Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction ❯ Evangelion: OMEGA ❯ First Date/ EVA Rebellion! ( Chapter 4 )

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

Disclaimer: So let's do this quick. The original characters from EVA are theirs. The new character's I've introduced are mine. Thanks for your time.
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Dedication: To Emily; because maybe if I dedicate a whole chapter to her, she won't take forever to read it!
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Author's note: Stay tuned for a note from the author after the presentation.
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Neon Genesis Evangelion: OMEGA

Chapter 0:4- First Date/ EVA Rebellion!

* * * * *

--YOUR 'PLAN' FAILED.--

--THE SIXTH CHILD LIVES.--

--EVA NOW ACTS TO PROTECT HER.--

"Yes." Keele said to the blank monoliths surrounding him. "That was.....unexpected."

--WE ARE BEGINNING TO LOSE FAITH IN YOUR CONTROL OVER THIS SITUATION.--

--YES. YOUR PREDICTIONS OF LATE HAVE FALLEN SOMEWHAT SHORT OF ACCURACY.--

--YOU SAID THE SIXTH CHILD WOULD BE UNABLE TO PILOT EVANGELION, YET SHE DID. YOU SAID THE TWENTIETH ANGEL WOULD DESTROY HER, YET SHE LIVES.--

--WE CAN NO LONGER COUNT ON THE ANGELS TO REMEDY THIS SITUATION FOR US.--

"I'm not sure I approve of the implication that I have lost control." Keele said threateningly. "However, on one point I agree with you. It is time to take matters into our own hands."

--THEN WE ARE IN AGREEMENT?--

"Yes. How soon can it be done?" He asked.

--THE 'SOFTWARE' IS ALREADY IN PLACE.--

"And the Hardware?"

--NOT CURRENTLY OPERATIONAL.--

--THEY CAN BE MADE READY WITHIN TWO WEEKS.--

"Very well." Keele said. "In two weeks, the Sixth Child dies."

* * * * *

"So for next week I want you all to read Chapters three and four in the text and memorize the vocabulary words on page sixty." The professor began putting away his lecture materials.

"Well that was fun." Claire said, stuffing her textbook into her backpack and standing up.

"Oh yeah." Michiru said sarcastically. "Lots of fun."

"Speaking of fun; I noticed you and Tai left together Friday." Claire said. "Anything going on there?"

Michiru smiled. "He gave me a ride home."

"And........?"

"And that's it." Michiru said.

"You two taking it slow?" Claire asked.

"I wasn't aware we were 'taking it' at all." Michiru replied.

"Aww, you're no fun." Claire teased.

* * * * *

"So how did you're date with the Ice Princess go?" Akira asked jokingly as he and Tai gathered their supplies.

"You call driving a girl home a date?" Tai asked.

"That depends on what happened once you got there." Akira replied.

"I dropped her off and drove to *my* home." Tai said.

"That's it?" Akira asked. "I thought you liked her. Don't tell me you didn't try to shoplift a goodnight kiss, you stud."

"I had enough trouble just talking to her without turning into an idiot." Tai said. "I'm pretty sure any chance of future 'kiss shoplifting' is out of the question."

"Really? Then why does she keep looking over here?" Akira asked.

Tai glanced over to where Michiru and Claire were getting ready to leave. Sure enough, just then Michiru turned her eyes toward them. When their eyes met, a smile came across Michiru's face. She waved at Tai. He would have waved back, but he was inexplicably paralyzed.

Akira rolled his eyes dramatically. "Jeez. Call me when the kids are born." He muttered.

* * * * *

The entire senior staff of NERV was arrayed around a large conference table. Major Toji Suzahara represented the Tactical division. Captain Kensuke Aida spoke for the three Technical divisions. And Dr. Maya Ibuki represented the Medical division. As Commander, Misato presided over the meeting.

"Well." She said. "I'll get right to the point. Today I received a call from the U.N. Secretary General. At Two P.M. Sunday afternoon, two weeks from now, the EVA Series will arrive in Tokyo 3."

"That would be......?" Kensuke began.

"The Mass Production Model Evangelions." Misato said. "Units 05 through 13."

"Nine EVAs?" Kensuke said in disbelief. "What on Earth do we need that many EVAs for?"

"We don't." Toji said. "We have Unit 01 and soon..."

"Yes, I know." Misato cut him off. "And if I had my say, they wouldn't be sent to us. But as long as we still have 'you-know-what' down in the basement, the Angels will always come here. There's really no point in having EVAs anywhere else. The UN is scared to death of the Angels. They're just trying to make sure we have sufficient firepower."

"You're not really going to use the EVA Series are you Commander?" Maya asked.

"And if you are;" Kensuke added. "Where are we going to locate *nine* pilots? It's not exactly like they're easy to find."

"The EVA Series uses the Dummy Plug System." Misato said reluctantly. "They don't need pilots."

"WHAT?" Toji practically leaped out of his seat. "You can't be serious!"

"I agree." Maya said. "The Dummy System is a failed experiment. It's too dangerous to use."

"That's why we're not going to use it." Misato said. "We can't keep them from sending the EVAs to us. But nothing says we have to use them. So here's how it's going to work. We accept the EVAs graciously, but on the firm understanding that they will be used only as a last resort. Then we stick them in cryostasis and do our best to forget that we even have them."

"I'd rather we didn't have to deal with them at all." Toji said. "Something about this just doesn't sit right."

"I know." Misato said. "But, as always, we don't have a choice. On a related topic, how is the Special Project coming?"

"The construction phase is essentially complete." Kensuke said. "But computer tests are only taking us so far. We won't really know if they work until we have pilots." He glanced at Dr. Ibuki.

"We're working on it." She said defensively. "We still haven't found any basic criteria to test for. It's like trying to find a needle when we don't even know *which* haystack we're supposed to be looking in."

"I know it's difficult." Misato apologized. "But it has to be done."

"Don't worry, Commander." Maya said. "We *will* figure it out. It just might take longer than we thought."

* * * * *

Later that night, Maya sat in her office staring at a computer screen. She punched a few keys and opened a dialog with the Magi supercomputers. After typing her name, rank, and password, Maya was rewarded with access to the Magi. She thought for a moment, and then began typing.

--Download NERV personnel data files--

SPECIFY?

Maya paused again. In it's thirty-year history, NERV had employed literally thousands of people at its Tokyo 3 headquarters alone. Fortunately, the test she was running only required information on a handful of those people.

--Download NERV personnel data files:

Ikari, Shinji
Ikari, Asuka
Ayanami, Rei
Suzahara, Toji

Maya looked over the short list for a moment. Then, on a hunch, she entered one final name onto the list.

Ikari, Michiru--

Less than a second later, another dialog box appeared on her screen.

DATA DOWNLOADED FROM MELCHIOR.

--Cross-reference data. Display significant similarities.-- She typed.

The search only took a few moments.

NO STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT SIMILARITIES NOTED. SUGGEST WIDENING SAMPLE GROUP.

Maya sat back with a sigh. *So much for that* She thought. Suddenly she had an idea. It was so simple; Maya wondered why she never thought of it before. Unit 04. The American EVA had been in the testing phase when it vanished, so it must have had a pilot.

--Search: Evangelion 04-- She typed.

Her desktop terminal hummed briefly, then presented her with Unit 04's vitals.

EVA 04
-Commissioned 2014
-Constructed by 2nd Branch, USA
-Construction Completed 2015
Pilot: Maxwell, Lea

There it was! Maya switched back to her dialog with the Magi.

--Add personnel data file: Maxwell, Lea and repeat cross-reference.--

NO STATISTCALLY SIGNIFICANT SIMILARITIES FOUND. SUGGEST WIDENING SEARCH GROUP.

"Damn." Maya muttered. Out of millions of people in the world, these six had been able to become EVA pilots. Why? What was it about them that set them apart? And were there others like them, waiting to be found?

For everyone's sake, Maya hoped that there were. And that she could find them before it was too late.

* * * * *

"Repairs to Unit 01 completed." A voice called over the loudspeakers in cage seven, where Evangelion Unit 01 was housed. "Unit 01 now entering first stage cooling and rejuvenation process."

Michiru stood on the umbilical bridge that stretched in front of Unit 01's massive chest and looked up at the EVA's armored face. "I don't have a clue what you *really* are." She said quietly. "But I'm going to find out." She felt slightly absurd talking to an inanimate machine. Then again, it had become obvious to her that the Evangelion was far more than just a machine.

It was odd. When she first saw the results of Unit 01's rampage, Michiru had been terrified of the EVA. But the more she thought about it, the more her fear gave way to curiosity. If the EVA had not gone out of control, the Angel would have killed her. Was it possible that Unit 01 had acted to protect her?

She couldn't shake the thought that the EVA's behavior had been because of her. Then she remembered what she had seen just before she passed out. At the time, she had thought the vision of her father had been a herald of her own death. Now she was forced to wonder. Her father had been the pilot of Unit 01 years ago. How much of himself had he left behind in the EVA? Enough to protect his daughter? Or was that just wishful thinking on her part? Michiru didn't know enough about Unit 01 to make that kind of judgment. But she knew someone who did.

* * * * *

Michiru decided to spring her question on Misato that night while she was cooking dinner. Michiru hadn't known much about how to cook before she moved to Tokyo 3. But thanks to Misato's....unique style of cooking, she had learned quickly.

"Uh.....Misato?" She asked, turning away from the stove.

"Yeah." Misato said.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course." Misato said. "What's the question?"

"It's....about Unit 01." Michiru said.

"What about it?" Misato asked.

"Well. It's kind of hard to explain." Michiru began. "Just before it went.....berserk. As I was passing out, I.....I thought I saw....my father."

"Your father?" Misato's eyes widened. "Why didn't you report it?"

"Well.....at first...I wasn't even sure it really happened. And then I thought that....if I did see it, it was just in my head. I mean...I thought I was dying. I thought that maybe I just imagined it *because* I thought I was going to die." Michiru said.

"And now you don't think so?" Misato asked.

"Well....I just got to thinking about Unit 01. The EVA works by, synchronizing with the pilot's mind, right?" Misato nodded. "Well..... is it possible that....some.....echo of my father's mind was left when he piloted Unit 01? Or something like that?"

"I......guess it's possible." Misato said evasively.

"Misato?" Michiru sat down next to Misato. "If you know something, please tell me."

Misato sighed. "When your father piloted Unit 01, it did the same thing, a couple of times."

"It went berserk?" Michiru asked.

"Yes." Misato nodded. "The last time was when Shinji fought the Fourteenth Angel. It.......ate the Angel, that's where Unit 01's core comes from. When it took the core, the power surge boosted Shinji's Synch Ratio over four hundred percent. The EVA......absorbed him into itself. We got him out, but it's possible that some...part of him, some echo, like you said, was left inside. Maybe that's what you saw."

"It....did that?" Michiru's voice was suddenly very quiet. "It can do that?"

"Not anymore!" Misato said quickly. "We fixed it. It can't happen again."

Michiru silently returned to her cooking. Her conversation with Misato had failed to make her feel any better about piloting the EVA. In fact, she felt a lot worse.

* * * * *

"Not hungry?" Claire asked. She and Michiru sat in the cafeteria. An untouched tray of food sat in front of Michiru. She nodded absently at Claire's question. "You're quiet today." Her friend said. "You feeling alright?"

"I'm okay." Michiru said with a sigh. "I just haven't been getting a lot of sleep lately."

"Work?" Claire asked. Michiru nodded. "Feel like talking about it?"

"I'd love to." Michiru said. "Unfortunately......"

"Not allowed?"

"Sorry." Michiru said.

"Don't worry about it." Claire replied. "Well hey, cheer up." She continued. "Today's Monday. And you know what that means."

"I do?" Michiru asked.

"It means you get to secretly sneak glances at Tai in English class." Claire said.

"Are you absolutely determined to run this topic into the ground?" Michiru asked.

"Damn; my plan has been exposed. I just want to know; why are you resisting so much? I mean it's pretty obvious you like the guy. And if Tai makes *his* feelings about you any more obvious, he'll be yelling them at passing strangers through a megaphone." Claire smiled. "So why haven't you two hooked up yet?"

"I'm just not looking to 'hook up'." Michiru said. "With *anyone*."

"You mean if Tai asked you, right now, you'd say 'no'?" Claire asked.

"Well I'm fairly sure Tai isn't *going* to ask me anything so....." Michiru began.

"C'mon Michiru." Claire was beginning to get indignant. "You know what I mean."

"Off the record?"

"What record?" Claire laughed.

"You know what I mean." Michiru said.

Claire sighed. "Fine. Fine." She finally relented. "Your secret dies with me."

"Okay, I admit it." Michiru said. "*IF* Tai asked.....yes."

* * * * *

"Captain Aida. Captain!"

Kensuke turned to see a young man running down the hall toward him. He smiled slightly; the young man's uniform and hair were extremely disheveled. He wore the look of a man who hadn't gotten nearly enough sleep. *Join the club, kid.* Kensuke thought grimly. His entire staff had been pulling double shifts lately, preparing Headquarters for the arrival of the EVA series. Everyone not involved in preparing the cryostasis chambers where the nine EVAs would be stored was working on the Special Project. *And we're understaffed to begin with.*

"What is it........?"

"Shima, Sir." The young man said, gasping for breath. "Corporal."

"What can I do for you, Corporal Shima?" Kensuke asked.

"Sir....they said....you're needed....." Shima struggled to speak and catch his breath at the same time.

"Slow down, Corporal." Kensuke said. "Just breath."

Corporal Shima nodded and took a moment. Once his breathing was back to normal, he spoke again. "Sir, they need you in the new cages. Something about refitting the safety locks for the new units."

Kensuke sighed and nodded. *If it's not one thing, it's another.* He thought. "Okay." He finally said. "Go back and tell them I'll be there as soon as possible. Oh...and Corporal?"

"Yes Sir?"

"Next time, have them *call* me instead of making you run the marathon." Shima saluted and left in the same direction he had come from, barely keeping his speed below a run. Kensuke shook his head. *I really have to schedule these guys some actual sleep time.* He decided. *The caffeine just isn't working out.*

Of course, he could have used some sleep himself. He'd spent the past week sleeping on a couch in the break room. An hour here, two hours there. He had given up on trying to go home for sleep early on. It was a good plan to put the EVA Series in storage. Implementing that plan was another story entirely. NERV's facilities weren't designed to accommodate nine Evangelions to begin with. On top of that, the design of the Mass Production Models differed greatly from other EVAs. The original restraints wouldn't hold them.

In addition to modifying the five remaining unused EVA cages, four ordinance warehouses had to be completely remodeled into makeshift restraint cages. It was turning out to be a huge chore. Kensuke was beginning to share Toji's opinion. His life would be a lot easier if it didn't include the EVA Series.

* * * * *

Michiru was looking through her textbook, waiting for class to begin, when a shadow fell across the page. She looked up and saw Tai standing next to her in the aisle. "Uh.....hi." She said.

"Hey Tai. What's up?" Claire chimed in.

"I.....need to talk...to Michiru." Tai said reluctantly

"Okay." Claire smiled.

"Um.....alone?" Tai asked.

Claire sighed. "Fine." She said, standing up. "I'll just go stand over there in 'time out' until your done."

"Thanks." Tai said quietly. Claire gave him a knowing wink and quickly walked out of the lecture hall. When they were alone, Michiru looked back at Tai.

"You....want to sit down?" She asked.

"Uh...sure." Tai said, sliding into the seat next to Michiru. "I.....I'm probably not going to get this right on the first try, so...just let me finish before you answer."

"Okay." Michiru was a little confused. Tai never had this much difficulty talking to her.

"I...can't stop thinking about you." Tai said. "I....okay no that's not right.....let me try again......I just....I really like......no.....I guess what I'm asking is......well......" He trailed off, blushing uncontrollably.

Michiru smiled. "Tai?" She said.

"Uh....yeah?"

"You want to go out some time?" She asked.

"What?" It took Tai a second to work out what had just happened. "I mean yes! Definitely!" He said quickly. "Uh.....is Saturday good?"

Michiru thought for a moment. "I have to work every Saturday." She said. "But I usually get out around noon."

"Hmmm." Tai frowned. "I have Soccer practice Saturday afternoons."

"You play soccer?" Michiru asked.

"Well I do." Tai said. "But on Saturday I help coach the Junior High team."

"Wait." Michiru said, a smile spreading across her face. "The *girls* team?" She asked.

"Uh...yeah." Tai said. Michiru was trying hard not to laugh. "What is it?" Tai asked.

"Nothing." Michiru said, shaking her head. "Just....small world."

"Um...okay." Tai said. "So Saturday's out. How about Sunday?"

Michiru smiled. "Yeah." She said. "Sunday sounds good."

* * * * *

"Misato!" Michiru called out.

"Yeah?" Misato called back from her room.

"I just want to make it clear that there are to be *NO* Angel attacks this Sunday. Okay?" Michiru said.

"Sounds good to me." Misato said, stepping out into the hallway. "Although they're generally not quite so considerate. What's going on Sunday, if I may ask?"

"Oh.....not much." Michiru teased.

"C'mon." Misato said. "What is it? Hot date?"

"As a matter of fact, yes." Michiru said, smiling.

"Well have fun." Misato said. "Speaking of Sunday, I'll probably be at Headquarters all day. But if you're going out too, I guess it won't be a problem."

* * * * *

--THEY ARE READY.--

--TRANSPORT WILL BEGIN IN TEN HOURS.--

--VERY WELL.--

--THE PROGRAM WILL ACTIVATE FIVE HOURS INTO TRANSPORT.--

--SOON.........--

* * * * *

Sunday morning dawned bright and clear. Michiru rose early and spent at least an hour trying to decide what to wear. She eventually settled on her blue sundress, which had thankfully come back from the cleaners bearing no evidence of its LCL bath.

Tai had offered to pick Michiru up, but that would have involved Tai seeing the apartment. Despite Michiru's best efforts, the place was never quite presentable. Tai had seemed equally reluctant to have her come to his home. In the end, they had agreed to meet at the Student Union and decide where to go from there.

Michiru made it to the Union right on time, a few minutes before noon. Tai was already there, looking a little nervous. He stood up as she approached. "Hi." He called out.

"Hi." Michiru replied, smiling.

"Uh...you look......great." He said.

Michiru blushed slightly. "Thanks." She said.

* * * * *

Meanwhile, somewhere above China, nine specially equipped carrier planes flew toward Japan. They had taken off from all over the globe. Two each from Germany and the United States, one from England, and one from Israel. Those six had met up with the final three in China and were currently on a course to Tokyo 3.

"How's the cargo holding up Lieutenant? No problems?" The pilot of one of the American planes asked his cargo officer for what had to be the hundredth time since takeoff four and a half hours before.

"Don't worry Captain." The lieutenant said with a laugh. "Big Ugly's not going anywhere. You just concentrate on getting us there."

"Roger that." The Captain replied. "Current ETA to Tokyo 3; one hour, twenty-four minutes."

* * * * *

"Refitting completed. Ready to begin restraint and cooling." Applause broke out among the Tech officers arrayed on the umbilical bridge in the newly completed restraint cage.

"Congratulations Ladies and Gentlemen." Kensuke addressed his staff. "We are finished with..." He glanced at his watch. "One whole hour to spare." Another round of applause went through the group. "But...." He paused, letting the cheers die down. "But our work is not done yet. Everybody take five. Then we're going to start getting all of the cages ready for immediate cryostasis. I want all nine of these EVAs in permanent lockdown within an hour of arrival."

* * * * *

Keele Lorenz sat in the darkened conference chamber, listening to the reports from the transport planes.

*ETA to Tokyo 3; one hour.*

--IT IS TIME.--

--PREPARE TO ACTIVATE?--

Keele smiled. Any one of them could activate the program at any time. But they would wait for his order. He sighed. It was time to end it. Keele had spared the girl's life once before, killing infants wasn't his style. He didn't *enjoy* killing grown men and women. But this was a special circumstance and the Sixth Child had not left him any other choice. The little bitch was becoming a major thorn in his side. It was once again necessary to remove her from the equation. This time for good.

"Activate."

* * * * *

High above the Sea of Japan, nine Evangelions stirred in their moorings.

"Captain!" The cargo officer in the American plane yelled into his headset. "It's an Emergency! THIS THING'S MOVING!"

The horrible sound of metal being twisted and rent filled the cargo hold as the massive EVA shook and struggled against the bindings that held it in place.

"We've got to drop it!" The lieutenant yelled. "It's going to tear us apart!"

The other pilots obviously had the same problem. Looking out to his left, he saw EVA's dropping out of the planes next to him. "DO IT!" He yelled. The Lieutenant pulled the emergency handle next to him and the restraints holding the EVA blew apart. The giant machine fell out of the cargo hold and plummeted toward the ocean below.

Within seconds, all nine Evangelions had been jettisoned from their respective transports. As the crewmen watched in horror, giant, feathered wings unfolded from each unit's back. The wings caught air and held the massive creatures aloft.

"Mayday! Mayday! The Cargo has broken free! I repeat! The EVA Series is out of control!" The American pilot tried to send a distress signal, but found his radio jammed.

"Look!" The copilot pointed out the front windshield; the nine EVAs had flown in front of the transports. They turned and flew toward the defenseless planes, brandishing huge, double-bladed swords.

* * * * *

*Mayday! Mayday! The Cargo has broken free! I repeat! The EVA Series is out of control!*

*Look!*

*My God! They're coming right at us!*

*If anyone can hear this, we need assistance immediately.....*

*It's too late! Here they come!*

*Oh Jesus! SOMEONE HELP US!*

The next communication did not contain spoken words; only the horrible sound of men screaming in terror. After that, there was only static.

--IT IS DONE.--

--VERY WELL. BEGIN THE OPERATION.--

--SET TARGET TO TOKYO 3.--

"Now we wait for NERV to make their move."

* * * * *

The EVA Series hovered in midair, flapping their huge wings to stay aloft. The flaming wreckage of their former transports fell out of the sky and splashed into the ocean below.

The Evangelions waited, not moving except for the flapping necessary to maintain lift. Then, as one, they turned. They had received a directive from their masters. Without a sound, they turned and flew east.

* * * * *

Looking back later, Michiru would realize that she had been having too good a time. She and Tai had come across a free concert being held in a park near the campus. For a while, they simply sat and listened to the music. When the concert ended, they took a walk in the park. Michiru was thrilled to discover that she could hold a thoroughly enjoyable conversation with Tai. He *definitely* wasn't like other guys.

Michiru wasn't sure at what point they began holding hands. Nor could she recall whether Tai had taken her hand in his or vice versa. It didn't matter. What mattered was that it was right. She was perfectly willing, even eager, to walk hand in hand with him through the woods that covered the park's western end.

"So you're going to be a doctor, huh?" Michiru asked as they stopped and sat on a nearby bench.

"Well, that's the idea." Tai said, smiling.

"So then what's with the soccer?" She asked.

"Well.....I've been playing since I was a kid." He said reluctantly. "See....my Dad played, he was really good too.....so I hear. I didn't know him. I guess I play because it makes me feel.....I don't know.....connected to him somehow. Like he's not totally gone." He smiled. "I guess it doesn't make much sense."

"No." Michiru said quietly. "It does. I...I get it."

"So what about you?" Tai asked, trying to change the subject. "What do you want to do? Once you get out of NERV, I mean."

Michiru sighed. "I don't know." She said. "I....may be in for a while. I really don't have any idea what I want to do with the rest of my life." She couldn't tell Tai what she really thought. She couldn't tell him of her darkest fear; that the 'rest of her life' might not be very long.

"How did you get into NERV?" Tai asked.

"Well...my parents worked there....before they died." Michiru replied. "So...Misato took me in to work there after I left the orphanage. She was a friend of theirs."

"That's great." Tai said. "I mean...it's good to have someone like that. You know, someone who really cares about you. It's rare." Michiru thought she sensed a strange note in Tai's voice. She couldn't quite place it. It was almost like....sadness, or perhaps longing. "Sorry." He said, looking away. "I didn't mean to get...heavy."

"It's okay." Michiru said gently, placing a comforting hand on his arm. Tai looked up and smiled.

* * * * *

"What happened?" Misato demanded.

"Unknown." Lieutenant Tanaka replied. "The transports just vanished."

"They vanished?" Misato asked.

"Yes Ma'am." The young woman replied. "One minute they were there, the next minute they completely disappeared from radar."

"Engage radar." Misato ordered. The screen in front of them lit up showing a circular radar map. The entire map was blank, not a single item appeared on it. "Switch to waveform monitor." She said. Immediately, nine red dots appeared on the screen, heading rapidly toward Tokyo 3.

"AT Fields!" Minako said. "Are those Angels?"

"No." Misato said in a voice filled with dread. "The pattern is Red. Those are EVAs."

* * * * *

"I had a really great time today." Michiru said as she and Tai walked back to the Student Union.

"Yeah." Tai agreed, smiling. "So did I."

They stopped for a moment when they reached the edge of the woods. "I....have a confession." Michiru said.

"Oh?"

"Yeah." Michiru continued reluctantly. "I was...kind of nervous about coming here today. I don't usually get along well with guys. Well I guess you probably noticed that."

Tai nodded. "Yeah. I think you really scared Akira a couple of times."

"Yeah well, I don't always think before I say stuff. I've been told I get that from my mother." Michiru said. "Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that...for a while I thought about not coming today. But....I'm glad I did."

"That's your 'confession'?" Tai asked.

"Yeah."

"Michiru, I was nervous about today too." He said. "It's nothing to apologize for." He smiled. "I was afraid you were about to tell me that you're an assassin or something."

Michiru laughed. "An assassin?"

Tai began laughing too. "Well you're not allowed to talk about what you do at NERV." He said. "It didn't seem *likely* but you never know."

"Well don't worry." Michiru said, smiling. "I don't kill people for a living." She had to fight not to put extra emphasis on *people*. Tai had hit a lot closer to the mark than he might have realized. In a way, she *was* a professional killer. Her targets just weren't human. "Anyway, the important thing is that I'm really glad I got to spend today with you. Because.....I like you...a lot."

"You...do?" Michiru smiled and nodded. Tai seemed at a loss for words. "I...like you too." He finally said.

"So...." For a moment, an uncomfortable silence passed between them. "I guess I'll see you in class tomorrow."

"Yeah."

For another long moment, it seemed that they both stood still, looking at each other. Neither was aware of moving toward the other, but suddenly their faces were only inches apart. Michiru reached up gently, brushing an errant strand of raven hair out of Tai's face. In the process, their faces came even closer. Their lips were practically touching and Michiru felt the urge to remove the remaining distance between them. She got the feeling that Tai felt the same way. She slowly brought her lips toward his. At the last moment, just when they were about to make contact, she heard an alarm ring out from across the park.

*Attention!* A recorded voice played over the loudspeakers. *A state of special emergency has been declared for this and all adjacent districts. All civilians are instructed to report to their designated shelters immediately. Repeat: A state of special emergency has been declared....* The message continued to play as the alarms wailed in the background.

"What's going on?" Tai wondered aloud.

"Oh no." Michiru whispered. "No, no, no....." She looked over Tai's shoulder and saw a plain black sedan racing toward them from across the park. The car screeched to a halt and two men in plain black suits got out. Michiru recognized them; not the men themselves but the job they performed. She had quickly learned how to ignore the Section 2 bodyguards who followed her everywhere, but she was, nevertheless, constantly aware of their presence.

"Get in the car, Private." One of them said. "We have to take you back to HQ." Michiru nodded and walked toward the car.

"Hey wait! What's all this about?" Tai asked, making a move to follow her. One of the Section 2 agents stopped him.

"This is an emergency, sir." The man said. "You had better get to a shelter immediately."

"Where are you taking Michiru?" Tai yelled.

"*Private Ikari* is needed at headquarters."

"Wait!" Michiru called out. "We can't just leave him here! He won't make it to a shelter in time! We have to take him with us!"

"Negative." The first agent said. "I can't authorize a security risk like that."

"*I'm* authorizing it!" Michiru yelled.

"You don't have the authority to....."

"Need I remind you *Agent* that this is an emergency situation and I outrank you?" At her full height Michiru still had to look up to meet the agent's eyes. Yet the man seemed to shrink back as Michiru got in his face. "If I say to bring him with us, you *will* follow my orders!"

The agent looked over at his partner but the other man shook his head as if to say *This one's all yours buddy*. "You'll......take full responsibility?" Michiru nodded. "....Fine." He finally said. "Bring him."

* * * * *

"What's going on, Michiru?" Tai asked as they sped through Tokyo 3.

"It's an attack." Michiru said quietly. "Like the ones before.

"What do they need you for?" Tai asked.

"You know what." She whispered.

The realization hit Tai almost instantly. The Robot. *That* was Michiru's job at NERV. She piloted the giant robot that had destroyed the last two invaders. He couldn't believe it. He simply could not reconcile the image of the giant, rampaging machine with the girl he had just spent the afternoon with. "Why?" He asked. "Why do they need you to pilot that......thing? Don't they have soldiers, or.....?"

Michiru shook her head. "I have to pilot it." She said.

"Why?"

"Because I'm the only one who can." The car pulled up in front of the main entrance to the Geofront. Michiru jumped out quickly. "Take him to Central Dogma and explain the situation to the Commander." She ordered the Section 2 agents. Without another word, she turned and ran from the car, sliding her ID card through a scanner and disappearing through a huge sliding door.

Tai didn't really notice his surroundings as the agents led him through NERV Headquarters. He couldn't get his mind off of Michiru. He couldn't even begin to imagine how she must have felt, going into battle all alone. Her courage and bravery were amazing. Tai had to wonder if, in the same situation, he would be able to do what she did.

"What the hell?" He heard a voice call out. Looking up, Tai found himself in a huge, multi-level room set up like the bridge of a warship. A huge view screen and holographic map, nearly the size of a soccer field, filled the center of the chamber. Tai saw a middle-aged man storming toward him. The man's dark black hair was streaked with gray and left hand seemed to be made of metal. "Who is this?" The man demanded.

"He was with Private Ikari, Major." One of the agents replied. "She ordered us to bring him here."

"And you did!?"

"Well.....she *is* a superior officer, Sir."

The older man sighed. He looked at Tai. "What's your name kid?" He asked.

"Uh...Tai." Tai stammered. "Tai Matsumoto."

"Well Mr. Matsumoto, we have a bit of a crisis on our hands here. So just find someplace to sit that isn't in the way and don't touch anything; in fact, try not to look at anything either."

"Uh...yes sir." Tai said. As the Major walked back to the main work area, Tai suddenly realized that he knew the man. He had been present at every game the Junior High Girls' soccer team had played in the two years Tai had been assistant coach.

That train of thought was derailed when Michiru's appeared on the giant screen in the front of the room. She wore an expression somewhere between anxiety and fear.

* * * * *

"Okay." Michiru said. "I'm ready. Where's the Angel?"

Misato's face appeared before her. "This....isn't an Angel." She said.

"Huh?" Misato looked down and pressed a few buttons on the panel in front of her. Immediately a holographic screen if front of Michiru displayed an Evangelion. "What? An EVA?"

"Not just one....." Misato said.

"How many?" Misato was silent. "Misato! How many are there?" Michiru demanded.

"Nine." Misato whispered. "There's nine of them."

"NINE!?" Michiru yelled. "You want me to take on *nine* EVAs by myself?"

"I'm sorry Michiru. You're the only one who can stop them."

"But what about the pilots?" Michiru asked. "You don't expect me to *kill* them do you?"

"Don't worry." Misato said. "There are no pilots. Just kill the EVAs."

"And how do you suggest I do that?"

"They heal incredibly fast, but they have S2 Cores just like Unit 01. Use the same tactic you use for Angels. Destroy the cores and they're dead." Toji spoke up.

Michiru sighed. Nine EVAs. There was no way she could defeat nine Evangelions on her own. "Daddy. If you *are* in here, I could really use some help on this one." She whispered. "Okay." She spoke up. "Get me out there."

The deserted field on the outskirts of Tokyo 3 was already a battlefield by the time Unit 01 burst out of the Geofront. Missiles and guns fired all around her, concentrating on nine objects in the sky. Even from afar, Michiru could see glowing, octagonal AT Fields rise up in front of the approaching EVAs. Within seconds, the EVAs were above her, circling in the air like giant carrion birds.

* * * * *

Tai stared at the screen in front of him in terror. The giant purple robot stood alone on the deserted battlefield. Tai could only assume that Michiru was inside. She was surrounded by nine other robots, each easily as large as her own. Tai couldn't make out any details of the robots except that they were all white and each held a huge, double-bladed sword.

Despite the warning he had received, Tai was drawn to the screens. Besides, no one seemed to notice him as he stepped forward to get a closer look. He felt fear creeping into him. From what he could see, Michiru was hopelessly outnumbered. It wasn't fair. Why were they making her fight alone?

* * * * *

Michiru had never been so frightened in her life. Neither of the Angels she had fought had been as terrifying as the EVAs circling above her. As their flight paths brought them closer and closer to the ground, Michiru got a good look at her new enemy....and had to fight not to turn and run.

Michiru had always thought of Unit 01 as majestic, but she knew that most people found it unattractive, if not downright hideous. But compared to the EVA Series, Unit 01 was a vision of absolute beauty. The basic shape of the Mass Production Models was similar to Unit 01, but instead of hard metal armor, they were covered with thick, leathery skin; pale white, like something that had been drained of blood and left dead for a few days. The armored plates that rose over Unit 01's shoulders were absent, and of course they had huge wings sprouting from their backs; but the main difference, and their most hideous feature, were their heads.

To begin with, it was hard to tell where their necks ended and their heads began. Unit 01 had a somewhat human head sitting on its shoulders. The heads of the EVA Series resembled those of a snake more than a human. Each head was dominated by a huge mouth full of wicked-looking teeth. The EVAs almost seemed to be grinning as they touched down, surrounding her on all sides. But the horrible, grinning mouths weren't even the worst part of the heads. The worst thing was that none of them had eyes. There were deep creases in the skin of their heads where eyes should have been, but the eyes themselves were missing. Despite their lack of eyes, the EVAs were far from blind. All of them seemed to be staring directly at Michiru, as if they could see straight through Unit 01's armor and into the entry plug.

Suddenly, the grin on one of their faces spread into a smile that reflected, not joy, but pure evil and malicious intent. Michiru could tell the EVA was about to attack. She wasn't going to give it the chance.

Michiru rushed the grinning monster, raising her rifle into firing position as she ran. The white EVA's grin grew even wider. It raised its AT Field and stood still, just like Michiru had hoped it would. At the last second, she dropped the rifle and engaged her progressive knife, swinging it with deadly efficiency.

Even on the EVA's inhuman face, Michiru could see panic. Her enemy tried to raise its sword but it was too late. The arm that held the sword flew away in a shower of blood. The EVA's scream of rage and pain was horrible; chillingly alien, yet at the same time, disturbingly human.

Michiru forced herself to shut all the disturbing aspects of her enemies out of her mind. The only way she was going to survive was to ignore how much the EVA Series frightened her. Then she could wipe them, one by one, off the face of the Earth. So she ignored the chilling screams from her victim and instead plunged her knife into its chest, where she hoped its core was held. Sure enough, the EVA's scream increased in volume and pitch for a few seconds, and then fell silent. It continued to struggle, but its life was bleeding out.

*One down.* Michiru thought. That happy thought was snuffed out as it's continuation crashed down upon her. *Eight more to go.*

The dying EVA lost its balance and toppled forward. Michiru tried to move out of the way but there was no time. The giant body fell on top of her. That saved Michiru's life. As they fell, Michiru saw two more of the white EVAs above her. They folded their wings and dove toward her, holding their swords in front of them. The only thing that saved her from being impaled was the half-dead EVA lying on top of her own.

The huge swords ripped through the EVA, causing it to scream again. Its "comrades" seemed more annoyed than anything else. They pulled their swords in opposite directions, tearing their unfortunate brother in half at the waist. Hot, red blood rained down on Unit 01 along with hundreds of feet of coiled entrails.

The heat and weight of the EVA's ropy innards, and their slippery texture, made Michiru feel unclean in a way she couldn't quite describe. She scooted backwards, praying that she wouldn't become entangled in the massive intestines. Realizing that the other EVAs had yet to attack, she looked up.

The Evangelions were still shaking their huge swords, trying to shake off the remains of their fallen companion. As Michiru looked on, one of the EVAs accidentally bumped the other's head with its unwieldy weapon. The reaction was immediate and surprising. The EVA that had been hit turned on the offender, slashing with its own sword. The other responded in kind and the two fell upon each other in a blind frenzy, tearing and slashing; pulling each other apart until both lay in bloody heaps.

The soldier in Michiru, a part of her that had been growing since her first battle, if only as a necessity for survival, filed away what she had just seen. The EVA Series only *seemed* to present a unified enemy. They did not work as a team and they were short tempered, they would kill each other if provoked. There had to be a way she could use that to her advantage. She probably would have found a way if a shadow had not fallen across the scene in front of her. Michiru instinctively dove to the side as another one of the white demons brought its gigantic sword down where she had been standing.

Unfortunately, Michiru didn't dive far enough to the side. The blade caught Unit 01's right arm just below the elbow. Michiru cried out. She almost thought she saw her own forearm fall away, but when she blinked her arm was intact. But the pain remained. Her attacker almost seemed to be laughing, its death's-head grin spread from one side of its inhuman face to another. Michiru screamed and tried to crawl away as the EVA raised its huge sword once again....

* * * * *

"THE RIGHT ARM HAS BEEN SEVERED!"

The control room degenerated into chaos instantly. People ran back and forth, shouting orders and typing furiously at various consoles. On top of it all, Tai heard Michiru screaming. Her voice was tinny over the radio but the pain and terror it contained was heart wrenching.

She was being beaten, not just beaten, killed. Tai turned away from the giant screens. He had just found Michiru; he couldn't bear to lose her like this. He couldn't stand here, helpless, and watch her die. Normally someone would have probably stopped him from running out of the control room, but no one did. He was sure they had all forgotten he was there at all.

He ran through a door that he thought would lead back out into the hallway. Instead he found himself in a small elevator. There was nothing to do except press the single button in front of him. He certainly didn't want to go back into the control room and hear Michiru screaming in terror and pain.

The elevator shot down extremely fast. Within seconds, it reached the bottom and the door slid open. Tai stepped out onto a bridge spanning a huge chamber filled with a dark red liquid. Tai was halfway across the bridge when before he noticed a huge presence next to him. He turned and found himself looking into a giant face. It was another robot!

"Well......" Tai whispered. "Hello."

To be continued....

Next Chapter:

It looks like it's all over for Michiru. Unit 01 is injured and the remaining EVA Series units are moving in for the kill. But suddenly a mysterious Evangelion explodes from the Geofront and charges to the rescue. A new warrior steps up to embrace his destiny in Chapter 0:5- The Battle of Tokyo 3!

* * * * *

Well I'm sure everyone recognizes this chapter's enemy. And if you don't, then get off your lazy butt and go see End of Evangelion! :) I think this falls under the "characters from the original series" clause of the disclaimer. I just felt the EVA Series was too good an enemy to not use them. I just didn't want people thinking that I was trying to pretend *I* invented them. They were created by Gainax and Anno. I'm just using them for my own sinister purposes.