Hi guys, Calborghete here, how are you all? I hope everyone is doing well.
Don't forget to like the page on Facebook, the direct link can be found on my Fanfiction profile page, or if you prefer search for "Calborghete" and locate an image of Shinji and Asuka. On this page I will post updates and it will also be easier for you to contact me.
So now without further ado, enjoy your reading.
"Dialogues"
- Thoughts -
"Radio Talk"
"Self talk."
Liability Note:
Evangelion, its characters and setting are the property of Hideaki Anno. Any brands, movies and series mentioned in this Fanfic are the property of their creators.
(*)
Chapter 09 - Unit 01.
It had been a few weeks since Asuka's recovery, Shinji was driving towards Italy with only one goal in mind, to recover Unit 01.
Knowing that this would not be an easy task, Shinji closed his eyes and gave a long sigh, feeling his chest itch, he held his breath to control the cough that was threatening to come up.
Feeling better, Shinji took his binoculars and pointed them at the WILLE compound where unit 01 was being held, carefully observing the movement of the place every point where he could enter, but deep down he knew that this would not be an easy task, being one of the last operational EVA units, the security schemes were going to be rigid.
"I can do that." Shinji spoke to himself as he lowered the binoculars, still having the base as a view in the background, searching his mind for his plan to accomplish this feat.
Bringing the binoculars to his face again, Shinji watched as a group of WILLE's technicians made their way outside giving him an idea, he saw when one of the technicians got into a vehicle and started to walk away.
Going back to the place where he was hiding, Shinji began to formulate his plan of how he would manage to infiltrate, knowing that it would not be an easy task, as night fell, the more Shinji's mind formulated and thought, but soon a memory came up, this is a memory that caused a chill to rise on his back.
"After you were arrested, Unit 01 shut down." The voice of SEELE 06 echoed through his mind.
Knowing that it was a possibility that unit 01 would never work again, Shinji closed his eyes to think, trying to formulate an escape plan in case he couldn't activate it, but the more he thought, the farther he got from a solution.
"That's it then." Shinji spoke into the wind as he lay on the ground and stared up at the stars, knowing full well that if he failed all would be lost, most likely he would be imprisoned again or killed.
"Is it worth all that effort?" His mind spoke keeping the tone of voice calm and normal, as if it were the advice of a close friend.
Shinji was beginning to ask himself this question quite often, the doubt having become more and more intense after his meeting with Asuka and his short conversation with Misato.
Soon his mind had been invaded with memories of the old days, the moment Misato had given him a home, the moment he met Rei, the moment he arrived at school and met his friends, the arrival of Asuka and how she made his life a living hell.
But these memories were doing something to Shinji, who still continued to stare at the stars, with only darkness as his companion, these memories were causing him to have doubts.
"I ... I care." Asuka's voice echoed through his mind, closing his eyes tightly with the mental image of her saying that sentence.
"Misato wouldn't want that." Again Asuka's voice sounded, breaking any will to oppress those thoughts, Shinji gave a long sigh as he reopened his eyes.
"Is it?" Shinji wondered as he thought about it, looking steadily at the starry sky of Italy.
"I owe it to the world." Shinji spoke with a downcast voice, knowing full well that his crimes were irreversible, with a slow movement, Shinji picked up a small notebook that was kept in his pocket.
Opening it slowly, Shinji came across the handwritten pages detailing every part of his plan while in prison, having already memorized every move he should make, but still his eyes locked on the last page, having written as Plan E.
Reading each line, soon Shinji gave a long sigh as he read the words that were written on the white sheet. "That will be my gift to the world, finally Misato will smile at me again, I could finally go knowing that I did something that everyone will be happy about."
"Is it Shinji?" Again his consciousness spoke, bringing back memories and feelings that Shinji had not thought about for a long time. "Will that be what will make Misato and the others smile?"
"It's the only way." Shinji replied dejectedly, his eyes still locked on the written lines of his final plan. "I can't see it any other way."
"But remember Kaji's words." His mind soon brought back the memories with his meeting with Kaji. "He said that you are gaining points from your pursuit of SEELES, you can achieve the same goal in another way. "
Shinji felt the anxiety rising inside him, he knew that his mind and body desperately longed for these people, his body wanted the warmth of Misato's motherly embrace, to know that she had forgiven him, to understand that he hadn't meant it to be just a big accident, that he hadn't meant to cause people so much pain and the main thing, that he wasn't like his father.
He closed his fist as the image of his father appeared in front of him, but soon it had been replaced by Rei's image, remembering Fuyutsuki's words, about her being a clone of his mother, this having bothered Shinji for a long time, but soon he came to his conclusion, knowing that Rei was not to blame for coming into the world this way, knowing that she was being manipulated by her father, coming to the conclusion that Rei was the closest thing to a blood family he had and the sound of having a sister was good, someone to care about.
Finally his mind fell on Asuka, his old roommate, a girl who had hair the color of bronze, impeccable posture and unbreakable courage, just the person he was supposed to be, but he knew deep down that he would never be able to keep up with this fiery woman.
Lowering his gaze and feeling down, Shinji began to remember everything he could regarding Asuka, remembering all the times she had cussed him out by giving him a little laugh when she had beaten him and called him a pervert when she had met pen-pen.
Shinji wasn't sure when his mind began to pay more attention to his roommate, the when he began to worry about her well-being and her safety, knowing that Asuka had never been the person who would need help, but his mind longed to want to see her safe.
Remembering her physical features, Shinji closed his eyes as he imagined his life, fantasizing about the perfect world where he could pluck up courage and finally be able to ask Asuka out and who knows, maybe be able to taste the honey of her kisses, be able to feel the warmth of her body against his.
Blushing slightly as he imagined himself kissing Asuka, Shinji quickly tried to clear that image from his mind, knowing that he shouldn't harbor fantasies about things he could never have, but he couldn't deny that he wished things were different.
Again his mind brought up the pages of his little notebook, but unlike before, something in these written lines was not right, they no longer had the charm of before, something in his mind longed for changes in his plans.
"No." Shinji scolded himself as he began to doubt his plans. "No ... This is how it's going to be."
Putting the notebook back in his pocket, Shinji went back to staring at the starry sky, but the feelings that were awakened didn't pass, they only kept echoing through his head.
Bringing his hands to his eyes, Shinji let out a long sigh, trying desperately to control himself, especially his thoughts, trying to force his motivations into his subconscious, hoping to get back to his reality, the harsh reality he had caused himself and everyone around him.
"It's no use." Shinji growled with his eyes closed, he knew that what he longed for most could never be achieved, and worst of all, he was to blame for it all, knowing that he had screwed it up, not just once but twice.
"I suck." Shinji was wanting to cry, but he was determined never to do that again. "That's what I deserve, and that's what I'm going to give them, that will be my redemption."
After saying these words, Shinji felt his body begin to relax, finally his mind began to calm down enough that he could rest, even a little.
(*)
The next morning Shinji was watching as a vehicle approached, ducked behind a wall, the closer the vehicle got the more Shinji prepared himself.
Seeing one of the cars stopping, Shinji stood up and walked with quickened steps towards his target, knowing that this person had due access to the place with slight ease.
Getting out of his car, a man in his forties was getting his things, walking to the trunk of the vehicle, the technician didn't notice Shinji approaching from behind his back.
Walking casually, Shinji tried not to draw unnecessary attention, trying to look like one of the workers in the place.
Wearing a cap to hide his face, Shinji had his eyes locked on the back of the technician who was picking up his material, approaching and stopping a few feet from the man, Shinji spoke.
"Excuse me sir, but could you help me?" Shinji asked quietly, trying his best to appear to be a person in need of help, but he soon berated himself for it, having forgotten that he was in Italy and not Japan.
Turning to see the person who had called him, frowning at the foreign language that was speaking behind him, the man slowly turned around, when he locked his eyes on Shinji, he asked confusedly, "Mi dispiace signore, non capisco.
Shinji had his head down, still scolding himself for letting this detail of the language slip out, but he couldn't turn back now, raising his head and looking the man in the eye.
"Mio Dio." Said the man as he looked at Shinji's face, not because of the fact that he recognized Shinji, but that was because of his physical appearance, his eyes had heavy dark circles under his eyes due to the low hours of sleep, a strong scar was forming on the cut he had received in Asuka's rescue.
Seeing the shock in the eyes of the man in front of him, Shinji closed his fist, hoping that he had not been recognized, but his doubt was soon broken by this official's next sentence.
"Mio Dio signore, hai bisogno di aiuto? (My God sir, do you need help? )" He asked with genuine concern.
Shinji felt relieved, because from the way the man spoke, even though he didn't understand Italian, but could judge that his appearance suggested that he needed medical help, he only nodded.
"Vieni, siediti qui. (Come, sit here)." Spoke the man as he turned and began to open the back door of the car to make a place for Shinji to sit.
Seeing the opportunity, Shinji quickly put his arm around the man's neck, feeling guilty for such an act, but it was necessary, squeezing the man's neck in a stranglehold.
Soon the technician's movements stopped, Shinji seeing this quickly eased his grip, placing his finger on the man's neck and feeling for a pulse, with a sigh of relief as he saw that he had managed to render the man unconscious.
Pulling his sleeping body into the back of the vehicle, Shinji gently laid him down to avoid physical harm to the man who offered him help. "I'm sorry about that." Shinji spoke as he closed the lid.
Grabbing his uniform badge, Shinji quickly put them on and started his way to the entrance of the WILLE base, after a few minutes of walking, Shinji tried to blend in with other technicians who were going to start their work day.
Sliding the badge over the door's locking mechanism, Shinji breathed a sigh of relief when he saw it open, with a picture of the man who was now sleeping in the trunk of the car.
Keeping his head down at all times, Shinji didn't want his face to be seen by the security cameras, the last thing he wanted now was to be recognized and the alarms to go off.
"Buongiorno." A man holding an assault rifle spoke as he saw Shinji walking by.
Waving his hand in greeting back, Shinji was breaking into a cold sweat as he saw that this was all very risky.
Feeling his hand shaking for each step he took inside the compound, Shinji was looking for the place where his unit 01 was being held, after a few minutes of searching, Shinji entered a room, but soon a feeling of sadness came over him.
Walking slowly, Shinji watched the backs of technicians working on computer consoles, too focused on their work to notice Shinji's presence. But it was not this that shook Shinji, but the image of Unit 01 on the other side of the glass.
Being kept seated upright, Shinji watched her disconnected form being firmly attached to the walls of the heavily secured military installation, walking with slow steps until she was a few feet from the backs of the working technicians.
Feeling the sensation of the memories with Unit 01 arising in his mind, but specifically the moment when he tried to save Rei from Zeruel's attack, he closed his eyes to control himself, Shinji felt his hands closing and opening, a touch that he developed to try to keep himself under control.
Still lost in his mind, Shinji heard a mechanical sound, opening his eyes, he could observe when some phrases were said in Italian, but what caught his attention the most was seeing an input plug being put into position.
"Collegare in posizione. (Plug in position)." One of the technicians spoke as he got the green light, Shinji only judged that they were trying to activate Unit 01 again, turning his head to the sides, Shinji noticed an access door leading into the hall where the EVA was.
He walked discreetly to the door, but a sound caught his attention, stopping when one of the guards became suspicious of his posture,
"Hey! Dottore, posso vedere la tua identificazione?" The guard asked as he approached Shinji.
Shinji was standing on his back feeling tense, he knew that things were starting to get difficult for him, all the technicians stopped their work and looked at the unfolding scene.
Shinji slowly picked up a mug of coffee that was near the table, but he had not yet created a plan, he was beginning to quickly search for a strategy of attack.
The guard frowned when he saw that Shinji did not move, releasing the lock that held his pistol, the guard spoke more forcefully. "Hey! Sto parlando con te! (Hey I'm talking to you!)."
Still not turning around, Shinji thought quickly, not finding the answers he wanted, he decided to turn around slowly.
The guard kept his posture firm, but saw Shinji's movement, when he was fully facing, Shinji kept his head lowered partially hiding his face.
Seeing that his orders were having no effect, the guard growled. "Come ti chiami?!"
Shinji still kept his head down, knowing that the conflict was becoming a reality, he slowly raised his head and looked the man in the eye.
Seeing Shinji's Asian face, the guard only increased his suspicions, but he felt a resemblance to the face, with a feeling that he had seen him somewhere before. "Come ti chiami?!" the guard repeated his order.
Still seeing Shinji's lack of cooperation, the man lost his patience as he drew his gun. "Ho chiesto il tuo stupido nome ?! (I asked your stupid name?! )."
With a quick movement, Shinji saw the gun pointed at his face, but he raised his free arm and held it, with a quick pull, Shinji used the mug and punched the guard in the face who fell unconscious.
Seeing the shocked looks on the technicians' faces, but soon the silence had been broken, a shrill alarm began to sound throughout the base, a voice spoke through the communicators.
"Codice rosso, intruso alla base, tutte le guardie controllano tutti i dipendenti. (Code red, intruder in the base, all the guards check all the employees.)"
"Shit!" Shinji watched as everyone's faces landed on him, soon one of the technicians could see the picture on the badge. "intruder! (Intruder!)."
Shinji noticed when one of them approached the six-shooter that was on the ground, he jumped and rolled to get it back faster than his future opponent.
"Freeze there!" Shinji shouted as he took the gun and aimed at the group of technicians who promptly raised their hands, Shinji could see the look of fear in their eyes, it was no wonder they thought he was going to kill everyone, he just started walking towards the door that would give access to Unit 01, keeping the gun pointed at all times.
When he reached the door, he turned and ran out towards the entrance plug, seeing all the movement, he could see a group of heavily armed men running towards the control room.
"Fermato! (Freeze!)." One of the men shouted as he locked his eyes on Shinji, raising his rifle toward him, a rain of shots echoed in Shinji's direction, hitting the walls and the contents of the work tables.
"Shit!" Shinji spun around as he threw himself toward a metal table that was being used, praying that it would be strong enough to serve as cover for him. "That's bad! That's bad!"
Listening to the sound of bullets passing over his head, Shinji didn't want to use the only six rounds of ammunition he had, he didn't want to hurt WILLE's soldiers, something in his head was stopping him.
"Shit!" Shinji spoke as he shot upward, hoping to make the other shots stop, giving him time to get to the entry plug.
Spying with his head, Shinji was able to observe when one of the soldiers was gesturing to the others, seeing the men walking with their rifles in hand in an attempt to flank him.
"Conclusa! Fuori di lì! (It's over! Get out of there!)." The leader spoke strongly with a smile on his face, knowing that his small squad had managed to catch the intruder.
Sitting on the ground, Shinji closed his eyes as he saw that he would not make it to Unit 01, he felt the weight of failure, Shinji looked down, wanting to cry at the knowledge that he had failed, it was only a matter of time before he would be caught.
"What the fuck!" Shinji growled as he glanced at Unit 01's head, soon his eyes locked and quickly they were both looking at each other, Shinji remembered Fuyutsuki's words, knowing his mother's soul was there, he could only do one thing.
"I'm sorry mom." Shinji spoke dejectedly as he lowered his head to the ground, he was already getting ready to leave.
Beside the soldiers, the huge head of Unit 01 was standing still with inactive eyes, just two black blurs, but the soul inside its core could observe everything.
In the control room the technicians watched everything from above, some were smiling, others were relieved, but one of the technicians looked at his console, seeing that something was going on with Unit 01. "Questo non può essere possibile. (This can't be possible)."
Back at the scene, the leader growled as he saw that Shinji was taking his time, preparing to order his men to advance and finish off the intruder, he noticed something beside him, a red light.
Watching Unit 01's eyes turn red, the sergeant felt as if she was looking into his soul, swallowing dryly he watched as the safety latches released and the huge mouth of the EVA opened.
Shinji only opened his eyes when he heard the heavy breathing of a large animal, raising its head, he only watched as Unit 01 gave a huge growl in the direction of the soldiers who looked on in horror at the sight in front of them, they were face to face with the huge head.
"Mio Dio! (My God!)" Shouted one of the men upon seeing the scene.
Shinji, seeing the opportunity, ran toward the catwalk leading to the entrance plug, seeing the men staring at him.
The men who were not horrified by the EVA, soon raised their guns to Shinji who was running, with deadly eyes as he saw his target completely exposed.
Feeling the aim on his body, Shinji could only wait with wide eyes, knowing that he was completely exposed.
With a loud thud, the huge hand of Unit 01 rose up and landed between the men and Shinji, completely blocking any action.
With a smile on his face, Shinji stepped forward, knowing that his mother was protecting him, quickly ran to the open entrance plug and literally jumped in.
As if by magic, soon the large cylinder entered the back of Unit 01, again in the darkness, feeling the LCL entering, Shinji knew he was safe, he only watched as the rainbow of colors took over around him, soon he could observe everything around him and the shocked looks of the soldiers and technicians.
He only gave a smile on his face, knowing that only Wunder could stop him and she was far away, he had time to escape, feeling the connection again, he could feel the restrictions, the sensations of being connected to the EVA, but the main thing of all, he could feel the warm feeling.
"Thanks Mom." Shinji spoke smiling as he knew he had accomplished his goal, he had Unit 01.
"Let's go." Shinji ordered as he lifted EVA's arms and led the way out.
(*)
Wunder
"Evangelion activation detected!" Hyuga shouted as alarms went off all over the panels.
Misato only kept a cool posture while watching the movement, knowing that the last time this had happened was when Shinji had activated Unit 13.
"Track the location!" Ritsuko ordered the men, everyone was agitated by the situation.
"The signal is coming from the Trento region in northern Italy." Tama spoke as he received the information on his console.
As this information reached Misato and Ritsuko's ears, they both stared at each other for they knew what was in this region, with a shaky, controlled sigh, Misato quickly ordered.
"Set course for WILLE's base in Trento." Misato ordered strongly, Hyuga and Shigeru turned and faced her with a confused look on their faces, the location of Unit 01 was still a secret.
Misato watched the faces of his two senior subordinates, knowing the secret of Unit 01, with a long breath, Misato began to speak. "There is an object of great value to WILLE in this region, we must ensure its safety."
Nodding, the two soon returned to their posts, typing frantically on their consoles.
Misato only bowed her head, knowing that this situation was most likely a delicate one, still having a lot on her mind, the Wunder commander hoped that this had nothing to do with Unit 01.
"Full speed ahead!" Ordered Ritsuko as she joined Misato's side, looking at her face that remained cold at all times.
"I wonder if..." Ritsuko started to speak, but had been cut off by Misato.
"No, unit 01 is secure." Misato retorted coldly.
Seeing Misato's face, Ritsuko had a bad feeling about this, if Unit 01 fell into the hands of NERV or SEELE sympathizers, things could get dangerous for the world.
"Estimated time of arrival in eight hours." Midori spoke from her seat, having been released within hours of her punishment for insubordination, still feeling the effects of having been locked in a cell for forty-eight hours.
Assenting to this new information, Misato only had to wait, but knowing that this trip would be long, her mind would have many hours to think and torture her.
(*)
Still on the command bridge, the crew was working efficiently, knowing that moments like this, information gathering was essential to get the job done perfectly.
Misato was sitting at her desk looking at security schematics, keeping her mind busy, soon a call took her concentration away.
Picking up the communication device, she replied professionally. "Yes."
"Ma'am, we have a call from WILLE HQ, they want to speak directly to you." Hyuga's voice came through the communicator.
"Step over to my office." Misato replied still maintaining her professional tone.
"Yes ma'am." Hyuga finished the transmission, a few seconds later, an image appeared on Misato's screen, seeing several cameras showing the face of WILLE's high command.
"Colonel Katsuragi." Compliments General Yamamoto.
"Sir." Misato gives a salute. "What can I do for you?"
Assenting to Misato, soon Yamamoto changed his posture becoming extremely serious. "I can see that Wunder is already on her way to the Trento base."
"Yes sir, we have detected an EVA activation in that region, we are going to provide support." Misato replied professionally to her superior who was listening to everything like a cold statue.
"That won't be necessary, as it's already over." Yamamoto replied as he let out a sigh.
"What do you mean sir?" Misato asked confused.
"For by the time you arrive, the situation will have been over for several hours." Yamamoto spoke as he stared at Misato strongly, Misato could hear the whispers of the other council members, but could not identify what was being said.
"I see." Misato spoke as she bowed her head, fearing for the lives of other WILLE members, but her curiosity to know what had happened was great. "Sir, if I may ... What happened?"
A hush reigned in the meeting, everyone was waiting for General Yamamoto's response, moistening his lips, he soon began to speak. "Approximately six hours ago, the fugitive Shinji Ikari infiltrated and managed to take possession of Unit 01."
Misato widened her eyes, feeling the weight of these words, brought her hand up to her head and whispered. "Shinji-Kun, what are you doing?"
Lifting her head and maintaining her pose, Misato asked. "How did he manage it? Because as far as we know Unit 01 was not operational."
"That's the question." Yamamoto spoke up.
"I told you we should have killed him!". Colonel Frances spoke strongly as he punched the table.
General Yamamoto only closed his eyes, having no more patience for long discussions.
"The most important thing is to know your goal now." Colonel German spoke to the group. "We have already lost the Unit, arguing is not going to lead anywhere."
"I bet you will finish what you started fourteen years ago." Colonel Russian spoke as he entered the discussion.
Misato was quiet in front of the computer, feeling her blood boiling with the things they were saying about Shinji, deep down she knew that he would not return to NERV, having known very well Shinji's dialogues about his father with the images of the therapy she watched while Shinji was in prison.
"I doubt it, the psychological profile suggests that he would not return to NERV." Colonel German countered.
"Profile! That doesn't prove anything!" Shouted Colonel Russian, outraged at his German colleague.
"Don't yell at me brat!" She rebutted strongly to her colleague, not accepting that he would raise his voice with her.
"Or what?!" Challenge Colonel Russian.
"Silence!" General Yamamoto shouted, silencing everyone at the same moment.
Misato felt her ears screaming at the volume he spoke, but was grateful that he put an end to the discussion, her head was not in the patience to deal with the advice.
With a long breath, General Yamamoto glanced at all the faces in front of him, feeling annoyed that the council was acting like a group of teenagers, but soon his eyes fell on Misato who was keeping quiet.
"Colonel Katsuragi!" Yamamoto spoke directly, keeping his iron gaze on Misato at all times, seeing her change her posture and become tense, smiling internally, he asked.
"You lived with him for almost a year, what is your opinion?"
Misato felt her anxiety rise, she knew she had a big battle ahead of her, for if she gave her true opinion she might be defying the council, but on the other hand she wanted to be able to help Shinji.
Seeing everyone looking at her with hungry eyes and expectation, soon Wunder's colonel made her decision, nodding to herself.
"I don't believe he will go back to NERV."
Soon a huge uproar broke out on WILLE's screen, some disputing Misato, others supporting her.
Silencing the council again, Yamamoto gestured for her to continue.
"Thank you sir." Misato adjusted herself and continued. "I believe Shinji must have a plan in mind, according to his psychologist in prison, he talked a lot about revenge against his father, I believe he may want to use Unit 01 against him."
Assenting to the words, General Yamamoto knew that the deal with Shinji was the best way to go, knowing that he was the only one who could pilot Unit 01, but being able to convince the council was another thing.
"Sir if I may." Colonel Anderson of the US took the floor. "Why would he think a single EVA could make a difference?"
"That only he will be able to say." Misato replied somberly. "But I suggest we propose a deal."
Again everyone spoke together, but was soon quieted by Yamamoto's gesture. "And why do you think that Colonel?"
Misato swallowed dryly, she was walking on dangerous ground, but there was no turning back now. "The Wunder is the only way to carry an EVA, we're down to two broken EVAS, it might be in our best interest to use it on our side, one more EVA soldier against NERV."
"Piloting again, are you crazy?" Colonel Russian spoke indignantly. "What guarantees do we have that he won't rebel if we hand over resources?"
"That can be solved by putting on the DSS choker." Colonel Anderson spoke suggesting.
Misato clenched her hands as she heard about the choker, deeply regretting having put it on Shinji's capture, knowing what it meant.
Soon a hush came over the place, everyone waiting to see what decision General Yamamoto would make.
With a long sigh, he spoke as he brought his hands together in front of his face. "We will deal with it when we capture him, now we have other matters to handle. But we all agree that we must talk and come to a definite conclusion when the time comes."
"Colonel Katsuragi!" General Yamamoto asked still keeping his posture rigid and cold, "What is the status of the EVAS at Wunder?"
Misato could feel her hands shaking, thankful that the council couldn't see them, she soon picked up a report that Ritsuko left on her desk about the matter, opened it and read the statuses.
"Unit 08's arms are 80% restored, Unit 02's adaptation is 60% complete."
"OK, that means no EVA for now." Yamamoto spoke annoyed to learn that his main weapons were inactive. "We have to get Unit 01 back."
No one had the courage to contradict WILLE's leader, Misato had been that person. "We will sir, I assure you."
General Yamamoto faced Misato with a steely gaze. "Well, that meeting is over."
As all the images faded away, General Yamamoto put his hands together over his face and spoke with a slight smile on his face.
"As planned."
(*)
Wunder.
Misato let out a sigh of relief knowing that this meeting had come to an end, knowing that the words she spoke must have been hard for the council to swallow, but she didn't regret saying them.
KNOCK ON THE DOOR.
"Come in." Misato spoke wearily as she adjusted herself in her chair, she watched as Ritsuko entered.
"So ... How was it?" Ritsuko spoke as she sat down and pulled out a cigarette.
"Hard, they know what happened." Misato spoke as she turned cold and somber.
"What happened?" Ritsuko asked as she released a cloud of smoke into the ceiling.
Letting out a tired sigh, Misato straightened up and spoke. "Shinji stole Unit 01."
"Oh my God." Ritsuko spoke as she bowed her head, but her scientific side spoke in her mind making her curious.
Seeing Misato getting up and heading for the door, Ritsuko just watched as she opened the door and left, she got up and left together because she knew Misato was going to talk to the crew.
Stopping and watching the backs of the crew members, Misato knew they were heading toward the WILLE Base in Trento, picking up the communicator and speaking to everyone on the bridge. "Listen up everyone."
Seeing that she had attention, Misato straightened up and spoke professionally. "Cancel the route, our objective has changed."
"Sorry for the question ma'am, but why?" Tama spoke calmly, but that had been the question that came up for everyone.
Misato knew she couldn't keep Unit 01 a secret forever, with a sigh she spoke professionally. "Today, the Trenton base was raided and its contents were stolen, there was Unit 01."
Everyone let out a long sigh, for they all knew the value of this Unit, but Misato continued.
"Our objetic is to recapture her at all costs, that's all." Misato finished her speech, turning and walking back to her office.
Upon entering she promptly picked up her communicator and called, waiting for the line to conclude.
"Hello!" A playful, childlike voice spoke from the other end, Misato sighed at Mari's lack of control.
"Mari, is Asuka with you?" Misato asked coldly.
"Yes, the princess is with me." Mari replied.
"Well, come to my office now." Misato spoke as she hung up the line, not giving Mari time to ask why, knowing that she would most likely make some joke, but her mind was not for jokes right now, she only had a single sentence in her mind, and that was it. Shinji had stolen Unit 01.
"What are you going to do Shinji?" Misato asked annoyed, as she was failing to understand his behavior.
(*)
Wunder Accommodation.
"Well, come to my office now." Mari only stared with a confused look when Misato hung up the line without giving her time to respond, but she knew this was not a good sign.
"What did she want?" Asuka asked grumpily as she lay on her bed.
"She wants us to go to her office, now." Mari spoke as she sat down on her bed and began to put her pants back on.
"Shit." Asuka grumbled as she got out of her bed, "What does she want?"
"We'll figure it out." Mari spoke with a smile on her face as she was already ready.
(*)
The way to the bridge was quick, Mari and Asuka were going to find out why Misato had called them.
As they entered the bridge, seeing the gazes of the crew members going quickly to them, Mari gave a smile, slowly bringing her head closer to Asuka's ear. "I wonder who's going to look at our asses when we go up?"
Asuka only shook her head. "Grow up four eyes."
With false indignation, Mari spoke as she escorted Asuka into Misato's office. "Why? I like knowing I'm wanted."
"Pervert." Asuka spoke with annoyance.
"I really am." Mari spoke proudly as she smiled. "But I can understand you."
"What do you mean?" Asuka spoke without looking away from Misato's door which was closed, but before she knocked, Mari had to be Mari.
"The only eyes that can look at you with desire is the puppy's." Mari spoke as she saw Asuka turn and stare at her with wide eyes as she blushed heavily.
"Your body is already owned." Mari spoke as she made a claw with her hands and spoke toward Asuka. "Meow."
"Mari!" Asuka growled as she blushed heavily.
Mari was laughing when the door opened abruptly revealing Misato with a scowl, but that didn't stop her from continuing to laugh.
"May I know reason for the noise?" Misato asked annoyed, especially that Mari and Asuka were wasting time on futile things.
"Nothing." Asuka spoke boredly as she entered the room, her face still flushed.
"Asuka was telling me that her body will only be touched by her puppy's hands." Mari spoke as she entered the room, she did not notice Misato slightly losing her composure.
"Four eyes!" Asuka shouted annoyed.
"All right, quiet." Misato ordered as she returned to her chair. "What I have to talk about is important."
Seeing the look of expectation on both their faces, Misato took a deep breath to speak, Mari and Asuka noticed when Misato became tense and somber, something was not right.
"Shinji stole Unit 01." Misato spoke somberly.
"What?!" Asuka shouted in amazement, Mari was beside her with wide eyes, any trace of her previous joke had disappeared with this revelation from Misato.
"What's he got on his head?!" Asuka shouted as she stood up, quickly bringing her hands to her hair.
"Do you know why?" Mari asked as she managed to recover faster than Asuka.
Misato only shook her head, they had not been able to find out his motivation, they only had the statement from his prison psychologist. "No, WILLE's high command believes he may want to use it against NERV."
Mari only nodded as she lowered her gaze, keeping in mind trying to understand Shinji's motivations, Asuka was still grumbling as she walked around Misato's room.
Calming herself down enough, Asuka gave a long sigh, but was still very upset about everything that was happening, again looking at Misato's face that followed her movements. "What now? What's it going to be?"
Misato only stared at her desk knowing that now they had to literally hunt Shinji down, they couldn't let him fall into NERV's hands, but something in Misato's mind told her not to worry about that, that Shinji would never cooperate with his father again.
"They have given us orders to find and recover Shinji and Unit 01 at any cost." Misato spoke professionally as she remembered the discussion she had with the council a few minutes ago.
"Wow ... The puppy is screwed now." Mari spoke as she crossed her arms over her chest, only keeping in mind confusion that Shinji had gotten himself into, she only watched as Misato's face turned thoughtful, it had puzzled her.
Asuka had listened to that last part, she could also see Misato's change in attitude about it.
"That's the advice." Misato began to speak, already deducing that the girls in front of her were able to notice her change in posture.
"What about them?" Asuka asked with a scowl on her face.
"They are still in doubt as to whether to propose a deal with Shinji or not, they want to wait for his capture so they can put a stop to it." Misato spoke thoughtfully, her mind being flooded with millions of possible situations regarding Shinji.
"So we can only wait?" Mari spoke following Misato's reasoning. "But first we have to retrieve a puppy."
Asuka turned her head to her sister with a look of doubt, knowing that capturing Shinji was going to be difficult, he was proving to be an adamant person and now with the power of an EVA, bringing her hand to her face again Asuka whispered to herself. "Shinji what are you doing!?".
(*)
Somewhere in the red earth. - Two weeks later.
Shinji was watching in the background, having hidden Unit 01 inside a waterfall, he watched as the wings of the mighty Wunder appeared in the background, taking his binoculars to be able to view the mighty nova, he couldn't deny it was impressive.
"Why are we still here?" His mind asked innocently, Shinji knew it was not wise at all for him to stay so close to Wunder like this, but he had something on his mind, a bad feeling.
"I really don't know." Shinji spoke as he lowered the binoculars, the sound of the waterfall could be heard, thinking of the now deactivated Unit 01, he could only pray that Wunder's sensors couldn't locate it inside.
Shinji was getting ready to turn around and go back to the cave that was serving as his home these days, but a noise in the background took his attention, seeing a white dot in the sky, soon Shinji brought his binoculars to his eyes and pointed it at the source.
Frowning at the sight, he only gave a growl as he lowered the binoculars again.
"I hate being right."
(*)
Wunder
Misato was frustrated, knowing that it had been two weeks since the Unit 01 robbery, knowing that things were delicate for Shinji right now, the only thing Wunder could do now was hunt him down.
Looking at the red earth on the ground, Misato was searching for any sign, even though she knew this was almost like looking for a needle in a haystack, with a tired sigh, Misato brought her hand to her face.
"Something is coming!" Hyuga shouted as he received the alerts on his panel, soon alarms began to sound throughout the command room.
"What is it?" Misato ordered.
"By the analytics, a Mark 09!" Sumire spoke as she turned around.
"Battle stations level 01." Misato turned to Ritsuko who was promptly typing on her console, seeing all the statuses of Wunder and the main of her EVAS.
Picking up her radio, Misato quickly called for her two pilots, already knowing that since the general alarm, both must be heading for their cages by now, but soon Ritsuko turned around with a startled look, it was this look that made Misato's blood run cold.
"Misato ... The EVAS ... The EVAS will not be able to be used." Ritsuko spoke with white lips, having any color from her face removed, knowing full well that they were in big trouble.
"How can you not!?" Misato growled upon learning that his main trump cards could not be used.
"Unit 08's arms are not ready yet and Unit 02..." Ritsuko began updating the data to Misato who was only listening to everything intently, but her mind was a mess, knowing that the last time Wunder had clashed against a Mark 9 had been in the battle of the fourth impact.
(*)
"How can they not be implemented!?" Asuka yelled as she was stopped by Maya Ibuki, having received Ritsuko's instructions about the EVAS not being ready for battle.
"That's right." Maya spoke as she turned and gave instructions to her subordinates who were running in all directions, all having to work at various functions.
"But how are we going to finish this thing off?" Mari asked with genuine concern, knowing that Wunder didn't have the necessary firepower.
Maya stopped her work, turned around and faced the two women in front of her, she was also thinking about this possibility, and could only pray that Wunder could handle it.
(*)
"Defensive strategy!" Misato ordered as she saw that he could not rely on the EVAS for battle, thinking frantically about how she could deal with the new threat, taking into consideration even having to flee.
"Orders?!" Shouted Koji who was at the helm, waiting to act on the sound of the new orders.
Misato gave a long sigh as she leaned on the guard rails, closing her eyes tightly, finally coming to a conclusion, raising her head with determination.
"Prepare penetrating ammunition!" Misato ordered, watching her crew begin to take action.
After a few seconds, everyone in the large Wunder looked forward, waiting patiently, feeling their muscles contracting hard as they saw Mark 09's form stop in front of the Wunder.
Being similar to unit 00, Misato watched it stand with a large scythe in its hands, clasping its hands on the metal bar in front of it.
"Fire!"
Outside, all of Wunder's big cannons turned and started firing, big bursts of shots that tore through the skies going toward their target.
Seeing the shots coming his way, Mark 09 began to move, nimbly dodging all the shots.
Seeing her target beginning to move upward, Misato ordered. "Don't let it stay out of the line of fire!".
Koji began maneuvering the gigantic Wunder so that Mark 09 would always stay in front, not giving him the opening to be able to exploit his weak points.
Seeing how the Mark 09 dodged Wunder's shots with total ease, Misato was feeling her blood run cold, seeing the enemy moving too easily, soon the powerful Wunder was unable to keep up with her movements, her large size was not making this possible.
"Power concentration!" Tama shouted upon receiving the information.
"Shit!" Misato shouted as she knew his enemy would soon fire.
Outside, Mark 09 raised his altitude so he could get a good view of Wunder, with a quick and precise movement, it began to charge energy, with a purple light, a large beam of energy emerged from Mark 09's eyes, he had a clear target, and that was Wunder.
"Incoming!" Shigeru shouted as he learned that they were now sitting ducks.
Trying to maneuver to protect himself, Koji could do nothing.
A great thud could be felt throughout Wunder, as her subordinates were thrown from their chairs, and Misato was almost thrown from where she was standing.
"Great hull damage!" Ritsuko began reading Wunder's statuses. "Aft hull with a large hole, loss of pressure in sectors J to Z."
Misato adjusted, knowing that they wouldn't be able against a Mark 09 without an EVA to be able to fight on equal terms, adjusting and preparing to give the order to flee, but she never got around to giving that order.
Another big thud came, Koji was struggling with the controls to keep Wunder flying, but soon he began to feel like he was losing control. "Come on!"
As the Wunder drifted to the left, Mark 09 just watched his target begin to plummet from the sky, holding the pose at all times.
"Losing altitude!" Hyuga shouted as he began to feel panic take hold. "Ten thousand feet!"
Misato held on to the restraining bar for balance, the Wunder jerked violently as it began its descent.
"How's the power?!"
"S2 engine power dropping ... 88% ... 80% ... 70% ... And falling!" Ritsuko shouted in alarm, seeing that the power supply had dropped rapidly, knowing that Wunder was in trouble.
"Shit." Misato cursed, knowing she should have run away, but her decision to try to confront Mark 09 is causing the ruin of WILLE's pride, the mighty Wunder was falling.
(*)
Alarms were sounding everywhere, Asuka was holding onto a railing on the wall, seeing everything that was going on.
"What's happening!?"
"I don't know!" Mari shouted as she adjusted herself on the wall.
Asuka seeing Mari's movement, she could see that she was going to leave.
"Where are you going?" Maya asked alarmed as she tried to find out the source of the problem that was causing the S2 engine to be losing power.
"To the bridge!" Mari spoke as she adjusted herself as best she could, Asuka stood up as well and began to follow her sister, knowing that they would not be able to make walk in the EVAS hangar.
"Ma'am!" One of the technicians shouted as he approached Maya, but soon his movements were ceased as everyone began to float. Having lost gravity as the mighty Wunder began to fall with more speed, with a loud thud on the ground, everyone fell back as the Wunder tried desperately to float in the air.
"The connectors are cracking!" The technician spoke as he stood up again, holding onto the pipes that circled the site.
Maya only watched as the panel changed to red, showing that the S2 engine power was below 40%. Holding on to her post, Maya closed her eyes and began to pray for a miracle.
(*)
In the corridor leading to the bridge, Mari was holding on as best she could, right behind her was Asuka, both of whom were having trouble getting around due to the bumps Wunder was giving.
At the sound of creaking metal, soon the two watched as the lights in and around the hallways began to fail, Mari looked up as she noticed the lights failing.
"Shit!"
Asuka watched her sister's back, knowing that she was coming to the bridge to try to do something that might help. "Mari! What are you doing? There's nothing we can do on the bridge!"
"We have to try somehow! Even if it's guessing!" Mari retorted, but soon fell over when another bump knocked her to the ground.
Asuka recovered faster, going to her sister and helping her up, and when they were both on their feet, they ran as fast as they could.
Going with difficulty to get around, Mari and Asuka finally arrived at the bridge, seeing all the mess that was in front of them, they could see as they desperately tried to control the big ship.
"Colonel!" Mari shouted as she began to climb the stairs that gave access to the upper part of Wunder.
Misato was shouting orders to try to save her ship. "Divert power to the stabilizers, maintain the field!"
"Shut down everything that isn't necessary!" Ritsuko shouted along, both of them were trying everything they could to get Wunder to stay in the air.
Mari and Asuka made their way over to the women, seeing that they were fighting with everything they had to keep up, they had not yet realized the presence of their pilots.
Looking ahead, everyone could tell when the red ground was rapidly approaching.
"Three thousand feet!" Sumire shouted, finally feeling the fear of death for the first time.
Hyuga was desperately trying to carry out all the orders, using this to keep his mind occupied, this made him realize when another point was approaching Wunder.
(*)
"Let's go! Let's go!" Shinji ordered EVA 01 to run faster, raising a great volume of dust as EVA's huge feet collided with the ground, feeling the wind hitting his arms. Shinji watched as the mighty Wunder plummeted from the sky. "Let's go!"
(*)
"Another EVA was approaching through the ground! " Shigeru finally noticed the readings on his panel, swallowing dryly at the knowledge that Wunder was now lost.
Misato braced herself as she saw the ground getting bigger and bigger, but something caught her attention, a large cloud of dust was approaching through the ground, feeling her heart racing as she saw that Wunder was surrounded. But as she was able to focus better, the colors were catching her attention.
"What?"
(*)
Locking his feet on the ground, Shinji ordered his EVA to stop running, seeing that he was just below the point where Wunder would fall, tearing up the ground with the energy that had been expended to stop completely.
Finally looking up and seeing Wunder, Shinji could take a look at its enormous size, but he couldn't stop now, he had to save Wunder.
Raising his arms, he shouted. "AT field to the max!".
With a sound of very strong winds and destroying everything around, Shinji expanded his layered AT field upwards, hoping that this was necessary to slow down the huge ship.
Shinji shuddered as Wunder hit the first layer, causing his body to feel the impact, he just had to hold on now.
(*)
Everyone on the bridge watched as Unit 01 stopped just below, everyone had doubts in their eyes, for they were rightly cassowning this unit.
Seeing her raise her arms and stand still below, soon alarms sounded on Ritsuko's panel. "AT field detected!"
"What is he going to do?!" Sumiro spoke as she braced herself, but everyone had the image of Unit 01 in front of them.
Soon everyone felt the first impact, seeing the AT field glow brightly, Misato knew what Shinji was doing, he was trying to stop Wunder, smiling as she knew what he was doing, he was trying to save Wunder. "Shinji-Kun."
Everyone watched as Wunder broke through layer by layer of Shinji's AT field, the impacts were strong, but they were doing their job.
"We're stopping!" Koji spoke as he saw the figures decreasing, seeing that Unit 01 was diverting Wunder for an emergency landing, seeing that the ship's position was becoming favorable for the case.
(*)
Seeing the huge Wunder getting closer and closer, Shinji could feel the pressure of the blows, one by one his field being broken, but he could feel the energy diminishing.
"Calm down." Shinji whispered as he strengthened the AT field.
(*)
"Prepare for touchdown!" Misato ordered as she saw that they would touch the ground.
Everyone sought shelter as best they could, everyone let out a big sigh as they felt Wunder's belly begin to tear the ground below, data alarms sounding from everywhere.
(*)
Shinji watched as Wunder hit the ground, seeing her huge wings bounce as she bounced off the ground, but he could see that she was relatively intact.
Soon he could only watch as she slowly stopped until she was a few hundred meters away, but to the huge Wunder, this seemed close.
(*)
Seeing that they had stopped, Misato looked around and saw that everything was still fine, seeing people adjusting, but soon her eyes and everyone else's locked on what was in front of her.
Standing looking on imposingly, was unit 01, keeping his head directed towards the bridge, Misato could swear he was looking at her right now.
Looking at EVA, Mari and Asuka watched him, seeing him raise his head slightly, they knew what he was looking at, he still had an enemy to deal with.
With the few systems that were still working, Hyuga adjusted as he saw that the Mark 9 was approaching and was preparing to take another shot.
(*)
Soon Shinji's eyes were locked on the approaching Mark 9, knowing that he was probably going to finish his job, feeling anger welling up inside him, not knowing why, but he was going to kill this creature.
"You can come!" Shinji shouted as he got ready.
Mark 9 was again charging another shot, aiming precisely at Unit 01, having finally met another enemy, with a purple beam that crossed Wunder's body toward its target.
Shinji seeing this, raised his hand and again projected an AT field, feeling the power flowing through his body, he knew he was now unstoppable, seeing the energy hitting his field.
He roared as he felt all the power being received, but he stood his ground, holding the field at all costs, when the blow finally dissipated, Shinji watched as Mark 09 jumped towards him, raising his scythe to strike him a blow.
"No! You won't!" Shinji growled as he leapt back, seeing the cloud of dust that had risen when the scythe had hit the ground.
Seeing his enemy removing the object from the ground, he saw the opportunity that had been handed to him, Shinji rushed forward and used his body to collide with the enemy.
With a loud thud, Shinji watched as Mark 09 collided with Wunder's carcass, seeing it begin to rise, Shinji removed his scythe from the ground and ran towards the enemy.
With a hungry and deadly look in his eyes, Shinji only wanted to kill.
"Die!"
(*)
Everyone on Wunder's bridge watched in horror as the battle raged in front of them, watching Shinji trying to hit Mark 09 with his scythe, delivering strong and powerful blows, each move hitting its target and opening deep wounds.
But those who were still in their heads had one question on their minds again, what was Shinji's motive in saving Wunder?
Asuka and Mari were watching the battle, Ritsuko was at her panel, exchanging glances with the outside, she was desperately trying to get Wunder back up in the air.
Misato was mesmerized by the battle, wanting Shinji to succeed in defeating the enemy, whispering to herself. "Come on Shinji."
(*)
Seeing his blows doing great damage, Shinji turned away as he saw that Mark 09 was still managing to stay alive. "But how?"
Watching as the damage began to close, Shinji watched as he began to stand up, briefly widening his eyes. "You won't."
Running forward again, Shinji raised his scythe and with a sharp, strong blow, he had soon managed to decapitate the enemy unit, soon thousands of gallons of LCL were staining the Wunder and the ground.
"Die!" Shinji let go of the scythe and buried his hand in his neck, feeling his hand opening up space, soon he felt a large metal cylinder, knowing that this most likely was the entry plug.
Squeezing as hard as he could, he could feel when he crushed the piece of metal like a soda can.
Removing his hand, he watched as the motionless body of Mark 09 had fallen to the ground lifeless, with a long sigh, Shinji adjusted himself, feeling the adrenaline dulling at the knowledge that he had managed to defeat his enemy.
Soon his head turned again, now being closer to Wunder, he observed the place where the command bridge was, knowing that most probably everyone was looking at him now, soon memories of his times on this ship came into his mind.
"Brat."
"You can die I wouldn't even care."
"You just fuck up."
"From now on, you will do nothing more."
"Murderer."
Feeling his blood boiling with the anger he was feeling, he could soon notice when Unit 01's eyes turned red, reflecting his anger.
(*)
Everyone on the bridge looked on in horror as Shinji finally defeated his enemy, Mari stood up and spoke happily, she didn't care what others thought of her. "That's it puppy."
Everyone stared at her, but soon their eyes returned to EVA 01, Misato wished she could get in touch and talk to Shinji, but her body froze, as did everyone else's inside the bridge.
Everyone watched in silence as Unit 01's eyes turned red, everyone felt their blood run cold at the sight, knowing that he had the power to end them at his mere pleasure, some expected this, but to their surprise, Unit 01 simply turned around and started walking away.
"No." Misato whispered as she raised her hand towards Unit 01, knowing she should do something, but the commands locked in her throat, she could only think of Unit 01's red eyes locked on her, being able to feel Shinji looking into her soul right now.
Asuka only watched as Unit 01's back disappeared into the horizon, with an empty feeling in her chest, soon the redhead stood up, also with the image of Unit 01's eyes, having her mind flooded with the memory of Shinji's eyes, Unit 01 had the same look on his face and again she had to watch him walking away, again she watched him leaving her.
"Shinji please ... Stop with this." Asuka spoke to herself, knowing that Shinji was going deeper and deeper into self-destruction, fearing that there was no turning back.
Feeling an arm around her shoulders, Mari spoke as she leaned on Asuka, having listened to what her sister spoke. "He's still the puppy."
"How do you know?" Asuka spoke as she dodged the mess of pipes that lay on the floor, keeping her mind with the image of Shinji's eyes.
"If he didn't feel anything for us ... For you or for Misato, he would let us die." Mari spoke with a smile on her face knowing that she still had hope for Shinji.
Asuka let that last sentence sink into her head, knowing that Mari was right, as always.
Author's Notes: Hello Calborghete folks here, how are you? Did you like it? I hope so. As always be sure to follow and save it to your favorites so you don't miss any future updates.
Please review, your critiques (Good or bad) are very important to me, you know that I take a lot into consideration what is said and it also gives me strength to continue this translation project.
Don't forget to also like the Facebook page, search for "Calborghete" and locate an image of Shinji and Asuka, on this page I will post updates and it will also be easier for you to contact me.