And the Meek Shall Inherit the Earth

Neon Genesis: Evangelion OFF series #6

By Austin Covello

Based on the characters created by GAINAX

Gendo Ikari, Commander-in-Chief of NERV, gazed out of his office window at the artificial landscape that was the Geofront. What race of beings built this place? he wondered for the thousandth time as he looked at its mountains, lakes, and grasslands. Was it the same beings that we now fight? Or was it another race, in preparation for this era? Yui had often asked those questions aloud.

His left hand balled into a fist as the taste of regret soured his tongue. It had been a marriage of convenience for him at first. Gendo had needed her technical expertise and intelligence, and so he'd used her, the way he had used everyone else in his life. And when she became no longer useful to in her present form, he had eliminated her by transforming her into something even more useful.

What he hadn't counted on was falling in love with her. And he had never been able to truly express it.

He missed how… annoying she could be. She'd always come to him with these questions. Why was the Geofront built? Who built it? Will they come back? Have they come back already? And occasionally, she'd come to him with a breakthrough, or something that she thought was a breakthrough. After Yui had left, Gendo often found himself wondering the very same questions that she would have wondered. If she wasn't there to argue the points with him… it was a way to hide the loneliness, at least.

"'Tis a soulless man; he who cannot love," the voice of Vice Commander Kouzou Fuyutski, his former mentor turned second in command, came from behind him. Of all the people who attempted to analyze him; of all the people who attempted to read his mind, no one came closer than the former university professor.

"Yet it is a wise man who recognizes love for the illusion that it is," retorted Gendo, not bothering to tear his gaze from the window. Time for philosophy hour again, Professor?

"Although the true measure of a man can never be judged by his enemies, only by loved ones," noted Fuyutski.

Gendo snorted. "What you would call love, I would call prostitution. An exchange of emotional favors, and, if needs be, material and sexual also."

"To preserve the species, God gave man the instinct of reproduction and a higher means of expressing it. Hence love, the emotion of all benevolent Gods, was instilled into man."

"And the mark of any sentient species is the ability to suppress instinct, as well as emotion, in the name of logic and thought so that the whole of mankind may be saved. Including and especially love and compassion."

"So then, what are you going to do about Asuka and Shinji?" asked Fuyutski, ending the philosophy lesson for the day.

"Nothing," replied Gendo, still staring out the window at the Geofront.

"Nothing?" repeated Fuyutski incredulously. "Aren't you concerned that this whole little relationship of theirs could affect their performance?"

"Irrelevant. Teenage love is derived from rebellion, Fuyutski. If we were to forbid them from dating one another, they'd simply see each other in secret. I'd rather have them out in the open where we can keep an eye on them than have them sneaking out in the night."

"And what if Asuka gets pregnant?" demanded Fuyutski. "You know that we can't let her pilot if she's in that condition! The harmonics wouldn't handle the new mind! She's our best pilot, and if she gets pregnant, her career is finished!"

"That won't happen. Keep in mind that Major Katsuragi is watching them at all times, and that Asuka doesn't want a child any more than we want her to have one."

Fuyutski stared at the commander, unable to believe that he'd be so foolish as to gamble Unit 02's pilot on something this frivolous. "You're hiding something from me." It wasn't a question.

Gendo finally tore himself away from the window to look over his shoulder at Fuyutski with a smoldering glare. "That's true, isn't it?"

***

"Wake up."

It was a voice that entered Shinji Ikari's dream. The voice was soft and feathery; very beautiful. Mother…

"Wake up. It is time for school."

A white light filled his vision, gradually forming the familiar images of his room.

"It's time to get up."

Shinji looked over to his left to see Rei Ayanami standing over his futon. "Uh… Rei, what're you… uh…"

"I don't think that the other students would appreciate you showing up in this condition, Shinji." Her tone was her usual neutral deadpan, but her red eyes sparkled with mirth. "On the other hand, perhaps some students would."

Shinji looked down at his body and realized that the only thing that kept Rei from seeing his privates was a thin sheet that only covered half of his body. With a yelp, he pulled the covers further up on himself. "Sorry!" he cried. How did I end up playing straight-man to Rei, of all people, first thing in the morning?

Now fully awake, he remembered. It seemed that the board of health had finally managed to crackdown on the slovenliness of Rei's apartment complex and gave the landlord an ultimatum: Exterminate the pests or have your license revoked. The landlord, being smart despite his greed, had relented. So Misato, realizing that Rei would be homeless for the duration of the roach-bombing, had agreed to let her spend the night.

His bedroom door slid open with a loud crash to reveal the fully dressed form of Asuka Langley Soryu, his girlfriend, roommate, and fellow Eva Pilot. Seeing that he was awake, she grinned wolfishly. "Oh boy! Smoochin' time!" she yelled as she ran straight toward him.

"Asuka, no!" cried Shinji as she pounced on top of him and gave him a huge French-kiss. "I'm not even dressed!"

This was probably the worst thing that Shinji could have said. Asuka laughed evilly. "Well, well, well," she leered. "Let's see what you've got under there!" With that, she began an impromptu tug-of-war with Shinji's sheets.

"Leggo!" bawled Shinji. Briefly, he considered just giving up. Asuka was his girlfriend, after all, and she was going to see it sooner or later. Then he remembered that Rei was still standing there, observing the struggle. "What about Rei?" he cried.

What about Rei?" replied Asuka. "She's as curious as I am. Aren't you, Wonder Girl?"

Rei looked at the two of them. "It would be… interesting," she replied.

"There, you see?" said Asuka. "Now gimme those sheets!" she commanded, continuing to try to yank the sheets off of Shinji.

The morning festivities were cut short as Major Misato Katsuragi, Asuka and Shinji's guardian, stuck her head in. "What's going on in here?" she demanded. Asuka jumped slightly.

"Knock it off, you two!" admonished Misato. She jerked her thumb toward the door. "Asuka: Out!"

Shinji heaved a sigh of relief as Asuka submissively headed out the door.

"You too, Rei. Come on," she ordered.

"Yes, ma'am," replied Rei as she glided out the door.

Once the two girls were outside, Misato closed the door with a snap and stood in front of it. Parenting sucks! "It's going to be simple," I said. "They just started dating two weeks ago," I said. "They won't even get to second base until a month, at least," I said. Why the hell does Asuka have to move so fast? She's the one that always calls boys perverts for wanting to see naked women! She sighed exasperatedly. I need a drink.

An hour later, Misato and the three pilots were sitting down to breakfast. "Well Rei, just think," said Misato. "Pretty soon you'll be back in your old apartment, roach-free!"

"Yes, ma'am," deadpanned Rei.

Misato lifted her beer can and shook it. "Could I have another?" she asked sweetly.

"Yes ma'am," answered Rei, getting up.

"Oh no you don't!" cried Asuka. "Let Misato get her own beer. You're our guest, after all."

"And if she's too lazy to get up, let her stay sober," remarked Shinji.

"Shinji!" cried Misato.

"I have been ordered to get her a beer," said Rei.

"Well, not so much ordered," explained Misato. "Just requested."

"You're such an obedient little soldier," snorted Asuka. Asuka had resolved to no longer think of Rei as a doll. For the past two weeks, Rei had been displaying-albeit only occasionally-normal emotional responses. In fact, when Asuka and Rei had gone out, it had almost seemed like they were friends, until for some reason she had regressed back to herself. Asuka wasn't sure what was going on with her, but she knew that the emotional side of needed to be encouraged, and that the doll analogy was no longer correct.

"I must obey. It is required," replied Rei.

Asuka snorted. "Oh, come on! It takes more than just blind obedience to win a war! If you want to be a good soldier, you've got to have initiative and leadership skills!"

"She's got a point, Rei," said Misato. "You know that if NERV still needs you when you come of age, you'll get official commissions. Based on your seniority, you'll be a Lieutenant at lowest. That means you'll be giving orders."

"Yes, ma'am," replied Rei.

Asuka rolled her eyes skyward as she got up. Shinji followed suit. "Time to go," he commented.

"Have a nice day," said Misato.

"Not so fast, Third Child!" exclaimed Asuka. "What about my kiss goodbye?"

"But you're walking to school with me, aren't you?" gulped Shinji.

"Shinji you idiot! What does that have to do with anything?" asked Asuka.

Shinji smiled. "Nothing, I guess." With that, he gave her a small peck on the lips as the three children headed out the door.

***

There had always been an old cliché about nervousness: Butterflies in your stomach. It entered Lieutenant Shigeru Aoba's head as he walked to the Tactical Center. No, "butterflies" was too mild. Maybe snakes. Or demons. Or that thing that killed John Hurt.

He never got called to the Tactical Center. That was the Major's job. She was the one who was always there, while he got left answering the phone… and managing everything else, usually. But today, the commander had called him in. A hundred possibilities, all bad, floated into his mind as to the reason.

The doors opened and Shigeru stepped in. The chairs around the tactical center's table had been moved to face the doorway, and he now faced all four members of the supreme command. Only slightly off-center was Commander Ikari, and to his right sat Vice Commander Fuyutski. Both of them gazed at him severely. To Ikari's left sat Dr. Ritsuko Akagi, NERV's head of Technology and Development. And next to Dr. Akagi sat his immediate supervisor, Major Misato Katsuragi.

All four of them. Enough for a court martial. "Lieutenant Shigeru Aoba reporting as ordered, sir." He saluted crisply. Well, I've been out of a job before. I'll just have to accept it.

"Thank you for coming, Lieutenant," said Commander Fuyutski. He then took out a sheet of paper and read aloud from it. "Lieutenant Shigeru Aoba, this tribunal was called to evaluate and judge the performance of your recent actions as Communications Officer and senior lieutenant of NERV Headquarters Command and Control center. In particular, your actions during many of the battles within Tokyo-3, as well as your performance during experiments were taken into account.

"According to the quarterly evaluations performed by Major Katsuragi, your immediate commander, you have performed your duties with unswerving ability. Furthermore, you have also gained the respect of your peers, and when necessary, you have taken command of countless situations."

"It is the judgement of this tribunal that Shigeru Aoba be promoted to the rank of Captain, and assigned to the new post of Executive Operations Director, as of twelve-hundred hours, March the first," announced Commander Ikari. "Congratulations, Captain Aoba."

With that, all four members rose and bowed respectfully toward him.

Shigeru returned the bow, his eyes wide and his mouth open. It's a dream! They don't promote Comm Officers! But then again…

Captain Shigeru Aoba smiled as he saluted the tribunal.

***

"Congratulations, Captain," saluted Lieutenants Maya Ibuki and Makoto Hyuga as they stood rigidly at attention. The three officers and Ritsuko were in the testing area control box to run diagnostics on the Evas, starting with Unit 00.

"Aw, it's not that big of a deal," said Shigeru modestly.

"It is for Misato," remarked Ritsuko dryly. "Now she has someone to push the paperwork on."

Shigeru's shoulder's slumped as he sat down in his seat. "I was trying not to think about that part."

"It's not so bad," remarked Ritsuko. "Speaking of which, I just realized that I have some that really needs to be taken care of. You can handle things here, can't you, Captain?"

Shigeru pointed to himself. "Me? You want me to be in charge?"

Ritsuko shrugged. "Why not? You are Misato's second-in-command now, and this is only a routine check-up. Maya can help you if you need anything. Okay, Maya?"

"Yes, ma'am," affirmed Maya.

"Well, I don't see any problems, then. I'll expect a full report in about an hour," she ordered, walking out of the control box.

Shigeru turned to Maya. "Commence activation test," he instructed.

"Roger," replied Maya. "Connecting main circuit to external power outlet."

"Bet you're looking forward to that next check, huh, Shigeru," commented Makoto. "Captains make a lot more than Lieutenants."

"You got that right," answered Shigeru. "I can just taste that pay raise. I'll finally be able to get that new fretless I've been after."

Maya snorted. "Yeah, but when are you going to get the time to play it? Unit 00 activated," she reported. "Beginning the interlock tests."

"Roger," acknowledged Shigeru. "I'll make time. I don't suppose you guys have any party or anything planned for me, do you?"

"Not me," replied Makoto. "At least, not this weekend. I'm attending a Manga convention. Invitational."

"Well, I suppose I could baby-sit you, if you really feel like you need it." Maya's tone was light, but it had an undercurrent of seriousness to it.

"Sure. If it isn't too much trouble," Shigeru bantered.

"No trouble at all," retorted Maya. "Interlock tests complete. Beginning viral scans."

***

"Okay, guys. You all did good. Come on up to the control box," Misato's voice came over the communications window.

In the simulation plug, Asuka slowly opened her eyes as she felt her consciousness leaving Unit 02 and being placed back into her own body. Well, quality time's over, she thought to her Eva. She wondered if it'd somehow heard her.

The simulation plug slid open, and Asuka saw Shinji getting out. She walked over to him and put his arm around her and gripped him around his midsection. "How'd you do?" she asked.

"I don't know. I couldn't really concentrate," admitted Shinji ruefully.

"Oh? Some of those dirty thoughts floating around in your head, maybe?" flirted Asuka.

"What? No! I mean…I…I was thinking about you!" Shinji blurted.

"You were thinking dirty thoughts about me?" cried Asuka, feigning anger.

"Yes! I mean no! I…"

Asuka let out a loud laugh, following it up with a kiss on the cheek. "I know, Shinji. I was just giving you a hard time. You're so cute when you're off guard, you know that?"

"Uh… not really," muttered Shinji. "Were you thinking about me?"

"No," replied Asuka. "Sorry, Shinji, but business first. You may be my boyfriend, but I still have to beat you." Her tone turned more playful. "So, if you were thinking about me, then that means I caused you to lose, doesn't it?"

"Well… I wouldn't…"

Asuka suddenly broke free from him and ran up a few of the stairs. "I messed up Shinji's te-est! I messed up Shinji's te-est!" she sang mischievously.

"Hey! Wait a minute!" cried Shinji as he chased after her up into the control box…

…where Commander Ikari was waiting for them, coldly eyeing the doorway through his tinted glasses.

Asuka stood rigidly at attention as the commander eyed the two of them. However, her mind thought up a hundred obscenities toward the man. What's that jerk doing here? Doesn't have anything better to do with his time than annoy us?

As he inclined his head toward Ritsuko, the control box's fluorescent lights reflected off of his glasses, giving him the illusion of glowing eyes. "Dr. Akagi, what are the test results?" he asked in an evenly-measured voice.

"Asuka and Rei's synch ratio are maintaining their levels. However, Shinji's went down by two percent," reported Ritsuko.

Asuka flashed Shinji a teasing side-grin.

Misato caught the gesture and sighed. "Look Shinji, I know you're happy about having a girlfriend, and you should be. But I wish you'd try to reign it in a little during the synch tests, okay? It's starting to disrupt your ratio."

"I'll do my best, ma'am," responded Shinji, apparently still on guard from the commander's surprise inspection.

"No," disagreed Ikari. "I don't think it was entirely Pilot Ikari's fault. The Eva may not be used to this new emotion, but it will adapt soon enough."

Everyone stared at him, eyes wide in disbelief. Since when did Commander Ikari stick up for his son?

"Why don't you two take a break, and then we'll start the equipment test," suggested Ritsuko.

"Belay that," interjected Ikari. He walked over to Asuka and Shinji. "When a man risks his life, he must have his own reason for doing so, and he must understand them. Wouldn't you agree, Pilot Ikari?"

"Y… Yes sir," replied Shinji.

Asuka glowered at him. So now you actually care what Shinji thinks? How open-minded of you.

"But in order to understand his reasons for risking his life, he must first see what it is he is fighting for. Have you seen what you're fighting for?"

"Well… um… I'm… I'm not really sure." Shinji squirmed noticeably.

"Then you should find out." Gendo took out a roll of crisp, red bills. Handing them to Shinji, he pushed his glasses further up on his nose. "That's an order. To the both of you."

Asuka's eyes grew big as she eyed the yen that was now in Shinji's hands. "Yes sir!" she cried, practically dragging Shinji out the door.

Misato gaped at the commander. Why, all of a sudden, is he so damn generous? Especially toward Shinji? No question about it. He's up to something.

Rei trudged up the stairs, looking questionably at each of the officers. "The others?" Her voice was quiet as usual, barely above a whisper, but there was the faintest edge to it.

"They have been dismissed," answered Ikari.

"Then may I go as well?" asked Rei. "Perhaps I can catch up…"

"No," Ikari cut her off, smiling grimly. "There are still things to which you and I need to attend." Without another word, he put his arm around Rei and walked out.

Ritsuko's eyes narrowed at the twosome. Of course, it wouldn't be fair to subject her to the equipment tests when the other two pilots have gone, she thought cynically. Oh, no. But taking her up to his office for whatever goes on between them, that's all right.

Misato caught Ritsuko's death stare. "Is there something wrong, Doctor?"

Ritsuko turned her frown on Misato. "Nothing, Major. Not a damn thing." On that note, she stalked out of the control box.

***

With about five shopping bags on each arm, Asuka led Shinji into the food court. Asuka had had plenty of dates before, as well as a few boyfriends. As such, she was very experienced with boys her age, and when a boy her age had money, regardless of the amount, she knew what actions were expected of her. And Asuka; knowing that as Shinji's girlfriend it was her right, duty, and privilege; had lived up to those expectations, just like any normal girlfriend would.

In short, she had made Shinji spend all of his money on her.

With a sigh of contentment, Asuka sat down at the table. "You know, maybe I misjudged the commander, Shinji," she remarked.

"What do you mean?" asked Shinji. "The money he gave us is sure to come out of our trust fund."

"I know that," replied Asuka. "But it was nice of him to let us out of those tests. Admit it."

"Okay. It was nice of him to let us out of work early. Can we change the subject, now?"

Asuka shrugged. "Grumpy," she accused. Keep it light. You know he doesn't like talking about his father. Probably touched a nerve. She slid her chair around the table next to him. "Is my widdle Shinji in a bad mood today?" she teased.

Shinji's face turned toward Asuka, and abruptly he kissed her on the mouth. He broke off, looked at Asuka, and started laughing. "Bet you weren't expecting that, were you?"

"You dork!" Asuka giggled. "I'm supposed to decide when we kiss!" She responded by giving him a few small ones on his face. "There. Now we're even." The small kissing session ended, Asuka changed the subject. "Shinji, I've been thinking. Isn't about time Rei had a boyfriend?"

Shinji's eyebrows raised. "Well… I guess so, maybe. Why do you ask?"

"Well, you and I have both noticed how weird she's been acting lately, right? And whatever the cause of it is, she isn't telling either of us. So, I thought it would be nice to set her up with somebody that she'd feel comfortable enough with."

Shinji rubbed his forehead thoughtfully. "Hmm… Kensuke, maybe?"

Asuka snorted. "Forget it. I wouldn't wish Kensuke on anybody."

"Hey!" whined Shinji defensively. "What's so bad about…" Shinji's last words were drowned out by the blaring of klaxons.

Asuka reflexively looked down to see her pocket pager beeping with an "Angel Attack" message on it. With a sigh, she got up, Shinji following suit. "You know, for a messenger of God, it sure does have a lousy sense of timing," she complained.

***

When the Third Angel had attacked, the situation had a distinct sense of dread. A fourteen year old boy, with no combat experience, was going to attempt to pilot a bio-mechanical giant against an enemy that they knew nothing about and was unstoppable by regular weapons. The odds were against said giant even activating, much less being combat ready.

Yet staring at an almost one hundred percent identical enemy, Warrant Officer Grade Four Kara Wild-command and control's new Communications Officer-smirked at the monitor. "Using the same Angel twice, when it didn't work the first time. That was smart of them," the dark-haired, dark eyed Berkeley native quipped.

Misato snorted derisively. NERV had learned a lot about their adversary since the First Battle of Tokyo-3, and the sense of dread had been worked so far into the combat routine that it barely registered anymore. They had three of the bio-mechanical giants now, and there was no question of whether or not they would work. And the reluctant fourteen year old pilot was now a seasoned veteran when it came to combating Angels. This was going to be a cakewalk.

"The Second and Third Children have just reported in," noted Kara.

"Understood," replied Commander Ikari. "Status of Evangelions?"

"They can be prepped and ready for launch in four hundred and twenty seconds," reported Maya.

Ikari smirked. "Make it so."

***

Asuka savored the melding of awareness with Unit 02. At long last, she was going to get a shot at "the dreaded" Third Angel. She'd heard plenty of stories about how it had first attacked, reducing the JASDF's best protocopters to rubble, killing many of their finest soldiers. It had even pummeled Unit 01 into insensibility, until Shinji had somehow managed to defeat it. Good luck doing that again, thought Asuka to the Angel.

She opened a communications window to Shinji as she felt herself being hoisted onto the catapult. "Hey Shinji, just don't trip over your umbilical cable this time, okay?"

Shinji's eyes widened. "You heard about that? I mean… I didn't… Who told you?"

"Are you stupid? It's NERV folklore by now! Soldiers go down into the archives and watch it for a cheap laugh."

Misato's image came over another comm window. "Listen up. I know it's easy to get overconfident in this situation, but stay alert. Dr. Akagi can't confirm a one-hundred percent match to the Third Angel, so this one may have some tricks up its sleeve that we don't know about. Don't let your guard down."

"Roger," chorused the children.

"All right. I'm assigning Rei to lead this mission."

It took a moment for this to sink in. "What?" shouted Asuka. "You're putting Rei in charge? Are you nuts? She has no command experience whatsoever! Hell, I don't think she's even capable of giving orders!"

"Weren't you the one who said that Rei should assert herself more, Asuka?" retorted Misato smoothly. "Well, here's her chance."

"So much for our cakewalk," muttered Asuka sourly. But deep down, she knew Misato was right. Besides, she thought to herself with a trace of sour grapes, one-sided battles are boring anyway.

"Launch Evas!" cried Misato.

As the mechas shot to the surface, Shinji once again contacted Asuka. "Hey, aren't we missing something? Like a stupid joke, or something, to ease the tension?"

Suddenly, Rei got on the screen. "Stupid joke," she deadpanned.

Asuka felt her lips tug upward as she snorted. The snort turned into a chuckle. "That was actually pretty funny, Rei!" she laughed. Who knows? She might not turn out so bad, after all.

***

"Rei, do you hear me?" Commander Ikari's voice came over the audio-only communication's window.

"Yes sir," replied Rei.

"As soon as the Evas have surfaced, have them spread their AT Fields, but don't allow them to go over fifty percent. Under no circumstances allow them to destroy this Angel. I want it captured."

"Yes sir." Rei closed the window. Dammit! Why can't he let me do it my way? I could be as good a leader as Asuka and Shinji if he'd just give me a chance!

But that is not your purpose. Your purpose is to follow. Your purpose is to obey.

Shut up! We're in the middle of a battle! I don't have time for this.

No. I am here to make sure you don't do anything rash.

"All Units, AT Fields at fifty percent. Lay down a suppressing fire and drive it away from headquarters. Aim for the facial area."

Asuka's eyes widened. "What the hell kind of an attack plan is that?" she demanded. "I say we turn our Fields up to full blast and let him have it!"

Misato's voice came over an open channel. "Asuka, in case you haven't noticed, that was an order."

A snarl escaped Asuka's lips. "Dammit, Misato! With those so-called 'orders', she's gambling with our lives! Can't you see that?" With that, she charged toward the Angel.

***

"Asuka, stay away from it!" cried Misato. But she understood what Asuka was getting at. What was Rei doing? Her strategy bordered on reckless at best, suicidal at worst. Either she had something major planned, or else she was really underestimating the enemy.

Perhaps it would be best to remove Rei from command and turn it over to Shinji. After all, he had fought a variant of this Angel before, and at least had some experience. But if I yank her off of every battle just because I don't understand her tactics, how is she going to develop anything resembling leadership skills? Who knows? She might just surprise me. God, I hope she surprises me.

***

With a ferocious battle cry, Asuka charged straight toward the Angel, fist cocked back and ready to strike. But the Angel caught the arm and twisted it around her back in a crude hammerlock.

Shinji winced as painful memories came back to haunt him. He knew what was coming next. The Angel would hammer Asuka's head until the brain-case split open like rotted fruit.

However, much to Shinji's surprise, the Angel instead settled for delivering a point-blank cross-flare. Fortunately, Asuka had raised her AT Field in a nick of time, and so instead of being vaporized, she was merely thrown into the side of a building.

"Asuka!" cried Shinji as he rushed to her side.

Asuka shakily got to her feat. "Didn't hurt…didn't hurt…didn't hurt," she chanted.

Rei, meanwhile, had taken a rifle from a nearby armament building and began to open fire at the Angel's head, practicing what she preached. "Units 01 and 02, select weapons from nearby buildings and open fire. Do not aim for the core. Repeat: Do not aim for the core."

"Well, she sure is in a compassionate mood," commented Asuka sarcastically. "Remind me to remember this next time I lead an attack."

"Sure thing," replied Shinji. "I don't know what it is with her. If I didn't know better, I'd swear that she doesn't want to kill it."

Asuka shrugged and grabbed a rifle. As much as she wanted to mull that thought over, she had an Angel to kill. But you can rest assured you're going to get a major critique when we get finished, Wonder Girl! Taking aim at the upper-body, she opened fire.

With a certain grim satisfaction, Asuka watched as the Angel began a steady withdrawal. Well, at least we're getting it away from headquarters. But why are we playing around? If we'd aimed for the core, it'd be dead by now. I hate this cat and mouse Scheiße!

Abruptly, the umbilical cable went taut. "I'm out of slack," Asuka reported. "I need some cover."

"Acknowledged," said Rei. "Unit 01 will give covering fire."

"Roger." Asuka detached her umbilical cable, and ran over to next building over. Taking the cord from the skyscraper, she plugged it into her back. "All set," she stated. This gave way to another mental complaint. What does she plan to do? Run the thing out of the city? If this keeps up, we'll run out of cable! Then what?

***

"The enemy is being pushed back, away from headquarters. We're driving it toward the beach. We should be able to capture it there," reported Rei.

"Excellent," Ikari's murmur came over the window. "Major Katsuragi has already ordered that some portable cables be shipped to the beach. They should be waiting for you when you arrive."

"Yes sir," came Rei's reply. This is ridiculous! We should have killed it by now!

Commander Ikari wants it captured.

Why?

Irrelevant.

No! If that thing is taken into headquarters, it could destroy all of humanity! Isn't that right?

Correct. But it must be captured.

Just because Gendo wants it.

Correct.

I can't! It has to be destroyed, no matter what Gendo wants!

You can. And you will. And with that last thought, the apathy assumed complete control.

***

There was only one real beach left in Japan. The other so-called "beaches" were in actuality places where the rising water level from Second Impact had caused buildings to be flooded with the salt-waters of the Pacific; getting to the point where only the highest stories were above the water's surface, only to be negligently crushed by Eva and Angel alike at coastal interceptions. The real beach, on the other hand, was one of the most beautiful sights that Japan had to offer, with waves of jade-colored water crashing and recoiling against the yellow-brown sands. If there were such a thing as an appropriate place for a battle, then this paradise would be the furthest thing from it.

And yet it was here that Rei had decided to drive her prey. Asuka once again opened fire on the Angel as they broke through the trees and onto the sand. Spying the umbilical cable, she ran over and plugged herself in. "All right, Wonder Girl we're here! Now what?" she demanded, not bothering to keep the bite out of her voice.

"All Units close in and proceed to capture."

Asuka's jaw dropped. "What? Did you just say capture?"

"Correct."

Asuka's eyes narrowed. "No way! On whose authority?"

"Commander Ikari's."

Asuka let out a low snarl. So that's why we've been playing around all this time. Wonder Girl wants to do the impossible and capture a live Angel for her precious commander! It figures. She has to show off how great she is for him! That's what it is! With that, she rushed at the Angel, dodging another arm-pulse and backing it up into the surf.

That was when she saw them.

Toji and Hikari.

They had obviously just come back from Okinawa. But they'd have heard the alarm. They'd have seen the umbilical cables. They'd have evacuated to the shelters. It was completely impossible for either of them to be there!

But they were.

Asuka's heart jumped into her mouth. "Shinji! Rei! Either one of you! Get them out of here!"

"I'm on it," replied Shinji. He hadn't cared that the order came from Asuka, or the fact that it would leave a gaping hole in their web. Probably as scared for Toji as I am for Hikari. Asuka started at that thought. Asuka Langley Soryu, the greatest Eva pilot ever to sit in an entry plug, felt fear. Not for herself, certainly. But for her best friend, sitting defenseless on the beach…

Asuka took out her prog knife, orders be damned. This meant more to her than her job. I don't care if I ever pilot again, just as long as Hikari's safe.

As Asuka charged the Angel, it sent out a small, pencil thin beam aimed at her leg. It was trying to cripple her agility as a setup for a more crushing blow, she realized. She quickly sidestepped the beam. Reflexively, she tracked its course…

…directly into the small of Hikari's back.

Mein Gott, no! Not Hikari!

Hikari collapsed to the ground.

No… Gott im Himmel, no…

For a split second, everything froze.

Then Asuka turned to the Angel. The killer. Hikari's killer.

"Diiiiiiiiiiieeeee!" she howled, rushing toward the Angel as the landscape tinted red. She slammed hard into the Angel's AT Field, and then cut threw it like a hot knife through butter.

"Diiiiiiiiiieeeee!" With her rage multiplying her strength tenfold, Asuka tackled the Angel. Knees on the thing's abdomen, she drove her progressive knife into the core.

And again.

And again.

And again.

Asuka grabbed the Angel's head and brought it up to smash it to the ground… only to find the face staring blankly at her. She looked up to see rivulets of sickly blue liquid flowing from the sides of the Angel's core into the ocean. She'd killed it.

The anger drained from Asuka's body, leaving only one thought in her mind. Hikari… No longer thinking on her own, she ejected the entry plug, jumped out, and ran toward where Hikari fell.

When she got there, she found Shinji and Toji kneeling beside her. They'd already flipped her onto her back. Asuka's first reflex was to berate them for moving her, but as she drew nearer, she realized that it didn't matter much. Even though Asuka was no doctor, she knew Hikari was beyond help. Her breathing was shallow, coming in labored, snore-like sounds; and a pool of blood was beginning to form around her. As Asuka's vision began to blur, she defiantly wiped her tears away. I won't cry, she vowed. The least I can do is comfort her in her last moments, and I won't fail at that.

She walked up to Hikari, a forced smile on her lips. "Asuka." Hikari's voice was strained.

"Don't try to talk." For once, Asuka's voice was barely above a whisper. "You're going to be all right."

"No. Asuka… take care of Shinji, okay? Promise me."

Another sharp pang. Hikari was never going to know that she and Shinji were an item, now. "I… I promise."

"Toji…" Summoning all of her strength, reached out her hand to her boyfriend. Toji quickly took it. "I'd have married you, Toji. I wanted you to know that." Hikari's eyes stared blankly, then slowly sagged shut. Toji let go of her hand, and watched it fall limply to the ground.

Toji's eyes grew bright with stifled tears. Abruptly, he buried his face in Hikari's chest, sobs wracking his body.

Asuka turned away, unable to bear the sight of her best friend's dead body, only to look directly at Rei Ayanami standing fifty feet away.

Asuka's anger built once again. "You!" Fists cocked at her sides, she marched onward toward Rei. "You did this! This is your fault! Your decisions! We'd have destroyed this thing in the city! Hikari would still be alive!"

Abruptly, she felt herself being pulled backward. She turned to face her restrainer. It was Shinji. "Asuka, stop." His voice was icy calm.

"Why? Dammit, Shinji! She killed Hikari! As sure as if she'd pulled the trigger herself!" Her head whipped back around to see her. She was there, standing there, cold as ice…

…mouth hanging open…

…looking as smug as she always did…

…eyes wide and bright with stifled tears…

With another apathetic stare, she turned and walked away.

…ran away from the scene, half choking on restrained sobs.

***

Sitting on the school bench, Rei tore her hands away from her eyes. Sure enough, there were plenty of tear drops on her palms. Gently, she caressed her own cheek. Dry.

Damn you, let me cry! I want to grieve!

No.

You caused the death of a loved one. You and Gendo.

You never knew the class rep.

I would have liked to! She… she always seemed so nice. It was trite, even to her.

It is of no consequence.

A life ends, and you say it's of no consequence? What do you value?

Our purpose.

If our purpose brings this much suffering, I'd rather not have one.

"Hey." A masculine voice interrupted her train of thought. Rei looked over to the escalator.

Toji Suzuhara, boyfriend of the late Hikari Horaki, walked up to her. "Mind if I sit down?"

Rei regarded the young man, his eyes still red from his crying bout. "As you wish," she replied, sliding over.

Toji smiled at her. "Remember the last time we talked? I was afraid of getting kicked off the team because of my grades and stuff. You were wondering about your relationship with Shinji."

"Yes."

Toji got to the point. "Look, Shinji told me all about what happened. Asuka was wrong, you know. It wasn't your fault. You just followed your superior's orders and decided the best methods to carry them out. It was what you were supposed to do. Ask Kensuke if you don't believe me."

"I'll do that."

Toji slumped. "Actually, it was… it was my fault."

Rei looked at him questioningly.

"It was my idea to go to the beach. We came straight from the airport. I guess we didn't hear the alarms or anything. Or maybe, we just didn't want to hear them." He looked up at the clear blue sky. "It was such a nice day. I guess we didn't want to believe that something like an Angel attack could spoil it. You know what I mean?"

"No," answered Rei. "But I wish that I did."

The two sat in silence together long after that.

***

No coroner wanted to go through this. And no father should have to go through this, thought Anami as he lifted the sheet to reveal the pony-tailed girl sleeping underneath, her skin pale and blue-tinted from the refrigeration. To his side, the gentleman stood frozen. "Mr. Horaki?" he asked.

"Y-yes. That's her."

Anami pulled the sheet over the body. "I'm sorry, sir. Truly, truly sorry."

Horaki ignored him, muttering to himself. "I'll… I'll have to tell the girls. Don't know how to break it to them. They loved her so much." Stumbling as if he were blind, he left the corridor.

Anami watched the poor man go as he returned Horaki's youngest daughter to the refrigeration unit. As he did, the NERV slogan entered his mind, and he repeated it to himself sardonically.

God is in his heaven, all is right with the world.

To Be Continued

Next Episode:

Hikari's death weighs heavily on the citizens of Tokyo-3. Everything seems to be put on hold as the members of NERV attempt to figure out who is at fault. At the center of this is Asuka, who is sublimely convinced that the guilt falls squarely on Rei's shoulders. The carefree days are gone, and the truce between the two has ended as Asuka attempts to put Hikari's ghost to rest. Can she do it? It's the next episode:

The Burden Hardest to Bear

Afterword:

Well at long last, it's done. I'm sure a lot of you are going, "Oh my God! He killed Hikari! You bastard!" Well, here's something else. This was planned all along. In fact, this whole event is going to shape the events of the next half of the OFF series. What started off as a slightly comic, romantic/WAFF series is heading toward a darker, more dramatic series. In fact, don't be surprised if the last few installments are darkfic.

I wasn't as satisfied with the death scene as I'd originally hoped. It came across as corny, like something from a bad sci-fi movie. But Hikari's last words to Toji gain significance in the next installment.

Points of Interest:

Asuka and Shinji:

I tried to keep them in character as well as being a couple. In other words, just because Shinji is Asuka's boyfriend doesn't mean she can't call him an idiot now and again. Likewise, Shinji still has problems communicating with her. However, we see that they're working at it, and that Shinji is loosening up a bit, which comes as a pleasant surprise to Asuka.

Gendo

It's easy to write Gendo off as the evil incarnate, isn't it? Personally, I don't think that there's really anyone out there like that. He is devious and determined to the point of being monomaniacal, but he also realizes what he's lost by being this way, such as his wife and the love of his son. I tried to show both sides of him in this fic. He regrets what happens to his wife, but it hasn't deterred him from playing with other people's lives, especially to get what he wants.

Rei

Well, Rei finally got her shot at leadership. (Keep in mind that I thought this up before seeing episodes 11 and 12, where she handles leadership fairly well.) And what do you know! She didn't do that great of a job. Or did she? Was she really at fault for what happened to Hikari, like Asuka said?

The answer, obviously, is no. If anyone is at fault, it's probably Gendo (again.) He should have made himself a little more clear in his intent to capture the Angel. For that matter, he should have informed Asuka and Shinji, as well. However, Rei handled herself pretty well, given the circumstances.

OFF series past

If you haven't noticed, a lot of the scenes from the original series have been moved around, and adapted for the off series. They're usually the more minor exchanges between the children. For example, Toji and Rei have had their "heart to heart" from episode 18, despite the fact that Unit 03 is nowhere near completion, and Toji certainly isn't the Fourth Child. So what were they talking about? Toji's GPA, and being worried about staying on his sports team. That's what Hikari misconstrued as a courtship attempt by Rei.

Shigeru

The long-haired guy whose name no one can remember gets promoted! Yay! What impact will this have on the series as a whole? Probably none, to be honest. But it sort of paralleled with Rei's plot. An underused character gets promoted into the limelight, and gets a new post, with greater responsibility than before. Not only that, it seems that he and Maya are finally breaking the ice. This leads to the introduction of…

Kara Wild

Kara is going to be a recurring character in the OFF series, though I wouldn't call her an ACC, since her character is more functional than decorative. With Shigeru as Misato's new XO, we do need a Communications Officer, after all.

Again, sorry for the delay, and thanks for reading!

P.S. Do yourself a favor. Listen to the Eva soundtracks while you write! It'll help your writing. Trust me! Here's a URL for Symphony of Eva, where you can download all of the Eva soundtracks.

http://symphony.cyril.com/