Koros45 doesn't own Mazinkaiser, Getter Robo, or Neon Genesis Evangelion

Stage 32: [Return to Primitive Heart]

The hangar opened as Mazinkaiser flew in, setting Great Mazinger down beside the purple EVA. Then the machine stood and powered down, Kaiser Pilder disconnecting and hovering to the floor. Kouji emerged with a big smile.

"Super Alloy New Z treatment all done!" Kouji said and Tetsuya grinned.

"Thanks. Now I can fight without Great looking worse for the wear." The older Mazinger pilot said.

"That out of the way, both of you can be ready in case of the Invaders." Dr. Yumi stated and the two nodded.

"Now – I must assist Dr. Akagi. There's still work to be done with calculations in relation to our position." The Doctor said as he left the room.

/

"Why call us all here? Didn't we already have a meeting?" Sayaka wondered, looking around the room. The pilots had all gathered in an empty room Go hadn't done anything with and Tetsuya cleared his throat.

"Before we do training tomorrow, I wanted to give everyone a chance to speak their minds." He spoke in a steady tone as he looked around the room. The EVA pilots all sat in a row, Asuka between Shinji and Rei, looking happy to be wearing her crimson plugsuit again.

Rei was clad in her regular white plugsuit, though it still had the blue accents from her re-entry in Shin Getter. As for Shinji, he wore a white shirt and black pants.

Beside them, Kouji sat with his arms folded, looking a mix of tired and bored. He had ditched his pilot uniform for a blue collared shirt and black pants. Sayaka and Boss were next to him, also wearing casual clothes.

Beside Tetsuya sat Jun Hono, who still managed to appear gorgeous despite the urgent state of things. She wore a Mazinger pilot suit, the red and white uniform's tight material similar to a plug suit's.

And in the other corner of the room, Kei and Ryoma sat. Ryoma looked bored while Kei appeared eager.

"If no one minds, I'd like to speak first." Tetsuya offered.

"Obviously a lot has happened, and we have to prepare to face whatever the Invaders throw at us – even if it's another moon. I want to hear from everyone here. What are we willing to do to win?"

"I'll fight God or the Devil itself! I don't care what crosses my path! Mazinkaiser and I will do whatever we need to for everyone here." Kouji said, looking on edge.

"Kouji! You don't have to say that! We all know you'd try something like that!" Sayaka whispered and the group all looked to them.

"It's a team effort. We'll all be with you, Kouji." Kei said.

"Well, we all know we can kill Invaders. The question is just what are Stinger and Cohen throwing at us once we arrive?" Asuka wondered.

"Not to mention that Ashura is likely with them. We'll have to be on guard for their tricks." Boss said, Kouji nodding.

"And what are Cohen and Stinger planning?" Ryoma wondered. "Something pretty serious if they left Earth in such a vulnerable state. If they weren't going to terraform it like Rando was planning . . . then they're changing tactics."

Rei spoke up. "Correct. Since Instrumentality ceased, their attempt to assimilate humanity became too time consuming. This is just a guess but – if they believe themselves to be the ultimate life-form, perhaps they wish to cut off humanity at the source. Especially if trying and failing to assimilate Shinji was their initial plan."

"So they're going to – blow up the sun?" Shinji asked.

"Something like that – but our calculations show they're near Jupiter." Jun said, looking to the whole group.

Tetsuya cleared his throat, getting everyone's' attention again.

"I guess – this is an induction of sorts. After tonight, we won't just be NERV, or the Getter Team, or the Photon Labs. We'll be the same group. So – as the guy in charge of training, I want everyone to know what to expect." Tetsuya said. "Kouji, you look like you want to say something else?" He asked, grinning.

"Yeah. About the training tomorrow. That Tetsuya's a real hard-ass. Don't expect him to be soft on you if you can't keep up with him." Kouji retorted with a big grin.

"Training's going to be hell so it can prepare you for actual combat." Tetsuya countered.

Asuka looked to the other EVA pilots and exhaled. "And I thought we caught a break with Misato in charge."

"Ease up! Tetsuya won't be the only one watching!" Ryoma said with a chuckle. "I'll be there too. I know we bored you to tears talking about the Moon Wars but think about it this way – this battle is going to be your Moon Wars. You already saved the Earth. Now we just have to do it again."

"You make it sound so easy. I guess that's natural for the Getter team leader and the pilot of Shin Getter." Boss stated and Tetsuya frowned.

"Are there any objections to this?"

"No Tetsuya. Just not ready for training. Not when the Invaders are still out there." Boss said and Ryoma grinned.

"Relax. Tomorrow morning it's just going to be the EVA kids against Shin Getter and the Mazingers."

To this, Shinji and Asuka both yelled in surprise.

"The rest of the Photon Power Labs crew is on standby. Boss Borot is too valuable to use for repairs in the hangar for us to throw you at Invaders." Tetsuya said with a smile. "You and Sayaka did such a good job on Great, after all."

"I have no problems with this training arrangement once we finish testing Unit 00." Rei said as the Second and Third Child looked at her with surprise from Shinji and frustration from Asuka.

"I guess this is something we can't run away from." Shinji said with a nervous smile.

"Nope. But don't worry, I'll be squaring off against your Unit 01, so get ready." Kouji said, pointing at Shinji with energy.

"Hey! I don't have anything like a Fire Blaster on Unit 01! This hardly seems fair!" Shinji retorted.

"Well I don't have an AT Field or an S2 engine so we'll call it even!" Kouji shot back.

"I presume I will face Shin Getter Robo, Mr. Nagare?" Rei asked and Ryoma nodded. "

That's right, Ayanami. I want to make sure your Unit 00 is working perfectly."

"Then – I'm up against Great Mazinger?!" Asuka's eyes widened as she stared at Tetsuya.

"That's right! Asuka, I want to see how you fight against me. You've fought Great Mazinger twice before, but not with me at the helm." The other pilot said.

"It feels like this meeting was less to get stress off our chests and more for you to challenge us." Asuka said as she nodded. "But I also am curious – how something as clunky as a Mazinger can compete with Unit 02 at full power! With Mama by my side, I won't lose!"

/

The group disbanded, but at the request of Ryoma, Rei, Asuka, and Shinji stayed behind for a moment.

"I know this is a lot to take in. And that's me being a broken record. But listen, the three of you had no control over what NERV had you do while you were pilots. I want this to be different."

The three were silent as Ryoma looked around, making sure no one else was in earshot.

"I know Kouji talked all that crap about Tetsuya being a hard-ass but look – if you three feel like you're being pushed too much – let us know. Breaking down right before a big fight is never a good thing. I don't want that happening to any of you. Especially when the Invaders and SEELE took advantage of it earlier."

Shinji looked to the side. "Because I was weak."

Ryoma put a hand on his shoulder.

"You're the one that saved the world. That wasn't because of any weakness."

Shinji looked up at Ryoma and was a mix of tired and on the verge of tears.

"You don't understand. You couldn't. My Father – he made me this way. As a tool to break whenever he thought it suited him."

"Then make me understand. Talk to me." Ryoma said, bending his knees down until he was eye level with Shinji.

"I – he sent everyone away. I didn't have any friends for very long. And I didn't grow up valuing any connections. Then he pulled me into NERV and kept forcing me to pilot the EVA. If I didn't do it, Rei would have to. If I didn't, the world would end."

Shinji stopped for a moment. He was shaking, and fighting tears as he resumed speaking.

" And even when I did do it, Toji almost died. Then – Kaworu really died. And because I was weak, SEELE used me to cause Instrumentality. Even if we get back home, the Earth is in ruins. And it's all my fault. Because that's how he molded me." Shinji finished, a desperate anger under his words.

"Ikari." Rei began, but Asuka grabbed her hand and made a 'shh' noise.

"So it's your old man's fault you're like this, huh? Well, I guess that's me too. My Dad beat the shit out of me. All the time. Until I learned how to take it." Ryoma said, looking tired as he reflected on the memories.

"Well I couldn't! Father never did that, but still all I could do was run away!" Shinji responded.

"Well did you run away from your friends? From your responsibilities?" Ryoma asked.

"No - ! Just from him! Just from the expectations I had forced on me!" Shinji yelled. "I had to pilot the EVA. I had to kill the enemy. Even if the enemy was someone I cared about."

Shinji stopped talking and his head fell, tears rolling down his cheeks in silence.

"Well . . . tomorrow is just training." Ryoma said. "You don't have to worry about killing anyone then. Just make sure that Unit 01 of yours hits Kaiser as hard as it can."

"Shinji . . . you don't have to believe me, but I know what it's like to run away." Ryoma said.

Asuka looked stunned as Ryoma looked down at her boyfriend.

"Yeah. That dojo I run? That was founded because I was terrified of what Getter might become. So I quit being a Getter pilot and ran back to the only other thing I was good at. The only thing my father showed me how to do."

"You – ran away? Sensei? You?" Shinji whispered and Ryoma chuckled.

"Yeah, I know I don't seem that skittish. It was when I saw the prototype of Shin Getter. I had a vision of the future. And of that Getter that consumed everything. And just like Kouji's story about Mazinger ZERO, I saw the very same Getter during Instrumentality."

"Then – you also felt like you had to leave?"

"That's right. But I can't run away this time. Just like you, I'm stuck here. So if my only option is to fight that Getter, I'll fight it with all my might."

Ryoma looked to Asuka and Rei.

"What about you two? I feel like I'm leaving you out." Ryoma said, blinking.

/

Kaji woke up as a hand shook him. It was Misato, looking tired but nonetheless happy to see him.

"Welcome aboard. Sorry I was all business earlier. I'm the Captain of the ship, and everyone needed a speech."

"Oh, a ship. That's what we call a monster like Shin Dragon now that its' on the side of humanity? Just 'a ship'?" Kaji said with a grin.

"I suppose we do. Now – what use do we have for a spy? Other than for his roguish good looks?" Misato asked, eyeing him with anticipation.

"As you suggested, I can begin a statement on SEELE and NERV. It's not much but it will help when we get back to Earth. I want SEELE dead to rights once we get back. Or at least – I want them ready to be lined up and arrested the instant they come out of the LCL." Kaji proposed.

"Good. Then you can work with Fuyutsuki on that. He's willing to do the same." Misato said with a confident smile.

"Really?"

"Yes. He's seen Yui – or so he claims. So now he's content to work with you. I'm surprised about that too. He'll have to admit being privy to some pretty bad stuff. Though I think he's smart in confessing now. Since he's with us, we can count his stay on Shin Dragon as part of his sentence – whatever that ends up being."

"Well I'm glad he's willing to help out. Then we'll start soon. But Misato – how is everything?"

"It's – alright. We saved the world. And now we're going after the Invaders. Once we get all our machines and EVAs at full power, we'll take the fight their way."

"Really? How proactive of you, Captain Katsuragi."

"Thanks. It's good to see you Kaji. I'll have to visit you when I'm not a tired mess. We'll have dinner together. Shinji and Asuka miss you. I might even give you a private visit." She finished speaking in choppy sentences and took a breath. She looked on edge even with her flirting.

"Hm. Sounds more for your benefit than mine. Still – I can't really complain." Kaji said with a grin. "You know – Go and Ryoma saved my life when my old coworkers found me. So in a way I feel like I've been living on borrowed time since then."

"Well – we all do since we experienced Instrumentality. Now – talk to the former Subcommander and see what he's thinking of." Misato said and Kaji grinned.

"First, I have something for you." The spy said, standing up and kissing her on the lips.

"Mmm. Missed you too." Misato said, returning the favor as she pressed her face forwards for a moment, savoring the kiss. Then she broke it, stepping back through the doorway.

"Well – I'll have to see you later. I have meetings for the rest of the day."

"Aye aye Captain." Kaji said with a salute and Misato couldn't resist laughing.

/

It was 'morning' on the ship before they knew it.

Great Mazinger's eyes blazed yellow as Tetsuya was overseeing the training exercises of the day between the pilots. His machine was completely restored and ready for action.

"Begin the basic start up test for Unit 00." Ritsuko ordered.

The EVA stood, newly attached shoulder pauldrons gleaming as it took a few steps forward. There was a wide space it could navigate before it reached Great Mazinger, at the far side of the hangar.

"That's it, Rei. You're synced up just like you were with the previous model of Unit 00." Doctor Akagi stated.

"As expected. After all it is nearly identical in structure and design." the pilot responded as her yellow orange body approached Great Mazinger.

Then the EVA stopped and Rei shuddered. She felt the anger surge and flare once again. But not from her. It was from the EVA itself. Rei brushed off the initial tinge of panic and monitored the situation as logically as she could. Why would the EVA be angry again?

To attack Great Mazinger? No. This was not directed to the machine in front of her. It felt far too personal for that.

Suddenly her sync rate spiked and Rei found her body was moving against her own will. A foreign mind overlaid her own and she realized that the anger was aimed directly at her.

Rei felt her own fingers fight her thoughts as they began to twitch, her hands moving in slow progression towards her own neck. From the pilot seat, Rei could see the EVA's own hands moving in the exact same way.

Then the EVA wanted to kill her. Even if that meant it stopped living.

In jittery movement the EVA's fingers grasped its' own throat. A large sound rang around the hanger as the cyborg fell to its' knees, the back violently lurching.

"It's not – the same - core." Rei managed to breathe as warning signs appeared all around the area in her pilot seat.

The fingers squeezed harder and Maya's eyes widened.

"The sync rate spiked from fifty to ninety percent in just a second! Now it's over one-hundred percent! Unit 00's synced up far too much with Rei! It's – trying to kill her through suicide!" The young woman yelled.

"Tetsuya! We need you to stop it!" Misato ordered as alarms began to blare. The Mazinger wasted no time as it charged towards the orange EVA.

Ryoma was next to give commands, directing beside Misato. "Get me a beeline to Shin Getter!"

"Well, don't just stand there! Do it now!" Misato yelled, turning to Shigeru and Mikoto, who both snapped out of the shock of Ryoma giving them commands once Misato shouted.

/

Great Mazinger neared the EVA but Unit 00's eye flashed red and the Mazinger slammed into its' AT Field.

Great Mazinger shuddered, skidding back to punch at the AT Field with a swing from the right hand and one from the left. Neither attack got by the barrier.

Great Mazinger's pilot spoke up as Great's mouth grilled shone with white light as it charged an attack.

"That little trick won't stop all of my attacks! – Great Typhoon!" Tetsuya retorted, pulling the control with relish.

The whirlwind spouted from Great's metal face and knocked the orange EVA backwards, skidding across the white surface of the hangar bay.

"Tetsuya, don't destroy the hangar! Restrain Unit 00! And don't hurt Rei!" Jun yelled as she watched from the catwalk.

"Easier – said - than done!" Tetsuya countered as his progress was met by another AT Field.

/

"Who . . . are you?" Rei asked as the presence in the EVA was different than the one she was used to.

"Kill! Kill you! Kill!" Was all Rei could hear in return.

The EVA recovered and removed one hand from its' neck, extending the hand outwards to grab onto the network of catwalks and yank.

The person on the catwalk moved, Jun leaping from the moving platform to grab the edge of the upper floor.

Maya moved to help her up as Ritsuko sat in her understudy's seat to attempt to shut the EVA down remotely. She typed in a kill code with confidence, hitting the enter key to send the shutdown command directly to Unit 00's core.

To her surprise, the code had no effect.

"There's no Dummy Plug but the EVA's still rejecting me!? I'll have to use some older codes!" Ritsuko explained, trying again.

/

"You almost killed Jun, and I won't let you kill Rei! I won't end this with just a slap on the wrist, whoever you are!" Tetsuya yelled.

The information regarding Yui Ikari and Kyoko Soryu being Units 01 and 02 was now public on the ship. It certainly gave the NERV crew new feelings towards Unit 01 but the lot of them still saw the thing as an Evangelion rather than either Gendo Ikari's wife or Shinji's mother.

It seemed no explanation would do for Tetsuya as Thunder Break struck the AT Field and Unit 00 struggled to maintain the barrier.

"Tetsuya, stop! Thunder Break's disrupting our systems and hurting Rei! You need to fight defensively for now!" Go directly yelled through Shin Dragon's comm.

Go's complaints ceased as the EVA resumed with the strangulation attempt and Great Mazinger could only pound on the AT Field with his machine's fists and the occasional knee, to no avail.

"Ayanami! You have to fight it! You're stronger than it!" Tetsuya yelled as he struck the barrier once again.

/

"You! You are the – Third?!" The voice yelled in her head.

"Yes – and you are – the First?" Rei responded through the mental link, even as it was choking her.

"You don't even know?! I supposed that Ikari would have no reason to tell you a secret."

"Commander Ikari used you as well? I do not understand. Who are you?" Rei asked.

See for yourself! I am the one that died. The secret that Ikari wanted to bury forever. As he replaced me."

Rei saw the images as snapshots. A younger version of her taunted the onlooker. The rage and feelings of betrayal were the last things the woman felt as she strangled The First and fell to her death.

"Now you will know, DOLL, that I killed you in the end! This old hag was able to kill you twice!"

The voice boomed in Rei's mind.

"Why can it keep rejecting my commands?! I was the one that designed the specs for it! Shutting down a prototype like Unit 00 should be easy!" Ritsuko yelled from the comm as she tried command after command.

"Poor daughter. To see that he used you like a doll as well. But do not fret. He is gone now and soon – the thing that took your mother from you will cease to exist as well."Naoko Akagi said with certainty in Rei's head as the EVA tightened its' grip.

/

"Nothing works. We're not even in Invader space and we're already dealing with this." Misato thought as Great Mazinger had hit the barrier with enough physical power to level a large building. Since Thunder Break had been a bad call, all of the Mazinger's stronger attacks were off the table. The Mazinger Blades could cut through the barrier but another one appeared the moment Tetsuya cut it down.

The EVA was somehow using the high sync rate to control Rei herself. Misato was terrified of the implications this posed. If Yui Ikari had enough willpower, could she do the same to Shinji? For now one wild EVA unit was enough to worry about, especially in the confined space that was Shin Dragon. Go was personally on his way to back up Ryoma in Shin Getter – meaning that the ship had halted for the moment.

"Finally! EVA pilots loaded! Units 01 and 02 are good to go!" Boss yelled as the entry plugs went down. Then a red arm grabbed onto Boss Borot's frame and was shoved out of the way by Unit 02. The crimson EVA dashed through the hanger, slamming into the AT Field and grabbing onto it with her hands.

"Tetsuya! I'll pull the barrier apart but I could use a little help! I'm not fully synced up with Mama yet, so I can't use Unit 02's full power! Use Great's strength to pull her wrists further apart!" Asuka yelled.

Great Mazinger dropped the blades and grabbed the EVA's wrists as Asuka directed.

"This may hurt a bit!" Tetsuya warned.

"I'll consider it part of our training!" Asuka retorted before Tetsuya acted, spreading his Mazinger's arms out. Asuka grunted as her EVA' arms lurched outwards, opening the AT Field as wide as she could muster.

"Now, Third!" Asuka yelled as Shinji lept through the gap and approached Unit 00.

"Rei. It won't be like last time! - " He said, sounded stressed out, even as he grabbed Unit 00's wrists and tried to pry the fingers away.

/

The purple head of Unit 01 appeared in front of Unit 00's view-screen and the presence in Unit 00 raged.

"Yui?! How dare you keep me from my revenge!" The voice yelled to itself as Unit 00 manipulated Rei's body to kick and punch, the connection then moving the EVA to do the same.

"It knows Mother directly?!" Shinji asked as he braced for another attack to land.

A punch landed and Unit 01 staggered back as Unit 00 swung again, knocking the purple EVA down.

His comm flared as the Captain spoke to him.

"Shinji. You have to fight back. We're trying to stop Unit 00 from our end but the EVA is rejecting us. No commands are working. Asuka, back him up! We need both of you to stop this." Misato ordered.

"Hmph. So it's two EVAs against one, is it?" The voice asked, sounding amused.

Shinji paused as the voice was similar to the one his mother used. But this one was coming from Rei's EVA.

"Can it be - ?" Yui asked before she and Shinji both braced for the coming attack.

Then Unit 00 grabbed Unit 01 by the arms and slammed it to the ground in a sudden motion. Rei was winded as she was already in pain due to the strangulation and now her body was moving against her own willpower.

The orange EVA delivered a series of hammer blows to Unit 01's face and chest, the purple EVA only able to grab onto Unit 00's arms and grapple with it after it had taken some damage.

"Dr. Akagi Use commands only you know. The identity of Unit 00 is - " Rei began but was cut off as Unit 02 tackled it.

"Leave Rei alone!" Asuka yelled, pinning Unit 00 to the ground and applying her own AT Field as well.

"Now! Shinji, Tetsuya! Back her up and hold it still! Ritsuko, keep trying! Shin Getter's on the way!" Misato reported.

Asuka grunted as Unit 00's feet raised up and kicked her off. Mother didn't want her to feel any of the pain so the connection had been half of what she was used to. It was frustrating as her reaction time was dulled.

Unit 01 approached, flanked by Great Mazinger. Once Asuka was back on her feet she saw Tetsuya and Shinji had managed to restrain Unit 00. The rouge Evangelion's arms were immobilized as Great Mazinger had grabbed the EVA from behind, restraining the right arm while Shinji kept the left in place.

"Leave some for me!" Asuka said, frustrated at her Mother for restraining the connection. She could've handled it herself after all.

Unit 00 slammed a knee into Unit 01's waist and then lurched forwards, throwing Great Mazinger off of it, the full weight of the super robot slamming onto Unit 01.

Talking to Mama could wait, Asuka decided no more words were needed as she charged at Unit 00.

/

The AT Field flared again and Unit 02 hunched over, pressing against the emission.

"As you were once Lilith it seems your AT Field is quite strong. I imagine at full power it could damage this ship severely." The EVA said out of curiosity as it went through Rei's memories.

"You know that this is a battle you have already lost. If you continue to drag it out, things will only get worse for you." Rei said, opting to think the warning to her kidnapper.

"Why would I stop?! Why would I stop after I kill you?! Not when I can kill Yui Ikari myself?!"

"Because your daughter is here."

Unit 00 stopped struggling and Unit 02 took the opportunity to pin it once again.

"Got you! Now fight it, Wonder-girl!" Asuka yelled through the comm.

/

"Dammit! Too much going on to get to Kaiser Pilder!" Kouji yelled as he arrived, out of breath.

Still, he found the need for another Super Robot on deck would be redundant as Great Mazinger, and Units 01 and 02 were all surrounding Unit 00.

"That's it! Keep her in place! Asuka, Shinji, use your AT Fields to immobilize it if you need to." Misato stated, looking to Ritsuko.

"Any luck on the codes, Rits? We could use a breakthrough!"

The scientist grit her teeth. "I don't understand! It keep rejecting them! But there's nothing like a Dummy Plug in there! It's the first core we designed for Unit 00 – a prototype! It should be the easiest thing in the world to reprogram."

/

Shin Getter Robo entered the hangar and approached the restrained Unit 00. With just Go and Ryoma as pilots, it wasn't at full power.

"All right, let's focus on Rei's connection to the EVA. Go, I'll get close, and you do your thing." Ryoma advised as the crimson and white Getter took a step forward.

"I feel the connection between EVA and pilot. I'm going to-" Go stopped and looked around the monitor.

"Wait. The Getter is telling me something. Just like with Unit 01 and 02, there's – a person inside the EVA."

"I'm going to try and immerse it with the Getter Rays and have a conversation." Go said, addressing the other pilots.

"Ryoma. Tetsuya. Keep Unit 00 restrained. I'm going to reach out to the EVAs. This may take a while." Go warned.

The green light on Shin Getter surged and filled the room for a moment before the Getter completely stopped moving, the emerald lights dulling.

As if on cue, all three EVAs froze in mid struggle, Unit 00's wild thrashing stopping. Unit 00 fell over, lying still.

A few seconds passed as the battle stopped, Shin Getter and Great Mazinger moving quickly to occupy the same restraining positions Unit 01 and 02 had assumed.

"Captain. Orders?" Ryoma asked.

"We'll trust Go's hunch. He reached out to Shinji while he was in the LCL, and he's the only authority on this. Just keep an eye on the situation."

Ryoma frowned as he looked at the trio of fallen EVAs before him. At a time like this they needed all of their pilots. Having all three EVA pilots out of the e equation would be a turn for the worse.

"Go, I hope you know what you're doing." Ryoma said.

For now, all they could do was wait.