From: "Lee W. Ginther" Subject: [Eva][FanFc] The Freedom That Comes From being Chained The Freedom That Comes From Being Chained Produced by: Horde O' Hentai Productions: Literature Division Darren Demaine (Chairman of the Horde) Lee (Guy We Rub For Luck) Rob (Breath Weapon Specialist) Craig (Our Man in Japan) Written by: Darren Demaine All rights for Evangelion owned by: Studio Gainax, Director Anno, Viz, AD Vision Warning: Spoilers for up to episode 22. ----------------- Misato frowned up at the Angel on the screen before her. This particular invader was a sphere of sharp edges; a ball of iron spikes and blue steel thorns around the unblinking red eye of an S2 organ. Taller than an Eva, the beast used the jointed thorns that pointed downwards as legs to pierce the earth and ponderously drag itself forward. "Defensive status?" "Unit Zero in position to intercept," Hyuga replied. "Unit-02 in launch shaft ready to sortie as backup. All armament buildings are at first stage alert. Non-combat personnel have been relocated to shelters." Misato turned her head to glance at the upraised command section behind her. "Request permission to deploy Unit-01." "Denied. Freeze on Unit-01 still in effect." Misato sourly noted to herself. Turning back to the screen, she tensely watched the newest Angel drag itself onto the concrete and steel roads of Tokyo-3. The bayonets that made up its limbs drove jagged holes in the streets as it struggled forwards. Behind it was left scenery perforated and torn by its passage. "At least we'll never lose the ability to track it," Misato muttered. "Rei," she continued in a louder voice. "Prepare to intercept." "Understood." Crouching behind a building Unit 00 raised its pallet gun and waited. Inside the entry plug, the only sign of emotion from the young pilot was a slight tightness around her eyes. There was a whoosh picked up from the machine's external mikes as armament buildings cut loose with emplaced weapons. A deafening roar followed as the projectiles impacted on the metallic body of the invader. Explosions blossomed as bright flowers against the cold blue monster and some of the nearby buildings. Patient, Rei waited until the smoke from the explosions had totally concealed the Angel. Then she shoved her controls forward, finger already tightening on the trigger. Unit-00 rolled out from behind its cover and slammed to a halt down on one knee, pallet gun already up and firing before the mecha had finished the roll. Bright yellow streams of tracer fire flowed from the barrel and disappeared into the obstructing grey cloud around the Angel. Sounds of armour piercing explosive warheads impacting upon something could be heard. "Unit-00 confirmed contact!" Makoto said. "Damage to the Angel, unknown!" "Pattern blue detected!" Maya shouted. "Angel is deploying its AT field!" "Alright. Rei, hold position until we get some more information," Misato commanded. "Develop your field and prepare for-" There was a blur on the command screen as a large shape hurtled itself out of the concealing smoke cloud. Displaying a frightening quickness not seen earlier, the Angel's forest of sharp legs seemed to teleport it over to Unit-00's position in a single heart-stopping charge. "Rei!" Misato shouted as more of the Angel's iron thorns drove down toward the blue machine. Uncoiling from its crouch, Unit-00 sprang backwards as the ground it had just vacated broke apart under a hailstorm of metal spears. Landing heavily, Rei jumped backwards again, this time bringing her rifle up and firing a burst as the mecha flew back. Fire blossoming across its face apparently did not hinder the Angel as it once again rapidly closed on Unit- 00, throwing out a series of steel-tipped arms. Unit 00 twisted around in mid-air, losing its gun as a spear ripped through the rifle. "Deploy Unit-02," came the quiet command from Commander Ikari. "Is that wise, commander?" Ritsuko asked. "We haven't had time to exactly figure out how the last Angel affected Asuka." The commander's expression didn't change. "If nothing more, Unit-02 will act as a fine decoy." Unsteadily, Rei landed her big machine. Turning, she hurried back along the path of her mecha's power cable, trying to get some distance. There was another blur and she threw herself behind a building as the creature appeared right there and filled the air she'd just been in with metal limbs. Down the road from the conflict, there was a crash as something heavy slammed up into a building. With the blearing of warning sirens, the front of the building opened up to reveal the red giant of Evangelion Unit-02. "Asuka," Misato ordered. "Deploy your AT field and go to storage building 17. Get the position rifle and snipe at that Angel from long range. Try and get its attention. Rei, pull back. That thing has too many blades for you to try and use your prog knife." Misato's pretty face darkened into a frown as she watched the scene unfolding before her. Close combat was the most effective method shown to defeat Angels, yet this one seemed to be nothing but a vast array of knives, blades, and other sharp instruments. In this case close range fighting would seem be asking for defeat, but there has to be something that could deal with this invader. Her eyes flowing over the command screen again, Misato's frown deepened. "Asuka, didn't you hear me?" Above, on the streets of Tokyo-3, the colossal shape of Unit-02 stood there, silent and unmoving. There was a still moment as the Angel seemed to stare at the newcomer at the other end of the causeway. Its crimson eye facing the red statue, the Angel pulled free what limbs had pierced the building Rei had dove behind sending a shower of concrete and steel to the street below. Not as quick as before but with purpose of mind, the creature closed on Unit-02's location. "Asuka! Wake up!" Anxiously Misato turned to the command staff. "Status of Unit-02!?" Eyes focused, Dr. Akagi was trying to do three things at once; replying to Misato added number four to the list. "Unit-02's synchro rate is 0.3%!" "What?! Asuka! Can you hear me!? Answer me!" A small window opened up on the command screen, and a picture of the young German redhead appeared. Hands gripped the controls tightly but her head was bowed and she seemed to be trembling. A soft mummer rose from her body as she sat there, unmoving and unaware. "Asuka! Asuka! Raise the gain on the microphone," Misato directed that last comment to the command staff. "Hai!" Maya replied, typing away. There was a squeal of feedback for a moment, then a soft mantra repeated itself over the com-net. "It won't move, It won't move, It won't move-" "Asuka!" Misato shouted. "If you don't move you are going to die!" Cursing, she turned to Makoto. "Recover Unit-02 immediately!" "Acknowledged!" With a frantic tapping of keys, the front facade of the building slammed shut over the immobile giant. As that happened, the Angel suddenly displayed its blazing speed again. Faster than anyone expected the creature shot down the street, leaving perforated environment in its wake. With a loud crash the Angel slammed into the building and rammed it off its base, shattering the structure and throwing the red machine inside down to the street. "I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to die-" An iron spike drove through Unit-02's shoulder and pinned it to the street beneath. With a loud groan, the Angel pulled its arm forward and up, dragging the red colossus up and leaving it dangling from the arm like a broken puppet. With great deliberation, a whole forest of bayonets pointed themselves towards the trapped giant. "Eject the entry plug NOW!" Misato screamed. The back of Unit-02's neck blasted off and a white cylinder rode a column of flame out of the machine. Unit-02 jerked spasmatically as every limb and the torso was perforated by dozens of stilettoes. The glaring red S2 organ of the Angel seemed to swivel slightly, almost as if tracking the flight of the white capsule. With a sudden blur, the steel thorns were withdrawn from the red carcass, which fell heavily to the ground in a tangled heap of limbs. Contemptuous of the discarded remains at its feet, the steel beast twisted its body around and started to move off in a new direction. Maya looked down at her screen, watching alphanumerics as they scrolled before her eyes. Suddenly, all the blood left her face. "...oh my god......The Angel has changed course towards Unit-02's entry plug!" "What!?" Misato's eyes widened as she gaped at the screen. Course projections and evaluations superimposed themselves over the map. Clearly the Angel had diverted from its original path towards the centre of the city, and was indeed headed for the estimated landing point for Asuka's entry plug. "Let me go out there!" Misato's head snapped around at the voice. She stared into Shinji's eyes as he looked out from the communications window labelled EVA-01. He didn't see her, his gaze locked at his father impassionedly, hands clenched into fists over locked out controls. "Let me do something!" "Maintain freeze," came an emotionless voice. Misato almost choked on her own rage. The Angels had been showing more unusual behaviour these last few times, and here the Commander was treating a pilot...treating Asuka...as expendable. "Father!" Shinji screamed, looking as if he'd try and tear his way to the ground above by himself. Considering he was in Unit-01 at the moment, Misato was almost ready to give him even odds on that possibility. She had other things to do at this moment however. "All armament buildings, keep firing! Try and distract that Angel! Rescue and recovery teams have top priority!" High above, Unit-00 jumped up from the street and came down heavily on top of a building. Shifting the positron rifle she had acquired into firing position, Rei sighted into the back of the Angel and bared her teeth slightly as she squeezed the trigger. A blinding blue flash highlighted the sky as the bolt flew across the cityscape and slammed into rear of the Angel. Shrugging off the blow like a gentle wind, the creature of sharp angles relentlessly continued towards the small white cylinder, now in a parachute controlled fall. Rei fired twice more, the beams carving ionized streaks through the afternoon sky and leaving the sour tang of ozone in the air. When those also did nothing to divert the Angel's movement, Rei shoved the targeting sight up and behind her head. Without even a moment's pause, she ejected the rifle from its mountings and opened the shoulder weapons pack. Grasping the prog knife in her mecha's hand, she leapt from her vantage point to another building, smashing the roof in. Three more jumps had her just behind the attacker. Crouching low, she sprang from the remains of the missile tower and soared above the Angel. Gravity eventually took hold and Unit-00 fell from the sky as an avenging angel, prog knife held like a blazing sword. From the back of the invader, a series of iron spike-tipped limbs shot out towards her descending machine. Aimed at where Unit-00 had been mere moments pervious, Rei sailed through the assault and drove her knife down. Used to seeing the Angel use its appendages as piercing weapons, she was caught unaware as one limb instead swung around and bludgeoned her machine in the side just before she could strike. The force threw her away and into a nearby building which collapsed under the impact of the blue giant. It was only then that the Angel paused in its advance on the entry plug. Turning, it brought the unblinking eye of its S2 organ around to face Rei as she pulled herself free from the rubble. Darting forward, she drove her knife in towards the red orb. A spear shot out from the mass that surrounded her target and clipped the edge of her knife as she ducked. The blade of the prog knife shattered in her fist as she stumbled back into another building. Shaking her head, she tried to dodge to the right. A steel thorn shot forward and pierced her left palm, cutting through armour, flesh, and the metal of the building behind her. Rei screamed as the sensation flared searing pain throughout her arm. "The freeze on Unit-01 is now lifted," Gendo said in a stiff voice. "Sortie immediately. Rescue the pilots and destroy the Angel." Beside him, Fuyutsuki merely raised an eyebrow. On the streets of Tokyo-3, Rei tugged ineffectively at her trapped arm, whimpering as pain burned through control. With shuddering fingers, she tapped a control. Unit-00's left shoulder weapons pack opened up and the spare prog knife extended into position. There was a blur from the Angel, and another iron bayonet flashed out. An incoherent scream was torn from the young girl's throat as her mecha's right palm was also pinned to the building behind her. Hunched over the controls, Rei could only whimper as her hands involuntarily clenched themselves into claws. With the protesting shriek of metal being torn asunder the Angel slowly turned away, the limbs used to pin the humanoid machine jaggedly breaking off. Resuming its slow, ponderous pace, the Angel continued on towards the discarded entry plug. Behind it, the blue form of Unit- 00 lay crucified to the building. "How's Rei?" Misato asked impatiently, watching the Angel disappear under a fresh barrage of rockets from NERV VTOLs. "We're cutting power to Unit-00's systems," Ritsuko said, hitting a few keys. "There's massive damage to both arms and the machine can no longer be considered combat effective." The major was just turning her way with a scowl as Ritsuko added, "Rei is fine. All life signs returned to normal when the harmonics systems were disconnected." "Well...whatever you do, don't eject the plug." Misato grimly noted as the Angel emerged from the dust of the explosions, none the worse for wear. A quick thrust of an armful of spikes ripped holes in an artillery station, causing the building to fall in on itself and explode. "We don't know what this Angel wants with Unit- 02's entry plug, but the fact that it's ignoring Unit-00 now probably makes that the safest place for Rei." Several streets away from the jointed horror, S2-equipped Evangelion Unit-01 broke free from its moorings and took a step forward. Moving quickly, the purple machine grabbed a bazooka from a storage building and darted after the fallen cylinder. Armoured legs pounding the pavement, Shinji drove his machine forward on a parallel course to the Angel. "Asuka!" he shouted over the radio. "Asuka! Can you hear me?! Asuka!" Through breaks in the buildings, he caught glimpses of the ball of spikes as it moved. Every time he had a clear shot he fired off an explosive rocket, the warheads detonating harmlessly against the grey steel of the creature, not slowing it in the slightest. Maya looked up from her screen, her face pinched and white. "The Angel's going to get to the plug before Shinji can!" "Asuka!" Misato cried. "Damn it!" Shinji shouted. Tossing the empty bazooka away, he slid to a stop in front of a missile tower. "Misato! Arm all missiles in tower H thirty- seven!" "All warheads armed and ready!" Shigeru yelled, hitting a key. The wall board lit up with the words: 'TOWER H-37: WEAPONS HOT'. Unit-01's left hand shot down and speared into the building near the ground floor, the spread fingers punching through the armoured shell. Its right hand crashed through the outer wall as high up as the Eva could reach. "Now release the moorings!" Shinji shouted. With a concussive blast, the base of the tower blew out as its connection to the ground was violently asundered. Groaning, Unit-01 lifted the building, half again as tall as it was, over its head. Below, armoured shutters closed over the spot left vacant by the removal of the structure. Yelling, Shinji took a staggering step towards the Angel and used all the power his Eva possessed to hurtle the building into the air. The weapons structure sailed ungracefully over the streets, starting to get a slow tumble as it reached its target. Ploughing into the Angel, there was a terrible crash as the full weight of the structure rocked the invader, followed an agonizingly long second later by a horrible white light as all the warheads stored in the building exploded in a single instant. The Angel and all nearby buildings vanished into this conflagration as Unit-01 raced towards it. Leaping high, Shinji sailed by the firepit measured in city- blocks, and crashed down ahead of his opponent. Without pause, he was up and running again towards the now landed entry plug. Although it came as no surprise, most of the command room staff still twitched slightly as the Angel appeared from the pit of hellfire, seemingly dazed but in no way injured. Ahead of it, Shinji looked behind his seat to see the mass of iron thorns continuing on towards the prize. "Not now," he muttered. "Not ever." Unit-01 reached the discarded entry plug at a full run. Without stopping, Shinji reached down and scooped up Asuka's capsule in his hand and kept moving. Not pausing, Unit-01 ran out of the city and into the surrounding hills, the Angel still following. "Where's the nearest entry corridor where we can recover Unit-01 and the entry plug?" Misato asked. The screen before them flashed to show a god's-eye-view of the local terrain, all NERV equipment sites and tunnels highlighted. "Angel is between Eva and all possible escape lines!" A whole bunch of red X's appeared over the map. "Damn! Shinji can't fight effectively with Asuka in hand like this." Misato paced for a few steps, then hurried back to the main group. "Prepare to blow subsurface corridors K-3 through N-21. Shinji! We're going to buy you a few seconds of time. When I give the word, get Asuka out of her entry plug and into yours." "Understood." "Is that really a good idea, major?" Ritsuko asked as Maya and the others processed the order. "Synchro contamination could interfere with Shinji's harmonics rate." "What was the last synchro score we got just before Unit-02 went off line?" "0.3%." Misato looked grim. "I don't think there'll be enough interference to worry about. Okay, Shinji...NOW!" With a muted roar, the countryside around Tokyo-3 shivered for a second. Then the roar grew louder and the ground underneath the Angel's carpet of spikes rose up for a second before collapsing in on itself, taking the Angel and tonnes of dirt into a new pit. Dropping behind a hill, Unit-01 crashed down on one knee and raised its fist with the entry plug up to its neck. With a whine of machinery, Shinji's own entry plug popped free of its prison and into the daylight. The top hatch opened, and the boy pulled himself up over the edge. He spent a few precious moments vomiting up LCL from his lungs, watching as similar liquid was being forcefully ejected from Asuka's plug. Shivering from the exertion, he hurried over to the other plug and frantically pulled on the door release. "Asuka! Asuka! Damn it, answer me!" Teeth clenched, Shinji threw his whole weight against the stubborn lever. Through the ringing in his ears, he could hear sounds of immense amounts of earth being shoved aside as something fought angrily for its freedom. "Damn it!" he snarled as he strained aginst the latch. "Why are these things always so hard to get open?!" The reluctant hatch suddenly gave up its defiance and popped open, nearly causing Shinji to slip off Unit-01's shoulder as he staggered. Getting his feet back under him, he ducked into the plug. "Asuka!" She was sitting there, hands still clenched to her controls, head bowed. "Asuka! Come on, we've got to go!" He put his hand on her shoulder and realized she was trembling. That brought him up short for a second, until he heard the sound of something huge break free beyond the hill. Gritting his teeth, he grabbed her and roughly pulled her from the capsule. She was a dead weight against his body as he struggled to get back to his machine. Half dragging, half carrying, he lugged her to the open hatch and tried to shove her in. Getting her body over the lip of the opening was proving to be arduous as she sagged limply against him. Grunting, he shoved once more, then slipped on an armour plate and unceremoniously tumbled them both into the waiting machine. They disappeared into the LCL with a splash and a second later the plug cycled back into Eva-01, the armour closing behind it. Unit-01's eyes powered up and the machine rose to its feet as Shinji tried to figure out where to place Asuka. He wasn't prepared to let her fall to the bottom of the plug, but she wasn't in any condition to hold onto the seat herself. And holding her in his arms was out of the question since he needed both hands to pilot. Suddenly out of patience he grabbed her shoulders and shook her violently. "Asuka! Look at me! Damn it, look at me!" He kept shaking Asuka till her head rolled back, eyes emerging from behind red bangs. Blue orbs, clear as a cloudless sky, and just as empty, stared back at him. "I don't want to die," she whispered brokenly. "I don't want to die, I don't want to die-" Shinji shivered uncontrollably. Seeing the normally arrogant and self-assured girl like this it... hurt. An explosion outside reminded him of the precariousness of their situation, however. Taking a shuddering breath, he draped her face down over his lap and grasped the controls, pulling Unit-01 into a battle stance. On the screen in front, he watched the sharp ball crest the ridge. "Shinji," Misato called over the com-net. "Try and keep moving. Ritsuko's working on some ideas, but we need more time. Don't close, keep as much cover between you and-" Without warning, the Angel leapt from the ridge and hurtled through the air towards Unit-01. Steel lances shot out at them as Shinji threw his machine into a frantic dodge. The spikes ripped into the earth around Unit-01's feet, and a second later the bulk of the Angel crashed down as well. The purple Evangelion barely rolled out from under the killing forest of blades. He whirled to his feet and caught one sharp appendage in his hands as it tried to ram through his machine's ribs. The other limb caught him unaware. A solid slug was delivered to Unit-01's side and smashed the machine into the air. The long, ungraceful flight ended with the purple machine smashing into a hillside. Shinji's chest screamed in agony as he struggled to keep a hold of Asuka and prevent her from slamming into the plug's walls. A voice rang through his ears and it took him a second to work through the cotton in his head to realize it was Misato screaming at him. Groggily he looked up to see the Angel suddenly appear over his position. He'd just recovered his feet as the invader batted his Eva aside with contemptuous ease once more. Unit-01 slammed into an outcropping, the force of the blow throwing Shinji's head back against his seat. He heard a cracking noise as his head hit, immediately followed by a white hot poker of pain flaring behind his eyes. Someone might have been screaming at him, but all he could focus on was the pain. Then another blow caused a great swirling black void to rise up and blessedly relive him from the pain behind his eyes. * * * "Shinji!! Shinji!! Oh my God! Shinji! Can you hear me?! Shinji...answer...me...." The voice was known. She knew who was talking, but didn't place name or face to the sound. Familiar and warm, the voice promised.....something.....something she couldn't remember, something that tugged at her mind. But it whatever it was, it wasn't enough, it wasn't what she needed. It could never be enough. No one could ever offer what she needed. No one would ever offer it to her. Slowly, the intrusive voice faded from her consciousness, becoming just another thing that tried to intrude on her private hell. "I don't want to die...I don't want to die...I don't want to die..." She wasn't any good anymore. She wasn't capable of anything. Her world had collapsed. Everything she'd told herself had been a lie, and now she was forced to face reality. The truth that she'd keep away for so long had returned and you couldn't fight truth. "I don't want to die...I don't want to die...I don't want to die..." The truth had torn her apart, ripping her open and let other see what she really was. A failure. It was suppose to set you free, the truth was. But in her case, lies were all she had to present to the world. Lies were her armour against other people. "I don't want to die...I don't want to die...I don't want to die..." No, lies weren't her armour against other people, they were the bridge she'd used to reach out to them. They had given people reason to approach someone like her. People had liked those lies she'd presented, those deceptions she'd hid behind. If they'd known the truth, they'd have turned away in loathing. And it had happened; now that she could no longer hide behind those lies, everything that had made her worthwhile had been violently ripped away. "I don't want to die...I don't want to die...I don't want to die..." She was useless, broken, a burden to those around her. She couldn't do anything anymore. She'd hidden that fact, before, under a web of lies and deceptions. Everything she'd done had been a mockery of deceit to make others accept her. And now she could no longer rely on that. "I don't want to die...I don't want to die...I don't want to die..." She was worthless. She was better off dead. "I don't want to die...I don't want to die...I don't want to die..." *.....why?....* "I don't want to die...I don't want to die...I don't want to die..." No one would miss her. No one cared about her. She should just surrender and let the darkness hide her dirty soul. It would be better for everyone. But she didn't want to die. *.....why?....* Oh god...she didn't want to die. *.....why?....* She didn't want to fade away. She didn't want to disappear. *.....why?....* She knew she was worthless, knew she was insignificant. It was selfish of her to want anything from others, but she couldn't help it. *.....no one is worthless....* But she was worthless, she was! Soiled. Tainted. Even her own mother had turned away from her. *.....mother?....* She was bad. Her soul was a dark thing; polluted with her thoughts and actions. She wasn't worthy of anyone. *.....everyone is worthy....* Not her. No one loved her. She couldn't rely on others, only herself. She had to be the best, there was no other way. *.....everyone is worthy....* If she couldn't be the best, no one would put up with her. There was no other reason to have her around. No one could care for her...she didn't even care for herself. *.....someone does.....* Misato had just wanted a pilot. Someone who could fight the war she was waging. Misato had been kind to her while she'd been able to help, but it was just a front. Now that she was useless, she would be sent away, much like her own father had already done with her. *.....she does care.....* She had known what was coming. Knew that she'd be sent away when the others found out she was worthless. Well...it didn't matter to her. She didn't care about Major Katsuragi either. *.....but you do.....* Oh god...more lies. Did they never end? Was her whole being nothing but lies? She really wanted Misato to care about her. She needed someone to care. She'd tried so hard. But there was no way Misato really cared. There was no way. How could anyone care for her? *.....but she does.....* And then there was the Third Child. *.....Shinji?......* Now that he was unbeatable, there was no place for her. *......what about Shinji?....* She hadn't really cared about him. He was....just a diversion. A joke to amuse her, a way to waste time. *.....are you being honest to yourself?....* Oh god...lies, lies, lies.... Hurting him had been wrong. It was just so much easier to hurt him than think for a moment that someone might be different. Easier than deluding herself into thinking someone could care. It just showed that she couldn't deal with people. More proof that she was horrible, unworthy of anyone. *.....you're not horrible......* He didn't like her. He couldn't. No one could. He was just humouring her, playing with the poor, wicked Second Child. When he said that he'd tried to kiss her, he must have secretly been laughing at her. And she deserved it. *.......he....tried to kiss you?.....* She'd kissed him....her first kiss...but it hadn't really meant anything. *....you...kissed him?....* It couldn't. After all, that one moment had to be placed against the number of times they hadn't gotten along. She'd mocked him. Hit him. Belittled him. Called him stupid and accused him of being a pervert. More attempts to drive him away. More proof that he couldn't be concerned for her. *.......................* There was no reason for him to care about her. He hated her. She knew he did. He'd left her behind in the synchro-tests; blown past the mark she'd set. The one thing that had made her worthwhile, given people a reason to like her, and he'd taken that from her. *.....you have much more to offer.....* What did he care if she'd been a little worried when he'd been swallowed by the Sea of Dirac. What she'd felt when upon seeing him for the first time after the Fourteenth Angel didn't mean anything. It wasn't as if he could ever feel anything for her. Her tutoring of him in physics, his help with her Japanese kanji didn't matter. It couldn't. *.....couldn't it?.....* What right did she have to...to worry about someone who wouldn't return the feeling. Couldn't possibly feel for someone as polluted as she was. *....is that what you truly feel?....* He was better off with her out of his life. They all were. *.....is that what is truly in your heart?....* She...she...she was useless; no use to anyone. She was better off dead. But she couldn't make that final, selfless gesture that might have given purpose to her existence. She was too scared. Scared of the loneliness, scared of being empty forever and ever. No one to comfort, no one to take care of her. No one to care...for her...no one...to...care...about... *.....perhaps...perhaps.....* It was selfish of her to wish for anything. What right did someone like her have to ask for anything. *..................* But she just wanted...just wanted...just wanted to say...to say... *...............* The voice...the voice, it was leaving. She could feel it fleeing from her. It had been listening and learned how dirty and soiled she was. It was turning its back on her just like the others, just like what she deserved. Please...please don't leave me...please... *...............* Oh god....she knew it...the presence.... It was gone. It had left, just like the others. Oh god...it had seen how foul and unclean she was and it had left her all alone and she was alone....alone forever and ever, just herself and no one else...just her and her failures and all that she'd never done properly and her rotten soul and the memories of all the people she'd hurt andallthemistakesandohgodohgodmammamammahelpmemamma- A sudden blast of soft warmth and pure white light engulfed her, drowning out her cries as the feeling of presence returned. Along with it came a simple statement of something she'd never thought she could ever hold again... *.....I approve......* * * * "Shinji! Asuka!" Misato screamed hysterically as the Angel raised spiked limbs, then drove a dozen stilettoes at the machine. There were so many and they were so close that there was no way Unit-01 could ever dodge them. So it didn't. One green arm swept up, bent at the elbow. The forearm caught the bottom-most of the incoming spikes and drove them upwards into their companions, steel grating loudly against iron. Still sweeping up the arm diverted the blades to just over Unit-01's head where they sheared off the top of the hill Eva was resting against. Twisting to its feet the purple Evangelion danced out from in front of the Angel. Misato leaned heavily on a console as her knees threatened to give away. That had been just a little too close for her. "Those damn kids'll give me grey hair yet," she breathed. "What was that major?" "Nothing lieutenant. Eva status?" Maya looked down at her board. "Unit structural integrity stable. All systems still on line, core temperature holding. S2 organ within what we guess are its theoretical limits. Harmonics rate stable at..." her voice trailed off. "Synchronization at ninety-three percent!" "What?!" Dr. Akagi's eyes bugged out as she checked her own readings. "My God..." Quickly she turned to her protegee and shouted, "Initiate ego-border stabilization sub-routines, cap the A-10 wave crests, and watch for pulse feedback!" "Is he going up to 400% synchronization again?" A terrified Misato asked. On the screen, Unit-01 dodged another wave of incoming spikes. "I don't think so," Ritsuko replied, typing away frantically. "Harmonics are stable, and there's no sign of-" Maya's eyes suddenly went wide and she turned to face her superiors. "The harmonic pattern isn't Shinji's!" "What?!" "Confirmed!" Makoto yelled. "Pattern configuration is consistent for Asuka!" "Well of course," came a voice over the communications net. A small window opened up on the large screen to show a pair of blazing blue eyes glaring out from under auburn bangs. "Who else do you think could pilot this well?" "Asuka!" Misato yelled happily. Beside her, Ritsuko stared down at the data before her in disbelief. "Impossible! Her wave pattern was never up-loaded into Unit-01! Hell, she never even did a test in it! There's no way she could be piloting it!" "Data shows that error-correction is being made beyond Unit-01's piloting interface nodes!" Shigeru said, highlighting the information before him. "Unit-01 is making the necessary corrections to the piloting program itself!" "She always did like to take in strays," Fuyutsuki noted quietly. The man seated beside him made a noncommittal grunting noise. "Can you all be a little more quiet," Asuka gripped from inside the plug. "It's hard enough piloting like this without listening to all you busy-bodies." She cut the connection just as Misato was about to say something. Snarling, she tried to pull herself up higher in the seat. She wasn't exactly sitting in the seat, more like draped across the comatose Shinji's lap, trying to pilot while slouched sideways over his body and the controls. Damn uncomfortable. With a sudden blur, the Angel made one of its heart- stopping charges and appeared right in front of her. An armful of steel thorns shot out towards her but she ducked and dodged them all, coming up with progressive knife in hand. She shoved the controls forward and Unit- 01 leapt ahead, blade flashing. An iron limb intercepted the knife's path, the vibrating blade piercing the arm but getting caught in the process. A twist of the limb pulled the knife out of Unit-01's fingers as another appendage came around to swat the mecha. Turning into the strike Asuka caught the metal weapon in her hands, the force of the impact causing Unit-01's feet to dig up divots in the soft earth. Keeping hold of the metal limb Unit-01 then turned away from the creature, stepping into the grasped limb as it did so. There was a horrible scream of metal being torn asunder, then the spike-tipped limb broke off in a jagged shower of shrapnel. A forest of bayonets flashed out towards where Unit- 01 would be if it stayed still or tried to dodge. Screaming defiance, Asuka held the broken limb like a lance and moved into the one place the blades weren't present. With all the strength Unit-01 possessed, she jumped forward and rammed the spiked tip of the Angel's severed limb dead into the crimson eye of its S2 organ. There was an explosion of sparks as the weapon bit into the angry red orb. Thousands of sharp limbs flailed wildly as the Angel reached madly for something to tear apart. Feet digging up clumps of earth, Asuka leaned into the strike, putting Unit-01's whole weight behind the thrust. There was a sudden and audible crack as a large fracture shattered through the red sphere. With a groan, the metal limbs of the creature jerked once more before falling lifelessly to the ground and the main bulk of the Angel collapsed hard. Asuka let out a sharp breath. Looking behind her, she checked Shinji and was relieved to see that although unconscious, he was still breathing. Flicking a switch, she responded to the frantic demand from her communications system. "So," she asked the command staff, a smirk on her face. "Anything interesting happen while I was out?" * * * "Ninety-three percent. Nine-ty-three! Aren't you just sssooooo jealous?" Shinji groaned. His bandaged head hurt and the taunting he was having to deal with wasn't helping. All throughout dinner Asuka had made it a point of pride to torture him. While he was glad she was back to normal, in future he'd be a little more careful about what he wished for. "Well, I got to four hundred once," he whined. "Yeah, but the way I hear it they had to suck you out of your entry plug with a straw. I got ninety-three in your Eva. Ninety-three in yours. Just imagine what I can do in mine when they fix it." Shinji got up from the table. "I'm going to bed," he informed the two women. He would have fled earlier but someone, loud and red-headed he suspected, had stolen the batteries from his SDAT. His shameful retreat from the battlefield brought no solace as Asuka followed him to his room, happily nattering at his back. Reaching his door he turned to face her, his throbbing head making him snappish. "Are you finished? Or were you planning to follow me into my room?" "In your dreams," she told him. "My room's across from your's, remember?" She turned away from him and he sighed in relief. Maybe now he could get some peace and quiet. Suddenly she spun back to face him. Hands held coyly behind her back, she lunged forward. Caught by surprise he jerked back, cracking his head painfully against the sliding door. Shoving her face in his, she not quite, but almost touched him as her nose traced just beside his cheek. "Still," she breathed into his ear. "If you're good I might sing you a lullaby to those dreams some time." Eyes wide, Shinji gaped stupidly as Asuka skipped away, grinning. She spun around on her toes and disappeared into her room to leave him there in the hall, stunned. The pounding of his head was forgotten as the smell of her hair and shampoo tickled in his nostrils. A long moment later he finally swallowed against a very dry throat. "Oh man...I really must have hit my head too hard." * * * Once in her room, Asuka's chipper attitude fell from her like a cloak. A truly soul-weary exhaustion set in as she staggered towards the bed. Reaching it, she flopped unceremoniously onto the covers. For a moment she fought with her clothes, then decided it wasn't worth the effort to take them off. Worming her way under the sheets took up most of her remaining energy. She sighed as the warmth settled upon her, comforting and tranquil. This feeling brought forth a stray memory from her time in Unit-01, the last few moments when she'd felt so accepted and appreciated. The thought worked its way up to her conscious mind, then she tumbled over the edge into sleep. *.....take good care of him for me.....* -end- -------------------- Author's Notes: This whole fic came about from wondering what Shinji's mom would think about his choice of girlfriends. I think she'd approve. And as some feel the need to ask authors as to which girl, Rei or Asuka, they like better, I find solace in a Kuno-ism: "I would have you both!" ^_^ Mail: ddemaine@ualberta.ca archive: www.worldgate.com/~greywolf Darren Demaine Chairman of the Horde Horde O' Hentai Productions^Z Greywolf@worldgate.ca http://www.worldgate.ca/~greywolf