Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction ❯ Nephilim ❯ I Know the Pieces Fit ( Chapter 6 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

See Chapter 1 for disclaimer, 2 for speech/thoughts things.

NEPHILIM

Chapter 6: I Know the Pieces Fit

-----

The next morning, Shinji awoke feeling more well-rested than he had for a while. There were two odd things he noted, however. One, the room seemed different; and two, his right arm was numb and warm. As he turned his groggy eyes to the side, he saw Asuka and remembered the events of the previous night, especially why he was where he was. She was still fast asleep, laying on the arm he’d wrapped around her.

‘She looks so peaceful,’ Shinji mentally noted while slowly removing his half-asleep arm out from under the redhead. Rising quietly out of the bed, he decided it would be best if he got back to his room before Misato would try to wake either of them. ‘She’s probably home now, and this won’t look good to her,’ he thought, wiping the sleep from his eyes.

Opening the door and poking his head out, Shinji noted that no one was in the immediate path to his room. So he slipped out of Asuka’s room and down the hall to his own. Opening the door, he was nearly frightened out of his skin by Misato, sitting on his bed.

“Jeez, do you have to scare me like that?” Shinji asked, holding a hand over his now kick-started heart.

Misato suppressed a laugh at the boy’s reaction. “Sorry, didn’t think that would give you a heart attack…” she said. “So what are you doing sneaking around at this hour?”

Shinji turned bright red and began to stumble for an answer, “Umm…I just, uh…had to get…”

“…back to your room before I saw you, huh?” Misato finished.

Shinji sighed and bowed his head. “Look, if you’re thinking what I think you’re thinking…” he explained.

Misato stood from her spot on the bed and walked over to the embarrassed boy. “Well then, what did happen?” she asked, almost ready to tease him right then.

“I think we’ve reached an…understanding,” Shinji said, looking at the floor. “Not sure how much of one, but it’s a start.”

Misato smiled and patted his shoulder, “That’s good news. I somehow always thought you two made a good couple…”

Shinji blushed even more, almost blood-red in the face. “C’mon, stop. I’m still not used to it yet,” he said. “And speaking of which…could you do me a favor?”

“Hmm? What’s that?” she asked.

“Could you keep this a secret? We’re kinda…hoping to keep it to ourselves for a while,” Shinji explained. “Just until we’re used to each other’s company…”

“You have my word,” Misato said, walking out the door and into the kitchen. “So how did it go, anyway?”

Shinji followed and seated himself at the table. “Better than I hoped, really. Needed to get some things off my chest. And she did too,” he said, smiling at the conversation they had.

“Y’see, I know how to give good advice sometimes,” Misato said, filling up the coffee pot.

Shinji looked over at what his guardian was doing. “Coffee? Not the usual morning beer?” he asked, very surprised.

Misato shook her head. “Nah, I decided it would be best to switch for a while,” she said, retrieving the pot and pouring a cup. “But tell me, you two didn’t do anything naughty…did you?” she asked, sitting down at the table.

Shinji smacked his forehead in exasperation, “Ugh…Misato. Didn’t I already tell you…”

“I know,” she interrupted with a wink and took a sip, “I just wanted to make completely sure. You are both fourteen, after all. And I know how teenagers get. But don‘t think I don‘t trust you, because I do.” Misato looked over at the wall clock. “You’d better go and get her up,” she started, “you’ve only got a little more than an hour until school.”

Shinji looked over at the clock and sighed. ‘Damn, slept longer than usual,’ he thought. “You’re right. I’ve gotta go wake her up,“ he said, getting up from the table and heading over to Asuka’s door. “And remember, Misato,” he said, turning around for a second, “you promised to keep it a secret.”

Misato made a zipping motion on her lips. “Got it. Not a soul,” she said.

Turning back towards the hall, Shinji continued walking to Asuka’s room. Opening the door and slipping inside, he was met with an awakened Asuka. “Guess we couldn’t keep it from her, after all,” she said. Shinji jumped in surprise for the second time that morning. Asuka giggled at the Third Child’s scared form.

‘Two times in one morning. Only one that hasn't teased me yet is Pen-Pen, and he's probably harassing Misato. So that means . . . ’ Shinji thought, an idea taking shape. “So you heard us?” he asked.

Asuka nodded, “Yeah, but it’s okay. Not like she’ll go and spread the word all over town.”

Shinji sat on the bed and looked her in the eyes. “True. So how are you feeling today?” he questioned.

“Mmm…nice, really. Slept good for a change,” Asuka said, stretching and yawning before leaning over to plant a kiss on his lips. “And you?”

Shinji smiled and shrugged, “Same, I guess. Anyway, it’s time to get up, we don’t have long before school.”

Asuka turned her vision over to her alarm clock. “Ack!” she exclaimed, “gotta get ready fast!” She then pulled her self out of bed and walked towards her dresser, getting out a school uniform and undergarments. Just as she was removing the red shirt she’d slept in, Asuka looked back over at Shinji, still sitting on her bed and staring in her direction. “Why are you still sitting there?” she asked hurriedly.

Shinji smiled a sly grin, deciding to act on the idea he had a minute ago. “Just enjoying the view, that’s all,” he said casually.

Asuka turned red and threw an errant shirt off her floor in his direction. ”Quit flattering me, you need to get ready, too,” she said, grinning all the while.

Shinji laughed and plucked the thrown shirt off his head. He stood up and headed towards his room, intent on getting organized for the day…

-----

A few hours later, Asuka and Hikari were having lunch on the school roof.

“So…did you two talk it out yet?” Hikari asked.

Asuka thought around for a good answer. “Sorta,” she said, hoping to drop it there.

The class representative watched her friend closely for a few minutes after, noticing that there was something Asuka wasn‘t telling her. “Is that it? Come on…” she queried.

“Not really,” Asuka said, shaking her head. “But some things are just not to be told.”

“Uh huh,” Hikari said, “then that means you’re hiding something.”

Asuka looked around for anyone else before motioning for her friend to come closer. “Okay, I guess you won’t tell. But you have to promise me anyway,” she whispered.

“Alright, I promise,” Hikari said, wondering what could have happened.

Asuka then took the next several minutes recounting the conversation she and Shinji had the night before, making sure to leave out the intimate details. When she finished, Hikari had a dreamy look in her eyes. “That’s so…beautiful,” she said. “So that means you were wrong about him after all, huh?”

“Yeah,” Asuka mused, feeling her face heat up, “he can be pretty sweet, even if it might come out sounding old and corny.” Asuka decided to change the subject. “Remember, you promised you wouldn’t tell anyone, not even the jock,” she reminded.

“I know…not even Toji will know,” the brunette assured her friend. “But why keep it a secret?”

“We’re still getting used to being close while alone, so…” Asuka trailed off.

“Say no more, I see what you mean,” Hikari said with a wave of her hand. “Well, we’d better go, it’s almost time for class to start again,” she said, standing up and brushing her skirt off.

Asuka swore she could almost feel someone else up there with them. “You go on ahead, I’ll be right behind you. It’s a nice day, and I’d like to enjoy it a bit more,” she explained, getting to her feet and leaning on the railing.

“Okay…bye then,” Hikari said, opening the door and walking back to Class 2-A.

Waiting a few seconds after her friend’s departure, Asuka finally spoke up. “You can come out now, I know you’re here.”

Shinji stepped out from around the side of the stairwell and walked over to the Second Child. “Heh, sorry, I was just looking for you,” he said, scratching the back of his head.

“It’s fine,” Asuka said, looking out at the sky. “Guess that’s two who know now…”

Shinji walked over to the railing and placed his hand on hers. “Don’t worry too much about it. Hikari’s good about keeping secrets, right?” he asked.

“Yeah, she’s dependable. But I just hope she doesn’t tell that dumb boyfriend of hers,” Asuka explained. “We’d never hear the end of it.”

Shinji laughed a bit, thinking of his friends’ reactions. “Yeah, I can just imagine what they’d say…” he mused. The two of them shared a laugh before walking back the stairwell and leaving the roof…

-----

The next four days passed, a calm sense of peace settling over the city. Except for Shinji, who knew what would be happening soon enough. The next Angel would be appearing...but somehow, he didn’t feel as anxious or worried as he had been since his return. After the last week’s events, he felt ready to face what was to come. But that still didn’t calm him completely, and the lack of Nephilim’s presence since the last battle also had him somewhat worried.

On the fifth day, Shinji and Asuka were walking towards the school. But their trip was cut short by the familiar sound of the Angel alarm. Looking at each other, they took off in the direction of the nearest entry into the Geofront. On their way, Shinji looked to the east and saw a halo-shaped form hanging far in the distance.

Arriving at the changing rooms, Shinji noticed that Rei had already left towards Unit-00. Knowing that she’d be the Angel’s main target, he closed his eyes and sighed before walking to the locker containing his plugsuit.

“What’s wrong, Shinji?” Asuka asked, noticing the look of concentration on his face.

“Just a little worried, that’s all,” he assured her.

Asuka pulled the sheet down between them and started to change into her own plugsuit. “It’s okay, we’ll get through this,” she said. “You’re the invincible Shinji Ikari, right?” she asked sarcastically.

“Yeah, and you’re the great Asuka Langely Sohryu,” Shinji answered with the same sarcastic tone.

Pulling the sheet back up, Asuka flashed him a smirk and wink before leaving the room. Shinji pressed the button on his suit, pressurizing it. ‘Okay…I know what I’m doing this time. I’m sure of it,’ he thought, strengthening his resolve again before heading for the door…

-----

Some time later, the three pilots found themselves a distance from their enemy, which was currently hovering over a forest slightly outside of town. The Angel’s spinning double-helix halo form hadn’t moved since appearing, which meant that the command center personnel hadn’t come up with a good course-of-action.

“Just watch it and see what happens,” Misato ordered. “And be careful, we don’t know what it can do to attack yet.”

Shinji sat intently focused on the target from inside Unit-01, carrying a palette rifle. Asuka and Unit-02 were to his right, armed the same, with Rei and Unit-00 several yards behind wielding a sniper rifle. Minutes passed as everyone waited for something to make the first move.

That something was the Angel, which suddenly stopped spinning and broke into a snake-like form, which headed with incredible speed towards Unit-00.

“Rei! Evasion!” Misato yelled through the comm line. But it was unneeded as Unit-01 caught it by the opposite end just as the Angel reached Unit-00’s AT field.

“You’re not going anywhere,” Shinji muttered, throwing the Angel’s thrashing form onto the ground to hold it down. Strengthening the AT field around Unit-01’s hands, he reached for his prog knife, only to be knocked over by the Angel’s wild movements.

The Angel then continued its planned path straight into the torso of Unit-00, where it started to penetrate the Eva’s armor.

“Target has begun physical integration with Unit-00! It’s attempting to fuse with the Eva,” Maya reported from her station.

Inside the entry plug of Unit-00, Rei looked down in pain at the veins that had begun to show up on her own body. Grabbing the Angel by its tail, she tried removing from her, which only ended up hurting her worse.

Unit-01 rushed over to the fallen form of Unit-00 and proceeded with removing the Angel from its invasion point. “Sorry, but this is going to hurt, Rei,” Shinji whispered through the comm link. Rei could only grunt in pain.

Hefting a prog knife, Shinji willed the Eva to strike at the glowing exposed body of the Angel. As he stuck the blade deep into its flesh, Rei’s connection to the Angel made her feel the pain as well. ‘Sorry, Rei,’ Shinji said in his mind. Taking another strike at the Angel, he felt it start to attach to the Eva’s hands and into his own.

Unit-02 ran and struck its own prog knife in the Angel’s side. Inside Unit-00, Rei passed out from the pain she felt through the Angel. Shinji, noticing this, gets a tight grip on the Angel and proceeds to pull it loose from Unit-00. As it slid from the torso of the Eva, it began thrashing about heavily, trying to free itself from the hand of Unit-01.

“Asuka, you ready?” Shinji yelled.

“Oh yeah,” she answered. As Unit-01 held the Angel stretched out, Unit-02 sunk its knife deep into the target where it nicked its S2 organ. Pulling the weapon free, Asuka struck again hard a small bit to the side, cracking the Angel’s core. “Heh, nothing’ to it,” Asuka said proudly.

“Throw it away, it’ll probably self-destruct,” Shinji ordered. Unit-02 flung the Angel’s corpse towards the sky, where it blew up harmlessly seconds later.

In the command center, sighs of relief were heard all over. “Target self-destructed,” Aoba reported.

Misato sat back down, impressed at the pilot’s quick thinking. “What about Rei?” she asked, remembering the Angel’s first attacks.

“She’s alright,” Ritsuko said. “Unconscious, but otherwise fine.”

“Shinji, Asuka,” Misato said into the comm line. “Retrieve Unit-00.”

“Understood,” was the simultaneous response as both picked up and end of the powered-down mech.

Behind them all, the stoic face of Commander Ikari hid his upset demeanor. ‘More scenario deviations…but this will set nothing back, none the less,’ he thought, still feeling in control of his plans…

-----

Several hours later, Rei Ayanami awoke feeling her entire body ache from exhaustion. ‘I am alive,’ she thought. ‘Shinji would not let me die…’

“Nice to see you’re up,” Shinji said from the doorway.

Rei sat up and acknowledged her visitor, “Hello Shinji. Are you well?”

Shinji walked over to her bed. “Hey, I should be asking that. You had a pretty rough time out there,” he said, seating himself in a chair next to the bed. “But since you asked, not bad. You?”

Rei laid back on the bed, still feeling weary. “That is good, then. As to your question, I feel quite worn out physically,” she said tiredly.

“That’s about right,” Asuka said, entering the room. “You took a helluva beating out there. But you‘re fine now.”

“Hello Asuka,” Rei said, surprised that the Second Child would visit her.

Shinji looked between the two girls, noticing their changes in disposition towards each other. “Since when did you two get along so well?” he asked, feeling left out.

Asuka shrugged, “While you were in the Eva. A little talk we had made me think that I‘ve been a bit rash to her.”

“And I now see both of you as friends,” Rei explained.

“That’s good to know, Rei,” Shinji said, smiling brightly. He stood up and walked over to the door, where he whispered to Asuka. “Hey Asuka…”

“What is it?” she asked.

“Could you leave for a bit? There’s some things I’d like to talk with her about…personal things,” he explained.

Asuka narrowed her eyes at him. “Just what is it about?” she asked with a slight angry tone.

“Please? This is important, but I can’t tell you now,” he said. “I promise that I will tell you some other time.”

Asuka thought over it for a few seconds. ‘I can trust him…I’m sure of that,’ she thought. “Okay, but make it quick, we have to get back home,” she said, leaving the room and heading for the front desk.

As soon as the door closed, Shinji sighed heavily. ‘This isn’t going to be an easy talk,’ he thought, sitting back down in the chair. A thick silence hung over the room for several minutes before being broken.

“You know a lot that you should not,” Rei stated.

Shinji wasn’t in the least surprised, Rei had always seemed like she knew even when words weren’t used. “Yeah, I do…” he said.

“How is that? I would like to know,” Rei questioned.

“I can’t tell you now,” Shinji said, shaking his head, “but I will one day.”

“And many of those are about my origins, yes?” the First Child asked. Shinji nodded. “Then you know what purpose I am for…”

“Is that what you really want?” Shinji asked, not looking her in the eyes.

Rei sat up again, looking at the boy next to her. “I…I have nothing else…” she said with a hint of sadness.

“No,” Shinji began, “because I know that you are only a tool to the Commander. Just like everyone else…”

Rei almost became angry at his words, but perhaps due to his kindness and willingness to risk his safety for her, she felt she had more reason to believe him. “But then…what should I do?” she asked, looking at her hands.

Shinji stood up and put his hand on her shoulder. “I can’t tell you that, Rei. That’s for you to decide. But I trust that you will make the right choice,” he explained. “But I can tell you that you should try to live a little more. You would enjoy it, I‘m sure. You are no one‘s puppet…” he said, opening the door and heading in the same direction as Asuka did.

Back in the room, Rei lifted her hospital gown slightly to reveal a small circular scar on her abdomen from the Angel’s invasion. ‘I see…I am still the second…’ she thought. ‘But to be truly alive, I must be one.’

Rei laid her wounded body back on the bed, feeling a little drowsy. ‘I…am no one’s puppet,’ she thought, the beginning of an idea starting to form in her mind…

-----

The next night, Shinji was laying on his bed, the rest of the house silent. Misato was at work once again, and Asuka had gone with Hikari for some shopping and a movie. Since his conversation with Rei, one immediate thought had come over his mind: the last Angel.

‘Kaworu…he’s going to be next,’ Shinji thought for the hundredth time. The Fifth Child had been an errant thought since his return, but now it became very important. Shinji still had not idea how he would even get over this obstruction. ‘I don’t want to fight him…he doesn’t deserve that. But I have to…’ he thought, beginning to feel powerless again.

‘I must say, I was very impressed with the way you handled Armisael,’ the voice of Nephilim sounded.

Shinji sat up quite suddenly, relieved at hearing the recently-absent voice. ‘Where have you been?’ he asked.

Nephilim‘s robed form came through the wall and hovered before Shinji. ‘I am sorry for my extended leave, but there were some things I had to make sure of,’ he explained.

‘I see,’ Shinji said, sighing again.

‘What is wrong, Shinji?’ Nephilim asked, noticing the boy’s discomfort.

‘Kaworu…’ Shinji thought.

Nephilim’s jaw formed into a frown upon hearing the name. ‘Yes, the final messenger…I know well of how he befriended and betrayed your trust,’ he said. ‘I am very sure you are at a crossroads on this matter, correct?’

Shinji stood up and walked over to his window, looking out at the skyline of Tokyo-3. ‘I just wish it didn’t have to be like this…he was a friend to me, and I don’t want to have to fight him again,’ he thought with a sad expression.

Nephilim thought his words over for a few minutes before coming to a decision. ‘Then I suppose it is time I told you of some alterations.’

Shinji turned back towards the ethereal angel. ‘What do you mean?’ he asked, wondering what was going to be said.

A silence feel over the apartment while Nephilim prepared his words. ‘Do you remember Azrael?’ he asked.

Shinji nodded, ‘Yeah, I remember what you told me before.’

‘Well, it would seem that he fully intends for Third Impact to happen again,’ Nephilim explained. ‘And to achieve that end, he has sided with SEELE.’

Shinji’s eyes widened at the name, remembering what Yui had told him. ‘But…how?’ he asked, feeling scared slightly.

‘Just as I am bonded to you, he chose to be bonded with them,’ the angel said. ‘They believe he will help them with starting it, unknowing that he knows it will bring nothing but extinction to humanity.’

‘So they have help from him…’ Shinji thought. ‘Does that mean I will have to fight him as well?’ he asked.

Nephilim shook his head. ‘I told you before that I am not a part of the physical plane, so I cannot interact with it. He is the same way. And that is why he has not gone after you already,’ he stated.

Shinji relaxed after hearing that part. Seating himself on the couch, he looked up at Nephilim. ‘So then, what should I do then?’ he queried.

‘Nothing,’ Nephilim said, ‘only I can defeat him, because I am the only other one on the same plane of existence.’

Shinji bowed his head, studying the floor. ‘Do you have any ideas about Kaworu?’ he asked the angel.

‘And then, there is that matter as well,’ he said with a heavy sigh. ‘There is much you still need to hear, Shinji.’

Shinji blinked a few times, unsure. ‘There is?’ he mused.

‘Indeed. Much I need to tell you of the fate of Kaworu Nagisa,’ he said, looking into the boy’s eyes.

‘Go on,’ Shinji thought, wondering what he meant.

Nephilim began to explain, ‘You no doubt saw him during Third Impact, right?’ Shinji nodded. ‘During that time, he was a soul hanging between Heaven and Hell, still wandering the Earth. He felt very remorseful at what he had done to you before his death and had hoped that his actions towards you then could atone for what had been done. But it was too late, and even after you rejected Instrumentality, there were only two people on that beach.’

‘His soul had already made its way to the heavens above,’ Nephilim continued. ‘but seeing what he had led you to, the guilt drove him to beg the Creator into granting him the task of realigning the events leading to Third Impact. The Creator conceded and sent him back, but not before separating him into two halves: the benevolent soul you knew, and the dark part of him that chose to return to Adam.’

Shinji, who had been sitting quietly during the tale, was now wearing a wide-eyed expression and felt like passing out. From the story, he had managed to figure out what Nephilim had been getting to. “Then…that means that…you…are,” he barely squeaked out.

‘Indeed,’ Nephilim said, his usual deep voice changed, becoming one very familiar to Shinji. Lifting back his hood, which normally obscured his features, the face of a slightly older-looking Kaworu Nagisa stared at the shocked form of Shinji Ikari. ‘And I want you to know that I am deeply sorry for having to lie about who I was for so long,’ he said sadly.

“Kaworu…” Shinji said, tears forming in his eyes. “But then what you told me about Azrael while I was in the cell…”

‘…was a lie,’ Kaworu finished for him. ‘And I want you to know that I am truly sorry for that. I needed to make sure you trusted me before I could reveal myself to you. And that meant that I had to tell you something to lessen your anxiety at the time.’

Shinji said nothing, and kept his vision to the ground. ‘I…I’m glad to see you again…’ he thought.

Kaworu smiled at the boy’s words, ‘I am too. But do you not consider me an enemy, at least in part?’

Shinji looked up and shook his head. ‘No, after what you’ve done for me so far, I couldn’t think of you like that,’ he explained.

Kaworu looked at the ground with a sad expression Shinji had never seen on his face before. ‘But…I still feel infinitely guilty about what I put you through before. You trusted me, and I betrayed that trust and became an enemy…’ he said, turning away from his friend.

Shinji sat silent, surprised that Kaworu felt such great sadness over his actions. Getting up from the couch, he walked over to the angel’s form. ‘I…I trust you right now, Kaworu. I really do,’ he assured.

Kaworu’s usual melancholy smile returned his face. ‘Thank you, Shinji. But until I have seen this through to its end, I cannot forgive myself,’ he explained.

Shinji was in deep thought for several moments before resuming the conversation. ‘Then, if you are Nephilim, what is Azrael?’

‘As I said,’ Kaworu began, ‘he is me as well. He is the dark part of my soul that wanted to begin Third Impact. And until I stop him for good, I cannot return to the heavens above.’

‘So he and you are both souls, then?’ Shinji asked.

Kaworu nodded. ‘More like half-souls, really. And Azrael is very displeased at my choice to return. He would have rather seen humanity end right there. But when he was cast out from me, he became vengeful towards me. And that means he will not stop until I am destroyed. He is insistent on that, because he cannot regain his lost form, he will simply bring about the destruction of everything. He stopped being a part of Kaworu Nagisa, and embraced his new destiny as Azrael. That is his standing,’ he explained.

‘So what are you now?’ Shinji asked.

‘I am both Nephilim and Kaworu Nagisa,’ he answered. ‘That is my choice and it shall stand as that. And there are other things I must explain…’

‘Hmm?’ Shinji thought.

‘Because I am no longer the 17th Angel, there will be no more to come. But Azrael has already informed SEELE of this by now. Therefore, they will be invading Tokyo-3 and NERV very shortly, maybe a day or two at most,’ Kaworu explained.

Shinji became worried at the short amount of time until the attack. ‘But what about the Eva series? They need them for Third Impact, and it would take a while to build nine Evas,’ he questioned.

Kaworu sighed, ‘Unfortunately, they began construction very much ahead of the original schedule. Azrael was able to meet with them shortly after the 13th Angel, which helped out in their favor.’

‘What do you mean?’ Shinji asked, puzzled.

‘The original Eva series operated on dummy plugs containing my data, but with my exclusion from the scenario, I thought that would halt deployment,’ Kaworu explained. ‘But Azrael has found a different way: he can control them directly by thought. He is more resourceful then I thought.’

A silence hung over the room for several minutes. ‘Then…what does this all mean?’ Shinji finally asked.

‘It means,’ Kaworu began, ‘that nothing has really changed as far as the invasion. There will be the JSSDF and the Eva series to contend with. And then I still have to personally stop Azrael.’

‘So how did you find all this out?’ the Third Child questioned.

‘That is why you have not seen me around for a while, I have been needing to look into these matters,’ Kaworu stated. ‘But you will make it through this, I am completely sure of that.’

‘What about Rei? I talked a little with her, but I’m not sure what she’ll do,’ Shinji thought.

‘Rei has her own decisions to make, and I trust that she will do the right thing,’ Kaworu said.

‘And Asuka? I need to protect her…’ Shinji asked, worrying about the Second Child.

‘I say that you should tell her…everything,’ Kaworu ventured. ‘You will need her help to halt the invasion. And these are things that she should know.’

Shinji sat for several long minutes in thought. “Kaworu”” he said quietly.

‘What is it?’ he replied.

Shinji smiled a smile that showed a great weight off of his conscience, “Thank you for everything.”

Kaworu smiled as bright as he could, ‘You are very welcome. And I am glad that you have forgiven me.’ His form then faded from sight. ‘I shall see you again in time,’ he said before disappearing fully.

Shinji laid back on the couch in the dark apartment and slept on the words he was told. An hour later, Asuka came in and saw his sleeping form on the couch. Walking over to him, she shook him slightly to wake him. “Shinji…get up, Shinji,” she whispered.

Shinji sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “Hm…welcome home, Asuka,” he said groggily. Then Kaworu’s words about telling her everything came back to him. ‘Alright, I guess she should know,’ he thought.

Asuka smiled and kneeled down next to the couch, “Were you waiting up for me?”

Shinji stretched and seat up, making room for her. “Kinda. I had a talk with someone, too,” he said as she sat down.

“Really? Who?” Asuka asked.

Shinji sighed and began to recount the visit he received earlier that evening, along with a lot of other things. It was going to be a long night…

-----

Meanwhile, another meeting was taking place in an undisclosed location, one between Azrael and the twelve monoliths representing SEELE.

“Then production is complete?” Azrael asked.

“Indeed,” SEELE-01 answered. “But are you so sure that the last angel is no more?”

“Very much so, sir,” Azrael reported. “You may commence the invasion any time now.”

“Are we really sure we can trust him?” SEELE-11 asked.

“Indeed, he may just betray us like Ikari did,” SEELE-07 mentioned.

“I assure you gentlemen, and Chairman Keel, I will help you all see this ceremony through until the end,” Azrael said with a bow. “After all, I have helped you much with the Eva series.”

“Yes, and you have shown unswerving loyalty to us as of so far,” SEELE-01 stated. “Therefore, we will entrust you with the deployment of the Eva series. Do not fail us like Ikari has.” The twelve monoliths disappeared, leaving Azrael alone with his thoughts

‘Ha, the old fools really think they are doing something good for humanity. All they are breeding is genocide…exactly what I have been hoping for,’ he thought, floating out of the room and to the location of his nine “soldiers”…

-----To be continued…-----

A/N: Ooh, some big revelations (not like any of you saw Nephilim’s identity as a surprise) and sinister meetings were around this time. Must mean we’re almost at the closure of our tale.

But then again, I could have told you that…

-----And now, the Omake!-----

Again, we find the author sitting in front of his computer, putting the finishing touches on the latest chapter.

Author: Yes, again, done right on time. Maybe that omen was right…

The author then notices the camera that has perched itself overhead.

Author: Oh, hi there. Nice to see you all again. (looking around the room) Not sure where Mitsumi is right now, she was just here a second ago…

The author rises and walks over towards Mitsumi’s door. Opening it slightly, he is met with a soap bucket to the face. As the author lies out cold and sprawled out on his floor, a wet towel-clad Mitsumi is seen floating into the doorway.

Mitsumi: (looking at the author) Umm…oops, my bad… (notices the camera and ducks back into her room, sporting a full-body blush) Can’t you give a girl a chance to finish dressing after a bath?!?

A couple of minutes later, the author gets to his feet in time to be greeted my a fully-dressed Mitsumi, who has a apologetic look on her face.

Mitsumi: Ah, sorry ‘bout that.

Author: (shaking his head) No big, I just forgot you mentioned a bath…

Mitsumi: So how is it coming along?

Author: Done.

Mitsumi: (hugging the author around his neck) See? I told you it would last!

Author: We can keep hoping it will. Next one will take some time, though.

Mitsumi: Ah, yeah, the EoE chapter…

Author: (nodding) Indeed. There was something I wanted to ask, though…

Mitsumi: Hmm?

Author: Do you think I should wait until Valentine’s Day to release “Alone With You” or should I just get it out of the way. I wanted to make it a special-occasion release, but I might lose the plot by then…

Mitsumi: (thinks it over for a minute) I’d go ahead and finish it, but that’s just me. Why not ask them? (points to camera)

Author: Yeah…I figured as much. (looks at camera) So, how about it?

A small printer port on the side of the camera prints a piece of paper showing “Yes - 50%, No - 50%”

Author: (sweatdropping) Meh, that really helped a lot. Ah well, I guess it’s up to me then…

Mitsumi: And on another note…I found some others who wanted to form a band.

Author: (smiling) Really? That’s great! Where are they?

Just as Mitsumi was about to answer, a knock came from the front door.

Mitsumi: Should be them now.

The author and Mitsumi head over to the door. Opening it, they’re greeted by the sight of…three other small fairies, looking very similar to Mitsumi.

Author: (wide-eyed) Umm…why do they all…

Mitsumi: (interrupting) They’re my sisters.

Author: S-sisters… (faints)

Mitsumi: (looks down at the author and heavily sighs) Glad I didn’t tell him we’re named “Fear the Cute”. (turning to look at the camera) Well, I was nice of you to stop by, but he’ll be out for some time.

We see Mitsumi and her sisters waving to the camera as it pans away from the room, at least for now…

-----End Omake-----

Preread was done by FinalMax again.

As usual: good comments will be appreciated, bad ones will be ignored (or kept for firewood). But I do favor good/helpful criticism, so send it my way to stevebarrow@lycos.com.

-AngelNo13Bardiel