Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction ❯ Heaven and Hell ❯ Lies and Silence II ( Chapter 16 )

Manga - Addicts Presents:
Heaven and Hell
Revelations 1:6 - Lies and Silence II

HTML version 16 May 2008

Neon Genesis Evangelion created by, registered, and copyrighted to GAINAX, Project EVA, Movic, and any other company and/or division associated with the creation and/or production of Neon Genesis Evangelion. A.D.Vision holds the copyrights to the English version of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

This work of fiction is not intended for any commercial purposes but was created for the entertainment of the Author and Fans of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

No copyright infringement was in any way intended.

Heaven and Hell written by Jino Turtlegod

M Rating. For mature readers only. Some scenes, themes, language, and situations are not suitable for younger readers. Reader discretion is advised.

Revelations 1:6 - Lies and Silence II

The Commander's office was often called likened to limbo. Black polished marble covered the ceiling, floor, and three walls. One could almost feel the sensation of falling into the abyss if it were not for the only two points of reference in the shadow shrouded room: the floor to ceiling armored glass windows that served as the fourth wall and the huge faux wood office desk in the middle of the floor.

And in this forbidding room, two creatures of darkness meditated upon the present.

"Project Ascension is nearly complete," Colonel Makoto Hyuga observed as he sat on a chair before the desk. He was slouched forward, his hands clasped together with his elbows resting on his thighs.

Santiago snorted from behind the folder he was reading. "The arrogant fools have already begun the Second Stage even before the First Stage has been completed."

"It will all hinge upon the Truthsayer," Makoto muttered.

"The Messiah of Joshua will rise and succeed where the Messiah of Moses had failed. That is the most important thing," Santiago turned a page.

Makoto glanced sideways at his commander. "And we will finally know the true Messiah..."

"And Salvation shall be our reward," Santiago responded almost automatically.

Makoto nodded wearily. It was all he could do to believe.

Santiago's eyes fell on the header of the document he was reading: Project Ascension. Another Tower of Babel. Just like Instrumentality of Man Program and Human Complementation Project. An attempt to build a monument to the arrogance of man. No matter how noble the intention...

"It is an evil that cloaks itself in righteousness," Santiago quoted the Secretary General. This time he didn't smirk - he found it too ironic to be amusing.

000

"rei."

The blue haired girl stirred from her sleep and looked up at the familiar silhouette of Asuka which blocked the moonlight coming in from their bedroom window. Asuka reeked of alcohol and Rei's sensitive nose could pick out the familiar smell of salty tears.

Rei was a bit worried at Asuka's tone. Asuka sounded just like her from two years back: emotionless and lifeless. "What is wrong?"

"i'm so confused," Asuka almost whimpered. "i thought he loved me. but he -- he-- rei... he just used me..."

Rei sat up and Asuka sat down on Rei's bed.

"i was nothing to him... a doll... toyed with me... did he hate so much that he did that to me?"

Rei remained silent. Asuka stared morosely at the floor of their room.

"do you want to know something?"

Rei looked at her friend. Asuka's eyes brimmed with tears.

"i think i'm still in love with him..."

Love- an emotion the First Children was acquainted with. "Try to talk to him. He is probably as confused as you are."

Asuka just looked at her roommate. Slowly, she nodded her head and went over to her bed and dropped herself onto her sheets.

000

Deep within the bowels of NERV, in a room cloaked in shadows and secrets, a being stirred.

`Who...' an innocent voice asked, the voice was hesitant and confused but it still had the hint of music and life.

"Do you remember who you are?" another voice answered. The innocence contained in its music was dulled, tarnished by mischief.

`I am... I am... I---` the innocent voice faltered as confusion swept over it and finally it paused as it took stock of itself. `I feel as if I am floating. I feel as if there is another outside of me... no... not just another... several more... who are they?'

"They are you. And not yet you. They are your future, and yet they might not be. They will contain your past, as you contain the past of others," the mischievous voice contained amusement.

`I see!' the innocent voice gained life. `But... that means that what I am is not my true shape. That I and They are nothing but shells to contain that which cannot be contained.'

"Truth." The mischievous voice lowered conspiratorially. "The Lilim say that Truth is beautiful."

`Is it not?' the innocent voice asked with awe.

"No, for if it was, then lies would never be needed. Tell me. Who are you?"

A moment's pause. `I am.'

Deep within the bowels of NERV, in a room cloaked in shadows and secrets, two pin pricks of light came to life.

They were the eyes of the dead reawakened.

000

"...I understand... OK... Take care of her... Thank you, Rei." Misato hung up the phone before turning to face the rest of the people in the observation room. "Rei and Asuka can't make it, begin the test."

Maya nodded, "Begin Harmonics Test!"

The technicians began testing and monitoring the pilots inside the entry plugs on the other side of the armored observation window. In front of them, from left to right, were small screens showing the pilots: Yuri, Shinji, Juno, and Allen.

"Three absentees," Maya observed darkly. "If Commander Ikari was here, I would have gotten my ass chewn off."

"Thank God our new boss isn't a workaholic perfectionist," Misato replied. She moved to the back of the observation room so that they could talk in near privacy.

"Do you know why?" Maya asked.

"Something happened between Asuka and Shinji, I don't know what but it had to be bad. Asuka basically volunteered herself for the suicide mission to Brazil. And then Shinji moved out of my apartment after they got back." Misato took one of the coffee mugs by the coffeemaker. "Asuka came back home about several hours ago, Rei said Asuka was drunk and in no condition to be tested. Rei offered to look after her in case she does something crazy."

"And Toji? I thought the Commander straightened him out already?"

"I dunno, probably related to what happened last night, Section Two reported that he and Hikari got pissed off at Asuka for... something..." Misato's brow knitted. "You said three."

"What?" Maya replied innocently.

"You said we had three absentees, you didn't count Hikari."

"Oh," Maya replied off-handedly. "That's because she was taken off the pilot roster, we couldn't risk anything happening to her or her baby because--"

"HOLD IT! BABY?!" Misato turned to Maya with a shocked expression.

"Yes... weren't you told?" the young doctor faltered at Misato's reaction. She could sense that some of the technicians had began to eavesdrop on them. "Her physical exam two days ago confirmed she was two months pregnant, the Commander was pissed as hell."

"Oh, god. What the Hell were those kids thinking?!" The Colonel took her head into her hands as she suddenly felt old and tired at being left out of the loop. And slightly envious.

Maya smiled wryly. "They probably weren't. But somehow it's a good thing because the kid will probably be able to synch with an EVA, especially since only the kids born within ten years after Second Impact have a Midichlorian count high enough to have the ability to--"

"So it's good because we can now breed pilots? Do you know you sound like Ritsuko?" Misato sneered in distaste.

Maya took a sharp breath, then hung her head in shame. "I- I'm sorry."

Misato smiled, sadly, a bit guilty at being a bitch. "No. Don't be. I'm just being a bitchy old spinster."

"I'm still sorry."

000

Ritsuko stood in the middle of the dimly lit room, her hands in the pockets of her leather coat. In the glass tanks surrounding her, bits and pieces of organic matter floated in the crimson mixture of blood and LCL. The edge of Ritsuko's lips twisted in distaste.

"Trust me, I had no part in it this time," she said to the darkness.

"I actually believe you," Santiago replied as he stepped into the meager lighting provided by the monitors and ambient lights of the glass tanks.

His eyes focused on the single immense tube in the center of the room. It alone had a pure LCL content. Unfortunately, pure LCL was the only thing it contained at the moment.

"Tell me Commander, was he your Rei?" Ritsuko asked with a hint of amusement in her voice.

Santiago fixed her with a cold glare. "You do know what happened to the cat who got too curious?"

"Really Commander, did you think that for once I thought you'd let me go after you've used me? It's been a long time since I've been that naïve." Ritsuko could feel the fear build within her, she knew she was crossing the line, but there were things she had to know to be able to do what she had to do.

"And it's also been a long time since you've cared for something that you're prepared to lose everything for," Santiago replied bitingly.

Ritsuko felt like she was slapped. "That's a lie!"

"Is it?" The Commander challenged.

They looked at each other with intense hatred. Ritsuko broke eye contact.

"That's a lie," she muttered rebelliously.

Santiago walked away.

"I happen to like cats," Ritsuko mumbled as she angrily wiped away a stray tear with the back of her hand.

As the door slid after him, Santiago gritted his teeth and his shoulders sagged heavily. He had lost the key piece in his plan.

000

"Hello?... Kodama?... Why aren't you in school?... Bomb scare?... Oh, not yet... Please get Father... No, it's not about the baby... Just please call Father..." Hikari twisted the sheets between her fingers as she waited for her father to answer the phone.

She looked at the tear stained sheets in between her ringless fingers.

"G-good morning Father... No... I'm fine... I think I won't get married anymore..." Her voice cracked as she failed to control herself and the sobs began anew.

000

"Last ten minutes," Lt. Hanano Miyazawa remarked off-handedly.

"Everything's stable, I don't think Pilot Ikari's ratio will get any higher than this," Lt. Miyuki Kata replied from Kano's right.

"And he's supposed to be our ace pilot?" Lt. Antoinette St. Croix added with a hint of disappointment from Kano's left.

"Cold soba and cherry manju, washed down with oolong tea..." Kano said with a happy lilt.

Antoinette and Miyuki paused in what they were doing. They looked at each other over the other technician's shoulders.

"Are you still drunk?" Miyuki asked.

"Not at all, I just don't think we should worry about it. He'll pull through, you'll see," Kano answered as she winked at the stern and serious officer.

"How'd y'know?" Antoinette asked.

"Faith." Kano smiled warmly at her coworkers. "Two years ago he saved us from the First Wave." A tinge of sadness crept into the officer's smile. "He'll do it again."

000

"Oi! Takashi!" Lt. Corrie Hayes cried out in greeting as he stepped into the control room.

Lt. Takashi Yamazaki turned from his post at the primary workstation. The officer was a few years older than Corrie and had a face that Corrie always thought looked like a fox: hooded eyes and an almost perpetually amused smile. "You're not supposed to be here if you're off duty," Takashi responded with a raised eyebrow.

Corrie smiled nervously. Takashi was a fun guy, except when he's on duty. "I left some work on the stati--!" Corrie almost yelped as he caught the disk Takashi suddenly threw at him.

"Don't leave your work lying around," the older officer admonished.

"Y-yes, sir!" Corrie saluted.

"Duty Officer! Call from McDougal at Hangar 12," the tech at Takashi's left reported.

"Get off my bridge Hayes, we've got work to do," Takashi growled teasingly as he waved Corrie away. He then answered the phone. "This is the bridge."

000

"Dr. Ibuki, 1st Lt. McDougal calling," Antoinette raised the phone she was holding towards the scientist.

Maya blinked, she wracked her brain as she tried to remember the identity of the caller.

Antoinette saw the puzzled look on Maya's face and she covered the mouthpiece. "Head Engineer, Hangar 12. She said Yamazaki at the bridge transferred her call to you."

Maya took the phone, a chilling wrench in her gut as she accepted the call from the technician at the EVA hangar. "Yes?"

Misato came over and she could hear the frantic voice from the phone.

"It twitched?" Maya asked in stunned horror. The confirmation came over the phone line. Maya screamed at the technicians in the control room, "PULL OUT ALL PILOTS!"

Inside his entry plug Shinji's eyes snapped open as he was suddenly pulled out of the chaotic miasma that was the heart of the EVA. Not that he wasn't glad to be removed from the usually calm and welcoming sea of consciousness within the Beast.

But the suddenness of his withdrawal hinted at something wrong.

And then he heard it - a scream muffled by steel and LCL.

000

"Curioser and curioser..." Shigeru muttered as he stood before the large viewing windows of the Commander's office, the spy master clasped his hands behind his back. His black suited form stood in stark contrast to the muted morning light streaming in from the other side of the armored glass.

"How soon can we find the traitors?" Makoto asked without preamble. The Colonel angrily paced before the large empty desk.

"Soon. Damn it. Unit 30 heavily damaged Hangar 12 in its spasms, fifteen engineers wounded and two dead," Shigeru said as he pulled out his dark glasses and put them on. "The engineers are trying to free Units 30 and 32 from the rubble. And the Head Engineer nearly quit. The Technical Division would have collapsed without her."

"How about the pilot?"

000

Juno lay naked in the highly sterile life support unit inside a sealed room, tubes and wired trailed from her naked body. The cover of the bed like unit closed, encasing the young pilot in life saving technology.

Outside the room Allen stood, still wearing his plugsuit with a towel draped across his shoulders in order to catch the liquid dripping from his hair. He gazed in through the observation window. His breathing was fast and shallow as he tried to focus his eyes on his friend's face. But several times he caught himself gazing lower.

Finally, with an unreadable expression on his face, he turned away. His towel was no longer draped across his shoulders but carried draped across his forearm which was across his belly.

000

"She is fine, physically at least. We'll know by tomorrow how her mind held up against the backwash the computer virus caused," Shigeru's eyes scanned the green canopy of the forest down below. "However, Misato isn't fine. She's been harassing my agents ever since."

"Ever heard of mother bears with cubs?"

Shigeru harrumphed. Then a smile slowly formed on his face. "She is one extraordinary woman."

Makoto nodded. "So how's the Commander holding up?"

The spy master scowled darkly. "I have no idea."

000

Allen jogged along the tree lined pathway. Above his head were the series of skylights in the bottom of the lake which was the heart of the fortress city. He hummed to the music streaming from the earplugs which trailed to the SDAT player in his track suit's pocket.

In the distance, in between the trees he could see the Chapel. A darkness encased in white. Maybe it would be a good place to go to, to clear his mind of the disturbing thoughts.

`My God. What am I thinking... She's...' He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. Sweat trickled down his face.

Allen paused at the edge of the tree line as he saw movement within the Chapel. The boy paused as he saw Commander Santiago come into view. The man's black clad, muscular frame was slumped in what seemed to be fatigue as he laid a single white rose before the memorial wall.

Curious, Allen quietly sneaked closer to the Chapel. He didn't really plan to or at least that's what he kept telling himself. But then of course, his mother trained him too well...

000

Shigeru's brow knitted. "I really don't know what the Hell he's thinking right now."

In the distance, he could see the Chapel. The white structure stood against the backdrop of the trees on a clear gentle slope.

000

Allen silently walked up to the side of the building. It wasn't so much that he planned on spying rather that it was just something to do. Something to get his mind off the thoughts haunting his mind.

He peeked around the corner of an archway. He stared directly into the empty structure. "What the-?!" Allen's eyes scanned the area. There was no trace of Commander Santiago.

Cautiously, he stepped into the Chapel.

"What are you playing at, Pilot?" a chilling voice whispered from the shadows of the wall to his left.

Allen froze, not wanting to make sudden movements that would alarm his Commander. He glanced sideways and saw Santiago leaning casually against the supporting column of the archway Allen had entered through. The boy relaxed as soon as he verified that his Commander wasn't pointing a gun at him.

"I just wanted to visit Mom," Allen nodded towards the monolith.

Santiago smirked. His eyes fell upon the white rose he had placed before the memorial.

"You know your mother's name isn't on the memorial."

With lips tightly pressed together, Allen turned on his heels.

Santiago's strong hand grabbed his arm, preventing the boy from leaving.

000

Shinji stood behind the firing line, his arm raised his pistol at the unmarred target in front of him. Smoke drifted around him. Once more, he had completely missed. He carefully reloaded his gun. Shinji glared at the target. He pulled back the slide and chambered a round.

Three shots rang out.

Three holes appeared around the center of the human silhouette on the target.

Shinji's eyes opened in alarm. He turned on his heels and dropped to his knees with his gun pointing forward.

"What? You're gonna shoot me too?" The red head looked coolly at him as she re-holstered her gun. Asuka wore jeans, a loose shirt, and sneakers.

"Asuka..." Shinji dropped his eyes as he also holstered his gun under his shirt.

"Heh." Asuka smiled nervously at the boy, but she knew Rei was right. She had to talk to the boy to clarify whatever they have between them. She brushed away a loose strand of hair away from her face. "I... um... we look alike."

Shinji tried to ignore the fact that they were dressed the same except that Asuka was noticeably female. Why was she trying to get close to him after what he had done to her? To all the people? He was a monster, a beast like that which he piloted.

Shinji huffed, blowing his bangs from his eyes. "Asuka..."

"Shinji, you really need a haircut," Asuka stepped towards the boy, her hand rose to touch his face.

He flinched away and Asuka felt a pain in her heart. "D-do you hate me?"

Shinji looked up, tears escaping from his eyes. He found that tears were brimming in her eyes.

He wanted to reach forward.

To comfort the one who was closest to his heart.

But he was a monster.

And thus he ran.

000

"How are you doing, kid?" Toji whispered soothingly as he gently massaged the young lady's back as she lay with her head on his lap.

"I'm sorry," Hikari sobbed. "I couldn't..."

"I understand," Toji replied. "You don't want to marry me because I got you pregnant."

Hikari nodded, glad that her fiancé was so understanding and sensitive.

"But I do want to marry you," his hand moved from her back towards her front. "The baby is just a bonus."

Hikari's small hand covered his as he rested it on her belly. She smiled. "Toji..."

"Here," he smiled down at her as he returned her engagement ring to its rightful place on her finger.

000

The main transit hall of the geofront was crisscrossed by walkways and escalators.

And up one of the down escalators, a figure with short dark hair was running up. On a nearby escalator going up, a girl with fiery red hair was running in the right direction.

"GODAMNIT!! SHINJI!! STOP!!" Asuka was getting tired, they've been running for some time and fatigue was setting in. She could feel the ache in her legs, the inferno in her lungs.

Shinji didn't look back as he cleared the top of the escalator and entered one of the rail depots filled with NERV personnel.

"Damnit!" Asuka muttered as she drew her gun as she continued the chase. The alarmed personnel began ducking for cover. Asuka lined up the sights at the boy's legs. Then she froze - `WHAT THE FUCK AM I DOING?!' She nearly stumbled at the realization that she was going to shoot Shinji.

For his part, Shinji saw one of the trains begin to pull out of the depot. Everyone in the depot looked on in awe as Shinji jumped clear of the platform and grabbed hold of the window wipers of the train.

Asuka stood by the edge of the loading platform as the train sped off with the boy holding on tight. On Asuka's face was shock as she struggled to catch her breath.

"Shit! What the Hell?" someone asked the question in everybody's mind.

Asuka spat out an expletive as she stalked out of the depot.

000

"He hates me," Maya muttered as she looked down at her baby.

"Eh, what would you feel if you saw him kissing Misato?" Ritsuko asked with a smirk. The two women sat in Maya's office, drinking coffee.

"I already said I'm sorry!" Maya cried out.

The baby began to cry at her mother's harsh tones. Ritsuko raised an eyebrow as she brought her coffee mug to her lips. "To me, yes. How about your husband?"

Maya busied herself with her baby since the babysitter had evacuated from the city.

"I see," Ritsuko stated. She smiled. "She's here."

The door slid open with a hiss, her gun preceded the indomitable Asuka Langley Soryu's entrance into the office.

Maya hunched protectively over her baby.

"Please, Asuka. Holster the gun, you're scaring the baby."

Baby Ritsuko gurgled happily as she played with her mother's hair.

"Right." Asuka holstered her gun with simmering anger. "You knew I was coming!" She accused the two doctors.

"Of course, systems were made to be used," Ritsuko replied with her usual amused smirk. "Section 2 informed us that you nearly blew Shinji's legs off."

"I clearly doubt that." Asuka crossed her arms across her chest. "What happened to Shinji?!"

"What do you mean?" Ritsuko asked while already knowing the answer. Maya carefully pulled herself and her baby into the background.

Asuka breathed in deeply as she tried to control her anger. She glared at Ritsuko. "Living for two years in a farm doesn't make a superman."

"Ever tried it? They say clean living does that to--" Ritsuko was cut off by the gun pressed to her forehead. "I see. You've lost your sense of humor."

"Don't tempt me," Asuka snarled as she pressed the gun harder against the scientist's forehead. "What have you done to my Shinji?!"

Ritsuko raised an eyebrow. "Your Shinji?"

Asuka blushed furiously. "You know what I mean!"

"Ah, yes. Your Shinji." Ritsuko looked Asuka in the eye. "He died more than two years ago."

Asuka gasped as if she was physically struck. "H-he's a clone?"

"Yes." Ritsuko's eyes darted towards Maya as the younger woman held her daughter tighter. "Now, can you please keep your gun so that we could talk like civilized people?"

Asuka nodded as she numbly holstered her gun and sat down on a chair before her knees could give way.

"Remember the month after the Fourteenth Angel? Ever wondered why Shinji didn't come home for almost a month?"

"I - I just thought that he was in the hospital. But... I should have tried to see him..." The girl's eyes darted about as if she was lost.

"It was understandable that you would resent Shinji. But even if you didn't, we wouldn't have allowed it. You were not allowed to know back then. His EVA absorbed Shinji, it made him a part of itself as it had Shinji's mother."

Asuka looked up at Ritsuko. Maya gasped in protest, Asuka was not allowed to know. Ritsuko ignored Maya's protest.

"Yes, just like your own mother. You have much in common with Shinji." Ritsuko saw Asuka nod in understanding. "But unlike Yui and Kyoko, Shinji was returned. His original body was dissolved and lost when we tried to recover him. But the EVA kept his soul and encased it in a new body."

"So, he's still the real Shinji!"

"Yes. But better. The EVA made him a body like its own."

"I see." Asuka massaged her forehead. "I feel dizzy. I think I'm going home."

"Can you make it home alone?"

"You know I'm not going to be alone. Section 2 will be with me."

Ritsuko nodded.

"Dr. Akagi?"

"Yes?"

"Why was I allowed to know this time?"

"Because."

Asuka nodded and then was gone.

000

"A-chan, is anything wrong?" Misato whispered soothingly at the boy who was sprawled on his side in his room.

Allen turned to Misato as he realized that she had just given him a child's nickname. "Don't call me that," he groused as he wiped his tears away.

Misato smiled kindly at her new baby. "So, what's wrong." She had to admit that she was finally getting the hang of this motherhood thing.

"... Nothing..."

"Well, remember that I'll be here if you decide to tell me about this Nothing," Misato playfully tussled his long hair. "You really should get a haircut."

Allen gave an irritated growl, "it's my hair..."

Misato giggled. "Get some rest."

Allen yawned as he settled back on his bed. "Yeah, yeah," he mumbled dismissively. He froze as Misato leaned over and kissed the top of his head. His mother used to do that. He watched as Misato left his room.

"Good night, A-chan."

Still blushing, he burrowed under his sheets and tried to find a comfortable position to sleep in. "G'night, Mom," he mumbled sleepily.

To Be Continued

In the Next Episode of Heaven and Hell:
Shinji: What is a dream? Is this a dream? What is reality in a world of illusion and lies. In the heart is the only truth. Heaven and Hell 1:7 - Truth of the Heart.