Story: The Forbidden Fruit 2

First part is here. 

Please do suggest improvements. I'm unsure of whether to put this on the BEA, or simply keep it as a seperate work, and would like to hear some opinions on that.



Just as he had predicted, the supposed military might bounced off the Angel's AT Fieldas though they had been flinging rubber bands at it rather than bullets and explosives. Every mortar, every missile, and even their precious N2 mine had shown about as much effectiveness of stopping the monster as a spot of drizzle. Not gloating any more, are we? Suddenly not so confident as you were a moment ago? No wonder. Look at it. Oh wait, you can't. It knocked out all trace of communication while it was regenerating.

Gendo Ikari let his hands hide his smirk as they gave him permission to try and stop the beast himself. Try. As if there was any doubt that he would succeed where they had failed. He would send his otherwise useless son into battle, and then - Oh, but then the fireworks would really begin.

The Commander took note that Captain Katsuragi had arrived, and was taking Shinji down into the base. The report indicated that the Captain was trying and failing to engage the boy in idle conversation, no doubt an attempt at a psychological preparation for the difficulties ahead. The Captain was rather excellent at her job, in Gendo's opinion. But she was far too sentimental.

It was that very weakness that made her essential to his plans.

And then there was his son to consider. The report indicated that he was not responding because he appeared - in the agent's estimation - to be lost in thought. Not entirely surprising. The two of them had not seen one another in quite some time. How many years had it been? Gendo had not bothered keeping track. How long it had been was an unimportant element. What was important was the boy's emotional vulnerability. He had always lacked confidence, always thought the worst of himself.

That was a weakness that made him even more essential to Gendo's plans. Time for a family reunion...

---

He didn't believe it until this very moment, but there it was staring right at him. A colosus of steel, wires and assorted organic components. Staring at him, with restraints that Shinji knew for a damned fact couldn't even begin to keep it in place. They were a placebo for anyone nervous about what the thing could do, but for him they served to frighten him even more. He could see it so easily. Moving on its own and breaking through layers of bakelite in a single gesture, simply because it - because she sensed he needed her.

Motherly love was not something to be underestimated. In its presence Shinji felt like an ant staring at a giant. This was why his father had brought him here. To pilot this. To defeat the Angels. To defend the world from a catastrophe that he could not prevent. On second thoughts, downgrade that ant into a speck of dust blowing on the wind. A speck that would have to shoulder responsibility for the whole damn world.

Had to get out of here! Had to get away! No! This responsibility was too much! Somehow knowing more about it made the whole thing that much worse! Knowing what was coming, what he'd have to fight and beat, it was just too much for him to bear! He would refuse, he had to refuse. He had no choice but to -

Finish the rest later

-Stay. His shoulders slumped in defeat. "So what is this thing?" he asked, already knowing the answer. It would be best if he feigned ignorance. After all, anyone would reasonably think he was insane if he started making claims of knowing the future. At least, until things started to actually unfold as he predicted... Or maybe he was mad? Or dreaming?

"This is the Multi-purpose Humanoid Fighting Machine Evangelion, which humanity has finally developed," Ritsuko oh so helpfully explained. Missing out on a few small details that some might have considered rather important. Like, for example the fact that Unit 01 had consumed his mother's very soul in front of his eyes.

'How did I know that?' Shinji wondered. 'That wasn't part of the memories of the future I had! Unless... Unless... During Third Impact-'

"It's been a long time!" a voice called from above him. Shinji whipped around and stared up at his father, so imposing, so cold, so draconic. He knew it would get worse from here. The man was the same kind of commander as he was a father. Distant, total lack of empathy, did most of the work behind the scenes and only did things up front when they were necessary. He was brutal, efficient and uncaring. As he stared up at the man with tears forming in his eyes, Gendo gave an order. "Move out!"

"Move out?!" Misato asked, not quite caught up on what father was planning yet. "Unit-00 is being frozen... You aren't kidding. You mean that you'll activate Unit-01?"

"We have no other choice," Ritsuko insisted.

And the two of them argued, just as he remembered them doing before. How could anyone blame him for being just a little bit panicked at the situation? From the way they were talking, the intention was obvious. Send him up in the giant robot, untrained, to take down a giant monster. Or everybody dies. He could remember that panic, remember the bitter taste in his mouth that this - this was why his father had wanted him to come here. To become an untrained Evangelion pilot mere minutes before being sent into a to the death brawl with an Angel.

Not so much this time. This time, he felt... angry. Oh, he'd felt angry before, but that was because of the responsibility that had been foisted onto him. Now, now he knew that father had to have known for years that he was appropriate for this project. Asuka had been training for - for - well, he didn't quite know how long for but she had always indicated it had been for quite some damn time! Why the fuck was he not given the same training?!

"You want me to get into that thing and fight that... monster?" he asked, trembling with rage.

"Correct," his father responded. Curt, efficient to the point and devoid of any sign of affection. Right about then was the moment Shinji started to wonder if he'd been sired by a machine. On realising the other half of that equation, he felt rather unwell once again.

But... First he had to know. One final test, just to make sure this was all real, and that his rage was justified. He'd already decided to pilot that damn thing, but first of all... First of all he would draw her out. He remembered it so clearly it was like it had just happened, even though it was at the very beggining of his future memories. Line for line. Get it right. Get it out there. The emotion wasn't the same, but if nothing else the words would be spot on.

"No way! What are you talking about?! I've always thought you didn't want me!" Shinji yelled.

"I called you now because I need you now," his father replied, at which point Shinji started yelling something quite different in his head.

"Why me...?" he asked out loud, while screaming 'fuck you!' as loud as his internal monologue would allow.

"Because no one else can."

"I can't do this. I've neither seen nor heard of this before," and fuck you very much for that complete lack of training! "Why do you say I can?" and fuck you for dodging that question!

"Listen to the explanations." Yeah. Just like that. Asshole!

"No... I can't... It's impossible!" Fuck you for this stress. Fuck you for not caring.

"If you're going to do this, don't waste time. Otherwise, leave!"

And fuck you for the emotional blackmail that you're about to drop. You unfeeling bastard. He could feel his breathing growing deeper, and hoped they all took it for fear rather than rage. He was in no danger. He remembered how this played out, which in part was why he was subconsciouly bracing for the impact moments before it struck. They all made attempts to convince him, and he refused. Just as he remembered. It didn't take long before his father made the call.

"Bring her in," he had said. And that was it. The test was about to be concluded, one way or the other. Whatever happened now would define his future actions. A flurry of activity occured, and then the door off to the side opened... And all doubt fled his mind. It was her.

Standing there, clad in only a towel having quite obviously just showered. She looked at him and stormed over to take the glasses he had been looking at away from him. Then he somehow lost his balance...

He was grappling with the Angel, trying desperately to pull it away. But then a series of growths came out of the end, reaching for him. Humanoid growths with arms outstretched. Shaped like Rei! What! What was happening?! Ah! But now the Angel was slipping out of his grip, disappearing into Unit 00...

To think that she could look so helpless. To think that she could squirm and gasp in pain, clutching at her wounds. The illusion was perfect. Nobody could possibly imagine the power that Rei Ayanami wielded merely by looking upon her. Yet Shinji knew. He knew better than probably even his father or Ritsuko that Rei was - even in this damaged state - the most dangerous person in the room.

Another attack, and the hospital bed Rei was lying on tumbled over tossing her off. He was already moving to catch her, the instinctive desire to proect something that seemed so helpless overcoming his latent fear of this girl. A piece of the ceiling collapsed, looking to crush the two of them... only to be deflected by Unit 01's hand, much to the amazement of all but two people in the room. Both of whom shared the same last name.

'It was real!' Shinji thought. 'It had to be real! Father was right. Only I can pilot Unit 01. I will not let Third Impact happen. Not again.'

"I'll do it!" he yelled. "I'll pilot this thing!"

---

As Shinji was loaded into the entry plug, which was in turn placed into Unit 01 Misato cast her mind back over what had happened today. There was somethng distinctly off about the boy. He hadn't showed any interest in his father in the car, hadn't reacted to her bating him about maybe finding out a little about what he was doing... But then the moment they're face to face, he's practically cussing the man out.

Had he been keeping the rage in, letting it simmer until he could let it out at a worthwhile target? No. He didn't seem the type to do that. That thoughtful look was not one of supressed rage. It was more like... confusion. Like someone had been presented with a tremendous puzzle that only they could solve, but dammit if it wasn't impossible!

Again. Those questions would have to wait until later on when things were not quite so hectic. Once the Angel was gone, she would try to find a private room to talk with the boy. She doubted that the Commander would particularly care for an opportunity for a private chat, so what the hell she'd do it. Someone had to be a parental figure for the kid, and it might as well be her

For no particular reason, Misato happened to remember at around that time the fact that she needed to pick up another six cases of beer on the way back home. This was not particularly important in the grand scheme of things, but it does help to illustrate how amusing the notion  of her being a parental figure to anyone happened to be. It should also be considered rather scary that she would make a far better one than Gendo could in his wildest dreams. Or for that matter his nightmares.

"Connect the mutual lines," First Lieutenant Maya said. "Synchronization rate is... What? That can't be right! Synchronization rate is reading 75.3%!"

Ritsuko was at Maya's console so fast Misato didn't even see her move. "Impossible! For an untrained pilot to have such a high sync rate... I want everything recorded, do you hear me? Everything! It could be essential for future use!"

Then the launch, and shortly thereafter was the moment of truth. Abomination of nature vs the blood, sweat and tears of mortal men. The two behemoths were staring each other down, and even though she could not help by piloting Misato was damned sure going to do her part in having that thing torn to shreds.


Behind them all, Gendo was staring in rapt attention. They all felt but ignored his presence, so focused on the about to begin brawl. None of them could have imagined his thought process at the moment, and nor would any of them even begun to try.



Gendo leaned more on his hands and scowled slightly. 'Something is wrong'.