Disclaimer: I don't own Neon Genesis Evangelion.
Author's Notes: Okay, so here is Chapter 8 of 'The Angels Return', I apologise for how long this chapter took but I've got a lot of other commitments right now. Anyway things start getting darker in this chapter and I apologise to those of you who are going to be mad at me because of this. I promise that this fanfic will ultimately have a happy ending, well sort of happy.
8. The Enemies Within
(Nerv, Terminal Dogma)
Shinji rose to his full height as the door before him opened fully. In his half-sleep he had heard the footsteps and voices before the door began to open. He knew that one of the people outside was Ritsuko and he was almost certain Misato was out there as well.
His suspicions were confirmed when the first person to step through the door was Misato. The woman strode up to Shinji and stood before him, just as she had after the defeat of the 20th Angel. The look in the woman's eyes was hard and cold, the warmth that usually filled them hidden in their depths.
Misato did not say anything so Shinji looked pass her. He first noticed Ritsuko but then he noticed the redheaded girl standing in the doorway. He was surprised to see Asuka and was curious as to why she was here.
Ritsuko seemed to read his mind. "I've told them everything Shinji, or at least almost everything." She paused for a moment. "They deserved to know."
Shinji looked back to Misato, who was still standing right in front of him. So she knew what he was. Shinji knew that Misato hated the Angels. So what would she think of him now? "Do you hate me Misato?"
Misato was taken aback slightly by the question. Did she hate him? He was an Angel, but he was also Shinji, a boy who had been like a son to her. The toughness of her expression quickly dissipated, to be replaced with one of confusion. "I…I don't know, Shinji." She wondered if it was important that she still chose to refer to him as Shinji.
Asuka made an annoyed sound as she listened to the confusion in Misato's voice. She pushed the woman aside slightly and looked Shinji right in the eye. At least this looked like Shinji, wether or not he really was her friend remained to be seen. "Where's Rei?"
"I am here Asuka." Rei slowly rose from where she had been laying on the sheets and turned to face Asuka. As she stepped into the light it was revealed that she still wore no clothes, and she made no attempt to cover up.
Asuka turned to the naked girl, opening her mouth to say something. Her mouth was left gaping open however when she noticed the sleeping child still held in Rei's arms. 'Where had that baby come from? It couldn't be Rei's could it?' Her mouth refused to obey her mental commands to voice such questions out loud.
Rei seemed to understand however. She smiled and held the sleeping child out for Asuka to take. She trusted the oftentimes unpredictable girl. She knew that Asuka wouldn't hurt Naoki. "Asuka, this is Naoki, my baby daughter." The smile she wore was proud.
Asuka still couldn't find any words to speak. She carefully reached out and took the child, hardly even noticing Rei's lack of clothing. The baby girl wiggled slightly in Asuka's arms and her eyes slowly opened, revealing themselves to be a dark red in colour. Noticing the light scattering of blue hairs on the baby's head, Asuka knew that there could be no doubt that this was Rei's daughter. Which meant that Shinji must be the father. Naoki looked up at her with a quizzical expression that only served to amplify her cuteness. Asuka couldn't help but smile down at the child and she finally found the words to talk. "She's beautiful."
Rei smiled as she stepped forward and looked down at her daughter. Naoki noticed her mother and reached up with her little arms, waving them around and repeatable clenching her tiny fists. Rei understood the gesture and lifted Naoki from Asuka's arms, hugging the little girl to her chest. Naoki gurgled happily and tried her best to wrap her arms around her mother, a feat she had no hope of actually achieving.
Misato watched the exchange with a mix of bewilderment and apprehension. So Rei and Shinji had a kid. Misato didn't bother thinking about the medical questions such an event raised. After what Ritsuko had told her she was just about ready to believe these kids could do anything. The thoughts that occupied her head instead focused on the implications of the baby's existence. She couldn't pretend this didn't change things. Watching Rei with her daughter it was hard to think of her as an evil Angel. It was so much easier to see her as the soft-spoken girl she had learned to care for. Looking back to Shinji she noticed that he was no longer looking at her but was instead staring at Rei and Naoki, smiling at the two of them. They made a nice little family, it was almost impossible to see them as Angels. "I don't hate you Shinji." She looked into his eyes as he turned back to her. "Do you hate me?"
Shinji seemed to consider his answer for a moment. "I remember when I first came here Misato. You took me in because you didn't want me to be alone. It was the first time that anyone had shown me real kindness since my mother died. After that, you made me feel welcome and made your apartment my home. That meant a lot to me, and I haven't forgotten it. I may have changed Misato, but my memories still remain. I don't hate you and neither does Rei. We could never hate you."
Rei handed Naoki to Asuka again and stepped forward, towards Shinji and Misato. "For much of the time I knew you Misato, we were not close. I knew you merely as the major. However in more recent times we have had more interaction and you have shown me much kindness. It would be wrong for me to hate you, and so I do not."
Misato's lips slowly turned up into a smile, it was a small smile but a smile nonetheless. "I am glad to know that." And she was glad. Perhaps her greatest fear had been that the two teens would not remember her. That she would be a stranger to them or that they would know her only as the Angels might know her, an enemy.
Behind the three Asuka held Naoki as gently as she could. She was surprised that Rei trusted her so easily with the baby girl. The blue haired girl had handed the baby over almost without looking. Naoki looked up at Asuka with the same quizzical expression she had worn earlier. For the first hour and a half of her life she had been held only by her father and mother, particularly her mother. She had been briefly exposed to some other people but this was the first time she had been held by somebody else. She wasn't uncomfortable in Asuka's arms but she would prefer to be held by Rei.
Asuka wasn't sure what she was supposed to do so she just continued to cradle the girl with her arms, holding Naoki close to but not touching her body. She looked up, her eyes focusing on Shinji and Rei. They had changed so much but she found she didn't care. They were as much her friends now as they were before.
Ritsuko had kept quite up until this moment but as everyone was currently silent she considered this a good time to ask her question. "Where are Nara and Xera?"
Shinji slowly turned his head to face her. "Nara has gone to kill the remaining members of Seele. Xera went with him."
That drew Asuka's attention. "Xera? Wasn't she the Angel Nara fought in Terminal Dogma?"
Shinji turned to her and nodded. "Yes. After their battle Nara partially took control over Xera and she has been helping him track down and kill the members of Seele. He has recently removed his control over her and the two appear to be, close."
Asuka raised an eyebrow as she processed that information. "So you're saying that Nara is in a relationship with a girl who tried to kill him?" Something Ritsuko had told her earlier suddenly clicked in her head. "Wait a second. Ritsuko said you had a link with both Rei and Nara, allowing you to sense their emotions. Shouldn't you therefore be able to know exactly what Nara feels?"
Shinji signed and shook his head. "Unfortunately our link with Nara has been severed. I cannot sense his emotions anymore than I can sense yours. But from his actions I believe he cares for Xera, though I do not know to what extent. She appears to return the feelings to a greater or lesser extent. Again, I cannot be sure."
Ritsuko laughed quietly under her breath. "I looked into their room on the way her. They were not there but their bed appeared used."
That sentence could have many meanings but Shinji seemed to pick up on the one that Ritsuko meant. He smiled slightly. "I thought as much. Shortly before our link was severed I felt some very intense emotions from Nara."
Although she had not been awake when the link with Nara was severed, Rei had been aware of the lack since she awoke. It had not been necessary for her to ask Shinji what had happened, she had simply read his mind to find the answer to her unspoken questions. She hoped that Nara returned soon. She was worried that he may have changed more than she expected. Turning away from Misato she reclaimed Naoki from Asuka's arms and cradled the baby in her own. She noted that the redheaded girl seemed uncomfortable with her daughter. Naoki herself seemed ecstatic at being returned to Rei's arms.
A voice from behind interrupted Rei's thoughts. "Rei, can I hold her?" The voice was Misato's.
Rei turned back to Misato, hesitating as she considered wether or not to comply with the woman's request. Misato after all was well known for her hatred of the Angels. Still, the woman's more recent words had reassured the teen and besides she could not do Naoki any harm, Rei would never allow that. Slowly Rei placed Naoki into the lavender haired woman's arms.
Misato had more natural motherly instincts than Asuka and instead of just holding the baby she began to rock it slightly. Naoki clearly found this action soothing as after smiling happily she began to drift off to sleep, her large eyes closing and her breathing becoming steadier. Misato's smile widened as she looked down at the child. "She looks like a miniature version of you Rei. I bet she'll be just like you when she grows up." Misato thought the little girl was the cutest thing she'd ever seen, it was impossible to feel anything but affection towards the now sleeping child.
Misato looked up at Rei, noticing that the girl was not completely at ease with the current situation. She thought it was rather sweet that Rei was so worried about her daughter. She handed Naoki back to Rei, her smile widening when Rei held the baby girl to her chest and Naoki signed happily in her sleep.
While this odd reunion was quite touching even to her, Ritsuko thought it was time to bring everyone's focus back to the problem at hand. "I believe we are all reacquainted now, so perhaps we can get down to business." She looked directly into Shinji's eyes. "We need to discuss the commander's plans and we have little time left." She glanced at her watch. "We have a little under two hours before we have to leave Terminal Dogma."
Shinji returned Ritsuko's steady gaze. "What is my father planning now?"
Ritsuko finally broke the eye contact between her and Shinji, looking away at one of the room's walls. "He has not told me his full plan but I will tell you what I do know. He is reconstructing Units 15 and 18 as well as Units A to E. He has also commissioned the building of Units 20 and 21, which are to be constructed overseas. From what he has told me I believe he plans to use these Evas to defeat you and Rei, and presumable Nara and Xera as well."
Rei turned her attention away from her child and to the doctor. "He will find that Evas are no match for us." Her blue wings suddenly sprung from her back and wrapped around her form, partially covering her nakedness and enclosing Naoki in a warm cocoon. "They will pose no threat."
Ritsuko noted that both Asuka and Misato had taken a step back when Rei's wings had emerged but had stepped forward again when the girl had wrapped them around herself. Despite what they said it was clear they were not completely at ease with Shinji and Rei's new forms. "I am sure that the Evas are only part of his plan. He has also ordered us to finish Unit-04 despite the fact we cannot control it and I know he has sent at least three Nerv agents away on missions. He has not told me the reason for either of these things."
Shinji shrugged. "It hardly matters. Nothing my father can do will stop us, especially with Nara and Xera to back us up. The best he can do is try, and fail." He spread his own wings from his back and left then spread. The black wings made him look highly intimidating.
Ritsuko noted with a trace of humour that Misato had stepped back once again and this time remained further away. Asuka however hadn't budged, evidently not afraid of something she was now familiar with. "Regardless, I believe we should plan against any possible complications. Maybe you are capable of handling whatever surprises Gendo has up his sleeve but can you handle both that and the Evas?"
Shinji did not seem bothered by the looming threat of his father's plan. "As I said we are not under threat. Alone me and Rei can handle anything my father can throw at us. And we're not alone. Nara and Xera can provide all the help we need." He signed though at an unspoken thought from Rei. "But I suppose it would not hurt to be prepared. What do you suggest we do?"
Ritsuko's shoulders moved slightly in the ghost of a shrug. "It is simple. We act as if we know you will be unable to deal with Gendo's Evas. Therefore we prepare to battle them with our own."
Misato gave Ritsuko a quizzical look. "Our own Evas?"
"Yes, those that are not under the control of the IDPS. Those that still have pilots."
Asuka turned a steady gaze on the doctor. "You mean like my Unit-14. You want me to fight these Evas." It was not a question.
Ritsuko looked at the young Eva pilot. "Not just you. I want Touji and Kensuke to back you up. Your three Evas will hopefully be capable of dealing with Gendo's nine."
Asuka let out a bark of laughter. "I don't need the help of those two stooges. I can take out all nine Evas by myself."
Ritsuko smiled. "I don't doubt that Asuka but I think it would be wiser to ere on the side of caution." She paused for a moment in thought. "Touji and Kensuke will have to be informed."
Asuka shrugged. "If you insist. I'll talk to them tomorrow."
Misato smiled slightly at the girl. "I'll take care of that Asuka. I believe this is something I'm more suited for. Those boys will do anything I say." And it was true, Misato was certain that Touji and Kensuke were so infatuated with her that they would hardly even ask any questions if she told them to prepare to battle more Evas.
Rei yawned suddenly. Since her hands were otherwise occupied she didn't cover her mouth. Rei was still feeling drained, both from carrying Naoki and from her daughter's birth just over two hours ago, she was well aware that she still needed to recover energy.
Shinji looked sideways at the girl. He too was well aware that she still needed time to recover and was a little annoyed with the others for interrupting her sleep. "Go back to sleep Rei, I think we're almost done here." He shot a very pointed look at Ritsuko.
Ritsuko bowed her head slightly in acquittance. "I believe we've discussed all we need to for now Shinji. I will however wish to talk to both of you tomorrow." A slight nod was the only response that Ritsuko received but she exited the room all the same.
Misato cast one more glance at the two teens before heading for the door. She paused on the door's precipice. "Thankyou, for remembering." With that she followed the doctor out the door.
Asuka stepped forward and briefly embraced Shinji and then Rei. "I'm glad you guys are still alive." She didn't cry but it was clear that she was close to doing so. Signing, she turned and walked out the door, waving over her shoulder one last time as she did so.
Rei looked down at Naoki and smiled slightly. Her daughter was fast asleep once again, using Rei's chest as an improvised pillow. The new mother still couldn't put into words what she thought about her daughter. She felt as deeply about the child as she did about Shinji. The bond was not the same, but just as strong.
Shinji stepped over to Rei and helped her to lie down on the sheets without disturbing Naoki's sleep. Lying down next to her, he draped one arm other both her and their daughter. Soon Rei had drifted off to sleep and Shinji returned once again to his half-sleep.
(Meanwhile, Seele Conference Room)
Twelve stone obelisks stood in a circle. Eight of these obelisks however were blank, no words or numbers adorning their faces. These obelisks had once represented Seele 05-12 but with the death of these members they were no longer in use.
The remaining four obelisks were adorned as they had always been. Each was printed with the word SEELE, a number and the words 'Sound Only'. They were marked 01-04.
In the center of the obelisks, a three dimensional image showed the interior of a command center. The JSSDF's command center to be exact. The image was a recording of the events surrounding Seele 05's death. It showed everything from the moment Nara stepped into the room to the moment Xera stepped out. When it reached the end it returned to the beginning and played again. The image had originally played with sound but had since been muted so the members of Seele could continue their conference.
The obelisk marked 02 glowed brighter. "There can be no doubt. That boy is Nara Ayanami, the 6th Child. Apparently it is he who has been assassinating our members. It appears that he has undergone the same transformation as Ikari's son and that he is controlling Xera somehow." The image was currently showing Xera's failed attack on Nara.
The obelisk marked 03 glowed brighter. "We knew he wasn't normal from the start. He was said to be the brother of the 1st Child so we can assume he was created just like her." He paused for a moment. "It might be that the 1st Child has undergone the same transformation."
The obelisk marked 04 glowed brighter. "That is not important now. What is important is that we stop this boy before he can kill the rest of us."
The obelisk marked 02 glowed brighter. "And how do you suggest we do that. He's proven himself completely immune to conventional weaponry."
"Perhaps we need only to distract him long enough for Xera to finish the job."
"She is clearly incapable of finishing the job, or else she would have done so earlier."
The obelisk marked 01 glowed brighter, cutting off the developing argument between Seele 02 and Seele 04. "It is still possible for us to stop him. We need only be prepared for his arrival and strike when he least expects it. We have the necessary weapon."
The obelisk marked 03 glowed brighter. "You know that weapon is untested, it may very well not work at all."
"It will work…it has to."
(5 Minutes Later, Nerv, Central Dogma)
Asuka stepped back into her room and threw herself onto the mattress she had been provided in place of a bed. After leaving Shinji and Rei, Ritsuko had shown her and Misato the room where the IDPS was constructed and the testing room for Shinji, Rei and Nara. Nether had interested Asuka, she was still thinking about her two friends and their daughter.
How exactly Naoki had appeared so quickly, Asuka didn't know, and she didn't care either. That Naoki existed at all was what interested her. Like Misato, she had been worried that Rei and Shinji would be corrupted by the Angels that were a part of them but found such a thing impossible to believe when she saw the two with their daughter.
Asuka's thoughts slowly turned to Nara. She still wanted to see the boy, to make sure that he was alive. After all he had been her friend too and she had been sad when she heard he was dead. However, it looked like she was going to have to wait to see the boy again. He was too busy killing Seele with the help of Xera.
Xera, a girl who had apparently once intended to kill all of them but now appeared to be inseparable from Nara. Asuka couldn't understand how such a thing could possible have happened. How do you go from hating someone to liking them in the space of a few days? She was going to have to meet this Xera, whenever she got the chance.
As her eyes began to close, Asuka briefly thought about Touji and Kensuke and the part they would have to play in Ritsuko's plan. She didn't always get along with those two but she didn't want them to die either. She'd have to watch their backs in the coming battle, or at they just might wind up dead.
(Several Hours Later, American Seat of Government)
Xera followed Nara down a long white corridor, heading towards an as yet undisclosed destination. They were walking through the building that served as the seat of government in the USA. This building had replaced The White House, which had been destroyed in the aftermath of the Second Impact.
Why Nara hadn't simply levelled the entire building, Xera was not sure. It seemed liked the most effective thing to do, though the girl had come to realise that her male companion enjoyed being face-to-face with someone when he killed them.
Three men dressed in black suits stepped into the hallway in front of them and the middle one held up his hand in the universal gesture to stop. "Stop right there you two, this area is out of bounds to civilians."
Nara made a slight dismissive gesture with his hand and the man was cut in half with his AT field. The other two men swore and immediately drew their pistols, firing a few shots at Nara. The bullets collided harmlessly with the protective barrier of his AT field.
Nara held up his hand and spread his fingers, rage flickering across his face. "Anyone who gets in my way will be destroyed!"
(Meanwhile, Another Part of the Building)
The president of the United States of America sat behind his desk and looked through the latest report that had been placed before him. The money he had been forced to siphon out of the country's economy to fund the construction of Unit-21 had caused yet another riot, this time in Chicago. Damn Nerv, how many Evas could they possible need.
The president's attention was distracted by the sound of gunshots. He immediately rose to his feet and four special service agents rushed through the door and towards his desk.
The agents however never reached his desk. A beam of energy shot through the office's wall and incinerated the men completely, leaving smoke and debris in its wake. A figure stepped into the room through the newly created hole. As the smoke began to clear, the president saw that the intruder was a tall, grey haired boy.
Nara glanced at his surroundings as he stepped into the room, his eyes lingering slightly on the man standing behind the room's only desk but moving on regardless. He wasn't here.
The president cleared his throat as he got his fear in check. "Who are you? What are you doing here?" He noticed a silver haired girl step into the room behind the boy.
Nara spared the president another brief glance, making sure the man noticed his red eyes. "I'm not here for you. Stay out of my way and I might just let you live."
The president straightened his shoulders haughtily and was about to respond when for the second time his door was flung open. Two men ran into the room. One was his personnel advisor. The other was a secret service agent carrying a very strange gun.
The gun was a large rifle, covered in glowing lights and large pipes. It looked like something taken out of an over-the-top sci-fi novel. The agent carrying it immediately aimed it at Nara's chest.
Nara smiled slightly and made a slashing gesture with his hand. His AT field raced out in an arc, colliding with and cutting straight through the man's midriff. As the agent's body convulsed however his finger depressed on the trigger.
A long and vicious looking bullet burst out of the chamber and raced towards Nara. Who simply raised his left hand with inhuman speed and placed it between himself and the approaching projectile, just in front of his face.
Bare milliseconds after it had been fired the bullet impacted against Nara's hand…and tore right through it. Nara's left eye only had time to widen slightly before the bullet ploughed into it and burst out of the back of his skull. The impact flung Nara's head backwards, turning his face towards the ceiling.
Nara roared like a wounded beast and placed his injured hand over the now shattered left side of his face. Blood poured out from behind and around the hand. Small pieces of his skull fell to the ground along with a torrent of blood and brain matter from the back of his head.
The president's advisor dove for the gun as it dropped to the floor but was foiled as Xera's arms elongated and snatched the weapon away from him.
Nara's head snapped back to its usual position and stepping forward, he reached down and grabbed the advisor by the collar and lifted him up off the ground, holding him at arms length with his feet dangling just above the ground. He growled deeply. "Of all the members of Seele, you are the first to actually injure me…Seele 03." The flow of blood began to dry up and the wound in his hand healed over.
Nara smiled slightly as he lowered his hand, revealing the hole that went all the way through his head. Even as Seele 03 watched however the hole began to diminish in size and the blood and gore on Nara's face actually seemed to flow back into the wound. The bullet hole was beginning to regenerate, fast.
The last thing to regenerate was Nara's left eye, it had been almost completely obliterated by the bullet and was a rather complex piece of anatomy besides. As the eye approached completion the iris began to appear. Strangely however it was not red. It was blue. Nara now had two eyes that were distinctly different colours.
During the process Seele 03's expression changed from one of fear, to one of absolute terror. "You won't learn anything from me."
Nara clenched his left fist and generated a blade before ramming it through Seele 03's chest. "I already have." He released the man's shirt and allowed him to drop to the ground, watching as he shifted and gasped for a few seconds then went limp. Turning away from the body, Nara looked directly at Xera. "That gun, destroy it."
Xera nodded slowly and with one violent twist broke the gun into three pieces. Allowing the pieces to fall to the floor, she looked directly into Nara's eyes, wondering why his left eye had turned blue. There didn't seem to be any rational explanation for it. "What now?"
Nara raised his hand and blasted a hole through the room's outside wall, revealing the large park grounds outside. The blast only barely missed the president. Nara didn't respond to Xera's question but simply began to hover off the ground before flying out the hole. Xera spared the now completely terrified president a single glance before following Nara out the hole and flying off into the sky.
(Meanwhile, Nerv, Terminal Dogma)
Gendo and Fuyutsuki stood on the gantry overlooking the room in which the Evas were being reconstructed. Below them, Nerv technicians were scurrying over and around Unit-15, Unit-18 and the five Seele Evas. Ritsuko was on the floor, overseeing the installation of Unit-18's S2 organ. Soon the green Eva would be complete and ready for combat and Ritsuko had promised Gendo that the others would be close behind.
Gendo smiled slightly as he watched the work going on below. "As soon as these Evas are finished we will be ready to begin. Shinji will not stand a chance."
Unlike Ritsuko, Fuyutsuki was completely aware of Gendo's plans. "I still do not see the point of this Gendo. Shinji and you seem to be working towards the same end, so why try to stop him?"
Gendo turned a very stern gaze on Fuyutsuki. "Because, Shinji has already betrayed me once. I will not allow him to do it again. I will not trust him to follow through on his promise. What if he decides to do things differently? I will be left with nothing."
Fuyutsuki didn't respond he just looked back to the floor below. He knew Gendo was being paranoid. Shinji had absolutely no reason to betray his father. They both wanted the same thing. The same end result. A new Third Impact. His long time friend had nothing to gain from this plan of his, and everything to lose.
Perhaps he really could win but where would that get him. The new Third Impact would be far more difficult to achieve without Shinji and Rei to shape it. Gendo might lose everything he had been working for.
Below the two Ritsuko was instructing a group of technicians to be careful as they operated a large forklift like vehicle which was in the process of pushing Unit-18's S2 organ into the Eva's chest cavity. "Be careful with that. If it breaks, the commander will not be happy."
Even as she spoke Ritsuko was typing at her keyboard with her right hand. She was trying to activate the S2 organ's self-destruct. Not for immediate detonation but to explode after a specified time had passed. She didn't want to be anywhere near an S2 organ when it went off. Unfortunately she was not having any success. The MAGI were blocking her commands and any attempts to enter their subroutines would have been detected and immediately reported to the commander. Damn her mother for building the MAGI so well.
Ritsuko swore quietly under her breath. She had already done all that she could to slow done the completion of these Evas but her machinations had bought a day at most. She trusted less than a third of the technicians under her to willingly work at less than their full ability and not tell the commander about it. Of those, less than half were capable of doing so without being so obvious so as to alert the commander to their actions. That meant that over five sixths of the technicians were working at maximum efficiency and even with her taking twice as long to do things as she usually did they were still more or less on schedule.
Gendo looked down at Ritsuko from the gantry. "Are we progressing on schedule doctor?"
Ritsuko turned away from her underlings and looked up at Gendo. "Almost sir. We've encountered a few minor setbacks but we're behind by little more than a day. All Evas should be completed within the next four days."
Gendo nodded slightly. "That is acceptable. Continue doctor."
Ritsuko turned back to her team of technicians and started yelling orders again. Beside her Maya was typing furiously at her keyboard. The younger woman was checking the readings coming from the S2 organ and secretly trying to figure out a way to sabotage it without being detected, as her sempai had asked her to do. Unfortunately she was having no more success than Ritsuko.
(2 Hours Later, Nerv, Eva Simulation Room)
Asuka, Touji and Kensuke stood before their respective simulation plugs, awaiting the command to enter. Misato stood behind them, looking at the large computerised screen dominating one of the room's walls. They were all just standing there and waiting.
Finally the door to the room opened and Ritsuko stepped in, she looked directly at the three pilots. "Get in the plugs. I haven't been able to fully restore the simulation system so I won't be able to generate any virtual enemies. It will just be you three."
Asuka quirked an eyebrow slightly. "Then who are we going to fight?"
Ritsuko's expression remained placid. "I would have thought that was obvious. You're going to fight each other."
Both Touji and Kensuke blanched but Asuka smiled wickedly. She turned to her two fellow pilots. "It was nice knowing you two stooges." She laughed slightly and stepped into her simulation plug, followed quickly by the somewhat less enthusiastic Touji and Kensuke.
As they entered Ritsuko called out to them one last time. "Oh, you're not getting any weapons except your progressive knives as there's no guarantee you'll be able to use any in the next battle."
Inside the plugs the usual series of colours and lights flashed by and the three pilots found themselves within the entry plugs of virtual copies of Units 14, 16 and 17 respectively.
Ritsuko had managed to activate the program subroutine that simulated the destruction that would be caused if Sahaqiel collided with Tokyo-3. As such the simulated battlefield was similar, though not identical, to the current condition of Tokyo-3. Namely that it was nothing but a giant crater.
Unit-14 looked to its right where Units 16 and 17 stood. Asuka's calm voice came over the intercom. "You two better start running because I'm coming after you in thirty seconds."
Kensuke gulped. "You're kidding right?"
"Kensuke, when was the last time I kidded around with you?"
Kensuke laughed nervously. "I'd have to say never."
Inside her entry plug, Asuka smiled. "So what makes you think I'm kidding now?"
Touji's voice came over the intercom. "I think it's probably hope."
Asuka allowed a slight hint of mirth to creep into her voice. "You have twenty seconds."
Neither of the two boys said anything further. Their Evas took off at a run, trying to put as much distance between themselves and Unit-14 as they could in twenty seconds.
An image of Misato's face appeared on Asuka's view screen and her voice came other the Eva's intercom. "You know Asuka no-one said that you had to take both Touji and Kensuke on. You three could have just had a free for all."
Asuka smiled at Misato's comment. "I'm just trying to make things fair. Although those two are still totally outmatched."
Misato chuckled slightly. "Just go easy on them Asuka."
"This is a battle simulation Misato. I have to make things realistic." Asuka guessed it had been about twenty seconds since Touji and Kensuke ran off so she set off in pursuit. "Don't worry. I won't cause any permanent brain damage or anything."
(Nerv, Eva Simulation Room)
Misato smiled humorously as she looked to Ritsuko. "How long do you think its going to take her?"
Ritsuko grinned as she looked at the screen wall. "Her sync ratio has already reached 100, so not very long." On the screen Unit-14 was running so fast its outline was visibly blurred and it left a large, twisting smoke trail in its wake.
(Virtual Battlefield)
Kensuke was pushing his Eva as hard as he could, racing across the battlefield in an attempt to escape from the red Eva he knew was following him. This was a simulation so Kensuke wasn't afraid, well not really. It was hard not to be at least a little afraid of his fiery fellow pilot, especially when it came to battles, even virtual ones.
Kensuke's thoughts drifted away from Asuka and onto the discussion he and Touji had had this morning with Misato. The information she had given them had been a lot to swallow but it had filled both him and Touji with a strange sort of determination. They were going to fight and they were going to win.
To the left and a little ahead of Kensuke's Unit-17 was Touji's Unit-16. The white Eva had started off running slightly faster than its black counterpart but Touji had slowed it down so as not to leave Kensuke behind. Inside the Eva's entry plug Touji was considering the information Misato had given him. So he wasn't piloting a dead person's Eva as he had thought, and neither was Kensuke. Rei, Nara, even Shinji, they were all still alive. Neither Touji nor Kensuke doubted that Misato was telling them the truth, but the ramifications of their friends' continued existence and their true identities were still taking time to sink in.
As the two teens dwelled on their thoughts a red blur shot between them and, spinning around, came to a stop roughly twenty meters in front of them, throwing up a huge dust cloud in the process.
As the dust cleared Unit-14 rose from the crouch it had lowered into as it spun. It reached up to its shoulder baffle and removed its progressive knife, visibly preparing to attack the other two Evas. Units 16 and 17 deployed their own progressive knives and prepared for the inevitable charge.
Inside Unit-14 Asuka allowed a small smile to show on her face. "Goodbye stooges." Unit-14 leapt towards the two opposing Evas.
(Meanwhile, Berlin)
Seele 02 ran full pelt down a twisting side street of the German capital, desperately trying to escape his pursuers. He had thought he could simply meld into the general populace and vanish from the public eye, ensuring his survival in his unimportance. Unfortunately for him, the ploy hadn't worked and he was now being hunted through the streets of the city by assassins who could not be stoped.
Hurtling around the side of a building, Seele 02 began to push through a large group of people. Suddenly he caught a hint of black light to his right and immediately dove to the floor. A beam of black energy shot over his head, missing him by less than an inch and cutting straight through the pack of people. Ignoring the screams Seele 02 rose to his feet once again and continued to run.
The terrified man ran towards a subway entrance, hoping to lose his pursuers in the twisted passageways beneath. His entrance was blocked however as a massive cross-flare erupted right before him and incinerated the subway entrance whole, taking out several frightened civilians in the process.
Half falling over, Seele 02 turned as quickly as he could and scrambled away from the cross-flare only to encounter another one on the other side of the street, then another one, then another one. Soon he found himself surrounded by massive black cross-flares.
Seele 02 searched desperately for a path of escape and was rewarded when he noticed a gap in the circle of cross-flares. He was acting too much on instinct to realise the obvious conclusion that could be drawn from such a gap. Namely that it had been left intentionally.
Running as fast as he could, Seele 02 rushed through the gap and into the side street that lay beyond. He hadn't taken three steps before he came face to face with Xera. The girl raised her left arm and generated a long, black blade. Running on pure adrenaline, Seele 02 leapt to his left and through an open doorway just as Xera brought her arm swinging down. She missed the man completely but her AT field expanded out from her blade and cut a nearby building in two, sending the top half crashing to the street below.
Inside the building he had leapt into, Seele 02 rose to his feet and continued to run. He burst from a door on the other side of the building and ran down a long, twisted street. He saw a flash from the corner of his eye and instinctively jumped sideways. He didn't move fast enough however and his left arm and part of his side was seared off by an energy blast that raced past him and collided with a building down the street, blowing it apart and sending debris cascading to the ground all around it.
Crying out in pain, Seele 02 fell to the ground and turned over to look up at who had maimed him. It was Nara, standing above him with right hand extended and pointed towards him. "Go ahead, finish it."
Nara smiled maliciously. "It has been fun Seele 02. I enjoyed playing games with you. But now it must end." He fired another energy beam and blasted the hapless man's head apart.
Xera dropped from the sky and landed beside the boy. "There is only one remaining now."
Nara nodded. "Yes, only one." He turned his attention away from the girl as a bullet impacted against the side of his head, breaking itself apart against his AT field. At the end of the street a police car had pulled up and its passenger had just taken a shot at him. As he watched more and more police cars pulled up all around them and police piled out of them before opening fire.
At first Nara observed their useless attempts with a hint of mirth but then thoughts that were not his own came unbidden to his head. These people were Lilim. The Lilim were his enemies. They all deserved to die! He should destroy them all! Nara's expression quickly changed to one of indescribable anger and hate. He raised both arms up before him and began to focus his AT field into a bubble. Bits of his own skin broke off and fused themselves into the bubble. He spread his wings and levitated high off the ground. The Lilim would pay for what they had done to him!
(Virtual Battlefield)
Unit-17 ducked, just barely avoiding a swing from Unit-14's progressive knife. Kensuke was caught however by Asuka's follow up attack. Unit-14's knee collided with his Eva's head, driving it backwards.
Asuka was about to jump the stumbling Unit-17 but was stopped by Unit-16, which lunged at her Eva from the side. Unit-14 back-flipped and avoided the white Eva's attack but was forced to break off its assault on Unit-17.
Pressing his attack, Touji drove his progressive knife towards the red Eva's chest. Asuka reacted quickly however and spun around, grabbing Unit-16's arm in a vicelike grip and twisting. There was a loud snapping sound as the arm broke.
Touji cried out in pain and stumbled backwards, barely managing to avoid a close-range sweep from Unit-14's progressive knife. He managed to lash out and connect with his Eva's left leg, temporarily halting any further attack from Asuka's Eva.
While this was happening, Unit-17 rose to its feet and charged Unit-14 from behind. Asuka saw the attack coming however and Unit-14 dropped into a crouch. Extending its right leg it swung around and sent the black Eva crashing to the ground. Deploying its wings, Unit-14 took to the sky, avoiding the white Eva that had tried to tackle it from behind.
Unit-14 back-flipped in mid-air, smashing its foot into Unit-16's head and driving the Eva crashing to the ground just like its team-mate. Twisting around and retracting its wings, Unit-14 landed on top of the half-risen Unit-17, driving the Eva back to the ground. Without hesitation Asuka brought her Eva's fist crashing down on the prone Eva's chest, crushing its S2 organ and disconnecting Kensuke from the simulator.
Whirling around, Asuka let fly with her progressive knife, sending it hurtling into Unit-16's neck. The white Eva had been closing in on Unit-14 but now stoped in its tracks and reached for the blood-soaked knife buried in its flesh.
Asuka dove for Touji's Eva but was thwarted when Unit-17 spread its wings and took to the sky. That was until Asuka managed to catch the opposing Eva's foot. Utilising much of her Eva's strength she brought Unit-17 crashing down to the ground, breaking the ground apart with the force of its impact.
Inside Unit-17's entry plug Touji watched as Unit-14 stepped forward, ready to finish him off. He had lost hold of his progressive knife when the red Eva smashed his Eva into the ground and was sure he stood no chance against Asuka. He reached behind his chair and pulled on the handle located their. Both Evas disappeared in a glowing white ball and both pilots were disconnected from the simulator.
(Meanwhile, Berlin)
Xera watched Nara take off, her attention focused on the bubble he had formed before him. She had no idea what he was doing. She had never seen this attack before. She didn't even know if it was an attack. Regardless she spread her own wings and followed the boy into the sky. She didn't want to be in his line of fire.
Nara stopped roughly a hundred meters above the city, the police below still shooting at him. Some of them were beginning to use assault rifles and SMGs. Bits of his skin continued to flow into the bubble along with streams of his blood. Eventually he stoped, the now considerable larger AT field bubble floating in the air below him. The damage he had caused to his body quickly healed over and he raised both arms above his head. As Xera arrived at his level he brought both arms swinging down and sent the bubble hurtling towards the ground.
The bubble approached the city rapidly, heading straight for the policemen who had been shooting at Nara and who were now shooting at the bubble itself. The shots however had no affect on the bubble and before the policemen even had time to move, it crashed to the ground in the center of the mass of men and cars. It detonated on impact.
There was a bright flash of light that obscured everything from sight and a nanosecond of unbearable heat, then…nothing. There was no smoke, no screaming, just…nothing. Less than a second had passed in total since the blast's beginning but everything had changed in that time.
Nara and Xera were left floating over a giant crater, some twenty miles in radius. Of the buildings, vehicles and people that had been caught in the explosive radius, there was no trace remaining, everything had been destroyed.
Xera slowly lowered her arms from where she had instinctively raised them to protect herself moments before the bubble had hit the ground. She had felt the wave of heat rush over her but fortunately it had been too weak to break through her AT field, leaving her fully intact. She slowly turned her head and looked at Nara, who still floated beside her. "What did you do?"
Nara remained silent for a long moment, staring at the crater below. His attention slowly turned to the craters edge and the surrounding city, what was left of Berlin. People were rushing out onto the streets and standing at the craters edge. Some with sharper eyes pointed at him and Xera. He wasn't exactly sure why he had done what he did, but he felt no remorse, no guilt. Every day that passed he was becoming more and more like the Angels whose souls inhabited him. A killing machine. His soul and those of the Angels were intrinsically linked now and he could constantly feel their presence nagging at the back of his mind. He had to fight just to keep his sanity.
Nara finally realised that Xera had spoken to him and turned to her, he didn't answer her question however he just looked at her silently a moment. When he eventually spoke, it had nothing to do with her question. "I am not positive of Seel 01's location. I can narrow it down but it may take us a while to find him."
Xera nodded slightly in response. "We should get started then." Although it didn't show in her voice, she was worried about the boy. She briefly wondered why it was that she felt that she should worry about the boy's well being. Why he should mean anything to her. As yet, she had no answer. The two teens took off towards the horizon.
(Nerv, Eva Simulation Room)
Asuka glared angrily at Touji as she emerged from her simulation plug. "What the hell was that Suzuhara!? Who the hell said you were allowed to self-destruct!?"
Touji gave her a slightly confused look. "Jeez Asuka, it's just a simulation."
Asuka's expression did not soften. "If you do that in the real battle I'll kill you myself." She ignored the stupidity of that statement.
Touji looked surprised by her outburst. "Asuka, I only did that because it was a simulation. I wouldn't do it in real life."
Misato placed a reassuring hand on Asuka's shoulder, stoping the girl from responding. "Regardless Touji, I think I'll ban using self-destruct from now on. We're not training to die."
Touji nodded slowly, still a little shocked at the commotion he'd caused. When Misato turned her attention to Kensuke the glasses wearing boy nodded as well, almost as shocked with the situation as Touji. It dawned on the two boys then just how serious this was. They were going to be heavily outnumbered in the coming battle and there was a good chance that they'd be killed if they weren't ready. Both decided to be completely serious from now on.
Ritsuko stepped forward, drawing the attention of the room's other occupants. "Get back in the plugs you three. We're not done training yet."
Touji and Kensuke groaned but entered their simulation plugs nonetheless. Asuka entered her plug silently, still annoyed with how the last battle had ended.
(1 Hour Later, Nerv, Terminal Dogma)
Shinji leant against the wall of his room, holding Naoki gently in his arms. Both he and his daughter were watching Rei as she pulled on her body-suit.
Rei had slept half the day away but was now fully reenergised and ready to do more than just sleep continually. She finally finished pulling on her suit and zipped it up with the help of her stretching arms. Stepping forward she kissed Shinji gently on the lips before bending down and placing a light kiss on Naoki's forehead. The little girl smiled happily at the action and reached out with her arms. Smiling, Rei lifted the child from Shinji's arms and hugged her gently.
Although she seemed quite happy to be held by her mother again, Naoki gripped Rei's suit with her fists and appeared to be trying to remove it. Evidently she preferred being held by Rei when the girl was naked. Shinji was inclined to agree with the preference. "She doesn't like the suit Rei."
Rei looked up at him, smiling happily. "She'll have to grow use to it. I'm not walking around naked all day."
Shinji returned the smile. "Why not, there's no-one else here but me and Naoki. Besides, you've never had a problem with being naked before."
Rei's expression became slightly sterner. "I do not believe my daughter should grow too attached to my naked self."
Shinji wasn't sure if he agreed with Rei's logic but he wasn't going to argue with the girl. "Okay Rei, have it your way. Keep the suit."
Rei leaned forward and kissed Shinji's lips again. "Thankyou Shin-chan."
Shinji looked down at Naoki, resting happily against Rei's breasts. "It's too bad she won't get a chance at a truly normal life."
Rei looked down at the little girl. "We will give her the best we can and until them we will do what we can to make her happy. She seems happy enough now. The advantage of a baby I suppose, they're quite easy to please."
Shinji signed as he stroked the back of Naoki's head, causing the baby girl to make a soft sort of signing noise. "When we averted Third Impact we bought one year. In five days that year will be up and Third Impact will return. We need to be ready."
Rei turned around and leant against Shinji, who was still leaning against the wall. "We're already ready Shinji. The only problem now is the commander's plan."
Shinji wrapped his arms around Rei, holding her gently against him. "We need to talk about Nara. There is definitely something wrong with him, he has changed so much from his original self. He has become…darker."
Rei nodded solemnly. "I worry that we should have spoken to him earlier. We know he did not want our help, but that doesn't mean he didn't need it."
Shinji seemed deep in though for a moment. "Rei, can you sense Lilith within you?"
Rei nodded slowly, although Shinji was not really in a position to properly see the action. "Yes, I can sense her as a sort of nagging presence at the back of my mind. She's easy to ignore most of the time, though occasionally I feel her presence strengthen. It is nothing I cannot handle however. I am in full control." She paused for a moment. "Why do you ask?"
Shinji took a moment to respond, a now deeply worried expression on his face. "It is the same with me and Adam. Nothing more than a presence. Easily controlled. I wonder though, would it be as easy for Nara?"
Rei closed her eyes for a moment as she felt Shinji's thoughts across their link. The boy was troubled, as was she. Nara had been, should still be, their best friend. And yet he had asked for their link to be severed and had not appeared to want to engage in an extended conversation with them. There was only one explanation for these actions that immediately came to mind and neither Shinji nor Rei liked it.
The two were broken from their thoughts as Naoki made a slight whimpering sound and tried to bury her head further into Rei's chest. She was linked to both her parent's and she could fell their heightened emotions. She did not understand nor comprehend the reasons for these emotions but she knew she did not like them. She wanted them to go away.
A cry of distress escaped from Rei's lips when she realised what had happened and she immediately lifted Naoki up to eye level. "Be calm Naoki-chan. We are sorry, we did not mean for you to feel those things." She kissed the baby girl lightly on the cheek and smiled as best she could.
Naoki calmed down visibly, though she still looked slightly less happy than she had previously. While they had been sleeping Rei had been subconsciously transmitting a constant wave of love and affection to the little girl and the sudden change had not been appreciated.
Shinji gently rubbed Rei's arms and sides, trying to calm her down. The calmer Rei and he were the calmer Naoki would be so it was important that she stoped worrying about what had happened. Naoki was only a baby. She would soon forget the emotions she had been exposed to and be happy once again.
Slowly Rei calmed down, even more so when Naoki drifted back off to sleep. It was amazing how much the child slept. She didn't even require sleep but she evidently enjoyed it very much, as so far she had spent almost her entire life in this state.
Shinji smiled when he noticed that Naoki was asleep once again and kissed Rei lightly on her head. "I love you Rei-chan."
Rei smiled brightly but didn't turn around. "It's been awhile since you've said that."
Shinji raised an eyebrow slightly. "Really, well I suppose I should say it more often then. Things have just been so chaotic lately."
Rei laughed slightly. "Don't worry about it, I know how you feel, I can read your mind remember." She turned around to face the boy, still holding Naoki against her chest. "I love you too Shin-chan."
Shinji bent down and the two kissed passionately, being extra careful to not crush Naoki between them while holding the kiss for at least five minutes, taking full advantage of not having to breath.
When the two finally broke Rei had a rather dreamy expression on her face. She licked her wet lips. "Thankyou Shin-chan, I needed that."
Shinji smiled at her. "I think we both needed that. Come on, let's go for a stroll." He gently gripped her hand and pulled her out the door. The two of them had been coped up in this room for too long, they needed a chance to stretch their legs. Shinji and Rei left the room hand-in-hand, Naoki still sleeping against Rei's chest, supported by Rei's free arm.
As they walked down the corridor outside, Rei asked Shinji a question that had been nagging at her for some time. "Why do we not attack your father's Evas now, before they are complete?"
Shinji took a moment to respond. He had considered the same thing, but he knew it could not be done. "We cannot risk a confrontation before the designated day of Third Impact. If we are forced to start sooner that expected, the results could be…disastrous. Everything could be destroyed." He reached over and stroked her hair lightly. "We're going to have to wait."
Rei nodded and smiled slightly at Shinji's action. "Then we will wait. Wait and see what happens." She paused for a moment. "Shinji, promise me something."
Shinji continued to stroke Rei's hair. "Anything Rei-chan." He meant it too. He would do anything she asked of him.
Rei looked at him, her eyes sad. "Don't blow yourself up. I couldn't go through that again." A few tears began to flow down her cheeks. "It would…kill me." She made sure that Naoki did not feel the sadness or fear she was currently experiencing.
Shinji's expression turned serious and he drew Rei into an embrace. "I won't do that again Rei, I promise. And I'm sorry I did it before. I never meant to hurt you." He gently pressed his lips to hers.
As the two kissed Rei's tears slowly dried up and disappeared. She knew Shinji would do everything within his power to keep his promise. She just hoped that was enough. Happily oblivious, Naoki slept on in her mother's arms.
(3 Days Later, Tokyo-2)
Keel Lorenz walked confidently down the main street of Tokyo-2. His signature visor was missing, having been replaced by a pair of seemingly average sunglasses. The sunglasses however were far from normal. They contained the necessary technology to allow him to view visual images such as text and video files without anyone else being able to see, the same function his visor had originally performed for him. He had gotten rid of the visor because it was a distinguishing feature of his. Its loss, along with a change to more casual clothes and a complete shaving of his head made him very difficult to identify.
Keel had always been a powerful man. After his father's unfortunate and untimely death he had inherited the man's vast computer hardware empire, Lorenz Technologies. He had spent a great deal of his life making the company bigger and better than his father had left it, branching out into all areas of electronics and quickly becoming one of the largest companies in the world. Lorenz Technologies had eventually moved into the area of weapon's research and construction, becoming the number one supplier of many of the world's most powerful nations.
When Second Impact occurred Lorenz Technologies had been perfectly positioned to wreak the benefits of the world-wide catastrophe. In the ensuing conflict they provided weapons to all sides and received a huge influx of cash. Keel had quickly become the richest and most influential man in the world and had founded Seele in conjunction with the UN. Making himself Seele 01, he decided that he should be the one to decide human fate and had acted accordingly, manipulating entire nations as he saw fit. All in the quest for one ultimate goal. His Third Impact. The Human Instrumentality Project.
He had failed though, his dreams of a perfect world where everyone was one being and one mind had been crushed. All his machinations had been unravelled and Seele had been hunted down and destroyed. He was the only one left know and he had been forced to abandon his global empire for the chance of survival. His identity was a secret to all but a few and no-one ever knew his exact location. Even as the head of a massive company like Lorenz Technologies he had remained a mysterious and aloft man, making a point of not frequenting any of his company's headquarters. Despite this however he feared greatly the possibility of Nara Ayanami tracking him down and believed that disappearing completely into the masses was the only way to avoid his death at the hands of the boy. He had had himself flown to Tokyo-2, currently the most overcrowded city in the world due to the recent arrivals from the evacuated Tokyo-3, and was currently in the process of losing himself in the crowd.
Perhaps things would sort themselves out and he could return to his mansions one day, but for know he would start a new life as an everyday citizen. As he pushed his way further into the crowded street he failed to notice that he was being watched.
(Meanwhile, Nerv, Central Dogma)
Misato paced her chamber worryingly, waiting for her friend to arrive. If what Ritsuko had told her earlier was correct, the IDPS Evas would soon be complete and the commander would be ready to carry out his plan. The problem was that Misato and Ritsuko weren't ready yet. They needed more time. The major's attention was drawn to the door as it slid open and Ritsuko stepped into the chamber. "You're late."
The doctor grunted. "Ten minutes Misato. I'm only ten minutes late. I doubt waiting that long could kill you." Her face turned more serious. "Unit-D is now complete and its S2 organ has been successfully installed. That leaves only Unit-15 and Unit-B and they will be completed by mid-day tomorrow."
Misato took the information without changing her facial expression. "Then we'll have to be ready. When are we expecting the arrival of Units 20 and 21?"
"Not for another two days. I suppose the most likely situation is that Gendo will wait for their arrival before commencing with his plan. Which means we have two days to prepare." Ritsuko brushed a stray lock of her hair behind her ear. "At most."
The action drew Misato's attention to the doctor's hair and she noticed for the first time that it was losing its blonde colour. Streaks of brown were beginning to show through and those parts of her hair that were still blonde were slowly fading. "Your dye's running out."
Ritsuko snorted. "That tends to happen when the city you live in gets blown up. We have more important things though to talk about now Misato. Like how are we going to stop the commander from deactivating the other Eva units?"
Misato blinked. "What? Deactivate?" She wasn't sure what Ritsuko was trying to say but she knew it wasn't good.
Ritsuko made a sound that was halfway between a grunt and a sign. It sounded vaguely insulting. "Did you think he was just going to forget about Units 14, 16 and 17? He knows they're a threat. He's ordered me to drain the energy reserves from their S2 organs and deactivate their command systems."
Misato's eyes widened slightly. "You can't do that! We need those Evas to fight!"
Ritsuko shot an annoyed glare at her long-time friend. "Don't you think I know that Misato! I'm trying to figure out a way around it!" She paused for a moment then signed. "I'm going to have to hack the MAGI again. I'll need a whole new program, one that they won't detect until it's too late."
Misato's expression was slightly confused. "How's that going to help?"
Ritsuko signed in exasperation. "Because Misato, I can use the program to make them think I've drained and deactivated the Evas, when in fact I haven't. Those damn machines will figure it out eventually though. It will last three days at most. We can only hope that it's too late for them to do anything by that time."
Misato nodded in understanding. "If he thinks they're deactivated then he presumable won't see any need to remove them from the Eva bays. As long as they stay there we can access them."
Ritsuko agreed with Misato on that point but she knew it wouldn't be as easy as the major made it sound. "Even if we can get the children in their Evas Misato, we won't be able to use the MAGI to release them."
Misato had realised this already but she didn't think it was a huge problem. "We'll just do what we did when Matariel attacked. The children can use their Eva's physical strength to forcefully remove the restraints."
Ritsuko raised an eyebrow slightly. "That's your plan, brute strength?"
Misato mimicked the doctor's expression. "You've got a better idea?"
Ritsuko smiled slightly. "No, and we don't have the time to figure out anything more complex." She turned and walked towards the door. "I need to make that program before Gendo starts asking too many questions." She departed, leaving Misato alone again in the room.
Misato watched as the door slid shut behind the doctor. She knew the same thing had been on the doctor's mind that had been on hers. Even if by some chance they succeeded in activating and releasing the children's Evas to fight off Gendo's, their own safety was far from assured. The commander would have Nerv security on them in a flash. Both understood that their chances of survival were small, along with the chances of anyone who helped them.
(Several Minutes Later, Tokyo-2)
Nara stood on top of one of the many skyscrapers contained within the city of Tokyo-2, standing on the very edge of the structures roof. He looked down at the busy streets below. The people were little more than dots from up here but with his enhanced vision Nara could see them in detail. He'd scanned as many faces as he could but had so far seen no sign of his target. Keel Lorenz was a difficult man to find.
Xera stood on top of a building roughly a block away from the one Nara stood on. She too scanned the streets below but was having no more success than her companion. Raising her eyes from the streets, she looked across at the silent figure of Nara. The boy had been certain that Keel Lorenz was in this city and she could sense that he was still certain of that fact. Still they had been here for four hours and so far they had seen no sign of the man. Xera was surely tempted to just start blasting away at the whole city and she sensed that Nara was on the verge of doing just that.
Nara was becoming increasingly impatient. He had wanted to be face-to-face with Keel when he killed him but he was now seriously considering just blowing up the whole of Tokyo-2, destroying Keel in the process. He was sure that his target was within the city and would die in the explosion.
The grey haired boy's eyes scanned over another group of people on the street below. He began to look away but brought his attention snapping back as one of the figures he had just seen came to focus in his mind. The man was old and completely bald. He wore plain, casual clothing and sported some decidedly average looking sunglasses. There was really nothing remarkable about him but Nara felt like he should know this man. As he watched the man turned to look at something up the street and Nara got a full view of the man's face. Nara was no fool, he had seen mental images of Keel Lorenz, this was most definitely him.
Signalling to Xera, Nara leapt from the top of the building and sped towards the ground, his wings extending from his back. Scant seconds later, Xera copied the boy's action, spreading her own wings and following Nara's descent.
Nara fell straight down towards the crowded street below, causing several people to yell and scream when they noticed him. Just as he was about to crash into the crowd however, he angled his wings and veered up sharply, ending up flying above the crowd and horizontal to the ground. The people below him either stared at him in awe or ran screaming for their lives.
As he flew forward he caught sight of Keel, who was in the process of turning around to see what the commotion was. By the time he noticed Nara, it was already too late. Swinging his legs forward, the winged boy brought his feet slamming into Keel's back, driving him to the ground.
The force of Nara's impact and a sweep of his wings knocked several people to the ground but none of them were seriously injured. The same however could not be said of the man formerly known as Seele 01. There was an audible snapping sound as Keel's backbone broke into two pieces, his spleen and stomach ruptured and his insides began to fill up with blood.
Nara stepped off Keel and kicked him over onto his back, smiling in satisfaction as the man coughed up a massive flow of blood. "You have little time left Mr. Lorenz. Tell me, did you ever think it would end like this?" He barely noticed Xera come to land behind him or the screams and the increasingly large circle of clear space surrounding them.
It took all of Keel's remaining strength just to speak and when he did it was in a gurgling, rasping tone that left no doubt as to how close his death was. "I don't answer the questions of puppets."
Nara smiled a decidedly wicked smile. "A puppet? No, not this time. This time I've chosen my own path, one that I alone understand." Keel made no further response. He took one last rasping breath then went silent, blood still flowing from his mouth and his back. Nara signed mentally as he looked at the man's corpse. 'At least I think I understand.'
The winged boy turned to Xera, intending to tell her it was time to leave. He was distracted however by a figure he saw out of the corner of his eye. He turned to see a man striding towards them through the now almost completely deserted street. The man was a little bit taller than Nara and appeared to be quite heavily built, although there was a certain fluidness to the way he moved that made it obvious he could move fast if he needed to. Most of his form was covered in plain, unassuming black clothing but his head was bare, revealing dark brown hair and an angular face. His skin was quite pale and his eyes were dull and grey, almost lifeless. Nevertheless he walked towards Nara and Xera with the utmost confidence.
Nara was surprised to see the man approaching him. He had expected that everyone in his proximity would run away as they had done every other time. Either this man was insane, extremely brave or he knew something Nara did not. As unlikely as the last option was, Nara prepared himself for any possible attack, just in case. He spoke as soon as the man got within a few feet of him. "What are you doing? Do you have a death wish?" He noticed that beside him Xera was preparing to attack.
If the man was fazed by the two's openly hostile reception, he didn't show it. "My name is Shadow. I am here because you and I have a mutual friend." He voice was deep and almost hollow sounding.
The man was close enough now for Nara to reach out and probe his mind, and he did so quickly. He was not gentle and yet Shadow showed no signs that he had felt anything. When the boy was done he smiled sardonically. "Gendo Ikari is no friend of mine." He relaxed slightly, prompting Xera to do the same.
The pale man laughed softly, his laugh was as hollow as his voice. "Nor mine to be honest, but he pays well. Though I suppose that is of no importance to you."
Nara inclined his head slightly. "You are correct. I don't give a damn about money. This has nothing to do with that. This is about revenge."
A vicious smile spread across Shadow's face. "Well we all have our own reasons for what we do, some more personal than others." His expression became more serious as he moved on to his reason for being there. "But I digress, you wanted to know my reasons for being here. I have been watching Keel Lorenz for quite some time now, for you see I was sent by the commander to contact you when you had finished your 'extermination' of Seele. I assumed Mr. Lorenz would be the last member of Seele you killed, so I knew that all I had to do was find him and wait."
Nara looked only mildly interested in what the shadowy man had to say. "I assume then you have a message to deliver?"
Shadow nodded curtly. "Of course. The commander has ordered you to return to Nerv as soon as possible, so that you will be ready to participate in the coming events."
Nara's expression all at once turned remarkably cold. "I don't take orders from Gendo! I agreed to help him only because he and I have the same ultimate goal, not so I could be his pawn. You can tell him I will be there for the events but that I will not be arriving until tomorrow."
Shadow laughed again, the same hollow laugh as before. "He believed that would be your response. He told me to say that you can arrive tomorrow if you truly wish to but that you should not forget whose plan this is."
Xera stood and listened to the conversation between the two. Linked to Nara as she was, she was fully aware of the boy's plans. What she didn't know was who this Shadow person was. Nara didn't know either so Xera was left completely in the dark. She had already ascertained that the man was no real threat but she would prefer to know exactly who he was. She remained ready to attack the man if he proved hostile towards either her or Nara.
Nara turned and began to walk away from Shadow, spreading his wings wide. "You should leave now, if you want to get back to Tokyo-3 before the day is out." He pushed off from the ground and took off into the sky. Xera cast a glance at the expressionless Shadow before following the winged boy into the air. For his part Shadow just smiled slightly. Once again Gendo had accurately predicted the boy's reaction. Noticing that the sun was beginning to set, he turned and disappeared into the shadows forming at the edge of the street, just as the sound of sirens began to boom through the streets.
(Several Hours Later, Nerv, Eva Simulation Room)
Misato stood and watched the screen that right now showed a visual of the simulated Unit-14 in the virtual battlefield. Touji and Kensuke had long since retired after a hard day of simulations but Asuka was still practicing. On the screen, Unit-14 was performing a series of complex and extremely fast attack manoeuvres. There was so much force behind the attacks that visible shockwaves spread out from the Eva. Misato didn't know where Asuka had learnt such fighting skills but she certainly wasn't complaining, the better fighter Asuka was, the better chance they all had of survival.
(Meanwhile, Virtual Battlefield)
Asuka swung Unit-14 out of its last punch and brought the massive Eva onto its hands, initiating a rapid spin kick. Pushing off the ground with her Eva's hands she spun Unit-14 into a roundhouse kick and followed it up with a rapid series of mid-air punches as the Eva's red wings extended and spun the Eva around to land on its feet. As soon as the colossal figures feet hit the ground it dropped into a crouch and swipe out with its leg before rising to it full height once again and bringing one of its arms down in a cutting gesture, sending out its AT field in a razor sharp blade.
These manoeuvres were performed at such speeds that Unit-14 was little more than a blur and the sonic booms produced by the movements were almost deafening in their intensity. Nevertheless Asuka pushed on, performing more and more moves at even faster speeds. She didn't really know exactly what she was doing. She was acting almost entirely on instinct. All she wanted was to train and get better, to be the best fighter that she could possible be. To be good enough to destroy Gendo's Evas and save all her friends. At that last thought she rammed Unit-14's fist into the ground with such force that the earth split open, sending a jagged line speeding across the barren plane and away from the Eva. "I will be good enough!"
Unit-14 rose to its full height and launched itself back into the manoeuvres, manoeuvres that continued to grow in speed, strength and intensity.
(Next Morning, Wilderness Outside Tokyo-2)
Xera watched as Nara stood looking at the rising sun. The grey haired boy appeared to be in some form of trance, his eyes focused on the horizon. The boy's torso was bare and his body was rimmed by the light of the rising sun. With his wings spread wide, he looked almost angelic, odd considering the darkness of his thoughts. Her ability to read Nara's thoughts had brought Xera to an undeniable conclusion. Nara was losing his mind. He was slowly becoming consumed by the negative thoughts and emotions that surged through his head. Xera did not understand where these thoughts and emotions came from. She only knew that they were not Nara's own.
Nara slowly turned away from the red horizon and looked back at Xera, his eyes lingering slightly on her naked body. She lay on her back on a soft mound of grass, with her long silver hair spread out in a fan around her head. It was a rather appealing sight to Nara but he quickly suppressed such thoughts. "Get dressed Xera. It is time we departed for Nerv. Soon we will see how strong Adam really is." His eyes began to glow slightly, the contrast in colours clearly visible.
Xera slowly rose to her feet and gathered her clothes from where they lay on the ground around her, throwing Nara his shirt in the process. As Xera pulled her clothes on, she reviewed the experiences of her relatively short life. She had begun as a servant of Seele and although she had not realised it at first she was nothing more than a pawn to them. Nara had shown her that Seele was not worthy of her loyalty, though he had used a considerable amount of force to do so. As a result of his methods and the control he had forced on her, Xera had originally wanted to kill the boy and free herself of all control. To her surprise however her relationship with Nara had slowly deepened and when he had finally released her from his control she had no longer wanted to kill her, on the contrary she had willingly become his lover.
Like Nara, Xera had a strong desire to be free but she didn't believe that Nara infringed on that freedom. He did not force her to remain with him. He did not have to. She would stay by her own accord. As she finished pulling on her clothes, she spread her wings and followed Nara as he took off into the sky.
(Nerv, Commander's Office)
Gendo Ikari sat in his usual position behind his desk, his face cool and impassive. Fuyutsuki stood beside him in his usual position. The only other occupant of the room was Shadow, standing before the commander's desk.
Gendo raised his head to look at the pale man before him. "Shadow. What is your opinion of Nara Ayanami? Do you believe he may betray me?"
Shadow shook his head slowly. "It is a possibility sir, but I believe he will at least fulfil his objective before doing so. He seems just as determined to succeed as you are, perhaps even more so."
Gendo nodded stiffly. "Very well. For now I will trust in your judgement." Shadow turned to leave but Gendo stopped him. "One last thing Shadow, how would you evaluate the 6th child's mental state."
Shadow turned back to the commander. "I only talked to him briefly but I would describe him as unstable at best. His mood seems capable of changing rapidly."
Gendo nodded again. "Very well, you may leave us now." Shadow bowed slightly and complied with the order, exiting the office.
As soon as the pale man had departed, Fuyutsuki turned to look down at Gendo. "So you're really going to go through with this?"
Gendo turned to his long-time friend, no emotion evident in his eyes. "Of course I am Kouzou. I will defeat Shinji and then I will initiate the Third Impact and be reunited with Yui once again."
Gendo smiled internally. His plan was foolproof. There was no way that Shinji would be able to beat him. Even with Rei on his side the boy would be no match for the forces arrayed against him. And even if by some kind of incredible luck Shinji managed to survive, Gendo had a backup plan. One that was incapable of failure. "Shinji's death is guaranteed Kouzou. The power of the Angel's will be mine. Control of Third Impact will be mine."
End Notes: Okay that's it for Chapter 8. I was going to make it a bit longer, ending just when all the fighting was going to begin but I've done that before and besides I wanted to get this chapter posted before too much time had elapsed since the last chapter. Chapter 9 will see some more huge battle scenes and the final stages of this fanfic. I'll try to have the next chapter out by the end of September but I'm not making any promises. If you've got anything to say please review.H