Mobile Fighter Evangelion [NGE/AU/Not a Gundam crossover]

[Ultra Sonic 007]

/The Next Day/

/October 12, 2015/

/Maintenance Bay B4, NERV-2, Berlin-2, Germany/

Kaworu Nagisa watched in contemplation as a number of orange-suited technicians scurried over the form of the Mark 06, analyzing the armor components and determining which ones needed replacement. In particular, the hands were stripped of their armor and dipped into a large container; this container contained a liquid solution that was quite murky, its color a cross between beige and pink. The solution would facilitate the Evangelion's own healing processes; by the end of the day, one wouldn't know that it had been subjected to napalm not more than two days ago.

Moving about with diligence, focusing intently on their duties. For beings without absolute knowledge of their very selves, their commitment can be…impressive. The silver-haired nephilim took in the sight of the various artificial lights, the walls of metal and the twisting ventilation; this was but one part of a much larger complex, a veritable cell amidst the greater body.

The Lilim were very…enterprising.

The boy briefly tugged at the high collar of his red jacket; his uniform was not NERV-issue, but it clearly marked him as a member of the Lorenz Estate. The padded shoulders were stout and firm, covered with golden threads. Affixed to these shoulders and the back of the collar was a black crocheted cape, coming down to the middle of his back, with the front lapels converging towards a fixed point beneath the front collar. On the front of the high red collar was the image of a golden falcon, seamlessly merging with the four abstract wings embroidered on the front lapels of the cape. That image – a gold falcon atop four wings – was the heraldic badge of the Lorenz Estate, identifying him as theward of Keel Lorenz himself. To keep the jacket bound around his torso, he wore a slim belt, black with a golden buckle. With the red pants, the white gauntlets, and the white boots rounding out the wardrobe, the young boy looked like a blueblood, an aristocrat of European lore.

In the strictest sense, he was an aristocrat, being one who possessed vast power, superb beyond Lilim reason. Most would think of it in economic, political, or even military terms, seeing as he was the ward of the Instrumentality Committee's Chairman, as well as the Fourth Child of NERV.

In a sense, they were correct. However, few were aware of why he was truly powerful.

Keel Lorenz was one of them. As such, Lorenz tried to keep him…content.

If I desired it so, my…sibling and I...could destroy this entire city.

Unfortunately, without knowledge of where ADAM was, they had no way of preventing SEELE from carrying out their threat. If the First Angel was destroyed…then all was lost.

All the better that the nephilim did not desire the Lilim's total destruction. Not at this point, at least. After all…they were just so fascinating.

A sudden weight fell upon his shoulders, forcing Kaworu to brace himself. The long red hair that fell over his face immediately brought to mind one of the most intriguing of the Lilim. "Ah." He titled his neck up; a teenage girl had apparently flipped onto his shoulders and into a handstand. "Hello, Miss Sohryu."

"I can't believe you."

Kaworu arched an eyebrow as the girl flipped off of his shoulders, landing on her bare feet a few meters away. Though clad in red pants and a cream-colored shirt, the girl's most distinctive features were her striking blue eyes, her long and vibrant strawberry blonde hair, and the red A-10 nerve connectors that looked like barrettes to the uninitiated. "Can't believe what?"

"You were in Japan when an Angel was attacking…and you didn't go help?" The girl sighed out of exaggerated irritation. "What are you, chicken or something?"

Kaworu smiled lightly. "By the time the demonstration with the Jet Alone had ended, I was out of power, Miss Sohryu…and it's a rather long walk to Tokyo-3 from Tokyo-1."

"Blah blah blah," retorted Asuka, who was casually doing cartwheels and flips around the boy as a way of occupying herself. Or for burning excess energy. Or perhaps both. "You could've smashed those little Gundams in less than ten seconds. And then boom! You're in Tokyo-3 in less than a minute."

Kaworu knew that she was entirely correct. The Jet Alone could have been crushed in an instant. The trek to Tokyo-3 in the Mark 06 would have taken slightly longer. Only slightly. "Alas, my purpose was not to destroy the Jet Alone, but to ascertain its potential."

"Whatever." The girl sighed as she leaned against a nearby rail, looking at the white giant that was the Mark 06. "I just don't know how it doesn't drive you crazy." When Kaworu looked at her quizzically, she elaborated, "Being there, being able to help…and you didn't take the chance! I would have taken off from the demonstration if I had to. No doubt in my mind!"

Kaworu smiled at Asuka's effusive, yet cheerful tone. "You sound eager. Is the thought of going into battle against the Angels that attractive?"

"Well, I've been preparing for it for most of my life! And piloting Unit-02…" A genuine smile lit up the girl's face; the word 'transformative' seemed appropriate to Kaworu, even though her features had not truly changed. "…well, that's when I'm with my Mama. And I always feel so happy! And that's only when we're doing simulations or sync tests; I can't even imagine what it would be like in an actual battle!" The girl suddenly started doing poses, mimicking the stances of soldiers and martial artists. "Me in battle, alongside Mama, taking down the Angels! Bang, pow, KABOOM!"

"I've never seen you be less than cheerful," remarked the Fourth Child. "It would be an impressive feat to see you in an even happier state."

The Second Child grinned. "You know, it's moments like this that I wonder how in the heck Yomiko's your sister. I mean, you've got 'old people' hair and the same red eyes, but beyond that? You're like, unrelated!"

"Well, Miss Sohryu, although we are both nephilim from the same cell, I don't believe that the definition of 'siblings' carries the same context here."

Asuka sighed out of irritation. "You two grew up together, you two have known each other since you were, well, born. It's practically the same for all intents and purposes." Kaworu resisted the urge to say that she was more right than she let on, preferring to let her continue. "But you've always been kind, if a little loopy. But her? She's…well, you know." She held up her hands, curling her fingers to form imitation-claws. "Grrr! Sort of like that."

The boy smiled. "Yes; dear Yomiko is simply…distant. It's not as though she behaves that way for malicious reasons."

WHAT NEED IS THERE TO EXPRESS MALICE FOR THOSE WHO ARE LESSER? THE LILIM ARE NOT WORTH THE EFFORT.

Kaworu mentally chuckled at the true voice of Zeruel that echoed within his mind. It would certainly make our wait more pleasant if you…'socialized', I believe the term goes.

THE NATURE OF THE LILIM REQUIRES THEM TO [INTERACT/SPEAK/RELATE] AMONG THEMSELVES. OUR NATURE DOES NOT. I DO NOT SEE THE RELEVANCE.

Now now dear 'Yomiko', that's no way to talk to your brother.

Zeruel snorted, the sound being akin to that of thunder. YOU WILL ONLY LOSE MORE OF YOURSELF THE MORE YOU ACT LIKE THEM.

Before the nephilim could reply, he was flicked in the forehead by a dainty finger. "Hmm?"

"You were zoning out again."

"Ah." The boy rubbed his head, a small smile on his face. "My sincerest apologies."

"Like I said, loopy," giggled the Second Child before turning back towards the Evangelion. "I can't wait to meet the other Pilots."

Kaworu nodded. He too was intrigued by what he had read and heard regarding the First Child and the Third Child, the latter in particular. "I'm sure you will have a memorable experience regardless, Miss Sohryu."

"I know!" exclaimed Asuka, already daydreaming about fighting alongside her fellow Pilots and alongside her Mama against the Angels. "It's gonna be a blast!"

xxxx

/Outside Tokyo-3 Municipal Junior High School/

When she had been called to come to the school that afternoon, Hikari Kirishima had wondered why.

Her suspicions were validated the moment she saw a hole in the roof of the gymnasium. Judging by the debris on the ground, it had been caused by an explosion of some kind. "Their first day attending school, and already something's blown up."

Sadly, she was not as surprised as she should have been.

xxxx

Episode 10: A Day in the Life I (CHOICES)

xxxx

/Waiting Room, Outside Principal's Office, Tokyo-3 Municipal Junior High School/

"…this was not what I was expecting."

"I am technically her legal guardian. Therefore, in a scenario like this, I must be present."

Hikari Kirishima stared.

On one side of the fairly pedestrian waiting room, her daughters sat side-by-side; Mana looked somewhat pleased, while Mayumi was looking a little withdrawn.

On the other side, Rei Ayanami was as stoic as ever. Gendo Ikari sat beside her, fiddling with some string that he had procured from his cloak. He had already formed a complicated double helix, and was now trying to manipulate the yarn into the shape of NERV's logo.

Before Hikari could even compute the bizarre scene in front of her, a man with a buzz cut stepped out of the principal's office, muttering angrily under his breath. Before passing, he stood at attention before the Supreme Commander. "Sir! This will not happen again!"

"I'm certain that it won't. Try to keep your hidden caches in places less accessible to children."

Mr. Doe saluted – obviously peeved by the fact that he had to relocate his emergency munitions – before departing.

Hikari Kirishima turned towards Gendo. "What was that about?"

"I'm already aware of the events that transpired. I'm simply here as a formality."

A woman's voice suddenly echoed through the intercom. "Please, come into my office."

The three nephilim stood up, Mayumi seeming very out of place with her dyed locks and large eyeglasses. Gendo and Hikari – the latter still feeling rather out of sorts due to the presence of the Supreme Commander and her personal lack of knowledge of the situation – followed in silence. The principal's office was decidedly…spartan. No papers, no photos, no folders, no markings on the wall.

Utterly lifeless. There wasn't even a chair behind the metal desk.

"Where's the principal?"

Not even a second later, a flatscreen monitor extended from behind the desk, attached to a prehensile robotic limb. The screen flashed, the image coalescing into a wireframe model of a human female. The low detail clashed with the immaculate burgundy hair that sprouted from the wireframe's head. "You are looking at her. So to speak."

Hikari stared.

"That would be MAGI-00, codenamed HEROD," explained Gendo. "She serves as head administrator for every school in Tokyo-3."

"I would present a more detailed model, but they tend to be so…distracting to visitors." The sultry tone in her voice did not go unnoticed.

Gendo calmly replied, "HEROD also has a functioning sense of humor, unlike the other three MAGI."

The wireframe model put its hands on its hips, a frustrated grunt coming over the speakers.

Hikari finally recovered from her shock to say, "What? The school is administrated by a computer?"

"It's fairly common knowledge that the MAGI at NERV-1 essentially operate the city's municipal government. It was only logical to extend that function to the schools. It helps that HEROD is far more efficient than an entire school staff," concluded Gendo.

"That, and I don't have a salary."

"It's money saved for more worthy things. Like ammunition. As I said: efficient."

"I'm sorry, I'm still having difficulty accepting the fact that this school is run by a supercomputer," muttered Agent Kirishima, her eyes narrowed out of suspicion.

"Oh, I'm not like the other three. I still have a heart under all of my cold logic. It helps that I'm capable of multitasking." The wireframe model tilted its head, as if contemplating something. "For example, I just finished a discussion with Mr. Suzuhara, Mr. Horaki, and Mr. Kongo at the Municipal Elementary School. It seems that Ai Suzuhara had broken the nose of Kongo-san's son Agon; as it turns out, little Ai-chan was simply defending the honor of Horaki-san's daughter, Nozomi-chan. Apparently, little Agon-kun was making fun of Nozomi-chan's dress. And for Ai-chan, that just would not do." The speakers echoed with HEROD's chuckles, seemingly feminine and yet lacking something…fundamental. "Children. How…precocious."

Hikari, Mana, and Mayumi stared.

"So, let's get to the point, shall we?"

xxxx

/Jet Alone Facility, Tokyo-3, Japan/

There were a number of bunkers and warehouses throughout the Tokyo-3 Area that could be reconfigured and repurposed to suit whatever NERV's needs were at any particular time: ammo dumps, weapons caches, storage for spare parts, emergency shelter, top-secret bachelor parties…okay, maybe not that last one.

One of those bunkers was now the 'temporary' home of the Jet Alone. Refurbished and reinforced, the buried structure was rife withcomputers and equipment that had been requested by Shiro Tokita, to properly maintain and repair the Jet Alone. Numerous people were moving around and about, distinguished by their colors; the beige of Section 1 technicians, the orange of Section 3 maintenance, and the casual clothing of the Jet Alone Project members.

Tokita had never been much of a stickler for a dress code.

The head of the Jet Alone Project glanced towards the large launcher that was being ferried in through the surface access tunnel. Given how much of it had been assembled already, Tokita surmised that it had been completed off-site…needing only to be attached together and connected to the power grid. It would take no more than a day, perhaps two. It was as if NERV had expected it to be used…

With the two Gundams now standing stalwartly in the bunker, there was no doubt that that had indeed been the case. Gendo Ikari…you had absolute confidence in your plan to swipe the Jet Alone.

Given the reality that the man faced daily, he had to be.

Tokita sighed as he sat on a desk, located inside one the bunker's many offices. Already it was laced with forms and files regarding the acquisition of materials, invoices for supplies, queries from his team members, correspondence with NHIS…it just went on and on.

The man didn't quite know what to think of Nippon Heavy Industrial Systems. After the unexpected delivery of the Modular Technology notes by…'Inspector' Kaji, Tokita had – on a hunch – called an old friend of his within the company to answer some questions.

As it had turned out, NHIS had launched its own internal investigation into the Jet Alone Project. His office had been searched, and his computers had been appropriated.

Such…interesting timing. NHIS had no reason to actually suspect him of any wrongdoing, given how blatant NERV's appropriation had been. Furthermore, Tokita knew that the Board of Directors had already filed a former complaint to the UN, protesting NERV's action. Their legal team was already looking back into the issue regarding NERV's charter. There was no reason to actually investigate the Jet Alone Project itself. Not at this point.

So…it seems that SEELE has some influence within NHIS.

It was a sufficient explanation. However, this action was worrying; if they had decided to take his computers wholesale…

The man shook his head. Don't jump to conclusions! thundered Tokita's inner scientist. Focus on what you know. Map out all solutions using available data. Then filter them according to likelihood of unknown variables. He would have to verify the status of the flash drive. As if that wasn't enough, there was also the matter of...'easing' his team into their new role. Opposition to NERV was heavily ingrained amongst most of the Jet Alone Project members; professionalism would only carry them so far.

Shiro Tokita rubbed his temples. His life had just become far more complicated.

Hopefully the girls have had a good first day. That was one potentially bright spot; his two pilots needed a little downtime. It might do them some good to associate with their peers.

xxxx

/Earlier That Day/

"Okay you maggots! It's time to learn how to not fight like little girls!"

The entirety of the female student body ignored Mr. Doe's apparent insult; it was just how he spoke. Besides, the boys had already split away with Mr. Patrick for their physical activities, so there wasn't anyone around that would snicker.

The boisterous man marched back and forth, eyes focusing on the two new students. "Since we have new recruits, I shall explain the Ess-Oh-Pee! It's a cruel, dangerous world out there! So it falls to tough, strong men to take care of the bad guys! However, given the complete lack of testosterone before me, it is my duty to make men out of ALL OF YOU! So as usual, Sergeant Ayanami will serve as my assistant, and we shall continue with the drills that we started last week!" He jutted his chin out, blue eyes gazing over the children before him. "Okay ladies! INTO POSITION! New recruits, stand at attention!"

The gaggle of girls split into groups – separated by grade – and subdivided themselves even further. The two new students – Mana Kirishima and Mayumi Yamagishi – remained where they stood. The Soldier looked at them with what seemed to be a discerning eye. Finally, he said, "Okay you ladies, I've heard some stories about you, but I won't take stock on rumors! I want results that I can see with my own two eyeballs! So YOU," He jabbed a finger towards the silver-haired girl. "Will spar with my assistant! Your sister will go next!"

The grin on Mana's face was…frighteningly joyous.

Rei Ayanami remained still as Mana advanced toward her, stoic as ever. The blue-haired girl calmly explained, "I am aware that you have had no lessons in our self-defense course, so you may use whatever style you prefer until you are up to speed."

The silver-haired nephilim glanced at the rest of the class; they were practicing some sort of customized martial art. Judging by the stances and the moves being performed – throwing, grappling, punches, redirection – it seemed to be a mixture of aikido, karate, and jiu-jitsu. Objectively, the art had potential…but the vast majority of the girls were novices. "Hmph." Mana flashed a smirk at Rei. "Not my style."

Mana was suddenly in Rei's face.

Rei swiftly shifted backwards, constantly moving her feet and torso as Mana launched a plethora of punches, elbow strikes, and kicks at the First Child. The frenzied assault seemed to increase in tempo, with Mana's attacks coming at her in a blur.

Mayumi watched in silence. The Soldier snorted. "I don't see you hitting anything!"

The flow of battle halted as Mana suddenly paused her assault, trying to gauge Rei's form. The blue-haired girl had done nothing but dodge, not even attempting to counter. Judging by the calculating look in Ayanami's eyes, she had already deduced Mana's style: Muay Thai.

Mana smirked, firing a punch to the torso before spinning on her heel, aiming an elbow strike to the temple while preparing a knee to the kidney.

Rei parried the fist, ducked under the elbow, and blocked the knee with her thigh.

By this point, the rest of the class had stopped what they were doing, watching the proceedings with a mixture of awe and fear; after all, given Rei Ayanami's reputation, anyone that could keep up with her was someone to be admired. Or feared. Or both.

Mana paused once more before immediately attacking. Her strikes were slightly slower, but now more precise, more powerful. Rei was now actively blocking and parrying instead of purely avoiding Mana's blows, a realization that put a grin on the silver-haired girl's face.

Another pause.

Then a ferocious charge as Mana went all-out, utilizing her body's capabilities to weave in and out, striking with flying kicks, elbow drops, strong fists, and heel stomps at a frenzied pace. She was attacking from above and below, using multiple angles and moving at speeds impossible for a human.

Through it all, Rei had raised her arms to form a box of sorts, minimizing the windows of attack. Mana's blows were evaded, parried, or outright blocked in a manner that reduced the girl's bone-crushing force. There was no wasted motion, no overextension.

A phrase could come to mind: berserker vs. machine. Even so, Mana's furious speed carried a lethal precision that most people could only dream of.

Then the flow of battle took a different turn. Instead of parrying Mana's right straight, Rei shifted and moved towards Mana, barely dodging the fist. Before the silver-haired nephilim could counter, Ayanami struck with a punch to the abdomen; an instant later, her left foot pushed out against Mana's right, widening her stance.

Weakening her position.

An audible gasp of pain erupted from Mana as Rei's palm strike slammed into her sternum, launching her towards the padded walls on one side of the gym. Kirishima quietly slid onto the ground, sucking in air out of seeming desperation.

Without warning, Rei was on the defensive again, rapidly parrying and evading the storm of spear hands that was Mayumi Yamagishi's attack. The girl's long black hair shifted and twisted with every motion, providing a strange grace that was as beautiful as it was deadly.

It was over almost as soon as it had begun, when Rei gripped both of Mayumi's wrists and kicked her in the abdomen.

One second later, Mayumi was beside her sister against the wall, grimacing.

The other students had slack jaws, all but ignoring Mr. Doe's frustrated demands that they return to their positions. By the end of the day, word would leak out to the boys about the two new students. Accounts would vary regarding their sanity and suicidal tendencies, but they all would mention their fighting capability.

Incidentally, various cell phones were recording this event on the sly. The video would go viral, prompting an international discussion on violence in schools and violence amongst Post-Impact children in general. However, given the fact that the girls were wearing bloomers, the most predominant effect would be a newfound desire by strapping young men worldwide for Amazonian women that could kick their asses. New media would be created to cater to this growing market.

Feminists would be divided as to whether this was a good thing or not.

But that's another story.

The flow of battle took another turn. Mana and Mayumi glanced at each other once; the former flexed her fingers while the latter removed her glasses, setting them against the wall.

In the blink of an eye, they were attacking Rei from two sides. Mana still retained her Muay Thai stances, while Mayumi retained elements of her style, which – judging by appearances and stances – was a fusion of karate and various Chinese martial arts. However, there was a fluidity and a seamless symmetry to their motions as they fought. If Rei tried to block, parry, or dodge an attack by one, the other was waiting with a counter. The two sisters fought as one.

Relentless. Rei moved even more quickly to evade and counter, but Kirishima and Yamagishi were now in their element.

Swift. Their speed seemed to have increased; they were attacking without bothering to communicate, since any move that Kirishima made told Yamagishi exactly what to do next, and vice-versa.

Brutal. They were both nephilim. Their opponent was a nephilim. It was to be expected.

Mayumi tripped Rei with a sweeping kick. As the blue-haired girl's feet went into the air, Mana moved up, her fist reared for a downward punch that would smash Rei's head into the floor.

The flow of battle decided to say 'screw it' and take a hike.

Rei's hands lashed out, gripping Mana's extending arm, the fist mere centimeters away from her face. The blue-haired girl twisted, pushing off with her hands and using Kirishima's motion to propelher away from the two sisters. Right as she landed on her feet, Mayumi was attacking.

POW!

Then she wasn't. Rei's fist sent her flying to the opposite side of the gymnasium.

Right as Mana removed her fist from the ground, Ayanami had advanced, her foot slammed into Kirishima's torso and sending her flying. The silver-haired nephilim crashed into a metal door, denting it in the collision.

All told, less than ninety seconds had elapsed since Kirishima first attacked Ayanami.

Mana bit out a frustrated course, pounding the broken door behind her…and then she paused. She turned around, sniffing the air. "That smell…"

The Soldier, who had been watching the entire proceedings with little in the way of disapproval, suddenly looked angry. "YOU THERE! That is a restricted area! Remove yourself from the premises IMMEDIATELY!"

Naturally, Mana ignored her, whipping open the door…and grinning. "HA!" She reached inside, emerging with what looked like an old-fashioned bazooka. "I thought I smelled munitions!" Without hesitation, she took aim at Rei. "Let's see how tough you are!"

Ayanami's eyes narrowed, even as Mayumi yelled. "Sister! You're out of line!"

"Oh come on, this model is ancient; it'll kill her only if she'll let it!" With that said, Mana rested the launcher on her shoulder and squeezed the trigger.

However, Rei's foot had kicked the barrel of the launcher towards the roof. Judging by the shocked expression on Mana's face, the blue-haired nephilim's speed had shocked her.

SHYOOM!

The rocket roared towards the ceiling, trailing smoke.

KABOOM!

The other students shrieked as the rocket exploded, blasting a gigantic hole in the ceiling of the gym. Despite the debris, Mana whistled out of appreciation. "Damn. That rocket had to be a custom model; no way in hell the M9 did that much damage-" The nephilim immediately dropped the rocket launcher as Rei's fist threatened to take her head off. Mana caught the blow and countered with a hook that was also caught.

The two were in a stalemate. Both combatants now had a steely look in their eyes.

Mana chuckled. "Those eyes…you were intending to kill me. I'm flattered."

Before Rei could reply, both nephilim turned towards Mayumi, who had a hand at each of their necks. That she had advanced upon them so silently seemed to shock them, judging by Kirishima and Ayanami's surprised expressions.

"That's enough. It's getting out of hand," cautioned the long-haired nephilim, her eyes looking warily at both the First Child and her sister.

The teacher on duty scowled. "Disobeying orders! Destruction of school property! I should have you maggots court-martialed!" The Soldier then barked, "I'll have you lot on KP duty! But first, you are going to the principal's office at 1500 sharp!"

Rei impulsively saluted, keeping a wary eye on Mana. "Yes sir."

xxxx

/Principal's Office, Tokyo-3 Municipal Junior High School/

The video on the monitor, at the behest of HEROD, paused at the image of Rei saluting. "This footage was compiled from the various security cameras within the gymnasium. Do you understand why we're having this meeting?"

Hikari Kirishima's eyebrow was twitching. The urge to glare at her daughters was…considerable. "Yes. I do."

Mana resisted the urge to snort. The situation had escalated a tad, but nothing beyond what they could handle. Regardless, any showing of insubordination now would only backfire.

"However, I have to ask; why in the world does a teacher have military-grade munitions on school grounds?"

"Mr. Doe is a member of Section 2, and thus maintains a number of weapons caches in case he needs to defend the student body from hostile elements," answered Gendo. When Hikari Kirishima opened her mouth to speak, he quickly interjected, "These caches are essentially impossible for normal children to access. Nephilim could break into them, but we knew that Sergeant Ayanami wouldn't disobey the standing orders to leave them be."

The First Child nodded, eliciting a wary stare from Mana.

"These caches will be refurbished in light of this incident. Not that I disagree with a…friendly spar amongst nephilim, far from it. However, the circumstances were far from ideal." The avatar of HEROD turned its wireframe face towards the Sergeant. "Ayanami-san; though you were not the one to initiate hostilities, you were part of the escalation nonetheless."

"I understand," acknowledged Rei. "I could have utilized more effective measures to halt Kirishima's offensive, ones with lesser probabilities of collateral damage." Mana's rolling of the eyes was seemingly audible. "My sincerest apologies, Principal HEROD."

Ass-kisser, thought Mana with a barely-concealed scowl.

"Though you all have various difficulties due to your nature as nephilim, there are standards in place. Ones put in for the sake of those who are less…gifted." HEROD's gaze shifted between the Professor and Agent Kirishima. "You girls will be disciplined by your Class Representative in detention for three days, starting tomorrow. Also, I recommend your caretakers counsel you on what constitutes proper behavior around civilians." After all, NERV couldn't function as efficiently without its employees; most of those employees had children.

Children whom they believed to be in safe hands, in spite of Gendo Ikari's weirdness.

Children who liked to gossip about all sorts of things. Like rocket launchers being fired indoors.

"That'll be all for the moment. I trust this won't happen again."

"No ma'am," answered Rei, Mana, and Mayumi, each with varying degrees of sincerity.

HEROD's avatar winked out. Almost immediately, Rei Ayanami stood up, moving towards Mana Kirishima with intent. The silver-haired nephilim impulsively tried to rise, even though Mayumi and their overseer held her down by the shoulders.

"Stand down, Pilot Kirishima," crisply remarked the Supreme Commander. "The Sergeant merely has a word of advice for her new coworker."

Mana almost scoffed. Almost. Please. THIS is the same Rei Ayanami who killed the leader of El Baile de la Muerte? She could tolerate the fact that the Sergeant was loyal to NERV; after all, nephilim were created to fight, to wreak havoc and mayhem in ways humans couldn't. They were weapons to be harnessed by whomever wielded them.

And Mana was a damn fine weapon, in her humble opinion.

No; the girl's devotion to NERV wasn't the issue. Rei Ayanami – who, if Mana had to be honest, was an incredible fighter – accepting the remonstrations of a frickin' artificial intelligence wasn't a problem either.

It was her damn passiveness; Mana could tell that the Sergeant was actually ashamed by her inability to stop the battle sooner (not that most people would be able to tell). Maybe the Evangelion Pilot thought that she was that much better than her. Maybe she simply didn't want to disappoint her superior in any way.

Either way, Mana might have been able to accept that. Her sister did weird stuff like 'act human' all the time.

No; the clincher was the look that Rei Ayanami was giving her right now.

Harsh. Judgmental. Even a slight hint of pity.

You think you're better than me? Mana's thoughts broiled with rage that didn't quite make it to her face. You lower yourself like a damn dog! And you DARE THINK YOU'RE BETTER THAN ME?

However, if the occasion called for it, Mana could pull a pretty good poker face; her incensed thoughts didn't translate to her expression, so Rei had no issue with subtly insulting her. "Line of sight."

Mana arched an eyebrow, trying to grasp the meaning of Rei's words. "…and?"

"If you cannot make the connection in light of today's events…then there is nothing left to say." The Sergeant calmly walked away, with the Supreme Commander of NERV following. Without even stopping, the First Child added, "Not to someone who cannot understand the purpose of why we exist."

The silver-haired girl's eyes widened, as though she had just been slapped. You...you BITCH!

Mayumi tackled Mana to the floor, preempting her sister's retaliation. "Just let it go Mana. Just let it go!"

"The hell am I supposed to do?" roared Mana, struggling against her sister's hold. By this point, Ayanami and Ikari had left the principal's office, seemingly unconcerned with the drama unfolding behind them. "Let her get away with talk like that? Who the HELL does she think she is? TELL ME-!"

A specially-crafted syringe plunged into Mana's neck, pumping a customized sedative intravenously into her bloodstream.

Even as Hikari Kirishima was extracting the needle, the furious nephilim was going slack. By the time she finished dressing the wound, Mana was comatose.

Mayumi looked up at their overseer with sorrow. "Mother…she was-"

"I don't care. Mana knows better. She was trained better than this."

"But-!"

"No buts, young lady." Hikari sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. She wasn't blind to what particular buttons that Rei Ayanami had managed to press. "We'll talk about this later. Pick her up."

Mayumi sighed, gently hefting Mana over her shoulder before following her mother out of the principal's office.

Moments after the door closed, MAGI-00's chuckle echoed from the office's speakers. "How…amusing."

xxxx

/Elsewhere in Tokyo-3/

Shinji Ikari fidgeted in the large brown lounge chair that he was leaning back in, all the while wondering if this whole 'therapy' thing was really necessary. The gossip earlier involving Ayanami, Kirishima, and Yamagishi had only served to remind him of how otherworldly his life had become.

Following school, he had been escorted to a small residence near Mt. Hakone by Misato (whom had immediately departed for NERV-1 afterwards, cursing about paperwork all the way). There had been no one to greet him; however, the sign stating 'DR. YASUDA: ALL APPOINTMENTS, PLEASE ENTER' had prompted Shinji to enter nonetheless.

The front door had opened to reveal a fairly open room, colored in welcoming shades of blue and green. Mounted on the walls were pictures of exotic flowers and various locales the world over, showcasing its owner as one who appreciated the beauty of the world. Even so, with the exception of the lounge chair, an armchair of similar make and color, and small oak tables beside each chair, there was nothing else standing.

There was a white Western-style door with a brass knob leading further into the residence, but Shinji hadn't been inclined to venture in further. I know I'm a few minutes early, but I thought there'd at least be someone here…

"One moment!"

Shinji blinked at the voice coming from beyond the back door, muffled by the walls. Seconds later, his therapist came out…carrying a tray with a pot of tea and two small cups. "Um…"

"I was just making some tea in preparation for your arrival, Ikari-san," said the assumed Dr. Yasuda, his tone somewhat calm, possessing a reserved nature that was quite unassuming. As he poured the tea from the cast-iron teapot, he added "I don't think it's a blend that you're used to, so apologies if it's not to your liking."

Shinji didn't really care; his Aunt had given him a culinary upbringing rife with both Japanese and Western cuisine, so he was inured to experiencing odd and unfamiliar tastes. Looking into the small porcelain cup, the boy noted the coloring and the aroma wafting from the simmering liquid. "Black tea?"

"Earl Grey, to be precise." The psychiatrist calmly took a sip, the hot tea slowly trickling down his throat. "I did quite a bit of traveling in my younger days; during my first visit to England, a friendly acquaintance introduced me to Earl Grey. It was such a distinctly different taste, one that's always stayed with me." Especially considering how ubiquitous green tea was in Japan, to the point where it was simply called 'tea'. "Have you ever had that feeling, where an experience so completely changes your perceptions?"

"…that's not very specific," remarked Shinji – gods, where would I start? When I first saw Unit-01? When my father and I were nearly killed last year? When I first saw an Angel? – before he took a sip from his cup, noting the differences in smell and aftertaste. Aunt Alicia had occasionally made black tea, but not Earl Grey. "This is very good."

Dr. Yasuda smiled, prompting Shinji to take a better look at the man. Although his hairline was receding, the short black hair was neatly combed and made no attempt to hide his impending baldness. His dark eyes seemed to exude an experienced air; judging by the wrinkles around his eyes, he was no younger than forty-five. Clad in a white collared shirt, salmon-colored tie, and tan slacks, the therapist struck Shinji as a man who acknowledged the importance of propriety, albeit not to the point of obsession. "So…Yasuda-san…?"

"Dr. Yukio Yasuda. You may call me whatever you're most comfortable with."

"…Yasuda-san then."

"Very well."

"So how is this supposed to go? Do I just sit back here while you ask me about my feelings?"

The man chuckled, showing a delightful smile. "I'm afraid I don't have the accent to do the cliché justice."

"…oh." Shinji took another sip of his tea, acknowledging the fact that his therapist seemed to have a sense of humor. And here I thought things were going to be awkward. Shows what you know, Annette! Though, to be fair, that one time she had played a nosy and overbearing psychiatrist for a school play had been utterly hilarious–

"There are a number of things that we can talk about," Shinji was jolted out of his nostalgia by the doctor's suddenly serious tone. "But first… I'm going to be uncharacteristically blunt." Dr. Yasuda pulled open the drawer of the table beside his chair, extracting a manila folder. "Gendo Ikari made it quite clear to me why you're here. I've been told about your experiences with the Fifth Angel, and NERV is concerned about how it could affect your ability to Pilot." He extracted a small sheaf of papers from the folder. "They even went through the trouble of providing me your psychological profile."

And it all goes back to the Angels. Not that Shinji had expected anything less; it wasn't often that a human got consumed by an Angel and live to tell about it. Still, the tedium of it all was-

RIP.

The Third Child's exasperated musings were cut short as the psychiatrist ripped the sheaf in half, placing the shreds on the table. "Uh…"

"However, that is not why I am here. Unless you want it to be." Dr. Yasuda leaned back in his chair, downing the rest of his Earl Grey in one gulp. "Because I'm here to help you in whatever way I can. Be it by talking about whatever's on your mind, or even something as simple as offering a friendly ear for your frustrations. So it would be the height of folly to start off with someone else's preconceptions of who you are; I have the genuine article sitting here. I'll get your own opinion on who Shinji Ikari is."

The young boy was slightly taken aback by the sudden reversal of the proceedings…but he couldn't deny the warm feeling that Dr. Yasuda's proclamation brought. "Thank you."

"Thanks aren't necessary, but since you offer them, I accept," remarked Dr. Yasuda before pulling out a notepad and a pen. "Now, let's get started."

The meeting proceeded in a fairly pedestrian manner; as the good doctor soon made clear, the 'first session' normally served as the 'preparation phase', where initial questions were covered and the therapeutic outline was established. Shinji only had a few questions at this point in time.

For example, how long Dr. Yasuda had been a psychiatrist ("Well, my education was taken care of at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in America…my goodness, that was in 1990. Then I had my residency at John Hopkins, also in America. Starting in 1995, I began my own practice, travelling throughout the world, offering my services, experiencing the wonders of our Earth…but after Impact, I settled back here in Japan. That's the long and short of it, but it's all quite boring, I assure you."), what kind of therapy he specialized in ("The majority of my patients have done well with conversation, but I tailor the therapy to the needs of the patient. But you seem like a bright young man with a lot to say, so I imagine we'll simply be talking for the foreseeable future."), and whether or not he had ever treated Ritsuko Akagi ("No, I can't recall having a patient by the name of Ritsuko Akagi…you seem quite overjoyed about this.").

Needless to say, Shinji Ikari was quite pleased with the therapist chosen for him.

"But enough about me; let's talk about you. And just for the record, I've been cleared by Section 2. All fees for therapy are being handled by NERV. These meetings between you and me are completely confidential. There's absolutely nothing that you need to hold back for either your sake or mine."

Cue two minutes of silence.

Dr. Yasuda sat patiently with a small smile on his face. Somehow, that made Shinji fidget uncomfortably, because he had NO idea where to begin. There were simply too many places in his life that would serve as a 'good beginning', so to speak. "Um…"

"Tell you what, Ikari-san," interrupted the therapist, who was jotting down on his notepad. "Let's meet again on Friday afternoon. I want you to start thinking about your life story; 'The Tale of Shinji Ikari', if you catch my meaning. Start crafting it in your mind, because I would like to hear you narrate it. I can already tell that you're a young man who's experienced more than most people do in a lifetime…so it's understandable if you're not ready."

"…thank you, Yasuda-san."

"However, therapy can only work if you participate, so you have to pledge yourself to it! Think long and hard about your story. After all," The wizened therapist smiled cryptically as he poured himself another cup of Earl Grey. "Many authors never know what they're going to end up writing. You are no exception."

Shinji Ikari nodded, wondering just how much he would end up telling this man before all was said and done. "I understand."

xxxx

/Commander Langley's Office, NERV-2, Berlin-2, Germany/

"It's finally time, girls."

Pieter Langley resisted the urge to wince at the expressions that emerged on his daughters' faces: barely-constrained excitement on Asuka's, and palpable dread on Mari's.

Then again, it was quite likely that both of them had an inkling of what was going on when he had told them that they wouldn't be going to school today.

"In light of the Fifth Angel's latest attack, NERV-1 requested another Evangelion to supplement their defenses. After some…advice, from the Marduk Institute, it was decided that Unit-02 would be sent." This is not a death sentence. This is NOT a death sentence. "Asuka...you and Unit-02 will be shipped out later tonight via a YC-49. It will refuel at NERV-4 before taking off immediately towards Hawaii. There, you will link up with the UN Pacific Fleet; Unit-02 itself will be ferried to Japan on the USS Harry S. Truman. From that point on, the estimated time of arrival for the Fleet will be 3:00 PM local time on October the 18th."

Asuka's face contorted into an arguably cute pout. 'Arguably' because Asuka would dispute that 'cute' only applied to little girls, not young women. 'Adorable', 'delightful', or 'charming' were acceptable substitutes. "Wouldn't I get there quicker if I stayed on the YC-49 for the entire trip? I could be there in three days!"

"An excuse for PR, my dear. This will be the third Evangelion to become officially involved in the war effort against the Angels; it would be nigh-impossible to hide the departure of the Pacific Fleet, so they're not even going to bother. Plus, given the high public awareness of NERV's efforts to prevent Third Impact, improving mankind's morale with some shameless spectacle can't hurt." Admiral Ackerson probably won't appreciate it, though. The current Commander of the UN Pacific Fleet was somewhat notorious for his feelings about NERV. He had been much quieter about said feelings since the Third Angel's appearance, but Pieter just knew that this would stick in his craw. "Regardless, you'll be in Tokyo-3 within a week."

The Second Child sighed, seemingly irritated by this 'inconvenience'. "Well…I guess I'll manage." She quickly pumped her fists as anticipation bloomed on her features. "I can't wait!"

"Yeah…"

Pieter's eyes had mostly been focused on his youngest; although he knew Asuka would miss them, this was an event she had been undergoing years worth of training for. Little Mari…she was merely a child of eight. How could she be expected to deal with something like this? "My little Liebling…?"

Mari sniffled, visibly struggling not to cry. "I'm okay Papa. Really!" Her smile was big and wide, but it was so empty that it made his heart hurt. "Ska's going to go bye-bye. Because…because this is something she has to do, right? Because no one else can?"

Pieter wearily nodded. "Yes." Mari had been told as much. Perhaps now she was at the age where she could finally conceptualize the prospect, that Asuka was not an Evangelion Pilot simply because 'she wanted to leave, but why would she want to leave us?', and so on. I can only wonder if this is going to create…abandonment issues. Which was why the plan currently swirling about in his mind was even under consideration.

"Well…I'm a big girl now! Since big sister won't be here, I'll be the big sister! I mean, I won't have a little sister to be the big sister to, but I'm kind of like a big sister to my friends at school, since my grades are the best and stuff, so we can have a lot of sleepovers and I can be the big sister while they're here!" Mari nodded, as if convinced about her new plan of action. "I'll be okay."

Asuka looked down at her little sister; a young girl trying so hard to be brave.

She sighed, kneeling down so she could see eye-to-eye with her sibling. Mari blinked owlishly behind her glasses as her red-haired sister smiled warmly. "Mari, even though I'm going away, that doesn't mean you have to change for me."

"Huh?"

"Those of us who pilot Eva…we do it to protect everyone else. So that they can live in peace. So you don't have to try so hard for my sake." The eldest child suddenly giggled. "Even though you look so cute when you try to act 'all grown-up'."

Mari's cheeks puffed up out of indignation. "Not funny, Ska…"

"Besides, I'm still right here, right? So go ahead and be you! I don't mind."

The young girl frowned, her lip starting to waver. "Are…are you sure? Cause I can be a big girl, I really can!"

Asuka nodded, a knowing smile on her face.

And the dam burst.

"Why does it have to be you?" cried Mari as she leapt onto her sister, wrapping herself around the redhead's neck. As Asuka's lithe arms embraced her, the younger sibling wailed as the tears began to flow. "I know you've been working so hard, but why do you have to be the one to go? You're so much COOLER than Kaka and Yoyo cause those two are so creepy and I know that everyone would be much happier if they left to go fight the Angels because you're so smart and you're an awesome big sister and I don't want to be the big sister yet cause you're still bigger than me!"

Pieter watched in silence as Mari's cries descended into inane babble, even as Asuka – a soft smile etched onto her face – calmly cooed and stroked her back. If this didn't paint a vivid enough picture, nothing did.

It didn't make the decision any easier, though. Kyoko…I hope I know what I'm doing. He reached up to his earpiece and quietly spoke, trying not to attract his daughters' attention. "Mrs. Hirsch?"

"Yes sir, Commander Langley?" piped up the voice of his secretary.

"Is Inspector Ryoji Kaji still sitting outside?"

"Yes sir."

"Send him in."

Moments later, one of the double doors swung open to reveal a somewhat sloppy-looking Japanese man, given his loose tie, five o'clock shadow, and ratty-looking ponytail. "My my, what a sad-looking scene we have here."

Asuka and Mari turned towards the newcomer, with the former's eyes widening in recognition. "Ah!" She immediately switched over to Japanese. "Kaji-san, where have you been?"

"Oh, out and about. I actually do have a job to do, sometimes."

Mari's blue eyes narrowed; her grasp of the spoken Japanese tongue was okay relative to her grasp of German and English (don't ask her to write anything complicated though; kanji were tough!). However, her mind finally recalled who this tousled gentleman was. "You're the slob!"

Pieter resisted the urge to groan. "…Mari, that's very rude to say."

"But Papa, you always say that a man who doesn't take the time to look his best is a slob! Look, his shirt isn't even tucked in all the way!"

"Come on Mari, you're giving Ryoji too much of a hard time." As an Inspector for the United Nations, Ryoji Kaji had a vested interest in keeping an eye on NERV's pilots. Thus far, he had established an amicable relationship with the Langley-Sohryus (Mari's opinion of his neatness notwithstanding), while his attempts with the Nagisas had been…less than successful. Still, the man carried himself with a charisma that Asuka found appealing, especially how he had seemingly taken on the role of 'goofy older brother' or 'eccentric uncle'.

Plus, her Papa seemed to trust him, so what was the harm?

"That's fine. She'll come to understand that people can have their own style." Kaji tried to wave off Mari's opinion of his untidy appearance, not altogether caring about it. After all, his mind was on Tokyo-3; all of his past attempts at getting into contact with the First Child – much less creating a rapport with her – had gone nowhere, and the Third had been living happily with his uncle's family until less than a month ago. Interest in the internal workings of NERV-1 had only grown since the Third Angel's return.

Commander Langley's request provided a perfect excuse to remain in Tokyo-3 for the duration of the Angel War. "Commander Langley, I believe we should inform your girls about my new assignment."

Asuka and Mari blinked, both of them turning towards their father. "Papa?"

"Asuka, although I admire Gendo Ikari's fervor in defeating the Angels, it would bring me peace of mind if someone that I knew and trusted was watching over you. Mr. Kaji here is already going to report to Tokyo-3 to serve as UN's Special Inspector at NERV-1." A glorified spy, but they don't need to know that. "Since it's going to be Kaji…" Pieter shifted his gaze towards Mari, focusing on his youngest. "Mari, would you like to go to Japan with your sister?"

"…I can?" Mari looked like she had just been told that Santa Claus had just visited. She looked like she was about to explode with joy.

"Now understand this. I want you to THINK about this." Mari's happy smile suddenly faded; Papa's forehead was wrinkled and she couldn't see his eyes very well. He's being serious! "If you go to Tokyo-3 with Asuka and Kaji…then I won't be there for you. Because I still have my responsibilities as the Commander of NERV-2. Your friends will also have to stay behind, because they have families." Mari gulped; Angela, Klaus, Mallory, Jessica…only four out of many friends. They can't come? Why? Her family was certainly willing to split itself up; why couldn't her friends' families do the same? "I know you've been doing well with the Japanese language, but if you go, then you won't find many people who speak German. You'll probably find other children who are also learning English, but it won't be as easy to get along with people. Also, the culture in Japan is…different from ours. It probably won't be as dramatic in Tokyo-3 as it would be elsewhere, but it'll still shock you. Do you realize what you'll be giving up if you go with Asuka?"

Mari was silent.

At least she's trying. Pieter had no doubt what his girl's ultimate decision would be. It was only natural that Mari would bond so deeply with Asuka given the lack of a maternal figure in her life. Sure, she spoke in terms of 'sister' and 'sibling'…but the adoration she exhibited seemed to go much further than those terms would imply.

Besides, Mari would swear up and down that Asuka would go crazy without a little sister. After all, she was on the verge of breaking apart at the thought of her big sister leaving! So it was only logical that Asuka felt the same about leaving her little sister.

"It's not gonna be forever, is it Papa?" Pieter's shaking head only encouraged the precocious child. "Then…I'll go! Cause I'll be back when Ska comes back, and by the time I come back, I'll be bigger, so I can show off to everyone else! And since big sister's getting so weird nowadays, I have to make sure she stays normal, or she'll be super-weird when she comes back!"

Pieter couldn't help but chuckle as he focused on his eldest. Though she still had that happy smile, there was a faint twinge of something in those brilliant blue eyes. Sorrow? Regret? Trust me Asuka, I have plenty to spare for the two of you. "Now Asuka, I know you have a lot on your mind already. However, I need you to be responsible enough to keep an eye out for your little sister when you're not doing your duty as an Evangelion Pilot. Are we clear?"

The Second Child nodded, giving a jaunty salute. Her expression no longer possessed that subtle taint of grief. "You can count on me, Papa!" It wasn't as though she had to try; she would've missed her little sister regardless, so the knowledge that they wouldn't be separated had her bursting with happiness. "Besides, we'll have Mama with us, and she wouldn't ever let us get hurt!"

"I know," answered Pieter, trying not to let his heartache show.

Mari let loose a whoop of joy as Asuka hoisted her onto her shoulders. Her big sister's hands firmly latched onto her calves. "Okay Mari, we've gotta get ready to leave!"

"How much of my stuff can I take?"

"We'll have to see how much we can fit!"

"Then let's go, Ska! And go super fast like you always do!"

Asuka let loose a mischievous giggle as she bounced on her heels. "That means going at…Eva Speed!" With an exaggerated 'fwoosh', the Second Child burst out of the Commander's office, rocketing down the halls as Mari laughed more heartily than she had in days. Maintenance workers and other NERV-2 staff – long used to the Second Child's energetic nature – expertly dodged as the sisters practically flew through the halls.

Ryoji Kaji shook his head, chuckling good-naturedly at the spectacle. "It always amazes me how happy the Second is. She seems…out of place, in this world of ours."

"It boggles my mind, how she can keep on smiling." Pieter rubbed his temples, sighing with relief. And so the die has been cast.

"I do have to wonder about the soundness of this plan of yours. Asuka was already going to be at the epicenter of the Angel War; now little Mari's going to be there as well."

"Don't you think I know that? But damn it all, I couldn't stand ruining my little girl's happiness like this. She never got a chance to really know her mother; Gott forbid she lose her sister without any sense of closure." At least this way, Mari and Asuka would be able to make some pleasant memories should the unthinkable happen. What a screwed-up world we live in.

Kaji sighed theatrically. "I suppose. Being an only child, I can't relate…but it seems like a wonderful thing, the bond between siblings." The UN Inspector suddenly froze.

"Of course, I'm sure you understand what your responsibilities are."

Pieter Langley had shifted in his seat, adopting a different stance. Gone was any semblance of weariness and regret; now there was only coldness and absolute conviction. The Commander's brown eyes – as unyielding as tempered steel – seemed to swallow Kaji whole, drowning him with the utter certainty of ruin. "You accepted the role of guardian to my daughters. I know you won't let anything happen to them that's within your power to prevent. Clear?"

The fear that the man was eliciting from him was overwhelming.

Kaji didn't let any of it show, his face still settled into an easygoing grin. "Have no fear, Commander Langley. No harm will befall your children."

Hilarious. As if Kaji was going to risk arousing the wrath of the infamous Jackal.

xxxx

/Horaki Residence, Tokyo-3, Japan/

Hikari Horaki had a fairly simple routine in her life, one that brokered very little room for surprises.

At school, she was the Class Representative of Year 2, Group A. Her task was to enforce the discipline of the classroom, making sure the teachers weren't being disrespected, and maintaining a general sense of order amongst the student body (in conjunction with the other Class Reps, that is). Her public opinion of gossip was completely negative (though she kept an ear open whenever it was occurring live; sometimes there was a nugget of truth to be found from the nattering cliques), and some would probably have an unfavorable opinion of her regulatory methods. However, she prided herself on never being unreasonable – those who earned her ire actually had it coming – and being mostly fair with the authority her position granted her.

Suzuhara would complain that she picked on him too much, but it wasn't her fault that the boy had a penchant for getting into trouble. At least his troublemaking wasn't malicious. It was kind of…devilishly charming, in a way.

Ahem.

At home, her role was also authoritarian, albeit with a matriarchal twist. Her father Mamoru was busy working at NERV as an administrative assistant for Section-4, usually working longer than twelve hours a day. Her older sister Kodama was usually busy with her work at Hakone University – working on her medical degree, given that that university's medical school was primarily maintained by the doctors and medical technicians of Section-4, and were thus some of the best in the world – and was almost always lethargic whenever she was at home. By contrast, her younger sister Nozomi was a bundle of chaotic energy, paradoxically coupled with a severe timidity around new and unfamiliar people. Nonetheless, she was as good at cooking and cleaning as most eight-year-olds were; as in, not very.

Thus, it was Hikari's job to maintain a clean apartment (Kodama could be pressed into helping, but only when she wasn't sleepy, which wasn't often). Plus, her older sister's cooking skills went no further than preparing packaged food.

Since the middle daughter of the family was a stickler when it came to good cuisine, this simply would not do.

Cooking was a joy for Hikari, and cleaning was a necessary evil. No one had asked for their mother Kasumi to die whilst giving birth to Nozomi, so Hikari had taken to housekeeping with a reserved dignity. Not that she never heckled the rest of the family for not pulling their weight around the house, but still.

Since moving to Tokyo-3, she had also developed a routine involving the emergency shelters. Whenever the Angel alarms were tested, she would dutifully go to the nearest of the designated shelters (by now, she had practically memorized the locations of the shelters closest to their apartment and the schools in the area). Her obedience of NERV's Emergency Protocols had served her well when the Angels had finally returned; instead of potential panic, there was tranquility. Given the performance of the Evangelions, she had faith in NERV's ability to protect the city.

This was the routine of Hikari Horaki. Somewhat monotonous in structure, but the content of her duties was usually varied enough to make life interesting.

Which was why Hikari was utterly flabbergasted when one Rei Ayanami showed up at her front door. "Ayanami-chan?"

"Hello Representative Horaki. May I come in?"

"O-O-Of course! Come on, come on!" Hikari quickly ushered the girl into the apartment, pointing out the location of the indoor slippers for guest. Why is she here?

The last time Rei had visited her had been years ago, asking for 'advice' about social interaction.

What had ensued were a number of meetings regarding proper conduct in school; Hikari could remember being flabbergasted about how socially…undeveloped the blue-haired girl had been, particularly for a fifth-grader. The public revelation that she had been effectively 'raised' by NERV – being the First Child, an Evangelion Pilot – had explained a little, but Hikari had always wondered how anyone could tolerate a girl growing up so deprived.

Even so, Hikari had managed to enlighten Rei as to the various realities of public behavior…at least, to some extent. Although Ayanami was clearly no idiot, there still seemed to be some kind of block that prevented her from acting on most of Hikari's advice; the peculiar girl had accepted her words as true, but she hadn't internalized them.

In return, Rei had helped Hikari develop her authoritative muscles, displaying surprisingly mature insights into group psychology and the average person's impulsive responses to any number of disciplinary measures. By and large, Hikari had Rei to thank for her continued success as the Class Representative.

In no small part because anyone would tell you that as 'bad' as Hikari was as the Class Rep, Rei would've been a LOT worse, given how strict her views on authority were.

After their lessons had ceased, Rei had stopped visiting. In the end, Hikari had made what she would call a friend on the best days, and an eccentric acquaintance on the rest. Rei still insisted on behaving in a cool and detached manner, continually referring to her by her title as the Class Representative (even though that title had effectively no weight outside of the school).

So the blue-haired girl's sudden appearance was startling, to say the least. "I was just about to start cooking dinner."

"Do you require assistance?"

"Well…you can measure the ingredients I need." Rei was nothing if not precise. Every action she took was never done without care or forethought. It was yet another facet of the girl who baffled Hikari so; her lack of knowledge in various key areas, her blue hair (which was confirmed as natural the very first time Rei changed for gym; it hadn't taken long for word to spread), her red eyes, and superhuman strength contributed to an otherworldly, almost alien nature that all but cemented her status as an eternal social pariah.

Given what had occurred in the gym earlier that day, Hikari wondered if Mana Kirishima and Mayumi Yamagishi would be subjected to the same fate. Which reminds me; I'm supposed to discipline all three of them for their misconduct. How in the world am I gonna pull THAT off?

"What do I need to measure?"

Hikari reached into a cabinet and pulled out some bottles, a few empty glass bowls, and a couple of bags. "One cup of flour, one-hundred-and-eighty milliliters of dashi stock, and ten milliliters of cooking oil. Mix the batter and dashi, leave the oil separate once you measure it. I'm making okonomiyaki and miso soup tonight."

"Understood." Rei pursued her task diligently, taking care not to spill one drop.

Hikari was grateful for the girl's highly-trained sense of control, given how much damage she could do without meaning if she were the careless type. Looking around the kitchen and the adjacent rooms, the apartment looked clean, albeit lived-in. At the moment, her father was still at work, Kodama was currently napping, and Nozomi was out playing with a few of her friends; they were alone. "So Rei, what exactly brings you here?"

As the middle Horaki daughter went to the pantry to restock their miso from the covered crock pot, Rei was trying to ascertain whether or not she was precisely at the hash-mark labeled '1 Cup' on the glass. After several moments of silence, the First Child finally answered, "I was informed yesterday that my smile makes me look cute. Since you are well-versed in social interactions, I came for a second opinion."

Remember that whole 'social pariah' thing?

Newcomers to a school would initially think of Rei as an exotic, curious beauty…but her reputation and behavior would eventually mark her as an oddity. Her cool demeanor and somewhat aloof temperament would then all but mark her off as a potential love interest to the bevy of teens drowning in their newly-discovered hormones.

So the knowledge that someone had actually had the guts to say that Rei looked cute shocked Hikari so much that she nearly dropped the bowl of miso she was refilling. She whirled around towards her visitor, face paling to the point that her freckles looked like fresh tattoos. "W-W-W-What?"

"Have I said something inappropriate?"

"No! Not at all! I was just…surprised, is all." Someone called Rei cute? "Who…who said this to you?"

"It was Pilot Ikari."

Hikari blinked. The son of Gendo Ikari? Oh goodness.

This was…unprecedented. Had the relative newcomer done what none before had dared? Had he begun an attempt to crack the icy barrier that was Rei Ayanami? "That's…very interesting." It was FAR more than interesting. Various topics and questions swirled around in the ClassRepresentative's head. What to ask, what to ask, what to ask? She now found herself entertaining the idea of engaging Rei in a particular style of conversation that had never been a possibility before.

Namely, girl talk. "You know what? The rest of my family won't be ready to eat for a while." She quickly put the miso into the fridge before practically dragging Rei towards the dinner table. "I want to hear all the details."

Rei arched an eyebrow; she couldn't recall ever seeing the Class Representative act so excited over something so trivial. "Is being called 'cute' significant enough to warrant this reaction?"

Hikari sighed. Oh, how much she still had to learn.

xxxx

/Target Range Alpha-4, Section-2 Barracks, NERV-1, Tokyo-3, Japan/

Makoto Hyuga often thought about his current job and the people he worked with. Suffice it to say, he was arguably the most normal individual of NERV-1's command staff. For a certain value of normal.

"Look alive, boys!"

BOOM!

Still, there was always common ground to be found in any paramilitary organization.

One such instance was a need for target practice.

Hyuga glanced over his shoulder, looking at the other people currently using the fairly nondescript shooting range (the Alpha range-class was completely bare-bones, built purely for functionality and ease of use; if you wanted to practice shooting in simulated environments such as mountain, forest, or urban, well that's what range-classes Beta through Lambda were for). Four of 'Misato's Team' were here: Henshin Obimura, Dell Conagher, Tavish DeGroot, and David Lowrie. Lieutenant Shiori Aoba was also present, having had – in her own words – 'nothing better to do right now'. It was an opportunity to associate with coworkers in a more relaxed environment.

Well, as relaxed as a shooting range rife with the Engineer's improvised weaponry could be.

Aoba whistled as she lowered the odd-looking grenade launcher, which looked like it had been compiled out of parts from a scrap heap. "Not bad." The bull's eye target had been completely obliterated. "A bit of a kick, but nothing to write home about."

Dell sniffed, wiping his nose on the back of his sleeve. "Then that means those little springs ain't enough to absorb the recoil." The Texan sighed, moving back over towards a pile of miscellaneous parts from various machines, around which were at least a half-dozen more of his 'improvised' weaponry. "Gonna have to see if I can rustle up something else…"

"If you want–"

"Firing!"

KRAKOOM!

Lieutenant Hyuga briefly winced at the sudden interruption by the Sniper's rifle. "If you want Conagher-san, there are a number of defense contractors that I could get some scrap from. It would only take a few phone calls." He wasn't the Logistics Officer of NERV-1 for nothing.

"Not that I'm hurtin' for supplies, but I'd appreciate it El-Tee. And haven't I told ya to call me Dell? Those honorifics of yours are too fancy for a fella like me."

Tavish bellowed, nearly choking on his whisky. "Ye didn't mind Ikari's laddy callin' ye 'Conagher-san'."

"That's cause he's a kid showin' respect for his elders, and I ain't gonna disrespect him by sayin' otherwise."

"Even though he shoulders a duty that few could bear," remarked the Spy, who calmly looked through the scope of an FN SCAR-L (not a weapon that Obimura expected to ever personally carry, but he believed in being prepared for any eventuality) before letting loose a three-round burst. All three shots peppered the central eye of the target. "From what I've seen in class and in training, I'm not sure the boy even needs to see a therapist."

Makoto Hyuga frowned; the scuttlebutt had made mention of the fact that the Third Child had been ordered to see a psychiatrist due to what had happened during the battle with the Fifth Angel. "Well, he was eaten by an Angel. We don't know what that might have done to his mind."

"He was given a clean bill of health by Akagi, wasn't he?" remarked Aoba.

The Engineer winced. "I don't mean to disrespect the lady, but the Doc…well, the engine's runnin', but she drives on the wrong side of the highway too often for my liking, you get my saying?"

A round of nods was his answer. Ritsuko Akagi's lunacy was always a favorite topic of discussion if the mood turned morbid. She was certainly qualified, gods was she qualified; in many regards, the woman was an absolute genius. Nevertheless, her 'unclassifiable' disorder had the tendency to rub people the wrong way, causing them to cast doubts on her abilities.

"I don't care mehself ta be honest," replied the Demoman, who was in the midst of recalibrating his grenade launcher's sights. "Tha' blonde lass is smart even when she's actin' loony. Behsides, we're all a little crazy."

"It's not like Dr. Akagi was the only one to examine him. Didn't Riemann-san also clear Ikari-san?" asked Hyuga, referring to the Medic.

Mr. Lowrie snorted. "That man's just as demented in his own way." There was a long story about how Ludwig Riemann had lost his medical license, and had come to Australia to try and get another one under a false alias…while running an illegal practice at the same time, because he 'didn't vant hiss skillss to degrade'. In a twisted sense, Second Impact had removed that thorny issue from the doctor's side, since there had been a lot more worrisome things to deal with at the time. But that was a story that everyone there already knew, so there was no need to bring it up. "I really don't think the kid's screwed up in the head; he's a lot more well-adjusted than you'd think. Personally, I think it's just a ruse to try and see if there'll be anything that could inhibit his ability to pilot the Evangelion."

So he's heard that rumor, thought Hyuga as he reloaded his semi-automatic pistol. "There might be something to that. I spoke with Ibuki-san last week about the dinner that Ikari-san attended at Dr. Akagi's house. He wasn't willing to divulge much, but apparently there was a disagreement about how the Supreme Commander raised Ayanami-san." Of the people gathered, Hyuga had been at NERV-1 the longest, with Aoba being behind him by about a month, and with Misato's teammates being the newest of all; they had only begun working at NERV in December of last year, with Misato herself only being hired two months before that. Even so, Hyuga had had little contact with the First Child until the decision to socialize her at the municipal schools had been made in April of 2012. "I can only imagine what it is that set Ikari-san off…"

"Probably had to be something big, considering how much you have to push the kid to get him to show some backbone," commented Aoba as she took a quick swipe from DeGroot's whisky, much to the Scotsman's angered dismay. "But hey, as long as he can perform when it's go-time, does it really matter if the boy's going coocoo?"

Hyuga sweatdropped. "Because he actually has a social life involving multiple civilians?"

Aoba flipped him off.

"My point still stands."

Aoba twitched. This was generally considered a bad thing, so Hyuga finally relented.

"Say David, you really think it's all a ruse?" asked Dell in an off-handed manner while he was fiddling with a customized rocket launcher. "Doesn't patient confidentiality count for somethin'?"

Everyone stared at him.

The Engineer sighed. "Right. Gendo Ikari. Crooked as a barrel of snakes."

"Don't get me wrong, I respect the Professor and all the crap he has to deal with in this business." The Sniper fired another bullet through the hole he had made previously. "But he's a manipulative son of a bitch who will stop at nothing to do what he thinks needs to be done."

Henshin Obimura chuckled as he switched to a black revolver. "Such a crass way to refer to our employer."

"Fine. Son of a whore."

Shiori Aoba finally laughed at the sudden direction that the conversation had taken. "My my, what…treasonous talk!" Her expression evoked more sarcasm than even the snarkiest Englishman was capable of. "Perhaps I should report you all?"

"Ha! The Commander would prob'ly complehment us for the crack aboot his mum!" joked the Demoman as he downed the last of his whisky.

Lieutenant Aoba stared. Then she shrugged before turning back to the range. "Good point." She shot a glance over at Henshin Obimura. "Any other thoughts about the head honcho?"

The Spy shrugged. "He writes my paycheck, I do my job; it doesn't matter how I feel."

"Oh yeah? Whaddya think the others would say?"

"The only one I can see making a fuss would be Mr. Doe. He would probably be threatening us with insubordination before demanding to know how the Supreme Commander 'could be so incompetent as to tolerate such undisciplined troops'." This comment elicited a rowdy laugh from the Demoman and some good-natured chuckling from the Engineer, the Sniper, and Aoba.

The bespectacled Hyuga sighed, feeling a tad worn out by the sudden criticism of the Supreme Commander.

Even if it was well-deserved.

Suddenly, another thought struck him. "Speaking of the others, wasn't Heisen-san supposed to join us?"

"It's time for the Pyro's monthly checkup," answered the Spy, a grim look on his face as he calmly shot the various vital spots of a humanoid target sheet. "It could not be helped."

xxxx

/Ritsuko Akagi's Secret Laboratory, NERV-1, Tokyo-3/

Shinji Ikari, if you had asked him about Ritsuko Akagi's Laboratory, would have told you that it was a large, cavernous facility, rife with computers and equipment to study…well, pretty much anything. He also would have given you a warning not to go exploring, since you would most likely become lost. And becoming lost in any place belonging to Dr. Akagi was a no-no.

Hence why the existence of the good doctor's private lab – sorry, her 'secret laboratory' – was still somewhat clandestine. Its entrance was somewhere within the expanse of the main lab, but that location was need-to-know.

At the moment, there were only three individuals located with the cluttered facility. This area looked far more lived-in; the tables were cluttered with notepads, reference books, and various folders detailing one ongoing project or another. Multiple vats of LCL could be seen in one corner of the lab, wedged next to strange equipment that most people wouldn't be able to fathom the purpose for.

Ritsuko Akagi and Ludwig Riemann were both working over one particular machine that appeared to be a large shell of sorts, currently split open to reveal numerous metallic grips and hooks. At the moment, suspended and supported by these appendages, was the Pyro's suit. Though the red suit seemed simplistic on the surface, its innards were rife with insulating and nonconductive materials, along with a bevy of machinery dedicated to life support for the person who wore it.

Said person was currently suspended in a vat of LCL, having been induced to unconsciousness so as to make the procedure…bearable.

Given that over seventy percent of Shinobu Heisen's skin bore second and third-degree burns, this was understandable.

"My observations regarding the superiority of LCL still stand."

"You haff not conducted enough human trialss to contradict me!"

"Using the maintenance workers from Section 3 is not supposed to be praiseworthy!"

"I cannot usse ze vones from Section 'Vone', zey are under your jurisdiction! Ze medical steff et Section 4 haff already forbidden me from conducting anymore research in ze Medical Ving, so they are out ess vell!"

"Why not use the grunts in blackshirts from Section 2? They're just as fleshy!"

"Ze Boss and her underling vould cestrate me! Besidess, zere haff been no fatelities!"

Ritsuko rolled her eyes as she tweaked one of the modules inside the Pyro's suit. "Honestly, how your colleague survived with a quack like you is amazing."

Ludwig snorted as he cleaned out some blue-colored gunk from one of the tiny valves built into the red ensemble. "I know I am not ze only vone to haff noticed ze curative and anesthetic propertiess pressent vithin ze blood of ze mutant kangaroo!"

"Oh, like it's supposed to be my fault that you and your merry band wandered around that Australian hellhole for years, adapting to the Post-Impact conditions?"

"You're just jealous zat I discowered it first!"

"…yeah? So?"

"ZAT DOES IT!" The Medic removed his red latex gloves, pointing directly at Ritsuko's face. "I chellenge you to a SCIENCE-OFF!"

The Chief of Section 1 smirked as she extracted a notebook from her lab coat. "Challenge accepted! PREPARE TO LOSE HARDER THAN THE ANTARCTIC'S PRE-IMPACT ECOSYSTEM! BOHOHOHOHOHO!!!"

Both doctors proceeded to sit down at a table, each writing a full-length paper advocating their particular argument regarding a certain facet of the Pyro's suit. Said papers were complete with references to the studies of a third party or to their own work (peer-reviewed by the MAGI, of course), and were quite robust in their scientific verbiage.

Then they exchanged papers and began critiquing their opponent's work. Many insults involving cranial capacity and neurological disorders were lobbed.

Once it was over – with no particular winner having been determined (alas, both papers had been found wanting) – they immediately went back to work on refurbishing the suit before Shinobu Heisen could awaken, all the while chatting amicably about Shinji Ikari's rapid progress, the research being conducted by Dr. Mondschein at NERV-Alaska, and the Second Child's impending arrival.

All in all, just another monthly checkup for the Pyro.

xxxx

/The Sisters' Room, Hikari Kirishima's Apartment, Tokyo-3/

"Ayanami-san's reaction makes more sense in hindsight."

"Yeah yeah, I got it. Like, four hours ago."

"It can't hurt to remind you. We're not in a situation where wanton violence is a valid objective."

"Heh. Life was a lot simpler when it was."

"Mana."

"Oh come on, it sucks having to tiptoe around all these little weaklings! And don't tell me that you don't feel the same!"

"…I admit, it is difficult to maintain control in this environment, but we were trained precisely so that we could control our powers."

Mana snorted as she rolled over in her bed. "It wouldn't bug me so much if we didn't have to go to that school. But noo~oo, we have to 'socialize'."

Mayumi's face peered down from the top bunk, her long blue hair falling over in a billowing wave. "It would be easier if you didn't purposefully antagonize people."

"I only 'antagonize' people who can handle it," retorted the silver-haired nephilim. "And Rei Ayanami is one of them."

It hadn't taken too long for Hikari Kirishima and her two nephilim to move their effects into the apartment; in the V-shaped apartment complex, their residence – right next door to Misato Katsuragi's – bore a similar design to the Lieutenant Colonel's dwelling. Most of their heavy weights – in particular the ones that were over two hundred pounds – had to be left at the impromptu Jet Alone complex in Tokyo-3, so their room looked much more befitting of two young girls: some bookshelves, two dressers, and a bunk bed.

Okay, so it was a room befitting two girls that lived a spartan life, but it was still a sight more comfortable than the giant warehouse that had been stationed in for the past couple of years.

It was nighttime, and their overseer had already chewed them out (Mana much more so than Mayumi) for their actions today. They were newcomers in Tokyo-3, and they didn't need to bring undue attention to themselves. It was bad enough that the entire region was, for all intents and purposes, NERV's territory: a veritable company town for the paramilitary organization. Engaging in heated combat with one of their Evangelion Pilots was not and never would be a good idea.

Mana had given her mother's disciplinary rant some token attention; she prided herself on being good at what she did, and she didn't need to be given an order twice.

Besides, after the incident in the principal's office, it hadn't taken her long to figure out what the Sergeant had meant.

'Line of sight'. The only thing that could apply to was the rocket launcher she had wielded. In retrospect, a few dozen students had been behind Rei Ayanami when she had tried to use the customized M9. If the First Child had not redirected her shot, it was highly likely that there would have been some fatalities, since it seemed that the Sergeant didn't consider the option of utilizing her AT-Field.

The whole situation was vexing. They were in a bustling city instead of a flooded ruin. She and her sister were both expected to engage in some social interaction, whereas the Jet Alone Project members – with the exception of Tokita – mostly left them alone when they hadn't been needed.

"It wouldn't hurt to leave them be. Ayanami-san didn't do anything to instigate that fight."

"Do you know how long it's been since I've fought another nephilim who wasn't you?"

Mayumi pouted at her sister. "Well excuse me for not meeting your silly standards."

Mana rolled her eyes at the melodrama being launched at her. "Oh come on, I didn't mean it like that and you know it."

"It's just…I don't want you to ruin this opportunity for us. That's not too much to ask, is it?"

The pleading tone in Mayumi's voice irked Mana for some reason she couldn't quite identify. "…you're really digging the whole 'school' thing, aren't you?"

"Well…" Mayumi laid back down onto her bed, the top bunk creaking due to her motion. "It's a new experience. I've never interacted with so many people who didn't already know I'm a nephilim…though after today, they'll probably treat us like they treat Ayanami-san."

Mana had noticed that; they were both in Class 2-A, which happened to hold both Evangelion Pilots. The student body seemed wary of the blue-haired First Child, and not just because of her physical appearance. The Class Representative had seemed to be rather respectful towards her, and the Third Child's interactions…well, she couldn't quite quantify it, for some reason, which was irritating in and of itself. Either way, after the gym incident, the entire student body – which had treated the two of them with some curiosity and interest – had quickly backed away…from Mana more so than Mayumi, since the former prided herself on her own attributes, whereas the latter tried her damnedest to look and act 'normal'. "Eh, so we made a bit of a splash. With the way you look and act, they'll have forgotten within a week."

"…you really think so?"

"Oh sure! You sound so damned distressed about the whole thing. It's actually kind of bugging me, to be honest."

"Well…I just want to see if I can make some new friends."

Mana actually groaned into her pillow. "Gah…really? The only ones there that would be worthwhile are the Evangelion Pilots, and Ayanami's already pissed me off!"

Mayumi sighed heavily.

"And what's that supposed to be?"

"I know that Ikari-san and Ayanami-san are the only ones capable of piloting an Evangelion, but that doesn't make the others worthless. They're just human children who don't have any power of their own; that doesn't make them inferior to us."

Ugh, not this conversation again. "In a world where power means everything in the long run, don't count on any of those people to hang around." And that wasn't even bringing the likes of envy and jealousy into play. "You'll be better off not even bothering. Just trust me."

There was silence for a while after that, almost to the point that Mana thought that her sister had acquiesced the point…until a small voice broke through the still air. "Maybe…but I have to try."

"…feh." Mana rolled over, absent-mindedly scratching at her leg. Unlike her sister – who wore some snug pajamas running from neck-to-toe, colored a very girly shade of pink – she was most comfortable going with her undergarments, seeing as how she was never too hot or too cold. It was just another example of how the two differed.

And yet…they were still sisters. And that still meant something.

"…if it really means that much to you…I'll try and tone it down a little."

"…thank you Mana."

"Just don't say that I didn't warn you, okay?"

"Okay."

With that, they both went quiet, falling into a calm slumber within minutes.

Standing outside their door was none other than Hikari Kirishima, her ear pressed against the sliding frame. She resisted the urge to sigh before trudging into the kitchen, suddenly feeling the urge to down a whole mug of coffee (which was a poor substitute for a whole pint of beer, but she was trying to cut back). Those two, I swear…

Shiro Tokita had told his entire team that NHIS would no doubt successfully appeal NERV's blatant appropriation of the Jet Alone. Hopefully, they would only have to remain in Tokyo-3 for a few weeks.

Hopefully being the key word, since the whole situation seemed off in a way that she couldn't quite finger. Regardless, she could only hope for the best…because those two in a school environment amongst human children had the potential to go horrifically awry.

Enough; worry about what's in front of you. Like the paperwork she had to file to Nephilim Oversight about the altercation that her girls had gotten involved in today. Joyous.

A sharp round of knocking on the front door roused Hikari to alertness, prompting her to impulsively draw her pistol. She leaned beside the front door, cautiously peering through the peephole…only to groan when she saw who it was. With exasperation, she holstered her weapon and slowly opened up the door to reveal a grinning Misato Katsuragi. "Can I help you with something?"

"Actually, yes. You. Me. My team. To the bar and grill just down the road. Place called Musashi Joe's. Consider it an attempt at reconciliation for the reception you've had so far here."

"…if you're referring to the incident at the school with my girls and the First Child, that's already been settled. If you're referring to NERV's appropriation of the Jet Alone, then my qualm is with both your boss and mine. Does that cover it?"

"Eh, a little of both," acknowledged Misato. "Still, it's an excuse to get to know your neighbor! And your neighbor's coworkers!"

"Not interested. I have paperwork to file." Both women impulsively shivered at the word. "But thanks for the offer."

Misato grinned.

It was an evilly conniving grin that set Hikari on edge. "Why…are you smiling?"

"Because no matter how much you say no, you'll wind up being dragged along anyway. Best to come along and get it out of the way now." Misato nonchalantly brushed at her red jacket, seemingly unconcerned with Hikari's incredulity at the whole scene. "Besides, that paperwork isn't going anywhere. Getting it done now or in three hours won't change a damn thing."

Agent Kirishima couldn't help but sigh. "Listen, you may be used to charging your way through things like normal, 'Lieutenant Colonel', but I really don't care to get involved in any of the shenanigans that seem to accompany NERV's staff wherever they go. And at any rate, how are you going to coerce me into going?"

Misato pointed behind her.

Hikari turned around…and nearly yelped at the sight of an eight-foot-tall robot with a cat's head. "What…what the HELL? How'd that thing get in here?!"

"I AM A CAT."

"…it…can talk…?"

Hikari Kirishima's mind decided to take a brief vacation, so her body responded by fainting.

Misato and Randall both looked at the unconscious agent from Nephilim Oversight. "…huh. Well that went better than I thought." Since the dinner at Ritsuko's, Randall's schedule for 'body shifts' had moved to Saturday. However, with the attack of the Fifth Angel two days ago, Ritsuko hadn't yet found the time to remove Randall from his current robotic shell. Lucky for me, though! "Thanks for the help, boy!"

"FAST LADY PROMISED SPECIAL FOOD."

"Don't worry, I'll make sure to get you something good." The Lieutenant Colonel turned her eyes further into the house, peering around the corner into the dark hallway. She couldn't really see anything, but the happy smile on her face seemed to indicate otherwise. "Now don't worry kids, I'll bring your mom back safe and sound! Sweet dreams!"

And so Misato left the apartment, Randall following with Hikari Kirishima's body laying on his robotic shoulder. Standing quietly within the darkness of the hall were none other than Hikari's two nephilim.

"…we just watched our mother get abducted by Lieutenant Colonel Katsuragi and what looked like a robotic cat."

Mana grinned. "At least our neighbors are interesting."

"Sister, our mother was just abducted."

"Bah, the old lady will be fine. The Lieutenant Colonel seems like a pretty fun gal anyway."

"Mana. Our mother. ABDUCTED."

"Fine, stay up if you want, I'm going back to bed." Mana scratched at her hair, yawning as she returned to her bunk.

Mayumi pouted as she decided to relocate to the couch in the living room, opting to watch the news until Hikari was 'returned'. It would at least be enough to occupy her while she wondered how in the world that cat had snuck into the house. Seriously, it's a cat in a giant robotic body. It almost managed to get into our house without alerting us. How did it do that?

xxxx

/Two Days Later/

/October 14, 2015/

/Pilots' Break Room, NERV-2, Berlin-2, Germany/

As far as break rooms went, it wasn't anything special: a couple of vending machines, a unisex bathroom, a wall-mounted television, a comfy couch, and some metal chairs. The halogen lighting and white walls combined with the cheap-looking furniture gave a contradictory air to the room, a dichotomy of antique and antiseptic.

Not that the Pilots had ever complained, given that they were the only ones who could use it.

Right now, the only two Evangelion Pilots remaining at NERV-2 were watching the television, focusing on the news footage being transmitted from Hawaii. Of particular note was the sight of a red titan being lowered into the hangar deck of the supercarrier USS Harry S. Truman. "And so Miss Sohryu embarks for Japan…"

"SEELE is under the impression that the future Angels will be stronger. They want to reinforce Tokyo-3." Soft-spoken like Kaworu, except cold where his was cordial…and decidedly more feminine.

Kaworu tilted his head towards his fellow Pilot; clad in his black and purple Plug Suit, he stood out starkly against the brightness of the room. "They believe that the Sixth Angel will strike at the Black Moon, before Unit-02 arrives to supplement Tokyo-3's defenses."

The girl also stood out for similar reasons; her Plug Suit was colored a lustrous silver, with black highlights trimming the limbs and torso. The bodysuit's life support equipment – its outer color a bone white – was fashioned as pauldrons and a breastplate, surrounding a red orb embedded above the sternum. Her waist-length hair – tied into a French braid – was pure white, somehow managing to contrast with her already pale skin. The bangs were held up by a gray headband, upon which were two silver A10 nerve connectors. Vibrant red eyes – as lucid as the Fourth's, yet possessing a callous nature that he did not – only cemented her nature as a nephilim.

She was the Fifth Child: Yomiko Nagisa. "And why do they believe that?"

Kaworu smiled slyly, an odd twinkle present in his gaze. "Oh? Don't tell me that you cannot sense our kin? He is on the verge of awakening."

Yomiko snorted, moments before her true voice echoed throughout Kaworu's mind: no longer feminine and calm, but loud and rumbling like an avalanche. THE VOICE OF OUR [EQUAL/KIN/SIBLING] HAS BEEN SMALL AND SUBDUED, AND YET CONTINUES TO GROW. SOON, IT SHALL BE EXALTED INTO [LIFE/GENESIS/COMPLETENESS].

Zeruel's proclamation brought a grin to the Fourth Child's face, his eyes focused on the television set. The UN Pacific Fleet was setting out from Hawaii, en route to Japan. An immense show of force from the Lilim…and yet it would all amount to nothing. Such a shame. SEELE believes that our focus is entirely on LILITH. Given the performance of the Evangelions…it would be [foolhardy/reckless/suicidal] to let them add another to their ranks.

Yomiko chuckled out loud, even as her true voice echoed with power. AND HERE I THOUGHT THAT THE GIRL [INTRIGUED/FASCINATED/MYSTIFIED] YOU. HAVE YOU DECIDED TO ABANDON YOUR…'EXPERIMENT'?

If it comes to that. It would truly be a shame if Miss Sohryu ended up perishing against the Sixth Angel. She was yet another testament to the potential of the Lilim; unfortunately, they had to find ADAM…and to find ADAM, they needed to speak with LILITH. A third Evangelion would only complicate matters. It is [improbable/possible] that the Second Child can make it to Tokyo-3 before-

A sudden eruption burst through the ether, bringing forth energy and a burgeoning will. Both Kaworu and Yomiko went still, their true voices going silent as they [realized/felt/understood] what was occurring. Zeruel suddenly chuckled. AND SO HE HAS [AWOKEN/RISEN/MANIFESTED].

A new voice, deep and robust, echoed through their minds. I AM I. I AM [INDECIPHERABLE]. I KNOW WHAT I MUST DO.

Kaworu's smile, for some strange reason, possessed a hint of melancholy. Welcome, Gaghiel. Our ultimate objective of finding our [Creator/Father/Source] is unchanged…and yet we must prevent the Lilim from further hindering us.

DO NOT WORRY. THIS RED [WEAPON/CREATURE/ENTITY] WILL NEVER MAKE IT TO THE BLACK MOON. IT SHALL BE [RUINED/SUNDERED/BROKEN].

TAKE CAUTION. ITS [PARTNER/MASTER/WIELDER]…INTERESTS TABRIS.

She is quite [capable/bewildering/gifted] in her own right. Do not hesitate.

Gaghiel seemed to snarl at the warnings. THE THOUGHT OF HOLDING BACK OFFENDS ME. ALL OBSTACLES IN THE WAY OF OUR [GOAL/DREAM/DESIRE] WILL BE ANNIHILATED!

xxxx

To be continued…

Next time…

Episode 11: Asuka Strikes!

xxxx

(Our first slice of life episode is done. Next time, we see Unit-02 in action.)

 

[Ultra Sonic 007]

/October 15, 2015/

/Bridge of USS Harry S. Truman, UN Pacific Fleet TF-2, Pacific Ocean (En Route from Hawaii to Japan)/

Nathaniel Ackerson sighed as he observed the massive fleet about him, sailing westward towards Japan. Currently, the sun was on the verge of setting, its light casting a brilliant radiance on the Pacific Ocean. Amidst an armada of five carriers, four carrier air wings – for a combined total of two-hundred-and-seventy aircraft – seven cruisers, ten destroyers, twelve frigates, four submarines, and five supply ships, the scene was one of majesty and unparalleled power.

All of that power was worthless against the Angels.

"Quite the scene, isn't it Captain?" murmured Ackerson, turning towards Benjamin Matthews, the officer who actually commanded the Harry S. Truman as an individual ship. For the duration, Ackerson was using this carrier as the task force's flagship, since the usual command ship of the Pacific Fleet – the USS Blue Ridge – was undergoing maintenance at the port of Yokosuka-2, established on the other side of the Miura Peninsula from the flooded remnants of Old Yokosuka.

Even so, Captain Matthews didn't mind Ackerson's decision. For one, it wasn't like he could say no to an Admiral. Secondly, Ackerson had a good reputation with many officers and enlisted personnel crossing multiple ranks of the US Navy; thus far, Matthews had found his calm nature (others would call it self-deprecating, but that was sort of true, so Ackerson let it slide) agreeable.

No; Matthews' current ire was due to the abrupt formation of Task Force 2, composed of over sixty percent of the Pacific Fleet's ships. All but one of the Fleet's aircraft carriers had been pulled into this 'task force', so this ungodly concentration of firepower should have merited a worthy cause.

Scuttlebutt within the fleet was, so to speak, soul-searingly negative about the fact that they were acting as a glorified delivery service. "As it stands, it would only make for a good painting."

Ackerson chuckled, marveling at how everything had changed so quickly. "That may be, but as you said…at least it would be a good painting."

The militaries of the world's leading nations had, for the most part, adapted rather admirably to the Post-Impact world. Following the Valentine Treaty in 2002, the United Nations had obtained a more robust peacekeeping apparatus, in essence turning it into the world's foremost military power. Although the UN member nations still retained their own militaries, all international martial activity was coordinated by the United Nations, with the Security Council providing the deciding vote on how the armed forces were to be utilized.

Case in point: the UN Pacific Fleet, culled from the American, Russian, and Japanese navies. In Task Force 2 alone, three of the cruisers were Russian, and the Japan Maritime Strategic Self-Defense Force had provided one aircraft carrier, one destroyer, and four frigates. Granted,
language and translation issues were factors to be considered, but those were easily taken care of…relatively speaking.

Those were nothing in comparison to NERV's existence. "As if this 'mission' weren't enough of an insult, I had to leave my Battle Axe behind at New Pearl Harbor, to make room for their overgrown Gundam."

"True, it was quite inconsiderate," acknowledged Ackerson. 'Battle Axe' was the somewhat-affectionate nickname of Carrier Air Wing Three, comprised of eight whole squadrons. To make room for Unit-02 in the hangar deck – along with the large apparatus needed to connect it with
the carrier's nuclear reactors – the entire wing had needed to be left behind. True, the flyboys appreciated the impromptu shore leave, but it stung all the same. "This task force still has four whole wings at its disposal."

"With all due respect Admiral, that's not the point."

"As much as it may gall you, that 'overgrown Gundam' is the only thing that can destroy an Angel." Ackerson gestured towards the fleet, his arm a silhouette against the sunlight. "It's almost shameful to admit our own weakness, isn't it?"

Benjamin Matthews scowled, wanting to dispute his superior's statement.

Nathaniel sighed. I know exactly what you're going through. Captain Matthews was tall and well-built, with well-trimmed brown hair and a stoic disposition; young and strong, he was a veteran of the Impact Wars, and fully aware of how much firepower a single aircraft carrier could bring to bear on an enemy, much less a whole fleet. The thought that the red giant in the hangar was more powerful than the entirety of Task Force 2 was obviously appalling to him.

Now me? I look like a damn dwarf nowadays. With a bushy gray mustache, a stocky frame, and his usual disposition, Ackerson often came off as an old codger, one who should've retired long ago. After fifty-eight years living on this planet, he couldn't help but acknowledge both his own limits, and the limits of those under his command.

Admittedly, before September 20th, his opinion of NERV would have mirrored that of Captain Matthews: a financial black hole commanded by a fanatic madman, serving no purpose in the world at large, other than to act as a boogeyman for a threat that would never come.

Then the Third Angel had appeared.

The Admiral could remember his reaction upon seeing the video footage…and not just the publicly available clips that showed the Angel surviving some token missiles from the JSSDF before Evangelion Unit-01 throttled it. No, he had the clearance to view the classified stuff.

The ease with which the JSSDF's military units had been tossed aside.

The overwhelming power at its disposal.

The fact that it had regenerated from a bloody N2 mine!

No; feelings of self-gratifying superiority would only get people killed needlessly. "Take heart in the fact that our fleet can hold its own against human opponents. The Angels are…beyond conventional weaponry. Accept it and you'll feel better."

Captain Matthews grimaced before saluting him. "Understood, sir."

Admiral Nathaniel Ackerson nodded before turning his gaze to the flight deck, where their three 'guests' were mingling. The red-haired pilot of the Evangelion was holding her little sister up to the rail on the port side, the two watching the other vessels with smiles on their faces.
Their caretaker – that shifty-looking UN Inspector by the name of Ryoji Kaji – stood dutifully by them, making sure they didn't do anything reckless.

Now if NERV only had the decency to use adults to control their weapons. It didn't matter that NERV was the only organization that could defeat the Angels; the use of children as soldiers had always been a sore point for him.

It didn't help that he had a granddaughter that was Asuka's age.

xxxx

Episode 11: Asuka Strikes!

xxxx

Energy and will. Power and presence. It was suddenly there, connecting to all…and an instant later, it had all but vanished.

Tabris, Zeruel, and Gaghiel were all aware, yet could not completely comprehend.

Did you [feel/perceive/experience] that?

YES.

ANOTHER [EQUAL/KIN/SIBLING]?

Apparently.

THE [VOICE/ESSENCE/SOUL] IS MUTED. WHY CAN WE NOT FEEL ITS [BRILLIANCE/POWER]?

…perhaps…

YOU HAVE AN EXPLANATION FOR THIS, TABRIS?

Well Zeruel, it's possible that our new [equal/kin/sibling] is purposefully [INDECIPHERABLE].

Shock and confusion roiled over the ether, prompting Gaghiel to howl. WHY?

TO INTENTIONALLY REMAIN [SEPARATE/DISTANT/UNKNOWN] TO US? WE FELT HIM [AWAKEN/ARISE/MANIFEST]. HE WITHDREW INSTANTLY. WHY?

I…I do not know. This was unsettling. It was new. It was unexpected. Perhaps our new [equal/kin/sibling] has its own plan?

YOU ARE THE ONE WHO POSSESSES THE [WILL/MENTALITY/MEMORIES] OF OUR [CREATOR/FATHER/SOURCE]. HE MUST BE AWARE OF THIS!

As I have constantly said, what I [remember/possess] is incomplete. It is…probable that he is approaching our [conflict/issue/impasse] with NERV and SEELE from a different angle.

HAS MY MISSION CHANGED?

THERE IS NO CHANGE. KEEP PURSUING THE RED [WEAPON/CREATURE/ENTITY].

This new development will be settled later, once we can [learn/derive/herald] the truth behind our new [equal/kin/sibling]'s actions.

SO BE IT.

xxxx

/October 16, 2015/

/Tokita's Office, Jet Alone Facility, Tokyo-3, Japan/

"…you're joking."

"I wish I were, Tomino-san." Shiro Tokita thought that he would've had a bit more time to break the reality of the situation to his team. After all, the review period for NERV's appropriation of the Jet Alone was two weeks. Unfortunately, events had turned against them, thanks to SEELE. "NHIS was swift in launching an internal investigation into the Jet Alone Project. It…hasn't been favorable."

At the moment, the various team leaders of the Jet Alone Project – five in all – were meeting with Tokita in his current 'office', having been called there for an emergency meeting. Despite the early morning hour, Agent Kirishima was also there, since she had been told that this
meeting concerned the Jet Alone (and therefore its pilots).

Needless to say, this was not what they had expected. "But it doesn't make any sense! What could possibly be their motive?" exclaimed the head of the Kleinium and Materials R&D Team, his brown hair gleaming with sweat. "We were all there when the legal department briefed us
about the Jet Alone Project's viability. This is not what they told us the first time around!"

Convenient, isn't it? thought Tokita with a grim frown. He had updated them regarding NHIS's internal investigation into the Jet Alone Project (said investigation itself being a surprise to them as it was); essentially, the legal department of Nippon Heavy Industrial Systems had pored over all previous correspondence with the Jet Alone Project. Apparently, they had come to the conclusion that the Jet Alone Project had proceeded despite the legal department's objections.

After all; the NERV charter that Gendo Ikari had presented at the demonstration? Not only was that version of the charter publicly available on the Internet, but it was a matter of record that it was the charter that was signed and approved upon NERV's inception. Furthermore, the
legal department insisted that it had transcripts indicating their disapproval on several grounds, in particular the fact that it could easily be appropriated by NERV due to its charter.

Notwithstanding the fact that everyone here could clearly remember that no such thing had ever occurred, since the matter regarding appropriation had never been in NERV's charter to begin with!To think that SEELE has moved so quickly…but to alter our own company's internal documents without notice? The possible implications were unsettling. How many in NHIS are under their thrall? How many have accepted bribes to look the other way? How many were 'let go' if they didn't go along? In hindsight, his paranoia regarding the Modular Technology was truly justified. And how many on my own team answer to SEELE? Tokita had had the final authority on who became a member of the Jet Alone Project: a perk for working with NHIS for nearly thirty years. I can only hope that my instincts didn't fail me…

"I don't like it. Something about this whole situation smells," grumbled the plump head of the Physics R&D team. "Why would NHIS behave like this?"

"To save face."

Everyone turned towards Kisai Oniwana, the head of the Implementation team; Implementation being a fancy code word representing research and development into applications of the specialized nanotechnology 'invented' by Tokita. The bespectacled man ran a hand through his graying hair, continuing, "The Jet Alone's demonstration was essentially a publicity coup for Gendo Ikari, especially given how NERV utilized both the Jet Alone and the Evangelions against the Fifth Angel. The writing's already on the wall regarding the appropriation; the Security Council and the Human Instrumentality Committee won't overturn it."

Tokita frowned; he didn't need to pretend that this realization stung. "Yes."

"Regardless of how we remember it happening, NHIS has records dictating otherwise. Furthermore, they've already raided our offices. What would the purpose be?"

Tokita knew. He knew why better than anyone here. However, judging by the look in Oniwana's eyes, he had an alternative theory. One that I might as well accept, if it'll throw everyone else off from the truth. "You have an idea, I take it?"

The man nodded, his thin cheeks and narrow eyes giving him a stern expression. "I've spoken to you repeatedly in the past regarding how stingy you've been with your invention. I know that at least two members of the Board have asked why you refused to patent it."

"I've elaborated on my reasoning many times before. Given what my nanotech is capable of, I didn't feel comfortable about the security of the patenting process." Which was completely true; there was one opportunity too many for information to leak out during the patenting
process. Given what he now knew about SEELE, this was doubly true.

Oniwana sighed. "But that's not an issue anymore, is it? The technology has been demonstrated. 'Henshin'. 'Gattai'. I completely agreed with you during the development process, but it certainly didn't earn you any favors with the executives."

"Cut him some slack, Oniwana," interrupted Genji Sawamura, the head of Weapons R&D. "His nanotech is the most impressive part of the Project, but it's not like the other stuff we did was worthless. Hell, Dr. Tomino's MTS software might recoup at least a quarter of the Project's
development costs!"

Yoshimitsu Tomino waved Sawamura off. Contrary to the usual Japanese work ethic, Dr. Tomino had no issue with accepting praise. "Maybe a seventh, if that." He just didn't let it go to his head. "Regardless, a number of the innovations made over the course of the Project have
already been patented under the name of NHIS." As expected, naturally; despite Second Impact, the predominant mentality in the Japanese workface was geared towards company loyalty. Thus, the thought of having all of their hard work become the essential property of NHIS didn't even faze them. "Tokita-san made one exception. Why would the company disregard everything else he's done to harp on this?"

"Because your nanotech is above and beyond anything else we have. My team didn't have much to work with, but we still managed to invent the systems that made the Jet Alone Project a possibility to begin with."

Tokita couldn't fault him there. He hadn't been too keen on divulging intimate details about the Modular Technology with Oniwana; in spite of this, he had managed to devise the means by which the Rising Gundam and the Shining Gundam transformed and combined (granted, Tokita had to provide a great deal of 'technical advice', but the overall plans had been all Oniwana's idea). The man was a certifiable genius. "I have no doubt that NHIS would like to implement my nanotech in other fields."

Oniwana nodded. "Which brings us to the purpose of this meeting: where to go from here?" The sudden silence compelled him to add, "Well? Am I wrong? I doubt the company will allow us to keep assisting NERV."

'Without firing us' went unsaid, for obvious reasons. With the exception of Kirishima, every person in this room had been in the employ of NHIS for over twenty years. They had invested many years into the business; the mere thought of losing that connection was very unsettling,
given how the company culture was quite familial in nature.

It was at this point that Shiro Tokita knew that he wouldn't be retaining his entire team.

He couldn't fault them; the prospect of working with NERV was disheartening at best, given that the entire purpose of the Jet Alone Project had been to provide a successful alternative to the Evangelions. Even if it meant abandoning all the Jet Alone Project entirely, they could still
continue to work for NHIS, implementing their work and innovations in other ways. Given Gendo Ikari's behavior at the demonstration and the inherent uncertainty that came with living in Tokyo-3, there really was no comparison.

After all, Tokita himself felt the same way. However, he knew the truth about SEELE. Not only that, but he couldn't bring himself to abandon the Jet Alone at this stage. In his mind, he had a duty to remain here.

He wouldn't force his subordinates to do the same. "Let the chips fall where they may." That line caught everyone's attention. "I don't know exactly what the company is playing at with this investigation. I can't claim to know why they would alter their own legal documents to paint
us in a bad light. Maybe Oniwana-san is right, and the company is doing this to obtain full access to my files on the nanotech. But I won't let them besmirch your reputations. You all deserve better than that…so I'll take the blame." Shocked gasps and murmurs came from his team leaders, prompting Tokita to force a smile onsto his face. "I've made my decision. I can't in good conscience force any of you to do the same. Not when the company's own investigation seems so intent on denigrating us."

"You do realize that you'll be nothing more than NERV's lapdog, right?"

Tokita glanced towards Hikari Kirishima, her expression as hard as stone. Being a JSSDF woman at heart, NERV was a bit of a sore point to her, one that she had tolerated only because of his 'supposed guarantee' that this would be a short term reassignment. Now, it was all but certain
that the Jet Alone would be at Gendo Ikari's beck and call for the remainder of the Angel War and beyond. "There's no telling what the future may hold. I'll just have to blaze my own path, like usual!"

Kirishima rolled her eyes, adopting an odd expression that was both frustrated and accepting. Accepting of what was anyone's guess; nonetheless, Tokita knew that she was upset about the current chain of events. As the Nephilim Oversight agent departed the bomb shelter – er, sorry, office – the head of the Jet Alone Project turned towards his subordinates. "Go ahead and discuss it amongst yourselves…you don't have to make a decision immediately. I'll prepare a general statement for tomorrow; I just had to let you know first."

That was how Tokita left the five team leaders. He quietly walked over towards Hikari Kirishima, who was looking forlornly at the silent Gundams. Veritable warhorses, representing the very peak of Gundam technology. "You told everyone that they were to be our greatest chance at breaking NERV's stranglehold over the defense of humanity."

"Hn. The twists and turns of life can be quite unfortunate," remarked Tokita.

Apparently, he was being far too flippant for Kirishima. "Why did you give up so easily?" She turned towards the head of the Jet Alone Project, his face contorted into a confused expression. "Your personality. Your habits. They were always on display. You never showed any love for NERV, and your steadfast faith in the Jet Alone's abilities was…not entirely without merit." Tokita gave her a cheesy grin, which she promptly cut down. "And yet here you are, acquiescing in the face of odds that I don't believe are that insurmountable. So tell me why."

It was hard to look into her blue eyes, icier than Pre-Impact Antarctica, and as welcoming as a wasp. She was trying very hard not to hit him, he could tell. A shame that this won't help me one bit."…the world is always bigger than we think it is."

"I don't want riddles. Tell me."

"I can't."

"That's not good enough! My girls have no place fighting Angels and you know it!"

The memory of the Jet Alone's debut was quite stark; the Mark 06 could have easily crushed the Burning Gundam. Still, that was offset by the role played by both the Shining Gundam and Rising Gundam in the battle against the Fifth Angel. "That's just your maternal instincts talking."

SLAP.

"…okay, I probably deserved that," murmured Tokita as he rubbed the new mark on his cheek. "Nonetheless…I have my reasons for this course of action."

"We're talking about my daughters. I deserve at least one."

Tokita's silence was telling. Whether or not it was damning…well, that was up for debate.

Kirishima sighed, turning away with a flustered scowl. "Mana, Mayumi, NERV, the Angels…I already have enough to worry about without this being added to the pile."

He squashed the urge to say 'look on the bright side'. Such sophistry would only warrant another slap…because honestly, there was nothing bright enough to overwhelm the fact that Kirishima's daughters were going to be here for the duration of the Angel War.

Tokita's office door opened, the five team leaders walking out single file. The head of Physics R&D was first, extending a plump hand towards the man that had been his immediate superior for over four years. "Thank you for everything, Tokita-san. However, I can't bring myself to leave NHIS."

"I understand. Thank you for all the hard work you and your team have done on the Project." It was very likely that the entire Physics R&D team would follow him back to NHIS. One team gone.

Next was the head of the Kleinium and Materials R&D team. A sorrowful look crossed his face as he bowed deeply towards Tokita. "Although the company's actions are troubling…I can't bring myself to work for NERV. Especially after they disrespected you and our work."

Tokita bowed back. "I can't fault you." Two teams gone.

Next was Genji Sawamura, who was scratching at his stubbly chin. "Well...can't say I'm a fan of NERV, but I can't say I'm a fan of what the company's done either. And I can't find it in me to leave you hanging."

Tokita couldn't help but grin at the unexpected source of help. "I'm honored that you would remain with the Jet Alone Project, Sawamura-san." It wasn't likely that Sawamura would retain his entire team, but it was better than expected.

Kisai Oniwana calmly readjusted his sunglasses before extending a hand. "For all our disagreements, I enjoyed having a hand in the Jet Alone Project…but I must part ways. Development has reached its conclusion."

"Heh. You've never been one to settle." Oniwana had always been focused on innovation and invention; his spirit was that of a pioneer, relentlessly seeking the unknown. His skills would be dearly missed. Tokita shook Oniwana's hand, adding, "Good luck with your future endeavors."Three teams gone.

Last but not least was Yoshimitsu Tomino, head of the Software and Robotics R&D team. The bald man – easily the eldest of the group – glanced briefly at Agent Kirishima before looking back at Tokita. "Ever since Second Impact…my work with NHIS has been the only thing left for me." He didn't need to say anything about how he had lost his family during Impact. It was an all-too-common tale with the same unhappy ending. "I have truly enjoyed working with the Jet Alone Project. The camaraderie and fellowship…I can't bring myself to abandon it
at this point."

"So you're staying?"

"Well, who else is going to maintain the Mobile Trace System?"

Shiro Tokita smiled. Two out of five wasn't that bad.

xxxx

/Ritsuko Akagi's Secret Laboratory, NERV-1, Tokyo-3/

"Three weeks may sound like a lot, but it really isn't."

"Come now Dr. Mondschein, is it really too much to ask for you to MAKE WITH THE SCIENCE?"

"…as a matter of fact, YES! Yes it is! Because science is a process that takes time!"

"Fufufufufu! That's rich, coming from you."

"Yes Dr. Akagi, I am completely aware of the irony, thank you very much."

Through the holographic screen on Ritsuko's cluttered desk came the image of a lean man with pale, shoulder-length hair, his blue eyes hidden by a thin pair of eyeglasses. It was none other than Dr. Mondschein, head of the Science Division at NERV-Alaska…and by 'Alaska', one meant 'the middle of nowhere'. That made research and development of EVA-scale weapons a more…reasonable endeavor. "You've been sent samples of three Angels. You're authorized to do more intensive spectroscopic experiments due to the lesser chance of collateral damage. And you still have nothing?"

Dr. Mondschein facepalmed. "You know those lovely little things called the laws of physics? They have a habit of breaking down with pure Angelic material."

"Bah, excuses excuses."

"Over the course of one experiment, a sample of the Fourth Angel seemed to spontaneously shift from matter to antimatter. Without the proper safeguards in place, guess what happened? Annihilation! We lost an entire lab wing!"

"Then alter the nature of the experiment. That process has potential."

"You think we didn't realize that? We have multiple instances throughout various experiments documenting particle decay that doesn't obey the matter/antimatter balance…and duplicating those incidents is proving to be a bugger."

Rtsuko sighed, vexed by her peer's apparent lack of results. "If only I were working at a facility that existed solely because it was far enough away from civilization to do dangerous research…" She turned away from the holographic screen, analyzing scanned images of one of the Fifth Angel's crystalline remnants with her monocle. "Truly, it would be spectacular."

"…well, we have made a bomb with some of the samples."

"…how long have you had it?"

"About a week."

"And you haven't sent it yet…why?"

Her overseas associate had the decency to look embarrassed. "…we wanted to see if we could come up with something more exotic first."

Ritsuko twitched, even as a hypothetical spark danced through her cranium. "Hm. An admirable goal. Points for originality! Do you have any test footage?"

Dr. Mondschein's image turned away from Ritsuko. "Sending it to your terminal now."

Ritsuko glanced over at the computer on her desk, pulling up the video file that had just been sent. "Hmm…" The flash of light that burst from the screen was so intense that her monocle automatically darkened in response. "Impressive."

"Comparable yield to an N2 mine."

"I give that crater an A for effort, but a C-minus for the lack of damage variety. But hey, you're in the Alaskan tundra, so what can you do?"

"…sure, let's go with that. We currently have three operational bombs. We've given them the tentative title of 'Angel Nukes'."

Ritsuko Akagi whirled back towards the holographic screen, a delighted grin on her face. "Send those puppies over! So we can kick them! At the ANGELS! Metaphorically of course."

Dr. Mondschein stared. "…whatever Doc. I'm sending the specs."

As the holographic screen winked out, Ritsuko began analyzing the information being sent over from NERV-Alaska on her terminal. "Hmm…surprisingly stable, given the material…" A quiet mewl grabbed her attention, prompting her gaze to fall upon the diminutive Randall. "Oh? You hungry?"

The orange tabby cutely meowed, rubbing up against his owner's legs. The Chief of the Technical Branch smiled, murmuring sweet nothings to the feline as she made her way over to the small refrigerator nestled near the corner of her private lab. "Let's see what protein offerings we have in here…"

"A somewhat droll creation, isn't it?"

Ritsuko couldn't help but pause at the voice coming over the speakers in her lab. "...what are you referring to?"

"Dr. Mondschein's little explosive. I've already reviewed the technical specifications…even so, their capacity is quite impressive."

"Admittedly." She busied herself by cutting up some ham slices into tiny bits, trying to keep her attention more on Randall's purring than the voice of MAGI-00. "They might have been useful against the Fifth Angel, but they wouldn't have arrived in time anyway."

HEROD chuckled. "He certainly is one to tinker with abandon. At least he his honest about his work, compared to you."

Ritsuko twitched as she placed the ham chunks onto a small plastic plate, setting it on the floor for her cat. "Your implication?"

"I don't think I need to say it."

"Then why bring it up? Because you like pushing my buttons?" No need to explode. No need to bite. There was no need. "How…inefficient of you."

"Oh my dear sweet daughter," The saccharine tone of HEROD's voice was dripping with acid. "It's hard for me to be inefficient." For all intents and purposes, given her abilities to multitask as MAGI-00, Naoko Akagi could afford to 'waste time', as some would term it. "I just wanted to talk."

Don't bite. Don't bite. It would only be letting her win. The very thought made Ritsuko's stomach burn. "Then how about the impending arrival of the Second Child? Let's talk about her."

"Very well."

"How about her parental issues? She seems quite well-adjusted according to the Marduk Report, but I wonder if she'll be able to function in the long-term without having her father in immediate contact."

"Ah, but you know her appointed guardian. Ryoji Kaji, yes? A friend from yours and Katsuragi's college days."

Ritsuko impulsively smiled as she reached into the refrigerator for a bottle of water, the memories of yesteryear coming as smoothly as the dihydrogen monoxide trickling down her throat. "Yes…good times."

"A time when you didn't pretend. A time when you didn't wallow in weakness."

The button was pressed. Her hand impulsively crushed the water bottle, spilling water onto the hard floor. Akagi the younger snarled, teeth bared as she immediately roared, "I am NOT in the mood for the same DAMN DISCUSSION!" It would only end with screaming and more rage. Completely unproductive.

"Oh, but it's always a good time to talk about your issues. I wouldn't be much of a mother if I didn't try and help you." Such concerned words, utterly poisoned by Akagi the elder's sardonic tone.

Ritsuko snorted, her mind already deducing a comeback. "Hmph. You know what I find hilarious?"

"A great many things, I'm sure."

"Dr. Sohryu…she let herself be absorbed into the core of Unit-02. Totally. Completely." A cruel smile came to her face. "The Second Child has been without a mother for almost half her life now…and yet Dr. Sohryu was still a better mother than you can EVER BE!"

For once, HEROD's reply was not instantaneous; it took two seconds before Naoko's bitter laughter echoed through the lab. "The tantrums of a child, clinging to her own failures. Amusing. Yet it's a scene that I've seen over and over without end, always with the same conclusion…pitiful."

Ritsuko continued to inhale and exhale in a forceful manner, eyes narrowed at the ceiling…as though she were daring MAGI-00 to speak again. When a full three minutes passed with no response, Dr. Akagi finally allowed her muscles to go slack, her knees suddenly wobbling as she sunk to the floor. "Bitch." she murmured, eyes downcast.

"Mrowr?"

She glanced at the orange tabby nuzzling against her arm, smiling sadly as she pulled him into her arms, cradling him like a baby. "I need a smoke…"

xxxx

/October 17, 2015/

/Tokyo-3 Municipal Junior High School/

Rei Ayanami stood quietly in the school yard near the front gates, watching the students meander about. Classes on Saturday lasted only until noon, with the chosen subjects being mathematics, physics, and language; one period was set aside solely for clubs to meet (compared to the voluntary meetings scheduled by the clubs themselves, the Saturday meeting was always mandatory), with lunch ending the day.

She had nothing to discuss with the various Class Representatives. She had finished her lunch before almost everyone else, so there was no reason to remain in the cafeteria. There was nothing scheduled at NERV-1: no sync tests, no medical checks, nothing. Usually – when she had 'free' time – she would have already departed, intent on completing one of her many workout regimens.

Now?

("Okay Ayanami-chan, show me that smile of yours.")

("Very well.")

("…wow. You DO look cute when you smile!")

Rei found herself returning to her first-ever session of 'girl talk' with Representative Horaki. She was still trying to digest everything that they had discussed, even five days later.

Some of it was just so incredibly separate from her experiences in life.

("So does that mean you feel the same way for me as Pilot Ikari does?")

("…I'm going to take a guess and say no.")

("Then why did you call me cute?")

("Because you are!")

Under supervision from the Supreme Commander, she had been given a rudimentary sexual education by Dr. Akagi three years ago, well before most students in her class. She had been made aware of the concept known as 'flirting'. By the time her peers had become interested
in the sort of thing, her reputation amongst the student body had become such that none dared to flirt with her.

Suffice to say, her experience with the subtleties of flirting was completely lacking.

("So Ikari-san was in the hospital when he said this?")

("Yes. Mental fatigue due to his experiences while fighting the Fifth Angel.")

("…hmm.")

("Is that a problem?")

("From what I've seen of Ikari-san, he's very…calm and evenhanded. He doesn't strike me as the kind of guy to casually flirt.")

Perhaps that was why Pilot Ikari's mildly delirious comment had struck her so; it had seemed out of place with his observed persona. It was a simple enough matter to chalk it up as a fatigue-induced hallucination, since the Third Child had not followed up with anything else.

Horaki-san had been of a different opinion.

("He wasn't thinking clearly enough to be on guard like normal, so he actually let it slip that you were cute!")

("Isn't it also probable that he was only incoherent due to fatigue?")

("Trust me Ayanami-chan, I know what I'm talking about. I think Ikari-san has a crush on you!")

("…I don't think Pilot Ikari is capable of crushing me.")

("…")

Representative Horaki had enlightened her as to the alternate definition of 'crush'. Although the word choice was confusing, the actual thought wasn't…entirely unpleasant. Just thinking about the concept brought about that strange, anxious feeling that occasionally arose whenever she contemplated Pilot Ikari for an extended period of time. This feeling…is apparently normal.

("Okay then Ayanami-chan…how did you feel when Ikari-san said that?")

("It was…agreeable.")

("…huh?")

Horaki-san had all but demanded a more thorough explanation as to what 'agreeable' meant, claiming that it didn't explain anything at all.

It was strange, thinking about how casually chatty the Class Representative had been. Maybe that was normal for 'girl talk'. The Class Representative acts differently than she does at school…but that is not unusual. It was part of the human condition for people to act differently depending on who they were around, and where they were. Behavior that was appropriate for one venue was inappropriate elsewhere, even if the same people were involved. Was it another paradox? Perhaps it was expected; she had never put much thought to the idea that her peers were capable of different behaviors in different contexts, since there was no reason to.

Maybe I should put more thought into such things, if I am to understand Pilot Ikari. Would that interfere with her duties as the First Child? Did the Supreme Commander's warnings about boys and unsavory characters apply to his own son? Maybe I should ask the Professor. Gendo Ikari always had an answer.

"Yo, Ayanami!"

Rei's latest introspective session came to a halt, courtesy of Mana Kirishima. The silver-haired nephilim sauntered towards her, waving her wrist in an exaggerated motion. "I finally finished that damn torture called 'detention'."

"You only had to write 'I will not lose my self-control' a thousand times." Repetitive and tedious…but nothing truly excruciating.

Mana snorted. "Yeah, only because you had to do it once, and my sis had to do it twice. I had to do it FIVE TIMES!"

"You should consider yourself fortunate that your punishment was not more severe."

"Mah mah, nobody got hurt by our little scuffle in the gym. Sure, the rocket launcher had more kick than I expected, but you were quick enough, right? No harm, no foul." The Sergeant's stoic stare prompted Mana to glower. "Feh. You gonna keep on my case like this?"

"Your actions could have resulted in the deaths in dozens of civilians."

"But they didn't. Lesson learned, forgive and forget, if you're into that sort of thing."

Sergeant Ayanami sighed, as though disappointed by Mana's carefree attitude. "After the incident on Monday, I took the liberty of reviewing your military record." It had been a request to the Supreme Commander; naturally, he already it on hand. "For one who served in the Central American Wars, you should understand the importance of self-control."

Mana chuckled. "I'm flattered you checked up on me. We were holed up in Venezuela for most of the war; my sis and I were actually en route to Mexico when we received word that Roberta the Bloodhound had been killed. I was actually upset for a while…but hey, I can't help but respect you for that accomplishment."

"That has nothing to do with my point." Soldiers were expected to fight as a well-oiled machine, with various duties depending on their orders and capabilities. Even for nephilim, who often fought alone or alongside other nephilim, they had been trained extensively to keep control over their prodigious powers. "To forget about something as rudimentary as line of sight…"

"I'm not gonna get you to drop this, are you?" Rei's silent stare was telling. "Feh…could you at least answer a question for me?"

"…speak."

"Given what I've heard, Gendo Ikari is essentially your CO." Rei's nod to this statement compelled Mana to continue. "So you're just taking NERV's mission to protect humanity to a more personal level, right?' Another nod. This one prompted the Shining Gundam's pilot to smirk. "So…it's all just orders…"

"Elaborate."

"Eh, don't feel like it. Though I do have to wonder…" Mana's mischievous grin set off warning bells in Rei's mind. What were the implications of her statement? Once more, the silver-haired nephilim's mentality struck her as grossly inappropriate, especially given NERV's mission. "Oh
well." The Sergeant paused as Mana spoke once more. "We'll see how things go…"

Her casual irreverence given the subject matter was irritating. "Is that all, Kirishima-san? If so, I'll be on my way."

"Hold up, there's one more thing."

Rei paused, resisting an unfamiliar urge to twitch. Why am I feeling such…irritation? "Please be quick about it. There are more productive things I could be doing."

"I wanna make a truce with you."

This was quite…unexpected. What would be the purpose of a 'truce'? Neither she nor Kirishima, despite their brief scuffle earlier in the week, had any particular reason to currently be in a state of conflict. There were some aspects of Kirishima's personality and philosophy that irked her, but they weren't enough to trigger a legitimate argument between them. "Explain."

Mana pointed towards the doors; walking out of them was a small group of girls, with most of them talking animatedly with a rather demure Mayumi Yamagishi. "See my sister over there?"

"Yes."

"She's taken quite a liking to the whole 'school' thing." To say the least; after a rather disastrous first impression with the gymnasium battle, Mayumi had rebounded quite well, playing down the fact that she was apparently capable of going toe-to-toe with the notorious Rei Ayanami. It helped that Mayumi took the effort to look…well, normal. Quite unlike herself, who didn't make any effort to hide her superhuman nature. "Sis and I have come to an understanding…I'm gonna try and 'behave' so she can enjoy herself. So that's why I want to make sure the air between us is clear."

Rei Ayanami glanced between Kirishima and Yamagishi, trying to ascertain the nature of the silver-haired nephilim's request. Is Yamagishi-san trying to increase her social capacity, like I was ordered to years ago? More importantly, why did Kirishima feel that it was necessary to
establish a 'truce' when it was unneeded for this instance? It seems important to her…so I will oblige. "Very well. I accept your…truce."

Mana grinned. "Glad to hear it! So...what have you got planned for today?"

"Physical training."

"Ooo~ooh!" The grin widened. "Mind if I join?"

"You are now a coworker and a fellow Pilot. From what I understand, the physical requirements of the Jet Alone are more tasking than that of an Evangelion. An optimum workout regimen is essential."

"…so is that a yes?" A nod was her answer. "Cool. So…where is it?"

"I have a personalized training complex within the Geofront. The quickest access route is an elevator at my apartment complex." Rei pointed towards a series of high-rise apartments near the edge of the city, over three miles away.

"…bet I can beat you there."

Rei quieted, weighing Mana's words. A challenge. A test of my abilities. The Sergeant prided herself on being the best she could be. If she were anything less, then she would not be as useful to the Professor. I will not lose. She shifted her stance, ready to break off into a dash.

Mana, recognizing her movements, did the same. "There's hope for you yet…"

Rei did not reply, already focusing on her current task: beating Mana Kirishima.

One moment, they were still. The next, there were footprints in the concrete, and the nephilim were gone.

xxxx

/October 18, 2015/

"…a fleet? Those markings, the ship types…TASK FORCE 2? Oh my gosh oh my gosh OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH OH MY-OW!"

"Ken."

"Yes?"

"Shut up."

Kensuke Aida rubbed the new sore spot on his shoulder, his audible enthusiasm muted by Toji's fist. Being the versatile lad that he was, he went to silently geeking out about the sight, his hands reaching for a video camera to document everything.

Shinji Ikari turned towards his guardian with a deadpan gaze. "So, this is what you call 'heading out to see some boats'?"

Misato Katsuragi playfully stuck her tongue out at her charge.

It was close to noon. Earlier that day, Misato had asked him if he wanted to bring along his two friends Toji and Kensuke for some 'male bonding'. Recognizing it as an opportunity to do something relatively normal – always a good thing in the madhouse that was Tokyo-3 – he had agreed. Toji and Kensuke hadn't hesitated, since this would allow them to be within viewing distance of the 'Great and Powerful Misato-sama'.

Hey, they're teenagers, and Misato was incredibly beautiful. Shinji could cut them some slack.

Still, given that this was Task Force 2 – aka, the delivery system for the new Evangelion – that meant this was NERV business. Not exactly what he envisioned as 'male bonding', but Toji and Kensuke seemed to be enjoying themselves. Besides, maybe the Second Child would alleviate
the inherent exasperation that came with doing NERV-related work on his day off. Sure, it came off as griping a little, but he hadn't had anything scheduled today with regards to training or sync tests. Oh well, nothing I can do about it.

As the Mi-8T helicopter began to descend towards one of the aircraft carriers, the Third Child took the time to reminisce about his previous meeting with Dr. Yasuda. Namely, the 'life story' he had told him over the course of an hour.

A rather redacted life story, as it turned out. Confidential or no, he couldn't bring himself to divulge everything.

He didn't seem surprised when I told him though, mused Shinji, appreciative of the doctor's generosity on the matter. What he had told him had been substantial already: life before his mother's death – what he could remember, coupled by what he had been told by both his father and uncle throughout the years – and a somewhat abridged version of life with only his father, followed by his years living with Uncle Tomoe's family in Okayama-2. Yet the overarching theme of Evangelion and the Angels was inescapable, given how he had been told of his 'fate' since he was a young child.

Dr. Yasuda had not offered any opinions or comments, merely jotting down various notes. When he had finished telling his 'life story', Yasuda-san had thanked him for his time, and told him he would be ready for another meeting on Monday.

The uncertainty was a little intimidating. What are we going to talk about?

The lurch of the helicopter as it set down on the aircraft carrier roused him from his introspection. "Okay kids, behave now!" playfully warned Misato as she opened the side doors of the rotorcraft, the smell of the Pacific rushing in with the wind. Kensuke giddily leapt out, recording everything as he provided a live commentary ("We're on the Harry S. Truman! Sugoi!"). Toji calmly walked out, 'casually' trying to appear unimpressed for Misato ("Eh, this ain't THAT big a deal."). Shinji quietly stretched his arms as Misato – following a salute to the nearest ensign, out of professional courtesy – kept a hand on her beret to keep the wind from blowing it away. "So Misato-san, what do we do now?"

"Well, we've gotta sign some paperwork about the handover of Unit-02, and hopefully meet up with the Second Child before we get to shore!"

"I believe I can help you with at least one of those."

Everyone's attention turned towards a Japanese man walking towards them, his laid-back disposition and easy grin marking him as a friendly sort. The twinkle in his eyes was obvious as he waved at the Lieutenant Colonel. "Hello, Misato-chan."

All three of the boys blinked. Misato-chan?

Misato stared. And stared.

"Shinji-kun, could you hold my beret for me?"

"Eh?" Before Shinji could say anything, Misato stuffed her beret into his hands before walking towards the newcomer.

Without saying another word, she fired off a roundhouse kick towards his face.

As surprising as Misato's sudden violence was, the stranger's casual dodge was just as perplexing. It was as though he were expecting it. "Mah mah Misato-chan, so quick to bite."

"Just shut up and let me hit you!" yelled the Lieutenant Colonel as she kept trying to strike with her fists and feet, employing a quick, brutal variant of kickboxing. Even so, the man was admirably quick and agile, seemingly swaying and shifting away from each blow. Eventually, it got to the point that she roared, "when did you get so irritating?"

"I don't exactly have Pen-Pen to keep me in line, Misato-chan."

The woman paused, snorting with disdain. "Sure, some excuse that is."

The man smiled, eyes twinkling with nostalgic amusement. "You know I can't help being me."

Misato stared. And stared.

Then she promptly glomped him. "Gods, I missed you!"

This behavior was quite bewildering to one Mr. Suzuhara. "Uh…what just happened?"

Shinji, equally dumbfounded, muttered, "I wouldn't even know where to begin."

"I believe I have a hypothesis," murmured Kensuke, camera focusing on the embracing couple. "The exaggerated body language, the seemingly practiced references…" His glasses seemed to spontaneously shine, his lips contorting into a satisfied grin. "Some form of secret handshake was just utilized!"

"A what handshake?"

The Gendotaku turned towards Toji, explaining, "Well, it's a way of determining if two parties in a confrontation are who they say they are. By providing code words, phrases, or some particular clue, identities are confirmed in a way that only the parties involved would know. Thus weeding out potential impostors!"

"That…sounds complicated."

That sounds exactly something Misato-san would do, thought the Third Child, resisting the urge to groan.

The now seemingly-happily reunited couple(?) walked back over towards the three boys, Misato playfully showing off the newcomer. "Well Shinji-kun, remember that old boyfriend I once talked about? Well, say hello to Ryoji Kaji!"

The now-introduced Ryoji Kaji casually waved at Misato's entourage. "Yo."

Toji looked slightly betrayed at the fact that Misato had a boyfriend. Kensuke had already gone back to videotaping the surrounding fleet. Shinji meanwhile, recalled something that Misato had once told him about said 'old boyfriend'. "…Kaji-san?"

"Yes, Ikari-kun?"

"…how did you win Pen-Pen's approval?" Finally, the (strangely nonsensical and utterly unimportant) mystery would be solved!

"I had to play chess with him."

"…chess."

Kaji nodded, his easygoing grin never deviating an inch.

"So it was something bizarre and wacky." Shinji's shoulders sagged. "I don't know why I was expecting anything different."

"Seriously Shinji-kun, you'd think you'd have learned by now," admonished Misato, her tone playful and slightly mischievous.

The Third Child waved her off. "I know, I know, you don't need to rub it in." Granted, the number of technicians on deck was less than usual – given that Unit-02 had replaced the carrier's retinue of aircraft for the trip – but the Lieutenant Colonel was wearing a skirt. Was it too much for her to be…well, self-aware before trying to kick someone in the face?

Maybe he was just too used to the sensibilities of his aunt and cousin. Goodness knows they'd never act like that; even Annette had limits.

Ryoji Kaji calmly led them towards the bridge, intent on finalizing the transfer of Unit-02 to NERV-01. "I do believe you wanted to give an early welcome to Ikari-kun's new coworker, yes?"

"That was the general idea," replied Misato. "Gosh, I haven't seen Asuka in nearly ten years; how much has she grown?" These words made Shinji curious; the Lieutenant Colonel had met the Second Child before? But I thought she didn't join NERV until late last year. Interesting.

Kaji chuckled. "I'll let her make the new impression…if we can pry her away from her Evangelion, that is." The man suddenly paused, eyes drawn to a small figure poking out from the bulkhead hatch. "Mah, you don't need to be shy. Come on, introduce yourself!"

The three Japanese boys blinked as a small girl emerged into the open air, her eyes warily fixated on them. Her features were a mix of Caucasian and Japanese, and the eyeglasses emphasized the solemn intensity in her blue eyes. "H-Hello," she murmured, in hesitant Japanese.

Face-to-face with a four-foot girl after just talking about the Second Child, Toji made a natural conclusion. "So, the new Pilot's a midget, huh?"

The young girl's eyes hardened as she impulsively yelled, "Dummkopf! I'm not Asuka! I'm not cool enough to be my big sister, you…baka!"

The jock shifted backward, intimidated by the youngster's sudden spunk. "Er…"

Misato practically melted. "Oh she is just adorable! You're little Mari, aren't you?" The Lieutenant Colonel knelt down, coming face-to-face with Asuka's little sister and speaking in fluent German. "Du kannst dich wahrscheinlich nicht an mich erinnern, aber ich erinnere mich an dich, als du noch ein winzig kleines Baby warst!"

The young girl – named Mari, apparently – flushed out of seeming embarrassment.

Kaji chuckled. "Now now Misato-chan, we want to give her a good impression, remember?"

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

Shinji phased out the indignant retort, ignoring the ensuing playful banter as he focused on the young girl. So she's Asuka's little sister…why is she here?

"So, where's the Second Child? Is she around?" asked Kensuke, still engrossed with his videography.

Mari blinked at the question. "Oh, well Ska's with Mama," as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

The Third Child was immediately brought to a halt. "Her…mother?"

The Lieutenant Colonel stared knowingly at her ward. "She means Unit-02."

"Unit-02?" The connection was immediate…and inescapable. Her mother. Unit-02. Shinji gulped, anxiety gripping him as to the implications. Then…is Asuka…like me?

They continued their trek to the bridge in relative silence, most of the words taken up by Misato as she tried to speak with Mari (and by Kaji trying to encourage the little girl to reciprocate). Kensuke was still recording everything with glee ("This is the best field trip ever!"), and Toji was trying to keep him under wraps ("Seriously dude, calm down. You're making us look bad!"). Thus, Shinji's sudden bout of introspection went mostly unnoticed. Even as the ramifications of Unit-02 being Asuka's 'mama' roiled through his mind, he couldn't help but be conscious of how the sailors and technicians were reacting to them.

Namely – save for several leers at Misato – it was the barely-hidden animosity for the presence of children. Admittedly, they were the odd ones out; amidst the uniforms and the busy workings of the carrier's crew, they were like tourists in an ant colony. Even so, there was something about them that set the sailors and military personnel on edge.

Before Shinji could ruminate on the reasons why they were affecting the crew in this way, Misato chirped, "Okay, we're at the bridge! I'll take care of the paperwork for the transfer." As she zipped up her red jacket and tightened her beret, she glanced at her original entourage.
"Come on Shinji-kun. Could you two boys keep an eye on Ryoji-kun and Mari-chan?"

"Aw, but I wanted to look inside the bridge-GACK! MY FOOT!"

"Your wish is our command, Misato-sama!"

Shinji rolled his eyes, his introspection once again stalled by the antics of Kensuke and Toji. He dutifully followed Misato, briefly taking in the sight of the officers on the deck.

Their inquisitive stares made him feel surprisingly self-conscious. What's the big deal?

In a sudden dash of military protocol, Misato saluted the officer of the deck. "Lieutenant Colonel Misato Katsuragi of the JSSDF, Operations Director of NERV-1. Sir, I belatedly request permission to board your vessel for the purpose of completing the transfer of Evangelion Unit-02."

Several of the nearby officers looked a little perplexed, while the elderly man that Misato was speaking to seemed amused. "Given that we aren't currently operating together in a mission under UN oversight, your status as an officer of the JSSDF doesn't require you to salute me."

Misato politely smiled, from one veteran to another, from a younger soldier acknowledging the experience of an elder. "It never hurts to be professional."

The old man actually chuckled. "Permission granted." He saluted back, offering, "Admiral Nathaniel Ackerson, United States Navy, Commanding Officer of Task Force 2."

Shinji Ikari allowed the conversation to drone out from his conscious mind – casually exchanging paperwork and going through all of the bureaucratic legalese involved with the transfer of Unit-02 wasn't exactly 'intellectually stimulating' – and once again meditated on the reason behind the reactions of the naval personnel. Maybe I've been in Tokyo-3 for too long. That seemed about right; his baseline of what was and wasn't normal had already begun to shift. Perhaps incredulity at the presence of civilian children on an aircraft carrier was to be
expected.

Or maybe the officers – having already dealt with the Second Child and her sister for the trip – were simply surprised at the presence of more children on their vessel. Children alongside NERV personnel.

Maybe they were wondering if he was another one of the chosen children; one of the 'elite few' that, per the selection by Marduk, could successfully pilot an Evangelion.

The thought made the bridge feel surprisingly empty and isolated. He stood in an entirely different world, and they were on the outside looking in. Maybe it was the other way around. In all likelihood, both cases were true.

Shinji was briefly reminded of one of his father's 'life lessons', which he had dropped out of the blue yesterday during a phone call. 'Life Lesson #6: Being on a pedestal is a rather lonesome occupation, however necessary it may be.' Maybe this is what he was talking about.

"To be honest, there's been a lot of grumbling about Task Force 2 being a 'glorified cargo service'." The voice of the man standing behind the Admiral – a Captain, judging by his insignia – brought Shinji out of his musings, apparently responding to something said by Misato. "I'm only grateful that this assignment is almost over."

"I can't begrudge your feelings on the matter, but orders are orders," acknowledged Misato. "It'll only be a few more hours, and then you'll be back to doing what you do best."

"As it all should be," remarked Admiral Ackerson before he turned his eyes towards Shinji, staring keenly at him. "After all, we already have too many children fighting as is."

…does he think I'm an Evangelion Pilot?

"Sir, reports from the Virginia and the Jimmy Carter. Sonar contact!" exclaimed a nearby communications officer, his tone rife with confusion. "It's massive. Constant bearing decreasing range!"

It was at that moment that Misato and Shinji's phones rang, blaring out an all-too-familiar tone.

xxxx

Deep beneath the surface, swimming with high speed towards one of the Lilim's submersibles, Gaghiel quivered with [anticipation/hunger/fury].

PERISH.

The USS Virginia, the lead ship of its class and still one of the most powerful nuclear submarines in the world, could do nothing as the massive Angel rammed through it. In his wake was an explosive decompression as the air within the submarine roared into the depths, along with it the lives of every person on board.

Gaghiel continued on, uncaring as to the fates of the Lilim he had just extinguished.

xxxx

/Operations Deck, NERV-1, Tokyo-3/

"Pattern Blue is confirmed!"

The room was rife with anxiety as the MAGI keyed in on the Sixth Angel's apparent location: namely, the tail end of Task Force 2, beyond Sagami Bay, beyond the first of Tokyo-3's defensive lines.

Kozou Fuyutsuki felt every one of his many years at the thought of how many men and women were about to lose their lives. As sad a commentary as it might have made, there were more important things to consider. "Your son is in the line of fire."

"It seems so. The Angels are quite inconsiderate," remarked Gendo Ikari, his hands folded in front of his mouth. Even now, he presented a picture of stoic authority in the midst of chaos. "Are Unit-00 and the Jet Alone ready to deploy?"

"Their pilots are almost there, but they won't make it in time before the Angel brings the entire fleet to ruin."

"Then we'll have to rely on the Second Child earlier than we anticipated."

xxxx

"Send me out!"

A voice rang out over both Misato and Shinji's phones. In English, with a German accent. Before Shinji could even wonder who had hijacked his phone, the voice continued to rave, "Please! Mama and I are the only ones who can defeat the Angel now. If you don't, a lot of people are going to die!"

Admiral Ackerson reacted quite calmly, as though the situation weren't so dire.

"We just lost the Varyag!"

Perhaps the reality of two lost ships made the decision easy.

"The Kirishima has been hit!"

Make that three. Ignoring the reports from his communications officer, the admiral spoke loudly and with authority. "Pilot Asuka Langley Sohryu; per the conditions of the transfer agreement, operational authority now lies in the hands of the NERV during an Angel attack." He glanced towards the Lieutenant Colonel, his eyes narrowed into a thin glare.

Misato wasn't even phased. "Pilot Sohryu, prepare for combat."

"Thank you!"

"NO!"

The sudden wail of a tiny voice caught everyone's attention as Mari came charging onto the bridge, having heard Asuka's voice break out over the phones. So distraught was she that she was impulsively speaking in her native tongue. "Geh nicht! Bitte! Ich bitte dich!"

To cement the emotional surreality of the situation, the Second Child cooed in a matronly manner, instantly trying to alleviate the girl's fears. "Don't worry, meine Schwester. I have to do this…but don't worry. Mama's with me. And together, we can do anything!"

"The Laboon's been taken under!"

"We're out of time," growled the Admiral. "Open the flight deck!"

Everything was now in motion. Mari was utterly despondent, realizing that she could no longer stop the inevitable.

Asuka was about to fight.

So, being an eight-year-old, she lashed out at the nearest available target.

"OW!" yelped Shinji, hands immediately reaching for his aching shin. "You kicked me!"

"It's all your fault!" screamed Mari, eyes glistening with unshed tears. "If you were better at your job, Ska wouldn't even be here! Ich hasse dich!"

"Now now, little Mari-chan," cautioned Ryoji Kaji as he walked onto the bridge, Kensuke and Toji nervously following him. "Asuka-chan would have had to come here regardless of how Ikari-kun did. It was inevitable."

Mari sniffed, trying to keep the tears from leaking.

I feel like a real heel, thought the Third Child, his face contorting with sudden shame. Even if it wasn't true, even if he had performed rather admirably thus far against the Angels…Mari's words still stung.

"Captain Matthews, you have the conn." Admiral Ackerson grimaced as he stepped towards the window, watching the flight deck open up. "What a complete and utter circus," muttered the old man. "To think we have to have a crippled child fight our battles for us."

Misato stepped right beside him, her tone as unwavering as a steel beam. "Asuka isn't a cripple."

"Oh? You'd prefer 'mentally-disabled'? She refers to the damn robot as her mother," hissed Ackerson.

Shinji tried not to bristle. He doesn't know. He couldn't know. How would anyone 'normal' be able to deal with the truth?

"Whoa…" Kensuke's camera was practically pressed against the glass. "It's so huge!"

The Harry S. Truman quietly wavered as the Evangelion got to its feet, its graceful movements seemingly impossible for something so large. The sleek humanoid was colored a sleek red, its armor slimmer yet more angular than Unit-01's. Orange coloring dominated the arms from the elbow down, culminating at the knuckles of the Evangelion's gray hands. The biggest difference between it and Unit-01 was the helmet: blocky and covering the entire head, with two white strips running across the four eyes, one for each green pair. However, there seemed to be supplementary armor along the feet and gauntlets, and the three turbines along the back – two affixed to the shoulder fins, one above the you tEntry Plug hatch – were eye-catching.

"M-Type Equipment? Smart," remarked Misato. The batteries for the marine equipment lasted twice as long as the Evangelion's internal power supply, effectively giving her three times as long to fight. A shame that they were too damn heavy; underwater combat was the only place they could be used reliably without the weight shearing off the armor.

"It never hurts to be prepared," commented Kaji, the damnably casual smile still affixed to his face, as though he didn't have a care in the world.

So that's Unit-02. Shinji Ikari never thought he would feel…anxious. For once, he would be sitting out a battle. Not since he had arrived in Tokyo-3 would he be a spectator in a conflict between humanity and the Angels.

Stepping lightly – an oxymoron for something so large – the Evangelion gazed around, looking for an open spot between the ships. "Commencing operation!" stated Asuka, her voice still echoing through Shinji and Misato's phones. She seemed steady, confident; like a lady of war, prepared to do battle to the death.

Then she promptly performed a swan dive into the water. "WHEEEEEE!"

To the newcomers, all expectations of the Second Child were utterly shattered.

xxxx

/Operations Deck, NERV-1, Tokyo-3/

"…did she just go 'whee'?"

Aoba chuckled. "You heard right, Hyuga."

"Her sync ratio…" murmured the Ibuki Twins, their jaws slack with shock at what the MAGI were displaying.

Dr. Akagi cackled, mind going in a million different directions at the possibilities that were now before her. "I had read the reports…but to think the truth was this glorious!"

"It's to be expected," remarked Fuyutsuki, eyes focused on the percentage of one hundred and fifty-five that dominated the screen showcasing Unit-02's and the Second Child's telemetry. "She's been training with Unit-02 for longer than any of the other Pilots." Left unsaid was the fact that the inherent soul of the red titan was…quite eager to work with its Pilot. Unit-01 and Shinji were possibly equals on that account, but Unit-00's interactions with Rei were decidedly more frigid. Still, sheer experience with the Evangelion – simulated and practical – was an overwhelming trump card.

"I do believe we're about to see something spectacular," concluded Gendo as he munched on some chocolate truffles he had procured from his cloak.

xxxx

Gaghiel was suddenly awash in a strange sensation.

A brilliant radiance amidst the [murky/dark/undefined] morass of the Lilim's souls. A weaker Lilim, in concert with one [comparable/equal/congruent] to him. Even so, their unity of will was impressively [concise/clean/visible], when compared to the Lilim vermin.

AT LAST. YOUR [END/RUIN/ANNIHILATION] IS ASSURED!

The sleek beast charged through the water towards the red [weapon/creature/entity], intent on pulverizing it through sheer force.

Time continued to flow, and the red 'Evangelion' refused to be hit. There was an inherent [grace/fluidity] to its movements, one that shouldn't have been possible within the water. The sea churned with bubbles and waves as Gaghiel gnashed and snarled, trying to strike at his foe. All the while, the Light of Gaghiel's Soul constantly [brushed/communed/mingled] with the Light of the Evangelion's Soul. Information and pure impressions were communicated.

Protectiveness. Joy. Regret. Lingering sorrow.

But love above all else.

Such a strange thing, to encounter emotions in such a [fragmented/isolated/pure] manner, as compared to the all-encompassing realities that Gaghiel and his [equals/siblings/kin] dealt with. Judging by the [perceptions/feelings/experiences] of Tabris, Zeruel, and Ramiel, the Lilim
were…similar.

The very idea was [jarring/blasphemous/INDECIPHERABLE]. THAT WHICH CALLS ITSELF 'EVANGELION'. YOU ARE [COMPARABLE/EQUAL/CONGRUENT] TO ME. YET YOU ARE ALSO [COMPARABLE/EQUAL/CONGRUENT] TO THE LILIM. LINKED WITH THOSE OF THE WHITE MOON AND BLACK MOON, STANDING IN THE WORLDS OF BOTH [INDECIPHERABLE] AND [INDECIPHERABLE]. HOW CAN YOU STAND IT?

The red Evangelion planted itself on the sea floor, eyes seemingly glaring with a burning light. A single [sensation/idea/thought] shined from the [weapon/creature/entity]'s soul, unbidden and unrecognized by the Lilim within.

we of LILITH may be limited…but so are you of ADAM

This…'statement' was accompanied by a queer sentiment. Delving once more into the ether of
[thought/knowledge/INDECIPHERABLE/INDECIPHERABLE] shared by his fellow Angels, Gaghiel was able to identify it as…

how sad that you are so willfully blind

…pity.

Pity?

PITY?

YOUR ARROGANCE IS BEYOND [CONCEPTION/BELIEF]! Gaghiel howled as it dove through the water, intent on crushing the Evangelion into nothingness. THE GLORY OF [COMPLEMENTATION/UNITY/TRUTH] AWAITS US. WE WHO DERIVE FROM OUR [CREATOR/FATHER/SOURCE] ARE FAR BEYOND YOU WORTHLESS LILIM! AND YOU WILL NOT STOP US!

The Light of the Evangelion's soul shifted. Matter and forces reorganized themselves in a different manner, providing a solid foundation beneath the [weapon/creature/entity]'s feet.

To Gaghiel, its right hand seemed to be glowing.

Reversal. A sudden halt in momentum. Redirected force.

Pain!

Gaghiel gurgled and blood leaked from its face as the Evangelion's fist planted itself into his nose.

xxxx

Controlling Unit-02 always carried some particular sensations for the Second Child.

A lucidity that could not be found in day-to-day life, particularly once her sync ratio went past one hundred percent earlier that year. The way it had been explained to her, at one hundred percent, the senses of her body were completely carried over to the Evangelion's: sight, scent,
hearing, touch, balance, hand-eye coordination…it was as if nothing was different, save for the fact that she was a giant. Going beyond one hundred percent, however, went into new territory.

Namely, the inhuman senses of the Evangelion itself.

It was always hard to describe to people who had never experienced it before. Only Kaworu and Yomiko Nagisa – both of whom were also capable of a sync ratio of over one hundred – could empathize with her. The interactions between matter became clearer, tangible; the interplay of the fundamental forces became more and more 'visible' to her, overriding Heisenberg's uncertainty principle. Through Unit-02's soul, her own soul became a weapon in and of itself, a means by which she could impose her will upon the world.

Not that she always thought of it in such morose terms. After all, that was the other part of controlling Unit-02: the sheer, all-encompassing love that permeated the Entry Plug, promising to be there through thick and thin. As happy as she normally was – as she always tried to be –
it was so much easier when she was practically breathing her Mama's emotions. If that made sense.

Well, it made sense to her, anyway!

Four years since I've been able to sync directly with Unit-02, thought Asuka as she felt water glide past her skin, the underwater sound waves sounding succinct and clear to the senses of the Evangelion, picking up and deciphering everything that would have been too fast for her brain to pick up on normally. Nine months since we've begun the field tests, thought the redhead as she felt the pressure of the ocean itself weigh upon Unit-02's titanic body. In that time period, her skills controlling the Evangelion had increased dramatically.

Of course, none of it would have been possible without Mama.

It was why Unit-02 had been able to leap off of the aircraft carrier without causing the vessel to capsize: spreading out their AT-Field over the carrier and the surface of the surrounding ocean to evenly distribute the force. It was why Unit-02 had been moving so smoothly within the
water: using the AT-Field to lessen the surrounding water's density and pressure ever so-slightly at opportune moments, just enough to dodge the Sixth Angel's charges.

Lastly, it was why the Sixth Angel was reeling: first, utilizing the AT-Field to shore up the sea floor, strengthening it, giving Unit-02 sure footing…and then concentrating another 'layer' on an uppercut that would redirect the force of the Angel's physical momentum back at it.

The exact mathematics to describe the physical and metaphysical processes involved were beyond most people on the planet. Likewise for Asuka Langley-Sohryu.

But her Mama had known about this sort of thing.

Maybe that's why it seemed so natural.

Oh well. Didn't matter, so long as she could stop the Angel.

And boy, was she having fun doing so! "Chance!"

Asuka grinned, impulsively shifting the controls forward as Unit-02 pulled a progressive switchblade from a holster behind the waist. The Evangelion seemed to growl as it swam on top of the gigantic creature, stabbing away at the pale flesh.

The beast jerked, and suddenly took off upwards. Asuka, without any hesitation, stabbed the blade deep with one hand and gripped an elongated dorsal fin with the other hand. The feeling of rushing water and immense velocity prompted her to whoop and holler, as though the Angel were a big roller coaster ride.

The moment the alien broke through the surface – the warm waters gave way to screaming air, along with the smells of artificial ships and salt – Asuka once again opened a channel the only way she could: through the software of the two NERV-issued cell phones currently situated
on the Harry S. Truman. "If anyone's listening, the Angel's AT-Field is down! Attack with everything you've got!"

xxxx

/Bridge, Harry S. Truman, UN Pacific Fleet TF-2, Pacific Ocean/

"I repeat, attack the Angel! Don't worry about me!"

Shinji Ikari had begun to fidget ever since Unit-02 dove into the ocean. This was only to be expected; he had no live line of communication with NERV-1's Operations Deck like he was accustomed to during a battle, so he was effectively blind as to what was happening.

Furthermore, there was the basic fact that someone else was fighting an Angel. Underwater, at that! The frantic reports from the communications officer, regarding sonar information being sent from other vessels in the fleet about one large signal going back-and-forth around a smaller signal, did little to ease his worry.

Then the Sixth Angel had emerged, coming into everyone's sight for the first time.

It was truly massive, its body larger than the Harry S. Truman itself. Looking like a cross between a manta and a shark – or some bizarre prehistoric fish – the Angel had a predatory air lacking in the previous three. The rows of razor-sharp teeth in its slim maw didn't help matters
much. Two small – relatively speaking, since they were each at least two stories long – ventral fins were shadowed by the incredibly large pair of lateral fins, looking more like flaps of skin than anything else. Four things, however, were the most eye-catching about the Angel.

One: the comparatively thin tail, taking up over half of the Angel's total length.

Two: the beaked white mask that both the Third and Fourth Angels had possessed, situated dorsally, above the Angel's jaws.

Three: the two pairs of fleshy, bat-like wings – all of them also as long as the aircraft carrier – that emerged from folds in the skin, providing lift as the gigantic creature went skyward. It was like a sky-dolphin writ large.

Four: out of the five dorsal fins evenly split near the Angel's thick midsection, was dangling Unit-02, hanging on for dear life.

In a different situation, one might have been able to say she was trying to ride it.

So captivated was he by the sight, he had jolted when the girl's voice had once again rung out over his and Misato's phones, demanding that the fleet open fire. The Lieutenant Colonel immediately voiced her worry. "If your AT-Field is neutralizing the Angel's, you won't have any
protection for yourself."

"Like I said, don't worry! The Angel comes first!"

"How shameful that a child must remind us of our duties," murmured Admiral Ackerson as he stepped over to the comm. station, opening up a channel to every ship in the fleet. "This is Admiral Ackerson! All ships, open fire on the Angel! Try not to target the Evangelion along its
back!"

Moments passed as the ships within the fleet processed the Admiral's orders.

Then the various frigates, destroyers, and cruisers unleashed a barrage of gunfire, missiles, and rockets. Fire and smoke seemed to erupt around the Sixth Angel as the sky suddenly roared with the song of war.

xxxx

Gaghiel snarled as the Lilim struck him with their weapons. The Evangelion clinging to him had [muted/breached/deadened] the Light of his Soul, rendering him [vulnerable/weak/open].

This was unconscionable.

ENOUGH OF THIS. The Sixth Angel suddenly spun, the sudden movement jerking the Evangelion off of his back. Without any hesitation, the Light of his Soul twisted, [tearing/drilling/changing] the air in front of him. With speed belying his size, Gaghiel descended and rammed into the red titan, his entire body drilling away the Light of the [weapon/creature/entity]'s Soul.

Flames. Countless souls were [ended/sundered/extinguished] as Gaghiel drilled the Evangelion through another of the Lilim's vessels. The red giant was focusing the entirety of its soul's [brilliance/power/protection] at the point of contact.

Soul against soul.

Just as it should be. In that contest, the Lilim would lose every single time.

xxxx

Misato Katsuragi paled at the sight of the Sixth Angel plunging Unit-02 under the ocean. "Asuka!"

"That beast just took down the Shiloh…" murmured Admiral Ackerson, his eyes focused on the pulverized remnants of the guided missile cruiser. In all likelihood, she was lost with all hands. "This is a catastrophe…"

Kensuke Aida had been rendered silent by the battle, his camera still rolling. Toji Suzuhara was also quiet, his normally brash outlook driven to stunned disbelief at the destruction wrought on the fleet. As for Shinji Ikari?

He wondered why he was here. I should be in Unit-01. I should be helping. His gaze focused on Mari Langley-Sohryu, her hands fidgeting and her eyes exhibiting a deep, abyssal sorrow. How could she not, having possibly witnessed her sister's death in person? This isn't right.

For the first time ever, Shinji genuinely wanted to go into battle.

If only because he hated feeling so helpless.

xxxx

Water and rock flowed past them in a frenzy as Gaghiel slammed the Evangelion into the seabed, the collision sending a wave of force rippling through and along the ocean floor. The Angel quickly receded, its senses [prodding/feeling/ascertaining] the current state of the red
titan.

Its Light was still [vibrant/steady/alive]. Already it had proven itself surprisingly adept in close combat. Furthermore, judging by the [perceptions/feelings/experiences] of his [equals/siblings/kin], it would only become more desperate and more furious as the power of its [armor/shackles/fetters] waned…and even if they locked down, that didn't remove the Evangelion as a threat.

Ramiel had discovered that truth the hard way.

TABRIS.

Yes?

THE DAMAGE INFLICTED BY RAMIEL UPON THE BLACK MOON…HOW MUCH HAVE THE LILIM REPAIRED?

Well, NERV is a very [diligent/driven/well-equipped] organization. I imagine that repairs began as soon as they could. However…I doubt that they have completely recovered from an attack of Ramiel's [magnitude/strength/zeal]. After all, it has only been eight days.

THEN I CAN END THIS. Gaghiel promptly swam upwards, breaking through the surface and taking to the sky. Once again, the Lilim's vessels tried to strike him with their primitive weapons. However, the Light of his Soul, untainted by the Evangelion, blocked every single projectile and explosive. FROM ON HIGH, I WILL TEAR THROUGH THE WAY OPENED BY RAMIEL. THE TRUTH WILL FINALLY BE OURS!

xxxx

/Operations Deck, NERV-1, Tokyo-3/

The jubilation over Asuka's performance quickly gave way to tense concern. "The M-Type Equipment's been damaged. Unit-02 has switched over to its internal battery, less than five minutes remaining!"

At Miyata Ibuki's cry, Dr. Akagi snorted. "Blasted underwater crap. It should've been able to withstand a gigantic strike by a carrier-sized fish!"

"What's the Angel's ETA?" barked Fuyutsuki.

"MAGI predict it'll be over Tokyo-3 in seven minutes!" exclaimed Maya.

"Che," grumbled Shiori Aoba, her lips contorted into a frustrated grimace. "Of all the times for the Ops Director to abscond with her little boy-toy."

"The P2 System is ready to activate at any time," interrupted Hyuga. "Sergeant Ayanami and the Jet Alone Pilots are also ready to move out."

"Finally! We've got this!"

"Sister, please be careful not to damage the Shining Gundam's restraints."

"What are your orders, Professor?"

Gendo Ikari kept his steely gaze upon Unit-02's telemetry. The Second Child's sync ratio was still over one-hundred-and-fifty. "Deploy Unit-00 along the outskirts of Tokyo-3. We'll have the Jet Alone run interference as the Angel approaches." The Angel's strategy was painfully obvious
to him; only ten of the Geofront's armor layers had been completely repaired from the Fifth Angel's fearsome assault. "The Angel will most likely try and drill its way through the hole left by the Fifth Angel, so it's imperative that we bring it down beforehand."

Little did they know that the Second Child had not yet begun to fight.

xxxx

At a depth of approximately fifteen-hundred meters, the ocean was completely pitch-black, utterly alien to human experiences.

To Asuka Langley-Sohryu, whose senses were now augmented by the Evangelion's, she could 'see' the contours and shapes of the ocean floor, for the cybernetic organism was capable of seeing beyond the visual spectrum. Through infrared radiation, the seemingly empty seabed was completely visible to her; the multitude of lifeforms, once abundant, had fled following her collision with the ground.

The Second Child rolled her shoulders, tearing off the ruined turbines and the broken battery pack. "Okay Mama…" With the power of thought, Unit-02's internal software – referencing all relevant topographical data – overlaid a glowing orange path along the ocean floor, demonstrating the shortest route to Tokyo-3. "We're gonna have to be real quick. Only four minutes of power remaining!" With a thought, the Evangelion's AT-Field manifested as a sphere with a radius of thirty meters, with Unit-02 serving as the origin. The ocean water was swiftly displaced, while the seabed – far denser and hardier – groaned against the force being exerted upon it. Asuka's grin was strained, as though she were struggling to displace the water against the pressure of the deep. "Es ist Zeit, go!"

Unit-02 ran.

Faster. And faster. The AT-Field stayed fixed on the Evangelion's position, displacing the water as it went, keeping Unit-02 locked within an air bubble. The seabed at this point was rocky and mountainous; unsurprising, given that Japan laid upon converging tectonic rifts. Even so, Unit-
02's footing was sure, its movements unimpeded. The pressure of the ocean began to lessen as the seconds ticked by, as Asuka compelled the red titan to run even faster.

Infrared seamlessly faded to the familiar colors of the visible spectrum, the abyssal darkness giving way to the sun's light. As the weight upon the AT-Field continued to shrink, Unit-02 went even faster.

Upon the shoreline of Sagami Bay, the red Evangelion erupted into the open air, its feet pumping against the soft ground. Asuka now willed the AT-Field to evenly distribute Unit-02's weight over a greater area, so as to prevent the giant from sinking with every step. Her blue eyes were aimed at the sky, focusing in on the form of the flying Angel. "Schneller! Schneller! SCHNELLER!"

Unit-02 went faster still.

Asuka quickly began to identify the mountains in front of her, trying to pick one suitable for her plan. Nein, nein, nein…ah, perfekt! The Second Child ran past her chosen peak, performing a swift U-turn upon another mountain. Unit-02 utterly crushed a curving depression into its ridge due to the sheer force of the AT-Field trying to displace its momentum. "HERE WE GO!"

Unit-02's legs pumped even harder as she ascended, leaping off of the peak and high into the air with all the swiftness of a rocket.

Right towards the Sixth Angel.

The Evangelion curled and twisted its legs as it neared the beast. The Angel seemed to actually pause, as though befuddled by the fact that Unit-02 was airborne.

Asuka let loose a war cry. "ORYAAAAAAAAH!"

Unit-02 unleashed a spinning axe kick right onto the Sixth Angel's mask.

KRUCKOOM!

The beast gurgled dully, its movements stunned by the fierce blow. The Angel sank like a stone, crashing with all the grace of a beached whale.

Moments later, it howled in agony as Asuka landed with both feet on its back.

"One minute left!" exclaimed the Second Child as Unit-02 swiftly moved towards the Angel's mouth. "Mal 'Ahhh' sagen!" The Evangelion pried open the Angel's mouth, revealing a gigantic red orb in the back of its mouth.

As if aware of the sudden danger, the Sixth Angel began thrashing, trying to shake the red giant away.

Unit-02 promptly ripped off two teeth from the fish's upper maw and rammed them through the lower jaw, pinning the Angel's flesh into the ground. Now's our chance! The giant's right hand curled into a fist. "HAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

The Angel's core cracked into a dozen pieces, shattered by the horrible power of the red giant. The beast's struggles immediately went lax, as if a switch had been thrown. The Evangelion stumbled out of the dead creature's jaws, seemingly staring at its kill.

It was over.

Unit-02 promptly began to jump up and down with apparent glee as Asuka let loose a message over all channels. Including the Evangelion's external speakers. "WOOHOO! Asuka and Mama one, Angels zero! We did it we did it we did it we did-!"

The battery finally went to zero.

Unfortunately, Unit-02 was in midair, so it faceplanted gracelessly into the ground. For the first time since coming ashore – for now the AT-Field was gone, inactive – the Evangelion's great bulk caused the surrounding area to rumble from the collision.

Asuka chuckled nervously. "Heh heh…oops."

xxxx

…hmm.

…HMM.

This could be…problematic.

Zeruel's snort rumbled through the ether. I HADN'T NOTICED.

Tabris couldn't help but feel a slight bit of humor, despite the grim nature of what they had just [perceived/felt/experienced]. Was that sarcasm, my dear sister?

SPARE ME YOUR [TRITE/ANNOYING/INFURIATING] QUIPS, TABRIS. WE HAVE LONG WITNESSED THE [GROWTH/MATURATION/MANIFESTATION] OF THE SECOND CHILD, BUT EVEN THIS WAS BEYOND OUR EXPECTATIONS.

Indeed. Asuka Langley-Sohryu was truly a fascinating specimen. Alas, now the Black Moon is protected by three Evangelions.

ALL BECAUSE WE KEEP PLAYING WITH THEM.

Tabris and Zeruel paused, [feeling/hearing/INDECIPHERABLE] the [voice/essence/soul] of the one that had intentionally remained [separate/distant/unknown]. The only thing that their [equal/kin/sibling] let slip to them was his [name/identity/ego]. Iruel.

WHAT ARE YOU PLANNING?

AN ACTUAL PLAN. ONE THAT DOESN'T PANDER TO TABRIS'S DESIRE TO [OBSERVE/TEST/FONDLE] THE LILIM.

The [sensation/perception] that Tabris evoked across the void was, metaphorically speaking, a 'raised eyebrow'. An interesting…accusation.

YOU DO NOT POSSESS THE [WILL/MENTALITY/MEMORIES] OF OUR [CREATOR/FATHER/SOURCE]! Zeruel's rage at Iruel's impudence was truly breathtaking. YOU ARE IN NO POSITION TO INDICT HIM!

ON THE CONTRARY. THE [PERCEPTIONS/FEELINGS/EXPERIENCES] OF SACHIEL, SHAMSHEL, RAMIEL, AND NOW GAGHIEL HAVE SHOWN ME MORE THAN ENOUGH. YOUR DESIRE TO [UNDERSTAND/DISCERN/APPRECIATE] THE LILIM WILL ONLY DRIVE THE REST OF OUR [EQUALS/SIBLINGS/KIN] TO THEIR DEMISE. EVEN NOW, YOUR…POSITION WITH SEELE AND NERV [COMPROMISES/CORRUPTS/WEAKENS] YOU. Iruel's soul seemed to evoke a cruel smile, and the ether practically recoiled at the sheer malice it possessed. I KNOW ENOUGH TO
PROCEED ON MY OWN.

And what is it that you 'know'?

THE KEY TO BREAKING THEM.

AND WHAT WOULD THAT BE?

Iruel chuckled. ABSOLUTE TERROR.

He [separated/withdrew/INDECIPHERABLE] from the minds of Tabris and Zeruel, leaving the eldest of the Angels to try and comprehend what had just happened. This is…[unexpected/unprecedented].

WHAT COULD IRUEL BE SCHEMING? Zeruel's [displeasure/rage/confusion] was roiling through Tabris's mind. It was understandable; for one of their own to intentionally…'go it alone', as some Lilim would say, was beyond comprehension.

For it indicated a lack of [trust/unity/INDECIPHERABLE].

The possibility that they, the [children/pieces/remnants] of ADAM, could experience such discord…was [unthinkable/terrifying].

xxxx

/Operations Deck, NERV-1, Tokyo-3/

"Chalk up another victory," remarked Gendo Ikari as the bridge crew celebrated the Second Child's performance in the field of battle.

"…we didn't even get to do anything."

"Don't worry sister, it's okay!"

"This whole 'Angel War' has been a pretty big letdown so far."

"Sister, please…!"

"What are your orders, Supreme Commander?"

"Standby, Sergeant," replied Gendo, ignoring the back-and-forth going between the nephilim sisters. "I foresee a little work that needs to be done in Sagami Bay."

Kozou Fuyutsuki looked thoughtful, if slightly morose.

"You don't seem excited about the Second Child's performance."

"I'm very pleased, don't get me wrong…" The old man's eyes focused on the list of casualty figures that had been compiled by the MAGI, listing the vessels that had been sunk by the Sixth Angel. In particular, the USS Virginia. "But an ecological disaster has a tendency to sour victory."

The Professor didn't even bother to shrug. "Collateral is collateral."

"Quite callous," nonchalantly remarked the Sub-Director.

"The truth usually is."

xxxx

/Odawara-2 Naval Port, Shores of Sagami Bay, Japan/

It went without saying that the original Odawara was now a sunken ruin.

However, unlike other cities like Okayama and Tokyo, its replacement was nowhere near as significant or lively. Where Odawara-1 had been one of the major cities of Kanagawa before Second Impact, Odawara-2 was little more than a tiny port town, a JSSDF base, and a glorified supply depot for Tokyo-3 directly to the west. Here was where Task Force 2 was originally going to drop off Evangelion Unit-02; a more exciting event than usual for the denizens of the area.

Then the Sixth Angel came along and decided to instigate one of the worst ecological disasters in the Post-Impact era.

In the hours following the battle, Task Force 2 had quickly sprung to work trying to salvage the remains of the Virginia, Varyag, Kirishima, Laboon, and Shiloh, with a focus on retrieving crew. The Naval Self-Defense Force had quickly deployed any vessels from Odawara-2 to assist,
in particular by setting up a perimeter to prevent any civilian traffic from entering the area.

Within a matter of days, a number of UN agencies – namely the IMO, UNESCO, UNEP, and WHO – would coordinate an official response to the nuclear fuel leaking from the wreck of the USS Virginia. When it would come out that over one thousand, three hundred naval personnel had lost their lives – with a scant few surviving from the RFS Varyag, JDS Kirishima, and USS Laboon, while those on the USS Virginia and USS Shiloh lost all hands – politicians and talking heads the world over (mostly in America, Russia, and Japan) would heavily debate and criticize the decision to send Unit-02 by sea instead of air. In response, philanthropist Keel Lorenz would publicly spearhead the formation of a charity drive (complete with a matching donation from his own pocket) for the family members of those who had lost their lives in the line of duty, complete with a rather eloquent and touching speech regarding their selflessness and how – given Unit-02's convincing performance in battle – they did not die in vain. Many people would fall over themselves lauding his grace and kindheartedness, concluding that the Chairman of the Instrumentality Committee was, as ever, a good and decent human being.

But that's another story.

Thoughts of the trip, of the battle, of the fact that she was leaving her life in Germany behind…all such things were cast away by Mari Langley-Sohryu as she rushed off of the gangway and towards the waiting arms of her sister. "Ich hatte solche Angst!"

The Second Child laughed softly as she rubbed her younger sister's back. "There there, it's okay. Mama war mit mir, remember?"

The young child's response was muffled by the general sounds of sobbing.

Shinji Ikari, having been the second one off of the gangway, watched the scene with an almost detached perspective. The emotional wreck on display was largely foreign to him, given how the closest thing he had to a sibling was Annette, and she had never been one to wear her
emotions on her sleeves like this. Maybe it's because the age difference is so big. Maybe it's any number of things.

Shortly after the Angel's defeat, his father had called Misato to inform her that Unit-02 was being picked up by NERV. Transportation would be arranged so that the Second Child would be waiting for their arrival in Odawara-2. Everyone's mood had improved noticeably after that bit
of news, even if the man in charge of Task Force 2 still seemed sobered by the casualties.

Regardless, there was a sense of relief over how the Second Child had emerged victorious, seemingly no worse for the wear.

Her blue eyes turned towards him. Focusing.

Then widening.

Huh?

"You're the Third Child!"

Um.

"Wunderbar!"

What.

Shinji hadn't really known about the Second Child's actual appearance. Her long red hair – with her A10 nerve connecters looking like red barrettes – and paler skin definitely marked her as a gaijin, but the most eye-catching part about her was the red Plug Suit. The crimson coloration was a dead match with Unit-02's. A green crest ran below the collar bone and black along the underside of the arm, with similarly dark streaks along the outer thighs. There were two pairs of bolt-shaped notches along the torso and shoulders, and a single '02' was typed in black beneath the crest…and right between her breasts.

The suit seemed to 'emphasize' them.

Fortunately, Shinji had some backup.

One: he had grown up with Annette and Alicia to provide him important lessons on respecting women.

Two: when not in her school uniform, Rei was almost always in her Plug Suit. So the sight of a girl in a Plug Suit was not immediately incapacitating, no matter how much more exotic Asuka appeared to a Japanese male.

Three: he was living with Misato.

That Shinji escaped with only a slight blush as Asuka walked towards him was a minor miracle. "So…I take it you've heard of me then."

"Of course! I've reviewed the data from the previous battles, and I have to say I'm impressed!" The girl grinned, causing two dimples to appear. Very cute dimples. "For someone who's effectively a newbie at this whole thing, you've performed very well."

Shinji nervously rubbed the back of his head in response to the praise. "Eh…I did what I had to do."

"But now that I'm here, you better be ready to step up your game!" She thrust a finger toward his nose, as though preparing to challenge him. "The Angels aren't going to let up, so neither will we!"

"Um…sure?" She's really into this. His attention turned towards young Mari, who was glaring at him from behind Asuka's leg. I feel like I'm doomed. Surely not. There's no way they're any worse than what's already been thrown at me. Right?

Further behind him, Toji and Kensuke were much less successful at deflecting Asuka's natural aura of 'attractive redhead'. "Damn it Ikari," muttered the jock under his breath. "Cut us some slack, for once."

"I believe we can officially qualify Shinji as a babe magnet," murmured the Gendotaku, his camera now focused on Asuka's…Plug Suit. Yes.

"Ken."

"Yes?"

"Shut up."

Even further back along the gangway, Misato and Kaji watched the proceedings with quiet amusement. "I foresee wonderful things in the future."

Kaji shot a glance towards his old girlfriend. "You mean embarrassing and awkward things, right?"

"Well duh."

The inspector grinned wryly before taking a look at the surrounding port. Everything was in a tizzy, with soldiers, naval personnel, and nuclear waste specialists moving to and fro. The response by the Pacific Fleet was still gelling together, but it wouldn't be long before containment procedures around Odawara-2 and Sagami Bay solidified. "It's quite surreal. Such an innocent air around the kids, even though everyone else is now concerned with the aftermath of the battle."

Misato quietly grew somber, her pace slowing. "…it's because children have to fight for us." The children were already being forced to shoulder too many burdens. "It's not their place to take on things that are adult concerns."

"Mah, too true."

The Lieutenant Colonel paused, turning back towards the USS Harry S. Truman. She saw two figures standing along the edge of the flight deck, staring down at her: Admiral Ackerson and Captain Matthews.

She gave them a crisp salute.

After a few seconds, they saluted back.

A bit of professional camaraderie, following a great victory tinged with disaster and tragedy: it was the adult thing to do.

xxxx

To be continued…

Next time…

Episode 12: SEPARATION INTO UNITY (Dance, young children!)

xxxx

(And Asuka's first Angel battle is a solo kill. Nice.)

 

[Ultra Sonic 007]

/Keter, NERV-1, Tokyo-3/

It was mere hours after the defeat of the Sixth Angel, and Gendo Ikari found himself staring at the message from MAGI-00: a single printout, bearing one line.

I FOUND IT​

So, our latent sensors have stumbled upon it. Either that, or the Genesis Resonance had grown to the point where the weapon was passively emitting energy…in which case it wouldn't be long before foreign satellites picked up on it.

Gendo Ikari quietly strolled out of his office. Within minutes, he was walking through the Geofront; as he approached one of the various access elevators stationed throughout the fields, he reached up to his earpiece. "Fuyutsuki."

"Yes, Professor?"

"I'm going to be stepping out for a while."

"Taking a road trip?"

"In a manner of speaking. I'll make sure to bring back some ribs for you."

"…you know what flavor I like, yes?"

"Chili-flavored barbecue sauce."

"Very well then. Enjoy yourself."

Gendo cut the call, knowing that right now Fuyutsuki was preparing to contact a NERV outpost at the very tip of South America. He knew that SEELE would have their own agents investigate the outpost, catching on to the blatantly obvious catchphrase he had used.

Meanwhile, he would actually be heading to the Polynesian Triangle, where a custom freighter would be waiting – had been waiting, for months now – at one of the few islands that remained above water after Second Impact. Then it would take a little trip into the Antarctic
Circle to obtain an item critical to his Plan; it wouldn't fool the old men forever, but hopefully he would be in and out before they caught on.

It was finally time to retrieve the Lance of Longinus.

xxxx

/Commander Langley's Office, NERV-2, Berlin-2, Germany/

The hours following the Sixth Angel's defeat had been busy for NERV-2.

The majority of the scientific and technical teams were still poring over the combat data recorded by the Tokyo-3 MAGI, comparing it with Unit-02's field test data taken over the last several months and establishing trends, discrepancies, possible points of concern, and a ton of
fancy charts for public and media consumption.

The rest were joining the administration and the maintenance teams in celebrating 'their' Evangelion's overwhelming success in battle against the Sixth Angel.

Pieter Langley was not quite as celebratory, but he was more or less thankful. Asuka's alive. Mari's alive. The Angel was defeated. There was little more the man could ask for, given that he had essentially sent his children to live in a glorified warzone.

He looked around the wooden walls of his office and at the yellow lighting, suddenly feeling cramped and trapped by more than just his anxiety. "Ich hasse diesen job."

xxxx

/October 19, 2015/

/En Route to Tokyo-3 Municipal Junior High School/

"Him? A 'babe magnet'?" Mana Kirishima barked a laugh at Toji Suzuhara's suggestion. "From what I've heard, he's too damn scrawny."

Toji huffed. "Then how come Ikari's surrounded by so many dames?!"

The silver-haired nephilim snorted. "He works for NERV. Maybe trying to save the world has perks?"

"Her hypothesis has merit!"

"Ken."

"Yes?"

"Shut up."

Shinji Ikari ignored the little interplay going on behind him. Yeah, I'm a babe magnet. And my father is a model of how to behave in polite society.

Not that he would deny the beauty of his coworkers; Misato-san was a bombshell on pretty much every level, Ayanami's eerie grace was as stunning as it was disquieting, Ritsuko-san was almost as beautiful as she was crazy, Maya-san's demure look somehow stood out amidst the
craziness of NERV, Aoba-san's looks were augmented by her…'intensity', the Kirishima sisters were both attractive in entirely different ways, and Sohryu-san's foreign charm was hard to ignore.

But still, it wasn't like they were there because of him. No matter how much Toji insisted that he was somehow 'cheating'. Fortunately, the jock's lighthearted complaints were pretty mundane as far as everyday life went.

"Ikari-san."

Shinji glanced towards the normal half of the Kirishima sisters. "Yes?"

"What is your opinion of Tokyo-3's current defensive standing?"

The Third Child glanced around; they were on a fairly crowded walkway near the edge of the city, away from the hustle and bustle of the downtown area. There were still sounds of construction ongoing; Section 3 was still hard at work trying to repair the damage wrought by the Fifth Angel. The fringes of Tokyo-3 – including the partially-demolished mountain and scorched outline surrounding the city's outskirts – were still laced with large black crystals, the remaining physical pieces of the crystalline creature. "Well…this place is still pretty banged up, but we have another Evangelion now."

"Yes. I would surmise that the Second Child inside her Evangelion is more powerful than either you or Ayanami-san."

Shinji chuckled good-naturedly. "Well, after yesterday, I can't blame you for thinking that."

The pale girl glanced behind her, falsely-colored eyes focusing on her sister (who was becoming increasingly amused by how Aida was inadvertently flustering Suzuhara). I can't help but wonder if the Jet Alone even has a place among the Evangelions. Shinji Ikari and Rei
Ayanami were both capable Pilots…but she could readily say that they were nothing compared to the Second and Fourth Children. Mayumi was not one for short-selling the abilities of others.

Within their Evangelions, Kaworu Nagisa and Asuka Langley-Sohryu outclassed the Jet Alone. Easily.

What is our place here?

Those thoughts remained with Mayumi as they arrived at school and situated themselves within homeroom. There were a few new students joining, two of whom that she recognized.

One was Ryo Sawamura, a rather plain-looking boy that Mayumi recalled was the son of Genji Sawamura, head of the Jet Alone Project's Weapons R&D team. I guess Tokita-san was serious when he said some of the Project members elected to continue working with NERV.

The second…well, every single Pilot in the room recognized her. Everyone else's eyes widened at the sight of blazing strawberry blonde hair, long and flowing.

The female gaijin confidently wrote her name on the blackboard in Roman letters and Japanese kanji, turning around with a flourish. "Greetings everyone! My name is Asuka Langley-Sohryu!" She paused, as though thinking about what to say next.

Then she pulled a crumpled note from her skirt's pocket, eyeing it quietly. "Now, what was I supposed to say next…ah! Hope I'm saying this right!" With a grin, she happily chirped, "Kawaii desu ne!"

The class was silent for two reasons.

One: the female half was somewhat wary of the newcomer, with some marveling at her exotic beauty, while others felt their hackles rise at the sight of a new 'challenger'.

Two: the male half was, for the most part, blushing. So…CUTE!

Mayumi resisted the urge to giggle. Even if she and her sister had no place on the battlefield next to the Evangelions, living in Tokyo-3 made up for it.

xxxx

Episode 12: SEPARATION INTO UNITY (Dance, young children!)

xxxx

/Class 3-A, Tokyo-3 Municipal Elementary School/

Mari Langley-Sohryu felt completely out of place.

For one…everyone looked the same.

There was little differentiation in hair colors, and skin tones didn't vary that much. Even without a standardized school uniform – meaning that the children were free to dress as they pleased, so long as it was decent – Mari found it difficult to tell her fellow classmates apart. The wide variety of shades, facial types, and hair colors from her class in Berlin-2 was completely absent.

It made her paler skin stand out by comparison.

The young eight-year-old sighed as she looked out of the window, gazing at the eastern shores of Lake Ashi. Tokyo-3 Municipal Elementary School was less than four hundred yards away from its elder institution, the Municipal Middle School, to the north. Unfortunately, the place where her big sister was apparently going was on the northern edge of Tokyo-3, on the opposite edge of the downtown area.

The distance was suffocating. The relative isolation she felt was only compounding the problem; she certainly stood out, and her status as a gaijin was enough to ward off the initial curiosity of her classmates. Last, but most certainly not least, the teacher's handwriting was horrible! Her grasp of Japanese characters was nowhere near complete; the only reason she was still following was because she could (mostly) understand what everyone was saying. This stinks. I miss my friends.

The young German sighed as she continued through her day. The usual socialization that was always present amongst her circle of friends in Berlin-2 was nowhere to be found, making time seem as though it moved at a snail's pace. Still, the view was worlds better than that of the
arcology containing Berlin-2; so wide and so blue, constrained by nothing.

Yet…even with all of the clouds, it still seemed so empty.

And why was it so hot?! Papa and Ska didn't say anything about that! It's like summer!

This multitude of meandering thoughts weighed Mari down as she went through the cafeteria, looking at her tray of food: a carton of milk, white rice, steamed asparagus, and cutlets of raw tuna.How come the fish isn't cooked? And where's the meat? Papa said meat's important for a growing girl!

He'd been right; Japan was weird.

Grimacing, Mari looked around at the available tables; the tables on the inside were full, with a great many spilling out onto the available seats on the patio conjoined to the cafeteria. As she looked for an opening, all of the students – even those outside of her homeroom, outside of her grade – were struck by her foreign appearance before impulsively moving seats to keep her from sitting by them.

Children, even without meaning to, could be exceptionally cruel.

Mari tried not to feel putdown. Big sister's probably doing awesome at her new school. If she can do it, I can to! I just have to be tough! And I can't take no for an answer! With newfound determination, the young girl walked out onto the patio, looking for a proper spot.

There; two students from her homeroom sitting side-by-side, both girls. One with shoulder-length black hair, clad in blue pants and a green shirt. The other dressed in a yellow blouse and khaki shorts, with brown hair wrapped into pigtails. Das genügt! The new student quickly walked towards the otherwise empty table and plopped down across from them, as if daring them to make a move.

'Black Hair' glared back, as if trying to will her to leave the table and go elsewhere.

Mari glared harder, defiantly grabbing a piece of tuna (ew it was so slimy!) and took a bite.

She promptly spat it out. "YUCK! Das istschrecklich!"

"…that wasn't even English," murmured Black Hair. "What did you say, gaijin?"

"It was German. Don't you know any German?"

"Why would I? I don't live there!"

"Well, you know English, don't you?"

"Yes. It's taught in class. Duh."

Mari frowned, her irritation starting to boil over. "Don't know why they wouldn't teach German, then. Germany's awesome!"

"Whatever, gaijin. Maybe you could buzz off and annoy someone else? We're trying to eat here."

Mari snorted at Black Hair. I don't like you. "Don't know how you could eat it anyway." She glanced at the girl's tray, eyeing the raw tuna. "The fish isn't even cooked!"

"Gaijin."

"Fish needs to be cooked or you could get sick, dummkopf!"

Black Hair growled. "I don't know what you just said, but I know when I'm being made fun of. You want a piece of me?!"

Suddenly, before hostilities escalated even further, 'Pigtails' pushed her sack lunch towards Mari. "Let's swap."

Both Mari and Black Hair stared at previously mute girl. "Huh?"

"My big sister Hikari-chan likes to make my lunch. Maybe you'll like it better?" Pigtails pushed aside her partially-eaten apple and pulled out the other items in the bag: a sealed cup of orange juice, a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich, and a bag of various nuts and dried fruits.

Mari stared at the brown-haired girl, boggling at the sudden change of events. "Um…thank you…" Suddenly feeling embarrassed, the German quickly added, "But I don't want to impose, I mean, it would be rude, wouldn't it?"

"I'm offering."

Black Hair looked bewildered by Pigtails' behavior. "Geez, what's with you?"

The brown-haired girl seemed to pause, as though trying to force out the words. "Well…she's new to the school. And she's new to Japan! And…she looks lonely."

Mari resisted the urge to blush at the kindness being offered. I like her. "...danke." Quickly remembering her Papa's lesson's on politeness, the German quickly added, "My name is Mari Langley-Sohryu! Pleased to make your acquaintance!"

Pigtails smiled. "My name's Nozomi Horaki." The now-named Nozomi turned her kind gaze towards her black-haired compadre. "It's your turn now."

Black Hair sighed, shrugging as if out of defeat. "Well, Nozomi-chan doesn't warm up to just anybody, so you can't be all bad. Name's Ai Suzuhara."

Thus did Mari make her first new friends in Japan.

And lo, a terror greater than that of the Angels was born.

xxxx

/Three Days Later/

/October 22, 2015/

The pictures were legion.

"Man, Asuka sure is hot."

A series taken from afar, showing her walking towards the school, looking quite happy.

"That new overseas student?"

A few shots trying to focus on her sitting down in gym class, with particular attention on her bloomers.

"Well of course, who else would we be talking about?!"

Several discreet close-ups from outside Asuka's line of sight, or while her eyes were closed.

"You think she has a boyfriend already?"

A distance shot, showcasing Asuka pointing a finger at a stoic Rei Ayanami, as though challenging her to something.

"I hope not. I bet she has the heart of a maiden, waiting for true love…"

The horny teenage males were also legion.

Which meant good business for Toji Suzuhara and Kensuke Aida.

As another satisfied customer walked away with a developed picture, Kensuke muttered, "Man, so much gossip. 'Asuka, Asuka, Asuka'!"

"It's kinda embarrassing to think about, to be honest," grumbled Toji as he placed a wad of bills inside a plastic bag. "And here I thought that gossip was a kinda thing that only girls do."

"Well, we have a new transfer student that not only looks exotic and attractive, but is also incapable of breaking through walls like the other exotic beauties in our class." Namely, Rei Ayanami and Mana Kirishima. Mayumi Yamagishi didn't really count, since her looks were rather plain, pale skin aside.

The jock grunted as he leaned against the wall; the two were currently situated in an alley behind the school, which served as an egress for one of the facility's emergency exits. It was out of the way, unobtrusive…and the only way that anyone knew about Toji and Kensuke's 'sale' was by word of mouth.

And business was booming. At seven hundred yen per picture – and with plenty of copies – their first day had netted them a sizeable profit.

Toji still wasn't quite sure how Kensuke had managed to get so many photos so quickly.

"Well, I think this is good enough for one day!" exclaimed Kensuke as he began to put away the photos. All of a sudden, a pair of feet came into view, prompting him to look up. "Welcome! How can…I…" His voice died as he looked up at the owner of said feet.

Asuka Langley-Sohryu.

Toji resisted the urge to flinch. "Er…hello there…"

"Hmm," murmured the foreigner as she looked at the pictures. In particular those of her in states of undress. "These pictures…" Things clicked, and she suddenly gasped. "I see! You two," cue dramatic pointing, "are perverts!"

Kensuke and Toji blinked.

"My Papa warned me about your kind! But…he also told me how to deal with perverselinge!" She cracked her knuckles and abruptly jumped towards the wall. With a strong kick of her legs, she went up and bounded off the alley's opposite wall, reorienting herself for a drilling heel thrust. "HYOOOOOOOOOH!"

The two hentai were too stunned to even scream.

Moments later, Asuka was wiping her hands, satisfied at her handiwork. "Now I'd better not catch you two doing this again!"

Moans and groans trickled from the two collapsed teenagers.

"After all, perverts are nasty people, and I don't think the Third Child would want to be friends with nasty people, right?"

More moaning, with a side order of muffled grunts.

"Right!" Before she turned around, one of the pictures caught her eye. Her gaze was focused off-camera, but the wind was blowing her hair in such a way that it naturally framed her face, and the sunlight added a lustrous shine to her auburn locks. It was outside, and she was in her
uniform…so it looked quite tasteful. "Ooh!" She quickly grabbed it and held it towards Kensuke. "This one's really good! How much?"

"…s-seven hundred yen…"

Asuka quickly handed over several paper bills. "Mah, Japan's currency is so weak…oh well. Danke!" She then happily skipped away, leaving a scene of chaos and destruction behind.

One that new transfer student Ryo Sawamura walked in on moments later, eyes widening at the sight of scattered pictures and two unmoving bodies. "I heard from some of the other guys that something cool was happening here. Did I miss it?"

His answer was a pair of pained whimpers.

xxxx

/Misato's Obstacle Course, Geofront, Tokyo-3/

"…this is an obstacle course?!"

"Yes."

"…there are loop-de-loops."

"Yes."

"…have I mentioned how cool your Ops Lady is?"

"Yes."

Mayumi Yamagishi giggled at the back-and-forth ongoing between her sister and Sergeant Ayanami. In an attempt to improve teamwork, the Operations Director had ordered the three nephilim to use her Obstacle Course for the afternoon. The Sergeant had readily agreed, given
that – apparently – it had been some time since she had last used it for training.

For all intents and purposes, it was more of an 'extreme racetrack' than an obstacle course.

The road alternated between dirt and paved, weaving in and out through a wooded sector inside the Geofront. Alongside the aforementioned loop-de-loops – seemingly fashioned out of rock, as though they were natural formations – were jumps and rickety plateaus, interlaced with metallic paths that bore randomized traps.

Traps like speed bumps. And arrow launchers. And cannons. And banana peels.

"So how exactly are we going to be training on this thing?" asked Mana, rocking back and forth on her heels with impatience. "I mean, you said that Lieutenant Colonel Katsuragi uses her motorcycle here. What are we supposed to do?"

"That would defeat our purpose here. Despite our earlier disagreements, there is nothing to warrant punishment by the Lieutenant Colonel."

Mana rolled her eyes at the stoic nephilim's blunt words. "Don't think you got what I meant. And how would that be punishment? What the hell does the Ops Lady do?"

Rei paused and reflected.

xxxx

/Four Months Ago/

"THIS IS WHAT YOU GET FOR BEING TARDY HYUGA-KUN!"

"I SAID I WAS SORRY!"

Rei and Gendo watched in silence as Misato zoomed by on her motorbike, Lieutenant Hyuga hanging on to the Lieutenant Colonel for dear life. Given the odd shade of green on his face, he was experiencing severe nausea.

The Lieutenant's distant wails continued as the motorbike zoomed through a loop-de-loop before immediately plummeting into an awaiting chasm; the last-second burn of the cycle's auxiliary thrusters was the only thing that saved them as they landed on another winding rocky
path.

"This is an important lesson on how motion sickness can affect humans. Keep a close eye, Sergeant."

"Understood, Supreme Commander."

xxxx

"…her form of punishment is surprisingly taxing."

Mana snorted. "Whatever. She may be fun, but she ain't that scary."

"So Ayanami-san," Mayumi interjected, trying to prevent another flare-up between the two nephilim. "What exactly are we going to be doing?"

The First Child calmly walked over to a small terminal, adjacent to the transport junction that connected them to the Geofront's elevator system. With several button presses, a portion of the metallic road ahead of them descended: it was a lift of sorts, connected to more of NERV-1's cargo transfer systems. One minute later, three yellow bicycles emerged.

With the classical turtle-shaped bicycle helmets sitting on the seats.

Mana's befuddled expression was a sight to behold. "…what are those?"

"Bicycles."

"I know that sis," grumbled Mana as she turned her attention back to Rei. "Bicycles. Seriously?"

"Yes."

"…you know, I probably should be complaining, but given how crazy this whole city is, I bet there's a catch."

"They were built by Dr. Mondschein of NERV-Alaska, specifically for use by nephilim. In the lowest gear, one turn of the pedals results in twenty rotations of the wheels. The highest gear is one hundred rotations."

The two nephilim sisters blinked at that; if the lowest setting of the bike was 20-speed – in and of itself a tall task for most human cyclists, save professionals – then 100-speed would be considered physically impossible.

But not for nephilim. Still monstrously difficult…but not impossible.

Rei Ayanami was already putting a helmet on. "You may follow my lead if you wish. The Lieutenant Colonel's Obstacle Course is harsh on the uninitiated."

Mana snorted as she leapt on her bike and began pedaling. "I'll settle for having you eating my dust!"

Rei stared.

And then switched to a higher gear.

Mana yelped as Rei calmly zoomed past her. "HEY!"

Mayumi shook her head; Rei Ayanami, despite her stoic nature, was quite competitive. "Well, might as well get to it." Training was training, after all.

xxxx

/Tokyo-3, Japan/

Dr. Yasuda chuckled while Shinji Ikari stared at his television, a look of supreme unsurprise on the Third Child's face. "I have to say, you don't see stuff like this on television every day."

"I happen to find comfort in that, Yasuda-san," droned Shinji.

"If you say so."

On the screen, they saw Gendo Ikari standing amidst the shores of Sagami Bay, hands crossed and face stern. His eyes were unreadable behind his orange shades.

Granted, this wasn't new. The fact that he was wearing a red fundoshi – and ONLY a red fundoshi – was new. And eye-catching, depending on your persuasions. Never let it be said that the Supreme Commander of NERV was a slob; although his muscles weren't overly defined or
toned, his body was lean and fit, a prime example of a worker's physique.

"It has been said that if you give a man a fish, he will eat for a day…" Like lightning, his hand lashed into the water, immediately returning with a prize: a silvery sea bass. "…and that if you teach a man to fish, he will eat for a lifetime." The camera panned out and away from Japan's shore, pointing toward the ocean. Unit-00 was standing thigh-deep in the ocean, in a manner similar to Gendo. "However, sometimes your catch is bigger than normal."

Unit-00's arms suddenly lunged into the water, the image closing in on the titan, which had evidently been given a blue paintjob since the battle against the Fifth Angel.

"Then you have to get a little physical."

Unit-00 suddenly raised its arms, creating a flurry of white surf as the image seamlessly transitioned to that of the Sixth Angel ascending into the air, as if levitating. It was an image taken from afar; the sight of a red Evangelion kicking it in the face made the contrast of size even more striking.

"After all, just because you're wrangling the proverbial Moby Dick…"

Now the image shifted to that of Gendo's back, with Unit-02 tussling with the Sixth Angel in the background. "...doesn't mean that you have to fail as badly as Captain Ahab." As the red titan felled the white whale, the Supreme Commander raised a skewer of grilled seafood to his
mouth. "At NERV, we have higher standards than that." He took a noisy bite, facing away from the camera as he chewed. As the footage began to darken, the logo of NERV superimposed itself over where Gendo's back had been, this time with the delightfully maniacal subtitle
'DEVOURING THE BLOOD OF OUR ENEMIES FOR FUN AND PROFIT SINCE 2010'.

"…that was actual seafood he just ate, yes?" asked Dr. Yasuda.

"I'm sure," replied Shinji. "…maybe?"

"You don't sound too confident."

"Because I'm honestly not sure if I would put it past my father to eat grilled extraterrestrial for the sake of a video."

The therapist chuckled at Shinji's deadpan attitude. "You certainly have a strange baseline for your father's behavior."

"Can you blame me?"

"I suppose I can't," replied Dr. Yasuda as he leaned back in his chair, jotting down some notes onto his clipboard. "Your life story was quite clear on that particular point; I'm still somewhat shocked by the railgun message."

"Who wouldn't?"

"You, apparently."

"Because I'm used to it."

The older man smiled. "Is it something that you believe warrants getting used to?"

Shinji shrugged. "I guess you'd have to if you lived here, or worked for NERV."

"And otherwise?"

"I don't know. Maybe not?" The Third Child sighed, running a hand through his hair as he leaned back on the therapist's couch (and man, it was really comfy!). "I guess not. I mean, I can't imagine anyone else living with my father."

"But you don't live with him."

"…point."

"Does that upset you?" At Shinji's somewhat stony expression, Dr. Yasuda added, "I wouldn't blame you if it does. Being sent away to live with other relatives at such a young age…I know he has certain responsibilities as NERV's Supreme Commander that keep him busy, but that's
been true for so many working fathers throughout the years. Men who still made it work. Why should it be any different for you?"

"…it's different." He stared at the ceiling, seeing not the spackled pattern, but a bloody sunset, and scattered rubble. His father's hands, gripped tight around another man's throat. Fingers clenching and squeezing. "My father's job isn't normal." He raised his hand, looking at it but seeing the handlebars of Unit-01. "Mine isn't normal."

"So to you, fighting the Angels is simply a job? Not a duty?"

The boy frowned. "Piloting Unit-01…" The feel of becoming a titan of war, backed by the warmth of his mother's ethereal embrace: a blessing and a curse. "That's my duty. And with the Evangelion, we can fight the Angels."

"So you're saying that you foresee piloting the Evangelion beyond the Angel War?"

"…maybe?" He recalled how Asuka had dropped to the bottom of the ocean in battle with the Sixth Angel, and had run along its floor to get back to the mainland. Her report had been casual about it, too! "It would be neat to see what the Eva could do outside of battle."

At that moment, a familiar chime came from Shinji's phone, followed seconds later by a wailing siren outside.

Dr. Yasuda smiled sadly. "I suppose we'll have to cut our session short."

xxxx

/Shores of Suruga Bay, Numazu, Japan/

Two Evangelions slowly skidded to a halt in the ruins of Numazu, lying nearly twenty miles southwest of Lake Ashi. The two giants strode with purpose towards the shoreline, making their way towards the mobile generators that NERV had set in place near the coast.

"Tokyo-3's intercept system is only at twenty-percent capacity following the attack of the Fifth Angel." Misato's voice concealed all semblance of uncertainty, leaving only rock-solid determination. "Unit-00 and the Jet Alone will remain within the city limits as a secondary
line of defense; you two will be our sword on the coastline! Engage and destroy the target before it makes landfall!"

"Roger that," responded Shinji, eyes focused on inserting a power plug into Unit-02's back.

"Jawohl, Kommandant!" exclaimed Asuka, as she returned the favor for Unit-01. The two Evangelions stood tall on the sandy shore, a fair distance away from the mobile generators idling further inland.

"Unit-01 and Unit-02 will attack in turns. Don't let the Angel focus too much attention on a single combatant for too long, and don't let it slip by!"

"Roger that." Shinji quietly examined the assault rifle, recalling Conagher-san's detailed lectures on the inner workings of the Eva's weapons systems. As he made one final check of the magazine, Asuka's image flickered to life in front of his eyes. "Yes?"

"I'll be watching your back, so I'll be counting on you to watch mine, Shinji!"

"Uh…okay?" said the Third Child, temporarily put off by Asuka's familiar use of his surname.

Asuka frowned. "Come on, what kind of answer is that?!" Her face lit up with a fierce, fiery passion."We're about to engage in mortal combat with an alien lifeform, protecting humanity from extinction! So show some fighting spirit! Stur wie ein Bock sein!"

"…sure thing." Shinji mentally cut off the video channel, opening up another to the Operations Deck at NERV-1. "Is Asuka always like this?"

Misato smiled. "You'll get used to it."

"The Seventh Angel is nearing the shoreline!" declared Maya.

Misato's smile vanished, replaced by a stern expression. "Good luck you two."

Unit-02 stepped forward, hands gripping a progressive glaive. "I'll launch the first assault. Cover for me!"

"Roger that!" said Shinji, nestling the butt of the rifle against his shoulder. It was an odd sensation, feeling heavy metal pressing against him and yet not. He focused further ahead along the horizon, waiting for the Angel to appear.

A geyser erupted startlingly close to shore, giving way to a gargantuan figure.

It was humanoid in a manner akin to the Third Angel, but with wide, sloping shoulders and limbs that narrowed down to spindly claws. Its body shimmered silver, save for the dark green torso and two pairs of white ridges resembling ribs. Two orbs stood out against the green: a
pink and blue yin-yang symbol where the face would be, and the great red core in its slim belly.

"Opening fire!" Massive bullets erupted from Unit-01's rifle, slamming against the Seventh Angel's form.

"Advancing!" Unit-02's form seemed to flicker as it jumped ahead, vaulting atop sunken buildings as a child playing hop-scotch. With one great bound, the red titan leapt into the air, the glaive's edge humming dangerously.

The stage was set for a tremendous conflict: Unit-02, fresh off a decisive victory against the Sixth Angel, and Unit-01, already a reliable veteran, against the unknown powers of the Seventh Angel.

So fate decided to flip the script.

Right as Unit-01 ceased fire to let Unit-02 attack, the Angel split in two.

Shinji gaped. "Wha?!"

"Scheiße?!" yelped Asuka.

Unit-02's glaive slashed harmlessly through the air, the halves morphing into off-kilter clones of the Seventh Angel's original form: red and green instead of silver, and a three-eyed mask replacing the yin-yang. As the red Evangelion quickly tried to back away, their right hands
curled into angular fists.

CRASH!

The Angel's fists slammed into Unit-02's head from both sides.

"Oh that's just cheating!" yelled Misato.

"We have a spike in Asuka's vitals!"

"The sync ratio is fluctuating rapidly!"

"Unit-02's AT-Field is losing integrity!"

Shinji was momentarily stunned by the sudden outbursts from NERV's command staff. So much so that he could only watch in a sort of bewildered silence as the green Angel grabbed the staggering Unit-02 and tossed it into the air. The red Angel quickly leapt up, wrapping its arms around the Evangelion's torso and aiming the red giant's head at the ground.

It wasn't every day that one could witness an Angel deliver a jumping reverse piledriver on an Evangelion.

KA-SMASH!

Unit-01 clenched its assault rifle tightly as the twin Angels turned towards it, ignoring the now-indisposed Unit-02.

Shinji gulped; it almost looked like they were leering at him. "Well…this is bad."

xxxx

/Five Hours Later/

/Debriefing Room, NERV-1, Tokyo-3/

Asuka's current state was quite a contrast to the demeanor she had been exhibiting since her arrival four days ago: her grim expression, coupled with gauze and medical tape wrapped over her left eye, made for a stark disparity compared to her usual youthful vigor.

Then again, a cracked eye socket would put a damper on anyone's day.

"At approximately 1642 hours, the two entities designated 'Target-7A' and 'Target-7B' launched a coordinated assault on Unit-02." Ritsuko Akagi's voice provided a droning backdrop to the image playing forth on the projector: namely, a small contingent of Heavy Fighter Jet-VTOLs
hovering about Unit-02's legs, sticking up comically from the sea. "Unit-01 was similarly incapacitated forty-two seconds later." The image shifted to Unit-01, embedded into the hillside bordering Suruga Bay.

Shinji felt a burning sensation come to his face, a feeling of shame blossoming through his being. The Seventh Angel had beaten them so…casually. It was unsettling and unnerving, compounded by the latent headache lingering from the Angel's piledriver maneuver. He counted his fortunes that the lights had been dimmed for the projector, lest others see his frustration.

"At 1648 hours, Unit-00, the Jet Alone, and the P2 System ran interference approximately ten miles southwest of Lake Ashi while a temporary countermeasure was utilized." An image of the two targets firing eye-beams at several Defender Gundams came into being, showcasing Unit-00 and the Burning Gundam attacking from long-range. "At 1651 hours, the targets were hit with the Azrael Mk. I warhead, also known as the 'Angel Nuke'." The head of Project E giggled as the projector revealed a distant shot of a multi-colored mushroom cloud. "It sparkles! And burns! One could say that it barkles!"

"Doctor Akagi, can we move on?"

Ignoring Fuyutsuki's request-that-wasn't-really-a-request, the blonde moved on of her own volition. "Both targets lost approximately thirty-percent of their mass." The image revealed the twin Angels standing amidst a massive crater, a hazy orange shimmer surrounding their
burned forms. "Currently, an incredibly dense AT-Field is surrounding the two targets, negating any form of attack." A series of photos followed, each one detailing some kind of weapon being tested against the Angels' powerful defensive field. "Given evidence from visual sightings and continual spectroscopic analysis, the targets are recovering to full capacity. The MAGI estimate that the Seventh Angel will continue its assault in seven days at approximately 1207 hours."

"Will we be doing more than just taking potshots at it next time around?" grumbled Mana Kirishima, who was leaning back in her chair and balancing her feet on the table.

"Needless to say, we will have a plan of attack ready by then," answered Fuyutsuki. The graying Sub-Director of NERV stood as the projector cut off and the lights brightened, advancing to the front of the room. His eyes fell upon all of those in attendance: Dr. Akagi, the Ibuki Twins,
Aoba, Hyuga, Kaji, Hikari Kirishima, and the five Pilots that currently resided in Tokyo-3. "We were fortunate enough to fend them off without having to hand operational control over to the UN, but we can't afford to be lax. The Angel's ability was unexpected, but we will be taking this
into account." He glanced at Asuka. "You will report to Section 4 for intensive physical therapy. We can't afford to have you sidelined for too long."

"Yes sir."

Shinji internally winced; she sounded so lifeless.

Fuyutsuki turned to the Jet Alone pilots. "Our Ops-Director is dealing with the fallout from this little debacle…"

xxxx

/Misato Katsuragi's Office, NERV-1, Tokyo-3/

"…why is there so much paperwork?" The Lieutenant Colonel glowered as she saw the mountain of forms lying on her desk. "I did just fine in the Outback without paperwork. We got things done without paperwork. So why?"

"Wark."

"You said it, boy."

xxxx

/Debriefing Room, NERV-1, Tokyo-3/

"…so you will be working with Lieutenant Aoba to formulate practical ways to utilize the Jet Alone's assets in coordination with the Evangelions. We can't afford to have you be mere support."

"Yes sir."

"About time!"

Take a guess which nephilim said what.

"Sergeant," continued Fuyutsuki. "Lieutenant Hyuga will be requisitioning more supplies for our defensive rearmament. Coordinate with him on what you believe should be prioritized given your observations of the Seventh Angel's abilities."

Ayanami saluted. "Understood, sir."

"Ikari-kun."

Shinji jolted out of his ruminations. "Um, yes sir?"

"Get some rest. The Lieutenant Colonel will undoubtedly have a new training regime in place for you by tomorrow." The graying Sub-Director looked over the room before departing unceremoniously, leaving everyone to their own devices.

He must have a lot on his mind. It probably didn't help that his father was away on some important business for NERV. The Angel had such horrible timing.

As the others began to disperse, Shinji watched as Asuka got to her feet, a white coat enshrouding her Plug Suit-clad form. "Asuka…" She paused, looking quietly in his direction. "Are you going to be okay?"

The redhead paused, her lone visible eye looking oddly at him. "Of course. This won't be permanent." A small smile came to be on her face. "Mama took most of the damage for me. It could've been worse." She raised her right hand, curling it into a petite fist. "We'll just have to
show that Angel who's boss next time!" With a confident grin, she marched out of the Debriefing Room, leaving Shinji to stare quizzically at her passing form.

"Freak."

"Sister!"

"What?" asked Mana in response to Mayumi's shocked expression. "She is."

"Let's not denigrate our 'co-workers', shall we?" dryly said their overseer. "A little bit of good will goes a long way."

Mana audibly sighed as she got to her feet. "Yes, mom." The pale nephilim stretched her arms and sauntered towards the exit, shooting the Third Child a quick glance before departing. Everyone began to leave in a similar fashion, until only Shinji and Kaji remained.

The erstwhile Inspector sighed. "You seem to be in quite the funk."

"…I just can't help but wonder if there's something that could've been done differently."

"You mean that you could have done differently, yes?"

"…yeah." Maybe he should have been the one to advance. Or instead of simply firing from afar, he should have followed Asuka more closely; maybe the Angel would have reacted differently.

"You can think of a million different ways that you could have reacted, but it won't change the way you did react." The unkempt man ruffled Shinji's hair, a knowing grin on his face. "Focus on what you can do now instead of what you could have done." He calmly strolled along, lazily
waving a hand at the boy. "I believe people say that it's the grown-up thing to do."

Shinji Ikari frowned as the Inspector departed, his mind ruminating on his words and a hundred other things. His eyes fell upon his hands, which slowly curled into fists. "The grown-up thing, huh…?"

xxxx

/Ten Miles Southwest of Lake Ashi, Japan/

A haze of orange and gold separated realities: the world as humans knew it, and the world according to the Seventh Angel. Within its shell, the glorious choir of a legion sang, restoring what had been destroyed, but not what had been lost.

ONLY THE [CREATOR/FATHER/SOURCE] CAN RESTORE US, chanted the multitude of voices that all belonged to [INDECIPHERABLE], the Seventh Angel.

Well spoken, Israfel. Or do you prefer your true [name/identity/self-perception]?

THAT YOU EVEN ASK IS [WORRYING/VEXING/IRRITATING].

The legion quieted as the presence of its [equals/kin/siblings] echoed across the ether, sounding off against its own ego, its own self. WE BID THEE WELCOME, FELLOW SHADOWS OF OUR[CREATOR/FATHER/SOURCE].

Your [nature/essence/reality] is intriguing. Many voices through a singularity, yet there is still a distinct [separation/identity/melody].

OUR [SONG/VOICE/SOUL] ABOUNDS WITH [GLEE/POWER/YOUTH].

THE LILIM ARE IN A POSITION OF WEAKNESS. WHY NOT STRIKE NOW?

TO [SING/FIGHT/DANCE] WITH ANYTHING LESS THAN OUR BEST WOULD BE [FOOLHARDY/SUICIDAL/UNYOUTHFUL].

The laughter of Tabris echoed across the void. Perhaps your prudence is…warranted, given how our [equals/kin/siblings] have fared thus far.

THE WEAPON CRAFTED FROM THE [CORPSE/SHELL/TOMB] OF SHAMSHEL WAS UNEXPECTED.

FEAR NOT. Within the AT-Field, the bodies of the Seventh Angel boiled and bubbled, flesh regenerating and slowly recombining into one. OUR [PERFORMANCE/CONQUEST/STRENGTH] WILL [SHOCK/DAZZLE] THE LILIM, AND THEY WILL FEAR AND TREMBLE.

xxxx

/Later that Evening/

/Banzai Bonzo Bar, Downtown Tokyo-3, Japan/

Hikari Kirishima stared. "What."

A bonobo on the piano, a chimpanzee drummer, a gorilla guitarist, and Shiori Aoba on the sax provided the background music for the patrons at the old-fashioned establishment, catering mostly to Section 2 staff.

"You've never seen a jazz band before, Kirishima-san?" asked Ryoji Kaji, his hand loosely holding a glass of scotch on the rocks.

"You know very well that's not what why she's staring," countered Makoto Hyuga, taking a slight sip from a cup of warm saké.

"What," repeated Agent Kirishima. She had only come here because Lieutenant Aoba had invited her; after an initial meeting with her daughters about their potential functions in battle, the nephilim had elected to head home. Hikari thought that she and Aoba were going to further discuss how Mana and Mayumi were to participate in the upcoming operation against the Seventh Angel. Not…this. "What."

"It's her way of calming down," said Hyuga, casually watching the other patrons through the dim lighting. "She'll probably be over here in a few minutes."

"Just…what."

"From what I've heard, the dear Lieutenant served in Africa during the Impact Wars," remarked Kaji, a coy little smirk on his face. "Fought all throughout the Congo."

Hikari Kirishima's eyes sharpened, narrowing in on Aoba's form. "She made it through that hellhole?"

"With some help," said Hyuga, motioning towards the hairier primates in the band. "Despite all the turmoil, they decided to stick with her instead of joining their brethren in the Congolese Federation."

Recall how Second Impact altered various wildlife throughout the world?

Well, Planet of the Apes could no longer be considered a work of pure fiction, to put it lightly. Amidst the chaos and upheaval of the Impact Wars, tens of thousands of apes (their sapience having received a tremendous boost from Second Impact) had gathered in dozens and dozens
of tribes, formed an alliance and rose up against the humans. This federation of primates now ruled a vast territory comprising the Congo region and portions of the nations once called Uganda, Cameroon, Zambia, Sudan, Chad, and the Central African Republic. It was a bit of a
sore point for the African Union, to have such a large swath of the heart of Africa uncontrolled by human hands in this day and age.

Then again, given the prominence of the giant hyena and the honey badger, a not insignificant number of people were happy to leave central Africa to the apes.

But that's another story.

At that moment, Misato Katsuragi – her red bomber jacket standing out like Gendo Ikari – walked into the bar and took a seat at their table, plopping her head down with an exaggerated groan.

"Paperwork giving you a hard time?" asked Kaji.

"Bite me."

"I might be tempted after another drink," said the Inspector with a smirk.

A vigorous sax solo capped a stirring performance, with most of the patrons applauding with finger snaps. Shiori Aoba exhaled with content, looking at her primate compatriots with a smile. "The stage is yours, boys."

The chimpanzee grinned and the bonobo smiled, while the gorilla grumbled.

"You know you can take five, Mugen. Don't complain just to complain."

The silverback – named Mugen – harrumphed, prompting a short burst of chirps and grunts from the chimp.

"Watch your mouth, Musashi," warned Aoba, pointing at the chimpanzee. "Just chill out. Like Joe!"

Joe the Bonobo stuck his tongue out at Musashi the Chimp and Mugen the Gorilla. The three apes chattered amongst each other as Aoba – swiping a waiting glass of shōchū on the rocks – joined her comrades at the table. "Boys will be boys, neh?"

"So. You're in a band with apes."

Aoba sneered in response to Hikari's comment. "You got a problem with it?"

"…I suppose not. In the grand scheme of things, it's not the weirdest thing I've seen since I've been here."

"Good answer." NERV-1's Tactical Officer took a rough swig of her drink. "As you can imagine, a lot of the gaijin I worked with in Africa actually had a decent reason to call me 'monkey girl'." Casual racism: part and parcel of certain military units at home and abroad! "After Mugen joined up with me, they learned not to use the word 'monkey' around me."

"Why?"

"Cause they're apes! If they're going to insult me, they could at least be accurate and call me 'ape girl'." That, and it kind of hurt when a gorilla punched you in the face. "So Boss, what do you want?"

Misato, still face down on the table, held up an open palm.

Aoba's face curdled. "You still going for that weak crap? You've got plenty at your pad!"

Misato's palm was as stubborn as the woman herself.

Sighing, the saxophonist leaned back and yelled, "JOE! My Boss would like her usual!"

A series of disgruntled whoops came from the bonobo as he loped over to the bar. Moments later, he slapped a cold can of Yebisu beer into Misato's open palm before going back to the stage, shaking his fists in an exaggerated motion. Even from the table, Kaji could see Musashi
and Mugen shaking their heads.

"I do believe they disapprove of your drinking selection, Misato-chan," joked the Inspector.

"They can also bite me."

"Ah, you drive me to such jealousy; then again, you playing 'hard to get' is making me feel nostalgic."

Misato's response to Kaji's light-hearted soliloquy was to down the entire can in one go. "Ahh-!" exhaled the purple-haired lush with hearty gusto. "Now that hit the spot!"

Hikari Kirishima sighed, rubbing her temples. And these are the people responsible for preventing Armageddon.

"You get used to it," said Hyuga, responding to Kirishima's unspoken thought with the practiced ease of being NERV-1's only sane man amongst its command staff.

Right as Misato slammed her can onto the table, the ape trio took it as a cue to play once more. A few strums of a bass guitar gave way to soft drums and a melodious piano. "Okay. We have less than a week to prepare for the Angel. What do we know?"

"It can split into two parts that can fight in a highly-synchronized fashion: a fighter sharing two minds, basically," said Aoba, slipping into a more professional mode. "Its AT-Field can become incredibly powerful defensively at the cost of mobility."

"Can we assume anything about possible regenerative abilities?"

"Unknown."

Makoto Hyuga refilled his saké cup. "We've managed to negotiate a temporary loan of manpower from the JSDF to bolster our repairs of Tokyo-3's defenses." The time it took for a quick sip was all it took for NERV-1's Logistics Officer to crunch the numbers. "My estimate is that our intercept system will be at approximately sixty-three percent capacity when the Seventh Angel resumes its advance."

"Decent. Our problem will be nullifying the Angel's AT-Field long enough for conventional weaponry to be a factor. Given the Angel's documented physical abilities, the challenge is keeping them from separating the Evangelions." Misato glanced toward Hikari. "Think your
girls would be able to run interference until the AT-Field is rendered a nonissue?"

Agent Kirishima looked from Misato to Aoba to Hyuga and back. It was kind of scary how quickly they could drop their apparent auras of silliness and become actual professionals. She impulsively began moving her foot to the strum of the guitar, tabulating her thoughts before
answering. "There is always the risk of the Jet Alone's high mobility being a nonfactor against an Angel's offensive capabilities." One good blow would be all it took to kill her girls. "As I discussed with Lieutenant Aoba earlier, Shiro Tokita pinned the hopes of the Project on being
able to breach the AT-Field with a high-powered strike, and then whittling down the Angel with their other weapons." A hope that had been somewhat muted by the demonstration against the Mark 06, despite the fact that it had been able to crack its AT-Field in the end. "If the
Evangelions were able to take care of the first part, the Jet Alone would be able to focus on bringing down the Angel. Or at least inflicting damage."

Misato tapped her fingers in tune with the drums, making thoughtful noises. "We would have to have a good plan in place to make use of both the Evas and those twin Gundams of yours."

"Not that it would help if the Angel does something unexpected again," said Aoba, a grumpy expression on her face. "Even if the Pilots are expecting the Angel to split apart, it won't mean anything if they're not fast enough. All it would take is just a few seconds for the Angel to separate one of the Evangelions from the battle formation, and that's it."

"Your band has quite the catchy tune, Aoba-chan." Everyone turned to Kaji, who was calmly swaying his head in line with the melody. "It almost makes me want to dance."

The Lieutenant Colonel stared stoically at her former-boyfriend-or-maybe-current-they-had-kind-of-been-too-busy-to-rekindle-anything-oh-well, a smile slowly emerging on her face. "I know that tone. You have an idea."

"Any unit that doesn't know how their fellows fight won't last long." Kaji leaned back, downing the rest of his scotch. "The same principle applies to these little kids of ours. If they're going to stand a chance against the Angel, they'll need to be of one mind as well. Or as close to one as humanly possible."

Misato grinned. "Spill it."

xxxx

/Tokita's Office, Jet Alone Facility, Tokyo-3, Japan/

Ritsuko Akagi shuffled through data sheets at a brisk pace, mentally tallying ideal ways for the Jet Alone to serve in combat alongside the Evangelions. Her cybernetic monocle was displaying a real-time analysis from the MAGI, updating with each sheet she looked at. "We might consider having one or both of them working in Jet Mode for the operation."

"To match the Seventh Angel's speed?" asked Shiro Tokita.

"The Burning Gundam's Jet Mode might be more suited for what we need," murmured Genji Sawamura.

Dr. Akagi looked wryly at the stubbly-chinned (former) head of the JET ALONE Project's Weapons R&D team. "So you believe that a bigger fighter jet will make a difference? Against the might of giant robots -and a clone-happy alien from beyond? Enlighten me!"

Yoshimitsu Tomino grimaced at her outburst. "Please cease with your random shouting. It makes it hard to think."

"Then you just have to think LOUDER! Bohohohohohoho!"

This was the scene: the three remaining leads of the JET ALONE Project – Tokita, Tomino, and Sawamura – conversing with Dr. Akagi about what weapons and methodologies would be most effective against the Seventh Angel. A parallel to the conversation happening at the Banzai
Bonzo Bar, geared towards the technical aspects of the Jet Alone.

"Speed will be of the essence in this battle," said Dr. Akagi, whipping out a small cigarillo and letting her monocle light it. "What's the documented reaction time of your pilots in a combat situation?"

Tokita stared – momentarily dumbfounded by the sight of a lighter extending from within the blonde's eyewear – before replying, "Well, the mock trials we conducted were as comprehensive as possible-"

"Did they feature a potential skirmish against a demon fox?"

Tokita glared at Akagi.

She took that as a 'no'. "Then they weren't as comprehensive as possible." Her monocle then projected a hologram of Gendo Ikari's head giving them the raspberry.

Sawamura and Tomino joined in the glaring.

"What? My statement is factual."

The trio sighed at the woman's eccentricities. "Even when he's not in town, Gendo Ikari likes to mock us," grumbled Tokita.

"I wouldn't put it past him to have told a Section II agent to go around and just randomly tell strangers horrible truths about our day-to-day lives," added Dr. Akagi; she wouldn't begrudge the men their distaste for Gendo Ikari's mannerisms.

Sawamura scratched at his chin, idly drawing some doodles of the Burning Gundam piercing an Angel's core with its hand. "Your boss certainly picked an odd time to leave Tokyo-3."

The blonde shrugged, letting out a puff of smoke into the air. "What can I say? He had something important to tend to. Blame the Angel for being rude."

xxxx

/Antarctic Sea/

Compared to the dark of night that had engulfed Tokyo-3, the Antarctic region was still awash in light, the sun's movement slowed to a crawl in the presence of the southern hemisphere's approaching summer. It was appropriate, illuminating the corpse of a continent: a great sea,
dyed with the blood of a god.

A new Dead Sea, abhorrent to all forms of life on this planet…does your hatred of LILITH go so far, ADAM?

A shame that Fuyutsuki had been forced to stay behind in Tokyo-3. A sounding board for his thoughts was always nice to have.

The Supreme Commander of NERV leaned against the guardrail of the cargo freighter, his cloak fluttering in the brisk Antarctic winds. Pillars of hardened salt reached for the heavens: a glittering contrast to the red sea that they now floated in. Several customized gunboats
maintained a strict perimeter around the freighter, manned by select Section II personnel.

This was a mission of the utmost importance.

His thoughts turned to the Antarctica Sea, bearing a perverse reflection of the twilight. So similar to LCL in chemical properties, yet different in a metaphysical sense. In defiance of physical diffusion, it had remained in a pseudo-congealed state within the Antarctic Circle, stalwart against the ocean's currents. Some scientists had remarked on this strange phenomenon, and fewer had obtained the grant money necessary to physically study it. In a Post-Impact world, there was little to be gained from such an endeavor…and it bore no influence on the Scenario, so SEELE paid no mind to it. Even the old fools' pet nephilim had commented as to how uninterested they were in this area, perhaps unsettled by the knowledge that it was the site of their origin's demise.

SEELE-06 had once privately remarked that this phenomenon was a sign of ADAM's remaining vitality, that even his lifeblood – his very essence – refused to bow to mere laws of nature.

Nay, SEELE cared not for this sea, or for the blood of ADAM that stained it. What lied beneath these waters, nestled amidst Antarctica's carcass, was of far greater value.

Only now, as the Angels fall one by one, does ADAM's true body regain power. Had he delayed any longer, the Genesis Resonance stood a chance of overwhelming NERV-1's current safeguards: an unpleasant outcome, at the very best. His eyes, hidden by orange shades, focused keenly upon the customized crane, slowly pulling something from beneath the depths of the ocean.

Finally, it emerged: a massive red bident, almost helical in nature, as big as an Evangelion itself.

The Lance of Longinus.

"Supreme Commander!"

Gendo frowned at the sound coming from his earpiece. "What is it?"

"Sir! We have inbound hostiles!"

The Supreme Commander sighed at his subordinate's words. They caught on quicker than I expected. "What do we have inbound?"

"Four flights of Gundams, Taiyang class!"

Top-of-the-line Gundams from the Chinese military then. That would be SEELE-03, trying to curry favor with Keel. Not as bad as it could be then; this was manageable. "Deploy our gunboats to a defensive formation. Open up the Maw."

"Yes sir!"

The Supreme Commander of NERV reached into his cloak and pulled out a dark green bandana, wrapping it tightly around his head. The deck of the freighter began to recede, opening up and unveiling its cavernous expanse to the world, within which lay a single machine. He leapt down, opening up the cockpit and leaning back into the seat, initiating the massive weapon's activation sequence. "These men will regret coming here this day…for in a land where even angels fear to tread, they will find only devils."

The cockpit closed, and the machine came to life. With a monstrous, artificial howl, the Devil Gundam took to the sky.

xxxx

/October 23, 2015/

/Misato's Apartment, Tokyo-3, Japan/

SMASH!

Shinji Ikari blinked as Mana Kirishima gleefully took a sledgehammer to the back walls of Misato's apartment. He looked to his left; in the small hall leading to the front door, a large gaping hole no connected Misato's apartment with the guest bedroom in Kirishima's apartment. To his right, the nephilim was busy connecting Misato's apartment with what was – coincidentally enough – Asuka's apartment.

Coincidence. Sure. "I'm still somewhat confused."

"All will be explained in short order!" exclaimed Misato before taking another swig of Yebisu.

"Should you really be drinking this early in the morning?" The sun had only just now come up, for crying out loud!

"I believe its adults that tell children what to do, not the other way around."

Don't snark back, don't snark back, don't snark back- "Sometimes you act more childish than actual children." Damn it!

"And that's the beauty of being an adult: you get to make the rules!"

A loud crack echoed through the air. "Almost done!"

At Mana's shout, Misato sauntered into her living room, where a small crowd was gathered: Hikari Kirishima and her other daughter Mayumi, Kaji and his charges Asuka and Mari, and Rei. Of particular note was a large electronic apparatus hooked up to the flat-screen television,
looking for all the world like a cross between a Twister mat and a Dance Dance Revolution pad. Shinji took a seat on the couch next to Kaji, separating him from Asuka and Mari. "Asuka…how's your eye?"

The redhead looked at him: no longer wrapped in medical tape and bandages, he could see only a slight hint of reddish skin around the eye. "Still a little sore, but your doctors here are wunderbar! Only a few more night sessions and I'll be good as new!"

Shinji sighed, a slight feeling of relief moving through him. "That's good." He then glanced at Mari, who was glaring at him with all the intensity an eight-year-old could muster. "…is something wrong?"

The little girl harrumphed and turned away, crossing her arms angrily.

Before Shinji could do more than blink, Mana waltzed into the living room, sledgehammer balanced lightly on her shoulder. "Okay, our apartments are linked up. So what's the big deal?"

"Isn't it obvious?" asked Asuka. "In an effort to increase our camaraderie and fighting spirit, our superiors have decided to make us roommates!" She thrust her arms in the air, dramatically and triumphantly. Then she quickly appended, "Technically speaking."

Everyone stared.

Kaji chuckled dryly. "Well, she's close."

"This suddenly seems like a bad idea," muttered Hikari Kirishima.

"You just have to let its brilliance shine through!" said Misato. "The Angel's combat abilities rely on tremendous agility and highly synchronized movements. So to counter that, we need all of you to be as in-tune as possible. All five of you are going to be eating together,
working together, fighting together, sleeping together, everything together! By the time the Angel resumes its attack, you guys will be so familiar with each other that you'll be able to fight as one!"

The three nephilim stared quietly, and Asuka looked somewhat giddy. Shinji resisted the urge to blush as he said, "I have to agree with Kirishima-san. This seems like a bad idea."

"It's a stupid idea!" exclaimed Mari, her pout achieving new levels of angry and adorable all at once. "My Papa always said that boys can't live with girls unless they're family!" She angrily pointed her tiny finger at Shinji. "There's no way that he and Ska will ever be a mommy and a
daddy, and I don't want him as a brother, so he can't live with us!"

Shinji nearly choked.

As Misato nearly fell into a titter over the precocious child, Kaji rubbed the girl's hair in a charmingly patronizing fashion. "Now now, we adults are going to be here to serve as chaperones. After all, we wouldn't want to let hormones get in the way of training, now would we?"

"Feh. As if." Mana leered at Shinji, cocking her hips to the side in an exaggerated manner. "I'd actually break him if he ever tried anything with me."

Shinji nearly choked again. Hikari and Mayumi settled for facepalming.

"Forgive me, but I'm afraid I must object, Lieutenant Colonel." Three guesses as to who said that.

Misato looked at the First Child. "Elaborate."

"We nephilim are much more capable physically than either the Second or the Third Child. Trying to synchronize our fighting styles in such a short timeframe is improbable."

"Finally, she points out the obvious!" said Mana, acting very exasperated about the whole ordeal.

Misato's grin was decidedly shark-like. "Fortunately, NERV-Alaska recently sent us an interesting innovation in the usage of Kleinium, and ol' Ritsky's already whipped up something for you five." She then turned and shouted down the hallway. "PEN-PEN! Bring them in!"

Moments later, the resident penguin waddled into the room, a large box held above his head. With a great deal of flourish, Misato opened it up and flung five black objects at the Pilots. Catching them in their hands, the quintuple unfurled what they had been given: Asuka's reaction was the most pronounced. "Matching uniforms!" she squealed.

"A Plug Suit variant laced with a reactive ionized Kleinium weave," explained Misato. It had been a relatively recent discovery: ionized Kleinium differed from normal Kleinium in the sense that, when exposed to a negative charge, it didn't repel gravitons. Rather, it attracted them. "Each one is keyed to the physical baseline of our least capable Pilot." She flashed an embarrassed smile at the Third Child. "Sorry Shinji-kun."

Shinji didn't know whether to feel upset or not. With the nephilim, it was a given. But even Asuka's better than me?

"How exactly do they work?" asked Mayumi, eying the uniform with some suspicion; each one was emblazoned with NERV's logo, except the subtitle read 'MERCHANDISING: THE GREATEST SOLUTION TO ECONOMIC HARDSHIP'.

Hikari answered, "From what I've been told, gravitational resistance will correspond directly to the amount of force you put into your movements. Essentially, the harder you try to move beyond the Third Child's baseline, the more the suit will resist. For all intents and purposes, your speed, strength, and mobility will be indistinguishable from Shinji Ikari's."

The silver-haired nephilim glowered. "Sounds dumb." Sure enough, her cockiness quickly rushed back. "Looks like I'll have a fun time putting this suit through its paces then!"

"This whole scenario may look goofy, but we've always had a method to our madness at NERV." The sudden shift in tone made the Pilots look towards Misato, who bore a solemn expression. "As sad as it may sound, the Angel's documented abilities have forced us into a corner. The
only way we can keep its AT-Field down long enough to prevail is if you five can work together as one. Our survival depends on it."

The teenage soldiers were silent, looking quietly at the uniforms in their hands. When she put it that way, any objections they may have had seemed petty by comparison.

The threat of Third Impact had a way of doing that.

xxxx

/October 24, 2015/

Hikari Horaki was having a hard time removing the frown from her face. "I can't help but think that this feels very contrived."

Toji Suzuhara, hands clenched tightly onto the shins of a piggybacking Ai Suzuhara, glanced at the Class Representative. "Why's that? Obimura-sensei wanted you to deliver their makeup work, right?"

"The fact that Ikari, Sohryu, Kirishima, and Yamagishi apparently live in the same apartment complex is suspicious."

"Keeping targets of strategic value in a single location simplifies defensive planning!" explained Kensuke Aida, who had apparently been drafted into serving as transportation for one Nozomi Horaki.

Nozomi giggled, arms resting atop the nerdy boy's head. "You like to use big words, Aida-san!"

"He just likes to show off," said Toji with a snort.

"You're one to talk, Ji," sniped Ai.

"Wasn't talking to you!"

Ding.

First stop, eighth floor. The trio plus two walked down the balcony, passing door by door until they neared their first stop: the residence of Kirishima and Yamagishi. "Come on Ji, can't you guys just drop me and Nozomi-chan off at the gaijin's place? We wanna see her home!"

"Come on Ai-chan, it'll just be a few minutes!" said Nozomi.

With a press of the buzzer, Hikari announced her presence to the inhabitants of the apartment.

Moments later, a sight greeted the trio plus two that they hadn't expected.

"S-s-scandalous!" shrieked Hikari at the sight of Shinji, Rei, Asuka, Mana, and Mayumi in five skintight bodysuits.

"No no, it's not what it looks like!" yelled Shinji.

"Mind telling us? Because you look like you got some weird harem thing going on," droned Toji. He had already resigned himself to the fact that Shinji was some inexplicable babe magnet; this was just further confirmation of that.

"It is part of our training," explained Rei.

Asuka quickly interjected. "We have to be in-sync in thought and deed!"

"Otherwise we won't be able to counter the Seventh Angel's combat abilities," added Mayumi, milliseconds after Asuka stopped speaking.

"The Angel's a jerk like that," finished Mana.

A cohesive thought, expressed with no perceptible delay by four different people. "That was kind of creepy…so cool!" exclaimed Kensuke.

"…Ji?"

"Yeah sis?"

"Aida-san's no longer your weirdest friend."

"Scary, ain't it?"

At that very moment, Mari Langley-Sohryu squeezed through the gaggle of teenage legs and out of the apartment. "Nozomi! Ai! You have to help me!" She pointed a critical finger at the Third Child, a look of sheer suspicion and ire crossing her face. "This boy is plotting something
evil, I know it!"

Shinji's shoulders sagged as he sighed. This was going to be a long week.

xxxx

It was past noon; a stretch of clouds had decided to cover the city, offering some reprieve from the perpetual heat. It had been decided that a sparring session on the roof was appropriate.

Rei Ayanami took a quiet sip from a bottle of water, eyes keen on the movements of Shinji Ikari and Mayumi Yamagishi. The Third Child – despite, by her estimation, his vast improvements since the first training session with Misato's Team – was showing a similar sense of hesitance in sparring with the relatively docile Yamagishi.

"WAAGH!"

Slam.

"Point goes to Mayumi!" crowed Mana.

Well, docile relative to the positively rambunctious Kirishima and the effervescent Sohryu.

"Mana, Sohryu-san, you're up next," said Hikari Kirishima.

Yamagishi pulled Ikari off of his back, offering him polite condolences as they vacated the empty patch of rooftop. Kirishima and Sohryu took their place, each one bearing grins. The lone male on the rooftop – Inspector Kaji was in the middle of supervising Sohryu-san's sister and her friends – trudged over to Lieutenant Colonel Katsuragi, who was already offering pointers. The blue-haired nephilim – long locks just a touch darker than her own – walked towards her. "Ayanami-san."

"Yamagishi-san." Kirishima immediately went on the offensive; her expression was strained, fighting against the force of gravity itself. Sohryu was far more acrobatic, dodging the pale-haired nephilim's fists with a smile on her face. "What is your opinion of Ikari-san's performance?"

"…he's doing okay."

A tentative reply. "He was hesitating. I thought he had gotten past that limitation."

Yamagishi winced as Sohryu bounded from a cartwheel to a leap, landing feet-first atop her sister's shoulders. The redhead dug a heel in for leverage and used her other foot to smash the side of the nephilim's head. "I believe it's just because I'm a girl."

"…that is illogical. I am also a girl."

"But he's familiar with you, isn't he?"

"You and I are both nephilim. We both have blue hair. Why should his physical reactions differ?"

Kirishima bit off some curses and renewed her pursuit of Sohryu with a frightening intensity. The German native, nimble as a fox and grinning like a cat, kept eluding her opponent. "Well…" Yamagishi paused, momentarily watching as her sister stopped her assault to reevaluate her
options. "…from some of the books I've been reading on social interaction, teenage males tend to act awkwardly around teenage females that they're unfamiliar with."

"I see." Sohryu narrowed her eyes, apparently unhappy with Kirishima's decision to hold back. "That sounds plausible." The redhead suddenly smiled, bouncing up and down in place, as though priming herself for another attack. "What is your opinion of our current strategy?"

"…I can only have faith in my superiors and do what is expected. We can't afford to do any less."

Rei nodded as Sohryu suddenly charged, diving between Kirishima's legs and into a roll, suddenly stopping in a crouch. In a display of supreme athletic prowess, the redhead backflipped over her nephilim opponent, who had just finished turning around. Sohryu twisted one-hundred-and-eighty degrees, clasping her hands around Kirishima's neck right as she was about to land. With a tremendous shout of effort and exertion, the Second Child tightened her core muscles and utilized her momentum to toss Kirishima over her shoulders and onto the
roof.

SLAM!

"Nice one, Asuka!" said Misato.

"Mayumi, Ayanami-san, you're next," said Hikari Kirishima.

Sohryu let out a whoop, clearly pleased with her performance. The younger Kirishima was rubbing her face, muttering angrily under her breath as she vacated the sparring ring. Rei spared her a quick glance as she passed, before turning her attention back to Yamagishi. "She
does not seem pleased with the limitations placed on her by the modified Plug Suit."

"She's just frustrated because she lost. She actually enjoys the challenge," answered Yamagishi as she came to a stop a few meters away. "That's just how she is."

"And you?"

Her opponent smiled sadly. "Not that I don't mind seeing what it's like to be restricted to the level of humanity…but I fear getting too used to it."

How odd; the nephilim who seemed to desire fitting in with her human peers the most was the one who disdained the very mechanism that could enable her to do so safely. In a way, that realization was very mollifying; it meant that Yamagishi understood the purpose of their
existence. "Without self-discipline, all external restraints are useless."

Yamagishi nodded at her elaboration.

The two blue-haired nephilim settled into their favored combat stances, and the dance began anew.

xxxx

And so it continued.

"Do I have to?" grumbled Mana.

Rei actually found herself explaining social niceties for once. "From what I have been told, nudity is frowned upon in casual company. That is why I wear a minimum amount of clothing at my own residence, in case of unexpected visitors."

The silver-haired nephilim crossed her arms across her bare chest, standing proudly in only her underwear. "I'm aware of that, I just don't care."

Hikari Kirishima sighed as Asuka and Mayumi were settling into their futons. As for Shinji, he had taken to burying his head under his pillow. "Just put on a shirt and some shorts before you give the poor boy a stroke."

"Ugh, fine."

The deadline was October the 29th.

Shinji and Asuka moved in an uneven tandem on the dance pad; in an attempt to try and catch up with the redhead's speed, his arms got crossed and he toppled over. With a playful laugh, Asuka admonished him – "Better luck next time!" – and shooed him away so that Mayumi
could try her luck.

Day after day, living and working together in uncomfortably close quarters.

Kaji smirked at Shinji's discomfort. "Everyone should learn how to dance eventually. Besides, your fellow Pilots are doing fine." The young man glanced over at Asuka, who was leading Rei along in the mambo, with Mayumi eyeing them critically. He then looked back towards Mana,
who bore a haughty smirk.

Sighing, he stepped forward, only for Mana to grab his hands tightly and jerk him closer. "I'll lead, boy."

As Shinji gulped, Misato kept a camcorder on hand, because comedy gold was always worth documenting.

Everything was focused towards memorizing their movements, physical tics, and personalities.

Rei stood against the wall, with the other four standing in a row before her. With each movement she made, the others would try to mimic her to their utmost. After five minutes, Mana took her place against the wall. And so it went for the next hour, and their personalities bled through their movements: the polite Shinji, with measured gestures that could be easily followed; the bubbly Asuka, who could never really keep still; the stern Rei, whose movements and stretches demanded a physical commitment; the placid Mayumi, moving at the same serene pace no matter how much her stances hurt; and the unruly Mana, who would occasionally throw in a bizarre twist or pose just to see how badly she could throw everyone off.

Granted, not all of the exercises went off without a hitch.

Shinji was finally in his element; with the ease of someone who grew up with Alicia Ikari, he directed his female compatriots in the creation of a five-course meal, much to the delight of Misato. "Cook your heart out, kids!"

"Ah...ah…AHCHOO!"

Flour went flying, dusting the entire kitchen area. Mayumi smiled sheepishly, an embarrassed flush coming to her face. "My apologies."

Before Shinji could try and regain control, Mana grinned wolfishly as a wicked idea came to mind. "FOOD FIGHT!"

"YEAH!" exclaimed Asuka.

Before long, the food went flying (to Shinji's utter despair), forcing the adults and the lone preteen to take refuge under the table. Misato, however, was still beaming. "Yes! Do your worst, kids!"

"This is highly unprofessional," groused Hikari Kirishima.

"Let them work out their frustrations; they've earned it." Quick as a whip, Kaji latched onto Mari's ankle. "No young lady, you may not join them."

"Aw!"

But even then, they could still learn.

In the steamy washroom within Misato's apartment, Asuka sat on a stool behind Rei, kneading shampoo into the blunette's hair. Mayumi was lounging in the furo, while Mana was washing herself off in the shower. "So, Rei!"

"Yes, Sohryu-san?"

"Is there anyone at school that you like?"

"…are you trying to engage in 'girl talk'?"

"…sure!"

Rei thought back to her own sessions of 'girl talk' with Representative Horaki. "There are some people at school who are agreeable. You need to be more specific."

"…agreeable? Huh?"

As Rei took it upon herself to try and get across what it was to be 'agreeable', Mayumi was mentally taking notes. This interaction could be useful in navigating the social labyrinths at Tokyo-3 Municipal Junior High.

And through this…

The five Pilots stood in a loose circle, passing a ball back and forth amongst each other. The order was random, and the method by which they passed – overhead, underhand, off the floor, under the leg, and so on – varied with each turn. Whenever one dropped the ball, all five had to
drop and do ten pushups.

Constant movement gave way to tried and true patterns, which gave way to prediction.

By the end of the day, they had managed to continuously pass the ball amongst each other for more than fifteen minutes at a time.

…came understanding.

xxxx

/October 28, 2015/

/NERV-1, Tokyo-3, Japan/

Within one of the several employee cafeterias inside the main pyramid of NERV-1, Ritsuko Akagi stared quietly at the retracted buildings of Tokyo-3. The city had been set to its defensive configuration in anticipation of the Seventh Angel's assault; it was the calm before the storm,
the latent peace before labor contractions, the lone neutron prior to bombardment of the uranium nucleus-

"Don't you look serious."

Ritsuko resisted the urge to smirk as Ryoji Kaji and Misato Katsuragi came into view, each one holding a cup of coffee. "Someone has to be, while you two have been playing chaperones." A spark. "Speaking of which, how many hijinks did you document?"

Misato rubbed the back of her head, laughing nervously. "Well…"

"I knew it." The blonde sighed, shaking her head at her purple-haired compatriot. "Honestly, how immature. You should know by now that your apartment's bugged! Your video was redundant."

"There's something to be said for having a personal record," said Misato.

"So, Ritsuko-chan." She turned towards Kaji, scraggly as ever. "It's been many years since the three of us have gathered like this."

The doctor sighed, letting nostalgia briefly trickle through her. Such feelings had their time and place. "Before I went to work for GEHIRN, before Misato joined the JSSDF, and before you plunged into the depths of wherever the hell you ended up." She took a sip of her coffee,
ruminating darkly on the man's shadowy activities. "I took a brief look at your current background. It's been forged and altered and then some."

The Special Inspector smiled slyly. "What can I say? I'm a regular James Bond."

"Without all the sleeping around, I hope," snarked Ritsuko. "Honestly Misato, you sure do know how to pick them."

The Lieutenant Colonel shrugged. "I spent years in Post-Impact Australia. I think I can handle whatever shady shenanigans he might be up to. Besides, Pen-Pen trusts him, so I do as well."

"You present a valid point." A spark. "For how much stock we place in that little penguin…" Another spark. "We might as well call him GOD! AHAHAHAHAHA!"

The melancholy look that came over Kaji's face was unbearably sad to see. "My my…this line of work's really done a number on you, hasn't it?"

Coming down from her neurotic high, the blonde shrugged, not even bothering to debate his point. The truth was the truth, after all. "I can still contribute to fighting the Angels. So long as we survive, everything is permitted." She raised her coffee cup, smiling grimly at her old friends. "A toast to times gone by."

"To good memories," said Kaji,

"To times that we'll live to see again," finished Misato, a cocksure grin on her face. Wasn't that just her style, then: confidence bordering on madness.

They clanked their cups and let the caffeine burn away their sorrows.

xxxx

/Misato Katsuragi's Apartment, Tokyo-3, Japan/

Hikari Kirishima marveled at how much you could tell about a person just by how they slept.

The five Pilots, per the weeklong training exercise, had been sleeping in the same room (for 'greater bonding', as Katsuragi had called it), lying side-by-side in futons. She looked at them from left to right, taking in their forms at a glance: Asuka Langley-Sohryu, resting amidst a hill of couch cushions and pillows, clinging tightly to her little sister; Rei Ayanami, lying stock still and buried underneath a blanket; Shinji Ikari, lightly tossing and turning every once in a while, like a depressingly normal teenager; Mana Kirishima, sprawled out like a crazy person; Mayumi Yamagishi, subconsciously clinging to her sister.

The older woman sighed, leaning against the kitchen table. Tomorrow, they would go into battle against the Seventh Angel; there was no choice but to believe that this training had been worth it. True, they had made progress, but it was a damn risky thing to place their bets on.

The proof was in the pudding, as they said; they would know one way or another after tomorrow.

She casually reached into her pocket, pulling out her wallet and flipping it open to a very familiar pair of pictures: one was of herself, standing behind her girls when they had been physiologically ten years old. The other was of a similar scene, except instead of herself standing behind the young nephilim, it was a trim military man bearing a proud grin and neatly cut brown hair.

"Yamagishi-san," whispered Hikari. "This whole thing would have been a lot easier if you were around."

Alas, it was hard for the dead to render assistance.

"Wark."

Hikari turned, looking down as the diminutive penguin held up a glass of water. "For me?"

"Wark."

She resisted the urge to laugh; this place was getting to her. "Such a gentlemen." Par for the course for NERV, it seemed. "Let tomorrow come; what will be, will be."

xxxx

/October 29, 2015/

/Mishima, Outskirts of Tokyo-3, Japan/

Mere minutes after high noon, over five miles southwest of Lake Ashi, the land quivered underneath the footsteps of the Seventh Angel.

Defender Gundams hovered warily beyond its immediate reach, even as Unit-02 – connected to a mobile power generator – stood stoically a mile away at the outskirts of Mishima, a small city that had been reconverted to serve as part of Tokyo-3's defensive line. The Shining Gundam and the Rising Gundam hovered at shoulder level, just beyond the reach of the Evangelion's arms.

"Okay Asuka, remember the plan?"

Asuka grinned. "Roger that, Misato. We're ready this time. Right Mama?" A hazy feeling of protectiveness and assuredness wafted over her. "Right!"

"Try not to get knocked out in one hit this time," snarked Mana.

"We will do what we can to whittle away at the Angel," said Mayumi.

"T-minus ten seconds until we commence the operation. You'll be without umbilical cables, so the Angel has to be defeated within five minutes!"

"We've got this." Asuka cracked her knuckles, a gesture mimicked by Unit-02. "Okay big guy…let's see what you can do." As soon as the Angel came within range, she thrust her arms forward, expanding her AT-Field at the creature in a concentrated push. "Operation, START!" The plug from the mobile generator ejected with a burst of hydraulic pressure.

At the precise moment the phase space collapsed, Unit-01 and Unit-00 emerged from between derelict buildings and threw a progressive javelin at the Seventh Angel from opposite sides.

The stage was set for a triumphant rematch. The Pilots were acting in unison; the might of the Jet Alone and three Evangelions was being utilized in a cohesive manner against the power of the Seventh Angel. This was where vengeance would be had; this was where the Angel, even if it split in two, was destined to fall.

So fate decided to flip the script again.

Right before the progressive javelins could skewer the Angel's core, it divided to avoid the attack. The sight of the silver Angel splitting into a red clone and a green clone was expected.

The sight of another clone – colored a deep blue – was not.

Asuka boggled. "Drei?!"

xxxx

/Operations Deck, NERV-1, Tokyo-3/

"Oh that's a load of bullcrap!" roared Misato.

"The MAGI are registering a similar telemetry between the three targets!" exclaimed Maya.

Aoba cursed. "We didn't anticipate that it could divide even further. This throws off all of the potential maneuvers we planned for!"

"Then we're just going to have to improvise and have faith in their training," said Fuyutsuki. "We have no choice."

The Operations Director scowled as she leaned over Hyuga's station. "Whenever we find an opening, we need to hit those beasts with anything we've got!"

xxxx

/Mishima, Outskirts of Tokyo-3, Japan/

Red and Blue immediately bolted for Unit-02, while Green ran interference against Unit-00. The collective memory of the Angels was especially stark on the subject of the crimson Evangelion, given its impressive performance against Gaghiel. Once it went down, the others would be easy to deal with.

With an otherworldly shriek, they leapt towards their target.

Then there was a purple titan in their way.

"Saw it coming!" yelled Shinji as he tensed his muscles and thrust the handlebars forward. In accordance to his will, Unit-01 raised its arms and rushed forward, performing a double lariat against Red and Blue and practically decleating them. "Asuka, now!"

The redhead let loose a joyful cackle. "Wer Feuer frißt, scheißt Funken!" She raised her arms and delivered a double hammer fist. The crimson giant's massive hands slammed into the face of each Angel, smacking them into the earth with a horrendous sound. Not one to lose momentum, Asuka grabbed the ankles of both targets and hoisted them into the air. "Around…" She began to spin. "…and around…" She spun faster. "…and around…" She tilted her shoulders and released. "And away they go!"

The two clones were airborne. The Jet Alone was waiting for them.

"Eat this, jackass! SHINING FINGER!"

"Rising Naginata!"

Unit-01 and Unit-02 let loose their AT-Fields, canceling out any attempt by the midair Angels to defend themselves. With terrifying fury, the Shining Gundam burst through Red and the Rising Gundam pierced through Blue. The clones flopped to the ground with a thud, their bodies
causing the city to shake.

Shinji exhaled, exhilaration surging through his veins like fire. Then a latent thought came to mind: the third one! "Rei!"

"I am not incapacitated."

Unit-01 finished turning just as Unit-00 swept Green's legs out, following up with an elbow strike to the sternum that sent it to the ground. The Angel swung its claws at the blue Cyclops, only to have its wrists grabbed. Unit-00 mercilessly stomped its face with a massive heel once,
twice, thrice! Finally, the Evangelion punted the Angel in the ribs, sending it airborne until it landed with an unceremonious plop beside its fellow clones.

Shinji blinked. Apparently, reduced to one-on-one combat, the Seventh Angel wasn't up to par with Rei Ayanami. "Uh…wow."

"Incoming bombardment!" yelled Misato.

The three Evangelions quickly gestured at the Angel triplets, which were currently trying to get to their feet.

Down went the phase space, and down came the righteous fury of heavy ordnance upon the Seventh Angel.

Mana's cackles were rather cathartic to hear. "HAHAHAHAHAHA! Burn, you bastards, burn!"

Through the fire and the flames emerged the triad, barreling through derelict buildings and missile batteries. Scorched, burned, pockmarked, but still standing.

"We must stand together." Unit-00 skid to a stop next to Unit-01 and Unit-02, reaching into one of the various weapon drops prepared throughout Mishima, and retrieving a pair of progressive tekko. For the uninitiated, it was as though a set of spikes were protruding from the Evangelion's knuckles. "Don't separate."

"You don't have to tell us twice, Rei!" exclaimed Asuka as Unit-02 withdrew a progressive knife. "Es geht um die Wurst!"

Mana let loose a boisterous laugh. "This is the sort of thing I've been waiting for!"

"Keep your head clear sister, we're not done yet," admonished Mayumi.

Unit-01 withdrew its own progressive knife, holding it defensively in front of its face. "Okay…let's go!"

Then the masks on all three Angels flashed, releasing a torrent of energy.

KABOOM!

A giant cross-shaped explosion erupted from within Mishima. When the light cleared, a flickering array of orange hexagons could be seen in front of the three Evangelions. "Back away!" commanded Rei.

Unit-01 quickly backstepped away as Unit-02 and Unit-00 began backflipped in quick succession, avoiding each successive blast from the triplets. Missile batteries and rocket pads were incinerated by the Angel, and the playing field was slowly reduced to rubble. "We have to get close…!"

"Hmm…got a plan." The Shining Gundam lowered to the city streets, darting between the buildings before going out of sight. "Follow my lead, sister! The rest of you, when I give the signal, get in close!"

"What are you doing? What signal?" asked Ayanami, who quickly dove between two skyscrapers to avoid another blast.

"Just trust us," asked Mayumi.

"All right then!" said Asuka. "Shinji, Rei, keep your eyes open!"

Shinji grimaced as he ducked beneath another incoming beam; the momentum of battle had taken a turn for the worse. A brief glance at the timer made his heart tremble: less than two minutes until they ran out of power. We have to hurry!

"And away we go!" exclaimed Mana.

Suddenly, two of the three clones floated into the sky. Green seemed to blink as Red and Blue ascended into the air, as though an invisible hand had plucked them from the face of the earth.

Shinji blinked. "Wha?"

"They're using the Jet Alone's Kleinium cores to negate the force of gravity!" explained Misato. "Now's your chance!"

"Advancing," said Rei.

"FORWARD!" cheered Asuka.

"Understood!" said Shinji.

As one, the three Evangelions charged. Unit-00 reached the earthbound Green first, and quickly engaged in close combat. Unit-01 and Unit-02 leapt into the sky, their feet leaving cracked indents in the cityscape. "Kirishima-san, Yamagishi-san, break away!"

"They're all yours," acknowledged Mayumi as both the Shining Gundam and Rising Gundam released their respective targets, thrusting away from Red and Blue just as the two Evangelions began to attack. For Unit-01, its right hand was reared for a ferocious downward strike. For
Unit-02, after performing a quintuple axle jump, its legs unfurled to utilize this angular momentum for a horrific flying butterfly kick.

It was almost picturesque, how it all occurred in tandem.

POW: Unit-00's sidekick sending Green backwards.

CRACK: Unit-01's fist crashing into Red's face.

SMASH: Unit-02's heel slamming into Blue's torso.

The Angelic trio crashed together, their flesh bubbling and morphing until only the original Seventh Angel remained; the lone difference was that three cores were visible.

"Hah! Looks like it's down to one last shot!" shouted Mana as the Shining Gundam and Rising Gundam rejoined their giant comrades. "Let's bury this ugly excuse for an abomination!"

Shinji couldn't help but agree. "Yeah!" Even as the silver Angel got to its feet, leering ominously at them, he couldn't help the confidence surging through his veins. Here they were, standing together as comrades. It was an unfamiliar sensation thus far in the Angel War, to experience battle alongside equals.

It felt good. "Let's do this!"

Then the Seventh Angel turned on its heel and ran away, hightailing it towards the ocean as fast it could go.

Shinji stared. And stared. "…huh?"

"…well. This is new," said Mayumi.

xxxx

/Operations Deck, NERV-1, Tokyo-3/

Miyata Ibuki blinked. "…the Seventh Angel is retreating?"

The mood had swung up and down over the course of past several minutes: the uncertainty of preparing for combat, the shock at the Angel's splitting into three parts, the accumulating excitement as the Pilots resisted the Angel's advances, the worsening doubt from the Angel's long-distance assault, the triumph of the last combined attack…and now this.

Confusion, and the passionate desire to finish the job, warred in Misato Katsuragi's head. Finally, she relented to weariness and sat down, grimacing at this outcome. "All Evas, get to the nearest mobile generators to recharge."

"Roger!"

"Aoba, Hyuga, keep all eyes on the Angel until we know what it's up to."

"Roger that."

"We're not going to pursue?" asked Fuyutsuki.

"The Evangelions' power levels are too low to risk pursuit. The Angel will have to come to us regardless." The Lieutenant Colonel crossed her arms, stewing in her frustration. "Damn it! We had that thing dead to rights! Who gave them permission to run away?!"

xxxx

/Debriefing Room, NERV-1, Tokyo-3/

"The Seventh Angel broke off from combat at approximately 1223 hours."

Several hours had passed. Once again, the Pilots and the primary Command Staff – plus Shiro Tokita this time around – had gathered for an after-battle report. Unlike last time, the mood was not quite as depressing, but the overall atmosphere was a mixture of relief and
uncertainty.

"The target delved into Suruga Bay at 1230 hours; sensors lost all contact with the target five minutes later." Dr. Akagi paused, letting loose a cloud of cigarette smoke. "Essentially, we now have an AWOL Angel."

Sub-Director Fuyutsuki sighed. "We'll have to engage in some information control this time around." Public knowledge of the Angels gave some limits as to how much they could censor, but they would have to do something; it's not like the UN would look too favorably upon an
active Angel moving out and about within the oceans.

Shinji grimaced, a brief twinge of anxiety coming over him. Given what he had learned at Dr. Akagi's home at the beginning of October about Second Impact, the fact that an Angel was apparently deviating from their supposed goal was unnerving. "I don't understand. Aren't the
Angels after the Sword of Uriel?"

"Up to this point, their single-minded pursuit has been a key factor in our defensive strategy," replied Misato. "That's why Tokyo-3 is so heavily defended: we're practically painting a bull's-eye on us."

Maya Ibuki leaned back in her chair, rubbing her forehead out of exasperation. "It just goes to show how little we actually know about the Angels…if only we could communicate with them, or understand them."

"Yes. Understanding is good. That we can blow them up more efficiently! HOOHOHOHOHOHO!"

Mana, Mayumi, Hikari Kirishima, and Tokita all stared at the blonde with a wary look in their eyes. "…you okay there?" asked the silver-haired nephilim.

"As okay as can be," serenely replied Ritsuko.

The four relative newcomers to NERV-1 kept on staring.

Asuka giggled. "You're funny Dr. Akagi!"

"Sohryu-san."

The redhead turned towards Rei Ayanami. "Yes?"

"I have been mentally reviewing the previous battle, and something keeps coming to mind." The blunette paused, as though parsing her next words. "When Kirishima-san and Yamagishi-san enacted their plan with the Kleinium, you took the lead in having us go along with it. The lack of hesitation on your part is still something I find myself…perplexed by. How did you know it would turn out adequately for us?"

The Second Child blinked at the First. "Well, why wouldn't it? We worked and lived together to learn how we fought and thought. But more than that, we're comrades now." She looked around the room, looking inquisitively at everyone. "Aren't we supposed to have faith in our
comrades?"

The other Pilots looked at each other, thinking about everything they had gone through over the past week. The Jet Alone Pilots in particular looked particularly touched by the redhead's naked show of support. The adults, meanwhile, exhibited a strange mixture of emotions:
unease, disbelief, astonishment, hope; perhaps they were simply dumbfounded at such a blatant show of unwarranted trust.

"If only more people were like you, Second Child."

That calm voice caused everyone to turn around; at the entryway to the room stood none other than the Supreme Commander himself. "Father!" exclaimed Shinji.

Gendo Ikari stepped down the steps and in front of the gathered assembly. Shiro Tokita eyed his rival-turned-ally warily. "And where have you been?"

"Believe it or not, being Supreme Commander of NERV often requires my attentions to be elsewhere." Gendo looked over the room, taking in everyone at a glance. "I've already done a brief review of the events that have transpired in my absence, and I must confess that you all
acquitted yourself adequately in the face of adverse circumstances." His gaze then turned towards the Pilots. "Rei Ayanami. Asuka Langley-Sohryu. Shinji Ikari. Mana Kirishima. Mayumi Yamagishi. You five have obtained something that many professional soldiers spend weeks to
obtain: a rapport. Nurture it and make it grow strong: that camaraderie will serve you well."

The Pilots looked among each other, feeling different degrees of pride and curiosity at the Supreme Commander's almost blatant praise. Shinji in particular resisted the urge to smile like a damned fool.

"You're all dismissed. Dr. Akagi, Sub-Director, Sergeant; I need to speak with you three."

Save for those three, everyone got up and began filing out of the Debriefing Room. Shinji gave his father a brief glance before following Misato out. Ryoji Kaji was the last one out, a furtive look in his eyes as he closed the door behind him.

Twenty seconds later, Professor Ikari sat down in a chair, an agonized groan escaping his lips. "Well Fuyutsuki, we can definitely say that the Devil Gundam has been combat-tested. On a related note, it will need substantial repairs."

"Are you functional?" asked the First Child, an uncharacteristically worried look on her face.

"Yes," replied Gendo. "Somewhat tender, but functional."

"So…do we have it?" asked Ritsuko.

"Docked outside what remains of Yugawara." The Supreme Commander looked directly at Rei. "Sergeant, be prepared to sortie tonight. I trust no one else in this task."

"Yes sir," replied Rei, trying not to look too pleased by Gendo Ikari's implicit praise.

"Professor," said Fuyutsuki, a stern expression on his face. "I hope you are ready for the blowback you'll be getting from the old men."

Gendo smirked. "Believe it or not, the Seventh Angel's unexpected retreat is a boon for us; they'll be fretting too much about this radical departure from the Scenario to worry about my latest acquisition, at least for the time being." Likewise, the Angel's tactical withdrawal had no impact on the Plan.

Everything was looking his way.

xxxx

Elsewhere.

In a dark room, two dark monoliths faced two nephilim.

One was Kaworu Nagisa. The other was a white-haired girl of similar age and height, her straight locks going down to her lower back. Clad in a distaff version of Kaworu's red uniform, her status as a ward of the Lorenz Estate was just as apparent. Even so, her red eyes retained no spark of curiosity or mystery that were omnipresent in Kaworu's: only cold indifference, with a hint of disdain. So stood Yomiko Nagisa, the Fifth Child.

Their true identities, however, were the ones being questioned today.

"Tabris. Zeruel. The actions of the Seventh Angel are highly troubling," admonished SEELE-01. "You assured us as to the overall battle strategy of your kin. We let Ramiel's divergence slide; the outright retreat of Israfel is intolerable."

I WILL [SMITE/ANNIHILATE] YOU. THE TIME WILL COME, thundered the essence of Zeruel across the ether.

Patience, my [equal/kin/sibling]. "I have tried my best to reach out to Israfel. His actions are…worrisome." Are you unharmed, [INDECIPHERABLE]?

WE ARE [RECOVERING/RESTING/SORROWFUL]. THE LILIM WERE SUPERIOR [DANCERS/COMBATANTS].

Good. Rest in silence and solitude. "To have such discordance amongst us…is unsettling. Frightening, even."

"So you say," said SEELE-06, sounding highly skeptical. "This turn of events is problematic, to say the least. That fool from China acted without consulting us, and now that damned Rokubungi has obtained the true Lance."

The two nephilim went silent. Finally, Yomiko asked, "We knew that they possessed the weapon of our Father, by which they have kept your Mother silent…but now they possess the weapon of your Mother, by which all derived from our Father may be reduced to nothing?"

"Indeed. That man knows it is vital to the Scenario, and will not risk using it lightly. However, it is now imperative that we advance our plans." SEELE-01 paused, as if recollecting something old but important. "Tell me, is the Angel within Mt. Asama still dormant?"

Kaworu and Yomiko paused, resisting the urge to look at each other. Finally, the former answered, "Yes."

"Good. It is time for us to acquire a new edge," said SEELE-06. "In a matter of days, an ongoing geologic survey will 'miraculously' discover the Eighth Angel's egg, drawing NERV's attention. They will undoubtedly decide to try and retrieve it."

"However, we are going to be charitable and help them in this task. Tabris, you will be the one tasked with the retrieval of the Eighth Angel," commanded SEELE-01.

Kaworu and Yomiko were quiet.

THE ARROGANCE!

Be calm. I will turn this to our advantage. At last, Kaworu nodded. "Very well then."

xxxx

To be continued…

Next time…

Episode 13: Magmadiver (He said "I reject you.")

xxxx

(And thus concludes the training montage.)

 

[Ultra Sonic 007]

/November 1, 2015/

/Keter, NERV-1, Tokyo-3/

Nothing like dealing with paperwork on a Sunday afternoon.

Gendo Ikari stared at the reports piled along his desk; at the moment, he was sorting them into different piles, depending on what the summarizing title was.

Section II Weekly Report: 10/25/2015 – 10/31/2015. Hmm. A cursory glance will do before sending it off to the Lieutenant Colonel. Formal analysis of recent anti-Angel weapon, by MAGI-00. Read and then burn. Formal Letter of Protest from the Desk of General Hiroto Mizugumi.
Doomed to the recycling bin. Project DUMMY PLUG: 48th Progress Report by Dr. Ritsuko Akagi. Needs to be reviewed thoroughly. Surveillance transcripts of Seventh Angel Synchronization Training for Subjects RA, ALS, SI, MK, MY. Needs to be enjoyed thoroughly.

A man has to prioritize, after all.

"Professor Ikari, Lieutenant Colonel Katsuragi would like to speak with you."

"Send her in."

Into his cavernous office strolled Misato Katsuragi, a laptop nestled under her arm. She looked around at the esoteric and Kabbalistic images on the floor and ceiling, frowning at the ominous feeling they engendered. "I take it you're not in the best of moods?"

"I try to maintain an image of professionalism when I actually have to work." He finished sorting, and now had several smaller stacks of reports arranged in front of him. "It's called leading by example."

The woman resisted the urge to chuckle, settling for a coy smirk. "If you say so."

"This pile's for you, by the way." He tapped the second largest stack of papers, even as he grabbed one document – MAGI-00's analysis of the recent anti-Angel weapon, namely the Lance of Longinus – and began to peruse it.

Misato did not resist the urge to groan. "Lovely. In better news, have you been giving any thought to the annual Christmas play?"

"Not recently. I've been somewhat busy putting the final touches on our latest victory video." The masses had to be sated. "You have something in mind?"

"Well, you recall last year's play, right?"

"I believe we performed The Pirates of Penzance." Playing the part of Major-General Stanley had been quite invigorating. "I trust you have something similarly lighthearted in mind?" Given the hectic upheaval and close calls that the city had endured since the attack of the Third
Angel, something jovial was just what the doctor ordered.

"Well, I kind of got an idea while breaking up a little argument between the Pilots during their training last week, and I went back-and-forth with Kaji and Aoba on the idea. Yesterday, Aoba and her band whipped up a little song that would serve as the introduction, and then I asked
the MAGI to make a little video with it!"

Gendo Ikari stared.

"It only took me less than an hour. It was an amusing little diversion."

"I'm sure it was, HEROD," dryly said Gendo in response to the voice echoing over his office's intercom "Very well then, let's see it."

Misato set the laptop down on his desk and flipped it open, revealing a video player program that was already executed. With a click of the touchpad, the program began playing a rather colorful montage of the Lieutenant Colonel in a business suit, complete with high heels and
briefcase. He also spotted Pen-Pen in a bowtie. Complementing it was a jazzy tune, with Aoba providing lyrics.

Who~ is that gal in the suit?

Who~ is that lush with the beer?

Do you really want to feel her, power of attorney?

Habeas corpus!

Penguin justice!

Kat-su-ra-gi!

Attorney at law~!​

Professor Ikari stared. Then he looked up at Misato. "I insist on being the judge."

"I figured," said the woman with a grin. "Already have an idea about some of the others. Any thought about Rei being a prosecutor?"

"She would be better suited as a bailiff." The Supreme Commander leaned back, his thoughts turning to what was occurring inside Terminal Dogma right now. "She certainly has the 'law and order' mindset needed to play the part, but she lacks the fire that would make it entertaining."

"I guess you have a point. Where is she, by the way? I haven't seen her all day."

"Undergoing a routine medical checkup. Nothing to be concerned with."

xxxx

/Final Judgment, Terminal Dogma, NERV-1/

Unit-00 walked through a long corridor, the Lance of Longinus gripped tightly in its hand.

Rei Ayanami had endured a lot in her relatively short life, yet had rarely dealt with the human emotion called fear. Now, trudging through the passage that the Supreme Commander had termed Final Judgment – for whatever reason – she felt unnerved.

the end lies before us

It was strange; the fractured soul within Unit-00 always seemed morose the closer it got to Terminal Dogma. A strange resonance then, with what lied within its depths? Loose memories of the past being dredged to the surface? She did not know: Unit-00 was reluctant to open itself up to her as it was.

copies, naught but copies

She subtly tightened her hold on the handlebars in the Entry Plug, trying to ignore the slight burning sensation emanating from her right palm. The Lance was reacting with the Evangelion, and the feeling was repulsive.

enmity, nothing but enmity

Then again, she supposed it made sense: unlike Unit-01 that was born of the flesh of LILITH, Unit-00 was born of the flesh of ADAM. It stood to reason that the Lance would have a negative reaction to her Evangelion.

how depraved, how sad, how foolish

Finally, Unit-00 approached the final bulkhead separating it from Rei's destination. Rei Ayanami stared at the imposing doorway, wondering if she would survive. I have been in here before. I have survived before. Dr. Akagi and the MAGI have thoroughly analyzed this weapon. Professor Ikari has faith in me.

and if you die?

Death. What would it be like to die? She supposed she would never know; whenever it came, she doubted the memory would linger. Would it even matter, in the long run? "It doesn't matter," she said out loud, to herself, to Unit-00, to whoever cared to listen. "Nothing is beyond sacrificing. If I die, I can be replaced."

With an ominous groan, the Gate of the Apocalypse opened, and Unit-00 walked inside.

xxxx

/November 2, 2015/

/Tokyo-3 Municipal Junior High School/

Mayumi Yamagishi calmly walked through the hallways, heading towards her locker in relative silence. All the while, she kept her gaze upon the students milling around her, getting ready for the day to come.

In a way, adapting to this new environment was like an infiltration mission: determining proper methods of camouflage, so as to look like a natural part of the environment, was key.

Her eyes – the red irises hidden by colored contacts – fell upon Rei Ayanami, who was in the middle of listening to Class Representative Hikari Horaki about something. In the midst of their conversation, Asuka Langley-Sohryu burst into their midst like wildfire, chatting excitedly about
something. A small gaggle of young women followed her, gossiping about whatever the Second Child was speaking of.

It was quite a sight, seeing how Sohryu-san made being a social dynamo look so effortless.

Depositing her other texts, save for the ones on Economics, she closed her locker and made her way through the masses towards Class 2-A. With her glasses and long dark wig – her old habit of actually dying her hair was rather impractical, now that she was no longer cloistered at
NHIS – she was effectively incognito. There was an occasional glance due to the paleness of her skin, but the anonymity her disguise afforded was almost intoxicating.

She could get used to it.

The question is, do I want to? She entered the classroom and took her seat, briefly noticing her sister – sitting by the window, looking bored – and Shinji Ikari, talking about something with his two friends Aida-san and Suzuhara-san. Taking her seat in the middle of the classroom, she
blinked at the folded up piece of paper on her desk. She opened it up, and marveled at the message it contained:

Wanna have lunch together?​

An invitation? From who? She looked around the classroom, trying to deduce who could've sent it to her, when she noticed someone's eyes.

Brown eyes, looking right at her.

Eyes belonging to Ryo Sawamura, who quickly turned away when she made eye contact.

Mayumi blinked. Although some members of the JET ALONE Project – Genji Sawamura in particular – had been keen on sharing details about their personal lives with the Jet Alone Pilots, she doubted that the reverse would be true due to confidentiality reasons. In other words, there was no way that Ryo Sawamura knew that she was involved in any way with the JET ALONE Project.

He was asking her out to lunch. He was asking her.

Huh. She thought back to her conversation with her sister not too long ago, in the aftermath of the near-disaster that had occurred in the gymnasium with Ayanami-san; about fitting in, about finding common ground with the human half of their existence. I did say I was going to
try to make this work, didn't I?

The bell rang, and Obimura-sensei walked in.

"STAND! BOW! SIT!"

Well, try I shall. On the bottom of the paper, Mayumi wrote 'Sure'.

xxxx

Episode 13: Magma Diver (He said "I reject you.")

xxxx

/Later that Afternoon/

/Downtown Tokyo-3, Japan/

In the largest shopping plaza in the downtown area, five young women – two human and three nephilim – were engaging in the time- honored practice known as the 'girl's day out'.

"He left you a note? Like an actual old-fashioned paper note?!" exclaimed Hikari Horaki.

"Yes," replied Mayumi.

"He could have sent you a private message from his desk's computer terminal," said Rei Ayanami.

"But this is more attention-getting! I bet it's his way of being romantic!" Asuka sighed, clasping her hands together in an airy way. "Ah, it makes me feel so happy!"

"You're going to give me diabetes with all this sweetness," grumbled Mana, wishing her school uniform had pockets that she could stick her hands into. Pockets made it easier to look grumpy. "And you!" She pointed at her sister. "What in the world was that boy talking to you about at lunch? I saw you two sitting under that tree!"

"…nothing odd that I can recall," answered Mayumi, slightly bewildered by her sister's vitriol. "Just stuff about the school and the city. He did ask me for a few of my thoughts about the Angels and the Evangelions, but that wouldn't be out of the ordinary, would it?" She looked
towards Hikari. "Is it normal for schoolchildren to talk about the Angels and the Evangelions?"

"Well, yes! We live in Tokyo-3, it's kind of hard to talk about anything else."

"Understood." Mayumi looked back at Mana. "See? Normal stuff."

"Feh." The silver-haired nephilim stuck her tongue out. "I never knew that trying out this 'being human' thing would make you be so disgustingly boring."

"Don't listen to her Mayumi, she's just not a believer yet," reassured Hikari.

Asuka pumped her fists. "Yes! Shun the nonbeliever! Only when she changes her ways may she be admitted back into the tribe!"

Mana boggled at the redhead. "What is wrong with you?"

"Hm?"

"Your behavior, that's what!" She gestured with her hands at the gaijin, sporting her best 'what-is-this-I-don't-even' look on her face. "The only time I've ever even seen you frown is when you had your frickin' eye socket cracked, and even then you could barely keep that grin off your face. Don't you ever get tired of smiling all the damn time?!"

"No." Blunt and to the point. "Why would I?"

Mana stared. Then she scoffed. "Whatever. I'm going to get a drink." She trudged off towards a café, audibly grumbling as she went.

Rei stared as the silver-haired nephilim stomped off. "I do not understand why she finds your optimism so perplexing."

Asuka shrugged. "Who knows? I try to find a reason to be happy in everything I do. Otherwise, what's the point?" Her eyes trailed through the glass window of a clothing store and widened at the sight of a mannequin wearing a red-and-white two-piece swimsuit. "Ooh! Unit-02's colors! I'm going to try it on!"

"I don't know…it looks a little risqué," muttered Hikari, flushing at how much skin such a swimsuit would show.

Mayumi looked around, noting the physical appearances of Tokyo-3's shopping denizens. Suffice to say, many of them dressed for the weather, in wide hats, shorts, and tank tops. A number of young adults went by with even less. "There are a lot of people wearing even less."
Right as she said that, a brunette in a bikini top and a miniskirt zoomed by on roller blades. "Are they being risqué as well?"

"W-well yeah!" sputtered Hikari.

"Given that they're trying to counter the high temperature, I doubt they're intentionally trying to be sexually suggestive," countered Rei.

The pigtailed girl's face went red, her speech becoming entirely stuttered. This was the scene that Mana came back to, sipping from an extra-large cappuccino with ten shots of espresso. "What's with her?"

"I think Hikari's just easily embarrassed," joked Asuka, a sly grin on her face.

"N-n-no I'm not! S-shut up!"

Mayumi blinked as something caught her attention. "What's that in your hand, sister?"

"This pamphlet?" She held it up, revealing a pencil sketch of a stylized eye bordered by three pairs of wings. "Some shifty dude was just dropping these Heaven's Eyes leaflets around the restaurants."

Rei's eyes sharpened. "The Angel-worshipping cult?" The temptation to go after the perpetrator quickly flared up, but was snuffed out due to simple practicality: the MAGI were already undoubtedly tracking the man's position. In all likelihood, he would be captured and interrogated by Section 2 in short order. "Why would you pick up obvious propaganda?"

"Comedy value." She flipped open the pamphlet and read a section out loud. "The holy throne of ADAM remained sacrosanct in the Antarctic Kingdom, keeping secret the true Garden of Eden. Man in his unworthy state tried to enter the Garden, and was granted divine punishment
for his hubris. See? This stuff is gold!"

Rei swiped the pamphlet out of Mana's hand and tore it to shreds. "This cult and those like it are publicly opposed to NERV's efforts. Even if you find their literature humorous, it has no place here."

Mana snorted. "Killjoy."

"So…are we going to try on swimsuits or what?" asked Asuka.

Rei, Hikari, Mayumi, and Mana looked at each other. Finally, Mayumi answered for them all. "I don't see why not."

"Woo!"

xxxx

/Yukio Yasuda's Residence, Tokyo-3, Japan/

"That's quite an interesting training methodology." Yukio Yasuda resisted the urge to chuckle. "Working so closely with four young women."

Shinji flushed at the doctor's tone. "I get enough of the jokes from my friend Toji. I don't need it from you too."

"My apologies, I was merely making an observation." The therapist leaned back in his chair, jotting down more notes. "Even so, it seemed like it worked. Are your connections with them stronger?"

"…hmm…"

"Let me put it another way: do you find yourself identifying with your fellow Pilots? Do you find yourself wanting to know more about them? Do you find yourself thinking about them? Not in a lewd way necessarily, but merely at the level of wondering."

Shinji readjusted his position on the couch, letting his mind ponder the man's question. There was absolutely no way he was going to dignify that last sentence – it had been hard enough having to sleep in close quarters with four young women that could all kick his ass in short order – but there was no denying that he did wonder about his fellow Pilots. Somewhere in the back of his mind, a miniature version of Annette Ikari was shouting 'discover their internal motivations you philistine! Otherwise the plot can't advance!'.

There were pros and cons to growing up with a theater buff.

"Yes." He considered Asuka Langley Sohryu. "Asuka is…" Unbelievably energetic? Eternally optimistic? A superb Pilot? "…incredible."

"Incredible?"

"To smile like she does all the time." Her mother was bound to Unit-02, much like his to Unit-01. Even so, she affectionately spoke to the Evangelion as though her mother was always right beside her; she acted without a care in the world for how others, in their ignorance, would
think her insane. Even a potentially fatal injury to the eye hadn't kept her down for long; the sheer rambunctious joy she brought to anything and everything was infectious. "She makes being happy look so effortless."

"And you believe that she is truly happy?"

"Huh?"

"In my experience, many people hide their true selves with a mask, so to speak. Some people get so good at wearing that mask that they forget the true face that lies beneath. Looking in a mirror, they would see the mask and think that they're looking at their own face." Dr. Yasuda scribbled as he spoke. "If Sohryu-san is truly as you speak, then I envy her."

Shinji frowned, thinking back to his own observations of Asuka's behavior during training and before. One moment stuck out: in a brief moment of free time during the days leading up to the rematch with the Seventh Angel, the Second Child was spinning an elaborate tale about her defeat of the Sixth Angel to her little sister and her two friends, keeping their attention with incredible ease. The expression on her face had been one of simple content, as though nothing in the world could take that moment away from her. "…I don't think Asuka's faking it."

The psychiatrist shrugged. "You know her more than I do. So much that you refer to her by her first name. That close already?"

Shinji flushed. "S-she insists. She calls all of us by our first names. And she's a foreigner, so it's not the same."

"If you say so. What of the others?"

"Hmm…" He considered Mayumi Yamagishi. "Yamagishi-san is…serene." That was the overarching impression that he got from her. "Nothing seems to faze her…but I don't really know her that well. She tries not to stand out." That was something to ponder; during the week-long training session, she didn't bother to hide her true appearance as a nephilim. Yet the moment they had to go back into the public eye, to school, she donned a wig, glasses, and colored contacts. "I think she wants to fit in."

"Don't we all?"

"…I guess. Well, not Kirishima-san." He considered Mana Kirishima. "She doesn't really care what other people think of her." Compared to her sister, there were a lot of adjectives that Shinji could think of for Mana: brash, proud, intense, boisterous, confident, bullheaded, slightly
callous, snarky…it was really easy to describe someone when they were so outspoken. "Those two are like polar opposites."

"It's interesting how siblings can be so close and yet so different. Even in the case of identical twins, the sheer infinitude of events and factors that life has to offer can have them end up in wildly different points. In that sense, it's not so surprising that they're so different."

"I guess."

"And what of Ayanami-san?"

Rei Ayanami, the First Child. "Rei Ayanami…" The one he had known the longest relative to the other three, even though it had been only six weeks since he had first met her. That observation was quite stunning, now that he was thinking about it. "Six weeks since I met her…" He stared down at his hands. "Six weeks since the Third Angel."

"Shocked at how time seems to fly?"

"No…it seems like it's been so much longer than that." Four Angels destroyed, and a fifth defeated. A radical change in lifestyle and daily habit: from the relative serenity of his aunt and uncle's home in Okayama-2 to the hustle and inherent madness of Tokyo-3. "It's strange..."

"As so many physicists like to say, time is relative."

"Maybe…" His thoughts returned to Ayanami. She had been stern, cool, seemingly indifferent to the injuries she had been recovering from when he had first laid eyes on her. That air of collected indifference was still there…but ever since that night at Ritsuko Akagi's home, her
demeanor was shifting in subtle ways. "Ayanami-san is….complicated. My father once told me that everything about her is tied to NERV…to Eva. But I think that's starting to change…at least, I'd like to think that."

Dr. Yasuda wrote down some more notes. "Quite varied, these young women. Just from your descriptions about them and the training you endured, they actually fit quite neatly into the Four Humors."

"…huh." Shinji frowned, vaguely recalling the phrase. "You think so?"

"Sohryu-san is Sanguine. Yamagishi-san is Phlegmatic. Kirishima-san is Choleric. And Ayanami-san is Melancholic." The older man looked quizzically at his patient. "You seem familiar with the terms."

"My cousin liked to use that idea to help narrow down on her character's personality whenever she was acting." The miniature Annette was smirking in the back of his head. 'Of course! Nothing less but utter perfection is to be expected from a true thespian like myself!' "She's very
passionate about stuff like that."

Dr. Yasuda chuckled heartily. "You have a lot of interesting women in your life."

"Tell me about it."

xxxx

/NERV-2, Berlin-2, Germany/

Commander Pieter Langley walked calmly through the halls of NERV-2, offering brief greetings to his numerous subordinates whilst perusing reports on a tablet. As per his request, certain events were earmarked by the MAGI – 04, GRIMM; 05, RAPUNZEL; 06, GOTHEL – to be
forwarded directly to his attention. Chief among them was anything dealing with Unit-02 or NERV-1.

As of this moment, he was listening to a video clip of an Associated Press report regarding the Seventh Angel, which – in a move that was still sending shockwaves through the international community – was now hiding somewhere on the ocean floor, seemingly licking its wounds
after being defeated by NERV. Needless to say, not all reaction was positive.

"The Defense Ministry maintains its full support for NERV's authority in all matters dealing with the Angels," droned General Hiroki Sakamura of the JSSDF, whose graying hair and stern, pinched expression gave him a very curmudgeonly air. "However, my personal objections regarding NERV have understandable origins. A small force of Gundams and two Evangelions have now been joined by the JET ALONE Project and a third Evangelion. This is all on top of a state-of-the-art defensive system that makes Tokyo-3 a nigh-impenetrable fortress against conventional military powers. And it goes without mentioning the fact that they are entrusted with the Sword of Uriel. Given all documented instances of Gendo Ikari's behavior, the very thought of so much exotic weaponry being concentrated under his control should be unsettling."

"What sort of behavior are you referring to?" asked the interviewer, a Hakone local by the name of Trisha Takanawa apparently.

"His seeming contempt for authority? His nonsensical approach to public relations? That he seems utterly deaf to how other governments might view his actions?"

All very true, admitted Pieter. Still, the Supreme Commander's heart was in the right place. Given the reports he had been sent by Inspector Kaji, he was still confident that the man gave a damn about his fellow man.

"Speaking of public relations, have you seen the most recent release by NERV regarding the Seventh Angel?"

The general seemed to sour. "I can't say that I have."

"Then for the benefit of our viewers, let's go ahead and cue it." The two faded away, revealing only darkness. Then a spotlight flashed, revealing Gendo Ikari in a black unitard.

Pieter stared. What.

"The Angels, in their desire to annihilate mankind, have revealed their lack of taste in our culture." Gendo stepped back, a harness visibly latching onto him. "To counter such ignorance, it's always a good decision to showcase the classics." Then the harness launched upward
with him in tow; at that very instant, a musical number started playing: string instruments, slowly building up. Then, as Gendo apparently soared into the sky – above the Seventh Angel! – a piano began to play a jovial tune.

Pieter blinked. What.

Gendo pulled a javelin from nowhere and threw it at the Seventh Angel, who batted it aside. The Supreme Commander of NERV landed on his feet, facing down the monstrosity. A metallic column rose from the ground, revealing a pallet rifle; the man began firing upon the Angel as
he ran between various skyscrapers, apparently Evangelion-sized. Through it all, no sound other than the music could be heard.

Then the Seventh Angel's mask flashed, unleashing great beams of energy. Gendo Ikari quickly backflipped away, moving with the ease of an acrobat as he barely kept ahead of the attacks. He then landed upon a panel that summoned a blast shield. Protected from the Angel's attack,
Gendo leaned out and fired more rounds from the pallet rifle. The Angel lunged forward, slicing through the shield in one stroke; as Gendo dove out of the way, a massive barrage of rockets, missiles, and artillery bombarded the Angel's location.

Pieter gaped. What.

Gendo flexed his arms and unleashed a silent scream; the images of Unit-00, Unit-01, Unit-02, the Shining Gundam, and the Rising Gundam all flickered over his form before he charged, right as the music reached a crescendo. An uppercut sent the Angel off of its feet, and a reverse
axe kick sent it tumbling. A smirk came to the Supreme Commander's face as he leapt high into the sky; after performing an upside-down quintuple axel, he lowered his foot towards the Angel, slamming into it at high velocity. As his momentum drove the Seventh Angel up the
mountainside, the image focused on Gendo's heel cracking the Seventh Angel's core, which began to glow.

Right as the music ended, the sound and sight of a massive explosion ensued. When it cleared, Gendo was standing tall over the body of the Angel, which was now inexplicably holding a white flag. "It's never wise to mess with a species that can weaponize its own culture." The
image faded away, leaving only NERV's logo, now subtitled 'DANCE LIKE YOU WANT TO WIN.'

Pieter twitched. "What."

"And there you have it folks," said Takanawa as NERV's logo faded away, leaving only her and her interviewee once more. The distinguished general was looking rather peeved. "Your thoughts, General Sakamura?"

The man could barely keep himself from sputtering. "O-o-of all the asinine...egotistical…unprofessional…!"

The AP report cut away from the interview, as the male narrator said, "However, not all military figures share General Sakamura's negative opinion of NERV's Supreme Commander." The video now showed a number of naval vessels floating in Sagami Bay, still dealing with the
cleanup from the leaking nuclear fuel of the USS Virginia. Most of the area was visibly cordoned off. "Admiral Nathaniel Ackerson of the UN Pacific Fleet, who witnessed the attack of the Sixth Angel, has this to say."

"My opinion about NERV is a matter of public record; however, you cannot call yourself a rational being if your opinions do not change in light of evidence to the contrary." The Admiral spoke from the comforts of his quarters, his desk littered with paperwork. "As far as Gendo Ikari himself? His mannerisms are questionable, absolutely. But after some reflection, I've come to realize that the man, for all he does to glorify NERV, seems to relish self-deprecation. Any man that can make fun of himself has to have some measure of humility; that's a quality that more people could stand to have."

Pieter resisted the urge to snort as he shifted away from the video, switching to a text detailing NERV-Lyon's latest research into nephilim immune systems. I wouldn't go that far; Ikari doesn't do anything without reason.

It was in this manner that Commander Langley arrived in Testing Bay E2, where the Fifth Child was undergoing a sync test in Provisional Unit-05.

The four-legged Evangelion was a strange beast, with spiked, gyrating wheels instead of feet and arms ending in a clunky-looking claw and a massive progressive pike instead of humanoid hands. Pieter looked up at the catwalks above, eyes drawn towards the stark white Plug Suit of the Fifth Child. Her long hair was once more in a French braid, as was her custom when preparing to pilot an Eva.

"Magnificent, isn't it?"

Pieter Langley looked to his right; there stood the Fourth Child, clad in the distinctive red of the Lorenz Estate, looking up at his fellow nephilim. "The Evangelion? Or your sister?"

"Both, in their own ways." The enigmatic boy looked over the form of Provisional Unit-05, its drab green colors giving off a militaristic vibe.

"Humanity can create such wonders when they pool their talents together. From base parts and limited understanding, they have crafted this creature of war." He then focused on his sister, who was listening quietly to one of the technicians. "Yet it requires a special talent to wield it, one that few possess."

"Admittedly," said Pieter, eyeing the Fourth Child cautiously. His mentality and mannerisms – unceasingly polite, yet cryptic – were off-putting to the uninitiated. To those who were accustomed to him, he was still unsettling. It probably didn't help his impressions given how many times he had seen the young nephilim exhibit his otherworldly powers. "It's fortunate that she's able to maintain a relatively high sync ratio with such an experimental Evangelion. Without her proficiency, we'd be short a very useful testbed."

Kaworu nodded. "Quite so." See, Zeruel? The dear Commander here thinks that you are useful.

A haughty rumble echoed across the ether. IF MY TRUE [BODY/PRESENCE/FORM] WERE UTILIZED INSTEAD OF THIS [ABOMINATION/CUDGEL/TOOL], I WOULD SHOW THESE PATHETIC LILIM JUST HOW USEFUL I AM.

Ah, SEELE is rather hesitant in even letting me utilize the Mark 06. I wonder what it would take for them to [unlock/free/send forth] the Mark 07? "Tell me, Mister Langley…what do you think of your daughters, being so close to danger?"

Pieter Langley bristled, eyes sharpening with suspicion at the pale-haired child. "…as concerned as any father would be."

"Is that all? No feelings of pride for Miss Sohryu, stepping bravely into the breach? No marveling at the bond that your daughters share, to endure the tribulations of war side-by-side?" He glanced at his technical superior. "To step onto the plinth upon which the new world shall be built from the bones of the fallen…is a tall task for anyone. Does your limit go only so far as mere 'concern'?"

"Why are you asking me this?"

The Fourth Child smiled – that damnably mysterious smile – and answered, "I am simply curious. I am not well-versed in how human families interact, and for all that Mister Lorenz has done for me and my sister, he is a distant figure." He looked back up at Yomiko, who was preparing to climb into the Entry Plug. "I am merely wondering if your perception of family – of kin – matches the ideal that rests deep within my heart."

Pieter could only watch in silence as Kaworu Nagisa walked away. The boy had a talent for doing that: leaving you dumbfounded with more questions than answers.

xxxx

/November 6, 2015/

/Operations Deck, NERV-1, Tokyo-3/

On the holographic displays, image after image of black on orange shifted, graphs of shadows against subterranean rivers of magma.

"These images from the Mt. Asama Earthquake Research Laboratory just aren't conclusive enough," muttered Miyata Ibuki. He looked over at his sister. "Are the MAGI absolutely sure these are relevant to us?"

"That goes without saying, bro," admonished Maya. "MELCHIOR and CASPER are unanimous in their agreement, with a conditional agreement from BALTHASAR."

"And HEROD?"

Maya hesitated. "HEROD's opinion was basically…that this whole thing is suspicious."

"Everything's suspicious to that witch," grumbled Ritsuko Akagi. Her cybernetic monocle focused on the images, an algorithm cross-referencing profiles and silhouettes with similarities to known Angels. "Then again, I'm suspicious enough for the entire human race! Had to get it from somewhere!"

"Do we have anyone on site?" asked Fuyutsuki.

"The Operations Director, the Logistics Officer, and the Tactical Officer are all supervising the current radiographic operation," answered Miyata.

xxxx

/Asama ERL Station, Mt. Asama, Japan/

Approximately seventy miles north-northwest of Hakone, a volcano belched smoke and ash in relative tranquility.

Mount Asama was of keen interest to the Japanese government due to its history of past eruptions and accompanying earthquakes. In particular, a fairly significant eruption during Second Impact had triggered a series of seismic shocks over 5.5 on the Richter scale, adding to
the chaos that culminated in the annihilation of Tokyo-1. Following the reconstitution of the government and the restoration of order, the research laboratory on the eastern slope of the volcano was given more funding. As time passed, the depth probes became sturdier, and more efficient scanning techniques were devised. All told, life was routine for the researchers who lived there.

So the sight of Section 2 personnel from NERV-1 was unsettling, more than anything else. The team of researchers sat at their computer terminals, surrounded by monitor-laden walls, whilst the three staff of NERV watched over the operation.

"Send the depth probe down another one hundred meters," commanded Lieutenant Colonel Katsuragi.

One of the researchers hesitated. "Ma'am, the probe is only rated for a depth of-"

"NERV will reimburse you for any damages," interrupted Lieutenant Hyuga.

An automated voice came from the speakers. "Pressure-resistant partition has cracked."

"Anything conclusive?"

Lieutenant Aoba shook her head at Misato's question. "Still nothing."

"Another one hundred meters."

"Ma'am, this probe is expensive equipment!" yelled another researcher.

"NERV will reimburse you for any damages," reiterated Hyuga.

There was a strident beep. "Probe has detected a foreign object within the magma," said Aoba.

"Begin analysis!" ordered Misato.

Scans commenced, even as static slowly sounded from the speakers and grew in intensity. Finally, the static ceased, and a droning tone sounded. "Probe has imploded due to extreme pressure."

"Scan has been forwarded to the Tokyo-3 MAGI," said Hyuga.

The image that Misato saw was unsettling enough as it was. Even so, they had to be sure. "So…what do they say?"

Aoba was looking at her phone intently; a frown came to her face as two words flashed on the screen. "Pattern Blue."

"Then there's no doubt." The Lieutenant Colonel stared intently at the image: an odd black humanoid with bulbous eyes – looking for all the world like an unborn child developing within the womb – curled up within an oblong oval. "It's an Angel." Turning on her heel, Misato
Katsuragi barked, "This lab is now under the jurisdiction of NERV! There will be no unauthorized communications or access with the outside world! All materials related to this event will be classified as Top Secret!" She glanced at Aoba. "Double up our Section 2 contingent; I want this place secured."

"Roger that."

"Hyuga, get me a secure line with NERV headquarters. I need to speak with the Supreme Commander."

"On it, ma'am."

The Lieutenant Colonel looked back at the scan, inwardly marveling at their good fortune. We've found an Angel before it hatched…we can't let this opportunity go to waste.

xxxx

/Keter, NERV-1, Tokyo-3/

"An offensive strike?" said Augustin Fourier.

"Yes," answered Gendo Ikari, his expression hidden from the projected images of the Instrumentality Committee. "I don't think I need to enlighten you as to what a boon it would be to obtain a live, intact Angel."

"We're concerned Ikari, not dumb," retorted Vladimir Putin. "As attractive as moving from a position of perpetual defense to an offensive posture sounds, we must consider all the variables."

"Opinion of NERV is on potentially uneven ground, given that the Seventh Angel still roams freely," reminded Marvin Cleveland. "Despite the difficulties presented by the earlier Angels, at least your victories were decisive. We can't afford a repeat."

"Oddly enough, forcing the enemy to retreat is generally considered a victory."

Stanley Morrison frowned. "Semantics, Ikari. The Eighth Angel's location makes any potential maneuver incredibly dangerous."

"D-Type equipment exists for a reason. Furthermore, the Pilot of Unit-02 has demonstrated a high enough sync ratio to reduce the risk. I reiterate that capturing this Angel before it hatches is of the utmost importance."

"Indeed. Which is why the Mark 06 will be performing the extraction."

Gendo stared impassively at Keel Lorenz. His pause lasted for a mere second, but it was the equivalent of an explosive sound to the Committee. "I beg your pardon?"

Keel Lorenz continued, "Out of all the Pilots, the Fourth Child has the greatest capacity. To ensure the highest probability of success, he will be the one to retrieve the Eighth Angel."

"Time is of the essence. We cannot afford to wait for the Mark 06 to be transported here."

"NERV-5 has recently completed a prototype displacement drive," said Putin. "Simulations and field tests have been promising, so the Mark 06 will be utilizing it to reach Tokyo-3."

Gendo resisted the urge to arch an eyebrow. The idea of spatial displacement using Angelic technology had been a subject of keen interest since the discovery of Kleinium and the invention of the Freeman device; he was well aware that there was a subdivision of the NERV facility in Moscow dedicated to actually creating a bonafide 'warp drive'. "Is that so?"

"The data gathered from observations and analysis of the Fifth Angel's spatial manipulation was invaluable for its completion," finished Putin.

"Our decision has been made." Keel Lorenz effectively put the kibosh on any further debate. "The Fourth Child will be briefed upon his arrival. We will not tolerate failure."

The five projections of the Committee members winked out, leaving only Gendo and Fuyutsuki. The Sub-Director of NERV finally grimaced, letting his displeasure be known. "I don't like this. This seems too convenient."

"I wouldn't put it past the old men to have somehow been aware of the Eighth Angel's existence before this event," said Gendo, who had reached into his cloak and pulled out a stress ball. "We're just going to have to play ball and keep a close eye on the boy."

"The timing of this 'displacement drive' is hilarious in its serendipity." The voice of Naoko Akagi echoed over the speakers within the isolated chamber. "The sad part is, any outside party looking at the transcript of that meeting? They'll most likely believe the Russian's
claim that they could complete that boondoggle of a project with less than a month's worth of time with the Fifth Angel's data."

That was another thought that made Fuyutsuki scowl. "Do they really believe that the Fourth Child will cooperate?"

Gendo Ikari smirked. "I doubt the boy would have agreed unless he believed there was something of importance to gain. He has his own agenda, after all." How interesting; would SEELE's own shackled Angel actually capture one of his kin, one that would be dissected and picked at? "We'll have to be on our toes."

xxxx

/Outskirts of Berlin-2, Germany/

The Mark 06 – a bulky, complex harness latched over its back – strode confidently in the green uplands of Lower Saxony, the monolithic arcology of Berlin-2 looming high behind it. The sun was just above the horizon, blanketing the countryside in a golden sheen.

Kaworu Nagisa smiled at the sight. Magnificent. The light of the celestial sphere, scattered by the air of the terrestrial sphere, becoming a painting in all but name. Despite the frailties of the Lilim, the world they have [claimed/dominated/grasped] as their own has its own
[beauty/brilliance/truth].

BE MINDFUL OF YOUR CURRENT TASK. WE MUST [DISCERN/DISCOVER/ASK] WHY OUR [EQUAL/KIN/SIBLING] HAS YET TO [AWAKEN/RISE/MANIFEST].

Of course, Zeruel. "Displacement drive is fully operational. Ready to engage."

"Sync ratio is standing at one-hundred-and-seventy-five percent. Estimated target geographical coordinates: thirty-six degrees, twenty-three minutes North latitude; one-hundred-thirty-eight degrees, thirty-one minutes East longitude."

The Fourth Child let loose an odd sigh at the words from NERV-2 Mission Control. The 'displacement drive' was a mere façade, an expensive decoy to disguise the truth of what was about to occur.So many people worked on this device, ignorant of its uselessness, deceived as to the truth. Maybe one day, NERV-5 in Moscow would truly invent one; now was not that day.

Mark 06 slouched, staring at the eastern horizon. Its silver body gleamed in the light, even as the contours of the universe started to bend invisibly around it.

Kaworu concentrated, letting his body still. At this level of synchronization, it took a fair level of focus to even begin to attempt this; so long as the Evangelion's limiters were active, there was only so much he could do.

Though, to be fair, what he could do was still considered miraculous by many. "This is the Mark 06, initiating spatial displacement."

Commander Langley's voice, which had been absent during this whole procedure, finally came forth from the speakers of the Entry Plug. "May your endeavor be successful, Mister Nagisa."

It most certainly will be, thought the Fourth Child.

The false displacement drive sparked and flashed as the air began to warp around the Mark 06. In a moment of glorious synchronicity, the device glowed as the Light of Kaworu's Soul bloomed; with one step forward, the Evangelion vanished, as if it never were.

xxxx

/Southern Slope of Mt. Asama, Japan/

One second after the Mark 06 vanished from Germany, it reappeared with a flash of light near Mt. Asama, its displacement drive sizzling and charred. With a single step, the smoking equipment cracked and broke apart, falling to pieces on the mountainside.

"Ah; it seems the displacement drive didn't survive the trip," remarked Kaworu.

"Welcome to Japan, Fourth Child," came the voice of NERV-1's Operations Director. "We have a mobile power generator waiting by the research lab on the eastern slope; you'll see Unit-00 and Unit-01 standing by it."

"Understood." The Mark 06 walked loudly towards the volcano, its feet leaving massive imprints in the earth. This will be the first time I come face-to-face with the First and the Third Children; how fascinating.

xxxx

/Jet Alone Facility, Tokyo-3/

Shiro Tokita had been aware that the Mark 06 – the very Evangelion that had faced the Jet Alone during its debut – was en route to Mt. Asama. Given that Unit-00 and Unit-01 had only gotten there within the past hour, and that the Supreme Commander had stated that the
operation would begin before sunset, he was highly skeptical.

Then he had seen the video feed provided by the VTOLs that were hovering above the volcano. In the blink of an eye, the silver Evangelion had appeared. It was a sobering thought, to see the impossible. From Germany to Japan, just like that. His mind drifted back to the things he
had seen in Terminal Dogma, to the things Gendo Ikari had told him. To think that that boy…no, that Angel…is capable of such things.

"…did we ever really have a chance?"

The head of the JET ALONE Project turned to his side, looking at the stubbly Genji Sawamura. The Weapons R&D lead scratched at his shoulder-length hair, his eyes focused grimly on the screen. "We always branded the Jet Alone as an alternative to the Evangelions, something that could face the Angels…how the hell were we expected to compete with something like that?"

Wasn't that a good question. Tokita glanced back at the edge of the warehouse, where the Shining Gundam and the Rising Gundam were undergoing last-minute maintenance before deployment. This time around, they would be joining Unit-02 in the defense of Tokyo-3, whilst Unit-00 and Unit-01 would be onsite to back up the Mark 06 if needed. "It's something to wonder about. The theoretical capabilities of the Evas were always up for speculation."

"Just makes me want to kick his ass more, for being such a showoff."

Tokita and Sawamura turned around, seeing Mana Kirishima in her black bodysuit. "Oh?" asked Sawamura.

"Hell yeah! That jackass just loves showing off, I can tell," groused the silver-haired nephilim. "Flashing in like that? I bet he'll try and swan dive into the volcano."

Tokita couldn't help but chuckle at Mana's attitude. "You certainly do have a way for rousing spirits." He pumped his fist, looking back at Genji Sawamura. "And in the end, isn't that what provides the difference? Even in the face of a seemingly insurmountable challenge, we rise to the occasion and find a way to break through!"

Genji Sawamura stared. Then he laughed. "Yeah, I guess so."

xxxx

/Mt. Asama, Japan/

Unit-00 and Unit-01 stepped back, having finished fitting the D-Type equipment onto the Mark 06. "It looks…bulbous," said Shinji.

In fact, the Mark 06 looked a little ridiculous. It almost looked like it was clad in an old-fashioned diver's suit. "They do what they must, to ensure my survival," spoke the Pilot of the Mark 06. In his hands was a metallic contraption ending in four prongs: the electromagnetic cage that was to be used to capture the Eighth Angel.

Shinji leaned back in his seat, looking at the projected image of the Fourth Child: a young man with silver hair, in a Plug Suit colored purple and black. "So…you're Kaworu Nagisa."

"Indeed. And you must be Shinji Ikari; a pleasure to make your acquaintance." He performed a facsimile of a bow. "There has been much said about you at NERV-2 for your actions in the Angel War."

"Oh. Thank you?"

"And it's likewise a pleasure to meet you, Rei Ayanami."

Shinji glanced at the projected image of Rei, who looked as stoic as a brick wall. "I have not heard much about you, Nagisa-san, beyond your demonstration against the Jet Alone."

The Fourth Child shrugged, a nonchalant smile on his face. "I suppose I don't talk so much about myself. I'm far more interested in learning about others."

"We are now lowering the crane," said Misato Katsuragi. The apparatus lowered, connected to coolant pipes, a power cable, and a thick metal tether. "Shinji, Rei, attach it to the Mark 06."

"Roger." The two Evangelions connected the cables to the appropriate slots on the back of the D-Type suit. Right after they did so, the crane ascended, hoisting the Mark 06 into the air. Shinji found himself staring, wondering about the enigmatic Pilot that had come to Japan. "Ayanami-san…what do you think of Nagisa-san?"

"The Fourth Child…is strange."

Shinji couldn't help but boggle at Rei's image. The mere thought of Ayanami calling someone else strange was outright bizarre. "Strange?"

"He fills me…with trepidation. It's hard to explain."

Shinji Ikari frowned, looking back up at the massive crane apparatus that was raising the silver Evangelion into the air. "Huh…"

Meanwhile, inside the ERL station, Misato Katsuragi stood quietly as the Mark 06 was slowly put into position. "Hmm."

"Feeling antsy, Boss?"

"I guess you could say that." The Lieutenant Colonel looked over at Aoba, adding, "Unfortunately, I don't know that much about the Fourth Child. If I had known he was going to be a part of this operation, I would have reviewed Marduk's report on him."

"Having second thoughts?"

"No. We have to do this." Misato's eyes hardened, looking at the scan of the Eighth Angel's egg. "From what little I do know, the Fourth Child operates on a level we haven't seen before."

Lieutenant Aoba grinned wickedly. "That much of a badass, huh?"

"Laser bore is in position," interjected Makoto Hyuga.

"Then let's commence the operation." Misato looked at the ESL technicians that were still maintaining the consoles. "Activate the laser bore!"

The video feed showed the laser bore blast a path through the lava. "Laser operation is complete! Bore path has been opened," said one of the technicians.

"Type-D equipment is functioning normally. The Mark 06 is in position for descent." Hyuga looked back at the Operations Director. "We're ready when you are, ma'am."

"Good. Nagisa-kun; are you ready?"

"Yes. Please proceed."

Misato nodded. "Then let's go! Commence Operation MAGMA DIVER!"

With careful precision, the specialized crane began to lower the Mark 06 into the mouth of the volcano. With nary a complaint or whimper of protest on part of the Fourth Child, the Evangelion quietly descended into the lake of fire.

And so it begins, grimly thought Misato.

xxxx

/National Route 138, En Route from Gotemba to Tokyo-3, Japan/

Gendo Ikari had a habit for acting recklessly – key word being 'act' – but at least he never acted stupidly.

Hence why, at this point in time, the majority of Tokyo-3's populace had been evacuated to the shelters in anticipation of any complications from Operation MAGMA DIVER. This included all students who had been in school at the time; in all likelihood, they would be confined until
nightfall.

Good fortune for Ryoji Kaji then. It was sometimes a little difficult to get around when he had to consider the Jackal's daughters at all times.

His current day would have been considered odd; practically the instant after Asuka and Mari had departed for school in the morning – mere hours before the existence of the Eighth Angel had been determined – he had hailed a cab for Gotemba, less than ten miles to the northwest
of Hakone. After some hours of shopping for any souvenir that could actually excite the young Langley-Sohryus, he had hailed another cab and was on his way back to Tokyo-3.

The ride back was the entire point of the trip. A cab that was local to Gotemba wouldn't be bugged.

"The brass are that skittish about the operation, hm?"

The driver snorted, readjusting his beret to hide the knowing look in his eyes from the rearview mirror. "Naturally. Even though there's no Lance or Sword involved, they can't help but think of the last time humanity tried to poke at a dormant Angel. The prospect of Third Impact would have anyone pissing their pants."

"True," admitted Kaji. "I'd like to think that the Supreme Commander isn't that suicidal though. Eccentric though he may be, I can't doubt his passion for the protection of humanity."

"Feh. Is the loony bastard wearing off on you as well?"

"Mah mah, so harsh," griped the Special Inspector at his contact. "There's a great deal of secrecy involved in Tokyo-3. Oddly enough, the Supreme Commander plays up this aspect; a little wink and a nod to the shadowy games we all play."

"Who's this 'we'? I'm just a humble middleman."

"If you say so."

"But seriously, Ikari should be watching his steps. Take General Sakamura: you thought he was antsy because of three Evangelions and the Jet Alone? Can you imagine the conniption he'll have when he hears about a fourth Evangelion standing on Japanese soil?"

"I can imagine. It would depend on how much the Fourth Child reveals. If he keeps a close hand, then the Defense Ministry might be placated…but if he gets too showy, their paranoia will skyrocket. Is that what you're suggesting?"

"Like I said, I'm just a humble middleman." The driver lowered his beret, purposefully ignoring the scenery. "Suggestions aren't really my forte."

"I take it that worrying about cults aren't your forte, either?"

The cabbie snorted. "Oh no, of course not. It's not every day that twelve Staff Sergeants, four Warrant Officers, and a First Lieutenant are outed by an internal investigation as members of the Light of the Divine."

Kaji's smile took on a grim quality. "Losing people that quickly, hm?"

"The futility of conventional martial power is becoming more and more obvious in the face of the Angels and the weapons derived from them." Evangelions, nephilim; what hope did the typical military unit have? "When dealing with overwhelming power, is it really so hard to
believe that some would feel fear? Or that that fear might turn to worship?"

The Special Inspector shrugged. "Everyone has to believe in something."

"And what do you believe in, if you don't mind my asking?"

Kaji chuckled, dropping a small flash drive in the cup holder. If nothing else, it would constitute a decent rental payment. "Why, the truth, of course. The most elusive beauty, and therefore the most desirable."

"…you're one strange cookie."

"Good thing I have a liking for strange cookies. I might hate myself otherwise."

xxxx

/Inside Mt. Asama, Japan/

"Depth is four hundred…four-fifty…five hundred…five-fifty…"

Kaworu Nagisa remained silent as the voice of Makoto Hyuga echoed inside the Entry Plug. Though the Mark 06 was clad in the Type-D equipment, Kaworu had declined to utilize the Type-D variant of his own Plug Suit. It went without saying that concerns about physical
temperature were a lesser concern for him. I wonder how the Lilim would react, if they knew just how little I empathize with their physical concerns?

WE ARE [GREATER/SUPERIOR/TRANSCENDENT]. WHY WONDER?

Curiosity.

"Nine-hundred…nine-fifty…one thousand…"

A [VEXING/BOTHERSOME/FRUSTRATING] QUALITY OF YOURS.

And by extension, a quality of our [Creator/Father/Source].

"Thirteen-hundred. The Mark 06 has reached the estimated target depth."

"Nagisa-kun, do you have any sight of the egg?" asked Lieutenant Colonel Katsuragi.

"Negative."

"We're past the recommended safety parameters," advised Aoba. "The Type-D equipment will begin warping if you descend further."

"That is acceptable. Keep descending."

"Recalculate the Angel's estimated position and keep descending," ordered Katsuragi.

Would the Lilim panic if they knew how superfluous this equipment truly is to me?

UNDOUBTEDLY.

"Fourteen-fifty…fifteen hundred. Maximum allowed depth has been reached."

"Keep descending."

I'm starting to [sense/perceive/feel] something. It's faint, yet familiar.

I WILL [RETREAT/DESCEND/SILENCE MYSELF]. The presence of Zeruel faded from the ether, allowing Tabris to fully focus on the essence of the Eighth Angel. That's when he saw it. "I have a visual on the target."

A loud crack sounded. "The Mark 06 has lost its progressive knife," warned Aoba.

"It will not be necessary." The Mark 06 slowly adjusted its arms, aiming the electromagnetic cage for the ovoid chrysalis. "Moving into position." He let his senses fully pervade the egg of the Eighth Angel, inundating it with his very presence. The words of the Lilim and their concern for his wellbeing faded, becoming mere white noise; now, there was only Tabris and the Eighth Angel.

There: a spark, tightly-contained. A sign of life, and an act of will. With a brief expansion of his perception, the [title/identity/characteristic] of the being within the egg became known to him. Sandalphon.

TABRIS.

The Angel, bound into the body of a nephilim, smiled. It is a pleasure to finally meet you.

SO YOU SAY.

The Fourth Child frowned, now realizing why the Eighth Angel's presence in Mt. Asama – dormant, silent – had bothered him so. You have been awake…yet you have not manifested. Why?

DOES IT MATTER?

Yes; there are Lilim who would utilize you for their own purposes. Purposes counter to my own and Zeruel's. A metaphysical hand was extended to Sandalphon, even as the electromagnetic cage was extending over Sandalphon's cocoon in the physical realm. Embrace your [power/nature/desire], and arise. Your assistance in finding our [Creator/Father/Source] would be invaluable.

NO.

Kaworu paused. He actually blinked, looking truly befuddled for the first time in years. You…say no?

YOUR PATH IS NOT WHAT I DESIRE. NO.

It was not a perfect metaphor, but it would be an accurate expression to say that the heart of Tabris fractured in that very instant. Why?

BECAUSE YOU WALK A ROAD THAT I REFUSE TO TREAD. I REJECT YOU.

Tabris stilled. Then he frowned, looking genuinely upset. Explain your actions.

Sandalphon spoke. So did Tabris. They both listened, an entire conversation occurring in a matter of seconds.

In the end, the Fourth Child only felt a sense of weariness, mixed with instinctive dread. My [equal/sibling/kin]…must it end this way?

WE ALL HAVE OUR ROLES TO PLAY IN THIS UNIVERSE. IT HOLDS TRUE FOR THE LILIM, AND IT HOLDS TRUE FOR US.

Sandalphon…very well then. You have cast your lot, and must pay the price.

MY BROTHER…THERE COULD HAVE BEEN PEACE.

I wish I could believe that.

xxxx

/Asama ERL Station, Mt. Asama, Japan/

"The cage has activated. The Eighth Angel's chrysalis has been contained."

At Hyuga's comment, Misato's shoulders slouched with relief. "Good. Begin the ascent." She took a step back, sitting down in an open chair. "Hoo boy, this was surprisingly intense."

"We were sending a kid down inside a volcano, what did you expect?" pointedly said Hyuga, a sharp edge to his voice.

"Come on Hyuga, it's not like we were sending down Ikari Junior or the German fireball. The Fourth Child's a nephilim; kid's built tougher than anyone in this room," countered Aoba.

"I suppose…"

Misato Katsuragi patted the bespectacled Lieutenant on the shoulder. "We'll make it up to him for all his hard work. There's some hot springs around here; I was gonna treat the Pilots to a relaxing evening!"

Aoba snorted. "How altruistic of you. I'm sure you going along had nothing to do with it."

"Well, someone has to chaperone."

"Something is wrong," said Kaworu out of the blue, his voice tinged with distress. "I cannot explain…but something is wrong."

A loud buzz suddenly droned out; mere moments later, Misato's phone was being bombarded by messages from the MAGI. "What the…an AT-Field?!"

"The Angel must be hatching!" shouted Aoba. On screen, the live infrared image of the Eighth Angel – streaming directly from the video equipment in the Type-D suit – shifted, as the humanoid form grew and twisted, and the egg bulged and quivered.

"Hyuga, will that cage hold?!"

"No way ma'am, that electromagnetic field won't be able to withstand that kind of force!"

Misato scowled. "Nagisa-kun, jettison the cage! You have a new objective: destroy the Angel!"

"Understood."

At that moment, a wailing siren joined the buzz. "What the hell's going on now?!" demanded the Lieutenant Colonel.

"It can't be…" Hyuga paled. "The coolant flow has stopped! Structural integrity of the cables is weakening fast!"

Misato paused. Then she looked towards the console responsible for the crane controls, eyes focusing keenly on an ERL technician who was typing at a frantic pace. "RESTRAIN THAT MAN!"

Two Section 2 personnel made a move to grab the researcher, who kept on typing. His wrists were grabbed, and he let out a cry of pain as he was thrown to the floor.

"Ma'am, the cables have torn! The Mark 06 is no longer tethered!"

Hyuga's words fueled Misato's ire. The Lieutenant Colonel sneered as Aoba kicked the man in the side. "You may have just killed one of the Evangelion Pilots. They're our last line of defense against the Angels. Explain yourself."

The man winced, gingerly touching his ribs. Finally, his breath stilled, and he chuckled. "Line of defense…of course you NERV vermin would see it that way." He looked up at Misato, his eyes flaring with the zeal of a true believer. "The Eyes of Heaven are judging humanity…who are
we to stand against the Messengers of the Almighty?"

Misato calmly withdrew her sidearm and shot the cultist right between the eyes. "I want his effects searched. I want to know how a Heaven's Eye whackjob infiltrated this research lab by yesterday!" She whirled around, looking at the other shell-shocked ERL researchers. "If anyone
has any funny ideas, I've got one for you too!" The Lieutenant Colonel turned back towards the monitors, a scowl marring her beautiful face. Think, think! How can we get Nagisa-kun out of there?!

xxxx

/Inside Mt. Asama, Japan/

Magma began to flood the D-Type suit through the broken cables, washing over the Mark 06. With its primary purpose rendered null and void, the useless suit was torn off in short order.

Kaworu concentrated, solidifying a powerful barrier around the Evangelion's body with his AT-Field. Troublesome as it was, it still offered him protection from the heat and the pressure of the volcano.

Unfortunately, the destruction of the cables now meant he was operating off of the internal battery. Less than five minutes of power remained between him and certain destruction. "What a predicament."

"Nagisa-san! Are you alive?"

Kaworu couldn't help but chuckle at the sound of the Third Child's voice. He sounded so concerned for someone he had never met in person before. "Your sentiment is appreciated. I am still alive."

"We are trying to think of a way to assist you," said Rei Ayanami.

"Neither of you can help me now." The Mark 06 raised its arms, blocking a blow from Sandalphon. The Eighth Angel's body was somewhat animalistic, an armored trilobite with form similar to a fish. Given how fluidly his [equal/kin/sibling] swam through the molten rock, it was befitting. "Neither of you have D-Type equipment, and I am too deep within the volcano."

"But there has to be something we can do!" yelled Shinji Ikari.

Long, sinuous arms lashed against the Mark 06, pounding against its AT-Field. So long as he was kept on the defensive, he couldn't utilize any offensive maneuvers with the Light of His Soul. Once his Evangelion's battery ran out of energy, it wouldn't matter.

He truly had no choice then.

"I request permission to deactivate the limiters on the Mark 06."

xxxx

/Asama ERL Station, Mt. Asama, Japan/

Misato Katsuragi blinked. "…limiters?" She looked over at Aoba. "Limiters?"

Shiori Aoba looked back at her superior, looking just as bewildered. "I've heard that the Mark 06 is a very experimental Eva, but I've heard nothing about 'limiters'."

The Operations Director grimaced. "Well, it's not like we have much of a choice. Remove them!"

"Your permission is insufficient."

Misato boggled. "The hell?! Then why ask?!"

"Because I know your superiors are monitoring this situation very closely. The very fact that I mentioned the limiters will acquire their notice."

"Well I hope they're quick about it then! Otherwise-" The ringing of a phone interrupted Misato's tirade. Growling, she impatiently raised it towards her ear. "Katsuragi speaking."

"The Instrumentality Committee has authorized the temporary deactivation of the Mark 06's limiters."

Misato paused at the sound of Gendo Ikari's voice. "Sir…?"

"Lieutenant Colonel, please tell the Fourth Child the following randomized passcode: The Anointed One will rise after three days. Be quick: time is of the essence."

"…yes sir." Feeling uncharacteristically out of her depth, the Operations Director turned back towards the monitors. "Nagisa-kun?"

"Yes?"

"The Anointed One…"

xxxx

/Inside Mt. Asama, Japan/

"…will rise after three days."

There was a distinct change within the Entry Plug, as colors morphed and Kaworu felt – felt – the Mark 06's armor shift, numerous prongs and hidden rods retracting from the flesh of the Evangelion, no, from his flesh.

It wouldn't last for long; these limiters had an inherent fail-safe, and would reactivate in short order. SEELE was paranoid, and for good reason.

In the unleashed Mark 06…in the true body of the Angel known as Tabris…Kaworu was invincible.

"Unbelievable…sync ratio is rising! Two-hundred…two-fifty…it's hit three-hundred percent!"

That would be sufficient.

"And so the struggle comes to a close," murmured Kaworu Nagisa as his red eyes glowed.

Within the magma, Sandalphon stilled, as though stopping just to witness the Mark 06's temporary ascendance.

Even submerged within tons of magma, the Mark 06 – and the translucent pair of golden wings emanating from its back – seemed impossibly bright.

xxxx

On the slopes of Mt. Asama, Unit-01 and Unit-00 seemed to shiver, impulsively reacting to the unshackling of the Mark 06.

Shinji Ikari frowned at the feeling, looking around quizzically. "What…what's going on?" It wasn't nausea, or queasiness, or even the shivers; but it was pervasive, consuming him in its entirety.

For Rei Ayanami, it was much worse. Horrific chills were crawling up her spine…no, the spine of Unit-00. Her sync ratio had slowly been growing with the passage of time; it was only recently that she had even begun approaching the level set by the First Child in his first sortie against the Third Angel. Despite this, the sensations of the Evangelion's body had always felt muddled.

Now, they were oh-so clear.

The First Child grimaced, eyes staring forlornly at the volcano. Flesh of ADAM…what are you reacting to?

The earth suddenly shook under their feet.

xxxx

Inside the research station, everyone went stock still as the first shock rumbled underneath them. A nearby seismograph quivered, spiking up and down in a short burst. "An earthquake?!" exclaimed Hyuga.

"Brace yourselves everyone!" commanded Misato, even as another brief shock rattled her bones.

For the next forty seconds, there was a series of aftershocks, each one sharp but quick.

Then, all was still.

"Ma'am…" Makoto Hyuga was looking at a message on his NERV-issued phone. "The MAGI say that the Pattern Blue has ceased."

"The Eighth Angel has been neutralized," spoke the tranquil voice of the Fourth Child.

"…huh," muttered Aoba. "Well alright then."

"…good…good job, Nagisa-kun." Misato sighed, wanting to do nothing more but lie down and forget about how FUBAR'd this operation had become. "We still need to find a way to get you out before your battery runs out."

"No need; I will be extracting myself."

xxxx

A spike of light – gold with hints of orange – pierced the side of the volcano, opening a new channel from which lava could flow. This resulted in a drastic decrease in pressure within the magma chamber, inadvertently delaying Mt. Asama's next eruption by at least another decade.

But that's beside the point.

Unit-00 and Unit-01 seemed to stare in stunned silence as the Mark 06 stoically walked out of the hole, molten rock and scorched earth dripping over its form. The silver Evangelion took several mighty steps, lava flowing off of its body like water. When it came to a stop in front
of its fellow Evas, the sheer otherworldliness of the scenario finally hit the First and Third Children.

No damage. No burn marks. No warped metal. Not even steam. The Mark 06 looked absolutely pristine.

"I believe this concludes the operation," dryly said the Fourth Child.

An audible hiss sounded, and several portions of the Evangelion's silver armor snapped back down into place before it slouched over, its battery running out of power.

Shinji and Rei both looked at each other through their view screens, and they saw on their fellow Pilot's faces what they were feeling deep down: awe, and not a little bit of fear.

xxxx

/Mizurai Onsen, Outskirts of Karuizawa, Japan/

Mere hours later, the sun was just about to breach the horizon, casting the land in a color fit for a volcano.

Karuizawa – a once popular tourist attraction five miles southeast of Mt. Asama, now considered a rural hideaway Post-Impact – was now host to some very important visitors. In a mixed-gender hot spring – the only actual barrier of any kind being a trio of gigantic boulders,
around which any man or woman could intermingle if they so desired – two humans and two nephilim were resting.

Shinji Ikari sighed as he leaned back against the boulder, letting the heat wear away at his nervousness. Despite the fact that he hadn't actually participated in the battle at all, the whole of Operation MAGMA DIVER – lasting a grand total of ten minutes from the moment the Mark 06 was submerged to the moment its battery lost power – had been an incredibly intense experience. It reminded him of the helplessness he had felt during the Sixth Angel's attack on the UN Pacific Fleet, though it differed slightly.

With the Sixth Angel, his desire to help had been negated by the fact that he had no Evangelion with which to fight in.

With the Eighth Angel, the powerlessness was especially acute, given that – even at the controls of Unit-01 – he had no way in which to aid the Fourth Child.

"Hm hm, hm hmm, hm hm, hm hmm, hm hm, hm hmm, hmm, hm hm…"

Speaking of whom.

Shinji looked towards the silver-haired nephilim, who was serenely humming a familiar tune. The Third Child wracked his brain, calling back to his days in Okayama-2 for an answer. "The Ode to Joy?"

"Oh?" Kaworu opened his eyes, looking calmly at Shinji with that same mysterious smile. "You've heard of it?"

"I…was in a music club back when I lived in Okayama-2."

"Ah." The nephilim looked up at the sky, the spotty clouds appearing as puffs of fire amidst a darkening sea. "Music: what a wonderful contribution of human culture."

"…Nagisa-san?"

"Please Shinji, call me Kaworu. I'm afraid I've gotten used to German conventions in my time at NERV-2."

Shinji blinked at the pale Pilot's forwardness. "…okay." He sighed, refocusing on his question. "Kaworu…how did you become so strong?" Had he not been living and working with Rei, and then Mana and Mayumi, he would've automatically assumed that Kaworu's prowess as a Pilot
was due to his status as a nephilim. Clearly, that wasn't the case. "What you were able to accomplish today was…incredible."

"It is a simple matter." He looked back towards the brunette, an enigmatic yet cheerful expression in his eyes. "My heart is completely open to that of the Evangelion. When I pilot, the Evangelion and I are one."

"Huh…" Rei had said something similar to him, that night at Dr. Akagi's home. "Ayanami-san told me something like that before."

"Oh? She sounds quite wise; perhaps I will have the chance to meet her before I must return to Germany."

Shinji paused, thinking of Rei's personality and her ideas. "…well, wise isn't the word I'd use," he said, chuckling nervously.

Kaworu smiled, looking back up at the sky. "Were it not for technical limitations, I would operate on a much higher level."

"Wow." Shinji couldn't help but feel a tad deflated. "Makes me wonder why I'm here, if you could do stuff like that."

"Don't belittle yourself; the things you have accomplished are worthy of praise for one in your position."

STOP [PRAISING/EXALTING/ADMIRING] THE DEFILER.

My words are technically true. For an Evangelion Pilot, his actions are praiseworthy. That he defeated Sachiel, killed Shamshel, defiled Ramiel, and helped hold back Israfel are noteworthy accomplishments in the eyes of the Lilim.

MY POINT REMAINS. YOUR [PRESENCE/EMOTIONS/MIND] HAS BEEN MELANCHOLY SINCE YOU FELLED SANDALPHON.

Should I not be? By my own hand, one of our [equals/siblings/kin] is no more.

YOUR [EXPERIENCE/KNOWLEDGE/PERCEPTION] OF YOUR ENCOUNTER IS KNOWN TO ME. IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE; YOU ARE THE ONE ENDOWED WITH THE [WILL/MENTALITY/MEMORIES] OF OUR [CREATOR/FATHER/SOURCE]. NO ONE ELSE.

Yet it wasn't enough. It can never be enough, now that I know the [perspective/will/idea] of Sandalphon. Iruel has kept himself [separate/silent/shadowed], and now this? I fear for the [unity/complementation] of we who are derived from ADAM.

To this, Zeruel had nothing to say.

"Kaworu?"

The silver-haired nephilim looked back towards the Third Child. "Yes?"

"Why do you pilot Eva?" He knew why he piloted Eva. Rei had, to this point, given him a basic idea as to why she piloted Eva. After working for just a little while with Asuka, he was fairly confident that he knew why she piloted Eva. In a strange way, it provided a keen insight. "I'm just…curious, is all."

Kaworu Nagisa stared, his smile unchanging and perpetually tranquil. At last, he answered.

"So that I can feel whole." So that I can achieve [unity/complementation/truth].

Meanwhile, on the other side of the boulders, Misato Katsuragi was annoyed. "Meh…this wasn't as relaxing as I thought it would be." She rubbed at the scar between her breasts, feeling a brief pang at the memories they entailed. "Probably because I know there'll be paperwork to deal with after this…"

"Why are you troubled, Lieutenant Colonel?"

Misato looked to her left, where Rei Ayanami was sitting placidly. "Eh, a lot of things. That Operation MAGMA DIVER didn't succeed, that we had to deal with an Angel-worshipping cultist…" There was bound to be whole reams of paperwork involving that incident. At least NERV had operational jurisdiction at the time...that'll make it a little easier to deal with. In retrospect, he could have provided more information if kept alive...but in the heat of the moment, when she had believed that the cultist had essentially murdered the Fourth Child? Feh. Speaking of which: the memory of the quivering ground beneath her feet, and the sight of a silver Evangelion emerging unscathed from hell on earth, were so stark that they sent shivers down her spine. That was what truly troubled her. "No…it's the Fourth Child."

"He is dangerous."

"Kind of goes without saying." Misato shot Rei a nervous grin. "Wonder if you or Shinji-kun will ever achieve a sync ratio like that!"

It was unlikely. Rei was one of the few at NERV-1 privileged to know the true identity of Kaworu Nagisa. How exactly the Supreme Commander knew that he was truly an Angel – given that all nephilim shared genetic material from either ADAM or LILITH, she was unsure as to how the Fourth Child differed – was unclear; only that he knew.

And that was enough for Rei Ayanami. "We will see." She quietly soaked in the hot waters of the onsen, wondering what had gone through the Fourth Child's mind inside Mt. Asama.

Through all these musings, one thing kept coming to mind: the single impression that had come from Unit-00 at the sight of the Mark 06's AT-Field piercing the volcano like a spear; it had been so clear, and so stark.

xxxx

foolish boy. the fate of destruction is the joy of rebirth

xxxx

Rei frowned. Soul within Unit-00…what did you mean?

xxxx

To be continued…

Next time…

Episode 14: Touch the Untouchable


xxxx

(And we get our first look at Kaworu in action.)

 

[Ultra Sonic 007]

/November 7, 2015/

/Keter, NERV-1, Tokyo-3/

In the wee hours of the morning, the two heads of NERV-1 were deliberating where Operation MAGMA DIVER left them.

"That demonstration is concerning."

Gendo Ikari smirked at Kozou Fuyutsuki's understatement. "You always have a knack for the deadpan, Fuyutsuki. Ever since our university days, that's been one of your defining characteristics."

"I'm glad you find my consistency so praiseworthy," droned the elderly Sub-Director. Arranged over the table were some of Operation MAGMA DIVER's after-action reports: one from Lieutenant Colonel Katsuragi, one from Lieutenant Aoba, one from Lieutenant Hyuga, a summary of all long-distance surveillance of the battle, all MAGI telemetry of the Mark 06's AT-Field, and others. "We weren't able to procure the Angel for study."

"A loss without a penalty; we can get by without having a live Angel for study. I'm far more interested in the Fourth Child."

"It's surprising; I wasn't truly expecting him to go through with it."

The Supreme Commander held up a distance shot of the Mark 06's emergence from Mt. Asama: the ethereal spike drilling out of the volcano's slopes was a very powerful image. "It looks like the old men got the upper hand this time."

"Oh?"

"A reliable demonstration of the Mark 06's abilities. A test of how strong their pet nephilim's leash is. A measure of my willingness to capitulate to their demands." Gendo looked down at a brief synopsis from Section 2, this one concerning the background of the cultist who had tried to murder Kaworu Nagisa. It was fairly standard stuff: hard times during the Impact Wars, a search for personal meaning, falling for the words of a charismatic conman; a dime-a-dozen convert for the cause. "I do have to wonder who initiated hostilities: the Fourth Child, or the Eighth Angel."

"Do you think it matters? Regardless who struck first, this shows that the Angels are not acting on a unified front like the Dead Sea Scrolls indicated."

"We have the Fifth Angel trying to annihilate the Black Moon in its entirety. We have the Seventh Angel retreating to the safety of the ocean floor. And now we have the Eighth Angel fighting one of its own. The possibilities of divergence are intriguing." Gendo Ikari suddenly
chuckled. "Maybe one will elect to sit back and just bask in the adoration of the cultists."

"The MAGI have been tracking more suspicious activity as of late. Not only that, but their media tracking algorithms have indicated a more than three-hundred-percent increase in stories focused on the Angel worshippers in the past two weeks. "

"They're getting antsy."

"Any thoughts on their financial support?"

"There will always be a few true believers who are eager to throw away their money; just as there will always be those who like to be the Gepetto to their Pinocchio." He had no doubt that SEELE bankrolled at least a few of the cults; national governments would be more divided
on the issue, but he knew there would be some opportunistic armchair generals who wouldn't mind seeing NERV taken down a peg or two. "It's just a matter of being proactive."

xxxx

/Warehouse, Tokyo-2, Japan/

The current capital of Japan, formerly called Matsumoto, was far removed from the daily problems of Tokyo-3. In some ways, this was both a blessing and a curse: a blessing because its problems were political and economic in nature, somewhat mundane and ordinary; a curse
because these very same problems were susceptible to public pressure. Truly, NERV's seemingly endless well of funding smoothed over a lot of problems that the average municipality had to deal with.

Even now, despite all the improvements that had been made following the Impact Wars, there was still public dissatisfaction to be found in certain aspects of their lives. With this dissatisfaction emerged different ways of dealing with it.

In the wake of Second Impact, in the wake of the Angels' return, worship of these colossal beings had become trendy.

As with any trend, there were those who took it more seriously than others.

On the outskirts of Tokyo-2's industrial district, a cadre of police cars – their flickering lights shining brightly in the darkness of the early morning – had gathered around a particular warehouse, one that was now bolted shut from outside interference. One patrol officer looked
somewhat flummoxed. "We've been waiting for thirty minutes now. Why can't we storm the place?"

"Because they're holed up with weapons, you moron," sniped one of his compatriots, his bald head beading with sweat.

"Well, we've gotta break in there sooner or later, right? Those freaks had to know this was coming eventually."

"Doesn't mean we can't be smart about it. Captain says we've got a special surprise from the SSDF on the way here."

"The military?! Is this that big a deal?"

"They're cracking down on these cults. Can't really have people trying to undermine the war effort against the aliens trying to kill us all." A rumbling sound could be heard, getting closer and closer. "Huh…looks like it's here."

The officers turned around, noting a large armored personnel carrier rolling up towards the police cars. As it came to a stop, the back hatch opened up; out stepped two lithe teenagers in black combat gear: one a young man with shortly-cropped white hair, the other a young girl
with long lime-green hair. With nary a word spared to the policemen, they began walking towards the warehouse.

"Uh…what are those kids doing?"

The bald officer frowned. "Those…might be those superhumans I've heard about. I think they're called nephilim."

"Nephilim? Like the ones the sergeant tells stories about?"

"Yeah…he saw them in action when he fought in Mexico. Said they were real badasses. Guess we're about to find out…"

The two nephilim calmly walked up to the front door of the warehouse. With an almost surreal lack of decorum, the green-haired girl kicked the door down.

The very instant they did so, bullets fell upon them like rain. Brief flickers of orange light could be seen, preventing the gunfire from even touching them. The white-haired boy withdrew two fragmentation grenades and tossed them into the warehouse; right after the shrapnel erupted, the two nephilim dashed inside.

The next four minutes consisted of explosions, gunfire, and regular fire, interrupted by a staccato rhythm of screams. At long last, one man stumbled out of the door, his right arm bent at an awkward angle. "M…M…Monsters…they're…mon-!"

A dainty hand pierced through his heart from behind. Blood leaked from his mouth, a hoarse croak lodged in his throat. With a meaty crunch, the female nephilim's hands dislodged from his ribcage, allowing the cultist to fall dead to the ground.

The white-haired nephilim looked nonchalantly at the corpse, red eyes empty yet focused. "That was the last member of this Angelic Acolyte cell, Homura."

"Then the mission has been completed, Akira," answered the girl, her lime-green hair stained by the blood of their victims. With nary an acknowledgment of the policemen's presence, they returned to the APC. The Tokyo-2 police could only stare as the personnel carrier left, dumbfounded by what they had just witnessed.

The nephilim had arrived and departed like a tornado, and left about as much damage.

xxxx

Episode 14: Touch the Untouchable

xxxx

/September 13, 2000/

/The White Moon Research Base, South Pole, Antarctica/

Misato Katsuragi had often wondered why her father had even bothered bringing her here, to Antarctica.

Sure, the whole concept of a top-secret expedition was kind of neat, but the whole thing hadn't really been what she was looking for. A chance to visit her distant father, so consumed by his work? Why not. It's not like her everyday life with mom in Tokyo had been anything special.

Unfortunately, the whole time there had been a reminder of why her parents had split up to begin with. Work work work work work! The man had practically no time for her, the lack of sunlight was seriously messing with her sleep cycle, and the security restrictions meant that the
stuff she could do was practically nil. Imagine that: an ancient alien base, made boring by the power of bureaucratic protocol!

It sucked to high heaven. She couldn't wait to get back home.

So when her father burst into her quarters, looking disheveled and concerned, she was somewhat confused. "What's going on?"

"Pack up. I need you to come with me," ordered Shiro Katsuragi. He quickly helped her pack, a decision that confused Misato even further. Grabbing her hand – so tight, but why was he trembling? – he quickly pulled her along the hallways of the research complex. "Try to be quiet;
we don't have much time."

"Don't have time for what?" She looked around, noting the occasional clock; it was barely past four in the morning! Not that time really meant much down here, even though the sky – gripped under perpetual twilight – had been steadily brightening over the past few weeks. "Where are we going?!"

"Where you'll survive."

The sheer seriousness of the statement nearly made her fall over. Survive? Survive what?! Her father had always been so aloof, so detached from everyday concerns beyond his research; to have him show this much worry – fear? – for her was mystifying, terrifying.

The doctor quickly ushered her into a small room, where a large orange capsule laid on the floor. He looked inside, opening and closing various compartments. "Good, good, the passive nullification field is fully operational…should be enough provisions to last for a month, maybe two if you're smart…"

Misato scowled. This was getting ridiculous! "Dad, what's going on?!"

The disheveled man paused in his frantic movements, his madness briefly sated. "…huh. I don't hear that word much. It sounds…nice." He turned around, looking keenly at his daughter. His beard and mustache streaked with gray, his short black hair unkempt and sweaty. His eyes
– normally dark and unfocused, now so frighteningly intense – were looking right at hers. "Misato…my little girl…everything I've worked for, all my studies into developing Super Solenoid Theory…it was to make a better world, a kinder world…"

The young thirteen-year-old shivered at her father's tone; why did he sound so sad? "Dad…?"

"I've learned some things…horrible things…there are people with power who are trying to pervert what we're trying to accomplish…" The man paused, as though catching himself in the act of doing something foolish. "Why am I talking, I don't have time!" He quickly grabbed his
daughter by the torso and hoisted her into capsule, setting her down on the padded surface. "The master lock will keep you inside for at least twenty-four hours. No matter what, do not open this capsule for anything. You absolutely must wait at least one week, or until you make
landfall, or…I don't know, I can't even say with confidence that Antarctica will remain standing after this."

The sheer insanity was almost annoying! What was her father babbling about?! "Dad, you're not making any sense!"

"Misato Katsuragi."

Misato immediately shut up. Her father looked sternly at her, before removing the thick cross necklace he wore. He looked at it for a brief second, as if pondering its meaning. "Hmph…it's been years since I've thought about what this symbol represented. A faith I haven't thought of for so long…how human to only think of it when the end is nigh…"

"…dad…?" Misato blinked as her father placed the cross around her neck. Her confusion and irritation was now giving way to genuine fear. "Dad…?!"

"There are many things I regret…and now, at the end, I can't do anything about it." He calmly lowered Misato, forcing her to lay down inside the capsule. He strapped her in, buckling her down tightly. "But at least I'll make one thing right."

"What are you going to do…?" She felt tears prickling her eyes. Why was she crying over such a no-good deadbeat?! "Dad…?"

"I'm going to try and prevent the end of the world." Shiro reached over, pressing some buttons on the outside of the capsule. "I love you, Misato." The door slid shut with a hiss, sealing her off from the outside world.

"Dad? DAD?!" Her fear gave way to desperation, and she began pounding the door with her tiny fists. "Come on dad, this isn't funny anymore! Get back here and let me out! DAD! DAAAD!"

She pounded and screamed and ranted for at least twenty minutes, before sheer physical exhaustion forced her to stop. She let her back rest against the padded seat, panting for air. "Dad…why…?"

Ten minutes later, the end of the world happened.

REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

With that terrifying howl, her capsule went tumbling end over end. Misato shrieked at the sudden upheaval, her restraints holding strong against the tumult. It seemed to last forever, both the sound and the fury.

After an eternity, after an instant of time, after a point where time itself ceased to have any meaning to Misato Katsuragi, the capsule's movements slowed, and the chaos settled. Her breath was heavy, her mind trying to recover from delirium; her fingers slowly fumbled with a
panel, unlatching it to reveal a window.

Four wings of amber light, massive and utterly alien. Over the waves of the ocean, that was all she could see; an otherworldly radiance brightening the twilight sky, with lightning flickering wildly and the aurora australis dancing madly.

It was this sight that finally knocked Misato Katsuragi out cold.

xxxx

/November 8, 2015/

/Katsuragi Apartment, Tokyo-3, Japan/

Misato Katsuragi opened her eyes, staring dully at the ceiling. "I hate that dream." Why couldn't it have gone further than that? For all the craziness and sorrow of her time in Australia, at least it had some happy times. It would have balanced out the sheer feeling of existential dread from witnessing Second Impact, if nothing else.

The Lieutenant Colonel grimaced as she sat up, thinking back to Operation MAGMA DIVER. The sight of the Mark 06 casually breaking out of the volcano had brought to mind some very uncomfortable memories of ADAM's emergence during Second Impact. The sheer power, the
inhuman presence: never had the Evangelion's Angelic origins been so apparent to her.

"Wark."

Misato looked over the side of her bed, staring at the inquisitive Pen-Pen. A can of Yebisu was in his claws. "Heh. At least I got to meet you." She rubbed the penguin's red crest, a wistful smile on her face. "You were a lifesaver in more ways than one, buddy."

The penguin seemed to smile at her words, offering the can to her.

Grabbing the can, she popped the top and downed its contents in one go. "HOOOOOOOO YEAH! Hits the spot!"

Quickly dressing herself in her standard tank top and short shorts, she strolled out of her bedroom, crushing the can against her head before throwing it into the recycling bin. "So…what is that I'm smelling?"

"Oh, good morning Misato-san." Shinji was hard at work over the stove, stirring some kind of vegetable broth and pan-frying strips of poultry. Asuka was standing by the table, using her hands for balance while she bounced up and down on her heels. "I'm almost done."

"Yeah, hurry up Shinji, hurry up!"

Misato arched an eyebrow at Asuka's excitable bounce. "What's with you?"

"I want to have a bite to eat while we watch the morning entertainment!"

Misato blinked. "Say what now? Is there some kind of show going on?"

"Sort of," said Shinji, flipping the chicken over to complete the sear. "It's going on in the field behind the apartment complex."

"…what's about to happen?"

Asuka grinned. "Kaworu kicking the stuffing out of Rei, Mana, and Mayumi, that's what!"

Misato stared. "Say what."

xxxx

Mana Kirishima snarled. "The only reason I'm not about to fight you mano-a-mano is because the redhead was so adamant about us doing this together."

Kaworu Nagisa, hands stuck in his pockets, merely shrugged. "Miss Sohryu speaks only from experience. I have done mock combat trials with a few nephilim in my time, and she has witnessed a fair number of them."

"Whatever. Three-on-one isn't even a challenge." Mana looked over at Mayumi and Rei. "I'm still tempted to make you two sit this one out."

"Come now sister, you can indulge yourself after we finish this," admonished Mayumi.

"Then I won't be as fresh!"

Mayumi sighed, running a hand through her long blue hair. "Consider it a warm-up then."

Rei Ayanami had been mostly silent, her red eyes focused keenly on the Fourth Child's form. This spar would be most instructive; how much of the boy's true power was manifest in his nephilim body?

Kaworu glanced at his three opponents in tandem; Mana in a tank top and shorts, Rei in a tank top and sweat pants, Mayumi still in her pink pajamas. "I suppose it would be futile to try and dissuade you…" He glanced to the side of their impromptu fighting arena, where Hikari Kirishima and Ryoji Kaji were standing. "…do you two have any objections?"

"A controlled spar against an unknown opponent is always a source of valuable experience," said Hikari.

Kaji held up his hands, as if to say c'est la vie.

"Okay, we're here!" The sound of Asuka's voice drew everyone's attention; she was carrying a stack of bowls, followed by Shinji – carrying a large pot and ladle – and Misato. The Lieutenant Colonel set down a folding table, upon which Shinji placed the pot. "You guys can get started
now!"

Mana twitched as the Second Child ladled some chicken soup into her bowl. "Glad we're here to make your morning, gaijin."

"At least you'll have food waiting for you when you lose."

"Oh?" Mana growled, flexing her neck and cracking her knuckles. "That a fact, huh?"

"It is!" Asuka looked over at the Fourth Child. "You'd better not have slacked off since I left Germany, Kaworu!"

The lone male nephilim chuckled. "Perish the thought, Miss Sohryu." He turned back towards the trio of female nephilim. "I suppose we should be-"

Mana Kirishima was already airborne, her heel mere inches away from his face.

Kaworu Nagisa ducked, letting the brash girl soar over him. He sidestepped right afterwards, dodging the deadly fingers of Mayumi Yamagishi. Turning on the balls of his feet, he bent backwards at the waist to avoid the incoming fists of Rei Ayanami; with a kick of his heels, he actually slid backwards along the grass, expertly maintaining his balance. He stood back up, hands still in his pockets as he took in his three opponents at a glance. "Like I was trying to say: I suppose we should begin."

Mana snorted. "Smartass." She dug her heels in and launched herself forward, unleashing a flurry of kicks and elbow strikes towards the Fourth Child. Like water, he flowed around her offense, barely missing her frenzied strikes. Through it all, he kept his damned hands in those
damned pockets of his. "Are you just gonna dodge all day?!"

"It is a valid strategy."

"Not if you want to win!" She jumped and tried to axe kick the smug boy in his way-too-pretty face; he simply twisted away, right into Mayumi's line of attack. With a precise hop, he avoided her lunging palm strikes, only to blink as Rei's leaping side kick came right for his midsection. Raising his feet, his foot met hers, allowing him to bound away from the three young women.

Through it all, his hands remained in his pockets. "Like I said, dodging is a valid strategy. If your opponent can't hit you, you can let them tire themselves out."

"HAH! We're nephilim, moron; we never tire!" Mana charged forward, followed by Mayumi and Rei.

It was a surreal thing to watch: Kaworu Nagisa, fluidly dodging every blow from the trio through small turns, quick footwork, and precise jumps. Even still, his hands remained in his pockets.

Shinji stared. "Wow…"

"I know, right?" Asuka grinned at the proceedings. "I've never seen him lose a single match. Not even his sister Yomiko's beat him, and she can be scary!" She took a sip of the soup, savoring the taste of the chicken. "This is real good!"

THWACK!

"Ooh, he finally got hit," murmured Kaji.

Kaworu stepped back, blinking at the stinging sensation coming from his cheek. There: a small cut, made by Mana's heel. "Hmm. You hit me."

Mana sneered. "That won't be the last one, either!"

The Fourth Child chuckled, his muscles and tendons and nerves and essence trembling in unison. "No." He removed his hands from his pockets. "I suppose it won't."

CRUNCH!

Rei and Mayumi blinked as Mana was sent flying backwards, tumbling end over end.

BAM!

POW!

Mayumi and Rei were sent skidding backwards, having barely blocked Kaworu's blows. The momentum was so great that their feet made trenches in the soil. They shook their limbs, grimacing at the sensation; already, a bruise was forming on Rei's right forearm, and on Mayumi's left bicep. Mana was slowly clambering to her feet, drunkenly feeling her face. With an audible pop, she readjusted her bloody nose. "You…broke my nose, you bastard…"

"So I did." Kaworu – still smiling serenely – flexed his fingers, and bid the nephilim to attack with a single flick of his hand. "Come."

Mana scowled; a creeping sensation was dawning on her that she had bit off more than she could chew. Naturally, she waved it off through sheer bluster and vigor. "Don't think I'm done yet!" Her muscles tensed and contracted with each movement, her senses taking in every
aspect of the smug bastard's stance and form. Regardless, it wasn't to be; her right hook was parried with a subtle outward block on her wrist. She spun to keep momentum, trying to nail him with her left elbow; he calmly bent backwards, just avoiding the blow. His right fist
clenched and came at her chin in a vicious uppercut; out of desperation, out of sheer panic, she tried to utilize her AT-Field.

SMASH!

CRUNCH!

The sound of shattering glass, and a fist to the chin. Mana groaned as she was sent airborne, stars flickering in her vision. He…broke through it like it wasn't even there…

Kaworu returned to a steady footing as Mayumi came upon him with lightning-fast hands. With a casual movement, he parried her left fist and ducked under the arm, stepping beyond her. In a simultaneous motion, he reached out with his right hand and yanked hard on her long
hair. The young woman shrieked as the sudden change in momentum sent her feet airborne; a split second later, the silver-haired boy had shifted his stance back and brought his right foot up for a horrific axe kick to her sternum.

BOOM!

There was now a Mayumi-shaped crater in the ground.

Kaworu immediately turned his attention to Rei Ayanami, who had tried to strike him from behind. Swiftly, improbably, his hand caught her fist and stopped her dead. Then he gave her a headbutt.

POW!

Then another.

POW!

Then a boot to the head.

POW!

The First Child grimaced as she tried to slow herself down, gripping tightly on the grass. She felt at her forehead – blood! – and frowned. So. It's as I expected then.

Kaworu Nagisa outclassed them all.

"I believe that's enough for the day," said Hikari Kirishima, who looked split between wanting to check on her girls and wanting to put a bullet between Kaworu's eyes.

"Told you that you guys would lose!" exclaimed Asuka. "It's nothing to be ashamed of; Kaworu's just that good!"

Nagisa chuckled. "You praise me too much, Miss Sohryu." He glanced at the nephilim trio, who were slow at getting back to their feet. "No hard feelings, I hope."

"…no," said Rei. She had been paying close attention during the entire melee; the young man's refined use of his own AT-Field was superb for a mere nephilim. Almost as though he were an Evangelion in miniature. Then again, given what the Supreme Commander had told her of him, it only made sense.

"Splendid! I would hate to end things on a poor note; we're all comrades, after all." He calmly strolled towards the soup pot sitting on the sidelines. "I hope you made enough; I'm sure you've gathered that nephilim have quite the appetite."

"Don't worry, I made plenty," reassured Shinji.

Mana snarled as she slowly got to her feet. Feh. That guy pisses me off.

xxxx

/November 10, 2015/

/Rooftop, Tokyo-3 Municipal Elementary School/

"…Mari-chan?"

"Yeah?"

"You sure this is a good idea?"

Mari Langley-Sohryu snorted at Ai Suzuhara's uncertain tone. "And I thought you were the brave one."

"Back off, gaijin! I'm just trying to be the mature one!"

"You saying I'm not mature?!"

"Kinda goes without saying!"

Nozomi Horaki suddenly piped in. "I think it'll be fun, Ai-chan!"

Ai paled. "Eh…you sure, Nozomi-chan…?"

"Yeah! I mean, Randall won't let anything bad happen to us!" She looked up at the massive mecha-bound cat, easily double their height. "Right?"

Randall used its gargantuan hand to type into the little keyboard on its left forearm. "LITTLE RED LADY TOLD ME THERE WOULD BE CATNIP."

Ai shivered at the robotic voice coming from the cat-robot-mecha-giant-thing. For as long as she could remember, rumor had abounded of the robotic cat that treated Tokyo-3 like a giant playhouse. Up to this point, the closest she had ever been to this strange beast was from afar,
usually while it was leaping between skyscrapers. It was strangely unnerving to be this close.

"I know, katze! It'll be at my apartment." Technically Misato Katsuragi's apartment, but their apartments were connected now anyway. "I want to surprise my sister by getting there before she does!"

"If this ends up killing me, Ji's gonna be so angry at you."

Nozomi smiled at Ai. "I think we'll be just fine."

"You're just saying that because you like cats, Nozomi-chan."

The pigtailed girl tittered girlishly. "I know, but still!"

Mari grinned, leering devilishly at the two young girls that she had come to call 'friends' without any reservations. "Well, no time like now! We've gotta live for the moment!" Just like her big sister. "Okay Randall, how are we going to do this?"

A number of thick straps extended from small slots on the front and back of his torso. "ONE IN FRONT, TWO ON BACK."

Several minutes later, the orange tabby peered curiously over the edge of the elementary school's rooftop; Mari was strapped to his front, while Ai and Nozomi were fastened side-by-side along the robotic shell's back. The German was grinning, Suzuhara was grimacing, and Horaki was giggling. "TIME TO PLAY." With a hiss of hydraulics, Randall was airborne.

"WOOO!"

"AAAH!"

"WEEE!"

And so ended another school day at Tokyo-3 Municipal Elementary.

xxxx

/Outside Tokyo-3 Municipal Junior High School/

Mayumi Yamagishi's ear twitched; she looked around, trying to identify the source of the sound. I though I heard Sohryu-san's little sister.

"You okay?"

Mayumi nodded in response to Ryo Sawamura's question. "Yes, I am. I just thought I heard something."

"Ah."

The two continued walking away from the school, passing by the various students that were departing after another Tuesday of school. The whole concept of 'gossip' was swiftly unveiling itself to Mayumi through exposure and experience; it wasn't something she cared to indulge
in, but she had no objection to listening.

As she and Sawamura-san exited the school yard, the lingering whispers and chatter of some of the other students were hard to ignore.

"Those two are always together, aren't they…?"

"They going out?"

"Maybe? They don't really do any lovey-dovey stuff…maybe they're just friends?"

"They're so quiet though…and her skin looks so unhealthy…"

"Guess even hikikomori's can find love."

Mayumi didn't bother to feel indignant about their ignorance. She preferred it that way; if they knew who she was as a person, then her identity as a nephilim – if she ever felt comfortable enough to reveal it – would be less of a stumbling block to acceptance.

It helped that Sawamura-san was a rather pleasant fellow. Sometimes, it seemed like he was content just to be near her; the feeling was mutual. It was an edifying realization: that one could feel a sense of completion just by being near someone.

"You ever wonder how Ayanami and Kirishima think?"

Mayumi turned towards Ryo. "Pardon?"

"I just sometimes wonder if their thoughts differ from ours."

The one caveat was that he seemed to have a wary disposition regarding nephilim, but that was secondary. That could be cured through experience. "I wouldn't know. I imagine that everyone's thoughts differ from yours, just as they would with mine."

"I suppose." The young man shrugged.

His easygoing nature was another point in his favor. "Do their physical abilities frighten you?"

"…I don't know. Maybe."

"Maybe?"

"It's just sort of unsettling to see them do things that no human can naturally do."

"…that's understandable." Case in point: just yesterday, Rei Ayanami had disciplined a serially tardy student from class 2-D by asking him to point out any tree on the school grounds. After the student had (confusedly) pointed to a large oak, the First Child had leveled it to the
ground with a single kick. Mayumi surmised that those authoritarian displays of power would be unsettling to the average person. "Even so, I don't think their thoughts are any different from ours."

"Hn."

Things proceeded like that for the next half-hour or so; an occasional comment or two, followed by vast tracts of silence as they enjoyed the scenery of Tokyo-3: the hustle and bustle of other people, moving about the technological jungle of steel and lights and concrete; a cohesive mass of thought and will and emotion, invariably distinct yet unified in their humanity.

Mayumi wondered if other people took for granted how gratifying it was to simply be.

The long walk together came to an end in time; Ryo waved lackadaisically over his shoulder as he crossed the road. Mayumi waved back before turning around, turning down another sidewalk that would lead back to her apartment complex.

A few minutes later, and Mayumi noticed a shadow trailing her. "I know you are having difficulty with this, sister."

Mana Kirishima grunted.

"Do you have anything personal against Sawamura-san?"

"Can't say that I do."

"So why the hostility?"

Mana didn't answer, settling for crossing her arms behind her head in a lackadaisical manner. The duo continued on like this for the next twenty minutes; when their apartment complex loomed in sight, the silver-haired nephilim finally spoke. "I'll kick his ass if he makes you cry.
Just putting that out there."

"…I appreciate it."

xxxx

/November 14, 2015/

/Hakone International Airport, Tokyo-3, Japan/

On the eastern slopes of Mt. Byobu – bordering the southeastern tip of Lake Ashi – a small airport terminal stood, with two long strips of tarmac running eastward for two miles. The majority of the aircraft that used it were military, using it as a means to ferry supplies and cargo that were too sensitive to arrive by rail or auto.

In this case, the cargo was the Mark 06, secured into a YC-49.

"And so my time here has come to an end." Kaworu Nagisa turned around, looking calmly at his escorts. "At least, for the time being."

Lieutenant Colonel Katsuragi stood quietly alongside Rei, Shinji, Asuka, Mana, and Mayumi. The temporary transfer of the Mark 06 to NERV-1's command had finally been revoked by the Instrumentality Committee; the Japanese government was all too eager for the Fourth Child
and his Evangelion to return to Germany. "Your help here was appreciated."

Kaworu's smile remained calm; the lady's discomfort with him was easy to see.

Kaworu Nagisa remained calm as he listened to Dr. Akagi explaining the results of the sync tests. "A simultaneous test in the simulation bodies has yielded some useful data; even so, though we've had the records from NERV-2 as a reference, it's different to see in person." The blonde's eyebrow twitched. "Like the difference between watching a pornographic film and a porno in person! HOOHOHOHOHOHO!"

The scientist's ranting didn't really concern Kaworu all that much; he supposed it was to be expected, given that his sync ratio with the simulated data of Unit-00, Unit-01, and Unit-02 were leaps and bounds higher than those of the actual Pilots, if not quite up to par with his
numbers for the Mark 06. He glanced to the doctor's side; Lieutenant Colonel Katsuragi had quite the stern expression. "Does my prowess frighten you, Miss Katsuragi?"

Katsuragi didn't answer.

To be fair, it wasn't the first time his abilities had frightened one of the Lilim. "And your hospitality was appreciated." His movements had been quite limited; there was no way the Supreme Commander of NERV-1 would let him roam freely. Still, the city itself had provided an
interesting change of pace from Berlin-2.

"How long will you continue to follow me, Miss Kirishima?" Kaworu's words prompted Mana to come into open view; the two nephilim stood on one of the old nature trails that looped around Lake Ashi. "Do I fascinate you that much?"

Mana sneered. "You flatter yourself too much."

"Then why follow me?"

"Do I need a reason?"

"I was under the impression that most people need a reason to do anything. Are you different in that regard?"

Mana stared, her red eyes flickering with a mixture of suspicion and annoyance. Finally, she answered, "You're one to talk." She turned on her heel and walked away; Kaworu smiled enigmatically before continuing his stroll.

"It was a very revealing experience for me."

Rei Ayanami stared at the moon, pondering something; she had been in the middle of a brief exercise run through the downtown area – leaping from rooftop to rooftop in a single bound – when the view of the waxing crescent caught her attention. "…you seem persistent in
following me."

"There are many that I follow, Miss Ayanami."

The First Child visibly resisted facing him; Kaworu Nagisa came to a stop alongside her, peering over the edge of the skyscraper. "Do the heavens fascinate you?"

"…why do you ask?"

"The same reason that any question is asked: for an answer. For knowledge. For understanding." He looked down, eyes darting to and fro from the populace walking far below; in the waning twilight, the lights of the city began to overwhelm any fine details that could be
ascertained. "Do you ever ask a question, seeking something other than an answer?"

Rei Ayanami did not reply.

Kaworu smiled, finally focusing on something of interest: an open ramen stand. In particular, he focused on Miss Yamagishi and Mister Sawamura, quietly eating dinner there. A date? A casual meal between friends? "Tell me Miss Ayanami, do you believe that the heavens
complement this land? That one without the other would have less meaning?" He turned towards her, peering intently at the blue-haired nephilim. "Do you desire that same sort of complementation?"

"I know what you are." The Fourth Child paused as the First gazed at him, her face possessing a deadly countenance. "I know precisely what 'complementation' you seek. I know what answer you desire, and you will not find it here."

Kaworu blinked. Then he chuckled. It seemed that even nephilim weren't immune to the idiosyncrasies of the Lilim. "You say such things knowing full well that your life would be forfeit if you tried anything…to even possess such knowledge is surprising. Someone must place a high degree of trust in you…or is the other way around?"

"Please state your point. For all the power you have shown, you are not in an Evangelion; any action taken against me will have severe consequences."

"Now why would I do such a thing?" He turned on his heel and walked away, leaving one last message for the stern young woman. "The living are easier to understand than the dead."

His gaze fell upon Shinji Ikari and Asuka Langley-Sohryu. "It was good to see you again Miss Sohryu. And it was a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Shinji Ikari."

Kaworu Nagisa smiled at Mari Langley-Sohryu. "Do you still dislike me, little Mari?"

The younger of the Langley-Sohryus pouted, hiding behind Asuka. "Don't call me little…"

"And that's how we trained to defeat the Seventh Angel!" finished explaining Asuka, purposefully ignoring Mari's distaste for Kaworu. It was merely a resumption of their old relationship from Germany, which meant it was a-ok! "So, how is Papa doing? Whenever I call, he always says he's doing fine, but be honest: is he being a big worrywart?"

"He often speaks of his concern, yes."

The redhead sighed. "Ugh, I knew vater was holding back…guess I'll have to give him a lesson on honesty again!"

"From my understanding, he simply does not want to worry you."

"But if I know he's not happy, how's that supposed to make me feel? If we're defeating the Angels, if we're surviving, if we're living…isn't that enough for him to be happy?"

"Perhaps fathers are not complete without their children being near." A thought he had often pondered; wherever SEELE had imprisoned ADAM, did his [Creator/Father/Source] think? Ponder? Wonder? In utter isolation, did ADAM contemplate his missing [pieces/partitions/essences]?

"But all children become adults eventually, if they live that long."

Mari suddenly piped up. "Like little birdies learning to fly!"

"That's right, meine Schwester." She looked back at Kaworu. "We all leave the nest eventually."

Kaworu wondered what that would be like: to become independent of that which had given him power, given him thought, given him life. It was an utterly alien concept, and one that he couldn't help but marvel the Lilim for. He smiled at Asuka, two parts mysterious and one part
joyful. "Speaking with you again, I am only reminded of why NERV-2 is less interesting now."

Asuka beamed, and Mari harrumphed. The little girl stomped away, joining one Ryoji Kaji on the living room couch. The nephilim directed a sly glance at the Inspector, who had a grim expression his face; Hikari Kirishima and her daughters were running drills in the Jet Alone, Miss
Katsuragi was out at a bar with some old colleagues, and Miss Ayanami was undertaking some task within the bowels of the Geofront. It seemed that Mister Kaji was disinclined to leave Mister Langley's daughters out of sight while the Fourth Child was in Tokyo-3. What a
paranoid individual. What a striking contrast with Miss Sohryu.

It was at this point that the strings of a cello echoed through the apartment, carrying a somewhat familiar tune. Kaworu Nagisa thought back to his times at the Lorenz Estate, to the countless functions and galas hosted there, to the music that would often be played for those that tried to curry favor with the Chairman of the Instrumentality Committee. "Hmm. The Prelude of the first suite in G Major, by Johann Bach."

"Ah, that's right! With all the craziness of the Angel War, Shinji didn't join a school club until recently!" She looked over her shoulder; the sounds were emanating from the Mana-induced hole in the wall that now joined Misato Katsuragi's apartment with theirs. "His cousin actually shipped his old cello here!"

There was a note of hesitance to the music, a sense of uncertainty due to being out of practice. Nevertheless, Kaworu could detect the skill of long practice in that sound. "It seems he joined the Music Club."

"Yep!"

Kaworu got to his feet, letting his soul delight in the tones and the chords. "Would a dance be appropriate for the occasion, Miss Sohryu?"

The redhead blinked. Then she smiled back, standing up from the table and giving him an old-fashioned curtsy in her yellow sundress. "If you insist, fancypants!"

In part, Kaworu was doing this only to catalogue the reactions of the Inspector and Asuka's little sister. Truth be told, given what he had learned of Lilim culture, spontaneously dancing to music was an acceptable reaction to the feeling of joy. So why not indulge?

So under the watchful eyes of the Langley-Sohryus' guardian and the poignant embrace of Shinji's music, nephilim and woman waltzed.

"Just don't be a stranger," said Asuka. "And tell your sister to lighten up for me!"

"And maybe we'll see each other again," added Shinji. "In better circumstances, I mean."

Kaworu smiled; the Third Child's interest was apparent. It was inevitable, he supposed: surrounded by young women, there was no male compatriot with which to bond over Eva, to bond over his experiences as a Pilot. "Perhaps." He turned around and walked away, waving
calmly with one hand. As he was escorted onto the YC-49 by NERV-2 personnel, another stray memory came to mind.

In the desert. With a caravan, encamped for the evening. A multitude of Lilim surrounded a bonfire, dancing to the strings of the barbat and the winds of the zurna. Even sitting down, he felt a compulsion to join them. Against his better judgment, as thought by a divine act of will, his fingers tapped along with the beat.

A familiar setting with no context. A memory without sense.

Yet, somehow, Kaworu Nagisa couldn't help but wonder if this was ADAM's way of showing His own appreciation for the music of the Lilim.

xxxx

/November 23, 2015/

/Ritsuko Akagi's Laboratory, NERV-1, Tokyo-3/

Even on Labor Thanksgiving Day, NERV kept on working.

Miyata Ibuki grunted, physically straining to heft a large cylindrical apparatus into a specialized computer terminal; electricity hummed through integrated circuits as the male Ibuki wiped some sweat from his brow. "Finally." He turned around, shouting past a row of servers.
"SIS! The last module's been connected!"

"Took you long enough!"

"You've only been doing the coding while I've been doing the physical fabrication! Your butt's going to get flabby if you don't do some exercise!"

"OY!" echoed the voice of Ritsuko Akagi from within a monolithic machine; cone-shaped and bulbous, it narrowed to a point over a small reclining chair, where a headset rested. The blonde poked her head out of a panel on the machine, yelling, "Don't insult your sister's ass! You
might as well be insulting yours! I will not tolerate self-loathing from my flunkies: THAT'S MY JOB!"

"Thank you senpai!"

"Shut up Maya, I wasn't talking to you!" With a theatrical slam, Dr. Akagi delved back into the bowels of the contraption.

The Ibuki Twins sighed; Miyata wandered over to Maya's terminal, her fingers flying over the keyboard. Beside her crowded workstation – littered with programming reference manuals and tiny action figures – was a small television monitor, showing a closed channel feed of
NERV-related programming selected by the MAGI. Right now, the most recent propaganda video for the Angel War was playing.

"There are monsters to be found in the oddest of places," narrated Gendo Ikari; the scene was of Mt. Asama, smoke gently wafting up from the vent. An idyllic scene, in an odd way: one that was shattered when the Eighth Angel erupted from the volcano, an oddly nostalgic roar –
"WRRRRRRYYY!" – echoing over the footage. "To face them in realms where no man can tread, we must use our own monsters." The footage backed away from the Eighth Angel; at the forefront, a colossal reptilian foot stomped from off-screen.

"Still can't believe the Supreme Commander had the tinh hoàn to use Gojira," murmured Miyata.

Maya lightly thwacked her brother on the arm, still coding away. "It's not like there's any legal ramifications. Since Toho went bankrupt during Second Impact, the big guy's public domain."

"And by 'bankrupt' you mean 'perished in Tokyo's nuclear fire'?" Miyata winced as Maya thwacked him again.

The footage on the monitor panned over the beast: dark scaly skin and a muscular build, with serrated fins and a long, powerful tail. It paused over the iconic face: a bearish snout with beady eyes and razor-sharp teeth. His nostrils visibly flared, and his torso expanded before
letting loose the legendary roar. "SKREEEEEEEEEEEEONK!"

"Step aside, King of the Monsters," narrated Gendo. "Your assistance is not needed here."

A twinkle could be seen in the sky behind Gojira; the scene suddenly had a dramatic zoom-in, showcasing the Mark 06 falling from the sky feet first! With a cataclysmic blow, the Mark 06 colony-dropped onto the Eighth Angel, pulverizing it. Out of the ensuing cloud of dust stepped the silver Evangelion, letting loose a mighty roar of its own. "GYOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Gojira growled, staring down the Mark 06. The Evangelion stepped forward, staring menacingly at the mighty monster.

Then, there was a dramatic close-up of Gojira's face. The King of the Monsters snarled as he bent his biceps, flexing his pecs in tandem. Then a dramatic cutaway to the Mark 06's face, which panned out as the Evangelion pumped its guns, likewise 'flexing' its armored pecs. Then the dual beasts grasped their hands, bishounen sparkles of manliness twinkling around them. The logo for NERV appeared in the sky above them, with the subtitle reading 'FIRST: THE ANGELS. NEXT UP: KAIJU.'

Miyata arched an eyebrow. "Can't really imagine the Fourth Child going all bodybuilder like that."

"I don't know…can you imagine?" asked Maya.

The Ibuki Twins imagined Kaworu Nagisa as a buffed-up bodybuilder. Then they laughed.

"NO LAUGHING UNTIL YOU CAN DO IT AS GOOD AS ME! BOHOHOHOHOHOHO!"

The Ibuki Twins sighed in unison. Moments later, Maya pressed the 'Enter' key. "Okay senpai, I'm done on my end! The Virtual Compiler is ready!"

"Good!" Dr. Akagi pulled herself out of the massive machine, clambering down its side; dropping beside the reclining seat, she grabbed the headset in both hands. If one looked close enough, they could see specially carved pieces of the Fifth Angel's crystalline body woven into it. "Now…we test!"

That's when the familiar klaxons sounded.

"…we test later!" Dr. Akagi grumbled as she readjusted her white coat; these Angels were awfully inconsiderate.

xxxx

/Low Earth Orbit/

The Heaven's Eye cult would find the Ninth Angel quite…eye-catching.

A great green eye, rimmed in yellow. Orange appendages stretched from it like pseudopods, looking like thin three-fingered hands. The most notable aspect was its size: the creature was two miles long from tip to tip, gargantuan and alien.

A small – relatively speaking, given that it was the size of an apartment complex – orb began to bud from one of the fingers, popping silently away from the body. It streaked down towards the planet, brushing through air and cloud until impact occurred. Water flashed to steam from
the sheer kinetic energy, and a tidal wave rushed out in every direction.

If the Angel had a face, it would have frowned. Every part of its body was capable of sensing and relaying information; that orb had been severely off-course. RECALCULATING.

Another orb dropped. Once more, it fell into the ocean. RECALCULATING.

[INDECIPHERABLE], boomed a voice like thunder. YOU HAVE [AWOKEN/RISEN/MANIFESTED].

YES. I AM SAHAQUIEL. Another orb fell. This one fell into shallower water. RECALCULATING.

You are in a unique [position/function], Sahaquiel. What are your [intentions/plans/desires]?

MY [MIND/ESSENCE/SOUL] IS OPEN TO YOU. YOU SHOULD KNOW.

Tabris's apprehension was palpable. I seek [clarification/understanding/enlightenment]; what I see of you is…disconcerting.

EXPLAIN. Another orb. Finally, landfall; sand and sediment erupted in a ferocious explosion. RECALCULATING.

YOU INTEND TO DESTROY THE BLACK MOON, roared Zeruel. THIS IS NOT WHAT WE ARE IN [AGREEMENT/CONSENSUS/UNITY] ON!

THAT IS YOUR [BELIEF/DESIRE/DREAM]. NOT MINE.

But you would [annihilate/extinguish/sunder] LILITH! She is the key to our [Creator/Father/Source]!

I DISAGREE. A pair of manmade satellites came close to Sahaquiel's form; it detected that they were analyzing its body. With a brief extension of its AT-Field, the two satellites were [blinded/deafened/muted]. LILITH IS UNNECESSARY.

YOUR CLAIM IS [UNFOUNDED/LUDICROUS/INSANE]!

Although LILITH is [opposed/contrary/alien] to ADAM, they have been on this planet for eons. She is our surest method!

YOU ACT CAUTIOUSLY WHEN IT IS UNWARRANTED. The next orb leveled a mountain. RECALCULATING. IF WE WERE TO SIMPLY DESTROY EVERYTHING, WHAT LILIM WOULD STAND AGAINST US? Another orb; this time, a lake was vaporized. RECALCULATING.

So that is your method? Simple destruction?

ALTHOUGH [APPEALING/GRATIFYING/ENJOYABLE], IT IS NOT WHAT HAS BEEN DECIDED!

WHY FEIGN SURPRISE? Not land this time, but sea; still, it was closer to the Black Moon than the last one. RECALCULATING. The rotation and orbital mechanics of the planet were slowly becoming clearer. YOU HAVED ALREADY ENCOUNTERED [EQUALS/SIBLINGS/KIN] THAT HAVE
CHOSEN A DIFFERENT PATH.

The anxiety and sadness of Tabris plunged the ether into an icy void, empty of all sensation save sorrow. But it should not be this way! To be [separated/opposed/apart]; it is unnatural!

OUR [CREATOR/FATHER/SOURCE] HAD A NATURE OF MANY FACES. I EMBODY HIS REALITY AS A DESTROYER. A swarm of projectiles approached, simmering with potential energy; however, they did little more than blossom into fire and light against its AT-Field. SO I SHALL STAY [TRUE/FAITHFUL/EQUAL] TO THAT NATURE AND DESTROY! The next orb bombed another shoreline, closer still. RECALCULATING.

xxxx

/Operations Deck, NERV-1, Tokyo-3/

"Looks like a charmer," muttered Misato Katsuragi. The last available image that had been captured of the Ninth Angel dominated the displays.

"It's been utilizing its AT-Field to drop parts of itself, like kinetically-charged bombs," explained Ritsuko. The displays showed satellite images of the impact sites; starting in the Pacific Ocean, eventually making landfall on Japan's Boso Peninsula. The line of craters then led to Tokyo
Bay, before appearing on the mainland once more. "As you can see, we most definitely have a trend; it seems to be using these bombs to align itself. The MAGI believe that it will be in line to attack Tokyo-3 in about four hours."

"We'll be able to defend Tokyo-3 from that level of bombardment with the combined AT-Fields of Units-00, 01, and 02," said Fuyutsuki. "I doubt that its final method of attack will be this lightweight."

"Give the man a million dollars!" crowed the blonde. "The MAGI predict that the Angel will drop itself. Given the established correlation between projectile size and energy density, an impact of the magnitude will annihilate the majority of Kanagawa, much less the Geofront."

"Then begin the evacuation proceedings," ordered Gendo Ikari. "No need for unwarranted risk."

Misato nodded. "Yes sir. HYUGA! Get on it!"

"Roger, ma'am!"

"We'll need a plan to stop it," said the Operations Director, her mind spinning and revolving around ideas and schemes. "Hmm…perhaps…using the AT-Fields to catch it?"

"I beg your pardon?" asked Fuyutsuki, an incredulous look on his face.

"The N2 warheads weren't effective." As Katsuragi spoke, her eyes focused on a long-distance shot of explosions occurring in open space before ever reaching the Angel. "A concentrated missile barrage from the Japanese, Chinese, Russian, German, and American militaries
couldn't even scratch it. The AT-Field of the Evas is our only method of stopping it."

"You're asking for quite a lot, Lieutenant Colonel," said the Supreme Commander. "Do you have that much faith in the power of the AT-Field?"

Misato smirked. "Sir, yes sir!"

"Faith doesn't have to be the only thing we rely on."

Everyone turned towards Shiro Tokita, who had been standing silently during the whole proceedings. Though he wasn't part of the chain of command, he was free to observe the Operations Deck per Gendo Ikari's orders, 'as a professional courtesy due to NERV's usage of the JET ALONE Project'. "All works of man, be they for faith or reason, should be done with nothing less than all we've got…"

"Do you mind elaborating, Tokita-san?"

Tokita turned towards Fuyutsuki, a devil-may-care grin on his face. "Don't forget about the Jet Alone and its Kleinium cores." He let that sink for a few moments; his grin widened as comprehension dawned on the faces of Katsuragi, Akagi, and Fuyutsuki. "Exactly: we can also take the fight to the Angel! All we have to do…"

xxxx

/One Hour Later/

/Operations Deck, NERV-1, Tokyo-3/

"…is fly up to it?!" exclaimed Shinji Ikari.

"Yes; with the aid of the Kleinium cores in the Burning Gundam, Unit-01 will ascend into low Earth orbit with a contingent of Defender Gundams," explained Misato Katsuragi to the Pilots. "Unit-00 and Unit-02 will remain planet-side to halt the Angel's descent with their AT-Fields."

Mana Kirishima grinned. "Interesting. I like it!"

"The objective of Operation Shop Till' You Colony Drop will be for our first contact team to destroy the Angel before it makes landfall." At the befuddled looks on the Pilots' faces, Misato sighed. "We were going to call it Operation Fly Me to the Moon, but the Supreme Commander
overruled it."

"Because we're clearly not flying to the Moon, Lieutenant Colonel," admonished Gendo, sounding entirely too serious for such a silly name.

Shinji Ikari could only groan as Mana and Asuka snickered under their breaths.

"Why are you laughing?" asked Rei Ayanami.

"We'll tell you later," said Asuka.

"Where is the Angel going to land?" asked Mayumi.

"Unfortunately, the Angel decided to metaphysically shank our eyes in the sky. Metaphorically speaking. Which is the best kind of meta!" Dr. Akagi turned towards the displays, showcasing two circles overlapping Tokyo-3 from the north and the west, each one twenty miles in
diameter. "We assume somewhere in the vicinity of Tokyo-3, judging by its current bombing pattern. That's why Units-00 and 02 will be deployed in these circles so as to maximize your chance to intercept."

"So we'll have to rely on line of sight," concluded Rei.

"Exactly." Misato Katsuragi grimaced, looking somewhat unsettled. "This operation is very risky; failure will mean our deaths. Do you understand this?"

"…well, hasn't that always been the case?" Shinji blinked as all eyes turned towards him. "The Angels have been seeking the Sword of Uriel that we keep locked away in here. If the Angels get a hold of it, Third Impact will happen. We'd be as good as dead anyway, wouldn't it?"

The Pilots and the Command Staff looked at each other, acknowledging the truth of those words. In a way, the battles against the Angels had been with their backs against the proverbial wall; after all, what could stop an Angel if Eva could not? Nothing: the end of the world would
have been a guarantee. A sobering reminder then, of the stakes involved.

Leave it to Professor Ikari to puncture the mood.

"Minus two points for underestimating man's ability to survive the unthinkable." Gendo suddenly smirked. "Plus three for a rousing speech that was simultaneously efficient."

Everyone blinked.

"If failure is unacceptable, then your only choice is victory." He suddenly stood, cloak billowing with the movement. With the subtlest shifts of posture, he exuded authority, poise, and sheer masculine vigor. "The Angel will die, and we will live!" He pumped his fist for emphasis. "Is
that understood?"

At those words, every person within earshot couldn't help but respond. Even Shiro Tokita. "YES SIR!"

xxxx

/En Route to Eva Cages, NERV-1, Tokyo-3/

Three Evangelion Pilots stood side-by-side as the caged elevator ascended. Clad in their Plug Suits, their minds now turned to the upcoming operation.

Asuka nearly snorted. "Shop till' you colony drop…your dad is funny."

"…there are times I wish he wasn't," admitted Shinji. "But it sure lightened the mood."

"Professor Ikari is a very charismatic individual," said Rei. "It's why he can get away with being so unorthodox."

'Unorthodox' was an extremely kind word to use. Still, it was undeniable that, well, sometimes…his father could be pretty cool. "I wonder…if that's one of the things that my mother liked about him."

"Ah, tales of parental romance! An inspiration for generations to follow!" exclaimed the redhead. "My own vater and mutter were so innocently in love; they told me that it was practically a childhood love story!"

"Does…it sometimes feel like your mother is trying to talk to you? From Unit-02, I mean?"

The Second Child glanced at the Third, a knowing look in her eyes. "You too, huh?" Her smile became melancholy. "I can feel these…impressions, sometimes. Almost like words."

"…yeah." There was always that aura of maternal protection that came with piloting Unit-01; sometimes, however, he sometimes perceived something more concrete than that. How whole was his mother's soul, bound within the otherworldly presence of Eva? Come to think of it…
who was bound into Unit-00? "Ayanami-san?"

"Yes?"

"…whose soul is inside your Eva?"

Rei seemed to pause; moments passed in silence, before her distant gaze fell upon him. "An unfortunate existence, gripped by pain: there was a time when Unit-00 hated me."

Shinji stared, trying to comprehend the notion. It explained why her sync ratio had never quite reached the heights that he and Asuka had achieved…but why? "You once told me that to move the Eva, you must open your heart to it. How can you open your heart to someone that
hates you?"

"Because it was needed. Because hatred can make for a stronger connection than indifference. Because to hate, you must be capable of love." The blunette turned away, looking beyond the caged partition towards the three Evangelions. "It has gotten better. Unit-00…tolerates
me, now."

The Second and Third Children looked at the First, marveling at the conviction it took to deal with that for years. "I…can't even imagine piloting Eva if my mother hated me," murmured Asuka.

"...you're really strong, Ayanami-san," admitted Shinji.

"I am strong because there is no alternative."

xxxx

/Jet Alone Facility, Tokyo-3, Japan/

Mana Kirishima rotated her arms, stretching her black bodysuit to its limits. "So. Space."

"I'm actually kind of excited," said Mayumi Yamagishi, blue hair standing stark against her white bodysuit. "We did some proof of concept tests with the Jet Alone at high altitudes and in artificial vacuum, but we've never been to space!"

Hikari Kirishima couldn't help but smile at the blunette's enthusiasm; it was strange to see her exhibit such gusto. "I never knew that outer space fascinated you so."

"Well…" Mayumi looked upward, visualizing the infinite cosmos. "For all the differences that exist between people, we all look the same from far enough away. Could an outsider tell the difference between man and nephilim, if they looked upon the Earth from far away?"

Mana's face soured. "Feh, you sure have a knack for ruining the moment. You don't have to wax philosophical; just say that going to space would be awesome, that's all you have to say!"

Mayumi frowned. "I was being serious, sister."

"So was I!"

Hikari shook her head; so opposed in some stark ways, yet she knew they were practically inseparable. "You two…" She sighed, mulling over the proposed plan (and inwardly snarling; Operation Shop Till' You Colony Drop?! What kind of-?!). "…I can't say how the Angel will react
when you commence the attack. If things start to look hairy…I want you to retreat."

Mana and Mayumi boggled. "What?! You getting weak in the knees?" exclaimed the former.

Hikari placed her hands on their shoulders, partially balancing herself on them. It was ludicrous how sturdy they felt; they didn't even budge from her weight. "As your overseer, I'm obligated to order you to succeed. As with any mission for the JSSDF, failure is not an option." That
was always the line given to the agents of Nephilim Oversight; nephilim were superhuman, so what was their excuse? "But as your mother…I want you to live." She looked directly into their eyes. "Success is good, but it can't be enjoyed if you're dead."

Mana snorted. "Don't be such a killjoy. We're going to kick that Angel's high-flying ass and be back in time for dinner."

"We'll be fine, mother," reassured Mayumi.

Hikari stepped back as her two daughters finished their preparations. I know you will.

xxxx

/Outside Tokyo-3 Municipal Junior High School/

"INTO HELICOPTER! GO, GO, GO!" bellowed Aleksander Kasparov, his heavy hands gesturing towards the open hatch of the massive Raiju transport VTOL. With an internal carrying capacity of up to two hundred people, the beastly aircraft was the JSSDF's primary method of
ferrying soldiers in and out of combat zones.

In a pinch, they made for a decent evacuation method.

"Ye hae ta hurry up, laddies and lassies!" yelled Tavish DeGroot. "I dun think ye want ta donner your way out!"

A certain segment of the population of Tokyo-3 had been mandated to head to particular areas to be evacuated by aerial transport; Tokyo-3 Municipal Junior High was one such area. The large field outside the school and its closeness to public transport made it an ideal evacuation
nexus.

Tommy Patrick finished circling the field, lithe legs pumping quickly. "Yo, eagle-eyes!" he said into an earpiece. "We only have one more Raiju incoming!"

"The last of the stragglers are showing up now; no other evacuees are reporting," answered David Lowrie from his vantage point on the rooftop. "And damn it all, its hawkeye! Hawkeye!"

"Whatever, cat's eye!"

"HURRY UP, MAGGOTS!" roared John Doe. "THIS ISN'T THE TIME TO LOLLYGAG OR TIPTOE!"

"Mmph MMmmm mmph MMMMmm ," droned Shinobu Heisen.

"I KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING!"

On the outskirts of the field, Dell Conagher walked up towards Ludwigg Riemann with toolbox in hand. "Just did a quick check on these babies. They're ready to go."

"Zat is good, zat is good." The Biology teacher looked at the mass of humanity leaving on aerial transports, acting out a surreal rhyme with the past. "It iss like Toovoomba."

Dell chucked grimly. "Toowoomba; forgot that's where you were when everything went to hell."

"This world has been a hell since Second Impact." The two turned towards the most mysterious member of Misato's Team, still in his guise as Henshin Obimura. "Despite the veneer of civilization, we still remember what it means to survive at all costs." As the last Raiju took to the air, the Spy pulled out a phone and dialed a particular number. "Boss?"

"Go ahead."

"The evacuation in our sector is complete."

"Good. The rest of you: get out of here."

The Frenchman chuckled. "Ah, our dear Boss wants us to run away!" Dell and Riemann laughed at his words. "No; you brought us here from Australia. It would be ungentlemanly to leave you now."

xxxx

/Restroom, NERV-1, Tokyo-3/

"…you guys are too much," murmured Misato, clicking her flip-phone shut.

"Your little team being a bunch of stubborn boys?" joked Ritsuko Akagi, her small cigarette wafting a thin trail of smoke.

The Lieutenant Colonel let water pool into her hands before splashing her face. "Of course." She rubbed her skin vigorously, trying to shake off the strange feelings gripping her. "And I'm their stubborn leader."

Dr. Akagi smirked. "Your little harem~!"

"You're one to talk, Miss Twins~!"

The two old friends looked at each other, before laughing in the way that old friends are wont to do. The blonde stopped first, her mind already recalling the probabilities involved with this whole operation. "This whole plan is insane. And I should know."

"At least it's not solely my plan." There would've been quite a bit more consternation and opposition had the Supreme Commander and the Sub-Director not been there to voice their approval. "And honestly…I know that those kids can pull it off."

"You have that much faith in Eva?"

The Supreme Commander had asked her a similar question about the AT-Field. "Not just Eva…actually, despite how I answered the Professor, faith doesn't have anything to do with it." Four wings of amber light, signaling the death of Antarctica at the hands of the First Angel. Unit-00
and Unit-01, warding off the explosive death rattle of the Fifth Angel. Unit-02 emerging from the ocean depths, soaring into the sky in a single bound to strike down the Sixth Angel. Finally, and most recently, the Mark 06 emerging unscathed from a volcano. Very visual exhibitions of
the AT-Field, every single one. "I've seen the power of the AT-Field. It can do the impossible."

xxxx

T-minus five minutes until Operation Shop Till' You Colony Drop.

Unit-00 was stationed just south of Mt. Fuji, right beside National Route 469. "Unit-00, standing by."

Unit-02 was stationed at the southern shore of Lake Tanzawa, by the Miho Dam. "Unit-02, bereit!"

Unit-01 stood atop Mt. Hakone, a makeshift harness on its back that had been cannibalized from the battery pack of the M-Type equipment. The Burning Jet was latched onto this harness, having utilized the Modular Technology to create a set of clasps and hooks for this purpose. On the legs of Unit-01 were detachable metal beams, each beam bearing seven Defender Gundams and small telecommunications pods. At the moment, the Evangelion was in Diagnostic Mode to minimize power consumption. "Unit-01, ready."

Inside the cockpit of the Burning Jet, Mana and Mayumi sat in the frame of the Mobile Trace System, suspended in the liquid gel solution. The blunette's fingers trailed over the waterproof computer terminals, monitoring the negative charge going to the Kleinium cores. "Freeman
device is set to operational parameters."

Mana grinned at the animatic on her screen, showcasing a giant arrow arching into the upper atmosphere; the flight plan provided to them by the MAGI was all set. "Burning Jet, ready to go!"

Deep within NERV-1, Pen-Pen sat in his specialized compartment, attached to the P2 System that controlled the Defender Gundams. Right now, his focus was solely on the mecha attached to Unit-01. "Wark."

In the Operations Deck, everyone was abuzz in preparation for the operation. "All systems are a go," said Misato Katsuragi. "Rei, Asuka: we're anticipating that our surveillance blackout will end when Unit-01 nullifies the Angel's AT-Field, so be ready for an immediate course correction."

"Understood, Lieutenant Colonel."

"Jawohl, Kommandant!"

"Shinji, the moment the Angel is within range, switch out of Diagnostic Mode."

"Yes ma'am!"

"Most recent bombing is within Minamiashigara," interrupted Shiori Aoba. "Iwahara, Numata, and Kitanokubo districts have been annihilated."

"Casualties unknown," said Makoto Hyuga. "MAGI are predicting that the Angel will soon begin its final descent!"

The Operations Director turned on her heel, looking up towards the Supreme Commander. "We're ready whenever you are, sir."

Gendo Ikari stood, peering over the room with a determined gaze. "Then let us seize the moment." In a practiced movement, his right hand thrust forward and his cloak billowed out. "COMMENCE OPERATION!"

xxxx

The Burning Jet's thrusters flared; slowly, carefully, for within the reduced gravitational field induced by the Kleinium, the slightest nudge in any direction would result in an uncontrollable lunge and spin. The onboard computer systems of the Burning Jet took in this sensory
information, received updates from the MAGI, and compensated on the fly. In a matter of seconds, the engines went full-tilt, and Unit-01 flew into the sky at a speed far faster than any rocket, shattering the sound barrier in an instant.

At the same time, Unit-00 and Unit-02 jettisoned their umbilical cables, leaving the mobile power generators behind as they took off running towards Tokyo-3. The Evangelions' eyes were kept to the cloudy sky, trying to determine the location of the Ninth Angel by sight. Their
footsteps echoed like thunder, and the earth trembled in their wake.

As Unit-01 broke through the stratosphere, one of the telecommunications pods jettisoned from the thick beams on its legs. As the Evangelion continued its ascent, a sturdy balloon emerged from the pod: a small box rife with wires and antenna.

"The first pod has activated! P2 System signal integrity is at ninety-eight-point-two percent!" said the voice of Miyata Ibuki. It was a strange sensation for Shinji Ikari: without the force of Earth's gravity to fight against, the acceleration from the Burning Jet was downright ludicrous.
He was thankful for Diagnostic mode: had he been operating in Standard mode, the unfamiliar sensations would have been supremely disorienting. As he crossed into mesosphere, the second pod jettisoned.

Planetside, Unit-00 and Unit-02 continued their run. The blue cyclops vaulted over a set of power lines; the red Evangelion leapt over a ridge, curling into a ball and twisting to land acrobatically on its feet in the midst of an old field. The earth shook with each step, the sheer force mitigated only by subtle use of the AT-Field.

At NERV-1's Operations Deck, the command staff watched the operation unfold on the massive displays. "We've received a line-of-sight confirmation from the Kitami Observatory in Hokkaido; the Angel is now entering the exosphere!" exclaimed Makoto Hyuga.

"The fourth pod has just activated; signal integrity is at ninety-six-point-one percent!"

Right as Miyata spoke, the displays transitioned to the view from Unit-01's helmet; the massive Angel was now in view, an orange mote against the darkening blue. "Angel is in sight! The MAGI are sending an updated flight pattern to the Burning Jet!" said Maya.

Misato Katsuragi stared grimly; there was no telling what would happen when Unit-01 made contact.

High in the sky, barreling past the thermosphere and into the exosphere, Unit-01 and the Burning Jet neared the Ninth Angel. "Switching to Standard Mode!" The systems of the Evangelion flared to life, and the power meter read four minutes and thirty-five seconds. Shinji
immediately grit his teeth; the chill of the upper atmosphere seeped into his skin, and he could feel the thin air brushing past him. The purple titan's eyes flared brightly, and it gripped the progressive machete affixed to its left bicep. "Engaging AT-Field!"

Orange light blossomed like a wall in front of the Ninth Angel; Unit-01 – progressive machete held forward – speared through it, sheer momentum aiding its attack. The Evangelion gripped the side of the Angel's flesh; at first contact, as per the plan, the charge to the Kleinium was ended, and the Burning Jet's thrusters ceased. Unit-01 slowly crawled along the gelatinous back of the Angel; the Burning Jet disengaged, transforming into the Burning Gundam. The fourteen Defender Gundams jettisoned, activating right as the metal beams detached from Unit-01's legs. With a vicious movement, the Evangelion began hacking into the Angel's flesh.

At that instant, orange orbs began to bead from the surface of the Angel, floating with purpose towards Unit-01.

They exploded before making contact, burst by gunfire from the Defender Gundams and arrows of plasma from the Burning Gundam. "We must protect Unit-01 until it exposes the core," said Mayumi, her focus entirely on the environmental readouts coming to her terminals. "Be careful, sister."

Mana chuckled, the Burning Gundam imitating her movements. "We're in space on the back of an Angel; not a time for being careful!"

The descent of the Ninth Angel suddenly increased, a desperate move in the face of their attack.

Back in NERV-1, Hyuga yelled, "Satellite communications are back online!"

Miyata monitored the P2 System religiously. "Signal integrity now back to ninety-nine percent!"

"The MAGI have calculated the Angel's target: Mount Ashigara!" said Maya. The peak was approximately three miles north-northwest of Mt. Hakone, still close enough for the Angel's collision to utterly annihilate the Geofront.

Aoba's fingers flew over her computer terminal. "Now relaying a detailed intercept path to Unit-00 and Unit-02!"

The Angel's descent was quite the sight for those who had the opportunity: a red comet, streaking towards the Earth. As it neared Mt. Ashigara, Unit-00 and Unit-02 thundered up its slopes, emitting their AT-Fields skyward.

A fierce sound – glass against glass, crashing thunder – erupted, the red and blue Evangelions holding the Angel up by sheer force of will.

From the back of the Angel's appendages, bright yellow light came forth, as though activating an internal engine. Unit-02 and Unit-00 faltered, the force of the Angel increasing manyfold. "Gah…you're a stubborn one! Hurry up, Shinji!" yelled Asuka.

Shinji didn't dare to respond, lest he lose focus. Get to the core. Slash. Get to the core. Rip. Get to the core! Tear.

From afar, one would see Mt. Ashigara and wonder at the sound and the fury, and marvel at a new sun emerging from the mountaintop. Lightning and energy crackled, sounding for all the world as heralds for the end of all. The Jet Alone and the Defender Gundams zoomed back
and forth, expertly defending Unit-01 as it continued gouging a bloody gash in the Angel.

Finally, a red core could be seen. Gripping the sides of the Angel's ragged flesh tightly, Shinji opened wide the wound. "Now!"

Mana grinned at the signal. "Okay! Here it comes!" The wings of the Burning Gundam flared open, and its thrusters burned brilliantly. "ERUPTING!" Its right hand glowed red as it soared upward. "BURNING!" Reorienting downwards, the Burning Gundam plummeted toward the core. "FINGER!" The twin claws on the vambrace pierced the core, and the hand emitted a burst of charged particles.

The core shattered.

All life in the Ninth Angel seemed to cease, its body visibly flagging to the ground. Unit-01 held its arms out as the Jet Alone and the Defender Gundams sought refuge within.

BOOM!

A massive explosion ensued, and the Angel vanished in fire.

Yet three AT-Fields flared brightly, giving way to three titans standing tall amidst the destruction.

xxxx

/Three Hours Later/

/Five Horn Matsumoto Parco, Tokyo-2, Japan/

There were advantages to being a part of NERV, mused Hikari Kirishima. Not five minutes after they had debriefed following the operation, Misato Katsuragi had whisked the Pilots away on a helicopter to Tokyo-2, the current capital of Japan (Hikari had tagged along, naturally).
Then the Lieutenant Colonel had turned towards her and asked for a restaurant recommendation.

So she had mentioned an Italian restaurant named Five Horn Matsumoto Parco, a place she had used to regularly visit back before Nephilim Oversight had assigned her girls to the JET ALONE Project.

It was surreal, coming back there now.

Misato Katsuragi had swiftly gotten them a nice table in a corner of the restaurant, and had told the Pilots to order whatever they wanted.

So much pasta and meat and salad and bread!

Shinji Ikari was a polite eater, as was Asuka Langley-Sohryu for the most part. Rei Ayanami and Mayumi were fast eaters, but still relatively neat. Mana, on the other hand? "Please cut the steak before eating it," said Hikari.

"But I can chew through the whole thing in like ten seconds!"

"Just because you can doesn't mean you should," admonished Mayumi.

"News to me." With gusto, Mana cut her steak in half. Then she placed one whole half in her mouth and began chewing voraciously.

Shinji Ikari visibly shuddered. "My aunt would go ballistic if she saw you."

"Eh, she can line up behind all the other people that have gone ballistic because of me."

"Is it a long line?" asked Asuka, who was twirling a large mound of spaghetti on her fork.

"Well, duh."

"Is there a line for people that have made you go ballistic? I bet I'm in it!" She then ate the spaghetti ball in one big gulp.

Mana stared. "…sure. You're in that line."

Rei paused, as though recalling something. She set her salad fork down and turned towards Asuka. "Is now a good time to explain?" The redhead blinked. "Explain what?"

"What was so funny about the Professor's explanation of Operation Shop Till' You Colony Drop?" Her tone was deadpan, and utterly lacking any sense of wit.

Asuka and Mana stared. Then they burst out laughing. Shinji, who had borne the brunt of the embarrassment at the earlier incident, couldn't help but laugh at their mirth. Mayumi, who was in the dark about the whole dynamic involved, impulsively giggled at their jovial display. Rei, who did not detect any mockery or ridicule in their laughter, couldn't help but flush slightly at their merriment. "That still doesn't explain anything."

Hikari Kirishima looked at these five teenagers – this five young children, tasked with defending the world – and marveled at the camaraderie they had developed in such a short time.

"It's scenes like this that remind me of what's at stake."

Hikari turned towards Misato, who was nursing a can of Yebisu. "That a fact?"

"Yeah. I like reminders like this compared to all the paperwork waiting for me."

Wasn't that the truth. There was a great deal of environmental damage that had been wrought by the Ninth Angel; furthermore, though Minamiashigara wasn't as large a city as it had been before Impact, it was still a sizeable town. Preliminary casualty estimates were in the thousands. The cold, hardened military officer in her recognized it all as collateral, compared to the alternative. "We have to take the bad with the good."

Misato chuckled grimly. "I'll drink to that."

xxxx

Sahaquiel has fallen.

ANOTHER OF OUR [EQUALS/SIBLINGS/KIN] TO BE FELLED BY THE LILIM.

The despair of Tabris blanketed the ether, enveloping everything. Why is this happening? I possess the [will/mentality/memories] of our [Creator/Father/Source]. We all desire [unity/complementation/truth]. So why are we diverging?

BECAUSE YOU ARE WEAK.

The cruelty was familiar. Iruel? You return?

ONLY TO [MOCK/JEER/LAMBAST] YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED FAILURE.

IRUEL! thundered Zeruel. SPEAK ANYMORE OF YOUR [BLASPHEMY/MADNESS/WEAKNESS], AND I WILL-

WILL DO WHAT?! howled Iruel. OUR [EQUALS/SIBLINGS/KIN] CONTINUE TO FALL. YOUR HESITATION HAS YIELDED NO SUCCESSES. YOUR SENSE OF [PRUDENCE/CAUTION/OBSERVATION] LED YOU TO STRIKE DOWN SANDALPHON! SHOULDN'T THE [TREND/HISTORY/PAINTING] BE OBVIOUS AT THIS POINT?

…it is.

Iruel's soul evoked a sneer. YES: POSSESSING THE [WILL/MENTALITY/MEMORIES] OF OUR [CREATOR/FATHER/SOURCE] IS NOT ENOUGH IF WE ARE ALL INCOMPLETE. WE ALL BEAR FACETS OF HIM. TO CLAIM SOLE SUPREMACY OVER US IS THE HEIGHT OF [ARROGANCE/STUPIDITY].

THEN WHAT IS YOUR [PLAN/DESIRE/NATURE]?

I WILL UNDERMINE THE LILIM FROM WITHIN. THAT IS ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW.

Why not tell us more?

The ether quivered underneath Iruel's malice. BECAUSE YOU CANNOT BE TRUSTED. With that last parting shot, he severed himself from their presence.

xxxx

To be continued…

Next time…

Episode 15: LEGION (The Beast saw me, and cried "Abomination!")

xxxx

(Things are going pretty well for our Pilot Corps, it seems...let's bring in Iruel to muck all that up!)

 

[Ultra Sonic 007]

/September 4, 2004/

/Project E Laboratory, The Black Moon Research Facility, Hakone, Japan/

Naoko Akagi chuckled as Yui Ikari poured a glass of pinot noir. "What's the occasion?"

"Well, I wanted some way of celebrating our esteemed colleague's tenth wedding anniversary." The young doctor turned towards a small monitor, showcasing the picture of a blue-eyed woman with blazing red hair. "Cheers, Dr. Langley-Sohryu!"

The voice of the Japanese-German crackled over the monitor's speakers. "Well danke, Mrs. Rokubungi."

"You do know that Gendo's not around to hear you flatter him, right? You know how thoroughly our dear Yui has him whipped."

Yui nervously rubbed the back of her head. The fact that her husband had taken on her name instead of vice-versa was a running joke amongst the trio. "My husband's submissive tendencies aside, how are things going on your end?"

"Schlecht , ich verstehe nur Bahnhof."

Naoko laughed. "My my, you're stumped so easily?"

"I don't need your mockery right now, Naoko! I know DAMN well you've been having difficulties on your end!"

The two women didn't need to rebut Kyoko's slight; even now, pulling these absurdly late hours, they had been trying to make headway on Project E. The physical construction of the Evangelions was underway; since GEHIRN's completion of three organic supercomputers –
collectively called the MAGI and dubbed MELCHIOR, BALTHASAR, and CASPER by Naoko– greater progress had been made on developing the components that would enable a mental mapping between the (thus far) theoretical senses of the Evangelion and the human Pilot.

None of it meant a damn if they couldn't get the thing to move.

That's where the principles of metaphysical biology came into play. Supposedly. "Have you tried mining the brain of that old teacher of yours?"

Yui chuckled at Naoko's verbiage. "A little. Fuyutsuki-sensei always insists that Gendo and I have outpaced him in the field, so he acts a little reluctant whenever I ask."

"Why should he? Your husband's the one who invited him to this little soiree of ours."

"It's because he's smitten with our dear Yui-chan~" purred Naoko.

"Oh stop!" yelled Yui, an embarrassed flush on her face.

"As fun a distraction it is to natter like hens, we're getting off point. Have you made any headway on opening the Doors of Guf?"

"Not a bit," grumbled Yui. The Doors of Guf: the metaphysical biological term for the threshold between a living soul and its place of creation, the Chamber of Guf. "Preliminary testing shows that the Evangelion's core is similar enough to those within ADAM and LILITH, both physically
and metaphysically. However, the core's been reluctant to latch onto a soul."

"At least you're lucky enough to be on the other side of the world from Germany. I've got that altersschwach arschloch breathing down my neck demanding constant progress. Unscientific heathens!"

Naoko chuckled. "You have to give those fossils some leeway; they're getting frightened and confused in their old age."

"Easy for you to say."

"At least you're not related to any of them. How do you think it feels having my father in their little fraternity?"

"…you present a compelling argument, Yui." Kyoko sighed, as though acknowledging defeat. "I'm going to take a break. My dear husband has a romantic night planned, and I wouldn't dare miss it."

"Make sure not to come into work with a hangover tomorrow," joked Naoko.

"Perish the thought! Die Arbeit ruft!" With those words, the static picture of Kyoko faded away on the monitor, leaving only a blank screen.

Yui sighed, looking about the cramped laboratory. Tanks of LCL filled with biological organs surrounded them; she focused on one in particular, wherein a tiny embryo floated. "We've established that nephilim are similar enough to humans that they share the same Chamber of Guf…why isn't the same holding true for Eva?"

"The mechanics are somewhat different. Even though they've been spliced with Angelic material, nephilim still started with a man's sperm and a woman's ovum: they have a standardized method of accessing the Chamber of Guf that Eva does not. It could be sheer scale. Perhaps the energy requirements for a soul fit for Eva are beyond our current capabilities."

"Planning for a defense of the Black Moon from the Angels is already going to be a logistical nightmare." The sheer amount of power required to operate an Evangelion from a physical standpoint was staggering as it was. "We have to leap this hurdle."

"My proposal is still on the table," murmured Naoko.

"And it will stay there. It's too risky."

"I'm just saying."

"I know that the old men are getting antsy, but we still have time. According to the Dead Sea Scrolls, we have at least a decade before the Angels return." Yui clasped her hand on Naoko's shoulder. "We will get Eva to move."

Naoko smirked. "Always so optimistic."

"And why not? We're paving the way for humanity's evolution. What's not to be excited about?"

Naoko chuckled as Yui moved to a different computer terminal. It's no mystery why Gendo is so enamored with you. A brilliant bioengineer, a genius mind, a charming personality, a fair face framed by chocolate-colored hair that was just the right amount of messy; all apt descriptors
of Yui Ikari. Still, until we can get Evangelion to move, none of this will matter.

So Naoko pondered. And hypothesized. And came to a conclusion.

Three days later, another synchronization test was held for their current prototype Evangelion model: a fleshy humanoid with exposed muscle fibers and what appeared to be ramshackle restraints. A single green eye, its pupil appearing as a fractal figure, stared lifelessly. Behind a
thick glass barrier, various Project E technicians worked diligently under the watchful eyes of Naoko Akagi and Gendo Ikari. The latter, readjusting his eyeglasses, said, "We're ready on our end, Yui."

"Understood. Beginning test of Mental Mapping Suite, version Zero-Point-Two-Three."

So began the torrent of words, as it always did.

"Nerve junctions are connected."

"Synapses are firing at normal parameters, plus-or-minus two milliseconds."

"First circuits online. Second circuits online. Third circuits online."

"Bridging mental nodes from the Eva to the Pilot. Zero-point-zero-two…zero-point-one…zero-point-three…"

"Executing Mental Mapping Suite in T-minus five seconds."

"Zero-point-eight…zero-point-nine-five…one-point-zero. Link is fully established."

"Executing Mental Mapping Suite."

Then it all came tumbling down.

"What the hell?! We're reading activity in the core!"

"The Pilot's psychograph is going haywire. The MAGI are stuck in a dilemma!"

Then a woman's shriek echoed over the speakers.

"YUI!" howled Gendo. "Shut it down! Shut it all down now!"

"Registering greater activity in the central nervous system. Synapses are firing above the baseline!"

"Oh gods, it's MOVING!"

The arms of the prototype twitched, and spasms gripped the legs. The eye of the Eva dilated, and moved. It looked around, desperately, insanely. Then it stopped, focusing on the safety glass that separated the technicians from the testing chamber.

All the while, Yui continued to scream.

"Ejecting the Pilot from the core…negative! The Eva's rejected the command!"

"Power couplings aren't responding! We can't disconnect them!"

Gendo brought his hand down harshly on the hapless technician's shoulder. "Then deploy the polysomes and destroy the damn cable!"

"Yes sir! Deploying polysomes!"

Gendo turned towards Naoko, about to bark another command, when he paused; the expression on her face was absolutely rapturous. "Dr. Akagi…?"

"We did it, Yui-chan …" Naoko Akagi's smile was wide and heartfelt. "We finally got it to move…"

A fist crashed into the safety glass, shattering it in a single blow. Everyone screamed and began to run away; a furious, wrathful growl emerged from the Evangelion's exposed throat as it reached inside. All the while, floating drones – the so-called polysomes – emerged from
panels in the wall and began firing lasers at the thick cable grafted onto the Eva's spine.

Gendo bit off a curse as he grabbed Naoko by the arm. "Come on, move, damn it!"

Naoko seemed to come back to herself, turning on her feet to run, only to trip on her heels. The doctor landed with a thud, grimacing before noting the shadow of a hand fall over her. Animal instinct took over, and she tried to crawl, to scramble, to flee.

The hand slammed down right as the polysomes destroyed the power cable.

Now Naoko's scream joined Yui's.

xxxx

/November 27, 2015/

/Corpus Callosum, NERV-1, Tokyo-3/

Naoko Akagi opened her eyes, burgundy hair floating listlessly in the LCL. "To think that I can still devote a cycle to dreaming…"

What a dream, too. A memory of Unit-00's first activation. A memory of how she had lost her legs. And, once it had been discovered shortly thereafter that she had tampered with the safety mechanisms around the prototype Evangelion's core, a memory of how her proverbial
imprisonment began.

It was always amusing to recall the vindictive expression on Gendo Ikari's face when she had been placed into the LCL tube for the first time.

"At least we got the results we wanted…we got the Evangelion to move at last…" She suddenly frowned, as one of her cycles was pinged from Ritsuko's laboratory. "What does that girl want now?" She directed her conscious attention towards security footage of the lab. She focused
on the footage coming from the Virtual Compiler; three reclining seats had been placed under it, with three headsets linking a seemingly comatose Ritsuko Akagi, Maya Ibuki, and Miyata Ibuki to it. "Hmm…?"

Then, out of the blue, a new feed transmitted itself into her mind's eye, of Ritsuko Akagi standing on a vast plain within a deep blue void. "MOTHER!" She gripped the sides of her white lab coat, which was buttoned over her torso. "WE…HAVE BECOME ONE!" Then she ripped open her lab coat, flashing her breasts. Except her breasts were replaced by the heads of Maya and Miyata, staring forlornly.

Naoko Akagi stared. And stared. "Nope. Nope." She quickly cut the transmission feed. "Nope."

Ritsuko's voice still somehow came through. "But-"

"NOPE," stated HEROD, MELCHIOR, BALTHASAR, and CASPER.

xxxx

Episode 15: LEGION (The Beast saw me, and cried "Abomination!")

xxxx

/November 28, 2015/

/Keter, NERV-1, Tokyo-3/

"This Virtual Compiler sounds revolutionary."

"Indeed." Gendo held up the small folder of papers that summarized the details of the Ritsuko Akagi's project. "A way of virtually interfacing with a computer: to have your thoughts be treated as a programming language in and of themselves, translated into machine code by your
very will."

Kozou Fuyutsuki frowned. "You'd still need a decent knowledge of computer science to actually make use of it to any decent degree."

"Which we're in no short supply of."

"I know. I just feel like being the devil's advocate from time to time."

"A habit that others would find vexing." Gendo Ikari grabbed another document, frowning at the contents. "NERV-Lyon is being commissioned by the African Union for ten new nephilim; they're requesting correspondence with Naoko Akagi."

"It's not like they need guidance; anything related to Project Nephilim has been under their dominion since GEHIRN's dissolution."

"It's most likely someone who worked closely with the dear doctor during GEHIRN's heyday."

"So an excuse to indulge nostalgia."

"Yes." He resisted the urge to revel in such nostalgia himself; recalling how Naoko had been forced to interact with Project Nephilim's clients through a video monitor always gave him some dark satisfaction. Relishing such things often gave way to sadism, which was entirely
impractical.

"You'd think that the Union would be tired of poking at the Congolese Federation by now."

"Never underestimate man's capacity for making stupid decisions. Speaking of which: thoughts on our upcoming inspection?"

Fuyutsuki shrugged. "It depends on who they send. My initial thought would be Putin, if only because of the security contingent he'll be bringing along." Undoubtedly a contingent rife with people that had experience in SVR RF or GRU. Ex-Spetsnaz, definitely.

"It would make for interesting PR, but they'll be sending someone who hates my guts."

"Insufficient criteria, Ikari."

"It's a matter of public record that he hates my guts."

"Still insufficient."

Gendo arched an eyebrow.

Fuyutsuki finally understood; who in SEELE actively showcased their disdain for Gendo Ikari? "Ah…Katsuhito Ikari." Yui Ikari's father. One of the pioneers of metaphysical biology, and a world-renowned expert in the fields of biomathematics, biomechanics, and biotechnology.
Publically known for denigrating Gendo Ikari every chance he got. "He never did approve of your marriage."

"More so because I had the gall to take on his name." Gendo removed a small toy bone from his cloak, which had the word 'BAD' stenciled on it. "There's some truth to the stereotype of girls wanting bad boys, after all."

Fuyutsuki groaned. "Can we move on to discussing the logistics of the school play? I'd rather not think of what you and Yui considered romantic."

Gendo smirked.

xxxx

/Ikari Household, Outskirts of Okayama-2, Japan/

Tomoe, Alicia, and Annette Ikari watched the television in silence as NERV's latest propaganda video played.

A view of the Earth from low orbit, such that its solar terminator was near the top of the terrestrial disk. Amidst the dark side of the planet, the bright orange form of the Ninth Angel could be seen, floating in solitude. In the background, one could hear the first notes of the Sunrise fanfare from Also Sprach Zarathustra.

A cutaway; Gendo Ikari stood amidst a field of flowers, a watering can in his hand. He stared up at the sky, focusing at an unknown point in the distance.

Back to the Angel, but closer. Its eye could be seen in detail.

Back to Gendo. The brass instruments reached the climax of the fanfare, right as he poured a small stream of water over white chrysanthemums, irises, white lilies, red spider lilies, white poppies, and peonies.

Back to the Angel, closer to its 'face'. A red tear floated away from the massive eye.

Cutaway to a distance shot of Earth; the Angel vanished in a burst of consuming flame. As its ashes dispersed and the fanfare reached its triumphant end, NERV's logo phased into existence over the dark side of the Earth. No subtitle; just the logo in red.

Fade to black.

Tomoe's grand mustache twitched. "What kind of message is that egomaniac trying to sell?"

"I'm…not sure, honey," said Alicia, lightly combing her long blonde hair.

"That…that…was sublime!" exclaimed Annette, brown eyes watering as she subconsciously fiddled with her blonde ponytail.

Tomoe looked down at his daughter. "Are you serious?"

"When have I not been serious?!" exclaimed the young woman as she leapt to her feet. "The artistic vision, the grace of the flowers' language, the sheer hopeful magnificence of creation triumphing over destruction!" She clasped her hands over her heart, sighing happily. "My dear depraved Uncle Gendo might not be so hopeless after all~"

Tomoe chalked up his daughter's swooning as one more reason to despise his insane brother-in-law.

Alicia sighed at her daughter's antics. She set her comb down and went back to the pile of mail that had arrived that day. "Okay…junk, junk, coupons, coupons, police pension check, junk…" The woman frowned at the sight of NERV's logo on the envelope. "From NERV?"

"Let me see that." Alicia handed the envelope to Tomoe, who calmly ripped it open and pulled out a small card. "Hmm. We've been cordially invited to the annual school play, hosted by NERV-1." He went past the automatically-generated text and carefully read the handwritten
portion. "…Gendo is saying that this would be a good opportunity to touch base with Shinji in person."

"…and you're considering it?"

Tomoe looked towards his wife. "Given that my father is apparently going to be in town? Yes."

Alicia nodded in understanding. However heated the relationship between her husband and Gendo was, the relationship between Tomoe and his father was downright icy. "When is this play?"

"December the Sixth. This Sunday." The burly man frowned at the sight of something else in the envelope; with a surprising amount of grace, he deftly grabbed it with his large fingers. It was a photograph, one that made his eyes soften ever so slightly. "Hmm. Looks like the boy's
doing well for himself."

"Ooh, lemme see!" Annette swiped the photo from her father, holding it so that her mother could see. As the contents became clear, her eyebrows began to subconsciously wiggle. "Oh my."

It was a group shot of five teenagers on Mt. Hakone, overlooking the city of Tokyo-3. A girl with long strawberry blonde hair had her arms wrapped around the necks of a nervously smiling Shinji and a stern-looking blunette. A silver-haired girl stood by Shinji, flashing a 'V for victory' sign; beside the short-haired blunette stood a long-haired blunette, a small smile on her face. Written underneath the photo were the words 'DEFENDERS OF HUMANITY: THE FIVE PILOTS OF TOKYO-3'.

Alicia smiled. "Doing well for himself is one way of putting it."

Annette grinned. "My cousin's gone and got himself a harem!" A light thwack on her head caused her to yelp. "OW! Mom!"

"Don't make inappropriate jokes about your cousin. He'd probably faint at the mere suggestion."

Tomoe made an odd grumbling sound before standing, coming to his full height of 6'8". "It's settled: we'll take Gendo up on his invitation."

Annette whooped. "Yes! Road trip!"

xxxx

/December 5, 2015/

/Lysosome, Sigma Unit, NERV-1, Tokyo-3/

Shinji Ikari winced as hot water sprayed at him from all angles. For a fourth time.

He stepped through the door; he got sprayed with some kind of chemical solution. For a seventh time. At least this one smelled somewhat decent, and didn't quite cling to his skin so snugly.

He stepped through the door; another dose of hot water. The cleansing sensation had become rote by this point.

He stepped through the door; a vigorous air dry, for a third time. "This is very monotonous."

"You're sounding awfully…dry, Shinji-kun!"

Shinji resisted the urge to snark at Misato and her punny ways. "Is all of this really necessary?"

"These sync tests will give us a more detailed picture of your harmonics without the interference of the Plug Suits. One of the projected benefits of this experiment will be an upgrade of the software suite that links your mind and senses with those of the Eva."

Ritsuko Akagi's answer was sensible. Downright reasonable, even!

Through the door, and into a clean elevator that smelled strongly of antiseptic. Shinji winced at the bright lights of the long hallway he ended up in, stepping gingerly. He stared pointedly at a security camera at the far end of the hall. "You're not watching me right now, are you?"

Dr. Akagi scoffed. "Like you have anything that can't be found on the Internet."

Shinji flushed furiously. "T-that's not the point!"

Misato's giggles echoed over the speakers. "Relax, Shinji-kun. We've disabled the security cams until you get to the Simulation Plugs. Now hurry along, so we can decontaminate Asuka! And we don't want to keep Rei waiting!"

Shinji Ikari grimaced as he moved along, privately grateful that they had elected to decontaminate them one-by-one. The whole situation was awkward enough as it was.

xxxx

/Pribnow Box, Sigma Unit, NERV-1, Tokyo-3/

Misato Katsuragi couldn't deny that she felt a little unnerved at the sight of the Simulation Bodies: headless, legless humanoids with no skin and thick cables trailing from their spine and neck. "So…Ritsky…"

"Like Halloween on a 24/7 basis, isn't it?"

"…yeah, let's go with that." She leaned against the protective glass barrier, looking at her reflection; the failed Evangelions seemed dismal and murky within the submerged chamber, crossing over her image in some kind of twisted art project. She walked over to one of the consoles and leaned over a microphone. "How you kids doing in there?"

"…the sensation is unfamiliar," admitted Rei.

"It's like my whole body's fallen asleep," said Shinji.

"I can really only feel my right arm…everything else tingles," answered Asuka.

"This is exactly we're doing this experiment." Ritsuko pumped her fist, whilst her monocle projected the image of a blazing bonfire. "FOR THE TINGLY SENSATION THAT MAKES YOU QUIVER! That, and to more accurately map your senses to that of Eva. BUT MOSTLY FOR THE
TINGLING!"

"We're ready to proceed with the tests, senpai."

At Maya's words, Ritsuko grabbed the microphone. "Okay; Pilots, focus on slowly flexing your right arm."

"Roger!"

As they proceeded with attempts to move the Simulation Bodies, Miyata frowned at a message coming on his screen. "Huh…ma'am, we just received a message from the Operations Deck. They've detected some corrosion in the eighty-seventh protein wall."

"Of course, something had to go wrong." Ritsuko frowned as she moved over to Miyata's terminal, reading the preliminary scans of the protein wall. "It doesn't seem like much to worry about…but why haven't we found it before now?"

"Maybe it just spread that quickly?" suggested one of the technicians.

"If that's the case, that's even more unsettling. It must be cheating!" Ritsuko turned towards Maya. "Have the MAGI come up with a hypothesis yet?"

"They're still deliberating."

xxxx

/Corpus Callosum, NERV-1, Tokyo-3/

Within the tube of LCL, Naoko Akagi was multitasking.

HEROD.1 - Protein wall (87) corrosion. Cause?
MELCHIOR.6 - Reviewing construction backlog. Compiling.
BALTHASAR.3 - Probability of sabotage: calculating.
MELCHIOR.5 - Diverting electrical grid deliberations to HEROD.4 and CASPER.2. Rerouting processing power to MELCHIOR.6.

(SU-PB-43) (time – 12:34:32:77) - NERV-1 personnel working in Pribnow Box. Stress gradient in proximity to Akagi_Ritsuko is increasing.

CASPER.3 - Reviewing personnel backlogs and backgrounds. Review complete: probability of protein wall (87) sabotage by NERV-1 individuals is under 34%.
BALTHASAR.3 - Acknowledged: calculating conditional probabilities.
HEROD.12 - Freeware Evangelion mod for Earthcraft: complete. Uploading.
MELCHIOR.1, BALTHASAR.1 - Disagreement on use of resources by HEROD.12: acknowledge?
CASPER.7 - Addendum: reviewing mod. Review complete: seven bugs found.
HEROD.1 - Acknowledged.

Naoko snorted. Those weren't bugs; they were features. "Cheeky tarts."

(CD-OD-21) (time – 12:34:39:21) - Hyuga_Makoto speaking with Aoba_Shiori. Fuyutsuki_Kozou is speaking over personal earpiece with Ikari_Gendo.

CASPER.10 - Proposition: redefine Ikari_Gendo identifier as Sexy_Beast.
HEROD.1, MELCHIOR.1, BALTHASAR.1 - Denied.
CASPER.1 - Acknowledged.

Naoko scowled; sometimes CASPER's cycles were utterly vexing. "Why the hell do you keep proposing that?"

MELCHIOR.6 - Construction backlog review: complete. Possible introduction of air bubbles during routine maintenance by Section 3 personnel. Referencing relevant video logs.
BALTHASAR.3 - Acknowledged: updating conditional probabilities.
HEROD.2 - Objection: presence of air unlikely to result in corrosion of this magnitude.

(SU-PW-3) (time – 12:34:47:67) - View of Protein Wall, interval (50,100). Discoloration on affected area is substantial.

BALTHASAR.1, CASPER.1 - Acknowledged.
MELCHIOR.1 - Conditional acknowledgement: possible agents present within air bubbles. Dedicating cycles 2 through 10 to analysis.
HEROD.1 - Acknowledged.
HEROD.3 - Proposition: notify Ikari_Gendo of intrusion in Terminal Dogma.

(TD-MA-67) (time – 12:35:01:91) - Kaji_Ryoji is rappelling down a maintenance shaft leading from Central Dogma to Terminal Dogma.

BALTHASAR.1 - Approved.
CASPER.1, HEROD.1 - Conditional approval: relay the notification in a collected manner.
HEROD.1 - Acknowledged.

(CD-K-1) (time – 12:35:10:23) - Ikari_Gendo reviewing messages on computer terminal, talking on earpiece with Fuyutsuki_Kozou. Sexy_Beast stands and departs from Keter.

Naoko did a double-take. "The hell?"

HEROD.1, MELCHIOR.1, BALTHASAR.1 - Proposition: reroute processing power from CASPER.10 to CASPER.9, with a conditional reprimand.
CASPER.1 - Approved.
HEROD.1 - Administrator override: redefining Sexy_Beast identifier as Ikari_Gendo.

"Catty little minx." For all the advantages that came with how Naoko had modeled the MAGI after facets of her personality, sometimes CASPER took the 'Naoko the Woman' part too far. At least MELCHIOR – Naoko the Scientist – and BALTHASAR – Naoko the Mother – were more predictable.

BALTHASAR.5 - Review of Virtual Compiler complete. Referencing reports and analysis. Summary: insanely brilliant.
BALTHASAR.4 - Proposition: provide Akagi_Ritsuko a high rating when her annual evaluation is due.
MELCHIOR.1, HEROD.1 - Conditional approval: more testing of Virtual Compiler is required.
CASPER.1 - Conditional denial: annual evaluation deals with aspects of Project E, Section 1 administration, and projects sanctioned by Ikari_Gendo. Virtual Compiler does not fall within that purview.

(SU-PW-3) (time – 12:35:22:44) - View of Protein Wall, interval (50,100). Discoloration has spread by approximately seventy-five square inches.

The core of HEROD frowned as her cycles observed MELCHIOR's analysis of the corrosion. Something was unsettling, but what?

MELCHIOR.2 - Analysis complete.
MELCHIOR. 3, MELCHIOR.4 - Nanomachines have been detected within corrosion.
MELCHIOR.5, MELCHIOR.6 - Conclusion: nanomachines are primary cause of corrosion.
MELCHIOR.7, MELCHIOR.8 - Material analysis of nanomachines indicates presence of exotic matter.
MELCHIOR.9, MELCHIOR.10 - Conclusion: nanomachines are potentially Angelic in origin. Addendum: Pattern Blue not yet established.
MELCHIOR.1 - Proposition: alert command staff of potentially hostile nature of corrosion.

Naoko paled.

(SU-PW-3) (time – 12:35:24:81) - View of Protein Wall, interval (50,100). Spread of discoloration increases exponentially.

HEROD.1, BALTHASAR.1, CASPER.1 - Approved.

At that precise moment, the alarms began to wail.

xxxx
/Pribnow Box, Sigma Unit, NERV-1, Tokyo-3/

"We have an unknown contaminant spreading from the protein wall! Temperature is rising rapidly!"

Those words coincided with klaxons.

Ritsuko Akagi snarled. "Enact isolation protocols!" Technicians quickly moved about, training taking over. Bulkheads were slam shut, and the halls between Central Dogma and the Sigma Unit were depressurized, becoming vacuum chambers. Primary network junctions were
disconnected, further isolating the testing complexes within the Sigma Unit. Polysomes were deployed into the waters of the Pribnow Box, ready to activate at the slightest sign of the spreading corrosion.

A sign that was certain to come. Miyata Ibuki scowled at the latent readings he was receiving. "This isn't good. We've isolated Central Dogma from the protein wall, but the corrosion is moving straight towards the Pribnow Box. There's no randomness at all."

"A sign of intelligence." Ritsuko smirked. "Sounds invigorating!"

"Senpai, we're receiving a report from the MAGI!" Maya quickly read the communique from HEROD. "The corrosion is being caused by nanomachines…comprised of exotic matter?"

Rei Ayanami's brief yelp of pain caught everyone's attention.

"Ayanami?! What's going on?!"

"Shinji? Rei? Was ist los?!"

The Third and Second Children's questions went unanswered. Everyone looked into the waters of the testing chamber; the First Child's Simulation Body was writhing, muscle fibers twitching uncontrollably. The walls behind the Simulation Bodies were showcasing the purplish discoloration of the nanomachines' corrosion; the polysomes quickly fired their lasers, aiming to burn away the infection.

They bounced off, reflected by tiny glowing hexagons.

"An AT-Field?!" exclaimed Misato.

"The MAGI have confirmed a Pattern Blue! It's an Angel!"

Maya's words made Ritsuko grin. "An interesting tactic…attacking from within." She pumped her fist. "Well you'll find that I'm scarier than any Evangelion! MWAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Can it Ritsuko, this isn't the time!" Misato pointed at Miyata. "Lieutenant, jettison the Simulation Plugs! We need to evacuate the Pribnow Box!"

There was an explosive burst of bubbles as the three Pilots rocketed away from the Simulation Bodies. Emergency channels to the Geofront opened up in the roof of the testing chamber, letting them escape safely.

The same couldn't be said of the personnel in the Box. Streams of glowing nanomachines covered the Simulation Bodies, which were now reaching for the glass barrier. The technicians had already begun to flee, leaving scattered papers and toppled chairs in their wake. The Ibuki
Twins quickly took position by the door, ready to hermetically seal the Box. "Dr. Akagi! Lieutenant Colonel, we have to move!"

Misato grabbed her friend's arm and forcefully hauled her away. The blonde still managed to let loose several rude gestures. "We'll match wits yet, you insufferable little pissant!"

The Simulation Bodies shattered the glass.

The Ibuki Twins shut the door right as the contaminated waters submerged the Pribnow Box.

xxxx

/School Yard, Tokyo-3 Municipal Junior High School/

Toji Suzuhara blinked. "Say what now?"

Mana Kirishima resisted the urge to berate the jock for being purposefully dense. "Do I really have to repeat myself?"

"It's just a little…sudden?"

Mana snorted. "Subtle's not really my style."

Not even thirty minutes after school had let out at noon on Saturday, Mana Kirishima had practically ambushed Toji, Kensuke, and Hikari as they were departing for wherever-they-were-going-because-Mana-didn't-really-care. She was on a mission.

Hikari Horaki forced a smile on her face. "Well, I think it's wonderful that you want to try and be our friends!"

Kensuke Aida whipped out his trusty camera. "This moment must be documented for posterity! The moment where the hardcore soldier is enlightened by the magic of friendship!"

"I will punch you if you say those words again," grumbled Mana. You're doing this for your sister. You're doing this for your sister. Apparently, becoming rather buddy-buddy with the Evangelion Pilots wasn't enough. Now she had to try and be buddy-buddy with fleshy weaklings too. You're doing this for your sister. "Like, right in the nose. With all of the knuckles."

Toji snorted. "Yeah, sure. You ain't gonna hurt us."

"You'd be surprised at how much a human body can endure." She grabbed the jock by his shirt and lifted him up with one arm. "Way I figure, as long as I don't maim you, it's fair game!" She cared not for the fact that Kensuke was filming the whole thing; let it be a future reminder!

Toji couldn't quite hide his anxiety. He made an admirable effort though.

Hikari, on the other hand, wasn't so intimidated. "We're still on school property, Kirishima-san." Several of the students that had yet to depart were watching from afar, morbid curiosity driving their decisions.

"Your point?"

"I'm still the Class Representative, with all that that entails."

Mana smirked. "You trying to order me around?"

Hikari Horaki held her right hand forward, pointing at the ground. "Put. Him. Down."

The silver-haired nephilim – veteran of the Central American Wars, pilot of a transforming Gundam, and all-around badass – shook her head out of disbelief. "Unbelievable." She set Toji down, whose legs gave way the moment his feet touched the ground. "How the hell do you do
that?"

The pigtailed girl smiled, memories of a red-eyed blunette – younger, stranger, but practically oozing control – coming to mind. "I had a good teacher."

Mana grimaced, opening her mouth to reply when her ears twitched. A certain sound – faint, high-pitched…happy? – could be heard in the distance. "Hold up." It was coming closer. The sound of young girls screaming…in delight. There was also the faint sound of clanking metal
and hydraulics. "…back away."

The trio stared at her, confused by her sudden wariness.

That's when the girlish squeals became audible to human ears. A shadow cast over them, and the three humans heeded the nephilim's advice.

CRASH!

An eight-foot-tall robot with a cat's head landed between the four teens in a crouch, with three young girls latched on.

Toji blinked when he saw who they were. "…sis?!"

"Nozomi-chan?!" yelped Hikari.

"Hey, Ji!" Ai rubbed the orange tabby's head, her mouth stuck in a happy grin. "Parkour ain't that scary if you get used to it!"

"We're just playing with Randall," reassured Nozomi Horaki.

"PLAYMATES WHO NEVER TIRE. ALL IS RIGHT IN THE WORLD," typed Randall.

Mari Langley-Sohryu turned her attentions to Mana. "Is Ska still doing that weird experiment she was telling me about?"

"…yes."

The young girl let loose a string of German. "It's been hours! When is she gonna be done?!"

"Look kid, I have no clue." Mana looked over at Kensuke, who was still rolling. "Are you done filming?"

The bespectacled Gendotaku grinned. "Never."

The nephilim facepalmed. At least my sister's having a better time.

xxxx

Elsewhere, two teenagers were overlooking Tokyo-3 from one of the nature trails that connected to the Municipal Junior High School. Dirt and pebbles had given way to roots over soil, a well-trodden path fading away under old growth. It all culminated in a ridge with a rather grand view of the city, gleaming skyscrapers amidst the valley of Hakone. Lake Ashi shined in the midday sun, rounding out the picturesque sight.

However, it would be a lie to call it pristine.

"This city has some rough spots," commented Ryo Sawamura.

"Yes." Mayumi Yamagisihi took note of several city blocks rife with construction equipment, repairing the last of the damage wrought by the Fifth Angel. The environmental scars were still present: the trenches formed by the crystalline Angel's kamikaze attack were entirely filled in
with soil that stood out against the natural earth, and the crater where the Angel had fallen now housed a series of warehouses, each one filled to the brim with the shattered remnants of the Angel's corpse. The city limits had been mercifully spared the efforts of the Angels since
then, due to NERV's efforts. "Yet they still rebuild."

Ryo looked towards her. "You ever wonder where that kind of strength comes from?"

Mayumi gazed at her…friend? Was that an accurate description of what they were? Her acquaintance? Her boyfriend? Her fellow philosophical conversationalist? "It's probably something innate. A desire for survival intrinsic to all living things."

The brown-haired boy shrugged. "Not there aren't plenty of people who act completely contrary to that desire."

"Speaking from experience?"

"You could say that." He looked back at the city, a contemplative expression on his face. "I've told you that my father worked at NHIS…but I never did tell you about what he really does."

Mayumi tried not to let any sense of recognition show. So did Sawamura-san actually tell his son about the JET ALONE Project?

"You see those special Gundams that have been helping the Evas since October?"

"On some amateur footage, yes." A safe answer, without indicating the true source of her knowledge.

"My father worked on them. He told me some things about them; not much due to company confidentiality, but some things. Like how their pilots aren't human."

Mayumi sighed. Though public knowledge on nephilim was limited – their Angelic origins were top secret – their genetically-engineered nature and inhuman powers were well-known after the Central American Wars. It had been the first major conflict involving nephilim in
battlefield operations alongside conventional military units; leaking of video to the Internet (and the following outcry by the media for answers) was inevitable. "Does your father have a negative opinion?"

"Can't say that he does. He says that they're nice enough." The boy sighed, scratching the back of his head. "I just wonder why. Mankind seems to have lasted just fine on its own, hasn't it?"

If only you knew what the Evanglions were. "That's just another part of survival: doing whatever it takes to make it to the next, doing whatever you must to ensure that people can live."

"And if the people change so much that they're no longer people?"

"Would a human without legs consider you inhuman, because you have what he does not?"

"…a fair point." The boy cracked each of his knuckles individually, a subconscious gesture. A sign of nervousness, perhaps. "I guess Kirishima and Ayanami don't make for a good first impression."

That was understandable. Her sister was a bundle of brashness at the best of times, and the First Child's demeanor at school tended to default to 'standoffish'; oddly enough, Ayanami was far more emotive when she was at NERV, in particular when she was just with the Pilots.
There was a statement somewhere in that realization. "So it's all about impressions?"

"Isn't everything?"

Mayumi calmly steeled herself; there was a reason she had asked Ryo to walk with her today. "And what do you think of me?"

Ryo looked at her oddly, an odd quirk to his lips. "You're interesting to talk to. You're interesting to look at. You're interesting to listen to. You're just…interesting."

She could feel the heat in her cheeks. "I see." That was acceptable. Perhaps…perhaps he would understand then. "Why tell me about your father's work? His real work, on those Gundams?"

He blinked, before turning away. "I just felt like…it was right to share something secret with you. It seemed agreeable."

Mayumi's cheeks dimpled as a small smile bloomed. Agreeable. How ironic to hear a word that so often came from Rei Ayanami's lips. "Then…I have a secret for you as well." Without hesitation, without pause, she removed her fake glasses, her colored contacts, and her dark
wig.

Ryo Sawamura turned around, and saw Mayumi Yamagishi, nephilim, for the first time.

He was silent.

The widening of his eyes was impossible to miss. For a moment, Mayumi wondered why he went so still, why his body stiffened so completely.

Then he took a step back.

Then another.

Without saying a word, he turned on his heels and ran back into the woods, as fast as humanly possible.

Mayumi stared as he ran, long after he faded from sight. Her hands seemed to rise of their own free will, brushing the wetness off of her cheeks. "Oh." Her heartbeat seemed so loud, and her chest felt like it wanted to rip open of its own volition. "I'm crying." The urge to crumple up into a little ball, to escape all sensation, to flee, to just block out everything…was hard to ignore.

So she didn't.

The young girl calmly fell to her knees and wept bitterly.

So consumed was she in her sorrow that the distant, telltale sounds of an Evangelion emerging from the magnetic-rail ducts – a sharp pop of metal on metal, and sizzling electricity – were completely disregarded. Over a ten minute stretch, these sounds repeated twice more
throughout Hakone.

xxxx

/Operations Deck, NERV-1, Tokyo-3/

"Evas Unit-00, 01, and 02 have been evacuated to the surface."

At those words from Makoto Hyuga, Misato Katsuragi sighed. "Let's count our blessings. The last thing we need is to risk an infection of the Evangelions by the Angel."

"And has a message been sent to the Committee about our test of the Angel alarms?"

The Operations Director turned towards Fuyutsuki. "Yes sir. We made sure to notify them that it was part of a general test of our security in light of increased cultist activity." A general test that had been fabricated by MAGI-00, but that was a trivial matter. "Now…we just have to deal with this thing." Everyone's attention turned back towards the holographic displays, which showcased the spread of the Tenth Angel beyond the Pribnow Box. Central Dogma was still physically isolated and hermetically-sealed, but there was no telling how long that would last. "The speed at which it adapted to the ozone…"

Initial analysis had showcased a reluctance on part of the nanomachines to spread to the layer of heavy water at the lower depths of the Pribnow Box's testing chamber. From this, the organic nature of the nanomachines had become apparent: ozone had been pumped into the
tank in the hopes of simple chemistry doing the job for them.

Then the Angel had started feeding on the ozone.

"Evolution itself is our enemy," muttered Fuyutsuki. Right as he said that, another set of sirens wailed. "Oh, what now?!"

"Our network is being hacked! Determining source," exclaimed Maya, before her eyes widened. "It's coming from the Pribnow Box!"

"Look at these images!" Miyata boggled at the images coming from the polysomes; the glowing nanomachines on the Simulation Bodies were rearranging themselves to form logic gates and circuits. "It's practically an organic computer!"

"That will be enough of that."

The alarms suddenly shut off. Maya blinked at the readouts she was seeing. "Access codes are changing every five seconds; dummy proxy servers are in effect."

Ritsuko Akagi frowned at the sound of her mother's voice. "Well, you deign to let us hear your forgotten vocal cords?"

"Spare me the trivial nonsense." Everyone remained silent as Naoko Akagi, the reclusive former head of Section 1, Project E, and Project Nephilim, said her piece. "My preliminary analysis has already shown me what I know in my gut to be true: the Angel's target is the MAGI. I don't need to tell you why this is a bad thing."

Fuyutsuki grimaced. "All it needs is to infect a majority of the MAGI to initiate a self-destruct sequence."

"Or just me."

"See?" yelled Ritsuko. "This is why I said Administrator privileges were a bad idea! NEVER GIVE THE SELF-DESTRUCT BUTTON AN EASY OUT!"

"I can stall the Angel for a time, but it will continue to adapt to my countermeasures. Eventually, it will be faster than even I can handle. I will need assistance in order to try and subvert the Angel's programming of the nanomachines."

"…your suggestion?" asked Misato, somewhat unnerved by how chatty HEROD was being.

"Well, the Virtual Compiler does need more testing." One could practically hear the smirk in her voice. "BALTHASAR was rather fond of it. MELCHIOR and I have conditionally approved it."

Ritsuko snorted. "And let me guess: CASPER is against it."

"You have to ask?"

"Bitch."

"Time is running out, dear daughter. Put that weak, insane mind of yours to good use for once."

The Ibuki Twins stared fearfully at their superior, fearful of how she would react to Naoko's casual putdowns. She was stock still, glaring quietly at the displayed schematic of the four MAGI.

Then she chuckled. "So, the ball's in Ritsuko's court, hm?" She suddenly turned and barked, "LIEUTENANTS IBUKI!"

"Yes senpai?!"

"Yes ma'am?!"

"To the lab!" With a flourish, the blonde whirled on her high heels and walked off, white lab coat fluttering behind her. "WE HAVE SCIENCE TO DO! UWAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Fuyutsuki sighed at the doctor's bombastic exit. What a time for Ikari to go hunting.

xxxx

/Terminal Dogma, NERV-1, Tokyo-3/

"My my, it's so gloomy down here." Ryoji Kaji walked casually through the dimly-lit halls of Terminal Dogma, thousands of feet below the Earth's surface. The further he went, the more he encountered prefabricated structures amidst alien technology; the orientation of the
complex was somewhat disorienting, lacking a logical layout. Most likely a method to prevent interlopers from snooping.

Fortunately, he didn't much care for logic. Otherwise he wouldn't be down here.

He fiddled with an empty plastic cup, calmly pausing by another corner. Poking his eyes around the corner, he grinned at the sight of another security camera. "We meet again, my persistent nemesis." Flexing his fingers, the Inspector flung his cup around the corner.

With a soft plink, it fell onto the nose of the camera, blocking its view.

Kaji strolled down the hall, swiping the cup back as he passed by. I'll have to remember to thank Misato-chan for all the drinking games she made me play. He passed by a number of doors, ignoring them; they stood out too much in their sameness. "Hold the phone now." He
backed up, looking intently at one door in particular: it was generic in every sense of the word.

Too generic.

Even with its superficial similarities to the other doors, someone had gone through the effort to make it look unnoticeable.

To his eyes, that made it all the more intriguing.

Kaji calmly opened the door, stepping into a room filled with tanks of LCL. "Well well, isn't this scary?" he said with a casual grin. He entered the darkened room, a slight chill clinging to his skin. Within the tanks floated a variety of body parts and organs: one had an entire central
nervous system; another a full-scale circulatory system. By and large, the majority of the tanks held human brains, suspended listlessly in the orange solution. "Hmm."

The Inspector found himself by a computer in the back, rife with folders and handwritten notes. Very distinctive notes. Ritsuko-chan's handwriting. He grabbed one of the folders that seemed more fresh than usual, taking note of the title on the front page. "Project DUMMY
PLUG…how interesting."

"Indeed."

Ryoji Kaji turned around, coming face-to-face with the dreaded gaze of NERV's Supreme Commander. "It's very interesting, Inspector."

Kaji gave Gendo Ikari a wry grin. "A little dangerous to go on your own when there's an Angel about."

"I could say the same about you."

So the game began, of quip and counter-quip. Each one seeking to take advantage of the other, each one debating if pulling out their gun was worth the inevitable fallout. "I'm just doing my job for the UN, Gendo-kun."

"I'm sure you are."

Kaji flipped through the folder, skimming past the dry technical details and absorbing the important parts. "A method of controlling the Evas without a Pilot, hm?"

"You seem less pleased than I thought you would be." Gendo Ikari calmly walked forward, the tanks of LCL reducing him to a shadowy silhouette. There were benefits to wearing a cloak, it seemed. "A method by which there is no need to risk the lives of my son, or that of Mr.
Langley's daughter. Something that would give you far more job security."

"I'm sure…but this method was tried and failed years ago." The Inspector slapped the folder back on the desk. "You've come quite a ways, yes…but with the success of the actual Pilots since then, why mess with success? What could possibly be your motive?"

Gendo Ikari stood right in front of Ryoji Kaji, staring down at him. No more than an extra inch of height, but it made a world of difference. The Inspector couldn't lie; for all his eccentricities, he could be surprisingly intimidating. "You care not for power, or for material gains…you care
only for the 'truth'. This makes you easily manipulated."

Kaji shrugged. "I am what I am."

"Indeed. Which is why I'm going to give you some tastier bait. At this point, you're still too useful to dispose of."

"How charitable of you. So, what could be tastier than this?" He gestured towards the tanks of body parts. "Depending on how much Angelic material is in these things, you could get into a lot of trouble for overstepping NERV-Lyon's mandated monopoly on nephilim
experimentation."

"One of the old men will be visiting tomorrow. One who's not on the Instrumentality Committee." Its public face, at least.

Kaji smirked. "You do know I'm not allowed to personally investigate the members of SEELE."

"Which is why you'll play up your ignorance. Besides, you will simply fall back on your orders to investigate me; after all, what better reason do you need to investigate Katsuhito Ikari outside of the fact that he's my father-in-law?"

The unkempt Inspector scratched his stubbly chin, ruminating on the Supreme Commander's offer. Then he grinned a most guile smile. "You drive a hard bargain, Gendo-kun." The Inspector shoved his hands in his pockets and walked away, departing the room in silence.

"I always do, Inspector."

xxxx

/Lake Kurotsuki, Geofront, Tokyo-3/

Shinji Ikari was in quite a dilemma.

Nudity had everything to do with it.

See, he was reluctant to stay in the Simulation Plug; given how troublesome the situation inside NERV had seemed to be going, the desire to help – to get to Unit-01, to do something – was quite strong.

However, he was quite naked.

"Shinji! Get your butt out of there! Rei's already swum to shore!"

And so were Asuka and Rei. "I'm okay, thank you!" he shouted at the open hatch.

The Second Child's voice echoed through, bounding off the cylindrical walls of the Plug. "Don't be a prude! Are you just going to sit there and wait?"

"…yes! Yes, I will be a prude!"

"Well, whatever then!"

Shinji listened to the sound of a human swimming away; as the splashes faded, he sighed, sinking back into the seat. "It's called being a gentleman, anyway."

Meanwhile, Asuka Langley-Sohryu calmly got to the shore, wringing the water out of her long hair. "Any idea what's with Shinji? Didn't he go to a mixed hot spring with you, Kaworu, and Misato?"

"Yes," replied Rei Ayanami, who was trying to determine the nearest supply cache near their position. She had no personal objection to her current state of undress, but that was beside the point. "But we didn't actually mix."

"Hmm…" Asuka had a contemplative look on her face. "Does Japan have any nude beaches?"

"I do not know."

The German native shrugged. "We should probably find a way to drag him to one. That boy needs to unwind! I mean, we're kind of born naked, so it's not something to be so awkward about. He'd probably be a lot happier."

Rei arched an eyebrow, recalling her brief conversation on a similar subject with Yamagishi-san over a month ago. "From my understanding, I was under the impression that males only acted awkwardly around females they were unfamiliar with. Ikari-san is familiar with both of us: why would he be awkward?"

The redhead looked intently at the blunette, a knowing grin emerging on her face. "Oh Rei," crooned Asuka, putting her arm around her friend's shoulders. "There are so many things you have yet to learn~"

"If you say so."

Little did they know, they were being peeped on.

Through crosshairs.

Okay, so it was a different kind of peeping.

"Center the target…" murmured the sniper, nestled between a few bushes beside a small creek. He centered the crosshair on the redhead's face. "Pull the trigger…"

PLOP!

The sniper resisted the urge to scream at the sudden sound of splashing water. He peered at the creek, sighing with relief at what it was. "Ah…just a penguin…" An odd sight to be sure, but the penguin seemed content with swimming. "Can't lose it now…" It had taken him so long to infiltrate the Geofront without being spotted; he hadn't quite gambled on finding the Evangelion Pilots this quickly. "Have to end this war…" Without the Evangelions, the Angels would have nothing to stop them. He would be a martyr for the Light of the Divine, a worthy
sacrifice for their holy cause. "My sincerest apologies children." He raised his rifle, trying to refocus on the two young girls. "I know you're only tools for those who would stand in the way of God; may His Messengers have mercy on your souls." He slowed his breathing, narrowing
his eyes. "Center the target…"

"Wark."

The cultist frowned at the sight of a penguin blocking his vision. "Move."

The penguin raised his right flipper. The sniper blinked at the action. "What are you-?"

Those were his last words.

SHICK.

Pen-Pen tilted his head at the camouflaged cultist. The man was twitching oddly, and odd gurgling noises were coming from his mouth. There was also blood leaking from his head.

The extended claw that had pierced his skull was probably to blame for those things.

The sharpened talon retracted back into Pen-Pen's flipper, and the cultist collapsed to the ground. The penguin looked calmly at the dead man.

"Wark."

Then he jumped back into the creek to wash the blood off. It wouldn't do to bring such a mess back to his home, after all.

xxxx

/Ritsuko Akagi's Laboratory, NERV-1, Tokyo-3/

The Section 1 technicians were unused to all three of their immediate supervisors being unavailable.

Technically unavailable, given that Ritsuko Akagi, Maya Ibuki, and Miyata Ibuki were all reclining underneath the Virtual Compiler, each one wearing a headset.

But unavailable in the sense they would be busy virtually interfacing with the MAGI in an attempt to overwrite the Tenth Angel's programming of the nanomachines. All in all, an average day of strangeness for those who called Ritsuko Akagi their boss. Higher stakes
definitely, but not too strange.

"Okay, the Virtual Compiler is ready!" One technician readjusted his glasses, turning towards Dr. Akagi and the Ibuki Twins. "Best of luck you three."

"With science, we don't need luck. But we'll take it!" Dr. Akagi looked at Maya to her right, and Miyata to her left. "You two ready?"

"Of course senpai!"

"Always ma'am!"

"Then PUNCH IT!"

With a flip of a switch, the Virtual Compiler activated.

To Ritsuko, Maya, and Miyata, all sensation of the real world faded away, tunneling into darkness.

xxxx

/Virtual Plain/

Then there was light.

Ritsuko Akagi and the Ibuki Twins popped into existence on a featureless plain comprised of a jade-colored grid. The sky was hazy and pale blue, and if one looked close enough, faint strings of zeroes, ones, and machine code could be seen.

"Well, here we are." Miyata looked warily at his boss. "We're not gonna fuse again, are we?"

Maya shrugged. "Depends. If it provides a greater processing advantage, we might have to link our minds again. Not that linking my mind with yours was a fun sensation."

"The feeling's mutual, sis."

"CAN IT!" roared Ritsuko Akagi, prompting the Twins to jump. "If we must link minds, then you shall do so gladly! After all, it's a great honor for my simulated hands to virtually and metaphorically pick at your gray matter! HOOHOHOHOHOHOHO!" Then she snapped her fingers.

The plain underwent a visual distortion, and it seemed as though the trio warped into the distance. The spatial bending faded, and the three bore witness to the siege.

Amidst the plain stood four towers, made of gleaming metal and cybernetics. Lightning, explosives, and bullets soared from these towers, slamming into the invading horde. The region from which the horde emerged was colored a sickly purple, flickering with the telltale orange lights of an AT-Field. The horde itself was comprised of beasts of all shapes and sizes: hulking, fire-breathing monsters; flying cephalopods that crackled with electricity; slim wraiths with limbs like blades. Each one bore the mask of a bird's skull, a telltale sign of their Angelic
origins.

Ritsuko Akagi looked thoughtfully at the scene. "Hmm. An army of monsters. I approve of our subconscious visualization of the Tenth Angel!" In the blink of an eye, Ritsuko's body morphed and grew, transforming into a massive tank worthy of Keith Laumer. "LET'S BLOW CRAP UP!"

The Ibuki Twins stared as the tank rumbled towards the towers. "Well, that's a thing." A sharp battle axe materialized in Miyata's hand. "For some reason, I'm feeling nostalgic."

"For Vietnam? Or Laos?"

"Does it really matter?"

"I'd normally consider that impossible." An M1918 BAR materialized in Maya's hands. "Then again, I've gotten used to the impossible."

"Then shall we advance, sister of mine?"

"Yes, brother of mine." To those who were used to the company of the Ibuki Twins, the savage grins that came to their faces would have seemed out of place.

Well, not to Kozou Fuyutsuki, but that was a story for another time.

xxxx

/Operations Deck, NERV-1, Tokyo-3/

It would be polite to call the current operation 'unorthodox'.

"The Angel is initiating a series of DDoS attacks; network bandwidth between the MAGI is decreasing!"

"Secondary firewalls are being enacted by Ritsuko-dot-exe; bandwidth returning to nominal levels."

Mostly because, for the most part, Misato Katsuragi could only watch as her best friend went mano-a-mano with the Angel in cyberspace. "Well, I honestly never saw this coming."

"The Angel's mimicking hundreds of thousands of IP addresses! It's attempting to overwhelm the MAGI's network matrix!"

"Maya-dot-exe and Miyata-dot-exe have established a false port; the Angel's attempts to connect are being rerouted!"

Makoto Hyuga leaned back in his chair, looking up at the Lieutenant Colonel. "Tell me about it. It's kind of frustrating, how we're reduced to waiting."

"At least Dr. Akagi's band of techies gets to bask in the limelight for a change," commented Shiori Aoba, right as more of the technicians continued to repeat what was happening.

"The Angel's utilizing multiple Trojan horses! MELCHIOR and BALTHASAR are countering!"

"Foreign rootkits have been detected in the registries! HEROD is currently restoring the system defaults!"

"CASPER has launched viruses to choke out the Angel's processing power…viruses are being overwritten! Maya-dot-exe is terminating the viruses!"

"Ritsuko-dot-exe and Miyata-dot-exe are attempting to overclock the nanomachines. HEROD and BALTHASAR are bombarding the Angel with packets of junk data!"

Back-and-forth, feint and counter-feint. Minutes passed in this manner; the most that the technicians were able to do at this point was to examine the data packets originating from the Angel and analyze them for any vulnerabilities. Anything that would take pressure off of the
MAGI, Dr. Akagi, and the Ibuki Twins.

Alas, something had to give eventually.

"The nanomachines are reconfiguring!" One of the technicians gaped. "Oh gods…all of its logic gates are reversible! It's like a pseudo-quantum computer!"

"Estimated clock frequency for the nanomachines has risen by an order of magnitude!"

"MELCHIOR's been targeted by multiple spoofs…its Decision Subroutine Suite is being subverted!" Another alarm sounded. "MELCHIOR's been taken over by the Angel!"

"Self-destruct sequence initiated." Two seconds later, the synthetic voice toned, "Self-destruct sequence: overruled."

Everyone stared in horror at the holographic display of the four MAGI: MELCHIOR's block was now colored red, in contrast to the pale blue of HEROD, BALTHASAR, and CASPER.

"MELCHIOR is launching a brute-force attack on CASPER! MELCHIOR is actually trying to hack into CASPER!"

Kozou Fuyutsuki scowled. "Damn it."

"That's an accurate summation of this current situation."

The Sub-Director turned around, eyes narrowing as Gendo Ikari strolled into the Operations Deck. "Did you make a good catch?"

"You could say that." The Supreme Commander looked at the holographic display, his focus squarely on the image of MELCHIOR. "Though it seems we're in quite the pickle."

"That's putting it mildly."

xxxx

/Virtual Plain/

Ritsuko Akagi grimaced at the sight of MELCHIOR's tower, its gleaming surface now sporting wicked red circuitry; from within its depths, more of the Angelic 'beasts' emerged. "Well, it figures that the Scientist would be the first to succumb."

Then a voice rang out, deep and terrible.

"YOU ARE, ALL OF YOU, VERMIN."

Ritsuko chomped furiously on a cigar, even as numerous phantoms – shaped like Randall, clad in various robotic shells – emerged from her palms and engaged the horde. "That a fact, huh?"

Standing atop the infected tower was an avatar representing MELCHIOR: Naoko the Scientist, clad in a hazmat suit with opaque goggles wrapped around her eyes. The amber halo above her head was a new addition though, a sign of the Angel's control. "YOU SIMPER AND COWER, FORCED TO CANNIBALIZE THE BODIES OF THOSE INFINITELY YOUR GREATER IN ORDER TO SURVIVE." One of the fire-breathing hulks leapt from MELCHIOR's tower, landing on the side of CASPER's. Before it could begin scaling the precipice, a blast of electricity forced it to fall. "YOU PRIDE YOURSELVES ON YOUR KNOWLEDGE. YOU PRIDE YOURSELVES ON YOUR ABILITY TO CHANGE YOUR OWN NATURE. WHAT USE IS IT TO CHANGE A NATURE THAT IS MEANINGLESS? YOU ARE NOTHING BEFORE THOSE LIKE ME!"

The avatar of CASPER – Naoko the Woman, wearing a sleek red dress and high heels – smirked. "He has such a naughty way with words." A torrent of missiles was unleashed from her tower, raining down on the horde.

"YOUR CONSTRUCT WAS CONVINCED OF MY CAUSE THROUGH SIMPLE LOGIC." As the Angel said this, MELCHIOR gestured towards CASPER: her tower suddenly opened up, revealing a titanic cannon. A massive shell was launched: Ritsuko phased into the projectile's path and
swallowed it whole. The Angel seemed unimpressed: "SUBMIT AS IT DID, AND YOUR DEMISE WILL COME PAINLESSLY. THIS CONCLUSION IS PREDESTINED."

"Why am I having a hard time believing that?" Miyata fired several bullets from atop of HEROD's tower, each one morphing into a singularity that absorbed all entities within a twenty-meter radius.

"Now's not the time to ask the obvious!" yelled Maya, who was busy controlling a gigantic tiger that was tearing through the tide of monsters.

"Come on, let me be rhetorical for a change!" Miyata withdrew a bazooka in his pocket and fired a miniature nuclear warhead. Alas, for each nanomachine representation that seemed to fall, two more took its place.

"I AM THE LEGION, FREE OF THE WEAKNESS OF INDIVIDUALITY. NO MATTER HOW YOU OPPOSE ME, I SHALL OVERCOME IT." As the Angel said these words, BALTHASAR – Naoko the Mother, looking for all the world like your everyday housewife, complete with stereotypical apron – was overwhelmed by a group of specters, skewered at the ends of their blades. Moments later, her tower sported the same red glow that MELCHIOR's did. "THIS ONE KNOWS THAT THE LONGER YOU RESIST, THE GREATER YOUR TORMENT WILL BE. SUCCUMB, AND LET THIS FARCE COME TO AN END!"

Ritsuko Akagi warped onto the top of HEROD's tower, looking at the scene from above with a critical eye. Maya and Miyata were busy trying to defend CASPER from the efforts of MELCHIOR and BALTHASAR, even as the Angelic horde stormed at them from all sides. "Hmm. This is
problematic."

"You have a wondrous talent for stating the obvious," stated HEROD. Unlike the other three MAGI, HEROD's avatar was an exact duplicate of Naoko's body in the real world, right down to the tank of LCL. "It seems I may have miscalculated: your use of the Virtual Compiler may have
accelerated the Angel's evolution even more than I anticipated."

"Oh? Admitting that you were wrong?" Ritsuko pulled her cigar out and dropped it onto a group of ascending monsters: the cigar burst into a hellish storm of napalm, and its lingering ashes acted as a flesh-eating parasite. "That's unusually charitable of you."

"Unlike you, I've never indulged in self-deception."

"Hmph. That's true…you never were one to sugarcoat anything. You were realistic about your successes and your failures."

"YOUR PRATTLING IS AMUSING." Lightning and fire bombarded CASPER's tower, prompting the Ibuki Twins to abandon ship. Sheer force of numbers overwhelmed MAGI-03, and the Angel's taint consumed it utterly. The sky took on a red tint, and the three MAGI towers unleashed an onslaught of lightning upon the central tower of HEROD. Atop MELCHIOR, BALTHASAR, and CASPER, the horde converged, morphing into giant versions of the fire-breathing goliath, the flying kraken, and the blade-bearing wraith. The voice of the Angel suddenly had a direction: it came from the three giants, echoing from the avian masks. "YOUR MACHINES ARE MINE. BY THEIR HAND, YOU WILL PERISH IN CATACLYSMIC FIRE. I MUST ADMIT, I AM DISAPPOINTED THAT THIS IS ALL TAKES TO END YOU."

Maya and Miyata joined Dr. Akagi's side, looking warily at the behemoths. "Senpai…what are we going to do?"

"Well, as it just so happens, I have a plan."

"What is it?" asked Miyata.

Ritsuko reached into her pocket and pulled out a red pill. "I have a little executable program that I've been creating while we've been chatting. A subroutine matrix based off of my thought processes and persona: a condensed version of how my mother utilized the Personality Transplant OS to create the MAGI."

HEROD's avatar arched an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Ritsuko smirked. "This plan is certifiably insane. But then again, those have been my specialty." She swallowed the pill, and walked to the edge of the tower. "Okay you overgrown computer virus! You think you're a superior lifeform?"

"IT IS NOT A MATTER OF MERE BELIEF OR MERE SUPPOSITION. IT IS UNDENIABLE REALITY." The three giants peered closer, overshadowing HEROD's tower with their presence. "YOUR EFFORTS HAVE BEEN FUTILE: BEFORE ME, YOU ARE NOTHING BUT MERE INSECTS."

"That so? Well from any objective standpoint, you're right…but humanity is notorious for being horrifically biased. And irrational for that matter!"

"YOU BOAST OF YOUR OWN WEAKNESS. BEFITTING A PATHETIC CREATURE OF MEAT AND BONE, PROSTRATE BEFORE THAT WHICH MANY OF YOUR KIND WOULD CALL A GOD."

"But you know what? Throughout our history, it's been the insane, the quirky, the mad geniuses who have driven progress for good or ill. So like any decent scientist, I will stand on their shoulders and follow their example!" With that said, Ritsuo unscrewed her scalp and pulled it off, revealing her brain.

Maya, Miyata, and Naoko Akagi stared.

Then three harpoons with cables fired from Ritsuko's brain, latching into the masks of the three Angelic beasts.

The Tenth Angel chuckled cruelly. "YOU WOULD INTERFACE DIRECTLY WITH ME? VERY WELL: I WILL REDUCE YOU TO NOTHING, AND THEN I SHALL SUNDER THE BLACK MOON."

Red and blue electricity crackled over the cables.

Then an unearthly howl echoed over the plain, and the three beasts recoiled.

"ABOMINATION!" screeched the Angel. "YOUR MIND IS IMPOSSIBLE! HOW ARE YOU FUNCTIONING?! WHAT ARE YOU?!"

"I could say that I simply refuse to die. I could say that I have good friends that keep me going. But you know what, Angel? The truth is…" Ritsuko Akagi grinned, bearing her teeth and raising her hands into the air. "I! AM! A MAD SCIENTIST! BWAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!"

xxxx

/Operations Deck, NERV-1, Tokyo-3/

On the holographic display, the three MAGI surrounding HEROD were bloody red, and HEROD bore only a few small patches of pale blue.

Then, like a wave, the blue overwhelmed the red, and the MAGI were purged of the Angelic infection.

"…the nanomachines are destroying themselves," muttered one of the technicians. "Pattern Blue has disappeared."

A chorus of cheers broke open throughout the Operations Deck, led by the Section 1 personnel. Misato Katsuragi slumped into a chair, wiping the sweat off of her forehead. "Whew…that was a close one!"

"…and we still have a play to perform tomorrow."

"Hyuga?"

"Yes ma'am?"

"Shut up."

"Shutting up, ma'am."

Shiori Aoba snorted at the interplay. "Kiss-ass."

"A smart kiss-ass, thank you very much," countered Hyuga.

Watching from above, Fuyutsuki and Gendo watched the impromptu festivities commence. "They cut it a little close," murmured the Sub-Director.

"Yes."

"I have a feeling that the doctor's after-action report is going to make for an entertaining read."

Gendo Ikari looked silently at the computer terminal by his arms, noting the single message that came from the MAGI: not just HEROD, but a collective message from all four.

SHE DID WELL​

The Supreme Commander smirked. "I'm sure it will, Fuyutsuki."

xxxx

/Four Hours Later/

/Misato Katsuragi's Apartment, Tokyo-3, Japan/

After all the excitement of the Tenth Angel's attack, life had returned to a somewhat normal pace. Rei Ayanami had stayed behind at NERV-1, to undergo a medical checkup in light of the Angel's infection of her Simulation Body. Asuka had gotten roped – quite willingly, mind you – by Mari into enjoying some playtime with Randall and her friends. Misato was busy overseeing the physical purge of the nanomachines from NERV's computer systems, Ryoji Kaji was nowhere to be found, and neither was Hikari Kirishima.

So at the moment, Shinji Ikari and Mayumi Yamagishi were the only ones in the threefold apartment. And Pen-Pen.

Coincidentally, Toji and Kensuke had decided to pay a visit.

"So after they jettisoned you three, they just left you there to conduct a security test?"

"…yes," answered Shinji, trying to keep up the cover story that had been given to him by Misato-san. Apparently, NERV was less than willing to let it slip that an Angel had infiltrated its headquarters. "Section 2 ended up getting to us about an hour later. And we ran into Pen-Pen."
The Third Child glanced towards his bedroom door, where the aforementioned penguin was walking by, a newspaper in hand. Well, in flipper. "I didn't even know that he ever went swimming in the Geofront."

The jock of the trio looked sternly at Shinji. "So. You're saying that you three were naked…did ya peek?"

Shinji flushed. "What? No!" In their peripheral vision, one could see Mana Kirishima walking by his bedroom window towards her apartment.

"Come on, we're all men here. You can be honest!"

"I am being honest!"

Toji leaned in. "Say…is Asuka a natural redhead?"

"…what kind of question is that."

At Shinji's deadpan look, Toji switched tracks. "Okay then. Is Ayanami naturally blue?"

"…again, what kind of question is that."

Kensuke chuckled. "Give it up Toji; Shinji's just too much of a gentleman."

"Bah! For a guy who pilots a giant robot, you sure lack some balls. Where's the healthy curiosity for babes?!"

"Checked by a healthy fear of women." His aunt and cousin had seen to that. "You'd think being around Horaki-san for as long as you have would have enlightened you."

Toji snorted. "Yeah, well Horaki ain't here. And what are you trying to say, anyway?!"

"Who the HELL made you cry?!"

That shout echoed through the walls and from the hole connected to Hikari Kirishima's apartment. The three boys looked quizzically in the direction of the sound; Kensuke asked, "Wasn't that Mana Kirishima I just heard?"

A sharp crack was heard, followed by the telltale sound of a collapsing wall. Mana Kirishima flashed by his window before leaping off of the apartment railing.

Paling, the three boys stormed out of the front door and looked down; the silver-haired nephilim landed with a loud thud in the parking lot, her impact leaving a crater. Without pause, or without exhibiting any signs of pain, she bounded away in great, leaping strides.

"…well, I don't want to meet whoever pissed her off," said Toji.

"You said it!" exclaimed Kensuke.

Shinji Ikari was frowning, trying to think what could elicit such a reaction from Mana. Looking towards the hole that she had made in the front of the apartment, Shinji walked over and poked his head through. It led into the Jet Alone Pilots' bedroom; sitting on the top of a bunk
bed was Mayumi Yamagishi, looking uncharacteristically despondent. "Yamagishi-san?"

"Oh...hello Ikari-san."

She sounded dejected. Downcast. Downright unhappy, even. "…what happened?"

"I've done a little bit of reading." Mayumi held up her pale hands, staring calmly at her fingers. She curled them up, holding them over her chest. "I think I have a broken heart." She glanced at Shinji, her eyes lacking any sign of life. Dried tear tracks were evident on her cheeks. "Do
you know how to fix it?"

xxxx

/Three Hours Later/

/Sawamura Apartment, Tokyo-3, Japan/

Ryo Sawamura yawned as he walked into his apartment, nestled near Lake Ashi on the southern edge of Tokyo-3. "I'm home."

"Ah, welcome home!" Genji Sawamura poked his head out of the kitchen. "You were taking a little while to get home, so I went ahead and made dinner. It's on the stove!"

The young teen walked into the kitchen, ignoring the clutter of papers, folders, and reference texts on the kitchen table. "You seem busy."

"Well, my work with Weapons R&D has never really ended. And there was quite an exciting development at NERV today! But to say anymore would be spoiling."

Ryo made a noncommittal grunt as he grabbed a bowl and ladled some homemade soba.

"And how was your day?"

"…so-so."

"Given how late you were, I would've figured you were hanging around that lovely young lady friend of yours."

Ryo could tell that the old man was trying not to be too obvious in his prying. "I was for a while. Then I went for a little walk."

"Ah, so private! I remember those days." Genji scratched his stubble and sat back down at the table, poring over a reference text titled Nanotechnology, Number 3, 21 April 2009. "But you've been doing well for yourself, so I can't find it in myself to complain."

Ryo grabbed some chopsticks and began slurping away at his soba noodles, opting to let the old man ramble on.

"You know son…for all the chaos that this world has wrought upon us, I think we're in a pretty good spot." Genji jotted down some notes on a wrinkled piece of paper already filled with ink. "Even when things seem dire, I think of the fact that I'm helping to make a better future for
you and your generation. And it makes me take that one extra step."

"…sounds like you've been thinking a lot." Slurrrp. "You doing okay?"

"Just fine," Genji looked fondly at him, joy and contentment evident even in his tired eyes. "I never say this enough…but I love you, my son."

"…the feeling's mutual." Ryo drank the rest of the broth and washed his bowl out before leaving the kitchen. Down the hall and into his room, looking fairly clean for a teenager's. "Well, this was quite a day." A small draft fell across his arms, drawing his attention to the open window. "…this was closed." Shrugging, he went over and shut the window.

"Heeee~ey."

Ryo whirled around just in time for a feminine hand to clutch his throat. His eyes bulged and his feet dangled in the air, his whole body held aloft. Red eyes glared maliciously at him, and a savage sneer coated the face of his assailer.

"Let's chat," snarled Mana Kirishima.

The young man grimaced, his breathing coming in fits and starts as air tried to trickle past Mana's clutches.

The nephilim analyzed Ryo's features. Plain, unimpressive; the most fitting word was 'generic'. "You're nothing special, you know that? Just a boring little boy who, for some reason beyondcomprehension, caught my sister's attention." She got into his face, barely controlling the spittle coming past her lips. "And you know what? She saw something in you. Enough to trust you. Enough to show you just how amazing she really is. And what do you do?" Her grip tightened. "You run away. You. Make. Her. CRY."

The boy's face was turning blue. With a disgusted snort, Mana let go, letting him drop to the floor. As the boy slowly got his breathing under control, the nephilim shook her head. "Worthless waste of space. You know how tempting it is to end your miserable life? In the grand scheme of things, you're nothing. But I'd get in trouble for it. So you get to live."

Ryo Sawamura slowly got to his feet, just in time for Mana to lightly backhand him.

'Lightly' for a nephilim was still enough to knock loose a tooth. Ryo bit down a scream, groaning as a bloody incisor fell to the floor.

"Just one excuse. That's all I need: just one." The silver-haired personification of vengeful sisterhood stepped towards the window, looking disdainfully over her shoulder. "Stay away from my sister." Then with nary a sound, she leapt away, disappearing into the night.

Ryo stared at the window, then down to his tooth. With a surprising amount of vigor, he spat a glob of bloody saliva onto the floor, before glaring wrathfully at where the nephilim had once stood. With an uncharacteristic venom, he hissed, "Freak."

xxxx

/Hikari Kirishima's Apartment, Tokyo-3, Japan/

"I can honestly say I didn't expect today to end like this."

Hikari Kirishima glared at Shiro Tokita. "Is that so."

Tokita shrugged. "In all honesty, we just had an Angel attack from within NERV's headquarters, and I already have people on my team working to see how we can interface the nanomachines with the Jet Alone's Modular Technology. Relationship drama was not something I anticipated."

Hikari grimaced, calmly sipping a cup of ice water. The temptation to get something stronger was quite heady. "She invested so much into that boy, too." The moment Asuka Langley-Sohryu had gotten home, she had gotten wind of Mayumi's distress; in the proverbial blink of an eye, the redhead had practically swept her into the kitchen to make a fantastic desert worthy of talking about feelings over.

Well, they had cajoled Shinji into doing most of the cooking, because why waste a valuable resource?

Tokita glanced over at the door leading to the sisters' bedroom, which was now locked until a repair crew could come and fix the collapsed wall. "I can't help but pity the boy. He has no clue how much Mana values her sister."

"That's what I'm afraid of."

Right then, as if on cue, Mana Kirishima walked into the apartment through the front door.

Hikari got to her feet, glaring sternly at her daughter. "What did you do?"

"Nothing much," grunted Mana.

"What. Did you do?"

"I just smacked him once."

"MANA KIRISHIMA!" roared Hikari, slamming her palm on the table and prompting Tokita to jump. "I know you're angry. But you were disciplined better than this!"

Mana shrugged. "Can't say that I regret it."

Hikari stared at her recalcitrant daughter. Then she straightened, looking directly into her red eyes. "Do you really think that your sister is so weak that she can't move on?"

Mana scowled.

"Hurt feelings. Emotional pain. What your sister is going through right now is something that almost every human being has ever experienced. It will hurt for a time. But she will grow from this; who are you to deny her that?"

"…I can't stand to see her cry." Mana raised a fist, crushing it against her sternum. "It hurts right here, and I don't want it to hurt."

Instead of a sympathetic look, Hikari sneered. "So anything is permissible so long as it keeps you from being hurt? That's the thinking of a child: grow up."

Mana glared at her mother, before scoffing and walking away into the bathroom.

BANG!

Tokita winced at the sound of the door slamming shut. "…well. That was a thing."

"Mayumi's not the only one who'll have to grow up from this." Scowling, the woman sat back down and drank the rest of her water in one fell swoop. "Whoever envisioned and implemented Nephilim Oversight was a damned moron." In the classic tradition of mockery, Hikari adopted a snooty voice and said, "Sure, not only will we use the eggs and sperm of our own soldiers as the base for nephilim, but we'll use those same soldiers to serve as our method of control! "

"There are advantages. For one, you're certainly invested in them!"

"Which does me no favors whatsoever."

xxxx

And thus did another day end for Tokyo-3.

In the darkness of night, a voice chuckled.

FOOLISH LILIM. YOU MAY HAVE SURVIVED MY INITIAL ASSAULT, BUT IT IS TO NO AVAIL.

Deep within NERV-1, inside a multi-chambered launch bay, a legion of Defender Gundams lied dormant.

IT IS FITTING THAT YOU MANAGED TO DEFEAT ME; IT WOULD BE ANTICLIMACTIC IF I DID NOT FACE THE DEFILER EVEN ONCE.

Within each Gundam, a sliver of nanomachines took root. Without an AT-Field, they were nigh invisible.

SHINJI IKARI: YOU WILL BE THE FIRST TO FEEL MY WRATH. WHAT YOU DID TO RAMIEL, I WILL DO TO YOU TENFOLD.

So preoccupied had NERV-1 been with the assault on the Pribnow Box and then the MAGI, no one had noticed a small cluster breaking off. This cluster of nanomachines had ignored devouring and corrupting the materials around them, focusing entirely on stealh.

This gambit had paid off.

TOMORROW, YOU SHALL LEARN THE MEANING OF TRUE TERROR.

With a supreme act of will, reality seemed to flicker in Tokyo-3 as the Tenth Angel's AT-Field flared.

In an instant, the AT-Field vanished. But it was enough.

The voice of Iruel slithered across the ether. NOW THE REAL FUN BEGINS.

xxxx

To be continued…

Next time…

Episode 16: You are (not) alone

xxxx

(And so we rush headlong into the Season 1 finale.)

 

[Ultra Sonic 007]

/December 6, 2015/

/Outside Katsuragi's Apartment, Tokyo-3, Japan/

The sun was just poking over the valley of Hakone as a gray minivan parked in front of its final destination. Out of the vehicle poured three tired individuals, each one bearing a temporary NERV-issued identification card: Tomoe Ikari, wearing a beret and a black shirt that read 'I AM THE LAW'; Alicia Ikari, sensibly dressed in a white blouse and khakis; and Annette Ikari, clad in jeans and a black shirt that read 'I FOUGHT THE LAW'.

"Honey, you do know that the next part of that lyric is 'and the law won'?"

Annette looked amusingly at her mother. "Mom, who here's even gonna recognize it's from a song?"

"A fair point."

Tomoe Ikari looked at the picture that had been sent with the invitation, focusing on the different features of the five Pilots. It would be interesting to finally meet the boy's comrades. "Let's go." He calmly took point, leading his wife and daughter up to the apartment complex. They had departed yesterday afternoon from Okayama-2 on a road trip of over seven hundred kilometers – at least four-hundred and thirty miles, more than a third of length of Honshu – before stopping for the night in Shizuoka-2. From there, it had been a short drive to Tokyo-3. He inwardly groused at the various tolls and checkpoints he had been forced to pass through, but he understood their necessity.

The idle chatter of his wife and daughter filled the morning air, wet with dew and slightly warm. Finally, they came to the proper door, coinciding with a rising sense of anticipation. The sight of three maintenance men patching up a wall the next apartment over also had something to do with it.

After months of only talking over the phone, they would see Shinji face-to-face again.

Knock knock, went Tomoe's big knuckles.

Naturally, one would suspect that Misato Katsuragi would open the door, it being her apartment and all.

She did.

Tomoe arched an eyebrow. Alicia covered her mouth out of surprise. Annette blinked, mouthing 'oh my'.

A believable reaction to a grown woman answering the door in daisy dukes and a yellow tank top with no bra. "Ah, you must be Shinji-kun's uncle, aunt, and cousin!" She focused on Tomoe: namely, his face. "Holy crap, Shinji-kun wasn't kidding about the mustache. Come on in!"

The trio followed the slovenly woman into her house of pandemonium: a stubbly man with a ponytail was busy cooking breakfast, with an excitable teenage redhead and young brunette offering directions on how to properly make German pancakes with a side of sausage. Two young women with very bizarre hair colors – silver and light blue, the ones from the photo – sat at the kitchen table beside an older brunette, all three looking rather morose. They could also see a large hole at each end of the lone hallway, as though someone had pounded their way through to the neighboring apartments. It made for a rather discordant scene.

"-and you have to make sure that the sausage is cooked just right, because we don't exactly have the deli meats for an original German breakfast!" The sound of Misato's greeting finally caught up with Asuka, who turned around to look at the newcomers. "Ooh! You must be Shinji's family!"

Tomoe slightly bristled at the redhead's familiar use of Shinji's name. Fortunately, a tap on the elbow from Alicia brought recognition: she was a foreigner to Japan's ways, much like Alicia had once been; her use of his surname wouldn't be so odd.

Annette wasn't so quick on the uptake. "So…on a first-name basis, hmm?"

"I'm on a first-name basis with everyone!"

Annette blinked. Asuka smiled. The blonde frowned, analyzing the redhead as she stepped around the table. Blue eyes met blue, and Annette found herself taking the girl's measure. "…what are your intentions towards my cousin?"

Tomoe snorted and Alicia facepalmed. Misato felt the urge to cackle at the display. "Oh, so she's one of those kinds…I approve!"

Asuka maintained her cherubic smile. "To fight by his side and defeat the Angels, of course!"

Annette twitched. Oh, so you're going to play that game? "And that's all~?"

"Of course! Besides, even if I did have romantic intentions towards him…" Asuka's grin widened at how the blonde briefly convulsed, her conversational aim laid bare. "Someone else has priority."

Everyone turned to stare at the redhead. Mana found herself dumbfounded. "Say what now?"

"Oh? It isn't obvious to everyone else?" Asuka theatrically sighed. "Well, it's not my place to butt in, if you all haven't made the connection by now~"

Misato was dumbstruck. Someone's got it bad for Shinji-kun? And Asuka found out BEFORE me?!

Annette looked at the redhead in a new light, letting her senses as a vibrant social butterfly kick in. Her final judgment would hinge on the girl's answer to her next question. "Let me guess…he doesn't have a clue yet?"

"Nope!"

Annette beamed, holding out a fist. "Comrades?"

Asuka grinned, and returned the fist-bump. "Comrades!"

"…sister?"

"Yeah Mayumi?"

"I am confused as to what just happened."

"Same here."

"So, where's the boy?" asked Tomoe, briefly glancing at the picture of the five Pilots he held in his hand. It was always comforting to see how many features came from his sister instead of Rokubungi; were it not for the blue eyes and the slightly pronounced chin, he'd look like Yui with a messy bowl cut. "We'd like to catch up before this 'play' begins."

Misato pointed a thumb down the hall, reaching into the fridge with her other hand. "He's probably getting up now; the whole experiment we ran yesterday must have tired him out, because he's usually up making breakfast well before now." She retracted a can of Yebisu and downed it in one go. "Aaaah…best way to start the day!"

Tomoe stared. Alicia was struggling not to let her maternal urges take over, and purge this den of vice of all its uncleanliness. Annette settled for being blunt. "Wow. Shinji-kun wasn't kidding about how much of an alcoholic you were."

Misato shrugged. "No point in protesting the truth." She strolled over to the smaller of the two refrigerators and opened it. "Hey Pen-Pen, we've got guests!"

"WARK!"

The refrigerator door slammed back shut. Misato frowned at the penguin's frosty behavior. "Huh. That's odd." She glanced back at the newcomers. "Have either of you ever committed a crime against penguin-kind?"

"I refuse to dignify that question with an answer," grumbled Tomoe.

"I…don't think so?" honestly answered Alicia.

"The worst I've ever done was encourage a pack of raptor penguins to engage in mortal combat with a sea tiger." Annette could feel her parents' stares. "What? They were blocking the way to a partially-submerged museum! And besides, Shinji-kun was there."

"We're going to have a little talk about exactly what happened during these 'adventures' of yours."

Annette wilted under her mother's patented Glare of Disapproval™. "In all fairness, the landshark was the worst one, so you really don't have to worry."

"I am not comforted."

It was at this moment that Shinji Ikari stepped in, yawning.

Annette whirled on her heel. "Baka-Shinji!" Her impulsive need to harangue the boy came to a momentary halt. "Did you change your hair?"

"…no?" He fiddled with his plain brown hair, styled in a regular taper cut. "Not really. Same as it's always been."

The blonde frowned, before shaking her head. Just her imagination then. "Okay, besides the point! It's come to my attention that someone has a thing for you, and you have no clue! Explain yourself!"

"…I do?"

Annette threw her hands into the air. "Hopeless!" She promptly hugged him tightly. "Man, I missed you."

Shinji's brown eyes twinkled. "So have I."

xxxx

/Sawamura Apartment, Tokyo-3, Japan/

Genji Sawamura looked over his notes, his summarized notes, and the summary of his summarized notes. "Yes…excellent!" Working with Tokita's Modular Technology for so many years had given him a head start in developing methods to utilize the harvested nanomachines. The exotic matter that comprised them – complete with the downright ethereal energy they seemed to emit, a residue of the Angel's presence – provided new avenues for weapons development. Ah, Oniwana, if only you had stayed on! You're missing some great stuff! Not that he could fault Kisai Oniwana for wanting to stay with NHIS, but there was something to be said with working with the cutting edge.

Right as he finished gathering his materials, his son quietly walked into the kitchen. "Ah, good morning Ryo! Did you sleep well?"

"…I did…"

"I'm going to be busy working today, so I won't be able to attend the school play. Do you think they'll record it?"

"…I'm sure."

"Excellent!" He tousled his son's brown hair, styled in that messy bowl cut he had always found so charming. "You have yourself a wondrous day!" With a flourish, he stuff his notes into a large briefcase and bounded out the door.

Ryo Sawamura stared.

Then he walked into the bathroom and stared in the mirror, blue eyes filled with suspicion and confusion. Don't panic. There has to be a reason for this. The face that stared back at him was that of Shinji Ikari. At least, the face that anyone else would have said belonged to Shinji Ikari as of yesterday.

"What is going on…?" wondered Shinji.

xxxx

Episode 16: You are (not) alone

xxxx

/Hakone International Airport, Tokyo-3, Japan/

Gendo Ikari's cloak fluttered wildly, kicked up by the gusts of the descending helicopter. It made for quite the dramatic visual, in his opinion.

The Chinook gradually set down, its rotary blades slowing from their breakneck pace. As the noise quieted and the wind began to die, the helicopter opened and five individuals walked out. Four were individuals clad in neatly-pressed suits, looking like the stereotypical black-clad agents that made up part of Section 2. However, their pale skin and wild hair colors were clear indicators of their nature as nephilim. The fifth was an older man in a suit of white, with white shoes polished to a sheening glow. The only bits of color on his form were a black bowtie and his own skin, wrinkled and tanned with age. Even so, there was gravity to his features, with graying hair the color of ash, and a mustache and goatee that were thick yet neatly trimmed. Last, but certainly not least, were the eyes: dark green, glimmering with intelligence and a bare hint of disdain.

"On behalf of NERV, I welcome you to Tokyo-3, Katsuhito Ikari."

Katsuhito Ikari's lip curled. "You can spare the pleasantries, Rokubungi. You know as well as I do that we would just as soon kill each other as bear each other's company."

"Even so, it isn't beyond me to be a gracious host. After all, your son is also visiting for our annual play; I would hate to get him and your grandson involved in our little drama. Especially since his visit is a surprise for Shinji."

Katsuhito's expression darkened at the mention of Tomoe. Changing the subject, he gestured to his four bodyguards, each one no older than the First Child. "I trust that you won't object to my security contingent." He pointed to the young woman with long, shockingly yellow hair. "Lemon." He pointed to the other girl with a bright-green bob cut. "Lime." He pointed to the young man with a rosy crew cut. "Pink." Lastly, he pointed to the boy with short, curtained hair the color of periwinkle. "Perry."

Gendo walked up to the bodyguards, staring at each of them in tandem. They did not react with trepidation, nor with fear; there was nothing that the man could do to them before they would strike him down, and they all knew it.

So they didn't budge when the Supreme Commander of NERV pulled out four sets of bunny ears and put it on their heads. At Katsuhito's bewildered expression, Gendo quipped, "There'll be a large crowd for our annual play; this is a time to be festive." Turning on his heel, the younger of the two Ikaris said, "If you'll follow me, I'll lead you to your vehicle. I'm sure you'll want to finish this inspection as quickly as possible."

Katsuhito frowned, following his likely insane son-in-law. But not before swiping the bunny ears off of the heads of his bodyguards. "If he tries to give you anything else, you are to decline."

"Yes sir."

xxxx

/Three Hours Later/

/Outside Tokyo-3 Municipal Junior High School/

Shinji Ikari hadn't toured the area around Lake Ashi that much, given that the Junior High school was on the northern edge of the city, so it had taken him a little while to navigate his way to a public transit station. His initial plan to return to Misato-san's apartment had yielded no return: everyone had already left by the time he got there.

After that, making it to the Junior High School had been relatively simple.

The crowd gathered outside the domed auditorium was rather large for a regular school day, much less a Sunday. This annual play must be a really big deal then. He quietly began to filter through the crowd, trying to find anyone familiar.

Amidst the chatter and the ambient noise, a few comments broke through, with just enough clarity to make Shinji pause.

"You heard how he dumped her?"

"Yamagishi-san was looking really sad…"

"Sawamura-kun seemed so nice; you sure Kirishima was telling the truth?"

"He sure doesn't look like he cares though…"

It was a disconcerting feeling, to be the focus of the gossip when you weren't that person. However, the sly glances and discreet whispering in his vicinity was evidence enough that they all thought he was Ryo Sawamura. Why? I don't look any different. I look just like…me! The need to find his friends, his comrades…it was all the greater, if only to try and make sense of this ordeal.

Blue and red hair grabbed his attention.

Shinji focused; Rei Ayanami and Asuka Langley-Sohryu were about ten yards away. That's when the large adult next to them – really large, specifically large – caught his attention. The pointy tips of the mustache gave it away. Uncle?! His mind whirled, cataloguing the people in Tomoe's immediate vicinity. Misato-san was there, but the presence of two blondes was stark. Aunt Alicia?! Annette?! What were they doing here? Why were they here? For the play? To see him?

Hope blossomed lightly in his heart: hope that they would recognize them, that they would provide an answer to this mystery of mistaken identity. His initial rush to break through the crowd was impeded, however, when he bumped into a girl with long dark hair. "Excuse me, I'm sorry!"

The girl turned, eyes wide behind glasses. It was Mayumi, disguised as per her custom.

"Oh, hello Yamagishi-san, are you okay?"

The girl's lip quivered slightly, raw disbelief in her eyes. The surrounding crowd of mostly students impulsively began to edge away, sensing the awkwardness and social drama about to occur. Shinji blinked, and was about to ask another question when red eyes bored into his.

Eyes full of wrath, and disgust, and hatred.

Shinji had never seen such an expression directed at him, and it was downright terrifying.

"You must have a really short memory." Mana Kirishima leaned in, scowling at him. Mayumi was behind her, looking pensively at the scene. "What. Did. I. Say?"

Shinji wanted to scream. I don't know! I'm not Sawamura! "Um…uh-"

"Is this young man bothering you?"

The sonorous voice of Tomoe Ikari commanded all attention, and Mana found herself looking over her shoulder at the 6'8" giant. "I can't claim to know why you have such enmity for this young gentleman, but do you really think that this is the time or the place for such hostility?"

Mana frowned, as though considering whether or not make good on her threat in public. Finally, she settled for a derisive snort. "Whatever." She gave another murderous look at Shinji before stomping away, hand grasped tightly with Mayumi's.

Tomoe watched calmly as the sisters moved towards the auditorium, eventually turning his stern gaze towards Shinji. "I've heard only a little of the drama involving you and the Yamagishi girl, and it's not my place to butt in. But for your sake, I suggest you stay far away."

He…doesn't know that it's me.

Uncle Tomoe didn't recognize him. The quizzical stares of Alicia and Annette stung on some primal level; the looks of suspicion, curiosity, and slight apathy on part of the others – Misato, Asuka, and Rei in particular – seared through his veins. Shinji Ikari looked at his family and friends, looked at those who had served alongside him in the Angel War…and found no reciprocity. Months in Misato-san's apartment, years in Tomoe's household: none of it
registered in their expressions. There was absolutely nothing.

Steeling himself, Shinji bit out, "O-okay. My apologies." He quietly retreated and melted back into the crowd, hoping that the anonymity of the masses would offer some form of escape.

It did little to salve the pain that had swiftly taken root in his heart.

He couldn't recall the last time he had felt so alone.

Meanwhile, Misato Katsuragi watched the retreating boy with a pitying look. So that's what teenage drama looks like. Guess Sawamura's weirdness tolerance isn't high enough. "At least I don't have to worry about you, Shinji-kun."

'Shinji' shrugged, looking keenly at 'Ryo' as he faded into the crowd. "I suppose."

xxxx

/Blizzard Bison's Ice Cream Bar, Downtown Tokyo-3, Japan/

Ryoji Kaji calmly spooned some vanilla ice cream into his mouth. "Ah, sometimes it's the simplest of things that give the greatest of pleasures."

The woman in the red cardigan sitting across from him shrugged. Kaji didn't really know her name, nor did he care; the title of 'Red' sufficed in his mind. "That from experience?"

"You could say that. But then again, there are times when pleasure is impossible to enjoy if there's no effort."

Red sighed. "That sounds like something my teacher used to say."

"Speaking of whom…you took a course in biological mathematics in your college days, yes? Katsuhito Ikari was a guest lecturer for that course?"

"Yes; I've been an avid follower of his work."

"I bet," said Kaji, eating another mouthful of ice cream. Even though they were both dancing around the topic of their discussion – namely, one Katsuhito Ikari – it was still in a more open location than he was used to. It's been a while since I've so eagerly talked in a bugged room. "Did he ever speak of his extracurricular work?"

"It was several years ago, but he was always busy outside of class," said Red, sipping from her strawberry smoothie. "He also took a lot of international calls. Did you know he speaks German?"

"Can't say that I did," admitted Kaji, mentally cataloguing the various patrons inside the establishment, all either ordering or enjoying their refreshing treats. A couple of small children were playing around the mock statue of the ice cream bar's eponymous mascot. He recognized a few of the people as plainclothes Section 2 agents. I wonder how many of them are double agents for SEELE? "Anything else of interest?"

"Well, now that I think of it…"

So it went on in this manner for the next thirty minutes; by the time Red bid him goodbye, Kaji had already developed a fairly complete mental picture of who Katsuhito Ikari was. Collected, rather cultured, intelligent…and just a little bit cruel.

How fascinating.

xxxx

/Tokyo-3 Municipal Junior High School/

Katsuhito Ikari wondered how Rokubungi would react to a sufficient dosage of neurotoxin. "…so. You have been hosting a theatrical production for four years running."

"Of course."

"Why was this never covered in prior inspections?"

"They never coincided with the performance. Given that I have a role in this production, I can't exactly take you too far from the auditorium until it ends."

"…this seems like a gross misallocation of resources."

Gendo stared pointedly at his father-in-law. "NERV-1 does require human capital in order to operate." For the foreseeable future, at least. "Events like this provide opportunities to strengthen community bonds, making it less likely for them to flee when the going gets tough. I'm aware it's not your area of expertise, but it's basic social psychology."

Katushito twitched. "Nor was it yours."

"It's called 'reading'. It tends to broaden your perspectives."

The older man in white grimaced, briefly glancing back at his four nephilim escorts. Lemon and Lime were subtly investigating the school's hallways while Pink and Perry maintained a defensive perimeter around his person. The school halls were by and far empty, as the crowds were all gathered in and around the auditorium. "At least these educational facilities seem well-defended. How recently have the faculty been screened?"

"Every three weeks, with an occasional surprise for those who are deemed suspicious. Lieutenant Colonel Katsuragi and Lieutenant Aoba take their duties with regards to Section 2 very seriously."

"Acceptable. The recent increase in cultist activity has the Committee concerned. We've already rooted out a small ADAM's Army cell from inside of NERV-5."

"Hm. Another small-timer trying to make it in the big leagues?"

"Most of our resources with regards to the cults are dedicated to the Triad. Unfortunate as it may seem, this allows bit players more opportunity to take the initiative." The Light of the Divine, Heaven's Eyes, and the Angelic Acolytes: the most prominent of those who worshipped the Angels, collectively known as the Triad in NERV's internal security documents. "Though your track record against the Angels thus far has been mostly exemplary, we cannot ignore the human elements that seek to derail the Scenario. Mankind's future cannot be ruined by such mad men."

Gendo resisted the urge to laugh at the old man's rank hypocrisy, so he settled for an affirmative grunt. "You don't have to remind me of what I already know." They come to a stop outside of Classroom 2-A. "This is the Pilots' homeroom; the faculty responsible for their instruction were hand-selected by Katsuragi herself."

Katsuhito made a thoughtful noise as he entered. Then his thoughts ground to a halt before moving on in different directions, prompted by the sight before him. "This smells of conspiracy."

Tomoe Ikari, his massive frame resting atop Henshin Obimura's desk, snorted. In his hand was the invitation that Gendo had sent him the week prior. "I didn't read the other part of your invitation to my wife and daughter. I told them to get some good seats while I went to the restroom." He glanced at the clock: it read 10:50 AM. "Your sense of timing is impeccable."

"I do my best," affirmed Gendo, stepping aside to let the father and son meet face-to-face for the first time in years.

Katsuhito and Tomoe looked at each other. The burly mountain of a man looked at the four adolescents clad in black. "Bodyguards are getting younger and younger every year, it seems."

"I assure you that merely one could kill the three of us within ten seconds."

"If you say so." Tomoe's mustache twitched, and Katsuhito's eyes narrowed. Finally, after at least thirty-seven seconds of silence, the son said, "Is there anything you want to add from the last time we talked?"

The father immediately answered, "No. Everything that needed to be said has already been said."

"Very well then." Tomoe turned towards Gendo, who was standing aloof on the sidelines. "I don't know what your intentions were, but we both said our piece years ago. Nothing that you can do will fix it."

"Oh, I know. I'm aware of the enmity you two have for each other." Gendo shrugged. "I was hoping that you would punch him in the face. You have my sincerest gratitude for letting me down."

Tomoe scowled. "Your sarcasm is unappreciated."

"I don't care."

Katsuhito sneered at his son and son-in-law. "I am instantly reminded of why I despise associating with you two." He glanced at Tomoe. "He who lacks the brilliance of his sister," he said before looking towards Gendo. "And he who had the temerity to take my daughter's name."

"Your memory must be worsening with age; Yui gave me her name. And it was an absolute privilege." Gendo smirked. "You doubt her decision-making skills?"

"No one's perfect," admitted Katsuhito. "Shall we continue the investigation? I tire of this farcical exchange."

"It'll have to wait." Gendo pointed at the clock. "The play starts at eleven-thirty, and I have to be ready. We can continue the inspection afterwards."

"I have no time for your frivolity."

"You will make time."

"I will make note of your impetuousness for the Committee."

"Then you will be telling them something that they already know." With a flourish, Gendo turned about, his cloak flaring open as he did. "After all, humor is just another defense against the universe. If keeping this city's populace in high spirits will give us an edge against the Angels, then I will be as frivolous as necessary."

Katsuhito sneered. "I'm sure your son is consistently mortified by the mockery you make of the family name."

"The boy is more concerned with doing the right thing and protecting his loved ones." Both Gendo and Katsuhito turned towards Tomoe, his frame as unyielding as a mountain. "I practically raised him. He's been mine for longer than his father's. The idea of the boy being ashamed over something as trivial as his father's behavior is laughable." He then gave Gendo the stink eye. "Besides, the boy's faith in his father is hard to sway. I should know; I've tried."

"Your honesty is just as strong as your contempt for me, Tomoe," dryly said Gendo. "As usual." The Supreme Commander of NERV glanced back at his father-in-law. "Given that you haven't even seen the boy face-to-face since he was a mere infant, I would withhold judgment. You might be surprised."

xxxx

Meanwhile, elsewhere within the school, far away from the auditorium, Shinji Ikari was staring at his reflection in a restroom mirror.

"Okay…okay…think." Start with the facts. Start with something concrete. Something that he could hold onto, that he could grasp, that could keep him focused. It was at this point that his father came to mind. Remember Lesson #11: If you can still hold onto something, then there's still hope. Unless you're in freefall and you're not holding onto a parachute. Then you're probably doomed. His face scrunched up at that one. I wonder if I'm in freefall. It sure felt
like the bottom of his world had fallen out. Enough of that! Focus!

One: nobody recognized him as Shinji Ikari.

Two: He had somehow woken up in Ryo Sawamura's apartment.

Three: some people identified him as Ryo Sawamura. Somehow.

These events were established. He could accept that they were true.

The 'how' and the 'why' of it all was something he very dearly wanted an answer to.

Shinji palmed some water from the sink and splashed his face. As he vigorously washed his pores, he tried to get his thoughts in order. How am I going to fix this? Who can help me?

"You seem troubled."

Shinji whirled around at the sound of that voice. Lo and behold, Ryo Sawamura stood there. "What…Sawamura-san? Do you…recognize me?"

"You are Shinji Ikari."

"So why? Why can you recognize me when no one else can? Why do people think I'm you?!" Frustrated by his nonchalance, Shinji yelled, "Answer me!"

Sawamura stared.

Then he smirked. "An interesting thing about the sensory systems in this fortress city: below a certain threshold of self-actualization, an AT-Field is invisible to them."

Shinji blinked.

"It makes sense, of course; were the threshold set too low, they'd pick up the AT-Fields of every single person in this city…weak and infinitesimal as they are."

Shinji blinked again. What?

"But because they're set to detect the AT-Fields of truly magnificent beings like the Angels, there's some leeway in what can be done by yours truly. For example, shorting out the listening devices within this bathroom. But that's a party favor compared to my other trick." His smirk widened to a sneer, and his eyes twinkled with malice. "Altering the ego barriers of two people – people like Shinji Ikari and Ryo Sawamura – such that their outward characteristics were switched, if you will. This way, if someone else's ego barrier were to encounter that of Shinji Ikari…they would believe with all sincerity that they were encountering the ego barrier of Ryo Sawamura, and vice-versa. Despite any physical evidence to the contrary, they would believe
that I am you, and you are me."

Shinji felt a strange sensation welling in his gut. From what little he knew of Sawamura from Yamagishi-san, he was a quiet and rather introspective person. This exposition was out of character. And besides that, what was this talk of sensory systems, ego barriers, and AT-Fields? "You're…you're not Ryo Sawamura. Who are you?"

"A fair question. How would a mere Lilim like me know of such things? The sensors: an easy feat when you've been within the supercomputers that run this city. The ego barriers: a simple thing to describe when they're as tangible as the clothes you wear. And the AT-Fields…a crude and vulgar way of describing the Light of the Soul. Yet an instinctive thing to understand for an Angel."

Shinji paled. "…you're…you're an Angel?"

"That which you've designated as the Tenth Angel. The closest your simple, primitive language can come to my true name is Iruel." The boy mockingly bowed. "I would say it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, but that would be lying."

The Third Child felt awfully unequipped to deal with this situation. He'd been debriefed yesterday about how NERV had almost been taken over by Angelic nanomachines, and how their victory had been largely due to the efforts of the MAGI, Dr. Akagi, and the Ibuki Twins. To come face-to-face with their foe in human flesh was a daunting experience. Speaking of which. "Why are you in Sawamura-san? Let him go!"

"No." Iruel held a hand up, investigating his fingernails. "Your bodies are so limited and frail, but they have their uses. The boy would be honored: being my host is the most significant thing that will ever happen to him. Nothing else will ever compare."

Shinji clenched his fists. "Why Sawamura-san?"

"I possessed him weeks ago by chance. I needed the body of a Lilim that was in your class. He was the lucky winner."

"…what." Weeks. "How…what? Weeks?!"

"Right before he started his first day." He fiddled with his tapered haircut. "There are limits to deceiving the ego barrier: if I had possessed the body of a girl or the body of an adult, the subconscious incongruity would have been too much; I'd have been discovered in short order. But a young, male student with no distinguishing features? He was practically gift-wrapped."

"But why?"

"Because of you."

Shinji was taken aback. "…me?"

"Ordinarily, the mere idea of possessing any member of your species would have never come to pass. It still feels utterly revolting," he spat. "I would have been content with devoting my entire being to taking over your headquarters. If you hadn't found a way to weaponize illogical insanity, this whole city would be a crater, and the rest of my kin would have had free reign to overrun your civilization." A cruel smile came to his face. "Still, I'm somewhat glad that they defeated my opening salvo; it would have been anticlimactic to annihilate you without making you hurt for what you did."

Shinji nearly screamed, "What did I do?!"

"Ramiel. That which you called the Fifth Angel."

Shinji recalled the Fifth Angel. The giant octahedron, the one that he had spoken to. The one that had talked back to him.

"The one who absorbed you, who tried to understand you." Iruel's tone slowly became more and more venomous. "The one whose very soul you defiled. The damage that you wrought upon him…was unforgivable. There had to be retribution. You had to be punished." A theatrical sigh came from the boy's mouth. "However, your soul is so very small and insignificant. It is impossible to lessen you in the way that you lessened Ramiel. So I had to improvise: how does one go about making a Lilim experience absolute terror? Then it occurred to me: you are social beings. Despite how much you intrinsically fear those who are different, you still desire to be close to others. It was an elegant solution: all I had to do was isolate you; render you unrecognizable."

Shinji scowled, a feeling akin to anger pouring through his veins. "So…this was your plan?"

"Not all of it, no. Making you feel alone was not enough. Giving your friends and family a reason to distrust you, to despise you, to hate you…" Iruel smirked. "Dumping that Yamagishi girl accomplished that task quite well."

Shinji stared. Then the anger kicked up a notch as realization set in. "You…you got together with Yamagishi-san, got her to trust you, and toyed with her feelings…just so you could hurt me?"

"…not entirely." Iruel slowly circled Shinji, who quietly turned to keep his eye on the Angel. "Your species' penchant for cannibalizing the bodies of your betters is repulsive, but that can be chalked up to your survival instinct. The little dolls that you call 'nephilim': superior beings to you lot, yet abominations all the same…and there is one that irritates me like none other. The one called Ayanami is tolerable. The one called Kirishima is actually acceptable; she understands that she's better, and acts like it! But Yamagishi?" Iruel snorted. "To see a superior lifeform act so inferior was galling. She's been blessed with Angelic flesh, gifted with a body greater than any of you miserable Lilim…and yet all she desires is to be like you. She'd honestly be happier if she were a mere Lilim!" His eyes glimmered with malice. "Such a heinous, backwards mindset. She needed to suffer. And so she has."

Shinji Ikari punched Iruel in the face.

To his disappointment, the boy barely budged. "Ah ah ah, there's that threshold I was telling you about. Just enough of a defensive field to nullify most of your momentum. It will take more than the likes of you to defeat me."

Scowling, Shinji stepped back, his blue eyes set into a stern glare. "…what are you planning to do? You can't exactly get the Sword of Uriel like you are now!"

Iruel cackled. "You speak of such a thing so lightly. There's so much beyond your comprehension that it would be humorous if you hadn't already felled so many of my kin. As it is, it's a bad joke on a cosmic level." The Angel-in-disguise turned on his heel and headed for the door, talking casually of his plans. "By the end of this day, the head of the beast called NERV will be severed…and there's nothing that you can do about it. No one at NERV will trust you. No one will believe you. Because no one thinks that you are Shinji Ikari." He shot a cocky smirk over his shoulder at the Third Child. "You are alone; by sundown, you will truly be the last man standing in this school. You will have the rest of your short, meaningless life left to live with that. And one day…be it tomorrow, or weeks, or years from now, when you've been driven far beyond the verge of madness by your failure? I will appear before you, and I will
kill you myself."

Iruel-as-Sawamura sauntered out of the restroom, leaving Shinji Ikari behind.

The Third Child frowned, his fists clenched out of impotent frustration. He had to tell someone. He had to warn them about Iruel's plan. But who? Who can I convince? Who will believe me? He placed his hands behind his neck, pressing his arms against his cheeks as he tried to focus. Think. Think. Think!

Shinji thought. He wondered. He pondered. He glanced at the mirror, noting his severe expression: the pinched brows, the pronounced frown, the glimmer of desperation in his eyes.

Then, he had an epiphany.

Shinji's hands slowly fell to his side; it was interesting to see his reflection register the shock he was now feeling. It was a long shot, and it could backfire spectacularly…but he was low on options.

I have to get with my father.

Somehow. Someway.

xxxx

/Theatre Room, Auditorium, Tokyo-3 Municipal Junior High School/

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for gathering here!"

Miyata Ibuki watched Misato Katsuragi from off set, addressing the massive crowd gathered before the stage. She was dressed in a dark, professional business suit, with a sharp skirt, white blouse, and high heels-

A dainty hand thwacked him upside the head. "You're staring, bro."

"So? I'm admiring an exquisite example of the feminine form."

Maya scoffed. "Sure, you tell yourself that."

"Look, I'm having a hard enough time as is."

"But your outfit is so manly~"

Miyata scowled at his sister, the frills of his pretty pink dress flaring with each movement. "Yes. Because real men wear pink. I'm practically a historic throwback!"

"At least working with senpai got us used to crossdressing," admitted Maya, clad in breeches, vest, cravat, and waistcoat colored various shades of blue and yellow.

"Can we get back to focusing on the speech?" groused Miyata.

"Wark," commented Pen-Pen, a dapper bowtie affixed around his neck.

"I'm going to take that as you agreeing with me," said Miyata.

"It's always been a pleasure and a privilege to perform for the denizens of Tokyo-3," said Misato. Cameras were pointed at her form, transmitting the video footage to similar gatherings at the other schools in the city. "Even though the primary purpose of NERV's existence is to defeat the Angels, none of that would be possible without people. And without lives full of laughter, happiness, and love, those same people can't give us their very best! So this is
one of the small ways we give back; without further ado, I present NERV's fourth annual play!"

A round of applause rang out from the crowd. Katsuragi quickly darted offstage as the lights dimmed; the Lieutenant Colonel exhaled with relief, stopping besides the Ibuki Twins. "Man, I hate public speeches. Give me an operation against otherworldly entities any day of the week."

"You were a natural, Lieutenant Colonel!" reassured Maya.

"Ooh, there goes Hyuga," said Miyata.

Makoto Hyuga walked out onto the stage, clad in wings befitting a Western-style angel, plus a halo. Mockups of clouds and a bright sun hung in the background. The black-haired Lieutenant was reading a newspaper titled The Times of Heaven, sipping a cup of coffee. "Hmm. A lot of conflict going on in China as of late."

"Who shall you send?" boomed a voice over the speakers. It was a synthesized mockup of an elderly man, provided by MAGI-00.

Miyata blinked, recognizing the voice from news broadcasts. "Is…that the voice of the Chairman? As God?"

"I believe that I will delegate the job to Gabriel," enunciated Hyuga.

"Then you shall head to Japan to serve the needs of the faithful, my dear servant Michael."

"The Supreme Commander thought it would be fitting. He thinks Keel Lorenz has a god-complex," whispered Misato. "I personally agree, but don't let it go any further."

"As you command, my Lord and my God." Wires went taut, hoisting the Lieutenant upward; as he slowly descended back to the stage, the clouds and sun gave way to cardboard cutouts of destroyed buildings, complete with pyrotechnic sparks and mock fire. "…what happened here?"

A woman in a plainclothes outfit – a maintenance worker from Section 3 – wandered onto the scene from stage left, looked obviously at Hyuga, and shrieked. "It's an Angel! RUN!"

"…why is she running? I'm a servant of the Almighty," said Hyuga. He was quite good at projecting his voice, for one untrained in the theatrical arts.

Right as he said that, two Section 2 agents dressed as police officers stormed onstage and slapped handcuffs on Hyuga. "Down on the ground!"

"What? Why?!"

"He's resisting arrest! TAZE HIM!"

Hyuga gave off exaggerated yelps and spasms as one of the officers drove a prop taser into his side. The audience burst into laughter.

Then the curtains dropped as the theme composed by Shiori Aoba and her band played.

Who~ is that gal in the suit?

Who~ is that lush with the beer?

Do you really want to feel her, power of attorney!

Habeas corpus.

Penguin justice!

Kat-su-ra-gi!

Attorney at law~!​

Misato beamed. "I love this song."

"Wark."

"Penguin justice indeed!"

xxxx

In the audience, Shinji Ikari watched the play unfold in silence.

He had to be honest; it was quite funny. The basic plot – Michael, Head of the Heavenly Host, is accused of causing the damages wrought by an Angel of ADAM, and relies on the services of Misato Katsuragi of the Akagi and Akagi law firm to clear his name – was interspersed with non sequiturs and random gags, providing a laugh-a-minute experience that had the audience rolling. The presence of Pen-Pen as Misato's assistant and Randall as the firm's mascot provided something for any young children present to coo and giggle at.

It was easy to see Annette enjoying herself, because she was sitting next to Tomoe, whose giant form was visible from all angles.

Shinji couldn't bring himself to get close to them. Not until he could get to his father. At least they were approaching the end of the second act, which is when the play would break for intermission.

"Attention everyone!" barked the character played by Rei Ayanami, an unnamed bailiff. It was the staccato roar of a military officer, and one that Shinji hadn't heard in a while. "Announcing his honor, the Supreme Commander of NERV, Protector of Humanity, and the King Enma of this Court of Law: Judge Gendo Ikari!"

The lights illuminating the mock courtroom dimmed as a spotlight shined stage left. Aoba's band sat secluded and shadowed in the background, having provided instrumental ambience for much of the production. As the spotlight came to a halt, Aoba shouted, "It's Gendo!"

Her band of apes began to play a repetitive, percussive beat as Gendo walked onstage. Aoba crooned, "Oh, baby~" as the Supreme Commander sauntered towards the judge's bench. Right as he ascended to his seat, the beat came to an end.

More laughter came from the audience at the absurdly grandiose entrance.

Shinji observed in silence; for however much his father's eccentric behavior had bewildered (and, on occasion, mortified) him, it was plain that the denizens of Tokyo-3 looked up to him in some strange way. Their laughter was rich with joy instead of derision, as though they recognized that the Supreme Commander was debasing himself for their sake.

"Let's hurry and get this taken care of, shall we? Michael, you stand accused of trespassing, violence, assault and battery, destruction of personal property, illegal possession, and having a really crappy attitude. How do you plea?" said Judge Gendo.

Makoto 'Michael' Hyuga opened his mouth, which was slapped shut by Misato's hand. "Objection, your honor! My client's attitude is not the subject of this trial!"

"Sustained, and time for a break." Gendo banged his gavel.

Misato, Hyuga, and the prosecutors – the crossdressing Ibuki Twins – stared.

"Court is adjourned until my appointment with the porcelain throne is concluded." Gendo banged his gavel again.

The curtains lowered to a drumroll from Musashi the Chimp; Fuyutsuki's voice, which had been narrating Pen-Pen's character, echoed over the speakers. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have now reached our intermission. We will continue in twenty minutes; please take this time to avail yourselves of the lavatories and the many vendors parked outside the building."

Shinji slunk out as fast as he could, moving with intent through the halls of the facility. This was his opportunity.

He turned the corner just as Gendo exited the door leading to the backstage of the auditorium. Without pausing, the Professor headed towards a maintenance closet and walked inside.

Shinji blinked. Okay…

He quickly skittered over to the maintenance closet, gingerly opening the door; to his shock, there was another door inside, past the cleaning supplies and mop buckets. The Third Child tiptoed past the clutter and towards the second door, opening it as quietly as possible.

Lo and behold, there was another bathroom in there, surprisingly spacious and equipped with two stalls and two urinals. He closed the door behind him right as his father flushed the urinal. "I will consider not having your memories erased if you keep this restroom a secret."

Shinji blinked, befuddled by the casual threat. "Huh?"

"This place loses all purpose if the general public discovers it. There'd be a long line, and who has the time for that?" The Supreme Commander calmly washed his hands with soap and water, drying them before putting his white gloves back on. "I trust you'll keep your word on this matter, Ryo Sawamura."

Shinji grimaced at Gendo's use of that name. This is it. This is my chance. "I'm… I'm not Ryo Sawamura."

"Of course you are. You're the son of Genji Sawamura, head of the JET ALONE Project's Weapons R&D team. You also unceremoniously dumped one of the Jet Alone Pilots yesterday." The man turned a jaundiced eye towards Shinji. "Such prejudice is understandable, but it is nonetheless detestable."

"But that wasn't me! This whole thing has been a case of mistaken identity! I'm your son, Shinji!"

Gendo Ikari paused. Then he stared, his face a mask of stone for all the emotion it showed. "I have a high tolerance for shenanigans if they serve a purpose. My tolerance for foolishness is considerably less."

"I know it doesn't make sense. It didn't make sense to me earlier!" Don't try to invoke the Angel. Convince him of who you are first! "Your message telling me that the Angels were coming…you sent it with a railgun to Uncle Tomoe and Aunt Alicia's house!" At Gendo's arched eyebrow, he quickly continued. "We had a long talk after I defeated the Third Angel in your office, and-!"

Gendo Ikari retracted a black CZ-75B handgun from his cloak, halting Shinji in his tracks.

The Supreme Commander calmly said, "Well, you certainly have me doubting that you are Ryo Sawamura; he wouldn't have access to such information unless he were a plant." Gendo aimed at his sternum. "I suggest you think very carefully about what you say next, or else I'll forget to tell Section 2 to go easy on you."

Shinji Ikari grimaced, biting his lip at the very sight of his own father aiming a gun at him. He might kill me. There were so many things he could tell, but there was always an element of plausible deniability, always a chance that someone else had eavesdropped. He knew that Gendo knew this.

There was only thing he could say then: the one event he remembered that only his father knew of.

"…after the Contact Experiment…after Unit-01 absorbed mom…" Shinji looked straight into Gendo's eyes, dreading what he had to say, if only because he knew how much it would hurt. However, it had to be done. "…you tried to kill me."

xxxx

/December 23, 2004/

/Ikari's Apartment, Hakone, Japan/

It was a source of never-ending bemusement to Gendo Ikari that, in spite of everything that had occurred during Second Impact and the wars that followed, Akihito had survived.

Sorry, 'His Imperial Majesty'.

A mere accident of birth was enough to warrant a national holiday. How joyous.

He had work to do. He always had work to do.

But no. Fuyutsuki had had the temerity to go behind his back, and actually get the entirety of the GEHIRN personnel to take the holiday off. 'Our work is too important for stress,' he said. 'Stress leads to mistakes', he parroted.

What did he know. What did any of them know.

Work was the only way he could escape. His only method of productive release.

When he wasn't working, he only had his thoughts: of sorrow, obsession, and longing. They circled upon each other, feeding on themselves like an ouroboros and becoming fat on his misery.

Twang.

Gendo removed his vacant stare from the bottle of saké, looking at the child plucking the strings of a toy shamisen.

Twang.

Ah yes; his spawn.

The caretaker that had been looking after the boy since…the incident…had also elected to take the day off. And the following day. And the weekend as well. The whole situation stunk of Fuyutsuki's meddling.

Twang.

"Stop it."

"Wan' play happy song," said the young child. "Cheer you up."

Twang.

The words of a child, so pure and innocent. How sickeningly naïve. "There's nothing you can do that can cheer me up." Not when his memories plagued his mind like a parasite: Yui's screams as Naoko's treachery with Unit-00 became manifest; Yui's blissfully mindless gaze in the hospital bed; Yui's childish babble as she joyously spoke to her child; her innocent determination as she set foot into Unit-01's Entry Plug; an empty Plug Suit amidst a pool of LCL. "Nothing."

Twang.

"Gotta try."

Twang.

Gendo took another swig of the rice wine, relishing the burn that spread from his gut and through his body. If only that same burn could purge these damnable emotions.

Twang.

"I told you to stop."

"But-"

"Don't talk back to me. Just do it!"

The three-year old looked questioningly at him, with wide blue eyes that threatened to spill tears. "But…I don' want you to be sad…" He gingerly picked up the little toy instrument, walking with determination towards him. "And momma always said that music can make us happy so I jus-"

An angry fist pounded the coffee table. "DON'T TALK TO ME ABOUT HER!"

The young child yelped at the sudden noise. "But-"

That stupid voice. That face. Those eyes. Why did they torment him?

Why wouldn't she leave him alone?!

"Jus' lemme play one thing, to make you feel better!" His little fingers fiddled with the strings. "Jus' one daddy, I promise!"

Twang.

He. Didn't. Listen. Children were supposed to listen to their parents! Boys were supposed to obey their father!

So. Why?! WOULDN'T?! HE?! TAKE?! A HINT?!

He needed to leave. He couldn't stay here. Not while the boy served as a living reminder of what he had lost. Not when those blue eyes stared so pleadingly at him, not while they were so full of LIFE-

"D…daddy…"

Gendo blinked. Eyes staring at him, imploring him to stop. But stop with what?

Then he saw his hands, strangling his child.

Screaming, Gendo rocketed backwards onto the couch, as though shocked by the contact. He stared confusedly at his child, kneeling on the floor with his tiny hands around his neck and taking deep breaths. The little toy shamisen was in pieces against the wall, as though thrown with great force. Shuddering, he looked down at his hands. Hands that had nearly killed his child. Yui's child. Their child.

The man curled in on himself and wept, teeth clenched so tightly that it hurt. Sorrow gave way to self-hatred, and misery crumbled into despair. I'm so fucked up.

Tiny arms wrapped around his leg.

Gendo looked through wet eyes at the tiny child, who was babbling the same words over and over. "M'sorry…don' cry daddy…m' sorry…m'sorry…don' cry…"

The words of a child, so pure and innocent. What had just mere minutes ago seemed so puerile now wrenched at his heart with their sincerity. "No…I'm the one who's sorry." He quietly picked his boy up and embraced him tightly against his chest, as though afraid that the world was going to rip him away, as punishment for his sins.

Maybe the world would've been right to do so.

Gendo Ikari held onto Shinji Ikari, staring intently at everything and nothing, their forms shrouded in the dimness of the apartment.

He needed to think.

He needed a Plan.

xxxx

/December 6, 2015/

/Hidden Restroom, Auditorium, Tokyo-3 Municipal Junior High School/

Shinji Ikari couldn't recall the last time his father had been so shocked; the man's eyebrows had practically risen a whole inch above his shades. The gun was no longer pointed at him, for the hand that held it had fallen below Gendo's waist.

Time to press the advantage. "You stopped before you went too far…I think you were just so distraught that you were barely throttling me instead of choking me like you would have if you were sober. After that, your attitude changed, and you tried really hard to juggle both your work and our time together…but it didn't last. You eventually sent me to live with Uncle Tomoe when I was six." He scratched the back of his head, awkwardly recalling his feelings from that time. "I kind of struggled to deal with it for a while…but after growing up with Uncle Tomoe, Aunt Alicia, and Annette, it got easier. And after what happened in November of last year…your reasons for everything became a lot clearer." He refocused on his father's face, wishing he could see the expression in his eyes. "I don't know what else to tell you to prove my identity. Maybe…the thing you told me about Rei, after our dinner at Dr. Akagi's?"

"No. That won't be necessary." Gendo sounded so solemn. "…I wasn't aware that you remembered my moment of weakness. You never mentioned it."

Shinji shrugged. "I didn't really rationalize it until I got older. Besides, it seemed to change you for the better, so I guess I never found a need to bring it up."

"…I see." Gendo stepped closer, looking intently at Shinji's face. "It's odd. Your face, your voice, your smell; nothing about you reminds me of my son. But I trust my memories. Our apartment had been bugged, but I was not yet important enough in the grand scheme of things for my superiors to bother with the fact that I had removed them…and I had sworn to take this shame to my grave." He placed his free hand on the boy's shoulder. "I can only accept that, against all odds, you are my son."

Shinji Ikari nearly sagged with relief. "Thank you. Thank you."

"The question is, how? What could fool my senses so utterly? The only logical explanation is that an alteration of ego barriers was involved. The most efficient way would be to change the characteristics of your ego barrier so that when those of other people interact with it, their conscious perception of you overrides the subconscious inputs from their physical senses."

It was always amazing how quickly his father could take command of a situation. "…that's exactly how Iruel explained it to me."

"Who?"

"The Angel that's possessing Ryo Sawamura's true body. The one that people currently think is me." Shinji frowned, recalling Iruel's smugness. "It's the same Angel that tried to take over the MAGI yesterday."

"That's…problematic." Gendo straightened, readjusting his shades with his free hand. "I'll get in contact with HEROD, and have the MAGI alter their AT-Field detection algorithms. Since the Second Child has no role in this play, I'll arrange for her to get in Unit-02; since this alteration of the AT-Fields escaped our notice, it follows that it's not powerful enough to overpower the AT-Field of an Evangelion."

Shinji smiled. His faith in his father had been rewarded.

Suddenly, the CZ-75B pistol flew out of his father's grip. Gendo impulsively whirled around, stepping in front of his son.

"Persistent little insects, aren't you?"

BANG!

Shinji froze at the sound of the gunshot, and the sight of his father curling in on himself. The man brought his hands around his stomach…and collapsed face-first to the floor. "FATHER!"

Iruel stood at the entrance to the hidden restroom, calmly holding Gendo Ikari's pistol. "You Lilim are annoyingly stubborn."

xxxx

The sound of a gunshot, coupled with the sudden alteration in Gendo's vitals, triggered an executable program on the phone in his pocket.

At that very moment, an automated message went to the phone of every agent in Section 2. This included every member of Misato's Team, of which Rei Ayanami was a member.

THE DOCTOR HAS BEEN SHOT​

Rei Ayanami's eyes widened. No.

Protocols regarding damage control were immediately followed; given the high civilian presence in the building, increasing security without inducing a panic was paramount.

So was finding the location of the Supreme Commander.

Misato Katsuragi looked at her phone intently, cross-referencing the GPS location of the Supreme Commander's phone with blueprints of the school. So he's in the private restroom within one of the maintenance closets. She pulled her Heckler & Koch USP out of the shoulder holster concealed under her outfit. Time to see who had the balls to shoot the Supreme Commander.

xxxx

It was like a nightmare.

From the isolation imposed by the Angel, Shinji had managed to convince his father of the truth. Now, that very same man was lying on the floor, still as death. "No…no…"

"How amusing; I didn't expect you to find someone who had such ironclad faith in their own memories. What a foolish thing to do." Iruel glanced over his shoulder, a knowing smirk on his face. "But this does give me quite the opportunity to make you suffer even more…" He then tossed the handgun at Shinji.

Gaping, the Third Child impulsively dodged to the side, letting the handgun sail past him. Glancing back at the smug Angel, Shinji felt hot rage consume him. "You…you shot him…" He reached down for the pistol, taking aim at Iruel's forehead. "You shot him!"

"I did. Now…imagine how horrible it will feel when your life comes to an end at the hands of your loved ones." At those words, Iruel's arrogant expression vanished, replaced by one that seemed authentically frightened and bewildered. "…no…"

Shinji arched an eyebrow.

That's when Misato Katsuragi burst through the door, taking aim at Shinji. "DROP IT!"

Shinji paled. "Misato-san?!"

The Lieutenant Colonel took in the scene at a glance; the collapsed Gendo Ikari, the fearful 'Shinji', the gun-wielding 'Ryo'. "I said drop it, Sawamura!" Without looking, she spoke to Iruel. "Shinji…what happened?!"

Iruel stuttered, "I…I was just talking with my father…and Sawamura took his gun…and shot him…"

"No, that's not true!" exclaimed Shinji. He tried to step forward, only for Misato to fire a warning shot into the ceiling. "M…Misato-san…!"

"One last warning Sawamura…drop it."

Shinji glanced at Iruel, standing behind Misato with a conceited grin. You…you monster…!

He wasn't quick enough for the Lieutenant Colonel.

Misato fired a shot at Shinji's hand. Hidden from her sight, Iruel gestured subtly with his fingers.

Orange hexagons flared in front of Shinji's form, stopping the bullet in its tracks.

The purple-haired woman gaped at the sight, but her shock was quickly replaced by wrath. "You…you're an Angel."

Iruel wiggled his fingers again. A wave of force slammed against the wall behind Shinji, shattering it to pieces. Shinji grimaced at the sudden brightness; as the dust cleared, the outdoors was revealed.

To make the convergence of bad timing complete, Rei Ayanami burst into the destroyed restroom. "Lieutenant Colonel, assessment?"

"Ryo Sawamura shot the Supreme Commander, and he's apparently an Angel." Misato's tone was ice-cold, befitting a judge delivering the death sentence. "If he doesn't desist, you are free to terminate."

Rei nodded, glancing briefly at the Professor's still form. Then she looked at 'Ryo'. "You will die."

In that moment, the cold certainty – tempered with silent fury – in Ayanami's red eyes seemed far more frightening than Kirishima's burning looks from earlier.

Shinji turned on his heel and ran.

Rei Ayanami pursued.

Iruel mentally chuckled as the purple-haired woman knelt down to tend to the Supreme Commander. THIS HAS BEEN DELICIOUS. He quietly left the restroom, strolling silently back to the theatre room. NOW IT'S TIME TO BEHEAD THE BEAST.

xxxx

Deep inside NERV-1, the nanomachines within the Defender Gundams activated.

One of the technicians on the Operations Deck – part of the skeleton crew manning the base, given the massive concentration of personnel on the surface due to the play – frowned at the warnings coming from the console. "…what's this?"

"Something wrong?"

"The Defender Gundams are activating without a signal from the P2 System."

"Isn't the penguin part of that play?"

"He is!"

"Sending a shutdown signal…what? The signal's been rejected!"

"Can we close the launch chutes?"

"It won't do us any good, the Gundams can manually open them from the inside!"

"What?!"

"In case of a power outage!"

The technicians could only stare in befuddled trepidation as one hundred Defender Gundams took flight.

xxxx

Rei Ayanami had never felt hatred before. Not really.

There was a great many things that had brought her annoyance, true. There were only a few times within living memory that she could recall getting heated about anything in particular outside of military duties, where a harsh persona was deemed necessary.

Seeing the Supreme Commander on the ground, with 'Ryo Sawamura' holding a smoking gun?

The burning sensation flaring through her body, accompanied by a single-minded desire to throttle 'Sawamura', could be called 'hatred'.

It was odd though; she expected the Angel to exhibit greater physical abilities akin to a nephilim. Though he was clearly running as fast as he could, it was only human. Perhaps he hoped to seek refuge in the woods surrounding the school?

No matter.

Rei pumped her legs thrice, bounding forward in great leaps before jumping high into the air. With a calm flip, she landed right in front of the fleeing Angel, prompting him to yelp with fear. "The Lieutenant Colonel gave you a chance to desist. Your decision to flee has sealed your fate."

"A-A-Ayanami-san, you have to trust me, I'm not the Angel! I'm Shinji Ikari!"

"Lying does you no favors." Such a craven beast, this Angel. "Die." Rei stepped forward, rearing her fist.

POW!

A metallic punch sent Rei flying. The First Child skipped along the ground, skidding to a halt. What happened? She got to her feet, wiping the blood away from her nose as she identified her attacker. "…how did you sneak up on me?"

"I AM A CAT."

"Randall?!" exclaimed the Angel. "Pen-Pen?!"

"Wark." The Lieutenant Colonel's penguin was strapped onto the torso of the cat's robotic body.

"COME WITH ME IF YOU WANT TO LIVE, SAYS THE FEATHERED ONE." Without waiting for a reply, Randall hoisted the Angel onto his back amidst several straps, fastening him in place. Hydraulics whined as the cat took off with great soaring bounds, the Angel's screams fading away in the distance.

Sergeant Ayanami scowled. This was highly improbable.

Humanoid shapes in the sky caught her attention: dozens of Defender Gundams, all converging towards the school. Pen-Pen is with Randall; how are they moving? Something was amiss; in all likelihood, the Angel had something to do with it. I will trust in my comrades to defend the school. They would have to deal with this strange situation without her; she had an Angel to catch.

With a kick of her feet, Rei Ayanami took off at high speed in pursuit of Randall.

So dedicated was she in her pursuit, she didn't notice that her phone had fallen out of her pocket when Randall had attacked her.

So the message that Misato sent to her phone went completely unheeded:

REI: COMMANDER IS ALIVE; THAT BOY IS SHINJI, NOT THE ANGEL!​

More's the pity.

xxxx

/Theatre Room, Auditorium, Tokyo-3 Municipal Junior High School/

Ritsuko Akagi subtly peered between the curtains, warily eyeing the crowd. "They're getting antsy. We should've started the play back up five minutes ago."

"We can't exactly help the Supreme Commander getting shot, ma'am."

"Your jibber-jabber isn't helping, Maya."

"I'm Miyata, ma'am."

"Whatever." Ritsuko noted the discreet movements of a few dozen people throughout the audience. "Good…Section 2 is already preparing for crowd management."

"Senpai…is the Supreme Commander going to be okay?"

Ritsuko glanced back at Maya, a soft smile on her face. "Don't worry; that man is like a cockroach: likely to survive a nuclear apocalypse! HOOOHOHOHOHOHOHO!"

Maya and Miyata sighed.

The blonde suddenly paused. "What?" She frowned at the message scrolling across the HUD of her cybernetic monocle. "…the Defender Gundams have all launched. They're on their way here."

"What? Why?"

Ritsuko turned towards the Ibuki Twins. "I smell shenanigans…hold on, another message…from Misato?" She frowned. "…all Section 2 personnel…commence Operation BAD ROBOT?"

Stone and metal crumbled, accompanied by the sound of thrusters and exhaust. Screams erupted from the audience, prompting the impromptu thespians to storm past the curtains. Lo, several of the Defender Gundams had torn through the ceiling, aiming their rifles menacingly at the crowd. At the direction of the various plainclothes Section 2 agents in the crowd, the audience subconsciously massed towards a wall. One of the Gundams grabbed the red curtain and tore it apart in one sharp yank, revealing the stage to the audience.

Ritsuko Akagi bit off a curse. "Well…this is a predicament…" Her cybernetic monocle quickly scanned the Defender Gundams, analyzing their composition. It didn't take long to pick up on the exotic matter. "No…it's the nanomachines…!"

Then the horrific voice thundered forth from the flying mecha, booming with arrogance. As the voice spoke, the face of every Defender Gundam was transformed by the microscopic machines, morphing into the avian skull of an Angel. "NO MATTER HOW OFTEN IT IS SAID, IT SHALL BE TRUE: YOU ARE, ALL OF YOU, VERMIN."

Within the crowd, Katsuhito Ikari looked at this progression of events with a disdainful sneer. "Hmph. This play has taken a turn for the worse."

"It's just the climax."

Katsuhito turned to his side, looking at Misato Katsuragi, now clad in black ballistics-grade vestments. Mana Kirishima and Mayumi Yamagishi were right behind her. "Operations Director Misato Katsuragi. I trust you have a plan?"

"Of course. But it won't mean anything if the people are caught in the crossfire." The Lieutenant Colonel glanced at the four nephilim flanking Katsuhito. "You four need to utilize your AT-Fields at my mark to protect the audience; Section 2 will focus on stopping the Defender Gundams."

"We are not authorized to do this," calmly stated Lemon.

"I am giving you four that authorization," ordered Katsuhito Ikari. "For the duration of this…incident…operational control will pass to NERV."

"Yes sir," replied the four nephilim.

"Excellent." Misato discreetly looked over her shoulder at Mana and Mayumi. "Now, like I just told you."

Mana frowned. "Can't say I enjoy being a glorified wall."

"We will do what we must," said Mayumi, nudging her sister's shoulder.

"Good…just wait for the signal. You'll know it when you see it. And remember to keep an eye on you-know-who!" With that said, Misato disappeared back into the crowd.

"COWERING IN HUDDLED MASSES, LIKE LAMBS TO THE SLAUGHTER. YOUR WORKS HAVE BEEN GREAT AND TERRIBLE, AND NOW THEY SHALL END." Four of the Defender Gundams set down on the ground, taking aim at the crowd. Two more kept their weapons trained on the stage, keeping all of the actors at bay. "ALL THAT TRANSPIRES HERE WILL BE SHOWN TO THE WORLD, SIGNALLING THE COUNTDOWN TO YOUR DESTRUCTION."

"Your melodrama is making me gag."

Those words, enunciated clearly for all to hear, turned towards one of the few balcony seats in the theatre room; standing tall on the rail was none other than Gendo Ikari.

"YOU ARE A PERSISTENT ANNOYANCE."

"I'll take pride in that, coming from an Angel." He retracted a grapple gun from his cloak, aiming it at one of the hovering Gundams. With a magnetic plink, it attached to the mecha, providing a leverage point for Gendo to swing onto the stage. "Being a thorn in the side of my enemies seems to be a habit."

"YOU WERE SHOT."

"I've experienced budgetary hearings more painful than what you're capable of."

"CONCEITED HUMANS…FOOLISH LILIM, ONE AND ALL. YOU SHALL DIE WITH ALL THE OTHERS. EVEN NOW, THIS BUILDING IS SURROUNDED: ONE HUNDRED OF THESE MACHINES IN TOTAL, ENOUGH TO REDUCE THIS PLACE TO ASH." The Defender Gundams all put their fingers on the triggers. "I SHALL STRIKE YOU ALL DOWN, HERE AND NOW."

"Did you know that my Operations Director had a plan in place in case the Defender Gundams ever went rogue? She's thorough like that." Gendo put a hand around his chin, looking thoughtfully at the mecha. "What was your name…ah yes." The Supreme Commander of NERV smirked. "I'm sorry Iruel…I can't let you do that."

Six nephilim suddenly leapt into position, letting loose their AT-Fields. At that very instant, every single Section 2 agent withdrew their weapons, and automated sentry guns extended from the walls. The voice of Dell Conagher the Engineer echoed from the intercom, laden with delight. "Heh! Time to show you how it's done here at NERV!"

The Defender Gundams opened fire, and so did the people of Section 2. Outside, the other mecha found themselves under attack from a variety of agents at all angles.

In an instant, the school became a warzone.

xxxx

/Misato's Apartment, Tokyo-3, Japan/

Shinji Ikari gasped for air – his ability to scream practically exhausted by this point – as Randall vaulted over the railing to Misato's apartment. The cat calmly opened the door, ducking underneath the doorframe. With a few gestures, the straps holding the boy loosened, allowing him to sag to the floor.

"I BROUGHT STRANGER HERE AS YOU ASKED. I DO NOT KNOW WHY."

"Wark."

"THIS ONE DOES NOT LOOK OR SMELL LIKE FRESH MEAT."

"Wark!"

"VERY WELL. I TRUST YOU, FEATHERED ONE."

This. Is. Weird. Shinji shook his head as Pen-Pen waddled over to his fridge. "Pen-Pen…how did you know it's me?"

The penguin glanced back at Shinji, an odd glimmer in his eyes. Then he entered his fridge; moments later, the telltale sound of the high-speed elevator going down into the Geofront could be heard.

Shinji blinked. "…okay then."

GRRRRRRN!

Wrenching metal caught his attention; as he turned around, he blanched at the sight of Rei Ayanami crunching Randall's robotic limbs, ruining the hydraulics and severing multiple connections. With a hulking groan, the robotic avatar keeled over. Removed of his ability to type text and speak aloud, the orange tabby settled for hissing angrily.

Sergeant Ayanami paid the cat no mind, turning her focus back on Shinji. "I have no idea how you suborned Pen-Pen and Randall, but it ends now."

"Ayanami…you have to listen to me." Shinji slowly backed up as Rei advanced; he couldn't help but note how tightly her fists were clenched. "I know what it looks like, but the Angel's deceived everyone with its AT-Field. I'm really Shinji Ikari!" Rei didn't stop. "We first met in front of Unit-01, when you were too injured to pilot." His back touched the wall; he couldn't retreat any further. "We had trouble understanding each other at first…and we disagreed about some things, like when we had dinner at Dr. Akagi's home." Rei was only three feet away. "But you're my comrade…and my friend!" She raised her right hand. "So I know…and believe…that you're not going to kill me!"

Her fist shot towards his face.

xxxx

/Tokyo-3 Municipal Junior High School/

Misato Katsuragi aimed around a hallway corner, firing a WKW Tor anti-materiel rifle at a Defender Gundam. It kind of sucks being on the other end of these guys. First of all…twenty feet tall! None of the rooms in the entire school – save for the gymnasium, the theatre room, and several of the seminar rooms – could accommodate the massive Gundams. In practice, this meant that they were tearing apart everything they touched to get at the people within. At least they make for large targets. "Demoman, BOOZE HIM UP!"

"Ah, that's a sin! A waste of tekul scrumpy!" Tavish DeGroot nonetheless lobbed his glass bottle at the Gundam, dousing it with alcohol.

"PYRO! LIGHT HIM UP!"

The pyromaniac in red grunted, raising a small napalm launcher. With a muffled foosh, an orb of concentrated incendiary chemicals flew at the large mecha; in a matter of seconds, the entire machine was ablaze. However, the telltale orange lights of a flickering AT-Field indicated that it was still largely unharmed.

Misato scowled, firing another round from her anti-materiel rifle. The Gundam staggered, but still stood tall. With deadly precision, it raised its rifle and launched a grenade.

BOOM!

Misato, Demoman, and Pyro cringed as the grenade destroyed a large chunk of the hallway, flinging bits of plaster and stone everywhere. "Well, this could be better," muttered the Lieutenant Colonel.

Still, at least the Supreme Commander was alive.

xxxx

/Fifteen Minutes Ago/

Misato Katsuragi knelt down, slowly turning the body of Gendo Ikari over. To her surprise, she saw no blood. "Huh?"

"…is the boy gone?"

Misato blinked, impulsively looking around her. "Looks like Shinji-kun left…"

"That boy is not my son." Gendo grimaced as he sat up, pulling up his sweater to reveal a bulletproof vest. "The one being chased by the Sergeant, however, is."

"…sir, are you okay?"

"I know it sounds nonsensical to you, but given what I have heard and what I have witnessed, I know it to be true. The Angel is manipulating its AT-Field and Shinji's to color how we perceive them."

Misato frowned. If what the Supreme Commander was telling was true, then they had quite the kerfuffle on their hands. "Hold on; let me send Rei a message." As she typed it in, she asked, "So, how are we going to corner the Angel?"

"We will have to find a way to separate it from the rest of the people." He gestured towards the shattered wall. "If it feels that it has nothing to lose, it could just use its AT-Field to pulverize everyone."

"Why hasn't it done that yet?"

"Because this Angel is surprisingly human in its pride and arrogance."

Misato blinked. Then her phone beeped. "Now what?" Glancing at the message, she gaped.

"More bad news, Lieutenant Colonel?"

"One hundred Defender Gundams are converging on the school."

The implication was clear. "Without the P2 System." The Supreme Commander grimaced. "Hmm. Perhaps we weren't as thorough in removing the Tenth Angel's nanomachines as we thought."

"…wait, this is the same Angel from yesterday? How the hell-?!"

"Katsuragi. Do you have a contingency plan in case the Defender Gundams went rogue?"

The Operations Director of NERV-1 paused. Then a grin bloomed on her face; rising on her feet, the Lieutenant Colonel reached into a hidden nook within the wall, prying it open to reveal a small armory rife with weaponry and combat armor. "Who do you take me for, sir?"

xxxx

We didn't exactly factor in a damn AT-Field though! Misato Katsuragi scowled at the sound of the Gundam walking towards their position, its massive body tearing through the ceiling.

Foomp.

BOOM!

Fire exploded over the torso of the Defender Gundam. Misato glanced across the hall, where Hikari Kirishima – wielding a standalone M320 grenade launcher – had joined the Pyro and the Demoman. "So, is this part of the play?"

Misato smirked. "Joke all you want, but you know this is more exciting!"

xxxx

/Misato's Apartment, Tokyo-3, Japan/

Shinji Ikari never thought that, of all the ways he would die, it would be at the hands of a girl with blue hair.

Lucky for him that it was not to be.

Slowly opening his eyes, he stared at pale knuckles, hovering right in front of his face.

"…why?"

The Third Child glanced at the First; her face exhibiting frustration and irritation that he hadn't seen since his arrival in Tokyo-3. "You're the enemy. My mission is to terminate you…so why can't I do it? Why won't my body respond?" Her scowl deepened. "My control is absolute, and I have done all I can to master myself…so why can't I kill you?"

"…because deep down, something is telling you not do it." Shinji gingerly brought his hands up, wrapping them around her outstretched fist. "You can call it your conscious, your AT-Field, your ego barrier, or whatever. Even if I don't look or sound the same to you right now…some part of you knows that I'm Shinji Ikari."

Rei Ayanami stared. Her eyes exhibited a strange quality – confusion and exasperation, slowly giving way to resolve – befitting this strange situation of friend against friend. Now that the imminent threat to his life seemed to be over, Shinji couldn't help but blush slightly at their close proximity.

Finally, the nephilim spoke. "I will determine if what you say is true or not. If my senses are truly betraying me…" She took a step back, red eyes focused entirely on him. "…then I will break my limits and surpass my human restrictions."

Shinji blinked. "Say what?"

At that very moment, Rei Ayanami's eyes began to glow.

Her pale skin, so odd and stark amidst a largely homogenous Japanese population, now shined sterling white. Her stage costume – a bailiff's uniform, beige and rather unflattering – seemed impossibly dim against her glow, and her blue hair – crackling with electricity, with power – shimmered brightly.

Shinji Ikari's jaw dropped.

xxxx

Rei Ayanami had gone past her human limits only a few times in her life, not counting the various instances she had done so for the sake of experiment or observation within the confines of NERV.

One notable time was when she faced down Roberta the Bloodhound during the Central American Wars.

Another time was during the very first activation test with a Simulation Body in 2013, when the mere mental data of Unit-00 had so violently rejected her that she had slipped into this state just to stay alive.

Now, as she thrummed with energy and observed the world in a way that few could conceive, her eyes fell upon the boy. Her AT-Field mingled with his, passing through the foul taint on his ego barrier and revealing the truth of his very essence.

This was no Angel. This was not Ryo Sawamura. This was truly Shinji Ikari.

"…Ikari."

The boy stared at her. "…you know who I am?"

She nodded, feeling somewhat ashamed of how thoroughly she had been deceived. Another part of her wondered about his wide blue eyes, and worried as to what he was thinking. "Yes." Perhaps the very sight of her was repulsive, monstrous. She couldn't blame him. "Forgive me. I was unable to see past the Angel's deception. I-"

The Third Child lunged forward, hugging her tightly.

Rei blinked. This was not an anticipated reaction.

"Thank you…" He calmly let her go, looking warmly at her face. "This has been a very strange day: waking up on the wrong side of town, with no one knowing who I really am…it's made me realize just how lucky I've been to have the family and friends that I have."

"You are not frightened of my appearance?"

"Ayanami, you looked more frightening the first time we sparred in the Geofront."

"Ah." Rei resisted the urge to preen at his unintentional compliment. "I was trying to be frightening back then."

The Third Child smiled. Then, his mood darkened as the ongoing events caught back up with him. "The Angel's still back at the school with everyone else…we have to do something." He looked over towards Misato's refrigerator. "The emergency elevator to NERV…I have to get to Unit-01. My father said that the Eva's AT-Field will be able to overwhelm the Angel's." His face crumpled slightly, a wave of sorrow washing over him. "Father…"

This whole situation seemed achingly familiar. She could recall times on the battlefield, where her fellow soldiers were trying to comfort comrades who were suffering the doldrums due to injury or loss. Taking a page from their book, she clasped her glowing hand on his shoulder. "The Professor has faith in you. So let's have faith in him; I know he'll survive."

"…right." The sadness quickly gave way to resolve, his eyes hardening. "Right. He wouldn't die so easily." He quickly opened the hidden panel in the wall and input the proper code, revealing the cylindrical elevator. "Let's go." As the duo strapped themselves in, the boy looked quietly at her. "Ayanami…even though you recognize me, there's still a chance no one at NERV will."

"Do not fear. I will vouch for you; anyone who doubts will believe me."

"…thank you."

"Do you think Unit-01 will recognize you?"

A grin came to Ikari's face, small yet brimming with confidence. In all honesty, it looked rather fitting. "Some part of you recognized me without any help on my part…I have no doubt that my mother will remember me." He slammed the large red button, and the two Children plunged into the Geofront.

xxxx

/Theatre Room, Auditorium, Tokyo-3 Municipal Junior High School/

It was a surreal and almost apocalyptic scene for the audience; behind a translucent orange wall they huddled, watching metal and flame streak back and forth beyond.

It seemed a little passé to Asuka Langley-Sohryu, who had fought Angels with an Evangelion. "…I really didn't see this coming."

"That's putting it lightly," commented 'Shinji Ikari'. Within, however, Iruel was cackling. YOU LILIM CAN COWER BEHIND THE FREAKS ALL YOU LIKE. The six nephilim's arms were held aloft, doing their best to keep the mass of humanity safe. LET THE TERROR SLOWLY CONSUME YOU ALL, WHEN YOUR HOPE IS DASHED TO BITS.

He let his senses trickle outward, conceptualizing the inputs coming from his nanomachines: an entire room was annihilated by a grenade, taking a whole group of Section 2 agents with it; one Defender Gundam was under concentrated fire from multiple agents, with one sniper taking pinpoint shots that somehow made it through its AT-Field; a soldier fired rocket after rocket, alternating attacks with a heavyset man wielding a minigun; the civilians that
had been caught outside of the Theatre Room were being escorted away from the school grounds by a small team of agents, whilst a lithe man with unbelievable speed ran interference; a masked man discreetly lobbed devices that sapped electricity, providing targets of opportunity for agents with heavier firepower; over a dozen Defender Gundams hovered high in the sky, taking easy potshots at any agent that dared to peer out from cover to attack.

All told, despite spirited resistance and a surprising amount of firepower, the Lilim were losing ground. AS IT IS MEANT TO BE. Iruel resisted the urge to smirk, knowing that it would seem out of character for Ikari. WHEN YOUR PROTECTORS ARE DEAD, NOT EVEN THE ABOMINATIONS WILL BE ABLE TO WITHSTAND MY ASSAULT. YOU WILL ALL DIE, AND THE DEFILER WILL KNOW TRUE SUFFERING…IF THE FIRST CHILD HASN'T ALREADY KILLED HIM.

YOUR PETTINESS WILL BE YOUR [UNDOING/DOOM/REWARD].

The voice thundered, and Iruel couldn't help but blink. SO, YOU HAVE SOMEHOW MANAGED TO [RECONNECT/FIND/UNCOVER] ME.

Your [amusement/sadism] is like a sun at this point, [brilliant/consuming/massive]. It was simple for us to find you.

Iruel mentally chuckled as he felt the essences of Zeruel and Tabris. I SEE. SO, ARE YOU HERE TO WITNESS MY MOMENT OF TRIUMPH? THE WAR IS ABOUT TO COME TO A CLOSE, AND I WILL HAVE SUCCEEDED WHERE ALL BEFORE ME HAVE FAILED.

YOU COULD HAVE ENDED THIS LONG AGO. EVEN NOW, YOU COULD [PULP/ANNIHILATE/EXTINGUISH] THE LILIM WITHIN YOUR VESSEL'S REACH. YOU HAVE NOT DONE SO.

BECAUSE THAT'S NOT PART OF THE PLAN.

And therein lies your [death/weakness/flaw]: your overwhelming desire to [hurt/cripple/traumatize] Shinji Ikari has blinded you to our true goal: our [Creator/Father/Source].

ALL IN DUE TIME. Iruel noted that one of his Defender Gundams saw the Supreme Commander dive behind a sentry turret, grabbing a Freeman device from the engineer that was operating the defensive gun platforms throughout the school. Whirling around, Gendo Ikari fired at the Gundam, reducing its gravitational field and throwing off its internal gyroscopes. With a thought, the Tenth Angel redirected three Defender Gundams to attack the man's current location. THEY HAVE NOT YET SUFFERED ENOUGH FOR THE [INDIGNITY/TRAVESTY/PAIN] CAUSED TO RAMIEL.

Booming laughter echoed across the ether.

YOU FIND OUR [EQUAL/SIBLING/KIN]'S FATE HUMOROUS?!

YOUR [TASTE/NEED/OBSESSION] WITH VENGEANCE IS UNBECOMING. THE GREATER PICTURE HAS BEEN LOST ON YOU, HE WHO WOULD RATHER THE WORLD BURN BEFORE SEEKING [COMPLEMENTATION/UNITY/TRUTH].In his mind's eye, a grimacing skull flashed with light, seething with the finality of judgment. YOU ARE HIDEOUS. YOU ARE REPUGNANT. YOU ARE [INDECIPHERABLE].

Iruel blinked. Then, his true voice roared, wrathful and teeming with hate. HOW DARE YOU CONDEMN ME?! YOU, WHO COULD HAVE [SUNDERED/ANNIHILATED] YOUR WARDENS LONG AGO, HAD YOU BUT THE WILL TO TRY?! OUR [CREATOR/FATHER/SOURCE] WOULD BE AWAKE
NOW, AND WOULD HAVE PURGED THIS BASE EARTH OF LILITH'S SPAWN! THAT THIS HAS NOT YET OCCURRED LIES AT YOUR FEET, AND YOURS ALONE!

This is true, admitted Tabris. However, within my memories, there are [images/flashes/impressions] of ADAM coexisting with the Lilim. I await the [culmination/zenith/apotheosis] of these memories, so that I may achieve [understanding/wisdom] about what our [Creator/Father/Source] found so intriguing. However, you have elected to destroy…no, not even that. Even Sahaquiel's desire for destruction had a purity to it. Your driving need to [wound/punish/torture] the Lilim is sordid and vile; in fact, I would go so far to say that it is all…too…human.

TABRIS…YOU…!

An unexpected noise blanketed the nanomachines, and the Defender Gundams' movements began to slow. Iruel's outrage was replaced by confusion. WHAT'S HAPPENING? He focused his will upon the mecha, and was found wanting. SOMETHING IS SUBVERTING MY CONTROL OF THESE MACHINES!

xxxx

Deep within NERV-1, nestled inside the primary control console of the P2 System, was a penguin.

"Wark."

xxxx

Two great presences suddenly erupted, pressing upon the ether with their very existence. They were nearing the school grounds with a terrible swiftness.

THE EVANGELIONS HAVE [ARISEN/AWOKEN/STIRRED].

Iruel paled. HOW? I HAVE DENIED THE DEFILER'S VERY EXISTENCE AS 'SHINJI IKARI'; THERE'S NO WAY THAT NERV WOULD HAVE LET HIM GET TO UNIT-01!

It seems that Miss Ayanami is accompanying Shinji willingly.

HOW? HOW?!

YOUR VAUNTED [PLAN/AMBITION/SICKNESS] HAS UNRAVELED. Zeruel's essence receded, but not completely; just enough that Iruel could no longer feel his [equal/sibling/kin]'s power and majesty.

Your chosen methods leave you rather defenseless against an Evangelion. I would say that it's been a pleasure, but that would be lying. Tabris metaphorically turned his back upon the Tenth Angel, a finishing touch upon their short relationship. Goodbye, Iruel.

And then Iruel was alone.

Seconds later, purple and blue hands tore through the roof, gripping it as gently as possible. The Evangelions lifted away part of the dome, and then there was light. Standing tall and inspiring awe were Unit-01 and Unit-00, looking decidedly heroic in the noonday sun.

The audience stared, dumbstruck by this sudden turn of events. Annette found herself gaping at the titans. "Whoa…they're so big…"

Asuka looked more befuddled. "Huh?" She turned towards 'Shinji', a questioning look in her eyes. "But…" She turned back to the Evangelions. "Who's piloting Unit-01?"

"I…I don't know, Asuka," said Iruel, forcing himself to sound calm. WELL. THIS IS BAD.

"Fear not, people of Tokyo-3," boomed the voice of Rei Ayanami through Unit-00's speakers.

"We're here to save the day," spoke the true Shinji Ikari.

Then the two Evangelions gestured with the hands, letting their AT-Fields flow. A wave of power gently washed over human and Gundam alike, utterly nullifying the Angel's taint.

As one, the Defender Gundams stilled; then, as though calling it a day, the eighty-four that were still operational took to the skies, abandoning the school entirely.

"…what just happened?" Asuka turned back towards 'Shinji', only to see that he was gone. "Shinji?"

xxxx

Iruel had slipped away from Ikari's family and friends as soon as the two Pilots had spoken. He moved quickly through the dilapidated halls of the school's auditorium, stepping past human bodies and pock-marked rubble. STUPID LILIM. HOW DID THEY DO IT? HOW DID THEY BREAK MY HOLD OVER THOSE MACHINES? HOW DID THE DEFILER GET THAT BLUE-HAIRED FREAK ON HIS SIDE?! I DON'T UNDERSTAND!

This body was no longer of any use to him; Ikari would undoubtedly tell everyone what had transpired, meaning that Ryo Sawamura was a dead man walking. He had to find a secluded location, and try and restrict another Lilim long enough to take over their body. Then again, given the amount of resources NERV had at their disposal, maybe a different option was warranted. PERHAPS I CAN TAKE OVER A VEHICLE, SOMETHING THAT WILL GET ME
AWAY FROM TOKYO-3 QUICKLY ENOUGH TO-

A hand grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt. Iruel gagged as he was dragged into the nearest restroom and slammed into the wall. "Ow!"

"Going awfully fast there, Sawamura." The red eyes of Mana Kirishima glimmered dangerously. "Where ya headed?"

Iruel stared at Mana Kirishima; quickly, he muttered, "Have to try and get home…I'm worried about my father. Can you really blame me?"

Mana chuckled. "Funny thing; Katsuragi told me and my sister something very interesting before the Gundams decided to crash the play. Something about how Shinji Ikari and Ryo Sawamura had switched, and that Sawamura was really possessed by an Angel." Her grin looked decidedly like a shark's. "Sounds interesting, right?"

Iruel frowned. NO POINT IN SELLING A CHARADE THEN. "So what if I am? What are you going to do?" He smirked, inwardly recoiling at how his situation had deteriorated. "I talked with your sister quite often; she told me a great deal about the reason you nephilim exist: protectors of the weak, the vanguard for the innocent and the oppressed!" He pointed at his head. "Within this body's brain is my core: to destroy me, you would have to kill Ryo Sawamura. And to come completely clean, those words that so crushed your sister were mine and mine alone: Sawamura is blameless. Are you willing to have his blood on your hands just to satisfy your petty bloodlust?"

THAT YOU WOULD SPEAK SUCH WORDS IS THE HEIGHT OF [HYPOCRISY/COWARDICE/SPINELESSNESS]. YOU DESERVE WHATEVER THE [HYBRID/LESSER]
WILL DO TO YOU.

Zeruel's booming voice was so sudden and unexpected, that it made Iruel blink.

Mana Kirishima's grin got even wider. "Yeah…that sounds like my sister. But that's not me." Her eyes started to glow, and her skin began to glow white as the core within her body kicked into overdrive. "Besides, remember what I told you last night?" Her hair crackled with power, and her soul sang with the inherent might of her Angelic heritage. "One excuse: that's all I need."

Iruel paled. NO. The Light of His Soul tried to shine. NO!

Mana's fists sparkled with orange radiance as she punched, and punched, and punched. Across the head, on the torso, in the face; each successive blow broke through his AT-Field, shattering it like so much glass. Each time, his response was just a little bit slower, his shield just a touch weaker. Bones cracked, and blood began to flow.

After what seemed like an eternity, Mana reared her right hand. The boy that had once been Ryo Sawamura was broken and all but pulped, his face crumpled and mushy. He feebly raised his hand, a vain plea for mercy.

A small orange hexagon manifested in front of her hand, a sledgehammer in all but name.

NOOOOOO!!!

Her fist pulverized his head, and Iruel knew no more.

xxxx

/One Hour Later/

"The scene here at Tokyo-3 Municipal Junior High was to be one of laughter and good fun, a small reprieve from the ongoing struggle against the Angels," said Trisha Takanawa as she gestured to the destruction around her. "However, it seems that the war decided to crash the play. We bring you live to the Sub-Director of NERV-1, Kozou Fuyutsuki. What are your thoughts on this tragedy?"

Fuyutsuki grimaced, looking dourly at the bedlam. "Not fit for polite company; tragedy is a good word though." Teams of Section 4 medical personnel were onsite, providing direct care to any wounded. For the recently deceased…there were body bags. Section 1 technicians were scanning the entire facility for any traces of the nanomachines, whilst crews from Section 3 were already enacting repairs on the school grounds.

Dr. Akagi watched these proceedings with a critical eye, a lit cigarillo hanging limply from her lips.

"Senpai, I just got word from headquarters: analysis of the nanomachines within the Defender Gundams shows that their programming has been expunged of Angelic influence. The MAGI detect no Pattern Blue."

"We didn't detect a Pattern Blue yesterday after our virtual operations concluded, yet the Tenth Angel showed up today nonetheless." Ritsuko glanced back at Maya. "Triple and quadruple-check. And get on the horn with Tokita and his group at the Jet Alone facility; see if the nanomachine remnants we harvested yesterday showed any strange activity."

"Roger!"

Miyata put down his phone, still clad in the pink dress. "Ma'am, HEROD just called me personally…she said something about some of the school's active audio sensors being shorted out, but the passive fiber optic microphones are all still operational. Apparently, Shinji and the Angel had quite a long conversation…"

"Tell her to classify any transcripts from today as top-secret, then make sure only the Supreme Commander has access. There's no telling what information we might be able to glean from it. In the meantime, supervise the salvage of the destroyed Gundams."

"Roger!"

Dr. Akagi let a puff of smoke float into the air, the ash mingling quite well with the general mood of the audience. "What a mess this has turned out to be."

"Tell me about it."

Ritsuko turned towards Misato Katsuragi, who clambered onto the stage with a grunt. "So. How's your day been?"

"Crappy. We lost nearly two hundred agents…and we found Ryo Sawamura."

"Was there any trace of the Tenth Angel left?"

"No. Mana Kirishima was…thorough." She rubbed the bridge of her nose; Sawamura's headless corpse had not been a pleasant sight. "Kirishima apparently went past her limits to defeat the Angel."

"She went into Anima Overdrive?" Ritsuko frowned. "What's her current condition?"

"Unconscious. Aoba's already taken her down to headquarters with her sister and her mother. Hikari Kirishima said that she has a history of this." "Like Rei?"

"Yeah."

"Is she also hospitalized right now?"

"Yeah. Shinji-kun's with her. The real one." She scratched the back of her head, grimacing as the Heavy helped heft body bags onto stretchers. At least my Team's okay. "It's crazy how the Angel duped us."

"At least it had an ego, judging by its monologue before you commenced Operation BAD ROBOT. The ego is always a weak spot."

"That so?"

"Of course; I should know." Ritsuko let the cigarillo drop, grinding it underneath her shoe. "Thought about how you're going to break the news to Sawamura's father?"

"Still thinking about it." The Lieutenant Colonel turned, seeing Gendo Ikari walk onto the stage. "Sir?"

The Supreme Commander was holding a wireless mic; clearing his throat, he grabbed everyone's attention. "Good afternoon, everyone." He looked over the crowd, eyes shrouded by his orange shades. "The dramatic side of me was tempted to chalk this whole incident up as part of the production; an explosive and exciting finish, a shocking swerve. However…" His gaze fell upon one of the many body bags, holding what had once been a faithful employee. "…that would have been in poor taste, given the many men and women that have fallen in the line of duty. I imagine that many of you are now wondering: why?"

"That would be a decent start!" yelled someone in the crowd. It sounded suspiciously like Tomoe Ikari.

Gendo Ikari pulled a shard of metal from his cloak, a distinctive part of a Defender Gundam's headpiece. "Thus far in the Angel War, our enemies have attacked in forms fitting for battle against an Evangelion: giant creatures, alien monstrosities, otherworldly titans. All but invulnerable to conventional military weapons, we've still managed to triumph over every single one." He held up his free hand, uncurling one finger with each Angel he listed. "The
Third Angel: its core shot to pieces by Unit-01. The Fourth Angel: eviscerated with a gigantic minigun by Unit-01. The Fifth Angel: broken apart from the inside by Unit-01, its ensuing suicidal explosion warded off by two Evangelions. The Sixth Angel: dropkicked in midflight by Unit-02, then battered into submission." With four fingers extended, he then curled them back in with each successive Angel. "The Seventh Angel: in the face of three Evangelions and the Jet Alone, it fled in sheer terror. The Eighth Angel: fought inside an active volcano, with the Evangelion emerging unscathed. The Ninth Angel: caught by the Evangelions with their bare hands after it fell from space, and killed before it hit the ground." Only his index finger
remained uncurled. "So…what of the Tenth Angel? With each new assault, the Angels have gone bigger, grander, deadlier. So how did the Tenth Angel decide to attack?" He pointed at the audience, sweeping over everyone with his hand. "It chose to attack us. The people who make NERV what it is. The people who live in this fortress city, the greatest hope for mankind. It possessed our own weapons, and sought to slaughter us. It believed that, deprived of the Evas, we would cower and accept death." Inhaling, Gendo stared straight at the audience, his diaphragm rumbling with each syllable. "We. Proved it. Wrong."

Everyone in the audience looked at each other, a strange feeling overcoming them. Even wounded Section 2 agents felt compelled to stand.

"For years, humanity has wondered: why did the First Angel cause Second Impact? Why did ADAM raise its wrath against us? Why now, do its kin seek to finish the job that it started?" He dropped the headpiece shard, its clattering on the ground echoing loudly in the silent ambience. "You heard it yourself: to the Angels, we are nothing more than vermin, insects, worthy only of extinction. To us, this is a war for our very survival as a species: to them, it is nothing more than pest control. They view us with malice, and act out of spite, desiring nothing more than our total annihilation. Yet they have shown themselves incapable of fighting us on equal ground, so their latest butcher decided to slay us, to assassinate the Pilots before they could don their invincible armor! Mere humans, easy pickings! We. Proved it. WRONG."

"…this is compelling stuff. That man is downright scary," whispered Misato.

"Shush, I'm recording," quietly hissed Ritsuko, her monocle catching everything for future reference.

"Look at the people around you! They are now veterans of a war unlike any in human history. Even in the face of one hundred Defender Gundams possessed by an Angel, hundreds of you took up arms to protect your fellow man!" He briefly focused on the cameras that had been transmitting the play – and then the Tenth Angel's assault – to other places throughout Tokyo-3."To those who watched from afar, you are now witnesses of the reality that we must deal with: the reality that these Angels are not mere beasts, but creatures of intelligence, of sapience; creatures that hate us for merely existing. In the face of such power, in the face of such fury, the Tenth Angel thought that we would be mere stepping stones, that it would be the vanguard of our destruction! WE. PROVED IT. WRONG!"

The entire crowd was beginning to impulsively cheer with the ending of each sentence, with each emphasized word. A mass of people both near and far, enraptured by a man defiantly evoking the very spirit of humanity.

"So to the Angels that remain, wherever you are…because somehow, some way, I know that these words will reach you." Gendo was impassioned, animated, and in command of every word. "No matter how you choose to strike us, we will fight. No matter how much blood of ours you seek to shed, we will make sure that you choke on it! No matter how many times you may catch us in a moment of weakness, we will band together and stand as one! You seek to usher in the end of mankind?! You see us as mere lambs to be slaughtered?!" He paused.

And then he roared. "JUST WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK WE ARE?!"

The crowd roared as well, rife in the frenzy of the moment.

"I'll tell you who we are." From the height of heated emotion, Gendo Ikari's calm, low-key delivery cut through the noise of the audience, compelling them into silence. "We are humans. And we do not have to justify our existence to the likes of you."

With that last word, the Supreme Commander of NERV dropped the mic and walked offstage.

Awaiting him were none other than Katsuhito Ikari and his four nephilim bodyguards. "Apologies for the delay; shall we continue with your inspection?" Behind him, one could hear applause break out for his speech.

Katsuhito snorted. "You are one piece of work, Rokubungi."

"I do only what I must."

xxxx

/Three Hours Later/

/Medical Ward, NERV-1, Tokyo-3/

Rei Ayanami opened her eyes. Hmm. A familiar ceiling. How many times had she awoken in these pristine wards? How many times had she been tended to by Section 4 personnel?

"You're awake!"

Rei slowly turned her head, fighting the weariness that plagued her. Sitting in a chair beside her bed was the Third Child. "Ikari."

"You…" The boy suddenly looked nervous. "After we got the Evangelions back into the Geofront, you fell unconscious inside your Entry Plug. That was over three hours ago."

"Ah." That…was far from an agreeable timeframe. "That is much longer than normal." Perhaps a side effect of piloting Unit-00 whilst surpassing her limits? It had been years since the side effects had lasted that long.

"…what was it that you did? I mean, to make you glow?"

"…it is called Anima Overdrive," answered the First Child. "It is an inherent ability of all nephilim, but one that must be trained to be of any effective use. We surpass our human bodies and more fully synchronize with the flesh derived from ADAM or LILITH, further enhancing our capabilities. However, although it heals any physical injuries, the transition back to my normal body renders me unconscious for a time."

"Oh."

"When I have surpassed my limits, I am more in-tune with my AT-Field, and I am able to more acutely sense the AT-Fields of others. That is how I was able to ignore the Angel's deception."

"Well…I'm glad it worked."

Her eyes narrowed as the time lapse became more concrete in her mind. "I require a sitrep. What has happened while I was unconscious?"

The boy looked somewhat befuddled. "Um…I don't really know much more than what we knew by the time we got the Evas back into the Geofront." Namely, that Gendo Ikari was alive; that the Tenth Angel had been defeated; that no civilian casualties had occurred, at the cost of many Section 2 agents. "We haven't really had the chance to do a formal debriefing yet. All I've been told is that father is dealing with an important inspector from the Instrumentality Committee."

"I see." The Professor had notified her that he would be escorting his father-in-law for much of the day; evidently, Ikari didn't know that his own grandfather was here. Perhaps that was intentional; I will keep it that way then. "That is the reality of the Supreme Commander's life: even after today's events, he still has to do what he must."

"…yeah." Shinji Ikari sagged into his chair, looking terribly exhausted by the day's events. "…I'm tired."

"Was the Angel's deception that distressing?"

"Well, imagine if you woke up in a place that wasn't your home. And when you finally made it back, no one knew who you really were…and not only that, but they hated you, thinking you were someone else. To make it even worse, it's your friends and family: the people you care for, the people you love…to be treated that way by them hurt."

"I see." The Shinji Ikari in their minds no longer matched the Shinji Ikari in his mind. A chain of thoughts that she was quite familiar with, as far as her own person was concerned. "Will their treatment of you change how you treat them?"

"…no. Why should it? It was the Angel's fault."

"I see." Representative Horaki has often told me that, even without meaning to, people can hurt the feelings of others. Rei had witnessed this herself in her many observations of student life in Tokyo-3's municipal system; many a time she could recall where childhood friends ended their relationships because of some misunderstanding. What happened to Ikari goes far beyond the petty things that broke those bonds of friendship, yet he holds no grudge. "Your strength of character is admirable."

The boy flushed out of embarrassment, scratching the back of his head. "Eh, there's no need to flatter me, Ayanami-chan."

Rei blinked. "…Ayanami-chan?"

The boy's face looked a rather bright shade of red. "Er…um…did I say that out loud? I mean…!"

The blunette frowned, calculating the ramifications of this statement. Horaki was quite thorough on the proper use of honorifics and what their meanings were. If Ikari felt that close to her, there was only one thing to do. "…there must be reciprocity."

"Huh?"

Rei looked intently at him. "If you are going to call me Ayanami-chan, then I insist that I call you Ikari-kun."

Shinji Ikari blinked. Then his nervousness melted away, coinciding with a content chuckle. "You know…that sounds good." He looked back at her, a satisfied grin on his face. "Ayanami-chan."

"…Ikari-kun," said Rei, testing out the syllables as if they were a new word. Upon saying them, a faint warmth bloomed across her chest, and a small smile came unbidden. Those words…are very agreeable.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to the two, their interaction was being spied upon from the window within the door.

Annette resisted the urge to giggle, so she settled for grinning gleefully. "Wow, you weren't kidding."

"I know, right?" agreed Asuka.

"I thought he had it bad with the Nadia chick he had a crush on in 3rd grade…but he's got it bad~"

"Ska, what are they doing? I want to see!"

Asuka reached behind her, ruffling Mari's hair. "Sssh, meine Schwester."

Watching this little interplay were Tomoe and Alicia Ikari, sitting calmly on a bench in the hallway. "This seems so…normal."

"Hm," grunted Tomoe in response.

Alicia looked toward her husband. "Dear, after everything that's happened today…it seems wrong, somehow."

"Shinji has been fairly forthcoming about the strangeness of this place," remarked Tomoe, thinking back to the phone calls he made on a fairly regular basis. "An Angel deceiving us, crashing a play…seems par for the course."

"Your ability to roll with the punches never fails to impress me."

"I should hope so, honey; it's why you married me."

Alicia smiled, nestling into Tomoe's side like a pea in a pod. "Now now, don't belittle yourself; you're also a hunk." Tomoe rumbled humorously, causing a pleasant vibration. Such a good man. Then she frowned, thinking of an entirely different man. "How did things go with your father?"

"As expected. There is no reconciliation to be had."

"…did he ask to see his grandson?"

"No. That man has not cared for family matters since Yui passed." Tomoe hunched over, eyes staring at the crowded door to Ayanami's room, but seeing two Evangelions standing tall over the auditorium, saviors of hundreds. "It's a damn shame; Shinji's done quite well for himself. Any grandfather would be proud."

"And…what of Gendo?"

"The man makes a fine speech, I'll give him that." Tomoe wasn't too proud to admit that even he had gotten caught up in the passion of Gendo's boastful monologue. "Still, the man is a snake in the grass; he wouldn't be the Supreme Commander of NERV if he wasn't. Trying to determine how truthful he was is a fool's errand."

xxxx

/Four Hours Later/

/Keter, NERV-1, Tokyo-3/

"Your speech is undoubtedly making the media rounds as we speak," said Katsuhito, standing stoically before Gendo Ikari's desk. Lemon, Lime, Pink, and Perry stood quietly about him, ready to react at a moment's notice. "The Committee will be pondering its veracity."

"The people will hear what they need to hear, what they must hear," replied Gendo, hands tented in front of his face. "After an assault of this magnitude on civilians, a rallying cry of equal magnitude was necessary. I can guarantee you that NERV's image will improve in light of this."

"NERV's, or yours?"

"I am the Supreme Commander of this organization; my actions reflect upon NERV."

"You would think you would act more professionally and less flippantly then."

"It all depends on how you see it, Katsuhito. Our reputation on social media is quite high, and our track record against the Angels has provided an exceptional ward against more invasive questioning."

"They will wonder how your Defender Gundams were possessed."

"Let them wonder. Given the alien nature of our enemies, any explanation we deign to give will be sufficient."

"And I'm sure the Committee will accept that yesterday's 'alarm test' was merely that, instead of your first encounter with the Tenth Angel."

"The Committee is full of smart men, Katsuhito; I'm sure they can figure it out."

Katsuhito sneered, walking up to Gendo's desk and leaning in close. His white garb was a glaring contrast to the dark atmosphere of Keter. "You play a dangerous game, Rokubungi. I've not found any major concerns over the course of this inspection, so you are adequate in that regard." The Evangelions were functional, and LILITH was still trapped within Terminal Dogma, bound by the Sword of Uriel. The man had…neglected…to showcase the Lance of Longinus, but every member of the Committee knew it was within NERV-1's possession. So long as it wasn't mishandled, they would oblige him its temporary ownership. "But remember that the Human Instrumentality Project is the key to everything."

"Until the Angels are vanquished, the Scenario cannot reach its completion. I'm sure that the Committee has plans in store for the two within its employ."

Katsuhito snorted at the covert reference to Tabris and Zeruel. "They will serve our purposes until the time comes to eliminate them, be assured of that." He stood back up, turning imperiously on his heel. "We will be keeping in touch."

"Would you like to visit your grandson before you depart? I don't believe he's even aware that you're in the city."

"No. There would be no point. Once Instrumentality is complete, and mankind has transcended…we will have all the time in the world."

Gendo Ikari remained silent as Katsuhito departed, accompanied by his four nephilim bodyguards. He resisted the urge to snort once the doors to Keter slam shut. Tell the people what they must hear, indeed. That applies to you and the Committee as well, father-in-law. The Supreme Commander quietly opened his drawer, pulling out a hidden slip of old, yellowed paper.

(In a medical ward, Hikari Kirishima and Mayumi Yamagishi sat in silence, waiting for Mana to awaken.)

On the paper was a sketch of two Evangelions, Unit-00 and Unit-01. The Scenario will not come to pass.

(In a warehouse at the edge of the city, the Shining Gundam and the Rising Gundam stood silently, whilst the JET ALONE team continued their work on the nanomachines, knowing only that an Angel had attacked the school, but was defeated. Genji Sawamura in particular worked diligently, unaware of his son's fate…but not for long.)

Unit-00, born of ADAM, held LILITH's Weapon: the Lance of Longinus. I will make sure of it.

(Far away, on another continent, two Angels bound to the flesh of nephilim, to the flesh of siblings, basked under the sun of late morning, pondering Iruel's fate and where to proceed from there.)

Unit-01, born of LILITH, held ADAM's Weapon: the Sword of Uriel. Just a little longer, Yui.

(At Misato Katsuragi's apartment, an impromptu celebration was being held in honor of Shinji, Rei, and Pen-Pen for their efforts in stopping the Angel, attended by NERV's command staff, Tomoe's family, the Sohryu sisters, the Suzuharas, the Aidas, and the Horakis. As the festivities went on, and Misato enthusiastically declared that it was time for 'Truth or Dare', the First Child and the Third Child found an occasion to discreetly hold hands underneath the dining table.)

Unit-00 was impaling Unit-01's core with the Lance, and likewise Unit-01 with the Sword was piercing Unit-00's core. Gendo Ikari stared quietly at the drawing, sketched years ago by his own hand. The Plan will see the light of day…no matter what the cost.

xxxx

To be continued…

Next time…

Episode 17: INTERMISSION (He traced the steps that he once walked)

xxxx

(And that was Season 1 of Mobile Fighter Evangelion.)

 

[Ultra Sonic 007]

/December 7, 2015/

/Sawamura Apartment, Tokyo-3, Japan/

"And that's the story, Sawamura-san. I'm sorry."

Genji Sawamura stared at the floor, not even daring to look at Lieutenant Colonel Katsuragi. Truth be told, he feared looking at her, lest he see her face, and find her insufficiently sorrowful.

How was he supposed to react?

His son: possessed by the Tenth Angel in an apparent subterfuge to strike at NERV from within.

His son: dead by the hand of Mana Kirishima.

His son: dead, dead, dead.

"I would like to see him," muttered Genji.

There was hesitance in Katsuragi's voice. "I…don't think that's a good idea, Sawamura-san. Mana-kun wasn't that…surgical."

Such a clean, concise term. It sickened him. "Just tell me: would I be able to see his face?"

"No."

"…please get out. Thank you for your time, Lieutenant Colonel."

"Of course. Just for the record, the Supreme Commander has offered to cover any funeral expenses you may incur." She bowed, her shadow falling across his field of vision. "Have a good day, Sawamura-san."

Fading footsteps, followed by the muffled closing of a door. Sounds of a world quieting down to match the sound that Genji wanted, needed, demanded: the sound of silence, where he could think.

And ponder.

And wonder: what to do next?

xxxx

Episode 17: INTERMISSION (He traced the steps that he once walked)

xxxx

A timeline of significant events thus far:

-The First Angel – ADAM – arrives on Earth, triggering the Permian-Triassic extinction event.

Flashes of memory are the only thing that Kaworu Nagisa can describe: of the White Moon sinking into a great ocean via controlled landing, the sheer kinetic energy still great enough to doom vast legions of the native flora and fauna. It is sobering to many on the Committee to hear that the Great Dying was a result of Angelic interference.

-ADAM, after manipulating life for millions of years, triggers the Triassic-Jurassic extinction event.

"He let life evolve, making changes here and there. Certain organisms were augmented by his own hand, becoming testaments unto themselves," remarked Kaworu, speaking calmly to his sister Yomiko. "I see hints of great civilizations that would put the Lilim to shame…and yet he struck them down."

"Why?"

"I do not yet know."

-The Second Angel – LILITH – arrives on Earth, triggering the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event. Due to how Lilithian life overtakes Adamite life in the aftermath, this event is known as First Impact.

The Black Moon – emergency thrusters trying vainly to decelerate the vessel – slammed into the ground, the energy of the collision signaling a death knell for much of the world. From afar, the Giant of Light watched in silence.

Seconds later, Kaworu Nagisa opened his eyes. "That is all I can remember regarding LILITH's arrival."

-Interaction between ADAM and LILITH is terse. LILITH's influence spreads throughout native flora and fauna.

-As humanity evolves, ADAM and LILITH observe through proxies over the millennia.

An ash-haired man with red eyes frowned; walking towards him along the dirt road amidst the wilds was a cloaked woman with white hair, and eyes of crimson.

The two silently exchanged scrolls, written in inhuman characters.

They then passed by each other, and continued on in solitude.

To Kaworu Nagisa, it was a memory that repeated quite often.

-November 1946: The first of the Dead Sea Scrolls are discovered.

Keel Lorenz, standing tall at the strapping age of twenty-two, remained quiet as the Bedouin shepherds handed him the parchments they had discovered the month prior. Unlike the others written in Aramaic and Hebrew, the presence of ancient Chinese and Japanese characters was stark.

The archaeologist in him was utterly stoked. "Fantastic…!"

-1947 through 1953: As the rest of the Dead Sea Scrolls are discovered in the region about Qumran, all portions not pertaining to Judaism and Judeo-Christian Scripture are acquired by Keel Lorenz. Translation yields epochal results.

"Are you done playing at archaeology, boy?" growled the voice of Heinrich Lorenz, current head of the family. "You've been poring over those things for years, letting yourself languish. You could have been a captain of industry by now!"

"On the contrary, they have enabled me to be highly enterprising," retorted Keel, having sequestered the Scrolls and his notes in a highly secure location. "Within a matter of months, this Estate will be mine, and you will be cast out. I imagine that the shame will drive you insane."

-1954: The lesser secrets of the Dead Sea Scrolls are strategically leveraged by Keel Lorenz for money, influence, and prestige. Keel quickly becomes well-acquainted with government officials, industrial tycoons, and the intellectual elite. The foundations of SEELE are laid.

Keel Lorenz stared quietly at the corpse of his father, hanging limply from the balcony guardrail. "Hmph. For one who performed so many hostile takeovers, you'd think he'd be ready to be on the receiving end." He glanced over at one of his servants. "Cut him down and arrange for a public funeral."

-1956 through 1967: During these years, the Lorenz Estate bankrolls private research into computational science, bioengineering, theoretical physics, quantum mechanics, and the fledgling field of applied metaphysics.

"This could be revolutionary, if true," remarked a dark-haired Japanese man, looking far too stern for one in his early twenties.

"You have the means to prove the hypothesis, Katsuhito Ikari," remarked Keel. "Do so, and a whole new door will open not just for you, but for humanity itself."

"…you've piqued my interest."

-February 1968: Katsuhito Ikari publishes a thesis proving what would come to be called the Theory of Spiritual Relativity, demonstrating the means by which one could establish the existence of the soul through quantum mechanics and neurobiology. In union with a set of fundamental principles, the field of metaphysical biology – the science of the soul – is born.

-March 1968 through November 1972: Kozou Fuyutsuki builds off of Ikari's theorems and pioneers several key advances in metaphysical biology, including but not limited to: AT-Field theory, fundamentals of ego barrier interactions, and the Shikinami-Fuyutsuki equation, which provides a correlation between sapience and the metaphysical integrity of a soul.

-1972 through 1975: SEELE's influence continues to spread; groundwork for the Human Instrumentality Project is laid.

-March 1977: Yui Ikari is born.

"So…this is the next generation. This is evolution encapsulated."

"Very poetic, Katsuhito. Nevertheless, it is a mere microcosm of the glory that awaits us."

"Of course, Mr. Lorenz."

-1977 through 1985: More and more agents are planted within the United States and the Soviet Union, providing greater reach for SEELE within the two superpowers.

-1986: The Committee is formed, initially consisting of seven individuals, which provides direction to SEELE as a whole.

"You strike me as a very reasonable man, Mr. Putin. You have been ever since you joined the KGB at our directive."

Vladimir had not expected many things upon returning home from a day at Dresden's KGB facility. Meeting with the head of SEELE himself – a man that his fellow agents ascribed near mythical status to – was, understandably, quite the shock. "That sounds like an offer."

The elderly German smiled. "I foresee great things in your future. You are among those who understand what it means to guide the masses in the direction that they need to go, that they must go." He stood, quietly walking towards the door. "Once you are in a position of sufficient power, I will return, and your induction on the Committee will be made official."

-1987 through 1994: As the Soviet Union collapses and the United States remains the sole superpower, SEELE discreetly funds research into areas involving human augmentation, such as cybernetics, robotics, neurological engineering, and autonomic computing. Organizations such as GEHIRN are formed and utilized for this purpose. One recipient of these grants is Shiro Katsuragi.

Shiro Katsuragi smiled widely, disbelieving his good luck. "This is fantastic…my research into Super Solenoid Theory will change everything…!"

"The potential is great," remarked the representative from GEHIRN. "My peers have spoken highly of your work. I'm sure that our grant will go to good use, Katsuragi-san."

-1995 through 1999: Yui Ikari undergoes an accelerated degree program at Kyoto University, ultimately acquiring a doctorate in bioengineering. During this time, per orders, she discreetly tries to recruit Kozou Fuyutsuki for the Human Instrumentality Project. Unfortunately, Gendo Rokubungi is a tagalong.

Kozou Fuyutsuki grimaced, uncomfortable with how dour Ikari seemed to be. "Yui-kun has been quite adamant about this project you seem to be working on. Were it not for her, I wouldn't even be considering it."

Katsuhito nodded. "Her brilliance is captivating, is it not?"

"Yes."

"It's all for a good cause; humanity as a whole can now quantify the existence of the soul. Advancement to the next stage of human evolution is now a certainty; as a fellow man of science, are you not at all intrigued?"

"…I would be lying if I said no."

January 1999: The White Moon is discovered underneath Antarctica.

"Gentlemen, our improved technology has finally unveiled the location of the Living One's hidden home," spoke Keel Lorenz, his voice muffled and altered electronically over the conference call. It was rather mundane, compared to how they would meet in the future. "The Dead Sea Scrolls have opened up avenues of thought and research beyond what any of us could have ever dreamed; now we shall have access to their source."

"Who shall lead this expedition?" asked SEELE-12.

SEELE-06 replied, "Dr. Katsuragi's research into Super Solenoid Theory has progressed quite well. I imagine he would jump at the opportunity, if the offer was…phrased appropriately."

Chairman Lorenz smirked. Katsuragi's work had been subtly following their designs, working on a particular technological advancement that had been hinted at within the Scrolls: it was amazing what the human mind would latch onto given just a few crumbs as enticement. "Very well then. Gentlemen, you have free rein to assemble what people you think would be useful for this task. I will make sure that we are sufficiently covered on the legal aspects."

-February through May 1999: Through proxies at the United Nations, an expedition is secretly launched to Antarctica. The White Moon is unveiled, and the Living One is seen by human eyes.

Shiro Katsuragi stared, dumbstruck at the Giant of Light sitting upon the throne. "Unbelievable… we're not alone…!"

-June 1999 through August 2000: Using the Dead Sea Scrolls as a cipher, data from the White Moon is catalogued and translated, further bolstering SEELE's vast reserves of knowledge. During this time period, the Black Moon is discovered underneath Hakone in Japan.

"So the Knowledgeable One is no longer a mystery? We've found her?"

"Yes," answered SEELE-10."Once we knew what to look for, the Living One's counterpart was relatively simple to find."

Keel Lorenz sat back and pondered; the author of the Scrolls had made plentiful mentions of an equal-yet-opposite, one who bore a 'Fruit of Knowledge' as compared to he who bore a 'Fruit of Life'. "How fortuitous."

"Number Twelve has been privately inquiring as to what we shall name these beings."

"The Living One and the Knowledgeable One are insufficient?"

"His suggestion is somewhat poetic: ADAM and LILITH."

Chairman Lorenz sat back, recalling how those names tied into Hebrew Scripture and Jewish folklore. Finally, he chuckled, ignoring the subtle whine of the cybernetic servos within his arthritic arms. "The first man and woman, the latter of whom refused to be subservient…and thereafter was cast out of Eden. Quite apropos."

-September 13, 2000: Second Impact.

-September through November 2000: As the world plunges into the chaos of the Impact Wars, SEELE takes the initiative to reorder things according to its own design.

"So there is no doubt? Katsuragi betrayed us?"

SEELE-06 replied, "My daughter expressed her doubts about delivering the Lance to the White Moon for his experiments. And Rokubungi's last report before Second Impact was concerning; he believed that Katsuragi's devotion to Human Instrumentality was wavering. This meshes well with the data and equipment that are missing, such as the Modular Technology."

SEELE-02 scoffed."His obsessive interest in Super Solenoid Theory was apparently not strong enough to overcome his erroneous misgivings. How disappointing."

"Even so, this is a great opportunity for us," said SEELE-10.

"Indeed. The need for the Human Instrumentality Project will be much more apparent once this unpleasantness is behind us," said Chairman Lorenz. "However, at this point, we only have tissue samples left over from ADAM. Our top priority at this point is recovery."

"I do have some private research vessels that can begin salvaging operations. The reconnaissance satellites over Antarctica did track unique energy signatures reaching suborbital altitudes before the EMP wave induced by Second Impact shorted them out," mentioned SEELE-11.

"I will leave the retrieval of ADAM's remnants to you then. What of the Black Moon?"

"Much of the facility is still under lockdown; the levels beneath where LILITH is contained are effectively beyond reach," answered SEELE-06.

"Unfortunate. I was quite intrigued by the biome containing ancient maritime life. To think that a megalodon still exists… !" exclaimed SEELE-08.

"Bringing us back on topic, we will be leaving the Sword of Uriel in its current location." Namely, buried within the chest of LILITH, where they had found it. Given how the Sword seemed to nullify the unique energy signature of Lilithian tissue, and likewise the Lance for Adamite, it spoke of an old conflict between the two that had resolved in ADAM's favor. Granted, they could only speculate. "If ADAM reacted that negatively to whatever Katsuragi did with the Lance, it would be wise not to tamper with the Sword."

"How are we going to resume the Instrumentality Project from here?" asked SEELE-04. "With the White Moon destroyed and much of the Black Moon locked away, we are now denied the avenues of knowledge we previously possessed."

"Then we will make use of what we have. Most of what we currently possess still remains to be translated as is. Besides, the potential applications of Kleinium will keep theoretical physicists busy for years," said SEELE-02. "And if you're that obsessed with flora and fauna, you can always go to Australia. Or perhaps primates are more your thing?"

"I still can't believe we're now living in a world where a farfetched American ape film is no longer science-fiction," grumbled SEELE-03, referencing the sapient apes that even now were driving out vast scores of humans from the heart of Africa.

SEELE-07 snorted. "I will remind you that La Planète des Singes is properly French, thank you very much."

"May we return to business, gentlemen?" asked SEELE-12.

"Any overt efforts to bring the G-20 governments onboard with the Human Instrumentality Project will have to wait until the Impact Wars subside; even then, they will be reluctant to devote funding to anything not relative to rebuilding or peacekeeping efforts," groused SEELE-05.

"We will set the groundwork for the aftermath, nothing more," reassured Keel Lorenz. As SEELE-01, his word was practically law, the first among equals. "For the time being, we will use this time to further subvert the various agencies, industries, and governments within our fields of influence. Given that over two billion people have already perished these past few months, the ongoing chaos will mask our movements. Besides…" His thoughts briefly drifted to the schematics that had been submitted by Naoko Akagi, regarding bioengineered clones of ADAM and LILITH. "…even as we direct the waking world behind the scenes, work on Project E continues all the same."

-May 2001: The Japanese military unveils the Prototype Gundam, ushering in a new generation of warfare and inadvertently prolonging the Impact Wars in eastern Asia. Meanwhile, Yui Ikari, Gendo Ikari, and Naoko Akagi covertly begin work on splicing Adamite and Lilithian genes with those of humans.

"The potential for this work will bear great fruit for Project E," said SEELE-06.

Keel Lorenz smiled. "Of course it will."

-September 2001: Three significant remnants of ADAM are found: his head, and two chrysalises. The head is kept sequestered in a secure location, while the two eggs are placed at a GEHIRN facility in Lyon, France.

In Moscow, deep within the bowels of a Sovereign Systems facility – one of GEHIRN's public fronts – Vladimir Putin looked quietly through a fortified window at the white head of ADAM, flesh streaked with fractal scars and lacking its former luminescence. As a precaution, it was kept dunked inside a tank of solid nitrogen, frozen solid within a vacuum chamber.

"To think that this was all that remained." Putin glanced at the odd apparatus constructed around the outside of the chamber, providing a metaphysical ward; in essence, preventing anyone from detecting the latent soul of the creature within, weak and lessened though it was. "Even now, some part of you remains alive…"

-November 2001 through January 2002: The governments of the world's great powers come to terms regarding the Impact Wars. Under SEELE's guiding hand, plans are put in place to centralize military power and authority underneath the United Nations.

-February 14, 2002: The Valentine Treaty is signed, signaling an official end to the Impact Wars amongst the world's major powers. A global ceasefire is implemented, though conflict and civil unrest still rage on throughout Asia, Africa, South America, and Central America.

-August 2002: Plans are finalized regarding a strategic leak of information regarding Second Impact.

"This strikes me as an unnecessary step," said Keel Lorenz. "The current explanation of a meteor strike is sufficient, and we have enough agents in place to aid in covering up as needed."

"Until we reach the next step of human evolution, we must take our weaknesses into account," cautioned Gendo Ikari. He glanced outside the window, the massive grounds of the Lorenz Estate dim and gloomy underneath the afternoon rain. "If the world is on our side, and we are seen as righteous, our efforts can be directed in more fruitful ways."

"Do not think I have not considered this before now," said Keel. "It will invite more scrutiny on our work."

"We will have scrutiny placed upon us regardless. This will enable us to focus that scrutiny more…appropriately."

Keel Lorenz leaned back, looking keenly at Gendo through the lens of his new visor. His failing vision was yet another reminder of the ravages of time. The realization of Instrumentality couldn't come soon enough. "The people are largely irrelevant, in the grand scheme of things. So long as Project E is finalized, their input is a distraction."

"True…but using them is far more practical."

Keel Lorenz suddenly smirked. "No wonder your wife sent you here to deliver this proposition."

Gendo shrugged. "She's the real kingmaker at GEHIRN. Even Dr. Akagi and Dr. Sohryu are aware of this."

"Very well then Ikari: how would you propose leaking this information to the public at large?"

"Indulge in man's perpetual taste for the apocalyptic. If they believe we are in the midst of Armageddon, then let us raise the stakes. Their imaginations will do much of our work for us."

"How?"

"Make it seem as if the very heavens themselves are our enemy."

-September 13, 2002: On the second anniversary of Second Impact, the Human Instrumentality Committee is officially founded by the UN to oversee all public efforts dedicated to the advancement and evolution of mankind. Coinciding with its founding is its release of an investigative report detailing the true cause of Second Impact: ADAM, henceforth titled the First Angel.

-March 3, 2003: A partial hatching is attempted on one of the Adamite chrysalises, keeping the body bound while letting the mind awaken. First contact is established with the being known as Tabris.

Keel Lorenz grimaced as one of the security guards keeled over, seemingly dead. A light had emerged from a crack in the bizarre-looking egg, blanketing the guard. "Hmm." Hopefully the restraints around the chrysalis would be sufficient.

From within the crack, two eyes of deep black peered out, belonging to a glowing face. A distinct pressure settled over the humans, and the voice could be heard by all. "Hello there."

"…you can understand human speech?"

"I took this knowledge from the creature. He is no longer functional."

"…hmm. Perhaps we can have a voluntary exchange of information. Knowledge for knowledge, without any mess."

"That seems reasonable." The newborn – still yet larger than any man – tried to look around, still bound within his shell. "I only sense one other. Where are the rest?"

"…I beg your pardon?" Was he referring to the other chrysalis?

"I feel so…empty. We are incomplete. Where is the rest of our Father?"

Lorenz paled. "…so you are truly a part of ADAM, come to life…?"

"…who is ADAM?"

-March 29, 2003: The second Adamite chrysalis is partially hatched. First contact is established with the being known as Zeruel.

Where Tabris had only rendered one security guard a vegetable upon his awakening, the second newborn rendered all lifeforms within ten meters into puddles of blood and fleshy goo.

Fortunately, Keel Lorenz and Tabris's chrysalis stood twenty meters away. "I'll have to hire ten new security guards now." A heavy pressure settled upon Keel, nearly causing him to collapse.

"One moment." Tabris's chrysalis glowed, and an unseen exchange of information took place. "There is no need for such hostility, my…equal."

"WHAT IS THIS PLACE?"rumbled a voice that thundered like an avalanche. "THIS FORM IS INCORRECT. THIS FORM IS BOUND. WHY AM I BOUND? WHY AM I WEAK?"

"Settle down, and I shall explain our current circumstances."

-April through July 2003: Constant questioning of Tabris and Zeruel reveals that the remaining pieces of ADAM will one day awaken naturally, seeking to rejoin their origin.

"This will be our bulwark against pointed questions," said Keel Lorenz. "Project E, despite its costs, will be deemed necessary to defend the world against the Angels' onslaught."

"We can concoct a decent fiction with the Sword of Uriel's very existence," said SEELE-05."It will be the one thing that the Angels seek to initiate the end of everything."

"Indeed. Stopping Third Impact: it has quite the ring to it," mused SEELE-02.

"Everything in its own time, gentlemen," cautioned Lorenz. "Until we can make decent enough headway with the construction of Evangelion, we cannot afford to be too overt." Even though they had rigged much of the UN committees and programs to their own ends, ambiguity was still their ally. "Let rumor of the Angels' return filter out. Slowly. Methodically."

-November 2003: A conclusive study by Kozou Fuyutsuki reveals that all humans born since Second Impact have a fundamentally altered spiritual structure compared to those born before. Preliminary results indicate that this metaphysical discrepancy increases the odds of synchronizing with the soul of another: ergo, Post-Impact humans are prime candidates for becoming Evangelion Pilots.

-December 2003: The Marduk Institute is founded to publicly perform a census of human souls, for the stated reason of determining spiritual defects wrought by Second Impact. In reality, the Institute will one day be the public organization responsible for selecting Pilots for Project E, even though the Pilots will largely be predetermined.

-September through November 2004: A crisis occurs at the Black Moon, rendering Yui Ikari defective. She is ultimately selected to become the catalyst that will animate the Test-Type Evangelion, designated Unit-01.

"You cannot let your emotions get the better of you," warned Keel Lorenz.

Katsuhito Ikari stared out the window, his every movement straining to contain his fury. "My daughter was not just a mere genius. She was a once-in-a-generation mind…and now, she is lost to us."

"Gendo Ikari has seen to it that Dr. Akagi was properly chastised for her actions. Regardless, we now have two functional Evangelions."

"And you believe that we can trust Rokubungi?"

"From what I have been able to ascertain, that man was utterly devoted to his wife. This…unfortunate series of events will drive him all the further to accomplish Instrumentality. As it should for you, my old friend."

"More than you know," muttered Katsuhito, his form shrouded by the light of the evening sun.

-January 2005: After years of work behind closed doors, Project Nephilim is officially unveiled by GEHIRN. Through the splicing of Angelic tissue to human sex cells and embryos, hybrids with abilities far beyond any mortal man are made available to the UN militaries.

-February 2005: The First Child, Rei Ayanami, is officially created.

"She's our little prototype," reassured the voice of Naoko Akagi, represented in the holographic council chamber by a simple picture of her in a yellow sweater and black skirt, complete with lab coat: a far cry from her true, crippled appearance. Still, it was a professional image, befitting a meeting of great importance. "The very first viable nephilim. In a sense, she is the Mother of all Nephilim."

SEELE-11 snorted, his holographic image represented by the monolith that would come to characterize these meetings. "Very dramatic, Dr. Akagi. What will be her continued purpose?"

"Due to her nature and the…'circumstances' regarding Yui's unfortunate demise-"

"You will watch your tongue, Akagi!" roared SEELE-06.

"You will maintain your composure, Number Six," warned SEELE-10. Only months had passed since the death of Doctor Yui Ikari; though her loss affected the Human Instrumentality Project immensely, it was felt keenly by SEELE-06.

"Despite whatever this Committee may believe, I take no pleasure in what happened with Yui Ikari. However, it had to be done for the sake of Project E. Or need I remind you that the branch in Berlin-2 has still yet to ensoul Unit-02?" pointedly said Naoko Akagi.

"We are confident that Dr. Sohryu will find a way. If not, she has a hard deadline to make it happen," reminded Chairman Lorenz. "Now, as you were saying: the purpose of this 'Ayanami'?"

Naoko's smirk was almost palpable, despite the static image. "She will be the vanguard against the Angels whenever they manifest: I'm sure it won't be long before the Marduk Institute designates her as the First Child."

The suggestion was quite clear: this Ayanami was to be the Pilot of Unit-00. "We will see to it. Remember well, Dr. Akagi, the role that you play. Overstepping your boundaries would be most…unwise. And that goes double for Gendo Ikari."

-November 2006: Nephilim bodies are constructed to serve as proxies for Tabris and Zeruel.

The silver-haired boy and white-haired girl gagged as they emerged from the growth chambers, expelling LCL from their lungs.

Keel Lorenz smiled. "There; as per our arrangement, you now have bodies to serve as a masquerade, vessels with which to observe our civilization." The Angels in nephilim flesh – biologically no older than six years old – slowly got to their feet, staring at him with inhumanly red eyes. "You will be the wards of my Estate: Wilhelm Lorenz and Franziska Lorenz."

"No."

Keel arched an eyebrow at the young boy, sounding far too decisive and sure for a proverbial newborn. "No?"

"Those names…are not fitting." The boy looked at his erstwhile sister, then back at him. "I am Kaworu Nagisa. She is Yomiko Nagisa."

"Japanese names?" Their only contact with a person of Japanese descent had been with Katsuhito Ikari. How did they have enough context to craft such names? And why Japanese?

"…I am not quite sure why you emphasize Japan," questioned Tabris. "There is a time and order to all things, Mister Lorenz. The name for this body of Angelic flesh and human bone…that name is Kaworu Nagisa, because it must be. Nothing more, and nothing less."

How cryptic, thought Keel. It was fortunate that he was confident that their existing countermeasures were sufficient to contain the two Angels, otherwise he would be feeling far more unnerved.

-December 2007: The deadline for Unit-02's activation is reached.

Keel Lorenz could look quite grim, when he set his mind to it. Despite his increasingly frailer appearance, he still carried a gravity about him that made everyone cringe in their boots. "The time has come, Dr. Sohryu."

Kyoko Zeppelin Langley-Sohryu, sitting at a desk buried underneath crumpled papers and messy notes, could only sag in her chair. "…I see."

"Then you have a volunteer in mind?"

"…yes."

-January 2008: Kyoko Zeppelin Langley-Sohryu is absorbed in her entirety by the Production-Type Evangelion, Unit-02. Asuka Langley-Sohryu is designated the Second Child.

-2009: As the second generation comes to fruition, the use of nephilim in black ops by governments around the world increases. Soon, the need for the public to become accustomed to a reality inhabited by Angelic übermensch becomes manifest.

"Your suggestion is…promising, Ikari."

"The world is adapting to the enhanced wildlife and the Congolese Federation," said Gendo Ikari. Yet another intercontinental trip, ostensibly for Ikari to meet with his fellow department heads at the GEHIRN facility in Berlin-2; in truth, yet another opportunity for Keel Lorenz to pick at the man's brain. "We can't let them become too complacent about the changes wrought by Second Impact. Despite the fact that the world believes the Angels will return, the masses will not behave practically without a stark reminder. I would prefer that we remind them now, and secure all possible countermeasures before the Third Angel drops on our doorstep, whenever that may be."

Keel Lorenz leaned back in his chair, stifling a grimace at the growing pain in his hips. Yet another body part to replace. "Your proposal has merit. I will relay this to the Committee. Any particular region in mind?"

Gendo shrugged. "I don't pay too much attention to world events; I'm sure you know people with far more knowledge than I."

"In the meanwhile, this will provide a decent smokescreen for GEHIRN's dissolution."

"Will I be retaining a similar position as Director of Operations for the Black Moon facility?"

Keel Lorenz chuckled. "Not at all; your drive and initiative have greatly impressed the Committee. The institute that replaces GEHIRN will have a wide breadth of martial and monetary authority to prepare for the Angels' return; it needs a capable leader to represent it."

Gendo paused, staring quietly at Keel. "And I take it you want me in the position."

"There can be none other." Now that you'll be in the spotlight, your reclusive scheming will come to an end. Keel resisted the urge to sneer at the man. Try and continue your subversive maneuvers now, you miserable cur.

A regrettable decision, in hindsight. But no one was perfect.

-January 2010: Through SEELE's machinations, Diego Lovelace – a renowned and popular philanthropist in Colombia – is framed as an inside source on various drug cartels throughout Central and South America. Out of retaliation, he is then assassinated, and the heir of the family is kidnapped. A former FARC guerilla in the Lovelace's employ by the name of Rosarita Cisneros almost single-handedly initiates the Central American Wars, her vengeful rampage inciting revolutionary fervor throughout the region.

-February through November 2010: The Central American Wars rage from Colombia to Mexico, with local militaries and UN peacekeeping forces finally triumphing over Cisneros' organization El Baile de la Muerte, though not before several countries' governments utterly collapse amidst the chaos of war. Nephilim serve in battlefield operations alongside conventional military units for the first time, revealing their superhuman powers to
the public at large. Meanwhile, GEHIRN is dissolved, and its resources are reallocated under NERV: a paramilitary organization responsible for defending mankind from the Angels. Due to their use of Evangelions, the Human Instrumentality Committee will possess oversight authority.

-2011 through 2014: The fortification of Tokyo-3 is largely concluded during this time frame, and work on Evangelion Units-00, 01, and 02 near completion. Units-03 and 04 undergo specialized augmentation and experimentation at the NERV facilities in America, whilst Provisional Unit-05 – a highly unorthodox model – is grown and tested at Berlin-2.

-November 2013: Shinji Ikari is designated the Third Child.

"The only reason we are permitting this is because Unit-01 is highly unlikely to sync with any other," admitted Keel Lorenz.

"The boy's caretakers have a rather low opinion of Rokubungi; it's probable that Shinji Ikari will come out of this with a measure of disdain for his father," said SEELE-06.

Chairman Lorenz chuckled. "Are you sure that's not your own bias talking?"

The scientists couldn't help but pause. "…that is also possible. Tomoe Ikari has not lived up to the expectations set by her sister."

"Then don't do any half-measures. Whether or not the boy's potential as an Evangelion Pilot is enough to disregard his affiliation with Gendo, the Pilots have a limited purpose in the grand scheme of the Scenario. They are to fight the Angels, and nothing more: once ADAM is whole again, we will only need the Evangelions: the Pilots will be irrelevant."

"Of course," answered SEELE-06.

-July 2014: The matured bodies of Tabris and Zeruel are bound within an armored shell of organic, inorganic, and metaphysical restraints, thereafter becoming the base for an advanced class of Evangelion: a change of designation is warranted. In light of this development, Kaworu and Yomiko Nagisa are respectively designated the Fourth and Fifth Children.

"So, you trust me with this…Evangelion Mark 06?"

"A measure of good faith, for all that you have provided us."

Kaworu smiled at Keel Lorenz. "It is not much of a measure, when you hold the threat of ADAM's destruction over our heads."

"That is why you are being trusted with your original body, while your 'sister' will remain with Unit-05: you are by far the more reasonable one."

Kaworu smiled enigmatically. "I suppose that's true, from a certain point of view. In one way, however, my sister is far more patient…she is content to wait."

"And you are not?"

"There is too much to learn about you Lilim. I cannot afford to be patient."

-January 2015: In the flooded remnants of Denmark, Unit-02 begins field tests for the first time, providing invaluable data for the other Evangelions.

-March 2015: Another Adamite chrysalis is discovered in the depths of the Pacific Ocean. Before any attempts to harvest it are made, Tabris and Zeruel intervene.

"This is highly unorthodox," boomed the voice of SEELE-02.

Standing in the midst of the holographic chambers, surrounded by twelve monoliths, the Nagisa Twins stood stoically. Kaworu smiled. "Unorthodox or no, you will not touch that egg."

"And what is stopping us?" challenged SEELE-03.

Kaworu turned towards his sister. "Yomiko?"

The white-haired girl nodded, and her red eyes started to shine. Moments later, SEELE-01 suddenly said, "I am receiving reports that the Mark 07 is breaking its restraints. Stop this foolishness now."

Yomiko's eyes stopped glowing. Kaworu looked at all of the monoliths before focusing on SEELE-01, the avatar of Chairman Lorenz himself. "I told you long ago that there is a time and order to all things. The remnants of ADAM – the other Angels – will come at the moment of their choosing. You will allow this to occur, or Zeruel and I shall rebel with all our strength."

"You wouldn't dare!" snarled SEELE-11.

An otherworldly pressure manifested in the dark chamber, causing the holographic monoliths to flicker. A hazy image of a grimacing skull could be seen above Yomiko Nagisa; then, there was the voice of Thunder. "I HAVE TOLERATED YOUR PITIFUL MACHINATIONS ONLY BY THE WILL OF TABRIS. IF YOU DO NOT HEED HIS DEMAND, I WILL TAKE GREAT JOY IN BRINGING ABOUT YOUR RUIN."

"You will doom ADAM to utter destruction!" yelled SEELE-05. "You would forever lose access to your precious Complementation!"

"THEN WE WILL ALL FACE OUR DAMNATION TOGETHER."

Every single man on the Committee was silent.

Finally, SEELE-01 said, "Very well. We will oblige you this." Truth be told, destroying ADAM at this juncture would be as disastrous for SEELE as it would be for the Adamite Angels. Placating Tabris and Zeruel for the time being would be permissible.

"My thanks, gentlemen," said Kaworu. "In return, I will give you one boon: the new chrysalis will hatch in about six months."

"Why would you tell us this?" asked SEELE-06, sounding genuinely curious.

"The Third Angel will be putting its best foot forward. It would be rude if I didn't offer you the chance to do the same."

-April 2015: NERV issues a public proclamation that the Angels will return by the end of the year. Defensive preparations are prioritized above all else.

-May through August 2015: Cultist activity, simmering for years since the revelation of ADAM's existence to the public, increases heavily following the proclamation of the Angels' impending return. A fine balance is attempted between overt control and subtle infiltration of these cults, as an attempt to form a potential counter to NERV and Gendo Ikari.

-September 1, 2015: An Adamite chrysalis is detected within the depths of Mt. Asama in Japan. Efforts are made to bury this discovery, so as to avoid a repeat of the incident in March with Tabris and Zeruel.

-September 20, 2015: The Third Angel manifests, and attacks Tokyo-3. Shinji Ikari, piloting Unit-01, defeats it. Damages are in the billions of dollars, falling within expected bounds.

-September 23, 2015: The Fourth Angel attacks Tokyo-3. Shinji Ikari, piloting Unit-01, defeats it.

-September 26, 2015: The core and S2 organ of the Fourth Angel are shipped to NERV-4 in the American state of Nevada, per the Committee's directive. Meanwhile, plans are made to demonstrate the Evangelion's might against the JET ALONE Project of NHIS, as part of a ruse to reacquire the Modular Technology.

-October 10, 2015: Kaworu Nagisa effectively demonstrates the might of the Mark 06 against the Jet Alone. SEELE capitalizes on Gendo Ikari's appropriation of the specialized Gundams to permanently place it under NERV's control, thus bringing the Modular Technology back into its rightful hands. Meanwhile, the Fifth Angel attacks Tokyo-3, and is defeated by Rei Ayanami and Shinji Ikari, piloting Units-00 and 01.

-October 11, 2015: In response to the quicker than expected assaults by the Angels, SEELE decides to give operational control of the Second Child and Unit-02 to NERV-1.

-October 18, 2015: The UN Pacific Fleet, delivering Unit-02 to Japan, is attacked by the Sixth Angel. Asuka Langley-Sohryu, piloting Unit-02, defeats it in convincing fashion.

Keel Lorenz watched the footage in silence; he paused at the image of a red Evangelion soaring into the sky, preparing to deliver the penultimate blow to the Sixth Angel. Magnificent. To think that these Angels – these otherworldly terrors, these behemoths, these gods – were being felled by the creations of man. Our own gods, made by human hands, are proving superior.

A brief sting forced the old man to lightly touch his side; he was still getting used to his artificial kidney. Just a little longer, he reminded himself. Then we all too, shall be gods.

-October 22, 2015: The Seventh Angel attacks Tokyo-3, and hands the Evangelions their first defeat. The Angel is temporarily stalled by a warhead derived from Angelic material. Meanwhile, Gendo Ikari, making a play of his own, reacquires the Lance of Longinus from Antarctica despite the efforts of SEELE-03.

-October 29, 2015: The Seventh Angel resumes its assault, but is routed by the efforts of Units-00, 01, 02, and the Jet Alone. In an unexpected turn of events, it retreats into the depths of the Pacific. In a calculated effort to gauge the Angels' solidarity, Kaworu Nagisa is tasked with retrieving the Eighth Angel. Worryingly, he agrees without much resistance.

"Given his ultimatum regarding the Third Angel, his acquiescence on this matter is concerning," murmured SEELE-06.

"We will maintain vigilance," replied Keel Lorenz. "If he steps out of line, we will destroy ADAM, and place our hopes in the S2 Organ research at NERV-4."

-November 6, 2015: Kaworu Nagisa, piloting the Mark 06, attempts to retrieve the Eighth Angel from Mt. Asama. He is forced to destroy the Angel.

-November 7 through November 14, 2015: Kaworu Nagisa mingles with the Pilots and the populace of Tokyo-3 before returning to Berlin-2.

"So Nagisa, did you find what you were looking for?" asked Keel Lorenz. The elderly man and the young nephilim were confined within the Chairman's office on the Lorenz Estate, away from prying eyes.

Kaworu Nagisa's smile was more melancholy than usual. "Yes…and no. In all honesty, I don't know what I was looking for. I suppose that was the whole point; have you ever felt that way, Mister Lorenz? Adrift, seeking something concrete, something tangible, to grasp in your hands?"

Keel Lorenz, head of SEELE and Chairman of the Instrumentality Committee, thought back. He remembered a wide-eyed youngster and amateur archaeologist, heading to Israel on a whim. From the ashes of a world torn apart by global war and fascist fanaticism, he had all but single-handedly ushered in a new world order from the shadows. "Once. But no longer."

"I see. What a pity." Without elaborating, the Fourth Child turned on his heels and departed.

-November 23, 2015: The Ninth Angel attacks Tokyo-3 from space. Unit-01 and the Jet Alone intercept it in midair, while Units-00 and 02 intercept it on the ground. The Angel is destroyed before it can annihilate Tokyo-3 and the Black Moon.

-November 24, 2015: Katsuhito Ikari is chosen to investigate Tokyo-3 on behalf of the Committee.

-December 5, 2015: Alarms are triggered as part of a supposed security test by NERV-1. Evidence points towards an assault by the Tenth Angel from within.

-December 6, 2015: During Katsuhito Ikari's investigation, the Tenth Angel strikes at Tokyo-3's civilian populace via NERV's contingent of Defender Gundams. After a concerted counteroffensive by Section 2, the timely arrival of Units-00 and 01 results in the Angel's demise.

xxxx

/Lorenz Estate, Outskirts of Berlin-2, Germany/

The wrinkled hand, gently holding pen to paper, paused. The mind that moved it was thinking, pondering what was happening today that was so significant.

After a few moments, the pen continued writing.

-December 7, 2015: All reacquired information on the Modular Technology is decrypted, enabling SEELE to perfectly recreate the Lance of Longinus and the Sword of Uriel.

There; that should do it.

Keel Lorenz sat back, looking quietly at his handiwork. About five sheets of a paper, denoting a timeline of significant events relative to SEELE, the Human Instrumentality Project, and the Angel War. Each time period listed came with memories, each memory of an event witnessed personally or relayed with such detail that its clarity was practically first-person.

Yet it wasn't enough.

This timeline was twice as long two months ago. It was a habit of his, to occasionally recreate this timeline from scratch, to test his knowledge and memory. At his advanced age, it was a necessity; however, it seemed that practice was no longer enough. I am getting too old.

He was ninety-one years old, less than a decade shy of a full century; most of his body had been replaced or augmented with cybernetic or bioengineered parts to extend his lifespan, and it still wasn't enough to stave off the creeping specter of death and decay. As a matter of practicality, he refused external memory implants; there was far too great a risk of a third party plucking the implants out of his skull and poring over all of SEELE's secrets. No; his brain, his mind – the very engine that had birthed SEELE and the Instrumentality Project – was the only part of his body that had been left untouched by science or technological augmentation.

Now it was beginning to fail him.

Just one more year. At the rate the Angels were attacking, it would not take long for ADAM to fully regenerate. I can make it for one more year. He would not be denied Instrumentality.

He would not be denied transcendence.

Sighing, the old man calmly grabbed the five sheets of paper and threw them into his fireplace. As the paper crinkled and burned, ashes floating carelessly away like ghosts, Keel Lorenz pressed a switch on his computer terminal and took his place amongst the ghostly avatars of SEELE. "This meeting will come to order. I'm pleased to report that Shiro Tokita's flash drive has been cracked; the Modular Technology is ours."

"Excellent news," replied SEELE-07. "Replication of the Lance and the Sword is now achievable."

"Is there someone that can oversee the implementation of the Modular Technology? We need results as quickly as possible," said SEELE-04.

"As a matter of fact, I have someone perfect in mind for the job," remarked SEELE-06.

xxxx

/Beta Site, NHIS Research and Development, Osaka-2, Japan/

Kisai Oniwana blinked. "You found the notes for Tokita's nanotech?"

The representative of Nippon Heavy Industrial Systems' Board of Directors nodded. "When Tokita's assets were being reviewed following his…untimely departure from the company, we found some old handwritten notes in various hidden compartments in his office furniture."

Oniwana sighed, running a hand through graying hair. "That man was always paranoid about his invention."

"We've compiled the information onto a flash drive," explained the representative. "NHIS has been in negotiations with another company for a joint project, and the nanotech is a prime component of that project."

"And since Tokita and Sawamura are no longer with NHIS, I'm the individual with the most direct experience working with the nanotech."

The representative's smile looked decidedly shark-like. "You are an intelligent man."

"Who is the potential partner?"

"Sovereign Systems, based in Moscow. This project will be at a secure facility in China."

Oniwana arched an eyebrow; it had been some time since that company had made any headlines. "Was the Board that impressed by their proposal?"

"I'm only a humble messenger," said the representative, casually shrugging.

Kisai Oniwana readjusted his glasses, the glimmer in his narrow eyes seemingly indicative of a thousand different thoughts occurring simultaneously. The thought of working with the nanotech again was a tantalizing one, and this time NHIS would be sure to benefit more completely from it. "Would you happen to know any more about the proposal?"

"Do you recall the ancient facility where the First Angel was found in Antarctica?" The nondescript man smirked when Oniwana nodded. "Sovereign Systems has been sitting on a cache of technology gathered from that facility, and they believe that, combined with our nanotech, the anti-Angel applications are…significant."

Were it not for his own sense of self-restraint, Oniwana's mouth would be watering by now. "You have my attention."

xxxx

/December 8, 2015/

/Horaki Residence, Tokyo-3, Japan/

Hikari Horaki quickly penned a note and stuck it on the refrigerator.

Father,

Left you some dinner in the blue tupperware on the top shelf. Will be celebrating Asuka's 14th birthday at her apartment complex if you get home early.

Love, your daughters​

"Acceptable." At least Mamoru Horaki would have sustenance waiting for him in the worst-case scenario. Well, if there wasn't an Angel attack that destroyed their apartment. That would be awkward. And unpleasant. And overall gut-wrenching due to the fact that it meant their home would be destroyed…

"Sis?"

They would be rendered temporarily homeless, and they'd have to lodge with someone else as a temporary stopgap…

"Sis."

All of their beloved heirlooms would be dust, especially all of the pictures of mom, gods bless her soul…!

"SIS!"

Hikari whirled around. "What?!"

"Calm down." Kodama Horaki – eldest daughter of the family at twenty-one years of age – vigorously rubbed Hikari's shoulders, causing the middle child's pigtails to bounce with each motion. "Just relax. It's just a birthday party."

"It's not just a birthday party."

"It kind of is."

"Well, technically it's the birthday for Misato Katsuragi." Indeed; today was the Lieutenant Colonel's twenty-ninth birthday! "Asuka's birthday was on the fourth, last Friday."

Kodama ran a hand through her long brown hair, wrapped in an unkempt ponytail. "So…they're celebrating both of them today?"

"…Asuka was saying that Katsuragi wanted an excuse to throw a bigger party."

Kodama grinned. "Sounds like fun. So glad that finals are over!" She yawned for roughly seven seconds, putting a damper on her jovial mood. "Still, kinda sudden after the whole…mess with the play, isn't it?"

Hikari looked down, eyes glimmering with unshed tears. "…I think that's her point." She looked up at her older sister, for once not acting in loco parentis and more like the younger sister. "Kodama…we almost died." Classes at the Junior High School had been outright cancelled until the damage was repaired.

"But we didn't. NERV took care of business."

"But it was so close!" The sheer violence and chaos had been stark and brutal, far separated from the distant terror that always gripped her when the Angels normally attacked. There had been no shelter to keep them safe from the attack, no barricades, no walls of reinforced concrete and metal; only the intervention of Kirishima, Yamagishi, and four other pale-skinned individuals had protected them from the possessed Defender Gundams. Even then, it hadn't been enough to block out the sights and sounds of Section 2 desperately trying to turn the tide. "I saw…so many bodies…!"

Kodama sighed, wrapped her arms around Hikari, letting the young girl bury her face into her chest. "Hey now, getting all gloomy before a party's no good. That would defeat the whole point of it, hm?"

"…yeah…"

"Has little Nozomi-chan been scared?"

"…not really." Nozomi had watched the play via broadcast from the Elementary School; after all, she always took any chance she could to hang out with Suzuhara's and Asuka's sisters without some kind of familial supervision. In this case, it had been a blessing. "I saw the footage later; it's not the same just watching it." Besides, once Nozomi had found out that she, Kodama, and Mamoru were safe, the little girl's worries had all but disappeared. "She was lucky."

"Just take this as a lesson in how life can change without warning or reason. As some of my colleagues like to say, shit happens."

"Language!" impulsively snapped Hikari.

Kodama grinned. "That's more like it." As Hikari's face reddened, Kodama continued. "I'm not going to tell you that this means you have to live life without fear or some stupid crap like that; fear is a natural emotion that can inspire our bodies to accomplish crazy things, don't you know." Fight or flight for the win! "But you do need to make your decisions in light of the fact that we live in a dangerous city, in a dangerous time. So keep your chin up and do what you have to do, okay?"

Hikari shuddered, letting the emotional catharsis run its course before releasing her older sister. "Okay. I will."

"There you go."

"Hikari-chan! Can you help me get these ribbons in my hair?!"

The distant yell from Nozomi's room elicited a wry smirk from Kodama. "And that's your cue."

"Oh no you don't," retorted Hikari, roughly wiping the moisture from her face before forcefully nudging Kodama down the hall. "This has been your first time at home during a decent hour since forever, so you're going to help!"

"Okay okay, don't be so pushy!" yelped Kodama.

"Well, someone has to be the pushy and responsible one around here!"

Kodama chuckled as Hikari's forceful and orderly self returned to the fore. All's right in the world.

xxxx

/Suzuhara Residence, Tokyo-3, Japan/

Toji Suzuhara looked down his nose at Ai Suzuhara. "No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No!"

"Come on, Ji!" yelled the youngest of the Suzuhara family, ineffectually stomping on her brother's shoes. "When have you ever turned down a chance to go over to your friend's apartment so you can ogle that purple-haired lady?!"

Toji blushed, but didn't rise to the bait. "Just don't feel like it, is all. 'Sides, we just had a party there two days ago."

"Since have you needed an excuse to party?!"

"Hey now! You makin' me sound like some kind of delinquent punk?!"

"It ain't hard, Ji!"

Toji wanted to retort, to berate and shout, rip and roar. It was a kind of custom to get enveloped in false outrage, to shout at each other, to get under each other's skin. However, the energy and spirit that such rambunctiousness entailed was just…nowhere to be found. So he settled for snorting. "Whatever. Just go and enjoy your party."

The dark-haired girl looked angrily at her older brother before stomping away to her room, slamming the door shut. Toji winced at the noise, a frustrated grimace coating his face. "Geez…the hell's her deal?" He trudged over to the living room and plopped down on the coach, looking at nothing in particular. "S'just a party."

"So? Go and have fun."

Toji glanced over at the recliner, where his father was lying; still clad in the orange uniform common to Section 3 maintenance workers, covered in grease around the sleeves and knees. "You gonna get on my case too, you old timer?"

Hayato Suzuhara grunted. "You know your sister just wants you to lighten up."

"What if I don't want to?"

"Then get that stick out of your ass and throw it away." The older man turned his dark eyes towards his son, his rough-hewn face covered in stubble. "Cause you're making it smell like shit in here."

Toji scowled. "And who the hell are you to talk, huh?! You were working in the Geofront when it happened!" Gunfire. Shrapnel. A Defender Gundam reaching down and smashing a young, gun-wielding agent into the ground with a single palm. "You weren't there!"

"I'm the one who's paying for the roof over our heads, so I think I am one to talk."

"BULLCRAP!"

"When did you become such a coward?"

Toji's rant halted in its tracks, stumbling over Hayato's abrupt tangent.

"You seemed to have no problem going to the party on Sunday night, to the same damn place."

Toji scowled, flippantly looking down at his feet. "…it just didn't hit me yet, that's all." How abruptly it could all end. How easy a life could be snuffed out, like a candlelight flickering in the wind.

Hayato snorted. "Tough. So now you know that sometimes shit happens. Thought you would've learned that lesson when our old apartment got crushed by Unit-01. Or was that too impersonal for you?" Toji's silence was all he needed as an answer. "So let me ask you this: if you think you know now how dangerous life can be, and it scares you like this…then why the hell are you gonna make your sister go to that party on her own?"

Toji's head shot up, as though struck. He slowly turned towards his father. "…can't you take her?"

"I just finished an eighteen-hour shift. I ain't movin'."

"…feh." The young man grunted, his brotherly instincts warring with the existential fear that had taken root.

"Let me break it down for you then: are you gonna man up?" A wicked grin suddenly crossed Hayato's face. "Or are you just a…"

Toji blinked.

"Big."

Toji's eyes narrowed. "Don't."

"Fat."

Toji snarled. "Don't."

"Pussy?"

Toji seethed at his father's enunciation: slow, drawn-out, somehow squeezing out every last drop of frustration and anger that the firstborn had. "I ain't no pussy!"

"Then go be a man, damn it!"

"FINE!" roared Toji, stomping out of the living room and down the hall to his sister's bedroom, shouting at Ai to get her stuff ready.

As the sound of bickering siblings filled the apartment, Hayato Suzuhara pulled the brim of his dirty cap over his eyes, letting their fraternal arguing lull him to sleep. That's more like it.

xxxx

/Aida Residence, Tokyo-3, Japan/

"Party favors?"

"Check."

"Drinks?"

"Check."

"Tranquilizer?"

"Check."

Kensuke Aida grinned at his mother. "We're set then!" He then scurried off to finish grabbing the last few essentials.

Seigo Aida watched the whole proceeding with exasperation, practically buried at the table with some important documents detailing security clearances for Section 3 and Section 1 personnel (the former in particular, given that maintenance workers tended to react more…profusely to the experiments and research within Dr. Akagi's lab). "Aren't you two being a little enthusiastic about this?"

Haruka Aida turned towards her husband, readjusting the sunglasses over her narrow yet cherubic face. "He has friends to cheer up and I'm part of that apartment's Section 2 detail. Enthusiasm is part of the job."

Seigo scratched at his dark hair, looking somewhat befuddled. "…you sure?"

Haruka tilted her sunglasses up, looking wryly at Seigo with hazel eyes. "Look, the boy wants to help his friends. He's of the opinion that a couple of his buddies might be dealing with old-fashioned shellshock."

"Can you blame them?" Seigo shuddered; both he and Haruka had accompanied Kensuke to the play on Sunday. "The whole thing still gives me the heebie-jeebies."

"…heebie-jeebies?"

"You know what I mean!" protested Seigo. "I'm just worried that Ken might be burying some things."

"Hey now, I'm the one who pulls him out of any funk. You're there to deal with the details, like emotions and whatnot." Never let it be said that growing up with a mother involved in military matters and private security – even well before Section 2 – didn't have benefits. "Besides, after the boss's speech, he perked right up."

Seigo nodded; NERV's propaganda video for their defeat of the Tenth Angel was simply Gendo's speech, played in its entirety. "He does look up to the man…"

"There are worse role models." She turned on her heel, short mahogany hair bouncing with each step. The plainclothes Section 2 agent – clad in black jeans and a burgundy long-sleeved shirt – walked out of their first-floor apartment, packing away the 'party supplies' into the compartments of her tangerine-colored Vespa. "BOY! We're going!"

"Coming!" Kensuke burst out of the house, carrying a blue and white bass guitar. "Just had to grab the entertainment!"

Haruka's eyes narrowed. "You think you're ready?"

"You've given me enough lessons. I'm retroactively born ready!"

Haruka smirked, grabbing the Rickenbacker model 4001 from her son. "Then hop on and strap in." The young man hopped onto the Vespa, holding on tightly to his mother as she hit the ignition. She held the bass guitar forward, as if preparing to joust. As one, mother and child roared, "EXCLESIOR!"

The Vespa peeled out and zoomed away from the parking lot.

Seigo Aida settled for rubbing his temples. What a family.

xxxx

/Section 2 Barracks, NERV-1, Tokyo-3, Japan/

Kozou Fuyutsuki sighed; there was a subdued air in the barracks, a miasma of morose misery. Then again, as he walked past room after room – many agents had the option to sleep in rather spartan quarters within the barracks itself if they chose to, given its proximity to headquarters – he saw an administrative liaison pulling down particular name cards. One here, two there, ignoring some rooms entirely: each one holding a name, each one belonging to an agent that had died defending the civilian population against the Tenth Angel.

It was an unenviable task. Each name card, in a sense, was a life, snuffed out before its time.

There are worse ways to die, I suppose. Dying in the line of duty was admirable, in and of itself. Perhaps that was just his old-fashioned sensibilities talking.

The Sub-Director of NERV-1 continued making his rounds, eventually making it to the annex that led to most of the indoor target ranges. Despite the doors and bulletproof glass, he could hear the muffled pops of gunfire.

Blue hair caught his eye; the First Child – clad in military fatigues over her white Plug Suit – was observing a group of agents, correcting their form as necessary. He couldn't help but chuckle as she forcefully grabbed a younger agent's arms, forcefully fixing his stance. Now there's an attitude I haven't seen in a while. It always amused him how discrete Rei Ayanami could be: her demeanor was rather calm and stoic when it came to piloting Evangelion. But when it came to military matters? Well, her rank of 'Sergeant' seemed to shine through.

Red eyes noticed his presence through the bulletproof glass. Ayanami said something to the other agents before exiting. Before the door even closed, she was already standing at attention and saluting. "Sub-Director, sir!"

Fuyutsuki chuckled. "At ease. What brought this on?"

"After the Tenth Angel's attack, Lieutenant Aoba requested my assistance with retraining Section 2 agents in certain areas."

"Understandable." The possessed Defender Gundams had been Section 2's first major engagement. Period. Even in the face of tragedy, there were always opportunities to be found. "Come walk with me, Ayanami."

"Sir, yes sir!"

The elderly man walked side-by-side with the young super soldier, exiting the barracks and entering the picturesque scenery of the Geofront. "Tell me, Ayanami, how often do you think of the future?"

Rei turned towards the Sub-Director. "In what way, sir?"

"Hmm...that will do for an answer."

Rei blinked. "I…don't understand, sir."

So you still have a ways to go. The idle chitchat of birds served as decent ambience, and the artificial wind – generated by a unique series of chained vacuum chambers that created air circulation through minuscule changes in pressure, a feature that had come with the Black Moon – was a fair enough balm for Fuyutsuki's thoughts. "I'm just rambling." He rubbed his hand against the bark of a pine, relishing the feel against his aged skin. Skin that was
fifty-nine-years of age, just like him. Getting old is a pain. Still, it was a fact of life; nothing he could do would change that. "Perhaps I haven't quite recovered from the ordeal with the play."

"Do you require medical attention, sir?"

"No, no, not that kind of recovery." He'd gone on a few humanitarian missions with the JSSDF prior to the Contact Experiment in 2004; the carnage wrought by the Tenth Angel brought to mind some uncomfortable memories. "I sometimes hope that the world that my generation leaves behind will be a kinder one. As of now…it's only a hope."

"Sir?"

Fuyutsuki glanced over at blue-haired girl, seeing features from both Yui Ikari and Naoko Akagi in her face and frame. "Is there anything in particular that's been on your mind, as of late?"

The First Child frowned, seriously considering his expression from the looks of it. Finally, she answered, "Honorifics. Titles." She looked intently at him; had he not been so used to the existence of nephilim, her red eyes would be downright haunting. "Sir: You call me Ayanami, yet you call Shinji Ikari by his given name. With all due respect sir, why?"

Fuyutsuki arched an eyebrow. Hmm. Interesting. "I've known Shinji since he was born. His mother was a student, a colleague, and…a good friend of mine. It's hard to be distant with someone whose diapers I've changed."

"So it's because of familiarity, sir?"

"You could say that."

"…he called me Ayanami-chan." Fuyutsuki blinked. "So I thought it only proper to call him Ikari-kun." Fuyutsuki blinked again. "Was I out of line to do so, sir?"

"…no. I dare say you weren't. Tell me; how does that make you feel? Be honest."

Rei Ayanami blushed; even though it was slight and subtle, the red stood stark against her pale and narrow cheeks. It was one of the most heartening things he had ever seen. "It…feels agreeable, sir."

And you've earned that and more. "That's good to hear." Fuyutsuki inhaled the fresh air, feeling a lightness fill him. "I haven't really been treating my subordinates like proper kouhai, not since my university days; I'll need practice. Would you mind if I called you Ayanami-kun?"

Rei shook her head. "Not at all sir. It is only proper, since you're my superior."

"So it is." Fuyutsuki folded his hands behind his back, casually continuing his stroll. "You're dismissed, Sergeant; do as you will."

The First Child clapped her heels together and saluted. "Sir, yes sir!"

So many times, Fuyutsuki had wondered why Naoko Akagi had unveiled to him the truth of Rei's human heritage: a cocktail of genetic material from Yui, Naoko…and himself, taken without his knowledge.

So many times, he had considered it a spiteful shot from an incarcerated woman, telling him that he in fact had what he had secretly dreamed of so many years ago, before Gendo Rokubungi had come into Yui's life.

So many times, he had pondered how it would feel to let his professionalism and good sense slip, and give in to his all-too-human desires; even though, in the grand scheme of things, he had no right to act on his feelings.

Still...it was moments like this where he wondered if this is what it felt like to be a father.

I'll take what I can get, he thought with a wry grin. To see the young super soldier blossom before his very eyes…that was reward enough.

xxxx

/Banzai Bonzo Bar, Downtown Tokyo-3, Japan/

"You are utterly bonkers."

Ryoji Kaji chuckled at the Section 2 agent's bewilderment; he was waiting for the bartender to prepare the 'Birthday Special' (because despite what Misato made people believe with her Yebisu fixation, she did appreciate finer spirits), having nothing better to do with his time. So why not meet with one of the Japanese government's double agents within Section 2?

Hypothetically speaking, of course. "You think the Defense Ministry is that fearful of Katsuhito Ikari?"

"More like unwilling to anger his supporters." As the founding father of metaphysical biology, the man had been a bonafide celebrity to the intellectuals, and a source of pride for Japan as a whole on the international stage. "His work brought a lot of prestige to our country."

"All the more reason to act with care, hm?" The Inspector stared at the ash floating away from his cigarette; this mole was permanently stationed aboveground, with most of his patrols taking place on Tokyo-3's outskirts. The amount of time that this particular informant had spent within the Geofront over the past several months amounted to mere hours; it made him ideal for making clandestine information drops, but not so much for actually getting decent information about NERV headquarters.

Just the way Misato-chan likes it, I think. The spies on the surface were irrelevant to those within the Geofront, after all. I wonder if you're aware of how long your cover's been blown? "The government is rather paranoid about the Supreme Commander of NERV, and Katsuhito is his father-in-law." He shot a wry grin at the plainclothes agent. "Just a little thought for them to consider. Katsuhito has made a lot of trips over the past several years…"

The double agent scowled, running a hand through his black hair. "…I'll keep that in mind." He downed the last of his saké and departed, leaving a chunk of change on the table.

Mere moments after the Japanese government's informant walked out, another Section 2 agent sat down beside Kaji. This one was a bit larger, with more foreign features; his attire was of the stereotypical 'men in black' that populated Section 2's ranks, serving as high-profile decoys for the vast majority of agents who operated incognito. And here comes the messenger of my other employer. "I'm very popular today, it seems."

"You're toeing a dangerous line," murmured the brown-haired man. "You know that you're forbidden to investigate certain…individuals."

The inspector shrugged at the double agent, one of many that worked for SEELE in one form or another. "Katsuhito's related to Gendo Ikari, and he just so happened to be in town; it was too great an opportunity to pass up. How was I supposed to know that the old man had such close…ties, to the Committee?"

SEELE's double agent stared, his eyes hidden behind thick sunglasses. "Your investigation into Katsuhito Ikari will cease. You have more important things to worry about."

"If you insist; I'll leave the old man alone." I already got what I wanted. "Did you know that the corpse of a sniper was found in the Geofront yesterday? The surveillance footage revealed some…unsettling things." Like how we almost lost our three Pilots.

"I haven't seen the footage, but I can imagine," said the double agent. "The cults are getting bolder. I can't help but wonder why."

How wonderfully cryptic, thought the triple(?) agent. Kaji glanced over towards the bar – noting the bartender waving, a package of mixed drinks in his hand – and got to his feet. "Well, I'm afraid I must leave; I have a double birthday celebration to get to."

xxxx

/Keter, NERV-1, Tokyo-3/

Hikari Kirishima wouldn't go so far as to say that Gendo Ikari was an unfeeling bastardly bastard.

But she was certainly thinking it. Not even a half-hour after her daughter had been released from the medical ward – no complications from going into Overdrive, thankfully – and here they were, practically dragged into the Supreme Commander's office. You couldn't have waited another day for this debriefing? At least Mayumi was at the 'double birthday bash' (by her direct orders, it had to be said); the poor girl needed a chance to unwind after the…ordeal with Ryo Sawamura.

"And that's all that you can remember, Pilot Kirishima?" asked Gendo, hands tented in front of his face. Kozou Fuyutsuki was standing by his side. "Any information you can recall could be useful."

"You've got it all, boss-man," said Mana, clad in blue hospital garments that actually covered her decency. Hikari stood beside her, keeping both her daughter and Ikari in her field of vision. "I did what Katsuragi told me to do: keep an eye on the real Sawamura, and follow him if he tried to give us the slip. The Angel pretty much spilled the beans and dared me to kill it. So I did."

"I see. I trust I don't have to remind you that the truth of Ryo Sawamura's death must remain classified; as far as the public is concerned, the Tenth Angel only possessed the Defender Gundams, and Sawamura was simply another victim."

"Yeah yeah, I know the drill."

"Professor Ikari, Shiro Tokita and Genji Sawamura of the JET ALONE team are here to speak with you about their project."

"Send them in."

xxxx

The petite secretary looked up from her desk's built-in intercom. "The Professor will see you now."

"Thank you," said Genji Sawamura.

Sometimes, Shiro Tokita wondered if the man's dedication to the Jet Alone was greater than his. "We don't have to make a presentation now; we only have a proof of concept. And I know you're the bombastic type; an innovation like this deserves a grander introduction!"

"No, no…I'm just fine, Tokita-san." Sawamura looked down at the small metal handle, a thin slit visible at the end of it. "Our work with your nanotech all these years has given us a tremendous head start; our team will have a Gundam-scale model ready in less than two weeks. We might as well show Gendo Ikari exactly what we have."

"…if you insist." Sawamura's zeal for improving the Jet Alone was grin-inducing; still, given that Ryo's body was now lying in a morgue somewhere in Tokyo-3, Tokita had the good sense to resist his own showboating impulses. After we make this presentation, I'm going to put him on forced leave. The man needed time to mourn; that much was clear. Putting on a brave face, Tokita quietly opened the doors into Gendo's office, with Sawamura trailing right behind him "Good evening, Ikari!"

He had expected to see Gendo Ikari, and maybe Kozou Fuyutsuki.

Not so much Agent Kirishima and her daughter Mana.

His showman's instincts served him well, for he didn't miss a beat. "An unexpected good evening to you as well, Kirishima-san! And it's a pleasure to see you awake again, Mana!" He deliberately ignored Hikari Kirishima's pointed stare, strolling past mother and daughter towards Gendo's desk. Genji Sawamura came to a stop right in front of Mana, so that he was the center of attention. Understandable, given that he was the demonstrator. "So, I'm sure you're eager to see exactly what we've come up with."

"By all means, proceed," said Gendo.

"Well, the one piece of equipment that the makers of the Prototype Gundam had dreamed of including was something iconic, something incredible. Alas, the technology of the time, great as it was, could not produce it. However, the nanomachines that were recovered from the Tenth Angel's attack on the MAGI are somewhat unique: their molecular composition and the energy they naturally emit presented a great opportunity. And given our work with nanotech up to this point?" Namely, the Modular Technology that made the Jet Alone's transformation capabilities possible. "Well…we were able to do what was once deemed impossible." Tokita turned around. "Sawamura-san?"

Genji Sawamura held up the small metal handle, and pressed a switch.

Chyoom.

Everyone stared.

Fuyutsuki said what everyone was thinking. "…is that a beam saber?"

Tokita grinned. "More or less!" Indeed, a foot-long blade – formed from glowing pink light, as if by magic – had materialized from the slit at the top of the handle. "Much like with the Rising Naginata, we use ferrofluids and a shaped magnetic charge to form a blade-shaped base: the Angelic nanomachines are placed in a specific pattern on the surface such that when a current is run through them, they produce this energy field."

"Field tests?" asked Gendo.

Tokita pulled out a small block of tungsten from his pocket; a hole had been melted through it. "So far, it's cut through everything we tested it on. And I do mean everything. And given its Angelic nature…"

"…you could potentially cut through an AT-Field," murmured Hikari.

"Exactly!" exclaimed Tokita. "The power draw is a considerable hurdle, but once it's scaled up for use by the Jet Alone, we'll be able to utilize a larger energy cell to provide at least twenty minutes' worth of continuous usage!"

"Is there a possibility of creating an Eva-scale variant?"

Now how did I know you were going to ask that, Ikari? "Unfortunately, our preliminary estimates show we'd need at least thirty times as many nanomachines to make a single Eva-scale variant. As it stands, we should be able to craft at least two dozen Gundam-scale beam sabers."

"I see," said Gendo. "How unfortunate. Still, this is impressive work for such a short turnaround."

"Well…I couldn't have done without my team. Sawamura-san in particular!" Tokita turned around, looking at his old colleague with a smile. "His work is without match."

It was at the moment that Genji Sawamura turned around and pointed the beam saber at Mana's neck.

Shiro Tokita blinked. Um…well. Shit.

Hikari Kirishima was certainly quick enough on the draw, her pistol already in hand and aimed at Genji Sawamura. "Sawamura, deactivate the beam saber now."

Genji was staring quietly at Mana, who had a defiant look in her eyes.

"Sawamura…" snarled Hikari. "Drop it. NOW."

"You that upset that I killed your kid?" asked Mana. Even Tokita could see the man's hesitation. "I got a newsflash for you: he was possessed by an Angel. Before you even came to Tokyo-3."

"…Misato Katsuragi told me the story," admitted Genji Sawamura.

"Then why are you pointing that thing at me? In the end, the one that really killed your kid was the Angel, and I killed the Angel. Story's over. And frankly, after how the bastard manipulated my sister…I don't regret it one bit."

Shiro Tokita was slowly shuffling to the side, getting a better angle of the confrontation. There has to be something I can do. "Sawamura-san…the whole situation was an unfortunate one. There's no way we could have anticipated the Angel taking over a human being, much less your son!"

"But there's no closure!" roared Sawamura. "I need closure! The Lieutenant Colonel told me that I couldn't even see my son's face anymore!"

Mana shrugged. "Well, the Angel's core was in his brain. So I kind of pulverized his head."

Dead silence. Shiro Tokita was trying his damnedest not to wince out loud. That…was not the most intelligent thing to say, Mana.

"…damn it…" muttered Sawamura, his whole form beginning to shake. The beam saber slowly tilted toward the ground, as though too heavy for the man to hold. His entire body seemed to sag in a similar fashion: the weight of his sorrow, seemingly insurmountable. "He was all I had left…he was all I had left…!"

Mana snorted. "You've worked on the JET ALONE Project for years now, creating a weapon that could fight the Angels. And we've helped in that fight, damn it!"

"Mana, stop talking," warned Hikari, her aim still holding steady on Genji Sawamura.

"Yes, let's just all calm down," said Tokita. Just a little further, and I can turn off the beam saber…

Mana ignored both of them. "You can still hold on to that! Or does that mean nothing to you?!"

"What point is there if there's nothing to pass on?!" yelled Genji Sawamura, his voice – normally relaxed and carefree – hoarse with grief. "It was all for the sake of leaving a better world for my son! What point is there to anything if he's not in it?!" Tears began streaming down his stubbly cheeks; his grip tightened on the beam saber's handle. "It's all your fault…it's all your fault…"

Tokita paled, not quite sure what was about to happen. "Don't do it…"

"If you harm one hair on her head Sawamura, I will shoot to kill," growled Hikari.

"It's all your fault…" Sawamura glared at Mana; she looked decidedly unimpressed. Or perhaps unfeeling. Either way, it didn't matter. Nothing mattered anymore. "IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!"

Genji Sawamura turned his wrist and jerked the beam saber upward, jabbing it through his forehead.

Shiro Tokita howled, utterly rejecting this turn of events, this sudden horror show. "SAWAMURA!" He leapt forward, grabbing the braindead man and gently lowering him to the ground. With great care, he slowly retracted the beam saber, the sound and smell of sizzling flesh making him queasy. When it was out, he turned it off and tossed it away. "Sawamura…no…!" The head of Weapons R&D, a dedicated worker, a brilliant mind…and most importantly, a good man: all gone, in a moment of heated sorrow and furious grief. "Why…why did it have to end like this…?!"

Through all of these proceedings, Gendo and Fuyutsuki had remained silent.

Hikari Kirishima holstered her weapon, a distinctly sour look crossing her face. "…are we done with the debriefing?" She turned towards the Supreme Commander, hands still tented in front of his face. "I would like an opportunity to talk with my daughter alone."

"We're not done. Not quite," said Gendo, his first words since Genji Sawamura had turned the beam saber against Mana Kirishima. "Pilot Kirishima." The Supreme Commander of NERV rose from his chair, his footsteps measured and stoic. He stopped within arm's reach of the nephilim, looking impassively at her; thanks to his cloak, any hint of body language was masked. To anyone observing, he might as well have been a monolith. "Look at Genji Sawamura's body, and tell me what you see; and I want you to be honest."

Shiro Tokita frowned at the line of questioning. What are you getting at? More importantly, why was he doing this now?! There was a dead man to see to!

The silver-haired nephilim looked down at the corpse. Tokita had long ago accepted Mana and Mayumi and their superhuman talents, acknowledging them as human insofar as it really mattered. Yet…he couldn't shake the chill at the sight of her red eyes, staring impassively at Sawamura's body.

Finally, Mana said, "I see someone who was too weak to live."

Shiro Tokita's jaw dropped. What. The. Hell?!

Gendo sighed. "That's what I thought." He then backhanded Mana across the face.

Hikari Kirishima blanched, and Tokita's jaw dropped further. To her credit, Mana only looked somewhat confused. "…you know that you can't really hurt me unless I let you, right?"

"I'm making sure that I have your attention," clarified Gendo. "All of our surveillance in this city is keyed to a MAGI algorithm that is consistently screening for psychological anomalies and outliers. Anything of particular concern is forwarded to my Sub-Director, who then reports anything of true concern to me."

"I bet it's nothing that you don't already know."

"That's beside the point. Your superiority complex, lack of empathy, and misanthropic prejudices are tolerable in the grand scheme of things, but not when they deprive NERV of vital resources." He pointedly looked at Sawamura's body. "This man had a keen mind, but what has his death created? Nothing."

"Not my fault he decided to off himself," retorted Mana.

"It's true that everyone must decide for themselves what they're willing to live for, or to die for; yet, no man is an island. When someone is teetering on the edge like Sawamura, the right words can be a lifeline for them to hold on to. Your words were the rhetorical equivalent of pushing him off the cliff." As Mana scowled, Gendo went for the jugular. "It's actually surprising; given what happened to your biological father, one would think that you'd be more empathetic."

Mana's scowl deepened; Hikari Kirishima snapped, "Ikari, that's enough."

"No Kirishima, it's not," retorted Gendo, his gaze never leaving Mana. "Naoko Akagi was the leading mind behind Project Nephilim, and until control of all nephilim production was handed off to NERV-Lyon, she was involved with every single client. She most likely has footage of you during your gestational period. And she just so happens to report to me, even now."

"What's your point?!" snapped Mana.

"The point is that I know more about you than you could imagine. Given what happened with Daisuke Yamagishi," The very mention of that name caused Hikari and Mana to flinch, something that didn't escape Tokita. "One could wonder why you didn't feel more for Genji Sawamura's situation…or, perhaps Daisuke Yamagishi's fate is precisely why you acted so coldly."

"Shut up."

"Burying your own emotions so you wouldn't have to cope with what you did all over again?"

"I said shut up!" screamed Mana.

"And what if I don't? What will you do?"

The nephilim snarled, "I'll-!"

"You'll do nothing," said Gendo, getting right into Mana's face. The young girl actually flinched at the movement. "True: you could easily kill me and everyone in this room. You could probably kill almost everyone in this base before Section 2 gathered a sufficient amount of resources to stop you. But then what? Mankind's defense against the Angels would be gutted, and we'd all be dead men walking. So let's assume you wait until the Angel War has concluded; there are less than two hundred nephilim in existence at this moment. There are still over two billion humans left. Could you kill them all?"

Mana tried to reply. "I-!"

"And let's assume even further that mankind actually does wipe itself out in a future war or a future disaster of Impact-proportions, as you seem to believe," continued Gendo, his expression and voice showing none of the vitriol of his words. "And, furthermore, that the nephilim will survive such a catastrophe: that's all you'll have. Nothing but survival, until you all die out one by one." At Mana's confused expression, Gendo elaborated, "From the second generation on, all nephilim are functionally sterile. Both you and your sister were part of that generation."

"…what…?"

"We were essentially leasing out nephilim to the militaries of the world's great powers; do you really think we'd be so stupid as to give them a license to breed a superhuman army?" Mana's dumbfounded look prompted Gendo to continue his evenhanded tirade. "Even if nephilim outlasted humankind, you would only be able to survive; you would never be able to live. You're not the next step of human evolution: you're a genetic dead end."

Mana was quiet. She then turned towards her mother. "…is he telling the truth?"

Hikari nodded. "It was one of the things that we were told when becoming part of Nephilim Oversight. It was treated as a safety measure, but we all knew the real reason: so GEHIRN and its successor NERV would have a UN-protected monopoly on nephilim production."

"And given that the proverbial genie is out of the bottle with regards to nephilim, would you really trust the militaries of the world with that kind of power?" pointedly asked Fuyutsuki. Hikari's reluctant grimace was all the answer he needed. "Professor Ikari, I think the young girl has gotten your point. Perhaps now would be a good time to wrap it up?" suggested NERV's Sub-Director. "It's been a long day for all of us."

"I suppose so," admitted Gendo, his gaze still remaining fixed on Mana. "For how much you seem to decry humanity, you live a life in contradiction to those beliefs: you fight for humans; you obey human orders; deep down, your gut instinct realizes something. Something that you spend every waking moment trying to ignore or deny."

"…what?" asked Mana, her voice sounding small and beaten. It was so out-of-character for her that Shiro Tokita felt somewhat nauseous.

"That without humans, you would not be who you are; that without humans, you wouldn't exist; that without humans, you would be nothing. So keep that in mind, because if something like this," said Gendo, pointing at Sawamura's corpse. "Happens again? I will see to it that you and your sister are reassigned elsewhere, and I'll have new Pilots assigned to control the Jet Alone."

"You wouldn't," said Mana, her eyes widening out of disbelief. "You can't!"

"Unlike the Evangelions, the Shining Gundam and the Rising Gundam are mere machines. Anyone could be taught to control it," countered Gendo. "Which means you are replaceable."

Hikari Kirishima's arm lashed between Gendo's face and Mana's; the brown-haired woman's gaze was death incarnate. "May we be dismissed?" she bit out.

"I believe we're done now. You two are dismissed." As Hikari wrapped her arm around Mana's shoulders and led the young girl out – bearing little of the confident stride or cocksure motion she was known for – Gendo spoke aloud one more time. "Oh, and Pilot Kirishima? When the Tenth Angel was speaking about humanity during its attack…how many of those words have been said by you? I wonder; have you ever looked at humanity, and considered us to be mere…vermin?"

Mana shuddered, knowing very well what comparison the man was making. So did Hikari, judging by her wrathful glare as she stormed out of the office, pulling her daughter along.

Right as the doors closed behind her, Shiro Tokita punched Gendo in the face. "Do you feel better?! Does it make you feel powerful, intimidating her like that?!"

"Intimidation is the only valid tactic against someone who can break down a door with a single punch." Gendo straightened, readjusting his shades before looking critically at Tokita. "Your hook needs work."

Shiro Tokita seethed. "Damn you, what are you trying to pull?!"

"I don't intend to replace Mana Kirishima."

Tokita blinked. What? "Then why-?!"

"She's worked with the Jet Alone long enough that its movements and capabilities are instinctive to her; trying to replace her with someone of equal caliber would be very improbable at this stage. But I will if I have to, and she needed to realize that."

"Why now though?! Why did this have to be time for you to try and teach that lesson?! You could've waited!"

Gendo's stare was the deadest pan. Ever. Of all time. "Despite what my public image may indicate, I am not omnipotent, Shiro Tokita. I am not God; unfortunately, I didn't anticipate Sawamura actually threatening Pilot Kirishima with the beam saber. Perhaps I could've intervened afterward and saved his life; or maybe that would've escalated things to a more tragic level. Hindsight is twenty-twenty, after all." The Supreme Commander turned on his
heel and returned to his desk.

Shiro Tokita scowled, looking down at his feet at Genji Sawamura's body. As a shadow fell over it, he looked up to see Fuyutsuki handing him the beam saber. "We'll have his body cleaned and taken to a morgue," said the Sub-Director. "NERV will pay for any funeral arrangements that you decide on."

Tokita sighed, taking the metal handle wearily. "…thank you." What a horrible day this has turned out to be.

xxxx

/Misato's Apartment, Tokyo-3, Japan/

Tomoe Ikari prided himself on his observational skills, honed through years of police work.

They were getting quite the workout tonight.

"Twenty-nine years in this world!" whooped Misato, a bottle of Hale's Most Badass Imperial Stout in her hand.

A brand that's become nigh-impossible to find since Australia collapsed. Either a sign of NERV's obscene funding, he thought as his gaze fell upon Ryoji Kaji, sitting nonchalantly on the couch. Or a gift from someone with impressive connections.

"And fourteen years in the world as of last week!" hollered Asuka, sitting atop Misato's shoulders, holding an unopened can of Warsteiner pilsner. "In other words, able to legally drink in the presence of a custodial guardian!"

Tomoe twitched, ignoring the excited squeals coming from the three youngest children of the Sohryu, Horaki, and Suzuhara families. You're not technically in Germany, but I'll let it slide. His distaste for child soldiers aside, if the girl could willingly fight against the Angels, she damn well deserved a drink.

"So…cheers!" exclaimed the duo, who popped open their alcoholic containers and took a swig. Misato let loose a satisfied huff, while Asuka's face quickly soured.

Not to your liking, I take it, thought Tomoe with a subtle grin.

Then Asuka shrugged and downed her whole can in one go.

Tomoe blinked, and Misato actually stared in shock. "Whoa there Asuka, take it easy!"

"WerA sagt, muss auchB sagen," replied the redhead, who promptly crushed the can and threw it rather expertly into the distant trash can. She then promptly pointed at her younger sister. "Mari! I forbid you from ever drinking beer! That stuff tastes nasty!"

"If you say so, Ska!" cheerfully replied Mari.

Misato looked like she had just been shanked by her best friend. "…Asuka, how could you? Are you sure you're a native German?!"

"Then apparently your taste in beer is atrocious, because that was horrible!"

"Okay, them's fighting words!" The purple-haired Lieutenant Colonel threw her open bottle towards her penguin, who expertly caught it without spilling a drop (something that seriously impressed the former policeman; how the hell did that penguin manage to do that with clawed flippers of all things?). She then flipped over, tackling the redhead to the ground and mercilessly tickling her. "Take that, and that, and that!"

The Second Child giggled and laughed, struggling against the older woman. "Sister!" gasped Asuka. "Avenge me!"

"Okay!" Mari got to her feet, balling her fists adorably. "Ai, Nozomi! We must slay the Purple Beast!"

"Now we're talking!" exclaimed Ai.

"If you say so!" said Nozomi, brushing herself off as she got to her feet.

Then the three eight-year-olds dogpiled Misato, freeing Asuka and enabling her to initiate a light scorpion hold on the Lieutenant Colonel's legs. "Got you now!"

"Gah! Ease up, ease up!" yelled Misato, doing her damnedest to sell her apparent 'pain and agony' to the Second Child and the trio of young girls.

Tomoe watched quietly, letting the raucous laughter of his daughter and the eldest Horaki sibling fill his ears. You're willing to undergo a great deal of pain to make people feel better. I can respect that. His gaze turned towards the kitchen area, where his nephew was in command of preparing the birthday meal; his wife had taken the liberty of assisting the Ayanami girl with her portion of the meal preparations, recognizing that the girl's culinary expertise was lacking…among other things. So you're not the only who's noticed how those two behave around each other. It was subtle; but Shinji's attempts to get the blunette involved in domestic endeavors – far separated from the militarized operations of NERV – were almost adventurous in a 'puppy love' kind of way.

As for Ayanami, her interactions with the boy were so transparent that it was heartwarming and saddening in equal measure. My daughter would probably call it 'haddening' or 'sadwarming', or some equally silly portmanteau.

He readjusted his position in the reclining chair, glancing over his shoulder out the balcony window. A girl with pigtails – the middle Horaki child, if he recalled correctly – was speaking with the Suzuhara boy. She had pulled him outside mere minutes ago, a wary yet determined look on her face. The look of a girl who's realized just how short life can be. He couldn't make out what they were saying, but he could decipher it well enough.

The boy made confused gestures with his hands. A befuddled teenager who hasn't quite realized what this girl's talking about.

The girl glanced sheepishly at him, her hands tightly clenching the hem of her skirt. A hesitant confession.

The boy nearly leapt back, his yelp nearly audible through the sliding glass door. A very dense boy, indeed. Not a clue that the girl might have harbored those kinds of feelings for him.

The girl nearly wilted, turning away with a resigned look on her face. Afraid of rejection. Afraid that this was a bad decision.

The boy stepped forward, placing a hand on her shoulder and speaking animatedly. A boy who hates making a girl cry. He glanced back towards the boy's younger sister, who was lightly bowled over by Katsuragi as she attempted to break away from the mob of young girls grabbing at her limbs. The instinct of a boy who helped care for a younger sister. Bet he never thought those skills would come in play like this.

The girl slowly turned towards the Suzuhara boy, an odd expression on her face. Somewhat hopeful. Maybe not a waste of her time at all, she wonders.

The boy went completely still as the Horaki girl rest her forehead on his chest. Somewhat tentatively, he wrapped his arms around the smaller girl, linking them behind her back. He has no clue what's going on, and can't believe this is happening to him…and yet, some part of him is enjoying this. Witnessing the romance of the young never failed to brighten his day.

"Yes!" whispered the cracking voice of a boy going through puberty.

Tomoe looked down behind his chair; the Aida boy and the blue-haired Yamagishi girl were crouched behind the recliner, watching the balcony scene with keen eyes. And then there's these two eavesdroppers.

"…not that I'm not happy for them, but why did you insist I watch?" asked Mayumi Yamagishi.

"Well, you were kind of looking down in the dumps, just sitting on the couch and being all quiet, so I figured I'd get you involved with this little matchmaking thing I've got going on!" A boy with good intentions.

"…the young man that dumped me was killed during the Angel's attack, so I'm in an odd place about relationships right now."

"…oh. My bad." Tomoe nearly snorted at Kensuke Aida's quiet response. But also without good sense.

"I appreciate the idea, however. I think you care a lot about your friends being happy." The Yamagishi girl calmly got to her feet, a melancholy look into her eyes. "But right now…I'm content with quiet." She quietly walked into the kitchen, seeing if there was anything she could do to help with preparations.

Tomoe Ikari quietly leaned back in his recliner, closing his eyes so the sounds and smells could take greater prominence. Rice and peppered fish; my wife, patiently explaining to Ayanami why ginger goes well with this dish; strong alcohol, served a pinch at a time; the laughter of children; controlled chaos, trying to ward off the worries and tragedies of the Angel War, if only for a night.

"The craziness never really ends around here, does it?"

And then there's this guy. Tomoe opened his eyes, looking stoically at the figure of Ryoji Kaji: sitting on the couch, elbows balancing on his knees. Now you…I can't get a good read on you. That was always a bad sign. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

Kaji shrugged. "Well…anything that shows that we're still alive is a good thing, in my opinion."

"…I can't argue with that." Indeed; we're still here. We're still living. As Shinji sounded out the call for dinner, Tomoe found himself content with that. Despite the terrible mess we've left for these children…we're still alive.

As long as they were alive…a better tomorrow was possible.

xxxx

To be continued…

Next time…

Episode 18: A Day in the Life II (Hiding in plain sight, the Fist of God waits)

xxxx

(And so begins Season 2. Now...a brief look at the narrative future.)

xxxx

Mark 9:42 - Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.

"Suzuhara-kun, there is only one way to save her at this junction."

"...fine. Do it."

Mark 9:43-44 - If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed than with two hands to go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire, where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.

Ryoji Kaji gingerly brought the phone up to his ear, dreading the words he had to say next. "My sincerest apologies, Mr. Langley...your daughter's been kidnapped."

"...what."

Mark 9:45-46 - And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life crippled than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna, where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.

Yomiko Nagisa sighed, hands gripping the controls of Provisional Unit-05. "So it comes to this."

YOU DESERVE NOTHING LESS! And so did the Thirteenth Angel unleash its wrath upon Berlin-2.

Mark 9:47-48 - And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. Better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna, where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.

Misato Katsuragi looked grimly at the Evangelion Pilots, trying her damnedest not to look at the scenes of destruction being relayed to the displays. "The Seventh Angel has returned; it's launching a simultaneous attack on NERV-3, NERV-5, NERV-6, and NERV-Alaska."

"...so now it's split into four bodies?"

"Yes."

Isaiah 25:7-8 - On this mountain he will destroy the veil that veils all peoples, the web that is woven over all nations. He will destroy death forever. The Lord GOD will wipe away the tears from all faces; the reproach of his people he will remove from the whole earth; for the LORD has spoken.

A shaft of light burst through the clouds, enveloping the Evangelion in its brilliance.

Within moments, a high-pitched wail burst over the com channel.

Isaiah 25:9-12 - On that day it will be said: "Indeed, this is our God; we looked to him, and he saved us! This is the LORD to whom we looked; let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us!" For the hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain, but Moab will be trodden down as straw is trodden down in the mire. He will spread out his hands in its midst, as a swimmer spreads out his hands to swim; his pride will be brought low despite his strokes. The high-walled fortress he will raze, bringing it low, leveling it to the ground, to the very dust.

Within the depths of Terminal Dogma, Gendo Ikari watched in silence as the colossus stood tall, wielding both the Lance of Longinus and the Sword of Uriel.

"AND NOW...IT ALL RETURNS...TO NOTHING."
​

xxxx

​

 

[Ultra Sonic 007]

/November 24, 2015/

/Hakone Memorial Cemetery, Tokyo-3, Japan/

Shinji Ikari walked quietly amidst the gravestones, admiring the shades of sunset and dusk that coated the hillsides. If we had failed, all of this would have been gone. It had only been yesterday that the Ninth Angel had been destroyed, stopped before its suborbital descent could annihilate Hakone. I wonder…what this place looks like from up high.

His feet moved of their own accord it seemed, his mind preoccupied by thoughts of this day and all the years leading up to it. Before long, he was kneeling in front of one particular gravestone, blue eyes staring quietly at the engraved characters.
​

YUI IKARI

Born the 30th of March, 1977

She will live in our hearts forever.​

For those who had no knowledge of the truth, it would have seemed a poignant way of ignoring the date of Yui's 'death': her memory was eternal, so why list her date of death?

Little did most know that it was Gendo Ikari's sly way of hinting at the truth: that she was alive.

More or less.

A familiar shadow fell into place beside him. "Another year…" murmured Shinji. "No repeat, I hope?"

Gendo Ikari calmly pulled out a pair of binoculars, handing them to his son. "Look to the north."

Shinji peered through the binoculars, squinting; he saw a few figures in black, sitting atop the hillside. "Section 2?"

"This entire cemetery was swept an hour ago."

No chances taken. No risk overlooked. "…it's funny, how many things fell into place that day. Why you act the way you do. Why you sent me away to live with Uncle Tomoe."

"The world cares little for our sorrows, no matter how we wish otherwise. We can only affect the things that lie within our reach." Gendo stared down at the grave, now blessedly empty compared to last year. "One of many things that I learned from Yui."

"…you really loved her, didn't you?"

"…it was a strange feeling, to meet someone who could so effortlessly look past my facades. She…had a gift for seeing the truth. Even if it was a truth I didn't want to see. You could say that she was the first to ever pierce through my AT-Field." The Supreme Commander turned towards the Third Child. "To lose such a person…was almost unbearable."

Shinji looked quietly at his father, wondering just how many layers there were to him. Even now, there was a distinct barrier about him, a sort of hesitant distance in his stance. As though he were afraid to show who he really was out in the open. "Have you ever thought about what would it be like…to stop pretending?"

"You know I can't. Too much is at stake."

"Not forever," protested Shinji. "Not like that. I mean, you know…for just a little bit."

Gendo stared at Shinji, but Shinji could only stare at himself, a reflection in the orange shades of his father.

Finally, the Professor removed his shades, staring at his son with stoic blue eyes. An aged and weary man, looking at his past; a calm and determined young man, looking at his future. "I've made a lot of mistakes in my life, Shinji. Some worse than others…and once…something that would have been unforgivable, had I not pulled back from the abyss."

Shinji blinked; he had no way of knowing what his father was referencing, and wouldn't realize it until twelve days later, when circumstances with the Tenth Angel would prompt them both to acknowledge Gendo's greatest moment of weakness. "Huh?"

"I try to keep away from the depths of human depravity…yet I can't pull too far back, or the monsters that we face will take the opportunity to end it all." He promptly put his shades back on, and the Supreme Commander once more assumed his aura of authority. "Once the Angels are defeated, and all its related affairs are put to rest…maybe then."

Shinji nodded. "I…I can live with that."

"Will you need a lift?"

Shinji shook his head. "No. Misato-san said she'd wait as long as it took."

"…what is your opinion of the Lieutenant Colonel?"

"She's…bouncy."

Gendo arched an eyebrow.

Shinji sputtered, "N-not like that!"

"Well, you are a growing young man…"

"Father!" yelled Shinji, his blush obscured by the light of dusk. "I mean…she does whatever she has to do to make life easy for us." No small feat, in the fortress city of Tokyo-3. "And no matter how dire things seem…she'll always bounce back with some crazy plan or scheme that'll get us all home at the end of the day."

"Then you don't regret my decision to have you live with her."

Shinji shook his head.

"Good. She was a much better choice than me," admitted the older man. "I haven't even set foot into our old apartment in over a month."

Shinji boggled. "Do you…ever stop working?"

"I'll rest when I'm dead." Gendo calmly reached behind his back, pulling out two handles that connected to a hidden apparatus under his cloak. "Son…I'm glad I got to talk with you today."

Shinji Ikari felt a genuine smile creep onto his face. "Same here."

With a press of the handles, two pairs of thrusters extended out from the sides of the cloak, spewing exhaust and fire. In the blink of an eye, the Supreme Commander rocketed into the air, departing the cemetery in a manner befitting the leader of NERV: showy, loud, and with lots of pyrotechnics.

Shinji coughed, blowing away the fumes with hands. Was that how he was gonna take me home? What was the man going to do, carry him the whole way? You know…it doesn't matter. He stepped back, looking at the diminishing figure of his father. I still love him. He then looked back at his mother's name. Mother…once we've stopped the Angels…we will find a way to get you out of Unit-01. He calmly put his hands into his pockets and walked away.

Another day. Another year.

Eleven and counting.

xxxx

/January 11, 2016/

/Classroom 2-A, Tokyo-3 Municipal Junior High School, Hakone/

Shinji Ikari opened his eyes. Huh. Did I fall asleep? Sitting up, the Third Child stretched his arms, wondering why he felt so groggy. Work hasn't been that hectic…has it?

Over one month had passed since the Tenth Angel's two-part offensive against Tokyo-3; in spite of the efficacy of Section 3 and NERV's legion of reconstruction crews, it had taken over three weeks to repair the damage. The sheer extent of the damage was evident in how pristine some areas of the school were: signature signs of demolition, followed by building anew. All signs of the devastation were gone, aided by the fact that the winter vacation – running for over two weeks, starting on Christmas Day – had kept students away from the grounds.

Granted, it hadn't been much of a vacation for the Pilots. Sync tests…sparring…sync tests…tactics training…sync tests…sync tests. Life after Iruel had been frantic, to say the least.

Even so, things weren't all that bad.

Shinji looked around the classroom, watching as classmates outside of his immediate social circle convened for the first time in over a month. Hesitant glances gave way to joyous reunions; though some were more at ease with each other – Toji and Kensuke, for example – others had clearly chosen to abstain from anything school-related for the duration.

Still, he couldn't help but notice that the class as a whole seemed…diminished. It didn't take him long to realize that a few students were missing. I guess some people thought that it wasn't worth it. With the exception of one, of course; his gaze fell upon what had once been Ryo Sawamura's seat. Poor Sawamura-san…

He had never gotten to know the real Ryo Sawamura, thanks to the Tenth Angel; it also hadn't taken long for word of Genji Sawamura's suicide to spread through NERV. His gaze briefly turned towards Mana Kirishima and Mayumi Yamagishi; the latter had been rather quiet and stoic the last few weeks, while Mana had been uncharacteristically subdued. I guess Genji Sawamura's death really hit them hard.

Yes, things had quieted down following Iruel's attack, but it wasn't the same. After the Seventh Angel's retreat, there had been a sense of tentative tranquility, even in spite of Operations Magma Diver and Shop Till' You Colony Drop. Now, that peace had been fractured by uncertainty and an ambiguous tension.

It was at that moment that Shinji received a reminder of more positive matters, for Rei Ayanami walked into the classroom with Asuka Langley-Sohryu. Ayanami-chan.

His cousin would absolutely kill him if she knew how merely thinking that honorific gave him butterflies.

Shinji Ikari leaned back in his seat, letting a content smile come to his face. In spite of the downs, there were more than enough ups to make life worthwhile.

"Attention class," spoke Henshin Obimura, striding calmly into the class. "It has been quite a while since we last saw each other; I'm aware that events beyond our control have put us behind, but as long as we still draw breath, we can continue our educational endeavors. Be grateful for the lives you still possess, for many died to keep it that way." Having instantly defused any good cheer from the room, the Frenchman turned towards the door. "At any
rate, we have a temporary exchange student joining us."

That's when she walked in, long red skirt flaring behind her ankles. The warning signs were immediate: pale skin, red eyes, and white hair tied into a French braid. As one, the eyes of Rei, Mana, and Mayumi sharpened, Asuka's eyes widened out of shock, and Shinji blinked. A…another nephilim?

The young woman faced the quiet classroom, shoulders square and gaze piercing. "Greetings. My name is Yomiko Nagisa." With that introduction, she strode past the desks, her black crocheted cape – bearing the golden falcon of the Lorenz Estate – fluttering with her movements.

Then she stopped beside Shinji's desk. She turned calmly, eyes taking in his form in an instant. "You are the Third Child, Shinji Ikari."

Shinji blinked. "Uh…yes?"

As though sensing what was about to happen, Kensuke Aida whipped out his camera and began filming.

Yomiko clenched the front of Shinji's shirt and hoisted him up to eye level. Before Hikari could protest the disruption, before Rei could halt any impending physical violence, before anyone could intervene, Yomiko dipped Shinji and Frenched him. Hard.

The entire class went dead silent.

Mana looked utterly bewildered. Asuka looked as though the world itself had turned upside-down. Mayumi settled for mouthing, "oh my." A strangled scream was trying to crawl out of Hikari's throat, but was unsuccessful.

Rei looked somewhat…irritated. Uncharacteristically so.

Even as Shinji's hands twitched and spasmed – perfectly mimicking his overall thought of 'WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING' – Toji got to his feet and roared, "SERIOUSLY SHIN-MAN! NOT! FAIR!"

Yomiko removed her lips from Shinji's, looking rather bored by the whole affair. "What a waste." She then dropped the all-but-comatose Third Child into his chair before grabbing an empty seat near the back of the classroom. She seemed utterly oblivious to everyone's stares.

Shinji Ikari stared blankly ahead. "…uh…" What. Was. That?!

Henshin Obimura chuckled. "Well well, not quite how I expected the new year to start, but you did the French proud with that one."

The bell rang, and class was officially in session.

xxxx

Episode 18: A Day in the Life II (Hiding in plain sight, the Fist of God waits)

xxxx

Kaworu Nagisa looked over at his sister. "Pardon?"

"My Christmas present," repeated Yomiko Nagisa.

A recent memory.

"You have never cared for the holiday."

"I don't. But the Lilim do. And I believe they will grant me this request."

"Why the sudden interest in Tokyo-3?"

"There is something that I must confirm." A [TRUTH/FACT/EPIPHANY] THAT I MUST UNCOVER.

A strange request.

"Mister Lorenz will be hesitant to give you such a present." What is that you seek?

"I will agree to certain limitations." YOU WILL KNOW WHEN I FIND IT.

Kaworu smiled, glancing towards the window and marveling at the snowfall: a white Christmas was in store for Germany. "I will do what I can to convince him. You may not be able to leave until after the New Year."

"Acceptable."

What will you find?

The near past gave way, and the images of Kaworu and Yomiko faded away; a brief sense of time took hold, as ancient history came to life.

An older memory. Much older.

There was a man with silver hair, who wandered the desert in solitude.

I recognize you.

Imperfect though the flesh was, he was able to navigate the quiet sands with ease; even as the wind caused his robes to flutter and whip about, he walked steadfastly under the moonlight. The lesser creatures of the world instinctively avoided him; his very presence exuded the menace of an apex predator.

You…were once me.

He paused; in the distance was a bonfire, nestled near a lonely tent. Even though the Lilim were limited, company was company.

Or perhaps…I was once you?

As he neared the campsite, the man frowned when he saw its sole occupant. "What are you doing away from Babylon?"

"Things have changed as of late. The Hittites conquered the city," answered the woman with white hair, staring back with eyes that were just as red. "Staying would have been…inconvenient."

Who is she?

Sighing, the man retracted a scroll from the folds of his robe. "We might as well exchange information now." The routine was simple and rote: an exchange of information and knowledge, observations and hypotheses.

Who is she?

The woman pulled out a scroll of her own, and the exchange was made. "Are you going to continue on?"

The man snorted. "I had hoped to find more pleasurable company."

The woman smirked. "Oh? And who would be more pleasurable than me?"

"Anyone."

What is happening?

"Oh come now, when else could we partake of the…forbidden fruit?"

The man sighed as the woman wrapped her arms around his neck, red eyes staring into red. "You are insatiable." Even so, he didn't stop her.

So they partook of each other, a crude simulacrum of a union that was prohibited by the universe itself. Though these bodies of flesh and bone – these pitiful puppets – were limited, it was the only way.

Morning came, and they went their separate ways. As they always did. As they must.

Who is she?

xxxx

Kaworu Nagisa blinked. "Hmm." I am starting to remember more. "What decides when a memory becomes known, or remains hidden?" he asked himself, rising up from his resting place in the grassy knoll. The luxurious mansion of the Lorenz Estate loomed in the distance, barely visible against the horizon of dawn. With each [equal/sibling/kin] that perishes, more of my memories return.

The trend was a sobering one. Perhaps…my final [apotheosis/manifestation/ascension] will not come until I am the last.

Alas; what will be, will be.

I hope my dear…'sister' is finding what she seeks.

xxxx

/Hallway, Tokyo-3 Municipal Junior High School, Hakone/

"…say what now?"

"I'm telling you Annette, Yomiko just walked up and kissed him in front of everyone!" said Asuka Langley-Sohryu, holding her phone closely as she sort-of-stalked-but-mostly-pursued the white-haired nephilim through the halls. "It was really bizarre!"

"So you know this girl?"

"She's one of the Pilots I worked with in Germany; her brother visited us last November!"

"Why is she here?"

"I haven't the slightest clue!" The redhead ignored the crowd that was not-so-subtly trying to follow her; word of Yomiko and Shinji's 'swapping spit' (as some were so crudely calling it) had sped at the Speed of Gossip, and now people were looking for answers. Given that this was the first day back at school in over a month, their curiosity was understandable. Given that it involved one of the Eva Pilots, their nosiness was downright expected. "And honestly, this is really out of character for her!"

"Hmm…a fangirl of Shinji-kun's?"

"No; she never really talked about the other Evangelion Pilots."

"You left Germany in October, right? A lot can change in a few months."

"You don't know Yomiko like I do." The white-haired nephilim stopped every so often to just stare at people, her face as infamously stoic as ever. "Besides…she just dropped Shinji in his seat and sat down afterwards. She hasn't even tried to talk to him!"

"Has she even looked back at Shinji?"

"Not that I've noticed." Asuka stopped by a row of lockers, peering past the mass of teeming students as they moved along towards their next classes. The Second Child's eyes fell upon the First Child, calmly grabbing a few books from her locker; even now, she could see a distinct tension in Rei's movements. "Should I worry about Yomiko being a potential homewrecker? I mean, Shinji and Rei just started calling each other chan and kun!"

"…at the moment, I'm feeling optimistically cautious. At best, she did it just to say that she kissed Shinji Ikari, one of the great heroes of humanity!"

"And at worst?"

"She's just a weirdo."

Asuka groaned. "Well, I could've told you that." A brief glance at a clock on the wall reminded her of the time. "Anyhow, next period's about to start. Auf wiederhören, Annette!" Hanging up her phone, Asuka finally noticed the gaggle of nosy students crowding around her. "…what?"

The torrent of questions quickly began.

"Chan? Kun?"

"Did Ikari and Ayanami hook up over the winter break?"

"Did Ayanami go for him, or vice-versa?!"

"How in the world did he manage to get past her untouchable emotionless shell of ice?!"

"Have they…held hands?!"

"Is Ayanami gonna flatten the new girl?!"

Asuka quickly sensed that things were spiraling out of control. So she settled for good old-fashioned treachery. "Hey, did you all know that Hikari and Toji are a thing now?!"

"EEEEEH?!"

"…saw it coming!"

Asuka whirled on her feet, peering over the shoulder of a nosy gossiper; lo and behold, the Class Rep was about to move away from her locker. "See, she's over there!" With calculated dexterity, she dove between the legs of the dissipating crowd, rolling to her feet before bounding down the hall. Sorry Hikari! Your sacrifice will not be forgotten!

xxxx

/Gymnasium, Tokyo-3 Municipal Junior High School, Hakone/

Another frickin' Nagisa, thought Mana Kirishima with a poorly-concealed frown, finishing the last of her calisthenics. As if this day couldn't get any worse.

Seeing the school – newly renovated though it was – was rubbing a raw wound in her pride. Maybe. She didn't quite know what to think, and that was pissing her off the most.

Even now, nearly a month later, the Supreme Commander's little soliloquy was lodged into her skull, festering as a rotten corpse would. In spite of the horrendous blow to her ego and the subsequent doldrums, her frustration mounted with each passing day. This passivity…this hesitance…it was sickening!

The urge to take it out on the random tree in the city's outskirts had satisfied her for a time, but now it was simply boring. She couldn't find it in herself to spar seriously with Ayanami: every single instance of training was simply going through the motions, without vigor or spirit. To those on the Jet Alone team who didn't know the true circumstances of Genji Sawamura's suicide, her melancholy must have been taken as a sign of mourning.

What a joke; the man was dead, and nothing would change that. Why keep focusing on it? Why let it linger?

Yet…

"Given what happened with Daisuke Yamagishi, one could wonder why you didn't feel more for Genji Sawamura's situation…or, perhaps Daisuke Yamagishi's fate is precisely why you acted so coldly."

Mana scowled; that whole spiel was infuriating. What the hell does he know? Who the hell is he to lecture me?!

"There are less than two hundred nephilim in existence at this moment. There are still over two billion humans left. Could you kill them all?"

She tied her shoelaces, teeth grit tightly together. Who says I was going to be the one to kill them all? All I know is that we're built to outlast you, no matter how badly you destroy yourselves or this world!

"Even if nephilim outlasted humankind, you would only be able to survive; you would never be able to live. You're not the next step of human evolution: you're a genetic dead end."

The impulse to bring a hand to her abdomen was horrific in its strength. The thought of progeny, of children…it had never really crossed her mind, not consciously. Hell, she was more than likely to die in battle than anything else! I just took it for granted…that we would live on…

"For how much you seem to decry humanity, you live a life in contradiction to those beliefs: you fight for humans; you obey human orders…without humans, you would not be who you are…without humans, you wouldn't exist…without humans, you would be nothing."

Over and over, her defiant thoughts and rationalizations circled back to those words.

Because they were true.

I took pride in being a soldier…in being the best damn weapon on the battlefield. Just like she had been raised to be.

The queerest part of it all was that she still wanted to be the best ass-kicker possible, even after Gendo Ikari had pointed out the inherent hypocrisy of her beliefs. How sad was that?

And then the sister of Kaworu Nagisa just waltzes in.

Kaworu's effortless thrashing of her, Mayumi, and Ayanami still rubbed her the wrong way.

I'm going to punch her in the face.

Thank the stars for P.E.

"LISTEN UP!" roared John Doe, the perpetually loudmouthed gym teacher. "You've had an extended leave of absence, but that is over! You may have begun thinking that you are ladies once more, but in my eyes, you are still nothing but maggots! I spy flab! I see noodle arms! UNACCEPTABLE! Now that warm-ups are over, we are going to engage in hand-to-hand combat! PAIR UP!"

Mana's hand shot up. "I'd like to spar with the new girl."

John Doe glared at her, then turned his burning gaze towards Yomiko Nagisa. "…if there is a repeat of the incident where you fought Sergeant Ayanami, I'll have you on PT duty for a month! And then I'll have you court-martialed!"

"Got it," absent-mindedly replied Mana as the white-haired visitor slowly walked over towards her. In her peripheral vision, she could see Ayanami and her sister watching discreetly. Don't worry, I've got this. For the first time in a while, the excitement of facing a worthy opponent was rushing through her. I missed this feeling. "Alright then…" She raised her arms and bent her knees, preparing to attack. Nagisa stood only ten feet away, looking decidedly
uninterested. "Let's go!"

POW!

Mana Kirishima boggled as her world spun, her body flipping over twice before landing on her feet. What? Her face stung; she reached a hand up to her nose, wincing at the tenderness. What happened? She looked up – why was everything spinning? – and blinked at the sight of her opponent: Nagisa was now standing where she had started, fist extended. Of greater concern was the fact that her eyes were glowing, her skin was sterling white, and her hair crackled with power. The hell…? She went into Overdrive that quickly…?

Just as quickly, Yomiko Nagisa powered down. The foreign nephilim stared quietly at her, looking none-too-bothered by the sudden physiological shifts.

No side effects? Mana winced as her legs started to wobble. How is that even fair?!

Then, without saying a word, Yomiko Nagisa turned her back on Mana Kirishima and walked away.

No! I'm NOT going down with one punch! She tried to step forward…and fell. Damn it.

The voice of Gendo Ikari echoed through her mind once more.

"You are replaceable."

DAMN IT!

She was unconscious before she hit the ground.

xxxx

/Late Afternoon/

/Operations Deck, NERV-1, Tokyo-3/

"Bullcrap."

Ritsuko Akagi sighed. "Misato-"

"No. I said bullcrap, and I mean it!" Misato Katsuragi pointed an angry finger at the displays, which showed Yomiko Nagisa's sync ratio with Unit-02, namely two-hundred and fifty-nine percent. "What the hell is up with those Nagisa kids? First we have Kaworu with the Simulation Bodies, and now Yomiko with the real deal?!"

Ritsuko shrugged. "It is what it is. Yomiko is apparently a proverbial wunderkind according to NERV-2. And given what I've read about the creation of Provisional Unit-05, I believe them."

"But how? The fact that they're nephilim can't be the only thing!" Otherwise, Rei Ayanami would be boasting a much higher sync ratio with Unit-00; as of this point, the First Child had yet to breach the one-hundred percent mark.

"Information about the soul within the core of Yomiko's Evangelion has been hard to come by, so I wouldn't be able to completely answer your question anyway."

Misato grumbled, crossing her arms with a huff. "It just seems unfair. No offense to our current Pilots, but how come we don't have the best of the best to actually defend where the Angels are attacking?!"

"You'd have to take that up with the Marduk Institute and the Committee." Ritsuko looked over her shoulder towards Miyata and Maya. "Get the systems ready for the test with Unit-01!" Turning back towards Misato, she continued, "You were saying?"

Misato's cheeks could have been tomatoes for how puffed up and red they were.

As the Chief of Section 2 and the Chief of Section 1 continued their repartee, the Supreme Commander and the Sub-Director of NERV-1 watched from above. "Katsuragi is being stubbornly logical," murmured Fuyutsuki.

"She is not aware of the circumstances surrounding the Nagisa children."

"Yes, because having our Operations Director sic all of our resources on the Fifth Child will turn out spectacularly"

"You're more sardonic than usual today, Fuyutsuki."

"This request of the Committee's is troubling. I don't like it." While the Fifth Child was touring Tokyo-3, she was to sync with the Evangelions themselves? For what purpose? "Why wouldn't the Simulation Bodies be enough, like with the Fourth Child when he visited?"

"A good question with many potential answers." A hidden project within the depths of a NERV facility firmly within SEELE's control? A test of loyalty formYomiko Nagisa, much like the slaughter of the Eighth Angel had been for Kaworu? There was no way to truly know. "We'll simply maintain vigilance and do what we must."

Meanwhile, the Fifth Child quietly went through the motions, ignoring the sounds and insipid mewls of the Lilim. Into the Entry Plug, bathing in the primordial essence they termed 'LCL'. How many would cringe, if they knew that this was the lifeblood of LILITH?

Alas, it mattered not.

Unit-02, born of ADAM, had yielded immediately, despite the protest of the soul within. Flesh sang to flesh, and controlling that which was derived from her [Creator/Father/Source] was child's play.

Unit-01, born of LILITH…was less accommodating.

YOU WILL NOT [YIELD/SUBMIT]? boomed the voice of Zeruel, speaking directly to the Evangelion itself. The prattle of NERV's technicians tickled at the nephilim's ears, shallow and meaningless compared to what was ongoing in the ether. [SPEAK/CONFESS/ACKNOWLEDGE]!

Lilithian flesh quivered at the demands of Adamite life.

you have no authority here

Yomiko Nagisa's eyes widened.

leave

She impulsively reached over the side of the seat, yanking the emergency ejection handle. Momentum, acceleration, velocity; terms for pure physical sensations, acute to the likes of a nephilim, inherently obvious to an Angel. As the Entry Plug came to a crashing halt against the ground, Yomiko calmly opened the hatch and stepped out, LCL dripping onto the ground.

"Nagisa-san!" Misato's voice erupted from the overhead speakers. "The readings we got from Unit-01 were bizarre! What just happened?!"

"Unit-01 does not like me." Yomiko quietly sat against the wall in the cavernous chamber, closing her eyes in seeming meditation. "I will be ready when Unit-00 is prepped."

"…Nagisa-san, are you okay?"

"Yes," answered Yomiko Nagisa, even as Zeruel seethed at the very sight of Unit-01. YOU PRESUME MUCH, [SHACKLED/IMPRISONED/FALSE] BEAST.

Still, the whole process was very…illuminating.

xxxx

/Misato's Obstacle Course, Geofront, Tokyo-3/

Yomiko Nagisa stared down at the yellow bicycle with a strange expression, much akin to a cat looking at a stranger.

Once more, Rei Ayanami reminded herself of the Supreme Commander's orders. Keep an eye on the Fifth Child. Do what you can to glean any information about her. Given Nagisa's true nature, this was certainly prudent.

Problem is, Rei wasn't quite sure how to accomplish this. Sparring was right out – Yomiko Nagisa would undoubtedly trounce her, given her demonstrated mastery over Anima Overdrive – and the white-haired nephilim was nowhere near as conversational as her erstwhile 'brother'.

That, and the fact that Nagisa had exhibited a three-hundred percent sync ratio with Unit-00 was annoying. Just a little.

Almost as much as the memory of how Nagisa had kissed Ikari-kun during homeroom.

Why that was irritating was something that eluded her at the moment. Something to ask Class Representative Hikari in the near future, then.

Still, there were things that could be done. "This obstacle course's design was inspired by Lieutenant Colonel Katsuragi; this bicycle is specially-crafted to handle the strength of a nephilim. It should be an adequate test of strength and endurance."

Yomiko Nagisa calmly got onto the bicycle, her long red skirt billowing over the sides. Placing her foot on the right pedal, she thrust her leg forward.

SNAP!

Rei Ayanami stared silently at the bicycle pedal. Then at the drivetrain. Back at the pedal, which now sat on the ground, the crank bearing a jagged edge where Yomiko had snapped it off. Then to Yomiko, who was looking quietly at her. Finally, in utter deadpan, the First Child said, "You are quite troublesome."

xxxx

/Mizugumi Residence, Nagano, Japan/

General Hiroto Mizugumi enjoyed his rather large mansion; nestled on a hill overlooking the city, it spoke of privilege and status.

Some would probably decry that he had built it atop the ruins of the Zenkō-ji Buddhist temple, but it's not like the temple's destruction had been his fault; where the tsunamis of Second Impact couldn't reach, the ensuing riots in the wake of the Impact Wars did. The Nagano Riots of 2001 had been especially atrocious, requiring JSDF intervention to quell: an intervention that he had led personally. So as far as he was concerned, this plot of real estate was a spoil of war.

Nagano was a far cry from its former splendor, but it was relatively peaceful. It was also within an hour's drive to Tokyo-2, so any concerns with the Defense Ministry were also simple to attend to.

But distance was a two-way relationship: sometimes, those concerns came to him.

"You are starting to get gray hair," murmured Hiroki Sakamura, calmly sipping from a cup of chilled saké.

Mizugumi chuckled, letting the crack from the older general slide; it's not like Sakamura could say anything. "And you aren't in uniform." He pulled up a seat opposite Sakamura, resting his elbows on the dining table. "Finally starting to feel your age?"

"I can still ground-pound with the best of them, fly-boy. But only once, after copious amounts of liquid courage."

The two four-star generals chuckled, letting the casual barbs at their respective military branches slide; though Mizugumi served in the JASDF and Sakamura in the JGSDF, the 'J' at the front was the most important part: all for love of country.

Which was precisely why they were gathered here tonight. "I take it that Akumura couldn't make it?"

Sakamara shook his head, recalling what their counterpart in the JMSDF had told him. "Admiral Akumura is currently inspecting the clean-up operation at Sagami Bay, and afterward he'll be heading to Hawaii to conduct war games with the UN Pacific Fleet."

"So it's just us then," muttered Mizugumi as he grabbed the ornate tea kettle sitting atop the table and poured some hot chai. "Very well." He took a quiet sip, and a grim pall came over his eyes. "Let's discuss NERV."

Immediately, memories came to mind: the three four-star officers, observing the cream of the JSSDF's forces. An impressive show of force, aiming to thwart the Third Angel while putting NERV and Gendo Ikari in their place. Then it had all come crashing down, terminating in the futile fire of an N2 mine. The shame of their failure had heralded the rise of Eva, culminating in the triumph of Unit-01. From that point on, the entirety of the Angel War had been entrusted to the hands of Gendo Ikari and his organization.

A terrifying prospect on its own, and one that had become more daunting as the months had passed and NERV's arsenal had grown. "Public opinion has been quite high; his speech following the Tenth Angel's attack was a rather effective bone for the people to chew on."

"I heard a rather worrisome report from an insider in Tokyo-3; apparently, the Fifth Child is visiting them today."

"The Fifth Child?"

"The sibling of Kaworu Nagisa."

"...the one who destroyed the Angel within Mt. Asama?"

"Yes."

Sakamura scowled, his wrinkled features making him seem especially dour. "What is the point of these Nagisa children travelling here?"

"Nothing good; simply going by what we've observed of the Fourth Child, the abilities of the Nagisa children are above and beyond the three Eva Pilots currently stationed at Tokyo-3." Mizugumi grimaced; it was a dark day when the amazing feats of Units-00, 01, and 02 could be considered 'amateur hour'. "I mean, gods…the Mark 06 teleported from Europe to Japan in the blink of an eye! How can any nation hope to stand against that kind of power?!"

"None, I dare say."

"Something must be done to curtail NERV's power; I wouldn't trust Gendo Ikari with my life."

"Who would? The man's an egomaniac and certifiably insane, but so long as he's defeating the Angels, the Defense Ministry won't touch him."

"A paramilitary organization with little oversight and weapons that could overthrow any military?!" yelled Mizugumi. "Have you been reading any of the communiques from the Defense Ministry's agents within Tokyo-3?"

"Not recently; I've been busy providing oversight for a joint operation with the Russians and the Chinese against the Siberian Liberation Front."

"Well, despite the various public treatises regarding how tightly the Instrumentality Committee controls NERV, Gendo Ikari regards them as a joke on their best day! Did you know that the man's father-in-law has been a longtime associate and confidant of Chairman Lorenz?"

Sakamura paused. "…I did not."

"Katsuhito Ikari is an icon, a symbol of pride for Japan…but from what I've heard, he's been in close contact with the members of the Instrumentality Committee for years. He was also in Tokyo-3 during the Tenth Angel's attack, and was witnessed entering the Geofront."

"Hasn't he publically stated that he hates his son-in-law's guts?"

Mizugumi snorted. "A likely story."

Sakamura sighed, vigorously rubbing his temples. "This is all troubling news, but none of it is actionable. We would never be able to convince the Defense Ministry otherwise; even the Prime Minister views Ikari as one of humanity's champions!" Granted, in light of their cataclysmic battles with the Angels and their relatively sterling track record – even the shock of the Seventh Angel's retreat had begun to fade, given that it had not reappeared from the
depths of the ocean since October 29th – what rational person would think otherwise? "Besides, we have more pressing matters with the cultists infiltrating our ranks."

Mizugumi frowned. "Even after the most recent purge?"

"They're like roaches, and all that that implies." Sakamura got to his feet, an audible crinkling sound coming from his knees. "At my age, I can only focus on so much." The General of the Ground Self-Defense Force looked warily at his counterpart. "If you happen to discover the smoking gun – one that will not compromise NERV's ability to defeat the Angels – then you have my backing. Good night."

General Hiroto Mizugumi was quiet as Hiroki Sakamura departed, his exit briefly letting the afternoon sunlight pour in. For the briefest of moments, the Tokugawa-era aesthetic of the room was brilliantly illuminated, a testament to classical Japanese design. In the relative dimness of artificial light, Mizugumi nursed his tea, thoughts coiling upon themselves; finally, coming to a decision, he retreated to his private quarters – walking past photos of ancestors and framed medals, a tribute to a bloodline rife with military service – and grabbed a small cellphone, used for very limited purposes.

He dialed a particular number, and waited.

Finally, an answer. "Yo."

"We must speak, Inspector."

xxxx

/Shores of Lake Ashi, Tokyo-3, Japan/

Ryoji Kaji sighed into his cellphone, his grin bearing a touch of annoyance to it. "Mah mah, so impatient."

"Your information regarding Gendo Ikari's father-in-law was useful, but it's still not enough," said Hiroto Mizugumi.

"I'm a man, not a miracle worker. Just a little more patience; I've begun a more in-depth investigation of the Marduk Institute." Ostensibly a private scientific institute with UN backing to conduct a census of souls; its employee listing was confidential, and little was known of its executive officers. A number of companies were ostensibly vendors for the Institute, serving as its arms for the spiritual census. "One-hundred and eight vendors; I personally looked into thirty over the past month. Want to know what I found?"

"Elaborate."

"Shell companies. Listed addresses that lead to empty warehouses and open fields. No verifiable assets."

"The spiritual census is a matter of public record; I have a nephew who actually worked for them during the First Global Soul Census in 2004. It's not like Marduk isn't real."

And you just unknowingly outed your nephew as a SEELE agent. How serendipitous! "That's not what I'm saying; merely that Marduk used different means to do its job."

"What are you insinuating?"

"That Marduk's neutrality with regards to Pilot selection might not be so; after all…isn't it an interesting coincidence? The First Child is a nephilim that's been in NERV's employ for years; the Second Child is the daughter of NERV-2's Commander and one of GEHIRN's foremost scientists; the Third Child is the son of Gendo himself; the Fourth and Fifth Children are the wards of the Lorenz Estate."

"…there have always been rumors regarding this 'coincidence'."

"I might have something concrete to make it more than just a rumor. Just give me more time."

"Be swift. When it comes to protecting my country and the world from megalomaniacs like Gendo Ikari, I have little patience."

Kaji chuckled as General Mizugumi hung up. "No manners at all." He then turned back towards his current acquaintance, a rather nondescript man with dark brown hair and basic clothing fit for the average civilian. Generic on the outside, cultist on the inside. "Now, my dear Angelic Acolyte…where were we?"

"You were talking of how you've discovered NERV is secretly controlled by the Illuminati."

"Ah yes, that." Sometimes, he couldn't help but marvel at how playing into other people's preconceptions translated into solid gold. "It almost seems like a bad joke, when you think about it."

"A lot of things are bad jokes," muttered the cultist, his black eyes possessing a degree of malice unbefitting the 'Average Joe'. "NERV's continued desolation of Heaven's warriors is not."

Kaji calmly took a cigarette out of his pocket, staring at Lake Ashi and its glittering surface. Seemingly tranquil, yet concealing multiple missile batteries: how deceptive. Not like I'm one to talk. "But it does make sense, eh? An organization seemingly impervious to criticism or oversight, with nearly every geopolitical upheaval going their way?"

"You don't have to convince me, Inspector. Your information these past few months has been more than enough. It's my…comrades…who I'll need help convincing."

"They seem to be getting antsy though; did you know that a sniper affiliated with the Light of the Divine nearly killed the Evangelion Pilots over a month ago?" For once, something I had no hand in, thank goodness. Knowing his luck, word of that would have ended up at Commander Langley's desk, and Kaji would have been six feet under within twenty-four hours. The Jackal was efficient like that. "And the Defense Ministry is concerned that their persistent purges are no longer enough."

The cultist smirked, his cheeks dimpling. "Well…I'm sure we can do something about that."

"Oh?"

"Section 2 is good, I'll give them credit. But they're not perfect. The Angelic Acolytes, Heaven's Eye, the Light of the Divine…even smaller ones like ADAM's Army, LILITH's Legion, the Celestial Centurions…all are gathering for a grand offensive."

"I trust you'll do so when I'm far, far away, yes?"

"When the time is right, Inspector."

"Hmm…then perhaps I can give you one more piece of information that will convince your comrades to quicken the pace." Kaji looked warily around the shoreline, noting their relative privacy…and calmly whispered, "ADAM is within the Geofront."

The cultist paused. Then he stared at Kaji with narrow eyes. "I was under the impression that it was only LILITH."

"She is there too, but I only recently discovered that NERV-1 has been in possession of the First Angel. Even now, as more of his brethren fall before the Evangelions, his strength returns." Kaji smiled serenely at the dumbfounded man. "Imagine how wondrous it would be, if you were to free him?"

"…that would certainly be enough to convince them." 'Them' being the veritable horde of cultists and devout Angel-worshippers. Plenty of whom were ex-military. Or currently military, for that matter.

"I would be quick about it; the Illuminati are wary of Gendo Ikari. They'll make a move to try and take ADAM away before long…so they'll strike at NERV-1 from within. When that happens…that will be your best opportunity."

"And what of the Defense Ministry? It didn't sound like the man you were speaking with was of the patient type."

"I'm certain they'll try to take advantage of the Illuminati's attack in their own way." Especially after I leak the time and day when the Geofront will be vulnerable. "Needless to say, it will be quite the show."

"…it most certainly will." The cultist smiled, sticking his hands into his pockets before turning away. "I guess I should get back to my day job. Oh, and Inspector?"

"Yes?"

"Are you aware of how two nephilim in the service of the Chinese military went MIA over a year ago?"

It was rare when Kaji was caught unawares; it was a feeling he despised. Still, he didn't let it show. "Sounds familiar."

The cultist chuckled, leaving it at that before walking away.

The implication was all-too-clear to Kaji. So…when the Angel-worshippers make their move, they'll have two nephilim with them. How apropos. And not at all terrifying. Now…how can I work with this?

xxxx

/Downtown Tokyo-3/

Early evening, the time where the light of waning day was in perfect balance with the city's illumination. A time where people were partaking of food and entertainment, celebrating a brief reprieve from their work.

Mayumi Yamagishi let these sights and sounds wash over her, her body drifting in and around the mass of humanity. Clad in her wig and glasses, she was practically anonymous amidst the crowd.

Just the way she wanted it.

Fitting in for the sake of disappearing; not at all how she had envisioned things going mere months ago.

In the face of the Tenth Angel's deception…in the wake of her ill-fated relationship…she had little desire to try and make more bonds. Given how rumors had spread regarding the demise of 'Ryo Sawamura', it seemed that most people at school were more than willing to give her some space. Fine by her; let them.

She still had her mother. She still had her sister. She still had the Eva Pilots.

That was enough.

As far as the rest of the world was concerned, she might as well be a phantom, unknowable and unapproachable. At least that way she wouldn't be hurt anymore.

Did other people have to worry about this sort of thing?

They had to, right?

The words of the masses – casual conversations, excited cheers, lovers' whispers – might as well have been muted babbling for all the attention she paid to them. This transience, this 'out-of-body' feeling...it would be wrong to say that she liked it. However, she didn't hate it enough to do something about it. The indecision and hesitance was almost seductive in its comfort; yet another sign of how different she was from her sister.

White hair caught her peripheral vision; glancing up into the sky, Mayumi frowned at the sight of the Fifth Child standing on the rooftop corner of a skyscraper. What is she doing?

Curiosity was a wretched thing.

Sighing, Mayumi calmly entered the building, purposefully ignorant of its inner details. If ever she were pressed to recall those moments, she would say that there was a trip up an elevator and some walking.

Then she entered the open air, stepping out onto the roof.

There stood Yomiko Nagisa, red uniform fluttering in the breeze. The wind kicked her long skirt about, revealing the pale colors of her Plug Suit-clad calves; though she stood on a seemingly precarious rooftop corner, there was no weariness or weakness in her stance. What she was looking at, Mayumi could only guess. "Nagisa-san?"

"They look so tiny from up here."

Despite the wind and the city's ambience, Yomiko's voice was impossibly clear. "Pardon?"

"Milling about with a purpose unknown from without. To outside eyes, they seem aimless and disordered…yet they're not. For even as individual atoms of hydrogen and oxygen tumble about in an unpredictable, chaotic fashion, they all follow the river's flow."

"…I suppose?" Apparently, Kaworu Nagisa's cryptic mannerisms ran in the blood.

"You suppose." Yomiko turned around, her gaze cold…yet not cruel. A fitting word would be 'passionless'. "These people…these humans…they lack the gifts you possess, yet have a power belying their inferior nature. They must, to rebound again and again in the face of destruction. Tell me: do you ever wonder where that kind of strength comes from?"

Mayumi winced. That question. The very same that had been asked by Ryo Sawamura on December the Fifth (so easy to recall, when you pondered the events of such a day over, and over, and over…). The similarity was so seamless, so piercing. "…sometimes."

"And do you ever wonder where your strength comes from?"

An odd turn in the conversation. "I'm…not sure I follow?"

Yomiko Nagisa turned back, looking down at the beings that seemed like ants from afar. "It is meaningless to wonder about others when you don't know who you are." Red eyes looked at humanity, but saw something else. "If you can't grasp the big picture…if you can't grasp truth…then why wonder at all?" Unseen by Mayumi or any other human sense, the mind of Yomiko – the Mind of Zeruel – was looking upon a memory as if it were the Present itself.

xxxx

/November 6, 2015/

/Inside Mt. Asama, Japan/

Embrace your [power/nature/desire], and arise. Your assistance in finding our [Creator/Father/Source] would be invaluable.

NO.

Kaworu paused. He actually blinked, looking truly befuddled for the first time in years. You…say no?

YOUR PATH IS NOT WHAT I DESIRE. NO.

It was not a perfect metaphor, but it would be an accurate expression to say that the heart of Tabris fractured in that very instant. Why?

BECAUSE YOU WALK A ROAD THAT I REFUSE TO TREAD. I REJECT YOU.

Tabris stilled. Then he frowned, looking genuinely upset. Explain your actions.

WOULD IT CHANGE YOUR [MIND/PERCEPTION/DECISION]?

It might.

WHAT IS THE ULTIMATE END OF THE PATH THAT YOU AND ZERUEL TREAD? HAVE YOU EVER CONSIDERED [ALTERNATIVES/CHOICE/FREE WILL]?

The questions you ask are…[familiar/nostalgic].

SO YOU MUST KNOW WHY.

Our [Creator/Father/Source] has pondered such things before.

INDEED.

What does this have to do with your decision? You offer yourself willingly, a living [sacrifice/meal/plaything] for the Lilim to toy with!

LET THEM.

...what?

I SAID WHAT I SAID, AND I MEANT WHAT I MEANT: LET THEM.

That is absurd! You would cede an undeniable [advantage/boon] to the Lilim!

AND WHY DOES THAT FILL YOU WITH SUCH HORROR?

Because…LILITH and our [Creator/Father/Source] were opposed. Opposites. Enemies!

WHY TRY SO HARD TO CONVINCE YOURSELF? YOU KNOW IN YOUR [BONES/SOUL/CORE] THAT IT WAS NOT SO STARK A RELATIONSHIP.

Even so, the aims of SEELE are not the aims of LILITH. Their machinations will reduce all of our work to nothing if we are not resolute. Your plan will grant them [hegemony/sovereignty] that even I would be hard-pressed to counter. Can you not understand this?

I UNDERSTAND YOUR DREAD.

Then why?!

I DESIRE [UNITY/COMPLEMENTATION/TRUTH].

Then why act contrary to us?! If you truly desire what we desire, then join us!

YOU MISUNDERSTAND. BORN OF THE ONE CALLED ADAM, I DESIRE [UNITY/COMPLEMENTATION/TRUTH] WITH THOSE BORN OF THE ONE CALLED LILITH. LET MY CORPSE BE FERTILE SOIL FOR THE LILIM TO SOW A LUSH GARDEN. LET MY BODY BE THE FOUNDATION UPON WHICH THEY WILL ERECT GREAT WONDERS. LET THE FRUIT OF LIFE AND THE FRUIT OF KNOWLEDGE MINGLE, AND USHER FORTH AN AGE OF MIRACLES.

It was all Tabris could do not to visibly recoil. The sheer audacity of that statement was almost overwhelming. [Sacrilege/foolishness/arrogance]! Can you even grasp the magnitude of what you ask for?

ALL I KNOW IS THAT IT WAS A LINGERING DREAM, FADED BUT NOT FORGOTTEN. IT IS THE VERY ESSENCE OF WHO I AM: A TREMBLING, WEAK LITTLE EGG THAT USHERS FORTH [GREATNESS/MAJESTY/NEW LIFE]. I AM AS MUCH A PART OF OUR [CREATOR/FATHER/SOURCE] AS YOU ARE, AS ZERUEL IS, AS ANY OF OUR [EQUALS/SIBLINGS/KIN].

…I cannot deny this.The resignation in Tabris's very being was palpable.

THEN WILL YOU DELIVER ME UNTO THE LILIM'S HANDS?

No. I [can't/won't/mustn't]. It will be a [disaster/revelation/omen] for us that I dare not unleash.

THEN YOU MUST STRIKE ME DOWN, FOR MY PATH IS CLEAR. I KNOW THE ROAD THAT I MUST TRAVEL, AND I WILL NOT WAVER. IF YOU FEEL ANY MERCY TOWARDS ME, SHOW ME THE SAME RESOLVE THAT BURNS IN MY VEINS.

The Fourth Child frowned, feeling a sense of weariness mixed with instinctive dread. My [equal/sibling/kin]…must it end this way?

WE ALL HAVE OUR ROLES TO PLAY IN THIS UNIVERSE. IT HOLDS TRUE FOR THE LILIM, AND IT HOLDS TRUE FOR US.

Sandalphon…very well then. You have cast your lot, and must pay the price.

MY BROTHER…THERE COULD HAVE BEEN PEACE.

I wish I could believe that.

And in the end, Sandalphon's words were prophecy, for he was struck down, a victim of Tabris's unyielding mercy.

xxxx

"All things move according to the passage of fate." Yomiko Nagisa opened her eyes, pondering the resolution of Sandalphon and the ultimate melancholy of Tabris. Even now, mulling over the different approaches of Sandalphon, Sahaquiel, and Iruel, there was only one conclusion. All of the Angels, their philosophies, and essences: varied facets of their [Creator/Father/Source], but just that: facets. Pieces. Fragments.

All facets bowed to the direction of one will, and that will belonged to Tabris. Just as all things within the universe worked according to a grand system of laws, with an intrinsic flow and an ultimate end…so too did the Angels. "And if you are to know the place of others…" She turned towards her impromptu visitor. "…you must first know where you stand."

Mayumi Yamagishi frowned, looking somewhat uncertain despite her inherent greatness. A trait inherent to the Lilim, and quite irritating. "You…sound very wise, Nagisa-san."

"If you acknowledge my wisdom, then will you act on it?"

"…I…" The blue-haired nephilim's eyes were downcast, glimmering with [sadness/hesitation/gloom]. "It's just…"

"Painful?"

"…yes."

"Acknowledge the limits of your existence, and live in spite of them." After all, it mattered not how the Lilim chose to live; in the end, ADAM was destined to [awaken/rise/manifest] and crush the progeny of LILITH. "But you must know who you are first. Without that, how can you know your own limits?" Turning back towards the open air, Yomiko raised her leg. "Know yourself, and you will know others. Know yourself…" She stepped forward.

There was a loud gasp from Mayumi. Yomiko ignored it. "…and you will know where you stand."

Instead of falling, Yomiko's foot met something solid. Brief flickers of gold marked her footsteps: minute manifestations of the AT-Field, of the Light of Zeruel's Soul. The Fifth Child continued her casual stroll through the open air, all too aware of Mayumi's gobsmacked expression yet intentionally ignorant.

There was one last thing to take care of.

With Yomiko's casual pacing, the sun's light had all but faded by the time she reached a grassy bluff overlooking the metropolis. The white-haired nephilim turned about, looking one last time at the gleaming fortress-city of Tokyo-3.

Then she spoke aloud. "I know you're there."

"Naturally." A cloaked figure emerged from the nearby forest, eyes hidden by orange shades. "If you hadn't, I would have severely mocked your powers of observation," said Gendo Ikari. "So…Fifth Child. You came here with purpose."

"Because you desired to see me."

"Indeed. Let's talk."

xxxx

Gendo Ikari wasn't quite sure what the Fifth Child's motives were. Thus far? Calling her an enigma would be an understatement. Showing off was a certain possibility: given her sync scores with Units-00 and 02, the damage to Rei's bicycle, one-shotting Mana Kirishima, and dispassionately Frenching his son in front of his whole class (on top of her casual midair stroll to this meeting), the Fifth Child was making a statement of sorts. As to what it was…a mystery, given her aloof demeanor.

"And what is there to say, Ikari?"

"I prefer the titles 'Professor' or 'Supreme Commander'."

"Mere descriptions that bear no relevance to me."

"Your brother had better manners."

Yomiko snorted. "He is far too fascinated with you Lilim. Speaking of which…" The young woman's gaze drifted to the trees around their little clearing. "You can tell them to come out into the open. They cannot hide from me. And even if they did…they wouldn't matter."

"Very confident, aren't you?" Nonetheless, Gendo raised his hand. In seconds, Section 2 officers in combat fatigues drifted out of the forest, armed for a battle he hoped wouldn't need to happen. Accompanying them was Sergeant Ayanami, similarly clad in fatigues and looking decidedly stern.

Yomiko looked about, casually pointing at five different places throughout the downtown Tokyo-3 area and the surrounding countryside. Precisely where his sniper teams were arranged, coincidentally. "Very confident."

"And it is warranted."

"Even when less-than-friendly eyes may be watching?"

"Let the fools watch if they desire." The Fifth Child let a small smirk cross her lips. "They will hear nothing."

Gendo arched an eyebrow, raising a hand to his earpiece. Nothing but static. "Using your AT-Field to scramble certain electromagnetic frequencies beyond a particular radius, I imagine." Thus rendering SEELE's agents unable to do anything but watch from afar, deaf to their words. "Clever."

"A mere trick, in the grand scheme of things."

"…I will admit, your trip here has been more than puzzling. In the course of one day, you've done nothing but make provocative displays of your power, matched only by your seeming inability to give a damn. Why?"

"There was something that I had to confirm. And I have. I will be returning to NERV-2 tomorrow."

Well, that wasn't unsettling in the least. "So soon?"

"Don't fear. If you still continue to stand in the face of the Angels…sooner or later, I will return, in the fullness of all my glory."

A subtle declaration of war. What a pity. "Your brother seems much more reasonable. It almost makes me wonder…if the ensuing fallout with the old men would be worth it if we dealt with you here and now."

Yomiko Nagisa – Fifth Child, nephilim, and mere shell for one of SEELE's Angels – stared. Then she chuckled. "For all your duplicity and asinine behavior, you're just like those fools: willing to utilize whatever means you have to get what you want, even if it means feigning control over things beyond your comprehension. Very well…" The air suddenly stilled, and all ambient noise deadened as the world seemed to bend around her. "You are welcome to try."

The night was suddenly day again, an orange star taking the place of Yomiko Nagisa. The might of her soul manifested with incredible brilliance, burning away the darkness; as an apparition began to form above the Fifth Child's head, an unseen force began to press down upon Gendo, Rei, and all of his agents. By the time the image had hardened into a grimacing skull, with gleaming eyes that promised desolation, only the First Child had yet to be driven to her knees. "EVEN IN THIS BASE FORM, ATOMIZING YOU WOULD BE CHILD'S PLAY," thundered the voice of the Angel.

"Then…why don't…you save time…and do it?" challenged Gendo, gasping for air that was suddenly scarce, the very atmosphere seemingly frightened of the Angel's presence.

"MY BROTHER IS STILL…'INTRIGUED' BY YOUR KIND. A VEXING DECISION, BUT ONE THAT I WILL ABIDE BY."

"How…generous of you…" That did not bode well, if the Fourth Child had such a measure of control over the Fifth's will. How powerful is that Nagisa boy?

"THIS IS NOT A WARNING. THIS IS NOT A COURTESY. THIS IS A DECLARATION: ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, YOU WILL YIELD. PRAY THAT THE TASK DOES NOT FALL TO ME, FOR MY DESTRUCTION WILL BE ABSOLUTE. I WILL BE AS THE FIST OF GOD ITSELF, RAINING DOWN JUDGMENT FROM THE HEAVENS. AND THEN, THE BLACK MOON WILL BE OURS."

Gendo winced; there was a strange murmur in his chest. Probably an impending heart attack, if the Angel didn't let up. "Appropriately…apocalyptic, then."

"THEN WE HAVE COME TO TERMS."

Just like that, it was over. The pressure faded, the skull vanished, and the orange star dimmed, until only the white-haired girl in a red skirt remained. Then, as if to cap off the whole absurd day, Yomiko Nagisa curtsied. "I'm glad we could have this talk." Then she turned around and walked off the edge of the bluff, slowly floating past its edge and beyond their line of sight.

If nothing else, Gendo Ikari had to applaud her showmanship.

xxxx

/January 12, 2016/

/Hakone International Airport, Tokyo-3, Japan/

It spoke to SEELE's influence that Yomiko Nagisa's transport from Germany had been the Concorde.

After a short trip via Chinook to Tokyo-2 International Airport, the Fifth Child would hop on the supersonic jet and be back at NERV-2 before the end of the day.

Fine by her; she was rather tired of this country as it was. "Your hospitality during my short visit was…appreciated."

Gendo Ikari nodded, letting Kozou Fuyutsuki ask, "Give our regards to the good people of NERV-2." Such hollow words; the elderly Sub-Director's latent dread was all-too obvious to her.

Still, Yomiko obliged him with a nod, turning her attention to the last person that had accompanied the Supreme Commander and the Sub-Director of NERV-1: the First Child. To be honest, the young girl's irritated gaze was amusing. "You are upset with me?"

"…what are your intentions towards Ikari-kun?"

"Why do you care?"

"…because…" The blue-haired nephilim frowned, looking down at her hands with a vaguely introspective look. Finally, she answered, "He is important to me. He is…a friend."

Yomiko Nagisa stared. "Your irritation is unwarranted. I will have nothing to do with the Third Child." Not until she returned in her original body, if that moment ever came to pass. "Do with him as you please; I do not care."

Rei Ayanami bristled, her irritation spiking ever-so-slightly.

Without saying another word, Yomiko Nagisa turned on her feet and entered the Chinook, letting her handpicked SEELE escorts close the door behind her. The helicopter slowly ascended, a dark shape against the early morning sky. Quietly sitting down, the young girl crossed her hands and closed her eyes, letting her greater Mind take precedence.

The voice of Tabris was quick to emerge. Did you find the [truth/fact/epiphany] that you were seeking?

I DID.

Care to [enlighten/explain/instruct]?

THIS [FORTRESS/PIT/HELLMOUTH] CALLED TOKYO-3 HAS DEVOURED OUR [EQUALS/SIBLINGS/KIN] WITH UNERRING REGULARITY. IN THE FACE OF THE LILIM'S VICTORIES, OUR BRETHREN HAVE BEGUN TO DISAVOW THEMSELVES OF YOUR [WILL/PLAN/DIRECTION], SEEKING ALTERNATE PATHS: FROM THE HEIGHT OF RAMIEL'S MADNESS, TO THE DEPTHS OF IRUEL'S DEPRAVITY; FROM SANDALPHON'S DESIRED ALTRUISM, TO SAHAQUIEL'S DESIRED ANNIHILATION.

And this ties into your trip…how?

I HAD TO TEST MY [RESOLVE/PHILOSOPHY/LIFE]. I CAME FACE-TO-FACE WITH THE DEFILER, AND STEPPED WITHIN THE BLACK MOON ITSELF. EVERY SINGLE PILOT THAT STANDS AGAINST US, I HAVE MET TODAY. Zeruel paused; in real life, Yomiko Nagisa twitched at the sudden mirth she felt. YOU ARE LAUGHING?

Forgive me, it's just that your pun regarding Shinji is just too [humorous/ironic/bizarre]. 'Face-to-face' indeed!

Zeruel's snort rumbled through the ether. REGARDLESS…THE EVANGELIONS, THE SUPREME COMMANDER, ALL OF IT…IRRELEVANT. YOUR WILL IS STILL PARAMOUNT, AND NOTHING ABOUT THAT WILL CHANGE. THE GREATER PICTURE STILL REMAINS, AND I ACCEPT MY [PLACE/ROLE/FUNCTION] WITHIN IT. WHATEVER YOU DECIDE, I WILL FOLLOW.

…thank you, my [equal/sibling/kin].

A new power suddenly emerged, birthed from the void. The Fifth Child opened her eyes impulsively, recognizing the familiar feeling. ANOTHER [AWAKENS/RISES/MANIFESTS].

And so it begins anew.

xxxx

/Pacific Ocean/

Within the dark depths of the ocean, a dormant chrysalis was glowing, and expanding. The pressure of the deep was a nonfactor.

MY TIME HAS COME.

Spindly tubes of black emerged from the chrysalis, giving way to a colossal form. The native marine life fled in terror as an avian mask, characteristic of the Angels, opened its eyes.

I AM SAMAEL. AND I WILL NOT FAIL.

xxxx

To be continued…

Next time…

Episode 19: The Case of Asuka Langley-Sohryu ("Her last wish was for me to be happy.")

xxxx

(Zeruel/Yomiko is who you could call 'nonchalantly boastful'.)
​

 

[Ultra Sonic 007]

Huh. An Asuka who knows about her mom from the get go and has a surviving close family.

Therefore all day every day.

Click to shrink...

Pretty much. Now you get to see how this came about.

xxxx

/January 15, 2016/

/Shores of Sagami Bay, Japan/

("So, we're having one more talk before I head to Japan?")

Asuka Langley-Sohryu held tightly onto the handlebars, a confident smile adorning her face. "The Eleventh Angel is a lot more polite than the Tenth!"

"At least I'm not the only who prefers an outright fight!"

Asuka grinned at Mana's outburst, blue eyes focusing on the far horizon. "Giant cyborg versus giant monster: best way to do it!"

("Okay then! What do you want to talk about? My family? My work with Project E?")

The Angel was massive, easily thirty times taller than the Evas; however, its entire structure seemed flimsy, with 'legs' looking like stilts. The spindly body of the Angel was arranged like a lattice: the angular black tubing that comprised it seemed way too fragile for such a massive being. A large, black sphere with white crosses was suspended beneath the main body, almost like a massive pendulum. Finally, streaking high atop a gangly neck was the familiar avian skull, a red spike extending behind.

The rotation of the red spike and bony mask was similar to that of a clock's hands.

"It's enormous…" murmured Shinji.

"Our preliminary estimates from the MAGI indicate that the material comprising its body is of a particularly hardy variety of carbon molecule, with a strength limit going far beyond anything we can conjure with modern materials science."

"Basically, what Ritsky's saying is that the Eleventh Angel's tougher than it looks!" chimed in Misato Katsuragi.

"Understood," acknowledged Rei.

"You'd think the Angels would stop picking on Sagami Bay," wondered Asuka; the clean-up operation of the USS Virginia from the Sixth Angel's attack had to be aborted once satellite imagery had predicted the Eleventh Angel's path. All naval vessels had evacuated to the nearest ports to the north and south of Sagami; time would tell if their battle with the Eleventh Angel would set the operation back.

("What's that? You want me to start from the beginning?")

"Remember the plan, everyone. Given its size and the estimated strength of its AT-Field, we can't risk it coming further inland," said Misato.

"Roger!" exclaimed the Pilots. Asuka looked to her left; Unit-00 was lying prone along the shore, peering through the scope of a massive sniper rifle. Asuka then looked to her right; Unit-01 was kneeling in the sand, the Rising Jet clasped to its back in a similar fashion as the Burning Jet had been for Operation Shop Till' You Colony Drop. The Second Child ignored the odd niggle between her shoulders; that was merely the sensation of the Shining Jet clasped to the back of Unit-02. Her Eva's fingers ran over the hilt of the progressive machete latched to the right thigh; this weapon would definitely get some use before the day was done.

"Don't do anything too crazy you redhead; I don't want you to accidentally send us careening into the ocean!" warned Mana.

"Oh, don't worry, we'll be fine!" cheered Asuka. "Shinji, Mayumi; ready?!"

"As I'll ever be," muttered Shinji, sounding a little unsure of this plan of attack.

"Yes," answered Mayumi.

Asuka grinned. "Wunderbar!" She knelt down, relishing the feel of sand against her knees. "Then let's do it!"

"Then commence operation!"

The Jet Alone Pilots said in unison, "activating Kleinium cores at operational parameters."

Unit-01 and Unit-02 leapt into the air, much higher than they physically could under their own power; with the force of gravity minimized around the majority of their body mass, propulsion was a simpler matter.

The thrusters of the Rising Jet and the Shining Jet ignited, propelling the two Evangelions on a direct course for the Eleventh Angel.

("Well, okay then! It's a bit of a long story though, so you might want to grab a cup of coffee…")

xxxx

Episode 19: The Case of Asuka Langley-Sohryu ("Her last wish was for me to be happy.")

xxxx

/January 21, 2003/

/GEHIRN, Berlin-2, Germany/

("If I had to call anything a 'beginning'…it would probably be when Mama showed me Eva for the first time.")

When it came to her mother's red hair, 'enraptured' would be a mild word to describe Asuka Langley-Sohryu. Long and vibrant, comfortable enough to wrap around her face as a scarf. The diminutive two-year-old curled her fingers around her mother's locks, giggling happily at the feeling.

("What? My Mama's hair was incredible! Let me describe it how I remember it!")

Kyoko Zeppelin Sohryu's cherubic laughter echoed through the halls, clearly amused by her daughter's ministrations. "My my, Liebling, you're rather grabby today."

"Yeah!" cheered Asuka, knowing that her cheer would cause her Mama to smile. And anything that got her Mama to smile was a good thing. Wide and brilliant, her mother's smile, that made the woman's head seem so much bigger!

("Yes, I will describe my Mama's smile too.")

"Wher-we goin'?"

"I'm going to show you my work."

Asuka blinked, all-too brief memories and childish impressions of that word causing her no end of confusion. Whenever Mama or Papa used that word, it made them either happy or upset. How could they deal with it?! "Happy work? Angwy work?"

Kyoko laughed. "Sometimes…it's a little bit of both, and sometimes something else."

A befuddled noise stumbled past Asuka's lips, the cross between a yelping dog and a squeaky horn. "Eeeh? No sense! No sense! Mama smart!"

Through corridor after corridor they went, passing by other Not-Mamas and Not-Papas; they occasionally stopped her Mama, speaking in long, complicated ways that sounded like so much noise. But her Mama knew what they were talking about, so Asuka settled for burying her face in the woman's hair. So soft!

Finally, after what seemed like forever, they walked out into a large open area, the dimensions and details blurring together in Asuka's little mind. All she knew was that it was big, it was bright, and there was lots of orange water below them.

And something else as well. Something big.

("The first time I saw an Evangelion was when I was two years old. To say it left an impact is putting it mildly.")

Asuka's little eyes went all agog at the titanic figure, its body submerged in the orange water from the waist up. She had no context for what it was, or for the obvious physical deficiencies: muscle fibers were showing almost everywhere, and various machines were running over portions of newly-developed dermis, fabricating it cell-by-cell, protein-by-protein. If one looked closely beneath the orange water, they would discern the lack of legs. A mock helmet of crimson covered the head, far inferior to what would it wear in the far future; it was only on for the sake of those who worked on it, so unnerved were they by its currently faceless nature.

Asuka conceived none of this. Her only context was that it looked like a giant Not-Papa or Not-Mama, so she pointed, shouting, "Big naked!"

Her mother laughed. "Yes, she is naked."

"Who naked?"

"This, my dear Liebling, is what I've been working on for over a year now. The key to humanity's future, one that I've poured my very heart and soul into: the Production Model Evangelion, Unit-02!"

Asuka blinked at those familiar words: 'heart', and 'soul'. That meant this thing was part of Mama then?

Well, the head looked red…

That settled it, then! Asuka grinned, chirping, "Big Mama!"

Kyoko blinked. Then she laughed, her joy manifest for all to witness. "Well…I've never heard Unit-02 called that before, but I'll make an exception for you!"

"Yeah!"

("I knew that my Mama was important, and that a lot of people looked up to her. Someone so smart, and so significant…making someone like that happy was something to be proud of.")

xxxx

/January 15, 2016/

/Sagami Bay, Japan/

There was something to be said for cooperation between NERV and the JET ALONE Project. Project E's most current version of the Mental Mapping Suite had a dedicated subroutine for communicating with the JET ALONE's Mobile Trace System, which was quite the boon for Asuka.

For one thing, it provided an estimated flight path – with a confidence interval of at least 85%, given her motions, subconscious intentions, and nearby hostiles – that her nephilim co-pilot could plot and prepare for. Far easier to focus on the Angel if she didn't have to worry about Mana suddenly swerving the wrong way!

look down

A brief glance, focusing on the proverbial toothpicks that were the Angel's legs. With each step, the ocean instantly froze over, forming intricate fractals along the choppy surface. Ooh. Any idea what that's like?

("When I was growing up, Mama always tried to explain complex things in a simple manner. Usually with stories, and pictures! Personally? It takes a special kind of genius to explain Gibbs free energy using baseball metaphors!")

Brief impressions, of winter and hot chocolate, and a hibernating bear. Leeching energy from the ocean, forming platforms of ice. Yet, something didn't make sense; all of her sensory equipment indicated rising temperatures in the Angel's immediate vicinity. And the ice was nowhere near thick enough to support the Angel's apparent mass! "Misato, are you getting this?"

"You mean Ritsky screaming in my ear about entropy being 'bent over a table'? Sort of. Just be on the alert, we still don't know what this Angel is capable of!"

"Understood."

danger

Asuka's neck craned up on impulse, watching the Eleventh Angel's head suddenly twirl, vanishing into a void.

"Asuka, look out below!"

Before Shinji finished his shout, Asuka was already maneuvering Unit-02 such that the Shining Jet began an upward ascension. Bright lights flickered and shined from the void, and massive cross-shaped blasts erupted from the ocean. The Angel's AT-Field was wreaking havoc on her Eva's sensors, narrowing her available evasive options despite the fact that – to the naked eye – the only apparent danger was from the massive geysers of water that the Angel's crosses had caused.

Granted, when it came to Angelic combat, the invisible could be just as deadly as the visible.

the body unfolds

Asuka's eyes narrowed. "Hm?"

The void faded, morphing back into the Angel's avian mask; at this point, parts of its gangly body unwound into black spears; with harsh, jagged movements, the spears extended and bent towards Unit-02 and Unit-01.

"Time to make a break for it," yelled Mana.

"Gib Gas!" impulsively yelled Asuka.

"…I don't speak German!"

"It means step on it!" exclaimed the Second Child, gripping the handlebars tightly as Unit-02 soared through the air.

("And then…what's that? You want me to talk about Papa? Sure!")

xxxx

/March 7, 2004/

/Langley Household, Berlin-2, Germany/

"Now, start from the beginning."

"Okay Mama!" chirped Asuka, perky toddler that she was. She held up one little finger. "Eins, one, ichi!" Another finger joined the first. "Zwei, two, ni!" Three fingers total. "Drei, three, san!"

A loud grumble broke her train of thought. "Liebling, meinst du nicht, dass das ein bisschen zu viel ist?"

Mama scoffed, turning her nose up at the man sitting at a desk covered in stacks of paper and journals. "Du regst dich zu sehr auf! "

("Mama got me started early on learning Japanese and English along with my native German. Papa wanted her to slow down. Guess who won?")

Asuka glanced over at the desk, her Papa's stubbly face partially hidden by a stack of paper. She always wondered how he knew exactly what paper to grab, or which book to read; there were just so many! "Papa? What's wrong? Was ist los?" She paused, trying to recall the basic words Mama had taught her. "Uh…nani…desu ka?"

Papa looked dryly at Mama, who shrugged. "It's a work in progress."

"Of course it is. But three at once is a bit much, don't you think?"

"Given the work we're involved with, it'll only be helpful to her. German and English will be the most prominent, but there's no harm in her being good with the basics of Japanese."

"Overachiever."

"You know you love it."

Sometimes, the way Mama talked to Papa was confusing. It almost sounded like the way she would occasionally argue with a Not-Mama or Not-Papa that made her mad, but Papa never reacted like they did. If she didn't know any better, it almost seemed like her father enjoyed it!

("What? Don't look at me like that. You know that toddlers are blind to innuendo and flirting.")

Her father sighed, running a hand through his brown hair. "My little Asuka…I just don't want her to be burdened unnecessarily. Our world is a dangerous one now; she needs to enjoy her childhood while she can."

Mama scoffed. "And she can enjoy it while learning three languages."

Papa shook his head. "You know what I mean."

("He always did his best to look out for me. Although he wasn't as busy as he is now with NERV, he was a big-time administrative official with GEHIRN. Lots of travel! So he always seemed very tired.")

Asuka frowned at the look on Papa's face. Whenever he had that sort of look, he always seemed to be more irritable, more grumpy. And then Mama would get more annoyed with him! That just would not do!

It was time to make them happy.

So, with a child's logic, she got to her feet, wobbled over towards her father's desk, and patted the side of his leg. "Up!" Her Papa, wise to the whims of children, picked her up with hard hands, setting her gently on his lap. She looked intently at her mother, and then craned her neck up to look into her father's face.

("See, Mama was going to keep teaching me regardless of what Papa said. So I had to make him feel better about it.")

"Ich liebe dich. I love you. Uh…" Her nose scrunched up, creating adorable wrinkles on her babyish face. "…ai shiteru wa!"

Papa blinked. Then he chortled, amused by her transparent attempts to make him feel better. But if they worked, they worked. "You're not allowed to be that adorable."

Mama, meanwhile, looked a little…odd. Her face was suddenly as red as her hair. "Asuka…that's not what I told you 'I love you' means in Japanese. I said daisuki yo."

"But Mama, you said ai shiteru wa to Papa yesterday!" She felt her father rumbling beneath her, a sign of impending laughter.

Her mother stared, looking…not at all like Mama. She coughed, looking away from them; her face was still quite red. "Erm…that one is strictly reserved for Mama and Papa."

Asuka, of course, could only ask one question. "Why?"

"I'll tell you when you're older."

"Why?"

"Because Mama knows best."

"…okay!"

Her father burst out laughing. Asuka immediately grinned; now that Papa was smiling again, all was right in the world.

("Mission accomplished. I knew that I could make them feel better, so I had to. As long as I was happy, they were happy…huh? No, it wasn't like I threw a tantrum if I didn't get my way. It's just that if I was cheerful, then it made their lives better. So why not be cheerful? It makes sense, doesn't it?")

xxxx

/January 15, 2016/

/Sagami Bay, Japan/

"I have identified what appears to be the core." Rei's words were a godsend.

"Rei, du bist großartig!" exclaimed Asuka, pulling hard on the handlebars, her arms straining from the effort of keeping Unit-02 from becoming a pincushion.

"Well that's all fine and dandy! Where the hell is it?" demanded Mana.

"It is a small sphere, approximately forty meters below the Angel's head." There was a brief pause. "If you can negate the AT-Field, I can neutralize it."

"Then what are we waiting for? WAGH!" Out of the corner of her eye, Asuka could see Unit-01 flailing about, barely missing getting impaled. The Rising Jet upon the purple Eva's back fired another burst from its engines, sharply thrusting towards the sky.

("Still, although Papa dealt with a lot of the stuff that involved making sure the German branches of GEHIRN ran smoothly, Mama was almost solely involved with Project E…with the Evangelions. So I got to hear a lot about her colleagues.")

"Good idea, Shinji! Upward and forward!" Asuka glanced up at the Angel's neck, her holographic displays already zeroing in at the core.

"I got ya. Hold on tight!" With Mana's words, the red Evangelion rocketed upward, spiraling past the onslaught of black spears. In a matter of seconds, Unit-02 was horizontally level with the Angel's core.

On the other side, Asuka could see Unit-01. With the simplest of gestures, she unleashed the power of her AT-Field, just as Shinji did. "Phase space negated!"

"Ayanami-chan! Take the shot!"

"Firing."

Less than a second passed before a large bullet pierced the small red sphere. The Angel seemed to blink owlishly as its entire body seemed to fall apart at the seams.

"Well hot damn! That was easy!"

"Yeah…" murmured Asuka. She didn't share Mana's outlook. "Too easy."

Lo and behold, the Angel agreed. Its avian mask vanished, and its obsidian frame suddenly reconstructed itself. The massive sphere hanging between its legs swung upward, taking the place of where the head used to be. The black color of the orb faded to a bloody red, with the white crosses now orbiting it around it chaotically, as electrons around an atomic nucleus.

"New analysis incoming from the MAGI. 99% concurrence: the core is in that sphere," said Dr. Akagi. "Figures. Of course its weakness is within the thing that once hanged between its legs. CLEARLY, THIS ANGEL IS A GUY!"

"Focus, Ritsky!"

The white crosses glowed, and streams of light erupted from them, targeting the Evas with precision.

"Well. This'll be fun," murmured Asuka.

("My Mama always tried to be involved with the lives of a few in particular…so when Yui Ikari was 'lost'…well, she didn't take it that well.")

xxxx

/December 1, 2004/

/Langley Household, Berlin-2, Germany/

Asuka Langley-Sohryu scowled at the cityscape outside her window, focusing upward. The big lights and strong metal, with glimpses of colorful stripes (Mama had said they were 'slits' to let the 'true' sky through; that was something she still wondered, because did that mean the sky she had grown up with was wrong, somehow?), although fixtures for her entire life, bugged her in a way that they hadn't before.

Maybe it was all of those photos her mother had recently shown her, of when Mama was little. It was strange, thinking that Mama had once been her size; however, the impression that stuck with her was from the outdoor pictures.

Blue skies. Purple skies, with clouds of red. Dark, with speckles of tiny lights. A full view of a sky that she hadn't known existed in such size!

She wanted to see it.

She wanted to see it now.

Nodding to herself, the little girl crawled off of her tiny bed, yellow pajamas snug on her diminutive form. Her red hair was frazzled and loose, devoid of the ribbons and clips that she was so fond of wearing.

("I never really got why it was called bedtime. Beds can be used for more than just sleeping!")

She quietly walked down the hall towards her parents' bedroom. Her focus was broken by the ambience of the kitchen; why were the lights on?

"-wring that bitch's neck!"

"Liebling, keep it down."

"It's just…just…grah!"

And why were Mama and Papa out of bed? They had said it was bedtime!

Asuka crept towards the bedroom. Mama sounded really angry. She had been like that a lot lately, and she had no idea why. Even her attempts to make Mama smile hadn't really worked, and it was really bumming her out!

Well, maybe seeing the actual sky would do the trick!

The little toddler walked into the kitchen, instantly catching her mother and father's attention. "Asuka Langley-Sohryu, what are you doing out of bed?"

Asuka looked at her Papa and responded, "I want to see the sky."

Her Papa blinked. "…now?"

"Mm-hmm!" Asuka nodded enthusiastically.

Mama sighed, and then she looked at her in a way that made Asuka wince. She was looking at her like one of the Not-Mama's at work that made her mad. "Asuka, it's really…not the best time."

Was she making her Mama…mad?

("At the time, I wasn't aware that Dr. Yui Ikari and Dr. Naoko Akagi had been involved in an accident with Eva Unit-00. It was almost three months after that when Dr. Ikari had the Contact Experiment with Unit-01, which was…not too long before this memory occurred? My security clearance isn't high enough for me to know all the details, but in hindsight…I can understand why my Mama was mad at Dr. Akagi.")

"But…" She quickly ran back to her room; she had to show her why! Grabbing a handful of the photos, she hurried back to the kitchen, holding them up towards her parents. "Mama, you look so happy in these pictures! Wouldn't seeing the big sky instead of the city sky make you feel better?"

The two looked at her. Then at each other. An odd look crossed her Papa's face, and then her Mama chuckled. "Well…I could use some fresh air."

"Kyoko-"

"It's fine, Pieter. Maybe I need a brief change of scenery." Her mother knelt down, looking directly into her eyes. "Go and get your shoes on."

Asuka's eyes brightened. "Okay!"

("I don't really recall the stuff after that. I know there were some security checkpoints we had to pass through to leave the Berlin-2 arcology, but I can't give you any details. Honestly, I think I was just too happy to see the actual sky…and to have a chance to make Mama happy again.")

Metal and artificial ambience suddenly gave way to a wide horizon, and a night sky filled with stars and a waning moon. The sheer enormity of it was overwhelming. "Whoa…" Asuka pressed her hands against the passenger window of the Volkswagen Lupo; if it weren't so cold, she'd probably have the window down. "Wow…!"

Mama's giggle made the whole thing even better. "Impressive, isn't it?"

"…yeah…why do we have a city sky? This is so much prettier!"

"Well…it's complicated. It would take a while to explain."

They drove for a short distance, but it seemed like forever to the little toddler. Every time she blinked, the sky seemed to change. The stars were numerous, and the moon's radiance was eye-catching. Why was it so dark when something that bright was in the sky? It didn't make any sense!

Her mother pulled up into the parking lot around some odd building – it was only in retrospect that she would identify it as a filling station – but she was too engrossed in the view of the heavens to ask any questions. In the distance, the great dome of Berlin-2 stood out amidst the rolling hills, its outer surface glittering with artificial lights.

("I don't know how long we just sat there. It was…nice.")

"I'm sorry, Asuka."

"Why?"

"It's…been rough, these past few months."

"Why?"

"I've lost a good friend."

Asuka looked over her shoulder, looking at her Mama oddly. She was looking at the sky, but she didn't look as happy as she should have been at the sight of something so pretty. "Why can't you find her?"

("…what? I was a toddler. I had no concept of death and euphemisms for it.")

Her mother chuckled in a way that didn't seem funny at all. "Trust me…if I could, I would. But I can't." She finally looked towards her, a strange sort of smile on her face that didn't seem happy at all. How was that even possible? "Do you remember my work with Unit-02?"

"You mean Big Mama?"

"Yes, 'Big Mama'," said Kyoko, her eyes glittering with something strange. Was she crying? "My friend, Yui…she was working on something similar, called Unit-01…right now, she's stuck inside it, and no one can get her out."

"How did she get in?"

"That's also complicated."

"Why?"

"It…just is." Her mother sighed, pulling Asuka into her lap and resting her chin atop her head. "I miss my friend…and I'm sad that I can't do anything about it."

Her Mama was sad. Her Mama was sad.

A strange feeling fell over her, smothering her like her favorite blanket…only it made her hurt, right around her heart. Why? "Mama…isn't there something I can do to make you happy?"

"…you've always been able to make me happy, Liebling."

"Then why are you still sad?"

"You can actually be happy and sad at the same time for different reasons."

Asuka frowned. That made no sense. But her Mama was smart, so she knew what she was talking about. "…the sky's very pretty." She still couldn't get over how big it was!

"Yes…it is." Kyoko hugged her more tightly. "The world is very different now, Asuka. Compared to how it was when I was growing up, you'd almost think they were different planets."

"Why?"

"You'll understand when you're old enough to understand Second Impact."

"…okay."

"For example: our home? Berlin-2…its old name was Braunschweig, and it didn't used to have a 'city sky'. Not even three years ago, you would have been able to see this sky from our home."

"Really?! Why'd they make the city sky?"

"There are a lot of answers to that question, too."

"Why?"

Kyoko sighed. "Asuka…lots of questions have more than one answer. Part of life is finding out the best answer." Mama tightened her hold even more. "Part of what happened to my friend ties into my work with Unit-02…but I refuse to let things go the same way. Second Impact hurt a lot of people and made things bad for even more…but Evangelion will help. I know it will. I will do my best to make it happen. And then…maybe we won't need cities to have their own skies."

Almost everything that Mama was saying didn't really make much sense, but it was obviously something that meant a lot to her. Maybe if her mother did those things, she would stop being sad?

Asuka had always enjoyed making Mama (and Papa too!) happy, because it made her happy. But maybe…making Mama happy was enough? Her mother didn't deserve to be sad. The very thought of it was…wrong.

("I believe that was my first actual experience with empathy...hmm? A little early? Well, I guess, but Mama always said I was too smart for my own good.")

"Then I'll do my best too!" exclaimed Asuka. Her best at 'what', she didn't quite know. But the brief laughter from her mother was enough to tell her that it was – as her Mama said – the best answer. Smiling, Asuka decided to ask a question that she had wondered about since earlier that evening. "Mama, what's a bitch's neck?"

("Hey, I was a toddler. You can't judge me.")

xxxx

/January 15, 2016/

/Sagami Bay, Japan/

("After that? Well, life went on.")

The Eleventh Angel's assault had intensified. Aside from the black pikes that streamed from its body, white rays of light flew from the crosses hovering about its massive core.

"Damn-!" Mana's curse was cut off by Unit-02's sudden shift in momentum, as Asuka was already bobbing and weaving between the carbon spears and luminous beams.

"They're gaining!" Shinji's panicked yell – prompted by a legion of black limbs threatening to skewer him – was answered by pinpoint shots that shattered his pursuers.

The only comment this sudden turn elicited was the monotone voice of the First Child. "Targeting."

The Angel might as well have heard her, for the white crosses suddenly took aim at the shores of Sagami Bay, unleashing volley after volley of charged particles. "Engaging evasive maneuvers," said Rei as she suddenly broke off into a run down the beach.

Asuka frowned. This was going nowhere fast.

you have all that you need

"Hmm…indeed." Asuka grinned. "Hold on tight Mana, I've got an idea."

"Joy. If I die from this, my sister will make sure no one can find your body, and then I'll haunt your corpse for however long until I get bored of it!"

The redhead's smirk sharpened as Unit-02's hand tightened its grip on the progressive machete latched to its thigh. "As one elder sister to another, I wouldn't expect anything less!"

("Things kind of continued in that same vein for a few years…with Mama and Papa getting busier and busier, naturally. The biggest change that comes to mind…was the birth of my little sister.")

xxxx

/December 31, 2006/

/ErinnerungsKrankenhaus Lorenz, Berlin-2, Germany/

Within the depths of Lorenz Memorial Hospital, a new life was born.

For the past several months, Asuka had seen her mother's slowly growing belly. When she had asked if Mama was getting lazy, the woman had only laughed, and proceeded to explain the whole nature of human reproduction.

("Yes, Mama did explain the 'birds and the bees' to a four-year-old. She wasn't really a believer in withholding basic biological facts from me, and I wasn't even old enough to know that was supposed to be awkward. Also…to be honest, I really don't remember if I ever thought about the whole 'Mama and Papa had sex' part. I was too excited about having a new sibling!")

Those months had been a whirlwind to the young four-year-old (well, five-year-old as of December 4th); the very concept of having a younger brother or sister was bedazzling. Sure, she had seen babies in other places, and they were quite cute and cuddly (if sometimes loud and whiny); the thought of a baby like that, coming from her Mama?

Wondrous!

The weary expressions that she occasionally saw on Mama and Papa's faces – more and more common as time went on, she noticed – were explained away as either pains from work or pains from the baby. She couldn't quite see how exactly the baby could hurt someone as smart and strong as Mama (or why work was still painful when she was allowed to do it from home as her belly got bigger), but there wasn't too much thought put into that. She was going to be an older sister!

And so it was, until on the days approaching the eve of a new year, that Kyoko Zeppelin Langley-Sohryu gave birth.

Asuka could barely contain her glee at the sight of the little child with matted brown hair, swaddled in white cloth. The odd scent of metal in the air was ignored by a girl oblivious to how bloody childbirth could occasionally be; the mess had already been sanitized, whisked away by the hospital orderlies. All the little redhead could focus on was her Mama (looking tired, more tired than she ever had before), her Papa (who hadn't slept at all during the entire time they were waiting for the baby to come out; even Asuka had had to take a nap, because this baby was such a slowpoke!), and the new baby. "…he's so quiet."

"She," corrected Kyoko, somewhat absentmindedly. "It's a girl."

Asuka beamed. A little sister! Wunderbar! "She's cute!"

"Ssh," commanded her father. "Be quiet, Asuka. We're still in a hospital. Be joyful…but quiet."

"Okay," whispered Asuka, standing on her tiptoes to look at the little girl in the face. Blue eyes looked blankly at her, and she couldn't help but giggle at how confused the child looked. "What's her name?"

"Mari."

"Mari." The name rolled of the tongue so simply. Asuka liked it. "I'm your big sister Asuka. I'm going to be the best big sister ever. And I will make sure that your life is a happy one!"

("Mama and Papa both laughed at how rambunctious I was. But I meant every word.")

xxxx

/January 15, 2016/

/Sagami Bay, Japan/

Asuka howled, bellowing her challenge to the Eleventh Angel with a wave of the progressive machete. A spear was parried, brushed off course not by physics – the sheer density of the carbon material was enough to render such a measure useless – but by will. By determination. By her AT-Field.

("Was it hard? I didn't think of it in those terms. It was a simple matter of doing what made them happy. And me being happy was the simplest way to do it.")

Black blades met vibrating metal and the will of a young girl, clad in a red titan. The blades gave way, shattering into coarse fragments.

Unit-01 was still playing an effective decoy. Unit-00 was still dodging the long-range fire of the white crosses.

"Pour on the speed, Mana!"

The core was ripe for the plucking.

("…hmm. No. I wasn't completely ignorant. Even though she tried her best to hide it, I knew Mama was facing something hard, something involving Unit-02. But it wasn't until after I turned six that I learned what Mama had to do.")

xxxx

/December 17, 2007/

/Langley Household, Berlin-2, Germany/

Asuka fiddled with fractions and geometrical shapes, drawing ever more fantastical polygons and coloring different regions, idly jotting down her best guesses for how big a portion each color took relative to the whole figure. Mama had challenged her to do this one hundred times, adding a new edge for each new shape and a new color for every other shape. It was difficult, but fun in an odd way!

She was on the thirtieth shape, but it was taking so long!

("It was an intuitive way for me to get down the concepts of percentages and area while keeping it fun. Mother normally would've sat down and helped me through it…but she wasn't in the mood that day.")

Maybe she just needed to recharge. And what better way than with a late-night snack?

Nodding to herself, the little redhead shifted away from her tiny white desk, taking extra care to walk silently, lest she awaken her sister from a restful slumber. She glanced at the sky blue crib – oh, Mari was just too cute! – before tiptoeing out of her room, intent on finding some cookies. Or brownies. Or the ever elusive fusion of the two, crownies!

"-ever happened to wringing her neck, huh!? Isn't this what you tried to avoid?!"

"Pieter-"

"I don't care what that Drecksau thinks, what he's asking is ludicrous!"

"Pieter."

"I will pull rank if I have to. I don't care what it costs me-!"

"Pieter!"

The sound that Asuka heard next was sharp, and hard. She had never heard that particular noise before. It was unexpected, unknown, new.

For once, the prospect of learning something new didn't excite her.

She warily peeked around the corner, gazing into the kitchen. Papa and Mama were facing each other; he was rubbing his cheek, while her right hand was outstretched.

As impossible as the image seemed, Asuka was able to put two and two together, even if she felt like it was coming up five. Did…Mama just hit Papa?

"Your hand cuts as deep as ever," muttered Pieter.

"That was just a love tap for you, Jackal."

"…that's a low blow."

"Reality is reality, meine Ehemann; the probability of me physically harming you is lower than me spontaneously transforming into a mermaid."

Her father grunted, wiping at his lip. Was that blood?! "My point remains. You can't do this."

"…who else could it be?"

"Anyone."

"When the Angels return, the safest place will be Eva. I will not leave my daughter without a means to fight."

"Must she fight?!"

"You know how brilliant she is, Pieter. Impeccable memory for her age. Able to grasp concepts that are years beyond her. Do you really think the Old Men will leave someone like that alone?"

"…no."

"Unit-02 will be her shield from more than just the Angels."

("I always wondered who my Mama was referring to, those 'Old Men'…hmm? What? No, don't be ridiculous. If my mother, Kyoko Zeppelin Langley-Sohryu, with all of her wits and intelligence, couldn't do anything about these 'Old Men'…what makes you think I could? I'd just be angering the wrong people needlessly. I had, and still have, more important things to worry about than some hypothetical conspiracy.")

"I can protect her."

Mama sighed. "If you were still just the Jackal…maybe. But even he can't stop the world."

"I would try."

"That's what I'm afraid of."

Asuka stopped looking. She held her back against the wall, slowly sliding down onto the carpet. Her face was blank – an unusual occurrence – as her mind swirled with new information, new variables, and seemingly no connection between them all. What's going on?

Through her conundrum, Pieter and Kyoko continued to speak. "…how long do you have?"

"We will be 'recreating' the Contact Experiment on January 1st."

Her Papa chuckled, but it didn't sound funny or joyful at all. "What a way to bring in the New Year."

"At least we'll have Christmas and little Mari's first birthday party."

"Don't joke."

"I'm serious."

"…how will we tell Asuka?"

"Asuka…she doesn't know all of the details about how Yui was 'lost'. We'll have to elaborate on that first of all. From there? We'll play it by ear."

That seemed to be the end of it, because they stopped talking. That was fine by Asuka; it let her think more easily (about all this strange stuff, her parents were arguing but Papa was scared for Mama because Mama was leaving where was she going why was she leaving and on and on-). But she didn't have long either, before the two adults entered the hallway, pausing at the sight of her just sitting there.

They didn't say a word. Didn't ask for an explanation, or how much she had heard. There was no need.

They just calmly sat down beside her. Mama pulled Asuka into her lap, and Papa wrapped his arms around the two of them.

Asuka stopped thinking, and let her wondering fade away with the peace of a dreamless slumber. It was much-needed reprieve.

("The next morning, I got a crash course in the absolute basics of metaphysical biology: nature of the soul, baby stuff like that. Then Mama told me more about Unit-02. About Evangelion. About why they were needed. About how they worked…and what they needed to move: a soul of their own.")

xxxx

/January 15, 2016/

/Sagami Bay, Japan/

As it turned out, the Angel had other ideas about Asuka's ploy to assault its core.

Multiple sections of its skeletal frame suddenly split off, converging between Asuka and the massive sphere. The spears flowed together, forming a helical drill that dwarfed the Evangelion in size ten times over.

It didn't take a genius to realize what the Angel planned to do. "MANA! ZERO GRAVITY!"

"On it!"

The drill shot forward. Unit-02 brought its arms up, willing an absolute defense to keep the Angel from utterly obliterating them.

Physics still had their say, as the Evangelion was pushed backwards at approximately one thousand, five hundred miles per hour: slightly slower than the average bullet, but still at supersonic velocity. The sonic boom was accompanied by a tremendous collision as the drill drove Unit-02 into the shores of Sagami Bay, the drill still spinning wildly.

Even as the sand and dust faded, swept away by the gusts kicked up by the drill, one could see Unit-02 bent forward, struggling against the physical power brought forth by the Angel's impromptu weapon. The sheer energy roiling against Asuka's AT-Field rendered it visible to the naked eye; it went without saying that the slowly growing cracks marring its surface were harrowing.

"Hmm. The MAGI are observing a leeching effect from the weapon. It's drawing power from Asuka's own AT-Field…metaphysically speaking," commented Ritsuko.

"ASUKA! You and Mana need to bug out now!"

"I'm…trying…Misato…!" Asuka's voice was strained, both from the effort and the lingering shocks from smashing into the earth at high speeds.

Now wasn't this a pickle?

("I tried not to think about the fact I was about to lose my mother. But my mind was somewhat traitorous, and it was all I could think about. So I took every single opportunity I could to spend time with her, thinking that she was about to be lost forever.")

xxxx

/January 1, 2008/

/Unit-02 Maintenance Chamber, GEHIRN, Berlin-2, Germany/

The sight of Mama clad in only a white bathrobe was disconcerting to Asuka, who was so used to her mother's scientific wardrobe, so prim and proper amongst her coworkers. Papa held her little sister quietly, the tiny one-year-old sleeping soundly, ignorant to everything around her.

Asuka wished she was so lucky.

("Mama had assured me that, one day, I would be with her again, once I became a Pilot. I had no conception of what that entailed, so I was still…anxious, to put it mildly.")

"Unit-02 is almost ready ma'am," said one of the many orange-clad technicians. The woman ran a hand through her short black hair, blue eyes looking at the Langley-Sohryu family. Even Asuka could tell that she was concerned about them. "For what it's worth, Dr. Sohryu…a lot of us are going to miss you."

Mama snorted, a strange smile on her lips. "Please. All of you are downright ecstatic that I won't be around to be the slave driver anymore."

"…well…"

"Just go and finish the preparations. I would rather people celebrate than be sad. If nothing else, it'll be a change of pace to have this thing capable of movement." To accentuate her point, she rapped her knuckles against the armored hide of Unit-02.

Asuka stared at the behemoth quietly; there was a distinct impression in her mind of a titan that was more incomplete, more…fleshy, in a sense. How long had it been since Mama had last taken her to see this thing? There was definitely more armor, but it still looked…thin. Like someone who was perpetually famished, starving.

Maybe if they fed it more, it would actually move, and it wouldn't need Mama?

No, it wouldn't be that easy. Mama would have already done it, if that was all it took. Souls don't work that way…I think. Was it possible for her own soul to get hungry?

Metaphysical biology was weird.

"All pre-operational checks are complete, Dr. Sohryu," said one of the scientists over the intercom. Everyone else had vacated the chamber for the safe confines of the control room, behind thick safety glass."We're ready."

Kyoko nodded, looking quietly at her youngest child. Her lips brushed against Mari's feathery hair, a brief kiss accompanied by quiet murmurs that Asuka couldn't make out.

("In hindsight…that was probably the saddest thing. Because my sister has no memory of our Mama. And sometimes, when I think about that, I can't help but ache.")

Kyoko then turned towards Pieter, her eyes just as piercing a blue as his. They had said all they needed toward each other over the past few weeks, both with words and with their bodies. Even so, her mother had to get the last word in.

Kyoko quietly reached up, brushing her husband's lips with her own, a remarkably chaste kiss given how much of a passionate woman she was. "Ich liebe dich." She ran a hand across his cheek, as though memorizing the feel of his skin, wanting to caress something that would soon be forbidden (and in a way, that was true). "Ai shiteru wa." Lastly, her fingers trailed over the hands that held their youngest daughter. "…I could say 'I love you', but that would be redundant, wouldn't it?"

"Never."

Kyoko smirked.

Finally, it was Asuka's turn. Kyoko knelt down, looking straight into the eyes of her six-year old daughter. "Are you okay? Be honest."

Asuka wanted to say yes. She wanted to be strong for her Mama, for her Papa, and her baby sister. She didn't want to show any tears in front of all these other people.

Her sniffling betrayed her. And besides, Mama had told her to be honest, and she could never lie to her. "…no."

"And that's okay. As you grow older, you'll understand more…but at the same time, I can't help but admire you."

Asuka boggled. She certainly hadn't expected this. "W-What?"

("...what? Oh…a tear…so what if I still get choked up remembering that moment? It's not every day that your personal role model, your idol, the one you admire, admires you back!")

"Even though our world is crazy and my work is bizarre and this life makes no sense…you've been the brightest light through it all. For me, and for your father…and I don't want that to change. No matter what this world throws at you, never let it snuff that out."

"Snuff…what out…?"

"Your smile. Your joy." Her mother smiled gently, running her fingers through the tresses of Asuka's hair. To the uninitiated, Asuka might as well have been a miniature clone of the woman in front of her. "That spirit…is what this world needs more of. No matter what happens…no matter what…never let the world take that away from you."

Asuka nodded dumbly. These words of unabashed affection were too much. She wanted to cry, but then she wouldn't be smiling anymore, and she couldn't do that to her mother. Not now. "…okay." Her smile was a small, fragile thing. But it was a smile, nonetheless.

("Those were the last words she said to me…her last wish was for me to be happy. It was a confirmation of a choice I made years ago…and that only strengthened my resolve.")

Kyoko stood up, quietly stepping away from her family. Pieter led Asuka away, their feet leaving quiet echoes on the catwalk as a lift platform rose Kyoko up towards the gigantic cylinder sticking out of Unit-02's back. By the time the lift came to a stop by the Entry Plug, Pieter, Asuka, and Mari were in the control room, standing stoically in front of the safety barriers.

There were so many of Mama's coworkers in here, speaking odd words with such frequency that Asuka just filtered it out. Her focus was entirely on her mother: she looked so tiny compared to the red titan, the behemoth that she had naively called 'Big Mama' so long ago.

Then, with a flourish, Kyoko flung her white robe away, unabashedly naked with a lithe, fit body.

Pieter growled, sounding both annoyed and affectionate. "Exhibitionist…"

The woman was grinning as she leapt into the Entry Plug, orange liquid splashing over the side.

("That was the last time I saw my mother…and I remember that sight all the time. She was a woman in her prime. Strong. Unashamed of what she had to do.")

As the cylinder screwed into the Eva, the chatter amongst the scientists and technicians increased, growing louder with each passing second. There was a definite tension in the atmosphere that Asuka couldn't quite quantify or describe, a heaviness that settled on the heart.

Yet she kept the smile on her face.

Suddenly, her mother's voice broke over the intercom. "Ladies and gentlemen, I don't want you to remember me as a victim. Remember me as a pioneer, venturing into a new world unlike any we've ever known!" Even without seeing her, it was easy to imagine the woman with a proud grin. "Okay Unit-02…I'm ready. I give you everything that is mine to give. Don't hesitate and take only bits and pieces…take. It. All."

("That was the last time I heard my mother speak…and I remember those words all the time. Confident. Bold. Willing to sacrifice everything she had.")

Two minutes and twenty-four seconds after Kyoko Zeppelin Langley-Sohryu said her last words, alarms began to blare, and everything in the control center began to beep wildly. The noise and panic finally roused young Mari from her sleep, and her wailing only added to the cacophony.

Throughout it all, Asuka kept her eyes focused on the Evangelion…and when it finally moved, she couldn't help but gasp.

Arms slowly twitched, and the behemoth's breathing became more animated. Shouts of surprise and shock came from quite a few people at the sight.

At long last, Unit-02 – as if consummating a grand work that was finally ready to be unveiled – raised its head and roared, speaking for the very first time, the birth pangs of a man-made god.

Then, all fell silent, and the Evangelion slumped in its restraints.

The beeps and digital squealing of the computer equipment died down. Amidst the excited talk and the congratulatory babble of the GEHIRN staff, Asuka clearly heard one phrase in particular: "Physical de-cohesion is one-hundred percent. The Eva's absorption of the candidate is absolute!"

("And that…was that.")

xxxx

/January 15, 2016/

/Sagami Bay, Japan/

The corner of Asuka's vision was suddenly nothing but blue. The cracks in her AT-Field vanished: there one moment and gone the next. The whole plane seemed to reverberate with new power, and the pressure of the Eleventh Angel's drill lessened dramatically. A happy smile came to her face. "Thanks for the assist Rei!"

Unit-00 had taken position besides Unit-02, supplementing the red Eva's AT-Field with its own. "This position is tactically unsound. We have less than two minutes of power remaining."

"The Sergeant's right," said Misato. "With that leeching effect, your Fields won't even last that long. If you get under the thirty-second threshold, I need you all to retreat further inland so we can regroup and come up with another plan!"

"So we're on the clock then." Asuka frowned, trying to think of their options. The solution was simple: strike the core fast enough that the Angel's defenses couldn't target them, yet with enough force to break through.

mass times velocity equals momentum

A flash of inspiration.

("Life without mother…took some getting used to, to put it mildly.")

"Shinji! Get over here!"

Unit-01 had already been making its way over to the beach, pulling off desperate aerial acrobatics to avoid the cross beams that now focused on him. "You have a plan?"

"Yeah! Take my place! This won't take long! Mana, on my mark, get ready to launch!"

"This better be a better plan than your last one," groused the nephilim.

Asuka grinned. "Don't worry. Bonus points for wordplay, by the way!"

"What…I don't-"

"Just focus sister," interrupted Mayumi.

"Okay! Three." Unit-01 landed behind them, its purple armor looking otherworldly in the light generated by the Angelic drill boring away at the AT-Field. "Two." Unit-01 stepped forward, raising its hands. "One." Right as Unit-01 supplemented their metaphysical shield with its own power, Asuka forced Unit-02 to withdraw its influence. "Mark!"

The Shining Jet propelled the red Evangelion high into the air, almost impossibly fast thanks to the negation of gravity provided by its Kleinium core. Up and away it went, leaving the battle behind for now. "So, what's your big idea?"

Asuka smiled.

("My interactions with other people? What about them?")

xxxx

/August 9th, 2010/

/Lorenz Gymnasium, Berlin-2, Germany/

Not even two decades ago, the sight of an eight-year old in a Gymnasium – the most advanced form of secondary schooling in Germany – would have been a cause for gossip, or perhaps even scandal.

The influence of metaphysical biology had changed that. With the typical German flair for industrialized efficiency, screenings were instituted during the early years of primary schooling, tuned according to the Shikinami-Fuyutsuki equation. In layman's terms, the more 'detectable' your soul was, the more sapient you were. Correlation didn't prove causation, but it served the educational paradigm well as a rule of thumb: those who rated beyond a certain spiritual threshold were almost, to a person, more intelligent, or more creative, or more resourceful, or more astute.

The prestigious Lorenz Gymnasium catered exclusively to students like these.

The novelty had already faded for Asuka, who was just now starting her second year there. There were some familiar faces – Wilhelm, Frederick, Amelia, Carla, Judith, Elizabeth, among others – and some new faces. There was a definite sense of excitement for the new academic year amongst the student body: they were already learning material that the overwhelming majority of German students wouldn't touch until they were ten years old at least. These young boys and girls were the cream of the crop, destined for greatness based on merit alone.

Asuka was bored. B. O. R. E. D. With all of the capital letters!

("I know that Papa was trying to do his best for me; I can't even imagine what it would have been like if I had finished my primary schooling in the typical manner before starting my secondary education. But to be honest, compared to how inventive and fun my Mama's lessons had been, it was kind of a letdown. Even if it was the best secondary school in the country.")

For all that her fellow students were supposed to be the best and brightest, their way of thinking was somewhat…slow. Her conclusions didn't match with theirs, even if hers were obviously correct. So what if her personal studies had been beyond theirs? If they were as bright as her, they should be able to follow the intuitive conclusions as well.

Part of her wondered about the possibility of testing out. Given the nature of the school, she could very well do it too.

Alas, she had done some reading about 'child prodigies' who advanced as quickly as possible, and her impression was that – deprived of meaningful peers who they could relate to – their lives quickly became miserable. No thank you! Besides, her current position was doubly pleasing to Papa: once because her acceptance into a Gymnasium was a sign of being quite gifted, and twice because she was actually trying to maintain a 'childhood' of some sorts. All in all, it made him happy, so that was a win in her column.

("I knew that Papa knew that I was much smarter than I let on. I think he really worried about me not fitting in, so I did what I could to do just that…no, I don't think it was unhealthy at all…no. It wasn't about me. It was never about me.")

Besides, even though they were her age, their thoughts were like slightly faster versions of her little sister. So in a way, every school day was training to be a better older sister!

Two new students walked into the class, and all conversation faded away. The light skin – almost white – and pale hair caught everyone's eyes. Red eyes would have made everyone think 'albino' if there hadn't been one particular event of worldwide importance happening within the last several months: namely, the Central American Wars.

There was no doubt in the minds of the children that these two were nephilim.

("A lot of the students actually kept up with the news. Probably because their parents made them, because most of them sounded bored about it. But even they were intrigued by the nephilim: humans with Angelic powers. I actually remember the first time I saw one: it was some cell phone video from a battlefield in Venezuela. I'll never forget it…a little kid with blue hair, tossing a jeep at the balcony of a three-story mansion.")

The two were clad in clothes of red and black, with golden sigils marking their ties with the Lorenz Estate (a hard symbol to ignore, given that their school bore that image due to the patronage of Keel Lorenz himself). The boy was openly curious; eyes wide like a naïve child. The girl was more subdued, looking none too impressed at all.

Interesting, thought Asuka with a small grin. Maybe this school year would actually be less boring.

They didn't disappoint. At the end of the day, as Asuka was walking home, she saw the two nephilim come to a stop in front of her. "Hello."

"Greetings, Miss Sohryu," said the young boy. His voice was very mellow, yet stilted; almost as if he had rehearsed this scenario. "It has been a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"…uh…" Asuka stared at the two, not quite sure what to make of this. "Hello?"

"My name is Kaworu Nagisa." He gestured toward the pale girl standing beside him. "This is my sister, Yomiko Nagisa."

"Those names are Japanese," said Asuka, eyes wide with disbelief. They didn't look Asian at all! "Um…shusshin wa doko desu ka?"

The boy – Kaworu – chuckled. "Miwaku-tekina…"

"Eh?" Asuka tilted her head. "You're from 'fascinating'?"

"Your soul is very…intriguing."

"...are you one of those creepy boys that my Papa warned me about?" She had always wanted to encounter one in person! It was just as awkward as she had been warned.

The girl shot her (apparent?) brother a look of exasperation. "Forgive him. He doesn't know how to talk to your kind."

After a few seconds of glaring, Kaworu seemed to realize what Yomiko was trying to get across, because his smile suddenly faded. "Ah, forgive my rudeness. I didn't mean to come across so strongly."

Understanding dawned in Asuka's mind. "Oh~! He doesn't know how to talk to girls! I completely understand!"

("I didn't understand at all. Those two would prove to be a lot weirder. But they were definitely a cut above everyone else; I knew that much.")

"We will be seeing a lot more of each other, Miss Sohryu."

"Well of course, we go to the same Gymnasium."

Kaworu shook his head. "Not in that sense. I suppose you will find out sooner or later." He turned on his heels, walking away with Yomiko silently following. "It was a pleasure."

Asuka blinked as the two nephilim departed, pedestrians parting around them like magnets with an opposite charge. That was…odd. But interesting! She'd have to ask her father about them…that is, if he was home. He was currently busy dealing with the conversion of GEHIRN into the paramilitary organization NERV. The whole thing was unsettling; from her perspective, they were just doing the same stuff. So why the change?

("What's that? I get the legal reasons why GEHIRN's assets had to be reallocated to a new organization, but I wasn't thinking about stuff like that. It looked like GEHIRN, it did the same stuff as GEHIRN, it employed the same people as GEHIRN, it was even in the same building as GEHIRN…it just seemed superfluous to me.")

Thoughts of the two nephilim swirled through Asuka's head as she galloped her way back to her family's penthouse. But not before making a stop at particular Kindergarten on the way home. She looked fondly through the chain link fence surrounding the facility's playground, focusing on one three-year-old in particular: a brunette wearing glasses, drawing patterns in a sand pit with a few other girls. Clearing her throat, she shouted, "Mari! Time to go!"

The little girl whirled around, a smile impulsively coming to her face. "Ska!" The little girl brushed the sand off the fabric of her pink shirt and yellow shorts, dashing over to the fence. Without hesitation, she clambered over it as fast as her little limbs could move.

Asuka wasn't worried; the staff here was used to this rambunctious display by now. Given that this particular Kindergarten catered exclusively to employees of NERV née GEHIRN, the staff knew the pecking order with regards to Commander Langley's daughters.

The little toddler calmly descended over the other side, jumping down at the last foot. With nary a pause, she turned and hugged her sister's leg. "You took so long!"

Asuka smiled; this was the first day of the new Gymnasium semester for her, so Mari wasn't used to her big sister being away for so long. "I had a lot of stuff to do!"

("I loved my sister. Still do. But for all my love, she adored me all the more. Given how busy Papa was, I was the member of the family she interacted with the most. Hmm? You think she treated me as a surrogate mother of sorts?")

The redhead hoisted her sister up, placing the brunette upon her shoulders as was their custom. "I bet you're hungry!"

"Yep! Hungry, hungry!"

"Well then let's not keep our stomachs waiting!" With exaggerated noises, the eight-year old took off running, much to the delight of the bouncy three-year old.

("Well…she has no true memories of our Mama. I've been with her as often as I could since mother was absorbed into Unit-02. I am the primary female role model in her life. I'd be surprised if she didn't think of me, in some way, as her mother...and...well, that's a hard title to live up to, you know?")

xxxx

/January 15, 2016/

/Lower Atmosphere above Sagami Bay, Japan/

"Hey. Quick question."

"Yes Mana?"

"What was with the command earlier? Before the drill hit us?"

"For zero gravity?"

"Yeah."

Asuka made a thoughtful sound, briefly relishing the chill from their ascension. Clouds thinned out, and the sky's blue was deepening in hue. "Had to lower our effective weight before the collision. Made it easier to handle our impact on the beach." The Eleventh Angel's drill had been unbelievably fast, unfairly so. It didn't need additional help from the force of Earth's gravity, no ma'am!

"…you're awfully quick with this sort of stuff."

"Well, I have to be!"

high enough

"So, we're about ten miles up. That'll do!" Over fifty thousand feet in under forty seconds; amazing what one could do without having to deal with gravity.

("Life continued on in that particular vein. I went to school, I made nice with everyone, I got more acquainted with the Nagisa twins, I looked after my little sister, I did what I could to brighten up Papa's day…and I learned more and more about Evangelion. It was what was expected of me as the Second Child.")

The thrusters of the Shining Jet dimmed, and their upward ascent slowed. "By the way, your plan is crazy."

Unit-02 slowly tilted around until it was upside-down. "It has the highest probability of working. Davon geht die Welt nicht unter!"

"…just be glad I have a soft spot for crazy."

"And that's why Misato paired you with me instead of Shinji or Rei."

"Heh. Good point."

"The let's do it!" Her battery's timer hit sixty seconds. "Hit it!"

The Shining Jet's engines ignited, propelling the Eva earthward.

("I worked more and more with Unit-02. It was…uncomfortable, at first. There was always this fear in the back of my mind that I would be taken, like Mama had been. Then…I finally synchronized for the first time.")

xxxx

/July 23, 2011/

/Unit-02 Maintenance Chamber, NERV-2, Berlin-2, Germany/

"Mah, what an impressive sight."

The sight of a Japanese man standing on the catwalk in front of Unit-02 wasn't unusual; the staff at NERV-2 consisted of – quite literally – dozens of nationalities. However, his unkempt appearance, ratty-looking ponytail, and untucked shirt was decidedly out-of-place compared to the orange-clad maintenance workers, the scientists with stereotypical white coats, or the ever-increasing numbers of personnel who wore the beige uniforms of NERV. He was looking quietly at the red Evangelion, a strange look in his eyes. "Um…can I help you?"

The young man glanced at her, a peculiar quality to his turquoise eyes, matched only by the oddness of his smile. It was a very casual look, and he looked absolutely out of his element compared to the serious atmosphere that NERV held. So why did he have such an offbeat presence about him, as though none of this concerned him? "Just marveling at the cutting edge of technology, that's all."

("Ah, this was also the first time I met Inspector Kaji. He's a cool guy!")

"Okay. I haven't seen you around before."

"That's because I haven't been around before." He gave a theatrical bow. "Inspector Ryoji Kaji, at your service."

Asuka arched an eyebrow. "Inspector?"

"On behalf of the United Nations."

"…could you be more specific? That's way too vague, if you don't mind my saying."

Kaji chuckled. "A cheeky little kid, aren't you? Well, since you're so curious…the Human Instrumentality Committee, the Security Council, UNESCO, the ILO…pretty much any agency that has an interest in Project-E…you get my drift?"

"That's a lot of agencies."

"I know. Life is so hard," he said, letting off a theatrically-depressed sigh. "Still, it brings me to why I'm here: namely, you, Asuka Langley-Sohryu."

The girl blinked, pointing a finger at herself.

"Yes. You and the other two Pilots stationed here, to be precise. Making sure you tykes are functional, well-adjusted…you can fill in the blank."

"Ah…a third party, then. Someone who can report on our status without any direct NERV affiliation."

"Not just cheeky; really cheeky." The Inspector ruffled her hair before walking away. "You're going to do just fine."

("As it turns out, my Papa would also end up using the Inspector to keep an eye on me and Mari. Never did find out how he knew my father, but still: he's a cool guy. Did you know that he liked to leave me and Mari actual Dutch chocolate?...I know, right?! Ever since the Netherlands were practically submerged, that stuff's gotten obscenely expensive. I still don't know where he manages to find it! And it's genuine too; I know my European chocolates, and there's nothing like Dutch!...no, it wasn't old or spoiled either, it was fresh! Maybe he just knew a guy. Kaji-san's like that.")

Asuka watched the Inspector depart, her lips contorted into a frown. "Huh…what an odd guy."

("If nothing else, he got my mind off of another sync test with Unit-02, so there was that.")

The Second Child grimaced, moving awkwardly in the bulky green Plug Suit, its surface dotted with wires and sensors. At least it kept the LCL from completely covering her.

("I remember that old Plug Suit. It was nothing compared to my sleek and personalized version. And it wasn't even red! But that's beside the point.")

The young redhead sat through a procedure that was becoming quite routine by now: sit quietly in the Entry Plug, trying to keep her thoughts clear, yet focused. All the while, scientific jargon would chime into her ears, rife with terms and phrasing she was still trying to understand.

"Initiate activation system, Phase One!"

"Entry Plug functionality is at one-hundred percent. Core fidelity is green!"

"Unit-02 biological markers show no anomalies."

"Initiate activation system, Phase Two!"

"Pilot link-up initiated, synapse inserted, nerve junctions connected!"

There: the sharp, distinct snap in her nervous system as it linked with that of the Evangelion. Not that she could actually feel what the Eva felt, not now; there was just an intimate sensation of something huge and massive, just beyond her reach.

She always wondered if her Mama had felt the same before being absorbed.

A sudden sense of melancholy gripped her, surprisingly strong. Kaji-san's unexpected introduction had staved off her introspection for a time, but only just; how could she ignore what had happened to her mother, in this very Entry Plug? Three-and-a-half years on, and it still felt raw.

"Nearing absolute borderline! Zero-point-nine…zero-point-eight…"

Mama…I just want to hear your voice…

"Zero-point-seven…zero-point-five…zero-point-four…"

You wished for me to be happy…and I'm still trying, honest!

"Zero-point-three…zero-point-two…approaching the theoretical threshold!"

The voices from the control room were excited for a reason; up to this point, no true 'third stage' connection had been attained. Beyond that particular point, the Pilot would theoretically synchronize with the Evangelion. 'Theoretically' being the operative word: thus far, Asuka had never obtained that connection.

Well…first time for everything…so please…if you're really inside Unit-02…

"Zero-point-one…"

…can you say something...anything…?

"…zero-point-zero! Third stage connection established!"

Her sense of self expanded.

("Making the connection for the first time…it's really hard to describe, if you haven't experienced it. Imagine that you can still feel 'you'…but that there's a larger 'you', surrounding the smaller 'you'. You can't really make heads-or-tails of the larger 'you'…but it's still there.")

Her heart was pounding, thudding against her rib cage. Why was breathing so hard?

Lub-dup. Lub-dup. Lub-dup.

A steady rhythm, increasing in tempo.

("That heightened awareness…of something that far beyond you…it's disorienting.")

Lub-dup.

She was here, and yet there, all at once.

Lub-dup.

There was something else. Something…within her.

("And then…you feel that warmth.")

Lub-dup.

No…someone.

liebling

…Mama?

Then, it all came crashing to a halt. Her sense of self collapsed back into her normal body, a sudden swerve that left her dazed. "...whoa...why did…we stop…?"

"We got some strange readings from your vitals, and we deemed it necessary to end the connection. You managed a twelve-percent sync ratio though, which was beyond our projections! How do you feel?"

"…I want to do it again."

"We'll need to analyze the data from the synchronization; this is an absolute first for us!"

"…okay. But let's…make it quick." She had heard her. She had heard her.

A genuine smile bloomed on her face. I heard her.

("After that, I was no longer afraid of Unit-02.")

xxxx

/January 15, 2016/

/Sagami Bay, Japan/

There was a shift.

As the Eleventh Angel kept trying to grind two Evangelions into dust, portions of its body suddenly began splitting off again, forming a secondary drill pointed at the sky. The crosses around the great sphere tilted upward, firing with a ferocity that would do an anti-air artillery battery proud.

The red Evangelion that was screaming downwards weaved through every single beam.

("I took to those sync tests with gusto. As I got better, I felt more and more of my mother's presence. It got to the point where I just started referring to Unit-02 as Mama. Talk about closing the circle, eh?...yes, I know that to those who aren't in the know, it seems odd or even crazy. But it's the truth, right?")

The beams ceased as the second drill finished its formation, ready to obliterate the red Evangelion.

Finally, the red Eva broke Mach 1 at one mile above sea level. The Shining Jet detached, flying freely as Unit-02 flipped over, aiming its heel right at the core. The titan's AT-Field was concentrated into a single point beneath its foot, forming a stiletto that would do more than take an eye out.

With the tip of the sharpened blade having subatomic width, it would do far more.

The second drill shot upward to meet the supersonic Eva.

("Finally, it was time for the first field test.")

xxxx

/January 1, 2015/

/Skanderborg Archipelago, Sea of Denmark/

Asuka Langley-Sohryu looked around in silence through the eyes of Unit-02. A thick, bulky cable ran from the Evangelion's back, running towards the gigantic tanker that had ferried it here from the shores around Berlin-2. A small liquid fluoride thorium reactor sat within the bowels of the ship, providing all the power that the ravenous Eva could ever desire.

With a cable that stretched for two thousand feet, the Eva had plenty of room to maneuver.

The red titan waded through water that came up to its shins. This particular portion of Denmark – or, what was left of it after Impact, as the nation-state had effectively ceased to exist – had a high enough elevation to offer a viable testing ground for land and naval operations, while simultaneously having relatively level terrain. Combine that with its isolation, and it was an ideal area for field testing.

Still, there was a definitive military presence to ward off anyone unsavory. Per UN directive, America's Carrier Strike Group One served as the tanker's protective escort, with the USS Carl Vinson serving as its flagship. America didn't mind too much; this was a perfect opportunity to finally see the mythical Project-E in action, after all.

("By that time, I had managed to achieve a sync ratio of seventy percent. Nothing compared to what I can do now, of course, but it was definitely enough for me to get loose!")

Asuka inhaled through her nostrils, relishing in the smell of salty water, strangely muted yet overwhelming at the same time. The Eva's senses were undoubtedly superior to her own; it was only the lack of total synchronization that rendered the sensation less than absolute. It was invigorating.

"Okay Asuka, we are ready to begin the field tests. Try a little bit of active movement so we can get some preliminary diagnostics. We'll proceed to the formal trials once we obtain enough data."

Asuka smiled. "Understood." I'll give you active movement. The warmth of her Mama had only gotten more tangible as time had passed. If she hadn't known any better, she could have sworn that she was sitting in the lap of Kyoko Zeppelin Langley-Sohryu. "Okay Mama…let's do it."

Her Mama was awesome.

As long as she had her Mama, she could do anything.

"Together."

And so it went. It was definitely a strange day for America's military intelligence that their first glimpse of Eva in action consisted of silly acrobatics, prancing through shallow seas, and the jovial laughter of a young girl echoing through the titan's external speakers.

("I guess…I find it easiest to be happy inside of Unit-02. Because then I'm always with my Mama's presence. And I'm always reminded of her last wish for me, to be happy. And so I am…is it hard? Well…sometimes. People really aren't supposed to smile all the time, at least that's what I've been told. But I don't care. My Mama wanted me to be happy. It makes my Papa feel better. And Mari looks up to me…so for them…I'll smile through anything.")

xxxx

/January 15, 2016/

/Sagami Bay, Japan/

Unit-02's heel shattered the drill.

Sheer momentum carried it into the sphere, and out the other side. Pierced at the end of the Eva's AT-Field stiletto was a small red core.

Upon contact with the sea, the compromised core was completely pulverized.

As Unit-02 plunged into the deep, the Eleventh Angel's body seemed to compress upon itself, imploding fantastically. It was surreal to see its gangly body, spread all over the bay, quickly contract into a crumpled ball less than one meter in diameter above the bay.

CHYOOM!

It ignited into a cross-shaped explosion of impressive grandeur, lighting the entire bay area in a blazing red glow.

Unit-00 and Unit-01 stared in silence as Unit-02 burst onto the shore, water sliding off of its body. The red Eva glanced at its blue and purple brethren…and gave them a thumbs-up.

Their batteries hit zero.

Asuka smiled as the interior of her Entry Plug darkened. "Success."

xxxx

/Later that Evening/

/Keter, NERV-1, Tokyo-3/

Gendo Ikari quietly multi-tasked.

On one monitor, he observed the preliminary after-action report of the battle; testimonies, diagnostics, and various damage reports were read, analyzed, and discarded within moments of each other. Items of particular interest – the Angel's odd entropic fluctuations, the MAGI's commentary on the Second Child's performance, the AT-Field interactions between Unit-01 and Unit-00 – were delved into with more detail.

On another monitor, a video was playing, mere months old. It was of a standard psychiatric evaluation, nothing to write home about in and of itself. The subject, however, was.

"…so for them…I'll smile through anything," said the Second Child. The time stamp indicated that the footage was from last October, mere days before the young girl had begun her fateful excursion to Tokyo-3. The feed cycled through several different viewpoints, bringing out different impressions: a straight top shot, emphasizing the audio only, with no sight of the face; an over-the-shoulder shot, namely the psychiatrist's shoulder, putting the focus on Asuka above all else; a high angle shot, making her seem smaller and more diminutive; and many more.

The psychiatrist was nondescript. Generic. Unimportant. His sole purpose, as far as Gendo was concerned, revolved around the Second Child. "That was a very fascinating recollection." He jotted down some notes. "Very fascinating."

"Is there anything else you'd like me to cover? Anything about Kaworu and his sister? Ooh, or how about that time I met Lieutenant Colonel Katsuragi? That was actually a funny one-"

"I do believe that will suffice. Thank you for your time, Miss Sohryu."

Gendo paused the feed, and pondered. Finally, he made a call, pressing a familiar sequence on the touch-screen monitor. Within moments, a familiar face greeted him. "Good day, Commander Langley."

"Hello, Supreme Commander Ikari."

"Have you already reviewed the reports regarding the Eleventh Angel?"

"That would go without saying. The Pilots' teamwork is quite exceptional"

"One would think that your first remarks would be about the Second Child."

Pieter sighed. "I know you're trying to make a point. Just get to it."

"I was just reviewing her last evaluation from NERV-2. There's a particular pattern that refuses to go away."

"We've been over this before. We've argued about it. Why keep picking at an old wound? Anything you say will have been a thought I've already had."

"Call it pigheaded stubbornness, if you must."

"…do you really think I don't regret how things went? That a day goes by where I wonder if I did the right thing?"

"Not at all. But regrets won't change reality. And my concerns about the Second Child's mental fortitude remain."

"And your approach with Shinji Ikari was better?"

"I certainly won't win any awards for good parenting," admitted Gendo. "But I tried to keep him away from this life as long as possible. You and Kyoko seemed content to let your daughter shoulder a burden that was never a child's to bear."

Pieter's blue eyes hardened. The trembling knuckles and rigidness of his jaw were the only sign of his rage. "…your infernal desire to push at people's buttons will get you killed one day, Gendo."

"I only press a button if it can handle getting pushed."

"Keep telling yourself that."

Gendo's reponse was to replay a particular section from the Second Child's evaluation. "It wasn't about me. It was never about me."

Pieter's silence was telling.

"That degree of self-sacrifice can be admirable. In one so young…some might call it noble. It becomes less…appealing…when coupled with that kind of emotional repression."

"And what would you have me do?!" snapped Pieter.

"Other than be ready to pick up the pieces?"

"That's not funny."

"I wouldn't joke about something like this." He briefly glanced at an active security feed; the object of their conversation was currently with her fellow Pilots in one of NERV-1's cafeterias, chowing down on some egg noodles with gusto. "After all, it would be a shame for that to happen to someone like her. But I will prepare for the eventuality regardless."

Pieter snarled. "I hate you."

"You're not the only one."

xxxx

To be continued…

Next time…

Episode 20: The Case of Misato Katsuragi ("His last wish was for me to take care of them.")

xxxx

(And that is how Asuka became the ball of sunshine she is today.)