Chapter 42: Are We Witnesses?

Shinji had no idea how long it took for him to recover his senses but he eventually began to tolerate the lights above him. His first experience being drunk gave him an idea of what the consequences of dealing with such a condition was like and wondered how Misato was able to live with it. It was not his most immediate concern however as his vision cleared and began to realize where he was. The room he occupied was not the run down back door area Ikuko lived in, it was the ceiling of the quarters he resided in at NERV.

Being free of a headache gave him the opportunity he needed to look around and realize what being in this room meant. Some time after he had his first drink of sake, he was taken back to NERV. He had no memory of how it happened or who let it pass but everything Misato tried to protect him from was no longer being honored.

Shinji brought himself up from his bed and put every bit of effort he had into making sure he could keep his legs steady. He managed to leave the effects of a hangover behind but he still felt a struggle trying to reach the door. As soon as he reached for the panel though, he realized he could not do anything to make his exit. The panel had been dislodged from the wall and there was nothing else in the room for him to use.

Realizing what sort of confinement he was in left Shinji in a panic as he realized his situation. He was stuck and he could not find a way out. Stuck in complete isolation he did not have a way to speak to anyone even find out what led him here.

Knocking in the door, Shinji pleaded, "Hey! What am I doing here? Somebody? Anybody?"

He heard nothing. He was trapped in the room and had no way of knowing how he could have left. Other than a connection to a personal bathroom he was not going to be let out of the confined space. For what purpose and for how long, he was left to discover that with the passage of time.

His wait in the room became so long that he lost track of time again. The only indication he saw a panel shift on the wall to the left of the door. Inside the compartment he would find basic rations that allowed pilots to get through the day. He feared they might have been tampered with somehow but Shinji's hunger made him decide it was better to tempt fate rather than be too careful.

Over the course of time in Shinji's isolation, he was left in fear what might have been happening to everyone outside when be did not even have a way to learn of the outside world. It was because of that reason he would knock the door every hour or so hoping for a response. After such a long time that no one seemed willing to address, he still allowed his concern for others to make for the door again and attempt to gain the attention of his captors.

There was a brief silence before Shinji began to fear he would not receive a response but was corrected as he saw the door open. Porter stood across from him while blocking off the spaces Shinji could have tried to find a way through. He was a familiar sight but all he was focused on at the moment was hoping he would have at least a few answers for what was happening right now.

Porter reached for her phone to report, "He's awake. He appears to be in good condition."

Takeshi on the other line ordered, "Prepare him for interrogation. Once this is over we need to hear everything from him."

Porter accepted, "Understood sir."

Hearing the different voice on the other line, Shinji asked, "Who was that?"

Remembering he would have a lot to inform Shinji about as soon as he would take him out of his room, Porter explained, "Much has changed. Come with me and I'll explain everything."

Although Shinji knew he would not have much say in where he was going, he held on to the hope he would at least be a little assured by asking, "Where's Miss Misato?"

Before Porter took hold of Shinji's arm he explained, "She and her mother are both in good hands. They have not been harmed."

It was the closest thing Shinji would have to assurance in that moment as he was taken out of the room and led by the arm. Once again he was in the halls of NERV and much sooner than he thought he ever would be. A rush of intimidation fell down his spine not from the imposing presence of the base but from another concern he had entirely. Her condition was assured to be fine but he had no other way of telling how soon he would be able to see Misato or what the purpose of him being here was.

There were many concerns Shinji found swelling up inside him but realized they would not be anyone's concern as an alarm sounded through the halls. Porter pulled Shinji closer to him and rushed further down. After being part of NERV for such period of time, he was able to identify there was only one reason an alarm would go through such lengths to demand the attention of its occupants.

Shinji's fear was realized as he found himself dragged into the command bridge where most of the old personnel were held. He saw several Japanese soldiers watching over the NERV personnel while someone he did not recognize stood in the area where Misato usually gave her commands. Much had changed within NERV indeed and he could not imagine what else might have been in store.

Still unsure who he was speaking to, Shinji tossed what caution he had by asking, "What's going in? Why am I here?"

Takeshi turned to recognize Shinji but maintained his focus on the screen at hand ordering, "Keep all units prepared to advance. Find out where the Angel is."

Now with a sense of confirmation for what was happening, Shinji changed his attention, "What are you talking about? Isn't the Angel out there?"

Trying to calm him from making any more comments, Takeshi told Shinji, "This one is simply proving to be a challenge. We have three units out there so we have nothing to concern ourselves with."

As Shinji looked up to the screen there were indeed three Eva units marching their way through the city. Two of them were completely unknown to him but there was one that stood out the most. A unit he never imagined would have been made operational again.

Shinji's eyes widened when he saw Unit-02 leading the other two and asked under his breath, "Asuka?"

Facing an Angel at night time was done before but there were few times it served to NERV's benefit. The only confirmation of Jophiel's presence could be seen in its slow but very sure approach through the city. What few buildings remained in its way were subject to a black mass that formed around it before it ascended into the air in the form of an oval. Onlookers could have assumed it was a dark cloud passing through the sky, but its proximity to the ground was only the first discrepancy that could be observed.

Rei tried to look for the target by sending one of her unit's laser pods before reporting, "The target appears to be nearby."

Asuka was not pleased with hearing so little and demanded, "Just find that thing already. Waiting like this is just stupid."

Unit-02 and Unit Alpha proceeded forward while Unit Beta lingered behind. It did not stand still, but its pilot was hesitant to move forward with the advance. As much as Kaworu loathed the idea of facing another one of his kind, there was a greater fear he was worried would come from advancing towards Jophiel.

His concerns were not accepted however as Aoi commanded, "Kaworu, advance to the front."

Kaworu knew there was no chance for him to protest as he accepted, "Moving forward."

Satsuki warned against the order as she reminded, "I don't see this as a worthwhile plan. We have already seen firsthand what the Angel has been doing to the city. If it is not stopped by the buildings, everything around it seems to eliminate the electricity in the area."

Aoi recognized the threat at hand but corrected, "That is why we are sending him."

Kaede was not so assured as she warned, "Even if they are both destroyed, we still have no confirmation of how many Angels remain."

With both Kaworu and Jophiel about to face each other on the field, Aoi revealed her acceptance of what was at hand, "We still have two ideal pilots prepared for however many are left. Kaworu's loss will only mean we do not have to deal with him."

The MAGI technicians were left to watch the battle at hand as Unit Beta stepped ahead of its partners making Asuka ask, "What's the big idea Kaworu? Are you thinking about showing off again?"

Kaworu remained committed to his order as he found himself approaching the Angel's possible location as he answered, "I have a mission. I must face whatever challenges me."

Despite his decision to move forward, Rei warned him, "You are approaching the area. It is not advisable."

Kaworu knew Rei meant well with her warning and cursed himself for not being able to more seriously consider it. By the same token, another building was being devoured nearby and it threatened another possibility where Shinji might meet his end. Left to bear the responsibility on his own, he was left with the reminder that he would eventually face another one if his kind against what his instincts demanded.

Changing back to its oval form, Kaworu tried to prepare the others by guiding, "In front of me!"

At Kaworu's report, Rei guided her laser pods towards the area and fired. The shots made contact with Jophiel but only made its form flinch a little as it continued its progress. They were unable to continue delivering damage however as Kaworu watched the pods fly past him but then suddenly lose power and crash to the ground.

Confused by the development, Asuka asked, "What the Hell? Are you seriously running out of power like this?"

Rei remained as calm as ever answering, "The effects of the Angel are as estimated. Unit Beta is approaching in range of the target."

The observers at NERV realized what sort of danger was coming as they saw Jophiel extend its being again towards Unit Beta. The dead of night kept the Angel from being perceivable from a distance but the black mass that extended itself was still recognizable. What danger it brought with it however was only demonstrated as the range of its power came within Unit Beta.

The umbilical cable was still connected to Unit Beta, but simply being in the presence of the being still triggered a countdown in its readings. Counting down from five minutes was one of the more stressful moments in facing the Angels and threatened to put the other Eva units on the defensive.

Takeshi tried to manage the situation by commanding, "Get Unit Beta out of there! Keep it away from the field!"

Despite his command, Aoi reported, "We are receiving interference General. We cannot contact him."

Satsuki added, "Not even the DSS fibers are activating at this point. The unit is reliant only on its own power supply now."

Despite the risks that came with being an Eva pilot in the first place, Takeshi still refused to accept the idea anyone would die under his watch. When faced with a creature that was unimpeded by the presence of electricity itself however, he was left wondering how he could possibly face such a challenge. Even the presence of the other two Eva units only made him wonder how much time he would be able to buy before he could come up with a plan.

Realizing all of these dangers at hand made Takeshi order, "Have Unit Alpha continue to fire what laser pods it has left. Arm Unit-02 with the launcher guns. Have the Positron Rifle on standby and ready to fire as a last resort."

Although the initial request for Unit-02 was sensible, the second one made Ritsuko warn, "General use of that weapon will wipe out all power countrywide. It will leave us completely compromised."

Despite the warning, Takeshi remained committed to his order countering, "If we allow the Angel any closer we won't have a country to defend."

While the stakes were clear to Ritsuko, she knew she could not stop anyone from utilizing one of their more effective long-range weapons if the worst came. Unit-02 reached for the gun launchers and turned around just as soon as the other container holding the Positron Rifle was brought up. The threat of such a weapon being fired again was not at hand yet but it was dangerously close to being the desperate last act of defense for the human race.

Unit Beta walked forward as it put itself through the disrupting field that Jophiel established. Its frame of time to engage the Angel was rapidly diminishing and was forced to draw its sword to attack. Without a power source to draw from however, Kaworu only had a normal blade to work with that would not give him an advantage he was hoping for.

Unit Beta thrust forward but did not find contact with an AT Field. The oval shape that approached the Eva unit backed away before unfolding itself and revealing its true form. Up close, Kaworu saw Jophiel take on a form that briefly resembled Sahaquiel but then released a multitude of folds behind it. In the center of it was a lone eye that gazed back before lunging forward.

What could have been a weak point was instead the oppression Jophiel was waiting for as Unit Beta thrust its sword towards it. Before it could make contact the Angel formed an AT Field that thrust forward and knocked Unit Beta backwards. The further back Unit Beta fumbled, more buildings alongside it began to lose what sense of electricity they had as the effects of the AT Field made its way across the ground.

Asuka could not tell what sort of interference Unit Beta was going through but seeing it forced back made her lock on to Jophiel and proclaim, "Finally you're out of the way!"

Unit-02 fired both launcher guns towards Jophiel to see them both collide with the AT Field. The explosion became so bright that it gave all three units a chance to view the Angel where it hovered. Simply knowing the presence of the target was enough to give Rei the opportunity she needed to move her laser pods into position and prepare to fire.

Before she fired she heard Kaworu contact her, "I will charge it. Once you have an opening, fire into the eye."

Deciding it was the best idea, Rei accepted, "Understood."

Asuka prepared her launcher guns to fire on Jophiel again but saw Unit Beta running towards it and asked, "What the Hell are you doing?!"

Kaworu did not have time to answer as he thrust himself back into the field of Jophiel sword first and once again made contact with its AT Field after immediately changing to its altered form. Asuka continued to fire her launcher guns in the Angel as she moved Unit-02 into another position where she could fire a ticket into the growing hold that exposed the Angel. The explosions that surrounded Kaworu were less than ideal for him but were only a minor distraction as he was reminded of what damage he was achieving. Asuka's continued barrage of rockets served as an obstacle however as she struggled to find an area where she could fire and not hit Unit Beta.

Despite coming close to a full penetration, Unit Beta was stopped from completing its task as a dreaded status was realized. Kaworu's unit reached zero on the counter and no longer had any power coming into it. He was stuck in front of Jophiel with its AT Field only receiving a little damage. The danger only continued to build as he saw the Angel reach its mouth out and prepare to swallow his unit whole.

Just as soon as Jophiel came within range of the Eva unit however, it left itself open as its attempt to devour Unit Beta was stopped by laser pods firing on its extended organ. The attack proved to be effective as it sent the Angel backwards and entered its oval shaped form to back away from being attacked again. Rei fired her laser pods again but found her blasts blocked by the AT Field protecting it.

Asuka was in the middle of reloading her launcher guns with Unit-02 as she asked, "Is the Boy Wonder out there still trying to make himself a hero?"

Despite Asuka's anger, Rei suggested, "The Angel will approach. It can possibly be destroyed from within."

It was not the answer Asuka was looking for but it was enlightening for her as she decided, "Well, maybe it's time for me to do it myself!"

As soon as Unit-02 began to run towards Jophiel, Asuka heard Takeshi contact her, "Asuka, what are you doing? Get back into position!"

Ignoring the order, Asuka ran towards the area where Unit Beta stood and was now subject to the same time limit it endured. Five minutes were counting down and it would be immobilized and perfect prey for Jophiel. It was not a fate she was willing to consign herself to.

Throwing Unit-02 in front of Unit Beta, it stood ready and fired its twin launcher guns to ignite the AT Field. The violent action caused Jophiel to enter its unfolded form and send out its mouth to prepare to swallow Unit-02 entirely. Without an AT Field to hold it back, Asuka fired her launcher guns into the gaping mouth of the Angel.

The narrow mouth organ reached out and felt itself filled with a number of missiles that erupted in contact with the back. Jophiel realized it was about to be subject to the explosions and turned itself inward as it changed into its oval shape and began to roll away from the ground. It did not intend to attack Unit-02 but it released the flames of the blasts from the hole on its left side.

The sight was clear to Rei as she moved her laser pods in position to take aim at the source of the flames. She did not hesitate as soon as they were focused on the hole in Jophiel and fired a barrage of laser blasts into the opening. Being assaulted with the unified fire caused the Angel to fall on its back as it endured more damage to its insides but continued the struggle to keep itself alive against all odds.

The sight of Jophiel struggling on the ground made Asuka move Unit-02 and pin it to the ground. The Angel unfolded itself as it released what flames had been building within it but found Unit-02 more prepared as it drew its progressive knife and thrust into its mouth. Being attacked caused Jophiel to widen its mouth more than it had before as the arm of Unit-02 dug through its insides to find the organ it could not live without.

Pushing the arm of Unit-02 in and out of the mouth, Asuka yelled, "Die!"

Mere seconds remained as Asuka continued to twist the knife as much as she could. Jophiel continued to struggle as it felt itself cut and torn from within but before long was no longer able to struggle. No one could tell what cut was the final blow but the Angel finally stopped as it lay limp underneath the shadow of Unit-02.

Despite the victory, Unit-02 could no longer move as it ran out of power and remained looking over the slain Angel. Unit Alpha was the only one that stood standing having avoided the range of Jophiel's effects and made a careful series of steps to survey the area. To Rei's relief she found her unit was not subject to the field that was once in place to confirm that Jophiel would no longer subject the human race to its terror.

Maya looked over the signals that had developed as she reported, "Life signs from the Angel are diminished."

Takeshi was relieved to have another successful operation as he ordered, "Retrieve the units. Get to work on repairs immediately. I don't want any of the pilots to show any signs of injury."

He was reminded of who he brought to witness the battle as Shinji asked, "Can I please see them?"

The Eva units were retrieved without issue and the technicians immediately got to work. Laser pods made their slide along the walls while the pilots were brought to the scaffolding where they would be released. As they made their way through the hangar bay however they would find themselves debriefed in a way none of them expected.

Takeshi knew he should not have been giving Shinji the privilege he had now but could not help sympathizing with his request. His time as a soldier made him understand the desire to be with the ones Shinji fought alongside. He knew his intention to prove himself as a better man than Gendo Ikari would mean he would never allow himself to be seen even remotely reminiscent.

Asuka led Rei and Kaworu as they made their way up to Takeshi before he ordered, "Attention."

The three pilots stood in front of the General with Asuka boasting, "Well I hope you're pleased sir. Another one destroyed on my watch."

Takeshi admitted, "You placed yourself in harm's way but were indeed successful. Still, I hope your inability to follow my orders came from the interference of the Angel more than anything else."

Kaworu tried to prevent any further doubts between the two as he explained, "There was much we had to keep track of. She cannot be at fault for everything."

Before any more discussion could be held about the recent battle, Shinji made himself known by introducing, "Asuka. You're alive. I was worried about you."

He believed Asuka looked at him for a brief second before looking back to Takeshi and telling him, "Well if that will be everything, I have to get ready for the next one I think."

Takeshi was confused by the lack of interest in Shinji's introduction as he asked, "Do you not want to spend time with Shinji? He is well under our care now."

Asuka raised an eyebrow as she told him, "Never heard of him. He doesn't mean anything to me."

Confusion took root in Shinji as he realized what he was hearing. Asuka was not even willing to acknowledge his existence even being present right in front of her. Out of everything he expected to change in NERV, he never hoped to find himself so conflicted by what happened to someone he cared about so much.

Takeshi was not so ready to accept the situation as he told her, "Asuka, he is the pilot of Unit-01. I know both of you must have a history together no matter how brief."

The reminder made Asuka cross her arms as she asked, "Do you think I'm stupid or what? He's dead. What are you even trying to joke with me about?"

Seeing Asuka trying to comprehend how she was supposed to even know Shinji left Takeshi just as baffled as before. He did not know much about the development in NERV but he knew the pilots could not have been isolated from one another either. It was a mystery he could not comprehend but also knew he did not have the luxury to discern either.

Shaking his head at the dilemma, Takeshi dismissed, "You have both achieved what you were supposed to. I will leave you to accept this situation as you wish. Dismissed."

Asuka and Rei accepted the dismissal as they made their way to their sleeping quarters. Rei looked at Shinji for a brief while before continuing past him as she simply acknowledged his return to NERV. If it was not for being a usual characteristic of hers, Shinji believed he might have felt even more confused and downtrodden than he was right now.

Rei followed alongside Asuka as she heard her observe, "I don't know what he was trying to prove back there. He seriously thinks I'm going to fall for talking to thin air like that? How long before I'm talking to someone normal again?"

She was not easy with commenting on the situation but Rei managed to observe, "You are not willing to face him. That is the only way for you to live."

Asuka turned around to face Rei as she told her, "You are so obsessed with being a weirdo Wonder Girl. The General is not trying to find a reason to bench you."

Rei corrected, "I refer to the pilot of Unit-01. You will not face what he did to you."

Asuka scoffed as she proclaimed, "Of course. I don't have to. He never meant anything to me. Nothing is worse than a brooding man. Kaji was the only one who was ever good enough for me."

Hearing her remain so committed to avoiding facing the new arrivals made Rei realize, "We are never free of what was."

Being given such a cryptic observation made Asuka walk ahead of Rei without any interest in clarification. She knew what she accomplished and she had no desire for it in her current state. She was once again as proud of herself to be an Eva pilot as she ever had been as the day she fought Gaghiel. No observation no matter how cryptic it might have been was going to make her think Rei might have been on to something about her coping with the situation.

Seeing the two girls leave him and occasionally stop to discuss matters in the distance made Shinji wish he could overheat what they were saying. Being left with so few clues about what was happening in NERV left him desperate to find out what he was being forced to make sense of. It was even more alarming when he considered that he still had no idea what happened to Misato or her mother after his inebriated discussion with her.

Shinji was left in a dilemma where he was forced to comprehend what choice he had just made. He hoped he would finally be able to have some sense of comfort by returning to Misato's side but was only reminded of the plots that were developing from the shadows. They were even more intimidating when he remembered there were so few people he could imagine turning to for support or even understand what their intentions might have been.

The one person in the hangar he was somewhat comfortable around however was still across from him as Kaworu praised, "You brought him here. He is sure to be safe at least. I only wish it was not done against his will."

While Shinji turned his attention to prepare to answer Kaworu's observation, Takeshi told him, "What matters is that he remains safe. I hope that at least puts your mind at ease if anything."

Kaworu shook his head as he told him, "He needs to be with the one he loves before I can find myself at ease. I hope you were willing to bring her as well."

Looking to his left, Takeshi saw Shinji looking towards Kaworu with the same unease he felt earlier. Indeed he was not pleased to be brought back to the place where so many of his troubles had begun but he was prepared to make sure he would not be a victim to an Angel. More important to Takeshi however was the point that the two boys were not in a mutual relationship as he suspected.

Intent to make sure Kaworu would be eased by his intentions made Takeshi turn to Shinji and ask, "You can tell us who it is can't you? I promise we will make sure she is protected."

The assurance seemed to be comical when Shinji considered what happened. Takeshi had good intentions behind bringing him back to NERV but now everyone was expecting him to cooperate or face potentially worse consequences. He was forced into a situation where he could no longer keep his bond to Misato a secret anymore. It was a revelation he knew he would have to live with revealing one day if both of them managed to survive long enough.

'I'm moving away from it all now. This is what I was hoping for all along wasn't it?'

This was the thought that weighed in Shinji as he consider how many others were to be affected. He would finally be renouncing Kaworu's feelings, he would never be close to Asuka again, he would be confessing his true feelings to a person of authority. He would do it all for the sense of happiness that he had come to take over the last few months as much as it risked to change his life in ways he did not imagine.

Looking back at everything that brought him to this point made Shinji wonder how different things could have gone under different circumstances. He then remembered every conclusion he was forced to come to when he tried to imagine what he could have done differently. He was allowing himself to wander through absolute uncertainty and had no way of knowing how he could have made things any better. All that mattered to him now was finding out if he had a chance of even seeing Misato again.

This sense of resignation was what became enough for Shinji to clench his hands and answer, "It's Miss Misato. She's the one I care about."

A/N: And now it really begins. If you're wondering what, I'm going to say this is where the relationship between Shinji and Misato is finally beginning to lose all pretense and become a fact they are both willing to accept. It has been a secret they were keeping for a long time and now they have to be willing to reveal what they allowed to develop between them to other people and that last line felt like an episode closing line to leave the audience in anticipation.

It was all bound to happen at some point as you might have guessed but being brought back to NERV was one way to effectively throw the leading characters into this big turning point in their lives. As such they are both now in the audience chairs due to their previous escape. This chapter focused on Shinji's side and the next one is going to give Misato and Ikuko the intro they've been waiting for.

So for the Angel of this chapter I would like to thank engel17white for the inspiration. Jophiel is actually not from any preexisting Eva media (that I know of) but rather an inspired creation from the creature Jean Jacket in the 2022 film Nope. Probably the most substantial change I made is the size to fit a lot of the actions depicted since the alien in question only had a mouth about 28 meters and the average Eva unit is approximately 80. Given the size and actions depicted, I think estimating this Angel at about 3 times bigger than its inspiration makes it consistent with the events depicted (just comparably a little bigger than Ramiel).

Now with Jophiel defeated however, that leaves us all to wonder about the developments that are about to come after this. How Asuka is supposed to handle Shinji's return, how he can live with revealing his true feelings to everyone, how Kaworu will find a way to continue protecting him, and how everyone who has seniority over him will react now that he is willing to live with what he had revealed. There is still a ways to go but I hope you all look forward to what comes after. I hope to see you then.