I do not own the rights to Neon Genesis Evangelion, or any of the characters, equipment, or locations written in this fanfiction. The purpose of this fanfiction is merely for the non-profit enjoyment of other readers. If requested by Gainax, Hideki Anno, or other parties which represent aforementioned objects in this story, I will remove it promptly.

Chapter XXV:

Forcing the Eva to walk, I switched my main display to pulse-doppler radar. Going entirely by instrumentation still frustrated me, especially since I found the millimetric wave radar used on the Apache could locate and lock on to more targets than this replica of the MiG-29 avionics. This was an American creation, after all. Why did we have to copy inferior equipment?

The nice feature of using the radar, however, was the fact I could numerically measure distance, speed, and acceleration of my targets. It was still difficult, however, applying those numerical values to actual combat. Getting a missile lock on a target was one thing, but trying to fight hand to hand was another. It was then I was wishing I was in Unit-02, which of course, had to be my enemy.

"Kaworu, are you receiving me?" I asked over the loudspeaker. The two figures in my radar display started to move towards me. I guided Unit-04 slowly into the deep pool of amber fluid, the positron rifle in hand. I checked the main power monitor again, the output fluctuating slightly at first. Then the lights dimmed for a few seconds, coming back a moment later. It was then I realized the S2 drive output was controlled much like the synchronization with the Eva, but at a far deeper level.

I felt the stabbing headache again, but it was less intense than before. "What do you want?" the voice asked, not through my communications system, but through my mind. I did my best to make my thoughts as to what I had planned as clear to Tabris as possible. "You are just as Shinji said," the Angel grunted. "You would bring that much pain to him? You would punish mankind?"

"Only if it is necessary," I replied, reaching over to the communications system controls. I wanted to make sure everyone would hear what I was about to say. "I'll give you an option out. If you surrender now, and help Shinji initiate Instrumentality, then I will ask him to tell Lillith to bring you back as a human."

Immediately the traffic on the tac-net screeched alive, complaints and pleas coming from every possible junior officer with a microphone. "If not, I will kill you, and then take Instrumentality into my hands." I raised the positron rifle in my hands. "If this doesn't kill you at point-blank range, I'm certain overloading the S2 drive will."

"You would kill all of your people, just for what you want?" the Angel asked.

I suppose aiming the positron rifle directly at him gave the answer. I had a clear target lock, but I knew the AT Field was up. Just whether or not I could punch through and kill him, I didn't know. It was a safe bet, however, whether the shot was deflected or struck my target, there would be significant damage to the surrounding structure. I knew I shouldn't have had anything to worry about, since I was in the Eva, but what about the other technicians?

"You have five seconds to choose," I grunted. Those five seconds went by rather quickly, and ended with no response. "Survival of the fittest," I sighed, letting the volume of air out of my lungs. Holding my lungs closed, I shrugged my shoulders to release any last bit of tension, and pulled the trigger. The infrared display glowed brilliantly white, while the main display gave me the same warning message the small monitor to my left indicated, stating the radar was temporarily disabled.

The infrared never cleared, the temperature so hot it seared the Eva's armor. I could feel it's pain, my skin itching uncomfortably under the plugsuit. It was almost too much for me to take, and I desired nothing more after that first pull of the trigger than to strip the suit off, and submerge myself in the coldest bath water I could find. The radar, however, came back in just a matter of minutes.

"Oh God!" Maya's distorted voice gasped over the tac-net. Then I heard her cough and wretch. It was another minute or two before the video feed was patched in to my radar monitor. My reaction was about the same as Maya's.

Kaworu, or what was left of him, was partially fused with Lillith, slowly being absorbed. Apparently there was no harm in an Angel of a different make contacting Lillith. The red Eva had taken the brunt of the damage, it's chest and head nothing more than a charred skeleton with the ash-like flesh sliding sickeningly off the construct's body like wet drywall putty. Although Unit-02 had blocked the majority of my attack, I had minimized the particle stream to it's smallest diameter, about half a millimeter, while overriding the protective circuit breakers. Of course there would be over-penetration.

His left arm was blown clean off, while the left side of his body was seared from the heat, his skin the appearance of decaying black leather. Slowly as my eyes tracked to the right side of his body, the injuries lessened. Finally, I noticed one important detail I hadn't realized up until then.

The headache was gone.

"Target... silent," Hyuuga hoarsely whispered over the tac-net. "Unit-04... return to Cage Five."

It was another thirty seconds before Misato was patched in to the communications system. "Pilot, acknowledge." Again, I maintained radio silence. "Susan? Talk to me!" It was then I noticed Rei, floating above the catwalk which stopped approximately twenty meters above Lillith's head. I still don't know how long she was there, but her expression said it all. Her jaw hung open, eyes forced to view what I had done. She was afraid, and regardless of my goals, the ends did not justify the means. "Susan? SUSAN?"

I sighed. "Acknowledged, returning to Cage Five." I realized I couldn't go through with it. As Kaworu's body sat there harmlessly in contact with Lillith, it was highly unlikely my attempt would succeed anyway. But more importantly, I couldn't bring myself to determine the fate of the world. "Still too weak," I grumbled. "Damnnit..."

Then I heard the voice in my head. Of course she would protest.

•••••••••••••

The headache came again, but this time from the true last Angel. I could hear the screams in my head, the throbbing pain growing. I had managed to take five steps towards the heavy gauge umbilical cable from the crane above in Cage Five when I had to stop. Feelings of nausea were making it impossible to keep the Eva balanced.

"Susan?" Misato asked again over the tac-net.

"...Contamination... Angel..." I managed to blurt out before nausea led to vomiting. In between gasps for oxygenated fluid and leaning the displays, trying to focus on something moving, I began cursing. I could hear some of the technicians over the internal speakers gasp and howl. While I have forgotten most of what I said, I do remember making some racist comments about the Japanese, and suggesting in an R. Lee Ermy tone a few more thermonuclear devices would have solved a majority of my problems.

"SUSAN!" the major cried out, now out of sheer disgust.

"Neurological contamination with the Sixteenth Angel confirmed," I reported, my throat dry and stinging from the residual stomach acids. "Request immediate lock down and override of all Unit-04 controls to the Magi." The umbilical cable had finally arrived, better late than never. It was my only means to return to Cage Five, after all. A few more steps, and I was able to reach out to it. I fumbled nervously with the power supply, finally plugging in to the improvised adapter in the spine of my puppet.

"Switching to external power," I sighed.

"Pilot, report your status," Rokubungi declared in his usual way.

"Seventeenth Angel destroyed, remains being absorbed into Lillith," I said. There were a few short gasps. I thought about whether or not I should have kept up the charade, and referred to it as Adam. But it was too late now. Checking the displays, there was a short black-out as the Magi overrode my inputs, but the gauges still reported the same readings. "No apparent reactions or changes from target. That whole Third Impact thing must be a hoax-"

All communication was severed by the Magi.

•••••••••••••

Later on, finding myself being examined in the hospital under heavy guard, I was conscious just long enough to see Fuyutsuki nervously stumble in. His face was pale, eyes bloodshot, and a pistol was in his hand. I had an idea why he was there. But why was I there, stripped down to wearing another of those risque disposable gowns? Nothing could be done for me. It was terminal, after all.

"Imagine that," I grinned. "You still haven't changed. Can't kill someone when the need arises, unless it's an order from Yui's lover-"

"STOP!" was all the professor could say, pressing the barrel of the pistol against my head. However, Fuyutsuki hesitated. He always hesitated. Perhaps I could learn something from him. Of course, his indecision was the cause of all these problems. Reynolds and the local neurologist flinched, trying to talk to the man. "This comes from the commander," he barked. "It has to be done!"

But again, the man hesitated.

"Oh, you don't know how to handle one of these, do you?" I asked. "Very simple. You are using a Jericho 941, very nice pistol. It's based loosely on the 1935 Browning Hi-Power, using a cam-actuated barrel to lock the breech. Simply pull the hammer to full cock, take up the slack of the first stage on the trigger, and when you're ready, pull the trigger back all the way in a nice, crisp, decisive action. Don't hesitate!"

I felt the hard, cold surface of the weapon slide with some resistance down my scalp as the professor slumped, defeated. Turning his back to me, Kouzou stumbled back out of the room. "Ikari wants you terminated," he muttered.

"Yeah..."

"You are contaminated with an Angel. You know what this means, correct?"

"Yeah..."

Fuyutsuki snarled. "You violated the trust of Ikari on several occasions. You gave your word! You had your chance to keep your mouth shut, but you refused! Do you have any idea what you are doing?"

"Yeah..."

Kouzou leapt over to my side, and waved the barrel of the pistol in front of my face. "Stop saying that!" he hissed. "This is serious!" I glanced over to the doctors, and Ben understood right away. Leading the neurologist out of the room, Reynolds nodded towards the cabinet to my left. I'm surprised I never noticed it before, but out of Fuutsuki's line of sight, hanging by a plastic holster bolted under the cabinet, was a Glock, or some Glock knock-off, probably chambered in nine millimeter. I looked back to see both Reynolds and the neurologist gone.

"Unit-04 is still needed," I explained. "Seele will attack to begin Instrumentality, and you know it. Also, Rokubungi will attempt to start Instrumentality using Rei." I glared at the man for a long time, watching his face twitch nervously. "I don't know about you, but I didn't get reincarnated in this hell hole just to be turned into a puddle of goo without any say in the matter."

"Then you support Roku- I mean, Ikari?"

"Hardly," I grumbled. "I support the freedom to choose. The Angels are gone, all except the one in here." I tapped my head with my right index finger. "The Angel will probably kill me if I don't make an attempt to come in contact with Adam, and trust me, Professor, I know where Rokubungi is keeping him."

Fuyutsuki sighed, then tightened his grip on the pistol. "Then there's no choice."

"Again, you limit yourself to only the choices Rokubungi presents. So like you to be used by Yui and her degenerate widower." The man's temper flared for a moment, but regained it's exhausted, emotionally drained visage the second I started mentioning my plan. "What if Instrumentality was taken in another direction? Perhaps a harmless direction, in which the chosen one has the power to eliminate the threat of another Instrumentality, and no one is forced to evolve?"

"If this were possible," Kouzou began, cautiously probing, "how would we proceed?"

"First, we need the pilots to willingly choose to support the plan," I explained. "You people have tricked them with your psychological games long enough. They should not be forced to endure what they have, and to continue, they must know exactly what they have been fighting for."

"I do not like this plan."

I slowly rose from the hospital bed, trying to hide my figure in the nearly transparent paper fabric. My head throbbed, but not as intensely as before. I knew she was trying to protest, as this wasn't the arrangement at all. Slowly, I made my way to the cabinet, and opening the doors, I began my cover. "Do you know if they have any aspirin?" I asked. "This Angel feels like it's taking a belt sander to my head."

The professor moved towards the cabinet, and that is when he noticed my true intent. He tried to bring up the pistol, but I reached out with my right hand, gripping the slide of his weapon. The man was quite strong for his age, but I deflected his forearm, and slipped it harmlessly between my right elbow and my ribcage. Gripping his bicep, I locked his arm in place while I took my time retrieving the Glock clone. "Hmm, Sig-Sauer P220 pistol," I smiled. "I always wanted one of these."

"You cannot possibly escape!" the professor breathed. "There are guards outside!"

"Only if the guards outside are willing to shoot through you, I won't have a chance," I explained. "Either way, I win. You can't possibly support a man who would kill you to silence me, and if 'Ikari' doesn't take that action, I can get away." It seemed like a long shot, but the odds didn't matter. What mattered in survival situations most was the will to survive, and at least a feasible plan. "Worst case scenario, the guards are using full metal jacket loads, meaning the rounds will pierce through you and enter me. However, if they use soft point, or jacketed hollow points, you're my human shield."

I could see the gears turning in Fuyutsuki's head. Clearly he was an officer simply by authority and not experience. He could not fathom half of what I told him, but he had an idea that I knew enough to take appropriate action. "What do you need for your plan?"

"Fake my death," I answered. "Get Section Two to back off my apartment, and I'll disappear until the time is right. Until then, you need to keep me advised as to Ikari's plan." Again, the gears were turning, but Kouzou wasn't coming to a conclusion. "Also, I need to know when the Children are not observed, so I can convince them to go ahead with the operation."

"What about Unit-04?" the professor asked.

"You will find Unit-04 is practically useless to you now," I grinned. "A little reprogramming, thanks to Ritsuko, has given me a master code to lock out all inputs. It's a voice print, and the audio sample I must match is stored in a hidden flash memory chip, of which only I know the location." Fuyutsuki gaped. "By the way, when you engaged the Magi override of Unit-04, I put that code into effect. Until I release it, the Eva cannot be commanded to synchronize with another viable pilot."

"We would not need Unit-04," Fuyutsuki began.

"I think you do. Consider first that Unit-02 is now partially vaporized, and besides Unit-01, which must be kept from Seele at all costs, Unit-04 is the only S2-equipped Eva in our arsenal." My point seemed to be getting across, as Kouzou nodded once sadly. "Now, how do I get out of here undetected?"

End of Chapter XXV

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