Sorry for the late update. Anyways, I like the reviews and don't worry, I haven't abandoned this story. We're at Rei so it must be good. The few italic parts are from the revelations so feel free to skip that part. Anyways, on with the story.

Don't own NGE.

Human Misery

Chapter Ten: Sir, Yes Sir!

It was 4:30 in the afternoon and it was dead. I mean a total ghost town. No one, nobody. Seeing that there was nothing interesting to do, I caught sight of the bible from my shelf. I picked it up, blew away some dust and skipped over to the Revelations.

"This is the Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things which must happen soon, which he sent and made known by his angel to his servant, John, who testified to God's word, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, about everything that he saw…"

I gave a sigh and skipped over a few pages…

"I saw a mighty angel coming down out of the sky, clothed with a cloud. A rainbow was on his head. His face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire. He had in his hand a little open book. He set his right foot on the sea and his left on the land. He cried with a loud voice, as a lion roars.

When he cried, the seven thunders uttered their voices. When the seven thunders sounded, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from the sky saying, "Seal up the things which the seven thunders said, and don't write them."

The angel who I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his right hand to the sky, and swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things that are in it, the earth and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it, that there will no longer be delay, but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as he declared to his servants, the prophets.

The voice which I heard from heaven, again speaking with me, said, "Go, and take the book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the land."

I went to the angel, telling him to give me the little book.

He said to me, "Take it, and eat it up. It will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey."

I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up. It was as sweet as honey in my mouth. When I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter.

They told me, "You must prophesy again over many peoples, nations, languages, and kings."

Closing the bible, I put it back on the shelf. During my school years, a colleague recommended the bible as a must read.

"To build up some moral beliefs," he said to me. "In case people ask you what are you beliefs are, you'll have this to fall back on. You're more of the judgmental and condemning type. Try the revelations. Maybe it will be the thing that will change your life."

Like the cello, I had kept the bible for two things: one, for the constant reminder that people will give you the stupidest things based on perception and two…paperweight. I am not a Christian so I have no idea if this will ever happen or not. The part I just read did pose a question to me and it was that out of interest…

Angels. The first thing that god created were angels. Given semi-divine powers, they continue to watch over us humans. The Christian perspective states that angels are good and that are beings there to help us in our lives. Last time I checked, I think those things were called angels too, weren't they? If there is a god, where is he? That must be the question that Christians today are asking.

At any rate, I looked at the clock. It was five o'clock now. At this time, I decided to pack up and head on home when suddenly…the phone rang.

"Hello?"

I knew the voice. It was the secretary. "A girl with white hair, red eyes and a funny stare is here to see you. Should I send her in?"

I wanted to say "No, she can come back tomorrow." However that wouldn't work for me.

"Send her in," I replied.

There was a click on the phone and I sat there. Few minutes later, there was Rei standing at the door. Mind you that the door was already open. It was freaky really…she was just standing there.

After a few minutes of looking at each other, I said to her, "Come in and have a seat."

She then came in and took her seat. After I was done writing, I looked at her. She was starring at me.

Setting my pen aside, I asked her, "Why did you come? You knew that our appointment was at 3. You knew that it was going to be too late."

"I know…"

"Then why? Did it ever come to mind that there would be no point in coming here if the appointed time would be in arrears?"

"… … …"

"Means 'late."

"… … …"

Again silence. I spoke again. "Did you decide to meet me yourself or did someone else tell you to meet me?"

"Commander Ikari told me to meet you."

"Okay…" I wrote a note on my paper and continued. "What would you say about your pilots."

"…they are pilots, nothing more."

"So you don't plan to develop a relationship with your teammates anytime soon."

"No…They are pilots, nothing more."

Again I wrote. "Tell me, are you comfortable in what you do?"

"… … …"

"What I mean is how you feel when going out there and defending us from the angels."

"…it is only a task."

"Do you feel any recognition, a sense of being proud?"

"It is only a task. I am to do what I am ordered to."

Looking straight at her, I asked, "if I told you to jump off a cliff, would you do it?"

"No…" was the reply.

I then asked her, "if Commander Ikari told you to jump off a cliff, would you do it?"

"Yes…" was the reply.

"So if Misato, Ritsuko or any other superior of NERV told you to jump off a cliff, would you do it?"

"Yes…"

I wrote again. "From what you're telling me, you will follow orders to the very letter. Even if it means risking your life are you still willing to do it?"

She gave me a quick glance before answering my question with one of my own. "Isn't that what I am doing right now? Risking my life when I pilot the EVA?"

Shit. She was good. She knew that defending us from angels was already putting her life on the line.

"Wow…I am impressed."

Again silence. I had the feeling that she didn't want to talk much. Unlike her counterparts, Rei had a personality of a doll.

"Let's say that I asked you to jump of a cliff. You would say no. Why is that? What makes me so different from your superiors?"

She replied, "I know that my superiors would not tell me to do something foolish without any valid reason. Therefore if you tell me to jump off a cliff then it is towards your own gain. I do not know whether or not your gains are either foolish or wise."

"Do you trust your superiors then?"

"I trust in what they tell me."

Glancing at the clock, I saw it was already 6:15. I wrote again. "Why were you late anyways?"

"There was an angel attack within NERV HQ. The Magi were in danger. The others were successful in defeating it."

"When you say others, do you mean Asuka and Shinji?"

"No. My superiors were able to handle the angel."

"I see…You are dismissed, Rei. Do you know how to get back home by yourself?"

"Yes," she said getting up.

I was looking over my notes when I asked the question. The notes are what follows:

Rei will follow orders to the last letter.

Her relations with her teammates are non-existent so far.

The' cliff question' proves that she trusts her superiors with her life and safety.

Rei will talk only when prompted to.

Sometimes she gives a straight answer, sometimes she doesn't.

Rei is respectable to her superiors. Especially to the commander.

Overall evaluation for today: Rei is a strange characters, keeps to herself. She needs to get out of her shell, sort of speak.

"Well make sure you're…" I looked up. She was already gone. "Who do you think you are, Batman?"

I made my way to the window. The secretary was leaving.

"I'm off, M. See you tomorrow."

"Yeah…tomorrow." I waved her off. Looking over the semi-lit room, I looked over every detail…including the bible on the shelf. That reawakened my question and I thought about it.

In my own weird way, I asked the sky, "now…what would you be plotting?"

The ending might be screwy and I'm sorry about that. Anyways, I hoped that you like this chapter. Four pages, that's an improvement. Please R&R and no flames. Absolutely, NO FLAMES.