Disclaimer: see chapter before

Sorry for the update lateness, but I have summer school to deal with, plus I no longer really, well, just... I sort of felt like I did back in chapter 5, that no one read this any more. To make the matter worse, my hard-crashed, killing 7000 words worth of efforts. So now I broke the last three chapters down into mini-chapters instead. To compound the problem, my long time supporter, Steve Vader decided to quit on me after some…vicious disagreement over the plot. Thus this chapter has been re-written by my third pre-reader Marco Edison (also responsible for the OVA lemon), then reedited again.

No, this chapter has no lemon in it

The lemon is up, check Review section for links (don't forget to review)

Chapter 16: EVA-04

Matsushiro

Afternoon, 4:PM local time

NERV mobile test site

"So this is the American-made Unit-04." Misato commented as she looked out the observation tower of the EVA test site. Over the horizon by a setting sun, a huge T-1 airborne Transport unloaded the monstrous bio-War machine. From a distance, it looked no different than Unit-01 except it was painted black with gold trimming, a progressive blade lodge upon its left shoulder, and its eyes gave off an Ethereal white aura as it blinked. Several hundred meters off, EVA-00 and EVA-02 stood in a stand down position, ready to assist in case of an accident.

Using a pen to check off her clipboard, Ritsuko said, "Yup, supposedly equipped with the first known working prototype of the new S-2 engine."

"Doesn't look that different." Maya pointed out as she walked into the office bearing coffees.

"Ah, Maya, thanks." Ritsuko took a coffee and after sipping a little she looked up at the major. "So, how did the Americans take the committee's decision to transfer Unit-04 and the unfinished Unit-03 to Japan?"

Misato grimaced. "Security reasons or not, they were not happy with it at all. You know how they've insisted to get the right to build these units."

"I see." replied the scientist "However, the commander and the committee are convinced that the so called accident in the Russian base recently was an act of sabotage. They don't want to take the risk of losing an Evangelion." 

"An act of sabotage..." the major repeated in a low tone. "Another one, in fact." she added in her mind, recalling other incidents in the past years, the information was highly classified but the few bits she was allowed to see suggested they were not pretty.  Whoever was the responsible, he or she should have a deep knowledge of NERV's ways...

Placing those thoughts aside, Misato asked "So, where's our brave pilot?"

"Pilot Aida is in the changing room getting acquainted with his plug-suit." provided Maya professionally "I'll check him in a few minutes, the technicians are performing the last adjustments on Unit-04's entry-plug."

Misato nodded. The three women stood there, sipping black coffee and watched as the girders that bind the EVA-04 were taken apart.

Changing Room Keeping an eye on the plug-suit manual he was given, which was now laying on a seat along his civil clothes, Kensuke was finishing putting his yellow/grey plug-suit on. "Who's the guy who chose these colors?" he thought. "Some fan of those old super-heroes comics?" When he was done, he pressed the switch on his left wrist. With a hiss, the plug-suit fitted the contours of his body. After looking at himself for a few seconds the otaku boy sighed heavily and seated, thinking. If his friends could see him now they would be stunned by his apparent lack of enthusiasm, he didn't seem someone whose biggest dream was about to come true. Being one who embraced conspiracy theories easily, he always thought there was something more about NERV than the eye could see but it never drove his dream of piloting and Eva away, at least until Rei jumped into his life. The mysterious albino girl had made the boy rethink his ambitions...  "Well, I can't run away now... I just hope I can end this day in one piece..." Trying to put aside his worries, Kensuke picked the manual and continued reading it. "What's this? 'Press the switch on the right wrist to switch to Type-D mode'." Wondering what the Type-D mode was, and ignoring that it might be wiser keep reading, the otaku pressed the said switch...

Maya left the elevator and walked towards the changing room entrance. Upon nearing the doors, she heard struggle sounds coming from inside. "Pilot Aida, are you all right?" she asked in a concerned tone, opening the doors. The sight in front of her made the young woman stop dead on her tracks and then start giggling. Kensuke was laying on his back, or as much of his back it was possible considering his plug-suit was now looking a big yellow/grey inflated balloon, the boy was clearly having difficulties to get back to his feet. Hearing the sounds of female giggles, he tried his best to turn his head and look at the source, finding the gaze of Lt. Ibuki on him. "Well, pilot, it seems you've discovered the Type-D mode of your plug-suit..." Maya was all smiles. Blushing, the boy replied with an ashamed "You might say so..." Kneeling at his side, the young NERV officer pressed the switch on his left wrist and the plug-suit went back to its normal mode. Kensuke stood up quickly, stuttering apologies but Maya dismissed them with a wave of her hand. "No need for apologies, pilot, you know, even the Second Child went through this not long ago..." The picture of Asuka looking like a red balloon filled the boy's mind and he just looked at Maya with his mouth wide open. "...but I wouldn't mention that near her, NERV insurance does not cover the type of damage she would cause to you." Kensuke could only nod to that. "So, is it time already?" he asked while trying to hide his nervousness. "Yes, the technicians are done with the entry-plug, please follow me." Maya walked out the changing room, with the boy close behind.

Fifteen minutes later…

Immersed in their respective cans of ketchup, the Soryu twins were not amused with the situation. Despite Misato's pleas of security, the fact that they were serving as mere bodyguards (very expensive ones but still...) for NERV's new unit and his pilot seemed an insult, the great Soryu twins were much above that. Add the fact that Shinji was let out of this commission. Per the commander's orders, Unit-01 was being shelved for combat-use only and more tests on it scheduled. Such tests, as everything related to the Evas, were far expensive but truth be told, Gendo and the SEELE committee were far more interested in studying the "flame arm" acquired in the battle with the 8th angel than to worry about few million third-world country children starving, but to the minds of the volatile redheads, it implied that the young Ikari was far more important combat-wise than the Soryu twins.

Speaking into a private channel reserved for pilot communication, Asuka fumed, "Why did they let Shinji stay home and leave us guarding STOOGE here?" she poured extra hatred on the word "stooge", lacing it with venom and disgust normally reserved for a certain baka.

Tsuka was not very much better in that regard, the Matsushiro heat had made the older girl quite uncomfortable, combining the fact Shinji was at school most of the day, which meant he could have been together with that Mana girl. The very idea of the two entwining their bodies together while making out in a closet somewhere set the older girl aflame with fury. But there was something else bothering the older redhead as well. From what she remembered, and with the pieces of data provided by her XIA implant to back up her, Unit-04 was supposed to be destroyed in a freak accident in the American branch of NERV while Unit-03 was the one Japan should receive, to have Toji chosen as its pilot. – "What a short carrier..." – she thought in disgust as she recalled the events following the disastrous activation test of the black Eva. Tsuka wondered if Shinji (the older one) had his fingers on this, at least in Kansuke's choice to pilot, the otaku boy was now part of a bigger plan, even if he didn't know that. Still, she was not thrilled with the situation, she was Asuka, afterall...

"Grrr…there goes the exclusive EVA pilots club, who will they recruit next? That idiot Jock Toji? Pen^2 perhaps?" To emphasize her point, the red EVA balled its fists together then uncurled, making loud crackling noises that could be heard several hundreds meters off.

Inside his entry-plug and still trying to make himself comfortable, Kensuke took the hint and keyed into his intercom: "Well, if it make you ladies feel any better, I really don't want to be here either."


 "Shaddup!!" both girls replied in such a force it made the Otaku nearly flip over his seat has he not been strapped down, one of the girls added in: "It is ALL your fault because if you didn't badger Misato all these past months, her beer-addled brain wouldn't make a horrendous mistake like this."

As the disassemblies were finally completed, Misato called through the Com-console, "Ok, let's get this show on the road", somewhere several floors beneath the towers, an army of technicians worked franticly to active NERV's latest little toy. Noting the other two EVA's obvious agitation, she promptly added, "ladies, if you behave, I will take you two and Shinji to the beach later." The prospect of large bodies of cooling water softened the younger girl's mood considerably, while the vision of seeing the third child in nothing but a swimming trunk mollified the older one, somewhat. 

"All system running nominal."

"Bio-readings are at optimum level." 

"Inserting Entry-plug"

"Sync ratio is at 11% and rising…"

Hearing the magic word, Misato smiled and spoke into the mike: "Ok Kensuke-kun, show us what you have."

Somewhere behind the back of EVA-04, inside a white capsule, there would be an otaku sweating nervously if he was not already immersed in LCL. With both hands on squeezing the neural interface on the command seat, the boy otaku tried to coax the giant monster to follow his orders.

"Ok, breath, breath…" Kensuke murmured, his eyes refused to open to the LCL. 

From the corner of the screen, a miniature image of Misato appeared, commanding him to take a step forward. Taking a deep gulp of LCL, Kensuke ordered EVA-04 to take a step forward…

The EVA took one tentative step forward…then another…then tripped…one knee hitting the pavement. Like a drunken sailor on leave, the Black-Gold EVA slid and landed face first into the test site.

"That…must hurt." Maya commented as she watched the EVA-04 taking a nosedive while her Sempai groaned and Misato covered her face in embarrassment.

Blushing furiously, Misato keyed her intercom, "Ok, Asuka, Tsuka, get Kensuke back upon his feet and try again."


In the background, she could hear the Soryu twins' voices, cursing in choice German not at all consonant with the respect due to a fellow EVA pilot, or their superior officers, or NERV, or the world in general. In a distance, the red and blue Evas broke free of their mooring and moved to assist the downed war machine, not quite gently.  

Oh why did I agree to give Shinji a break and left him home??

"Just HOW did this guy made it? His sync ratios are horrible." Ritsuko asked in exasperation.

"I thought you were the one who told me to pick him." Misato replied while reaching through her jacket for the hidden Yebisu.

"What are you talking about?" the blonde doctor turned her head sharply, "I am positive you CALLED me that you found a boy genius, even better than that Toji kid the committee selected."  

"Wait a minute," the Major narrowed her eyes, "then who sent that Email from your mail…" Before she could complete that sentence, Unit-04's eyes flared dark blue, and the war-machine roared.

In less than a second before either Soryu twin could react, the black EVA's right hand glowed with energy, broke free and slammed its arm into the red EVA's chest cavity, sending unit-02 tumbling several hundreds meters backward, causing a skittering crater in the process.

"What the hell?" Asuka exclaimed in surprise, but her reflexes were not caught offguard. Before the rogue machine could deliver a similar surprise attack upon the blue EVA, Unit-00 already let go its arm and moved several dozen yards back.  


 "You **************** of an Stooge!" Asuka cursed in fury, and ordered the EVA to withdraw its Prog knife for an attack.

Observation Tower

"What the hell is going on?!" shouted Misato as she watched the scene in disbelief. The several technicians in the room were interjecting and running around, checking their instruments.

"Sempai!" it was an alarmed Maya now "We are detecting a blue pattern, it's coming from Unit-04!"

"What!" Ritsuko moved to Maya's side and read the information on the screen "My god..."

"What is it, Ritsuko?" demanded Misato.

Dr. Akagi raised her head and looked to what was about to turn into a battlefield. "An angel." she said emotionlessly "It has taken Unit-04..."

Meanwhile….

If he were not saturated in LCL, Kensuke would have vomited from his initial face first dive inside an EVA. As the customary red haze turned black as the interior lights were shut off by Angelic domination, the boy otaku realized something has gone very wrong as the monitors around him began to snow with static then switched off.

"Oh this is great." He commented sarcastically, as the entry-plug shook violently as something, say another EVA-sized fist, smashed into it.  

-----


Tsuka's EVA-02 barely made a dent on the metal monstrosity's back with her opening punch. In an almost negligent manner, the Black EVA turned around and backhanded her. The sheer concussive force sent the Red EVA flying back into its power generator, crushing it completely and forcing the crew operating at the command tower to shut it off or risking a catastrophic explosion. 

"Sis!" Asuka cried while cursing the otaku's (and NERV) entire ancestral linage, then ordered her EVA to make the charge. Perhaps admiring its handwork, the Angel/EVA did not notice the assault until it was too late. Without a second thought, the blue-EVA drove the 40-meter long progressive knife into her foe, emitting an thundering screech and rain showers of spark upon the pavement, the metals protest their duress upon impact, then the EVA-armor give up, allowing the blade to bite into vulnerable flesh. 

Asuka cried out triumphantly in German as EVA-04 staggered backward in pain, but that victory was short lived as the wound around the angel closed while it pulled out HER blade and with a tight squeeze, the Knife was bathed in an bluish aura, then broke into shards of impotent metal with a loud crunch.     

"Oh Mein gott," Asuka murmured out loud just as she took note of her sister's EVA-climbing backup, "this is going to be an very long day."

------

Unit-04 cockpit

"I am going to be destroyed inside this blasted tin can!" Was the only thing Kensuke could think as the entry-plug received once again the feedback caused by the impacts against the Unit's armor. With all control and communication equipment offline, the boy otaku could only whimper as various forces smashed into his small shell. While the entry-plug itself was not damaged yet, small pieces of plating and equipment were starting to loosen and fall apart. The helpless pilot had no illusions, when the entry-plug finally gave way, it would be crushed like a soda can... "Ah, man, that guy was not kidding..."

Flashback

"Hello."

"Aida-san?" An unfamiliar male voice Kensuke swore he heard before asked.

"Yes?"

"If you wish to survive your first EVA test, you will follow these instructions."

Kensuke paled upon hearing that. Feeling his throat suddenly dry, he managed a reply.

"Who's speaking?"

"Just someone who looks for the truth." The voice returned. "I have very important advice to give you concerning your incoming test in Eva Unit-04. I recommend you to listen carefully, your very life may depend on this." Kensuke was getting really nervous now. The voice continued. "While there is a slight chance that everything goes fine, we should be prepared for the worst scenario."

"And what that would be?" the otaku's voice was just a little above a whisper.

"Game over, Mr. Aida, the game of your life, that is. And this one does not have a 'continue' option."

The boy fell on the couch, to much of Rei's surprise, sweating profusely. He needed no more encouragement...

"I'm listening."

"Good." Replied the voice with satisfaction. "Very well, inside the entry-plug you will find..."

End of flashback

"Yes! I remember now! There is a laptop hidden behind..." Kensuke fought to get himself free from the straps tying him to his command chair, not an easy task while immersed in high density LCL inside a shaking and space restricted capsule. Just as he released the last one another punch from one of the other EVAs sent its violent feedback to the growing flagile entry-plug. This time a section of it really bludged inward, while sending the otaku tumbling into a wall with a nasty shoulder wound. Kensuke didn't have time to even let out a cry of pain as he found himself slamming forward into another wall of the capsule as the EVA took another blow to the chest.

Gritting his teeth in pain, Kensuke climbed behind the scrapped chair. Using one of the free-floating metal shards, the Otaku sliced the couch open to reveal a humble technician's terminal, ripping his gloves away, the Otaku popped the safety-clasp, straightened the LCD screen and watched it hum to life…

 -------

NERV Command tower

The situation went from bad to worse as Tsuka's EVA-02 ceased to move due to the lack of power and fell to its knees. The blue EVA interspersed itself between EVA-02 and the rogue bio-terror, holding an EVA-Lance menacingly. Biting her lips in frustration, Misato turned around and spoke to Ritsuko; "Is there anything we can do?"

The blonde woman replied without looking back, "I am calling HQ for some emergency power generators, but they wont arrive in less than two and a half hours."

"I don't think Asuka has two and half hours…" Misato whispered, "What about Unit-01?"

Ritsuko shook her head. "The battle will be over, one way or another, before Shinji can make it here." The head of Project E looked at the major. "Those were the commander's words, he is not deploying Unit-01 unless the angel leaves the test area and moves towards Tokyo-3, the third child is not even in the headquarters, he was released after a battery of tests before all this mess began."

Misato punched a nearby wall in frustration. "Can we at least try to eject Kensuke or Tsuka out of their plugs?"

Predictably, the ejection system failed the appointed tasks.

-----------

On a side note…

Katsuragi Residence

About the same hour

Preoccupied with his usual gloomy self, Shinji got off the elevator after a long, long day of schoolwork and sync-tests. While it was generally true Shinji kept his complaints to himself, but after listening for the 50th time about some dramatic incident in the per-second Impact world (this time about a spaceship that was supposable able to travel faster than light), or after had a bunch of NERV technicians telling him to toss a ball of fire at some metal post for the 100th time, his aggression factors rose predictably. Heaven forbid if EVA-04/Angel tried to march into Tokyo-3 right now, Shinji probably go Asuka on the thing…without his EVA. 

As he stood in front the door digging his pocket for the keys, he saw a shadow fall on him from behind. In a speed belies his anemic state, the third child turned around to face his ambusher…only to find himself staring into Mana Krishma's eyes.

"Ikari-san?" She murmured a polite greeting, her brown eyes dancing with delight.

"Ye…yes?" Shinji stammered while stare down Mana, who dressed in one of those conservative school uniforms for girls with a small suitcase in one hand.

Blushing slightly, the girl lowed her head as if in shame: "My parents are out of town and I have no where to go, can I stay over your place?"

-----------

Unit-00

Asuka was beyond the verge of fury at this point, in a manner that resembled, no, that would resemble the climatic battle before the third Impact, the redheaded girl brought her EVA into couch just as she readied the lance. In an almost contemptuous gesture, the black-and gold EVA/Angel responded by raising its left arm into the sky.

"Huh?" Asuka blinked in confusion, then the confusion quickly translated into terror as a globe of super-heated plasma began to form above EVA-04's outreached arm. Within seconds, the globe tripled its size to a whopping 50 meters wide…then 70…then a hundred.

"Oh yea?" Asuka shouted defiantly, "You must inherit the Stooge's stupidity if you think I can't dodge that." Powering its Jump-jets, the EVA rose into the sky in invisible fire, at the apex of its flight, Asuka shut off the Jump-jet, ordering the gravity to take over as she hurled the lance at her hated foe.

At the same time, the Angel/EVA released its blazing payload.

----

Katsuragi Residence

"I must have some serious incurred karma in my last life." Shinji thought. The problem was, he couldn't decide if the luck was good or bad. In a maneuver that is highly, well…un-Shinji like, the third child use his left hand to raise the Japanese girl's chin until her eyes met his.

"Mana-San?" Shinji asked quietly.

She didn't reply, all she did was continuing to stare into his eyes with a silent "Please". The evil but cute kind of look girls use on their boyfriends when they want something, for one second Shinji thought of Tsuka, who share the same look when the two of them were alone. Remembering the foray from two days ago (which apparently Mana escaped with nothing but a small band-aid on her face), the third child decided his fate karma was decidedly "bad."


But like all idiot males, he could do nothing but fell under her charms…

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

EVA-04 Cockpit

After spending several precious minutes scanning the neon-green 1s and 0s that were now vertically dripping down the otherwise black monitor screen like blood, Kensuke arrived at a revelation way beyond his years:


"Well, I never thought Angels were Microsoft compatible." If I survive this, I am going to send an E-mail to the company exonerating their software from being called the tools of the devil...The Otaku mentally added as he feel the shock of something hitting the EVA…hard.  Of course, being the tool of Angels now day may not be a flattering remark either…

As the aftershock faded away, a bolt of mental clarity struck him; it began with a frown, then slowly his lips twitched upwards until it bloomed into a full smile. Grinning like a loon, Kensuke snapped his fingers and reached down the keypad and began to type.

"The Angel is a virus, it is really a fuc**** computer program. Computer Programs can be un-programmed. A Virus can be cured.

-----------

EVA-00

The Lance impaled EVA-04 in the left breast, crushing the armor plate there, slicing through vital organs and missing the already battered entry plug by mere meters, then exiting the outside, effectively pinning the black and gold machine to pavement.

"Oh yea!" Asuka cried in German as the plasma ball flew over EVA-00's head and her foe geysers of blood erupt from 04's lips. But her cries of victory came dangerous premature.

Then the plasma ball exploded behind her.

The blazing missile separated into half a thousands emerald bolts of energy, striking the blue EVA, the pavement, the Red EVA and everything in the general vicinity. The Blue EVA took more than 100 hits in the back, chewing up its back armor, most of its left arm, severing the right leg at knee joint, before sending it tumbling down to the ground, Very, very, hard.

Before she passed out, Asuka saw the EVA/Angel pulling the lance free while its wounds were closed around itself.

Onii-chan…

Then the entire world winked out.

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

EVA-04

Cannot delete Angel.exe: Accessed denied: The source file is in operation

"Damn this!" Kensuke screamed in the darkness of his cell, "There is no way to get rid of this Angel…"sparing one glance out one of the remaining monitors, he saw the EVA patching up its wound and marched toward Tsuka's EVA now, delivering in a furious kick and sent the machine spawling for the Command tower.

Back to work, if only I can shut this thing down…

"Wait!" The otaku finally understood, "when you cannot change the law, you change the context where it is written, when the Angel merged itself with the operating program, it must follow the same laws."

"And since this is Windows, there is one uber-beyond-even-God law none can override."

Ctrl-Alt-Delete.   

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

Unit-02 Cockpit

In a scene eerily resembling the final battle before the third Impact; the wounded Angel/EVA got up again and walked toward the downed red EVA, shredding its metal carapace as it walked. Grinning an inhuman grin, the bio-monstrosity grabbed the red EVA by its head, then placed its free hand around 02's chest, energizing and melted away the tons armor and organic muscle to get to the entry-plug inside.

The very sight of EVA-04 healing itself sent shivers down the German girl's spine, and the EVA reeled in pain as the first layer of its armor were dissolved under duress, in turn the damage translated into psychic agony for Tsuka. Panicking in fear, she cried out for her mother…

Then all of an sudden, the pain stopped.

Slowly opening her eyes, she found her foe standing clinching its head as if stuck by a bad case of migraine, howling in pain, Unit-04 took several steps backwards, reaching out with one hands as if hoping to grasp something…but even the arms failed their tasks as they went limp. Not wasting a second, She swing her EVA' arm directly into 04's faceplate, crushing it along with half of the EVA's face.

The remaining one good eye stared blankly at the girl…then after what seemed to be eternity, EVA-04, like Goliath of the old, fell down to ground, stone dead.

-----------

Gendo's Office

Six hours after incident.

The supreme commander of NERV was seated behind his desk, his hands clasped in his already legendary manner, sub-commander Fuyutsuki at his side, as Dr. Akagi finished her report. As expected, it was not good.

"The damage on Units 00 and 02 were considerable." The sub-commander was the first to speak. "It will take time to get them back online."

"The Evas must be combat ready again as soon as possible." Gendo Ikari was as cold as always. "You must ensure that, Dr. Akagi, if an angel attacks, we can not rely only in Unit-01."

"In other words, if we have someone else, don't put your precious love doll in danger." Ritsuko thought, she really would like to say that out loud but she knew how bad the consequences could be. Taking a deep breath, she spoke:

"It will demand more than our will to get them back online. Specially Unit-00, its severed leg could not be salvaged, replacing it without relying in the Eva's ability to regenerate will cost dearly to our budget, the committee has not been generous in that matter. And there's also Unit-02 and the Matsushiro installations."

"Towards the Evas, a solution is at hand" Gendo smirked. "Unit-03 is useless to us in it's current state so we are scrapping it and diverting the resources to fix Units 00 and 02. Disassemble it to use its parts if you find necessary."

"This will surely speed things up..." the blonde scientist took a note on her clipboard.

"And what about Unit-04?" asked Fuyutsuki. "Was any trace of the angel found on it?"

"No but still we haven't found any before the activation. We need to make several tests to ensure the contamination was really eliminated."

Gendo frowned. "There is no time for that right now. This unit will be placed in cryo-stasis until second order. Concentrate all your efforts on the other units. Dismissed."

Without a word (and god knows she wanted to say some good ones) Dr. Akagi turned around and left the office, she would have little time to rest in the time being. Reaching for her Cellphone, the good doctor dialed for her trusted assistant Maya for another "Employee health examination."

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

A beach somewhere…

Roughly seven hours after the incident

The stinging smell of sea awoke Shinji (elder) Ikari from his slumbers, opening his eyes, the Secret agent found himself staring at an endless tide of red, striking the sandy beach. In a panic, Gerald (Shinji) thought he went back (or forward) in time and it is the third Impact all over again, then as he sat up, Shinji saw several figures running toward his direction.

Then a wave of dizziness struck and he found himself face first in the sand again. Within seconds, the four figure decent on him. With his face in the sand, Shinji (Gerald) could not even move, it is as if all the strength in the Universe deserted him. Twisting his head in the general direction, he found himself staring at three women and one boy. The lead female was in her 30s but looked as if she was 10 years younger, with an apron around her chest and a cigarette in her hand. To her left stood a girl around 20ish, she wore her hair lose and long, dressed in a traditional Japanese Kimono. Men would find her extremely attractive…if not for the bokken she wore held in her arms. To the apron-wearing lady's right stood a boy about a little less than 20, wearing a pair of glasses and a waiter's outfit. Behind him stood a Japanese girl in her early teens, with a raven black outfit to match her hair, peeking at Shinji as if he is…well, dead.

Blinked twice to clear the gunk from his eyes, Shinji/Gerald croaked: "Aunt Haraku?" 

Snuffed out the coffin nail, the apron-wearing woman bend down and touched Shinji's forehead. "Ion? Is that you? After so many years…damn. You look like you got stuck by the wrath of God himself."

The line "what did you do this time" hung heavily between the two.

"I had better days," Shinji agreed glumly, "Where is sem…." Then his voice trailed off with the sight of Haraku-dono's rapidly darkening face.

Ignoring Gerald/Shinji's question, "Aunt" Haraku turned around and looked for any unwelcome observers, when she was satisfied there were non, she barked out orders to the boy and girl, "Motoko, Keitaro, take him by the arms and get him into the Café house, Shinobo, run ahead and get Naru, she know where I put the trauma medicines, and bring me back the phone ASAP." 

Pushing his glasses up another inch, Keitaro added: "of course, she certainly inflict enough of them."

T.B.C

 Ok, I feel ill, my writing is not what it used to be L. Well finals are coming up, I will write again when I can. [Take out a tin can] Can I have some reviews? Pleaasssee? It would really brighten my day J

TBC

I am almost done with this fic, although I wonder if I should have inflicted Kensuke with a exotic disease/power because he came in direct blood contact with Lilith in a massive quantity way. Na, probably not, I already had too many lose end/writing mistakes I tried to forget. I don't know what I am doing next, I am still debating if I should re-write it one more time later when I finish, and do one without the lose ends (i.e the Aggression foumla/XIA implant I never persued in detail)

As for the endings? I already had a few scenarios planned.