DISCLAIMER: I still don't own Evangelion or any of the characters, they're still property of…well, whoever owns them these days. This fic's got nothing to do with Rebuild, just the original series/movies. This one takes place in THE IKARI IDENTITY/SUPREMACY/ULTIMATUM series, so read them first if you haven't. A quick warning right now: the timeline jumps around a bit, but I'll give you guys a heads-up (in future disclaimers) when it moves around. For now, this takes place before IDENTITY. And lastly, 'this' is thoughts and "this" is speech.

-THE AYANAMI SANCTIONS-

Chapter 1: The Killer in Me is the Killer in You

The night view out across an expanse of mountainous terrain and deep forest from his office was what Kiel Lorenz stared at as he thought over the last few weeks' developments and scenario deviations. The Third Child had been activated, but failed in eliminating Kaji Ryoji and subsequently disappeared…most likely deceased. The Second Child had fared no better, vanishing along with Major Katsuragi.

Then there had been the deaths of three of SEELE's main cabal by the hands of an unknown assailant. The remaining eight besides himself had been all too quick to turn on one another, momentarily forgetting their main objective out of fear of someone within looking to usurp the entire project. The Chairman had stayed back from the debacle, knowing that there would still be the faithful and loyal left when the dust settled. Unfortunately, that had ended up being only himself…any of the more trustworthy among his circle had been killed along with the suspicious and paranoid by their own agent, Kaworu Nagisa.

Kiel smiled as he thought of that particular trap-in-wait he had left Commander Ikari, who he was certain had had more than a hand in the first three deaths, with. 'Tabris knows who he is loyal to,' he thought to himself. 'If nothing else, Ikari shall know what it means to be against an enemy with no hope of victory.' Although set back quite a bit, the Human Instrumentality Project was still able to be implemented as long as he remained hidden away from harm. If nothing else, several of the EVA series were close to completion and any one could be used to eliminate Nagisa. And without a pilot for any of the Evangelions at NERV Tokyo-3 to combat them, taking the Geofront would be all too easy. 'It's all just a matter of time…'

The creak of a door behind him caused Kiel to quickly turn himself around towards the front of the room. Into the office walked a figure in tight head-to-toe black outfit not unlike a plug suit, the red lenses on the mask staring in his direction. The build of the suit made it difficult to tell if the person was male or female, but the height was not dissimilar to the Fifth Child's. "I hadn't called for you, Nagisa. Is there something amiss?" he questioned the figure. "You needn't keep the mask on here, I believe we're quite safe."

"Then you have thought wrong," came the voice of the figure in black, distorted by a device built into the headgear. Removing a silenced pistol from its holster and pointing it towards Kiel, the figure slowly walked closer to the Chairman's desk.

Kiel's surprise was well-hidden as he watched the person train their weapon on his head. "Ah, I had wondered when you would show," he said with a smirk. Pressing a button on his chair, he spoke up again. "Nagisa, I believe you're needed upstairs." A long, stagnant silence fell over the room as his expression fell. "I see…he never left the Tokyo-3 facility again, did he?" The figure shook its head slowly. "I'm guessing that means security is down as well?" he said, reaching for an emergency alarm button under the desk.

"That has been cut well in advance," the figure said, knowing what the Chairman was up to. "There is no one coming." Keeping one hand on the weapon pointed at Kiel, the person brought the other hand up behind their head and slowly pulled the mask off, revealing the cerulean hair and ruby eyes of Rei Ayanami. "I was told that you should know…before I do what I must," she said in her more normal subdued tone, free of vocal distortion.

Kiel's expression slowly went from utter surprise to the faintest hint of a smile. "Well, well…'the First Child has been completely eradicated upon the self-destruction of Evangelion Unit-00 during combat with the 16th Angel'," he said, recounting the contents of that particular report. "I see that even intelligence has gone lax recently."

"You seem at peace with this situation," Rei spoke up. "I was under the impression you had not known I was alive."

"Your death, sadly, never went into question," Kiel replied, "but I was quite sure that Ikari had been pulling the strings all along. What a mistake it was to trust that man in the first place…" he continued, shaking his head in disgust. "I am curious, though. How did he know of this compound? Not even the other members of SEELE knew it was here."

"I do not know," Rei answered. "I only knew to come here and complete my mission."

"Indeed," Kiel mocked, a slight laugh escaping him. "Do you even know why you're doing this? I can only wonder what lies he's told you to agree with him."

"I know that you are planning to take NERV by force, regardless of the appearance of the final Angel," Rei said, stopping before the large desk between herself and Kiel. "And that you will do whatever you can to stop Commander Ikari's main project."

Kiel barely held back a snort at her reply. "Of course that's what you were told," he said. "He has indeed spoon-fed you his own 'truth'. I wonder if you even know what we had planned for you…"

"I am aware of what you intended," Rei answered, thinking back to the moment she discovered her 'other purpose'…

-Twenty-two days earlier-

Rei stood before the tank deep inside Terminal Dogma that held her 'other selves'. But it was now empty, the LCL within now having become a deep red color with small bits of flesh and other barely-identifiable parts floating about inside. The door opened to revel the silhouette of Commander Ikari, who walked inside. "Sir, what has happened here?" she asked.

"It would seem that the Committee had gotten Doctor Akagi to try and…hinder what progress she could," Gendo replied.

"Committee, sir?" Rei questioned.

"You have heard the name 'SEELE' mentioned before, yes?" Gendo asked. Rei thought the word over for a few seconds before nodding. "They are the organization in charge of NERV, looking to carry out their own project," he explained. "And to that end, I suspect they are trying to infiltrate and overtake us."

"They are aware of what is kept here?" Rei asked, referring to Lilith a few levels below them.

Gendo nodded, staring into the tank. "The old men have their own plans for her," he continued. "Not to mention what they intended to do with you as well at the Second and Third Children."

"What would they have done with me?" Rei asked.

"Have you noticed strange lines of thought lately?" Gendo questioned. "The need to avoid being watched by others? The feeling that you could incapacitate anyone who attempted to harm or capture you? Thinking tactically about everyday routines?"

Rei stared at the Commander before looking back inside the empty tank. Ever since her recent 'death', she had begun to have these odd thoughts occur more and more frequently as the days went on. "Yes, I am aware of these foreign thoughts," she finally answered. "What do they mean?"

"Do you know what the theory of genetic memory is?" Gendo asked. Rei slowly shook her head. "It says that memory, mostly learned instincts and abilities, can be passed genetically. It happens in animals quite often, but the fact that it happened to you proves it is more than theory." He paused for a few seconds to turn back towards her. "What you are experiencing is a form of subconscious training that SEELE had programmed into synchronization tests. Every one you ever took has planted more and more of these abilities into an untapped part of your mind. There was an implant in your body that would have triggered these skills whenever the Committee wanted. But your…death some time ago eliminated that body. But those subconsciously-implanted abilities have passed genetically to your current body."

Rei continued to stare into the tank, thinking over the Commander's explanation. "What manner of skills are these?" she finally questioned.

"I am afraid it is not something I could tell you. Perhaps it is better if I show you," Gendo replied. As Rei turned back to look at him, he attempted to backhand her. Not enough to even hurt, but enough to trigger what she knew. As the fist came within arm's reach of her, she felt some unknown instinct take over as she quickly sidestepped the swing before twisting it around behind the Commander's back and forcing him to his knees. "And now…you see just what they have done," he said through gritting teeth. He had expected some pain, but her speed had surprised even him.

As she released his arm, Rei stared at her hands, her actions causing her to feel disconnected from her body for a moment. "I…I am capable of these things?"

"And much more," Gendo answered, fully standing again, no permanent damage done. "That is only the first of many new talents you will discover."

"Discover, sir?" Rei asked.

Gendo started towards the door. "Come with me, Rei. There is…much we need to discuss about how we will proceed from now." Rei did not reply, quietly following the commander out of the room as he explained what she would be doing for the foreseeable future.

-End flashback-

"Well, it is of little consequence in the end," Kiel's words snapped Rei back to the present, her still pointing the gun at him. "Tell me, for someone with no experience at actually killing another or having been trained in how to deal with it…what did you feel, if anything?"

"I do not understand," Rei stated, unsure of the older man's motives.

"Nagisa had been trained and molded from an early age to do what he can," Kiel said. "He does not feel what he does. Can the same be said of you? Specifically because the first one had been…untidy, shall we say?"

Rei considered the question. Her first target, the man designated SEELE-07, had been found right in Japan. Sendai, to be exact. It had been a…messy affair, a knife being the object of his demise. But she had done it in a quiet and efficient manner, as her orders had been. No witnesses, no traces of her. "I followed my orders to the letter," she finally said. "What I feel is not a factor in the slightest."

"Indeed," Kiel mused. "Ever the consummate professional, are we? At least the others had been much cleaner."

Rei knew very well what he meant. She was directed toward California and SEELE-12 next, who had met his end at plastic explosives placed under his vehicle on a stretch of highway near the Joshua Tree National Monument.

"And just how far away was that shot you placed into 09?" Kiel questioned.

"Seven-hundred and eighty-eight yards," Rei answered, still puzzled by the man's calm demeanor. SEELE-09 had been found in Khotan, China. His level of protection had been a sharp incline from the others, necessitating the need to eliminate him from…extreme range. But she had done it, just as ordered.

"Impressive," Kiel told her. "Most impressive." He seemed to look over at her, but Rei couldn't be certain because of the visor. "I imagine you must be wondering why I can be so calm at a time like this."

"I had thought that, yes," Rei said.

Kiel's features turned into just the ghost of a smile. "Because I know that I shall have the last victory," he explained. "If this is where the Human Instrumentality Project is to end, then everything might as well end. Nagisa will see to that."

Rei's eyes hardened just barely. 'I knew he was not to be trusted,' she thought, remembering back to when they had first caught sight of the other…

-Two days earlier-

Rei walked down the corridor to the escalators at NERV, her newest assignment having been handed down. 'Austria,' she thought, mentally reciting the orders again. 'Kiel is the last one.' A glimpse of grey somewhere in the distance drew her attention, finally getting her first look at the Fifth Child. Just a moment later, he caught her gaze and returned it, a small smile on his face…but she could almost feel the pure malice behind it.

Rei gripped the handle of her supply bag harder, something at the back of her mind urging her to simply pass him quickly. That was not to happen, however. "Ah, the First Child," Kaworu spoke, placing a hand out for her to shake. "I am glad to meet you. I have heard…much about you."

Rei did not take the offered hand, only staring into eyes almost identical to her own. "You are Nagisa," she stated. "What are you doing here?"

Kaworu retracted his hand, the smile never leaving. "I go where I am needed, and Commander Ikari has need of me," he explained. "It appears you are leaving. May I ask where?"

"That is none of your concern," Rei answered, continuing to walk down the hallway.

"Kiel, right?" she heard Kaworu ask. Rei turned around slowly, their eyes meeting again. "It must be, the others are all dead."

Rei could see the glint in his eye as he spoke that last sentence. "That was your doing, am I correct?"

Kaworu nodded. "As I said, I go where I am needed." As she turned to continue out, he spoke up again. "I do hope, when you return, we may have time to talk. I am certain we may find that there is…much about us that is similar. We are the same, after all."

"No, we are not," Rei said flatly, not missing a step.

She heard a short laugh behind her. "I think you shall find that you are wrong about that, Ayanami."

As she turned to look at Kaworu again, Rei found that the hallway was empty behind her. She hesitantly continued leaving, the sensation in the back of her mind having become far more powerful than it had been a moment ago. 'I shall make certain to keep watch on him,' she told herself.

Rei felt the smallest amount of fear, being around Nagisa gave her the same feeling as standing before…her.

-End flashback-

"I will do what I must when that happens," Rei finally told him. "When you mentioned Instrumentality, what did you mean?"

Kiel leaned back, sighing. "It would be far easier to simply show you," he said, reaching into a drawer. Rei stepped forward quickly, the pistol still trained on his head. "Here," he continued, ignoring her physical warning and sliding a flash drive across the desk's surface. "There is a main computer in the basement level of this building. Plug that in, select 'transfer archive' when prompted, and do whatever you wish with the information. But I suspect you'll look it over yourself before you show him."

Rei used her free hand to reach out and take the small device. "I do not understand."

"I imagine you wouldn't," Kiel replied. "Tell me, did Ikari tell you what stopping your medication would do? The increase in physical strength and stamina, the faster cognitive awareness, the sharper perception?" His smile became much darker. "I feel like that's all he told you."

"And how do you know that?" Rei asked. The Commander had told her that upon leaving the Dummy Core, explaining just what the pills she had been taking were actually doing to her: holding back Lilith's DNA within her. It would make her better than human…not superhuman, but better.

"Doctor Akagi told us during her…interrogation," Kiel answered. "She did not reveal that you still lived, however. I guess even then her blind loyalty to that man remained." He shook his head. "But I digress. The medication also kept your…instincts from gaining awareness. I think, in time, you'll see what I mean."

"Why are you telling me this?" Rei asked. "Why give me this?" she continued, holding up the flash drive. "Your motives elude me."

"I can't stop you from following your orders," Kiel explained, "but I can perhaps do a few last things to hinder Ikari's plans. I offer you the truth, no illusions at all." He leaned forward, placing his elbows on the desk and holding his hands in an almost prayer-like position. "It is really too bad that I will not be able to see the look on his face when it all falls apart, however." His head tilted up toward Rei once more. "Go on…do what you must."

Rei hesitated for a moment before nodding, she could not disregard her orders. She quickly squeezed the trigger, the only sounds in the office being a muffled gunshot and the 'thud' when Kiel's head landed on his desk.

"It is done, Commander," Rei spoke into the cell phone. She had made her way back out of the compound and back to the VTOL she had used to travel here, retrieving the item from her pack as soon as she made it there.

"Very good work, Rei," Gendo's voice told her. "Did you take care of the building?"

Rei stared back towards the compound, where the smoke from a very large fire was clearly visible, even given the almost-twenty-mile distance between here and there. "Yes sir."

"Excellent. Return here at once, there are still a few things before the scenario can proceed." Rei closed the phone and put it back in the bag before moving towards the cockpit. As she began the familiar startup on the machine, she glanced at the flash drive in her hand, remembering those words, "I offer you the truth, no illusions at all." She had done what Kiel said to, accessing his database and transferring it to the drive. She would be looking over the information when she returned to Tokyo-3...but something told her to do so in private company, and whatever she found would dictate if she should present it to Commander Ikari or not.

'He lied to me.'

That thought had been in Rei's mind for quite some time now. It had been six days since her 'meeting' with Chairman Kiel. Since returning, she had come home to her silent apartment and accessed the information on the flash drive he had offered…using her school laptop as not to be monitored, although by who, she wasn't certain. The fact that it had not been encrypted had surprised the former First Child. She could only speculate that this had been because the device had not been originally intended for her, but someone (or something) else. She was not certain of that…or anything else really, given what she had read.

'He lied to me,' she mentally repeated. Commander Ikari had told her the Committee was planning to come and take NERV by force, they needed the Evas for their own version of Instrumentality: they would first eliminate anyone who did not agree with them, then start something called the 'Red Earth Purification Ceremony'. "A one-sided sacrament," Gendo had told her, "with no room for anyone who doesn't agree with SEELE." Kiel's information not been the same, however. The ceremony was planned, yes, but there would be no use of force (minus what it took to regain the Evas). It would be forcing everyone who existed into becoming one with God, yes, but there was no evil in their intentions…perhaps a misplaced, zealous righteousness. But there was nothing overtly evil.

Commander Ikari had actually been on their side…or so SEELE had believed for a time. The closer the records had come to the present date, though, the more it was apparent that he and they had taken very different paths…and they knew it. That was the only reason behind having to take NERV by force: he had been crafting his own plans for Instrumentality, using the Committee for his own ends. They had an idea of why…and she had been gone for nearly a decade.

When she accessed the information on Yui Ikari, Rei had made an audible gasp. It was like looking into a mirror, albeit with some color and age differences. Between the lies she had been told by him and the physical resemblance she now saw, it was quite apparent exactly why the First Child existed at all. 'I am a surrogate for her…and the key to being able to be with her,' she thought, the anger surprising her. She had begun feeling more and more conflicting emotions lately. What Kiel had told her about the medication was starting to make more sense. 'That is why…I am like this.'

All the while questioning her loyalty and what was actually 'truth', Rei had gone through every trace of the archive, finding out more and more about the subliminal training the pilots had been given…and the Third and Second Children's activations and disappearances. She had been aware of this, but had never given it any thought. She felt used…manipulated. The more she thought back on her 'previous self''s memories, which had also begun replaying themselves in her mind recently, the more she realized that Commander Ikari had only treated her as he did to further his own ends. He had shown care, but only because it made her more receptive to his orders.

Now, though, Rei's thoughts drifted to the one person who had asked very little of her, who had never manipulated her, who had shown genuine care for her, who had probably never even harbored the thought of betraying her trust. "Shinji…" she whispered in the dark of her room. "What would you do at this moment?" The next thought was almost instantaneous: 'He would not follow along with this. He would escape.' That didn't seem like a solid enough plan for this, however. 'Very well then, I will have to stop Commander Ikari.'

The sound of her phone ringing shook Rei from her musings. A quick look at the time told her it was almost night, she had been thinking for several hours. Picking it up, she answered calmly. "Yes, Commander?"

"The Second Child has been spotted in the vicinity of Tokyo-3," Gendo said. "We have a general idea that she's heading for Katsuragi's apartment. I want you to observe and follow her. If you find the major…eliminate her as well. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir," Rei answered, her tone remaining even and normal. Closing the phone, she took a long look at it for a moment before making a decision: if she was going to disrupt the Commander's plans, she would need help. She grabbed up her bag and headed for the door, all while considering possible contingencies. Nothing would have to be overlooked if this was to work. Nothing.

The city was dark and silent, two things working in Rei's favor. She had quickly left her apartment and headed toward the building where Major Katsuragi's apartment was. As she carefully made her way nearby, she rounded a corner and could barely make out a black car parked in an alley across the way. The color was off, but it appeared to be the major's Alpine.

Giving a look around to see if anyone was watching her, Rei crossed the road and began inspecting the vehicle. 'Not Section Two,' she concluded. It was indeed the right model. Moving toward the trunk, she pulled a utility knife from her pack before shoving it hard into the lock. A couple of seconds later, it was open. She quietly pulled herself inside and pulled the trunk lid closed. 'This may not be the most efficient plan,' she thought, 'but it will take me where I need to go.' Quickly moving to the far end of the container, she waited for the driver to return.

Less than five minutes later, Rei heard hasty footsteps approaching the vehicle. She held her breath as the sounds of a back door being opened and something being thrown inside were heard, followed by the same door being closed and the driver-side door opening. As the engine started up, she released her breath. 'But the hard part is still to come,' she reminded herself. The ride was bumpy and long, over two hours, but it finally came to a stop.

Rei did not have time to check her surroundings, however, as the trunk opened and a pistol in the hand of Asuka Langley Sohryu was pointed in her direction. "We can make this easy," she began, clicking the safety off, "or we can make this really easy." The blue-haired girl was not startled or surprised in the least. This was all a part of the plan, after all…but now would come the hard part she thought about. She raised her hands in surrender and slowly exited the vehicle.

Looking around, Rei could see that they were in the deep part of a forest at the end of a dead-end road. "I mean no harm," she told the other girl. "I came unarmed and with no one tracking us."

Asuka's expression was a mix between calm and angry. "You'll understand if I don't take you at your word, right?" she asked, reaching into her pocket and throwing the First Child a pair of flex-cuffs. "Put them on and we'll see how this goes."

Rei complied, placing her hands behind her in a show of trust. 'Although it may be dangerous to do so with Sohryu,' she considered.

As soon as the object was around the other girl's wrists, the redhead stepped forward and harshly pulled them taut, causing Rei to give a slight grunt in pain. "Oh, it's going to get a lot worse," Asuka warned. She spun the First Child around and began to pat her down for weapons…a little more rough than she needed to. As she finished, she spoke again. "You didn't do a very good job at hiding, you know."

"I know," Rei answered. "Given we have the same training, I knew that you would find me before long."

That seemed to puzzle Asuka somewhat. "Alright, you've got less than a minute to state your case and then I'll make it quick."

Rei took a deep breath, readying her words. "I need to speak with Major Katsuragi."

"I don't know if you noticed or not," Asuka replied, "but Misato's not exactly with NERV anymore."

"I am well aware of the situation," Rei stated. "There is something I wish to share with her."

"And just would that be?" Asuka questioned, her tone almost amused.

Rei stood, keeping eye contact with Asuka. "Information. A portion of SEELE's archives, if I am correct."

Asuka seemed to consider the words for a moment. "You do know I'm not really believing this, right?"

"If you were going to kill me," Rei said in an even tone, "then you would have done so already, likely no further from the city than you needed to be. But, regardless, I do not have time for this. I have to meet with her as soon as possible." She stared hard at the redhead. "Take me to her. If she decides that the information is not as told, then you have every right to end my life."

There was a long moment of silence as Asuka stared back at her with a look of contempt. "Fine…" she finally said. "But remember what you said, 'cause I'm going to hold you to that." She opened the passenger door and motioned for Rei to get in, which she did. The redhead then placed herself in the driver's seat and started the car again, pulling out of the detour she had made some time ago.

The remainder of the ride was a tense silence, neither person wanting to talk to the other. Rei focused on what she would be explaining when they arrived at their destination, while Asuka focused on driving…and trying not to shoot the person next to her and dump the body somewhere en route. Another nearly-half-hour later, they came up to a rock wall, where the former Second Child exited the car and walked up to the surface, sliding a card through a well-hidden spot in the wall. A portion of the surface slid up, the redhead reentering the car and pulling it forward. After the false door slid closed, she got out of the vehicle, went to the trunk to retrieve the First's pack, then went around to the other side to help her "guest" out. "Okay, remember what we agreed on."

Rei nodded and walked forward, her eyes moving around the room. 'It appears to be a pre-Impact fallout shelter,' she thought. 'Some of the technology is more recent, but the facility itself is quite old.'

As they approached the next set of doors, Asuka knocked loudly. "Open up in there, we've got company," she shouted.

One of the doors opened soon after, Misato Katsuragi appraising both of the recent arrivals. "Rei…" she said, but her tone gave away nothing about her mood. "Alright, get in here." Asuka nudged the other girl forward to a metal folding chair, where Rei took a seat and prepared herself. The redhead then placed the pack on the nearby table and sat down in another chair. "Where did you find her?" the older woman asked.

"In the trunk, if you can believe that," Asuka replied.

"I was not attempting to be completely unnoticed," Rei spoke up. "Only to those I did not wish to know about this meeting."

"You wanted to be found?" Misato asked. Rei nodded. "Okay, I'm listening."

"Inside that bag is a flash drive," Rei began, her eyes darting to the object on the table for just a second. "On it is information I procured from Chairman Kiel, which I wish to share with you." Misato sat back, looking floored by that statement. "You may confirm what is on there," the younger girl continued. "If it is not of worth to you, I have already told Sohryu that I will not resist if she is to eliminate me."

"I'd rather she didn't," a male voice sounded behind her, "but a deal's a deal." Stepping around in front of her, Rei caught sight of Kaji Ryoji. "It's been a while, Ayanami."

"Agent Ryoji," Rei said, thinking over the recent reports on him in Kiel's archive. "Then that means that Ikari is…"

Kaji hung his head slightly. "Yeah…at least, I think so," he said, shaking his head, "but I hope not."

Rei nodded slowly, realizing that the idea of Shinji possibly being dead saddened her. "As do I."

Kaji stepped over to the table and retrieved the flash drive, walked over to a small bank of computers along the wall and plugged it in to one of them. For a few moments, he kept his eyes on the screen, giving the information a cursory browsing. He waved Misato over next, the both of them keeping their gaze onscreen for a while longer. There's a nod shared between the older people in the room, then the former major walks back to the table, where she seats herself again. "Start from the beginning, then."

Rei took a deep breath and began to pour through what she knew, both before and after what she had seen on the flash drive. After every small chunk, Misato would look back at Kaji, who would confirm it. This went on and on for a few hours. When everything had been explained in full, the older woman leaned back heavily in her seat, the look on her face speaking louder than any word could. "Alright Rei, I'm going to cut you free. Okay?"

Rei nodded, watching her move around the table to behind the chair, where the older woman she procured a blade from her belt and cut the cuffs off. As the plastic came loose from her wrists, the younger girl rubbed them slightly, feeling the blood come rushing back to the previously-bound areas. "Thank you," she said quietly.

Misato walked back to her chair, taking her seat again. There was a long pause afterwards, three of the people in the room taking in the new information they'd been given. "So…it's the four of us against the commander," she finally spoke up again after a long time. "Now what?"

Asuka sat outside the main room of the shelter, having had enough of the discussion inside. She'd had enough secrets for one day. Actually, she'd had enough secrets for a lifetime. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't notice that the talking had ended, but she did notice when the door opened and Rei stepped outside, carrying her bag again. "I was unaware you were out here, Sohryu," she said.

"Yeah, that was kind of the point," Asuka mumbled, not even looking up at the other girl. "Everything finished in there?"

Rei nodded. "There is an idea being formed," she stated. "Nothing definitive as of yet, however. There are still a few details that will have to be given attention." Her gaze turned downward. "One of those being Ikari…"

"He's dead, you know," Asuka stated, her eyes forward and unfocused.

"I do not believe so," Rei retorted. Seeing Asuka's puzzled look, she continued. "He has lived through much worse and still remained unchanged, so I think he may be alive."

Asuka snorted audibly, looking forward again. "I think the baka's luck may have finally run out this time."

"I have…faith in him. He is a…survivor. Yes, that seems to be the correct word." Rei paused, then said the rest softer. "Not unlike myself." She watched the redhead for a moment longer. Something about her visibly-defeated posture made the blue-haired girl wish to reach out. 'It is what he would have done,' she thought. She took a seat on the other side of the door, also keeping her vision elsewhere but the other person in the room.

Everything in the room was silent again for a minute or two before Asuka felt, rather than saw, Rei still in the room. "Something I can help you with, doll?" she practically spat.

There was a long, quiet beat before Rei spoke up. "I have heard you refer to me as that before," she began, not looking at Asuka, "but only now do I understand why." Now her attention turned to her former fellow pilot. "The records Kiel kept detailed everything about NERV personnel. Even things not in NERV's database." She turned her eyes back to the far wall. "You call me a doll, but not just because of my demeanor. I remind you of that particular doll, do I no-"

Rei didn't finish the rest as Asuka stood and hauled her roughly to her feet and against the wall. "You listen and you listen well, doll," she spoke quietly but with an anger that could be felt. "Whatever you read in there, you'd better just forget it. And if I hear you refer to…that…again, I will very likely end you. Understand?"

"I understand that you are angry with me," Rei answered, her eyes just slightly narrowing. "But whatever animosity you have felt towards me, at any time now or past, is unfounded. I have done nothing to earn this manner of treatment from you."

"What gives you the right to tell me how I can or can't treat you?" Asuka questioned. "You're not even completely human, just a fucking construct!"

Rei placed her hands over Asuka's, who was still gripping onto her shirt. "But I am still partially human all the same," she said quietly. "And if we are to succeed with this endeavor, we will have to work together. I do not think this kind of ill will is going to help with that."

Asuka stared into Rei's eyes for a moment, deciding if it was worth risking their survival to kill her. Finally, she released her grip on the First Child. "Misato and Kaji wouldn't like it if we were to lose our source inside NERV," she spoke softly, but there was still a trace of anger there. "So you thank them for that choice, not me."

Rei let out a sigh, glad the redhead had not taken her feelings to a violent conclusion. "I do understand to some extent, you realize."

"Huh?" Asuka said, looking at the other girl again. "And just what do you-"

"The loss of purpose," Rei explained, walking towards the other side of the room. "Your purpose has been to pilot Eva. Above all things, that is why you believe you exist." She looked back at the Second Child. "That was not a question, it was a statement." She cast her gaze down at the floor. "There are only two reasons I truly exist: to pilot Eva…and to be a catalyst for Instrumentality. Not what I believe, the actual why of my life. And I have chosen to abandon both of them. I have willingly decided to turn my back on the man who raised me as his own." She looked up at Asuka again. "I feel…lost. Unsure of what the future holds or where it will lead me. I lived my life prepared for the end of all things." She paused, sighing. "In that sense, I believe we can relate."

Asuka had been quiet throughout Rei's words, never having thought that she was capable of that kind of reasoning. "…maybe, but only just maybe," she quietly admitted, just loud enough for the other person to hear. "But don't think that makes us friends of some kind, because we aren't."

"I am aware of that," Rei said, picking up her bag again and continuing toward the door outside. "I have one last thing to say, a request," she spoke as she reached the door, turning back to Asuka. "When Ikari returns-"

"If he returns, you mean," Asuka said, her tone a bit sad.

Rei shook her head. "No, when," she insisted. "I wish for you to treat him better than you have in the past." Seeing Asuka's strange look, she continued. "I have never known him to show anything except kindness to you, and you have…not returned that. That is no way to behave to a comrade-in-arms."

"What kind of a request is that?" Asuka asked. "And why do you care so much?"

"Because he is…my friend," Rei stated, the word 'friend' causing a small warmth in her chest. "We have a bond, much like I had with Commander Ikari. I only want him to be at peace." She opened the sliding door back to the outside. "And you are important to him. That is why I ask."

Asuka was quiet for a moment, mulling over Rei's strange request. "I won't make any promises," she finally replied. "But…we'll see."

"That will be enough," Rei said, stepping out into the night air. She walked for nearly an hour, making certain to be a long distance away from the shelter. Quickly retrieving her phone from her pack, she placed a call to Commander Ikari.

"I had been wondering when you would report in," Gendo said. "Did you locate the Second?"

"I did, sir," Rei began. "I placed a tracer on the vehicle and waited for it to leave the city. Unfortunately, it appears she found the device at some point and placed it deep into the countryside, removing me from her trail. I am deeply sorry."

"It does not matter," Gendo reassured her. "We shall acquire them all in time. Just get to headquarters."

"Yes sir," Rei said, hanging up the phone. She stared at it in her hand for a moment longer. 'I…lied to him,' she thought, never having done that before now. It was…not nearly as difficult as she believed it to be. She resumed her trip back to Tokyo-3 soon after, knowing it would more than likely take until well into the next morning.

Ritsuko Akagi sat at her computer, just idly reviewing things she'd been sent by Commander Ikari. Even after he handed her willingly over to SEELE, he still had a use for her. Mostly making certain there were no outside intrusions into the MAGI. But with the Committee dead, it wasn't something she considered very likely. 'Not even any activity from the other MAGI,' she thought, eyeing the readouts from the other NERV branches. Indeed, it seemed that this location was the only one still noticeably active.

The sound of the door to her office opening drew Ritsuko's attention to it, Rei stepping inside right after. "Oh, it's just you," she said in a bitter tone. 'Can't even check on me yourself, Gendo?' she thought, still hating herself for ever trusting him. At least he wasn't physically monitoring her office, audio or video: she had made sure of that some time ago. 'Keeping track of me electronically is one thing,' she mused, eyes back on her computer screen, 'but you're not going to keep watch over me twenty-four-seven.'

"Doctor Akagi," Rei spoke slightly louder than normal, getting the older woman's attention. She reached into her uniform pocket and retrieved an envelope. "It is 'from a couple of old friends', I was told to tell you." She placed the item on the doctor's desk before nodding and exiting just as quickly as she entered.

Ritsuko blinked several times, the whole exchange she had just been a part of giving her a sense of unease. She slowly reached out and picked up the envelope, opening it and removing its contents. A small, black piece of plastic that looked like an earbud and a folded piece of paper. She unfolded the paper and began reading.

Look Rits, I know there's been some hard feelings between us in the last few months, a lot of secrets and mistrust and bullshit like that. But we've been friends for a long time and I'll be damned if I let it end like that. I want to help you…and, honestly, we're going to need your help. We know what the Commander is planning to do and we're going to try and put an end to it. Rei's aiding us, so at least you have someone there to rely on. I think she's changed…maybe for the better. For now, we're still working out a few kinks and waiting to see if Shinji is…still alive. God, I hope so. But we'll keep in touch, I promise.

At the bottom of the page was two letters, an 'M' and a 'K'. Ritsuko could feel a slight watering at the edges of her eyes, which she wiped away. "I'm still your friend, am I?" she thought aloud. She knew Misato had survived Asuka's "activation", but she never considered that her long-time friend would reach out again. 'I thought that was all in the past,' she mentally noted, remembering the many arguments and revelations they had been a part of in the last year. 'Okay, then…let's take this bastard's dream apart,' she thought with a smile, pocketing the earbud quickly before placing the note in her ashtray and lighting one end of it. She would have to contact them soon, already having a vague idea for how to infiltrate the Geofront unseen.

'He has been located in Tokyo-3.'

Ten days had passed since Rei's "meeting" with Doctor Akagi. Since then, she had kept in contact with both Ritsuko and the others, seeing the plan slowly form and take shape. She also had kept watch on the Fifth Child, the sensation she felt around him finally registering. 'He is the last one,' she told herself. 'I can feel it.' She wasn't sure how he would be fought, with only one working Eva and no one to pilot it. 'I may have to, if need be,' she concluded. But that wasn't the most prudent idea: she still had no clue how to use her own AT field…if she could at all. 'There may not be enough of Lilith's DNA in myself to allow for that.'

But for now, the more pressing thought had been that Shinji had been discovered, alive, entering Tokyo-3. The Commander had ordered her to collect him from where he was most likely heading, Major Katsuragi's apartment. As she reached the surface and out onto the city streets, she placed her earpiece in its place and pressed the button on the side. "Ayanami reporting in."

"Sorry, First. I'm the only one awake here," Asuka's voice answered.

"He is alive, Sohryu," Rei said.

"Wait…what?" Asuka questioned, her tone changing to something Rei couldn't place. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. Section Two has reported that he entered the city limits of Tokyo-3 less than thirty minutes ago," Rei explained. "He will most likely head to Major Katsuragi's apartment."

There was the sound of rustling and someone moving quickly. "Yeah, that would be just like him to go home."

"You are going to acquire him?" Rei asked, crossing silent streets and alleys. "Section Two is out, which mean that-"

"We're going to have to make it look good," Asuka cut her off. "Can't have them think you're on our side, now can we?"

"Indeed," Rei agreed. "I will not hold back, however."

"I know," Asuka said. "Neither will I."

As Rei reached her vantage point near the apartment building, she spoke up again. "It will likely still be a couple of hours until he arrives. Will you make it in time?"

"Trust me," Asuka replied, the sound of her voice being partially drowned out by engine noise. "This thing can go faster than it looks. I'll make it in under an hour if I'm right."

"Remember what I said, Sohryu," Rei said. "Treat him better, more as he would treat you."

"I told you already, no promises," Asuka tersely replied before the line cut, a sign that the redhead had turned their connection off.

Rei returned her attention to the building, keeping her eyes moving to every entrance and angle from street level. After another two hours, she saw the thin frame of the Third Child walk up and look at the building before entering. She felt herself tense up, ready to do what she had to. She did not, however, like the fact that she would likely have to try and harm him. 'But there will be others watching us, it cannot be avoided,' she thought, seeing a black SUV pull up quietly to the apartments. Two agents walked inside, the rest remaining in the vehicle.

Rei took a deep breath and walked out across the street, nodding to the agents before entering the building. As moved higher up the staircase, she heard shots coming from above. Feeling a slight sensation of worry, she moved continued moving fast but quietly up until she came to the floor that held Misato's apartment. As she reached the door, she heard another set of shots, only a few this time. She walked up to the slightly-ajar door, seeing him inside standing over the two downed agents. He was saying something to himself, but she could not make out what.

As Shinji began to approach the door, Rei took a deep breath and hoped he would forgive her for what was about to happen.

-To be continued…-

A/N: Already off to a pretty good start, eh? For a guy who writes almost exclusively A/S, I'm rather surprised how Rei-centric this whole saga ended up (even prior to this story). And, of course, you now see how some of the events in IDENTITY were set up prior to its beginning. I personally liked how the 'tense-but-almost-friendly' talks between the girls turned out (thanks to Ash's direction on those, especially the second one).

Expect the next chapter to jump forward a bit in the timeline (between the next-to-last scene of IDENTITY chapter 3 and the beginning of SUPREMACY chapter 1) and to contain yet more suspense and drama…and yes, I'll get back to the actions scenes there. Not to mention a rather…interesting appearance by a certain character. I don't think any of you are going to see this one coming.

Time to do that song-to-scene thing again. Hey, I did it for the other parts, you think I wouldn't here? For the first meeting between Rei and Kaworu, find and listen to Face To Face by Siouxsie And The Banshees (which is one of Ash's favorite bands…an example of that being that she's going to be Siouxsie Sioux for Halloween this year). For the talk between Rei and Asuka (the second one), find and listen to Walking In My Shoes by Depeche Mode (which is, surprisingly, a band that I've always had an affinity for; synth-pop and me are good friends).

Okay…there's going to be an omake, but we're going to save it for the last chapter (just like the last two parts of this saga). Let the anticipation build, y'know?

Pre-read was done by Ash. Thank you kindly, ma'am.

As usual: good comments will be appreciated, bad ones will be ignored (or kept for firewood). But I do favor good/helpful criticism, so send it my way! And review! Even if it's not positive, review!

-AngelNo13Bardiel-