Merry Christmas.

I do not own Evangelion or Berserk.

Chapter 7

The daily routine for Guts was usually a slog of blood, death, and despair. For years he had fought the apostles and hunted down the God Hand; not a day went by when the Black Swordsman wasn't swinging his sword. His thoughts usually operated on a one-track mind: kill everything that stood in his way. Guts was constantly on high alert for attacks from the restless souls of the dead, always awaiting that sensation on the back of his neck. He was driven by nothing but bloodlust and sheer willpower.

The past few days, however, had been...odd for the swordsman. His usual life of carnage was put on the back burner in this strange world, replaced by days of seemingly carefree bliss. It was an alien feeling to Guts, and he was having a hard time acclimating.

Sure, there were the Angels to worry about, but if they were worrying nobody ever showed it. The people of Tokyo-3 gave off an entirely different vibe compared to the average Midland villager, where catastrophes such as starvation and war were commonplace.

"You've got to try this restaurant out! They make some of the best burgers in the city!" Guts sighed and followed his "tour guide". After Israfel had been killed and the dust settled, Asuka had made it her personal mission to show him "the wonders of the modern world", as she liked to put it. So, for the past few days, he had been following Shinji and Asuka around the city.

Really, Guts wasn't all that interested. Sure, the food tasted good, video games were a neat little gimmick, and the music sounded nice, but none of that would help him return home. He couldn't do much until the next Angel attacked, however, and he'd probably die of boredom from staying in Misato's apartment all day, so the swordsman decided to follow along to help kill the time.

The stares weren't helping him, either. Guts was a good deal larger than everyone else he passed on the streets, both in height and muscle mass, so naturally their eyes were drawn to him. "It also doesn't help that your wardrobe is hideous," Asuka told him when she noticed the looks he was getting. She had made an attempt to buy him some new clothes, but Guts refused; he was perfectly content wearing his dark tank top and black pants from his home world.

The three pilots ate lunch at the restaurant Asuka wanted to go to. It was a rather uneventful affair, as most of these outings were, with Guts remaining practically silent and Shinji and Asuka engaging in only small conversation. Guts didn't know what Shinji said to Asuka when she left the room that day, but they did seem to, at the very least, tolerate each other a little better lately. He didn't care about their relationship, it just made it bearable to be around them. After they finished eating, Asuka decided to call it a day and head back to the apartment, since they had to get ready for the class trip tomorrow.

"What's this trip she's talking about?" Guts asked Shinji as they walked behind Asuka.

"Our school is taking us to an island called Okinawa. We're supposed to be staying at an oceanfront resort, and I heard that it's supposed to be very nice, but…"

Guts spared a look at Shinji, waiting for the boy to continue. Their conversation, however, was suddenly derailed by a shriek from Asuka.

"I have to go in here!" the redhead declared, pushing her way through the entrance. "I need a new bikini for the trip to Okinawa!"

"What's a bikini?" Guts asked Shinji, who was starting to look like he'd rather be anywhere else in the world. Nevertheless, the two men followed Asuka into the store.

"Asuka likes to keep up with her appearance," Shinji said. "Don't bother trying to stop her; once her mind is set on something, it's pretty much impossible to change it. Also, you'll see what a bikini is in a little bit."

They sat on one of the small benches in front of the changing rooms. Asuka flew around the store like a whirlwind, grabbing any swimsuit that caught her eye and trying it on immediately. She would step out of the changing room in various bikinis, striking a pose and asking Shinji and Guts what they thought. Shinji would always turn red in the face, stuttering out something along the lines of, "Y-yeah, Asuka, it looks g-good on you." Guts, on the other hand, simply stared at her with no reaction.

'Does nothing phase this man?' Asuka thought, annoyed by Guts' lack of a response. 'There's a beautiful woman showing off her body right in front of you, for Christ's sake!'

'Do they really allow girls to dress like this in this world?' Guts thought, unimpressed. 'You're also like half my age, so stop trying so hard.'

Eventually, Asuka picked out something she liked, and with no further delays they headed back to Misato's apartment. The Second Child walked down the street with a slight spring in her step, humming a soft tune to herself. Asuka's mood quickly soured, however, when she caught sight of Shinji's rather downcasted expression.

"What bit your ass?" she teased him. "We're going to Okinawa tomorrow! After all the shit we've done, we deserve a break like this! Quit being so damn depressed all the time, it's annoying."

"Well," Shinji muttered, "it's just that…" It didn't matter what he said, because Asuka had already increased her pace, abandoning him and Guts.

Moments Later

"What!?"

Guts fought the urge to plug his ears at Asuka's outburst; her constant screeching was really starting to grate on his nerves. Right before the Second Child was about to show off what she purchased, Misato dropped the hammer and bluntly stated that all pilots were on standby, and therefore could not go on the class trip to Okinawa.

"This is ridiculous! Shinji! Guts! Say something!" Asuka turned to her male roommates, desperate for one of them to back her up. Guts just met her with a blank stare, while Shinji examined the ground without a word.

Asuka was fuming. "You two are pitiful! Stand up for yourselves!"

"It doesn't matter anyways," Shinji meekly said, "I was already kind of expecting Misato to say something like this."

"Yup!" their guardian chimed in. "Also, you two need to spend the time studying, not playing." She held up two pieces of paper—their report cards. Asuka said nothing, knowing there was no getting out of it now.

'Dammit,' the redhead cursed, 'I thought we hid those from her pretty well.'

"Oh yeah, one more thing:" Everyone's ears perked up. "Guts, some people from NERV stopped by while you guys were out and dropped off your gear. They told me everything was left as it was found, and there wasn't any practical use to store it at HQ, so now it's sitting in my room. I don't know how you can carry such a—" Guts walked past the purple-haired woman and slid open the door to her room. 'Would it kill you to listen to someone until they finish speaking?' Misato pouted in her head.

Relief spread through Guts. Just as she said, everything was there, including the Dragonslayer, which was propped against the back wall. His armor was in a neat pile in front of the sword, along with his dagger, sash of throwing knives, and satchel.

Asuka and Shinji stood behind Guts, marveling at the size of the weapon. "You can actually use that thing?" Asuka asked, skeptical.

"Yup," Guts answered. To prove his point he walked over and grabbed the hilt of the sword one-handed, effortlessly maneuvering it over his head while being careful not to cut the ceiling and pointing the tip just inches from Asuka's face. The blade was so long, it reached across the entirety of Misato's room. The redhead shivered and took a few paces back. Misato and Shinji stared in awe.

Guts leaned the Dragonslayer back against the wall. He got down on his knees and opened the satchel, checking to make sure it was there. After doing some digging, the familiar egg shape of the Behelit greeted his eyes. 'Good,' he thought; the Behelit would be his one-way ticket back to Midland.

"The hell is that thing? It's creepy." Guts shot Asuka, who was now looking over his shoulder, a glare, indicating that it was rude to snoop through a person's belongings like that. Still, he held it up with his hand for everyone to see.

"It's a Behelit," Guts explained, a sinister smile spreading across his face. "In return for sacrificing what's most precious to you, this thing will turn you into a demon."

There was silence for a moment, but then Misato burst out laughing. "Hahaha! That's hilarious! You should tell jokes more often, Guts! I like this dark, comical side of you!"

"Yeah, what a bunch of crap," Asuka haughtily agreed with her guardian. "That's like something out of a cheesy fantasy book."

Shinji, however, was unnerved. He remembered what Guts had told him about the Brand on his neck, and the demons that haunted him because of it. There hadn't been any instances of that since Guts arrived in Tokyo-3, so the Third Child wasn't sure how much truth there was to the swordsman's claim, but the thought of the catalyst for turning someone into one of those demons just sitting in his apartment wasn't pleasant. 'And judging by their reactions,' Shinji glanced at Asuka and Misato, 'Guts hasn't told them yet...oh well, I guess it's for the best. Nothing has happened since he's arrived here, anyways.'

Guts put the Behelit back in the bag and closed it up, but not before Asuka could get another peek inside. She took notice of a drawing of a woman sketched out onto a square piece of stained paper.

"Who's the girl?" The Second Child asked. She was met with a dirty look from Guts. 'Jeez, what did I do now?' Asuka thought.

"Mind your own damn business. She's nobody who concerns you."

"Ooooohhhh?" Misato put a finger to her lips, giving the Black Swordsman a playful look. "Got a girl back home, eh? What's her name? Is she pretty? Is she good in bed?" Guts kept a stone face, but on the inside he was facepalming at Misato for jumping to such a drastic conclusion.

Hiding his thoughts, Guts snorted. "Her name is Casca, and that's all I'm gonna tell you."

"Casca?" Misato purred, "that sounds exotic." Guts inwardly pictured himself running the Major through with his sword.

The Next Day

A dark cloud hung over the pilots, particularly Asuka, as they silently watched the plane that was carrying all their friends to Okinawa take off from the airport. Guts sat at a table by the window, feeling somewhat awkward as the Second and Third Children brooded. Rei sat opposite of the swordsman with her typical emotionless expression.

The blue-haired girl was an enigma to Guts. She appeared capable, but Rei never smiled, never frowned, hardly ever spoke, and followed orders by the book. It pissed him off, quite frankly. Someone who acted like a dog with no will of their own didn't deserve their life in Guts' eyes.

Despite his inner conflicts with the First Child, however, Guts was bored out of his mind, and since he couldn't swing his sword he needed something else to pass the time.

"Hey," Guts spoke out to Rei, propping his elbow up on the table and resting his chin in his palm. "Aren't you bummed you can't go and play with your little buddies?"

Rei's gaze never left the window. "While a vacation would be satisfactory, if it is Commander Ikari's orders I shall stay back here on the mainland and prepare for the next Angel attack."

"What's your deal with that guy, anyways? Why do you like him so much?" Guts was honestly somewhat curious about Rei's relationship with the Commander. He had only seem the two of them together a handful of times, but when he did it was like the blue-haired girl put the man on some kind of pedestal.

Rei turned her attention away from the window and towards the floor, a rare, small smile adorning her lips. "It is because...Commander Ikari saved me. He is an admirable man, and while he may appear at first to be cold, Commander Ikari is very caring and understanding once you get to know him."

A rush of air was blown out of Guts' nose. Rei perked her head up to look at him. Guts' face was one of both amusement and annoyance. "Yeah, right," he said. "I don't know what he did to you to get you to believe that, but guys like that where I'm from are a dime a dozen. They're all only thinking for themselves and trampling over everyone to get what they want, just like…" Feeling his temper beginning to flare, Guts stopped himself.

The rare emotion of anger welled up inside of Rei. "How dare you say such a thing," she said, her voice still low. "Commander Ikari created NERV for the sole purpose of protecting the Earth and its inhabitants from destruction by the Angels. He took you in, and yet you disrespect him so?"

Guts stared straight-faced at the girl. "That bastard didn't take me in out of the goodness of his heart; no, he definitely wants something. He tries to play it off, act like I'm his buddy or some shit, but I see through him."

Rei whipped her hand towards his face, but Guts effortlessly caught it by the wrist without so much as blinking. The swordsman gave the appendage a light squeeze, making the First Child wince slightly.

"Believe in your precious Commander all you want, it aint my life to waste. But just know that that little promise he made to me about finding a way home was a blatant lie, and I will find a way back without his or anyone else's help."

Guts' grip on Rei's wrist lessened, and the girl retracted her arm back to her lap. The two sat in silence for a small period of time, neither looking at the other.

"How do you know?" Rei asked quietly, breaking the peace. "How do you know if Commander Ikari cannot be trusted? Perhaps those in your homeland are deceitful, but here—"

Bitter laughter cut Rei off. Her face remained neutral, but a sliver of confusion could be seen in her eyes.

"Don't give me that crap," Guts said, his face becoming serious. "Humans are humans— where they live doesn't mean shit. The Commander might protect you now, but when the time comes he will stab you in the back without a second thought."

Rei wanted to retort again, but the sound of Asuka's voice from behind cut her off.

"Hey! You two!" she called out. "We're leaving!" Without even waiting for a reply the Second Child turned on her heels and walked towards the exit. Shinji followed in tow, tossing a glance over his shoulder at Guts and Rei.

Guts slid his chair back and stood up. The swordsman passed by Rei, paying her no attention as he went to catch up with the other Children. Rei remained seated, eyes downcast towards the table and brow furrowed in a storm of unfamiliar emotions.

"There's no way…" The First Child told herself.

At the Pool

Misato had to report to NERV for work, but Asuka didn't want to waste the day away so she dragged everyone else down to the pool. It was no Okinawa—the summer Sun was replaced with humming UV lights and the smell of the ocean substituted for chlorine—but it at the very least helped to distract her for the depressing thoughts of being excluded from the school trip.

At least, it would if anyone else would interact with her in any way.

Rei was also in the water, but she was off swimming laps alone. 'Typical Wondergirl,' Asuka thought as she watched her push off the wall to swim another length of the pool. The boys, not particularly even wanting to be there in the first place, sat off to the side in their regular clothes. Shinji busied himself with studying on his laptop, while Guts laid back in one of the lounge chairs counting the tiles on the wall.

Asuka swam up to the edge in front of Shinji and Guts, resting her arms on the pool deck. "Come on, you two! The water feels great!"

"I don't care for the water," Guts said, eyes moving on to the next row of tiles.

"Sorry Asuka, but I'm busy studying right now." Shinji also refused to make eye contact with the fiery redhead.

Asuka's brow twitched in annoyance. "God, why do all the guys around me have to be so damn boring?" she said mostly to herself, although it was just loud enough for her male counterparts to hear as well. Not getting any further reactions, Asuka pulled herself out of the pool and walked towards Shinji, leaning over to see his laptop screen. "What'cha studying?" the Second Child asked playfully.

Shinji shrunk back into his chair. "Thermal expansion," he stated flatly. With the way Asuka was standing, Shinji had a clear line of sight of her cleavage, making him blush and avert his gaze.

"Thermal expansion? That's baby stuff! Objects expand when they're heated." As an example, Asuka cupped her breasts. "Do you think my chest would get larger if it was heated?" she asked in an innocent tone.

A deep shade of scarlet took over Shinji's face. "H-h-how w-would I know a-anything l-like t-that!?" he sputtered, wishing he could simply slide underneath the table and never come out.

Asuka pouted. "Hmph, you're no fun." Eyeing Guts, the redhead put on her best strut as she made her way over to him. "What do you think, Guts? Would my boobs be bigger if they were warmer?"

Not wanting to be seduced by a teenager, the Black Swordsman continued staring at the ceiling for a moment before looking at her with mock surprise. "Huh? Did you say something?"

"Argh!" She threw her hands up in defeat. "Fine, I guess I'll have to entertain myself!" Asuka stomped over to the deep end, climbing up onto the diving board. Before she jumped off, the Second Child took notice of Shinji staring at Rei. "Shinji! Guts! Look at me!" she exclaimed as she executed a flawless dive.

Guts sat up in the chair, his limbs making audible popping sounds as he stretched his body. The swordsman stood up and began to make his way towards the pool's exit. 'I'm not going to get anywhere just sitting here,' he thought.

"Hey! Guts! Where are you going?" Shinji called out.

"To train," Guts answered, not even looking back at the Third Child.

Confusion spread across Shinji's brow. "What do you mean, 'train'? We don't have our next sync test for another few days."

"Not that training," Guts told him, his voice a dim echo as he walked up the stairs and out of Shinji's view. Shinji sat still for a couple minutes, debating whether or not he should finish studying or follow Guts. Ultimately, his curiosity won out in the end, and Shinji threw his computer into his bag and went to find the Black Swordsman.

Shinji first made his way back to the apartment, but Guts was nowhere to be found there. He was about to go back to the pool, but as he passed Misato's room he noticed through the slim opening in the doorway that the massive slab of iron Guts called a sword was missing. It was also around this same time that the brown-haired boy heard the faint sound of chopping wood.

Following his ears, Shinji found himself being led to the backside of the apartments, a place he had never really ventured before because it always appeared so run down. The noise kept getting louder, and when the Third Child rounded a corner of the building he saw Guts standing out in the middle of an old, overgrown courtyard swinging his sword through the air.

Not wanting to disturb him, Shinji remained half-hidden behind the wall and simply watched. Well, he tried to watch, since Guts was swinging his sword so fast it was virtually impossible to see exactly what he was doing. The Angels were a sight to behold, true, but to Shinji seeing a human move like Guts did was far more impressive to him.

'This is insane,' Shinji thought in awe. 'Nobody should be that fast.' Looking away for just a second, Shinji saw a slew of dead tree stumps littered around the area, left behind after excavation to build the apartment complex. Some of them were noticeably shorter than others, and their tops were cleanly cut compared to the ones that appeared to be just rotting out. It was almost as if…

'No way. He couldn't have, could he?'

Then, as if right on cue, Guts pivoted on his feet and with a single, effortless swing sliced right through one of the dead trees, splitting it in half and sending the top flying into the air. He stopped his movements, resting the Dragonslayer on his shoulder as he looked around.

"What do you want?" Guts called out.

Shinji flinched. 'He didn't even look in my direction. How did he know I was here?' The Third Child stepped out from behind the wall. "S-sorry, Guts. I was just curious where you went, so I tried looking for you in Misato's apartment, but then I saw your sword was missing, and I heard you out here—"

Guts waved his explanation off. "Yeah, yeah, I don't really mind if you watch me—just don't get in my way."

"U-understood," Shinji nodded his head. His eyes were drawn once more to the massive blade the Black Swordsman was holding. "How can you move like that? That sword can't be very light."

Guts glanced at his trusty weapon and shrugged. "Practice. My sword weighs about as much as several grown men, but after using it for so long it's basically another part of my body at this point."

"Wouldn't it be more practical to use something a little...smaller?"

Guts shook his head. "With the things I'm hunting, sometimes it feels like it's not big enough." Deciding that was the end of the conversation, the swordsman latched the Dragonslayer to his back and started to walk back to the apartment. Shinji stared at him for a brief period of time before running to catch up.

The Next Day - NERV HQ

"What's the deal with this one?" Asuka asked nonchalantly as she sat in a briefing room with her fellow pilots. They had all received an early morning wake up call from Misato this morning, and while Asuka was far from pleased about her sleep being robbed from her she quickly perked up when she was told there was an Angel sighting. She was not going to let anyone mess up her battle this time.

Fuyutsuki shot the Second Child a stern glance, still displeased with her previous debacle and rather carefree attitude about the entire situation. "There has been an Angel sighted in the crater of Mount Asma, approximately 140 kilometers from Tokyo-3. Unlike the rest of the Angels, however, this one has yet to hatch, leaving it in a vulnerable state. Your mission is to go into the volcano and capture the Angel alive."

"Alive!?" Asuka challenged, "wouldn't it be easier to just kill it? Why do you need it alive?"

"That is not of your concern, pilot Soryu." Asuka slumped in her chair, mumbling to herself. "Now," Fuyutsuki continued, "we will need a volunteer to wear a special plugsuit designed to withstand extreme pressure and dive into the lava to retrieve the Angel."

Asuka was about to put her hand up, but to the shock of everyone in the room she was beaten to the punch by someone else.

"I'll do it," Guts said.

"Yeah, Guts!" Misato cheered from behind, "way to step up to the plate!"

Fuyutsuki ignored the Major's outburst and mulled over Guts' decision. The swordsman's extraterrestrial status still brought about concern for his loyalty to both NERV and the Earth itself; after all, this wasn't his home, what would he care if his actions led to the death of the planet's inhabitants.

Thinking back, however, Fuyutsuki recalled the impressive fight Guts had with the previous Angels. Had it not been for Guts, the operation would have been a complete disaster and NERV would be humiliated. There was also Gendo's promise to the Black Swordsman, and seeing how Guts was desperate to return home he would have to uphold his end of the bargain if he wanted the Commander's help.

Fuyutsuki nodded his head towards Guts. "Very well, Guts. We will put the task in your hands. Follow Major Katsuragi so she can further debrief you on how to use the diving equipment to enter the volcano."

Guts stood and made his way towards the exit of the debriefing room, where an ecstatic Misato was waiting for him. The two made their ways down the corridor, leaving the other three Children alone with Fuyutsuki.

"As for the rest of you," the Vice Commander recaptured their attentions, "get suited up and ready to move out. You will depart for Mount Asma in approximately one hour. That is all." With that, Fuyutsuki took his leave and left the room without another word.

"That was rather unexpected of Guts," Shinji said, staring at the empty chair next to him that Guts had been sitting in. In the entirety of the swordsman's stay in Tokyo-3, the Third Child always saw Guts look at everything with such apathy. It seemed obvious to Shinji that Guts didn't really care about their world, so seeing him volunteer like that came as quite the surprise.

Asuka, on the other hand, was fuming. "How dare that bastard steal my thunder like that! First he interferes with my first battle as an Eva pilot, and now he steals the spotlight by selflessly volunteering to dive into a volcano and capture a live Angel. That was supposed to be my job! Mine!"

"Perhaps we should set aside our personal feelings and believe in Guts' success," Rei interjected. "He appeared capable enough during the previous Angel battle, so I have faith he will carry out the mission without failure."

Asuka looked like she wanted to murder her fellow female pilot. "Fuck off, Wondergirl! Nobody cares what you think! God, why is everyone always against me!?" The redhead stormed off, muttering strings of curses.

Without the Second Child, the briefing room became eerily quiet. The two remaining pilots sat in an extended period of silence, staring straight ahead at the wall. Shinji, becoming slightly uncomfortable, began to twiddle his thumbs.

"We should get ready," Rei said, finally breaking the quiet atmosphere.

Shinji jumped. "Huh? Y-yeah, we should. See you, Ayanami." The First Child nodded, and both teenagers walked to their respective changing rooms to change into their plugsuits.

Mount Asma

Asuka was rarely intimidated by anyone in her life. Not her parents, her teachers, or even Commander Ikari himself instilled any sense of fear or unease in the redhead. She prided herself in the fact that she could butt heads with anyone without breaking a sweat.

Then Asuka met Guts. The man had never actually done anything to her, but something about him sent chills down her spine. When they would lock gazes, Asuka could see a storm of raging, unmatched intensity in the swordsman's lone eye that always forced her to look away every.

The Second Child couldn't help but let out a hearty laugh when she saw him at Mount Asma, however. Guts was wearing the diving suit that would allow him to enter the volcano, but looks were definitely not top priority when it was being designed. The Black Swordsman looked like he had put on a couple hundred pounds at least, and his tall stature made his appearance even more comical.

"Bwahaha! I'm really glad I don't have to go into the volcano now! Oh God, imagine if Kaji saw me in that thing!" Asuka began to have a mini panic attack as she pictured her beloved seeing her as morbidly obese. Guts, meanwhile, stood off to the side with his typical hardened expression. He didn't care what he looked like, but he did have to admit the suit was pretty uncomfortable to move around in.

'I hope this doesn't interfere with anything,' Guts thought.

"I know it looks silly," Misato said, "but unless you want to be turned into a pancake it's necessary to wear. We also put a similar suit on your Eva, but don't worry—despite its form it's been designed so your movements won't be inhibited during combat. You won't even remember you're wearing it half the time." The Major clapped her hands. "Now, get ready to sortie!"

The pilots scattered to get to their Evangelions. When the Children had cleared the room, Misato flopped into her office chair and pushed her heel against the floor of the mobile HQ, spinning herself in circles.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Misato leaned her head over the back of the chair, staring at an upside-down image of Ritsuko typing away at a terminal.

"Think of the valuable data that could be had from studying a live Angel," Ritsuko said, eyes never leaving the screen. "We could possibly save humanity if we're lucky; besides, the Commander gave the order, so we don't really have much of a choice anyways."

Misato sighed. "That is true," she said, giving herself another spin on the chair.

"I believe," Ritsuko said, "the real question we should be asking ourselves is why Guts is dressed up to storm a castle underneath the diving suit." When Guts first arrived at the base of the volcano, he was already wearing his full battle attire, complete with the massive Dragonslayer on his back. It was as if he was going to challenge the Angel on foot.

"Yeah, it's a little weird," Misato agreed, "but he told me it was like some kind of good luck charm. It still fits under the suit, so as long as he can still pilot no harm no foul."

"The Entry Plugs have been inserted," Aoba called out. "Units 00, 01, 02, and 03 are online!"

"Perfect," Misato said, sitting upright. "Is Guts in position?"

"Yes. He's ready to be lowered in any second."

Asuka's voice chimed in over the comms. "What's with all the planes?" she asked. A cluster of bombers flew overhead, circling the NERV crew like vultures. The Second Child assumed they were there to help assist them in capturing the Angel.

"That's the U.N.," Misato explained, "and they're here to drop an N2 mine on us if there is a risk of the Angel escaping." Asuka didn't say anything else on the mic after that.

In Unit-03, Guts hung suspended by a crane over the crater of the volcano. His view was slightly obstructed because of the suit, but he could still see the pool of lava he was about to submerge himself into several hundred meters below. Still, like always, Guts remained calm and ready. 'I hope this works,' the swordsman thought. He was denied the Dragonslayer that was built for his Eva, on the grounds that it was too cumbersome and may get caught on the cables that would be lowering him. Instead, all Guts had to work with was a Prog Knife and a special net that was designed specifically for capturing the Angel. The feeling of going into a fight and not having his weapon of choice left the Black Swordsman with a sense of nakedness.

A video feed of Misato popped up in Guts' peripheral vision. "Guts, can you hear me?" she asked.

"Loud and clear," he answered.

"We're about to lower you. Are you ready?"

Guts nodded his head, gripping the long metal pole of the net in his Eva's hands. He felt a violent jolt rattle Unit-03's body, and slowly yet steadily the pool of lava began to creep closer.

Even though he was wearing the protective suit, Guts still flinched slightly when the sensation of his feet making first contact with the lava reached him in the Entry Plug. Expecting to feel a burning sensation, the swordsman instead felt absolutely nothing at all. It was as if he was floating in a pool of extra thick water. Unit-03 kept sinking deeper and deeper into the lava.

Back on the surface, Asuka let out a dramatic sigh. The remaining pilots were told to remain on standby, and they were to act only in the case of an emergency. Naturally, this led to the Second Child becoming extremely bored. She tried to strike up a conversation with someone, but Rei and everyone at HQ were currently in mission mode and Shinji was being his usual quiet-self.

"Hey, Guts," Asuka said, "what's it like down there?"

"Dark," was Guts' blunt reply. As soon as the head of Unit-03 went under the lava, Guts' vision went black as he was shrouded in darkness. This was expected, and after a few seconds of nothingness the Eva's flood lights flashed to life. While the lights certainly helped, however, the Black Swordsman still couldn't see more than an arm's-length away.

As Guts continued to dive deeper into the volcano, the pressure exerted on his suit increased greatly. He would often hear it groan as it fought against the lava to prevent him from being crushed and incinerated simultaneously.

Roughly ten minutes after he was first lowered into Mount Asma, Guts came to a stop. "Do you see anything yet?" Misato asked. Looking at her chart, Guts was at the exact coordinates where the Angel was supposed to be. But instead of an Angel, all Unit-03's video feed was showing was a dark void in every direction.

"Nothing here," Guts answered, turning his head around.

Misato tapped a pen against her cheek. The only logical option was to continue Unit-03's descent, but they were already starting to push the limits of the diving suit; Guts' life would be at a much higher risk if he went any deeper.

'Still, we can't just leave an Angel sitting at the bottom of a volcano,' the purple-haired Major thought. She put the microphone up to her mouth: "Guts, we're going to need to go deeper to find the Angel. Are you OK with that?"

"Yeah, keep doing what you're doing," Guts said, still seemingly uncaring as ever. The cables began to move, and once more Guts was sent sinking.

As Misato stared at the depth counter on one of the screens, she began to become more and more tense as the number continued to grow. Was Guts' suit going to hold? Will the cables snap? Is the Angel even still in the volcano? All these questions raced through her mind.

Guts was also beginning to worry, but for entirely different reasons. He was starting to doubt if the Angel was actually here, and if it wasn't he would have to wait even longer for the next sighting to—

Movement to the swordsman's left caught his eye. It was quick, and nobody else seemed to notice it, but Guts knew what he saw. "It's near," he said.

Everyone's ears perked up. "The Angel?" Misato exclaimed. "Where? Where is it!?"

"It's to my left, right about…" Guts twisted Unit-03's torso, whipping it around to face the Angel. "...here." His neck tingled in anticipation.

It looked like a fossil. Sandalphon had no visible limbs on its body, and its lone, unblinking eye stared lifelessly at the Eva in front of it. Guts' was mere meters away, but the Angel appeared to simply float harmlessly in the lava.

"Great!" Misato pumped her fist, "you found it! Now just put it in the net and we'll raise you back up!"

'Capture it? I don't think so,' Guts thought, ignoring the Major's orders. He went to grab the hilt of his Prog Knife, but before he could a deep, animalistic roar resonated throughout the volcano and Guts' Entry Plug. The noise was so loud, all NERV personnel on the surface could hear it as well.

"What the hell?" Guts said through gritted teeth; his Brand spurted blood, making his neck spasm. Right in front of him, Sandalphon began to grow and morph dramatically. A tail blindsided the swordsman, knocking out Unit-03's floodlights.

"Guts!" Misato yelled, watching his screen go dark, "what's happening!? Are you alright!?" The Angel had also knocked out the audio feed; static was the only sound being sent back to HQ.

"Unit-01 and Unit-02 are moving towards the opening of the volcano!" Maya called out.

"What!?" Misato rushed over to where Maya was sitting. On the lieutenant's monitor, Shinji could be seen running in a full sprint, with Asuka not far behind.

Misato was sent into a frenzy. "Shinji! Asuka!" she shrieked into the mic, "what the hell are you two doing!? I order you to stop!" Her orders fell on deaf ears, and she watched helplessly as the two Evas dove into the volcano with no protective gear.

"Reverse the cables! Get Guts out of that volcano now!" The purple-haired woman stared at the black monitor with a look of distress. Three of the four pilots were in the volcano fighting the Angel, and she had no way of seeing if they were winning or not.

Guts did his best to settle into a combat stance, but his bulky gear and lack of solid ground was making it difficult. He was also completely blind, so the swordsman was relying entirely on his ears to fight.

Sandalphon was much faster and more agile in the lava, and every time Guts got his bearings it would swim by and slam its body into Unit-03, sending it tumbling. "Goddamn bastard," the Black Swordsman muttered, "quit toying with me!" Guts blindly slashed his Prog Knife in a wide arc in front of him, knicking Sandalphon in the arm with its tip. The Angel let out another roar and barreled into Unit-03, its limbs wrapping themselves around the Eva and digging into the suit.

Guts growled in frustration. "If they could drop me my sword like last time, I'd really appreciate it." He kicked the Angel off of his body, and Sandalphon swam back around for another go at him.

"Come on, come on…" Guts floated, motionless, waiting. A sound from behind made his ears twitch, and with a swift turn the Black Swordsman drove his fist straight into Sandalphon's head.

The Angel let out a cry of pain, but it didn't lose any momentum and wrapped its body around Guts once more. It beat against the Eva in a fury, and with its one arm grabbed Unit-03's right arm and ripped it off at the elbow.

Pain shot through Guts' arm, and because of the darkness he thought he had actually lost the limb for a second. The swordsman flexed his fingers, however, and to his immediate relief discovered that his arm was still intact.

Guts used his Eva's good arm and wrapped it around Sandalphon's back, pressing the Angel against him in an attempt to crush it. The Angel howled and thrashed, trying to break free, but Guts held it in place and kept squeezing harder.

Unit-03 jerked suddenly, but it wasn't because of Sandalphon. Inside the Entry Plug, Guts began to feel like he was being dragged upwards.

'They're trying to bring me back,' Guts thought. The Angel in his grasp continued to struggle, but it made no progress. He would take it to the surface where he could see and finish it off there.

Then, Guts saw a light above him. 'I'm already this close to the surface?' he thought, confused. Another light followed behind the first one, but they moved too fast before Guts could put two-and-two together.

A huge force smashed into Guts and the Angel, causing it to roar in anguish. The lights illuminated Sandalphon's horrible features for a brief second, revealing a Prog Knife that was jammed straight through its skull. Even though it was submerged in lava, the Angel's blood seeped out of its wound and drifted around Unit-03.

Guts' felt a vibration in his chest, and a hellish scream was unleashed.

Minutes Later - Mount Asma

Misato's foot tapped wildly as she stood outside, her gaze locked onto the summit of Mount Asma. The Major had heard nothing from any of the pilots in the volcano since the Angel attacked, and with every passing second her anxiety continued to increase.

"Calm down, Misato," Ritsuko told her colleague, lighting a cigarette. "Their comms systems went down, so that's why we haven't heard anything from them." She placed a hand on Misato's shoulder. "The Children have been through worse. I'm sure they're all fine."

A strained smile found itself on Misato's lips. "Yeah, I guess you're right, Rits. Three Evangelions against one Angel is hardly a fair fight any—"

The door to the mobile HQ flew open, interrupting Misato. A panicked Maya stood at the doorway.

"They're gone!" she shouted. "All of them! The Entry Plugs are empty!"