Disclaimer: See Ch. 1

More on the Alien King below.

The Section-2 agent escorted Rei and Shinji into the Commander's office. The Commander, Sub-commander, Ritsuko, and Misato stood there with another agent, who was currently going through his ordeal.

"...And then I woke up on the ground."

The Commander said nothing for a while. Then... "Agent, do you know that that story sounds like load of bullshit."

The agent straightened. "Yes sir, but it is the truth, and nothing more."

Ritsuko spoke. "However, as a precaution, I would like to examine the agent." She looked at Shinji and Rei. "And the pilots as well."

The Commander waved her off. "Examine the agent. I would like to talk with the First and Third."

Shinji and Rei stiffened. 'Oh shit.'

Ritsuko and the agent walked down the hall. She came to a stop in a hospital room. "Okay." She motioned for him to put on a hospital gown. He just stood there, looking at it.

"Uh, ma'am?"

Ritsuko shook her head. "This is no time to be squemish, Agent. I've seen enough nude men in my life to not draw comparisons."

The Agent grumbled something, then swiftly removed his clothes and put on the hospital gown. Ritsuko shook her head and motioned to the bed. The Agent gaped at her. "Dr. Akagi? Are you..."

"Of course not! What would make you think I was trying to seduce you?"

The Agent hung his head in shame. "I can think of a number of things..." he muttered.

Ritsuko shook her head again, then walked out. "I'm going to take some x-rays."

The Hive was buzzing with activity. They were preparing to move the Hive to a larger spot. Not because of overcrowding. But the will of the Rulers. And they dare not stand against them.

The Queen was the main Hive ruler, and many respected her. The Hive was like that of a termite and ant hive. They tolerated no intruders, not even those of their species. However, the Kings were allowed to enter because in order for the Hive to be, the Queen had to mate with one.

The Kings come from separate hives to compete for the Queens affection. This King was different than the rest, being that it's host was the Queen of another hive. This alteration caused it to grow to its massive size, and grow the separate set of arms. This allowed the King to easily defeat its opponents and court the Queen.

Originally, the Kings were similar in appearance to the Queens, but the somewhat mutation of this King broke tradition, as it was in possession of power and cunning far beyond that of any Xenomorph. And with its new symbiote within the body of a human, its cunning would increase ten-fold.

Ritsuko walked down the hall towards the Commander's office, holding x-rays in hand. She was clearly shaken by what the x-rays had revealed to her. She opened to door to the Commander's office, to see Shinji and Rei looking extremely pale and scared.

The Commander looked up with an eerie smile on his face. "Dr. Akagi, do you know what I just found out?"

"No, sir."

He stood up and walked around his massive desk. "It appears that while our Section-2 agent was gallivanting around, the First and Third were..."

"Begging your pardon sir, but the agent was telling the truth."

The Commander's eyes narrowed. "Explain."

Ritsuko held up one of the x-rays. "This shows that there is some sort of parasite growing in the agents chest cavity. I surmise that it was planted there by the Aliens he spoke about."

The Commander walked around back to his chair and sat down. "Is there anything else?"

Ritsuko put the x-ray back in its pile. "Right now, I would like to examine the pilots as a precaution"

"Very well Dr., carry on."

"Yes, sir." She saluted the Commander and walked out of the room. Rei and Shinji followed her, but then...

"We will finish our discussion later, Third."

Shinji shivered. Oh, how he would gladly embrace the day that his father would die! He shook his head. 'Must not loose track of priorities.'

Rei watched Shinji shake his head, and back to talk to him. "Shinji-chan?"

He looked at her. "Huh?"

"Is something wrong?"

He lowered his head, then looked her in the eyes. "Since the Commander knows about us," he put on emphasis by pointing at the both of them, "I will do everything I can to protect you."

"But..."

He put a finger on her lips. "You gave your life to save mine. If it comes to that, I will give mine."

Ritsuko broke their little conversation. "Hey, hurry up you two! I don't have all day."

Shinji looked down the hall. "You ready?"

Rei was about to answer when they heard a scream. They ran down the hall to see Ritsuko against the wall. Her face was pale and she looked like she had just seen Jason Voorhees (Friday the 13th). Shinji and Rei looked into the room, then looked away in horror.

The walls were covered in blood. The Section-2 agent lay against the hospital bed, his chest torn open, ribs outstretched like forks. It seemed as though something had torn his chest open.

Or something that wanted out, burst out of him.

A streak of blood led to the vent in the wall, where it appeared to disappear. Misato and two more Section-2 agents appeared in the hallway. "What the hell's going on!?"

Ritsuko pointed into the room, and Misato glanced in. She immediately wished she hadn't, as she came upon the gory scene and began to gag. "Get that body out of there," she gasped.

Later that day, as Misato was shifting through a massive to of paperwork, Ritsuko walked in. "You wanted to see me, Misato?"

Misato glared at her with one eye. "That's Major Katsuragi on-duty, and you know it."

"Easy, easy. I was just toying with you."

Misato leaned back in her chair. "I want to know what really happened."

"I told you, I didn't do anything to the agent."

"Not the agent! Rei!" Misato was clearly pissed. "I'm talking about Rei!" She stood up and began ranting. "I know that you know that I know that the Rei out here isn't the real Rei!" She glared at Ritsuko. "Now tell me, who is that!?"

"...Rei."

Misato threw her hands in the air. "I gvie up." She began to walk out, when she heard Ritsuko.

"May-maybe it would make more sense to show you."

Misato turned and looked at Ritsuko, the anger gone. "Would you?"

The Hive was in an uproar. The Praetorians were trying to keep the rowdy drones in line, but so far they were unsuccessful. Suddenly there was a loud roar. All activity ceased.

The Alien King lowered its massive head in content. It was growing annoyed with these constant outburst.

Suddenly, the Queen lifted her head, as if sensing something. Then she nuzzled the King. Her suspicions were correct. The Praetorian symbiote that dwellt within the guard was currently searching for a new home for them.

The King nuzzled her back. It was a good thing that their abilities were fully developed. They were able to sense their own kind, read their minds. Something short of full telepathy.

Ritsuko led Misato down the hallway. "I can't stay down here long. But I hope this answers all your questions."

Misato nodded sadly. "I hope so. Kaji would have wanted to be here."

Knowing how Misato got reminiscing about the late triple-agent, Ritsuko thanked Kami as they came to a door. "Here's our first stop."

"This isn't a tour guide."

"Hey, can't blame me for trying to lighten the mood."

That caused Misato to crack a smile. Ritsuko opened the door, saying, "This is the Artificial Evolution Laboratory."

Ritsuko opens the door and enters the room, followed by Misato. She pulls out a small controller from her lab coat and enters in a few keystrokes, causing the lights to activate in the room. What Misato sees is a setup similar to Rei's apartment, "This looks like Ayanami's room."

"This IS Ayanami's room. It's where she lived the first few years of her life. Where she was born."

Misato is now becoming impatient "Ritsuko, this is not the only thing I wanted to see."

"I know, Misato. I am showing this as a part of the truth."

After a few moments, Ritsuko turns and leaves the room with the Major in tow, they both continue on about 500 meters until they came to another door. Ritsuko again opens the door and steps inside, turning on the lights as she enters, what can be seen is a large room full of bones laid out on the floor. Misato walks over to the edge of the platform and looks down at the first skeleton below her.

"The very first Eva. But it was a failure. It was discarded ten years ago."

"A graveyard, you mean."

"It is now just a dumping ground for failures. This is also the room where Shinji's mother disappeared."

Misato quickly turns around and faces Ritsuko, "What?"

"His mother was the first pilot of Unit-01. During the first activation test, she got absorbed into Eva. The recovery process failed and all that was left was an empty shell."

"Ritsuko, get on with it!"

Ritsuko turns and walks out the door, Misato following, and walks to the next destination. When she arrives she enters a few commands into the controller and opens the door, "Before we go in, Misato, are you sure you are ready for this?"

"...Hai."

"Okay, but I will warn you now, this may seem very unsettling to you."

"Understand."

Ritsuko walks through the doorway with Misato behind her. "Yeah, Ritsu, but I must see it and learn the truth for myself, no matter how disturbing it may be."

Misato and Ritsuko stand 30 meters in front of a tube connected to a mass of piping leading up into the ceiling.

Misato breaks the silence by asking the first question, "Is this the source of the dummy plug?"

"No, this is only a piece of it, let me show you the truth."

Ritsuko taps the controller, causing the walls of the room to glow a golden color. When the light has become strong enough, they both can see bodies floating in a tank that wraps along the walls.

Misato's eyes widen as he realizes who the bodies look like, "Rei?" As soon as she finishes, dozens of eyes instantly focus on her, causing her to gasp.

"Impossible! Eva's dummy plug is..."

"Correct, this is the production factory for the core of the dummy plug."

"This is?"

"These are all dummies. They are also replacement parts for Rei. Man found god, and they tried to pick him up. For that Man was punished! That happened fifteen years ago, and the god they found disappeared. Then Man tried to resurrect god with his own hands and that's how Adam was created. From Adam, Man created what resembles god, himself. That is Eva!"

"So...they are human?"

"Yes, they are human. We put supposedly mindless souls in Eva. All the souls were salvaged souls. Rei is the only one that can hold them. The souls are born only in Rei. The room of Guaf is empty. These are merely empty containers. They have no souls."

Misato stared at the clones, taking it all in.

"And now..." Ritsuko pressed a button on the controller. "They're of no use."

Whew! Sorry for the long wait, but my morale is down. I need reviews for my 'Horus & Biollante' stories. Review plz! Ja ne.