Shinji Ikari recalled the words Hansen had said to him in the car.
"Always immersing yourself in your own world will cause you to miss a lot of interesting scenery."
"Bravely trying something you have never done before—that sense of accomplishment can make your blood boil more than any music."
So, was this the interesting thing he was talking about?
Piloting an eva unit-01 to fight that monster...
Is this really something I can do?
Shinji's heart was engaged in a fierce internal battle.
His instinct for fear told him: Run!
Run away from here!
Run as far away as possible!
Forget about eva unit-01, forget about the Angel, and definitely forget about that cold father!
However, another unprecedented and strange emotion was gradually erupting from the bottom of his heart like a volcano!
What was that?
Unwillingness?
Anger?
Or...
An urge to prove himself?
He looked at Rei Ayanami in Hansen's arms; her gem-like red eyes were staring blankly at Hansen, completely hollow.
Yet, it was this hollowness that made Shinji's heart ache even more severely.
I cannot let her go!
Absolutely cannot let a girl injured like this go die in my place!
If I run away, she will die, won't she?
Just like before, if Hansen hadn't intervened, she would have already fallen onto the hard ground.
And I... I could only watch helplessly.
No!
I don't want to be like this anymore!
I don't want to be a bystander who can only watch and do nothing!
An unprecedented courage, one even he felt was unfamiliar, suddenly erupted from the deepest part of his chest!
Shinji clenched his fists tightly, his nails digging deep into his palms, but he felt no pain at all.
He raised his head and, with all his might, roared the words he had never even thought of before at his father on the high platform:
"I will pilot the eva unit-01!"
The voice echoed in the huge Hangar, carrying the somewhat immature roar unique to a teenager.
But in this moment, the boy's voice was full of strength.
The entire Hangar fell silent for an instant, recovering from the chaos caused by the Angel Impact.
The continuous vibrations and alarms seemed to be isolated in another world at this moment.
Misato Katsuragi and Ritsuko Akagi exchanged a glance, their eyes turning simultaneously to the man who had picked up Rei Ayanami.
What kind of magic did this man have to change Shinji-kun's mind just like that?
And up on the high platform, Gendo Ikari, who seemed to always control everything, revealed a trace of astonishment in his eyes hidden behind orange lenses.
???
The script... seems to be a little wrong somewhere.
...
...
On the high platform.
Although no expression could be seen on Gendo Ikari's perpetually frozen face, his gloved hands tightened inadvertently for a moment.
This tiny movement was keenly captured by Fuyutsuki Kouzou, the Vice-Commander who had been observing him.
Fuyutsuki's heart sank.
He had followed Gendo for so many years; he knew him too well.
This man only had this kind of unconscious reaction when things were out of his control.
The last time was the day Yui disappeared into eva unit-01.
And this time...
Fuyutsuki's gaze passed over Gendo Ikari's shoulder and looked deeply at Hansen below.
This supervisor, who was nominally affiliated with the United Nations but actually assigned by SEELE, had been full of mysteries from the first moment he appeared.
"Commander..." Fuyutsuki said in a low voice, wanting to say something.
"Prepare the launch sequence for eva unit-01."
Gendo Ikari interrupted him, his voice returning to its usual coldness and calm, as if everything that had just happened had never occurred.
"The Third Child, Shinji Ikari, enter the entry plug and prepare for launch."
He gave the order.
Regardless of the process, at least the result remained unchanged.
Shinji, after all, still had to pilot the eva unit-01.
That was enough.
As for the man named Hansen...
A trace of chilling, imperceptible cold light flashed in Gendo Ikari's eyes.
There is plenty of time in the future.
...
...
"Yes! Prepare the launch sequence for eva unit-01 immediately!"
"Please, pilot, take your position!"
Following Gendo Ikari's order, the entire Hangar began to operate at high speed again.
Misato Katsuragi reacted first, rushing towards Shinji Ikari, who was still standing in place with his chest heaving violently.
"Well done! Shinji-kun!" Misato patted his shoulder hard, her face filled with undisguised excitement and admiration. "I knew you could do it!"
Shinji stumbled from her pat, still not having recovered from the rush of adrenaline.
He looked at Misato's beautiful face close by, feeling the other person's enthusiasm and vitality, and felt a bit lost.
"Follow me. Time is urgent. There's no time to change into the plug suit. We need to perform the neural connection for you immediately."
Ritsuko, who followed closely, was much calmer. She took Shinji's wrist directly and prepared to take him away.
In the midst of this busyness, Hansen carried Rei Ayanami towards the medical staff who were still dazed.
"Go to the medical department; she needs immediate treatment."
Several medical staff looked at the striding Hansen and hurriedly followed.
"Yes! Mr. supervisor!"
From beginning to end, Rei Ayanami's red eye never left Hansen.
Approaching the corner of the corridor, Hansen turned around, looked at Shinji, who was being half-pushed and half-pulled away by Misato and Ritsuko, and mouthed the words "Go for it."
His face still wore that gentle, reassuring smile.
Shinji's heart inexplicably settled down.
The confusion and fear that followed that sudden impulse seemed to be dispelled quite a bit by this smile.
He nodded at Hansen, clumsily but with great solemnity.
Then, he was pulled into the passage leading to the entry plug, which was the cockpit.
In the Hangar, Hansen's gaze passed over the staff who were busy making final checks on eva unit-01 and met Gendo Ikari's eyes on the high platform.
"Commander Ikari," Hansen looked up, gazing at the man on the high platform, his smile undiminished. "Your son is much braver than you thought."
Gendo Ikari was expressionless and did not respond.
"Fuyutsuki, let's go to the main control room too."
He turned and said to the Vice-Commander beside him.
"Yes."
Fuyutsuki took a deep look at Hansen, then followed Gendo Ikari's footsteps.
Hansen watched their retreating backs and shrugged.
"Tch, what a rude guy."
The medical staff on both sides were sweating profusely, but no one dared to speak.
Although Rei Ayanami in Hansen's arms still had no expression, a little bit of anger welled up in her heart, which was then diluted and dissipated by another indescribable emotion.
Before today, Gendo Ikari, who had rescued her from the faulty entry plug regardless of danger, had always been the only light in her heart.
And now, the former light had dimmed a lot for some reason.
It then transformed into a taller, more handsome, majestic, and warm figure.
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