Evangelion: Prophecy

Summary: The Dead Sea Scrolls predicted 4 Nephilim: Tabris, Tabrias, Azela, and Azrael. They would protect humanity against the Angels. But in order to do so, one would destroy everyone. Is Shinji Ikari really Azrael, the Angel of Death? And what exactly is Instrumentality? How does it differ from Third Impact?

Disclaimer: I wish I owned, but I don't.

Chapter 6: Imprisoned

"I don't know already."

Gendo frowned, "I am not convinced. Tell me truthfully: How did Unit 01 react without a pilot."

Ritsko sighed. It was bad enough that the Commander had placed her in this forsaken cell, but he was also refusing to believe that she truly didn't know anything. "I don't have the information to even make an adequate guess. It could be anything between the idea that it had finally gained a mind of its own, or it's being possessed by the Angel that it ate its core out of. Yui herself could be doing it."

SLAP!

"Do not lie to me!" Gnedo roared. "Yui could not have done so without the Dummy Plug. That's why the System that you destroyed was created."

"And to bring her back," Ritsko chuckled, not caring what Gendo did. "You poor man, you are so blinded by your lust for her that you can't even see that she might be watching your every move." Her eyes suddenly crossed as she stared down the barrel of a pistol that suddenly appeared in her face.

"Talk like that again, and I will kill you," Gendo threatened. "Are you ready to answer the question I asked you last time I visited?"

"What was it?" Ritsko said, just to make him frustrated.

"Why did you destroy the Dummy Plug System?" Gendo said, his anger close to breaking.

Sorry, Rei. He'll figure it out sooner or later, she thought. "Rei asked me to."

Gendo's brow furrowed, "What? Why?"

Ritsko shrugged, "I cured her."

This time Gendo punched her, hard. Tears flowed instantly as she felt her jaw dislocate at the blow, and relocate as soon as she moved a mussel. "Do you have any idea what you have done?" he hissed.

"Freed her from the prison in her mind, as soon as she stops taking those pills you keep forcing her to take," Ritsko smirked. "Soon, your little doll will be out of your control, and with more power than you allowed her."

The sound of a gunshot rang out as Gendo shot clean through the palm of her hand, but surviving on bread and water for a long time had numbed her to the point where she couldn't cry out if she felt the need. "For your sin," he hissed. "Betray me again, and you will have one to match in your other hand."

After he left, medical teams came in to help her. Within a few hours, Dr. Ritsko Akagi would rejoin the staff at NERV.

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Misato led the way to one of the most secure holding cells in NERV, Shinji and Rei behind her. Both teens looked perfectly fine, aside from a few scrapes and bruises. The medical staff had done wonders with those though, and managed to confirm that Rei didn't have a concussion. Sliding the one-time access card she had been given through the lock, the door opened and the three stepped inside.

Inside was a simple bed, a toilet, a sink, and a chair. In said chair was a redhead wearing a red plugsuit and a device around her neck. She regarded the newcomers, but only for a moment before turning away.

"I think we deserve an explanation to what you did, Auska," the Major said, "Especially Shinji and Rei."

Auska pointed to the device around her neck, "Take this off."

Rei's eyes narrowed, "I remember that." Her normally emotionless face suddenly turned cloudy as she muttered, "Used to control me, for awhile, by the Commander?"

"Not surprised, Wondergirl," Auska snorted. "That son of a bitch is scared of us; of you and me; scared of who we are."

"What is that thing?" Shinji asked.

"It's a bomb collar specifically designed to go off if I try to use my AT Field," Auska explained. "And I want it off before I say anything."

Misato shook her head, "Sorry, Auska, but I can't do that. Even if I could, I'm not going to risk having the Angel control you again."

"There was no Angel controlling me," Auska said. "I am Tabrias, the Angel of Alternatives."

This caught the attention of the three visitors as Shinji and Misato yelled, "What?" Rei showed no signs of surprise though, and simply asked, "How long have you known?"

"Ever since Tabris told me," Auska answered. "After that, I knew what I had to do. I'm not saying anything else."

Misato sighed, "Auska, would you just…"

"No, Misato!" Auska stared her guardian dead in the eye. "In order to explain, I need to be Tabrias; I need to use my AT Field. I can't do that with this thing on my neck, so I won't."

"Fine," Misato said. "Then there's nothing we can do." She turned to leave, Shinji and Rei following.

"Wait!" Auska called. "Who was piloting Unit 01 this time, or did you use a Dummy Plug on me?"

Misato stopped, knowing that Shinji and Rei wanted to know this too, but not knowing how they would react. Finally, she told them, "Unit 01 was not being piloted by anyone or anything. No plug, Dummy or otherwise, was ever inserted."

Shinji turned and ran.

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

What are you? Who are you?

Are you an Angel?

Are you Mother?

Are you me?

Are you some sort of being that I created on accident?

What exactly is Unit 01?

What exactly is Eva?

Standing in the cage looking up at the face of Unit 01, Shinji was no closer to finding an answer. But somehow, he just thought if he stayed here, he would find out.

Are you a person?

Are you an animal?

Are you a machine?

"Shinji, let's go home," Misato said, walking up next to her charge.

"I'd like to stay here for a little bit, Misato," he answered. "I'll walk home later."

Misato smiled, deciding to tease him a bit, "Okay, but don't try to find Rei and kiss her, she already went home."

"That was not my intention in the first place, and I know she went home," Shinji replied curtly.

The gears in Misato's brain came to a screeching halt for a few moments before she left, shaking her head. What happened to you, Shinji? I can't even tease you anymore.

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Rei entered her apartment and checked the time. It was time for her to take another pill. Past time, in fact, as she had missed her last dose. She grabbed the bottle off her nightstand and looked at it, as usual. It had a name she could never pronounce, and a purpose she didn't know. But she took them anyway.

Why?

Because the Commander ordered me to.

Why?

I do not need to know.

Why?

It is not relevant to my purpose to know.

Why? What is my purpose?

Then the memory came.

"You will wear this until you are obedient to me. Don't try to use your AT Field, as it will not stop the explosives from killing you. No AT Field can be warped enough to keep you protected from it at this close of a range."

"Why are you doing this to me?"

"So that you may serve a purpose and be of use to me."

"Why?"

"Silence! You will do my will. You are mine."

"But Dr. Yui-san said…"

SLAP!

"I said 'Silence'!"

"Okay." Weeping.

"Yes, sir."

"Huh?"

"Yes, sir. Say it!"

"Yes, sir." Continued crying.

"You are still crying. I said silence."

The crying stopped. Eyes wiped. Sorrow. Defeat.

"Yes, sir."

A hand affectionately rubbing her head.

"Good girl."

Like a doll.

"Take these. It will help you control your AT Field when I can trust you to use it. Take one in the morning, one at noon, and one at night."

"Yes, sir."

"I am not a doll."

Rei's eyes began to blaze as she said those words. Hatred ran through her as she realized that the pills did exactly that, they controlled her AT Field, by making it harder for her to use it.

But I didn't take my last one. Because of that, Shinji-kun and I are still alive.

Dropping the bottle on the floor, her hands curled tightly into fists. She wrapped her AT Field around one fist and brought it down, crushing the bottle and its contents into fine powder.

Never before had Rei felt so much power and anger. It made her feel alive, as if she had never been alive before. She knew she still had many memories to recover, but her memory allowed her to know one thing for sure.

Commander Ikari… No, you do not deserve that name. You are not like Shinji-kun and Dr. Yui-san. You are not worthy of Dr. Yui-san's name. You are Rokubungi. I will never forgive you for what you took from me, Commander Rokubungi!

Rei was vaguely aware that her shirt had torn in the back as two white wings unfurled. Never before had she wanted so badly to… destroy something.

She threw back her head and screamed in rage, a sound that was quickly drowned out as years of pent up energy from her AT Field manifested itself with a roar.

It was a good thing Rei was the only living thing within a five mile radius.

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Misato was on the balcony at her apartment, drinking a beer. Shinji was still in the Eva cage. She had just checked on him before grabbing her drink.

Then she saw it.

Four shafts of light shot up from the area where Rei lived, piercing the sky. Smoke and fire rose, bathing the sky in red as the sound of the explosion reached her ears. Subconsciously, Misato grabbed the pendent around her neck. It looked a lot like the explosion in a memory she had; the memory of when her father died, and when Antarctica melted.

Her memory of Second Impact.

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Author's Note: How many of you expected this? Be honest.