Yet another Retread of Evangelion

##

09/18/2004

"Yui, are you sure you wish to go through with this?"

"I know the dangers Gendo. And I'm willing to make any sacrifice necessary to ensure mankind's survival." She caressed his face, and he smiled, grasping and kissing her hand.

"What if I'm not willing to make those sacrifices. Are you so blind to their intents you will play into SEELE's hands?"

She embraced her husband, "I am not blind to their intents, Gendo. My father made sure of that. Because of them half the world died. I will not see the rest perish to make them gods. No. I will see to it they perish like all other humans, and that humanity will live on. If I am lucky, I may have a few more years with you yet, my love."

##

"Plug depth stabilized at Ninety-one point-three percent. Pulse flow steady, harmonics stable."

"Initiating third contact."

Alarms blared, and the Pribnow box lit up red as Yui screamed.

"Plug depth at 180, no, 230, no, 300!"

"Abort the experiment!" demanded Gendo Ikari. He stood, his chair falling back as he pointed to the techs.

Power was cut to all but the internal visual feed, but it didn't matter. Yui, drawn into the Core, left her body behind, which as her soul left it, exploded into a darker splash of liquid biomass inside in the plug. Her clothes slowly drifted down to the bottom of the plug.

Gendo stared at the feed, watching as the darker liquid that had just been his wife, slowly mixed with the lighter colored LCL. He turned off the feed, forcing his lunch back down, and his expression to remain calm.

Three year old Shinji, sensing something was wrong, cried out for his mother. Gendo stared, his heart chilled. Instead of pushing his human side away, he embraced, it, picked up his son, and held him close. "It will be okay, Shinji," he said, his voice even but strained with emotion, "I will be okay. I am here for you."

Anger flashed in his eyes, and he bit out, "Doctor Akagi, Professor Fuyutsuki, there will be no more contact experiments. Contact Gehirn 3 in Germany and order a stop there as well. In addition, I want Doctor Sohryu and Doctor Makinami brought here to consolidate the research. We will find another way. I want to know what went wrong, why it went wrong, and how we can stop it if we do proceed with contact experiments in the future."

"Yes, Director." Fuyutsuki replied. His angular, slender face was a gray as his hair, and Gendo could tell he was on the verge of losing it.

He didn't express irritation at the slightly smug expression on the brunette scientist's face, although it made him very suspicious. "In addition, Doctor Akagi, I want you to initiate research on possible ways to salvage my wife's soul and reconstitute her body. For now, the plug will remain where it is, locked in with that core."

Dr. Naoko Akagi's jaw worked slightly, but she nodded, "I'll do as you ask."

A glimmering suspicion entered his mind, but he pushed it to the side. It could wait. He couldn't keep the quiver of grief from his voice as he turned and started away, "Very well. If you'll excuse me I need to see to my son."

##

Two weeks later,

"You are sure of this?" Gendo asked from under tented hands as Shinji played with some toys in the far corner of the well lit, spacious office.

"Absolutely," Professor Fuyutsuki replied, "After Doctor Sohryu discovered the sabotage to the systems, I and Doctor Makinami followed the evidence. It is incontrovertible. Doctor Akagi performed the sabotage. It would have been complete, but she got sloppy in her coverup."

"I see. And her attempts to salvage Yui?" Gendo's voice dropped half an octave, and Fuyutsuki saw the clear rage on his face.

Though the lighting did not diminish, the entire office seemed to go as dark as Gendo's mood, creating an air of intimidation around the widower. Fuyutsuki held his ground and replied, "A hollow effort from what we can tell. Ikari, I think it's time to admit she's gone."

"Yes. You are right. As much as my whole being says I must make her pay for what she has done, I will wait. The MAGI are one of the cornerstones of the plans for this project. I will wait until the MAGI are completed, then I will do to her what she did to Yui."

"Ikari..."

"She will never live, and yet, she will never die." Gendo drew a shuddering breath, forcing the rage down, and reasserting control.

His eyes snapped up after a moment, and he said, "Fuyutsuki, for the sake of my son, I will let go of my wife. For the sake of humanity, I will attempt to forge unbreakable bonds. I have a new plan, Professor."

"And it is?"

"SEELE wishes to create Third Impact—the Merging of Adam, and Lilith, here in the Geofront."

"Why? Why would they do so?"

"Immortality. Godhood."

"They're madmen."

"Yes, indeed. They attempted Instrumentality once before, four years ago. They will try again, but only after the Adam's offspring, the Angels, are destroyed. Then we are to use Evangelion to initiate Third Impact. I would seek to prevent it, but if I cannot prevent it, then rather than a pilot under their control, and subject to their whims, we will use our own pilots."

"Indeed, but will the pilots be under your control?"

Gendo shook his head with a smile. "No. They will not."

"Then how can you trust them?"

"Unbreakable bonds. To each other. And to humanity. There will be four pilots initially. There may be more, but that will depend on a variety of factors."

"Who are the pilots?"

"One has yet to be born, but you will be in charge of that." Gendo drew a folder from a drawer in his desk, and held them out.

"What do you mean?"

Fuyutsuki took the folder as Gendo continued, "I will require a child, a female, not born of humanity, but of Lilith, the mother of Humanity. She must also be human, so do whatever genetic splicing may be necessary. Name her Rei."

"Do you have a female template for me to start with?"

"Yes. Yui."

"But she's gone," Fuyutsuki said.

"It's all in that folder. After the complications of Shinji's birth, she had her eggs harvested. I will release some of them to you for for the cloning process."

"Ikari..."

"The remaining children will be Shinji Ikari, Asuka Sohryu, and Mari Makinami. There may be more, but if we guide them, and help them bond to each other, and to us, these four will remake the world in their image, not in the image of the Old Men. Thus, we will bring about a new beginning for Humanity, and deny the Old Men their godhood."

"So you're looking for a more innocent, kinder world?"

"A little. The Old Men scheme to end the world and make themselves into gods. I will scheme against them. I will do what I must, good or evil, to stop those monsters, even if I myself become a monster that my own son will have to do away with."

"I will leave you to your scheming, Director."

"Yes. Scheming. And taking care of my son."

Fuyutsuki caught a glimpse of a smile on Gendo's face as he walked to the penned off area, and began to play with his son.

##

08/22/2009

Shinji had just finished a test on his computer terminal, and turned it in to the professor electronically. He was already in college, mostly due to his father's attention and his natural aptitude for the sciences. He stretched and decided to take a short break and walk through a garden area in the Geofront.

He was on his way to the elevator when he saw his father round the corner and head toward him, a girl about his own age at his side.

"Shinji, I need a word with you." he said simply.

"Yes father?"

"I've adopted this young girl. She will be your new sister. Her name is Rei Ayanami."

Rei blinked and said nothing.

"She looks weird," Shinji blurted.

"That is why I took her in. She is a Pilot candidate. Just like you, Asuka, and Mari. She has no mother, father or friends."

"So, she doesn't have a mommy either?"

"No," Gendo replied, "But she has you now. And she has me. It is important that you love her and respect her. That you trust her and protect her."

Shinji didn't know what to think, but he nodded mechanically and said, "Yes father."

"Now, were you going to the gardens to take a break from studies?"

"Yes father."

"I have work to do. Would you take Rei with you, and teach her a few games? As hard as you study, you deserve to play. You are still a child after all, and it has been too long since you've had any playmates."

Shinji nodded, and took Rei by the hand, leading her to the elevator.

The father and scheming chessmaster watched his son and 'daughter' walk off before turning around, right into Naoko Akagi, who was openly glaring at him.

"What is it, Doctor Akagi. Is there a problem with the new MAGI personality transference system?"

"Who is that?"

"The daughter of an acquaintance who died recently. I took her in, not only to give her a home, but to provide a sister for Shinji."

He brushed past her as he continued, "It's not easy being an only child with only a father to look after you. This way, they can look after each other as well. I think it will be good for the both of them."

##

In the darkness of her office, Naoko Akagi glared at the terminal and slammed her fist into the desk beside her keyboard. "Rei Ayanami. There are no records of her. And she reminds me of someone. Of her."

She leaned back in her chair in a huff, continuing her quiet ranting in the empty room, "Damn that Gendo. What is he playing at? Is he working for or against SEELE? Does he think he can pull anything over on me? I'll show him."

##

03/13/2010

"...First I have to find the definition of happiness. It's been a while since I went out." Doctor Ritsuko Akagi said to her mother with a wry smile.

"Well, have a good one," Naoko replied, a pleased look on her face as her daughter started off.

"See you later," the younger Akagi said from the door.

Naoko Akagi turned away from her daughter's retreating back to the console on the command center. A few minutes had gone by, when she heard a noise, and turned to see Gendo Ikari standing in the shadows, almost as if a shadow himself.

"Director. What may I do for you?" she asked. She had no illusions about him. She'd tried to approach him, seduce him, but he'd always refused her advances. The man was dedicated to only two things. His continued research into his wife's work, and his son.

No, three things. His new adoptive daughter, the mysterious Rei Ayanami. The Rei Ayanami she's spent a week digging up nothing about. As if she didn't even exist. That and her resemblance to Yui made her very suspicious as to who or what she was.

"The time has come, Doctor Akagi."

"Come for what?"

He responded by raising his arm. The dark item in his hand emitted nothing more than a wheeze. She felt a sharp pain in her stomach and looked down to see a dart. She felt strangely numb, and with only the greatest of effort, pulled the dart from her stomach before all went dark.

##

She awoke, restrained, in a dark metal tube, one that as the internal lighting activated she recognized as an entry plug. She then realized she had been fitted into one of the plug suit prototypes, complete with air mask.

Gendo's voice came across the system, "A10 nerve connectors active, first connection cleared. Flooding plug with LCL."

"What are you doing, Director?" she muttered through the mask.

"I'm going to consign you to the same fate you forced upon Yui. Unlike her however, the core containing your soul will never be placed within an Evangelion, and you will live out your remaining days in that body either insane, or a vegetable."

"But, I had nothing to do with..."

Several displays opened and she was forced to look upon the evidence arrayed against her. Evidence she thought was destroyed.

"You killed the love of my life, and my son lost his mother. How can I forgive you?" he replied, his voice as cold as ice.

"Director, I demand you release me!" she yelled through the mask.

"Ionizing LCL, fixing plug depth. Partial restraints engaged. I need a body, alive or dead. You won't be fully absorbed by the Core."

"Damn you Ikari. WHY?"

"Why indeed? Jealousy is such an ugly thing. If you hadn't killed my Yui, I wouldn't be disposing of you on the eve of your triumph. Indeed we would have had a long working relationship. You could have taken some comfort from that."

"BASTARD!" she screamed, the mask nearly being forced off of her face.

"Second contact cleared, Synchronization set at one-hundred twenty percent. Initiating Third contact. Goodbye, Naoko."

She struggled for a few moments, fighting the constant downward pull, but soon lost consciousness as her very essence was dragged into the core.

Manning the Pribnow box alone, intimately familiar with the workings of the contact experiments, Gendo left it running for fifteen minutes, and then began the recovery process. After ensuring that she was properly cleansed of the LCL and redressed in her clothes, something he could not trust anyone else to do and not talk, he left the unconscious woman in the command center where he'd gotten her from.

He then deleted all records, and only left her console's lighting on.

The next morning, the maintenance and building crews found the unresponsive woman in the command center, slumped over her keyboard, and took her to the infirmary. The medical doctors were at a loss, having nothing to compare the total absence of activity in an otherwise healthy brain.

It was only after some reluctance she was declared a vegetable, and was consigned to a medical ward to live out her remaining days.

Deep in Terminal Dogma, on level EE, a new Core was hidden away, buried behind a new

reinforced wall.

##

06/10/2010

The three heads of Project E and the five Commanders of the various branches were meeting via holograph to report on all facets of EVA status and development. The space was empty save for the well lit single spaces currently occupied by the people in the meeting.

Doctor Ritsuko Akagi pushed up her glasses and tapped a pencil against her clipboard as she said, "Given we know the EVAs try to consume the living mind, we transplanted a hybrid copy of the three Magi here in Tokyo-3 into a fourth Magi that has only one purpose. To manufacture cores. Our first Magi Contact Experiments took place last month, and we were able to manufacture cores for four EVAs. We sent one each to Bethany and Germany. The other two are being integrated into the Test Type and Prototype."

"Doctor Makinami?"

"The new restraint system physically prevents contact between the entry plug and the core. However, we have encountered difficulty with preventing backflow and skyrocketing synchronization issues. NERV-5 does not have a MAGI system yet, and I have to rely on a low-capacity data feed."

"Branches 4 through 6 are expected to have MAGI components and installation within a month. Doctor Sohryu?" Gendo Ikari said.

"Don't worry Makinami. We've fixed those issues to an extent. It's a simple progressive synchronization filter. The higher the synch ratio goes, the more you have to push to make it go higher. The ratio reaches towards infinity at 100% synchronization. While a pilot can still theoretically achieve it, they will likely render themselves unconscious from the strain, and that would cause a Synch crash to 0."

"Deceptively simple, Sohryu. But the idea has merit. Maybe we can work out the remaining issues together after Bethany gets it's MAGI."

"Yes. Asuka would like a chance to see Mari."

"Commander Ben-Shiloh. Your report?"

"Here at Golgotha, the Dummy System is undergoing some difficulties, but if we could get a duplicate of your fourth MAGI computer in addition to the standard MAGI system, we can imprint the Dummies and the control systems much more easily and bring our chances of success up. We are exploring alternatives, but nothing that has as high a chance of success," the middle-aged Israeli replied.

"I see. Continue sharing data between yourselves, and ensure that enough cores are made for the remaining EVAs," Gendo said, "As far as the Dummy system is concerned, we will transmit the specifications for the Core MAGI system after Doctor Akagi runs simulations on dummy imprinting with it."

"Speaking of which, Supreme Commander, what of Pilots?" Commander Jacobson of Nerv-2 asked.

"The Marduk report has fourteen more potentials, but until construction of the remaining Evangelions is complete, we have no need for..."

"Evangelions three and four are nearing completion. Five, not even fully built, already has a pilot. Why can't Branch 2 have an on-duty pilot?"

"We at Bethany have the Third Angel contained and are always under level two alert. We have a Provisional Unit made up from a test body and cybernetic hardware, once we duplicate the Synchronization restraints, we can begin tests while Unit 05 is finished." Commander Ulyanov replied sharply.

From under steepled hands, the Supreme Commander said, "Commander Jacobson, given that the MAGI system you have can synchronize with an EVA enough for systems testing, and the fact that you are the branch that is performing the S2 Organ research, given the volatile nature of such testing, I am not willing to release pilots to you yet. Pilots are more valuable than EVAs."

"It is also why we have kept all the research decentralized and spread amongst the other branches, instead of performing it all here in Tokyo-3," Doctor Akagi replied. "Unless you see some reason that Angels would attack Nevada rather than here when we have the Second Angel and her siren call to lure them in."

"I see no reason to keep pilots away from us."

"Once testing of the S2 organs are complete and you are completely sure of their stability, then you will get pilots. After all, S2 organ equipped EVAs would be little more Angels themselves."

"Very well, Supreme Commander."

"We're on the verge of overcoming the greatest obstacle to Evangelion. The Pilot-Core interaction. The S2 project was always a minor concern to us here in Tokyo-3." Doctor Akagi replied simply.

"Ja, und in Berlin," Commander Sohryu said, "We will of course be glad when we do not need the extensive support infrastructure currently needed, but it is still of a minor concern. Where ever the Angels attack, is where we shall send the Evangelions. National lines and treaties be damned."

##

12/12/2013

Shinji Ikari and his step-sister Rei Ayanami stood in front of their father in his office. The windows were not polarized at the moment, allowing light to flood the room, lending a less intimidating air to the massive space. Still, Father was nothing if not intimidating all on his own Shinji decided, doing his best to maintain level eye contact with the elder Ikari.

"Do you know why I've called you here?" he asked, behind tented hands, his old thick-rimmed glasses reflecting some light at the children. Shinji was thankful that his father had decided not to wear the sunglasses. He looked scary with the sunglasses.

"No, Father, we don't," Rei said.

"In a few years, possibly as soon as next year, the Angels will appear and attempt to destroy us all. You have had the best educations money can buy, and like the other two Chosen pilots, have graduated college at your tender young ages. You are both performing your duties as pilots, both in simulated tests and in synchronization tests. I am proud to say you're doing well."

"Thank you Father," Shinji replied. The man stood, and walked around his desk to approach his children.

"Yet, something remains undone. Other than the staff here, each other, and emails to the other two pilots, you are isolated from the very world you will be saving. That will change. You are going to live on the surface, in Tokyo-3 itself. You will be attending school with children your own ages. Your status as EVA pilots and the fact you are college graduates already will be kept secret."

"Why?" Rei asked, her crimson eyes sparking in insatiable curiosity.

He pulled them both into a hug, something that embarrassed Shinji, but that he accepted as one of his father's quirks. "What good is it to save the world if you cannot live in it, appreciate it? You two need a bond with other people besides the staff here, myself and each other."

"Will you be living with us, Father?" Rei asked. Unseen to both children, Gendo smiled.

The man released them and turned, walking to and staring out the window at the Geofront, "No. I have transferred Captain Misato Katsuragi from Branch 3. She will be arriving within a week, and I will place you two in her charge. She will, for all intents and purposes, be your new guardian."

"But why?"

He glanced back, "She has an enthusiasm for living life to it's fullest. I will be too busy shortly to properly take care of you. She will be acting as a combination older sister and mother. She will teach you how to reach out to the world and grab it by the horns. She will teach you how to enjoy life. Something that I will even admit, I find hard to do."

For some reason, Shinji had the weirdest thought of a woman grabbing a miniature Unit One by it's horn and bear hugging the green and purple monster. He could hardly wait to meet this Captain Katsuragi.

##

12/19/2013

Misato Katsuragi really felt strange that she'd been issued a really, really, really large and apparently expensive apartment with half a dozen bedrooms, and that it had been paid for outright by the Commander of NERV himself. Then she'd found out that she was being appointed the Legal Guardian of his two children.

He would still be there as their father, but increasing responsibilities as Supreme Commander of NERV left him less and less time to spend with them.

The shy Shinji and slightly less shy, but somewhat odd Rei, had been assisted by Section Two agents in moving into the apartment. Then she found out that NERV had attached a stipend to her UN Paycheck for living expenses that she might incur from taking on the two children.

She had a suspicion that she was being given a surrogate family to reel in some of her more extreme tendencies, despite the Sub-Commander telling her that the children needed to overcome their shyness around others and that her psychological profile matched what they needed.

So, she was staring at the two children who were looking at the instant noodles as if it would bite them, and sipping rather than chugging her beer.

"Hey lighten up, kids" she said, "Would you like something different?"

"You made this and it's not right to waste food, but we're not used to such food," Rei replied bluntly.

"How about delivery? You two ever have Pizza?"

Shinji stayed quiet and tried to chew on some noodles while Rei replied, "It will not be necessary. We will eat this."

For perhaps the first time in her adult life, Misato felt inadequate to the task set before her. Still, she wasn't one to shy from anything, and would wrestle this challenge into submission like every other before it.

She knocked back the rest of her beer, and smiled as she slammed the can onto the table, causing the boy to jump with wide eyes as he looked up at her. Rei tilted her head and swallowed as Misato nodded and replied, "Well, I've lived on my own and on such food for years. Maybe it would do us all good if we learned how to really cook together and all take turns making dishes."

Both children looked happier at that comment. Maybe they already knew how to cook and would be teaching her. That would make things a little easier.

##

06/20/2015

"AT field detected—Pattern Blue! Fourth Angel Angel approaching! MAGI Designation, Sachiel," Shigeru Aoba called across the command center. Gendo Ikari and Kozo Fuytsuki soon appeared from seemingly nowhere on the top level of the command center, away from the three JSSDF Generals.

Supreme Commander Ikari took off his glasses, slipped them inside his jacket, and withdrew a pair of prescription sunglasses. He placed them on his face, then pulled out the white gloves, knowing that now he was the 'evil' Gendo Ikari that made little children scream in terror. Well, children that weren't his.

He finished fitting the gloves to his hands as he sat down on his throne in the Command Center. It rather made his day when he could intimidate full grown men with a simple glare, he mused as the Generals were shouting orders for the UN forces to mount all out offensives against the target.

Fuyutsuki was issuing orders to have the two Evangelions prepped for combat, but laughing internally as Gendo had switched from 'Commander Dad' to 'Commander Devil'. Despite his misgivings across the years, he actually liked Gendo Ikari.

He was a man who had seen hell, lived through the loss of his beloved wife, and raised two children while plotting to stop what amounted the Iluminati of old while also trying to prevent mankind's extinction. Not every man could hope to pull a tenth of what Gendo had accomplished in their lives, and it seemed as if he was just warming up.

The two pilots were boarding one of the NERV emergency access elevators scattered throughout Tokyo-3. The rest of their School was boarding one of the primary subways, heading down to one of the Shelters.

Gendo Ikari smiled under his tented hands as the camera footage revealed his his children exiting near one of the Geofront's Rapid Access Train Terminals. They swiped their cards in the slots and waited, having been taught long ago the best way to get to HQ in a hurry. The MAGI delivered a maglev train to their location, one that was already programmed and set to bring them to the Headquarters primary transit hub.

"So far, no problems." he remarked to Fuyutsuki.

"Other than conventional weapons being useless. It has an AT field."

"Ahh. So, we were right. Only an EVA can stop them."

"We are sending two EVAS. Do you think we need two against it? After all it's displayed no more destructive capability than either one of our EVAs."

"Increasing our chances. If we overpower it without seemingly raising a finger, and at minimal cost, we will be battle proven, and the remaining governments that are balking at the costs will be devoting their resources to building their own EVAs. Of course, we will have to co-opt them in the end, or allow SEELE to co-opt them."

An angry shout came from the generals on the lower level as one slammed his fist on the console. A phone rang, and he swiped an access card, giving the order.

"They're going to use an N2 mine, I would presume." Fuyutsuki said.

"Indeed they will. But I wouldn't be surprised if it survives the blast. After all, nothing has damaged it yet."

"And at what cost? Billions of yen in collateral damage, two tank divisions, dozens of Aircraft , hundreds if not thousands of lives. They should have deployed us first." Fuyutsuki replied, calmly.

The door at the back of the command center opened, and two silent presences walked in, both taking up positions behind their father.

"Within a few minutes, we will be launch the EVAs. Go, suit up. Relevant data will be forwarded to to your PDAs. Use that teamwork you have long built. The Angel will give no quarter, and neither should you." Gendo said to the two children standing behind him. They both nod and start back toward the door they came from.

The screens in the command center blanked out and displayed static as the Generals cheered. One turned back and called, "Sorry, Gentlemen, looks like you won't be getting a turn."

"One might quote the old saying of chickens and hatching," Fuyutsuki muttered softly.

The door closed behind the children, and Gendo smiled, "The fate of Humanity rests on children while adult soldiers are useless. The irony of it."

"Sensors back online—high energy reading from the center of the crater! It's still on the move!"

"WHAT?" the three Generals shouted in unison, "That's impossible! It shrugged off an N2 Attack?"

"But it was a direct hit, right?"

The phone rang again, and the third General answered it. In hushed tones, the three men conferred, then called for him. Nerv Commander Gendo Ikari couldn't help but look calm and collected as he left his desk, went down two levels on the command center, and turned toward the three men.

"Commander Ikari, as of now, operational authority has been transferred to you."

"I see," he replied, the omnipresent semi-smirk that was his public face directed at the three Generals.

"We've seen that our weapons have no effect against the target. Are you sure you can beat it?"

Gendo inclined his head slightly, pushed up his sunglasses with a white-gloved hand and let his expression go to a full smirk as he replied, "It's what NERV was created for, Gentlemen. To defeat these Angels."

"Very well, Ikari. Don't betray our trust."

Gendo called out, "All NERV Personnel, go to Level One battle-stations. Prepare Units Zero and One. We move out in fifteen minutes."

##

Unmanned spy drones kept data feeds coming to the MAGI, which in turn sent the collated reports to the children's PDAs. Within a few minutes, both children had separated, and were getting into their plug suits.

Afterward, they walked toward the EVA cages while looking at the data, and quietly conversing back and forth. They then decided on a course of action, and requested the two closest egress points by the City's edge, then submitted a basic battle plan. They knew by the time they entered the EVAs and were moved to the launch pad that it would have been refined by real tactical experts, and then uploaded as the primary, but with half a dozen contingencies added in.

Doctor Ritsuko Akagi looked up at the two pilots entering the cages, both ready for their first battle.

"Nervous?" she asked.

"Y-yeah," Shinji replied, as Rei simply nodded. Rei liked being inside her EVA. She liked the feeling of LCL. She glanced over at her yellow and white EVA. The Armor wasn't combat rated yet, but a few weeks ago they gave it Shoulder Pylons like the rest of the EVA series.

"Good," a voice came from behind them, and they turned to see their Guardian, the Tactical Operations Commander, Captain Misato Katsuragi walking toward them, "Real combat always does that to you. What you need to learn to do is take that feeling, and master it. Let it sharpen your actions and responses. Let it work for you, rather than you work for it."

Shinji looked at Rei and the quiet anticipation on her face. Both knew the risks of her being deployed, which is why he had volunteered for the frontal attack. If it kept his little sister out of the line of fire, then he would take the world on without hesitation. The glowing yellow eyes of his purple and green EVA seemed to follow him as they always did, despite all sensors saying the monster could not, and did not, move on its own.

"Sun Tzu, the Art of War. If you know yourself and you know your enemy, you will never be imperiled in a thousand battles." Rei replied.

His attention snapped back to Misato, and he pushed the feelings of dread down.

"Very true. It has displayed two bone lances in it's arms that it charges with it's AT field, it has destroyed dozens of aircraft with an AT field blast from it's 'eyes'. It shrugged off an N2 mine like you or I would shrug off a balloon popping. At this point, if it's anything like the EVAs, be prepared for it to be able to regenerate itself if you damage it. You must go for the core. Destroy it, and it will die."

"Understood."

"Get in, and get ready. This is going to be one wild ride," the Tactical Operations Commander said.

##

"Okay, the plan is simple enough." Lieutenant Hyuga said, "Rei will keep her AT field down and attempt to flank the Angel and come up on it from behind while Shinji deploys his and engages the Angel head-on. When she reaches attack range, she will unfold her AT field and pin the Angel between two EVAs. They will then take turns engaging the Angel with their prog blades in order to disable it and get to the core.

"Pilot synch ratios are at 38% and 56% respectively. Harmonics normal, no irregularities. Units Zero and One are reporting all systems green." Lieutenant Ibuki called. Tactical displays showed the overall status of the two EVAs on side views of the main holographic display.

The main viewscreen switched to cameras that had a direct view of the launch pad exits and on the Angel.

Misato nodded and replied, "We are go for launch! Move the EVAs to the pad."

"Ready Rei?" Shinji asked softly through their two-way link as the Evas rode the platform to the launch hub.

"Yes, Shinji. I was born ready."

"I wish I had your confidence," he admitted, his voice shaky.

She smiled. Her big brother had more confidence than he knew. She also wasn't joking. She did know, thanks to what she still had to keep secret from Shinji, that this was indeed what she was born for. There were other clones exactly like her, despite everyone telling her that she was still unique.

"Launch paths cleared."

Both EVAs reached the surface at the same time, only a couple kilometers apart. Then, they were released. Shinji unfolded his AT field, keeping it between him and the Angel as he steadily closed. With a flick of a switch and a thought, the Progressive Knife popped out of a shoulder pylon and he drew it.

He charged the Angel at a jog, and shrugged off the blast attack from it's eyes as he closed to melee range. "Closing on Angel. Status Rei?"

The Angel deployed it's AT field, trying to break through Unit-01's as it lashed out with one arm's lance, then the other arm's lance.

"Ten seconds Shinji," she replied as Shinji countered the Angels' attack by rolling forward, and using his AT field to nullify the Angel's. He came out of the roll with a leap, sailing through the Air and tackling Sachiel in the midsection.

The two behemoths crashed into an invisible wall of force as Rei deployed her AT field and charged from behind. She then grabbed Sachiel from behind in a Full Nelson, pulling it's arms backward, leaving it's core exposed. Angel's AT field neutralized, Shinji slammed the Progressive Knife into the Core, but was blown backwards from another blast from Sachiel's eyes.

Status displays showed moderate armor damage to the chest-piece as Shinji recovered from the impact and stood up, a few hundred yards away from where he had been. What he saw was impressive, and definitely something his 'Little Sister' would do.

The Prog Knife hung out of the damaged Core, and Rei pulled the Angel up as she attempted to perform an AT field and Shoulder Pylon retro-rocket assisted jump. The two behemoths flipped backward, and Rei controlled the fall so that the Angel would be underneath her.

"Deploy your AT field to contain the Angel's death throes," Rei called.

They fell face-first, and the impact drove the Prog Knife all the way into the Core, splitting it. Sachiel stilled for an instant, then it's Core went, throwing Rei backward, despite her AT field suppressing and channeling the explosion harmlessly upwards. In mid-air, she pulsed the retro-rockets to come to a kneeling landing similar to so many comic book superheroes.

On the other side, Shinji had his AT field deployed, helping funnel the explosion upwards to prevent additional collateral damage.

After the blast cleared, and a fine LCL rain began to descend, both pilots gently walked their EVAs back to nearby lifts, and locked down on them to be retrieved.

Shinji and Rei both grinned widely at each other through the two-way Video Commlink.

"We did it Rei."

"Humanity lives to see another day."

"You two should be proud," Misato's voice cut in both cockpits, "Good job."

"Thank you Misato," Rei said as Shinji nodded and mumbled, "Thanks."

Misato cut the line and straightened up amidst the cheering from the crew.

##

Down in the Command Center, while the astounded JSSDF Generals looked on, the entire crew save the four ranking NERV Officers let out various cheers and whoops at the speed and efficiency of the whole operation.

Dr. Akagi looked relieved, Captain Katsuragi smiled and gave the two Pilots a customary 'Good Job' while Gendo smirked under his steepled hands and Fuyutsuki merely stood like a statue, despite the amused and proud gleam in his eyes.

"It has begun," Gendo said softly.

"Yes, it has." Fuyutsuki agreed.

"Now, it's only a matter of time."

##

Semi-inspired by Nobody Dies, and A Matter of Faith. And of course the Original Source material. If certain themes and ideas seem kinda familiar, that's why.

Again, change a couple things. Gendo actually cares about his son. Instead of traumatizing the children so that they can only bond with the mother's souls in the EVA, he decides, after losing Yui, that they will find another way. Thus, his scenario begins with trying to create bonds between the pilots to be.

He's still a monster who will stop at nothing to accomplish his goals, a scheming chessmaster seeking to outmaneuver SEELE, but now, he's truly a father, and if he isn't very expressive, he is empathic.

This also mixes up things from both the Prime and Rebuild timelines, and (if I actually bother to continue writing and get that far) will be reflected accordingly, such as merging Clock-iel and Matariel(both of which went down like chumps) into one more fearsome angel. In fact, since this time around we have 4 trained pilots to start with, and 4 functioning EVAs spread around the world, the Angels are also going to take a level in Badass. Sachiel taking an N2 mine and just walking off should already show this a bit.

Can't make it too easy. This is EVA after all. While traumas do exist, as they do in real life, everyone's mostly happy, and well, normal.