Matters of Faith

by jclong

Gendo is out to do some good, in the only way that he can; by being the most magnificent, manipulative bastard that he can be. Rei is out to help us all, by doing SCIENCE!

6. Chapter 5

Shinji was screaming as the LCL around him and within him boiled. He was screaming as the pain felt by the biological components of the Evangelion fed back into him through the miracle of Synchronization that allowed the human component of the mighty war machine to give motive and motion to the colossus. He screamed as he developed what was termed Sympathetic Injuries on his chest in the same location as the Fifth Angel, Code Name Ramiel, was hitting the Evangelion with its directed high-energy thermal lance. But mostly, Shinji screamed.

Misato Katsuragi, UN Forces rank Captain, Armor Branch, currently seconded to NERV as the Division 3 Operations Commander, theoretically third in command of NERV on a day-to-day basis, tried valiantly to bring order to the chaos in the command room at NERV Central.

"Recover the Eva! Bring the lift back down!"

"We can't! The locks are fused, they've melted shut!"

"Deploying armor shield!"

A ten-foot thick sheet of lead and steel-reinforced concrete shot up in between the Evangelion and Ramiel. The Angel's beam however cut through the armor with the same difficulty that it cut through Unit-01's AT field, which is to say it went through it like a hot knife through ice cream, melting through the armor block as it rose to its full height in front of the Evangelion, and then causing it to melt down around the central portion as it continued it's attack unabated.

"Blow the charges for the entire block! Bring that whole section down!"

Lieutenant Makato threw open the toggle cover for Block 43's demolition charges and flipped the toggle switch resting within. Blocks of C4 detonated, destroying specific locking clamps holding the immediate area of the lift gate in place, sending part of the street, the catapult lift, and the Evangelion tumbling back down through the shaft.

"Cutting Pilot's Synchronization! The connection's broken! Life-signs negative! Pilot is entering cardiac arrest!"

"Give him a heart massage! Begin defibrillation!" Dr. Akagi shouted as she dashed from the command deck towards the cages to oversee the recovery operation from there.

"Defibrillation started! No response!"

Up above the hurried movements of the command floor, Commander Ikari sat, unmoving from his position, watching the various screens and monitors. Fuyutsuki watched him as the bridge crews' attempts to start his son's heart again. So cold, watching his son die. Did you anticipate this? If he dies here, what will you do? Will you make the call you know you must? Even if it costs you your wife?

"We have a response! Cage 3, prepare for impact!"

The limp form of a war machine came tumbling down out of the shaft's entrance into the launch area, rolling to a stop against the massive blockade barriers erected for such an eventuality. A massive crane went into operation immediately, righting the giant and giving access to the Entry Plug, which was in the process of ejecting in response to the commands from the bridge.

"Pilot's life signs are erratic!" Dr. Akagi called from the cage. "We're taking him to medical! Prepare the ICU!"

Gendo shifted his gaze to the primary monitor, watching as the Angel, now back into it's diamond shape, floated over to a section of Tokyo-3's city center, which, miles below, sat over the very pyramid that made up NERV Central's main offices. Miles below this lay Terminal Dogma, where the object of Ramiel's and all other Angels, past and future, search lay.

"The Angel is extending a protrusion! It's... It's beginning to drill into the city!" Lieutenant Aoba cried out, somewhat confused. "Why isn't it using its directed energy beam?"

"The Magi are working on it!" Lieutenant Ibuki, having taken over in the absence of Dr. Akagi, sat at the MAGI's central terminal interface, putting the three supercomputers to the task of figuring out the Angel's course of action.

"ICU reports they have the Third Child! They are beginning preliminary medical screening!"

"The MAGI report an estimated time of twelve hours until the drill breaks through into the Geo-Front!"

Gendo stirred finally, pushing his chair away from the desk as he stood. "Captain Katsuragi, come up with a plan to defeat the Angel. Report to me in my office once you have one. You are in command here." He nodded at her salute, and left for his private elevator, Kozo trailing after him.

Misato watched the doors to the elevator shut behind the two men. Whirling around, she glared at the screen. "OK, Options people, what do we have? Ideas, resources. Let's get to work!" She moved over to join Maya at the MAGI terminal. "Have they come up with why it's not burning its way through the armor plates instead of burning it's way through? It certainly put out enough power when it attacked Unit-01."

"They are withholding judgment right now."

"OK. Makato! Release Rei from Unit-00. She's on tertiary standby right now. Have someone brief her. Tell her to get something to eat or some shut-eye."

"Roger!"

"Now, what can we do to test this bastard's abilities?"

Eins, Zwei, Drei, Vier!

Rei looked up as yet another doctor exited the doors to the ICU ward that held Ikari. The doctor didn't so much as glance at the still plug-suited girl, who reeked of dried LCL. Perhaps I should attempt gaining entrance once more. Why do they say nothing to me when they exit? Why do they keep me from entering? It is not as if I would attempt to instruct them on what to do. I merely wish to observe. She watched two nurses as they hurried forth from the room. It has been one and a quarter hours since they recovered him. Evangelion Unit-01 did not sustain any broken limbs from its fall back down the exit shaft, so he should be intact as far as that is concerned. The LCL would have protected him from shock and kept him from bouncing around inside the plug itself, so that leaves only wounds from the thermal weapon itself. Rei had watched in mounting horror as the recovery teams had righted the boy's Evangelion and pulled him from the plug. His skin looked scalded, and they had put him into an oxygen-shrouded gurney before rushing him off to medical. When they had her exit Unit-00, and explained she was on Level-3 Standby, allowing her to move about Central Dogma in either Plug Suit or other clothing, she had ignored suggestions of eating or resting and instead had come to the medical ward in the hopes of observing the medical staff working on Pilot Ikari. Those hopes had been crushed when they kicked her out of the room and told her to go somewhere else.

Why am I so... agitated about his current status? Did he not attempt to take the Commander's glasses for his own? Did he not reject me at my apartment? Did he not state that he held no faith in the Commander or his Work? Did I not physically reprimand him?

Hypothesis: I have an unconscious... attraction? Desire? for the physical closeness and contact with him. I have not demonstrated this in the past with other subjects, except perhaps the Commander. However, that is due to a loyalty out of the bond of the daughter to the father. Is this the feelings between siblings? None of the subjects in Class 2A, Classes 1B, 5D, or 7E ever commented on such... solicitousness about their siblings before. Observed evidence also suggests the experiment in the apartment would not have been deemed 'appropriate' contact between siblings by the accepted social norms. Perhaps this is why he did nothing? Does he view me as a sibling? Data supports siblings being extremely protective, violently so, in the defense of siblings. Student Suzahara assaulted Ikari over the fact that his sister had been hurt during the attack. This does not explain his wanting to protect me when he first arrived. He does not know the Commander is my father as well.

She paused her mental dissection of the reasons behind their interactions as she watched yet another doctor exit the ward and move past her without comment. I do not believe he is even aware of our relationship. Otherwise, I do not believe he would have been so quick to insult the Commander in such a fashion. So, if he does not view me as a sibling, why then is he so protective of me, if he is not similarly struck by physical attraction? The Commander is attracted to HER, for some reason, so it stands that he should have inherited the proper genetic codes for experiencing physical attraction. Perhaps he inherited his father's 'taste' in females?

Another doctor walked by without comment. Just how many are there of them in that room? Rei thought irritably. And why do they continue to say nothing to me? Is it not normal to speak to those waiting outside medical facilities for information on patients actually to give them information? What must I do to them to obtain the data I seek?

While she began to make plans that included kidnapping the next person to walk out of the room and ignore her, a nurse walked up to her, a clipboard in hand. "Miss Ayanami? What are you doing down here?"

Rei turned her head to the woman who addressed her. It is the nurse who is actually a Section 2 Agent. Agent Kokoro. "I am waiting for information on the current medical status of Pilot Ikari." Why else would I be wasting my time waiting in an ICU waiting area? There is nothing to do here but wait, appropriately enough. Wait and be ignored by these people with their arbitrary rules on people with higher security clearances than them being inside an ICU when they are working on people that happen to be important experiment subjects, causing them to work with incomplete medical history data when doing Science to them later on.

Rei found out the importance of having a complete medical history on her subjects when Student Kensuke Aida went into anaphylactic shock upon being stung by a bee.

"Oh, him! Well, let me go in and see what I can find out for you." Turning to go, she paused and turned back. "Did... did you come straight here from your Evangelion?"

"Yes."

She smiled. "That's so sweet of you. Wait right here, I'll be back in a jiff!"

Rei just stared at the Section 2 agent as she disappeared into the ICU. Why would I wait elsewhere? Would waiting someplace else have gotten me the information I seek faster? How long is a jiff? I am not familiar with this unit of chronological measurement. I do not see how my arrival here directly from Unit-00 increases how I taste. I also do not see how she would be able to appraise how sweet I taste without actually tasting me with her tongue, and I do not believe I wish that. In addition, LCL tastes like blood, and it is not particularly sweet. Since I have not showered to remove it, and it dried on me, I suspect that I would taste like blood rather than candy. She blinked. Oh, I see. She was using 'sweet' to describe my interest in him as being kind, or suggesting I am enamored of him. She shifted her head slightly down to look at the floor as a faint pink tinged her skin. Perhaps I am enamored of him. I am still unsure if I wish to conduct experiments of physical closeness with him.

She looked up again, hoping Agent Kokoro wouldn't notice the fact that she was blushing. Agent Kokoro, being trained to notice and read people's body language because she was indeed a Section 2 Agent and not just a nurse, of course noticed. And, being that she was a Section 2 Agent, she made no indication that she noticed.

"Well, they still have him in an LCL bath. He should be coming out of it in about an hour. He'll keep his hair, but he'll have to be careful for about a few weeks with hot liquids and IV exposure on his skin until it completely heals. With the current medication drip, he'll be asleep for the next four hours at least, which is good. Does that help?" She smiled kindly at the girl.

Does this help with what? While it is the information I sought, it was not for any particular experiment, just updating subject data. "Yes."

"Well, now, I think you should go and take a shower then, and get cleaned up. He'll be moved to his room, B301, once out of the LCL bath if they find nothing else wrong with him. You can visit him in there. You know where it is, right?"

"It is three doors further down the same hallway as the room I am assigned when admitted to the Medical Wing."

"Yep! So, go on, get out of here. Get something to eat, or get some rest. I'm sure it's only a matter of time before they come up with a plan to stop that thing up there."

"Yes." Why do they keep telling me to go eat? I have not expended enough calories to make my body demand additional fuel.

Eins, Zwei, Drei, Vier!

Misato glared at the blue diamond. Well, I don't think I'll ever say that diamonds are a girl's best friend anymore. Another thing to be angry at the Angels about. "What's the status on the decoy?"

Lieutenant Makato looked up from his terminal. "The tug should be raising it now." He pointed to the screen. "There it goes!"

Now sharply in focus, a small tug was pulling a life-size inflatable decoy model of Unit-01 towards the Angel. They cut a line, and the decoy's arm swung up, 'aiming' a pistol at the Angel.

"We're getting a high-energy reading!"

The Angel shifted its form again and fired its hateful thermal ray at the decoy, vaporizing it and the tug in seconds.

"Now!"

The Type 12 Mk.6 Self-Propelled Mortar rolled out of hiding and fired an experimental 500mm SABOT projectile at the Angel. The munition itself was considered overkill by many due to the fact that the actual projectile was a 120mm depleted uranium rod and could theoretically tear through more armor than existed on any one target. But if there was one thing NERV was known for in the defense sector (besides, of course, being run by the 'King of all Bastards'), it was overkill being their bread and butter.

Gendo Ikari Fact #17- God's in his Heaven because he's scared of Gendo Ikari's Superior Firepower.

The MAGI had suggested a 68% chance of the rod penetrating the Angel's AT field, which so far had shrugged off dozens of cruise missiles and several concentrated artillery barrages of the likes not seen since the trenches of WWI.

The reason they gave it such a high chance was that it should be fast and small enough of a projectile to escape the Angel's thermal weapon. It had fired on all missiles that had been carrying N2 munitions, destroying them from afar instead of letting them break upon the seemingly impenetrable wall of its AT-Field.

Everyone in the control room groaned in disgust as the field flashed into view again, and the SABOT round ricocheted off to impact into a mountain. The Angel fired upon the Type 12, vaporizing it just as completely as it had everything else it had shot at that day, with the sole exception of the Evangelion.

Dr. Akagi cursed as she threw her hands up into the air. "The MAGI just gave me a busy message. They've got nothing else right now. That SABOT round should have punched right through the damn thing like... like... like a gamma ray through paper!"

It's really bad when Ritsuko has problems expressing just how unhappy she is with a situation. Almost all she ever does is complain about things. Misato mused to herself.

Poor Sempai! She's so stressed, what with working on stabilizing Shinji and trying to come up with a way to break through the AT-Field. Maya watched her supervisor sympathetically.

"Okay, folks. What else do we have in the labs? I know we've got to have something that packs a ridiculous punch. It's what we do! We're NERV! We don't just grandstand here. We specialize in making things bigger and better, if for no other reason than we get more money from the UN in a month than some countries generate in a year." Misato started pacing back and forth. "What do we have that's just super experimental, and not necessarily weaponized yet?"

Lieutenant Aoba started scrolling down through his terminal, looking through all NERV funded research projects. "Well... we've got an LHC, about 400 pounds of antimatter, most of it anti-hydrogen, some of it anti-helium."

Misato perked up at the mention of antimatter. She turned to Ritsuko, a manic smile on her face.

Ritsuko, knowing her friend all too well, shook her head. "Don't even think about using antimatter. It's not something we'd be able to use. It would need a massive warhead, just to keep the magnetic containment in place until it detonated against the target. The Angel would shoot it from miles away."

Misato's grin became a scowl. "Damn it! There's got to be something we can use." She turned back to the lieutenant. "What's a LHC?"

"It's a Large Hadron Collider. It's a massive particle accelerator. It's currently being used to test particle bombardment on portions of the Fourth Angel's recovered core, to help NERV-Nevada with S2 Engine research."

"A particle accelerator you say? Don't things have a tendency to explode when they get hit by accelerated particles?"

Ritsuko rolled her eyes. "That is the general idea behind a particle beam weapon, yes, Misato."

"So why don't we have one of those?"

"We do. A prototype, anyways. The problem is that the MAGI say it's not powerful enough to punch through that AT-Field."

Misato's face screwed up into a grimace as she mentally chewed on that information. "Any way we could use the LHC to power it? Or use the LHC itself?"

"No, it's pretty much stationary. We don't have enough time to disassemble it, move it, and reassemble it with the proper modifications."

"Damn. Well, do we know of anyone else that could be working on a particle gun? Maybe we can commander it."

Agent Ken, the Command Deck Section 2 Liaison Officer put down his omnipresent coffee cup. "The JSSDF have been working on a test bed particle cannon. Let me find out the particulars." He sprinted off towards the Section 2 office.

Misato turned and smiled at Ritsuko. "And who says that Section 2 doesn't ever do anything around here?"

Eins, Zwei, Drei, Vier!

Gendo looked at Captain Katsuragi over his tented hands. As usual, he let Kozo speak for him.

"You want to commander the JSSDF's particle cannon testbed system, combine it with our own prototype, and then plug it into the national power supply grid to use as an Evangelion sniper weapon, staged at our secondary site at Matsushiro."

"Correct Sir," Misato answered with all the calm, composed confidence that she wasn't currently feeling as she stood alone before her two superiors. Damn it Rits... You should be in here too, if only as moral support. I seriously doubt they needed you down to supervise moving Shinji from the ICU to his hospital room. She shifted her weight from foot to foot slightly, feeling the beginning beads of perspiration forming on her forehead. I don't get it; it's so cold in here, I shouldn't be sweating unless I was on fire! And why is it always so dark? Maybe he really is a vampire. It would explain the weird glasses.

Gendo spoke slowly and evenly, still not shifting from the position of someone watching something because they must, not because they wanted to. "What do the Magi say?"

"They give it a 17% chance of success with two affirmatives and one conditional. It's the plan with the highest chance of success that is workable within our time frame."

"Then you may proceed, Captain. The fate of Mankind rests on your plan."

Misato bowed, giddy relief threatening to break out as laughter. "Thank you, Sir." She turned and left the office as fast as she could without actually breaking into a run. YES! In your face Ritsuko!

Kozo looked down as Gendo began to page through the report the Captain had delivered with her brief. "How are they going to modify the JSSDF's weapon? If it's powerful enough to punch through the AT-Field, why not use it right away?"

"As it is, there is no means to aim the device. The plan is to cobble them together, using our prototype for the aiming and firing mechanisms, and theirs for the power components. Unfortunately, since this is going to be an intensely power-hungry system, the power control devices will most likely fail after successive shots, meaning that for optimum use, they will have to replace the device after each firing. You can see here-" he said, pointing to a diagram, "where they plan to overcome this issue with the use of a massive solid-state fuse, here, where the chamber analog is located. They will also have to allow time for the 'barrel' of the weapon to cool because though the weapon is kinetic in nature, and not thermal, due to the massive size of this weapon, the wall resistivity converts electric energy into heat quickly, and if fired for prolonged periods it will experience warpage. This weapon will be the single largest linear particle accelerator yet, several times the length of the former SLAC, which was still the largest in the world when the American west coast was covered in several tens of feet of water during Second Impact."

"So, like a regular sniper, we will have to hope for a one shot, one kill eventuality? I doubt the Angel would let such an attack as this go unpunished."

"Indeed. You will note that the Captain has left her defense plans unmentioned, as of yet."

"She must have something in mind."

"I am sure she does. It is not without reason that I lobbied for her assignment here. She is quite the capable tactician, and her personnel history with the Angels will ensure she will do everything in her power to see them slain."

"A happy matter for all, then."

Eins, Zwei, Drei, Vier!

Rei looked up at Captain Katsuragi as she entered Pilot Ikari's room, motioning for her to follow her back out into the hallway. Glancing at the still-sleeping boy, she snapped the book she had been reading shut and placed it on the chair before exiting the room.

Misato watched the boy through the window. "How is he doing, Rei?"

"He is currently sleeping off the effects of the drug mixture administered to him to keep him docile during the LCL bath to aid in the repair of the damaged internal and external tissues of the lungs, nose, mouth, and throat, in addition to the ears, eyes, and skin due to the LCL of his Entry Plug boiling. He developed a minor burn as a sympathetic injury over his sternum, and the doctors state he should avoid direct exposure to sunlight and hot liquids for the next two to three weeks until his epidermis is completely repaired. It is estimated he will awaken in two hours unless he continues to sleep naturally."

He will remain asleep for another four hours past that if I measured the additional medication I administered for him correctly. But then, that's none of your business.

The sleeping form of Shinji Ikari, Rei's newest test subject had evoked a strong protective and not quite nurturing feeling inside her. Having been only relatively restored to good health herself, she found herself wanting him to have a swift, and pleasant recovery.

"Good. He deserves some rest after what happened." Rei blinked at the Captain's statement and then blinked again when she clapped a hand on her shoulder. "You know, I'm not surprised that I was told I could find you down here. We'll have to trade notes on him later," Misato winked at the teenager, "but right now you and I need to take a little trip."

Rei blinked again. We need to trade notes? How does she know I am taking notes on him? I have no physical notes. I was not aware she was doing experiments on him as well. In fact, all supportive evidence suggests she does not have any sort of working background in Science. How has she managed to hide this from HER? She is very good with Science, and she has at several times made free mention that the Captain is 'as thick as a block of wood.' Of course, this as a metaphor for being intellectually challenged is not very effective, as blocks of wood come in all manner of thicknesses.

"I do not wish to leave on a trip, Captain. I would prefer to remain here. The medical ward is within the prescribed limits of a Level-3 Standby Status."

"I know you want to watch over him and trust me, it's killed me that I haven't been able to check on him sooner, but I had to come up with a way to kill the Angel. The thing is, I'm going to need your help in getting the parts we need."

"I do not understand, Captain. I do not have sufficient authority to be able to obtain items that have been denied to you. Commander Ikari would be the one to appeal to or Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki."

Misato grinned. "I don't need help like that Rei. You see, the thing of it is..."

As the Captain described her plan, Rei felt a new warmth growing within her. The Captain may not have had the interest in science that Rei did, but they shared two things in common: a purpose in killing the Angels and an interest in Pilot Ikari. While the latter might cause friction between the two (even if Misato was unaware of it), the former would definitely bring them closer together.

The Captain's plan... it is GLORIOUS! A masterpiece of Science. I will have to obtain the schematics. Perhaps I should look into expanding my understanding of physics. I may be able to overlook her conducting her own experiments on Pilot Ikari, as repayment for this masterpiece.

Eins, Zwei, Drei, Vier!

The JSSDF head of Weapons Development, General Ayumu Hamada, a decorated veteran of the Impact Wars, was not someone who was easily bullied. He was a good leader and had clawed his way up the ladder in battles both down-range and at the home office. He was proud of his rank and position. He also knew that some battles couldn't be won. He knew when to break contact, to use soldier's parlance.

He stared at the UN Special Operations Order for Commandeering of Materials Deemed Necessary for the Betterment of Mankind. Directive Z387 was a joke, it was a nonsense directive. Never before had a single one been issued and actually followed through on. They were used as threats; to bring obstinate nations and organizations to the bargaining table. If someone actually tried to enforce such an order, nations would go to war. It was an unenforceable document, and thus powerless.

Until today.

He knew about NERV, of course, for while it might still be relatively new to most of the world, in the Defense Sector, well, they weren't the 500-pound gorilla in the corner. They were the humpback whale in the school swimming pool. Even if he had been ordered by his superiors to ignore the Directive Z387, he couldn't. It wasn't for nothing that NERV titled the Evangelions as 'Mankind's Greatest Fighting Weapon'. He could only say one thing to the woman several ranks his junior, and one thing only.

"But... this is just so bizarre!"

Misato smiled sweetly at the General. "NERV thanks you for your cooperation, General." She turned to face the far wall and keyed the hand-mike she wore. "OK, Rei, open her up! Be careful, though; it's a piece of delicate machinery!"

General Hamada watched in detached horror as the roof of the warehouse housing the test-bed particle cannon was wrenched off by NERV's yellow cyclopean monstrosity. It reached in with one hand and plucked the cannon up as easily as he might a cigarette, withdrawing from the warehouse as it stood up, moving back to the airfield where a NERV cargo plane waited impatiently to whisk several years of work away. He knew, deep within his heart of hearts, that he would never see that cannon again. The whole project was as good as scrapped because of this.

I'm going to resign. His thoughts became morose as he watched the NERV Captain jump back into her jeep and speed off after the yellow giant. I'm going to resign and go find something else to do that can't be just taken away from me. Damn them. Damn them and their giant robots. Damn them all to hell.

Eins, Zwei, Drei, Vier!

When Rei returned to Shinji's room after showering, changing into her school uniform, and attending Misato's brief on Operation Yashima, she picked her book, a text on genetic engineering, up and reopened it to the page she had left off on. She found herself unable to focus on reading, however. Her thoughts kept dragging back to the Operations Director's words from before. Closing her book again, she stared at the boy who was rapidly becoming a source of consternation to her.

He most likely will wish to refuel his body by consuming food upon waking up. I have observed numerous instances where the provision of such food is seen as a sign of affection. She stood and moved to the door, glancing through the window, and not seeing anyone, poked her head out the door and looked up and down the hall, confirming the on-duty nurse was sitting at the nurse's station filling out paperwork. She ducked back in and locked the door.

Due to the desire to allow his epidermal layers to breathe, they did not dress him in the normal hospital gown. Her eyes flicked to the light-weight bedsheets drawn up to his mid-chest. This would be an optimum time to experiment with physical contact, to see if the same sensations are available with him being unconscious. She watched his face, seeing none of the usual stress or tension that plagued his features normally when he was awake. Why do I feel such apprehension? There is no reason to expect him to wake up at this time. Her gaze drifted back down, and again the faint pink burned on her delicate features. I... I must... I must be bold. I must be bold for Science!

Having made up her mind and worked up her courage, she pulled back the sheet to his mid-stomach, the faint pink growing much more pronounced and threatening to become a full-fledged red as she felt herself grow warm. The more bare skin that I observe causes an exponential increase in my internal body temperature. While he appears to be skinnier than most of the sought-after males in Class 2A, it does not appear my base physical reactions care about this.

She darted a last quick look to the door to ensure that no one had come up to it and was observing her through the window. She idly wished for a curtain of some sort to draw over it, before returning her attention to the prone figure before her.

As he is currently incapable of initiating contact, I must do it myself. Unconsciously taking a deep breath, she carefully climbed up onto the hospital bed. Moving so that she was straddling him with her knees, she snaked her arms under his around to his back and drew him up into a hug, closing her eyes and resting her head on his shoulder. My internal body temperature is rising at a much higher rate than anticipated. This is much more pleasing than the experiment at my apartment. She hugged him a little tighter and moved so that she was resting on his lap.

Shinji, still asleep, mumbled incoherently, and hugged her back, his arms linking around her.

She squeaked, her eyes going wide as she froze. Did I wake him up? After a few moments, she relaxed, confident that he was still sleeping. Unhooking his arms from her, she laid him back down on the bed before getting off. Grabbing the bed sheet, she tucked it back up to its prior location, smoothing out the wrinkles. Breathing heavily, she darted for the door, almost forgetting that she had locked it when it refused to open when she pulled on it.

She made her way down to the cafeteria. I must obtain a movable cart for which to bring him food. I... I think that I will get more than he probably needs. Sharing food is another accepted sign of affection. Also, I will obtain a replacement plug suit for him. He most likely will wish to dress before eating. Her brow furrowed in frustration. She wasn't feeling too keen on him getting dressed right off the bat. Perhaps if I am similarly disrobed, he will be content to partake of a shared meal before dressing.

I wonder if the Captain has already performed such an experiment as this on him? Her previous elation with the Captain's plan, even with the sheer awesome factor Rei had to give to the new Sniper Positron Gun, despite not being selected to use it in favor of Pilot Ikari's higher sync score and familiarity with firearms, was slipping away. I do not think I like the idea of her using him for Science at all. She pursed her lips as she frowned, not realizing she was doing so as she hurried down the corridors. She might have come up with the idea for the gun, and while the heat-resistant ceramic tile and silica aerogel shield fashioned from several space shuttles, but I do not like the idea of her interfering with my test subject. I will have to find a way to ensure that she does not interfere with or ruin my experiments. She does not get to do Science to him.

It would not be fair to say that Rei felt like this because she didn't like to share her toys because that would suggest she ever had toys when growing up. She had a few, pilfered scientific tools, to be sure, but no toys.

As she continued down to the nearest cafeteria in the massive complex that made up NERV Central, she was completely unaware that while she had taken steps to ensure no one had been watching her from the hallway, or interfering if someone had, she had completely forgotten about the security cameras present in almost all parts of the base, including the medical wing. Such as the camera that was in Shinji's room, tucked unobtrusively in a corner, keeping a careful watch on the son of the Commander. The same camera that fed to that very same Commander's office. That very same Commander, who, despite all outward appearances, against all popular opinion on the matter, still loved and cared for his son. Even if Rei hadn't ever set foot in the boy's room, the camera feed would have been on, to allow Gendo to keep an eye on his boy.

Gendo stared in open-mouthed disbelief at the screen as Kozo pounded his thigh, laughing harder than he remembered doing so in a very long time. Gendo raised a shaking hand to point at the screen. With a slow, deliberate movement, he turned to his oldest friend. "Did... Did you just see what I just thought I saw?"

Kozo, actually crying in mirth now, could only nod his head.

Gendo moved back to stare at his slumbering son, who was blissfully unaware of what had just taken place. "I must admit that this is not how I envisioned them getting closer to each other. I tell her to think about getting closer to him. I specify that it's not an order. I tell her it's up to her. She hangs out for hours waiting for him to get out of the ICU. She gives him more morphine, to ease the pain she knows that he must be in, as she's felt it so many times before. She can barely tear herself away from his side. Just when I'm thinking I'm going to have to step in and stir the pot, she does the whole 'looking to see if I'm being watched' bit, locks the door, almost pulls him out of the sheets, and hugs the boy in his sleep."

Kozo, able to talk again, sighed in contentment. "And when he hugged her back, in his sleep. That sound she made. Priceless."

Gendo pulled up another camera feed, watching Rei as she wandered the halls. "I wonder what she's doing now? She looks like she's unhappy with something."

"I don't know about that, but... I'll admit I had my doubts when he showed up and you told me how you were adjusting the plan. I think this proves you right. They'll do what you've got planned in the end. It's only a matter of time, and keeping them alive until the end."

"It'll make it harder, though. I want them to live so very much." Gendo opened an archived portion of the feed and paused it where the two teenagers shared an embrace, staring at it, memorizing it and committing it to memory. "There's a small chance that they might."

"A very small chance. It's better than no chance, no matter how small."

"Yes. That is my hope. My only hope. I know we will accomplish the rest. I'm going to have to start distancing myself from Rei a little. I can't be tempted to alter things further."

"You could always go for Plan B." Kozo knew as long as Plan A had a chance, Gendo wouldn't go for Plan B, barring massively unforeseen circumstances.

"I could, later on, when we've gotten more names, made more inroads towards placing our agents in their ranks. But they would be targets. Kiel would not forgive any of us, no matter how innocent the Pilots or anyone else might be in the whole matter. Besides, Plan A is still for the best. I accomplish two of my goals, at the least."

"You'll be dead either way. Plan A or Plan B. But I understand. I'd be making the same decision, I think if I were in your shoes. But, it's still can't be easy for you to sacrifice them for the sake of the world, even if you get something out of it."

"I just wish she had told me about this whole mess with GEHIRN before."

"I wish I had never written that letter of recommendation."

Gendo switched the stilled image off. "It is unfortunate that wishes do not come true."

"Perhaps. The repairs for Unit-01 are complete, and everything is going according to schedule as far as the power relay grid is concerned. I don't know about you, but I was wishing for things to move along those lines."

Gendo stared flatly at Kozo. "If I turn the soap opera that is Shinji & Rei's life back on, will you promise to stop making snarky comments?"

Eins, Zwei, Drei, Vier!

Shinji blinked, staring at a ceiling that was rapidly becoming a familiar one. "I'm alive, then."

"Yes."

Startled, he jerked into an upright sitting position to look over at the owner of the voice. "Ayanami?" She was sitting in one of the chairs, a book in her lap, and a push cart sitting next to her. "How... How long have you been here?"

She watched him silently for a few moments. "I have been here as long as mission requirements permitted." She pulled a small notebook out of her uniform's pocket. "I will now brief you on the Operation Yashima timetable. At 1800 Pilots Ikari and Ayanami will report to the staging cages. At 1900, Evangelion Units 00 and 01 will move to the temporary command headquarters at the Matsushiro site. At 2330, Units 00 and 01 will move to attack positions. At 0000, the attack will begin." She paused, looking up into his face, lined with apprehension and worry, all traces of the serene peace she had observed on it before now missing. "You will be briefed on the actual mission parameters upon our arrival at Matsushiro." She closed the notebook, setting it and her other book on the ground next to her chair. She stood and pushed the cart closer, and pulled the cover off, revealing an assortment of sandwiches and fruit, along with several cans of tea. "A meal, before we must report to the cages." Reaching under the cart, she produced a plug-suit, still in its bag. "A new one, for you to wear."

"I'm not hungry."

"We leave in sixty minutes." No!, she desperately thought. Eat the food! Eat the food with me. Let us share a meal.

"Do I really have to fight again?"

"Yes."

"I'm not sure if I can. I don't know if I do it."

"You must." What is wrong with him? Does he not understand that not to fight, is to die? To allow humanity to die?

He slumped down, looking dejected, shaking his head. "I don't know." he whispered, almost to himself.

She blinked, unsure of the new feelings welling up. In a very rare case of her mouth running before her brain, she spoke, also in a whisper. "Then stay here. I will do it for you. I will go alone." She turned to leave, all thoughts of sharing a meal with him gone, having fled from her mind. If she was to face the Angel Ramiel by herself, the Captain needed to be informed.

Shinji, his eyes wide as the realization of what his sitting this battle out meant, called to her. "No, I'll do it. I can't let you face it alone."

She turned in the door, confused. What should I say? I have not observed anything coming near to this situation to have a good comparison. Perhaps... flirting? Lighten the mood, as it is said?

"Don't show up looking like that then, Pilot Ikari." While the idea of piloting the Evangelion nude has been bandied about before, it is not considered viable due to the potential for embarrassment of the pilot in accordance with social norms. Thus, the suggestion of him reporting nude to the cages is an amusing one, as the embarrassment of being nude in public is considered by many to be amusing. Success!

Shinji stared at her for a moment, not understanding, and then looked down, and realized he wasn't wearing anything. He shrieked and grabbed the sheet up about his neck, hiding everything from view once more, with the exception of his face, which was turning bright red. "Sorry! Sorry... can you leave?"

No success? The mood appears not to have been lightened. This is disappointing. I need to figure out what went wrong. I shall have to pay more attention to others when they engage in flirting.

"I... I will go. I will meet you in the cages." She stopped in the door, looking back. "You should eat something." She turned and left, quietly closing the door behind her.

Eins, Zwei, Drei, Vier!

Shinji stared at the top of Evangelion's head, deep in thought. It looks as beat up as I feel. New armor plates had been installed, the dull gray of the as of yet unpainted metal somehow giving the Evangelion a different... air, a different feeling. He couldn't really explain it to himself, let alone put it into words. On some of the original plates that remained, the purple paint job had been burned off on the front, while on the back it had bubbled and begun to melt. The whole thing was a mess.

I guess they patched you up as much as they did me... He rubbed the back of his head, feeling a throbbing pulse beginning to grow. I wonder how much this headache has to do with being fried with a death ray or trying to figure Ayanami out. After her last remark to him, she had disappeared into her entry plug and refused to talk to him. He sighed. I don't understand her at all. Why was she waiting in my room for me to wake up? And why does she switch back and forth on things so much? I thought she was mad at me about my father earlier, and then she offers to take my spot on the mission? And why hasn't she said anything about what happened at her apartment? His hand reflexively curled in response to his mind wandering to what it had been holding much earlier in the day.

What he, and none of the attending tech staff, didn't notice, as it was currently submerged under LCL, was the right hand of Unit-01 also flexing.

One of the few techs remaining at Central Command and having not yet gone to the temporary HQ at Matsushiro came up and clapped a hand on the boy's shoulder, startling him from his daydream.

"Alright kid, it's showtime. Once you get into the plug, we'll get this show started. We've got the escort truck already on the surface for you two to follow. We can't take the chance of any aircraft drawing that thing's attention to you."

Shinji nodded, he had been given this brief already once he got to the cages. He climbed up into the waiting plug, already partially inserted. It was, as the tech had said, time to go.

Eins, Zwei, Drei, Vier!

Several teenagers, both boys and girls, waited at a popular scenic overlook spot in one of the parks, waiting. One of them, wearing a tracksuit, sighed as he looked at his watch. "Seriously, Kensuke, what are we out here for? I want to get back to the shelter." He chanced a glance at Hikari, who also waited, looking out over the quiet park and city. "It's bad luck hanging around up here."

Kensuke, however, refused to let his friend's dour attitude ruin his chipper one. "I'm telling you, my sources say that there's a temporary base set up at Matsushiro, and the Evangelion will be deployed there against the Angel!" He glanced at his watch. "This is where I was told to be, and at this time."

Hikari rolled her eyes at the mention of the nerdy boy's 'sources'. "Just who gave out this information? It sounds like that's a serious breach of security."

Kensuke was about to answer when a great klaxon began to sound. Several of the other attending teenagers pointed to a forested hillside that seemed to open and give way.

"Look! The entire hillside is moving!"

"Wow, look! It's the purple robot!"

Then, much to everyone's surprise, a second robot appeared, visibly different from the now familiar visage of the first, the newcomer having no horn and only one eye in its blocky-looking helmet.

Everyone's jaw dropped as the two behemoths began to move out, following a large truck.

Toji prodded Hikari, if only because she was the only person in arm's reach. "Do... do you see two of them?"

Dumbstruck, she let the pokes to her ribs pass without comment, both to the boy and to herself. "If Shinji's in the purple one, who's in the yellow one?"

As Kensuke ignored them both, taking as many pictures as he could of the two mighty machines, his two friends shared a look.

Hikari was the first to speak. "It could be..." She trailed off, unable to finish the thought.

"It would make a lot of sense. I mean, she's gone a lot..."

"And they do seem to be awfully familiar with each other..."

Toji clapped a hand to his head. "Oh, man... wait! When we got in trouble... when we told them we were looking for Ayanami, they focused on that for a few minutes and then left. We waited there in the questioning area for an hour before they came back. They probably were trying to figure out what to tell us! They didn't seem that worried about her being all left on the surface during the fight because they knew where she was all along!"

Hikari nodded. "It would also explain why she lives alone... and where she does."

Toji shot her a questioning look. "What does that mean?"

She shook her head, embarrassed to be gossiping about the shy girl who apparently was a pilot like their other shy friend. "Forget I said anything."

He shrugged, turning to watch them as they marched off into the sunset. "How bad do you think it is if they need two of those things to deal with it?"

"I don't know. This is the longest there's been an alert." She suddenly started looking around, as if remembering that they were all supposed to still be down inside the shelter.

"Do you think she got hurt fighting one of those things? I mean, there's no way for us to know if any of the alerts are drills or not, and there were some pretty long ones before Shinji came here. Maybe that's why they brought him in because she got hurt in a fight."

"She has been in several... accidents... that no one's ever been around to witness. They could just be cover-up stories." She paused, thinking hard. "And I don't think that I've ever seen her in the shelters with us. Ever. I mean, I know that she's shy and kinda fades into the background, but..."

Toji nodded in agreement. "Yeah. I mean, we only noticed it that one time because we were worried... about... well, you know."

As the giants faded into the distance, Hikari clapped, startling everyone. "Okay, the show's over! Let's get back underground before we all get in trouble!"

Eins, Zwei, Drei, Vier!

Shinji stared at the massive sniper rifle. "What is that?" His voice was one part incredulous, one part wary, and one part... hungry.

He is definitely interested in the sniper rifle. Rei allowed herself the smallest feeling of satisfaction. This should smooth over any remaining qualms he has about participating in the battle to come.

"It is the combination of the NERV Test Type Positron rifle and the JSSDF's Positron Cannon. Technical Division 1 has combined them together to make what you see here, which is currently being called the Test Type Mark 3 Positron Sniper." Rei duly informed her fellow pilot of the designation of the massive weapon, which was longer than the Evangelions were tall. "It combines the more robust manufacture and increased power handling capabilities of the Positron Cannon with the Evangelion Interface Link-Up Array, which will allow you to interface with the weapon's on-board targeting computers and make the shot with which you will smite the Enemy."

Shinji, still staring in wonder at the sniper rifle, shot his eyes over to the girl. "What?" Smite the Enemy? Huh?

Rei, embarrassed at her slip-up in wording her response, rolled right along into the next part of the brief. "You have been selected to serve as the gunner on this mission. While all of the damage to Unit-01 has not yet been repaired, your higher sync ratio and your increased familiarity with firearms in general, and with rifles in particular has caused the Operations Director to select you to fill the role of the gunner in this mission. I will act as a shield holder in the event that the enemy is able to fire off a shot at the sniper position."

Shinji was only confused by this. "A shield holder?"

"Technical Division 1 has constructed a shield made partially from the hulls of several decommissioned space shuttles. The heat-resistant ceramic plates, combined with an aerogel, should be able to withstand and dissipate the thermal energy weapon the Angel struck you with. The estimated time of usefulness is around twenty seconds. In other words, I will be protecting you."

"What...what happens if it shoots more than twenty seconds? What if time runs out?"

"Then I will shield you with the body of Unit-00."

"But that's suicide! You'll be killed!"

"If I die, I can be replaced. The Angel must be destroyed."

Shinji could only stare at her, horrified at the calm manner in which she declared that she accepted her death, so long as the Angel was killed. How can she be so cold about her death? Isn't she worried at all?

Rei, misunderstanding the reason for his silence, turned her gaze from the boy back to the positron rifle. "You will be fine, Pilot Ikari. I will protect you." She turned and left for the building that had been set up as a waiting room for the pilots.

Shinji watched as she walked off, lost in his own thoughts. He stood there, oblivious to the world, and did not hear the Captain walking up behind him until she put her arms around him and drew him into a hug.

"I'm so glad you're okay, Shinji. Did Rei give you the mission brief yet? Since she was so insistent on staying in your room, I left it with her to bring you up to speed on what's going to go on."

Shinji snapped back to reality. "Yeah, she told me the plan... I'm going to be a sniper using the rifle... Was she really waiting in my room?" Why would she just wait in there? I mean... does this mean she likes me? But what about before? At her apartment? What was that all about... and the escalator?

Misato stepped on his thoughts. "Yes, she didn't want to leave when I took her to go get the cannon from the JSSDF. She was really insistent about sticking near you. The doctors in the ICU told me they had to kick her out of the operating theater while they were working..." She trailed off, watching her ward with a careful eye. These two are retarded for each other. It would be cute if it weren't so depressing. They're so shut off from the rest of the world that neither will take the first step. They're both so passive about this that it's sickening. She smiled as she tousled his hair. "You know, you should take her out to dinner or something after this is all over. A celebratory meal. If protecting mankind and ensuring its continued survival isn't something to celebrate, I don't know what is."

"Dinner?" Shinji's brain commenced a strategic shutdown.

"Yeah, a dinner! Now, you've still got some time before you need to suit back up and get in the Evas, so you should go get some shut-eye. Taking a nap never hurt before an operation!" She pushed him off in the general direction of the waiting building.

Watching him close the door behind him, she turned towards the city, watching the Angel sat bathed in lights, slowly boring its way into the Geo-Front. Apart from the Matsushiro site and the few lights trained on the Angel within Tokyo-3, almost all of the rest of the surrounding countryside was dark, all available power being shunted into the power feeds that trailed literally all across the nation into Matsushiro, a winding, glowing snake. She was sure it would look pretty neat from space.

I'll have to see if NERV can get satellite photos of it for later.

Eins, Zwei, Drei, Vier!

Shinji sat in the Entry Plug of Unit-01, locked into position with the sniper rifle. He had already killed motive power to the Evangelion's body, and all that was left that could move was the fingers on the right hand. He watched the Angel through the simulated crosshairs on his display. He ignored the radio chatter of the techs, pushing it to the back of his mind as he watched his target.

A bond, to everyone. That's why she pilots. But she never does anything with anyone, not really. How can she feel such a bond, an obligation to protect them if she never participates in activities with the people she fights for? The conversation the two had shared before entering their Evangelions still troubled him. If I pilot to protect her but never do anything with her, does that make us the same? She seems so calm about meeting her death. How can she say she can be replaced? Does she think another pilot could... could... replace her to me? Maybe to my father, to NERV, but to me? Is that what she thinks?

His targeting computer beeped at him, letting him know it had started to get a lock on the target. Pushing his troubled thoughts of Rei to the back of his mind, began to focus on the task at hand. It was no different than another day at the range, he told himself.

Breathe in, breathe out. Watch the target, position it in the center, breathe in, breathe out, pull the trigger, breathe in. Center the target, pull the switch. Breathe. His mantra ran through his head, as his breathing pattern slowed down, as he entered what was commonly known as 'the zone,' and more properly by its psychological term, the flow. He was totally immersed in the task at hand.

Breathe in, breathe out. Watch the target, position it in the center, breathe in, breathe out, pull the trigger, breathe in. Center the target, pull the switch. Breathe.

Don't run away.

Maya frowned as she watched the Pilot's Sync Ratios at the top of her terminal. She waved Huga and Shigeru over. "Hey guys, take a look at this. Rei's sitting at a steady thirty-five percent, but Shinji's ratio keeps creeping up a point every minute. He's been doing that for about eight minutes now. Look- there it goes again!"

The lieutenants watched his score mark go up one percent and then, about a minute later, another one.

Huga tapped another display. "His breathing rate's pretty even. All other signals are normal. It can't be a sensor error."

"But why does it keep going up? He's sitting at fifty-six percent right now! It's supposed to sit at a steady rate unless he experiences physical trauma or emotional upset. This isn't normal."

Shigeru flipped open a line to Unit-01, keeping their mikes turned off. He dialed up the volume as they heard Shinji murmuring in the LCL.

"Center the target, and pull the switch. Breathe. Center the target, and pull the switch. Breathe."

He cut the volume and closed the line, shrugging. "Sounds like he's meditating. Maybe meditation helps with synchronization? Something to keep in mind for later I guess."

Maya's frown deepened. "That's not like any sort of meditative chant I've ever heard of. Meditation is supposed to be peaceful, helping a person to find zen. "

"So long as he's focused on taking down the Angel, and his ratio doesn't drop, what do we care?"

The philosophical debate that was about to get underway was cut short as the final lights on the power feed board went green, and a tech poked his head into the van. "All final checks are done! She's ready to go!"

Misato grinned as she keyed her mike to the pilots. "All right, we are green to go! Shinji, get the Angel in your sights, and wait for the targeting computers to lock."

"Roger!"

"Rei, stand by with the shield. Use your discretion if you need to deploy."

"Yes."

The normal bridge crew watched the video feed as the targeting computers made final adjustments for gravity and magnetic fields before signaling the target lock with a high-pitched tone.

"FIRE!"

Shinji pulled the trigger switch on the butterfly handles of his control yoke and watched through the targeting hood as the highly accelerated hydrogen anions tore a path to their target, moving so fast that the air around them ionized, glowing blue. However, despite the almost impossibly fast speeds at which they traveled, they were not fast enough.

"High energy output from the ANGEL! IT'S RETURNING FIRE!"

The two beams, one an otherworldly thermal beam, and the other a beam of super-accelerated hydrogen particles, interacted with each other in ways human sensory equipment was not designed to observe. The gross physical reaction, however, was visible to even the human eye, as both energy beams went wide.

The Angel's weapon bathed the mountainside in fire and smashed Unit-01 and its rifle from the sniper position, sending it flying down the terraced walls, its pilot screaming in rage and pain as the armor once again began to melt, and the temperature of the LCL skyrocketed.

The Angel was knocked to the side as the hydrogen particles smashed through its AT-Field almost effortlessly and then smashed into its armored side, transferring massive amounts of kinetic energy into a spot barely larger than an atom.

The Angel screamed, a deafening fingernails on chalkboard sound combined with glass breaking and scratching that could be heard for miles around. Thick, viscous 'blood' sprayed out the back of the Angel as it tried to righten itself. Crystalline planes spun in impossible arcs, the Angel's body shifting into new patterns faster than the eye could track.

Dr. Akagi shouted over the din inside the command van. "It's not dead! Unit-01, get back to the firing position!"

They could only hear the screams of the pilot over the comms. Shinji, inside his plug, wasn't even aware that he was screaming. He, with a thought, returned motive power to the massive body of his Evangelion and began to right himself. Unit-01 shuddered as it tried to sit up. Smoke poured off metal and flesh as it heaved the weapon up.

Gendo watched the halting movements of Unit-01 inside the otherwise empty main command and control room in NERV Central. He cut the audio feed from the Evangelion, unwilling to listen to his son's screaming.

"Unit-00, take the rifle and make the shot. The pilot of Unit-01 is useless right now."

Misato could barely contain her shock. WHAT? He's getting up right now!

"Sir, please let Unit-01 take the shot! He's getting into position. All I'm asking is for you to show some faith in your son!"

Alone in the command deck, with the exception of Kozo, Gendo smiled openly. It was a grim smile, one of cold mirth as he laughed at the world. "But Captain, Faith is all I have in him." He cut the line to the secondary command site and leaned back into his chair.

Kozo lifted an eyebrow. "Is that a wise deceleration to make? Rather out of character for you, don't you think?"

Gendo waved a hand at the screen. "Either it won't matter because we're all dead, or it won't matter because we aren't. Anyone who heard it will forget it in the celebratory debauchery."

Misato, stared at the speaker grill in shock. What did he say?

Huga shouted, drawing her attention back to the battle. "He's back in position! Fuse has been ejected. The second fuse is inserted, and barrel cooling has begun!"

Maya called out from her station, one hand clutching her bleeding scalp, even as she worked. "Power feeds reconnected. Power buildup is in progress, and particle acceleration started! Thirty seconds until fire output!"

Inside the plug, Shinji noted the weapon's onboard firing computers were not responding to his commands. Immediately, he threw the targeting hood back and sighted down the length of the weapon, focusing on the Angel beyond, despite the lack of fixed hard sights.

Breathe. Center the target, and pull the switch. Breathe. Center the target, and pull the switch. Breathe. Center the target, and pull the switch. Don't run away. Breathe. Center the target, pull the switch. Breathe. Center-

As he waited for the ready tone to sound, his eyes widened as a glow began to form along the Angel's side, the spinning crystals halting in their mad dance.

"Twenty-five seconds! OH NO! There's a high-energy reading inside the Angel!" Maya's voice cried out in terror.

Misato screamed in impotent fury. "NOT NOW! NOT AGAIN!"

Light once again bathed the hillside, but even as he flinched inside the plug, he did not feel the heat or fury of the Angel's weapon. Shinji looked up to see Unit-00, holding its shield in front of it, fire and energy spraying off around them. He forced his eyes to the countdown timer. Twenty Seconds.

Hurry... Hurry... He sighted in onto where the Angel would be, past Rei and her shield, now screaming his mantra as he waited.

This is not going well. Rei noted to herself, as she watched the shield as it began to glow in her hands. This is not going well at all. I do not think this shield will last the estimated twenty seconds. She shifted her eyes back to the small display box that showed Unit-01, as it lay behind her in the sniper position, her thoughts running to its pilot. I never did ascertain if he pilots to protect me, even if it is the most likely reason. I do not think he feels a bond to the world, or to his father. It is strange he feels such dislike for the Commander, while I feel such an attachment. I wonder if my replacement will feel the same physical attraction to him that I do. I wonder what she will think of the lab next door. Will they talk about why they pilot? Will they speak of other things? She felt a sudden stab of jealously, however irrational she viewed it, at the thought of the next incarnation of herself enjoying a chat with Ikari.

Will she understand? Will she continue the experiment?

She gasped as the shield came apart in her hands but true to her promise, held herself in front of Unit-01 she began to cry out in pain as the unforgiving thermal beam hit her full-on. It was more intense than she had anticipated.

Shinji's eyes widened as he saw Ayanami's Evangelion stagger back under the same onslaught he had felt. He tore his eyes from her back and pushed his gaze back onto the Angel, feeling his hate and anger shoot through the roof.

Breathe. Center the target, pull the switch. Ayanami. Breathe. Center the target, pull the switch. Ayanami. Breathe. Center the target, pull the switch. Ayanami. Breathe. Center the target, pull the switch. Ayanami. Breathe. Center the target, pull the switch. Ayanami. Breathe. Center the target, pull the switch.

Ayanami.

Unit-00 collapsed, and fire splashed over him.

Ayanami.

He heard the tone and pulled the trigger, his target, the hated Angel, firmly centered.

Rei.

The anions slammed through the Angel once more, and blew out the back, as they had done on the first shot, but now the Angel's core was hit, the kinetic force shattering the glowing red sphere that lay in the center of the blue diamond armor.

The Angel's death scream was no less horrific, and then the blue armor shattered, falling to the ground in a rain of razor-sharp fragments. Shinji watched the target fall apart and then ditched the rifle, flinging the Evangelion to its feet, and bounded over to the fallen Unit-00, still steaming from the onslaught.

He ripped the power cable from the back, and dunked the Eva into the waters of the lake behind the dam, all the while trying to raise Rei on the comm lines.

"Ayanami! Ayanami! Are you OK?"

Ripping the back armor off, he pulled the entry plug from within the body and set it down along the beach. Kneeling, he held Unit-01 in minimum gain mode, ejected his own plug, and rushed down the arm, jumping the last ten feet, staggering off towards the plug. He grabbed the bars of the emergency door release, howling as the plug-suit's hands melted into his skin, and then as his skin began to burn.

Wrenching the door open, finally, he was bathed in a shower of hot LCL. Gasping, he climbed into the plug, stopping once he saw Rei coughing up LCL.

"Ayanami! You're okay! Oh, God, are you hurt?" He began to cry joyfully, as the confused girl looked up at him.

He is here... like the Commander was... his hands... they are hurt too... but he is otherwise unharmed by the Angel. He is crying... why? I am happy to see him, but how is this possible?

He must have pulled the plug from the Evangelion!

"-and don't just say goodbye when you leave for a mission! It's just too sad! It's like you expect to die."

"I...I'm sorry, but I don't know what to do or say at a time like this." I do not believe I have ever witnessed anything that could be compared to this. Maybe a rescue at an accident would have provided sufficient data. What should I do?

Shinji smiled through his tears. "Just... just.. smile. You're all right, we're alive, so... smile."

She blinked at him, and rather tentatively, smiled at him, not the somewhat manic grin she sometimes had when doing her experiments in her lab, but a shy, soft smile, the first one she gave to someone other than the Commander. She felt her heart flutter as she smiled at him. Oh yes.

He held a hand out to her. "Come on, let's get out of here. The medical teams should be on the way, we can meet them."

His hand is burned, but not badly. I do not think it will scar.

She grasped his hand, and they started to walk up the beach, leaving the smoking forms of their Evangelions behind.

Shinji, riding an adrenaline high the likes of which he had never ridden before, turned his head to his companion. "Would you like to go have dinner somewhere? To celebrate, I mean."

She nodded. "It is customary to celebrate after a victory. That would be... nice."

Still holding hands, they made their way towards the ambulances racing towards them.