A/N: I don't own Neon Genesis Evangelion. I did borrow it from a friend of mine at school, but I didn't buy it. I also don't own Microsoft.

Sachiel and Lillith were doing the happy dance later that week when they found out their class was taking a trip to a set of hot springs on the outskirts of Tokyo-3. Arael was also doing the happy dance, but only because she had found out that she'd just bought Microsoft out from that stupid nerd, and now he was flipping burgers down the street from the multi-billion dollar building he'd owned just a few days ago. That and if they left Tokyo-3, Arael could double back and stalk Material all night long.

Unfortunately for Lillith and Arael, Israfel had bad news as she said they couldn't go on the field trip.

"But… but…" Lillith said with her best sad puppy-dog eyes, "I was really looking forward to this!"

"And why does the Third-Rate Child get to go?" Arael said, angry at the fact she'd have to stay home, and that hot springs might've been a good add-on to her economic empire.

"You're to blame for it, Arael," Israfel explained as they all stood in the Remiel's briefing room. "Shinji needs yet another patch job, meaning it wouldn't do any good to keep him here. Besides… he's actually caught up with his homework and getting good grades, something you two have yet to do. Come on! I'll take you guys out for Ramen afterwards!" She noticed Sachiel was looking very nervously at the quickly angering Lillith and Arael.

"Stupid 'Every-Child Left Behind Act'!" Arael growled as she looked over Israfel's shoulder, as if she'd seen something unusual. "Hey Israfel! I think the drinking fountain that's below us but twenty floors down and requiring three hours of passing through security safeguards isn't working. Maybe you should take a look at it."

Lillith nodded in approval at the idea, and Israfel couldn't see the harm in it. As she left, she heard the sounds of two girls beating the snot out of their comrade.


"I hate you for this…" Sachiel said several hours later, but now once again in the medical wing of the Remiel in a full body cast. "More-so for actually beating me up. Because of that… if Bardiel finds out about this… I'm a dead man!"

"Relax, Sachiel!" Lillith said in a cheery mood as she patted him, intentionally forgetting the fact his entire bone structure was shattered and would take three weeks to heal. She also ignored the screams of agony that shattered all the mirrors on the medical wing. "You get to stay here… and listen as Arael and I eat up all your phone minutes!"

The screams became even louder and more desperate until Sandolphon stepped into the room, worried about Sachiel. "Lillith, I think Sachiel could use some 'alone time' right now."

"But he needs a friend to stand around and torture him!"

"No I do-" Sachiel started to say until Lillith clamped down on his mouth.

"See! He said I do!" Lillith said in a perfectly innocent voice.

"Whatever the case, you're due for another round of synch tests. We're still trying to get you past the thirty percent mark," Sandolphon said. She waited until Lillith was gone, and then stood there and looked at Sachiel in a caring look before leaving. As she opened the door, the angel called out to her.

"Sandolphon?" Sachiel choked out just as Sandolphon stepped out the door. She stopped, however, at his calling. "Why do you… I dunno… watch out for me and everything?"

Sandolphon stood there for a long time, letting a debate ensue with the mother, woman, and scientist inside her. Eventually, she spoke. "I made a promise to somebody a long while ago. Somebody that swore to your father to look after you no matter what. But that person soon got into a situation that meant she could only protect you in certain circumstances. I promised her I'd keep an eye on you everywhere else." She turned back to Sachiel and smiled.

"You mean… you promised my mom?" Sachiel asked, reaching the only conclusion he could think of.

"Something like that. Now get some sleep."


As Lillith ran through her synch-test again, her eyes snapped open. She wasn't in Rei anymore. She was standing in what seemed to be a laboratory, looking at a lava-coated angel strangling someone that looked like… her. They were frozen in time…

"Is this you?" asked Lillith, wondering if she was talking to whoever the voice in Rei was. She walked to see the sight better, and a voice came out of nowhere.

"I wasn't of any use anymore. You proved that, whoever you are. You aren't Lillith… Lillith's dead… right here… this is where Lillith died…" The voice seemed mellower now. "You care about Sachiel, correct?"

"Well, yeah! I mean, he's a pilot and everything, and he saved my life!" Lillith answered, wondering what the voice was getting at. "I also sort of feel I have some other obligation for protecting him…"

"Well…" said the voice, "I do not. You may not be Lillith, but I trust you will do the best for Sachiel… and humanity."

As everything started to fade back to the cockpit of Rei, Lillith called out again. "Wait a second! Who are you?"

"Would you believe… guardian angel?" The voice had more than a slight uneasiness to it.

"No, considering you tried to kill me once!"

"How about one of the people that you saw there?"

Before Lillith knew it, her conversation was ended, and she was stuck back in the cockpit, her ratio up to 45 percent.

"Good job, Lillith," Israfel said as both she and Sandolphon saw the display. Her pager then began beeping. "Sorry, Sandolphon, but I gotta check out what the suits want."


"We're positive it's an Eva," said a techie as Israfel looked at another display. "When we took a look in this conveniently placed volcano, our cameras burned out quickly, but not before we saw what we needed to. There was an AT-field."

Israfel nodded, understanding what was going on. There was a single problem with what she was seeing, however. "Why do I see these two guys fighting on the screen?" She pointed at it just as a fighter garbed in a green tunic with a longsword smashed down a samurai. "Dammit!" she yelled out as the angel looked behind her, then ran up the stairs into the hospital wing, beat the snot out of Sachiel again and ran back down. "Sorry about that."

"Wavebird?"

"Yeah," Israfel nodded as she once again got down to business. "But as you were saying?"

"Ah, thank you. As I was saying," the angel continued again, "this Eva doesn't seem to be fully developed yet. Getting a living copy of an Eva could help us out on the S-2 engine development."

"I'll see what I can do," Israfel said as she headed back down to the Humangelion hanger to ask Rei to dinner that night. The young girl jumped at the chance, and she could talk to all three of the pilots that night.

"And that's about it," Israfel concluded as she finished her story. "Unfortunately, the Japanese government isn't going to let us do something that could possibly blow up in our faces."

"What does that mean?" Arael asked as she cuddled up with her Sachiel doll. Sure, she hated him, but the doll was a wonderful invention. "We're going to have backup?"

Israfel shook her head. "No. In case anything goes bad, then the military is just going to N-2 mine the volcano's ass off. So in case of that, we're doing our best to curb damage if it happens."

Lillith sat there, looking down at her all-meat dinner. She was still thinking about the run-in with the voice earlier that day, wondering why she'd seen herself…

"Lillith, is that okay with you?" asked Israfel, snapping the girl out of her haze.

"I'm sorry… what?" she asked, suddenly remembering where she was.

"Have you been listening at all, Wonder-Girl?" asked Arael, suddenly aggravated how both her fellow pilots were either space-cases or losers. "She said that since I have a higher synch ratio, I'll be doing the capturing while you sit back at the Remiel!"

"What she said," Israfel continued. "Is that going to be okay with you?"

Lillith nodded. She needed to talk with Sandolphon about something, anyways.


"My glorious Humangelion!" Arael yelled out as she saw the D-Type equipment that had been equipped on Asaka. "She's so… fat!"

Sandolphon looked at the whining bird and shook her head. "Would you rather prefer Asaka jumped into that volcano without that gear? I'm sure she'd survive for about… maybe five seconds… sound good?"

Arael quickly shut up and hopped inside, ready for her third sortie. Sandolphon looked over her shoulder, seeing that Lillith was also suited up if the capture attempt didn't work. "Penny for your thoughts, Lillith," the scientist said as she tossed the coin over to the girl.

"Is that before or after taxes?" Lillith joked as she pocketed it. "Seriously, though… I've been hearing a voice in Unit Rei. It keeps saying that I can't be Lillith because she died… and I saw something from the past. It looked like an Angel that seemed to be your mother was strangling a younger version of me…" She looked up at the woman, wondering just what was going on.

Sandolphon looked at the pilot, as if something very important to her had just been changed. "It's nothing. I'm sure that voice will explain it… given enough time." She walked away, dropping by the kitchen. As she reached for a cup of coffee, she heard someone behind her.

"What's eating at you?" asked Material as Sandolphon turned around.

"It's just…" she paused for a moment sighed. "I'm starting to think I've been lied to… about the people in the Humangelions. You'd think being a sex toy for Adam would let you learn something confidential or something… but nothing!" She quickly blushed, considering Material had caught on to what she'd said.

Material, however, just smiled and hugged her for a moment. "You'll be fine. Incidentally I'm starting to think we should see other people. After all-"

He was cut off as the door was blasted open, and standing there was Israfel with a chainsaw. "Hugging on company property?" Israfel asked as she revved up the weapon. She quickly realized the two were breaking up however, and jumped on Material, thanking him for coming to his senses.


So far so good, Arael thought as she slowly trapped the 8th Eva's embryo. "Alright. Target acquired. Hoist me up." As Asaka was lifted back up outside the volcano, however, she sensed some sort of quaking. "What the… guys? Talk to me! What's happening?"

"Boss!" yelled out Material as he pried Israfel off him long enough to see what was happening. "That thing… it's gone active! Get the hell out of there! And Israfel… I told you! My toenails don't need any more clipping!"

Before Arael could react, the embryo burst open, forming another red-hued Eva with four green eyes that knocked both her and itself up into the air. As the two brawling fighters landed on normal ground, two N-2 mines quickly dropped down on them.

Gotta think fast! Arael thought as the two mines fell to the ground. Her AT-Field might curb the damage drastically, but what about the Eva's field? She lunged at the Eva, but the creature countered by jumping to the side and smashing its shoulder into Asaka. The Eva lifted Asaka up, and the Human took the brunt force of both mines. She was still alive, but the Unit had gone -for all intensive purposes- dead.

She needs help! Lillith thought as she flipped on Rei. "Okay! Can we launch her?" she asked to the control crew.

"Right away!" shouted Zeruel. "Unit Rei! Launch!"

Rei, having been positioned to be launched near the volcano, quickly leapt into the fray as Asaka was smashed into a cliffside. Okay… thought Lillith… need a plan… She readied her progressive knife and slashed at the Eva, only to see that it too had a knife. The two matched move after move with speed that couldn't seem possible for mechs that big, but the speed was there. As the two clashed, however, it was apparent that Rei was on the defensive too much, and eventually the Eva kicked her into a wall as well.

Things started going black for her… until that voice called out to her again.

"You can't lose!" yelled out the voice in Rei. "You said you have an obligation to protect Sachiel! He's in no condition to fight!"

Sachiel. That paranoid bastard that was at least tolerated by everyone around him. Bardiel wanted him dead, that was no secret, but even Adam at least respected him as a pilot. She had to protect him… she knew she had to!

"Oh… my god!" yelled Sandolphon as she caught what was happening to Lillith's synch ratio. "She's up to 68 percent!"

As the Eva charged at her to finish the job, Rei rolled to the side, the two minds inside of it working as one. She caught hold of the Eva's arms and legs, holding it steady. But then, its red core began to glow… it was going to self-destruct.

And then… it was over. A loud slashing noise was heard, and the Eva slumped to the ground. Behind it, was standing Asaka, knife in hand.

"Thanks about that," Arael said as she patted the Humangelion on the back. "Now let's go home and rub this failure in Sachiel's face."


A door slid open in Adam's office as someone stepped into it.

"Sandolphon… you're a little early… and overdressed," Adam started as he turned around in his swivel chair. "I'm assuming you have something on your mind."

"Yes," the Angel said as she looked at the commander. "It's about the people inside the Humangelions. You lied to me about who's inside of Rei… and therefor who's inside of Shinji. I want answers and knowing who's really inside them."

Adam chuckled mildly before finishing off a can of beer. "You honestly think I'm the person with those answers?" he asked. "I'm in this for Eve, and you know that. You're just the substitute until I get her back." He suddenly turned quite serious. "Honestly, however, don't do anything stupid. NERV wants the Angels destroyed, and that's what I'm doing. After that… Eve can come back. Don't do anything that will undermine that, and I won't have to raise a hand against you."

Sandolphon looked at the bastard that she had a physical relationship with. Or… used to have a relationship with. She turned and walked into the elevator. As she rode it down, several thoughts wound through her head. Was I really that wrong about the voices in Rei and Shinji? I have to admit makes less sense than before at face value… but there's no doubt about it. She walked by the hanger, looking at the combat, test, and prototype Humangelions. "Randolphon… Mom…" she said as she walked away, "You keep those kids safe… please…"


"We beat an Eva! We beat an Eva! WITHOUT YOUUUUUUUUU!" sang out Lillith and Arael as they pranced around Sachiel's medical bed, sticking their tongues out and doing other childish things. Sachiel, bound to his bed, could only grimace.

"I get the idea!" Sachiel muttered as he reached for the morphine pump. Anything to shut them up.

"Okay you kids…" said Israfel as she walked into the room, letting Sachiel not have to inject the drub into himself. "Get your little scrawny asses out of here!" Lillith and Arael quickly started to complain, but the captain shut them both up by showing stuffed Sachiel dolls outside the room. She then turned to the original. "You know… those dolls are selling very well. You might have a business after you get out of piloting!"

Sachiel blushed at the thought. "Maybe I'll diversify… you know, making dolls out of everybody here." He chuckled as he stood up. "So what do the doctors say?"

"Well… we're lucky this time. You'll be able to pilot in a few more days… so we finally will have all three Humangelions ready for a tri-based sortie. Considering how difficult the Evas are getting… we might need them."

"What about any extra Humangelions in development? Aren't there two more left to finish?"

Israfel nodded. "Unit Toji is well underway… but the last one… work on it hasn't begun yet. Now get some sleep. You got a lot of synch testing to do when you get out of here… and I'm sorry about missing the hot springs, so…" she took out a cassette and popped it in the VCR. "I'm sure this 'Hot and Spicy Springs, Girls Only' tape will do." She smiled and left Sachiel alone with his newest hentai tape.


"So you switched the tapes?" asked Arael as she and Lillith laughed and walked back down to their apartments.

"Of course!" Lillith snickered as she stopped by her apartment. She lifted her hands up, checking her watch. "Wait for it… wait for it… right about… now."

An inhuman scream ripped through all of Tokyo-3, its origin: Sachiel discovering that he was watching the opposite of a girls-only hentai tape.


"Wrong..." Sachiel said as he sat down with his fellow pilots at a Ramen booth, getting ready to make Israfel pay by buying the most expensive items on the menu. "What you two did was just plain wrong."

"Just be glad we didn't tape your eyelids open!" Arael said as she paid for her own meal. Considering how rich she was, she could easily buy up every Ramen stand in town. As she turned to look at Lillith, she saw the girl was starting to blush. "You don't mean..."

"I'm really sorry! Honestly I am!" Lillith pleaded as Sachiel lunged at her, only to be held back by Israfel.

"Okay, you three, what'll you be getting?" she asked as she slammed Sachiel into a wall to make him docile.

Sachiel and Arael quickly ordered quality noodle meals, but Lillith's order amazed them. "I don't eat noodles... do you have something else to eat?"

"Here," Israfel said as she handed the girl a smoldering piece of steak. "This good?" Lillith couldn't answer, just because she had already sunk her teeth into it. But another thing was bothering her.

"Hey, Sachiel and Arael?" she asked as she quickly ordered another three steaks, "Do you ever have times when your Humangelions 'talk' to you?"

Her fellow pilots just looked at her for a moment and laughed. "Are you crazy?" Arael asked, "I helped design Units Sachiel and Asaka! I'd know if there was something else inside of them! They're just machines!"

Sachiel's gaze, however, fell for a moment. That berserker incident... he thought as he finished his noodles and reached for the remains of one of the steaks, only to have his hand stabbed down by Lillith's fork. Whatever it was... I've gotta find out about it!

A/N: Next chapter, a terrible power outage rips its way through all of Tokyo-3! Will the pilots be able to match wits with the newest Eva? Will we pick up any extra clues about who's inside of the Humangelions? And what will Adam do when he discovers his beer-cooling tank doesn't work? Find out next chapter: Pop Out of the Pipes Like Mario!