A/N: For those of you worried about Rebuild 3.0, I completely agree that the film was unforgivably awful, but some of the concepts in it were worth looking at.
Disclaimer: See Prologue
Chapter 26: Separate while Together
Commander's Quarters. 16 Hours after Third Impact: AVERTED
"And what is your purpose, Mr. Nagisa?" Gendo Ikari asked the silver-haired young man standing in his office.
The youth answered him, with almost Victorian etiquette and verbosity. "I was previously stationed at Tabtha Base, where Unit-06 and I prepared side-by-side, good Sir. The United Nations hurried my activation and ordered me to deliver myself to you."
"Why does the UN believe we need yet another untested pilot?"
"I have not been privy to the details, but I am aware that one of your Pilots is undergoing treatment for some psychological condition, and as such, that Pilot is unable to synchronize with their Evangelion. It appears, based on this last Angel's interaction with your active Evangelion Units, that my arrival was well-timed and fortunate." = This 'King of Lillim' is enough of a fool to believe me, isn't he? I'm not certain whether I want to destroy Him or SEELE first... =
"Yes, your actions were believed to have prevented a 'Third Impact'. Your choice of execution, however, intrigues me. How did you come to wield the Lance of Longinus?"
"I am not quite certain how it arrived, but the magnificent tool buried itself near my previous home. I saw no reason not to utilize it. Imagine: the spear. Beautiful in its simplicity. Is it coincidence that every culture on Earth developed it independent of one another?"
"Yes, admire it all you want. Now, you are Kaworu Nagisa. You introduce yourself as the Fifth Child, but the Marduk Institude has yet to publish their report on you..."
"Has the Marduk not been relatively innacurate in their findings, especially concerning the Third and Fourth?"
Gendo thought on his son's newfound defiance and the Fourth Child's failed activation. "...I suppose they have. In the very least, you have proven your ability to pilot and to wield a weapon such as the Lance. You will undergo synchronization training alongside the First and Third and will be placed on active duty. If there is any justice in the world, you will be ready before the Sixteenth arrives."
"NERV has been successful against the Angels. I would be concerned about the Angels stepping up their attacks." = As if one isn't already here. = "If my introduction is complete, Commander, perhaps I could dismiss myself and become familiar with your facilities?"
"Not yet. You are needed in our review board. You are a participant in yesterday's hostilities, and you are directly responsible for preventing the Third Child from destroying essentially everything."
"You prosecute him for carrying out the orders that you demanded of him?"
"NERV will prosecute him for his decision to use excessive, unrestrained force in the execution of his orders-"
"Every prosecution will be challenged by a defense, Gendo." Fuyutsuki interrupted him, stepping out of the shadows. "If your son has not been issued a Defensive Counsel, I will be fulfilling that role."
"Professor? Why would you-"
"Because I intend to see the boy recieve a fair tribunal, if only out of gratitude for his elimination of the Angel, even if it led Unit-01 to its ascension. He deserves that much."
"I suppose there won't be any dissuading you?"
"Negative, Commander. I believe we should be overseeing the extraction of Unit-01's plug, and the inspection of Unit-00's remains."
"Yes. You are correct. Candidate Nagisa, report to the Eva Storage Bays for your synchronization training."
"Of course, Commander." = I do look forward to seeing you again, Shinji Ikari. =
Organic material, when superheated without compression or ignition, burns itself down to carbon solids. The detonation of Unit-00's Core reduced the biomass of the Unit to graphite while it melted the armor and integrated mechanics to slag. The entry plug, on the other hand, was dented and burned, but still intact. Dr. Akagi and her crew of engineers found the plug in the epicenter of the crater that Unit-00 created on the outskirts of Tokyo-3. Her crew cut into the entry plug with the orders to retrieve either a survivor, or human remains.
"Alright, boys, get it open!"
"Yes Ma'am." One tech answered and started his plasma cutter on the molten-shut door panel. He cut for fifteen uninterrupted minutes until they were able to pry the door away. Ritsuko entered the plug first and gasped in fright.
"This is classified, you hear me! None of you will ever, EVER, speak of our findings."
"Yes, Doctor."
"Yes, Ma'am."
"I don't even know what I'm looking at, anyway."
Unit-01 on the other hand, was laying dormant on its chest after Unit-06 extracted the Lance from its body. The core had not shut down and it's wounds healed themselves. The engineers had to work to manually extract the entry plug in the field, and when the emergency door was opened, the plug's LCL spilled out, with it one unconscious young man wearing Unit-01's plugsuit.
= That isn't Shinji! = Ritsuko thought to herself, in shock.
The unknown young man was quickly examined by the doctor, who was baffled by his smoky, brownish-blue hair, pale skin and almost feminine features, and purple eyes.
= What the hell happened in there!? =
She ordered the men to load the boy onto a stretcher, as she made a call to Commander Ikari's encrypted cell phone.
"Commander we've extracted the...Unit-01 pilot...And we have evidence from Unit-00. I am bringing the...Pilot in and the Unit-00 site has been secured and the plug inspected. You'll see what we extracted from both Units very soon, Sir."
= Just who is this boy? There's no way on earth that he can be Shinji, and inside Unit-00's plug...there's no way...it's not possible! =
Kaji and Mari walked up to the Medical bay where Misato was henpecking a nurse.
"Shinji! Our Shinji Ikari! He's short, 15 years old, brown hair, blue eyes. He'd be wearing a plugsuit. Big '01' on his back...Ring any bells?"
"I'm sorry, Colonel Katsuragi, but the boy that's been brought in doesn't match your description."
"Okay, then who is this guy?"
"Dr. Akagi did not give an identity."
"So we have a John Doe that got pulled from the Eva's landing site, two missing pilots, one less Unit, and a brand new one that literally fell from the sky! I'm going to strangle Ritsuko the next time I see her-"
"Calm down, Beautiful. You're going to give yourself a migrane." Kaji snaked an arm around her waist and she smacked it away before exploding.
"CALM DOWN!? I'll show you calm you rat bastard! I have my entire crew either in the psych ward or missing in action! We have three Eva Units and one new guy that I haven't even looked at yet! Rei is gone and if there's any chance of finding Shinji I'm going to fucking do it! If Ritsuko is hiding information about MY pilots I'll stick nails in her legs and electrocute her until they turn the power off for lack of payment on the bill!"
Kaji backed off and Mari was impressed; this woman was even more messed up than she was!
"Actually, you have two pilots."
"Wait, what?!"
"I'm Mari Illustrious. UN. I'm the Problem Child. I killed the Third Angel and fought the Fourteenth. Hell, I shot the guy torturing the Professor."
"...You're Kaji's secret weapon. He's talked about you before...How did you fight the Fourteenth?"
"I had the Eva Core that matches my personality shipped out here in cold storage, then conned a bunch of IPEA guys into swapping it into Unit-02. I'm pretty sure Ritsuko had the original one moved back in afterwards-"
"You're the beast mode girl!"
"Hell Yeah! What's this story about Puppy and Watergirl?"
"Puppy and Watergirl?"
"Third is Puppy Boy because he's so cute and cuddly! First is Watergirl because she has that pretty blue hair."
"...Right. What's Asuka?"
"She's 'Princess' because she's kind of a bitch."
Misato giggled and then looked like she was about to come to tears."I don't know...Shinji's listed as MIA because Ritsuko says he wasn't pulled from Unit-01. Rei...we fear the worst."
Kaji cut in. "Misato...I'm sorry, about both of them. I know that you-"
"Now isn't the time. We have to keep two pilots ready to defend. Mari, you and this new guy are getting synch tests, pronto!"
"Awesome!"
His eyes fluttered open and saw the ceiling, he tried to sit up in the bed and found that he was handcuffed to it.
"You awake?" He recognized Ritsuko's voice.
"...I think so...Where am I?"
"You're in psych treatment. Tell me, what do you remember?"
"...Absorbing the Angel and saving Rei."
"You saved Rei?"
"Yeah...I got her out of Unit-00."
"How did you do that?"
"By absorbing the Angel."
"How did you absorb the Angel?"
"Unit-01's core...I don't know how it works...It just does..."
"Shinji, you didn't save Rei."
"...What!?" He jerked forwards and pulled his shoulder on the handcuffs. He collapsed back in the bed trying to massage the pain away.
"You started an Impact."
"How can I do that?! Only an Angel can cause an Impact!"
"Unit-01 managed to absorb two of them so far. For all intents and purposes, it is one."
"But I-"
"After you're cleared to leave the bed you are due to be reviewed by the Commander. Professor Fuyutsuki volunteered to provide you a defense. If I were you, I'd accept it. If there's anybody who can sway your father's opinion...It's him."
"...Ritsuko?"
"Shinji?"
"What happened to Rei, then?"
"She's in intensive care. Unit-00 blew up."
"I got her out of Unit-00!"
"Shinji, get some sleep. There's an extreme chance that you're delirious. You need to be of sound mind before you appear at the review."
"...Is she okay?"
"She'll recover."
He accepted that answer and laid back in the bed.
Mari was changed in to her plugsuit, and walked out of the women's locker room at the exact moment that a pale-skinned, silver-haired boy with red eyes left the men's. = Is he the new guy? God, Shinji was cute but he's georgeous! = She ran up to him.
"Hey! You just got shipped out here, right?"
"You are Mari Illustrious, the unNumbered Child. Is is my privilege to meet you." He answered her with a warm smile. She felt her body heat up.
"Yeah! We're gonna kick all kinds of ass!" She smacked his shoulder, then collapsed to the floor, holding her head in pain. A torrent of images filled her head.
Evangelion Mark 0.9 decapitated the remains of Unit-06. The Twelfth Angel emerged from it and attempted to escape to freedom, but was absorbed by Unit-13, triggering the awakening of Unit-13. Kaworu felt the Choker around his neck activate. Crystalline explosives formed around his neck, they speared through the Choker and detonated, killing the human avatar of the First Angel. Broken by the loss of Rei, and now Kaworu, Shinji's mind completely snapped. He tore the Two Spears from the body of Lillith, triggering the Fourth Impact.
"Mari! Mari!" She felt herself being held in a warm arm and felt her face being fanned. She saw his face above her and gasped.
"You're-"
"Yes. I am the son of Adam, creator of this world. I know what you saw. That was my previous attempt to defend this world that you and I call home. Much like my first, I was decieved by the King of Lillim. I intend to see him fall."
"...King of Lillim?"
"Our Commander. He sees himself Master of the Second Angel. I can assure you that She will not serve him. His hubris and arrogance will destroy him."
"But you-"
"I have no desire to see the end of this world. I want to see humanity grow and prosper. I was decieved once into believing that my remains were kept here, deep in Terminal Dogma. That place is Lillith's grave, and I will not be fooled into invading it again."
"What happened?"
"Commander Ikari, worms devour him, hid my predecessor's remains from me, and then used them to control the daughter of Lillith. He caused the Final Impact himself, raising Lillith from her grave. She reaped all the souls of humanity, until the focus of her human love rejected her and her work. Shinji Ikari refused to allow the Second Angel to merge all of humanity into a singular consciousness; perfect, infinite, dead.
When Lillith died, my predecessor's remains returned to life and absorbed her flesh, growing to the strength of a god. It was able to Rebuild this world after the Corrupt Ikari destroyed it...It did not accomplish much good. Ikari's mad crusade to resurrect his dead wife continued after our Rebirth. My second death...you were a witness of. Tell me, Have you had visions such as those before."
"Yeah...I have. A vision is how I figured out how to fight the Fourteenth Angel..."
"Then it seems that you were not bound to my will. Any individuals who were reborn were to forget these events. You seem to be a 'Wild Card,' as it were. If you assist me, I would be priveleged to show you more of these secrets."
"...Maybe you could show me some of them over dinner, some time?" She asked him, acting as cutely as she could make herself.
"You know that I am not human, yet you wish to pursue me?"
"That doesn't bother you about Shinji- oh yeah, I felt those memories, too -yet you pursue him."
"Shinji is the one who showed me the ability to feel human happiness. I have no regard for his physical gender. After all, though I am, anatomically, a human male, my race does not divide itself into two sexes. I have been trying to contact Shinji. Do you know of his wherabouts?"
"Section-2's keeping him hidden. I have no idea."
"I value his companionship. I have learned the contentment that comes from human relationships."
"...You know," She said, batting her eyes and twirling her hair. "From what I've heard; he's off the market. He's completely blinded by the First. You and me, on the other hand, we're both single, and you are the handsomest guy I've ever laid eyes on. The fact that you're a god is just a plus. Just promise me that you don't want to end the world."
= She truly is a 'Wild Card'...Perhaps, I can show myself happiness, this time... = "Quite the opposite. My heart desires nothing more than to save it."
He helped her to her feet and offered his arm to her, she held on tight to it as they walked to the test chamber to prepare for their synchronization.
"We have to make this quick, Commander. The other two are going in for a synch test, and I need to be there."
"Very well. Activate her."
Ritsuko entered a few commands and the number '03' into a small tablet she was carrying. A blank-faced, dumbly smiling girl drifted into the tube before the Commander and herself.
"I'm beginning the Transfer now..." She entered the command into the tablet, and the MAGI returned a message with a warning. "Drives not found!? We just recently backed her memory up! What the hell has happened?!" She turned to the girl before her. "Okay, I'll try anyway: Do you know who you are?"
"...Who?...Am I?" She sounded if she had to dig through her mind to find the words to answer with.
"Aren't you Rei Ayanami, the First Child and Designated Pilot of Evangelion Unit-00?"
"...Am...I?" She looked confused inside the LCL.
"Commander, we have a problem. The memories didn't transfer..."
"How could this happen, Doctor?" He sounded frustrated. Ritsuko knew not to frustrate the Commander.
"They are kept on 8 separate RAID-6 Drive Arrays...They could only fail if somebody actively deleted them...Commander, I think the clone process has been sabotaged."
"By who?"
"I don't know. This is the most secure facility on the planet. The saboteur would need to be an expert at breaking, entering, and computer security."
"Bring her out, even if she isn't competent. We need her in time for the Final Angel's elimination, we have to use her before SEELE can attempt their own Completion."
"I don't think this is a good idea, Commander."
"Do I pay you to think?"
"Uhh, Yes."
"Very well then, your concern will be noted."
She sighed and prepared this new vessel for her entry into the world.
The Chamber drained of LCL, she felt her feet touch the grate on the floor. She watched in confusion and wonder as the glass around her rose to the ceiling. A woman with golden hair approached her. She dressed her in a white blouse and teal school dress.
"Rei, we need you to go back to work, alright?"
"Work...?"
"...This isn't a good sign."
I love you...
= Huh...? =
Shinji was mostly asleep and was...hearing things?
I want to be held again...
= Who are you? =
Shouldn't you know?
= ...What?! =
He sat up in the bed as far as he could. A small group of Section 2 agents were looking over him. One detached his handcuffs and led him to NERV's assembly room.
"First Lieutenant Ikari, please be seated."
He took a chair before his father's place, Fuyutsuki came to sit beside him. "I agree with your father that you did the wrong thing, but I know that you did it for the right reason. I'm going to see you through this."
"Confirm your identity."
"...Shinji Ikari."
"...I may be getting old, but I'd think I'd recognize my son. You look...different."
"I'll go out on a limb and say that I've changed while I've been here."
"Undoubtedly. Roughly 24 hours ago, Lieutenant, you were launched as a reserve asset in the defense against our latest threat."
"If I was launched as the Primary, I could have prevented Unit-00's victimization."
"Was it Unit-00 that you were concerned for?"
"No, you're right. I was concerned for Unit-00's pilot. The UN gave us a pretty nice budget, right? The vehicle can be replaced, the pilots are human lives."
"The pilots can be replaced as well-"
"Can they? I'd say that we're all pretty irreplaceable."
"Shinji," Fuyutsuki prodded him. "don't cut in to the statements like that."
"I have a point that I'm going to reach, but thank you for the counsel, Professor."
"You say that you're irreplaceable; defend your statement."
"The Evangelion Unit is attuned to its pilot. It takes everything short of an act of God to build a Core for a new pilot-...oh, right. I forgot to mention, the core is what gives the Eva Unit its power and its link to its pilot...almost like the Eva is a human...like it's the pilot's family..." Shinji gave his father a sick smile.
"Shinji-"
"Not now, Professor. I'm either going to win this 'trial' or I'm going to make him shoot me right here."
"That's a rather outrageous analogy-"
"She agrees."
"...I could have you locked up for a very long time. You caused the very event NERV exists to prevent."
"Yes, acting on my orders to defend First Lieutenant Ayanami from her physical and mental assault by the Fifteenth Angel resulted in a somewhat overzealous defeat of said Angel...Forgive me for that, but I was not willing to witness the death of Rei."
"She can be replaced as well, no matter how much you dislike that thought-"
"Not really. That's something I like about Rei...No matter what horrible shit happens to her, she always comes back, good as new." He smirked up to his father's position.
"I'm going to ask you simply. What do you know?"
"I know that the Evas aren't being used to defend the planet. They're the bait for bigger fish."
"...We're going to take a recess. Further quantifiable documentation is required. First Lieutenant Ikari, this is for your benefit. We do not make statements in accusation without documentation to support it."
"I appreciate your 'mercy,' but I was under the impression that we don't record our particular version of fun."
"Everything you do is logged, somewhere. You will be taken to temporary holding for the night."
"What? No 5-star hotel for the pilot with the highest kill count?"
"You're alive. Remember that."
Misato opened a line of communication to the two 'new' pilots from their test plugs.
"Mari, we're tuning your test plug for Unit-02 and we're going to inspect your Core while its in cold storage."
"So much paperwork to do, Misato..."
"I know...Kaworu, Unit-06's profile is being loaded into the MAGI as we speak."
"So much computational power available to us...Amazing."
"...I've never really thought about it, before, but you're right. We do have great equipment. I know that you've both heard this before, but keep trying to go deeper, both of you. The higher the sync the better your performance."
"Sure, Misato!"
"Of course, Colonel."
"They are both already professionals, Misato." Ritsuko stated from her terminal.
"Sure, but there's no point in ignoring thier training because of that. How's Not-Shinji's condition?"
Ritsuko sighed. There was no ignoring Misato's prodding. "He has to appear before the Commander before you'll be able to contact him."
Shinji tossed and turned on the uncomfortable cell bed, his dreams confusing. He knew he was asleep, but he felt as if his eyes were wide open, looking around a pitch black space.
= Not like I can see anything, eyes open or closed. =
Although I like living in your head rent-free, I'd really like the opportunity to go home...
= You again? Are you just going to start bothering me again? =
It is tempting. After all, I enjoy watching your melodramatic overreactions...
= ...Only one person I've ever known talks like that... =
Notice a difference? I learned some of your 'informal language' skills while I've been in here. Really, digging through your thoughts and memories is kind of fun! I had a great time looking through all these occassions you've imagined me in and out of my plugsuit! And you're right, one-pieces do look better than bikinis. Maybe I'll wear mine and model for you, sometime.
= Don't bring those up, please! =
Aww! Boyfriend's trying to keep up his 'Knight in Shining Armor' reputation! Really, Shinji, I'd love to act out a few of these fantasies of yours if it means I snap you up permanently.
= Rei, you don't have to do anything. =
I was created in order to be committed to a purpose. I'm hardwired to make committments. I have little experience with the motions of a relationship. I want to keep you by my side.
= How am I even talking to you? =
Don't you remember all that punishment you went through for me?
= Of course I do...I just didn't think when I pulled you through the Angel that I was pulling you...into...me? God that sounds ridiculous... =
But that's exactly what happened. Now don't you want a warm, comfortable bed for the evening?
= ...Sure... =
Face the cell door and hold your hand up. Then go to my apartment.
He forced himself awake and got out ot the bed. When he obeyed...her?...an orange hexagon appeared before his hand and burst through the cell door. He had a way out. Section 2 guards rushed to the room but were pinned and knocked unconscious against a wall by Shinji's projected AT Field.
= THIS IS INCREDIBLE! = He cheered to himself. = Has Rei always been able to do this?! She has a really strong sense of restraint not to kill everyone that irritates her! = He knocked out another wave of guards. = Is this because Rei is part Angel? = He broke out of the holding compound and snuck up to ground level, introducing any personnel who opposed him to the wall.
"Commander," Gendo was awakened by his secure phone. "security in the holding cells has been brought offline and the MAGI have recorded projections of an AT Field throughout the facility."
"Where was this last encounter?"
"The last known location was...the Eva storage bays."
"Dispatch armed security to that location and give them orders to search for Shinji Ikari. It would appear that our fears concerning him are true."
"Yes, Sir. Scrambling forces now."
= ...What has our son become, Yui? =
While he was recieving the call, a young man was riding the train out to Tokyo-3's housing projects. In the Evangelion storage bays, a squad of security shook their heads in confusion at those two new pilots, who they found happily chatting outside their entry plugs. They didn't find the target they were assigned, so they reported their findings to the Commander.
"Commander, Security. We only found those two new pilots, and they were scheduled to be here. There's absolutely nothing else down here."
Shinji walked into Rei's apartment to find the girl sleeping, fully clothed and unblanketed, on top of her unmade bed. He looked at her, she looked even less involved in basic personal hygeine and self-preservation than when he first met her. He shook her awake, only for her eyes to lazily drift open and blankly stare at him.
"Rei? Can you recognize me?"
"...Me...?" She latched on to the last word of his sentence.
"Yes. Rei, it's me, Shinji. We know each other really well..."
"Really...well...?" She looked more and more confused as Shinji kept talking.
"...Do you remember what happened?"
"What happened...Doctor...She told me..." She looked up to him, puzzled.
"...Go back to sleep, Rei. I need some time to think."
He sat in her school chair, closed his eyes and let himself drift to sleep.
= Rei...what happened to you? =
What you're looking at is just a replica, Shinji. A soulless, mindless, walking doll. Funny, this is what Soryu always accused me of being.
= It's not funny, Rei. It's wrong. I tried to save you- =
You succeeded, Shinji. I'm here, with you.
= You know that's not what I mean. =
She is my return to physical life, Shinji.
= What does that mean? =
I am a soul without a body. She is a body without a soul.
= And you can, what- =
I cannot, not without assistance. The chamber that you and I so hate will allow me to return to my body.
= Your...soul can...enter a body? God, this is too much for me! =
I know it is, Shinji. That's why it must be done, then forgotten.
= Rei, if I do this thing to her...will it kill her? =
She isn't actually alive, Shinji, only programmed to function. She's just one stage above 'brain dead'.
= This still seems wrong, Rei =
Your unconditional concern for the well-being of others is your greatest trait, Shinji. It may well be 'wrong,' but the alternative is worse, believe me.
= ...I trust you, Rei, completely. What do I do? =
Take her to Misato's apartment and introduce her. I believe that it is time for your guardian to learn the truth about me.
= Something tells me that I'm not going to like this. =
He woke up, shook Rei awake, and led her by hand out of her apartment. = It's like she can't even move without something ordering her around. Those bastards will pay, I promise them that. =
He traveled across the battered surface of Tokyo-3 and brought her to Misato's apartment. It was daybreak when he arrived, and entered her house with Rei in tow. He marched into his room, retrieved the handgun that he stole from a Section-2 agent, and beat on Misato's door.
"MISATO! GET UP! I don't care how hungover you are!"
Kaji opened the door, a blanked wrapped around his waist. "What the hell did we ever do to you Shin-...Who are you?!"
"I'm Shinji, believe me. I just decided to try a new look for a while."
"Yeah, 'new look'. You look just like a-"
"Not now, Kaji, I need Misato awake. We need to have a long, long discussion with Ritsuko."
"Ouch. I'll bet Ritzy'll never know what hit her. I'll get Misato, but she'll be cranky."
"I'm used to it."
He waited a few moments until she came out of her room, dazed and badly dressed.
"WHAT HAPPENED TO SHINJI?!"
"Misato, calm down. I just look a little different. Ritsuko can explain it when we 'talk' to her."
"And what about Rei?"
"Ask her yourself."
"Rei, what happened to you?"
"To me...?"
"Shinji, what's wrong with her?"
"Ritsuko will have to answer for that, too."
"Well then, let's go see her. Kaji you-"
"I was just going to get some gardening done, Misato, you go on without me." He flipped out his cell phone and sent a text message.
Misato barged into Ritsuko's office with Shinji pulling Rei in by her hand.
"What is the meaning of this! You're supposed to be under surveillance by Section-2-"
Ritsuko shut up when Shinji drew his weapon on her.
"Shinji!" Misato cut in. "Put that down!"
"Not until Ritsuko starts telling the truth, Misato. Now, 'Doctor,' you're going to give me and Misato a little facilities tour, aren't you?"
"I don't know what-" He pulled the slide on the handgun. "Fine, you three follow me."
She ushered them into an elevator and entered her authorization to travel to the Artificial Evolution Laboratory. They stopped at the first room Ritsuko knew Misato needed to see. Shinji pulled Rei in and looked around, an expression of smoldering anger on his face. Rei simply looked around in confusion.
"...This is...Rei's apartment!" Misato looked in shock at the small room that had the exact layout as the apartment Rei now lived in.
"It was created purposefully. Keeping Rei in the same, static environment allowed Commander Ikari to condition her from birth-"
"And he failed at it, trust me." Shinji cut in.
"Yes, it has become clear that he did." Ritsuko continued. "This is the room Rei lived in until she was six years old."
"You know that's a lie, Doctor, how old is Rei, really?"
"...You know the whole truth, don't you, Shinji?"
"Yes, I do. Let's continue."
"Wait, what is all this?" Misato noticed the beaker of water and an array of drugs on a small refirgerator, the same array as Rei kept in her apartment.
"Rei spent a large part of her life on a diet of vitamins, anti-rejection medication, and experimental medication to preserve her body composition. She had to be taught how to keep herself healthy."
They left the room and she brought the trio to a lookout over a vast area covered in bones and rotting muscles.
"An Eva graveyard. Failed attempts to build the Units before Unit-00. We use the area to decompose the biomass and regrow it into the syntehtic flesh of the active Units."
Shinji took over the conversation. "It's where Unit-00 and Unit-01 were activated. It's where my mother entered Unit-01." He turned to look at Ritsuko's horrified expression. "Oh yeah, Ritzy, I know all about it. Wipe that look off your face."
Misato stared in awe out over the hundreds of failed experiments. Ritsuko spoke and shook her out of her trance. "There's one more place you need to visit. It's probably what Shinji wants you to see. I have no doubt that he already knows about it."
"Yes, Ritsuko, as a matter of fact, I do. Let's go there."
Ritsuko led the group to their final destination. She entered her authorization and led them into the room. Misato looked at the glass tube that extended up to a brain shaped mesh of wiring and piping.
"What is this thing?"
"It's the construction system for the dummy plugs."
"What!?"
Shinji answered her. "Rei has to float in that tube while they probe her mind and copy her memories. They use those memories to program the plugs. Turn on the lights, Ritsuko."
"Shinji, I don't think Misato-" * Click *
Ritsuko paled at the sound of Shinji's weapon and activated the illumination for the LCL tank behind the chamber. Hundreds of bodies of Rei Ayanami appeared in the light, naked and floating in the LCL. Shinji closed his eyes and looked away, but otherwise remained silent. Misato screamed.
"...R-Rei! They're all Rei!"
She pulled her weapon on Ritsuko and Shinji darted to her side and pushed it away. "Not. Yet." He whispered in her ear. Across the room, Rei walked up to her sisters and placed one hand on the glass. She stared in almost reverent observance of the other girls in the tank.
Shinji moved over to her and pulled her away from the glass wall. He came up to Ritsuko and gave her an order.
"Ritsuko, let's end this. Drain the tube and open it."
"What are you trying to do, Shinji?"
"Bringing Rei back, even if it's the last thing I do."
"Shinji I can't let you risk-"
"Either you do it, or I shoot you and I talk Misato through the operations. Change the data source from the MAGI to my DNA sequence. Rei-3 is the destination."
"Shinji, I deserve to die for the things I've done."
"And you won't get that satisfaction. Now, prepare the chamber or I throw you in the lake of LCL."
"Fine, Shinji." She typed a string of commands into the room's terminal and the orange liquid drained from the tube and it rose into the ceiling.
"Misato, turn around." Shinji undressed Rei, then himself. He led her to stand on the grate in the chamber, then pressed his chest and stomach closely against her own; the tube was not made for two people. He noticed that she had no reaction other than her continued blank stare. = I want the old Rei back, now! = He wrapped his arms around her waist and nodded to Ritsuko. She lowered the tube around them.
The chamber began to fill with LCL and Shinji hugged Rei closer as they floated, wishing for the affectionate girl he knew to return. Ritsuko electrified the LCL and locked the wireless transfer on to the electromagnetic waves detected in Shinji's mind. She programmed the computer to target Rei's brain as the destination and activated the transfer.
Shinji screamed as he felt stabbing pain inside his head. His eyes lit bright red then darkened, returning to his natural shade of blue. His hair darkened, returning to its natural shade of brown. A glowing, spectral mist passed from his body into Rei's. She blinked several times, a look of sudden clarity appearing on her face. Her face twisted into an expression of pure hatred, and she glared at Ritsuko. Orange, transluscent hexagons formed around her and Shinji's bodies, forming into a crystalline shell. She furrowed her eyebrows and forced the AT Field outwards, bursting the glass tube into glass powder and destroying the dummy plug components. The LCL flooded into the room and Shinji dropped to the floor, clutching his head in pain. Rei walked up to Ritsuko, raised her hand towards her, and began forming a projected AT field. Ritsuko froze in terror as Rei prepared to blow the woman into the wall behind her; she was sure to be killed.
A warm hand gripped her wrist. Shinji, now looking no different than a few days prior, pulled her into a hug, holding her tightly and glaring up to Ritsuko.
"The harshest punishment you could endure is to keep living with all this on your pathetic conscience, Ritsuko." He looked over to the clones. "I'm sorry, Rei."
"Do it, Shinji. I am unafraid. You've saved me twice, now."
"Ritsuko," He ordered. "Destroy them. My father doesn't deserve them."
"...You're right. He doesn't." She entered a few commands into the terminal and a chemical solvent was released. Misato screamed as she watched the clones slowly disentigrate, blood and organs flooding the tank until all that was left was a reddish-brown haze in the liquid. Shinji and Rei closed their eyes and held tightly to one another, blocking out the gasps and cries of pain coming from her sisters.
"...Rei, let's get out of here."
A/N: If Mari wants some, Mari gets some!