“The Angel is inside the structure,” Maya reported quickly.

Two glowing yellow spots flashed near the top of the structure as it started to pull metal plating up around itself. The plates tore and bent around it and started to form secondary structures around the Angel’s main structure. Finally two parts shifted out from the front and locked down to the sides, another part came up from the center and rose up into the air, and two more parts pulled away at the bottom and unfolded, lifting the entire structure off the ground. Exposed wires and damaged plating was visible all over the structure and protrusions made of wire and long strands of metal snaked out of the higher pair of structures near the ends.

Misato’s eyes widened. It had taken on a humanoid appearance with a small head at the end of a long thick neck that arched down toward the ground before it. It was wide-set and two glass frame-works glowed bright yellow at the end of the head for the eyes.

“It was building itself a body,” Ayobi said, his voice slightly awe-struck.

The ends of the limbs were thick and powerful, while the major joints were all smaller and looked weaker. The Angel looked very deformed because of this, and seemed to drag its limbs around, even through the air as it slowly started to walk toward the center of the city.

“Evas ready for launch,” Hyuga reported.

“Angel moving at a rate of five kilometers per hour toward the center of Tokyo-3,” Ayobi reported.

“Launch the Evas, immediate counter-attack,” Misato ordered firmly.

“Yes, ma’am!” Hyuga replied with a quick nod and hit the appropriate keys on his keyboard.

I just hope it can’t remove their synch like the last one could, Misato thought to herself as she watched the metallic behemoth slowly march toward the camera they were using to view it. The camera died shortly thereafter.

The four Evas shot up to the surface of the covering. Unit 00 first, then Unit 01, 02, and then 14. They were in a surrounding pattern about the Angel, which had been named Jabniel.

“Units 14 and 02 move in and attack the target at close range. Units 01 and 00 cover them with your guns,” Misato ordered calmly.

Various affirmative replies came back to her as the Evas went about fulfilling her orders.

“The target has stopped moving,” Ayobi reported intently.

Ritsuko looked up at the main screen. “It’s waiting for us to attack.”

Misato frowned, but let her orders stay.

Cirus engaged Unit 14’s forearm blades and ran toward the Angel as Unit 02 pulled its progressive knife and did the same from the other side.

Jabniel’s eyes flashed, and it spun around to face Unit 14, it’s arms flaying about limply. Unit 14 leapt toward the Angel head first, its blades out and ready. Jabniel raised its right arm and splayed its fingers. Unit 14 sliced at the open hand with its forearms blades, but they did no damage and the hand closed down around his arms. Cirus winced from the crushing pain in both of his arms and tried to pull himself out of the vulnerable position.

Unit 02 ran up behind the Angel and leapt up at it, blade out and ready. The Angel turned its head toward her and flung its other hand out. Its AT field spread instantly and Unit 02 slammed straight into it before falling back down.

“Ugh, I knew I forgot something,” Asuka said irritatedly as she stood back up, activating her AT field. Unit 02 stretched its arms down as the air distorted in a rush around its body.

“This isn’t the time for foolish mistakes, Asuka,” Misato reminded her firmly over the comm.

Asuka nodded. “I know, I know.”

Unit 14 leapt up with its feet and tried to push off from the Angel, but Jabniel’s grip was firm. Unit 02 charged Jabniel again and stabbed its blade down at the Angel’s left arm. The blade hit and bounced off the metal as the Angel reached out with its hand and grabbed Unit 02 around the waist. Unit 02 struggled against the grip, trying to pull itself free with its arms.

Jabniel suddenly flung Unit 14 back over its head and let it plow into the metal ground behind itself before taking Unit 02 and repeatedly slamming it into the ground bodily.

Asuka moaned in pain as her Eva struck the ground. She tried again to get free of the Angel’s grip, but it was holding her too tightly. It lifted her up into the air and started to squeeze. Asuka choked and tried to inhale, but her lungs didn’t have enough room to expand. She started to panic because she’d had no air in her lungs to begin with.

“Unit 02’s pilot is suffocating!” Hyuga shouted.

“All Units, get Unit 02 away from the Angel!” Misato ordered quickly.

“Asuka!” Shinji shouted as Unit 01 broke into a run toward the Angel and Unit 02.

Unit 14 got back up and hurried toward the Angel itself as Unit 00 ran in also.

Cirus opened his comm to Unit 01. “Shinji, I’m going to ram the Angel, get ready to catch Unit 02,” he said quickly.

“Got it,” Shinji replied firmly.

Cirus nodded to himself and continued his charge. Unit 14 got within eighty meters of the Angel before leaping at full speed into the Angel’s back. A shattering crash of metal resounded through the air as Jabniel fell forward, releasing Unit 02 into the air. Unit 01 leapt up and caught Asuka’s Eva before landing smoothly and starting to retreat.

Unit 00 raised its cannon and fired two shots at Jabniel as it stood up. The blasts slammed into the Angel’s body, but no damage was inflicted.

“None of our attacks are doing any damage!” Hyuga reported quickly.

Misato looked up in a mild panic at Dr. Akagi. “Ritsuko?!”

“I don’t know what we can do,” she replied quickly.

“All Units, pull back. Stay away from the Angel,” Misato ordered firmly.

Unit 00 and Unit 14 pulled away from the Angel as Unit 01 set Unit 02 down behind one of the larger buildings farther away from the Angel.

“How’s Asuka?” Misato asked.

“She alive and recovering, no injuries,” Ayobi answered.

Misato nodded. That was something at least.

“That target has changed course, it’s heading right for Unit 14!” Maya reported urgently.

“Cirus get out of there!” Misato ordered.

Unit 14 started to retreat as the Angel started to charge toward it.

Jabniel raised its hand suddenly while stopping and the ground below Unit 14 exploded up underneath it, throwing the Eva into the air.

“Cirus?!” Misato shouted.

Unit 14 slammed back into the ground on its shoulder and fell limply into a crumpled pile. Cirus gritted his teeth against the sharp pain in his shoulder and started to pull Unit 14 back up to a standing position. He looked up and saw the Angel marching toward him.

Suddenly Jabniel lurched forward as an explosion shook its backside. Several more made the Angel turn around. Unit 00 was firing at the Angel with its cannon. Jabniel raised its hand to the incoming blasts and closed its eyes. The three cannon shots froze in mid-air as they got close to its hand before rushing into it. Jabniel’s eyes flared open brighter than before and it turned back around to Unit 14.

Rei stopped firing. “The target has absorbed my fire,” she reported.

“What the hell is this thing?!” Misato shouted slamming her hands into the console in front of her.

Ritsuko shook her head, slightly awe-struck herself. “…I don’t know.”

Cirus’ brow creased as he watched the Angel approach him. His blades had no effect, he wasn’t strong enough to battle it hand to hand, and it apparently had control of all metallic substances within a certain range. Meaning that if it wanted to it could strip his Eva of all its armor or crush it using the armor.

“All Units retreat back to the cages,” Misato’s voice came over the comm slowly.

“You must be kidding!” Asuka’s voice shouted back. “I’m not going to retreat from this over-grown metal dumpster!”

Cirus couldn’t but smile at Asuka’s response.

“We don’t have a choice, Asuka. We can’t fight this thing right now,” Misato replied.

“Cirus rammed it and it gave in,” Asuka pointed out.

“But I didn’t do any damage, Asuka,” Cirus replied.

A flash of motion caught Cirus’ eye and he focused in on it. His eyes widened as he saw Unit 00 rushing the Angel. “Rei, don’t!” he shouted instantly before picking himself up and running toward the Angel himself.

The Angel prioritized its targets and spun around, grabbing Unit 00 around the waist just as it was about to pounce on it. Rei grunted slightly from the sudden impact and started to try and push free of the Angel’s grip using her arms on its fingers. It started to squeeze slowly and Rei gasped, wincing against the pain growing in her ribs. She stared up defiantly at the Angel through her pain and redoubled her effort to push free of its grip.

A metal-like whistle pierced the air as the Angel suddenly jerked to the side. Its grip loosened enough for Rei to breathe deeply again so she took in several deep breaths. She looked up and saw Unit 14, both hands balled together, still in position from bashing them into the Angel’s side. It stood back up straight and rushed over to Rei, trying to pry the Angel’s fingers open with her.

Suddenly Unit 14 flew backward and slammed into a building with a violent crash before falling to the ground. Cirus moaned from the impact and started to get back up, but his Eva was slammed into the ground again, shooting pain through his head powerfully and forcing him to grit his teeth. He tried to get up, but somehow the Angel was holding him down with immense pressure. No! Rei! He tried desperately to get back up, straining his arms and upper body.

The Angel stood back up and squeezed Unit 00 powerfully. Rei gasped again at the pain that tore through her mid-section, and she tried to break free. The Angel took her and bodily slammed her against a building. Rei moaned in pain and started to choke; her lungs not able to expand. She tried desperately to pull herself free, but the Angel held her firm. “I… I can’t…” she tried to speak but her voice didn’t have enough air behind it.

The Angel suddenly screamed as small explosions appeared all over the front of its body.

“Hold on, Ayanami!” Shinji shouted as he ran in, firing his rifle at the Angel.

The Angel lost its grip on Unit 14, and the Eva’s eyes flashed brilliantly as he shot up and lunged at the Angel. It landed on the Angel’s back and gripped it around the massive neck with both arms. Jabniel let go of Unit 00 and tried to grab at the pest on its back as Unit 01 continued to fire at it.

Unit 00 slumped down against the building as the pilot tried to catch her breath. Her ribs were bruised, shooting through with pain when she breathed; the air coming in quivering gasps through gritted teeth. Clutching one arm to her mid-section she pulled Unit 00 back up the building and started to fall back.

“Unit 00’s pilot is injured!” Ayobi reported.

“How badly?” Misato asked quickly.

“She’ll live, but she shouldn’t be out there right now,” Ayobi answered.

“Rei, return to the docking cages,” Misato ordered over the comm.

“I am fine,” she replied over the comm, but her voice was very weak.

“No, Rei, you’re not. That’s an order, return to the docking cages,” Misato repeated.

“…Yes,” Rei replied finally and Unit 00 started to head for the nearest launch pad.

The Angel was still struggling with Unit 14 and taking Unit 01’s fire. Finally it dived down with its upper body, hurling Unit 14 down into the path of Unit 01’s fire. Shinji stopped firing instantly, but some shots were still heading toward the Angel.

“Cirus, look out!” Shinji shouted.

Unit 14 didn’t respond and bullets slammed into its back. The Eva fell to the ground, blood coming out of its back from many small holes.

“Cirus?” Shinji asked.

The Angel stood back up and appeared to look down at Unit 14 for a moment before loosing interest in it and turning on Shinji. Shinji opened fire again, but it didn’t slow the Angel’s approach. Shinji started to back up as he fired, but he couldn’t see where he was going and Unit 01 stumbled backward. Shinji continued to fire at the Angel as he tried to get back up, but the Angel was practically on top of him.

Suddenly two massive explosions slammed into the Angel and tossed it back. Two more hit and shoved it back further.

“Hah, did you think you could beat me?” Asuka’s voice came over the comm triumphantly.

Shinji looked up and saw Unit 00 with two massive missile launchers, one on each arm, firing away at the angel. “Good to see you, Asuka,” he said quickly, the relief apparent in his voice as he stood up and out of Asuka’s line of fire.

“But of course,” Asuka replied with sly smile as she continued to fire at the Angel and knock it back.

Misato looked down at Ayobi intently. “What is Unit 14’s status?”

“The pilot readings are off, I can’t tell if he’s injured or not,” Ayobi answered.

“Shinji, can you get to Unit 14?” Misato asked over the comm.

“…Uh… yes!” Shinji answered after seeing if he could.

“Get over to it and get it to a launch pad,” Misato ordered.

“Yes, ma’am!” Shinji confirmed and Unit 01 started to run toward the other Eva.

Jabniel’s head shot up and looked directly at Unit 01 before its eyes flashed and the Eva flew away, slamming straight through several buildings.

“Shinji!?” Misato shouted.

“Unit 01’s pilots is unconscious,” Ayobi reported.

Maya was right behind him, urgently focused on her console. “Target is closing in on Unit 02!”

Asuka kept firing, but the Angel was starting to push through her fire. “Damn it! Why can’t you just die!?” she shouted at the Angel in frustration as she kept firing.

“Asuka, fall back now!” Misato ordered. The Angel was getting incredibly close.

“No! I won’t retreat! I won’t lose!” Asuka shouted back.

Jabniel suddenly lunged forward at Unit 02 and gripped the ends of both barrels of her weapons. The two missile launchers exploded in Unit 02’s hands and sent the Eva sprawling backward. The pilot grunted in pain and then lay still. Her arms were numb from the shock of the explosion and the back of her head and torso hurt immensely from the impact.

The Angel stood over the Eva, and looked down at it with its glowing yellow eyes. It raised its left fist up in the air, ready to send it flying down into the Eva’s head.

Suddenly Unit 02’s head shot back up, its head opening up and the eyes flashing as the Angel’s fist came down. Unit 02’s arms came up and stopped the Angel’s fist instantly.

Asuka smirked to herself. …Thank you, Mama… To the Angel, she shouted, “I’ll teach you not to try and beat me!” as Unit 02 rocketed up and then spun around, throwing the Angel by the arm into the ground. The Angel reared back up and swung its other arm at her, but she kicked it to the side before lunging in with another kick that sent the Angel into the air sideways with a roar of pain. Unit 02 leapt up, grabbed the Angel by the head, and then slammed it down in the ground powerfully, the metal shattering. She pulled the Angel back up and watched its head rebuild from parts already inside its neck.

Asuka shouted in irritation and flung the Angel into the ground again and again. Slamming it into the ground violently over and over as if she were a frustrated child with a toy that refused to work. She shouted with each impact, screaming at the Angel.

Misato looked up at the screen in a disturbed form of fascination as she watched Unit 02 savagely beat the Angel against the ground.

“I guess she’s working things out,” Hyuga commented quietly as he, Ayobi, and Maya started to watch also. Even Ritsuko was staring with a jaw that threatened to hang slack.

Finally Unit 02 let go, and started to beat on the Angel with its fists ferociously. Metal shards exploded from each impact as she continued her assault. Finally she gripped a metal plate and yanked it off, severing wires and metal grating as she did.

“Ah ha!” Asuka shouted as she looked down at the Angel’s core. Unit 02 whipped out its vibro-blade from its other shoulder socket and stabbed it down at the Angel’s core repeatedly. The core suddenly glowed white and the Angel’s body exploded, engulfing Unit 02 in a white-red pillar of energy that split near the top and went out in two directions.

The blast faded and Unit 02 stood up. “…Victory,” Asuka said quietly, savoring the word.

“…Asuka, you alright?” Misato’s voice came over the comm in a concerned tone.

Asuka smiled at the comm window. “I haven’t been this alright for a long time.”

Misato smiled in slight bewilderment. “Okay… well would help get Unit 14 and Unit 01 back to their launch pads then?”

“Sure,” Asuka answered and Unit 02 turned around. Mama… Unit 02 hurried to fulfill her orders.

Misato shook her head, but smiled. “Well… we won,” she said calmly. “Once the Evas are docked get Cirus and Shinji to the medical bay.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Hyuga responded.

Rei climbed down from her plug slowly. Her ribs were badly bruised and she did not need to send pain shooting through her mid-section without reason.

As she stepped down to the metal-grating catwalk the sound of small wheels and rushed footsteps drew her attention to the medical personnel rushing toward the other two docking Evas. Another group ran down to her with a gurney.

“Do you need medical attention?” one of the nurses asked her.

Rei shook her head and started to walk past them so she could see how badly injured Shinji and Cirus were. She hurried around the catwalk to see Cirus being pulled from his plug. She couldn’t see any blood, but he was unconscious at least. She turned and looked over at Unit 01’s docking area, and saw that Shinji was in a very similar state. Suddenly a spike of pain shot through her ribs and made her double over. She’d breathed too deeply.

She felt hands pick her up by the shoulders, not too roughly, but briskly and sat her on the gurney. “You sure about that?” the same nurse asked.

Rei looked up at the nurse despite the pain and shook her head. “Yes,” she started to get off, but the action hurt her ribs and she stopped moving.

“Come now, we can make the pain at least lessen,” the nurse continued.

Rei looked at her and the skin around her eyes tightened. She did not want to go to the medical bay, but she was in no condition to fight or even help at the moment. She nodded and pulled her legs up onto the gurney as the other medical officers gently lay her down. She winced as she did, but it was unavoidable.

They wheeled off to the medical bay as she let her eyes close. She heard the sound of Unit 02 coming down to dock as she was taken out of the cage room.

Cirus’ eyes opened slowly and he had to forcibly refocus them to clear his vision. He looked around the room and saw that he was in a double room, with Shinji in the bed to his right. The door was in the far right section of the wall parallel to his feet and a window was in the wall to the left.

It took a moment for his mind to put back together what had happened and when it did he immediately sat up. Rei. He got out of his bed and closed the curtain, changing into his clothes. He had a bandage wrapped around his head with a swath near a part of the back of his head. He didn’t bother to feel it and see if it still hurt or not; from what he could remember of his fall it would hurt.

He opened the curtains again and approached the door, opening it, and stepping out into the hall before closing it gently to avoid waking Shinji before he needed to. As he turned away from the door he saw nurse approaching and she was carrying a tray of food.

“Ah, Mr. Trent, you feeling alright?” she asked as she walked up to him.

Cirus smiled faintly at her. “Yes, thank you. Can you tell me what room Rei Ayanami is in? Or is she recovered?” he asked.

“Oh yes, she’s in room three oh five, just down the hall behind you, on your left,” the nurse answered before turning toward another door.

Cirus opened the door for her, which she thanked him for with a nod.

“And thank you,” he replied before heading down the hall.

It took him a few moments to find the room, but he did and he opened the door gently. It was a single room. Rei was in a bed at the center of the far left wall with a large window running along the wall to her left. Cirus looked around for a moment until he saw a chair near the door. He picked it up off the ground and walked over to the right side of her bed, setting the chair down, and sitting down in it quietly.

The quilt covered Rei up to her neck with her arms running down along her body on the outside of it. Her breathing was a little faster than normal for sleep, but Cirus realized that was logical considering what her injury must have been. He smiled at the realization she’d come to his rescue yet again.

Her fingers moved slightly and she made a quiet moan in the depths of her throat. Cirus looked up at her, slightly curious as to what she was dreaming about. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and his chin on his clasped hand. She was still unimaginably beautiful, even in the hospital. Her hair gently clung to her face and framed it almost like a painting.

Cirus smiled at himself. How foolish he was being. It sounded silly to compare her face to a work of art, but in truth, it was far beyond the best masterpieces in the world to his view. “Through gentleness, strength will prevail”, he thought the old adage to himself wistfully. She had such a good heart, which is why it hurt him so much to see her in pain. He pulled himself back up so that he was sitting up straight in the chair and calmly sat there. He closed his eyes and pulled more of his Eva’s AT field into the room, gently letting it wash over Rei’s body.

He smiled when he heard her take a deep, slow breath, and then let it out. He held the AT field for a few more moments until he saw her relax more and then relaxed his own control, letting the AT field return to his Eva.

The use of his control had worn his own, natural, healing ability down and the pain in his head increased slightly, but it was more than worth it to know she was not in pain anymore. Besides, the mild pain would keep him awake and he’d slept more than enough.

Ah… Shinji. I need to thank him… Cirus remembered what Shinji had done to help Rei get free of the Angel’s grip. Remembering the pain he’d seen on Rei’s face over the comm window and how desperately Unit 00 had tried to get free made Cirus’ brow crease. He had tried his best to help her, but he’d failed. He couldn’t stop protecting her, but it made him think twice about considering himself her ‘protector’.

The door slowly opening snapped his attention back to reality and Cirus looked up calmly. He saw Asuka step through and close the door behind herself.

“Watching over her again, I see,” she said quietly with a wry smile.

Cirus returned the smile. “If you want to call it that,” he replied in a barely audible voice.

Asuka walked up until she was directly beside Cirus, looking down at Rei. She got down on her haunches beside Cirus so that she was roughly on a par with his elbow. “So how come you don’t think you love her?” she asked.

Cirus could feel his cheeks starting to warm up the moment she finished the question. He shifted his position in the chair and quietly cleared his throat. “…Why do you ask that?”

Asuka shrugged. “You do your best to not let anything harm her, you watch over her,” she emphasized by motioning at him, “you basically do everything a girl could want in a boy and more, and of your own desire, to boot. Sure seems like love to me,” she finished lightly.

Cirus was caught between asking to take Asuka out of the room to let Rei rest, and needing to stay in the room to keep Rei company. He softened his tone further and replied, “But I can’t know what love is. I’m too young.”

“But you seem very mature for your age,” Asuka replied.

Cirus smiled. “I appreciate the sentiment, Asuka, but I’m not that mature.”

“Okay, fine,” Asuka let that particular topic drop. “But you at least admit you have a crush on her, right?”

Cirus reluctantly nodded, taking a deep breath.

“You think it’s love, don’t you?” Asuka asked more seriously.

“If it isn’t… the real thing will knock me off my feet… literally…”

“Well… I think it’s love too.”

Cirus closed his eyes and bowed his head. “…Why did you come here?” he asked quietly.

“Because I knew you would be,” Asuka answered.

“…I’m sorry if I hurt you, Asuka,” Cirus replied softly.

“It’s okay, I’m in a good mood anyway,” Asuka responded.

Cirus shook his head and stood up, walking around the chair and Asuka, and headed for the door. “Come with me,” he said quietly as he opened the door, motioning out through the opening for her.

Asuka stood up and followed his instructions. He closed the door after stepping outside himself with her. He took his glasses off and looked her in the eyes. “You and Rei both deserve far better than me. I know you and Rei can both take care of yourselves, but I fear for Rei, I don’t know why exactly.”

Asuka found herself blushing, because Cirus was whispering practically in her ear from a position in front of her. She’d never been so close to him. “Please… don’t waste your time being jealous…” Cirus finished.

Asuka’s frustration with him calmed her embarrassment. “I’m not jealous of Rei, I just don’t understand why you like her so much.”

“I don’t know!” Cirus whispered harshly.

Asuka’s brow creased as she realized he was telling the truth. She raised her head and eyed him for a moment. He inhaled deeply and looked down at the ground in front of her, scratching his forehead with his thumb for a moment before looking back up. “…I don’t know,” he repeated softly.

“You think she’s pretty, right? More attractive than me, right?” Asuka continued plainly and calmly.

Cirus winced. He didn’t know how to phrase his meaning without hurting Asuka even more. “Physically… no,” he said finally.

Asuka looked at him with one eyebrow-raised bewilderment. “…You mean you actually like her personality?!”

Cirus nodded, though his face seemed very weary.

“You like her personality better than mine?” Asuka repeated more quietly, but still shocked.

Cirus grimaced. Honestly, she was perfectly right, but he didn’t want to say that to her face, it was too cruel.

“That’s it, isn’t it though?” Asuka continued.

Cirus closed his eyes and looked down at the ground, nodding. “…I’m sorry, Asuka-“

“Don’t worry about it,” Asuka cut him off and started to head down the hall.

“A-Asuka… I can’t help it, I’m sorry,” Cirus called after her, careful not to be too loud.

“I said don’t worry about it,” Asuka replied firmly as she disappeared around the corner.

Cirus sighed. At least it was finally out in the open; that was something. He shook his head, not looking forward to their next few meetings, and went back into Rei’s room. He sat back down in the chair quietly and waited.