From: david_templar@my-deja.com

The Child of Love 2: End of the beginning
(not much of a title, eh? Just call it TCoL2, please)
Before starting reading the story, you should read *THIS* :

It's my FIRST attempt at writing a fanfic in Any language. I'm
Chinese/Canadian and has already done NO fanfics in ANY language.
Unfortunately, it seems there isn't many Canadian people interested in
fanfics/Evangelion.

This story will be a continuation of Child of Love, from after Teri's birth.
It will also include semi-side-stories about various important aspects of the
TV show, and something I come up with myself. There will be much more of Rei
than the original, but Asuka is still the main character. Much thanks to Axel
Terizaki, for creating Child of Love; and Flashman, for coming up with the
short story named "She's *WHAT*?" (Flashman webpage:
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/borisd/) (Axel webpage: http://asukanotebook.tsx.org)

Neon Genesis Evangelion is brainchild of Hideaki Anno, and the property of
Gainex. This fanfic is not making any money, so suing me is pointless.


NEON GENESIS EVANGELION
Chapter #1:0 			Illusion of peace/Illusion of truth

Asuka, looking down at Teri, who was still sleeping: "Shinji, can you see
her?"

Shinji looked at Teri too.

Asuka, smiling warmly: "Shinji. This is your daughter, this is our little
girl. This is *Ikari* Teri."

Shinji was, too, smiling.

Asuka, softly: "And¡K I'm sure that she'll be as proud as me to be part of
the Ikari family, 'anata'." --- The room is completely black, there are no
source of illumination anywhere. The room has been there since the beginning
of time: it has seen the rise of the world's greatest empires, how they were
manipulated like children, and how they fell. The room is ancient, and so are
its occupants. In the blink of an eye, 8 monoliths, as black as night and lit
from an unseen source, shatters the room's darkness.

"And so we have returned to our proper place in this world" said the monolith
labeled SEELE 01.

The monolith labeled SEELE 03 boomed, "that fool Ikari! He thought that he
can be rid of us so easily."

"And that foolish double agent of the JMI, he will pay dearly, as well!"
added SEELE 07 [JMI = Japanese Ministry of Interior]

"Of course, the removal of Gendo was not in our original scenario" SEELE 04
commented.

"Neither was 'her' birth", said a concerned SEELE 05.

"And with Ikari gone, how do we know we can still control NERV?" asked SEELE
06.

SEELE 01 cut them off, "the control over NERV is being seen to. The scenario
will be altered to conform accordingly, it might be delayed, but it will not
be stopped."

In unison, all of the SEELE members called out, "we wish to return to our
rightful place in heaven, and nothing on Earth will stand in our way".

Just as sudden as they had appeared, the monoliths vanish, returning the
ancient room to its usual darkness. Until the next time. --- A week later It
has been over a week since Teri's birth, and after rigorous physical
examinations, mother and daughter are both free to return home. Ritsuko,
Misato, and Kaji brought the much-awaited news to the couple.

"Great! Teri and me can finally get out of this place now!" Asuka cried out
happily as she cuddles Teri closer to her. Teri is busy helping herself to a
quick meal.

"Ritsuko-san, are you sure they're both alright? I mean, I don't want to rush
things, it's only been a week¡K" a concerned Shinji inquired, from his seat
beside Asuka's hospital bed.

"BAKA! Teri and me have been stuck in here for OVER a week! If we don't get
out of here soon, Teri is gonna think this IS her home!" said Asuka in a
booming voice, so loud that everyone in the room winced.

Ritsuko slowly removes her hands from her ears, managing to interrupt Asuka
before she can start again, "Shinji-kun, Asuka and Teri are both fine, I've
ran every medical test I can come up with on them".

That got Asuka started again, "And THAT TOO! You've put me through even more
tests than when I was piloting Eva! Teri, too! Shinji, come closer".

"Huh?" Shinji leans closer, only to be grabbed by a surprisingly strong Asuka
by the collar, "Aaaahhh!"

Asuka pulled Shinji close, real close, and looked him straight in the eye
with her bright blue eyes.

"Shinji, me and Teri are both fine, and we're all going home, understood?"
Asuka said through an evil grin. Before a very nervous Shinji can respond,
Asuka kisses him passionately, cutting off his words. Teri looks up in
amusement at the couple, and smiled.

All the while, Ritsuko, Kaji, and Misato are watching, with baseball sized
sweat drops and super arched eyebrows.

"Err¡Khmm¡K" was all the Misato can manage.

"Let's go¡K" begin Kaji.

"Outside¡K" continued Ritsuko.

Misato finished by fleeing out the door, followed closely by the other 2
adults.

After about 2 minutes, Asuka let Shinji up for air. She smiles down at Teri.

"Hear that Teri-chan? We're going home!" cheered Asuka.

All Teri did was to giggle at her father, who is lying on the ground, gasping
for air. Asuka smiled, until she looks at the window, and saw her own
reflection in the glass. Very much like a woman holding a toy doll.

"I want to go home¡K" she whispered.

Only Teri heard her mother's quiet request, and she answered by cuddling
closer against her. --- Few days later Shinji collapse into his chair/desk at
school, it is his first day at school in 3 weeks.

"Ikari!" before Shinji could respond, Hikari, Touji, and Kensuke surrounded
him. They bombard him with dozens of questions, "Where were you?" "What have
you been doing?" "How's Asuka?" "How's the baby?" "Isn't she due weeks ago?"
"Why haven't we heard from you?"

All Shinji could do was to look straight ahead. Much like Rei, who was
sitting a few seats away.

"Shinji?" asked Touji, he taps Shinji lightly on the shoulder¡K

¡KAnd Shinji proceeds to fall limply out of his chair.

"My God!" said Kensuke, "he was sleeping with his eyes open!"

All Hikari could do was giggle at Shinji, who's now slowly awakening.

"So Shinji, taking care of a baby is harder than you thought?" inquired
Hikari, smiling.

"How can you tell?" Shinji mumbled weakly. He begins to tell about the late
night feeding, diaper changing, and other horrors. By the time he finished,
he was completely surrounded by the entire class. Apparently, being a young
father draws more attention than piloting an Eva and saving the world.

Comments and questions assaulted Shinji from all sides.

"Hey, way the go Ikari!" "Knocked up the prettiest girl in school, eh?" "Told
you they'd be together!" "Ikari, you're a pig!" "Can we see the baby?" "Does
she look like you or Asuka?" "Are you two gonna get married now?" "How is
Asuka doing?" "Who changes the baby's diapers?"

Just before the class overloads a weary Shinji with questions, the school
bell goes off. As the elderly teacher takes his place at the front of the
class, Hikari calls out: "All arise! Bow¡K" --- (To properly capture the
spirit of Axel Terizaki, this author will now ramble on insanely¡KHAHA, I
CONTROL WHAT YOU READ, ALL BOW BEFORE MY GREATNESS!! Thank you for your time,
now for something completely different.) --- Back at NERV Headquarter Former
vice-Commander Fuyutsuki, now Supreme Commander of NERV, sat in his office.
The once dark and gloomy office of Gendo is now brightly lit, furnished with
some plants, and the desk has been changed. But the large painting of the
Cabala remained untouched. Fuyutsuki was staring out the window, when
Vice-Commander Misato entered the office, and covered the long distance
between the entrance and the desk.

"Commander Fuyu¡K" she began, but was interrupted.

"Fuyutsuki will be fine, how are the kids?" asked Fuyutsuki, with the usual
weathered smile across his face.

"They are fine, sir, I have finished with my investigation of our security
section," she holds out a clipboard, "all the suspected personnel are on the
list".

Fuyutsuki skims through the list and brushed back his light-gray hair with
his right hand.

"That's almost the entire security section¡K" The list includes security
agents assigned to keep watch over the Children. Fuyutsuki sat down, but got
up a second later. I don't think I'll ever get use to sitting there, thought
Fuyutsuki, I should have gone back to the university; I do not want the
things that comes with this job.

"They all have been relieved of duty," replied Misato, interrupting
Fuyutsuki's train of thought, "and escorted out of the city".

Fuyutsuki is once again looking out the window, frowning this time.

"He never looked out the windows, despite having the best view of the whole
place." He commented, "now all he will see is the walls of his cell, how
ironic". He turns to Misato. "I've asked Dr. Akagi to join us, as
Vice-Commander, you need to know the truth about NERV". The sound of the door
sliding open and someone walking towards them can be heard.

All of a sudden, Misato wishes she hadn't taken the Vise-Commander position.
--- 600m below NERV Headquarter In a dimly lit and poorly furnished cell,
sits a man. Despite the fact that there is almost no light, he is wearing
tinted glasses. Sitting at a small desk and holding his hands together in
front of his mouth, he stares at the wall, apparently deep in thought. Every
now and then, he would mutter something too quiet for the security
microphones in his cell to pick up. For the thousandth time since Gendo
entered the cell, he whispered the question again. --- Misato/Ikari
residence, hours later Asuka finally manages to make Teri comfortable, so she
would take a nap.

"Good girl," said Asuka, "mommy's gonna take a bath, you just rest" She picks
up Teri's pacifier, and puts it on a table across the room. She then goes to
the bathroom and begins testing the water's temperature. A few minutes later,
she is immersed in hot water.

"Hmmm¡K" was all she could say, as she relaxes from several nights of
restlessness.

Minutes later, Shinji arrived home.

"I'm home¡K" he called out, and immediately fell asleep on the couch. Taking
care of a baby and returning to school has proven to be too much for the
teen.

Short time later, Asuka exits the bath wrapped in a towel.

"Shin-chan, is that you?" she finds him asleep on the couch. Smiling, she
pulls a nearby blanket over him, and kisses him on the cheek. She then goes
to check on Teri, who was now awake.

"Well, at least your father came to see you before passing out, and got you
your pacifier" she smiles at Teri, who's sucking on her pacifier. ---
Transport shaft Z-999, NERV Headquarter For the 12th time in an hour, Ritsuko
glances nervously at Kaji, whose usual childish smile has been replaced with
that of a more serious expression.  Another passenger in the elevator caught
the glance.

"Ritsuko", begin Misato, "I thought we agreed that Kaji needs to see this".

"Yes, but¡K" Ritsuko looks down at her feet, with a very concerned expression
"it's just that I've been guarding these dark secrets for so long, and now
everything coming into the light¡K"

"It wasn't your fault, Ritsuko, Gendo used everyone" said Kaji, as he looked
out the glass elevator. The lift has been descending for the past 30 minutes,
and yet it still continues to travel down what seems a bottomless shaft.

For the first time since they entered the lift, the 4th passenger speaks.

"I don't come down here very often," said Fuyutsuki. --- Terminal Dogma, NERV
Headquarter After 10 minutes of walking from the elevator, the 4 finally
arrive at the first destination of their tour. In front of them stood a pair
of doors of enormous proportion.

"Heaven's door" was all Ritsuko said as she swiped an ID card through a
device on the wall. The lights on the device switched from red to green, and
the door slowly opened outwards. The 4 continued inside, and came upon a
small yellow lake, with a huge cross in the center. A small NERV gunboat
patrols the lake, its crew surprised at the visitors.

An astonished Misato and Kaji staggered towards the beach of the artificial
lake, while Ritsuko and Fuyutsuki watched on.

"That is¡K" gasped Kaji at the white figure nailed to the crucifix.

"Lilith?" asked Misato, who turns back and looks at the 2 NERV officials
who's been keeping so much secrets.

"It all began in 1999¡K" begins Ritsuko, as the 2 large door closes behind
them, shutting them off from the rest of the world. --- Untold hours later
The group arrives at their final destination. They enter a large, dark,
circular room, with a strange glass and metal structure in the center,
attached to the floor and ceiling by twisting tubes. The only sound audible
from the darkness is the soft humming of pumping machinery.

Misato, who is understandably upset from the countless hours of walking, and
the fact that her view on the world had just shuttered like a vase, looked
around the room. She checks the time on her watch. Commander Fuyutsuki and
Kaji have long since left the group to discuss something.

"It's getting late," she said impatiently, "Shinji and Asuka will be worried
about me".

"Then I will make this quick", said Ritsuko. She pulls a remote out of the
lab coat pocket, and tapped a command in.

An amber colored light replaces the blackness of the room. The circular wall
of the room is in fact a large tank, filled with what appears to be LCL.

And bodies, countless pale, nude bodies.

Misato froze; all she could manage to do was to ask a simple question.

"Ayanami¡KRei?"

In unison, dozens of heads turned towards her, bringing their blood-red eyes
to bear. --- Misato/Ikari residence "Asuka, dinner!" called out Shinji, he
realized his mistake a second later, when a child's crying can be heard.

"Baka Shinji!" shouted Asuka, "she was finally asleep!"

"Sorry" Shinji apologized.

"Humpf!" was all Asuka said as she picks up the groggy child and gently
rocked her. Teri rubbed her eyes, and smiled at the mother. "Good girl! I
guess you take after your mother, not your father" She brought Teri into the
dinning area, where Shinji was placing the food on the table.

"Almost as loud as your mother" Shinji thought to himself, and Teri giggled.
Asuka placed Teri in a baby chair and started eating. It wasn't long before
Teri became restless.

"I think she's hungry" commented Shinji.

"Mother to the rescue!" said Asuka as she picked Teri up. She prepares
herself to breast-feed Teri. Shinji couldn't help but stare.

"What?!" asked Asuka, "nothing you've never seen".

"It's not that," he replied, "it's just that the way you're doing it, like
how a mother would¡K"

"Of course I'm a mother, dummkopf!" fumed Asuka, while Teri continues her
feeding. Shinji quickly changes the subject.

"I wonder why Misato isn't home yet?" he asked between bites.

"I dunno, probably working late again." Asuka answered, looking up from Teri.

Shinji thought for a moment.

"Asuka, I've got an idea, how about if I bring some friends to visit after
school tomorrow?"

"That a great idea!" said Asuka, suddenly excited. "I bet Hikari is dying to
see Teri-chan!"

"Yeah, Touji and Kensuke, too!" added Shinji, the mentioning of those 2 names
didn't go well with the red head across the table.

"3 stooges rids again¡K" muttered Asuka.

"Huh?" Shinji wasn't paying attention; he was finishing the last of his rice.
Asuka had already finished her dinner.

"I mean¡Kwhat about Wonder girl? She did help save my life, so it's only
proper to grant her visitation rights" she suggested as Shinji clears the
table. Shinji was quite astonished that Asuka would even mention Rei.

"Ayanami? Sure, I bet she'd love to see Teri-chan" he said.

Just then, Misato arrived home. After uttering out a weak "I'm home", she
collapsed on the couch, exhausted from the days' activities.

3 heads peered around the doorway to the kitchen. "Hi Misato-san!" 2 of the
heads called out in unison, while the 3rd just smiled at the woman.

"Misato-san, I kept dinner warm for you" Shinji informed her, and went into
the kitchen to get it.

"Thank you very much, Shinji-kun."

Asuka drop into the couch with Teri, right next to Misato.

"Say hi to your aunt Misato, Teri-chan." Asuka held Teri up, and she smiled
with joy and waved her little arms at Misato. That brought a smile across
Misato's tired lips, too.

"Can I hold her?" she asked.

"Of course you can!" was the reply.

"By the way Misato, the gang is coming over to see Teri after school
tomorrow" said Asuka as she hands Teri over to Misato.

"Rei, too" Shinji called out from the kitchen.

"Baka, isn't that what I just said?"

"Ayanami Rei¡K" was all Misato said as she held Teri in her arms.


END of Chapter #1.0 version 4, dated 06/09/99, roll credits with moon and Rei
backdrop, cue 'Fly me to the moon'

Author: Me, David Templar (<-pen name, don't bother trying to hunt me down,
you anti-Rei extremists out there) Co-author: Half-empty bag of jellybeans on
my table, various containers of ice cream treats that are now no more
*sniff*. And the 51 Eva mp3s playing over and over again. Ideas from: the
little chibi Eva characters inside my head talking to me telling be to do
things bad thing why won't they stop talking to me why why why why why?! Much
thanks to: Axel Terizaki, for creating such a wonderful alternate story for
Evangelion Many thanks to: Axel Terizaki, for letting me continue his
wonderful story All the thanks in the world to: Hideaki Anno, for creating
the original and simply magnificent story, thank you sir. Almost as much
thanks to: Vancouver Japanese Animation Club, for without them, I would have
never seen Evangelion, thanks guys! This fanfic cannot be created without the
influence of such beloved fanfic as: Child of Love (no, really?); EVA: R;
Garden of Eva; Evanjellydonut; some other ones, can't remember them all, but
they made a difference. Other thanks go to newsgroup Japan.anime.evangelion
and rec.arts.anime.creative, the Evangelion Encyclopedia webpage, various Eva
mp3 sites, SDAT, and the guy who lend me a copy of Evangelion manga, which
started the whole obsession.

About the author: He is a 17 year old living in Vancouver, BC, Canada. He is
an Ayanami Rei fan, but like Asuka very much, too. He has 51 Evangelion mp3s
(gonna get more as soon as he finds more), and a pack of collectable
Evangelion-Death: Rebirth card priced at $7.59 Canadian. His creative genius
can be attributed to the following: one too many blows to the head, too much
TV, too much day dreaming, not really having a life, and massive overdose of
Eva mp3s. For all those who'd like to comment on the fanfic, or the author's
sanity, please send a self-addressed envelope to Vancouver Psychiatric
Treatment Center, please include return address and postage. He likes to show
his appreciation by mailing back large suspicious packages. For a fast way to
reach him, his e-mail is damnit@intergate.bc.ca (no joke), or ICQ him at:
8155557 (nick: TheSaint).

If you read all of the above, you now are gonna be treated to something
relevant to the story.

Preview of next chapter/episode: Misato is in US attending a memorial for
NERV 3rd Branch, when it mysteriously reappears! EVANGELION Unit-04 is
recovered, but there is little clue as to what happened. The EVA is sent to
NERV HQ, and so is a new Pilot. The 4th seems to know Rei, but Rei doesn't
recall ever meeting him. What happened to the 3rd Branch? Who is this 4th and
what history does he and Rei share? Find out in the next chapter/episode:
Childhood acquaintance, long since forgotten. Oh yeah, there might or might
not be fan service, whatever that is!


Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Share what you know. Learn what you don't.

From: david_templar@my-deja.com

The Child of Love 2: End of the beginning

This Chapter/episode is dedicated to the memories of actor DeForest Kelley,
a.k.a. Dr. Leonard H. 'Bones' McCoy of the original Star Trek. All Trekkies
and/or Trekkers will forever remember his passing. -"Damnit Jim, I'm a
doctor, not a magician!"


NEON GENESIS EVANGELION
Chapter #2:0 		Childhood acquaintance, long since forgotten/Haunting Memories

Misato/Ikari residence Major Katsuragi Misato, Vice-Commander of NERV, checks
herself out in the mirror for one last time. Her new uniform is not fitting
as comfortably as it should, but that problem would have to be addressed
later. It does however, give her an air of authority like never before.

"Misato-san, why are YOU the one who's going?" asked Asuka, for the hundredth
time in 3 days. Shinji is standing behind her, holding a sleepy Teri clad in
pink baby clothes. It is an early Sunday morning, and they've all woke up
early to see Misato off.

"Because, Asuka, I am the Vice-Commander. And the Vice-Commander always gets
the pointless assignments, so the Commander can take care of the more
important ones" came the reply. Commander Fuyutsuki had pointed that fact out
bluntly 3 days ago. "Besides, I'll only be gone for 3 days."

"It's just that it'll be the first time you're away since when I was
pregnant¡K" Shinji comforted Asuka by leaning closer to her.

"Well, we've got a surprise for you!" said Shinji. Right then, the doorbell
went off. The door slid open and revealed Hikari, Kensuke, and Touji.

"Good morning!", they called out together, "we're here to see Major Katsuragi
off." As soon as they finished the sentence, they all rushed to gather around
the sleepy baby in Shinji's arms. "Awww¡Kshe's sooo cute!" "Thank goodness
she looks more like Asuka, eh?" *smack* "Keep your voice down Suzuhara,
you're gonna wake her up!" "But she is awak¡K.aaaww my ear!"

Misato is quickly forgotten.

"Thanks for seeing me¡Koff" she said with a melon size sweat drop on her head.

The doorbell ringed again, this time the door opens to reveal Kaji. Who is
his good-natured self.

"Good morning all!" he said with a smile.

"Awww¡Kcan't I hold her?" "Kensuke you can't hold anything bigger than a
laptop or a BB gun" "WHAAAT? I'm very strong!" "Yeah, and Shinji's a man" "In
bed he is probably quite an animal" "How vulgar!" *smack* "Not again!" Kaji
was completely ignored.

Misato walks past him and grabs his arm. "Let's get out of here¡K" The two
adults left the kids, they are driving down through the city a minute later.
The mood in the car is quite different from that of the apartment.

"Thanks for the ride, Kaji" said Misato.

"Anytime." He replied dryly.

"You will check on the kids while I'm gone, right?" she thought for a second.
"I can't help but think I forgot to tell them something¡K" --- Back at the
apartment "Hey, Misato didn't say we can't have a party!" said Asuka.

And there was much rejoicing.
---
Misato suddenly felt cold, but shook the feeling off.
"I'll keep an eye on the kids, they'll be fine" Kaji replied dryly.

"Have you decided what to tell the Ministry of Interior?" she asked, turning
to face him, "If they found out what's going on here from someone else, they
might¡K"

He didn't reply. --- Back at the apartment "So be it, we're gonna have a
party to welcome Teri-chan into this world!" cheered Asuka, who's cuddling
Teri.

"Asuka, are you sure about it? What if Misato-san¡K" Shinji didn't get a
chance to finish, a single glance from a certain German stopped him cold. She
leaned over to Shinji and whispered, "baka, we can also tell them about our
'plan' for the future". She smiled at Shinji with her lovely blue eyes.

"She's just looking for an excuse to have a party" whispered Touji to
Kensuke, who nodded in agreement.

"What are you saying Suzuhara?" said Hikari with a frown, her hands at her
hips, doing the Class Rep Lecture Deadly Attack.

"Noth¡K.nothing Hika¡KI mean class rep¡K" stuttered Touji.

Kensuke shook his head, "suddenly being single doesn't seem all that bad".
Suddenly, Pen Pen came into the room, he put a wing on Kensuke's shoulder and
nodded, then returned to his fridge. (hey, the bird needs SOME screen time,
oh BTW everyone is sitting on the ground that's how Pen Pen can reach
Kensuke) --- Special Flight 10 High above the Earth's atmosphere, a metallic
bird soared through the blackness of space. Its sleek lines and angular body
glistened in space like a star, as it silently traveled over the Pacific
Ocean. The single stage to orbit transport is most advanced aircraft to ever
take to the sky, but even its technology pales in comparison to what one of
its passenger works with.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking, our ETA to JFK
international airport is 2 1/2 hours" the overhead speakers informed the
passengers softly, most of them were already asleep. In the
semi-weightlessness of the craft, a young flight attendant was checking on
all the passengers. She came across the only waken passenger on the plane.

"Excuse me, ma'am, are you done with that?" she asked, pointing to a
partially sealed container of red wine.

Vice-Commander Katsuragi Misato snapped out of her trance, and looked at the
woman.

"No, I'm still working on it." The flight attendant nodded and walked off.
One of the pros of being Vice-Commander is being able to travel in style,
Misato thought. Picking up the container, she examined the red liquid
floating inside. She looks out the window, and compared the redness of the
wine with that of the Antarctica Ocean. --- John F Kennedy International
airport, 2 1/2 hours later The TST came to a halt on the runway, and slowly
turned towards the main terminal building. Minutes later, passengers began to
exit the plane. Misato was the last person to exit.

"Vice-Commander Katsuragi?" a young man in USAF uniform asked as she entered
the main terminal.

"Yes?" she said, turning to face him, her English flawless.

"I'm Captain Payne, your liaison officer" he saluted, and then offered his
hand. Misato returned the salute, and then shook his hand. "Major will be
fine."

"Of course, pleasured to meet you, ma'am" he said, "this way please". He led
her outside, towards a large USAF VTOL jet already starting its engines.

"Seeing as to the nature of this ceremony, we're really hoping we can get
Commander Ika¡Kexcuse me, Commander Fuyutsuki to host the memorial" he
shouted over the ear piercing noise made by the jets' engines. "After all,
over 3000 NERV and US military personnel lost their life in the accident".

Misato waited until they were inside the quiet confines of the aircraft
before responding.

"The Commander is unavailable," she simply said, as the VTOL took to the
night sky. --- Elsewhere "Congratulations on your promotions, Fuyutsuki
sensei" said the monolith labeled SEELE-01. 12 such monoliths, SEELE-01
through 12, surrounded a large table.

Why do they insist on calling me that? The man seated at the table thought.
"Thank you Chairman Kihl," Fuyutsuki responded politely.

"We called this meeting to discuss the situation at NERV and the progress of
the Human Complementation Project, now that Ikari Gendo is removed from his
position" continued the monolith.

"We have noticed a 'reorganization' of your Security branch," said SEELE-06,
"we are quite baffled at to the reason".

"They were under qualified" Fuyutsuki simply replied.

"But you have replaced almost all your most experienced Security agents"
added SEELE-04.

"Ok, so there was certification problem with we hired them" replied Fuyutsuki
smugly.

"We are also alarmed at your unwillingness to turn Ikari Gendo over to our
custody," said SEELE-03, tension evident in his voice.

"I believe the ex-commander is more useful at NERV headquarter" said
Fuyutsuki.

SEELE-01 cut off the debate, "those are all trivial subjects, what is
important is the progress of the Project" he said.

"As one would expect" begin Fuyutsuki, "with the sudden change of command
structure, the Project is suffering from minor delays".

"These 'minor' delays is being dealt with as we speak, correct?"

"Of course, I would not wish to delay the council's timetable" answered
Fuyutsuki causally, "it would not benefit anyone's interests".

"Very well, Commander, we will not keep you," said SEELE-01, "please continue
your excellent work, that will be all".

"Thank you" said Fuyutsuki, "I take my leave".

"One more thing, Fuyutsuki-sensei," said SEELE-11, "please extends our
regards to all involved in the bringing down of Ikari Gendo".

Fuyutsuki nodded, then he and the table disappeared.

"He has halted the Project," said SEELE-01, the monolith now replaced with
Kihl himself.

"We have replaced one problem with another," added SEELE-03.

"Such is the way the world works," SEELE-08 commented, snorting at his own
comment.

"It is not important," said Kehl, "the Project is at the point where it needs
no further human intervention. It cannot be stopped now".

"We need NERV to take care of the Angels, but soon that need will be over"
said SEELE-05.

"How is the production of the Eva series proceeding?" asked SEELE-10.

"The production is on schedule" answered Kehl.

"What about the Dummy Plug supply?" inquired SEELE-07.

"We have received the first shipment from Tokyo-3, but we cannot expect
anymore from them" replied Kehl, "a new production facility will be setup
here. If there's nothing else, I call this meeting to adjourn". --- NERV
headquarter, Tokyo-3 "They know," said Fuyutsuki, looking out his office
window, "the whole meeting was a sham".

"What will they do now?" asked Ritsuko, who is standing in front Fuyutsuki's
table.

"Nothing", Fuyutsuki turned around to face Ritsuko and smiled, "they need us
to deal with the Angels."

"What happens after there's no more Angels?"

"Something that we need to start preparing for," replied the Commander.
---
Former NERV 3rd Branch site, Nevada desert, USA
It looked very much like the result of underground nuclear detonation.

Warning posts surrounds the massive crater, or sinkhole to be more correct.
It was caused by the entire subsurface facility of 3rd Branch vanishing into
a Sea of Dirac, causing all the soil above it to sink down and fill the hole.
More than 3000 men and women disappeared along with the facility.

And one Eva.

"We are here today to commemorate the 1st anniversary of the 3rd Branch
incident" begin Misato, standing on the open-air podium. Hundreds of people
sat before her, listening keenly. "To remember all those who lost their life,
in the service of mankind. Their commitment and sacrifice ensure that
humanity will survive the attacks by the Angels, and step into a better
future". --- Central Dogma, NERV headquarter, Tokyo-3 Makoto, manga in hand,
stretched out lazily in his seat and yawned. Maya was in her seat, reading a
novel. Shigeru occupies another, with his guitar, pretending to play a tune.
The graveyard shift at NERV is always the quietest; Angels usually attack
during the day. Even the MAGI Super Computer was not fully occupied; all it
is currently doing is exchanging information with the other MAGI's in the
world. MAGI Houston and New York were running self-diagnostics; MAGI Hong
Kong and Berlin were going over some data from orbiting satellites; MAGI
Moscow and Tokyo-3 were testing each other's security protocols. Then
suddenly, another joined the conversation.

The signal from the newcomer was very weak, but it was definitely from a MAGI
mainframe. Which baffled all 6 MAGI's, since there is only 6 of them. The
confusion lasted for a nanosecond, as the MAGI's soon recognized the ID code
of the newcomer. Alarms started going off.

Makoto nearly fell out of his seat. Maya dropped her novel into her drawer,
while Shigeru dropped his guitar gently into its case and slide it underneath
his console.

"MAGI reports possible intrusion attempt!" shouted Makoto.

"Confirmed! Intruder is attempting to initiate data link with MAGI using ID
code of MAGI 7!" said Maya, typing madly, "beginning trace of intruder!"

"Intruder is using USAF communication satellites! Christ, how did they manage
that?" cursed Shigeru.

"Trace complete, the original of the intruder is¡K" Maya didn't get to finish
her sentence.

"Receiving Priority One signal from UN surveillance satellites!" shouted
Makoto, interrupting Maya, "high energy reading detected from United States!
It's off the scale!"

"Confirmed! The origin of the reading¡Kmatches with the origin of the
intruder¡KOh my God!" gasped Shigeru. --- Former NERV 3rd Branch site, Nevada
desert, USA It all happened so sudden, no one even had a chance to flinch.

Misato had just finished her speech, and was passing the podium to the next
speaker, when all hell broke loose.

At first, people thought it was an earthquake, but as they looked on in
horror, they realize what it was. The dirt filling the sinkhole of what once
was 3rd Branch was sinking deeper into the ground and giant cracks & fissures
were spreading from the hole. Dust covered the air, reducing visibility to
zero, and people could hardly breathe. Everyone was in a mad rush to get
clear of the area, trampling over each other to do so. The chaos out lasted
the actual event. It took 20 minutes for some sort of order to establish
itself. Many were injured in the confusion, but those who weren't looked out
in awe at what once was 3rd Branch's resting place, including Misato. Captain
Payne struggles through the crowd towards Misato, who's now just staring
motionlessly in one direction.

"Major! Thank God you're all right! I¡K" he looks at Misato's expression,
"are you injured ma'am? What¡K" he followed Misato's eyes, and what he saw
was forever engraved into his memory.

The hole was now empty, empty of dirt to be more exact. What fills the hole
now, is a large mass of pipes and blocky structures, all interlocking into
one.

NERV 3rd Branch, Nevada desert, USA, had returned.
---
Ikari/Katsuragi residence
Six glasses clinked together, and the cheer was complete.

"Welcome to the world, Teri" said Hikari, smiling at Teri. She was in her
mother's arm, and she smiled back, waving her little arms. The living room
was littered with food wrappers, pop bottles, and decorations.

"That's not all this party is for," announced Asuka, she elbows Shinji,
"well, Shin-chan?"

Shinji stood up from his seat beside Asuka, and cleared his throat,
"well¡Kum¡Kme and Asuka have decided¡Kwell¡Kum¡K" He couldn't get the words
out of his mouth. Asuka decided to takeover, and stood up, too. She flashed
the ring on her finger.

"We're engaged!"

All of a sudden, Hikari, Kensuke, and Touji's head all got very big as they
gasp in shock. Rei just sat there, and Asuka snapped off a triumphant look at
her.

"You¡Kyou've betrayed us¡K" was all Touji and Kensuke could say, as their
hands assumed the standard Deep Shock and Surprise position.

"Congratulations! I always knew you two were made for each other!" said
Hikari.

"We didn't" said Kensuke and Touji, in their minds they can already see Asuka
bossing Shinji around, husband and wife style.

A few minutes later, Teri suddenly stopped smiling, and looked eastward with
a blank expression. Asuka noticed.

"What is it, Teri-chan?" asked Asuka, she failed to notice that across the
table, Rei was doing the exact same thing.

All Teri did was to look at her with the same blank expression.

Later that evening The party had finally finished at about 1am, and everyone
else had gone home. Shinji and Asuka stayed up a bit later to clean up, while
Teri was fast asleep. After a little while, they too went to bed. Hours
later, Shinji rolled over in his sleep, and stretched his arm out. The
celebration had left him so fatigued that he didn't realize the person he
reached for wasn't there. Out on the porch, stood Asuka in the warm night
air, looking at the night sky. It is almost sunup. Most of the tears on her
cheeks have already dried, and she was slowly regaining her composure. She
looked down at the beautiful blue sapphire engagement ring on her finger.

"Shin-chan would never leave me," she said to herself, "I would never end up
like 'her'." She took one more look at the sky before returning to bed, where
her love was still unaware of her absence. --- Nevada desert, a day later "So
Makoto, what have you got for me?" Misato asked, while pacing her hotel room
with her phone.

"Well Vice-Comm¡KI mean Major (he almost forgot how much she dislikes that
title), yesterday at approximately 11:34PM standard Tokyo-3 time, MAGI
received a signal claiming to be MAGI #7" he begins. "At first we thought it
was an attempt to hack into the MAGI, but the origin of the signal was
verified to be authentic."

"That sounds about right."

"Yes ma'am, at about the same time, UN surveillance satellites picked up
strange readings from the same location. Dr Akagi has analyzed the readings
and determined it to be a Sea of Dirac" he continued, "whatever took the
facility decided it give a back."

"Any chance this could be Angel-related?" she asked.

"Dr Akagi said it was highly unlikely" answered Makoto, "the Blood type
remained orange throughout the event."

"So it was Unit-04's doing?"

"Apparently so, ma'am" he suddenly remembered something, "by the way Major,
the Commander wanted me to tell you that 'it didn't go well'."

"Thank you Makoto, keep me posted" said Misato, and hanged up. She frowned,
thinking about the Commander's message. Looking down at her watch, "the first
team should be entering the facility about now," she said to herself. --- Sub
level C, NERV 3rd Branch The group of men moved noiselessly through the empty
corridors. They are all wearing full biological and chemical protection
suits, plus heavy body armor and night-vision goggles. The point man
carefully walked ahead of the rest of the team, his assault rifle at ready.
Finally, they came to a set of heavy doors and stop. Just then, their radio
sprang to life.

"Unit Delta to Unit Alpha, Delta leader here, sub level A-B secured," said a
man on the other end, "no sign of any remains".

"Alpha leader here, copy that, we also haven't seen any bodies", the US Army
Captain looked around the area, "damn, there were over 3000 personnel in this
place, where the hell did they all go?" The Captain looked at the pair of
heavily armored doors, "anyway, we have reached the primary objective,
proceeding to investigate."

"Copy that, we are gonna check out sub level D, out" the transmission click
to an end.

"Alright, let's get the doors open" the Captain said to the other members of
his team through his suit's intercom, "you all know the drill." With that,
all the men took up firing positions along the wall, pointing their weapons
at the doors. A private went up to the door'' control panel, and pulled out a
NERV security card. After a brief exchange of words with his CO, the private
slides the card through a device on the panel, and the 2 doors slide open
sideways in the opposite direction. Needing no further invitation, the
soldiers assaulted the room.

It was completely empty, and almost totally dark. It was so dark, in fact,
the NV goggles couldn't function properly, and the Captain had to order
someone to find the light switch. Despite having been inactive for over a
year, the light snapped on without problem.

What the men saw overcame years of military training. Half the men were
simply froze, while the other half screamed or yipped. For before them, was a
face of immense proportion and ugliness.

Evangelion Unit-04. --- Main test hanger, NERV 3rd Branch, days later Misato
stood in the center of the platform overseeing the rest of the hanger, and
sighed. All around her, NERV and army personnel rushed around with cartload
of equipment or armfuls of files. Captain Payne showed up, with an army Major
in tow.

"Vice-Commander Katsuragi, this is Major Spencer, US Army" salutes were
exchanged "he was in charge of the teams that searched the facility."

"Well," begin the Army officer, "it's quite simple, we didn't find any
bodies."

Misato raised an eyebrow, "not one?"

The large man shrugged, "nope, no bodies what so ever, but we did find
something else." He mention for them to follow, "this way, please".

The trio headed for a part of the platform, where curtains have been setup to
obscure parts of the hanger wall and the door that leads to the hanger's
control room. 2 soldier guarded the setup; they stood aside and permitted the
3 officers to pass. Major Spencer held the curtain open for Misato and the
Captain. What they saw was completely unexpected. The wall in front of them
was covered with bullet holes, and a brown stain was smudged across the wall
and the floor. Misato bent down to examine the wall closer.

"Blood?" she asked.

"Yeah," answer Major Spencer, "there's enough here to be sure that who's ever
it was died as a result. We're running tests see who it belonged to, and this
is not all." They opened a bullet-marked door and went up a flight of bloody
stairs to the control room. Inside, there was more bloodstain, bullet marks,
shell casings, and smashed instrument panels. Various pistols, rifles and
other personal effects were also scattered across the room. Misato was
speechless.

"We're still going over the security records, but the files are badly
garbled," Major Spencer took off his cap and brushed his hair back, "from
what we've so far, all this happened during the Unit-04 S2 engine activation
test."

Misato took a deep breath, and walked to the large observation windows over
looking the hanger. She took note that a section of the thick glass has been
cracked by several bullet hits, and a bloody handprint has been smudged
across another. Taking a deep breath, Misato looks out into the hanger. In
the large hanger, stood the ugliest EVA she has ever seen. Evangelion Unit-04
has no distinct facial features, just like Unit-03; it has 2 eyes, just like
Unit-01. All EVAs are not what one would call 'pretty' but this one is
particularly ugly. The entire EVA is mainly silver/gray, black, and
occasional white and red. Not very inspiring color combinations.

"I want the Evangelion to be shipped to Tokyo-3 immediately," she said
without turning around.

"We were hoping to keep it around, just in case the investigation¡K" begin
Major Spencer, but Misato cut him off.

"Major, how do you know that Unit-04 won't disappear into another Sea of
Dirac?" she turned around and looked him straight in the eyes, "maybe it will
swallow the entire state of Nevada this time, who knows?"

"Err¡Kit will be on the next available flight to Japan" he sighed.

"Good" she said, turning back towards the window. "Now what the hell am I
suppose to do with it?" she asked herself. --- SEELE council chamber,
emergency session "This wasn't suppose to happen!" boomed SEELE-12.

As did SEELE-05 "Unit-04 was to be lost forever!"

"Gentlemen, please" pleaded SEELE-01, "calm down, the situation¡K"

"Is unacceptable!" screamed SEELE-12, "Evangelion Unit-04, with an
operational S2 engine! Now in NERV hands!"

"The power they've gained¡K" said SEELE-03.

"What went wrong?" asked SEELE-09.

"Whose fault is this?" demanded SEELE-06.

The room soon fell into chaos, as almost all of the members started talking
at once. SEELE-01 finally stepped in.

"Gentlemen, please!" Kihl said, "listen to what I have to say." The noise
died down, and Kihl begin to speak again.

"Our production of Unit-05 to 13 is on schedule, and each one of those Eva is
more powerful than anything NERV has or will have" he paused for a second,
"then, there's the issue with their pilot."

"What about it?" demanded SEELE-12.

"Currently they only have one pilot available, and let's just say" one can
almost see Kihl's smile through his monolith, "he won't be a problem when the
time comes." --- NERV airport, outside of Tokyo-3 The large, black,
triangular shaped jet slowly touched down on the longest runway available.
Attached to the aft of the YB-49 Type F Eva equipment was Evangelion Unit-04.
The black jet slowly lumbered to a halt, and a figure in red disembarked from
one of its doors. A car ferried her to the main terminal while the jet is
quickly led into a large aircraft hanger. NERV security personnel patrolled
the entire airport.

"Well Major," said Fuyutsuki as Misato entered the conference room "what have
you got for us?"

"Well sir, how does a brand new Eva sound?" she replied.

"But does it work?" he asked, "and what's to say it won't swallow Tokyo-3
with another Sea of Dirac?"

"I don't know sir, that's why we're here instead of in headquarter," Ritsuko
entered the room as Misato finished her sentence. She was dressed in her
usual white lab coat and was carrying a laptop.

Misato looked to the woman, "well Ritsuko?" The doctor had just returned from
the hanger where Unit-04 was taken, which is in fact a NERV test lab. She
placed her laptop on the conference table.

"From what I can tell so far, it's safe," she said, "whatever happened, it
wasn't the S2 engine's fault. The tests aren't complete yet, but that I'm
sure of."

The room grew dead silent; Misato turned away, and thought about the
bloodstained walls. She returned home later that day, and told Asuka and
Shinji about 3rd Branch and Unit-04 reappearing, but nothing else. ---
(Commercial break: Mail or wire a large amount of money to the author, and
receive your very own Child of Love T-shirt! Offer not available in some
countries, and Quebec. *The author wonders if he violated any copyrights with
that last comment* Now back to our show¡K Gotta catch 'em all! Pokem¡K Oops,
wrong show =) --- NERV 4th Branch, Beijing, New Republic of China The boy ran
through the corridors of the facility at break neck speed, as NERV personnel
quickly dodge out of his way, narrowly missing him.

"Sorry!" he called out as he disappears around a corner. He rushes into the
waiting room of the 4th Branch's Commander's office. The secretary waved him
in.

"Thank you," he said, taking a deep breath, he opened the door and entered.

The office of the Commander of NERV 4th Branch is nothing like that of NERV
headquarters. It is much smaller, with efficiency in mind instead of
intimidation. The Commander, a middle aged Chinese General, sat at a large
but simple desk. He was shuffling through a large pile of documents when the
boy entered and saluted.

"4th Child, reporting as ordered, General Liu." he said. The General gave him
a little smile.

"Takuma, how many times do I have to tell you that you don't have to do
that," he said, waving the boy to a seat across his desk.

"I'm sorry sir," he said, taking the seat, "I just can't help myself." He
smiled at the man, "so uncle Liu, what's up?" The General was a close friend
of the boy's father.

"Well Takumi," said the General, passing a large envelope to him, "looks like
you've finally got your wish." Takuma opened the envelope, and pulled out
documents inside. It was orders from Tokyo-3, he is to leave for NERV
headquarter immediately and take up the position of pilot for Unit-04. The
boy was speechless.

"Your father would be proud."

"Permission to¡K" Takuma begin slowly.

"Go ahead."

"Woohoo!" shouted the boy, jumping out of his chair and around the room.

"You mother and sister would be proud, too" he added, then realizes his
mistake. The boy's mood changed.

"They're not dead," he said, his voice lacking any emotion.

"Of course, I'm sorry Takuma," he quickly changed the subject. "Hey, don't
you have a friend at Tokyo-3?"

"Yeah!" Takuma's mood brightens again, "but I haven't talked to her in years,
whenever I try, they'd loose my letter or something."

"I'm sure she'd remember someone like you," said the General, he leaned
forward, "by the way, what was her name again?"

"Uncle, I must have told you a thousand times before."

"You did?" the General faked a surprised look, "well, my memories aren't what
they use to be. So what's her name?"

"Ayanami Rei."


--- NERV headquarter, Tokyo-3 Misato sat in what once was Fuyutsuki's office,
now her office. It was much bigger than her original office, and better
furnished. On this day, the room's lighting is reflecting the mood of its
occupant.

"The tests have been completed," Ritsuko's voice still echoed in her head,
"Unit-04 can be safely operated without hazard of another Sea of Dirac." She
put her face into her hands as the rest of the conversation ran through her
head. It was hours ago but she's still thinking about it.

"What about a pilot?" Misato asked.

"We have one that has completed his training with NERV 4th Branch, he's
designated the 4th Child. Another one is still in training with training with
2nd Branch and Unit-03 in Germany, he's the 5th" said Ritsuko. (ooo¡Kwho can
the 5th be? =)

"He will be placed under your care, if that is ok" Fuyutsuki said to Misato.

"Of course," Ritsuko then handed Misato the boy's files. That is what she has
been reading for the past little while. She didn't like what she saw.

Satori Takuma, designated 4th Child.
Age: 15
Nationality: Japanese

She paid particular attention to the family history.

Family history: Father, Colonel Satori Keneda, JSDF, deceased. Mother, Dr
Tsukino Seyoko, NERV weapons development bureau, last assigned to NERV 3rd
Branch, presumed dead. Sister, Dr Satori Kasumi, NERV weapons development
bureau, last assigned to NERV 3rd Branch, presumed dead. No living relatives.

"Why do all EVA pilots come from broken homes?" she asked out loud, "is it a
curse? Or a requirement?" She made a mental note to check the files of the
parents and the sister. Well, she thought to herself, at least 2 of the
children have made a new life for themselves. Only 2 more to go. ---
Ikari/Katsuragi residence, later that night "I'm home!" called out Misato as
she entered the house. She noticed several extra pairs of shoes.

"Hi Misato-san!" said Kensuke, Touji, Hikari and Asuka. They were sitting in
the living room with Teri. Shinji was cooking in the kitchen, his greeting
drowned out by noise of kitchen appliances.

"Hello Vice-Commander Katsuragi" said Rei, she was there, too. Her greeting
of Misato was met with strange looks.

"Rei, this is the last time I'm gonna tell you, Major Katsuragi will be fine."

"We were just leaving," said Hikari, as everyone got up and walked towards
the door. Asuka puts Teri's pacifier down on the living room table and
followed, holding Teri.

"Rei," said Misato, "can you stay for a little while? I need to talk to you."
She looked to the other kids, "NERV business." They nodded, said their good
byes and left. Asuka and Teri watched them go, "cya tomorrow!" Teri waved her
little hands while sucking on her pacifier.

"Hey," said Asuka, "where did you get that? I thought I put it back on the¡K"

"Asuka," interrupted Misato, "can you come here? I need to talk to you, too"
Asuka complied. Shinji was just coming out of the kitchen.

"Dinner's ready? Hey, is Ayanami staying for dinner?" he asked.

"No, the Major requested my presence for something," she replied.

"You, too, Shinji," said Misato as she entered the dinning room. The children
stood in front of her.

"I'll make this quick," she begin, "we're receiving another pilot for
Unit-04. We'll also be running the first synch test in while, the day after
he gets here."

"Really?" asked Shinji.

"Who?" asked Asuka.

"His name is Satori Takuma."

Rei frowned at the mention of the name, as if thinking hard. A strange
familiarity to the name, yet¡K

"Rei," said Misato, noticing her expression, "do you know him?"

"No," she said and left. Her expression said otherwise.

Later that evening The girl gasped, and shot up from her sleep. Her red hair
glistened in the moonlight from the window, sweat and tears streaked down her
face.

"Asuka-chan," said Shinji softly, sitting up also, "are you having nightmares
again?" Shinji had finally noticed her strange behavior a few days ago. They
both lay back down on the bed, he put his arms around Asuka and kissed her on
the forehead.

"I'll be fine," said Asuka, wrapping her arms around him, too, "because I'm
with you."

Across town
"Hey Rei," the little boy said, "let's go outside and play!"

"Hey Rei," the little boy said, "you're pretty!"

"Hey Rei," the little boy said, "I have a present for you!"

"Hey Rei," the little boy said, "you're my very best friend."

"Hey Rei," the little boy said, "we'll be friends forever."

"Hey Rei," the little boy said, "I have to move away."

"Hey Rei," the little boy said, "good bye."

Rei's eyes snapped open, and she slowly sat up. Her hair matched the shade of
the blue moon. She pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around
her legs.

"Whose memories are these?"

[silence¡K]

"I do not remember having them."

[silence¡K]

"Are they mine? They seem familiar, yet they are new to me."

[silence¡K]

"Anata dare?" [Who are you?] --- NERV airport, outside of Tokyo-3 The large
military transport taxied into the terminal. A large blue circle with a
white, 12-point sun labeled as a New Republic of China aircraft. Minutes
later, its sole acceptant disembarked. Misato was there to meet him. He
dropped his bags and saluted her as soon as he saw her.

"Satori Takuma," he said crisply, "4th Child, reporting as ordered."

Misato waved the salute off, "that's not necessary, I'm Vice-Commander
Katsuragi. But you can call me Misato." She smiled, "nice to meet you,
Takuma. Follow me, please." She led him to her car, and headed for NERV
headquarter.

"When will I get to see the other Children?" Misato was surprised that he
didn't asked about the EVA first.

"The 1st Child will meet us at headquarter, the 2nd and 3rd you will meet
later tonight," she said, "you should know that the 2nd and 3rd¡Khave a kid
and are engaged. I'm telling you this now so you won't be too surprised
later." Misato took a look at Takuma, who's jaw was dropped to so low that it
might fall off any second. He took a few minutes to gather himself before
talking again.

"What about my EVA?"

"You'll see that today," she said, "we'll setup a synch test for tomorrow.
You should be able to try the actual EVA the day after that."

"Cool," he said, "I get to see Rei and my EVA, all in one day!"

Misato frowned: why did she say she doesn't know you? She asked herself. ---
NERV headquarter, Tokyo-3 Rei rides up the incredibly long escalator, which
stretched over a hundred feet long. As she nears the top, she can hear
voices. As she arrives on the top, she sees the owners of those voices.

"She should be here soon," said Misato, looking down on her watch, "we're
early."

"Major Katsuragi," said Rei, announcing her presence. She noticed the boy
beside Misato.

"Ayanami Rei?" said Takuma, completely unprepared at what he saw. It was like
a dream. She slowly and graceful walked towards them, as if flowing on air.
He hasn't seen Rei since he was 5, and she is most beautiful girl he has ever
seen. Her pale, unblemished skin, her blazing red eyes, her fine blue hair¡K

"Yes?" Rei said, her eyes focusing on him.

"REI!" he shouted, and wrapped his arms around Rei in a big bear hug. Being
slightly taller than her, he was able to pick her up and spin her a couple of
time. Misato was amazed at the show of emotions, especially to someone like
Rei. "It's so nice to see you again! I missed you so much! Sorry about not
keeping in contact, but my family keeps moving. And for some reason, every
time I do write, they'd lose my letters. But that's all in the past now,
cause I'm here to stay." He realizes he's holding Rei off the ground, and
they're pressed tightly against each other. He blushed a deep shade of pink,
and put Rei back down.

"Anyway¡K it's so nice to see you again, Rei." He noticed Rei's somewhat
blank expression. "What is it Rei?"

"Anata dare?"

Misato quickly stepped in, "Rei suffered some serious head injuries a while
back, doctors say she have a case of minor amnesia." She moves to Rei's side,
and secretly nudged Rei in the back. "Right, Rei?" She said nothing.

"I'm so sorry Rei," said Takuma, sadness evident in his eyes, "I should have
kept in touch."

"They say she's gonna be fine, eventually. She's still the same old Rei you
knew back when you were kids." Misato forced a smile. Great, she thought, I
just had to lie to the 4th, on his first day here, not a good sign or
beginning. "So no worries. Why don't you go ahead, Takuma? I need to talk to
Rei for a second."

The boy looked at Rei, "I hope you get better soon Rei, later." He turns and
walks away. Once he was out of an earshot, Misato turns to Rei.

"Rei, I thought you said you don't know him. How comes he knows you?"

"I do not know," she said, and looked down at the floor.

"We really need to have a long talk, soon." --- Main EVA Hanger #3, NERV
headquarter "Wow!" gasped Takuma at Unit-04, "it's huge!" He leaned against
the railing to get a better look, most of the EVA was submerged in a pink
coolant. "So this is mine?" he asked eagerly.

"We'll, it's yours to pilot, if that's what you mean." Misato checked her
watch for the time. "It's getting late, let's get you settled in."

"Where would I be staying?"

"You'll have an apartment to yourself, one floor below mine." She answered,
"your belongings are already there," and led the way to the parking lot.
Misato phoned home on the way back, telling the couple their guest is on the
way. --- Ikari/Katsuragi residence "So Asuka," said Shinji, who's watching TV
with Teri, "what do you think the new pilot is gonna be like?"

"I dunno," she answered, entering the living room after getting some chips,
"but the last time a new pilot showed up, you ended up with a fiancee." She
smiled, "who knows, maybe this time Wonder Girl will end up with one, too."
She laughed hysterically at her own joke, the only person laughing. Then the
sound of the door sliding open can be heard.

"I'm home!" said Misato. Shinji passed Teri to Asuka, and they went to the
door to meet the new pilot.

"Hi, I'm Shinji." He shook the boy's hand. "This is Asu¡K" Asuka elbowed him
in the stomach. "Oww¡KI mean this is my 'lovely' fiancee."

"I am the Great Sohryu Asuka Langley," she said proudly, "nice to meet you."

"Yes, I've heard many things about you. I always thought that you were, well,
shorter." Asuka's face light up with glee at the comment. "And who's this
cute baby?" asked Takumi, although he already knew the answer.

"This is Teri-chan," she said, and gave Teri a squeeze.

"She looks like her mother," he commented.

"Damn straight!" said Asuka.

"Well," cut in Misato, "let's show you to your apartment." Before you get
Asuka going even more, she thought.

"Nice meeting you all, cya tomorrow," he said as the door slide close.

"I like him," said Asuka, "he's got brains."
---
Satori residence
Misato gave the keycard to Takuma, and let him open the door to his new home.

"This is quite nice," he said, "a little small though, but nice."

Misato looked at all the moving crates littering the floor, "I hope all your
possession got here." Takumi did a quick count of the boxes

"They're all here," he said.

"Well, I have to leave you now," she said, heading for the door, "you know
where to find me."

"Of course Misato-san, one floor up." He said with a smile.

"Goodnight Takuma," she quickly added before leaving, "the synch test is
tomorrow afternoon, don't forget."

"No problem!" The door closed, and he was alone. He went to the moving crates
littering the floor, and picked out one with a large color marking on it. He
pulled out a Swiss army knife and opened the box. From it, he pulled out a
large photo frame. It had a young baby and a little girl, and a very happy
couple. He smiled at his family, and placed the frame on the table. He then
pulled out a smaller frame, with a picture of a little boy and a little blue
haired girl. He placed that on the table, too.

"I'll never be alone."


END of Chapter #2.0 version 4, dated 06/30/99, roll credits with moon and Rei
backdrop, cue 'Fly me to the moon' (not the annoying sounding high-pitched
version, please)

Author's words: Ok folks, I'm sorry that I wasn't able to fit everything I
wanted to into this chapter. I made an error in judgement, so anything I
promised for chapter 2 but isn't here will be now a part of chapter 3. Thank
you for your understanding. By the way, I am still taking prereaders. The
position is down to only 1 spot, and some restriction will now apply. Like if
there's a guy and a girl fighting over the position, the girl wins. Also,
being a prereader DOES NOT MEAN you get to read the story first. It means you
get to read the rough draft and then respond with helpful suggestions and
comments. If you have any comments, please send them to. My e-mail:
damnit@intergate.bc.ca My ICQ: 8155557 Any feedback is welcomed, especially
positive ones.

Preview of next chapter/episode:
Angel attacks! And some other stuff¡Kme thinks.


Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Share what you know. Learn what you don't.

From: david_templar@my-deja.com

The Child of Love 2: End of the beginning

Neon Genesis Evangelion is brainchild of Hideaki Anno, and the property of
Gainex. The Child of Love is the idea of Axel Terizaki, I'm just carrying on
his legacy. I might also occationally poke fun at other Eva fanfics and anime
shows. This fanfic is not making any money, so suing me is pointless, sue
Axel instead, he's the evil mastermind =)

Author's mistake: Apparently Japanese names ending in 'I' are usually for
girls. Takumi will from now be Takuma. Thanks for understanding.


NEON GENESIS EVANGELION
Chapter #3:0 						First day on the job/Don't make me remember

Satori residence Takuma finished brushing his teeth and exited the bathroom.
Shaking off the last of his sleepiness, he went to the kitchen. Opening the
fridge, he discovers there's no food.

"Damnit, I forgot I just got here."

He pulled out his wallet and poured the contents on to the dinning room
table. He counted the amount of yen he had, "just enough for some grocery."
He packs the contents on the table, which included 2 small photos, back into
his wallet. He then made his way to the living room, where Misato was kindly
enough to have a TV waiting. After tripping over several half-unpacked boxes
several times, Takuma reached the remote and turned it on. He channel surfed
until he got to CNN.

"¡KThe Pentagon and the White House continues to deny allegations that the
accident suffered by NERV 3rd Branch was the result of a terrorist attack.
However, reliable sources indicate otherwise. Also, still no comments on what
happened to the base's personnel¡K"

The front door of the apartment can be heard sliding shut.

"Sports in 15 minutes." Announced the TV.
---
Ikari/Katsuragi residence
"WAAAAAAA!" cried Teri, whose diaper was wet and dripping.

"AAAAAAAH!" screamed Shinji, holding Teri and running through the hallway.

"Diaper, diaper, diaper," babbled Asuka as she chased after Shinji with some
clean diapers. She finally catch up to Shinji, and with lighting speed,
changed the diaper. Misato poked her head out of her room.

"Shinji-kun, you're gonna be late for school!"

"Oh no!" Shinji quickly picked up Teri and kissed her on the cheek, then
passing her to Asuka. He kissed Asuka on the lips, "be right back!" He kissed
Asuka on the lips, then dashed out the door with his school bag.

"Hurry back Shin-chan," Asuka carried Teri to the door to see the young
father running off.

"I'll give you a ride Shinji-kun," said Misato, chasing after him, "don't
forget the synch test this afternoon Asuka." With that, Asuka and Teri are
left alone.

Asuka sighed, "Synch test¡KI thought this was over¡K" Teri looked up at her
mother, and her little hands reached for Asuka's face.

"What do you want, Teri-chan?" Asuka smiled, "hungry?" Asuka stepped away
from the front door, which automatically slid shut.

A little while later, the doorbell went off. Asuka put Teri in her crib and
went to the front door. She found Takuma carrying several bags of grocery; he
had just finished some shopping.

"Good morning," he said cheerfully, "I just dropped by to say hi, hope I'm
not disturbing anyone" He looked around, "where's Shinji? Is he still
asleep?"

"He went to school, of course." --- Streets of Tokyo-3 The blue Alpine
Renault A310 took the turn at a very high speed, kicking up a cloud of dust
and almost skidding into the other lane. Cars honked their horns angrily at
the blue sports car. A police officer took note of the vehicle, but ignored
its violations due to its NERV license plate.

"Misato-san, what about Takuma?" asked Shinji as Misato accelerated the car
even more. Shinji pulled his seatbelt a bit tighter.

"The school year's almost finished, so he doesn't have to attend." Misato
shifted to another gear. "Almost there."

"Ok, Misato-san," he replied, and reached for the seat belt release. The car
entered the school parking lot and skidded to a halt.

"Later, Misato-san!" said Shinji as he opened the car door and ran for his
class. Misato floors the car engine and is gone before Shinji even gets 15ft
from the car. The sound of the car engine drew attention from all the class
beside the parking lot. Several pairs of eyes tracked Shinji from the parking
lot to the front door, including a pair of blood red eyes.

"Oh no, oh no! I can't be late again, not again!" said Shinji as he closed in
on the school's front doors. "Hikari is gonna shout at me again, Touji and
Kensuke are gonna mock me. I¡K" His sentence was cut off as he ran into the
automatic doors at full speed. He fell onto his back as the door slowly
slides open. Shinji lay on his back, his vision spinning. --- Ikari/Katsuragi
residence "School?" Takuma asked again, "Misato said because it ends this
week, I didn't have to go."

"That's good¡K" said Asuka. A silence comes over the two; Takuma looks at the
ceiling.

"Well¡K" he appeared nervous.

"Well what?" asked Asuka.

"I was wondering¡Kerrr¡K" stuttered Takuma, "how¡Kerr¡Kwell¡Kyou know¡K

Asuka sighed impatiently and took a deep breath, "look, Shinji's
no-good-father put something in my LCL that made my sex drive sky rocket and
then me and Shin-chan had sex because of that but we were also bored or more
to the fact I was bored and then I became pregnant with Teri-chan but since I
love Shin-chan there is no problem everything worked out for me just fine and
for Teri-chan and Shin-chan too" Asuka took a moment to catch her breath.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Takuma said with a raised eyebrow, "I was
just wondering how well you knew Rei-chan. You know, since you two are both
pilots and all."

Asuka's face changed to a shade of red resembling her hair. "Well¡KI¡KWonder
Girl? Not very well, because she's very to herself¡K" She paused for a
moment, and then stared at Takuma in surprise.

"Did you just call her Rei-chan?" she gasped. --- Tokyo-3 Public School
"Ouch¡K" moaned Shinji, rubbing his band-aided nose. Most of the class was
having lunch outside, only the 3 stooges and a class rep remains.

"This the 4th time in 2 weeks, Ikari!" scorned Hikari, "you'd be in real
trouble if you didn't have such a good excuse!"

Kensuke leaned over to Touji, who is leaning back in a seat behind Shinji.

"Still think about getting married and having children?" he joked. That
subject had came up several times during casual discussions ever since the
revelation of Shinji and Asuka's engagement.

"Shut up, she's gonna hear us¡K" He turns to Kensuke, "at least I have a
chance, otaku." That got Kensuke somewhat steamed, but before any comeback
can be formulated, a shadow came over the two.

"What are you two talking about?!" boomed Hikari, looming over the two
cowering boys. "Something vulgar, no doubt!"

"No, class rep! We're just talking about how school's out on Friday¡K" said
Kensuke, almost falling out of his seat.

"Yeah! And how Shinji would now have more time to take care of their baby!"
added Touji.

"And how there's¡Kan end of school dance this Friday," Kensuke turned towards
Touji, the sunlight glaring off his glasses menacingly. "Isn't there's
something you'd like to ask our dear and honorable class rep, Touji?"

"Well¡K" Touji uncharacteristically blushed, "Hikari, can I speak to you
outside?"

The two got up and exited the classroom together. A moment later, a girl's
laughter can be heard.

"So Shinji," moving to the seat beside him, "who are you taking to the
dance?" --- Later that afternoon Rei and Shinji waited a few blocks from the
school for Misato. This was done because Misato had to pick Asuka and Teri
up, and they didn't want to attract too much attention from all the students
at the school. As usual, Shinji was the one to break the ice while they
waited.

"So Ayanami, what do you think about Takuma?" he asked his usual gentle
expression.

"¡K"

"I know he just got here yesterday, but he seems like a very nice guy."

"¡K"

"Misato said he even gave you a hug," Shinji thought about how someone would
just hug Rei. "Do you know him?"

"No," she replied, looking up. "But I think I did."

Just then Misato arrived, with Asuka cradling Teri in the passenger seat, and
Takuma in the back.

"Sorry about the wait," said Misato as she got out of the 2-door car so they
could get in. Rei got in first, then Shinji got in. Takuma blushed as Rei was
squeezed against him. "Hi Rei¡K" he said, smiling at her shyly.

"Hello."

"Hi Shin-chan!" smiled Asuka, holding Teri up to Shinji, "guess who misses
her daddy?" Teri giggled as Shinji took Teri into his arms and smiled.

"Hope you don't mind being squeezed between two boys," Misato said to Rei as
she heads towards NERV headquarter, this time observing the speed limit. A
little yellow 'baby onboard' sign was on the back windshield.

"No."

"Why should she?" said Asuka, looking in the rear view mirror. "One of them
is mine! And Takuma's already calling Wonder Girl 'Rei-chan'." She made eye
contact with Rei and Takuma through the mirror. Rei just looked puzzled,
while Takuma's face was frozen with embarrassment.

"Asuka," interrupted Misato before the red head could say anymore, "what are
you talking about? Are you having hormone surges again?"

"I was only joking¡K"Asuka said, and quietly fumed the rest of the way to
headquarter.

"I gotta talk to Asuka and Shinji about Takuma," thought Misato. The rest of
the trip was quiet. Shinji gently rocked Teri to sleep. Takuma split his time
between looking out the window, and stealing short glimpses at Rei, who was
resting her head against the back of her seat. A little while later, they
arrived at Misato's parking space in headquarter.

"Ok, everybody out," cheered Misato as she got out of the car, and flipped
her seat forward. Asuka did the same so Takuma could get out at the same
time. Shinji promptly got out with Teri, who's asleep. However, Takuma and
Rei remained in the car.

"Huh?" gasped Takuma. Shinji had already gotten out, but Rei remained pressed
against his side. She was asleep and leaning against him, he realized. Takuma
couldn't help but look at her peaceful and innocent expression. She had a
very slight smile on her lips, almost unnoticeable.

"Hey!" said Asuka as she poked her head into the car, "should I get you two a
room?"

That woke Rei up, who caught Takuma smiling at her. And that sent him
blushing and flying out the car.

"Rei," said Misato as the group traveled through the NERV complex minutes
later, "why don't you show Takuma-kun to the change room? I need to talk to
Shinji-kun and Asuka."

Rei simply nodded, and picked up her pace. Takuma followed without question.
Once they were out of an earshot, Misato turned to two.

"Ok you two, listen up, Rei's got amnesia."

"What?" gasped Shinji, "how did that happen?"

"Funny, she doesn't show it," said Asuka, "but with Wonder Girl, it's kinda
hard to tell."

"No, no, no! Pretend that Rei's got amnesia, at least around Takuma-kun."

"Why?" asked Shinji, "why are we lying to him?" He looked down at the floor.

"Haven't there been enough lies already?"

Misato sighed, "I've been going through his records, apparently he lived in
Tokyo-3 when he was small, but certain parts of the his records are missing.
Something doesn't feel right." Misato turned to Shinji, her expression a
serious one.

"I'm worried that it might have something to do with your father."

The temperature of the room dropped a few degrees. --- Pilot Changing rooms
"These are the changing rooms, the one on the left is male, the one on the
right is female." They both avoided eye contact. "Your plug suit should be
waiting for you inside." They both turned around as they heard Shinji and
Asuka coming down the hallway.

"Come on Wonder Girl!" said Asuka, grabbing Rei by the arm, "because of your
'amnesia", I'll show you how to put on a plug suit." --- Men's changing room
Takuma ripped open the clear plastic wrapping of his plug suit. The suit is
comprised of the colors silver, black, and red, much like his EVA. Both boys
had neatly folded their clothing and stacked them on the benches. By the time
Takuma had finally figured out how to get in his plug suit, Shinji was
already sealing his. --- Women's changing room "Schiest!" screamed Asuka as
she tried to don her plug suit. "This thing's gotten smaller since the last
time I wore it!"

"Plug suits are never reused," said Rei as she sealed up her suit, with her
school uniform lay in a pile on a bench next to her.

"Well, someone messed up my measurements then!" she sneered. She pressed the
button to seal up her suit, and choked. "Ack! They got the chest measurement
all wrong¡K"

"No, it is more likely that your breasts have enlarged, due to the fact that
you are a mother and currently breast-feeding a baby. Since the plug suits
were never designed for the possibility that one of its users might have gone
through pregnancy. Furthermore, you might have gained body fat during that
period." Rei blankly looked at Asuka's bra. "I believe your bra size has
increased by at least 3 sizes."

"What?" said Asuka, furious, "Why you little! Just wait until you have kids!
Then we'll see what happens to you!" --- Men's changing room Takuma and
Shinji stared at the thin, opaque divider separating the two change rooms.
They could see the outline of the 2 girls, and hear them quite well. The 2
boys both have a stunned expression and softball sized sweat drop on their
head.

"I think you should forget what you just heard about my Asuka," said Shinji.

"What¡Kwhat? I didn't hear anything." --- Monitoring room, Synch ratio test
facility #2 "Attention, attention. All monitoring room personnel,
Regulation-1101 is now in effect, please don headsets. The PA in this room
will now be deactivated." With that, the PA speakers in the room shutdown,
their job replaced by personal headphones.

Shigeru leaned over to Makato.

"Since when did we have to worry about something like this?" he asked, "this
is ridiculous!"

"I know, but it's a pretty interesting situation," replied Makato.

"Pipe down you two!" scolded Maya; "they're here."

The door to the large room opened, revealing Misato, carrying a sleeping Teri
in a baby stroller. Ritsuko intercepted Misato as she entered.

"This is highly irregular, Misato." She whispered.

"I know, I know." Misato whispered back, "but the Asuka insisted that I keep
an eye on her. And she doesn't want her in any nursery ran by strangers."
Misato looked around the room, "where's Commander Fuyutsuki?"

"He didn't want to come," replied Ritsuko, "He said something about this
place being turned into a daycare again." She handed Misato a headset, which
came alive just as she puts them on.

"The Children are entering the entry plugs." --- Entry plug boarding area,
one level above Synch ratio test facility #2 Takuma looked at the plug
nervously. He poked his head into the its darken confines, and looked around.

"This is not quite the same as what I trained with."

The PA system in the room can alive, "that's correct." It was Dr Akagi, "the
training system at NERV 4th Branch is somewhat outdated. But rest assure,
it'll be just like your training."

Reluctantly, Takuma crawled into his entry plug. Once all 4 pilots were
ready, the plugs were lowered to the lever below, into a hangar filled with
red coolant.

"Ok," said Ritsuko, "we'll start with the simple stuff today, since we have a
newcomer, and the rest of you are somewhat out of practice. Ready?"

"Hai!" the pilots responded.
---
Monitoring room, Synch ratio test facility #2
"Maya, begin test sequence." Commanded Ritsuko.

"Beginning test sequence, all records running." Maya keyed in a series of
commands on her console.

"Let's see how good he is," Ritsuko said to Misato through the headset. ---
Staff lounge, Level 32-A Takuma laid on one of the benches, face down,
exhausted. Asuka and Shinji stood in front of a vending machine, while Rei
sat on another bench.

"Takuma, want anything?" asked Shinji.

"Aarrgh¡K¡Kgaarrggllee¡Kgggaagg¡K" came the inhuman reply.

"I'll take that as a no," said Shinji, turning back to the machine.

"Hey," Asuka said, noticing a note on the machine, "a note to Makoto."

Shinji ripped the note off Dr Pepper selection button, and read it out loud.
"No drinking Dr Pepper in the control room. That means YOU, Makoto.
-Vice-Commander Katsuragi"

"Who cares!" Asuka snatched the note from Shinji and threw it away. "I'm
thirsty!" But before she could put the coins in, the PA system came alive.

"All pilots, please report to briefing room A-23."

"Finally," said Asuka, "we get to have Teri-chan back!"

"Gaagg¡K¡K" whimpered the limp form on the bench.

"Ayanami," Shinji turned to Rei, "can you give me a hand with Takuma, please?"

"Hai," answered Rei, and the two helped the boy up from the bench. He was
sickly pale and half conscious. "I believe his training at NERV 4th Branch
was inadequate, regarding proper procedures in a LCL environment."

"Mein Gott, how much LCL did they say he swallowed?" asked Asuka as they head
towards the briefing room.

"Way too much," replied Shinji as they half-drag, half-carry Takuma to their
destination. Shortly after they left the staff lounge, Makoto showed up.

"That damn note is gone! Now there's nothing between me and my beloved Dr
Pepper!" He triumphantly walked to the machine, and inserted the coins.
Taking a minute to savor the moment, he pushed the button.

The booby-trapped vending machine shocked him with 10,000 volts then exploded
in his face. (I loved Evanjellydonut, what about you?) --- Briefing room
A-23, Level 32-A (Hey, the darn facility is just too big to be numbered
properly) "Mommy's back!" cheered Asuka and she embraced Teri. "Oh, I missed
you so much!"

"You've been a good girl, Teri-chan." Added a smiling Shinji, who's standing
behind and to the left of Asuka, with his hands on her shoulders. Misato
stood in a corner, smiling at the moment. Rei watched, too, although with a
curious expression.

"Can I have your attention for a moment, please?" asked Ritsuko, everyone
turned towards her, except for Takuma. They had to set him down on a chair,
and all he could do is look up at the ceiling.

"I¡KI'm liisttenning¡Kgooo on¡K¡K" he managed to say.

Ritsuko held up a clipboard and adjusted her glasses. She read it for a
moment.

"Well, for the past 9 months, we haven't been running as many tests as we
should, due to obvious reasons," Ritsuko looked at the happy couple and their
baby, then back at her clipboard.

"Currently, Asuka has the highest synch ratio."

"Muahahaha! I am still the best! I am¡K" she boasted.

"But it is dropping," interrupted Ritsuko.

"What?!"

"Let me finish first," pleaded Ritsuko, "remember, your last recorded synch
ratio was during the 13th Angel's attack, when you were still carrying Teri.
Now that Teri is born, your synch ratio should be dropping to were it was
before your pregnancy."

"Well, number two isn't too bad, I suppose," she hugged Teri closely, "I've
got more important things in life now." Teri slowly begins to fall asleep in
her mother's arms.

"Shinji is number 2 at the moment, Takuma is number 3¡K"

"Yeeaaaay¡K" he half-cheered, half-choked.

"Rei's number 4, over all, everyone's synch ratio has gone up quite a few
points. Except for Takuma, of course, since this is his first time. Are you
feeling any better?"

"Yeeesnoo¡K"

"You'll get use to it, soon you won't be swallowing so much LCL. And the LCL
you do swallow won't effect you as much."

Yes it would, thought Misato. If they all knew what they're actually
swallowing, what they're soaking in, their reaction would be much different.

"Here's the schedule for the rest of the week," announced Ritsuko, "there's a
harmonics test tomorrow, and then on Saturday Takuma will conduct an
activation test with Unit-04. That is all."

"I'll take the kids home now," said Misato. --- Ikari/Katsuragi residence The
woman in the hospital bed cuddled the doll. She talked to it, whispered words
of comfort, words of support, words used between loved ones. Not once did she
look at the window. Unnoticed, a little red head girl looked at the woman
through a window near the doorway.

"Okasan¡K" whispered the little girl.

Teri turned away from the window, and walked away.

"NOOOOOOOO!" screamed Asuka, almost jumping out of her bed. Shinji had to
grab a hold of her.

"It's just a dream, Asuka-chan, it's just as dream," said Shinji as held her
in his arms.

"I know¡Kit's silly¡KI just¡K" she sobbed.

"Shh¡K" Shinji pulled Asuka closer, "it's alright, I'm here." Slowly, Asuka
calmed down, and fell asleep against Shinji. Misato, listening outside their
door, heard the sobbing stop, and returned to her room. Teri was also
awakened by the commotion, but she behaved herself. It was her mom's turn to
cry tonight. --- NERV headquarter "You want us to do WHAT?" Takuma's lower
jaw almost dropped to the ground.

"This is nothing new, Takuma," Ritsuko's voice came over the PA, "I guess we
should of warned you first." She looked at Misato with a frown.

"Oops," said Misato.

"So you want me to walk down this corridor, naked, in front of everyone?" he
demanded.

"Not everyone, the cameras will be turned off, only your fellow pilots will
see you."

"That's not much comfort," he said, looking to his fellow pilots. Everyone
was in a booth, their body from the neck down blocked from view by opaque
dividers. Shinji and Asuka were to his left, and Rei was to his right.

"Since you're new," this time Misato's voice came over the PA, "you'll have
the honor of going first."

"What?!" Takuma went pale.

"It'll help you build trust with your fellow pilots," Misato said, Takuma
could almost see her evil grin. "Proceed."

Takuma gulped, and stepped outside his booth. The passage suddenly seems very
long. --- Staff lounge, Level 33-A Takuma laid on one of the benches, face
down, exhausted. Asuka and Shinji stood in front of a vending machine, while
Rei sat on another bench.

"Well, at least you swallowed less LCL this time," said Shinji, trying to
cheer Takuma up.

"Yeah¡K" he said, "I feel much better than last time."

"He's just bothered by the fact that Rei saw him naked," joked Asuka, opening
a can of pop. "What's the deal with you and Rei, anyway?"

"Rei never mentioned me before? Not even before her amnesia?" He was quite
surprised, and looked over to Rei. She remained impassive. --- NERV
headquarter, 2005 The little boy ran along the darkened corridors of the
newly build NERV headquarter, trying to make as little noise as possible. He
peered around a corner, looking for any signs of the person pursuing him. He
found none down the corridor, however, he felt someone breathing down the
back of his neck. A pair of hands grabbed him before he could turn around.

"Got you!" said Satori Kasumi, lifting the boy off the ground, "think you can
get away, Takuma-chan!" Kasumi had shoulder length black hair, which was tied
into a ponytail. Her 5' 8" figure was the envy of her friends. She was eleven
years older than her four-year-old brother was, so she had little trouble
carrying him.

"Mom, I found him!" she called out. A moment later, another figure emerged
from the darkness.

"Young man, how many time do I have to tell you it's dangerous to run away
like that! Especially in here!" Satori Seyoko (Dr) was a woman of 38 years.
She was unusually tall for a Japanese woman, and had an infectious smile.
However, that smile is currently replaced by a frown. Seyoko took Takuma from
his sister, and held him eye-to-eye. "Promise me you'll never do that again!"
He responded by wrapping his hands around her neck, hugging her tightly.

"That's better," she said, giving him a piggy back rid, "now Kasumi-chan,
where are we?"

"I have no idea¡K" she responded. A breeze created by the ventilation system
blew through the corridor. A crumpled piece of paper rolls pass them like
tumbleweed.

"Lost on the first day of the job," Seyoko muttered and shook her head.
Takuma looked around the area from his mother's shoulders. The headquarter
has not been completed and manned, so most of the lights are off to save
power, leaving the place eerily dark.

"I don't like this place," he whispered to his mother, grabbing a hold of her
hair.

"It's all right Takuma-chan, this is gonna be our new home," she replied,
trying to reassure him.

"Yeah," said Kasumi, seizing the opportunity, "see those boxes over there,
that's YOUR new room. You'll have to clean the spiders out first, though."

Takuma's eyes begin to water, as he grabs an even tighter hold of his
mother's hair.

"Kasumi¡K" her mother warned, "stop teasing your brother and get us to where
we're suppose to go."

"Sorry," Kasumi sighed, "but it's a burden to be the only in the family
blessed with a sense of direction." --- Tokyo-3, present day "Will you get to
the part where you meet Rei already?" demanded Asuka. They were on their way
home in Misato's car.

"Yeah," Misato joined in, "tell us more." And I've got more of your family's
records from when you were living here, she thought, but let's see what you
can tell me that the files can't. --- NERV headquarter, 2005 "Finally,"
Seyoko let out a breath of relief. They had finally found their way outside,
and into the geo front. It was midday, and they had exited to one of the
lakeshores.

"At least we're not underground anymore," said Kasumi.

"Technically, we still are," her mother said, looking around. "This whole
place is a gigantic sphere, underground."

"Pretty¡K" commented Takuma. In front of them, the lake was gleaming with
sunlight. A lush, green forest beyond was beyond the lake.

"Yeah," Kasumi noticed someone standing beside the lake, "hey, we can ask
that man for directions." Her mother nodded.

They walked towards the man, who had his back to them and was looking at the
lake. He was quite tall, with a narrow frame. He also was dressed in a dark
outfit, and had short hair.

"Excuse me sir," Kasumi spoke as they near the man, who kneeled down to drop
off a little child he was carrying, then turned around to face them. Sunlight
glared off his round glasses.

"Yes?"

"We seem to be lost, can you help us?" Kasumi noticed the child hiding behind
the man.

"Hi there," she said, trying to get a better view of the person. A small girl
emerged from hiding. She had pale skin, blue hair, and blood red eyes. Just
then, Seyoko recognized the man. She had never met him face-to-face, but had
seen his pictures many time in the news. Seyoko snapped to attention, her
sudden motion almost knocking Takuma off her shoulders.

"Commander Ikari!" she blurted out.

"And you are?" Gendo asked.

"Dr Satori Seyoko, newly assigned to NERV defense research department as head
of research." She realized Takuma was still clinging to her head, and pulled
him off. She slowly lowered him to the ground. "This is my son, Takuma, and
my daughter, Kasumi." She introduced, then she looks down to the small figure
beside the Commander.

"Is that your daughter, sir? Sorry, but I always thought you had a son." She
bent her knees to get a better view of the girl. "You're a very pretty young
lady."

"This is the child of an acquaintance I'm taking care of," he replied with a
small grin. The child smiled, also. Takuma hid behind her mother, and peered
out from behind her lab coat.

"Don't be shy, Takuma-chan," his mother said. The little girl left Gendo's
side, and walked straight to Takuma. He responded by retreating further
behind his mother, peering out with only one eye.

"Hi," her smile was warm and comforting, "I'm Ayanami Rei, pleased to meet
you."

Takuma came out of hiding, with a shy little smile of his own.


--- Ayanami residence Misato's car pulled up at the battered, pre-impact
housing complex. The sun was setting, casting an orange glow in the sky.
Asuka and Takuma both had to get out to let Rei out. Asuka didn't hesitate to
get into the back seat with Shinji and Teri after Rei got out, leaving only
her and Takuma outside.

"Well," sighed Takuma, "too bad you can't remember anything about me, Rei."

"Yes," Rei said, "the Major indicated that my amnesia is only effecting my
long term memories."

"Well, I hope you get better real soon." He tried to put on an encouraging
smile, but came up short.

"Maybe I can come over and help you cleanup your place sometime."

"Perhaps," she turned and walked away, "good day, Takuma-kun."

"Well," Asuka commented, "did you all just hear what I heard." Everyone still
in the car had his or her head sticking out the open door, listening in on
the conversation.

"Wow, Rei called someone by their first name," gasped Asuka.

"Maybe we heard wrong," said Shinji.

"No, definitely 'Takuma-kun'," confirmed Misato, "she wasn't using his
surname!"

"That's kinda creepy, Rei behaving like a human," Asuka said, faking a scared
expression.

"Maybe she bumped her head," suggested Shinji.

"Maybe the sight of Takuma's naked well built body got to her," said Asuka
with an evil grin.

"Asuka! You said you didn't look!" shouted Shinji.

"I¡Kdidn't¡KRei told me, yeah¡K" Asuka looked at Misato for help.

"Shinji, you know you're the only one for Asuka," said Misato. (Author's
note: Axel wanted his name in there instead of Shinji's, but I said no.)

"Yeah, Shin-chan!" cheered Asuka.

Teri made baby noises, which no one understood.

Then suddenly, they notice a large shadow casting over them.

"So¡K" a flaming Takuma boomed, "listening in on my conversation?"

"No¡K" said Asuka, avoiding eye contact.

"We were just talking about dinner¡K" said Misato, "dinner¡Kwould you like to
join us?"

"Sure! All's forgiven for a home cooked meal!" --- Ikari/Katsuragi residence
"Come on, Teri-chan!" said Asuka as she ran to the living room with Teri in
her arms.

"Our favorite show is on!"

"Hope you don't mind the mess," Shinji said, dropping his school bag out of
the way.

"No, you should see my place." Takuma suddenly got an image in his head of
his apartment, which was littered with boxes and other items.

"Shinji-kun here will prepare tonight's feast," said Misato, emerging out of
her room after changing out of her uniform. Takuma couldn't help but drop his
lower jaw at the sight of her loose T-shirt and shorts.

"Do you always dress like that, Misato-san?"

"You get use to it after a while¡K" said Shinji as he headed for the kitchen.

"Come on," said Misato, slapping Takuma on the back, "let's go watch some TV!"

"Are you sure I'm not troubling you?" he asked with a worried look, as Misato
push him down the hallway towards the living room.

"No, not at all!"

"Darnit!" said Asuka as they entered the room, "they changed the TV schedule
again!"

"Well, what's on?" asked Misato.

"The last episode of 'Shinseiki Pokemon'," said Asuka, flipping through the
day's TV schedule. "I suppose we'll have to live with that, besides," she
picks up Teri and places her on her lap, "SHE seems to like the show." They
flipped on to the channel, but had already missed most of the show.

"Ack¡K" said Ash, as he and Pikachu slowly gets up. They were lying on a
sandy beach, everything around them lay in ruins. Apparently, Team Rocket
really messed up with their evil plan this time, and destroyed the human
race.

"Everyone's dead¡K" Ash turns to his furry little yellow companion, "do you
know what this means, Pikachu?"

"Pika?"

"This means," Ash said through his teary eyes, "I'm the last pokemon trainer
on Earth! All the pokemons are mine to catch!" The boy jumped up and down
with joy, then the words 'The End' appeared on the screen. After that, the
credits were shown, while soft classical music played in the background.

"You know," Takuma said, turning away from the TV screen, "I remember a time
when TV made sense."

"I think there's some hidden meaning in there, somewhere," Misato said, "I
mean, look at all those giant broken pokeballs in the background."

"What I didn't get was that spectacular scene when everyone's soul got sucked
into that one huge pokeball held by that huge Pikachu," said Asuka. (Author's
note: Sorry folks, had to add that in there, beware of more¡K)

"Dinner's ready!" Shinji called out from the kitchen, cutting off any further
intellectual debates regarding the show.

A.D. (after dinner)

"Thanks for the dinner," Takuma said one last time, and left.

"Don't forget to go to school after it's over tomorrow," Misato shouted after
him, then let the door close.

"Misato," said Asuka, "what are the chances that Rei would go to the dance
with him?"

"Never hurts to try," she said, "I got you two together, didn't I?"

"We were meant to be together the day we're born," said Shinji, giving Asuka
a hug.

"Shin-chan, that's so sweet!" Asuka gave Shinji a kiss on the cheek, which
turned into a prolonged kiss on the lips. Misato tried to get their attention
by clearing her throat, but to no avail. Minutes later, the couple finished.

"So Shinji," Misato said, having waited for the entire length of the kiss,
"are you sure about taking Asuka to the dance?"

"Of course I am!" he said with passion, "why wouldn't I be?"

"It's not that," Misato shook her head, "I'm worried how people would react
because of she's a mother now."

"Hey!" shouted Asuka, "I might be a mother now, but I'm as cool and popular
as I ever was!"

"Ok, ok," Misato surrenders, "I'll take tomorrow night off to baby sit
Teri-chan!"

"Thanks, Misato-san!" Shinji and Asuka said in unison.

"I have to do some paper work now," Misato went to her room. Once there, she
pulled out several computer discs, and booted up her laptop. She sorted
through the discs, and selected one with the label "Seyoko, Satori." A
knocking was heard at her door.

"Misato," said Asuka through the door, "can I talk to you in private?"

"Sure," she replied, turning her chair to face the door. Asuka checked if
Shinji was nearby, then came into the room and closed the door quietly after
her.

"Sorry to bother you," Asuka began, "I know you're and busy and all, but I
have to talk to you about something important. As you know, this Sunday is
father's day. Since it's Shinji's first father's day, I thought we might have
a little celebration."

"Let me guess, you want to invite friends."

"Of course not!" she boomed. Asuka quickly lowered her voiced again, "just
the 4 of us." She thought for a moment, "ok, maybe Wonder Girl, seeing how
she was such a big help with I was carrying Teri-chan. And maybe Takuma,
since he just got here and all."

"Sounds good," Misato said, "you plan it, I'll pay for it."

"Thanks Misato-san!" said Asuka, giving her a hug. She sneaked back out
Misato's room.

Shinji's first father's day, Misato thought.

She went back to work, booting up the computer disc and going through its
files. Misato worked long into the night, and noticed that there were no
nightmares tonight. Of course, from the noises she heard, there probably
wasn't much sleep either. --- Tokyo-3 Public School, next day Takuma waited
at the school entrance, waiting for classes to finish. As the afternoon sun
blazed overhead, he wondered why Rei doesn't have a phone. Finally, the
school bell went off, and people began to file out of the building. She
wasn't too hard to spot, her blue hair standing out among the primarily black
hair.

"Hey, Rei! Wait up!" he shouted, fighting through wave after wave of
students. It was the last day of school, and people were in a hurry to get
out of the place. Rei couldn't hear the boy's voice through all the other
voices, and Takuma couldn't reach her until they were well clear of the
school.

"Rei, wait!" She finally heard him this time, and turns around.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Hi, I was wondering if¡Kperhaps you would like to go to the dance with me
tonight?" Takuma asked shyly, taping his index fingers together.

"Since you are not currently enrolled in our high school, you would not be
permitted to enter the dance," she replied. In response, Takuma pulled out
his newly issued NERV ID. (Yes, get your very own official NERV TM Card
today! It has the buying power of a Visa and a Master Card combined, and it
allows you to go anywhere, do anything! Supplies are limited, call now.
1-800-EVA-NERV)

"I can't dance," she said.

"Uh oh," Takuma suddenly realized, and the thought dropped on top of him like
a thousand pound weight, "I can't either¡K" An awkward moment descended upon
the two.

"May I walk you home, then?" he asked, trying to salvage the situation.

"If you wish," she turns and heads towards her apartment, their entire walk
was filled with silence. Not a word was exchanged until the two reached the
old and battered apartment complex.

"Would you like to come in?" Rei asked, surprising the both of them.

"Sure¡KI guess¡K" Takuma looked around the outside of the apartment. Cracks
ran up and down the walls, and everything metallic seems to be rusted. He
cautiously entered Rei's home.

It was very small, that's the first thing he noticed. Compared to the
apartment he lives in, this was a shoebox. The second thing he noticed was
the decrepit condition of the entire room. The floor looks like it's never
seen a mop or a bloom before. The single dresser sat in a corner, with most
of its drawers pulled out, and bras and underwear peeking out. He had to
avoid staring at those. Garbage lay in a pile beside a small cabinet, which
was covered with medications. Automatically, he took a few more steps towards
the cabinet, and bent down to pick up the trash on the floor. Rei just stood
there, watching. As Takuma stuff the trash into a nearby garbage bag, he
realized what they were. He was holding old dressings and bandages, covered
with dried blood. Cringing inwardly, he finished the job.

"Thank you," she said with a slight blush. Words of gratitude, she thought,
is this the first time I've used them? No one has done anything for me
before¡K

While Rei was deep in thought and blushing, Takuma noticed something else on
the ground. It was a familiar looking pair of glasses, with round frame. And
it had been badly smashed, apparently crushed by hand, then repeated stumped
by foot. He picked it up, and was going to throw it into the garbage bag when
Rei stopped him.

"No," she said, gently taking the smashed frame and bits of the lenses from
his hands, touching them in the process. She bent down and placed them
exactly as they were. --- Ikari/Katsuragi residence, later that evening Asuka
was in her favorite yellow dress, and she spins several times for Shinji.

"Still fits," she said, "a little tight, but still fits."

"You look beautiful, Asuka-chan," said Shinji, taking her hand. He was
dressed a simple shirt and pants, topped off by a nice brown jacket. Asuka
had brought it for him during one of her shopping sprees.

"We're off, Misato-san!" they called out.

"Have fun," she said, holding Teri.

"Be a good girl for aunt Misato, Teri-chan," said Asuka, "mommy and daddy
will be right back!" With that, the two lovers left, hand in hand.

"Well, Teri-chan," Misato said, "looks like it just the two of us tonight."

With that, Teri started crying, and Misato's ordeal began. --- Tokyo-3 Public
school Asuka and Shinji entered the gymnasium, where the dance was taking
place, hand-in-hand. Immediately, she became the center of attention. Sounds
of greetings and questions almost overcame the music. Eventually, the crowd
around them dispersed enough for them to get away. Asuka spotted Hikari with
Touji.

"Hi Hikari-chan!" she said, walking over to them with Shinji in tow.

"Asuka-chan!" yelled Hikari, "I'm so happy you could make it! Is Misato
taking care of Teri-chan?"

"Yep," she replied, the two girls retreated a slight distance from their
dates to talk.

"So, Touji," said Shinji with a grin, "are you finally going steady with
Hikari?"

"Well," he replied, "I'm just following your shining example. If you and the
devil can find happiness, why can't the rebel and the class rep?"

"Asuka-chan is not the person you used to know, she's changed." Shinji looked
around, "where's Kensuke?"

Touji pointed to a guy in a suit, across the gym, near a group of single
girls.

"Busy getting rejected."

"Come on, Shin-chan!" said Asuka as she grabbed Shinji and led him to the
dance floor, Hikari and Touji followed. --- Ikari/Katsuragi residence Misato
was on the couch in the living room, with Teri in her arms. Both of them were
on the verge of falling asleep. The TV was still on, although the channel
it's on was off the air. The incessant humming of the TV was the only thing
keeping the two awake.

"Someone turn the TV off," moaned a groggy Misato.

The humming stopped as the TV shutoff, allowing the two to sleep. --- Tokyo-3
Public school A romantic song for slow dancing was playing. In the center of
the gym, Shinji had wrapped his hands around Asuka's waist, while she in turn
had wrapped her arms around his neck. A glittering disco ball rotated from
its position up high, showering the room with sparkles of light, while soft
music filled the gymnasium.

"I love you," whispered Shinji as he held Asuka in a close embrace.

"I love you," she whispered back, leaning her head on his shoulder. They did
not notice that everyone had formed a circle around them, and were watching
with great admiration. For the couple, there was only each other.

The dance went late into the night.


--- Main EVA Hangar #3, NERV headquarter Misato yawned as Unit-04 entry plug
is inserted into the giant's back. Ritsuko walked over and passed her a cup
of coffee.

"Thanks," Misato said gratefully as she took the NERV mug, and drank its hot
contents.

"Entry plug inserted," Maya called out from her console, "beginning systems
check."

"What happened to you? You look exhausted," Ritsuko asked, "did you go out
with Kaji again?"

Misato finished her coffee, and gazed at Ritsuko with her blood-shot eyes,
"no¡KKaji away somewhere¡Kbaby sat Teri-chan¡KAsuka and Shinji not home till
almost¡K" She yawns, "morning¡K"

"The systems check has been completed," announced Maya, "ready for Unit-04
activation test."

"Very well," said Ritsuko as she and Misato turned to a large monitor, which
was showing a view of Unit-04's cockpit. Takuma was inside, looking slightly
edgy.

"Are you ready, Takuma-kun?" Misato inquired.

"I think so¡K" he closed his eyes, lowered his head, and said a quick prayer.

"Ok, I'm ready."

Misato gave the single word command:

"Activate."

"Connect the main power supply and all circuits together," ordered Ritsuko,
"this test will be conducted using external power supply. The S2 organ will
be kept inactive."

"Aye, the main power supply connected. Start the activation system," said
Maya. "Voltage increasing to the critical point: 0.5, 0.2, rising!"

"Start the second phase of the activation system."

"The pilot has commenced the joining," reports Shigeru, Ritsuko nodded in
response.

"Start System Phase II."

A large display of Eva-04's neural system came up on another large monitor.

"Synapses inserted. Junction started," says Shigeru.

"Pulses transmitted," says Maya.

"All circuits are operational."

"The initial contact has no problems."

"Power has been transmitted up to the brachial muscle in both arms. There are
no problems with the nerve links."

"Checked. Up to 2550 on the list satisfied."

"Arrange for the third connection," ordered Ritsuko.

"Up to 2580 satisfied. Until the absolute borderline, 0.9, 0.7, 0.5, 0.4,
0.3, 0.2, 0.1¡Kabsolute borderline!" The display hovered unsteadily at the
borderline for a few seconds, then climbed above it.

"Unit-04 activated." There was a sigh of relief from every. Not so much as to
the fact that the Unit activated, but that they were not swallowed up by a
Sea of Dirac. Misato spoke up for the first time since the test started.

"Takuma-kun, how do you feel?"

"It's weird¡K" he said, "I feel strangely warm in here¡Kalmost comforting,
and yet¡K" He shook his head, "I can't describe it."

"That's ok," said Ritsuko, "the test is over." --- Streets of Tokyo-3 Takuma
grumbled miserably as he walked alone down the streets. A summer rainstorm
had descended upon the city. Rain clouds darkened the heavens, and the boy's
NERV umbrella was no match against nature's fury.

"I should have insisted that I get a ride home or something," he muttered to
himself. Through the heavy rain, his ears pick up some muffled artificial
sounds. It sounded like human voice, but he couldn't tell what's it trying to
say. He also picked up something else: the sound of a high performance car
engine.

"AAAAH!" he screamed as a sports car shot past him, kicking up enough water
to soak him to the bones, twice.

"What the heck?" he shouted at the car, now totally drenched. Damn that blue
sports car, Takuma thought, blue sports car? His NERV issued cell phone ran.

"Yes?" he said impatiently, an urgent voice on the other end responded.

"Sorry about that, Takuma-kun," it was Misato that just shot past him, "but
I'm on my way to pick up the other pilots, you have to report to headquarter
on foot, now."

The rain let up just then, enough for the boy to hear the public
announcements.

"At 2035 today, a state of special emergency has been declared all over Kanto
and Chubu districts around Tokai district. Please take refuge in the
designated shelters. Repeat. Today¡K" (Author's note: I experience no
pleasure writing the next part, but it had to be done. I didn't actually
write the whole experience, it is an edited copy of the show's script.) ---
Central Dogma "Visual confirmation of the Angel," Shigeru called out.

"It's not moving from its orbit over the Earth," reported Makoto.

"That keeps it at a constant distance from us," observed Shigeru. --- Low
Earth orbit The 15th Angel hovered in space with its massive wings extended,
as if gliding on nothingness. It looked like a predatory bird, made with
parts from people's dreams and parts from their nightmares. A paradox of its
own, it was beauty and ugliness, all rolled into one.

However, there are no uncertainties about its intentions. --- Central Dogma
Misato frowned at the situation. "That means, is it waiting for the chance of
coming down, or is it going to destroy us without approaching?"

"We can't act easily."

"Anyway, we can do nothing unless that approaches to within our range. Eva
cannot defeat an enemy out of the reach of their AT-Field." Misato turns to
Maya, "How's Takuma?"

"He and unit-04 are in good condition," she reported.

"We'll sortie him as backup, launch Unit-01 and Unit-02 to take point, launch
Unit-00 as cover." Misato turned to the control room's large display, which
showed the Angel's position. A moment later, it was replaced by a split
screen view of all four pilots.

"Asuka, Shinji, you two are to take point. Prepare for long range engagement."

"Where's Teri-chan?" Asuka asked urgently.

"Right here," Misato picked Teri up from her stroller for Asuka to see.

"Hi Teri-chan!" waved Asuka, smiling confidently, "mommy and daddy's gonna
kick that Angel's butt! Just watch!" Despite her mother's words, Teri looked
worried.

"Rei, you cover Unit-01 and Unit-02. Takuma, you back Rei up." He looked
straight at him, "don't do anything unless I tell you do, you're only a
rookie. Ready everyone?"

"Hai!"

"Launch Evas." --- Tokyo-3 Alarms sounded through the rain, as the giant
hatches slide open. Four massive beasts emerged from their underground lair.
The clamps that held them to their launch platforms disengaged, releasing
them to perform their task. Another series of alarms sounded, as more hatches
opened, delivering the instruments with which to perform their task.

"Unit-01, standing by," reported Shinji as he placed the large positron rifle
on top of a building.

"Unit-02, standing by," reported Asuka as she raised the Type-21 positron
cannon and pointed at the sky.

"Unit-00, standing by," reported Rei as she setup a large artillery rifle on
top of another building.

"Unit-04, standing by," reported Takuma, holding a pallet rifle.
---
Central Dogma
"The target is holding its range," Makoto reported.

"The chances that the Angel will come close enough for Asuka or Shinji to get
a shot are slim, let's not even start on Rei or Takuma," Ritsuko with a cold
voice.

"We have no choice," replied Misato.
---
Tokyo-3
"Come on you lazy Angel," said Asuka through clenched teeth, "hurry up!"

"Patience, Asuka-chan," said Shinji, waiting for his rifle to charge up.

"WAAAA!" the sound of a baby's cry filled the radio.

"Oh no," cried Asuka, "what's wrong?"

"I don't know," Misato's voice came over the line, "she was fine a moment
ago, then she suddenly just¡K"

A light from the heaven pierced the dense cloud cover over the city, as if
God suddenly decided to turn on a spotlight.

And point it at Unit-02.
[Play "Messiah" by Haendel if you got it]

"AHAAAAA!" screamed Asuka, her cry filling the radio. --- Central Dogma "Turn
the speakers down!" ordered Misato, while at time same time trying to calm a
hysterical Teri.

"Enemy's directional weapon?"

"No," Shigeru shook his head, "no thermal energy reaction detected!"

"Abnormal patterns in Psychograph," reported Maya. "Mind contamination
detected!"

"Angel's psycho-attack?" asked an astonished Ritsuko, "can they understand
the mind of human beings?" --- Tokyo-3 "Asuka!" cried Shinji desperately,
"Asuka!" He wanted to go over to her, but at the same time he knows he has to
man his rifle. "Asuka, answer me!" The only response was Unit-02 firing
erratically into the sky. Glowing globes blue positrons punched holes through
the clouds, and continued on into space, but none of them hit their intended
target. A number of the shots ripped through Tokyo-3, destroying entire
buildings. The Eva continued to shoot, but soon it ran out of ammunition.

"Damn¡K" Asuka cursed as she tries futilely to fire her emptied weapon.
---
Central Dogma
Teri continues to cry, filling the entire control room with her pained voice.

"Positrons dissipated."

"No effect," shouted Shigeru, "it is out of range!"

"Aaargh¡Kuha¡K" Asuka's suffering can be heard, along with Shinji's continued
cries.

"Unit 2 has run out of ammunition."

"How is the ray analysis result?" asked Misato.

"Energy wave of the visible wave length. It's similar to AT field, but the
details are still unknown," replied Makoto.

"How's Asuka?" asked Ritsuko.

"Dangerous situation," said Maya, "the mind-contamination broke into the
borderline."

"No! Don't enter into me!" the girl's screams came over the speakers, "Ugh!
No!"

"Asuka! Speak to me Asuka!" Shinji's voice joined in.

"NO-OO! NO! Don't look into my mind!" she cried. "Please! Don't invade into
my mind anymore!"

"Asuka!" cried Misato, still carrying the crying Teri.

"Her psychograph is at the critical point."

"Her mental circuit is now getting damage," said Ritsuko. "Further overload
will be too dangerous."

"Asuka, retreat!"

"Her motor skills are being effected! She can't move from her position!"
Unit-02's body contorts with the pains and strong emotions surging through
its pilot.

"Asuka!" --- Entry plug, Unit-02 "Please¡Kdon't defile my mind anymore¡K" she
whimpered, "I don't want to remember¡K" But the Angel didn't listen, and her
own memories began to assault her.

"No...I can't...hate him...But I don't want to love him...I have to find a
solution..."

"I want to kill myself."

Asuka suddenly found herself in the bathroom of her apartment. She saw
herself, laying face down on floor, with an empty vial of sleeping pills
beside her other self. What disgusted her was the fact her other self was
smiling. Asuka could hear Shinji outside the door, trying to get in, calling
her name. Suddenly, the banging and shouting stopped, and the door slowly
opened. Asuka left her other self and walked towards the door.

"Shin-chan?" She asked as she looked out the door, and saw him running down a
long hallway.

"Wait! Don't leave me!" she cried, chasing after him.

"I'm not worthy¡K" came Shinji's reply; he was slowly disappearing out of
sight.

"Wait! Shin-chan!" she cried. Suddenly, a door appeared in her path. She
threw it open and kept after him.

"I'm not worthy¡K" the voice grew more distant.

"Stop running!" she screamed. Another door appeared in her path, slowing her
down.

"I'm not worthy¡K" the voice is now a whisper.

"Yes you are! Don't go!" she pleaded as she ran through another door.

"I'm not worthy¡K" the voice is almost gone now.

"Don't leave me¡Kdon't leave us¡K" she begged as she opened one last door,
which opened to a white room.

In front of her, a woman in hospital gown was hanging from the ceiling.
Asuka's mother had a peaceful and content expression on her face, one that
Asuka would never forget.

Asuka opened her mouth to scream.
---
Tokyo-3
The reports poured in from the positron rifle's ground crew.

"Accelerator, start the synchronization."

"Voltage is increasing. Approaching to the pressure range."

"Compulsory Focusing start!"

"Correct the error from the rotation and gravity of the Earth, 0.03."

"Pressure in the barrel is at the maximum point."

"Release the final safety lock. All personnel, prepare for firing!"

"YOU BASTARD!" shouted Shinji as he pulled the trigger, sending a purple beam
of light lancing into the sky. It was almost as bright as the boy's anger and
hatred for its target. --- Central Dogma Everyone watched as the particle
beam strike the Angel head-on, only to be deflected and scattered by its
AT-Field.

"No effect!" shouted Shigeru. "Energy is too weak to break through the
Angel's AT field from such a long distance."

"But all generator power output is at maximum. We cannot get anymore power!"

"Unit-2's psychograph signal is quite weak," reported Maya.

"How is the mind barrier of the LCL acting?" ask Ritsuko.

"No effect. We cannot even expect the buffer effect."

"Give the first priority to Life support. Don't allow feedback from Eva."

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Asuka," Misato suddenly got an idea, "Asuka, look at me!" She screamed,
trying to get her attention. "Look at your daughter! Look at Teri-chan!"

"Teri-chan¡K" came the response, little more than a sob.

"Mind-contamination is slowing! Psychograph is beginning to stablize!"

"This won't last long," said Misato, "Shinji-kun! Move in to assist Asuka,
now! Try to use your AT-Field to block the light!"

Shinji didn't respond verbally. Instead, Unit-01 leaped into the air, and
landed beside Unit-02 a moment later. The force of the impact shook the
ground, sending smashed chunks of concrete everywhere.

"AT-Field to full!" shout Shinji as he stood in front of Asuka. The ground
again trembled as an unseen barrier expended in front of Unit-01 and 02. ---
Central Dogma "Unit-01's AT-Field is blocking 45% of the Angel's attack."

"Asuka is stabilizing."

"Shinji-kun, get Asuka back to base, quickly!" She watched as Unit-01 picked
up its companion, and carried her to the nearest elevator. The heavenly beam
of light followed them as they moved, but couldn't reach them after they went
underground.

"Recall all the other Evas, now!"

The raining continued.
---
Central Dogma, little while later
"How's Asuka?" asked Takuma. He and Rei stood before the Vice-Commander.

"She's fine physically," Misato replied, "Shinji-kun and Teri-chan are with
her."

"Well," the boy scratched his head, his hair still wet with LCL, "what are we
gonna do now? I mean, that thing can mess with people's mind."

"There's nothing more you can do," she replied, "but there's something that
Rei can, we just need the proper approval."

Commander Fuyutsuki entered the control room. --- Terminal Dogma Unit-00
descended into the darkness, and voyaged through a long and dark tunnel. It
finally reached its destination after several minutes of walking. A huge
white figure, just as large as an Evangelion. It was nailed to a crucifix,
and had a large lance through its chest.

Unit-00 paused before the creature, who appears to be looking back at it
underneath its seven-eyed mask. The Eva reached out, as if to touch the
being's face. However, its hand stopped halfway, and was instead placed on
the lance. Slowly but surely, Rei pulled the lance of Longinus of Lilith's
body. --- Central Dogma "I still think it's too early," fumed Fuyutsuki.

"We have no choice, sir," replied Misato plainly.

"So what's this secret weapon?" Takuma asked.

"Watch."

The room's large monitor showed Unit-00 slowly rising out of the ground from
via an elevator. It was carrying a blood red, 2 pronged lance.

"Unit-00, take the position for throwing."

"Confirm the target. Correct for error, OK."

"Start the countdown. 10 second before zero. 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1¡K"

Unit-00 began a running start, holding the lance in one hand. Just before it
was thrown, the 2 prongs on the lance twisted into one. With all her
strength, Rei threw the weapon. It flew towards the 15th Angel at an
incredible speed, and pierced its AT-Field without problem. The Angel
vanished in a spiral of light.

"Target destroyed."

"What about the lance?" asked Fuyutsuki.

"It achieved Escape Velocity. It is now moving to a lunar orbit."

"It's almost impossible to retrieve that," the Commander sighed.

"No, we have no way to retrieve an object of that mass." --- No. 303 ward,
1st cranial nerve department Asuka slowly opened her eyes, and turned her
head weakly to look around. She noticed Teri sleeping peacefully beside her,
and her love doing the same in a chair beside her bed. She smiled, her eyes
filled with tears of gratefulness. The girl went back to sleep. --- Central
Dogma, next day Ritsuko passed a cup of coffee to Misato.

"Thanks," said Misato as she took the mug.

"How's the couple?" asked Ritsuko as she took a seat in a vacant chair.

"Shinji-kun and Teri-chan's been with Asuka since yesterday," she said,
taking a sip of the coffee. "He refuses to leave her side, Teri feels very
much the same way."

Misato looked at Ritsuko, suddenly feeling very sad.

"Do you know what day it is, Ritsuko-san?"

Ritsuko looked at her watch, which displayed the date.

"Sure, June 20th."

Misato shook her head, "I suppose neither of us has celebrated this day for
long, that we have forgotten it."

"¡K"

"Today is father's day," said Misato, "Shinji's first father's day, to be
exact." She shook her head.

"Asuka had planned something special for today." --- Geofront In the quiet,
tranquil night, two figures stood beside a lake. For a considerable time,
they just stood there, not talking nor moving. A light summer night breeze
brew across the lake.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Takuma asked.

"Hai," replied Rei.

Takuma looked at Rei, "you use to be so talkative, Rei."

"..."

"Remember? This is were we first met."

"¡K"

"You were always the one talking," he said, "always getting us in trouble."

"¡K"

"What happened to you, Rei?"


END of Chapter #3.0 version 6.1 (07/29/99)
Version 1 dated 07/19/99
Version 2 dated 07/20/99
Version 3 dated 07/23/99
Version 4 dated (07/27/99)
Version 5 dated (07/28/99)

Roll credits with moon and Rei backdrop, cue anything you want this time,
personally, I'm listening to Tamashii no Rufuran (aqua groove version).

Author's words: Sorry it took so long, me bad, but every chapter gets longer
and longer. Some people have expressed concerns over author created
characters, that they may end up being the dreaded Mary Sue (Mary Sue: name
given to characters created by fanfic authors. These characters usually
possess unrealistic abilities, and are the author's attempt to create a
perfect version of themselves inside their story.) Let me just put that worry
to rest: 1. I am incapable of creating characters like that, due to my
limited literary skills. 2. Satori Takuma is not perfect, he is just as
faulted as I am (wow, can you guess why that is?). 3. Can't think of one
right now, get back to you later. Another thing, people might think there's
too much of the new character for the past two chapters. Sorry folks,
necessary character development. Another little thing one of my prereaders
pointed out, the mother's name 'Seyoko' is from EVA: R! Mein Gott! It wasn't
intentional! Don't hate me! With those in mind, I will now bicker about some
other things. I just bought my first Evangelion sound track! Share my joy and
happiness! Anyway, you can reach me at: My e-mail: damnit@intergate.bc.ca My
ICQ: 8155557 Feel free to contact me about anything.

Also, please visit Axel Terizaki's wonderful, award winning website, at:
http://asukanotebook.tsx.org He great, he wise, he Axel.

Many thanks to my prereaders: Axel Terizaki, EBJ, |ncubus,

Preview of next chapter/episode: I'd tell you, if I knew. Let's just say
it'll be good, ok? Gendo will make an appearance.

Asuka: Aww¡Kcome on, tell us what's gonna happen!

Axel: Yeah, tell us!

EBJ: No, don't tell us, write it!

Pikachu: Pika Pi!


Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Share what you know. Learn what you don't.

From: david_templar@my-deja.com

The Child of Love 2: End of the beginning

Neon Genesis Evangelion is brainchild of Hideaki Anno, and the property of
Gainax. The Child of Love is the idea of Axel Terizaki, I'm just carrying on
his legacy. I might also occasionally poke fun at other Eva fanfics and anime
shows. This fanfic is not making any money, so suing me is pointless, sue
Axel instead, he's the evil mastermind =)


NEON GENESIS EVANGELION
Chapter #4:0 						And so it begins/There is a hole in your mind

Ikari/Katsuragi residence "Don't leave me¡Kdon't leave us¡K" Asuka begged as
she ran after Shinji down a multi-door hallway, with Teri in her arms.
Strangely, she was in her plug suit. Asuka opened one last door, which opened
to a white room.

In front of her, a woman in hospital gown stood in the middle of the room.
Asuka's mother, carrying a toy doll, faced her with a smile. Asuka hugged
Teri closer, and took a step back.

"Like mother, like daughter," the woman said, smiling.

"No!" Asuka shouted back, "I'm not crazy! I'm not like you! I'll never be
like you!"

"Are you sure?" the woman asked.

"Yes! I care for my daughter! I will be there for Teri-chan!"

"Are you sure?" the woman asked, again.

"Shin-chan loves me! For real! He'd never leave us!"

"Are you sure?" the woman asked, again.

"My life is fine! I am I! Not you!"

The woman said nothing this time; instead, she just pointed at Asuka with one
hand. Asuka looked down to Teri, but she wasn't there anymore.

Instead, Teri had been replaced by a toy doll, just like the one Asuka's
mother was holding. Asuka looked back up, only to see her mother in a plug
suit very much like hers. Blood drained from the young girl's face, and she
dropped the doll. It seemed to take forever to fall, and when it did hit the
ground, it made an unnaturally loud sound¡K

BAAAM!

Asuka snapped out of her dream, and looked around. Outside her window, the
busy sounds of construction could be heard. She got out of bed, and walked
out the room. Asuka walked quietly into Teri's room, only to find her awake
and sucking on her pacifier.

"Hi, Teri-chan," Asuka said as she picked up her daughter, "what are you
doing up? Can't sleep either?" Teri giggled through her pacifier, happy to
see her mother; happy to see that she had no tears on her face.

"Let's get some fresh air," Asuka put a little pink jacket on Teri, and took
her out onto the porch. The night sky was clear, and stars glistened in their
domain. The moon was also up, its crescent form illuminating the night sky
with a soft glow. A distance from them, Tokyo-3 was bristling with lights and
activities, despite the time of day. Reconstruction of damaged buildings from
the last attack was being done all day and all night, in an attempt to finish
as soon as possible. Just a few blocks away, repairs were being made to
several damaged buildings. Stray fires from the last Angel attack had grazed
some nearby buildings.

"Damnit," she said, holding Teri up to see the view, "when are they gonna be
finished? Who is responsible for¡K" She trailed off, "this¡K"

Behind her, the porch door slid open and Shinji stepped outside.

"Asuka-chan," he said gently as he draped his brown jacket on her back, "you
shouldn't be out like this, you might catch a cold."

"I'm fine Shin-chan," she replied as Shinji embraced her from behind, "I just
needed some air." --- Satori residence Takuma stood out on his porch, too. He
also couldn't sleep. So instead, he spends his night imagining himself, in
his Eva.

Stomping the construction sites to bits. After a while, he leaned back and
look at the moon. Its blue glow triggering a thought in the boy's mind.

"I wonder if Rei-chan could sleep," he said to himself. --- Ayanami residence
Rei turned over in her bed, sleeping peacefully. She had no problem ignoring
the chaotic sounds of construction close to her home. --- Ikari/Katsuragi
residence After a little while, the door slid opened again, and Misato
stepped onto the porch.

"Shinji-kun," she said as she put her jacket on him, "you'll catch a cold."

"Thanks, Misato-san," he said. Not saying anything else, they admired the
night's beauty. Then the door opened again, and Pen Pen stepped out onto the
porch. He passed another jacket to Misato.

"Put this on, Misato-san," Pen Pen said, "or you might catch a cold¡K"

"Thanks Pen Pen," Misato said as she took the coat, "that's very nice of you."

"No problem," said the penguin, "if you'll excuse me, I have a report to
finish." Pen Pen went back inside, the door slid shut behind him.

"Goodnight," said Misato, suddenly she realized something. "Did he just
talk?!" she shouted.

"What's wrong, Misato-san?" said Shinji, turning to face her.

"Yeah," Asuka turned to face Misato, also, "Pen Pen always talked." Teri
pulled the pacifier out of her mouth.

"What's wrong, aunt Misato?" asked Teri with a little baby smile.

Misato snapped out of her dream, her eyes wide open.

"Ack¡Kno more beers in the middle of the night," she said, getting out of
bed. She went to the couple's door and gently slid it open. Inside, Asuka and
Shinji were sleeping peacefully, with Teri between them. Misato smiled at the
scene, and went back to her room.

Morning.

"Ohayou gazaimasu", the gang called out. Hikari, Touji, and Kensuke had just
returned from their summer vacation. They all had left of their trip the day
the 15th Angel attacked, which was 2 weeks ago. As soon as they came back,
they were told what had happened. Hikari was the first one to enter the
apartment. The moment she saw Asuka, she gave her a big hug.

"Are you ok, Asuka-chan?" asked Hikari.

"Yeah," Asuka said, "they kept me in the hospital for almost 2 weeks, but I'm
fine."

Touji and Kensuke went up to Shinji, who was carrying Teri.

"Hey there, young father," they greeted.

"Hi guys," said Shinji, "say hi to uncle Touji and Kensuke, Teri-chan."

"Uncle?" gasped Touji.

"You make us sound like old men!" cried Kensuke. Teri giggled at their
expression.

"So how was your trip?" Shinji asked the two.

"It was ok¡K" said Touji, looking away.

"He's just being modest," said Kensuke, "he ran into the class rep at the
beach. Apparently, she was wearing a two-piece bathing suit¡K"

Touji turned red, "my little sister was well enough to go on the trip, so I
spent most of my time looking after her."

"Most of your time," asked Shinji, "not all of your time?"

"Of course not," said Kensuke jokingly, "he had to take the class rep on long
romantic walks on the beach." Kensuke looked to Touji for his reaction on the
joke.

"Well¡K" Touji turned even redder. Kensuke's jaw dropped to the floor.

"Hmmm¡Klong walks on the beach," said Shinji, "I got to talk Asuka to the
beach sometime. Maybe it'll cheer her up."

"Cheer her up?" Touji looked towards Asuka, who is chatting and laughing with
Hikari, "she looks fine to me. What's wrong? What did the last Angel do,
anyway?"

Shinji quickly changed the subject, "I almost forgot, there's someone you
guys should meet." --- Satori residence "Good morning," Takuma said with a
smile, "come on in."

Asuka, Shinji, Touji, Hikari, and Kensuke entered the boy's apartment.

"Please make your self at home," he said.

"Everyone," announced Shinji, "this is Takuma, he's the fourth Child. Takuma,
this is Kensuke, Touji, and Hikari."

"Hi, welcome to Tokyo-3," the three said. Touji casually took a step closer
to Hikari, trying to send a message to Takuma. Hikari responded by elbowing
Touji. Meanwhile Kensuke sighed, and muttered 'why didn't they pick me as
pilot?'

"Nice to meet you all!" Takuma said, offering his hand. Kensuke shook it,
while Touji passed, politely. "So, what exactly do you do here for fun?" he
asked, "I've been stuck in this apartment for the past two weeks."

"What?" gasped Shinji, "you mean, you've been staying home all this time."

"Well," Takuma said, "I've been cleaning this place, and getting myself
acquainted with NERV headquarter¡Kother than that¡K" He sighed, "no one
showed me around the city yet."

"Well," Hikari said, "let's change all that! I know a great place we can all
go!"

"What about Teri-chan?" asked Asuka, "we can't just leave her home alone!"

"Bring her along," Hikari replied, "come on Asuka, I'm positive this will
cheer you up." --- AXL Game Center (didn't think I forgot about this place,
did you =) "Bonjour!" said Guillaume as the group entered the well
air-conditioned building, "it's been so long! Glad to see everyone's well."

"Je suis heureuse de vous revoir aussi, Guillaume" Asuka said.

Guillaume then saw the baby in Asuka's arms, "that's must be Teri-chan!"
Asuka smiled and held her up for Axel¡KI mean Guillaume to see.

"What a cute baby, she looks like her mother¡K" he commented.

"Of course she does," Asuka said, "she's got my superior genes."

Guillaume noticed the other addition to the group.

"And who is this?" he asked.

"Bonjour, je m'appelle Satori Takuma," the boy said.

"He's the new Eva pilot," Shinji said.

"Ravi de faire ta connaissance," Guillaume said.

"Err¡Kma francais n'est pas bien," Takuma stuttered.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Guillaume translated, "welcome to AXL Game
Center."

By this time, the group of teenagers with the baby was drawing attention from
the center's customers. Guillaume noticed this, and made a choice; he turned
around to look for someone.

"GORDON!!!" Guillaume shouted, "come here!"
(Poor guy, who the heck is Gordon anyway?)

>From a little distance away, a blond man as tall as Guillaume appeared.

"Yes¡K I'm coming! Geez, everyone's always shouting at me¡K" the man said,
walking up to Guillaume.

"Close the center," Guillaume said.

"Whaaat?!" asked a bewildered Gordon, "this is our best day since summer
started! Why? Why are you doing this again?"

"We've got special guests," Guillaume said, looking over his shoulder at the
group. Gordon was on the verge of tears.

"Please¡Kyou gotta reconsider¡K" he pleaded, but Guillaume just stared him
down. A defeated Gordon wandered towards the main office, where the PA system
was. Asuka tapped Guillaume on the shoulder to get his attention.

"You don't have to do this," she said, "I don't wanna cost you so much money
because of this."

"Friendships over money" he simply replied.

Asuka smiled at that.

"Err¡Kattention all customers," Gordon announced through the PA system, "due
to special circumstances, the AXL Game Center is now closed. Please feel free
to return tomorrow, when we'll be following our normal schedules¡K" the next
part was almost a whisper, "I hope¡K"

The group stepped aside as hoards of customers left the building. Many of
them were upset, but the look on Teri's face melted their hearts into warm
and fuzzy goo. They all left smiling.

"The center is clear," Gordon said a moment later, "please enjoy yourselves."

"Gordon," said Guillaume.

"Yes?" he was just about to leave.

"Leave the tokens."

Gordon handed over a large amount tokens, "err¡Kon the house¡Kagain¡K"

"Wow," Takuma said, "already I got free stuff, and I haven't even showed him
my NERV ID."

Guillaume led the group through the center.

"As you can see, we've reorganized and added some new games since the last
time you guys where here," he said proudly.

"I can't wait to kick your butts in CAPCOM vs. SNK 2010: Next Generation,"
Asuka said to everyone.

"Unless Rei kicks your butt," said Hikari.

"Where is Rei?" asked Takuma, but no one knew the answer. --- Dummy plug
factory, NERV headquarter The room was dark and circular in shape, with a
strange glass and metal structure in the center, attached to the floor and
ceiling by twisting tubes. The walls of the room were actually the sides of a
large, LCL-filled tank. Inside the tank, countless nude bodies floated. They
were all alike, sharing the same featured down to the genetic detail.

They were all Ayanami Rei, or at least in form. There's however, was a
different Rei in the room. In the center of the chamber, floating inside the
metal and glass structure, was yet another Ayanami.

This one was different from all the rest, in that she had a soul.

Rei opened her eyes, and watched through the ember-colored liquid, at the
countless others like herself. No, she thought, they're not me; I am I. She
watched the human shaped shells, devoid of any souls. I am Rei; I have a
soul, she thought, yet I am the second. She raised her right hand, and
checked the time on her wristwatch. Every since Commander Ikari was
imprisoned, there had been no more dummy plug tests, no more related
experiments.

No one to wake her up from her sleep inside the LCL tank, no one to share a
meal with afterwards. Yet still, she feels compelled to come down here ever
so often, and soak inside the tank. What am I doing here? She thought,
closing her eyes, I have no further purpose here.

I have no further purpose here.

Ayanami Rei, designated 1st Child.

Pilot of Evangelion Unit-00.

The key to the beginning of Instrumentality, and the Human Complementation
Project.

There is no more Instrumentality, no more Human Complementation Project.

Soon there will be no more Angels; no more need for the Evangelions.

No more need for me?

Commander Ikari no longer needs me; I've abandoned him.

Soon Vice-Commander Misato will no longer need me, too.

What purpose will I serve then?

To live, but for myself?

To act, but on my own will?

Ikari-kun no longer needs me; he has his happiness.

Takuma-kun? He needs¡Kwants the first Rei.

But I am Rei, am I not?

The soulless shells smiled at Rei, as if trying to answer her question.

Even though I am the second¡Kone of many, all sharing the same form. I am
unique, I am real, I possess a soul.

To serve no purpose except to live for oneself.

To act not on the wills of others but on the will of oneself.

To be needed not as a tool, but as a friend.

In other words, not to be a doll.

Rei gazed out once again, at nude forms.

What if he finds out the truth? What if he sees this?

Rei pressed the palm of her right hand against the glass, and turned her
attention to a cart in the room. On it, lay a large remote control. With it,
she could end the life of the lifeless shells.

But then the second Rei will be the last Rei.

A thought suddenly struck the girl.

What happens if I die? There would be no return from nothingness this time.
For a long time, I longed for the return to nothingness; the day when
Commander Ikari would have no more need for me.

But now I fear it; I want to go on.

She came to a conclusion.

No, not yet.

Sounds of footsteps can be heard, as a figure emerged from the darkness.

"Rei," said Vice-Commander Katsuragi.

"¡K"

"Still haven't decided?"

"¡K"

"It's alright, Rei, this isn't an easy decision" she said, turning to leave.
"That remote will always be there," she slowly disappeared back into the
darkness, "this choice will always be yours."

"¡K" --- AXL Game Center "KO" the arcade game machine accounted, as Asuka's
Athena beats Touji's Guile for the 3rd time in a roll. Shinji held Teri in
his arms, as everyone watched Asuka triumph once again.

"Ack, you're too easy," Asuka said, "who's my next victim?"

"I think it's Takuma's turn to get his butt kicked," Touji growled. Takuma
stepped up to the controls.

"So this button's kick, and this one's punch?" he asked, "I've never played
this before."

"Just hit the buttons randomly," Kensuke said, "maybe you'll get lucky, and
perform a combo."

"What's a combo?"

"Just play."

"Don't worry," Asuka said with a smile, "I'll go easy on you."

For this game, Asuka chose Athena again, and Takuma chose Kyo.

"Round one," the machine said, "fight!"

Almost immediately, Asuka performs a Phoenix Arrow, followed by a Psycho
Sword, smashing Takuma across the screen. He didn't even have a chance to
recover before Asuka finished him off with a Shining Crystal Bit.

"KO," the machine announced, "round two¡Kfight!"

Takuma smash at the buttons desperately, trying to make his fighter do
something, anything. Miraculously, he manages to perform the Saishu Ketsuken
Ougii (Pseudo Type Absolute Flame), catching Asuka off guard. With a little
more luck, he manages to win this round.

"Beginner's luck," she said, "this one's for real."

"Round three¡Kfight!"

Asuka showed no mercy, charging Takuma and performing a Psycho Ball. Takuma
managed to dodge that, but gets hit with a Phoenix Arrow. He retaliated by
performing a Compose Sin. As the battle progressed, both players' health got
dangerously low. Asuka made a tactical retreat to the far side of the screen,
and prepares to finish Takuma off with a special combo. Takuma pressed at his
control furiously, trying to beat Asuka to a combo.

"Game over," said Asuka as she reached down to the button that would complete
Athena's special combo and send Kyo to an early grave.

>From the corner of her eyes, Asuka saw a reflection of someone behind her.
The image of a woman in white, carrying something in her arms, reflecting off
the plastic cover of the arcade machine.

Asuka spun around, her eyes wide open, searching for the source of the
reflection. She found no such person behind her. Shinji noticed her confused
expression.

"What's wrong, Asuka-chan?" he asked, walking up to her with Teri.

"I¡K" she began.

"KO," the machine announced, "Kyo wins." Takuma had managed to perform a
combo while Asuka wasn't paying attention.

"Nothing," Asuka said, "the light got reflected into my eyes, that's all."

Behind them, Takuma danced around in celebration of his victory. Kensuke and
Touji were commenting on how unbelievably luck he was.

"I'm tired," Asuka said, taking Teri from Shinji's arms, "and it's getting
late, Let's go home."

The group bid their good-byes and thanks to Guillaume, and went home.

Ikari/Katsuragi residence
"We're home," Shinji called out as he, Asuka, and Teri entered the apartment.

"Just as I suspected," Asuka said, "she isn't home." Shinji went and check
the answering machine.

"Hi, I'm going out for a drink with Kaji-kun after work. Don't wait up, bye."

"She's not coming home tonight," observed Asuka. --- A bar (one of those
nice, classy ones) Misato brought her glass to her lips, and took a small sip
of its contents. The savored the taste of the red wine for a moment, before
swallowing it.

"So where did you disappear to for weeks?" she asked causally.

"Top secret mission," Kaji responded, "if I told you, I'd have to kill you."

"Very funny," Misato didn't look amused, "it's been over a month since you
got the grand tour of NERV headquarter." She took another sip of her wine,
"what are you going to tell the Ministry of Interior?"

"I was thinking something in the lines of 'NERV was going to evolve mankind
into a whole new state of being, by killing everyone, but everything's fine
now because they changed their mind'."

"Blunt," she commented, "have to give you bonus marks for your direct
approach, but have to take marks off for the fact that the JSSDF would invade
NERV headquarter and kill everyone."

"You're being too pessimistic," he smiled, "they would never dare to do
something so drastic."

"Never underestimate politicians when their own necks are on the line."

Kaji looked at Misato with his boyish grin.

"What's wrong? You're more down than usual tonight."

Misato sighed, "I never though being the Vice-Commander of NERV would be so
hard, the stress, the workload¡K"

"Ok, now the real reason."

"Asuka."

"¡K"

"She been having nightmares lately, ever since a few weeks before the last
Angel attack. I think that before it was just the stress of being a young
mother."

"But now after the Angel's 'attack'?"

"I think might be worsening into a real problem."

"Have you consulted Ritsuko-san?"

"No, not yet," Misato look down, her eyes narrowing, "but if it gets any
worse¡K"

"Asuka's a strong girl, and she's got Shinji-kun and Teri-chan," he said,
placing a bill on the bar, "it's getting late, let's get out of here."

Sometime later.

Misato lay on a bed, and lit a cigarette. At the foot of the bed were two
sets of clothing, two pairs of footwear, and two pistols and holsters. ---
Vice-Commander's office, next day Misato slumped over her desk, hey eyes
blood shot. In front of her, stood Ritsuko, with a large folder. She placed
it on Misato's desk.

"You want the weird news first, or the really weird news first?" Ritsuko
asked with a smile.

"Surprise me," Misato grumbled.

"Unit-01 shouldn't have been able to block the Angel's psycho attack like
that. If Unit-02's own AT-Field had no effect against the attack, Unit-01's
field shouldn't either. It could be due to the fact that Shinji's synch ratio
temporary sky rocketed when he was trying to protect Asuka, we don't know."

"Well, let me guess, that was the 'weird news', but then, Unit-01 has always
been full of surprises," Misato took a drink of coffee, "remember how Asuka
delivered Teri-chan in there, all by herself?"

"Yes, I know," Ritskuo said, "Asuka still wouldn't tell me how she did it."

"So what's the really weird news?"

"Well," Ritsuko frowned a bit, "we kind of detected another AT-Field during
the last attack¡Kinside Central Dogma¡K"

"What?!" Misato jumped to her feet, "the Angel was trying to attack us also?"

"No," Ritsuko said, "the pattern didn't belong to Angels or Evas. It was very
narrow and tightly focused, quite low on the frequency chart. We almost
missed it when we were going over the computer logs of the attack. It could
have been a system error, but we checked four times to make sure it was not."

Misato stared at Ritsuko, at a loss of words.

"We believe the source of the field to be human," Ritsuko's eyes narrowed a
bit, "or at least something close to human."

"But human beings can't generate an AT-Field."

"We don't know that for sure," Ritsuko looked at Misato with an evil grin,
"now you get to chose between the good news and the bad news."

"What?" Misato gasped, "there's more?"

"I'll take that as 'gimme the good news first'," said Ritsuko, "we found what
caused the Sea of Dirac that swallowed 3rd Branch."

Misato put down her coffee cup, and gave Ritsuko her full attention.

"It was Unit-04's port side wing," Ritsuko began, "as you know, every
Evangelion so far has two wings. Unit-00 and 01's wings carries a primary and
a back up progressive knife. Unit-02's left wing carries a progressive knife,
but its right wing carries a large caliber flechette launcher."

"So?"

"Unit-04's is unlikely any of the above, it's a modular design," Ritsuko
opened the folder on Misato's desk and flipped to the wing's schematics.

"A completely removable upper section, allowing quick and easy change of the
wing's payload. It's capable of holding anything from the typical extra
progressive knife, to sensor packages, or extra batteries. This design has
long since been on the drawing board, but was finished too late to be
accommodated into Unit-01 or 02."

"So what? You mean to tell me that a simple wing component caused the
disappear¡K" Misato changed the word, "the death of thousands?"

"Well," Ritsuko said, "that's the bad news. The current payload of Unit-04's
right wing is a complex array of computers, antennas, and field generators.
Apparently it's some sort of electronics warfare package."

"Why would someone put a electronics warfare package into an Eva?" Misato
demanded, "the last time I heard, the Angels didn't use radios! What were
those damned Americans thinking?"

"I wasn't finished, normally those things are quite harmless, but they've
been reprogrammed. Someone deliberately set the system to generate a Sea of
Dirac. How they do it? I don't know, it's suppose to be beyond our current
understanding of physics."

"So what now?" asked Misato.

"That's up to you, but I would suggest have the wing removed."

"Do it, I want the thing taken apart and studied, can you replace it with
something?"

"I'll have the machine shops fabricate a replacement wing, for holding an
extra progressive knife."

"Good, I'll have a word with our American colleagues, maybe they can shine
some light on this. Did you tell Commander Fuyutsuki this yet?"

"No," Ritsuko shook her head, "he's in another meeting with the council
again."

"I thought he said it was a waste of time," Misato said.

"Doesn't mean he doesn't have to go," Ritsuko replied, and left the office.
--- SEELE council chamber "So Fuyutsuki-sensai," began chairman Kihl, "how's
the weather in Tokyo-3 this time of the year?"

"It's fine, chairman Kihl," replied Fuyutsuki, smiling.

"How is the Project progressing?"

"We're almost back on schedule," lied Fuyutsuki.

"Good, good," commented Kihl, "you are a most excellent Commander,
Fuyutsuki-sensei."

You maybe confident now, but someday you're gonna be punished for your
actions, both man thought at the same time.

God, this is a waste of time, everyone in the room thought.
---
NERV headquarter, a day later
"Just the two of us?" Takuma asked the surveillance camera on the wall.

"That's right," Misato's voice came the PA system, "we feel that Asuka isn't
ready to come back to work yet, and that Shinji-kun should stay home with
her."

"Work?" Takuma asked quietly, "it's not like we get paid or anything."

"Your NERV ID allows you to purchase almost any items at your discretion,"
Rei said, standing in a booth next to his. Opaque dividers blocked the view
of nude bodies from each other.

"Come on, we don't have all day," Ritsuko said through the PA, "Rei, you go
first."

"Hai," Rei stepped out of her booth, and walked down the corridor. Takuma
closed his eyes; he was no hentai. Still, he though, I wonder what she looks
like without¡K

"Aaahchoo," Takuma sneezed, having been hit by a cold breeze from the
ventilation system.

Rei stopped in the track, and turn 90o to partially face Takuma.

"God bless you," she said. That's what they say when people sneezes on TV and
in books, she thought, first time I've used it, though.

"Thank you, Rei," he said, look up, forgetting were he was¡K

His face paled considerably, and his eyeballs left their sockets.

"Takuma-kun," said Rei, still standing there, "you are suffering from a nose
bleed."

"¡K" --- Ikari/Katsuragi residence The entire apartment was filled with the
soft sound of Shinji's cello, as he held a private performance for his
beloved family. Asuka held Teri in her arms, and Shinji performed his last
piece of the day.

"That was beautiful, Shin-chan," said Asuka, "what is it?"

"Suiten fur Violoncello solo Nr. 1 G-dur," replied Shinji, as he begins to
pack away his cello. "I'm a little rusty, haven't been practicing lately."

"Naw, you were great! Maybe someday I can go back to playing the violin, and
we can play together."

"That would be great," said Shinji.

"Hear that Teri-chan? Both of your parents play a string instrument, maybe
someday you will follow in our foot steps."

"I hope she doesn't end up being an Eva pilot," Shinji said as he took a seat
beside Asuka, "I hope she grows up in a better world then this."

"It's up to us to make it better." --- Deep inside NERV headquarter The
former Commander of NERV sat at his small table, inside his dark cell. He
faced a blank wall beside the door, with his hands in front of his mouth.

The door slid open, letting light into the dark room.

"Ikari, you have a visitor," a large guard said.

Ikari, thought Gendo, simply Ikari, not mister, not commander. No more fear
at the sound of my name, no more awe at the sheer power I once held.

The fools.

"¡K"

"Come in, Rei," said Gendo, not taking his eyes off the wall.

"¡K"

"I've been expecting you," he said, still not looking at her.

"¡K"

"Meals have been very lonely ever since I was put here," he said with a small
grin under his hands. He turned his head slightly, and looked Rei in the
eyes.

Somehow, he knew everything.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because I thought it was the best choice," the light from out side the cell
glared off Gendo's shaded glasses.

"We didn't know if you would remember him, when you didn't, I decided it was
better to leave it that way."

"So it would be easier for me to be your doll?" Rei asked, an unusual trace
of coldness lingered in her words.

"I had nothing against Takuma," replied Gendo, "he was a good child, and you
two were very close. You used to have him over all the time." --- Ikari
residence, Geofront, 2006 " Good morning, Mr Ikari," greeted Takuma as Gendo
opened the door. It was a Saturday, and Rei has just given him a call,
inviting him over.

"Good morning, Takuma-kun," said Gendo with a small grin, "Rei's in her room."

"Thank you sir," the boy ran past Gendo towards Rei's room. He stopped in
front of a closed door, with a Hello Kitty sign on the door. He knocked on
the door.

"I'm here."

"Come in," came the reply. Takuma opened the door and walked in.

"Hey Rei-chan, what did you want to show¡K" his face paled, "me¡K"

In front of him, was a room in incredible disorder. Clothes, books, stuffed
animals, and toys were scattered liberally around the room. The trash basket
was over flowing with litter, and the bed was beyond unmade.

Rei looked at Takuma with a mischievous smile.

"No¡Knot again¡K" Takuma said, "I think I hear my mother calling me¡KI gotta
go!"

Rei switch from a mischievous smile to a puppy face.

"Ack¡Kno¡Kthat not fair¡K" the boy backed into the door, "I helped you last
time!"

Rei added a sad look to the puppy face.

"Pleeeease¡K" she asked in the most kawaii voice she could manage.

Takuma took one look at Rei, then his heart seized up and melted.

"Ok, you win," Takuma sighed.

"Thank you, Takuma-chan!" said Rei, walking over and giving him a small hug.

"You can start by emptying my trash basket," she ordered, pointing at a
container in the corner over flowing with candy wrappers and other items.

(Author's note: Hmmm¡K I guess little Rei learned the part about using other
people to do your dirty work from Gendo¡K) --- Satori residence, later that
afternoon Kasumi took a can of pop from the fridge, and walked to the TV. She
slumped down on the sofa and turned on the TV. She found a channel showcasing
Japanese music videos, and cranked up the volume.

"Kasumi-chan," Seyoko emerged from her room a moment later, "can you turn
that down?" She headed towards the couch.

Kasumi responded by opening her can of pop, and taking a long drink.

"Please honey, I've got reports to finish¡K" Kasumi's mother slowly closed in
on the girl.

Kasumi responded by starting to sing along with the TV.

"Watashi ni kaeri nasai¡KUmareru mae ni¡K"

Seyoko closed to striking range of her intended target¡K

"I SAID TURN IT DOWN!" Seyoko shouted, her head growing to many times its
usual size, and having a mouth full of sharp teeth.

Kasumi flew off the couch and quickly turn the TV down.

"That's better," Seyoko said, her calm demeanor returning. Kasumi cowered
behind another sofa.

"Where is your brother? It's getting late, I hope he doesn't end up staying
at Commander Ikari's house for dinner, again."

"No, he's probably helping Rei clean up her room, again." Kasumi slowly
emerges from her hiding place.

"Speaking of cleaning, shouldn't you be cleaning your room?"

"But¡K"

"Have you finished your homework?"

"No, I¡K"

"I think it's your turn to wash the dishes this week."

Kasumi quickly retreated into her room, before her mother could come up with
anymore chores. --- Ikari residence Takuma collapsed on the floor of Rei's
now tidy room.

"Finally¡K" he said, "no more¡K" He pulled himself off the carpet and sat
crossed legged on the floor.

"Thank you Takuma-chan," said Rei as she returns to her room. She passed him
a soda pop, while keeping one for herself.

"Please don't mess your room up like that again," Takuma begged.

"I promise," Rei said with a smile, Takuma wasn't very convinced.

"I've got something for you," Rei said, tossing her now empty pop can at the
trashcan and missing. She opened a drawer on her desk, and began to pull
stuff out.

"I just put those in there¡K" said Takuma as Rei messes up the drawer.

"Nope, not in this one," she said, moving on to another drawer and messing
that one up. By the time she found what she was looking for, she had emptied
4 drawers, and created quite a mess.

"Found it!" she pulled out a small scrapbook, and sat down in front of Takuma.

"This is for you," she said, handing the book over. He took it with both
hands, and opened it.

"Wow," he said. Inside were many crayon drawings, all done by Rei.

"That's you," Rei said, pointing to a little stick figure, "and that's me,
that's the Commander, that's your big sister, that's your mom¡K"

"Who's that?" Takuma asked, pointing to a drawing of a woman, with horns
coming out of her head and fangs coming out of her mouth.

"That's Dr Akagi."

"I know her, she's scary."

"Commander Ikari doesn't like her, but don't tell anyone I said that,"
whispered Rei, "it's a secret."

"Ok," he flipped through some more pages, and some stuff fell out of the
book. They were little cutouts of some of Rei's drawings. Takuma carefully
picked them up and put them back in the book.

"Thank you Rei-chan," he said, smiling, "you're the best! You're so smart and
pretty."

Rei blushed at the comment.
---
Deep inside NERV headquarter, present day
"You're so smart and pretty¡K"

Rei opened her eyes, startled. The surge of memories, emotions, feelings¡K
All so warm, yet distant. One moment they were clear as glass, the next as
faint as a morning fog.

"Goodbye," Rei said, turning to leave.

"Wait, Rei," Gendo said, "I have a question."

"¡K"

"How is my granddaughter doing?"

Rei ignored the question, and promptly left the cell. The door closed behind
her, returning the cell to its normal state of darkness.



END of Chapter #4.0 version 2 (08/20/99)
Version 1 dated 08/19/99
Version 2 dated 08/20/99
Version 3 dated 00/00/00

Roll credits with moon and Rei backdrop, play something from Evangelion while
I talk about some things.

Author's words: Smaller chapter this time, and maybe next time, too. Hope
that's ok with everyone. You might be wondering why Gendo's so nice during
those flashbacks. It is my theory that he became more and more sinister as
time passed, but at one time he still had a quite of humanity left in him. It
was bad when Yui died, and it became worse after, well¡K *whistles* BTW,
thanks to all those who have contacted me through ICQ or e-mailed me, your
responses really means a great deal to me. =) Keep 'em coming! Oh and, IS
THERE ANYONE LIVING IN CANADA? I mean, come on, biggest country in the world,
and not one fanfic reader in the same country as me? Ok, no more insane
rambling till next chapter¡K later folks =)

My e-mail: damnit@intergate.bc.ca My ICQ: 8155557 Also, please (very please)
visit Axel Terizaki's wonderful, award winning website, at:
http://asukanotebook.tsx.org He great, he wise, he Axel.

My wonderful prereaders for this chapter:
Axel, EBJ, |ncubus, and Rajen

Preview of next chapter/episode: SEELE attacks! (No, not with the mass
production Evas, those are still a looong way off, a looooooooong way.
*sinister laugh* Heeheeheehee¡K) And Mygard returns as a cynical garden gnome
this time.

Chapter 4 outtakes: Number 1. Satori residence Takuma stood out on his porch,
too. He also couldn't sleep. So instead, he spends his night imagining
himself, in his Eva.

Stomping the construction sites to bits. After a while, he leaned back and
look at the moon. Its blue glow triggering a thought in the boy's mind.

"I wonder if Rei-chan could sleep," he said to himself.
---
Ayanami residence
Rei sat up in her bed.

"Aaachoo!" she sneezed.

Sneezing, have I done this before? It seems so familiar, yet¡K

"Someone must be talking about me¡K"

Number 2.
"Close the center," Guillaume said.

"Whaaat?!" asked a bewildered Gordon, "this is our best day since summer
started! Why? Why are you doing this again?"

"We've got special guests," Guillaume said, looking over his shoulder at the
group. Gordon was on the verge of tears.

"Please¡Kyou gotta reconsider¡K" he pleaded, but Guillaume just stared him
down. A defeated Gordon wandered towards the main office, looking for help.
For he knew, in a dark, shadowy corner of the well air-conditioned and
furnished office, there is a force powerful enough to counter the great
Guillaume.

"You've got to come!" Gordon cried, "he's at it again!"

"He shall not get away with this, this time," a figure said from the shadows,
its voice echoes eerily in the office.

Meanfwhile.

"Guillaume, you don't have to do this," Asuka said.

"But I want to," he replied, "you see, I'm in love with you, and even though
you're already taken by Shinji¡K" Guillaume gives Shinji a cold stare, then
look to Asuka with a warm smile. "I still want you to be as happy as
possible."

"You're so sweet," Asuka said, wiping away a stray tear on her face.

"Fee fi fo fun," a figure emerged from the shadows, "who dares to close down
AXL unannounced?"

It was Mygard, the evil elf in charge of the AXL Game Center.

"It is I, Guillaume."

"You dare decrease our profit for the day?"

"Yes, money over friendship¡KI mean friendship over money."

"You fool," boomed the elf, "I will now punish you for your foolishness,
fool!"

"Yeah¡Kok¡K"

"I challenge you to a Pokemon battle!" the elf let loose a savage battle cry.
His animal-like voice thunders through the entire center.

(Author's note: at this point, I realized the insanity of my words, and
stopped. My apologies to Monsieur Mygard: I don't know you, I have nothing
against you, it's just that I needed a name and yours happens to be there. It
could have been worst, I was thinking of the word 'gnome' (as in 'garden
gnome') instead of 'elf'. Please don't kill me¡K)


Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Share what you know. Learn what you don't.

From: david_templar@my-deja.com

This chapter is dedicated to all those who lost their life in the
(not so) recent earthquake and associated aftershocks in Taiwan.

The Child of Love 2: End of the beginning
By David Templar

Neon Genesis Evangelion is brainchild of Hideaki Anno, and the property
of Gainax. The Child of Love is the idea of Axel Terizaki, I'm just
carrying on his legacy. I might also occasionally poke fun at other Eva
fanfics and anime shows. This fanfic is not making any money, so suing
me is pointless, sue Axel instead, he's the evil mastermind =)


NEON GENESIS EVANGELION
Chapter #5:0
			SEELE attacks!

SEELE council chamber
"I still think it's too soon," objected SEELE-02.

"I agree," said SEELE-04, "we have much to gain from such an operation,
but also much to lose."

"Lose?" chuckled SEELE-09, "there's nothing to lose."

"We have created a most convincing cover story," explained SEELE-
12, "in case the operation should go wrong."

SEELE-02 and 04 fell silent, offering no more objections.

"Then it is decided," said Chairman Kihl, "the council is in agreement,
the operation will proceed."

The center of the room lights up as a man appeared, dressed in a black
suit.

"Major Hasamoto," Kihl said to the man, who snapped to
attention, "commence Operation Yasha."

"Yes sir," replied the ex-NERV head of security. He was among the group
of NERV security officers recently fired and kicked out of the country,
due to his involvement with SEELE. The major saluted the monolith
representing Kihl, and disappeared.

Operation Yasha
Commencing
Stage one
T-minus a weeks plus a few days to H-hour
---
Office of the Vice-Commander, NERV headquarters, a week later
Misato stretched in her large black leather chair, and welcomed the
beginning of her workday with a hot mug of coffee. A young woman,
Misato's newly appointed secretary, stood in front of her desk.

"Well Ms. Noriko, what exciting events are in my schedule on this fine
day?"

"You have a meeting with the city council of Tokyo-3 this afternoon,"
the shorthaired woman replied.

"Tell them I can't make it," said Misato, trying anything to avoid the
annoying and tedious meeting, "tell them that there's an important Eva
experiment that I have to be personally present at." Dealing with
bureaucrats makes me wanna pull my hair out, she thought.

"But ma'am, you used that excuse last week."

"What about having the flu?"

"The week before last."

"Angel-related emergency?"

"Commander Fuyutsuki is still mad at your for ordering that surprise
Angel attack drill three weeks ago, he didn't appreciate you avoiding
your council meeting that way."

"Well," Misato scratched her head; "you make up something."

"Yes ma'am," the young secretary pulled out a notepad and scribbled
down a quick reminder, "Vice-Commander unable attend meeting due to...a
test of headquarters security, all communications with the outside will
be out."

"So we won't be responding to their calls, clever."

"Thank you ma'am," replied Noriko. She left the room a moment later,
leaving Misato alone to herself.

Now this is much more like it, Misato thought, leaning back in her
chair. For the first time in years, all annoying reports are finished,
all stupid meetings are avoided, there are no Angel attacks, the kids
are fine, and NO BAD NEWS! Misato spurn her chair around several times
in celebration.

"Oh wait, what's that western saying? Knock on wood?" She looked around
for something wooden to knock on, but her little trip on her chair had
left her out of reach of her solid oak desk.

"What the heck, just a stupid superstition," she relaxed and enjoyed
the peacefulness of a sane world.

"Excuse me ma'am," the intercom on her desk came alive with Noriko's
voice, "the head of security wishes to see you."

"Very well," Misato said, working her chair back to her desk and
attempting to assume a dominating posture. She succeeded in looking
more sinister than dominating. A second later, a rather short, balding
man entered the room and walked up to her desk. Major Uragi was the new
appointed head of security for NERV headquarters, after most of the old
security personnel were replaced. He was regarded as a model officer by
the JSSDF, and his work at NERV so far had been exemplary.

But he'd never shown up unannounced at Misato's office before.

"Vice-Commander," he begins, snapping to attention and saluting Misato.
Strangely, he appeared somewhat jumpy and unnerved. She stood up and
returned the gesture, then sat back down.

"Please have a seat, Major," he complied. "What is this about?" she
queried.

"We've encountered difficulties regarding certain issues," he said.

"What? Speak Japanese."

"Bad new, I've got bad news."

With that, the world once again cast away its sanity and returned to
being a loon. Misato tensed up so much that her head began tilting at
an angle.

"Wha...what?" she said through clutched teeth, and the side of her face
twitched uncontrollably. Maybe if I shoot him before he can tell me
what's gone bad...yes...that sounds like a good idea.

The major noticed Misato's hand crawling towards her shoulder
holster. "Ah...err...we've been receiving terrorist threats," he said,
handing over a folder. Misato opened it and flipped through its content
of e-mail print outs, phone call transcripts, and a few hand written
letters.

"A short while ago, a previously unknown organization calling
themselves `Children of Noa' declared was against NERV. We didn't think
much of it, after all, every fanatical organization of every major
religion views us with great spite."

"So? What makes this one so different?" Ok, maybe this isn't bad enough
news to shoot the messenger.

"Early this morning, several people suspected to be CoN members entered
Japan, from the United States and Germany. Our people tried to tail
them, but they managed to elude the security teams."

Shoot him shoot him shoot him shoot him shoot him, screamed Misato's
mind.

"Any idea what are they doing here? Any chance they're just
vacationing?"

"We don't know, ma'am."

Misato frowned, "get every resource we have on it, I want those people
located and followed. If they even get close to Tokyo-3, I want them
arrested. If they somehow get into the city, I want them shot."

"Yes ma'am!" barked the Major; he turned to exit the office. Misato
sighed after he left.

"Why is God doing this to me?" She massaged her temples, "to us?"
---
Ikari/Katsuragi residence, next day
"Cheers!" called out Kaji.

"Cheers!" echoed the kids. Tonight is the 2nd last nigh of their summer
vacation. In two days, it'll all be over, and the monotonous routine of
life with school will return. Everyone dreaded that day.

Well, almost everyone.

"I can't wait to go back to school!" cried Hikari, while everyone else
looked at her with arced eyebrows.

"Only you are so eager to return to that prison, Hikari," growled
Touji. She responded by sticking her tongue out at him. It was more of
a playful gesture than spite.

"Ready for school, Takuma?" asked Kaji.

Takuma looked around the room, "not really, I wish summer could last a
bit longer." Say forever?

"Look at it this way, you'll get to meet new people, and make new
friends."

"..." Takuma just stared at his can of pop. Beside him, Rei sat just as
silently as ever.

"I'm gonna miss having Shin-chan around constantly," sighed Asuka
quietly. She looked at Shinji joking around with the other two
stooges, "or maybe not..."

"Don't worry Asuka," Misato said, taking a breather from drinking her
Yebisu, "Kaji here will drive Shinji-kun straight home after school,
Takuma-kun and Rei too." She returned to her drinking.

Asuka looked at Kaji curiously, "since when did you become a chauffeur,
Kaji-san?"

Kaji shrugged, "I escorted you all the way here from Europe, didn't I?
That's what I do, odd jobs, random tasks, stuff like that." Not to
mention spying and stealing.

"You ditched me when the 6th Angel attacked," Asuka looked at Kaji with
narrowed eyes. "You call yourself an escort?"

"Well...err..." he tugged at his shirt collar nervously.

"Oh yes, I remember that, too," Misato eyes Kaji strangely, with her
head tilted at an angle. The effects of alcohol were taking its toll.

"NO I HAVE NOT GOTTEN TO SECOND BASE!" shouted Touji, taking attention
off Kaji. The outburst woke Teri, who was sleeping in her room.

"Good one, stooge," grumbled Asuka as she leaves the table to check on
the crying baby.
Hikari giggles at Touji.

"Sorry," Touji said with slumped shoulders.

"At this rate, it won't be long before the gets to second base,"
Kensuke whispered to Shinji.

"What makes YOU such an expert? You're the only bachelor in this room."

"I am?" he gasped, and looked around the room. Kaji is trying to
contain a somewhat drunk Misato, Hikari is lecturing Touji about how he
will never reach second base, and Takuma and Rei are just sitting
beside each other, not saying a word. Sometimes words are not
needed. "Oh, well, I guess in a way..."

"Shin-chan! Teri-chan needs her diaper changed!"

"So what's wrong with being a bachelor?" Kensuke asked Shinji smugly as
he leaves the room. Kensuke once again return his sights to the rest of
the room's occupants, just in time to see Misato spilling Yebisu beer
all over Kaji.

"Come on Kaji, let's dance!" Misato said, waving her can of beer around
and covering everything around her with its spilling contents. "It'll
just be like when we were in that place that teaches stuff!"

"College?" suggested Kaji.

"No, I think it was some sort of school," Misato said confidently, as
she opens another can of Yebisu.

"No Hikari," said Touji, on his knees, "you're more to me than just a
pretty face! You have a great body, too! Oops, I mean your
personality's great, too!"

"Hmpt!" Hikari turned away from Touji with her arms crossed.

"So, Rei..." Takuma turned nervously to look at the girl, "do you...like
school?"

"..."

"Huh?"

"..."

"Really?"

"..."

"Yeah, that's what I thought."

The party went on for another hour, then Misato passed out and Asuka
and Shinji got too busy with looking after Teri to celebrate. Kaji was
one of the last ones to leave.

"I'm sorry Kaji-san," Shinji said apologetically, "I dunno what got
into Misato, she's not usually this...bad."

"I do," Kaji said quietly.

"Huh? What's wrong with Misato?"

"Too much stress at work," he turned to leave, "see you soon, Shinji-
kun."

Operation Yasha
Stage one completed
Stage two commencing
T-minus 2 days to H-hour
---
Local stationery store, the following day
"This is mine!" screamed Takuma, wrestling a notebook away from another
kid. Last minute shopping for school has become an incredible hassle.
Due to the fact that there's been break in the Angel attacks, the
governing body of Tokyo-3 has launched a series media campaign designed
to draw in more permanent residence. They succeed in convincing some
people that there are no more Angels, and offered a low rate for good
housing in the city. The result, a rise in population of the city and
attendance to the school.

"No, mine!" another kid clubs Takuma in the back of the head with
ruler, knocking him to the ground. The boy then quickly steals the
notebook.

Takuma rubs the back of his head, "why you! No mercy!" He screams, and
jumps on top of the other kid. Then half a dozen other kids joined then
a dozen more, until it's just a massive tangle of human bodies. The
store's security wisely stayed out of the brawl. Takuma succeeds in
retrieving the notebook and partially working his way out of the mess.

"Heehee, it's mine! Mine..." a stray elbow nails him in the back of the
head, knocking him senseless. "Pretty stars..." he commented at the
astrological bodies circling around his head. He drops the notebook.

It lands right in front of Ayanami.

"Thank you, Takuma-kun."

Rei picks up the notebook and walks to the cash register.

Takuma looks at the girl dumbly as she walks away.

"Last Pikachu pencil case!" shouted a store clerk, tossing the item
into the air. The whole mess started all over again.
---
Big conference room place, NERV headquarter
"Good morning," said Misato, "as you all know, there is a report that
an extremist organization has sent members to Japan and is threatening
the lives of the pilots. Major Uragi is here to present an update on
the current situation." Misato moved from the head of the room, and
Major Uragi took his place.

"Good morning," he begins, "as of 2 days ago, the entire resource of
NERV security was directed at finding the Children of Noa members who
had entered Japan. So far, we have had no luck."

Everyone in the room grumbled at the statement.

"However," the Major assured, "we have set up check points on all major
roadways leading into the city, informed all police departments in
Japan, and our security around the pilots have been increased three
folds. We've even asked the JSSDF's Military Police for assistance."

At the moment, almost completely unknown to pilots, they were being
tailed by a larger than usual security detail. Four teams were watching
Asuka and Teri, while three teams each on Rei, Shinji, and Takuma. Part
of the reason they were not spotted by the kids is because they are no
longer the older men in black suits and sun glasses, but now younger
men and women in more causal clothing.

"I'm almost certain that the CoN members will not succeed in entering
Tokyo-3," boasted the Major.

"Almost?" asked Commander Fuyutsuki, leaning forward in his chair. It
was the first word he said since entering the conference room.

"In life, nothing is certain," replied Major Uragi after a moment of
hesitation.

"Hmpt," Fuyutsuki leaned back in his chair, "indeed."
---
NERV express lane C-4, outside Tokyo-3
The young private stared tiredly at the road in front of him. Having
been called up on the last minute to replace a sick officer, he was not
in the best of moods.

"Damnit, I'm not suppose to work on Sundays," he fumed, guiding the
NERV vehicle, loaded with supplies, down a windy road, in a wooded
area.

"Hey, they woke me up just to baby-sit you," sneered his partner, a
corporal, ridding shotgun.

The driver turned his radio's volume up, in hopes of keeping himself
awake, and drown-out anymore comments from his partner.

"Lousy hours, mediocre pay," he muttered to himself, "I should of
stayed with the Self Defense Force." He cursed as the radio's music was
suddenly replaced with static.

"Stupid thing!" His partner slapped the dashboard on which the radio
was mounted, "probably made by the lowest bidder, like everything else
at NERV."

While the driver was busy making additional jokes about NERV, he almost
failed to notice a small white van stopped in the middle of the road.

"Shit!" he screamed as he stepped on the brakes, bringing the large
vehicle to a skidding halt, stopping only yards away from the abandoned
van.

"What the..." His partner reached for his two-way radio set, picking up
the microphone/speaker.

"Supply vehicle bravo 2-0 to base, there is an unidentified van parked
in the middle of the road, blocking our path," he released the transmit
key, but there was only static.

"That's it! I'm quitting after today!" shouted the driver and throwing
opening his door. He started get out of his car, but his partner
grabbed his arm and stopped him.

"Hey, do you hear that?" he asked.

"Hear what?"

"The static, there's something weird about the static..."

"Something weird about the static? You're nuts." He pulled his arm
free, and exited the vehicle. His partner remained inside the car and
watched him approach the small van.

"Hey, anyone there?" the driver shouted at the small van as he
approached it. A large Caucasian exited the van.

"Hello, my car broke down, can you help?" the man asked in English. The
young private didn't understand what he said; he turned to his partner
who knows some English. The young private turned his back on the
stranger.

"LOOK OUT!" his partner was out of the NERV vehicle and raising a
shotgun. The young private turned around to see the stranger pointing a
pistol at him. He fumbled for his own pistol at his side, but it was
too late. The bullets stuck the young man a second later. The last
thing he saw as he fall backward was his partner meeting the same fate.
As the man put his pistol away, several other men emerged from nearby
bushes.

"Get on it right away," the man pointed coldly the two bodies, then
walked towards the NERV truck. "Turn off the radio jammer," he ordered.
One of his subordinates reached into their own van and turned off a
device resembling a radio. The static filling the radio cleared
immediately.

A voice came over the NERV truck's radio, "...repeat, supply vehicle
bravo 2-0, radio check, over," The Caucasian man picked up the receiver
and depressed the transmission key.

"This is supply vehicle bravo 2-0, everything's fine," he said in
perfect Japanese, "over."

"Copy that, what took you so long?" the guy on the other end asked.

"Sorry, you know how these cheap equipment are, you'd think with the
money they spend on those Evangelions that they could spend a little
more other things, over."

"Yeah, you'd think they could pay us better, too, base out," the radio
clicked dead.

"That should keep them off our backs," the man switched back to
English. A small but well-defined man approached him, and saluted.

"We've scanned facial features of the two NERV personnel into the mask
maker," he reported, "it'll take us 30 minutes to replicate them. The
security at NERV will have no way of telling that it's a mask, short of
pulling it off."

"Very well, we'll do it on the go," he surveyed the area, "load the
equipment into the truck, and dispose the of the bodies." The bodies
were promptly disposed of in the surrounding woods, and the back of the
truck was opened.

Revealing the many boxes of donuts inside.

"Make sure those boxes are labeled correctly, we don't want the wrong
people getting them."

Operation Yasha
Stage two completed
Preparations completed
T-minus 1 days to H-hour
---
Later that evening
Asuka and Shinji stood on the porch, gazing out at the Crystalline
Night Sky. Asuka held Teri in her arms, and Shinji wrapped his arms
around Asuka.

"You'll come home right after school, right?" asked Asuka.

"Of course," replied Shinji, "Kaji-san's gonna give me a lift." He
hugged Asuka tighter.

"Good ol' Kaji-kun" Asuka said, "Shin-chan...I hate it when you're not
near me."

"So do I," Shinji said softly, "I wish I can be at you and Teri-chan's
side every second. You two are everything to me, you are my whole
universe."

"Shin-chan?"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

"Me too, my love, me too."

"Remember how we use to fight?" she asked.

"Yeah," he hugged Asuka closer.

"I should have just told you I loved you right from the start."

"You mean, on the carrier, in front of Kaji, Misato, Kensuke, and
Touji?"

"Who cares, it was the truth," Asuka turned her head a bit to see
Shinji's face, "why, didn't you fell in love with the fabulous Sohryu
Asuka Langley at first glance?"

"Well, yes, it was quite a glance, too." Shinji recalled the rather
loose yellow dress Asuka was wearing, and the windy carrier deck.
Kensuke had a tape recording of the whole event, until Asuka paid a
visit to his house and disposed of the recordings. "Actually, I have to
be honest with you, at first, I thought you were kinda..."

"Overbearing? Stuck up? Full of myself?"

"Well...yeah," Shinji replied, slightly uncomfortable at those
descriptions of his sweetheart, even if they WERE true.

"That's ok, I thought you were a spineless wimp, a cute one though."

"Thanks...I think..."

"Silly Shin-chan," Asuka turned to face Shinji completely, and planted
a long kiss on his lips. Teri stirred a little in her mother's arms.

"Child of love..." Shinji whispered after Asuka broke the kiss.

"Huh?"

"That's what Teri-chan is," Shinji tapped Teri on her cute little
nose, "a Child of Love."
---
[*The author coughs twice* What that last thing cute and sweet or down
right silly?]
---
One floor below
Takuma stood out on his porch, looking around.

"Strange, I could've sworn I heard voices talking in a romantic
fashion," he took a bite out of his ice cream bar.

"I must be getting old." He went back inside, and prepared for bed.

I don't like school, he thought, I can't even remember the last time I
was even in school.
---
Next day
Across the city, hundreds of alarm clocks went off in a one-hour
period. Kids, most stricken with summer vacation withdraw symptoms,
stumbled weakly out of bed. Still asleep, a few walked into walls; some
took too cold or too hot showers, while others stabbed themselves in
the eye with toothbrushes. Some did all three.

"What happened to your eye?" Touji asked Takuma. Shinji, Touji, Takuma,
and Kensuke were walking to school together.

"I poked my self with...never mind."

"Welcome back to life with school," Kensuke sighed.

"Shinji," asked Takuma, "why is there three people and a van following
us?"

Touji and Kensuke turned around; there were many people and cars on the
busy early morning street.

"Must be NERV security," Shinji said without turning to see, "they're
always following us around, you'll get used to it."
---
Tokyo-3 Public School (formerly a pilot candidates only school, now a
REAL public school >:)
The gate to the school blocked by countless students, all trying to get
it. Hundreds of bodies pushing and shoving, most of them are new to the
city.

"It's nice to this many people at school," said Shinji, as he tries to
push his way through the crowd, "it was so empty before."

"Speak for yourself," said Kensuke as a larger student crushes him
against a wall.

"The noise and the crowd is making me dizzy..." said Takuma, getting
bumped around in the sea of people.

"Just keep moving," said Touji, pushing ahead. They soon disappear into
the school grounds.
---
Across the street
"Damn," a young man in a van with tinted windows muttered, "I've lost
them. Too many other kids."

"I told them it was a bad idea to allow none-candidate students into
this school," the senior officer in the van said, "How are we suppose
to protect these kids if we have to sort them out from 1,000 other
kids?"

"Wait until they get out of school," observed another NERV security
officer in the van's driver's seat, "they'd be in a even bigger hurry."

"Well, at least one of them is easy to keep track of..." the young man
said, he focused his pair of binoculars on the only head of blue hair
among all the black.

"Could somebody pass me a donut?"

"Sure," senior officer opened a box of donuts, labeled `Reserved for
the Children's security detail only'.

Suddenly, the van's radio came alive.

"Comm check," it was the periodic communications check from
headquarters to the security teams. The radio came alive again as
security teams begin to report in. When it was their turn, the senior
officer picked up the receiver.

"Team 11 here, nothing to report, out."
---
Inconspicuous van, few blocks away
"Did you get that?" asked the man.

"Yep," replied another, "all the transmissions has been recorded, all
we have to do is to send them whenever is needed."

"Good, NERV headquarters will have no way of knowing they're not in
contact with their real security team."

Operation Yasha
Commencing
H-hour
---
NERV headquarters, sometime later
Major Uragi rushed into Misato's office.

"This just came in," Uragi pulled out a small tape recorder, and
hit `play'.

"Don't bother trying to trace this call, instead, listen to our words,"
a male voice began, "the first time, God sent a great flood to cleans
the Earth of the sinners, while saving those pure and good, that was
Noa and his children. Alas, the world has once again been reduced to a
cesspool of indecencies, but this time God has chosen his holy Angels
to rid the world of sin. NERV's Evangelion, unholy creations, has kept
that from happening. We, warriors of God, the pure and good souls, will
vanquish your ability to use those demons, creations of Satan."
[Ok, so I'm no good at making up fanatical religious cr@p, sue me]

Misato's blood chilled.

"We will bring the souls of the wicked children before God, and let him
judge them."

Misato's watch beeped, indicating the time as 3 PM.
---
Tokyo-3 Public School
"Woohoo!" cheered several members of the class, as the school bell went
off. People began packing up and leaving the class even before the
almost ancient teacher stopped talking. NERV's public relations
department did their job right, most of the new students did know much
about the Angels, or that the Evangelion pilots attended this school.
NERV's Public Relations branch has out done itself suppressing
information on the pilots.

"Phew," Takuma breathed a sign of relief as he closed his lap
top, "that old guy can sure talk, it's like he never stops." He
massaged his hands; "I've never typed so much at once before."

"Satori!" snapped Hikari, "Mr. Goto-sensei is the oldest teacher in
this city, show some respect!"

"Yeah, Takuma, show some respect," added Touji, leaning back in his
chair, with his feet on his desk.

"Yes Ms. Class rep," said Takuma apologetically. He looked at
Touji, "henpecked."

"What did you say?!" screamed Touji. In his rage he fell off his chair.

Takuma looked for a way out; he spotted Rei leaving the classroom.

He picked up his bag and bolted after her, "hey Rei, I'll carry your
bag for you!" He made it out the door before Touji can catch him.

"Ikari," said Hikari, "shouldn't you be going, too? Asuka's at home
with Teri, all alone."

Shinji finished packing up his bag neatly, "I know, I think I'll get
her something on the way home. If Kaji-san can swing by a store or
something."

"That's so sweet," said Hikari, "I'm sure Kaji-san will help."

"You pilots are so lucky," said Kensuke, "getting a ride home AND
piloting giant bio-mechanical fighting robots." How I really really
really really wish I were a pilot, he thought.

"Later folks," Shinji left the classroom, and headed towards the
arranged pickup point.

"I hope I'm not making Rei, Takuma, and Kaji-san wait too long..."


Across from the school
The young NERV security agent lay motionless on the van's floor, beside
him lay his senior officer, and another agent is crumpled over the
steering wheel. Due to the tinted windows of the van, no one can see
the lifeless bodies inside.

"Comm check," came the communications check from headquarters.

As if by magic, the dead officer's voice came over the radio.

"Team 11 here, nothing to report, out."

The defensive ring of NERV security around the children has been taken
down.
---
Few blocks away
"What the hell do you mean I was speeding?!" demanded Kaji. A calm NERV
officer stood before him defiantly. Kaji was on his way to pick up the
kids when a NERV registered vehicle pulled him over, the 2 cars stopped
on an empty stretch of road.

"You were speeding, may I ask why?" said the officer, ignoring Kaji's
outburst. He pulled out a ticket book, and began writing a speeding
ticket. His partner remained beside the vehicle, watching the two.

"I'm late for something very important," Kaji pulled out his NERV
personnel ID and flashed it in the officer's face. "Now get out of my
way."

"Sorry sir, no can do," the officer continued to write the ticket,
obviously taking his time.

Damnit, Misato's gonna kill me for this, Kaji thought. These stupid
NERV security, what the hell are they doing giving me a speeding
ticket? Kaji looked at the officer's ticket book, it was labeled `Tokyo-
3 Police Precinct'. What the hell is HE doing with a police ticket book?

Wait a minute, NERV doesn't have the jurisdiction to give out ANY
tickets! Who the hell are these guys?

"If you'll just signed here," the officer placed the ticket on the
car's hood, obviously wanting Kaji to bent down and sign it.

"Of course," Kaji took the pen the man offered, and began bending down
to sign.

Before the man could even blink, Kaji had driven his left elbow into
the man's stomach. As the man's eyes widen with surprise and
realization of what just happened, Kaji pulled the man in front of
himself. At the NERV vehicle, the other officer opened up with an Uzi,
spraying the back of his fellow officer with 9-MM rounds. The man's
Kevlar vest prevented any bullet from completely penetrating him and
hitting Kaji. The man at the NERV vehicle swore as his submachine gun
ran out of ammo, and he rushed to reload. But before he could finish,
Kaji had dropped the dying man he was using as a shield, and had drawn
his Smith and Wesson. Kaji shot the man in the face, scattering the
contents of the man's brain all over the side of the NERV van.

"The kids," he said to himself, and jumped in his car. He revved the
engine and sped towards the school. A moment later, he pulled up beside
the arranged pickup area. He jumped out of his car, his right hand
inside his jacket, on his pistol.

"Shinji-kun?" he called out.

Shinji turned around, "what is it, Kaji-san?"

"Thank God you're alright," he looked around, "where are Rei and Takuma-
kun?"
---
Inconspicuous van, driving away from the school
"Let go of me!" Takuma screamed, driving his elbow into his assailant's
stomach. The man made a `OOF' sound, and staggered back, releasing his
grip on the boy. Taking the opportunity, Takuma grabbed the man by the
shoulders, and drove his knee into the man's groin.

"Damn kid!" screamed another, larger man, as the first man fell to the
floor, whimpering. He charged Takuma. The boy whipped around and
brought his foot across the man's face. The larger man staggered a
little, but stayed standing.

"I didn't endure years of pilot training for nothing!" shouted Takuma
as he jumped up and kicked at the man again, this time striking him in
the nose. Again the man absorbed the blow.

"Takuma-kun, stop it," someone else in the van commanded.

The momentary distraction allowed the man to jab the boy with the
stunner without further trouble.

Takuma fell to the floor of the van like a sack of potatoes.

"Tie them up," ordered the larger man, wiping a trickle of blood of his
mouth. The man that was kicked in the groin slowly picked himself off
the floor, and began tying up the stunned boy. A 3rd man was in the
van, guarding Rei. She looked at Takuma, and held her hand behind her
back for her kidnapper to tie her up.
---
Back at outside the school
"I don't know, they left before I did," Shinji took a look around,
too. "When I got here, they were gone."

"Get in my car, Shinji-kun, and lock the door." Kaji took off towards a
white van nearby, while Shinji obeyed his commands. Kaji reached the
NERV security's mobile observation post, and knocked on the window.

There was no response. Kaji threw the driver's side door open, and a
limp form fell out. Kaji bent to check the NERV agent's pulse; there
was none. He looked in the man's hand, held in it, was a donut with a
bite take out of it. Kaji peered inside the van, where he found two
more lifeless forms; beside each two, were more donuts.

"The donuts..." he gasped, and raced for his car.
---
Through the streets of Tokyo-3 (Kaji is really speeding, this time)
"The Donuts?" came Misato's astonished voice over the cell phone.

"Yes, The Donuts," repeated Kaji, racing towards Misato's apartment. "I
found all the security agents dead, with freshly eaten donuts beside
them."

"Damnit," cursed Misato, "that is ingenious. Those terrorists must of
knew 7 out of 9 of our agents prefer to eat donuts while on stakeouts,
but how? We just had them freshly made and delivered yesterday!"

"We'll worry about that later," said Kaji, "get some security teams to
Asuka and Teri-chan, quickly. I'm on my way there with Shinji."

"Ok, and I'll..." said Misato, then the line clicked dead.

"What the..." Kaji tried to reconnect, but there was no answer.
---
Central Dogma, NERV headquarters
"Main power grid is down!" shouted Maya.

"Switch to backups!" ordered Ritsuko, she said to herself quietly, "not
again..."

"Switching to backups! Backups online!" reported Makoto, "but we're not
getting any response from the generators!"

"Confirmed," said Maya, "all power generators are down, solar batteries
are down, all external power feeds from outside the city are down."

"All primary systems are failing!" yelled Shigeru, "communications,
sensors, environmental controls..."

"Just like when the 9th Angel attacked," Fuyutsuki said quietly, from
his place overlooking the Central Dogma. Misato was by his side.

"Sir, we have no way of communicating with the security departments.
Permission to take a security team and work our way out to the surface.
We need to protect the pilots."

"You mean protect the ones you can find, two of them are missing."

"Yes, I know," Misato looked down at the chaos below, her face a mask
of worry and rage.

"Take as much of the security force as you want. Just leave us enough
to deal with these saboteurs."

"Thank you, sir."

Below, the confusion was finally being sorted out.

"Ma'am," Makoto turned to Ritsuko, "we have the backup power grid
operational, but there isn't any power to put into it."

"MAGI is now running on emergency batteries, at reduced operation
level," reported Maya.

Misato descended from the command level to the control level via a
ladder, which took a while.

"How bad is it, Ritsuko-san?" she asked.

"It's just like last time," Ritsuko replied, "we're dead in the water,
so to speak. If an Angel attacks now..."

"We don't have the power to launch the Evas, nor the pilots to operate
them."

"Like how Asuka likes to put it: Schiest."

"Well, I'm taking some security force with me to topside, we need to
find and protect the kids."

"That leaves us awfully vulnerable."

"If an Angel attacks, it's not going to make a difference," Misato
turned to leave, and walked straight into the unmoving automatic doors.
She cursed loud enough for most of the room to hear as she pried the
doors open with her bare hands.
---
Many levels down
The door to Gendo's cell slid open and 2 men entered. Gendo sat up from
his bunk to face them.

"Good afternoon, gentleman," he greeted politely. One of the men pulled
out a hypospray, and jabbed Gendo in the neck.

"Send the council my kindest regards," muttered Gendo, before passing
out on his bunk. The other man took Gendo's right hand, and passed a
portable ultrasound scanner over it repeatedly. The monitoring devices
in the room had lost power, and the men made sure they didn't leave any
evidence behind. Then they set out for their next task. The NERV
security agents that passed them in the hallway, looking for the
saboteurs, never suspected the two.
---
Terminal Dogma
The same two men at Gendo's cell cracked the security code to the LCL
factory in seconds. They entered cautiously as the large doors swung
open, but there were no patrol boats on the artificial lake today. One
of the men took out a large camera, and pointed it at the large white
being before him.

"Say: cheese."

Lilith just continued to stare at them from behind her 7-eyed mask.
---
Tokyo-3
"Looks like it's just the two of us, Shinji-kun," said Kaji as he put
down his cell phone. "The cell phone is down, I can't even reach Asuka."

"Then it's up to us! We need to get Asuka-chan and Teri-chan to safety!"

"I know, I know. Here's the plan, I'll cover you while you grab Asuka
and Teri, then we run for my car, ok?"

"Hai!"

"Ok, we're almost there."
---
Ikari/Katsuragi residence
Asuka was playing with Teri in her crib, when Shinji and Kaji ran into
the apartment.

"Shin-chan!" she called out happily as Shinji ran into Teri's room.

"Asuka! Get Teri and let's go!" he shouted, scaring the girl.

"Wha...what's wrong?" she asked, picking Teri up from her crib.

Then the shooting started.

Kaji fired at the front door, as two masked men charged in. One was hit
in the chest and thrown against the wall, the other ducked back out the
door.

"Get down!" Kaji shouted at the kids. Shinji grabbed Asuka and pulled
her down towards the floor and away from the door. Asuka shielded Teri
with her body, while Shinji shielded Asuka with his. Kaji dodged into
the room, and slammed the door closed. He locked the door and hastily
pushed some furniture against it.

"It's not gonna hold," they could hear men gathering outside. Any
moment now, they would all open fire and blast the door off its hinges.

"Shin-chan..." Asuka whispered.

"Don't worry Asuka-chan," Shinji whispered, "I won't let anything
happen to you and Teri-chan."

"I love you..."

"Me too," Shinji closed his eyes, and wished for someone to save them.

"Mother..."
---
Central Dogma
"Any luck with the getting the emergency generators online?" ask
Ritsuko.

"No ma'am," replied Makoto, "it appears the control circuits between us
and the generators are down."

"Hey, do you feel that?" asked Maya.

"What?" asked Shigeru.

"Hey, I feel it, too," said Makoto, "the ground's shaking!"

"An Angel attack?!" gasped Ritsuko.

"Oh no!" cried Maya, "we don't even have the pilots here!"

Just then, a messenger came running in, informing them that it isn't an
Angel attack.

"Unit-01 is breaking out of it restrains and crawling towards the
surface!" screamed the NERV technician.

"Not quite as bad as an Angel attack," said Makoto optimistically.
---
Ikari/Katsuragi residence
Kaji, being the closest to the door, felt it first. It ripped through
the air like a static discharge, making the hairs on the back of his
hands stand on ends. Then the doorknob was popped off the door by an
unseen force, rolling to a stop in front of Kaji.

"...?"

Shinji hugged Asuka tightly, as an intruder began shooting at the door
lock. Sounds of automatic weapon fire can be heard through the door, as
metal slugs slammed against a hard surface. Kaji pointed his pistol at
the door, waiting for it to fall.

A web of hexagons appeared in front of the door, and every bullet that
passed through the door was stopped by an AT-Field.

Kaji's eyes widened in shock, as the field stops the last bullet and
then fades away. Sounds of confusion and amazement could be heard from
the outside, then replaced by more gunfire. Over a hundred rounds
ripped the door apart, but AT-Field behind it stopped them dead. This
time, Shinji and Asuka saw it, too. They can see the semi-transparent
field, and the wide-eyed intruders beyond it. One of them reached out
and touched the field, but drew his hand back as it shocked him.

"Let's get out of here," said one of them, and they all ran out of the
apartment.

"We...we're saved?" asked Asuka.
---
Central Dogma, NERV headquarters
"Unit-01 has stopped its ascent," reported a runner, "it's in launch
shaft 12, 20 ft from the surface."

"Damn that was close," said Ritsuko, "what the hell happened? The entry
plug wasn't even inserted!"

"Dunno sempai," replied Maya, "but let's worry about the problems at
hand."

"Ok, so we can't get everyone to rid bikes with little dynamos to
generate power for the headquarters," Makoto said, "but does anyone
have any other ideas?"

"I still say we try to repair the generators," Shigeru said.

"The technicians says that they'll need 3 more hours just to find out
what's wrong with them," Makoto retorted. He suddenly had a brainstorm.

"I know! We could get a really big bike, with a really big motor, and
have an Eva ride it!" suggest Makoto.

Everyone looked at Makoto menacingly.

"I was just trying to lighten the situation, get it? Lighten?"

While Shigeru was busy hitting Makoto over the head with a book, Maya
had a real suggestion to make.

"Ritsuko-sempai," she said, getting the doctor's attention, "what about
Unit-04's S2 engine?"

Little while later.

"The umbilical cable has been manually attached to Unit-04," reported
Shigeru, "current flow has been reversed."

"Is this safe?" asked Fuyutsuki, standing behind Ritsuko.

"Well, in theory, sir, it should work. We're not activating the Eva,
just that particular component. However, it's gonna take us all the
reserve power we have to try this."

"S2 engine startup checklist complete," report Makoto, "ready for
startup."

"Initiate," ordered Ritsuko.

"S2 engine coming online," reported Maya.

"Power level rising."

"Current flow stable," said Shigeru, "voltage stable."

"Output of S2 engine rising, now at 130MW."

"Hold it at 240MW," said Ritsuko.

"Hai."

A moment later, the light returned to their normal brightness, and the
air begins to circulate again. Makoto leaned over and blew out a candle
he was using for light, people stop using hand fans, and Fuyutsuki took
his feet out of the water bucket. Shigeru looked his now fully
functioning controls.

"Someone is downloading MAGI's restricted archives!" he shouted.

"What?" demanded Ritsuko. Maya and Shigeru jumped on top of the
situation.

"Confirmed! Someone has gained access to Melchior! Looks like they've
got a direct physical line to it."

"They've been downloading for the past hour! Trace puts them right in
this area!"

"How come we didn't detect that?" Ritsuko asked angrily, glancing back
at the huge block that housed MAGI Melchior. "Get security on the line,
tell them to check all the terminals with direct access to Melchior,
NOW!"

"Unable to reach security," reported Makoto, "the communications system
is still being reinitiated."

"Sever their connection, now!"

"We can't! They've override all the security interlocks!"

"Can we at least see them?"

"We're still rebooting the security systems! Unable to receive feed
from the surveillance cameras."

"Download completed!" reported Maya.

"Damn, how much did they get?" demanded Ritsuko

"Unknown, assessment in progress."

"Uploading commencing!"

"Uploading?!"

"They're uploading something into Melchior and Casper...it's a logic
bomb!"

An instant later, every display screen went crazy as two logic bombs
detonated inside the MAGI, causing Melchior and Casper to literally
go `insane'.

"Melchior and Casper are overriding Balthazar! We've lost all system
control!"

"Cut power!"

Warning lights begins to flash, as the city's defense grid begin to
power up.

"MAGI is activating the arsenal buildings!"

"Target?"

"It's just a bunch of random coordinates, but it's gonna hit part of
the city!"

"God damnit cut power!"

"We can't! The controls aren't responding! We can't shutdown the S2
engine or eject the umbilical cable from here!"

"Get someone to the Unit-04 hanger and eject the cable manually!"

"Arsenal buildings are traversing."
---
Primary residential tower, central Tokyo-3
A young boy looked out a window, hundreds of feet above the ground. He
and his family have just moved to the city, and were fortunate enough
to acquire a flat with great views.

"Mommy, mommy," the little boy cried out, "look at those buildings!
They're turning in circles!"

"I'm busy sweetie."

The boy pulled out his binoculars to get a better look at the cool
buildings.

"Cool, their roofs are opening!"
---
Central Dogma, NERV headquarters
"We've sent a runner, but he isn't gonna make it to the hanger bay in
time," Ritsuko said to Fuyutsuki, "the arsenal buildings are almost
ready to fire."

"And if they do?"

"Most of the projectiles will land in the new housing areas, some will
strike the Tokyo-3 towers."

"Melchior and Caspar are in agreement, they've overruled Balthazar and
are clearing the buildings to fire."

"Dear God, what have we done?"

Darkness.
---
SEELE council chamber
"The operation concluded at 1900 hour, today," Major Hasamoto
reported, "2 of the 3 primary objectives were achieved, along with 1
secondary objective."

"And what of your primary objective?" asked SEELE-11

"We've acquired the most up to date data on NERV's Evangelions and
their pilots, as the personal files of Ikari Gendo. We've determined
the status of Adam and Lilith. They're both in good condition and are
ready."

"And the 3rd primary objective?" asked SEELE-04.

"The team failed to reach the being know as Ikari Teri, so we weren't
able to determine her exact nature and purpose. We however, did acquire
Ikari Gendo's personal files, and the 2nd Child's pregnancy records and
that should shine some light on this mystery."

"Your report indicated that the team assigned to capture Ikari Teri
encountered an AT-Field," said SEELE-11, "do you have anymore on that?"

"At this moment, no," said Hasamoto, "we still don't know where the
field originated."

"Anyway, I'd hate to think Ikari manipulated his own son just so he
could play grandfather," joked SEELE-06. There was a brief exchange of
chuckles.

"Like I said, there was nothing to loose," said SEELE-09.

"The distraction provided by the fake terrorist threats succeeded in
drawing NERV's attention away from us," explained SEELE-12.

"And what of the secondary objective?" asked SEELE-05.

"The incident with the `malfunctioning' arsenal buildings has created a
huge embarrassment for NERV, although most of the new residents chose
to stay at the city," said SEELE-08.

"Of course, the arsenal buildings were intended to fire," said
Kihl, "why didn't they?"

"We don't know," said Major Hasamoto, "the nearest thing we can tell,
is that they managed cut the power before they could fire." How the
heck could a runner from Central Dogma reach Unit-04's hanger in time?

"Very well Major, you're dismissed. You've served us well, we'll have
more use for you in the future."

"Thank you, sir," the man disappears into the darkness.

I think I forgot something, he thought to himself.
---
Tokyo-3
Takuma and Rei remained blindfolded and tied to chairs, in a vacant
apartment.

"Why did you tell me to stop back in the van? Why didn't you help me?"
he demanded.

"Because it was pointless," said Rei; "the result would have the both
of us getting injured, and you taking the worst of it."

The boy sighed, "you're right, sorry." They both looked around the
vacant room.

"I think they forgot about us," said the two in sync.


END of Chapter #5.0 version 3 (11/11/99)
Version 1 dated 09/24/99
Version 2 dated 11/10/99
Version 3 dated 11/11/99

The author jumps up and down with joy while listening to Zanukoku
(Ayanami version) as he finally finishes this darn chapter.

Author's words:
Sorry this took so very, very long folks, blame it all on school! It's
all school's fault! Damnit! Anyhoo, a special thanks goes to Axel for
his incessant nagging (he just won't stop!). If it weren't for him, I'd
never get off my lazy butt and write. BTW, for any of you who doesn't
know where Adam is, Gendo had the embryo of Adam implanted into his
right palm. I had an interesting thought: If people watch animes to
escape reality, does that mean people read fanfics to escape unreality?
Because they didn't like how things turned out? You can think of the
funniest things while listening to the End of Evangelion soundtrack. =)
Another thing, did any of you realize that I didn't put my name on the
past 3 chapters? Silly me, eh? *sigh* Hey, if anyone have the
translation to the Evangelion Photograph booklets, contact me, please!!

My e-mail: damnit@intergate.bc.ca
My ICQ: 8155557
Also, please (very please) visit Axel Terizaki's wonderful, award-
winning website, at: http://asukanotebook.tsx.org
He great, he wise, he Axel.

My wonderful prereaders for this chapter:
Axel (The One and Only), EBJ (without him, there would be no correct
grammars in Evangelion fanfics), |ncubus (a Canadian!), Disaster (Prof.
of anime-physics), Rajen (only one who formats his prereading response
in a visually appealing and organized fashion), and Yousef Al-Shamsi
(man of few words).

Preview of next chapter/episode:
This little pilot went to the beach, this little pilot also went to the
beach, too, this little Child of Love also went to the beach, but the
two poor remaining pilots stayed home...


Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.


From: "David Templar" <nope@nope.com>
Subject: [EVA][FanFic] The Child of Love 2, Chapter 6 


The Child of Love 2
By David Templar
Note : this chapter contains a special segment written byAxel Terizaki
himself ! (No, I didn't make it WAFFy enough he says, it's NEVER WAFFy
enough he says =P)
Guess which one !

Neon Genesis Evangelion was created by Hideaki Anno. The characters and
other things from the series belong to Studio Gainax. The Child of Love is
the idea of Axel Terizaki, and the story, along with any character(s)
created by him is as such his. This fanfiction is not intended to be
profitable for the author or his associates in anyway.

Don't sue me!


NEON GENESIS EVANGELION

"Shin-chan."

The boy's eyelids twitched a little in response to the name.

"Shin-chan."

Shinji responded by rolling over, facing away from the source of the voice.

"Let me sleep..." he said, pulling the sheets over his head. He had been up
most of the night, helping take care of Teri. And the voice knew that.

"Ok."

Asuka walked over to the bedside alarm clock, and turned off the alarm.

"Don't worry Shin-chan," said the voice softly, "I'll take care of
everything."

Approximately 25 minutes after when Shinji should have waken up to prepare
for school.

"Oooow..." Yawned Shinji, slowly getting up from bed, "Asuka? Asuka-chan?"
Scratching his head, Shinji looked beside him to find his bedmate missing.
Then he looked at the alarm clock.

I'm gonna be late, thought Shinji's groggy brain, I'd better scream to
reflect my state of shock.

"AAAAAAAH!"
---
NEON GENESIS EVANGELION:
TCoL2

Chapter #6:0       A trip to the beach
---
"AAAAAAAH!"

Darnit, thought Shinji's brain, someone beat me to it.

<But who...>

"Asuka!" yelled Shinji, leaping out of bed.

"Asuka!" the boy shouted again.

He ran to the kitchen, where he found the girl trying to dose a flaming pot
of water with more water.

"Asuka-chan, look out!" cried out Shinji, pushing her out of the way. He
quickly subdued the flames. "Asuka-chan, are you all right?" he asked,
turning to look at the girl.

She was in shambles. Her fiery red hair was in a tangled mess, her
unblemished face was covered in flour, and there were scorch marks on the
apron she was wearing.

"I...I just wanted to make you lunch...I thought after staying up all last
night, that I could let you sleep in..." Asuka looked as if she was about to
burst into tears any second. Which she promptly did when Shinji embraced
her.

"I was just trying to boil some water!" she cried. "It just burst into
flames!"

She must have attended the Tendou Akane Misato's school of culinary arts,
though Shinji.

"It's Ok, Asuka-chan," said Shinji, planting a kiss on her forehead (and
getting flour into his mouth as a result). "Just calm down, I'll clean up
this mess."

"Sniff...I...I'll go take care of Teri-chan now, I woke her up," Asuka tried
to clear all the flour off her face with her burnt apron, but to no avail.
She turned and headed slowly for the baby's room.

"What? Teri-chan is awake?" Shinji hadn't heard anything, but a moment later
a baby's crying could be heard. Shinji shook his head, and looked at the
blackened remains of the kitchen.

"A mother's touch."
---
"And so under the guidance of the United Nations, humanity raised out of the
ashes of the 2nd Impact," concluded the ancient teacher. The whole class
seemed to breathe a sigh of relief as the day's history lesson was wrapped
up.

"And now on to physics," said the teacher, switching textbook.

"Geez, could this..." whispered Suzuhara to Kensuke.

"No!" Kensuke silently screamed, "you mustn't say..."

Too late, Suzuhara concluded his sentence before he could stop himself.

"...Any worse?"

"Oh by the way," the teacher announced, "there is gonna be a test on this
the day after tomorrow." A few students began banging their head on the
table, and another tried to jump out the window, but found the nearest one
sealed shut. Just then, Shinji entered the classroom.

"Ah, Mr. Ikari, good of you to join us," said the man without a trace of
sarcasm in his voice. Shinji took his seat quietly.

"Now, let's suppose that a car has a velocity of..." began the teacher.

Must pay attention must pay attention must pay attention, thought Touji.

The boy's head collided with his desk, making a loud bang, as he passed out
from boredom. Also causing a wave of giggles to spread across the room.

Well, Touji thought, looking at Takuma who was already asleep, at least I
lasted longer than he did. He was in the sweet embrace of sleep a moment
later.

"STAND! ATTENTION! BOW!" shouted Hikari, with more energy than usual. It was
necessary to jar certain member of the class from their slumber.

"Touj...Suzuhara!" shouted Hikari as she charged across the room, as angry
as she could possibly pretend to be.

"Hmm..." Touji rubbed his eyes, "is school over already?"

"Of course not, it's only lunch time!" she boomed, "you fell asleep in
class, again!" She raises a fist and shook it, "I don't know what I'm gonna
do with you!"

Many people around the room quietly laughed at the two, this was not the
first time.

"Aww...Hikari, I'm sorry," Touji put his hands together and made a puppy
face, "I'm trying my best, I mean no disrespect to Mr. Goto-sensei, really."

Hikari's temper seemed to dissolve at the sight of Touji's pleading.

"Alright," she said, pouting a little, "don't do it again." She handed him
the special lunch she had made for him.

"The weather is good, I suggest WE eat outside."

"Yes, ma'am!" Touji trailed Hikari out the door.

"Second time this week," observed Shinji as the two leave the room.

"Yep," agreed Kensuke, "I dunno why they bother anymore. The whole school
knows they're going steady now."

"ZZZZZ."

"Mr. Satori!" screamed Kensuke, right into Takuma's right ear.

A split second later, Kensuke was on the ground, with the other boy
threatening to kill him. After a moment, the excitement subsided.

"So Shinji, what did you make for lunch today?" asked Kensuke as he opened a
package of vacuum-sealed meat bun.

"Actually, I woke up late, and I didn't get a chance to make anything."

"Poor Shinji, what about you, Takuma?"

"Same as usual, I'm ordering," the boy pulled out a NERV cell phone(tm).
"I'll order something for you, too, Shinji."

"That'd be great, thanks." Shinji thought for a moment. "How do you get a
delivery man pass NERV security? Aren't you worried about someone trying to
poison you?" The events, which had taken place the previous week, were still
fresh in their mind.

"The take-out place he orders from is actually NERV operated," said Kensuke,
"so don't worry."

"NERV must be really desperate for money these days..." observed Shinji.
<Actually, that would explain the NERV(tm) merchandizes I've been seeing at
stores lately...> A little while later, the box lunches were ordered and on
their way. By the time Shinji and Takuma's lunch had arrived (proudly
labeled 'no cooking like NERV(tm) cooking'), Kensuke had already finished
his lunch and was observing a girl sitting across the class.

"Hey," said Kensuke, "who's that?"

"Dunno," replied Shinji between bites, "she's one of the new students,
there's too many to keep track of by name."

"She's Taiwanese," said Takuma, opening a can of soft drink, "that's all I
know."

Kensuke thought for a moment.

"Well," he said, standing up, "I'm gonna go introduce myself to her."

"Why?" the other two boys asked at the same time.

"Well, I think she's cute."

"There's a good excuse," observed Takuma.

"If I had told Asuka she was cute when we first met, maybe we could've
avoided all the fighting afterwards," said Shinji. Kensuke, with a
determined look on his face, headed towards the girl.

"Good luck, Kensuke."

"Do your best."

As soon as Kensuke was out of an earshot...

"He's not gonna make it, he's probably not her type."

"Oh yeah, unless she's like blind or something." The two tried not to look
at Kensuke as he engaged in a conversation with the girl. He returned a
moment later.

"She couldn't even pronounce my name right..." he said, looking down.

"Cheer up," said Takuma, passing him a CD-ROM copy of Jane's Defense Review
2016. Kensuke, busy reading the review, didn't notice the girl across the
room smiling at him.
(Ok, ok, no more cracks at EVA-R...I'll move on to some other poor fanfic >=
One more thing: military nuts are people, too. They also need love...)
---
Launch shaft 12, 550ft from the surface, NERV headquarters
"How's it coming, Ritsuko?" asked Misato, stepping through service hatch and
onto the EVA launch platform being used at a work area. Looking up, Misato
could see the purple figure of Evangelion Shogoki suspended above them. It
size was impressive even at this distance.

During the terrorist attack last week, it had climbed its way almost to the
surface of the city, without a pilot or an entry plug, again. It had stopped
short of reaching the surface, the main armored doors sealing the shaft
within its easy reach. Ritsuko looked up from her clipboard.

"Not good, it used its hands and feet to climb up the wall of the launch
shaft." Ritsuko gestured at the massive claw marks along the wall, and large
holes kicked in by the EVA's feet. "In the process, it punched through all
of the secondary armored doors on the way, bent the launch railings, and
wrecked several of the electromagnets used to propel the launch platform,"
she looked down at the platform they were standing on. "We're lucky we even
got it this high, we can't reach the EVA from here, though."

"So there's no way we can get it down?" asked Misato.

"Well," Ritsuko adjusted her glasses, "we could use explosive charges to
blow the EVA free of the wall, and simply let it drop to the platform we're
standing on." Misato looked up and did a quick estimate of the distance of
the EVA from the platform.

"That's not too bad."

"However, the locking mechanism of the platform was damaged. An impact of
that magnitude would just cause the platform to fall with the EVA."

"So how much damage would the EVA sustain if we dropped it all the way back
to headquarters?"

"Minimal, but it would completely wreck the launch system in this area."

"What if we use Unit-00 to retrieve Unit-01?"

"There's not enough room for two Evas in here, and how is Unit-00 gonna get
up there?" Ritsuko gestured at the Eva hundreds of feet above them.

"Oh, damnit. I guess I have no choice but to get Shinji to do this."

"You mean, you haven't told him?"

"What? That his EVA tried to escape? Of course not!"

"Well, there might be something else we can try."

Misato's eyes widened.

"Maybe we should just let it fall..."

"Come on, Misato, this is the perfect opportunity to test it. And since you
have plan for Shinji and Asuka, it's even better." Misato replied with a
look of uncertainty.

"We've been working on it for such a long time, it'd be a waste not to,"
Ritsuko smiled as Misato silently gave in.

"Trust me, Misato, just leave everything to me."

The light used to illuminate the shaft glared off Ritsuko's glasses in an
unintentionally sinister way. She then started to snicker fiendishly.

"Err..." Misato backed up a bit, "have you figured out why Unit-04's S^2
engine shutdown by itself last time?"

"As far as we can tell, the EVA just shut itself down. This just further
reinforces my belief against operational use of the S^2 engine at this
time."

"Well," Misato took one last look at Unit-01, "I guess it was better that it
shutdown. At least then we wouldn't have to clean up a mess like this one."

"If it hadn't, the central towers would have been severely damaged, and
lives lost."
---
"Are you sure that is wise, Colonel?" asked Commander Fuyutsuki, standing
rather than sitting behind his desk, Misato stood at attention before it.

"Yes, sir," firmly responded the newly promoted Colonel Katsuragi Misato. It
was generally agreed that Misato was too low in rank to be the
Vice-Commander of NERV, but that she was one of only two people suitable for
the task, the other being Dr. Akagi. And since Ritsuko was already working
three shifts a day, the obvious choice was to keep Misato as vice-commander
and promote her at the same time.

"After what happened last week, who wouldn't want some time off?" she added.

"Very well," he turned to look out the window, "how are Shinji and Asuka
doing?"

"They're both trying their best to pretend as if nothing had happened."
<Hiding their pain and fear...>

"So only the them, and Teri, will be going on this trip?"

"Yes sir, Rei and Takuma will remain on standby here in Tokyo-03."

"Is that wise?" Fuyutsuki turned around to face Misato. "Having Rei, and an
inexperience pilot, defend the city?"

"I have full confidence in Rei and Takuma's abilities, and the ability of
our detection system to give us adequate warning of any Angel attack. We'd
only need 20 minutes to get Asuka and Shinji back to the city, curtsey of
the United Nations Airforce."

"You're taking an awfully big risk just to give them some time off,
Colonel."

"With our future resting in their hands, both their physical and mental
health should be our top priorities. Asuka and Shinji NEED this break."

"Very well then, Colonel, proceed with your plan. By the way, are Rei and
Takuma ok with not going?"

"You know Rei, sir. And Takuma needs this time for training."

"What about Unit-01? Is it still stuck in the launch shaft 12?"

"Yes, sir. Since I don't want to involve the First Child in the recovery,
Dr. Akagi has suggested that we use the Dummy Plug System."

"And what is your opinion on this?"

"I think that it's the best option at this time."

"Very well Colonel, enjoy your trip to Osaka-2."

"Will do, sir."
---
"I love you, Misato!" cried Asuka, wrapping her arms around Misato's neck,
almost breaking it.

"Arrrrrg..." Misato was turning slightly pink.

"We can bring Teri-chan, right? Of course we can! Stupid question!"

"Arrrgg..." Misato was now slightly red.

"Have you told Shinji yet?"

"Arg..." Misato was now as red as Asuka's hair.

"No? Oh I see, you're gonna let me tell him! Thanks again, Misato!"

"A..." Misato was now as blue as Rei's hair. The only thing that saved her
was the sound of the front door opening.

"Tadaima!" a familiar voice called out.

"Shinji!" Asuka dropped the now near-death Misato, picked Teri off a nearby
baby chair, and ran to the door. Pen Pen came along and pecked Misato a few
times on the head. You'd better be taking me, too, thought the penguin then
wobbled off.

"Asuka!" called out Shinji as Asuka came into view. He planted a kiss on her
lips, and looked down to the little baby.

"Have you been a good girl today, Teri-chan?" he asked. Teri giggled in
response. He took the child in his arms, "that's a good girl."

"Hey folks," greeted Kaji as he came in the apartment.

"Hey Kaji-san!" said Asuka, "Misato's in the living room."

"Ah," he took his shoes off, "thank you." He moved past the three, smiling
at Teri as he walked by. Teri smiled back in response.

"Oh Shin-chan," said Asuka happily, "I've got great news to tell you!"

"Nani?"

"Well Katsuragi," came Kaji's voice from the living room, "sleeping in your
work cloth again?"

"Bathing suits, we need bathing suits!" cried Asuka, sending Shinji into
motion.

"Yes, Asuka-chan..."

"Don't forget the beach towels," she called out. Shinji hurried as best as
he could to find the items, while Asuka sat on her bed with Teri, packing
the items.

"So Teri-chan," said Asuka in a soft voice, "do you wanna bring Bear-san or
Pikachu-san?" Teri responded by gesturing at both with her little hands.

"You can only pick one, sweetie, so how about Bear-san?" Asuka placed the
teddy bear into the traveling bag.

"Asuka," called out Shinji, "I can't find your swim suit."

"Have you checked where I told you? It's the red and white horizontal
striped one."

"I know which one! I just can't find it!"

"Ok, hold on," Asuka looked around the room to see if there's anything
hazardous to a baby. When she couldn't find any, see looked at Teri,
"Teri-chan, stay right there, mommy need to help daddy for a moment." With
that, Asuka went off to help Shinji with finding her red and white swimsuit.

Teri looked at the bag containing Bear-san; he was going on the trip. Teri
looked at Pikachu-san, lying outside the bag; he wasn't going on the trip,
but she wanted him to.

"So, you want me to come to Osaka-2 with you?" asked Kaji with a smirk.
Misato was sitting across the dining room table from him, drinking a beer.
She looked at him wearily.

"I know what you're thinking, don't even think about it."

"Why else am I going?"

"To help me keep an eye on the kids, of course."

"Of course," he agreed slyly, "I'll be strictly 'working' on the trip."

"Get serious! You'll be leaving tonight to inspect the location." Misato
pushed a traveling order across the table.

"What? You mean we won't be flying together?"

Later that evening...

Shinji collapsed on his bed, exhausted, while Asuka went over a checklist.
"I think we've got everything," she said, "except a swimsuit for Teri-chan,
but Misato says that's covered." Asuka proceeded to zip up all the bags; she
reached the one containing Teri's things. Strangely, she had a great deal of
difficulty zipping it up.

"Shin-chan," said Asuka, "will you zip the baby bag up?"

"Ok," he said.

"Asuka, I need to talk to you," said Misato, poking her head though the
doorway. Asuka followed Misato out to the hallway.

Misato handed Asuka a box of NERV(tm) condoms.

"I'm giving this to you, because Shinji would blush like crazy if I gave it
to him."

"When you need protection as good as an AT-Field," said Asuka, reading the
label on the box.

[Absolute promise that this will be the last time that I use the above
line.]

"And this, too." Misato hands Asuka a box of NERV(tm) morning-after pills.

"In case your AT-Field is pierced by the Lance of Longinus..." read Asuka,
"who comes up with these things?!"

"The marketing department, they're all powerful and quite sadistic. Just
remember to use those items properly, we don't need another little baby
floating around in your stomach." Misato pointed at Asuka's abdomen, "we
still need you as a pilot."

"But Shinji and I can have more kids, right? Well, after the Angels are gone
anyway."

"Of course you can, everyone will be able to lead a normal life after the
Angels are gone." <Maybe even me.>

"Great," cheered Asuka, "so how many more are there? When's the next one
gonna show up?"

"..."


Next day
"Nani?!" boomed Touji, standing in front of Takuma's desk, "just like that?"

"They went on vacation? Where?" gasped Kensuke.

"Sorry," replied Takuma, "but I can't tell you where they went, top secret
you know."

"Ah damn! I feel sorry for you and Ayanami," said Touji.

"It's not that bad, I've been to where they're going. And so has Rei."

"Not that," explained Touji, "it's just that now you have to take that
stupid calculus test with the rest of us."

"Huh? Oh right," tears begin streaming down the boy's face, "I'm gonna fail
this test, I just know it..." Everyone scattered to their seat, as the
teacher entered the room.

"Rise! Attention! Bow!" called out Hikari.
---
"Ladies and gentleman, this your captain speaking, we're currently cruising
at 20,000 feet, our ETA is 40 minutes." The small egg-white jet had stopped
its ascend into the heavens, and was flying southwards towards port city of
Osaka-2.

"Look, Teri-chan, we're flying!" said Asuka, holding the child up to the
window of the Lear jet. Beside her sat Shinji, also looking out the window.
Fascinated by the white clouds and blue sky passing below them, the small
child pressed its hands and face against the window. Pen Pen, being a
penguin, was also fascinated by the sensation of flight.

"I've got a present for you two!" said Misato, sitting on the other side of
the cabin. She reached for her carry-on bag, while Shinji and Asuka stared
eagerly at her.

"To document the momentous occasion of Teri-chan's first time on an
airplane, as well as the trip itself," Misato reached into her carry-on bag,
"your very own camcorder!" She withdrew a small digital video camera, and
pointed it at the children. The little red light at the front of it turned
on.

"Hiya!" cried Asuka, waving wildly at the camera, "this is soon-to-be Ikari
family's first vacation!" Asuka held Teri towards the camcorder, leaning
over Shinji and forcing him to bend down. "Smile at the camera, Teri-chan!"

"Whoa, Asuka," said Misato, "calm down!" She lowered the camera,
"Shinji-kun, would you like to try it out?" She held the small device out to
the boy. Shinji took the device, and looked on its side. In clear white
letters were the words 'property of NERV Security'. Misato saw where the boy
was looking.

"A little scrapping will get that right off," she reassured him, "beside,
they're not gonna miss one little camera, are they?"

"NERV owns thousands of home electronic products, they're not gonna miss
one. Shinji-kun, just hold that button and point at whatever you wanna
record. It auto-focuses."

"Ok," Shinji pointed the camera at Asuka, who smiled warmly in response. She
held Teri up higher; the sun shining in from the window, plus the sight of
the blue sky, made it a moment that was forever etched into Shinji's mind.

"Misato-san," said Shinji after a while, passing the camera to Asuka, "how
are we gonna get back to the city if there's an emergency?" Asuka took the
camera and recorded Teri up close.

"There's gonna be a converted supersonic bomber ready to ferry us back, if
anything should happen. Don't worry Shinji-kun, just relax, everything has
been taken care of."
---
Launch shaft 12, 550ft from the surface, NERV headquarters
"Sempai," said Maya, clinging her laptop to her chest, "are you sure about
this? I mean, there must be another way."

"No," said Ritsuko, "we've ran out of options. We have to use the Dummy Plug
System."

"Can't we use one of the other pilots to retrieve Unit-01?"

"How are we gonna explain how Unit-01 got there in the first place? This is
why Misato didn't want to tell Shinji. Besides, there's not enough room for
another EVA in there."

"But...we never tested...the system...it's not right!"

"The value of the system is too great to ignore. With it, we can cease to
completely rely on the Children."

"But..."

"I can understand why you disagree, but precautions can be necessary to
grant our survival."
---
The plane touched down smoothly on the runway, and was promptly taxied into
a guarded hanger. Kaji, having arrived late last night, was there to greet
the group as they disembarked the aircraft.

"Ohayo, Kaji-san," said Shinji and Asuka in unison. Shinji held up the
camcorder Misato had given them. "Look what we got!"

"Hey folks," he responded, "that's great!" He walks up to Misato and put his
arms around her shoulders. "Let's go head for the beach," he gestured at the
SUV parked in front of the hanger.

Asuka, with Teri in her arms, and Shinji ran to the brand new Range Rover
and got in the back. Kaji and Misato were left with the bags. Soon the
vehicle was driving down a highway by the beach. The air was thick with
excitement as the SUV passed beaches after beaches.

"This is gonna be great!" said Asuka.

"Yeah," agreed Shinji, "too bad everyone else is stuck in school."
---
"Rise! Attention! Bow!" called out Hikari, for the last time of the day.

"Class dismissed."

Touji yawned loudly and stretched as he got up from his chair.

"What a terrible day," he said, "that test was impossible."

"I didn't think it was that hard," said Kensuke, "what about you Takuma?"

"I failed I failed I failed I failed..." he repeated.

"Well," said Touji, packing up his bag. "You're an EVA pilot, you don't have
to worry about this too much."

"Hey, you're right," Takuma picked up his bag, "as long as there are Angels
to fight, I'll never be out of a job!"

"From what I've heard, you just stood there during the last Angel attack,"
said Kensuke.

"Hey, there was nothing I could do!"

"Takuma, we have a synch test in an hour," said Rei, appearing out of
nowhere behind Kensuke and Touji, scaring the two.

"Oh right," he got up and follow the departing girl, "later folks." The two
walked in silence, as usual, towards NERV headquarters. Once they were
relatively alone, Rei unexpectedly spoke up.

"There are two more Angels," she simply said.

"Really? Only two more? Misato-san told me that no one really knows."

"There are only two more, after which the EVAs would probably be used as
weapons against man."

"As in weapons of war?"

"Hai."

"So they would still need us."

"Would you like being a doll? Being used by others all the time for the
express purpose of killing your own kind?"
---
"Yeeeeeeeeeeeah!" cried the kids as they exited the SUV, running towards the
cabin. Misato got out from the passenger side, and followed them, leaving
just Kaji to carry the bag.

"Come on Misato-san!" gestured Asuka and Shinji, "open the door!"

"I think I'll let you kids have the honor," she said, handing the keys to
Shinji.

"Go ahead, Shinji!" cried Asuka while Teri tried to grasp at the shining
keys. Shinji proceeded to unlock the old style door.

"Misato, can you hold Teri-chan for a second?" asked Asuka.

"Sure," replied Misato, taking the baby.

"Shinji?" said Asuka, lifting up her sunglasses and looking at Shinji with
an evil smile.

"Yes, Asuka?" replied Shinji, not knowing what she was thinking about.

"CARRY ME IN!" she leapt into his arms.

"Aaah!" he screamed, catching Asuka.

"Asuka, are you sure that's a good idea?" asked Misato.

"Yep! Come on Shinji, consider this as a practice run for our wedding
night!"

"Errrk..." Shinji strained to keep Asuka in the air, as he navigated into
the cabin.

"Take it slowly, Shinji-kun..."

"You're doing great, Shinji!"

"Shinji-kun, watch out for that..."

"AAAAAH!!!"

"WAAAAAAAAAH!!!"

*THUMP*

"What's going on?" asked Kaji, carrying enough bags to completely block his
view. Missing the funny sight of a fallen Asuka on top of a fallen Shinji.
"Can someone give me a hand with the bags? I'm not you folks' bellboy you
know."

"Shinji," said Asuka as she picked herself off of him, "we need to practice
this."

"Ow..." Shinji rubbed his back. "Yeah..."

10 seconds later.

"Wow," cried Asuka, "look at all these beautiful furniture! They're real
hard wood!"

15 seconds later.

"Wow," said Shinji, "I've never seen a bedroom like this one before."

"Look at the size of that bed!" said Asuka; "it's great!"

20 seconds later.

"Look at the view!" said Misato, watching the beach from a pair of large
glass doors.

"Hey, let's go take a closer look at the beach!" suggested Asuka as Misato
passed Teri back to her.

"Ok," said Shinji, "but we don't have our bathing suits."

"We'll just take a look for now, silly."

"Well then," said Misato, "let's go." She opened the glass doors, and the
five headed towards the beach.

"Hey, are you folks going to help me or not?" asked Kaji, still standing at
the front door with the bags.

It was a white sand beach, with some sun-bleached driftwood here and there.
The water itself was a deep blue color, almost as deep as the color Asuka's
eyes. The couple held hands as they walked barefooted through the warm white
sand, the bright sun nearing the horizon. Asuka stopped near the waterline,
and so did Shinji. The two watched the water surf gently breaking itself
close to their feet. As Pen Pen wobbled his way into the water, Asuka bent
down on her knees.

"Teri-chan, would you like to feel the sand?" she asked, holding the small
child. Asuka lowered Teri just enough, so her little feet could touch the
warm sand. At first, Teri was frightened by the unfamiliar sensation. She
pulled her feet as high as she could, away from the strange feeling ground.
Asuka looked at the child warmly, reassuring her that it is safe. Slowly,
Teri put her feet back on the ground. Eventually, she giggled, and even
wiggled her feet in the sand. "Feels good, doesn't it?" said the mother.
Shinji kneeled down beside Asuka, and they watched the crimson sun disappear
below the horizon.

Misato watched the scene from a little distance away.

"The family they never had."
---
NEON GENESIS EVANGELION:
TCoL2

Chapter #6:5       A moment when the tension mounts...
---
"Increase both plug depths by 0.2," ordered Ritsuko.

"Yes ma'am," replied Maya, "increasing depths. Both pilots' synch ratio
holding steady."

"Amazing," said Ritsuko, "both pilots increased by at least 4.5 points since
the last test."

"Looking at both Asuka and Shinji's last test, I'd say if this overall
improvement keeps up, we won't have to worry about the Angels anymore."

"With both the EVAs and their pilots functioning at their full capacity, the
future of humanity is secured." Ritsuko pressed the intercom button, "good
job, you two. We're finished now."
---
"AAACHOOO!" sneezed Takuma.

"One more time," said Ritsuko.

"AACHO!" sneezed the boy again, clearing his lungs of LCL.

"There," observed Ritsuko, "your lungs should be able to absorb the
remaining LCL." Takuma blew his nose into a tissue paper.

"I can still feel some in my lungs," he said. He moved quickly from side to
side, feeling the liquid splash around inside his chest.

"If you want, I can have someone hold you upside-down and shake you. That
should get the rest out."

"Err...no thanks." Takuma backed up a bit. "Ritsuko-san, I passed Unit-01's
hanger earlier, why was the area sealed off?"

"Hmm...it...uh oh..."

"Not just that area, but other places I can normally go, too."

Ritsuko began sweating feverishly, and her mind rushed to formulate
plausible answers.

"Maintenance," she said, "since Shinji is on vacation, we thought we'd do
some repairs in the area, install new security equipment, things like that."
<Now, quickly change the topic...>

"Takuma-kun, how are you doing in school?"

"Err...I'm...kinda...so-so..." sweated the boy. <Change the subject change
the subject!>

"When are Misato-san, Shinji, Asuka, and Teri-chan coming back?"

"In about a week," said Ritsuko, glad her plan worked.

"That's good..."

"Yes..."

Both nodded, and an awkward silence descended upon them.

"I think I'll go home now," the boy turned and left. <I think I wanna take a
look at Unit-01. >

"Later, Takuma-kun," said Ritsuko. <I think handled that awfully well. >
---
*A keyboard, traveling at hypersonic speed from France, nails the writer in
the head for writing that last part.*

Medic...
---
"Isn't it a little late?" Misato asked through the door, holding a
half-empty (or, as some might say, half-full) can of beer. She's standing
outside Asuka and Shinji's bedroom door.

"Well," Asuka responded from inside the room, "we didn't get a chance to
swim today..."

"But since we're in the land of perpetual summer," finished Shinji, "there's
no reason we can't go at night."

"Just look at the moon outside, it's so full and bright, perfect for a
swim."

"Ok, fine," said Misato; "I'll watch Teri-chan while you two are gone."

"Thanks Misato-san!" came the reply in unison.

"Just don't go out too far, or for too long," her footsteps could be heard
as she retreats down stairs.

"Shinji, can you help me with this?" asked Asuka, trying to zip up the top
of her red and white swimsuit.

"Oh ok."
---
Meanfwhile, downstairs
"Hey, that tickles!"

"Sorry, is that better?"

"No, I think you'll have to pull your weight into in."

"Like that?"

"Yeah, a bit harder."

"How about this?"

"Even harder."

"Like so?"

"Yeah, that's great! Keep going!"

Misato and Kaji looked up at the ceiling, wondering if Asuka and Shinji knew
that it wasn't very sound proof.

"I thought you said they're going swimming..." said Kaji with a big sweat
drop beside his head.

"I guess they changed they changed their mind," replied Misato, also with
such sweat drop beside her head.
---
"Got it!" said Shinji, finally zipping up Asuka's swimsuit top.

"Thanks Shin-chan," she said, giving him a light kiss on the cheek. She
walked to a large mirror in the corner of the room.

"I haven't worn this thing since I had Teri-chan," said Asuka, "it's tighter
than it was before. Perhaps I should of fed Teri-chan a little more during
dinner."

"It was very tight when you first bought it," said Shinji, looking at her.
He still remembers the first time she wore it in front of him.

"I think I gained weight," she turned to Shinji, "do I look fat, Shin-chan?
Be truthful."

"Asuka, I think you look as lovely as the first time I saw you. Perhaps even
more so, because now I can see not only your exterior beauty, but your inner
beauty, too."

"Aww..." the girl ran up to Shinji, and gave him a big hug. "Thank you
Shin-chan, I love you."

"I love you too, Asuka-chan," he said with a smile, "now let's go swimming."
The two grabbed their things, and went downstairs. To their surprise, they
found Misato crying.

"Tha...that's the sweetest thing I've ever heard Shinji-kun..." sobbed
Misato; she blew her nose into a handkerchief.

"What?" asked the two kids.

"We could...kinda hear you from down here," said Kaji, "sorry."

The two kids turned very red, and then they ran out the door at full speed
towards the beach. As they drew away from the cabin, they could hear
Misato's voice.

"Why couldn't you ever say something like that to me, Kaji?!"

Unknowingly to the two children, they are being watched, as the slowly
approached the beach.
---
3/4 miles out from the beach
"Sir," reported a sailor, "we have movements on the beach."

"Up periscope," ordered the captain of the submarine.

"Up periscope, aye." A small metallic pole broke through the surface of the
waves, and trained its low-light optical camera towards the shore.

"That must be the Children," observed the man, watching the video screen.
"What are the status of the SEAL team?"

"They're on standby, sir," reported the XO, "in the airlock."

"Very well," said the captain, "down periscope."

"Down periscope, aye." The metallic pole submerged beneath the waves.

"I can't believe it skipper," said the XO, "they've got us babysitting a
bunch of kids!"

"Those kids," responded the older man, "are apparently the only things
standing between us and doomsday. But that doesn't mean I like this one
bit." The nuclear submarine, carrying an elite US Navy SEAL team, had orders
to stand watch close in shore. They were suppose to protect the Children if
anything should happen. The orders even stated that the boat and its crew
were expendable, as long as the Children were protected.

"Conn, sonar, we're picking up...splashing noises, the Children are in the
water."

"XO, you have the Conn, I'll be in my stateroom," the man put on his
baseball cap, labelled SSN-21, "trying to sleep through this stupid
assignment."

Asuka laughed, as she waded through the shallow water. The water was quite
warm, and the moon above them provided more than enough lighting, not to
mention enhancing the mood of the evening excursion.

"Come on Shin-chan," beckoned Asuka, as she moved from the shallow water
into the waist-deep area.

"I'm coming, wait..." Asuka splashed him, "AAH! Hey!"

"Come on Shin-chan," Asuka splashed him again, "let's have some fun!"

"This means war!" Shinji tried to splash Asuka back, but missed. Instead,
Asuka did one huge splash that temporary blinded Shinji.

"Ow," he wiped the water from his eyes, "you wi..." He regain his sight just
in time to see Asuka tackle hugging him.

"AAAH!" the impact cause both of them to go under water. Shinji, not able to
swim, panicked. Asuka pulled his head above the water.

"Help! I can't swim!"

"Stand up, Shin-chan," said Asuka, grabbing onto his frantic arms.

"I can't swim..." he felt the sandy bottom underneath his feet, "oh, oops."

"I'm sorry I forgot you can't swim," apologized Asuka, leading him to
shallower water, "Shin-chan."

"No, it's partly my fault. With all the excitement, I forgot myself."

"Well, since we have a week here, I'm gonna teach you how to swim!" They
both sat down in the water, which only came to their waist.

"You will? I'm not a very fast learner with these kinda things."

"Don't worry," Asuka leaned against Shinji, "remember your teacher is the
great Asuka."

"How could I forget?" Shinji leaned over and kissed Asuka on the lips.
---
"Maybe I should go get them," suggested Misato, taking Bear-san and
Pikachu-san out of the crib, and placing Teri in. Misato watched the
sleeping baby; "it's getting awfully late."

"I think we should leave them alone," said Kaji as Misato walked out of
Teri's room, and closed the door behind her. "Beside, it'll leave more time
for the two of us alone." He smiled in his usual fashion.

"I don't think so, Ryouji," said Misato as she went downstairs. Kaji
followed her to the living room, which had a view of the beach.

"Come on Misato," said Kaji with a sly look on his face, "we're all alone
here."

"We're supposed to be watching the kids."

"The UN Navy is watching the kids right now."

"Well..." Misato sat down on a chair, facing the glass doors. "I..." Kaji
cut off the rest of her argument with a long kiss. However, before he could
do anything else, there was a knock on the glass doors behind them. She
quickly pushed Kaji off, who fell roughly to the floor. Misato opened the
glass door for Shinji, who was carrying a sleeping Asuka on his back.

"Thanks, Misato-san," he said, "sorry we took so long, Asuka fell asleep on
the beach and I didn't want to wake her up. Well, I'll leave you and
Kaji-san alone, goodnight." He carried the girl upstairs, and went into
their room.

"Well, Misato," said Kaji, still on the floor, "now the kids are asleep, how
about if we go to bed, too?"

"Well...I..."

Asuka and Shinji's bedroom door opened, and Shinji walked out.

"Of course not, you pervert!" scolded Misato.

Shinji went to check on Teri, then went back to his room and closed the
door. Misato breathed a sigh of relief.

"Your room or mine?" asked Kaji.

"They might hear us, how about the SUV?"
---
A dark figure glided stealthily through the corridors deep inside NERV
headquarters. The figure traveled in complete silence, and moved from shadow
to shadow. After a short distance, he reached an area sealed off by yellowed
tapes marked 'Danger! Keep out!'

"Heehee," Takuma made a sound for the first time since entering NERV
headquarters, "I'm sure Ritsuko-san wouldn't mind me taking a look at what's
really going on."

"I am quite certain she will," said a voice behind him. The boy turned
white, then his skeleton attempted to leap out of his skin.

"Wha...Rei! What are you doing here? How did you find me?"

"That is not important, what are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to see what's going on..."

"This way, then."
---
Emergence point, Launch shaft 12, Tokyo-3
Maya stood underneath a large tent, which completely covered the door of the
launch shaft and the surrounding area. The door to the shaft itself was
open, and a large crane was positioned over it.

"Dummy Plug is in position, sempai," reported Maya.

"Good," Ritsuko looked at her watch, "we should be able to commence the
recovery operation in 15 minutes. Did the Dummy plug have any trouble
accepting the new codes?"

"No ma'am, it should be able to pilot down the shaft and position it on the
catapult platform."

"Good," Ritsuko took a drink from her coffee cup, "evacuate the launch
shaft, let's get the show on the road."
---
"What are they doing?" asked Takuma, peering though the grates of the
ventilation shaft cover.

"They are installing the Dummy Plug into Unit-01," answered Rei, also
peering through the cover.

"How did it get up here?" he asked, turning to face Rei.

"I must have your assurance that you will not reveal this information to
anyone else," she said, looking at him. Her pale expression was partially
hidden by the darkness of the ventilation shaft.

"Uh...ok," agreed Takuma.

"It climbed up here," she said, looking back towards Unit-01.

"What? How is that possible?"

"EVAs have will, just like human beings."

"I thought they were just machines..." The two watched as the Dummy Plug was
inserted into the EVA, and the crane hoisted back up the shaft.
---
"Signal reception confirmed," reported Makoto, sitting in front of a
portable computer console.

"Dummy plug has been accepted," reported Shigeru.

"All nerves are now connected to the Dummy system."

"32.8% of the emotional factor is unclear," reported Maya, "unable to
monitor."

"It doesn't matter." Ritsuko adjusted her glasses. "Release the system.
Commence the recovery."
---
Below them, Unit-01 began to move. Slowly, it pulled one hand out of the
side of the wall, causing debris to rain down. The EVA lowered its gaze,
looking for a handhold. Since it couldn't find one, it just sank its claws
into a lower point on the wall. Slowly but surely, the EVA began to climb
down.

"Oh my God!" shouted Takuma over the sound of tearing metal. Beside him, Rei
watched the EVA silently.
---
"All systems are normal," reported Makoto.

"More increase in gain," Shigeru.

"Looks like this is a success," said Ritsuko, looking at the readouts,
"these readings...they're almost as good as the real pilots."
---
"If they have that thing, why do they still need us?" asked Takuma.

"Not every EVA would accept a fake."

"It's almost at the platform," Takuma leaned against the vent cover.

"Takuma, no!" said Rei, but it was too late. The boy accidentally pushed the
cover off, causing it to fall.

Right on to the EVA's head, which looked up in response.

"Uh oh," said Takuma, turning almost as pale as Rei.

Rei suddenly got a strange urge to hit the boy.

"An..." she mumbled uncertainly, "an...anta baka..."
---
"Intruder in the launch shaft!" reported Makoto.

"Enhance grid 12-7!" ordered Ritsuko. The main display zoomed in on the
ventilation shaft just in time for them to see Takuma and Rei pulling their
heads back.

"Oh damn!" cursed Ritsuko, "have those two brought to my office, now!"
---
*Ring*

"Errrg..."

*Ring*

"Someone get the phone..."

*Ring*

"Damnit..." Misato remembered where she was as she got up from the back seat
of the Range Rover. She groggily searched through the pile of clothing on
the floor for her cell phone. Finally she found one and put it up to her
ear.

"Hello?" she said, but there was no answer, because she had mistakenly
picked up Kaji's phone.

"Here," Kaji handed her the correct phone.

"Thanks," she took it, "hello?"

"Took you long enough," came the stern voice from the other end.

"Ritsuko-san?" said Misato, looking at her watch, "what are you doing
calling this early?"

"We've got a problem, someone saw our Dummy Plug System test."

"Huh? You went ahead already? Did it work?"

"Yes, it worked fine, Unit-01 has been retrieved. But Rei saw the whole
thing."

"So? Rei was part of the project, wasn't she?"

"But Takuma was there, too."

"Oh damn," Misato pulled a jacket over herself, "is he there? Put him on."

Ritsuko looked sternly at the two kids standing in front of her desk, and
handed her phone to one of them.

"Err...hello?" Takuma said into the phone, "how's your trip, Misato-san?"

"You don't know how much trouble you're in..." came the reply.

"I'm sorry, I promise I won't tell anyone," the boy pleaded.

"You'd better not, cause if you do, I'll see to it that you're fed to the
next Angel."

"I'm really really sorry Misato-san..." A pale Takuma handed the phone back
to Ritsuko.

"Don't worry about it," she said to Ritsuko, "I don't think he'll tell
anyone. Although we'll have to keep an eye on how he reacts to what he saw."

"Agreed, later," Ritsuko hung up the phone and glared at the boy.

"Err...I'll just go home now," he quickly retreated out the room.

"Rei," demanded Ritsuko, "why did you let him see the test?"

"Because he wanted to see it," she replied without any expression.

"That is the most ridiculous excuse I've ever heard!" said Ritsuko, slamming
her fist against her desktop. "Why would you agree to something like that?!
What, he is a replacement for Gendo or something? Do you constantly need
someone like that in your life?" The outburst surprised Ritsuko herself more
than Rei. I thought I got over that bastard, she thought.

"He is not Commander Ikari," Rei said. For a moment, Ritsuko could of swore
she heard tension in the girl's voice.

<What is between those two?> Thought Ritsuko. "You do realize if anything
results from this," she said, annoyed at the whole situation, "it'll be your
fault."

"Hai."

"Make sure nothing happens," ordered Ritsuko, "keep an eye on him."

"Hai."
---
Misato searched through the pile of clothes on the car floor, looking for
what belonged to her.

"Where are you going at this hour?" ask Kaji.

"I'm going back in the house, what do you think?" she replied.

"Come on, the news wasn't that bad."

"No, I just don't want to be caught naked in the back of a car with you!"
She climbed out of the car, wearing some of her clothes, while holding the
rest. "How do you think Asuka and Shinji would respond? We're supposed to be
watching them, not having sex in the back of a car."

"Katsuragi-san..."

Misato slammed the car door close.
---
"Hey, look what I found!" said Shinji, running over to Asuka and Teri, whom
were on a large beach towel.

"Aww..." Asuka removed her sunglasses and looked at the collection of
seashells Shinji had found. There were many different shapes and sizes, as
well as many dazzling shades of colors. "They're beautiful, Shin-chan." She
picked a red and orange one up, and held it up to the sun.

"Uh huh," nodded Shinji, "I thought we can make something out of them, like
a hand-made shell wind chime or shell spinning top for Teri-chan!"

"That's a great idea, Shin-chan!" Asuka kissed him, "you're a great father!"

"Well, I hope we get to vacation here every year," said Shinji.

"As soon as we defeat the Angels, Shin-chan." Asuka took Shinji's hand in
her own.

"As soon as we defeat the Angels, we can live a normal life," Asuka said,
smiling at Shinji. The bright sun hung directly above, its warm glow
reassuring everyone that all was right with the world.
---
"NERV has conducted their first successful test of the Dummy Plug System,"
announced the monolith labeled SEELE-08.

"They have pilots, they won't use the Dummy Plugs for field operations
unless they have to," said SEELE-01.

"In any case, we must step up our own DPS program," noted SEELE-04.

"We have the director of the DSP program here," said SEELE-05, "he'll brief
us on the current status of the program."

A Caucasian man appeared in the center of the monolith circle, illuminated
by a white light.

"Herr doctor," said SEELE-01, "you have our complete attention."

"Thank you, Mr. Chairman," said the man politely. "As most of you know, we
are currently 1.7% behind schedule, due to certain difficulty with
certain...biological elements of the plug. I've gone over the test results
we obtained from NERV, and I must say I'm impressed. However, I can assure
you all that our current DPS, code named 'Blau', will out perform anything
NERV has, or can ever come up with."

"Even their pilots?" asked SEELE-07. The man paused a long moment, before
responding.

"Yes," said the German, "even their pilots."

"When will you be ready to test the system?" asked SEELE-03.

"With the generous increase in the project's budget and resources, we should
be able to test the plug in Unit-03 in 3 weeks," replied the doctor.

"Excellent," said SEELE-01, "once the tests are completed to our
satisfaction, Unit-03, its pilot and its support elements will be
transferred to NERV headquarters, that will be all. Thank you for your time,
Herr doctor, we will let you get back to your work now."

The man disappeared from the center of the circle, along with the white
light.

"There is the issue of Unit-03's...'pilot'," said SEELE-10.

"Can we trust him?" asked SEELE-09.

"It's not a matter of if we can trust him or not," said SEELE-01, "all that
matters is that he believes our version of the truth, and as a result, he
will act exactly as we planned."
---
Asuka and Shinji are sitting on the warm sand of the beach. It is a
cloudless night, with a crescent moon hanging in the night sky. Asuka's
wearing her two-pieces swimsuit, while Shinji's wearing a pair of shorts and
a T-shirt. Teri is in a stroller, right behind them, and sleeping
peacefully.

"The air is so warm tonight..." said Asuka. She threw her long hair back,
and it caught slightly in the gentle breeze.

"I'm glad Misato-san have let us take some holidays," said Shinji.

"Yeah, holidays for our little family."

"A family..." Shinji said softly.

"You, Teri-chan and me. We all make a family. Our family..."

"You're a wonderful mother for Teri-chan, Asuka."

"I know that, silly," chuckled Asuka.

Shinji looked into Asuka's deep blue eyes.

"I mean, you're always holding her... I think you're giving her what neither
of us did have. I find it wonderful. She'll be happy. She'll live happily in
the future."

"It's up to us to make it better for her..." said Asuka.

"Yeah..."

Shinji edged closer to her, and put his arm around her shoulders, gently
massaging it.
Asuka, putting her left hand on her massaged shoulder, on top of Shinji's
hands.

"Hmmmm..." breathed Asuka.

"Your skin is so soft and warm..." said Shinji, "I'm almost afraid of making
it dirty just by touching it..."

"Oh no, you'd never..." She rubbed his hands against her shoulder. "If my
body was owned by someone, it would be by you."

"Is this an invitation?" asked shyly Shinji.

"Maybe," said Asuka, with a playful wink.

"I still can't believe what's happening, you know... I still have a hard
time believing."

"Believing what?" asked Asuka.

"You, Teri-chan... How all of this happened..."

"Oh, I see what you mean. But why asking how it happened, when it already
did?"

"I don't know. I think I can't help it."

"Stop asking questions, Shin-chan..." ordered Asuka with mocked seriousness.

"You're right," laughed Shinji, "I should concentrate on the future."

"By the way," said Asuka, looking into the night sky, "I had a discussion
with Misato about... our wedding."

"Yes?"

"She said we can't really get married right when we'll both be 16... Because
we need the agreement of both our families if we are still 16."

"But... we don't have any anymore!" exclaimed Shinji.

"I know..." Asuka sighed. "But legitimately, you have your father, and I
have mine and a stepmother as well... We can't wed without their agreement."

"Damnit..." grumbled.

"That's okay... We'll wait. It will only make things more enjoyable."

"But... those people don't count as our families..." said Shinji with a look
of disgust on his young face. "They weren't there when we needed them..."

Asuka interrupted. "I received a call two weeks ago from Germany..." she
looked down, "from my step-mom and my father... They congratulated me... For
Teri-chan. It felt good, you know..."

"Why didn't you tell me?" asked Shinji, quite surprised.

"Don't misunderstand me, please..." pleaded Asuka. "I didn't think it was
very important for you, so I didn't bother to tell you."

"Well... I would have liked to hear this from my father... at least,"
admitted Shinji, looking down at the sand.

"You would like to see him," Asuka looked straight at Shinji, "even after
all the things he did to me? To us?"

"He's still my father," said Shinji dryly.

"Oh," she looked back down the beach.

A long pause followed, during which they stared at the waves crashing one
after the other on the beach.

"Let's pray that the tragedies of our families will never happen to us,"
Asuka finally said.

"No way it could," said Shinji, as confidently as he could sound. "I'll
always be there for Teri..."

"And what if you make sweet love to me again," suggested Asuka, "and we have
other kids?"

"I'll love them all. But I'll love you even more."

"Oh, that's too sweet for me...!" blushed Asuka.

Shinji smiled at the compliment. "I love you, Asuka."

"Even if I'm not strong...?" asked the girl.

"Not strong...?"

"You've seen how weak I can become sometimes..." she said, looking away.

"In that case, haven't I showed you that I could be weak sometimes as well?"

"But I have to be strong, for Teri-chan..."

"Asuka, I don't care at all if you're weak or strong..."

Asuka looked at him. "Really...?"

"Definitely," nodded Shinji.

Asuka leaned over him, and gently kissed his lips.

"Shinji?" whispered Asuka.

"Hm, yeah...?"

"Make love to me tonight..." she whispered seductively into his ear.

"You already want a new child?" asked Shinji surprisingly.

"No. Tonight we'll use protection again... I'm not ready to be pregnant
again, yet."

"Let's go back to the cabin first, okay?"

"Okay," nodded Asuka. Shinji helped her get up off the ground. Asuka went
for Teri's stroller, while Shinji gathered up their possessions. Together,
the little family headed back towards their temporary home, under the
tranquil moonlight.


END of Chapter #6.0 version 4 (01/23/00)
Version 1 dated 01/03/00
Version 2 dated 01/18/00
Version 3 dated 01/21/00

You folks know what I always say here, so I'm gonna skip it this time. I
dare you to read the rest of his page without passing out from boredom!

Author's words:
Hey folks, I dunno if Osaka-2 would actually make a good beach resort or not
(since the ocean around it use to be a city), but it's the second name that
came to my mind and the closer of the two. My first choice being Okinawa
(Asuka would have loved to go there even more), but after some calculations,
found it to be impossible to get back from in time in case of an Angel
attack. As some of you might have guessed, it's also kind of a reference to
Garden of Eva. Oh, I didn't know italics didn't show up in text files, so
past chapters were written without the use of < > for thought bubbles. That
has now changed.  Could everyone tell which part Axel had written? =) BTW, I
apologize for my lateness. I'm not very good at managing my time, and school
doesn't help. I'll try very hard and change; it'll be one of my New Year
resolutions. And I guess if people are reading this, we all survived Y2K =\
Don't worry, there's always Second Impact =) A final note, this is the last
real happy chapter. From this point on, everything goes somewhat downhill,
much like in the original series. Don't worry, everything turns out all
right in the end.

At least, that's what the voices in my head tell me.

The voices say: Later folks. ^_^

My e-mail: damnit@intergate.bc.ca
My ICQ: 8155557
Also, please (very please) visit Axel Terizaki's wonderful, award-winning
website, at: http://asukanotebook.tsx.org
He great, he wise, he Axel.

My wonderful prereaders for this chapter:
Axel, EBJ, |ncubus, Disaster, Rajen, Yousef Al-Shamsi, and Nschinden.

Preview of next chapter/episode:
Gendo sits inside his jail cell, in front of a desk. Suddenly, he...

^_^ Not gonna tell you anymore! Have to wait and see! Muahahahahahaa! Oh,
maybe just one more thing.

Teri-chan will finger paint for the first time in her life!

Asuka: That's right, she'll demonstrate how she's a talented artist just
like her mother!

Dave: Hey, I thought Axel told you not to bug me while I'm working!

Asuka: Well...Err...I'm not really here...I'm the Asuka inside your
mind...yeah...*runs off, holding something*

Dave: Oh, I guess that was all in my hea... Hey wait! Where did all my
cookies go?!

Rei: *appears* I am the Ayanami Rei in your mind. *leaves*

Dave: Oh that's nice...hey, my chocolate milk is gone!

Axel: *appears* Oh Dave, I just wanted to you if you're done...

Dave: You're gonna steal my food, too, aren't you?!

Axel: ???

Dave: Well, I'm not gonna give you the chance! *picks up a large mallet from
out of nowhere* Magical anime mallet attack! *bump*

Darkness descends upon the great Axel.
---
Out-takes for this chapter (a.k.a. ideas too insane and/or stupid to
actually include in official text):
"Nani?!" boomed Touji, standing in front of Takuma's desk, "just like that?"

"They went on vacation? Where?" gasped Kensuke.

"Sorry," replied Takuma, "but I can't tell you where they went, top secret
you know. If I told you, then Rei would have to kill you."

"If I am ordered to," said the girl with out a trace of humor.

"That's fine," said Kensuke, pulling out his laptop. "I'll just hack into
NERV and...presto! They went to Osaka-2!"

"Rei," said Takuma.

"Hai," replied the girl, getting up from her seat.

"That wasn't so har...AAAAAHHH!" screamed Kensuke as Rei judo chopped him in
the neck, then threw him out the window.

"Hey, I didn't hear anything..." said Touji, "AAAAH!!!!" Rei threw him out
the window, too.

"I don't think I feel like taking the test today."

"Hai," Rei threw the old teacher out the window, too.
---


From: "David Templar" <nope@nope.com>
Subject: [Eva][FanFic] The Child of Love 2: Chapter 7

The Child of Love 2
By David Templar

Neon Genesis Evangelion was created by Hideaki Anno. The characters and
other things from the series belong to Studio Gainax. The Child of Love is
the idea of Axel Terizaki, and the story, along with any character(s)
created by him is as such his. This fanfiction is not intended to be
profitable for the author or his associates in anyway.

Don't sue me!


NEON GENESIS EVANGELION

The Angel's beam struck Unit-01 square in the chest, causing a massive
shower of sparks. The Evangelion was thrown back into a building, which
imploded from the impact. The large beast, partially obscured by the dust,
lay motionless amidst the rubble.

"Shinji!" cried out Asuka, desperately looking to see if her love was all
right. Smoke and partially wrecked builds prevented her from seeing much.

"Eerrk..." responded the boy weakly over the radio, signaling that he was
still alive.

"Don't worry Shinji," she said, turning her attention to the enemy, "I'll
avenge you!"
Unit-02 raised its massive pallet rifle, and took aim.

"Come on, come on," sneered Asuka, waiting for the target to center up in
her sight. What usually took mere seconds seemed to take an eternity.

"Schiesse," cursed Asuka, as she threw her EVA on to its side, narrowly
avoiding a particle beam from the Angel. She rolled for several hundred
yards, then stopped to aim again. The target finally centered up in her
sights.

"AT-Field, full power!" she shouted. Two powerful yet unseen fields clashed,
then neutralized each other.

"Die!!!!" screamed the girl, sending a long burst from her rifle into the
enemy. The impact of a steady stream of tracers caused a cluster of
explosions, which enveloped the target, followed by a cloud of dense smoke.

"Good job, Asuka," Misato's voice came over the radio.

"Piece of cake, I..."

A beam pierced the smoke, and struck Unit-02 in the stomach. The girl let
out a cry as her EVA was thrown back on top of Unit-01. Slowly, the Angel
emerged from the thick haze, unscratched from Unit-02's attack.

"Rei," commanded Misato.

"Hai," responded the girl.

"You're up," ordered the Colonel coldly.

"H..." Rei was cut-off before she could answer.

"I'll go," said Takuma, "I have a better chance." He set his EVA into
motion, moving from the outskirts of the city into the battle zone.

"Fine," said Misato, "I'm sending you a rifle."

"I don't need a rifle," he responded confidently. As Takuma drew closer to
the Angel, Unit-04's left shoulder 'wing' opened, revealing a progressive
knife. The Evangelion's right hand reached up, and grabbed the sleek
double-edged blade. The Angel turned to face its new opponent.

"AAAAAAAARRRGG!" came the boy's battle cry, as he charged at the Angel. His
enemy responded by unleashing a barrage of particle beams, all of which the
boy manages to dodge. Just before reaching the Angel, the massive EVA leaped
into the air. Flipping the progressive knife so the blade faced downwards,
Takuma plunged the weapon deep into the Angel's core.

"AAAH! You got me!" said the creature; "I admit defeat."

Suddenly the boy was no longer inside his EVA, but beside a lake inside the
Geofront.

"Good job, Takuma-kun!" said Misato.

"Nice work, you're clearly a better pilot than I am," said Asuka.

"Same here," said Shinji.

"My hero," said Rei. The girl closed her eyes, and leaned towards him to
initiate a kiss.

"BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!"

Takuma bolted upright in his bed, and slowly turned his head to face the
source of the agitation. His radio-alarm clock received a vengeful look
lethal enough to kill any living thing.

"I never get to finish that dream."
---
NEON GENESIS EVANGELION:
TCoL2

Chapter #7:0          Blood and tears
---
"And that concludes the budget report for last quarter of this year," said
the director of NERV's treasury. The overhead lights blinked on, and
computer projector was turned off.

"Talk about starting your day with bad news," said Misato, sitting at her
seat by the large conference table.

"Quite," said Fuyutsuki. The Commander turned his seat to face the room's
large windows. Normally sunlight would be filtered into the Geofront through
the large openings overhead. However, today's rainstorm prevented any chance
of that.

"While the UN has publicly announced that they are increasing NERV's 4th
quarter budget by 50%," said the treasurer, "most of that money is going
directly to NERV facilities overseas, key EVA hardware manufacturers, and so
on. The UN also made it quite clear to the public that the increase in our
spending comes at the price of tens of thousands of lives in Africa."

"Thank you Major, that'll be all," said Fuyutsuki. The man responded by
picking up his briefing materials, and leaving the room.

"In reality," said Ritsuko after the man left; "we have very little control
over what the increased budget can be spent on. At the same time negative
publicity is generated against us."

"None of the personnel have had a pay raise in over two years," said Misato.

"We can also forget about the defense system upgrades," added Ritsuko.

"That is SEELE's intention," said Fuyutsuki, "what is the status of
generating profit through NERV operated good and services?"

"Not great, yet not terrible either," said Ritsuko, bringing up a computer
display of the income generated. "After subtracting the costs of start ups,
equipment acquired, operating costs..."

"Couple that onto the money we manage to skim off non-essential projects and
divisions," said Misato slyly.

"We should be able to afford new equipment for NERV security, and key
personnel," Ritsuko finished.

"And we've already stepped up combat training for all personnel."

"That wouldn't do much against a full assault by SEELE," said Fuyutsuki,
"but then we only need to buy some time."

"All we need is for the Children to defeat the main enemy force outside NERV
headquarters," said Misato confidently, "the troops inside would see their
futility and surrender."

"SEELE will not hold back anything," said Fuyutsuki grimly, "we can expect
to see their EVA series in action against ours."

"I have thought of that," said Misato, "that's why I have found two people
who should be able to find out more about the Mass Production EVAs, so we
can teach the Children how to fight them." Misato looked at her watch; "they
should be here soon."

Moments later, the doors to the conference room slid open. Kaji and Makoto
proceeded walked into the dimly lit room.

"Hey folks," said Kaji as door slid close behind him. Makoto behaved like
the good soldier he was, formal and proper.

"Hyuga will be using his computer skills to 'acquire' information,"
explained Misato, "Kaji will handle the other covert operation aspects, and
they both have an extensive network of sources and contacts. With a team
like this, what can go wrong."

Makoto turned his face towards Kaji, and forced a polite smile.
---
"Shinji."

"Ikari-kun."

"Shinji."

"Ikari-kun."

"Shinji!"

The last call finally broke through the wall that guarded Shinji's train of
thought, causing the proverbial locomotive to derail; the boy finally
snapped back to reality.

"Huh?" muttered Shinji. He looked around the almost empty classroom, while
Takuma and Rei stood to his left and right. He shook his head at the
realization that he had missed the dismissal call entirely.

"I'm sorry," Shinji begin packing up his bag, "I've got something on my
mind."

"You've been acting strangely ever since you came back from your vacation,"
observed Rei. "Is there something wrong?"

"Rei, you shouldn't just ask a question like that, it's his personal life."

"No, it's alright." Shinji looked out the window; the poor weather seemed to
add to the burden on his mind. He left the classroom, with the other two
pilots tagging closely behind. They were almost half way to Misato's
apartment before Shinji spoke up again.

"It's about my father. I haven't spoke to him since...Teri-chan's birth. Now
I nee...have to talk to him. I know Rei knows him well," the girl remained
wordless, "how about you Takuma?" The boy's voice was determined, yet so
quiet that it was almost drown out by the sound of rain.

"It was years ago," replied the other boy, "but back then he was rather
secluded, secretive, yet somewhat gentle and kind in his own way."

"Gentle?! Kind?!" Shinji stopped dead in his path, and turned to face the
other boy. His eyes burned with a multitude of conflicting emotions as it
met Takuma's. A lightening bolt flashed across the sky, followed by the deep
boom of thunder. Once the air was filled with only the sound of rain again,
Shinji spoke.

"He sent me away, he killed my mother, he manipulated everyone, and he used
Asuka for his own gains. How could he be gentle and kind?!"

"He wasn't that bad years ago, at least not that I can tell. Sorry, but
that's how I remember it."

Shinji turned to continue on his way, even though he wasn't quite satisfied
with the answer.

"Did he really send you away and kill your mother?" Asked Takuma, "I mean,
he always had that picture of you and your mother in his home."

Shinji stopped again.

"He told me there were no pictures left..." said the boy without turning
around.

"There surely was one, I remember it cause it was right on top of his living
room table." Takuma turned to Rei. "You know what I'm talking about, right?"

"I do not remember much from then," replied Rei, "but I think I remember a
picture in an ivory frame..."

Shinji didn't wait for the full answer; he dropped his umbrella and
schoolbag and ran away from the direction of his house.

"Was it something I said?" asked Rei, as the two watched Shinji running
unprotected from the drenching rain, towards NERV headquarters. The streets
were quiet except for the sound of rain and a set of rapid footsteps,
quickly fading away into the distance.
---
"He's WHAT?!" gasped Asuka, cuddling her child in her arms. Her facial
expression could not fully express the confusion and concern she felt. Teri
could sense that something was wrong from the volume level and tone of her
mother's voice, and the fact that her father was not there.

"Running to HQ without an umbrella like a madman," said Takuma. Rei placed
the umbrella Shinji had dropped into a holding container.

"Well did you call Misato?" demanded Asuka, furious at the situation. "Who
knows where he is right now?! Maybe something happened to him on the way
there!" The girl's mind raced through dozens of possibilities, all of them
bad.

"We contacted NERV headquarters on the way here," Rei tried to sound as
reassuring as she knew how, "Colonel Katsuragi informed us that Ikari-kun
arrived safely."

"That Shinji!" growled Asuka, "I'll give him a piece of my mind when he gets
back! How could he worry me and Teri-chan over a lousy picture?"

"The picture isn't lousy," said Takuma in defense of Shinji, "it's a picture
of his mo..."

Asuka stared at Takuma, who turned to stone in response.

"We will leave now," said Rei politely, "goodbye." She tipped the stone
statue beside her at an angle and dragged it out the door. By the time the
door had slid shut, Teri was in her crib and Asuka was on the phone with
NERV headquarters.
---
"Shinji, where are you going?" asked Misato, trying to keep up with the boy.
She finally caught up with him, and threw a blanket on him.

'Thanks' was all he said as he continued to walk down the hallway.

"I know what you're looking for."

"That bastard..." whispered Shinji.

"Rei and Takuma called me."

"He lied to me again..."

"They told me about the picture."

"I should've known..."

"I know how much it means to you, but..."

"And to think I was going to ask him for his blessing to marry Asuka..."
Shinji sneered quietly.

"You're going the wrong way, the warehouse where we store the items we
confiscated from your father when we arrested him is on the OTHER side of
the Geofront."

Shinji finally stopped in his tracks, shook his head in frustration, and
sneezed. Misato put her hand on his shoulder blanket covered.

"Come on, I'll take you there."
---
Asuka tapped her foot impatiently as she was asked to hold, again. Finally a
voice came on the phone.

"Hello..."

"What is wrong with you God damned operators?! How hard is it to get a hold
of ONE PERSON?!" Asuka unloaded all her bottled up rage on the phone
receiver. "Do you know who I am?? Do you know who I am?? I am the Second
Child, the great Langley Asuka Soryu, and the person who is gonna personally
see to it that you're thrown out of NERV head first if you don't get me
Ikari Shinji NOW!!" Asuka took a series of short shallow breaths, and looked
down the phone receiver she was crushing with her bare hand.

"Asuka-chan, it's me," came the familiar voice of Shinji, from the phone.
"I'm alright, sorry for scaring you like that."

"Shin-chan!" cried Asuka, loosening her death-grip on the phone, "I was so
worried! What were you thinking? You could catch a cold running in the rain
like that! Don't ever scare me like that again! I'm so glad that you're
ok..."

Then her tone changed.

"I'm gonna be so angry at you when you get back...grrr..."

"I'm really sorry, Asuka-chan," laughed Shinji, "it's just that something
really important came up."

"I heard, your mother's picture, right?"

"Yeah...I have to...need to find it."

"I understand, silly." Asuka paused for a moment.

"I love you," she finally said.

"I love you too. Give Teri-chan a kiss for me, and tell her that's I'm sorry
for not coming home right away."

"I will."

"I'll be home soon, I promise."
---
NERV warehouse 2-B (miscellaneous and personal items, items below 150kg)
"This is where we keep the personal items of Mr. Ikari," explained the
chubby man in NERV uniform. He lifted a plastic container on to the table in
front of Shinji and Misato.

"As you can see," the man patted the container twice, "he really didn't have
much in terms of personal belongings." He looked at Shinji, who was staring
at the container as if he was about to leap on top of it and rip it open
with his teeth.

"I'll leave you two alone," the man quickly retreated from sight.

For a long time, Shinji simply stared at the plastic block, trying to grasp
the impact of what he might find inside it. Slowly, he reached out and
touched the top of the box. With a suddenness that surprised Misato, he tore
off the NERV anti-tampering seal. All Misato could do was watch, as the boy
threw the box lids open and begin hurtling its contents out. A comb bounced
off a nearby shelf, followed by a copy of Dante's Inferno, whose pages
flattered like wings as it sailed across the room.

"Shinji, maybe you should..." Misato's words were cutoff by the sound of a
small clay
Hello Kitten statue shattering into several pieces as it hit the ground. All
she could do was sigh as Shinji continued to empty the box. In a few short
minutes, the box had almost been completely emptied of its contents. Then it
happened.

A light spray of warm liquid splashed against Misato's cheek. She reached
up, wiped the droplets off her face, and took a good look at it.

Blood.

Misato looked up from her hand to see Shinji with a gash across the palm of
his hand. Bright red blood poured out of the fresh wound and slowly streamed
down his hand. His instinctive reflex to pull his hand away from the pain
had been what had caused the spray of blood. However, Shinji didn't look the
least bit concerned with his injury. It was the look on his face that
stopped Misato from rushing over to him, for he just continued to stare into
the box. Cautiously, he reached into the box with his bloody hand, and
pulled out a picture frame. Broken shards of glass, on which Shinji cut his
hand, hung from the creamy white frame.

"Mother?"

Droplets of water fell on the picture frame, forming a mixture of tear and
blood.
---
"Shinji," gasped Asuka as the boy arrived home, "what happened to your
hand?!" She rushed forward and gently grabbed his injured hand. She held it
up and examined it carefully.

"I'm OK, Asuka," Shinji reassured the young mother. They wrapped their arms
around each other in a warm embrace, until Asuka remembered what she said on
the phone. Her soft embrace turned into a death-grip.

"Can't...breathe...Asuka-chan..." gasped Shinji, he looked into the girl's
vengeful blue eyes.

"You scared me so much..." she said quietly through clenched teeth,
tightening her embrace on the boy, "you ran off, and now you're hurt...I...I
am so angry at you!"

"I'm sorry," Shinji said, turning a bit red, "I didn't mean to scare you
like that, I'll never do it again."

"You promise?" asked the girl, looking at him with puppy eyes.

"Yeah," said Shinji, "I promise, as long as I live." Asuka loosened her
grip, and looked into the boy's face carefully.

"You look like you've been crying, Shin-chan."

"..."

"Did you find it?"

Shinji nodded slowly.

"Well," Asuka smiled, "may I meet my mother-in-law to be?"
---
"Shinji isn't going to school today," said Takuma, breaking the silence
between him and Rei as they headed for school.

"Do you think he found that picture, Rei?" he asked, turning to look at the
girl.

"Yes, otherwise he would have been at school today," she replied, looking at
him for a brief moment.

"How do you figure that?"

"Because if he had found the picture, he would want to speak to the person
who told him it did not exist."

"Commander Ikari," said Takuma.
---
The jail cell door slid open, causing light from the outside to pierce the
interior darkness. "Ikari, you have a visitor," declared the guard. The man
turned to Shinji, "five minutes." After the guard left, the door was slid
shut and almost completely dark again. The only source of light came from a
very small lamp on a table at the other side of the room. Shinji fumbled for
the light switch.

"Leave it off," commanded a deep, low voice from the far corner of the
narrow cell. Shinji ignored the man, defying him on purpose and turned on
the lights in the cell. In the far corner of the dimly lit room sat Gendo.
He looked paler and thinner since the last time Shinji saw him. The former
head of NERV sat in his usual posture, in front of a desk, and a Chinese
chessboard.

"What do you want?" demanded Gendo, not even looking at his son.

"I...I..." stuttered Shinji, before his rage helped him regain control.

"You lied to me, you bastard," sneered Shinji, "that picture of mother, you
had it all along." The boy reached into his pocket, and pulled out a folded
photocopy of the picture. He threw the proof onto Gendo's table.

"You just wanted to keep it to yourself," spat the boy, "you selfish
bastard." Gendo's gloved right hand reached up. It moved shakily towards the
folded piece of paper, then past it. The hand finally came to rest one a
chess piece for the opposing side to Gendo. After making a move, the man
returned to his usual posture.

"Is that all?" asked Gendo, still impassive.

"I hope they keep you in here forever," said Shinji, "even that'll be too
good for you, after all that you have done."

"You mean like bringing you and the Second Children together?" asked the
father, with almost a tone of smugness in his voice.

"I didn't need you for that!" shouted Shinji angrily, clutching his fist,
"we never needed you to fall in love! You were only using me, using Asuka,
using Teri!" Shinji took a short breath before shouting out again.

"HOW COULD YOU?!"

The boy's voice vibrated throughout the cramped cell.

"Because I needed to," Gendo simply replied.

Shinji briefly considered using Unit-01 to crush his father, perhaps take a
bit out of him. However, the boy knew he would never be able to forgive
himself if he did that. Ikari Shinji wasn't that kind of a person. The boy
took a deep breath, then turned to leave.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" asked Gendo. Shinji stopped in his path,
but didn't bother to turn around.

"..."

"I was thinking, I know that Colonel Katsuragi is now your legal guardian,"
said Gendo suddenly, "but shouldn't you ask me for permission to marry the
Second Children, even if it's merely for formality?" He allowed a small grin
to slide across his face.

"..."

"You are planning to marry her, aren't you? You are the father of her
child."

"We don't need anything from you. We want nothing to do with you. This will
be our last meeting, as far as I am concerned." The boy reached for the
control panel beside the door. "I'm finished here," he said, holding down
the intercom button. The door slid open, and Shinji slowly walked through
it. The door then closed behind him, while the lights in the room turned
themselves off. Once again, the room was completely engulfed in darkness,
except for the small lamp beside Gendo. For a few moments, there was only
complete silence, without even the sound of breathing.

The silence was finally broken by the sound of paper being unfolded.
---
Misato sat in front of a computer in her office. She held a phone in one
hand, while the other hand tapped impatiently on the table.

"Sorry for the wait ma'am," said the voice from the other end in English. A
file was being sent over from the United States, and the transfer was taking
longer than expected. Finally a 'Transfer Complete' message appeared on her
monitor, only to be replaced by a 'Decrypting File' and a percentage
complete status bar.

"Damnit," cursed Misato in Japanese, "MAGI seems to be slower than usual
today."

"Excuse me?" said the voice on the phone.

"No it's nothing," replied Misato in accented English. She swerved her
chair, taking her eyes off her computer.

"So you guys have completed your investigation?" asked Misato.

"Yes ma'am," confirmed the US Army officer, "we have concluded that the
temporary disappearance of NERV 3rd Branch was the result of human error."

"Human error?" Misato almost fell off her chair. "What, did the scientists
decide to shoot themselves while conducting the S^2 engine test?"

"Yes ma'am," the officer explained, "it is our belief that either a
malfunction or a design flaw within the S^2 engine itself caused
electromagnetic interference within the human brain. The scientists were
overcome with paranoia, hysteria, and other mental instabilities. They broke
into the monitoring room's weapons locker, armed themselves, and then
proceeded to engage in a firefight with the security personnel. During the
fight, stray bullets damaged the control of the experiment, causing the S^2
engine to go out of control. The final result was the temporary loss of the
base, and the permanent loss of all its personnel."

"That sounds pretty unbelievable," said Misato.

"Having an asteroid wipe out South Pole and 1/2 the world's population is
unbelievable ma'am, what I said was a result of several months of intense
investigation. Anyway, everything is detailed in the report, I'm afraid I
have other things to attend to." The line clicked dead, so Misato dropped
the receiver back onto its holder. She turned to see that the computer had
finished decrypting the file. She began to access the file, searching for
something in particular.

"Katsuragi-san," Misato's secretary announced through the desktop intercom,
"Shinji has finished meeting with his father. He said that he's going home."

"Thanks Noriko," replied Misato, she then went back to her computer.

ACCESSING NERV 3rd BRANCH PERSONNEL ROSTER. STATUS OF PERSONNEL LISTED
UPDATED AFTER INVESTIGATION INTO THE FACILITY'S DISAPPEARENCE AND SUBSEQUENT
REAPPEARENCE.

NOTE: NO BODIES WERE FOUND IN THE FACILITY, DEATH DETERMINED THROUGH DNA
COMPARISON OF BLOOD SAMPLES FOUND IN THE FACILITY. THE SUBJECT IS CLASSIFIED
AS DECEADED USING A COMPARISON OF AMOUNT OF BLOOD FOUND VS SUBJECT BODY
MASS. FURTHER DETAILS IN MEDICAL ATTACHMENT #734-B.

SEARCH BY SURNAME: _

This is just to make sure, thought Misato; it doesn't make any difference
what-so-ever to Takuma. She slowly typed the boy's family name into the
computer.

SEARCH BY SURNAME: SATORI_

2 ITEMS FOUND:  SATORI, KASUMI
    SATORI, SEYOKO

NAME: SATORI, KASUMI
SEX: FEMALE
BIRTHDAY: 03/26/1990
AGE: 26
LIVING RELATIONS: 1 YOUNGER BROTHER. SATORI, TAKUMA
STATUS: MISSING BUT PRESUMED DEAD (NO BLOOD SAMPLE FROM SUBJECT FOUND)

NEXT LISTING

NAME: SATORI, SEYOKO
SEX: FEMALE
BIRTHDAY: 03/26/1967
AGE: 49
LIVING RELATIONS: 1 BIOLOGICAL SON. SATORI, TAKUMA
STATUS: CONFIRMED DECEASED

"Should I even bother telling him?" Misato asked herself out loud, "what
difference would it make? Other than giving up hope of ever seeing his
mother..." I also can't just keep lying to him, Misato thought, he still
thinks Rei is suffering from amnesia.

"That kid is way too gullible sometimes," sighed Misato.
---
Clouds hung over the great city of Tokyo-3 for the second straight day in a
roll. Rain poured down from the heavens, battering and soaking all below it.
The mood of the city reflected that of the weather, resulting in gloomy
streets which are mostly deserted. Two figures with umbrellas walked quietly
through the rain.

"Lovely weather," grumbled Takuma, walking down the street.

"I don't love the rain," replied Rei, "but it is agreeable."

"I sense that something bad is gonna happen to me," he said.

"Why?"

"Because it's a Wednesday," Takuma explained, "bad things always happen to

me on Wednesday."

"That is very improbable," Rei shook her head slightly.

"We'll see, let's stop off at Misato's house and see how Shinji is doing."

"I have a feeling that he is going to be fine for the time being."
---
NEON GENESIS EVANGELION:
TCoL2

Chapter #7:5         Impressions of tomorrow
---
"Hello Ayanami, hello Takuma," greeted Shinji at the door. The boy appeared
tired, but otherwise fine.

"We just wanted to check on you," said Takuma, he opened his bag and pulled
out a floppy disc. "Today's notes and homework assignments, Hikari told me
to make sure you get it." Shinji took the disc with his bandage right hand.

"Thanks."

"How did the meeting with Comma...Ikari-san go?" asked Rei. Shinji was
slightly surprised by the directness of the question, but recovered quickly.

"It went OK, I guess," said Shinji, "I got a lot of things off my chest. I
have nothing to fear from him anymore. From this point on, I am finally free
of that man's influence." The boy emphasized the 'man' with spite. His mood
brightened when Asuka appeared beside him.

"Hey you two," she said with her hands behind her back. She gave Rei a funny
look, not so much as annoyance but more of tolerance and understanding. Rei
retaliated with her usual blank expression.

"Shinji, I think you forgot something," said Asuka. She produced a ball of
paper towel.

"Oh that's right," Shinji took the paper ball and unwrapped it. Inside the
paper was a small clay Hello Kitty statue. It wasn't hard to tell that it
had been smashed and then glued back together, but the workmanship was still
quite good.

"I found this among his possessions," Shinji was careful to avoid using the
word father, "I accidentally dropped it, but Asuka here fixed it up." He
turned the statue upside down, and scribbled underneath were the words "made
in Japan" and "Ayanami".

"He seemed to have a nasty habit of stealing personal items from people
around him," said Shinji. He thought about the pair of black lingerie he
found among his father's things. Who the heck is Naoko, thought Shinji.

"Anyway," Shinji presented the clay cat, "I wanted to return it to you,
Ayanami. It's the least we can do after all you've done for Teri-chan."

Rei took the small statue with both hands, and looked at it carefully.

"Not bad, eh?" said Asuka, quite proud of her ability to piece the shattered
kitten back together.

Takuma cranked his head to try and see the statue, too.

"Hey, wasn't that the birthday present you got from..."

There was a quiet cracking sound, as a shoe's heel met toes.

"I was mistaken, never mind," Takuma completed his sentence, trying not to
appear in pain.

"Thank you very much Ikari-kun, Asuka," Rei said politely. She carefully
wrapped the statue back inside the paper towels, and placed it carefully
inside her schoolbag.

"We have to go now, Dr. Akagi is expecting us," the girl said. "See you
later."

"Yeah, see you later," Takuma limped slightly as he followed Rei to the
elevator. Asuka and Shinji went back inside their apartment.

"So Asuka-chan," said Shinji, putting his arm around her waist, "what did
you and Teri-chan do today while I was out?" Asuka laughed, and slipped out
of his half-embrace.

"Wait in the living room and I'll show you," the young girl went into the
bathroom. Shinji followed his orders and went to wait in the living room. A
moment later, Asuka appeared with a small stack of paper.

"Ta-da!" she said, "today we have for your viewing pleasure, the artwork of
Ikari Teri, child-prodigy!" Asuka handed Shinji the watercolor pictures.

"Wow," gasped Shinji, "this IS incredible! She draws like she were 6 or
something, I can tell this is Unit-02!" The painting clearly showed a red
EVA-like being, with what appeared to be puppet strings attached to its
limbs.

"Actually..." Asuka pulled that painting away from Shinji, "I drew that.
It's a contemporary style painting which was suppose to represent my
feelings towards my EVA."

"Oh," Shinji looked at the rest of the paintings, which were all done by
fingers. There were blue donuts, and what looked like double-helix strands.

"This is still incredible," said Shinji, "she can draw complete circles, and
DNA strands!"

"Told you she takes after me," grinned Asuka proudly. The two young parents
begin talking about how smart their child is and how wonderful she was going
to be, when the phone rang. Shinji went to answer it.

"Hello?" said the boy.

"Hello," the caller's Japanese was accented, but understandable. "May I
speak to Asuka, please?" Shinji covered the phone's speaker, "Asuka-chan,
there's a man asking for you."

"Huh?" Asuka went over to Shinji, and took the phone. "Hello?"

"Hello Asuka-chan," said the man in German.

"Papa?"

"Yes, it's me sweet heart."

"Papa!" cried Asuka; "it's been so long since you called! Mama is usually
the one that calls, you're always so busy."

"I'm sorry about that Asuka-chan, I should call you more often."

Shinji tried to understand Asuka's rapid-fire-German, but the little German
Asuka taught him were next to useless. He ended up going back into the
living room and looking at Teri's paintings again. Finally, he decided to
stick two of the paintings on the refrigerator door, like what proud parents
would do with their child's good report cards. He chose the best blue donut
and the best double helix, and posted them on the fridge door for all to
see. By then, Asuka had finished her phone call. She joined him in the
kitchen.

"They're coming to visit," the red head said, "they're coming to visit,
Shin-chan."

"Huh? Your parents?"

"Yeah, papa said that he'll be here on business, but that he'll have time to
spend with us. He says he's really looking forward to meeting you in
person."

"That sounds great," Shinji noticed the lack of excitement in the girl's
voice. "Aren't you happy that your mom and dad are coming to visit?"

"Yeah," the girl looked down, her eyes looked as if they were gazing inwards
rather than out. "Papa, mama, and my new stepbrother."
---
"Go right in Takuma-kun," smiled Misato's secretary.

"Thanks Noriko-san," the boy opened one of the double doors into the
Vice-Commander's office, and entered. Inside, Misato was waiting for him
behind her desk.

"You called Misato-san?" Takuma slowly walked up to the Colonel's desk,
looking around the room as he went. "We're supposed to have a synch ratio
test in 30 minutes."

"I know," the woman said calmly, "but Ritsuko said she needs to delay the
test for 15 minutes, so we have plenty of time. Sit, please." She gestured
at a chair in front of her desk.

"No, thanks," Takuma said politely, "I think I'll stand. I take bad news
better on my feet."

"What makes you think I called you here to tell you something like that?"

"For one thing, you're only pretending to be smiling right now."

Misato shook her head.

"I'm sorry Takuma-kun," Misato decided to come straight out, "I have news
about your mother."

The boy's eyes seemed to light up at the word.

"...What?"

"I'm afraid she's dead," Misato said.

"No, she's just missing."

"Not anymore, only your sister is listed as missing now. They found enough
evidence to prove that your mother...passed away. I'm sorry, Takuma-kun."

"What kind of evidence?" Takuma demanded.

"You really shouldn't hear..."

"What kind of evidence?" there was a much darker tone this time, so Misato
gave in.

"They found enough of her blood to determine that she would have died from
blood loss..." she explained.

"But no body."

"No, but the doctors are sure that the amount of blood she lost would have
been fatal..."

"What happened if she got an emergency transfusion?" Takuma asked.

"The report didn't say."

"So there is a chance," the boy sounded hopeful.

"..."

"Isn't there?"

"Yes, well..."

"And nothing about Kasumi?"

"No, they didn't find a trace of your sister."

"Then as far as I'm concerned, everything is as the way it was." He checked
his watch. "I gotta go now, I'm supposed to meet up with Rei. See you at the
synch test, Misato-san."

After the boy left, Misato breathed a breath of relief.

"That went better than expected. He just chose to rely on reasonable doubt."
---
A blade of light cut through the darkness inside Gendo's cell. The path of
the light was blocked by a figure stepping through the open door, then
disappeared all together as the door closed.

"I know Shinji-kun came to see you today," the visitor said softly. Her
words were greeted by silence.

"How did it go?" she asked, trying to probe his thoughts. Silence rebuffed
her attempt.

"You didn't say anything damaging to him, did..."

"What do you want?" asked Gendo impatiently.

Dr. Akagi pulled out a personal access display device and turned it on. The
light from its LCD display illuminated Ritsuko's face with an eerie glow.

"The test results are complete," she said coldly, "they confirm that Adam is
continuing to grow and merge with your hand, despite our best attempts to
impede it." She turned the device off and placed it back into the side
pocket of her long lab coat. Gendo looked at his shaky gloved right hand,
clenching and unclenching it slowly.

"At this rate, you'll loose all control over your right hand within six
month. And 2 months after that, the growth would be spreading to your chest
area. Amputation is currently the only method of stopping Adam."

"I am already well aware of all this," said Gendo, "and so I ask you again:
What do you want?"

Ritsuko stood there silently for a moment, then moved towards Gendo. She
stood behind him, and rested her hands on his shoulders. She gently began
massaging his back.

"You still want me, even after all that I've done? Even though I'm becoming
something else?" asked Gendo, who remained motionless.

"Yes..." confessed the woman.

"But I don't want you anymore."

Ritsuko stopped.

"I don't want you anymore. I have no further use for you."

Ritsuko's eyes locked on the colored photocopy tacked onto the wall in front
of Gendo.

I don't want you anymore.
I have no further use for you.
I don't want you anymore.
I have no further use for you.
I don't want you anymore.
I have no further use for you.
I don't want you anymore.
I have no further use for you.
I don't want you anymore.
I have no further use for you.
I don't want you anymore.

I HAVE NO FURTHER USE FOR YOU.

I've been replaced; Ritsuko's mind screamed, by a picture, a memory.

"You...you never had any hopes about me, did you?" asked Ritsuko, weakly
backing away from the man.

"That is correct, Dr. Akagi."

"You were using me," the raw emotions began to surge up, mix, and react
inside Ritsuko, "just like how you used my mother..."

"She served me well, even in death."

The image of a MAGI mainframe, covered with blood flooded the woman's mind.

"Please leave now," Gendo said. Ritsuko banged her leg on the edge of the
cell's bunk as she backed away from the man. She weakly left the cell, and
headed towards her office. On the surface, she remained fairly composed, as
if everything was normal. However, inside her mind a beast was feeding on
her feeling of rage, pain, and worthlessness. A wanted woman, even by an
incarcerated lover. The beast grew stronger by the second. It was a
something created purely by Ritsuko's self pity and inadequacy, by her
sorrow and agony. She wanted to lash out at something, hold something
responsible for her problems, lay blame on an object and condemn and destroy
it.

"Dr. Akagi," a voice in front of her caught her attention. She looked up to
find its source.

Yui.

It was because of Yui all this happened.
It was because of Yui her mother died.
It was because of Yui she herself was abandoned and cast aside.
Everything Ikari did was for her, and her alone.
She created the world they lived in now.
She deserved to die; she must die.

Ritsuko's hands reached out on their own, and slowly situated themselves
around the woman's neck. However, before they could apply any force on the
woman's neck, someone behind her snapped her back into reality. She turned
around to find Takuma behind her.

"Ritsuko-san?" asked the boy. He was grabbing onto one of her hand, and
shaking her.

"Are you ok?" he asked, releasing his grip. Ritsuko snapped her head back to
Yui, but Yui wasn't there anymore. She found herself looking into Rei's red
eyes.

"Dr. Akagi," said the girl, "is something wrong?" Ritsuko quickly dropped
her hands back to her sides, and shook her head rapidly.

"No," she said calmly, managing a smile, "everything is fine, sorry about
that."

"What about the synch test today?" asked Takuma.

"It's...it's cancelled, sorry for making you come all this way. I have
something else I need to do." Ritsuko quickly retreated from sight, she
rounded a corner and pressed her back against the wall. She listened to the
two teens as they tried to figure out what happened.

"Are you OK Rei?" the boy asked, "it looked like she was going to choke
you."

"I do not know," the girl replied, "I do not think Dr. Akagi is capable of
such an act."

"You must admit, she's a lot like her mother though. She can be quite mean
and scary at times."

"What did Colonel Katsuragi want to talk to you about?"

"...Nothing, let's get something to eat."

Ritsuko listened as the children's footsteps died away into the distance.
Afterward, she found herself wandering headquarters, going down passageways
no one ever used. Ritsuko drifted around for what seems an eternity, before
finding someone in one of the deserted corridors. The lights weren't very
bright, but she could make out the lonely NERV personnel, hunched against
the wall. He had in his one hand a syringe, and with his other hand was
rapidly tapping his arm, looking for a blood vein. Ritsuko slowly approached
the young man.

"What do you think you're doing?" she demanded. "Article 02-01, subsection B
of NERV personnel conduct codes expressly states that the use of controlled
substances is illegal for all NERV employees. And upon discovery the user
could face a minimum of 20 years in prison and/or ¢D666,000 fine."

The man was surprised to see anyone in this part of NERV headquarters, much
less one that spits out codes of conduct and threats.

"I...I..."

"Place the syringe on the floor," Ritsuko order, she produced a small pistol
and pointed it at the man. He complied willingly.

"All of it," she said. The man produced three more identical syringes, and
placed them on the ground, too.

"Now, report back to your post, and I'll pretend this never happened." The
man nodded, and he appeared quite shaken by the experience. As he turned to
leave, he was given one last warning.

"If I or any other member of NERV ever catches you again. Be certain that
you jail term is going to be way longer than 20 years." The man ran from
sight, towards the more commonly used parts of the facility. Ritsuko walked
over to where the man was, and scooped the syringes off the ground. She read
the label. The substance in the syringe was a new kind of drug just gaining
popularity on the streets. It was made up of a mixture of substances like
tetra-9 Hydrocannabinol, synthetic endorphins, and various other pleasure
inducing and addictive chemicals.

Ritsuko gripped the glass tubes tightly, then placed them in her coat
pocket. She slowly walked back towards her office.
---
OPERATION CONCLUDED AT 2010
ALL OBJECTIVES WERE COMPLETED.
AGENT SUCCESSFULLY INFILTRATED NERV HEADQUARTERS.
DIRECT AND PRIVATE CONTACT WAS MADE WITH SUBJECT.
SPECIAL PACKAGE WAS TRANSFERRED SUCCESSFULLY TO SUBJECT.
AGENT SUCCESSFULLY EXFILTRATED NERV HEADQUARTERS UPON COMPLETION OF
DELIVERY.

"It is done," said SEELE-04.

"Soon Dr. Akagi will be under our control," said SEELE-09.

"She will help us undermine NERV from within," said SEELE-11.

"They will be unready for our final move against them," added SEELE-12.

"And with that," concluded Kihl, "will come the end of NERV, and the
fulfillment of promised day."
---

END of Chapter #7.0 version 3 (04/14/00)
Version 1 dated 03/29/00
Version 2 dated 04/08/00
Version 3 dated 04/14/00

You folks know what I always say here, so I'm gonna skip it this time. I
dare you to read the rest of his page without passing out from boredom!

Don't read me, you've been warned:
I won I won I won! *jumps up and down* I won the Chicken Ball 1999 Award's
annual Most Underrated Fanfic award! The funny thing is that 23 other people
also won this award, but who cares? I won I won I won something! Notice the
slightly darker tone of this chapter? Don't say I didn't warn you people =P
Anyhoo, I'm going to Cuba for a week. I think I might try starting Chapter 8
there. Well, later folks.

Oh and I turned 18 last month, thanks to those who wrote and congratulated
me (you know who you are).

My e-mail: damnit@intergate.bc.ca
My ICQ: 8155557
Also, please (very please) visit Axel Terizaki's new and improved website,
at: http://www.asukanotebook.com.bi/
He great, he WAFFy, he Axel.

My wonderful (and often too picky) prereaders for this chapter:
Axel, EBJ, |ncubus, Disaster, Rajen, Yousef Al-Shamsi, and Nschinden.

Next chapter/episode:
Rei III

Rei: Am I gonna die?

Axel: That's up to Dave.

Rei: Where is Dave?

Axel: Hiding from you. He's scared.

Rei: There is no need. If I die, I can be replaced.

Dave: *emerges from underneath the couch* Oh that's good to know.

Rei: However, if I break your arms, I would not need to die, and be
replaced. Attack, Takuma.

Takuma: I am just a doll. *THWAK*

Dave: AAAAHH!

Rei: *THWAK* There, everything is as it was.
From: david_templar@my-deja.com

The Child of Love 2
By David Templar

Neon Genesis Evangelion was created by Hideaki Anno. The characters and
other things from the
series belong to Studio Gainax. The Child of Love is the creation of
Axel Terizaki, and the story, along with any character(s) created by
him is as such his. As well, any character(s) created by me is as such
mine. If you plan to use any characters created in TCoL and TCoL2 in a
fanfiction of your own, please first contact Axel and me, thanks! This
fanfiction is not intended to be profitable for the author or his
associates in anyway.

Don't sue me!

Warning: Some End of Evangelion spoilers within.

NEON GENESIS EVANGELION

Stephen was your average janitor, with your average dull and
uninteresting life. He had very little ambitions in life, nothing
greater than simple materialistic desires, like acquiring a working VCR
(which is not very easy on Post-Impact era janitor's pay, I'll have you
know).

So what made Stephen do what he did, which was to venture into the
restricted area of his work place on this day? What would drive him to
hid a small digital camera, given to him by a total and foreign looking
stranger, on his person so he could take some highly detailed pictures
of something even more highly classified?

Perhaps it was an attempt to escape the mundane-ness of his real life?

You know, to act out a fantasy. There he was, a secret agent, having
posed as a janitor to infiltrate this highly classified facility.
Avoiding security patrols, bypassing checkpoints, and showing his
bucket, mop, and janitor ID to anyone who doubted his presence. For a
moment, he was something greater than what he was; he was what he
wanted to be.

Or maybe it was a simple act of defiance against his employers, who
treated him like dirt, and paid him about just as much.

And maybe, just maybe, it was because the nice Japanese man (who looked
like he missed more than a few shaves) offered him a hefty sum for his
services.

Whatever the reason, it didn't matter to him at the moment, being busy
taking pictures of classified materials and all. And as he drove home
from work that day, he couldn't shake some images from his mind. Those
massive towering beasts he saw and took many pictures of... But... Were
they beasts? They did have a human body after all, with thin and palely
white limbs. But their heads and faces... Those hideously long, eye-
less faces...

Stephen shook his head, trying to clear away the monsters inside his
mind. He checked his rear view mirror, and let out a sigh of relief, as
he saw no cars following him. Why would there be? He did exactly as the
other man had asked; he was very, very careful. So as Stephen drove
home that night, with German Techno blaring over the radio, he was
quite at peace with himself and what he had done. Tomorrow he would
meet with the Japanese man to exchange the camera for some hard
currency, and finally be able to afford a VCR.

Did I mention that Stephen was an average janitor?
---
NEON GENESIS EVANGELION:
TCoL2

Chapter #8:0 						Angelic Donut
---
Pen Pen laid on his side in front of the television set, alone in the
apartment. The penguin let out a breath of relief as he enjoyed the
relative peacefulness of his surroundings. There was the sound of the
TV, currently showing a Japanese game show, in which some Canadian
tourists were trying to win return tickets back to their homeland. Then
there was the sound of rain, of water drops clattering against the
window glass. But there were no sounds of actual human beings. Everyone
was at NERV headquarters, leaving the bird home alone, but he was very
much used to it. He was briefly distracted by the sound of the phone
ringing, but his attention returned to the TV once the answering
machine kicked in.

"Katsuragi residence," on came the recording of Misato's voice, "I
can't come to the phone right now, please leave your name and message
and I'll get back to you ASAP."

"Katsuragi, I'll be back in Japan sometime tomorrow," the machine
recorded Kaji's message, "how
about you and me get together for a drink afterwards? I've got some
interesting vacation photos to show you."
---
This was not the first time Teri-chan had been inside one of NERV
headquarters' EVA test control centers. In fact, she had become
something of a regular at headquarters. The small infant was always
accompanying her mother and father every time there was a test of some
sort to be performed with them, or on them. Today's test was being
conducted at the water-filled chamber of the simulated body's cage.

"Are you four ready?" asked Misato, standing beside Teri's baby
carriage.

"Hai," responded the four pilots in rough unison.

"Ritsuko, take over please." The doctor nodded in response.

"Today's test involves a new close combat system designed to simulate
hand-to-hand combat. As you all know, hand-to-hand combat is the best
way to defeat the Angels. Currently, well over half of the Angels we've
destroyed were killed with either the progressive knives, or empty-
handed. This system designed in America, combines aspects of the pallet
rifle simulation, the simulated body, and various other things. Control
information from the simulated body is processed by the EVAs into
movement data, then MAGI takes that data and creates an appropriate
simulation. By running the whole thing through each pilot's EVA, we can
simulate under very realistic synch ratio conditions, as well and the
unique way each EVA responds to their pilot. This is basically like
having the EVAs actually engage in battle with either computer generate
opponents or each other, without sustaining damage and injury..."

"Ritsuko," interrupted Misato, "are you done? The detail is nice and
all, but..."

"Come on, come on," Asuka's video intercom window enlarged itself to
maximum on the main view
screen, "enough with the techno-babble, let's get this over with! I
wanna get back to Teri-chan! How is she, Misato?"

"Sleeping peacefully, I think she likes the hum of the machineries."

"Well, I don't like her listening to those sounds. Who knows what they
can do to her little ears? And it's pretty cold in there, isn't it?
Does she have enough covering? In fact, let me out, I want to check on
her one more time very quickly..." Asuka began trying to remove herself
from her plug seat.

"Maya," Ritsuko said quickly, not giving Asuka a chance to
escape, "begin the test."

"Yes ma'am, starting interface sequence." The young technician's hands
performed a little ballet over the keyboard. "Simulated body data are
now being processed by PraCombat Matrix, program commencing."

Inside the entry plugs, the blend and watery view of the simulated body
cage was suddenly replaced with a computer-generated view of the
streets of Tokyo-3.

"Move around the city guys, how does it feel?" asked Misato.

The four EVAs looked around, then slowly began to move about the
virtual Toyko-3. They were
distanced a fair bit away from each other and the center of the city.

"It's just like being inside Unit-01," said Shinji, tugging at his
controls. He tried raising the hand of the computer generated Unit-
01. "I almost can't tell the difference."

"Same here," said Asuka, performing a few short leaps, "everything
appears to be OK."

"Unit-00 is functioning normally," said Rei.

"I'm ready," said Takuma.

"That's because you're all actually hooked up to your individual EVAs,"
explained Ritsuko,
"in a way..."

"Well, let's begin. The first opponents will be computer generated
Angels," said Misato, "you each get one." As soon as she finished her
sentence, a Third Angel appeared in front of each EVA.

"Wow," Takuma's eyes widened at the sight of the creature before
him, "they're bigger than I thought."

"We'll need to test the force feed back calibrations slightly. Each
Angel will now slap your EVA on the shoulder. We'll use the data
gathered to make sure you don't get unsafe amounts of sensory feedback.
Everyone ready?"

A resounding "yes" was the reply.

"Commencing feedback calibration test," announced Maya. Simultaneously,
the four computer
generated Angel raised their right hand. Then they each struck the EVA
in front of them on the
shoulder firmly. Accordingly, the simulated bodies containing the
pilots shuddered, as if they were the ones struck.

"Feedback within safety perimeter," declared Maya.

"How's everyone doing?" asked Misato.

"That was very real," said Asuka, "are we done now?"

"No, we are just starting Asuka," Misato turned her attention to the
forth Children. "Well, how did it feel, Takuma?" She looked at his bio-
monitors. His heart rate was up slightly and his breathing was more
rapid than normal.

"I...um..." The boy was at a complete lost of words. Having very
limited actual piloting experience, he never actually felt anything
like that before. Not only that, the sheer size of the monster which
stood before him was overwhelming. They looked a lot smaller in my
dreams, he thought.

"If you're having any trouble, just tell us," Ritsuko said firmly. "We
understand what lack of
experience can do to a pilot."

"I'm fine," Takuma took a deep breath, calming himself, "really."

"In that case," Ritsuko said, "let's proceed."

"In this exercise," explained Misato, "you are to engage and destroy
your opponents. You'll only have your internal backup power, and your
progressive knife to destroy the Angel in front of you. The simulation
will begin with the enemy at a distance of 200m in front of you.
Ready?"

"Hai!" called out the pilots.

"Begin!" Four power remaining counters appeared on the giant view
screen of the control, and began to count down rapidly.

Asuka was the first to finish, taking the Angel down 37 seconds. She
had studied Shinji's fight with the Third Angel, and knew what she was
up against. She predicted that Sachiel's opening move would be to use
its beam weapon, and she was right. Quick reflexes and good timing
allowed Asuka to dodge the beam. And before the Angel could do
anything, Unit-02 was in front of it, neutralizing its AT-Field. The
creature tried to strike at the EVA with the claws on its right hand,
but Asuka blocked it easily while drawing her progressive knife. And
before Sachiel could bring its left hand around, Asuka had already
stuck the knife into the Angel's red core. Unfortunately, the design of
Unit-02's blade, which was based on an utility knife, meant that it was
rather prone to snapping off. That happened when the beast brought its
left hand around and struck Unit-02's knife-welding hand. Rather than
striking again with the knife, the girl instead whipped her EVA around.
In a perfect roundhouse kick, she struck the already cracked core of
the Angel with the armored heel of her EVA. The Angel flew back several
dozen meters, before exploding, illuminating the sky with a giant
cross.

Shinji was 53 seconds behind Asuka. Having a rather foggy memory of his
engagement with Sachiel, he experienced some difficulty. Instead of the
direct path, the boy snaked his way to the Angel. When he got close to
the monster, it lashed out with its arm beam saber, which glanced off
Unit-01 head. The experience was so real that Shinji froze temporarily.
Memories of his real encounter with Sachiel flooded back, but he
managed to push it aside. Renewing his attack on the Angel, he used his
progressive knife to cut off the enemy's left arm. Then he proceeded to
crush the bones of the Angel's right arm with his hands. Sachiel tried
bringing its cross beam to bear, but Unit-01's fist crashed into its
face shell before it could discharge its ray. The coup d'etait came in
the form of the vibrating blade of the progressive knife, deep into the
Angel's core.

Rei's attack on the Angel was very similar to Shinji's, using buildings
as cover while approaching the Angel. She only struck the Angel once,
putting all her strength into getting past Sachiel's AT-Field and
getting her progressive knife into the core. Her EVA came out of the
fight missing both wing pylons, one having been ripped off, while the
other scorched off. Unit-00 was never meant for intense actual combat.

And Takuma never really finished the exercise; his internal power
failed before the Angel was
destroyed. Right from the start, he took the Angel's beam head-on.
According to MAGI's calculation, the beam would have bored through Unit-
04's AT-Field and through at least foot of chest armor before stopping,
so appropriate damage was inflicted on the simulated EVA. It also threw
the EVA over a hundred meters backward into an apartment block. When he
finally did get into hand-to-hand combat range with Sachiel, he was
able knock the Angel down in short orders. But he had wasted valuable
time and energy when he got hit by Sachiel's beam. By the time he had
stabbed the Angel's core, he was almost out of power. The knife failed
to penetrate deep enough to kill the beast and Unit-04 shutdown before
it could force the knife any deeper.

"This exercise is now over," Misato said. She crossed her arms, "your
usual great job, Asuka."

"Thanks, but can I get back to Teri-chan now?" the girl replied.

"Shinji-kun," Misato turned to the other video intercom window, "not
quite as spectacular as the first time, but still very good."

"Thanks, Misato-san... So are we done?"

"Very nice work," she moved on, "Rei."

"It was only a simulation," the girl responded impassively.

"Takuma-kun, not a bad first run, good job."

"...I messed up," the boy was very quiet, "didn't I?"

"What makes you think that? Your performance was exceptional,
considering your limited actual
combat minutes."

"I guess your original training wasn't quite up to standard," observed
Ritsuko coldly, "in this case, we need to review 4th Branch's training
program."

"Ritsuko!" snapped Misato; "this has nothing to do with training. He is
inexperienced, what do you expect from him?"

"The same I expect from all the other Children. Rei, your response time
could be faster, and your judgement is rather poor. Shinji, you need to
work on your tactics, you're wasting too much time. Asuka, you're good,
but you can improve. Takuma, learn from everyone else. There's no
second chance on the battlefield for screw ups."

Inside Takuma's entry plug, a private video intercom window appeared.
The window signaled for
him to close his link to the control room, and he complied.

"You pissed the bitch off, didn't you?" asked Asuka wickedly. "She
isn't usually THIS annoying.
What did you do? You can tell me."

"Asuka," another private window appeared, this time from Shinji, "you
shouldn't called Ritsuko-san names like that, even behind her back."

"But she almost killed me and Teri-chan, what do you what me to call
her?"

"How about 'old hag'?" suggested Takuma.

"Old hag?" Asuka thought for a moment, "that isn't too bad."

"Come on Asuka," said Shinji, "be nice, she did help us later on."

"Hai hai, ok fine." The windows disappeared, and Takuma breathed a sigh
of relief. But before he was even finished sighing, a window appeared
again.

"I wanna know what you did to the old hag later," demanded Asuka. She
then closed the window
before the boy could respond.

"But I didn't do anything to her..." he said helplessly.

"Can we get going?" Asuka asked Ritsuko. "I think Teri-chan is gonna be
hungry soon."

"Why did three of you close your comm window to the control room just
now?" asked Ritsuko impatiently. "What were you talking about?"

"We were just giving some advice to Takuma," smiled Asuka innocently.

"That's alright Asuka," Misato cut in, "we're done for the day."

"Actually," objected Ritsuko, "there's one more exercise..."

"Slot it in for the day after tomorrow," Misato said firmly, "we're
done."

"We can't stop in the middle of a test just because you say so!"
Ritsuko proclaim angrily.
"Do you know how much?"

The blonde doctor was cutoff mid-sentence by the clamor of a wailing
infant. The sound of Ritsuko's voice had wakened Teri up.

"Teri-chan!" Asuka called out, "it's OK! Mommy's here... Everything's
OK... Someone let me out of here!"

"Now can we end the test?" Misato frowned, picking up Teri. "It's ok
Teri-chan, your mommy and
daddy is gonna be here soon." But the baby just kept crying.

"Check her diaper," said Shinji.

"Maybe she's hungry," suggested Asuka.

Ritsuko's brow narrowed. She had no choice but to relent. "Maya,
discontinue the program. Have
MAGI begin processing the data for analysis."

"Yes, ma'am."

Ritsuko glanced over her shoulder just in time to see Misato leaving
the room with Teri.
---
"What was going on in there, Misato-san?" asked Shinji. The Children
were accompanying the older woman through NERV headquarters, towards
one of the base cafeterias.

"Yeah, Ritsuko seemed edgier than usual," said Asuka. She pushed the
baby carriage with the
sleeping child in front of her. "Maybe it's just that time of the month
for her. But then, I've never seen her handle it that badly. I mean,
when it happens to you Misato, you just drink more."

"I need a beer."

"When it happens to me, I handle it fine."

"Yeah," Shinji whispered to Takuma, "sure."

"What was that, Shin-chan?"

"Um...nothing, Asuka-chan!"

"And with Wonder Girl, she doesn't even flinch."

"What is 'that time of the month'?" Rei asked.

"See what I mean? Something has to have seriously unnerved our dear Dr.
Akagi. Maybe she isn't
getting enough from her man. Maybe she doesn't even have a man."

"Asuka..." warned Misato.

"If it wasn't that, maybe it was something the 4th had to do with."

"I already told you, I didn't do anything!"

"You sound pretty guilty to me. It could be something very small, did
you get in her way or see her act weird or something?"

"Um..." Calm down, the boy's mind screamed, don't make eye contact with
Asuka or everything will be over. Takuma elevated his field of view
upward to try and avoid any gazes. Unfortunately, they were on an
escalator and Asuka was the steps above him. "Oh crap."

"Don't swear around my daughter!" shot Asuka, with Shinji looking
equally disapproved. "And you
did do something, I can tell by the look in your eyes!"

"You'd be better off telling her now," cautioned Shinji, "Asuka has a
knack for getting what she wants."

"Shouldn't you be defending me, as a fellow male?" asked Takuma. "Man,
you are really henpecked."

"I prefer the term 'found my soul mate and happily engaged to her',
thank you very much."

"So what did you do?" demanded Asuka. The group had arrived at the NERV
cafeteria, and was
lining up to order their dinner.

"Asuka," scowled Misato, "you really shouldn't pry into other people's
business like that."

"But Misato, I stay home most of my time taking care of Teri-chan, I
hardly get out anymore! I miss talking!"

"More like gossiping," said Misato.

"Well, that too."

"It looked like Ritsuko-san was gonna either choke or hug Rei," the boy
took a can of carton of milk and placed it on his tray, "but I
interrupted her."

Misato was quite disconcerted with the news. "Rei, did Ritsuko actually
attack you?"

"No," Rei replied, "Dr. Akagi never touched me." It was a half-truth,
while Ritsuko did appear
openly hostile during that event, she never made physical contact.

"So Ritsuko tried to hug you?" Misato scratched her head, "that's even
weirder."

As the table fell into a debate over why Ritsuko would try and hug Rei,
much less another female, Takuma made eye contact with Rei.

"I don't think she tried to hug you," the boy said by his facial
expression.

Rei just kept eating.
---
It was a peaceful lunch break on a sunny day, when the placidness of
the classroom was shattered by one single cry.

"What?!" gasped Kensuke, "Dr. Akagi tried to embrace Rei?"

"Well," said Shinji, "that's what Rei said. Actually, she sort of
implied it."

"Wow, a real touching moment that must have been..."

"Kensuke, I hope you're not thinking what I think you're thinking."
Shinji suddenly realized that strange tales involving two females is
not something that should be told to unattached otakus, but the damage
was done.

"I never thought of her as 'that kind of person'," said Kensuke,
busying fantasizing. Shinji gave the other boy a rather cold stare.

"You are talking about Ritsuko-san, right?"

"Huh?" the boy snapped out of his trance, "yeah, sure."

"Anyway, where's Touji? He's never around during lunch now a days."

"..."

"Where's Touji??"

"Where he usually is," Kensuke said half-mindedly. He was quite
occupied with the little world
inside his head. Shinji shook his head.

"We really need to get you a girlfriend."
---
"Thank God this is not a singles bar," Misato said to Ritsuko as she
looked around the room. She and her friend were waiting at a bar
suspended above the Geofront, which had a spectacular view of the
underground city below. They were there to wait for Kaji, who had a
habit of being fashionably late. "If this was, we would have been
hounded by half a dozen men by now."

"Why would that be so bad?" said Ritsuko, nursing her drink.

"Well, I just thought..." Misato focused on her friend's distant
gaze. "It is about men! The way you've been acting lately, your even
shorter than usual temper, your harshness..."

"Even shorter than usual? I'm short tempered?"

"Well, we'll talk about that later. So what happened? Who is this
mystery man? And how come you
never told me about him?"

"It doesn't matter, it's all over now."

"That would explain your behavior. I'm sorry, Ritsuko."

"My mother did say I was never very good with men." Not like she was
any better herself, she thought.

"So how long did it last?" Misato looked at her friend with nothing but
concern and compassion.

"Years, I don't remember how many years."

"And it ended just recently? The guy never committed or anything?"

"No, he never had any real intentions with me."

"And you stayed with him for years? Why didn't you tell me, Ritsuko?"

"..." Ritsuko just shook her head. "He..."

"Hey folks," Kaji finally arrived, putting an end to any further
discussion, at least for the moment. "Did I interrupt something?" he
looked around with a worried expression.

"No," Ritsuko assured him, "sit down, we've been waiting for ages.
Let's see the photos."

Kaji held up a brown folder, and laid it in front of Misato and
Ritsuko. The two women quickly
opened it and shared the photos amongst themselves.

"These are incredible," said Ritsuko, astonished at what she was
seeing. "You even got some picture of the schematics!" The scientist in
Ritsuko temporarily pushed the woman in her aside.

"The focus of the picture is rather poor," noted Misato.

"Well," Kaji took a seat next to her; "my source wasn't really train to
spy. Give the circumstances, I'd say he performed quite well."

"So can we get more information from your source?" asked Ritsuko, busy
examining the pictures.

"I'm afraid not," Kaji took a sip of the drink he just ordered, "he's
dead."

"What happened?" asked Misato, turning towards Kaji.

"SEELE caught up to him after he delivered the camera. For some reason,
I think they wanted us to have these photos."

"Where's the data disc?" asked Ritsuko.

"Copied and recopied into on to a dozen other disc, I personally
delivered the original to headquarters myself."

"Good," Ritsuko collected the photos and got up. "I'll get right on to
analyzing these."

"Do you need a lift back to headquarters?" asked Misato, also getting
ready to leave.

"No," assured Ritsuko, "I'll be fine. Good night, you two." The older
woman turned and left.

"So," Kaji took another drink, "my place?"

"I..." Her cell phone rang, interrupting the conversation. She quickly
opened it up, "Katsuragi."

"Misato-san," it was Shinji, "can you come home quickly?"

"What is it, Shinji?" The boy's tone was that of someone pleading for
help, and that sent a chill down her spine.

"Teri-chan is sick."
---
The apartment was filled with the cries of the child, despite the best
effort of her parents. Asuka and Shinji were taking turn cradling the
baby in their arms, but it wasn't really helping. Teri was running a
high fever and crying nonstop.

And the worst thing is, there was nothing, absolutely nothing, her
parents could do about it. The sheer feeling of helplessness was unlike
anything the two young parents had ever experienced before. Asuka was
on the verge of tears herself, while Shinji was at a total loss of
words. Thankfully, Misato came through the door a short time after
Shinji made the call, and brought Kaji right behind her.

"How is she?" Misato asked, going over to Asuka, who was holding the
infant.

"She's running a really high fever, Misato." The usual confidence in
the girl's voice was all but gone, having been replaced by utter fear
for her child.

"Let me see," Misato held the back of her hand against the Teri's
forehead, trying to get a sense of her temperature. The baby just
continued wailing.

"Should we call an ambulance?" Shinji said with a slight stutter.

"No, we can just take her to headquarters. We don't want to give anyone
outside of NERV a chance to find out Teri's uniqueness." Misato was
referring to the child's genetic codes, which included those of
Lilith. "Ready, Asuka?"

The girl simply nodded. Holding firmly but gently on to the most
valuable person in the world to her, Asuka slowly followed Misato out
the door.

"Come on, Shinji," Kaji placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Teri-
chan is gonna be all right."
---
35 miles west southwest of Yaku Shima Island
Northern Ryukyu Island Group

The Japanese Strategic Self-Defense Force submarine Harado was on
patrol beneath the vast Pacific, searching out for potential threats to
herself and her country. Her captain, a seasoned submariner, was
enjoying a cup of late night tea when a report came over the boat's
intercom.

"Con, sonar," reported a young seaman, "we have a possible submerged
contact. Bearing 35 degrees off port, depth unknown, speed unknown,
range unknown."

The captain responded by going forward to the sonar room, where he
stood behind the banks of men and sonar screens.

"Report."

"Sir, we have a really faint contact, I mean really faint. I'm only
picking up noise of something big travelling through the water. There's
no blade noise, not even a caterpillar drive pulse."

"Biologics, perhaps?" asked the older man. "There are whales in the
area."

"Yes sir, we have approximately three male and 4 female gray whales off
the starboard bow. But
that's the weird thing, sir."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, the whale weren't really singing much before. But since the
sonar contact showed up, it's like they're mood has changed. It's
almost like they're greeting someone with songs of joy."

"Go active on the sonar," ordered the captain. Moments later, a
dull "ping" was heard though
out the ship.

"The target is 700 yards off the bow... It's changing course... It's
now on a collision course!"

"General quarters!" the captain went back to the command deck as the
alarm was sounded.
"Right full rudder, all ahead flank! Make your depth 700 feet!" The
deck of the submarine began
to angle and pitch. "Weapon officer, report!"

"Tubes one and two are loaded with Type 89s, tube three and four..."

"Snap shot, tube number two, match bearing with..."

"It's within the minimum torpedo arming range..."

"Override the safety locks!"

"Too late, 5 seconds to impact!"

"Sound collision warning!" shouted the captain, bracing against a hand
hold. "Eject emergancy bea..."

A moment later, something large impacted the submarine directly
amidships. The boat's conning
tower was jarred loose, and her cigar ship body broke in half. All
three sections flooded and sank quickly.

Not even pausing for a moment to survey its handiwork, the 16th Angel
continued on its way.
---
"You look like you've been through hell, Colonel," observed Commander
Fuyutsuki. The meeting
room was rather empty at the moment, since most of the people haven't
showed up yet.

"Sorry sir, but Teri-chan was running a high fever late last night,"
Misato rubbed her eyes and downed half a mug of coffee. "Everyone
stayed up all night taking turns watching her, and the fever has gone
down somewhat."

"The baby's first time being sick?" the old man asked.

"Yes sir."

"Hmm...Sometimes I wonder if I should have started a family."

"If you don't mind my saying so, sir, it's not too late."

"It is for me, I lost my opportunity over fifteen years ago."

Finally, Ritsuko arrived with Maya and Shigeru, followed by Kaji and
Makoto.

"Let's begin," announced Fuyutsuki, after everyone was seated.

"We've gone over the data we've recently collected on SEELE's EVAs,"
reported Ritsuko. "Using
photographic data from Kaji's source and computer data from Makoto,
we've been able to create a
computer model of our opponent." Ritsuko brought up a diagram of the
white EVA. "From what we
can tell, it has an internal S2 engine, and it can fly."

"Fly?" asked Misato.

"Well, this attachment in the back says 'wings housing'," pointed
Ritsuko, "so we think it might have some sort of retractable wing for
gliding in the back."

"Any chance it can be real wings, like those on birds?" asked
Fuyutsuki.

"That is highly improbable, sir. The housing itself is too small to
hold biological wings required to lift something the size of an EVA.
Creating the wings themselves would require tremendous work, since
there are no genetic codes inside the current EVA for wing growth."

"How come they don't have any eyes?" the Commander inquired further.

"We're still working on that, right now we think they use extra sensory
perception."

"So we've got an enemy that might be able to fly, have their own S2
engine, uses ESP, and
outnumbers us over 2 to 1. How are we able to fight for something like
that?" asked Fuyutsuki.

"This will require some very complicated tactics and coordination,"
said Makoto.

"And even more luck," added Kaji.

"We're running out of time. With only two more Angels remaining, SEELE
will be ready to move
against us soon. Colonel, take any measure you see fit to prepare the
pilots for this. Doctor, if there's
a weak spot on those things, I want to know about it."
---
"It's just the two of you today," said Misato, "I just spoke to Asuka
and Shinji again. They absolutely refuse to leave Teri's side for an
experiment." Today's test was just a repeat of the one the day before,
but minus two pilots.

"I think I can beat the Third Angel this time," said Takuma, gripping
at his controls nervously.

"Unfortunately, that's not what you'll be fighting today," said
Ritsuko, thankfully less moody than the last test. "You will be
fighting each other."

"Me fight Rei?" gasped the boy.

"Sorry," said Misato, "but we need to refresh on the two-arms-two-legs
vs. two-arms-two-legs tactics."

"No progressive knifes," said Ritsuko, but the boy still seemed
hesitant.

"Takuma, Rei has been taking Aikido for over six years," said Misato.

"I'm ready," said the girl.

"Get ready you two," ordered Ritsuko, "we don't have all day..."

"Ma'am," interrupted Maya, "message from Central Dogma, 'unidentified
object detected approaching Owakidani, possible Angel'."

"Abort the test," ordered Misato, "go to first stage alert, all hands
to battle stations!"
---
Children's clinic, ward C-13, NERV headquarters

Shinji was grateful to be getting the first bit of rest in almost
twenty hours. Teri's fever had been slowly dropping for the past day,
until finally it was low enough for her parents to stop panicking (but
not worrying).

"It was just the flu," the doctor had told them, "nothing to worry
about." But they were very worried. Teri was almost half a year old
now, but this was the first time she has been sick. Asuka and Shinji
knew this was going to happen sooner later, and had talked about before
hand. However, when it eventually happened, all their preparations went
right out the window. The two young parents shared a hospital bed
nestled closely to their baby's crib.

"Asuka, are you asleep?" asked Shinji.

"No, are you?" she asked back.

"We need to sleep eventually," he said.

There was a knock on the door, and Misato stepped in.

"You two," Misato said with a quiet but urgent tone, "get up, there's
an Angel coming."

Asuka's eyes widened at the thought of leaving her child's side.
---
"Target is currently hovering over Owakidani," reported Central Dogma's
PA system.

"Is it an Angel or not?" demanded Misato.

"Most likely," said Shigeru, "but it's pattern changes periodically
from orange to blue."

"As far as we can tell, this is not the Angel's final form," said Maya.
On the main monitor was the most bizarre Angel yet. It was like a long
DNA strand that had been bent into the shape of a donut, and it kept
spinning over a single point.

"Unit-00 and Unit-04 has been deployed," reported Makoto. The two EVAs
emerged from hatches
just outside of the city. Unit-00 began to setup a large sniper rifle,
while Unit-04 drove a progressive spear into the ground beside it, then
picked up a pallet rifle and checked it over.

"How long before Unit-01 and 02 area ready?" asked Misato.

"Unit-01 is ready for launch," reported Shigeru, "there is apparently
some problem with Unit-02."

"Launch Unit-01," ordered Misato, "what's wrong with 02?"

"Asuka refused to launch at first, they just finally got her away from
Teri's side, she's entering the entry plug now."

"Let's make this quick," Asuka's video intercom window
appeared, "commencing startup sequence.
No stupid Angel is going to keep me from Teri's side."

"0.9 until absolute borderline, 0.7, 0.5, 0.3, 0.1, absolute boarder
line..." The digital meter suddenly shot backwards, "pulses are
reversing, connection failed!"

"What?" screamed Asuka, "start you Goddamn machine!" She jerked
violently at the control grips.

"Retrying startup sequence," said Maya, "no, it's not working!"

"Recheck all nerve connections starting from 230 and up," ordered
Ritsuko, "reset the connection sequence."

"Could it have something to do with Teri's illness?" asked Misato.

"Probably," replied Ritsuko, "Asuka's maternal instincts must be
interfering with her normal thought pattern. She can't concentrate or
focus on the job at hand."

"What do I do? What do I do?" asked Asuka frantically.

"There's nothing we can do, we'll have to wait until Asuka calms down."

"Asuka, I want you to close your eyes, take some deep breaths, and
meditate. We'll try this again in a few minutes."

"Roger," the girl said reluctantly.

"Position of the Angel?" asked Misato.

"It's holding its position," answered Shigeru. "Unit-01 have joined up
with the other EVAs."

"Have Unit-01 replace Unit-00 on the rifle and tell Rei to move back,"
ordered Misato, "signal
Unit-04 to cover..."?"

"There's no time," Rei pointed out, "it's coming."
---
The Angel stopped spinning, and reached out with its senses. It felt
mainly for AT-Fields, those of human beings, and those of something
much bigger. There were three large fields in the area, and of the
three, the nearest was also the weakest. The Angel condensed and
reformed itself into a long stream, and attacked.

"Rei, dodge it!" screamed Misato, but it was much too late.

"No! It's too late!" shouted Makoto.

The string shaped creature lashed itself out like an attacking serpent,
striking Unit-00 square in its abdomen. The Angel burrowed through Unit-
00's AT-Field, and drove itself into the EVA. The impacted sent the
giant crashing into the hillside behind it. Rei retaliated by grabbing
the Angel and firing her rifle point-blank at the creature. The shells
impacted with a metallic clink against the Angel with no effect. As the
Angel drove itself deeper into the Unit-00, it pushed the EVA against
the hillside once again.

"The Angel has made physical contact with Unit-00!" reported Shigeru.

"Status of Unit-00's AT-Field?" asked Ritsuko.

"It's active, but the Angel is corroding it!" reported Maya.

"Is the Angel trying to merge with Unit-00?" Ritsuko asked out loud.

"Shinji, Takuma," barked Misato, "close to within 500 meters of the
target. Neutralize its AT-Field and engage with rifles once you're
there! Keep out of its reach!"

"Roger!" Unit-01 and 04 surged forth, rifles in hand. As they close,
they can see bulging veins
snaking across from where Unit-00 came into contact with the Angel.
Unit-00 was trying to pull the Angel out of itself, but to no avail.

"Danger! Unit-00's biocomponents are being perforated!" warned Maya.

"Open fire!" ordered Misato. The two charging EVA raised their rifles
and opened out on the target, sending continuous streams of shells into
the Angel. But because of the Angel's size and shape, it only took a
few hits. The creature began wiggling around like a worm, making it a
nightmare for Shinji and Takuma to hit it.

"Damnit!" cursed Misato, as she watched Unit-01 and 04 trying
unsuccessfully to stop the Angel.

"The Angel is continuing to penetrate and fuse with Unit-00's
biocomponents," Maya advised.

"This is very dangerous," said Ritsuko, "almost 5% of Unit-00's
biocomponents have been fused
with the Angel's."

"Rei," shouted Misato, "can you hear me? Rei!"

---

Like her EVA, a web of veins was radiating across Rei's body, starting
at her abdomen. The
disfiguration crawled across her stomach, working its way to her upper
legs, her chest, her shoulders, and her neck. The pain caused the
girl's muscles to spasm and her body arc upward, as her nervous system
was subjected to a completely indescribable level of shock and torment.

One moment, the agony was so great that the girl could barely make a
whimpering sound...

The next, it was completely gone. And Rei found herself elsewhere,
staring at herself standing in a shallow pool of LCL.

A reflection?

"Who?" Rei asked out loud, even though there's only she herself present
to hear the question.
"Me? Me within Eva..." But the figure before her wasn't herself.

"No, I feel someone else other than me. Who are you?" Rei called
out. "An Angel? The being that
we call an Angel?"

"Don't you want to be one with me?" the other asked softly.

"No," declined Rei, "I am I. Not you."

"Hmm..." the other smiled slightly, "but you shall be. It's already too
late. I give you a part of my soul. I give you this emotion, this
feeling. Pain, see? Your soul possesses pain."

"Pain?" asked Rei, sharing her other self's sensations. "No, this is
something different. Loneliness? Yes," Rei was certain, "this is
loneliness."

"Loneliness?" Rei's other self asked gently, "I do not understand."

"Do you hate being alone?" Rei answered the question with another
question, "We are many, but
you are one. You hate being alone," she explained, "that is called
loneliness."

"That's your soul," the other pointed out, "full of sorrow. That is
your soul."

Rei's eyes snapped open, and she found herself back in the entry plug.
The girl looked around in confusion, she didn't know how much time has
passed since the Angel attack. Strange, Rei thought, I can't see
properly. It was then that she realized there was water streaming from
her eyes.

"These are tears... It's me who is crying, but why?"

Outside her EVA, the fighting continued.
---
"Pallet rifle fire is completely ineffective!" reported Shigeru.

"The Angel is continuing to fuse with Unit-00," called out Maya. "It
will soon reach fatal level for the pilot."

"We can't engage it without risking the other pilots," said
Misato. "Wait! Shinji, Takuma, fall back to the nearest weapon hatch!
I'm sending you the progressive spears, use it to attack the Angel
while staying out of its reach."

"Hai!" The two EVAs dropped their rifles, and dashed towards the weapon
emergence hatch. The
progressive spears, which were nothing more than slightly enlarged
progressive knife mounted on the end of a composite material pole, were
waiting for them. The EVAs grabbed the weapons, and dashed back towards
the target.

"Takuma, let's try and pin it down!" called out Shinji.

"Roger," replied the other boy. Unit-01 swung the spear at the Angel,
hitting and knocking to the side. Unit-04 brought its spear down on the
Angel, sending it crashing to the ground.

"AAARGH!" shouted Shinji as he raised his spear and drove it down at
where the Angel had fallen. But the Angel recovered much quicker than
the pilots had anticipated. Swinging to Unit-01's side, the creature
stretched itself out by over 30 meters, simply by reducing its own
circumference. The Angel swung itself at Unit-01's ankles, knocking the
EVA off its feet and sending it crashing towards the ground. Before
Unit-04 could reorient itself towards the target, the Angel had wrapped
the end of its string-like body around the EVA's ankle. The creature
lifted the EVA into the air like it was make out of foam, and slammed
it down upon Unit-01 like it was Thor's Hammer.

"We might lose this one," Fuyutsuki, seated high above everyone else,
admitted to himself.
---
Asuka sat inside her entry plug with her eyes closed. She took slow and
deep breaths, letting the LCL release its cargo of nourishing oxygen
into her lungs, before expelling the warm liquid.

"I know you here," Asuka said into the entry plug.

Silence was her reply.

"I know Shinji's mom is inside Unit-01," she continued, "and I know
you're in here."

The only reply came in the form of the soft whirl of the LCL pumps,
which turned on periodically.

"I tried putting you being in here out of my mind," Asuka admitted, "I
tried pushing the thought into the smallest, darkest corner of my mind,
and I tried to forget. But I couldn't." The girl remembered the
apparition of a woman in hospital gown she saw at the arcade, and the
many nightmares. "I couldn't forget that you're still here with me."

"Shinji's mom is a very nice woman," the girl said casually, "and very
beautiful, too. Kinda looks like Wonder Girl. Did you two ever have a
chance to meet?"

The flow noises of her own breathing was the only sound in response.

"All this time..." Asuka shook her head, "you were here with me all
this time... I thought this was just a toy... I thought you were just a
bad mother..." She paused for a moment.

"After all, you left me, and then you killed yourself..."

The girl lowered her head, and her red hair gently swayed in the LCL
current.

"I didn't want to be like you. Because...I was going to be a good
mother, I was going to be always there for Teri-chan, and for Shinji."

She paused again.

"But I was wrong about you...You've always been here for
me...protecting me... So..."

"WHY AREN'T YOU HERE NOW?!" Asuka smashed her fists against the control
grips. "Rei is
dying out there, and Shinji and Takuma are losing to a piece of
string!!" She kept pounding at the controls, over and over and over and
over. "If we lose this time, it won't matter if Teri is sick or not,
she won't have a future!!" Tears poured down the young mother's face.
She slowly stopped smashing at the controls, her hands numb with pain
and her strength and anger spent.

"I made a promise to my child," Asuka sobbed, "so don't you make me
break it!"

The noise of the girl's anguish was only disturbed by the sounds of the
LCL pumps.

"Don't you love me, mama? Why aren't you here for me now?"
---
"Fusion with Angel have exceed fatal levels," reported Maya, "we're
looking at data feedback from Unit-00 and its pilot!"

"The Angel has also penetrated Unit-04's AT-Field and ankle armor,"
Ritsuko pointed out, "it's
currently fusing with the EVA's right ankle joint."

"Can we stop it?" asked Misato.

"No," replied Ritsuko, "we don't have time to come up with a way to
counteract the Angel's
bio-fusing technique. The only thing we can do is sever the leg."

"Very well," Misato said angrily, "begin the necessary procedure, but
don't sever the leg yet."

"Maya," Ritsuko leaned over her apprentice's shoulder, "begin severing
Unit-04's left nerve
connections, but make it slow. We don't want the pilot to experience
neural shock."

Misato looked at the main monitor and sighed. The disfigurement on Unit-
00 now covers almost
frontal portion of the EVA. The Angel also continues to pound Unit-01
with Unit-04. Every time
Unit-01 tried to move or get up, the Angel smashes it down with the
other EVA. Every time
Unit-04 tried to reach for the Angel entangled at its foot, the
creature smashes down on the other EVA. With two large chords attached
to the silver EVA, the umbilical cable and the Angel, Unit-04 looked
like a stringed-up puppet.

"We don't have a choice..." Misato called up Unit-01's communications
channel.

"Shinji, I'm going to unleash a covering barrage on the Angel. When
that happens, I want you to pull back as fast and as far as possible,
understood?"

"Won...t...tha...hit...Re...and...Ta...u...m...?" the boy's radio
message was barely coming through, the pounding by the Angel was
causing a great deal of damage.

"I've got a plan for Unit-04 to escape, don't worry," Misato closed the
channel before Shinji could ask about Rei.

"Takuma, listen carefully," Misato now turn her attention to the other
boy. "We're going to lay down cover fire for Unit-01's withdrawal, then
we're going to sever Unit-04's right leg. When that happens, you'll
have to escape by the fastest way you can manage, got that?"

"I
m...ght...take...fe...hits...esc...p...on...one...fo...t...copy...wha...
abo...Re...?"

"We're getting ready to fire, standby." Misato closed the
channel. "Shigeru, I want every arsenal buildings in that area targeted
on that Angel."

"Yes, ma'am." The technician brought up the control for the buildings
immediately, and began
inputting the proper commands. "All arsenal buildings in that sector
have acquired the target and are standing by."

"Thank God Rei is replaceable," Misato quietly admitted to herself. No
matter how immoral the
thought seemed, it was true.

"FIRE!"
---
The massive swarm of rockets turned the green hillside into a lunar
surface. Dozens upon dozens of the deadly projectiles ripped into the
area beside Unit-00, throwing the Angel into confusion, as the
explosions tossed it and its host EVA around the landscape.

"Shinji, move it!" yelled Misato. The purple EVA stumbled to its feet,
and escaped the chaos of
explosions behind it.

The Angel, now regaining control, repositioned Unit-04 over itself and
Unit-00 like a shield. Several rockets smashed against the EVA, but did
negligible damage.

"Eject Unit-04's right leg, now!"

"Ejecting!" shouted Maya. In a spray of blood, Unit-04's right leg was
severed from its hip. The EVA crashed to the ground, with the Angel
still attached to its former right leg.

"Takuma, pull back!" shouted Misato. The silver EVA began to roll away
from the Angel.

But suddenly, Unit-04 reached up and grabbed its own decapitated right
leg, still in the process of fusing with the Angel. The EVA continued
to roll away while holding the leg above its head, extending the Angel,
until the Angel could stretch no further and tightened up like a
clothesline.

"Unit...Unit-04 has immobilized the Angel!" reported an astonished
Makoto.

"Now's our chance, Shinji, are you able to move?" asked Misato.

"Y...s...but...no...quickly..." reported the boy.

"Re-engage the Angel with the progressive spear, quickly! Your
objective is to sever the Angel at its point of contact with Unit-00."

"R...ger," Unit-01's radio crackled. The purple EVA began moving
towards the battlefield once again.

"The Angel is continuing to fuse with Unit-04's severed leg," reported
Maya, "without unit-04's
AT-Field to protect it, the leg will be completely fused with the Angel
in less than 55 seconds. Once it reaches Unit-04's hand, it'll began
fusing with the EVA again!" As if it was demonstrating Maya's point,
the severed leg began to spasm wildly, almost causing Unit-04 to lose
its grip on it.

"The Angel has gained control of the leg?" asked a bewildered Misato.

"No," Ritsuko corrected, "it's just random nerve impulse firing."

"Shinji, hurry up!" urged Misato.

"Tell Takuma to drive his progressive knife into the leg and pin it
into the ground. It'll buy us more time."

"Asuka?" asked Misato.

"Do it!" ordered the girl, "you can tell Shinji to pull back. Unit-02
ready for to engage the enemy."

"She's right," reported Maya, "Unit-02 has just been activated!"

"Launch it, NOW!" ordered Misato.
---
Asuka felt the surge in g-force as the catapult Unit-02 was attached to
shot upwards at an incredible speed. Taking a quick moment, she gently
rubbed one of the control grips.

"Thanks, mama."

Asuka took the controls again, and a moment later, she was airborne.
The girl had purposely
disengaged the final safety locks which attached Unit-02 to the
catapult platform early, causing it to hurtle the EVA hundred of meters
up into the sky at the end of its journey. Asuka threw her Unit-02
forward, causing the EVA to tumble in the direction of the Unit-00 and
the Angel. Hurtling towards her target at over almost a hundred meters
per second, she drew her progressive knife. Timing was everything.
Asuka saw Unit-04 pass beneath her; the silver EVA using both of its
progressive knives to hold its own severed leg down. She saw her target
coming up ahead, and a second later, it was all over.
---
NEON GENESIS EVANGELION:
TCoL2

Chapter #8:0						Rei III
---
Rei sat almost naked on the cold floor, her only clothes were her
bandages. She drew her knees
close to her for whatever little warmth and comfort they provided. It's
actually only comfort, for the most part. The room she's in, it's so
bare, she thought. Besides the lab beaker full of water near her feet,
a metal cart in one corner, there was nothing else in the cell. It was
also very quiet in there, kind of comforting, kind of eerie. Then came
the sound of footsteps. Someone was coming down the hall. Coming
towards this cell? Rei thought. There could be so many other cells in
this block. She might be left alone for another day. How many days has
it been? There was no way to tell. No clocks, no windows, nothing.

Just the glass of water, the cart, and herself.

The view port of her cell door slid open. "Good morning," said a man's
voice.

"Good morning," the girl replied quietly.

"Do you know who you are?" the voice asked.

"My name is Ayanami Rei."

"And what's your designation?"

"I am the First Children, and the designated pilot for Evangelion Unit-
00."

"Very good, thank you Rei," Gendo turned to Misato. "She's as ready as
she'll ever be," he said coldly.

"Thanks, but was all this necessary?" she asked. "And why does she
inflict those injuries on herself like that?"

"We're not sure. We've had similar problems with previous Rei clones
while working with the
Dummy Plug System," explained Gendo, "this process was devised to
ensure that no replacement
for Rei is unstable. Having a soul jump from one body to another isn't
very easy on the psyche, either. It causes tremendous shock on the
mind, and it takes days of isolated confinement in familiar
surroundings to calm it down." He peaked inside the cell once more; it
was a replica of the environment in which Rei was born. Cold, bare, and
unappealing.

"It doesn't seem very humane," Misato said.

"I think you're forgetting who you're talking to," Gendo turned and
walked towards the exit. Two guards took him back to his cell from
there on.
---
Five days ago

"Retrieval teams are moving in," the report came over the radio.

"Red-1, are you sure the bio-readings are negative?"

"Yes, the parts of the Angel fused with the EVA are completely
inactive. It's also not responding to all standard external stimuli's
tests."

"Roger that, we're moving in."

"Entry plug shaft's armor covering has been removed, force ejecting the
plug now."

"What the heck is taking them so long?" asked Takuma, "I could have
retrieved the plug 20 minutes ago." He and Misato were standing beside
a large NERV truck. The boy had a cup of hot chocolate in his hands,
and a blanket around him. He could make out the flurry of activities
around the fallen Unit-00. Large floodlights were being set up, as the
sun was fast disappearing behind the orange horizon.

"Patience, Takuma, we have to do this by the book. Besides, you can't
really move without your
EVA's other leg."

"But..."?"

"She'll be okay, I promise," said Misato, "let's get you back to
headquarters first."

"But what about..." he protested. Misato simply ordered him into a
waiting vehicle, and drove back to headquarters.

"Opening plug hatch now..." back at the entry plug, the rescue was
still underway.  "Umm...
The pilot is still...live..." As the suited team members crowded around
the opening of the entry plug, there was quite a bit of commotion going
on.

"Oh my God," observed one team member, "what the hell..." And several
team members were on
the verge of vomiting.

"Get a stretcher, now!" ordered the head of the team. He turned to the
person inside the entry plug. "You're going to be alright," he said
gently. "Just rest..."

"This area is to be quarantined off right now, and all material
recovered is now under level 10
classification," a female voice ordered. "Everyone clear the entry
plug!"

"Yes, ma'am," replied the team leader, the man and his team proceeded
to step away from the entry plug.

Dr. Akagi, in a hazard suit, approached the opening of the plug and
crawled in. She pulled out a one-use hypodermic needle, and checked it
against the light from her helmet. "This will help dull the pain,"
Ritsuko said as she pricked the needle into the girl's arm, giving her
an overdose of morphine.

"It's the only way, I'm sorry."

Rei merely looked at her sadly. It was her last show of emotion before
slipping back into the
peaceful nothingness.
---
Asuka was cradling Teri gently in her arms and singing to her, when
Shinji got the call from Misato.

"We're all fine here, Misato-san," the boy said into the phone, "yeah,
we're still in our plug suits. We didn't want to waste time
changing...Teri-chan? The doctor says we can take her home tomorrow.
What about Rei?" There was a brief pause on the other end. "She's
alive? That's great!" He covered the phone receiver and turned to
Asuka, "Rei's alive!"

"Phew," the girl let out a breath of relief; "I was worried that my
cutting off the Angel like that would have killed Wonder Girl. I should
of known better, you can't get rid of her that easily."
---
Four days ago

"So... Rei has been taken care of?" asked Misato, walking down a
secluded hallway with her friend.

"All physical evidence of what we knew as Rei II has been destroyed,"
Ritsuko had personally saw to the incineration. "All we have to do now
is to bring in a new Rei. But there are two questions, the first being
how. Only Gendo knew exactly how each Rei was revived. The second being
why? My preliminary examination of Unit-00 indicates that too much of
the EVA was fused with the Angel, making it unsalvageable. Without Unit-
00, we have no need for another Rei."

"We already told the children that Rei was alive," said Misato, "and
your judgement is only based of an examination. I want as many tests
run on Unit-00 as possible to make sure it'll no long work before I
throw it away. We need that EVA, and we need Rei, even if she's no
longer a pilot."

"I trust the Commander will be the one speaking to him," said Ritsuko.

"Unless you want to."
---
The cell door slid open with a screech, and Fuyutsuki stepped in.

"Turn off the surveillance system in this room," he ordered the guard
behind him. "We are not to be disturbed under any circumstances short
of an Angel attack." The guard almost objected, but thought better of
it. He quickly left to carry out his orders. A minute later, the
cameras and microphones in the room fell quiet.

"Hello old friend," Gendo said casually, "how nice of you to visit." He
gestured to a vacant chair beside his desk. "Care for a game of chess?"

"I'm afraid that this is a business call," Fuyutsuki said, taking the
seat offered by Gendo. "I see that Shinji was kind enough to provide
you with a picture of Yui," Fuyutsuki looked at the black and white
photocopy taped on the wall. "Surprising, after all you've done to
him."

"If this is a business call," said Gendo, "then let's talk business."

"We need your help."

"My help?" Gendo almost laughed.

"We lost Rei."

"You need me to replace Rei."

"That's correct."

"What makes you think she wants to come back?" asked Gendo.

"I don't really believe you actually care about what Rei wants,"
Fuyutsuki simply said. Gendo fell quiet for a moment.

"We are prepared to offer you concessions for your help," added
Fuyutsuki.

"And what if I refuse?"

"You won't. Even if you did, we'd still carry out own attempt."

"You'd probably fail." Most of the procedure involved in this task was
from the Dead Sea Scrolls, and Gendo had destroyed the scrolls shortly
before his last attempt to reunite with Yui. "When did she die?"

"At 1734 hours yesterday," Fuyutsuki said, "the 16th Angel attempted to
merge with Rei physically. When the connection was severed, the Angel
died. Unit-00 and Rei, however, suffered massive injuries. There was no
way she could have survived for more than a few hours, so Dr. Akagi
administered a drug overdose."

"How kind of the doctor," Gendo looked at his watch, "it's almost time,
take me to the Dummy Plug chamber."
---
"Why have you called us down here?" demanded Ritsuko, "Can't you do
this yourself?" Beside the
contentious doctor, Misato and Fuyutsuki were also present. They split
their time between looking at Gendo, and staring at the countless Reis
in the circular tank around them.

"You are right, Dr. Akagi," admitted Gendo, "I can't. I have almost no
use my right hand. Also, we can't have just anyone working in here,
now, can we?" Having successfully silenced the doctor, he turned his
attention to the large circular tank. He had covered its glass wall
with strange religious writings, of which the significance was clear
only to him.

"Well Ikari," Fuyutsuki was rather uncomfortable for some
reason, "what's taking so long?"

"Patience, Fuyutsuki," he simply said. He surveyed the Reis closest to
the wall. They were all the same. They looked the same, acted the
same... Except one. One of the Reis was curled up in a fetal position,
and its eyes were closed.

"That one," Gendo pointed. The group followed him to the open top of
the tank, where they used a crane and a net to hoist the new Rei out.
Once removed from its warm LCL womb, the girl began
coughing and moaning.

"Slowly lower her down," Gendo said, "keep her in that net until..."

Too late. The Rei snapped its red eyes open, which burned with primal
fire. With an inhuman speed, she knocked down Fuyutsuki and Misato, who
were huddled beside the net. The girl then leaped clear of them, and
tackled Gendo. He responded by grabbing Rei by her LCL slick hair and
tried to keep his right hand away from her. Rei grabbed his left hand
and bite deep into it, drawing blood.

"Fuyutsuki!" called out Gendo, as Rei seized his right hand.
Desperately, she tried to pull the glove off of it. There was something
underneath that she must get to...

Fuyutsuki jabbed Rei in the back with a taser before she could pry
Gendo's glove off. The girl
slumped to the floor like a sack of potatoes.

"So that's why this was just laying around," the older man said,
placing the device back on a nearby cart.

"She was after Adam?" asked Misato as she covered Rei III with a
blanket.

"There's no question about it," said Gendo, picking himself off the
ground. "The instinct will wear off as her humanity fully re-establish
itself. Since it's going to take a few days for that to happen, I
suggest we proceed to phase 2. Follow me." With Misato carrying the
unconscious girl, the group left the Dummy Plug chamber.
---
"It's so nice to be back home, isn't it Teri-chan?" asked Shinji as he
laid the baby into her crib. It was the first time the family has been
home since the crisis started.

The small child giggled as her father tickled her belly. After three
consecutive bedtime songs, she finally drifted into sleep. "Good
night," Shinji thought about what fathers always say on TV, "my little
princess." He quietly left the room and closed the door behind him.

"Is she asleep?" asked Asuka, coming out of the shower.

"Yeah, finally." The two collapsed on their bed. "What a crazy two days
that was."

"We've been through worst," Asuka said. "Remember that night Teri was
born?"

"How can I forget?" laughed Shinji.

"Why isn't Misato home yet?" asked Asuka, "it's getting really late."

"She said she'd be working late today, something to do with Rei."

The two then fell into silence, doing nothing but staring at their
familiar ceiling.

"Hey, Shin-chan?"

"Yes, Asuka-chan?"

"Do you ever think about your mother?" she turned to face him, lying on
her side. "You know, when you're piloting Unit-01, how her soul is
inside and stuff?"

"I guess so," he said, "I think about how she's always protecting me.
And how much she loves..." He stopped.

"What is it?" Asuka asked.

"Well...Doesn't this upset you, talking about mothers and such?"

"Not anymore," Asuka said, snuggling up to him. "I made my peace with
mine."
---
Present day (six days after the attack)

"Why can't I see Rei?" demanded Takuma.

"I'm sorry," the nurse said, "doctor's orders, only family are allowed
to visit."

"But she doesn't have any family," the boy objected. "Can't you bend
the rule just this once?"

"Look," the nurse was getting irritated. "You've been coming here day
after day, and I've been telling you the same thing. How long is it
gonna take for you to get it through your head that..."

"It's OK nurse," Misato walked up behind Takuma, followed by Asuka,
Shinji, and Teri. "We've got clearance to see the patient from the
doctor." The nurse simply nodded.

"Room 604," she said.

Of the four beds in the hospital room, only one was in use. But at the
moment, it was empty. Its occupant had abandoned it and was standing
beside an open window.

"Rei!" The girl turned around at the sound of her voice, revealing her
bandaged right eye.
Before she knew it, a bunch of smiling people surrounded her. One of
the boys and one of the girls offered gifts, while another boy held a
small infant. It took a moment for Rei to take in everything.

"I brought you this beanie baby," said Takuma, offering a rather large
and funny looking bear, with an equally funny sounding name.

"Me and Shinji brought you some flowers," Asuka held out a large
bouquet of flowers, "we hope you like them."

"Thank you all..." said Rei. She took the gifts and placed them on a
nightstand beside her hospital bed.

"We're all very glad you're OK, Ayanami." Shinji held Teri up to Rei,
who looked confused, as
though she didn't recognize the child.

"I was so worried," Takuma said, "when the Angel attacked your EVA, it
was so frightening. There was nothing we can really do to help."

"Yeah," Asuka said, "I hope I didn't cut too close to you when I shaved
that Angel off of your EVA, Wonder Girl."

"I don't really remember that event," Rei confessed.

"Oh no," Takuma turned to Misato, "did she suffer brain damage? Is that
why her head is all
bandaged up? Don't tell me she forgot about me again!"

"No," Rei explained, "it's probably because I am the thir?"

Misato made a coughing sound, stopping Rei in mid-sentence.

"Never mind," Rei said.

"Look at the time," Misato suddenly spoke out loud, "how about lunch?
I'm buying!"
She began pushing the kids out the door.

"But we just got here," Asuka pointed out.

"I'm not even hungry," Takuma objected.

"Rei needs her rest," Misato argued, "she's been through a lot."

"But?" Takuma retorted.

"That's an order," Misato said sternly, "out." Her mood softened
slightly as they approached the door. "We also need to start organizing
a party for Rei when she gets out of the hospital," she told the kids
as she got them away from a confused Rei III.
---
"I really don't see what's the big deal about all this," Misato said
into the phone. It was the first time she's gotten to spend her night
at home in over a week, and she was sitting in the kitchen with a
really cold beer.

"I got them away in time," she continued after a big gulp of beer. "All
they heard was 'thir...'." She laughed.

"Well I gotta hand it to you Katsuragi," Kaji said, "you've manage to
cheat fate once again. Against hopeless odds, you managed to defeat yet
another Angel, and save the First Children, sort of."

"I did, didn't I?" she asked. "All I need to do now is keep the kids
from finding out that this isn't the same Rei that went into Unit-00
before the battle."

"Where are the kids?" Kaji asked, kind of amazed that Misato would just
say these things out loud when Shinji and Asuka could be around.

"They went out," she explained, "I'm babysitting Teri, lucky me."

"Drinking on the job, too, by the sounds of it."

"Hey, shut up," she teased, "you know, this Angel was like nothing
we've ever seen. Its shape and design was like nothing we've trained
for."

"That just goes to show you can't train for everything."

"Ah, but we know about SEELE's Mass Production EVAs," she finished her
beer, "so at least we can train for that." She went to the fridge for
another beer.

"That's if they don't also turn into DNA strands or strings, too!"
laughed Kaji. There was a thump on the other line.

"Katsuragi? Did you drop the phone or something? Are you drunk
already?" There was no answer.
"Misato, are you all right? Misato!"

"I'm...I'm gonna have to call you back later," a shaky voice on the
other side replied, then she hung up.

Slowly, Misato reached out to the fridge, and removed one of Teri's
baby drawings.

"Oh my God..."


END of Chapter #8.0 version 1 (07/15/00)
Version 1 dated 07/15/00
Version 2 dated 00/00/00
Version 3 dated 00/00/00

You folks know what I always say here, so I'm gonna skip it this time.
I dare you to read the rest of his page without passing out from
boredom!

Author's words:
Sorry about being so late! I was really busy the past months, trying to
get into a good University and dealing with exams and graduating high
school and so on! Gomen nasai! *bows deeply* I was also lucky enough to
find time to attend the Anime Expo this year, down in California (yes,
I flew down there just for an anime convention =P). It was a most
wonderful experiencing, AX being my first con ever. I also had the good
fortune of meeting Jim Lazar, the author of Garden of EVA, and a few of
my readers! The mention of beanie babies in this chapter is a joke on a
friend of mine, I sure hopes she never reads this fanfic ^_^' Now that
I've graduated high school, I'll be attending a University in another
province (U of York, Ontario). Sadly, that means my current and beloved
e-mail account will soon fall into disuse (my family can't use it,
cause I said so). So please address any comments to my new e-mail
account below, thanks. My ICQ account will remain the way it is.

Later folks!

My e-mail: david_Templar@bigfoot.com
My ICQ: 8155557
Also, please (very please) visit Axel Terizaki's wonderful, award-
winning website,
at: http://www.asukanotebook.com.bi/
He great, he wise, he Axel.

My wonderful prereaders for this chapter:
Axel, Disaster, Rajen, Yousef Al-Shamsi, Nschinden, and Zenogears.

Retooled by:
DJ Lesser.

Preview of next chapter/episode:
An Angel among us

Additional note: The time gap between release date and date of
completion of the chapter was a result of improper spacing of the
document and subsequent rejection from RAAC.

My bad.


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Before you buy.