A/N: Oh boy! What a reaction to the last two chapters! Well to be honest with you guys that was the reaction I wanted from you readers. I think some of you guys went a little overboard though. Hopefully I can get you guys to stay with me a little longer before you decide to call it quits with this story. Here we go!
A/O/N: A message from Marine Brother Shran to some reviewers of chapter 69: GROW UP! Honestly, some of you guys, your behaviour is appalling!
Unknown Location 12 hours before the Battle of Hamburg
"So why exactly have you brought me here?" Vladimir asked as he took in his surroundings. "What is this place?"
"You'll find out in a moment," Vladimir's master answered, as he led the boy through an unknown location. They were walking through dark corridors, for what felt like several hours. "While we're walking, let me ask you a question: Did you ever read the Bible during your times in Russia?"
"A little bit," answered Vladimir, albeit warily, confused at the question. "I know some basic information, like the story of Creation and such."
"Did you ever know that there was a story and a world before the story of Creation?"
"No I didn't," said Vladimir. "Do you know the story?"
"Indeed I do," replied the man. "It's not something God would want His people to know. There was a civilization. It consisted entirely of angels and all things glorious. It was a great and prosperous civilization. Everyone did as they pleased. We had no fighting, no war, and no conflict. It was a happy place. Ah, it was so long ago."
"But what happened?" asked, his curiosity piqued. "Obviously, something had to have happened. Otherwise we wouldn't have a heaven and a hell."
"As what usually happens with people, including divine beings, is when they have power they fear losing it. And so, they attempted to build up their power to crush any and all of those who would challenge their power."
"What happened next?" he asked, wishing to hear more.
"I, along with the four others, you knew about, came to a consensus: in order to save the society we once knew and cherished, we decided that God needed to be removed from power, by any means necessary." He paused before continuing. "But because God had caught wind of our plans, he moved quickly to stop us in our tracks. So we had to change our strategy quickly."
Flashback – EONS AND EONS AND EONS AGO
On one side of the world, an enormous army of angels gathered, their armour radiating a bright aura of light. Dressed in battle armour of the Middle Age, they were armed with bows and arrows, various arrays of swords and other weaponry. Scores of these holy soldiers were mounted on white horses, which bore what some would call the symbols of peace and justice. There was also a unit that appeared to consist completely of foot soldiers also clad in shining armour. In the back stood a person, concealed by a white veil and battle armour. He created mighty aura that stretched across all the land, encompassing those true to his cause.
"We knew that God used the power of light to beacon his campaign of injustice against anyone who disagreed with him. We didn't like it, but to counter the light we chose to use the power of darkness," the man went on to say. "Eventually, we amassed an army of angels ready to save the world as we once knew it.
On the other side of the world another army of angels of equal strength and power began creeping out from the shadows and darkness, bearing arms similar to that of God's men. Whereas the angels of light radiated with majesty and glorious righteousness, the other side stood opposite. These angels of darkness bore black wings over their counterpart white, and their armour gleamed with darkness adorned in blasphemy. Some were mounted on black horses, which looked as fierce as the riders riding them. In the back, a man floated in the sky as black angel wings creating an aura of darkness and despair, killing life as it touched. Cloaked in a black robe and hood and donning a black breast plate, he smiled wickedly, as he prepare for the ensuing bloodshed that would come.
Across the expanse between them, warriors stood ready to fight. Leaders stared upon one another scrutinizing them for what they stood for: one for ultimate peace and prosperity for all, the other to rule it. Those who were once great friends now stared down their weapons as enemies as they prepared for the ultimate fight of their lives. It was the battle of God's children, now warriors, against the fallen.
With a wave their arms, forces of light and dark roared a mighty roar as they charged, ready to do whatever it takes to destroy the enemy. The forces of light and darkness collided, exploding in an almighty fury of anger and righteousness. As soldiers fought, blades clashed upon one another as knights lanced through enemy lines, piercing through armour effortlessly as they fought for their cause, now skewed from the destruction of battles. Archers, their aims marked on high, released their deadly fury, raining death upon their foes. Yet as it rained striking their foes, the bolts found their mark upon their own, never knowing that they had committed friendly fire in the ensuing chaos of battle.
Clear from the chaos in the skies above, two mighty titans clashed. To the normal man it was a battle of epic proportions. Armed with only a sword, they struck, mustering all the power they had, charging head-on in a blaze of fury and power.
"Surrender the battle Lord Almighty," the dark one taunted. "You know this battle to be futile." Though unable to hear what the light one said, the dark one heard the words being spoke in his mind.
"You may believe your ideals are better than my own, but merely you've become corrupt by power. Your influence ends this day." The being of light charged again in a blaze of strikes. Defending, the dark one blocked, parried, and soon began his assault. Undaunted by the new burst of strength, the being simply backed off before executing a counter attack. Locking swords with the dark one, the two clashed in a contest of strength. Neither relenting to their foe, they pressed on, putting everything they had knowing if the other won it would be over. Sensing their equal level, they broke off, distancing themselves from one another.
The dark one spun his sword above his head as a black circle outlined in crimson appeared. Swiftly pointing his sword towards the light one, he used his power to hurtle several rings of the same shape and colour at his holy adversary.
In response, the light being raised his free hand and held it out, as an orange shield appeared, dissipating the rings upon contact. In response, the veiled man raised his sword to the sky, beginning to chant an ineligible incantation.
"What are you thinking? I know everything about you!" the dark one boasted. "If you think you can surprise me then go ahead! But in the end you will fail and you know it!" Despite his boasting, the chanting continued. Though no one else understood, he fully understood his lighted foe was saying. Yet that understanding took its toll as he hovered back, nervous of what his opponent may be doing.
"Holy Armageddon, what are you doing?" More words entered his mind, as the impulse to look down towards where the battle was ensuing overcame him. Below the holy army was in retreat; the unholy army cheering in victory. The dark being however narrowed his eyes, feeling something was amiss.
"What's going on?" he muttered. Looking at the man in light his eyes widened in fear. Beyond him, bright lights in the fear distance approached. As the lights grew so did his understanding. Horror struck, he realized he had been had. Rapidly descending the battlefield were meteors, ready to strike down unforgiving retribution upon his army while the holy army were clear of the impending destruction.
"This cannot be," he hollered. "This just cannot be!"
But nonetheless it was. Meteors rained down upon the battlefield. The army of darkness desperately struggled to retreat as they clamoured atop one another, not caring for the safety of their fellow warrior. Self-preservation was the primary thought as they fought to escape the wrath of the light. Yet it was to of no avail. Great fires of peace, freedom, justice, righteousness struck, destroying all within its range. First there was one, and then few, and then many, as the destruction continued to rain, decimating all those who opposed the light.
Fallen ones cried out in agony, as holy fire purified their souls, showing them the path of true light. Others burned to ashes in the unforgiving judgment that had been handed to them. Others sought shelter under pitiful defenses, only to have them swathed away by the strength of God. No fallen were spared, as the hand of God brought forth their ultimate judgment. Eternal damnation or benevolence befell upon all.
Although saddened to hear such agonizing cries, he knew it had to be done, lest these men of darkness continue to pollute the world with their dark taint. Maintaining his assault, he pressed on, increasing the concentration of the meteors as they continued to rain destruction and chaos upon those who deserved.
The storm continued, enveloping all that stood in its way in its unforgiving wake. So great the storm, the dark lord who had led the army of darkness fell into the holy fire. His screams of agony rang through the air, overpowering the agonizing screams of others as his soul burned, forever damned to suffer. The attack soon subsided leaving nothing but destruction and ashes, the remains of those who suffered non-existent. The land itself was decimated as the remaining fires consumed the remaining life from the land, leaving nothing but a barren wasteland.
Back to the unknown place
"So I am assuming you failed in your attempt to save the entire universe from its corrupted ruler," Vladimir concluded.
"Indeed we failed," the man resigned. "It was close, but close does not cut it. We were defeated on that fateful day. But we refused to be beaten. God in response destroyed the world we used to live on, and isolated himself and his followers in what they call 'Heaven'. As for us, we had nowhere to return to but to the darkness of the universe, where we plotted our next attempt at challenging God."
"What did that lead to?" Vladimir continued to inquire.
"I'll explain in a moment," the man said. "Ah, here we are." The sight Vladimir saw before him was what appeared to be a shrine. The shrine bore great resemblance to an Egyptian shrine. Carved from what seemed to be jet-black rock, it exuded an aura of darkness, permeating his very being. Illuminated by torch light, Vladimir stared at the door before him. The massive door stood before them menacingly, as shadows played across its surface, leering upon those who wished to cross its threshold. Decorated in exotic jewels, they spiraled across the surface, converging upon the center.
The chamber itself pervaded in darkness, as symbols of darkness, pain, destruction, and other such symbols he was unable to recognize. Stalactites and stalagmites clung to the roof and ground, creating a maze-like feeling as the man led him through to the center, where a dark jewel rested upon a pedestal, encrusted in raw crystals.
"Vladimir, I bring to you, the gateway to The World of Darkness!" the man in black said, his voice echoing throughout.
"The world of darkness?" Vladimir repeated, looking around the chamber.
"Yes, this is where we found the power we needed to make a stand against those who have power and do everything they can to abuse it," the man explained. "And now we have found a new tactic to challenge God at last."
"And what would that be?"
"You see, God moulded mankind who was born of Lilith in His image," explained the man. "Our new strategy is to turn His own people against him. By convincing mankind to set themselves free from His restraints, we can mass them against him, and let mankind have its own heaven, right here on Earth, where it all began so long ago!"
Vladimir had another question, "And how are we to go about doing that?"
"That, my child is to initiate Fourth Impact! We will bind humanity together, and together we'll set forth our own future, by our rules!"
"Yes. Excellent plan my lord," said Vladimir. "I like your goal, but I still do not fully understand. How will we put our plan into action?"
"The power to bond mankind together," the man answered, "lies in the power of the Angels Adam and Lilith. When merged with any other Angels, the spawns of Adam, had the power to merge mankind, spawns of Lilith, together. That was why Gendo Ikari kept Lilith and Adam deep in NERV where he had immediate access to them. God knew that we also wanted Lilith and Adam, which was why he watched as the Angels took it upon themselves to find Adam. God already saw humanity deeply in sin as is, with their bonds of 'morality' breaking away. He knew that if any Angel merged with Adam or Lilith would mean the end of mankind in the resulting Impact, and a horrendous version of Human Instrumentality. So he let the occurred events take their toll without a single thought of what would happen to some of his precious people when mankind would fight back."
"But NERV prevented that from happening. At least that's how I remembered it," Vladimir sighed. "I was… defeated not long before the 16th Angel had arrived. I heard though that Gendo Ikari was rumoured to have other plans that were not in sync with what SEELE's scenario."
"Keel was correct in suspecting Ikari was up to something. So Keel sent in the army to stop Gendo Ikari. And at the same time, trigger their form of the Human Instrumentality Project, binding humanity into a single entity, free from pain and suffering. Unfortunately, the version of 3rd Impact that occurred didn't fall into the hands of either Ikari or Keel, but placed in the hands of Ikari's son. Although close to achieving what SEELE had desired, the boy rejected Instrumentality, once again placing humanity's fate back in its own hands. Most unfortunately, Lilith was destroyed in the rejection."
"Then why do you want Unit 01?"
"Because Unit 01 is a copy of Lilith," the man explained. "The others are copies of Adams, useless to us. However, if we merge with Unit 01, we merge with Lilith, bringing forth 4th Impact that we shall control: the true Human Instrumentality Project."
"And then we rule the universe!" Vladimir finished. "No better yet, ALL planes of existence!"
"That's the spirit my child!" the man exclaimed with excitement. Lowering his tone, he changed the subject. "Now there is one thing left for you to do before I grant you my blessing."
"And what would that be?"
"A little… proof that you wish to join me in my plan to save the world from its impending doom. If I am going to grant you my power, I need absolute proof of your allegiance to me," the man said.
"And how would I go about doing that?" Vladimir wondered.
"Hold out your right hand," the man instructed. Once Vladimir obeyed, he took the boy's hand and continued. "Now I need you to swear absolutely that I am your master and you will do as I instruct you."
With a smile, Vladimir got down on one knee, with his hand held out said his oath. "I swear, on my very own life. I pledge my absolute allegiance to the one man who introduced me to the idea that there is a greater power. I pledge myself to the one who grants true knowledge in the face of the world's ignorance. I pledge myself to the one who will grant us the glory of a greater future… you."
One could see a smile on the man's face, although the upper half of his face was covered by the black hood. "Good. Good work my child. You have taken your first step towards discovering the truth." He then clasped his hand around Vladimir's hand. A black aura surrounded his hand as he began to chant an incantation.
Not knowing what to expect, he felt his body start to violently contort in pain, as power surged through his very being, imbuing him with power he had never thought possible. His muscles strengthened, he felt all excess weight disappear as his body reshaped itself into perfection. He felt his mind grow as new knowledge filled him, showing him the ways to use his power to its fullest extent, as the power within continued to grow and grow. Despite the pain he smiled throughout, knowing it was a small price to pay to elevate his strength.
"There, all done," said the man as he released Vladimir's hand. "Gaze upon the mark I left on your hand. This mark proves your loyalty to me and my cause for peace and justice."
Looking at his hand, Vladimir was somewhat surprised at what he saw. A mark was grafted onto his hand, like some tattoo or scar. The mark was of three sixes in the shape of a triangle. Two of the sixes were black, while one glowed with a dull red colour.
Flexing his hand, he already felt power flowing through it. "Ah, this power feels good indeed."
"It should," the man chuckled. "Now you should have no problem at all when piloting Unit 10. I know you've managed to get your sync ratio up and around the seventies. But with the power of darkness flowing through you now, you will have the capability to achieve a guaranteed 100 sync. And you now have the ability to pass through the gateway into the eternal darkness through here."
"Good, so when the time comes, I will be at my utmost best for when it comes time to challenge the mettle of Gendo Ikari's EVA pilots." Vladimir did have one question though as he continued to gaze at the mark crafted on his hand. "But what about the other sixes? Why aren't they glowing too?"
"Oh use that as in indication of how much your power has grown. As your power grows, the other sixes will light up. And as they light up, your sync with your Evangelion will grow as well. You will one day as your power grows, go beyond 100 and use that power to set the beast within free and bind it to your will." He motioned towards the way we came. "Come now, let us leave. We have a battle to win. We attack Hamburg within twelve hours."
End Flashback
???? - ???? Miles away from Canada.
"Where am I?" a girl moaned as she struggled to sit up. Rubbing her aching head, her eyes fluttered opened as her sapphire eyes slowly brought her world back into focus. Looking around, she suddenly winces and shuts her eyes again as the light of her surroundings suddenly blinded her. Waiting to let the shock pass, she slowly opened her eyes and looked about in an attempt to determine her surroundings. Unable to determine where she was, she decided to assess herself. Looking down at herself, she saw she was still wearing her plug suit, but now her mind wondered what she was the last thing she was doing. Wracking her brain, she suddenly remembered she was fighting Vladimir Topolov before passing out.
"Oh my god!" she shrieked, feeling the area where she, or rather her EVA, had been slashed, to realize there was no pain from the injury, or even marks of such. "Okay Asuka, calm down, look around, and figure out where the heck you are." Taking a few deep breaths, she slowly brought her breathing down to a normal pace, before beginning to assess her surroundings. Looking around, she realized she was in what felt like an endless field of clouds. Her mind immediately began to scrutinize her surroundings, wondering how could there be such a field of clouds, and how the clouds could support her weight.
"Where am I?" she asked herself. "Where is everyone?" She sighed as she realized that wherever she was, she was all alone. "Where are you Shinji...?"
Suddenly as if in response to her loneliness, she heard what sounded like people somewhere in the distance. Hoping it was some civilization, she took off towards the sound, hoping she could find someone who could tell her where she was and how she might be able to find her way home. She felt like she was running forever, but the sounds she was hearing were getting stronger. Within a few minutes, she arrived at what appeared to be a massive fortress overlooking the land. The cities it guarded seemed to stretch for miles without end.
"Now this is weird," Asuka muttered. "Some strange castle in some strange cloud land. Just like in some old fairy tale you tell to little kids." Unable to see beyond must of the castle, walking to it seemed like the best idea, where she hoped she could find the answers she sought: find out where she was and how she might get back to Germany. Near the castle gates, she discovered that the castle itself was surrounded by a wall, to her utter shock and surprise, made entirely out of clouds. And to top it off, there was this shiny pearl coloured gate in the middle, which appeared to be only the way into the castle. As much as Asuka wanted to get into the castle there was another problem: a line-up of what appeared to be several hundred people, wanting to get into the castle.
"Well I guess I had better get in line. No sense in wasting any more time then I'm already wasting. Humph!" And so our favourite redhead walked down and got in line, like a good, patient little girl.
Some time passed as she continued to wait. To her utter boredom there was nothing to do except wait and slowly trudge forward as people were accepted one at a time. It drove her insane to the point she wanted to pull her hair out, when a thought came to her. Perhaps a few of these people knew what this place was and could possibly give her some information on what was going on.
She spoke to the first person in front of her. "Excuse me, sir," she said.
The person turned around to reveal a man who appeared to be at least in his eighties. "Ah, do you have a question child?" the man asked with a kind tone in his voice.
"Uh…" Asuka was at a slight loss of words, but quickly collected herself. "Do you know what this place is called?" she asked. "I was in a country called Germany before, but somehow I ended up here, and now I'm completely lost."
"You don't know where you are?" the elderly man asked, surprised by the question. "This is where all people go when their time has come. Unfortunately your time must have come as well. So tragic, and at your age too."
"My time?" replied a confused Asuka. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"Don't you know?" the old man asked her back as the line moved closer. "Those up ahead are the pearly gates, which guard the way into heaven. This is where all people go when they die."
"Die? I'm not dead!" Asuka angrily countered. "I'm alive! And just somewhat lost!"
The man asked another question, "Haven't you noticed the halo on everyone's head?" He pointed to the gold ring above his head. "Every human being who has died has a halo. You have one too." Asuka craned her neck to look up as straight as she could. She couldn't see it fortunately: the halo was on a fixed position above her head, therefore moved with her instead of just hovering.
"I don't see any gold ring or anything! You must've lost your mind a few miles back!" Just then as she brought her head back down, her eyes saw a mirror off to the side of the processing line, as it continued to move forward. To her utter horror, staring back at her was her, with a halo above her head.
"Oh my god…" she whimpered, "it can't be. I can't be dead." Tears began to form in her eyes as the realization began to slowly sink in. No matter how much she denied the fact, it was there in plain sight: she was dead. Extremely emotionally distraught, she screamed an agonizing scream, releasing all the pain and anguish within, that shook the very foundations of heaven and hell.
"The heck was that?" one of the locals asked.
"Just another person realizing they're dead," another shrugged off.
-----------------------------
NERV Berlin
The situation continued to grow dire, as the Russian army continued expanding at an alarming rate. The source of their growing army remained a mystery. As Misato read the reports, she learned Russia was preparing to possibly expand their incursions into the surrounding countries: Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Belgium. But their primary objective remained: capture Berlin, eliminating the greatest threat to their conquest. But with the deaths of Shinji Ikari and Asuka Sohryu, the threat to the Russians diminished, resulting in the decreased speed of the Russian advance. With the two most powerful pilots aside, the remaining pilots were of no consequence.
Misato sighed as she looked at the clock on the office wall. The funeral procession was going to begin soon, which was the reason why Misato was currently dressed in her dress uniform, the same one she wore during the testing of the JA. Commander Henkel said they should have a small military funeral here, before Shinji and Asuka's bodies were sent to Japan. Henkel said that since Misato was their legal guardian, she had the authority as to what was to be done with Asuka's body. She figured that Asuka would want to stay with her boyfriend, so they were both going to be returned to Japan for a state funeral: if they could be flown back to Germany, as Russia also had a grip on the eastern border, and was slowly advancing.
With the situation reaching absolute danger levels, Zack had taken upon himself to prepare Elly and Rei for the monster Topolov. Although during the rescue mission they had witnessed Topolov's power, they had yet to witness his true power first hand: the power he used to quickly kill two children and severely wound another. She sighed sadly as she wondered if they were ready for a second encounter. Misato knew without a doubt in her mind that Zack would love nothing more than to challenge Vladimir to get vengeance for what the Russian had done. She knew Zack could take care of himself fairly well.
But new concerns were that Elly and Rei were in no way, shape or form to face him, and if Zack had the state of mind needed to properly challenge the black beast and its evil rider. Although trained, they never had any real formal training to pilot Evangelions at the level the situation seemed to demand. She didn't know if they could survive a second encounter: Elly's inexperience that showed against the last Black Angel, Rei's recent return to the battlefield since being stricken with Angel Rejection Syndrome, Ivana with her serious injuries which have probably rendered her unable to pilot Unit 02 in Asuka's place, especially Unit 04 had been too seriously damaged, and Zack's weakened abilities to pilot rationally.
Once more, the world had done something it should never have to do: send children to fight a war with the world at stake. Since the arrival of the angels, it had been children who fought. Children, who had been deprived of their childhood, fight for the old men and women, who mastermind their plans behind the fronts of peace and justice. Masterminds who merely raised hands and gave orders, telling the children to go out and commit horrible acts of violence and carnage, as the Evangelions they piloted, at the will of their superiors were to, seek out and destroyed, by any means necessary, any living thing that threatened their existence. And this time, the very threat they had to destroy was yet another child who was about their age, who had been corrupted by rage and had the bloodlust of a madman. Shinji and Asuka were never truly prepared for the monster Russia unleashed and as a result they paid the ultimate price.
Misato clenched her fist. They were nothing but teenagers who didn't deserve such a life. Right now they should be at home with their families, enjoying what precious time they had before reaching adulthood. But the Evangelions, machines build by mankind, required a child who could interface with the core of an Evangelion: a mother's soul. Cursing those who made the Evangelions that way, she knew putting children onto the battlefield was wrong. Killing was something an adult should face, not teenagers. But since the first real Angel attack, they had been forced to grow up too quickly, unable to slowly learn the pains of life and find ways to deal with it. Shoved into a world of pain and anguish, the fights destroyed them, leaving shells of the children they once were, replacing the contents with distorted adults, unable to distinguish their left to their right. Although they acted like teenagers, she knew they were hurting inside, trying to cope with the pain, taking solace in one another. Shinji, Asuka, Rei shared a family bond, Zack and Elly had each other, Ivana had everyone as the little siblings she never had, and Toji and Hikari also had each other. But yet they still depended on each other one way or another. But with Shinji and Asuka gone, the chain seemed smaller, weakened from the lost links. Yet despite the weakened link, they persevered. Taking it upon themselves, Zack and Ivana set about to prepare and strengthen Elly and Rei, for the inevitable rematch that would occur.
However, if a rematch were to occur it would only be Zack, Elly, and Rei who would be fighting, as Ivana was in no position to be back on the battlefield confined to wearing crutches to get around. Doctors had continuously worked treating and conditioning Ivana, using various methods such oxygen rejuvenation procedures for her bone fractures, and pain killers for her burns and muscle tears. However it was unlikely she would be ready on time.
Her musings came to an end as an officer entered her office. "Major Katsuragi it's time." Nodding in response, Misato wiped the few tears that had been graced her cheeks before getting up and followed the officer out.
-------------------------------------------------
Heaven????
Realizing now that she was dead, Asuka had a bad feeling about what awaited her as the line moved forward; her impending judgment. She knew she hadn't been the best person for most of her life, but she figured that she could blame it on the fact that her mother died and that had completely altered the way her life should have been. But then again, after 3rd Impact her life had begun to change for the better. She had generally become a nicer person over the past many months. Hopefully her turnaround in life could convince whatever was on this plane of existence that she was indeed a good person deep down under all that pain, sadness, anger, and hatred.
There were still two people in front of her, including that elderly man who told her about her apparent situation when she arrived here. Her fate was soon at hand. What really boggled her though was that there was no sign of Shinji anywhere unless he had already met his judgment for better or for worse. But now her attention was turned to the second person in front of her, who was now facing his fate. It was a man in his mid to late forties who stood before a man who might have looked anywhere from seventy to ninety, at least judging by his hair. He was sitting at a desk with a rather large book in front of him.
The older man spoke, "So you're Nelson Barrett, 43 years old and spent your entire life in Denver, Colorado. Am I right?"
The younger man was slightly nervous but kept his composure. "Yeah, that's right. Who the hell are you?" he growled at the older man.
"I'd watch your mouth if I were you," the older man replied. "I am St. Peter, and I will be deciding if you are to pass through those gates or not." He looked at the book. "Oh my, mercy me. The life you have led is… abhorrent by our standards. During your teenage years, you've been deviant in the eyes of your parents, dropped out of school, and gotten involved in gang activities. You've spent most of your life in and out of prison, at one point spending six years in prison for repeated assaults on your girlfriend. And when you got out of jail you tracked her down with the intent of killing her, only she killed you first."
"That bitch ruined my life," the younger man grumbled. "I was gonna fuck her up once and for all, so she knew how it felt to ruin someone's life by wrecking her fucking world!"
"That is enough out of you," St. Peter snapped. "You apparently show that you have no regard for anyone else, and only reveling in your own pleasure. And so I have no problem casting the required judgment on you. An eternity in Hell!" With a snap of his finger, the cloud-like floor underneath the man disappeared, opening a portal to some void that had red and black clouds coming out of it. The man fell, his scream echoing as he fell down until he could be heard no longer.
Asuka jumped a bit at the event that just took place. 'That guy just got sent to hell… oh fuck what am I gonna do?' She quivered at the thought of being sent to hell. She was just a young woman, not even a quarter of a way through her life before her life was taken from her by a madman. 'I hope they'll understand my story.'
"Nervous child?" the elderly man in front of her asked. He gave her a smile. "I can feel your thoughts, and they are indeed troubled. Care to share what's on your mind? Talking about your problems to someone can make you feel better."
"Well… I haven't been the best person all my left," Asuka trembled as she tried to fight back her tears. "I was just starting to get my life in order when I… died."
The man put a hand on Asuka's shoulder. "Do not fret for the things you have done in the past, for I feel that you still have much to accomplish and much chance to make up for any wrongdoings."
This took Asuka by surprise. "Much to accomplish? But I'm dead! Anything I could have accomplished is now gone! Life after EVA… marriage... children with that idiot who died on me… what can I accomplish now?" Tears began to form in her eyes.
"That I do not know, but rest assured that there is still something left in you. I guarantee it."
"Really?" Asuka asked as she wiped the tears from her eyes.
"I'd stake my soul on it," the man said. "And I would never lie to someone too. I promise you, your story… whatever it may hold in store for you, is not over yet."
"Thank you," Asuka said with a smile on her face. "Can I get your name please? I want to remember who you are once I meet my judgment."
"You may call me Wang," he said. He heard one of the guards call him forward, "Now I guess it's my time to see what the Lord has in store for me." And with that, he walked forward to see if St. Peter would admit him into heaven.
Asuka took this time to think on what she had been told. Her story not being over? That didn't make any sense at all. She was dead as far as she was concerned. In her mind, Vladimir Topolov had pretty much ripped out any other pages that were still remaining in her story. So what did Asuka Langley Sohryu have left in her story? Well hopefully time would soon tell that story, and she hoped the hunch of an elderly man was true. Otherwise instead of climbing the stairway to Heaven she may as well be on a highway to Hell.
"Would you please come forward ma'am," the guard called out to Asuka. Asuka looked up just to see that the elderly man had walked through the Pearly Gates before it closed. So now Asuka walked forward, uncertain of what her fate would have in store for her. She now stood before St. Peter. "Uh… hi."
"Hello to you too ma'am," St. Peter replied. "Let's see who you are." He flipped through a few pages in his book, until he found the page he was looking for. "Ah, here we are. You're Asuka Langley Sohryu correct?"
"Uh yes."
"Ah, this is quite the interesting file we have here on you." St. Peter read further, "You had a rough childhood, when your mother went insane as a result of using forbidden technology."
"Technology we had to use because you sent seventeen of your homeboys to try and wipe us out!" Asuka shot back. "We weren't about to let the lives we've been given go to waste! You guys forced us to lay the holy smack down!"
"Calm down, you obviously don't know the whole story," St. Peter tried to calm Asuka down.
"What whole story?" Asuka yelled. "What the bloody hell are you talking about?"
"Miss Sohryu, calm down! Or I'll send you to hell right now!" St. Peter barked at her. Once he got her silence, he read on. "Instead of trying to reach out to the people around you who wanted to help you as they saw your peril, you pushed everyone away and become a lonely angry girl who tried to grow up too fast." He paused a moment before reading on, "After the event mankind refers to as Third Impact, you however began to change your life for the better, choosing to fight for those other than yourself and whatever ambitions you held. As for your spiritual beliefs, with all the events that took place in your life, you have never been sure of what to believe in, so as you justify your thoughts. And then on the battlefield, you were killed in action avenging the death of your loved one Shinji Ikari."
"So now what?" asked Asuka quietly. "Am I destined for hell?"
"Hmm," St. Peter read further. "And yes as my judgment you have already discovered is, you are hereby condemned to Hell for eternity for your anger, your failure to acknowledge the transcended, and lack of compassion towards those that cared about you."
Asuka felt sick inside. She was doomed, and there would be no saving her this time, from whatever horrors went on down in that dark void below. She could sense it preparing to swallow her up and trap her in everlasting darkness and despair. She began to feel something creep up her legs. She looked down but although she couldn't see anything, she could tell that the horrors of hell were coming to claim her. 'I guess this is the end,' she sighed to herself. But to her shock, as it had begun to creep up on her, it began to subside as quickly as it had begun to overtake her as if something was expelling the darkness from within her.
"What's this?" St. Peter wondered, taking noticed that the portal to Hell did not open. "The darkness isn't swallowing your soul up as it should. This is most peculiar indeed. Perhaps I must've missed something." He looked back into the Book of Life and was surprised by what he read. "It appears that by a request from a power above me, that although you would be destined for the darkness below that you are to be admitted you into heaven."
"Really?" asked Asuka curiously. "I'm going to Heaven after all?" Her face began to lighten up. She reveled within at the relief of being saved from the shadows below.
"It says here that you are to be admitted. And as such, my judgment on you is overruled. You may enter Asuka Langley Sohryu." As he finished his sentence, the Pearly Gates opened, emitting a light that was although bright, but did not feel blinding at all to Asuka.
'That's bizarre,' thought Asuka. 'I guess that old man was right. My story isn't over yet, whatever it may be. I gotta admit though that this was quite a scare. Almost as scary as being rendered helpless against those EVA bastards before 3rd Impact.' And with that, she walked into the light and grace of whatever awaited her. 'If Shinji knows what's good for him, then he'd better be in here somewhere, otherwise if I have to drag that idiot out of Hell, Hell will be like a vacation in paradise when I'm through with him.'
As she continued to walk, she saw a figure standing out in the light. As Asuka walked closer towards the figure the bright light began to subside. The figure once she finally saw it took the form of a boy, slightly taller than Shinji. He had grey silver hair pale skin, a welcoming smile, a gold ring above his head and… red eyes. Red eyes that reminded her of… Wondergirl's?
"Ah, Miss Sohryu, we've been expecting you," the boy said. "Welcome to the Kingdom of Heaven."
"You've been expecting me?" asked Asuka. "What's going on here?"
"A lot has been going on," the boy replied. "But first let me introduce myself. I am Tabris, the last of the seventeen messengers, or as you call them Angels. But I believe I am better known as Kaowru Nagisa."
"You're one of those Angels?" Asuka was in shock. "You and your band of holy horrors tried to kill us!" Her hands clenched into fists, the memory of the one who had replaced her earlier came to mind "And YOU'RE the one who stole my precious Unit 02 and forced that idiot… or rather my dead boyfriend to smash it!"
"I am sorry for any trouble I caused," Kaowru stated in his defense. "I was merely doing what my mission required of me. However, I saw the good that mankind was and therefore I deliberately failed my mission to save mankind."
"SURE," Asuka shot back in a sarcastic tone. "And Gendo Ikari is a loving, caring family man."
"Well he was before the accident with Evangelion Unit 01."
"That's not my point!" Asuka was losing her cool. "Now what's going on here? I know something's going on here and I demand to know what!"
"I understand," Kaowru said with his tone not at all changing. "You have a right to know what is going on here. I was the one who overruled your judgment." When Kaowru finished his sentence, this shut Asuka right up as she realized she was losing her cool with the one being that had saved her soul from an eternity in hell. "For a long time, the divine beings have an unwritten agreement not to meddle directly in human affairs. But those that lurk in the shadows have broken this agreement and are now using their influence and power in an attempt to control the world. So we from the light must directly intervene if mankind is to survive."
"So what does that have to do with me?" asked Asuka who was still somewhat confused by all this. This was still a lot for her to deal with.
"I will explain all of that in due time. But first let me bring out someone. Someone who is anxious to meet you."
"Who wants to meet me?" wondered Asuka. "Maybe the stories of my adventures have reached even beyond the gates of Heaven." She tried not to snicker at the thought of her fame stretching beyond the gates of life.
"I know I'm glad to see you again, and I know your stories firsthand Asuka," said a familiar voice.
"Huh? Who was that?" Asuka turned in the direction of the voice to see its owner. Her jaw dropped when she saw the person behind the voice. "Oh my god…"
"Hey Asuka." It was Shinji. "So you made it here too." He was also in his Unit 01 plugsuit and like Asuka he had a gold ring above his head which meant he was also dead. "I'm sort of confused by this myself…"
"YOU IDIOT!" Asuka interrupted as she ran towards. She quickly wrapped her arms around her dead boyfriend and gripped him so tightly that he might have died if he wasn't already dead. She then abruptly slapped him. "How could you die on me like that?" she choked through her tears. "You left me all alone!"
"I'm sorry Asuka. He was just…"
"Shut up!" Asuka commanded. "Just shut up and hold me!" And as usual with Shinji in his role as Beta Male, did as his dead girlfriend commanded and just held her. It felt good to know that she was okay… or rather as okay as a dead teenager could be.
"Well now that you two have reunited, there is much to be done," said Kaowru interrupting their reunion.
"What do you mean?" asked Shinji.
"As I said, there is much to be done. You two will need to be prepared if you're going to be successful in your rematch with Vladimir Topolov."
"Rematch? What rematch?" Asuka inquired.
"Obviously you don't understand." Kaowru elaborated further. "If you're going to be able to defeat Topolov, you need to be prepared so you can match and overcome him. This is what we're going to do during our stay here. Lilith and I will be training you two so you'll have the power you need to save the world."
"Lilith?" Shinji and Asuka said in unison.
Next to Kaowru, another figure faded into existence. This time the figure was a girl who reminded them both of Rei. However this girl had silver hair instead of azure hair that Rei used to have. "Greetings Ikari and Sohryu. I am Lilith, the Second Messenger. And I will be assisting Tabris with your preparations for your battle. Your bodies, minds, and souls will need to be trained so the power you need to save the world shall be yours to command."
'Great,' Asuka muttered to herself. 'Being trained by Fruityboy and Wondergirl Wannabe. What else does this day have in store for us?'
'So I guess we have to keep fighting,' thought Shinji. 'Even though we're dead, we don't get to rest in peace. But then again if we don't stop Topolov, more people like Misato, Ayanami, Zack, Simpson, and Kharlamov will eventually end up here as he will likely try to kill them all. Well I guess we'd better listen.'
--------------------------------
Unknown Location
"So this device allows me to connect to the world," Vladimir stated as he observed the technological sight before him. His master had led him into the gateway to the world of darkness when Vladimir had asked to be able to broadcast a call for a global surrender of the world. And as of now he appeared to be in a computer room, with many devices which could probably perform various functions. There were also many screens which Vladimir assumed was what he could use to look at several screens of information without having to flip through multiple windows of a Windows program.
"Well it can," the hooded man better known as Vladimir's master replied, "but we've never required the use of communicating with the world. Do you have a good grasp on the English language?"
"Yes I do Master," said Vladimir. "I'll make my message quite simple yet forceful. Forceful enough to terrify the entire world."
"Good my child, good." He motioned to the chair. "Make yourself comfortable, and make everyone else terrified."
"I intend to Master." Vladimir sat in the chair. "So how do I turn this on?" he asked, not understanding the controls.
"Ha ha," the man chuckled. "Well I don't expect you to right away to understand our technology right away." He waved his hand and the computer turned on. "Just activate the global broadcast program and your message will be sent worldwide. You'll have the honour of being the first to use this program as we have preferred to conduct our operations from the shadows. But I think this shall be okay as they think you are the one behind everything and not myself."
"Okay, I think I can get the hang of this." Vladimir worked with the controls until he got the program he got working. "Ah here we go. And now, to get the message across." He clicked the button he wanted and the computer did its work for him.
In many places around the world, many television stations currently broadcasting their respective channels found themselves being jammed with no explanation for it. The channels were surprising being replaced with the image of a young boy wearing a military uniform sitting in a large leather chair. He had his hands folded in front of him, and was wearing a black leather glove on his right hand.
The ones who's attention he had definitely had were those of Misato, Commander Joachim Henkel, and Dr. Akagi as Vladimir had interrupted their meeting by somehow accessing a visual screen through unknown means.
"I am very aware that your current broadcasting has been interrupted. There is no sense in changing the channel since I have taken control of every available channel," the boy said in a Russian accent. "I am the one known as Vladimir Topolov. I am the one who is spearheading the Soviet attack on the continent of Europe, primarily on the country of Germany. But as you have noticed, my army is expanding into the rest of Europe as we desire to take over the entire world to establish our new world order where I and my ideals shall reign supreme."
In the training room, the four pilots Zack Harper, Ivana Kharlamov, Elly Simpson, and Rei Ayanami saw this strange broadcast on a visual screen as well. As she watched, Ivana noticed something was a bit different about her ex-boyfriend. His facial features had changed slightly. Vladimir's face was looking a little pale as if he was sick. But that didn't make sense as in the past Vladimir had amazing health despite the cold of Russia. And his usual brown hair was slowing fading to a grayish colour. And even creepier was that his eye colour was beginning to change as well. His once dancing blue eyes were beginning to fade out, as if the very life force in his body was leaving him to rot. He may have been able to pass for forty-five if not fifteen. It was almost as if his face symbolized the rotting of his soul and the person he once was. 'What in the world is happening to you? What have you done now?' she wondered.
"Germany has dared to make the foolish attempt to try and stop me and I broke the back of their resistance. And I shall do the same to anyone else who resists my desire to change the world. I will be temporarily halting my advances, to give the rest of the world a chance to consider their choices. For this decision concerns all of you as nobody will be left out of the new world order. So I say to you, the world, you have seven days to make this choice: Surrender… or die."