An: So. This is the first serious story I've worked on in a while, so my apologies if the tone isn't too consistent throughout. When I first thought up this concept, it was right after I binge-watched Tokyo Ghoul. After witnessing the epic awesomesauce that was episode 12 of season one (uncensored, too), my eyes happened to fall upon my Blu-ray copy of Eva 2.0. As soon as I realized you could have Shinji and a pre-tortured Kaneki switch places and literally no one would notice... well, let's just say things kind of just snowballed from there. So here's a little prologue so you can see the tone I was going for

With that said, read and enjoy. If you'd be so kind, please leave a review as well, telling me what you thought about the chapter and any improvements I could make. And while we're at it, let's just admit something: Root A's OP ain't got sh*t on Unravel. I don't care if it's "symbolic", or if Pierrot was going for something intentionally discordant, but they done goofed.

The World Unraveled

0 - [ Prologue ] - 0

It was dark. Pitch black, almost comparable to looking into a void, if one were to be specific. Normally, a parking garage wouldn't be so cloaked in shadows. Yet for whatever reason, there were no lights, and even more puzzling, there was a complete absence of cars. An ominous air seemed to run throughout the garage, giving off a sense of dread and foreboding. Most people would avoid the place, with it's darkened surroundings and numerous places for hiding.

It was worth saying that Kaworu Nagisa was not a normal person. More accurately, he wasn't even a human, though he definitely looked the part.

He possessed what some would call delicate features, yet there was an undeniable sharpness to his face that prevented him from being called a beauty. He had unnaturally white hair, and a pair of crimson eyes that seemed to complement him despite their odd coloration. A dark grey peacoat fit snugly against him, along with black pants and pale white sneakers. There was an air of something... inviting, almost warm, about him.

So it was a wonder what someone like him was doing here.

It was while he moved through the oppressive darkness that the sound of something being violently torn apart made itself known. There was a pause. Another ripping echo, and something resembling a moan. As he listened to the ominous sounds, the being known as Kaworu Nagisa couldn't help but let out a sigh. It would seem, he grimly thought, that someone is having a bit too much fun. He went up the flight of stairs leading to the fifth floor, his shoes clicking against the cold stone, and let out yet another sigh at what he saw as soon as he turned right, with a bit more exasperation.

"Sachiel," he whispered, more to himself than anyone else, "what is this?"

Calling the scene before him grisly would be a massive understatement. The stone was painted with blood. And organs. And the occasional stray arm. The blood itself was still creeping downhill inch by inch, and Kaworu took a step back so his shoes wouldn't be stained. He made a face of disgust, which grew even more disgusted as he saw the pile of broken bodies over by the northern corner. Grown men, women, children; it seemed as though the typical nuclear family had been rag dolled into a bloody mess. A grotesque sight, to be sure, but the impact the view held over Kaworu was... minimal, to say the least.

It wasn't like he cared when people played with their food. Usually.

Suddenly, the pile of bodies started to move, and then a disembodied hand was thrown off of the pile. More rustling, and then a man - was it a man? Or perhaps something monstrous - still possessed of all his limbs, emerged out of the corpses like a twisted version of childbirth. The figure stumbled a bit, and let out a small, bone-chilling kind of chuckle.

There was silence.

Then Kaworu checked his watch and wondered when the man would acknowledge his presence. Just to make sure his arrival hadn't gone completely unnoticed, he let out a small cough.

Evidently that did the trick, as the figure took a second to readjust himself before addressing Kaworu. A moment of comprehension dawned on the man before he finally found his voice. "Ah, Tabris," the man spoke, tone devoid of emotion, muffled by the porcelain bird-mask he donned over where his face would have been. Standing at over eight feet, he wore what seemed like a burlap cloak, and the tiny echoes of blood dripping on the pavement made his appearance even more menacing. He raised his muscular, scarred arm and scratched the back of his head, blood droplets flicking out of his hair with every slight movement. "My apologies, I didn't hear you arrive."

Kaworu idly kicked a stray liver next to his feet, scowling at the red stain he found on the edge of his white shoes. Then again, I'm meeting Sachiel. Wearing anything white is an exercise in futility. It was then that he seriously regarded the corpse-pile Sachiel had emerged from. "You brought food? To our meeting?" And had the nerve to play in it?

"Its been a while since I last ate." As a response to his words, Sachiel reached back behind himself. There was a ripping sound, and he turned around to face Kaworu with a couple of boneless fingers in his hands. "Also, discussing business is less boring when you have something to snack on." He lifted his mask so that his mouth was uncovered, and nonchalantly popped one of the digits into his mouth. Crunch. Crunch. Chewing on his meal, Sachiel looked back to Kaworu. "Want some?"

Kaworu shook his head, refusing Sachiel's gracious offer. "No thank you."

Shrugging his shoulders, the monster in human form continued with his meal.

The teen rolled his eyes and scoffed at the man's seemingly carefree attitude. Sachiel lacked the discretion that the rest of their kind possessed regarding sustenance, a fact that irked Kaworu to no end. It made what he had to tell the man all the more... vindictive. He started to crack his fingers, a tad bit excited at what he was going to have to tell the man. Of course, he was careful not to let any of his excitement show on his face. "That's... actually something I wanted to talk about. Zeruel wanted me to relay a message to you." Which was completely untrue.

Sachiel paused, looking a bit comical with the bottom end of a thumb between his teeth. "Hmm?"

"Your eating habits," Kaworu began. "This... binge-eating of yours. It needs to stop. You're starting to draw attention."

"Really?" The cloaked man seemed to ponder on Kaworu's words, before turning around and heading back towards the corpses. He grasped at the head of one of the men, set his leg against the body's shoulders, and pulled. To be honest, Kaworu started to feel the slight pangs of hunger as he watched Sachiel toy with the tendons hanging out of the corpse's head, right before the man popped the meat into his mouth like candy. "... Nerv?"

So, they were going to play that game? Kaworu inwardly smiled. "No. The local police force. But it won't be long until they call in the briefcases."

"I don't understand. Isn't that what we wanted?"

This is just too easy. "Well, not this soon." Kaworu leaned back and made himself comfortable against a nearby stone pillar. "We were supposed to wait until Ikari made the first move."

It was a testament to Sachiel's understanding of the seriousness of the situation when he stopped playing with the decapitated head and tossed it back into the pile. "I see." There was a long moment of silence, one that Kaworu found himself unexpectedly enjoying. When Sachiel finally resumed speaking, it was with a grovelled tone that had previously been absent. "How long should I lay low for?"

"It's too late for that." And indeed, it was. "You got yourself into this mess, you can get yourself out." Out of his coat, Kaworu withdrew a beige folder and casually flung it towards his companion who deftly caught it between his fingers. "Ireul has managed to obtain information about the illusive Third." Also untrue, but it wasn't like Sachiel would confirm any of the information being given to him. The man was definitely the sort who had a hard time thinking for himself, and he wouldn't suspect anything until it was too late. Reaching into his pocket, Kaworu revealed a cell phone, a picture of a fellow teenager displayed on it's screen. "Evidently, he's arriving tomorrow."

"How delightful. So... you want me to handle him, is that it?" Sachiel scoffed, disdain evident in his very words. And he had every reason to be - it was very clear as to where the conversation was headed. "I barely survived the First. What you're asking of me is a death sentence."

Maybe that's the plan, oh brother of mine. Still, it wouldn't do to throw Sachiel to the dogs just yet. At the end of the day, he was, after all, blood. Sacrificial pawn he may be, but not even pawns deserved to die without hope.

"The Third has yet to be inoculated."

At this information, Sachiel's demeanor changed from aggravated to curious. "There's... no way that's true."

Gotcha. "Really now?"

"Yes, really," Sachiel growled out. "We all know that Ikari is some kind of genius when it comes to forethought. It's not like he's just going to leave a potential weapon like that alone." A pause. "It's a trap. It has to be." Sachiel glared accordingly at the white-haired teen.

Kaworu, for his part, just kept smiling. He had Sachiel right where he wanted him. "My my, Sachiel - so paranoid. Are you saying you doubt the validity of Iruel's information? It's not like he's ever let us down before." He was starting to get hungry. Maybe he'd pick up a snack on the way home. There was a bar some ways back that catered to a younger crowd; he was sure to find something ripe there. He certainly wasn't going to ask Sachiel for a piece of his pile. "I fail to see why you're so hesitant. For all intents and purposes, he is a mere Lilim." And now, the straw that breaks the camel's back. "Surely you're not afraid, are you?"

There was still a trace amount of hesitation when the cloaked man spoke again, yet there was no denying his conviction. "... very well. Consider it done."

The white-haired teen let out a breath he hadn't been aware he was holding. "I'll relay the news to Zeruel, then." He wouldn't. Zeruel couldn't know about any of this. Intentions of fratricide notwithstanding, Kaworu knew that the leader of their group wouldn't take it too kindly to know that one of it's members was sending another to his death. Taking one last glance at Sachiel's bloody handiwork, the teen made his way back down the flight of stairs. "Make his death quick then," he said as an afterthought.

If Kaworu would have bothered to turn around as he descended, he would have laughed at the confusion evident on Sachiel's face. "But... I thought the point of me killing this kid was to send a message."

"Well. No matter how you look at it, we are killing one of Father's children. At least, you are. Bastard or not, it's the least we can do for a sibling."

First Chapter Preview

"Does the name Ikari mean anything to you?"

"Be vigilant, Rokubungi-san."

"It's been a while, Special Investigator Katsuragi."

"He'll pull through. He is Gendo's son, after all."

1 - [ Indulgence ] - 1