Destiny: Gospel of a New Genesis [Evangelion/Destiny]
- Thread starter Ultra Sonic 007
- Start date
- Crossover
- Location
- Lost in Hell
At least it sorta looks like she wants to try to be a good mother to shinji... and just doesn't know where to start.
In other news; I am immeadiatly and instantly concerned with something now that Oryx is coming and we're talking about Nokris so much.
Which side are the Sisters going to take after?
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Timerider
That guy who really should get out more.
- Location
- The End of the World.
At this point, she doesn't have the right to even think about that.
It takes a special type of messed up to not understand that your son was hurt by you abandoning him without any concern.
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45.9, in which Gendo goes Turbo Gendo.
Ultra Sonic 007
Trying to keep things simple~
- Location
- Colorado
It was such a stark difference between the two; Shinji, clad only in a school uniform, seemed on the verge of shrinking into himself. Gendo, despite being only sixteen inches taller, seemed to tower over the boy due to his straight posture and stoic demeanor, hands wedged firmly into his pockets.
Shinji tried to casually glance at his enigmatic father, sneaking a peek as though afraid of being caught. He was...so strange.
Gendo couldn't help but notice the boy trying to look at him. Judging by the quarterly reports that came in, the boy seemed relatively well-adjusted. Quiet. Compliant. No issues at school. A studious student. The Nomuras had nothing to complain about. But this skittishness never failed to manifest whenever they spoke. Or whenever they met.
Shinji gulped, looking back down at the gravestone. He could barely recall any memory of his mother...there was barely anything to miss. Yet this man still remained a part of his life, even if it was minor. That had to mean something, right?
Gendo kept his gaze focused on the tombstone. The grave contained nothing, for the body was still alive. But it was more convenient if the world believed her to be dead. He had burned her effects, as well as all pictures containing her image; they had rubbed him too raw. Her memory, cherished within his heart and mind, would have to suffice for now.
Shinji's hand slowly clenched, over and over again. It helped with the mounting stress. They rarely talked over the phone, and they only met here, once a year. There was so much he wanted to talk about, so much he wanted to know, about his father, about his actual family, about mother, about...anything! But whenever he tried to talk, the words just would not come out. Over and over, he tried to build himself up, only to sputter and halt at the last second.
Gendo inwardly sighed. The boy was trying to speak, yet couldn't muster the will to do so. That suited him just fine; these meetings had become increasingly ritualistic, done for the sake of formality. Compared to the vast array of forces that he was now intertwined with, the mundane concerns of a child...were superfluous. Especially if the child in question couldn't muster the simple conviction to voice his own fears or worries. Were it not for their bond of blood, he wouldn't have come at all.
And so the silence continued.
Finally, after two hours of nothing but awkward tension, a helicopter approached from afar. "I have to go now." Back to NERV, to continue work that actually mattered. Gendo slowly walked away, leaving his son by the gravestone. Mrs. Nomura would be by to pick him up in ten minutes, per their agreement. "Until next time," he said, out of habit.
Shinji started, looking plaintively at his father's back as he walked away. The lingering aura of sorrow was briefly pierced by a flicker of hope; the next time they talked, he would muster up the courage to finally tell his father how he felt. Because as the years passed, the heady mixture of longing and earnest need was tainted more and more by resentment. He didn't want to resent his father. He didn't!
xxxx
That had been a simpler time. A more innocent one. The sheer honesty of his past self's emotions, coupled with his father's callousness...it was starting to eat at him.
' ...I remember Gendo being a lot more talkative when I was alive. That must have been a rough period.'
MOTHER.
' ...I'll be quiet now.'
...please.
He didn't want to hear his mother's voice right now...because it was the voice of his Ghost. The same Ghost that, for his first four months as a Guardian, had been his cheerful guide...and, even after her soul had become whole, she had still been his tireless supporter. These events were starting to taint those memories.
He pushed through, to something reeking of anger-
xxxx
Over two years later, father and son faced each other. The circumstances compared to the last event were...markedly different.
The height difference between them had shrunk, down to only eight inches; however, the boy had bulked up, bearing a lean physique with finely-toned muscles, earned through consistent training as an Evangelion Pilot. It imbued him with the confidence to actually tell his father off.
"I heard Dr. Akagi, father; I asked her, and she told me about the soul within Unit-01!" The makeshift command center was a pale imitation of the original in the Geofront, which was now consumed by a dome of darkness. "Why? Why did it have to be mother? Why was she the one who had to be the soul of Eva?"
Gendo stared down at the face of his son; after all of the strife that had been borne as a result of their war against the Ahamkara, and now he chose the time to be confrontational? He almost preferred the few times that the Third Child had borne rank insubordination during prior operations; at least those incidents had been driven by righteous fury against Nokris's draconic spawn, or a desire to save lives. This was merely indignation over being kept in the dark, and the boy was not special in that regard.
Shinji breathed harshly; the command center was currently empty, save for himself and the Commander. The hour was late, so no one would be around to intervene. Just like he wanted it. "All these years..." He yanked on the lapels of his father's jacket, drawing him closer. "...I thought she had DIED! WHY DID YOU LIE TO ME?!"
It was a struggle for Gendo to not laugh in the boy's face. As though his son was the only one worth being lied to! He lied to everyone, for so many different reasons, because the stakes demanded it. Sometimes, when his nerve began to quail, and his conviction dared to falter, he would even lie to himself. "Why? You ask why? Because you couldn't handle the truth." About why Yui had done it, about the true nature of Evangelion, about the civilizational threats that faced humanity, beyond even the Ahamkara. And this boy, whose emotions were so damn obvious and transparent, demanded answers? Demanded truth?! He would only end up getting more people killed. "Because you didn't deserve the truth."
Shinji's eyes widened at the man's sheer gall. "She...she was my mother. I had a RIGHT to know!"
"Your 'rights' mean absolutely nothing." The Ahamkara could seduce him. Nokris could laugh, before devouring his soul. And, thanks to the Exo Stranger, Gendo knew of many other things: alien empires, ravenous creatures that could only be called demonic, and time-traveling machines that could erase one's entire existence...in the face of such threats, Shinji's concerns were trivial. "You exist because of Yui and me. You had a quiet childhood, where nothing threatening ever came your way...a peaceful and serene existence." Something that couldn't be taken for granted in these days. "So you can drop your pitiful rage, and focus on doing what's needed."
Pitiful rage? A quiet childhood? As though that meant anything, compared to a life without a mother and a father! "...what's needed, huh? Is that all I am to you? Just a Pilot for Unit-01? Just another soldier to fight your own war?!"
Now the boy was beginning to let his anger take over. It only vindicated Gendo's decision to keep him in the dark. "You have been an exceptional Evangelion Pilot: your kill record is testament enough to that. But you're deluding yourself if you think that this is my war. This conflict was going to happen, no matter what; this war involves everyone. And you know that quite well, don't you?" He decided to drive the point home, to twist the proverbial knife, because the fool needed to learn, and to hell with propriety! "After all, wasn't it your rash actions against the One Hundred and Eighth Ahamkara that resulted in the deaths of the Horaki family?"
Shinji froze.
"Wasn't it your lack of attention that allowed the Fiftieth Ahamkara's thralls to get close enough to drain Unit-00 and Unit-01? Thus resulting in the First Child's decision to sacrifice herself?"
Shinji began to see red.
"There are many who live because of you. But there are also those who are dead because of you."
Shinji howled, rearing his fist-
WHUMP.
A swift punch to the gut halted Shinji in his tracks; the proactive counter drove the air from his lungs, along with all the strength in his legs. Slowly, he slumped to the ground, curling in on himself out of agony.
Gendo sighed wearily, looking down at the collapsed Third Child with a stony expression. A single punch was all it had taken? How pathetic. "The Ahamkara will eventually subvert us all, if we do not strike them at their source. For that...our only hope is Unit-01." Maybe the boy would get lucky, and kill Nokris. Since the proverbial deity had decided to act overtly, it wasn't like their mutual time-traveling acquaintance could be angry at him for responding in kind. "This is a cruel world, son. If you don't have power, you can't change anything...but it doesn't matter how much power you have if you can't act decisively, or prudently." Power was merely a tool, no matter what form it came in; the greater the mind, the greater the leverage that could be applied. "That is but one of many things I learned from Yui." He stepped over the collapsed form of his son, placing his hands back in his pockets. "Go to school tomorrow. Or don't. Do whatever you please. So long as you can pilot Unit-01 against the enemies of humanity, I don't care what you do." And that, he told himself, was the truth.
His father was long gone by the time Shinji began to quietly sob.
xxxx
/not gonna lie
//writing Gendo and Yui like this is kinda difficult
///on a related note
////I'm starting to get some serious, yet unintentional, 'boy named sue' vibes
Shinji tried to casually glance at his enigmatic father, sneaking a peek as though afraid of being caught. He was...so strange.
Gendo couldn't help but notice the boy trying to look at him. Judging by the quarterly reports that came in, the boy seemed relatively well-adjusted. Quiet. Compliant. No issues at school. A studious student. The Nomuras had nothing to complain about. But this skittishness never failed to manifest whenever they spoke. Or whenever they met.
Shinji gulped, looking back down at the gravestone. He could barely recall any memory of his mother...there was barely anything to miss. Yet this man still remained a part of his life, even if it was minor. That had to mean something, right?
Gendo kept his gaze focused on the tombstone. The grave contained nothing, for the body was still alive. But it was more convenient if the world believed her to be dead. He had burned her effects, as well as all pictures containing her image; they had rubbed him too raw. Her memory, cherished within his heart and mind, would have to suffice for now.
Shinji's hand slowly clenched, over and over again. It helped with the mounting stress. They rarely talked over the phone, and they only met here, once a year. There was so much he wanted to talk about, so much he wanted to know, about his father, about his actual family, about mother, about...anything! But whenever he tried to talk, the words just would not come out. Over and over, he tried to build himself up, only to sputter and halt at the last second.
Gendo inwardly sighed. The boy was trying to speak, yet couldn't muster the will to do so. That suited him just fine; these meetings had become increasingly ritualistic, done for the sake of formality. Compared to the vast array of forces that he was now intertwined with, the mundane concerns of a child...were superfluous. Especially if the child in question couldn't muster the simple conviction to voice his own fears or worries. Were it not for their bond of blood, he wouldn't have come at all.
And so the silence continued.
Finally, after two hours of nothing but awkward tension, a helicopter approached from afar. "I have to go now." Back to NERV, to continue work that actually mattered. Gendo slowly walked away, leaving his son by the gravestone. Mrs. Nomura would be by to pick him up in ten minutes, per their agreement. "Until next time," he said, out of habit.
Shinji started, looking plaintively at his father's back as he walked away. The lingering aura of sorrow was briefly pierced by a flicker of hope; the next time they talked, he would muster up the courage to finally tell his father how he felt. Because as the years passed, the heady mixture of longing and earnest need was tainted more and more by resentment. He didn't want to resent his father. He didn't!
xxxx
That had been a simpler time. A more innocent one. The sheer honesty of his past self's emotions, coupled with his father's callousness...it was starting to eat at him.
' ...I remember Gendo being a lot more talkative when I was alive. That must have been a rough period.'
MOTHER.
' ...I'll be quiet now.'
...please.
He didn't want to hear his mother's voice right now...because it was the voice of his Ghost. The same Ghost that, for his first four months as a Guardian, had been his cheerful guide...and, even after her soul had become whole, she had still been his tireless supporter. These events were starting to taint those memories.
He pushed through, to something reeking of anger-
xxxx
Over two years later, father and son faced each other. The circumstances compared to the last event were...markedly different.
The height difference between them had shrunk, down to only eight inches; however, the boy had bulked up, bearing a lean physique with finely-toned muscles, earned through consistent training as an Evangelion Pilot. It imbued him with the confidence to actually tell his father off.
"I heard Dr. Akagi, father; I asked her, and she told me about the soul within Unit-01!" The makeshift command center was a pale imitation of the original in the Geofront, which was now consumed by a dome of darkness. "Why? Why did it have to be mother? Why was she the one who had to be the soul of Eva?"
Gendo stared down at the face of his son; after all of the strife that had been borne as a result of their war against the Ahamkara, and now he chose the time to be confrontational? He almost preferred the few times that the Third Child had borne rank insubordination during prior operations; at least those incidents had been driven by righteous fury against Nokris's draconic spawn, or a desire to save lives. This was merely indignation over being kept in the dark, and the boy was not special in that regard.
Shinji breathed harshly; the command center was currently empty, save for himself and the Commander. The hour was late, so no one would be around to intervene. Just like he wanted it. "All these years..." He yanked on the lapels of his father's jacket, drawing him closer. "...I thought she had DIED! WHY DID YOU LIE TO ME?!"
It was a struggle for Gendo to not laugh in the boy's face. As though his son was the only one worth being lied to! He lied to everyone, for so many different reasons, because the stakes demanded it. Sometimes, when his nerve began to quail, and his conviction dared to falter, he would even lie to himself. "Why? You ask why? Because you couldn't handle the truth." About why Yui had done it, about the true nature of Evangelion, about the civilizational threats that faced humanity, beyond even the Ahamkara. And this boy, whose emotions were so damn obvious and transparent, demanded answers? Demanded truth?! He would only end up getting more people killed. "Because you didn't deserve the truth."
Shinji's eyes widened at the man's sheer gall. "She...she was my mother. I had a RIGHT to know!"
"Your 'rights' mean absolutely nothing." The Ahamkara could seduce him. Nokris could laugh, before devouring his soul. And, thanks to the Exo Stranger, Gendo knew of many other things: alien empires, ravenous creatures that could only be called demonic, and time-traveling machines that could erase one's entire existence...in the face of such threats, Shinji's concerns were trivial. "You exist because of Yui and me. You had a quiet childhood, where nothing threatening ever came your way...a peaceful and serene existence." Something that couldn't be taken for granted in these days. "So you can drop your pitiful rage, and focus on doing what's needed."
Pitiful rage? A quiet childhood? As though that meant anything, compared to a life without a mother and a father! "...what's needed, huh? Is that all I am to you? Just a Pilot for Unit-01? Just another soldier to fight your own war?!"
Now the boy was beginning to let his anger take over. It only vindicated Gendo's decision to keep him in the dark. "You have been an exceptional Evangelion Pilot: your kill record is testament enough to that. But you're deluding yourself if you think that this is my war. This conflict was going to happen, no matter what; this war involves everyone. And you know that quite well, don't you?" He decided to drive the point home, to twist the proverbial knife, because the fool needed to learn, and to hell with propriety! "After all, wasn't it your rash actions against the One Hundred and Eighth Ahamkara that resulted in the deaths of the Horaki family?"
Shinji froze.
"Wasn't it your lack of attention that allowed the Fiftieth Ahamkara's thralls to get close enough to drain Unit-00 and Unit-01? Thus resulting in the First Child's decision to sacrifice herself?"
Shinji began to see red.
"There are many who live because of you. But there are also those who are dead because of you."
Shinji howled, rearing his fist-
WHUMP.
A swift punch to the gut halted Shinji in his tracks; the proactive counter drove the air from his lungs, along with all the strength in his legs. Slowly, he slumped to the ground, curling in on himself out of agony.
Gendo sighed wearily, looking down at the collapsed Third Child with a stony expression. A single punch was all it had taken? How pathetic. "The Ahamkara will eventually subvert us all, if we do not strike them at their source. For that...our only hope is Unit-01." Maybe the boy would get lucky, and kill Nokris. Since the proverbial deity had decided to act overtly, it wasn't like their mutual time-traveling acquaintance could be angry at him for responding in kind. "This is a cruel world, son. If you don't have power, you can't change anything...but it doesn't matter how much power you have if you can't act decisively, or prudently." Power was merely a tool, no matter what form it came in; the greater the mind, the greater the leverage that could be applied. "That is but one of many things I learned from Yui." He stepped over the collapsed form of his son, placing his hands back in his pockets. "Go to school tomorrow. Or don't. Do whatever you please. So long as you can pilot Unit-01 against the enemies of humanity, I don't care what you do." And that, he told himself, was the truth.
His father was long gone by the time Shinji began to quietly sob.
xxxx
/not gonna lie
//writing Gendo and Yui like this is kinda difficult
///on a related note
////I'm starting to get some serious, yet unintentional, 'boy named sue' vibes
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- Location
- USA
It's pretty hard to make Evangeleon canon worse, you have managed it. Poor Shinji, you are sadly destined to be one of the universes chew toys.
Ultra Sonic 007
Trying to keep things simple~
- Location
- Colorado
Yes. Hence the all italics convention (as has been used when recounting past events before as an actual narrative, such as when Misato described how she died in chapter 7).
Timerider
That guy who really should get out more.
- Location
- The End of the World.
Slaanesh hirself would weep with envy over the fate I will drown you in.
StatelessGem
Bane of the Iron Lords
ooooo.
Timerider's getting violent.
I LOVE IT!
Edit: You misspelled "Herself"
Timerider's getting violent.
I LOVE IT!
Edit: You misspelled "Herself"
45.10, in which Gendo goes Mega Ultra Gendo.
Ultra Sonic 007
Trying to keep things simple~
- Location
- Colorado
Shinji's memories had been very hit and miss since rising as a Guardian. Context tended to drift in and out, even if a general understanding of who he had once 'been' remained constant.
Witnessing that particular event - from both perspectives, simultaneously! - rekindled an intense anguish that he hadn't felt in a long time.
'...this is odd.'
...what now.
' Okay, let me break it down. I can understand the logic of what Gendo was saying to you...and it was technically agreeable, in certain spots...but I still feel a sense of irrational anger.'
Is that so.
' It's the weirdest feeling! I can intellectually sympathize with what happened, but I still feel angry! Could this be what they call maternal rage?'
...you know mother, it might just be.
'...that's so fascinating.'
...Shinji finally resigned himself to the reality that his mother was 'off', in a way he never thought someone could be.
' ...we're nearing a very large concentration of Light. Something big happened in this one.'
They both fell through-
xxxx
Gendo Ikari sat within a reinforced bunker, near the proverbial Ground Zero. Surrounded by various monitors, he stared at the console with an unwavering gaze. "All these years of planning...counters...assessments...trying to forestall the end...and here we are."
"Indeed." The face of Kozou Fuyutsuki could be seen on one of the monitors. The others showed various images of the outside world; the sky was dark with no stars, and hordes of living shadows prowled the Earth. The remaining population centers and militias fought them valiantly; Unit-02, still struggling, wrestled with a dark dragon with skin of starlight; surrounding the Traveler, nine winged Evangelions rose, arms spread wide. "...do you think we could have done anything differently?"
"How the hell should I know?" bluntly said Gendo. "I was too busy to have time for regrets. It wouldn't have served any purpose." His eyes were drawn to a large red button on the console. It would trigger a subroutine that was slaved to all of the MAGI, every single one of them safely sequestered outside of this dimension thanks to KETER ECLIPSE.
He was still wondering whether he should press it.
"...I suppose not." Fuyutsuki sighed. "...it's a damn shame. If your boy had survived, all those years ago...maybe we would have been able to forestall this."
"Well, he's dead, and I can't travel through time." Damned Stranger, breaking all of the rules. How in the hell was he supposed to counter something like that? Simple: he couldn't. So he could only prepare as best as he could, and choose the option with the least collateral damage. "...I wish I had some bourbon."
The elder man snorted. "You'd make such a decision while drunk off your neglectful ass?"
"It would make me feel better."
"...the hell of it is, I can sympathize with you. I don't envy your position."
On the monitors, he could see the Mass Production Evangelions pulse with power; a wave of red began to cover the world. "They're unleashing an Anti-A.T. Field."
"Then you need to choose, before the choice is made for you."
"...if there truly is another side, I'll see you there, old friend."
Fuyutsuki snorted. "You're a horrible human being, Gendo Ikari. I'm sure I'll see you in Hell...old friend." And then Fuyutsuki dissolved into red goo, as an orange mote of light - his literal soul - floated away off-screen.
Gendo couldn't help but smirk at the elder man's last parting shot. It wasn't like he could offer any counter-examples to prove him wrong. "...given the strength of this bunker's metaphysical wards, I'd give the Anti-A.T. Field...three minutes to breach it," he mused aloud.
Souls began to swirl around the Traveler; through these souls, the Nine began to draw the sphere's immense Light towards themselves, to drink it dry.
"...damned if I do, damned if I don't." There was no telling which timeline he fell in; the Stranger - Rei - had never been specific about such things. The possible futures ranged from the harsh to the bloody to the downright unlivable...but there was still a chance. And in the end, that was all his scheming and planning had afforded: a mere chance.
If the Old Men completed Instrumentality...there would be no chance.
When put that way, his choice was an easy one.
"...here goes everything," murmured Gendo Ikari, as he pressed the red button.
On various monitors, a single line flashed.
The was a definite lurch to reality, as the image of the Traveler began to waver. Suddenly, over two dozen rifts opened around it, and the very air seemed to split.
There was a distinct impression in the pit of his soul of a pained cry, by someone in their death throes. A wave of Light erupted from the Traveler, pressing back against the Nine-
The Earth shook; the ceiling ruptured; Gendo Ikari was buried in rubble.
His death was almost instantaneous-
xxxx
The sudden abruptness of the memory's cessation elicited bewilderment from Shinji...and something akin to knowing horror.
' ...that fills in a few gaps, now.'
Mother. What did we just see?
' ...whatever Gendo triggered the MAGI to do...I could sense the result...they crippled the Traveler...by tearing its soul apart.'
xxxx
/The Present Day/
/The Hidden Chamber of the Speaker/
"...I don't recall feeling anything but extreme anger after that." Shinji Ikari stared intently at his father. "Unit-01 impulsively activated...right as we found the Aegis."
"On top of everything I saw, everything I learned, everything I remembered...I found out that my father practically killed the TRAVELER." His lip curled with something akin to disgust. "So yeah. I'm angry. And I have every RIGHT to be!"
Gendo Ikari stared impassively at him.
"Well? Don't just stand looking so cold! SAY SOMETHING, DAMN IT!"
One second. Two. Three.
Finally, his father snorted with contempt. "Are you actually expecting an apology?"
Shinji blinked.
Yui tilted her shell out of befuddlement. Fuyutsuki audibly sighed. "Damn it, Ikari."
At long last, the Hunter's patience reached its limits, for he screamed and fell into the Bladetrance.
Witnessing that particular event - from both perspectives, simultaneously! - rekindled an intense anguish that he hadn't felt in a long time.
'...this is odd.'
...what now.
' Okay, let me break it down. I can understand the logic of what Gendo was saying to you...and it was technically agreeable, in certain spots...but I still feel a sense of irrational anger.'
Is that so.
' It's the weirdest feeling! I can intellectually sympathize with what happened, but I still feel angry! Could this be what they call maternal rage?'
...you know mother, it might just be.
'...that's so fascinating.'
...Shinji finally resigned himself to the reality that his mother was 'off', in a way he never thought someone could be.
' ...we're nearing a very large concentration of Light. Something big happened in this one.'
They both fell through-
xxxx
Gendo Ikari sat within a reinforced bunker, near the proverbial Ground Zero. Surrounded by various monitors, he stared at the console with an unwavering gaze. "All these years of planning...counters...assessments...trying to forestall the end...and here we are."
"Indeed." The face of Kozou Fuyutsuki could be seen on one of the monitors. The others showed various images of the outside world; the sky was dark with no stars, and hordes of living shadows prowled the Earth. The remaining population centers and militias fought them valiantly; Unit-02, still struggling, wrestled with a dark dragon with skin of starlight; surrounding the Traveler, nine winged Evangelions rose, arms spread wide. "...do you think we could have done anything differently?"
"How the hell should I know?" bluntly said Gendo. "I was too busy to have time for regrets. It wouldn't have served any purpose." His eyes were drawn to a large red button on the console. It would trigger a subroutine that was slaved to all of the MAGI, every single one of them safely sequestered outside of this dimension thanks to KETER ECLIPSE.
He was still wondering whether he should press it.
"...I suppose not." Fuyutsuki sighed. "...it's a damn shame. If your boy had survived, all those years ago...maybe we would have been able to forestall this."
"Well, he's dead, and I can't travel through time." Damned Stranger, breaking all of the rules. How in the hell was he supposed to counter something like that? Simple: he couldn't. So he could only prepare as best as he could, and choose the option with the least collateral damage. "...I wish I had some bourbon."
The elder man snorted. "You'd make such a decision while drunk off your neglectful ass?"
"It would make me feel better."
"...the hell of it is, I can sympathize with you. I don't envy your position."
On the monitors, he could see the Mass Production Evangelions pulse with power; a wave of red began to cover the world. "They're unleashing an Anti-A.T. Field."
"Then you need to choose, before the choice is made for you."
"...if there truly is another side, I'll see you there, old friend."
Fuyutsuki snorted. "You're a horrible human being, Gendo Ikari. I'm sure I'll see you in Hell...old friend." And then Fuyutsuki dissolved into red goo, as an orange mote of light - his literal soul - floated away off-screen.
Gendo couldn't help but smirk at the elder man's last parting shot. It wasn't like he could offer any counter-examples to prove him wrong. "...given the strength of this bunker's metaphysical wards, I'd give the Anti-A.T. Field...three minutes to breach it," he mused aloud.
Souls began to swirl around the Traveler; through these souls, the Nine began to draw the sphere's immense Light towards themselves, to drink it dry.
"...damned if I do, damned if I don't." There was no telling which timeline he fell in; the Stranger - Rei - had never been specific about such things. The possible futures ranged from the harsh to the bloody to the downright unlivable...but there was still a chance. And in the end, that was all his scheming and planning had afforded: a mere chance.
If the Old Men completed Instrumentality...there would be no chance.
When put that way, his choice was an easy one.
"...here goes everything," murmured Gendo Ikari, as he pressed the red button.
On various monitors, a single line flashed.
ABHORRENT IMPERATIVE: ACTIVE
The was a definite lurch to reality, as the image of the Traveler began to waver. Suddenly, over two dozen rifts opened around it, and the very air seemed to split.
There was a distinct impression in the pit of his soul of a pained cry, by someone in their death throes. A wave of Light erupted from the Traveler, pressing back against the Nine-
The Earth shook; the ceiling ruptured; Gendo Ikari was buried in rubble.
His death was almost instantaneous-
xxxx
The sudden abruptness of the memory's cessation elicited bewilderment from Shinji...and something akin to knowing horror.
' ...that fills in a few gaps, now.'
Mother. What did we just see?
' ...whatever Gendo triggered the MAGI to do...I could sense the result...they crippled the Traveler...by tearing its soul apart.'
xxxx
/The Present Day/
/The Hidden Chamber of the Speaker/
"...I don't recall feeling anything but extreme anger after that." Shinji Ikari stared intently at his father. "Unit-01 impulsively activated...right as we found the Aegis."
(As Unit-01 grabbed the Aegis, the only thing he could consciously register was the desire to break something. ANYTHING. If not, then he would settle for screaming, and he didn't know if he would ever stop-!)
"On top of everything I saw, everything I learned, everything I remembered...I found out that my father practically killed the TRAVELER." His lip curled with something akin to disgust. "So yeah. I'm angry. And I have every RIGHT to be!"
Gendo Ikari stared impassively at him.
"Well? Don't just stand looking so cold! SAY SOMETHING, DAMN IT!"
One second. Two. Three.
Finally, his father snorted with contempt. "Are you actually expecting an apology?"
Shinji blinked.
Yui tilted her shell out of befuddlement. Fuyutsuki audibly sighed. "Damn it, Ikari."
At long last, the Hunter's patience reached its limits, for he screamed and fell into the Bladetrance.
Timerider
That guy who really should get out more.
- Location
- The End of the World.
Yeah, sadism towards fictional characters is an ongoing struggle with me.
And that misspell was intentional. Slaanesh is technically dual-gendered or something.
Good show Shinji!
Now make him scream.
- Location
- Lost in Hell
Correction: he seems to be outright sadistic now.
Timerider
That guy who really should get out more.
- Location
- The End of the World.
In my defense, I really really hate Gendo.
When watching Fate/Stay Night 2015, I freaked out my brother when Shinji Matou got stuffed with the Grail.
StatelessGem
Bane of the Iron Lords
Fuck Bladedancing. Bring out the fucking Arc Staff and crack him across his smug bitch face. Much more satisfying to hear his bones CRUNCH
Who in thier right, moral mind doesn't?
45.11, in which the Cataclysm's toll is summed up.
Ultra Sonic 007
Trying to keep things simple~
- Location
- Colorado
Grimoire: The Cataclysm
"It was the twilight hour, that foretold the long night to come."
History regarding the Cataclysm is subject to constant debate, even in this day and age.
The basic facts are not in dispute: within a matter of years following the Traveler's awakening in Antarctica, serpentine creatures known as Ahamkara emerged as if from myth. These dragons appeared to grant wishes, but they always came with strings attached. Eventually, when the death toll became too severe, a significant multitude abandoned Earth to pursue life on humanity's fledgling colonies on the Moon, Mercury, Venus, and Mars. The remainder commenced the Great Hunt, to put down the menace. The vanguard against the Ahamkara was the mythical weapon called Evangelion, developed by NERV. As the dragons were hunted to the last, an ancient enemy of the Traveler - the Darkness - descended upon the Solar System, to snuff out the Light.
The particulars, however, are still not known with perfect precision: the exact number of Ahamkara is still unknown, given their paracausal powers, the sheer extent of their devastation, and the surviving records indicating that the dragons made it to our colonies beyond Earth; the exact length of the Cataclysm is also unknown, as there are differing scholarly opinions regarding the dates. Thus far, one can only offer a lower bound of 2000 A.D., and an upper bound of 2050 A.D.
In addition, the exact transition between the Cataclysm and Collapse is also subject to debate, depending on one's presuppositions. For instance, most Cryptarchs maintain that the transition between the Cataclysm and the Collapse occurred once the Darkness - in whatever form it ultimately took - began attacking Earth's colonies. The faction Wille insists that differentiating between the two is pointless: the Cataclysm and Collapse were all part of the same event, with the Ahamkara being just another facet of the Darkness. Others, such as the Future War Cult, consider the Cataclysm to have ended only upon the Traveler's sacrifice, with the Collapse consisting of all events leading up to the Dark Age. Given the paucity of records from that time, particularly in light of how certain cities and towns were completely depopulated, any final conclusions will be long in coming. However, none will deny the utter devastation, as most scholarly estimates show that no more than ten million humans survived the Cataclysm and the ensuing Collapse.
Since the formation of the Alliance between the City and the Reef, certain rumors say that the mysterious Nine played a significant role in the Cataclysm. The Consensus has not publicly confirmed or denied anything as of this point.
"It was the twilight hour, that foretold the long night to come."
History regarding the Cataclysm is subject to constant debate, even in this day and age.
The basic facts are not in dispute: within a matter of years following the Traveler's awakening in Antarctica, serpentine creatures known as Ahamkara emerged as if from myth. These dragons appeared to grant wishes, but they always came with strings attached. Eventually, when the death toll became too severe, a significant multitude abandoned Earth to pursue life on humanity's fledgling colonies on the Moon, Mercury, Venus, and Mars. The remainder commenced the Great Hunt, to put down the menace. The vanguard against the Ahamkara was the mythical weapon called Evangelion, developed by NERV. As the dragons were hunted to the last, an ancient enemy of the Traveler - the Darkness - descended upon the Solar System, to snuff out the Light.
The particulars, however, are still not known with perfect precision: the exact number of Ahamkara is still unknown, given their paracausal powers, the sheer extent of their devastation, and the surviving records indicating that the dragons made it to our colonies beyond Earth; the exact length of the Cataclysm is also unknown, as there are differing scholarly opinions regarding the dates. Thus far, one can only offer a lower bound of 2000 A.D., and an upper bound of 2050 A.D.
In addition, the exact transition between the Cataclysm and Collapse is also subject to debate, depending on one's presuppositions. For instance, most Cryptarchs maintain that the transition between the Cataclysm and the Collapse occurred once the Darkness - in whatever form it ultimately took - began attacking Earth's colonies. The faction Wille insists that differentiating between the two is pointless: the Cataclysm and Collapse were all part of the same event, with the Ahamkara being just another facet of the Darkness. Others, such as the Future War Cult, consider the Cataclysm to have ended only upon the Traveler's sacrifice, with the Collapse consisting of all events leading up to the Dark Age. Given the paucity of records from that time, particularly in light of how certain cities and towns were completely depopulated, any final conclusions will be long in coming. However, none will deny the utter devastation, as most scholarly estimates show that no more than ten million humans survived the Cataclysm and the ensuing Collapse.
Since the formation of the Alliance between the City and the Reef, certain rumors say that the mysterious Nine played a significant role in the Cataclysm. The Consensus has not publicly confirmed or denied anything as of this point.
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46.1, in which the throwdown begins.
Ultra Sonic 007
Trying to keep things simple~
- Location
- Colorado
Grimoire: The Speaker
"The Traveler, while it slumbers, cannot speak. So I shall speak for it."
The Faction Crisis ended with the creation of the Consensus. Of singular note was the one known only as the Speaker: an anonymous high priest with a mysterious and powerful connection to the Traveler and its Ghosts. A Warlock whose name has been lost to time, the Speaker has been a stabilizing force for the Last City through good times and bad.
When he is not studying the Traveler and its Light in his Observatory, the Speaker can often be found throughout the Tower, speaking with Ghosts who have yet to find a partner, giving guidance to Guardians, and conferring with the Vanguard on matters of strategic importance. When he is not in the Tower, he can usually be found at the Hall of the Consensus, dealing with matters relating to municipal governance. Otherwise, he can be seen moving throughout the City on his own, conversing with the people and telling stories to children.
Some claim that for one who speaks for the Traveler, he is very lax when it comes to those who study the various forces aligned against the Light; Toland's Hive research and Osiris's fascination with the Vex come to mind. The Speaker would simply respond that not knowing the nature of your enemy is the first step to your own downfall.
Regardless of one's political opinion regarding the Speaker, he has been a key figure in the City's survival up to this point.
Above all else, the Speaker is still a Guardian, and all that that entails.
"The Traveler, while it slumbers, cannot speak. So I shall speak for it."
The Faction Crisis ended with the creation of the Consensus. Of singular note was the one known only as the Speaker: an anonymous high priest with a mysterious and powerful connection to the Traveler and its Ghosts. A Warlock whose name has been lost to time, the Speaker has been a stabilizing force for the Last City through good times and bad.
When he is not studying the Traveler and its Light in his Observatory, the Speaker can often be found throughout the Tower, speaking with Ghosts who have yet to find a partner, giving guidance to Guardians, and conferring with the Vanguard on matters of strategic importance. When he is not in the Tower, he can usually be found at the Hall of the Consensus, dealing with matters relating to municipal governance. Otherwise, he can be seen moving throughout the City on his own, conversing with the people and telling stories to children.
Some claim that for one who speaks for the Traveler, he is very lax when it comes to those who study the various forces aligned against the Light; Toland's Hive research and Osiris's fascination with the Vex come to mind. The Speaker would simply respond that not knowing the nature of your enemy is the first step to your own downfall.
Regardless of one's political opinion regarding the Speaker, he has been a key figure in the City's survival up to this point.
Above all else, the Speaker is still a Guardian, and all that that entails.
xxxx
/The Hidden Chamber of the Speaker/
Shinji Ikari screamed, body sparking with electrical energy as he swung the Arc Blades down towards Gendo Ikari's neck.
With a sudden eruption of Light, the Speaker's body crackled with the Stormtrance. He reached up with sparking hands, grabbing the two Arc Blades...and stopping them in their tracks.
Shinji blinked.
"I may not be one who goes out into the field anymore...but the same could be said for the Vanguard. And we have all sparred at one point or another." Gendo pushed back. "I fought in the Battle of Six Fronts. And at Twilight Gap. I am the Speaker in word and in action." His eyebrows furrowed with lightning. "And frankly? You need to speak up, because I still can't hear you." He lashed out with his foot, kicking Shinji in the sternum.
The boy went flying with a bolt of lightning, slamming into the wall.
StatelessGem
Bane of the Iron Lords
Well we all knew it wasn't gonna be THAT easy.
.........So be a cheater and go Nightstalker.
.........So be a cheater and go Nightstalker.
- Location
- USA
This fight has been a long time coming. *reaches for popcorn and fanta*
StatelessGem
Bane of the Iron Lords
The higher -ups will most likely find out with relative ease. Anyone else can find out with a little bit of digging.
I mean, Gendo was the head of NERV, and his branch was where Unit-01 was stationed.
Not that hard to piece it together.
The only reason it hasn't spiraled down to this fight earlier is because Gendo is the always masked Speaker.
And on the note of being the Speaker, the only time I will admit him being a badass is if
He backtalks Ghaul if he's captured
Which prolly won't happen since he's a broken as fuck Stormcaller.
46.2, in which Shinji shows that he is his father's son.
Ultra Sonic 007
Trying to keep things simple~
- Location
- Colorado
"...I know your anger hasn't depleted itself yet." Gendo slowly stepped towards where Shinji had collapsed, but remaining just beyond mid-range. "You were never able to disguise your bitterness or your hatred. It seems that that hasn't changed...but then again, you've only been a Guardian for not even ten months, correct? It's been such a short time for you, in the grand scheme of things." He gestured around at the chamber, and at the vials of Light. "We're deep underground, far below any other structure in the City. We're surrounded by enough Light to keep the use of our abilities hidden. Your disdain for me was never a secret; well, here's your chance. Make yourself heard. You so badly wanted to show me how righteous you are? Well...go ahead."
The boy did not rise. He merely curled in on himself, as if from pain.
Gendo couldn't help but sneer. How typical of a child; behind his rage was nothing of substance. Nothing firm, that would last. "Is this all that your anger is good for? Is this all that it amounts to?" And the boy wondered why he never said anything, why he never made time? In the face of more important things, an impetuous child simply didn't rate! "Pathetic." He reached down, pulling the slack body up by the scruff of the vest's collar. "A single blow from me was all you could take? Am I truly so horrible in your eyes? The Fallen, the Hive, the Vex, the Cabal; Soma, Omnigul, Dredgen Yor, Nokris, Crota, Taniks, Atheon, Skolas; you showed more fortitude against even the lowliest Thrall than against me." And the child still had the gall to wonder why. "If you can't understand even after everything you've seen, then what am I supposed to do?"
A hand lashed out with sudden intent, smashing a Flux Grenade into his head. Gendo's eyes widened, and he impulsively let the Arc energy flow through his arm-!
BOOM!
KRACK!
xxxx
Right as the grenade exploded, a burst of electricity blasted from Gendo's arm and into Shinji. As the young man collapsed - now truly electrocuted - the body of Gendo fell, headless.
From their hiding place behind one of the many vials of Light, Yui and Fuyutsuki looked at the corpses of their respective Guardians. "...I'm of mixed feelings about this," murmured Shinji's Ghost.
Gendo's Ghost harrumphed, floating down towards Gendo's body. "Actually showing some maternal impulses?"
"...maybe? I think I'm operating off of the latent instincts and unconscious knowledge from when my soul was still split into two. It's actually quite disorienting!"
"And of course you're approaching it analytically," groused Fuyutsuki, as he began dissolving his Guardian's corpse into traces of Light, and began the process of reforming Gendo...albeit several meters away from where Yui was doing the same with her son.
"...should we let them do this?"
"Honestly, I think they both need to just hit each other a lot. Hopefully, your son will come to understand his father's position...but I also hope he'll knock some perspective into the old fool." After all, there were ways of making your point without being a complete and utter...well, there were certain words that were too polite to even think about in female company, but the point still remained.
The two Ghosts flashed, and immediately made their retreat the moment their Guardians arose in a burst of Light.
xxxx
Gendo's eyes narrowed behind his shades, as he focused intently on the rising form of his son. There was still anger and fury in those eyes...but they were now held firm by a calculating edge. "Well played. Uncouth, but well played."
Shinji snorted. "Maybe it's in my blood. Did you ever think of that?"
The boy did not rise. He merely curled in on himself, as if from pain.
Gendo couldn't help but sneer. How typical of a child; behind his rage was nothing of substance. Nothing firm, that would last. "Is this all that your anger is good for? Is this all that it amounts to?" And the boy wondered why he never said anything, why he never made time? In the face of more important things, an impetuous child simply didn't rate! "Pathetic." He reached down, pulling the slack body up by the scruff of the vest's collar. "A single blow from me was all you could take? Am I truly so horrible in your eyes? The Fallen, the Hive, the Vex, the Cabal; Soma, Omnigul, Dredgen Yor, Nokris, Crota, Taniks, Atheon, Skolas; you showed more fortitude against even the lowliest Thrall than against me." And the child still had the gall to wonder why. "If you can't understand even after everything you've seen, then what am I supposed to do?"
A hand lashed out with sudden intent, smashing a Flux Grenade into his head. Gendo's eyes widened, and he impulsively let the Arc energy flow through his arm-!
BOOM!
KRACK!
xxxx
Right as the grenade exploded, a burst of electricity blasted from Gendo's arm and into Shinji. As the young man collapsed - now truly electrocuted - the body of Gendo fell, headless.
From their hiding place behind one of the many vials of Light, Yui and Fuyutsuki looked at the corpses of their respective Guardians. "...I'm of mixed feelings about this," murmured Shinji's Ghost.
Gendo's Ghost harrumphed, floating down towards Gendo's body. "Actually showing some maternal impulses?"
"...maybe? I think I'm operating off of the latent instincts and unconscious knowledge from when my soul was still split into two. It's actually quite disorienting!"
"And of course you're approaching it analytically," groused Fuyutsuki, as he began dissolving his Guardian's corpse into traces of Light, and began the process of reforming Gendo...albeit several meters away from where Yui was doing the same with her son.
"...should we let them do this?"
"Honestly, I think they both need to just hit each other a lot. Hopefully, your son will come to understand his father's position...but I also hope he'll knock some perspective into the old fool." After all, there were ways of making your point without being a complete and utter...well, there were certain words that were too polite to even think about in female company, but the point still remained.
The two Ghosts flashed, and immediately made their retreat the moment their Guardians arose in a burst of Light.
xxxx
Gendo's eyes narrowed behind his shades, as he focused intently on the rising form of his son. There was still anger and fury in those eyes...but they were now held firm by a calculating edge. "Well played. Uncouth, but well played."
Shinji snorted. "Maybe it's in my blood. Did you ever think of that?"
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Timerider
That guy who really should get out more.
- Location
- The End of the World.
If Shaxx knew what was really going on, he wouldn't be commentating, he'd be holding Gendo down for Shinji to wail on.