Neon Genesis Evangelion Higher Learning Strike Fiss, 2000 Thirtieth Lesson: "Moved" "There's no time." Misato said urgently, startling the bridge crew, who had thought her to be still in transit. "As soon as Asuka is in Unit 02, launch it to the Geofront ground level." "Hai!" Maya replied, checking the systems. "Status on Unit-00 and 03." Misato demanded. Ritsuko checked her own readouts as another crashing explosion rang out overhead. "Unit-03 is ready, and the pilot is standing by. Rei is in transit to HQ, Unit-00 ready." "Sortie Rei in Unit-01." Gendo ordered suddenly. "Have Unit-00 standby in the AT Field neutralization zone as backup." Misato forced herself not to glare at the commander. He acted like Shinji's leaving was just another phase of his plan. "Launch Unit-03 immediately after Unit-02. He can act as back-up, but I don't want his first battle to be a solo." "Rei will be ready in T-Minus sixty seconds." Ritsuko sighed and looked up at the monitor. The angel was huge. As it hovered towards the centre of Tokyo-3, it seemed to ride on the wake of it's destruction. Entire batteries of missile silos and armament buildings had been nearly vaporized in it's advance. Every new obstacle it came across was promptly ripped down by it's beam. The same, eerie, cross-shaped pillars of light that the Third Angel had made were the signatures of each hit. This time, they were bigger. Each explosion, while damaging the superficial Tokyo-3, was now also eating away at the Geofront's defence. The Angel seemed to grimace at them. It's mask was a solemn, mocking face. Had it a hood and scythe, it would look very much the part of Death, with it's twin eyes sparking their obliteration. "I'm counting on you, Asuka." Misato whispered to herself, then: "LAUNCH!" Unit 02's red, angry mass became ballistic as it was shot up through the catapult. It's four eyes glowed with awareness, yet it seemed almost immobile. Deep inside it's chest, Asuka sat, hunched over in her seat, clutching the controls tightly. She watched the lights and colors whiz by her with a strange, detached look on her face. "This is who I am..." she whispered to herself, looking around the plug. "I can't leave it. Not yet." Her last conversation with Shinji kept replaying in her mind. She remembered saying the words, yet she couldn't remember why. Why Eva was so important to her. She remembered wondering why Shinji didn't feel the same way. How could he walk away from Eva? Unit-02 reached the surface. "I am the pilot of Evangelion Combat Type Unit-02." She whispered to herself. "I can not run away." The Evangelion reached down and picked up two combat assault rifles. "I can NOT run away." She looked down at her guns. "This is all that's left." Her eyes steeled to the hanging city above. "So hurry up, you lazy Angel." A tear dropped through the LCL, reaching her chin before it was absorbed in the liquid atmosphere. "Let's finish this so I can go home and cry." Rei felt the gentle twist of the Entry Plug as it was inserted into the spine of Evangelion Unit-01. The comm. began it's usual rattle of commands and statements that were mostly just issued by the three Magi faster than any human could do it. She found herself surprisingly calm. While she was about to go into battle, she was also fulfilling her purpose. A purpose that Ikari-kun chose to leave behind. She wondered what else there was. Oh...Rei knew of other things, and she found in her heart a growing joy for things besides Eva...but they were still simply 'other things'. They were not Eva. Eva was the reason they were here. Nothing else. And Shinji ran away from it. Seeking something else?? Why would he wish to seek anything? "He does not like Eva." She thought to herself. ... A voice. "There is no choice..." Rei's eyes opened wide as the neural patterns skittered around the plug's walls. "No choice?" Rei though, startled at the clarity of the new voice in her head. Flash. Her mind was tossed into...something searching it...something seeing through it...accessing her memories...viewing her soul as it was accepted into Eva. "Shinji is gone." She found herself thinking. As she did, every sense and neuron in her body screamed. Unit-01 screamed into her: "G E T O U T !" The shock was so hard it was physical. The walls turned blood red in anger. Waves of nausea and pain swept over the blue haired pilot, and she had to keel over, holding her mouth so as not to vomit in her own LCL. Every sense was ripped from her. The Evangelion savagely threw Rei's soul away from it's own, breaking off any connection she did have. Rei found herself too stunned to fight it, and before she knew it, the Evangelion was dead to her mind...yet still shrieking in protest. As the bridge crew exploded into a flurry of activity, alarmed by the sudden refusal, Rei just held herself, still jarred from the experience. "It's not going to work this time..." she whispered to herself. Unit-01 screamed around her. Gendo Ikari watched it all from behind his tinted sunglasses. The gray haired Sensei turned to him. "Ikari..." "Yes..." Gendo agreed. "It's refusing me." He lowered his hands and turned to Misato. "Abort activation. Rei will take Unit-00. Re-activate Unit-01 with the Dummy Plug." The black, hulking mass of Evangelion Unit-03 arrived just a few blocks away from Asuka's position. She sighed, noticing for the first time she wasn't alone on the battle field. "What are you doing here, Stooge. This isn't a training mission." Toji's little communication's box appeared in her field of vision. "Hey, relax Red Devil." He smiled in an odd way. If Asuka didn't know better, she would think he looked almost sorry. "I'm just here to watch your back. That Angel is all yours." Asuka paused, at first not really registering his words. Then she nodded, and smiled. "Okay. Just don't expect to be much use. I'm taking this bastard down in one shot." "Good. These legs feel like jelly." Toji nodded, then smiled again. "Besides, you might need help tracking down Ikari after this is over. I know where he likes to hang out. The sooner we get this done, the sooner you can drag his ass back home where it belongs." All at once, every sappy, sentimental, and lovey-dovey word that Hikari had ever said about the stooge seemed true. She could only nod. "Thank you, baka." He sighed. "Well, I suppose that's the best I'm goinna get out of you." He smiled. "No problem, Devil." And then, a thundering crash came. Glass and steel exploded down from the high ceiling as two city blocks of Tokyo-3 were vaporized to gain passage into the Geofront. The iridescent sky-blue glow of the dome was suddenly overshadowed by the resulting mass of yellow and red fire that shot down, then billowed up as black smoke along the inside of the half-sphere. Asuka and Toji braced themselves, but now, Asuka had an angry, determined smile on her face. "It's all your fault...you bloody Angels have been hurting my Shinji- kun." Her A.T. Field roared to life, seeking out and neutralizing the new Field that was already entering her vision. "Here's where I pay you back for all that pain." The Angel...a massive, stocky shape...had not even cleared the first building before Unit-02 opened fire. Toji had to hold himself back in surprise as the shockwave from each bullet hit his senses. Each one was the size of a large bus or train- car, and yet they seemed to fly through the air at the speed of a bullet less than one thousandth the size. When he noticed that Asuka was holding both rifles ablaze, and yet was barely even jarring from the kick each round left, he found himself hoping never to get into a fight with her. The Angel, however, seemed less impressed. With explosions erupting in the air around it's body, the massive thing seemed to be in no hurry...descending and landing at it's leisure. "Damn you!" Asuka yelled, firing off the last few rounds. "Toji! MORE!" Toji had been ready, and his Evangelion threw Asuka two new rifles. She caught them with deadly accuracy and was already letting the barrage commence before he could blink. "Cover me!" Asuka demanded. "I don't think it's AT Field is all gone!" Toji picked up the nearest weapon. A huge rocket launcher that had an under-arm indentation. He slung it under his right arm, leaving one arm free to pick up a spear. "Ready!!" "FIRE!" Asuka yelled, pausing only to grab two smaller, yet hand-held rocket rifles. Toji aimed and pressed the switch. A blaze of red and black smoke whistled out from under his arm. The kick was so great that he wondered if his waist would twist clean off from the jolt. The missile, though, was nearly as long as the rocket launcher, and screamed towards the Angel with a furry matched only by the charging Unit-02. As the first missile hit, Toji saw something strange. The Angel's arms began to unfold. Like paper ribbons. Only they did not look like paper. He remembered the Fourth Angel. It's energy tentacles ripping through Shinji's Eva and mind. "ASUKA! PULL BACK! PULL BACK!!!!!" he screamed. "IT'S GOING TO ATTACK!" "I WON'T LOSE!" Asuka screamed back, now getting dangerously close to the Angel. "COLLAPSE, DAMN YOU!" Unit-02 ran head-first at the Angel, finally erupting in propelled grenades from it's twin cannons when she reasoned to be sufficiently close. That's when she saw the two ribbons whipping towards her. "No!" she gasped. And then the pain slashed through her shoulders. Each ribbon slid cleanly through the armour's joints, then right through the bones and nerves. They kept going, sliding through the Evangelion with a new shade of red adorning their normally gray-silver metal. Toji watched in horror as, with a simple 'flick' of the ribbons, each of Unit-02's arms fell cleanly away from it's body. The sounds of Asuka's pain registered over the comm. channel. He was amazed that she did not scream as dark red sprayed out from Unit-02's shoulders, coating the trees and staining the water with the gore. "ASUKA! GET DOWN!" Toji threw away his missile launcher and focused on his spear, remembering how Shinji defeated the Fourth. His mind automatically pulled up the new targeting display, and with three quick steps forward, he threw the blade towards the Angel's core. The spear rocketed through the air, yet the Angel had already retracted it's ribbons for a new attack. It's right lashed out and cut through the length of the spear with the same precision that Toji had thrown it with. He wasn't quite prepared for the ribbon when it kept advancing. A sharp pain rocked through his leg as the ribbon wrapped itself around his thigh. Toji found himself taking a deep breath as he prepared himself for the pain. With a twist, the ribbon's razor edges crushed and slid through the Eva's skin, ripping it's leg right off with a horrible shattering sound. Toji would probably have felt it more, but he had fallen unconscious from the shock. Asuka gasped as she saw more blood on the Angel's ribbon as it retracted from attacking Unit-03. "No!" she scanned around, seeing the fallen Eva. Her anger re-focused, despite the pain, and she raged towards the Angel once more, ignoring the pleas from Misato on the comm.. "DIE YOU SON OF A BITCH!" The Angel's ribbon unfolded once again...then shot out for her neck. Shinji would remember that moment for the rest of his days. How he had been sitting in Shelter number 2, listening to the soft giggles and talking from babies and the assembled students and civilians. How he remembered wondering why they all felt so safe when a fallen Prog Knife would be able to rip though the roof and gut them all. Or a cross-shaped explosion even a block away would uproot the entire room from it's foundation and throw it into the Geofront's wall with fatal force. Not to mention the fact that if an Angel actually wanted anyone inside, the small shell of metal wasn't about to stop it. Only the Evangelions could do that...and they were monsters in their own right Shinji would remember the sudden crash. How the lights all turned black the second before it hit. As the rumbling stopped, he looked up from his cowering hands. And saw the disembodied head of Evangelion Unit-02 as it lay, lifeless, on the wall that used to be part of the shelter. Shinji's world tumbled. "Asuka..." Every word flew into his head. Every smile crossed his eyes. On his lips, the touch and taste of Asuka's burned like fire. His hands began to shake as every touch and gentle embrace was remembered. In his ears, he could remember their concert together. How amazing and perfect Asuka played. How beautiful it sounded to hear her feelings through the music. "I love you, Shinji." "Asuka..." he stood...running before he knew where he was going. "ASUKA!!!" Shoulders slid out of his backpack, letting the green hulk tumble free as his speed shot him forward faster. His heart and mind competed for who was racing faster. The body simply tried to keep up. And he ran. Right towards the battle. All at once, the train tracks shifted and curved. He did not care. At the end of the line, he saw his reason. "ASUKAA!!!!" He would have kept running, but a sudden voice stopped his blind rush. "You're going the wrong way." "REPORT!" Misato yelled, desperately trying to keep her head about her. "Neural connections secure!" Hyuuga announced. "Asuka's alive!" he pressed a button. "Fourth Child is in shock, but alive as well!" Aoba turned to the screen. "The Angel's moving past the two Evas!" Misato turned to Ritsuko. "Status on Unit-01?" she cringed as the wall of pattern lights turned a deep red. "The Dummy Plug??" "Connection refused!" Maya said. "Unit-01 will not activate!" "This is impossible!" Ritsuko said...then her eyes widened. "The Dummy...Rei...is being refused." "Fuyutsuki." Gendo said quietly, standing up in his seat. The old professor turned to the Commander. "I'm leaving you in charge of this." Fuyutsuki just sighed and nodded as the Commander walked past. "Understood." "That's you, isn't it, Shinji-kun?" Shinji was still gasping, trying to catch his breath. He looked up and saw the oddest sight. "Kaji-san?" Sure enough, the older man was standing not far away, holding a watering can over some plants. Such would have been a very pleasant, normal scene, if it wasn't for the hunched over and gored form of Unit- 02 in the background, and the explosions of weapon fire all around it as NERV desperately tried to stop the Angel with conventional weapons while the other Evangelions were being prepared. "What are you doing out here at a time like this?" Shinji asked, walking over to him. "That's my line." Kaji smiled. "I thought Pilots didn't go to the Shelters during angel attacks." "I..." Shinji suddenly felt very out of place. "I was running away. I didn't think they needed me anymore." "Is that so." Kaji nodded, stretching his free arm lightly as he watered his plants. "Well, I've been too busy with other assignments to help fight." He looked over to Unit-02's form. "Though, I doubt I could really do much with my pistol and charm. So here I am, sprinkling." Shinji peered over and finally noticed. "Watermelons?!?" he looked up at Kaji. "At a time like this? When an Angel is attacking?" "What better time?" he said with a calm smile. "Of course, if you think that Misato would let me attend to her melons, that would be preferable." Shinji blushed. "Though..." Kaji looked around him. "This is a nice place to die. I will have no regrets." "Die?" Shinji blinked. "W...why would you die?" he saw the Angel off in the distance. "You can easily get away from here! You don't have to be in danger...not like I should be..." CHOOOOM! Another explosion crashed through their ears, this time taking with it a large portion of the HQ pyramid's top. "It doesn't matter." Kaji said, looking towards Shinji again with his usual calm face. "The reason, Shinji, that Misato and everyone thought it was so important for you to pilot is not just because of NERV." He shook his head. "It is said that if an Angel reaches the very centre of NERV, and finds Adam...humanity will suffer to the Third Impact." "Th...Third Impact?" Shinji's skin ran cold. "That is the purpose of the Evangelion." Kaji said. "To stop the Angels from doing this. They are the only thing with equal power to an Angel." As if on cue... Evangelion Unit-00 rose from the ground. In it's arms, cradled like an infant, was an olive-green and red cylinder. The characters "N2" were painted on the side. "Ayanami?" Shinji gasped. "Go." Rei whispered. Unit-00 charged at the Angel. Just as the Eva reached it, the Angel turned it's grimacing mask and met the blue beast with it's AT Field. Even with Rei's Eva, the field was strong. No wonder Asuka and Toji had no luck at all. A wall of yellow-red light erupted between the two combatants, cutting the ground and air like a knife. As it spread out over the Geofront's lake, the water seemed to part and scurry away from the invader's power. "AT Field...Full." she commanded her Eva to be stronger; focusing it's relatively outmatched AT Field into the very centre of the Angel's...all while pushing the N2 Mine through. It was just enough...just barely enough. And just before Rei's world exploded around her, she saw a rock-like shield snap shut around the Angel's core. The gray shockwaves passed out over Shinji's head as he watched in horror; the Angel quickly dispatching what was left of Unit-00 with a ribbon to the chest. Heat and sound was unregistered in his mind...only the dull despair over watching his fellow Pilot fall was allowed. "Shinji." Kaji said, bringing him back to reality. "All I can do is sit here and water my melons. I know you hate Eva...I know you thought that...with so many others...you were not needed." He shook his head. "But that's not true." "Kaji-san..." Shinji nodded. "You have a choice." He said. "You have something inside of you that lets you fight when other people can't. You have the power to change what you think is wrong. And, most importantly..." he set his watering can on the ground and knelt down to examine his plants. "You have the power to protect those who you love." Shinji could feel his courage returning. Seeing Asuka's Evangelion broken and dormant. Rei's bleeding on the ground. Just over the treetops, he could see the bloody stump of Unit-03's leg. "This is important, Shinji." Kaji warned him. "If you go back, you have to do it for the right reasons. Nobody is forcing you, and you now know most of the facts as I know them. Do what is in your heart." He smiled calmly as more explosions rocked around them. "Think about no longer having regrets. Know that you're doing the right thing." Shinji looked up from his daze, then nodded. Without another word, he was off. This time, headed right for NERV. He ran towards Eva. Somehow, he was not surprised to see his Father there...standing in the control room so high and mighty above the Eva's cages. It was just like him...to leave the others like that...needing only himself. But this time, he was no longer adequate. Shinji would have said something cutting to that effect, but he knew he was already running out of time. "LET ME PILOT IT!" A long pause as he caught his breath, desperate for oxygen and life. His body aching to be replaced by the Evangelion, desperate to let the beast's muscles and power be it's own. Gendo Ikari looked down and saw his son. "Why are you here." He demanded. "I..." Shinji gasped. "I...I AM THE PILOT OF EVANGELION UNIT ONE!" Gendo did not smile. The flashing red of the refused dummy plug still reflected off his glasses. "I AM SHINJI IKARI! Now LET ME PILOT!" The final explosion was horrible. It shook the control room like an earthquake. The four massive three-dimensional holograms of the Toko-3 area all shivered out of existence, leaving a dull, cracked green display screen. "It's coming HERE!!!!" Maya screamed, almost as Misato noticed the first ribbon cutting through the wall. It was like some mockery of birth. The screen parted to give life to the massive Angel's grimace as it slid through the tones of rock, metal and plastics unopposed. Hunched over, even under the high ceilings, the Angel reared up and glared at them. These tiny humans. So small, yet the creators of such might. Such power and design. Such pain and hopelessness. Misato found herself clutching her cross as she watched the Angel's eye sockets begin to spark...only a heartbeat away from obliterating them all. The wall exploded. At first, Misato imagined it to be her own demise...until she saw the avalanche of debris was propelled, not by a cross-like explosion... But rather a purple and green fist. "Eva One?!?" Misato gasped, seeing it's eyes bright yellow, angry and driven. "Shinji-kun!!" "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHGGGHH!!!!" Shinji yelled with all his force as he drove the Angel into the ground. His body replenished by the fury and power of the Evangelion, even the Angel of Might could do nothing but fall. And fall again. Unit-01's arms grappled around the invader and threw it in a tumbling crash through the opposite wall, not willing to give up any measure of momentum. Not offering any sign of mercy or weakness. The world fell apart into thick blankets of choking dust. Walls designed to ensnare and cage even the Evangelion itself fell down like a house of cards. Green metal was pierced by the thundering struggle these two giants produced. A chance! Unit-01's fist reared back, the muscles and armor straining under the sheer effort Shinji demanded from them. SSSSSSEEEEEEWWWWWWW!!!! The Angel's eyes exploded into activity, not willing to fall so easily again. With the blast, blood showered the far wall and Unit-01's arm slapped dead to the ground, witnessed by Gendo Ikari as he watched under the blood of his work. Shinji clutched his left shoulder in nerve-shattering pain, but demanded obedience from his mind and machine over it. "EEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHH!" The yell seemed to echo though the Evangelion, and it's mass launched forwards at terrific speeds. Every thought was it's command. Shinji Ikari was the pilot of Evangelion Unit-01. Once again, and forever. The remaining arm came around and silenced the Angel's next attempt at attack, ripping it off balance and tossing it over it's own body. Unit-01's feet dug trenches and crushed the metal floor as it fought the Angel's every resistance. The same foot came up and bludgeoned the 'waist' of the Angel, kicking it backwards even as the purple demon punched in with it's torso. Both of them fell past the last Eva cage, into the catapult grounds. For the first time, the Evangelion made it's own sparks as it ploughed the Angel into the shaft's wall. All the while, Shinji screamed in undying determination. You will die! You will die! DIE DIE DIEEEEE!!!!!!! "MISATO-SAN!" he yelled, remembering himself. He never heard her answer, but felt the results as the catapult sparked to life and roared upwards, taking the beasts with it to the Geofront. The clouds of dust were now replaced by the bright shower of sparks as Unit-01's grip shoved the Angel's face into the wall for the entire journey. As the two exploded out of the catapult and into the Geofront, Unit-01 held on tight, using the Angel to break it's fall. "HHEEEEEEYYYAAAAAAAHHHH!!!" CRAAAANG! CRRRAANNNG! Shinji willed his fist to punch. Every movement creating thunder as it impacted against the Angel. Each time, the pain lessened and the rage increased. Images of Asuka fuelled his mind as it long since passed the breaking point. "You sonofabitch! DIE! DIIIEEE!" he screamed, now plunging his hand around the Angel's mask and pulling...ripping it off... Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Shinji's eyes snapped open as he saw the control panel turn red and Evangelion Unit-01 hunch forward just before taking away his view of the outside world. "Out of energy...!?!" The Angel did not take long to realize this. What little awareness Shinji had of the outside world...now replaced by his coffin-like plug, was tossed about as the Eva was lifted up and thrown. CRASH! Shinji desperately pulled on the controls. "Move! Move! Move! Move! Come on, move! Move now or there's no point to this!!!" The sound of a cut...probably just around the chest...left a sickening sound in his ears, and he gasped as the residual pain hit him, even in the mostly dormant Eva. A final crashing sound signalled the exposure of more of his Evangelion's innards to the Angel. Then came the ribbons. CRACK! CRACK CRACK! Each one hit the same point...and each time, Shinji saw his world break a little bit more. Cracks began to form in his vision as Unit-01's core was hit. Each hit echoed out over the Geofront like a cannon-shot. "Move! Move! Move! Move!" Shinji begged the Eva, pulling harder and harder on the handles. "Move! Move! Move! Move! Move! Move! Move! You've got to move! Or everyone will be killed!" The sounds of a cracking egg continued...each hit bringing him closer to the edge. Desperation leaked into his voice as he realized there wasn't much time left. "I'm sick of it already, so...COME ON! MOVE!!!!" Move. Shinji looked up as he heard it... A heartbeat. And then...Unit-01 moved. It's eyes lit up in a screech, turning blazing white. It's hand came up to meet what would have been the Angel's final blow...ripping the ribbon to shreds with it's fingers, The Angel seemed almost surprised as it found itself face-to-face with a growling Evangelion Unit-01. "RRRRRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" CRACK! The Eva kicked the Angel away, ripping off it's ribbon and throwing it to the ground in one motion. The ribbon became the Eva's new arm, as the beast, now fully lost in it's own madness, cannibalized the Angel's flesh to replace it's own. The Angel, never giving up, shot out it's last remaining ribbon, hoping to finish Unit-01 before it was too late. With a low growl, the Eva swept forth its AT Field, not only severing what was left of the Angel's arms, but also moving back and cutting into the Angel's body like a knife. New arm attached, it crawled it's way over to the Angel. As a final death rattle, the Angel tried using it's particle-beam once more, but was interrupted... ...When Unit-01 began to eat it's face. Kaji watched from his watermelons, crouched down next to them. "So...the Evangelion has awakened." He chuckled. "I suppose SEELE won't stay quiet about this for long." A footstep sounded as someone walked up next to him. Kaoru nodded, watching the spectacle. "That's what I was afraid of." "Don't you trust me?" Kaji looked up and rubbed his chin. "I think I'm entitled to a bit of trust after the leaps of faith you put me through." The Sensei regarded Kaji with a sigh, then smiled. "I suppose you're right." The two men stood and watched Unit-01's feast with grim fascination. "I just hope you did the right thing." Kaoru mentioned out loud. "I did." Kaji said. "Shinji is our only hope." He turned back to his melons. "You, of all people, should know that by now. Besides, he would have gone back anyway." Kaoru just stood and watched. Unit-01 raised it's head to the heavens and howled. "That's what I was afraid of." To be continued. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Thank you all for staying with Higher Learning this far. ^_^ I know, especially for new readers, that 30 files in a row can be a daunting enough read to tackle. Though, everyone has been wonderful in their support (sometimes...rather constantly...pestering me outright to get the next Lesson done), and it has been a true pleasure to know that I can at least help a reader or two waste some spare time reading about Eva. ^_^ As of late, Higher Learning has been harder to keep on it's weekly schedule, now shifting to weeks and a half at a time. I shall endeavour to keep up to my original schedule, but unfortunately work and real life have been taking their toll. Nothing bad has been happening...rather many good things, however, they still are taking up my free time. I apologize to you all, and hope you'll forgive me and keep a little extra patience in your heart for me. ^_^ Arigato! I'm still aiming for about 40-50 lessons. As you may have noticed, to make up for the time loss, I've been making them a bit bigger. Even if it looks like I'll be running out of year to do them, I will gladly sacrifice time for quality, and keep Higher Learning going as long as it needs to. However, I'm also thinking I might wrap it up in one big spectacular Lesson at the very end. ^_^ I think I'll have to, since it will be the only way of me surviving all the death threats. People get fussy when I end things in a cliff-hanger. ^_^ But, for now, enjoy, and thank you all for reading! OMAKE! ------------------------------------------------- "LET ME PILOT IT!" A long pause as he caught his breath, desperate for oxygen and life. His body aching to be replaced by the Evangelion, desperate to let the beast's muscles and power be it's own. Gendo Ikari looked down and saw his son. "Why are you here." He demanded. "I..." Shinji gasped. "I...I AM THE PILOT OF EVANGELION UNIT ONE!" Gendo did not smile. The flashing red of the refused dummy plug still reflected off his glasses. "I AM SHINJI IKARI! Now LET ME PILOT!" Gendo sighed, then realized he must concede to his son, even if it was just this one time. "Very well. I admit...I need you, Shinji. You must go out there and prove yourself." Shinji's eyes glittered. "Father??" "Yes..." he sighed. "I admit, I've been short-sighted...I have failed to see your value and your inner abilities." It was obvious Gendo was telling the truth. There was no way he would allow himself to squirm so much under anyone's eyes...especially his own son's. "You...you mean this...don't you, Father!" Shinji's eyes were tearing up with joy. "Papa!" Gendo felt his heart lose itself to the moment, knowing he may never get another chance to say these things...so he continued. "You have always made me proud, Shinji...every time you've gone into Eva, I knew you were worth all this trouble. All the pain. The torture of having to be away from you for so long. A father never forgets how much they love their son." The elevator activated, letting Gendo descend down to Shinji's level on the walk-way. Shinji watched with glittering eyes and a smile so wide he could have made a believable Pac-Man stand-in. They ran to each-other and embraced in a warm, fatherly-son hug that was so long overdue. "I love you, my son. I'm so sorry for everything I've done." Gendo wept openly against Shinji's hair. "Your mother would have been so proud too...I know she can see you now." "Thank you, Father." Shinji whispered, hugging his dad tightly. A moment passed, and they were interrupted by an explosion somewhere in Headquarters. "I guess you'd better get going, son." Gendo smiled, taking off his glasses so he could dry his eyes. "Hai!" Shinji beamed, raising his fist. "I'll make you proud, Father!" he extended his hand expectantly. Gendo blinked. Shinji blinked back. "Dad?" he kept holding out his hands. "What?" Gendo asked, honestly not knowing. Shinji shrugged. "Well, I need the keys to pilot Unit-01." Gendo blinked. "But...you took them with you. That's why we couldn't get Rei or the Dummy Plug to work." Shinji's eyes went wide. "Uh...you mean...I didn't give them to you??" he gasped as he realized they were still in his other pants...in the green backpack he dropped on the way. Gendo looked down at Shinji, then smacked him upside the head. "Anta baka!?!? I take back everything I said. You're a fucking moron." The Third Impact was very pretty at such close range. ^_^ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- e-mail: strikef@bigfoot.com homepage: http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/9110 Strike Fiss, Ninja Crowbotics 2000. Khattam-Shud, EOF.