Project Blue Blood

by Thalarian

The rules have changed and the game has become deadlier then ever. It's up to Shinji to keep everything together as new pilots and new scenarios unfold. But can he survive? Even with the help of someone who knows him better then himself?

4. Chapter 3: If I Am To Die

Special Author's Note: I wish to apologize to everyone that noticed I had updated a few times, but found no new chapter. As it turns out, wouldn't recognize this chapter, and I didn't quite catch it. I tried resubmitting it quite a bit, but each time either the formatting was off, or it didn't even register a new chapter at all. I contacted a few times about the problem and they finally responded that the problem had been fixed.

Apparently I'm not the only person who's suffered from this. :(

Anyways, I've submitted the new chapter and it seems to be finally showing up. Let's just hope this isn't going to be a continuous problem with future installments.

Disclaimer: See the first chapter.

Thalarian T.M. Productions Presents:

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Neon Genesis Evangelion:

Project Blue Blood - Chapter 3: If I Am To Die

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I will kill him...

I will kill him...

I will kill....

Kill...

Kill...

Throughout the existence of mankind, Time always had a way of feeling eternal when you were waiting for something. Waiting for that one special phone call from the girl you asked to prom. Waiting to see if the boss is going to give you the promotion you've been working towards for 13 years. Waiting for the damn light to turn green when your car is at the front of the line in traffic. It always had a sense of dragging on and on...teasing you with how close your goal was.

Well, Shinji was sure that he had waited an eternity for Unit-01 to be loaded in the docking bay in Nerv. For 10 hours he had planned every possible outcome for what he was about to do. Every single scenario that he could think up, he did. He had a plan, then another plan, then another. Nothing would be left to chance. Nothing would go wrong.

Come on, he had an eternity to think about it, right?

He knew the inside of his fingers and palms had to probably be bleeding inside his plugsuit by now. Clutching the controls of an Eva with all your might for nearly 5 hours would do that. These last few moments stretched on so long that he almost screamed in frustration. He had cut off all communications nearly an hour ago, as they finally began to become a distraction for the figuring of his plan. Silently, he waited, until he felt a tremble in the cockpit. This signaled that the final safety lock was in place. Shinji activated his vision screen, watching as operators and various Nerv personnel filed out of the dock area. This was his window. He would strike now, while everyone was out of harms way. There would be no unnecessary casualties...

Touji...

No more then there already were, that is.

Finally, Shinji activated his comm channel, hearing the end of Maya confirming the successful docking of Unit-01. This was it. He shifted the comm channel to the entire control center, in hopes of catching his father.

"Commander Ikari..."

He could hear a few shuffled gasps from numerous people on the bridge. Suddenly, Maya's voice chimed through.

"Shinji? Are you okay?! When you shut off your communication we had thought..."

Her voice was severed off as Shinji's cut through it.

"Did you know Touji was the Fourth Child?"

A screeching halt came to any conversations that were currently being held in the control center. Every head turned to the giant view screen that held the partially hidden face of the tortured Third Child. His grip was firmly planted on the controls of Unit-01, and some could even see the faint line in his jaw, hinting at it clenching.

Gendo sat perfectly still, his form not moving an inch. His hands never became unlocked, nor did his features waver once at any hint of danger coming from his son. He sat in silence. That was, until Shinji's voice oozed venom through the comm system once again.

"Did...you...know..."

Every word dripped with it, almost burning the cables in which the transmission was being pushed through.

"Shinji please calm down...nobody wanted any of this to happen! It's not the Commander's fault!"

Maya's voice almost made the poor boy reconsider his original goal. That was, until the Commander's freezing tone met Shinji's acidic one, both battling in which would be the first to finally scare the entire control room.

"Yes."

Unfortunately for Maya, almost wasn't good enough.

Shinji's head sunk a little lower, before he punched a small command into one of his controls. Without warning, his Eva came to life, the systems whirring and buzzing as blood pumped through Unit-01's veins. It's eyes lit up, and a small screen shot up next to Shinji.

Time Remaining In Backup Battery: 3:02.87 Minutes

That was 182 seconds...

That was more than enough time to get to him...

Shinji turned slightly, looking directly into the video feed of the control room as he heard many voices shouting back and forth. His face held no malice, nor resentment, and no hate. It was just an emotionless mask that for the first time ever, resembled any relationship between father and son. It was his voice however, devoid of emotion as it was, that made everyone in the control room panic.

"I am coming to kill you Father..."

Not a split-second after the declaration, was Unit-01 reaching up, and pulling on the safety locks that held it. Metal screamed as it was torn away from the angry Eva, protesting at being bent from it's molded form. Unit-01 braced its hands behind itself, before pushing with all its might. The safety locks holding the Eva from its rear gave way, screeching and churning as they were also ripped free from their stands.

Unit-01 was free and it only had one thing in mind.

Vengeance.

Pulling back, it slammed it's fist down into the catwalk that stood before it, blocking it from the path that would eventually lead it to the demise of one Gendo Ikari. Smashing through the poor metallic walkway, Unit-01 broke into a sprint, smashing into one of the walls in front of it. Shinji knew that through this wall, was one more docking bay, then past that, there would be nothing but one final wall coming between it and it's prey.

Unit-01 mercilessly slammed it's body weight into the wall, before it buckled and broke down, small explosions rocketing through as electrical wiring and other constructs were demolished in the purple beasts wake. Shinji willed the Eva to run as fast as it could through the electrical inferno. It was now in the second docking bay, and only one more wall stood between it and it's target. The boy could hear the screams and shouts from everyone in the control center radiating over his comm.

Shinji threw the Eva forward, plowing into even more catwalks, smashing and breaking through anything that was poor enough to be in his way. He was drawing close to the final wall. One that he knew was backed with 50 feet of solid steel and concrete. One, that in mere seconds, would be reduced to aluminum foil on his way to victory.

Everyone in the control room screamed as the wall to their left suddenly boomed with an ear shattering thud. They were only offered a few seconds of silence, before repeated thuds could be heard, as Unit-01's fist slammed into it again and again. Maya screamed frantically before the Commander's voice took charge once again.

"Increase the LCL pressure in the plug by one hundred percent!"

Maya looked up at him in disbelief, before shouting back.

"But that could cause serious damage to the pil...!"

Her words were cut short as a purple fist plowed through the wall. Without another word, she shot the command into her terminal as fast as her slender hands could move.

Shinji was just about to pull back the Eva's arm, before everything went red in the plug. He looked around for a second, before he suddenly felt like someone had wrapped a steel wire around his head and were pulling with all their might. He knew exactly what had happened, and with a breath that felt like it crushed his lungs, he managed two words...

Damn him...

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The blonde scientist looked upon the fallen body of Unit-03, sighing and shaking her head. Of course America would end up sending them an Evangelion that had a damn Angel inside of it. She calmly stepped over the blood that had solidified itself to the ground, making her way to the giant black husk. She silently let herself take in the horrors of that which she had helped keep in control. Slowly though, she could see, that control was starting to slip away.

"This is insane..."

The blonde woman turned her bandaged head to her companion, who's arm was dressed in a sling. Misato walked up next to Ritsuko, also letting her mind absorb the feral carnage that had taken place no less then 12 hours ago. She sighed and placed a hand on her head.

"You feeling ok, Misato?"

The woman in question nodded, looking back up at the headless Eva.

"I'm fine. I'm more concerned about Shinji..."

Ritsuko nodded, looking back at the object of their attention.

"From what I heard, they had to cut open the entry plug and remove him forcibly. He ended up thrashing about when they tried to remove him. So as of this moment, he's in intensive care, heavily sedated. They are monitoring his mind waves and trying to determine if he had a mental breakdown."

Misato's heavy breath could be heard, as she hung her head.

"What are they going to do to him?"

The blonde just shrugged, figuring that the truth would be the best thing for her long time friend.

"No one knows for sure. The Committee has become involved, so it somewhat complicates matters. Sub-Commander Fyuutski is trying to claim that Shinji had a breakdown, and that caused his Evangelion to lose control of itself. However, a few U.N. officials that are involved as well are claiming that the attack was to well planned to have been the cause of any kind of breakdown or mind contamination. Shinji knew exactly what he was going for and where it was, especially since no one was hurt in the incident. They are even trying to claim treason."

Misato cursed under her breath, disbelief marking her features. "Shit..."

The two stood there for awhile, just staring off into the sky, or at least what they could see past the giant body that lay before them. Ritsuko finally raised her arms, stretching her back.

"Well, I guess there is some silver lining in every black cloud. Due to Shinji's timely intervention, and even despite it's injuries, Unit-03 can be salvaged. The right arm and head will have to be regenerated of course, but that can easily be done. It is, however, time consuming. It should be ready for combat in about two months."

Misato's teeth grit. "Silver lining? The damn thing won't have a pilot if I'm not mistaken Ritsu' ...because if I remember correctly, Shinji's best friend isn't around anymore to even take the controls! You tell me how that's a god damn silver lining!"

Ritsuko couldn't help but smirk, making Misato even more furious. Before the purple haired goddess could reach over and smack her, Ritsuko replied faintly.

"Where do you get your information from Miso' ? Because they are obviously quite unreliable..."

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God damn that light is bright...

Slowly cracking his eyes, the dark haired boy tried to take in his surroundings. He couldn't really make anything out at the moment, the images nothing more then blurry fragments trying to piece themselves into pictures. He laid there for a moment, letting the throbbing in his head calm down. He couldn't remember much, just sitting in the entry plug and waving to Misato. Then the plug had turned blood red and he felt something stab into his brain. Then, there was darkness.

He blinked a few more times, and slowly, his vision came back to him. He lifted his left arm and tried to wipe his eye, only finding the rough fabric of a cast. He looked at his arm in surprise, before looking down the bed a bit, and noticing his left leg in a similar cast, suspended a bit in the air.

"Well now, seems that you're up."

Touji looked over to the side groggily, squinting as he faced the light coming out of the window.

"Christian...?"

The man in question smiled, walking over to the bedside.

"You had us all scared for a moment Touji."

The athletic boy just looked up in a drug induced state. He pushed himself back, trying to prop himself into a sitting position. Christian reached out and took him under each arm, helping him up. Touji sat there for a moment, taking a few deep breaths. Finally, he looked to his side and noticed Shinji in the bed adjacent from him.

"What's Shinji doin' here?"

Christian looked over at the brown haired boy that was sleeping peacefully in his bed. The young bodyguard sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Well it's somewhat of a long story..."

Touji sat and listened intently as the man before him relayed all the events that had come to past. Everything from that fight between his Eva and Shinji's. The rampage that Shinji had gone on after they had brought him back in Nerv headquarters. The event of him being extracted from his plug, and being sedated. Touji's face fell more and more as each new piece of information was digested in the bell of his brain. Finally, Christian finished, allowing the athletic boy to fully understand everything that had transpired.

"If everythin' you said is true, then how did I survive?"

Christian was completely ready for the question placed before him.

"When your plug sustained massive damage after being thrown from the fight, everyone believed you dead. I...was one of them to tell you the truth. The sheer speed and velocity of the plug alone could have shaken you around harder then anything you could probably ever experience in your life. Given the fact that the pilot restraints weren't designed to handle that kind of pressure, it was just determined that you had no way of surviving. That was until the recovery team tore open your entry plug..."

Touji's ears picked up the semi-silent sigh of relief that escaped the blonde's mouth.

"Amazingly enough, the Angel's presence in your Eva created a somewhat organic tissue around the inside of your plug. The tissue acted as a kind of 'padding' you could say, which saved your body from being smashed against the hard metal of the entry plug. It's also the material that held the damn plug together in the first place. From what I've gathered from the recovery team and a few technicians here at Nerv, if that organic material had not been present in your plug, then it would have shattered into a million pieces when it finally came to a stop. Entry plugs weren't exactly designed to sustain extremely high impact situations."

Touji laid his head back, allowing everything to finally sink in. He looked over at Shinji. Despite the worry for the well being of his friend, a sense of pride also came over him. Shinji risked everything to smash through Nerv, just to avenge someone that, at that time, he believed to be dead. The pilot of Unit-01 knew that what he was doing could very well have him executed, but decided it was worth it. To Touji, as demented as it was, that was a true kind of friendship.

Christian cleared his throat, breaking the boy from his thoughts.

"Asuka and Rei are waiting for me down in the lounge. They still have to get changed before I take them home. The doctor's are going to hold you for a few more days before they release you. You've been checked for any mental contamination, and all tests came up negative. So you should be back on your feet before you know it. I'll be back then to escort you home."

Touji glanced at the older man. "Escort me home? What are you talkin' 'bout?"

Christian glanced at his watch, smiling. "Well, in a couple weeks you should be back up to one hundred percent health right? Last time I checked, you were still the Fourth Child. So...it's my job to make sure you are safe and sound in emergencies. Any objections?"

Touji couldn't help but chuckle lightly, shaking is head negatively. Christian grinned before helping the boy back into a laying position.

Touji felt the sedatives finally kicking in again, his eyes betraying him. He finally muttered a few last words. "Told ya' Shinji had strength he didn' know he had..."

As the boy fell asleep, Christian smiled faintly. He reached out and adjusted the blanket to wrap around the athletic boys shoulders.

"And I told you that you didn't a robot to prove that you had it too..."

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Asuka leaned back against the wall, both arms crossed behind her back. A small gauze pad was nestled on the side of her cheek. A few feet away, Rei sat silently on one of the lounge benches. Her face betrayed no emotions as she sat, hands together in her lap. They both kept silent, one not caring to talk, and the other having nothing to say. Finally, the fiery redheaded muttered something under a deep breath.

"Stupid Shinji and his stupid Eva..."

As silent as the statement was, it did reach the ears of her crimson eyed companion. The indigo haired cutey sat there for a moment, formulating something in her mind.

"Why do you say that Ikari is...stupid?"

The sudden question threw Asuka off guard, and she looked at Rei as if she had just stood up and farted. It only took a minute before the German beauty let her mouth run wild.

"What the hell do you think Wondergirl? First, he beats the Angel that neither of us could take down. Well...I was distracted anyways, otherwise I would have done it myself. Then he goes and trashes half of the Eva cages in a damn temper tantrum. If it wasn't for that fact that they locked down half of Nerv the second he tore his Eva free, I would already be dressed and on my damn way home."

With that said, the redhead pulled her arms from around her back, and crossed them in front of her chest. The irritation was plainly evident on her face, and Rei thought to herself for a moment, before finally speaking up.

"Would you have acted any different if the pilot had been Representative Horaki?"

That single question hit Asuka like a freight train, making the German beauty actually think about the situation for the first time. Although Asuka would never admit it outright, Wondergirl did have a decent point when it came to this. Asuka just shook her head, leaning back again and looking back up at the ceiling.

"Doesn't matter anyways. He's already been detained and probably thinks that this is all a dream by now."

"A dream?"

Asuka almost fell over when she heard the soft question spoken by the pale pilot sitting on the bench next to her. If it wasn't for the fact that Asuka knew Rei hardly understood anything that people talked about around her, she probably would have laughed.

"Yeah, a dream. You do dream, don't you?"

Rei just sat there, looking ahead, as if searching for something that no one else could see. Asuka stared at the crimson eyed girl, before giving a small huff and turning back to her own thoughts. Not a minute after the two fell back into a relative silence, did Christian come walking around the corner. Asuka didn't even greet him before she threw her hands into the air.

"Finally! Are we off lock-down now?"

The young bodyguard smiled and nodded his head, causing Asuka to go into another rant about how she was going to kick the Third Child's ass. She brushed past the blonde bodyguard, making her way down the hallway. He just rolled his eyes, smiling as Rei walked up to him.

"Will Ikari be ok?"

Christian nodded to the girl, and she seemed to suddenly be relieved. Although she kept it hidden very well. She bowed lightly before walking past him and towards the locker rooms.

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It had been two days after the destruction Eva Unit-01 wrought on Nerv Headquarters. Two days since Shinji Ikari tried with all his might, to end a human life. Early this morning, Shinji had finally awoken from his sedated slumber, and found himself being clothed, cuffed and escorted to a cell, where he waited for several hours. Finally, the thin stream of light that made it's way through the cell door, expanded, bringing with it the shadow of a human form.

"Shinji Ikari? The Commander wants to see you."

If it wasn't for the fact that he was being restrained by a set of steel handcuffs, as well as being escorted by two Section-2 agents, Shinji probably would have grabbed for the first lethal object within reach. The hallways seemed to stretch on forever as one of the agents led him by the shoulder. They finally stopped at a large double steel door, something that, just like in the movies, would usually spell peril for a hero.

The doors revealed a sea of cold steel, with a desk for an island, set near the back. Shinji's eye's narrowed as he found the all too familiar silhouette sitting behind the metal obstruction. The agent that had a hand on his shoulder gently pushed him forward, before slamming the double wide frames behind him. Shinji's resolve kicked in and he walked forward, hands still bound in front of him. He walked like a man on Death Row, features never wavering, steps never faltering, until he finally stood before his executioner.

Gendo Ikari's features were just as disheartening as Shinji Ikari's, that being the only thing that showed that the two were related in any way shape or form. The Commander's hands never left his face, and the two seemed to be in a staring contest, trying to size the other up. It was the steely voice of the elder Ikari that finally cut through the seemingly lower then normal temperature in the office.

"Using an Eva for personal, and childish vendetta's. Disregarding several direct orders from superior officers. Causing sever damage to Nerv headquarters. Threatening the lives of each individual at Nerv. Making an attempt on a superior officer's life." Gendo's eye's narrowed behind his amber glasses. "These are all extreme offenses. Some even accountable as terroristic actions. Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

Shinji said nothing, just standing there like a forgotten statue.

"Luckily for you, Sub-Commander Fyuutski has had the heart to explain to outside officials the...circumstances...which surrounded your actions two days ago. Thus, you will not be executed for treason. Is that understood?"

"I will not pilot again."

Gendo's features never shifted when Shinji answered directly after that statement. It was to be expected that the boy would refuse to pilot after such an ordeal.

"I must inform you, that the Fourth Child is alive and in intensive care. He will continue to be the pilot to Evangelion Unit Three. Under these conditions, will you still refuse to pilot?"

Once again, Gendo's only answer was the echo of his own voice bouncing of the metal frames in his office. The two continued to stare at one another, neither wavering, and neither gaining ground. Finally, it was once again the Commander's voice that presented itself.

"Then you are hereby removed from Nerv. We will continue without your...presence."

Shinji didn't say a word as he turned and began to walk back towards the steel frame that led him into the Devil's Den in the first place. He only stopped when that devil made one final comment.

"I'm disappointed in you. I take it we won't meet again."

The query was more a statement then it was a question. Shinji just stopped, staring straight ahead, before he began walking again. If it were up to him, he'd never meet that monster again.

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Melons were quite a thing of beauty. They had an appealing look, an even more favorable flavor, and if captured in the essence of a candle, an even more tantalizing smell. That is why one Mr. Kaji had always loved to grow melons, because no matter how you looked at them, they had the epitome of beauty written all over them. Of course, to him...

Melons were also just like one purple haired companion he had fallen in love with at college. Beauty, taste and fragrance were something that his fruits had in common with the strong will goddess.

That alone made Kaji laugh lightly.

The laugh was cut short though when he heard the soft sound of rustling bushes. He glanced to his right, just in time to see a young blonde man step through the ever growing foliage. He smiled, greeting his newfound guest.

"Mr. Takashi! What a pleasure it is to see you."

The young bodyguard smiled brightly, walking as if he didn't have a care in the world. He looked from the fruits on the ground, back up to the smiling yet stubble filled face of Kaji. He trudged over slowly, motioning to the plump green plants growing at the special agent's feet.

"Melons, Mr. Kaji? I never would have guessed. Of course, I have don't have much room to talk. I sometimes like to cook in my free time."

Kaji laughed out loud, sprinkling a bit more water. His laughter prompted the blonde bodyguard to follow suit, and soon, the two grown men were laughing like children. After a few moments, it died down, and Kaji gave Christian a genuine smile.

"Yes we all have our secret passions in life. If anyone knew I grew melons for enjoyment, then my reputation at Nerv might come into jeapordy..."

He offered Christian another genuine smile, before proceeding with his train of conversation.

"Of course, if some people knew about your secret, then your reputation might come into jeopardy as well."

This caught the young blonde's attention and he slowly looked at the stubbly man standing next to him. His eyes narrowed lightly as a smile spread across Kaji's face. Christian continued to read him, trying to find some hint of malice or betrayal in his voice or features. After several moments, Christian closed his eyes., sighing, and placing a hand against his forehead.

"And exactly what is my secret, Kaji?"

The man smiled a bit more, squatting down and evening out some of the dirt that had clumped up around his darlings. He let the question hang in the air for awhile, thinking of various ways to respond. Finally, he stood back up and gave Christian an honest look, before beginning his explanation.

"I don't know just yet. You see Christian, I have this talent you could say. Something like a sixth sense when it comes to people. I can tell when they are happy, when they are sad, or when they are angry. No matter how well they try to hide it, I can usually pinpoint exactly what is going on in their head. Trust me, it was an ability I had to hone while I was Asuka's guardian. This also holds true to when people are trying to hide things. Don't ask me how, but when I run into people that have something they are truly trying to hide, a bell goes off inside my head."

The stubbly stud set down the water can he had in his hand. Digging into a bag sitting next to the melons laid out before him, he began to ground plant food into the dirt.

"The same held true when I first met you. To anyone else, you were just a new employee at Nerv. Possibly a bit nervous as well. However, when we shook hands, I just felt that bell go off like it never had before."

Christian stared at Kaji evenly, not responding to whether the accusations being laid out before him were true or false. However, even despite the situation he managed one question.

"Why are you telling me all of this?"

Kaji shrugged, continuing to tend to the plants before him.

"If you're worried about me blackmailing you, then don't. You're not the only one who has secrets Christian. I've recently been removed from Nerv's payroll because I too have my own secrets. Because of this fact, even if I tried to turn you into Nerv, they probably wouldn't believe me. It took my extended... acquaintances ...four days to even track down and study your records. Whoever you have as your cover, is obviously highly skilled. Any possible way that I could ask you for their number?"

Kaji laughed at his own question, before looking over and noticing that Christian's expression was far from amused. The blonde bodyguard's eyes narrowed slightly.

"You haven't answered my question yet Kaji."

The special agent nodded, as if acknowledging Christian's accusation. He ran a hand through his ponytail, and it was obvious he was looking for what to say. When finished playing with his hair, a steely yet resolved look came over his face.

"Simply put. I trust you. I can't explain why, but I do. When you're in the business as long as I've been, you can tend to see certain people's goals for what they really are. What they plan to do, and who they see as opposition. But with you, I can tell that whatever it is you're working towards, it obviously isn't a path of destruction. I've seen how you are with the children. You genuinely care about their well-being, and you're doing your best to prepare them for the horrors that come with their responsibility."

Christian stared at the man standing next to him for a moment, not saying anything. Suddenly, the blare of sirens could be heard, signaling only one thing.

An Angel.

Both men stood their for awhile, left to their own thoughts as the wail of the banshee drove people to shelters. Many people ran past the two of them, and an outstanding panic could be sensed. Even still, they both stood their, perfectly content in where their feet were. It was Christian though, that finally decided to break the chaotic harmony.

"Do you think the Commander knows?"

Kaji looked up, his ever present smile plastered over his face. His light laugh was a reassurance to the blonde bodyguard.

"Ikari? If he could actually read people as well as he makes everyone believe, do you honestly think that he would have Section Two posted in ever corner of Tokyo Three?"

This time, Christian couldn't help but laugh along with the stubbly stud. The tension that had been present in the air only moments ago, was slowly starting to dissipate. That was until the giant red form of Evangelion Unit-02 rose from the ground. The two men watched as the red beast began to stockpile weapons around itself. After it had finally positioned the arsenal to it's liking, it picked up a rifle and aimed it at the now descending shelters of Tokyo-03's surface.

Christian followed the line of sight held by Unit-02, and Kaji followed suit. Both could hear the resounding thunder overhead, promising demise to anyone that stood in the creature's way. Finally, after what seemed like forever, an explosion rocketed through the underground fortress of Tokyo-03. Various buildings shattered from their foundations and plummeted straight to the unforgiving ground below. The Angel floated slowly through the carnage it had created, as if relishing in the fact that it had caused so much destruction and pain.

Without warning, Unit-02 fired on the Angel with deadly passion. Bullets streaked through the air like fireflies, each promising death if they came in contact with flesh. The Angel however, had no reason to let the bullets come in contact with flesh, thus each one exploded beautifully against it's A.T. Field. Even with the barrage are shrapnel being thrown it's way, the Angel continued on it's agonizingly slow pace. Only when it landed on the ground of the GeoFront, did Unit-02 drop the single rifle in it's hand, pulling up two more, and releasing hell upon it's target. Even with the barrage of firepower capable of wiping out a military force, the Angel did not falter.

Unit-02 pulled out two rocket launchers, and unleashed total destruction upon it's adversary. The Angel stood, stoic, staring at Unit-02 with it's ever mocking expression. It wasn't until it was entirely sure that Unit-02 had finished firing, before it's arms unrolled. Without warning, the bladed ribbons shot through the air with inhuman speed. They slid through Unit-02's arms with sick ease. With a single flick, it severed them from the stumps called shoulders.

Kaji grimaced as purple blood poured out of the severed stumps like a waterfall. He was surprised to see though, the crouched form of Christian next to him. The blonde bodyguard had fallen to one knee, and began breathing heavily. His hand clutched at his chest, as if in pain, as sweat began to fall off his forehead in fluid drops. His face had paled, and to Kaji, it seemed that he was getting even more sick by the minute.Without warning, Christian hoisted himself up, giving Kaji one final look.

"I have to go..."

The blonde suddenly took off into a run, vanishing into the thick foliage. Kaji only had a minute to question his thoughts about the young man, before he looked up to see Unit-02 charging at full speed. That was before the Angel's ribbon like limb shot out, severing the once ever present head of Unit-02.

Kaji's eyes narrowed and he gripped the handle of his water can a bit tighter then he had intended. Despite all her faults, Asuka was his responsibility at one point, and he had watched her grow for part of her life. Thus his fatherly instincts kicked in for a moment. Even in the situation though, deep down, he knew she was fine. There was no way Misato would allow any harm to come to the Children.

His thoughts quickly moved onto the blonde that had run off only moments ago.

I may trust you Christian, but that doesn't mean that I won't find out why you're here...

"Hey, what are you doing?! Do you want to die?!"

That screaming statement brought Kaji out of his train of thought. He looked behind himself at the civilian that had yelled, and when he did, he finally caught sight of the young pilot of Unit-01, staring horrifically at the disfigured and beheaded Unit-02.

"Shinji!"

Kaji smiled when he noticed the startled boys expression.

"Kaji? What are you doing here?"

The ever stubbly man smiled once again at the boy, doing his best to not only ease who was in front of him, but himself as well.

"Hey, that's my line..."

It didn't go unnoticed to Kaji when the young boy looked down, a regretful frown crossing his young features.

"Well, I decided I wouldn't pilot anymore...and since I decided that..."

Shinji let his sentence hang in the air, not caring to really elaborate on that fact. Kaji could see the self-betrayal in the young man's eyes. Kaji was not a man that could truly lie to himself. If he knew the truth, then he accepted it, and took the consequences that came with it, rather than living in his own deluded lie.

He liked Shinji. He couldn't lie to himself about that. Despite the fact that the poor boy was related to the Noble Prize winner of "Biggest Dickhead Father", Kaji would never hold that against him. To him, Shinji was a boy that had never had any kind of parental figure in his life. He was never told that he should be his own person, be his own boss, drive his own destiny, and screw the world if they didn't agree with it. Shinji was unfortunately one of those people that felt worthless, even if praised in the sight of others, he felt worthless. And all because nobody had ever truly said the right thing to him...

Even if it was to give himself peace of mind, Kaji would not let that go on any longer...

"Well since my other job became public knowledge, I'm no long officially with Nerv. So here I am, watering away..."

He could almost hear Shinji's shocked expression.

"At a time like this?!"

If it wasn't for the fact that the brown haired boy knew that very few things took Kaji's smile away, he would have looked at him like he head lost his mind.

"What better time? Although I'd rather be between Misato's melons, this is the place I want to be when I die..."

That single word struck Shinji like lightning, and his pony-tailed companion knew it.

Shinji couldn't help but croak out that word. "D-die...?"

Kaji nodded softly. "That's right. It's said that if an Angel comes into contact with Adam, who lies sleeping under this very ground, then humanity will be eradicated in Third Impact."

The stubbly stud allowed those words to sink into the young pilots head. They didn't have long though, as a thundering sound made itself known. Without warning, Unit-00 sprung free from the ground, a small dark object in the Eva's only arm.

"Ayanami, with no...!"

The poor boy didn't even get a chance to finish his statement before Unit-00 broke off into a full sprint. The Angel seemed to take a bored interest in this new threat, even as the blue Eva ran into it's A.T. Field head on. Unit-00 slammed what it was holding in it's hand against the wall of the Angel's soul. Just when it seemed that the indigo haired girl piloting it had succeeded, something went wrong. Shinji didn't even have time to scream before the explosion of an N2 bomb made it's presence known inside the GeoFront. When he finally got his bearings, he had only seconds to see one of the Angel's ribbon like limbs planting itself in the middle of Unit-00's face. He stared, horrified, as the Angel turned, and continued on it's path.

"All I can do is stand here and water Shinji. But you, you have a choice. A choice that nobody can make for you. You have to make that choice for yourself...by yourself..."

As Kaji spoke those words, Shinji finally felt something in his pocket. With a trembling hand, he pulled out what he had felt taking up space. The shining surface glinted in the light of the many explosions rocketing through the air like fireworks.

Always remember, no matter what happens to you, no matter how bad things may seem, never forget who you really are inside...

"Think about not having any regrets..."

Shinji caught the very last sentence that came out of Kaji's mouth. He turned to his pony-tailed partner, not knowing how to respond. The sharp features that took up Kaji's face were unfamiliar to Shinji, and on some level, even scared him a bit. However, when the young boy turned looked at the battlefield that held fallen friends, something inside of him snapped. He quickly pulled the object around his neck, letting it's platinum surface settle on his chest. He offered Kaji one final look of determination, before he ran off in the direction of Nerv.

Kaji could say nothing as the boy ran off to face his destiny. A smile made it's way onto his stubbly features.

I know you won't let us down, Shinji...

--------------------------------------------------------------------

The First Day

Crying.

A paradoxical thing.

Something that can happen when you're at your utmost joy. Your deepest sadness. Even when you've been hurt. Emotionally or physically.

It can be tied into almost every emotion we have. It can be pulled into everything that is amazing. Your wedding, your first child, even your first and true 'I love you'. It can be part of every disastrous thing you encounter in your time. Your first and last lost loved ones, your unexpected and unwanted breakups, even when your watching something happen that you hoped wouldn't.

That's why Christian didn't wipe away the watery streaks that streamed down his cheeks. Even as the purple beast raised it's maw to the sky, screaming at the moon like a maniac. Even the entire time it had feasted on man's worst fear, even when it had let loose it's first feral growl. He didn't wipe them away. No, despite everything that tears held, he didn't wipe them away. Sadness, pain, hurt, betrayal, pride, sympathy, understanding, surprise, joy, astonishment. All of those emotions and then some were the reason he didn't wipe them away. Because all of those feelings made one thing inside of us. Created one thing...

Our humanity.

The blonde bodyguard cried hard, and long. Even after the Evangelion had long since shut down, did he let his eyes spill the water of truth. It wasn't until the familiar ring inside of his coat made itself known, did he straighten himself out and clear his throat.

"Hello?"

The voice on the other end greeted as well, before going silent for a mere moment. Finally, when it came through again, they made a simple statement. Christian laughed lightly, wiping his eyes a bit more.

He never could hide anything. "Yes...I was."

The voice on the other end made a soft, sympathetic sound. However, just as it began to speak again, Christian fell to his knees. Although he could try and hide the sound of his crying, he couldn't hide the sound of his stomach emptying itself of any nutrients he had eaten that day. His body jerked violently for a moment, his lungs fighting the stomach for air. He knelt there, coughing and wheezing. After only a few moments, he straightened himself out, and took a few deep breaths. He picked up the cell phone that had been discarded in his quick emergency.

The voice didn't even need for him to confirm that he was back on the phone before they inquired about his situation.

"Yes...I'm fine. I can...handle this for a...month..."

The voice on the other end was quite for a time, listening to the blonde's breathing. Finally, they spoke again, before the connection was softly cut. Christian knelt there, trying to get his body under control again.

I hope...

--------------------------------------------------------------------

The Third Day

"I know Wondergirl's ok Misato! Don't bother me with trivial shit like that!"

The only response the fiery redhead received was the audible crack, when she slammed the phone onto the floor. Things lay strewn around her room, from pillows, to coffee cups, anything she could get her hands on. Well, anything she could break. She gripped her pillow tightly, almost tearing the thing in two.

"I can't take it..."

She grit her teeth as her tears became foggy. She would not cry. She would be damned if she would let one tear shed past her eyelids. The only thing that broke her train of thought was the soft knock she heard coming from her door. She didn't answer, only gripping her pillow tighter when the knocking continued. It wasn't until after the third knock, did she finally answer.

"SCREW OFF!"

She hid her face further as the door to her bedroom slid open, revealing a young blonde man standing in the doorway.

"At least I know you're still alive..."

The fiery redhead shot out of bed, pillow in hand. Before Christian could even say anything, the German girl hurled the pillow at him with all the strength she could muster. The feathery weapon hit him full in the chest, and he smiled lightly as it fell to the ground. She threw her hands in the air and growled, before snatching it back up and sitting on her bed. She placed her back against the wall and hugged the pillow tightly, refusing to look at her smiling bodyguard.

"Well, it's fairly late, and I'm sure you're hungry. What would you like to eat?"

"Shove it..."

Christian sighed and continued to stand in the doorway.

"Asuka, there's no reason for you to act like..."

"I said SHOVE IT! You think there's no reason?! Well guess what you waste of tax dollars, you don't know me!"

The German girl all but spit as she let the rage induced words float through the air. The young blonde just put a hand to his head, sighing a bit.

"Look, I know you're hungry, you have barely eaten for three days. Since it's just us maybe we could..."

"Maybe you could go to hell!"

Christian just stared at Asuka as she buried her face in her pillow. Her knuckles had gone white and the poor girl was shivering as she fought back what he could tell were sobs. Finally, he just hung his head, shutting her door softly.

Asuka didn't know how long she had sat there, clutching to her pillow as if it were her last thread of sanity. She had let the tears come after Christian had left, not letting him see her cry. She sat there, for what felt like hours, her head throbbing, her stomach growling, and her mind reeling. Shinji the Hero had hit a sync ratio that she could never hope to best, even if he did suffer consequences because of it. She was no longer the best, and she couldn't handle it. She had always been the best looking out of all the girls. She had always been the smartest when it came to scholastics. She had always been at the top when it came to Eva.

She glanced at her clock and realized she had been sitting there for over two hours. She wiped her eyes and straighted out her room, her anger finally subsiding a bit. When she had finally picked up the pieces of glass off her floor, and put everything back in order, the soft sounds of a cello made it's way into her room. Curiosity being one of Asuka's many strong attributes, she slid open her door, only to have her foot gently tap the plate sitting there. The fiery redhead looked down on the sandwich that had been placed there, along with a note, which she lifted up to eye level.

As I was going to say...

Since it's just us, we could have a meal I know you'd enjoy more then what you normally eat here.

She set the note back on the floor, and picked up the plate sitting in front of her. The German girl was bewildered to find the sandwich still quite hot, and upon closer inspection she could see that it consisted of a fried egg, sausages and cheese, all held together with two pieces of toast. Almost instantly, her stomach grumbled, and she snatched the plastic wrap from the plate, all but shoving the sandwich in her mouth. Asuka almost moaned out loud when the taste cascaded across her tongue. As simple a dish as it was, to her, it was well beyond that of 4 stars.

The entire time, the sound of a humming cello assaulted her ears, sapping all the frustrations out of her system, and calming her. She finally plopped the last bite into her mouth, frowning slightly as she realized she was still quite hungry. Without another thought though, she began her hunt to find the source of the melodies that now floated throughout the apartment. When she walked completely out of her room, and turned the corner, she found a blonde man sitting in one of the dining room chairs, playing a cello in the middle of the living room. The moonlight came through the glass door in the back, giving him sufficient light to see what he was doing. Although Asuka could tell he didn't need that light, as his eyes were closed and he had a faint smile on his face as he played.

After a short while, he hit the final note, and let the soft sounds of the instrument fade away in the darkness. He looked up, smiling as he noticed the redheaded girl standing on the far side of the living room.

"Ah ha! She arises from her cave."

Asuka just stood there sheepishly, blushing a little when her stomach growled a little more. Christian smiled and pointed to the kitchen, winking slightly.

"There's one extra sandwich sitting on the table."

He didn't even get a chance to respond as Asuka quickly made her way into the kitchen. He smiled lightly, before continuing with the melody he had previously graced the apartment with. When the German girl returned, she was eating much more mannerly, and sat on the couch, pulling her legs underneath herself. She took a few leisurely bites out of her meal, as Christian continued to play. Even after she finished, his melody continued on, driving back personal demons in both of the people that now occupied the small alcove of the apartment.

When the melody finally finished, Christian sat there, smiling slightly at the instrument in front of him.

"I didn't know you played..."

The statement made by the usually fiery girl was somewhat devoid of the hostility that had plagued it a few hours earlier. The blonde shook his head, a slight apologetic blush coming across his face.

"I found it in Shinji's room. I haven't played in years...I used to play when I was a kid, to...well...hide myself from things..."

Asuka brow furrowed. "Hide from things?"

Christian leaned back against the chair, sight softly. "I really didn't have the easiest of childhoods you could say. I had a lot of pressure on myself and there was a lot of things riding on my shoulders. Sometimes, I felt like the world was closing up around me and there was nothing I could do to stop it. When those things happened, I usually pulled out my cello and played for hours. It was my sword you could say, to beat back everything that came towards me."

"Maybe you were just too weak..."

Christian looked at the young girl for a second, gasping in mock hurt, before smiling slightly. "What a terrible thing to say, Asuka..."

The girl just made a grunt of disapproval, crossing her arms defiantly against her chest. "If you couldn't handle the weight that was on your shoulders, then you shouldn't have been in that place of power. People who are weak need to just stand back and let those of us with strength come up and handle whatever it is that needs to be handled."

Christian nodded for a second, and took on a feature that showed he was in deep thought. After only a minute or two, he looked up at the girl again.

"You believe you are stronger then others?"

Asuka nodded again, frowning slightly. "Yes I do. If it wasn't for me, then this damn city probably would have already been leveled by an Angel."

Christian just looked at her, as if trying to read her features. Asuka blushed, feeling as though he was invading her personal space. Before she could shout at him to keep is damn eyes locked on something else, he spoke.

"Everyone has weakness Asuka. I have them, Misato has them, Shinji has them, Rei has them, and yes, even you have them. What makes us strong is realizing what our weakness are, and not letting them hold you back."

Asuka scoffed at the remark, giving the blonde bodyguard a very irritated look.."Bullshit. Misato has an obvious weakness, and it's alcohol. Shinji is just a damn weakling in general, and don't get me started on Wondergirl. Those two barely have what it takes to be Eva pilots. Shinji can't even stand up to that prick he calls a father, let alone anyone else. So don't start talking to me like you know shit about strength and weaknesses. You're talking to a damn college graduate who has a degree.."

The young man smirked. "So are you. However, I have two degrees..."

Asuka's eyes narrowed, before turning her head away from him. "Whatever. You still don't know what you're talking about..."

She didn't get a chance to answer, before she felt someone grabbing her hand. If it wasn't for that fact that Christian had already placed something in it, and was walking back over to his chair, she would have decked him for even touching her. However, she felt something cool inside the palm of her hand, and once again, curiosity won out over anger. When she opened her palm, she found a small gold chain nestled inside. Her jaw fell open slightly, and she looked up at Christian like he had lost his mind. Finally, after curiosity began to fade, anger came through.

"What the hell? I don't want your damn jewelry, so take this stupid ass thing..."

"It was my father's..."

That remark stopped the redhead mid-sentence. Anger dissolved from her features, and she just stared at Christian.

"Well my foster father's actually. That was the bracelet that he kept with him everywhere. There's a small plaque in the middle of it with his initials and my foster mother's initials etched into the gold."

Asuka looked at the small piece of jewelry and flipped it over. Sure enough, there were two sets of initials, with an infinity symbol wrapping around both of them. Before she could even ask any questions, the blonde bodyguard continued.

"They were married for over sixty years. He had it made not long after he and my mother were married, and right before he went to war in Vietnam for the United States. I'm sure you've studied that war in school. American history I believe. It was his symbol that there was someone waiting for him back home. My foster father was a very hard man to understand, and out of his entire life, there were only two people he ever let inside of his heart. Myself, and my foster mother..."

The fiery redhead just continued to listen.

"He was the Secretary of Defense for the United States, and he always had to look strong and be strong, for he was the head of their entire military. He held up that powerful facade to the entire country, making everyone believe that he was this giant pillar of strength that no one could push over. But I remember some nights so perfectly. When he'd come home, his facade would fade, and he and my mother would sit down, and he would pour his heart out about everything. You see Asuka, he never truly had his own strength. He had strength through my mother, and visa versa. She was his confident, and so was I. Sometimes, he would just sit and talk with me, telling me all the things that had ever scared him in his life. When he was at war, when he was at work. Everything..."

Asuka couldn't answer, her mouth was slightly open, trying to register everything that was coming from the young man's mouth.

"What I'm trying to tell you Asuka, is that nobody is strong on their own. Nobody. The only reason any of us fight, the only reason any of us even survive, is because somewhere deep down, there is something, or someone we're trying to protect. That's the reason I want you to have this bracelet. You block yourself out from the world Asuka, and you can't do that. Sooner or later, you aren't going to be able to hold yourself together, and it's at that time, you're going to need someone, someone close to you, to give you their shoulder to lean on. That was something my father understood, and it's what kept him going day in and day out. I want you to always remember that when you look at that bracelet."

Asuka just looked at Christian, her gaze dropping down to the small golden bracelet in her hand. Finally though, her eyes narrowed and she shot up from the couch, dropping the piece of jewelry on the seat.

"You can go to hell!"

Christian just blinked at her. Asuka began fuming in front of him.

"You think you can just talk to me as if you know the shit I've gone through?! You can take your stupid philosophy, and your stupid piece of golden junk and shove it up your ass! I don't need you and I sure as hell don't need Shinji! I've been taking care of myself for years after my parents abandoned me, and that's not about to change anytime soon! So take your so called 'advice' and shove it up your FUCKING ass!"

Without another word, the redhead stormed off, all but slamming her door shut. A few of the hanging pictures near her door shook for a moment, but held strong. Through her entire rant, Christian had his eyes closed, and a soft almost unrecognizable smirk on his face. When he finally opened his eyes, he noticed that the bracelet was indeed gone from the seat of the couch. Finally, something rang out in Christian's head.

You think you can just talk to me as if you know the shit I've gone through

I've been taking care of myself for years after my parents abandoned me, and that's not about to change anytime soon

The blonde man wanted to lean back and laugh. However, he just settled for a grin that he couldn't tear from his face. Without even thinking he began to pick up a new song, letting the bow slide across the strings of the cello, filling the apartment with the sounds of music once again.

I don't think you even realized it Asuka, but you've just started to open up...

-------------------------------------------------------------

The Thirty First Day

"Give me back my Shinji! Give him back!"

The purple haired goddesses body shook with each sob, as her arms refused to let go of the blue and white plugsuit. Tears streaked down her face as she screamed at the beast to give her back what she felt was rightfully hers. Without warning, she heard was sounded like wet flesh hitting metal. When she glanced up, she almost broke into sobs again when she felt her eyes had played tricks on her.

"Shinji...?"

Her voice sounded so distant, so weak. But after she blinked for a second, and realized that he was indeed there, she ran to him, plugsuit all but forgotten.

"Shinji!"

The tears came harder this time. He was back and in her arms, safe and sound. Relief washed over her like a waterfall and there wasn't anything she could do to keep herself from hugging his body tightly.

She never really noticed the platinum cross that hung around his neck.

-------------------------------------------------------------

"Shinji just got back and she's already running to her lover? Well...I guess I can't blame her..."

Ritsuko stood in mild shock when Misato drove off, hand waving slightly in the air. The blue sports car finally disappeared over the hill and Ritsuko sighed, feeling slightly alone. She hadn't felt this way in a long time, and deep inside, she hated feeling this way. The blonde scientist looked up and was greeted by quite a refreshing sight.

Walking down the street, with a hand running through his blonde hair, was Christian. His path would soon lead him right to her location, but he smiled long before he got there, recognizing her in an instant. She smiled back until he was finally caught up to her, hands resting slightly on her hips.

"Ms. Akagi! What a pleasant surprise!"

Ritsuko laughed lightly, wagging a finger at him.

"It's Ritsuko. We're off duty."

The smile never left the blonde bodyguard's face.

"I know. I was just hoping that you would refer me for a promotion if I showed respect."

The blonde scientist smiled at him.

"Tell you what, join me for a drink and I'll look into it."

Christian smiled and extended his arm to her. "It's a deal."

-------------------------------------------------------------

The bar was a nice setting. Soft lights, no rowdy crowds, and friendly service. Although the place was somewhat packed, the two blonde had no trouble finding a small booth near the back.

Ritsuko smiled, sipping her drink lightly and gently smoking the cigarette that was in her right hand. Christian sat a bit next to her, also sipping his drink and talking idly with his companion. The two sat there for awhile, chatting about their lives. Ritsuko came to learn about Christian's family. His late foster father and mother. What they did, and experiences with their lives. Christian came to learn about Ritsuko a bit. How she became involved in Nerv, and other things about the job that both of them now worked on.

The blonde scientist looked at her companion took another sip of her drink, leaning back in the booth and taking a long drag from her cigarette.

"So how's guard duty for you so far?"

Her blonde companion laughed lightly.

"So far, there's nothing to guard them from, so I can't really tell you. I've been trying to help them understand the world better though. Shinji seems to have shut himself off from everyone, afraid of letting anyone know what he's feeling. But I can sense him screaming for attention. Not even attention, more like...acceptance. He's so used to doing what everyone tells him, that he's beginning to believe that it's all he's good for. Sooner or later, he's not going to be able to take it."

Ritsuko just looked at the blonde bodyguard. She set her drink down in front of her, and took another soft puff from her tobacco stick.

"Asuka...hell, where do I begin...?"

Christian smiled as he heard a soft laugh emanate from Ritsuko. She put a hand on his shoulder, giving him an apologetic look as she spoke.

"Good question. I don't think anyone knows how to get through to that girl."

"True. From what I've seen, she seems to have shut the world off on her own accord. It's as if she's challenging anyone who would oppose her. I won't lie when I say she's quite brilliant, but she hasn't been on this earth long enough to know how to use that brilliance. She hasn't had the experiences that you and I have had, so it's like giving a computer to a toddler and asking them to build it from scratch. I'm only hoping that she can come to terms with letting someone understand her, before it's too late..."

Ritsuko raised an eyebrow, and looked at him with a soft expression on her face.

"You seem to really care about the Children. It's amazing that you know so much about them after being here for only so long..."

Christian smiled a bit as he took a sip from his drink. He sat back a moment, before finally sitting forward and resting his arms on the table.

"Well this discussion was meant to bring me to my next question. What's eating you?"

The blonde scientist looked at her companion for a moment, bringing the cigarette up to her lips.

"I don't know what you're talking about..."

Even Ritsuko knew it wasn't very convincing. Even so, there really shouldn't have been any way for Christian to sense anything wrong with her. She was shocked when he spoke again, feeling as though he was reading her mind.

"You're a very brilliant woman Ritsuko, no doubt about that. But I'm a psychology major, I've been trained and taught to see these kinds of things with people."

Even with that statement, Ritsuko never said anything. She did, however, begin taking bigger gulps of her drink. It wasn't long before she was out, and the waitress came back giving her a fresh one. Christian just smiled, letting the woman soak in the alcohol. Finally, she sighed, leaning her head back against the soft booth.

"There's a lot of things that are wrong..."

He smiled and took another sip of his own drink.

"Well, why don't we talk about what's the most wrong?"

Ritsuko just groaned, her demeanor starting to change from cheery to frustrated. She ran a hand through her hair again, before finally replying.

"I really don't feel like talking about it...

Christian let the statement hang in the air for awhile, watching as his bar buddy took yet another gulp from her drink. It wasn't long before he could see a small hue come to her cheeks. This, he had decided, was the right time to press what he had been thinking about. Although she wasn't drunk, she was perhaps just tipsy enough to let a few things slip from her mouth.

"You're angry at the Commander I take it?"

Ritsuko's head snapped up and she look at him square in the eyes. "How did you know?" When he smirked at her, she groaned, slapping a hand against her face.

"Shit..."

He chuckled around his glass as he took another drink from it. He watched as she cursed under her breath, not wishing for anyone to know what he had already guessed. Finally, he took on a serious look.

"Look Ritsuko, I know this because of how you've been acting recently. Any time the Commander is mentioned, or any time he comes around, you get stiff as a board, and this frown comes across your face."

Ritsuko didn't confirm whether he was right or not, but she did finally rest her elbow on the table, letting her chin fall into her palm. Even despite the fact that she didn't answer, the blonde bodyguard still pressed on, his emotions beginning to cloud his reasoning.

"Whether you really are mad at him, or whether you aren't, that's entirely your business. I would never ask that you not get angry with that man, but what I would ask is that you not let it cloud your judgment. Don't ever let yourself pull other people into your grudge just for the sake of getting even with him. Promise me that, Ritsuko."

Ritsuko looked at Christian with wide eyes, staring at him with her mouth somewhat open. It was then that Christian realized that he had probably said too much, and a surprised look came over his face. Before Ritsuko could register the look though, he gained back a confident smile.

"I just don't want you to get yourself into any trouble, that's all..."

Ritsuko looked at him for awhile, before a soft smile coming over her features. Even despite the alcohol, the blonde bodyguard could tell this was a genuine smile.

"You really are very sweet Christian. It's understandable why Maya has taken such a liking to you..."

The young man nearly choked on his drink, coughing lightly, as a dark blush came over his cheeks. Ritsuko laughed, patting the side of his face affectionately.

"Ha ha ha, you blush just like a teenager, that's so cute!"

Christian still was trying to register her first statement. "What do you mean she's taken a liking to me?"

Ritsuko just shook her head and wagged a finger in front of his face.

"Tsk tsk, that's not for me to say. I've already said too much as it is. Let's just say, that she likes it when you arrive, and loves it when you walk away. Especially in those pants you were wearing yesterday..."

This time, Christian did choke on his drink. The blonde scientist couldn't help but laugh as the poor young man pounded on his chest. Ritsuko finally put out her cigarette and finished the last of her drink, waving the waitress down for their tab. Just as she was reaching out to grasp it, a soft yet firm hand settled on top of hers. She looked over to see Christian smiling lightly.

"This one's on me Ritsuko. You'll get it next time around..."

Ritsuko smiled at him, and before she even realized what she was doing, she murmured something under her breath. Christian just looked at her softly.

"What...?"

"I promise..."

Even though he could easily see the alcohol creating the flush on her cheeks, he also saw that they hadn't reached her eyes. He smiled, standing up and holding out his hand for her.

"Come on, let's get you home..."

-------------------------------------------------------------

He silently slipped through the front door, cheering in his mind when the key-code he had received worked. He silently began to blend into the shadows, the only light coming from the moon as it cascaded through the back glass door.

It was a modest apartment. There was workout equipment in the living room, a somewhat personal gym. A punching bag was suspended from the ceiling, and there was a treadmill near the sliding glass doors that lead to the porch. Quietly, he made his way into the kitchen, the small flashlight in his hands chasing away all the monsters of darkness. He checked all the cupboards, searching for anything that might give him a silent clue or two about the current situation. He cursed under his breath when the apartment refused to give up anything on the occupant that lived in it's walls.

He stood there for a moment, letting the flashlight dart around the apartment. Finally, he stalked to the bedroom. He opened the door quietly, peering inside for any form sleeping on the bed or anywhere else in the room. Finding the room unoccupied, he stalked around, squinting as he searched futilely around the darkness. A frustrated growl made it's way past his lips as once again, he found nothing. He stood in the middle of the room, no longer trying to be stealthy, as his frustration made that trait pointless. He none to quietly pushed the door to the bathroom open, telling himself that he'd once again run short of anything of importance. How wrong he was...

Holy shit...

His flashlight had found something that made Kaji reach over and switch on the overhead light. His jaw fell a bit lower as the bathroom lit up.

Bottles were everywhere. Medicine bottles. All sorts of different sizes and colors. Kaji looked at the counter that held nothing but aspirin cases and prescription pain relievers. The stubbly stud walked through the sea of bottles that laid on the ground, most of them empty. Several bottles on the counter were still open, showing that they still held contents. A few pills were even strewn about the counter, as if they were pulled out of the bottles in haste.

When Kaji had finally made it up to the counter, he noticed that it wasn't just pain relievers that littered the bathroom counter, but various types of nausea reducers and headache medicines. Kaji filtered through most of the medications taking note of their names and what they are used for.

Someone seems to have alto of headaches...

Then something caught Kaji's eye. In the corner of the counter sat a small black case, the locks on the ends closed tightly. Kaji's eyes narrowed and he pulled out a few small metal prods, sliding them into the little locks. He gently twisted them around, cheering in his head as each one snapped open. He opened the small case and whistled lightly when he found 3 needles and 6 small clear glass bottles filled with a semi-transparent liquid, all nestled inside a red velvet holder. Kaji gently pulled out one of the bottles and read the small label on the side.

Sv3976 Hydro-Morphine HcL.

Kaji's eyes widened a bit.

This is a pure form of morphine...

The stubbly stud looked around for a moment, before grabbing two of the bottles and putting them into his pocket. He then reached over and grabbed a couple of the prescription bottles on the counter and slipped those into his pockets as well. Finally he closed the black case and walked back out into the bedroom. When he walked back in, he noticed a closet door in the bedroom slightly open. He hadn't noticed it before but for some reason he felt drawn to it, and he silently made his way through the black apartment. When he slid the door open, his flashlight lit up a few cardboard boxes. He glanced around a few of the boxes, sighing as he found nothing out of the ordinary. That was until he glanced up and saw a somewhat large black suitcase. Kaji reached out and pulled the case down, setting it lightly on the bed. He pulled out the small metal rods again and gently pried open the lock on the case.

His eyes widened a bit as he took in the contents of the black suitcase. There were a few clothes as well as a couple of trinkets sitting in it. On the top of one side of clothes, was a very small disk in a small clear case. Kaji pulled it open, using his flashlight on it's smooth illusionary rainbow surface.

Looks like an answering machine disk.

The pony-tailed agent glanced around the room, finding a phone with an answering machine on the nightstand. He walked over, his flashlight lighting up the talking device. He ejected the disk tray, a bit surprised to find no disk already in the machine.

Must not like getting messages...

He placed the small disk in the machine, hitting the play button. He quickly walked back towards the suitcase, pulling out a few of the clothes. The first set was a white shirt and a small blue undershirt. Kaji's eyes narrowed a bit when he noticed that they were obviously a few sizes too small. He put the clothes aside, listening as he heard nothing but silence resounding through the disk. He rolled his eyes, figuring it was a blank disk. That was when he noticed the reddish brown hue in the white shirt, his flashlight rolling over it for only an instant. He put the light onto the spots, and gently rubbed it in between his fingers. He knew blood stains when he saw them, and it seemed like these were very old, and that they had tried to wash them out several times. He noticed much of the same stains all over the pants as well. He didn't know what to make of the stains just yet, and he decided that he should look through the rest of the suitcase. Until he pulled out a red and black flight jacket.

His eyes widened as he held the jacket out in front of himself. He placed his flashlight in his mouth, aiming it at several spots on the jacket. He didn't know where he had gotten this, but he couldn't have stolen it from the person he thought he had. He had seen Misato wearing it just earlier that night. It wasn't until he saw the small hole in the lower left side, that his head told him there was something very wrong about this situation. He ran his finger across the hole and was very surprised when a few small flakes of brownish red came off onto his fingers.

That was until his voice rang out through the answering machine...

The flashlight fell out of the man's mouth as heard someone that he swore sounded just like himself. He stared through the darkness at the small talking machine, as it audibly began to state things that Kaji could have sworn he only knew in his head. His eyes teared up and he suddenly found that his voice would not work. When the voice finally died off, Kaji's hands were trembling as he held the flight jacket in his hands.

"It's good to see you again Kaji..."

The stubbly stud nearly fell over as the light in the bedroom came to life. He quickly pulled the gun out of it's holster, shakily pointing it in the blonde's direction.

"Just who the hell are you?"

Christian smiled as he noted that this was the first time he had ever heard the stubbly man's voice falter so much. He stood there, hands in his coat pockets, watching the man in front of him. Kaji's hands continued to tremble, his gun shaking slightly. The blonde bodyguard just looked at him apologetically.

"You once told me that I had a choice. That I shouldn't think about anything other then that choice."

Kaji's expression became questioning as he looked at the young man in front of him. Christian just shrugged his shoulders before speaking again.

"You know...I always considered you like a father..."

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"This can't be happening..."

Kaji stood out on the porch, taking in the cool night air. He stood with his back leaning against the rail, a thoughtful look on his face. Christian stood not too far away, also leaning against the railing.

"Well it is, and there's nothing we can do to stop it."

Both men stood there silently, erratic thoughts running through one mind, and cold silent confession running through the other. The pony-tailed agent just glanced up at the young blonde in front of him.

"I need to talk to Misato again..."

"No!"

Kaji was slightly surprised when the blonde man quickly stepped in front of him. Christian once again gave him an apologetic look.

"No...I'm sorry. You can't do anything. Even if you wanted to, it's too late to change anything..."

The stubbly man just stared at him, cursing under his breath.

"When were you planning on making your move?"

Kaji looked down, sighing lightly as the soft words left his mouth, answering the blonde bodyguard's inquiry.

"Tomorrow..."

Christian held his chin thoughtfully, rolling something over in his mind.

"That's earlier then I had expected. However, it's no consequence in the long run. Just go through with it, and do everything as you planned to, even after you found all this out. I know what I'm asking for is nearly impossible, but you have to do it. For Misato's sake, Shinji's sake, hell, damn near everyone's sake..." He placed a hand on Kaji's shoulder. "If you do this, then I promise upon my life, that I will make sure you are with Misato again..."

Kaji was a very intelligent man. Despite that intelligence, he never followed what his mind told him. Only his heart, and only his gut. That, to some people, would seem stupid in it's own right. For Kaji, however, it's how he had survived as long as he had. And right now, his mind was once again losing to the two other opposing forces.

And he had every intention of following them.

He glanced up at the young man that stood before him, reading no betrayal or mistrust in his eyes. Kaji lowered his head and nodded once, sighing shakily and getting ready to leave. Christian called out to him gently.

"If you'd like, I can always slip the disk into Misato's answering machine. This would save you the trouble..."

The stubbly stud stopped mid-step, leaning his head back and staring at the ceiling, his thoughts coming and going. Christian stood a couple feet behind him, watching closely.

"No thanks. I think...I'd like to leave her a message myself."

The blonde behind him just nodded following Kaji back into the house.

"Kaji, wait!"

The man in question turned around, watching as Christian walked towards a nearby closet, grabbing an item and pulling it out. The ever stubbly man was a bit surprised when a small but heavy black vest was placed in his hands. Christian just smiled at him lightly.

"I think you'll be needing this."

Kaji just smiled at him, one of his traditional Nothing-Ever-Bothers-Me smiles. He placed the item over his shoulders and walked out, the door hissing shut as it closed behind him. Christian let out a long sigh, running a hand through his short spiky hair. Finally, he pulled a small object out of his pockets, flipping it open, and dialing the all too familiar number. It finally clicked and a voice could be heard answering over the other end.

"It's me. We may have a slight problem."

The voice on the other ended voiced a one worded question.

"Kaji knows, and he's making his move tomorrow. That may, however, work to our advantage. He'll be out of danger all the sooner."

The voice was silent a bit more, before finally speaking up again.

"Yes, he found the...items."

Once again, the calm voice answered back.

"I know...I know. He wasn't supposed to move for awhile. We've already talked about this though. We both had a feeling that things may not happen exactly when they were supposed to. Which leads me to my next point...........Unit Four is still intact..."

Silence was the only answer that the young man received. Finally, the voice on the other end spoke up. When he heard them, he shook his head a bit forcefully.

"No! No...there's no need for your presence yet. It's still to early. Just...let me keep doing what I'm doing, and everything should work out just like we planned..."

Once again, silence. Finally a soft comment made it's way through, and Christian couldn't help but smile.

"I know you do."

Soft laughter could be heard before the connection died away. Christian just pulled the phone away, shutting it off and sliding it back into his pocket. He leaned back against one of the counters in his kitchen, watching the stars outside of his sliding glass door. He finally held up the small object in his hands, one of the various things that was held inside the black suitcase. He grimaced slightly.

I'm lying to everyone. To Shinji, to Misato, to Ritsuko...Asuka...Rei...everyone. To think, I became a deceitful bastard...just like you...

The small, cracked, amber glasses that he held in his hands, gave him no response. He wiped a small tear from his eye, watching as the moonlight played off both of the lens'.

Maybe...it was inevitable...

-------------------------------------------------------------

The Thirty Third Day

"Here is your firearm, and your Nerv I.D. back, Major Katsuragi. The Commander...requests...that you see if you can't take care of this...situation...at once."

The purple tressed goddess just looked up at the dual suits that stood before her desk. She silently reached out, placing the gun back in it's holster, and attaching her I.D. to the collar of her flight jacket. She stood up, a facade of steely resolve surrounding her features. She gathered her sense, and watched as the two men in front of her bowed very lightly and made their way out of her office.

She was quite shocked when she heard that Sub-Commander Fyuutski had been kidnapped the day before, and was even more shocked when she had heard who was allegedly responsible for the treacherous act.

But her biggest shock, came when she had received a phone call earlier that day, from a person that knew her better then she knew herself. They asked that she meet them that night, on the outskirts of Tokyo-03. They hadn't even given her a chance to answer before the person had hung up.

And now it seemed, that it was time for her to decide who she would fulfill her duty to. Fulfill the duty of her job, keeping the organization and safety of the people at Nerv.

Or to fulfill her duty to the only man she would ever love?

-------------------------------------------------------------

He smiled lightly as he heard the footsteps approach. He held no malice on his face, no anger, no hatred. Only the soft smile of a man who had known what would happen all along.

It had become nighttime long ago, and he had stood there for several hours before the person in front of him had arrived. What had he done to keep himself sane those several hours. Why, he thought of her, of course!

He thought about the first time they had met. The fire that was always ablaze in her eyes. The passion that always made it's way into every move she made. The brilliance that just radiated from her presence. Everything she did, that made her so wonderful. Everything she did that just...made him fall in love with her.

He thought about everything that they had ever been through. Every fight, every talk, every kiss, and every night they shared together. Not one memory of her, didn't make it's way into his brain. It engraved itself, left it's mark, and he knew, in this one night, that she would always be in his thoughts.

That's why, when the figure finally stepped into the streetlight, did his ever present shit eating grin, come so easily to his face.

"I knew you would come..."

He even thought of her as the ear piercing sound of a gun going off, rang out through the alley, a banshee of death, letting all know that she was claiming a life.

Even as he landed up at his back, staring up at the stars, imagining that she shined just as brightly as they did...

-------------------------------------------------------------

She silently walked into her apartment, clutching her jacket tightly. Her arms were wrapped around her and she shivered, despite the fact that it wasn't very cold outside. The brushed her purple locks from out of her eyes, walking into the kitchen, breath coming in big gasps.

That's when she noticed the light on her answering machine blinking, like an ever present symbol of dread. She stared at the phone as if it were a deathtrap, waiting to suddenly spring to life and claim her. Even despite this fact, she walked over, pressing the small 'Play' button.

His voice rang through...

I remember...when I met this beautiful young woman. So...full of life.

She was my Angel in disguise. Although I wouldn't know that for several more years.

She was...my goddess. My heart. My soul. She was everything I had ever wanted, and more.

She was everything I wanted to be. Everything I wanted to believe in.

She was...well she was everything. She was MY everything.

I knew I would never meet a woman like her, and it's true. I have yet to ever meet someone who I could call her equal.

Even I was never her equal. I know that now. I was afraid. Always afraid.

But she was strong. Stronger then I could ever be. The only way I was ever strong, was by drawing from her strength.

Maybe that's why I had to do all this. Maybe this is why I had to go...

Misato never realized that the tears had begun to fall from her face, until she felt them dripping off her chin. She held her hand over her mouth, as she stared at the talking device, trying to force it to turn into him with her mind. She almost sobbed as she heard him take a deep breath.

If we ever meet again, I will finally tell you the words that I didn't have the courage to say eight years ago.

This time, she did sob, her eyes clenching shut as the machine fell silent. Her teeth grit hard enough to make her gums hurt. She didn't care though. All her pains, frustrations, anxieties, all of them poured their way out of her eyes. She almost collapsed, when the answering machine suddenly came to life again, keeping her on her feet once again.

But, unfortunately, I can't wait that long. So I believe I will say them now...

I love you. I will always love you. I will always be yours, and I swear, that you'll be in my heart now and forever.

This time, Misato did collapse. Hot streaks of water poured their way out of her eyes, falling from her face down onto the floor below. She didn't know how long she sat there, huddled in a ball of crying woman, before a soft voice cut through her sobs like a Hellfire missile.

"Misato...what's wrong...?"

She looked up, her purple bangs parting to show the person that now stood in front of her.

She wasn't sure how hard she had flung herself into Shinji's arms, but she was almost positive that he'd at least live through it...

-------------------------------------------------------------

The figure in the dark suit looked at the fallen form of Ryouji Kaji, before pulling up a small phone, clicking it on and speaking into it directly.

"The target has been found and terminated. Assignment completed."

The agent didn't wait to receive congratulations before he placed the phone back inside of his coat. A smirk landed on his features, nothing more then an insult to the body that now laid before him. His voice was eerily clear as it sounded through the silent alleyway.

"The infamous agent Kaji. He was a bit easier to kill then I would have hoped for..."

He didn't even get a chance to respond as he heard a soft click and the feel of cold metal being pressed against the back of his head.

"So were you..."

The only answer Christian received was the sound of brains and blood meeting concrete as he pulled the trigger. The Section-2 agent fell roughly to the ground, his body registering the fact that it couldn't live without the vital organ that was so violently removed from it's skull. Christian watched the body hit the ground with a cold aggression in his eyes. The only thing that kept him from bringing the gun up and firing into the corpse, was the sound of a person groaning their way back in consciousness.

The blonde bodyguard quickly rushed over to the fallen stubbly stud, who's body had decided that it was done with nap time, and now would be as good a time as ever to wake up. Christian helped him into a sitting position, as Kaji's eyes cracked open and he caught sight of the body laying several feet away.

"Well, if that's not something everyone should wake up and see..."

Christian smiled as he realized Kaji was perfectly fine. The young man helped the ex-agent up to his feet, before walking over to the now cooling corpse. Christian knelt down, inspecting the dead man as the man behind him began to strip away the light flack jacket he had worn under his shirt.

"How did you know that Misato wasn't actually going to show up?"

The blonde bodyguard continued to rummage around inside of the agents clothes, answering the question presented before him.

"Because she loves you too much. Everyone knew that. Even the Commander. The plan was for her to deal with you directly, and have everything done and over with. But Ikari knew that she would never go through with it. So he had tapped into the phones when you called, knowing sooner or later you would make contact. When he found out your location, he dispatched one of his agents to do the job he knew Misato wouldn't do."

Kaji listened softly as he unstrapped the jacket, pulling it off and depositing it next to the fallen agent. He looked down as Christian continued to search through the man's suit. When the blonde was satisfied that everything was in order, he pulled out the gun he had used and handed it to Kaji. The ex-agent took it without another word, placing his hand on it in several places, making sure that his prints would easily show up on the weapon. He did this for a moment, before also dropping the weapon next to the dead agent.

Christian stood up and removed the gloves he had been wearing, stuffing them back inside of his jacket pocket. He reached inside of his coat, pulling out a plane ticket, and a thick stack of what seemed to be American money. He held them out for the stubbly stud that stood in front of him. Kaji's trademark smile came across his features as took the care package that the young man was presenting him. When he took the gift, his face suddenly became somewhat serious.

"I want you to be careful. With what's happening now, there's no telling what will happen in the near future. Ikari's already ordered the dispatch of Unit Six and Unit Seven. They will be here within the month. I've been pulling in a few favors that I have, and I've been trying to mobilize something that I hope will help in the end. When the time comes, I'll do my best to support you any way that I can."

Christian smiled as Kaji declared his unwavering allegiance to him. The young man just pulled the ex-agent into a tight hug. The two stayed that way for awhile, before they broke off, and Kaji clasped his hands on the shoulders of the man that stood in front of him.

"I always knew you'd grow into a fine man..."

Without another word, Ryouji Kaji, special agent for Nerv and Seele, walked away, disappearing into the night of Tokyo-3.

Christian watched as the man easily fell into the darkness. He stood there for a few moments, before his hand finally wrapped around the object he knew so well. He brought it up to his ear, just as the connection went through.

"Everything is proceeding as planned..."

---

Author's Notes:

Holy crap. It' 4:30 in the morning, and I just couldn't stop writing. I apologize to everyone for taking so long to write this chapter. I've been in the process of moving, and it has sapped quite a bit of my time. I just hope everyone enjoys what I have for them in this one. ;)

I've had a few emails about various questions that my friends have had when they read this, and I figured I might as well explain them now when I post this installment.

Number One: Will this fic extend past the series?

YES! This fic is going to go well beyond the series. I'm sure most of you have noted that I had the storyline plotted very late in the series. I've already planned most of what I intend to do with this, and when I though it over in my head, I realized that it will definitely go way beyond the series.

Number Two: WHERE'S THE ROMANCE?!

I know I said there would be romance, but unfortunately, I've started my fic in a spot that won't allow me to implement romance just yet. But don't worry, it is definitely one the way, and it will be a fairly big building block in later chapters.

Number Three: Will all chapters be this long?

That, I'm not sure of. At the moment, I've kind of got a base to work with from the series. When things finally lift off, everything will be from my mind from that point on. I can't promise that all chapters will be this long, or close too, but I will do my damnedest to see that I can get them that way.

Once again, I want to thank everyone for the reviews, I love you all. Especially Jennyjennai, Cyber-Undead, and Lonely Magician, who seem to to be right on top of me with each one. Thanks for the support everyone. Also, I've turned off the option that only allows signed reviews. I didn't know I had it turned on in the first place until I logged in to check something with my account. I apologize to all the anonymous reviewers that may have tried to review before hand, but now there should be no problem.

I will begin working on the next chapter as soon as I get settled in my new surroundings. :)

Until I see you all again, please, take care of yourselves.

Chris

Thalarian T.M. Productions