The Girl Who Shouted I At The Heart Of The World

by A.F. Oliver

Few get a second chance at living, let alone two or three. Rei Ayanami never knew what to do with the lives she had until it was too late. Getting another chance at living could mean a world of difference. After all, life is an ever changing thing and even the smallest of changes can reverberate across the world.

7. A Reason To Fight Part I: For You

Chapter 7 – A Reason To Fight Part I: For You

The Fifth Angel was overhead. It lumbered slowly through the sky, low above Tokyo 3. Misato Katsuragi glowered at the central display from her place on the bridge of NERV's central command center. Around her sat Lt. Ibuki, Lt. Hyuga, and Lt. Aoba and beside her stood Ritsuko. Despite the sudden arrival of the Angel, she felt confident. The enemy was here and she hoped to take it by surprise. A frontal attack with little warning and hopefully it would be a short battle. Besides, what could a giant floating blue octahedron do against an Evangelion?

"Launch Eva!" she shouted.

The displays indicated that Shinji was on his way to the surface. In seconds the battle would be underway and she could put another notch in her belt for Angels killed. One more step toward fulfilling her revenge...

"We're detecting a high energy reaction within the target," Lt. Aoba stated from his position on the bridge next to her.

Misato whipped around to look at him, a profound horror gripping her. "What did you say!?" she exclaimed with a voice full of worry.

"The energy charge is accelerating and massing upon itself!" the long haired lieutenant shouted.

"It can't be," Ritsuko shouted.

No! This couldn't be happening. She brought up a communication window to Shinji. "Shinji-kun! Look out!" she shouted.

She looked at the main display in time to see a large energy beam striking Unit 01 in the chest. Shinji was screaming in agony and all of his unit's systems were flashing warning alarms. If this kept up then the armor would melt and he would be killed!

"Recover him! Now!" Misato shouted.

The lift that supported Unit 01 descended back underground. The Angel kept focusing its beam on the Eva until it was fully below ground at which point it ceased firing. "The target has gone silent," Lt. Aoba declared.

"The pilot, what's his status?" she asked Lt. Hyuga frantically.

"He's alive," he replied after an agonizing pause.

"Unit 01 has been recovered," Lt. Ibuki stated. "Descending to the second cage."

Misato couldn't just stand there on the bridge waiting for Shinji to be pulled out of the plug. She had to go down to him. "I'm going to the cages, take over for me," she said to Ritsuko. However, when she turned around to head for the small elevator at the rear of the bridge she nearly crashed into the First Child who was still wearing her plug-suit. What was she doing on the bridge? "R- Rei?" she stammered in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

Rei Ayanami didn't answer her. She instead continued staring intently at the enormous displays that flashed with damage reports and video feeds of Unit 01. Her brow was knit and her lips pulled tight in a tense expression.

"Unit 01 secured," Lt. Ibuki stated.

"The pilot's brain waves are erratic!" Lt. Hyuga shouted. "His cardiac readings are very weak!"

"Increase the power to the life support systems! Give him a heart massage!" Ritsuko cried.

"Roger," Lt. Hyuga replied.

Misato turned around just in time to witness on the screen that displayed the inside of the entry plug the sight of Shinji jolting violently as a powerful electrical current pulsed in the LCL.

"Heartbeat stabilized," Lt. Hyuga stated.

"Force eject the entry plug!" Ritsuko ordered. "Hurry!"

"Ikari-kun..." Rei murmured.

Misato snapped back to the blue haired girl who now had one hand clutched to her chest. In the time she'd known her she'd never seen her so distressed. Answers for why she'd gotten herself into the command center could wait. She reached out and grabbed her hand. "Come with me," she hissed, pulling the pilot of Unit 00 toward the lift.

---

It was worse. What had happened to Ikari-kun was worse than what she remembered. Rationally she knew that his injuries were exactly the same and that he would recover just the same but witnessing it? That was not the same as before. Her heart was pounding in her chest where as before when she'd watched this happen from the command bridge in the past life she'd been calm. Why? Was it because she hadn't been close to him then? Come to think of it, it was only after the defeat of the Fifth Angel that they'd started getting close. Until then they'd been practically strangers. If she'd known him then as she did now, would she have reacted the same then? These were all questions spinning through her mind as she walked beside the stretcher that carried Ikari-kun towards intensive care. Even though Rei's logical sentiments told her that he would be fine, walking beside him and seeing him with an oxygen mask on still filled her with worry.

He and the medical staff pulling his stretcher passed beyond the doors into one of the intensive care rooms and she halted beside Captain Katsuragi as the doors swung shut with a bang. She glanced at the captain and the look on her face mirrored her own: stoic but concerned. She knew the captain also cared much about Ikari-kun. Captain Katsuragi buried deep beneath her devil may care attitude, goofy teasing, and functional alcoholism was quite a caring woman...

"What were you doing on the bridge?" the captain asked.

Rei's breath hitched. Was she not supposed to have been there? In the version of the events surrounding the Fifth Angel that she remembered she had been on the bridge with everyone. This time the commander had been missing? Had she done something wrong? Would this cause Commander Ikari to question her usefulness and compromise her plans? "What do you mean, Captain?" she asked.

"What if I'd called on you to deploy?" Captain Katsuragi scolded, a hard look on her face. "You should have stayed with your Eva."

Rei dipped her head down slightly under the weight of her words. The captain certainly had a point. She should have thought of such things. Since the commander had not requested him to accompany him to the command center and he himself had been absent then she'd truly had no good reason to be there. "I apologize, Captain Katsuragi," she replied softly.

The captain stared down at her for a few moments before breathing a heavy sigh. "I suppose it wouldn't have mattered," she muttered. "If you were sent out you'd probably have been hit like that too and we'd have two Evangelions out of action."

"Yes ma'am," Rei replied. The captain was very right in her assessment. She remembered how she'd had to hold the shield for Ikari-kun in the climactic battle that was yet to come. Though she hadn't borne the brunt of the full force of the Angel's particle beam it had still been an excruciating experience. The knowledge of most likely having to do that again in short order sent chills through her bones.

Captain Katsuragi looked to the doors of the intensive care ward, a deep frown coming over her face. Moments passed in silence but for the sound of machines and dampened voices from beyond the door. "I feel so bad," she lamented softly. "If I hadn't deployed him so close he wouldn't be in there..."

Rei felt that she was being too hard on herself. No matter where Ikari-kun had been deployed in Tokyo 3 he would have been within range of the particle beam. Then again, it was reasonable, she probably didn't know the Fifth Angel's capabilities yet. Still... she felt compelled to assuage the captain's guilt. "It is not your fault, Captain," she stated quietly.

Captain Katsuragi let out a small laugh. "Please," she replied. "You're Shinji-kun's friend and we're not on the battlefield. You can call me Misato y'know."

Rei thought on her words. She had never been close with the captain in her past life or lives. She'd always just been her superior and she her subordinate. There was never a... human connection before. She couldn't help but be taken by surprise... but it was a welcome surprise. "Yes, cap... Misato-san," she murmured softly.

The captain, Misato, Rei reminded herself, looked at her with a somber smile for a moment before returning to looking at the doors to intensive care. "You're worried about him too, huh?" she asked.

Rei nodded in reply. "Yes," she replied just above a whisper. For some reason, she felt comfortable admitting her feelings to the captain, she couldn't place why... Then a thought occurred to her. Perhaps she should work at getting closer to the captain. She was close with Ikari-kun and had a sense of righteousness. If she were to become aware of Commander Ikari's true motivations then she might prove to be a valuable ally in toppling his schemes.

Misato seemed to take this in, turning back to stare at the doors to the intensive care ward and standing there in silence for a moment before speaking again. "Can I ask you something?" she eventually said.

Rei always found it odd when people would preposition a question with another question. It usually was just a way to begin prying at an uncomfortable topic. It was a sign that the purveyor of the incoming inquisition had concern for the receiving party. It was a concept of human behavior that she'd slowly begun to understand. "What is it?" she replied.

Misato turned back to her. "In all the time I've known you, you've never seemed close with anyone and all of a sudden Shinji-kun comes along and you're walking home with him from school. What changed?" she continued.

Rei dipped her head as she thought of a reply. It was so hard, not having anyone who knew of the world she'd come from or the time she'd spent with everyone in that timeline. Yet... she couldn't just say nothing. Once again she'd have to give a half truth. "I... wanted to thank him for piloting in my place when he arrived," she stated. "And... he seemed alone... like me..."

Misato smiled and to Rei she looked like she was about to say something but she was interrupted by her cellphone ringing. She pulled it out and answered. "Yes sir," she said after a moment and hung up. She turned to her, the stern front of a commanding officer returning. "I'm needed at the bridge," she said. "Commander Ikari wishes to see you in his office."

Rei's eyes widened and fear gripped her. This was a development that had not happened in her memory of events...

---

Misato had returned to the bridge after seeing Shinji to the ICU alongside Rei. She was still surprised that she'd gotten herself onto the command booth but she also found it a little touching. She smirked to herself as she pressed the button on the elevator to reach the command deck. Through the girl's cold and stoic exterior she could see she cared deeply for Shinji. He was really lucky to have a friend like her. Heck, maybe she saw him as more than a friend. That's crazy... she thought, shaking her head and putting the cutesy notions that were brewing in her mind to rest. Rei Ayanami having a crush? Yeah right!

The small personal lift came to rest. Ritsuko turned about to regard her. "What's our status?" Misato asked.

"The enemy has extended some kind of drill," Ritsuko replied. "It's boring into roof of the geofront."

"What of the target's offensive and defensive capabilities?" Misato asked.

"Currently unknown except for the particle beam it can generate," came Lt. Ibuki's reply.

Misato scowled. "We have to poke it and see if it has any weaknesses before we can try to kill it. That energy beam is too dangerous to sortie Unit 00."

"Agreed," Ritsuko replied. "What do you suggest?"

Misato stood there thinking. What did they have that could assess this Angel's weaknesses? "Do we have a decoy for an Evangelion?" she asked, jokingly.

Ritsuko nodded. "Yes," she stated flatly. "We do. We have a life sized balloon of Evangelion Unit 01 in storage."

Misato raised an eyebrow at that, incredulous. How and why in the world would NERV have any reason to possess such a ridiculous thing? "Wh- what?" she stammered.

Ritsuko shrugged and issued a lopsided grin. "You heard me right. Apparently someone thought that at some point it could be useful," she stated, clearly seeing the absurdity in it as well.

Misato shook her head. "Whatever," she returned, brushing the ridiculousness of it off. "We'll use that to test its range and accuracy. How soon can we have it ready?"

"We can have it deployed in twenty minutes," Lt. Aoba piped up from behind his console.

"Good," Misato replied before speaking to everyone on the bridge. "What else can we throw at it? We need something to test its A.T. Field."

"We have a rail mounted Type 12 mortar cannon in storage," Lt. Hyuga stated. "We can have it dusted off and ready in half an hour."

"Excellent," Misato said before turning back to Ritsuko. "Do what you can to measure the Angel's capabilities passively until we're ready to move."

Ritsuko nodded. "The Magi are already analyzing the output from the Angel's previous shot," she replied.

Misato nodded. She glared up at the enemy on the central display. One way or another she'd figure out a way to defeat it. She had to, for the sake of her revenge, she had to... For now though, all she could do was wait...

---

Gendo Ikari was concerned. He sat in his office flipping through the small stack of papers on his desk for the third time. No matter how many times the data was analyzed there seemed to be no logical explanation for Unit 00 shutting out all incoming or outgoing signals to the plug. Once the communication feeds to the plug had been severed all transmission from within had been lost for 147 seconds. During that time there were no readings of what was happening to the pilot. This was the kind of behavior he would have expected from Unit 01, but not Unit 00. No matter how many times he read through the report and looked at the data himself it still defied all logic. If anyone would be able to clarify exactly what had happened, the pilot in the test would be the best person to question. For that reason he had summoned her to his office.

Mental instability on Rei's part had supposedly contributed to the initial activation's mishap. It was not something to rule out again here. If mental distress was the cause of this then perhaps Rei's routines should be adjusted or altered accordingly. It was possible that Dr. Akagi had a point when she'd pointed out that piloting the Evangelions was very stressful for the pilots. Then again, he could just have the good doctor prescribe her Xanax...

The door at the far end of the room opened and in stepped the First Child still wearing her plug-suit. Gendo watched her as she made her way through the dimly lit room until she was within a few paces of his desk. He regarded her in silence for a few moments before speaking. "Rei, I wish to speak with you regarding the activation test of Unit 00," he stated coolly.

"Yes sir," Rei replied, standing stock still in place.

Gendo unclasped his hands from in front of his face and placed them on his desk. "The feed from the Eva was lost for 147 seconds," he continued. "During that time, all data transmission ceased and all communication via video or audio was lost to the entry plug. Would you have any insight as to why?"

Rei stood silent for a moment before speaking. "No sir," she stated.

Gendo assumed as much. Why would she know the reason for the loss of contact? Still, whatever had happened to her in there had visibly effected her. What had happened inside was what he was most curious to ascertain. "What happened in the cockpit during that time?" he asked.

Rei seemed uncomfortable. She stiffened visibly and turned her head away slightly. Gendo found this curious. Whatever it was must have had a profound effect on her. This did not bode well for any deployments... "It is... hard to explain," she replied.

Gendo clasped his hands and stared at her intently. "Try," he said.

Rei nodded. "It was as if... the Eva wished to invade my mind," she replied softly. "I felt pressure on my head and I could... sense it wanted to go berserk."

Gendo's eyes widened behind his glasses. "For what reason do you believe it didn't?" he asked.

"I... I don't know sir," Rei replied softly. "But... "I do not think it will happen again."

Gendo was both thoroughly intrigued by what she said and worried in equal measure. Why would Rei have such confidence that there would be no further issues with Unit 00? She was in no place to make such a bold assumption. Perhaps she knew something that he didn't. "State your reasoning," he ordered.

Rei's eyes met his. She looked nervous. "It was as if... the Eva... accepted me," she replied slowly, her voice barely above a whisper. "It was as if it... agreed to let me pilot it."

Gendo stared at his ward while she stared back at him. He watched for any signs of deception, any shift in her eyes that would tell him she wasn't telling the truth. If she was lying to him he would... at the very least punish her severely... Her story seemed reasonable if a little strange. He closed his eyes behind his glasses. No, he had no reason to doubt her. Rei would never lie to him... "I see," he replied. "I will have Dr. Akagi run some tests and ensure such an incident does not happen again. You are dismissed."

Rei gave a slight bow and swiftly turned to leave. He watched her go until the door at the end of his enormous and empty office shut behind her. As soon as she was gone Gendo leaned back in his chair and stared up at the giant tree of life that adorned the ceiling. Conflicted thoughts kept running through his mind, chief among these regarding Unit 00's future deployments.

He remembered how he'd in a moment of lost composure ran down and pulled her from the plug after she'd been ejected during the first activation. It was a momentary lapse in judgment, nothing more, that was what he had filed it away as inside his mind at the time. Now he knew he was lying to himself about that. His unwillingness to consider replacing her if she was lying to him and his worry over Unit 00's ability to fight just confirmed it as fact. Deep down he really was concerned for her and part of his worries about Unit 00 was partially stemmed from the potential that she could come to harm if it were unreliable in combat...

He hated this reality. It made him angry. He should not feel such things toward his ward or his son if his plans were to be successful. He needed to see them as mere tools and nothing more. He resolved to do more to separate himself and keep them at a distance. They would forgive him in the end and so would Yui. Yet... despite knowing that further hardening his heart and more extensive self isolation was the best course of action for forwarding his goals, why did it feel... regrettable?

Gendo balled his fist at his side. "Dammit..." he hissed aloud in anger, if only because no one was around to hear him.

---

A small gunboat sailed across the harbor just outside Tokyo 3. Above it was suspended a giant balloon that was a dead ringer for Unit 01 down to it's purple, green, black, and gold paint job. In the distance looming high above the city's silver skyline hovered the behemoth that was the Fifth Angel directly over the center of the city, its drill slowly making progress toward the geofront. A wire on the balloon's arm was loosened which elevated the right arm that appeared to be holding a pistol. In half a second after that an energy beam from the diamond-like angel destroyed both the gunboat and the balloon.

Misato watched on the central display as the enormous column of water that had been disturbed by the Angel's beam fell back to the surface of the sea. The boat had been useful in determining the range of the particle beam, they'd sailed it around for a solid half an hour to determine the perimeter of target acquisition and they'd certainly found it. "Its accelerated particle beam cannon has hit the balloon. The decoy's been vaporized," Lt. Aoba called out.

Now they needed to gauge the A.T. Field. "Next test," Misato ordered.

On the outskirts of the city on one of the numerous rail lines that snaked around and into the metropolis, a giant Type 12 Mortar was wheeled into position. The barrel of the giant anti fortification gun was tilted to a near level trajectory to compensate for it's muzzle velocity and the comparatively short range to the target compared to what the piece was designed for. Though similar in appearance to the Karl-Gerat of the Second World War, it had been designed to lob shells at ranges of over 40 kilometers thanks to it's Gauss type firing mechanism.

The weapon charged in half a second and it fired with a blinding flash and a deafening report. The shell arced through the sky until it impacted the Angel's A.T. Field and deflected out to sea. Half a second later the Angel returned fire and incinerated the mortar.

"The Type 12 Mortar has been vaporized," Lt. Aoba stated.

An uncomfortable half smile formed on Misato's face. "Yeah, I see that..." she replied. She couldn't help but find it a bit redundant to state such an obvious fact despite it being protocol.

The bridge techs ran through the data while she stood, silently observing the proceedings. Ritsuko had left before the field testing had begun to oversee the repairs to Unit 01 so she stood alone. After a few minutes she spoke, growing impatient with the technicians. "Have you managed to clarify anything yet?" she asked.

Lt. Hyuga turned around in his seat and nodded. "Yes Ma'am," he replied, adjusting his glasses. "We're getting great readings on the target's offensive and defensive capabilities."

Misato nodded before calling out to the bridge at large. "As soon as you're all finished, meet me in briefing room A!" she called before heading out of the room.

She sat in the farthest seat from the door and crossed her arms, huffing in frustration as she did. She had to think of a plan! Why couldn't anything about her job be easy? Between the mountains of paperwork she had to tend to and being head of the Evangelion combat division of NERV it was a wonder that she didn't have any gray hair yet... She stared up at the black ceiling and sighed. "How on earth am I gonna kill this thing?" she asked to the empty room.

Misato leaned forward and brought up on the holographic display all the data on the Angel and stared at all the numbers flashing in front of her until Hyuga and Aoba entered the room along with a few other members of the NERV central command staff. She leaned back and locked eyes with Lt. Hyuga. "So I guess you've got the data processed?" she asked.

"We have," the glasses wearing technician replied.

"Well, lets hear it then," Misato commanded.

"From the data we've collected, we can assume that the Angel automatically attacks any opponents that come within a certain range," Aoba stated.

"So there's a 100% probability that anything that comes within that range will be targeted," Hyuga added before posing the obvious question. "It's too risky for close range combat in an Eva, isn't it?"

Misato returned to facing the display and brought up video of the Angel deflecting the mortar shell. "What's the status of its A.T. Field?" she asked.

"It's still active," one of the other technicians replied. "It's strong enough that the spacial changes in phase are visible."

"And needless to say, using conventional means of attack, guided missiles, artillery and bombs would inflict more damage on us than on the Angel," Hyuga added.

Misato stared at the display as the slow motion footage of the Type 12 Mortar's shell impacted the A.T. Field and scowled. "Yeah, offensively and defensively it's almost perfect, a real flying fortress" she replied. "What's the Angel's current status?"

"At this moment the target is directly above us, penetrating the central zone of Tokyo 3," the tech to the left of her called out. "A giant drill with a diameter of 17.5 meters is boring towards NERV headquarters."

"That's it then," Hyuga spoke. "It appears that it's going to attack NERV headquarters directly."

Misato couldn't hold her anger back any longer. "Sassy bastard!" she exclaimed in frustration. "What's its estimated time to break through?"

"Six minutes and fifty four seconds A.M. just after midnight," the technician to her right called out. "By that time it will have breached all twenty two levels of defensive armor and penetrated headquarters itself."

"Less than ten hours..." Misato muttered to herself. She had to think of a plan and fast!

"The drill has contacted the first armor plate," Lt. Aoba called out.

Misato keyed the radio to the Eva bays. "Ritsuko, what's the status of Unit 01?" she asked.

The radio crackled to life. "Well, Unit 01's defensive armor was melted down to the third layer. The good news is that the central control unit sustained no damage," Ritsuko replied over the radio.

Lt. Ibuki spoke up over the radio. "Given three more seconds it would have shot right through the Eva," she said.

"It will take three hours to install replacement parts," a technician reported.

That would certainly be a hurdle to overcome... "Understood," Misato replied. "What's Unit 00's status?" she asked. She knew full well that there had been some form of hiccup during the reactivation test but supposedly there was no real cause for concern...

"The reactivation of Unit 00 has a low probability of failure," Lt. Ibuki replied over the radio. "However, there is still a feedback loop remaining."

"Not to mention after the errors in the test, Commander Ikari is reluctant to deploy it," Ritsuko added.

Misato scowled at the news. This was a problem. Not having two Evas in the field against an Angel like this would be next to impossible to secure victory. No matter what, she needed to convince Commander Ikari to clear Unit 00 to sortie... She turned around and levied a question at Lt. Hyuga. "What's the status of Unit 01's pilot?"

"No physical damage," the bespectacled technician replied. "However, nerve pulses are up by 0.8. That's still within acceptable limits."

"Enemy arrival in nine hours fifty five minutes!" Aoba declared.

Misato leaned back in her seat as she desperately thought of what to do. The gears in her mind spun furiously. The particle beam that the Angel had was a perfect weapon, supremely accurate and powerful... Because of that beam they couldn't get close to the Angel but... what if they didn't need to? Misato smirked to herself. It would be a long shot, literally, but she remembered word of the JSSDF testing a particle accelerator cannon not too far away from Tokyo 3. Perhaps she could requisition it and charge it to such a capacity that it would defeat the Angel's A.T. Field? If that was possible it would come down to getting a shot off before the Angel. "Talk about a high pressure situation we're in..." she murmured.

"Why don't we raise a white flag?" Hyuga said in a clearly frustrated tone.

Misato smirked. "Before we do that, there's one last thing I'd like to try..." she replied.

---

Gendo sat in his office no more reassured of the situation regarding Unit 00 than before his talk with Rei whilst waiting for Captain Katsuragi to arrive and present her plan of attack. Beside him stood Fuyutsuki who was just as silent as he was. If Unit 00 were to be deployed during whatever it was that Captain Katsuragi had planned there was a high likelihood of it not surviving the engagement. Certainly if that were the case and Rei was killed in action his son would notice her replacement and be alarmed. If he were to be so inclined as to leave upon her death that would spell at the least a large hurdle to overcome in his scenario. There would also be much superstition at NERV that would arise and it was too early in the game to have that... He could not let this come to pass. Survival of both Evangelion units would have to be top priority in whatever it was that the captain had planned. He also made a mental note to update Rei's memories to her data file as soon as they were ready to begin the Dummy Plug scans.

Captain Katsuragi burst through the door at the end of his office and came marching toward his desk. When she was at about fifteen paces he raised his hand to signal his wish for her to halt. She did and saluted sharply. "I have a proposal for a plan of attack to defeat the Fifth Angel," she stated.

"Proceed," Gendo commanded, keeping his mouth concealed behind his gloves.

Captain Katsuragi nodded and began to present. "From the data we've collected, the target is too dangerous to engage at close range with an Evangelion," she stated.

"So what do you propose?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"I believe that if we can concentrate enough energy on a single point on the A.T. Field from a distance we can penetrate it and destroy the target. I propose requisitioning of a prototype particle beam cannon from the JSSDF to do this as our positron rifle does not have the output to do the job," she replied.

Gendo glanced over at Fuyutsuki who appeared a bit incredulous. "You want to use a sniper to shoot the target from outside its firing zone," Fuyutsuki responded as if to consolidate what the captain had just said.

"Yes sir," Captain Katsuragi replied. "Instead of trying to neutralize the target's A.T. Field I believe a pinpoint shot with a focused energy beam is the only way."

"What do the MAGI say?" Fuyutsuki inquired. Gendo listened intently to the proceedings. He knew the captain had a point but he worried that he would have to deploy both Evas.

"The responses from the MAGI computers is two affirmative and one conditional affirmative," Captain Katsuragi replied.

Fuyutsuki scoffed. "I've read your report. Our probability of success is 8.7 percent. Those are some long odds."

"It's the highest value we could get," the captain replied.

Gendo spoke up. He'd heard enough. "I see no reason to reject your plan," he stated. "You may proceed with your plan, on the condition that you do not deploy Unit 00 in combat."

The captain's eyes went wide. "Sir?" she asked, her tone one of disbelief.

Gendo knew she'd not take it well. "The bugs that arose during the activation test have not been worked out," he replied. "If the unit were to go berserk it would jeopardize the mission."

"Sir I must protest," Captain Katsuragi returned indignatly. "Unit 01 may need support while taking the shot. The outcome may be the same either way."

Gendo scowled. He had to admit that she had a point. The Angels needed to be defeated and a mishap with Unit 00 would have the same effect it not being there in case Unit 01 needed any kind of assistance. Reluctantly he obliged her. "Your argument is sound," he stated. "Very well, do as you need."

Captain Katsuragi nodded, turned on her heel, and left. Gendo watched her go until the door shut behind her. When it did, Fuyutsuki spoke up. "The captain does have a point in regards to Unit 00," he said.

"Yes," Gendo replied. "Indeed she does."

"Could it be you have other reasons for your reluctance to deploy Unit 00?" Fuyutsuki asked, a small note of playfulness slipping into his voice.

Gendo's perpetual scowl deepened.

---

Ritsuko stood just behind her closest friend on a large escalator descending to the weapon storage hangars for the Evangelions. She listened in mild disbelief as Misato told her of the plan she'd concocted. It was truly crazy the scheme she'd come up with but she reminded herself that Misato was quite good at getting things done on the fly and pulling successful ploys out of her rear end. "You know how crazy your plan is, right, Operations Director Katsuragi?" she questioned as soon as her friend finished speaking, a small smirk present on her features.

Misato turned over her shoulder to meet her gaze. "Don't be rude," she replied. "It's not crazy. It can be done within nine hours and it has the highest chance of success."

"Really?" Ritsuko returned.

"It does," Misato protested. "Those MAGI computers you supervise say so!"

Ritsuko chuckled softly. "Relax," she said. "I believe you. Still, it's a concept that hasn't been proven in combat. I can't help but have my doubts."

Misato crossed her arms. "Doubt it all you want, I'll make it work," she said just as they reached the bottom of the escalator and entered the gigantic room that held the stockpile for weapons for the Evas.

Ritsuko stared up at the positron rifle that hung by enormous mounts on the opposite wall. It was a fine weapon but it was doubtful that it could pierce a field as strong as what the Fifth Angel posessed. She turned to Misato. "You know, our positron rifle can't handle as high an output as what we'd feasibly need," she said. "What are you gonna do about that?"

Misato sighed. "Were you even listening?" she replied. "If ours isn't powerful enough we'll just borrow one that is!"

Ritsuko regarded her friend with a look of genuine surprise. She must have glossed over that when she was telling her the plan. The only thing around that was more powerful than NERV's own positron gun was... no... she couldn't be serious. "You can't mean..." she muttered.

Misato nodded with a huge grin. "Yep," she replied. "The JSSDF's new prototype."

Now it was Ritsuko's turn to sigh. "You really are crazy, you know that right," she replied with a wry laugh.

Misato smirked. "Maybe I am, but it's worked for me so far," she replied. "I'll need Rei and Unit 00 to requisition the rifle. Would you have any idea where she might be?"

Ritsuko shook her head. "Last I saw her she was when she was on the bridge when Unit 01 got hit," she replied. That said, considering the look she'd worn when she saw poor Shinji-kun nearly roasted alive, she had a sneaking suspicion.

"Could you find her for me?" Misato asked. "I need to find Hyuga and get the paperwork ready so we can do this without issue."

Ritsuko scowled. As if she didn't have enough to do tending to Unit 01's repairs...

---

Rei Ayanami sat in the hallway ICU in a folding chair with numerous thoughts running through her mind. Ikari-kun was in the room just to her left and despite her wishes to see him she had been denied by the medical staff.

She thought back on the conversation she'd had with Commander Ikari and it still caused her much stress even playing back those events in her mind. It had been difficult to conceal the fear in her voice or the events at large that had transpired in the entry plug during her activation. The fact that she'd managed to conceal things and that Unit 00 had cut the video feed to the cockpit had been a godsend. Knowing that the commander didn't suspect her developing plot was a blessing. She knew that if he were to discover anything was amiss with her that she would pay dearly.

However, most of her thoughts were concerned with Ikari-kun as he lay in a pressure sealed chamber whilst undergoing treatment for his encounter with the Fifth Angel. Logically she knew that he would in all likelihood be fine but a part of her still felt fear. If for some reason he was lost then... she wasn't sure that she could bear it. He had been the entire reason for desiring to continue living after all. He was the reason that she'd accepted Yui Ikari's gift of new life... If he were to perish... no she refused to think on such things. She balled her fists at her sides. No matter what that was something she would not allow to happen.

"Rei," a familiar voice called to her. "Are you alright?"

Rei nearly jumped at the sound. She looked up to see the doctor looking down at her with a concerned expression. "I am fine, Dr. Akagi," she replied, careful to keep her tone level.

Dr. Akagi smiled. "You're worried about him, aren't you?" she asked.

Rei looked away from her and clasped her hands in front of her knees. Was she really that easy to read? Had Ikari-kun really had such an effect on her? "I am..." she murmured softly.

"It's understandable," she replied. "You're friends after all."

Rei snapped back to look at her. The doctor was smiling and it appeared genuine. All she could do was nod in reply. "I'm... worried about him," she stated.

"It's hard to see people we care about suffer," Dr. Akagi said after a moments pause. "I get it..."

Rei gripped the vulcanized fabric on the knees of her plug suit tightly. "Do you?" she asked softly.

The doctor stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder. Rei stiffened at the touch, half expecting for her to choke her as she had in the past, as her mother had. Despite this fear, her hand felt surprisingly... warm. "I do," Dr. Akagi replied softly. "It's normal."

Rei looked up at her and saw only a warm smile. It was puzzling. In all the time that she'd known the doctor she'd always been cold and clinical with her. Perhaps her revealing that she'd become friends with Ikari-kun had... humanized her to the usually cold woman. She found she... relished in that notion. "I do not enjoy seeing him in pain..." she spoke just above a whisper.

Rei felt the doctor's hand slide off her shoulder. "That's the business we're in I suppose," Dr. Akagi said in a kind tone before returning to the clinical one she knew. "Captain Katsuragi has requested you to board your Eva."

Rei's eyes widened. This was not how she remembered things... NERV had the positron rifle used to defeat the Angel shipped to them by the JSSDF and had requisitioned power from all of Japan to power it. She had not deployed in her unit until the sniper engagement was set to begin. What sort of thing was Captain... Misato up to? Unless... she was being sent into combat. The idea terrified her. If she was being sent out into battle then she would surely perish and Yui Ikari's gift would be for naught... "I'm needed to sortie?" she asked hesitantly.

Dr. Akagi responded with a lopsided grin. "The operations commander needs your help in commandeering the firepower needed to accomplish her plan of action," she replied. "And should the paperwork she's present not be enough, an Evangelion present might sway the decision of the JSSDF to let have what we need."

Rei nodded. It was an ugly thing, being deployed for such purposes but she would oblige her commanding officer. It was strange, things were so similar and yet some different at the same time. Despite how closely things were going compared to the timeline she remembered, the little differences were beginning to add up. That was something that continued to bring her increased worry the more she thought on it and the more she lived in this new continuity...

---

In addition to being a cynical man by nature, Pvt. Ryuji Nakajima was also an observant person, perhaps too much, if his mother had her say. That power of observation he possessed alongside his curious nature had gotten him into quite a lot of trouble growing up and he'd learned to curb it for his own well being. Mostly he did this by not voicing his observations in the form of objections. This all said, Nakajima was very much reaching a boiling point on his complaint meter.

He and his regiment had barely made it out alive after their encounter with that... thing that had been code named an Angel by the JSSDF leadership. Their weapons had proved to be worth absolutely nothing against that creature, whatever the hell it was, and he'd barely escaped with his life when it had stampeded over the line of tanks that had watched the coastline for months. In the wake of that engagement, his regiment had stood by while a second Lovecraftian monster had invaded Japanese airspace and been ordered to stand by whilst it was dealt with by the UN backed organization known as NERV with some kind of giant robot thing they possessed no less... It was clear to him after his regiment had been transferred to a weapons test facility a few kilometers outside of Tokyo 3 that things would only get more insane.

So here he stood, on the edge of a JSSDF tactical base on guard duty with Masaki at his side. Supposedly yet another eldritch abomination had flown in from over the Pacific Ocean according to what he'd garnered from the suspicious news reports and from rumors on base. He felt lucky that his regiment had been transferred to glorified guard duty, but another part of him couldn't help but see the futility of their job in protecting Japan from such an... otherworldly threat. He gripped the sling of his rifle and scowled out over the facility from his perch in his guard box. How on earth did the brass want them to do anything against a near invincible alien threat? After what he'd seen when that monster had risen from the water it seemed to him that the JSSDF was only throwing taxpayer's money away with ineffective missiles and bombs. When he thought about it, the entire situation Japan was in at the moment was... utterly ridiculous.

"Something on your mind, Nakajima-kun?" Pvt. Masaki asked from his position next to him in the guard box they stood in.

Nakajima scowled. "Damn right something's on my mind," he hissed. "Aren't you just a little put off by everything that's gone down recently?"

Masaki sipped his cup of coffee. "What do you mean?" he asked in a semi-dismissive tone.

Nakajima whipped around to stare at his friend. How the hell could he just be cool with everything and let it all roll off him like water off a duck's ass? "What do you mean, what do I mean?" he snapped. "You saw what's happened in the last month and you were there with that thing attacked. You can't tell me you're cool with being stationed so close to Tokyo 3 can you? And why do you always seem to have coffee on watch?"

Masaki recoiled a little and took another sip of his coffee. "I like coffee," he replied with a shrug. "And we're soldiers, we don't get to choose our assignments, so why worry about where we're stationed? I'm at least glad we're not in the city where all the action is."

Nakajima sighed. "That's true," he grumbled. "I am thankful for that, but... it just seems stupid that we're even being kept around at all."

"How so?" Masaki asked. "Someone's gotta guard this facility."

Najakima rolled his eyes. "That's not what I mean and you know it," he replied. "You saw how we did absolutely nothing to that Angel thing other than piss it off with all our firepower. Then NERV comes along with some giant robot like something out of a bad science fiction movie and kills it? And then they killed the next one with almost no hassle? What's the point of even having the JSSDF around?"

Masaki shrugged. "We're catching up with NERV from what I hear. There's a project called Jet Alone that's reaching the test phase really soon and that will certainly put us on level ground with those guys," he returned with a sheepish grin.

Nakajima raised an eyebrow. "What the hell is Jet Alone?" asked.

Masaki laughed. "Like you said, NERV's been killing these things with some kind of giant robot, so we've been building one as well from what I hear."

Nakajima shook his head. The whole thing was too insane to be real. Giant robots and monsters fighting each other for the fate of Japan was something you only saw in the movies. The absurdist nature of reality was taking its toll on him. "What the heck is the world coming to?" he asked, laughing wryly. "Giant robots and monsters... are the Gojira movies a documentary series now?"

Masaki laughed. "Now that you mention it..." he trailed off as a loud thud vibrated the gun tower they occupied. Masaki immediately snatched his binoculars while Nakajima racked the charging handle on the tripod mounted Type 62 machine gun that they shared their post with. Nakajima brought the stock to his shoulder and looked off over the hill, his eyes scanning for any sort of suspicious movement. The thudding returned, this time rhythmically. He could see... something moving in the distance and when it revealed itself he stood slack-jawed behind his weapon.

It was one of those NERV robots, dragging a giant cable behind it as it marched directly toward their facility. Nakajima couldn't help but be impressed and terrified by the size of the damn thing. It towered above them, even at a distance of over 300 meters he could tell that it dwarfed the tower in which he resided and it was getting closer and closer. Soon it would be stepping over the perimeter fence.

The radio in their tower crackled to life. "We have guests today, gentlemen," came the voice of the company captain. "There's no cause for alarm, NERV's just paying us a friendly visit."

It was all too much. He signed up with the army to help people in need and possibly defend Japan against the Chicoms, not stand by while mobile suit bullshit saved the day and the army stood with its thumb up its ass looking incompetent! Nakajima loosened his grip on the machine gun and turned his head to face toward Masaki. "You know something? I hate this fucking assignment..." he spat.

---

Misato exited the car she rode in with Lt. Hyuga just outside the hangar that most likely contained the object that was the reason for their excursion to the JSSDF base. Soon enough the young lieutenant had also exited the automobile and stood beside her. The pair watched as an officer strode toward them with a pair of guards accompanying him.

"You sure we can do this?" Hyuga asked.

Misato smirked. "Just let me do the talking," she said with a wink.

An officer of the facility got within a few paces of the pair and greeted them with a stern face. After that the entire group began taking stride toward the hangar. "Welcome," the officer said. "Though it's most unexpected, we only received notice of your impending arrival fifteen minutes ago."

The hardened operations director of NERV wasted no time in cutting to the chase. "I understand that you have a prototype positron cannon at this base," she replied. "May I see it?"

The officer nodded and ushered her towards the hangar. "Right this way," he said, his tone becoming nervous. "What could you and NERV want with it though?"

Misato and Hyuga followed him into the hangar and Misato grinned when she laid eyes on the enormous metal crate that contained her quarry. "We'd like to borrow it of course," she replied ever so cheerfully.

The JSDF officer accompanying them stopped dead in his tracks. "What?" he gaped.

Misato reached into her jacket and pulled a large requisition order form that had been hastily cobbled together at NERV and swiftly approved by the Japanese government. "I've come on behalf of NERV to hereby requisition the prototype self propelled positron cannon as of 15:00 hours today," she stated with an ear to ear grin.

"But this is just... so rediculous!" the JSSDF officer exclaimed.

"We'll try our best to return it in one piece," Misato added. She reached up and keyed her earpiece. "It's all yours Rei, get this roof off and it out of here!"

Evangelion Unit 00 which stood directly outside proceeded to lift the roof off of the hangar much to the chagrin of every one of the JSSDF staff. Numerous profanities were spoken. Misato keyed her ear piece again as the Eva began to lift the giant metal container that held the rifle. "Careful with that," she said. "It is a precision instrument and they only have one."

Unit 00 proceeded to lift it cautiously out of the hangar and Misato couldn't help but smirk to herself over her little bout of theatrics. She also felt just a little thankful that NERV had such a long umbilical cable in storage, otherwise getting the rifle out would have been much more difficult, not to mention less impressive!

Hyuga interrupted her musings. "Captain, I know we just secured the rifle but there's another little issue," he said.

"What's that?" Misato asked.

"Well, according to our calculations, it's going to take an output of 180 million kilowatts to destroy the target," he returned weakly. "Where are we gonna get that kind of power?"

Misato's smirk grew wider. It was times like this that she really felt like a mad genius. If that was something for which she would be remembered for then she could retire from NERV one day after the defeat of the Angels completely satisfied. "Where do you think?" she replied confidently. "I'll get it from the whole of Japan!"

---

Kensuke Aida sat beside his best friend watching television in his home's living room. It was a nice distraction from what was going on downtown. He'd recently convinced Touji, who normally didn't watch any of the crazy animes that he watched, to check out the new Tenchi Muyo adaptation that had just come out. Surprisingly Touji was pretty into it and had even gone around to watch VHS tapes of the older shows, but Kensuke suspected that most of that was because of the amount of mammaries on parade. Kensuke couldn't help but chortle to himself about that. Show some tits and his friend would like anything.

"Man, I can't believe this guy can't just pick one of em already," Touji exclaimed, gesturing at the screen in reference to the character of Tenchi awkwardly leaving the room whilst Ayeka and Ryoko argued. "I'd know who to go for in an instant!"

Kensuke chuckled. "Yeah?" he asked. "Who would ya pick?"

Touji snapped around at him. "The Princess Ayeka of course!" exclaimed. "Who else?"

Kensuke raised an eyebrow. Considering the eyes he sometimes made at the class representative that was surprising. Then again... she was kinda like Ayeka. Hikari Horaki was always prim and proper but had a temper that when unleashed rained fire. He smirked. "Oh?" he prodded. "No love for the space pirate Ryoko?"

Touji looked disgusted. "Why would anyone?" he spat. "She's brash and rude and only thinks about herself! Why would Tenchi pick her over a beautiful princess?"

Kensuke laughed. "She's also his aunt though," he reminded.

Touji raised a finger. "Great aunt, and only in this adaptation," he stated. "But who cares? She's his grandpa's half sister so that's so unrelated it doesn't matter."

"And Ryoko really cares about Tenchi despite how much she acts all aloof. She always is the first to help him when things get really dire for him, you know," Kensuke replied with a grin.

Touji rolled his eyes. "You would go for a girl like Ryoko, wouldn't you?" he said.

Kensuke smiled. "Who wouldn't?" he returned. "She's clever and brave and she can fly. She can conjure beam sabers out of nowhere and she has a space ship that's a pet!"

"You're insane," Touji replied. "All a girl like that would do is get you into trouble."

Kensuke smirked. "As if you're one for the rules," he stated. "You're always wearing that tracksuit to class these days. You trying to get Hikari to notice you?"

Touji blushed. "Sh- shut up!" he stammered, crossing his arms and looking back at the screen.

Kensuke knew he'd won the argument, if only by duplicitous means. He also returned his gaze to the screen, his smirk growing. "Ah, it's whatever," he said. "People have been having this debate of Ryoko versus Ayeka since before Second Impact. It can't be helped."

Just then, the television cut the transmission of the show that was the subject of their little debate. An emergency new bulletin appeared on screen. "We apologize for interrupting our regular programming for this emergency bulletin. From 11:30pm tonight until tomorrow morning there will be a large scale power blackout throughout most of Japan. We appreciate your cooperation," the newscaster said.

Kensuke scowled. The playful mood in the room had instantly been extinguished, bringing them back the harsh reality that was unfolding all around them. The broadcast probably had something to do with the Angel monster that was hovering above downtown. "I wonder how Shinji-kun is doing right now," he murmured. "Him and Ayanami are probably gearing up for battle right now."

Touji frowned and crossed his arms. "Yeah, I wonder what NERV is planning," he replied. "He saved our asses during the last attack and you saw what it's like for him to fight. I really hope he's okay..."

Kensuke nodded. He too was worried about his friend. "Yeah, man, me too..." he murmured.

---

They were in the final phase of the planning. Misato stood on the bridge managing it all. It was moments like this that she was at her best and she knew it. Now if only Commander Ikari could see that and raise her salary that would be the icing on the cake but she knew that was unlikely to happen. "The drill has just broken though the seventh defensive layer," one of the technicians called out.

Misato leaned toward Lt. Hyuga. "What's the status on the energy supply system?" she asked.

"We're about 3.2% behind schedule," he replied. "But we should be completely finished by 23:10."

Misato keyed the radio to the tactical technology department. "What's the status of the positron rifle?" she asked.

"For the honor of technology development department three, we should have it completed in three hours!" a male voice responded.

Misato took the information in. That was a good sign. Hopefully they would follow through on their projected time. She changed frequencies to speak to Ritsuko. "Ritsuko, how's our defense coming?" she asked.

"Well, a shield is about the best thing we could come up with," Ritsuko replied. "It was originally the underside of the space shuttle. It might look ugly, but its got an electromagnetic coating that can stand up to the Angel's partical beam for at least seventeen seconds."

"Good work, Ritsuko," Misato replied before keying off of the frequency. She turned to Hyuga once more. "What about the sniper position?"

Hyuga frantically typed on his console and brought up a topographical diagram of the region around Tokyo 3, zeroing in on a hill just outside the city limits, Mt. Futago. "Taking geographical features and access to to power transformers into consideration, this is our best choice," he replied.

"Right, everything is looking good," Misato called out. "Our sniper will attack from the summit of Mt. Futago. We will commence at zero hours tomorrow morning. From this moment on this operation is called Operation Yashima!"

"Roger!" a chorus of voices called off across the NERV central bridge.

Misato crossed her arms. Now all that remains is the pilot of Unit 01 she thought. Hopefully Shinji-kun is alright...

Moments after she had that thought a phone on the bridge rang. Hyuga took the call and after several seconds he hung up. Afterwards the glasses wearing lieutenant spoke up, turning in his seat toward her. "Unit 01's pilot is in stable condition," he said. "He'll be released within the hour."

Misato frowned. She was glad he was alright but she knew he would just have to go back into combat. It was such a hard thing, sending children into battle... "Good," she said. "The operation will proceed as planned..."

With that update, Misato Katuragi began making her way towards the medical wing of NERV.

---

Ikari-kun had just been released from intensive care and Rei had been anxious to see him. She'd changed out of her plug suit and into her usual school uniform before coming to see him as the smell of dried LCL had become unbearable after several hours. She sat at his bedside awaiting him to wake.

Looking down at him he looked so peaceful but she knew that he would wake in distress. How could one not after nearly losing their life in combat? She'd never thought much on it before, what it meant to have only one life, but now the concept had wormed its way into her mind every so thoroughly. Everything that was his essence could have been lost when the Fifth Angel had blasted him. Now having an appreciation for mortality, she understood how painful that could be to know. Her own memories and life as a whole she'd come to value as... precious.

The memories of how he'd held her hand played back in her mind. The warmth that he'd given her had comforted her and even thinking back at her made her feel... warm. Seeing him laying there so pathetic and helpless after being hurt by the Angel... it hurt. She wanted to reach out to him and show him that he didn't suffer in vain. So... she did the only thing she could. She reached out and grasped his hand.

It was the first time they'd touched since she'd been given Yui Ikari's gift. His hand felt soft in hers and she caressed it gently she felt the same warmth she felt back then when he'd held her hand in the courtyard. She felt herself smiling without having to force it. Ikari-kun was warm and he was her friend... it drove home how lucky she was to know him and how lucky she was to be here now. If it wasn't for the compassion that he'd shown her she wouldn't be here now watching over him... There was a feeling she felt for him that she couldn't put into words but it felt... good.

"Hey Rei," a voice called out behind her. "Come to check on Shinji-kun?"

Rei reflexively let go of Ikari-kun's hand and sat up straight in the chair in which she sat. She turned around to see Captain Katsu- Misato standing behind her in the doorway with a compassionate smile. It was still new for her to think of her by that name. "I came to verify Ikari-kun was alright," she replied.

Misato's smile grew and she crossed the threshold of the hospital room and placed a hand gently on her shoulder. Rei was not used to such a touch but it felt warm just like it had with Dr. Akagi. Is this what it feels like when others feel compassion for you? Rei thought to herself. "I'm worried about him too," Misato said softly. "You don't need to be shy about it."

Rei met the captain's gaze and blinked. "Wh- what do you mean?" she stammered. She had been doing that a lot. She never fumbled her words until recently and it was happening more and more often...

Misato smiled. "I saw you holding his hand when I came in," she said, her tone becoming just a little playful. Rei recognized it as a hint of the same tone that the woman would use when teasing Ikari-kun. "You really care about him quite a bit, huh?"

Rei looked back at the sleeping boy in front of her. She still didn't understand what it was she felt for him but to express it in those simple terms was... apt. The said, she knew that the captain had other reasons for coming here. Surely it wasn't just to check on Ikari-kun. "Why are you here?" she asked softly, diverting from the slightly uncomfortable previous topic. It was... embarrassing to talk about her feelings she was coming to find.

She could almost hear Misato's cheerful mood deflating behind her. "I was hoping to check on Shinji-kun but I was also looking for you," she replied.

Rei had had a sneaking suspicion from the moment the captain entered that she would be seeking her out to issue her the briefing for Operation Yashima. It seemed that this was all but confirmed. "For me?" she asked, turning her head to regard Misato out of the corner of her eye.

She watched as Misato took out a small brown book and extended her hand for her to take. "These are the orders for battle," she said. "If you're going to stay here, would you brief Shinji-kun when he wakes up?"

Rei nodded and took the small booklet. "Yes ma'am," she replied. There was perhaps just a small amount of enjoyment that fluttered in her chest. It was nice that she could stay with Ikari-kun and get to brief him like she had before. Being able to predict events could be... fun.

Misato regarded her for a moment before issuing her own curt nod. She turned on her heel and left, leaving Rei alone with Ikari-kun. It wouldn't be much longer until he awakened. As soon as she knew no one was looking she reached out and grasped his hand once more.

---

He opened his eyes slowly. Though the lights inside the geofront that lined the roof were artificial, they mirrored the brightness and hues of normal sunlight. Considering the orange glow in the sky it was evening. He'd been unconscious for hours...

The last thing he remembered was the immeasurable pain as the LCL of his entry plug had started to boil around him. It had all happened so fast, he'd had no time to react at all. Even now as he regained consciousness he could still feel the vague sensation of burns over most of his body. The phantom pain from piloting the Eva always gave him the creeps. Thinking about what happened was simply terrifying. There was no other word for it. The Angel had nearly killed him and he'd been powerless to do anything... He couldn't help but wonder how and if NERV had managed to defeat it yet. With that laser thing the Angel had, how could they even get close enough? Hopefully Ayanami was alright if she'd been sent out after his failure. The thought of her getting hurt just like he had was unsettling...

He started to sit up and felt that his left hand was caught on something. He looked to his left and his eyes widened. There was Ayanami, sitting in a chair at the side of his hospital bed, holding his hand and staring back at him with those crimson eyes of hers. Out of reflex, he recoiled from her touch. He wasn't used to people touching him like that... "Ikari-kun," she spoke softly. "You are awake."

Shinji sat up in bed. "Ah- Ayanami," he stammered. "What are you doing here? H- how long was I out?"

He watched as her cheeks flushed faintly pink and her red eyes widened. Looking down he realized he was nude and the sheet that covered him had descended down his torso and was dangerously close to revealing his genitals. Panic immediately gripped him and hastily pulled the sheet up to his chest. "S- sorry," he stuttered softly.

Ayanami blinked and the pink in her cheeks faded. "It is alright," she replied. "You were in intensive care for quite a while. They had to remove your plug-suit. Do you remember what happened?"

Shinji looked away from her and hugged his knees to his chest. Indeed he did remember what happened. "I was nearly killed..." he murmured. He closed his eyes. "Did you have to fight it too?"

Ayanami shook her head. "No," she replied, her tone becoming soft. "I was tasked to brief you on the plan of battle."

Shinji scowled. "I see..." he murmured. Of course they hadn't defeated it yet. His Eva was the only one that was equipped for combat. That was the only reason she was here... but... that didn't explain why she'd been holding his hand. "Misato sent you?"

Rei shook her head again. "I was also... worried about you," she murmured softly, glancing down at her lap. Though the lighting wasn't good, casting an orange hue over everything, Shinji could have sworn he saw the pink in her cheeks return for a moment. "I am... glad you survived," she added, raising her head to meet his gaze once more.

Now Shinji couldn't help but feel a little... guilty for pulling away the moment he woke up. He looked down at his hand and flexed his fingers. "I'm sorry... for pulling my hand away," he returned. "I'm not used to things... like that."

"It's alright," Ayanami replied. "I understand."

Shinji smiled. "Thank you," he spoke, just above a whisper.

Silence fell between the two teenagers for a moment. Shinji was at a loss for what to say. He felt a little awkward and uncomfortable with Ayanami sitting next to him like she was but he also... enjoyed her presence. It was simultaneously soothing and frightening. He couldn't put a word on what the feeling was or what to call it. After a minute or so, Ayanami broke the silence. "Shall I read our briefing?" she asked.

Oh, yeah... there was still that ugly matter. He scowled and dug his fingers into his sheets. He hated piloting but he had to do it again and again no matter how much he hated it. The Angel had to be destroyed and he had the misfortune of being the one to do it... He nodded. "Go ahead..." he muttered.

Ayanami nodded and pulled a small brown book from the pocket on the side of her skirt and in that soft voice of hers she began to read. "Operation Yashima will begin at midnight 0:00 hours. Prior to that, pilots Ikari and Ayanami will arrive at the cage by 17:30. At 18:00, Unit 01 and Unit 00 will be activated. At 18:05, both units will be deployed. They will arrive at the temporary base at Mt. Futago at 18:30. There they will await further orders," she stated.

"I see..." Shinji murmured, turning to stare out his hospital room's window at the grand view of the geofront. "I guess I should get ready. 17:30 probably isn't long from now... I wish I didn't have to do this..."

"You don't have to," Ayanami spoke, snapping him back to reality.

He blinked and turned to her, his eyes wide. "Wh- what do you mean?" he stammered softly.

"I can pilot Unit 01... if you want," she said softly, her eyes looking downward and her usual placid expression taking on a hint of sadness.

Shinji's own expression darkened as he took in the weight of her words. She was offering him an out so he wouldn't have to experience the pain of battle again. It was tempting, it really was, but... it would be cowardly to take that option. He mustn't run away... How could he let his friend bear the brunt of a fight that was his? After a moment he shook his head. "It's fine," he said. "I'll pilot it. It's my... duty after all." He hated how those words sounded despite their accuracy. He hated being a soldier...

Ayanami nodded and stood from the chair she sat on. "I will be heading to the dressing rooms now to prepare," she said. "I'll see you soon."

Shinji still felt conflicted but he forced a wan smile. "See you soon," he replied.

---

On the roof of Tokyo 3 Municipal Junior High, a group of students had gathered. Among them were Touji Suzuhara and Kensuke Aida who had organized the little gathering. Kensuke felt a bit proud of himself for being able to get into his father's network in order to find out when the Evas were going to deploy. That was what they'd gathered to see after all. Everyone wanted to see the forces of man off to fight the alien threat even though they should have all been in one of the shelters instead.

"They're really late," Touji whined. Kensuke could tell that he was starting to get frustrated with just standing around. "We ought to evacuate to the shelters."

Kensuke was not about to give up so easily. He was gonna see the Evangelions again one way or another! "No way!" he protested, checking his wristwatch. "I hacked into my dad's data files. I'm absolutely sure this the time it said!"

"Well okay then," Touji countered. "Then where the hell are they?"

As if in response to his question, the mountain nearby started rumbling. A false facade of trees and earth fell away from a pair of giant metal doors and said doors appeared. "The entire mountain is moving..." Kensuke heard Touji murmur. He got to his feet and grinned like a madman. This was the moment he'd been waiting for!

Seconds later the doors open and ascending from the earth rose the giant mechas they'd been anxiously awaiting. "There they are!" Kensuke shouted. "The Evangelions!"

The entire group started cheering at the top of their lungs, shouting well wishes and whatnot that Kensuke doubted they could hear. He recognized the purple one as being Shinji's but the orange one that followed him carrying what looked like an enormous shield he'd never seen before though he knew immediately it was Ayanami's. Touji nudged him on his shoulder and he turned to face his friend "This is the first time they've both been deployed," he said with a sober expression. "The situation must be pretty bad..."

Kensuke looked out at the pair of giant machines marching away from them. "Yeah..." he replied, his excitement extinguished. "It probably is pretty dire..."

---

It was only a short while until midnight. Nearly all of the final preparations had been made. Shinji stood in the shadow of the enormous rifle that he'd set into position with his Evangelion upon arriving at the summit of Mt. Futago. Enormous spotlights lit the open air platform he was standing on casting long shadows everywhere. Beside him was Ayanami and in front of him was Misato and Ritsuko. He stood as they went over the final briefing for the operation they were about to undertake. Apparently he was going to use the gun, a retrofitted positron cannon from the JSSDF, to destroy the target from a distance outside it's firing range. Despite how sound a plan it seemed, he couldn't help but have his doubts. "This gun wasn't designed for field operations," he said. "Will it really work?"

"Point taken," Ritsuko replied. "But we had no choice. This was the most expedient way to get the job done."

That did nothing to ease his fears. "Are you sure... it's safe to use?" he inquired nervously.

"Theoretically, yes it is," Ritsuko returned calmly. "However, we're not sure if barrel, breech, or the accelerator will be able to handle the stresses. This is the first time it's been fired with such a high output."

Shinji dipped his head and stared down at his feet. This whole situation just got better and better... "Listen up!" Misato barked. "This is the plan of battle for the operation. Shinji!"

He snapped his head up. "Yes?" he replied.

"You and Unit 01 will be the gunner," she stated.

He scowled. "Right," he replied. So he was gonna take the shot using an experimental piece of machinery that might blow up in his face. It was yet another reason on the ever increasing list of reasons he hated piloting...

"Rei, you'll cover him with Unit 00," Misato added.

"Roger," came Ayanami's quiet reply.

It was Ritsuko's turn to speak. "The reason for this arrangement is that Shinji has a higher synchronization ratio with Unit 01 and this operation requires precision over all else. Since the positron beam will be effected by the earth's gravity, magnetic field, and rotation, it will not fire in a straight line," she said. "You must remember to adjust for these factors. You have to hit the core dead on."

It was such an intimidating task! How could he be expected to be so perfect! "But Ritsuko!" he protested. "I've never trained on this weapon before!"

"Don't worry, just do what the computer systems say," Ritsuko replied. "As soon as the targeting indicators converge on the target just pull the trigger, the fire control system will do the rest. Also, be aware that before you can fire the rifle a second time you have to wait for it to cool, then reload by replacing the fuse in the breech. You've got to kill it with your first shot."

Once again, her words did nothing to assuage his fears. His mind was playing out so many different results, many of them involving being incinerated by the Angel's energy beam. "But what if I miss!?" he exclaimed. "What if the Angel shoots back?"

"Don't think about that," Ritsuko returned. "You have to destroy the target with your first shot."

Shinji glowered down at his feet. It seemed like he had no choice. He had to be perfect and he was anything but... You mustn't run away, remember? He thought to himself, trying to calm his nerves. Just do it right the first time...

"I will defend Unit 01 at all costs," he heard Ayanami speak. He turned to her and their eyes locked for a moment. "You have my word..."

"It's time," Misato spoke. "Get geared up."

Shinji clenched his fists at his side as he tried to find the courage to move. Now was do or die. There was no other out...

---

Units 01 and 00 knelt on the hillside like a pair of enormous gargoyles, looking out over the whole of Tokyo 3. An eerie silence had fallen across the land. Around the necks of the Evangelions snaked a pair of makeshift boarding catwalks. Rei sat on the edge of the platform that partially circled her unit while Ikari-kun mirrored her position on his respective walkway. Without warning, the lights across all of Japan began switching off and all the stars in the sky could be seen. Rei had almost forgotten how beautiful a sight it was. Looking up she could see the belt of the Milky Way revealing itself to any who would look skyward. The slightly brighter strip of stars in the clear black sky was an awesome sight to behold and one not many in Japan got to see when living the cities. In the absence of light pollution one could see all the lights of the heavens. It made her feel so small and yet... thankful. If things had gone differently during Human Instrumentality she'd never be able to see that beauty again.

During the initial trek to Mt. Futago there had been no voice in the cockpit to accompany her. It seemed that her Eva had accepted her and the soul within had gone back into slumber. She was thankful that it seemed she'd come to an agreement with it. That had at least smoothed over one worry that she carried. The other was the battle itself. It was most likely to go just as it had before but the fear that she could die and all of what she'd come to know and enjoy would be lost was still a possibility... No. She couldn't let that happen. She wouldn't let that happen. She'd come too far and suffered too much to let that happen. After finding a reason to keep living she would not let that go. After finding a reason to fight she would not give in...

"Not that much longer..." Ikari-kun murmured. "Soon we'll have to fight that thing..."

Rei nodded. "Yes," she replied, glancing over at her friend. "We shall."

"We... could die out there, you know?" he spoke meekly. She could tell in his voice that he was axious and afraid. He had every right to be, he didn't know what the outcome would be. For him this was the first time and for her the second facing down this enemy.

"No," she returned, gazing back up at the beautiful starlit sky. "I have faith that we will succeed."

He looked over at her. "Can I ask you something?" he spoke, his tone full of apprehension.

"Of course," she replied softly. How she wished he wouldn't be so nervous around her...

"I'd... like to know... why do you pilot?" he asked. "After how my father makes you live, what reason do you have to fight?"

It was interesting how so much changed and yet so much remained the same. He'd asked her nearly the same question the first time she'd been here with him but now... her answer was different. The memories of what she said played back in her mind and she reflected on how much had changed within her since then. She still couldn't tell him about her origins or her role in Commander Ikari's scenario, but she could be honest enough... "For a while, Eva was all I had," she said.

She glanced at Ikari-kun who was now looking at her intently, his eyes wide. She looked off towards the Angel that was drilling slowly but surely towards headquarters before continuing. Even though it was the truth it was still hard to say. She couldn't help but wonder why the words didn't come easy. Yet... saying them felt... liberating. There was an old saying that came to mind: the truth will set you free... "For a long time, Eva was my only link to people," she said. "But now... I've found a reason to fight. There are things I desire to protect and a future for which I strive. There are people who I wish to protect as well... That is why I fight."

"You're very strong, Ayanami..." Ikari-kun murmured. "I wish I had that strength..."

Rei stood and grasped the railing. It should be about time to go out and fight. "You do, Ikari-kun," she replied, facing toward her Evangelion. "I believe in you."

There was a pause before he replied. "It's time, isn't it?"

Rei nodded. "Indeed it is..." she replied. It was time for Ikari-kun to save the world once again. As she stepped toward her unit she felt a fluttering in her chest as she remembered the sight of him bursting into her entry plug the last time they'd faced this battle together. Despite the pain that was sure to come, she looked forward to that moment should it come...

---

Shinji sat in the cockpit of Unit 01 as the seconds to midnight counted down. Operation Yashima was about to commence and he would need to perform flawlessly. He sighted down the rifle, his Eva in a prone position, listening to the radio as the final checks were performed. The anxiety he felt over what was about to happen was only matched by his curiosity of what Ayanami had meant with the last words she'd given him. The last conversation that he had with her had intrigued him. The answer that she'd given him about why she piloted Eva was certainly something to think on. The fact that she believed in his abilities worried him...

Doubts, those ever present errant thoughts of inadequacy that constantly tormented him were spinning in his head. For what reason did she have to trust his ability to save the day? In all of his prior deployments he'd nearly lost his life and the very first one the Eva had moved on its own to kill the Angel from what he'd been told. How could she trust him with her life like that? It was such a high burden to bear even though he knew she hadn't meant it to be... He frowned as he looked out towards the target. Now that he knew why she kept piloting he began to think about what reasons he had to keep going... At the end of the day, what was his reason to fight? Besides being obligated to it, that question was something that he just couldn't answer...

The radio in the cockpit came to life. "It's time Shinji, we're entrusting the power of all of Japan to you," Misato called.

This was the moment of truth. There was no turning back now and it was do or die... He grit his teeth and squeezed the control sticks. "Roger that," he replied.

"Commence primary connection!" Misato barked. Shinji's heart was beating faster in his chest by the second. Time seemed to be slowing down to a crawl. After a few moments Misato called to him again. "Release final safety lock!"

That was his queue to chamber a fuse and get ready to fire. He racked the enormous bolt of the weapon and brought down the long distance targeting visor. The technicians were feeding him updates in short and concise sentences but he wasn't paying attention to anything they said. All he could focus on were the sighting reticles in the cocpkit converging with agonizing slowness as the computer systems calculated his firing solution.

"High energy reading detected inside the target!" one of the techs shouted. He knew exactly what that meant. He was about to get blasted if he didn't shoot. Only four more seconds until there was enough charge... three... two... one...

"Fire now!" Misato shouted. Shinji didn't hesitate to oblige her order. He grit his teeth and squeezed the trigger so hard it hurt.

The rifle fired with a thunderous roar and the recoil slid his entire Evangelion several meters backwards as a beam of energy rocketed towards his target at hypersonic speeds. At the same time, Shinji could see a beam of energy coming straight at him from the Angel. The shot that he fired and the Angel's own beam coiled around one another and then continued towards their destinations. Shinji barely had time to realize that he'd missed when the Angel's own beam impacted the hillside around him.

The report of the blast that resulted was deafening and he was nearly blinded how bright the flash was. It had hit just behind the mobile command center. For a moment he was worried that it had been hit but was relieved when he heard Lt. Aoba shouting over the radio. "The drill has penetrated the geofront!" he shouted.

"Fire again!" Misato yelled.

He chambered another fuse as the weapon cooled. This was just like he had feared. He'd missed and now they were all going to die... he'd screwed up and now they were all going to die! No! He couldn't let that happen! He wouldn't let that happen! If only the damned rifle would cool and recharge a little faster before the Angel could shoot again!

Too late... "We've got another high energy reading building inside the target!" he heard Lt. Ibuki shout frantically.

"No! Not now!" Misato screamed.

A second blast came shooting Shinji's way and braced himself for the sensation of fire but it never came. Through the blinding light he could see Unit 00 standing in front of him, the large shield it carried raised aloft to deflect the blast. Within seconds the shield was beginning to warp and melt. "Ayanami!" he shouted.

"The shield can't last much longer!" he heard Ritsuko shouting.

Shinji couldn't just let her die for him. He might be a wimp and a total loser but he was not about to let someone sacrifice their life for his mistakes! He felt fire in his heart and anger in his soul as he watched the shield she held up begin to completely disintegrate. She was his friend. How dare that stupid octahedron try to kill her! Forget the fear and pain of battle, he was gonna kill this thing regardless of what it cost him! He watched as the targeting systems calculated a new firing solution at an agonizingly slow rate. "Come on!" he spat, gripping his controls in a vice-like grip! He watched as the armor on Unit 00 began to warp and twist in the heat. It was hard to stomach just sitting there until his gun was ready to fire. "Hurry up, damn you!" he screamed.

As if in answer to his prayers, the firing solution solidified, signaled by a lock on target and a loud ping in the cockpit. Shinji didn't hesitate. He pulled the trigger and unleashed hate.

His shot was true. It slammed into the Angel and blasted a fiery exit wound on the other side of it. It began to collapse on its side as the fire intensified. "Yeah!" Misato shouted in elation. "We did it!"

Shinji's attention immediately turned to Ayanami. He watched as her Eva collapsed on its side behind the scorched and smoking remnants of what had been her shield, the shield she'd used for him. His heart sank and his stomach felt like it was doing flips before sheer terror set in. This was unlike his fear of the battlefield. This fear that he felt stemmed from the idea that his friend might be injured or worse.

He flew into a panic. He grabbed at the armor plate that covered the entry plug port and ripped it off, throwing it into the distant hillside. The plug ejected and he gently laid it on the ground before popping his own plug and scrambling down the arm of his Eva. He didn't care about the danger of possibly falling to his own death, his mind's only worry was her...

As he flew toward the entry plug the words she'd said played back in his mind about why she fought. If she was dead or dying then all of the hopes she fought for would be for nothing... Even though he could feel the heat of the entry plug radiating off his face from meters away he grasped the emergency hatch handles without hesitation. Shinji gritted his teeth and twisted the locks open with great effort made even worse by the smell of burning flesh and rubber. The pain was excruciating of the skin of his palms searing but he didn't care. All he cared about in the moment was ensuring Ayanami was alright...

The hatch gave away and he shoved his head inside the darkness of the plug. "Ayanami!" he shouted. In the pale light of the moon and stars that she lay sprawled in her seat with her head to the side and her eyes closed. Was she dead or just knocked out? The panic wouldn't subside... "Ayanami are you alright! Say something!"

She slowly came to and regarded him with an expression that he couldn't place. "My injuries are not severe," she replied.

Instantly relief found him. He heaved a heavy sigh and hung his head. He started to laugh softly to himself as tears of joy started streaming down his face. "Are you alright as well, Ikari-kun?" he heard her ask.

He wiped his cheek and looked back at her. She looked concerned for him. He couldn't help but find it a bit funny how even after what she'd done, how she'd almost died, that was what she was saying. "I am, thanks to you," he replied. "You scared me half to death though."

"I'm sorry..." she murmured.

The dam of emotion burst within him. All the thoughts that had ran through his mind before and during the battle regarding the words she'd said before they deployed began spilling out before he could stop himself. "Don't ever do something stupid like that again," he blubbered, hanging his head. "You almost got yourself killed... If you had then I... dammit! Do you know how guilty I would feel?"

Shinji took a deep breath and calmed himself before continuing to speak. He met the blue haired girl's nervous gaze and continued. He'd never been so... open with anyone, but... he knew he could trust her. It felt good tell her these things. He smiled. "I... I still don't know what it is I'm fighting for but I'll keep fighting so you don't have to do it alone. If you have dreams you're chasing then I'll fight for them with you. If we have to carry the weight of the world then you don't have to do it alone... Let me carry it with you..."

He watched as a look of shock washed over her face. For a moment she stared at him and then she turned her head away, the shadows in the entry plug hiding whatever expression she wore. His heart sank. Had he upset her by saying too much? Had he just... pushed her away like he did everyone else in his life? Suddenly it got uncomfortably quiet.

Then, Ayanami's voice shattered the silence. "For a long time..." she spoke, as she turned back to face him. "For a long time I never understood why people cry when they're happy but... I think I understand now..."

Shinji was awestruck. She was positively beaming while tears trickled down from her crimson eyes and down her cheeks. The expression of joy on her face that she was wearing was simply breathtaking. He blushed at the sight. He'd never really thought about it until then but... she was really pretty... After a moment he was smiling as brightly as she was. He extended his hand. He was still uncomfortable being touched by others but... it seemed like the right thing to do. "Let's go..." he murmured.

Slowly, as if gripped by the same anxieties he held, she placed her hand in his...

---

Rei felt like she was lighter than air. The words that Ikari-kun had spoken rang in her ears over an hour later as she sat waiting to be seen by Dr. Akagi in a makeshift medical tent for any lasting effects of the Angel's particle beam. The things that he'd said... they filled her with such joy. Despite the battle going nearly the same as it had before the things he'd said were vastly different. Instead of asking her to smile he had... bared his heart to her. It meant a lot to know that he cared for her now the same way that he had in the previous life. To know that she could count on him should she need to felt good. The idea that they could be even closer than they had once been was exhilarating. Rei smiled to herself as she sat on the medical cot in the tent she was in. With growing confidence and effect, she was changing the world around her for the better...

It was then that Dr. Akagi stepped into the room. Immediately Rei wiped the grin off her face. "How are you feeling Rei," the doctor asked. "Has the phantom pain subsided?"

She nodded. "Yes ma'am," Rei replied.

Dr. Akagi smiled. "That's good," she stated. "You're lucky you know. Another two seconds and the shield would have failed."

That was certainly unpleasant to know... "I am glad that it held..." she murmured in response.

Dr. Akagi smiled and shook her head. "Y'know, I sound like Misato right now, but what happened when Shinji pulled you out of the entry plug?" she asked.

Rei blinked, a pang of nervousness running through her heart. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"You were holding hands when the recovery crew found you," the doctor replied with a smile.

Rei looked away, trying her best to hide her grin behind her hair. She could still feel the warmth of his hand and the happiness it gave her. "We came to an understanding about piloting..." she replied. "Nothing more."

Dr. Akagi chuckled. "That's all?" she asked.

Rei steadied her expression and faced the doctor. She still couldn't trust her with anything yet. She had to work slow to pull her out of Commander Ikari's game and into hers... The knowledge of the future Dummy System scans still utterly terrified her... "Yes," she replied softly.

The doctor took in her words and nodded. "Well... if you're feeling up to it, Misato would like to see you for debriefing."

Rei nodded and rose from her seat on the cot. Misato was far more pleasant to deal with than Dr. Akagi, even if she was probably going to get no small amount of questioning followed by teasing, should Ikari-kun's portrayal of the woman prove accurate.

---

Gendo sat in his office trying to wind down from the events of Operation Yashima. He had watched from the bridge of NERV central command the battle against the Fifth Angel. Though he hadn't shown it, when the shield that Rei had used to defend Unit 01 had nearly failed he had become worried that the entire battle would be lost. Just like anyone else when the Angel had been destroyed he'd been very much relieved. Once again his stoicism kept him from expressing it. He liked it that way anyway.

It was getting late but he'd developed the habit over the years of going through his latest intelligence reports before turning in for the night. His sources indicated that very soon the JSSDF would unveil something that they hoped to become a competitor for funding and favor over Project E. It was of no concern really, the military and any other organization outside of NERV and SEELE had no capability to produce an A.T. Field. Without an A.T. Field one could not hope to defeat the Angels. Even if NERV's funding were cut the governments of the world would very quickly learn their lesson when they had to call him for the rescue whenever the toy of theirs was inevitability destroyed.

Still... he could allow himself a bit of fun in humiliating them. Supposedly the machine was nuclear powered and any mishap involving splitting atoms always caused quite an uproar. It would be a good distraction from the hiccups the Evangelion Units continued to have. Perhaps it would even provide a nice distraction for the committee. Anything to keep the old men and the world at large blind to his true plans the better.

After all, Gendo liked to hold all the cards in the game and keep his enemies blind to his moves and motivations...

---

Author's Notes

Well... I will be honest, this one was a process to write... The amount of sleep that I lost doing this one was immense. At this point i doubt that there is much blood left in my caffiene and alcohol system. I've nearly fallen behind my self imposed schedule of a chapter a week and I hope that I can actually find time to sleep and catch up. Then again, considering the nature of my work and the rock band I play in on the side, the odds of that are not good. It seems I'll force myself to continue my insomniac lifestyle...

That all said, I still had a hell of a lot of fun doing this. I must say that the final few sections were quite difficult to get just right for the emotions I wanted to convey. Also, this marks the return of the pair of OCs from Chapter 2. I pretty much had no reason to bring them back but for the fact that a little meta commentary seemed a good way to break up the seriously dark mood of most of this update. I'll also say once more how much fun it is to write Gendo. Writing his inner conflict is quite amusing for me, what can I say?

One thing to look forward to is Jet Alone! I know, I know it's not a hightlight episode for many... I intend to expand upon its premise and set up new original scenes as to set up a seamless transition into what I have planned for Chapter 9. Asuka is right around the corner...

As always, read and review!

Regards,

A.F.