Greetings from the Nexus! It's been a slow weekend for writing practically 
anything so I've nothing to offer except part of a fic that was to have been 
completed by now, and my apologies. C&C adored.
--------------------------------------------------
Shin Seiki Evangelion is property of GAINAX, Anno-san, and other people that 
confuse me on what exactly is Maya's role in the scheme of things. Final 
Fantasy is property of SQUARESOFT and should be treated with equal worship. 
Don't sue, you won't get much. Enjoy!  -Kenji Murasaki 
(nexuslink@geocities.com)

Cloud Strife starred in awe at the scene before him. What was in his line of 
sight was the dissipating form of a bloodied and defeated Sephhiroth. But it 
wasn't the releases of energy around them, emanating form the white-haired 
man, which made him fume in anger, fatigue, and horror. It wasn't the 
distinct feeling he had swelling in him that he had lost all center of 
gravity and was plunging. It wasn't his mind currently doing its damnedest 
to reject this as a form of reality.

	What it was, was Sephiroth, battered, broken, and now fading into 
nonexistence, was smiling.  He was smiling like a warrior in victory against 
an army of three thousand single-handedly. Like a mortal who just found he 
could wield the powers of a god. As he faded, his crimson covered lips 
parted to a laugh, a laugh that only increased Cloud's anxiety. All he could
do was watch as Sephiroth, and that horrid laugh disappear.

	He stood there for a moment, adrenaline fading and fatigue setting in, 
putting his battered body at ease. That wild burst had certainly taken a 
good chunk of what remained of his energy. He put his sword on his back, and 
began to think of his next move, primarily on how to get out of here, when 
another light began to slowly illuminate� where ever he was, bathing him 
with a warmth, and suppressing frost. A voice echoed into his head, 
seemingly coming from the show of� No, it was the darkness; the cooler part 
of the light.

	" Who's there? Why can't I get home? "

	Cloud scanned the light closely, looking for and evidence of a body or 
image to match the small voice, also keeping alert for another attack.

	" Who said that? Show yourself! " Cloud shouted.

The voice was definitely not Sephiroth's, it sounded youthful, and tired, 
like it was barely holding on�

	The numbness finally hit him enough for him to take notice. It was the same 
numb, unknowing feeling he had out of reality the last five years. The 
feeling that had subsided sometime during Zack's death, pushing him in and 
out of consciousness ever since. The feeling that once again reigned control 
from him as he was pushed into the Lifestream without much warning. He knew 
it well. It was the traumatic feeling that pushed him so casually over the 
edge; the feeling he had since his first contact with Jenova, and it was 
pushing him off once more.

	He focused his now tunneling vision and fought back the vertigo threatening 
his continued awareness. He had to, he couldn't let himself be defeated now, 
he was too close. All his suffering, the agony and death he had inflicted 
upon others, murdering for no better reason than to achieve a goal that 
would lead to planetary destruction, Sephiroth had to pay. He was just too 
damn close, he couldn't lose now. At that point, the light illuminated a 
form.

The figure was a boy, huddled in a corner away from the light. What shocked 
Cloud was that, save for his hair and eyes, he was an exact reflection of 
him, or what he looked like around fifteen. The boy was shaking violently, 
and had a distant, vacant look in his eyes. He seemed to have seen just as 
much hell as Cloud had, judging by the weak shape his body was in. He 
obviously had trouble breathing, and he was as pale as the white part of the 
skin suit he was wearing.

The numbness took more away from Cloud, leaving him barely leaving him 
enough to form coherent thought. He pushed the rest of his dwindling energy 
into focusing on the youth.

	"Ano, where did you come from?" the boy croaked, his voice hoarse.

	Cloud only starred at him, in concentration more than curiosity. His legs 
chose that moment to give, slumping the warrior into a lifeless doll 
position on the ground. The light blinded him, leaving him uncertain of the 
boy's puzzled expression. He also missed the realization that suddenly hit 
the youth's face.

	" You look like�" The rest trailed off as the darkness had once more 
claimed him.


*****      ******     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****     
*****


Misato Katsuragi fought back dry heaves while starring at the screen before 
her. What she was looking at was EVA Unit 01, in the literal sense of the 
word, ripped its way out of the 12th Angel. Needless to say, it was not a 
pretty sight. Crimson itchier splattered all over the streets of Tokyo 3, 
along with the ripped sections of the shadowed body of the dying beast. 
Regardless, the EVA continued it bloody disembowelment of it, giving few 
others in the control room little reason not to eject their breakfast the 
hard way.
When the bloody task finally ended, Unit 01 just stood there, and began to 
glow a faint green. It probably would not have been looked at twice were it 
a standard ability, but the only thing the towering sentinel was designed to 
project was an AT field, so this gave cause for concern.

	She snapped out of her reverie, promised to drown it all in a six-pack or 
two later, and began barking retrieval orders. Next she turned to the 
resident professor to ask why the EVA was lit up like a Christmas tree, only 
to find Ritsuko starring slack-jawed and wide-eyed at the screen herself.

	" That's impossible, it's just not possible." She kept repeating it like a 
mantra, earning a glance from both Misato and Maya, who was cleaning the 
mess she made on the floor at that moment.

	" Well, impossible or not, it's doing it anyway. Do we have any reading on 
Shinji?

	Maya spoke up first. " We just reestablished a connection. Processing 
information now�" She inhaled suddenly. There's no damage, internal or 
otherwise, showing up on Unit 01. Pilot is in a state of unconsciousness, 
and vital signs are weak. Brain signal is erratic."

	Before she could react on that, Makoto spoke up from his station. " I'm 
reading a dozen or so new radiation and energy signatures coming from Unit 
01, as well as two other life signatures in the plug."

	"What?!" Ritsuko finally broke out of her mantra at the mention of the new 
signatures, and was over in a flash, checking the readouts the computer was 
spewing. Her heart dropped to her feet at the next call out.

	" One of the life signs just vanished."

	Gendo finally issued his call of the situation. " Katsuragi, have security 
team one go to gate six and pull the pilot out, then do a sweep of the plug. 
I want those lifeforms caught. Understood?"

	She made the call for security to meet her at the gate, and was off to a 
full run to the corridor. Her heart was pounding in her ears as she fought 
against the assumption made by the logical side of her brain at that last 
piece of information. [Damnit Shinji, I swear if your dead, I'll kill you 
till' you awaken and die again!]

	Then she began to process the rest of the report. How had the EVA started 
glowing like that? And what were those weird readings about? It made no 
sense to her. She had briefly thought that the angels had penetrated the 
plug, but that was pointless as well. Wouldn't it have killed Shinji to stop 
the EVA then?

	Well, she was sure to find the answer to who was in the plug with the First 
Child momentarily.


*****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****


The last of the LCL had been shot out of the plug, and they lowered it 
around the guards by the time she arrived. The order for the top to open was 
given, and was executed, weapons being drawn at the same time. As the seal 
cleared, Misato went inside, nervousness painted all over her face.

Shinji was slumped in his seat, head resting on his shoulder, and breathing 
raggedly. The LCL matted his hair to his head, and he was paler than the 
white on his plug suit. The medical team, that had just arrived, began to 
move in, when Misato stopped their advance, and motioned to two of the 
guards. They came forward, and focused their rifles on what she was pointing 
at.

	It was in the shadow of the cockpit, lying still in the corner like a 
lifeless doll. His clothing was soaked, and cut in several dozen places. In 
his hand, was a claymore style sword that seemed covered with blood. He also 
sported several more wounds that, by all physical examinations of the human 
body, he shouldn't have survived; for he was breathing as weakly as Shinji.

	What Misato had paid attention to, and had been paying full attention to 
since she saw it, was his face. Other than his hair, he was an exact copy of 
Shinji�


*****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****


Gendo Ikari sat at his desk reviewing the document given to him not but an 
hour ago. Through his usual fa�ade, a person skilled in extreme attention to 
detail could see the worry and unhappiness etched upon his face. An even 
more detailed examination would show his facial muscles were not used to 
such treatment. He read over the document once more:
Evaluation of EVA Unit 01
Exterior Structural Damage: None
Internal Structural Damage: None
Synapses and Reflexive Programming: 100% efficiency
Linking Circuitry: Status Green
Pilot/EVA Synchronization Module: Status Green
Motor Activation: Status Green
Overall Status: 100% Battle Readiness. Currently on Stand By
Warning 12 foreign energy signatures detected upon Unit 01. Signatures match 
no data currently held by the MAGI or any other information base. Will 
conduct further research on subject.
	Analysis confirms markings inside Unit 01's plug. Cuts penetrate inner 
alloy epidermis of plug by 12 inches. Further analysis shows cuts match 
depth accuracy and sharpness of blade discovered near unknown being, 
sub-named 'puppet' by Commander in Chief of NERV facilities. Possible 
strength evaluation of 12 inch cut is unknown. Improper data provided. 
Suggest endurance and physical test be performed on subject 'puppet'. Report 
complete. (Signing off)

	" What is the condition of the pilot?" he asked, not even looking up at the 
person who just walked in his office.

	" His neural waves are erratic, but returning. No other damage has turned 
up. He should be out in a day," Dr. Ritsuko Akagi replied. " He can be up 
for a light interrogation this evening."

	" Any further leads on who or what was in the plug with the pilot?"

	She grimaced. She and Maya had gone over the scan an obsessive total of 
twenty times, and still had no clue whatsoever of what the thing was that 
had vanished from the plug, the other person found there barely alive, or 
how someone could be strong enough to scar the inner plug armor. She 
continued to think about it as she handed the medical file to Gendo.

	" Subject 'Puppet' is still in critical condition and not looking any 
better. He had sustained several shattered ribs, a broken arm, internal 
bleeding in three major organs; he's not suspected to live through the 
night. We have finished the markings test, and it's confirmed he is human [ 
How any human could survive in that condition is way beyond my reasoning], 
she thought.

	She handed him the document currently in her hands. " Here are the 
specifics for the test."

	He took them, and began skimming through them as she continued. " The MAGI 
have agreed with what we've found about him: several of the new emissions 
from Unit 01 are coming from him. We also found that he's been mentally 
tampered with."

	He looked up at Ritsuko. "Go on."

	" His mental pattern is highly erratic, and there are signs that he's been 
exposed to some form of radiation. He has two mental waves that shouldn't be 
there, though they match nothing we've come up against with the Angels."

	" Has there been any word on the other signal?"

	" No. Nothing else has turned up since time of disappearance. I'm working 
on something to correct that now."

	Gendo put the file down. " Keep at it then. Debrief the pilot when he 
awakens, and inform me immediately if and when subject 'Puppet' awakens. 
Everything else involving the Angel will be left up to you. You are 
dismissed."

	Ritsuko turned and exited, leaving Gendo with his thoughts. [ This is 
definitely not good. This could compromise more than the plan.] He turned 
his attention back to the documents, mind focused and already gearing toward 
a solution.


*****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****  
    *****


Shinji Ikari awoke with a headache that rivaled the numbness coursing 
throughout the rest of his body. He shook his head a few times as if to get 
rid of the cobwebs, and fought the pain that came with it. [ Where am I? How 
did I get here? ]

	He gazed around the room to get his bearings, only to find his vision was a 
blur. Sighing in defeat, he settled back into his bed and thought about what 
had transpired recently:

	He was in a standstill with the 12th Angel, until he shot at it. It 
swallowed him whole as a result. Then blackness, loneliness, fear, death. He 
was going to die? No, he was still alive, though fading rapidly. Then death 
came for him, laughing in his face, threatening to run him through with that 
horribly long sword. He pulled his own off his back, a look of rage on his 
face�

	No, that's not right either. He lost all physical feeling by then. He was 
looking at what was taking place before him. Besides, he wasn't that old or 
flexed, and certainly couldn't handle that weird looking blade. Another 
thing was his eyes, they were brown, not that aura blue; and he was a 
brunette, not a blonde. And that was definitely not his plug suit.

	So now Shinji stood there with another question: Who were those two, and 
why did the blonde look so much like him?

	The headache made itself known again, leaving Shinji opting to sleep on it 
once more. He could think better without the jackhammers anyway. He took 
another glance around the room, and settled back to rest.


*****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****  
    *****


Rei Ayanami looked on in utter confusion at her fellow pilot's behavior. He 
had not even said hello, stuttered, or anything she labeled as normal for 
the one known as Shinji Ikari. She was in front of the bed, how had he not 
noticed her? Granted, the lights weren't in any way up to the standard of 
bright, but he should have noticed her. Nothing on his chart indicated that 
he had vision difficulties.

	And what was more confusing was his mumbling. It could be counted as 
incoherent, but she understood it, or at least the 'S' sounds. He seemed to 
say it with a tinge of hatred as well. Was he dreaming, yet another thing 
she had no idea how to comprehend?

	What was the most confusing of all was his aura. He was giving off an aura. 
A mysterious one, but a new energy nonetheless. It shouldn't be possible for 
humans to do such a thing, shouldn't it?

	She sighed. This was the greatest puzzle and task to her. Perhaps if she 
had a grasp on whatever reasons most people acted like this, maybe she could 
describe how she was feeling now to the Commander. As far as it went 
already, she felt the urge to stay and watch over him, protect him as it 
were. This was not a norm with her, and didn't start until he came around.

	Well, for now she would answer to the urge, and watch over him. She just 
wished that aura would go away. The new feeling it gave her was one she was 
certain she could do without.


*****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****  
    *****


Kenny McCormick finished his third routine check through the lower 
corridors. Today was not a good day for him. After being nearly crushed by 
that launch procedure this morning, and then by the plug this afternoon, he 
was not in a good mood to even talk to his buddies and fellow security 
personnel Ryu and Stan.

	He sighed. This had just turned out to be like all the others. Life with 
NERV was constantly a near-death experience, though closer for Kenny than it 
was for everyone else. It had left him thinking the fates were out to toy 
and fiddle with him. It also made him wonder just exactly how he had 
survived the Second Impact to begin with.

	All thoughts were brought to a screeching halt as he entered the top 
security corridor. There was a trail of blood leading straight into one of 
the rooms, a room only Commander Ikari had access to. He radioed it in to 
Stan.

	" Stan, we have a situation down in Sector C, get backup and head down 
here."

	" What did you say?" Stan responded, " Stop mumbling and say the message 
clearly this time."

	Kenny grew irritated. this was not the time to be making fun of his speech 
problem. " Damnit man get backup and get your ass down here PDQ!"

	" Okay I heard you. Backup on the way."

	Kenny cocked his rifle and headed into the room. Whoever or whatever was in 
there was in for a nasty surprise. He entered the corridor, and stopped dead 
in his tracks. Ryu, or what was left of him, was strewn about the entire 
room. His organs and other tissues were splattered across the wall like a 
mural, and his head was on the floor with a look of pure horror on his face. 
Kenny fought back the bile in his throat and continued into the next room.

He never even got to scream as the sword entered his body out of nowhere 
through the hips, twisted, and was brought vertically through his upper 
torso, splitting him in two. His last coherent thought before the shock, 
then death took him, was that it was about time�


*****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****  
    *****


Sephiroth stared at the two people he had just slain, another with no face. 
He had nothing that he could work with, not even the essence of Mako. This 
indeed was a very strange world he had stepped into. But that didn't matter, 
he had gained a powerful tool in his quest, and would put them to good use 
soon.

	He furthered into the corridor, curious as to what could emit such an 
unusually high energy like his own. It was extremely foreign, but familiar 
in some way. The answer to his queries was now staring at him, the mammoth 
remains of a huge humanoid with a spear sticking from its chest. It was pale 
white all over, and looked as if it had been hacked at, for the lower half 
was missing. It was also generating the aura he sensed.

	[ Yes,] he thought as he stared at Lilith, the 2nd Angel, [ These new tools 
will do nicely]


*****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****  
    *****


Cloud awoke from the horrid nightmare, subconsciously alert. There was a 
presence about, and it was close. The presence seemed to laugh as it did 
before, in total triumph. Sephiroth had just found something that was 
certain to spell trouble for anyone in the near vicinity, but that didn't 
matter. What he sensed next was even worse.

	Outside of his Mako-induced sleep, he could no longer sense any magic 
around anywhere on the planet.

	He began to take in his surroundings. He recognized the accommodations 
almost immediately; a hospital. He scanned the room again for any sign of 
his belongings, and found his SOLDIER uniform in the seat of a chair. 
Slowly, he gathered his strength, got out of the emergency medical unit, and 
staggered toward the clothing. He pulled a materia out of the shoulder pad, 
and initiated a Full Cure spell. Once recovered, he dressed quickly and 
headed in the direction of the presence.


*****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****  
    *****


Stan did not like what he was seeing. Once they found the bodies, the red 
alert was issued. He and his team had continued in the room where they found 
a man clothed in a black cape, and carrying a wickedly long blade. As he was 
about to give the order to fire, the figure turned, and began glowing green. 
He then unleashed a hail of fire seemingly out of nowhere incinerating most 
of the team. The others fired upon him, only to be sliced and diced quicker 
than the eye could follow.

	He was now on the ground, looking up at the grin on the man's face. " You 
are different," he said, " but will know what I bring nonetheless. A gift to 
you all, as you will all be a part of me."

	He then brought the blade pointed through Stan's skull, silencing his 
existence altogether, then vanished through the ceiling.


*****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****  
    *****


Ritsuko rushed through the blinking red hall. The reports she received were 
not pleasant. Subject Puppet was lose, and walking, and there was a man in 
the security corridors slaughtering everyone that stepped that near him. 
Gendo issued orders for everyone not on detail watch to the upper sectors to 
minimize fatalities. She was studying that claymore when everything went to 
hell. Now her first concern was getting to the patient; a concern was put on 
the back burner when she saw Misato, Asuka, and Rei, carrying an unconscious 
Shinji, turn the corner, fear surprizingly evident in all three women's 
eyes.

	" Ritsuko move you're ass! He's behind us!"

	She slowed long enough to wonder just who were they talking about, see who 
as he came around the corner, and turn a perfect 360 degrees at top speed, 
as Sephiroth ambled toward them.


*****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****  
    *****


Earlier:

	Misato went to check on Shinji when the alarms began to sound. Then Gendo's 
intruder alert came over the intercom, and she went into full drill mode, 
heading for her charges to get them.

She found Asuka in the bathroom still throwing up from the visual of the 
disembowelment of the 12th Angel, and dragged her out despite her protest. 
Next thing was Shinji, so they dashed to his room. They found Rei and a 
still sleep Shinji inside.

	" Come on you two, time to relocate." She made a move to get Shinji when 
Asuka spoke up again.

	" Misato, could you put on the brakes for a minute and tell me just what 
the hell is going on?!"

	Misato turned around. " We don't have time. We are on intruder alert, and I 
need to get you guys out of here."

	" So?'

	" So whoever it is just took out a good chunk of our security team with no 
problems." She waited for Asuka to pale even more, " Now come on. We don't 
have time to waste here." She turned back around to the scene of Rei 
carrying Shinji and backing away from the bed, a look of fear on the child's 
usual expressionless face. " He's coming," she said.

	Nobody even got the 'Who?' out as he appeared. He had a black cape and long 
silvery hair, and was brandishing a extremely long sword. He looked at the 
group for a minute, then turned his attention to Misato. " These children 
aren't like you or the others, they come with me."

	Misato drew her piece from its holster and fired three shots in one fluid 
motion. " GO!" she shouted. The girls took off for the door, and were around 
the corner in the same fluid motions, Misato hot on their heels, and 
Sephiroth in pursuit.


*****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****     *****  
    *****


Cloud looked around the fork in the corridor for a moment. He had to find 
Sephiroth soon, and this interferance wasn't helping him with his progress. 
There were already three different times he had run into guards cocky enough 
to attempt to retain him. At the moment, three guards were running down the 
hall now, guns pointed and ready. He prepared a spell, only to stop when he 
noticed several more guards coming from the next corridor, as well as behind 
him.

	Cursing his luck, he dove for the open room as cover, and desperately 
thought of a plan. He could just blast them all with a few spells, but 
didn't want to do anymore damage than what was done; though that patience 
string was wearing thin rather quickly. He chanted for a Slow spell toward 
the nearest guards, and rushed them. They all fell quickly, but weapons were 
firing as soon as he went for them.


	He was swift in his strike, and took down the first with a blow to the 
throat. The next was slammed into the third, who was immediately held up but 
Cloud with his own gun pointed to his head.

	" Another shot and I kill him!" Cloud shouted. They sat there in the middle 
of the hall; a perfect stalemate between the security in question, and a 
trio of unconsious, unarmed personel. It lasted for a full four minutes 
until the firing was hear down the hall.

	Cloud tensed. He was coming. He dropped the hostage at the sudden turn of 
the security team, and cocked the gun of its empty round. He pointed at the 
corridor and was about to fire when he saw another staff member in a lab 
coat dashing down the hall. " Fire when they've cleared!" she shouted. She 
stopped abruptly at the barrel pointed at her head.

	" It's you." She looked as if she'd seen the unconcivable. " But how? You 
were barely�"

	The rest trailed off as Cloud pushed her to the side. The others mentioned 
had just cleared, and the shooting began immediately afterward. They were a 
bunch of kids and one other adult with a handgun firing occational shots in 
the direction she just came from. The children huddled next to the discarded 
doctor, who now had her own weapon in her hand. His gaze hardened as 
Sephiroth emearged from the hallway, emitting an aura that was deflecting 
the bullets.

	Everyone in the corridor who hadn't fallen to a safer position soon 
regreted it, as he dismembered half of the remainder of the security team.


Ja ne!!!^_^
-Kenji Murasaki

"Damn morning people, annoying, cheerful, energetic morning people.
People
better off dead.  Shoot them just on principle.  Blaster,
near.  Shoot.  No.
Stay.  In bed.  Forever.  My place, my bed.  Mine, mine."

        "Stuff" by Gheorghe2

Brought to you by:

THE
NN     N  EEEEEE  X    X   U     U    SSSSSS
N N    N  E        X  X    U     U   S      S
N  N   N  EEE       XX     U     U   S
N   N  N  E        X  X    U     U    SSSSSS
N    N N  E       X    X   U     U          SS
N     NN  EEEEEE X      X   UUUUU   S        S
N      N                              SSSSSSS

ICQ: 36417150 (KMurasaki@Hotmail.com)

Get sucked into the Nexus!
www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Teahouse/4835/Nexus


_______________________________________________________________
Get Free Email and Do More On The Web. Visit http://www.msn.com