Neon Genesis Evangelion: Apotheosis Echo

by StriderInCosmos

What happens when someone who knows how stories really work enters one to change its course? Though the destiny of Tokyo-3 may change, it will yet become the center point of events in ways that those who live in it could never imagine.

30. Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Stepping Back from the Light

It was an interesting experience, what came next. Death was no stranger to me, nor was being brought back to life. The fashion it was done in was… well, interesting, to say the least. But at least it would be quick. And a good thing that was, too. The Children, NERV, the world, needed every advantage it could get soon...

Ritsuko's Lab, Geofront, Late February 2016

Ritsuko and Maya's hands flew around the incomplete project that they had begun months ago as a public cover operation for some of their more secretive projects. It was an LCL diagnostic tank, made for showcasing the medical purposes of LCL in the far off, impossible days when they would supposedly become a more public fixture.

Now, however, it had to actually prove itself, and quickly. Eleanor and Misato were on their way with Daniel Theisman's body and soul. And, according to Misato, LCL was one of the biggest parts of the solution to bringing him back from the dead.

They were in the middle of finishing up the final checks when they heard the crashing of a wave behind them, and looked behind them to see a wall of flowing water, as Daniel's body, laid on a metal slab, emerged head first, followed by Misato, Eleanor, Shinji, Rei, and Asuka, above whose left forearm hovered a copy of the slab in miniature as her face glistened with sweat and her brow furrowed in concentration.

Eleanor leaned over Daniel as she walked, her brow similarly furrowed as the wall of water disappeared behind her, leaving only the scent of the clean open ocean.

Ritsuko stood and made her way over to Daniel, activating her Sight as four metal legs flowed out from underneath the slab, hitting the metal floor with a dull clunk as Asuka breathed a sigh of relief.

Ritsuko saw Frames emanating from the tips of Eleanor's fingers, thick and clawlike, as they slowly dug into the Flux, which appeared to be a shifting, dark-hued, muted blotch that was broken up by the scattered remnants of Daniel's Frame, and extracted it through what looked like a peek into the deep sea on her hands and arms. "So, what's going on?"

Eleanor shook her head. "I'm clearing up enough Flux to get his soul back into his body." she said without looking up at Ritsuko. "It's a very difficult process."

Maya finished the preparations for the tube, then came to stand at Ritsuko's side as she similarly peered down at Daniel's body and soul. Or lack thereof. "What makes it so difficult?"

Eleanor released her Frames and stepped back from Daniel, wiping her forehead. "Well, the fact that when Flux builds up to sufficient levels, it gets really hard to remove without a Vent Frame already there. It's like… scratching at wood with your fingernails, is what I'm doing right now. You'll get through it, but it takes a lot of time, and it can be painful for the person extracting it. It makes for some damnably difficult armor to pierce through with any sort of Interfacing when it's worked the right way. But that's not pertinent right now. "

Ritsuko nodded. "I'll take your word for it. Is he going to be ready soon?"

Eleanor nodded. "I've almost got enough space to put his core back in without any negative repercussions. I can work on him while he's in the tank as well."

Misato nodded. "Then let's get him in." She turned to Ritsuko. "Is it ready?"

Ritsuko nodded. "We just need to pump in the LCL and run some final diagnostics. That shouldn't take too long."

"Alright." Misato said. She turned back to Eleanor. "Can Hikari help you out?"

Eleanor nodded. "She can, but she's still resting from helping out with Rei. I'll talk to her later."

The tank soon gurgled with slowly filling LCL, Daniel's body suspended within it as it glowed orange. Daniel wore a latex suit, not terribly unlike the Plugsuits that the pilots wore, and had a rebreather over his face for when he actually started to breathe again. The suit was not as form-fitting as the Plugsuits were, but it still showed his broad, but slim barrel-like body with little in the way of flattery. But for now, flattery was secondary to survival.

Eleanor continued her work as soon as Daniel was confirmed to be hooked up properly, carving channels as quickly as she could to ensure that the Frames could at least connect to the brain once work began.

After almost an hour, Eleanor stepped back from the tube, and pulled out Daniel's soul. "You idiot." she whispered, then the water, and the gleam within it, vanished from sight as Eleanor slowly lifted Daniel's soul back into place within him.

As it found its place, Eleanor breathed out a quiet sigh of relief as she watched the beginnings of Frames start to grow on Daniel's core. After some more cleaning of Flux, she stepped back. "Alright." she said quietly, then looked back at Misato, who stood with Ritsuko, Maya, and the present Children behind a console that monitored the tank. "He's now on his way to recovery. Not only that, but what would have taken several years is now going to take… about a month, with myself and Hikari checking in on him and helping the process along."

The others sighed quietly, and Shinji stepped forward. "Is there anything we can do to help?"

Eleanor's head dipped as she cupped her chin and thought silently for a moment. "Other than providing some more energy for Hikari and I to use, not anything directly. But any little bit helps for us to get it done faster." she said as she looked back up at Shinji and the other Children. "Thank you." she said softly.

"Of course, Eleanor." Shinji said. "After all he's done for us…" he trailed off, and Asuka and Rei both nodded silently.

Eleanor smiled wearily, then sighed heavily. "Well, he's safe now. And I am wrung out. We'll get back to him, alright?"

Ritsuko nodded. "We'll keep an eye on him and tell you if anything changes radically."

Eleanor nodded in turn. "Thank you, Ritsuko."

. . .

Eleanor walked back into her apartment, Rei in tow, and they both collapsed onto the couch.

They were exhausted and grief-stricken, and the weariness they felt seemed to extend to their souls as much as it did to what felt like every part of their body.

After a moment of silence, Rei scooted over to Eleanor, and wordlessly embraced her. They sat that way for what seemed like ages.

"I know why." Rei said quietly, breaking a fragile, sad silence.

"You do?" Eleanor said just as quietly.

Rei nodded. "Daniel… he's been here before. On another Echo. That's why… he saw me..." she trailed off, unsure of what to say next.

Eleanor nodded. "Yes." she said, with the certainty of someone who had lived with the knowledge nearly since she had arrived here.

Rei looked up at Eleanor. "Why? Why didn't he tell us?" she said almost pleadingly. "Especially after we knew about the existence of other universes?"

Eleanor sighed. "I asked him the same question when I finally fully figured it out."

Rei continued to look up at Eleanor as she sighed. "And… he said that he didn't want you to feel like he loved you because of his experiences somewhere else. He wanted to love you for you. No one else."

Rei looked down as she nodded slowly. "I see. Even still…"

Eleanor shook her head. "I know." Eleanor snorted quietly. "You and I both know that there's going to be a line to tell him how stupid he is. And I apologise, but I'm going to go first. If you don't mind."

Rei chuckled softly. "We'll see what the final queue is."

Eleanor chuckled in turn, and they fell silent and enjoyed the change in atmosphere for a moment.

After a moment, Eleanor blinked as a random thought came to mind. "Rei." she said, looking down at her as she looked back up. "When is your birthday?"

Rei blinked, then looked down as she considered the question for a moment. "All my current records show that my birthday is March 30th, 2000. I will, chronologically at least, turn 16."

Eleanor nodded. "And… I don't think we celebrated either Shinji or Asuka's birthdays last year. Is that correct?"

Rei thought for a moment, then nodded. "Correct. I do not recall Shinji's birthday ever being celebrated last year. You may have to ask Toji or Kensuke about that. And as for Asuka's, in the aftermath of the Revenant attack, and the renewed focus on training and preparing for Arael, Asuka's was… forgotten." she said the last word with a blush of embarrassment.

Eleanor nodded. "Don't feel too bad about it, Rei. Even Asuka seems to have forgotten. So…" she trailed off, a gleam entering her eyes.

Rei looked back up as she began to connect the dots. "Are you saying we should celebrate together?" she said, a smile growing on her face.

Eleanor smiled back at Rei. "Well, after everything that's happened," she said, as her smile dimmed, "and everything that's likely about to happen, we need a spot of happiness in our lives before we plunge into the night, as it were."

Eleanor chuckled. "And, if things go well, then Daniel coming back will be quite the birthday present, don't you think?"

Eleanor did not need to see Rei's soul to see the joy that shone from her. She tightened her hug as she buried her face into Eleanor's side. "That would be amazing, Eleanor. Thank you."

Eleanor couldn't help but smile. "Of course, Rei."

. . .

1 Week Later, Early March 2016

Daniel Theisman became cognizant again. 'Ah. Well then.' he thought, somewhat surprised that legible thought was also on the table. 'I wonder how long it's been.'

He felt a weight all around him, almost but not quite cold, that seemed to block any sort of perception he could currently lay claim to. 'And that would be the Flux. It feels like there's… a lot. Was I really that careless?'

Then, memory decided to do a cannonball into the swimming pool that was his line of thought, and he remembered what, exactly, brought him to this current point in time. The sight of the Angel, wearing Rei's face. The explosion, and the pain that went with it. The almost unthinking desperation of running, running, all the way to the point where Rei's Entry Plug had crashed, and holding her in his arms. The grim resolve as he tore his Frame, his very soul, apart, so she could live. 'Well then.' he thought again, far more soberly. He hoped that he'd gotten there in time.

As he ruminated, he felt another presence, and perceived the distinct impression of the smell of the ocean, the gentle crash of waves as the Flux around them was cut apart and siphoned away. 'Eleanor.' he thought, first in relief, then in guilt. She was probably going to be quite mad, wasn't she?

The Frames that were Eleanor's scalpels retracted, and another Frame reached out and bound itself to a small, reaching tendril of Daniel's own. "Eleanor?" he said, tentatively.

The distinct impression of a slap across the face was his first answer. It was quiet for a moment as he contemplated this before Eleanor answered. "You idiot! Going off and playing hero like that instead of just waiting for me? Really?"

Daniel felt a spike of guilt. "I can't hide behind the heat of the moment, can I?"

"No, Daniel. You can't." Eleanor said hotly. Then it was quiet again for a moment. "But… you remembered. Rei knows that you remembered. I should have remembered that."

Daniel was silent for a moment. "You're still right, though. I should have waited. Then, I wouldn't be…" he trailed off. "Where am I, actually?"

A sigh. "You are currently in a tank of LCL that was rather hastily made ready by Ritsuko and Maya, being tended to by myself and Hikari." a pause. "She says you were, and I quote, 'quite foolish and should have waited for us to help'."

Daniel chuckled. "I'm not surprised. And I'm guessing most of the others have something to say to that effect."

"You would be correct." Eleanor said. "Now, I really should get back to work so that you aren't so clogged with Flux that you can't go beyond being in a coma."

Eleanor disconnected herself, and the scalpel-vacuums reappeared and got back to work.

'Oh, Eleanor.' Daniel thought, not for the first time, and surely not for the last. 'Who did I make happy enough to get you? Besides your father and brother?'

. . .

1 Week Later

Asuka, Shinji, Rei, and Kaworu walked down the street, returning home from school. Not as many cars passed by as they had in the past, and the classroom was getting emptier and emptier. The writing was on the wall. The Angels, once tolerated and hidden away from, had finally seemed to have broken the courage of many residents to stay. Many of the businesses had become closed until further notice, and homes had started to pop up as 'For Sale' more and more along their route home.

In short, the city was becoming a ghost of itself. And all of the Children felt this keenly. Especially when Kensuke, Sayaka and Kyoko's families moved to Tokyo-2.

They, on the other hand, had to stay, after all. It was their duty. Their responsibility. Their families had to stay, too.

So, to take their minds off of the mounting pressure, the dread of what they could guess was coming, they talked about the birthday party. Asuka and Shinji had been nearly overjoyed at the idea. And, with the hope that their help could ensure that Daniel could be there, they spent as much time as Eleanor and Ritsuko would allow trying to help Hikari and Eleanor clean Daniel out of the Flux inside of him.

They chatted about cakes and candles and decorations, Kaworu almost giddy at the thought of celebrating the simple fact that someone existed, the other three basking in his excitement.

As they turned onto an alleyway that now was flanked only by rows of empty houses, Rei's smile dimmed as she slowed to a stop. She looked down slightly as the others turned to regard her with confusion and concern on their faces. "Rei?" Kaworu said softly, walking up to her. "What's wrong?"

"We'll need to finish the show now. Soon, I feel." Rei said quietly, and mirth departed from the group as all of them adopted the serious look Rei's face held. "If what I am assuming happens next, SEELE would intend to move their plans forward in the event of Kaworu's death." she said, and looked back up at the others. "If the Scenario has depended on the deaths of the other Angels, then, likely…" she trailed off. "Such would be the case here, too."

They all looked at each other silently as the weight of such a scenario settled on their shoulders heavily.

Shinji fixed his gaze on Rei, a determined look in his eyes. "Then we protect him. We're Eva pilots. We're Interfacers. We've fought gods and monsters, and saved the world dozens of times. We protect humanity. So, what's the added challenge, really?"

Shinji was silent for a moment, then looked away and blushed slightly. Asuka nodded, putting a hand on Shinji's shoulder as she looked at Kaworu. "Shinji's right, Kritzeln. We're here to protect each other. It's as simple as that."

Kaworu smiled slightly. "Thank you. All of you."

The Children nodded. Then they blinked. Something was… off. It wasn't just quiet now. It was… silent. Completely. No birds sang, no horns honked, no sound of any kind from the outside world seemed to reach them.

The Children looked around them as the end of the alleyway that they had come from seemed to shimmer and distort. They looked back up the alleyway as well, then slowly circled around Kaworu and began to walk again, almost creeping towards the other end of the alley.

As they rounded a bend in the alley, they came face to face with four familiar forms. They had grown slightly larger, yes, but they all knew the Revenants all the same.

This time, however, as Asuka, Shinji and Rei put themselves between Kaworu and their Grips seemed to appear out of thin air, they were far more ready than they were even only a few months ago.

The Revenants seemed content to wait and watch as the Children's chosen weapons sprang to life. Shinji began to float off the ground, and Asuka and Rei entered ready stances, Rei raising a rapier of stained glass, and Asuka holding forward a gleaming damascened great sword as dagger-like shards of metal floated behind her.

Kaworu's blade was a simple curved saber of iridescent Plasm, but it would be enough to defend him, as the Revenants finally approached. Each seemed intent on single combat, which now surprised none of them, and the Children spread out as far as they dared to give each other room.

Then, the Revenants rushed forward, seeming to stretch as the Children stepped forward to meet them.

They were as gelatinous as they had been, perhaps even a little more, as they stretched and contorted out of the way of blows that would have bisected their Frames. Asuka had more success than the others, her flying shards of metal puncturing her opponent from time to time, punching holes into its Frame and causing it to stagger. Shinji did a flip over the head of the one that he engaged, swinging down with his spear and striking it on the shoulder, cutting deep and shattering the Frame there.

The Revenant that faced Rei, on the other hand, seemed to drive towards her relentlessly, battering aside her blows and driving her back. It got within her weapon's reach, and before she could make her weapon any shorter to compensate, it grabbed a hold of her head with both arms, and pain erupted in her head. It was like Arael all over again, as it felt like the Revenant combed through her brain and her memories and thoughts were laid bare.

"Rei!" Kaworu shouted, but he could do little more than that as his opponent pressed down on him with greater ferocity. He had to save her. He couldn't let her be hurt like this again. He could help her. He needed to.

As these thoughts raced through his mind, his AT Field, his birthright as the descendant of an Angel, unfurled almost on instinct and trapped the Revenant before him in a box of oscillating rainbow octagons. As it struggled to escape, Kaworu's sword became a long, broad headed spear, and a hole opened up in the box as his AT Field held the struggling Revenant in place.

Kaworu jabbed the now gleaming blade deep into the Revenant's chest, shattering its core, and as he released his AT Field, the Revenant's body flowed to the ground as an inert pile of Plasm.

As all this transpired, Rei felt the weight on her mind lift after what finally seemed like too long, and the Revenant retreated, its companions doing the same, with holes and a deep gash from shoulder to stomach decorating the other two as they similarly backed away.

After a moment, they turned, and ran. "Hey! Get back here and let us finish the job!" Asuka shouted after them. "Cowards!"

Shinji touched down, and looked back at Rei and Kaworu. Rei got to her feet, rubbing her head. Kaworu, on the other hand, looked down at the slowly expanding puddle of Plasm at his feet with no small amount of shock.

"Rei?" Shinji said, walking towards her. "Are you okay?"

Asuka turned back, her eyes filling with concern as she took in the sigh of her friend. Rei nodded after a moment. "I'll be fine… I think." Rei said.

"What did it do to you, Rei?" Asuka said, her blade and shards disappearing as she walked over to Rei.

Rei shook her head. "I am… unsure. It seemed to be attacking my mind directly in much the same fashion as Arael did."

Kaworu suppressed a shudder as he remembered what Arael had done to the both of them. "Why, though? The last time they attacked, they may have used our fears against us, but they never tried to…" he trailed off as he considered what other thing that the Revenant could have done.

"Look through our memories." Rei said, and her head dipped in thought as they heard the tweeting of birds above them again. Then she looked back up at all of them. "Did any of the other Revenants attempt to grab you as they did me?"

After a moment of consideration, the other three shook their heads. "No. At least mine didn't seem to." Shinji said. "I was floating around at the time, so I'd probably be pretty hard to catch."

Asuka nodded. "And I punched mine full of enough holes and kept it away, so it never got the chance to get close enough to me."

Kaworu looked back at the Plasm that had begun to make its way towards a storm drain. "And… my AT Field helped me take care of that one."

Asuka cracked a small smile. "Congratulations, Kritzeln. You scored your first Revenant kill."

Kaworu smiled slightly and blushed just as slightly. "Thank you, Asuka."

Shinji nodded and smiled at Kaworu and smiled, then the smile dimmed after a moment. "The point still stands. The Revenants seemed to be after our memories. And they only got Rei's. That's the moment they decided to cut their losses and run. So the question becomes… what do they want with our memories?"

The Children's expressions became serious. "Good question, Shinji." Asuka said. "On top of that," she continued, "what are they going to do with just Rei's memories?"

The questions ate at them. It annoyed them all to one extent or another that, really, they just didn't know.

Rei shook her head. "Perhaps we will find out. But for now, let's get home. We've done quite enough standing around out in the open."

"Agreed." Shinji said, turning to walk again. "Let's go."

. . .

They arrived home safely, much to their relief, after sending a quick text to Hikari and Toji as they walked home as quickly as they could. Misato was still out at work, likely dealing with the utterly humongous amount of paperwork that Unit-00's destruction brought in its wake. Kaji, on the other hand, looked up from the couch as he muted the TV. "Hey, kids. It's a little later than usual. Traffic hold you up?"

Asuka shook her head. "No. Revenants did."

Kaji's bemused face became serious as he stood up from the couch. "Well, it doesn't look like any of you are seriously hurt. Did you face all of them?"

Shinji nodded. "Yeah. The ones that were left after Christmas Eve, at least. The thing is…" he shook his head. "They didn't seem to want to kill us. Or at least, we don't think so."

Kaji's brow rose. "Oh, really? Then what did they do?"

Rei shook her head. "One of them… seemed to look through my memories. After it did that, they all ran. They may have been after all of our memories, but… I'm not so sure."

Kaji shook his head after a moment of silence. "Well, I don't know what to tell you. Keep an eye out, really, but I can assume that you'll already be doing that."

The Children all nodded. "Well," Shinji said after a moment, "I'll get dinner started, but you and Misato will be eating on your own tonight. All of us, along with Hikari and Toji, are doing a group date in the Infinity Box."

Kaji nodded as he smiled. "Ah well. I understand. Movie night?"

Asuka rolled her eyes. "However did you know?"

Kaji chuckled slightly. "Because you've turned Rei and Kaworu into cinephiles, it's not the hardest guess in the world. Got a movie planned?"

It was silent for the briefest of moments. "We'll be deciding on one with Hikari and Toji when they arrive." Rei said.

Kaji nodded after a moment. 'My. She's quite good at lying, isn't she?' he would let it slide. For now. "Alright then. You kids have fun." he said lightly.

. . .

The Infinity Box

The Children all stared almost anxiously at the television screen that the back wall had become from the comfort of the long couch. They had witnessed themselves being… broken. In one way, or another. Now, they would witness… the end. There wasn't anyone in the room that wasn't filled with some sort of trepidation going into this.

After a moment of pensive silence, Asuka took a deep breath. "Alright. Let's finish this."

. . .

Episode 25: A World That's Ending/Do you love me?

They watched silently as the Human Instrumentality Project, as seen through the eyes of Shinji Ikari, began, and a wall of text, accompanied by a seemingly omniscient voice from the darkness, interrogated a huddled, defeated Shinji Ikari. Then, they watched as Asuka seemingly threw his words at her feet with contempt in her voice, then as Rei cooly did the same.

They watched as Rei and Asuka underwent similar interrogations, as the screen showed Unit-02 at the bottom of a lake, Asuka curled up inside as she lamented how useless she had become, and how she feared to be isolated. Alone.

They watched Rei, and Rei, and yet another Rei, all converse with themselves, and wonder at whether any of them were the real Rei Ayanami. They watched as they came to the conclusion that, in the end, none of them were, and that the personality behind Rei Ayanami lurked somewhere beyond.

They watched as Gendo, Misato and Ritsuko each explained what, exactly, Instrumentality was. As Misato and Ritsuko argued over whether or not humanity had any right to initiate it.

They all glanced away with blushes of various degrees as the Shinji of the show gained a voyeuristic peek at Misato and Kaji in the middle of passionate sex. As Misato faced herself, her wants, and her fears.

They returned to Asuka, and the conflict that seemed ready to tear her apart in front of the Shinji of the show's very eyes.

As the episode finished, Shinji looked down in thought. "I wonder… would Instrumentality really be that introspective?"

All eyes turned to Rei, and she cupped her chin thoughtfully. "Perhaps. It is a unification of all souls on Earth, after all. In the last moments before it begins in earnest, I am sure many would find something to pontificate on."

Everyone nodded slowly. "Well," Toji said after a moment. "I hope there isn't too much in the way of that next episode. I can only take so much navel gazing."

The room was filled for a moment with a low chuckle that faded away all too quickly. "Well, jock," Asuka said, "you've got at least one more episode of it, and whatever's in the movie, then we won't have to worry about navel gazing about what could have been again."

. . .

Episode 26: The Beast that Shouted Love at the Heart of the World/Take care of yourself.

The Children settled in, and watched as Shinji went on an increasingly surreal trip through his own mind, images of nature playing out as Shinji, Asuka, Rei and Misato asked themselves searching, deep questions.

They watched as Shinji grappled with his feelings, his passions, his fears. Shinji gasped slightly as he heard the voice of his mother, even after speaking to her again, as she told him only he could find happiness.

They watched as the screen became white as paper, and Shinji an outline of himself. They watched as Gendo stepped in to define the world Shinji floated through, as simply as drawing a line to denote a two-dimensional separation of ground and sky.

They all blinked as Shinji on the screen woke up to another world. A calmer world. A normal world. At least, as much calmer as it could be with Asuka shouting at him to wake up.

They watched with small, soft smiles as Shinji and Asuka worried about normal things, like getting to school on time, and who the new transfer student might be. As Gendo and Yui stood in the apartment, alive and together and loving. At least as loving as Gendo could be hidden behind a newspaper.

They watched as Rei became an interesting, yet fully human girl, and Misato a school teacher, and the world became… normal. It was… enticing, to think that they could live normal lives, be normal people.

Then the vision faded, and their smiles along with it, and Shinji sat in an empty auditorium, with only his voice, and an invisible other, to keep him company.

They smiled again as Shinji came to the conclusion that, yes, he could love himself, that he could be himself and stay where he was. They watched as the dark auditorium shattered, the view replaced with a daylight sky and a coral reef in a deep blue sea, as all the people Shinji cared about congratulated him.

Then, the episode, and thus the series, ended.

The Children sat in silence for a moment. "Man." Shinji said. "At least I finally seemed to find happiness, in the end."

Asuka nodded, her smile becoming a wry grin. "And all it took was the end of the world for you to finally get it."

A chuckle rippled through the air in the Infinity Box. Then, Rei leaned forward, and picked up a lone DVD case from the coffee table some of them had propped their feet up on, and studied it intently. "Now… we watch the end." she said quietly.

. . .

Episode 25': Air/Love is Destructive

The Children sat shocked into silence, as events picked up from Episode 24, and Shinji… released his tension onto a comatose Asuka.

Shinji shook his head, standing and circling back to behind the couch in silence as the movie paused after the scene, his face in his hands.

After a moment, Asuka stood, and slowly made her way towards Shinji. As she reached him, watching him shake his head, she slowly laid a hand on his shoulder.

Shinji flinched, and Asuka stepped back as Shinji looked at her with the most intense loathing she had ever seen. Even from herself.

"I… I…" Shinji said, trailing off as his mouth opened and closed wordlessly.

Asuka stepped forward, and gave him a tight hug. "Shinji. I'm right here. I'm right here. We're not whoever that is on the screen. I promise."

Shinji squeezed back tightly, shuddering slightly. After a moment, the shuddering stopped, and Shinji took a deep breath before exiting the embrace and looking at Asuka with gratitude. "Thank you." he said simply.

"Of course, Shinji." Asuka said. A look of determination filled her eyes. "Now, let's finish this. Together."

Shinji nodded, and they sat back down on the couch, as the movie began to play again.

They watched as Misato reviewed what she had learned. What had led to Kaji's death. They watched as Gendo and Fuyutsuki confronted SEELE one last time, as they blamed the two men for the loss of the Lance. As they stated that Unit-01, born of Lilith, and possessing an S2 Engine, would be the only thing left that was able to initiate Instrumentality. And, finally, as SEELE promised Gendo Ikari the death he seemed to seek.

They watched as SEELE began its assault, first striking through the digital realm with the combined power of five Magi systems. It was only Ritsuko's hastily erected '666' firewall that kept them at bay.

Then, the JSSDF stepped in, and the attack began in earnest. The Children watched in stunned silence as the soldiers brutally murdered anyone they came across, and a spike of fear drove itself into their hearts as Shinji fled into the depths of Central Dogma.

They watched as Misato gave command to Hyuga to go find Shinji, and as Gendo did the same to Fuyutsuki to go retrieve Rei.

They watched as a comatose Asuka was placed in Unit-02, and then at the bottom of the Geofront lake.

The silence felt especially heavy as Tokyo-3, the city they defended, was swept away by the light of an N2 strike, and the Geofront laid bare.

They watched as Misato narrowly saved Shinji from an execution that he seemed to welcome, and they rushed towards Unit-01, and Misato explained the nature of humanity's role as the 18th Angel, the children of Lilith.

They watched as Asuka woke up, aided by the depth charges that seemed to keep pelting her. As she realized her mama was inside Unit-02 the whole time.

"Come on…" Asuka whispered, as Unit-02 lifted the massive weight of the destroyer that circled the lake above her head, and threw it at the JSSDF forces. As Asuka dispatched the rest of the forces that stood against her with an almost contemptuous ease, even as they severed her umbilical cable.

Then they watched as the Mass-Production Evas, pale white with thick, red lips and a creepy, geometric smile, circled down towards the Geofront, and the waiting Unit-02, on massive wings, and all of them suppressed a shudder at the sight.

A rising sensation of hope, of defiance, took a hold of them as they watched Asuka show her skills as an Eva pilot, achieving a synch score that was almost ludicrous compared to where she had started at the beginning of the movie, dancing from Eva to Eva with a terrible grace, the blood of the MP-Evas caking onto Unit-02 as Auska found her determination.

They watched as Shinji and Misato continued their flight towards Unit-01, and gasped quietly as Misato took the bullets that were fired at them as they reached the elevator door. As she begged Shinji to pilot Unit-01 again. They cringed as Misato kissed Shinji deeply, and threw him into the elevator with a promise.

Then, the sight of a dying Misato was swept away by an explosion. The movie paused as the Children fell silent, tears pricking everyone's eyes, Shinji and Asuka's especially.

After a moment of silent consolation, the movie continued, and they watched Shinji sob as he looked down at the bloody necklace of his guardian.

They watched Gendo retrieve Rei from her vigil at the broken tank that once held her other bodies, and informed her that the time had come.

They all groaned as they watched the MP-Evas begin to stand again, and as Asuka blocked an oncoming heavy spear with her AT Field, they felt a surge of hope.

Hope became horror as the spear spiralled and twisted into a grey replica of the Lance of Longinus, and it tore through her AT Field, hitting Unit-02 in the eye. Asuka's eye exploded with it as she howled in pain, and the MP-Evas descended on Unit-02, tearing it apart as Asuka screamed.

As the MP-Evas lifted off, Asuka and Unit-02 reached a defiant arm to the heavens. They were met with a Lance that bisected the arms of both Eva and pilot down the middle. And Asuka continued to scream. Right up to the moment that Lances from all the rest of the Evas perforated Unit-02's decimated body. And Shinji heard all of this, on an elevator that scrolled ever downward, and in front of a Unit-01 that was encased in Bakelite.

The scene cut to Gendo and a nude Rei staring up at Lilith. Ritsuko appeared behind them with a revolver and a detonator in hand. As she stated her intention to blow up the facility before they could initiate Instrumentality.

The Children watched Ritsuko's shock as the detonator failed, and Ritsuko surmised that the Magi, the part that was based on her mother as a woman, decided to choose Gendo over her.

They watched as Gendo leveled his own pistol at Ritsuko, and said something the movie cloaked in silence. As Ritsuko smirked. "You liar." A gunshot, and the splash of LCL as Ritsuko's body hit it. They watched in dawning horror as visions of a multitude of Reis began to appear above Lilith.

They watched as Shinji seemed to lose all hope in front of Unit-01. Then, with a mighty crash, Unit-01 broke free of the plastic prison, and reached out to Shinji as he wondered if his mother's soul was calling to him.

They watched as the top of the Geofront pyramid exploded into a massive cross, then transformed into massive wings as Unit-01 bellowed its challenge to the heavens. Inside the Entry Plug, Shinji screamed as he saw the remains of Unit-02.

Then, 'TO BE CONTINUED...' flashed across the screen.

The movie was paused, and the Children all felt the sensation of the Infinity Box lifting out of time as Rei made it so. After a moment of stunned silence, Rei spoke quietly. "I believe we might need a moment before we finish this."

Asuka, tears flowing down her face as she and Shinji hugged each other tightly, nodded. "Yeah." she said in a husky voice. "Yeah, I think we do."

. . .

It took the better part of half an hour before the Children felt themselves ready to continue. There was little in the way of discussion. Simply holding each other in consolation. After all, who wanted to talk about what had happened to… most all of them? Or what might happen next?

But, in the end, the next, the last, title card appeared on the screen.

Episode 26': Sincerely Yours/ONE MORE FINAL: I need you.

The Children sat in silence as the events of the next episode washed over them. As Rei's arm fell off, and Gendo inserted Adam, embedded in his hand, into Rei's body in perhaps one of the creepiest ways possible.

As Shinji's anguish seemingly called the true Lance of Longinus back from the moon, and SEELE joyfully commenced Instrumentality.

They watched as the Mass Produced Evas crucified Unit-01, and made the pattern of the Tree of Life. As they overloaded their S2 Engines and created an Anti AT Field. As the Evas commenced Third Impact.

They watched silently as an enormous explosion, shaped eerily like an eye, shattered Japan, and uncovered the Geofront, the Black Moon, after so long spent being buried.

They watched as Rei consumed Adam, and Gendo's hand, as she rejected Gendo and regrew her arm, floating into the air towards Lilith as Gendo pleaded with her to change her mind. They watched as Rei, displaying joy in the show for perhaps the first time, declared she was home, and Lilith, for the first time ever, replied.

Then… things started to get really weird.

Surreal imagery washed over all of them, as Lilith flew out of the Geofront, and the physical process of Instrumentality broke Shinji and Unit-01 mentally. They watched as Unit-01's wings became a giant cross, the Tree of Life, and shuddered at Fuyutsuki's proclamation that the fate of the world was in Shinji's hands, as Shinji and Unit-01 were absorbed into Lilith.

Then, the visions began. A child version of Shinji building the destroyed Geofront pyramid in the sand of a playground, doll-like versions of Asuka and Rei helping him as studio lights and scaffolding surrounded them. Shinji destroying the pyramid in a fit of childish rage, then beginning to rebuild it again.

The image of Shinji and Asuka naked on top of each other, as Shinji told an annoyed Asuka just how alike they were, then Misato and Kaji having sex as Shinji watched in disgust, then onto a train car where Asuka and Misato and Rei all tried to console a frightened, indignant Shinji, then onward, or backward, to… the kiss.

Or, at least, it looked at first like it was the kiss. And the Children watched in sorrow as a cold, distant Asuka denied Shinji's want to be with her forever, recriminated him for simply wanting to have someone who paid attention to him.

Their shock turned to horror as Shinji, tossing chairs and the table aside in his grief as he begged Asuka to help him, finally snapped as she refused him, rushing up and beginning to savagely choke her. And Instrumentality began.

As Shinji declared that it would be better that everyone simply disappeared, the Black Moon and Unit-01 rose into the sky, Lilith taking it into her hands as massive wings sprouted from her back.

As for what happened next… It washed over all of them, seeming to drown them in the beautiful sorrow and spectacle of a world ending, of a broken boy experiencing… everything.

They watched with bated breath as Shinji spoke with Rei, and came to the conclusion he had in the show in a far more somber fashion, as Lilith seemed to begin to fall apart in graphic detail.

They watched as Unit-01 burst out of the red eye of Lilith, growing wings of light, as the Black Moon exploded, and the Mass Production Evas, impaled on their replica Lances, exploded as well, and all the gathered souls of humanity flowed back towards the Earth.

They watched intently, Shinji most of all, as the Shinji on the screen spoke with his mother for the last time. As they watched Yui Ikari explain to Fuyutsuki why she wanted to be in the core of an Evangelion, to stand as a monument to humanity after it had passed on from the universe. Tears filled Shinji's eyes as he watched Unit-01, and his mother along with it, float into the depths of space, carrying the Lance along with it.

They watched as Shinji emerged from a sea of LCL, half of the face of Lilith standing vigil over a silent world. They saw a row of crosses, one kicked over, and another draped with Misato's necklace. They saw the vision of the Mass Production Evas, petrified and seemingly crucified, scattered across the landscape.

And they saw Shinji laying on a white beach next to a bandaged Asuka, hands almost but not quite touching. Watched as Shinji sat up and saw an apparition of Rei on the sea disappear, then noticed Asuka.

They gasped quietly as Shinji once again began to strangle Asuka, then stopped as Asuka caressed his face gently, almost tenderly. As Shinji broke down sobbing, Asuka had one last thing to say. "How disgusting."

The final scene was a sight of the red sea LCL, the white beach which the two broken children lay on, the night sky broken up by a stripe of red, the stone Evas with arms spread wide. Then, white, with the black word 'END.' in the corner. Then, the screen went dark.

. . .

An exhausted sigh passed through the group. It was done. They had done it.

Otherwise, it was silent, as the Children all clung to each other desperately, as if they would drown in the tears that threatened to roll down their faces.

After what felt like forever, Rei extricated herself from Kaworu's embrace, and stood with a deep breath. "It's over." she said, not bothering to hide the relief in her voice. "We know what will most likely happen next." she continued as she turned to face the rest of the Children. "Now, we can stop it."

The others looked up, then nodded slowly one after the other. "Yeah." Shinji said quietly, then paused. "I… I lost everything. I almost…"

Asuka looked up and put a finger to Shinji's lips as she shook her head. "No, Shinji." she said quietly. "That's not you. That's not me. That's not anyone we know that was on that screen. Not anymore. We might kind of know what SEELE's going to do next, but they won't find you like you were on that screen. You won't be alone. You'll have all of us. You'll have me. We'll be together. And together, we win, Shinji."

Shinji smiled slightly. "Simple as that." he said quietly.

Asuka smiled back at him. "Simple as that. I knew I trained you well, rookie."

They chuckled quietly, then looked around them. Shinji's eyes fell on Hikari and Toji. "Hey. You two okay?" Shinji asked quietly as they looked over at him.

Toji nodded after a moment. "Yeah, Shin-man. We'll be fine. But you… damn, man…"

Shinji shook his head. "You heard Asuka, I'm sure. That's not me. I… as weird as it is to say this, I'm better than myself."

Toji and Hikari nodded. "Even still," Hikari said, "it must be hard, knowing that that could have potentially been what happened. That, somewhere else…"

Shinji nodded. "Yeah. But… there was one thing that we have that the show's version of us didn't. Outside help."

"Mr. Theisman." Kaworu quietly said, drawing all eyes to him. "If I am remembering correctly, you have stated that Mr. Theisman's first exposure to this world, to us, was through what we just watched."

Rei nodded. "It's no wonder, then, that he would go to such great lengths to help us."

The others nodded. After a moment, Asuka stood, pulling Shinji up with her. "We should probably get going, now." she rolled her eyes. "There's still homework to do, even with the end of the world approaching."

The others chuckled, and stood as well. As much as they wanted it to not be so, Asuka was still right. At least, for now.

1 Week Later

Shinji, Asuka, Kaworu and Rei all looked up at the LCL tank where Daniel rested. He'd made considerable progress, with their help, even as they all chastised him for pulling something so heroically stupid.

He was awake, for one, and looked around the room. His arms and legs twitched every now and again, the Frame not having been fully completed in them yet. Eleanor and Hikari were in the middle of fixing that, each working on one of his arms as Ritsuko and Maya studied the process intently.

In the meantime, the other four Children present engaged Daniel in conversation, which had become much easier now that he could actually speak, his voice only somewhat distorted by the speaker that carried it to them.

They had floated from one topic to the next, when Daniel, even behind glass and LCL as he was, proved his perception. "You guys seem… off, somewhat. Did something happen after the Revenant attack?"

It was quiet for a moment, and all of the Children paused for a moment, even Hikari holding her Frame's position for just a second before she returned to her work. "Well…" Shinji said after a moment. "We watched Neon Genesis Evangelion. And the End of Evangelion." he said quietly.

All eyes turned to them, Ritsuko and Maya's eyes widening, Eleanor's full of resigned acceptance.

Daniel's eyes were filled with worry, evident though the orange haze. It was silent for a moment before Daniel spoke again. "Are you all okay?" he said to all of them.

Shinji nodded. "Yeah. It took a little while to get over it, but… yeah. We'll be okay. This world won't be like what we saw."

Daniel nodded as much as he could. "I dearly hope so. And I'm sure it will be."

"Yeah." Asuka said. "Especially once you finally get out of that tank and back on your feet." she said as she smiled.

Daniel chuckled quietly. "Yes." he looked over at Eleanor as best he could. "How long do you estimate that will take, honey?"

Eleanor glanced up and to the side as she thought for a moment. "Well, if the others get off their butts and keep helping me," she said as she looked back at the Children with a wry grin, "then you've got maybe a week, week and a half, tops, before you're able to walk around."

Asuka sniffed in mock indignation. "Well, we're quite tired, Eleanor. It's not our fault that we had synch tests today!" Asuka's indignation faded into happiness. "Especially when it's Hikari's first with Unit-03 after what happened with Bardiel."

Daniel's eyes widened, a smile almost visible behind the fog of his rebreather, as he looked over at a slightly smiling Hikari. "And how did that go?"

Hikari's smile widened. "It was good to talk with my mother again. She… well, she gave Kaworu some respect after Armisael, but she's far more relaxed now that I'm the pilot of Unit-03 again."

Daniel smiled slightly. "That's great, Hikari."

After a moment, Daniel looked back at the other four. "Well, I think the boss made things pretty clear, don't you think?" he said, shooting a quick glance at Eleanor.

The Children chuckled and stood, walking over towards the tank.

. . .

The Children stepped back into Misato's apartment, weary but happy, as Misato followed behind. Helping with healing Daniel had drained them even further than even the synch tests usually did, but they had made excellent progress. Daniel had even waved goodbye as they left.

"I hope you four can get your schoolwork done after today." Misato said in mock seriousness. "I might even get a call from the school about you all, what with how tired you all look."

They all rolled their eyes. "Well," Shinji said, "I hope I'm not tired enough to not cook dinner. Then, well… we'd have to rely on your cooking skills to save the day and have us properly fed."

Misato's eyes widened in genuine shock. "Alright, let's talk about this." she said with the utmost seriousness.

The Children all laughed, and Asuka looked at Rei and Kaworu. "You two staying over for dinner?"

Rei and Kaworu nodded. "We'd be delighted to." Rei said.

Shinji cooked up a wonderful dinner, as always, and Shinji, Asuka, Rei, Kaworu, Misato and Kaji did as best they could in terms of table space, two padded folding chairs set up for Rei and Kaworu at either end of the table.

As they ate, they talked about the day, how Daniel was doing, the synch tests, and other various topics. It was during a lull in the conversation that Kaji decided to make his move. "So, what was movie night about?" he said casually, a carefully hidden look of intent in his eyes.

The table fell silent, and the Children's faces dropped. "Well…" Asuka said.

"We watched the series that Daniel said was based on our universe." Rei said quietly. "Neon Genesis Evangelion."

Kaji and Misato's brows rose. "Really?" Misato said slowly. "Did they at least do a good job? Or was it terribly campy?" she said with a sly grin.

That grin slowly vanished as the Children looked at her with what could best be described as haunted. "No, Misato." Shinji said quietly. "It isn't too campy."

They got back to their dinner in silence, and silence held sway over the table for the next few minutes as they ate. "So," Kaji said, breaking the silence, "how did you pull that off?"

Rei looked at Kaji. "Daniel's vessel, or, more appropriately, the soul who manages it, has access to all the Receptor records of this universe. It wasn't hard to find which one Daniel had watched, with her guidance."

Kaji nodded slowly. "Alright, then. Maybe we'll go ahead and take a look at what you watched." he said, shooting a look at Misato, who nodded. "It'll be nice to know what might be coming."

Shinji sighed quietly. "Just… don't try and watch it all at once." he said, looking intently at Kaji.

"We'll keep that in mind, Shinji." Misato said quietly. It was silent again for a moment, then Misato's face brightened slightly. "So, how's the birthday party coming along?" she said.

The Children's faces brightened considerably on the change in subject. Misato smiled softly as they talked about something seemingly normal. And for a moment, she pretended that they really were a family.

. . .

Dinner was finished, and everyone made their way to bed. As Shinji got ready, he looked down at his phone again, and a now familiar line of thought started up once again.

Why should he invite his father? He had done nothing but treat him like garbage since mother entered the core of Unit-01. But… he was trying to be better now, too. Ever since he had gotten to talk with mother again.

Shinji recalled the words Asuka had said to him when he had first brought up the quandary to her. "Shinji, I honestly don't think you need the potential letdown of having your father celebrating something he never even bothered to remember over the course of your life. But… if you want to give him a chance… if you think that he deserves this… then I'll support you. Even if I do grumble about it."

Now, with the party coming up soon, he had to make a choice. He picked up the phone, and opened the text messages. He saw the answer he had given to his father, after he had asked to talk with him on that fateful day. 'Asuka's right. He won't deserve this. But…'

He typed out an invitation.

March 27th, 2016

Daniel Theisman waited patiently as the LCL gurgled down the drain, his feet touching solid ground again at last. Finally, finally, he was free to go. And not a moment too soon, he mused. The birthday party was coming up soon. A spot of light before the darkness they would surely be entering.

Daniel took off the mask, and the tank swung open, allowing him to step down onto the floor, as the Children, along with Misato, Kaji, Ritsuko, Maya and his wife, all clapped.

Daniel raised his hands. "I'm sure there are more than a few of you looking to either give me a hug, or punch me in the arm. More than likely, it's a little bit of both." the others chuckled slightly as he paused. "But… I want to shower and get into some regular clothes first. I'll let the line form once that happens."

Heads nodded, and Daniel smiled slightly. "It's good to be back."

Eleanor walked to his side, planting a quick kiss on a cheek still damp with LCL. "And it's good to have you back."

She turned to Ritsuko and Maya. "I'll go ahead and take him home then, if that's alright with you, Doctor?"

Ritsuko smiled slightly. "I release him into your care, Eleanor."

Eleanor nodded, and she looked at the others. "We'll see you later."

A standing wall of water appeared in front of them, and Daniel and Eleanor walked into it, disappearing as the wall crashed to the floor, leaving no trace of its presence.

3 Days Later

Today was the day. A banner hung over the entryway into Misato's apartment. 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHINJI/ASUKA/REI!' it read, and balloons of purple, red, and blue lined the hallway. Gendo Ikari took all of this in, a bag in his hand, as Misato stood next to him and tried not to squirm. "The decorations are well made." he said, trying to be casual. Misato nodded silently.

She had been warned he would come. Hell, they all had been. Misato had a mind when that happened to try and get Shinji to stop his father from coming. But… Shinji seemed sure about this. And… 'What I would give for the chance Shinji's getting to have with my father…'

And, speaking of Shinji, the young man rounded the corner from the kitchen. His smile, broad and happy, dimed somewhat as he stepped forward, coming to a stop in front of Gendo. It was silent for a moment as they sized each other up. "Father." Shinji said levelly.

"Shinji." Gendo said. He looked down, and surprised Misato by seeming… embarrassed? Anxious? Surely impossible things for the ever implacable Commander Ikari. "Thank you for inviting me." he said quietly.

Shinji nodded. Then, Shinji stepped into an embrace, catching both his father and Misato off guard as he hugged his father.

Gendo's arms were to his sides slightly, seeming almost to not know what to do. Then, slowly, Gendo returned the embrace, tears welling up in his eyes.

After a moment, Shinji stepped out of the embrace, and looked up at his father. "Thank you for coming." he said quietly. Then, he turned. "Come on. The party is about to start."

As Shinji turned, he caught sight of Asuka and Rei peeking past the doorway, and nodded slightly as he approached them.

As Shinji walked towards his friends, Gendo breathed deeply, and adjusted his grip on his bag. "Very well, Major Katsuragi. Let us go join the party."

Misato nodded yet again. This was going to be… interesting. Yes, that was the word for it.

. . .

The party went well, Gendo's presence only slightly putting a crimp in the celebrations. There were more balloons in the kitchen, and a cake, crafted lovingly by Hikari and her family, was separated into three quadrants, colored much like the balloons, each with two candles in their center making the number 16.

Shinji, Asuka and Rei all got their 'Happy Birthday' song, and they blew out the candles to applause. All there enjoyed the cake, giving their regards to Hikari, who blushed as she accepted the thanks.

Eventually, it came time to open gifts. Asuka received a new video game, a new swimsuit, and gift cards for the department stores in the mall (the ones that were still open, at least). Shinji got new sound cancelling headphones, a music book, and a pack of strings for his cello. Rei also received a music book for her viola, along with a few movies that she particularly wanted to see.

All of them received drawings of them made by Kaworu, who blushed as he smiled at their thanks.

After that, all eyes turned to Gendo, who had grabbed the bag from the counter it had sat on for the duration of the party, and opened it. "It would be remiss of me to be a guest at a party and not bring gifts." he said as he dug out the items he had wrapped in brown paper. "Especially when that party celebrates my son."

He passed out the items, two each to the Children, as they began to unwrap them.

"Shinji," Gendo said as he unwrapped a clear container containing an SD card, "on that card is a selection of music that your mother and I enjoyed listening to. It may be a little outdated by today's standards, but I hope you will enjoy it nevertheless."

"Ms. Langley," he said, turning his attention to her as she unwrapped a stack of candy bars labed 'Moser Roth', "I understand that these chocolates from your home country are of high quality. I hope they will meet your expectations."

Rei," he said, as she unwrapped a tube of artwork, "I understand that you have become fascinated by artistic expression. This was one of Yui and I's favorites whenever we visited the art museum in college. I hope that you will enjoy it as much as she did."

"And, as I've been informed, you are all musicians of a rather high caliber." Gendo said as they unwrapped the boxes of rosin that came along with the other gifts. "I hope to hear you all play someday."

Shinji looked at his father with no small amount of gratitude in his eyes. "Thank you, father." he said quietly.

"And thank you, Shinji." Gendo said.

As the Children talked amongst each other, Gendo spared a glance towards Daniel, who gave him the slightest of nods and smiles. Without his help, Gendo would have had no idea what to do. He would have to thank him later.

After a while, Misato piped up. "Alright now. I promised you a steak dinner after Sahaquiel, and I've told you I wanted to actually make good on that. Have you picked out a place like you said you would, Asuka?"

"Yeah, I actually have, Misato." Asuka shot back with a small, devious smile. "And I hope you're ready like you said you would be!"

As everyone stood, the Children to put away their gifts and the adults to make some slamm conversation, Gendo made his way over to Misato. "You need not worry about payment for this restaurant visit." he said quietly

Misato's eyes widened. "Commander… it would be somewhat improper of me to have you…"

Gendo raised his hand to stop her, a slight smile on his face. "Please, Major. This is something that I should have done years ago. It's a pitiable way to make up for what I've done, but… he's deserved better from me."

Misato regarded Commander Ikari silently for a moment, then nodded. "Thank you, sir." she said quietly.

After a moment, they all made their way down towards the parking lot, then towards their cars.

It was Kaworu who sensed it first, his AT Field, strengthened by his Interfacing, unfurling almost unconsciously before the crack of the rifles was heard, and one, two, three bullets, gleaming red, became stuck in the Field.

More rifles soon joined the fray as the Children, and the adults with them, took cover as best they could. Kaworu and Rei stood tall, their AT Fields combined to create a dome that kept them safe. For now.

Even with their strengthened protection, it was clear that it would only be a matter of time before the Fields would be breached. Fire seemed to come from all around, and Rei swept her Sight around to try and find their assailants.

She found a few of them in a building several dozen meters away, and her AT Field lowered as she sent a ripple of the pure power of an AT Field at them, their bodies pulping in what was surely a gorey mess as the Field crashed into them like a freight train.

In that moment, however, a single bullet smashed through Kaworu's field like a pane of glass, and hit Rei in the back of the leg, sending her to one knee as she shouted in pain.

"Rei!" Kaworu said, losing his concentration as he spun around. Then, a flurry of bullets hit his back, knocking the boy to the ground.

"Kaworu!" Rei screamed, and from behind a parked car, Shinji stood.

Before he could do anything, Daniel grabbed his arm, and Shinji turned to look at him. "Be careful." Daniel said. "These are Flux infused rounds, I'm sure of it. They'll break through your defenses quickly. Be quick." he let go, then motioned to Rei as she pulped yet another group of assailants. "Rei, over here! Hurry!"

Shinji energized the Frame of his body, and he dashed out with a speed that most Olympic sprinters would be jealous of, lifting Kaworu up from under his arms as he dragged him backwards.

It was sheer luck more than anything else at that point that a bullet caught Shinji, slamming into his side and sending him falling to the ground.

"SHINJI!" more than one person screamed, and Daniel had to hold Asuka back from rushing out as Rei found the group of assassins where the bullet had come from, and pulped them as well.

Eleanor raised her hands towards the two downed Children, the pavement under them becoming water as Shinji and Kaworu floated over towards Eleanor, Hikari and Toji. As they arrived, Eleanor looked up at Misato and Kaji, huddled by a parked car with Gendo. "Any luck on contacting anyone?"

Misato shook her head as she held her cell phone and her pistol. "No use! They must have cell jammers in place somewhere!"

Eleanor set her jaw against the frustration, and got to work mending Kaworu's wounds. He was hit badly. But he could be healed now that he was in front of her and Hikari.

As bullets of a bright red metal began to pop out of their entry points around the spine, the holes sealing up as they did, the hail of fire that had greeted them, while far smaller, was still coming at them. They were too exposed for Eleanor's comfort. She scanned around looking for dead zones where their assailants couldn't get at them. As she scanned, her eyes fell upon a sight that was dreaded everywhere in the Worldsea, and a spike of fear stabbed into her heart.

"Eleanor," Daniel said through the link they had established as soon as the ambush began, "what is it."

Horror. Terror. "An I-"

A hollow, zipping sound cut her off, as Daniel watched her soul shatter from the impact of a round seemingly composed of Flux, Flux that seemed to catch the pieces of her soul within them, congealing into a lump of Flux as her body sprawled over Kaworu's.

Hikari screamed, and shook Eleanor. "Eleanor? Eleanor, what happened?" she shouted, jostling Eleanor's limp body.

Daniel looked back to where the shot had come from, and his blood turned to ice as his worst fears were confirmed.

Walking towards them was a figure in dull, grey armor, a featureless helmet on his head obscuring his face. As he walked towards them in no great hurry, bullets pinged off of the armor. The figure pulled out two small devices, activating them, and sending them flying towards the last assassins, a faint popping in the distance confirming their deaths.

Daniel stood, his Grip appearing in his hand and becoming a blade. "Everyone get back!" he said, and for the first time, those around him heard something in his voice they thought they could never hear: fear.

The figure seemed nonplussed at Daniel's defense, pulling a blade from a scabbard at his side as he approached silently. Daniel fought not to have the tip of his blade waver as the figure approached him.

Without a word, the figure swiped at Daniel, and Daniel parried the blade aside, the blow leaving a sizable chip on his blade that slowly repaired itself.

Daniel was pressed back as the figure continued his slow, measured assault, a few more parried swings sending the top third of Daniel's blade flying as a kick sent Daniel to the ground.

As the figure turned down his blade, and raised it to stab at Daniel, a lash of metal wrapped itself around one of the figure's arms, and a thorny vine wrapped around the other, as Asuka and Toji pulled against the figure's bindings.

The figure struggled against them for a moment, then pressed a button on the hilt of his blade, which began to thrum. Then, the figure released his two-handed grip on his sword, grabbing Asuka's lash of metal and pulling hard.

Asuka, unprepared for the sudden tug, started to stumble forward, and as she came close to the figure, his sword flashed across Asuka's arm, seeming to mist through it as it made contact. Asuka's Expression dissolved immediately, and her arm fell limp to her side as she stumbled back, her face full of dazed shock and pain.

Toji shouted wordlessly as he saw this, pulling at his vine and succeeding at causing the figure to stumble for a moment.

Then, the figure wrapped the vine around his arm again, taking it in his hand as he pulled Toji towards him as well. Toji took the vine in two hands as he struggled, and as he drew closer and closer, aimed a kick at the figure. The blade flashed again, as Toji went to one knee, his leg limp and useless, and the figure slashed across both of Toji's arms, the vine withering and dying away.

As the figure regarded Toji for a moment, Daniel stood, aiming a superpowered kick at the back of one of the figure's legs and wrapping his arms around the figure's head as he went to one knee.

With a wordless shout, Daniel threw the figure out across the street, sending him bouncing away. Before the figure even impacted the ground, Daniel threw his arms wide, Vent Frames flaring to life on them, and a circle of stars surrounded the group.

In a flash, they disappeared, leaving the parking lot empty save for the bullet ridden cars that had been taken cover behind.

As the figure got to his feet and shook his head, he jogged back to where he had engaged his target. They were gone, as expected. 'Oh, well.' the figure thought. 'They didn't tell me there were going to be others. That will be an extra charge.'

The figure opened a panel on his vambrace, tapping a few buttons and fading from sight as police sirens finally began to wail.

Apotheosis Echo will continue after the break.