Chapter 15 - Tabris
Asuka slowly caught up with the slow moving EVA-03, on the other hand she was running
on battery energy and running out of time.
Suddenly unit three stopped, turned around.
"I told you not to follow me", Kaworu´s voice thundered. "I don´t have the wish to hurt
you, Asuka, or anybody else, but I have to fulfill my mission."
The tactical screen represented him as a blue-pulsating spot, destroying her last doubts.
Again she felt tears running down her cheeks, but just concentrated upon her newly
awakening anger.
"I will stop you, Kaworu, if you do not give up."
"I can´t give up, it is my fate. I am sorry, Asuka..."
With these words he hovered aside to the shaft´s wall and downwards then, while unit three
attacked the red EVA.
EVA-02 had already drawn it´s progressive-knife, slashed at the black EVA´s arm, cutting
through muscles and tendons, moving aside gracyfully.
Asuka kept an eye on the battery-countdown while start her counterattack, completly calm
inside, beyond the surface of the bubbling anger within, like her uncle had taught her.
A heavy fist hit EVA-02´s left shoulder, dislocating it´s arm, at the same time Asuka
screamed inside the entryplug, unable to feel her left arm anymore.
She dodged another attack, used an opening within unit three´s defense and cut into it´s
head with the progressive-knife.
EVA-03 stopped. It´s eyes stopped glowing. He lost it´s balance, fell into the shaft,
dragging EVA-02 with him into the abyss...
They seemed to fall for eternity.
Asuka listened to herself screaming, then the connection to EVA-02 was suddenly interrupted,
so she felt the impact on the ground weakened by the LCL instead of firsthanded via the
synchronisation-link.
***
Ritsuko Akagi jumped back when a bullet hit the wall next to her head, but at least she
had managed to interrupt the synchronisation between Asuka and EVA-02.
The screen showed the countdown running out.
Maya Ibuki gave a loud scream.
Slowly she raised her hands and turned around.
The black clothed elite soldier at the door beckoned them with his gun to follow him.
They were brought into Gendo Ikari´s large bureau, where most of the bridgecrew already
had been assembled.
Gendo bleeded form his nose, his right cheek was heavily bruised.
Fuyutsuki was holding his left arm, his sleeve showed a dark hole with a slowly growing
deep red spot around it.
Makoto Hyuga had an ugly laceration above the brow, Misato Katsuragi a broken lip.
Behind Ikari´s desk a skinny figure with dishevelled shoulderlong black hair sat, maybe
an european, mayve an asian, the thin goatie was the only sign that it was a member of
the male half of the human species. His eyes ware like black coals. The stranger wore a
black suit below a grey coat, he had the feet placed on the table and scanned each
newcomer with piercing gaze.
A feint smile appeared on his nearly non-existing lips.
His examination ended with Gendo.
"So, I finally meet you in the blood, Ikari."
Gendo pressed a hankerchief at his nose.
"Who are you?"
The other one removed the feet from the desk.
"Me? I... I am SEELE..."
And he started laughing.
"We never met before."
"No, we didn´t. I´ve heard a lot about you. You were a very good tool, like Kiehl and his
friends were."
"You..."
"I see, you are beginning to understand. Yes, I am the man behind the comitee, I did
command your fates... Kiehl and his equal-minded are working for me, because I promised
them power and immortality... And you were working for my because I promised you to reunite
you with your wife... whispering in your dreams... And do you know the true ironie? - I made
it happen that way. I made Naoko Akagi removing the security programs... Well, she didn´t
quite resisted, on the other hand I would have killed her lovely little daughter... You see,
it´s truely that easy."
Ikari lower the hand with the hankerchief, the bloodied tissue slowy fell to the ground.
"You... damned bastard!"
And he charged the other one.
At once the soldier started to move.
Ikari didn´t reach his target, smashed against an invisible wall, stumbled backwards,
right into the arms of two soldier who kicked away his legs gave him several kicks into
his stomach.
"What..." he barely managed to say.
"You call it an AT-field... I call it magic..."
"Tell me your name, you son of a bitch..."
Ikari was spitting blood.
"So, if that´s your final wish... I am Alessandro deCagliostro."
Fuyutsuki gave a startled shout.
"Do you have anything to say, professor?"
"I know your name. You are a... warlock..."
"Oh, I feel hurt, but I guess that happens if one keeps a low profile for about four
centuries.. Yes, you did hear right, Kozo - I may call you Kozo, may I not? - but I
guess you are not truely surprised, aren´t you? Yui Ikari did tell you that she is...
special, didn´t she? Well, now I do control her work, the EVANGELIONs, she had created
with such great plans in mind, will do my bidding. The end of the world is near, that´s
the only reason I am talking to you now. The EVAs were built to rescue humanity, now
they will destroy it. And I will be laughing while my associates are feeding upon the
deads´ souls."
He touched the suitcase with Adam´s embryo.
"And you open the way for me, without being forced. - Ikari, think about it, why did you
fall for my temptations? You didn´t even had a doubt, you never the scenenario I created.
Not even once you felt regret... how many human would appreciate your plan if they were
told to give up their bodies?"
Lout raving laughter echoed through the room...
***
Within the next corridor a single elite soldier looked up, hearing a scratching.
The next moment about seventy kilo of living weight crushed upon him, he did feel the
cold muzzle of the silencer at his brow, saw a bright flash.
Kaji drapped the dead body to the next tool room, removed the black clothing and the
weapons.
***
ODIN-HQ
Larsen stood over the last of the men who had been send to kill him, blood dripping from
his steel hands.
Right behind him his comrade-in-arms stood, the still smoking gun in his hand.
"Only five... Kiehl did truely underestimate you."
"I wasn´t alone, Commander."
"George, call me George, Wolf."
"Thanks."
"And now?"
"Lets bring it to an end."
"To Kiehl?"
"Exactly."
Larsen reached for a gun on the floor, reloaded the weapon, limped to the door.
"Why did he had to shoot a bullet into my good leg?"
The two of them marched down the corridor, guns in hand.
An alarm went off, civilian members of the secret service hurried away.
At the end of the corridor was the bureau of ODIN-director Lorenz Kiehl, in front of the
door two men in black suits stood, similiar to those who had been send to kill the two.
They reached for their guns, went to the ground at the same moment, when the two ravens
of ODIN gunned them down, moved over them and kicked in the door to Kiehl´s rooms...
***
Kaworu hovered towards the large portal he suspected Adam behind.
Behind him EVA-02 and -03 landed crushing at the bottom of the shaft. He didn´t turn
around, EVA-02 couldn´t stop him anymore, he was sure about that.
He raised a hand in commanding manner - and the portal opened... gave free the view at
a cruzified white giant with a seven-eyed mask on it´s face - and at a bluehaired yound
woman, blocking Kaworu´s path with clenched fists, staring at him with red eyes.
For a moment he hesitated, the other one´s gaze cut deeply into the deepth of his very
being. He smiled forced, levitated forward... crushed into an obstacle...
"So, you can generate an AT-field, too..." he whispered, seeing the strain upon her face.
"Lets see how long you can keep it up..."
***
Asuka climbed out of the pilotseat, evacuated the entryplug manually, opened the hatch,
stopped.
She watched Kaworu hovering before the step of the portal, arms extended, with blue
lightning shooting out of his hands, hitting an invisible obstacable. And beyond the
open portal-doors she saw blood flowing out of Rei´s nose, saw her knees starting to
shake, saw Kaworu still hammering at Rei´s AT-field.
She looked back into the plug, to the pilotseat, to the emergencypack inside of the back
of the seat.
A knife should be part of the survival equipment...
***
Rei felt her strenght ebbing. Her heart seemed to burst, her breath was fast.
The power of angel seemed untiring, again and again he attacked the AT-field she had
raised intuitivly.
Her knees wanted to give way, tears blurred her vision.
Keep on, we are on our way. she suddenly heard a feint voice within her head.
"Who..." she whispered. "Yui-san..."
We are coming.
"Yes... Shinji..."
Once again he collected new strenght, threw everything she had against the angel...
***
Asuka stormed at Kaworu, survivalknife in hand.
"Kaworu, stop it!" she screamed.
Slowly he turned towards her.
"Asuka..."
For a moment his eyes got soft, then he shook his head.
"Last chance, redhead... go, or suffer the consequences..."
An the portal´s other side Rei went to the ground groaning, hands pressed against her
belly.
"No, it´s your last chance..."
She readied the knife, moved into one of the position her uncle had shown her.
"If it has to be..."
He raised the hand, tiny lightning dancing between his fingers.
Before he was able to act, Asuka lunged at him, carried forward by her anger, pierced the
angel´s AT-field with the blade, delievering a nasty cut to Kaworu´s forearm, laying open
the bones.
Kaworu stepped back, staring at the strongly bleeding wound.
"You... will... suffer..."
And he changed...
His back seemed to explode below the shoulderblades when two insectoid arms with chitinous
blades at the ends broke free. His jaw expanded, showing a set of shark-teeth. A blinking
and his red eyes were replaced by bloodred facettes, grey scales broke through his skin.
Asuka started to feel sick. The day before she had given this... monster... a good-night-
kiss...
The chitinblades moved into her direction, she whirled aside, lifted the knife, felt a
sharp pain within her left cheek, where one of Kaworu´s blade had touched her lightly,
felt warm blood running down her cheek the next moment, moved backwards.
Kaworu pushed her backwards step for step, soon Asuka found herself completly in the
defensive, her plugsuit cut at numerous places, on the other hand one of Kaworu´s blades
had broken. She knew that she would loose this fight... that could only try to gain time
for Rei to... to do whatever... to run away, to get help... to pray for a wonder...
A large black bird flew above them, made a low croak.
And the wonder did happen...
Suddenly her opponent lost his balance, stumbled past her.
She used the opportunity, pushed the blade with both hands into the back of his neck.
The angel went down, kept laying down twitchingly.
She ripped the blade out of the body, cut him again and again until he finally stopped
moving.
Then she got up, panting, saw the spot of ice what had been responsible for Kaworu stumbling,
saw unit one finally reaching the bottom of the shaft, limped with clenched teeth to Rei who
was laying crumbled on the ground, got down on her knees, touched Rei´s shoulder.
"Rei!" Shinji screamed who had just left the entryplug of EVA-01 and ran toward them.
Next to them the ravenbird landed, looked at them with slanted head. Next to him a second
bird of the same kind landed, it´s feathers white as snow. Both exchanged croakings, while
Shinji sat bowed over Rei, softly caressing her cheek.
"Rei, please, say something..."
Her hand slowly moved towards his, squeezed it weakly. Her breath went thrusting.
"Shinji... our child... the pain..."
"No... please... no..."
He lifted her up, embraced her.
"I get a doctor!" Asuka whispered, wanted to jump to her feet, was stopped by a hand
touching her shoulder, an icecold hand.
She looked up, into the face of the person whose shadow fell upon her.
"Help has just arrived." Winter diArgio whispered with his scratching voice while going
down on his knees next to Rei and whispering words in a language that already hadn´t been
used anymore when the city of Rome had been founded.
Reißs breathing normalized.
"Better?"
"Yes. Thank you..."
Shinji looked up.
"Sensei..."
Winter just nodded.
"It´s okay."
For a short moment he felt reliving the past and the time he had been a father himself,
the time he had fought for his son´s future against those like him and won. And he knew
he had always protected others.
A short gesture healed Asuka´s several cuts.
When he got up he felt the exhaustion that followed the spontanous usage of his powers.
He looked at the crucified giant, finally recognizing where all the chi-energies went,
looked to the EVANGELIONs, two laying on their sides, the third one on it´s knees.
Slowly he walked up to unit one, following a feint calling.
He weaved an arcane pattern into the air to make it easier for him, identifying the
nature of the caller, saw a golden glow emanating behind the chestarmor. A further gesture
and he ascended until hovering directly in front of the glowing.
The amulett in front of his chest left it´s place, the halfclosed eye opened completly,
giving away a soft warm glow.
And he saw...
"Doktor Yui Ikari, I assume..."
Asuka slowly caught up with the slow moving EVA-03, on the other hand she was running
on battery energy and running out of time.
Suddenly unit three stopped, turned around.
"I told you not to follow me", Kaworu´s voice thundered. "I don´t have the wish to hurt
you, Asuka, or anybody else, but I have to fulfill my mission."
The tactical screen represented him as a blue-pulsating spot, destroying her last doubts.
Again she felt tears running down her cheeks, but just concentrated upon her newly
awakening anger.
"I will stop you, Kaworu, if you do not give up."
"I can´t give up, it is my fate. I am sorry, Asuka..."
With these words he hovered aside to the shaft´s wall and downwards then, while unit three
attacked the red EVA.
EVA-02 had already drawn it´s progressive-knife, slashed at the black EVA´s arm, cutting
through muscles and tendons, moving aside gracyfully.
Asuka kept an eye on the battery-countdown while start her counterattack, completly calm
inside, beyond the surface of the bubbling anger within, like her uncle had taught her.
A heavy fist hit EVA-02´s left shoulder, dislocating it´s arm, at the same time Asuka
screamed inside the entryplug, unable to feel her left arm anymore.
She dodged another attack, used an opening within unit three´s defense and cut into it´s
head with the progressive-knife.
EVA-03 stopped. It´s eyes stopped glowing. He lost it´s balance, fell into the shaft,
dragging EVA-02 with him into the abyss...
They seemed to fall for eternity.
Asuka listened to herself screaming, then the connection to EVA-02 was suddenly interrupted,
so she felt the impact on the ground weakened by the LCL instead of firsthanded via the
synchronisation-link.
***
Ritsuko Akagi jumped back when a bullet hit the wall next to her head, but at least she
had managed to interrupt the synchronisation between Asuka and EVA-02.
The screen showed the countdown running out.
Maya Ibuki gave a loud scream.
Slowly she raised her hands and turned around.
The black clothed elite soldier at the door beckoned them with his gun to follow him.
They were brought into Gendo Ikari´s large bureau, where most of the bridgecrew already
had been assembled.
Gendo bleeded form his nose, his right cheek was heavily bruised.
Fuyutsuki was holding his left arm, his sleeve showed a dark hole with a slowly growing
deep red spot around it.
Makoto Hyuga had an ugly laceration above the brow, Misato Katsuragi a broken lip.
Behind Ikari´s desk a skinny figure with dishevelled shoulderlong black hair sat, maybe
an european, mayve an asian, the thin goatie was the only sign that it was a member of
the male half of the human species. His eyes ware like black coals. The stranger wore a
black suit below a grey coat, he had the feet placed on the table and scanned each
newcomer with piercing gaze.
A feint smile appeared on his nearly non-existing lips.
His examination ended with Gendo.
"So, I finally meet you in the blood, Ikari."
Gendo pressed a hankerchief at his nose.
"Who are you?"
The other one removed the feet from the desk.
"Me? I... I am SEELE..."
And he started laughing.
"We never met before."
"No, we didn´t. I´ve heard a lot about you. You were a very good tool, like Kiehl and his
friends were."
"You..."
"I see, you are beginning to understand. Yes, I am the man behind the comitee, I did
command your fates... Kiehl and his equal-minded are working for me, because I promised
them power and immortality... And you were working for my because I promised you to reunite
you with your wife... whispering in your dreams... And do you know the true ironie? - I made
it happen that way. I made Naoko Akagi removing the security programs... Well, she didn´t
quite resisted, on the other hand I would have killed her lovely little daughter... You see,
it´s truely that easy."
Ikari lower the hand with the hankerchief, the bloodied tissue slowy fell to the ground.
"You... damned bastard!"
And he charged the other one.
At once the soldier started to move.
Ikari didn´t reach his target, smashed against an invisible wall, stumbled backwards,
right into the arms of two soldier who kicked away his legs gave him several kicks into
his stomach.
"What..." he barely managed to say.
"You call it an AT-field... I call it magic..."
"Tell me your name, you son of a bitch..."
Ikari was spitting blood.
"So, if that´s your final wish... I am Alessandro deCagliostro."
Fuyutsuki gave a startled shout.
"Do you have anything to say, professor?"
"I know your name. You are a... warlock..."
"Oh, I feel hurt, but I guess that happens if one keeps a low profile for about four
centuries.. Yes, you did hear right, Kozo - I may call you Kozo, may I not? - but I
guess you are not truely surprised, aren´t you? Yui Ikari did tell you that she is...
special, didn´t she? Well, now I do control her work, the EVANGELIONs, she had created
with such great plans in mind, will do my bidding. The end of the world is near, that´s
the only reason I am talking to you now. The EVAs were built to rescue humanity, now
they will destroy it. And I will be laughing while my associates are feeding upon the
deads´ souls."
He touched the suitcase with Adam´s embryo.
"And you open the way for me, without being forced. - Ikari, think about it, why did you
fall for my temptations? You didn´t even had a doubt, you never the scenenario I created.
Not even once you felt regret... how many human would appreciate your plan if they were
told to give up their bodies?"
Lout raving laughter echoed through the room...
***
Within the next corridor a single elite soldier looked up, hearing a scratching.
The next moment about seventy kilo of living weight crushed upon him, he did feel the
cold muzzle of the silencer at his brow, saw a bright flash.
Kaji drapped the dead body to the next tool room, removed the black clothing and the
weapons.
***
ODIN-HQ
Larsen stood over the last of the men who had been send to kill him, blood dripping from
his steel hands.
Right behind him his comrade-in-arms stood, the still smoking gun in his hand.
"Only five... Kiehl did truely underestimate you."
"I wasn´t alone, Commander."
"George, call me George, Wolf."
"Thanks."
"And now?"
"Lets bring it to an end."
"To Kiehl?"
"Exactly."
Larsen reached for a gun on the floor, reloaded the weapon, limped to the door.
"Why did he had to shoot a bullet into my good leg?"
The two of them marched down the corridor, guns in hand.
An alarm went off, civilian members of the secret service hurried away.
At the end of the corridor was the bureau of ODIN-director Lorenz Kiehl, in front of the
door two men in black suits stood, similiar to those who had been send to kill the two.
They reached for their guns, went to the ground at the same moment, when the two ravens
of ODIN gunned them down, moved over them and kicked in the door to Kiehl´s rooms...
***
Kaworu hovered towards the large portal he suspected Adam behind.
Behind him EVA-02 and -03 landed crushing at the bottom of the shaft. He didn´t turn
around, EVA-02 couldn´t stop him anymore, he was sure about that.
He raised a hand in commanding manner - and the portal opened... gave free the view at
a cruzified white giant with a seven-eyed mask on it´s face - and at a bluehaired yound
woman, blocking Kaworu´s path with clenched fists, staring at him with red eyes.
For a moment he hesitated, the other one´s gaze cut deeply into the deepth of his very
being. He smiled forced, levitated forward... crushed into an obstacle...
"So, you can generate an AT-field, too..." he whispered, seeing the strain upon her face.
"Lets see how long you can keep it up..."
***
Asuka climbed out of the pilotseat, evacuated the entryplug manually, opened the hatch,
stopped.
She watched Kaworu hovering before the step of the portal, arms extended, with blue
lightning shooting out of his hands, hitting an invisible obstacable. And beyond the
open portal-doors she saw blood flowing out of Rei´s nose, saw her knees starting to
shake, saw Kaworu still hammering at Rei´s AT-field.
She looked back into the plug, to the pilotseat, to the emergencypack inside of the back
of the seat.
A knife should be part of the survival equipment...
***
Rei felt her strenght ebbing. Her heart seemed to burst, her breath was fast.
The power of angel seemed untiring, again and again he attacked the AT-field she had
raised intuitivly.
Her knees wanted to give way, tears blurred her vision.
Keep on, we are on our way. she suddenly heard a feint voice within her head.
"Who..." she whispered. "Yui-san..."
We are coming.
"Yes... Shinji..."
Once again he collected new strenght, threw everything she had against the angel...
***
Asuka stormed at Kaworu, survivalknife in hand.
"Kaworu, stop it!" she screamed.
Slowly he turned towards her.
"Asuka..."
For a moment his eyes got soft, then he shook his head.
"Last chance, redhead... go, or suffer the consequences..."
An the portal´s other side Rei went to the ground groaning, hands pressed against her
belly.
"No, it´s your last chance..."
She readied the knife, moved into one of the position her uncle had shown her.
"If it has to be..."
He raised the hand, tiny lightning dancing between his fingers.
Before he was able to act, Asuka lunged at him, carried forward by her anger, pierced the
angel´s AT-field with the blade, delievering a nasty cut to Kaworu´s forearm, laying open
the bones.
Kaworu stepped back, staring at the strongly bleeding wound.
"You... will... suffer..."
And he changed...
His back seemed to explode below the shoulderblades when two insectoid arms with chitinous
blades at the ends broke free. His jaw expanded, showing a set of shark-teeth. A blinking
and his red eyes were replaced by bloodred facettes, grey scales broke through his skin.
Asuka started to feel sick. The day before she had given this... monster... a good-night-
kiss...
The chitinblades moved into her direction, she whirled aside, lifted the knife, felt a
sharp pain within her left cheek, where one of Kaworu´s blade had touched her lightly,
felt warm blood running down her cheek the next moment, moved backwards.
Kaworu pushed her backwards step for step, soon Asuka found herself completly in the
defensive, her plugsuit cut at numerous places, on the other hand one of Kaworu´s blades
had broken. She knew that she would loose this fight... that could only try to gain time
for Rei to... to do whatever... to run away, to get help... to pray for a wonder...
A large black bird flew above them, made a low croak.
And the wonder did happen...
Suddenly her opponent lost his balance, stumbled past her.
She used the opportunity, pushed the blade with both hands into the back of his neck.
The angel went down, kept laying down twitchingly.
She ripped the blade out of the body, cut him again and again until he finally stopped
moving.
Then she got up, panting, saw the spot of ice what had been responsible for Kaworu stumbling,
saw unit one finally reaching the bottom of the shaft, limped with clenched teeth to Rei who
was laying crumbled on the ground, got down on her knees, touched Rei´s shoulder.
"Rei!" Shinji screamed who had just left the entryplug of EVA-01 and ran toward them.
Next to them the ravenbird landed, looked at them with slanted head. Next to him a second
bird of the same kind landed, it´s feathers white as snow. Both exchanged croakings, while
Shinji sat bowed over Rei, softly caressing her cheek.
"Rei, please, say something..."
Her hand slowly moved towards his, squeezed it weakly. Her breath went thrusting.
"Shinji... our child... the pain..."
"No... please... no..."
He lifted her up, embraced her.
"I get a doctor!" Asuka whispered, wanted to jump to her feet, was stopped by a hand
touching her shoulder, an icecold hand.
She looked up, into the face of the person whose shadow fell upon her.
"Help has just arrived." Winter diArgio whispered with his scratching voice while going
down on his knees next to Rei and whispering words in a language that already hadn´t been
used anymore when the city of Rome had been founded.
Reißs breathing normalized.
"Better?"
"Yes. Thank you..."
Shinji looked up.
"Sensei..."
Winter just nodded.
"It´s okay."
For a short moment he felt reliving the past and the time he had been a father himself,
the time he had fought for his son´s future against those like him and won. And he knew
he had always protected others.
A short gesture healed Asuka´s several cuts.
When he got up he felt the exhaustion that followed the spontanous usage of his powers.
He looked at the crucified giant, finally recognizing where all the chi-energies went,
looked to the EVANGELIONs, two laying on their sides, the third one on it´s knees.
Slowly he walked up to unit one, following a feint calling.
He weaved an arcane pattern into the air to make it easier for him, identifying the
nature of the caller, saw a golden glow emanating behind the chestarmor. A further gesture
and he ascended until hovering directly in front of the glowing.
The amulett in front of his chest left it´s place, the halfclosed eye opened completly,
giving away a soft warm glow.
And he saw...
"Doktor Yui Ikari, I assume..."
