Doctor Who: The Evangelion Error (Book One)

Deleted Scenes: Failing the Bechdel Test

Central Dogma. Maintenance Supply Closet GREY-030.

Twice. Twice in the same day. And both times because of the same stupid lunatic. Unbelievable.

At least it'd been easier to find a place to hide up here. Easy to quietly slip away, too, while everyone gaped at the security guards taking aim at the nutjob's back. God. She hoped they shot him. She really did.

That arrogant, harebrained psycho... How dare he? How could he just take everything she had from her -- everything that she was? Didn't he have a single ounce of compassion or mercy within him? Didn't he have a soul? -- And then there was this business with him claiming to be some kind of what, an alien or a superhero or something. Ha! Why couldn't anyone else see that he was lying? It was so obvious. He just wanted the attention. Ridiculous. Completely ridiculous. She'd laugh if the whole situation didn't make her want to puke.

God. If she wasn't an Eva pilot... then what the hell did she have left? What the hell was she?...

... A fighter. That's who she was.

She wiped her eyes. This isn't over, she thought. I won't let it be over. Have some pride, dammit. You're not some sniveling, useless little doll, crying her life away in some corner. You're Asuka Langley-Soryu. Daughter of Dr. Kyoko Langley-Soryu. A warrior, born and bred. You've trained your whole life to save the world. No one can take that away from you. Especially not some nutcase Yoda wannabe.

So let's go act like it.

***

Central Dogma. Command Center.

As that Doctor... person fielded Akagi's questions, Fuyutski took the opportunity to address a pressing concern. "You set me up to take that punch, didn't you?" he muttered to Gendo.

"It was necessary to keep him off balance." The commander didn't so much as move his eyes, his mouth concealed behind his gloved hands. "If he'd found a clear target for his anger at this juncture, there's no telling how much damage he might have done."

So in other words, yes. "You son of a bitch."

"Mmh."

***

Central Dogma. Command Center. Later.

"Here's the requisition forms for the N2 mines." Misato passed a stack of paperwork to Maya. "Keep ahold of these. We'll need them filed as soon as all this is over."

"Yes, ma'am." Maya hesitated. "Ma'am, if you don't mind my asking..."

"Go ahead."

"Thank you. You must know that this plan is a bad move. Strategically, I mean."

"Mmh."

"So why aren't you fighting this more?" Maya asked. "Giving in just doesn't seem like you."

"Why do you think?" Misato shrugged. "It's because I can't look him in the eye and honestly tell him that he's wrong."

"Because of the children, you mean?"

The captain nodded.

Maya tilted her head. "Well... Dr. Akagi always says there are times where the brain must rule over the heart. We are fighting for our survival, after all."

"But what if that's not good enough anymore?" Misato looked over at the Doctor. "What if he's just doing what we all should've been doing from the start?"

"What's that, ma'am?"

"Looking for another way. A way --" The captain let out a cough. "-- excuse me -- to fight the Angels without using the pilots."

"With all due respect, captain, what makes you so sure there is one?"

"The question at this point is, what makes us so sure there isn't?" Misato raised an eyebrow. "Have we ever checked into it ourselves?"

"Well, maybe not ourselves, exactly, but we inherited a massive body of research from GEHIRN and the UN..." Maya hesitated. "Unless..."

"Unless other information has been withheld from us as well." The captain winced and rubbed her side. "At this point, how can any of us know for sure? And if I'm not a hundred percent positive that every other option has been tried -- do I really have the right to send children out there for the sake of what's tactically convenient? Do you?"

Maya swallowed and looked away.