Neon Genesis Evangelion: The Battle of Souls
by Shodan Productions [Project Number 02]

Hideki looked despairingly out of the classroom window. It was a bleak day; grey clouds hung in the sky, releasing rain upon the glistening city of Tokyo-3. The teacher, Mr Kayzko, droned on about the changes in the eco-system since the event known as Second Impact, an event which the UN had covered up, an international secret. But Hideki knew most of the events quite well.
"Hideki Miyazaki, the Third Child, named by the Repertores Institute."
He was a boy of fourteen, with dyed orange hair, and piercing green eyes. His shirt was barely creased, unlike his untidy friends at either side of him. He was fairly quiet, at least at school. One of the best students in the year, he had devoted himself to his studies, between work.
Whoa… is that a robot? A creature?
"Third, that is your Evangelion. Evangelion Unit 02, the actual finished model."
Work. The job of saving Humanity from the creatures of myth: angels, daemons, and devils. Adam, the First Angel, the Angel of Destruction, was the real reason behind the event called Second Impact. The researchers on the Toyomura Expedition had attempted something terrible with Adam, and the result was Second Impact. Antarctica melted, the polar ice cap turning into water, causing the sea level to rise by forty feet, but creating a tidal wave much larger. Half of the world's population were killed on that tragic day. The world was reformed, forever. But Humanity picked themselves out from the ashes.
All the faces around him were from the first generation after 2I. They had all been fortunate enough to avoid witnessing the greatest event that had ever affected Humanity. Instead, they grew up in a new world, where rhetorically Humanity would work as a whole. But the minds of men are easily corrupted.
He glanced away from the teacher for a moment to look at another person in the class.
"Oh, Midori's the CHB's daughter. She's your other flatmate."
Midori Suzuki, Second Child, Designated Pilot of Evangelion Unit 01. Her black hair ran down to her waist. Her face conveyed exactly how bored and aggravated she was. Although fairly attractive, and definitely popular, she was vicious. She had had a bad childhood, not helped by the fact that her father, Commander Suzuki, left her in the hands of Rayan Ladine, their Guardian, but she didn't seem to attempt to like Hideki. To her 'girlfriends' she was kind, to a degree, and likable, but at the flat…
"Mister Miyazaki, is there a problem?" came Mr Kayzko's voice. Hideki's head snapped round before Midori could turn. He didn't want to give her another reason to insult him.
"Er, no sir. No problem."
"Good," Mr Kayzko concluded, before turning to the subject of the eco-system that no-one was listening to. Hideki briefly felt the gaze of Katie-Liu's eyes on the back of his head. She was the class rep, and a friend of Midori's.
"Looking at Midori again?" one of his friends, Isamu, teased. Hideki's attention turned to his friend on his right.
"I was thinking," Hideki replied quietly.
"Sure…" came a voice from his left. He turned to see Zenko's grin.
"Believe what you want. You don't have to live with her…"
"Unfortunately…" Isamu sighed.
There was a light tapping on the door of the classroom, and one of the various secretaries half-entered the room. Mr Kayzko walked up to her, and listened to what she had to say. His head turned to Midori, and then to Hideki, as he listened.
"Miss Suzuki, Mister Miyazaki, there is a message for you," and with a quick motion of his arm, he beckoned Hideki and Midori to go with the secretary.

"Who do you think it is?" Hideki asked, his mind curious. He was a good couple of steps behind Midori, who was a good couple of steps behind the secretary.
"Ayame, probably wondering where Rayan is," she grinned, although the grin was replaced by a scowl as she looked at Hideki, her brain only then registering the fact she had talked to him. Hideki decided to keep quiet after that.

They were shown into a small office, probably one of the secretaries' offices, and then the door was closed behind them. Both of them went for the phone. A challenge was silently made between them, as they tried to claw the phone away from the other.
"Midori, Hideki?" Rayan's voice asked.
"Yes?" they replied through gritted teeth, both attempting to wrestle control over the phone.
"A car is coming to pick you two up. We've detected the Third Daemon."
The wrestling stopped, and instead they both pressed themselves towards the phone, face-to-face.
"The Third Daemon?" Midori asked, her voice barely a whisper.
"Yes. Look, I'm on the move getting the First Child, so you'll have to do without me. You'll have to talk to," then in a moodier tone, "Major Seizon."
"Seizon?" Hideki said confused.
"The Strat Op," Midori answered her flatmate's question.
"Yes, sadly you'll be left with him. I'll be there as soon as I can." There was a click as Rayan hung up. Both children looked at each other, before the realization of the proximity of their faces hit them. Midori stepped away, her face red and fuming.
"Don't get any funny ideas!" She warned, finger pointing accusingly at him.
"I wasn't-" Hideki fumbled.
"Argh, men!" She fumed, and stormed out the small office. Hideki placed down the receiver, and followed Midori outside.

Midori Suzuki, Second Child, Designated Pilot of Evangelion Unit 01. More experienced then Hideki, she proclaimed herself "the best." And she was. Although she was the pilot of Eva 01, the test type model, instead of Hideki's production model, 02, she had the skills and the experience to beat Hideki's attempts to match her. While Hideki had been at REPC for only a few months, she had been there for over half her life, so she knew a lot more then the Third Child.
She held her skirt down as the wind buffeted against her. She stood next to the curb, waiting for her ride. Rain begun to soak her clothes, and she cast a backward glance at the idiot Hideki to check that he wouldn't be able to see anything if her white top got too wet. The idiot made a start towards her, and she was going to say something except she heard the car arriving too.
It was a black hatchback, with tinted windows, and 'REPC 21' on the roof in bold white letters. The car pulled up near the curb, but before it had completely stopped, the passenger, a man in a black suit wearing black sunglasses, had got out and held the back door open for the children. Midori jumped in first, shimming her way to the far side. Hideki stepped in, and quickly fastened his seatbelt. Midori followed suit, hoping that the driver was more cautious then Rayan.

Rayan was being less careful then usual. His car sped through Tokyo-3 at about 140 miles per hour, his face filled with determination. His black hair was cut short, years of the military still fresh in his head. His brown eyes constantly scanned the area all around him. How long do I have… where the hell is the Daemon? Other thoughts raced through his mind, but those were the most important.
He nearly missed his turnoff, and the car skidding through three lanes on the road. Thankfully for him, the city had been quickly evacuated during the time he was on the phone to Midori and Hideki, so there was no traffic for him to collide into. It was slightly harder navigating the roads with most of the skyscrapers missing, but his GPS was there to sort that problem out.
"Straight ahead for one mile," the machine chirped. Rayan looked about for the Daemon now that he knew he had a few seconds of straight road. His eyes fell upon a white and teal two-headed giant. Thankfully it wasn't heading this way. It wasn't even in the city.
At least something is going right he thought, as his car crashed right through the gates of the government airport.

NEON GENESIS EVANGELION: The Battle of Souls
EPISODE ONE: Cold Arrival

Commander Reichou Suzuki stood between the three technicians that worked around him. He stared at the screen with feigned interest. The angel was humanoid in that it had two legs and two arms, but then it ended. Its two heads that were at the top of its body held rows of sharp teeth and nothing more. They were merely mouths. At the end of its arms were four claws, arranged so it could grab onto something with a claw at each side. Its legs had no visible knees, although the Commander guessed that it could bend them anywhere along its length. Soon the UN's forces would attack the Daemon without success, and they would then realize that REPC was there for a reason, after many lives had been lost of course. But that was the way things were, and there was no point in arguing.
Reichou was a tall man at five foot eleven, with short black hair and brooding brown eyes. He wore a simple black suit with a white shirt underneath. His ID card was clipped to the suit pocket. He may have fitted in a dinner party well, but with the card and his gruff demeanor, he looked more the part of a boss. And that was what he was.
"Commander," the female tech said quietly, "The UN forces are in place."
"Understood," he replied. He pushed up his glasses, and looked at the screen.
"The Third Daemon," a male voice stated from behind him.
"Yes." Reichou replied.
"Took some time," the voice said again, before its owner fell into place beside the Commander. Sub-Commander Toyomura was younger then Reichou by two years. He wore a grey suit over a black shirt, similar in design to the Commander, but his stance was far more casual. His hair was very short, no more then a few millimeters long, and his blue eyes surveyed the screen with more interest then his friend. "How long until the Children arrive?"
"A few minutes at the most, Section Two reports," he ended with a grunt that showed his assurance in Section Two.
"Where is Captain Ladine?"
"On the way to get the First Child."
"I see."
The Commander turned to look at his friend. "Is he staying with Captain Ladine or-?"
"Ladine," he cut in, "It is probably for the best they all live together. Well, except for Ladine, but he is there for their security."
"One trusts it is only that." The Commander turned back to the screen to see the beginning of the UN's assault. He grunted with dissatisfaction.

"Whoa!" Hideki half-yelled as the air around him resonated with the sounds of cannon fire. "Is that-?"
"C'mon!" Midori yelled, grabbing Hideki by the arm and yanking him towards the lift. He stumbled after her into the small life. She hastily pressed a button, and the door snapped shut behind Hideki, who slammed into the back of the lift.
"Look where you are going!" Midori screamed, aggravation getting the best of her.
"You were the one-"
"Argh! Honestly!" She glared at Hideki in fury. He slowly moved away from her, attempting without success to avoid her gaze.
It's going to be one of those days Hideki thought with a sigh.

The UN generals slammed their fists on the table.
"Why isn't it working!?"
"How many shells have we fired at the thing? How many missiles?!"
"Damn! That thing is tough!"
"Fools," an obese man said to the Commander. A smirk appeared on the man's large face. His light blue eyes spoke lengths about his thoughts on the UN's tactics. He brushed a hand through his light brown hair, although some premature streaks of grey were mixed in. "I wonder how much this is all going to cost the UN?" He asked rhetorically.
The Commander smirked as he watched the man head off into a lift.
"I see Tsuchi is in a good mood," Reichou said, sarcasm heavy in his voice.
"He always is," The Sub Commander replied with the same level of sarcasm.

The ordeal of the lift ended, thankfully, and Midori strode out. Hideki waited a few seconds, composing himself, before following at a slower rate. Midori promptly entered the female changing rooms, and Hideki entered the door opposite into the male changing rooms. Inside he removed his shirt (unbuttoning it instead of over his head) and his pants, before opening his locker with his plugsuit in it. It glistened crimson, and he had only worn it a few times before.

Midori, on the other hand, put on her suit with the same ease she had dozens of times before. She looked at herself in the mirror, looking superior in her dark green suit. Seizon will easily choose me she thought. She looked gloomily at the 'hairclips' she held in her hand. Whoever thought up the design for these should be shot.

Hideki left the changing rooms at the same time as Midori. They glanced at each other, before walking towards the briefing room. Midori overtook Hideki in this time, which Hideki muttered at.
"What's the rush? Death won't come any quicker."

"Yadama, right?" Rayan asked in his american drawl.
"Yes," the boy replied. He had straight brown hair, brown eyes, and tanned skin. He gave Rayan a pencil thin smile.
"Get in, we've got trouble." He thumbed at the back door of the car. Yadama took his time to look at the Daemon.
"Ah yes, trouble," he murmured, before getting in.
"Buckle up!" Rayan shouted, as his foot slammed down hard on the accelerator. The car launched out of the airport grounds with much the same speed, but with greater care, then last time. Yadama was precious cargo.

One of the generals lifted up a red phone. As if Commander Suzuki's ears were set on the click of the phone being lifted up, he turned on the spot.
"The sole purpose of REPC is to stop these monsters. Are you going to waste away more money and lives for a futile attempt against it?"
"Commander Suzuki," the man on the phone replied, "You are not in charge here."
"No," he sighed, "but I don't care too much for a N^2 mine being dropped near the city. Or for the fact that I am standing here bone-idle when we are ready to deploy." The general talked quietly into the phone, as so Suzuki couldn't hear. Instead he watched the expressions on the general's face: angry, sensible, shocked, and annoyed. Finally he put the phone down.
"Okay, Suzuki, you've got your shot." The general growled.
"Thank you," he said, and turned to the female tech, "Tell Seizon to hurry."
"Yes sir," she replied.

"Demogorgon, the Third Daemon. As you can see from these pictures, here, here, and here," Seizon said, pointing at the different pictures on the display, "conventional weapons have no effect. We are going to deploy Evangelion Unit 01 first, with 02 as a backup in case Unit 01 fails."
"I don't fail," Midori interrupted.
"In case Unit 01 fails," Seizon continued, "If that happens, then Unit 02 will be deployed. Understood?"
"Yes," Midori and Hideki said in chorus.
"Good. Now get ready for deployment," Seizon ended, and he left the room before the Children moved.
"You aren't getting a chance," Midori warned Hideki.
"Understood," Hideki lied.
Midori got out of the chair, and walked into the doorway. She looked back with a frown on her face. "Are you coming or not, idiot?" She stormed down the corridor before a response could come. She checked that her nerve connectors were placed on her head properly, and that her plugsuit was on correctly. Then she glanced once down at her figure. No wonder all the boys like me she smiled at herself, and then frowned. Except for Hideki, but then he is just an idiot.

As Rayan's car stopped on the express car lift, the large doors closed shut behind him. In the mirror he could see the red earth with the letters 'REPC' above it, and the quote "The Graveyard of Humanity is in the Garden of Eden." He could also see Yadama's face. The chinese boy sat staring out of the back window, looking blankly into space.
The Chinese... how I used to hate them after Second Impact. His expression didn't change, but he had to suppress a buried anger within him. The anger was nearly nothing, but it came from his heart.
"I've always wondered," Yadama started, "why the symbol of REPC was a red earth."
The anger fizzled away. "I have to say the thought hadn't crossed my mind," Rayan replied.
"What about the blood of the victims of Second Impact?" Yadama suggested, still staring into space. The car shook slightly at the car lift activated, and they begun to descend into the 'belly of the beast', REPC Headquarters.
"The blood of the victims..." Rayan mused, "Possible." It isn't like your kind helped.

Inside another type of beast, Midori gently rubbed her temples.
"Something wrong?" Hideki asked over the comm.
"It's nothing," she replied softly. She looked at his concerned face from within his own entry plug. "I said it's nothing!" she growled. Hideki gave a nonchalant shrug, before his image disappeared. One less problem Midori seethed.
"Everything okay?"
She was going to shout back but then her mind registered it was a different voice. How did I mistake Seizon for Hideki? "Fine."
"Understood. Begin the launch sequence!" Even from this distance, Midori could see the techs rushing to start everything. So... I'm the one to get to grip with a daemon first. Excellent!

"Worried?"
"Not at all, the daemon will be defeated. There is no other option."
"I meant about Midori."
A grin appeared. "There is too much of her mother about her. There is no cause for worry."

All around Evangelion Unit 01, things begun happening.
"Disengage primary lock bolts!" There was barely a sound as the Evangelion was released.
"Disengage confirmed. Disengaging the umbilical bridge." The platform that ran in front of the Evangelion's head and over its shoulder removed away as servos whirled.
"Disengage secondary lock bolts! Disengage primary restraints. Disengage secondary restraints." The walls that had held Evangelion Unit 01's arms in place split apart, walkways halving themselves.
"Release safety locks numbers one through fifteen." The walls continued to slide away, giving the Evangelion a large berth.
"Internal batteries fully charged. External battery outlet, normal."
"Roger," Ayame's voice said over the announcement system, "Move Eva Unit 01 to the ejector pad."
The Evangelion stood still, but the platform it was held to move up and backwards. Slowly the Evangelion came into a large room, filled with similar pads. Behind it, the 'catapult' system locked it in.
"Launch path is clear. All systems green." Ayame stated.
"Evangelion is ready for launch," the scientist, Dr. Yunokawa, confirmed.
"Understood," Seizon looked at Ladine with a growl. Just because he wants my position. "Launch!"
The last restraints that held the Evangelion down snapped open, and the Evangelion was propelled up by the catapult launch system. Inside the entry plug, Midori grimaced as the Gs pushed against her, caused by the sudden acceleration. Far above her, large doors opened in the middle of a road. Two vertical supports shot out just before the Evangelion broke through ground level. Rigidly it stood there, before the final safety lock released the Evangelion's arms back to its pilot's control. It lurched forward before the pilot regained control.

Evangelion Unit 01 stood in the city of Tokyo-3. A mere two miles away, Demogorgon moved with little haste towards the dark green horned weapon. A grin crossed both of Demogorgon's faces, and its pace increased marginally.
Inside the entry plug of Unit 01, Midori shuddered slightly. "It's time."

"I'll go if you don't mind."
"It's okay. Go if you want."
"Thanks."
"Don't mention it, it's just that I'm not that way inclined."

Rayan and Yadama walked at a brisk pace along the walkways and corridors of REPC. Rayan's eyes continually searched the area, looking for anyone that may harm the First Child. On the contrary, Yadama looked straight ahead, his gaze never once darting to the left or right.
Yadama jumped as Rayan laid a hand on his shoulder. "In here." The lift looked no different from any other, but Rayan knew otherwise. Rayan pressed the highest button on the lift, and then quickly hit a second button as another body attempted to get in the lift. The doors re-opened, and the Sub Commander stepped in.
"Sorry Ladine. Top Floor," He smiled, although Rayan was sure the smile was for someone else.
"Sir," Rayan replied. He took a professional stance as the Sub Commander looked down at Yadama. The boy's lips curved slightly at the corner.
"How are you doing?" The Sub Commander asked.
"Fine," Yadama replied, "The flight was pleasant enough."
"I hope it was." The Sub Commander's eyes had more warmth then normal, and the boy now acted more casual. Makes sense Rayan thought.
"Yadama Toyomura, The First Child. Strange how he's the Sub Commander's son, don't you think?"

"Sending up a rifle."
A large metal tower shot up from the ground to the right of Eva 01, and one side folded open. A massive machine gun was revealed from the interior. Without looking, Midori snatched the rifle, and brought it into a firing position. She targeted the two-headed beast that was straying towards him, focusing the crosshair on the creature's chest.
"Let it close a bit first, mind."
"Understood." Midori's eyes narrowed a millimeter as she took aim at Demogorgon. I'm going to rip your ugly face off your body.

"The pilot's sync ratio has increased slightly," Ayame reported.
"How much?" Seizon inquired.
"Only zero-point-four percent."
"It's something at least," he replied, as his eyes once again became fixated on the screen.
So to were the Commander's eyes, as he focused on Evangelion Unit 01.
"I hope the anger won't consume her," he muttered.

The rain poured. The night's sky was illuminated by streaks of white, fork lightning shooting across the heavens.
 The house door swayed in the breeze, and a girl of four looked out from the doorway. The lightning showed the girl what she didn't want to see.
 Crumpled on the muddy path a woman lay. The puddle around her was reddish-brown; blood and dirt mixed together. The murder weapon, a silver pistol, had been dropped beside her. The clip inside was two bullets short, but only one was in the woman's body.
 The little girl had crept out into the downpour, holding up her skirt so it didn't get dirty.
 But the skirt dropped when the girl saw the woman's face.
 "Mommy?"

The Evangelion stood, rifle poised, facing the Third Daemon. It continued to move at a moderate pace, apparently seeming in no mood to rush combat. Seizon knew it was a mind game. Waiting was a soldier's worst enemy, far worse then the opposing armies that loomed nearby. Midori sat in the entry plug, keeping the crosshair centered on the Daemon.
"A few more steps... just a few more steps," she half-chanted. Her breathing had slowed. This was what she lived for. This is why she lived.
"Get ready," Seizon warned, "Now!"
The rifle spat out death as Midori squeezed hard on the trigger. Impacts were made on the Daemon's chest, tiny holes opening up inconsiderable wounds. A dark liquid of an indiscernible hue trickled from the wounds. Smoke begun to form around Demogorgon, so Midori released her grip on the trigger. Her breaths were faster now.
The smoke drifted away, and Demogorgon stood, no wounds on its body. Its blood faded away like mist. The grins on its faces grew larger.
"What the-?"
"It's a Daemon. You'll have to close in," Seizon ordered.
"Close... in?"
"Yes!"
"Close in," she told herself. She released her grip from the rifle, which slammed into the ground, clattering a few times. Evangelion Unit 01 leaned forward, until its hands lay flat on the ground. Head raised, it looked like a sprinter about to start a race. Demogorgon just looked, its grins filled with razor-sharp teeth.
"Time to die!" she yelled. She forced the Evangelion forward and it bounded towards the white and teal daemon. One leg pushed it off the ground, and it flew horizontally at Demogorgon, knees bent in under its body. Faster then it looked like it could move, Demogorgon leaned forward, its body parallel with the ground. The dark green Evangelion swooped over it, and landed a quarter mile behind the beast. Demogorgon took the opportunity to attack from the rear, its head biting into either side of Eva 01's waist.

A girl's scream reverberated around a cylindrical tube inside a crimson construct. The only resident leaned forward, looking closer at the display he saw through the external REPC cameras.
"Dear God..." Hideki said shocked.

The daemon bit harder, and the scream got louder. Midori held her sides, tears mixing with the LCL that filled the entry plugs, in spite of the fact it wasn't her own sides.
Finally the daemon released its lock on the Eva, but its right foot kicked the Eva's back, sending it tumbling forward. Eva 01 ended up on its back, as the pilot continued to cry in pain.
"Get up! Get up!" shouted Seizon, but Midori could only trembled.
The Eva's hand moved slightly, and it knocked into a house, causing the windows to shatter. Demogorgon looked down at its prey, and smiled this time, but only time enough as it jumped on the Evangelion again, biting hard into its upper leg and knee.
Midori screamed, grasping the new pain on her body. The Evangelion curled up like the pilot inside it. Demogorgon growled, let go of its defeated prey, and begun its slow walk towards the point directly above REPC HQ in the Geofront.

"Get her out of there!" Rayan shouted as he finally got to Central Dogma.
"If she-" Seizon started.
"Look at her! Get her out!" he ran up to the techs, positioning himself between Seizon and his sub-ordinates. Rayan rested his hands on the female tech.
"Ayame, get her out of there."

The ground near the fallen Evangelion opened up, revealing an escape route.
"Second! Second, do you hear me!?"
"Rayan?" a trembling voice responded.
"Yes. Next to you is a lift. Get the Eva over it, understood."
"Yes..." she moaned. With a struggle, the Evangelion half-crawled, half-stumbled to the escape route. At soon as it was on, the lift descended, and the blast doors closed behind it.

But the daemon continued, without resistance, towards the Geofront.