"Huh? Who's there?! Show yourself!"
As soon as Rei Ayanami stepped into view, the soldiers spotted her immediately. Guns raised, they shouted:
"Hands up! Slowly walk over here!"
Upon seeing a young girl, the soldiers visibly relaxed—but stayed alert.
"Don't shoot!" Rei raised her hands and stepped forward carefully.
"Identify yourself. Why are you out here on the street? Don't you know Tokyo‑3 is under martial law?" demanded one soldier, his eyes narrowing.
His gaze felt oddly familiar, stirring uneasy recognition in his mind.
Another soldier leaned closer. "Hey Ono (OC), why so jumpy? She's just a schoolgirl."
But Ono remained wary.
"Are you armed?" he asked Rei, voice stern.
"No," she replied calmly. "I went out to buy something and forgot to come straight home."
This was Rei's first lie—her heart raced slightly and a faint blush touched her cheeks.
The other soldiers laughed and lowered their weapons. One slapped Ono's shoulder. "C'mon man, chill out—she's probably just scared."
Rei took a breath before asking, "Why is the entire city under lockdown? Tokyo‑3 has never been like this before."
One soldier whispered conspiratorially, "Word is some NERV pilots betrayed us—and plan to unleash monsters to destroy the city. We were sent out minutes ago to maintain order."
Rei's eyes widened. Betrayal… Her heart sank.
Clearly, NERV HQ was under control, and the city-wide lockdown was no accident. Misato must know something—or be trapped too.
Ono, still staring at Rei, seemed struck by recognition.
The soldiers chuckled, massage shoulders. "Which way you live, little miss? We'll walk you home."
Rei nodded, but inwardly she planned her escape—and how to reach Misato.
Then Ono shouted, voice trembling in alarm:
"Stop her! She's… she's Rei Ayanami! A NERV pilot!"
The name struck fear into the soldiers. They froze.
Rei spun and, in a single, fluid motion, delivered a precise palm strike to Ono's throat. He collapsed immediately.
Without hesitation, she struck twice more, taking down two more soldiers with disciplined speed—mastery clearly honed at Kitazawa's instruction.
Each cut was swift and exact. Then, a final soldier raised his rifle, shaking ominously as he did.
Gun raised to her head—
But Rei moved faster.
BANG!
A deafening shot rang out—but the bullet just grazed her cheek.
With lightning speed, she struck the soldier's temple. He staggered, eyes going blank, and collapsed.
Five soldiers lay unconscious at her feet. Rei pressed a hand to her blood-streaked cheek, breathing hard.
She didn't stop to feel relief—she heard distant shouts and dogs barking.
Time was running out. She sprinted away into the night.
"Asuka… you can't die!" Rei whispered through her clenched teeth. Each sprinting step beneath the city lights thawed the ice within her heart.
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