[EVA] Eva Manga Stage 78

[Anuraag Agrawal]

Kadokawa managed to pressure Sadamoto into finishing a chapter to promote
their new magazine, Young Ace.  We'll see how long this lasts...at the very
least it does say it'll be continued next month.

There are two chapters included this month, first is an extended version of
stage 77 with four extra pages, then the all-new stage 78.  I'll start off
with stage 77 where it left off from last time, check the archives if you'd
like to read from the start.


Stage 77: Genocide - Continued

*end of previous version* Shinji: *whine whine* I just don't want to do
anything anymore.

Scene: Two soldiers walk up, pointing a gun at Shinji.
Soldier: We found the third.  Proceeding with elimination.
Shinji (Thinking to himself): It's a person, not an angel.  Why?
*Soldier points a gun at Shinji's head*
Soldier: Nothing personal, kid.
Shinji (Thinking to himself): Whatever, I don't care anymore, even if I die.

Scene: Gunshots blaze, blood splatters on Shinji's face.  One of the
soldiers falls, having been shot in the neck.  Shinji, startled, looks
towards the assailant.
[What greet's Shinji's eyes is the image of his...]
Shinji: Father!!

Stage 78: Father and son

Shinji: Fath...

Scene: Gendo has a grim look on his face.  The other soldier grunts,
pointing his gun at Gendo and lets fire.  Gendo opens his left hand to
reveal the eye of Adam embedded in it and then emits an AT Field, blocking
the bullets.
Shinji (Thinking): AT Field?!

Scene: Gendo, smiling, shoots the soldier in an eye, and the soldier falls.
Gendo walks up to Shinji.
Gendo: What the hell are you doing sitting around in a place like this.  You
couldn't even hear my order?  Get up.
*Gendo grabs Shinji's arm*
Shinji: N...No!  Let go of my hand!  I don't want to pilot Eva anymore.
Gendo: Are you saying that sort of shit again?  You should be well aware
that you are the only one right now that can fight in Eva.  Do you know what
will happen if you don't fight?
Shinji: ...I know.  I get it, but I just can't do it.  My body's completely
out of energy.
*Shinji yanks his arm free*
Shinji: You're the one, you're the one that just doesn't get it!  You don't
get how I'm feeling right now at all!  Ordered around so coldly by my own
father, do you think I can actually get in an Eva right now?!
*Gendo looks down, grimacing*
Gendo: "Please, get on.  I believe in you.  I love you."  If I put it that
way, would you get on, Shinji?
*Shinji, tears in his eyes, looks flabbergasted*
Gendo: Unfortunately, I can't come to love you.  I have never once thought
of you as a loved one.
*Gendo grabs Shinji's shirt*
Gendo: From the moment you were born, I was jealous of you, you who was
loved so wholely by your mother...by Yui.
Shinji: Wha...
Gendo: Your mother was my savior, my support, my hope.  The one light that
God granted me, someone walking along the dark path knowing neither how to
love nor how to be loved (/note: the art of love nor the art of being loved
is a more literal translation/), was Yui.

Scene: Flashback of Yui finding Gendo in a room, walking up to him, and
wiping his face, smiling.  Yui's drawn with light behind her, like an Angel.
*Panel showing the activation experiment of Unit-01, followed by Gendo's
head lowered in frustration/depression and the fading memory of his time
with Yui*
Gendo: Yet, that light given to me was taken away in that one moment.  I
cursed God, and then asked him this: if you were just going to take it away,
why did you give it in the first place?  Why give if you're going to take it
away?  Why do you just go on repeating this.  Is this the punishment you
laid out for sinful mankind?
Gendo: Shinji, everything in this world exists to be taken away.  Humanity
itself will eventually be lost with Third Impact.  When the curtain falls on
mankind's history, the mission imposed on me, as Nerv's commander, is that
of humanity's redemption.  But, what I want is not redemption from God, what
I want is revenge on God.  Shinji, I do not aim to be reborn as God's child,
I want to become a god myself.  That way, nothing can be taken from me
anymore.  You should be able to understand how I feel, the way you are now,
Shinji.  You have to get in Eva-01 now.  There's no hope for this planet
anymore, if you hate this world as I do, become an avenger with me.
Shinji:  What do you mean?  Father, what exactly are you telling me to do?
*Gunshots, Gendo and Shinji look to where they came from*
Misato: Get away from that man right now, Shinji!  You can't listen to what
he's telling you.  Commander...you're not using Eva to protect humanity, nor
are you going along with the committee.  You intend to use it for your own
personal gain.  What in the world have all of us come this far fighting for?
Gendo: The plan was already laid well in the past.  I'm doing nothing more
than giving it a little push, Major Katsuragi.

*Soldiers walk in*
Soldier: There they are! At P-3 East!
*Gendo blocks the soldier's fire with his AT Field and shoots back, Misato
and Shinji run away in the commotion*
Misato: Shinji, over here, quick!
Gendo: Shinji, you have to pilot Eva.  Yui's waiting for you.
*Shinji looks confused*
Misato: Run!  Hurry!
*Misato and Shinji run into two soldiers*
Misato: Duck!
*Soldier's open fire while Misato and Shinji hide behind a corner*
Soldier: Don't panic!  There's only one opponent...

Scene: Misato shoots one of the soldiers, but runs out of bullets.  She
drops her empty clip and charges toward the other soldier, landing a solid
kick to his stomach (so cool).  She takes a gun out of the soldier's
holster.
Misato (while pointing a gun at the soldier's chin): Nothing personal.
*Other soldier, shot in the stomach, struggles to aim his gun at Misato and
is shot in the head.  She also disposes of the remaining soldier.  Blood and
guts are flying everywhere.  Shinji is still ducking, Misato pants hard,
tired but seemingly uninjured.*
Misato: Well, let's get going.
Shinji: Go...where?
Misato:  Isn't it obvious?  To where Eva-01 is.

End

Super Gendo and a pissed off Shinji make for an exciting chapter.  As
always, if you have any questions or suggestions, let me know and I'll be
happy to answer.

--AA