Operation failed

"It seems you're after more than just humanity's survival..." Shinji Ikari narrowed his eyes.

The so-called higher-ups still had the leisure to play political games and scheme against one another. That alone showed that humanity's impending annihilation wasn't their greatest concern.

What could matter more than saving humanity? Were these bastards trying to compete with him for godhood?

If that was true, things would be difficult. Compared with those "higher-ups" who held power over the world, he was undoubtedly the weaker party for now.

Shinji Ikari feared nothing when he was with Unit-01, but the problem was that they couldn't always be together. That was also why he had joined NERV.

Unit-01's Umbilical Cord cable only reached so far, and its internal battery lasted at most five minutes while it was moving. He couldn't exactly pilot Unit-01 all over the world.

The manual the technical department had given him stated that this most advanced ultimate weapon, the culmination of human technology, would enter "hibernation" and remain on standby without electrical power.

If only he had an endless energy supply. The great god couldn't help thinking again of those Angels whose energy never ran out. If he could obtain that so-called power of God...

Thinking of the Angels reminded Shinji Ikari that the battle on the surface wasn't over yet. But when he looked up, he found Kozo Fuyutsuki watching him with an inexplicably kindly expression.

The deputy commander had been a scholar, and throughout their time together, Shinji Ikari had always considered him utterly composed. He had never expected to see that expression directed at him.

It was as though someone who had worn a mask for years had suddenly stripped away every pretense, though only for an instant.

"The people above won't hear about what happened today. I have only one piece of advice: until you believe you can stand against the world, learn to endure," Kozo Fuyutsuki said evenly.

Then he glanced at Gendo Ikari, who lay there like a dead dog, and added indifferently, "Of course, they'll tolerate a little willfulness for now. You are valuable enough, after all."

Kozo Fuyutsuki seemed to be suggesting that he might one day be able to stand against the entire world, or possess the power to overturn it.

There was definitely something wrong with these two!

They hadn't said much, but Shinji Ikari was now certain that his importance to Kozo Fuyutsuki and Gendo Ikari was probably different from his importance to the "people above." Otherwise, why cover for him?

Kozo Fuyutsuki gave him one final look, then returned to his utterly composed, expressionless demeanor. He stepped forward and called into the microphone, "Notify all units: the operation has failed. Recover Unit-00 immediately."

Hearing the voice through their headsets, the operators froze for a moment and turned toward the command platform above, only to see the boy and the old man standing side by side.

"But the commander..." one operator began hesitantly, clearly having some questions.

"He won't be causing trouble for a while." Shinji Ikari casually tossed Gendo Ikari off the platform, leaving it to fate whether the fall killed him.

He had an idea, but it was only a vague notion, not something he could discuss yet.

The technicians all froze at the sight of Gendo Ikari's battered state.

Who would dare beat the commander-in-chief to a pulp inside NERV Headquarters? Had headquarters been invaded?

Other than an intruder, they couldn't imagine anyone daring to treat NERV's commander-in-chief like this on NERV's own turf.

But someone soon noticed blood on Shinji Ikari's hands, especially his knuckles. They were all geniuses, and they instantly put a few things together.

The relationship between this father and son left these Japanese people, whose family lives were largely governed by patriarchal authority, speechless.

Everyone in NERV knew Shinji Ikari and Gendo Ikari didn't get along. They simply hadn't expected to have the privilege of witnessing the rare sight of a son beating up his own father.

"The commander-in-chief has overworked himself and is in poor health. He needs some time to rest. I will temporarily assume overall command. Cease the operation immediately," Kozo Fuyutsuki said calmly.

Misato Katsuragi didn't care whether Gendo Ikari lived or died. Being ordered around by someone who knew nothing about combat had already filled her with anger, and Kozo Fuyutsuki's orders suited her perfectly.

"Medical personnel, carry the commander-in-chief away so he can rest. Cease the interception. Begin emergency recovery of EVA Unit-00!"

"Beginning recovery-negative! The launch catapult has melted. It won't activate!"

"What about the AT Field?" Ritsuko Akagi asked.

"It's deployed as fully as possible. It's barely holding for now!"

"Discard the operational plan. Prioritize the pilot's safety. Remotely trigger an emergency ejection of the Entry Plug!" Misato Katsuragi shouted.

Ritsuko Akagi frowned and warned her, "If we eject the pilot now, the EVA's AT Field will vanish completely. Unit-00 can't withstand that kind of attack."

"But compared with Rei's life, Unit-00..." Misato Katsuragi gritted her teeth and paused briefly. "Cancel the Entry Plug ejection. Detonate the spiral couplings."

Misato Katsuragi remained efficient in combat mode. In an instant, Rei Ayanami felt the cockpit shake as though the earth itself were heaving.

A series of explosions erupted beneath Unit-00's feet. Of course, under the impact of the Angel's particle cannon, Unit-00 couldn't hear them. The ground beneath its feet simply began sinking rapidly.

The connections between the steel city's surface modules all snapped in the self-destruction sequence. With its supports gone, a retractable section of ground plunged downward, taking Unit-00 with it.

As Unit-00 vanished below the surface, the Sixth Angel's particle beam pierced a stretch of metal barriers behind it before dissipating. The Angel itself began transforming again.

"The target has ceased its attack."

"Recover Unit-00 and take it to the emergency treatment facility. Medical team, stand by."

"Prioritize cooling the LCL inside the Entry Plug."

"Pilot's heartbeat confirmed, weak."

"Set the Entry Plug's life-support functions to maximum. Begin cardiac massage."

"Check her pulse."

"Force-eject the Entry Plug. Initiate emergency LCL drainage."

"Emergency medical procedures, hurry!"

As the emergency treatment protocol began, Rei Ayanami was once again placed inside a black, coffin-like emergency medical unit, then rushed to the medical department's emergency room.

Meanwhile, rather than continuing to transform into a new attack configuration, the Sixth Angel returned to its original crystalline form and floated in the air.

No one in the command center had left. The operation had failed; it wasn't over. They continued watching the Angel's next move through the remote monitors.

"Has the Sixth Angel paused its offensive?" someone finally asked.

"Maybe it's resting for a moment. That last attack was powerful enough to completely incapacitate Unit-00 in a single hit, after all," someone beside them replied.

"Do Angels even need to do that?"

"We've never encountered an Angel running out of energy. But that might be because the previous Angels never used attacks this powerful."

"Shamshel and the Day Angel were powerful enough to render conventional weapons useless, but their attacks weren't nearly this extreme."

Still shaken, the operators in the command center talked over one another, faithfully remaining at their posts. When no further attack came for quite some time, they couldn't help breathing a sigh of relief.