Author: Stephen Mason Email: hagenclaw@icqmail.com

See Prologue for Disclaimer. Now let's continue.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Eva Unit 01 swam through the waters of the lake that had once been
Tokyo 3. It moved easily, with smooth sweeps of its giant arms. As it
descended, a huge forest of seaweed rose up to meet it. Small silvery
fish darted in and out of the towering weeds. When the Evangelion
reached the bottom it stood up to it's full height, only just toping
the weeds. It walked forward and eventually stepped into a clearing.

In front of it lay one of the mass produced Eva Series, face down
in the mud, both the Lance of Longinus and its replica sticking from
its back. One of the plates on the back had been ripped off, exposing
the slot for the entry plug. Unit one stepped past the corpse and
kneeled down. There, in a bed of seaweed lay a shattered dummy plug.
With a care that belied its size, Unit 01 lifted the plug and held it
up to its eyes. After a long moment it replaced the plug on its bed of
weed. The Eva lowered its head and its shoulders sagged.

Up on the surface, the water rippled as another tremor ran through
the earth.


NEON GENSIS EVANGELION

THE LAZARUS PROJECT
. PART 5: THE HOUR OF THE BEAST


"Warning! Warning! Behaviour Pattern 23. All Personnel to their
posts. Repeat; Behaviour Pattern 23."

All through Nerv HQ red lights flashed and the staff dashed around
like maddened ants. In the different changing rooms Asuka and Touji
threw on their plug suits before running towards the Eva's Cages. Far
above them Fuyutsuki strode into the huge Command Center. The
technicians and other personnel were rushing to their stations,
hauling on headphones and practically jumping into their seats. Up on
the huge screen behind the holo-display was an image of Unit 01. The
Eva drove its hands into the ground, pulling up sections of old pipe,
cable and masses of concrete. It had already dug some considerable
distance.

Finally Ritsuko dashed into the room, her lab coat flapping.
"Where are the pilots?" she demanded.

"Already in the entry plugs." Said Maya.

"Good," Ritsuko said coming to a halt behind the technicians.

"Open the coms, bring Auto Defence Towers 4 through to 13 online."
Commanded Fuyutsuki. "How far down is Unit 01?"

"More than half way," said Hyunga, "its only got 6 armoured
sections left to penetrate."

Up on the screen the purple Eva had uncovered the dull metal of an
armoured plate. It began to drive its fists against it like a pile
driver. Even with the sound muted Fuyutsuki swore he could hear its
guttural roar.

"Launch paths 22 and 27," said Ritsuko. "Asuka, Touji prepare for
deployment with in the Geo-Front."

"No." Said Fuyutsuki, "Send Unit 02 up the 43rd shaft. It is time
we put the final phase of the Lazarus project into operation."

"But Sir." Said Ritsuko, spinning around in shock. "The pilot of
Unit 03 has never been in combat before, and he's only been training
for three months."

"I am well aware of that Professor. I have also seen his results
from that training, he will be sufficient for the task of delaying
Unit 01. Asuka," he said into the com, effectively ending the argument
with Ritsuko. "I trust you know what to do?"

"Yes sir."



Touji braced himself inside the Plug. The entire thing lurched
badly as the Eva was shot up the vertical tunnel. He sat tight in the
seat, thoughts racing through his head as fast as the Eva itself was
moving. He knew Nerv was keeping secrets, about what happened to
Shinji, about the Eva Series and the seventeenth Angel. Even about
what they had done to resurrect Unit 03. He had managed to uncover
some of it, especially about Shinji but there were still so many
questions.

So many questions. He thought to himself as the Eva emerged from
the shaft and he was greeted by the decimated landscape beneath the
Geo-Front. And no time left to ask them.

With a loud clunk the restraints were released and the Eva
slouched forward. As he advanced towards the weapons rack that had
risen out of the ground he could see where debris were already
beginning to fall from the ceiling. Even as he retrieved the Positron
Cannon and fitted it to Unit 03's shoulder he heard Maya's voice over
the com. "The target has made it to the final armoured section."

The com went silent as both Touji and the staff in the command
center quietly waited for Unit 01. They could all hear the regular
crashes that reverberated throughout the Geo-Front as the Eva attacked
the last barrier. Then it happened. The distended plate came crashing
down from ceiling to splash into the discoloured lake. The purple Eva
followed it, falling rapidly at first then seeming to slow until it
finally reached the water and its feet entered with barely a ripple.

The Eva stepped out of the shallows and Touji levelled the cannon
at it. "Unfold you AT field." Said Fuyutsuki over the com. "Remember
we want to delay the Target as long as possible, so don't fire until
you receive the command."

"Yes Sir." He had been thoroughly briefed on the extraordinary
abilities displayed by Unit 01's AT field and had run many simulations
but he was not certain he could hold the rouge Eva back for the seven
minutes and 53 seconds that had been estimated for the retrieval of
the Lance. In the rack beside him he had enough weapons to supply and
army but would it be enough? It would have to do; there was no more
time for preparations.

Abruptly Unit 01 stopped in its advance. Its head swung around,
its glowing eyes directed up at the distant ceiling.

Back in the command room Ritsuko turned to Maya. "What's up
there?" she asked, her voice taught from the stress.

"Not much, power conduits, armoured layers... and the 43rd launch
shaft." Back outside the purple Eva had begun to turn around.

"ADTs four through to fifteen fire at will." Fuyutsuki shouted.
"Touji, it knows where Unit 02 is going, We have to keep it down
here."

"Right." Taking aim at Unit 01's back. Even as he did so the
landscape erupted with rocket and chain gun fire. Volley after volley
of missiles swooped in on the rouge Eva, detonating in plumes of light
and smoke. Soon the Eva was obscured by smoke. "Forgive me Shinji."
Touji whispered and fired two huge balls of energy from the cannon
deep into the growing cloud.

Suddenly the cloud blossomed outwards, revealing a calm sphere of
air, the center of which was Unit 01. The Eva ducked smoothly,
catching one of the missiles in mid flight. Just as smoothly it flung
the missile back into one of the Defence towers, causing it, and the
two beside it, to explode. Touji fired another ball of burning energy
which unit 01 batted away with one hand, flinging it on to another
Defence tower.

With a roar Unit 01 plunged its hand into the ground, tearing up a
huge piece of rubble. Spinning around it hurled it like a discus. It
smashed into another defence tower, detonating the unfired rockets and
causing an explosion that took out the nearby towers. Touji increased
the cannon fire, ball after ball of blue energy shotting towards the
Eva, sometimes getting past Unit 01's guard to spill over the its
chest.

Soon the land around the two Eva's was carpeted in fire and
burning rubble, the automated defences were decimated, and the cannon
on Unit 03's shoulder was smoking from where the power channels had
melted and fused. In the heart of the destruction Unit 01 stood, smoke
pouring off blackened armour and blood dripping from a shattered
forearm. On the ground at its feet the dismembered hand lay, cooked
and smouldering. Touji discarded the now useless cannon. Well, he
thought, at least it could be hurt.

With a low rumbling growl Unit 01 lifted the stump of its hand
into the air. On the end of it the flesh had begun to bubble and
writhe. Abruptly it extended outwards and reshaped itself into a hand.
Unit 01 flexed its new fingers a few times and then turned its
attention on Touji and Unit 03.

"Holy shit." Touji muttered as he closed his Eva's hand on the
missile launcher. With an echoing roar Unit 01 charged towards the
other Eva. Touji let lose with the missiles, one after the other
exploding around Unit 01, without seeming to slow it. At the end of
the clip he flung it aside and snatched an Axe from the weapon's rack.
He did so just in time to blunt Unit 01's first assault. He almost
couldn't believe the speed of the purple Eva.

Again and again it lashed out with its fists, Touji only just
managing to catch them with the half of the axe. Then he saw an
opening and brought head of the axe around in a brutal arc. But the
rouge Eva had the reflexes of a cat, and Touji managed only to slash
Unit 01 chest rather than cleave through the torso as he had intended.

Caught off balance Unit 03 stumbled forward. Desperately
stabilizing the Eva Touji raised the head and his visual display.
Aghast he watched as Unit 01 swung around, its foot sailing up and
smashing into the patchwork Eva's side. The screen filled with static
and the cockpit rocked like a mad thing, Touji clutching desperately
at the seat.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The rocking stopped and the display switched back on, showing
Touji a face full of dirt. Gritting his teeth against the bruising in
his side he drove his Eva to its feet. Unit 03 had been flung a fair
distance and the purple Eva had yet to pursue. It stood, hunched over,
near the weapons rack. From there it glared balefully at Touji with
its glowing eyes.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
In one corner of the display a small red timer had begun to count
down his reserve power. The umbilical cord must have been
disconnected. He'd also lost the Eva sized axe during the fall.
"Asuka," he whispered as the drew Unit 03' progression knife, "Hurry
up."



The murky waters parted around Unit 02's torso as Asuka waded it
into the crater lake. The sides of the crater were remarkable steep
and it only took two more steps for her Eva's face to become
submerged. Once underwater Asuka pushed off from the sides of the
crater and, with heavy strokes of Unit 02's arms, drifted out towards
the center of the lake.

The Eva sank quickly, the darkness rushing up to engulf Asuka's
display. "Activating flood lights." She said into the com. With a
hollow clunk the darkness was cloven apart but the twin lights that
had been mounted on the Eva's shoulders. They illuminated the giant
weeds through which Unit 02 was now drifting, and occasional small
schools of fish.

It was strange. She had been waiting for this day for the past two
and a half years, and now it was here she felt completely calm. The
red Eva reached the lakebed with a dull thump. "I'm at the bottom."
She said into the com. "Where is it? There are weeds all over the
place."

"The probes located the Lance about 250 meters north, north west."
Replied Ritsuko's muffled voice from the com.

"Ok." Asuka said, orientating her self with the cockpit's compass.
Ploughing through the weeds she quickly reached the clearing. There
the body of Unit 13 greeted her. Lying on the bottom, its disturbingly
clown-like face buried in the mud. Its limbs were twisted at odd
angles and several of the armoured plates had been ripped off,
including the one above the entry plug. And there, impaling the white
Eva, their hafts rising through the water, were the red Lance of
Longinious and its grey-blue replica.

"Asuka?" Asked Ritsuko's disembodied voice, "Is it there?"

"Yeah." Asuka replied as she walked the Eva forward. Reaching out
Unit 02's hand she wrapped it around the haft of the red lance. The
Eva's hand twitched once and a tickle of static electricity ran up
Asuka's own arm in sympathy. Jerking it upwards she removed the
Lance's prongs from the white Eva's back. A soft haze of blood began
to gather in the water about the twin wounds.

"Got it." She said into the com.



In the dark holographic chamber the monoliths of SEELE appeared.

SEELE 06: "Unit 02 has acquired the Lance."
SEELE 03: "At last it has been returned to us."
SEELE 09: "And Unit 03 continues to delay Unit 01."
SEELE 02: "We are three years behind schedule but at last the Promised
Time really is at hand."
SEELE 01: "Contact Fuyutsuki. Tell him what must be done."



Unit 03 crashed backwards, carving up the ground as it fell. It
came to rest with its head propped up against a plie of rubble. Unit
01 towered above it, the prog knife sticking from its shoulder. The
battered Unit 03 tried to lift itself to its feet but faltered and
slipped back to the ground.

Deep with in Unit 03's entry plug Touji began to swear. The three
zeros on the timer flashed mockingly at him, as he rammed his hands
into the controls again and again. "God damit, I need more time.
There's gota be some juice left in this dam thing."

Above him the purple Eva had turned away, its gaze directed at the
command center and it's path to Terminal Dogma. "No!" Touji yelled,
giving into his frustration. "It can't happen this way, Shinji.
Shinji! I won't give up. God damit I'm not going to give up!"

He stopped suddenly as a sound filled the plug. Like the single
beat of a giant heart. And for one horrible moment Touji found himself
looking straight into a pair of shining, red eyes.

Outside Unit 03's eyes lit up and its jaw sprang open. With a low
growl it lurched up, its damaged limbs straining. The white hand shot
out and sunk its armoured fingers into Unit 01's back. Hauling itself
up it drew the black hand back, the fingers curled into a fist.

Unit 01 looked back over its shoulder and it was then that the
patchwork Eva struck. Its hand smashed into the side of Unit 01's
face, whipping the Eva around and sending it stumbling. The purple Eva
recovered quickly however and adjusted itself to face the new
berserker. Unit 01's face was a death mask, blood ran from between the
shattered armour and leaked out of the glowing eye.

Simultaneously the two Evas roared at each other and charged. But
Unit 01 was still the faster and had suffered the least damage. In
three rapid blows it had driven the patchwork Eva to its knees. The
purple Eva finished the battle with a brutal kick to Unit 03's chest.

Deep within the Eva Touji threw his arms across his face as the
crash shook the plug. After a moment of silence he took them away, the
cockpit was now dark and huge cracks ran through the blank display
screen, but he was still alive. Settling back in his seat Touji closed
his eyes. "It's up to you now Asuka." He whispered.



Commander Fuyutsuki hung up the red phone's receiver and stared up
at the holographic display. "Sir." Said Maya from the balcony below.
"Unit 03's AT field has ceased. And its core's power cells are no
longer functioning. Unit 01 is approaching the command center."

"Where's Asuka?" He asked.

"Coming down the 38th shaft. She has the lance"

"If we sent her straight to Terminal Dogma she would reach it
before Unit 01, correct?"

"Yes sir. Unit 01 would have several armoured layers to get
through first where as Unit 02 could be sent directly."

Fuyutsuki seem to ponder something for several long seconds. "No."
he said at last. "Ready her for deployment with the Geo-Front. Asuka?"
he asked into the open com lines. "Are you ready."

"I've been ready for the last three years." She replied.



The blood red form of Unit 02 emerged from the ceiling of the Geo-
Front riding on a long cable of steel wire. In one hand it clutched
the two pronged lance, as red as its own body. They both glistened
from the lake water that still clung to them. Within the plug Asuka
looked down on the scared landscape. She could see the crumpled, black
and white body of Unit 03 and Unit 01 walking away from it.

One hundred meters from the floor, Asuka let go of the cable and
dropped the rest of the distance. She struck the ground with a solid
boom, unfolding her AT field as she did so. The ripple in the air
spread out around Unit 02, speeding across the devastated landscape.
When it struck Unit 01 the purple Eva stiffened and spun around. With
a deep reverberating growl it began to advance towards her.

She watched it as it advanced, it appeared that Touji had done it
some damage: The prog knife still stuck from its shoulder and the
wound continued to leak blood. One side of its face was a mass of
crumpled armour, the eye glowing balefully from the bloody mask. It
was smattered in blood, its armour looking as much red as purple,
though Asuka doubted much of it belonged to Unit 01. Its hands were
drenched in blood as were its feet.

About a hundred meters from Unit 02 Unit 01 stopped, just beyond
the reach of the lance. It's wary of the Lance. Asuka thought to
herself and grinned. The adrenalin had begun to pump and she tightened
her grip on the controls. Unit 02 mimicked this, its fingers
tightening around the haft of the lance. "Come on, you monster." She
said softly, not taking her eyes from Unit 01, "What are you afraid
of?"

Slowly the two Evas circled one another, like boxers in the ring.
Asuka was the first to move, lashing out with the pronged end of the
Lance. Unit 01, dodged smoothly to one side, ducked under Unit 02's
guard and slammed its fist into the red Eva's chest. Asuka and Unit
02 stumbled, but she was able to regain the Eva's balance fast enough
to block Unit 01's next attack with the length of the Lance.

The two Evas parted, wary again of each other. It was then that
Asuka noted where umbilical cord was lying; right next to Unit 01's
feet. Unit 01 had also noticed this fact. Asuka swore in German and
lunged forward with the Lance. She was to slow; Unit 01 rammed its
foot down on the cord and twisted, ripping it apart.

Asuka swore again as the red timer flicked on. She brought the
lance around in a chopping motion, but Unit 01 caught the blades in
the last moment. Asuka kept up the pressure, forcing the Lance down,
Unit 01 strained to hold it back. Abruptly the purple Eva slid to one
side and released its hold. Asuka compensated quickly and was rewarded
as the blades slashed down Unit 01's arm, pealing off the armour.

With a snarl of pain the rouge Eva drew back. Asuka pushed her
advantage; lashing out with broad sweeps of the lance. Unit 01 dodged
and weaved, just barely escaping each deadly slash. Then as Asuka
reached the hight of one swing, the rouge Eva charged forward, body-
slamming Unit 02. The red Eva stumbled backwards, losing its balance.
As it fell the but of the Lance swung up and crashed into Unit 01's
jaw, sending the purple Eva reeling.

"You bastard!" Asuka snarled as she drove Unit 02 once more to its
feet. One small part of her mind told her she was losing her temper,
but she'd never listened to it before. Unit 01 had recovered from the
last blow and charged at her again. The adrenalin was rushing through
Asuka's veins now and she was ready for the attack. Unit 02 ducked the
first swipe and blocked the second, then Asuka saw her opening.

"You god dammed monster." She shouted, and unleashed a furry of
attacks, driving Unit 01 on to the defensive.

"I hate you." She grated as she swung the Lance and caught Unit
One a glancing blow to the face.

"You took Shinji." She cried as she drove the flat of the Lance's
prongs against Unit One's shoulder, knocking it to one side.

"You killed Misato!" She yelled. As it was getting up she brought
the Lance edge-first on to the other shoulder. It sheared through
armour and flesh before she pulled it out. Blood sprayed as the Eva
roared its pain. Asuka drew back a final time.

"You Stole My Family!" she screamed, her tears mingling with the
LCL. Her thrust took Unit One in the midsection; both prongs of the
Lance sliding through the Eva like hot knives through butter.

Evangelion Unit 01's body began to shudder and twitch. However it
still managed to reach forward and wrap it hands around the neck of
Unit 02. Asuka's own throat constricted in sympathy but only for a
moment as the flashing timer on her display indicated that Unit 02's
reserve power had just run out.

As Unit 02 lost power and Unit 01 stoped twitching, both Evas
gently collapsed to their knees, their heads coming to rest on one
another's shoulders.

Maya's voice crackled over Asuka's intercom as the young pilot
was regaining her breath. "Unit 01's power channels have been
destroyed. The sync ratio is dropping; 98, 91, 83, 73, 61, 50.

"Pilot life signs confirmed." It was all Asuka needed to hear.



Back in the command room Hyuga spun around in his chair.
"Commander, Asuka just ejected her entry plug."

"It does not matter." Commander Fuyutsuki said. "Let her see what
she can find."

Ritsuko heaved a sigh of relief. "We won." was all she could say.

Suddenly, Maya turned around, a look of panic on her face. "Unit
One's core has begun to decay, when it collapses the S^2 organ will
explode, the blast will be enough to take out this command center. We
have to evacuate."

"How long?" Asked the Commander in a taught voice.

"Thirteen minutes."

"Begin evacuation. In fact, evacuate the entire branch."

"But sir?" said Ritsuko looking surprised.

"Do it." He almost snarled.

For one furious minute the staff worked at their consols ordering
the exodus before they too left in a hurry. This left only Ritsuko to
stare up at Fuyutsuki who still stood behind his desk.
"Why? She asked. He looked away from her.

"As soon as Asuka retrieved the Lance SEELE contacted me and
ordered me to have Unit 02 take it to Lileah immediately. And to then
bring the Evangelion and the Angel into direct contact. SEELE wants to
complete Gendou's failed Instrumentality project. But even Gendou did
not want what they intend. I don't want to go back to the shell." He
took a deep breath. "Bringing an Eva, the Lance and Lilith together
would have been the final stage. The old men will soon figure out that
I've disobeyed them. Soon enough they will be here with half the
world's military in tow. I don't intend to let them find any thing
useful."

On the panel in front of his commander Fuyutsuki flips up the
hardened plastic case over the red button.

"But we've won." Said Ritsuko. "In twelve minutes Unit 01's core
will collapse and the S^2 organ will explode."

"Units two and three may survive, and as long as any Evangelion
remains there exists the possibility that third impact may be enacted.
See that everyone is evacuated. In twelve minutes I will press this
button."

"But sir..."

"Ritsuko, I am the only one left who remembers the construction of
the first Evangelion. I will see this through to the end."


----------------------------------------------------------------------
Auska slammed her fist into Unit 01's manual ejection control. The
battered purple panel blew off and the entry plug spun out into the
eject position. Scrambling over Unit 01's armoured skin she hauled
herself up to the plug's hatch. Gripping the manual release she could
feel the heat searing through the skin of her plug suit. Gritting her
teeth she hauled on the leavers. After a long pained moment the
release gave, rust flakes leaping away from it.

The hatch slid up with a hot hissing sound. Warm LCL flowed out
and around Asuka's feet, overflowing it made the long drop to the
ground. Thrusting her head into the plug she looked down. Shinji lay
crumpled in a heap in the pilot's seat. His plug-suit had been
partially dissolved by the long exposure to the LCL and was covered in
holes. The limbs that poked through these holes where skeleton thin.
His long wet hair lay in strips around his face and tangled in the
short fuzzy stubble that had grown on his chin. As she watched, the
thin chest beneath the battered plug-suit rose and fell.

"Shinji." She whispered, in awe of finding him alive.

He opened burley eyes to look up at the female silhouette framed
by the hatch. "Misato?" he asked in a grogy voice.

"No, Shinji." Asuka said as she reached in and pulled him out. He
was easily light enough for her to lift, which only scared her. "It's
me, Asuka."

"Asuka." He said, sounding confused. "Asuka, I'm sorry, but I
forgot to make the lunches last night."

"Oh Shinji." Asuka sobbed as she clutched him tight. "You Baka."
She said, but she was smiling as she held him.

"I'm sorry." He said again, then blinked a few times, closed his
eyes and began to snore softly.

"Asuka!" Touji's voice echoed across the bloodied plates of
armour. Looking down Asuka could see the other pilot climbing up one
of the inbuilt ladders on Unit 02. "Asuka, we've got to..." then he
got high enough to see what she held in her arms. "Is he alive?"
Touji yelled.

"Yes." Asuka yelled back, the tears now flowing freely down her
face.
"Asuka, I'm coming up there." He shouted back. "We have to get him
down quickly, Unit 01 is going to explode."

With painstaking care they manoeuvred Shinji's unconscious form
across the slumped Evas' bodies. "How are we going to get out of
here?" Asuka asked as they clambered down.

"They're sending a jeep out to pick us up," Touji said, as he
shifted Shinji's weight. "That must be them now." He nodded towards
a plume of dust rising form the direction of the command center.

The Nerv jeep reached the Evas just as they were getting to the
bottom of Unit 02's leg. Hyuga was driving and Maya and Hikari were
sitting in the back. Hikari had her arms around Pen Pen who was
looking decidedly board with the whole affair.

"My god! He survived?!" Maya exclaimed upon see in the sleeping
Shinji.

"Hikari?" Touji exclaimed, "what are you doing here?"

"You didn't think I was going to leave you behind did you?" she
said.

"Happy reunions later people," Hyuga said, sounding frustrated.
"right now we have to get out of here."

In short order Touji and Asuka had clambered into the Jeep and
they were under way. A new plume of dust rising as they speed towards
the reinforced tunnel. They had rested the sleeping Shinji across the
back seat with his head upon Asuka's lap. It didn't seem she was
going to let him go any time soon.



Nerv staff dashed through the corridors, less than a step below
panic as the evacuation proceeded. By now every on in the base had
been notified and almost all were making their way directly towards
the evac trains and reinforced tunnels.

Two medical staff: a nurse and an inturn, however, were going in a
different direction, a stretcher carried between them. However when
they got to their destination; a small room in the medical wing, the
bed was already empty. The drips hung near by, and the monitoring
equipment was still there as were the tape player and glasses case.
But the coma patient was gone.

Reasoning that some one else must have already gotten her out, the
two staff dumped the stretcher and dashed back towards the exits.



Back in the command center Fuyutsuki stared up at the huge screen.
The room was quiet except for the soft sibilant voice of the Magi
slowly marking off the final seconds. The last of the staff were either
on the trains speeding away, or in one of the jeeps and inside the
reinforced tunnels by now. He was probably the only living thing
left in the base, bar the Evas of course.

"six, five, four," The magi counted.

"Goodbye Yui." He said softly. Then reached forward and pressed
the large red button on the desk.



Up on the surface, amongst the ruins of Tokyo 3, the ground began
to shake. The waters of the lake began to ripple and then to steam.
Suddenly a huge column of fire and light erupted from the center of the
lake. In fraction of a second the fiery maelstrom swept out from the lake
and rushed over the city's rubble. Stone and concrete were liquefied.
Forests burnt in an instant. Hills vanished. Entire lakes flashed to
vapour.

In the Geo-Front itself, the explosion ripped out unchecked, filling the
entire underground cavern. The remaining defence towers were
swallowed in a wall of fire and light. The glassy black pyramid was
annihilated in less than a moment. The three empty Evangelions were
engulfed in a heat comparable only to the center of the sun.

Mere seconds later the light and fire had passed, a huge column of
smoke spread into the atmosphere above the massive hole where the
lake had been. But the ground still writhed from the trauma of the
explosion. Mountains spared by the initial impact, were torn up and
dumped into the hole, the land split apart, and fell in upon itself, and
still the earth shook.



Eventually the tremors stopped, the earth settled. Deep beneath the
now crushed Nerv Head Quarters, a single chamber had survived.
There, Lilith remained, her white shroud like body still crucified to the
red cross. Her head hung forward, the nine eyed mask maintaining an
endless gaze on the sea of LCL.

Opposite the impassive face, a young woman sat on a ruined ledge.
Her pale blue hair reached lower than her waist. Her thin, pale body
was clad in only a medical gown. Her glittering red eyes regarded the
inanimate angle with a strange curiosity.

Down below an old man appeared from amongst the rubble. His
long, uncombed, brown hair and beard were streaked with grey. He
wore the battered remains of a black Nerv uniform over a grimy red
skivvy. Perched on his nose was a pair of squared off glasses with
broken, yellow tinted lenses.

"So," said Gendou Ikari, looking up at the young woman. "What
now?"

Rei gave him a long look before turning her eyes up towards the
ceiling, or perhaps beyond it, to where a lone Nerv jeep emerged
from one of the armoured access tunnels.

"He has a chance now." She said. "That's all that matters."


. THE END



Author's Note: Well that's it, the whole shebang, hope you liked
it. Please direct any questions, comments, and criticisms to my
email address hagenclaw@icqmail.com.
If this seemed a confusing ending, or you thought not enough was
explained, I do have something of an epilogue I could publish, I get
enough feedback in that direction.