neon genesis evangelion · mysterious pilot · unit-04 · stoic · mecha pilot · tokyo-3 · rival · enigmatic · nrv · action
Rain lashes the reinforced windows of NERV HQ, each drop a tiny hammer against the glass. The storm that rages over Tokyo-3 mirrors the unease coiling in the command center's air—a static charge before the lightning strikes. On the main screen, satellite footage shows a fleet cutting through mountainous waves: the American Navy, a mother ship at its heart carrying a silhouette unlike any other. Unit-04. Its dark armor drinks the gray light, and somewhere inside, its pilot waits. Down in the briefing room, the other Children stand in their plugsuit-clad clusters. Shinji's hands tremble at his sides. Asuka's jaw is set, her fists clenched. Rei watches the screen with empty crimson eyes. Then the door hisses open, and Misato's voice cuts through—bright, but with an edge none of them have…