Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction ❯ Evangelion: OMEGA ❯ The Children's Crusade! ( Chapter 9 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

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Legal Stuff: I really don't own EVA, I swear to God!
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Dedication: I can't think of anyone right now, so I'll just dedicate this to everyone.
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Author's Note: Well it's been exactly one year since I started posting Evangelion: OMEGA on Fanfiction.net. I hope you're all enjoying my little story.
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Neon Genesis Evangelion: OMEGA

Chapter 0:9- The Children's Crusade

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"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever."

The aging Priest closed his small Bible, laying the book down on the podium in front of him.

"Hisashi Kusanagi was a beloved son and brother, a fine officer, and a devoted friend. Those who knew him; his family and friends, his co-workers, his Fiancée, and everyone whose lives he was a part of will miss him. But in our sorrow, we also find joy in the memory of Hisashi's bravery. Of his selfless devotion to saving lives, even at the cost of his own. And we take comfort in the knowledge that Hisashi is in a better place. A place without fear or pain, where none suffer. We take comfort, knowing that our friend is at peace. Let us pray."

Michiru bowed her head as the Priest began the prayer, trying believe in what she was saying as she followed his words. The Myojin Home for Orphans, where she had grown up, had been staffed mostly by Catholic nuns. Upon exiting the Orphanage, Michiru had been a reasonably faithful Catholic. But her experiences directly after leaving were steadily stripping her faith from her. It was hard to retain belief in a benevolent deity when Angels were trying to destroy the world and your job was to kill them. She certainly didn't see the use in praying to God for the soul of a friend who had died as a direct result of their war *against* His messengers; if, in fact, that was what the Angels were.

She only joined her fellow mourners in prayer out of respect for Lieutenant Kusanagi, who, it turned out, had been quite a believer. She hadn't really known the man, though she had seen him practically every day since she came to Tokyo 3. Michiru had always taken his presence for granted. And now, though they had never been more than casual acquaintances, she couldn't picture life without him. She couldn't even imagine how Lieutenant Tanaka must feel.

Minako sat in the front row, right next to Kusanagi's mother and brothers. The two Lieutenants may never have had a chance to be married, or even to officially announce their engagement, but Minako was clearly already considered a member of the family. She and Hisashi's mother leaned on each other, the younger woman doing her best to comfort the elder, even though she looked in need of just as much comforting, if not more.

* * * * *

"So do we have any idea what caused the EVA to lose control?" Misato asked, looking up into Unit 15's three eyes.

"We think the EVA had trouble pulling in the correct neural signals from Machiko." Maya said.

"How did that happen?"

"We aren't entirely sure." Maya replied. "There is one possibility though?"

"What is it?" Toji asked.

"Well Unit 15 doesn't have a human soul like Unit 01 does." Maya explained. "Without the experience of a human life as a reference, the EVA may have been confused about which of the pilot's nerves controlled which functions."

The look on Toji's face made it clear that he didn't get it.

"Think of it like this." Maya continued. "A newborn has no idea how to make its body work. In the same way, Unit 15 didn't know because it had never moved before. It was getting messages from Machiko but it had no idea what to do with them. All we had to do was kind of...teach it how." Her face darkened. "We just weren't fast enough."

Misato sighed. "It wasn't your fault, Maya."

"I took him up there."

"No." Misato said. "He chose to go up there. He knew the risks. What happened wasn't your fault any more than it was Machiko's. It just happened."

"I know." Maya said. "You're right." She sighed quietly. "Anyway, the EVA went berserk because it had no soul to tell it how to interpret Machiko's nerve impulses. Now that it can do that on its own, we shouldn't have any more problems with it."

"Fine." Misato said. But a single disturbing thought lingered in the back of her mind.

*Unit 14 doesn't have a soul either.*

* * * * *

"Hey look, she's back."

"I thought she transferred to another school."

"No, I heard she was suspended."

"Oh, come on! What would Miss Teacher's Pet get suspended for?"

"Well then you tell me where she's been all week."

Machiko did her best to ignore the rumors that her classmates thought she couldn't hear them whispering to each other. Instead, she concentrated on giving the official notice from NERV excusing her absence to her teacher, then making it to her desk without tripping or doing anything else that would draw even more attention to her.

"Hey, Machiko." Her friend Yohko leaned over and whispered. "Where have you been?"

"My aunt moved to a new apartment." Machiko recited her carefully rehearsed lie. "We had to go help her out."

"I thought your aunt lived in England." Yohko said.

"Different aunt." Machiko replied quickly.

"Oh that's right. I forgot; you have, like, a dozen aunts."

"Three." Machiko corrected her friend.

"How much help does a grown woman need to move?" Yohko wondered aloud.

"Well she's in a wheelchair, so..." At least that part of the story was true. Her Aunt Keiko was unable to use her legs, and had been since early childhood; the result of an accident her father adamantly refused to discuss.

"Oh." Yohko said quietly. "Sorry. ...I didn't know."

"Don't worry about it." Machiko said. The sooner Yohko got off this topic, the easier it would be for Machiko to avoid accidentally telling the truth.

* * * * *

Central Dogma had been uncharacteristically quiet all week. An almost palpable sense of mourning hung over the huge chamber. Kaori found it hard to concentrate without the sound of chatter and normal work in the background, even more difficult when she reflected on why the giant room was so quiet.

It had only been a week. A week since the funeral; two weeks since he died. Kaori looked sadly to her left. Of the three technician's seats on the main level, two were now empty. One would eventually be filled again. The other never would, even if NERV put someone else in it.

Kaori had only known Hisashi for a few months. But she had grown to love him as a brother; fitting, since he would eventually have become her brother-in-law. She missed him. And it broke her heart to see how his death was killing her big sister. Minako had been in the 'normal' grieving process up until the funeral. But seeing the casket lowered into the earth had done something to her. She wouldn't speak. She barely ate. And she was spending more and more time sitting in the living room of their apartment, staring out the window at absolutely nothing.

Kaori had tried to talk to her sister, but her efforts were in vain. It was all she could do to force Minako to eat enough to stay alive and help her to her bed when she inevitably fell asleep in the living room.

"Corporal?" Kaori turned to see Commander Katsuragi standing behind her.

"Commander." She said.

The Commander gave her a sympathetic smile. "Come on." She led Kaori to the vending machines. Grateful to get out of the suffocating silence of Central Dogma, Kaori dropped wearily onto one of the short benches near the machines.

"How are you holding up?"

Kaori sighed. "I'll be fine." She said. "I'm just worried about Mina. It's like she's just...giving up. Like she doesn't want to live without him." She looked up and Commander Katsuragi. "I don't know what to do." She said. "I've tried everything I can think of to reach her. I know I...shouldn't ask. But...Mina really looks up to you. Do you think you could...?"

"Of course." Misato glanced at her watch. "Let's go right now."

* * * * *

"Hey Doc."

Maya looked up from her desk. "Hello Tai. Painkillers?"

Tai nodded grimly and held up an empty prescription bottle. "Out again." He said. "And I think I'm starting to build up a resistance. Either that or the pain's just getting worse."

"Hmm." Maya thought for a moment. "I'm kind of reluctant to increase your dosage." She said. "I don't want you OD-ing."

"Yeah, that's not high on my list either." Tai said.

Maya sighed. "Come on in. I'll see what I can do."

* * * * *

It had taken the Angel two weeks to reach land. The Sea was not where it belonged, and moving along the floor of the ocean was difficult. The closer the Angel got to shore, the easier it became to move. Soon it would reach its destination. Soon it would unite with its creator.

* * * * *

"So carry the three and then..."

Michiru was interrupted by a ringing phone.

"Hold on." Claire reached over and grabbed the phone next to her bed. "Hello...Look I'm really busy, can I...No...No, I...Look! I'll call you back, alright!" She slammed the receiver back into its cradle.

"Is everything okay, Claire?" Michiru asked.

"What do you mean?" Claire asked.

"Well you keep getting these phone calls and running off...or just hanging up..."

Claire sighed. "It's just my parents." She said. "They want me to go back."

"Back?" Michiru asked. "Like, back to America?"

Claire nodded. "Apparently it isn't safe here anymore."

"Well they do kind of have a point."

"No they don't." Claire said. "It's perfectly safe here as long as you and Tai are around."

"Me and Tai?" Michiru did her best to feign ignorance.

"Remember, Michiru." Claire said. "You can't lie to me. Every time the alarms go off you pull a Clark Kent, and you don't show up again until the drill is over, or the latest big nasty monster is gone. And now Tai's doing it too. And he started right around the time *two* robots started fighting instead of one."

"Well...I...That's supposed to be..."

"A secret." Claire finished. "Don't worry. I'm not telling anyone. My point was, I know the two of you will take care of everything. So I feel safe here."

"Really?"

"Of course. Besides, I like it here. I like you and Tai. I *really* like Akira." She smiled. "I'm not going to leave my best friend *and* my boyfriend just because Mom and Dad can't make up their minds about anything. So you and Tai just keep on beating up the bad guys so I can stay here."

* * * * *

"Mina! I'm home!" Kaori called as they entered the small apartment. "I brought someone to see you."

Misato's heart fell at the scene before her. Minako didn't even look up to see them. She just kept staring blankly out the window.

"Minako?" Misato said tentatively. "May I come in?"

"Go ahead." Kaori whispered. "If she wants to talk...I guess she will."

Misato nodded and crossed the small room to sit next to Minako.

"Hi." She said quietly. "Everyone at work's been worried about you. They all wanted me to give you their best."

"He loved this view." Minako suddenly spoke up. "I never really thought it was that great. But Hisashi loved it. Especially watching the buildings grow."

"It is...impressive." Misato said, looking out over Tokyo 3.

Minako shrugged. "It's alright." She said. "The view itself wasn't really the important thing. He just loved the city. Every part of it. That was why he stayed in NERV so long. He had offers from every software company in Japan to write code for them. But he wouldn't leave his city in danger. That's the kind of person he was."

"He was a great guy." It was all Misato could think to say.

"And I just keep wondering..." Minako was on the verge of tears. "Who's going to...take care of his city now?" She broke down, laying her head in Misato's lap and openly weeping for the first time since the funeral. She was still crying a few minutes later when the sirens went off. Misato's cell phone rang a moment later. She unfolded it and put it to her ear.

"Tell me those alarms I'm hearing are false ones." She said.

"I *could* tell you that, but I'd be lying." Toji replied.

"What is it?"

"Angel." Toji said. "Came ashore two minutes ago. At current speed it will be here in twenty minutes."

Misato sighed. "Okay. Begin evacuation, drop the central block, and prep the EVAs. I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Got it."

Misato gently pulled Minako back into a sitting position and stood up. "I'll be right back." She promised. Minako grabbed her hand as she turned.

"Let me come, too." She said.

"But..."

"Please." Minako begged. "Let me help."

Misato found she couldn't refuse the younger woman's request. "Okay." She said. "Let's hurry."

* * * * *

The butterflies were back in Machiko's stomach. She had been sitting in class when the sirens went off. All the other students had filed to the shelter, but her Section Two 'bodyguards' had pulled her out of the line and taken her straight to headquarters.

She ran to the locker room, changed into her plug suit, and headed for the briefing room. She was surprised to find Michiru and Tai preparing to leave when she got there. Evidently the briefing was already over.

"Wait." She said. "What are we doing?"

"Michiru and Tai are going to fight the Angel." Her father said.

"What about me?"

"You'll be on standby. We're putting you in the EVA, but we'll only launch as a last resort."

"I don't get to fight?"

Her dad was very quick to shake his head. "Maybe next time."

"But I'm ready!" Machiko insisted. "I mean...I'm as ready as I can be."

"This isn't a debate, Machiko." Her father said firmly. "You're sitting this one out."

* * * * *

"Launch EVA!"

Machiko watched bitterly as Unit 01 shot up through the launch tube and Unit 14 began sliding into launch position.

"You're sitting this one out Machiko." She quietly mocked her father's voice. "You're not ready to fight yet Machiko. Just hang out here and look helpless Machiko."

"Uh...Machiko?" Captain Aida came on the video link.

"Yeah?"

"Everyone out here can hear everything you say in there."

"Oh..." Machiko felt her face explode into bright red. "Sorry."

* * * * *

Kensuke smiled and shut off the video link. He hadn't really intended to embarrass Machiko, but it *was* good to see a few smiles around the control deck for a change.

The smiles fell instantly when the doors to the main deck slid open. Three women stepped through the doors: Misato, Kaori and...

"Minako?"

Lieutenant Tanaka followed Misato closely. She wore civilian clothes and a strangely blank, emotionless expression. Without a word, Minako crossed the room and resumed her post next to her younger sister, throwing only the quickest of glances at the empty seat on the other side of her.

"Commander?" Kensuke asked, indicating the Lieutenant.

Misato shook her head silently. *We can take care of her later* was the obvious implication.

Kensuke cleared his throat nervously and began again. "The Angel is a little under three minutes away from the second defensive perimeter." He said.

"The second?" Misato asked.

"Yes. It ripped through the first perimeter like it wasn't even there. We've completely lost contact with all the control stations that were in its path."

"So no visual contact then?"

"No information on the Angel whatsoever." He replied grimly.

"As usual, we have to go in blind." Misato muttered. "The EVAs?"

"Unit 01 is in position to intercept." Kensuke reported. "Unit 14 is preparing to launch. Unit 15 is on standby."

"Unlock Unit 14 from its launch platform. If we can get Tai in the air, maybe he can give us a look at this thing *before* it knocks on our front door."

* * * * *

Tai gritted his teeth against the inevitable onslaught of g-forces as his EVA shot up through the launch tube. It was the same every time, but somehow it never got easier. The invisible force pressing down on him was as uncomfortable today as it had been the first time he piloted Unit 14. Being prepared helped a little, but not much.

At the top of the tube Unit 14 shot out into sunlight, blinding Tai for a moment. Without the locking bolts, the momentum of his launch continued to carry him upward. When he had sailed as high above Tokyo three as the launch would take him, Tai spread his wings and took flight, ascending another hundred feet or so in a few seconds. The city below him looked like an intricate model, with a purple and green doll standing in its center.

"How's it going down there?" He asked.

Michiru's face appeared before him, smiling with only a hint of nervousness. "Feeling good." She said. "Although I should be studying right now. These things have no respect for my schedule."

Tai laughed. "Well let's take care of it quickly then. I'm going to fly ahead; do a little recon."

"Roger."

"Who's this Roger guy?" Tai asked playfully.

"Please go away now."

* * * * *

"See anything yet?" Toji asked.

"Negative Major." Tai said. "Switching to Infra-Red."

Tai was silent for a long moment. Then:

"Got it! It's underneath the trees. Moving fast. It should be coming out into the fields any second now."

* * * * *

The Angel burst out of the forest and ran headlong toward Tokyo 3. It looked like a giant cat in terms of shape, but not in much else. This 'cat' was at least as tall at the shoulder as an EVA and it had no hair. Worse, it had no head, only a single eye where its neck should have been; not a cat's eye, but a giant human eye. Smaller eyes covered every part of the Angel's body, a twisted mockery of leopard spots.

The Angel stopped in its tracks when Unit 14 passed above it. It turned and looked up, taking a moment to assess any threat the EVA might pose. Then, without warning, an energy beam erupted from its main eye. Tai banked hard to avoid the beam, but it caught the tip of his right wing. An icy numbness instantly began to creep up the wing, spreading out from the affected tip. Tai couldn't see what was happening to his wings, but somehow he knew without having to see.

"Sever the wings!" He yelled in a panicked voice. "Hurry!"

"But you're still in the air..." Kaori began.

"DO IT!" Tai screamed. Fiery pain erupted through his entire back as explosive charges blew Unit 14's wings off in a burst of smoke and blood. The EVA dropped out of the sky and landed hard, shaking the ground and sending up a cloud of dust the size of a building. An instant later, a pair of stone wings landed next to the EVA, shattering into thousands of pieces.

* * * * *

"What the hell?" Toji said.

"That beam." Maya said in disbelief. "It must turn organic matter into stone."

"No way." Toji said. "That's not physically possible."

"Ordinarily I'd agree." Maya replied. "But the evidence is right there."

"Are you all right Tai?" Misato asked.

"Yeah I'm fine." Tai said. "But that was too close."

"How did you know?"

"I didn't really." He said. "I just...felt it."

"What about the Angel?" Toji asked.

"Well apparently it doesn't think I'm a threat anymore." Indeed, the Angel had resumed its previous course toward Tokyo 3. "Smug bastard."

"Well let's see how smug it is with a few dozen rockets up its ass." Kensuke said. "Michiru, exercise extreme caution. Stay out of range of its beam and hit it with the seeker rockets."

"Understood."

* * * * *

Michiru sought cover behind a nearby decoy building and waited for the Angel to come into range. She had been so calm a minute ago, now she could feel her heart pounding like a jackhammer. She took a few deep, calming breaths. *Calm down.* She told herself. *Just stay where it can't see you and send the rockets after it.*

The sound of heavy footfalls told her that the Angel was in range. It seemed to be right behind her. Michiru grinned tightly and fired a volley of rockets into the air in front of her. The rockets rose high into the air, then swung around and dove toward the Angel, homing in on its unique waveform pattern.

A low, quiet whine built up behind her. Suddenly a bolt of energy shot past Michiru and enveloped the rockets. The rockets lost their momentum in seconds and crashed to the ground, shattering just like Unit 14's wings.

"No way." Michiru whispered.

* * * * *

"This can't be happening." Misato said. "Organic matter I can *almost* accept, but those rockets weren't organic. How can we kill it if it can turn all our weapons into stone?"

"Should we withdraw the EVAs?" Kaori asked.

"They'd have to stand in one place too long getting on the lifts." Toji said. "We can't risk it."

"So what are we going to do?"

"Michiru. Tai." Misato said. "Keep that thing distracted. Don't let it enter the Geofront. We're working something out."

"Okay."

"Got it."

"Be careful you two."

* * * * *

Machiko sat quietly in her EVA, feeling utterly useless. What was the point of being a pilot if all she did in a fight was hide underground and wait for Michiru and Tai to solve everything? She tried to sit still but she was too nervous, and too anxious to be out where she could actually do something useful, even if it was only to distract the Angel until they found a way to destroy it.

She sighed heavily, sitting back in her seat. There was no point wishing. Her father would never send her out if there were any other way to deal with the problem. And he certainly wouldn't let her act as a decoy when they didn't even have a plan for how to kill the enemy yet.

"If anybody's going to come up with a plan, now's the time!" Michiru yelled over the radio. "We can't keep this thing interested for much longer!"

"She's right!" Tai said. "I think it knows we're just trying to stall it!"

"Just keep hitting it with everything you have." Misato replied. "And watch out for its beam."

That was the other problem. Even if they had no other options, her Dad probably wouldn't send her out there after seeing what this Angel could do. It was like Medusa in that old myth; anyone who tried to fight it was turned to stone.

Suddenly, the answer came to her, like a light bulb clicking on in her head.

* * * * *

"So what do we do?" Toji asked. "None of our weapons will work against it. The EVAs can't get close enough for hand-to-hand. I don't like to say 'we're screwed', but..."

"There has to be a way." Kensuke said. "That thing is a living creature. And anything alive can be killed, we just have to figure out how."

"Send me out there!" Machiko suddenly yelled.

"We already discussed this." Toji said firmly. "You're not ready. And anyway, having one more target for the Angel out there isn't going to help the situation."

"But I can..."

"I said no. This is an order. Stay put!"

* * * * *

Machiko sat back, waves of anger and frustration running through her. They wouldn't even listen. She knew how to kill the Angel. She was absolutely certain her plan would work, but her father wasn't even going to let her try.

A lox buzz from her control panel drew Machiko's attention. A call was coming into the entry plug on a secure channel. Curious, Machiko activated the link. A young woman with blue hair appeared. She looked vaguely familiar; definitely a member of the bridge crew, but Machiko couldn't remember her name.

"Why do you want to go out there so bad?" The woman asked in a hushed whisper.

"Huh?"

"What's your rush all of a sudden? You know something we don't?"

"Well...I know...I mean, I think I know how to kill that Angel."

"Tell me." The officer said. "I'll pass it along."

Machiko opened her mouth to speak, then thought better of it. "Nope."

"What?"

"I can't really explain it too well." Machiko lied. "You'll just have to send me out there so I can do it myself."

"Not a chance." The older woman whispered. "The Major gave an order to..."

"Yeah, believe me I know." Machiko said. "But I seem to be the only one who can take care of the situation, and he won't listen to me."

The woman looked around for a moment, her face full of apprehension.

"You promise me; swear on...whatever you believe in, that you can kill it!" She finally said.

"I promise." Machiko replied.

The officer nodded and typed a few commands into her console.

"All right." She whispered. "You're set for automatic launch. Twenty second silent countdown; starting...now."

* * * * *

"What if we used a positron rifle?" Maya asked. "It can't turn an energy beam into stone."

"It would take too long to get a rifle out to them." Kensuke said. "And I'm not sure we should make assumptions about what that thing can and can't do."

"He's got a point." Toji said. "So far it's been one surprise after..."

"SIR!" Kaori suddenly yelled. "Unit 15 is launching!"

"WHAT?"

* * * * *

Machiko gritted her teeth against the unexpected onslaught of g-forces as she launched. In seconds, She had cleared the launch tunnel and stepped out into daylight.

"Machiko, what the hell are you doing?" He father yelled.

"My job!" She said defiantly.

"Get back here now!"

"I'm sorry, Daddy." She said. "But I have to do this.

Looking around, she spotted the Angel immediately. Tai and Michiru were still baiting it, trying to keep it from entering the Geofront. Target acquired, she scanned the horizon for her weapon. There, about a mile north of the city. Now came the hard part.

* * * * *

"She what?" Michiru asked.

"You heard right." Misato said. "Machiko's out there with you."

"Well send her back!" Tai said. "This one's way too dangerous."

"Something we all tried to tell her, believe me." Misato replied. "But we can't bring her back in for the same reason that the two of you can't fall back. She'd be too easy a target and it would provide the Angel with a path into the Geofront."

"So what do we do?" Michiru asked.

"You're already keeping it away from us." Misato said. "Now just try to keep it away from her too."

"Great. Just what we need." Michiru said to herself. With a sigh, she opened up a link to Machiko. "Machiko..." She began.

"Before you tell me to stay out of the way, you should know that I've figured out how to kill the Angel." Machiko said.

"Fine." Michiru replied. "Tell me and I'll do it."

"It's not that simple." Machiko said. "Only Unit 15 can pull it off."

"All right." Michiru said. "You have exactly thirty seconds to explain."

* * * * *

"So basically the two of us lure the Angel over to the solar collectors, and then...?" Tai asked

Machiko sighed. She had already explained the plan twice.

"And then I stand in front of one of the mirrors and make myself a tempting target. When the Angel shoots at me, I'll dodge out of the way. The mirror should reflect the beam back and turn the Angel into stone."

"You realize there are about a million and one things that could go wrong with this plan?" Tai asked.

"If I had a better once, I'd suggest it." Machiko said.

"Fine but I should be the target, not you." Michiru said.

"No can-do." Machiko replied. "Unit 01 is too big to dodge in time, so is Unit 14. Trust me, I'm not thrilled with the idea, but I have to be the target."

She was right about that at any rate. Unit 15 was the smallest Evangelion, built specifically for speed and agility. If any EVA could dodge the Angel's beam, it would be Unit 15.

"If we're going to do this, we'd better do it soon." Tai said. "This thing won't wait forever."

* * * * *

The strange, familiar creatures were up to something. A third one had joined the battle, but had yet to attack. The other two were still circling around, keeping it away from its goal.

Without warning, the attackers began firing their useless weapons at the Angel in unison. Angered, it temporarily abandoned its goal in order to destroy them.

* * * * *

"The Angel is following Units 01 and 14." Kaori said.

"I hope you know what you're doing..." Toji whispered to his daughter.

* * * * *

"Here it comes!" Tai yelled.

Machiko nodded and flexed her leg muscles, getting ready to jump. She understood the risk she was taking quite well. If she didn't dodge at precisely the right moment...well best not to dwell on that. Better to concentrate on hitting that precise right moment.

"Ready Machiko?" Michiru asked.

Machiko nodded. "Close enough."

Before Michiru could reply, the Angel came into view, stepping out of the city and into the fields around the solar collectors.

"HEY!" Machiko yelled. "OVER HERE YOU BIG UGLY...THING!"

The Angel probably didn't hear her, but it certainly noticed Unit 15 waving its arms around. It turned its main eye on the silver EVA. Suddenly Machiko couldn't move. Any second now she would have to dodge, but the Angel's gaze paralyzed her as surely as its beam soon would. She could barely breathe, let alone move.

"Help..." She managed to whisper. "Help!"

* * * * *

"What's she doing?" Tai asked.

"She should be crouching or something." Michiru said. "She can't dodge like that."

"Help..." Machiko's voice came over the radio in a hoarse whisper. "Help!"

Beside him Tai heard the Angel's beam powering up.

"She can't move!" He sprinted forward, knowing all the while that no matter what he did, it would be too late.

* * * * *

Machiko knew she was going to die. She couldn't have known that the Angel's gaze would paralyze her with terror. Now its eye was glowing, at any second the deadly beam would hit her. Tears of fear and regret pouring from her, she closed her eyes and waited for the end to come.

She heard the beam explode out of the Angel, waited to feel it hit her. Instead, an enormous weight crashed into her, knocking her to the ground. Looking up, she saw Unit 14 lying on top of her.

* * * * *

It didn't look as if Tai was going to make it. Michiru would have screamed at him to hurry, but there was no time. And it wouldn't have done any good anyway.

Time seemed to slow down as Unit 14 sprinted for Unit 15. It all came down to a race between Tai and the Angel's petrifying beam. He seemed to hit the smaller EVA at the same time as the beam. At first, Michiru thought that both had been hit. But then they fell to the ground and the Angel's weapon impacted on the reflector behind them.

The mirror absorbed the energy and exploded, sending shards of glass flying everywhere. But not before reflecting a good amount back to its source. The Angel made no sound, but Michiru could have sworn its eyes widened in alarm just before the beam hit it. An instant later, a motionless statue stood where the Angel had been.

"Tai? Machiko?" She asked.

"We're fine." Tai said, breathing heavily more from worry than exertion.

"Did we get it?" Machiko asked.

"Yeah." Tai said. "We got it."

Michiru wasn't so sure, however. She calmly walked around the petrified Angel, examining it from every possible angle. Finally, she stood in front of it and delivered a quick, powerful kick straight into its main eye. The Angel shattered instantly.

"So..." Tai asked quietly after a moment. "Did we get it?"

Michiru smiled apologetically. "Just making sure."

* * * * *

Misato sat at her desk and gazed at Lieutenant Tanaka, sitting silently across from her with a NERV security guard on either side. Through the windows on all sides, she could see the Geofront darkening as night fell above. She hated reprimanding officers up here. It made her feel too much like her predecessor.

"Thank you, gentlemen. I can take it from here." The guards nodded and headed for the elevator. When they were gone, Misato turned her attention back to Minako.

"I don't think I need to tell you how insanely stupid what you did was." She said. "You know better than anyone that every command the MAGI take can be traced back to its source, so I can't imagine that you were hoping to get away with it."

"No." Minako replied quietly. "I wasn't."

"You realize that you could very easily have gotten Machiko killed, don't you? If Tai had been even a second slower..."

"I know." Minako said. "I have no excuse for my behavior. And I'll accept whatever action you feel is appropriate."

"Well there's the problem." Misato said. "Anyone else who pulled a stunt like this would be emptying out their locker right now. But I'd rather not send away a highly capable officer with an otherwise flawless record right when she's needed the most."

Minako nodded. If she was happy about not losing her job or thankful for the implied compliment, she hid it well.

"However, that doesn't mean I can just overlook this incident." Misato continued. "I'm putting you on three weeks suspension without pay. Additionally, you will be demoted to Corporal."

"Understood." Minako said.

"Dismissed."

Minako stood and headed for the elevator.

"Why did you do it?" Misato asked.

Minako didn't turn around. "Machiko told me she knew how to kill it." She said. "It deserved to die." The elevator arrived and she stepped inside. "They all deserve to die."

Before Misato could reply, the elevator doors slid closed.

* * * * *

It seemed to Machiko that it had never taken her father nearly as long to drive through Tokyo 3 as it was taking tonight. Worse was the fact that he had yet to say *anything* to her. The silent treatment was killing her.

"Would you please just say something!" She finally blurted out. "Just...get mad! Or tell me I'm grounded! Or...just say something."

"What is there to say?" He replied. "You disobeyed a direct order. And you nearly got yourself killed. Nothing I can say will change that."

"Well technically *I* didn't launch the EVA." She said. The look her dad gave her let her know immediately that she hadn't provided the right response.

"This isn't a game Machiko." He said sternly. "Lieutenant Tanaka is not exactly...stable right now. And whether you knew it or not, you took advantage of her. And that is inexcusable."

"I just...wanted to help." Machiko said. Her voice probably wouldn't have caught like it had if something hadn't hit her at that moment. Lieutenant Tanaka was the one sitting next to Lieutenant Kusanagi's mother at his funeral. She had to be the 'Fiancée' mentioned in the eulogy. Suddenly, Machiko felt *very* bad. Her father was right; it was inexcusable.

"You'll have plenty of chances to help." He said. "But from now on, I expect that when someone of higher rank gives you an order, you'll follow it. And since they decided to make you an actual Cadet, *everyone* at NERV outranks you now."

"Even Michiru and Tai?"

"*Especially* Michiru and Tai. They've both been doing this a lot longer than you have. So if they tell you something about how to fight, it's safe to assume that they know what they're talking about."

"Yes Sir."

* * * * *

Minako Tanaka stood alone in front of the small grave marker. It literally seemed like yesterday that she had been here at the funeral; when, in fact, it had been over a week. She had lost track of the days somehow. Minako shuddered at the thought.

She knelt down, running one hand lovingly over the cool marble.

"You don't have to worry about me anymore." She said. "I think I'll be alright now." She actually managed a small smile, though tears gathered at the edges of her eyes. "And those three kids are as good as they come. I know they'll take care of the city. And I'll help them however I can. I promise."

She stood and headed for the wrought iron gate that led out of the graveyard, only pausing once for a last glance behind her.

"Goodbye."

* * * * *

To Be Continued...

* * * * *

Next Chapter: NERV is now at full strength, with three EVA pilots ready to do battle. But the newest Angel bypasses the EVAs to attack the pilots themselves. Can this new threat be stopped before it kills all three pilots? The next installment is Chapter 0:10- Infection/The Betrayal of Blood!

* * * * *
Author's Note: This chapter marks the end of the first major part of Evangelion: OMEGA. The next half of the story will deal largely with the continuing battle against the Angels and the increasingly pressing question of just what the hell is up with Tai. Thanks for sticking with this story so long, I promise it only gets better from here on in.