AUTHOR'S NOTES: Here we are again. Sorry about the delay; I needed a break and the muse struck with Misato's Revenge. Ah, fun. But anyway, back to the show...

And to the poster who corrected me on the appearance of Gohan in Eva Matrix and Shinji's flawed memory in this story, I've made a correction. Thanks.

Shinji Ikari stared upwards at the oval ceiling of the Geofront. With the lights dimmed for night, or what passed for it underground, he could no longer see the actual roof. Everything seemed so peaceful and quiet, and yet several hundred kilometers above him were a quarter of a million Inu-Yashas digging downwards. The thought of all those bishonen might send a fangirl into a tizzy fit, but that was before the Censors had corrupted the surly half-demon into a template for their robotic, ruthless enforcers. Somewhere too in the ether of the Eva Matrix was Belldandy, the Oracle. Shinji knew, somehow, that she was still alive, or functioning, or whatever, and that she was waiting for him. Shinji had a deep sense of foreboding, and of unfinished business.

He turned to see Councilor Fuyutsuki walking towards him. The older man raised a hand in greeting, and Shinji returned it with a smile. He remembered the old man, as Gendo did, from another life. Shinji had liked him there as well, and if anything, Fuyutsuki had gotten friendlier in this world. "Care for some company?" he asked. "I don't want to intrude if you prefer to be alone."

"No," Shinji said, looking down. "I could probably use some company."

"Good. So could I." He leaned against the rail as Shinji did. "It's nice tonight. Very calm. Everyone's sleeping very peacefully."

"No," Shinji sighed. "Not everyone."

Fuyutsuki pretended not to hear him. "I hate sleeping, myself. I never sleep more than a few hours. I figure I slept the first eleven years of my life, now I'm making up for it. How about you?"

"I just haven't been able to sleep much."

"She won't let you sleep, is that it?" Fuyutsuki leered. "You kids are so lucky."

Shinji blushed. "Er, no! That's not it at all–"

"Oh, problems? All systems go? No problems with thermal expansion?"

Shinji gave a start. Maybe the old man remembered more than either he or Gendo knew. "Uh, well, no, everything's okay, I, um..."

Fuyutsuki chuckled. "Relax, Ikari-san; I'm just joshing you. And checking."

"For what?"

"That you are, in fact, still human." He stared at the ceiling for a moment. "Have you ever been down to the engineering level? I love to walk there at night...it's quite amazing. Would you like to see it?"

Anything to get the old pervert off my love life, Shinji groused to himself. "Sure."

Shinji got quite a start when the elevator opened up onto the engineering level, because he remembered it as being much, much different. He looked frantically to the far side of the cavernous room, almost expecting to see a white, masked giant, crucified on a red cross, suspended above a lake of orange LCL. There was nothing there, only a wall covered in catwalks he could barely make out in the semidarkness. Nor was there LCL on the floor, but giant machines, all performing tasks he could only guess at. He relaxed visibly; it was no longer Terminal Dogma, just the heart of the Geofront.

"Almost no one comes down here," Fuyutsuki said. "Unless, of course, there's a problem." He smiled. "That's how it is with people–nobody cares how it works so long as it does work." He motioned around the chamber. "I like it down here, Shinji-san...I like to be reminded this city survives because of these machines. Ironic, isn't it? These machines are keeping us alive, while other machines are coming to kill us. The power to give life, and the power to end it."

Shinji wasn't sure where the Councilor was going with this. "We have the same power, though."

Fuyutsuki shrugged. "I suppose we do, but down here sometimes, I think about all those people still being used by the Censors, still plugged into that damned Eva Matrix, and when I look at these machines, I can't help thinking that, in a way, we are plugged into them."

"But we control these machines, they don't control us."

"Of course not. How could they? The idea's pure nonsense, Shinji-san, but it does make one wonder just...what is control?"

Oh man, Shinji thought. It's too late at night for philosophy. He was thinking about Asuka moaning athwart his main spar again, so to speak. "If we wanted, we could shut these machines down."

Fuyutsuki laughed. "Of course, that's it. You hit it! That's control. If we wanted, we could smash them to bits, like the old Luddites." He looked at Shinji from beneath his thick, graying eyebrows. "Although if we did, we'd have to consider what would happen to our lights...our heat...our air."

"It'd be cold, dark, and hard to breathe." Shinji was beginning to fidget. "Is that your point, Councilor?"

Fuyutsuki looked back to the machines, still smiling. "No, no point, Shinji-san. Old men like me don't bother with making points. There's no point."

"Is that why there's no young men on the council?"

"Heh. Good point." Fuyutsuki gave an Izumi-like chortle. "Point taken."

Shinji began to consider whether or not the Councilor had simply gone stark raving mad and had decided to bring him along for the ride. There was something the old coot wasn't telling him, and he wanted to know so he could get back to the serious business of making Asuka Langely Soryu, one each, climb the walls. "What's on your mind, Councilor?"

"Just like your father," Fuyutsuki replied. "Always in a hurry." He paused, took a breath. "There is so much in this world that I do not understand. Like Lain. Makes no sense to me at all. But I do understand the reason for it to work. I have absolutely no idea how you are able to do some of the things you do, Shinji-san, but I believe there's a reason for that as well." He put a hand on the younger man's shoulder. "I only hope we understand that reason before it's too late." He turned Shinji around and sent him stumbling towards the elevator. "Go make merry, Shinji-san." Shinji nodded and the elevator doors closed behind him. Fuyutsuki watched it go upwards for a moment, then sighed. "Because tomorrow we might just die."

Robin Sera banged on the door with a black-gloved fist. "Hello? Anyone home?" It was the third time she had knocked. "Hello? Dammit. They're either gone or dead..." She began kicking the door. "Anyone in there–"

The locks slammed back on the inside, and the handle creaked down. The door was flung open, revealing a very upset Asuka Langely Soryu. "WHAT?" she demanded.

Robin took a step back. Asuka was wearing what appeared to be a three-dimensional map of Tokyo with large parts missing, from her navel heading up towards her breasts. "Er...is Shinji here?"

There was a rhythmic thumping sound from behind Asuka, and Shinji waddled up to the doorway. He moved awkwardly, for he was dressed in a Godzilla costume. "I'm here," he said with a slight trace of irritation. "What is it?"

Robin looked from one to the other, decided she really didn't want to know, and handed Shinji an envelope, sealed with a Star of David and strange looking squiggles. "It's from the Oracle."

Shinji took it. And knew. He began unzipping the Godzilla costume. "It's time to go," he said.

Asuka sighed. "Damn. And you were almost to the Shinjuku Bank Towers, too."

Twenty minutes later and three levels up, Makoto Hyuga rapidly tossed clothes and other assorted gear into a duffel bag. Rei Ayanami looked on impassively, saying nothing very loudly.

"Gendo said this is how it would happen," Makoto said, to fill the angry silence. "I don't know...maybe the prophecy's true, maybe it's not. All I know is, that ship needs an operator, and right now, that operator's me."

"I know," Rei said at length. As he straightened, she put a hand on his chest gently. "I know."

"Rei..."

She turned from him, reached into a cabinet, and withdrew a cylinder, handing it to him. "I want you to wear this."

"Blue hair dye? Aw, c'mon, Rei. You know I don't use this stuff!"

"But I do, Makoto-chan. It's always...brought me luck. Maybe it'll bring me you."

He started to hand the spray back. "I'm coming back, Rei. I promise. No matter what it takes."

"Please, just wear it, Makoto. For me?" Her red eyes were misty, and her lower lip trembled with emotion.

Makoto hugged her to him. "Okay. For you."

Near the lifts to Central Dogma, Heero Yuy sat in a shadowed corner, out of view from the main corridor. In his hands was a metal ring, which he sharpened with a whetstone. It was already razor sharp, as the cuts on his fingers attested to, but he did not notice, even though it was somewhat of a novel concept to actually see blood and sense pain. At least it was to the persona that had taken him over and now ruled his body.

He heard voices and his hands stopped. He got to his feet quickly and glanced out of the corner. He instantly recognized the young man bringing up the rear, lost in thought. Heero had known Shinji Ikari as the Third Child, and believed the prophecy. Serena, Scout Moon, also knew Shinji Ikari–as the one who had destroyed her. With that thought, Heero's lips peeled back to bare his teeth, and he stepped forward to drive the sharpened ring into Shinji's skull.

"Shinji!" Kensuke Aida's voice came gratingly down the corridor. Shinji turned, and Heero barely had time to whip the ring behind his back.

"What the heck–oh, hi, Heero," Makoto said. Heero said nothing, only stared at Shinji.

"Something wrong?" Shinji asked with concern.

Heero suddenly grinned and chirped, "Why, no! I'm just peachy. Isn't today a beautiful day?"

"Well, I suppose so," Shinji said, taking a step back. Heero Yuy was never this cheerful.

"Anyways, I just wanted to catch you to say good luck!" With a flourish, Heero stuck out a hand, the one that wasn't cut up.

"Uh, sure. Thanks." Shinji shook his hand as Kensuke dashed into view.

"Gotta go now. Bye!" Heero backed up and then disappeared around the corner.

"Shinji!" Kensuke said breathlessly. "Just in time. You're gonna see the Oracle, aren't you?"

Gendo looked at Kensuke and shook his head. Some fanboys never quit. "We don't have time for this."

Kensuke nodded and gave a quick bow. "I'm sorry, sir. I just have to give something to Shinji. A gift from one of the orphans. He made me pinky swear to get it to you before you left. He said you'd understand, and also that his name is Gohan. Goku is his dad, who's dead, and he also asked that if you found the Dragonballs, could you wish him back to life?"

"What, again?" Asuka exclaimed. "Geez! Shinji brought him back three weeks ago, and he's already dead again?"

"He's been told about doing that Kamehamaeha thing to Agent Scouts," Gendo said, shaking his head.

Kensuke ignored them and handed Shinji something wrapped in a frayed blanket. When Shinji opened it, he saw that it was a slightly scorched brick. He smiled. "Thanks, Kensuke. Thanks a lot." Kensuke grinned, slapped Shinji on the back, and dashed off the way he had come. Shinji rejoined the others.

"Say, Shinji," Makoto asked, "did you notice something weird about Heero?"

"Not really. Why?"

"He was wearing his hair in pigtails."

Shinji shrugged. "You know those Gundam Wing guys."

"Waterloo...I was defeated, you won the war..." Council Fuyutsuki sang as he danced around the office. "Waterloo...promise you'll love me forevermore–" He abruptly stopped jamming out and quickly composed himself as his door crashed open to admit an angry Admiral Rick Hunter. Luckily, the Admiral had other things on his mind than the strange noises and Abba music that had been emanating from the Councilor's office.

"I was just told you cleared the Bebop for takeoff," Hunter snarled without preamble or greeting.

"That is correct," Fuyutsuki replied evenly.

Hunter scowled. "Councilor, am I still in charge of our defense system?"

"Of course," Fuyutsuki soothed.

"Then why were my standing orders countermanded? I need every ship we have if we're going to survive this attack! Why did you allow the Bebop to leave?"

Fuyutsuki was quiet for a moment. "Because, Admiral, I believe our survival depends on more than how many ships we have."

Shinji walked easily through the crowd, even though it was moving directly towards him and he was in the very crowded Nekomi district. The crowd simply parted around him. He was dressed for business today, wearing his white and blue plugsuit. The tone of Belldandy's message had been almost desperate, so he had to be ready. He looked at the numbers he had written on his left glove. 221-B Baker Street...well, this is it. He looked up at the sign. It was a noodle shop. Wondering what he was getting himself into, he walked in.

The shop was deserted, though the smell of yakisoba drifted on the air. Shinji looked around, then saw a young man, not much older than himself, sitting at one of the tables. He was dressed casually in blue jeans and a white T-shirt, with a bomber jacket thrown carelessly over his shoulders. Shinji was surprised: facially, he and Shinji could almost pass for brothers. The young man looked up at him, peering at Shinji from over yellow, pince-nez-like glasses.

"Hello," Shinji said politely, bowing.

"Hello," the man replied, getting up and returning the bow. "You're looking for Belldandy." It was a statement, not a question.

"I am Keiichi. I can take you to her." He stepped out from behind the table, facing Shinji squarely. "But first, I must apologize."

"For what?"

"For this." Keiichi abruptly threw off the jacket, slid one foot forward into a fighting stance, and brought his right hand back. Shinji instantly went into a battle stance, resting on the balls of his feet, ready to go.

The two men stared at each other for a long minute. Nothing moved. They held each other's gaze steadily. Then Keiichi's hand shot forward, fist opening into an open palm.

Shinji brought his fist up as well, but raised only two fingers in a V-for-Victory gesture. "Scissors."

"Paper," Keiichi replied with a smile. "Good. Belldandy's made enemies. I had to be sure."

"Of what?"

"That you are the Third Child."

"With rock, paper, scissors?!"

Keiichi smiled enigmatically. "No one else has gotten it right before. You don't truly know someone until you've done rock, paper, scissors." He wolfed down the rest of his noodles, then motioned Shinji to follow. "C'mon, she's waiting."