From: "Wayne S. Rossi" Subject: [Eva][FanFic] Evangelion:Ultima Episode 1 -------------------------- EVANGELION:ULTIMA An Evangelion Fan Fiction By Wayne S. Rossi -------------------------- Note: I love the TV ending. I think the movies are quite good, but I hate them in the same sense that I hate Ikari Gendô. This starts at the beginning of End of Evangelion. There's already been a meeting. Notably, Shinji did NOT whack off over the unconcious Asuka. I'm fully aware that Eva's not about romance, or the Evas. However, I try to stay pretty much in character. Neon Genesis Evangelion belongs to Gainax, and the American rights to the show are had by ADV and Manga Entertainment. This is intended as an original fan fiction based on the movies, and is not a challenge to the copyright of any of those products. Sit back and enjoy the show. -------------------------- EVANGELION:ULTIMA Episode 1 Puppets and Strings -------------------------- They were trying to hack the Magi. NERV was in an uproar. SEELE was trying to access its Magi supercomputers. Akagi Ritsuko was brought in from her cell. It was stopped quickly. A Japanese Strategic Self Defense Force battalion was nearing NERV headquarters. They were going to try to invade. Ikari Gendô watched dispassionately, resting his face against his interlocked hands, white gloves in sharp contrast to his orange glasses. "Inform all NERV personnel to abandon the corridors and ready their gas masks. Block all outside flows into this room. Begin NERV automated self-defense." The huge screens showed the would-be invaders. The first group fell down in a hacking, coughing fit, dying shortly from a cloud of poison gas. The next group was almost entirely in the compound when the sprinkler system started--and a steady rain of liquid fire came down upon the JSSDF troops. Every entry corridor was filled with fire, death, and screaming. Katsuragi Misato looked in terror. "Get Asuka into her EVA and the lake! It's not safe." Ikari just smiled at her concern, knowing what trick SEELE was about to try. -------------------------- A few hours later, all the JSSDF forces were slaughtered by Gendô's deathtraps at the entry. Every member of SEELE was actively fuming. As a few remote bombers tried to destroy EVA-02, Asuka was deep in thought. Then, EVA-02's head moved up. Its foot shortly came down upon the would-be destroyers of the monstrous being. Then, nine Evangelions, on the wing, flew down behind it. -------------------------- Misato cried out. "Dear GOD!" Fuyutsuki was slightly more rational. "The production series are functional?" In the control room, Gendô alone was level-headed. "Deploy the Terminal Defense System." Misato flipped back the cover of a switch and pressed it. Gendô proceeded in kind, grinning in just such a way that made him seem less a man and more a character from an old morality play. Maya read something strange. "Terminal Defense System engaged." No one heard. There was an eleventh Eva on the screen. -------------------------- A Sea of Dirac opened behind the Eva series. Out of it stepped an Evangelion, similar in almost all but the head to Unit 02. It was white, with a simple, human head, but for its angular features and the spikes that went back from each temple. It calmly took a long, straight progressive blade and plunged it through the nearest of the Eva series. It continued, splitting the horrid Eva in half. Asuka clearly got the picture, and they began to rip and tear at the Eva series. Within two minutes, EVA-01 had appeared, and the three made short work of the Eva series--not even the dummy plugs remained. -------------------------- A full minute later, as the Evangelions went to go back to the cage, someone in the control room managed to speak. No one remembered who. "What just happened?" Gendô smiled wryly. "Evangelion Units 01, 02, and 04 destroyed the Eva series." "Unit 04?" A number of shocked voices went up. Ikari calmly continued. "You will treat Unit 04's pilot as you would any of the other Children." The Commander then lowered from sight. -------------------------- Ikari Gendô now sat in the center of a room, surrounded by black monoliths, each marked SEELE, and its designate number. 01 spoke. "You have become insolent, Ikari." Ikari replied. "You're the ones who tried to have me killed." 03. "You know our authority, Commander." "And I believe I have shown mine." 02. "You have destroyed the schedule." "I'm well aware of that." 01. "You realize that you are hereby removed from command." "Somehow, I don't think so." Gendô was amazingly calm as he was raised from the SEELE conference room. -------------------------- Rather than go on forever, I'll end it there 'til Episode 2. Short and sweet, I hope. Why did things turn out like they did so far? Well, I wanted to make Gendô in control. SEELE thinks they're one step ahead, but it's just WRONG to let NERV get caught so unawares. Hence, Gendô has already provided for this contingency. Hence, the JSSDF gets slaughtered. More on EVA-04 next time. Just know that the basic idea was to let Gendô have an Eva basically up his sleeve to use as he wished. Send comments, flames, etc to rossi4@tcnj.edu. -- Wayne S. Rossi http://www.tcnj.edu/~rossi4/ --------------------------------------------- "Mine's a tale that can't be told, My freedom I hold dear; How years ago in days of old When magic filled the air, 'Twas in the darkest depths of Mordor I met a girl so fair, But Gollum and the Evil One crept up And slipped away with her." -Led Zeppelin, "Ramble On" --------------------------------------------- From: "Wayne S. Rossi" Subject: [Eva][FanFic] Evangelion:Ultima Episode 2 -------------------------- EVANGELION:ULTIMA An Evangelion Fan Fiction By Wayne S. Rossi -------------------------- Note: I probably know as much Japanese as you do, or more. So I'm going to get that bit out of the way and continue with this: I'm not Japanese. I don't really get all of the culture as well as I'd like to (but I probably get it, and enjoy the subtleties in anime, as well as any well-versed fan). I'm not looking to impress you with my linguistic skills. Hence, I won't write in English with a string of garbled and ill-done Japanese phrases. I'll write in English. Oh, yeah. Ikari just about always refers to Gendô. I've adopted a ^ as the closest I can do to a horizontal line to indicate a double vowel. Gendou looks goofy, and it's not how to pronounce the name. And I've used Japanese names--hence, Ikari Gendô, Fuyutsuki Kôzô, etc. Oh, and SEELE types will always talk with just a number, then the dialogue. It's goofy to do otherwise. And, finally, visions will be spaced off with -. Neon Genesis Evangelion was made by Anno Hideaki and a lot of others at Gainax. American rights, where appropriate, belong to the folks at ADV and Manga. This is intended as an original fan fiction based on the movies, and is not a challenge to the copyright of any of the television or movie. Thanks, and enjoy. -------------------------- EVANGELION:ULTIMA Episode 2 Life Without Focus -------------------------- Ikari Gendô stood, looking over the Evangelion cages. None of the NERV staff knew quite how to deal with the addition of a fourth Eva--Unit 04 was, obviously, not in their planning stage. Then, there was the matter of the Sixth Child. Scott Phillips was, apparently, in the Eva when it appeared from the Sea of Dirac. Thankfully, Gendô had been successful in instructing the NERV staff to make sure that all Eva pilots were near fluency in Japanese. Scott was, simply, a young man. He was slightly taller than Shinji, and was absolutely Nordic--blonde hair, pale skin, blue eyes. His plugsuit was blue with a black background, a sharp contrast to the huge white Evangelion, save for a deep blue head, and portions of its arms in a matching blue. Gendô threw a bundle down to the youth. It was a small duffle, with the sort of nondescript clothing usually worn by the younger Ikari, and fitted to Scott. Scott looked up at the man, who had the aura of a puppeteer as he looked down upon the Evas. "Is that all?" His Japanese was rather stiff and formal. "We were there for that long...and that is all?" "You served your purpose admirably." "I see. I am to live here?" "Yes." Ikari turned and left. Scott looked down at the duffel and sighed. -------------------------- NERV was a lonely place for an uncomfortable American, and the rubble that was once Tôkyô-3 held no familiarity, much less another to be a comforting presence. Rei looked at the young American pilot, and felt sympathy for him. She did not speak. He did not speak. He felt her presence behind him. It was an odd comfort. -------------------------- SEELE's monoliths came into view. 01. "We must make reparations to the timeline." 07. "Reparations? You're insane." 01. "It must happen, schedule or no." 03. "He is right. You are insane. With the presence of an unknown variable, without the Eva series, we are helpless." 01. "You are being insubordinate." 04. "The damage to your plan is beyond control." 05. "You have failed this committee." 01. "You are joking." 07. "No. You have failed to create Third Impact." 04. "You are useless to us." 05. "We will create a new plan." 01. "Fools! You underestimate--" 03. "You cling blindly to the Dead Sea Scrolls." 01. "Can you find another way?" 03. "We will." 01. "You'll never succeed." 07. "That is not for you to know." 05. "That is not your concern." 01. "What are you talking about?" 07. "As we have said, you have failed." 03. "We have no need for your further membership." 01. "Idiots. You need me more than you'll ever know." 04. "That is enough." 07. "You are dismissed." The monolith labeled 01 faded. -------------------------- Shinji was still in his plugsuit. The dividing curtain was pulled back. Asuka sat in a T-shirt and shorts in a wheelchair. "Hello. Asuka." She did not respond. "Are you...?" No response. He looked down at his hands. He made a fist then relaxed, and looked at his hand. -The image. He squinted his eyes, to disbelieve. -The image. EVA-01 in Terminal Dogma. He shook his head. -The image. Kaoru in EVA-01's hand. Sweat appeared on his brow. -The image. Kaoru's voice. Ode to Joy. He gritted his teeth and shook his head harder...his fingers tight in a ball. -The image. Kaoru's head. Ripples in the LCL. Ikari Shinji screamed. Asuka looked up at him. "Idiot...don't have to...yell..." Shinji was all but in shock. "Asuka?" She was still docile, in her chair. "Asuka, you're awake." "Of course." "Aren't you happy?" "I..." -The image flashed in her mind. Her mother. Her eyes clouded with tears. -Her mother. The doll. She struggled to hold back tears. -The Fifteenth Angel. She shook her head. "I will not cry..." she mumbled. -A child Asuka, alone. "I will not..." -Alone. Tears streamed softly down her cheeks. "Cry." Shinji looked upon her, shocked. He was by her side. His hand brushed away her tears. He looked at them, on his plugsuit glove. They sparkled. He stared at his hand. -Rei. Not the Rei who was there now. The second Rei. He flexed his hand slightly. -Rei, when she wrung out the towel. Asuka's tears slid down his finger, into his palm. -------------------------- Katsuragi Misato walked by a bench somewhere deep in NERV headquarters. She stopped shortly, and walked back. Scott was there. "You're the new Eva pilot?" "Yes. What is your name?" "I'm Katsuragi Misato. It's my job to oversee the operations of the Evas." "I see. It is a pleasure, Miss Katsuragi." He bowed stiffly. Misato took all this at face value--he was a foreigner, unskilled in Japanese culture except in the classroom, and exceptionally formal. "You can call me Misato." "Understood, Miss Misato." She was slightly flustered, but knew he meant well. "Where does everyone live?" "Well, with Tôkyô-3 the way it is, we all live in the command center of late." "I see." "Have you met Shinji?" "Who?" "Commander Ikari's son. The pilot of Unit 01." "Oh. No." "You should." "I see." Misato shook her head, and walked away slowly. Scott was alone. -------------------------- And that's Episode 2. I apologize for spending so much time with Scott, but it was a necessary evil. We need a new Eva pilot, and with my scenario, it almost has to be an American. And...Scott is new. He needs characterization. He needs to be distinguished from everybody. And I don't need to make him an American Shinji. (I won't.) He's also not Mary Sue. :) I don't apologize for the number of pure character scenes. If you don't like Gendô, good. You'll have plenty to get pissed off at him about in the series. If you like Shinji, great. You'll be mad along with him. If you like Asuka...I feel sorry for you. This is not like other fanfics, where she miraculously recovers. I'll spoil that much for you. She's been traumatized beyond her mind's ability to comprehend. You don't get over that in a day. Most people won't get over that in a lifetime. If you like Rei, then I still feel sorry for you. Rei III isn't Rei II, the Rei that was likeable. She's a very different person. I'm not going to have her magically like the Rei we all know. The character in my story is Rei III. And what about SEELE? How can they possibly get rid of Keel Lorenz? Rather simply--and, as we know, simple things tend to come back and bite us in the ass. And yes, I will do surrealism. Have fun, see you next episode. Comments? Bored? Intrigued? Flames? Send it to rossi4@tcnj.edu -- Wayne S. Rossi http://www.tcnj.edu/~rossi4/ --------------------------------------------- "Mine's a tale that can't be told, My freedom I hold dear; How years ago in days of old When magic filled the air, 'Twas in the darkest depths of Mordor I met a girl so fair, But Gollum and the Evil One crept up And slipped away with her." -Led Zeppelin, "Ramble On" --------------------------------------------- From: "Wayne S. Rossi" Subject: [Eva][FanFic] Evangelion:Ultima Episode 3 -------------------------- EVANGELION:ULTIMA An Evangelion Fan Fiction By Wayne S. Rossi -------------------------- Note: Yes, I realize that I start every episode off with the author's note. This time, I'm going to apologize. I'm not Anno Hideaki. I have no delusions that this is even CLOSE to what Eva is. The only reason I'm writing this is that I've had some pretty interesting thoughts in nearly being done pondering Eva for a while, and want to share a fanfic story that I hope is a bit different from everything else. And I'm sorry about all author created characters that appear...but that will happen. As before, ^ is used for the doubling of a vowel. I'm not out to impress you with my Japanese, so I'm not using honorifics or snippets of phrases. EVERYONE, even Scott, in the series is speaking in Japanese, but I'm writing in English because it's by far my better language. Thoughts are marked off . Oh, and Ikari by itself refers to Gendô. The characters (except those introduced by the author), places, and events portrayed in this fan fiction belong to Gainax, and the translation to A.D. Vision and Manga and all. Evangelion is the creation and intellectual property of Gainax, and Anno Hideaki always deserves his due mention. This is in no way, shape, or form intended as a contest to those rights. And now, the fanfic. I hope you enjoy it. -------------------------- EVANGELION:ULTIMA Episode 3 Loneliness and Compassion -------------------------- Ikari Shinji looked at Evangelion Unit 01. His mind reeled for a multitude of reasons. -EVA-01 protecting him with its hand. -EVA-01 going berserker after the first activation. -Shinji and EVA-01 in the Sea of Dirac. -EVA-01 ripping EVA-03 to shreds. -The image. EVA-01 at Heaven's Door. -The image. Kaoru's head. He screamed. "NO!" -Ikari Yui. His mother. Shinji's voice caught in his throat. He would pilot Eva. -------------------------- Gendô watched his son coldly, from a distance. The thought, the knowledge hung heavy in Ikari's mind. For a moment, his heart ached. Fuyutsuki walked in. He saw Ikari in so vulnerable a position... The sub-commander knew that the Commander's pursed lips held in them the one name. "Yui." Ikari was surprised out of his reverie. Had he been any one else, Gendô would have discussed what had been on his mind. But...the scars from what he had forced himself to be...for Yui's sake, he reminded himself...would not let him. He steeled his voice. "How do the experiments go, Fuyutsuki?" "Sôryû has managed to synchronize with her Eva for a few moments... the psychologist's results are slightly positive." "And the American boy?" "All right. I think..." "What is it?" Gendô was, suprisingly, not in the folded-hands position so common to him. "I think his synch rate is too low for what you want." "I expected as much." "It will be some time before Pilot Sôryû is...ready..." "I have plans for that as well." "Everything will go as planned?" "Everything." Gendô's smile as Fuyutsuki left was too smug for comfort. -------------------------- Ayanami Rei looked out the window. "Hello." She did not turn to see Scott Phillips. "Are you Unit 00's pilot?" Her expression did not change, and her voice was barely audible. "That has yet to be determined." "How are the other pilots like?" At this Rei's face showed some slight flare of emotion. She turned and walked away. Shinji's sudden presence startled Scott, already on edge from Rei's sudden dismissal. The American looked at him. "Hello." Shinji blinked. "Oh. Hello." "I do not think that we have talked...I'm Scott Phillips. I think you would be Ikari Shinji?" "Yes." "Pleased to meet you." "The same." Shinji looked over the Sixth Child. A haunting aura came over him. -Kaoru, on the seashore. "Are you all right?" Shinji's face had gone white, and Scott had some sign of compassion in his voice. "Huh? Oh. Yes." As Scott just gave up, shrugged, and walked away, blaming it all on the odd Japanese people, Shinji was left to think. -COMPASSION. -KINSHIP. -FRIEND. Shinji walked away in a daze. -------------------------- SEELE was in a conference by monolith. 07. "What of Ikari?" 04. "He is a wild card." 06. "We will have to withdraw from him." 07. "And what if it requires the Evangelions?" 02. "We still have our methods." 08. "Do we? Do we know how much damage was caused by Keel's invasion?" 03. "Did we ever have any idea of NERV's defenses?" 07. "That is not the issue in question." 04. "We think they did a reasonable job of protecting their own." 08. "REASONABLE? They poured boiling oil on the JSSDF!" 04. "That is enough. We know NERV's self-defense modes. We must now think around them." 07. "We have sufficient plants in their network." 02. "Yes...and besides...there are other ways to keep NERV busy in the meanwhile..." 04. "We will not consider these options. The Evangelions are to be made accessable again, in the likely case that any scenario may use them." 02. "Understood." -------------------------- Asuka sat under the stars, silently watching. She was still in her wheelchair. -Herself as a little girl, crying. -Herself as defiant. A hand on her shoulder cut her train of thought. Shinji. They stayed that way for a long time. Shinji looked at Asuka. She caught a glimpse of his eyes. "I don't want your pity." Her voice was soft, and weak. "Asuka..." Shinji protested. "Idiot...save it..." Her voice lacked conviction, and her arms as she slowly wheeled away from her fellow Eva pilot were not fast enough to back up her point. Shinji looked up at the stars. he thought. -------------------------- The cafeteria was all but deserted. Scott ate quietly, using chopsticks on ramen noodles with a fumbling unfamiliarity. He felt a very cold hand grab his, moving the chopsticks to their proper position, and illustrate a very basic movement. He looked up. Ayanami Rei was overlooking him. She turned, and began to walk back. "...thank you." Scott's reply was the first Japanese he had ever spoken and felt comfortable. Rei stopped right in her tracks. "How long were you watching me make a fool of myself?" He felt oddly constrained and comfortable. A soft flush came to Rei's pale face. She tried, but could not say a thing. "I'm very sorry if I embarassed you." Rei returned to her seat, and Scott finished his noodles, then left. She watched Scott walk out the door. -------------------------- And so...ends episode 3. As you might be able to tell, each of our major characters feels intensely lonely. Misato (who didn't get any screen time this time around...NEXT time, however...)'s without Kaji, Shinji killed Kaoru, Rei isn't who everyone thinks she is, Asuka's been mentally ravaged, Scott's in a foreign land without any friends (yes, he fits the loneliness pattern), even Gendô doesn't have Yui. I can start to see why they wanted Instrumentality. If you think this is just going to turn into a Shinji/Asuka and Scott/Rei WAFF, think again. This episode is just the characters getting closer before the PLOT really kicks in full-time, and they start to get even further from happiness. Sorry 'bout how many SEELE scenes there are. You've got to admit, though, that the monoliths are just one of the coolest ways imaginable to have a secret society meeting. Watch out, though, for the saying "Oh, what tangled webs we weave when first we practice to deceive" is one that I like a lot...Ikari, SEELE, and Keel are getting into more than they bargained for. So, until next time, when we find out exactly what Gendô and Fuyutsuki were talking about! Direct comments, mail, scathing flames, etc. to rossi4@tcnj.edu -- Wayne S. Rossi http://www.tcnj.edu/~rossi4/ --------------------------------------------- "Mine's a tale that can't be told, My freedom I hold dear; How years ago in days of old When magic filled the air, 'Twas in the darkest depths of Mordor I met a girl so fair, But Gollum and the Evil One crept up And slipped away with her." -Led Zeppelin, "Ramble On" --------------------------------------------- From: "Wayne S. Rossi" Subject: [Eva][FanFic] Evangelion:Ultima Episode 3.5 -------------------------- EVANGELION:ULTIMA An Evangelion Fan Fiction By Wayne S. Rossi -------------------------- Note: This is not part of the time frame of EVANGELION:ULTIMA, which I wrote close to a year ago when my Eva obsession was something I needed to work out, when I needed a satisfying ending to a series I'd really admired. What I wrote almost feels too businesslike to me now, and the desire to expand on it has hit me. To do this, the idea has come to me to write 1/2 episodes, basically episodes between the central 10 episodes, to flesh out the characters and ideas better. As it were, this fan fiction is entirely in English (all characters speak in Japanese). Names are given in Japanese order, meaning family name first. ^ stands for an elongated vowel--hence Ikari Gendô. Ikari, as a single word, refers to Gendô. Thoughts are demarcated . Visions are given with - before the line. Characters, places, and events not created by the author are property of Gainax. The translation of the Neon Genesis Evangelion series is licensed to ADV Films, and the movie translations to Manga Video. I'd like to thank Anno Hideaki for creating what he did, and sharing this unique vision with the world. This fan fiction is in no way, shape, or form a contest of the rights mentioned above. And now, on to the story. -------------------------- EVANGELION:ULTIMA Episode 3.5 Significance -------------------------- Shinji tossed and turned in his bed. He could hardly stand it. His whole life felt deserted--Kaoru dead by his own hand, the Rei he had grown to know and like having killed herself to save him, even Asuka, barely saying a word. -Kaoru's smile. He hated the lonely evenings, the lack of Misato coming home and getting drunk, of Asuka yelling at him...his room was so cold and lifeless. And the ceiling never looked right. -The awkward introduction of the American Sixth Child. He gazed at the hollow tube of a television set, no more stations in the ruined Tôkyô-3 to deliver that mild diversion from reality. -The Rei he'd known. He sighed, looking into his pillow one more time. -Asuka, bright and full of life. Reaching into a bag, Shinji pulled out his SDAT player. Setting it for an infinite loop of tracks 25 and 26, he finally managed to get to sleep. -Asuka's tears on his plugsuit glove. The thought was strangely comforting as he drifted to sleep. -------------------------- Scott slid on the baggy, ill-cut plugsuit, feeling awkward as he fit the electrode-like sensors on his head. He pressed the wrist button to make the one-piece garment fit him like a glove, and smiled. He flexed his hand for a moment, knowing that...in a way, when he was in his Eva, he would not be alone. Inside the bizarre entry plug, Scott felt at home. The LCL rushed in, filling all the empty spots inside him. It was comforting, and for an instant he knew that this was the same feeling the other Eva pilots had. Then, the plug slid into the neck of EVA-04, and that singular tingle slid down his spine for one instant. It was a welcome sensation as he began to synchronize with the massive Evangelion, and he smiled to think that he was not alone. A voice, translated automatically from Japanese to English, outlined the basic training mission: he would be fending off a possible SEELE use of EVA units reconstructed from the production series. He knew these dummy EVAs would be superior warriors to the ones he, Asuka, and Shinji had faced earlier. Amidst a barrage of heavy weapons fire, one of the dummy EVAs entered Scott's line of sight. Unit 04 ran toward the enemy, pulling out its progressive spear and slashing at a wrist with a quick motion. The false Evangelion howled in pain as its hand slid off, and Scott and his Eva moved in unison to kick the dummy back. Scott moved in for the kill, ruthlessly jamming his spear into the back where he knew the dummy plug to be. As his defeated simulation faded, so did the surroundings. He smiled as Unit 04 was returned to its storage cell. -------------------------- Fuyutsuki faced the American youth after the practice session was done. "Your bond with your Eva is quite impressive." "I'd hope so, sir. With all due respect, I was in it for..." "Yes, I know." "Is there anything else?" "Yes. On a personal note...are you adapting well to Japan?" Scott sighed. "Yes, sir. I'm a little homesick, and there don't seem to be a lot of people around, but I seem to be getting along fine." Fuyutsuki nodded, and thought about Scott's lie as he walked away...and about the lie, the thing that he would soon be a part of. -------------------------- Akagi Ritsuko watched the security monitor footage of Asuka's hospital room. She winced a little, knowing what Ikari's current plan was...and exactly how it would be carried out. Silently, as she drank disgustingly bad coffee, Ritsuko wished she could do something about it. -------------------------- Asuka lay silent and still in the hospital bedroom, the only indication of her life the hand that still rested on her shoulder. Her hand clenched tighter as she thought about Shinji's touch. She had always despised pity. Even now, she could not bring herself to accept it. Yet, she knew she needed compassion. Her soul cried out to be close to another, but she cut them all off, shielding herself in an island of self-sufficiency. Yet, she wanted the hand of another on her shoulder so badly. She wanted to be held, to know that she was not truly alone. Dry-eyed, Asuka fell asleep with her hand on her shoulder. -------------------------- Scott looked out his window. A journal lay open on his desk, its text in English describing his thoughts, his experiences--anything. He felt a burning desire to hear English, to speak in it, to immerse himself again in his native tongue. Outside of the sporadic training in EVA-04, the journals were his only exposure to his homeland's tongue. The thought was depressing. Scott sighed, thinking of how comforting it would be to be in America again. But who was he kidding? The blast that had conveniently placed him in a Sea of Dirac had annhiliated his home, his friends, everyone he knew. He hated that, more than anything. He was only a contingency plan, a trump card that was already played, but could still be peripherally useful. He wondered if his training had any purpose other than keeping up appearances. -------------------------- That would be the end of Episode 3.5. Hm. I worked an Eva scene in there. The Evas, to me, aren't the focus of the series. They are a part of it, though, and one that is understated in the original EVANGELION:ULTIMA. In fact, the only time I ever had anyone IN Evas was for big plot events. So, I put in a scene with Scott in Unit 04, to show the relationship of pilot to Eva. It works a whole new degree in to Scott's isolation, especially as how it's configured for English. You could look at the motivation behind this being to emphasize both the loneliness and compassion I explored in Episode 3, to explore the motives I've set forth...or, if you've already read Episode 4, you could say I'm just playing with you. (If you haven't...Episode 4 is where I'm...shall we say...cruel.) It sets Asuka up for Episode 4 quite nicely, and I think it's the first entire scene where Asuka is alone with her thoughts. So...this is intended as a better bridge between Episode 3 and Episode 4, with more ominous foreshadowing and more characterization. The story, of course, continues in Episode 4. Something to say? Comments, praise, flames, and what not should go to rossi4@tcnj.edu -- http://www.tcnj.edu/~rossi4/ ---------------------------------------------- "An artist who is inspired is being obvious. He's not making any decisions, he's not weighing one idea against another. He's accepting his first thoughts." -Keith Johnstone, _Impro: Improvisation and the Theatre_ ---------------------------------------------- From: "Wayne S. Rossi" Subject: [Eva][FanFic] Evangelion:Ultima Episode 4 -------------------------- EVANGELION:ULTIMA An Evangelion Fan Fiction By Wayne S. Rossi -------------------------- Note: I hope you think this is going in interesting directions. And here is a part where a lot will happen. It's a LOT to assume, and this is going to be my third huge point of divergence from the Eva storyline, and the most momentful. As far as I know, this has not quite been done before in an Eva fic. If you're a big Asuka fan, I'll ask you to please forgive me. I hope you've noted the tragic character of this fanfic, and it gets much, much worse. All of what seemed like WAFF or vague romance so far were intentional, and...well...if you don't want to feel sorry for the characters, then you may wish to stop reading here. Once more, I'm writing entirely in English. Doubled vowels in Japanese names (always in family then personal form when both are presented) are indicated with ^ above the vowel. Ikari by itself always refers to Gendô. No honorifics or snippets of Japanese (or German, for that matter). Thoughts are delimited . And finally, when I go into the visions flashing through a character's head, I set it off from the line with -. Neon Genesis Evangelion is the original creation of Gainax, and the translation rights belong to ADV and Manga, for the TV and movies, respectively. Evangelion is the intellectual property of Gainax, and the brainchild of Anno Hideaki, who deserves so much more credit for all this than I ever will. With the exception of the characters created by the author, all people and places in this fan fiction belong to Gainax. This is an original fan fiction based on the movies, and is not intended as a challenge to anyone's copyrights. Sit back, and enjoy the fic. -------------------------- EVANGELION:ULTIMA Episode 4 The Means to an End -------------------------- The phone rang. Katsuragi Misato picked it up. "Hello?" The voice on the other end gave a series of instructions, and then the phone was hung up. "What are they doing?" Misato hung up the phone and walked out to her car. -------------------------- NERV's control room was alive with activity. The Evangelions were already up and running, each practice activity going more or less as planned. Ikari Gendô, in the eerie way that he had, rose up from the floor in his chair. He soon leaned his head on his hands, in that exotic knot so common to him. Ikari's eyes were only for the Evas, which were doing fairly well in the training exercise. Except for Unit 02. "What is Sôryû's synchronization ratio?" Gendô's voice could have made icicles cold. "At best, about 20%." Ibuki Maya looked thoughtfully at one of a thousand computer readouts. "That is unacceptable. Ibuki, you will find there is a new setting on Eva-02's practice options." "Yes, sir." "I want you to shut off all safety protocols and begin it." "Sir!" Ikari's glare, even through his orange glasses, could have killed. "You will do it." "Yes, sir." Maya's fingers flew over the keyboards, changing the settings, moving into an unblockable practice pattern. Shigeru was quick to exclaim. "Sir, this can't be reversed!" "I'm well aware of that. None of you are to stop this operation, NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS." As Ikari's voice rose, all in the room were shocked into silence. Misato looked up with a glare at the Commander. Fuyutsuki, the Major noted, seemed to have an odd look of concern written on his face. -------------------------- Inside of Eva-02, Sôryû Asuka Langley was shocked out of her half- consciousness by the disappearance from her viewscreens of the other two active Eva units. She found her Eva with its primary gun in hand, and that there was a huge opponent, and she fired on pure instinct. In the control room, Maya exclaimed, "Sir, her synch rate has shot up over 60%!" Ikari just smiled, and watched. Asuka's opponent wouldn't go down from the gun, so she ripped into it with the progressive knife, not realizing that NERV's staff was watching her synch rate rise. Once her opponent, probably a basic simulation of an angel, was done, Asuka watched, sweating, as the surroundings changed. It was Tôkyô-3, just as it was during the Fifteenth Angel's attack. Including the Fifteenth Angel. She screamed. -------------------------- "Her synch rate's going through the roof!" Maya turned and looked at the Commander. "That is the intent." -------------------------- In Asuka's mind, a bright sunlight shone on her, and the strains of an "Allelujah" played in her mind. "NO!" Words, thoughts, ideas poured through the Eva pilot's mind, this time with only the signs of their original impetus. Asuka writhed in torment. "NOOO! NOT MY MIND!" -------------------------- "She's getting near the 200% mark!" "Commander!" Misato took a defiant look and faced the commander. "You've got to stop this." "You will be silent, Major Katsuragi." Ikari just looked on as the Eva writhed in common with its pilot's torment. -------------------------- Asuka prayed that she would go unconscious. She did not. One instant, she saw the Fifteenth Angel again. The next, there was a soft light. "Bond with me." The voice was soft and ethereal. "Will you take the pain away?" She looked, and understood. "Yes. I will bond with you." -------------------------- "It's through the roof! She has a synch rate beyond our ability to measure!" Misato cried out at the commander. "Eject her while she still has half a chance!" Ikari did not twitch. "There is no need to bother." Misato looked at him. "What do you mean?" "Ejecting the plug now will do more harm than good." "WHAT?" "Have the Eva put into cold freeze. Keep a constant monitor on it." The tension in the air would have been hard to cut with a progressive knife as Ikari spoke. "Major Katsuragi, you are no longer necessary for the operations with Unit 02. You are dismissed. NOW." -------------------------- Hours later, a neatly-dressed Shinji walked into his father's office. Gendô looked at his son. There were a few moments of silence. "Why are you here?" Shinji steeled himself. "What happened to Asuka?" The Commander held a dispassionate look. "A training program meant to increase her synchronization rate went awry, and she was taken into her Eva." Shinji glared at him. "That's all?" "That is all." "Why haven't you attempted to save her?" "That is not your concern." Shinji felt a hot rush of anger. "Not my concern? NOT MY CONCERN?!" "Correct. You will not make further inquiries on the subject." Gendô and Shinji stared into one anothers' faces. Shinji was the one to back off. -------------------------- Scott was walking by the locker room when something clanged against metal. He paused, and then heard it again. It was very LOUD. He walked in, investigating. Shinji had one fist against the lockers, and then pulled it back, letting the other one fly. Scott watched for at least five minutes. Softly at first, but growing into a scream, Shinji voiced "Why?" after each hit. There were twin dents growing in the locker door. "You will not help her by breaking your fingers." Shinji whirled to face the American, shaking a defiant, bruised, and bloody fist at him. "It helps me!" "God. Look at your hands." Shinji did, and he seemed surprised to see that they were so bloody. "Does it hurt to flex them?" Shinji flexed his hands, and shook his head. "Not really." "Is Miss Sôryû...does she mean a lot to you?" Shinji looked down. "Yeah." "Sorry. I know...what it's like...to suddenly lose someone you care about." Shinji narrowed his eyes. "How would you know?" "Trust me, Shinji. However convenient it might have been for your father, I lost a lot of friends...when..." Shinji looked away. "Yeah. I guess." There was an awkward moment of silence for the two boys. It was suddenly ended when Scott felt a third presence. He turned, not overly surprised to see Ayanami Rei. "I'll get some bandages." Scott hadn't heard Rei say anything unprovoked before. She was back in a few moments, putting a bit of ointment on the young Japanese pilot's hands, then wrapping them in bandages, taping them with a businesslike roughness. She walked back out the locker room door. Scott followed, leaving Shinji to his thoughts. "Miss Ayanami!" Scott's call did not stop Rei, or make her turn around. "Miss Ayanami, that...that was the second time..." She looked at him now. "What?" "Well...it's so..." he awkwardly brushed his hair back. "Kind..." Rei shrugged and walked on. Scott could not see her cheeks, with a faint tint of blush. -------------------------- I'll end episode 4 there. Whether or not you like Asuka...if you're human...I hope you HATE Gendô as I've characterized him. That is the intent of this fic. I told you it wasn't a WAFF, and that the plot would be advanced. Hopefully, you WEREN'T expecting anything like this. And...I hope you like what the rest of the stuff I have in mind is. I'm sure that, by now, you know that Asuka is one with her Eva. Her physical body's gone. Poof. Why was it so quick? Well, the poor girl just had ALL the things she finds painful dragged up. She has no wish, at all, besides to stop the pain. She knew that it'd stop by becoming one with her Eva...so she did. I'll say here that I'm not a big fan of Shinji/Asuka romances. It seems unlikely--if Shinji were to have any romance, it'd be with Rei II, IMO, and she's rather dead. I showed a bit of the emotion between Shinji and Asuka in eps. 2 and 3 to make this one all the more poignant, and justify the scene where he's hitting the lockers. Shinji violent? He needed to hit something. He's lost SO much. Why am I writing commentary as the series goes? To provide you my own thoughts, as a comparison to what you draw from the series. See you in episode 5. Please direct comments, notes, and flaming venom to rossi4@tcnj.edu -- Wayne http://www.tcnj.edu/~rossi4/ ---------------------------------------------- "An artist who is inspired is being obvious. He's not making any decisions, he's not weighing one idea against another. He's accepting his first thoughts." -Keith Johnstone, _Impro: Improvisation and the Theatre_ ----------------------------------------------