Problem Thirty-one: So Sue me... The Mighty, Mighty Eva Boogie?
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Lighting never strikes twice, right? Despite the saying Light has always had the ability to strike twice it is rare but happens. What is nearly impossible is if for lighting to strike trice, and too due so with in a year. Three clones, three beings created by man for man, each are unique each were created by one organization. One has no purpose of her own, one has no soul of her own, and the latest has no life of her own. Her creation was meant for this. She is the only to be a pure copy of an actual person, Asuka Langley Souyu. The annihilation of the real and the dawn of the clone was no coincident. This fact does not help the clone that she may have the body and mind of the Second child but the diminutive memories of what she once was and what she isn't.
Standing in the darkened apartment is Asuka she stands and watches an event she does not remember doing. In front of her is herself, who she supposes to be, sitting on the living room sofa talking to a very much seeing Rei.
"That's irrelevant." Rei points out on the laptop. "They were following orders..."
With a nervous look Asuka steps closer, over looking her mirror image that is shaking her head in slight frustration. "Come on Rei... It's inhuman to do such a thing."
'We were friends...' The Asuka that seems invisible to the rest bows her head correcting her thought. 'They were friends.'
With a slight sigh the young clone watches the events that occurred in ones life. She follows them to the Arcade center and watches as the two play DDR. Everything seems surreal, she has never seen what is happening but she looks at herself in it. However the moment ends with the squeal of an alarm. It drowns the sound around her and as quickly as the memory came if fades. Asuka is woken to the harsh reality of the present; she sleeps in her own bed, well Asuka's bed. When it comes to identifying possessions the girl has had a hard time calling them her own. Also her brash and angered roommate has prevented her from even searching. It impresses Asuka, for even if Rei is blind she has a sixth sense about things. She has only known the girl respectively for a week and living with her for a day. Not once has she spoken to her, nor has Asuka dared to speak to her. Asuka is glad that she has a place to stay, if it wasn't from a firm order from Captain Katsuragi to Rei, she would be sleeping on the streets.
The alarm however was the more pressing matter as Asuka shuts it off for the second time. With the rub of her eyes Asuka looks over her room to see it void of many things that was there when she arrived. 'I can thank Rei for that.' As she gets up she looks to see her barrowed school uniform is hanging in her closet next to about five boxes, the only thing Rei couldn't take out because of there size.
'I have to start school... well restart... what ever...' The redheaded clone gives up on trying to remember what was told to her. She does remember that she is Asuka, Doctor Akagi spent hours drilling her on her name place of birth and all other important information.
"Of course I'm an outcast so it's not like it matters anyway..."
Asuka begins to take off her pajamas and she watches her time and makes sure she's not running late as she changes. Her day seems crammed for her mind when she thinks about it. Right after school she has to go to NERV for some kind of test. She was doing the same thing until ten at night yesterday so if there is one thing she hasn't become of a fan is NERV, especially after having multiple long winded lectures from the Commander. With a small sigh she hears a slam at the door. She wants to answer but she has found out that would be pointless. She might not be on speaking term but Asuka knew that a bang meant she was doing something wrong. After dressing Asuka looks around for something to put her hair in, with the room cleaned out Asuka goes for the boxes hoping something will help her. The first box proves to be a lot of German fashion magazines.
'Man This girl has fashion trouble if she reads this...'
The next box reveals an awe inspiring sight. Inside is an ivory Violin case, covered in dust making it look years old. Also in side is tons of sheet music sheets and a second ivory case it is narrow and long inside rests a the cherry wood bow. As if she was holding an ancient artifact, Asuka lifts it up into the air.
'She was a musician... a violinist...' A second bang is heard at her door and Asuka breaths a sigh as she places the bow back in its case. She quickly grabs a rubber band that holds a packed of sheet music and pulls her hair back as she exits. "I'm coming."
She exits and when done with her hair she looks around to see a bran new school satchel on the kitchen table. This brings a frown on her face seeing it's empty. "Um Ayanami I need school books."
The blue hair girl stands at the door way with her satchel hang one her side with the strap going across her chest and far shoulder. Her cane is in her hand with the other hand empty. Seeing that she's not going to answer Asuka grabs her bag and goes to leave allowing Rei to lead.
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Once on the road to school Asuka begins to have the tone to the DDR game she watched get stuck in her head. Slowly able to brake down the song into notes Asuka learns that she can read music. Feeling somewhat happy of her confidence she begins to hum the tone.
The song is quickly recognized by Rei and she is not willing to put up with this girl even reminding her of 'her' Asuka. So with a quick slap to her side she hits Asuka with her cane in the leg. Asuka hoops on one foot for a bit before taking Rei's shoulder.
"How the hell are we going to pass off that I'm Asuka if you keep on pulling stunts like that!" The long winded sentence has the girl take a deep breath only to see Rei use her cane to orientate herself and walks away. This isn't going to be stood for; Asuka goes and snatches the only guide Rei has, her cane. This forces Rei to stop and now she's pissed.
"Give that back to me."
Walking around her blind foe so not to have her able to find her, Asuka answers. "Not until you apologies, Baka."
With a raised eyebrow and a small shift in her footing Rei crosses her arms. "To you... you are not who you claim to be."
"I claim to be no one!" Asuka calls out as she continues to pass around Rei. "My god so sue me already, I cant be your Asuka!"
"You say that." A Rei stare to the ground trying to use her hears to pinpoint Asuka. "You a waste you have no purpose..."
"So sue me." Asuka looks to see what Rei is doing so she stops walking. "GO ahead hate me, hate me! I'm a worthless piss of shit I cant do a thing about it... Serve a paper and sue me, go ahead, but I won't hate you." The last part throws Rei, she looks back up just as her cane is placed back in her hands. A random memory strikes Asuka, her want to get back at Rei brought it up. "You're in love..."
Rei begins to walk off with her nose in the air. "We are late."
"I seemed to have touched a nerve..." The young Asuka catches up to Rei with a smile. "I detect a resistance to me..."
"I'm glad you noticed."
The comment was funny, and Asuka smiles at it but she has realized something. "You're jealous of me..."
"What."
Asuka points into the air as she walks by Rei. "You were jealous of Asuka... The two of you were close, but from my vague memory she had another, that Ikari kid..."
"Bitch..."
The curse was harsh and only confirms Asuka's thought. "You loved her..."
"You know nothing..." Rei hisses in a whisper as she stops and makes a fist with her free hand.
"She didn't love you..." Asuka looks back in her shooty memory of Rei saying the three words of fait, 'I love you' to Asuka however she doesn't remember a response.
"I hate you..."
With a pause Asuka watches as Rei wants to run away but cant. Allowing sometime to pass Asuka follows Rei as she walks to the school. "Forgive my intrusion, but you are right I'm not your Asuka, I never said I was... But that doesn't mean you have to hate me because I don't love you."
'Is she right...?' The question bats around Rei's head is what Asuka just mentioned. 'She is right, Asuka never responded to my words... she never said the same words, but she was all I had... and I was...' A slow realization comes to mind. 'And I was all she had.'
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In the school Yukari Ayanami sits to the right of Shinji and to his left sits the ever reserved Mana, last night the young spy learned the truth about Asuka and doesn't know how to approach it. Shinji has his headphones on and pretty much zoned out, Yukari isn't a much liked person for Mana. She is the one who destroyed her relationship with Shinji and her life in general. Of course it would be stupid to even bring it up with Rei; she has shown her dislike of the clone from day one. What bothers the hazel eyed girl the most is the fact that Commander Ikari insisted her quick return to the 'stable', also known as 606. The school function and purpose was to hold all the potential Eva pilots in one convenient spot.
'Speaking of which, the ball is spinning and a new pilot is needed.' One of the perks of living with a spy is that she's knows a lot before it happens. 'NERV insists on taking the hard way in everything... even if Yukari messes with them forcing them to take the simple choices in life. Only if I could load the dice like she does, so I would be picked. Then I can be with Shinji, and I can prove myself to him.'
Everyone goes silent as Asuka and Rei walk into the classroom, their aura brings everyone a chill, and it is obvious that the duo weren't one speaking terms. Asuka's hair being pulled back is also new, the odd stares from so many unfamiliar faces gives Asuka the chills herself. It also depresses her that everyone in this room knows her more then she knows herself. Shinji looks to Asuka and tries to speak but no words come out luckily she noticed and she brings her own question.
"What's up Ikari..."
With no luck in bring himself to say what he wants, he just bows his head with a deflated response. "Nothing, just wondering how you are feeling."
"Lost..." This brings a chuckle from Mana everyone looks to her but she just looks away whistling a tune. Not aware of what Mana is or what Mana has done Asuka shrugs her shoulders as she explains herself. "Of course I was never missing so I guess I can't be lost."
Look around at how tense thing is Yukari, puts her head up and gives a smile to all. "Come on all... It feels like we all just watched a witch doctor read our fortunes with Touji's entrails."
The boy in question raises his hand kind of upset his name was chosen. "Why does it have to be my entrails?"
With a slight chuckle, Asuka stands in front of Touji and Kensuke unsure of her seat. "My brain feels like someone told their fortune with it."
In the back Touji takes notice that Asuka can't remember where she sits. "Hey Souyu you sit next to Ayanami."
Asuka looks to Rei then to Touji. "Um I think she wants to kill me."
With Asuka's position made by sound, Rei turns with the look that she will kill her. Mana can help but shake her head siding with Rei. "She might just..."
In bitter irony Shinji has sided with Asuka and looks to Mana with disapproval as he takes out his headphones. "That's not nice."
"I'm sorry, but Rei has a reason to not like her." Mana tries to give the most sympathetic ply to Shinji.
However it doesn't work as Shinji is with Asuka. The Red haired girl also doesn't like the response from Mana. "Who are you to judge what's happening."
"She's a spy..." Shinji sits with his arms crossed not to upset, his feels for Mana aren't totally lost and he can still speak to her with confidence.. "... and a liar."
In defense of herself Mana looks to Shinji. "I only lied about being a spy."
With things not getting any better Yukari stands up. "Look there is so much more in the world and we sit here and argue. We should be happy to be alive." Looking to her sister she directs the next part to her. "No matter who we are we are here and we should be friends."
Leaning back in her seat Mana picks up on how scripted her speech was. "You've been practicing this speech haven't you?"
Sitting down Yukari nods holding up a sheet of paper. "Little bit, did I rush it, I felt like I rushed it..."
"No, it was good I liked it..."
Silence strikes the classroom, Kensuke is second to Rei to notice something is amiss; he looks at her as she has her hand on the glass. He looks to a closer window to see the slight vibrations she feels. He begins to think on what it could be; sonic vibrations at a small enough level that it can't be heard by humans only have so many causes. Touji is next to see, not only the vibration but the sky as it begins to fade to black on the horizon. Soon everyone is looking out the window as bellowing from the other side of the mountains is a think black mushroom cloud.
"N2 detonation..." The air seems to be sucked out of Kensuke's lungs and only a whisper could be made.
All of the pilots stand and gather their things. The silence is odd for the others, never have they been so quiet and even Yukari cant help but feel worried. Just as they leave, the city alarms go off and the building begin to sink in to the earth. Hikari rushes into the classroom barking out orders, Touji Kensuke and Mana all look out as a second then a third cloud loom from the horizon.
"This isn't good..."
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"Not even a scratch!"
In the NERV Command center it has been nearly thirty minutes since the Angel was sighted and so far the JSSDF is reporting nearly ninety percent casualties and after a total of five N2 mines the Angel progress has not been slowed.
Hyuga goes over the cities defenses placing every weapon system on automated Defence. Maya and Ritsuko ready the Eva's for launch as the pilots make their way to their Evangelion's. With a cool and determined look, Misato feels that this is going to be a tough fight. She looks to her new sidekick with a suggestion on how to defend the city.
"Maya..." The confident officer waits for the fellow captain to turn. "We should dispatch two Eva's to the surface and have two in the Geo Front.
At first the young Captain goes to look at Ritsuko for advice but she is to busy, she looks to Misato. "We should divide our good and bad syncs... Zero child and Third Child, Second and First..."
Unknowingly or not Maya placement of her words would have the second child in the Geo-Front. Misato would want Asuka on the front lines but they latest sync data shows she only has half the piloting skill of even the weakest pilot Yukari.
"Okay... Launch Unit One and Three to the surface, have them on a rolling retreat drawing the target to the Geo front...."
The pause has Ritsuko look up to Misato, pondering her thoughts. "What's your plan?"
"Ambush..." With a quick point of her finger to the Angel as it comes onto the main hub she finishes. "With shape charges... A lot of shape charges..."
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In the Cage and in the activated Evangelion's Units One and Three, Shinji and Yukari have just been briefed on what to do. Yukari is hard pressed to make light of the matter. The Angel has just taken five direct hits with N2 mines with no effect. As the Evangelion's locks into the launch pad, Yukari looks to Unit Four that is still under repair and a thought strikes her mind. "A Fourth Child!"
"Eva's Launch!"
The only one who heard her was Shinji who grips his butterfly control sticks tightly. "What do you mean forth child..."
"Their rebuilding Unit Four..." The ride is quickly coming to an end and not much less can be said.
With the shake of his head, Shinji gives a smile. "The way things are it's probably another chick..."
The Evangelion's reach the surface with a split second stop both pilots see the Angel of Might as it crests over the mountaintop. Its size and power humbles anyone who sees it. The Pilots are quick to grabs as many of the largest weapons they can get, Unit one wields two hand cannons and has two Evangelion Rail rifles on his back. Yukari goes for the more 'Hard Boiled' look brandishing two Evangelion handguns on her back is a three shot N2 bazooka and an Evangelion rifle. Both take up defensive positions as all the automated weapon buildings open fire.
"Here he comes!"
Shinji jumps just as it fires it practical beam weapon that strikes the city block he was in, taking it out and leaving a one thousand meter crater. Both Evangelion open up on the Angel their weapons do nothing to an Enemy more devastating then any could ever imagine. The Angel reaches the bottom of the mountain and readies to fire its beam weapon again.
"In coming!"
Unit One is just able to dodge the blast as it strikes his position wiping it off the map. Moving to a better location Yukari gives him cover fire, just as she runs out of ammo a particle beam blast strikes just in front of her, it blows apart the area and melts almost every layer of armor on the front of the Evangelion.
"Damn it!" Yukari ditches her handguns and goes for the N2's. "You're a little ass, you hear me!" With the targets S2 engine in her sights she opens fires. "You go to hell, you got to hell and you die!"
Both Eva's watch as three N2 mines strike the Angel's core the entire city district that the Angel was in is wiped out of existence. All are in shock as the Angel still stands. Both Unit One and Three go for their rifles and opens up as they fall back. Just as they run out of ammunition the ribbon arms of the Angel fly out and strike both Eva's in their left legs ripping them off and taking the Eva's to the ground. Before the two can move a particle beam blast blows both of them into the air, luckily for them it wasn't a direct hit as it just blows a hole directly into the Geo front. Unit Three and One go silent as the Angel goes for its personal entrance.
Stuck in her Plug Yukari holds her leg in pain pretty pissed at her quick defeat she watches as the Angel passes her and she is unable to do anything so she tries recites a useless joke that comes to mind. "You god damn bitch you forgot to pay the toll you dirty hoar! If I had a leg I would drop you like a..." She stops as the Angel grapples her Eva in its ribbon and tosses it down into the hole it just maybe. "That was unnecessary you asshole, when this leg heals I'm going to kick you a new ass hole!"
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Despite Yukari's complaining the purpose of her being dropped is dispiriting to Rei and Asuka as they now must ditch their plan to used a focused AT Field and detonate ten N2 mines, shaping an explosion around the Angel. As they wait their fait with the Angel Asuka comes up with a plan...
"DDR!" Rei pays no attention as she readies to fight with her Eva rifle at the ready. However Asuka just makes her presents more known as she increases her vid screen size. "Damn it Ayanami this isn't the time for you to act like a god damn child!"
Unit Two picks up a spear and tosses it to Unit Zero. It lands head down in the ground with the shaft shaking to a stop. If we don't work together we will be dead! We did it before!"
"I have done it before, not you!"
The correction only pisses off Asuka as she looks to see the Angel descending. "Dunculf I know what to do, trust me Damn it!"
They Geo-Front Defenses open up and even the old frigate opens fire all of which do nothing to the Angel. For Rei, she looks at Unit Two not wanting to believe but she knows she must. Luckily for both Rei never took the DDR music out of her Eva's hard drive and with a simple push of a button it begins with 'Dynamite Rave.' "Then let's dance..."
Asuka looks to the patch of N2 mines that Unit Thee lays in and smiles. "Have you ever stuffed a turkey?"
Both Evangelion's take their spears and spine them in unison, just as if it was Asuka and Rei from their first battle together they charge to the target. They both watched what happened to Shinji and Yukari so when the Angel shoots out is arms they jump together using a verity of spins and flips jump and toss their spear at the ribbon like arms. Their aim is true as they pin the arms in full extension. The Evangelion's land on each of the Angel's arm, ripping them out of there socket. This is followed by blood spraying in their place. With a screech the Angel opens up with a burst of particle beam weapons from its eyes. The Eva's dance and flip around in unison dodging each attack, then they begin to summersault to the target flipping over it and reaching its back. The Angel might be Mighty, but not speedy. Pulling out progressive knives the Red and Blue Eva impale the Angel driving their blades to the hilt. The Angel moans in pain as it still can't maneuver it self to stop the assault.
For the first time Rei is unable to tell the clone form 'her' Asuka, as they push kick the Angel in the back striking their knives driving them deeper and wedging a large open wound into the angel. With the Angel away from the N2 mines each Eva takes a handful. With its face on the ground and no arms the Angel uses its particle beam cannon to right it self, it turns to only see Unit Two in front of it. Its anger is seen as it roars at the Eva trying to intimidate it.
"Hey fat ass looking for me!!"
With a smirk on her face Asuka sends her Evangelion forward with multiple flips. In raged the Angel roars once more but stops as it feels an arm get thruster into the wound on it back. From behind Unit Zero flips over the Angel with its part of the stuffing with three N2 mines. Asuka grabs onto the jaw of the Angel and stuffs her handful of N2 mine down its throat. Unable to roar it can only watch as Unit two flips over it and lands behind the Angel spreading her AT Field to full. Unit Zero facing the Angels stuffed head, in side the Eva, Rei stares down the target.
"Congratulation you're dead..."
Rei's AT Field wedges the Angel up against Asuka's and as if the Angel heard the pilots words it gives a 'I'm about to die look' Before the N2 mines detonate. The Angel blows up like a balloon, Its takes everything Asuka has not to let her AT Field fail. Everyone in NERV's Command Center watches as the Angel finally detonates the two Eva slide back but regain their footing as they control the explosion. As quickly as the Eva's attacked the Explosion dies and all that's left of the Angel trapped in the AT Fields is a large blob of chard flesh neatly piled in a crater on the ground?
"A fight should be clean and elegant with out waste..." Confidently Asuka stares of at the crater. She looks up to Rei's vid screen with a smile. "That wasn't too shabby..."
"You were slow, a second on the second half of the attack, and point five one the third half, no were near Asuka's abilities." Rei shuts off her Vid screen to Asuka and walks Unit Zero off to the recovery pad.
Crestfallen that she can't win the respect of Rei, even when she does her best, Asuka gives a hiss. "So sue me!" She looks to Unit Three and grabs it by its arm and begins to drag it. "There's no pleasing your sister, Ayanami."
Inside Unit Three Yukari leans on her controls as she talks to Asuka. "Ah... Rei has a security system for her heart that rivals most nuclear missile silos."
"She seems pretty easy to understand, she just hates me..."
With a wave of her hand, Yukari rest her head in the other arm. "A bit more complicated then that, she's like that to me sometimes."
Asuka watches as Unit Zero descends into the lower parts of the Geo-front. "You're her sister, how can she treat you like that."
"Ah... That would be the Commanders fault..." With a small yawn, she begins to feel her leg again and rubs it. "But don't tell him I said that because he will kill me, and then go to work on me."
"That's sick..." Asuka points to the surface. "Isn't that Ikari's dad, I talked to him before. He had this speech about how he paid his debt to society by saving it?"
Listening in on the entire conversation, Shinji rolls his eyes as Yukari makes fun of his dad. "Really, that's funny; I never got a check..."
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In the Command Center everyone is looking up to Gendo who also has been hearing the conversation. Just below him Kaji is full of smiles. Somehow even if he is off the combat roaster he can get his way into the Command Center. He looks to Misato with a smile.
"Shinji... he doesn't fear him anymore does he."
"Nope..." Misato gives a smirk as she pears to Gendo. "He doesn't."
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It takes over an Hour to obtain each Eva, Shinji is battered but functional as both he and Yukari is able to get discharged and go home with Rei and Asuka. The two praise Asuka and Rei for such a great victory. Rei reserves herself in saying nothing. With a little more confidence even after a bad time in his Eva, Shinji frowns as Rei avoids everything Asuka says.
With a stern grasp Shinji reaches out and takes Rei shoulder, both Yukari and Asuka watch as Shinji digs deep into his will to speak his mind. "Rei, you disappoint me." Waiting to be hurt Shinji pears away and only receives silence. "Asuka has been nothing but nice to you and you have treated her like crap." All Shinji gets is a sigh, this drives him to finish. "You did the same to Yukari and I'm... I'm not going to stand for it!"
"Shinji..." Rei reaches for her shoulder and grasps it felling insecure. Rei is given a vivid reminder of Misato when she gave her the same speech over Yukari. For Rei she can not bring herself to understand, she looks into her void of nothingness, cursing her very life. "I am blind... I am empty... and I lost the only one I loved is dead, I do not kn..."
"Yes you do!" Shinji turns Rei to look into her eyes. "I've told you once..."
Yukari and Asuka seem to be so distant from the two, and rightly so Yukari dragged Asuka away as soon as Shinji made his first attempt at speaking. She knows Shinji works better alone. They also take not that the Angel battle took out the power and the stars flicker brightly in the sky. For the young Rei she can't enjoy such a sight she does remember what Shinji told her when he rescued her in the battle with the fifth Angel. She reaches out and feels Shinji's face to find out he is smiling.
The touch of Shinji has always been so warm and always made her feel good. "Please don't let go..."
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Yukari and Asuka walk home, Asuka has some reluctant in doing so. Leave Shinji and Rei behind seems strange to her. Asuka is unaware but Yukari knows that Shinji can be a lady killer when he puts his mind to it, his fan club at school grows by the day rumor haves it.
This is not known by Asuka, and she interprets Yukari retreat in leaving Shinji to flirt with Rei. "I don't get it Ayanami; Ikari might try something with your sister..."
The brash teenage blue haired girl brakes out into laughter. "Not a chance, he's as harmless as a fly, he's a great shoulder to cry one."
"Oh..." Asuka rubs her head as she follows Ayanami.
From behind the pilots, a familiar voice rings out as if sighting poetry. "Yet his kiss is gentle and sweat, he holds you like you are the only one in the world." Spinning in front of the two pilots is Mana Kirishima still in her uniform and just let out of the shelters. She takes Asuka's hands and rubs them gently. "When he holds your hand you melt in his arms..."
"Who are you?" Asuka snatches back her hand and stares down Mana. "Other then a freak..."
Giving a sigh Yukari points to Mana somewhat timid as she still feels bad for hurting her. "Asuka this is Kirishima, Mana first and last girl friend to Shinji Ikari."
"Hello Asuka Two..." Mana gives a formal bow as she takes Yukari arm. "It's wonderful to meet you but I and Yukari need to speak."
Unable to even say 'hi' back, Asuka watches with a raised eyebrow as Mana drags Yukari around a corner. She then looks around to remember she has no clue where she is. "Damn it!"
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Far from the ear shoot of fools Yukari is let go and Mana who looks around to see that the coast is clear. With that out of the way, Mana begins to speak but takes her time, Yukari only crosses her arm and looks at her before Mana begins.
"You know that you hurt me?"
Bowing her head Yukari puts one hand onto Mana's shoulder. "Look I said I was sorry but..."
"Its okay..." Mana takes Yukari's hand and cups it in both of hers. "I will be willing to bury the hatchet if you do me one teeny tinny little favor."
Giving a hopeful smile, the yellow eyes of Yukari gives off a faint glow in the star light. "I'm willing to do what I can... I don't want to hurt Shinji."
"Good..." Mana pauses for a second as if to let the tension deepen. "I want to be the Fourth Child."
'Ah shit..." Yukari looks down knowing that even if she doesn't like it she had to disrupt Gendo's plans somehow. "I thought watching an Eva boogie was hard..."
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Next Problem... United Nation sat on a wall... SEELE vs. Yukari take three
