Chapter 5

Tears in the Dark

Misato was happy that the commander had taken Shinji and Kaji to visit Keel's complex. He not being here meant he did not have to see two of his three pilots battered and bloody. She paced outside of Nerv ER. She had five fears right now. One being the girls well being. Two being her well being once the commander found out. Three how she was going to punish Asuka for being the aggressor. Four how would she explain this to Shinji. Five what would her life be like after all this smoked cleared. The emergency sign light went off and twenty minutes later Ritsuko exited as both girls were wheeled out on stretchers down the hall. Misato would have followed but she really needed to hear something comforting from Ritsuko. However, as dictated by her character and traits as Ritsuko was, she would receive none.

"How are they?" Misato asked.

"Did the thirteenth angel attack? If so where was I because I need to go back in ride the rest of them out?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh I don't know maybe. After repairing every bone in both their body. Rei is official blind in one eye until she heals. Asuka has lost temporary usage of her entire right side. I am giving them LCL therapy for a month. And that is for the minor injuries the one we can repair with medicine."

"That is good isn't it?"

"No Misato what if we are attacked by the thirteenth angel."

"We have Shinji and his Unit 01." Ritsuko sighed as she realized that this conversation was going to be as long as the stack of paper she was going to fill out once Commander Ikari got wind of this debacle.

Kaji drove the jeep as they neared Keel's complex. It was fifty acres of house. His home clearly rivaled the Palace of Versailles. Shinji, bored out of his mind, dubbed it the Palace of Keel. Within two hours of seeing the house on the road, they entered the main gate. Moreover, they arrived at the main house with thirty minutes afterwards.

Shinji did not like to be kept waiting. Keel had promised someone just as powerful to help in this little problem. Gendo hid his happiness of seeing the swollen and sore well behind his emotionless mask. Fuyutsuki felt rather sorry for Kaji, upon meeting the newer more mysterious Shinji he could sense that Rei was a topic only to be discussed under his discretion. This was only, like his father, so he can manipulate the conversation as he saw fit. Kaji calmly got up to the main house and exited along with the other. Everyone was dressed in a suit and well kept. Kaji had shaved, well that was more so that Ritsuko could examine him better. He stayed in the jeep, Shinji that one of the women in the house was one of his infamous lovers. Kaji disgusted him more then Gendo did sometimes. Shinji even though his eyes were closed he looked tense. As if this whole time, something was bugging him. A servant greeted and ushered then into the parlor.

"Master Keel will not be joining us today but his instructions were simply." the servant said as a bright light aimed at Shinji came in from the window. The sound of "Ode to Joy" erupted in Shinji's head and he collapsed to his knees screaming in pain. He started thrusting around the parlor slamming his head into anything he could find. After awhile the light stopped, Shinji was on his knee banging his head into the floor, his nose leaking blood.

"Anael Shinji Ikari Dark Ikari and Adam. You are a complex being." the smiling white haired red eyed young man speaking to his mind as he entered. He extended his hand to help Shinji up from the floor. Shinji looked over at him before taking his hand. The moment they touch Shinji let down his AT Field and darkness consumed them both. However, the white hair continued smiling but the felt his mind being clawed that by Shinji, who had a mischievous smile. Blood dripped down but he continued smiling. Shinji could not maintain the forceful probe much longer and was forced to stop before he could get him to break his smile and scream. Shinji reactivate his AT Field. He did not get as much information from him as he took, but Shinji got two important things, a name and designation.

"It has been a long time Tabris. Under normal circumstance I would be trying to kill you." He smiled as he spoke directly to his mind.

"Do not worry. For you and I both know that the day that our swords will clash will happen." the smiling angel said as the darkness receded.

"I am Kaworu. Kaworu Nagisa, my benefactor Master Keel has told me so much about you, Shinji Ikari." Helping him up then shaking his hand. Shinji held the mischievous grin and shook. He walked over to Gendo. "You too Master Ikari."

"I am please met you, 5th child. This is my second Fuyutsuki."

"Hello young master Nagisa." Fuyutsuki said.

"Please call me Kaworu."

"No no…this is your home and I am a guest it would be rude of me." Shinji looked at Kaworu and spoke to his mind again.

"I don't wish to be in your presence for much longer. Get to the point so I may leave." he spoke then awaited Kaworu's kind and gently reply.

"Very well Anael/Shinji Ikari/Dark Ikari/Adam." was the reply that came in the song of Ode to Joy in his head. Shinji frowned, "I am Dark Shinji not Dark Ikari. Remember that."

"Yes Dark Shinji." Kaworu peered up at the clock.

"Is there something wrong young master Nagisa?"

"No it is just Master Keel has made me an appointment I must be getting to." he walked over to a bunch of books, "I am to give these to Shinji for reading."

"Oh?" he questioned.

"Yes. They are some of the leading books on necromancy from before second impact." he added handing the young man three tomes, "I have read them when you are done reading these we will be able to begin with the procedure." Shinji wanted to kill Kaworu for indirectly insulting his skills; he prided himself on three things. His hair, his skills, his eyes. However, Kaworu had insulted one of them but as he took the books, he read something interesting in the title of one of the book. 'The complete history of the Angels'. It was well hidden in the middle of the stack. Was this Tabris his friend or his enemy? No Tabris wanted him dead; it was he who imprisoned him in the mind of Gendo, wasn't it? Shinji winced as he heard the Ode to Joy in his head again; it was not intense as the first few times. He surmised that when it was not taking information but giving it was soft and kinder.

"If you are going to rewrite third impact for everyone then I think you should know all of your opponents."

"This may come back to haunt you."

"Do you think I am foolish enough to write an entry about myself?" he smiled at him before leaving. Shinji smiled…he could not wait until they face off. There would be blood, there would be pain. However, above it all, there would Kaworu and Shinji locked in combat all around the Eva cages. His smile that mimicked of Kaworu's the rest of the way back to Tokyo-3. Gendo noticed the way he guard those books like a mother hen and her eggs, it lead to his curiosity dwelling less on the future and more the books.

Rei's injured body floated limply in the tank with her sisters. They gently touched their leader's skin as her ego border dropped causing theirs to fall as well. They began to swim in a frenzy chatting Asuka's name with contempt. They were unhappy about it. How dare she harm their leader? However, Rei order them away from violent action and they returned to tending her wounds. TTaking pieces of flesh from the completely mindless or those unable to synchronize with the "collective" or "hive" mind at the very bottom of the tank. Ritsuko looked at them with disgust as they ripped their "lesser" sister into spare part to heal their leader bruised skin. She knew one thing though with her flesh wounds being cared for by them it was on a matter of time before her internal wounds healed. After this scene, Ritsuko fears of Rei premature death subsided. However, Asuka had quickly replaced Rei. She had been screaming Shinji's name for pass hour. Muttering something about an offering to the Aztecs and how Rei was worthy of that honor. She decided that she would have a talk to Misato about the second and third child. She was extremely worried though the fourth child had been training in immense secrecy. His progress was slow and in the timetable given to her by Gendo the fourth would not be mobile in time enough to counter the attack of the 13th angel. With two of the three pilots of the picture and Shinji's defiant attitude, her outlook on surviving was grim. She needed to reach the boy so how. It meant her survival, not because she gave a damn about the world.

There was a lot of hush-hush as Shinji entered with Gendo. Everyone was on edge and they all received concerned looks from both Ikari males. Gendo hated when the staff was like this, only received bad news when they were like this. Misato, dressed in what she thought would her funeral clothes approached the Ikari. She stood straight and did her best to maintain an air of confidence even though she was petrified. In addition, after tossing logic to the wind, she related the story to them. She informed him on how she was called to the school after they were unable to pull Asuka off Rei. How when she got there Rei was barely standing blood coating her skin, staring at a kneeling Asuka who was staring up at her equally coated in blood. How she found the various teachers with broken bones and noses. Touji separated them even before she came but he only received minor cuts.

Gendo rushed to Rei's side while Shinji, who with a mixture of curiosity in wanting to read the book he was given and he was still angry with Rei, found himself in the most secluded section of Nerv; it was the waiting room in front of the head office in which dwelled Gendo. He cracked open the tome. He smirked at Tabris' choice of medium to write with and in; it seemed that there was something vile behind the smiling face of the child. It was in his blood written in a feathered quill. The first couple of pages were nothing but his commentary. From the way it is written, Tabris had been expecting his coming for a long time. He looked at Adam. It was standard already known information in the beginning but it tells of how he tried usurping god by devouring the fruit of knowledge and life. However, the two fruits slipped from his hand.

One, the fruit of life, fell into the hands of Lilith. Thinking it was a gift from god, she ate it gaining eternal life. The second fruit fell into the hands of Eve, she devoured the fruit of knowledge, and she gained the wisdom of god. Adam distraught by this event plunged to the earth if he could gain the fruit of knowledge then acquiring fruit of life would be a simple matter. Eve however saw him coming and with her new intelligence predicted his plan. She built three giants to protect her and fight Adam. After losing to the giants, Adam petitioned Lilith for help. Because of her kind, gently nature and a love for him, she aided him. The two fought with the giants until Adam was struck down. His death caused first impact. Before the world changed, the giant crucified Lilith to the divine tree that grew in area of that was once Antarctica. Eve with her divine knowledge saw the benefits having her giants preserved and stand guard over Adam's impending resurrection. Tabris in this passage saw this maneuver from two points of view. Here he spread himself as two entities to better elaborate his point. Tabris spoke Eve lied to Lilith telling her that it was Adam's intention to have her crucified. Kaworu spoke that Eve did her best to protect her offspring. That meant separating Adam from Lilith, the fusion of two would mean the ultimate destruction of the offspring. Because Adam would gain the fruit of life and it would a matter of time before he gain the fruit of knowledge. As long as Adam did not gain the fruit of knowledge there would be life. Shinji closed the book he tossed it on the table as if it were diseased.

"What you doing here Shinji?" Ritsuko asked him finally finding him after searching the entire complex for him. She looked down at the books. "Reading?"

"Light reading. I had to stop for a second. I am hungry." he answered with a tear dangling at his eye. Ritsuko smiled and nodded. "Well I am going to order some American for dinner later. With Rei and Asuka, I am going to be working late. You are welcome to join me and Maya for dinner." Shinji nodded, "I would like that."

"I will call you over the PA." Ritsuko continued onward to meet with the commander. He lowered the AT Field once again and the darkness consumed the waiting room. Shinji broke down in tears. Hidden behind his veil he cried for a while before he dried his eyes. He took the books and went searching a place to put them where no one would touch them. He wandered around until he stumbled across Kaji. Even in his current condition, he still was able to flirt quite effectively with the women. He walked over towardthe latest victim of Kaji's seduction, some random Nerv employee.

"Leave us." Shinji ordered looking at Kaji. Kaji smirked and remember the last time he angered the boy. He began walking away.

"Not you Kaji." sounding almost like Gendo for a moment there. With fear aiding her feet, she left. Kaji walked over the vending machines after banging it, a beer popped out. Shinji sat down in the chair.

"Gendo is rubbing off on you. You sounded like him when you ordered us around." banging it again this time getting a cup-o-tea to fall out. He handed it to Shinji.

"So if you are here to see me, you are having Rei …err … woman problems." Shinji looked at him if he had continued down that line of inquires, Gendo would probably do back flips up and down the Eva cages. He had to admit him doing back flips would better then having this conversation with Kaji.

"So young Ikari what could I do for you?" Shinji swallowed hard taking down air and his pride. He opened the cup and down its contents in one chug.

"I need help getting Rei to love me." Kaji's smile could shake the devil's soul but he quickly suppressed it. He laid a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"When I done with you no women in her right mind would turn you down."