Cursed be the ground… for our sake…
Both thorns and thistles it shall spring forth for us…
For from the ground we were taken for the dust we are…
And to the dust we shall return…
V: Awaken
Division-9 Headquarters was a large building sitting on the north edge of Tokyo-3. It was almost its own private city completely with labs, training centers, and living quarters. So when Rei managed to locate a way into the building though the sewer system that wasn't guarded, she immediately raised a flag in her mind. This was already too easy.
But Rei had no idea if they knew anything about her, or why they took Hikari alive. As far as she knew, Divison-9 wasn't in the market for prisoners…
And then she entered the labs and the true horror of Divison-9 became clearer to her. There were Nephilim in stasis, floating in cylinders of what could only be LCL. But where did they get the precious fluid from? They didn't have access to what used to be Terminal Dogma. Could it have been excess NERV stores that were off site? But why would NERV store such an important liquid off site?
On a large computer board nearby, she saw a cutaway diagram of an Angelic Core. They mapped out much of what was on the inside of the core. Diagrams of DNA and important gene pairs were highlighted. Tables looked clean in the lab area but they were showing signs of being stained with red blood.
"They're dissecting us," Rei whispered, realizing the full scope of what it was Divison-9 was all about. They were trying to figure out what made Nephilim so different, so they can kill them more efficiently. The Anti-Nephilim weaponry they developed must have already existed in some form, which meant that the LCL came from what was left of SEELE, not NERV.
Sacrilege…
She pressed forward, deeper into the lab and came into a circular room with an exposed upper floor. A metal cylinder was in the middle of the room with a computer connected to it. On it, the screen showed vital signs for the occupant. Rei stood in front it the diabolical machine and hit the button to remove the outer metal shield from the cylinder. The metal shield rose revealing her goal.
Hikari floated in the cylinder's center completely naked. Her body was pierced in several places by long needless hooked up to tubes that were slowly extracting fluids from her body. She was asleep but the twitching of her eyes told Rei she was in pain.
Rei quickly looked over the control panel looking for a method to release her from this torture device and then she heard the sounds of men running; she turned in time to see the room was nearly ringed with Divison-9 men in tactical gear leveling assault rifles at her. Though the doors above, Bastion entered the room. His piercing blue eyes appeared to be alight with amusement.
"I didn't think you would be this bold," he began. "But it was quite foolish of you to come here… Lilith."
Rei's eyes widened.
Langxi, China
The people of the small town of Langxi looked up and saw a white streak across the sky. It changed direction and flew straight down towards the middle of town causing townsfolk to scatter away from the area. With a small shudder the earth greeted its visitor.
Kaworu was kneeling at the impact point with a single fist on the ground. His 4 wings slicked back, but now recovering. He stood up and his wings began to retract into his back. He was wearing a pair of dark slacks, black shoes and a white short-sleeved shirt with two long slits on the back for his wings.
"I'm looking for Asuka," he stated in perfect Mandarin.
"Here!" one of the townsfolk called out. "I'm her friend, Daquan. She's in here."
Kaworu walked in and immediately smelled rotting flesh. Asuka looked horrible; her skin was mostly greenish with darker blotches near her stomach wound, her eyes were yellowing and the wound appeared to be necrotizing. Already maggots were starting to fester in the wound.
"We left the maggots there to try to clear the dead flesh," Daquan explained.
"It won't help," Kaworu replied. "This is no earthly corruption."
Asuka tried to speak but was unable to do even that.
"Hush now," he spoke as she kneeled next to her bed. "Everything is going to be alright." He gently kissed her forehead and placed his left hand onto it. He then held his right hand over the festering wound. Shrieking sounds were uttered from the maggots as they suddenly dried up and disintegrated. The act of feasting on the corrupted flesh effectively demonized them making the purifying energy he released akin to pouring salt on a slug. Daquan looked visibly sickened by the event.
"This is going to take some time to heal," Kaworu explained. "The corruption is throughout her body, but I can stop it from growing stronger. Then I can start healing the damage and purifying her."
A white glow appeared around his hand as a mist like energy seemed to slowly fall from the opened hand into the wound. Once the connection was made, the energy flowed much faster and Asuka gasped at the feeling.
"It's okay," Kaworu whispered. "Just be calm and still."
"T... Tab…ris…" Asuka whispered.
"Are you still calling me that?" he whispered with an amused smile. "I thought I told you that wasn't who I am anymore."
"I… know…" she replied. "But… you will… always be… my… angel…"
Kaworu gently kissed her on the lips, feeling the corruption in her body burning away at his touch.
"Rest now," he whispered, and he watched as Asuka finally fell asleep.
"What if the Makhai come back?"
Kaworu's face set on determination. "They will not make it into this village alive."
Division-9, Tokyo-3
"I am not Lilith," Rei refuted. "I am I."
"Oh but you are wrong, Lilith… you are so much more than that. You are a goddess compared to the other Nephilim, the Avatar of the Blessed Mother herself! You are a goddess that can take us from this wretched hole we call Earth and into the Promised Land… or show us the door and let us walk through ourselves."
"I see," Rei replied. "So I was correct in my assumptions then. You are remnants of SEELE."
Bastions's face looked a little shocked. "My, my… what gave it away I wonder?"
"Release Hikari to me," Rei demanded, her eyes set to determination. "I have no time for this."
"You are in no position to make threats o Mother of Nephilim. You must surrender to us. You are surrounded, and our weapons are designed to work against your kind."
"And you won't use them… you need me alive."
Bastion growled in annoyance. "Take her." He ordered.
The men lowered their weapons, letting a group of men in with shock gloves instead. Rei took a combat stance as they approached, and was thankful that the loose fitting sweat pants and shirt didn't restrict her movement at all. As the first tried to lunge at her, she swept his legs knocking him to the ground easily. What took place next was worthy of the best martial arts movies as Rei became a whirling fury, easily dodging and countering attempted blows. The men seemed to slow down to her in her mind, allowing her to predict their movements with little difficulty. Bastion's men fought hard but they simply were not skilled enough to deal with someone able to accurately and rapidly counter their every attempt.
"Enough! Take her down!"
The men on the upper floors raised their rifles and fired. Rei threw her hands up stopping all of the tranquilizer darts they fired in midair. She noted they were all composed in the same metal used in the Proxy Lances.
"That's impossible!" Bastion yelled. "They're crafted of f-LS! You can't manipulate them with your powers!"
"If I am truly Lilith made flesh as you say, then nothing is impossible for me, Bastion Kane." She countered and with a wave of her hand sent the darts back to their senders, knocking out the entire group in the process. "When she was run though with Lancea Longini, it was only because she allowed herself to be impaled… She chose that path. I walk a different one."
"Shoot her!" Bastion yelled, but it was already too late. With a hand motion all the men were thrown to the ground with a telekinetic wave. Rei raised her hands causing the metal plates to rip from the floor and curve towards the men, pinning them down.
Such an exertion of her power awakened something within her, and Rei's back began to hurt terribly. Muscles along her upper spine twitched and pulsed. Her arms crossed over her chest as she cried out in obvious pain. Kane watched from between metal plates he was pinned under with interest.
Rei was almost driven to her knees from the sudden pain. With a final agonizing cry a sound like wet cloth torn by a machine was heard and the cylinder and walls behind Rei were sprayed with blue blood. Rei's azure wings sprung into life. The tattered remains of her shirts still hung on her body and kept her decent.
She took a moment to recover and find her balance as her large wings stretched out and she felt her back sealing. The tips of her wings stretched nearly 9' in both directions.
"Angel," Bastion said accusingly.
"So it would seem," Rei replied. "But I have no time to ponder the meaning of this now." She turned towards the cylinder and used her telekinesis to rip open the plastic casing. LCL flooded the room and Hikari came loose from her tubes, sliding into Rei's arms.
"We'll never stop hunting you," Bastion taunted. "No matter what it takes we'll capture you and the Horaki's."
"Why do you want them so bad?" Rei countered.
"Why indeed," Kane taunted again. "My reinforcements are close, and I guarantee in your current state they will overwhelm you, Avatar or no."
Rei realized he was likely correct in his assessment. Cradling Hikari she shot up towards the roof, angling her AT Field ahead of her like a plow. She tore through 2 floors before she escaped the building. Her wings extended and in moments, she was already long gone.
Kane was pried loose from the metal plates by the reinforcements that arrived moments later. He hopped over the bar dropping nearly 12 feet and landing in a crouch on the bottom level near where Rei was standing. He looked around for a moment and found what he was looking for.
A singular azure feather lay upon the ground near him.
Langxi, China – Hours Later
Kaworu was now sitting against the wall with his legs hanging off of the bed. Asuka's head rested in his lap. He was tired, but he had made a lot of progress. Asuka looked less green, no longer had necrotic flesh, and her wound was about half closed now. The corruption in her blood had calmed though it was still there, it simply wasn't spreading anymore.
Kaworu was tired… He had spent much of his energy reserves trying to save Asuka's life. Slowly drifting off, he was suddenly awakened by Asuka moving her head.
He looked down upon her angelic face and watched her eyes open. They were far less yellow then they had been.
"Tabris… Is it really… you?" her pained voice whispered
"You know it is," he replied. "I told you I would take care of you."
"You did," she whispered. "Now… now I can rest…" A soft smile painted her face as she passed out again. He could feel the tension leaving her, allowing her to begin to heal.
Kaworu sighed. Her recovery would take a few days, but he knew he had to stay with her. It was she who taught him the virtues of individual love… and he would never abandon her.
"My angel," he whispered as he stroked her face gently.
We have made the present obsolete
What do you want?
What do you need?
We'll find a way,
When all hope is gone!
We've seen the fall of the elite,
Bury your life, take your disease
We'll end the world,
When all hope is gone!