Neon Genesis: Evangelion

Neon Genesis: Evangelion

Genesis: 0:23: Hatred

[A/N: Anyone know who was talking the last paragraph?]

[Disclaimer: Don't own.]

"So, how's the idea of sleeping in Shinji's room working out?" Asuka grinned evilly. Kasumi shook her head and laughed. "Was it really Misato's idea, or did you bring it up while she was drinking?" the Sixth Child asked. "Uh, the second one?" Asuka's grin lowered. Kasumi just shook her head again.

"You're kidding." Shinji blinked, "All of us? This Sunday?" Misato nodded. "Unbelievable." Shinji shook his head. "I've already told Asuka." Misato continued, "But um, about Kasumi…" Shinji looked at Misato with a confused glance. "I'm not all that sure she knows what a birthday party is." Misato said in a soft tone.

Asuka and Kasumi were rounding the final corner to school, when a car screeched to a halt a few feet ahead of them. Shinji stumbled out, and the car zoomed off. "Sorry—so—late!" he panted, "Misato—talking!" "Then why are you breathing so hard?" Kasumi asked. "You haven't been in a car with Misato Katsuragi much, have you?" Asuka sweatdropped.

The three pilots began to walk through the school gates after Shinji had caught his breath. But someone was rounding the same corner Kasumi was walking perpendicular to, and the person and Kasumi slammed into each other.

"Kuso…" Kasumi growled angrily. "Hey, pretty girl!" the person said quite enthusiastically. "Get away from me, Marie Ann." Kasumi said flatly, "I didn't get to bed until late last night, so I'm not in the mood for your weird antics." With that, the Sixth Child walked away.

"You two!" Marie Ann turned on the other pilots with the viciousness of a bear, "What in the hell were you doing last night, keeping pretty girl awake?!" Asuka and Shinji shrank, both stuttering in fear. "WELL?!" Marie Ann towered over them. "Gottagonowbye!" the two pilots screamed together. They ran as if their lives depended on it.

Kasumi waited by the classroom door until she saw Shinji and Asuka charging up the hall. She stepped back one foot, just enough to let the other pilots by.

"Good God!" Asuka panted. "Sheesh, you were right!" Shinji squeaked, "That girl is creepy!" Kasumi just smiled and shrugged, walking to her seat. "So what did Misato say?" Asuka asked, "What's the plan for our birthdays?" Shinji smiled and started to whisper the exact plan for Sunday to his fellow pilot.

Kasumi stared out the window, drifting close, and finally off into sleep. It was a comforting, soothing sleep that led to no dreams, but a blissful white that calmed the strange feeling of uneasiness. But then the sudden throbbing of a strange sense shattered the light and plunged her to darkness. As she felt the sense in her sleep, Kasumi's hand unconsciously pressed her fingers against her chest, where her small necklace lay.

The throbbing grew stronger, and soon it became painful to feel it. Suddenly, it shocked her awake. She was silent in waking, and did not bother the class. But still, the lingering sense of danger and fear easily made her heart pound.

As the rest of the week dragged on until the morning of Sunday, Kasumi kept reawaking from an unknown fear of something she did not say. Shinji half-jolted awake when the watch beneath his pillow beeped. He pressed the button to make it silent, and he rolled over. Kasumi was still asleep, and he smiled.

"Ah, at least her weird nightmares weren't there last night." he sighed, sliding out of his bed. He carefully snuck over to Kasumi, knelt down, and shook her shoulder gently. "Um, do you want to go out somewhere today?" he asked. Kasumi looked at Shinji with a careful glance, and then smiled and nodded.

"You know what, this is probably our first official date!" Shinji chuckled. Kasumi laughed as well. The two looked down at the sprawling landscape of Tokyo-3 from a tall hill. "Know what's funny?" Kasumi asked, "I liked you before I met you." "How's that?" Shinji returned. "I knew that I was going to be transferred to the Tokyo-3 NERV headquarters, so I decided to read up on the Eva pilots here." Kasumi replied, "After I saw you, I just read more about you than Asuka or Rei."

"I admired you when we first met." Shinji admitted, "I had never seen anyone stand up to Asuka before, so I was impressed. You still impress me." He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and squeezed her.

"C'mon, let's get going back." he pointed his thumb back towards home. The two walked off from the spectacular view, and back towards the apartment complex.

"By the way, do you know what day it is?" the Third Child asked. "Uh, Sunday?" Kasumi blinked at Shinji. "Not exactly." Shinji grinned, "Well, it is Sunday, but…" He opened the door and shoved Kasumi in before him.

"SURPRISE!" a loud shout from many people nearly knocked Kasumi over. The lights flicked on, and the same people shouted, "Happy Birthday, Eva pilots!" Kasumi blinked twice at the sight of Hikari, Kensuke, and Touji sitting around a table that had been set up, and then grabbed Shinji's elbow. "Excuse us for a second." she said quickly, before dragging the Third Child off into another room.

"Shinji, might I ask what's going on?" she immediately whispered. "It's a birthday party, silly!" Shinji laughed slightly, "You know what a birthday party is, right?" "Yes, but why did they say 'Eva pilots?" Kasumi asked, "Is it Rei's birthday too?" Shinji blinked in shock.

"Don't tell me that you've never had a birthday party for yourself." he said in a soft tone. Kasumi put a finger to her lip in thought. "Let me think…" she said sarcastically, "No." "Well, this is a party for you, me, and Asuka." Shinji grinned, hooking his arms around her shoulders, "So, let's get celebrating!" Before Kasumi could say anything else, Shinji led her out into the party.

"Go Ikari!" Touji and Kensuke shouted as Shinji and Kasumi emerged from the room, Shinji's arm still around Kasumi's shoulder. "Shut up!" Hikari and Asuka shouted in response.

"OK, OK." Misato waved her hand, "Let's not ruin the party!" "Yeah, since its your first." Shinji whispered into Kasumi's ear. She blushed lightly, and Touji and Kensuke roared with laughter.

"He's whispering sweet nothings into his lover's ear!" Touji snorted, "I knew it!" Asuka and Hikari were about to shout an angry retort, but Kasumi and Shinji merely laughed at it. "Yeah, I was suggesting what we do tonight!" Shinji chuckled, "Wasn't I, Kasumi dearest?" Kasumi nearly doubled over with laughter while everyone else laughed as well.

The party lasted into the evening until Shinji and Kasumi had to tell Hikari, Touji, and Kensuke to go home. Misato and Asuka had passed out/fallen asleep by then.

"So, how was your first birthday party?" Shinji smiled as he and Kasumi picked up trash. "More or less one of the best times in my life." Kasumi replied, "I never thought that someone could get drunk from a large mixture of sodas." "Yep, I'll have to ask Kensuke to make a copy of that tape so we can blackmail Asuka."

Kasumi snickered lightly, but continued to work. Shinji blushed lightly as he looked over his shoulder at Kasumi. She tossed items into the trash bag without wavering, or flinching at sticky, crushed soda cans. "Um…Kasumi?" he asked nervously. "Yes?" she replied, heading off to leave to dump the trash.

"Would you like to sleep with me tonight?" Shinji asked as quickly as he could. He watched to see what Kasumi would do. She froze, and dropped the trash bag. Shinji tensed; would she round on him and call him a pervert like Asuka would? Suddenly, he noticed her hands shaking. "Oh god, here comes the storm…" the Third Child thought, ready to bolt.

"Uh, it's not what you're thinking!" he tried to calm her down, "I just meant would you like to sleep in my bed with me!" Kasumi sniffed—

Wait a minute. Sniffed?

Kasumi turned around and smiled at Shinji. Her eyes were shimmering with tears and the fallen tears glistened on her face. Shinji, his sanity eaten away by his nerves, panicked. "Sorry!" he immediately whined. Kasumi started towards him, and the great pilot of unit-01 shrieked. He continued to repeat the word 'sorry' over and over.

Suddenly, his protests were cut off as Kasumi kissed him. His sanity returned and his nerves calmed down. "Kasumi…" he started. Kasumi stopped him by putting a finger over his lips and grinned in a seductive manner. "I think that you didn't really just want me to sleep in your bed." she smirked, "What do you think?"

Shinji replied by getting the Niagara Falls of all nosebleeds.

"Shinji?" Kasumi whispered. Shinji snapped out of the stupor he had been in, and looked at his fellow pilot, and now, lover. "Yeah?" he replied. "Love you." she murmured tiredly, snuggling closer to him. "Love you too." he wrapped his arms around her carefully, and smiled slightly when she drifted off into sleep a few seconds later.

"I'll set my alarm a bit earlier than usual." he thought over, pulling out the watch from under his pillow, "We both should take a shower before school tomorrow." He set the time, yawned, and then fell into sleep.

Asuka happened to wake up a short time after Kasumi and Shinji had fallen asleep. "Damn it…" she whispered, rubbing her head, "That's it, I'm never mixing beer into a suicide drink again. Why the hell did Misato let me anyway?" She groaned slightly and sat up. "Well, better go thank Wonderboy and Kasumi for dragging me to my bed." she rubbed her head again and left her room.

"Hey—" Asuka slid open the door to Shinji and Kasumi's room, but froze. Her nose bled slightly, but she composed herself and wiped away the spot of red. "Mien Gott!" she whispered to herself, "That's one hell of a birthday present, Shinji!"

The pilot of unit-02 jumped slightly when Kasumi stirred. Asuka stood anchored to the spot, even though Kasumi would see her—

"Asuka!" Kasumi squeaked. Correction; she DID see her. Kasumi immediately grabbed the sheet and hid slightly, the red of her blush visible in the darkness. Asuka smiled slightly, and whispered, "Get dressed, and meet me in the kitchen, all right?" Kasumi's blush deepened in response, and Asuka slid the door shut.

Asuka coughed into her fist and grinned evilly at Kasumi. "So, Shinji's real birthday present to you was…that?" she asked. Kasumi didn't respond. "Well, you don't have to worry about a thing." Asuka smiled, "That was the end result I really wanted my plan to have!" "Yeah, great for you." Kasumi said softly, "You aren't going to tell Misato, are you?"

"Hell no!" Asuka replied with a wave of her hand, "Why would I do a stupid thing like that?" "You aren't going to tell…anyone, are you?" Kasumi pressed further. "No." Asuka replied again, "Touji and Kensuke would hold it over you two forever, and Misato would eventually find out from them. Hikari would tell you off."

"By the way, you two did use something, right?" Asuka suddenly asked. Kasumi nodded slowly, her blush deepening again. "What?" Asuka looked shocked, "Was Shinji planning this or something?" "Um…" Kasumi stuttered, "We…accidentally found something in Misato's jacket pocket."

Asuka had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing. "Look, I'm happy for you two." she said, "I wouldn't tell anyone." "Thanks, Asuka." Kasumi said softly, "Shinji and I really owe you one." "Nah, I was paying you back for the Angels, and for dragging me to my room." Asuka smirked.

Kasumi smiled and nodded, and started to get up. "Wait." Asuka said quickly, "One last thing." Kasumi sat down again and waited for Asuka's question. "How come you woke up?" the pilot of unit-02 asked, "You and Shinji look pretty worn out."

"Nightmares." Kasumi answered simply, "Nightmares that are like premonitions." "Are you a closet psychic or something?" Asuka asked teasingly, "When the heck did you start staring into a crystal ball?" Kasumi tensed. She looked at Asuka carefully.

Could she tell her? Or would she run to Misato screaming in terror? Taking a deep breath, Kasumi said, "Asuka, I have a secret that you absolutely need to keep quiet about. I've only told Shinji about it, and I don't want you running off to Misato or Ritsuko screaming with terror."

"What?" Asuka replied in a whisper, "I swear on unit-02 that I'll keep my mouth shut."

"I'm part Angel." Kasumi said quickly.

Asuka's jaw dropped. Kasumi tensed, ready to run. "Mien Gott in Himmel…" Asuka whispered, "Really?" "Remember the incident a few days ago with the building collapsing?" Kasumi explained, "That was my AT Field up, since some jerks from C.O.G. were attacking me."

"You can raise your own AT Field?" Asuka asked. Before Kasumi could even nod, Asuka whispered, "That is so cool!" Kasumi sweatdropped and stared at Asuka.

"I won't tell." Asuka patted Kasumi's hand, "I don't want one of my coolest friends to have to be destroyed. Even worse if they said I had to do it." Kasumi smiled back at Asuka, and the two finally went back to bed.

A dark figure watched with a grin as Kasumi slipped off into peaceful sleep. "Ah, tomorrow…" they thought slowly, "Tomorrow, if you do not return to us, you will return to hatred, my dearest Kasumi!" They grinned darkly in the night.

It was a bright and sunny morning the next day.

"Why are you so chipper?" Shinji questioned. Asuka was indeed in one of her better moods, and was even acting civilized to Rei. Asuka just grinned over her shoulder, and Shinji grew more confused when Kasumi grinned back.

Then, without warning, Kasumi and Rei froze at the same moment. Shinji and Asuka continued to walk until Shinji was jerked to a stop when Kasumi didn't let her hand move.

"Hey, what's wrong you two?" he asked, "We're going to be late if we don't hurry up!"

"Something…" Rei looked around slowly, "Something here is amiss." "There's some weird charge in the air." Kasumi agreed, "Like a large electrical source just went haywire or something."

Shinji glanced around as well, trying to see what might be wrong, but froze when he looked above the girls. He saw the strangest, but most terrifying thing he ever had.

What appeared to be Marie Ann was hovering above the girls, reaching out towards Kasumi. She looked to be wearing the traditional wear of a miko, or shrine-tender (yeah, I know I sound like an idiot! Just leave me alone with the 'oh, you're trying to be clever with the Japanese' bit, and read the fic!). Marie Ann suddenly paused, and turned towards Shinji.

She grinned, and her blood red eyes flashed evilly. Shinji drew in a breath at her eyes, remembering his encounter with the Seventeenth Angel…

Shinji let out a bloodcurdling scream and clutched at his temples. The girls whirled around to look at him, but someone laughed from out of nowhere.

"Ah, damn it, wussy-boy!" the voice laughed, "I wanted this to be a surprise! Ah well, just get the hell in here!" Each pilot felt a strong electrical charge rip through their body, and their forms phased out of existence.

Touji and Kensuke were sitting close to each other, staring down into Touji's lap, where both of their hands happened to be residing. "Oh yes, yes, yes!" Touji breathed happily, nearly silently, "Faster, faster!" Suddenly, Touji froze, and a look of total joy came over his face.

"All right!" Kensuke whispered, "We won against America!" "Yeah, what a baseball game, huh?" Touji grinned, "Good thing we souped up this old hand-held TV!" (A lemon scene in a PG-13 fic? What were you thinking? You happy hentais!) They eagerly listened into the post-game ramble, which was just heard over the teacher's rambling.

Suddenly, the screen of the TV cut off into harsh static, and then, just as suddenly, another picture appeared.

"HOLY SHIT!" Touji and Kensuke screamed in unison, leaping out of their seats. The rest of the class looked at them and murmurs broke out. The two fell back to staring intently at the mini-TV, and the rest of the class gathered around them. "What?" was the murmur that broke out most often, and also, "Turn it up, Aida!"

Shinji opened his eyes and was greeted instantly by the person that looked like Marie Ann. "So, what possessed you to think that it was all right to be ally to one of ours?" she questioned with a scowl.

"What the hell does that mean?" Touji whispered. "'One of ours'?" Kensuke straightened his glasses and looked at the screen, "What the hell has Marie Ann been smoking?"

"What are you talking about?" Shinji questioned, looking around. Asuka and Rei were awake, and glaring darkly at Marie Ann. Kasumi was shaking with barely contained rage.

"What in the hell are you insinuating?" Kasumi snarled, "I should have realized it when we first met! Why couldn't I read my feelings better?" "Now, now." Marie Ann smiled at her, "Don't be so hard on yourself, my dear!"

"Did she just hit on Kasumi?" Touji whispered.

"Stop calling me your 'pretty girl' or 'dear'!" Kasumi shouted, "Let us out of this freakish dimension and let us to our Evas so we can destroy you!" The other pilots looked at her with a soft gasp. "Kasumi, she's a human!" Asuka protested, "We can't do that!"

"The hell she is!" Kasumi waved her hand in anger, "She's our enemy, and we've got to destroy her now before she causes Third Impact!"

The students began to murmur wildly at the mention of Third Impact.

"Kasumi, humans can't do that!" Shinji replied, "Only the Angels can!" "You dolt!" Kasumi snapped, "That's what I've been saying! Marie Ann's an Angel!"

The classroom gasped collectively.

"Ah, now most of the world knows, my dear Kasumi." Marie Ann grinned, "I'm broadcasting this little meeting to every single television or entertainment device on the planet!" "How?" Rei wondered. Marie Ann shrugged, "Just a trick I picked up."

"Now what do you mean by 'one of ours'?" Shinji asked. Marie Ann was about to answer, but Kasumi ran forwards and threw a hard punch. Marie Ann vanished before the punch landed, and appeared a few feet away. "Shinji, think about what she is, and what you figured out a while back!" Kasumi replied, "Don't say it!"

"Ha!" Marie Ann laughed, "This is exactly what I was saying before! Either you return to our ranks and stand by my side, or you return to your precious friends, only to be scorned and hated!" "Why in the world would I work for the Angels?" Kasumi growled, "They're trying to destroy my world and everything I care about!"

"Then you've made your choice!" Marie Ann looked angry, "Fine! Do not return to the other half of your blood!"

"What?" Touji and Kensuke wondered in unison.

"Do not return, my half-blood Angel!" Marie Ann shouted out.

The class fell silent. The only sound that remained in the room was the low buzzing of the TV.

Across the planet, all those who knew of the Evangelions and their pilots were at a loss. One who was supposed to be protecting them against the Angels was part Angel themselves?

"Yes, I can remember it all quite clearly." Marie Ann sighed with a grin, "When you and your brother were created at the SEELE laboratory, the scientists were in a state of panic when your blood came up only half-Angel. They wanted for both of you to be Angels, because they thought the Angels and Evangelion units would synchronize easier. Ah, how right they were."

"Stop it!" Kasumi snapped, "Don't say all that!" "Why not?" Marie Ann grinned, "It's all true!" "I don't care if it's true!" Kasumi's hands were shaking, "Stop saying it!"

Suddenly, something pounded against the inside of her skull and she lurched forwards. Kasumi slowly clutched at her temples and bent double. Marie Ann arched an eyebrow in confusion.

The other Eva pilots stood frozen. They had no clue as what to do next. Suddenly, Kasumi's shaking hands became calm, as did she. Slowly, she straightened up and raised her hands up, her eyes closed.

At the NERV HQ, the people in the command center were in shock. Commander Ikari was merely smirking as Misato and Ritsuko stared at the main screen. "Ritsuko, did you know about this?" Misato whispered. Ritsuko continued to stare in shock, her mouth slightly open.

Kasumi's necklace suddenly began to glow with a crimson gleam, and she smiled slightly.

Inside unit-14, the core that resided there began to glow with the same crimson shine as Kasumi's necklace, and the entire Eva began to glow white. Of course, no one at NERV really noticed, since the shock of their pilot being part Angel was still sinking in.

In a flash, the Evangelion had stopped glowing, perfectly normal. But the screens showing the strange little thing between the Eva pilots and Marie Ann broke into static, and the world was quiet.

The Eva pilots and Marie Ann reappeared back in the normal world. But for some strange reason, a very, very small version of unit-14 was standing where Kasumi should have been.

"What the hell?" Marie Ann glared at the unit-14 mini. "Oh, this?" the Eva suddenly spoke, flicking the armor on one of the arms, "It's just a special version of unit-14's armor I made especially for myself." "Kasumi?" Shinji asked softly. "Yes?" the armored pilot asked. Marie Ann snarled angrily and waved her hand downwards, as if chopping an invisible piece of wood.

Kasumi turned back towards Marie Ann, but a shockwave hit her and she was thrown against a building. A large, body-shaped indent appeared behind Kasumi, but she leapt from the building, drawing a Progressive Sword. Marie Ann barely leapt away in time and landed many meters back.

"Christ, how the hell did she get so fast?" Marie Ann hissed to herself, "And so strong for that matter?" She gasped in shock and lent backwards just in time. The Progressive Sword cut through the air just where Marie Ann's neck had been.

"I'm so sorry, but you aren't allowed to exist." Kasumi grinned inside the armor, "Consider this your…disconnection from reality." In a flash, she had stabbed through Marie Ann. The pure Angel tried to gulp in air, raising her hand towards the sword in her chest.

"Well, at least I die…" Marie Ann said through a mouthful of blood, "Knowing that you…will be hated by both parts of your blood." With those words, Marie Ann slumped backwards and slid from the Progressive Sword. Her body lay on the ground for a moment, and then slowly faded from sight.

"Kasumi?" Shinji and the other pilots came jogging up, "Are you OK?" Kasumi flipped the Progressive Sword in her hand and sheathed it on her shoulder. "Yeah, I'm fine." she sighed. "Can you get out of that armor?" Asuka wondered.

Kasumi's hands grabbed the back of her head and pressed a small button. The head snapped open and Kasumi took off the helmet-like item. She didn't turned around, but the armor flickered with white light, and then vanished. Kasumi's hands clasped around air and she sighed again.

Tears slid down from her eyes, her red and purple eyes, but she said, "I'm fine."