A/N: Before we begin, I want to say thank you to everyone who decided to give this thing a shot, yes, even those of you who just clicked on this for curiosity's sake-especially since these beginning chapters are somewhat dry. Hopefully I can provide decent entertainment for you guys as this picks up.
Special mention goes to EvaShinobiKaiserKnight for the feedback waaaay back in chapter 1, really appreciate it.
This chapter was originally split into two part...then I decided that the pacing wasn't cutting it and so, this became the end result.
...
Mission 3: Fight for [Your] Redemption:
'Concern. A state of anxiety or worry usually directed towards a person's wellbeing…..'
The First Child faced a dilemma, something that had plagued her for nearly two weeks now.
Confusion.
On the surface, Rei Ayanami looked impassive, as if she was just letting time pass her by without a care. The blue-haired girl was always like this, and frankly, it unnerved many of her classmates.
However, the avoidance was a blessing, for no one paid her much attention and generally kept their distance. Her crimson eyes staring pensively out the large window next to her as she tried to sort out the unpleasant feelings within her.
This sensation that stirred within the pilot was alien to her, along with a range of many other emotions that other people usually took for granted. It was irritating to say the least, but she found that getting rid of it was a daunting task. No matter how she analyzed it, she could not make sense of the situation.
She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath as the droning voice of the elderly Sensei faded more and more into the background. Piece by piece, the information she had gathered was coming together like a puzzle.
The white-haired man-whom Commander Ikari was quick to label as "Lucifer"-was an enigma, much like herself. What he was, where he came from, his gripe with the Angels, and more importantly, his goals-those were all variables, unknown to the Commander and perhaps even to The Committee themselves.
Perhaps the only thing that was known for certain was that he was strong. Frighteningly strong. Such terrible fury could not go unrestrained, as EVA had proven time and again. Both could potentially cause innumerable consequences, in especially towards long term goals. But EVA was bound to their will, a machine made from Man's image.
EVA could be controlled. This man however could not. He was-as many in the Bridge Command labeled him-a "wild card". An unknown variable, in other words; yes, that she could understand. The risks were too high, and he, too unpredictable to be left to his own devices.
But even as she was thinking this, a stray thought probed her from the back of her mind; a thought that went against the Commander's jurisdiction, against her basic programming. But it was there, just like the confusion that was slowly overtaking her:
'Were the Morning Star's actions a simple display of instinct, or was he actually genuinely concerned for them?'
The origin of the blasphemous thought dangled over her like bait, tempting her to follow the memory and explore it further. Before she could push the thought away, it was already replaying before her eyes, forcing her to comply.
Many would believe that this creature was against the already struggling human race, such as Dr. Akagi, the Commander, and perhaps to a lesser extent, Captain Katasuragi.
Rei would go so far as to argue against that thesis. After all, they had not seen what she saw.
The infirmary.
When they had locked eyes for the first time that day, she thought-no, knew-she saw concern in the cyan orbs that otherwise held a deep-seated anger within them. Then, as he was leaving, a hint of relief radiated from his eyes.
Relief. A pleasant sensation immediately followed by the removal of a stress factor. Something an enemy would most defiantly not show in their presence.
Lucifer. The name of the highest of Archangels and betrayer of God. A name given to a being that fell from the sky and bares strength that surpasses that of Man. A name that should imply that he is their enemy. By all accounts, the aforementioned emotion should be as foreign to him as it is to her.
…..And yet, he has shown to contradict both implications on more than that occasion.
The swordsman's first fight with the Third Angel immediately came to mind, as precise as the recordings presented to her during the aftermath of its destruction.
He had fought the Angel with a reckless, almost animalistic intellect that mirrored the Messenger's own. Indeed, the hunched posture, his movement, coupled with the snarls and growls that escaped his throat truly earned him the term that Dr. Akagi insisted on using to describe him.
And those piercing blood-red eyes…..so very much different from her own….those were not the eyes that greeted her hours later.
A cold sensation began running down her spine, yet the blue-haired child did not shudder.
Nevertheless, even in this primitive state, he didn't attempt to attack the JSSDF in the area. In fact, she'd go as far as to say he was avoiding direct contact with them. One would assume it was due to the Third Angel's presence, but no…it couldn't be….
'If he does not value the lives of the humans fighting beside him….why didn't he eliminate those that opposed him as he battled the Angel?'
Predatory instinct. The simple fact that a larger threat was present at the event pressured the Morning Star to focus on Sachiel rather than the task force. It had been almost miraculous that the Angel had managed to render him unconscious before he turned his attention towards the JSSDF.
That was what was told to her, and Rei knew it was a very poorly formulated conclusion. She would have believed them however, had she not been present beside the Commander when the soldiers out hunting him returned unscratched-all of them.
Their weapons were spent, their prey was lost, and more than likely, their pride had taken a hit, yet no signs of struggle was evident on any of the men.
These were not the actions of a creature driven by animal instinct...these resembled the actions of a thinking, breathing man.
Human. The last thing he could possibly be.
He had shown concern towards her wellbeing, something that only The Commander has done. He had ignored the task force sent to destroy the Angel, even when the gunfire was directed towards him, then let the small squad that chased after him live.
Footage from one of the bases outside cameras even caught him attempting to pry out Unit-01's Entry Plug before the JSSDF arrived…
Pilot Ikari….she had not forgotten what he did for her.
Rei broke her gaze from the sky just beyond the window and spared a quick glance behind her. He sat close to the front, completely isolated from the others; a small island where he could collect his thoughts and not have to worry about direct confrontation.
He was uncomfortable, she noticed-indicated by the uneasy glances he threw across the room, and the fact that he was clutching a battered, old cassette-player almost as if his life depended on it. Perhaps it was an item that brought him comfort, reassurance?
Yet two more words she knew about, yet never experienced….
Rei tore her gaze away from the Third Child, choosing to focus on him and push the questions that gnawed at her aside for now. Another memory dragged her away within her subconscious; thankfully this one was less ambiguous for her. Easier to understand.
This time it was the holding cages.
She remembered seeing the distressed look on his face, a sea of conflicting emotions within him. He tried to hide them, but the blue-haired girl read him like the pages of a book:
Sadness, anxiety, doubt….
Fear.
Fear of failure, fear of his Father, and the most evident, the fear of EVA.
Then, as the pain that accompanied her fall coursed through her body, she saw him react.
She watched as the boy swallowed his emotions, steeling himself as he raced to her side and carefully cradled her injured body in his arms. She saw it again. Fear.
He had shut his eyes tightly, and for a moment, she thought he would burst into tears or have a breakdown. But he didn't. Instead, he recited something under his breath almost like a prayer, tightening his grip on her slightly with each passing second.
When he reopened his eyes, she realized she was looking at another person. The timid Third Child, Shinji Ikari, had disappeared for an instant, replaced by Commander Gendo Ikari.
As he stared down the partly-submerged metal monstrosity, the boy knew what he was getting himself into. He knew he was being sent out there with unwinnable odds, and most importantly, he knew he would probably not make it back in one piece.
Yet he accepted those outcomes without hesitation, if only for the meniscal chance that he would somehow succeed and others might live.
And yet, when they had met again in the medical wing, Rei had noticed that, his former resolve all but vanished, reverting him back to his former persona. That got her thinking again. Was the bravado he exhibited a one-time occurrence, or a peek at the boy's true potential?
They would know soon enough.
She had felt something in the winds stirring, as if a dark omen of some kind was warning them of what was to come. The Fourth Angel was preparing to strike, she was sure of it.
She was not ready. Although she was on the way to steady recovery, her wounded eye still irritated her slightly and her bandaged arm was all but useless at the moment, handicapping her use of Unit-00 even further.
This time, there was no guarantee that Lucifer would intervene. There was no way around it: Unit-01 and its pilot must be ready to fight.
…..
Something was looming over the pacific at a surprisingly even speed, its crimson colored body bathing in the sunlight. Below it were two forelegs similar to a mantis's, and behind that stood a structure that resembled a ribcage, the many bones from within twitching frantically as if anticipating its arrival.
Nested within them was a pulsating core.
Shamshel, the Angel of Dawn had descended upon the earth.
….
The Third Child sighed, watching the clouds above him as he lay sprawled on the school's rooftop. The music from his S-DAT player blasted in his ears, allowing him at least some peace as the world around him took a backseat.
Ignorance truly was bliss.
Although still largely intact, the awkwardness of being around Kensuke Aida and Toji Suzuhara had faded somewhat after the two insisted on eating lunch with him (well, Kensuke did anyways). That in of itself was a relief to the boy, who felt the metaphorical noose loosening slightly around his neck.
The real surprise however, came with the realization that his two classmates knew nothing about his involvement as a pilot.
At first, Shinji believed the guilt of being at least partly responsible for the damage caused would give him away. Instead, the two boys seemingly overlooked it due to his nervousness, and the fear of losing whatever meniscal ground he had made faded. Let them believe the Japanese military destroyed the Angel, he decided.
'Is this what having friends feels like?' he suddenly wondered to himself; he supposed so, seeing as he had nothing to compare it to thus far. The closest thing would have to be his relationship with the man that used to care for him before coming here.
In truth, Shinji knew next to nothing of him other than the fact that he lived isolated in solitude and knew one of his parents personally, offering to take care of him upon his father's request. Although even saying that was questionable.
He wasn't around much, always away on some kind of "job" or "errand", which left the boy fending for himself. Shinji did keep himself busy, in large part because his caretaker had plenty of things from the Old World; so entertainment-and to a lesser extent, education-was not a big problem. Due to the location, however, socializing was.
No letting anyone in, no leaving save for rare cases. That was the most important unspoken rule between them. Over time, he began to hate the place that quickly became both his sanctuary and his prison.
He paused, realizing how off-track he'd gotten with his thoughts. Nevertheless, he at least got something out of letting his mind wonder a bit:
"I'd rather be here than go back," the boy told himself, "even if I have no idea why I'm here." With his decision made, he sighed, focusing more on the music in his ears as it slowly lulled him to sleep.
It was a shame the tranquility had to end.
After a few seconds, he felt another's presence beside him. Opening his eyes, Shinji was slightly taken aback by the sight of Rei Ayanami looming over him.
"Emergency Summons." She spoke just as Shinji had taken off one of his earpieces, continuing to shot him with an impassive stare. "I'll go on ahead." She informed him before swiftly exiting towards the stairs in a brisk jog.
The girl's monotone voice sent chills down Shinji's spine. A moment later, his brain processed what she just said. "Emergency….Hey, doesn't that mean…"
The cries of the sirens overhead answered him. Angel Attack.
…
Captain Katasuragi stepped out of the lift and marched over to her post, annoyance clear on her features.
'Persistent aren't we?' she thought to herself, frowning as she glared daggers at the image of the airborne Shamshel slowly making its way towards the city. It was one thing to bother her during her already hectic schedule; however, this Angel had the nerve to intrude on her much-earned nap.
Simply put, she wasn't going to let that shit slide.
"Blue Pattern confirmed!" Dr. Akagi straightened, turning her gaze towards the Captain, "There's no doubt about it, the Fourth's knocking on our doorstep."
"Gee, you'd think it would've been nice enough to give us another fifteen year break like the last one…" Misato muttered, chuckling mirthlessly as she crossed her arms. "Shame, the Commander's missing all the action. All personal, battle stations level one, now!"
The three bridge bunnies immediately nodded, beginning the transitioning of Tokyo-3 to battle configurations as per orders. Sure enough, the groaning from the contracting buildings could be faintly heard overhead, a sign of the various artillery weapons being readied and loaded to the surface.
"Districts 1 through 7 have been successfully retracted and government officials have been notified." Maya breathed, eyes never leaving her screen as she spoke.
"Target continues to advance," added Makoto, "ETA currently unknown, air defense systems currently operating at 48%."
"And the civilians?" the Captain asked, glancing towards the long haired lieutenant from the corner of her eye, who was currently busy with a call.
"Reports indicate that all non-combat personal are just finishing the evacuation process." Aoba responded with a quick glance at the monitor. "That was the Japanese Government on the line, they requested we prep the Evangelions and have them ready to mobilize should the blockade fail."
The woman's frown deepened, "Oh we'll mobilize, whether they ask us to or not." Orders be damned, she decided; everyone in the room, and even some of the higher ups in the JSSDF, knew perfectly well that the only thing specifically made to deal with a threat like this was EVA.
'Yet, they still don't give us the necessary funds for these things. Instead they go to…' She sighed after a few seconds, glaring at the now armed Tokyo-3 from the main screen. "This is just a waste of taxpayers' money…it's not even going to put a dent on that thing."
"Even so, there are some people in this world who need those bullets to be fired." She heard Ritsuko reply in a sagely tone. Misato momentarily shrugged off her bizarre response, turning her full attention to the next issue at hand: pinpointing the whereabouts of her pilots.
"It appears Rei's already made it inside." The long haired technician commented as an audiovisual of the First Child quickly legging it to the EVA hold cells was brought up.
That comment caught Maya's attention. "Wait, we're going to sortie Unit-00?" she asked, eyes wide in objection. "It's too risky," she protested, turning from her mentor to her subordinates, "the pilot hasn't even fully recovered!"
"Wait a minute…" Makoto blinked, narrowing his brows at the footage in front of him, "that's the express train docking, who's- Is that, the Third Child?"
…..
"LCL oxygenized, releasing airlocks." A nameless bridge technician reported, followed by more calculations that were promptly blocked by Unit-01's pilot.
Shinji gulped a lungful of the now transparent liquid as he let out a sigh, uneasiness clear in his face.
Here he was again.
He rubbed the side of his neck uncomfortably, the red rimming of his plug suit tightly encircling it.
It was almost exactly like the one he had seen Rei wear during the botched attempt at replacing him, albeit tailored to his frame. The light chest plate encasing him was light blue in color, contrasted by the rest being of a darker shade.
Overall, he thought the two colors complimented each other nicely-his only gripped steamed from the fact that the thing was practically depriving him of the oxygen-rich liquid surrounding him.
Then again, it was miles better than having to dirty another one of his uniforms. After three washings, the damned scent of LCL stubbornly remained on the shirt he arrived here with.
He breathed, trying to steady his shaking hands as they gripped the control yolks for all they were worth. Finally, he relaxed, closing his eyes as he tried to answer a question he'd been asking himself since he set foot inside the Entry Plug:
Just what was he doing?
He feared the Angels as any rational person would, and after being narrowly killed by one on his first day, the thought of fighting another of those things was absurd. And yet, that fear paled in comparison to the one he held for the very thing in which he sat.
It was no secret that he was afraid of EVA and he made no attempt to hide the fact, frequently voicing his uneasiness of the machine in his guardian's presence at every opportunity available.
However…
When all was said and done and he was inside Unit-01, he also felt….surprisingly at ease.
Even now, Shinji could feel his nervousness slowly eroding away, the lukewarm liquid sooth his worries away like a warm embrace from someone cherished.
It was here, in the calm before the storm that he felt most secure.
Even so, the ironic comfort could not silence the question nagging at the back of his head.
'Why am I even in this thing again?' he thought to himself glumly, 'Who am I kidding, I'm no hero….yet I'm risking my life for this city again….but Father's not even watching this time, so what's the point?'
He wouldn't get a chance to dwell on the subject, as Dr. Akagi voice suddenly filled the cockpit.
"It's time to mobilize. Are you sure you're ready, Shinji-kun?"
He took a deep breath, finally opening his eyes. "Yes." He replied forcefully. In truth, he was anything but.
"Listen to me," the woman instructed from within the command deck, doing a quick once-over to ensure all the systems were running smoothly, "Once you neutralize the enemy's AT Field, fire a volley using your Pallet Rifle. It'll be just like the simulations so don't fright, you'll be fine." With that, she handed communications directly to Misato.
"I'm still surprised he agreed to pilot again after what happened," Maya mused aloud, "most people wouldn't give running a second thought…"
"Most people have the choice of running away," Aoba reminded her with a sigh, "As sad as it sounds…"
"To meekly obey what others tell him, that's how this boy makes it through life." The doctor replied matter-of-factly, not noticing the surprised look on her subordinate's face nor the cold glare her friend shot her.
The Captain swallowed her retort, the last thing she needed was to start an argument now of all times.
"Launch!"
…
The streets of Tokyo-3, once bustling with activity, were now deserted and lifeless. The sirens and instructions that followed shortly caused all it's citizens to scurry towards the nearest shelter and away from the soon-to-be-battleground.
Except for two that is.
Climbing towards the top of a steep hill were two teens; one wearing a distinctive black track suit and the other the standard uniform, a camcorder clutched in his left hand.
"I can't believe you talked me into this…" the taller teen growled, lagging behind slightly to catch his breath.
Toji climbed the stone steps leading up to a cliff overlooking the city, lightly jogging in order to keep up with the animated Kensuke.
"I can't believe she actually fell for it!" the spirited teen replied in an almost sing-song manner. The jock growled, the looks of horror shot at his direction when he insisted rather strongly on going to men's room with Kensuke was all he needed to know that they'd probably never let him live it down-in particular the class representative.
As Toji mentally cycled through the various means his friend would redeem himself if they lived, he caught sight of the old shrine that signaled their arrival.
"Man," he huffed, stopping to catch his breath at the summit, "you're really persistent when it comes to something you want…"
The military-crazed teen smirked, shrugging nonchalantly as he set himself where the view was good. "Lighten up Toji," he replied, motioning for him to get closer, "this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance!"
"Lighten up?! We could get our asses killed out here!"
"Better than being a sitting duck back there." He retorted as he turned the camcorder on.
The taller teen opened his mouth to reply, but closed it a few seconds after. As much as he'd hated to admit it, Kensuke had a point there. "What the hell didya need me for man, you could've easily gotten out here by yourself!"
"Someone had to pick the door's lock…."
"Don't go making me look like some kinda convict here!"
"Shush, it's starting!"
Toji flinched upon seeing the Angel of Dawn rise to a vertical position, its forelegs unfolded and fixed at awkward angles, while the armored head was now bent forward like some sort of spore. But while the jock was undeniably terrified, Kensuke didn't seem fazed by this at all, as if the idea of that monster charging through all of their defenses unscratched was as typical as the ever-present summer weather.
He could only imagine what it was like facing that thing head-on…
The creature's exposed ribcage twitching animatedly as it seemed to be scanning the area for something. The bones stopped when something caught its attention.
"There, on that platform!"
From a nearby skyscraper, Evangelion Unit-01 stood stationary while the safeties were being released and a second building arose next to it, containing what looked to be an oversized assault rifle.
Seconds later, it activated, stepping out from behind the building with the weapon in hand. Holding onto the trigger for dear life, the purple behemoth emptied the rifle mindlessly at the Angel once it was in its sights.
Dust soon covered the area, the empty bullet casings damaging the cars and shops below Unit-01-who was still squeezing the trigger, as if that was going to somehow make more ammunition sprout out the muzzle.
That was when Shamshel chose to retaliate.
Pink whip-like energy tendrils suddenly lashed out at the metal giant, knocking the rifle out of his hands and causing it to fall unceremoniously to the ground with a loud thud. The attack had also cut clean through the building next to it and burned of the machine's fingers.
"Crap! That thing's already getting trashed!"
"It'll be fine," Kensuke assured almost absentmindedly, causing Toji to frown. The military had failed royally, and now their last hope for survival rested with NERV and that oversized tin can that already had one strike against it…
'Do you not see how high the stakes are?!' the taller teen thought to himself, 'This military obsession's ganna be the death of you one day you moron!'
Never mind the fact that, if half the crap that he told him was true, a living person was inside that thing, risking his skin for the entire city…what they were doing right now was damn near suicidal!
But what could anyone do when even the most advanced military arms was the equivalent of a splinters to that thing?
Nothing. Nothing but watch on and hope.
….
'What the hell is he doing?!'
The Captain gritted her teeth in frustration. When Ritsuko said it'd be just like the simulations, she was pretty sure she didn't mean literally just like the simulations.
"Is it ready?" she asked with a hint of urgency, the faux-blonde nodded just as Misato went back to the boy. "I'm sending you a spare rifle! Take it and try again!"
The Evangelion remained motionless, fixed in a sort of kneeling position as the Angel began to slowly advance towards it.
"Shinji? What's wrong, Shinji?!" He turned towards Aoba, wordlessly stating her command. An image of the terrified pilot soon appeared, his hands trembling at the controls and his eyes desperately looking for an escape.
….
Shinji was petrified, eyes wide in terror as the monstrosity now hung over him, the energy whips crackling and waving by its side.
In that moment, he realized he was alone….
The white-haired man wouldn't come to his rescue this time around…
And he'd probably die here too, a failure that couldn't even do one thing right…
Was it really such a bad thing?
Was it really….
NO!
'I can't…die here…..'
SURVIVE!
'No!No!No!No!No!No!No!No!No!No!No!No!No!No!No!'
Against all possible reason, the boy found the will to roll out of the way just as the glowing appendages were inches away from the machine. The three simple words repeating themselves in the back of his mind like a broken record.
For someone that had resigned to his fate moments before, the Third sure was hauling ass, trying to widen the distance between the Messenger and himself as much as humanly possible. His opponent however, wasn't about to let him escape so easily.
Unlike his predecessor, who was more simple-minded and driven almost purely by instinct rather than intellect, Shamshel understood it's mission- albeit extremely vaguely. It understood what it came here to do, and that failure meant a similar fate to Sachiel's.
It also understood that during the mission, there would be obstacles that needed to be removed. Such as the purple machine that currently attempted to outrun it.
Unleashing its fury, the Fourth Angel slashed almost blindly at Unit-01, demolishing any and all buildings in his wake. Yet somehow, the Evangelion miraculously avoided each hit at the nick of time.
However, Shinji's luck didn't last forever.
A burning sensation overtook his left leg as one of Shamshel's whips latched onto the EVA's own, effortlessly bringing him down to the ground. The boy began to squirm, putting forth his best effort to free himself from the iron grasp….
Before he felt himself being lifted into the air like a rag doll.
Effortlessly, the Angel began swinging the metal giant in the air, slamming it into the building in front of it before brutally dragging it back towards him and finally tossing it aside like a discarded toy.
After a few seconds to reorient himself and letting the dull ache on his back pass slightly, Shinji blinked several times as he watched the bubbles within the breathable liquid dance around him. Admittedly, he had forgotten he was submerged in LCL, but that wasn't the most pressing issue at the moment.
The countdown timer started at him in fiery orange letters. That meant that somewhere during the struggle, the cable feeding him energy had been cut. What's more, time was already damning him; at best, he had only a good three and a half minutes until the machine would go silent,
He mechanically opened and closed his hands. Grass all around him. No, trees.
He could hear Misato barking orders, but her voice seemed so far away and his ears were still ringing.
His eyes widened as his gazed fixed itself on two cowering figures inches away from Unit-01's massive fingers.
Toji and Kensuke…..
He jerked his head upwards, watching as the Angel approached him in its flight form. He shot his hands up instinctually as the being attacked, catching the tendrils before his classmates were caught in the crossfire.
The boy bit down on his tongue as his grip tightened, the pain in his hands becoming almost unbearable.
Two minutes, twenty-five seconds.
"-them into the cockpit! Once they're safe, fall back to HQ and we'll start over, got it?"
Soon, the boy felt the Entry Plug being forcefully ejected, then everything suddenly went dark.
"Ga-What the hell?! Water?!"
"The camera, the camera!"
"Never mind that you-"
Both boys stopped their quarrel when the lights of the cockpit suddenly sprung to life again. They were safe, and now he could continue this with no worries. Shinji would've sighed in relief had it not been for the pain he was enduring.
With great effort, the EVA pushed the airborne monster away from it, slowly getting to its feet.
Toji blinked, unable to accept what he was seeing. "Ikari?" he muttered in a dumbfounded tone. His voice was overshadowed by a female's that crackled over internal communications.
"Good, now retreat to the side of the mountains and head to Extraction Route Number 34!"
Yet the boy remained where he stood, his numb fingers trembling from the phantom pain.
"Yo transfer kid," he shook the boy after getting over the shock, a nervous edge in his voice, "didn't you hear, they're tellin' ya to run!"
One minute, ten seconds
No….he couldn't run. Not yet. Not when there was still a chance….
"I mustn't run….I mustn't run!"
The metal giant reached for one of the pylons on it's back; the protective gear on it's hands all but gone, exposing the flesh within. Gripping the great knife, Shinji often wondered how a measly thing like this could be the preferred tool when dealing with an Angel. Sure, it was state-of-the-art and could cut down to the molecular level, but when you got down to it, a knife was a knife; the last weapon he would trust in taking down anything the size of buildings.
Guess it was time to put it to the test…
"What are you doing?! Shinji, follow my orders and-"
Fifty-nine seconds.
With the Evangelion now on its last legs, its pilot let out a roar of rage and charged.
….
"That idiot…."
Misato's cold gaze intensified as she glared at the image of Unit-01 recklessly racing downward towards the Angel-now back in it's upright stance; the small droplets of blood running in-between her fingers all but ignored.
'Now you decide to attack it?!'
The captain narrowed her eyes, watching as the Evangelion was impaled in the abdominal by both of the tendrils, staggering back and seemingly going limp a few feet away from it's target. She was about to issue the order to sortie Rei and Unit-00 when she heard the boy's screams again, watching him bury the Progressive Knife in the Angel's core.
"Unit-01 only has 30 more seconds before it goes dark!"
Maya's countdown was hardly heard over the chaos within the aforementioned machine, coupled by the sounds of warning bells in Dogma itself. Shinji wouldn't have heard her, and yet he must have known that his power was running out for he began digging the Prog Knife deeper into the crimson sphere, the sparks created by the vibrating blade intensifying.
The Angel on his part tried desperately to free it's limbs and escape, never realizing that it's fate was sealed and that all the struggle was in vain.
Then, at the final seconds of the machine's life, the core shattered and Shamshel faded into oblivion.
…
Within the dark Entry Plug, Toji's mind raced as it tried to connect the events that had transpired in such a short timespan while his gut resisted the urge to empty it's contents.
They were alright for the most part, and that thing was dead.
The new kid was a pilot for NERV…
The new kid, Shinji, whom he thought of as a complete wimp, just killed something that shrugged off everything the military threw at it.
'That means…did he kill the one that came before this guy too?' Before he could open his mouth to ask him anything, Toji stopped himself.
For perhaps the third time that day, he felt like smacking himself. To add to that, a shadow of guilt began to loom over him as he glanced at the clearly agitated pilot. Not only had he naively shoved some of the blame involving the accident that injured his sister towards him, but much like NERV, the jock placed unrealistic expectations on him-even if for just a few moments.
The sounds of labored breathing ceased.
Shinji had felt the Angel's blood stain Unit-01's face as it's core burst-the last sensation he felt before the power had been drained and the two separated. The savior of the city was now reduced to an oversized paperweight for the moment, frozen in the same posture with its front still pierced by the opponent's tendrils.
The boy's body trembled as he buried his face in his hands; his quiet sobs echoing inside the otherwise dead Plug.
Why was he crying?
Was it joy because he was happy to be alive, the realization that he could have died, but didn't? The pain he still felt all over his body?
…Or was it because that, even in victory, he managed to screw up?
As much as the boy wanted to figure it out, he pushed the thought aside and let the tears fall, with only his schoolmates as witness.
He sobbed harder once he felt Toji's hand grip his shoulder.