Chapter 8 -Betrayed

'Kaworu what are you doing?'

Shinji stood frozen in the middle of the hallway, his mind spinning. He didn't know what to do. 'Do I go after him or will I just make things worse than they already are?'

His thought were interrupted by the sound of Misato's voice over the intercom.

"Attention. 1st Child, Rei Ayamani..." Rei, who still remained sitting on the floor, rose her head from her knees and slowly crawled to her feet.

"2nd Child, Asuka Langley Soryu..." Asuka was already running towards the control room by this time.

"and 3rd Child, Shinji Ikari..." he let out a sigh and began running again in the opposite direction, "report to the control room immediately for orders"

Shinji was the last to arrive for orders. Rei turned to look at Shinji as he walked in but he couldn't look at her, not after what she'd just done.

"Children..." Misato began grimly "...we have just gotten word that 5th Child Kaworu Nagisa has just hijacked Unit-02 and is headed towards the city. Also...we've learned the identity of the 17th Angel..." she paused gravely "it's Kaworu"

"WHAT?!" they all screamed at once.

"NO!!" Shinji cried, doubling over on the floor sobbing. "How could it be?" he sobbed. "May be you should stay behind Shinji" Misato said solemnly placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"NO!! No way!" he sprag up "I have to do something...in a way... this is my fault"

He ran out of the room at high speed. 'I have to get to him before it's too late'

"Out of my way!" he screamed pushing the NERV personnel that had come after Kaworu out of the way. 'I have to get to him before it's too late'

As he jumped into the entry plug of Unit-01 he heard the voice or Asuka yelling for him.

"Shinji!!"

"What? I have to go stop Kaworu before he does something stupid"

"I came to tell you...he's not heading for the city..."

"What. Well where is he heading?"

"Towards Lilith"

"Lilith...?"

"Yes Lilith...if he merges with it mankind will be destroyed! Hurry you have to stop him!... Good luck"

"Thank you" Shinji replied entering Unit-01's entry plug.

"Good luck..." she whispered as Shinji began start-up of Unit-01.

* * * * * * * * * * *

'Don't leave me Kaworu. I love you. Don't leave me...' he chanted in his head as he ran head long across the grassy fields toward Tokyo city in Unit-01 leaving massive foot prints in the hill side. Sweat trickled down Shinji's face as he pushed himself the limit to try to get to Kaworu before it was too late. As he ran the sky above him began to turn different beautiful shades of pink and orange as the sun set under the horizon. Then all at once the sky turned from exquisite pinks to blood red.

"No! Lilith!!" Shinji cried "I'm going to be too late!"

As the head of Unit-01 poked over the hillside he caught eye of Unit-02. Standing under what looked like a whirlpool of black and red sky. 'Kaworu...'

"Kaworu!!" he called at Unit-02 over the Eva's communication system.

"Kaworu is not hear..." a voice replied back, but it was not Kaworu's. 'That voice....that was the voice from my dream...Tabris'

"Tabris?" Shinji whispered.

"Yes, that is I. I am the Angel that you seek"

"Kaworu how could you be...an...an Angel?" Shinji sobbed. Taking a deep breath to try to compose himself.

"Kaworu is the boy that you betrayed, Tabris is the Angel that you hate" he replied coldly.

"Kaworu I didn't betray you! You have to believe me!"

"Why should I believe you?!" he screamed.

In one fluid move Unit-02's massive arm flew up to retract it's enormous blade and began charging at Unit-01.

"NO!!" Shinji shrieked blocking the powerful blow with his arm.

"STOP!!" The blade was beginning to cut into Unit-02's metal structure. Sparks and broken metal fell to the ground as Shinji struggled under the force of the blade.

"I will destroy you and everything on this planet!" Tabris laughed deep down from inside Kaworu's pale body.

"No you won't!" Shinji screamed

Using all the strength he possessed, Shinji managed to push Kaworu off him and scramble to his feet. "Unit-01 activate AT Field..."

"Trying to hide from me are you?" Tabris's voice came over the radio again. Before Shinji could fully activate his AT Field the blade of Unit-02 pieced into the heart of Unit-01 driving him to the ground. Cooling fluid, like blood from a wound, pored over the grass.

"That's what you get for betraying me!" It was Kaworu's voice now coming from Unit-02. By the pitch of his voice it was clear he was trying not to cry.

"Kaworu...listen to me..." Shinji began still pinned by Unit-02, trying not to cry himself.

"Kaworu...I'd never do anything to hurt you! Rei knew there was something you weren't telling me. She wanted me to see that you were...dangerous" swallowing hard he started again "I know your really not dangerous...I've seen you...the real you. Your not dangerous your sweet and gentle and caring...and...I love you!"

Kaworu was silent for a minute. "You...you love me?"

"Of course I do!" Shinji was sobbing by now.

"You...you just never said it before" Inside Unit-02 Kaworu switched on the monitor so Shinji could see him on screen. Kaworu was crying too. Shiny tears glistened in his eyes and a small smile creased his lips. "Shinji...I love you too"

Shinji could do nothing but sob as Kaworu lifted Unit-02 off him letting him stand up.

"Kaworu?" Shinji said after a few minutes, finally regaining his composer. "Why didn't you tell me?" he was getting mad now "Why didn't you tell me...about you...about how you were an Angel? Why!?"

"I couldn't..."

"I told you everything about me. All my deepest, darkest secrets. I shared everything with you. My room, my life...My body and Soul and you kept this from me! You know they're going to try to kill you now! After what you've done!"

"I know."

Just then Shinji looked up at the sky again. During their brief battle the sky had completely turned black. A large swirl of white light grew opening a door to something, for lack of a better word, evil.

"Kaworu...it's Lilith.