text: [Themes: fan fiction, war]
  
  NERV almost completed the evacuation. The entire city's on lock down, and UN forces help with clearing out the remaining few. About a month ago, the city was destroyed. Now, it's normal, so it seems natural to destroy it again.
  
  Hours tick by, and Misato has gone over her plan a dozen times. On the eastern horizon, the slightest amount of sunlight shines. The Eva should be here in minutes, and the three pilots stand holding their guns with other weapons lying at their feet.
  
  Shinji has a single image in his mind, when his Eva crushed Toji's plug. It left Toji crippled for life, with one leg. It sickens him. His father installed the damn dummy plug without telling him, and he activated it! The boy watched as his Eva tore through Toji's infected one. Unit 01 destroyed the core, and there was no reason to continue fighting; however, Gendo did not stop. Shinji screamed and begged, but he wouldn't listen. Then, his Eva ripped out Toji's plug and squeezed until it broke.
  
  Relax. He has to be relaxed before the battle. The boy remembers the other boy he hurt in his Eva, Kaworu. He killed him. His friend died at his hands.
  
  Kaworu loved music. Shinji taps his fingers on the Eva's controls imagining each finger as a note for Ode to Joy. He heard Kaworu hum it before. Shinji hums the notes, not caring that the communication channels are open. When he finishes he feels sad, sadder than before. He can't fix his past.
  
  A voice comes over the channels. It's soft, gentle. If Shinji couldn't see Asuka's lips moving through his monitor, he'd never believe it was her.
  
  It's not singing, but it's not speaking either. The next words of Ode to Joy are spoken in some cross between the two. "Wem der große Wurf gelungen, Eines Freundes Freund zu sein? Wer ein holdes Weib errungen, Mische seinen Jubel ein." Asuka's words flow across all who hear them. In this single moment in time, no one stands on a battlefield. Instead, they are members of an audience.
  
  Shinji doesn't know Germen, but he can hear the message from her tone. She cares. Behind the girl's mask of anger lies someone who cares.
  
  "Thanks Asuka." He smiles.
  Asuka nods.
  "The Angel is approaching from the east!" Maya says. "Visual contact any second!"
  
  The Evas face eastward. Shinji breathes in and out. He will not run away, and this pilot will not be hurt even if he's dead. The sun crests over the horizon. Morning has arrived, but in that crest Shinji sees a sparkle.
  
  "It's in the sun," he says. They aim waiting for it to come in range.
  "Shinji." Rei's voice is calming. He notices she switched to a private line.
  "Yes?"
  "Do you speak German?" Why would she ask that?
  "No."
  
  The Angel grows larger. Shinji sees its color, silver. Its frame appears identical to Toji's. It makes sense, since both were American built.
  
  Rei says, "I know the translation in our language. 'Whoever has created an abiding friendship, or has won a true and loving wife, all who can call at least one soul theirs, join our song of praise'."
  "What?"
  "That is what Asuka spoke. We should focus on the battle now."
  
  Shinji shakes his head. Was Asuka telling him something again? He'll find out later. Now, he needs to protect the others. They stand side by side.
  
  "Twenty seconds until target reaches firing range," Ritsuko says. "Fifteen now."
  
  The enemy has no weapons, but a berserk Evangelion is far more dangerous. They have to kill fast. Its mouth gapes open as if it's hungry. That thing better not be berserking.
  
  "Ten seconds," Ritsuko says. "Five seconds."
  "Prepare to engage." Misato sounds scared. "Fire!"
  
  The three Eva's light up the night with their torrent of bullets. They tear through the air but stop in front of the Angel. It has a strong A.T. field. The monster lets out a roar. The sound shakes the earth, and the pilots scream clutching their ears.
  
  Asuka lets out her own war cry and fires her two bazookas at Unit 04. Shinji and Rei unsheathe their Progressive Knives. These should penetrate the A.T. field.
  
  "Asuka," Misato says, "Use your knife."
  
  As Unit 02 arms itself, the Angel drops from above as if it's some kind of hawk hunting mice. Shinji leaps out of the way. Unit 04 crashes through the ground and into the Geofront's dome below. The three Evas leap after it.
  
  A small crater forms around the feet of the enemy when it slams into the ground. Rei lands on her feet, but the other two aren't as graceful. The monster lunges for Shinji, but Rei tackles it from behind. She stabs its neck to behead it. Her knife cuts into its flesh, but the creature rips her off of its back. It unplugs Unit 00's umbilical cord and rips through its chest armor. It punches into Rei's chest, causing blood to gush out of the wound. She crumbles to the ground.
  
  > Hesitate
  Shinji hesitates. Asuka charges at the monster alone. She stabs at its left arm, but it slaps her across her head. It leaps at her and shoves its arms through her chest as it lands. Blood gushes out of the wound. It rips out her entry plug.
  
  "No!" Shinji screams.
  
  The Eva crushes her plug. She's dead.
  
  Shinji cries. He curls into a ball. As Unit 04 tears him apart, he does not struggle. He deserves to die. If he fought back, then Asuka would still be alive. Why did I hesitate? He feels his arms and then his head being ripped off. His enemy tears through his chest until it finds the entry plug. It rips him out disconnecting him from his Eva. It squeezes. He dies.
  
  In moments, it kills Rei as well. Five minutes later, it causes Third Impact. Everyone dies.