Chapter 9: Angel Interrogation

Sachiel focus

Sachiel situation remained the same. He was still attached on the table, but he stopped trying to escape, he knew it was useless. So, he focused on the regeneration of his core. It was still far from complete, but the cracked mostly subsided. He closed his eyes and relaxed.

I'm sure their threats aren't empty, but I'm sure the lilims are waiting for them to show a moment of weakness. It's not going to happen. Even if they tortured me, I'm not going to betray my family.

The door opened and Sachiel wondered if the traitor came again. He couldn't see it, but he heard two pair of footsteps.

It was Ritsuko and Kozo Fuyutsuki who entered in the roof. Ritsuko pushed a rolling table with tools on it.

"We meet again angel," Ritsuko said.

Sachiel didn't reply. He knew pain was about to come. He braced himself and shut his mouth.

"He's not really talkative right now," Kozo replied looking at the angel.

Kozo moved in the range of the angel vision. He saw the man with peach skin, gray hair and brown eyes looking at him with anger and hatred. He wore a dark purple uniform.

"So we have to make him talk. Ritsuko. Did you prepare everything?" Kozo asked.

"Yes," she replied outside of Sachiel view.

Sachiel heard a sound he didn't like at all. It was a high pinch sound of something rotating at fast pace.

"I'm not a sadist...But when it comes to angel, I can make an exception," Ritsuko replied.

What's...that? Sachiel asked about the sound.

"Something that will make you talk angel," Kozo replied. "I have one simple question to ask. Where the angels are hiding?"

Like I'm going to tell you that! I will not betray my siblings! Sachiel shouted at them.

Kozo smiled at the answer: "I was hoping you'll refuse to answer. You can start Ritsuko."

"Understood Deputy commander. Angel...I've studied a few dead bodies of your kind a few years ago. We've kept them frozen until someone was ready to study the secret inside their skin. I was the one. I made a hypothesis and I'm going to confirm right now if I'm right."

A what? Sachiel asked.

Ritsuko ignored the question: "We know that if you core is destroyed, you die. When it comes to your body, you are extremely resilient, but when your body is damage over 75% you are also considered dead, although, that's not the important part. What's important is about you angel. You can feel pain like us."

"Also, like us, they are some part of your body that react strongly to pain and some other part less sensible," Kozo continued.

"From my dissection of the angels I had, there are a lot of nerves around your core, surely sensible and pain ready to explode in your body if we try severing them," Ritsuko said.

She showed her surgical rotary saw and the angel couldn't help to fear him.

Like that's going to hurt me. Sachiel said, trying to be brave.

Ritsuko smiled lightly when she heard fear in his voice.

"Gendo is here with Makoto Hyuga, who's ready to write the answers of the angel," Kozo said.

"It's a shame we cannot record anything with the camera or a recorder, but those cannot record mind communication," Ritsuko said. She moved her saw closer to Sachiel core.

"Now Sachiel, anything to say or we start torturing you?" Kozo asked without any emotion in his voice.

I'm not going to betray my family! Sachiel shouted.

"Do it," Kozo said.

Ritsuko nodded and moved the saw closer. It touched the angel skin near his core and cut through the skin and right in the nerve. Sachiel screamed in pain as red blood came out of his skin.

Shinji focus

Shinji and Misato entered in Nerv base through the elevator.

"How deep is the base?" Shinji asked.

Misato looked at him and smiled: "It starts around 1 000 m. below the ground. I'm not sure myself, but it's extremely deep underground. I think it's even deeper than that."

"Why did you bring me here?" Shinji asked. He remembered that Misato had suddenly the idea of bringing him here after her returned from school and he didn't know why.

"Because you need to get familiar with the base. Starting tomorrow, you will start to learn how to fight in an Eva armor," Misato lost her smile and looked at Shinji: "You almost die against the angel. You clearly weren't ready for this."

"Y-yeah. I don't even know how I beat him," Shinji replied.

"No one knows either. Anyway, were here. Come, I'll show you the command room before meeting my friend Ritsuko. I'm sure she will have some explanation to give you for the Plug suit," Misato said smiling once again.

When the elevator reached the base and the door opened, Shinji and Misato walked in the white corridor leading to the command room. Once they reached the command room, Shinji saw inside all computers with a big screen at the top of the room. Shinji saw at the screen construct vehicles taking the remaining debris where Sachiel blew that part of the town. Shinji turned his faze away from the destruction and looked at he saw a map of Tokyo-3 as a 3-D hologram at the lower floor. He saw around 10 members of Nerv in their uniform, but two of them stuck out as they joined them.

"Hi Misato!" the two said.

The voice of the first one was familiar to Shinji. She had peach skin, short brown hair and brown eyes. She wore a white pant with the gray uniform of Nerv. She smiled at Shinji.

"Hello there Shinji. I'm Maya Ibuki one of the computer technician and often helped with the communication when Misato is absent," she with a smile.

The other one had peach skin, long brown hair and eyes of the same color. He wore a gray shirt with pants of the same color as his Nerv uniform.

"Hi Shinji. I'm Shigeru Aoba. I'm another computer technician and I'm also keeping an eye on the map during an angel attack," he said.

"What are you doing here?" Maya asked with a smile.

"I am showing Shinji around Nerv base. He needs to know his way around here," Misato replied. She looked around and noticed someone was absent: "Where's Makoto?"

"He's in our special jail. They are interrogating the angel right now," Shigeru replied.

"I understand. Come Shinji, there's more to see," Misato replied with a smile.

Shinji followed Misato as she showed him around. They walked through the corridor until they reached a large room having the shape of a cube. Everything was white, the walls, ground and the ceiling.

"This is the simulation room, this is where you will train to develop your skill as an Eva warrior," Misato said.

"Eva warrior?" Shinji asked.

"I think it's a nice name," Misato replied with a smile.

"Alright," Shinji replied dropping his head.

"Let's go elsewhere," Misato said. "One of the most important places to know is the bathroom, you never know when you need to go there and this place is h-u-g-e. You might not have time to find it if you don't know where they are."

Sachiel stopped screaming in pain and the only thing he could see was the cold gaze of Kozo who said without emotion: "You still refuse to talk?"

Argh...N-Nev-v-ver. Sachiel couldn't see himself, but the nerves around his core were damaged by the saw and the pain was still screaming around his core. He could hear the sound of his blood falling on the ground.

"Continue," Kozo said.

Ritsuko reactivated the saw and cut another nerve. Sachiel screamed in agony with his shoulder bones opening. Sachiel tried to break his restrain, but he couldn't do anything.

When the nerve was severed, Ritsuko stopped cutting the nerve and Sachiel breathed weakly. The pain was too immense for the angel and felt the urge to end the pain at any cost. Sachiel sealed his thought and grunted painfully.

Stop... Sachiel said weakly.

"Not until you answer the question," Kozo replied.

I won't...b-betray my...fami-ily. Sachiel replied with his voice trembling.

Kozo and Ritsuko smiled when they heard his voice.

"We should keep going," Kozo said.

No! S-stop! Sachiel begged.

"Angels are resilient, but you are reaching your limit," Kozo told the angel.

You...You are mon-monsters, Sachiel replied.

"Said the real monster," Ritsuko said to the Angel.

Outside the room, Gendo was watching the interrogation without any emotions while Makoto face turned a little green. Ritsuko was about to cut another nerve when something interrupted them.

"STOP!" a voice screamed.

"Shinji!" Misato said.

Gendo turned around and saw his son glaring at him and everyone in the room.

"Misato. Take him outside," Gendo ordered.

Misato tried to grab Shinji arm, but he pushed her grasp.

"You can't do this!" Shinji shouted in disgust.

Gendo glared at his son, he looked right in his son eyes. Shinji took a step back under his father gaze, but he grunted at his father and took a step forward. He picked his small core and moved it close to his chest.

"Why are you stopping us?" Gendo asked. Shinji didn't reply and his father continued: "If we obtain the location of the angels, we will kill them all and end this."

"I cannot let you do this," Shinji replied.

"You know they killed Yui right?!" Gendo shouted.

The others watched the argument between the two, but none of them intervene. Shinji clenched his fist and grunted furiously.

"I know they killed my mother! I know! But this is too much!" Shinji shouted. He looked at Sachiel. "I want them dead like you father...But NOT that way."

Gendo and Shinji glared at each other's silently for a while. Gendo looked away and sighted.

"Fine. The interrogation is over," Gendo finally said.

Everyone picked their stuff and walked away. None of them looked at Shinji and Gendo or reply negatively because the angel was about to crack. Shinji and Gendo continued glaring at each other's. After a few minutes, only him, his father and Misato were still near the angel cell.

"This is the only time I will let go of this disobedience Shinji. Next time, you'll end up arrested for this," Gendo warned his son.

Shinji saw his reflection through his father glasses, but maintained his ground: "I don't think mom will want this to happen."

Gendo put his hand over his glasses and walked away: "True."

Shinji turned around and when his father was out of the room, he sat on the ground and shivered.

"Are you alright Shinji?" Misato asked sitting next to him.

"Yeah. I'm sorry Misato. I just couldn't ignore it...When I heard the angel screaming...I just couldn't," Shinji said.

Misato found nothing to say except something simple: "It's alright Shinji. I think we should go. It's not a good idea to stay near the angel."

Shinji nodded and they stood up. They walked away, but they stopped when they heard the angel painfully said: T-thank you.

They turned around and looked at the angel. After a few seconds, they let him alone.

Sachiel sighted relief that his torment was over. Why would the one who defeated me do that? He asked himself.

Red spot of light appeared in the cell and watched Sachiel.

Brother. Are you alright? Thousands of voices said in Sachiel mind.

I-Ireul? Sachiel asked.

Yes brother. Are you alright? Ireul asked.

Can y-you see me? Sachiel asked.

Yes. Ireul replied.

Then y-you k-know I'm in h-horrible pain. Sachiel answered.

Brother. Tomorrow, we are coming to save you. Hang in there. Ireul said before disappearing.

Sachiel sighted and replied: I cann-not really do any-anything else.

It was the night and Toji walked in his chamber. It was an ordinary chamber with a bed with black sheet, a desk with his computer and a bookshelf with mostly manga with giant robot righting alien. There were a few pictures of the boy's family and some with only his sister on it.

He sighted exhausted and he took out his shirt and put it on his bed.

"I hope you'll get better soon sister," Toji whispered.

He took out his core like necklace and looked at it for a few seconds before he put it on his desk.

"Time to take a shower," Toji said.

He walked outside his chamber. Fog appeared in front of the window of the boy chamber. The fog opened the window and moved around the core-like necklace.

That lilim made a mistake leaving his core alone. Well...Makes thing easier for me. Bardiel said.

The fog covered the core with blue fungus until the red core was completely blue. After this, the blue fungus entered in the core.

After a while, Toji returned to his chamber and took a small glance at the necklace and its red core. Toji walked at his desk and took a book he had to study for an exam and read it without a lot of motivation.

Infiltration complete. Lilim. You are now our spy. Bardiel said to himself only.

AC: This is the end of chapter 9.

Do not forget that wherever Toji is, Bardiel's with him even if he's not mentioned.

Starting next chapter, it will once again be an action pace in multiple chapters. I hope you will like it.

Chapter 10: The impenetrable enemy.