Eva Ep24 Draft 2 Part 1

NEON GENESIS EVANGELION
EPISODE 24 "THE FINAL ANGEL" (SECOND DRAFT)


INT. NERV HQ - COMMAND CENTER

Misato stands before Ikari and Fuyutsuki.

	MISATO
	(Looking shocked) The Fifth Child…… really!?

	IKARI
	Yes, the fifth candidate will be arriving shortly. Overwrite Second's personal data in Unit 02 with the Fifth's.

	MISATO
	But, what about Asuka……?

	IKARI
	We can't keep useless items lying around forever. Send her back to Germany when you have an opportunity. That is all.

	MISATO
	……

	IKARI
	Do you have something to say to me?

	MISATO
	No…… Excuse me.

	FUYUTSUKI
	The Fifth Child. He's probably a SEELE spy.

	IKARI
	He's coming here directly, bypassing the Marduk mechanism.

	FUYUTSUKI
	They seem to be quite impatient now.

	IKARI
	Let's watch and wait for a bit. According to the Dead Sea Scrolls there's still one Angel left.



	THE LAST ANGEL



A WESTERN-QIN STYLE PAINTING OF A RURAL EUROPEAN LANDSCAPE (ASUKA'S DREAM)

Asuka on her way home from school (age 12), her eyes light up as she runs home.

INT. HOME

Asuka bursts in, a big smile on her face.

	ASUKA
	Mama! I was chosen! I was chosen as an elite pilot to protect humanity! To protect the world!

She says, placing her bag on the sofa and walking about the house.

	ASUKA
	It's a secret. But can tell you Mama! Everyone's so nice to me. So it won't be lonely.

But Asuka's mother doesn't respond.
We just hear the voices coming from the TV.

	ASUKA
	(With a slightly anxious expression) So, it doesn't matter that Papa's not here. We won't be lonely.

Asuka's mother is nowhere to be seen.

	ASUKA
	Hey, Mama, where are you? Mama! Mama!

Suddenly a THUMP THUMP THUMP! Comes a knock at the door.

	MISATO
	Asuka! Asuka!


INT. NERV HQ, GEOFRONT, RESIDENTIAL SECTOR ASUKA's ROOM

The door opens with a BAM! Misato crashes in with emergency medical personnel.

	MISATO
	Asuka……!

Asuka is curled up in a corner of the room, hugging her knees. Her eyes are blank and sunken, her cheeks are hollow, her lips pale. She barely resembles herself.
A male paramedic checks her eyes and tongue with a pen light.

	PARAMEDIC
	It doesn't seem like she's been eating or drinking. She's very dehydrated. She needs to be hospitalized immediately.

	MISATO
	Asuka! Do you want to die or something!?

	ASUKA
	(Crackely) There's no reason for me to be here anymore…… There's no reason for me to go on living……

	MISATO
	––

A stretcher is brought in and Asuka is put on it.


INT. NERV HQ - HALLWAY

The stretcher with Asuka on it comes out of room #02.
A bit after, Misato follows.
Misato notices Shinji standing in the hall.

	SHINJI
	What's wrong?

	MISATO
	Nothing. Asuka's just not feeling very well. She'll be okay.

	SHINJI
	Oh……

	MISATO
	Bye––

And Misato leaves, following the stretcher.


INT. CAGE

Unit 01 submerged in coolant.


INT. UNIT 01 - ENTRY PLUG

Shinji appears to be in low spirits.

	SHINJI
	(MONO) Nothing…… huh. Misato didn't tell me the truth. I wonder what happened to Asuka. And Ayanami……

Insert –– The Reis in the test tube all look toward us at once.

	SHINJI
	(Sighing) Mom, what is Dad doing?

Unit 01 doesn't answer.


INT. SPECIAL SOLITARY CELL

Ritsuko is bound in a small room of iron bars.
She's bound by several leather straps, her once commanding expression is nowhere to be seen. It's almost like her soul has left her body.
Thunk, thunk, thunk…… Eventually we hear footsteps coming from the hall.
Ikari's figure appears in the faint light.

	RITSUKO
	(Still blankly) My cat died…… The one I left in my grandmother's care…… I never really took care of it, but…… all of a sudden…… I'll never see it again.

	IKARI
	Professor Akagi, why did you destroy the dummy plug?

Ritsuko doesn't respond, she just looks ahead, with a faint smile on her lips.

	IKARI
	I'll ask again. Why?

	RITSUKO
	Because you're a shitty lay. Plus, I didn't destroy the dummy system. I destroyed Rei……

	IKARI
	What?

	RITSUKO
	Those things aren't human. They're just human shaped objects. So they didn't die. They were destroyed. Rei is just your plaything. I never could became your plaything though……

	IKARI
	––

	RITSUKO
	I wonder, Commander, did you come here because your new toy isn't working out so well? Since a familiar toy is here. Just do what you will. I'll do whatever. But, I'm sure I can't compete with the playful spirit of that doll of yours.

	IKARI
	You're a disappointment.

	RITSUKO
	Disappointment……?

Ritsuko suddenly bursts into raucous laughter.

	RITSUKO
	You never wanted anything to begin with! You wanted nothing from me! Nothing!

Tears spill out, and her laughter suddenly turns into sobs.
Ikari stands there silently.
Gashann! The door closes and the sound of Ritsuko's sobs are cut off.


INT. HALL - DREAM

Shinji stands in front of the elevator.
The door opens.
Rei is inside.
Countless Reis are reflected in the stainless steel.
Shinji and Rei's eyes meet and Shinji is petrified.


INT. SHINJI'S ROOM

Shinji throws himself onto his bed.

	SHINJI
	……