Stage 64: Tears

Cover: Rei kneeling in school uniform with head down and
school bag/briefcase clutched against her chest.

Scene: Rei writhes inside the entry plug as the vein-like
marks spread over her body from the various Angel -> Eva-00
penetration points
Rei: Ku...u...aa...aah...
(Eva-00 falls backwards into some trees with a crash, its
hands locked around one of the Angel strands penetrating its
midsection.)
Shinji (in Eva-01 entry plug): Ayanami!!

(Inside the Command Center, the struggle is shown on the
main screen.)
Announcement: The target has physically contacted Eva-00!
Misato: What about Eva-00's A.T.Field!?
Maya: Deployed! But it's being penetrated by the Angel!
Misato (a bit frantic): What about Eva-02!?

(Outside, the Angel penetration continues to spread through
Eva-02's double-bladed chainsaw.)
Kaworu (struggling): Ku-...
(The Angel rips the chainsaw from Eva-02's grasp, drags it
along the ground, and then suddenly rushes it toward Eva-02,
striking the Eva on the inner left shin. Kaworu cries out in
pain as the chainsaw bites into Eva-02's shin.)
Kaworu: G- Gaahhhh!!
(The chainsaw slices through Eva-02's left shin, and the Eva
falls backwards into some trees with a crash. The Command
Center staff stare with mouths open in shock.)
Maya: Eva-02's left leg has been severed!
(Kaworu breathes heavily inside the entry plug. Blood drips
from Eva-02's severed leg.)
Kaworu (thinking): Shit. What a mess. If this struggle gets
any more serious, I could be in trouble.
(An angel strand rises from the chainsaw and points towards
Eva-02.)
Kaworu (eyes widen, thinking): What is it going to do...?
(Alternately: What should I do...?)
(The Angel strand rushes at the fallen Eva-02, striking it
in the midsection. Kaworu's head snaps back in pain, and the
Angel starts to penetrate Eva-02.)

(Inside the Command Center...)
Maya: It's no good! Eva-02 is also being penetrated!
Ritsuko: Is an Angel... actively attempting primary contact?
With Eva...?

(Eva-00 continues to struggle with the Angel, but the
penetration continues.)
Rei (breathing heavily and gasping): Ah...!

(Eva-00's status graphs start to beep)
Maya: We have danger! Eva-00's biological parts are being
violated! The merging has already reached over 5%!!

(Shinji clutches futilely at the induction levers inside the
entry plug.)
Shinji: Father! Send me out! (shouting) Send me out right
now!!
Misato (looking up over shoulder): Commander...!
Gendo (unmoving): ......

(Rei arched back and gasping for breath inside the entry
plug. She suddenly has a vision in which she looks down upon
a surface of water with ripples spreading outward from a
point in front of her.)
Rei (thinking): Who is it?
(Her eyes widen and she sees a figure of herself, head
lowered, rising from the center of the ripples.)
Rei (thinking): Me? The me inside Eva?
(The figure rises past waist level.)
Rei (thinking): No, that's wrong. It's not me. Who? Who are
you?
(The two "Rei" face each other, Rei floating slightly above
the water surface (no vein-like marks), and the other Rei
stopped at upper thigh level with its head lowered so that
the eyes are hidden.)

(Eva-02 grasps at the Angel strand penetrating its
midsection. Kaworu sweats/suffers slightly inside the plug
but also has a slightly amused expression.)
Kaworu (thinking): Haha... Penetrate me, and then just what
are you going to do?
(Vein-like marks start appearing on his hands which grip the
induction levers.)
Kaworu (thinking): I could just toss him out if I used my
own A.T.Field... but, it would be bad to reveal my true
colors now.
(Kaworu glares at the vein-like marks (which appear to stop
slightly?))
Kaworu (thinking): That's right... so just stay there and
behave yourself for a bit.

(Rei's inner world...)
Rei: Angel... Are you a person that we call an Angel?
Other Rei: Won't you become one with me?
Rei: No. I am me. I am not you.
Other Rei: Yes, but it doesn't matter. It's too late. I will
share my heart with you.
(Vein-like marks appear and spread rapidly over Rei's body.
Rei's eyes widen, but she remains still and does not make a
sound.)
Other Rei: See, it hurts, doesn't it? Doesn't your heart
hurt?
(Rei places her hand over her heart.)
Rei: Hurt... No, that's not it. Lonely... Yes, it's lonely.
Other Rei: Lonely? I don't understand.
Rei: You don't like being alone. There are many of us, but
you are alone and you don't like that.
Other Rei: Is that called lonely? But, that is your heart.
You must have noticed it... Since long before... But you
pretended like you didn't notice it. That, and also your
even uglier heart.
Rei (shocked): Ugly...?
Other Rei: Your heart that wants Ikari-kun only for
yourself.
(Image of Shinji standing beside Asuka's sickbed with Rei
standing alone in a spotlight and facing the other way)
Other Rei: You see Ikari-kun go to Sohryuu=Second's hospital
every day... You see him look at Sohryuu=Second's face every
day... And how did you feel?
(Image of Rei facing the other way)
Other Rei: You didn't like it, did you?
(Image of Asuka in her sickbed staring blankly at the
ceiling
Other Rei: You found Sohryuu=Second hateful, didn't you?
(Image of the back of Shinji's head)
Other Rei: You wanted Ikari-kun to see only you.
(Back to image of other Rei in water - head raised slightly
to reveal a deep light shining out of one shaded eye)
Other Rei: You felt lonely, so you wanted Ikari-kun to stay
by your side forever. That is your heart.
(Rei stands transfixed with wide eyes)
Other Rei: Filled and overflowing with sorrow, hatred and
distress... That is your own heart.

(A single drop falls through darkness into water, making a
small splash, and Rei looks down inside the entry plug to
see tears falling onto her lap. Stunned, she raises her
hands in a cupping motion and watches as the tears fall
through them.)
Rei: Tears... Are these tears...? Am I the one who is
crying? Is it me?

(Eva-00's back plates split open and a huge mass billows
out. Distorted shapes of past Angels can be seen in the
rapidly expanding bulk.)
Shinji: Ayanami!!
Misato: Rei!!
Misato (to Maya): Forcibly eject the entry plug!
Maya: Negative! There's no response!
Misato (aghast): No...
Gendo: Eva-01's freeze is lifted as of now. Deploy at once!
Misato (looking back over shoulder in surprise): What?
Gendo (standing): Eva-01's freeze is lifted! Deploy!
Misato: Yes, sir.
Misato (over radio): Shinji? You heard that, right? Let's
go!
Shinji (determined inside entry plug): Yes, sir!

- End Stage 64

Reichu wrote:I've long thought that Rei's spiritual encounter with Armisael (the Inner Universe scene) was sourly underdone...

Dave wrote:Personally, I've always felt that that scene was directed perfectly. Please elaborate on your disappointment.

Dave wrote:Sure they could of added more, that can be said for just about any scene ever.

Reichu wrote:

Dave wrote:Sure they could of added more, that can be said for just about any scene ever.

It just seems terribly odd that they never did... Asuka's inner universe scenes from #22 were longer to begin with, but Anno still expanded them in #22'.

I guess it's just because he likes her more than Rei. :P

If nothing else, I'm disappointed that, so far, Sadamoto has neglected to work in Naoko's little fit ("Die, bitch, die!") DESPITE having referenced it directly! Since it was missing from volume 8, someone speculated that Sadamoto would be expanding the scene with Armisael to include it and various other Rei bits he's neglected so far -- but, alas, to no avail...

On an aside, did anyone else notice that Sadamoto stuck to the original version of #22 with his depiction of the end scenes involving the Spear? (No Lilith regenerating, no Spear "powering up" to penetrate Arael's ATF.)

Soluzar wrote:He has a unique opportunity here to show a more coherent version of the story than has otherwise been presented, and it's always a shame when he doesn't grasp that opportunity with both hands. I really don't know what's going on with the manga. It's hardly dissapointing in absolute terms, but at the same time, it doesn't seem to be all that it could have been.

Reichu wrote:Did Lilith regenerating when the Spear was pulled out and the Spear transforming to "power up" really add anything?

Stage 65: I want to become one (with you)

Cover: Rei sitting in plug suit, looking off to the side with a
distant, slightly wistful expression.

Scene: Eva cage
The lock bolts blow and Eva-01 is launched shooting up the
rails. The ground elevator doors open and Eva-01 emerges into
the New Tokyo-3 cityscape.
Misato: Deploy your A.T.Field all the way! And be careful to
avoid contact with the target. No matter what, you are to
rescue Rei, entry plug and all, by sheer brute force (if
necessary).
Shinji: Roger! (grips induction levers)
Shinji (thinking) Hold on, Ayanami. Because I'm coming (for
you) now.
(Eva-00 sits crumpled amidst the trees with the Angel still
penetrating it from multiple points and the huge mass with
distorted shapes of past Angels bulging from its back. Rei sits
stunned and crying in the entry plug, but then she comes to
with a start and looks over in shock to see Eva-01 rushing
towards her.
Rei (thinking): Ikari-kun!?
(Eva-01 runs toward Eva-00 and the Angel, but an Angel strand
rises up from the bulging mass with the tip splitting into what
looks like fingers and rushes toward Eva-01. Rei opens her
mouth as if to shout, but can only watch in shock.)
Rei (thinking): No!
(The Angel strand whips through the trees and Eva-01 raises its
positron rifle to ready position. As the Angel strand
approaches, the tip is now clearly visible as a hand reaching
out for the Eva. Eva-01 fires a couple of shots from its rifle,
but they have no effect and the Angel loops and crashes through
the rifle barrel, shattering it. (Shinji = shocked expression)
The Angel then loops around Eva-01 and reaches in to grab the
Eva's right wrist.
Shinji: Ku...!
(Rei stares in shock. The Angel veins have now extended to her
face, and tears are forming in her eyes. The Angel begins to
merge with Eva-01's wrist/hand/arm, and Shinji clenches his
teeth in the entry plug. Veins also start to spread from
Shinji's wrist, and tiny Rei torsos form on his hand. Rei
watches as Eva-01 grasps the Angel strand with its other hand,
but the strand branches and the new strand forms into an image
of Rei (naked) herself.)
Rei (thinking): Is that my heart? I want to be with Ikari. My
heart...
(The Angel/Rei circles and holds/hugs Eva-01 from behind its
right shoulder pauldron, looking up at the Eva's face in
longing and adoration.)
(Eva-02 sits crumpled amidst the trees with the Angel
penetrating its midsection. Kaworu sits slumped in the entry
plug.)
Kaworu: *!?* What is this...?
Kaworu (thinking): Something is coming, flowing in...... What?
(Tears form in his eyes and fall, but he stares in puzzlement.)
What is this?
Misato: Shinji! Counter with your prog knife!!
Shinji: Okay!
(Eva-01's shoulder pauldron snaps open and the Eva reaches up
and grabs the prog knife. With a determined expression, Shinji
shakes off the Angel/Rei (not shown), reverses the prog knife
to an overhand grip (not shown), and plunges it toward the
Angel/Rei. But the knife stops short of the Angel/Rei which
makes no effort to defend itself and instead looks up at the
Eva with arms outstretched in a reaching/cupping manner and a
"Why?" expression on its face. Shinji's inner conflict shows on
his face, and the Eva's hand shakes.)
Shinji (thinking): No, if I don't do it then both Ayanami and I
will be killed. (speaking to himself) Just do it!!
(Eva-01 plunges the prog knife deep into the Angel/Rei, cutting
from just below the breasts down to the abdomen. Blood spurts
forth from the deep gash, and the Angel/Rei arches backwards
with a scream of pain "GYAAAAAAAAAA!!!" -- Shinji stops short
in alarm/concern.)
Shinji: Ayanami!!
(The Angel/Rei rises back up (i.e. vampire style) with an eerie
happy expression and hugs the Eva's neck/face. Veins start
appearing on Shinji's neck/face, and he grunts in pain.)
Shinji: Guh... unh... A-... Ayanami (closes eyes and cries out)
Ayanamiiiiiii!!
(Rei stares in shock, then gets a determined expression on her
face. Eva-00 wraps its arms around itself and tenses.)
Maya: *!!* Eva-00's A.T.Field is inverting! It's being
penetrated all at once!
Ritsuko (shocked): Does she intend to suppress/immobilize the
Angel!?
(The Angel/Rei is torn away from Eva-01's face. Shinji stares
in surprise as the Angel/Rei is dragged screaming back toward
Eva-00, blood spurting and an expression of shock/loss on its
face.)
Angel/Rei: KYAAAAAAAAAA!!!
(The Angel/Rei is sucked back into Eva-00 along with the
bulging mass.)
Misato: Rei! What are you doing! Abandon the unit and escape!
Rei: No. If I leave here, the A.T.Field will disappear. So I
can't.
(Rei reaches back and pulls/twists a handle on the entry plug
seat. A drive (Drive: A, MODE: D) starts spinning with a
whine.)
Misato: Rei... Does she mean to die?
Shinji (shouting): Ayanami!?
Kaworu (still crying/thinking): She can't be...
Gendo: Rei!!
(Eva-00's distended core begins to compact/implode in spherical
cavities.)
Maya: The core will be crushed! It's exceeded the critical
limit!!
(Bright light condenses and pours out in rays from the area of
Eva-00's core. Inside the entry plug, Rei, bathed in light and
with tears flowing from her eyes, turns and looks over her
shoulder to see an apparition of Gendo (no glasses) smiling
tenderly at her. She smiles back, and in the next moment an
enormous explosion envelopes the shoreline of Ashinoko Lake
adjoining New Tokyo-3.

- End Stage 65