01x23 - Staying Human

[bunniefuu]

Like a cruel angel

Become a legend, young boy

When a blue wind
Knocks on the door to your heart

You just gaze back at me
And smile oh so gently

So eager for something
You touch so softly

Those innocent eyes
Know nothing of the fate that awaits

But one day, you will realize
That upon your back

You have wings
You can fly to the faraway future

The cruel angel's thesis

One day, you'll take off through a window

If your overflowing pathos

Leads you to betray your memories

Then embrace the heavens and shine bright

Become legend, young boy

Hi, Katsuragi. It's me.

By the time you get this message,
I've probably made life difficult for you.

Sorry about that.
And apologize to Ritchan for me, okay?

I shouldn't be asking favors,
but I've been growing some flowers.

If you could water them for me,
I'd appreciate it.

Shinji knows where they are.

Katsuragi, the truth is with you.
Keep going and don't look back.

If I see you again,

I'll say the words that I couldn't
say to you eight years ago.

Bye.

The silent phone...

WORKING
SORRY, DO NOT DISTURB

Ms. Misato's locked herself
in there all day again.

NO UNAUTHORIZED ENTRY
YOU COME IN, YOU DIE!

I wonder if Asuka is planning
to stay away again.

She won't go to school,
she won't go home...

She just sits there playing video games.

-Hikari?
-Yeah?

Let's go to bed.

Sure.

I'm sorry. I'm not being a bother, am I?

No, of course not.

I wasn't able to win, fighting in my Eva.

I'm not worth anything anymore.
Not to anyone.

I hate it. I hate it all.
I hate everybody.

But what I hate most of all is me.

It's like I just don't care anymore.

Asuka, I think you should do what
you want. I won't tell you what to do.

I mean, I think you did a great job.

Oh, the poor thing d*ed?

Yes, probably. Cats don't live forever.

Don't cry, Grandma.

Sure. I'll come home for a visit
when I find the time.

Besides, it’s been three years
since I last visited Mom's grave.

I'll call you to let you know.

Okay, I have to go.

Oh. That cat d*ed.

It's impossible for us to retrieve
the Spear of Longinus.

Why did you employ it?

The Eva series has not been completed
as per our plans yet.

I gave priority to the destruction
of the Angel. It was unavoidable.

"Unavoidable?" Your excuses need
to be a little more convincing.

Some of your recent actions
have crossed the line.

Fuyutsuki, we're in session.

Understood.

An Angel is currently approaching.
We will continue this later.

Assuming you are still
in command afterwards.

Ikari, do you intend to betray Seele?

I'll be there in 15.
Send Unit 00 to the surface using No.32.

Send out Unit 02 to provide support.

Yes, Commander Ikari
will have final say over Unit 01.

I don't have the authority
to lift its lockdown on my own. Later.

I have visual confirmation
of the Angel, at least...

Unit 00 away!
Routing to intercept position!

Have Unit 02 stand by at current position!

-No. Launch it.
-Commander?

Do it. At the very least,
it can serve as a decoy.

Yes, sir.

Eva-02, stand by for launch!

At the controls again,
acting like I deserve to be here.

I don't know when to give up, do I?

Routing Unit 02 to Gate No.8.
When egress point is determined, launch.

Hah. Won't I just get in the way
if I go out there?

Target closing.
Has crossed Goura Absolute Defense Line.

I just don't care anymore.

Target is holding above Owakudani.
It's hovering in position and rotating.

Target's A.T. Field is still active.

-Where have you been?
-I won't make excuses. Status?

Standoff situation is ongoing.

Pattern cycling between Blue and Orange!
It's changing at regular intervals!

-What does that mean?
-The Magi show "Analysis Failure."

So there's not enough data
to formulate an answer, huh?

That shape isn't a fixed form,
we can be sure of that.

So we can't make the first move.

Rei, we'll sit tight and see what it does.

No. It's coming.

Rei! Return fire!

Too late! There's not enough time!

Target in physical contact with Unit 00!

What about Unit 00's A.T. Field?

Deployed, but it's being
corroded by the Angel!

The Angel is trying to force
a first contact? With Unit 00?

She's in trouble! Unit 00's biological
components are being corrupted!

Eva-02, launch! Order her to
rescue Rei and provide cover!

Corruption by target is progressing!

This is dangerous. Over 5% of Unit 00
is now biologically melded.

Asuka, move up another 300,
then raise your A.T. Field to maximum

and fire your pallet g*n
into the target's rear.

Got that? Eva-02, lift off!

Get out there! What's wrong, Asuka?

-Unit 02's status?
-No-go!

-Her synch rate is in the single digits!
-Asuka!

It won't move... It won't move!

She's a sitting duck up there!
Pull her back in, hurry!

Who's there? Me.

The me inside the Eva.

No. I sense someone else who isn't me.

Who are you?

An Angel?
One of the people we call Angels?

Won't you become one with me?

No. I'm me. I'm not you.

I see. But you can't stop it.
It's too late.

I'll share my heart with you.

I'll share my feelings with you.

You're in pain, aren't you?
There. Your heart is aching.

Aching? No, that's not it.

It's lonely.

Yes, that's it. It's lonely.

Lonely? I don't understand.

You don't want to be alone.

There are many of us.
But you're alone and you hate it.

That is what we call "loneliness."

That's your heart you're feeling.
It's yours that is full of sadness.

Your own heart.

These are tears!

The one that's crying... is me?

Rei!

The lockdown on Unit 01 is hereby lifted.

-Launch it immediately.
-Sir?

-Launch it.
-Yes, sir!

What the heck? They didn't send him out
when I was the one who needed help!

Deploy your A.T. Field! Rescue Rei! Hurry!

Yes, ma'am!

Shinji!

This is what my heart wants?
I want to be one with Shinji?

No!

Her A.T. Field is inverting!
Corruption spreading rapidly!

She's trying to contain the Angel?

Rei! Abandon the Eva! Get out of there!

I can't. Without me,
the A.T. Field will vanish.

So I can't go.

Rei, are you going to...

The core is collapsing!
It's gone critical!

Target eliminated.

This operation is hereby concluded.

-Stand down to condition one alert.
-Roger.

Stand down to condition
yellow immediately.

What's Unit 00's status?

No confirmation of entry plug ejection.

Begin search-and-rescue. Hurry.

Assuming there's anything to rescue.

Level C contamination zone
is spreading southwest.

Dr. Akagi.

I'm designating this as top secret.

Retrieve the plug.
Dispose of all associated parts.

Yes, ma'am.

Let's get to work, people!

With this, we have defeated all
of the Angels up through the 16th.

Only one of the Angels recorded in
Seele's Dead Sea Scrolls now remains.

The promised time is nearly upon us.

The road has been long,
and the sacrifices great.

Indeed. First we lost the Spear
of Longinus, and now Eva-00.

That is more than enough reason
to dismiss Ikari.

When we returned Fuyutsuki unharmed,
surely he understood our message.

This calls for another sacrificial lamb.
One that Ikari cannot dismiss.

We also require someone
to know the whole truth.

Shinji? I'm coming in.

Ms. Misato, the tears aren't coming.

I'm sad, but the tears just won't come.

Shinji, all I can do for you
right now is this.

Knock it off!

Don't, Ms. Misato.

I'm sorry.

He has to be feeling lonely...
Maybe he's scared of women.

No, what he's scared of
is intimacy with others.

Pen Pen, come here.

Oh, now I get it. Anybody will do.

I'm the one who was feeling lonely.

Hello? What did you say?!

Shinji!

Paging Dr. Ugai.
Dr. Ugai of Internal Medicine Dept.

Please contact
Conference Room 2 immediately.

Ayanami!

RADIODIAGNOSTICS, X-RAY CHECK-IN

Thank goodness you're alive, Ayanami.

Um... Father isn't here, huh?

Thanks for saving me.

From what?

What do you mean?
You sacrificed Unit 00 to save me.

Oh. I saved you.

Yeah. Don't you remember?

No. I don't know about it.

Because I think I'm probably
the third one.

AYANAMI

These are tears?

This should be the first time
I've seen them, but I feel like it isn't.

Am I... Am I crying?

Why am I crying?

That's right.
Maintain status quo on the First Children.

No new restrictions are necessary.

Same for the Second and Third.
Just keep them under surveillance.

Chairman Keel and the others will
raise heck when they learn Rei is alive.

I've sent the old men of Seele
something else to keep them occupied.

Not to worry.

We would prefer to proceed
in an amicable manner.

Subjecting you to further discomfort
or indignities is not our aim.

I beg your pardon,
but I'm not the least bit ashamed.

You're a strong-willed woman.

I can see why Ikari wants you at his side.

But the person who offered you up
to us was none other than...

Ikari himself.

He refused to allow
an interrogation of Unit 00's pilot,

and presented you as her proxy, Dr. Akagi.

So now I'm Rei's replacement?

WORKING
SORRY, BUT DO NOT DISTURB

This is part of the truth
that you've been looking for.

I've sent it using 36 other methods,
but those will probably never reach you.

This capsule is the only way
I know will work.

This is everything that I have.
Use it as you see fit.

The passcode is our first memory together.

Bye. Take care of yourself.

I'm through getting worked up
over a phone that won't ring.

Because I have your heart inside me now.

Did we make the right choice
regarding Dr. Akagi's treatment?

She is different from Fuyutsuki.
The prudent course is to return her.

The Eva series would not exist
without her. Let us use her a little more.

Indeed, for the future of humanity.

Evangelions... we will soon have
eight of them at our disposal.

Four more to go...

The obliteration of Tokyo-3
will do much to advance the project.

Put a rush on the rest.

Their completion will mark
the arrival of the promised day.

Hello?

Don't talk, just listen.

You're not under guard right now.
It's safe to leave.

Ms. Ritsuko?

That won't work. Not without my passcard.

I see. Courtesy of Ryoji?

You're going to let me see this place's
secrets with my own eyes.

That's fine. But he'll be coming with us.

All right.

This looks just like Ayanami's apartment.

It is Rei Ayanami's apartment.
This is where she was born and raised.

-It is?
-Yes. She was born here.

The imagery of this place
must be deeply ingrained

in the water and light
that make up Rei's deep psyche.

Dr. Akagi, this isn't what I came to see.

I know that, Misato.

An Eva?

The very first one. It was a failure.

Disposed of ten years ago.

An Eva graveyard...

It's just a dumping ground.

It's also the place
where your mother disappeared.

You may not remember, but I'm sure
you were watching when it happened.

The moment when your mother vanished.

Ritsuko!

Are you telling me that is where
the Dummy Plugs come from?

Let me show you the truth.

Rei... Ayanami!

Hang on, the Evas' Dummy Plugs are--

Yes. These form the core
of the Dummy System.

This is their production plant.

They're...

These are just empty dummies.
And simple spare parts for Rei.

Mankind stumbled across God.
Overjoyed, we tried to possess it.

And so, we were punished.
That happened 15 years ago.

The God we were so excited about vanished.

Undeterred, we then tried
to resurrect God.

That was Adam.

We made humans from Adam in God's image.

Those are the Evas.

They're people? They're human beings?

Yes. They're human.

The Evas are intrinsically soulless,
so we imbue them with one.

They're cobbled together
with salvaged material.

The only vessel that contained
a soul was Rei. Only her.

Only she was born with a soul.

The Chamber of Guf was completely empty.

None of these
Rei-shaped things has a soul.

They're just empty shells.

So I'm going to smash them.
Because I hate them.

Do you have any idea what you've done?!

Yes, I know. I've destroyed property.

These things aren't human.
They're human-shaped objects.

And I lost out even to those!
I wasn't good enough!

Simply thinking about him let me endure
any humiliation! Any outrage!

I don't care what happens to my body!

And yet, that man... He never...

Deep down, I knew.

I was a fool! All along!

Mother and daughter alike,
a matching pair of fools!

If you want to k*ll me, go ahead.

You would be doing me a favor.

It's that kind of thinking
that makes you a fool.

The tragedy of those
obsessed with the Evas...

Am I any different?

TO BE CONTINUED

The city has vanished.
His friends have left.

A boy smiles to a heartbroken Shinji.

Shinji melts before his smile,
which is like a gentle breeze.

However, a cruel fate
has been arranged for them.