Evangelion unit 02 was motionless, firmly placed in the cage it usually stayed in when its activation was not necessary. In front of it, a metal walkway crossed from side to side of the walls of the large room. This walkway was usually used by Asuka when it was necessary for her to get aboard the red Eva, although NERV personnel also used it often when repairs and maintenance were necessary. That day, however, the walkway was crossed by someone different.
Kaworu walked slowly until he was in front of Unit 02 and directed his gaze towards it "The designated moment is approaching" the boy murmured "Will you join me, child of Adam and servant of the Lilim?"
A few seconds passed. Eva 02 remained motionless.
"I see... although you are made from the same body as me, your soul is still active, just like that of Unit 00" the boy said with a smile "Well, it's probably better this way... it will be easier for them to win" Kaworu murmured a second later. He approached the edge of the walkway, but instead of stopping as soon as he reached it, he took another step... staying in the air, levitating.
"I'll go alone" the boy whispered.
Aoba heaved a sight just before sitting in front of his computer terminal in the command center, while resting a cup of piping hot coffee near it. Working at NERV had its advantages, mainly the salary, which was excellent, but no one could deny the disadvantages that came with it. Another person would perhaps think that the main disadvantage was the danger that such work entailed, considering what would happen if an angel was finally able to reach the Second Angel and cause a Third Impact. Aoba, however, didn't see it that way. If the world was going to go to hell anyway if that happened, what did it matter being closer or further away if that were the case?
No, what bothered Aoba the most were the work hours "Working on Sundays... what a punishment" the man thought with resignation as he took a sip of coffee. The man hadn't had time to savor the taste before an alert message appeared on all screens in the command center. The man's eyes widened.
"Blue pattern inside the facilities!"
"I'm almost there!" a nervous Misato exclaimed into her cellphone as she entered the elevator that would take her to the command center "What's the situation?!"
"The target has been standing still for the last five minutes" Ritsuko replied, her own cellphone in her hand "It's inside one of the vertical tubes bordering Terminal Dogma"
"And the pilots?" the operations director asked, wishing with all her might that the elevator would move faster.
"Shinji and Rei are already here, they are getting into their entry plugs" said the faux blonde "Asuka must be on her way, a few minutes ago I sent Kaji to look for her"
"Let units 00 and 01 activate as soon as they are inside" Misato said as the elevator finished its path. The doors finally opened, and the woman quickly entered the command center "What the hell happened?! How did an angel enter here without us realizing it?!"
"It's not as simple as that. The angel did not enter the facilities... or rather it had not yet manifested itself when it did" said Ritsuko, gesturing towards the main screen of the command center "The security cameras recorded what happened"
On the screen, a recording from just a few minutes ago began playing. Kaworu Nagisa crossed the walkway in front of unit 02 only to start floating in the air shortly after, levitating inside one of the multiple compartments that connected the Evangelion cages with the rest of the facilities.
Misato opened her eyes wide, completely stunned "It can't be... he's the Seventeenth Angel?"
"That's correct" Ritsuko murmured with a serious face "I still find it unbelievable that the MAGI weren't able to detect anything until today. He must be able to hide his true nature at will"
A few steps behind, the two top figures of NERV spoke about the situation in a quiet voice.
"Who would have thought that SEELE would send it directly to us?" Fuyutsuki muttered.
"The old men are trying to accelerate their plan with our own means" said Gendo, in his characteristic pose with his hands clasped in front of his face, his voice serious "But we won't allow it"
"Units 00 and 01 ready" Maya reported.
"Good. Shinji, Rei, head to route 2, the objective is at the bottom of it" Misato ordered "Hurry up, it's right above Terminal Dogma"
"What happened, Misato?" Shinji asked, his image appearing on the command center screen as his Eva began to descend down Route 2, which consisted of a long vertical tube "How did the angel get in here?"
Misato looked back at him, very serious "The angel is Kaworu, Shinji" the woman replied.
"What?!" exclaimed an incredulous Third Child "But... how is it possible that...?"
"We don't know" the woman interrupted him "But it's not so far-fetched that an angel, or something similar to an angel, could have a human form..." the woman said.
Shinji quickly understood what the woman meant. Rei, after all, was part angel "I see..." the boy murmured.
"The target has been standing on top of Terminal Dogma for several minutes" said the purple-haired woman "We don't know why or what it is capable of, don't let your guard down"
"Understood" Rei nodded inside her entry plug.
Shinji was silent, trying to process everything that was happening. He had only known Kaworu for a few days, but he… had appreciated him as a person during that time. Even though the Fifth Child had been sent by SEELE to NERV, and therefore Shinji knew he had to be careful with him because of that, he sincerely hoped that Misato's suspicions of him being on the committee's side were simply that, suspicions. Shinji still believed until that morning that Kaworu was genuinely a good person and that his circumstances simply made it seem otherwise.
Rei, respectively, felt the pieces fall into place now that she knew that Kaworu was the Seventeenth Angel. She finally understood why she felt uncomfortable in her presence and why he looked so much like her. The girl continued to descend down Route 2 alongside Shinji, determined to stop the target as soon as possible.
After a few moments of tense waiting, both Evangelion units descended enough to make visual contact with the Seventeenth Angel. Kaworu levitated with his back to them, just above the access that connected Route 2 with Terminal Dogma. The boy then turned, looking up at them.
"I've been waiting for you, Shinji" the boy said in barely a whisper, but still being captured by the Eva sensors "I'm glad you've finally arrived"
"Kaworu…what the hell are you doing?" Shinji asked, his words dripping with equal parts disappointment and sorrow "I thought you wanted to be our friend..."
"You're not wrong about that" Kaworu said without losing an ounce of composure. He could somehow hear what Shinji was saying "I would like to be your friend"
"If you were our friend, you wouldn't be doing this..." replied the Third Child.
"I wish things were that simple..." the boy whispered, returning his gaze to the last metallic layer that separated him from Terminal Dogma. Then, an AT field formed around Kaworu, being projected against the layer strongly, blowing it into pieces "Let's talk inside" the boy murmured as he levitated towards the interior of Terminal Dogma.
"The target has deployed its AT field" Makoto reported with concern "It is the most powerful the MAGI has recorded to date"
"Shit" Misato cursed "Guys, stop the target at all costs, we can't let him reach Lilith!" the woman exclaimed through intercom. However, static was the only reply the woman got.
"What's wrong with the intercom?" the operations director asked.
"The target's AT field seems to be interfering with it" Aoba replied "We can only monitor the target's and the Evas' positions..."
A tense silence enveloped the command center.
"It's all in the hands of the pilots now" Ritsuko murmured.
"Keep an eye on Units 00 and 01. If they are disabled or the target approaches Lilith..." Misato murmured.
"Yes... I'll make sure to start the self-destruction of the headquarters" Makoto nodded "It's better than letting Third Impact take place…" he added somberly a second later.
Noticing that the intercom with the command center had stopped working, Shinji and Rei deactivated it. Units 01 and 00 passed through the opening that Kaworu had made a few seconds prior, falling to the lower floor of Terminal Dogma, where they were greeted by the immense lake of LCL that surrounded Lilith.
Once she recovered from her fall, Rei scanned the surroundings quickly, looking for her target. She finally found it, levitating before them at a short distance, without moving. The girl rushed towards Kaworu with clear intentions to neutralize him, but the boy deployed his AT field, causing Unit 00 to collide with it, rendering her efforts moot.
"Calm down, Ayanami" said Kaworu "First I want to talk to both of you. After that... there will be time for what you want to do"
Rei frowned. That statement didn't sit well with her "Nagisa, I don't want to kill you" Rei countered. Even after discovering the true nature of the boy, she still didn't want to take another live if that could be prevented "But if your wish is to cause the Third Impact... we won't allow you to do so" added the blue-haired girl with determination, as Eva 01 approached them. If push came to shove, she will not hesitate to do what she must. She wasn't going to let anyone destroy what she held dear.
"You're wrong, Ayanami. I don't want to cause Third Impact" the boy said, his face uncharacteristically serious "If that were the case, I wouldn't have been waiting for you to arrive. I could have entered here much sooner and joined Lilith without anyone at NERV being able to do anything about it"
"They could have activated the self-destruct sequence of the headquarters" Rei argued.
"And they can activate it now as well" Kaworu replied "Waiting for you to arrive only increases my chances of failing in the attempt to cause the Third Impact"
Rei kept her face serious, far from being convinced. Kaworu's words made sense, but she knew well that she could not let her guard down in such a situation.
"If what you are saying is true, why are you doing this?" Shinji asked, doubt painted on his face.
"Because this is what I have been created for" the boy replied, returning his attention to Unit 01 "I carry Adam's soul inside me. My body is a mixture of its DNA and Lilim DNA, so that upon coming into contact with Lilith, the Second Angel, I can initiate a Third Impact under the guidelines of my creators. This has always been my true purpose"
"He's like me..." Rei thought, surprise breaking through her face.
"My creators had convinced me at the time that this was the best thing that could happen to the Lilim. By unifying into a single being through the Third Impact, the pain, the loneliness, the sadness... all of that would finally disappear" explained the silver-haired boy "However, in the small time we have shared... you have shown me otherwise, Shinji" said the boy looking directly at Unit 01 "You told me that it is worth that all those unpleasant feelings exist if in exchange you Lilim can experience happiness, joy, love... and your actions show that you truly believe that"
"Of course I believe that…" Shinji said "But if you agree with me... then why have you done all this?"
"Because it is still my purpose. Furthermore, even if I fail to cause the Third Impact... there is someone who would do it instead. I prefer not to be the cause of it, at least" the boy answered simply "My destiny is to unite with Lilith and cause Third Impact... or die at the hands of NERV in the attempt. There is nothing else for me... and that is why I choose the latter"
Shinji and Rei watched as the boy's AT field dissipated, leaving him completely exposed.
"I have deactivated my AT field. Now there is nothing to stop you for killing me" Kaworu explained "I thank you both for listening to me, it has been nice to be able to say goodbye. Our time together has been brief, but I appreciate it from the depths of my soul. Thank you for showing me what is like to be human"
Shinji directed a look full of confusion and doubt towards the intercom with Rei's entry plug. She returned an identical look. Shinji moved Unit 01's hand towards the boy, almost touching him. He did not resist in the slightest "He's telling the truth. He really wants us to kill him..." the boy thought, stunned.
"Kaworu... do you want to die?" Shinji asked, still unable to believe what he was seeing.
"It's the only way. I was created for this, it's my purpose" said the boy.
"But…" Shinji began speaking, trying to come up with the right words.
"That doesn't mean anything, Nagisa" Rei intervened "Everyone decides their own purpose"
The boy turned his attention to unit 00, slightly surprised "Curious words coming from you, Ayanami" the boy said "Aren't you in the same situation as me? Aren't you tied to the purpose of your creator?"
"No. Not anymore" the girl immediately replied emphatically "There was a time when I actually did everything Commander Ikari ordered me to do. But Shinji showed me that it's not worth it. I now decide my own purpose. And it is precisely to oppose what the one who created me wants"
Kaworu's eyes widened "Are you opposed to Gendo Ikari's plans?" the boy asked, now clearly surprised.
"Yes" Rei replied simply, but leaving no doubt about her intentions.
Kaworu was lost in thought for a few moments. Then, he directed his attention to Unit 01 again. "Judging by your lack of reaction, I gather that you are also aware of this, aren't you, Shinji?"
"Of course" answered the Third Child "And we are not the only ones who think this way. A good number of people at NERV want to oppose to whoever wishes to cause Third Impact. And we are going to give everything we have in order to do so... regardless of whether the cause is an angel, SEELE or my father"
Kaworu fell silent again, processing everything he had just heard. That changed… everything. In the light of the events he had just discovered, maybe… "Interesting... that being the case, perhaps you can avoid Third Impact" the boy murmured after a few seconds "But you will probably need my help to do so" he concluded.
Shinji raised an eyebrow at Kaworu's sudden change of heart "Oh… have we convinced you, then?"
"Yes. If there is a real possibility that both SEELE and Gendo Ikari will fail to cause Third Impact, then there is no point in sacrificing my life" the boy said, recovering his characteristic calm smile "I would like us to exchange as much information as possible before acting. Who else among you is aware of this?"
"Well, there is Misato, Ritsuko and Kaji… and Asuka and Touji know as well" Shinji replied.
"Probably the best thing will be to discuss this together, we will avoid having to repeat explanations" said Kaworu "Where could we talk?"
"Good question. The Geo-Front is full of security cameras" Shinji said, doubtful "Which now that I mention it... what are we going to do with you, Kaworu? My father is aware of your nature now. You can't simply just leave here, I doubt we can get you out without any cameras recording us"
"There are no cameras of any kind inside Terminal Dogma" Rei pointed out, directing her attention to the gate that connected Lilith's room with the upper floors of the same, where the Dummy System room was located, among others "I can open the gate for you with my card later, letting you go to the upper floors were we could all meet you afterwards, Nagisa"
"Oh, good idea, Rei" Shinji said "We can pretend that... we have completed the operation and then tell Misato and the others the truth"
"Seems acceptable" Kaworu murmured "Well, it's best that I hide my angel status from your sensors again. Shinji, could you take me to the platform? I can't levitate without being detected"
"Um... yeah, of course. No problem" the boy answered, extending his Eva's hand. Kaworu descended towards it, standing over it. In a few seconds Shinji placed him on the platform, just besides the gate.
"Thank you. See you soon, I hope" Kaworu said while smiling.
"Yeah, see you soon" the Third Child murmured before returning to his girlfriend's Eva. Rei glanced towards him from her entry plug's intercom, Shinji quickly noticing a hint of concern on her eyes "You're worried, aren't you?" Shinji asked.
"Yes" the bluenette answered "The idea of leaving Nagisa alone inside Terminal Dogma bothers me"
"It's obvious that he's on our side, though" Shinji replied "I think he has made it pretty clear"
"I agree, but I can't help but feel that way anyway" Rei said, averting her gaze "I'm sorry"
"Don't apologize, Rei, I understand what you mean. I've been feeling this way about Lilith since I knew of its existence" the boy said, gesturing towards the gigantic body of the Second Angel.
Rei smiled softly at him "Thank you for your understanding, Shinji"
"You're welcome. Nobody deserves it more than, you, Rei" Shinji replied, mirroring the girl's smile "Well... let's speak with Misato and get out of here as soon as possible" the boy said, connecting his Eva's intercom with the command center once again.
Misato walked down the hallway that led to the entrance of Terminal Dogma with mixed feelings. On one hand, she was very relieved. The attack of the Seventeenth Angel had taken them all by surprise, both because of its immediacy regarding the previous angel and because of the way in which it had occurred. However, the result of this attack had been exceptionally good for them. In just a few minutes Shinji and Rei had been able to neutralize the target, they had been so fast that by the time Asuka had arrived at NERV along with Kaji everything was over. Furthermore, there was hardly any collateral damage to lament, only the layer that connected route 2 with Terminal Dogma had been smashed to pieces.
On the other hand…
Misato glanced at her surroundings. Next to her walked the four pilots, Kaji and Ritsuko, leading the way in front of them all. They had come there at the request of Shinji and Rei, who had been very insistent that they had to meet at Terminal Dogma to talk. This could only mean one thing: they wanted to talk about their plans to stop SEELE and Gendo Ikari. Misato couldn't help but feel a little concerned about it. Although it was true that they had to finally specify the plans they had to carry out, it was very strange that Shinji and Rei of all people had proposed that meeting, taking into account what they were like. Stranger still was the location where they wanted to talk. Although it was true that the Terminal Dogma was not monitored by security cameras, as she well knew from her last visit there, it was definitely a very unusual place to talk in. Both teenagers had been unusually firm about this, however, and that was what caught the purple-haired woman's attention the most "Why so much interest in meeting at Terminal Dogma?" Misato thought as they reached its gate.
Ritsuko entered her code into the gate's terminal and then swiped her card through the adjacent reader. The gate to Terminal Dogma opened before them.
"How gloomy is this place" Asuka murmured, observing the surroundings.
"Well, you haven't seen anything yet" Kaji pointed out "It's even gloomier on the floor we're going to"
Asuka glanced at the man with a mixture of surprise and displeasure in her eyes. She then turned her attention to Shinji "Damn, idiot... is it really necessary for us to meet there? We can talk at home again, like yesterday"
"No" said the Third Child, shaking his head "What we have to talk about has to be done in there... You will understand once we arrive"
Those present, with the exception of Rei, obviously, looked at the boy with curiosity and confusion. Misato raised an eyebrow again. All of that seemed fishy. If she didn't trust Shinji so much, she would be demanding an explanation at that point. She decided to wait a little more. They were getting close to their destination anyways.
"By the way Ritsuko, I suppose you disabled the security cameras in the hallways earlier, right?" Misato asked as everyone headed to the elevator that would take them down to the upper floor of Terminal Dogma.
"Doubt offends, Misato" Ritsuko replied as they entered inside. The blonde pressed a button and the elevator started descending towards their destination. After a few seconds of waiting, the elevator's doors opened, allowing the seven occupants to enter the upper floor of Terminal Dogma. Before them stretched a small, gloomy room.
Shinji observed the place with interest. Although he had seen parts of that place in Rei's memories during the cross compatibility test with Eva 00 many weeks ago, it was still the first time he had been there in person "This place…" the boy murmured once he saw the bed and furniture that was there "It's very similar to Rei's apartment... well, at least to how it was a while ago"
"Indeed. This is where Rei spent the first years of her life" Ritsuko said, drawing the attention of everyone present, who had been observing the room with some discomfort "But I suppose we haven't come here to talk about that"
"No, you're right" Shinji muttered.
"Well, I can't stand my curiosity anymore" Asuka said with her arms on her hips "Shinji, why the hell are we here?"
"Well, about that..." Shinji began to say, looking in various directions, as if he was searching for something.
"The reason is me" said a voice some distance away. Those present turned their attention to the place where said voice came from, where they could see a smiling Kaworu Nagisa approaching them. Surprised reactions did not take long to occur.
"You!" exclaimed a perplexed Misato, quickly pulling the pistol from her jacket and pointing it at the boy "What are you doing here?! How are you still alive?!"
"Misato, calm down!" Shinji quickly said "This is what we needed to show you, Kaworu is on our side!"
The attention of everyone present shifted to the Third Child, except for Rei and Kaworu, of course. Misato, in particular, looked at the brown-haired boy with disbelief in her eyes, still aiming his weapon at the Fifth Child.
"You better start explaining yourself, Shinji" the woman asked seriously.
"Well, I..." the boy began to say.
"I think it's best if I do the explaining myself. After all, I'm the one causing all this commotion" Kaworu intervened, directing his gaze to the operations director "Well, I guess the best thing to start with is to give you a little context. As I suppose you all already know, I am an angel, or it would be better to say that I am part angel, like our companion Ayanami, here present" the boy said gesturing towards Rei "I was created by SEELE's committee to cause the Third Impact and initiate the Human Instrumentality Project under their guidelines, and that is why today I entered Terminal Dogma. However, although when I arrived at NERV a few days ago I believed that this was the best for you Lilim, or human beings, living alongside you and, especially alongside Shinji, has shown me that this is not the case"
"Oh, so Shinji has changed your mind, huh?" Misato asked sharply without stopping pointing her gun at him "Well, entering Terminal Dogma was a very curious way to let us know"
"I'm not done yet, Major Katsuragi" the boy replied without losing his calm smile "As you probably know, I stood for several minutes in front of the layer that separated Route 2 and Terminal Dogma. This was not without reason, I wanted to give time to your pilots to arrive at the headquarters and catch up with me. I entered with Shinji and Ayanami there with the intention of saying goodbye to them and letting them end my life, since I thought that Third Impact would end up happening anyway, either by me, either by your commander, or either by SEELE, so the only option available to me was, at least, to die without causing it myself" at this moment Kaworu stopped looking at the purple-haired woman to direct his attention to Rei "But Ayanami and Shinji revealed to me that you are planning to stop both SEELE and your commander. That being the case, I have a third option now: to join you" the boy said, looking back at Misato.
"Well, well, and you conveniently decide to change sides just when you're face to face against two Evas" Misato replied, still not convinced "What a coincidence"
"Misato, he's telling you the truth" Shinji intervened "Kaworu completely deactivated his AT field down there. If Rei or I had decided... to complete the operation, he wouldn't be here right now"
Misato was silent, but did not lower her weapon.
"It's hard for me to trust him too, Major" Rei said this time "But Shinji is right, Nagisa is telling the truth"
Misato kept her eyes fixed on Kaworu for a few seconds... and finally lowered her gun "Dammit... I hope I don't regret this" the woman muttered as she put the gun away.
Kaworu smiled a little wider at the sight. It's not like he was at any risk whatsoever from a simple gun, his AT field was more than capable of stopping a measly bullet. But the woman finally stopping to point his pistol at him was a sign of trust, and he appreciated that a lot "Thank you, Major Katsuragi"
"Another Eva pilot with angel DNA" Touji murmured, still incredulous at the situation "Geez, at this rate we're going to be less humans than angels at this job"
"Shut up, idiot" Asuka snapped, scowling at him "Only you could focus on a detail like that in the middle of such an important conversation" Touji returned a narrow look at the redhead, but didn't say anything else.
"Well, I must admit that having someone like you among our allies was not something I was counting on, Kaworu" Kaji remarked, his lips curving into a lopsided smile "I suppose that having been on SEELE's side until now, you must have some knowledge of his plans, what do you know about that, specifically?"
"Not much more than what you already know, judging by what Shinji told me a while ago. I know what the Human Instrumentality Project consists of and how they plan to carry it out" the boy replied "Although I think you only know the most direct way they can start it, which would be my union with Lilith"
Those present looked curiously at the scarlet-eyed boy "Is there another way?" Kaji asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Indeed, but it is much more elaborate, so they will only resort to it when they realize that they will not be able to reach Lilith" Kaworu replied "The second way consists of a ritual with the Lance of Longinus, several Adam-based components and one Lilith-based component. These components would be the mass production Evangelion units and Unit 01, respectively"
"Wait, I thought all Evas were made using Adam as a base" Misato said, confused.
"All except Unit 01. Until now I have always wondered why, but here we have the answer" Ritsuko intervened "What does the ritual consist of, Kaworu?" the scientist asked.
"The ritual itself is quite complex to explain, but the important thing is that it would involve keeping Unit 01 immobile along with the mass production units for quite some time. Basically keep in mind that if SEELE considers it impossible to access Lilith to initiate the Third Impact, which they will surely consider as soon as they realize that I am on their side, they will undoubtedly try to execute their plans with this ritual. I imagine that they will attack your facilities with the mass production units and try to take over Unit 01 to start the ritual"
"But the Lance of Longinus is no longer on Earth" said Misato "After using it against the Fifteenth Angel it was trapped by the lunar orbit"
"I wouldn't be surprised if they had found some way to replace that component" replied the red-eyed boy "Just keep in mind that the possibility is there and that they will probably resort to it if they feel that no other option is available"
"Well, it's useful information, no doubt" Kaji agreed thoughtfully "We should take into account all these new variables to come up with a plan of action against SEELE and Commander Ikari. But first, Kaworu, what are your capabilities? I've seen that you can levitate and generate your own AT field, is there anything else you can do that will help us in this?"
"I can control Adam-based Evas from a distance, without having to pilot them directly" the boy replied "Although I don't think that will be very useful to us, since I can only do it with units that are not being controlled by other sources, or whose soul is not active"
"Whose soul is not active?" Misato asked confused "What are you talking about?"
"If the soul inside an Eva does not want to synchronize with me, I cannot control it. The will of the soul prevails" the boy explained.
The confusion on Misato's face increased, similarly to the rest of the others, except for one person "Do Evas have souls?"
Now it was Kaworu who showed surprise "You didn't know?"
Misato shook her head. It was then that she turned her attention to the person among them who knew the most about Evas, and noticed that her face showed other emotions, but confusion was not one of them. Ritsuko noticed the look that the operations director was directing at her, and diverted hers to the side. It was all Misato needed to confirm her suspicions.
"Ritsuko… did you know this?" the woman asked.
The fake blonde sighed before answering "Yes… I did know" the woman acknowledged "I guess there's no point in hiding it anymore…"
"Why do Evas have souls?" the purple-haired woman asked.
Ritsuko's expression became conflicted, a hint of sadness creeping in her eyes "In order for the pilot to be able to synchronize with their Evangelion, there must be a soul related to him within the core of the corresponding unit..." the woman explained "In the case of Unit 00, the soul is a part of the Second Angel soul, Lilith. The other part of the soul is inside Rei. In the case of Unit 03, I do not know the origin of her soul, and regarding units 01 and 02… they have inside the souls of Yui Ikari and Kyoko Zeppelin Sohryu respectively"
"What?!" Shinji and Asuka exclaimed almost in unison.
"Your mothers were the test subjects for the activation tests of units 01 and 02, more than ten years ago" Ritsuko explained "These tests did not go well... Yui Ikari was completely absorbed by Unit 01. Kyoko Zeppelin managed to get out, but... her soul was trapped inside"
"Now I understand why the commander has always placed so much importance on the safety of Unit 01" Misato thought, the pieces falling into place in her head.
The woman's surprise paled in comparison to Shinji and Asuka's, however. They exchanged a stunned look with each other and then turned their attention to Ritsuko again.
"Is... is there any way to get them out of there?" Shinji asked with pity in his voice.
"I'm afraid not. Your father tried everything he could in the past, without success" said the scientist "I'm sorry for both of you"
Shinji lowered his head, feeling a sting of sadness. Even though he had accepted his mother's death a long time ago, it was still painful to know the details. Asuka, next to him, made a similar gesture, outlining a grimace "Now I understand why mom committed suicide" the girl thought, her hands trembling. Then, before either of them could say anything else, she started running towards the elevator.
"Asuka, wait!" Misato exclaimed, watching with concern as she pressed the elevator button and its doors closed. The woman made a move to go after her, but Shinji grabbed her arm.
"Wait, Misato... let me go after her" the boy said.
The woman glanced at him hesitantly "Are you sure, Shinji?"
"...Yes" the boy replied.
Misato gave him a worried look, knowing that Shinji had to have received a similar blow as the redhead in the process "Are you... okay?"
"...I will be" the boy replied, forcing a weak smile "You better stay here and specify the details of the plan. We'll catch up when we get back down"
"Alright… thank you, Shinji" the woman agreed. The Third Child was ready to walk to the elevator, when he felt a hand holding his gently. The boy looked curiously to his side, only to see Rei staring at him with concern in her eyes.
"Can I go with you?" the girl asked softly.
Shinji's smile stopped being forced "Yes. Thank you, Rei" the boy replied.
Misato watched as the pilots walked hand in hand to the elevator, and then disappeared behind its doors. The woman returned her attention to those who had stayed with her. She heaved a sigh and crossed her arms.
"Alright. Let's talk about strategy already" the woman said with determination in her eyes.
To be continued...