Chapter 55: Have We Begun to Be Tested?
Shinji knew he would not receive another shot from the positron rifle now that it had been used. He dropped the rifle to the ground leaving Unit-01 on guard to prepare itself against the looming danger of the gathered threat surrounding him. He stood alone with no one to provide him support on the field and already risked losing everything he concluded was the reason for his continued existence.
Even in such circumstances he found himself fortunate to look back to the weapons container it came from and saw his best chance was waiting for him. The Sonic Glaive would prove to be one of the best chances he had to defend himself. All the situation demanded of him now was a demonstration of this resolve he had finally mustered.
The situation within the NERV headquarters was left on edge as they saw the major threats to the human race surrounding their best hope. Forced to watch the confrontation on screen, there was nothing more anyone could do to assist Unit-01 in its ultimate confrontation. All of human existence was left in the hands of Shinji as he was left to face the remaining Angels.
Takeshi looked around before requesting, "Have all emergency power reserves been activated?"
Makoto announced, "We have power sir. All base operations are functioning but we can't interfere with the battle."
Shigeru added, "We're defenseless right now. Unit-01 is the best we have."
Content to discover this much was being achieved, Takeshi turned around asking, "What is Major Katsuragi's condition?"
Porter stepped forward to look at Misato's body before answering, "She appears to be alive sir. We should no longer be under the threat of the Angel."
Kaworu saw his opportunity to comment, "It is imperative that we ensure Shinji is able to stand for us in this time. I must request the chance to speak to him."
Hearing his announcement made Takeshi turn to Kaworu, "I'm sure he recognizes how important this is now."
Kaworu made his way to Takeshi's side, reminding, "But he does not know Misato is alive. He must be told."
Takeshi realized what sort of motivation he would be able to provide in such a desperate hour but questioned, "That makes sense but do you need to speak to him specifically?"
There was little practicality to base his desire upon but Kaworu appealed, "It may be my last chance."
Ultimately deciding not to test the demands of an Angel, Takeshi turned to the crew below ordering, "Establish video contact with Unit-01."
As the contact was being established, Aoi turned to Kaede and Satsuki announcing, "It has begun. We must follow though."
Overhearing the comment, Takeshi asked, "What are you trying to do right now?"
Recognizing the challenge to her order, Aoi turned around to answer, "The last plan of saving the human race from the Angels."
Before he could protest or accuse anything, Ritsuko warned, "Our established connection to Unit-01 may not last long General. We cannot afford any distractions."
Takeshi turned to see Kaworu waiting for Shinji to hear from him. The three MAGI technicians wasted no time to leave the area from this hesitation while the remainder of NERV's crew was left on edge for how the battle would turn out. Compared to everything else that was happening, Takeshi struggled to comprehend what he allowed to pass as more of the crew prepared to fulfill their own individual goals.
It was a few seconds later that Takeshi looked up to see Shinji on the screen in front of him. He was just as uneasy seeing him right now as Shinji was but kept himself composed against the development. As one of the last remaining Angels, he had no comprehension of what Kaworu was hoping to achieve by speaking to Shinji personally or what anyone else was trying to achieve beyond his scope. He found himself reduced to a witness now trying to comprehend what sort of conflict was escalating at this moment.
The three MAGI technicians made their way to their station where the main computer waited as Aoi announced, "Unit-01 will have to deal with the remaining Angels. It is time for us to fulfill the purpose of the DSS suit."
Satsuki took out her computer key, agreeing, "It will not be our last order of business."
Kaede prepared her own but hesitated asking, "Can we even be sure that we will be secure at this point? Once he has died, all of NERV will know to look for us."
This warning caught Aoi's attention before reminding, "We are fortunate to have our new assistant. The General still struggles to comprehend who is on his side and who isn't."
Satsuki remained committed to the job at hand , "We must ensure the last Angel does not try to stop us. Waiting any longer only puts us in danger."
Both Aoi and Satsuki brought their keys to their respective panels before Kaede cast aside what hesitation she had left. No change of heart she could make right now was going to earn any sympathy from anyone. Most importantly from the woman she once considered a friend only to have herself disturbed in a way she would never accept.
Preparing her key, Kaede accepted, "The good of the human race comes before anything else."
Within the command center of NERV, Shinji found himself confused to see Kaworu standing next to Takeshi's seat. The Angels that threatened to attack him looked on waiting for his unit to make the first move. He could not begin to decide where his attention should have been divided but received his answer after a pause that seemed to go on for much longer than he wanted.
Kaworu congratulated, "You have done well Shinji. You have chosen to face a world challenging your happiness and prioritized yourself against everything."
Shinji could not say he had a grasp of Kaworu's approach to a conversation but recognized the weight that came with it asking, "Kaworu... What are you talking about?"
He could tell he was already struggling to make sense of his proclamation but Kaworu gave the parting words he was prepared to give, "Now that your choice has been made, you do not need me."
The Angels that surrounded him continued to watch for Shinji to make the first move while he used this window of time to ask, "What? Kaworu, where are you going now?"
Kaworu immediately recognized he had little time left. The collar around his neck had clicked and sent a series of signals down his spine. No one could tell anything was changing just by observing him but he could feel his body being challenged by everything within his suit.
He brought his hands out to both sides before correcting, "Fulfilling my fate as it has always been Shinji. To fulfill your happiness. That can only be achieved once you know who will try to stop you."
Shinji could not even begin to comprehend how to handle such an answer. All of the times he heard Kaworu mention the concern for his happiness seemed to be completely incongruous with the moment. It captivated him so much he almost found himself forgetting about the multitude of Angels around him.
Then there was the question of what kind of answer he was being given. The one who threatened to undo everything that brought him what happiness he had achieved. He knew life could not have been so simple but he was left wondering what would make Kaworu announce such an evaluation.
Venturing to discover what sort of threat was waiting for him, Shinji asked, "And... Who is it?"
Pain rang its way through Kaworu's body before he gave one final answer, "The bearer of Adam. One key to all of this. Shinji... The one who bears Adam... Is your father."
What Shinji saw next was a sight that not only he but everyone watching was taken aback by. Other than the spout of blood that flew to opposite sides from the places that were once his hands, there was no immediate sign of Kaworu still alive. It was for a brief second but everyone looking on saw the suit fall to the ground before letting out a puddle of blood that leaked into the floor. The last remnant of Kaworu being his head as it rolled a short distance away from where his body once stood.
He did not stand next to Kaworu but Shinji still found himself shaken by the sight. His first immediate reward for defeating Da'at was seeing one of the few individuals who unconditionally valued him meet a demise he could not prevent. Even remembering him as an Angel did not make his sudden execution any more bearable.
Even though mere seconds had passed after Kaworu's death, Shinji felt as though he was contemplating new revelations he never considered for long hours. The lengths that had to be achieved to make everyone suffer along the way gave Shinji an idea of what his father was willing to do to accomplish his goals. The most recent casualty of it all leading to the revelation he was attempting to comprehend now. More importantly the confirmation of who was hiding Adam all along.
He could contemplate all he wanted but Shinji could not use this moment as a moment of reflection for much longer as one feeling overwhelmed him. There was nothing he could have done to save Kaworu but he still felt dread against himself for what little indirect influence he had in leading up to his demise. This knowledge did nothing to ease the sorrow that flooded over him in few ways he ever felt before.
He could not tell what the reaction of everyone else was but Shinji let out a mighty scream at the sight of the Angel that gave himself for the human race met his end. Unit-01 charged towards the NERV headquarters with a rapid succession of steps only to be reminded of the one threat that stopped it. It was only one among several but the multitude of Angels that remained were still prepared to eliminate whatever threat remained against their kind.
Unit-01 found itself tackled to the ground by one of the Angels before realizing a pair of energy shots were headed its way. Rolling across the ground, it managed to avoid being hit but saw the destruction that came with allowing them to pass. Shinji found himself staring at the might of a shot larger than his own positron rifle. Knowing that two shots had been fired did little to assure him of the odds he was facing.
He had little time to make sense of what he was facing however as he saw several of the Angels pass him by and make their way for the NERV headquarters. Shinji knew everything he had been struggling to achieve would be for nothing if he allowed even one to get to Adam. Not even to speak of the struggle that was about to erupt within the base itself.
An immediate observation of the situation made everything appear hopeless. Kaworu's willing sacrifice was threatened to be undone as soon as one of the Angels found its way towards the last hope of humanity. Armed with little else but the glaive to defend himself, the situation became more intimidating for Shinji to comprehend.
There was however only one thing the deepest recesses of Unit-01 had to know. The fact that its own existence was in danger if it allowed its enemies to achieve the purpose they served. That the newfound commitment its pilot had was threatened. Shinji might have found a reason to continue to fight but he would not be able to achieve everything himself.
The eyes of Unit-01 glowed before opening its mouth accompanied by a roar. With glaive in hand it shot up from the ground and swung the blade on its tip every direction it could manage. One of the Angels backed away from the sight of the attack while another found one of its pincers cut off. The Angel closest to NERV's headquarters had its tail cut off as soon as Unit-01 came close before turning itself over on its back to see the carnage at hand.
Shinji panted as he realized what was happening to his Eva unit. There were only a select few times it had gone berserk like it did now and there were usually consequences behind this change. No one knew everything about how the change happened but he could only find himself thankful he was receiving such support in such a crucial battle.
The intensity of the Angels was not tempered however as they backed away from Unit-01 and fired their energy shots towards it. Unit-01 threw itself to the ground while holding on to its glaive and searched for the next opportunity to continue its attack. It had the will to fight for as long as it would take like its pilot did, but saw it still had much of a challenge in front of it.
Shinji felt his hands tremble as he tried to hold on against Unit-01's advance as it swung its glaive again but found itself caught. One of the Angels held onto the blade with its pincers while another positioned itself to the unit's right side to fire a pair of energy shots towards it. Unit-01 saw this attack and rolled back to avoid being hit but found itself surrounded by the same number of Angels it started out against.
Being constantly forced on the defensive left Shinji exhausted from the constant attacks that came his way. Looking around only served to remind him just how many Angels were still attempting to eliminate their only obstacle. Evaluating the situation around him served to establish the one thing that founded the fear he had for staying in such a confrontation. He was alone and he was the only target the Angels were hoping to destroy.
He knew there was nothing he could do but force himself to prepare for another advance from Unit-01 but felt desperation weigh itself heavily upon him. Only one of the Angels took a significant hit but even it was still looking for the best opportunity to assist the others. If it was not at the mercy of being destroyed by the massive energy beams they ignited, their jaws served as a reminder of what alternative threat they could pose.
Even with what strength Unit-01 had, Shinji's mind raced trying to find a way out of the dilemma. Being forced into the chaos reminded him just how many Angels remained and how one was noticeably absent. The one that was holding on to Unit-02 while the other Mark 7 units had been lost. It continued to hold itself against the jaws of the Angel but showed little sign of struggle at this point.
"Asuka!" Shinji shouted. He jerked his controls as best he could hoping Unit-01 would comply. No matter what his feelings for Asuka were at this point, he had to hold on to hope he would not lose her.
Finding the opening Unit-01 was looking for, it made a leap between the Angels and reached for its glaive on the ground. Energy shots soared past it while jaws snapped the air it ran through. Much to his approval, Shinji found Unit-01 making its way towards the Angel that held Unit-02.
With a clear path, Unit-01 made its dash towards the Angel and raised its glaive into the air. It gave a mighty swing downwards to the red gem on its head before colliding with an A.T. Field. The resistance was brief as Unit-01 continued its slice into the field and forced its weight into the penetration. It was the last line of defense before Unit-01 managed to force its blade into the core of the Angel.
Shinji saw the blade sink its way into the core of the Angel while it let out a mighty screech from being attacked. It was unable to attack but at least one of the Angels was prepared to destroy Unit-01 at whatever cost it took. This was made clear to Shinji as he saw more shots of energy fire their way towards him.
Forcing all his strength into the plunge, Shinji felt Unit-01 fall to the ground while the Angel was thrown down as well. Unit-02 was not freed from the jaws but it was the first sign of hope Shinji was looking for in his struggle to save someone important to him. In both this moment and what he was hoping for afterwards.
Shinji continued with his attempt to free Unit-02 as he shouted out, "Asuka!"
In the exact instant that Kaworu met his demise, much of the personnel of NERV looked on in a state of shock. The boy who always spoke in cryptic terms revealed one significant detail that now changed the entire context of the human race. It was a sight so commanding that it took away from the sight of Misato regaining her consciousness.
Upon opening her eyes, she was able to see what kept the attention of so many away from her. A pile of blood lay not too far from her and Takeshi and the room itself was illuminated with a familiar dim lighting. Things had become more dire in the time she lost her sense in this world and had no context of what happened.
What she was able to comprehend however was the sight of her mother looking down on her before Misato asked, "Mom, what happened?"
Ikuko looked around before answering, "So much that I don't get. It's like everyone's too scared to even move."
It was the only observation Ikuko made as Takeshi commanded the attention of everyone, "We have to let Unit-01 do its best to defend our position. In the meantime, we have a prisoner to locate."
One of the NERV personnel made his way up agreeing, "With the current state of the base, we should be able to breach the commander's room without an issue."
Porter turned to Hawk adding, "It's time for us to end this siege."
Before he could make another step, Porter felt a ringing pain shoot through his body while a gunshot sounded through the command room. Falling to the ground and reaching for the bullet wound, Porter turned himself over to see who harmed him. He was left confused as soon as he saw the one who was holding a gun to him readjust his aim for the next shot.
Hawk accepted the suggestion, "Agreed."
Hawk was denied the killing shot as soon as he heard another bullet fly his way and force the pistol out of his hand. He looked to his left to see Takeshi standing from his seat and taking aim at his head. While he was held at gunpoint, Hawk was left uncertain about his life at the moment now that he made his allegiance clear.
Takeshi stepped towards Hawk concluding from his action, "I suppose now is the time we have to determine who is truly in favor of the human race."
Hawk stepped back while holding on to his hand warning, "You have realized that too late General. There are more in this base than you can handle."
This threat made Takeshi commit to his duty, "I have to base my chances on the idea that humans will never willingly align themselves to such an ideology. I don't know what made you see sense in SEELE, but I know few of them will see things the way you do."
Despite being denied the chance to finish everything himself, Hawk remained unshaken correcting, "That is what makes this such a perfect plan General. Not all of them are willing. Only enough to make this possible."
Porter knelt to the ground to take hold of Hawk while Takeshi turned at the sound of footsteps making their way out of the room. It was a second before he realized Ritsuko and Fuyutsuki had both left and made their way down the halls far from him. Confusion had already begun to brew among the crew of NERV and already made them refocus their attention to what was happening.
Ikuko shook from the recent exchange of gunfire but kept her attention on Misato now that she was recovering herself. She was thankful to see Porter keep Hawk pinned to the ground but felt herself weary about the growing conflict. The warning Hawk gave earlier did little to ease her concern.
Her fears about her daughter only grew as soon as she heard Misato ask, "Mom, what's going on here?"
Ikuko recoiled at the question but remained wary of the situation, answering, "This whole place is about to go to Hell and we're right in the center of it."
This evaluation was all Misato needed to know as she forced herself up asking, "General, who else has a gun around here?"
Not willing to turn to Misato for assistance, Takeshi dismissed, "Keep yourself situated Major. We'll handle everything as necessary."
Misato brought herself up denying his order, "You should know by now that SEELE is not going to let us off easy!"
He did not want to acknowledge how difficult the situation was but Takeshi knew the most significant fight in his life was at hand before revealing, "We have a division dedicated to protecting the First Child. If things do begin to escalate then we will be able to handle them."
She could respect his commitment to stopping SEELE but Misato denied what assurance Takeshi had by warning, "Whatever you think you're up against, we can't let ourselves think we're going to have an easy win."
As Misato continued to press on with her warnings, Fuyutsuki and Ritsuko made their way down a hallway before coming up to a door. Upon entry they found Aoi, Satsuki, and Kaede at their computer having fulfilled their purpose of watching over Kaworu. All they waited for now was what would lead up to their final goal.
Aoi stepped forward to announce, "It is done. The Tabris Angel is dead and we only have the ones outside to concern ourselves with."
Fuyutsuki agreed, "They are the only obstacle we have now. We cannot begin Third Impact right away but we can solidify our position to be in control."
Kaede knew what Fuyutsuki was alluding to as she assured, "We have made sure to give the signal when it was time. You'll be pleased to hear that we have taken the necessary steps for preparation."
At that moment, Fuyutsuki heard the door behind him open and reveal another familiar face. Mitsuru stood in the doorway with his fists at both sides and his head hanging. He achieved a significant action that moment but he was not anxious to report what he had done either.
Fuyutsuki stepped forward to ask, "I take it you have followed your orders then?"
Mitsuru raised his head, answering, "Legion has been activated. The moment anyone steps out of the command room, they are prepared to fire in sight."
Ritsuko questioned the reactivation of Legion, "And we know for certain they will not fire on us as well?"
Fuyutsuki shook his head, warning, "It only exists to ensure the commander can fulfill his obligation to begin Instrumentality. The best we can do now is not interfere."
Mitsuru revealed his own desires, "I have to make sure this remains uninterrupted. I know a few individuals who will try to stop everything."
This warning caught Fuyutsuki's attention but dismissed, "If anyone is trying to stop us, Legion will find its way through. There will be nothing to oppose it."
Ritsuko gave her own observation, "You do not appear to be clear headed enough to handle the severity of the situation either I might add."
Being talked down to made Mitsuru argue, "It's because of my intent that I should be out there! I have to make sure all obstacles to Instrumentality are out of our way!"
The sight of him raising his anger made Kaede tell him, "You do not need to prove anything Mitsuru. Once Instrumentality has been achieved, that will be all the loyalty you need to demonstrate."
Aoi denied this, suggesting, "If he wants to make sure his friends are not attempting to stop us, that should be for him to decide."
Before there was any further debate, Satsuki announced, "We have activity in the Eva cages."
Fuyutsuki asked, "Have any of the other units been activated?"
Satsuki looked over the camera footage and answered, "There are personnel exchanging gunfire. Suruga's division no doubt. We may have future complications if this activity remains unaddressed."
Ritsuko realized the growing danger at hand observing, "So the first shots have been fired. And the General did not even have to give the first order."
Fuyutsuki returned his attention to Mitsuru warning, "The choice remains yours. Do anything to upset the procedure and Legion will be able to determine your motivations."
Mitsuru nodded in acceptance, "I have made my decision. This will be the end of everything."
NERV was shaken from one end to another as the last battle against the Angels took place. Unwilling to be caught off guard again, gunfire signaled as the first indication that those resisting SEELE were making their final stand. The fate of humanity was concentrated on this one area on Earth with only one of the keys currently isolated.
Gendo remained in the center of his command room in complete isolation. He could summon a call as many times as he wanted, but he knew he would not receive an answer from anyone by now. Not from within the base or from the ones he once considered to be his superiors. No one was able to comprehend what was making him go through such choices but he had now become the best chance for Instrumentality to be achieved.
He stood up from the middle of the floor observing, "Those old fools cannot do anything now."
He was confident he would be successful but everything was now dependent on outside factors. Outside his room and outside the base. Turning to the main window that had been sealed shut for many long days, he made his way to his desk and activated a monitor to see the progression on the field.
Eva Unit-01's most important battle to date was on full display as it continued to fight against the Angels spawned from Da'at. Several had been badly hurt by its attacks but none of them could be classified as dead. The situation was not hopeless but it was not a sign he was assured to achieve his goal in the end.
With no one to hear his disappointment, Gendo felt free to observe, "All of this has come to pass and so many continue to place their lives on the edge of a razor. I expected too much of everyone involved."
"Was there any way I could have mattered to you? Is that why you never seemed to care?"
It was unusual for Gendo to hear anything accusatory from his son but that one conversation resonated with him. Instead of hearing him try to earn his approval like he had for so long, Shinji seemed more resigned that he could not do anything to change where he was. Gendo found his son's observation resonated further as he saw the battle outside progress.
From the very foundation of NERV, Gendo expected everyone around him to prove themselves being absolutely dedicated to their position. It was a demand he held but rarely gave any sign of praise for someone accomplishing it. All because it stemmed from an aspiration he knew he would not achieve in this life but would be able to realize with the right progression. After a number of years he found himself rationalizing that the human race as a whole would appreciate what he was aspiring for.
There was only one answer Gendo found himself capable of giving that day, "You understand the scope of where this is all headed. You most likely understand why I am doing this as well. I don't expect you to appreciate the reasons behind it but it is the reason why."
Being faced without a yes or no made Shinji hesitate to press any further but his desire to reach out to his father on some level made him observe, "That makes it sound like you don't care about anybody right now."
He knew Shinji was not willing to simplify such a difficult concept and Gendo admitted, "I have not permitted anyone to affect me ever since this started. Being resigned to this world alone is nothing but an act of condemnation."
This view of life and everyone else's made Shinji shrink at how serious the idea was. He knew his father held a severe view of the world and the lives everyone lived but only now felt as though he had a grasp of how far away he was from him. Not only in his rejection of the people around him but of the very plane of existence he lived on.
Shinji tried to comprehend this view by telling his father, "I never thought the world was like that. Just some place to be discarded."
Gendo recognized the uncertainty in his son's voice before revealing, "It is how I came to view it when I was your age. Over time I came to see what sort of fabrication all of this was. How we are only desperate to make sense of where we live by accepting it as reality. I came to hope I would find a way to leave all of this behind one day. At least that was what I once hoped for."
It only took a little contemplation before Shinji found himself able to realize, "And then mother made you give that up."
Gendo did not hope to continue being on the same speaking terms with his son but knew there was no use in denying what could be easily reasoned. One advantage he had in simply expecting others to follow his command was not having the grounds to be observed or questioned. He could argue he did not make an oversight with his son discovering the root of Instrumentality but he could not claim he had an advantage either.
Forced to accept his son was right, Gendo answered, "She never believed it was worth breaking from this reality. I thought she could have seen the reason behind it. She believed in the value of humanity too much."
He was uncertain how Shinji actually took such an answer. Despite the minor difficulties that came up, Gendo made sure he only answered his son's inquiries and not allow himself to be affected by his reactions. It was a reliable tactic he could use on others before but his son had proven to be far different than he was used to.
Gendo continued to watch the screen in front of him as Unit-01 fought the Angels and wondered, "Shinji... Did you become a different person after all this time? Or is this simply the you that you were afraid to reveal?"
A/N: Here we are everybody, the chaos is really unfolding.
You probably saw it coming but yeah, Kaworu's death is out of the way. I got the idea to do it this way to give some deviation to prior depictions in the anime and the rebuilds. In the former his body is crushed and his head falls off, in the latter his head explodes but his body remains intact, here his body explodes and his head rolls off so kind of an in between idea overall.
This is going to be the last appearance for a number of the characters in here and I feel like it's only right for me to consider the ending for all of these. Yeah this story is bigger than I anticipated as you might know at this point but I did my best to make sure the titular characters were the main focus. Bit more to work on later in but this is the home stretch anyway so it's not that bad.
Now there are a lot of threads for me to wrap up and my only hope is that I can pull them all in a satisfactory way. You might have an idea of the final outcome by now anyway but I hope the journey along the way is at least worth your time. I hope to see you all then.