Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction ❯ In the Still Darkness ( Chapter 14 )

“Zankoku na tenshi no you ni…”
In the darkness, a single point shines like a drop of fallen water. (The beginning of the universe)
A wave of light spreads out.
A red universe fades in from a black screen.
The camera advances.
Image of an angel.

“Shounen yo shinwa ni nare”
A graphical tree of light appears and vanishes on a blue screen.
A watery surface and what appears to be a light flickering.
Halations spread out.
Black halations ~ title logo.

“Aoi kaze ga ima, mune no DOA o tataite mo
Watashi dake o tada mitsumete, hohoenderu anata”
A blue sky.
Shinji fades in (expressionless) and slowly rotates around.
A silhouette of Shinji (back to us) fades in.
Shinji stops at a side profile (wind blows his hair, etc.).
The silhouettes of Asuka and Rei come IN.

“Sotto fureru mono motomeru koto ni muchuu de”
Misato’s hand fades in.
The Sephirotic Tree fades in and out.

“Unmei sae mada shirenai, itaike na hitomi”
Closeup of Misato’s face fades in, its movement synchronous with a silhouette.
Misato looks up.
Misato’s silhouette changes.
At the same time, her face is replaced with Shinji from the front.
The silhouette looks up.
Misato’s silhouette fades out.
A girl within a window frame.
Shinji fades out.
Rei’s blinking eye super-UP (realistic), fade in.
Entry plug being inserted.
Entry plug interior UP.
Entry plug internal time counter.
Shinji’s hand pushing against the lever UP.
Monitor display turning from red to green.

“Dakedo itsuki kizuku deshou, sono senaka ni wa…”
Shinji inside the entry plug.
His eyes aren’t visible.
PAN UP (throughout the cut).
Shinji brings his face up slowly.
Eva-01 (silhouette-like) rears, slowly and weightily.
Finally, she raises her face.
Ikari UP.
A serious-faced Misato.
Ritsuko (the same).
An expressionless Rei.

“Haruka mirai mezasu tame no hane ga aru koto”
EVva-01 rearing.
An eerie, violent image.
The camera pulls back.
12 wings spring forth!
Eva-01’s mouth opening.
Eva-01 throwing up her hand.
Eva-01 UP.
Eva-01’s hand, stained with red blood.
Text: “TEST TYPE EVA-01”.

“Zankoku na tenshi no têze”
Eva-00 lifting its face up.
Text: “PROTOTYPE EVA-00”.
Eva-02 striking a pose with a prog knife
Text: “STANDARD TYPE EVA-02”.
Eva-03 running across a city at sunset.
Text: “SEMI-AERIAL TYPE EVA-03”.
Eva-04 against a black background.
Text: “STANDARD TYPE EVA-04”. (crossed out)
Eva-06 against a sunset.
Text: “EXPERIMENTAL TYPE EVA-06”.
An MP Eva, grinning.
Text: “MASS PRODUCED EVANGELION TYPE.”

“Madobe kara yagate tobitatsu”
Text: “TOKYO-3”.
The mark of Nerv.
Fuyutsuki.
Map of Tokyo-3.
Hyuga.
Aoba.
Maya.
Nerv HQ’s Command Center.
Misato.
Ritsuko.
An intrepid Gendo.
The crest of Seele.
Chairman Keel.
Text: “ABSOLUTE TERROR FIELD”.
A younger Gendo (full color).
Embryonic Adam.
Gendo’s smiling mouth.

“Hotobashiru atsui PATOSU de”
The core of an Angel.
A group of women (including Kyoko)
A young Yui.
Shinji inside the entry plug, face distorted in stress.
Rei inside the entry plug, leaning forward.
Asuka inside the entry plug, eyes shut.
Kaworu inside the entry plug, serene as ever.
Toji inside the entry plug, trying to concentrate.
Kensuke inside the entry plug, grinning like a madman.
Hikari.
An exploding building.
Eva-01 attacking with a Pallet Gun.
An explosion ~ Eva-01 does a rotating jump and flies into the foreground.

“Omoide o uragiru nara”
Ikari UP (low angle).
Shinji as a child, crying.
Misato, naked from the waist up.
Misato’s pendant.
Text: “SECOND IMPACT”.
The Giant of Light turning around.
The Angel on the cross.
Rei hugging her knees and looking at the camera.
Eva-01’s face.
Text on white background: “ADAM”
Ritsuko in profile.
Monitor screen of DNA map.
Misato getting up.
Misato and Ritsuko in their younger days (full color).

“Kono sora o daite kagayaku”
Text: “Director: Hideaki Anno.”
…becomes Eva-01 spreading its arms, with Shinji overlapping on top.

“Shounen yo shinwa ni nare!”
Shinji turning around. His face is serious.
Shinji shouting (in profile).
Shinji escaping from lights.
Shinji smiling without a care in the world.
A list on a computer terminal.
Text: “1 … Terminated.
2 … Terminated.
3 … Terminated.
4 … Terminated.
5 … Terminated.
6 … Terminated.
7 … Active.
8 … Prepared.”

—

Nerv pyramid.

A large room with a dining table.
Two people sit at it and eat, silhouetted.

One of them is Rei.
Rei “Sir?”

Ikari looks up.

Rei “Do people think of eating together as enjoyable?”
Ikari considers for a moment.

Ikari “Why do you ask?”

Rei “I was just curious…”

Ikari “I suppose so.”

Rei “Then… maybe you and Ikari-kun should eat together…”
Ikari “…”

Rei “I… I could make it a party…”

Ikari sighs.
Ikari “Very well.”

Rei “Thank you, sir…”

A laboratory.

Rei floats in an LCL tank.
Ritsuko (OFF) “At least the experiments confirmed the Dummy Plug was workable.”

Ikari nods.
Ikari “Still… Unit 00 going berserk like that…”

Ritsuko “It’s probably just the same glitch that plagued Rei.”
She lights a cigarette.

An ashtray is filled with them.

Ritsuko “So… you say she wants to have a party…?”

Ikari nods.
Ritsuko laughs.

Ritsuko “Shinji’s having more of an effect on her than you thought…”

Ikari “Maybe. Maybe it’s something else.”

Ritsuko “Eva-01, for example?”
She sighs.
Ritsuko “Look…”

Ritsuko “Let’s just focus on what needs to be done.”

Rei continues to float in the LCL tank.
She isn’t even blinking.

Ritsuko “We need to finish the Dummy Plug.”

A computer monitor.
An image of an entry plug labeled “Dummy” enters an Eva.
Text: “Functionality without pilots”

Ritsuko “It’s reassuring to know that we won’t be relying on children anymore.”

Ikari frowns.
Ikari “Seele has approved nine new Evas.”

Ritsuko turns in alarm.
Ritsuko “What?”

Ikari “All of them will be identical, and run by the plug.”
Ritsuko (OFF) “But… “

Ritsuko “The scenario… and that’s…”

Ikari “A huge waste of money, yes.”
He shakes his head.

Ikari “When they finish, they plan on phasing us out entirely.”

Ritsuko sits for a moment.
Ritsuko “Seems sudden… And…”

Ritsuko “We’re more experienced.”

Ikari shrugs.
Ikari “Apparently experience doesn’t matter.”

Ritsuko shakes her head.
Ritsuko “We’re doomed.”

She rises.
Ritsuko “I’ll get back to work.”
Ikari nods.

Ikari “I will see you later?”

Ritsuko “Of course.”
She smiles.

They stare for a moment.

They kiss.

—

Text: “Episode #14: What Can’t Be Seen”

Nerv Pyramid.

Inside Headquarters, Ibuki works industriously.
Ibuki “A complete diagnostic on Melchior has been completed.”

Aoba nods.

Hyuga “We’ve been running a lot of diagnostics lately.”

Ritsuko “We now have four Evangelion units to direct.”
Ibuki “If something goes wrong, one of the children would be endangered.”

Fuyutsuki “Aren’t they endangered as it is?”
Hyuga swivels his chair around to face him.
Hyuga “Sir!”
He rises.

Fuyutsuki nods.

Ritsuko “They might be in danger, but they’re all we’ve got.”

Fuyutsuki smirks.
Fuyutsuki “But they’re not the only thing the Magi are for?”

Aoba “Sir?”

Fuyutsuki “The Magi are the government of Tokyo-3. The three of them handle every proposal, and implement them.”

Ibuki looks amazed.
Ibuki “What a futuristic city we live in!”

Aoba looks at her condescendingly.
Aoba “Technophile…”

Ibuki “What?! It’s a lot smarter than trusting politicians.”

Fuyutuski watches, amused.
Fuyutsuki “Computers just do what you tell them to.”

A city.
Fuyutsuki (OFF) “The wars after Second Impact showed that.”
Two jet planes fly overhead, dropping bombs.

An explosion.

The remnants of the city, burning.

A close-up of the jets reveals they have no windows. (Thus, no pilots).

Hyuga “Wasn’t the Evangelion Project approved because it used humans?”

Fuyutsuki hesitates, then nods.
Fuyutsuki “That was one of the reasons for our funding.”

Ritsuko looks at Fuyutsuki, apprehensive.
Ritsuko “The primary reason.”

He nods.
Fuyutsuki “Of course. The primary reason.”

A Seele monolith.

Ibuki “If they were approved for using humans, why the Dummy Plug system?”
Hyuga (OFF) “It’s obvious.”

Hyuga “It’s just a back-up system in case a pilot gets knocked out.”

Ritsuko “Or if the pain the Evangelion’s systems feel would kill them.”
She lights a cigarette.

Everyone seems to notice the choice of verb.
No one comments.

Finally, Ibuki breaks the silence.
Ibuki “We should run a few more tests on the Evangelion.”

Hyuga rises.
Hyuga “I’m actually off duty now.”

Ritsuko shrugs.
Ritsuko “Goodbye then.”

Hyuga walks across the Geofront.

He presses an elevator button.

The doors open.
He steps in.
Hyuga “See you tomorrow.”

—

The classroom.
It’s lunchtime.

The pilots are gathered around a couple of desks, eating.

Hikari watches Toji while sitting with her own group of friends.

Toji sighs.
Toji “Do we really have to leave early? We’re gonna miss gym.”

Asuka and Kensuke both glare.
Both “Synch training is the most impor-”
They stop and glare at each other.

Shinji laughs.

They both glare at him.
Asuka (mono) “I see how it is… Now that he’s Number One, he’s going to laugh?”

Rei is not eating, but reading.
Shinji (OFF) “Ayanami?”
Rei “Yes?”

Shinji offers some of his lunch.
Shinji “Are you hungry?”
Rei “I… Yes…”

She takes the soup from him.

Shinji “It’s miso soup.”

Rei drinks.
She looks surprised.
Rei “It’s very good.”

Shinji laughs.

Both Asuka and Kensuke glare.

Rei smiles at Shinji.
Hikari (OFF) “Toji-kun?”

Toji turns.
Toji “Cla- Hikari-san?”

Hikari blushes.
Hikari “Do you… like it?”

Toji looks down at his meal.
It’s nearly gone.

Toji “It’s great!”

Hikari’s blush deepens.
Hikari “Th- thanks…”

Nerv Pyramid.

Misato sighs.
Misato “We’ve been running this test for a couple of hours now.”

Fuyutsuki “That’s what we’re paid for.”

Misato grumbles to herself.
Woman (OFF – INTERCOM) “Katsuragi and Fuyutsuki, please report to Level B-1. Katsuragi and Fuytusuki…”
Misato rises.

Fuyutsuki “I wonder why they want us down there…”

Misato “There’s some supplies down there, I think.”
Fuyutsuki “That’s hardly a reason to call us both.”

Misato shrugs.
Misato “Well, if it’s a waste of time, we can yell at them.”

They both get in the elevator.

Misato “What’s the Dummy Plug System?”

Fuyutsuki pauses.

The elevator counts the floors.
Fuyutsuki (OFF) “I don’t know.”

Misato “What’s with that? You’re the Sub-Commander! You should know everything!”

Fuyutsuki nods.
Fuyutsuki “Yes, but… Commander Ikari is secretive.”

Misato doesn’t like this answer.
Misato “Between talk of it – talk I’m not cleared to even KNOW about, and that Angel, and Seele’s interrogation…”

The elevator continues counting floors.
Misato (OFF) “I don’t know if I want to have anything to do with this place.”

Fuyutsuki “Why do you stay then?”

Misato “For the children.”
Fuyutsuki (OFF) “They’re probably doomed no matter what you do.”
Misato bows her head.
Misato “I know.”

The streets of Tokyo-3.
Telephone Operator (OFF) “Yes, please hold for just a moment.”

Shinji is using a payphone.
Ikari (PHONE – OFF) “What?”
Shinji “Um, Father…”

The empty streets.
Ikari (PHONE – OFF) “What is it? Spit it out!”

Shinji “Well… Actually today… We were told to tell our parents…that they’re having a career discussion interview at school.”

More of the streets.
Ikari (PHONE – OFF) “I’ve delegated all such things to Captain Katsuragi. Don’t call me over such nonsense.”

Shinji looks depressed.
Ikari (PHONE – OFF) “Don’t forward any more of these calls to…”
Shinji’s eyes widen.

The phone in Shinji’s hand.
No dial-tone.

Shinji “What happened…?”

He looks out at the streets.
The traffic lights are down.

Later, the pilots are hanging out by the school.

Shinji “It was weird the way the line just dropped like that…”

Asuka rolls her eyes.
Asuka “Do you let every little thing get to you?”

Shinji “It’s just that I’ve never heard a line cut out like that before.”

A basketball goes through a hoop.

Toji catches the ball as it bounces back to him.
Toji “Don’t worry about it so much.”

Rei sits, reading a book.
Rei “The power outage is bound to end in a few minutes.”

Kensuke turns.
Kensuke “What makes you say that?”

Rei “Nerv HQ has three back-up generators. They can’t all fail at once.”
Kensuke (OFF) “What about sabotage?”

Rei looks at Kensuke disparagingly.
Rei “Who would sabotage mankind’s only protector?”

—

The elevator is dark.
Misato pounds on the door.
Misato “Let us out!”

Fuyutsuki “They probably can’t hear us. The power is out.”
Misato “I don’t care!”

She kicks the door in desperation.
Misato “Come on!”

Fuyutsuki shakes his head.
Fuyutsuki “Well, since we’re not going anywhere, is there any official business we should discuss?”

Misato “I left everything on your desk. You can read it when we get out.”

Fuyutsuki “What if we don’t get out?”

Misato looks concerned.
Misato “What do you mean?”

Fuyutsuki “There are three generators. It’s statistically impossible that they’d all fail. This might be some attempt to kill us.”

Misato “Why would anyone be trying to kill us?”

Fuyutsuki says nothing.
Misato (OFF) “Do you mean ‘trying to kill you?’”
Still nothing.

Misato “Who’d want to kill you?”

Fuyutsuki “You don’t?”

Misato turns away.
Misato “I don’t like you, Fuyutsuki, and I don’t like what Antarctic Research stood for.”

A younger Misato, alone in a room.
SE: a door opening

The younger Misato’s eyes widen.

Misato “I wouldn’t kill you though.”

She turns to face Fuyutsuki.
Misato “It’s not worth it.”

Fuytsuki doesn’t seem quite sure what to say.

The entire pyramid is in darkness.

So is HQ.

Candles are lit everywhere.

Aoba “What the hell happened?”
Ibuki “I don’t know…”

Akagi and Ikari are at the top.
Akagi “What if an Angel attacks?”
Ikari “We must contact the outside world as quickly as possible.”

Ibuki “That’s going to be impossible. Someone sabotaged us.”

Ikari frowns.
Ikari “Who had access to such systems?”

Ibuki “Only one of us, Hyuga, the Major, or the Sub-Commander.”

Ikari frowns. “And all three of them left before the power was turned off.”

Ibuki nods.
Ibuki “Yes, sir.”

Ikari doesn’t say anything for a moment. Finally:
Ikari “We’re in trouble, then.”

BGM START: E-5 Fast Tempo Rhythm Only [HARBRINGER OF TRAGEDY]

The coast. A large building sits on the beach.
Text: “JSSDF Watch Station”

Soldier “Still no word from Nerv. Wait… What the-”

A tidal wave crashes against the building.

In the ocean, something large and black is emerging from the waves.
Another something seems to join it.

Both are legs of something immense.

Soldier 2 “The Eleventh Angel!” (a deliberate mistake)
Soldier 3 “Where’s Nerv?”

The Angel has four legs. All four are advancing slowly towards the coast.

A line of cannons.
Text: “First Defense Line”
They fire.

All shots connect. The black legs glow where they’ve been hit.
An energy beam flies out of each point of impact, back towards the cannons.

They are all annihilated.

A close up shot of the main body, rising above the sea.
Like the Ninth Angel, its main body is covered in eyes.

The soldiers watch in terror.
Soldier 4 “Who the hell turned off the power NOW?”

END BGM

EYECATCH

—

Text: “Neon Genesis Evangelion: Episode: 14: The Day Tokyo-3 Stood Still”

The streets again.
Asuka “If it’s that important, we should just go to Nerv!”

The other children consider.
Rei “We are scheduled for synch tests soon.”

They walk down the streets.

A card reader.
Asuka swipes her card.
SE: error

Asuka glares.
Asuka “What the-?”

Shinji swipes his.
As does Rei.

All the children stare at their cards in agitation.
Kensuke “It’s broken already?”

Toji “Isn’t there an emergency hatch or something?”

Rei nods.
Rei “There are several manual accesses. One is here.”

She points to a smaller, separate door.

Asuka “Until this is all sorted out, we’re going to need someone to take charge.”
Kensuke “I nominate Rei!”
Asuka “What? I meant me! She’s more like a doll than anything else!”

Shinji doesn’t look amused.
Kaworu “Do we really need a leader?”

Asuka “Yes!”
She pushes the manual door open.
Asuka “Come on!”

She marches through while everyone watches.
Asuka turns.

Asuka “Are you coming or not?”

They follow.

Hyuga is running down the street.
Hyuga “The one time I take the scenic route and there’s an Angel…”

The streets are confused in the power outage.
Hyuga “Hey! Get to the shelters! There’s an Angel!”

No one really responds.

A truck drives by.
Announcer (OFF – MEGAPHONE) “Vote for Mashiro! A vote for Mashiro is- Hey!”
SE: Tires screech

Hyuga stands in front of the truck.
Hyuga “This is an emergency.”

He climbs in.
Hyuga “An Angel is attacking! We have to warn everyone!”

The driver nods.
The announcer (female) hands Hyuga the megaphone.

The truck continues driving.
Hyuga (OFF – MEGAPHONE) “An Angel is attacking! This is not a drill! Escape to the shelters!”

People begin to panic.

In the tunnels, everything is dark.
Toji “These manual entrances sure are shoddy.”

They approach another door.
Asuka “Shinji, you open it.”

Rei “No, this is the wrong way. We should have gone left.”

Asuka glares.
Asuka “Shinji?”

He sighs and begins to open the door.

Toji and Kensuke shake their heads.

Shinji looks a little angry as he struggles with the door.

Kaworu “Curious.”
Asuka “What?”
Kaworu “You’re relying on others.”
Asuka “So?”
Kaworu “I thought you wanted to be leader.”
SE: the door opens

—

Asuka steps forward boldly.
Asuka “This’ll be a piece of cake!”

The dark tunnel stretches out in front of them.
Asuka (OFF) “We just go forward until we get there!”

No one seems reassured.

Asuka looks impatiently at everyone else.
Asuka “Come on already! Just because I’m the leader doesn’t mean I should have to tell you how to walk!”

Toji “Soryu, give it a rest. We’re coming…”
The children march forward.

Shinji (mono) “She’s not really a good leader… She’s too bossy at everything…”

The children step into the tunnel, and begin to walk down it single file.

Sometime later, they are clearly tiring.
Toji “This should only take two minutes!”

Kensuke “Do we have the right corridor?”

Asuka “Once we get over there, we should be able to come out in the Geo-Front.”

Shinji “I’ve heard that from you four times already.”

Asuka glares.
Asuka “You really are a nitpicky man!”

Everyone looks to Shinji.
Asuka “You’re always focusing on the stupidest things!”

Shinji opens his mouth to respond.
Rei (OFF) “Quiet.”

Asuka turns on her.
Asuka “What now, Miss Perfect?”

Rei “Someone is coming.”
Hyuga (OFF) “Ang… approaching…”

Toji “It’s Hyuga! Hey Hyuga!”
Hyuga (OFF) “An Angel is approaching… Evacuate… An Angel…”

The children stare in horror.
Shinji and Asuka “An Angel?!”

Rei “If that’s true, we must hurry.”
She takes a few steps forward.
Rei “Let’s take a short cut.”

Asuka is horrified.
Asuka “I’m the leade-”

No one else seems interested.
Asuka “Er… So where’s this short cut?”

Rei “It is this way.”
She points down a side tunnel.

Asuka “What? That bends around the other way!”

Rei nods.
Rei “Yes.”

Asuka “We can’t go that way!”
Rei “But it’s the right way.”

Asuka shakes her head.
Asuka “We can’t risk it. We’ll split up. I’ll got this way with two others, you go that way…”
She bites her lip.

The group.
Asuka (OFF) “I’ll take the jock and the nerd, I guess. This way we can each pilot three Evas.”
She sighs.
The three leave.

Rei, Kaworu, and Shinji head down the tunnel.
Kaworu “You made the right choice, Shinji-kun.”

Shinji looks uncomfortable.
Shinji “I don’t like fighting…”

Rei “Even when your opponent is wrong?”

Shinji looks down.
Shinji “Look, let’s just keep going. If we want to stop the Angel, we need to hurry.”

Kaworu nods.

The children climb through a ventilation shaft.
All are quiet, though Kaworu smiles.

Shinji (mono) “I hope the others are-”

Suddenly, the floor gives way!

Shinji topples to the ground. Kaworu and Rei land gracefully.
Shinji “Ow!”
Ritsuko (OFF) “Good! We’ve already prepared the Evas.”
Shinji “What?”

He looks.
All four Evangelion are being prepped.
Shinji “But nothing’s working!”

Ritsuko “It was done by hand. The Commander’s idea.”

Shinji stares at his father, who is helping prepare the Evas.
Shinji (mono) “I had no idea….”

Ritsuko “Your father had faith you would come, and prepared everything. Where are the others?”

Shinji “We got separated…”
Man (OFF) “Flywheel, ready for connection!”
Woman (OFF) “All units, interior set.”

Shinji and Kaworu begin to change in a small room.
Man (OFF) “We’re good! Run the cell motor!”
Ibuki (OFF) “Plugs inserted. All units activated using backup power supply.”

Rei tightens her plug suit.
Ikari (OFF) “Release the primary lock bolts.”
Man (OFF) “Hydraulic locks numbers 2 through 32, released.”

LCL floods into Shinji’s entry plug.
Ibuki (OFF) “Zero pressure. The situation is free.”
Ikari (OFF)“Go ahead. Each unit, force open the restraints under your own power.”

The Evas do so.
Ikari (OFF) “Head out!”

Hyuga is in the politician’s vehicle.
Hyuga (MEGAPHONE) “The target appears to have halted directly above us!”

Ritsuko “Get ready! Hurry up!”
Ibuki “The emergency batteries have been loaded!”
Ritsuko “All right, we can do this!”

The Evangelions’ eyes light up.
Ritsuko (OFF) “Launch!”
The Evas begin to run.

—

The Angel continues its march over Tokyo-3.

Underground, the other three children are still lost.
Toji looks most irritated.

Toji “Yo, Soryu? What’s the big deal with all of this anyways? Why couldn’t we just follow them?”

Asuka continues walking in silence.

Toji “Come on! What’s the big deal?!”
Asuka “I said I was going to be the leader!”

Kensuke sighs.
Kensuke “That doesn’t mean you can’t listen to the people around you.”

Asuka “I know that!”

Toji “Then why didn’t you listen to Ayanami? She knows this place better than any of us.”

Again, Asuka is silent.

Toji sighs.
Toji “Is it because it’s Ayanami?”

Asuka “Of course not!”
Toji (OFF) “Are you jealous or something?”

Asuka turns to him.
Asuka “Shut up!”

Kensuke sighs.
Kensuke “He did give her soup…”

Asuka “You too! Just… drop it! Okay?”

Toji “We did go the wrong way though.”
Asuka “Who cares? Our hero Shinji and his girlfriend are the only people we seem to need!”

Asuka gets angrier.
Asuka “It doesn’t even matter that Nagisa will pilot my Eva! They won’t need him!”

Asuka turns to both of them.
Asuka “They don’t need us!”
They look down.

Asuka “We’re just the comic relief in their adventure, so what does it matter?”

Asuka “Just leave it.”

BGM START E-15 [MAGMADIVER]

The three Evas begin their crawl.
Eva-02 leads.

Kaworu “I believe this is the way.”

Shinji “We have to hurry… Only five minutes of power…”

The three Evas get to a vertical shaft.

Eva-01 looks upwards.

The Twelfth Angel is above it.
Its many eyes begin to ‘bleed’.

Blood connects with Eva-01’s horn.
(OFF) Shinji cries out.

Eva-01 pulls back into the shaft.

Shinji “Great… What are we supposed to do now?”

Kaworu smiles.
Kaworu “I have an idea.”

Rei looks concerned.
Kaworu (OFF) “I’ll block the acid…”

Kaworu “Ayanami will get the gun and toss it to you…”
His smile broadens.
Kaworu “And then you can kill the Angel.”

Shinji hesitates.

Rei “It is an adequate plan.”

Eva-02 leaps into the shaft.
Its AT Field is fully extended.
The acid begins to pool in midair above it.

Eva-00 and Eva-01 drop down.

Eva-00 hits the ground.
It grabs the gun and throws it up.

Eva-01 catches the gun.

Shinji “Move!”

Eva-02 leaps out of the way.
Its AT Field carries the acid with it.

Eva-01 fires the gun.

The shots fly directly through the 12th Angel’s eyes.

The Angel collapses.
And melts into acid.

Rei “Ikari-kun!”

The acid falls into the shaft.

And collides with Eva-01.
Shinji screams (OFF).

Kaworu looks on, sad.

Eva-01 slips from the shaft.

Eva-00 catches it.
Rei (OFF) “Ikari…?”

BGM END

—

The hospital wing.

Shinji’s regular room.
Asuka and Rei are looking over him.

Asuka “Power’s finally back on.”
She sighs and sits down.

Shinji twitches in his sleep.
Asuka (OFF) “It might really be over.”

Asuka “I wonder if the idiot’ll pilot again after this.”

Rei “How is Ikari?”

Asuka shrugs.
Asuka “He wasn’t really injured, it’s all in his head.”

Shinji.
Asuka (OFF) “He’s probably just dreaming anyways.”

Rei “Dreaming?”
She is confused.

Asuka is too.
Asuka “Yeah… dreaming. Oh…”
Her expression changes.
Asuka “Lemme guess, you don’t know what that is…”

Rei says nothing.

Asuka sighs.
Asuka “Okay, look, I… about today…”

Shinji stirs.

His perspective of Rei and Asuka.
Shinji (OFF) “Ayanami…?”

Asuka sighs.
Asuka “I’m here too, you know.”

Shinji slowly sits up.
Shinji “Hi, Asuka…”

He looks from one to the other.
Shinji “Er… what happened?”

Rei “Evangelion Unit 01 is permanently damaged.”

Shinji’s eyes widen.
Shinji “What?!”

Asuka looks down.
Asuka “The acid burned through a lot of the armor… and some of the face.”

Eva-01, wrapped in bandages.
Asuka (OFF) “Some of the nerves there are… gone.”

Ritsuko and Ikari look on.
Asuka (OFF) “You wouldn’t be able to pilot without being in pain.”

Shinji frowns.
Shinji “Then… What am I going to do now?”

Asuka shrugs.
Asuka “Misato says you’re welcome to stay here.”

Rei “I… would like that.”

Shinji “I… I guess I could…”

Asuka is, again, on the outside of the conversation.
She stands up.
Asuka “I have to go.”

She leaves.

Before she closes the door, she looks back on Shinji and Rei.
Asuka (mono) “Fine. So I’ve lost.”

Asuka (mono) “She’s just a…”

Shinji and Rei sit together.
Rei “I am sorry you will no longer be able to keep piloting.”

Shinji pulls the blanket closer to him.
Shinji “It’s no big deal.”

(flashback) Shinji, screaming.
Shinji (OFF) “I didn’t like piloting anyways.”

Rei “I know…”

Her neck.
She gulps.

Rei “Ikari-kun…”

Shinji “Yeah?”

(flashback) Eva-01 charging the Fifth Angel.
Rei (OFF) “I wanted to say…”

(flashback) Eva-01 shooting the Sixth Angel.
Rei (OFF) “Everything you did…”

(flashback) Eva-01 catching the Ninth Angel.
Rei (OFF) “For all of us…”

She gulps again.

Rei “I wanted to say thank you.”

Shinji blushes.
Shinji “Uh…”
He pauses.
Shinji “It wasn’t anything…”

Rei (mono) “What should I…?”
She smiles.
Rei “It was.”

She stands.
Rei “You should rest.”

At the door she pauses and turns back.

Shinji looks at her, surprised at the outburst.
Rei “And… I hope your dreams are pleasant.”

She leaves.

Toji and Asuka sit at a Nerv bench, drinking canned drinks.
Toji “So they’re a couple now?”
Asuka “I think so.”

She leans back.
Asuka “Figures. Doll learns to talk, so he falls in love.”

Toji sighs.
Toji “Uh, Soryu… I wanted to ask…”

Asuka “No.”

Toji glares.
Toji “No, I’m not asking you out. It’s nothing like that. It’s about the angels.”

Asuka has moved away from Toji.
Toji “What do you suppose they are?”

Asuka shrugs her shoulders.
Asuka “How should I know?”

Asuka “Anyways, what’s it matter?”
Toji “When I talked to the Americans, they said ‘Angel’ meant messenger of God.”

Toji “Weird name for an enemy, don’t you think?”

Asuka shrugs.
Asuka “They’re strange beings attacking us!”

Asuka “It doesn’t matter if they’re messengers of God or not!”
This time, Toji has moved back.

Asuka “If something attacks you, you have to fight back!”

Asuka “It’s like going through a fire. You brush out the embers.”
Toji considers this.

To be continued…

—

Text: “Next Time”

A younger Asuka cries.
Misato (OFF) “Asuka reminisces on her past”

Asuka and Kaworu kiss.
Misato (OFF) “and why she was so eager to come to Nerv.”

The 13th Angel floats in space.
Misato (OFF) “An Angel beyond conventional attack”

Eva-00 approaches the crucified Angel.
Misato (OFF) “forces Nerv’s hand.”

Eva-03 pulls at Eva-02
Misato (OFF) “Next Time: ‘Because I Don’t Want to be Alone’.”