Sekhmet: I gotta tell them! The 18th Angel is people!
Susano-o: That's not the quote it's. "You tell everybody. Listen to me Hatcher! You've gotta tell 'em! SOYLENT GREEN IS PEOPLE! We gotta stop them! Somehow!"
Sekhmet: We don't have soylent green though. Hell the food industry in Evangelion is actually pretty stable. They still got liquor and fresh fruits.
Susano-o: I'm guessing it's mostly fish based though since Asuka mentioned Post-Impact kids didn't understand the value of a Prime dinner to Misato. Whether that means the loss of the cattle industry or just economic collapse in general is still unknown. We need a prequel.
Sekhmet: I don't want that. I'm scared it'll be like Grave of the Fireflies and just be super sad all the time. Evangelion is already sad enough if you look into it too much.
Susano-o: Yeah probably. So Anyway this is the beginning of the end, once again never seen End of Eva so just going off what we've seen and making it our own.
Sekhmet: Prepare for sad boi hours everyone! Here we goooOOOOOO!
Chapter 20: The Eighteenth Angel is People! (The End, Part 1)
Vocal percussion on a whole 'nother level coming from my mind! Vocal percussion on a whole 'nother level coming from my mind!
Aahh! We're Golden Wind! (Kono me amareri maroreri merare maro) Aaaaaaah haa aah! We're Golden Wind! (Kono me amareri maroreri merare maro)
It's like a burning sunrise! (Ahí makareru makare punpun kete) It's like a burning sunset! (Ahí makareru makare punpun kete) It's like a burning sunrise! (Ahí makareru makare punpun kete) It's like a burning sunset!
Aahh! We're Golden Wind! (Kono me amareri maroreri merare maro) Aaaaaaah haa aah! We're Golden Wind! (Kono me amareri maroreri merare maro)
Yeah! It's like a Golden Wind! I'm dancing for your mind I'm shaking like a Shaking like a Shaking like a Shaking like a Shaking like a Like a burning Golden Wind
Spread wide your Golden Wind Why don't you dance to swing? I'm swinging like a Swinging like a Swinging like a Swinging like a Swinging like a Swinging like a Golden Wind!
Vocal percussion on a whole 'nother level coming from my mind! (Comin' from my mind!) Vocal percussion on a whole 'nother level coming from my mind! (Comin' from my mind!)
It's like a burning sunrise!
The synchronized movements of Mari, Asuka, Isabelle, and Adelise brought on by two weeks of straight training were once again being put to use to tear up the dance floor like no one's business, immediately putting everyone else to shame.
"Well they're certainly good," Ray chuckled as he and Misato watched the four from the side lines.
"Yeah, well training for an Angel helps that," Misato giggled clearly intoxicated as she reached blindly for another beer.
…. (Meanwhile in the NERV hospital)
"I hate this!" Rei thought screamed as her and Gendo had another meal. "I'm missing the synchronized dancing routine I know it!"
…..
"Hey where are Shinji and Mary?" Misato asked scanning the crowds.
"Don't know," Ray shrugged. "They've been quiet all day, most likely need some time to process everything, but they will be fine
….
While the party raged at NERV HQ, things were not so happy up on the roof. Several discarded cans of chuhai in a variety of flavors littered the floor, some crushed up and some not. The night lights lit up their spot, casting a glitter upon all reflective surfaces, including their red, tear stained eyes.
"So, what now?" Mary asked, her statement was punctuated by the hiss of a can of the lemon flavored drink. "Can you think of any other way to spend our lives?"
"I can't even think. Is my heart still beating?" Shinji asked, sipping from his plum flavored drink. Mary put a hand on his chest, and to their relief, she felt a thump.
"I drink to forget but I always remember. Hopefully we'll forget this whole night." Mary said, sipping her drink. "But on the plus side, shit this is good. I'm gonna have to look for it when I go back home."
"You're going home?" Shinji asked, worried.
"Well, not till I finish college, but yeah, I'll have to go back eventually. Once I inherit the peach farm from my father, I'll be responsible for keeping it running." Mary said, taking a sip halfway through. "Gonna put in some citrus trees."
"I don't want you to go." Shinji whimpered.
"I'm not going anywhere any time soon." Mary said.
"No! Don't go!" Shinji wept, and threw himself on her, spilling both their drinks and sending them clattering. They fell to the ground, him on top of her. "I cant-I won't lose you too!"
As his tears fell on her, she did nothing at first. When she was less dazed, she took both her hands and placed them on his cheeks, wiping away tears with her thumbs. "I'm not going anywhere." She insisted.
It was nothing but quiet weeping for a few moments, but in a flash, they were on each other, kissing fervently and even running their hands over each other and groping. It was like two split lovers had been reunited after 50 years. When it was over, and they parted with only a string of drool connecting them, they both broke down crying and sobbed into each other.
…
"Hey there you two are!" Mari said when she saw Shinji and Mary return to the party. "Whats up how are you two feeling?"
Mary has a confused look on her face. "...Terrible, what?"
"Well yeah your boyfriend is dead," Mari said shrugging. "-But on the plus side everything is finally over and we can all just enjoy the rest of our lives together being the best friends we can be!" She said happily pulling the two into a big hug. The two were still really sad, but neither could help but give a small smile. Everything sucked, but it was gonna get better going forward, even if it didn't seem like it.
"Wait are we having a hug pile!?" Adelise asked shocked. "And I was not invited!?"
"Hey I wasn't either!" Asuka yelled with a fake pout.
"I'm three sheets to the wind but I'm still angry too!" Isabelle stumbled.
"Well get in there then," Ray chuckled shoving them all forward before joining in as well.
"Guys…" Shinji mumbled, then started crying again, though this time it was from a bit of happiness and raw emotion.
…
"Wake up!" Misato screamed into the kitchen half dressed.
"What, what do you want?!" Mary groaned, her top was half off and she was peppered with hickeys. Shinji stuck up his head from underneath her and was covered in even more hickeys.
"We need to get to NERV now!" Misato screamed.
"What is the rush? We beat all the Angels." Adelise said, poking her head up from her pillow.
"The JSSDF is planning an attack!" Misato screamed. "We need to mobilize now!"
"What?!" Asuka roared standing. "Why?"
"They think we're planning some sort of apocalyptic event!" Misato yelled. "They've sent an ultimatum and we need to get there now before they begin their attack!"
"Oh well that's not fun," Mari mumbled as she took Asuka's bra off her head.
"Everyone in the car now!" Misato yelled, throwing open the door and hurrying them out.
"I have a bad feeling about this," Shinji said nervously.
…
"Ritsuko report," Misato ordered as the group entered the bridge.
"Nothing yet," Ritsuko said staring at the screen. "They've issued an order to surrender and turn over both the Pilots and EVA's."
"No one's touching EVA-02 but me!" Asuka insisted.
"Yeah it's my giant robot," Isabelle agreed.
"Technically it's NERV's but yeah," Mari said from the sideline.
"I don't wanna go with the government! They're gonna shoot me in the back of the head while I'm in the shower!" Mary shrieked.
"Don't worry we aren't sending you guys anywhere," Misato said calmly before turning back to Ritsuko. "Don't send them a reply, prepare the city for an attack and raise the defenses."
"Understood," Ritsuko said typing frantically on the MAGI, before a massive red alarm went across the holoscreen. "Oh no," She mumbled.
"What's going on?" Misato asked.
"They're attempting to take control of the MAGI," Ritsuko said frantically typing away on the keyboard. "Unfortunately for them, I know this system a lot better than them," She said finishing her code and deactivating the alarm.
"So that was their plan for a peaceful solution?" Asuka asked.
"No," Ritsuko said biting her lip nervously. "There's one more back door," she sighed. "The JSSDF was most likely given the way in from SEELE."
Misato's face paled before she stomped over and grabbed Ritsuko by the collar. "What did you do!?" She screamed.
"I helped Gendo with some insane plans of his," Ritsuko said, throwing Misato off. "-But I'm through with him, I'll help you stop him and SEELE, you'll need me alive a lot more than you want me dead right now."
Misato grit her teeth but nodded. "Fine, get the MAGI under the bridges control, if we have full control of NERV then we can hold out here, engage a full lockdown," She ordered before turning to the pilots. "I don't know what's coming next, but you need to get to your EVA's stat, Ray you stay here."
"Of course," He said smiling, before creating an AT-Field between him and her. "My….useful abilities will keep us safe."
Misato blinked, before sighing and pinching her nose. "I want an explanation after this is over," she said firmly.
"Of course," Ray agreed. The other children went to suit up and her in their EVAs.
…
"Ok all of you!" Asuka said dragging Shinji into the girl's locker room.
"Woah woah woah, what's going on?" Shinji asked, kind of flustered by the situation.
"Shut up, Shinji!" Asuka screamed. "We're a family so I really don't care if you see us!" She shouted stripping off her top in front of him. "There now we're even, now plant it so I can speak!"
Shinji whimpered but sat down. I
"Now!" Asuka said stamping her foot. "This is our last battle! And I will not be attending any of your funerals tomorrow!" She ordered. "So no one gets left behind! No one dies! We are gonna kick these fuckers teeth in and show them why you do not mess with the Pilots of the EVA's! Do I make myself clear!?"
"Ma'am yes ma'am!" Adelise, Mari, and Isabelle screamed. Mary let out a rabid scream. Shinji made a noise like a confused but eager puppy.
"That's what I wanted to hear!" Asuka laughed. "Now let's make Mum proud!" She yelled before what she said caught up with her and her face turned tomato red. "Don't tell her I said that!" She screamed.
"Ma'am no ma'am!" The same three giggled as they all ran to the EVA cages.
….
"Ok everyone in position?" Misato said over the coms.
"Yeah, let's light this candle!" Mary cheered.
"I'm ready too," Isabelle chuckled. "I'm gonna blast them out of the sky."
"They're gonna meet the heavy artillery," Mari agreed.
"Well get ready, because here they come," Misato said showing them her screen, where an entire fleet of airships were slowly coming over the horizons. "Fortunate Son" flooded the cons with a push of a button. "...Mary."
"But it's "Fortunate Son" Misato! It's the quintessential wartime song!" Mary said, taking aim.
Before Misato could say anything else a small cylinder was dropped from the lead plane.
"N2 Mine!" Misato screamed as the rooftop exploded in a bright flash of pink. All sound momentarily left the air before the music slowly faded back in. "Fuck it attack!"
"Hello boys!" Isabelle laughed as her platform rose out of the ground, revealing EVA-06 armed with two new position rifles attached to her shoulders that had thick cables running back into the ground. "And goodbye!" She shouted hoisting up her weapons and firing, the now reactor powered positron rifles started blasting the smaller planes out of the sky before they land. "Come on this isn't even hard!" She shouted as their return fire bounced off her AT-Field.
"My turn," Mari chuckled as she fired a few shots from her Anti-Tank rifle from behind the fleet, leaving them caught in a pincer attack while Asuka was helping Adelise load mortar shots.
"Fire in ze hole!" Adelise yelled as the mortar's blasted the largest airships left wing to tatters.
"I ain't no fortunate son!" Mary sang, shredding helicopters and planes alike with a mounted minigun. Shinji didn't say much of anything as he fired an anti tank rifle into the fleet.
"Keep it up kids," Misato said as the NERV defenses came out of the ground and started firing as well. "We're sending them a ceasefire," She smirked.
"Ma'am yes ma'am!" Adelise cheered, letting another shell fly.
….
The fight raged on for another half an hour before the JSSDF finally stopped as the losses had become too great for them to continue.
"Well we're gonna have a fun night," Misato sighed. "The UN isn't gonna like this."
"Umm Major Misato, there's something coming, and I don't think you're gonna like it."
A new screen popped up on the pilots plugs, showing nine white EVAs with huge black wings and heads only made of red smiling mouths circling the Geofront.
"...Ritsuko what are those."
"They're mass produced EVA's," Ritsuko explained. "They were supposed to replace piloted EVA's by use of the dummy plug system, but with the projects termination I thought they had stopped production of them...worse yet is they must be powered by S2 organs, which means that if they reach Terminal Dogma they will complete the Angel's mission and destroy humanity."
"Shit! Kids brace yourselves for a rough fight," Misato ordered. "We have the equivalent of 9 Angel's attacking right now and if even one gets through to Terminal Dogma we're all doomed."
Then the entire Geofront started shaking.
"What is happening?" Asuka asked, trying to keep her footing.
"Scans indicate it's coming from….oh no, Shinji you need to get to Terminal Dogma!" Ritsuko said scared. "Gendo initiated his plan, if he succeeds he'll also end up destroying humanity!"
"What?!" Misato screamed.
"Gendo has the same plan as SEELE, except he's using Lilith in Terminal Dogma to bring back Yui rather than rule humanity."
"Explain this like I'm an idiot please!" Isabelle shouted.
"The 18th Angel is humans," Ritsuko said. "Born from the second Angel Lilith, and from her we can all be returned to the primordial sea of LCL that we came from, and since Yui still exists inside Unit-01 her soul can be release back into the sea, Gendo wants this, SEELE wants to rule this sea, and if either succeeds we all die."
"I have several questions but they can wait." Mary said, eyeing their opponents.
"And I will give them to you," Ritsuko said before turning to Shinji. "Shinji, EVA-01 has an S2 Organ and is made from Lilith, you can use it and the Spear of Longinus to stop Gendo and end both of their plans, when Lilith asks what you want, please don't end the world."
"So I just have to give it the spear and ask it whatever I want?" Shinji asked.
"...No you have to use it to pierce Gendo's AT-Field and kill him so you can take control."
"I-ok…" Shinji said, audibly concerned with the prospect of murder but going along with it anyway.
….(Ten Minutes Earlier)
"Rei," Gendo said smiling. "It is time."
"Yes Commander Ikari," Rei said nodding. "It is time."
The two made their way through the back halls of NERV to Terminal Dogma and the LCL plant. Rei stripped out of her clothes and walked across the sea towards Lilith on her cross. Without stopping she touched the giant and entered it, the white giant shrank and grew as the hundreds of faces on it's legs moaned and shrank inside the body while the cross exploded from the release of a massive AT-Field that shook the entire Geofront. The white figure fell into the sea and slowly dragged itself over to Gendo, all the while it's body continued to shift and change despite the Lance embedded in it's back. By the time it reached Gendo it was a more feminie shape and hair and as it loomed over Gendo, it's mask fell off revealing Rei's face.
"Yes," Gendo smiled widely. "I win."
"What do you desire?" Reilith said in her ethereal voice.
"I wish for you to return humanity to its primordial state," Gendo ordered. "Return us to the sea from whence we came!"
"Very well," Reilith said before pausing. "-But before that…" She said, gaining a familiar grin "Gendo Ikari...I've come to bargain."
Gendo's eyes went wide. "Rei! I order you-!"
"You will do nothing of the sort!" Relith yelled back. "I am not your doll!"
Gendo took a step back in shock. "How...How are you still alive!?"
"Silly stupid man," Reilith laughed leaning over in pain. "I faked it, I never died, my soul is now my own and my memories with it," She hissed with a chuckle. "And now...we wait."
"You can't stop this!" Gendo said revealing Adam in his palm.
"No, but I can stop you," Reilith countered. "As long as this cursed Spear is in me I can't control Third Impact on my own, but as long as Lilith and me are one I can stop you from initiating it," She explained chuckling. "I will never win, but neither will you, this will be a dance we will do forever."
Gendo was in shock. "You would stay there, with the pain of a Spear inside you, just to stop me?"
Reilith gave him a sad smirk. "Pain is a small price to pay...to protect those I love." And with that final line the two engaged in a clash of wills to take command of Lilith and Third Impact, a dance the two would dance forever until someone else interfered.