From: "Florencio B. de la Merced, Jr." <fmerced@pworld.net.ph>

Angelus Retournen Incarnatus
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

by Florencio B. de la Merced, Jr. (fmerced@pworld.net.ph)
http://www.geocities.com/tokyo/temple/3641

March, 1998 - December, 1998

A fanfic inspired by the anime Neon Genesis Evangelion, copyrighted by
Gainax and no attempt had been made to state otherwise.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=


Prologue

=-=-=-=-=

2019 A.D.  Nineteen years after Second Impact.
NERV 5th Branch Headquarters, Arizona, United States of America


"All hands prepare for final phase experimentation in ten minutes.  For
precaution, all personnel please report to your designated safety zones
within five."  The cryptic sounding order came through the public
announcement system a few minutes before the sirens sounded off throughout
the whole facility.

The fifth branch of NERV was centrally located within the man-modified
meteor crater floor of the Arizona desert.  It wasn't much of a crater
anymore.  The whole crater now had a fortress like city built on top of it,
while the main research and military facility was conveniently hidden from
view several armor plates below.

"All personnel have reported to the safety bunkers.  All machinery are now
remotely under our control, Major." A technician announced even if no one
was asking.  The control room was a huge room, several stories high.  There
was a three tier platform that had all the control panels that overlooked
the operations of the whole city wide complex facility.  The forty feet tall
glass panel in front served as the main viewing screen and computer display.
Right now, all that was being shown was a long wide-angle camera shot of a
building that was isolated on the desert floor several hundred miles from
their position.

"What is the status of the pilot?"  A tall young dark-haired woman asked one
of the technicians.  She looked like the person in charge, and her seat high
up on the third tier confirmed her authority.

"EVA pilot 35 A checks out fine, professor."  A camera window opened up on
the large screen.   There was a single child pictured.  She was in a
plugsuit and the LCL around her was changing color, confirming the
synchronization process was proceeding smoothly.  "Nerve and cranial
connection passed second critical level.  Synchronization estimated in
thirty seconds."

"Pilot 35 A.  How I missed calling them by their first name."  A tall man
came into view behind the woman.  He looked like he was in his early
thirties, the scars on his face was effectively covered by his dark rimmed
glasses.  "Although, it would be quite a job memorizing all one hundred
pilots and backups, right?"

"I guess so, Makoto."  She said as she turned to look at him.  "Those days
are over now.  I guess this naming convention makes it easier for us to
be..." She turned back towards the screen. "unattached."

"I guess you're right, Maya.  I guess you're right."  The screen changed
again.  The view of an EVA unit bounded in a cage filled the display.  "EVA
has become more like a toy in this peaceful world.  Unimportant because
there are no more angels, but..."

"Yes, we already know that, Makoto.  Please shut up."  A man sitting behind
them blurted out.  He was from the military, his uniform and all the brass
pinned on his lapel proudly made it known to everyone.  Most of those who
really knew already figured he was an agent of SEELE.  The committee that
had controlled Earth the past three years now.

Makoto looked displeasingly at the man in uniform.  "Well, excuse me Major
Stevenson.  I forgot that you were supervising today's test.  Not that there
was anything new to report to your superiors, Major."

"Professor, let me remind you that we are testing a new design."  Stevenson
slammed his fist on the tabletop.  "This will not be like what had happened
before."

"I'm sure it will, Major.  With your daughter up there in the cockpit and
all."  Makoto turned away, folding his arms and carefully eyeing the status
of the experiment taking place.  Behind him, Major William Stevenson fell
silent, saying a prayer or two probably.

=-=-=-=-=

"Pilot 35 A, final synchronization achieved.  How do you feel?"  The
question came through the EVA's cranial communication channel and it arrived
directly to her mind.  A post synaptic effect as most of the scientist would
try explain it to the pilots, it always felt like her head was being pierced
with a very long needle.  It wasn't painful, though, the feeling of a needle
stuck in one's head was ever present.  It was uncomfortable, but tolerable.
She had spent four months retraining for the new direct link technology that
replaced the head piece she used to wear.  "Pilot 35 A, your pulses are
nominal.  Synchronization is at fifty five percent."  That information came
from another operator.

"I feel fine.  I don't feel any pain anymore."  She looked directly in
front.  Soon, the neural connection would connect with the external sensors.
"Is this satisfactory, professor?"  Her surroundings suddenly changed.  The
cameras were online now and she only saw the barren desert around her.  A
small window opened up on her left.  Maya's face appeared as she
instinctively requested in her head.

=-=-=-=-=

"Yes, Trisha.  Your performance is always satisfactory." Maya wasn't kidding
about what she said as she spoke seriously through the communication link.
The young girl sitting in one of the most expensive piece of para-military
equipment man ever made was among the best pilots this side of the world.
Of course she had seen one better, but he had disappeared a long time ago.
"Prepare for S2 engine startup."

Everyone in the room braced for the final phase to start.  The last time
this experiment was performed, the fourth branch in France was damaged
extensively.  This was not the last one, Maya feared.  Today's test would
only be one in a long line of history testing NERV had undergone to finally
achieve a complete energy source unit for an EVANGELION.  The first one
destroyed a whole branch, and if the test failed today, a new facility would
soon rise somewhere in the world to do again what was being conducted here,
in the desert of Arizona.

"S2 Engine block activated.  Awaiting startup command from pilot."  A
controller announced to everyone.

"It's all up to you, Trisha."

=-=-=-=-=

The cage was enclosed in a mesh brick like building isolated by almost two
hundred miles from the nearest facility by the scorching desert terrain.
All the external sensor were active now, and each one poked around the
surroundings.  If things were to fail today, the causality would be limited
to only one.

Inside, the EVA was silent.  Only the several lights emanating from
pinpoints on its head and chest area gave indication that the biomechanical
beast was turned on.  "Start EVA."  The command came directly from the
pilot's head.  No spoken words were needed anymore.  Soon, the hiss of the
S2 Engine rattled the whole unit.  Trisha sequenced the next few commands
that properly continued the initiation of the power source.  A moment later
a computer feedback flashed in one corner of the heads up display.  "EVA
started normal.  S2 Engine on line.  Rated power is at ten percent."

=-=-=-=-=

"Confirmed, Pilot 35 A.  Engine block approached experimental limit in three
point four seconds." The middle operator continued to read the measured data
coming from the EVA.  All looked normal, or at least on target to what was
expected.

"EVA is advised to shutdown.  Use normal sequence in five...four..."

Maya stared at the readings.  "Three and a half seconds.  That is great
news."  Makoto was also impressed.  The new procedure of starting at a lower
power limit made for a quicker startup time.  The test did not turned out to
be such a waste of time after all, Maya thought.  "And we're still alive.
Very good news indeed." Finally, much to Maya's relief, the newly designed
S2 engine finally was far more stable than those of previous designs.  She
made a mental note to thank the guys at the Research Division for coming up
with the innovative safety measures.

"Well, are you satisfied Major Stevenson?"  Makoto turned to the Major, but
the officer was busy on the phone.  "What is it?"

Major Stevenson slammed the phone hard.  "Professor, send Unit 35 to sector
243B for intercept immediately."

"What?  What for?"  Maya and Makoto quickly turned to the major, a concerned
look on their faces.  "This has got to be a joke."

"Maybe, professor.  Unfortunately, satellites," The large screen was
suddenly filled with a topographic digital feed from an external source,
"have picked up an object traveling through the Arizona desert at incredible
speeds."  The screen only showed a small lump, much like a small wave,
moving across the desert floor.  It was still three hundred miles from the
facility, but the present speed and course made its path intercept with the
EVA unit that was all alone in the desert.

"Must be a jet or something."  Makoto fixed his glasses as the details
flowed and started filling in the picture.  "It can't be!"

"Confirmed.  Object identification has been established.  Rate of intercept
is in one minute and fifteen seconds.  Target is now being scanned into the
base's security network.  Present intercept rate is forty percent..."

Maya stood at ends seeing the ghost of an old friend up on the monitor.
It's blue and purplish hue was indistinguishable from a satellite's point of
view, but its outline shape was too remarkable for her not to recognize or
remember.  It had saved her life many times in the past already, and that in
itself etched the figure of the most memorable EVA unit on her mind forever.
"Unit 01, but how?"

"Professor, send out Unit 35 now!"

=-=-=-=-=

2016 AD
NERV Headquarters Geofront, Japan

"Impossible!  Unit 01 couldn't have just disappeared."  Misato cried upon
arriving at the Central Dogma that morning.  The news came almost at the
heels of another tragedy striking the whole NERV organization.  Commander
Gendou Ikari was taken into custody by the United Nations' Security Council,
a known front of SEELE, yesterday.  NERV's future had become bleak from the
onset of the last angel attack, and now with the only remaining EVA that was
still operational vanishing, only time will tell how long each remaining
personnel had left.

"I've already gave the word to the committee.  They've told us to come up
with a very good explanation in two hours."  Ritsuko said, her temperament
concealed her obvious relief that now SEELE won't have control over Unit 01
anymore.

"Well, its not like we can go anywhere anyway.  We've all been put on house
arrest inside this Geofront since last night."  Makoto said, a visible
depressing atmosphere hung in the air.

"What do we do now?"  A rather nervous Maya asked the former chief or
operations and planning, Major Katsuragi.

"The only thing we can do," Everyone of the staff looked at her hoping for
some light in the grim darkness they were all facing, "we can...go to my
place and get drunk."  For once, no one face faulted at her.

"Not a bad idea, Misato." Ritsuko was the first to grab her things. "For
once I'm rather glad that we are going to your place."

"Hmm, I'm coming as well. That is, if you want me to, Misato-san?"  Makoto
had a grin on his face, forgetting for once the trouble they all were
facing.  "I've never been at you place before, Misato---Oww!"  Makoto rubbed
the pain away from his sore cheeks.

Maya was scowling at him for acting obnoxiously rather than be concerned
towards their future, and immediate doom.  "Why you!  Makoto, how could you
sink to such low depths, when you know that we're all in big trouble now!"

"Hey, are you two love birds coming?"  Misato and Ritsuko held the elevator
door long enough for the two young ones.  "Ah, at least love is still in the
air, yes Ritsuko?"

"Whatever, Misato."  Ritsuko was obviously thinking about some serious
matter.

"Hey, I'm not in-love with you, Makoto!  Never!"

"Oh, yeah!  Then why do I always see you looking towards my station."

"You're dreaming!"

=-=-=-=-=

"Ikari Shinji-kun.  Can I talk with you?"  Kouzou Fuyutsuki asked the pilot
of EVA Unit 01 politely as both of them were left behind by the security
force inside Gendou's office.  A while ago, both bared witness to Shinji's
father's arrest by the power of the United Nation's Security Council's
order.  The second in command of NERVE had seen beforehand how SEELE's
influence even overrun those agencies that were meant to protect the people.
Innocent people like Shinji.  "Do you know why your father was taken away?"

"No.  Why was he arrested?"  Shinji spoke in a shocked tense voice.

"Because he tried to save humanity, Shinji."  Kouzou spoke like a preacher
teaching the gospel, an unfortunate truth that was turning into reality.
"Do you know what you must do now, Shinji-kun?"

"I think," Shinji stuttered hesitantly, the thoughts he had conceived in his
head were overwhelming him.  Some things he had never learned from his
father, he had learned from becoming a pilot of EVA Unit 01.  He wondered if
he was absolutely sure of his course of action.  "I think It is father who I
have to save now.  Is that right, Dr. Fuyutsuki?"

"You are your mother's son, Shinji-kun."

=-=-=-=-=

2019 AD

NERV Headquarters
Tokyo-3, Japan

Major Misato Katsuragi waited outside the commander's office.  She had
prepared herself for this day.  She even practiced her little speech at
home.  With her was a manila envelope, inside was her resignation letter.
The fourth, in fact.  Three years, she thought.  It finally took her that
long a time to make up her mind.  Finally she wanted out.  The first time
she thought it was because there were no more angels.  The second time was
because Ritsuko finally left too.  This time she finally knew why she was
really leaving.  She wondered if Shinji was alive today, would she change
her mind?

"You may see the commander now, Major Katsuragi."  The secretary opened the
door for her.

The room was smaller now, unlike Gendou Ikari's huge expanse office which
often made her a little nervous.  The commander had become her friend over
the short three years they had known each other.  Commander Usagi was a
woman after all, the two of them always found time to talk.  In her three
years of loneliness, a friendly talk was what she needed all the time.

"Misato-san, what can I do for you?"  Maria offered a seat, something Misato
would have never received if Gendou was still around.

"Commander Usagi, please accept my letter of resignation."  Misato handed
over the envelope, accompanied by her security passcode card.

"Not again.  Misato, I'm really getting tired of these depressions of
yours."  Maria Usagi was about to tear the envelope in half when Misato
hastily grabbed it back from her.

"Hey, I'm serious now!  There is nothing for me to do now.  And besides, I'm
getting kind of...well, you know.  I better start planning for my future,
don't you think?"  She laid down the envelope slowly on Commander Usagi's
desk.

"I see, so you're looking for a man again, eh?"

=-=-=-=-=

NERV 5th branch
Arizona Desert, United States of America

"Unit 35 restarting.  Neural connections reestablished, Synchronization in
ten seconds."  A male operator announced all over the control room.  The
screen was getting its first land based images of the threat as it
approached the outer border sector of the 5th branch.  "First sighting in
five...four...three..." A hazy, noise distorted window appeared on the large
screen on the left.  As the operator counted to one, the picture finally
cleared up.  There was no denying that the inbound was not a fighter jet of
some kind.  It was an EVA, and it left a trail of blue and violet haze in
its wake as it  stirred up the desert beneath in its flight.

"Unit 01?  I can't believe it.  This EVA was supposed to be destroyed in the
final Angel attack." A woman operator muttered in disbelief.  It was obvious
that only a handful of people really knew about Unit 01's disappearance over

three years ago.

Maya finally stood up from her seat and shouted to her staff.  "Stop that
nonsense talk!  Prepare Unit 36 for backup and launch Unit 35 already!"  Her
duty was to those under her command, but inside she was deeply questioning
why she had given those orders.  It wasn't only her who wanted to see the
blue and purple biomechanical EVA again.  She also wanted to see the pilot
after so many years.  "Trisha, sortie but restrain from firing first.  Do
you understand?"

"Yes, Unit 35 heading for Unit 01."

A controller announced the ETA for the intercept to be in five minutes with
an eighty percent success rate.

"Maya, do you think it's Shinji-kun whose piloting?"  Makoto asked.

"I hope so, I surely hope so." Maya sat back in her seat, wondering how
Shinji looked now.  He must be seventeen or eighteen, she thought.  Probably
as cute as she last saw him.

"We're getting the first scanned readings from the target.  All information
seems to be..." the operator's voice was cut short by her shocked pale
expression, "oh, my god!"

"What is it? What are you reading from Unit 01?"  Makoto asked impatiently.
The operator had everyone's attention.

"The pattern is...is...blue!"  The silence that fell in the room was almost
unbearable.  Makoto and Maya just looked at each other, knowing full well
what that particular reading meant.

Major Stevenson punched in a special number and quickly lifted the receiver.
"Get me Headquarters ASAP.  We have an angel attack!"

=-=-=-=-=

2016 AD
UN Headquarters
New York, United States of America

"Where is Unit 01, Gendou!"  Kihl was as impatient in questioning the former
head of NERV as everyone else in the committee was.  They weren't buying
Gendou's claim of innocence, knowing full well who was the only person
capable of controlling the last of the EVANGELIONS.

"We are getting tired of this charade you are playing Ikari-kun."  A yellow
lighted Seele committee member provocatively said.  "You will tell us were
our EVA is now!"

Gendou was silent in his chair.  He couldn't move his hands as they were
chained in multiple handcuffs.  He supposed he could just move his head to
reseat his glasses up his nose.  For once his ears were deaf to the same
persons he relied on to make his plans for NERV work.

"Gendou!  Where is EVA 01?!" Kihl shouted.

"She is in good hands, that is all I can say."

=-=-=-=-=

2019 AD
NERV Headquarters
Tokyo-3, Japan

"You've got to be kidding."  The man on the pedestal asked the operator that
was reporting to him from below.  "An Angel?  Attacking the 5th branch now?"

"Sir, satellite imagery confirm a fast moving object approaching the
vicinity of the 5th branch."  A male voice boomed over the speaker system.

"Damn it!  Get me the commander!"

=-=-=-=-=

"Now, really Misato.  There is no need for you to leave NERV just to find a
man."  Maria couldn't help giggling.  "Besides, who'll be able to coax Rei
into piloting an EVA if you're not around."

Misato thought she had a valid point.  Rei had slowly deteriorated in
performance ever since she found out that Gendou was arrested and was no
longer the head of NERV.  "I guess so."  Foolish thinking, Misato told
herself.

"See, I knew you'd get over this quickly."  Maria picked up the phone.
"Yes, what is it?"

=-=-=-=-=

NERV 5th branch
Arizona desert, United States

Most of the personnel of the base complex had finally returned to their
stations.  Finally the whole security network was operational, but the order
to hunt down the attacking threat had not been given.

"EVA Unit 36 is restarting.  Synchronization in 40 seconds."  The staff that
handled the control room's operations was already in full force.  The delay
was owed to the safety precaution taken before the testing done earlier.
Nevertheless, a back up EVA was waiting to be launched off the catapult any
minute now.

"What is the word from Headquarters?"  Makoto asked Stevenson.

"Nothing, they're still booting up the MAGI." William received a few
quizzical look from both professors.  "Hey, it wasn't my idea to shutdown
the supercomputer.  The committee ordered that, remember?"

The screen was spilt into two, an image of Unit 35 was on the right, and its
intercept target on the left.  The clock was ticking down into the last two
minutes.  "Intercept in..."

Maya looked over the external communication station that was now manned.
"Higawa, has Unit 01 spoken to you yet?"  The man on the control panel only
scratched his head, obviously still groping to keep up with the present
situation.  "Well, what you sitting there for!  Get me online with Unit 01.
Use the last login code for EVA 01.  It's 023425-A if I remember correctly."

"B, Maya.  A was Rei's Unit 0."  Makoto corrected his wife.

=-=-=-=-=

Sector 243B, Arizona

Unit 35 was flying in for intercept.  Trisha Stevenson was aware that this
was her first real battle. She had been training the past four years for
just this purpose.  Protect humanity.  Fortunately she had a lot of
confidence in the mechanized machine helping her.  Unit 35 was the first to
be fitted with an S2 engine successfully, and that happened only ten minutes
ago.  That didn't worry her though.  Even with internal battery, she had
enough time to finish any enemy.  She asked for a listing of the weaponry
that was outfitted on her EVA.  She decided to use her rifle first, a
positron attack could follow since she already had at least ten percent
power from her S2 engine, and if everything went bleak she could resort to
blowing herself up with the enemy if necessary.  She hoped it didn't have to
go all that way.  She wanted to go to the dance tonight in her high school.

"EVA detected."  The sensors around her warned her of Unit 01's location.
"Slowing down for close proximity sortie."  Her training was all she was
leaning on now.  Experience was nowhere to be found inside her EVA.  She
reconfigured her on screen display so that she could see from where Unit 01
was coming from.  Trisha understood the need for proper positioning to have
the upper hand in any fight.  "He's coming straight at me.  I better move
around him, if its really me or if its headquarters he's headed for."  The
EVA responded to her thoughts instantaneously, Unit 35 flew towards south
south west hoping to out flank Unit 01.

"I can see you."  The billowing dust cloud was rather large and was heading
straight north.  "I see, it's the headquarters that you're after."
Instinctively, EVA Unit 35 brought out the rifle it was carrying on its
back.  "I'll make sure you fail, Unit 01."

=-=-=-=-=

SEELE Headquarters
Location Unknown

"Is it true?  Unit 01 has finally resurfaced?"

"Yes, it was identified and confirmed over the deserts of Arizona."

"That's where the S2 engine testing was conducted."

"Yes, and Unit 35 and 36 was already sent to capture Unit 01."

"I see.  Soon we'll have our property back."

"What is MAGI projecting?"

"Nothing, the supercomputer failed to restart.  They're trying again in two
minutes."

"Sabotage?"

=-=-=-=-=

NERV Headquarters
Tokyo-3, Japan

Misato found herself running towards Central Dogma again.  She never had to
do that in three years, no reason ever came up.  Hearing the news about an
Angel though convinced her otherwise.  "What is the report on the Angel?"

"Its heading towards the 5th branch.  Unit 35 is less than a minute to
intercept."  A male controller answered Misato.

"What is the status of Unit 01?" The question came from the commander
herself.  Misato thought she must have made a mistake.

"You mean Unit 35, right?" Misato asked.

"Unit 01 is not answering all communication link up.  All previous codes are
not working, Commander."  The controller again answered.

"What?  Unit 01 is alive?  Where is it?"  Everyone stared at Misato.

"Major, Unit 01 is the Angel."  Like bucket of cold water being poured on
her, Misato was stopped cold and shocked at the news.

=-=-=-=-=

End of Prologue

=-=-=-=-=


Chapter 1  Divine Intervention

=-=-=-=-=

2020 AD NERV 5th Branch
Arizona, United States of America

"Defense perimeter network online," A technician's voice came through the
speakers system, "waiting for confirmation to bring down the target."  The
threat, of course, was earlier identified as the long lost EVANGELION Unit
01.  For some reason, the pattern read from the inbound EVA came up as
"blue" on the computer display, making Unit 01's classification "Angel".

"Time on Target?" Major Stevenson asked one of the nearby controllers
manning the surveillance maps.

"Inbound Angel intercept in thirty seconds."

Maya sat down, a bit displeased by the whole situation.  Here was the
greatest EVA she had ever seen and known, and everyone was now calling it an
Angel.  "Makoto, I...can't do this."  Her husband turned to her.  "I can't
give the order to shoot down Shinji-kun.  I can't." A tear was forming in
her eye.

"Maya," Makoto lifted her chin up, "your duty is to these people.  Do that
job, and I'll do what I can." Makoto left the platform and reappeared among
the controllers below.  "Higawa, may I use that control panel for a while?"

"Um, yes sir.  I've not been lucky so far in contacting Unit 01.  Maybe it
is an Angel after all." Higawa said as he stepped away from his post. Makoto
took the communication setup and started working at the controls.

=-=-=-=-=

NERV Headquarters
Tokyo-3, Japan

Misato was finally taken away from Central Dogma by force.  She was getting
a bit too "noisy" for her own good, as her commander explained it to the
security forces that took her away.  Misato admitted that she was surprised
to hear that Unit 01 had returned as an Angel, but she felt shooting it down
was not the best solution.  There were other reasons why she didn't want
that Angel destroyed, but she kept those to herself for the moment.

"Damn it.  They can't possibly shoot it down.  Unit 01 is Shinji-kun's EVA.
That means he's still alive."  Misato muttered as she walked back and forth
inside a conference room where she was being held up.  That wasn't totally
true, however.  Several EVA pilots were with her inside the room.  She was
supposed to give a debriefing to all of the pilots about the situation
happening at the 5th branch.  Unfortunately, she was caught up with her
thinking.  Only when two particular pilots finally arrived did Misato came
off her trance.  "Rei, Touji have I got great news for the two of you!"

"Eh, not another boyfriend.  Please Misato-san, we're kinda ..." a slap on
the face was Touji's punishment for that silly pun, "Oww!" Rei only looked
at Touji, not really amused at all.

"Rei, it's Shinji-kun.  He's come back."  Rei quickly turned to Misato, her
eyes deceived her uncompromising face.

"Ikari-kun is back?  He's alive?"  Rei's head slighted to one side, it was
probably her own display of happiness that she couldn't possible share with
Misato. Rei truly didn't know how to show her appreciation unless told what
to do at a time like this.  She did however remembered to smile, and smile
she did.

Touji was surprised at the news as well.  "What?  Ikari Shinji-kun is alive?
Where is he?"

=-=-=-=-=

SEELE Headquarters
Unknown Location

"Another Angel?"

"Unit 01 was classified as an Angel."

"Impossible, that can't be true."

"Kihl, are there anymore Angels we don't know about?"

=-=-=-=-=

Sector 243B
Arizona desert

Trisha slowed down EVA Unit 35, as it was now obvious to her and to about
everyone else back at NERV that she wasn't Unit 01's real target.  She had
shifted about half a mile off Unit 01's flight path and she only had to wait
for her target to pass through her rifle's dead zone.  A another five
seconds and the billowing dust cloud would be within range.  Her unit still
struggled to slow down, but her aiming computer compensated for her own
EVA's momentum in case she needed to open fire.  The confirmation, however,
didn't come and Trisha was forced to allow Unit 01's dust trail to blow by
her.  "Follow!"  Her EVA roared to life again as it pursued EVA Unit 01.

"Professor?"  Her plea to open fire was negated again.  "Why?"

A small window popped up on her left screen.  "Unit 36 and 37 are coming
towards your direction.  You are ordered to assist in capturing Unit 01."
Maya answered her through the visual communication link.

"Understood." Trisha was only a few hundred meters behind her target.  "What
if he does not cooperate?"  Maya didn't answer.  "I'm sorry.  I'm to assist
in the capture of Unit 01, intact.  I will obey."

Maya sighed before speaking to the pilot of EVA Unit 35 again.  "Trisha, if
he resist, you know what to do.  The facility and the safety of all the
people here is top priority."  Trisha nodded, hiding a grin from her
superior.

"Unit 01 is slowing down."  The warning came to her head almost immediately
after her own radar picked up the signature of two new EVAs in the area.
"EVA detected.  Two units, identified as..." Her on board computer was
feeding her a lot of the data.  She filtered most of it and focused on her
target's course aspect and those of the two other EVAs helping in with the
operation.

"Unit three six and three seven, converge on target using small echelon
formation with the target inside the formation."  A couple of affirmative
replies came back.  "EVA, initiate communication with target."  A few
warning signs popped up forcing her to change her tactics.  "Unit three six
and three seven, fire warning shot on low level desert floor ahead of
the target's path."

Her sensors immediately picked up the small energy burst coming from her
teammates.  "Contact aspect changing.  Target is decreasing in altitude."
Trisha wondered if the other EVAs had connected on Unit 01 by accident.
"Target is now at level -20 feet, -30 feet, -35 feet..."

=-=-=-=-=

"Unit 01 is below the desert floor."  A controller announced.  The graphs on
the display screen now pictured a 3D representation of the battle arena,
with Unit 01's profile moving at least forty feet beneath the ground.  A few
operators gasped as the target was about to pass underneath the two EVA
blockade they had set up especially for Unit 01.  "Defense network lost
target aspect.  Recycling with the new data."

"Was it brought down by our Evangelions?"  Maya asked, sprung up from her
chair.

An operator turned to her.  "Unit 01 is still maintaining current speed and
path.  It seems that the Angel has gone underground."  An alert warning
displayed itself across the display screen.  "Professor, the Angel is two
minutes from the first armor plate."  A different controller shouted to
Maya.

"Damn!"  Major Stevenson jolted up from his chair.  "Destroy Unit 01
now!"

Maya shockingly turned to the strewn up and desperately nervous military
officer.  She knew that she would later regret what she was about to do.
"Alright.  Unit 35, you've got clearance to...to destroy the angel."  One
was enough, she thought.

"Arigato."  Trisha was grateful for the chance to prove herself.

=-=-=-=-=

NERV Headquarters
Tokyo-3, Japan

The headquarters wasn't on alert, but the buzz of activity within the
Central Dogma could have easily been mistaken as an emergency drill of
some kind.  All stations were manned and most of the department chiefs were
present, all eagerly waiting for the updates on what was happening on the
other side of the world.

Maria Usagi had only three years of experience being the commander of the
whole NERV organization.  She was however well versed in her line of work.
She had kept the awareness of the installation at the uppermost level of
competence, and she had all three "Langley" Cups to prove it, a prize given
to the best branch of NERV that had kept its vigilance up to the highest
standards, with or without Angels around.   Usually this meant which branch
would respond the best during mocked Angel attacks.  A trivial way of
keeping the men in uniform alive once in a while.  Commander Usagi was
however looking forward to this year's contest, with the fifth branch's
first operational use of it's complex defense network, NERV Headquarters was
finally going to get its first challenge for the cup.

"What is the status of MAGI?"  Commander Usagi asked, sitting atop the third
platform of the Central Dogma.

"MAGI has failed to reboot again.  Technical department is now advising not
to continue with the current process, and instead depend on the new system
setup inside the fifth branch."  A controller answered.

"Very well, lock down MAGI and get the Special Investigation Unit working on
those three lousy computers right away."  Maria looked behind her, a team of
military officials nodded their approval.

"Unit 01 had gone underground."  A woman operator announced.  "Maintaining
current speed and path."

The same graphical view of Unit 01's flight beneath the desert of Arizona
showed up on the screens.  The real-time system was working flawlessly,
Maria was impressed.  "When will the new supercomputer be online?" She only
had time to breath when all of the diagrams and graphs on the display screen
changed instantaneously.  The new supercomputer had now taken over the
functions that was at first MAGI's.

"Two seconds ago, commander."  A controller sheepishly answered.

"Very well, what is the status of the Angel?"

=-=-=-=-=

NERV 5th Branch
Arizona

"What do you mean you lost him?  An Angel can't disappear like that!"
Stevenson was furious at the controller.  "Find it!"

A few hurried hands punched a lot of buttons over at the surveillance
station.  "Target is lost, confirmed by all other stations."

Maya stared at the new display windows up on the screen.  It was true, Eva
Unit 01 had disappeared, half a minute before contact with the first armor
plate.  The three other EVA's were still following the last know flight path
of Unit 01, but from their view point they were now tracking a ghost.  "EVA
three five, do you see Unit 01?"

Over at the communication station, Makoto had patiently been working on a
link to Unit 01 for quite a while now.  "Ikari Shinji-kun, can you hear me.
Please answer me."  No good, he said to himself.  Makoto changed the
frequency this time, it was rather crude, but since neither digital
modulation or telemetry bypasses didn't seem to work, what did he had to
lose?  "Shinji-kun, this is Hyuuga Makoto please answer me."  A faint trace
line appeared on his scope, something weak enough that it wasn't registered
by the computer as a legitimate reply signal codon, but was strong enough to
pass through the electronic filters built into the communication system.
"Shinji-kun?"  Another trace passed through, this time Makoto locked in to
the signal and secured a channel exclusively in listening in.  "Shinji-kun,
this is Makoto, is that you?"

"Sorry to disappoint you, Makoto-san.  Would you settle for me instead?"
Makoto was surprised to hear that voice. From someone piloting Unit 01, the
voice surely sounded feminine.  She, whoever she was, sounded very familiar
to Makoto, but the thought of her flying an EVA, least of all Unit 01 was
beyond belief.

"Asuka? Is that you?"

"Not so loud.  This line is secured, right?  Listen up..."

=-=-=-=-=

NERV Headquarters
Tokyo-3, Japan

Misato had completely ignored her standing orders, that is to debrief all
present Evangelion pilots about the situation that had come up at the 5th
branch of NERV.  She herself didn't really know the full story behind Unit
01's sudden resurrection, but her orders were only to get all the pilots
familiar with EVA Unit 01, the EVA that was supposed to have been lost in
the last Angel attack, it's history, and about it's pilot.  Her mind was
however preoccupied.  She was more concerned on what was NERV going to do.
They were considering bringing it down the last time she was at the Central
Dogma.  She only sat at one corner of the conference room.  There were about
fifty active pilots and backups with her, all had been told to report for a
debriefing by the chief of operations and planning.  Major Katsuragi was
however limiting her conversation with only two.

"Can it be true?  I thought Shinji-kun was lost along with Unit 01." Touji's
asked, he sat on top of a nearby table.  Rei and Misato only looked more
confused, apparently they heard the same story.

"Does this mean Ikari-kun is truly alive?  If Unit 01 is alive, only
Ikari-kun can pilot it, right?"  Rei asked her guardian for the past three
years now.

Misato sighed, "We're not really sure who is piloting EVA Unit 01.  It is a
sign for hope, however."  Just then the door slid open and two more pilots
walked in, and they were followed by part of the security force that stood
guard outside.  "Hikari, Aida-kun, you two finally made it."

Hikari wasn't pleased for being late, "Well, it was Kensuke's fault.  He
decided to wonder around during our patrol.  Stupid!  Really Stupid!"
Misato could only laugh.  "Huh?  What's wrong now?"

"You sound like that crazy girl, Asuka."  Touji's remark earned him a slap
on his other cheek this time. "Oww!  What the hell was that for?"

"It's not nice to talk about my best friend like that!"  Hikari glared at
Touji.  "You should be ashamed, insulting women like that, and we're all EVA
pilots too, you know?"

"What are you talking about?" Touji blurted out in her face.  "She left NERV
over two years ago."

Hikari blew her top, "I was talking about me, you idiot Suzahara!"

Misato finally calmed everyone.  Touji and Hikari pouted at each other,
sitting as far away from each other away as possible.  She was about to tell
the news on Unit 01's resurrection to Kensuke and Hikari when she noticed
that the two security personnel had not left.  "Yes, what is it?"  One of
the guards handed over a brown folder to her before they finally left the
room.  "Thank you.  Let's see now."  She began browsing through the
communiqué.  "What? Oh, I see."

"What is it, Katsuragi-san?"  Rei asked meekly, for that she got a trivial
look from Misato.  She understood what her guardian was telling her.  "Um, I
mean.  What is it, Misato-san?"  Misato smirked, yelping out a "much better"
compliment to Rei.

"As of this moment, capture operations of Unit 01 are being undertaken by
the 5th branch of NERV."  Misato hugged the folder up her chest, showing her
appreciation of Commander Usagi's decision to follow her advice instead.
She finally made a major decision that was actually followed.  In the past
three years, she was hardly an asset since there was no need for her special
operating abilities of making decisive and effective decisions during combat
situations.  Of course, there was no war anymore with the angels.  Until
now.  Ever since Unit 01 had reappeared, NERV had been thrown into the fray
of undeclared war, with an unknown enemy, Misato thought.  She wondered if
Unit 01 was truly an angel or not.

"Is that good?"  Rei asked, no one could answer.

"Major Katsuragi-san?"  Finally, someone from the rest of the group spoke.
"What in the world is going on?  I was told there was going to be a
debriefing, but why are you only talking to these guys?"  Rei stared at the
younger anonymously looking pilot.  "I know there is some action going on
somewhere.  Where the hell is it?  Who are involved?  Those communist?"
Soon, everyone was looking at the little group Misato had banded together.

"Ok, ok.  I see your point, Pilot 22 B.  Get back to your seat and I'll
start already."  Misato stood up and quickly walked up front and finally
prepared to talk to everyone.  She was more comfortable talking about Unit
01, knowing NERV was not anymore considering blowing it up into oblivion.
"More than half an hour ago, the activation of the new S2 Engine was a great
success."  A few rounds of cheers filled the room.  The group Misato left
wasn't listening, however, they were having their own private discussion.

=-=-=-=-=

Arizona desert

Unit 35 had been faithfully following her target's flight path ever since it
had acquired a firing solution half a minute ago.  Unfortunately, the Angel
had a few tricks that had surprised both the Evangelions capturing party and
those controllers at NERV as well.  "Follow!"  Trisha Stevenson's command
was immediately rejected by her EVA.  "Why?"  Her mind was racing for the
little time she had left before EVA Unit 01 would slip past the small
blockade she had setup.

"No entry point detected.  Desert floor remains solid while target is moving
through it."  Trisha wondered what her EVA was trying to say to her.  A
glitch in the "layman" response logic program perhaps, she wondered.  "Will
follow target's course, maintaining current altitude difference of 40 feet."
Trisha wondered how the angel moved through the desert underground.
"Collision alert!"  She had barely registered the warning in her head when
the looming figures of EVA 36 and 37 came rushing at her.

"Get out of my way!"  Trisha leaned her EVA on one side, hoping she'll get
clear between the two EVAs.  A millisecond later, her EVA plowed through the
blockade.  "Sorry!"  Warning signs came up, telling her that the two other
EVAs suffered debilitating damages, but she already knew that.

"Unit three five, do you see EVA Unit 01?"  The question popped up in her
mind.

"Negative, he's moving underground where my EVA can't follow.  Let me in the
Geofront and I'll take care of him there."  Trisha also requested for new
backups once she got back inside the 5th branch of NERV.

"Use re-entry point 04, and prepare for rearming." A different controller
spoke to her.  "Unit 38 and 39 are in the Geofront already."

Trisha looked at her on board radar.  The Angel was a stone throw away from
reaching the first armor plate. She had to move fast.  "Negative.  I've not
fired a shot, and I have an S2 Engine online. I'll have to be inside the
Geofront as soon as possible."

"Roger.  Use re-entry point 10, and fly towards the Geofront directly."  The
voice of the controller crackled and twitched in her head.  The outside
interference didn't last long, it only seemed the operating protocols were
redirected, just like a switch turning on some fluorescent lighting.  It did
however rattled Trisha's brain for a second.

"EVA, what was that?"  Trisha rechecked her systems while flying towards the
re-entry point that was being opened for her.  "Confirm if new Operating
System is online."

"MAGI standby was turned off, all processing are now handled by HADES."
Trisha calmed down, it was only the new Supercomputer that she felt.  The
old system must have crashed or something, she thought.  "Re-entry point 10
open."  She sent the command to descend her EVA down the dark and deep shaft
leading straight to the Geofront of the 5th branch.

"Status of target?"

=-=-=-=-=

"What?  Are you serious?"  Makoto's exclaims drew some quizzical look from
some nearby operators.

"I'll see you later.  I've got ten armor plates to pass through.  See ya
later, Hyuuga-kun."  The line went dead.  Makoto was staring at a blank
scope now, but what troubled him more was what he had just heard from a
seventeen year old girl piloting Unit 01.

"What was that all about?" Higawa asked Makoto, looking over his shoulder.
"Was there someone on the line?  I didn't see the oscilloscope move."

Makoto took off the earphones and finally stood up.  "Wrong number, I guess.
Here," he stepped away from Higawa's station, "make yourself useful."
Makoto was about to leave the platform, "Higawa, since your station doesn't
seem to be of any use today, will you order some pizzas for me.  Extra
cheese and no anchovies.  Send them at my office in thirty minutes."  Makoto
held the door of the elevator.  "Wait, make that in fifteen, Higawa."

"Do I bring the beer this time? Or will your wife force us to drink soda pop
again?"  A hint of laughter came from Higawa's reaction. Apparently both men
had done this little partying before.  "Are the other guys coming too?"

"Sorry, Higawa.  I'm having a guest over.  We'll play poker on Friday, as
always."  The doors of the elevator finally closed.

"Guest? Pizzas?  I always thought Professor Ibuki was the best cook in the
base.  Oh, well." Higawa placed the order in his terminal.

=-=-=-=-=

SEELE Headquarters
Unknown Location

"MAGI has been superceded by the new Supercomputer."

"So, 5th branch now has supplementary control over most of NERV's network
backbone."

"Only NERV Headquarters' Terminal Dogma is unlinked."

"I wonder if this is a good thing or not.  Remember, 5th branch was not in
our scenario."

"Yes, but HADES should be able to work much better since we have at least
fifty active Evangelions now.  Three times over than what we projected.
Naturally, MAGI's standby mode couldn't handle all the action we've seen
today."

"I hear the Real Time System is working exceptionally well."

"Too bad we can't thank Dr. Akagi for that one."

"What do we do with the old computer?"

"Give it to the UN, they'll need the scrap metal fairly soon."

"What about Unit 01?"

"He's walking into a trap.  He'll be back into our fold very, very soon."

"HADES lost his Angel classification, however."

"Must be a glitch in MAGI, it was that old computer that falsely classified
our EVA in the first place."

"So a glitch also caused MAGI to fail in restarting?"  The room fell silent.
"Something is wrong, I just know it."

"We can't ask Dr. Akagi anymore.  Who do we ask?"

"Ikari Gendou" Kihl finally spoke up.

=-=-=-=-=

NERV Headquarters
Tokyo-3, Japan

Commander Usagi surveyed the visual real-time display on the huge screen.
She counted four more Evangelions out of their cages within the Geofront of
the 5th Branch.  That brought up to eight the number of EVAs that her
counterpart in Arizona had committed in the capture operations of Unit 01.
"More than half of their fleet." Maria wondered if a single EVA could
possibly be that important and dangerous, that it would take this large show
of force in order to bring it down.  "This is rather disturbing."  Maria
commented to her second in command.

"What is disturbing?  That Unit 01 has finally come back from the dead, and
now we're all eager to bring it back to where it came from?" A hint of
sarcasm could be traced in what the man standing behind Commander Usagi had
just said.  "Or is it because its taking all the resources of more than half
of the 5th branch's EVAs to get the job done?"  Shigeruu Aoba asked.

"Neither."  Maria pointed to the screen.  "It looks like Unit 01 is passing
through all the armor plates too easily, as if they weren't even there in
the first place.  This was just like the way he disappeared underneath the
desert." Shigeruu looked up, confirming what his commander had noticed.

"Just like an angel before."  Shigeruu said to himself.  "Like a shadow, it
passes through the night with death in its wake."

"Shigeruu, could this mean that Unit 01 was remodeled?  Upgraded if
possible?"  Maria asked as she turned to him.  Shigeruu only nodded.

"Undoubtedly, these improvements in Unit 01 were not available to NERV or to
the Evangelions when I last saw it."  Shigeruu bowed his head, a thought was
occurring to him.   "Could this be the sign?  Could she really be alive
after all?" he asked to no one in particular.

"Are you talking about Dr. Akagi?"

"None other.  If she was still with us, these things, these improved
mobility, an internal power source, the communication blackout, and much
more that we are seeing from Unit 01 would also be present in our EVAs.  If
only Ritsuko was here, that is."  Shigeruu said with a smirk.

"So she must be alive.  She and Dr. Fuyutsuki must have been working hand in
hand these past three years." Maria turned to the display screen again.
"Then the end of NERV is near."

"True.  The end is near."  Shigeruu remarked as he crossed his arms.  "I
wonder who'll win this one, though." Maria looked back at him.

"Do you plan to tell the committee this...theory of yours, Shigeruu?"  Maria
asked, a serious tone inflected in her voice.

Shigeruu grinned, "I won't tell, if you won't."

Commander Usagi turned again to the display, not anymore concerned about
what she had just discussed with Shigeruu.  For her, the conversation was
too brief to recall, too vague to remember...it never happened.  "Looks like
Unit 01 will finally emerge into the Geofront."  Maria commented, implying a
change of subject.

"Indeed, and any second now, it'll disappear....again"

=-=-=-=-=

NERV 5th Branch
Arizona, United States of America

"All units, don't hesitate to fire."  Trisha spoke to all of the EVAs in
the Geofront that was committed to the new mission.  Unit 01 and it's pilot
was to be stopped at all cost.  She received a message that the Angel was
now one plate away from oblivion.  She turned off all the safety locks in
her twin laser cannons.  Unit 35 took the lead and had positioned herself
directly in front of the expected entry point of Unit 01 into the Geofront.
Soon, the slope of the crater started shaking, creating a small landslide.
"Get ready."  Enough weaponry was now aiming at Unit 01's emerging point,
that even a strong AT Field would instantly collapse when all of those
barrels let loose their payload.

"EVA detected!"  Trisha squeeze a bit, taking the slack of her trigger
finger.  "EVA detected!"  A second warning, Trisha wondered what was
happening.  "EVA detected!"  Another one, Trisha asked herself.  Seven or
eight continuous warnings piped through the heads of each EVA pilot in the
area.  All were scrambling to find the new Evangelions that were detected.
A bit of confusion proliferated to all the EVAs inside the Geofront.  The
warnings receivers now blurted out threats at an increased pace.  If a pilot
only depended on a computer, they would be seeing a hundred enemy boogies
all around the Geofront by now.  The only thing they could do was filter
each target out of its targeting computer, one by one.

"Recycle data.  Dump target info."  Trisha couldn't filter fast enough all
the threat warnings she was receiving so she did the next best thing.  "I'll
get you with my own eyes, Unit 01.  I don't need a computer to kill you
right now."  She held her rifle forward.

Like a ghost pushing itself through a solid barrier, Unit 01 emerged from
the last armor plate like as if it wasn't there.  It was huge, and its
purple appearance startled Trisha for a second.  "What an ugly face?!
Shoot!"  Unit 35 opened fire at Unit 01, even if the renegade EVA was only
halfway from emerging through the last barrier.  "Everybody! Fire at my
pinpoint!"

=-=-=-=-=

"Multiple EVAs firing, close proximity damage is at 230%." A controller
announced even as the echoes of the firefight from outside resonated
throughout the control room.

"AT field is eroding, estimate in 10 seconds."  Another controller added.
Maya was already crying in her seat, the final destruction of Unit 01 was on
her mind.  "5 seconds." Maya tried her best to hold back the tears.  Just
then, a phone rang in front of her.  She quickly dried her eyes, she avoided
looking at the horrendous scene being shown up on the monitoring screen.
"Yes?"

"Honey, is the fight over yet?  I need you at my office right now."

"Makoto, its...terrible...just horrible...." she started sobbing again,
"they're killing him.  I'm allowing this to happen to Shinji-kun, and there
isn't anything I can do about it."

"Honey, please.  Come to my office at once.  There is someone here who is
dying to see you."  Maya wondered why her husband felt nothing about what
she had just said.  "Leave the control room now.  I'm sure Major Stevenson
will do fine in finishing up Unit 01."  Maya thought she heard a girl
laughing in the background.

"Makoto, didn't you hear what I just said?!"

"Um..." the receiver seemed to have changed hands, "Hello Maya-san?  Can I
please talk to you, like right now?"  Maya was flabbergasted.  Was she
hearing things?  A girl was in her husband's office, and ... and she sounded
familiar too.   "We have pizzas here...and some sake, but this BAKA! husband
of yours forgot the anchovies in my pizza.  He's so stupid, as if he forgot
that I love anchovies with my pizza."  A muttering voice sounded in the
background.  "Yeah, yeah....You're still a BAKA, like Shinji-kun."

"Asuka?" Maya exclaimed to her herself, still in disbelief that it could be
the other long gone EVA pilot who she was talking with now. He face revealed
she was more shocked than relieved.

"Anyway, the food is getting cold.  You better get here fast,
Maya-san...before...well, your husband does something he'll soon regret.  Ha
ha ha...."  The phone receiver remained in Maya's ear long after the other
line went dead.

=-=-=-=-=

NERV Headquarters
Tokyo-3, Japan

"Hey, who goes there?"  A sentry guard placed his rifle at port arms as he
asked an approaching figure coming down the hallway.

"Who me?  I'm pilot.  There is a debriefing here, right?" The young man
handed over his identification card and waited  to be cleared into the
conference room.

"Shinji, Ikari.  Ok, you can come in.  The briefing had already started, I
think."  Shinji retrieved his card and walked into the dimly lit room.
Another guard arrived to relieve the first one when the doors finally
closed.

"Who was that?"  He asked.

"Another one of those pilots."  The guard left his post and headed towards
the cafeteria.

=-=-=-=-=

"This is EVA Unit 01."  Misato clicked a remote controller and the slide
display was replaced with a picture of EVA Unit 01.  "This EVA was
responsible for defeating most of the Angels that had attacked Earth over
three years ago."

"What an ugly face he has."  A pilot said from the back of the room.
Everyone started laughing. Misato wasn't amused at all.

"Don't make fun of this EVA.  This thing saved my life and probably of your
parents as well more than once.  This EVA also has an original S2 Engine
inside itself, so its way better than the EVAs you pilot."  Misato drew some
gasps from her unruly crowd.

"It now has an S4 prototype engine, Misato-san."  A young man, standing at
back remarked.  Everyone turned to him.

"How do you know that?  What is an S4 Engine anyway?" Misato looked towards
the young man, she crossed her arms anticipating a crude excuse or an
unbelievable story.  She was used to the jokes she usually gets from the
present EVA pilots.  They always tease her short temper, especially anything
about her boyfriends and the Evangelions she used to know.  "I never heard
of an S4 Engine."

"Ikari-kun?"  Rei muttered, squinting in the darkness at the outline of the
young man staying at the back with them.  Touji couldn't make out his face
either, but he looked much older than those newer EVA pilots.

Shinji walked out of the shadows, revealing more of his face to everyone.
"I know because I am the pilot of EVA Unit 01, Misato-san."

The whole room was hurled into chaos.  A lot of the newer pilots were asking
each other questions only Shinji could answer.  Misato stood paralyzed in
front of everyone, tears were flowing from her eyes.  "Shinji-kun?"

"I'm back, Misato-san.  It is good to see you again."  Shinji had met Misato
halfway across the room, both gave each other a hug when they finally saw
each other's faces.

"Shinji-kun, you're alive.  I can't believe it."  Misato couldn't hold back
her tears.

Rei had stood up from her seat, her hand spread itself across her chest.
She too would cry right now, if only someone would tell her to.  Instead she
smiled and ran up to the reunited Shinji and Misato.  "Ikari-kun, is that
you?"

"Rei? Oh, ...you look...Wow."  Shinji was awestruck seeing Rei again for the
first time is three years.  She was taller, her hair was well kept now, and
she was...developed in more ways more suited for his imaginations.  "Um,
sorry about that, Rei.  I guess I was carried away or something?"  He didn't
notice the flush red expression forming on his face.

"Hey, Shinji.  If I didn't know better, you look like you were thinking of
something ... naughty about Rei, didn't you?"  Touji jested, slapping Shinji
on the back.  "Ah, I knew it."

"Hey, it's not like that...you see..."  Shinji tried to explain to no avail.

"Shinji!  You can't fool me!  I've seen that look from you before."  Kensuke
added jokingly.

"Will you hentais stop kidding around!  We should be happy now that Shinji
is back!"  Hikari was being her old "class rep" type again.

"Um, I'm not back, really."  Shinji said, a serious tone in his voice.

Rei stepped closer to Shinji, her eyes looking straight at him.  "It doesn't
matter, Ikari...I mean, Shinji-kun.  You're here now, and I am happy."  She
saw the fear in his face, she knew she caused that in him.  She reached for
his hand, they were trembling when she held it for the briefest of moments.
"Welcome back."  She pulled her other arm over his shoulder, taking herself
closer to him.  Then they kissed.

=-=-=-=-=

End of Chapter 1

=-=-=-=-=


Chapter 2. Illusions

=-=-=-=-=

2020 AD NERV 5th Branch
Arizona Desert, United States of America

The outside air smelled like burnt cinder and charred wood.  The thick
fiery smoke coming from the ashes had almost filled the upper atmosphere of
the front when the environment control unit kicked in and started venting
the smog out of the Geofront.  The sirens and warning announcements had
already died down almost two minutes ago, but all eight Evangelions were
still standing vigilantly outside the headquarters facility, looking
intently at the new smaller crater they had carved out of one side of the
whole Geofront.  Firefighters were rushing towards the scene, hoping to
control the small brush and forest fires the EVAs had created in the
aftermath.

"Where the hell is it?"  The pilot of Unit 35 asked everyone, "Did we kill
it?"  Trisha toggled through half a dozen computer readings and even linked
her EVA to the main computer of the NERV facility, hoping to find answers.
"No trace?  What do you mean no trace?"  She quickly kicked her EVA in
disgust, not that it had any effect though.  She was disappointed to say the
least. Her first major fight, and she wasn't even sure if she had won or
not.

"All EVAs return to their cages."  The order came through Trisha's
communication link just as she was approached the wreckage site. There
wasn't any real wreck, however. "EVA Unit three five, proceed to cage zero
zero immediately." A different voice ordered.  Several of her teammates were
already on their way back to their respective containment facilities..

Trisha stayed behind as she found herself still looking down at the supposed
wreckage of EVA Unit 01.  She only saw the blackened burnt waste, but no
Evangelion.  Not even a piece of armor was left.  She asked herself if she
had been too rough. Maybe it only needed one EVA to stop the renegade Unit
01, she asked herself.  Her EVA only told her some gibberish response which
she didn't pay much attention to.  "I wasn't talking to you." Unit 35 said
sorry, but Trisha was still deep in her thoughts.  "Pull up the file of Unit
01." Shinji's picture was among those windows that suddenly appeared in
front of her.  Trisha had heard a lot about Unit 01, and its pilot, mostly
from her textbook and old journals somewhere in NERV.  "So, you're the guy
who killed all those angels."  She stared at Shinji's innocent looking eyes,
they looked so real and unemotional.  "Kinda cute, but ..." The image of
Unit 01's head reflected in her mind, "you're probably eighteen by now. I
guess..." Her voice faded as she asked her EVA to clear the screen for her.
She turned EVA Three Five around, a feeling of disappointment hung inside
its LCL filled plug. "I wish I had met you. I've heard so much about you,
Ikari Shinji.  I'm sorry." She flew her EVA right down the reentry cage that
was prepared for her.

=-=-=-=-=

NERV Headquarters
Tokyo-3, Japan

Commander Maria Usagi left Central Dogma a few minutes after the
confirmation came through the computer that they had lost Unit 01 again.
The 5th branch of NERV had ten Evangelions in the capture operations, yet
all they had accomplish was destroy almost one fourth of the Geofront where
the facility was cradled in.  She wasn't disappointed though.  She knew this
sudden reappearance of Evangelion Unit 01 was only the beginning of larger
things to come.

She walked down the corridor and promptly recognized the salutes of two
guards that were standing by a doorway.  "Has Major Misato finished her
briefing yet?"  She asked one of them.

"Um, I don't think so, Commander.  Shall I ask if she is finished?"  Another
guard already had a hand on the doorknob.

"No need, soldier.  I'm sure she's already having a hard time keeping fifty
children quiet all at the same time while trying to make a point in her
lectures.  It's good that she's finally doing something around here."  Maria
walked off giggling a bit.

Both guards looked at each other.  "I thought there were fifty and one?"

=-=-=-=-=

"Hello, my name is Ikari Shinji, and I'm the pilot of EVA Unit 01."  Shinji
now had the microphone and was standing in front of the other EVA pilots.
He had their undivided attention.  "I used to be like you.  Fourteen and
scared." A few pilots started staring at each other.  "Yes, I know you must
be scared.  I was scared seeing Unit 01 for the first time."

"So were we." A voice cried out, sparking a few laughs from everyone else.

Touji whispered in Hikari's ear.  "These guys never knew what Kensuke and I
felt when we saw Unit 01 fight that Angel."  He muffled a laugh.

"What Angel is that?  Is that the one where you two almost got yourselves
killed? The one were you two tricked me into letting you use the bathroom.
Well?"  Hikari ranted, remembering that time all too vividly.

"Eh, why are you so edgy this morning, Hikari?" Touji asked her.

"I...I am not!" Hikari blurted out, crossing her arms and pouted in protest.

"I don't have enough to tell you guys everything, but this I will say."
Shinji waited for the room to die from the laughter.  He could still see
Touji and Hikari fighting at the back, but he didn't have to wait for them
to stop.  The forty plus other EVA pilots was his concerned.  "In the coming
days ahead, please be prepared."

Misato swung her head and looked inquisitively at the speaker.  Shinji too
looked straight at her, knowing that he had a lot more to explain to his old
guardian.  Rei was standing by the door but she had not been listening. She
was only staring at Shinji, her eyes couldn't seemed to move away from him.

"We...We have reason to believe that my father is still alive.  And," Shinji
looked at Rei, he noticed her sparked reaction when he mentioned his
father's name, "that we will do everything to rescue him."  A low rumble of
whispers filled the room.  "My father was the former commander of NERV.  He
and my mother were responsible for the Evangelions."  Shinji looked back at
Misato, her nod egged him to continue.  "And with their help, and I hope
yours as well...we could prevent the annihilation of mankind again."

"Um..." A pilot muttered in his chair, "I don't get it?"

"BAKA!  Don't you remember your history lesson?  His father was killed when
the last Angel attacked.  That was when NERV prevented the Third Impact."  A
girl EVA pilot slapped the boy's head from behind.

"Oh?" A few more children joined the conversation.  "But I thought there are
no more Angels?"

"Dummy!  If there are no more Angels, why do you think we still have EVAs?"
A boy exclaimed as he stood up from his seat up front.  Every child then
fell silent.  For the past three years they had been training to pilot the
Evangelions, only did the full realization of their purpose dawned upon
them.

Misato briefly turned to all of her children pilots, all were looking at her
for answers.  She however didn't have an answer. Shinji spoke for her
instead.  "There are still those that threatens humanity.  They are the ones
who we must stop."

"Who?"  Misato asked nervously.

"Evangelions and NERV, of course." Shinji's words silenced everyone.

=-=-=-=-=

5th Branch
Arizona Desert, United States of America

Maya waited just outside her husband's office, her palm resting on the
doorknob.  She feared entering with her mind still unclear of her reason
being there at a time when she should be crying for a friend.  Her eyes
closed briefly, holding the tears back.  Unit 01 disappeared for no apparent
reason years ago, and it was her that provided one when it came back looking
for the death it cheated. It was a difficult choice to make especially when
the burden of several hundred lives were resting on her shoulders.  She only
remembered Makoto's voice, telling her to do her best.  She regretted for
listening.  Slowly she turned the knob and the door silently slid open.

"Ohayo! Ibuki-san." A young looking girl in her late teens, with light brown
hair that was tied in a ponytail greeted Maya as the director of Operations
of the 5th NERV Branch entered the brightly lit quarters.  "My, you look
like you've seen a ghost."  Asuka couldn't help herself giggle as she slowly
approached the rather distraught and surprised Maya.  "Relax, Asuka is
here." She said in her best morale boosting cheer.

"Asuka?!  What?  How?"  Maya managed to blurt out despite her apparent
weakness in her knees and soul.

"Maya, Asuka has some very . . . disturbing news."  Makoto said, he was
sitting at his chair behind his rather huge desk.  He stirred the cup of
coffee on the table as he browsed through some pages of a document he had in
his other hand.

"Right.  Mrs. Hyuuga.  That is...I mean...oh, shucks...let me get straight
to the point."  Asuka led Maya towards the sofa as she continued her story.
"Maya, we will need your help again to save humanity."

"Humanity?"  Maya swung her head in apparent confusion.

"Well..." Asuka sat beside Maya, "at least that's how I understand it.
Ritsuko never could explain anything without elaborating too much on so many
other things."

Maya eyes widened, "She's alive?  Dr. Akagi is alive?"

"Of course she is.  Why wouldn't she?"  Asuka looked at Makoto, she stared
at a small black box that she had laid on the table.  It was accompanied by
the document Makoto had been reading for quite a while now. "Well, do you
how to turn it on yet?"

"Not a clue."  Makoto threw the pamphlet down on his desk, he looked
curiously at the black machine sitting in front of him.  "I never saw
anything like this before.  Are you sure Ritsuko is confident that we'll be
able to use this thing?"  Asuka stood up and rushed at Makoto, his desk
stopped her from laying her hand on him.

"BAKA!  Think for goodness sake.  Ritsuko-san has some pretty important
information inside this thing," Asuka grabbed the box and jammed it in front
of Makoto's glasses, "and she said that you or Maya here can break the
seal."

Maya approached the two. She looked at the box while reading its manual.
Asuka had calmed down and started on the pizza she had ordered.  Makoto
slumped in his chair, his arms crossed and he was thinking.  "Could this
be?"  Maya turned to her husband.

"Yup.  A communicator that's protected by a small AT field." Makoto reached
for the box. "Ritsuko wants us to break the AT field and personally speak to
her.  But, " he tossed the box into the air, Maya caught it, "how in the
world did she get an AT field at this size?"

"Is that what has been bothering you?"  Asuka spoke in between pizza bites.
"That's easy.  I'll tell you later.  But first talk with Dr. Akagi."  She
opened a beer can and heartily took a sip.  She even screamed in delight.
"Ah, much better!"

"I see.  So this thing is like an Angel." Maya toyed with the box for a
minute, inspecting every corner she saw.  "How do you destroy an Angel's AT
field?"

Makoto looked like he had an idea, but never got to speak it out.  "We
can't. We need to be Evangelions to erode an AT field."

"Angel?  Maybe that's it?"  Maya tossed the box in her hands until she found
some peculiar slot on its side.  "Yes, this might be the keyhole." Makoto
leaned over and took a look at Maya's discovery.

"But who has the key?"  Makoto dug into his pockets but found nothing that
would fit.  "There goes that idea."

"Maybe not." Carefully, Maya notched her fingers on the small slot.  Slowly
she tried to pull each side apart.  Her nails tensed at the force that
suddenly wrapped across her fingers.  Soon the whole box started glowing and
the slit started expanding.

"It's eroding!" Makoto exclaimed in his excitement. Asuka was already at his
side and knocked the beer can on his back.

"Why don't you help her? What kind of a husband are you?" Asuka jested.

"It's weakening." Maya said as Makoto finally pitched in the effort.
"There!"  The small AT field collapsed and the small black box fell on the
table top, much to Asuka's disappointment.

"Gee.  That thing is a delicate equipment.  See if it still works?" Asuka
blurted out and pushed Makoto forward.

Makoto did as told.  He slowly unfolded the unit and looked at the pad and
unfolded the liquid crystal display.  "What now?"  He saw a red button, and
assumed it was the power switch.

"What's 604?"  Maya asked Asuka as soon as the numbers came up on the small
display.

Asuka slapped her forehead in disgust.  "Ack!  It's broken!"  Makoto fell on
his chair depressed and hurt.  Maya took a closer look at the small
communicator, hoping to repair it somehow.

"Here, use this."  Asuka brought out another similar communicator, this one
was colored red this time.  "Its already open so all you have to do is push
the little red button, Maya."  Asuka walked back to her snack, opening
another beer can before she sat down.  She pulled a newspaper off the rack
and quickly browsed through the news.  "Wow, they named a contest after me?"

"Gee.  Asuka, should have given this to us in the first place." Makoto
whispered into Maya's ear, avoiding another backlash from the seventeen year
old.

"She was only testing us, Makoto.  You know that."  Maya turned the switch
on, and soon the LCD display glowed a brilliant green phosphor hue.
"Ritsuko?"

A buzz and a whirling sound crackled through the communicator.
"Hello...Maya is that you?"  Both Makoto and Maya heard the audio, and
instantly recognized the voice coming from the other line.  "What are you
doing with Asuka's transceiver?"

"Ritsuko, I don't see you.  The screen is all scrambled up."  A brief moment
later, the screen washed itself of the distortion and cleared up to show
the face of Dr. Ritsuko Akagi, former head of NERV Research Division.  "My,
God.  You are alive."

"Maya, Makoto...it's so good to see the two of you again.  How is everything
over there?  Is Shigeru giving the two of you a hard time?"  Maya turned to
her husband before answering.

"Dr. Akagi, Shigeru is still in NERV Headquarters.  Didn't you know?"
Makoto spoke for the two of them.

"Oh, of course.  He's the loyal one, isn't he?"  Ritsuko appeared to have
sipped a cup of tea on her side of the communication link.  "Listen, you
two.  I have to ask you a favor."

Makoto leaned closer, Maya had her ears at full attention.  "What is it?"
Both asked at the same time.

"I wish that you could accommodate Asuka into the personnel of the 5th
Branch.  Mainly on EVA pilot training." Makoto and Maya looked towards
Asuka's way.  The young teen was already on her second pizza box, and her
third beer.

"You want her to pilot again?"  Maya asked as she turned to Ritsuko.

"No, Maya.  I'd like Asuka to take some odd job that's available.  Something
that will make her inconspicuous from the rest of the administration staff."
Ritsuko replied.

"Wait?  You are not connected anymore to NERV, are you?" Makoto suspected
something odd with the request.  One of the best EVA pilots, being asked to
lay low in the 5th Branch.  Ritsuko was up to something and he wanted to
know.

"No, I'm no longer with NERV, Hyuuga-kun.  I'm working for...another
company."  Ritsuko was serious in her tone.

"What?  You know NERV is under the United Nations, and we can't just let a
private company run things around here."  Makoto knew he was talking
nonsense, but he was fishing for information and RItsuko knew it.  Maya
tugged at Makoto's sleeve, silently asking what he was talking about.

"I can't tell you right now, but maybe later.  All I know is that you two
love birds owe me...and this favor is only a small one."  Ritsuko smiled
through the screen.  Maya and Makoto looked at each other, doubting their
own reasons for going along with this charade.

"I'll see what I can do, Ritsuko." Maya said towards the console, Makoto sat
down and leaned back on his swivel chair thinking.  "But you and I have to
meet ASAP.  We need to talk about...everything.  This...plan of yours.  This
has something to do with Unit 01, doesn't it?"  Maya's voice trailed off
with sadness hinted in her question.  She suddenly remembered the
destruction of the renegade Evangelion a few minutes ago.

"Arigato.  I know we've come at a most unpleasant moment for you, Maya.  I
assure you though, once we all meet again, everything will be revealed to
satisfy your curiosity.."  Ritsuko said over the communiqué.

Maya closed her eyes, uncertain on how to ask her next question.  "Dr. Akagi
Unit 01 was...it suddenly appeared this morning.  I'm afraid we had to
destroy it."  Somehow she suspected Unit 01 had escaped certain death again,
but she needed Ritsuko's answer.  Someone, though, was laughing behind her.
Maya turned to see Asuka having a heartily laugh at something.  "Asuka?"

"Don't be fooled by mere illusions, Maya-san.  I'm pretty sure I didn't get
a single dent on Unit 01 when I came over."  Asuka proudly told Maya,
finally collapsing on the couch after laughing her head off.  "Goodness, if
Shinji-kun knew, he would never forgive me if I got his precious Unit 01 a
dent in its armor or something." She added sarcastically.  Maya only looked
at her in disbelief.

"Shinji?  He's alive as well?  You mean..."  Maya turned to Makoto for
answers.

"Apparently, the EVA Unit 01 we saw this morning was being piloted by
this...drunk seventeen-ager."  Before Makoto could add anything else, a
flying beer can hit his head again.  "Oww!"

"I am not drunk!"  Asuka shouted as she struggled to get off the couch and
stand up.  "Well, at least not yet, anyway."  The screen of the open
communicator only showed Ritsuko slapping her forehead in response to
Asuka's unladylike behavior.

"What is going on, Ritsuko?" Maya demanded.

"Okay, I'll set up a meeting.  Asuka!"  Ritsuko shouted loud enough to gain
the young pilot's attention.  "Send Maya on Unit Alpha.  Stay behind and
assume the job Makoto will give you."  Asuka promptly nodded.

"I hope you give me a job that pays well, Makoto-kun!"  Asuka grinned.
"Shall we?"  She walked over the door and opened it for Maya.

"Where are we going?" Maya asked as she walked out of her husband's office
with the young EVA pilot.

"Down to the cages.  I've got Unit 01 A parked there...somewhere."  They
both reached the elevator and proceeded down several levels towards the
containment cages of all the 5th Branch's Evangelions.

=-=-=-=-=

NERV Headquarters
Tokyo 3, Japan

Misato and Shinji walked out of the conference room in a rush.  Misato had
dragged the lad out by force, both guards standing outside were caught
surprised by the two.  Misato pushed Shinji towards the wall, screaming as
if the boy had done something that she didn't like.  The guards decided not
to interfere and walked away seeing that it was best if they were somewhere
else, far from Misato's rage.

"What do you mean NERV?  You're not making sense, Shinji-kun!"  Misato had
her finger right in front of Shinji's face, like a gun aimed at the boy's
innocent look.  "Explain yourself!  You certainly have changed a lot since I
last saw you."

"I may have changed, Misato-san." Shinji brought her hand down. "But it is
you who is different."  Misato blinked in surprise.  "They must have done
something to you.  They must have altered you, Ritsuko-san feared they might
have."

"What?" Misato was at a lost with those accusations.  "You are not making
sense, young man."

"They, the committee ...SEELE, if I'm not mistaken."  Shinji saw the blank
starry-eyed look in Misato.

The word Shinji uttered resounded in Misato's ears, it started like a small
pinch somewhere in her head.  Before long it had turned into a small ache in
her neck, that was inching its way up her head.  She grasped the small of
her neck, rubbing the pain away.  She lost her balance, but Shinji was there
to help her.  "Shinji..."

"I know..."  Shinji helped the now half conscious major to her feet.
Unknowing to both of them, a figure had been looking at them from the other
doorway.  Rei had stepped out of the room just in time to see Misato lose
all of her senses.  She hurried to her guardian's side, helping Shinji
cradle Misato's weight.

"Shinji-kun.  What is wrong?"  Rei asked as reached towards the door.

"No, Rei.  This way."  Shinji had opened an elevator and with Rei's help,
managed to drag Misato's unconscious body towards it.  "I'm taking Major
Katsuragi to the hospital, tell them that."  The doors closed in front of
Rei just as soon as the two guards came running back to their post.

"What happened?  Where is Major Katsuragi?"  One of the guards asked as soon
as they had reached Rei.

"I guess she had three drinks too many."  Rei responded, "My friend is
taking her to the hospital now."  One of the guards pulled out his
communicator.  "What are you doing?"

"I'm telling the commander about this."  The guard punched in a code and was
about to speak up when Rei placed her hand on his arm.

"Let me, I'm her friend."  Both guards looked at each other, unsure of what
to do next.  A voice crackled through the communicator.  He couldn't resist,
and promptly gave the device to Rei.

=-=-=-=-=

"Rei, is that you?"  Maria Usagi heard Rei's voice, but couldn't figure out
why she had a security personnel's communiqué.

"Commander, Major Katsuragi ... fell sick all of a sudden," Maria was a bit
alarmed for her friend, "but she's all right now.  My friend has taken to
the hospital."

"What happened?  Don't tell me she couldn't even debrief fifty pilots?"
Maria though knew something like this was going to happen.  She was however
only expecting Misato to scold everyone of those unruly pilots and probably
walk-out of the debriefing...instead of getting sick because of it.  She
always thought Misato could take on anything, anytime, and anywhere.  "How
is she?"

"She's going to be...fine.  She's in good hands now."

"Ok, I trust you, Rei." Maria placed the phone down, she leaned back on her
chair thinking.  "Misato..."

There was another person in the room, a lonely looking figure was siting in
front of the commander of NERV.  He had a military uniform on, some lapels
that showed he was a high ranking official, but his designation was from an
unfamiliar branch of the armed forces.  He looked up from the document that
he was reading.  "What is it?"

"Oh, nothing.  One of my men suffered a mild nervous breakdown, I guess."
Maria turned back to a folder that she had in front of her.  They looked
like status reports of the events that had just happened earlier.  Mostly
offshore, on the 5th branch's facilities.  "Where were we?"

"Status log 10:04...I believe that was when the order came through that Unit
01 was to be captured...Not destroyed."  The man stressed the last phrase.

"The decision was a judgement call.  Unit 01 had penetrated the outer
perimeter network by going underground, they had to stop it or they would
have suffered more than the damage that they had created."  Maria's voice
was calm under the stress of the man's scrutiny.

"I will have to summon those that ... decided this, against committee
orders."  Maria saw the glint of evil in the man's eyes.  He was serious
enough that it even frightened her to say no.

"Of course.  I'll summon them for you.  Um," Maria said, "where do you want
them...here?"

"No.  I'll go to 5th Branch as soon as possible."  The man turned a page,
"Lets move on..."

=-=-=-=-=

5th Branch, NERV
Arizona desert

Makoto place the phone down.  He had done what he was asked of.  From that
moment, NERV had a new...Liaison Officer, third class....whatever that
means, Makoto said to himself.  He sat down, relaxing for the first time
that morning.  His nerves were shot from all the excitement, and mystery
Asuka had brought along with her.  He looked at the small gadget still
sitting on his desk.  Asuka had already retrieved her communicator, but had
left the broken black one with him.

"May I come in?"  The door slid open, revealing Major Stevenson had paid
Makoto a visit.  Quickly, Makoto grabbed the device off his desk and hid it
inside one of his drawers.  He had hoped the visitor hadn't noticed, but
that was wishful thinking.  "What was that?  It looked some kind of toy."

"Um, yes...its nothing much.  It's, " Makoto thought carefully what to say,
"broken now, so I just use it as a paper weight."

"I see."  Stevenson took a seat, he noticed the leftover pizzas and beer
cans, "Ah, Makoto.  You know better than to drink while on duty."

"Excuse me, but I'm not from the military, Major."  Makoto mockingly
retorted.

"Of course, I usually forget these things.  I'm sorry."  Stevenson made
himself comfortable before proceeding with his intended subject matter.
"Makoto, I noticed that you went to the communications station during the
foray earlier."  That made Makoto nervous.  He usually didn't fear the
military bigshot, but this was the first time he had gone under his
questioning.

"Um, Yes.  I wanted to establish contact with Unit 01."  Makoto felt uneasy.

"And did you?"  Stevenson brought out a pack of cigarettes and was about to
light one up when Makoto told him that the place was a no smoking zone.

"Major, you know that NERV is a no smoking zone." Makoto blurted.

Stevenson just scratched his head, "Oh, yeah.  That too...I keep
forgetting."  Both men started laughing.

"Seriously though.  I know you made contact."  Stevenson's mood quickly
changed, Makoto was now shuddering inside.

"I'm sure that I did not, Major." Makoto had to watch himself.

"Makoto, I'm telling you this because...sooner or later they will know."
Stevenson lighted a cigarette, "I'm sure we'll be summoned any time now, to
explain the events that had happened earlier."

Makoto was more surprised at Stevenson's revelation.  Why was this man
telling him these things?  Makoto asked himself.  Isn't he part of the same
organization, "Major, why are you telling me this?"

"We are nearing the end, Makoto.  You and I know that its just a matter of
time."  Stevenson stood up, dousing his newly lit cigarette on Makoto's
tabletop.  "I sure hope we're working on the same side, Hyuuga-kun."  He
promptly left the room, leaving a slightly bewildered Makoto slumping in his
seat.

=-=-=-=-=

NERV Headquarters

Shinji waited for the number above the elevator door to read 20, it was
halfway there.  He looked to his right, Misato was still unconscious,
straddled across his back and arms.  She was heavier than he had imagined.
He made a mental note to tell Misato to exercise when she wakes up.  He
started staring at the doorway, the floors passing by was his only clue that
they were indeed moving.  He started recalling the last time he was on this
same elevator.  Four years ago...when he left NERV for the last time.

"Shinji?"  Misato spoke weakly.

"Hang on, Misato-san.  We'll be there in a few more minutes."

"I...I...love...you..." She fell to the darkness of sleep again.

The elevator door opened, and in front of him was his EVA Unit 01.  Shinji
walked over the bridge, carrying Misato along.  "Open."  The head of Unit 01
suddenly folded open, revealing the cockpit like seats.  Shinji strapped
Misato on the backseat, while he himself took the front one.  "Close and
Engage engines."

=-=-=-=-=

"Commander Usagi here, what's up?"  Maria picked the phone for the second
time.  "Are you serious?"

"What is it?" The man asked.  Maria placed the phone down and stood up
hurriedly.

"Excuse me, but I've got an emergency.  We'll continue this later."

The man walked with the commander towards the elevators.  "What is the
nature of the emergency?"

"It seems that Unit 01 has reappeared."  Maria pushed a button, and the
elevator door closed behind her.

"Then, it wasn't destroyed at all."  The man crossed his arms, "This doesn't
look good at all."

"There's more." Maria figured the man would look at her apprehensively,
"Apparently it decided to pop up inside NERV headquarters this time."

"What?!"

=-=-=-=-=

2016 AD  NERV Headquarters
Tokyo-3, Japan

Kouzou Fuyutsuki walked out of Gendou Ikari's office a few minutes after the
United Nation security force had left the room dragging the former
commander-in-chief of NERV in chains.  He headed towards the elevators,
accompanied by the third Children, Shinji Ikari.  Inside he was thinking,
mostly on the future or the lack of it in the coming months.  He looked at
the young boy, almost fifteen and was still too young to take on the burdens
of the world, he thought.

Shinji had a desolate look on his face, brought on by the isolation and
sadness he now feels.  He had found abandonment, first with the lost of his
mother, now again with the arrest of his father, Gendou.

Even if the last of the Angels had been defeated, this wasn't the time to
celebrate. This was the time to prepare, Kouzou said to himself.
"Shinji-kun, do you understand what you will have to do?" He was entrusting
EVA Unit 01 again to its recognized pilot.

"I think...so," Shinji muttered, "but, how am I suppose to get far in five
minutes?"

The elevator door opened and both men stepped inside.  Kouzou pushed a
button, the doors closed in response. "You will have to activate the S2
Engine that is inside Evangelion Unit 01."

"How do I do that?"  Shinji asked, a trace of uncertainty in his voice.

Kouzou sighed. "Honestly, I do not know, Shinji-kun...but," The doors slid
open, the mammoth facade of Unit 01 bounded and submerged in a murky sea of
red welcomed both men as they stepped off the elevator, "we should ask your
mother to help us."

"My mother?" Shinji asked.  He looked quizzically at Fuyutsuki and then at
the hideous purple head of EVA Unit 01.  "I see."

=-=-=-=-=

A Day Later

Misato opened the door to let everyone inside her apartment.  Ritsuko had
warned everyone about the mess, but to everyone's surprise,  the room was
clean.  Everything was orderly arranged, as if someone had gone to the
trouble of fixing the whole apartment for the group.  Misato was at a lost
too. She remembered that it was her turn today to clean the house.  Someone
else must have done it for her, she thought.

"Shinji-kun, I'm home.  I've got some food and lots of beer.  Ritsuko
and..." Misato ranted as she passed by Shinji's room while heading towards
her room. Everyone else made themselves comfortable.

"I guess Misato-san is really quite a good role model for the two children,
right?" Makoto asked no one in particular, but he did get an elbow stab for
his little joke.

"What do you think you're doing?" Maya glared at Makoto, not too pleased at
his feeble attempt in starting a conversation.

"What is it to you?" Makoto refuted, matching Maya's fiery temperament.

Ritsuko though had something else in mind.  She had this suspicion every
since she discovered Unit 01's disappearance, and she accepted Misato's
invitation only to find the truth.  She started snooping around, knocking at
the door of Shinji's room.  She noticed that the "Shin-chan's" sign was no
longer hanging in front.  She was about to sneak a peek inside when Misato
finally got back after changing clothes. Ritsuko confronted her,  "Misato,
when was the last time you saw Shinji-kun?"

"Huh?  This morning, why?"  Misato was lead towards a small corner, partly
hidden from their other friends.  "I'm sure he's in school now.  What is it,
Ritsuko?"

"Misato, EVA Unit 01 disappeared this morning, and I have reason to
believe..." Ritsuko was cut off by the noise from the living room.  It would
seem that someone had just arrived, Ritsuko and Misato hoped it was Shinji.

"Hello, Asuka." The guest sitting inside the living room cried out, but were
completely ignored by the other tenant of the apartment.

"Anta BAKA!  Where is that BAKA Shinji-kun?  He was suppose to report in
class today!"  Asuka came barging in, slamming her fist forcefully at the
door to Shinji's room.  "BAKA!  Wake up!  You didn't come to class today,
why? The teacher forced me to report ..."

Ritsuko and Misato looked at each other, fearing for the worst.

=-=-=-=-=

SEELE Headquarters
Location Unknown

"You don't have a clue were Unit 01 is?  I can't believe that."

"I don't care.  Someday the world will know."  Misato said as she stayed
motionless in her seat.

"What?  What will the world know, Major Katsuragi?  As far as we know, it
was your father who caused the Second Impact."

"Liar!" Misato shouted angrily. "You're all a bunch of liars!"

"Watch your foul mouth, Major."  Kihl spoke, "Do you want to be served the
same fate as your boyfriend?"

Misato grounded her teeth, "You ... You ... "  Her rage overwhelmed her
articulateness.

"But, we won't.  We still have no idea where our EVA is."

"You will provide us his location, Major Katsuragi."

"I won't! Even if I knew, I won't tell you a thing!"  She shouted at the top
of her lungs.

"I don't think you have the benefit of a choice, Misato." Kihl scowled at
her.

"See you all in HELL!!"

=-=-=-=-=

2020 AD NERV Headquarters

"Where did it come from?"  Shigeru asked one of the controllers.

"Sensors picked it up leaving sector 2A, underneath the lake a few minutes
ago."  The controller responded.  A few more operators were busy in their
stations, trying desperately to keep track of Unit 01.

"EVA Unit 10 and 11 ready to launch."  An operator announced, Shigeru gave a
nod to proceed.

"What is the situation with the target?"  Commander Usagi finally reached
Central Dogma just in time to see Unit 01 scurrying off in one of the access
tunnels that was leading straight into Tokyo 3.

"Unit 01 is  breaking through the tunnels.  It will reach topside in thirty
seconds." A controller announced.

"EVA Unit 11 and 10 are in pursuit.  EVA Unit 12 to 15 are ready to launch."
An operator manning the EVA station again announced.

"Let him go." The man interrupted Commander Usagi's thoughts.  "It's obvious
that we are dealing with a different Unit 01, but this one is running away,
instead of attacking."

Maria had no choice, she wasn't in-charge at the moment.  "Very well,
continue pursuit until Unit 01 has cleared our airspace."

Several affirmative replies came back.  Maria turned to the man she had been
talking with.  "Don't worry.  I'll take the responsibility for this one."

Shigeru looked on from a distance.  He suspected that this stranger was
another agent of the committee.  He had seen a lot of them around, once in a
while, but never had they imposed their will on NERV ever.  Until now.  He
now had a new enemy to be wary off.

"Unit 01 had disappeared above the flight line.  Retrieving all EVA Units."
The announcement was the last thing Maria heard before she had again left
Central Dogma with the stranger.

=-=-=-=-=

End of Chapter

=-=-=-=-=



Chapter 3  The Sacred Life

=-=-=-=-=

Darkness, in the world between the living and the dead, is the solitude of
surrender, the vision of nothingness, and the cliff off the world's end .
This was her world.  Misato Katsuragi had seen this place many times before
in the past, her lifetime.  All things went bleak for her after that fateful
day in August, the day she last said "father" to him.  It wasn't the lost
she longed for, it was the chance she parted with.  She had screwed up so
many times in her past, she doesn't even know when or where to start
counting if she needed to.  The last person to see her this sad, she had
disappointed him as well.  She believed that he was dead, she didn't fight
the darkness of her soul, her memory.  For her, death of a love one came by
like the changing summer, the falling winter, in the whole cycle of life.
These things...these lonely memories, was her very being, the constitution
of her soul.  What made her fear it more was that, even how much she tried
to deny it, these nightmares made her strong and resilient to live on. These
reflections, though, were about to change for the fearless survivor of the
Second Impact.

"I always hated this darkness."

An alley, in the middle of the night, she staggered to walk in a straight
line.  She even convulsed right there and then, in front of him.  "I don't
feel so good."  She vanished within the void, pulled into the depression of
events long forgotten.

"I still hate the darkness.  It brings memories of nothing but horrible
things."

"Katsuragi, it's me...." Misato closed her eyes.  "I'm sorry..."  She
unwittingly blocked her senses, her mind though was unwilling, "Katsuragi,
the truth is with you.  Don't hesitate, move on!"  She felt anger, it
started rising and breaking through her grip of fear.

"BAKA!"

"It's two minutes past two..."

=-=-=-=-=

Dr. Ritsuko Akagi sat comfortably on a nearby chair, reading a magazine
while she waited for her patient to regain consciousness. Misato's vital
signs were all advancing normally. Soon, she would be again among the
living, instead of the dead.  Ritsuko flipped a page just as her patient's
readings rose past the borderline of consciousness.  "Ah, she's awake now."

Misato slowly opened her eyes, an unknown ceiling greeted her.  She noticed
the cross-like fluorescent lighting fixture and was easily intrigued by her
new surroundings.  "Is this Heaven?"

"Sort of."  Ritsuko answered as she laid down her magazine, "But you're not
dead, Misato."  She smiled to her, something she had not done in so many
years.  This was their first meeting since they last saw each other.  That
time, their parting was played out in the cruelest of manners.  SEELE had
abducted the two unceremoniously, but it was her that was spared from the
fate Misato endured.  "You've been to surgery, but I guess you're a tough
girl, aren't you?"  She heartily giggled, a mark of their friendship
blossoming again.

"Ritsuko?  It can't be." Misato looked at the face of Ritsuko, she had not
aged that much, and yet her belief of her death was being discredited by the
sight of Ritsuko, sitting by her side on the hospital bed.  Yes, I'm in a
hospital, Misato figured.  "How can you be alive?  I saw you..."

"Executed?  Yes, I was...something like that."  Ritsuko spoke as she stood
up, "But miraculously, I survived.  Apparently, news of my death had been
greatly exaggerated."  She laughed at the moment, seeing the surprise in
Misato's eyes.  "Do you like my hair?"

Misato realized that her eyes were not playing tricks on her, neither was
the dim lighting in the room responsible for the vague discoloration of
Ritsuko's hair from what she remembered.  Her friend now had a tinge of
brown, rather than her usual dyed blonde hair.  "You don't dye your hair
anymore, Ritsuko-san?"  Her voice was weak, but her breath held under the
heavy lingering pain, up on her head mostly.

"I see. So, you remember.  There hasn't been much time around here for those
sort of things."  Ritsuko glanced at some readings.  "Do you still feel
pain, Misato?"  She turned back to her patient.

"No."  Misato replied meekly.

"Don't lie to me, Katsuragi-san.  This is not the time to say bad things."
Ritsuko reached over towards a nearby keyboard and quickly punched in
several keys.  Immediately, though Misato still had no idea how, the slow
throbbing pain began to recede.  At first it left her head, then it soon
disappeared down her neck until it finally disappeared underneath the core
of her spinal nerves.  "There, how is that?"

"I..." Misato's head was gaining the clearness she needed at the moment  "I
feel much better."  A knock came through the door and both women looked at
it instinctively.

"Ah, I guess you have some visitors, Misato."  Ritsuko tapped lightly on a
key and the door slid open instantaneously.  Misato was curious, who among
her old friends were coming to see her.  She wanted to be surprised, but in
her head she was enumerating those children she had shared her life with.
Bravely, she was even expecting the arrogant and spiteful second children to
greet her.  Though, somewhere in the back of her mind, she was almost sure
that the third children, Ikari Shinji, was the visitor.  She knew him more,
and he had known her more than she had wanted to.  In her wildest dreams
though, she never knew she'd see a ghost.

"Hello, I just thought I'd drop by to see if she's...oh," Ryouji Kaji had
entered unaware that Misato was already awake, "So you've risen from the
dead, I see that now.  How are you feeling, Katsuragi-san?"

"Kaji?!"  Her voice trembled under the strain of her emerging fear.  The old
flame she had thought was dead, the person she fervently believed was put
out by the strong winds of change and conspiracy of NERV, was in actuality
alive and well, shining brightly in front of her.  He was smiling at her, as
if nothing had ever came between them.  Death once did, but nothing like
that was present in the room.

Kaji took the available seat, opposite that of Ritsuko, still at Misato's
bedside.  "You look at me as if I was a ghost, Katsuragi."  His smile was
sincere, somehow he was at the same time forgiving a sin she had kept in the
recess of her mind for more than three years now.  "I'm here now, alive .
Thank God.  Anyway, I was saved...just like Ritsuko here."

Misato wanted to cry, her tears were building up a dam in her eyes.  "Kaji?
I'm..."

"Sorry? I know." Ryouji stroked Misato's blue dyed hair, "Don't worry about
the past.  It is the future that we must be cautious now, Misato."

She started to cry.

=-=-=-=-=

5th Branch NERV
Arizona desert, United States of America

Trisha Stevenson had finished changing from her plugsuit to her usual
everyday clothes.  Her blue denim pants were already faded, but she was
happy with them.  Her shirt had a huge NERV symbol in front, while behind
was only the words "Pilot of Unit 35" in bold letters.  Underneath, written
in some blue ink, was "I'm # 1!".  Obviously something she had added on her
own accord.

"See you later, Trisha." A voice said from the other side of the translucent
barrier that split the whole room into two.

"Oh, don't forget to pick me up later, Pilot 35 B." Trisha remembered just
in time as her backup was already at the other door of the room.

"I will." The doors opened and then closed.  Trisha was smiling
satisfyingly, her date plans were secure for the school dance later.  She
had just enough time to prepare, buy a nice dress, get her hair done, and
then finally.with a sigh in her heart, pass by her father's office to ask
his permission.  She now hated herself for delaying that little detail for
so long.  Maybe she just feared not being allowed to go, knowing her father.
Her plan was to appear in a very nice dress, with makeup and all, and show
her father that she was a growing woman now.  Sadly, she sat on the nearby
bench, her heart was heavy with a burden lingering at the back of her mind.

"He won't let me.  He never does."  Trisha whispered to herself.


=-=-=-=-=

SEELE Headquarters
Location Unknown

The room had a solitary light source, dropping down from an unknown ceiling.
The room had no dimensions, no visible wall, a floor than was not
indistinguisable from the roof, the wall and all...expect that there was a
chair in the middle.  And a solitary man, frail and hardly moving was
sitting in it.  The stonehenge monoliths surrounding the centerpiece were
alive, or in so many ways sound can be transmitted, they were audible.

"Wake up!"  A loud voice boomed around the in fanthomable room.  The man did
stir, meaning it was alive at least for the moment.

"Will you talk?"  Another stone-faced voice asked and shook the room.

"No."  Barely audible, but the answer was not forced under the man's breath.

"Will you tell us what have you done with our Unit-01?"  Again, no answer.

"What if we tell you that we've destroyed a clone of Unit-01 this morning?"
Silence.

The man moved his finger up his nose, but he wasn't wearing glasses.  "Then
you have to prepare."  A rush of voices rumbled around him, the room was in
chaos.

"For what, Gendou?"

"The End of EVA!"  His head fell, tired and weak that he'd faint spending
months worth of strength shouting at the top of his grazen and harsh voice.
The room fell stone silent again.

"That...will not happen."  The lone response from the stone-faced speaker
with two zeros etching on it's frontface.

=-=-=-=-=

An Evangelion Cage
Location Unknown

"Unit Bravo retrieved, automatic shutdown of reserve power in twenty
seconds."  A young woman announced from her station.  There were only a
handful of people inside the control room that was overlooking the docking
of the Evangelion that had just arrived.  "All systems are nominal.  Entry
plug ejection in five."  Another controller announced.

A tall white-haired man was supervising, he looked pleased that the
Evangelion had returned unscathed.  He went over to one of the communication
stations and asked for a link with the person inside the entry plug.  "How
was your trip, Maya?"

Several static crackled was heard before the voice of a woman filled the
small room.  "Konnichiwa, Fuyutsuki-sensei.  Is that you?"

"Of course, it's me.  Who else were you expecting?"  Dr. Fuyutsuki grinned
as he glanced out the window and stared at the entry plug as it was being
taken out from the EVA.  "Ah, you must have been expecting Dr. Akagi.
She'll join us in a few minutes."  The communication link was closed and
Fuyutsuki gave compliments to everyone before he left the control room to
personally meet with his first guest in over a year.

=-=-=-=-=

"Hello, Professor."  Maya extended her hand, which was graciously received
by Kouzou.  "I'm surprised that you and Ritsuko-sempai had been working
together."  She had just stepped off the dry entry plug she had been riding
on.  Maya was getting her first look at the facility she had journeyed to,
and by her assumptions it closely resembled an Evangelion Cage.  By her
visual estimates, this particular cage was huge.  Three times than those she
was accustomed to.

"Yes, we've been working on this project for." Kouzou paused, seeing Maya's
interest and amazement at her new surroundings, "almost ten years now, if
I'm not mistaken."

"Ten years?"  Maya was surprised at that revelation.  She had known Ritsuko
and Fuyutsuki for about that same amount of time, but they were all
connected with NERV then.  Now, it was only her that still had affiliations
with the United Nations.   "You mean that."

"Yes."  Fuyutsuki turned to the single EVA that was present inside the cage.
"This is the HAVEN headquarters.  The sanctuary of the new generation of
Evangelions."  Maya stared back at the EVA Unit that had brought her to this
place.  Kouzou turned to her, knowing that she had a thousand questions in
her head now. "And, hopefully, the last as well,"  he added.  Before Maya
could ask her next question, the elevator door behind her swung open.

"Oh, There you are, Maya.  How are you doing?"  Dr. Ritsuko Akagi had
stepped off the elevator, accompanying her was Ryoji Kaji and a little dazed
Misato.  "I trust the ride was.bumpy?"  She smiled and laughed a bit before
hugging her old friend, the first in quite a long time.

"Ritsuko?"  Maya's eyes were blank with confusion.

"What is it?"  Ritsuko asked.  Behind them, Misato was being helped by Kaji
towards the railings.

"What is going on?"  Maya finally realized who the two persons that was also
in the elevator.  "Oh, my God!  Kaji-kun." Maya took a second or two to
gather her wits, calm a bit, and to stop blinking when she recognize... "and
Katsuragi-san?"  She deftly raised a finger up, "Wait a second.?"  Kaji
waved at Maya, and Misato tried to do the same, but almost slipped
underneath Kaji's arm.  "How did this happen?"  Maya was totally awed by the
discoveries she's making every second of her stay in the strange new place.

Kouzou stepped into the elevator, leaving all the explanations for Ritsuko
to handle.  "I'll be at Dr. Ikari's laboratory, if you need me, Ritsuko."
The doors closed.

=-=-=-=-=

EVA-1 Laboratory
HAVEN Headquarters
Location Unknown

The room was a huge room, several storied high.  In the middle was a dark
monolith like edifice that was wrapped or draped in some sort of black
cloth.  A cascade of strong energy fields emanated from the core of the
room, up to several layers out.  The floor had distinguishing rings that
seemed to glow inside the already brightly lit room.  Several computer
terminals encircled the central piece, while the upper levels was a
collection of walkways that encircled the dome like roof.

A single woman was present, attending to some of the readouts on a nearby
terminal.  Her table had computer print-out stockpiled to several feet high,
and she was casually browsing through some of it.  There was also a tray of
food nearby, a jar of peanut butter and a loaf of bread and a glass of
orange juice.  She was already halfway with one sandwich when the sound of
doors sliding open interrupted her thoughts.

"Ah, Shinji-kun.  You're back already?"  The women threw the print-outs back
to the pile and swiveled around her chair, facing her visitor.  "Come here
and give your mother a big hug."  Her arms were waiting for him.

"Mama.  I'm seventeen years old.  Do you think I." Shinji muttered as he
slowly approached his mother.

"Stop talking nonsense." Shinji had to bend down, as Yui hugged him with so
much vigor and excitement, it always embarrassed Shinji.  "I just miss you,
that's all."  She finally let go of him.

"Mama.  Please, let's not do this anymore."  Shinji said as he pulled up a
chair.  Yui looked at her son with disappointment, but her mood soon
changed, realizing the changes in Shinji.

"Is this because Asuka finally said, yes?"  Yui was only teasing, but the
effect on Shinji was too instantaneous not to take notice.  "Ah, so it is
true."  She clasped her hands excitedly.  "Oh, my.  And your father is not
here to enjoy this!"  She didn't notice her son's aggraviated look.
"Anyway, how did your trip go, Shinji-kun?"  She swung her chair around and
picked up the last half of the sandwich, and the same print-outs.

Shinji calmed down, he pulled up a chair and started making his own
peanut-butter spread.  "I did not see father.  There was another woman
in-charge of NERV."  Yui briefly looked at him with concern, realizing his
dissapointment.  "I guess I should have expected that."  He took a bite,
smiling approvingly was his mother.

"Any word?"  Yui gave Shinji her orange juice.

"Arigato."  He nearly emptied the contents in one drink.  "Yes, I believe
Rei knows where he is."  Shinji returned the glass back, Yui looked at the
nearly empty container scournfully.  "Oops, Gomen."  Shinji took the glass
again and walked over to the dispenser for a refill.

"So, you talked with your sister?" Yui was curious about her daughter, a
child she never knew of till about two years ago.  "How was she?  Is she
alright?  Does she have a boyfriend already?  Well...?"  She didn't notice
Shinji's silence.

Shinji came back, he was troubled and it showed in his facial expression, or
the lack of it.  Yui could only guess, it was the most disturbing trait she
had discovered from her son she had abandoned, but never forgotten.  "Mom,"
Shinji finally spoke when he sat down again, "I...kissed...I mean, she..."
Shinji struggled with the words.

"Oh?  She likes you then?"  Yui almost touched a nerve with that question.

"Arrggh!  Mom, you're not helping!"  Shinji bolted off his chair and walked
away.  If he had looked back he would have seen his mother giggling at his
expense.  He hurriedly walked out the doorway, just as Kouzou was arriiving.

"Oh, Shinji.  I'm sorry."  Yui exclaimed as her son dissappeared out the
door.  "Oh, Fuyutsuki-sensei.  Have you heard anything?"  Kouzou hesitated
in entering, seeing Shinji rushing out in some sort of obvious uneasiness
with Yui.  "Oh, don't worry about him, Fuyutsuki-sensei."

"I see.  You should be a little bit easy on your son, Ikari-san.  He's been
through a lot."  Kouzou closed the door behind him.  Yui turned in her seat,
she looked far ahead, staring at the black as midnight monilith in the
center of the room.  Kouzou walked up behind her, he stood and stared as
well.  "I hear Asuka is already inside the 5th Branch."

"That is good.  All our efforts will now depend on her."  Yui took a sip
from her glass.  Just then, the central figure started glowing.  Yui reached
for a button on the nearby terminal, but Kouzou beat her to it.  "Thank you,
sensei."

Kouzou and Yui stared at the clock displaying on the terminal, it read three
o'clock.  Slowly, the energy fields around the monolith started to receed
and fade away, like curtains being raised open to reveal a big secret.  The
room started to dim, as each of the lighting segments, from the top tiers
slowly downward to ground level lost their power.  Only the circular
segments etched on the floor remained brightly lit, giving a stalwart and
spotlight luminous brillance to the emerging star of the show.  The dark
blanket started to fade, slowly revealing what had been hiding underneath.

A human-like figure was outlined, underneath the covers was a being almost
sixty feet tall.  This was, of course, EVA Unit 01, the original one.
Though, now with no armor and any cybernetic implant, it was hardly any
similar to its original figure.  It was now in its true form, naked and
sacred to Man's sights.  Yui and Kouzou were always amazed seeing the clone
of the Lilith this way.

"Hello, Professor."  The voice came through as a computer-like translated
speech, rather than what would normally be conceived as human speech.  Who
was talking though could not be compared to as human though, more of an
angel, perhaps.  Kouzou looked at Yui, obviously the clone of Lilith was
talking about his compatriot.

"Good afternoon, Lilith."  Yui spoke monotonous, directly towards a
unidirectional microphone in front of her terminal.  The computer would take
a second of two to properly transcribe the message for Lilith.   "We have
news."

Kouzou knew his cue from Yui's looking at him, that it was his turn to tell
the report.  "Lilith, this is Professor Fuyutsuki."  He waited for the
customary acknowledgement before continuing.  "I'm fine, thank you.  To
continue, We have successfully flight tested both Evangelion Alpha and Bravo
today.  They did superbly well during actual field conditions, especially
Asuka's Unit Bravo."

"I know they would."  The cryptic voice said over the speakers.  "What about
Ikari?"

Yui told the truth and Lilith took some time before responding.  "What are
you thinking, Lilith?"  Yui asked as she and Kouzou could only stare at each




other and wait.

"Yui, you know that I would not continue unless your husband is in safe
hands, correct?"  Lilith's tone was perfectly conveyed by the translation,
"But I feel the time is not on our side anymore."  Yui was disheartened.

Kouzou felt he had to say something.  "Lilith, how long do we have?"

"I already feel Adam, he's very angry now."  Lilith fell silent, the room
was glowing some more.  "Our mother can not stop him now.  And I feel, those
responsible for the first time would let him free again."  Kouzou knew what
Lilith was trying to say, even though it spoke in riddles that no layman
with little knowledge at what had happened the past twenty years would know
how to answer them.

"I see."  Kouzou turned to Yui, she had been crying silently.  "Lilith, can
we defeat him with the help of the EVAs?"

Lilith's glow started to receed, a misunderstanding, Kouzou thought.  "Why
do you want to experience bad things again?"  Lilith question was echoed
throughout the whole room, trembling the very foundations with the hint of
anger and dissapointment.

"No, its not that.  The comittee holds all the cards.  They have Adam, they
have the Spear of Longinus, they have the remains of all the Angels, and
they have Rei."  Kouzou felt a hand gripping on his sleeve.  He knew he
wasn't suppose to speak in such a tone to Lilith, but ... desperate times
call for desperate measures.  "They also have their own EVAs and may proceed
with the re-awakening of Adam even if we do succeed in destroying the
technology."  Yui had stopped her grieving and was standing behind Kouzou
and was holding on his sleeve.

"I see."  Lilith's shroud started appearing again.  "The continuance of
mankind is more important, I see."  The black curtain returned and was
covering Lilith once again.   "Very well, Fuyutsuki-sensei.  Adam and the
unknown Angels will have to be stopped first.  I trust you to do the rest
after."  The room started to relight again, the shields were powering up
again.  "Sayonara."

=-=-=-=-=

Evangelion Cage

"You mean to tell me," Misato seemed to have recovered quite well from her
surgery, " this is not the real, Unit-01?"  She was pointing at the purple
EVA that was inside the rather huge cage.  Maya, too, was curious at what
Ritsuko had to say about the EVA unit she had ridden to get here.

"Yes, that is the second generation.  A child of the first one, if you want
to call it that way."  Ritsuko gave an order, and a confirmation was heard
through the public announcement system.  "Here's the other one."  The roof
on the other side of the huge cage swung open, and slowly another
Evangelion, similar looking to the first one, was brought inside the cage.
Misato and Maya was amazed at seeing two identical EVAs.

"That is of course, Shinji-kun's EVA."  Kaji spoke.  "That's the real purple
EVA.  Asuka's EVA is actually colored red, just like her old Evangelion."
Kaji paused a moment, seeing the blank faces from the two guest.  "Eh, yes
it's true.  This one," he pointed to the nearer EVA, " is actually red."

"Which reminds me, if you were alive these past three years..." Misato was
glaring at Kaji, "why didn't you tell me!?"  Kaji was short for words.

"He did, many times actually."  Ritsuko gave some orders to a personnel.
"But, that implant inside of you made you...unreacheable, Misato."  The
personnel asked Ritsuko something, "Yes, return Unit Bravo back into it's
original color.  We won't need the disguise again."

"Implant?"  Maya asked.  Misato was feeling the back of her head, touching
the new scar of her body.

"Katsuragi, you don't really remember, do you?"  Kaji massaged Misato's
neck, but was deftly fended off.

"Let's continue this conversation at the cafeteria, won't we?" Ritsuko
stepped into the elevator with Maya following suit.  Kaji stepped inside the
elevator but Misato was still staring at the twin Evangelions, apparently
still in disbelief at the sudden turn of events and revelations.

"Evangelion Unit One, is this another one of your mystery?" Misato was still
by the railings, unnoticing the buzz of activity just above her head.
Whistles were blowing, hoses and pipes started jutting out the sides of the
cage. Just then, she felt the drops of water hitting her.  "Aiyee!!  Wait
for me!"

=-=-=-=-=

NERV Headquarters
Tokyo-3, Japan

Commander Maria Usagi had just come off the elevators and was heading back
to her office when she noticed a familiar face sitting just outside the
infirmary.  "Well, hello there, Rei.  What brings you all the way out here
at the medical wing?"  She stopped in front of the somewhat surprised First
Children.

"Um, hello there, Commander." Rei stared at the doorway leading inside the
medical facilities briefly, "I just accompanied my friend here."  She bit
her lip, hoping against any further questions she'd be forced to lie to.

Maria also stared at the doors, thinking for a moment who it could be.  Just
then, she remembered who it was.  "Ah, I see.  You better tell Major
Katsuragi to cut down on her beer rations.  Understood?"  Rei blinked a few
times before realizing her luck.  She nodded at her superior.

"I will, Commander."  Rei said as Commander Usagi continued on her way.  Rei
slumped on the bench, quite relieved at the case of mistaken identity the
Commander of NERV had made.  The doorway soon opened a few minutes later and
out came two young teens.  It was obvious that these two pilots were arguing
again.

"I told you to take this seriously, Suzahara.  But, what?  You completely
ignored me!"  Hikari shouted at her companion.

"Oh, come on.  I just missed two rehab session.  I won't die if I just
missed two.  Besides, the doctor said so himself that I'm almost near full
recovery."  Touji remarked as he picked up his backpack that he had left
with Rei on the bench.

"You should be thankful that I'm making sure you complete your
rehabilitation, Touji."  Hikari said as the three started off towards the
nearby elevators.  "You've got one more session left, and then you don't
have to wear those mechanical implants anymore."  She pushed the elevator
button and the door swung open almost instantaneously.

Touji stared at his left arm and leg, both were biological-mechanical
appendages given to him.  "Yeah, I'll be glad to finally move these things
without the extra weight on them."

"I'm sure someone else will be happy to see that you're back to normal,
Touji-kun."  Rei mused to both of her friends.  Touji and Hikari just stared
at each other, with Hikari blushing at the same time.

=-=-=-=-=

5th Branch, NERV
Arizona desert, United States of America

Asuka walked on the moving conveyor belt down to the second level of the
headquarters.  She noted the numerous changes she saw within the base.
Walking into and out the facility had been lax than when it was when she was
last here.  The use of the passcards were no longer necessary in some of the
more inconspicuous places, especially outside at the Geofront.  It would
seem like the outer facility had turned into some kind of amusement park,
since a lot of the more less important facilities were open to the general
public. She was suprise to see numerous civilians walking around, they were
taking snapshots and were having picnics on the fringes of the lake.

She reached the second level and was about to come off the conveyor when she
noticed a younger girl getting on it just ahead of her.  She wasn't all that
familiar to her, but what struck her was the writing on the back of this
girl's shirt.  "Pilot 35?"  The girl turned around, apparently hearing her
name somehow.  "Ulk.  Um, hello."

"Yes, what do you want?"  Trisha looked cross and was obviously in a bad
mood.  She had just come from her father's office, and from her apparent
foul mood, anyone can deduce that something bad must have happened.

"Eh, nothing really.  I just noticed what was written on your back."  Asuka
smiled, hoping to come off their discussion without arousing too much
suspicion.

"That's my designation, all EVA pilots have it."  Trisha stared intently at
this young woman who was harrassing her.  She wasn't being harrassed,
really.  It's just that she was really angry at the moment, and it would
seem that this was her time to vent off some steam.  "And I'm really the
number one pilot, you know."  Asuka couldn't help giggle.  "What's so
funny?!"

"Nothing, nothing at all."  Asuka walked away towards the elevators, still
gigling, thus irking Trisha further.  "Geez, these newbies should really
have their heads checked or something."  she said to no one particular, as
she waited for the elevator door to open.  She didn't notice that the young
pilot had followed her and she was really fuming now.  When the elevator
doors open, Asuka was surprised to be pushed inside.

"Hey!  What the hell..." Asuka realized it was the EVA pilot who had pushed
her, "do you think you're doing?!"  She never backed down from a fight
before, and she wasn't about to do that now, even if she was facing a kid
four years younger than her.

"What did you mean by that?" Trisha raised an accusing finger at Asuka, the
elevator had not moved since no one had bothered to push a button.  "You
should know that I topped the EVA pilot competion for two years in a row
now."

"Oh, yeah?  I heard you weren't even able to bring down one EVA today."
Asuka smirked, recalling the EVANGELION she had to face this morning.  They
stared and eyeballed each other, they moved around, Asuka was near the doors
now.

Trisha was pissed.  "That was not an EVA unit.  That was an Angel, you...you
fool!"

"Hey, that's my line!"  Asuka blurted without really thinking.  "I
mean...eh...Really? An Angel, now that I didn't know." She was obviously
lying.  "So, what's your name, kid?"  Asuka toned down, realizing her
curiosity about the girl was more than what she had first thought.  She
pushed a button.  The elevator started moving, in front of her the young
girl was still glaring and angry.

"Stevenson, Trisha...EVA pilot..."  Asuka waved her hand before Trisha could
continue, "huh?"

"Yeah, I know...Unit 35 A Pilot...I read your back, missy."  Asuka realize
the elevator had not started, neither descending or ascending.  She reached
behind and pushed one of the buttons.  "So, what's bugging you, eh?
Trisha...Steve..."  Asuka looked surprised a bit, something in her thoughts
preoccupied her.

"Stevenson, as in Major Stevenson...Base Commander....remember?"  Trisha
crossed her arms, a smirk grew on her face...waiting for the apologies from
the other girl inside the elevator.  Unfortunately, she never heard of
Asuka.

"Oh, yeah."  Asuka stared curiously now at Trisha, "So you are Major
Stevenson's daughter, right?"  Just then the counter stopped at eight, "Ah!
My floor...nice meeting you Pilot 35...Trisha," Asuka stepped out the
elevator doors before Trisha could react.  She pushed a row of buttons in
the inside console and pushed for the doors to close.  "Have a nice trip!"
She waved as the doors quickly closed, leaving the young EVA pilot inside.
She turned around and walked away, happily chuckling at her recent triumph.
She looked back upon hearing the wails of a young girl trapped inside a very
small space.  "Yeah, right?!".

=-=-=-=-=

NERV Headquarters
Tokyo-3, Japan

Commander Usagi was going over the department reports she had ordered for
just after the incident that had happened this morning.  Unit 01 had
appeared out of nowhere, and the worst thing was that they were caught flat
footed.  A real embarassment, for now, a real dangerous faux pas if
something of a different nature was on the renegade's mind.  "What were you
doing here, Unit 01? " Maria asked herself, looking strangely at the few
surveilance photos they manage to take before the EVA disappeared again.

A knock came through her door, and the same suspicious man came in.  "Are
you going to leave...so soon?"  Her voice betrayed her enthusiasm.

"This just came in from the UN Council."  He handed a brown Manila envelop
still sealed.  "We are to raise all bases awareness to combat readiness,
level red I pressume."  Maria stared at the man as she quickly tore up the
seal.  She just browsed through the pre-made document, but she was already
told of her new orders.

"Is the comitee expecting anything?"  Maria picked up her phone, soon she'll
be talking to her second in command.

"Yes, " The man opened the door for himself, "Unit 01."  Somehow, the answer
didn't surprise the NERV commander.  "I'll be on my way to the 5th Branch."
The doors closed behind him.

"Shigeru, raise alert level to code red."  Maria took one more look at the
reports she had in her hands, the first time she had ordered a complete
facility report in years.  "Yes, I'm not joking.  Place all Evangelions on
full alert, with two by two parties on patrol."  Maria replaced the
receiver.  A short time later, horns and alarms started sounding off all of
the headquarters of NERV.

=-=-=-=-=

5th Branch of NERV
Arizona desert, US

Asuka found her way inside one of the Evangelion cages, and she was alone
with some of the technical crews.  They didn't seem to notice her slid into
one of the ferry boats, so she quietly rode towards the nearest docked EVA.
She cut off the boat's engine and guided her craft down the centerling of
the EVA, feeling the side of the huge beast inside the dark cage.  She towed
her craft behind the head, searching for a control panel like box.  She
reached the small of the EVA's neck.  "Finally!"  She muttered as she pulled
her craft closer.  The neck had several armor plates nested one over the
other, so Asuka had to reach under the primary armor plate to get to the
control panel she needed.

"Beep.  Beep."

Asuka grimaced, reaching for her communicator in disgust.  She looked
around, but fortunately the tones fell in deaf ears, or she would have beend
caught.  "Damn it!  Who's calling me at this hour?"  Asuka had already
reached the control panel buried underneath several retracting plates when
she finally heard the voice on the line.

"Asuka, are you there?"

"Shinji?  What are you doing?"  Asuka looked at her communicator, about to
blow off a shout at it, but realized her present condition of covertness
just in time.  She whispered.  "Shinji-BAKA, I can't talk right now?"  Asuka
was about to shut her phone permanently when she heard Shinji beg.  "What is
it now?"

"I...I..." His voice was staggared, a bit fearing of dread or so Asuka felt.
"Asuka, I met Rei today..."

"Sheeze, that's the big surprised you're telling me?  We'll take later, Ok."
Asuka reached forward and inserted some sort of keycard into a slot.  Soon
afterwards, a small keyboard like panel uncovered itself.  "I  said we'll
take later, Ok."  She invoked out of the diagnostic programs that were built
into the EVA.

"But, but..."

"Stop butting me, Shinji-kun.  I'm hanging up now."  Asuka reached one of
the menus that was asking for a password that would initiate a specic stored
program.  "I don't care what happened."

"But, but..."

Asuka smiled, realizing she and Shinji were playing hard to get again.  She
always loved it, especially that it was Shinji that preoccupied her.  "Type
in password..."  She muttered to herself, "Yui, Ikari."  A few short beeps
followed shortly and the panel receeded back within the EVA.  "There..."

"She kissed me!"  The words flooded across Asuka's senses, freezing her at
the instant.

"Asuka?  Asuka...click..."  The line went dead, Asuka held the phone down.
Her shocked eyes still staring at the dark outline of her communicator.  Her
breathing was inconsistent, her eyes were dimming, closing, flowing out the
tears she thought she'd never had to bear again.  The phone rang again.

She wiped her eyes clean, she composed herself.  "Yes?"  Hoping it wasn't
Shinji again, but that possibility was far off from her mind.

"Asuka, this is Ritsuko."  Asuka was surprised and elated a bit, hearing her
mentor's voice instead of Shinji's.  Inside of her the opposite was the
same.  Somehow she could flip herself into a full 360 degree turn in mood
swings.  She only wondered how she could get back to her self again, after
hearing those words from Shinji.  "Asuka?  Asuka?"  She realized she wasn't
paying attention.

"Yes, what is it now?  I'm trying to do a misson, here, remember?"  Asuka
took out her special passcard and quickly close the armor panel she had
opened.

"Cancel the misson, Asuka.  We'll be needing those EVANGELIONs after all."

"What?"  A shock fell on Asuka, "I've been training for weeks getting
this....this...grope in the dark technique of yours down to the minute
detail, and now you're telling me that we're not going through with it?"  A
'um' came as the response.  "Thought so....What happened?"

"We'll debrief you later, right now you stay low for a while.  We'll be
returning Maya back very soon.  Certain parameters were changed for the
total mission, so we'll be needing all the help we can get....even from
NERV, and the hundred or more EVANGELIONS around."  Asuka was sorely
disappointed.

"Make that less than one, Ritsuko-san."  Asuka finally shut off her
communicator, a mix of emotions was within her.  She just rowed out of the
purplish waters, quiet and still.  Her thoughts were in chaos and a
goodnight rest would probably help her...get away from it all.  She could
only hope the coming dawn shows her the answer to her troubles.

=-=-=-=-=

End of Chapter

=-=-=-=-=



Chapter 4  Secrets

=-=-=-=-=

2019 AD.
5th Branch, NERV
Arizona Desert


"Asuka Langley, special liason officer reporting for duty,"  said a
spirited young woman at the checkpoint.  Two border guards looked at her
passcard and work papers before they let her into the compound.  Trucks
and people literally flowed around the facility but these things didn't
even intimidate the newcomer as she calmly walked towards the second
gate.  Once through the security, she quickly headed towards the nearest
building, the training center of the 5th Branch of NERV.

The center was a small building from the outside, but just like any
iceberg the bulk of the facility was hidden underground.  It's a
trademark NERV building, Asuka noted.  Passcard checkpoints, long
escalators towards the lower levels.  Hardly anyone she met was smiling.
Typical, she thought.

Recalling the plans in her head, she stepped into a rather unpopulated
hallway.  A few lights illuminated the way, but she knew exactly where
she was going.  It wasn't her first mission, but with the change of
plans Dr. Akagi introduced last night, she didn't mind mingling with the
crowd in reaching her objectives.

Asuka quickly found her way towards her new supervisor's office. She had
to report to a certain Lieutenant as Makoto had arranged.  "Lieutenant
Aki, I've been instructed to report to you this morning, sir."  It was
hard for her to speak the way she just did towards a total stranger who
she knows was no superior to her, but she had to try.  She even
practiced last night in front of a mirror, but this time she was
confronted by a total stranger.  "I mean, Professor Hyuuga had just..."

Lieutenant Aki, a not that tall, brown hair and frail looking officer
was busy piling up several files into his bag.  Asuka thought she was
not heard so she knocked on the door again.  "Corporal Langley reporting
for duty, Lieutenant."

"Excuse me, will you please step with me out of my office for a while,"
the young officer hurriedly left the room, leaving a stupefied and
rather irate young lady behind.  Noticing that no one was following him,
he quickly turned around and peeked into his office again.  "Well,
miss....Langley, right?  Shall we?"

"Um, sure."  Asuka kept her cool just in time, or her immediate
superior's trash bin would have found the pointed end of her step-ins.
"I mean, yes sir."

=-=-=-=-=

Tokyo-3, Japan

Misato placed her passcard down on the table.  She had just returned
from a long trip, a tiring one at that.  She had to be blindfolded and
tied up all the way back from that place...that facility which was
housing the two Evangelions that are not anymore associated with NERV.
Well, she wasn't actually blindfolded, she told herself as she reached
into her fridge to grab a drink.  "Darn, those plugs could sure use a
co-pilot seat,"  she spoke in between sips.

"Misato?"  Rei whispered surprisingly out of one corner of the room near
the corridor.

"Rei?!!"  Misato almost lost her balance and fell off her chair being
caught off guard by her roommate.  "How long have you been there in the
darkness?"

"What darkness?"  Rei stepped out into the light and she was still in
her school uniform.   "I just arrived."

"You did?"  Misato looked down her beer can and noticed she had not yet
opened it.  "My, I sure am slow today."  She reached for the tab and
broke open her drink.

"Where have you been, Major?"  Rei spoke rather seriously.

"Huh?  Nowhere," Misato sat down by the table and had another large sip
of her drink, "nowhere particular, Rei..."  Only by her third sip did
she finally realize the slight obnoxious sensation she was feeling.
"Bleach...What the?"  She turned to look at her beer can, but it wasn't
beer at all...but tea.

"Commander Usagi ordered the confiscation of all liquor within this city
block, Misato-san."  Rei sat down as well, "I had nothing to do with
that." Misato glared at the tin can on her hand, quickly her fingers
tightened apparently disapproving the beverage.

"Arrgh!"  Misato's head ached, her stress levels were high and
aggravated the fresh wound at the back of her neck.  "How does that
woman expect me to think clearly with...with," she tried to read the
crumpled label, "Black Emerald Tea!!"  The can sailed across the room
and hit the back end of the wall, where it promptly fell and deposited
itself into an expecting trash bin.

"I...I," Rei tried to speak above her roommate's bitching, "I did stash
away several packs of your beer with Pen-pen, though."

Misato's reaction was as expected. "Where?....Pen-pen!"  She dug
underneath the cooler, pulled out her penguin pet and grabbed a real
drink.  "Ah, Arigato Rei.  I would be in your debt."  The can didn't
take long to empty itself down Misato's raging thirst.

"If that is the case, Katsuragi-san, can you tell me where EVA Unit 01
is?" Rei stood up at the same time.

"Nope," Misato finished one can and was about to grab another, "I was
unconscious, remember."  Her eye was peeking through her raised can of
beer.

"I see." Rei turned around and walked away.  She turned a corner and
entered her room.

Misato stood by herself for a while thinking.  Her senses may be fooling
her, but there was something ... something suspicious in Rei's question.
She just had a gut feeling about it and stuck to it.  Her surgery must
have cured her, as she was supposed to believe after being told a
bizarre story just before she left her friend, Ritsuko Akagi, a few
hours ago.  "Damn, I can't trust anyone, anymore.  What's the world
coming to?"

=-=-=-=-=

Evangelion Training Center
Fifth Brach, NERV

"Asuka...is that right?"

The red head nervously shook her head.  They had just passed several
security check points, all of which she had no pass cards for.  The
moving walkway had a curving direction, heading west, away from the
nearest Evangelion cages she had been briefed on when she first laid
eyes on the plans for the fifth branch.  "Yes, sir."

"Very well, then.  Professor Hyuuga will require us,"  Lieutenant Aki
opened a folder and browsed through its contents, "to provide some sort
of physical and psychological guidance to these children."  Just then
the gateway ahead opened letting in a howling rush of wind that Asuka
was all to familiar with.

"In other words?"  Asuka glanced off her right, several EVAs were parked
neatly in a row.  She mentally noted their number, how much they looked
so much uglier than her own EVA, and that of her original Unit 02...and
basically some daydreaming of her own outside the envelope of her
mission.

"Babysitting, yes I know."  Aki stepped off the walkway without her
companion noticing, "It's a thankless job but..."

Asuka took several long strides just to get to the platform her
immediate superior had turned off.  "Gah...Why didn't you tell me we
were getting off this level..." her breathing hard amused the numerous
technicians around the huge Evangelion cages.

"There's nothing ahead but the Engineering and Waste Management
Sections, Corporal."  Lieutenant Aki walked on ahead, "Come now, Asuka.
We've got a whole day ahead of us."

"Why you!"  Asuka said under her breath as she forced herself to walk
across the platform.  For some reason, she was beginning to not like the
situation she's been placed into.  But the day was just starting, she
thought as the two stopped in front of a doorway leading to what she
guessed were the locker rooms.  She was right.

=-=-=-=-=

Tokyo-3, Evangelion Cage

Touji started climbing down the stairs from the platform where he had
emerged from his Eva's plug.  He entered the nearest hallway and entered
the locker room.  He checked his watch after undressing and noted that
he had enough time.

"Time for what?" Kensuke asked from the other side of the room, as he
too was dressing.

"Nothing, just some errand."  Touji laced up his sneakers and paused for
a moment, silently caressing the leg he had raised up on the bench.

"For you sister?"  Kensuke's plug suit compressed to form on his body.

"Nope.  For me."  Touji grabbed his sports bag and waved to Kensuke from
the doorway.  "Sayonara, Aida-kun."

=-=-=-=-=

Shinji checked his uniform.  Orange and sparkling clean.  Somehow he
hated it.  He never thought he'd be good at anything but piloting an
Evangelion, but it seems his new job now was quite suited for his
purpose.  He was inconspicuous in his get up since about a hundred more
of his fellow orange dressed handy men were all over NERV HQ.  He only
had to do odd jobs.  Checking the  machines and handling the cleaning
and maintenance around the Evangelions.  He was perfect.  No one would
recognize him, or so he thought.

"Shinji." whispered Touji from behind.

"Oi!"

"Calm down, It's only me." Touji walked into the shadows with Shinji.

"I still can't believe you saw through my disguise, Touiji-kun."  Shinji
remarked as he lead his friend through a series of corridors and finally
ending in a supply room.

"What disguise?" Touji kidded, recalling his luck that he had bumped
into Shinji in his haste coming from his apartment before he started his
patrol that night.  "Surely, you don't think no one will recognize you
in that utility man outfit?"

"Kensuke-san already past me by a while ago." Shinji answered.

"Damn, Aida-kun is sure an idiot." Touji joked as he made room on a
tabletop for him to sit on.  "So, Shinji.  What's your story?"

Shinji leaned back on the door, crossing his arms.  "I...I don't know
where to start."

"Well, I didn't come back from patrol early to hear sob story you may
have compared to what had happened here these past four years, but I'm
sure..." Touji crossed his arms "...you've got one hell of an
interesting story."

"What happened here?"  Shinji asked.

"Hey, I asked you first!"  Touji retorted.

"Very well.  Why don't you just ask me specific questions, 'coz we both
don't have much time."  Shinji checked his watch, noting that his break
was almost over.

"Okay.  First question,"  Touji thought for a second.  "Here's a good
one.  What the hell happened to you all these years?"

"Touji!  That's not fair."  Shinji said.  "Specific ones, that's all I
can answer."

Touji jumped off the table and confronted Shinji.  "It doesn't matter,
Shinji.  What ever happened to you...that's in the past now."  Touji
held on Shinji's shoulder.  "What I do want to know is what do we do
now?  Where do we go from here, Shinji-kun?"

"A...Arigato, Touji-kun." Shinji bowed his head.

=-=-=-=-=

Central Dogma,
5th Branch NERV

Makoto Hyuuga arrived just in time to see something he never sees too
often enough.  His wife, Maya was sleeping in her station.  He corrected
himself, her old station, just right of the computers operating the
Evangelion sensory and feedback equipment.  He smiled, recalling the
good old days back at the Geofront of NERV HQ.  Although that was long
ago and in the opposite side of the world now, just looking at Maya now,
peacefully asleep somehow rekindled those memories.

He sat over his old station.  The touch of the keypads and the newer and
lighter headsets didn't really feel like what he was used to years ago.
But the senses can be ignored for now, his mind was entering Alpha, or
so what his wife would say any other time.  To him, the silence was
making him sleep, and dream.

"Makoto?"  He snapped out of Beta stage instantly...or he just woke up
feeling his head.  Maya was clutching on his arm.  "I didn't notice you
come in here."

"Maya, I..."  He reseated his glasses, "I just saw you sleeping over
there and thought I might as well join you."

"You mean I dozed off?  Impossible."  Maya looked around, and true to
what she had just heard everyone else was waking up.  In fact a hundred
moans quickly filled the Central Dogma moments later, dozens of
technicians and controllers all waking up simultaneously from their
stations.  "What the..."

Makoto stood up and witnessed something amazing.  It would seem that the
whole night shift had been sleeping, for how long, he didn't know.

"What happened?"  A rough sounding voice asked from behind.

"Major Stevenson, you too?"  Makoto helped the base commander to a
nearby seat realizing the major was still feeling the after effects of
whatever that had caused everyone to lose consciousness.  "How do you
feel?"

"I feel I need an aspirin the size of Texas!  For heaven's sake, what
the hell happened here?!"

"It seems that at one point tonight, everyone here fell asleep, Major.
What caused this I still do not know."  Maya had just come back after
receiving spot checks from her people on the lower levels of the control
room.  "And for what?"

Makoto made cursory checks on all vital stations of the fifth branch,
but nothing untoward were reported.  Nothing missing, no attacks of any
kind.  "Every thing seems to be normal, the computers seems to have
detected nothing during our snooze."  He punched a few more buttons so
that the computer display cycled through the rest of the non-vital
areas.

"Wait!  Stop the screen right there."  Major Stevenson shouted.  Makoto
did as asked, he used a knob to zoom in on what looked like a huge stock
room.  Cases of non-military equipment were in piles, and the place
looked deserted, but secure.

"Nothing seems to be missing."  Maya said.

The huge computer screen had a split view.  The right was a table of
environmental readings of that particular section of the fifth branch, a
storage well deep within the central building block.  The left side was
showing a real time 3d representation of that particular storage hold.

"My God!  It's gone."  Major Stevenson stood up in shock.  "What...who?"
He stepped and stumbled back.

Makoto adjusted several more controls, his wife was curious as well, and
the left picture suddenly zoomed into a more photographic resolution of
the huge storage area.  "Gone, what?"

"What? What are you talking about, Major?"  Maya asked.

Stevenson had already left the platform, running from a terror neither
Makoto nor Maya can't comprehend for now.  Instinctively, they asked a
higher knowledge.  "Well, if he won't answer us, I'll ask HADES."  Maya
sat down on her terminal and punched in her security clearance.

"Good Day, Professor Ibuki.  How may I help you?"

Makoto frowned and stared at his wife, "Ibuki?"

"Um...Ritsuko-sempai's joke...she was the one that created this new
supercomputer, remember?"  Maya smiled and went to work.  "Here's an
inventory list of the things stored in that area.  The list scrolled
down and both of their eyes skillfully followed the lines.

"Hmm...All non military artifacts.  Construction equipment,"  Maya said.

"Yeah, nothing extra ordinary," Makoto leaned his face closer to his
wife, "remind me to reprogram HADES."  A shriek from Maya almost made
him stumbled.  "Was it something I said?"

Maya turned to Makoto, a arm pointing to the last item on the list.  It
was listed as para-military, and was an Alpha classified item.  "That's
unusual, having an Alpha classific..." Makoto was dumbfounded when his
eyes reached the item's description.  "S. Longinus, Project HCP."

=-=-=-=-=

Training Center
NERV 5th branch


"Everyone, this is Corporal Langley, she'll be here to assist me,"
Lieutenant Aki spoke in front of the classroom filled with young pilots.
The scene just raised a cold chill down Asuka's spine.  "Listen.
Everyone will be taking patrol shifts starting today, as per orders."

"Does this mean we're going to use our Evas everyday, Aki-kun?!" A
spirited hand raised to ask.

"Yes, Pilot 40 B.  Even backups will play a part in this exercise.
But this won't be like any other training exercises you all have gone
through." Lieutenant Aki tried to downplay the situation, but none of
the children were listening after jubilation echoed around the room
upon hearing that piece of news.

"Poor kids.  They're not even called by their first names." Asuka said
in the midst of the celebration.  She caught sight of one particular
girl though not at all in a festive mood.  "That's her."

"Trisha, is there a problem?"  Aki shouted out to get his voice above
everyone else.  The room fell silent all of a sudden, as if everyone
knew what was troubling the pilot of Evangelion Unit 35.  "Trisha?!"

The focus was on this 14 year old, the 35th child to ever pilot an EVA.
But everyone knew her by name.  She looked back at the Lieutenant that
spoke her name, but the glassy eyed teen was far from the motion of
acknowledging the call.  "I...I..." she cried.  She ran out of the room
in desperation.

"Trisha!"  Aki shouted.

Asuka's eyes followed Trisha's departure from the room, somehow she felt
sympathy for no apparent reason.  Something in those tears, she said to
herself.  "I'll take care of this, Lieutenant."  Asuka said as she
followed the trail of tears out of the room.

=-=-=-=-=

NERV HQ
Tokyo - 3, Japan.


"What? You mean that crazy girl is working with you?" Touji's reaction
was unexpected and Shinji had to check the hallway if someone might have
been an earshot away from the supply room they were coop up in.  "What's
wrong with you, Shinji?"

"Asuka is not crazy,"  Shinji said.

"That's not what her last psychological evaluation said,"  Touji told
Shinji about Asuka's last days with NERV.

"Asuka...was depressed, that's all," Shinji retorted.

Touji smelled a rat.  "Shinji. How is Asuka in bed?"  A grin formed on
his face.

"Well...Hey, why you!"  Shinji grabbed Touji by the collar.

"Ah, ha!  So just as I thought!"  Touji flinched as Shinji's fist came
smack right into his face.  "Oww!"

"I...I can't think!"  Shinji felt an intense pain up on his head.
"I can't think!"

Touji stood up, seeing Shinji on the floor grimacing in pain, he still
had the urge to kick his ass.  But somehow he laughed instead.

"You think this is funny!"

"No.  Your conscience is eating you up, Shinji.  That's what's funny."
Touji continued chuckling while helping Shinji up, swatting Shinji's
hands away from his head.  "That kiss from Rei must be eating a big hole
in there," He pointed at Shinji's chest.  "That's where you're suppose
to feel it, not here." He pointed up on Shinji's head this time.

"Baka!  I'm so stupid."  Shinji slumped on the table, abit crying.  "I
shouldn't have told her that Rei kissed me.  Now she hates me more that
ever."

"Hey, big deal.  She still loves you."  Touji said as he checked his
watch.

"How would you know?"  Shinji asked.

"Listen, what's the worse that could happen?"

=-=-=-=-=

Fifth Branch, NERV
Arizona Desert

Trisha found herself running to the one place that gave her peace.  She
had climbed into EVA Unit 35 on her own and felt relaxed.  She wiped the
dried tears off her face and tried collecting herself to think.  That
was when she heard a knock.  A metallic sounding knock.

"Who's there?"

"Open up,  I want to talk to you."

"Go away, I don't want to talk to anyone!" Trisha didn't have a clue on
who was looking for her just outside her Evangelion, and turning on the
external cameras were out of the question since her Eva wasn't plugged
to a power source at the moment, she thought.

WHRRLLL!!

"What the?"  Trisha's Eva started to shake.  That's when a mental
impulse hit her head.

"EVA Unit 35 Power Source Activated.  Initiating 10% delay on S2 engine
in 30 seconds."

"The Eva thinks I want it started."  Trisha thought.  It was her
thoughts that triggered her Unit to activate its internal power.
"Stupid machine."

"Evangelion Unit 35 S2 Engine online in 3...2...1...Welcome, Trisha
Stevenson, and I am not stupid."

Trisha blinked a few times in surprise.  "You can talk?"

"I have been programmed to respond to your thoughts. I'm suppose to
believe that you knew that?"

Trisha cleared her head and thought.  "Oh, yeah.  Right.  I forgot."
She embarrassingly admitted that all EVAs were equipped with voice
synthesis for years now.  "Gomen."

"Hey!  Are you going to let me in or what?!"  The Voice came from
outside, and no sooner had she thought about it, external cameras were
brought online.  Several pop up windows came up, zooms of a young woman
standing just outside the catwalk leading to her Eva came into focus.

"Who are you?" Trisha asked, but she knew the girl wouldn't hear her.
Instead several new windows popped up, a search request ensued and a
resulting screen flashed in front of her.

"Person identified as Soryuu, Asuka Langley.  Evangelion Unit 02 Pilot.
Second Children."

Trisha had to read the printout again.  "Did you say, Second Children?"

"I think I did."  The Computerized voice of her Eva spoke.  "I know I
did."  A few clicks and beeps then started a new search request.
Several screens popped up showing classified pictures of the second
children.

"But, this was about four years ago."  Trisha was completely amazed,
here was the second children, a total stranger to her, and yet just
looking at the photos of her made her skin crawl.  "Incredible, she's
like a 17 year old version of the ones in these file photos."

"It has been three years since she was last affiliated with NERV."

Suddenly she heard it.  A sharp metallic sound.  External cameras
adjusted to her thoughts.

=-=-=-=-=

"Are you going to stay there all day, young lady!  Or do I have to get a
can opener and pry you out of that pathetic clamshell you call an EVA."
Asuka hit the Evangelion again with the toe of her heels, and it seems
she's not getting much from her actions.  "Shit!  I think I broke a
nail."

"Are...are you the second children?"  Came the voice from within the
EVA.

Asuka almost fell down hearing those words fill the evangelion cage.
She struggled up, looking around to see if anyone had heard it.  Luckily
they were the only one in that rather spacious room at that time.  "What
the...let me in there now!"  Asuka was getting desperate about not
getting her cover blown by the same kid she kicked ass a few days ago.

"Alright.  Come on in."  The head of the Eva popped forward and the gate
occluding the plug snapped open.  Asuka jumped right in.

=-=-=-=-=

"It's you, It's really you."  Trisha exclaimed as Asuka made her way
down the plug.

"Of course its her, that was what I was telling you all this time."

Asuka blinked after hearing that strange voice of someone inside the
plug as well.  "Who was that?"

"You...can hear it?"  Trisha was doubtful, she thought that all EVA were
uniquely synchronized with their particular pilots and backups.

"It?  Who was talking?"  Asuka leaned on one side of the plug,
apparently the plugs on these new Evangelions are much bigger now.
"You mean that..." Asuka pointed up.

Trisha nodded, "Yes that's the voice of this Unit.  Evangelion Unit 35.

=-=-=-=-=

Tokyo-3, Evangelion Cage


"Kensuke, let's go!"  Hikari shouted from her Evangelion as she jumped
into her plug.  Kensuke was about to do the same when he noticed Touji
emerge from a distant hallway opening.

"Touji!  Touji!  I thought you left early!"  He shouldn't have wasted
his breath since it was a clear fifty feet from where he was to his
friend.  So he jumped into his Eva thinking nothing of it.  Inside he
relaxed and soon he would be in synch with the bio neural computer that
was installed.

"Eva started, Welcome."

"I wonder when will they install those layman algo-logic into our
Evas??" He thought.  "I know that these things are a lot older than
those models from America, but still..." His external camera views came
online and just in time, he zoomed in to where he last saw Touji.
"Hmm...you're hiding something, Suzahara.  Probably a girl I don't
know."

"What!!!"

Kensuke cringed in his seat, his ears must have received a full 80
decibels with that high pitch amplified scream through the radio.
"Aaaaaaa!!!  Hikari, don't ever...I mean EVER do that again!!!"  A
picture screen of the other EVA pilot popped up.

"Where is he?!  Where is Suzahara?!"  Hikari was almost tempted in
grabbing a hologram phone just to strangle the answer off Kensuke.

"Will you relax, Hikari-san.  He's just over that way, he seem to be
talking to one of the maintenance crew!  Okey!!!"  Kensuke extended his
arm pointing towards the backside of the Evangelion cage.

"Oh...oh!  Okay.  For a minute there I thought you said he had another
girl.  Unforgivable!"  Hikari zoomed in on Touji, he seemed to be
bidding farewell to the guy in orange.  "Funny."

"What's funny?!"  Kensuke was preparing his Evangelion to latch on one
of those launch pads near him.

"For a second there, I thought the guy in orange was Ikari-kun."  Hikari
felt the snapping clamps, telling her her Eva was secured on the ramp.
"Don't you think its funny?"  A number flashed on the upper right hand
corner of her screen.

Kensuke had a better angle so he zoomed in at the fullest.  The number
on his screen was counting down. "Hey,  that...that is Ikari-kun...I
mean."  Three...Two...

"What?! Are you sure?"  One... "Ikari-kun!!!"

"Shinji!!!"  Kensuke turned on his external speakers just as the horn
that sounded liftoff filled the cages.

=-=-=-=-=

"What the..."  Shinji and Touji turned around, seeing two Evangelion
being carried topside.  To their bewilderment, the two Units seems to be
calling out his name.  "Can't be..."

"Son of a . . .Leave it to Kensuke and Hikari to blow your cover..."
Touji held his hand on the railings just as a billowing gush of wind
swept through their part of the cage.  "You'd think he'd find a better
way of announcing your return, eh?"  He turned around...but Shinji was
gone.  "Shinji?"  He looked back at the corridor they had come from, but
no one was there.  "There he goes again.  Dissappearing from sight seems
a talent he'd learn since that day...that day he left,"  He said to
himself.  He picked up his things again and went on his way.

=-=-=-=-=

Central Dogma
Tokyo-3


Misato almost fell off her chair when she heard the two Evangelions
launching off the cages.  "Baka, those two..."

"Misato, was it just me...or did Aida-kun and Hikari just said...Shinji
Ikari?"  Shigeru came over to Misato's station.

"Shinji?  Why in the world would they say that?" Misato gulped for a
drink, trying to avoid answering any more questions about the matter.

"I see." Shigeru was about to leave Misato alone, when Kensuke and
Hikari's view screen popped inside the Central Dogma.

"Misa...Misato-san!  Misato-san..."  Both teens where in
incomprehensible excitement.  "We saw..."

Misato slammed her cup on the console, shattering it into a hundred
pieces.  "You two concentrate on your mission!"  Shigeru and everyone on
the platform were flabbergasted at Misato's sudden outburst.  Her first
in recent years.  "You just concentrate on your patrol.  Is that
understood?!"

"But..." Hikari meekly responded.

"Hai, Major Katsuragi," Kensuke nodded, "we'll focus on our patrol.
Over and out."  Kensuke's screen disappeared, and Hikari's view a moment
later.

"Hmm...Those fools."  Misato was about to leave when Shigeru blocked her
way.  "What now?"

"We better get you to Infirmary, Katsuragi-san."  Shigeru pointed to
Misato's crimson red hand.

"Ack!  How'd I . . ."  Misato was about to take off her jacket to cover
her lacerated hand when Shigeru came over and wrapped her hand with a
piece of cloth torn off his uniform.  "Arigato."

"Look.  I know you've been through a lot lately, Misato.  Let me help
you."  Shigeru tied the ends of the cloth together.  "We are...friends,
right?"

Misato paused, "Right."  She walked with Shigeru towards the elevator.
"So how much do you know, Shigeru?" she whispered.

"I only know that she is alive.  I'm sure of it."  Shigeru said while
the elevator went down.  "Sometimes, it shows in her handiwork."

"The two Unit 01's, you mean?"

"Oh, she made two this time?  Interesting."  Shigeru smirked.

"Ack! I'm such a fool!"  Misato lamented, gritting her teeth after
realizing she had been tricked.

"Relax Katsuragi-san.  Right now we had better see to that hand of
yours.  Then we'll talk...on the beginning of the end."  The elevator
opened at the 5th level, Medical wing.

"You're such a pessimist, Shigeru."  Misato sat down, attending to her
bleeding arm.  "You know that we'll stop that from happening, like we
did the last time."

Shigeru spoke to the chief nurse and soon a crew of medical attendants
and a bed was ready to take Misato.

"The last time, we were lucky because of the quick thinking of Shinji
and Professor Fuyutsuki.  Let's hope we'll be as lucky this time
around."  Shigeru waved goodbye to Misato.

"Of course we'll win again."  Misato climbed on bed and reflected.  Not
another operation, she thought.  "I'm getting used to this surgery
stuff, I better take care of myself from now on."  She said jokingly as
she disappeared through the doorways.  "I hate this."

=-=-=-=-=

Fifth Branch
NERV

Shinji emerged from a doorway and scouted his surroundings.  Somehow he
ended up outside the facility, right around the entrance into the
pyramidal complex.  He walked a few blocks down the street he was so
familiar with.  Traffic nowadays were less than when he used to
remember.  Maybe it was because of the alert status the Geofront was
currently in, he thought.

He reached the park, a few families were there and their children
playing in a huge sandbox.  This used to be Kaji-san's cabbage patch, he
recalled.  He sat down quietly on a bench.  He looked tired from
running, but he wasn't.  He was exhausted.  Somehow speaking to Touji
for a few minutes seemed like he was pouring out years of emotions.  But
he hadn't told much.

"Asuka."  He said under his breath.

=-=-=-=-=

2016 AD.
Frankfurt, Germany

Shinji had barely enough time to rest from a long trip that he was
awakened by a phone call.  He opened the shutters of his windows to let
the morning sun come inside his hotel room.  He arrived last night so
nothing had been unpacked yet.  "Hello..."  Shinji heard only static, a
security decryption was on the line, so he used a portable decoder and
placed it on the receiver and allowed it to do its work.

"Shinj-kun?"

"Ritsuko-san, how are you? How is mother?"

"I'm fine, Shinji.  And your mother is recovering well.  I'm sure she'll
be up and awake by the time you complete your mission over there."

"I'm hope so, Ritsuko-san.  I hope she's going to find our plans worth
it.  Asuka and me had never met eye to eye on things, remember?"

"I remember, Ikari-kun.  Nevertheless, I'm sure she'll be happy to see
you the very least."

Shinji peeked through the window, the sun was high and glaring.  "What
time is it?  Is it noon already?"

"Over there it should be about two in the afternoon, Shinji."

Shiji realized there was a clock on a nearby tabletop and confirmed
Ritsuko's calculations.  "Arigato, Ritsuko-san. Her performance should
be starting in a little over an hour from now, I'll get myself ready."

"Sayonara and see you soon, Shinji-kun."  The line went dead.

"Asuka" Shinji said to himself.

=-=-=-=-=

2019 AD.
NERV Geofront
Tokyo-3

"You still think of her?"  A voice behind him said.  Shinji nervously
looked behind.

"Rei."  Shinji said reluctantly, struggling to breath at the same time.
Ayanami Rei sat beside him.

"Is she...alright?"  Rei stared at Shinji's eyes, "Are you two getting
along well?"

Shinji was feeling hot, "Well, funny that you mention it."

"Gomen, Ikari-kun.  I shouldn't have kissed you."  Rei confessed.

"No, no...it wasn't that."  Shinji was an awful liar.

"You mean we can kiss again?"  Rei smiled, just like the way she smiled
at him, like every time she smiled, it was always for him.

"Ulp...well."

Sirens began flaring around the Geofront.  Both Rei and Shinji stood up.
"What's happening?" Shinji asked, seeing the families fleeing off for
safety.

"Angel attack!"  Rei said as she hurried off, running towards the
nearest entrance gate into the NERV Evangelion cages.  Shinji was a few
steps behind, but he slowed down instead.

"Angel attack?  That's not possible."  He came to a full stop just as
Rei opened the gates with a passcard.  She was waving to him.  All he
could do was wave back.  Rei understood and disappeared as the doors
closed and separated the two again.

=-=-=-=-=

2016 AD.
Music Lounge, The Blue Velvet
Frankfurt, Germany


Shinji entered the hall in the middle of the performance.  If only he
studied his German better, he'd have been here sooner.  But that was the
past.  Now, he had to confront a girl from his past.  Outside he noticed
the billboard announced the performance of a certain Agatha Langley,
pianist.  This he had to see for himself.

The ballroom was not that large, and only a few of the tables were with
people.  The room was darkly lit, except for the middle portion where a
large piano was the center of the attention.  From the moment he stepped
inside, the music struck him immediately.

Lizt?  He thought, maybe Chopin.  He sat down about a quarter away from
the stage, just underneath the shadows of the room.  He could see her.
She was playing.  Asuka was playing the music that was filling his head.

"Asuka." He said to himself.

=-=-=-=-=

2019 AD.
Central Dogma
NERV HQ
Tokyo-3


Shigeru had just enough time to sidestep away from a running Misato as
they both arrived at the platform.  She had her hand bandage fairly well
but she moved as if nothing was bothering her.

"What is going on?  What's the emergency?!" Misato screamed for
attention.

"Calm down, Katsuragi." Base commander Maria Usagi said from above.
"There is an angel attack on NERV."

"What?!"  Misato and Shigeru couldn't believe it, until they saw the
computer display.  "My god.  That can't be..."

In front of them was a three dimensional real time display of an
approaching angel, a cubic designed floating flotilla or AT fields.  As
far as Misato and Shigeru could remember, this particular angel
shouldn't be where it is right now.

"I thought we finished that thing off years ago."  Shigeru said.

Maria spoke through the intercom, "All personnel, this is Base commander
Maria Usagi.  The alarm that has been sounded off is due to an angel
approaching the Fifth branch of NERV, in the deserts of Arizona.
Nevertheless, we are all on full alert from now on, until the threat has
been removed.  Thank you."

Misato checked the screens.  Indeed, the angel appeared halfway across
the world, but the sight of that particular angel sent shivers to
everyone here in Tokyo-3 as well.

"This ain't happening."  Misato sat down and rested her arm.  "How can
this be possible?"

"All they had to do was replace the core, Misato."  Shigeru spoke so
that only Misato could hear.  "And we sent all of our samples to them,
didn't we?"  Shigeru looked at Misato, not at all pleased at his own
conclusions.

Misato, too, can't believe the proposition but nothing else can justify
the resurrection of this angel, or probably more.

=-=-=-=-=

2016 AD.
The Blue Velvet


Asuka stepped out the building and into the back alley of the Blue
Velvet.  She was tired.  Her hands must be having spasm from doing two
encores for a jerk requesting them from the somewhere in her audience.
But she was happy.  This was the first time anyone had noticed her
playing inside the lounge, and even though that jerk, she thought, still
asked for more, she couldn't play the last piece he had asked.

"Why did you stop playing?"  A voice crept from behind her and Asuka
jumped a little in surprise.

"Who the hell are you?!"  Asuka held up her songbook and bag for
protection.  "You better well know that I know how to kill a person!"
She posed in some sort of pseudo-fighting stance and wailed a yell.

"Oh, I know that."  The person was in darkness, and still didn't moved
into the light.  "I can still remember how hard you can slap a person,
Asuka."

"Asuka?!  How did...You must be mistaken, my name is Agatha."  Asuka was
about to run when a hand held on to her.  "Eee!!  Get your hands off
me!!"  She slapped her handbag on the assailant.

"Ouch!  Stop it Asuka!"  The voice had changed and that made her stop.

"Shinji?"  No it couldn't be, she thought.  "Is that you?"

"Yes."  He finally stepped into the moonlight.  "Hello, Asuka."

Asuka was all teary upon seeing her friend, "I can't...I must be
dreaming." Tears were pouring, she was shivering.

"I'm real. And I'm back.  I'm here with you."  Shinji said.

Asuka couldn't help it anymore.  She threw herself at him, hugging
Shinji like there was nothing that had ever come between them.  A friend
now found, a death denounced.  She was rising from the dead as well.  "I
can't believe it."  She said teary eyed.

"Well...I can..."  Shinji didn't have the chance to say another word.
Asuka kissed him, and the two intertwined their embrace with the passion
of the moonlight that was witnessing the reunion of these two.  The
night was young, but their destinies had finally ended.  They're in each
others arms again.  And only time will tell if it'll be forever.

=-=-=-=-=

2019 AD.
Fifth Branch, NERV
Unit 35 Cage


"Let me get this straight," Asuka moved from one side of the plug to
another.  "You ran off the classroom because..."  she looked at Trisha
and waited.

"Because I don't want to be pilot anymore."  Trisha heard the whimper
coming from her unit's voice synthesizer.  "It's not you, Unit 35."

Asuka still had not gotten the hang of the idea that an Evangelion could
talk back at its pilot. Only when Trisha explained how the new
computerize logic worked in each Eva did she realize such a system could
work.  This talking back was artificial, she realized, not like the one
she's accustomed to on her Unit Alpha.

"And you don't want to pilot anymore because your father didn't let you
go to the school dance last night?  Is that it?"  Asuka asked.

"It's more than that."  Trisha cuddled up in her seat.  "I don't like
being used anymore."  She looked at Asuka intently, "You know what I
mean?"

Somehow, Asuka knew exactly what she meant.  By some coincidence, the
two have been put in this situation where they actually share
something...something quite common.  Loneliness."

"Listen, I once felt that way.  That's why I left."

"By the way, what are you doing here again.  Are you going to pilot
again?" Trisha asked.

Asuka could only smile and chuckled. "Didn't Lieutenant Aki tell you?
I'm going to be his assistant.  That's all."  I better not reveal too
much, she thought.  "Listen, Trisha.  Lets make a deal.  I'll help you
become a great Evangelion pilot, if you'll help me."

"But..." Trisha was about to say that she didn't want to be pilot
anymore, " what so great about being a great Eva pilot?  You can't do
anything on your own time.  You can't go out with your friends, or go on
vacations..."

She's got a point, Asuka thought.  "Well, if you become a great pilot,
you'll meet great people and probably meet the boy of your dreams."
Just like what happened to me, sort of, she thought.

Trisha just sulked in her seat.  "I...he's already dead.  I don't think
that'll do."

"Who's dead?"

"A few days ago, the renegade Unit 01 attacked this base.  We...we had
to ..." Trisha turned away, "we had to destroy it."

"And so?" Asuka had to check herself or she'd reveal to much about her
mission there.

"Well, I had always admired the Third Children...you know, Ikari
Shinji."

Asuka almost fell over, but there wasn't space.  "You...and Shinji?"

"Oh, you knew him, right?  What was he like?"  Trisha looked around her
seat to see Asuka, but her friend had slumped behind the seat.

"He was a pretty dull boy, Trisha."  Asuka retorted, cursing the pilot
of Unit 35 at the same time.  "Don't waste your time on him."  What's
this kid doing, having ideas with Shinji, she said to herself.

"Really?  I always thought he was kind of cute."

"He's four years older than you!"

Trisha paused, she felt some uneasiness in her friend.

The cage suddenly turned all red.  Alarms were blaring all over the
complex.  A message screen soon popped out on the screen.

"What's happening?" Asuka gathered herself up.

"There's another angel, and it's coming here."  Trisha flipped a switch
and soon the plug was partly ejected off Unit 35.  "Asuka, thanks for
listening.  But I have a job to do."

"Really?  An angel?" Asuka tried to take control of the EVA so that she
herself could see what angel was heading for the fifth branch.

"Asuka, please."  The top opened and Asuka ceded.

"Just remember, its our little secret, okay. You and I never had this
conversation."  Asuka winked before she started climbing. She jumped off
Unit 35 and hurried off the platform since it was being withdrawn for
Unit 35's launching.  She looked back once she was at a safe distance.
"Remember, Trisha.  It's our secret. And...don't you dare get funny
ideas with my Shinji!!!"  She shouted just as the propulsion engine of
Unit 35 roared to life.

"Unit 35 to 38, launch for intercept!"  The PA announced just before all
three Evangelions catapulted off their cages.

=-=-=-=-=

End of Chapter 4

=-=-=-=-=



Chapter 5:  Revelation

=-=-=-=-=

5th Branch, NERV
Arizona desert


Evangelion Unit 35 was skimming across the desert floor at over a hundred
knots. Its lateral wing extensions, a hybrid shoulder armor and flight limbs
gave the menacing looking beast some aerodynamics and control during flight.
But these were insignificant in this fight.  Her propulsion system was more
than able to get her from point A to point B without so much as a hush, but
speed wasn't a factor.  It was her calculated moves that kept her alive
during the skirmish.

"Incoming!"  The radio squeeked in her head.  Trisha commanded her Eva to
slide a few more feet lower and to the right, easily dodging a faint yet
powerful electro-magnetic surge pulse coming from the enemy.  One of her
commrades though were not as fortunate.

=-=-=-=-=
Central Dogma
Fifth Branch

"Unit three-eight and three-nine are down, I repeat, Unit three-eight and
nine are down.  Reading massive armor depreciation in all units except
three-five."  A controller said from below.

Maya stared at the hologram screen and still couldn't believe what she was
witnessing.  A huge pyramid like cube was hovering and flying across the
desert and was destroying everything in its path.  "Status of second wave of
Evangelions?" she asked.

"S2-B core engines transplant is 75 percent complete in Eva forty to
forty-five,"  was the reply.  "The remaining five are all stationed all
above the geofront, Professor."

"Can't they hurry it up?!"

"Maya, we can't use them."  Makoto said from his seat.  "You know that only
Trisha had enough experience using the S2 core, placing the other kids in
harm's way won't solve our situation."

"I..." Maya slumped in her seat, "I thought we killed this angel, Makoto.  I
thought..."

Stevenson stepped forward and glanced at the situational screen and tried to
asses their predicament.  "Professor Hyuuga.  You mean this Angel was one of
the first?"

"Don't tell me you don't know, Major!"  Makoto shouted, irritated by
Stevenson's ignorance of history and their own halplessness.

"I just don't think this is the same one."  Stevenson replied.  "I just have
this feeling."

"You're not making sense."  Out of curiosity Maya punched in a few commands
into her terminal.

=-=-=-=-=

"Trisha!  What do we do?!!"  cried the pilot of the Evangelion unit hiding
behind a few shield barriers put up at the perimeter of surface of the
geofront.

"Dang!  Our positron rifles are useless!"  cried another through the radio.

Multiple flak burst and pulse rifles were discharging payload after payload
of useless hits as the Angel seems to be unaffected by these attacks.  The
AT field of the enemy was stronger than anything anyone of them had ever
seen before.

"Cease Fire!  Cease Fire!  Listen, we're obviously not getting through it's
AT field."  Trisha shouted out to her team.  "We have to find it's
weakness."

"The core!  We have to find it's core."  exclaimed another pilot.

"But that's way inside..." Trisha stared at the approaching behemoth, an
illuminating red glow was coming from a tip of one of the Angel's corners.
"Look out!"  She yelled, and her unit jumped out of the way just in time,
but not the others.

The Angel had an opportunity to discharge a rather powerful pulse, and this
time centered on the roof of the geofront.  The Evangelions flew in all
directions due to the blast.  Yells of pain were heard.

=-=-=-=-=

Yells of the dying, those that perished was heard for the last time inside
the control center.  The lights faded abruptly.

"My God!" cried Maya as the whole Central Dogma shook in the after effects
of the blast.  A blast that took out most of the armor plates of the
geofront, and it looks like a few of the EVAs as well.

"Defense network is down!  Auxiliary defense system has been activated."  A
controller shouted.  The whole geofront roared to life with the sound of
sirens and wails as the whole NERV complex got ready for the inevitable.

=-=-=-=-=

Trisha was falling.  Her mind instinctively added some propulsion to stop
her fall.  Only when her Evangelion pulled up from its descent did she saw
the damage the Angel had made.  "NO!!!!"  A gaping hole had ripped itself on
the protective plate, another blast like the first one would make the whole
dome colapse into the geofront altogether.

Her friends were scattered across the blast site.  Torn appendages and limbs
stricken Unit 36 and 37.  Her senses were numbing, almost leaving her in
fear.  "No!!!"  She gripped her controls turning her Evangelion around,
facing the enemy once again.

"Damn you!"  The green eyes of her EVA trickled and flared in response to
her anger.

Another attack came from the Angel, but Trisha was expecting it.  She jumped
high, straining her external propulsions to the limit.  She twisted in mid
air and landed squarely on top of the Angel.  The AT field pushed her away
like similar poles of a magnet.  She slipped.

Trisha hooked her Evangelion's progressive dagger into the back of the
Angel, slicing through the beast's AT field only for a moment.  The field
was getting stronger and her grasp was slipping.  "Damn you!!"  A moment
later, the surge of the AT field pushed her Evangelion off the Angel's top.

She was falling again, this time the extensive damage she had taken had
taken it’s toll on her Evangelion.  Her computer was trying desperately to
fire her retro rockets to compensate it’s descent, but to no avail.

“Professor...”

=-=-=-=-=
Central Dogma
Fifth Branch


“Defense Control Three now in effect.  Security Defense Network is now at
80%.” A controller announced above the existing chaos inside the central
dogma.  Several computer screens high above the room showed three
dimensional figures of the whole Fifth Branch of Nerv being lowered even
more so inside the crater like geofront.

“Evacuate all secondary stations. Send the order, we’ll try to hold out
until help arrives.”  Maya ordered.  Another blast shook the Central Dogma.
“Move it!  I don’t want to see your faces before the roof caves in on us."

“Professor...”  was the voice that stunned everyone inside the control
center.  A moment later, all forward scanning hologram screens returned to
normal and restarted painting the situational picture of the geofront.  What
they saw was horrifying.

"Trisha!"  Major Stevenson yelled out as everyone's stared as Unit 35's
holographic representation fell through the small crater on top of the dome
shield.

"We're getting numerous damage assesment from Unit 35.  I think it's AT
field is almost eroded, Professor." a controller announced.

Makoto caught something out of the corner of his eye.

"Trisha, hang on.  We're sending the 40th squad to help you."  Maya shouted,
"Launch the next batch already!"

"No!  Don't send them out to die."  Trisha's voice was straining in pain and
was loosing strength.

"They're still on external power, professor."  Was the response from the
controller manning a station just below the top tier.

"I don't care!"  Maya was about to rise off her seat when her husband's hand
rested on her shoulder.  "Huh?"   She looked at Makoto.

"I think that won't be necessary."

A horn blew, alarms started blaring again.

"Angel detected!"

=-=-=-=-=
On Board
Evangelion Alpha


Asuka adjusted her speed. The AT field she was plowing into was resonating,
as if a defense mechanism was expecting a rear attack which was exactly what
she was  doing.  "Oh. no you don't."  Her Evangelion leapt out of the way as
soon as she saw the glowing light eminating from the tip of the cube that
was pointing at her.  She was doing a few forward flips as she jumped high
above her target.  When she extended out a long tube had appeared out of the
back of her EVA.

"Let's see what you're really made of."  Asuka motioned for her Eva to bring
out her staff, a long stick which had a progressive knife like end.  "It's
payback time."  She dove right down on the Angel, her progressive knife
slicing cleanly through the AT field that greated her.  Her Evangelion
landed squarely on the tip of the Angel and slowly she tried to plow down
the spear through the angel's surface.  But the AT field was proving too
difficult to penetrate.

"Damn."

=-=-=-=-=
Central Dogma
Fifth Branch

"Angel detected as an Evangelion Unit, professor."

A few people were out of their stations, looking excitingly and anxiously at
the real time video that was being project high above the computer displays
of the Central Dogma.  Seeing some hope this time around, a few even cheered
when they witnessed the progressive lance punctured through the Angel.  But
a few moments later, seconds in reality, but in these nerve recking times
seems liked an eternity, the lance didn't seem to budge.

"That...it is not getting through, professor."

A few silent gasps were heard throughout the control room.

Major Stevenson slammed his fist down. "She must!"

=-=-=-=-=
On Board
Evangelion Alpha

Asuka gripped her controls and pushed a bit more into her effort to
penetrate the rather thick AT shielding her enemy had.  She grinded her
teeth, straining her arms as she pushed and pushed.  A control panel was
showing the readouts, almost eroded she thought to herself.

"Human presence detected, Asuka."

"Hmmph.  That doesn't change a thing."  Asuka gripped the controls fully and
pushed forward with all her might.

A charge of AT field suddenly errupted from her Evangelion's hands and
quickly enveloped itself around her spear, helping it corrode the AT field
of the enemy Angel and almost shatter it like stained glass as the energy
surged hit the point of contact of her spear.  Her weapon had penetrated
through the Angel's inner armor and AT field at last.

"Now!"

=-=-=-=-=
Central Dogma
Fifth Branch

"She's done it.  She broke through!"  Maya shouted in delight.

Cheers erupted inside the darkened control room.

"But her spear doesn't look long enough, does it?"  Makoto said under his
breath.

"Phase Change detected."  A controller shouted out.

=-=-=-=-=
Unit 35

Trisha finally opened her eyes and saw the grusome shadow that had fallen
upon her.  The Angel was hovering above her.  "Is this . . . am I. . . . no,
this can't be.  Why am I still . . ."

The AT field of the enemy trickled and glowed as if it was short circuiting.
It was crackling eletrically, and it sure started to crumble
instanteneously.

"Huh?  It's falling..."  Trisha tried to reach for the controls.

=-=-=-=-=
Central Dogma
Fifth Branch

"Trisha?"  Maya asked as she heard that frill cry through the loudspeaker.

The phase change was immediate.  The spear suddenly started growing,
lengthening quickly and effortlessly cutting through the head of the Angel.
Half a second later it penetrated through the bottom.  The room errupted in
cheers and jubilation, but it was short lived.

"Trisha!"  Maya cried out as the spear also broke through the AT field
underneath the Angel and was moments away before it impaled Unit 35 as well.

"No!"  Major Stevenson shouted.

=-=-=-=-=
Tokyo - 3
Japan


Ring.....


Ring.....


Ring....Click

"Who is this?"

"It's me."

"Ah, what have you to report?"

"I met him today."

"Who?"

"Professor Ikari's son."

"What?!  Where is he?  What did he tell you?"

"Nothing."

"I see.....What else?"

"She's with him."

=-=-=-=-=

Touji got off the elevator on the 8th level, he was hoping to meet his
friends there but ever since the attack on the fifth branch of NERV a few
hours ago, every one has been on alert level red.  He had just finished his
patrol for the afternoon, an unscheduled one at that, and was walking up to
the lounge to get something to relax himself.  As expected, the  restaurant
was empty.  There were people, but not the usual crowd there.  An alert on
the base could do that to everyone, not finding time to even hang out after
office hours.  But, there is exactly no after hours with EVA pilots, are
there.  He sat up on the bar and waited for his drink.

His celphone was ringing.  "Who is this?"

"Where are you?  We were suppose to meet, remember?"

"What do you mean, where?  I'm at the bar, drinking.  Where the hell are
you?"

That's when he felt the tap on his back.

"You're late, dear brother."  A smile greeted Touji.

"Sorry, Misato threw me into a batch of newbies.  She thought I'd calm their
nerves when they go out on patrol."

Yukari sat by him as he ordered a drink again.  "Would you stop that.  You
go on back in a couple of hours, you know."

"And what about you?"

"I...got..."  Yukari saw a shadow, no she was familiar. " Hey, isn't
that..."  She pointed to a girl in the darkness walking away from the
telephone booths near the back of the restaurant.

"Rei, but...what she doing here?"  Touji and Yukari got up and tried to
follow Rei.  "I thought she hated going here."

"I had always thought she was unsociable."  Yukari and Touji stopped at the
entrance of the restaurant, avoiding to be spotted by Rei who was waiting
for the elevator doors to open.

"She's acting rather strange today."

"She is?  I thought she's always like that."  Yukari said as Rei disappeared
behind closed doors.

=-=-=-=-=

NERV 5th Branch
Arizona, USA


People were running around in organized chaos.  A few bunkers were built
just at the ridge of the inner crater that was the result of the recent
angel attack.  A few cranes were slowly lifting out what seems to be remains
of the pyramid that housed the enemy that infiltrated the geofront.  Shards
of metal were also being collected, apparently the whole structure of the
angel had collapsed and bits and chunks of what seems to be a huge jigsaw
puzzle now littered the complex.

"I'm heading back, please handle the excavation requirements.  If you need
help, don't hesitate to call."  Makoto said to a junior administrative
officer as he made his leave from a mobile truck.  Makoto was about to jump
into his jeep when the crane nearest him had pulled up what looked as the
inner core structure of the angel.  That's when people around him all of a
sudden started running.  The door of the mobile truck swung open.

"Professor.  We....you've got to see this!"  The junior administrative
assistant yelled in excitement.  Makoto noticed that the mob was gathering
near a crane.  "You won't believe this."  The assistant had walked up to a
rather confused Makoto.  "We found..."

Makoto adjusted his glasses, he thought he was seeing things.   "What in the
world?"

Ambulance alarms was heard and a few of medical vans parted through the
rather disorderly crowd.

"People.  We found people inside the wreckage."

=-=-=-=-=

On Board
Evangelion Alpha


Asuka had her arms cross, her eyes wide shut and was grinding her teeth.
Visibly displeased at something.  "Is there still no news?"  She said
without opening her eyes.  A few pop up windows was giving video feed back
on several security cameras she had apparently tapped into but what she was
looking for couldn't be accessed from her Eva.

"She's still in the red, Asuka.  Health monitors are steadily rising
though."  Her Eva answered.  "I thought you didn't care?"

"I don't."  Asuka tightened up, feeling the pressure of her arms on her
suit.

Another metallic jarring sound resonated inside her cockpit.  That
immediately woke Asuka.

"What in the...That was a bit stronger, wasn't it?"  Asuka moved all of
the video feeds up to make room for several external camera views.  A main
image appeared, and it would seems a brigade of army tanks had just spent
their payload into the AT field of her unit.  "So, the American's have
finally arrived, eh?"

=-=-=-=-=

5th Armored Division
United Nation Defense Ground Forces

"Fire another round!"  The command came through the speakers of one of the
tanks that had paraded themselves in a straight line in front of a red
Evangelion unit.

"Load her up, Mikey.  They want us to hit  that thing up front."  The tank
commander ordered the gunnery seargent as he moved into the viewscope to
target their enemy.

The seargent loaded another shell and closed the firing hatch, "Loaded and
Useless, Lieutenant."

"Don't remind me.  Fire!"

=-=-=-=-=

Evangelion Alpha


"Darn, how am I suppose to get some sleep?"  Asuka turned up the internal
speakers, a violin solo was playing.

"I thought you hate that music, Asuka?"  Her unit asked

"I still do."  Asuka leaned her head back and shut her eyes again. "But
Shinji is playing it."

=-=-=-=-=

Medical Ward
Fifth Branch, NERV

Maya was pacing around the lounge of the medical wing.  She was dead tired
from all the excitement and horror she had to witness and cope in the last
few hours.  Four of her pilots, just kids she thought, were all in the
intensive care unit.  She walked up to the door behind the operating room
where she had rushed the pilot of Unit 35 almost an eternity ago.

"Professor.  A phone call."  A clerk nurse called from the nursing station.
Maya was there a moment later.

"Yes, this is she?"

Maya was scribbling down some notes.  "Thank you for your help."

"Was that the doctor?"  Makoto appeared from the hallway and was immediately
followed by a stream of emergency personnels all bringing in beds of injured
people.

"Who..."  Maya was dumbstruck, a new incident, perhaps?  She thought that
Asuka must have lost her temper or something.  "Where did...What's going
on?"  Her eyes followed a few of the injured as they were carried off into
the Operating Room wing.

"Pilots.  They were the pilots of the Angel."

"Are you sure?!"  Maya was totally caught off guard by that revelation.

"There's more."

=-=-=-=-=

End of Writing...(Unfinished)