Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction ❯ Evangelion: Tribulations After ❯ Aftermath, part 3: End to Instrumentality ( Chapter 3 )

The boy tightened his grip on the control levers. He answered, "We are there."

The boy was piloting an EVA. It was white, and it was flying thanks to two large jetpacks on its shoulders. Its head was similarly shaped to Unit 02, but it only had two eyes. It had a few scorch marks on it, like it had been in an explosion, but it had writing on it, mostly saying "EVA Unit 04." Around it were heavy-class military helicopters and bombers. Long-range tactical jets flew past them to send relatively small missiles at the installation, taking out two military garages and an un-powered missile turret.

"So, tell me again how you found Unit 04? I thought it exploded." Shinji states.

"You know, explosions are a funny thing. They can blow something apart, or they can send something someplace else. When the S2 engine was being loaded into the EVA, they realized that someone had done a flimsy job of putting on the sealant that kept the explosive fuel content in the engine. Before they could repair it, the fuel exploded, creating a big enough blast to wipe out the entire base. The EVA, however, survived. The explosion destroyed the base, but was powerful enough to send the EVA out of the normal space-time continuum, however badly damaged. I, having the ability to transverse spaceo-temporal anomalies and different levels of consciousness detected it and managed to use telekinetic and heavenly forces to repair and store it in a time-space anomaly that-" The boy stopped when he noticed the three EVA pilots just staring at him in confusion. "Never mind."

"Alright troops, here's the plan: tanks and ground units evade enemy EVAs and proceed straight for the enemy HQ. I want prisoners taken; kill only when absolutely necessary, and the SEELE council are to all be taken alive. Air attack vessels: Fire a couple of shots at the EVAs on your way to the HQ to distract them, but do not openly engage the EVAs in full combat. Shinji, Asuka: The EVAs are ours. All other units: BREAK AND ATTACK!"

With that command, the troops launched their full-scale assault on the SEELE HQ. About twelve jets fired homing missiles at the EVAs as they passed them, as well as helicopters sending barrages of bullets at them. The eight EVAs ignored the assaults by the air units and went straight for Units 01, 02, and 04.

"Looks like 3-3-2. Hey kid, you take 2, I'll take 3, and Captain amazing in Unit 01'll take 3 as well." Asuka suggests.

"Roger that, flamingo inferno." The boy says, smiling.

"What'd you call-" Asuka shouts as the boy shuts off the intercom.

Unit 04 ran straight at the nearest EVA. The markings said Unit 08 on it, and the boy smiled as he pulled his progressive knife from the sheath on Unit 04's leg. Unit 08 pulled out its double-lanced weapon and prepared to block as Unit 04 continued to run at it. As Unit 04 prepared to strike down, Unit 08 rose it's weapon to block, but Unit 04 lept into the air and the jets on his shoulders kicked in. He flew straight at Unit 08 and rose up a little, with his progressive knife aimed down. Increasing speed, the EVA continued to fly with preparation for a somewhat difficult move. Unit 04 sliced into the lance weapon, cutting it straight in half, but Unit 04 didn't stop there. As soon as it was done with the weapon, Unit 04 used the progressive knife to cut straight through the AT field of Unit 08 and then through its head. The EVA collapsed onto the ground with the two halves of its head now lying on the ground, leaking fuel and a blood-like substance.

Seeing its companion fall, Unit 06 ran at Unit 04. The boy made the EVA turn around and deactivate the flight jets. The EVA landed on the ground gracefully, and Unit 04 threw his progressive knife straight at Unit 06. Unit 06 lept into the air to evade the attack, but was too slow and the knife hit its lower leg. Unit 06 slammed face first into the ground in pain. It grabbed onto its leg with one free hand and braced himself on the ground with his weapon. Unit 04 ran over as Unit 06 raised its weapon to counter it. Unit 04, however, kicked the lance out of its hand and picked it up in mid air. Unit 06 punched Unit 04 in the stomach, but Unit 04 pulled the progressive knife out of the EVA's leg and sliced the hand clean off. Unit 06 held its stump of an arm to its stomach and Unit 04 used the weapon of Unit 06 to slice it into its neck, and pulled to the left, chopping its head off.

Unit 12 came running at Unit 04, but was jumped by Unit 02. Unit 12 was pinned to the ground as Asuka yelled and used her EVA's arms to rip into the back of Unit 12's neck and pull out the dummy plug. Unit 12's arms were flailing wildly, trying to get Unit 02 off of it. Finally, with two kicks from its hindquarters, Asuka was bumped off. Unit 12 jumped up and threw its lance at Unit 02. Sensing immense déjà vu from the dream when the lance had turned into the Lance of Longinus, Asuka pulled out her progressive knife and blocked the lance's approach, and she caught it with her right hand. She put it in front of her, and slowly bent the lance in half, and threw it to the side. She then threw her progressive knife at Unit 12, whose head exploded on impact from the knife.

Units 09 and 07 came running at Unit 02 from opposite directions. They had noticed a pattern in the deaths of the last three EVAs, and decided on a new strategy. Asuka thought for a second, trying to determine what her course of action should be. Both drew their lances, so Unit 02 ran over and grabbed its progressive knife from the head of Unit 12. They were very close now, so Asuka prepared herself by raising her progressive knife in defense, and then readying the EVA's leg to kick away the other lance. The plan worked as Unit 09 was stuck against Unit 02's knife and Unit 07 was without a weapon. Asuka then grabbed Unit 07 with her free hand by the neck and threw with all her might into Unit 09. She pulled back as Unit 07's arm was pierced by Unit 09's lance and was slammed into it. Unit 07 pulled itself away from Unit 09 and ran at Unit 02, who spun around once and sent its right fist into it's face, forcing a powerful blow straight across its face and knocking it over. Unit 09 readied its lance again and ran at Unit 02, who picked up Unit 07's lance and blocked with it. While blocking with one arm, Unit 02 grabbed out its progressive knife and stabbed right into the general location of the heart for a human being. The EVA fell back onto the ground, it's power lights shutting off. Asuka stood and smiled for a second, savoring the moment. However, she didn't see Unit 07 preparing to strike down with its fists, with enough force in the blow to knock Asuka down. However, another lance impaled its other side, ripping straight through it. Unit 02 turned around and saw Unit 04 holding up the dead body of Unit 07.

"I could've taken it." Asuka murmured to the mysterious boy.

"Could've, should've, would've, DIDN'T." the boy replies.

Unit 01 was aiming it's giant rifle at the sky, where the last three EVAs had taken to. He aimed carefully at Unit 05, and fired, piercing its left wing. The EVA fell towards the ground, and Unit 01 began to run at it, but the other two EVAs flew down and bit into Unit 01's arms and continued to fly, and hurtled Unit 01 into the ground. Shinji bumped around inside the entry plug in an attempt to get the EVA up again. Finally succeeding on getting on its knees, the EVA was met with the two winged EVAs grabbing onto its arms and flying him higher this time. Having already thought of how to counter it this time, Unit 01 raised the arm with the gun in its hand at the stomach of Unit 11, and fired, cutting clean holes straight through the EVA, who lost its grip and let go of Unit 01 as it yelped in pain, and then fell onto the ground, dying. Now, only Unit 10 held onto Unit 01, whose legs were scraping on the ground because of the low altitude.

Unit 01 jumped up and then grabbed onto the EVA's back and got on. Unit 01 rose its weapon onto the back of Unit 10's head and pulled the trigger once, sending one bullet into its head. The EVA, with no control of its body, now began to fall onto the ground. Unit 01 lept off of it as Unit 10 fell, its body being mutilated by the ground as it skidded across until finally coming to a stop. Unit 01 got up and Shinji just breathed, trying to get wind of what he had just been through. However, Unit 05 slammed its foot into Unit 01's backside, and it fell down, face first, into the ground. Unit 05 jumped onto Unit 01's back and prepared to strike down with its lance. However, the lance was hit away as Unit 04's progressive knife sliced both of Unit 05's hands off. Unit 02 pulled Unit 05 off of Unit 01's back and punched it in the face. Unit 04 put Unit 05 in a headlock, and Unit 01 got up. Unit 05 struggled as much as it could as Unit 02 restrained its legs. Unit 01 walked over to it and slammed its hand straight into the EVA's chest, digging deeper and deeper, and then closing. Unit 01 pulled its arm out fast, revealing that he had just ripped out Unit 05's S2 engine. The EVA deactivated right afterwards.

"Geez… A lot harder than the dream…" Asuka pants.

"Wait a second, where's the ninth one?" Shinji asks.

"Maybe the system to eject it failed." The boy says.

Another vid screen opened up, this time of Misato. She said, "Hey gang, we have a little problem back at NERV."

"What?" Shinji asks.

"One of SEELE's EVAs is here! It hasn't made any hostile moves yet, it's just approaching, but it has a rather large beam cannon in its arms." Misato explains.

The boy understood immediately. "By the web of dimensions, no! We must get back there immediately!"

"Why? No beam cannon can do any serious damage to NERV, unless it repeats what we did to that one angel…" Rei says.

"Don't you understand?! It's going to try to release Lillith!" The boy shouts, activating the jets on Unit 04.

EVA Unit 13 walked silently until making it to the one spot several thousand feet above Lillith's chamber. It took aim carefully with the cannon in its hands, and set it to full power. Immediately, a large beam of white energy struck down into the ground, cutting down through the layers of dirt and rock until reaching the metal plating for NERV. It took a lot more time to cut through it, but Unit 13 was patient. It would initiate the Third Impact, wiping out life on the planet Earth.

"Like hell you will!" the boy shouts, seeing he was two miles away from Unit 13.

"He's just cleared the fourth layer, he's almost there!" Misato reported.

Unit 13 saw the three EVAs approaching. Immediately, it took out its lance and sent it hurtling at Unit 04. The boy ignored it, but the lance struck through its belly and stabbed it into the ground. Unit 13 then continued digging into the ground. Units 01 and 02 were still farther behind from Unit 04, who was trying to pull out the lance even while systems began to disconnect everywhere. Finally, Unit 13 cleared the last point as Units 01 and 02 were still a mile away. The EVA lept down through the hole, falling for about three seconds, and then arrived down in the chamber, smashing the dock as it landed and had its feet in some LCL. It looked at Lillith, and then walked over to her. Lillith didn't even seem to care to look at it, but did so anyway. Unit 13 walked behind the cross, and slammed his foot into one side, snapping the wood that had been stuck to Lillith, freeing one arm. It repeated the process on the other arm, freeing it entirely. Lillith began to float upwards through the hole Unit 13 had made.

"Oh bloody hell." The boy says, watching it through a camera from his EVA.

The boy suddenly activated the ejection on the entry plug and got out.

The twelve SEELE members, even with explosions and sparks flying around them, watched as Lillith began to ascend upwards.

"The program is nearly complete." SEELE 01 says.

"And they will thank us for it." SEELE 04 says.

The boy could not take it anymore. He was not ready to let everything he had fought for die like this. Units 01 and 02 watched Lillith began to ascend, but then noticed the boy holding his arms out in the air. Suddenly, bulges grew on his back, and then the green plug suit he wore began to split in the back. The sight before them stunned Asuka and Shinji as white energy began to grow out of the boy's back. Then, suddenly, they were eight feet long energy bands that all came out of the same two spots on the boy's back. They flapped up and the boy flew towards Lillith. Unit 13 put it's arm in front of the boy, but the boy just narrowed his eyes and increased speed, slamming straight through the hand and punching a hole through it and continued to fly towards Lillith. Lillith took one look at the boy and stopped floating. It just hovered there as the boy flew up to above it. They just hovered there for ten seconds, until the boy finally spoke.

"This is not the time. They," the boy spoke, pointing towards Asuka and Shinji, "are not for you…yet. Do you understand?"

Lillith nodded.

"Leave now. You know how POed the big J gets when he has to wait." The boy said, smiling.

Lillith nodded, and disappeared.

Everyone could hardly believe their eyes. Only four people truly understood what the boy had been talking about, but not understanding the second part of what he had said. The boy looked around him. He could already tell people were watching him, waiting for him to speak, to clarify what he had said. Three News networks were pointing cameras at him.

The boy then spoke out loud; knowing those of NERV, SEELE, and anyone else involved in the last 37 hours would hear him. "My job is done. You are not ready to evolve. If you should survive and find total peace in the next few hundred thousand to a million years, you will be ready."

The boy then flew up towards the sky until he was out of sight from the world.

To Be Continued…