Requiem 3

From: akaroth <akaroth@geocities.com>

To: yu217708@yorku.ca <yu217708@yorku.ca>

Subject: [Eva Fanfic] Requiem Three

Date: 10/23/98 8:11:00 PM

REQUIEM

Author's Note:  This is another re-interpretation of NGE.

It will, admittedly, begin in pretty much the exact same

way as the actual series; expect that to change quite a

bit as time goes on.  That's about it..

The entire series thus far can be found at

www.geocities.com/area51/dimension/4212/eva/

THREE / HEDGEHOG'S DILEMMA

        The first time Shinji climbed into a plug suit, he hated the

way it felt.  It was a large, unusual piece of clothing that expelled

the air within it when a small button on the wrist was depressed.

This allowed the suit to conform to the body of the wearer.  It felt

cloying and restrictive and manipulative.  He hated it.

        Now, as Shinji climbed into the entry plug for what felt like

the thousandth time, it no longer seemed that way to him.  It was

still a burden, but no more so than his natural layer of skin.  It

felt natural for him to wear it, acceptable.

        But he still hated it.

        "Good morning, Shinji!" Ritsuko greeted him warmly through the

speakers of the entry plug.  Shinji sat dejectedly in the seat, not

looking up or in any other way reacting.  "How are you?"

        Shinji spoke in a voice that he did not recognize as his own.

"I'm fine.  I'm used to it, now."  He swallowed nervously.

        "Well, that's good," Ritsuko replied.  "Ah, appearance

positions, emergency power sources.. locations of weapon depots and

recovery spots - have you memorized them all?"

        Shinji went over each item in his mind, straining to visualize

the information correctly.  "I think so, yes," he replied.

        "Well, then," Ritsuko said, "Shall we continue with the

simulation?"

        "I guess so," Shinji said quietly.  He didn't much want to use

the simulator again - he didn't much want to pilot Eva again.  But he

had no choice.

        Suddenly the display monitor in front of Shinji flared into

action.  It portrayed an image of Tokyo-3 in bright daylight, the

buildings retracted and the city in a state of emergency.  The

piercing sound of evacuation warnings was barely discernible in the

distance, but hinted at the terrible conflict to come.

        When the Angel appeared, it did not creep forth from the

horizon but flew upwards from the ground, suddenly and unexpectedly

arriving in Shinji's view.  It was, cosmetically, virtually identical

to the Third Angel, or was at least as close a computer simulation

NERV could manage.  Shinji had become desensitized to the vision of

this dread enemy by now.

        Instantaneously, Shinji aimed his Eva's weapon at the monster

and pulled the trigger.  The powerful gun fired a large volley at the

creature, the force of the recoil surprising Shinji and throwing his

aim off.  The weapon's fire sailed harmlessly over the Angel's head.

        "Don't be so impatient, Shinji," Ritsuko chided.  "Wait until

the onboard computer has a lock on the target before firing.  Wait

until the Evangelion declares a target.  Then aim the at the target

and pull the trigger."

        "Aim at the target and pull the trigger," Shinji repeated

monotonously.  He stared fixedly at the two target indicators that

moved into the center of the display, ultimately converging on top

of the Angel, overlapping and locking.

        Shinji grit his teeth and squeezed the trigger.  The huge

piece of weaponry once again released an incredible spread of bullets

- but this time Shinji's aim was true and the projectiles sank into

the unreal monster's flesh, flinging it backwards and leaving it

collapsed and motionless on the ground.

        "Well done!" Ritsuko said, but even as she said those words

another mock Angel rose from the retracted city, silent, unmoving but

somehow deadly.

        Shinji was tempted to fire upon the it the instant it came

into view, but restrained himself, remembering Ritsuko's words.  The

computer locked, and Shinji aimed carefully before firing.  The Angel

was defeated, but another instantly rose to take its place.

        "Aim," Shinji reminded himself.  Again the Angel fell, and

again another viscous apparition was summoned.  Again.  Again.  Again.

Again.  Again.  Again.  Again.  Again.

        "Aim the target in the center.. wait.. pull the trigger,"

Shinji repeated to himself, over and over, like a benediction.

        Again.  Again.  Again.  Again.

        Maya Ibuki watched, fascinated, through the glass of the

observation chamber at the Eva down below.  To her, it appeared to

be standing in a blank room, a fake weapon in its hands, firing it and

behaving as if it was real.  A series of thick, black, cables ran from

the chamber into the Evangelion's frame, transmitting the elaborate

signals that made up the simulation.

        "I'm amazed," Maya said, her short brown hair touching the

glass, her brown eyes gazing beyond her own reflection.  "How can he

cope?  He's so young."

        Ritsuko sighed.  "I'm afraid that all he does is whatever

others tell him to do," she said.  "That's how he survives - not

questioning his orders, not listening to his feelings."  She stared,

plaintively, into the glass.  "We're killing him, you know.  Eva

destroys those who pilot it."

        The Eva fired its empty, useless weapon into space.

        Misato lay, prostrate, in her room, tucked deep within her

covers.  She felt herself on the edge of sleep, teetering on the verge

of darkness and peace.  She sighed relaxedly, allowing the feelings

of comfort and silence to overwhelm her.

        Suddenly, her world of silence was shattered by a harsh,

discordant banging at her door.  In actuality, the sound was more

similar to Shinji's meek, quiet knock, but it had the same effect

upon her sleep-deprived mind.

        "What is it?" she screamed, thrusting her head out from

beneath the covers.  She saw nobody around.  "What?!"

        The door of Misato's room slid open a minute amount, allowing

Shinji to peer past it and into the room.  "Er.. it's morning, Miss

Misato."

        "I don't care," Misato moaned, placing her pillow over her

head.  "I worked the late shift last night and I only got in a few

hours ago.  I don't have to be back again until this evening.  Please,

let me sleep!"

        Shinji nodded and closed the door.  Misato sank back into her

lazy refrain, withdrawing deeply and solemnly beneath her sheets.  The

next thing she knew, she had been awoken by the incessant ringing of

her phone, and the clock had been set about five hours ahead.  Or

perhaps five hours had actually passed, though she was still tired as

hell!  Sighing, she reached over and grabbed the receiver, knowing she

couldn't afford to miss an important call.

        "Yes?  Hello?" Misato murmured.

        "Misato?" Ritsuko replied, on the other end of the phone.

        "Oh, it's you, Ritsuko," Misato said, yawning.

        "How've you been?"  Ritsuko asked, a note of concern in her

voice.  "Are you getting along with him?"

        "Him?  Oh, Shinji," Misato tried to clear her sleep-addled

mind by rubbing her eyes.  Actually, just talking on the phone was

helping her to regain consciousness.  She stood up, supposing she

should be waking up around now anyway.  "Well, he's been at school

for a few days now, but I don't think he's getting used to it."  She

pulled on a robe and she spoke, crossing the room and opening the

door.  She walked into the kitchen, still holding the portable phone

against her ear.  There she stopped.  "Oh, no.."

        "What is it?"

        "Oh," Misato sighed.  "Nothing, really.  It's just that Shinji

left the phone I gave him here," she said, staring at the black,

unused portable phone lying on the kitchen counter.  "I guess he just

doesn't use it.  I'm not sure, but I think he has no friends."

        "Hmm.." Ritsuko pondered, considering the situation.  "I can

believe that.  Shinji doesn't seem like the type who'd make friends

easily.  Have you ever heard the story of the hedgehog's dilemma?"

        "Hedgehogs?" Misato asked. "The thorny ones?"

        "Yes.  If a hedgehog wants to give his warmth to other

hedgehogs, the closer he approaches, the more they injure each other.

It's the same with some types of people.  The pain he feels makes it

difficult for him to enter any relationship where he might be

rejected."

        Misato nodded.  "In time, as he grows up, he'll learn to

handle others' feelings more carefully.  This will be the most

difficult part."

        Ritsuko was quiet a second before she spoke again.  "Misato,

these children aren't going to grow up.  They probably aren't going

to live longer than another year."

        Misato's body went rigid.  Her mind went blank.  She had

known that, of course - but, now, after taking Shinji under her wing,

it hurt to be reminded of it.  A lot.

        "Don't ever tell me that again, Ritsuko," Misato whispered.

        Shinji stood upon the sidewalk, staring upwards at the large

building that was his destination.  The school was well-constructed,

and brightly lit by the sun, but it was an object of mortal terror to

Shinji.  Still, he supposed, it was better than being inside Eva.

Sighing, he faced forwards and advanced up the path into the large

structure.

        There were not nearly as many students in this school as there

has been in Shinji's last.  As Shinji walked through the halls, he

would occasionally pass classrooms that were entirely unused, the

population insufficient to fill them.  This was due to people fleeing

the city, a trend began ever since the attack of the Third Angel.  No

amount of cover-up initiated by NERV could prevent knowledge of the

monstrous invader from becoming public.  Why, there were even rumors

that the second impact had not, in fact, been caused by a meteorite at

all..

        Just then, Shinji was suddenly jostled by a student as they

passed each other.  The larger child, traveling with two other

friends, laughed as Shinji fell to the ground, reeling from the

purposeful blow.  Shinji grit his teeth and ignored them.  He was used

to this kind of behavior.

        When Shinji arrived at his classroom, the lesson had not yet

started.  The students within were undisciplined and rowdy, screaming

and shouting and fighting.  One boy was making planelike noises and

moving a model airplane through the room - an event being videotaped

by another boy with glasses.  There was no sign of the teacher.

        Shinji sat down in the desk he had occupied yesterday.  On top

of every desk, there was a small, red computer used primarily for

schoolwork.  However, they could also be used for communications, and

students often used them to carry out extended conversations in the

middle of class.

        Shinji placed his chin on his hands, staring around the

classroom  Out of the corner of his eye he could see Rei - Rei

Ayanami was her full name.  She was like him, sitting alone, without

friends.  She still bore the bandages that marked her as wounded, but

seemed to be in better shape, staring vacantly out the window her desk

resided by.

        Shinji wondered if he should talk to her.  He wondered if she

would want to talk to him.  Shinji turned his head to the side,

scanning the classroom, wondering where the teacher was.  Suddenly,

the boy with the videocamera was stopped by an imperious-looking girl,

demanding something or other.  Shinji listened to their conversation,

unconsciously at first.

        "Kensuke!" the girl screamed, trying to attract his attention.

        The boy with the videocamera - Kensuke - reluctantly put it

down.  "Yes, class rep?" he responded, grudgingly.

       "Did you deliver Suzuhara's homework, as I asked?"

        "Uh, well," Kensuke faltered, "There didn't appear to be

anyone at Touji's house."

        The class rep was indignant.  "Then why didn't you just drop

it off?  I-" she halted abruptly, seeing Kensuke lower his gaze, and

she seemed to realize something.  "Kensuke," she began again, more

softly, "I thought you were Suzuhara's best friend!  Why don't you

want to see him?"

        "I-I.." Kensuke stammered.  "I'm not sure, but he could be

badly hurt."

        The girl's eyes widened.  "But they said that no one was hurt

in the giant robot incident!"

        Shinji looked up.  Giant robot incident.. they were talking

about Eva!

        "Impossible!" Kensuke maintained.  "You saw the explosion,

didn't you?  The units of not only Iruma and Komatsu, but of Misawa

and Kyushu were mobilized.  I'm sure there were at least ten or

twenty people injured, and at least one casualty-"

        Shinji turned away.  He had never even considered that people

might have been hurt in the conflict!  The buildings his Eva had

callously destroyed - what if there had still been people in any of

them?  And the explosion - how much of Tokyo-3 had been damaged by

that?  Had it hit any evacuation shelters?  Oh, Christ.. had it?

        "Touji!" Kensuke suddenly cried.  A tall, well-built student

with short black hair stood in the doorway.

        "Suzuhara!" the class representative shouted.

        "Where's everybody gone?" Touji Suzuhara said.  "There's been

a drop in attendance since I've been away."  He strode into the

classroom and sat on a desk beside Kensuke.

        "Can you blame them?" Kensuke asked.  "There was a real war in

this city!  I'm surprised the whole district hasn't evacuated."

        "Hm.." Touji mused, staring out a window.  "I would have

thought you'd be pleased to see a real war."

        "Well, I am, sort of.  How've you been, though?  You've been

absent for a while.  Were you involved in the incident?"

        "Not personally," Touji said, and his voice dropped audibly

in tone.  Only Kensuke was close enough to make out what he was

saying.  "It was.. it was my younger sister.  She was buried under a

pile of rubble during the incident.  She's alive, but she's been in

the hospital ever since." Touji swallowed and looked at the floor.

        "That's terrible," Kensuke murmured.

        "I'm the only one she has," Suzuhara said.  "My father can't

desert his post now that this has begun.  If I didn't stay with her,

she would've been all alone."  His voice grew darker, furious.  "I

found out it was the goddamn pilot of the robot that knocked down the

building.  He totaled an entire section of the city.  Our own

defender killed over twenty and injured over forty."

        Kensuke drew in a breath.  "That many?"

        "The pilot must have been drunk," Touji sneered.  "How the

hell did he ever get chosen?"

        "Mmm.." Kensuke said.  "That reminds me.  Have you heard about

the new transfer student?"

        "Transfer student?" Touji asked.

        "Yeah," Kensuke replied.  With a flick of his wrist he

indicated Shinji, his head on his desk and enfolded in his arms.

"That's him there.  He transferred here while you were gone.  He came

here just after the incident!  Understandable that people are leaving,

but why would he want to come here _after_ the battle?  Don't you find

that strange?"

        Touji was about to reply, but then the teacher finally

entered.

        "All rise!" the class rep shouted.

        The lesson passed slowly for Shinji.  He listened attentively

to the teacher's explanations, but the man was long-winded and seemed

completely oblivious to whatever else was going on in the class.  All

around Shinji, students were laughing and giggling and holding

detailed conversations through their desktop computers.  The sole

exception was Rei, who didn't seem to be paying attention to anything

but the view outside her window.

        "That was when the hardest trials of the human race began,"

the teacher noted, sketching out a vague timeline on the board.  "In

the last year of the twentieth century, a meteorite from outer space

collided with the Antarctic continent.  It melted the polar ice caps,

causing terrible consequences that altered the state of the planet

earth.  The water level in the oceans rose, burying part of the world

beneath them.  The earth's axis fluctuated, causing abnormal weather

patterns throughout the world.  Fifteen years later, the human race

is still in danger of extinction.  The massive amounts of currency

spent by governments worldwide to repair the damage has been

responsible for economic instability and even anarchy in smaller

countries where millions go starving."

        Some of the things the teacher said sounded vaguely important,

and Shinji tried to pick up on them.  However, just then his computer

displayed a small symbol in the upper right hand corner Shinji knew

indicated an incoming message.  Shinji stopped listening to the

lesson and moved trembling fingers to acknowledge the message.  Who

wanted to speak to him, and why?

        A moment later the computer posed him a question.

        IS IT TRUE YOU'RE THE PILOT OF THE ROBOT?

        Shinji's eyes widened.  How did they know?  How _could_ they

know?  His gaze darted around the room, trying to find possible

senders of the communique, but the only responses he received were

girls giggling and pointing.  He turned back to the screen, blushing.

Were they trying to embarrass him?  Because he'd come in so recently,

and after the conflict - they'd tease him for that.  They couldn't

possibly suspect a child would be responsible for such a task!  No,

they were trying to humiliate him.. that was all anyone ever wanted.

        But they won't this time, Shinji thought, almost smiling.

        YES, he typed.

        Immediately several students in the class stood up, shouting

something in amazement.  The class began to completely ignore the

teacher, talking, arguing amongst themselves.

        "I told you!" one student screamed.  "My father told me they

get kids to pilot those things!"

        The only student unaffected by the response was Rei, who sat,

as before, with her chin propped up on one had, staring out the

window.

        "Settle down, please!" The teacher raised his voice,

attempting to remind the unruly students of his authority. "Please,

be quiet!  I don't know what's gotten into you, but we have a

lesson to complete!"

        The students obliged, whispering and giggling and staring at

Shinji.  Somehow Shinji felt even more humiliated now.  Looking back

at his computer screen, he saw he now had five or six messages, with

more appearing quickly.

        HOW WERE YOU SELECTED?

        I'M NOT SURE, Shinji replied.  THEY ONLY USE CHILDREN

THOUGH.. I THINK.

        WERE YOU PUT THROUGH ANY TESTS?

        NOT BEFORE THE FIGHT, BUT I TRAIN NOW.

        WHAT'S THE COCKPIT LIKE?

        I THINK IT'S TOP SECRET.  IT'S SMALL THOUGH.

        WERE YOU FRIGHTENED?

        YES.

        There were many, many messages, but Shinji responded to them

all.  It was the first time he had ever had people in the school want

to talk to him - and he was enjoying it.

        WHAT'S THE ROBOT CALLED?

        I THINK IT'S CALLED EVA, BUT THAT STANDS FOR SOMETHING LONGER.

THEY ALSO SOMETIMES CALL IT UNIT ONE.

        WHAT'S IT'S DEADLIEST ATTACK?

        I THINK IT'S THE KNIFE.. IT VIBRATES AND CAUSES AN ULTRASONIC

WAVE.  IT'S CALLED A PROGRESSIVE KNIFE.

        INCREDIBLE.

        YOU'RE THE PRIDE OF OUR SCHOOL, YOU KNOW THAT?

        Shinji sat back and blushed again.  They must not know about

Rei, then, he thought.  Maybe he shouldn't have told them.  Maybe he

wasn't supposed to.

        But he didn't care.  The feeling he possessed right now was

one of the greatest feelings he had _ever_ possessed.  He was liked;

popular.  He had to suffer in the Eva, so there had to be some reward,

some payback.  And this was it.  He actually felt happy.

        He was about to look it another message when a loud, piercing

noise signaled the end of the class.  The students immediately leaped

forward from their seats, talking, laughing and oblivious to the class

rep, who was screaming at them to wait for the teacher's dismissal.

        "Where do you live, Shinji?" A girl asked him.

        "Do you live in the old section of town?" another specified.

        "Umm.." Shinji said, rising from his seat.  "I live with the

Operations Captain.  I'm not sure what section it's in.  I haven't

been around much."  He carefully departed, surrounded by a throng

of students all asking him questions.

        At the back of the class, Touji Suzuhara stared at the

withdrawing figure, hatred in his eyes.

        Shinji quickly became frustrated with the constant questions,

and when lunchtime came around he only wanted to be alone.  He felt

liked, popular, but also pestered and violated.  He stole through

the empty halls of the school, looking for a quiet spot to eat and

think.

        As he rounded one corner, he noticed two students stepping

from behind another corner to follow him.  Shinji carried on more

hurriedly, but it seemed like they were keeping pace to match with

him.  Or was it just his imagination?  There was a door leading

outside, and Shinji made for it.  He fumbled with the handle for a

few seconds before realizing it was locked.

        Shinji turned around and went back the way he came, but the

two were already there.  The larger one caught Shinji's shoulder,

and then, without warning or provocation, punched Shinji on the face.

        Shinji collapsed on the ground, terrified and a agony.  Tears

were escaping from his eyes, which he wiped with the back of his hand.

        Touji Suzuhara looked, satisfied, at the child lying on the

floor.  "Sorry, transferee, but I had to hit you.  I owed you one."

He said, smirking.

        Kensuke Aida stepped beside him, staring at Shinji as he rose

to his feet.  "Sorry but his younger sister was crippled by your

robot.  That's how life is, I guess.  You hurt someone, you eventually

end up getting hurt back."

        Shinji choked, unable to believe what they were saying.  If

they knew.. if they had any idea.. he stood, facing the boy who had

hit him.

        "I didn't want to pilot the damn thing!" Shinji screamed.

        Kensuke opened his mouth to say something, but Suzuhara

instantly thrust his arm forward and hit Shinji once more.  Shinji

fell back, sprawling against the wall.  Touji walked away, not looking

at the crumpled form again.  Kensuke took a final, uncertain look at

Shinji, then followed his friend.

        Shinji clutched his jaw, shivering and agonizing.  He couldn't

believe it.  There was no escape, was there?  He was meant to suffer.

Shinji Ikari, the boy God took out his frustrations on.  He was

bleeding from a cut on his lip, so with unsteady movement he got up

and moved towards the bathroom.

        Inside, he sat down and wept.

        Shinji didn't go to any of his other classes that day.

Instead, he remained in the small room, slumped against the wall,

only once moving to wash a small amount of blood off his face.  In one

sense, this felt worse than piloting Eva.  These were the very people

he had suffered to protect.  He had been pushed to the brink of death

- he had been pushed further than he had ever imagined he could be

pushed.  And for what?  There was still a bit of blood on Shinji's

mouth.

        It was near the end of the day, or so Shinji figured when

he heard a harsh, blaring siren that sounded not at all similar to

the ordinary school bell.  Shinji had never heard the sound before,

but he instantly knew what it was.  An evacuation siren.

        Another Angel, he thought, burying his head in his hands.

Already.

        He wondered what would happen if he didn't rise, if he just

stayed there.  They'd probably send someone to look for him, he

thought.  Or maybe they wouldn't.  Maybe they'd just make Rei fight

the Angel.

        Would Rei do it?  He couldn't do it, if he was Rei.  But she

didn't even seem like a human being, the way she was treated - the way

she acted.  She almost seemed as if she had been brainwashed.

        Suddenly Shinji thought of himself after about a month of

this, and wondered if he would be the same.  He could already feel

himself breaking.  Would he still be an individual at all?  He was

crying again, but he was angry, angry at Rei, but more angry at

whatever had done this to her.  What was doing this to him.

        Finally, after maybe ten minutes since the siren had started,

he got up and left the bathroom.  He couldn't let Rei suffer - and he

couldn't let her die fighting that Angel.  If the Angel won, Tokyo-3

would be destroyed, surely.  A voice at the back of Shinji's mind

told him he wasn't in any better condition to fight the Angel than

Rei, but he didn't care.  As long as he was the first to die.

        He stood in the hallway outside for only a second before he

heard the voice of an older man calling his name.

        "Shinji Ikari?" The tone was questioning, uncertain.

        Startled, Shinji spun around.

        "Shinji Ikari?" The speaker was an adult, but not that old.

Late twenties, perhaps.  He wore a suit and sported a day's growth of

beard and a perpetual smile.  "You _are_ Shinji Ikari, aren't you?"

        "Uh.." Shinji paused a moment.  Was this man from NERV?  "Yes,

I'm Shinji Ikari."  Hurriedly, he wiped his eyes.

        "I've been looking all over for you!"  the man said.  Suddenly

he stopped and stared at Shinji.  "Did someone hit you?" he asked.

        Shinji turned away.  "Um.. well.." he didn't know what to say.

"Yes," he finally whimpered.

        The man stooped to examine Shinji's face.  "Looks pretty bad,"

he said, gravely.  "You should put something cold on that.  I'll get

you something before we leave."

        "Leave?" Shinji said, jerking his head around.  "Where are we

going?  Who are you?"

        "I'm sorry," the man said, standing.  "I should have

introduced myself."  He offered his hand to Shinji.  "The name's

Ryougi Kaji, but my friends usually just call me Kaji.  I work for

NERV, as you probably guessed."

        Shinji took the hand somewhat miserably, though Kaji smiled

at him.  "Then there's another Angel," he stated.

        "Well, yes," Kaji said, nodding grimly.  He stared with

concern at Shinji for a second.  The young boy before him was

frightened and in pain.  "If you're not up to it, Shinji, you don't

have to do it.  You can just back away."

        "No, I won't!" Shinji screamed.  "If I do, the people here

will be slaughtered by that thing!"  He started shaking, and stared at

the ground.  "I'm the only one who can do it," he whispered.

        Kaji drew a deep breath.  He stooped down beside Shinji.  "I

don't know what it's like to pilot Unit-01.  I can't pretend to know.

But it must be terrible." He put his hand on Shinji's shoulder,

reassuringly.  "If you're determined to do this, Shinji.. have you

ever had a beer before?"

        "What?" Shinji asked, looking at Kaji with surprise.

        "A beer.  Have you ever had one?"

        "Well, uh.. no," Shinji said, confused.

        "Look.  After this is over, once you've defeated the Angel -

I'll take you somewhere, just the two of us, and buy you a beer."

        Shinji stared, shocked, for a second.. then smiled.  He hadn't

meant to, but he couldn't help it.  "I - I guess so," he said.

        Kaji grinned.  "I find that no matter what your problem, it

can be mended - at least temporarily - with a drink or two."  The

siren was still blaring - it seemed strange to Shinji that they were

both standing here, oblivious to the entire crisis, when Kaji had been

sent to fetch him!

        "Ah.. shouldn't we be going?" he asked meekly.  He didn't want

to go - in fact, he quite liked Kaji - but he had no choice, and was

feeling a bit more confident now anyways.

        "Ahm, I guess so," Kaji said, rising and stretching relaxedly.

"But only," he said, casting a stern eye on Shinji, "If you're feeling

up to it."

        "I'm feeling better," Shinji replied.  He stood beside Kaji,

the siren's wounded cry reburvirating through his head.

        "Well, let's go then!" Kaji said, and led Shinji out of the

school and then to the front of it.  He walked beside Shinji, careful

not to fall ahead or behind.  Shinji was amazed.  He hadn't imagined

he'd ever meet a NERV employee like Kaji.  Even Misato.. Misato was

too messy.  And too loud.

        "Where's.. where's Ayanami?" Shinji asked, looking up at Kaji.

        "She's gone on ahead," Kaji replied.  He gestured to a car

parked in the school's driveway.  "You'll be taking that car to NERV,"

he said.

        "You're not coming?" Shinji asked, surprised and slightly

betrayed.

        "No, I'm sorry," Kaji said, stroking his chin absently.  "I'm

supposed to stay behind and make sure the evacuation is complete.

Good bye, Shinji," he said, taking the young boy's hand a final time.

"And don't forget about that beer!"

        Shinji shook the hand uneasily, but found it in him to smile.

"Thank you," he said quietly.

        Kaji looked surprised.  "Why, you're welcome!" he said, and

waved a final time at Shinji as he walked away.  Feeling much better

about himself, Shinji climbed into the car and shut the door.  The

driver automatically began his journey towards the underground complex

of NERV headquarters.

        The Fourth Angel varied greatly in appearance from the black,

humanoid Third.  How it had arrived in Tokyo-3 was general uncertain;

the assumption was that it had traveled through the atmosphere like

the Third.  However, it bore no legs, nor any arms.  It was largely

red, blood-red; not pitch black as the Third.

        Subcommander Fuyutsuki stared at the viewscreen in the UN

headquarters, contemplating.  NERV was now in command of the military

operations - but Commander Ikari was absent, preoccupied with other

business.  A terrible coincidence that the Fourth Angel should arrive

on this day.  It was also surprising that the Fourth Angel had

arrived so soon after the defeat of the Third.  If they had to

intercept Angels at this rate, they needed Units Two and Three, and

they needed them quickly.

        "Status of noncombatants and civilians?" Misato Katsuragi

asked, standing grimly behind Fuyutsuki.  She kept her gaze fixated

on the viewscreen, observing their dread opponent.

        "Reports indicate that the evacuation has been completed,"

a technician replied.  "We can now begin the transformation of

Tokyo-3."

        "Do it," Fuyutsuki commanded.

        Almost the instant the order had been given the bright and

shining towers of Tokyo-3 began to retreat into the ground, sheltering

themselves from the destructive power of the Angel.  The strange thing

was, at this point, the Angel didn't seem to have any destructive

power at all.

        "It's strange, but it almost looks to be.. searching for

something," Misato said, staring intently at the Angel.  "It must be

drawn to NERV somehow.  The last one attacked Tokyo-3 as well."

        Fuyutsuki nodded.  He knew exactly why the Angels were drawn

to NERV, of course, even if Misato didn't.  "Are we ready to launch

an Eva?"

        "Almost, sir," Misato said.  "Unit-01 should be ready for

launch shortly."

        "Just make sure it launches," Fuyutsuki remarked dryly.  "I'd

rather we engage the Angel _before_ it reaches NERV.  Just to be on the

safe side."

        This was the second evacuation in as many weeks, and the

students in Shinji's school were already getting tired of it.  They

stood at the shelter, taking, laughing, giggling.  Or, Touji thought,

perhaps it's their fear that makes them this way.  Maybe they just

want to forget their fear.

        Touji was scared.  Deathly scared.  He had just hit the pilot,

for God's sake!  Just an hour ago!  He couldn't imagine his timing

being any worse.

        A voice crackled over the speakers installed in the walls.

"Primary and Junior High School students, please group yourselves

by class.  Resident, please group yourselves by block."

        Some people moved in response to the orders, but not many.

Touji remained by Kensuke, who stood taping a news broadcast playing

on a monitor.

        "At noon today," the anchorwoman stated, "a state of special

emergency was declared for the Kanto and Chubu districts, near the

Tokai district.  More detailed information will be reported as it is

received."

        Suddenly, the screen went black.

        Kensuke put his camera down, disappointed.  "Great, another

news blackout.  I wonder what goes on out there that they don't want

us to see?"

        Touji shrugged.  "Beats me.  Two robots fighting.  I can't

imagine why they wouldn't show it.  If we're going to die, shouldn't

we be the first to know?"

        Kensuke paused for a minute, nodding.  Then he turned to

Touji.  "I have to see this, you know."

        Touji turned around, surprised.  "See what?"

        "The battle?"

        "But the news channels are blocked."

        "Then I'm leaving the shelter."

        Touji stared, stunned.  "You can't go out there!  You'll be

killed!"

        Kensuke shrugged.  "If he loses we'll be killed in the shelter

anyway.  I might as well see it first."

        "You're a fool," Touji cried.  "We're not going to die.  What

do you think NERV's sole purpose is?"

        "And what do you think NERV's fighting machine is?" Kensuke

asked.  "It's the robot the transferee pilots.  Last time he protected

us, and you punched him for it.  Twice!"

        Touji winced.  "Don't remind me!  You think I don't know that?"

        "If he didn't want to pilot that robot, we'd all be killed,

Touji!  Don't you feel obligated to watch his struggle?"

        Touji sighed.  "I don't suppose I have a choice.  You really

want to see this thing, don't you?"

        Kensuke grinned.

        "Class rep," Touji called.  "Class rep!"

        A stern-looking class rep came over to the two, expecting

trouble.  "Yes?" she asked.

        "We need to go to the bathroom."

        The class rep looked in disbelief.  "Both of you?"

        "Yes, that's right."

        "It's too late  Why didn't you go before?"

        "Didn't need to then.  We really need to now."

        The class rep sighed.  "Ah, all right.  But be quick about it."

        Twenty minutes later, Touji and Kensuke were running up a

series of stone steps set into the side of the mountain the shelter

was built under.  The view from that height - a view neither of them

had ever laid eyes on before - was breathtaking.  The dying sunlight

cooled and glimmered off of the sullen form of the fortress city, and

sparked deeply upon the bloody form of the Angel.  Kensuke shivered

with excitement, struggling to bring his camera's focus upon the

pristine, haunting image.

        At the top of the staircase, there was a large, grassy knoll

which the two perched upon, breathing heavily.

        Touji stared transfixedly at the image of the Angel.  "So

that's what the enemy looks like, huh?" he murmured.

        Kensuke stared in the same direction.  "Yeah.  I wonder how it

attacks... I suppose we'll find out, though."  His voice was unsteady,

betraying the intense excitement the experience was bringing him.

"This is amazing.  It was well worth the struggle to get here!"

        Suddenly the lights on a large building - one of the few

remaining in Tokyo-3's submerged form - glimmered incessantly,

drawing both boys' attention.  A huge sliding door on one side of the

construction retreated, and the Eva's gigantic, devilish form was

visible.

        "Wow," Kensuke murmured, keeping his camera focused as best he

could.  "It doesn't look like I expected it to."

        Inside the entry plug of Unit-01, Shinji sat calmly, his

attention focused entirely on the coming conflict.  His jaw no longer

hurt - he no longer felt any sense of Shinji Ikari at all.  He was one

with Eva.

        Shinji raised his enormous rifle.  The Angel before him didn't

seem as fearsome as the Third had.  It behaved like the Third,

confused by his arrival, apparently staring directly at him - though

it didn't have a discernible head.

        Shinji remembered Ritsuko's words to him.  Her lesson, now

that he was back in the entry plug, lingered within his mind like a

benediction.  He waited calmly, breathing deeply, as the targeting

cursor in front of him obtained a lock on the Angel.

        He strode forward, weapon in hand.

        The cursor locked.  He fired.

        The Angel crumbled before the fire, blood vessels rupturing

and showering the city.  Touji and Kensuke watched, stunned, as the

Angel thrashed violently before collapsing to the ground.

        "They're organic," Kensuke murmured, horrified.

        Shinji crept closer, weapon in hand, attempting to examine

the remains of the fallen Angel.  It had collapsed across a street,

and demolished several sets of buildings - but they were evacuated.

They had told him so.  Shinji waded through the wreckage and the

rubble, and stared at the Angel.

        Shinji raised his weapon, aiming directly for the monster's

chest.  As the target locked, he heard a second to consider its

strange appearance.  It was almost like an insect, or perhaps an

undersea creature, standing as if it were human.  Instead of arms,

it bore stubby protrusions that didn't seem to be of any use at all.

How had it planned to attack him?

        A split second before Shinji fired again, the Angel recovered.

>From its shoulderlike protrusions two beams of energy materialized,

their appearance like that of lasers by their movement like tentacles

or feelers.  Just as Shinji pulled the trigger, one swept fiercely

through the weapon, shattering it and causing an explosion that

impeded Shinji's vision for a second.  Before he could even recover

from the shock the monster wrapped its feelers around the robot and

flung him through space.

        "My God," Kensuke screamed.  "It's coming right for us!"

        The robot landed heavily in the grassy hill Touji and Kensuke

were perched upon, its joints screaming with the impact.  The two boys

could only stare in mortal terror at the enormous fighting machine

which had landed twenty feet from them.

        "Shinji!" Misato cried through the plug's speakers.  "Shinji,

the Angel has severed your umbilical cord!"

        Shinji looked up in alarm.  The umbilical cord was the Eva's

power supply.  Attached to the back of the robot, it ran all the way

back to NERV's power source.  But now that he was not longer receiving

that power-

        "You're on internal battery power," Misato explained, her

voice shaking.  "But you only have five minutes of it."

        Shinji glanced down at a new display that had appeared.  It

was a numerical readout - four fifty three.  Four fifty two.  Four

fifty one.

        Five minutes.  It would have to be enough.

        Shinji struggled to his feet.  However, as his view scraped

the horizon, his eyes came to fixate upon a tiny pair of figures

huddled on the mountainside.  For a second, he was unable to believe

what he was seeing.  Students.  Students from his class!  Right in

front of him!  And he recognized them..

        The realization was like the blow to the face he had suffered

at their hands.  One second, he had been someone better than Shinji

Ikari - an avenging angel fighting for the good of humankind.  Now,

seeing this before him, he was reminded of who he was - a small,

frightened boy trapped in a larger shell that was not his own.

Without the Eva, he was nothing.  A target hated by all he came into

contact with.

        Gritting his teeth, he slowly forced himself back into the

mindset of his Eva.  If all he was was Eva, then Eva was all he had

left.  It was his job to save the lives of the citizens of Tokyo-3 -

no matter what they thought of him or did to him.  If he let that

get in his way, he knew he would break.  This was all he had left.

        Suddenly, Unit-01 hurtled into action.  The giant robot

ran at the Angel, blocking its path to his two classmates.  He

grappled with the grotesque creature, trying to force it away from the

hill, push it back into the city.  At this close range, the Angel

could easily strike the robot with its feelers - and maliciously

inserted them into the chest of Unit-01, the energy weapons cleanly

emerging on the weapon's other side.  Two thin streams of blood seeped

out from the wounds.

        "What's he doing?" Touji shouted, shaking with fear.  "He

can't fight that thing at close range!  He'll be killed!"

        "He's trying to keep it away from us," Kensuke whispered,

lowering his camera.  "He's trying to protect us."

        Shinji was in agony once more.  He felt as if the Angel's

tendrils were inside his stomach, writhing and cutting and burning.

It was all he could do not to vomit.  Slowly bringing his torso

around, he turned in the direction of the two children and pointed

with his left arm, begging them to run.

        But they only stood there, gazing in mute horror at the

conflict.  Then a tendril removed itself from the Eva's body and

instead wrapped itself around its outstretched arm, constricting around

it, and finally crushing it with a sickening snap.  Unit-01 reeled

beneath the blow; the arm fell limp, useless.

        The two onlookers ran.  For the first time Shinji could ever

recall doing so in Eva's cockpit, he smiled.  But it was a pale,

sickly smile and bereft of any hope or innocence.  Two minutes, five

seconds remaining.

        The Eva reached down with its right arm - its only remaining

arm - and withdrew from a compartment situated on its leg a long,

gleaming knife.  The weapon was called a progressive knife, and was

the robot's deadliest weapon.  It, when activated, vibrated with

ultrasonic frequency, creating shockwaves to assault whatever it came

in contact with.  In one swift, deadly move, Shinji drew the knife,

activated it, and shred open the chest of his enemy.  The severed

flesh hung limply to either side of the separation, blood oozing from

the wound. There was a faint glimpse of a red crystal beyond.

        Over the entry plug's speakers, Misato was saying something.

She might have been telling him to retreat.  He had one minute and

twenty-six seconds left.  If he ran out of power before the Angel

died, he would be rent limb from limb by this creature.

        Both feelers were back in his body, writhing and bleeding and

hurting.  But it only fueled Shinji's rage.

        Screaming, he swung the progressive knife in a murderous arc,

the knife penetrating the Angel's core with a metallic scraping sound.

The Angel made a sharp hissing noise as the blade entered its chest.

The orb began to shudder under the ultrasonic wave, chipping and

cracking beneath the assault.

        Fifty-three seconds.

        The Angel writhed wildly, understanding now the deadly embrace

it was caught in.  Its tendrils whipped wildly around, cracking and

dissolving metal plating but, more importantly, slicing through muscle

tissue and striking vital organs.  Shinji fell to his knees, vomiting

blood.  But he would not give up consciousness.

        Forty-two seconds.

        Shinji's mind corroded in that foul embrace.  Everything,

absolutely everything within him was pleading him to stop, begging

him to slip into the darkness.  But he would not stop.  He would

not give in.  He would hold onto this pain like a beacon, use it to

direct his assault.  If it would be the death of him, so be it.  He

had nothing left.

        Twenty-six seconds left.

        Misato was screaming at him, but Shinji couldn't hear her.  He

didn't care.  All he heard, all he felt was the blood roaring in his

veins.  He plunged the knife farther still into the creature's chest.

Its core shuddered and cracked - but did not give in.

        Ten seconds left.

        Shinji screamed - he had just enough energy left to scream.

        The creature was eviscerating him from the inside.

        Nine seconds left.

        Eight.

        Seven.

        Six.

        Five.

        Shinji let out a final, heartbroken wail and collapsed, his

mind unrecognizable to himself.  He had failed.

        Four.

        Three.

        Two.

        One.

        Neither creature moved.  The Eva remained motionless, with its

knife penetrating the Angel's core.  The Angel's tendrils had vanished

into the air as if they had never been.  It's core was finally,

utterly breached, killing it.  But Shinji never knew it.

        The rain fell softly on the streets of Tokyo-3.  It came

quietly and thoughtfully, not hard but enough to create a noticeable

cascade streaming down the street.  Touji Suzuhara stared miserably

out into the rain, searching it for the answer to his dilemma.  He

felt twisted inside, bent out of shape.  He felt empty, and he didn't

know what to do to fill the void.

        "It's been three days," he murmured to no-one in particular.

        Kensuke, typing maniacally on a keyboard behind him, looked

up at the sound of his friend's voice.  "Yeah," he now replied,

sadly.  "We were really raked over the coals for that.."

        Touji interrupted him.  "Since he's been at school, I mean."

        "Who's he?"

        "The transferee, of course!  Who else would I be talking

about?"  Touji sighed, retreating back to his melancholy thoughts.

"I wonder how he's doing.."

        Kensuke stared at Touji, surprised.  "You're worried about

him?"

        Touji stood up.  "Of course I'm worried about him!  That..

that things nearly tore him apart!"  He stopped, suddenly, as Kensuke

handed him a small piece of paper he had just printed.  "What's this?"

        "The transferee's address," Kensuke replied.

        Misato had gone to visit Shinji in the hospital every day

since his battle with the Fourth Angel.  But he hadn't woken up.

After three days, he was still unconscious, his mind still on the

verge of collapsing.  Even so, she wasn't sure what she'd say to him

once he woke up.  How could she comfort him?  Or was he beyond

comfort now?

        On the fourth day, she opened the door to Shinji's room and

found it empty.

        "He left some time last night," the nurse on duty explained

her hands spread across her desk.  "He took his clothing and just..

left.  It's not like we could stop him.  I didn't even know who he

was."

        Misato didn't know what to say.  What was there to say?  She

called NERV, of course.  They said they would start to look for him.

But she didn't really believe they would find him.

        It was Ritsuko who had told her Shinji wouldn't live another

year.  When Misato got home, she locked herself in her room and cried.

End of Part 3