Chapter 47: Is Our Resolve Strong Enough?
The state of uncertainty that resonated through NERV with the arrival of new Angels being a threat was as present as it has ever been. Tokyo-3 continued to be devastated and the frontline against the attackers of humanity continued to approach closer to Lilith by the day. None of the events that passed mattered to two individuals as they remained cut off from the rest of the world.
Misato lost track of how many days she was imprisoned. She was cut off from speaking to anyone and left to linger in her cell. Her whole world seemed to be at a standstill and left her sorrows with the outside world in a state of suspension.
"Maybe this is what I deserve." Misato whispered to herself in a state of dejection.
It was not until she heard a noise in the room next door that she snapped out of her depression. The sounds were obstructed by the layers of steel but she could tell there were people nearby. More alarming however were two familiar voices she could make out.
She was denied a chance to make out the conversation as soon as she saw her own door reveal Hawk as he demanded, "Miss Katsuragi, come with us."
Looking up and detached as before, Misato challenged Hawk's demand asking, "What is it?"
Hawk remained committed to making her come out by warning, "You'll want to cooperate today. If only to determine what sort of future is in store for you. And your mother."
The mention of her mother caught Misato's attention and made her ask, "What are you doing to my mom?"
Stepping to the side to reveal guards at attention, Hawk answered, "You'll have everything once you start answering. Come with us or face the consequences."
Takeshi looked over the report for the day as he realized what was about to occur. The benefactors who provided Units Alpha and Beta were about to send the new mass production model Eva units he was told about. Soon enough he would have control of more units than he ever thought possible.
His discussion with several members of the Japanese government left him unsure how to react as he heard one ask, "Do you believe this is what our future will be? Allowing these things to be the new main choice of conflict?"
Takeshi sighed realizing he could not determine things for certain before answering, "After all this time we have made many advancements. We still do not have any word about how many Angels remain. I intend to use every resource we have for that purpose alone."
Another official wanted, "The Prime Minister is not going to accept anything other than a timeline of where things are headed."
Takeshi kept himself from lashing out at the demand by reminding, "The previous Angel was strong enough to defeat two of our units. We're being forced to rely on Unit-02 alone and our only source of information about the number of Angels in the mind of someone who refused to cooperate with us."
One of the officials asked, "You had command of this place for so long and you still cannot find the root of SEELE's hold on this place?"
Reluctant to admit his failure, Takeshi was forced to admit, "Even the few we have been able to interrogate have not been willing to cooperate or even seem to know what caused their attempted coup. We found every member the cameras could pick up who participated and they were all in a state of confusion. Even the data banks have no sign of a buildup for such a scenario."
The first official who questioned him pointed out, "We can excuse the Angel attacks and everything that has distracted you General but the resources poured into this facility have yet to give us a definite timeline."
Fuyutsuki interrupted the exchange, "As such gentlemen, I believe you can appreciate that we are no closer than we were before. There are many developments none of us anticipated but we can continue to protect the human race. If there is nothing else, that will be all."
The government officials realized they had little to debate as they gathered their documents before leaving the room. Looking down at his sheets, Takeshi felt a sense of relief that he would not be answering to anyone else but still saw the rest of the day prepared to unfold in front of him. Taking himself out of one predicament only to be prepared for another one proved to be a recurring pattern for his time in commanding NERV.
Fuyutsuki reminded him of this pattern pointing out, "You might have had a better position to argue with if you did not involve yourself in everything."
Takeshi immediately recognized what Fuyutsuki was alluding to and told him, "My duty is to straighten out the best hope the human race has against these monsters. I cannot hope to see that happen if every detail goes unchecked like you have for all this time."
Accepting there was nothing else to be gained from him, Fuyutsuki allowed the next occupants to enter while announcing, "Then you must be anxious to begin your next interrogation."
Seeing the door open, Takeshi found himself unenthusiastic with what he was about to deal with. Misato Katsuragi and her mother Ikuko were led to opposite sides of the table with him at the head. More than ever he wanted to see this matter brought to rest if only to see the remainder of NERV handled.
Takeshi waited for Fuyutsuki to exit before he began, "Major Katsuragi, how close have you been with your mother since you left her?"
Misato looked across to her mother and answered, "I haven't seen her like this in ten years."
Ikuko smiled, confirming, "She only ever thinks about calling me. Christmas if I'm lucky. I can tell why she didn't last year."
Takeshi accepted the premise, "That can play in your favor, Major. If your mother did not tell you about what she was preparing for, you will have this much off your sentence."
While Misato was still shaken at the idea she might be imprisoned soon enough, she found herself confused before telling him, "I don't understand."
He knew she was not confused by her current accusation and revealed, "Your mother has recently confessed to nearly putting our lives in danger thanks to her interference. Those terrorists she assisted cut off power to NERV and nearly cost us everything."
Misato found herself even more confused than before. Nothing she heard from Takeshi made her believe he spoke the truth. Even believing there had to be nothing behind such a revelation still made her feel shaky as she looked across to her mother.
She managed to find the voice necessary to claim, "That's not right. You were never involved in this."
Ikuko remained silent as she kept her eyes away from Misato's while Takeshi told her, "I know you are having trouble accepting this Major. But your situation is serious enough as it is. I have to understand that her schemes did not go so far to include you in this snare we managed to survive "
Her hands shook as Misato tried to keep herself composed before claiming, "She wouldn't do this. I never told her about the Angels or anything. She wouldn't even think of this."
Takeshi remained unmoved by Misato's fear as he told her, "You can deny this all you want Major. We still need to determine once and for all just how neglectful of your duties you have been. Protecting someone you care about is not going to make your predicament any easier."
Misato raised her head to deny, "I'm not! She actually wouldn't give a shit about any of this!"
Seeing Misato lose her composure made Takeshi rationalize, "You believe that is the case? Try and reason this for yourself Major. What benefit does she have trying to incriminate herself?"
"Only to tell her one thing!" Ikuko snapped. Both Misato and Takeshi turned their heads to see her shaking to keep herself composed but finally speaking after so long. There was a new opportunity for clarity but it left a lingering air of suspense as Ikuko hesitated to add anything.
It was a brief pause of silence before she turned to Misato telling her, "I don't want you or Shinji to give a shit about me. Whatever happens to you both, you need to stop caring about me."
Misato's eyes widened as soon as her mother gave her proclamation. It was not a blessing but a command. Ikuko was prepared to cut herself out of her life completely despite what she did.
Breaking the silence between the two women, Takeshi asked, "That's what this was? A ploy to say this?"
Both Misato and Ikuko remained in silence across from one another, reluctant to answer. Misato could not imagine what she was supposed to say in response while Ikuko hung her head. Unable to determine if she still felt the same way she did earlier, Ikuko felt as though the wind was knocked out of her while continuing to stand.
Takeshi broke the silence again by warning, "I hope you didn't think this would make me reconsider your situation."
Ikuko found her voice again to tell him, "The only person in this world who matters to me doesn't have to listen to me anymore. It's better this way."
Misato was prepared to shout her protest to such an idea as soon as her mother said that. The premise of her going through so much only to tear herself away could not have been what she wanted. Being subject to such a harsh life after this moment could not have possibly been the best outcome for either of them.
She could deny it all she wanted but Misato would not be able to face this challenge. Everyone present was immediately afraid they would not even come to a resolution. Maya's intrusion brought their concerns to a halt as soon as she announced what was arriving.
"The new units are arriving. They require your authorization sir."
Takeshi stood up from his seat and ordered, "Have everyone in place. Secure the prisoners."
Maya left and allowed a pair of armed guards to make their way in and made Misato protest, "Don't do this! She doesn't need to be treated this way!"
Takeshi made his way out the door correcting, "You may have dragged her into all this unintentionally but she still committed a crime. All we have to determine now is if you are going to face the same fate. That will have to be decided later it seems."
Takeshi made his way out of the interrogation room and back to the command center where he could see the new mass production Eva units arriving. What he came to fear was the best hope for the human race arrived in a form that made him uneasy upon seeing them.
Seeing the units make their descent to the ground made him point to the appearance of such creations, "I always find myself questioning the practicality to what our benefactors might consider to be optimal for fighting capabilities."
Ritsuko watched the new units descend as she commented, "They were still a work in progress. Given a number of years they will probably become more fully realized."
His mood was not improved as he heard the potential being mentioned and told her, "You say that as though this is something to look forward to."
Any debates about the nature of the Eva units being used was interrupted once an alarm made its way through the halls. The routine had become familiar at this point as the crew of NERV was forced to prepare for a sudden attack. Misato and Ikuko looked on as their respective guards found themselves distracted by the appearance of humanity's most recent challenge. Its seemingly unchallenged descent to NERV's headquarters serving as even more of a warning of its fate than any other before.
Just as humanoid as several before but still displaying a presence only a few had ever come close to matching, Da'at's descent commanded the attention of onlookers everywhere. Even the autonomous nature of the Mark 7 Eva units were captivated by its descent as they prepared for their first sortie. Whether from anticipation of the Angel's first move or searching for the best moment to attack, every onlooker was about to be subject to its judgment.
Takeshi realized his need to take command of the situation back by ordering, "Prepare Unit-02 now! Without delay!"
Makoto confirmed the order, "Right away!"
The order to prepare herself raised Asuka's attention as she quickly donned her pilot suit. No fear made its way through her mind knowing she would face the newest Angel in her own but unbridled enthusiasm. An opportunity to prove herself without any competitors to stand in her way.
She saw Kaworu looking up to Unit-02 asking, "Jealous you won't get to show off like you did last time?"
Kaworu turned to answer, "I cannot be allowed to take another unit. I have survived longer than I was supposed to."
Asuka smirked before telling him, "If you're really that scared, you can just say it's what's keeping you."
It became absolutely clear Asuka refused to let fear hold her back any longer, Kaworu warned, "I am happy you have been able to find your place in this. You must hold on to such a state of contentment if you are going to hold on to this world."
No longer interested in hearing him speak in such a cryptic fashion, Asuka made her way up to Unit-02 telling him, "Pretty words. Don't hold your breath if you think that will get you anything from me."
It was not long before Unit-02 was raised from the ground and looked up to see Da'at remaining indifferent to its surroundings. The Mark 7 units touched the ground while the Angel only shifted its appendage arms slightly to raise the ten spheres on both ends that circled in the air. Onlookers everywhere were left uncertain how to react to such a presence but still knew conflict was inevitable in some way.
Asuka had no curiosity for how the battle would go as she asked, "So no one else right? Good. No one's getting in my way."
It was with her proclamation that Da'at made its first move. The ten spinning spheres stopped in place but gave way to another being. Out of the surface of the spheres came shapes that began to move on their own.
Even Ritsuko found herself amazed at the shapes that came out asking, "The... Mass Production models?"
As soon as she asked she saw many of the forms open their mouths. Each one turned to find one of the Mark 7 units preparing their stances for an attack. Every second that passed marked kept the forces in a state of unresolved tension.
Asuka found herself conflicted at what she was about to face. Fear, anticipation, any feeling she could describe that at once told her to run away while many others told her to remain where she was made her unsure how she could stand against so many monstrosities from one giant Angel. It was her opportunity to prove that she was the greatest Eva pilot to ever face the threat to humanity.
What hopes everyone had upon the appearance of the hovering creatures were denied as soon as they thrust forward. Each Mark 7 unit was faced with their own respective gaping mouth and forced on the defensive. It was the only warning any of them had before having their heads latched on to by their own targets.
Asuka looked around and realized Da'at was focusing its attention back to her. She saw the Positron Cannon shoot its way to her side and immediately determined it was the best choice for her against such a monstrosity. Even she did not have a chance to use it when she found herself being forced back by the gaping mouth that tried to engulf her.
The ten Eva units were all captured by their respective angelic being in a twisted stretch of appendages that led to their respective orb while Da'at remained in the center of it all completely unaffected. It could feel the presence of the nine Mark 7 units but the resistance of Unit-02 captured its attention. Realizing this resistance made Da'at form a shining ball of energy in the center of the empty space of its head before adjusting to take aim at Asuka and fired in her direction.
Any and all resistance Asuka had to the Angel was lost as she found herself enraptured by something she could not determine. Engulfed in the mouth of the appendage, she could not see the light but felt as though she was bathed in a substance that washed over her before making its way into her mind. Like Arael and Maelstrom before, Da'at commanded Asuka and reduced her consciousness down to its demands.
Within NERV, seeing the Angel take hold of the new Mark 7 units and Unit-02 was a frightening enough sight but the light that made its way in was more alarming. Takeshi threw himself to the ground while others raised their heads only to see the light pass over them. Of the few times NERV had ever been breached, this did not even have the presence of the Angel but it was enough to make everyone realize what sort of danger they were in.
Takeshi tried to comprehend the situation, "What is that?"
Interested only in saving everyone, Takeshi turned his attention to Makoto to hear him report, "We aren't taking any damage sir! The light is just passing into here!"
Committed to reignite the resistance to such a being, Takeshi demanded, "What is it about the other units then? Why are they not resisting?!"
Before anyone could answer, he heard Ikuko proclaim, "Misato! Misato!"
Turning to see what was happening, Takeshi saw Misato trapped within the light like a spotlight laying on the ground motionless. She stared up to the ceiling with her eyes wide open and unreceptive to everything around her while Ikuko was kept from crossing into the light by Porter and Hawk's hold. Onlookers were amazed to find that no one else had fallen prey to the mighty beam of light but it was apparent what being within its presence would do.
While everyone was afraid Da'at might begin to move, the sight of Misato laying in the light in the room became another spectacle to command attention. Takeshi turned around to see the Angel remaining in place but found himself shaken as he was absolutely lost by what was happening. Misato of all people was illuminated by the angelic assault and now completely at its mercy.
Returning his attention to everyone gathered, Takeshi tried to continue the fight by asking, "What is the status of the Eva units?"
Shigeru was shaken by the recent attack but managed to look over his screen reporting, "All of the units have been ensnared! They can't seem to get out of it!"
Maya gave a report on what was happening, "The power source of the attack seems to be coming from the Eva units themselves! If they remain where they are, they will be drained completely!"
More compromised and vulnerable than ever before, Takeshi found himself taken for a loss at being defeated so swiftly and having so little to respond with. Even the first units meant to be the salvation of human children everywhere were nothing before the might of an Angel that few ever imagined. Keeping his mind from giving way to panic became an increasingly difficult action for him as he considered what he was facing.
Trying to keep the operators of NERV focused on the fight at hand, Takeshi asked, "Is there any way we can fire the Positron Cannon from here? It has to work against that thing!"
Makoto denied the idea by explaining, "We can't sir! The cannon needs to be moved by a unit manually!"
Ritsuko drew her look away from the light as she told Takeshi, "We still have the means General. It is up to you to use it."
Just when things seemed to be hopeless, Takeshi realized there was indeed an option for him. One Eva unit that had not been used in a while was waiting to be taken out into battle again but needed the pilot that it would accept. It also meant going against what he wanted to keep imprisoned.
He knew he did not have any other options however as he summoned Shinji to the command room. He was not the only one amazed that he was being brought to the stage where humanity was once again in peril but immediately saw what else was at stake. Kaworu stood across from him but moved away to reveal the beam of light that made its way in.
The sight of Misato on the ground and staring upwards with a blank expression made him rush over to the area but was caught by a nearby soldier warning, "Don't go in!"
Shinji protested against the hold, "Miss Misato! What did you do to her?!"
Kaworu answered, "She is under the hold of the Angel. You must help her."
Shinji did not need another bit of motivation before turning to Takeshi demanding, "Please let me help! Let me go out in Unit-01!"
It was a sincere demand that left a sense of dread in Takeshi's stomach. He was not being asked to make a decision he did not make many times before but he had no guarantee he would be saving the human race as a consequence. The situation left him even more harrowed as he realized what he would have to say in response.
"Prepare Unit-01."
The personnel of NERV remained on edge as they watched Unit-01 prepare for the first time in what seemed to be forever. Every human observer regardless of affiliation with SEELE or the rest of the human race was left in anticipation of what the last free Eva unit would be capable of. It was also a danger that those who knew the nature of one of their remaining pilots knew could have been avoided.
Ritsuko made this observation pointing out, "You denied the opportunity to fulfill your mission unopposed."
Kaworu confirmed what he was trying to achieve, "I must not be the last Angel. I must believe there is a chance Shinji can achieve the happiness he has been fighting for."
Her attempts to comprehend Kaworu's true nature left Ritsuko commenting, "I imagined we understood what you were when you first came. Now I doubt I will ever fully comprehend your motivations."
Willing to accept Ritsuko's judgment, Kaworu told her, "If you are fortunate, after today, you will never have to."
This dismissal was all it took for Ritsuko to realize how Takeshi had allowed himself to be swayed by what Kaworu could demonstrate. Of all the Angels he was indeed the one that came close to portraying a perfect imitation of the human condition. He was even given a moment to reveal weaknesses about him she wondered if he was able to demonstrate under other circumstances.
Ritsuko also knew there was one thing he could not allow to overtake her thinking when it came to Kaworu's existence. She could not spend her remaining hours trying to make sense of what he was or what his motivations were. In the moment all she could do was focus her attention on one of the few people she knew she could trust.
Making her way over to Fuyutsuki, she hoped she would have an idea of where everything was headed next as she revealed, "Everyone has prepared themselves. We cannot afford to remain on the side for much longer."
What hope she had of taking her mind off the conflict she could not influence was denied as Fuyutsuki kept his focus on Misato on the ground before reflecting, "There are many things that might be challenged, but the central conflict is ever present. It is only now completely unavoidable."
Every rational part of Ritsuko's mind wanted to protest against the possibility she was considering but reluctantly asked, "You don't mean to say that she is the center of all this do you?"
Fuyutsuki watched the light emanate through the base observing to himself as though Ritsuko was nowhere near him, "The result of the cumulation of all lights. Where Da'at is realized and demands an answer from the human race. You saw where it was all headed Ikari. You knew we would be faced with this ultimate trial. And you still believed this was a gamble to be played with."
With such a crucial day of judgment at play, it was comprehensible to Gendo why he would not be isolated in his current confinement. His difficult to follow plan had once again placed everything he and his benefactors had worked for closer to failure than ever before. There was no longer a point to debating the validity of what he was planning but now a desperate last attempt to discover what he knew.
The 01 Monolith made this clear as it declared, "It is pointless to determine your motivations now Ikari. All you are capable of now is confirming everything we have been informed of."
Gendo continued to focus on the ground beneath as he determined, "Your efforts to unearth what I was doing seems to have been thrown off by a multitude of details that distracted your agents."
The 13 Monolith confirmed this suspicion by announcing, "There were those within your employ who allowed everything we have worked on to be revealed to the public. Arriving upon this point was only possible because your discovery proved itself to be more vital than many of us could have imagined."
The 14 Monolith added, "We have been able to determine that much of this was caused because of an oversight on your part. Your son and his precarious choices have brought us to this point."
The 02 Monolith agreed, "This negligence may undo everything."
Gendo remained unshaken by the accusation as he revealed, "I will admit that I neglected to concern myself with what he did all this time. Assume what you will."
The 01 Monolith tried to see what sort of reaction Gendo had by announcing, "Perhaps it is time you discovered what you allowed to permeate. Your son and his involvement with the one you left him with. Misato Katsuragi."
A silence hung over the gathering before Gendo observed, "Remarkable how simple of an explanation it is."
Realizing his indifference made the 10 Monolith recall, "You were selected for your dedication to the cause above all other external factors. It seems that this was another detail you might have considered trivial."
Gendo followed on the observation, "If I had known sooner I might have considered things differently. It is a missed opportunity but this scenario is still serviceable as it is."
The 11 Monolith countered the indifference Gendo had by announcing, "Our success or failure is dependent on what you have laid out for us, Ikari. If you have any hope for the human race to achieve its next stage at all, you must cooperate with our demands now."
What little reason Gendo had to keep his ambition secret was lost as he announced, "If that is what you are concerned about, it seems that the time is coming. I will not relinquish control of Adam. But if you were ever capable of successfully executing your plan, the opportunity is going to present itself in mere seconds from now."
Gendo would not have a view to be able to see Unit-01 raise itself into combat or confront what his son had done with Misato. Despite the plan being drawn out as far as it had been, he had every reason to believe he would be able to achieve his ambition. SEELE was still holding a firm grip on the spirit of humanity but at the same time was at the mercy of one man they trusted to carry out their will.
The 01 Monolith used this moment to determine, "You have placed everything on an unnecessary risk Ikari. I regret that you ever felt this was necessary but you have forced our hand because of this act of defiance. Even if victory is at hand, we will make sure to deny you the opportunity to become the instigator of Third Impact."
Gendo remained as defiant as he had before by accepting, "Let the fates fall where they may."
The tension continued to build within NERV but the preparation of Unit-01 and its ascent to the ground level marked the first bit of hope every human watching could hope for. Shinji however could not allow himself to be distracted by any other thoughts at this moment. The woman he loved was at the mercy of Da'at and needed to be freed from its hold.
The sight of the field invoked a memory of his time in the folds of Maelstrom as the nine Mark 7 units were stuck in a circle surrounding Da'at. Asuka was not there to confront him now however as she stood illuminated in the mighty beam of light while continuing to be drained. The imposing size of the Angel in front of him appeared to be the same size as the largest ones he ever fought and he was forced to keep himself steady as he remembered everything that brought him here.
Before he could move forward he heard Takeshi order, "The Positron Cannon is prepared. Use it."
Whatever fear Shinji had about using such a powerful weapon again was lost as he held on to what motivated him. Da'at might not be the last Angel but it was also one of the most intimidating ones just from size alone. Its destruction was more important to him than anything he could.
Unit-01 took hold of the cannon while Takeshi asked, "Do we have a read on the Angel's weakness?"
Maya answered, "We cannot find any signs sir."
Desperate for a hope to destroy the Angel any way he could, Takeshi ordered, "Fire at the head."
Shinji saw the reasoning behind the command and immediately raised the cannon as high as the Eva allowed it to be. Taking aim with the cannon he saw the source of the light coming from Da'at's head and waited for the power to build up. If destroying the attack that enraptured Misato in the light was all he could achieve, he would make sure it was for a worthwhile attack.
Da'at recognized this attack was being prepared but was prepared in a way onlookers did not anticipate. Another nine beams of light shot out of the emptiness of its face before forming together to form one beam that shot over the one shooting into the main structure of NERV. This newly formed beam was not prepared to target NERV however as it made a downward sweep to where Eva Unit-01 stood.
The attack was swift but Shinji remained true to his commitment proclaiming his reason for fighting, "Miss Misato!"
Shinji could not allow himself to wait another second as he pulled the trigger on the cannon. The shot burst out a flash of light that enveloped him but then saw it collided with the incoming beam. Shinji did not have a chance to tell what he achieved as his sight was the first sense he lost before everything else left afterwards.
A/N: For the new mass produced Eva units, they're basically the Mark.07 units now just armed.
For Da'at, here's another drawing from Peter Mohrbacher inspiration moment which should be easy to find. Yeah, Da'at is the name of a branch of the kabbalah rather than an Angel but I thought it was a fitting choice for a final moment. Its namesake is derived from a place where all emanations exist in a single place so what better place to thrust everyone in?
And you might be wondering at the end what exactly became of the whole beam lock at the end. What did Da'at's attack do? Will the other units get out of the hold? Good news, we still have a number of chapters to answer those questions eventually. And I hope you're all ready to see quite a shift when the next chapter comes.