Disclaimer: See chapter one.

Chap. 24

"Kenobi..."

Shinji's eyes slowly opened to the clear white ceiling of the Nerv medical room.

'Familiar ceiling' he mused before slowly sitting up. Looking outside, he saw that

it was in the middle of the afternoon. Nearby, his lightsaber was neatly settled on a table.

Raising his hand slightly, the weapon softly lifted in the air and moved to its master's

hand. Shinji fingered it lightly, the memory of what happened resurfacing in his mind.

"Shinji?"

Shinji looked up to see Misato enter the room. Already she showed signs of increased

stress and worry. 'She really should get some rest' he thought worried. She was stressed

over something, but for once, it didn't seem to be about him. But in true Misato style, she

didn't let it show and gave a sweet smile.

"Oh good, you're awake. I was really worried."

Misato settled down beside the bed and gave Shinji a firm hug. Shinji returned it,

suddenly noticing that this is the first time she hugged him without cutting short his air

supply. Breaking away, Misato expression became serious.

"Do you know what happened? Who attacked you?"

Shinji looked to the side, trying to recall what happened, "I don't know. It was...something. Covered in black...and..." Shinji's brain hit a jolt.

"He had a lightsaber, like me."

He indicated to his, to which Misato looked at briefly.

"Are you saying that he was like you? A...Jedi?"

"I don't think so. I mean, he was trained, but he was dark. Sinister. He was using the Dark Side.

Misato frowned even more. If what Shinji said was true and chances are it is, then the

situation has just gone out of hand. Now there was a dark assassin out hunting Shinji

with the same powers as him and possibly Qui-Gon. And there was still the Commander

to worry about as well. If he finds out that Kaji is still alive and that she let him live,

needless to say that there will be serious hell to pay.

Shinji on the other hand, was preoccupied with the fight. The last thing he remembered

was being hurled to the floor and knocked out. After that, things were really blurry. He

remembered feeling an unusual surge of in the Force and his body felt...different. Almost

as though...it wasn't his own. As if there was someone else in control. A name. That's all

he could recall now.

Obi-Wan Kenobi...

The name was familiar, but at the moment, Shinji was too worn to think. Clearing his

mind, he tried to remember where he heard that name before.

Yes. Two, in fact. The first one fell away and left me.

What about the second?

He was one of the best Padawans around. And he became a great Jedi Knight. And he was a good friend.

What was his name?

Kenobi. Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Shinji's eyes suddenly snapped in realization. Obi-Wan was Qui-Gon's former student.

But what had happened to him? Did he really help him? What was really going on here?

***************

Asuka's room, Medical Ward...

Asuka's body remained prone in the bed while the machine nearby beeped on. But if

anyone noticed, the beeping was different. Every now and again, the lines would spike

briefly. But despite this, Asuka was still unconscious. It was at this point that the door

silently opened. Entering in just as silently, Rei Ayanami made her way next to Asuka

and sat down while the door closed behind her. Looking over at the Second Child, Rei

simply closed her eyes.

'Sohryu. It's time to wake up now.'

***************

Misato walked with Shinji after he had been excused from the medical ward. The doctors

where quite used to seeing him and they knew of the boy's fast healing ability, even if

they didn't understand it fully. As they silently walked through the hallway, a figure

suddenly stepped before them and blocked their path.

"Ritsuko." Misato said in half surprise. Remembering how she was earlier, she spoke in a more sympathetic voice. "How are you?"

Ritsuko however, didn't seem to notice and simply turned, "Come with me. Both of you."

Both of them gave her a strange look. Shinji found her behavior very confusing. Her

emotions right now seemed to be absent from her face totally. Even her eyes were blank

slates. Nevertheless, the pair followed her and they reached the elevator. Ritsuko pulled

out her keycard and the doors opened.

Misato decided to delve deeper in order to find out what was going on, "What is this abo...?"

Ritsuko swiftly cut her off, "Just come."

With no other choice but to follow, Misato and Shinji entered the elevator. Ritsuko

locked in the card again and the elevator dove downward. It fell even deeper than Misato

even thought. It was clear that this wouldn't be the Terminal Dogma. 'What's deeper than

that?' she questioned to herself. Finally, the elevator stopped and the doors opened.

Ritsuko stepped out first and Misato and Shinji followed. As soon as she saw where they

were, Misato gasped.

"Where are we?"

Before them were several dozen test tubes, each filled with LCL. But what was shocking

was that each one contained a human figure. A figure recognizable as...

"What are...Rei?" Shinji finally managed to say. "They all look like Rei."

Indeed, each chamber had a copy for Rei Ayanami. They were all naked and wearing

eerie smiles, but blank eyes.

"The First Child that you know as Ayanami Rei is in fact a weapon." Ritsuko said finally after standing in the midst to them. "She is the core of the Dummy Plug system." Looking at Shinji, "You remember that, don't you?"

Shinji struggled to control the tremble and anguish he felt after remembering that

incident. Misato took a step closer.

"What are you saying?"

Ritsuko answered her, her voice an eerie calm, "Rei was created for the purpose of creating a system that could activate the Evas without a pilot."

Misato's face curled into a frown, "You'd use a human girl to do that?"

"Human?"  Ritsuko asked softly before bursting in a soft fit of laughter. "Hahahaha. Rei is hardly human." She quieted down from her laughter. "In fact, you may be surprised by what she really is."

She looked at even further confused faces with amusement, "Ayanami Rei is in fact a genetic mix of human and angel." Then with a scowl, "A genetic mistake is more like it. A distorted mirror image of our greatest enemy and the very creator itself."

"What...do you mean...creator?"

"Shinji knows, right?" she replied, cast her gaze onto Shinji. "The way she looks, her appearance, even her very attitude at times. Don't tell me you haven't noticed?"

Shinji blinked. 'I know?' he wondered. 'What was she talking about? Why should he know?'

Your insight will show you what your mind is unable to sometimes.

Shinji thought about it, examining the times he's been with Rei. Unlike many others,

Shinji knew Rei better than anyone, possibly even more than his father. Using Ritsuko's

words as a basis, he let his thoughts focus in on her general attitude and appearance.

Before he knew it, the answer appeared to him in a shocking revelation.

"M...mother?"

Ritsuko gave another smile at the proclamation, "That's right. Rei is nothing more than a distorted copy of Gendo's lost wife. Gendo..."

Ritsuko turned around suddenly, her voice beginning to break. Shinji broke out his

realization and noticed this as did Misato.

"He never...never really loved me." she crackled lowly. "I was just his toy...something for him to play with and use...like a puppet." Her voice began to rise, "Well...I won't be used anymore."

Ritsuko suddenly reached over to a nearby panel and pressed a series of key. The tubes

suddenly began to bubble and the clones began to struggle and scream.

"I won't be your puppet anymore!!!!"

The LCL turned red as the Reis began to dissolve in a horrific display. But Ritsuko wasn't

finished and she grabbed a nearby metal girder and smashed it against the glass. The Rei

inside spilled out and splattered over the ground before the two spectators.

"Ritsuko! Stop it!" Misato cried.

But Ritsuko paid no heed as she bashed against the next one and the next, Reis spilling

out over the floor in a bloody display not unlike when and angel get destroyed by an Eva.

Ritsuko's strength finally gave out and she slumped on the ground, not caring about the

massacre she had created.

"I won't be used...I won't be used...I won't..."

Misato was completely shocked by what Ritsuko had done. She didn't know whether to

be furious, disgusted, or sorry. Looking at Shinji, she expected Shinji to be just as

horrified by this, but to her amazement, Shinji simply looked at the weeping doctor.

Slowly, Shinji walked around the chaos and bent down before her.

"Dr. Akagi."

Ritsuko tried to raise her eyes, but the grief was too much for her and she wept again, "Shinji...I..."

Shinji placed a soothing hand on her shoulder, "I understand. My father...has hurt you a lot, hasn't he?"

Ritsuko finally managed to stop crying enough to look up at Shinji. She was surprised to

see compassion in his eyes. She thought for certain that the Third Child would have been

just as horrified as Misato, if not even more so. But that wasn't the case. Shinji saw

beyond her current actions and saw the pain that he suspected was in the doctor for a

long time. Part of him wanted to keep his distance. But there was nothing forbidding a Jedi in comforting another person. Especially with one with this much grief. And his feelings wouldn't allow him to leave her in such a state.

"I...am such a fool." she muttered.

Misato watched the scene with possibly even more shock than before. This just didn't add

up. She knew Shinji had changed, but he had never done anything like this before. It was

even stranger than finding out about the First Child's origins. He was the same person as

before, but at the same time, he wasn't. It just didn't make sense. Nothing seemed to

make sense anymore. Everything was just getting worse and worse.

'Shinji...what has happened to you?'

The moment was suddenly disturbed as the elevator doors opened and a stream of

soldiers flooded out and surrounded them. Misato blinked as she realized that they were

Section-2 guards.

"Take them."

The guards moved in and grabbed hold of Ritsuko, nearly shoving Shinji to the ground.

But as they did, a couple also grabbed hold of Misato. Misato looked in surprise.

"What is this?" she demanded.

The lead guard answered her as they restrained her, "By order of Commander Ikari, both of you are under arrest."

"What!?!"

"Misato?" Shinji questioned, but a few of the guards blocked his path to her.

Misato suddenly realized that Gendo must be arresting her because she failed to eliminate

Kaji. Realizing this, she stopped struggling and let them escort her out, with Ritsuko

beside her, equally restrained.

***********************

Unknown…

The shadowy visage of Darth Maul reappeared within what appeared to be his living

quarter. The face of the Sith was twisted with rage as he still felt the searing mark of

Shinji's lightsaber on his cheek. He began to reach to his pack to take care of it, but

stopped himself. 'No. This will remain here as a reminder.' he mused. He had

underestimated the boy and that angered him more than anything. This anger, combined

with the pain he felt from his wound, transferred into the Dark Side, growing in rapid

succession. He will not underestimate the boy again. Never again. Raising his lightsaber,

he ignited it. Twirling it in his hand, he ignited the second end, created a glowing red

lance.

'Next time, you will die Jedi.'