NERV Command Center:
- The extent of damage is unknown! Communication with the cockpit has been lost!
- Control nerves ruptured! Synchronographic reversal! Pulse outflow has begun!
- Hold the chains remotely! Stop the outflow!
- Impossible! All our signals are rejected!
- What's wrong with Shinji?!
- There is no image... We don't know if he is alive!
- Eva-01 is not responding! Complete silence!
- All previous orders are cancelled! The main task now is to save the pilot! Extract the capsule!
- It's not working! We've completely lost control of Eve!
- Damn it!!!
- AT field detected!
- Angel?
- No... It's Eva...
- What?!!
- Eva-01 has started moving! Synchronization level 238%!
- The timer has stopped! Energy is coming from inside Eva!
- Impossible! This is!..
- The power of Eve's AT field is one and a half thousand units and continues to grow, all the instruments are going off scale!
– Angel's AT field is 200!
- It can't be! Shinji?!..
***
And now... The jaw mounts are falling off helplessly. ...I'm going to kill you! The hole in my head has already closed. I pour energy into my damaged arm and it quickly regenerates, even the armor has been restored. Now my chest and burnt side... That's it! Now I already perceive reality as an Evangelion, and the body inside the cabin, on the contrary, began to feel like an alien one. It's funny, but there's little time, so we work at a fast pace. The Angel has put out a weak AT field. A pitiful sight, compared to my current one, but this is the maximum he can do. The eye sockets of the mask flare up, a flash! I casually wave my right hand and the Angel's beam crumbles into a harmless cloud of sparks, and his AT field is torn to shreds, leaving deep wounds on his body and knocking him to the ground. I quickly move towards him and with one movement of my right hand I break the ribs covering the Core, with my left I hit the mask, leaving a wide hole in its place all the way to the asphalt. Another moment and with both hands I grab the red sphere, surrounding it with an AT field, and tearing it out of the Angel's body with the meat. I feel the pressure growing in it, but it doesn't matter anymore. Eve's wide-open jaws close on the Core, crunch. Gulp. The fragments of the Core have fallen into the depths, we must hurry, while the energy hidden in the Core, and most importantly, the essence, has not dissipated into space. I bite off another piece and at the limit of my throat's capabilities, I swallow. More, more and more. The last piece! That's it! Absorption!
Heat began to build up in the depths. The Angel's essence was rapidly being absorbed, awakening its own Eve Core and forming another one from the fragments of the absorbed one. A wave of convulsions passed through the body. The biomechanoid's organism was changing. Muscle mass was growing, tearing apart the armor that was binding Eve, the surroundings were filled with the sound of bursting metal, a triumphant howl burst from the throat, against my will. I agree, the sensations are amazing! Even better than diablerie! However, this pathetic Angel is still alive. The torn body convulsively tries to rise, and then jumps from a lying position, trying to grab me in mid-air. Pathetic attempts, he won't even be able to jump, he's too damaged. But that's by the way. We need to end the show. I pick him up with an AT field and help him a little. The viscous body of the Angel wraps around my figure and... And nothing. I absorbed the Core, there's nothing to explode. I shake off the limp corpse with disgust; the jump seemed to have taken away the last bits of energy that remained in it. And just as I bent down to snatch the growth that concealed the spear from his hand, an explosion thundered.
It turned out stupid. However, as expected, I was not injured and even protected the nearby buildings from the explosion with an AT field, although unintentionally, the Angel simply exploded inside my field. The explosion was weak, compared to the one that would have happened if I had not torn out the Core, but nevertheless, the Angel's body was almost completely destroyed, it seems he somehow rebuilt his flesh, making explosives out of it. Only the pieces that I tore out during the fight survived, including the mask, well, let Akagi rejoice now. And I need to finish, it is difficult to call interference in the soul of Evangelion simple, I have almost completely exhausted my energy shell and spiritual body. Consciousness is already blurring. Fatigue of the mind, there is no escape from it, and the soul ...
I slowly walk to the platform of the lift, staying conscious by force of will and gradually decreasing synchronization. The AT-field tension is rapidly decreasing, I am not interfering. A sharp pain in my head and I am again in Shinji's body. I restore the connection of the Eva with the headquarters, but I myself can no longer hear them. A few more steps, I stumble and the asphalt appears before my eyes. My last thoughts: "Damn Ikari ruined my karma!" "Hello, unfamiliar ceiling..."
Ayanami Rei, memory:
The Commander ordered me to stay close to the hangar, in case the Third Child does not live up to expectations. I wait. I want to sleep, but I can't. I cannot let the Commander down. And it's not just a direct order. He is the only one who treats me like a person, the only one in whose eyes I see the warmth of care. Not cold indifference, not hatred, not contempt. And I am ready to do anything to be useful to him.
I wait. The fractures that were disturbed during the putting on of the contact suit ache painfully. It's a pity that it is impossible to inject a painkiller, it could damage the synchronization. I wait.
The door opened. People came in. They grabbed the gurney. They wheeled me out of the semi-dark service room into the corridor. The wait was over.
They're taking me to Zero-One. So its pilot couldn't handle it... couldn't. No wonder. It was stupid to expect that this boy, seeing Evangelion for the first time, would be able to fight an Angel. Without training... Without preliminary synchrotests... The gurney shook. It hurt. But I'm used to pain. I can handle it. If only I could synchronize with Eva... Here are the hangar doors. I'm here.
This boy in a white shirt... The Third Child? He looks like the Commander... I think his name is Ikari Shinji... What is this? What a strange feeling... Something... Native? His eyes met mine. His face is emotionless, but his eyes... I looked away. I felt scared. I rarely get scared, but this... Is he human? So much hatred... Deep down... Is he angry at me? Why?
- Ray, the replacement was useless. All hope is on you.
Commander. I feel warmth. I can be useful to him.
- Yes... - I get up from the gurney with difficulty, trying to ignore the pain. I can handle it. I can handle it! There is an almost physical feeling of anger coming from the boy. I can't see his face, but for some reason I know he is furious. Is he angry because he is useless? Or is he angry at me? But for what?
Suddenly there is a crash. The building shook. Lighting fixtures fell down. I almost managed to stand up, but due to the jolt I lose my balance and fall to the floor.
PAIN!
Through my eyelashes I see a huge purple hand hanging over my head, protecting me and the Third Child. Eva's hand? But how? It's disconnected from the power supply! And there's no pilot inside! Captain Katsuragi has fallen, and now she's looking at Eva in shock. I can hardly tilt my head, I can't lift my eyelids. It hurts. But through the crack I see how the Commander's eyes widen in amazement. Everything goes dark in his eyes. How can this be? Was Eva really protecting him? He... He was the only one who remained calm. And he didn't even duck from the shrapnel, like... As if he knew that nothing was threatening him. Or... he just didn't care?
I can't move. I feel bad. My whole body hurts. I'm lying there with my eyes closed. I need to get up. I have to... The air barely gets into my lungs. It's stuffy. Someone's hand is on my forehead. A chill blows... The Third Child? What is he... My thoughts are confused. Consciousness is fading. Darkness.