Stage 83: The last instruction

Scene: Misato crashes a car into a wall and gets out, talking on her cell.

Misato (cell): So, we can get to Eva-01 through Emergency Route 20, right?
Makoto: Yes, we have three power supplies on it.  If you can get on within 3
minutes, it'll go directly to the 7th cage.
Misato(cell):  Understood.
Misato: Shinji, get out.
*Misato pulling Shinji out of the car*
Misato: Get out, hurry!
Misato (cell):  Asuka, listen up.  Make sure you completely eliminate the
Eva Series.  Shinji'll be up there soon so hang in there until then.

Scene: Asuka and Eva-02

Asuka:  Make sure...to eliminate.  She sure makes it sound easy even for
someone who just got out of a coma.  9 units in 3 and a half minutes, that
only leaves 20 seconds for each one.
*Asuka, screaming, charges and destroys one*
Asuka: Erste! (One down)

Scene: Misato is dragging Shinji towards the emergency elevator
Misato: This is it.
*Misato and Shinji are shot at by soldiers below, Misato crinches in pain.
They get through a door*
Shinji: Misato!
Soldier: They got away.  Use C4 to blow down that door.
*Misato and Shinji in a corridor, Misato bleeding*
Shinji: Misato...
Misato:  I'm okay, this's just a scratch.  From here on, you're on your
own.  You can do it.
Shinji:  But I just don't know what's right or what's wrong anymore.  Who's
words should I trust, what exactly do you want, I just don't know.  Even
though I piloted Eva, nothing changed.  I just lose the people important to
me.  I tried so hard yet couldn't change a thing!
*Misato slams her hands against the wall around Shinji*
Misato: Are you still going to act like a baby?  Even if it was like that up
til now, that doesn't necessarily mean it'll be like that from now on.  This
is an order, get in Eva.  Get in Eva and save Asuka.  That is what you can
do now.  That is what you have to do.  This is my last instruction (order).
It's not like you can just abandon Asuka, can you?
Shinji: No...
Misato: Good boy.  Once this's over, I won't be giving you any more orders.
Pick for yourself, by yourself, the path you must go down.  You're not a kid
anymore.  Being pushed around by what adults tell you, acting spoiled,
throwing a tantrum, shutting yourself off in your shell, it's all over now.
You graduated.  Don't be scared, take the next step by your own free will.
Look for the answers without anyone's help.  Why did you come here, why did
you pilot Eva, why are you here right now, what you yourself want to do from
now on. And if you're able to find the answers, make sure to come back.
*Shinji tears up, Misato gives him her cross*
Misato: Promise me.
Shinji: Yes
*There's an explosion from the door*
Soldier: Did we get it?
Another soldier: No, one more blast should do it.
Soldier: Use an RPG!
*Misato kisses Shinji*
Misato: That's an adult's kiss.  We'll continue when you get back.
*Misato pushes Shinji into the elevator*
Misato: Have a safe trip. (ed: or however you want to translate/not
translate itterasshai)
*Door closes*
Shinji: Misato! Misato!!!!!!!!!!!!

The title of the stage was written in English, so I left it as is as much as
I would have rather translated meirei as order...  And the cover page was
Misato, lying on the ground, looking quite dead, so the manga assumes all
readers know Eva and takes no liberty to hide spoilers, it seems.  A fair
assumption, perhaps.

Wow what a chapter.  Shinji's not as lame as EoE, and the lead-up to the
kiss is much more natural (nice graduation present, I'd say).  But the
conversation is all about Shinji, so it lacks some of the Misato self-guilt
of the EoE version.  Talk of saving Asuka is interesting, but I'm not
keeping my hopes up that events will play out all that differently in the
end.

--AA