to abandon his ends now... "Redeploy our forces around the base of Mt. Nobeyama," he commanded. "The target must be destroyed..."
Even as he spoke those words he worried about how Shinji would react when confronted with this latest enemy...
Asuka positioned herself behind the relative cover of a hill, waiting for their target to approach. She clutched the giant rocket propelled grenade launcher she carried tight in her Unit 02's hands as her blood thundered in her ears. Upon peering over the hill moments ago to get a good look at her adversary her blood had run cold...
It was another Eva stalking closer with plodding, hunched steps. She didn't need to be told to know what it was... it was Unit 03. It must have been infected by an Angel just like the computer systems at NERV had been during that time they'd wandered through the halls in trash bags for clothes. She grit her teeth. At least they didn't have to suffer that kind of thing again but... she knew who the pilot was, and as much as she didn't like Touji she didn't want to kill him! She had to wait until she knew that the entry plug was ejected before making her attack. If it wasn't then Shinji would never forgive her if she killed him... More than that, the only reason Touji was doing any of this was because of his little sister. She didn't want to leave a little kid alone with nothing. She didn't want to leave her kid sister like she'd been way back when after her mother had... died...
"Target is approaching," Lt. Aoba's voice carried over the radio. "All units prepare to engage."
"Is... Is that the Angel?" Shinji asked nervously.
"Correct," Commander Ikari's firm voice sounded over the radio. In that moment Asuka could understand why Shinji was so intimidated by him. "That is your target."
"That's... That's Unit 03..." Shinji replied nervously. "How is that our target?"
Commander Ikari did not respond to Shinji's question. "Schisse..." Asuka hissed to herself, thinking aloud, trying to reason with what she was seeing as her target cleared the hillside. She lined up a shot with the rocket launcher, hoping that she could get a shot that wouldn't kill the pilot. "How could Unit 03 have been possessed..."
"If that's Unit 03, then Touji must be trapped aboard it!" Shinji cried suddenly.
"I know that!" Asuka snarled back, her concentration broken. "I don't want to kill him any more than you do!"
In that moment of hesitation, Unit 03, the Angel, leaped towards her with a primal roar. Asuka froze at the sight, surprised at the swiftness and ferocity of the move. She dropped her RPG and tried to duck out of the way but it was too late, the Eva tackled her to the ground.
She screamed, trying to free herself from its grasp but to no avail. She looked up in time to see it reaching for her Eva's throat. She struggled against the beast but it was to no avail, she was pinned by her Evas waist and unable to turn over. She screamed again in desperation as she tried to move but the enemy Eva turned Angel grabbed hold of her Eva's neck. She could feel it in her own body as it squeezed. She was suffocating!
Her fear overwhelmed her in that moment and she initiated ejection of her plug. Seconds later she felt a tremendous jolt and her chin was forced into her chest, further straining her neck. Moments later there was a sharp impact and a tumbling motion that sent her into a daze. Finally, after what felt like an eternity the plug came to a stop only a little bit on it's side.
Asuka wasted no time in opening the emergency hatch and escaping the cockpit. In the distance she could see her Unit 02 and Unit 03 stalking away, casting a long shadow in the evening glow. She balled her fists at her side and grit her teeth as the shame washed over her.
She'd lost. She'd lost because she'd let her fear overwhelm her. The next time she got in the cockpit for a fight she wouldn't let that happen. She would make sure that such a thing would never happen again. She would never, ever, lose again...
If she did then how could she stand to look at herself?
"Eva Unit 02 has ceased transmission!" Lt. Aoba shouted.
"The pilot has been forcefully ejected by the target," Lt. Ibuki stated. "Recovery teams are being deployed for retrieval."
"Target is moving toward Unit 00's position," Lt. Aoba stated.
Gendo ground his teeth together behind his gloves. This situation was not optimal. One Eva had already been neutralized by the target, he could not risk another being rendered combat ineffective... He keyed the radio on his console. "Rei, stop it," he ordered. "But avoid close range combat. I'll send Unit 01 in to support you."
"Yes sir," Rei replied curtly.
"Do you think this is wise, Ikari?" Fuyutsuki asked. "Aren't you concerned about the both of them?"
Gendo could only scowl. He could only hope that Rei would be able to halt the advance of the Angel before it could reach Unit 01...
Rei clenched her rifle tight in her Eva's hands as she awaited Unit 03's approach whilst hiding behind the nearest hill she could use as cover. It was almost the same position she'd held before the last time she'd faced this enemy except this time she had the knowledge of what it would do. She could predict its movements and actions and that gave her an advantage. She could predict that the Angel would lunge at her and as soon as it did she would retreat back to Unit 01's position to mount a more robust defense. She just had to wait until the right time to do it. Slowly, the target came into view...
Unit 03's back was to her and she could see that the entry plug was still half inserted into the Eva's back. This was just the same as before, and she still had to contend with the fact that Touji Suzuhara was an unwilling passenger in this incident. Somehow, one way or another, she had to get him out of Unit 03 before she and Shinji could destroy it. She grit her teeth and waited, tensing Unit 00's legs, ready to spring away the moment Unit 03 leaped at her...
Unit 03 paused just as it had before in the timeline she remembered and back flipped toward her. This was it, just as planned... She dove out of the way in a tremendous roll, picked her Eva up, and broke into a mad dash toward Unit 01's position.
"Rei, what are you doing?" Commander Ikari inquired.
"I'm falling back to Shinji's position," she replied reflexively. "Two Evas will have a better chance of dispatching the target then one."
"Very well," Commander Ikari replied. "Form up with Unit 01 immediately."
Rei didn't need to be told this information to act on it, this was one moment where she wouldn't let anything get in the way of her actions. She charged ahead and within moments she caught sight of Shinji's Eva. He was so close... soon they could coordinate a defense.
"Rei!" Shinji shouted suddenly. "Look out!"
Rei barely had time to turn around before she felt a sharp pain in her leg and her Eva came crashing to the ground. Her world shook and for a moment she was completely disoriented from the violent motion. When she regained her senses, she snapped her gaze around to what lay behind her to see that Unit 03 had taken hold of her left leg or rather Eva Unit 00's left leg just below the knee.
She gasped in shock and horror. No! No, this was just like what had happened before! Why!? Why did it seem like she was always powerless to effect any kind of change!? No! She had to fight! She began to thrash her Eva's leg about, trying desperately to free herself from the vice grip of Unit 03's hand. She had to fight this thing off of her and find a way to rip the entry plug out of Unit 03! If she didn't... if she didn't then there was no way that Shinji would fight it and all her plans wold have come to nothing!
Then she felt it, she felt the unmistakable feeling of the Angel... penetrating Unit 00's flesh. She grit her teeth at the pain. She couldn't submit to this. She had to fight. There was no way she could just let things happen as they had before. Desperately she tried to crawl away, clawing her Eva's hands at the ground in a desperate bid to escape. She bit back a scream of agony. She had to get free and find a way to extract the entry plug from Unit 03!
With every passing second Gendo's cool demeanor continued to erode. He'd watched as the Angel had made short work of Unit 02 and proceed to chase down and ground Unit 00. This was not good. It was perhaps a sign of terrible things to come...
"The Angel is merging its biomass into Unit 00's leg!" Lt. Ibuki shouted fearfully.
Gendo snarled behind his gloves. This was indeed a worst case scenario. Units 00 and 02 were the only assets he had that possessed the Dummy System, which had been developed for just this kind of situation where the pilots could be incapacitated. However, Unit 02's pilot had ejected, meaning that she had taken with her that system and rendered her Eva completely inert. Now Unit 00 was the only Eva that retained that system but it was being invaded by the Angel. If the Dummy System were to be activated now before solving the contamination problem they'd potentially have two Evas turned into Angels to deal with, with only Unit 01 and his son to take on that task. As much as he wanted to believe in the boy he still held his doubts about his... stomach for battle.
It was decided, he had to stop Unit 00 from being infected, even if it meant that the Dummy System wouldn't get a proper field test... "Sever the left leg below the knee," he growled.
Lt. Ibuki turned around at her station. "But sir, the pilot's nerve connections are still active!" she fearfully cried.
He glared down at the diminutive woman. "Cut. It. Off," he snarled from behind his gloves.
Lt. Ibuki frowned. "Yes sir..." she replied.
"Things are getting desperate, aren't they?" Fuyutsuki murmured beside him.
Gendo's scowl somehow managed to intensify. "Yes," he replied.
"Do you think your son will be able to defeat this adversary?" Fuyutsuki asked.
Gendo had no response, only to glare at the screen ahead of him. One way or another he would convince the boy to fight. If he couldn't then all of his schemes plots and plans would unravel before his eyes...
There was a loud boom and Rei felt an agonizing, burning, searing pain in her lower leg, different from the pain of the Angel trying to merge with her unit. Despite the pain threatening to overwhelm her, she realized she was free of the Angel's grasp and so she rolled her Eva away with great haste. She wasn't about to just lay on the ground in agony the way she had the last time, when Commander Ikari had ordered the severing of Unit 00's arm. However, a problem arose when she tried to stand. Instead of getting upright, her Eva collapsed on its face, sending her head into the front of her entry plug with a bang. As soon as she came back to her senses she looked down at her Eva's left leg...
It was gone below the knee. The commander must have had it cut off to stop the infection from the Angel.
This was just like before, except for the limb that had been destroyed. She grit her teeth as she stifled a yelp of pain as she forced her Eva to move, crawling after the infected Unit 03 as it trudged closer and closer to Unit 01's position. She paid no mind to the chatter on the radio frequency, none of it mattered anyway. She was single minded in her goal now. Nothing existed except the pain in her body and that objective she was after. If Shinji could keep it distracted long enough for her to catch up with it and if she could take it by surprise then maybe she could extract the plug. Even with just one leg she was confident she could manage that...
Shinji had watched as Unit 03 made short work of Rei's Eva off in the distance. He was in a state of utter disbelief. Yes, Unit 03 was now an Angel but for it to have been so effective against another Eva was terrifying... Then again, there was never a time that he could recall where himself or Rei or Asuka had done any Eva vs Eva training exercises. Knowing this, he felt severely unprepared for the struggle that was coming his way.
"Unit 00 is heavily damaged," Lt. Ibuki's voice sounded in his ears. "The pilot is wounded."
Normally the news that Rei as hurt would have stirred his anger and given him fuel for a a fight, but this situation was different. Inside Unit 03 was his friend Touji, trapped, helpless in the belly of the Angel... and so he held his position, staring with wide eyes in a mixture of anger, reluctance, and fear as Unit 03 continued to approach...
"The target is approaching you, Shinji," his father spoke over the radio. "Twenty seconds until contact. You must destroy it."
His heart was racing and his throat began to close up. "Has the entry plug been ejected?" he asked, his breathing becoming more and more unsteady as he watched the menacing black giant lumber closer and closer to his position. "Is the pilot... is... Touji still stuck onboard that thing?"
There was no response from the command center as Unit 03 continued creeping closer with every thunderous, plodding step. Shinji grit his teeth. "Is there still a pilot aboard Unit 03!?" he cried into the radio, trying to quell his terror and worry by falling into a more formal, militaristic speech pattern not unlike what Rei might use. "Requesting confirmation of an ejection!"
"N- negative," Lt. Ibuki stuttered over the frequency. "The ejection signal was received by the Eva but we haven't confirmed an ejection..."
Shinji bit his lower lip and tightened his grip on his Eva's rifle. So that was how it was... he was expected to fight this Eva turned Angel and destroy it even if his friend was killed in the process. Could he do that? Could he... actually kill another human being? Why was he being put into this situation? Touji was his friend, there was no way he could just... disregard his life just because he was trapped inside an Angel? He was getting more upset by the second just thinking about it. How much more fucked up could things get?
The Eva turned Angel that his friend was trapped inside of halted about a hundred meters away from his position. The firing solution in his HUD was flashing before him. At this distance he couldn't miss... but he didn't want to shoot. Maybe if he could... disable it? No. No that wasn't possible. If he wasn't careful he'd kill his friend... It was too much of a risk. What could he do? What should he do!?
Before he could come to a decision, Unit 03 crouched aggressively and sprung towards him. He had no time to react before the enemy Eva's feet careened into his own Eva's chest, knocking the rifle out of his hands and sending him tumbling to the ground. He sat Unit 01 up and saw Unit 03 crouching on all fours in front of him and the entry plug was still inserted. His heart dropped into the pit of his stomach. "I know it!" he shouted as he stood his Eva upright. "I knew he was still in there!"
Before he could formulate a plan of action Unit 03's arms... stretched. They stretched like giant rubber bands toward him at lighting speed. He had no time to dodge before its hands wrapped themselves around his neck. He grasped at his foe's wrists but it was to no avail, Unit 03 slammed him against the nearest hillside.
Gendo was inches away from losing his composure as he watched what was unfolding on the central display. The Angel had gotten the upper hand and was now strangling Unit 01 and there was scarcely a thing he could do about it! There was no dummy system he could call out to mitigate the situation! He had to think of a plan! He had to somehow convince Shinji to fight back!
"Unit 01's life support systems are failing!" Lt. Aoba shouted.
"The pilot's life signs are fading fast!" Lt. Ibuki screamed.
Fuyutsuki slammed a fist into the console beside him. "Dammit!" he roared. "Cut the pilot's synchronization ratio to sixty percent!"
No. That would just make it more difficult for Shinji to fight it if he managed to break free. It would be simply delaying the inevitable if he still refused to fight. "Belay that!" Gendo commanded firmly.
Fuyutsuki turned him with a look of concern. "Ikari, if we don't then the pilot will be killed!" he hissed. "Your son will be killed!"
Gendo glared at his second in command. "If he refuses to fight he'll be dead anyway," he bit back through clenched teeth. "Remember, the Dummy System is not installed aboard Unit 01 as of yet."
"Then what can we do?" Fuyutsuki murmured.
Gendo snarled behind his gloves and removed his sunglasses. His mind raced as he thought of a solution, what to say and what to do. For perhaps the only time since the start of the Angel war, since SEELE's scenario had been set in motion, he was at a loss. Anything he would say or do now would be completely improvised. He keyed the radio on his console. "Shinji, you need to fight back," he stated firmly.
"I... can't..." his son replied, audibly struggling to breathe. "My... friend... is still... in there..."
Gendo stood from his desk, truly beginning to fear for his son's life. If his son didn't fight back then he would lose one of the only two people left in the world that he actually cared for and even if his scenario succeeded then Yui would never forgive him... "Shinji!" he shouted, his stoic demeanor finally shattering. "If you don't fight back then you'll die!"
"I can't!" Shinji croaked desperately. "If he's... still alive... in there... then... we have... to help him!"
Gendo balled his fists in his hands. His son needed to see the bigger picture. What to say? What to say!? "Shinji, if you don't defeat this enemy then you, and me, and everyone you care about, everyone on this planet will die before this day is over!" he roared. "Can you bear that on your conscience?"
He could see his son tearing up on the screen from the video feed from inside Unit 01. "Why do I have to make that choice!?" he cried. "Why, father!?"
Gendo had to look away. Seeing his son in such distress was... painful. "Life is about making hard choices, Shinji," he replied with a scowl. This was all he could say, his desperate final plea. "You have to choose, your own morals or the fate of the world. It's in your hands, and your hands alone..."
Shinji grit his teeth and closed his eyes. "I... I... I just can't make that choice!" he screamed.
Gendo's frown deepened and he held his face in his hand, pinching his temples between his thumb and forefinger. His heart was beating fast and his stomach was churning. If that was the case then everything was lost... was this what it was like to lose? Why did he feel so... hollow right now?
"Sir!" Lt. Aoba shouted. "Unit 00 has joined the engagement!"
Gendo's eyes went wide and immediately his gaze snapped back to the central display.
Every movement sent searing pain through her leg as she lurched her Eva forward on it's belly but the sensation was nothing compared to the idea of losing Shinji and so she pressed onward. Rei had seen Unit 03 strangling Unit 01 and pressed on towards her enemy as fast as he damaged Eva could move her. Now she was finally within reach of her target. She was going to free Suzuhara from the Angel so Shinji could kill it if it was the last thing she did. There was nothing else in her world but that mission now. If she failed now, then everything she'd fought for would be for nothing...
Now, finally, she was within reach of that goal. She yelped in agony as she forced her Eva up on it's one good leg and lunged at the Angel. With all the force she could muster, she tackled Unit 03 and wrestled it off of Unit 01, forcing it onto it's belly.
Her heart raced in elation. She'd managed to ground her foe! Now she could save Suzuhara! Desperately, as the Angel struggled beneath her she grasped at the half ejected entry plug and wrapped her Eva's fist around it. With a scream of desperation she wrenched it free and held it aloft in Unit 00's hand. "Shinji!" she shouted frantically. "I've extracted Suzuhara! Attack the Angel now!"
Then, that one moment of victory evaporated as Unit 03 pivoted under her Eva's hips and backhanded her in the face. She yelped in pain and shock as she impacted the ground flat on her back and before she could react Unit 03's teeth were digging into her Eva's left elbow, it's hands planted on her shoulder and wrist respectively.
"Rei!" she heard Shinji scream in fear and shock.
She felt the tendons in her arm stretching due to her synchronization ratio and screamed in pain that threatened to overwhelm her. She screamed over and over again as the agony consumed her. Then... she felt her Eva's arm break and rip and tear and she collapsed inside her entry plug, unable to think of anything but the pain radiating through her body...
Shinji watched in abject horror at the sight before him as he caught his breath. Unit 03... the Angel had just ripped Unit 00's arm off! He could hear Rei screaming as he watched her Eva convulse on the ground at the Angel's feet. Then, the Angel stood tall and turned to face him. The sight caused his heart to beat faster, his breathing to become heavy, and his jaw to clench in fury. He gripped the controls in his cockpit tightly. He could hear the blood throbbing behind his eardrums, that was how furious he was. For the first time since the battle began... Shinji truly saw red.
"Shinji," his father's voice thrummed in his ears. "The pilot of Unit 03 has been extracted. Destroy the target, now!"
He didn't need to be told this information. Now that Touji was safe he could kill this thing. Seeing what it had done to Rei, the girl he... loved, seeing the pain it had caused her... he was going to kill this... thing in front of him. He was going to rip and tear and bite and claw until this Angel was dead! He reached up the pylon on his Eva's shoulder and grabbed his progressive knife. He was going to kill this Angel hand to hand, fist to fist, as painfully as he could!
All of his rage and fear released from his chest in the form of a primal roar as he charged toward his enemy. The Angel tried to fend him off, thrusting its arms out at him but he ducked the strike. He grabbed the enemy Angel by its face and tackled it to the ground, his own Eva's thumb gouging its eye. With a furious scream he then plunged his knife into the infected Eva's neck, over and over again.
"You tried to trap Touji!" he yelled as his knife connected with a spray of bloody red gore.
"You hurt Misato!" he shouted, as he landed strike after strike.
"You hurt Asuka!" he cried as his knife broke off in the monster's throat.
He grabbed the infected Eva's head and ripped it off its shoulders with his own Eva's bare hands, crushing it between his palms in a spray of bloody gore. "You tried to kill Rei!" he screamed in blind fury.
He didn't stop at that. He tore the Angel's arms off just like it had done to Rei. He tore it's legs off just like it had done to Rei. Then, after all that, he smashed the Eva's chest with his fists and tore off the armor there, all the while screaming in incomprehensible fury. There was a red sphere there, just like every other Angel core he'd ever encountered. He grabbed a piece of Unit 03's armor and slammed it into the red sphere over and over again until it finally shattered in a spray of red liquid.
The body of Unit 03 ceased struggling, the remains of its torso going stiff and then limp. Shinji breathed heavily, shakily. His rage began to subside and senses began to return to him. He looked down at the... devastation that had been wrought at his hands. There was nothing left of Unit 03's chest except a pulpy mess of gore and red fluid. He stated down at his Eva's hands in shock. Sure he'd won the fight but... was this what he was really capable of? Was he really capable of such violence? The prospect rocked him to his core...
To think that this kind of barbarity was what he was really capable of... terrified him...
Gendo heaved a sigh of relief after witnessing his son finally gain the will to fight. His son and pulled through and defeated the enemy thanks to Rei's intervention. The gears were turning in his mind... perhaps Rei was the reason he'd gained the will to fight. Perhaps the friendship he'd struck up with her during his time in Tokyo 3 had been a benefit after all... It was perhaps something to ponder going forward. No matter what, the results were certain, the Angel had been defeated and that was all that mattered...
"Evangelion Unit 03... I mean... the target... has gone silent," Lt. Aoba stated.
Gendo drew a deep breath at that statement. Everything had worked out just as he'd intended. "Very good," he muttered. "Start the recovery process..."
"Wait!" Lt. Aoba shouted. "There's a high energy reading coming from inside the entry plug of Unit 03!"
Gendo grit his teeth and his eyes went wide as he stared up at the central display. How could this be happening?
He had to look away from the screen... Of course! The core had manifested in the entry plug! This wasn't over yet! That said... how would he convince Shinji to continue the fight? He grit his teeth as he desperately tried to figure out what to say to influence events in the way he needed them to go...
Rei heaved a sigh of relief as she watched Unit 01 finish eviscerating the Angel. Touji Suzuhara was safe in her Eva's hand. Everything had worked out just as it should... the Angel was defeated and Touji Suzuhara was safe. Her gamble of convincing Dr. Akagi not to install the Dummy System aboard Unit 01 had paid off...
"Wait!" she heard Lt. Aoba's voice shout over the radio. "There's a high energy reading from inside the entry plug of Unit 03!"
She looked over at her right arm that clasped the plug in question. She watched in horror as red tendrils erupted from the top and bottom of the plug, slashing at her Eva's one remaining hand.
Rei yelped in pain as she let go of the plug which began to crawl up her arm with those horrid tendrils like a grotesque spider. She felt those tentacles penetrate her Eva at the back of its head and upper back. She yelped in pain, thrashing about, trying desperately to shake the horrid thing off of her. She could feel the infected plug boring in at the nape of her Eva's neck, threatening to crush in on her own plug, her own body... This was beyond anything she could have conceived. All she could do was hope that Shinji could find a way to help her.
The fear began to overwhelm her. If she died she had no idea if she could have another chance. No. She couldn't die. She wouldn't have another chance. She couldn't bank on reincarnating. She could only hope that somehow he could save her...
"Shinji..." she murmured between waves of agony, her fear beginning to get the better of her. "Help... me..."
Shinji watched as the entry plug of Unit 03, the plug that contained his friend, sprouted red tendrils and attacked Rei's Eva in a state of total shock. The plug wrestled itself atop the fallen Unit 00 and appeared to be trying to bore into the plug socket. If it was successful, it would crush Rei beneath it's force. He heard Rei's desperate whimpers in his plug and froze in abject horror. How could this be happening? Why was this happening!? Why was this happening to him!? This had to be some kind of nightmare! He closed his eyes tight and willed himself to try and wake up! This couldn't be happening to her!
"Shinji... help... me..." he heard Rei whimper over the radio channel.
He lashed his hand out and grabbed at the plug, trying desperately to rip it away from Unit 00's back. This was insane! How could this be happening!? Why was this happening!? He grit his teeth and closed his eyes as he realized what he might have to do. He didn't want to do it. There had to be a way that he could avoid doing this...
"Shinji..." he father's voice rocked him to his core. "The Angel's core is still active. You must destroy it."
His eyes snapped open and he grasped the plug tight in both of his Eva's hands, trying desperately to pull it free from Unit 00. "I can't!" he screamed. "I can't just kill my friend!"
"If you don't then the only thing that will change is that more people will die!" his father barked. "You have to make a choice, Shinji! If you don't then everyone will die, not just Rei and your classmate! It's in your hands! Choose now!"
There was no win in the situation before him. If he acted, if he closed his fist, then his friend would most likely die. If he didn't, then the girl he loved would be killed along with everyone else. He closed his eyes as tears flowed down his cheeks. Why? Why was he presented with such a horrible hand to play? Was there no other way? Why wasn't there some other way to go about this, to save everyone? Even if there was no chance to save Touji he would still be dying at his hand. He felt sick. "I can't!" he sobbed, shutting his eyes to try and block it out. "I can't do this!"
"Shinji, you have to!" his father shouted, his tone almost pleading. "You have to make a choice! This is one of those moments where you have to make a choice. Sometimes you might not like the choice you have to make or its consequences but you have to do it for the greater good. The fate of humanity is in the balance and your friend is as good as dead. There is no other way!"
His breathing became heavy and fast and his hands began to shake as he contemplated what he was going to have to do. He hated to admit it but his father was right, if he didn't do something then Rei would die. If he did, then Touji would die. Here he was, weighing the value of human life in the palm of his hand.
"Shinji..." he heard Rei whimpering in obvious excruciating pain as the Angel's tendrils continued to bore into Unit 00's body. "Please... help... me..."
Tears slipped from his eyes once more. It was all too much There was no other way. There was no third option he could take where he could save the both of them. If he didn't destroy the Angel then all of humanity could die. He closed his eyes. There was no win, no matter what he did he would lose something. Even as he made his choice the guilt poured over him, threatening to drown him in a torrent of sorrow.
His father's words echoed in his mind... "Life is about making hard choices," his father had said. The gravity of that statement was immense. The gravity of his decision was one he would have to live with forever...
Shinji let out an anguished scream... and closed his hand tight around the plug until he felt it crunch within his fist.
The pain radiating through her body from her head and neck suddenly began to dissipate from a sharp sting down to a dull ache, leaving her shaking at her controls as she caught her breath. Rei slowly began to regain control of her faculties as the fear left her body. She felt woozy from the pain still pulsing in her arm and leg due to the nerve connections and her Eva's severed limbs but she felt relieved that she was still alive.
Then her eyes went wide as the realization of what had just happened hit her. She was alive because Shinji had destroyed the Angel. She was alive because... Shinji had... killed Suzuhara. The panic began to return. No. This couldn't have happened. He had to have found another way! She didn't want to believe it...
She turned her Eva's head to take a look at Unit 01. There it was... crouching over her, its head bowed, and its arm outstretched with the tentacle infested entry plug in its hand, those awful red tendrils hanging limp like some kind of eldritch jellyfish. Her eyes went wide when she realized that the plug was crushed, mutilated like a smashed soda can.
She gasped. She felt sick to her stomach. No... no this couldn't be happening! She'd tried so hard to prevent this. She'd crawled to him with one leg to prevent this! She'd gotten Dr. Akagi to hold off installation of the Dummy Plug to prevent this! ...And yet this still happened!
She keyed the radio. She had to talk to him. She had to reach out to Shinji and make sure that he was okay. She knew that what he'd just done, whether Suzuhara lived or died, it would weigh on him forever... "Shinji?" she spoke, just above a whisper, every ounce of fortitude she could muster focused on preventing her voice from breaking...
There was no response except for the sound of him whimpering and sobbing...
Gendo stood behind his console, staring up at the central display, his brow knit in concern. His son's grief was palpable as the sounds of his sobs reverberated over the bridge.
He was glad that the Angel had been destroyed but the manner in which it had occurred left a bitter taste in his mouth. He balled his fists and stared down at his feet, baring his teeth in frustration and rage. If only he'd had the Dummy System aboard Unit 01! If he'd have had that at his disposal he could have ended the fight before it had come to this! Sure, his son would have hated him for it, taking control of his Eva to defeat the Angel, but it would have absolved him of any guilt that could arise from potentially killing another person. It would have been better that way... Now his son had to bear the guilt of that decision completely on his own. Even if he'd been encouraging him, it was Shinji alone that had made the decision to crush the entry plug...
"This is... troubling," Fuyutsuki stated softly.
"Yes..." Gendo replied.
"What do you think your son will do now?" Fuyutsuki asked, his tone sounding very apprehensive. "The guilt of killing that boy will surely overwhelm him..."
Gendo sat down and clasped his hands in front of his face, trying to regain some semblance of composure. There had to be some kind of silver lining but he just couldn't see it right now... "It awaits to be seen if the boy is dead," he countered.
"Even so..." Fuyutsuki replied empathically. "I can only imagine what he's feeling right now..."
Gendo drew a deep breath and let it out. He had to remain calm... "It is a burden he has to bear," he replied. "There is no choice for him other than to move forward."
"Not unlike yourself..." Fuyutsuki murmured softly.
Gendo's scowl intensified but he said nothing in response, there was nothing he could say to deny that statement...
Misato opened her eyes and began to gain her bearings. She was looking up at the night sky laying on some kind of cot or stretcher. There was a chorus of voices and radio chatter. Had something happened? The last she remembered she was observing the test of Unit 03 and then something had gone wrong... Her head hurt and her arm twinged and stung when she tried to move it. She winced and screwed her eyes shut. Why did everything hurt so much? "Where am I?" she murmured. It was then that she noticed that there was someone next to her holding her hand and turned her head to face them. It was Kaji, kneeling at her side with a relieved expression. "Kaji?"
He smiled. "You're lucky, Katsuragi," he spoke softly, tenderly even.
It all came flooding back. Unit 03 had been infected by some kind of parasitic Angel that had caused an explosion. Right before the detonation Ritsuko had protected her with her body by throwing her to the ground. Instantly she was gripped with concern for her closest friend. "Where's Ritsuko?" she croaked, finding it hard to speak.
"Don't worry," Kaji replied with a tender smile. "She wasn't hurt as bad as you were."
"That's good..." she replied with a sigh. Then, the realization fully set in and she gasped. "What about Unit 03?" she asked, panic seeping into her voice.
Kaji paused, his elated expression slipping and becoming something dark. "It was destroyed..." he replied. "It was designated an Angel and destroyed by Unit 01..."
Her eyes went wide at the revelation and her breath caught in her throat. She felt queasy and had to look away from Kaji. Poor Shinji... having to do something like that. He must feel awful right now. She... felt awful. "I... I can't imagine how he feels right now..." she murmured, fighting back the tears of guilt.
"You should talk to him," Kaji stated softly. "When you feel ready. He's still at the site of the battle aboard his Eva, watching over the cleanup crew in case the Angel hasn't been completely vanquished..."
Misato set her jaw and fought to sit up through the pain in her arm and head. For once Kaji had the right idea about something. She was going to get to a radio and get in touch with him. He had to know. He had to know that the pilot had been his friend...
"Katsuragi!" Kaji exclaimed, placing a hand on her shoulder, his voice now filled with worry. "You really should rest!"
Misato swatted his hand away. Making sure that Shinji was okay and telling him the truth was "Can it, Kaji," she hissed. "You said it yourself, I need to talk to Shinji..."
Shinji sat in his entry plug as the rescue crews worked to extract Touji from the crushed entry plug, the plug he'd crushed with his own hands. Rei had tried to get him to speak to her over the radio numerous times but he'd been in no state to say anything. There was nothing he could say or that she could say to him that could make him feel any better about what had just happened, what he'd done of his own volition, what horror that he'd... wrought. All he could do was weep and hope against hope that his friend was still alive...
I'm a murderer... that was all he could think, over and over again. I murdered Touji...
"Shinji?" a new voice crackled across the radio. "Shinji? Are you there?"
He recognized this voice. Could she really be alive? "Misato?" he asked, his voice shaky and weak from sobbing.
"It's me..." Misato murmured. "I'm sorry if I worried you. I'm sorry..."
"It's okay..." he said, choking back a sob. How could she look at him now after what he'd had to do? "I'm just... glad you're okay..."
"So... you know who the pilot was?" she asked. "He told me... that he told you..."
He screwed his eyes shut and fought back the tears. "Yeah... I do..." he choked out. "I I know who it was..."
"Shinji... I'm... I'm sorry..." Misato murmured weakly.
He had nothing to say in reply. The tears simply began anew.
Lt. Ibuki's voice sounded in the plug. "Readings from the medical evacuation team coming in now," she said. "The pilot's life signs are confirmed."
Shinji's gaze immediately snapped to the plug on the ground and the medical crew surrounding it as they pried off the main hatch door. A feeling of elation filled him. He hadn't killed his friend! He wasn't a murderer! The relief was beyond intense... Inside the plug was the crushed remains of and Angel core, but more importantly, inside was the body of his friend Touji. He looked mostly okay, just... asleep. Then... then he noticed just how messed up he really looked.
His head was covered in blood and his right arm was... contorted in an unnatural way. After that... as the medical crew pulled him fully from the plug he could see his friend's... legs...
His right was clearly broken. His left was completely severed, just below the knee. Even if he wasn't a murderer, he'd crippled his friend for life. The realization of that hit like a ton of bricks. It was all too much.
Shinji buried his face in his hands and screamed...
Author's Notes
Well... here it is... the battle against Bardiel is over. I hope that it lived up to any and all expectations. I hope that I managed to subvert any expectations thereof. When I promised that things would get darker I wasn't kidding, if this chapter was anything to go off of.
Lets see how things go with Shinji considering he had to make the conscious choice to destroy the Angel. Let's see how Rei reacts to how things have transpired, considering it's her fault that the Dummy Plug wasn't aboard Unit 01. Let's see how Gendo reacts to the events of this battle. Things are certainly reaching a boiling point... This is a turning point for everyone in the narrative so far, if that isn't obvious.
This all said, I had a blast writing this one. So much of the story has been building to this point and it's a joy to finally put this on the page. This said, I've also been a bit worried about how this one would be received. Then again, if any of you were paying attention, I would hope that you'd see this coming. I will have to say that I'm glad that Gendo returned as a POV character. He's just so much fun to write. Also, I hope that the battle lived up to the hype. One thing I always worry about is my ability to write gripping action.
In other news, this chapter marks the half way point of the story, should my storyboard hold! Crazy to think that this is only the half way mark but there are so many plots that need to be explored!
Please read and review! I love you all!
Regards,
A.F.