+++++ Ikari Manor. Tuesday, +21.

"…We shouldn't be here."

Washu bit back the retort she'd been about to bark out, instead opting for a gentle touch, "Tsunami, either speak with more specificity, or remain silent. It was your inability to control what you were saying that landed us in this situation."

"I know," the bluenette whispered in shame. "You haven't seen what I've seen, you can't understand what we are facing without that awareness." Dressed in her traditional apparel, the statuesque goddess took several deep breaths to calm her nerves. "Please, ask him to come out here. It will be safer out in the open."

"I'm already behind you, Sasami-san." It wasn't Shinji's intention to startle the goddess with that statement, and he felt a little silly for having done so after she screamed and whirled around to face him with her eyes wide. "I'm sorry!" Bowing, he apologized again, "I'm really sorry. I thought you would have heard me walking on the grass."

"Please ignore my spaz of a sister for a moment," Washu intervened, approaching Shinji and subsuming him in a hug. "That's not Sasami anymore, ok?" Keeping her voice low, she tried to brace him against any remorse he might feel, "She…completely joined with my sister, Tsunami. It's a long story, and a very sore point with Misaki, but it would be rude to let you keep calling her something she's not."

"…Oh." Shinji wasn't certain what to feel, owing to him not understanding what he had just been told, but the fact that the young woman who'd tried hard to help him was now gone did not strike him as a moment for joy. "I…uh…I never got to say goodbye."

His worry and anxiety pulled Tsunami into the discussion before Washu could continue, "She is still here, she still exists as a part of me!"

"The way a piece of steak exists after you've consumed it," Washu sighed out, releasing Shinji from the hug and facing her sister with a frown. "For now, let's focus on what we've gathered here to do, ok? There'll be plenty of time for explanations about comparative eschatology after we don't need to worry about time-controlling visitors anymore."

Shinji took his cue from Washu, as the more 'trusted' person present, and pushed past his confusion for the moment. "Uhm…ok, what, uh…what do I need to-" Cutting off as a sizable earthquake shook the ground around them, he fought for balance as both goddesses present simply floated up to avoid the trembling earth. After a few seconds, the shaking stopped and he shook off the natural concern for his own safety to look back at the house, "Is…uh…." He mentally corrected himself, the floating house. "The manor can float?"

"We're opposed to allowing what we build to fall down because of tectonic plates shifting," Washu replied drolly. "Good balance, though. Well done keeping your feet."

He snorted out a laugh. "Yeah, getting myself pummeled by Misaki has really-" Another, slightly larger, quake once more stopped him from continuing. This time, it was paired with his cellphone ringing out the 'Angel Alarm'. After the earth stopped moving, he yanked out the device and hit 'answer', "This is Shinji."

"Captain, we request you make all possible haste towards NERV," Kozo's voice seemed older than ever. "This is not a drill, sadly."

"On my way!" Hanging up, he looked to Washu. "Get Rei, get her there quickly. Tsunami-san, can you do the same kind of trick with the openings that go between places?"

Seemingly in awe of the switch in Shinji's personalities, the bluenette goddess nodded mutely. Opening a portal to where he'd been thinking of, she walked through it with him into the men's lockers near the Evangelion hanger. Realizing where she was, and finding it fortunate that nobody else had been present, she quickly turned away from Shinji to give him privacy as he put on his plugsuit. Unfortunately, she found that by turning around all she had done was give herself a reflected view off of the wall-sized mirror. "I apologize, I-"

Unaware that he was being ogled, Shinji waved off whatever it was that she had been about to apologize for. "Don't worry about it right now. I don't understand what happened with Sasami-san, I don't understand why Washu's angry, and I don't understand why every time I try to do something important another damn Angel shows up. What I do know, is that I'm going to need you to go make sure everyone back home stays safe. You can't do anything here, not without causing more problems." Hitting the button to electrolyze his suit so that it compressed against his body, he moved to where she could see him in person. "Avoid Misaki, do what you can. Tell Jishin and Ashi I asked you to help, and they'll bring you up to speed on what we're doing."

Dropping into a curtsey, she intoned, "As you command, Hel Binder." She then disappeared to be about her assigned task.

Pausing only long enough to mouth the words she'd used, Shinji shook his head and took off towards the gantries.

+++++ NERV Tokyo-3 Command Bridge. Tuesday, +21.

Watching Shinji sprint over to Unit-01, Kozo began to relax some. "He has become rather adept at arriving here quickly."

Misaki, who had arrived to give cover for Shinji's quick appearance and avoid Tsunami, nodded twice. "He spends his free time preparing himself to face what may come. While learning languages with his peers, he works on his flexibility. When he wakes in the morning, he ensures he has what he needs to leave at a moment's notice. We are very proud of him."

Catching sight of Rei as she hurried over towards Unit-00, Kozo watched the young Angel-human hybrid clone of Shinji's mother wave towards her 'leader', causing Shinji to stop before climbing aboard the lift that would take him up to the entry plug. When girl arrived at boy, then joined him in an intimate embrace paired with a clearly romantic kiss, Kozo found his nerves regaining lost ground. "I…had been told that Captain Ikari had married his Executive Assistant. Was she making a joke?"

"She was not." Misaki did not bother to hide her approval, feeling the confidence boost Rei received from Shinji, and the emotional stability Shinji took from Rei. "His relationship status is well known to all appropriate parties, do not fear."

Proving themselves responsible, despite their youth, Rei and Shinji parted ways quickly to climb aboard their respective lifts. "You…do know who constitutes a portion of her DNA, yes?"

"I believe you have signed a document indicating the topic as…inappropriate, Commander."

Kozo allowed the topic to die, well aware that his life was currently only tolerated at best. Asuka arriving on the gantries in time to see Shinji and Rei climbing aboard their Evas gave him something to grab onto. "With all three here, we need to discuss deployment." He raised his voice enough to be heard down below the 'Throne of God', "Captain Katsuragi, do you have a plan in place for defeating this Angel?"

"Yes…and no, sir." Ignoring Ritsuko and Maya's arrival on the bridge, she turned to look up to Kozo. "Right now, all I have is a 'best guess' at where the Angel might try to make landfall, if that is the plan and not just a bombing campaign. Orbital tracking data is showing it on an almost eighty degree approach angle, which would put it close to the GeoFront, if you use 'close' to mean anywhere within a several kilometer area."

Ritsuko interjected, hoping to keep peace by ignoring the tension between her and Misato, "We can have a better idea in twenty minutes, sir. The MAGI are calculating the Angel's ability to steer once it begins its descent phase."

"I recommend we deploy the Evas using 'best guess' for now, sir. The tracks might get them there faster if we have the time to wait for Science, or they might jam, or we might lose power. Putting them in position now avoids 'mights' and 'maybes', and keeps the projected devastation from happening."

Sensing the mutual avoidance, Kozo filed that information away for later. "Deploy at your discretion, Captain. Make certain that they are aware of the potential for repositioning on short notice."

"Roger." Misato turned around and opened a channel to the pilots. "Ok, this bastard is threatening several hundred thousand lives, and that's just in the impact crater. If it hits, the MAGI predict a fireball sixty-four kilometers wide. Within three hundred and fifty kilometers, people's clothes will catch fire, their eardrums will burst, the oxygen will be sucked from their lungs. Within five hundred kilometers, trees will catch fire and crash to the ground. Buildings and homes within seven hundred kilometers will collapse. This area will be a crater thirty-six kilometers wide and a kilometer and a half deep. The only thing between millions of people and a really bad day…is you three. I'm going to deploy you in a triangle, spread out over the immediate area. Once we calculate where it's going to land, your HUD will feed you coordinates and ETA. First one there pops their A.T. Field at full power and gets ready to catch this asshole before impact. Whoever is next goes for a kill shot. We get one chance at this, and I have nothing but confidence in your ability to execute. Any questions?"

Both Shinji and Rei accepted their duty without commentary. The two of them had something to protect, both in each other and back in the home they now shared. Asuka, however, lacked their impulse control. "You expect us to just…catch something that size? That's your plan?"

"Feel free to opt out and watch from here, Pilot." Misato gestured towards Shinji's Eva while looking at Asuka through the camera. "I won't order anyone to commit to this that isn't on-board with the plan, and Captain Ikari has exceptional backup in Pilot Ayanami."

Scoffing and sputtering, Asuka rapidly backtracked, "I wasn't saying I wouldn't go, I'm just…this plan is stupid."

"This situation is stupid," Shinji added with a shrug. "We're in enormous robots designed to battle building-sized aliens on the ground, but we're also all we've got since the non-nuclear mines didn't do anything to this thing in orbit. I agree with Misato, if you're not ok with this possibly ending with us dead, I won't blame you for staying behind." Looking directly at Misato, he gestured with his thumb up to the ground far above. "Let's get me up top."

"I will join him," Rei added in her usual monotone. "I am prepared for launch."

"Shigeru, put Captain Ikari at Point Alpha, Pilot Ayanami at Point Bravo, stagger launch by ten seconds. Launch." Misato looked back to Asuka. "It's your choice. Let me know."

Gripping her control yoke tight enough that her knuckles popped, Asuka ground out, "Get me up there."

+++++ Tokyo-3. Tuesday, +21.

With Unit-01's head tilted up, Shinji waited patiently for time to pass. He couldn't hurry up the Angel's descent, and if he started getting anxious he would likely snap at Asuka to stop what had been ten full minutes of nonstop complaining. The closer it came to impact, the better the MAGI projections became, the more Shinji was advised to move and adjust where he was in preparation. Waiting for the next batch of adjustments, all he could do is look up to a gloriously blue sky and wonder when he'd first catch sight of yet another flaming object skipping across Earth's atmosphere. The memory made him smile. "Remember the shooting star, Rei?"

"I do. It was a welcome sight on an otherwise very painful evening," the bluenette replied with her own hint of joy.

Asuka, both irritated at being 'out of the loop' and at being ignored, asked, "What are you two going on about?"

"The night the big diamond attacked, Rei and I were waiting for everything to be set up and she taught me about what a shooting star is." Shinji saw a new set of coordinates to move to, and began walking. "It was so beautiful, I had never seen one before. Rei had to explain to me that it wasn't a star moving, but a rock skimming across the atmosphere. She didn't make fun of me, which was pretty nice of her."

"Ignorance can only be defeated with patient instruction," Rei replied, blushing slightly. "It does not serve a useful purpose to berate someone for their lack of experience, when that lack was not a product of their own self-isolation."

"What was painful about it?" Asuka began to move as well, ignoring Rei's input.

"Captain Ikari almost died," Rei answered for Shinji. "He protected Unit-00 and the positron cannon from the Angel's counterfire, after the first shot was countered and three fuses failed."

Stepping carefully around a fire tower, Shinji chuckled and shrugged. "If we worry about every time I've almost died, we're going to be here all day. I'm here, Angel's not."

As she generally did, Asuka rolled her eyes at what she felt was macho bravado. That brief second of inattention caused her to misstep and drop Unit-02's right leg down into an old quarry. After a series of uncontrolled flips and rolls, both pilot and Evangelion were out of the forthcoming fight.

"God damn it," Misato swore, slapping her desk. "Readjusting coverage area, keep your eyes on the terrain and watch your fucking footing!"

Doing as he was ordered, Shinji asked, "Maya, I can't see her on my HUD, is Soryu-san ok?"

Risking Misato's ire, Maya answered Shinji's question, "She's unconscious and bleeding, Captain, but her vitals show mostly green. We're trying to resuscitate her remotely. If we can get her back up and moving, we will."

"Visual contact," Rei declared softly. "Current trajectory shows…towards Unit-02."

"On my way!" With an object to track, the MAGI were now able to feed live targeting data to Units -01 and -00. A quarter of the way there, Shinji ejected his umbilical just as it was about to run out of lead to give him, hearing Rei do the same five seconds later. "Looks like I'm getting there first, Rei. Get ready to find and break the red orb, I'll keep it off the ground!"

"Understood. I will need-" Rei's signal suddenly cut, leaving the last of her statement a mystery.

Now too focused on his target to troubleshoot equipment, Shinji tried to use the people in the GeoFront as a radio, "I've lost signal with Unit-00, what does she need?"

"It's another Blue Pattern," Ritsuko announced, "inside Unit-00! Ejecting pilot to avoid contamination within the plug!"

Kozo, feeling that it would be highly unlikely they'd be able to recreate everything he'd destroyed, barked out, "Get a SAR team out there, now! What can we do about this Angel?"

"It's…manifesting as an infection near the core. This isn't good, permission to auto-destruct Unit-00?"

Alone against the Angel falling from the sky, Shinji fought through the dread realization that he could only focus on one enemy at a time. If he went to back up Ritsuko's struggle against this new Angel, the entire area would be wiped off the map. If he was too busy holding up the Angel, nobody would be able to attack whatever was developing. Reaching his target destination, he did his part and hoped that his team could do the rest. "Extending A.T. Field," he declared in a cold, emotionless tone. There was nothing more he could do. He had a team of people relying on him, and he would not fail them.

Unit-01 flexed its arms down towards its lower abdomen, instinctively spreading their conjoined A.T. Fields outwards. Obeying the commands of her son, the spirit of Yui Ikari and the Seed of Lilith helped him lift his arms upwards to the sky. Time began to compress as an Angel hundreds of times the mass of the enormous Evangelion bore down against the competing soul it carried. Dark streaks of lightning crackled and snarled across the surface of the raised dome of light, destroying the air and trees around them with waves of violently destructive energy radiating from the two titans. Slowly, agonizingly slowly, they made contact. An enormous eye, its two 'wings' spread along the surface of Shinji's A.T. Field, being held aloft by nothing more than the will of a single young man.

Shinji knew he was losing. He could feel the weight continue to grow, the laws of nature adding their inexorable pull to the greater mass he fought to keep away from the planet's surface. With his jaw locked, his face contorted into a rigid snarl, he refused to give up. There was always a chance, so long as he did his best. If he did not fail them, they might still succeed. Like petals unfurling, ten Light Hawk Wings added their power to restraining the Angel. Each blade curled up along the surface of the great eye, unable to do more than push back, delaying the inevitable for a few more precious seconds.

Stretched out, as if the battery playing her voice was dying, Shinji heard Washu announce, Ten Wings?! That's not possible. No mortal could hope to control that many, the universe itself can barely allow it!

He was not the 'immovable object' that Ritsuko had been speaking of during their physics study session. He refused to believe that the Angel was an 'unstoppable force'. His life had become a nonstop train of 'not possible'. It wasn't possible that someone would find him attractive, yet they did. It wasn't possible that he would find hope, yet he had. It wasn't possible for a machine the size of Unit-01 to move, let alone exist, yet it was here, pushing back against an alien from outer space.

With an infinite amount of love, he then heard Verðandy reply, Nothing is impossible for our Beloved…not so long as we keep our faith in him.

The song he always heard in Unit-01 spoke to him, Holy Bell reminding him that he was never, ever, alone anymore. You can succeed, Shinji. You can win. Victory is out there, waiting for you to grab hold…. We believe in you!

He might not have enough strength to hold up the sky, but he also had no idea how strong he actually was. C'mon…ten's nothing…just need…one…more…Wing…. Digging deeper within himself, seeking for the power to do the impossible just one more time, he felt the amulets on his biceps begin to heat up. Oh no…. He had forgotten about the two pieces of jewelry, the purpose they served, the limitations that had been given to him to stop him from destroying- He pushed the thoughts away as he remembered watching Verðandy weep over her own jewelry. She had been terrified that she would destroy the world, she had believed in a lie that had been repeated her entire life. She had given him a path towards victory.

Disbelieving the armlets, he reached into the ether between and demanded that it yield to him. He could feel them growing hotter and hotter on his arms, feel the edges beginning to crack as he pushed everything he was into gaining just one more Light Hawk Wing. His voice cracking, his jaw breaking, he finally unleashed a roar of determination as he pushed through the barriers between him and the victory his friends knew he could achieve. Both armlets exploded, peppering him with shrapnel as he took hold of victory and did his job.

+++++ NERV Tokyo-3 Command Bridge. Tuesday, +21.

From her position on the bridge, Misaki watched as Ritsuko killed the Eleventh Angel while Shinji used a stunning ten Light Hawk Wings to prevent the Tenth Angel from reaching the ground. Already drawing up the eulogy she might need to give in her mind, she felt her heart stop as an enormous eleventh Wing grew out of Unit-01's spine. No one, not the Angel, not the bridge staff, not the denizens of the Ikari Manor, was prepared to watch as that titanic blade rotated upwards and sliced clean through the Angel, killing it.

They had lost audio and visual contact inside of Unit-01, the gravitic interference at the point of impact too great to overcome for the 'human' technology in use. The instant the Angel died, both it and Unit-01 went limp and collapsed to the ground. A trembler, much smaller than otherwise would have happened, shook the forest for a few kilometers around the impact site. A cloud of debris blasted outwards, shaking the cameras that were bearing mute witness to the greatest success of Captain Ikari to date. Beyond that, there was only silence.

Silence on the bridge, as they waited for any sign of movement from their hero.

Silence in the forest, as nature itself paid homage to the young man who had saved it.

Silence in the Ikari Manor, as the women present sat stunned at what they had just witnessed.

Silence in Unit-01, as Shinji's wounds finally overtook him.

+++++ NERV Tokyo-3, Medical Ward. Tuesday, +21.

The waiting room near the surgical suite Shinji had been rolled into had filled to capacity quickly with pensive women waiting to see if the masquerade would have to fall to keep the hero alive. Pulling seniority, Ritsuko had kicked everyone from NERV out and allowed 'specialists' from Misaki's team to assist her. Through mental conversation, those on the outside of the suite were given frequent updates on what was happening within the suite.

His heart had stopped, again, and they were carefully restarting it to avoid overloading his spirit with the energy.

His torso wasn't accepting the healing as it should have, the existing scars stopping the flesh from knitting together until the wounds were debrided.

His pancreas and liver were little more than decorative meat slivers, the shrapnel having effectively been twin grenades firing point-blank.

His brain, the one thing that kept them from declaring him dead, had already burned through two different types of monitors that Washu had put on his head. There had been a discussion regarding putting another talisman of some kind on him to limit his powers again, but the idea that perhaps that might simply lead to more explosions had scuttled it before it could get too far out to sea.

It was near to midnight, most of those waiting in the room asleep where they could find space, when Funaho watched as Misato walked quietly in and looked around. Motioning with one hand for her to remain silent, the First Empress urged her back out of the room so that they could speak. She had nothing personal against the woman, but she was very much not 'family'. With the door secure behind her, she passed on the basic information that would be given to any friend or ally, "They are fighting to keep him with us, and he is fighting to stay. Right now, they are letting his body rest after removing all of the shrapnel that had embedded itself in him."

"…Fuck." Letting her professional demeanor slip away, Misato turned around and punched a nearby door hard enough to fracture the composite plastics it was made of. "Fuck." Blowing out a harsh sigh, she resumed her mask of professionalism and looked back to Funaho. "Sorry about that."

"An understandable reaction," Funaho allowed. "He would be sorely missed."

"Yeah, that's an understatement." Rubbing her knuckles, she worked her jaw for a bit before asking, "Is Doctor Akagi still in there?"

"She has not left the room. Her arts have managed to give us as much hope as we have, I dare say that few if any would have managed more."

"She shouldn't be working on him, it's against medical ethics." No longer looking at Funaho, she missed the slight scowl that the statement had brought. "He wouldn't want her to lose her license. He'd tell her that if he died…that she needed to be here to keep poor Ayanami-chan upright."

With the full statement in hand, Funaho gained a better understanding of Misato Katsuragi. "I have some small amount of pull with the UN. If anyone questions the situation, I'm sure I can ensure that she does not face sanctions. She is, after all, the best physician available to us."

"…Good." Calmer, but no less furious, she sighed and bowed politely to her 'superior'. "If you could ask them to keep me informed, I'd appreciate that. I'm going to go back to getting the Evas ready for the next fight, and I'll be keeping tabs on Ayanami as she goes through decontamination procedures."

"Of course. Please, if you would, share any news regarding Pilot Ayanami's recovery. We would split our number to sit outside her room as well, but we do understand the contamination protocols must be obeyed."

+++++ ?. Tuesday, +21.

Woozy and uncoordinated, Shinji stumbled his way into a form of consciousness. He could hear female voices asking him to calm himself, he could feel the touch of familiar hands trying to soothe his anxiety and anger, but it took several minutes before he was capable of seeing anything or making sense of the noise. The first thing he saw, to his surprise, was Skuld with her hands cupping his face. The younger Norn's words were slow, deliberate, and laden with encouragement. Only catching the tail end of her urging him to just focus on breathing, he nodded carefully and tried to speak, "I…was…in…."

"You were in the Eva, Sugar," Hild agreed, standing to his left and behind him while rubbing his back soothingly. "You won, the Angel died, but you had a bit of an 'oopise' in the process."

"Where…?" From what he could see, he was standing in a very bright and very open area constructed of an odd mix of soaring architecture and ethereal clouds serving as terrain that could be walked upon without issue. There were no less than five dozen humanoid beings, some with wings, standing and staring in his direction in a loose circle around them. Keeping them at bay, he finally noticed, was Verðandy. With a look of serenity on her face, and an aura that spoke of terrible violence kept leashed by their distance, his blue-blonde wife left keeping him upright to the others. "…Did I die?"

"Yes and no," Skuld rubbed her thumbs along his cheeks before dropping her hands, "but you are correct, we've taken an unexpected trip to my old home."

Strength and confidence began to return to his limbs, allowing him to stand tall on his own. "Did the other Angel die? The one inside Unit-00?"

Hild patted his butt, smiling with approval and joy at him not backing down from the odd situation he was now in. "Yes. It cost us Unit-00 itself, but Ritsuko managed to destroy the Angel and save Rei. The explosion did rather serious damage to the section of the city she was in when it happened, but no lives were lost that could be attributed to the event."

Understanding enough to know that some lives were still lost, Shinji let out a slow sigh. "We've never had two different Angels attack at the same time. They're learning." He frowned slightly at a sudden realization. "Why am I naked?"

"Because at the moment we were pulled here as one, owing to our Quartet, you were naked," Verðandy stated, loud enough for the audience to hear as well. "For some reason I have not been given, we have been cut off from access to the System Force and are not being allowed to provide you with the dignity you deserve."

Using a broad-bladed spear as a walking stick, a powerfully built woman worked her way through the ring of onlookers. Her long periwinkle hair was kept out of her face by an armored diadem, bits and pieces of metal seeming to reinforce portions of her body while not covering the entirety of it. In a voice that at once sought peace with Verðandy and urged everyone to be calm, she spoke well in advance of her approach, "It is a safety precaution, Goddess. When the Queen of Hel arrived, this area was cut off from the System Force to prevent treachery."

Verðandy's eyes followed the newcomer as she walked towards Shinji, a level of respect shown in how she did nothing to prevent the approach. "Is it nice to see you, Rind?"

Pausing a socially appropriate distance from Shinji, 'Rind' looked him up and down with a warrior's eye judging his scars. "Few of these are from battle, good sir. Nor are they from misadventure or recklessness." Reaching out gently with the hand not bearing her weapon, she traced one in particular. "Damage done to the flesh, damage done to the heart, damage done to the soul, damage done to the light." Her head shook in disapproval. "I presume we will be peaceful this day, Helreginn?"

"It's not her you have to worry about," Shinji stated flatly. "I have duties back on Earth that are not being taken care of in my absence. I'm going to become…unhappy, if I'm kept from them."

"As cunning and tricksy as I am," Hild interjected, "if I was going to launch my attack on Him I wouldn't start by showing up in the middle of nowhere with my Sugar here naked as the day he was born. Still, I'm surprised you Valkyrie haven't surrounded me with spears already."

Rind's lips curled upward at the edges, approval for Shinji's demeanor radiating from her. "You might not believe it, but it is because of this young warrior here that we have not." Letting her hand fall to her hip, she gestured towards one direction with her spear. "Let us go find him suitable clothing, while we discuss how best to return him home." Her eyes met Verðandy's. "It is always nice to see you, Verðandy. My heart will weep openly the day it is not." Turning her gaze towards their direction of travel, she raised her voice, "Make way for the Valkyrie!"

Before taking a single step, Shinji looked over to Verðandy and was heartened that she had done the same. Tilting his head slightly to make the unspoken question apparent, receiving a slow nod in return, he took up his traditional rearguard position and followed Skuld and Hild, who were following Rind. Once Verðandy reached his side, he lowered his voice enough to not be overheard, "Please tell me that I didn't die and kill all of you."

"There is something of a grace period with the Doublet System, you were revived within that grace period to a state of 'living' that prevented it activating," taking his arm, she walked alongside him with all of the pride she had within her, "and then you died three more times. Doctor Akagi is leading the charge in keeping you from dying permanently, I have faith that she will rise to the moment."

Grunting out a dissatisfied sound, he continued taking in the scenery around them. "Is Washu right about the Light Hawk Wings?"

"Ten was believed to be the theoretical limit, as no one had ever managed to even begin to summon an eleventh. That you were able to do what no one else could is not surprising to me, though." She looked up at him with her heart in her eyes and unwavering confidence in her voice, "My husband can do anything he sets his mind to."

Her confidence was infectious. "I will not fail any of you."

After several minutes of walking, they reached a massive tower surrounded by women of a type with the one leading them. Once they were within a hundred meters, an honor cordon formed along their path. Weapons of all makes were held in 'Present Arms', their bearers standing in mute respect as the group passed through.

Unaware and unaccustomed to such things, Shinji asked curiously, "Is this for you, Ðandy?"

"It is for you, good sir," Rind called back over her shoulder. "For what you are, and what you will one day be."

Several questions came to mind, though he kept them all to himself for the moment. Once they reached the door into the tower, the honor cordon shifted position to a defensive posture. It was made evident that no one would enter without approval, or an unthinkable amount of bloodshed.

"First Class War Goddess Rind," a powerful voice boomed from the other end of the entry hall, "who is it you have brought to these hallowed halls?" Standing with his hands on the cross-guard of a gigantic sword, the tip buried in the stone before him, a winged androgynously male entity stood with several others to accept them.

Stepping off to the side, leaving Shinji to be flanked by Skuld, Hild, and Ðandy, Rind matched her superior voice for voice, "I have gone forth as requested and returned with our unexpected guests, Lord Archangel. I have verified that he is who has been foretold, and hereby present to you with the crown of my life's honors…Shinji Ikari, Hel Binder."

"HAIL SHINJI IKARI," the tower fairly boomed with thousands of voices, "HAIL HEL BINDER!"

"Well…I am into some kinky stuff," Hild murmured beneath her breath.

Ðandy released his arm, urging him forward slightly. "Recognize what they've done."

Looking around the palatial room, five tiers high with balustrades lining the various tiers packed full of warriors holding their weapons aloft, Shinji once more found himself in a situation with absolutely no clue what to do. Why were these people calling him the same thing Tsunami had? Why were they acting like he was something more than a pilot of a giant mech? What had he done to deserve something this…dignified? Swallowing, he kept his volume moderated to something intended to reach the other side of a room instead of trying to yell as they had, "It is a pleasure to meet you all," he bowed, as he believed proper. "Please, take good care of us."

This time, when the Lord Archangel spoke, it was with friendly amusement and joy, "As self-effacing as you have ever been, Hel Binder. It is our pleasure to welcome you here. If you would allow us the honor, we have prepared raiment befitting your status."

Without requiring a command to do so, two lower ranking women approached from either side of the group, bearing a mixture of water, cloth, leather, and metal. The one to his right, emerald green hair flowing down her shoulders, spoke quietly to him as she reached his side, the woman on his left, light grey hair cropped neatly at her ears remaining mute, "We arrive as we are at the moment of our death, Hel Binder, and it is no shame of yours that you arrived with the blood of battle still clinging to your body. Please, let us quickly wash away the dust of your travels."

This is how they show their deference to you and your position, Skuld's voice whispered in his mind. Just put your arms out a little to the sides, they'll handle the rest.

Uncomfortable with the idea, but not wanting to screw up what had been a peaceful arrival, Shinji did as requested and lifted his arms out from his body enough that they could reach whatever they needed to. Awkward didn't even begin to describe how he felt as hundreds of battle-hardened warriors watched him be bathed by a pair of strangers, but childhood discipline kept him from squirming as it had never led anywhere good.

Several minutes later, he was helped into underclothing that supported the parts of his body that weren't meant to be seen by the general public. He was then fitted with a loose blouse and hose that would protect his body from the leather and metal armor that he'd discovered they had been bearing. His feet and calves were encased in metal, save for his soles which were kept from the floor by thick, coarse, leather soles. His knees and thighs were wrapped in a flexible, yet sturdy, leather that had been dyed evenly to appear just ceremonial enough to be 'dressy' without being flamboyant. Over the blouse he'd been given, he wore a light leather jerkin adorned with a deceptively strong chain mail. His arms were given the same flexible leather that his knees and thighs had, his shoulders and upper arms capped with the same metal that his feet and calves received. His hands, second to last, were fitted with leather gloves, chainmail fastened to the backs by straps that were fitted through a central ring in his palms to protect against slicing attacks. Finally, and with a holy reverence, the two women draped a velvet sleeveless tabard emblazoned with a seal that Shinji had never seen in his life atop his shoulders. With a kiss upon the side of his jaw facing them, they bowed and backed away.

The degree of freedom he felt while wearing the armor was astonishing, as if his body wasn't hampered in the slightest despite the exceptionally solid craftsmanship. What he discovered, additionally, was that a massive amount of his anxiety had gone away with the constant physical pressure against his skin. Flexing his hands to work the gauntlets into place, he breathed in the thinly scented oils they'd coated the leather in. "Smells like Maya," he murmured happily.

It's cinnamon and vanilla, Skuld offered. I'm getting the feeling they know something we don't.

Hild scoffed, Next thing, you'll tell me the sky's blue. "Ok, neighbor, you've got him all gussied up and ready to start cutting people into little ribbons. What gives with the pomp and circumstance?"

"Patience, please, dear sister," the giant of a man asked politely. "You of all people are aware of what too much knowledge can do to even the stoutest of souls." Returning his attention to Shinji, he hefted his sword and slid it into the scabbard along his back, then walked down the stairs to drop to one knee before him, head bowed in supplication. "I humbly beg of you, what is your Purpose?"

Hearing the same inflection in the word 'Purpose' as he had in 'Order', Shinji managed to put together that he wasn't being asked about something simple. "If you're asking me why I'm here, I don't know. If you're asking me what I want to do in life…I want to protect those I love. I want to give them the chance to become what they want. I want to give everyone the freedom to become what they want, free of giant alien attacks and abusive parents and random visits from people who refuse to give their names." Quieter, he gave his prayer, "I want to not fail them."

The Lord Archangel's wings flared outward, blazing crimson and gold flame. His head lifted to face Shinji with his eyes radiating the light of his soul. When he spoke, it was with a million voices, "So speaks the Hel Binder, so speaks Creation." Standing, he turned slowly around to face the assembled legions. "I hereby declare Shinji Ikari, Hel Binder, sacrosanct. Any who wish to do him harm must face justice at my hand. Any who seek to undermine him must face justice at my hand. Any who seek to aid his cause…speak now, or forever be branded with your cowardice."

The roar of the gathered struck Shinji as a physical wave. Standing as he was, unarmed yet armored, he felt at once as if he were larger than Unit-01 and so humbled that a caterpillar would be above him. He was surrounded, literally, by a fortress of death. He was safe…he was crying.

+++++ ?. Tuesday, +21.

It was half of an hour later, from Shinji's perspective, that he was seated upon a comfortable chair with Hild on his lap sideways idly playing with his hair. Skuld and Verðandy had left with Rind, seemingly to discuss something regarding their father, leaving Shinji and Hild to speak with their host for the time being, Michael. The titan of a being placed a tea service before Shinji, allowing Hild to serve him as she would, then sat down across from him with his greatsword leaning against the nearby mantle of the fireplace. "I understand that you have many questions, Hel Binder, but I fear that I must disappoint you for the moment. Here, though, is what I can tell you: your trials are being observed closely, they are necessary to prove your mettle, and they do have a clear end in sight."

"Who is observing him? Tyr?" Hild seemed only marginally less confused than Shinji, to him. "This 'Order'?"

Michael indicated in the negative with a shake of his head. "Tyr is currently undergoing a serious crisis of identity. For too long has he been allowed to believe himself the pinnacle of all creation, and he is now being faced with undeniable evidence of his folly. He is bidden by forces greater than himself to appease the Hel Binder, and to choose his own doom." Tapping one finger idly against the armrest of his chair, he turned his gaze to the fireplace burning merrily away in perpetuity. "The matter of Order, though, is true. She is observing very closely, and is seeking a crack in the Hel Binder's resolve to exploit. I have little fear that she will find one, given his stated intentions."

"Do you know Order, Michael-sama?" The first words Shinji had spoken for quite some time caused a vague look of amusement in his host.

"I serve you, Hel Binder, not the reverse. Please, do not seek to venerate me so." His gentle admonition given, he answered the actual question, "Only one entity that I know of has met Order herself, but we do know her by her deeds and the company she keeps. Someday, should you surmount your trials, you will meet the one I speak of. She is…undergoing her own trials, as she fights to discover her sense of self again after having her worldview shattered."

Hild, ever the political creature, pieced together the nature of who he spoke of. "She worked for Order…are you certain you trust her?"

"You work against Law," he countered, "and yet I sit here without my weapon hilt deep in your head. Things are not what they seemed to be, dear sister…things are very much not what they had seemed to be."

"Why do you keep calling me your sister?" Hild's eyebrows knit together in confusion. "And why does it not sound like a lie when you say it?"

"That is a much longer story, and one that will be pointless the instant you hear of it." Michael waved off the topic. "It is as I said, too much knowledge can be destructive. You heard my oath, you know it for true, I defend the Hel Binder. The forces of the High Heavens will not assault him without facing me. Should you manage to keep the…rabble from harming him, all he must do is defeat the Adamites in open combat. There are six yet to come, and none should be considered 'weak' if you are to succeed."

"Six?" Shinji blinked, the 'light at the end of the tunnel' suddenly seeming far closer than he'd thought possible. "Only six?"

"Hot damn," Hild enthused, bouncing playfully in his lap. "Six Adamites, one Tyr, and then you and I can go on a long vacation filled with as much hedonistic joy as you ask for."

A sigh escaped Michael's lips. "Sister, please do not speak of such things around me. I appreciate that your nature is inclined towards…excess, but I do not need the mental imagery it implies to linger so."

"I'm sure I can find a nice woman or two for you," she batted her eyelashes innocently towards her 'brother', "or men, if you'd prefer. I don't judge."

"I do not find myself as inclined to your specific whims, thank you. My joy is held elsewhere, and I have easy enough access to it when I desire." Michael's face hardened as the main door to the room opened, his awareness of who was entering allowing him time to slowly rise to his feet while motioning for Shinji to remain seated. "Good day, Tyr. I presume you have arrived at a decision?"

Striding into the room, thunderclouds in his hard gaze, Verðandy and Skuld's father only halted when it was clear that Michael was not going to move out of his way. Angered at the fact that the Lord Archangel was standing between him and his target, Tyr's voice was just shy of an indignant roar, "Why was I not informed that she was here? Why are you sitting in the Chief Valkyrie's office as if you own it? This is still My dom-"

Shinji, with his eyes crushed shut, ground out in a voice louder than he'd intended, "Why does everyone have to yell?"

"My Liege requests that you temper your volume, Tyr." Michael's use of his name and not station further pressed home the fact that a regime change was in process. "Though, to be clear, I will answer your questions. First, you were not informed because your consent was not required. Nor, to be honest, was it desired. My sister has not come under color of violence, nor has she come willingly. She was summoned here, the same as your daughters, the same as my liege, because you brought him here early in the hopes that you could set off the system of mutually assured destruction you have cultivated. It was not, is not, and will not be his time to answer for his life's deeds for quite a while yet. Second, I am sitting in this office because I relieved the Chief Valkyrie of her duties once I realized that the only reason she was serving in this position was to prevent the total lawlessness you have cultivated through your almost casual ineptitude." When Tyr opened his mouth to retort, Michael's sword was suddenly in his hand with its tip just beneath Tyr's jaw. "Interrupt me, and I will relieve you of the last of your freedom."

"Michael," Shinji asserted hesitantly, "that…is still my wives' father. Please don't kill him until I have a chance to try finding a peaceful resolution."

"Sugar, a father doesn't push his daughters into a suicide pact. He certainly doesn't do so when he's just going to try and activate it, killing them in the process." Hild, trying and failing to hide her glee at watching her one-time lover get his comeuppance, softly stroked Shinji's cheek with the back of her nails while helping him see the whole truth. "He pushed dear Verðandy to take up your case, knowing fully well that you would tie her to you. He took away her freedom. If you leave him alive, he'll continue to search for ways to cause trouble."

Driving the tip of his sword into the ground, Michael acquiesced to Shinji's request. "It is not a terrible thing to give someone a chance to prove themselves better than they seem, sister. So long as he does not do anything…untoward, I will let him hear the words of my liege."

"You should not listen to the poisoned words of that harlot," Tyr spat out before Shinji could speak. "She twists the truth the way that a weaver fashions a rope, so that one can dangle from the end of it as their life is choked from them."

With a quiet sigh, Shinji set Hild on her feet and stood to face his father-in-law. "She has never once lied to me, sir. I…understand that you feel slighted that the two of you couldn't stay together, for whatever reason, but attacking her is not going to help us find a path forward." Placing himself two paces from Tyr, he spread his hands to demonstrate that he was dealing in good faith. "Instead, why don't you help me understand where you're coming from?"

"You believe that I still hold affection for that black-hearted whore?" Tyr scoffed, disgusted. "Her, and those like her, bring nothing but chaos and disorder to the lives of those unfortunate enough to know them. If you want peace, leave. Go back and allow the accords to be finalized. Accept your place, and leave me to mine."

Stepping up alongside Shinji, embracing him from his flank, Hild began to stroke his chest lightly while pressing her generous proportions against him. "You want to know where he's coming from, Sugar?" Her smile was sinister as she glared at Tyr. "The truth is that I wouldn't submit to his rule. I wouldn't subjugate my lands to his. He doesn't seek partnership, he seeks dominion."

"The rightful place of Niflheim is in subservience to the Will of the Heavens, witch," Tyr exploded.

"Oh?" Slowly, with a sultry strut, Hild moved around to where she was standing facing Shinji. Dropping slowly to one knee, as if about to engage in something far different than swearing an oath, she looked up at the man she'd become tied to with victory clear in her eyes. "I, Hild, do hereby and in perpetuity swear my subservience to the Will of the Heavens…Shinji Ikari."

The sound of a lock clanging shut was almost enough of a distraction to prevent Shinji from acting. Tyr, seemingly in two places at once, had lunged forward at inhuman speed with clear intent to crush Hild's head. Setting four Wings of the Light Hawk in a defensive posture between her and her former lover, Shinji caught his fist and felt the pressure wave from contact smash through the room, sending the books scattering and the fire nearly extinguishing. Holding the shield in place, struggling to control his rage, Shinji spoke with the chill of the grave, "You will not hurt her…you will not hurt anyone I love." Inverting the shield, he gained control of Tyr's arm entirely. Watching for a few seconds as the tyrant struggled in vain to escape, he walked around Hild to look his captive audience in the eye. There was nothing there that spoke of peace. Nothing of balance. What he saw was the same thing he saw every time his uncle became drunk…it disgusted him. "Michael, would you please take this thing somewhere it won't make a mess and grant it peace? I would like a word with Hild in private."

"Of course, my liege." Grabbing Tyr by the back of the head, both Archangel and Lord disappeared in the blink of an eye.

With a slow breath in, and a slower exhale, Shinji closed his eyes and let his head droop forward. "Hild…what did you do?"

"I married a good and honest man," she admitted without guile. "I sat there, watched as you tried your best to find a way to make peace with a rabid dog, and realized that the best revenge I would ever have would be to show that colossal taint on the universe what actual love looked like." The sound of her clothes sliding to the floor followed. "I don't care if Michael doesn't kill him, because he now knows that all I ever wanted was a man that would look at me and see me, not just the admittedly phenomenal flesh."

Turning his head enough that he could see over his shoulder, he was treated to the true vision of beauty that was her nude form. "HIld…we're in public."

"That didn't stop you and dear Hikari."

It hadn't. "…So long as you're certain."

Stepping forward and pulling him free of his armor in a single motion, leaving the leather and metal to stand on its own as if a soldier guarding them, Hild set her form against his naked body with a victorious smile. "Sugar, I have never been more certain in my life."

+++++ Author's Notes:

Vikingsx7: RE: Schematics.

Maya lied. To quote, relevant statement underlined, "The Evas have low-power cameras on them, so that we can find where you are using landmarks in the event of our systems going down like this." Maya waggled her tablet phone, lying fluently. "I frequently get ramen from the shop down the street, so I recognized where you were from the images. When the power came back on and we got a satellite uplink from your GPS, we were already halfway here."

She was covering for the fact that Holy Bell had told Verðandy exactly where Shinji was, giving Asuka a cover story that allowed the masquerade to be maintained. Asuka, being competent and intelligent, but wholly untrusting of anything anyone says, thought that NERV was hiding stuff on the schematics instead of thinking that Maya was lying because the lie was so fluent and audacious that it was easy to believe. Maya knew her audience, tailored the lie, and capitalized on the situation.

Guest: RE: Asuka and useless.

Shinji didn't feel that she was useless. He even admitted that she might have been right to press instead of sit still, using up their battery life. There are a lot of 'what if' questions to be asked after any engagement, which is why the After-Action Report (AAR) is commonplace in military organizations with even a base level of competence. Asuka's biggest flaw is that she's a narcissist. Asuka's biggest weakness is her bi-polar disorder. She doesn't intentionally sabotage herself, but she doesn't exactly put herself in the best position to maximize her talents. If this story was about Asuka, I'd probably spend more time fleshing out her character and helping her overcome her problems. Since this story is about Shinji, and not Shinji x Asuka, I'm using the same shorthand I do for all of the other tertiary characters. I've written more than a few notes in my stories explaining how I view Asuka, I've never once even crosswise implied that I view her as 'useless'.