The Anthem

Because of the complex route Rei had led Shinji down– and adding to that Misato's horrible innate sense of direction– it took the Operations Director nearly half an hour to find the passed out Shinji.

Meanwhile, around the time Misato first exited the bridge, Dewey had already outfitted himself and Asuka in the plug suits, and had made it to the prep area to await the bridges instructions. He sat, with Asuka on his lap, inside the entry plug, ready to fight.

"Com. link established, Wait–" Lt. Aoba read the monitor. "Two pulses detected inside the entry plug."

"This is the bridge," Lt. Hyuga thundered. "Declare yourself."

"Captain Dewey Novak with Captain Asuka Soryu, waiting the command sequence." The bridge was shocked that Dewey would even think of piloting the Eva.

"It's impossible!" Lt. Ibuki said. "Dewey, the Eva won't function properly with someone your age."

"The last adult to synch with the Eva, and encountered the Zone, disappeared."

"But the Eva did synch. It moved: am I correct?"

"That's not all!" Maya argued further. "The added noise from both of you in one entry plug will–"

"But we can try." Dewey's voice was calm, and it demonstrated, once again, that ability to silence those who heard it. "The truth is none of us no too much about the Eva. But I believe Asuka's consciousness is trapped inside Unit-02. I'll synch with her, not just the Eva. Just let me try!"

The bridge heard Dewey's shake in desperate valor. He needed to save them. He needed to finish Asuka's work. He wouldn't let this all be in vain.

During their argument, Lt. Aoba had established a connection with Misato. He explained, "Unit-02 requests to go out with Dewey Novak and Asuka Soryu as its pilots. Orders?"

"I love it!" Misato screamed from the other end of the speaker. "Dewey: defend the base. That's your one and last order from me."

"Roger."

"Lt. Colonel," Hyuga asked, "Have you found Shinji?"

"Yeah." The radio was cutting out. The heard stout footsteps and the shouts of other men from Misato's side.

"Misato?" Hyuga's voice was shaking, but there was no answer. He hit the speaker, and said again, "Misato!" After a minute of muffled noises and yells, the line went dead.

"Shinji," Misato was shaking the collapsed body. "Shinji, get up." The boy roused by the smell of blood. He looked around him. Crouching next to him was Misato, her face as hard as stone, and all around him were dead bodies laying in pools of blood. They were U.F. soldiers.

"What happened?" Shinji remembered. "Father! Rei! Misato, where are they?"

Misato shook her head. "I don't know–Listen, Shinji–!"

Shinji had stumbled to his feet and nearly took off running, when Misato grabbed him from behind. "I gotta find her. Rei– that bastard! I kill him!"

"DAMMIT. SHINJI! Just STOP, and LISTEN! THAT'S AND ORDER!" Shinji stopped struggling, but Misato didn't let him go. "You're father is planning to start Third Impact using Rei as a door into the Command Cluster. But– wait– Listen, Shinji! You're the key. He can't do it without you and Unit-01. He's PLANNING on you going after, Rei. But if you do, everyone, include yourself and Rei, will die."

Shinji was glued to the spot, trying to process all this information. While she had him listening, Misato continued, "Seele– Kaji told you about them, right. They're going to fire Cosmic Trigger: Orange. You need to stop it with Unit-01. You need to–"

"This is the bridge to Lt. Con. Katsuragi," a voice sounded from Misato's radio.

"Here!" She answered, placing her free hand on Shinji, to make sure he didn't run off. Lt. Aoba explained the situation, concluding, "Unit-02 requests to go out with Dewey Novak and Asuka Soryu as its pilots. Orders?"

It was a long shot, but Misato new the that at least thinking that Dewey and Asuka could back him up would give Shinji the much needed boost to go and fight. She gave the order, and thought, 'I'm sorry, Shinji. This is the last time I'll use you.'

"Lt. Colonel, have you found Shinji?" Misato was about to answer when she heard the U.F. soldiers coming down the hall. "Shit! Shinji, go!" Misato held on to the receiver, running toward the elevator to the hanger in sight. With her free hand she pulled out a pin grenade.

"What are you doing? Misato!" Misato had pushed Shinji into the elevator, hit the button, and closed the grate.

She smiled at him, as Shinji heard a shot. Misato had been hit. He saw her hand pull the pin, and heard her last words: "It's up to you, Shinji. Go make the choice yourself: pilot the Eva for yourself." The elevator shot upwards, and below him Shinji heard a loud explosion.

He wept openly. The doors opened on the hanger, and he stood face to face with Unit-01. The entry plug at its back was already loaded, waiting for him to enter.

Miles beneath the Geofront, Rei was standing in front of a massive piece of what looked like amber. Though the bulk of what she could see was already several hundreds of yards long, wide, and deep, she somehow got the feeling that it was like an iceberg, hiding nearly 90% of its mass, out of sight, beneath the earth.

"I'm afraid we're in for a wait– there is no form of communication down here, the trapar is too thick. We won't know exactly how long it will take for Unit-01 to make its way down the auxiliary pit, here, to the Command Cluster."

Rei stopped eyeing the large amber– the Command Cluster– and looked at the Commander. "It might be a while. It would be best if you became more agreeable," he said, holding up a golden collar.

Rei didn't allow it to distract her, and continued to stare at the Commander of Nerv with hatred in her heart. How could she have ever seen this man for anything more than a killer?

Gendo Ikari could think of nothing worse than Rei's stare. To have that unfamiliar gaze directed at him through the visage of a girl that resembled, so uncannily, his only love was almost too much to bear. But he was close now. He closed in on Rei, who attempted to swat his arms away– tried to knock the collar from his hands– who bit, tore and beat his flesh. But the Commander was too strong, he knocked about the head, dazing her, and proceeded to fasten the collar around her neck.

"There. . ." Gendo panted. "I don't understand your hatred for me. I fed you, clothed you, taught you– and now I am about to give you an eternity spent with the one you love. And all I have ever asked was your help in giving the same to me. I need to be with Yui. I know– Coralian or not– that you, Rei, can understand that?"

Rei thought hard about these words. She questioned herself over and over again; and yet, she could shake the lie off of them. She didn't know how or why, but she knew that whatever he just said was not the truth. 'It might not be his fault, though. . .he could be lying to himself. . .he may have been lying to himself for years and years.'

But Rei did not respond to the Commander. She sat quietly, refusing to do or think about anything but Shinji. She needed to trust him: trust him to make the right choice– even though she herself didn't know what was right anymore. Her or the Nerv? Which would Shinji choose to save? Whatever he did decide, Rei would support him, whether in death or in life.

"We still have operational controls active in Unit-01, but we have no way to communicate with the pilot. Com. links with Unit-02 have also been severed." Lt. Aoba was working furiously at the computers, as Lt. Hyuga took operation control of the bridge.

For nearly 15 minutes, the physical assault of U.F. artillery forces had raged on. They retreated their infantry from Nerv HQ, being unable to override the Magi's defense systems. Instead, all their effort with destroying any defense that would pose a threat to a direct attack from the Cosmic Trigger.

Unbeknownst to both the U.F. forces, or Nerv, Seele were already charging Orange. They didn't care whether or not the U.F. forces or Nerv was destroyed in the process. They would fire as soon as possible, in order to utilize the element of surprise. Seele, figuring Third Impact to directly proceed a hit to the Command Cluster, were ready to discharge 150% of Orange's maximum energy outport. The Cosmic Trigger would be destroyed in the process of birthing the next step in human evolution.

For now, Dewey was able to synch in Unit-02 and was impressively holding off any and all U.F. artillery force, including the LFOs. Though the bridge had lost contact with him, Dewey had been right. As soon as the final ego border had been crossed, solidifying a 80% synch. ration, Dewey heard a voice.

"Who's there?'" The voice sounded frightened.

"Asuka? It's me–"

"Dewey?'" It brightened considerable, but did not continue

"Yes, I'm in Unit-02. I'm about to pilot it into battle."

'. . . '

"Asuka. . .Asuka. . .Asuka, please, answer me!"

"...Idiot." Now, the voice sounded timid and embarrassed.

'Huh?'

Asuka's voice sounded in a mock-upset tone. ". . .Who the hell told you that you could pilot my Eva?"

Dewey smirked to himself. "If it makes you feel better," Dewey humored her, "you're in here with me."

"You pervert! What have you been doing with my body!"

For the first time in a long time, Dewey dropped his soldier's seriousness. He stumbled, embarrassed, "N-not-thing! I promise...I've just been taking care of you."

Neither of them 'spoke', for lack of a better word, for a long time– or, at least, a long time in their head, which was no time at all to the rest of the world. That silent time alone together, linked by the Eva, seemed to go on and on, till Asuka finally broke the silence.

"Hey, Dewey."

"Yes?"

"Don't call me Captain anymore. When this is over, only call me Asuka." In Dewey's arms, the body of Asuka had dropped the Compac Drive and fallen asleep. Tears were streaming from her eyes into the small sea of LCL. "And. . .I'd like it if you always took care of me."

This, Dewey thought, was as close to an actual confession as he could ever hope for from a girl like Asuka. "No. . .I'll protect you now, and fight for you now. But after this, I'd much rather you protect me. I love you, Asuka."

". . .yeah, me too." And so Dewey fought. Asuka's thoughts and expertise on piloting flowed into his mind, and their combined skill decimated the enemy.

Unit-02 had sustained minimal damage when Hyuga ordered Shinji to be loaded into Unit-01. Amazingly, the com. link between the Eva's had been left in tact, and Unit-01 appeared on Unit-02's screen as soon as Shinji had synched.

Shinji, armed with the knowledge that the Cosmic Trigger would be firing in any moment, and spurred on by his debt of obligation to Misato, was ready to be launched into the fray on the plans of the Geofront. If his father– and Rei– was really waiting for him, he could wait a little longer.

All was set when Dewey's voice blared from the other end of the com. link. "Shinji! Don't get on the launch pad!"

"What! Why! I'm coming to help. I promised–"

"Shinji!" Dewey sounded like he was repressing a lot of pain. "You don't owe me or Asuka a damn thing. I told you that this is MY burden."

"They're firing the Cosmic Trigger! Me and Unit-01 can stop it. I kn–"

"I'll stop it!" Dewey screamed. He had just overpowered a progressive-knife-armed LFO in hand to hand combat, and proceeded to steal its rifle to shoot at the rest of the squadron.

Shinji was about to protest further, but Dewey started again. "Shinji! I'm fighting here for Asuka. For the girl I love. Decide now if you should be doing the same!" Shinji clenched his teeth and bit his tongue. "Trust me," Dewey finished.

"Alight," Shinji decided. "How do I get to the command cluster in Unit-01?"

"Break through the hanger door labeled EEE. It will lead to a vertical shaft, called "Pit". That will lead you all the way down. See you soon."

"I will see you soon!" And Shinji was off. Dewey continued to fight, but only for another minute or two. He noticed quite suddenly that every artillery unit and LFO squad was retreating– but in vain. Unit-02 stood silent for ten minutes, watching the U.F. forces, who fled to save their lives.

Dewey looked up and, in the twilight of Ciudades Del Cielo that shone through the hole in the Geofront, saw the approaching light.

"This is it, Asuka. Are you with me?"

Dewey felt arms envelope him. "Always."

"AT FIELD: EXPAND!" Orange thundered down but stopped just short of the Geofront plain, held back by Unit-02, whose arms were outstretched. The hands held back the power of the sun.

Dewey knew he must die, soon. But suddenly, the force that sought to destroy him was eclipsed. He felt, for a moment, nothing but the reverie of expectation, as if an impossibly large wave was about to overtake him.

Third Impact was beginning.