Disclaimer: I don't own Evangelion. I just do horrible things to my favorite characters in it.
Author's note: Thanks to all of you who reviewed, and I'm sorry that is moving kind of quickly, I just kind of wrote it like it is.
* New York Memorial Hospital.
Asuka and Touji looked at the two Evas still unmoved from their battle. Unit-00 had stopped moving, finally trying to regenerate the lost cells. Unit-01 was almost in a praying position.
Asuka asked around and finally told Touji the what's up. "They fought for about half an hour, when Pestilence threw the lance aside. Shinji went to recover it, and then it got Rei. Unit-00 started to bleed from the face, and seizuring. Shinji almost went berserk, and killed it with the Lance. Then he just held onto her Eva, and Rei was taken to a hospital."
"Damn. I don't feel good."
"Disease is in the air. Probably flu."
Touji sighed. This was a big mess. "I hope that Ayanami is all right."
"So do I, but I can tell you that she isn't."
They walked to the room they were pointed at, and saw Rei silently holding onto Shinji, on the verge of tears. "Its bad isn't it?" she asked
Rei nodded, "I have but weeks to live, if that."
*
The Doctor sighed as he signed the form, "Miss Ayanami, I can't help but tell you that you should be resting."
"I can't. I have a job to do."
"This is endangering your health."
"I'm a dead woman walking. I'll get over it." Rei said curtly and walked out to the exit.
* Tokyo-03. Or what's left of it.
Rei looked at her Eva. "He's infected too?"
"It would appear that way. He'll live longer, because he can regenerate. When you pilot it the results could either slow it down or speed it up. Either way I don't recommend finding out."
"I don't have a choice. There are three left and counting. We have to keep fighting."
Unit-01 was setting down a large crate. Shinji had volunteered to get the weapons from the halfway point. They didn't really want anybody getting to close to the island. "How are you guys handling it?"
"I recall how to proficiently pilot my Eva." Rei said as Eva-00 stood up.
"I'm just about ready to kick your ass."
"Uh…I have no clue." Eva-03 was walking around well enough, but Shinji doubted he was ready to do somersaults.
"You're doing fine." Unit-01 opened the crate and looked at the weapons stored inside. Shaking their head, Unit-01 told them, "I'll stick to the lance, you guys can have these"
"Is that arrogance I detect?" Asuka muttered. Shinji was always so different inside his Eva. Like he knew something that she didn't. Asuka was still wary of the fact her Eva didn't need a jack-up. In fact, the panel that had been the power timer was replaced with a fixed communications panel. She picked up a huge, double bladed axe, "This should do just fine."
Rei deftly picked up two Long swords. Keeping the flat of the blade against the back of her forearm, Unit-00 gave the appearance having two long pointed elbows. "Do we train with these weapons, or do we just wait?"
"If you are uncomfortable, train. Running the Evas costs nothing." Shinji turned the lance into the two pronged spear and twirled it.
Touji picked up a long metal stave, "So, I get to whack whatever the hell these things are with a giant club?"
"A staff, or stave as some people call them, and yes. You can use it akin to a baseball bat if you wish, but there are more clever ways to utilize it." Rei said setting the swords down and Kneeling the Eva. She got out and started to scale down the side. She was tired, but didn't want the others to know. Her Eva understood and began to regenerate the lost fluids and destroyed cells.
*Three days later-The Sahara Desert.
In gratitude for saving New York, The US dropped the War criminal charges on Shinji, but more importantly, gave the Eva team, Four Eva carriers, from back in the day. They gratefully accepted and were glad to have them. Because it turned out they needed them far to quickly than Shinji would have preferred.
It was a towering Figure, almost as broad as it was tall, it had the requisite two arms and legs, and it appeared to be armored for Medieval Battle. The long huge broadsword it heaved around had already taken out three squadrons of interceptor planes. The glowing green eyes seemed to cause anger and fighting wherever its gaze was cast.
[All the gods are dead except for the God of war] It mused as it scanned the horizon.
"Mankind must put an end to War or War will put an end to mankind." Unit-01 Crested the horizon, a full on sprint, towards the embodiment of war.
"To lead an uninstructed people to war is to throw them away." Rei moved in a slow flanking position behind the enemy.
"War's a brain-spattering, windpipe-splitting art." Asuka fell into step next to Unit-01.
"If women ruled the world and we all got massages, there would be no war." Touji expressed as unit-03 commando crawled up to the monster's back.
War noticed all of his adversaries [Unit-01 made an army, how quaint. But what happens when the army goes to war?]
Asuka swung her mighty battle-axe, which screamed through the air burying it into War. He shrugged it off and unleashed something similar to an Absolute Terror field. This one pulsed out like a wave, knocking down Asuka and Shinji. Touji pulled Rei down under its path.
"What the hell was that?"
"Like I know! Lay off of me Asuka!"
"You better check yourself, before I kick your ass."
"Ha I doubt it"
[War is more than people getting out guns and fighting. It is turmoil in itself, in one's self that can break the most sacred of trusts, or perhaps something more…]
"Rei? What do we do?"
Rei carefully considered her options, No doubt he knew that they were there, but they mustn't meet his gaze or get hit by his AT field, so a full frontal attack is out, but they also had to stop the two Evas from killing each other. "I will attack War, You stop Ikari and Asuka."
"Is that wise? I mean, you aren't exactly…"
"I will be fine, but I need you to stop Eva-01 and Eva-02. Can you do this for me?"
"I can try." Touji sighed, not really sure as what he could do.
"You will."
Rei threw one of her swords with deadly accuracy, and it plunged itself into War's chest. He let out a mirthless chuckle and turned his attention to the Blue-hued unit-00. Instead of using his Field, he drew his sword. Rei concentrated on keeping her AT Neutralizing power up. She struck quickly and surgically, slicing a part here, stabbing there.
War was big and slow, but he could take a hit or twenty. Each blow was merely brushed aside and he would strike back with twice the force. Already, Rei's sword had been sliced in two.
Touji heaved his staff at unit-02. When it cracked against her back the Eva only paused to lash out at him, before trying to kick unit-01. Having already discarded his weapon He was currently trying to strangle her.
"Guys! Concentrate on the enemy! You two are not enemies!"
"She was always competing with me! Its well past time I showed her what's what!"
"You arrogant ass! I am better! I can prove it!"
Touji couldn't believe this, this horsemen had the power to eat at their minds, like the stories of the 15th angel. They had no chance if they didn't unite. "Looks like the newlyweds are at it again."
Unit-01 paused and began to consider the words. Asuka almost glared at Touji with serious intent of harm. "Trowa, any ideas?"
Trowa, the mangled version of 'three' in French was the designation he gave his Eva. …Not really. Getting both to attack you and running away might be a good tactic
Rei threw down her sword it was useless. This was the most powerful being she had ever encountered; she doubted a berserk unit-01 could take it out. So she did the only thing she could think of, give up.
[You lost your will to fight? You wish to die?]
"Those who fear dieing should not be fighting, I have just stopped. This is pointless. War is useless. All War does is take sons away from their mothers, Kill children, and bring out the worst in man, why pursue it?"
[You would fight me if you had a chance at winning.]
"The fastest way to end a war is to lose it."
War took a step back; this was not what he wanted to hear. He noticed his 'influenced' units were no longer fighting, but listening to what the black unit was saying.
He swung his sword at Rei, who didn't flinch, but merely let the blow cleave off her arm at the shoulder. The blood coated the desert sand.
"I won't fight you."
[There are others who will fight. You have been broken.] He swung the sword at Rei's head, but it began to disappear. It faded out of existence.
[No!]
"By not participating in the war, we remove your power, you rely on the anger and hate of others to power you. You underestimate the will of the human vessel."
War collapsed to his knees. This being was stripping him of his power, by not fighting back; all his goading wouldn't move her.
Fading away his screams could still be heard echoing in desert wind. Unit-01 and Eva-02 collapsed on the ground Shinji was the first to speak "I'm sorry about that. I…let myself get used."
"Its okay, it worked out aggression we shouldn't have been hiding. That is what leads to conflict, keeping it in."
Rei grabbed her arm and held it to the bleeding stump. Nil, her Eva's designation, reattached his arm and Rei sighed. "We…won."
She faintly heard the screams of Shinji as she passed out.
* Cairo Hospital
"You had us scared for a minute there Rei. The doctors said that you'll be fine if you don't stress your body so much."
"I'll do what needs to be done." She sighed as she lay down. Shinji nodded and took a seat by her bed. When she was asleep he looked around the room. Asuka was in the doorway.
Asuka looked at him pitifully, "You care about her a lot don't you?"
"Yes. I care about you just as much, but you never seem to want my help. I'm doing what I can for her."
Asuka grabbed another chair, "You keep on surprising me Shinji."
"I've had that effect on people this past week."
"Shinji? How important is she to you?"
"If I could save Rei's life, I would take on death herself by myself."
"Oh. I see."
He gave her an odd look, "You neglected to ask me how important you were to me. Both of you are equally important, but…I don't think we're very compatible. I'm submissive and you're dominant, that's our personalities complying with each other. That makes for boring life. If you must know I can't see myself romantically involved with you Asuka, and Rei...I'm just not sure about anything anymore."
Asuka nodded sort of understanding, "So are you just giving Rei some hope or something? A glimmer of something before she dies?" It came out harsher than it was intended.
"No. I wouldn't dare put up a façade like that. I can only give what I have."
"Sorry."
"It's a good rule in life to never apologize. The right sort of people don't want them, and the wrong sort will take mean advantage of them."
"Coming from you that's funny."
"That's why I said it."
Touji came in, slowly at first. "Bad news guys. Famine."
"Where?" Asuka said.
"Ireland."
Asuka sighed. They were trying to make her life difficult. "Lets go, Invincible Shinji."
"I think I should stay with Rei."
"This is not the time to be getting all humane about others. She can take care of herself."
"I'm not leaving her. I know that famine is no match for the great Asuka and the mediocre Touji."
"I'm mediocre? Cool."
"But…He's…I don't want to work with him! Alone! He's a pervert!"
"Sorry, Asuka. This mind is made up. Take the Lance, it works well against them."
* Ireland
The Red Unit-02 was slowly approaching the epicenter. Famine was destroying every crop in Ireland. And from the looks of it, they wouldn't be able to regrow things for years.
He was as ugly as the other ones. The skeleton was thick, but had jagged edges running from it, like odd growths. The skin was a pulled tight over it, a gaunt gray color. The stomach was swollen, like it hadn't eaten in months. It was babbling in a language neither of them understood.
"That's sick."
Touji moved in with his staff. Using it like a garrote wire, he brought around on the thing's neck and held it to his chest. Famine wasn't to pleased, because it was thrashing about like a maniac.
Asuka stabbed it with the lance, but it wouldn't stop moving. It kicked Unit-02 back and flipped unit-3 over his head. Touji swore as he landed on his back, "Ow! That dick."
Kicking the thing in the face he got up and stepped on its foot, then kicked out its knee. As it fell he swung the staff at it, breaking several bones.
It used a cross flare on Unit-03 and grabbed the arm of the black unit. It started to shrivel up and die. The arm became nothing but skin, bone and armor. Famine was killing him slowly. He swung his other arm at it, but it hit a tremendous AT field.
"C'mon! Die already! For me?"
He felt a sharp pain for a few seconds and then it lowered to a throbbing. He remembered that throbbing pain. He looked at the stump of his Eva's arm. Asuka had cut it off, to separate him from the Creature.
She was sticking the lance into it as he walked up. The Lance wasn't killing it. They needed some other method. "Could it be symbolic? Like with War?"
"I don't think so, besides how would we feed it?"
"We could shove an N2 mine down its throat."
"Nice. Got one?"
"No."
"Then what good are you?"
"Not at all apparently." Touji sighed and kicked it. It was odd. Because it just stopped moving. He kicked it again. "Is it dead?"
"We bled it out."
"Oh. Look at all the blood. This grass was green Asuka."
"I know."
Asuka keyed in her comm. "Hey! Invincible Shinji!"
The static on the line did nothing to soothe the feeling she got from her stomach. Asuka swore. "Something happened."
