Ch 19 A New Hope?
Kaworu stared at the moon, the light making his silver hair glitter. He watched as a massive vessel cruised overhead, in theory his allies. Not that they'd even noticed his presence aside from the temporary delaying of the Third Impact. Perhaps, to them, it was a moment of victory, where despite overwhelming odds, disaster was averted.
They did not realize it was their only hope of salvation, to be damned to mortality, to insignificance. To be forced to waste away on a barren rock until it inevitably explodes. That is a fate worse than death, one he will gladly save humanity from, even if it costs him his own life.
His red eyes glowed as they locked onto the dormant form of the Mark-06. "Go, my brother, the gates are already open. Fulfill your destiny."
All the Evangelion had to do was leap into the abyss to form the unholy union. It would be a mindless task, not fitting for him. He had a meeting to attend.
There was one man who desperately needed allies and an edge against his opponent. Something he could be willing to provide, as long as his conditions were met. Not like he'd have much choice. He'd not trust him either.
He had no loyalty to anything borne to this rock, only those who would be most willing to aid in his mission would he work with. If he didn't look hard enough, it was hard to tell the two men apart. They were both physically similar and otherwise, each possessing egos that far outstrip their actual means. Craving power above all else, the most unforgivable sin of them all.
They would also be saved, saved last, but would get to enjoy the fruits of his labor along with the rest of his species. He would have it in no other way.
Perhaps the man thought he was hidden, hidden from lesser beings perhaps, but not him. He already knew where to look.
"We're detecting an Evangelion activation. It's right below us!"
Kaji took a long drag from a cigarette, long past the point of caring whether his smoking bothered his crewman. They all had a lot more present worries than the air quality.
"Has anyone figured out how to shoot the guns on this thing yet?"
"Negative." A NERV technician answered him. It wasn't the cute girl, but one of her male friends. He'd never learned his name, but he wished he did. He sure as hell was coming in handy now.
"Then there's nothing we can do. Let's focus on getting the hell out of here as quickly as we can. I don't know what the hell happened to Unit-01, but we'll consider it a gift from god until proven otherwise. Have we finished loading up all the survivors?"
"Survivors are 90% evacuated. Teams estimate only a few more minutes until everyone's aboard."
"Good, and how about the Evas?"
"Units-00 and 04 and their pilots are loaded on board. They've also located the wreckage of Unit-01. We're working on moving it now. It's taking longer than they expected to excavate everything and get it onto the ship."
"Any update on Asuka!?" Kaji's tired eyes met the fearfully energetic ones of the woman he loved. Knowing the answer to her question, but not wanting to be the one to answer it.
"No, Ma'am."
"I told you to get some rest. You should be more worn out." She socked him in the shoulder with a flushed face. He'd gotten better at dodging the woman's blows. Stepping just out of range. "I mean it Misato. We're looking as hard as we can. We're incredibly strapped for people if you can't tell. Headquarters sent us some reinforcements in a VTOL, but it wasn't nearly enough. We're going to find her, I promise."
The girl twirled a lock of her hair between her fingertips, her mouth open as if to speak. Kaji patiently waited for the woman to speak her mind. "So, Commander Kaji, that's new."
"New for me too. This ship is my promotion, apparently. I don't think they could sucker anyone else into the position, so here I am."
"Considering how stressed you are for people, it sounds like you could use a second in command."
"I do like the sound of you being beneath me, Misato." This quip earned him a slap. It was worth it.
"You shut up! I'm being serious, if you're gonna be running a ship full of mostly former NERV personnel. It'd help to have someone who held significant authority back at NERV, someone people will respect."
"So I should get Ritsuko. I think she'll be too busy with the Evas. Even with all the stuff she took with her from NERV, there are still the repairs."
"That's hilarious. This is my laughing face."
"Of course you can be my second. I was planning on making it official later. There's not the time for anything formal."
"Ceremonies are a waste of time, anyway. I can't rest while my kids could be in danger. What can I do to help?"
A yawn involuntarily slipped out of his mouth when he tried to speak. "Take over for me while I take a commander's power nap."
"How long have you been awake?"
"72 hours, my overtimes' gonna be killer." He turned towards his makeshift bridge crew and gave a mock bow. "Now, if you need me, ask her instead."
Then he left and began searching for the nearest bed-like object he was going to collapse on. As soon as he left, an ominous red glow came over the command center. He sighed and muttered a few curses under his breath while he headed back.
"What now!?"
"Something's happening at NERV! We're detecting a code blue within the underground levels!"
"So it was probably a bad idea to ignore that Eva activation, right?" There was complete silence on the bridge, aside from the humming technology at work. "Is the VTOL from headquarters still here?"
"Still fueled and in the docking bay."
"Have it filled with every spare explosive we have left. I mean it, only leave room for a pilot."
"Kaji!?"
The eyes of everyone on the bridge were on him, including the increasingly watery eyes of Misato.
He grasped both the woman's' hands with his own, pulling her to him. He drew her into a deep kiss that made him lightheaded. When they finally drew apart, they pressed their foreheads together, eyes saying what their mouths were unwilling to.
This was his last chance. He couldn't leave anything unsaid, no matter how painful it might be. "I love you Misato. I always have and I always will."
"Kaji, I have to tell you something." He stared at the arm clutching his balled up shirt, then trailed his eyes up to the watery eyes of the woman he…loved. "I screwed up. Work was just an excuse. I abandoned Shinji when he needed me, Asuka too. I'm trying, but I'm so bad at it."
He brought her close to him again, cradling her head into his shoulder and whispering into her ear. "You're the best mother figure those kids could've ever asked for. There's not a manual for how to raise a kid, everyone makes mistakes. What matters is that you learn and try again, always get back up. Never stop fighting Misato." He released the woman, returning his focus to the bridge and their upcoming doom.
"Is the VTOL ready to fly?"
Another NERV technician answered him this time. His name was something like Adobe, or something he wasn't sure. "Yes Sir, this ship contained a stockpile of N-2 landmines. Much more powerful than anything we use in traditional combat."
"That's what I like to hear!" An enormous explosion rocked the Wunder, temporarily sending the ship reeling as it attempted to reorient itself. His back ended up smacking into a guardrail with dulled but still function reflexed his arm caught the woman next to him before she fell.
Kaji had to go, if this plan was going to work. If you could even call it a plan, technically more of an elaborate suicide. It was the only way, nothing else they had could touch an Evangelion.
He took off his captain's hat he'd stolen and gently placed it on her head, securing it then kissing her cheek. Their lips found each other again. They kissed. It was intense, much deeper than the one before. He tried to put every feeling and emotion that the woman had inspired in him throughout the years.
("While there's life there's hope.") Speaking his last words in his native tongue, he bid farewell to the bridge. Breaking into a dead sprint for the hangar, he'd wasted too much time already.
It didn't take him long to make it to the hangar. Kaji guessed the VTOL with a few idle men curiously staring at it was his. He was right. He quickly shut the door behind him and carefully slipped his body through to the pilot's seat. Not wanting to even brush against the explosive stacks inside with him.
The engine was still hot, his flying skills were a little rusty, he could fly, but landing would be difficult. He involuntarily chuckled at the thought. That definitely wouldn't be a problem.
Kaji pulled the throttle. The vessel roared to life and began soaring into the sky. He took a quick turn, then saw his target, the massive hole in the ground with the scary lights coming out of it.
His surroundings blurred as he raced down below the earth. At the bottom of the tunnel he could see an Eva Wielding two spears, part of its body looked to be fusing with the giant NERV had been keeping in its basement. Hopefully blowing the both of them straight to hell would be enough to stop the Third Impact, if it wasn't. Then nobody would say he didn't give it his all.
His hand left the controls and found the locket around his neck. He took one last look. A photo from a time long forgotten, of a young man and his little brother. It was when they'd first gotten money and their own place. The world felt like it was their oyster. There was nothing they couldn't do. It was the two of them against the world, and they were going to make it. Or die trying.
"I'm coming home, Fratello. Ti amo."
Misato felt nothing when she saw the massive fireball zooming out of the underground caverns. A cold pit of numbness built in her core and spread outwards, leaving her drained.
The lights stopped, the sky cleared again, revealing the inky blackness of the space surrounding them. She wished it would finally come crashing down and put this whole ridiculous circus to an end.
Cheers rang throughout the bridge. Former NERV members and WILLE hugged and celebrated together. The atmosphere was full of mirth. She watched it all impassively. Suppressing the scowl that wanted to form on her lips.
There was no time for her to celebrate. She felt like doing the opposite. Misato had too much work to do. She had just been put in charge of a ship. One nobody seemed to understand how to operate, now full of her old subordinates. Once WILLE started announcing the commanders' true plans and how close they'd come to killing us all. Recruiting the former staff was easy.
Herself included, she'd done a pretty good job of acting like it was the first time she'd heard the information. She felt so helpless. Now they were the ones who had the commander on the back foot. He had nothing, no Evas, and NERV had never produced their own. Leaving them with a monopoly of force.
The only person who seemed more eager to betray NERV than her was Ritsuko. She'd stripped her own labs clean of anything they could use while they took the Evas with them. She had also been working on destroying every system she still had access to before her access was revoked. The commander must've done something that really pissed her off. Hell hath no fury and all that.
Shinji was the first person to clue her into the group's existence. Kaji wouldn't go digging in a graveyard for people who dig up graves unless he had a good reason. Working to stop the commander from blowing up the world was definitely good enough for her. She wished she'd just been kept in the loop. Knowing WILLE existed would've been really helpful earlier.
Giving sensitive information to the pilots to turn him against his father was cold, but smart. Shinji was better off without him, anyway. That meant that he'd known what his Eva could do. He knew what would happen when he tried to save Asuka. He'd done it, but at what cost?
She shook her head to clear the dark thoughts from her head, refocusing on projecting an aura of command.
"Status report. Are we ready to leave?"
"Engines and Reactors are green. Evacuations are complete and the cargo hold is nearly at capacity. All 3 Evas are onboard."
"How the hell did you guys get this thing flying in the first place if nobody's been trained on these systems?" Her question was met with shrugs by the crewmembers not in NERV uniforms. She was surprised none of them had challenged her leadership or made some objection when Kaji unceremoniously left it to her.
Maybe they didn't wanna do it either. She didn't blame them. They were all on a ship so mysterious it almost felt alien. Now she was the person everyone looked to for answers. For a plan of action, she couldn't let them down.
"Good, then let's get out of here."
"Where should we go?"
"It doesn't matter, anywhere. Anywhere but here."
Misato went to what she guessed was the captain's quarters. A large room near the bridge with a large western-style bed in its center. She nearly used her sidearm on the TV on the wall when it went off without warning. Within a few seconds, a shadowy figure appeared on the monitor, all but his outline obscured.
"Where is Ryoji?" She was surprised the man didn't use a voice modifier. The first thing she noticed was that he sounded old, incredibly old.
"He didn't….make it."
"I see. That is unfortunate. You would be Major Katsuragi, I presume."
"That's right, he named me as his second before he….. I've been running things since then."
"Perfect. I was going to offer you the job, but you seem to have done it for me. I think you'll be very interested in the goal of our organization."
"You wanted me to be the commander? You don't even know me. Why?"
"Because I know you can handle the job. Also, I have an offer for you that you can't refuse."
"I can't now, can't I?"
"Justice for those responsible for causing the second impact, the real culprits."
The words were enough to give her pause. She took a deep breath before responding. "That's in the past. I'm worried about the future. When we get the bastard and make him pay for what he's done. I want nothing to do with an Eva ever again. I'm taking the kids with me, all of them."
"It's a little premature for that, don't you think? Where would you go? Most of the world is hell on earth, literally."
"Maybe, but those kids mean everything to me, all of them. They deserve to get something out of this calamity they have to call a childhood. We've already taken so much from them, we should give something back."
"We'll see. WILLE will reward all the heroes who help bring the criminals at NERV to justice. Have you secured Unit-01?"
"Yes, it's in the cargo-bay."
"Good, your first order of business will be to dispose of that unit as quickly as possible. You'll be receiving the coordinates of the rendezvous and head there as soon as you're able."
"Dispose of that unit? What are you planning to do?"
"That Evangelion has already started one impact. I'd prefer to prevent it from doing so again. It will be safely put in a place where it can't harm anyone again."
"But the pilot for Unit-01 wasn't inside the entry-plug when we pulled it out. Shouldn't we be trying to figure out the cause of an Evangelion literally consuming its pilot?"
"I can tell you the cause, something to do with starting the Third Impact. It's too dangerous to keep around, you know that. If you don't believe me, look outside. If we're getting rid of the pilot responsible also, two birds, one stone."
She quickly realized the man was only humoring her because she was new to the position. This was an order. One as likely to change as the direction of the tide. She'd either obey it or she wouldn't.
There was the option of refusing, leaving entirely and trying to take the kids with her and leaving for the hinterlands. She'd be stopped. They wouldn't let her take something that'd make their most effective weapons useless. They'd probably kill her if she resisted hard enough. She'd rather do that than leave even a single one of the kids behind. This was her new position. She was gonna use it to help.
"Yes Sir, we'll head to rendezvous."
He could hear the man's smile in his voice. It made part of her feel sick. A part that she swallowed. "Good, I don't like to micromanage. I do, however, expect results. We've dealt NERV a great blow. It'll be a long time before they can respond, but when they do. Be ready for it. He will not hold back."
"I understand Sir. I'll do my best." Misato saluted as the monitor finally turned off, finally letting out the breath she'd been holding in.
This was choosing the lesser of two evils, sure the man creeped her out and she didn't like the idea of 'disposing' of an Eva with Shinji in it. She knew what the alternative was, or who he was rather. Fate or luck had given her a chance to do good. She wouldn't miss her second chance. A chance to do good.
Misato didn't bother taking her clothes off. She was exhausted, plain and simple. Falling asleep would not be difficult. One thought that she'd momentarily forgotten came back like a freight train. She knew if there'd been any updates on locating Asuka, she'd be the first one notified. The fact that she'd heard nothing meant they hadn't found her.
They'd found Shinji's plugsuit in Unit-01. Not Asuka's. She knew she was. Alive, she didn't know how, but she knew. That meant somewhere she was out there. And she wasn't going to leave her out there, alone.
"Shinji…." That was a subject she'd been avoiding thinking about like the plague. What was she supposed to think? She'd encouraged him, not really fully understanding what was going on until it was too late. If that's not love, then she didn't know what is. Would she be any different?
Maybe she was. She'd not even fought Kaji when he'd left. Only cried like a child and watched him walk away. He was gone now, forever. Just like Shinji too, probably.
Who did that leave her with? Ritsuko, the 'friend' who lied to her face for years about what NERV was really up to in all the time she spent there. Her and the strange power couple of Rei and Mari. Two people she'd never expected to get along. Time had proved her wrong, however. She'd watched as the two of them became almost as attached at the hip as the other two pilots had been.
That thought brought another frown to her face. If she was going to keep having thoughts like this while she tried to sleep, she was getting shitfaced. Drunken rest was better than no rest at all.
There was a glass bottle hidden in one of the room's cabinets. It had a fancy top and no label, but a quick whiff definitely confirmed it was alcohol. There were no glasses, nor did she need one.
It was potent stuff, a few swigs of it, and she was already comfortably numb. Laying back in the bed with a sloppy grin as she curled up to sleep.
Rei stared at the window of her new cabin on the Wunder. There wasn't much in the way of bureaucracy. This had made the process of ascertaining where the pilots were supposed to be stationed difficult. Mari had suggested simply picking the rooms they found most suitable. The suggestion sounded absurd to her. This current place was only a holding room until they were assigned proper quarters.
The color red, the color of blood, of death. That was all she saw as the Wunder soared over the now barren landscape beneath them. This was the end of her goal, something she was never supposed to see. The price for her 'happiness' was at the cost of innocent humans. Ones she'd never met nor meant any harm. The true cost of oblivion, for there to be nothing, that which existed, had to be destroyed.
After giving all the useful information she could to WILLE, they seemed to trust her, if reluctantly. Ritsuko especially didn't look pleased at her being brought onto the ship as a crew member, but voiced no objections. Instead glaring at her when she thought Rei wasn't paying attention.
Even when they'd been attempting to turn NERV personnel against the commanders, they did not stoop to the level of advocating for outright murdering them. This new organization seemed to place a value on human life and 'justice', an abstract term. Imprisonment seemed a dehumanizing practice, but keeping both the men from causing more harm and being in harm's way sounded right to her.
Figures wandering in the distance drew her eyes, squinting she could see they looked like Eva's, except they possessed no head. Simply staggering from place to place aimlessly with their limbs outstretched.
A noise distracted her from continuing her observance. It was soft, but she could definitely hear the sound of crying. They were trying to keep quiet, but she'd heard the sniffling. There was only one person she knew who was close to her who may be distressed.
The door to her room was already open when she arrived. The girl in question was on her bed, face buried into the pillow as she whimpered.
Rei approached the girl with caution, gently resting her hand on the girl's back as she sat on the bed next to her. She must've been too silent as the girl jumped at her touch. Turning around to look at her with wide eyes.
"I apologize. I saw you were distressed and wished to help. My intent was not to disturb you."
Mari remained silent. Her eyes watered, and she returned to the pillow. Rei moved her back in small circles, something she'd seen done to others who were crying. It seemed to be effective as the girl's sobs eventually stopped.
"Hey blue, sorry you had to see that."
"It is okay. May I ask what is wrong?"
"It's just, I can't believe he's really gone."
"You are speaking of Mr Kaji, are you not?"
"I don't know. I've known him since I was a kid. Never even got a chance to say goodbye."
"He knew that you cared for him and he cared for you, otherwise he wouldn't have done what he did. Ryoji Kaji was a brave man who sacrificed himself out of love."
"He did, didn't he? That crazy bastard really blew himself up because he didn't want anyone else to do it. But what the hell even caused that? One minute I'm watching the puppy rescue his princess. Next, I'm on this weird ship and things start back up again."
"It was not Unit-01 that awakened. The damage we see was caused by an attempt to form the unholy union."
"The what? Blue, what are you trying to say?"
"Another Evangelion attempted to fuse itself with Lillith. It failed, but the attempt was still substantial."
"So does that mean when Kaji… Did that stop everything? It's not gonna start back up again, right?"
"I do not feel her presence anymore. I do not know what to make of it exactly. It does give me confidence that the worst is over. For now."
"That's good, but what do we do now? Sit around and wait for another impact to start?"
"I do not know. I suspect we will have little to do as both our Eva's require extensive repairs."
"True, maybe Misato can find something for us to do in the meantime. I bet she could use the help."
"I believe my skills would be more at use in the laboratory."
"Maybe, say if we're taking the Evas with us, does that mean there're more Angels?"
"I do not know, I don't think so."
"Then why else would WILLE need an Evangelion?"
"You've been with the organization much longer than I. I thought you'd know."
She could see her statement set the brunette deep in thought. "Would you like to hear my theory?"
"I'm all ears."
"The commander has been preparing for this scenario for nearly his entire life. There will be contingencies for dealing with WILLE. He will not hesitate to deploy Eva's against other people to achieve his goals."
"But he doesn't have any Evas. We stole them all."
She gave the brunette a look, not wishing to discuss the subject further. Instead, heading for where she'd seen Ritsuko setting up her laboratory. Even if the woman didn't like her, she still needed her help.
A man sat at his desk. On it was a video communicator, transmitting his image directly into UN headquarters. His identity was still concealed. Only for safety reasons, of course. The idiots actually believed they owed him their lives. When he asked, they met all of his outlandish requests, like dogs.
"Ladies and Gentleman of the United Nations, I am honored to be speaking amongst such esteemed company. As I'm sure you all know by now, I am the chairman of WILLE. A group dedicated to the destruction of NERV. In the past, our stories of NERV's corruption and shady double-dealings were met with outright mockery and laughter. Nobody is laughing now. Were it not for the brave Sacrifice of one Ryoji Kaji, none of us would be speaking here today."
He took a moment to let the words sink. When the applause ended, he continued.
"NERV lied to all of us. With one hand, they were shielding us from the Angels. The other held a gun to the world's head. Gendo Ikari and his son Shinji Ikari, working together, pulled that trigger. We already know what the results of that were. WILLE will continue to hunt down the commander of NERV and any still loyal to him. Until the world is one day safe from their machinations. We will survive, and we will rebuild. Stronger than ever. Thank you for your time, that is all."
He involuntarily wretched as he finally hung up the call. All of that was a formality. Everyone who mattered already knew what happened. That was for the benefit of the people lucky enough to still receive broadcasts.
Still, it needed to be done. His organization was now savior to every human still drawing breath after the near third impact. NERV had no more allies it could rely on. Now it was isolated and much easier for him to destroy.
Now he had to find the slippery bastard. That was his next task. He'd have to show up when Unit-01 was launched into orbit. He won't let her go without a fight. That'd provide the opening he needed to finish him. Once and for all.
"She was always going to be your downfall. You just never could see it."
Mari lay on the top bunk in her new room. It hadn't been easy, convincing her blue-haired friend that it'd be for the best. Her line about the ship being strapped for extra rooms seemed to have worked.
It's not like it really mattered. It was a place for the both of them to read a stray book one of them had found. Or to sleep at the end of their long days. Boredom was a growing problem for her on the Wunder. The only thing to do was work. Which there was no shortage of. Supplies have to be transported around the ship. Food needs to be prepared, wounded need treatment in the medical bay.
The apocalypse came. They were some of the luckier people for getting regular to food and water. They'd taken a lot of refugees when they first left. Not a single body was wasted, everyone who had an applicable skill put it to use. Rei mostly worked in the medical bay. She was logistics, a more glorified courier, bringing supplies to where they were needed.
She wanted combat. She'd asked to be part of the salvage teams, but she'd been rejected repeatedly. Her status as an Eva pilot made her too valuable to send off the ship unguarded, let alone as a guard herself.
It wasn't all bad. She and Rei were closer than ever. Best friends at this point, though the lack of anyone else also meant they were really their only friends. She was always friendly, but people seemed put off by Rei's…. Uniqueness. Add to that the fact that Eva pilots were starting to get the finger pointed at them for starting the Third Impact. It wasn't the best place for a girl to make friends. She didn't mind. They were idiots who were missing out, simple as that.
She was worried, not about Rei. The pilots who'd not made it on the Wunder back with them. Asuka was a survivor. Even if they dropped an N2 mine over the spot they think she's at, she'd still survive. She was one tough girl. She'd always admire that about the redhead. Even before all this mess, she'd not hesitated when ordered to face the Angel alone.
She'd been told Shinji was trapped in his Eva. They'd found his plugsuit, but the boy was gone. It was a discomforting thought, that she could go into her entry plug one day and never come out. She'd have to be careful that something like that didn't happen to her.
They'd arrived somewhere, today. They'd stopped moving, which hadn't happened since they left Tokyo-3. Before she could wonder any further, the crackling of the intercom in the room drew both its occupants' attention.
"Pilots Ayanami and Makinami are to report to the commander's office immediately."
"Looks like we're being summoned blue. I wonder what she wants to talk about?"
"We will find out soon. Let us go."
Misato sat at the desk in her office. It was nice, made of wood, with some fancy carving on the side. A gift from WILLE's command office in Florida. An ass of a swamp where apparently a majority of the world's rockets get launched from.
She'd heard Aoba discussing how proximity to the equator worked like a slingshot. Using the earth's own gravity to fling the rockets out of Earth's gravity. Most importantly, as she realized doing, that even for shorter launches saved fuel, precious fuel they had very little of.
They were really just letting him go alone into space. What if he comes back, and he's in an entry plug floating in orbit? She couldn't think about that now. She wasn't just responsible for him anymore. The lives of the people on this ship depended on her.
The entrance of two girls prevented her from returning to that train of thought. One smiling widely while the other kept, and the other walked with a measured expression.
"It's good to see you girls. I wish I had better news."
"What is it? Why have we stopped?"
"We're going to be offloading Unit-01. I have direct orders from the head of WILLE. We have to ensure NERV doesn't get their hands on it and it can't start another impact."
"Shinji is still inside there." Her tone held no emotion. Rei simply was stating a fact they all knew.
"I know. I told him it wasn't a good idea, but orders are orders. Maybe it'll be for the best."
"Maybe it'll be for the best!? That's how you react to one of our own getting sucked into his own Eva!? Shinji fought to save all of us. If it weren't for him, we'd be dead. Now you're just leaving him to rot."
Misato couldn't meet the brunette's gaze. There was an explanation for her actions, a reason she'd been so quickly forced down this path. Explaining it would be a waste of breath. She was their commanding officer, they would obey her whether they liked it or not.
"I'm sorry you feel that way. There's something else, the chairman himself sent these. All Eva pilots are now required to be wearing this at all times" She pressed out the two circular halos forward onto the edge of her desk. Gesturing for the two girls to examine them before she explained their purpose.
"I don't like these already."
"They're DSS chokers, a last resort if another one of the Evangelion awakens, so if the worst happens, we can still shut it down."
"Misato, what do these things do?" The younger girl looked like she was about to strangle her with the metal disc. She didn't blame her, part of her wished she did. It was something she felt she deserved.
"They're shaped explosive charges. Once they sense you crossing a certain line, they activate and….."
"Jesus christ! Do you really trust us that little!? This is ridiculous."
"An Evangelion started the Third Impact Mari. The higher-ups are a bit obsessed with removing the chance of another. It's just a precaution. We never plan to use them."
"You know this is wrong Misato, we're supposed to be the good guys. This isn't what WILLE is about."
"The Third impact changed a lot of things."
"Yeah, I guess it has." The two girls left, with Rei dragging a reluctant Mari still staring her down intensely.
Putting on the devices was simple. All you had to do was press a button, and it'd attach to anything vaguely neck-shaped. Once it was on, however, that was it.
She'd expect Mari to be upset. She wasn't afraid to express her mind and in any other situation, she'd be right along with her. The betrayal so obvious in the blue-haired girl's expression cut her deeply. There wasn't any double meaning or misunderstanding. Rei had trusted her, and she'd just betrayed that trust.
Protecting the kids? What a joke, the kids you just strapped bombs to. You're protecting yourself. Gendo would be proud. She was taking pages right out of his book.
She grabbed the glass bottle resting on her desk, not bothering to use a glass. Chugging until her chest hurt differently.
If someone bothered her in her office, they'd have to deal with a drunken mess. It's not like she has much to do now. Everyone was going to be watching as they launched Unit-01 into space. It would probably be humanity's last space launch for a very long time.
Misato would absolutely need to be hammered if she was going to watch that.
Ritsuko stood on an external railing of the Wunder. The air was humid and uncomfortable, but she couldn't smoke inside the ship anymore.
Working around sick people, it was much more frowned upon, even if the air was still constantly flowing through the vessel. Even if she was technically a doctor, she didn't wanna spend all her time in the medical bay instead of working on repairing the Evas.
She could make Maya do it. She had the most technological and medical experience. The girl was also trustworthy and much too skilled to be her assistant. It was about time she branched out, had her own subordinates and responsibilities. She'd have to find a new assistant, which sucked. She had very precise expectations of anyone working directly with her. The selection process was never easy.
Ritsuko didn't mind having to go out to take a break. A chance to think after how chaotic her new job and life had been was welcome. She'd been working nearly nonstop. Only taking naps on a cot in her work area to rest.
Repairing the two battered evangelions they'd recovered was going to be no straightforward task. She'd gotten plenty of material when she left. It still wasn't enough. She'd only grabbed as much as could be easily transported. Everything else had to be left behind, including a lot of her notes and data.
A rumbling noise grew in volume in the distance. The launch was starting, still not a sign of NERV. Maybe he was really going to let them launch her into space. She'd been objected to the plan. N2 reactors required fuel, fuel they had a very limited stockpile of. Unit-01 had an S2 engine that could power the ship and its weapon systems indefinitely.
As far as energy generation, an S2 engine was a century ahead of anything humans could compare to. Attempts to synthesize one had been impossible, but Unit-01 had directly taken one from an Angel. Studying it had led to duplicate that never lead to fruition. Launching it into space was a waste of a perfectly good reactor.
The director had dismissed her outright, talking about the risk of an impact. Either he had no idea what he was talking about or he was playing to people's fears. She'd taken him for no fool, so he was obviously the one pulling strings to get Unit-01 out of the picture. There was nothing for her to gain by pointing that out, so she allowed it. Let her rot in space. She doesn't give a damn.
Off it went, soaring higher and higher until it'll eventually stop somewhere in the upper atmosphere. Helplessly spinning around the globe for all eternity or until they ran out of power for the Wunder. Not a peep from NERV, surprising. Maybe he knows just as well that we can't keep it up there for long.
Grounding the Wunder would be disastrous, the biggest reason being there was nowhere they could land it safely. It would be a year at most before we ran out of fuel for N2 reactors. Maybe they'd get more. Once that ran out, then hopefully the director will listen to reason.
Her silent observance was interrupted loudly by the uneven footsteps of the ship's commander. Turning around to see the woman silently watching the rocket as it continued to climb into the sky.
She spoke first, raising an eyebrow when the woman grabbed a smoke from her pack. She chuckled to herself and gave the woman her lighter. "It really feels like things are changing."
"For the better or worse?"
Neither of them had an answer, each watching the sky in silent contemplation.
The medical bay on the Wunder was a busy place. After the near Third Impact, thousands upon thousands of survivors flooded onto the ship. Many hadn't remained being transported to the WILLE base. Others had remained and joined WILLE, most of them being given positions directly aboard the Wunder.
By some twist of fate, Maya had been put in charge of it. She wasn't a medical doctor. Sure, she'd taken a lot of the same classes in university, but doctors had years of education and training.
None of that had mattered when Akagi had delegated the position to her so she could focus on the Evas. She knew the woman knew how to best spend her time, but still, this sucks.
Her appointment had less to do with her skill as a medical doctor. Instead, they cared about her ability to work the complex machinery that automated a lot of the treatment. There weren't many illnesses, a few infections from untreated wounds.
The bulk of what she treated from day to day was always the same. Some form of mild to severe physical trauma. It was strangely a good thing. They didn't have the supplies for anything else and even still they were overwhelmed by the sheer numbers.
She'd made a note about asking WILLE for some form of psychiatric medicine, antipsychotics or depressants. That was what ate her up inside, seeing the empty and dead stares of people who'd lost everything. Or the people who'd lost touch with reality entirely, forced into the brig until they're offloaded.
At first it had been a drag. She'd spent considerable time searching for someone to convince the doctor to nominate instead. Her only goal being to impress the aloof woman genius above her. It was admittedly shallow. This work was much more gratifying, no more irking thoughts about morality and following orders. She healed people, to the best of her ability, so that they could continue living. A noble profession if one ever existed.
She'd been so distracted by her work she'd failed to notice a young girl trying to get her attention. Not willing to be ignored, the girl clapped, suddenly drawing her attention.
She looked familiar. Maya hadn't seen her before, but the longer she looked, the more she felt that she should know who it was.
"May I help you?"
"I want to help." Maya looked the girl up and down. She couldn't have been older than 14, if even that. The girl did have spirit, not once breaking eye contact and standing tall.
"I'm sorry you're too young. It's a good thing that you want to help, but we'll be okay."
"I am not! Whatever you need me to do, I'll do. I'm not afraid of blood or guts or whatever. I just want to help. Please?" The girl's cuteness made denying her even more difficult. She would be lying if she said she didn't need the extra help.
"Okay, but you have to promise me you'll listen to me and be careful. I don't want you injuring yourself trying to help someone else."
"I promise. Thank you so much!" Maya's body froze as the girl's tiny arms wrapped around her chest. After a minute, she forcibly separated herself, handing the girl some bandages.
Gently tugging her arm, she led the young girl towards a man on a cot. He lay clutching his hand, covered in bandages soaked red and brown with dried and fresh blood. Carefully, she unwrapped the man's hand. Applying a small amount of antiseptic before gesturing to the girl to finish.
She was a natural. Maya didn't have to intervene once, as the girl quickly but gently wrapped the gauze around the healing wound. There were a lot more injured people to deal with. But every bit helps and maybe together, they could do it.
Rei's eyes rapidly scanned through the digital display in front of her to find the information she needed. After a minute, she found it, looking to the doctor expectantly awaiting the results.
She was working directly as Akagi's assistant on restoring the Evangelions. A position previously held by Maya. Now the ship's head doctor, a position only given due to the complete lack of trained medical personnel. Ritsuko had a number of research assistants. Rei had proved the most efficient and, after a considerable time and, as the doctor herself said, 'universal karma' gave her the position.
Most days, they worked together directly. Rei performed all non essential tasks that didn't require the doctor's expertise. Helping to streamline the repair process for the Eva's, they'd made good progress. New mechanical shoulders had been built for the Evas with the arms themselves still in production.
All her time spent observing the doctor and her work had paid off. Much to the older woman's chagrin, Rei had developed a sense of the doctor's needs. Time spent together had gotten her to discover the woman's routines without ever being told.
"Core integrity for both units is 91 and 93, respectively."
"Within expected levels, how are the new shoulders looking? Everything connected?"
"Yes, Ma'am, the new installations have no anomalies. The new material is working effectively with the old biomechanical system."
"Good, that should be enough for today, Rei." Without exchanging another word, she began closing down the terminal. Before she could begin walking to the cafeteria, she was stopped by the blonde woman.
"Why did you come here in the first place?"
It took her a moment to realize what she was asking. "Because I wished for a different fate than the one he had chosen for me. I wanted to help instead of hurt."
"Just dropping him like that. You really don't care about him at all anymore?"
"I care very deeply for Gendo Ikari, that is why I wish to bring an end to his self-destruction."
"Hmph, I wouldn't go bragging about that around the ship. He's an international boogeyman for good reason."
"I will keep that in mind, thank you." Rei assumed the conversation had ended. Turning her back to the woman and continuing her walk.
"He was a bastard. He never really loved either of us. The only person he could ever love was her. I was an idiot for thinking that would change."
A sad smile came onto her face as she looked back at the woman. "I do not know if he really did love her."
"That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. Why would he do all of this if he didn't love her?"
"I'm sure he cared for her, that I don't doubt. What I do wonder is, how can you love someone else if you have no love for yourself?"
Even after the apocalypse had devastated human life, Misato still had to do paperwork. She began yearning for her early days of captaining the ship. The chaos distracted her, and the lack of bureaucracy led to a messy but efficient state of affairs, keeping things running. It wasn't something that could last for long, bringing back the mundanity of her earlier life.
The Wunder was WILLE's pride and joy. Most of its organization staff were based on the ship, and they were at the forefront of the fight against NERV. Not that it had been much of a fight lately.
She'd become one of the most influential leaders in an organization she'd previously never heard of. It still didn't make sense to her. The director was weird. She definitely didn't like him. Trusting someone who never showed their face was naivety.
She'd done some digging of her own. Asking any of the crew-man who'd been a part of WILLE before her proved useless. All they talked about was a mysterious man working from the shadows to take down NERV. Nobody hid themselves from everyone in their own organization for a good reason. He was up to something, and she was going to find out what.
"The truth is out there. All we have to do is look for it."
"Are you seriously talking to yourself, Commander?"
"Shut up Rits! Get in or shut the door."
"I had rare free-time for a break so I figured I'd check in." The blonde woman strode across the barren office towards her. Sitting on the chair across from her and eyeing the glass of liquor in front of her. "It's a little early for that, isn't it?"
"You're talking like you don't want some." She grabbed the bottle on her desk and tipped into the second glass. Her friend looked at it for a moment before grabbing it. Gulping the dark liquid in one shot.
"I never said that." She chuckled at the woman's sour expression as the alcohol took hold. It reminded her of old times. Long before now.
"How's work with the Evas?"
"Progress is progress. It's been slow, but we've recently installed new mechanical shoulders. Once the arms are finished, they'll be ready to rumble again."
"Mechanical arms? So there's no biomechanical whatever inside it now?"
"We don't have the means to synthesize new Eva tissue. Only terminal dogma had advanced enough facilities. Emphasis on had. We're doing the best with what we have. The gyroscopic design for the joints allows for more mobility than the previous arms."
"Forget I asked. I'm sick of work talk. I'm sick of all this."
"You're not alone, Misato. Why haven't you chosen a second-in-command? Doing two people's jobs wears you down, I should know."
"It was going to be you."
"I was waiting for it. Why didn't you ask?"
"You really wanna know?"
"No, I only talk to hear the beautiful dulcet tones of my angelic voice."
"I don't trust you." The woman's sarcastic grin faded rapidly.
"Listen, I didn't have a choice. I did a lot of things I'm not proud of. Not telling you the truth was the best thing I could do to keep you safe. Could you imagine what he'd have done with you if you found out before you were supposed to?"
"So the ends justify the means. You haven't changed a bit since NERV. You're just the same bitch in a different lab coat. Motivated by spite instead of whatever weird hold Gendo had over you."
"I'm doing my best! Working my ass off more than anyone! I don't need to justify myself to you."
"You don't. Just like I don't need a second, there hasn't been another Angel. The only decisions I make now are which forms to fill out first. Or who to yell at last."
"Whatever, I tried." The woman turned her back to her, heading towards the exit without another word.
"Rits, wait."
"What?" She grabbed the bottle again, tipping it over until the glass was over half-full this time.
"We don't have other friends, do we?"
"Not really. I'm friendly with my former NERV staff but I don't plan to learn any unfamiliar names. Waste of brain power."
"I don't wanna hate you."
"And?"
Her teeth cut into the side of her mouth. The pain sobered her up enough to sound more like a real commander. "Don't lie to me again. I want you to tell me the truth, the honest, harsh and painful truth. No matter the circumstance. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
"I do. I'm sure you have questions. If you want to ask me, you can."
"I already know more than I wish I did. Dr. Ritsuko Akagi, head of WILLE's science division. Would you be willing to serve as my number two?"
"I would be honored. I won't be able to do much aside from advice, but now hopefully you'll actually listen."
Misato chuckled at her friend. She could say that honestly now. Even if a part of her still stung from the betrayal. She needed allies if she wanted to keep running this ship.
"I don't trust the director."
"Me neither. Do you have something to base it on, or are you still upset about Shinji?"
"Don't mention him like that. You've seen what the director is like. He's hiding his face for a reason. I wanna make sure this ship is completely safe from outside interference."
"Are you asking me to take care of that?" Misato nodded her head at the bemused woman. "The computers on this ship are child's play. The best the Nevada branch could manage was a bastardization of our own system."
"You're dismissed. Maybe when the stars align again, we'll get the time to drink together again."
"You sure you don't want to talk? I do have a degree in psychology. Not a therapist, exactly, but I am your friend. I can see when something's bothering you."
""I'm fine."
"Really? Shinji is in space and Asuka is missing and you're totally fine with all of that."
"We're going to find her!"
"I never said we weren't. Misato, talk to me."
"You're dismissed Dr Akagi."
"As you wish, Commander Katsuragi."
Mari was really starting to enjoy her new job. At first she'd thought being a post-apocalyptic mailman would suck, but instead, everyone's happy to see her. She'd just delivered a fresh box of spices to the kitchen. Hopefully, they'd actually use them for once.
Speaking of which, it was almost time for lunch. She'd go to Akagi's lab and see if Rei wanted to eat together again. The lab wasn't far from where she was now.
Spotting the girl was never difficult. She always stuck out pretty easily in a crowd. The girl was still immersed in her work, unaware of her surroundings. This presented an opportunity.
Carefully sneaking behind the girl's back, she waited until she finished typing to wrap her arms around the bluenette. Covering her eyes with her hands as she whispered into her ear.
"Guess who?"
"Mari, can you please release me?"
"I guess, how much longer till we get to pilot again?"
"The only person with an exact understanding would be Dr. Akagi. Repairs have progressed well. All that's needed now is to mount and test the new arms for our Evas."
"I can't wait! It'll be good to get back in the saddle, or plug. There's not really anything to fight, though. I wonder why they're prioritizing getting our Evas back so much."
"That is a good question, perhaps to help transport supplies? An Eva is a perfect all-terrain vehicle."
"With how much power they suck up, it can't be for something that trivial. Maybe it's just insurance if another Angel shows up."
"I don't think that will happen."
"What makes you so sure?"
"I just know. Only one remains, and I do not fear him."
"Only one remains? So there is another Angel? How are you so sure?"
"Did you ever go into terminal dogma, the lowest levels? Did you see her?"
"I did. What's this got to do with that? The Geofront was destroyed. I doubt even that monster could survive an explosion like that."
"That monster, as you call it. Her name is, or was, Lilith. I possess her soul."
"Her soul, what are you talking about, Rei?"
"Rei Ayanami is not a real person. I am a combination of human and Angelic DNA. With a soul transplanted into the vessel afterwards."
"I hope you know I was just kidding when I said you looked like an Angel. That was just flirting."
Rei raised an eyebrow at the girl's nonreaction to the news. "You aren't concerned that I'm not a human?"
"No, are you? Is that why you told me?"
"I….don't–I-"
"Listen, Rei, you're perfectly human to me. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise, especially yourself. You know better than that."
She smiled at the girl. Her hand went to adjust her hair, gracing the metallic circle still on her throat. Mari stared at the device on her neck with murderous intent, her own fingers scratching across her own.
"It is an understandable caution to take. The pilot is the only truly vulnerable part of an Evangelion."
"I know that, but still, it's the principle of it. This means they don't trust us. If we're not obedient mindless foot soldiers, then….Boom."
"It is crude, but effective. It is an inherent desire for humans to have control when it is impossible."
"You don't think they'll work?"
"If you ever desire for me to remove yours, let me know. I will keep mine on."
"You can seriously do that!? Why would you want a bomb strapped to your neck?"
"They fear us, fear what our power would do if they lost their control of it. If it will help them sleep at night, I'll sacrifice some comfort."
"Don't say that." She raised a curious eyebrow at the girl. "Cause then it'll make me feel bad for wanting to take mine off. I've done this my whole life. If I was going to blow up the world, I'd have done it already. Trust me on that."
"I know, but it is not our decision to make. My goal is to work cohesively towards the end of NERV. I hope everyone on this ship can agree to that as well."
"I've been with WILLE for a long time. They've never been like this. Something changed. What's the point of stopping NERV if we're just taking their place?"
This time, she had no answer to the brunette's question. It bothered her. "All we can do is move forward. We have each other. To face this alone would be much worse."
Rei was completely unprepared for the surprise hug from the brunette. Her limbs were stiff and frozen, waiting for the girl to move. She'd have expected a reaction like that when they first met. By now they'd spent considerable time now living in close proximity.
It was stressful. They'd both heard their share of horror stories from the survivors coming and going on the ship. The Wunder's crew themselves had been first-hand witnesses to the destruction an Evangelion can bring when its potential is unlocked.
There were so many who didn't survive that long. If you learned to see it, there was a weight. Everyone had the pain of loss written on their faces.
It didn't dull their light. If anything, the sheer enormity of the loss made it brighter than ever.
The first thought to enter Asuka's brain as she entered consciousness was the throbbing in her head. The pain seemed to pump itself throughout her body, aching all over like she'd just gotten out of a boxing match. She groaned into the table as her face was planted on.
She snapped her eyes open and scanned her surroundings. It was a barren metal room with only a table and two chairs. The room seemed dirty or burnt. There was dark scoring all along the walls and ceilings. The entire setting made her uneasy, multiplied when she tried to get up.
Her left hand had been cuffed to the chair, her chair seemed to be bolted to the floor, unlike the table and chair across from her. She strained against the restraints until her wrist felt it might break. Attempting to move the chair itself was equally useless. All she really did was flail and scream at the metal currently in her way.
"I apologize for the inherent rudeness of restraining you in such a way. Your reputation precedes you. You can understand why I'm a little uneasy about the both of us being alone in a room."
"Afraid to fight a girl, Commander!? You should be! Now take off these cuffs!"
"I did not come to fight, I came to talk. Will you agree to listen to what I have to say?"
"Because I'm just swimming in other options right now. I'll pass, actually."
"As I'm sure you're aware, Unit-02 was destroyed in the fight against the enemy. As of right now, you are an Eva pilot without an Evangelion."
"I was sleeping the whole time. I had no idea." Asuka wasn't afraid of him. He wore that big ugly visor because he was a coward. After all he'd done to Shinji and to her and to everyone, he deserved an ass kicking. One she would be happy to deliver.
"Each Evangelion contains a soul within its core. Otherwise, it cannot function. I assume he already told you about the soul inside Unit-02."
She lunged at him. Even strapped to this chair, he was just out of her grasp. She tried to grab him, scratch him. No matter how much she twisted and banged the metal holding her wrist, it wouldn't give.
"This is an offer you can't refuse, an opportunity to bring back Kyoko Soryu, alive and whole."
"You're lying."
"Am I? Do you want to know what you'll have to do for me in order to make that happen?"
Even if she didn't believe him, there was a chance he was telling the truth. If he was, that meant she could have her mom back. Not just her mom's spirit, but her actual mother. That wasn't a chance she could pass up on.
"Tell me."
"You'll pilot an Evangelion again. I fail to see any part of this deal that does not benefit you."
He was right. She hated that. Her memory was fuzzy, but her Eva was toast. She remembered that. This would be her only chance, maybe ever, to pilot an Evangelion. If she passed that up, she'd be abandoning her entire life spent training to pilot.
She was the Second Child. The greatest Evangelion pilot of all time. Without it, she had nothing. She wasn't anything anymore. Even if it was a lie, she had to take this chance.
"Fine, I'll do it."
The man's expression made Asuka want to plant her fist right in his smirk-hole. She took a deep breath. The less she saw of this man, the better. She hated a lot of things, true, but she truly hated this man. Everything about him rubbed her the wrong way. Once she had her mother back, they'd both kick his ass.
"Excellent. You'll be shown to your new quarters once you exit this room."
"You're not leaving yet. I've got a question and I expect an answer."
"You're still making demands? In your position? I'd expect nothing less. Ask away."
"Where is Shinji?"