Kaji stared at the half drawing on the table beside a sleeping Asuka. A rail and steam... catapult? Map of southern Japan. Oh, a perfect reason to break radio silence.

Without a sound, he neatly gathered up the papers. Then he began to drag the exhausted redhead over to her bunk, snoring the whole time.

The Former Spy tucked her in and watched her for a moment. You'd never know she just tore an Angel in half.

Both Commanders were on the bridge, chatting about nothing in particular. Mental notes mostly: efficiency, cleanliness, and so forth. Kaji strolled in with Asuka's papers in hand, "We need to break radio silence. There's a plan that can be quickly instigated and ready for our arrival on the south end of the main island."

Gendo merely glimpsed to Kozo, who turned to their subordinate, "Do go on, Chief."

Shinji sat at the bridge terminal, bashing keys to his heart's content. Ritsuko snuck up behind him, "Why would you need a horizontal catapult for an Evangelion?"

"Something Asuka mentioned. She was curious just how far an Eva could be pushed, given one of my last sold-out performances."

She playfully nudged his shoulder with her pen, "You had us as an audience and the Angel was your only partner for that play. You did hit a home run, though."

He switched the image on-screen to a map of Japan, "So, the only place I can think of to even put this thing would be in a ruined farm area, just outside of Noshichiri."

"Plenty of access, -and- there's a steel mill right there." He brought up the points of interest on the map. Sure enough, a steel mill and shipyard were right nearby.

The Scientist pulled a cellphone from her pocket and dialed a single digit. As soon as her target answered, she began, "Major, get down here. We may have another option for dealing with the Angel. ... no, not mine. Shinji and Asuka's, apparently. No, we haven't heard from the fleet yet."

"So, you want to play baseball?" Gendo simply sat on a stool beside the map table.

Kozo turned to his friend, "The last data we had on Shinji and Rei getting into synch was... not promising, Ikari."

"If we do this, there is a catch. The bat would have to be the Lance."

The Professor snapped his attention back to the Former Spy, "You must be joking. The Committee would -never- approve of using the Lance right ... off the bat."

The three shared an amused chuckle. Gendo had another sinister grin on his face, "Forget the Old Men. This is about survival." He stood and turned entirely toward Kaji, "You have my approval. Do it."

Misato stood dumbfounded, staring at the main screen, "What's the estimated status of Unit 02?"

Almost like clockwork, an indicator chimed in on Shigeru's terminal. "In...coming transmission, Major. Sender I.D. unknown."

"Put it on speaker."

The main screen put a red outline blurb with red text over the image of Japan with the words 'Audio Only.'

"Major, we have an idea on our end. Switch to special channel three seven black for video connection."

Shigeru and Maya immediately worked together to get the connection, then the image of the three NERV officers in the bridge of Gold Eagle popped up. Kozo began speaking, "Major and Shinji? Good, you might already know something of this..."

Rei and Shinji stood outside the school's main entrance. Her curiosity was apparent, "What is this 'baseball' you speak of?"

He couldn't help but smirk at her, "A game from America, but it's not important."

"Why play games with the Angels?"

"We're not. We just need to throw it up into the air at the right moment."

She pondered the idea for a moment, "Simple physics."

"It couldn't be simpler. Now how to get hold of the Angel..."

"I have an idea."

"Don't kill yourself, Rei."

"I can be replaced."

He put a hand on her shoulder, "No, Rei. You really can't."

Asuka stood on the damaged flight deck with Kaji nearby, "Launching over the city with that thing in hand. What the fick am I thinking?"

"True, you could do a lot of damage with the Lance. Then you'd have Shinji on your ass after that."

Her hair fluttered in the breeze, "Wouldn't be the first time." Realizing the red in her cheeks, she was just thankful that Kaji wasn't paying attention, "Uh... would be the first time I'd see him angry, in person..."

He let off a puff of smoke and retrieved the cigarette from his mouth, "I've seen video. It's kind of funny, since he's so calm and kind."

"I still don't understand how a man like that can have a son so opposite of him."

"Life is funny like that."

"Nein sheize."

Overnight, Ritsuko directed the construction crew. When she finally sat down to relax in the mobile command center, Maya silently stepped in a moment later with two cups of coffee.

The bridge bunny slipped up behind and thrust a cup of ... something past Ritsuko's nose. "It's about time you got here, I was starting to wonder if you'd even stop by." It was then she looked at what was before her, "You're not... Maya?"

"Sempai, you look good..."

Ritsuko took the offered cup. Then the arm that offered it curled around her shoulders, "... for someone who just pulled another all-nighter."

"I thought fraternization wasn't allowed." Misato's voice was quiet, but startling.

Maya kept still, as if not moving would make her invisible to the Major. Ritsuko opened her eyes, peeked aside at Misato, and winked, "I have a nuclear deterrent and I'm not afraid to use it!" Misato childishly stuck her tongue out at the Scientist.

Finally sipping her coffee, the Scientist cringed and forced out, "God in Heaven! Who made this... this paint thinner?"

The bridge bunny's lips barely grazed Ritsuko's earlobe, forcing the subject to close her eyes. She whispered into the ear, "You're old friend here."

Ritsuko turned her gaze back to Misato and gave a look of confusion and curiosity, "I still don't know how you can drink this. It's downright foul!"

Misato shifted her weight onto her left foot, hefting her mug toward her face again, "It keeps you on your toes, doesn't it?"

Maya was sure she'd merely thought, "Mmm, toes..." But when she heard Ritsuko give a low chuckle, Maya just hugged the woman a little tighter.

Shinji and Rei walked back toward the city in relative silence. Eventually, Rei's curiosity got the better of her, "What happened five years ago?"

Practically tripping over nothing, Shinji caught himself with a firmly planted foot.

Rei stopped too and just stared at Wonder Boy, "You avoid my question?"

He let out a breath before answering, "No, I just didn't expect you to ask -that- one."

A smirk flickered briefly on his face, "It started with my dad, during the first Contact experiments."

He gestured on down the street and they started walking again.

"My mother was adamant that what they were doing was necessary, but the Committee never seemed to agree. They did fund everything, though."

"Most odd."

"They ARE an odd bunch. Anyway... mom and dad were talking in the hallway one evening. Something about taking things too far. He urged caution, she said she would go through with it without his help, if she had to."

Shinji paused his movements and Rei halted as well, "The next thing I remember was just after she went off down the hallway, he had one of those evil gins. It scared me to see him like that. The father that was only barely there, but who would protect me... looking like a wolf with unaware prey."

Rei shifted her lower jaw a bit, so that her teeth were no longer perfectly aligned, "He always grins like that around me."

Day 6, 0400 hours, Temporary Command Center Mt. Ogusa, Japan.

"Ma'am. AWACS reports Gold Eagle one-hundred fifty miles out. ETA twenty minutes." Maya couldn't help but glowingly smile at Ritsuko, who for a moment, mirrored the bridge bunny.

Ritsuko tapped a few keys onto a nearby keyboard and said aloud, "All's well that ends well." The lights and computer monitors shut off, while computer fans were heard slowing to silence. A couple of emergency lights were all that remained, other than the still functioning radio with intermittent chatter here and there.

Maya hadn't paid attention to her companion's actions, "My terminal just went dead!" She inhaled in a panic, but paused and relaxed upon feeling a pair of arms surround her.

Misato tried the door, but it remained locked. "Could you guys stop having fun in there!?"

Looking around the wall the door was attached to, she noted an emblem for 'Unlimited Armor'. Misato let her jaw drop, "Holy shit!" They're building the ENTIRE remote command centers now? I thought they only used this stuff on the Evas?!

Without further fanfare, she poured her paint thinner around a nearby shrub, uttered, "I"m done", and wandered back toward her car.

Turning on the radio, Misato was hoping for any civilian station still playing music. To her delight, one station remained on playing "Fortunate Son." I'll take anything at this point. "We interrupt this broadcast for an important announcement from NERV. Anyone within block 94 of this broadcast is ordered to evacuate immediately. You have approximately thirty minutes to do so. ... I'm surprised they're even bothering, so many have already left everything and everyone they've ever known behind to escape these attacks." Another man's voice interrupted, "They're fightin' to save our asses! Have you ever seen any of these fights? The things they're using are massive, but what these... KIDS are fightin' scare the shit out of me!" Misato grinned, "I think I found a radio station I want to sponsor..." She grabbed her smart phone and punched in the station's details, finding the number, she tapped the screen to call in.

"Hey! You're on the air with Beets and Carrot! Thanks for calling. What's on your mind?"

"Play 'Fortunate Son' again and take me off-air, please."

"Sure thing little lady. ... Now what can old Beet do for you?"

"I'm Major Katsuragi, Special Operations Director of NERV. I'm choosing you as my official radio station of Tokoyo-3."

"Uh... let me get this straight. You want a civilian station to do your bidding?"

"I could just file a special G-7r and take over the station personally, but I like your guts in the face of total annihilation. That and your posted playlist online is decent."

"Um... Chuck, did we just get hired by NERV?"

"Forcibly."

"Then you'll play along? Thanks guys, it really does make a difference."

The DJ's weren't paying attention that the song was over, the call was live again.

"Good God man! Check this chick out! NERV's Spec Ops Director is a babe! ... Dude, we just got press-ganged into working for her!"

Misato ran the sleeve of her jacket over the microphone in her phone, making a screeching noise that went through the call. She couldn't stifle a giggle at the men on the other end of the line, "Guys... song ended, that went live."

"Shit! Play something, anything!"

Asuka stood on the pilot loading platform with Kaji, beside Liebkind, Lance of Longinus in the Eva's hands.

"This has to be THE single, most insane idea anyone ever called a plan in all of human history."

"It all hinges on Shinji and Rei, really. If they fail, you'll have to clean up the mess before..."

"Before humanity is wiped out in an instant the moment the Angel breaks into Terminal Dogma and gets hold of... what was that other thing called?"

"Lillith."

"That name puts a chill down my spine every time I hear it."

Kaji smirked once again, "Me too. The Seed of Knowledge, Lillith. Humanity has Adam, the Seed of Life too, now. Thanks to you."

Asuka fixated a glare at him, "You're lucky I'm not holding the Lance. How many times have I said I don't want to be reminded of New York?"

The Former Spy's answer was interrupted with Ritsuko's voice over a loudspeaker, "Asuka, T minus six minutes."

The two stared at one another in silence for a moment, before Asuka turned and started to climb into the Red Giant's entry plug.

A semi-synthetic computer voice began speaking as Asuka initiated the connection, "Enhanced startup procedures successful. All circuits within normal parameters."

She stated the next voice segment herself, "Eva Unit 02 standing by. We are go for combat." We only get one chance, mom. The screen flickered several images before her, different images of the Angel at different stages, and the last image posted stayed for a moment. That's right, the Angel. It can split in two, but nothing can withstand the Lance.

As the Angel sat, steam rose from its various plates. It began throbbing like a heart under its armor.

"Magi predict target is about to regenerate. Evas 01 and 02 begin operation as stated."

Rei pushed her Evangelion to start moving. She was surprised how easily it wanted to this time, "Ev... Evangelion Unit 00 proceeding." Her heads-up-display had an overlay picture of the battlefield, Unit 01 had started further out, but was moving in quickly. She focused on the Angel anew.

Shinji and Rei both encountered the Angel's A.T. field at the same distance, but on opposite sides of the target, and both started using their own fields to nullify the barrier.

"They're aligning their A.T. field signals to match the Angel's." Hyuga couldn't suppress his contentment. He had wondered if it was even possible.

As they broke through, the Angel separated into nearly identical twins. Shinji thought aloud, "Might have to mash them together before sending that thing skyward."

Rei contemplated the Angel as each half began moving their arms, "Agreed. Don't let it cut you in half, Pilot Ikari."

"No suicide attempts, Ayanami."

"No promises."

The Evangelions began circling the Twins, making a predatory check for weaknesses. A computerized voice called over the radio, "Angels 1 and 2 A.T. fields have been realigned. Warning. Field strength is nearly double initial recorded strength."

Shinji gave a smirk, "Only -nearly- double? Heh." He charged in. Unit 01's hand ripped through the A.T. field like tissue paper and grabbed an Angel's arm, only to be swiped at with the other. The Second Twin charged a waiting Rei as she slowly moved in to support Shinji.

As fast as the Second Angel was at attacking, Rei was just a little faster dodging. Shinji had talked Misato and Ritsuko into getting both pilots ballet training. 'We need to be graceful and quick or we'll wind up like that bridge!'

His only problem with our synchronization were all those... thoughts of Asuka. Even as she led her prey around in a circle back to Shinji, Rei felt her cheeks become warm as she thought back to Shinji's ideas.

Shinji kept using the Angel's own captured arm against itself. That is, until the Angel yanked off its arm and really went after him. Finding he now had a free club, Shinji went on the offensive; slashing at the Angel with its own talon opened up the armor and revealed a half-sized S2 engine core. He called out over the radio, "Its arms are capable of passing through its own armor. Looks like the cores are half-sized, probably from the split bodies."

"Yes, I see that too."

Rei had since used and broken her Prog knife, but gained a spare hand to stab her opponent.

::: I've been having ideas lately. Some good, some awesome. Life is finally getting into some semblance of order for me.
::: So now I can continue to assault your sanity on what Evangelion is. Considering Anno's original style of leaving thins
::: as they are, I'm not going to rewrite the whole thing, except insofar as to streamline things here and there. Not having
::: docs on flie anymore is a pain in the arse. I'll get around to it, though!
::: Thanks for everything so far! I hope the rest of this inspires responses, good or bad.

::: The games continue! I'll finish this fight in this chapter.