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NEON GENESIS EVANGELION: ASCENT OF THE FALLEN

By Sparky Clarkson

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Makoto stood in front of the mirror, straightening his tie. He tugged briefly at his collar, feeling alittle uncomfortable due to the tightness of the dress shirt. His normal attire, designed more for functionality than formality, suited his disposition and his fashion sense much better. A NERV jumpsuit, however, was hardly appropriate for a five-star restaurant, so he'd have to deal with the discomfort of the suit. He buttoned up the black waistcoat over the dark blue tie, and pulled on the coat. Turning back to the mirror, he asked, "Well, how do I look?"

Not like Kaji, his mind replied. The coat's shoulders were a bit too broad, the waist a bit too narrow. He looked like a man in an uncomfortable suit. That was the truth, of course, but Kaji had always appeared to be at ease in any situation, whether it was an angel attack or a French restaurant.

"Hyuga-kun, there is no time. This action has exposed me, and to cover those who must remain in the organization, I'll have to sacrifice myself," Kaji said, the words spilling rapidly from his mouth as he gazed coolly around the deserted warehouse.

Even then, you seemed to have no fear, Makoto thought.

"I have already done enough that you will not be harmed by our association," Kaji continued, now focused on Makoto's face, "But there are others, and to save them Imust die." Seeing Makoto's shocked expression, Kaji said, "Do not look so surprised, Makoto this was fated from my first arrival in Tokyo-3. Acandle burned from both ends glows brightly but soon goes out."

I wonder about that still... was it that you served too many masters, or that you served only one, who could never be satisfied?

"Misato will be safe from NERV, but she will not be safe from herself and I doubt any of the children will be able to help her. That must be your job, Makoto. I know you care for her, but now you must work to prove it. She will need you, Hyuga-kun. Please, do not let her down."

Because I promised you, Igained the courage to do what I otherwise would never have attempted, Makoto thought as he made one final attempt to straighten everything up. As he turned out the lights in his small, one-bedroom apartment, he continued, And now I have more than I ever thought possible. He slipped out into the hall, closing the door quietly behind him. Thank you, Kaji-san.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Wow! Misato-san, you look incredible!" Kensuke shouted, practically drooling at the sight of the major in her dark purple dress.

Misato smiled and stepped back to allow Kensuke, Touji, and Hikari to enter the apartment. The military otaku had seemed unusually quiet when he came by in the mornings during the past week, so she was glad to see him back to his old, somewhat obnoxious self. "Kids, your friends are here!" she called as the three teenagers filed into the apartment, slipping off their shoes and issuing the customary greeting.

"Coming!" came Asuka's voice from the back of the apartment, followed by a slightly more muffled,"Hurry up, Rei! We don't want to keep them waiting!"

Misato didn't hear Rei's response, because Touji's voice from the den drowned her out as he said, "Wow! I'd almost forgotten you had any clothes besides school uniforms and hospital gowns, Shinji!"

Misato grinned to herself on hearing that. In truth, he hadn't had any others until today. Her one attempt at doing the laundry by herself while Shinji was out had succeeded only in destroying all but a few of everyone's outfits. She and Asuka had busied themselves shopping for new clothes, but Shinji had settled for just getting two more uniforms when he got out of the hospital. When he'd gone to get ahaircut this morning, however, Asuka had dragged him into a store and all but forced him to buy some less formal clothes. Eventually she'd talked him into getting some khaki shorts and a polo shirt.

"They were Asuka's idea," Misato heard Shinji reply as she followed the newcomers into the den. Shinji and Kaoru were sitting on the couch next to each other. Asuka had worked her influence on Kaoru, too, who was dressed almost exactly like Shinji except that his shirt was orange and Shinji's was blue.

At that moment, Rei and Asuka entered the room. Asuka had put on her favorite yellow sundress, which had mercifully escaped Misato's disastrous attempt at laundering. Rei, on the other hand, wore a dark green dress. Ordinarily, it would not have gone very well with her pale face, but Asuka's skillful application of makeup had subtly brought out the color in her cheeks and eyes.

Everyone stood silently for amoment, shocked by Rei's unusual appearance. The albino girl began to look uncomfortable after a second, but Touji saved her from embarrassment by making a fool of himself. He let out a loud wolf whistle and shouted, "Wow, Rei!You look even better than Misato!"

Misato grinned. She might have glared at Touji for that, but at the moment Hikari's iron grip on his hand was making him uncomfortable enough for the both of them. While Touji attempted to placate his girlfriend, and everyone else laughed, Misato heard a knock at the door. She returned to the foyer just as Shinji and Kaoru were standing up to go.

As Misato opened the door, all the kids arrived in the foyer at the same time, filing out past her before Makoto, who stood outside, could enter. The somewhat embarrassed technician bore the giggling and nudges his presence provoked with equanimity, but sighed with relief when all the children had gotten into the elevator.

Makoto bowed deeply to Misato and offered her his arm. "Madam, your chariot awaits," he said.

Misato giggled, "A chariot?"

Makoto nodded earnestly."Yeah," he replied. "It sounds cheap, but you have no idea how much good oats cost these days."

Misato laughed and took his hand, sliding the door closed behind her. They ambled slowly towards the elevator, enjoying the peaceful silence of the building. As they waited for the lift, Makoto asked, "Where were all the kids going?"

"There's an outdoor festival downtown this evening with a lot of bands and stuff. From the sound of things, almost everyone must be there."

"Do you want to go? We could skip dinner..."

"No," Misato replied,"I want to have you all to myself tonight. I've been spread so thin lately, especially with the kids, that I haven't been spending anywhere near as much time as I would like on you."

Makoto blushed. "Well, it's only for dinner," he said. "The kids will be back tonight, after all..."

Misato grinned slyly. "You'd think that, wouldn't you?"

Makoto smiled. "Or perhaps they'll be spending tonight with their friends. So that means..."

"No interruptions."

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As the discordant music finally came to an end, Shinji realized that he had subconsciously been grinding his teeth all through the band's performance. He slowly relaxed his jaw, grimacing at the dull ache coming from his molars.

"Perhaps I should rethink my position on music," Kaoru said, looking somewhat wobbly on his feet.

"That was music?" Asuka asked, with a confused expression on her face.

"It sounded more like a train wreck," Touji agreed.

"Aw, you weren't even paying attention to the band!" Kensuke replied. Hikari and Touji both blushed, having recently discovered the second purpose to which concerts could be put.

"You look so cute when you do that!" Asuka exclaimed, squeezing their cheeks. Touji jerked his head away with a somewhat embarrassed grin, and immediately kissed Hikari again.

"Don't pay any attention to these jerks," he said to her. "Ya got me, and that's all ya need." Hikari kissed him back.

"Don't your tongues ever get tired?" Kensuke asked. The couple refused to dignify his comment with aresponse, but everyone else laughed uproariously.

"I could really use something to drink," Shinji commented, stretching his legs. "Who wants to come look for a stand?"

The other children agreed, and they wandered away from the makeshift stage that had been erected in the largest park in the city. The streets for several blocks around had been closed to traffic, and were now lined with booths and tents featuring food, drinks, clothing, crafts, and a variety of small diversions. The children gravitated to a small cart selling lemonade. The cold, tangy beverage provided them with welcome relief from the hot, muggy evening air of Tokyo-3.

The kids found a group of benches set back a few yards from the main flow of foot traffic through the festival, and sat down to enjoy their beverages. A few moments passed in relative silence while the children slurped away at the lemonade. Finally, Kensuke leaned back with a sigh, saying, "Ahh! That hit the spot!"

"Yeah, it's pretty good," Asuka agreed, slurping down the last bit of hers. "I've had better in America, though," she added.

"Aw, who cares?" Touji asked. "You talk about America too much."

"It's interesting, though!" Kensuke countered, trying to get on the Eva pilot's good side."I like hearing about the Americans."

"They do have some amusing habits," Kaoru agreed. "Particularly their taste for animation produced in a country most of them have never seen."

"Or the fact that they listen to a lot of the stuff that Shigeru's band plays," Shinji added, shaking his head. "I would have thought they would be better. Shigeru's not bad with his guitar."

"Yeah, but he was playing rhythm," Asuka said. "So he only got to play the basic guitar lines, while the frontman tried to sing and play at the same time."

"He did not succeed at either," Rei commented, rubbing her temples as if she had a headache. That brought a round of chuckles from everyone except Touji and Hikari, who had started kissing again.

"It must be something in the air," Shinji commented, shifting a little on the bench. While his physical wounds from the battle with Gabriel had pretty much healed, he still had some continuing problems. His muscles ached fiercely if he sat still for too long, or if he got too cold. Also, he found himself cramping up a lot, as if his body had trouble getting blood to the right places.

Rei, sitting next to Shinji, reached out and gently grabbed his hand. Shinji looked at her curiously. Has she finally decided what she wants? he wondered. Gazing into her red eyes, he saw them soften somewhat, revealing warmth instead of fire. Shinji blushed slightly and smiled, gently squeezing her hand. As he was about to bend over and say something to Rei, Asuka caught his eye by leaning over and giving Kaoru a brief kiss full on the lips.

Kaoru blushed furiously as she pulled away. Asuka smiled and winked at Shinji, saying, "I suppose it /is/something in the air."

Touji laughed and said,"Uh-oh Kensuke, it looks like you're out of luck."

"I still have a chance with Rei!" the otaku protested.

"I think not," Rei replied, and rested her head on Shinji's shoulder. She whispered to Shinji,"You understand, don't you?"

He nodded, quietly replying,"Yes... friends?"

Rei pulled Shinji's hand into her lap and clasped it with both of hers. "More than that... but... yes, friends."

The conversation then turned to more mundane topics, with Hikari and Asuka bringing in every bit of school gossip that they could. The children also made the typical comments about those who were passing by. Eventually, though, as the streams of people lessened, the children also fell silent. At length, Shinji said, "I guess we should go on home."

"Yeah," Hikari agreed."Come on girls," she said, after giving Touji one last kiss. Rei and Asuka stood up to follow her, and they quickly disappeared one the way to her home.

The boys were left alone."Shinji is spending the night at my place," Kaoru said. "Do you guys want to come, too?"

Touji shook his head."Nah," he replied, "My sister's getting out of... she gets home tomorrow morning, so I want to greet her."

"Yeah, and I'm going camping tomorrow," Kensuke said, "I want to find a good place to watch the comet hit Mars in a few weeks. I need to get an early start, so..." He trailed off, and looked like he wanted to say something else, but he didn't have an opportunity before Kaoru responded.

"Okay then. Good night."

"See ya."

Touji and Kensuke began to leave, but Shinji reached out and grabbed the wounded boy's shoulder. "Touji, could you tell your sister again... that I'm sorry about what happened to her?"

Touji smiled slightly and nodded."Yeah, I'll tell her," he said.

"Thanks."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Makoto rolled over and nudged Misato's bare shoulder. "You're still awake?" she asked. "I must be losing my touch."

"You certainly haven't," Makoto said, laughing. "I've just been thinking..."

"Yes?"

"We... we've been together for about three months now, and... there's something I need to ask you."

Misato propped herself up on her arm. In the dimness of the room, she could not make out Makoto's expression precisely, but his furrowed brow indicated that he was troubled. "Go ahead," she said.

"I may regret asking this tomorrow... I've loved every minute we've been together, Misato, but I can't escape this feeling. Are you in love with /me/, or am I just standing in for someone else?"

Misato flopped over onto her back and stared at the ceiling. I always knew he would ask this question, she thought, but I'm still not ready for it. She rubbed her forehead for amoment, then said, "I... I hate to admit it, but when we started, you were... yes. I was using you for... for..."

"It's all right," Makoto replied, "You were hurt, and I wanted to help. It didn't matter then."

"It does matter now, though," Misato said. "I've gotten to know you better, to understand what kind of person you are. I... I don't know if this is true love, or just... something that will change. I can't be sure of that, yet. But I am sure of this: whatever emotion I'm feeling, I'm feeling it for /you/, not some ghost. You've become very important to me, Makoto."

Misato heard nothing for a moment, and almost rolled over to look at Makoto again, but was stopped when he leaned over and kissed her. "Thank you," he said. "That's all I needed to hear." They lay together silently for a few moments.

Then Misato said, "Well, since you're up..."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Well girls, what will it be?" Hikari asked, holding up the two DVD's for Rei and Asuka to see.

Asuka shrugged. "It doesn't matter to me, really," she said, "I've seen both of them a hundred times."

"You must prefer /one/," Hikari protested.

"I don't see why," Asuka responded, "They're totally different. One's a film noir-style mystery, and the other's a fantasy love story. There's no real way to compare the two, when you think about it."

"I think I would like to see the love story," Rei commented. Asuka shrugged.

Hikari smiled. "The Princess Bride it is, then," she said as she slid the disc into the player. The microwave dinged in the kitchen and she ran off to get the popcorn.

Asuka grinned, realizing she had agolden opportunity to rib her fellow pilot. "You want to see the love story, eh?" she said, nudging Rei with her elbow. "Looking for tips on how to attract Shinji?"

Rei turned to regard the redhead with a bland expression. "No," she replied calmly, "I do not wish to romance Ikari-kun."

"What was that about at the park, then?"

Rei was silent for a moment, then replied, "I... I find it difficult to explain. I want to be close to Ikari-kun, but I feel no desire to be his lover. I love him, but I do not wish to be his mate."

Asuka almost said something, but stopped as Rei added, "And do you wish Nagisa-kun to be your mate?"

Asuka froze, her jaw hanging open in silence. She would never have expected Rei to come back with that question."I..." she gasped, then took a deep breath. "I don't want to talk about it," she said hurriedly, then started the movie as Hikari came in with a bowl of popcorn.

As the screen went dark to begin the movie, Rei leaned over and whispered in Asuka's ear, "Perhaps you should. If not with me, then with the one you love. If you wait too long to speak, you may not get a chance."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"I am sorry," Kaoru said as he sat down on his futon.

"What for?" Shinji asked from the doorway. He kicked off his shoes and stepped into Kaoru's apartment.

"I did not intend to have akiss with Asuka," the grey-haired boy replied.

Shinji sat down on the bed next to his friend. "Oh, that," he said.

"You are not angry? You are not... jealous?"

"I don't know why I should be," Shinji replied. "It's not like we're dating or anything."

"You love her, though. You have told me so many times. Did you not feel betrayed when she kissed someone else?" Kaoru asked.

Shinji sighed and slouched over."What's to betray?" he asked. "It's not like she knows I'm in love with her."

"You have not told her of your feelings?"

Shinji shook his head. "No, Icouldn't. She'd probably just get mad at me, anyway. Asuka's been a lot nicer since she came out of her coma, but that doesn't mean she'll leap into my arms and be my girlfriend if I tell her how I feel. And if she didn't accept me, living with her would be hell," he explained.

After a moment, Kaoru nodded, saying, "Asuka seems the sort of person who wants to make the decision for herself. Still, I think you should tell her how you feel. It cannot be that bad if she refuses you."

Shinji shrugged, then asked,"Well, how did you like it when she kissed you?"

Kaoru blushed. "It... Ienjoyed it very much," he replied.

Shinji smiled slightly. "So you like her, too, huh?" he asked.

Kaoru nodded. "Being in her presence makes me very happy," he said, "almost as happy as being in yours."

Shinji giggled quietly, saying,"Does that mean you want me to kiss you, too?"

Kaoru draped an arm around his friend and pulled him closer. "Would it make you uncomfortable to do so?" he asked.

Shinji thought a moment, then replied, "N-no... it'd just be strange. Boys don't usually do that sort of thing." He paused, then added, "Then again, we do a lot of things that boys our age wouldn't normally do."

"So it is acceptable for aboy and girl to kiss, but not for two boys to do so?"

"Well, when you kiss on the lips, it means you want to..." Shinji felt himself blushing terribly. He gulped, then said, "It means you want the other person to be your... your m-mate. Most boys want to have girls for w-wives, so..."

"I see," Kaoru replied, then closed his eyes in contemplation. After a moment, he continued, "I still feel confused, though. I want to spend my life with you and Asuka. Why should I kiss her and not you?"

"I... I guess, if you think of a boy as your soulmate, it's kind of silly not to kiss him," Shinji admitted.

"I suppose that is the weakness of man and woman," Kaoru said, sighing. "People feel obligated to think of love in terms of sex, and not in terms of emotion. When one steps outside the bounds of the usual sexuality, others assume the emotion is tainted or false."

The boys were silent for a moment, and then Shinji repeated his question. "Kaoru, do you want me to kiss you?"

"I do not want you to feel uncomfortable."

"That's not what Iasked."

Kaoru sat up straighter, and replied, "I... I would like to share a breath with you, but I do not think we should. While man and woman exists, for us to kiss like that would be to lie, to boast of a lust that does not exist."

Shinji nodded and wrapped an arm around his friend. He licked his lips nervously, then turned and briefly kissed Kaoru on the cheek. For a moment, Kaoru froze.

Then he turned and pulled Shinji into a tight embrace, a sign of appreciation that needed no words to complement it.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Kouzou frowned as he gazed around the storage room, watching the technicians methodically inspect every corner of the room in their search. He hated these rooms, though only a few short months ago they meant nothing to him. Now, with their droning fans and stark metal walls, they resurrected unpleasant memories.

"You're late," Kaji said, standing up straighter as the newcomer approached.

That young man always lacked patience, Kouzou thought, As do I, now. I wonder if he hated these places then as much as I do these days. Kouzou caught sight of a familiar person approaching through the crowd of technicians and waved him over.

The man's long hair was in disarray, his face unshaven, and his eyes bleary. He cringed at every loud sound as he walked, and constantly rubbed at his temples with his left hand. His right hand held a small clipboard.

"Lieutenant Aoba," Kouzou asked, "What is the status?"

"Oh... we, um... still haven't found it, sir."

Kouzou rolled his eyes. "It's not so small that it can be easily hidden. I am certain it's in this room so keep looking," he ordered.

"Yeah... I mean, yes sir," Aoba said, obviously having some difficulty concentrating. He turned to leave but stopped as Kouzou called to him.

"Lieutenant Aoba, do you care to explain your present state? You're barely fit for duty."

"Well sir," Aoba replied, "After my band's concert last night, we did a little partying. I... I wasn't expecting to come in today, sir I'm not on the duty roster."

"Well, unexpected situations sometimes arise. Go drink three cups of water and take two aspirin you should feel better shortly."

Aoba managed a weak smile as he saluted. "Yes, sir."

Kouzou watched the young man leave, then turned his attention back to the mass of technicians. He frowned as he saw them swapping jokes while they worked. How little they understand, he thought. All these men view this as an inconvenience two hours' work that takes away their weekend time. If they knew how critical this was, would they laugh so readily?

"I don't understand why you think this is necessary," Kouzou whispered. "Gendo trusts me as much as anyone."

"That is why," Kaji replied. "Gendo must keep that trust, so you must prove you did not collaborate. This is the only way to be sure that, when the time comes, we can still make one last play from the inside."

One last play from the inside, Kouzou mentally repeated. A shout from one corner of the room told him that someone had found the object he needed. Kouzou smiled, and looked up at the storage room number. Well, Kaji-kun, it appears that now Iwill have the ball when it comes time to make my play, he thought as he walked towards the location of the shout. Let's hope this is worth it.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Well, we certainly got lucky," Misato commented from the main level of the command center."If this thing had shown up thirty minutes earlier, we'd have needed an extra hour to get ready. Fortunately, the kids all wanted to meet me for lunch."

"Good luck, maybe," Kouzou replied from the highest level, "But much about this is bad. Without Lt. Ibuki or the Commander present, we have lost much of our expertise. We shall have to take this carefully." He frowned as he glanced back at the main screen. On it, he saw an angel much like the previous four it had the shape of a man wearing a toga, with massive red, translucent wings that looked as if they had been chiseled from rubies. Its eyes had the same appearance. Unlike the previous four archangels, however, this attacker carried obvious weaponry a large round shield that looked like it was made of iron, and a huge sword of fire.

"Well convenient or not, we have to deal with this thing now," Misato replied. "I have a feeling that the ranged weapons probably won't work against the archangel's AT field, so we'll probably have to use the knives."

"I still think we need more information before we move in," Kouzou replied. The archangel swung its sword through one of the dummy buildings, neatly slicing it in two. It then slammed its shield into a tower, ripping it off its foundations and sending it flying across the city. Such strength, he thought, feeling vaguely uneasy. How can we defeat it?

"Well, our sources are limited," Misato noted, then asked, "Kaoru?"

"That archangel is named Uriel," Kaoru replied over the communication channel. "Father gave him the sword so that he could guard the Tree of Life. Beyond that, I know little about him."

"Do you know any weaknesses?Where his core might be?"

There was an embarrassed cough from EVA-05's entry plug. "No, I do not," Kaoru said. "Like Ihave said before, it is not something about which it is polite to ask."

Misato shook her head. "Well, we're going to have to work from basics then. Until we know for sure, we might as well assume that the core is in the same place that the heart would be if Uriel were human. Don't take any chances, though. We're not sure enough that the heart is the core for you guys to be making suicide charges," she said.

"Great," Asuka said."So we honestly don't have any idea how to attack this thing?"

"Don't be so glum, Asuka," Misato replied. "We have four-on-one odds, after all."

"It's not enough," Shinji whispered in his entry plug, but only Kouzou heard him.

The old man shook his head, thinking,We begin with four warriors to stand against one of the enemy. Yet... Ican't help but feeling it will come down to one a single light to shine against the darkness. He snorted, then leaned back in his chair. Wistful and melodramatic at the same time. I truly am growing old, he thought, How Yui would have laughed at that. He focused his eyes on the screen showing Unit One's emergence on the surface. Will you protect him today, Yui? he wondered, Will that be enough?

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Keep your eyes on the sword," Kaoru suggested, "You do not want to have it hit you."

"I could never have figured that out on my own," Asuka muttered. Her Eva was approaching the gigantic archangel from the north, and she could see Rei's homing in on the monster from the opposite direction. Shinji and Kaoru were converging on Uriel from the east and west, respectively. All four Evas were moving slowly from building to building, so as not to draw the attention of the archangel before they were all in position.

It hardly mattered, of course. Like Jophiel, Uriel seemed oblivious to their presence. He simply used his sword and shield as demolition machines, slicing buildings in two or simply toppling them with bashes from his shield.

"Well, how should we do this?" Shinji asked. He clenched his right hand reflexively, then allowed it to relax, not noticing that his Eva mimicked the action while maintaining a grip on its progressive knife.

"I say we rush him. We'll gain the advantage of surprise," Asuka replied.

"Perhaps we should be more cautious..." Kaoru began, but Asuka had already begun to charge the massive winged creature. "Damn!" Kaoru shouted, then started running himself.

Shinji and Rei sped up too, but Asuka hadn't given anyone enough warning. She reached Uriel several moments before the others, charging at full speed with her knife ready. The archangel reacted by slamming its shield into the head of EVA-02, sending the red giant flying head over heels into a skyscraper. The building collapsed from the force of the impact, part of it falling onto Unit Two's chest. Asuka cried out briefly, then bit her lip to choke off the sound, piercing her skin and drawing blood.

Uriel then turned to deal with Kaoru. The grey-haired boy went airborne to avoid a swing from the flaming sword just as Rei and Shinji arrived. They charged into the back and side of the angel, but met no resistance and collided in the middle. The two Evas staggered backwards while Kaoru swooped down on Uriel's head. He also felt no resistance, passing through the body as if nothing were there. Unit Five hit the ground hard, then jumped forward between the archangel's legs to avoid adownward strike from the sword.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Can anyone explain that?" Misato asked. No one replied, but heads shook all around the room. Misato snorted and racked her brain for some rational cause for the confusion. After a moment, she ordered "Try probing the angel's body to see where there actually is some matter. That's got to be where the core is."

"Doing it now," Makoto said, fear creeping into his voice.

"Kids, I want you to fall back for a moment while we try and figure out what exactly is going on," Misato announced into the communicator. She watched as the four Evangelions retreated from the archangel. After watching them for a moment, Uriel continued wreaking destruction on the area as if the Evas didn't exist.

Makoto cleared his throat."Umm, according to every probing mechanism we have, the body is in fact solid. It doesn't reflect certain long wavelengths of light, but since most of those can actually pass through matter, I don't think that indicates anything," he announced.

"Then we should start with what we know behaves like normal matter," Kouzou said. "Regardless of what our instruments tell us, there is something about the shield and sword that makes them different from the rest of the angel. That suggests with some degree of plausibility that the parts of the angel in immediate contact with those objects are the most like ordinary matter."

"The hands!" Misato exclaimed, then turned back to the radio. "Kids, you need to focus on Uriel's hands. I have an idea for an attack pattern..."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Everyone ready?" Misato asked.

"Yes," Shinji replied, and listened to the affirmative answers of the other three pilots. EVA-01 stood about 50 meters behind Uriel, with EVA-05 an equal distance to the front. EVA-00 and EVA-02 were nearly 100 meters to the left and right of the creature, respectively.

"Okay then, kids," Misato said. "Go ahead and attack."

Asuka and Rei made the first move. They began charging towards Uriel, each focusing on arriving at the nearest hand at the same moment. When they were halfway there, Shinji and Kaoru began to charge. Rei and Asuka changed their attack vectors at the last moment, Rei pulling up and leaping backward to avoid a blow from the shield, and Asuka throwing herself sideways off the remains of a building to avoid the arc of the sword.

Shinji and Kaoru arrived just as Rei and Asuka were countering Uriel's attacks. Shinji leaped for the archangel's left hand, which held the shield, and Kaoru grabbed for the right.

"I've got something!" Shinji yelled as his left hand closed around the massive digits which held the shield. He stabbed into them recklessly, hoping to find the core.

"Me too!" Kaoru shouted as he shoved his progressive knife through the palm of the archangel's hand. But Uriel seemed immune to pain. He swung his shield arm around so that the edge of the shield came into sharp contact with the back of EVA-05's head. Kaoru cried out, but held on. "A little help, please?" he asked, but there was no time for anyone to assist him. Uriel swung the shield again, and this time it cracked EVA-05's neck.

"Kaoru!" Asuka screamed.

Kaoru's eyes dilated in shock, and then he fell mercifully unconscious. EVA-05 crumpled to the ground, leaving its knife embedded in Uriel's palm. A moment later, the entry plug ejected. Relieved of the excess weight, Uriel swung his sword towards Shinji's Eva. Shinji dropped free of the shield hand just in time, as the sword passed harmlessly through Uriel's forearm and bit into the ground. As it did, Shinji caught a glimpse of something sparkling on the hilt.

"Damn you!" Asuka screamed, and charged in on the sword arm again as Uriel turned to follow EVA-01. Her knife slashed into Uriel's palm, but the archangel barely seemed to notice. He swung his arm up against a building, crushing Asuka against it again and forcing her free. EVA-02 collapsed to the ground, and Uriel raised its sword.

EVA-01, however, had climbed back to its feet. Shinji made it vault in front of Uriel, grab onto the sword's crossguard, and hold the blade back from Asuka. Uriel and Shinji struggled while Asuka shook her head, muttering. Rei drove in on the other arm, slashing against the hand that held the shield. She wrapped one of her Eva's arms around Uriel's wrist and then began hacking at the archangel's fingers with her prog knife. Two of them fell to the ground and dissolved into blood-red foam.

"The fingers are vulnerable," she announced as Asuka at last managed to regain her footing. Uriel noticed the change and jerked backward quickly on its sword. Shinji, who had been straining to hold the sword back from Asuka, immediately overbalanced and fell forward. Instinctively, he ducked into a roll, hoping to dodge Uriel's follow-up attack.

Uriel, however, had retrained his focus on the red Eva. With its sword free from Shinji's grasp, the archangel swung the flaming blade around towards Asuka again. She tried to jump out of the way, but stumbled in the rubble of the building she'd crashed into earlier. Her fall made Uriel's horizontal attack miss, but the archangel quickly corrected the swing and brought the sword down. Asuka tried to vault forward out of the line of attack, but she moved too slowly and the sword sliced cleanly through her Eva's right arm at the elbow.

Already somewhat dazed, Asuka was completely stunned by the pain. Instinctively, she clutched at her arm as liters of fluid leaked through the red fingers of her Evangelion. Unable to even scream, she just sat open-mouthed in the LCL, her eyes wide and face twisted in pain.

Uriel grinned, his ruby eyes seeming to come to life with the fire of the sword. He raised his sword arm for one last, powerful strike. Shinji sprang for the archangel's hand, hoping to grab hold of the sword again, but he fell short just as Uriel swung. Asuka, frozen in pain, seemed not to notice. She just stayed kneeling in front of the ruby-winged giant, as if unwilling to avoid the certain doom that rushed towards her. At the last moment, however, EVA-00 dropped free of Uriel's shield arm and shoved EVA-02 out of the path of the blade.

Instead, the flaming sword cut all the way through EVA-00's torso.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Misato almost screamed in horror as the top half of EVA-00 toppled to the ground, leaving only the legs standing."Sever that neural link!" she shouted for the second time that day.

"Already done, but... it may be too late," Makoto said.

"What do you mean?"

"The neural circuits went into intense biofeedback loops when the sword touched the Eva. It's quite possible that Rei has experienced a level of physiological damage equal to that experienced by the Eva, or nearly so," Kouzou said, his face drawn. The glow of the monitor he was examining made his aging skin look like parchment.

"You mean..." Misato began, but was cut short.

"Blood has been detected in Rei's LCL the most likely source is the lungs," Makoto reported.

Misato turned back to the screen."Shinji, Asuka," she called, "You don't have much time! You have to defeat Uriel as quickly as you can so we can get medical crews in to help Kaoru and Rei. Rei'll die if we don't get assistance to her soon!"

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"You /bastard/!" Shinji shouted and charged the massive archangel. Asuka, whose head had cleared when she hit the ground again, charged also. She reached the angel first, plunging her knife into its shield hand. Shinji had to jump back to avoid adownward swipe of the burning sword. At that moment, though, he again noticed the sparkle on the hilt, right in the middle of the crossguard.

"Scheisse!" Asuka cried weakly as Uriel slammed her Eva against the ground. She coughed deeply and her Eva collapsed, no longer moving. This, however, had distracted the angel long enough to allow Shinji to make a final charge. He ran straight at the angel as quickly as he could. Uriel did not have time to swing the flaming sword, so he just thrust it toward Shinji's Eva, creating an easy-to-avoid counter.

Shinji, however, had not calculated his attack very well. Unable to redirect or stop his Eva's momentum, he simply charged onto the sword, impaling his Eva on the flaming blade. Shinji felt a horrific burning pain in his chest and coughed a cloud of blood out into the LCL. Still, he did not stop or slow his advance. With grim determination on his face he charged up the blade and plunged his progressive knife into the strange feature of the crossguard: a large ruby.

Sparks shot out of the ruby as the prog knife began to penetrate it. Uriel began battering EVA-01's head with his shield, pounding even more pain into Shinji's skull. Still Shinji pressed forward, working his blade deeper and deeper into the ruby, until at last it emerged from the other side. In that moment, Uriel at last disappeared, the entire structure of his body dissolving into a huge deluge of crimson foam. Gushing fluid from its torso, EVA-01 fell to the ground.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Brainwaves cycling erratically!" Makoto shouted as his hands blazed over the keyboard at ablistering speed. "Unit One is experiencing a catastrophic biofeedback event!"

"Pilot blood pressure is decreasing rapidly! Pulse rate and brainwave intensity are falling!" Shigeru shouted, working desperately at his own station. "Magi predict massive organ failure within minutes!"

"Dammit! Where are the rescue crews?" Misato asked, her voice on the verge of shrieking.

"They're having trouble getting through the debris... they don't want to damage the trucks," Makoto reported a moment later

"I don't give a /damn/how scratched up their precious trucks get!" Misato bellowed. "Their orders are to retrieve the pilots from the plugs immediately. All non-piloting personnel and equipment are expendable!"

"Major Katsuragi," Kouzou interjected calmly from the top level of the bridge. Misato turned to him, and he continued, "The crews are doing all they can. Please go down to the infirmary to begin arranging critical care for the pilots. Lieutenant Hyuga, give the Major an ETA on the rescue crews."

"Ten minutes," Makoto replied, looking almost frightened. He gnawed his lip for a moment, then continued, "There's a lot of rubble out there, sir."

"Well, it can't be helped now. Major?"

"Yes sir," Misato replied, then stalked out of the command center. She hated this empty sensation in her heart, this feeling of helplessness. As soon as she safely reached the hall, Misato slumped against the wall and took a deep breath. I can't lose my focus now, she thought, The children need me. She steadied herself, then began walking towards the elevator. She struggled to hold back her tears as she pressed the button for the infirmary.

Asuka and Kaoru would come through this all right, after some rest. But even though she wasn't a doctor, Misato knew what the information displayed on Shinji's and Rei's monitors meant. Shinji,/she thought, /Will I have a chance to fulfill my promise to you?

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Busy draining a can of beer, Misato almost didn't hear the quiet knock on her door. Nonetheless, the sound caught her attention enough that, when it repeated after she finished swallowing, she got up and opened the door. She expected to see Makoto or perhaps Hikari, so she was surprised to find Maya waiting for her on the other side.

"May I come in?" the young scientist asked.

Somewhat confused, Misato nodded silently and stood to the side. Maya entered and removed her shoes, then said,"Misato, I... I need your advice."

"What about?" Misato asked, leading Maya into the living room.

Maya looked around somewhat nervously and asked, "Is Asuka... is she here?"

"Yeah, but she's asleep in her room. They let her out of the hospital this morning, but she still looked and felt pretty awful. I made her go to bed almost as soon as we got back here. After we had some take-out of course. There's no way I could cook right now, not even instant."

Maya nodded, "I know. I wish I had been here when it happened. I know I'm not the best scientist in the world, but I can't help but think if I was in my place during the last battle and not in America with Gendo..." She shuddered slightly at the Commander's name.

Misato raised her eyebrows, made suspicious both by Maya's referring to the Commander as 'Gendo' and by her shivering at the name. With the Major, one beer didn't even take the edge off. She realized immediately that this might be one conversation she'd never wanted to have.

Maya, oblivious to Misato's suspicion continued, "Did you go see Shinji today?"

Misato nodded slowly. "It's hard to go, though. He's made so many sacrifices during this whole war, faced so much pain. I'd almost say I was relieved to see him in a coma so he wouldn't feel pain anymore, but... his face still looks so drawn and pale, like he's hurting even in that deep sleep," she said, slumping down onto the couch."I almost can't bear to look at him like that, and neither can the kids. Kaoru always looks like he's about to cry when he's there, and Asuka can barely stay in the room for ten minutes before she gets scared and has to leave. I'd tell them not to visit Shinji, but I think that would probably make things even worse. If they didn't have each other to lean on, they'd probably have gone insane by now."

Maya sat calmly in a chair."I wish I could help more," she said wistfully, "But in so many ways, I just can't replace Ritsuko."

Misato nodded, then recognized astrange undercurrent to Maya's words. Gazing intently at the young Lieutenant, she asked, "What did you want to talk to me about, Maya?"

"I... when Gen... the Commander and I were in America and heard the news about Uriel's attack, he didn't seem fazed at all. It was almost like he had expected it to happen, and had intentionally gotten us out of the country while it did. That made me suspicious, but I never would have guessed...

"When I got home, I found anote shoved under my door-and I recognized the handwriting as Ritsuko's. Idon't know how she got it to me but, as I read I realized I... I was such an idiot!" Maya said, her voice nearly breaking. "I was so flattered when... he could be so caring...

Misato's jaw dropped, and she stared wide-eyed at Maya. After a moment, she collected herself enough to say,"You're having an affair with Gendo?"

"He just seemed so... tragic. At NERV, he acted so coldly towards everyone, but around me he was so kind and gentle. He told me... he said that his behavior was a shell to protect his heart." She sighed, and a tear rolled out of her eye. "I was a fool," she continued, "It was all a lie. It seems I took Ritsuko-sempai's position in more ways than one. Gendo was just trying to control me."

"That's what he does best," Misato said, her expression softening. "You can't blame yourself. More experienced women than you have fallen victim to him."

"That's not all," Maya said.

"What?"

"I tried to figure out what made him do it, what made him decide to... take me like he did," the younger woman replied. "I think... I think he did it because I got curious about Rei. He first... seduced me... shortly after I started asking him some questions about her."

Misato sat back and thought for amoment, trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together. "What exactly happened?" she eventually asked.

"One day I asked him why nobody had done a genetic screen on Rei, and suggested that I should do one. He told me to see him in his office at the end of the day. When I got there, he was looking at a picture of his family from back when they were all together and... he was crying. I immediately forgot about the whole idea," Maya explained. She dropped her head into her hands. "I've been such an idiot," she moaned.

Misato sat silently for a few moments, then responded, "Well, I think you know what you have to do now."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The IV drip was whirring quietly, injecting another dose of needed nutrients into Shinji's bloodstream. The dimmed lights in the room made it easy for Asuka to read the display as it counted down the seconds until the injection ended. She stared listlessly as the numbers slowly decreased to zero, then sighed as the whirring stopped.

She pulled her chair closer to his bed, then relaxed into it. Very gently, she reached out and grabbed his hand. At first, she squeezed it tightly, but she quickly let off the pressure, as if she feared to injure the boy. The German girl sat staring at Shinji for several minutes, then began speaking very quietly:

"Shinji, I don't know if you can hear me... I don't even know if I want you to hear. I've been... I've been so confused ever since we faced Azrael. I've never let people know how I really feel about them. I guess I'm a little like you afraid to let people into my heart.

"Recently, I've felt... I've felt torn. I was so happy after I woke up. I had what I wanted: my life back, and success with the Eva. Hikari was happy, you were happy, Rei was a normal girl for a while...

"But last week I failed you. I failed you all, and now you're hurt and Rei's dying. I feel the same pain chasing me again, the pain that made me run away last time, and...

"I don't want to run away, Shinji. I want to stay here. I... I... I'm so afraid, though. I don't know how I can deal with that shadow... my mother... What I'm trying to say, Shinji, is... I... I need you... and... I love you. Please... please don't leave me."

The unconscious boy did not reply. Asuka sighed deeply. "I guess you'll never know how I feel," she said after a long pause. "I don't think I have... the strength... to tell you when you're awake."

She sat there for half an hour more, silently watching the boy sleep. Then she gently pulled back her hand, quietly pushed back her chair, and retreated from the silent room.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Asuka?" Makoto asked, causing the redhead to whirl around in surprise. She had just shut the door to Shinji's hospital room, and the sudden arrival of the technician had almost made her jump out of her skin. She took a moment to catch her breath."Sorry," Makoto said. "I didn't mean to startle you."

Asuka finally calmed herself."It's nothing. I've just been a little... edgy lately. I have a stressful job, you know," she said.

Makoto smiled ruefully."Yeah, I've noticed," he said, "I wanted to give you something that I hope will make it a little less hard on you." He held out small DVD disc. "You know there are cameras in the rooms, right? And that they have sound equipment?" he asked.

Asuka nodded. She had carefully placed her bag in front of the microphone in Shinji's room before she talked to him.

Makoto placed the disc in her hand. "Any of the machines in the complex will play this back for you," he said, "I thought you'd want to have it, in case..." He trailed off into silence, then added, "Just watch it, okay?"

Asuka closed her hand around the tiny disc and put it into her bag. "I will," she said.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Magus Caspar: Access DENIED

Ritsuko dropped her head into her hands. All her expertise and knowledge about the Magi had gotten her nowhere with this task. The files she wanted were too well protected by her mother's creations. Every program, every worm, every method of infiltration she had tried had failed against the stalwart defense of Ikari's private files. Frustrated, Ritsuko called up the passive interface.

When she worked at NERV, Ritsuko had often typed aimlessly in the passive interface as a kind of communication with her mother. Now she typed with a purpose, half-hoping (though she knew it was ridiculous) that the part of the supercomputers that had her mother's personality would hear and help.

Ritsuko typed:

acc req dir\\Command\Ikari_G\Instrumentality\

Ritsuko didn't expect it to work. The command "acc req" was just the most basic request, and called for the Magi to compare the user's credentials against the requirements to access the specified directory. With her hacked user identity, she hadn't managed to get the required credentials. Ritsuko received her first answer in moments.

Magus Melchior: Access DENIED

Ritsuko's fingers began to dance across the keyboard instantly, sending in her next message before Balthazar could respond.

why are you protecting him, mom?

The Magi responded quickly:

Magus Balthazar: Access DENIED

Ritsuko's fingers leapt to life again.

dammit mom! he never loved either of us! he only wanted his wife back!

After a moment, the Magi returned their third response.

Magus Caspar: Considering...

Ritsuko watched the screen for a moment, and then her eyes widened as she realized that Caspar was still considering.

mom he killed you and he almost destroyed me! don't shield him!

Magus Caspar: Considering...

mom help me! please don't let him kill us both.

Magus Caspar: Considering...

Mom

Magus Caspar: Considering...

mom, I love you. please, save me. help me save the children.

Magus Caspar: Considering...

please, mother

Magus Caspar: Access

Ritsuko held her breath, then almost sobbed as she saw the final decision.

Magus Caspar: Access GRANTED

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Asuka gave up on the doorbell and began pounding her fist on the door to Kaoru's apartment. "Dammit you jerk, where the hell are you?" she shouted.

When the door did not reply, she kicked it in frustration, ignoring the pain the action caused her foot. Still, the door had no reaction. Asuka slumped against it and slid down to the floor. Where can he be? she silently demanded. She had scoured Tokyo-3 looking for the fallen angel, looking in or calling every place she had ever seen Kaoru even to the point of returning to Shinji's hospital room on the chance he might have gone there. Asuka sighed ruefully. All her efforts had been for nothing.

She looked down at the small disc that was still in her hand... the disc she had not let leave her palm since she pulled it from the player back at NERV. She stood and slowly walked down the hallway, ignoring the stares of a few tenants who had seen her angry display. Asuka walked into a waiting elevator and pressed the button for the ground floor, slumping against the wall as it began to descend. "Kaoru," she whispered, "Where are you when I need you?"

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The simple sign outside the small room perfectly expressed its nature. The sign read, "Interfaith Chapel," and the circular chamber only a few steps away certainly was. Ten marble panels spaced by simple Doric columns made up the walls. The generic mandalaic pattern inlaid in the white tiles of the floor could have suited any of a dozen religions. Soft fluorescent lights recessed in the tops of the columns created a diffuse white glow across the domed roof.

Kaoru knelt in the center of the circular room, his face turned towards the floor between his knees."Father," he said quietly, "Give me guidance, I beg you. I am lost. I fear so deeply for Shinji's health, Asuka's mind, Rei's life... I know you have given me the pieces of the puzzle, but I cannot put them together. Ihave not the wisdom to see how the edges fit. Please, father, give me the inspiration..."

He sighed, then continued, "I know that the time approaches, Father, and that the Adversary comes with it. Ishall prepare myself and the others for the challenge as best I can, but I know I have missed something important. I sense the edges of the key, but I do not yet see how it opens the lock. I pray you, guide me to that key, and I shall do what must be done. Thank you, Father. Allahu-akbar."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The only light in the briefing room emanated from the screen located at its front a screen playing a single loop of video over and over. The sole person watching the display sat in her customary chair at the front of the room, her glistening eyes glued to the screen as if it were her only path to salvation. Occasionally she brushed tear-dampened strands of red hair out of her face.

The screen showed a dim hospital room, where a haggard-looking boy sat in a chair, holding the hand of avacantly staring girl lying in a bed. A tear rolled down the boy's cheek as he quietly said, "I'm so sorry Asuka. I... I'm useless. Everyone hates me. But... But I... I... I l... love you."