text: -talking about?" she stammers. "I know n-nothing about combat. I d-don't even have a pilot." Her vision clouds from her tears.
  "I will get your pilot. Buy me time. I know how to defeat all twelve." Then, he leaves.
  
  Maya looks to Kozo Fuyutsuki, second in command, for guidance. "The pilots will need a trusted voice, Lieutenant. Other than Misato, they trust no one else. I trust the pilots to know what they're doing. Just keep them calm."
  
  She nods and slows her breathing. Commander Ikari forced everyone to stay after the attack. No matter what they tried, they couldn't leave. Gendo didn't let them research the mysterious A.T. field that appeared during the battle. Maya knows it must've been an Angel, but the leader acted as if nothing was wrong. Now, he's gone, and she has to do a job that no one in the room knows how to do.
  
  What should I do? What should I do? Oh, the people! I need to save lives. That's what Misato tried to do.
  
  In the most commanding voice she can manage, which sounds like a squeak, she says, "All non-essential personnel evacuate immediately! Doctor Ritsuko, I want visual contact, please. I don't care how, but..." She pauses, her thoughts racing. "We need to protect the city! We'll let the Evas come down here. Tell the UN forces to focus on evacuating everyone within a hundred kilometers. We will fight in the massive dome like we did before. Doctor Ritsuko, see if you could somehow disrupt the Dummy Plugs of the Eva series. We should know enough about them to do something. The rest of you, ensure the virus doesn't spread. I want visuals of the dome and communication with Unit 01. Um, please."
  
  Their headquarters are built inside a massive underground dome underneath Tokyo-3, the GeoFront. How or why it's here is beyond her knowledge, but she's glad it exists. It has saved their lives many times before with its defensive abilities.
  
  I wonder why we never have any luck. First Jet Alone Prime, then Unit 04, now all of SEELE... I thought we were controlled by SEELE, a UN agency; however, the UN is on our side. Were all twelve of those Evas being built to destroy us? This makes no sense. What am I gonna do?
  
  She stands. "Um, doctor Ritsuko," The doctor stops typing. "I think you know many secrets. I was, uh, sorta looking into them myself. What is SEELE's plan?"
  The doctor smiles. "Lieutenant ... sorry, major, as we know SEELE wishes to cause the Third Impact. This would end the world in a more damning way than the Second Impact. This would cause Instrumentality." The entire room falls silent. Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki raises an eyebrow. "What is Instrumentality? It's simple, the complete annihilation of the human body and individuality."
  
  All eyes rest on the blonde as she continues, "The question is no longer the prevention of Instrumentality. Now, the question is who controls it, and we cannot let SEELE control it. If we control it, then we can reverse it."
  
  > Revelation
  Rei cries. She tried to protect Asuka, but she failed. Her friend will die. Shinji will never recover; Rei won't either. Why must others suffer in pain? It is not right. Shinji weeps into Asuka's shoulder, but Rei does not know how to comfort him, not now.
  
  The door opens. Gendo Ikari walks inside while two guards stand outside. His presence suffocates the girl. His black coat covers his body like shadows wrapping a vampire. His glasses hide his eyes, the window to his soul. Rei glares at the demon, hate seething from her eyes. He ignores her.
  
  "Shinji Ikari," the man states in a stoic voice. "Go pilot Unit 01."
  
  The boy looks up at his father. His face twists into revulsion. He charges the man, and punches his head. Gendo's glasses break, but he makes no sound.
  
  "I hate you!" Tears steam down his face. "You took Asuka from me."
  "Pilot Ikari," says Gendo as if nothing happened, "You are needed to fight the enemy. All twelve of the Eva series are coming to cause the Third Impact. You must buy me time to kill them." Blood trickles down his nose.
  "No!" The Third Child throws another punch, but Gendo grabs his hand. "Asuka is dying!"
  "Son, I will save Asuka if you buy me enough time."
  
  Shinji stands in front of his father, fists clenched and arms shaking. He glares into Gendo's eyes. Then, he nods. "Shinji." Rei hands him his normal clothing. Fighting in a hospital gown would be ineffective. Shinji gives a small smile. He throws on the clothing and runs out the door. For his entire life, running off has been a sign of fear, hiding from all that hurts him. Now, he runs to his Eva, the very thing which has hurt him time and time again.
  
  Gendo turns to Rei. "Rei Ayanami, you will save Asuka."
  "Tell me how." She glances at the dying redhead.
  
  The First Child wipes the tears from her face. She stands straight, like a soldier prepared for battle.
  
  Instead of answering her, the commander asks, "Why did Shinji just agree to pilot Unit 01?" Why is he asking me a question that he already knows the answer to?
  "Love. Love for Asuka and love for me," says Rei. "But, I hate you."
  "I do everything for love."
  "Clarify."
  "Yui Ikari, my wife and Shinji's mother, was absorbed into Unit 01 in an accident. It's how he syncs so well with his Eva."
  
  Rei sits. She tries to understand what he's saying, but it makes no sense.
  
  "Rei, you are a mixture of Lilith and Yui's DNA. You are her clone."
  She looks down feeling empty inside. "What am I?" she asks. My human parts are not even my own. They were stolen from Shinji's mother. Would he ever forgive me?
  "You are Shinji's family and my door to reuniting with Yui."
  
  He pulls out something from his pocket. It looks like a giant lizard embryo with a massive eye. Power seeps from the creature. It feels wrong, like an Angel. No, it can't be...
  
  "Is that Adam?" she asks.
  "Yes, the same one who caused the Second Impact. He reverted to this form but still has all the power."
  "What does he have to do with me?"
  
  Rei pulls up her A.T. field. Gendo could do anything, and she will not fall victim to him, not again. For her entire life, Rei was his little doll, a useful tool waiting to be discarded at any moment. She may not know what she is, but Rei Ayanami is not Gendo's doll.
  
  "Simple, you are an Angel in Lilin form. All you need is unlimited energy from an S2 core or Adam."
  "Adam and Lilith are not meant to unite."
  "Uniting would cause Instrumentality and a god to be born. I have been working a decade for this moment, Rei. All you need to do is allow Adam and me to become a part of you. Then, I will unite with Unit 01. Shinji and Asuka would revert to LCL, forever freed of pain and loneliness."
  "They would lose themselves, their identity."
  "But find happiness. I find that to be a fair trade. If not, Shinji and Asuka will die."
  
  Rei does not respond. She sees what he has done. He knows of her hate and her free will. Now, she desires to save her friends, but how can she do that without following Gendo's orders? Do I even have free will? It doesn't matter. I must save Shinji and Asuka.
  
  Gendo presses Adam's embryo into his palm. The two become one as his hand grays like a corpse. This is why she needs both Gendo and Adam. They are one now. The embryo is embedded into his palm.
  
  "You must take me to save them." He does not show emotion, assuming he ever had any.
  "I do not want you to become a part of me." She takes a step back.
  "Then they will both die."
  
  Rei wants to kill this man. She could use her A.T. field to rip off his head. His neck would shoot out blood like a water fountain; however, she cannot. He could save Asuka.
  
  "What is my purpose?" asks Rei.
  "You are Lilith, so you will start the Human Instrumentality Project. Humans have an A.T. field, but it keeps their souls separate. You would become a god to reverse those fields reverting all into LCL. One mind, one form, many souls. That is Instrumentality. SEELE wishes for this as well, but they wish to become twelve gods by using their Evangelions. I wish to reunite with Yui."
  "You pushed away your own son."
  "Now, I will save him from death, but only if you allow it."
  
  He extends his hand forward to her body, towards her womb. It pierces through her A.T. field. Rei looks past Gendo and to Asuka.
  
  "I am sorry," she whispers.
  
  > reject Adam
  Shinji runs through the hallways. His lungs burn. Everything filters through a watery mess, since he cannot see well through his tears. Asuka will die! Asuka will die! Asuka will die! It pushes him to run harder, faster. His father may be able to save her, so he must buy them time.
  
  He stops running. Unit 01 looms overhead. The teen climbs into the Entry Plug. "Someone, anyone!" he calls over the intercom, "Insert me."
  After a moment's pause, lieutenant Maya Ibuki says, "Um, will do. We don't know what to do really beyond targeting their cores and plugs, so you won't get much help, Shinji. Also, sorry about Misato." He hears her cry.
  "I know." He nods.
  
  The plug enters the Eva. Shinji becomes one with the monster. He is lifted up to the dome. It seems quiet out here, just his breathing and heartbeat.
  
  What can I do? I'm just one Eva. There's gonna be twelve. I couldn't handle one, now I'm supposed to hold off twelve? I need Asuka; I need Rei. He should flee. That'd work. His Eva has an S2 engine, so he could run forever. No, I can't. Asuka needs me to be strong.
  
  His hands tremble. Shinji has faced death a dozen times before, but it's different this time. With the Angels, there was always a chance, but he doesn't see that now. This battle will be a one way ticket to death. Guns and melee weapons lay beside his Eva. He picks up a gun. "Will this even work?" he says to himself. "Maybe they don't have good A.T. fields, like a newbie. I should stop bullshitting myself. I won't destroy all of their S2 engines."
  
  A crackling voice comes through the radio. He barely recognizes it as Maya's, though he welcomes the sound in the midst of his fear. Why is she the one talking to him of all people? "We have no visuals on you. Audio is relegated to radio. I can't help you, Shinji."
  "But Unit 01 can, I hope." He remembers the times when it saved his life by going berserk.
  "That's the spirit! Shinji Ikari, it has been a pleasure to serve with you and to, um, know you. I'm sorry I can't do more."
  "Me too."
  
  The audio ends. His heartbeat increases. His mind races with every way that he will be killed, mauled, and torn apart. He needs to calm down. Then, Shinji feels warmth, like a hug. A sense of calm envelopes his body, but it feels foreign as if he's being embraced by someone else... It seems familiar. Distant memories come back into Shinji's mind. Could it be...
  
  "Mother?" he asks. "Is this you?"
  
  The teen lets his mind sink with the Eva, and she welcomes him. The woman who brought this soul into the world has been with him this entire time.
  
  "It's you!" he shouts. "Mother!"
  
  A faint, echoing whisper seeps into his mind.
  
  "I have always been with you." Her voice sounds distant.
  "Why are you here? Why did you leave me?"
  "I know you were just a boy, but I did what I had to do. I entered Unit 01 on purpose knowing you had to pilot it. Shinji, we are the key to reversing Instrumentality."
  "What do you mean? What is Instrumentality? Why haven't you talked to me before?"
  "So you don't know about Instrumentality? Oh, I see your thoughts... It can be averted."
  "What?"
  "Defeat the other Evas. We have the power to do so."
  "Momma, I-"
  "Important things first, Shinji. Tell me about Asuka."
  "She's the pilot of Unit 02. We are friends."
  "I see you have hurt her, but you have also helped her. Shinji, you need someone like Asuka, someone who understands you like I do."
  "I'm sorry, Momma."
  "Don't be. I see another friend... Rei?"
  "Yes."
  "Funny. If I would've had a daughter, her name would've been Rei. You can trust her, Shinji."
  "How do you know?"
  "You will find out soon enough."
  "You aren't making sense."
  "I have to keep your head somewhat clear. We're about to fight for our lives."
  "We can speak later, can't we?"
  "Maybe."
  "No! Don't leave me! Tell me! Why haven't we talked before?"
  "It wasn't the right time."
  "No! Momma, I-"
  "I feel them coming. Shinji, we have a job to do."
  "I love you."
  "Goodbye Shinji."
  
  Twelve holes blast open in the dome's ceiling. Winged monsters drop through, each armed with a massive spear. Shinji feels repulsed. Evas are meant to be protectors, but these appear as though they've been formed within the borders of Hell.
  
  Except for their blood red lips, their bodies are white like a maggot. Their heads are those of an eel, long and devoid of features besides wicked teeth. Like worms, they have no eyes. Shinji fought Angels here before, but these things are Demons.
  
  Shinji fires his rifle at one of them. It folds its wings and twists out of the way. He fires at another, but it swoops under the bullets. All twelve land, shaking the earth below.
  
  "Mother!" he shouts, "I need you!"
  
  The Eva's eyes glow as sheer energy courses through Shinji's flesh. The Evangelion lets out a roar. Shinji charges at the nearest Demon. It doesn't react in time, so he lands on top of the monster which squirms beneath. He reaches through its A.T. field and takes hold of its core. The engine pops, and the Demon's head becomes a torrent of blood when Unit 01 stamps on its head.
  
  Shinji leaps at another Demon. He takes out his Progressive Knife and slices off the monster's arm, but it sinks its teeth into his shoulder. Ignoring the pain, he plunges the knife into the demon's core. Taking hold of its head, he twists until the head snaps. He flings the body onto two charging Demons.
  
  Before it stabs him, the teen kicks another monster and watches its teeth fly out. He throws his knife at another Demon and laughs. The knife sinks into its head.
  
  "You are all pathetic!" he screams. Then, he shrieks in pain. He looks down and sees blood flowing out of his chest, just below his left shoulder. Unit 01 has one of the spears piercing through in the exact same spot. Then, Shinji realizes what he's looking at, a Spear of Longinus. "No!" he cries. Those injure the pilot and Eva simultaneously, but he never saw a synthetic one before. Shinji rips out the spear. "Damn you all!"
  
  Ignoring the pain and the blood flowing into his LCL fluid, Shinji shoves the spear through a Demon's arm. He twists and the arm falls to the ground. The monster screams and clutches its bloody stump, so Shinji takes the opportunity to stab its core. There must be pilots inside. I hope they weren't forced to pilot.
  
  The old Shinji would quit, unable to harm others; however, these pilots are trying to kill everyone who he knows and loves. Damn them all!
  
  Leaping out of the way, Shinji almost misses another lance, but it scratches his arm. Unit 01 throws the spear at another Demon which cuts through its leg. The last of the monsters have reached him, so they surrounded him. He screams. One of the spears punctures his hand and the force throws him forward. More blood mixes with the LCL fluid.
  
  The other Demons raise their spears to throw. He can't dodge them all.
  
  "Anybody, help!" he shouts. Sorry Asuka, I failed you.
  
  > Gendo Ikari
  Earlier...
  
  Gendo Ikari lies on the floor. Blood spills onto the floor from the stump that used to be his hand. Some of his blood mixes with Rei's tears. Fitting, my blood and her water spilled out. He sighs, but not out of pain. Losing a hand means nothing. He lost Adam and Rei rejected him. The man stands but cannot stop his body from shaking.
  
  What now? I haven't planned this scenario. There was no point. I'd be either god or dead; however, I'm neither. The past decade of toil, getting my wife back, proved futile. Soon, SEELE and their Eva series will come. They will cause the Third Impact and become gods. If my goals must fail, then so should theirs.
  
  He takes out his phone and dials the doctor he assigned to pilot Langley. As it rings, he glances at the injured girl. She has become to pilot Ikari what Yui has become to him, motivation. Perhaps they are more alike than he thought. Pilot Ikari used to run away from all who he loved. Gendo knows this; he watched the pilot from the shadows. The child felt loss before and never wanted that feeling again.
  
  Gendo did the same. He was... is scared of pilot Ikari... his son. When he lost his wife to Unit 01's core, he pushed away all others in his single-minded devotion to resurrecting her. He sent his son away, unable to face reality. He was unable to face the fact that he can lose more that he... cares for.
  
  Gendo has not changed, but Shinji has. His son let others into his life, Rei and Asuka. If his child loses either, then Shinji would become like Gendo. I will not let that happen. I cannot atone for my sins, but I can stop him from falling down my path of destruction.
  
  At last, the doctor answers the phone.
  
  "Reverse the pain and unconscious inducing drugs," he growls. "Ensure pilot Asuka Langley is ready for combat in fifteen minutes."
  "Yes Sir!" she says.
  
  Already, he sees a strange colored liquid drip from an IV bag into her arm. Remotely feeding a drug to make the girl conscious or unconscious, injecting her with drugs to induce pain, convincing Rei that her friend is approaching death. It was theatrics, deception. His son had to pilot, and Gendo knew one motivation that was guaranteed to work. It added yet another sin to his soul.
  
  The doctor hangs up the phone. She should arrive in a moment. Gendo watches his remaining hand grow paler from the loss of blood. He shoves his bloody stump into his coat's pocket.
  
  A team of doctors arrive. They rush past him and swarm the sleeping pilot. Injecting her with all forms of drugs, she starts coming back to consciousness again. It's a miracle that the painkillers, hormones, and other chemicals in her body don't kill her this instant.
  
  Her eyes open. "Bastard, where's Shinji?" Even in her groggy state, the girl spits out venom whenever she wants.
  Before the doctors could respond, Gendo clears his throat. "You'll live. Pilot the Eva."
  "But, he said I was-"
  "I made him and Rei think you were dying. You are injured, yes; however, it's not lethal. Shinji will die if you won't pilot your Eva."
  
  "What!" The pilot sits up in bed. The doctors take off her fake casts and bandages, much to the girl's surprise; nevertheless, they do not take off her eye patch. That one is real. She also has a cracked rib, nothing she can't handle.
  
  "You have minimal internal bleeding, some slight burns converging around your arm, and one eye. Shinji is about to face the Eva series. Run. Save him." He takes a deep breath. "Save my son."
  "What are you planning?" she asks. The girl stands, wobbling a little.
  "Nothing. I wish to stop SEELE. No hidden agenda, not anymore."
  
  Gendo holds out his bleeding hand. The doctors don't have any reaction. They noticed the puddles of blood and the stains on his clothes moments after arriving.
  
  Asuka smiles. "Ha! Served you right, fettes baby ferkel. Who had the balls?"
  "Rei." He points out the door with his bloody stump. "You may want to wear your flight suit instead of the hospital gown."
  
  Giggling, she runs out the door.
  
  Gendo turns his attention to the doctors. "Stop the bleeding. I have places to go."
  
  He closes his eyes while the doctors bandage his wound. His scenario crumbled. He'll never touch his wife again. Now, he has a new idea, a new motivation. I need to protect my son.
  
  > Mama!
  Asuka squeezes into her flight suit. She found it challenging to run with one eye, and it'll suck forever. The suit covers the bruising along her body and scrapes against her burns. At least the pain has lessened.
  
  Shinji needs me. The fool is about to face the Eva series. Aren't there nine of them? Maybe it's twelve. Of course, they aren't as elite or amazing as the two of us, but there's still too many. Plus, my Eva is crippled.
  
  She stops at an intercom. She calls the command center. After buzzing for what seems like hours, Lieutenant Maya takes the call. "Is there an update on the third MAGI?"
  "No you idiot!" she shouts. "This is Asuka. Get my Eva ready!"
  
  The girl hears Maya crying. Did they see her guardian die? They must know. "Misato is dead!" Yeah, they do.
  "I know that. Get me in my Eva for some fucking revenge!"
  "Unit 02 sustained too much damaged to be helpful. Don't get inside."
  "Oh like hell I won't," Asuka shouts. "I'm not going to let Shinji of all people die before I can! I'm not some wimp."
  "Access denied."
  "Fick dich!"
  
  She hangs up the intercom and rushes to her Eva. Her beautiful Eva looks more dead than alive. Half its armor is gone, an entire arm is a broken mess, and the flesh is mangled. Asuka cries. I can't cry. I can't cry! Her thoughts do nothing to stop the tears.
  
  The body of her Eva reminds the girl of the body of her mother. The corpse rocked back and forth as if it was a tree in the summer breeze. The head was facing away from her, so she only saw Mama's hair. Asuka was too young to understand what happened in that moment. She stood in the doorway frozen knowing something was wrong but not knowing what. Slowly, the body rocked into view. She saw the face of her mother, rope around her neck and dead eyes staring into her soul.
  
  Asuka was alone.
  
  "Mama!" she pleads, screaming out to a person long since dead. "Help me! Don't leave me all alone! I need you!" The voice of the young teen becomes that of a little girl. Alarms blare. The Eva series must've arrived.
  
  "Mama! Mama! Shinji is going to die! Don't let me lose him!" She falls to her knees and cries. Why must I lose the only people I love? First Mama, now Shinji. She punches the floor. "Damn you!" she shouts to her mother, herself, and everyone.
  
  She hears a deep groan. Asuka gazes up and sees her Eva move its arm. It grasps the entry plug and sets it before her. She stares at the plug frozen out of surprise. Her Eva cannot activate on its own! Men rush to stop her, but the teen enters the entry plug's doorway. It fills with LCL fluid, almost like a mother's womb.
  
  "Shinji, I'm coming!" she shouts ignoring Maya's pleading over the intercom. She feels it lifted by her Eva and inserted. Their minds sync.
  
  Mama, you came for me!
  She feels arms wrap around her. An emotion, love, envelopes the girl and warms her soul.
  Mama?
  
  Asuka feels a rush of emotions and images. The presence looks through her mind, and the girl looks through its feelings. She sees it all, the experiment. It ripped her mother's love and sanity from her body placing it in this Eva. Her mother even ejected her entry plug during the last battle.
  
  She feels a new emotion. Pride, a mother's pride.
  Mama, I didn't d-
  Another emotion, regret.
  We have to save Shinji.
  Determination. Excitement.
  
  Her thoughts are interrupted when Maya screams through the audio, "Asuka, what are you doing? Your sync ratio is over two hundred percent!"
  "Of course!" Pride explodes through her jubilant tone. "Mama and I are the best Eva and pilot ever!"
  
  A beam of light erupts from the Evangelion, firing into the heavens above. The Eva repairs itself. The severed arm grows back and the wounds disappear. Asuka giggles.
  
  The unit launches. It's time for Asuka and her mother to save baka Shinji.
  
  > Kill
  Shinji Ikari shouts, "Anybody, help!" He hears no reply. He can taste blood from his wounds. As the Demons raise their spears, he prepares to die. I failed everyone.
  
  All of the Evas are knocked to the ground. A beam of light fires out of Central Dogma. It shimmers like a lightning bolt captured in place. His eyes behold the most beautiful sight he's ever seen.
  
  "Missed me, Shinji?" Asuka boasts. Joy gushes from her voice. Her Eva has hardly any armor left but moves at incredible speed.
  "Asuka!" Shinji shouts. His Eva looks to the sky and roars.
  
  She joins him in the roar, and the sound tears through the dome. They leap at the Eva Series. Asuka takes the spear from one and jabs it through its neck. Pulling it out, blood splashes onto her Eva before she jabs it through its core. Shinji tackles another Demon and lets loose a flurry of punches and bites. He rips out its core.
  
  A spear jabs into Unit 01's foot, and Shinji wails as it bleeds. Asuka destroys the monster who threw that spear, but the remaining Demons circle them like vultures.
  
  "I'll miss you," he confesses.
  Asuka smiles. "Baka."
  
  Panting, Rei reaches the battlefield. She sees the Demons throw their spears, piercing the Evas in the torso and head. Both of their cores burst. Each unit falls to the ground, lifeless.
  
  Shinji and Asuka scream for a moment. Then, they stop, silenced forever.
  
  > Rei's Decision
  A few minutes earlier...
  
  Gendo tries pushing his hand through her A.T. field, but she rejects the demon. He will never hurt her again! She uses her A.T. field to slice off his hand, then she crushes it into a bloody mess. Gendo backhands the girl. She stumbles back, tears rolling down her face.
  
  Rei runs. She cannot bring herself to kill the monster, but Shinji needs her help. The First Child's head spins and fear twist her stomach into a knot. She has to save him! Head throbbing, she wanders the halls looking for an exit.
  
  It takes for too long. Rei ran faster than her body could handle, but she's too late. Shinji and Asuka die and she can only watch.
  
  "No!" she screams. They died. Their entire lives have amounted to nothing, for they have lost. Tears flow down Rei's face. Remembering what Asuka does when she's furious, Rei spews the most vile words she can recall. "Fuck you!"
  
  Those Demons take the body of Unit 01. They lift her into the air and spread their arms floating in a circle. She can feel their power, and without the Adam embryo she pales in comparison to them all. Rei alone cannot defeat the remaining six.
  
  She uses her own A.T. field to hurl her body at Unit 01. It also died, but Rei knows that machine defies logic. It has the soul of Yui inside, the woman who's DNA they used to make her body. That Eva has the power to defeat the Demons, so Rei must take control. Just before she collides with Unit 01, the girl collapses her own A.T. field, turning her body to LCL. Ironic, I created my personal Instrumentality.
  
  She takes one final look at the world with her own eyes. She sees the moon shining brightly. Then, she sees nothing. Her body fully dissolved and entered the Eva.
  
  Did I make it? The body feels broken, weak. It's core shattered, and Rei can feel Yui only distantly. Shinji's presence grows fainter by the second.
  
  She reaches out with the Eva. Somehow, she knows the Eva Series is still trying to cause a full Instrumentality. Oh, there's Shinji's body. She feels the residual pain, but her friend has no pulse, no life. I will not let Shinji die! She wills Unit 01's core to repair itself. She absorbs Shinji's body into the core.
  
  Rei sees again, but now it is out of the eyes of the Evangelion. She feels every wound, but there's so much power. I must win quickly.
  
  Rei lets out a bestial roar like a thousand lions. A beam of light erupts from her body. Beautiful, angelic wings sprout from the back of the Eva. The Demons are blown back by the shock-wave. They throw their spears at her body, but Rei outstretches her hand. She stops them all midway and shatters them. Kill the murderers!
  
  Evangelion Unit 01 has achieved its awakened form.
  
  She pounces on top of a Demon, bites through its neck and spits out its salty blood. She claws out its core. She expands her A.T. field and slams it into another one, disintegrating the murderer. As the third flies away, she chases the coward and wraps her hand around its leg. Flinging it to the ground, she throws the other two at it as well. She squeezes until the three explode in a shower of blood. She sees no more Demons.
  
  She floats to the ground, body trembling from the strain. She lands in front of Unit 02, destroyed like the pilot inside. What should I do?
  
  "Save her," says a voice. She recognizes the tone.
  Shinji, we could die.
  "I don't care. I pilot to protect. Asuka needs protecting."
  
  > try to Convince Him Otherwise
  Shinji, I can save you, but I cannot assure you for Asuka. I do want to save her, but you must be willing to risk both of our lives to do so.
  "Don't you see how she changed? Asuka remains Asuka, but she's trying to improve. Over the past few days, she has grown. All three of us have grown."
  Grown up. We are older.
  "Yes, don't you see? I see your memories and my own. You made up a lie to help Asuka. You never lied, Rei, but you did for her. You thought of her as your own family. She was nice to you and welcomed you into our own home. Rei, she accepted you. How could we reject her?"
  I see your logic. It would be... moral to protect her. Do you sense this feeling? What do I feel for Asuka?
  "You feel for her what I feel for you."
  What is that?
  "Sibling love. You are my sister; she is your sister."
  I do not understand, but I feel this way towards her. Let us save her.
  
  > save Asuka
  Unit 01 kneels over Asuka's Eva. Rei places her hand over its core and lets her power flow. She searches for a fiery soul. Instead, they both sense a scared one screaming for her mother. Dying echoes.
  
  Rei rips out the core and presses it into her own. They assimilate the dead body. Pain. Loneliness. Fear. They let her emotions wash over them.
  
  "Where are we?" they ask Rei.
  I became Unit 01. You are in my core.
  "Why did you save us?" She senses their confusion and sadness.
  I did not wish to lose you.
  
  An explosion shakes the ground, causing Rei to sit the Eva down. The Eva's scanners intercept a warning. Terminal Dogma was destroyed. Fascinating.
  "What is it?"
  I believe Commander Ikari destroyed the final living Angel. Good.
  "What now?"
  I offer you both life. A soul must stay behind. I will not allow for that to be either of you.
  "What about my mother?" asks Shinji.
  She died.
  "Oh," they say together.
  Please, choose life. I want to see you both of you live pleasant lives. I have desired a purpose and I found it. You two. Allow me to protect you. In return, live good lives for me.
  
  > stay with Rei
  Commander Maya clears out all unnecessary personnel from NERV's primary base, though she misses the old one. It's too bad Commander Ikari destoyed it and himself to kill Kiel. She hates speaking German, but most of the locals never bothered to learn Japanese. Only Aoba, Hyuga, and Ritsuko remain. She cannot help but smile at her impending doom.
  
  "You know," Aoba notes, "We'd be thrown in jail for this if they knew it was intentional. They'll be pissed even if they buy into this all being a tragic accident."
  "I know." Maya sighs. "But no one else will know. I can't stand by knowing that we can get them out now, at long last."
  Hyuga clears his throat. "You sure this'll work?"
  "No." Ritsuko has tear streaks on her cheek. "Considering the unfortunate deaths of everyone that mattered to them, I think Maya is our only option. She at least was nice to them. Well, there are the pilots' three friends, but I will not sacrifice more children."
  "Good luck." Aoba pats her on the back. "Who knows? Maybe I'll get promoted."
  "Fat chance, metal head." She smiles at his dark humor.
  
  The woman takes a deep breath and looks around. Then, she shrugs. This's what any of those children would've done. It's a long shot, but they saved the world. Anyway, being a commander tires me too much. Ha. Now I'm sounding like Aoba.
  
  "This is Commander Ibuki, commencing contact with the S2 core." Her voice does not show his fear.
  
  Maya walks foreword. She presses her hand against the core. Well, here goes a leap of faith from a woman of science. Poetic. Um, sorta. For a moment, it looks as though she's pushing against a giant rubber ball, but then her hand sinks through. She gasps but smiles as she enters the core.
  
  The three remaining NERV personnel stand in silence. Ritsuko watches the monitors hoping for a positive change in the readings. Some of the lights flash, so she nods her head. A slit in the core splits apart. Head first, three teens slide out.
  
  Hyuga hands the teens clothes they brought, since they expected them to come out nude. Each child appears in a daze, as if they are waking from a long dream.
  
  Rei looks back to the core. She tilts her head, perplexed. "Why did Lieutenant Ibuki sacrifice herself for us?"