Chapter 6: Sleep walking part 2
I follow Misato into the command center, "What are you doing here Brandyn?" Ritsuko asks the moment I walk through the door. "Look I know you guys are mad at me but you need all the help you can get." I reply. "And just how much help do you think someone in your mental and physical condition could give?" Ritsuko states. Her words linger in the air. "Don't be so hard on him Ritsuko, he's just trying to help." Maya of all people is the one to defend you.
"Enough of this." comes a voice from behind, I turn around and see the bastard king himself, Gendo Ikari. Despite the fact that I've been stranded here for two months this is the first time I've seen him in person. "The fifth child will be escorted out of this room." Gendo states without a hint of emotion. I sigh, I could argue with Ritsuko but Gendo is an entirely different beast. I follow two C-sec agents out of the room. "Is the pilot of Unit 01 ready?" I hear Gendo say. Shinji's "Yes sir" is the last thing I hear before the door shuts behind me.
I'm escorted to a random bunker deeper in NERV HQ. "Well at least this bunker has a bed." I mentally note. I figured now would be a good time to get some sleep. I lay on the bed but can't fall asleep because of the adrenaline and general nervousness that comes with an angel attack. Even after taking one of those pills Ritsuko gave me I couldn't get a wink of sleep. I sigh, I wonder how the battle is going.
Central Command
"Is the pilot of Unit 01 ready?" Gendo asks. "Yes sir" Shinji replies. The Catapult launches him up. "Alright now Shinji we don't know a whole lot about this angel so just keep your distance and observe." Misato says. "Power levels spiking!" Maya yells. "What?!" Misato replies. "It's about to attack what do we do Captain?!" Makoto says. "Shinji get out of there now!" Misato yells. Before Shinji can move out of the way the beam hits.
Shinji's scream can be heard throughout the room. Everyone seems to be horrified at whats happening (well everyone but Gendo anyway) though it seems to have effected Maya the most. "Eject the Entry plug, pilot safety is top priority!" Misato orders. "Cancel that order" Gendo says. "What?!" Misato yells. "If we eject the pilot his AT field will disappear and we'll lose Unit 01." Ritsuko replies. "Alright then, set off the bombs under Tokyo 3, we'll retrieve Unit 01 that way." Misato says.
Down in the Bunker
I hear an explosion, "they must be setting off those bombs to retrieve Shinji" I think to myself. Suddenly the door to my cell as I call it opens. "Come with us" one of the two C-sec officers that escorted me down here says. I start following them and realize that we're...going back up to central command?! Something's wrong, they wouldn't be calling me back there unless they were desperate. I start running towards Central command, which surprises the C-sec agents.
I rush into the room, "Whats wrong?" I say in between pants. "Shinji's been incapacitated, and the angel's going to pierce all the layers of NERV in four hours." Misato replies. Four hours?! Dammit, some of the angels have gotten stronger, yet another complication in my plan to fix this world. "So I'm assuming I'm going to be piloting Unit 01?" I ask. "Yes, both you and Rei will be deployed, well once we get Unit 01 fixed anyway." Misato says.
Shinji's Hospital room
I go to see Rei who is watching over Shinji in the hospital. "Hey Rei." I say as I enter the room. Rei greets me back "Hello fifth child.". "You could try calling me Brandyn you know, everyone else does." I say. "Oh, OK...Brandyn." Rei replies. "Now your getting it!" I exclaim. "So why did you come all this way to communicate with me Brandyn?" Rei asks. "What can't a couple of friends just talk before a life threatening mission?" I say jokingly. "I suppose not." Rei replies, she didn't seem to get the joke. In all actuality the real reason
"So why did you come to check on Shinji anyway?" I tease. Rei's face just barely turns red, though considering this Rei we're talking about she might as well be beet red. "I merely came to check on pilot Ikari because he was hurt and-" Rei rambles a bit. I laugh "Ok, OK, no need to blow a fuse Rei I won't press you any further on the matter." "Now I know why Misato does this all the time" I think to myself. Rei glances at her watch, "Come, the operation is about to start." she says before running off like usual.
Location of Operation
"So what's the plan?" I ask. "Well despite the fact that we're calling this an operation we really don't have any sort of plan beyond kill that thing." Misato replies. "So it's a suicide mission." I mumble. Misato just looks down at her feet. Maybe it was because of my disturbing lack of fear at this apparent suicide mission but it was at this point that I realized just how mentally and emotionally drained I really am. The only things keeping me together at this point are anxiety and adrenaline.
Inside Unit 01
"Are you ready?" Misato bluntly asks. "As ready as I'll ever be." I reply. "How about you Rei." Misato asks. "I am also prepared." Rei states. "Then go out there and kick some angel ass!" Misato yells before signaling Aoba to launch the catapults. The catapults launch Rei and I towards the surface. The sudden whiplash throws me forward. "Brandyn, Rei we're sending up some rifles!" you can hear Misato's voice echo throughout the entry plug. I grab the rifle from the bulding next to me and begin to open fire.
The shots just bounce off Ramiel's AT field. I see Ramiel preparing to counter attack, "Rei shoot the core!" I yell before dodging out of the way of the gigantic laser heading my way. Rei does her best but can't hit the core. "Dammit!" I yell. "Energy levels spiking!" I hear Maya's voice. "Oh No, REI LOOK OUT!" I yell. Rei tried to dodge but it was too late, everything in her general direction was consumed in a giant energy beam. I scan through the aftermath of the explosion and see Unit 00 layed out on the ground. "REI, REI, RESPOND DAMMIT!" I yell at the top of my lungs. "Her life signs are faint but there, just worry about taking down the bastard that did that to her." I hear Misato's voice say.
How do I take down a monster like this, our weapons are useless, the only reason Ramiel was defeated before isn't here, not to mention the fact that he's stronger than before. There's only one way, I begin focusing my thoughts. "Yui Ikari, I don't have the strength to protect what I care about, but you do. Help me, if you don't want to do it for me fine but do it for your son...Shinji." I mentally communicate with the mother inside the monster.
Unit 01 roars at the top of it's lungs, "What's going on?!" I hear Ritsuko say. "Has it gone beserk?!" Maya speaks next. "No, Brandyn's still piloting!" I hear Misato shout. I jump towards Ramiel, "How is this possible?! A synch rate of 300% has never been achieved!" Misato exclaims. I thrust Unit 01's hands into Ramiel and begin to pull the not completely solid angel apart enough to expose the core.
"It's getting ready for another shot!" Maya yells. Ramiel fires a shot point blank into Unit 01's face, the Eva stumbles a bit but I keep my grip on the geometry assignment from hell. Unit 01's eyes begin to glow and before long they shoot lasers point blank into Ramiel's core. Ramiel explodes and it's blood rains everywhere. I don't know if it was the emotional toll, the physical toll, or the fact that I haven't gotten any sleep in the last 48 hours but I pass out.
I groggily open my eyes to see that I'm in a hospital and that Misato is looking at me, I give her a stupid grin. "Don't you ever do something that stupid again!" Misato warns with a stern face...she can't keep it for long though because she starts crying and pulls me in for a warm embrace.
And that my friends is the epic finale to the first arc if you can call it that. I hope the end fight didn't seem too mary sueish and don't worry Shinji and Rei will be back in commission in the chapters to come. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, and I hope you had just as much fun reading it. In the next arc Asuka comes to town and the other pilots get more screen time (or I guess word time?), and we also get to find out who the fourth child is.