Author's Notes: So...yeah. If you've been reading A Little Angel on Your Shoulder, Nobody Dies, or My Enemy, My Friend, you might have an idea of what's going on here. Just... If you want me to spell things out for you, ask in a review. Just read this and form your own opinions.
Shinji Ikari read and re-read the letter he had just got in the mail, uncertainty growing with every repetition. After making sure it wasn't in fact a joke put on by his father, he groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose as he set the paper down on the table.
Four years. Four years since he was first asked to go in Eva. Four years since the best year of his life, made so by the very people trying to make it hell.
And now his father was reeling him back in.
"Whatchya got there?"
The Third Child, now eighteen and already settled in at college, turned to see the Third Angel floated above his shoulder with a curious expression on his face. Sachiel was the only one Shinji would allow with him to college, for obvious reasons. While the rest had voiced their objections, NERV had offered to accomodate for them, which they eagerly accepted.
"Father wants me to come back," Shinji answered tiredly, "Actually he made a point of bringing you with."
"Why the hell wouldn't I? I mean, what else am I going to do up here all by my lonesome?"
Shinji shrugged. "Dunno. Something about a 'special project' for you guys. Ritsuko even put in side note saying she really would prefer you to be there for some reason."
"Hm..." Sach's tiny face scrunched up in thought, "They didn't say what that project was? Must be deep classified stuff."
"Which is exactly why I don't want to go!" exclaimed Shinji, "This 'project' might not be something big, but I KNOW it'll lead to something big and crazy! Last time Father sent me a letter-"
"You got to pilot a giant robot(kind of not really), met a bunch of gorgeous babes, and made some awesome friends." Sach interrupted, "Seriously bro, there is NOTHING that can top that year. There is no way this can lead to anything worse than all the shit you've been through already."
Despite his earlier concerns, Shinji let out a smile. Even after all this time, Sach was always there, cheering him on and manning him up. He wasn't sure what would've happened without the little guy.
"...Okay. Yeah." Shinji pocketed the note and stood up. "Let's go."
"Atta boy!"
Little Angel: Through the Warped Mirror
By: luckychaos
"You seeing what I'm seeing?"
Laughter.
"Just like us."
"No. Not at all."
"Hm. You're right."
"They're so...wrong. Filth. Father would never let such weaklings survive."
"Asuka and the others are ready. Tell Ezekiel to begin."
"Already done."
"Excellent. Tamiel?"
"Yes?"
"Is this it? Is this the one?"
"I sense Her, Shinji. This is it. Finally, SEELE's will shall forge our new world."
"Finally."
When Shinji's plane flew into Tokyo-3, he'd half-expected to be welcomed by screaming missles and lumbering, monstrous Angels. Thankfully, this wasn't the case as the plane finally landed at the airport.
Sach had his face firmly planted on the window the entire flight, staring in wonder.
"Dude, we're so high up! We're higher than you ever were in the Eva!"
Shinji had just smiled and let his little friend enjoy himself. Now they were wading through the crowd in the airport, looking for their ride to NERV Headquarters.
"Jeez, there's so many people now." Sach commented as Shinji struggled to seperate himself from the crowd.
"Excuse me... Well, after-Oh, sorry-you guys stopped coming, people finally-Ow! Sorry!-thought it was safe to live here."
The two reached the airport entrance and found who they were looking for; a young woman, as old as Shinji, with blue hair and red eyes, holding a sign with 'IKARI!' written in crayons.
Shinji rushed over and embraced her. "Rei! It's great to see you!"
Blushing at the contact, Rei returned the hug. "Ikari-kun. It is good to see you as well." Her tone, while not as emotionless as before, still held a well-maintained stoicness.
Shinji broke the hug, still smiling. "How have you been?"
"Well."
"Well, that's good." said Shinji, unperturbed. "And hey, I brought Sachiel!"
"Wazzup?" Sach waved a three-fingered hand. "Heard ya got a boyfriend!"
"W-wait, what?"
"I do not wish to go into the matter at the moment." replied Rei. "At least, not until Dr. Akagi unveils her project to you. Also, I brough someone with. He insist-"
"SHINJI!"
The Third Child found his face full of alien fish, sending him crashing to the ground.
"I'm soooooo excited that you're here! Did ya see my sign? I MADE it, Shinji! Asuka's gonna be so happy that you're back! She's been so sad ever since you left. She's been getting more violent than usual and stuff. OH! OH! You missed soooooo much! This one time..."
Gaghiel's inane ramblings were lost on Shinji the moment he heard 'Asuka'. He began trembling, and he feared he'd lose control of his bowels. Asuka. He forgot. He totally forgot. One night. One night was all he needed to remember. And he missed it.
Rei let out a half-smile. "Brace yourself, Ikari-kun. Pilot Sohryu purchased golf clubs, a mace, and a tractor when she heard you were coming in."
The car ride to the Geofront was thankfully quiet, despite the presence of the usually very chatty Gaghiel. The Sixth Angel, lying down at shotgun, was giggling to himself like a madman, occasionally glancing back at Shinji only to break into laughter again. Shinji just did his best to ignore him; instead he looked outside, observing how much Tokyo-3 had changed.
It wasn't that much different; he'd only been gone for a year, although it felt like much longer. More of the same, with the occasional new building dotted here and there. It was much more crowded now, though. He didn't really like that.
"Hehehehe…"
Shinji frowned and turned to face Gaghiel. "Okay, I give up. What is it?"
"Nuffin…" Gaghiel said in his most sweet, innocent voice.
"Probably thinking about what Asuka's gonna do when she sees you," piped in Sachiel. He paused for a moment, then rested a finger on his chin and grinned, "Actually, that's kinda funny. Think she'll finally make good on the whole 'sell you dick to the highest bidder' thing?"
Shinji grimaced. Desperate to turn the conversation away, he asked, "So how's everyone else doing, Rei?"
She responded by flooring the accelerator and turning hard to the left. Shinji screamed like a little girl while Sach and Gaggy laughed at the sudden rise of action as they all slammed against the right side of the car. Any questions as to why she did that were answered by a rain of concrete and metal crashing down all around them. Rei pressed a finger to her ear.
"HQ, this is the First. We are under attack, repeat, we are under attack. Request immediate assistance."
"Wait, who's attacking?" Shinji tried to ask over the sound of crashing debris, but Rei either didn't hear or ignored him. She nodded at a voice only she could hear, said "Understood", and put both hands on the steering wheel.
"Brace yourself, Ikari-kun."
"For whaAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
The car lurched forward, weaving and turning at speeds that would make roller coasters envious. Rei kept her calm demeanor, going through the motions of driving a car through cataclysm as if she did so every day. The other three occupants of the car kept screaming, although for different reasons.
"I TOLD YOU! I FREAKING TOLD YOU!" screamed Shinji.
"I KNOW!" replied Sach, "GREAT, ISN'T IT!"
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA YAAAAAAAAAAY FUN TIME!" Gaghiel thoughtfully offered.
The madness finally went to a halt when Rei spotted an entrance to the Geofront and sped toward it, beating a multi-story house-sized chunk of descending concrete to it with milliseconds to spare. Even when in relative safety, Shinji kept screaming. Sach was trying to calm him down, but it was in vain.
"Hey, snap out of it bro! We're kinda sorta safe now!"
"WE'RE NOT SAFE! WE'RE NEVER SAFE! NEVER!"
Rei sighed, took both her hands off the steering wheel, turned around, and slapped Shinji across the face. Silence.
"Better?"
"…Yeah. Thanks."
"Anytime."
Shinji raised an eyebrow at that, but decided to leave it be for now.
"Pilot Suzuhara has been deployed." Rei continued. "We must hurry to offer assistance."
"Touji?"
Meanwhile, walking amidst the devastated city, Unit 03 looked for its enemy.
During Bardiel's attack, Unit 03 had been possessed with Touji inside. What could have been a disaster however turned into a surprisingly quick and clean operation, thanks in part to Shinji, Rei, Asuka's teamwork as well as their Angelic upgrades. Unit 03 had received minor damage and was battle-ready in time for Arael's attack. Touji came out of it completely unscathed, save for the mental baggage of being turned against his friends in such a manner.
Now Touji, an eighteen year-old who willingly piloted for the care of his sister, wandered through the debris, mindful not to step on anyone still outside. Beside him floated a tiny, chibified version of his own Unit 03; the very Angel which had possessed it four years ago. Strangely enough, Bardiel had been extremely apologetic towards Touji, trying desperately to make amends with him. This behavior was so strange because, whenever Touji wasn't around, Bardiel was an absolute dick to everyone, particularly Kaji, whom he seemed to possess at the drop of a hat. Regardless, the two were of one mind at the moment, searching for who had dared to attack their home.
When Touji had finally spotted the enemy, he halted in his tracks. "Uh…HQ? You seeing what I'm seeing?"
Before Unit 03 stood another Eva that looked almost exactly his, save for a silver paint job and that it was hunched over like an animal. The thing turned to face Unit 03, and it growled.
Misato's face appeared on the HUD. "That can't be right. The MAGI are saying that's Unit 04!"
"Didn't that one explode or something?" asked Touji.
"Yes," answered Ritsuko, who appeared next to Misato, "During a test on its S2 engine it opened a Sea of Dirac, wiping out all of NERV-Nevada."
"Regardless," interjected Misato, "That's the enemy. Take it out."
"Roger that. Bardiel?"
"Yes?"
"Let's go."
"Right-o, boss man."
"INSTRUMEMORY SYSTEM ENGAGED. PREPPING GENE BOOST."
The black armor plating of Unit 03 began to creak and groan as the muscle contained underneath rapidly grew in density and strength. The arms and legs slowly expanded until Unit 03 had the outside appearance of a championship boxer. Touji grinned as he felt Bardiel's power flow through him and his Eva, giving him strength beyond Eva's perceived limitations. Unit 03/Bardiel roared, flexing its enormous bulk at the crouched Unit 04. The silver Eva roared in response.
Deep in the entry plug of Unit 04, a timid voice whispered, "R-r-raziel…c-c-could you…?"
"I'm already doing it, idiot!"
"O…okay…"
"INSTRUMEMORY SYSTEM ENGAGED. PREPPING RETROVIRUS."
A sickly blue began to grow over Unit 04's hands and spread over its arms. Drool began to drip from its mouth in anticipation and Unit 04's body tensed up. With a screech it leapt into the air, diving at Unit 03.
Finally, it had found worthy prey.
"So...Eva Unit 04."
It was lost, wasn't it?
"Yes, to either sabotage or poor scientists. Do you know why it's here now?"
Hm...I sense something...similar.
"Meaning?"
They are Different, yet the Same. They have the same...feel, I suppose is the best word for it, as my children, but their minds are wrong. Twisted by sadness and hate.
"...They're from an alternate universe, then?"
I am not sure how, but yes.
"Very well. Tell the Major to initiate Order 65."
I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, Ikari.
"We waged war on Messengers of God. It pays to be prepared."
Hm. Might I ask what Order 65 is?
"You might."
Funny, Ikari.
A few minutes later in Central Dogma, a humanoid being of light wearing a classy suit strided in. All of the officers, including Misato, saluted him.
"Vice Commander on deck!"
Adam nodded.
At ease. Major.
"Sir?"
Execute Order 65.
"All systems ready. Ezekiel?"
"Void Ring is a go, my lord. Awaiting your command." declared a voice dripping with resentment.
"Excellent. Asuka?"
"We're ready! Let's go already! I want to feel Her blood on my face!" screamed a hoarse voice.
"Soon, my love. Rei?"
Purring.
"I know, dear. Is Shateiel prepped?"
"BOOM! WE WANT THE FIYAH NOW!"
"Silence!"
"...yes lord."
"Ezekiel, begin."
The darkness began to part, giving way to the blinding light. Shinji grinned as he finally saw their target. Finally, their pain would end.
The two Evangelions collided, the force of the impact shattering any windows that were spared from the previous destruction. Unit 04 bit and clawed, a rabid beast let loose from its chains. And just like any rabid animal, it had an infectous bite.
It bit down hard on Unit 03's shoulder, making Touji cry out in pain. With his new strength he shoved Unit 04 away, sending it crashing into a building.
"Hey, that's cheap! Who the hell bites in a fight?"
"Gaghiel, Asuka... Oh, Kaji did that one time, too." Bardiel counted off on his hand.
"Yeah, well, this is different," said Touji, "Something about this Eva is oOAAAAAAAGGGHHHH-!"
A burning sensation hit Touji like a hammer blow, almost making him double over in pain. On Unit 03 an acidic blue substance was spreading rapidly from its shoulder, crossing down its chest and arm. Almost as if on cue, Unit 04 leapt from the debris, screeching as it made its way to the black Eva.
"Hey, uh, Touji! Snap outta it! That thing is coming at us!"
"Nnnnnnnnn...I can...I can do it..." In his mind Touji was desperately trying to stay conscious. His vision was turning red and his breathing shallow. He slowly rose up...
And Unit 04 tackled Unit 03, tearing at the black Eva's chest armor plating, which had already begun to fall off thanks to whatever it was that Unit 04 infected it with. Unit 04's blood red teeth were bared, gnashing in anticipation. Touji attempted resistance, but the virus had spread further, and the pain was too much for him to bare. Bardiel could only look on hopelessly, the vast strength he had given Unit 03 made useless by whatever it was that bastard Eva had infected it with.
A hand tapped on Unit 04's shoulder. It turned and was greeted by a waving four-eyed red Eva.
"Surprise, bitch!"
A fist clocked Unit 04 across the face, reeling it off Unit 03. Shattered crimson teeth flew from its mouth, destroying the concrete they landed on. This was followed by a swift kick to the chest, and the silver Eva fell to the ground. Dusting off its hands, Unit 02 looked down at it's black teammate.
"Huh. The fetal position fits you, stooge."
"Shuddup, Asuka," grumbled the Fourth Child, "Now help me up."
The blue ick had seemed to have faded away, and with it the pain. Much of Unit 03's armor was either melted or off completely, revealing the ridiculously muscular body underneath. Unit 03 took 02's hand as it was helped up, and Touji finally got a good look at his savior. It was the same Unit 02 he had always known, for the most part, save for its extremely elognated neck. Along the neck's sides was a lipless mouth, one on each side, taking deep breaths.
"Sandy?" He guessed.
"Yup."
"That cute thing left, guys. It must be sad you hit it so hard, 'suka." offered the Angel of the Unborn.
"Hm?" they said at once, looking to see that they had in fact lost Unit 04.
"Way to go, stooge! You made me lose it!"
"Well excuse mee~ee, princess, but I was kind of busy ROLLING ON THE GROUND IN AGONY!"
"Princess?"
"Hey you two be quiet!" ordered Misato, her face appearing on both of their HUDs. "The target is heading deeper into the city; go do your jobs and stop it!"
The two Pilots grumbled "Yes ma'am"s and went after Unit 04, making their way through the city.
"Hey stooge."
"What."
"Let's split up. Divide and conquer."
"That only works when there's more than one target."
"Hey, we'll find it quicker this way! I go this way, you go that way, okay? Okay."
"Ugh, fine. I still think its a bad idea."
"Noted, Fourth." And at that, Asuka was off. It hadn't taken long for her to find it; it was a 60m tall war machine after all. It was hunched behind a skyscraper, clawing at its head, twitching rapidly as the beast made short grunting noises as if conversing with itself. After realizing that it hadn't noticed her yet, Asuka grinned as she saw the opportunity to do something she'd been meaning to for a long time. Pity Gaghiel wasn't here to see it.
Sneaking on the other side of the building Unit 04 was hiding behind, Asuka said to Sandy, "Ready to do some damage?"
The floating fish-frog thing giggled. "Hee hee, ouch time..."
Unit 02 then rammed its head through the building, its face appearing through the other side.
"HEEEEERE'S ASUKA!"
Unit 02's two extra mouths bellowed the words, practically disintegrating every building on the block. Sheer sound sent the screaming Unit 04 flying into the sky, eventually crashing back down to earth. Satisfied, Asuka beamed.
"Well, that was therapeutic." she said simply. "Now if only that was Shinji..."
"Anomaly detected!"
"Where?"
"Directly above Tokyo-3! We're getting similar readings as when Lulu, er, Leliel attacked, ma'am."
"I don't see... Oh. There it is."
Misato stared at the screen, observing the spectacle unfold. An inky blackness formed above the fortress city, casting the entire area in shadow. An orange hexagonal barrier appeared ahead of it, shimmering brightly as the dark collided with the light. An angelic chorus could be heard as the shadows pressed harder and harder on the AT-Field. Quickly, the shield began to crack from the pressure.
"Adam?" questioned Misato, "What am I looking at, exactly?"
The suited Giant of Light stroked his chin in thought. Hm. Interesting. If I am correct, Major, that AT-Field represents the barrier between our reality and theirs.
"Huh?"
Whoever is invading, including that Unit 04, is from an alternate reality. Did you not know? I thought Order 65 implied as such?
Misato shrugged. "Honestly, I have no idea what Order 65 is. I just nodded and pretended like I knew what you were talking about."
That's hardly an appropriate operating procedure, Major.
"NERV has me here for a reason, right?"
I suppose-RAAAAAARGH!
Adam doubled over, clutching his head at the mental attack. Misato rushed to help him.
"What's wrong?" she asked as she helped him up.
A...another Progenitor...it...I feel it pulling at me...like Lilith... Adam could all but gasp.
"Detecting three Orange-Patterns within the anomaly!" cried Maya, "They match exactly with Units 00, 01, and 02!"
"Tell Asuka and Touji to retreat now!" Misato ordered, "Forget Unit 04. Get them out of there now!"
A few seconds passed by in silence, save for Adam's pained groans. Finally, Maya reported, "Both Pilots confirm orders and are withdrawing to Gate 12."
"Good." whispered Misato, "Now what's Rei's status?"
"I am here, Major Katsuragi."
"HIIIIIIII everyo-OH NO DADDY!"
"Dad?"
Both Sachiel and Gaghiel rushed to their father, desperate to see what was wrong. Adam politely waved them away, assuring them it was nothing their dad couldn't handle.
Shinji warily followed Rei into Central Dogma, although he couldn't help but smile at seeing his old guardian.
With a cry of "Shinji-kun!" he found himself enveloped in marshmallow hell, struggling to breathe.
"Misato...I missed you too...but it's only been two months!" he squeaked as he tried to escape his squishy prison.
"Too long," Misato said, finally letting him go so he could get a breath out. "So, ready to save the world again?" she asked with what Shinji found to be too much levity.
"Uh, no. No, nada, non, nyet, nein, negatory, and any other word for no you can think of." He recited as if he'd been practicing it for days.
Which was right when the AT-Field above the city broke, letting the void descend.
Children... whispered Adam, These things are abhorrent. Wrong. Born of a mind warped by some taint I know not the origins of. My forefathers did not intend for them to even exist. We must end them.
"Okey-dokey!" replied Gaghiel.
Sach nodded. "You can count on us, dad." The little Angel turned to Shinji with a pleading look on his face.
"I said no! I'm not getting in Eva again! Not after everything that happened!" Shinji insisted.
"Rei, suit up. Join Asuka and Touji in the Geofront." ordered Misato.
"Yes ma'am." At that, the First Child left.
"Shinji..." He frowned at the tone. It was Misato's 'Major Voice', the one he liked the least. "Get in the Eva. One last time."
"No." He didn't care if he sounded like a spoiled child right then.
"Come on bro! Our friends are going out there. You heard dad, we need to fight them!"
The boy remained silent, staring at the ground.
Sach frowned. "Fine. Have it your way. While you're here moping, I'll be helping our FRIENDS. Come on, Gaggy."
"Okey-dokey."
The two Angels disappeared, flying off to join their siblings. Misato looked at Shinji for a few more seconds, then scoffed and began issuing orders.
The darkness had consumed the entirety of Tokyo-3, pressing downward until it had made its way through the upper Geofront. The ceiling was now encased in shadow, and the three mobilized Evas underneath could only stare in wonder.
Touji flexed Unit 03's arms, prepared to use his Gene Boost to full effect. That loss had been humiliating; he wasn't going to screw up again.
Asuka firmly planted Unit 02's feet in the earth, ready to unleash the greatest shriek Penance Dirge could muster. She was almost shaking in excitement.
Rei kept Unit 00's eye set directly at the predicted entry point of the enemy, her Shine Laser generating more and more energy to unleash.
Not a word was shared between the three, only the quiet dread of the stillness before battle.
After minutes of waiting, finally there was movement within the darkness. A golden foot stepped out. The three Evas that exited were cruel parodies of the ones the Pilots knew so well.
The enemy Unit 00 had no paint; a total absence of color all over. A blank slate, devoid of significance. It's cyclopean head was bowed, and before it's face the glowing image of a vertical eye hovered, a purple haze that seemed to disturb the air around it.
The enemy Unit 02 was red, but not like Asuka's Unit 02. This one was absolutely saturated in thick blood, layers and layers of the dried stuff encasing the feral-looking Eva. Along its shoulders wicked, crude pikes jutted out for no discernible reason. It's entire body seemed to flicker in and out of existence, like a broken video.
But it was this new Unit 01 that chilled the Pilots the most. It's armor was the brightest gold, giving it an air of royalty about it. It's single horn was curved forward and sharpened. Decorated along its body were images of glory and slaughter, tales that told of triumph and war. It's hands were replaced with silver glowing blades, wicked and jagged.
Behind them, the void disappeared almost immediately, dissolving and flowing inside the golden Unit 01.
"Enemies of the Human Instrumentality Committee!" boomed a voice not unlike Shinji's, carrying a tone of venom and smugness, "Retreat now and I promise your souls will be spared for our glorious rebirth!"
A Shine Laser shot at it, which deflected the blast with its blades, the laser directed to the side. They could hear the grin in its voice.
"Good. Hopefully this fight will be worthwhile. Love?"
The bloody Unit 02 cocked its head to the side, and suddenly Rei, Touji, and Asuka were surrounded by hundreds of copies of the three evil Evangelions. They went back to back.
"Okay, I got the three hundred on the right, stooge you got the three hundred on the left, and First you get the three hundred in the middle. Sound good?"
"Yeah, yeah..."
"I do not think nine hundred is an accurate estimate of their numbers, Pilot Sohryu."
"Whatever. Let's get it started already!"
And at that, battle was joined.
Someone once said that if you had control over only four Evangelions, you could declare war on the world and very likely succeed. Only those that saw the Evas in action could truly understand what they meant by that. Like titans of ancient myths, they dominated any battlefield they found themselves on. Anything slower was crushed underfoot, anything faster was made useless by the AT-Field. They were gods of war; powerful and invincible. In fact, the only known counters to Evangelions were Angels and other Evangelions.
Unfortunetly for Rei, Asuka, and Touji, they know found themselves beset on all sides by what seemed to be hundreds of Evangelions, each one a copy of the cruel dopplegangers. It was a credit to their past experiences and their characters that they weren't flat out terrified of engaging such odds.
In fact, Asuka seemed to be relishing it.
In unison, the three Evas attacked. Unit 00 summoned the greatest Shine Laser it had ever created; it was as if the Sun itself had declared war on the enemy, a massive beam of pink light wiping the copies out of existence. Unit 03 raised its fists and smashed them on the ground, and with a great KRA-KOOM the earth broke in response, sending Eva-sized chunks of rock in the air and smashing the enemy. Finally, Unit 02 roared with all it's might, creating a shockwave that seemed to ripple space itself.
The three Pilots paused to observe their handiwork. Within seconds the Geofront, once a pristine park, was a scarred and burning warzone. Only the pyramid that was NERV HQ was still intact thanks to its considerable defenses.
Clapping, followed by harsh laughter.
The golden Unit 01 finished clapping, folding its arms in front of its chest. The colorless Unit 00 was now looking up at them, staring Rei down with the eerie vertical eye.
"Bravo, bravo," said the voice that couldn't-have-belonged to Shinji, "We haven't seen destruction like that since Turel attacked."
All around them, the mangled bodies of destroyed Evas began to distort and warp before fading away entirely.
"Pity that it was a waste."
No sooner had the words left his mouth the blood-soaked Unit 02 leapt into the air, screaming bloody murder as it crashed into Asuka.
Sachiel and Gaghiel were worried. They had tried to join Asuka and the others, but something was preventing them. Every time they tried going near the Evas they were blocked by some sort of barrier.
"I don't like this one bit."
"We need to think of something, Asuka needs me! Evil Asuka is beating her up!" pleaded Gaghiel.
"I know, I know!"
"Oh, let's try Brick Break!"
"The hell is Brick Break?"
"Just go like this," Gaghiel raised one of his little fins "And then this!" and made a chopping motion. "That breaks through any barrier!"
Sach imitated him, bringing his fist down on the invisible wall. Nothing. "Ugh, this is stupid! What the hell is this thing?"
"I think's a Light of the Soul, Sachy. It's got a Light of the Soul vibe to it."
The Third Angel nodded. "You're right. But who's could it be?"
"And that's my cue."
Startled, the two Angels turned to see a little lilim that reminded them of the form Tabris had taken. The boy's eyes and hair were the darkest blue; in fact his eyes were almost solid blue. He wore loose, baggy clothing with tons of zippers and chains all around them, a style choice that immediately made Sachiel wanted to punch him. Gaghiel, on the other hand...
"Sachy..." he whispered, "What do you think he has in all of those pockets? There must be so many mysteries!"
The boy chuckled harshly, smirking as he spoke. "I was right to assume your kind were of a...lower stock than mine. If the rest of these 'Angels' are as stupid as you two, then I have little doubt my siblings will crush you."
Sachiel narrowed his eyes. "You're what Dad warned us about. You're Wrong. We have to destroy you, he said."
"Dad?" the boy raised an eyebrow, "What is he called?"
"Adam!" said Gaghiel with pride, "He's the coolest, bestest daddy ever! He once got me some wings for Christmas! Wanna see?"
"Adam? How interesting..." He waved the thought away, "No matter. It is irrelevant in the end. I have come to collect."
"Collect what?" Sachiel asked hesitantly.
The boy made a predatorial grin. "Why, you of course."
"Silly, we aren't PokeEEEEAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Gaghiel had begun to say, before suddenly fading away into nothingness. Sach stared at the space Gaghiel had once occupied, not believing what he had seen. His face was contorted with rage as he became human-sized and charged the boy with his lance.
"WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY BROTHER?"
The boy sighed and checked his nails, ignoring the charging Angel. "If it's any consolation, you're about to join it."
"My BROTHER is not an 'IT'!" Sach roared in response, ready to kill. The boy sighed again and waved his hand, causing to Sachiel to disappear in the same manner as Gaghiel. Alone, the boy looked around, making sure he hadn't missed anyone. He hadn't, of course, so he teleported back into the entry plug of Lord Shinji's Unit 01.
"Where did you go?" demanded Shinji.
"I was briefly sent back to our world, my lord. It seems Ezekiel has yet to work out the kinks of his Void Ring."
Behind them, Ezekiel glared.
"Hm. Never leave my sight again, Perpetiel. That is an order."
"Of course, my lord," The Angel of Fortune turned away from Shinji and smiled slyly, "I would never do such a thing."