Revelations 4: A Mother's Love Fueled Her Second Wind and The Kids Are United
"I can't believe I'm back in this thing..." Asuka sighed, clad in her plug suit and laying at the bottom of the lake. Though her confidence was at all time low, Shinji's visit early filled her with a very slight spark, a small candle flame of hope she prayed would keep burning. She laid back in the cockpit, her eyes gazing to the sky as the world around her filled with artillery fire and explosions. Mines began to fall into the lake, crashing into Unit 02 with quaking explosions, sending pain through Asuka's nerves. With a shriek she clutched herself tightly, bracing and waiting for it to end. She suddenly remembered what Rei had said some time ago.
"Listen to my Eva...that's what wonder girl was telling me..." Asuka recalled, breathing deeply and slowly releasing her breath.
"Please. Unit 02, please...move...please...I-I don't want to die here..." Asuka thought, closing her eyes and drifting away into darkness.
She found herself standing in a void, water beneath her feet as she heard a voice call to her.
"Asuka..." the voice was quiet, feminine, and very familiar. Asuka began walking towards the voice, slowly breaking into a full blown sprint as it grew louder and louder. The sounds of soggy foot steps rang through the void as Asuka ran into the unknown, desperate to find it's source.
"Mother?!" Asuka shouted into the darkness, the black void her shattering like glass to reveal a new, white void filled with warmth and comfort. Tears filled Asuka's worn eyes as a smiling spirit of her mother stood before her, her arms open and calling to her.
"H-Have you been here the whole time? have I just never heard you before?" Asuka inquired, falling into her mother's embrace. A spiritual hand began petting her head, comforting her in this bizarre, warm sanctuary in which she stood.
"I'm sorry my child...I should've been there for you. But...now I am here, and I will protect you," her mother's words were ethereal and soothing, Asuka's eyes shooting open as she grabbed the controls of Unit 02. The Evangelion activated with ease, the lights of eyes eyes shining brightly as and explosion crashed into the lake. The soldiers of the JSSDF all stared with awe and terror as Unit 02 ascended from the lake, like a demon rising from hell, fire burning in Asuka's eyes and being accompanied by a wicked smile.
"LET'S DO THIS!" Asuka roared with a battle cry, as she immediately began attacking the opposition, quickly lifting a battle cruiser from the water and using it as a shield against oncoming gun fire before chucking it into a missile garrison, blowing it to smithereens.
It was like combating against a Kaiju as the JSSDF forces assaulted the Unit, nothing able to pierce its A.T. Field despite all attempts.
NERV HQ, Command Center
"Guys! Asuka has activated Unit 02!" Maya shouted, observing it status on her laptop screen.
"Alright! We definitely stand a chance now! I'll inform captain Katsuragi immediately!" Hyuga shouted, ducking under the table as several bullets crashed into the steel terminal and pulled out his cellular. Meanwhile, the battle raged on and sadly, it wasn't going well.
"They're breaching the perimeter!" Iori shouted, everyone lining up behind the shut doors to open fire. With a strong explosion the doors were blown up, everyone opening fire with all they had despite their eardrums ringing from the explosion.
NERV HQ, Parking Lot of the Emergency Launch Terminals
Misato screeched to a fault as she parked the car, her and Shinji immediately exiting and rushing toward the elevators.
"We need to hurry before they cut the power to those as well Shinji!" Misato ordered, both of them breaking into a sprint as her phone began to ring.
"Hyuga what is it?!"
"Misato! The enemy has breached the parameters of the command center and Evangelion Unit 02 has activated and is currently fighting on the surface!"
"Asuka's in combat?!" Misato shouted, Shinji's eyes widened as he turned to her.
"Did you just say Asuka, Misato?!" Shinji asked, Misato giving him an anxious nod as she listened to the remainder of the report, they're footsteps echoing down the hall as they made desperate haste. Back on the surface, Asuka continued her onslaught of the JSSDF forces, feeling invincible until the sound of her external battery clicked on.
"Shiste!" Asuka cursed, disengaging the cable plug. Despite the set back, Asuka rampaged on, using their own force vehicles against them.
"Come on! Give me a challenge here!" Asuka cackled, grabbing one of the aerial vehicles and tossing it into another one with pinpoint precision. As the battle raged, the troops quickly withdrew, a series of carrier jets beginning to soar overhead. Asuka's eyes widened as what appeared to be white Evangelion deployed from each plane, all of them growing wings and circling overhead.
"Asuka can you hear me?!" Misato's voice came over her comms.
"Loud and clear, my umbilical cable's been severed but I'm winning the battle without too much issue," Asuka's voice was unfazed by the issue as she continued to smirk.
"Keep fighting Asuka, Shinji and I are in route to Unit 01 as we speak and will be arriving as soon as we can!" Misato replied, the sound of soldiers boots echoing behind Shinji and Misato.
"You might want to hurry, they're deploying a bunch of suits that look like Evangelion from the sky..." Asuka altered, looking up to see the series of white Evangelion style units flying in the air, circling her position like a bunch of vultures about to pounce on her like prey.
"Misato look out!" Shinji shouted, giving Misato a hard shove through the door before bullets rained on them, a scream escaping is lips as he caught a bullet to the arm, the door shutting behind them.
"Shinji what was that for...oh God! Shinji!" Misato went pale as she saw the bullet wound in Shinji's right arm, tears filling Shinji's eyes.
"It hurts! it burns!" Shinji cried, holding it and smashing his back to the wall next to the elevator cage.
"Calm down Shinji! Just breathe okay?" Misato huffed, immediately tearing a slit in her skirt and wrapping it around his arm before hitting the button to activate the elevator.
"Alright, get in, we'll go together so I can be your crutch," Misato's voice was cool and collected, keeping Shinji calm as they entered the elevator and hit the button. As the elevator went, an eruption of hellfire crashed from their original entrance, clearly being destroyed.
"Damn, that was way too close," Misato huffed, Shinji's teeth clenched as he endured the pain, tears crawling down his cheeks. As the elevator continued its express route to the Evangelion.
"I can't really move my arm Misato...it hurts so bad..."
"I'm sure it does, I'm afraid I don't have painkillers or anything on me, so you're just going to have to tough it out,"
Misato sat next to Shinji on the floor of the elevator, holding him close until it came to a screeching halt. Misato put Shinji's arm over her, helping him walk to to where the Evangelion lay and wait. Both Misato and Shinji found themselves in shock as they saw someone they had not expected awaiting them, Rei. Rei was in her school uniform, standing and waiting as Misato and Shinji entered the room.
"Rei! I'm glad you're okay!" Shinji shouted, wincing from the pain in his arms as Misato continued to help him.
"Rei, I'm going to need you to help Shinji pilot, he has been shot in the arm and won't be able to use the right control arm," Misato ordered, all of them climbing the steps to the plug platform.
"Understood," Rei replied, smiling softly at Shinji as they climbed. It was a slow and arduous task to climb to the top, but without too much delay they arrived. Rei entered the cockpit first, making sure to leave room room for Shinji before Misato helped him into it.
"Alright you two...you're going to have to be in perfect synch top operate. When you get to the surface, give Asuka your umbilical cable so that you can both fight together. Good luck both of you, I'll be here waiting for you to return," Misato ordered, shutting the door and sealing it before the plug automatically inserted itself. As the LCL began filling the pod, Rei hugged tightly around Shinji, trying to help him brace for the pain that his arm will feel, Shinji grasping onto her arms as pain seared through his system with the LCLs completion.
"It's okay Ikari...I am here with you," Rei quietly stayed, Shinji breathing in the LCL and raising up the control arms so they both could put their unified hands on them.
"Thanks Rei...I don't know if I could even do this on my own. I hope Asuka can hold out..." Shinji winced as he spoke, the overhead explosions making them both look up.