Author's Notes: Ok, I know it's been a long time since I updated this story, and depending on the kind of reviews I get, if any at all, I may simply leave this story unfinished on FFN. The last few chapters saw quite a few poor reviews, so there would be no point to continuing a story that nobody likes. Anyway, here's the next chapter of Sacrilege.

Chapter #14

"So, we still have no word on Jonathan or Rei?" Misato questions.

"No, I'm sorry we still aren't picking up Unit-00's signal."

"You seem really distressed, Misato, is it really that bad for you?"

"Well, it's just that Asuka and Shinji don't seem to be themselves. Asuka and Shinji almost never leave their rooms, and whenever I check on them, they're just staring off into space. They're really taking it hard."

"It sounds like it, but we're doing all we can right now. It's amazing that something as big as an Eva still hasn't been found yet."

"But what about Jonathan? We recovered his Eva, but he wasn't even in it!"

"That is still a mystery. It doesn't look like any damage was done to the entry plug, aside from some LCL being gone. There aren't any clues whatsoever." Ritsuko replies.

"How are the repairs going on Unit 03?"

"I don't even know why the commander is having us repair it; Suzahara won't be able to pilot it anyway."

"How bad was the damage? I saw him in the hospital, but I haven't seen the Eva."

"Well, it looks like somehow the Angel was able to take control of Unit 03's arm. Once it passed through the armor plating, it must have hit the entry plug. When we retrieved Suzahara, the bottom half of the entry plug was shattered. Unfortunatly, the arm dissolved along with the rest of the Angel when Unit 01 destroyed its core."

"These poor children… they go through so much, just to keep us safe."

"Someone has to, Misato."

"Yea, but they're just kids!"

"I'm sorry, Misato, but they're the only ones who can. I think you just need to take a break and relax."

"Yea, see you later, Ritsuko."

"Bye."

---

"So, we have obtained the fifth." A large black monolith says with only the words SEELE-01 in white to serve as a clue to its identity.

"Yes, but it came at the cost of Unit 03."

"It does not matter, it was supposed to be destroyed either way, it will just make it easier later."

"All things are proceeding according to plan."

"Yes, it will not be much longer now."

"The final ascension of mankind!"

The monoliths rejoice is interrupted by a tremendous shockwave. One by one the monoliths are replaced by images of people.

"What was that?!"

Again, another, even stronger shockwave is sent throughout the meeting room, sending a few of the members to the floor.

"We have an intruder!"

"How did it find us?"

At last, flowed by the strongest shockwave yet, a hole is torn in the wall opposite the head of the assembly, Keel. Bright halogen light floods into the once dark room bathing the trespasser in an eerie light. The form of Unit 00, wings folded and hanging from its shoulders, straightens, regarding each member before setting its gaze upon Keel. Slowly the giant moves into the chamber as the rest of the members run for the exit. It is Keel, however, who stays seated, not so much as flinching. Unit 00 continues to walk towards the table, until it contacts with it, crushing the wood beneath its feet. Bringing itself within meters of Keel, the titan stops, then drops to one knee before a small cloud of sulfur is released from the back armor as the entry plug is ejected. As the form of Rei Ayanami drops to the ground, Keel smiles.

"I have come for him, the fifth."

"Yes, of course."

"Tell me of his location."

"But you already know that."

"Do not toy with me."

"Why not kill me?"

"It is not yet your time to die."

"So you wish for instrumentality as well."

"No, but it is still not your time to die."

"You believe that you can manipulate us?!"

Rei slowly rises into the air back to the open entry plug before replying, "Yes."

Rei slips back into the entry plug and as it enters into the back of Unit 00, its single, red eye blinks to life. Remaining on its knee, Unit 00 spreads its wings to full before flying forward at tremendous speed, knocking the wall behind Keel down in one movement. Unit 00 sets down just ahead of the newly destroyed wall as the pilot inside closes her eyes. Suddenly Rei sees the twelve SEELE members as well as the location of the fifth child without opening her eyes. Unit 00 stands at its full height and spreads its wings before bringing its hands in front of itself. Keel turns his chair to observe just as a flash of bright white emits from the center of Unit 00's palms, tearing a gigantic hole through several layers of walls, opening up every corridor for the creature. Without a second glance the Eva continues on its path to find that which its pilot searches.

---

Inside a small room filled with LCL, the boy held within it is shaken into consciousness.

"What the hell?" The boy mutters as his vision slowly returns. Just as he regains his vision the wall to his right is suddenly ripped out, draining the LCL out, pulling him with the force. Once the liquid finished leaking into the corridor the boy tries again to gain his bearings. After several seconds, he reacts to the air around him, forcing out the LCL from his lungs. As his eyes adjust to the light he sees the form of Rei still in her plug suit standing in front of him.

"R…Rei…where… what happened?"

"It does not matter, we must hurry."

"But…my Eva…"

"We will use Unit 00. Get in quickly." She says as she points to the open entry plug coming out of the blue Eva's back. Before he can rebuttal, however, he hears the sound of heavy running echo throughout the giant white chamber. Jonathan nods and climbs up to the entry plug behind Rei.

"Um…" Jonathan asks as they drop into the orange liquid, "Where am I going to sit?"

Before Jonathan can get an answer, however, the wall behind the entry plug erupts with automatic fire. Rei grips the handle grips as Jonathan struggles around the entry plug. Soon the plug is inserted again and the Eva's wings spread as it begins to lift off the ground.

---

"Asuka, Shinji, are you two still in your rooms?"

Misato's only response is silence, however. Even a witty remark from Asuka would have been better for Misato. For days this has been the scenario, ever since the Angel attack.

Inside Asuka's room, though, Asuka would have killed for silence.

"I'll never leave."

"You have to be strong, Asuka."

"Mama! Please, just love me, mama! Say something to me, mama!"

"She isn't strong enough."

"You aren't strong enough, little Asuka, now leave mama to her work."

"I can be strong enough."

Then the scene in Asuka Langley's mind changes to a subway car. The light is a bright orange. Sitting across from her is Jonathan dressed for school.

"You can not, Asuka."

"But…"

"You are not strong enough."

"I am! I am! I can do it!"

"You are too weak. You weren't strong enough to save your mother, and you weren't strong enough to save me."

"I tried! We defeated the Angel!"

"But I was gone."

Then Shinji appears in his place.

"You couldn't save him."

"What do you know?! You're the coward! I always have to save you!"

"But you didn't save him. Rei was the one to chase after him, why didn't you?"

"I didn't know! My Eva didn't have enough power!"

"Neither did Rei's."

Shinji then changes to Rei.

"You never cared for him."

"That's not true!"

"You think of no one other than yourself."

"But I!"

"You didn't try to save him."

The world around her begins to fade to black; only disembodied voices stay with her, though not for comfort.

"You were too weak."

"But I saved Shinji!"

"Shinji saved you, you were too weak to save anyone."

"You didn't help me."

"Suzahara?"

"You didn't save me. You were too weak, poor little girl."

"You damn Touji!"

"Poor little girl, she can't do anything right. Just leave us alone, little girl."

"But, I tried!"

"You care only for yourself."

"You don't love me."

"You don't love anyone."

"But!"

"Poor little girl, just leave us alone, leave us to our work."

"No! Don't leave me alone!"

"You must be strong Asuka. You don't need any help!"

"Yes, I am Asuka Langley Soryu, pilot of Unit 02."

"No, you are nothing but a scared little girl who cares only about herself."

"No, Jonathan! That's not true!"

"Poor little girl…"

"Little girl…"

---

"Shinji…"

"Yes, who is it?"

"Shinji, why didn't you go after me?"

"Rei, I couldn't!"

"Why didn't you go after me?"

"My Eva only has five minutes of power!"

"Why didn't you protect me?"

"I had to fight the Angel!"

"Why didn't you protect me?"

"I tried! I had to save Asuka and Touji and Jonathan! You took off before I could do anything!"

"Why didn't you protect me?"

---

"Rei, what happened?"

High in the atmosphere Unit 00 coasts on the hot updrafts as it inches closer back to NERV. Inside the entry plug, Jonathan finally settled nearly on Rei's lap. Jonathan was glad that there weren't any cameras so Asuka and Shinji wouldn't find out.

"You were abducted by SEELE."

"SEELE? But I thought that we were fighting the Angel."

"We were. The Angel was originally under SEELE's control. Once it attacked your entry plug, the Angel was under its own control."

"How is the Eva moving? The internal batteries are out. And what about these wings?"

"Do not worry about those; I will help you discover this later, with your own Eva. First we must return to NERV."

"Yea, hey, Rei, don't tell Asuka or Shinji about where I'm sitting, okay?"

"Alright, Jonathan. We are coming into Tokyo-3 airspace now, hold on."

'To what?' Jonathan thinks as the entry plug suddenly shifts as the Eva plunges towards the ground.

"You know what you're doing, right?!"

Jonathan begins to grow more and more scared as the image of the ground comes closer and closer. Soon Jonathan can pick out individual tree tops when the Eva flips right side up, batting its wings as it settles gently on the ground.

"Hey, Rei, why don't we just fly to NERV?"

"We simply can not."

"Okay." Jonathan sighs.

---

"It's just hopeless…" Misato sighs. Her coffee has long since grown cold as she analyzes the main screen in the MAGI control room.

"Sir, we've…we've found her!" Maya says excitedly.

"What?!"

"We're picking up Unit 00 on our radar! Putting image up now…"

The screen quickly changes to show Unit 00 marching over a hill, breaching the crest and revealing Tokyo-3 below.

"Do we have a link?!"

Misato's question is soon answered not by a voice, but by the vid screen appearing giving a view of the inside of the entry plug.

"Hey, Rei, look, its Misato! Misato, hey how've things been holding up without us?"

Misato quickly wiped away the tears forming in her eyes, "Well, things are turning up now that you two are back! Rei, you can enter through… exit 28, is that understood?"

"Yes, commander. Well will be inside NERV in a few minutes."

"Thank God you two are still okay. Ritsuko, can you take over here? I'm going to the cages and I have a phone call to make."

"Yea, get out of here." Ritsuko said with a smile.

Misato exits the room at nearly a sprint towards the Eva cages.

---

Ring, ring… Ring, ring… Ring, ring…Ring, ring… click…

"Shinji? Asuka? Listen, Rei and Jonathan are back, just wait there, I'll bring them by after they get out of Unit 00. Bye!"

---

The blue Eva finally comes to rest as the entry plug is ejected. Ritsuko runs onto the umbilical bridge along with about fifty other techs to examine Unit 00. Jonathan happily jumps out of the entry plug and nearly runs over to Misato.

"My God Misato, you don't know how good it is to be back here! How's everyone?"

"Well…Touji's in the hospital and Asuka and Shinji refuse to leave their rooms. It's been nearly hell around here. What happened to you two?"

"Well, first I was inside the Eva, then I kind of blacked out and the next thing I knew I was in this weird corridor and Rei was standing there with Unit 00."

As Rei climbed down from the entry plug, she recognizes the form of Gendo Ikari standing behind the glass separating the cage from the room he was in. Gendo only regards Rei with a simple shake of the head, before he turns and exits the room. It is all Rei needs.

"Rei, what did you do out there? How did your Eva grow wings?"

"I believe that Dr. Akagi will discover that, you may ask her later."

"Right…well, how about I get you two home? It must've been hell for you two, why don't you get changed and meet me at my car?"

"Alright!"

"Fine."

---

"Asuka? Shinji? Are you two here?" Misato asks into the silence of her apartment, "It was like this every day after the Angel. I think you'd better just leave, I'll let them know later."

"No, I want to see Asuka now."

"I agree with Jonathan, I would also like to see Asuka and Shinji."

"Alright, if you insist."

---

"You're nothing but a scared little girl!"

"Asuka?"

"You couldn't save him, because you were too scared to do anything!"

"Asuka, are you in here in the dark?"

"Now you can hear his voice, yet you know he's gone. The only person who loved you is dead because of you."

"Asuka, what are you doing all alone here? Come on, wake up, it's me, I'm back."

Slowly Asuka opens her eyes, not wanting to reaffirm what she knows to be true, yet finding that she can't help it. She rolls over to find the sight of two legs.

"Hey," Jonathan says as he drops to her eye level, "I was afraid I was going to have to use the Jaws of Life, or something."

"Jonathan? Is it really you?"

"Yep, sure is. How've you been holding up?"

Asuka answers by clinging onto him, holding him as close as she can.

"I thought you'd died!"

"Well, I guess you thought wrong, didn't you?"

Asuka can no longer hold back as she buries her face on Jonathan's shoulder. Though he can't hear her, Jonathan can feel his shirt beginning to grow wet with her tears.

"Asuka, it's okay, I'm just fine."

Jonathan slowly brings his hand to the back of Asuka's head to comfort her.

"Jonathan…I… I was so… Thank God you're okay."

"Asuka…It's okay, everyone is okay."

"I couldn't help you… I'm so…"

"Asuka, it's okay, I don't care about that. I'm just glad to be back and that you're okay."

"But…I was weak…"

"No, you had to stay to save Touji and Shinji, you know that."

"But, I…"

Jonathan pushes Asuka back and brings his lips to hers. As Jonathan slowly pushes Asuka back again she looks at his face to find him smiling.

"I don't care that you had to stay behind, just knowing that you defeated that Angel is enough for me. Do you think that Shinji and Rei could've beaten that Angel? For better or worse, you stayed behind, and you know that you can't change what happened. You should be proud that you weren't defeated…I was ripped out of my Eva…"

"Jonathan, it wasn't your fault."

"And it wasn't your fault either, okay? Stop beating yourself up about it. I'm okay, you're okay, everyone's okay…okay, so maybe Touji isn't as okay as us…"

Asuka smiles at Jonathan's attempt to cheer her up and rests her head on his chest.

"What about Rei?"

"Well…I don't know if I should be telling you this, but I trust that you won't tell anyone else. Rei's just fine, which is the weird part. Her Eva had run out of energy when she came to get me, but it still was running. The really strange part was that Unit 00 had wings. Before we reached Tokyo-3 she made the Eva's wings go away, though. But I think that from now on, we may not be fighting only Angels."

"Jonathan, please don't ever leave again."

"Asuka, it wasn't your fault or my fault, but I'll do my best. If I disappear again, though, don't do this again, okay? It makes me feel terrible."

"Okay… so, what kind of trouble did Suzahara get in this time?"

---

"Shinji, where are you?"

"Rei?"

"Yes, I have returned with Jonathan."

Slowly Shinji makes his way from behind his bed to find Rei standing in his doorway.

"Rei, how… oh, god! Thank god you're okay!" Shinji says as he runs to Rei, quickly grabbing her in an embrace.

"Were you hurt by the Angel, Shinji? I am sorry that I could not stay to help."

"No, its okay, Asuka and I defeated the Angel. Touji didn't fair so well, though…"

"I have heard of Suzahara's condition."

"Rei? Why are you talking like that? It's just like before, but I thought…"

"I'm sorry, Shinji."

"Rei, how did you make your Eva grow wings? And…didn't you run out of power?"

"I… Don't worry, Shinji, you will find out soon enough."

"I was so worried… Rei, don't ever do anything like that again without me, okay?"

Rei smiles slightly and says, "Alright, Shinji, I'll bring you along if I do have to do it again."

"Thank you…"

Several minutes pass in silence as Shinji just holds Rei until Shinji feels the soft touch of Rei's hands through his shirt as she returns Shinji's embrace.

---

"I want all possible tests done on it, is it really that hard, Maya?"

"I'm sorry, maam, but we're already under manned because of the repairs on Unit 03. We have as many people working on Unit 00 as possible as is."

"Maya, somehow that Eva grew wings and moved without a power supply from the umbilical cable, or its internal batteries, we need to find out what caused this!"

"But…"

"Yes, yes, I know. Maybe I just need a break."

"Everything's fine here, maam. I'm sure nothing'll happen while you're gone."

"Thanks Maya. Keep on testing Unit 00 for me, okay?"

"Okay."

---

In the darkened chamber of NERV's commander, among the strange symbols that seem to glow with a light of their own, the commander and sub-commander discuss the events of days past.

"So, was this part of your plan?"

"Hardly, but as you can see, all things are now back in alignment. SEELE attempted to interfere with us and they could do nothing to stop the consequences." Gendo responds, not so much as lifting his head from its position directly behind his interlaced hands.

"If they attempt it again, they will be ready."

"Soon the other pilots will rise to Rei's level, it will not matter what SEELE has planned."

"You are very sure of yourself."

"I have no reason not to be."

"Why repair Unit 03? Its pilot is useless."

"When the time comes, we will need as many of the fallen apostles as possible."

"You speak of them as if they are malevolent, yet we rely on them for our protection. Are we the same then?"

"Whether we are evil or benevolent, matters not. It is not which side is taken, but which side is victorious in the end, be it malevolent or otherwise."

"So we would sell our souls for success."

"Is that not what mankind has done already?"

"There is always the possibility of retribution."

"The only possible retribution for mankind now would be complete annihilation."

"But is that not what we seek?"

"That is what SEELE seeks; our course is merely the next evolution towards our true forms."

"Of angles?"

"Of gods."

---

End Chapter #14