Well, for those that have been waiting for it, here it is.  Enjoy and have a
happy holiday!

Mata ne,
Rob
"That's the holiday robot funk!"
--Beck
primary: calicatcafe@megami.net  secondary: ashita@cchono.com
AIM: CaliCatCaf   ICQ: 45925353
Califonia Cat Cafe Online: http://calicatcafe.megami.net
Sailor Moon AX: http://yogipigs.megami.net/sailormoonax/ (MOVING SOON)
The World of Studio YOGIPIGS: http://yogipigs.megami.net
A Long Strange Webpage: http://members.tripod.com/nekohanten/ (MOVING SOON)

Neon Genesis Evangelion:
The Bond

By Rob Barba
Series initiated by James Lee
Neon Genesis Evangelion is copyright Gainax and ADV

Part Four:
Communion

Dear Diary,
    I'm home, now, finally.  Kamisama, I was so afraid that they were going
to kill me.  Fu-chan's still in the hospital, and the doctors don't know if
she'll be able to walk again, unless she gets those new cyborg legs.
Tomorrow I'll have to attend the funeral of several of my friends who were
killed in the blast.  Then, as soon as that's over, I have to talk to the
lawyers about preparing for the upcoming trial.  I'm afraid to do this.  I'm
afraid to face Lorenz again.
    I know that I wouldn't even be alive if it wasn't for Aunt Rei.  I never
knew that she could be like how I saw her when she came in.  Dressed in
cammies, holding her AT beam rifle and flanked by both Colonel Suzuhara
Hikari and Aunt Rei's entire team of EVAs, she came in on foot and demanded
that the Equinox group release me or she'd raze the entire compound, then
start hunting everything that was dear to them...which what I figure, wasn't
much.  To prove her point, she shot and killed the two guards holding me,
without even so much as blinking, then trained her gun on Lorenz, Dr, Akagi,
and that man who...ugh, I still shiver when I think about it.  I was afraid
that I was going to die, but at the same time, I couldn't stop my pride at
the fact that Aunt Rei was willing to throw away her career and all to save
me.  She hijacked her entire EVA unit, and 12 EVAs went "renegade", looking
for me.
    Of course, it helped that she had some friends--even if she didn't know
that Colonel Suzuhara had informed the others.  General Katsuragi, once she
found out what was happening, declared the whole thing a military operation,
putting the Government Criminal Investigations Directorate in their place.
Additionally, when Admiral Chapel found out what was going on in her area of
operations, she placed every military unit on alert, scouring high and
low...and intentionally looking inept.  To aid in the distraction, Colonel
Suzuhara's husband, Colonel Suzuhara Toji, took his EVA battalion and staged
a diversionary raid on an Equinox compound in a small town called Waco, in
the Texas district.  And all of it was meant to mask the real action as Aunt
Rei and her group fought in the jungles of Africa, just to find me.
    When it was all over, it was all explained that it had been an operation
designed to save the life of the daughter of two of the world's most famous
war heroes.  The GCID, smarting from the blow of being outwitted by the
military, had to lick their chops from the action.  General Katsuragi issued
medals of valor to all those involved with the rescue, but Aunt Rei declined
hers, saying that, in her own words, "having yui home is all the reward i
will ever want or need."  That's Aunt Rei for ya: dedicated to her combat
skills and honest and sincere.
    Well, gotta go visit Fu-chan in the hospital.  Someone's gotta cheer her
up!

Mata ne,
Ikari Yui Langley

<(*)>

NAVSTA Joshua Tree, Los Angeles-2, NV, US
Captain's Office

    <<Hmmm.  I don't approve of what you've done, Captain Ayers,>> a gruff
voice said on the other side.  The video screen, via a teleconference call
from the burgeoning, relatively new NERV Branch-3 in Berlin, showed the face
of the man in charge of the NERV organization.  And that face radiated
annoyance at having to be bothered with this issue.
    "And I don't give a damn what you think, Ikari!" CAPT Ayers snarled into
the transmission pickup.  "That was my call, and my call alone.  I was given
discretion on disposal of the Autospine wetware, and I did as I saw fit."
    Gendo pushed his glasses back onto his face, where they'd been slipping.
Switching to a soften tone, he said, <<Look, Pamela....>>
    "Don't give me any of that 'Look, Pamela,' shit, Gendo!" Ayers snapped.
"Don't think you can browbeat me into submission.  *You* may be in charge of
NERV, but *I* am in charge of US involvement in the project.  If you so much
as give me any crap, I'll pull the plug on this and scrap those precious
EVAs of yours.  DOD is still well ahead on our TCM project, and it won't
take much to switch to that."  Her eyes radiated sharp anger as she said in
a hiss, "You are to leave the unit alone, do you hear me?"
    Gendo knew she was bluffing; his information had indicated that the
American Transformable Combat Mecha project--jokingly labeled by the media
as the "Robotech defense system"--was like the French Lancelot mecha
project.  That is, it was an over-budgeted disaster and as slow and plodding
as any American government project was.  Still, Gendo knew that when
cornered, the US military historically had a bad habit of pulling rabbits
out of their hat.  He still needed their cooperation if what he planned was
to succeed.  <<Very well, Pamela.  You win this round.  But don't test my
patience again.>>  With nothing further to add, he cut the line, something
which Ayers felt she could live with--she hated talking to the bastard,
anyway.
    Ayers leaned on the table, drained.  She'd spent the longest time trying
to ensure that something like this wasn't going to occur, and that had blown
up in her face.  Well, she'd just have to switch tactics.  Bad enough that
she didn't really trust Ikari or his right hand man, but there was something
about him that automatically told you that he might not be on the level.
Ayers knew better--she *knew* he wasn't on the level.   She just had to keep
the status quo going until she could find a way to trip him up.


    Enough of that, though.  There were other things to worry about.
Tapping a button on the control panel, she said, "CIC, this is Captain
Ayers.  Put the Officer of the Deck on, please."
    A voice answered a couple of seconds later.  <<OOD, Cap'n.  What can I
do for you this evening?>>
    "What's the status of air operations?"  Three aircraft had left Edwards
about ninety minutes ago, bound for New Vancouver.  The reason was simple:
DEFCON 1 conditions had been detected at the McClannehey Proving Grounds.  A
NATO operation, the facility was the world's largest supplier of N2-class
ordnance.  Without that, a huge portion of the arsenal humanity had against
the Angels would be rendered useless.  No way in hell that was going to
happen.
    <<Give me a few to get in contact with Edwards Control, ma'am,>> the OOD
replied.  Ayers waited for a few minutes before the OOD was on again.
<<Just got off the horn with EdCon.  Angelic Rapier flight will be landing
at RCAF Cotter's Pond in five minutes.>>  That group of aircraft was the US
EVA team, racing to defend the Canadian munitions plant from destruction.
<<Exodus Wanderers 25 and 26 are approaching Alpha point, and will pass
zenith in the next twenty minutes.>>  The sole C-37 Dragonwing was carrying
its payload, the damaged Unit 03, to its intended repair facility at
Tokyo-3's Geofront complex.  Following close behind it was a small C-27D
Tempest, a lear-jet like passenger unit that was carrying the Candidate
pilot and support staff.
    "And what of Tembatsu Shinden flight?"
    <<EdCon reports they've just left New Yokota.  JASDF FX-1s will be
escorting as far as their range; after which fighters from the REAGAN will
handle the second leg.  Once they approach Canadian airspace, Cotter's Pond
will have their Eurofighters finish up the job.>>  Even more important than
Angelic Rapier flight, the four aircraft that comprised the flight leaving
Japan was the entirety of the Japanese EVA team.  More experienced than the
US team, it would be up to them to provide backup.
    "And conventional forces?"
    <<Dunno about that, ma'am.  I'll have the Duty Intel Officer report to
you with that information.  Will there be anything else, ma'am?>>
    "No," she sighed.  "Carry on."
    <<Aye, ma'am,>> he dutifully replied before breaking the connection.
    Once he did, Ayers sat in her office, staring at the paperwork, which
she soon ignored.  Her eyes wandering, they eventually fell on a picture of
her and Raven after the latter's graduation from Officer Candidate School.
That had only been about four months ago.  ((She's just a child, my little
girl.))
    Ayers idly recalled that she'd heard once that a member of the Japanese
team was Ikari's own son, pressed into the duty against his will.  Well, so
was Raven, and Ayers hadn't given her much choice in what she wanted out of
her own life.  ((After this war is over,)) Ayers vowed, ((I'm going to
support whatever Raven wants for her future.  I don't care what it is.  As
long as she's happy, I'm happy for her.))  The Commanding Officer of Naval
Station Joshua Tree and Commander of NERV Branch-2 vowed that she would
never become as cruel and heartless towards her own daughter as Ikari was
apparently towards his own son.
    The fear for her, though, was obvious: ((what if I already am?))

<(*)>

JASDF C-17D Galaxy, codename Tembatsu Shinden 01
Somewhere over the Pacific Ocean near Kamchatka Island, Russia

    Racing into the darkness of the eastern night lumbered a bulky, C-145D
Galaxy IV cargo plane.  Usually used for the transporting of troops or
armament, today, it carried a much smaller group of military personnel and a
far more different array of technology than it had ever done before.  As a
result of this modification, the plane did not bear the drab olive green
color scheme of the JASDF, but instead a blinding white, black, and red
schematic that was clearly identifiable as an aircraft assigned to NERV.
    Behind the whale-shaped prop plane were the black arrowhead shapes of
the C-37 Dragonwings, each carrying one of the precious EVAs strapped under
it.  Darting around the four great craft were the sleek predatory shapes of
two full squadrons of combat aircraft; the Japanese FX-1s were at the edge
of their range and making ready to turn around, even as behind them a
squadron of heavily-armed US Navy F-23s, which would run escort right up to
Canadian airspace.  In the waning light, the four huge cargo craft seemed to
lumber along with a sort of unconcerned air, even as the two teams of
fighters performed flight position replacements.  After a few minutes, as
the group reached the International Date Line, the fighter switch had
commenced, and the Japanese sped towards home under the protection of
Russian MiG-I2000s that came by to assist.


    Within the passenger section of the modified cargo craft, most of the
team was asleep in the rather uncomfortable, utilitarian seats that were on
the aged cargo plane as it sped towards the North American continent.
    Most.
    Seated at the center conference table in the passenger section, three
lone souls were in a sort of bonding that all military members had done from
time to time.  Though NERV was more a paramilitary organization than an
actual army, this still didn't remove itself from the traditional
camaraderie that people in those situations shared.  Two men and a woman sat
at the table, the two gentlemen looking rather uncomfortable in the soft
gray uniform of NERV's pilot corps, while the slightly older woman seemed a
bit more relaxed wearing the red of NERV operations staff.  In seats nearby,
a few more people were asleep, wearing either pilot gray, or the tan that
was the mark of NERV technical personnel.


    "Okay," Toji said, setting down his cards.  His steely gave never
wavered as he took two cards from the dealer, but he relented for a second
or two as he added, "I just don't get it, Shinji old pal.  You're supposed
to be lousy at this, man!  The last time we played poker, you couldn't win
to save your life, and now you've won the past two out of four hands!  What
the hell happened?"
    Misato yawned, then looked around for a beer.  When realizing one was
not available on the military flight, she muttered, "Don't look at me.  I
haven't taught him anything."  Her own glance unreadable, she simply looked
at her cards and said, "I'm out."  She dropped her hand down, a rather
anemic one at that.
    At the third end of the makeshift table, Shinji said nothing, but
inclined his head in the direction of his bondmate, asleep in a chair on the
other side of the passenger cabin.  The look on his face was not the typical
poker face, but a warm, caring glance as he thought about her.
    Misato saw that look.  "Shinji, I--"
    "We're being careful, Misato," Shinji answered, as he pushed a few more
yen into the sizable pile in the center of the table.  "She and I have
already agreed to go slowly.  Very slowly."
    The older woman nodded agreement.  "I'm glad you did.  The situation you
two are in is very dangerous, for more than one reason.  We can't afford you
two to slip up on that."  She grinned wolfishly and said, "Maybe when all
this is over, then you can.  But I'd rather you two behaved yourselves until
then."  At Shinji's slight blush, Misato commented cattily, "Or have you two
already been experimenting?"
    *"NO!"* Shinji cried, a little more loudly than he intended to.  *"No
way!  I'd never!"*

    On her end of the cabin, a young girl twitched in her passenger seat,
sleeping peacefully.  Turning slightly, she half-murmured, half-cooed, "Oh,
that feels *grrrrreeeaaat*, Shinji-kun...." and crawled into a fetal ball.
    Misato gave Shinji a knowing look, while Toji merely snickered.  Shinji,
on the other hand, went pale as a sheet, the card game forgotten.  If the
trio could have seen Asuka's face, they would have seen a mischievous grin
on the face of the sleeping young woman.

    Shinji, his composure lost, grunted, "Aw hell.  I fold.  You win, Toji."
Shinji tossed down his hand in disgust, his set of cards far better than
what Toji held.  As the newer EVA pilot scooped up the pot, Shinji
commented, "We should call this game quits, anyway.  We should get some
sleep before we arrive in Canada tomorrow."
    "Personally, I can't sleep--I'm just too primed for what we're about to
do," Toji said.  "I mean, getting to visit another country an' all...."
   Misato retorted softly, "Sometimes visiting other places doesn't work out
the way you want it to...."  Her voice was distant, and the look in her eyes
hinted that she was looking at a horizon beyond the metal confines of the
aircraft hull.  Unconsciously, her hand crept up to her chest and the cross
that she wore around her neck.  "No, sometimes it doesn't...."
   Shinji, not wanting to disturb his mentor, tapped Toji on the back and
commented, "C'mon, let's hit the simulators.  You still need the practice."
Toji complied eagerly, as the simulators onboard the craft were designed
more for practical application of movements and protocols than the actual
synch ratios.  In short, they were overly expensive videogames.  Quietly,
the pair headed towards the access ladderway, leaving Misato to her
bittersweet memories.

   The plane rushed on towards the lands in the east, towards a
conflagration that could spell the end of humanity.

<(*)>

RCAF Cotter's Pond, BC, Canada
Visiting Officers' Quarters, Fifth Floor

    "I said, leave me alone, Raven," a voice said, quiet and packed with a
slow-burning anger.
    "Look, Carter, what can I say to tell you that I'm sorry, okay?" Raven
retorted, her own anger growing by the minute.
    *"I don't give a damn what you were planning to say.  I just want you to
leave me the hell alone!"* the young man snapped, his tolerance limit
clearly reached.
    *"FINE, THEN!  I DON'T KNOW WHY I BOTHERED TO TRY TO MAKE IT UP TO
YOU!"* she snarled, turning to stomp away from the idiot who she was trying
to--


    "All right you two, that's enough!" Kendra sniped as she opened the door
to her room and glared at the two in the hall.  The pair looked pretty
ridiculous, with Carter still dressed in his working khakis, while Raven was
dressed in her favorite PT getup--a set of red too-short shorts and a very
tight black tank top that read !3M TA3.  Around her neck was a white gym
towel, and her SDMI player, the headphones set entirely too loud as usual.
At first, the scene looked like a pair of high school brats arguing in the
hall; only the rank pins and decorations of Carter's uniform and Raven's
green smart ID card slung around her neck gave any indicator that they were
anything but.
    "Look," the older woman said, "I know you two aren't exactly going to
get along with each other for a while--"  If ever, Kendra silently admitted;
ENS Raven Ayers had a lot to make up for her tragedy-borne stupidity the
previous day, "--but may I take the time to remind you two of a few things.
One, despite your age, you two are US military officers in a foreign
country, and you need to act like good ambassadors of American goodwi--"
    Raven yawned at what she felt was the bullshit typical line.  "Yeah,
yeah, Kendra--we hafta be good little zeros," she muttered, deliberately
using the enlisted insult towards officers.  "So you want us to be
well-behaved little squidlings and skip the Tailhook convention.  You were
saying?"
    "--and two," Kendra continued without skipping a beat, "if you two do
not stop this childish display right here and now, I'll see to it that you
two will personally handwash your EVA units for the next two months using
nothing but paper towels!  Do you get my message?"
    Carter feebly nodded, while Raven's eyes narrowed in slits of anger.
Eventually, she too, nodded in understanding.
    "All right then.  Now don't forget that tomorrow morning I want you two
prepped and ready to meet your Japanese counterparts.  And please, try not
to embarrass the entire U.S. military this time?"  Nothing more to add,
Kendra shut the door and went back to whatever she'd been doing.
    Carter looked at Raven, his face still filled with an unforgiving look,
and now added with this latest insult.  Saying nothing more, he headed back
to his own room.
     Raven stood alone in the middle of the hall, unable to vent whatever
emotions were roiling inside her.  Grunting an epithet, she declared, "The
hell with them--you'd think they'd rather see me dead than the Mouse."  In
her mind, she added, ((An' I don't blame them.  Maybe I *shoulda* died
instead of Wendy.))  Unsure of what to do next or how to express the pain
she held, she went back to her original plan and headed towards the base
gym, where she would likely force the anger out through some sort of
exercise.
    She doubted it, though.

<(*)>

Von Weisstrausse Casern, Berlin, Germany
SEELE/NERV-3 Conference Room 4A

    Keel Lorenz stared that the flat panel display that gave him the
readings on the most recent Angel attack.  The look on his face was a study
in desperation in trying to keep calm.  Vaguely looking around the table, he
saw the same things as others did: complete and utter amazement.  The secret
Dead Sea Scrolls, the remaining documents that had not been translated over
the years, were to have given the complete plan on how to deal with the real
days of Revelations, not that trippy prose that was at the end of the Bible.
Using that set of ancient leather, it was meant to detail the correct way to
deal with the Angels.
    Well, the time of Revelations was at hand, and here they were, reading
the scrolls, which had turned out to be frighteningly accurate.  From the
point of the Second Impact, straight through to the defeat of the Sixth
Angel, things had been alarmingly real, as though the documents were nothing
but a script to a play already written.
    That changed with the appearance of the seventh Angel, the one
code-named Maruiel.  The scrolls had spoken of a twinned creature to be
code-named Israfel, described as:

"A beast that doth be a mockery of the form of man, a homunculus that shall
cleave itself in twain when approached by adversity unto itself...."

With such an expectation on hand, not one had been expecting anything else.
And since the Angels had shown an inclination to attacking the stronghold in
Tokyo-3 since the Third Angel, all had been going according to plan.


    Well, the appearance of the torus-shaped Angel blew everything out of
the water, for now and forever.  And here was SEELE, in their stronghold in
NERV-3, attempting to deal with it.  Strange things were being reported from
all corners of the globe now, and by all appearances, the bizarre events
that were recorded at the end of the Bible were seeing to come true.  From
fishes that had been dying in droves off the coast of the Island of Hawaii,
where the seas were said to be boiling, to the inexplicable discoloration of
the nighttime sky, creating the moon that was as red as blood.  Events of
the Revelation were now occurring on Earth, along with the Kabbalic
mysteries of this war which some wags in the know were beginning to call
"The War of Ascension".
    But every battle had to have some sort of OPLAN, something to go by.
And if that was the case, what was the true document to reference?  The
Secret Dead Sea Scrolls, which had now been proven to be not as
authoritative as they'd expected; the Book of Revelations, which was by far
and away was thought to be completely off-base, but now was beginning to
show signs that it had been accurate to some degree, after all; or some
incomprehensible combination of the two, joined in a manner so twisted that
humankind would fail in its understanding of the whole issue?
    ((Perhaps, the answer wasn't even found in any Judeo-Christian-Islamic
tome,)) he thought.  ((Maybe the answer is in Hinduism, or in Shinto
legends.  Maybe even in Zoroasterism or something even more obscure.  Maybe
even it is up to us to create the answer for ourselves, though I cannot be
too sure of that.))
    Lorenz looked across the table at Ikari, and noticed that for once,
something was different about him.  Although his face was the usual stoicism
of complete control, for once there also seemed to be an aura of chaos
around him, an element that hinted that something was no longer in control.
Lorenz wondered what that might be, and decided he would take action on it
later.  Perhaps it might be the key to controlling the uncontrollable Ikari
Gendo.

<(*)>

RCAF Cotter's Pond, BC, Canada
Runway 01

    Standing in the shelter of a nearby hangar, the members of the US Joint
Mechanized Strike Force, awaiting their counterparts from NERV HQ.  It was a
dour-looking day, and though it wasn't likely to rain today, the iron color
of the overcast sky made things uncomfortably chilly for this time of year;
enough so to require the three to wear jackets today.  While Kendra was
currently wearing her basic working khakis, the two pilots had opted for
their biosuits, wearing their bomber jackets over them.
    Wearing the drab olive gray of his biosuit, Carter felt uncomfortable.
He, like so many of the other pilots he'd known, tended to lean towards
superstition.  One of those superstitions for him was that every time he
slipped on his pilot gear, he'd end up fighting fairly soon.  Although,
until the events of the other day back in LA-2, the only fighting he did per
se was to arrive on the scene moments after an Angel had vaped it and moved
on.  It was inexplicable, but afterwards, they were drawn to Tokyo-3 like
flies.  Personally, he wished they had stayed there.
    Raven, in her dark blue version of the biosuit, tried to concentrate on
the situation at hand, even though she felt dam uncomfortable.  Neither
Kendra nor Carter had forgiven her for the Mouse's death, and truth be told,
neither had she.  ((Fuck this shit, Rave.  All you have to do is to get out
of this alive, show up the damn Japanese, and get Carter off your ass.
Maybe if we can beat these damn Angels, I can score me an upgrade to JG or
something.))


    Watching the aircraft slowly coming in, under escort by Canadian
fighters, made the whole scene look like an ominous invasion from beyond.
An irony, Kendra realized; these forces were here to prevent said invasion
from beyond.  One of the most critical battles in humanity's history was
likely to take place several miles northeast of the base at the nearby
McClannehey Proving Grounds, and the line was being held by some of the
world's most courageous fighting forces.  But the tip of the spear, as
military clich�s went, was in the hands of a bunch of kids who should be
thinking more about the trials and tribulations of teenhood.
    Only five minutes late, the C-145D Galaxy IV came in for a landing with
all the grace of a beached whale.  Kendra, a fighter jock herself, laughed;
she never could imagine herself flying one of those tubby bastards.  ((The
Dragonwings, on the other hand...)) she mused as the C-37s moved into a
stationary position and cut their main engines in favor of the VTOL nozzles.
The three black aircraft descended slowly, lowering their payload onto the
massive flatbeds that would make the transfer to the hangar currently
reserved for the Japanese EVA team.  Meanwhile, the Canadian fighter
squadron, satisfied their job was done, winged away from the runway and
bolted off in the direction of their base, several more miles away.
    After a few minutes of taxiing to their assigned parking spot and
shutting down the flight systems, the great door on the back of the plane
rolled down, and out of the plane boiled various techs and support
personnel, carrying off equipment and other materials necessary for the EVA
units to do their job.  Last to come out of the plane was a mid-sized group
of people: one wearing the red uniform of NERV operations, a couple wearing
the tan of technical, and four teens wearing the muted gray of aviation.
The group began to walk towards the Americans, and Kendra, her charges in
tow, did the same.


    The two groups met in the middle.  Misato spoke first, her English being
better than the others, and to assure the Americans there would hopefully be
no language problems.  "LT Chapel, I presume?"  Misato didn't bother to
salute; the less protocol on the ground at the moment, the better, and from
what she read of the briefing of this officer, she was pretty much
accustomed to ignoring the rules as well.
    "That's correct, major.  LT Kendra Chapel, USN, OPS Officer for US
JMECHSTKFOR and NERV-2.  And these are my pilots, Ensign Kaoru C. Nagisa,
pilot for Unit 05--"
    "Just call me Carter," the boy said, offering his hand.  "Always
preferred my middle name, anyway."
    "--and Ensign Raven Ayers, Unit 04's pilot."
    "How the hell are ya?" Raven said in her usual brash tones, putting her
hand out and knowing that it would probably set the staid Japanese on their
ear.  Instead, she found herself being stared at, as though she was some
sort of freakshow on display.  She was about to give a big WTFO, but a
second later, she found out why.  And suddenly she felt like a sort of
freakshow on display.


    The Japanese team could only stare in wonder at the strange sight before
them.  Not the rather normal looking gray-haired, red-eyed boy in the olive
green odd American plug suit; but rather, his companion.  The girl with the
brash attitude, and bright, cheerfully daunting eyes.
    A girl that, with the exception of the long hair, was a complete match
for Rei, in terms of looks.  Even more jarring, the girl had a personality
that made pre-bonding Asuka look like pre-bonding Shinji--and that was
saying a mouthful.  Still, professionalism was professionalism, so Misato
shook off the surprise and said, "Well, a pleasure to meet you all.  As
you've already figured out, I'm Major Misato Katsuragi, and to my side is
our EVA pilots, Second Lts. Shini Ikari, Asuka Langley-Sohryu, Rei Ayanami,
and Toji Suzuhara, the EVA pilots for Units 01, 00, and 02."
    "Four pilots for three units?" Kendra asked, the same thing on her mind
as on Misato's: ((where the hell did you dig up a person that looks like a
twin of my pilot?))
    "Unit 01 is a dual pilot plug," Misato explained.  "Shinji and Asuka
are, um, gifted."
    "Well, they definitely seem to work well together," Kendra added, noting
that the two were holding hands.
    "That they do," Misato added, perspiration coming to her brow, her hand
waving frantically while she held it down, trying to signal for them to quit
it; she didn't dare turn around to tell them.  "And they make up a vital
component of our team.  Speaking of components, I thought that you were
supposed to have a full complement of pilots as well."
    Kendra bristled at that; she brushed it off, though, writing it off as
military brusqueness and not an attempt to be insensitive to their recent
loss.  "After the death of Second Lt. Del Vientos, we've had to scramble to
get a new pilot for Unit 03 while it's being repaired over at your
facilities.  To speed up the training process, we've sent our next candidate
over there to see if she'll cut it.  If not, NERV-1 will supply the pilot
for Unit 03.  Other than that, my current pilots will have to suffice for
this operation.  They may not have the experience that your forces have, but
they're highly trained officers despite their ages, just as yours are."
    "Never doubted it for a moment, LT Chapel.  You have our condolences on
the loss of your teammate."
    "Thank you, Major.  Well, I'm sure that you'd all like to settle in, and
my team still has a few more things to attend to.  I'll have some of the
base staff show you to your quarters, and give you a couple of hours to get
settled until we all meet at the briefing this morning."  Kendra signaled,
and a couple of Canadian airmen came by to assist the Japanese team with
things.  "Be seeing you, Major Katsuragi."


    "that girl looked like me," was all Rei said when the Americans had
walked off.
    "That was kinda creepy," Asuka admitted.  "That American pilot was a
dead ringer for Wonder Girl here, except *she* had a personality."
    "The Wonder Kid with a personality," Shinji mused.  "Now that has to be
a really frightening thought.  Hey, whaddaya think, Toji?"
    "I'm trying not to," he admitted.  "I found it too mindwarping a
concept."
    The three other pilots had a hearty laugh about this while the pilot of
Unit 00 simply stood there and watched as the girl who looked exactly like
her walked into a nearby building.  ((strange...she looked exactly like me.
but she acted differently than i do.  could she be another me?))  She had to
admit it was possible.  It also had another effect on her: the curiosity
that if it was true, was she really capable of acting like that?
    Meanwhile, Misato, having finished giving directions to the assistants,
rounded up her charges and said, "Okay, you guys, let's get settled in and
relaxed, and then we'll figure out what's going on.  Oh, and Shinji and
Asuka, may I remind you about a little thing called military protocol?  As
in: no holding hands while in *uniform*?!?!?!"
    Asuka shook her head in dismay while Shinji snarled, "Okay, then I'll
just have to forget about that little incident with Major Hamayata last
week, right?"
    Misato eeped.  "Yo-you know about that?"
    Shinji gave her a nasty grin.  "Misato, I consider you like family, so
I'm not going to discuss details.  Especially the part about your secondary
scar from the Second Impact.  You know, the smaller one down by your--"
    "You wouldn't dare," she commented, in a tone that was half-warning,
half-shock.
    Asuka smirked.  "Misato, I think that we pilots would like some time to
relax and look around the base before we get settled in.  Please be a dear
guardian and let us?"
    The older woman wasn't expecting the change in tone.  "Er, Why?"
    "Because you think dearly of me and Shinji-kun, and you think well of
Toji and Rei, too."  Her tones clipped back to catty as she added, "And
because I think you'd rather that I didn't tell, oh, say, Kaji about a
certain dream you had the other night?"
    Misato's eyes bugged so wide at those words, Toji swore that she almost
looked like an anime character.  Feeling sick to her stomach, she moaned, "I
guess we...could use the downtime.  I'll contact LT Chapel and ask her to
reschedule the meeting for later."
    In a saccharine-sweet voice, Asuka said, "Thanks, Misato!" while Shinji
had the same self-satisfied smirk on his face that seemed to say, "You're
the greatest, Misato!"  The NERV officer merely looked at them with an ashen
glance before wandering off, muttering, "I really could use a beer right
now...."
    As she walked off, Toji looked at the pair, who merely gave each other
knowing looks of satisfaction.  "I'd really like to know how you two know
about things like that.  It might come in handy someday."
    Asuka smiled cattily.  "It's called being a total bitch, Suzuhara.  You
should try it sometime."
    Toji turned to the male half of the Dastardly Duo.  "Okay, then, so
what's your excuse?"
    In a disaffected tone, Shinji yawned a sort of answer: "I dunno.  Being
an alpha male or something like that?"
    "What?  I don't get it."
    "We thought so."  Patting his friend on the back, Shinji said, "Well,
shall we go enjoy our time off?"


    Raven turned the corner and counted to ten before cutting loose with her
tongue.  Frankly, it was the longest the girl was known to have kept her
temper.  *"WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?!?!?!?!"*
    Kendra gave Raven a helpless shrug.  "That's what I'd like to know."
    Carter gave her a wolfish grin.  "Maybe the Japanese cloned a new and
improved model.  Notice how nice, quiet and unassuming she was?"
    Raven responded to that flattering bit of information by turning and
flipping off her teammate.  "Sit and spin, cheese dick!"
    "Guys, knock it off," Kendra warned.  She was already still spinning
from the sudden appearance of another Raven.  This was only adding fuel to
the fire.
    Of course, her pleas went unnoticed by the two combatants.  "Go to hell,
Raven!" he snarled.
    Raven's fists balled in anger.  "You'd better check your six, pretty
boy, or I swear that I'll--"
    *"OR ELSE YOU'LL DO WHAT, RAVEN?!?!?!"*  Carter, unable to hold in his
anger, exploded with a fury that no one had ever seen in him before.
Getting right up to her face, he roared, *"WHAT, YOU'LL GET ME KILLED TOO,
JUST LIKE WENDY?  GOOD FUCKING GOING THAT'LL BE, YOU GODDAMN SCREWUP!!!!!
MAYBE THAT'S WHY THE JAPANESE ARE BUILDING BETTER YOUS!!!!!  SO WE CAN GET A
COPY THAT'S NOT SOME MENTALLY DERANGED LOOSE CANNON!!!"*
     *"I AM NOT A CLONE, YOU FUCKHEAD!!!!!!  IT HAS GOT TO BE A
COINCIDENCE!!!!!!!"*  Raven instinctively drew back to punch him; it was a
tactic that usually worked with other guys, and Carter here was no
different.  What stopped her were his words, as they sank in.  ((My God...is
that what they think of me?))  If she could have seen herself in a mirror,
she would have noticed that she went completely ashen, and between her
blanched face, pale blue hair and red eyes, she appeared very much like an
albino.  As though not even under her control, her hands dropped limply to
the side for a second before she whispered in a shaky voice, "No...that's
not true...that's not true and you know it!"  For reasons she couldn't
explain, she found herself covering her ears, trying to block out the hated
words that she feared were the ring of truth.  "Leave me alone!" she cried,
not realizing the irony in saying the words that he'd said to her last
night.
    *"KNOCK IT OFF, ENSIGNS!!!!!"* Kendra screamed at the top of her lungs,
trying to get some semblance of calm.  *"THAT'S A DIRECT ORDER, YOU
TWO!!!!!"*  Unfortunately, her attempt to restore military discipline was
failing, and badly.  ((Gods, the *last* thing I need is for base security to
show up and toss these two in the brig, but I'm tempted to toss them in
there, myself!))
    Unaware of Kendra's thoughts, Carter continued to bear his soul.
*"BULLSHIT!!!!!  I'VE HELD MY TONGUE LONG ENOUGH, RAVEN!!!!  I'M SO SICK OF
YOUR FUCKING ANTICS!!!  I'M SICK OF YOU PICKING ON WENDY BEFORE SHE DIED,
AND ME!!!!!  I'M SICK OF HEARING HOW HOT SHIT YOU THINK YOU ARE!!!!  I'VE
HAD IT UP TO HERE AND I'M NOT GOING TO PUT UP WITH IT ONE MORE FUCKING
MOMENT!!!!  I WISH YOU WOULD JUST GO TO HELL AND STAY THERE!!!!!!"*
    Something beyond the edge of control snapped within Raven, and as her
eyes became twin daggers of pain and rage.  *"I.  SAID.  LEAVE.  ME.
ALONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"* she finally bellowed with the voice of a woman at her
edge, cocking her fist back to beat the hell out of Carter, and to hell with
what base security did to her.  She was fast enough that neither Carter nor
Kendra would be able to stop her at least for the first volley of punches,
and for her, that would be more than enough.


    "please, do not punch him," a nearly whispered, very soft voice said in
accented, halting English.  The three turned around to see one of the
Japanese pilots staring at them; specifically the one that looked like
Raven--what was her name?  Ah, yes--Rei Ayakawa or something like that.
    Raven turned to face the apparent doppelganger.  "Just what is it to you
if I spill his guts all over the deck, huh?"
    "i would rather you didn't," Rei responded.  "i don't like red."  She
said in such a plain-matter-of-fact tone, that all the rage drained out of
Raven as complete confusion dawned on her features.
    "Oh, so you don't like blood, huh?" Raven snarled.  "Then why the hell
are you an EVA jo--"  The girl's train of thought was instantly halted as
the two made eye contact.  Red eyes met red eyes, identical faces framed in
same-hued hair, as though a fractured image of Gemini had been brought into
the third dimension.  Rei was the first to break eye contact, and Raven's
fists fell to her side, as though useless and spent without even performing
the task they were summoned for.
    Seeing her job was done, she murmured a "thank you," then walked down
the hall, as though nothing had happened.
    The three watched the girl walk down the hall, eventually turning a
corner and disappearing from sight.  When she was gone, Kendra, no longer
livid but now completely lost, said, "I hate to say it, you two, but that
girl is creepy."  Turning to look at Raven, she noted the girl herself was
beginning to shake, as though suddenly struck by palsy.
    Carter noticed it, too.  Putting aside his hatred of her for the concern
of a teammate, he asked, "Hey, Ayers, you okay?"
    Raven never answered, as she was too busy trying to control herself from
what she saw in the other's eyes.  ((I saw death in her eyes.  Countless
deaths.  All of them hers.

    ((All of them, mine.))

<(*)>

    A couple hours later the meeting was held, sans the pilots.  In light of
Asuka's personal desire for them to be left alone for the rest of the day,
Misato contacted Kendra and suggested the change.  Kendra, still embarrassed
about the aftermath of Raven's outright warfare in the halls and the sudden
halting of it by the Japanese ghost girl (as Raven was naming her), was only
too quick to agree.  Kendra made a few more calls to various other officers
involved, rescheduling for the next day.
    The pair met in the O-Club's coffee shop, both having deemed it still a
bit too early to drink.  This decision lasted all of two seconds, and
eventually the two found themselves in the O-Club's wet bar, downing
Mooseheads by the dozens.  Much more warmed up, they chatted about many
things and got to know one another, both palpably shying away from the
Rei/Raven issue.  They did discuss the other pilots though, and how they
would integrate the two pilot groups.
    Leaning over her twelfth beer (having settled on twelve as a nice,
reasonable number after she passed the twenties), Kendra slurred, "So...ya
zink we shud haf tha tu gruups of pi-pi...jockeys sit down amongst
themselves?"
    Misato dizzily nodded.  "Haaaiiiiiiiiiii!" she said, her voice slurred.
    "Hi t' yu to," Karen replied.  "Soooooooooooo...we star' t'mrrow?"
    Misato nodded, unsure of how to answer that.  In turn, Kendra bobbed her
head vigorously in a reasonable attempt at a nod, but instead ended up
banging her head on the table, knocking herself out.
    Misato gave the unconscious American a wide, stupid grin and mumbled, "I
think this 's gunna be th' start ov a bea...beau...great friendship."  No
further philosophical points to add, she passed out as well in an
alcohol-induced sign of solidarity.

<(*)>

JASDF Airbase New Atsugi, Japan
Runway 7

    The officer, resplendent in her class "C" uniform, gave Ritsuko a sharp
military salute.  "Reporting as ordered, Major Akagi."  She then slipped
into parade rest, her seabag standing also at military height.
    Looking at the briefing sheet, Ritsuko said, "Dr. Akagi is fine--I
rarely use my rank."  Ritsuko tore her eyes away from the file, and looked
at the American pilot.  Despite having spent all those hours in transit,
you'd never know just by looking at the military bearing the girl, a US
Marine, had.  ((To paraphrase Misato,)) Ritsuko thought, ((the girl looks
like a poster child for Heavy Armament.))  Despite having a slight build no
bulkier than say, Asuka, the girl's eyes had the look of a calculating
beast--the very look, the scientist noted, that American Marines were known
all over the world for.
    Ritsuko had to admit, the US branch of NERV was a lot more prepared for
war than the Japanese branch was...if only because it was run by the US
military, vice the private organization that Japan's NERV was.  If it
weren't for the fact that Tokyo-3 saw a hell of a lot more action than any
of the other places in the world, they simply wouldn't have the level of
readiness that the Geofront currently enjoyed...if enjoyed would be such a
term to be used in the situation.
    "Well," Ritsuko said, looking at the girl's single gold bars on her
uniform and trying to remember the rank, "Lieutenant, you'll be
participating in synchronized tests with our own candidate.  If you succeed,
you will become the new pilot for Unit 03, once we make the repairs to it.
If not, our pilot will take over, and you will likely be assigned to support
and intelligence, where your secondary specialty lies, okay?"
    The Marine slipped from parade rest into attention.  "Yes, Doctor."  She
slipped right back into parade attention, and Ritsuko stifled a groan.
    ((Great.  I'm stuck with this one until Misato gets back.  Oh well....))
"Okay, then, Lieutenant, you've been issued an apartment on this address.
You'll be living next door to the other pilot, so it might behoove you to
get to know each other."  Ritsuko handed the girl a slip of paper, then
waved her hand to signal a few JASDF airmen to escort the Marine.  "Report
for duty at eight, okay?"
    "Aye-aye, ma'am!"  Another salute was thrown in the direction of
Ritsuko, and the Marine, escorted by the two airmen, went off towards the
nearest car.
    Ritsuko watched them as they left.  Why do I get stuck with the weirdoes
in this world? she asked herself, before realizing it was a gauntlet of
sorts.  If things worked out the way Gendo had planned, there would be a
grand change in the way the world worked, and the name of Major Akagi
Ritsuko, MD & PhD, NERV Science Division, would be at the forefront.

<(*)>

RCAF Cotter's Pond, BC, Canada
Visiting Officers' Quarters, Suite 208

    Asuka stepped out of the shower, heading towards the bed that she and
Shinji shared, grabbing only a towel to wrap around herself.  She didn't
bother to throw on clothing or anything of the sort.  It didn't matter
anymore, after all; he'd seen inside the deepest depths of her mind already,
so what good was modesty going to do?  Besides, maybe tonight, she began her
thoughts.
    Without looking up from reading a book from where he lay on top of the
bed, Shinji said, "I thought we wanted to hold off on that, Asuka."
    ((I was just teasing you, Shinji-kun,)) she thought, continuing to test
out their newest skill.  ((Besides, I always thought that if I did something
like that, I would do it with the man I love.))
    ((And what am I?  Day-old sashimi?))  It was the closest he'd come to
asking if she did.
    She only thought it would be fair to give him an appropriate response.
Moving to his side, she took the book out of his hands, leaned against him
and kissed him with all the passion she could give that was hers to give.
As she breathlessly broke away, she sighed, "Everything for you, Shinji-kun.
Everything for you."  As if by some silent cue, she slipped away the towel,
letting him see her as she was.  Exposed to him in a way she'd never offered
him before, until now.
    "Asuka," Shinji said, averting his eyes from roaming over her perfect
body and concentrating on her face.  "I--"
    "I love you too, Shinji," she said, a lump in her throat.  "But I'm
scared."
    "I know."
    "I'm so afraid that I'll be left alone when all of this is over.  That
something, or millions of something, will happen.  What if they find a cure
for what happened to us?"
    "Then I won't take it," he insisted with firmness.  "I don't want
anything that'll separate us, Asuka.  I don't want to be alone anymore.  I
don't want *you* to be alone anymore."  Kissing her tenderly, she could feel
her feelings reciprocated as well as the willpower it took to keep certain
other feelings under control.  "Asuka, you have no idea how hard it is to
fight this," he admitted.
    "Then don't.  Shinji, if you want me, I'm yours," she said in a soft
voice.  "I'm always yours."
    "Not until this is over," he said, with some difficulty.  "But when this
war is over, then we'll see."
    She could see that he was fighting it for both of their sakes, not only
because of their duties, but also because it just wasn't the time for it.
She swelled at pride at the boy she loved, and knew that if he could control
his longings, so could she.  But with that, there was a new fear in the back
of her mind, one she tamped down immediately.  "If we're going to wait that
long, then we can wait until I'm Ikari Asuka."  She said that so
matter-of-factly that both giggled at the prospect.  Here they were,
discussing their whole life in five minutes.  And to top it all off, she
said, "And we're naming our son Heinrich.  We can name the girl after your
mother."  Leaning closer to him, so close he could practically taste her
breath, she whispered, "Shinji, I don't know if I can fight it much longer.
Being here...in your arms...."  Unconsciously, neither of them was realizing
that she was already unbuttoning his shirt, her control slipping.


    Fortunately, there was a knock at the door, and an unfamiliar voice
called out in English, "Hey, Ikari!  You in there?"
    That snapped the two out of their reverie.  "Um, yeah," he answered in
the same language, having learned it from Asuka's years of living in
Milwaukee.  "Just a minute!"  The pair gave each other a rushed, passionate
kiss, then Asuka grabbed the towel, making sure she displayed what he'd just
fought so hard to give up...and conversely, protect.  Giving him a loving
look, she went back into the bathroom.
    The male half of them went to the door and opened it to find the
American (what was his name again?) and Toji standing there, both dressed in
civvies and looking rather casual; while Toji was wearing his usual jogging
gear, the other boy wore a crew-neck jersey and faded jeans.  Running his
fingers through his long gray hair, he said, "Hey, man, Toji and I were
going to head over to the base movie theatre and wanted to know if you
wanted to go.  You know, that 'getting to know each other' stuff we gotta
do."
    "Just getting out of your uniform, Shinji?" Toji asked.
    "Um, yeah.  Been reading a book for the past couple of hours, just
trying to kill the time." he responded.
    "Funny, I thought you and Asuka would have found a more...intense...way
to fill the time," Toji joked.  Shinji shot him a murderous look, and Carter
merely chuckled at that.  "So, you coming, Shinji?"
    "Um, sure.  Hold on a sec."  ((Asuka?))
    ((Sure,)) she responded to him.  ((It'll...be a good idea to test how
far we can be from each other.))  There was a tinge of sorrow to her voice
somehow, but Shinji wasn't going to pry.  What little privacy they had left
they were entitled to, and she might just want some right now--the sorrow
just might have been hormones he misread.
    Within a couple of minutes, Shinji had slipped into a polo and slacks
and the three of them went off to go learn about each other in the spirit of
international goodwill.


    A few minutes later and curled into a ball, Asuka cried on the bed,
unable to hold her fears outside of her body, if she could hold it in the
private parts of her mind.  She was shivering, not from cold but from
something even more elemental to the human condition: she was terrified.
And that terror had a name: Shinji, but a better name for it might be
Asuka's itself.
    ((Shinji, how can you be so brave?)) she ruminated, holding onto one of
his shirts for comfort.  ((I don't want to be alone.  I just want you to be
with me forever.  What am I going to do when you leave me?  What am I going
to do?))  Never once did she even believe that he would be around forever.
He said he would, and she believed that, but then her parents told her the
same thing.  So did his.  The truth was, there was no such thing as forever.
Nothing, that is, save for the fear in her heart.
    ((I hate what I've become.))  Not the bond with Shinji; that was so much
a part of her life now that she constantly wondered how she could have lived
without it until that day.  Rather, it was more the emotions that came with
it.  Part of her personality had slipped into Shinji and he was no longer
the passive male that he used to be.  But the bond went both ways, and the
passiveness that was part of Shinji's old persona, now was a part of hers,
and gradually becoming more dominant.  They were slowly becoming what the
other was, and if it wasn't for the fact that they'd fallen in love, she
knew that he would have left.  After all, she knew that if things hadn't
happened the way they did, she never would have stuck with such a person as
he'd been.
    There was a knock at the door.  She wanted to say "Go away," or just to
ignore it and pretend that she was sleeping.  But she didn't--the person was
company, a lifeline.  Taking a second to slip on underwear, a T-shirt, and
shorts, she went to the door, wiping her tears away and trying to bring up a
pleasant smile, or at least an easily faked one.
    Standing on the other side of the door, was Rei, of all people.
"sohryu," she said in her monotone.  "i need to ask you something."
    ((Why are you here, Wonder Girl?)) she asked herself.  But, company was
company, so....  "Um, sure.  C'mon in.  Shinji's not here.  He went out with
the guys.  Would you care for something to drink?"  ((Don't ask for
40-weight, 'cause I'm fresh out, robogirl!))
    "water, please."  She sat down on one of the chairs, and as Asuka came
back from the kitchen, she began to speak.  "i need to talk to someone.
about what happened today."  There was an almost human look in the Wonder
Girl's eyes, Asuka noted.  "that american girl...ayers.  she looked just
like me.  when i looked into her eyes, i realized she *was* me."
    The fact that Rei stressed that last part somewhat bothered Asuka.  It
just wasn't like the Wonder Girl to show emotion.  It was like she wasn't
capable of it, and that any attempt to do so violated the natural order of
things.  "C'mon, Ayanami, you're just freaking out.  You're acting like
you're..."  Asuka thought about her statement for a second, and wondered who
it applied to.  "...afraid?"
    Rei looked at Asuka dispassionately, then said, "i don't know."
    "Look, Ayanami...Rei...what is it about her that freaks you out?  She
seemed, I dunno, kinda cool."
    "i saw death in her eyes.  i saw red.   a thousand versions of me, all
dying in a sea of flame."  Things were getting really weird, now.  Rei was
sounding poetic, the puppet daring to be human.  "is there something wrong
with me?"
    "Maybe you need to relax, Rei.  Whatever it is you do to relax." Asuka
sighed inwardly.  She didn't need this, while she was trying to deal with
her own problems.  She was afraid herself--what could she do for Rei?
    ((Maybe the best way to deal with your fear is to deal with hers,)) she
realized.  Acting on spontaneity, Asuka went up and hugged the albino,
saying, "Don't worry, Rei.  Your friends are here for you."  ((Did I mean
what I just said?)) she wondered before realizing, yes.  She was at a
pointing her life where she couldn't afford to push away anyone anymore, and
she found that she no longer wanted to.  An eternity ago, she would have
probably taken on the world single-handed, with no regrets; Asuka couldn't
dream of doing such a thing now.
    "friends?" Rei asked, as though she'd never heard the term before.  "i
feel so odd...so warm."
    Asuka loosed the embrace and said, "That's friendship for you.  I know I
tease you a lot, Wonder Girl, but...ah, nevermind.  Let's just say that
you're a friend."  Rei, unsure of what was transpiring, merely nodded.
Asuka, in the meanwhile, had another brainstorm and said, "Hey, I'm tired of
sitting around here.  Wanna go out for a bit?"
    "where?"
    "I dunno.  The mall, maybe?  Or possibly a movie.  I wish Hikari were
here--she'd have some ideas."  Reaching for her shoes, she said, "But
anything's gotta be better 'n sitting around here, right?"  Opening up her
mind, she called out to Shinji, and said, ((Shinji-kun, I'm gonna go out
with Rei for a while, okay?))
    It took a while, likely due to distance, but there was a response.
((Wonder Girl?  Why her?))
    ((Because she needs someone to show her how to be normal, I guess.))
She heard Shinji mentally chuckle and she said, ((Seriously.  Besides, I
don't want to sit around all day.))
    ((Okay.  I'll see you later then, Asuka-chan.))
    ((Bai, Shinji-kun.))  Returning to some normal semblance of thought, she
looked at Rei, gave her a smile, and said, "Let's go hit the mall and get
you some new clothing, Rei."
    "is something wrong with what i am wearing?  i did not notice...."
    "Rei, lesson number one: you can't wear nothing but NERV and school
uniforms all your life.  You have to relax sometime.  Now c'mon.  We're
going out, and when I'm done with you, you'll be a new person!"
    "i don't need to be a new person.  i am fine with my current body."
    "That was a figure of speech, Wonder Girl."
    "oh."

<(*)>

    Meanwhile, three floors above....
    The blast ripped through the demon, and she moved forward, over the lava
pits.  Stalking through the labyrinthine features of the sunken ruins, she
hefted her NUK-666 Plasma Rifle, heading towards the exit.  While there was
about six nightstalkers guarding the gates to the next circle of hell, she
had her rifle at full power and her armor was at full stren--

AUTO PAUSE.  YOU HAVE A CONTACT ON THE PHONE LINE.

    Raven ripped off the VR headgear, muttering, "Oh, Goddamn it.  Just when
I was finally about to beat that level, too...."  Setting the headset and
taking off the tactile gloves, she reached for the phone.  "ENS Ayers."
    The phone line sounded a bit blurry, as though it was being monitored.
<<Hey, hothead, is that you?>>
    Raven smiled.  "Hey, stupid!  Was wondering when you were gonna call."
    <<Relax, I just found out you got deployed.  I told you I was going to
call as soon as I landed here; I just didn't expect you to guys to be road
trippin'.>>
    "Yeah, we got possible DEFCON up here, so we had to come up and save
some Can-Can asses.  So, how's Japan?"
    <<Fine, I guess.  Haven't had a chance to look around yet.>> There was a
pause on the line for a second, then: <<Is it really true about what they
were saying about you, Rave?  That you got tossed in the Brig because Wendy
got killed?>>
    "How...how'd you find out about that?"
    <<I got pulled off F-23 sim duty and assigned Candidate Pilot Status.
That only happens when one of you is...you know.  While in the air, the doc
aboard had to do some DNA tests on me to prep some of the wetware files for
Unit 03.  As for the brig part, chalk that up to scuttlebutt.>>  The voice
on the other end was silent for a couple before saying, <<Look, Raven, if
you need to talk to someone about it, you 'n' I've been best friends all our
lives.   Got your six.>>
    Raven's eyes darkened with sorrow.  "Thanks, but I don't want to talk
about it.  I...."
    <<Say no more, Rave.  I understand.  I just can't believe the Mouse is
gone, that's all.  I always thought if any one of us was going to survive,
it would be her, an' only because she was too quiet to get noticed.>>
    "Well, she got noticed and that was my fault."
    <<Well, as soon as I get back to Josh, I'll hafta put some flowers on
her grave or something.>>  Raven twitched on her end as she heard that;
there was no way that her friend could know that there wasn't enough left of
Wendy to *have* a grave.  There was a gravestone at Tahoe Bay Military
Cemetery, but there was nothing in it.  <<Look, I gotta get some sleep,
'cause I supposed to meet with the head honchos here tomorrow.  But call me,
okay?>>
    Raven wrote down the phone number and said, "Cool.  Watch your back, you
twisted twit."
    <<You watch yours, you psycho, you,>> the voice said with a chuckle.
"Hope to see you soon."  The line disconnected, leaving Raven to hold the
receiver.  Setting it back down in the cradle, she went back to the VG
terminal and plugged right back into the game.  In that virtual world, she
stared at the two demons, her lone block to getting to the next level.
    Life was like that too much, sometimes.  Too much preventing her from
reaching what she wanted, and she wasn't even sure what it was she wanted.
A question came to her-((Who'll be the next one to pay for your
mistakes?))--and just as quickly, the answer came to her.  She smiled and
turned the rifle to her head, pulling the trigger.

FINAL LIFE EXTINGUISHED.  GAME OVER.

    Taking the gear off once more, she mused: ((It's only a game.))   She
went over to the table and got her MiniDVD player, opting for that instead;
at least that decision wasn't going to cause more chaos.

<(*)>

3-22-4 Kasumigaseki-cho, Tokyo-3, Japan
Apartment 2D

    In her room, the Marine put the phone down on the cradle.  ((Something
must really be wrong with Raven, she thought.  She's usually not that
withdrawn.))  Well, there was nothing she could do on this end for her
friend.  ((Better to concentrate on your situation now, and figure out
what's next.))
    She looked around her apartment, given to her by NERV and wondered how
such a militia could have such power.  NERV apparently issued rooms as
standard gear for any personnel under its umbrella, and as long as she was
on TEMADD orders here, that meant her, too.  Since she really hadn't
decorated or anything yet, she decided to look around.  The apartment had
the basic amenities, but not much more than that; if she wanted to
personalize, that would be her problem.  The apartment was nothing but a
barren white, in a sense, just like her.
    It was little wonder why she and Raven got along so well.  They were, to
a degree, two sides of the same coin.  Neither of them could remember their
pasts, and although Raven had been adopted by Pamela Ayers, she hadn't been
so lucky to have parents of her own.  Still, she survived; and God Bless the
Marines for choosing to sponsor her as their entry for the Special
Candidates Project.  Raven might be her best friend, but it was the Corps
that was her family now.
    During this train of thought, she ended up standing over by the mirror
in the bathroom.  Looking at her reflection, she smiled at it, approving of
her looks.  Her hair was a barely controllable mop, the way she preferred
it, just within regulations; her brown eyes tired but still holding some of
the twinkle of life and did well to hide the truth underneath.  Her uniform,
pressed and starched to the point that it looked like it was made of nothing
but hard angles, gave the appearance of a sharp Marine's Marine.


    The doorbell sounded, and she went over to answer it.  Standing there
was another of those NERV types.  A girl, about the same age as herself, her
Asian face framed by expressive brown eyes and somewhat long brown hair.
Her cheeks, lightly dusted with a spray of freckles, gave her an appearance
that made her seem like a modern-day Pollyana...whatever the hell that
meant.  She was dressed in gray, which meant she was part of the pilot's
corps.  Bowing slightly, the girl smiled once and rattled off a few quick
phrases that she had *no* idea what the other'd just said.
    "Um, I'm...sorry, but I don't speak Japanese."
    The NERV pilot looked at her for a second and finally said in shaky
English, "You not speak Japanese?"
    "Not a single bit.  Only words I know are Sony and Mitsubishi," she
answered.
    "Aaa...so da yo.  I speak little English," the other replied.  "Very
nice meet you.  My name...Hikari.  Hikari Horaki, Second Lt., NERV Branch-1.
I am Fifth Child."  She bowed again, nodding her head in a polite manner and
asked, "Who are you?"
    "Um...Second Lt. Marianne Kirishima, but you can just call me Mana.
Everyone does."
    "Mana?  That short name for Marianne?"
    Mana chuckled.  "Well, in my case it was.  When I was a kid, I had a
hard time pronouncing my first name, for some reason.  I kept flubbing it
and saying, 'Mana'.  Eventually, it stuck, but hey, we all can't be Marys or
Annes or what have you."  Running her hand through her hair, she asked, "So,
you're the competing Candidate pilot for Unit 03?"


    Hikari was only sure of half of what the other girl was saying.
Although, she did find it odd that a Japanese girl didn't speak a single
word of it.  Then again, she was born in America, so who knows?  ((They all
can't be like that Sohryu girl.))
    Mana muttered something that Hikari vaguely caught as, "Can you show me
around town?"  Hikari promised herself to work on her English, all while
agreeing to show Mana around.  Even though they appeared to be rivals for
the slot of Unit 03, there was no reason that they couldn't be friends,
right?  She felt that she could really use one--she thought that she would
have made one with Asuka, but she turned out to really want nothing more
than to spend most of her time with her boyfriend, Shinji.  The other girls
in the class weren't that interesting, and if Mana was a typical Amerikajin,
Hikari's spare time would be a lot more interesting.

<(*)>

Von Weisstrausse Casern, Berlin, Germany
SEELE/NERV-3 Conference Room 2

    Ikari Gendo read over the briefing that his personnel provided him
regarding the growing situation up in Canada.  His personal thought was that
the whole operation was a total waste, but the truth of it was that a lot of
NERV's funding depended on controlling the situation before it started.  And
with the recent failure of NERV Intelligence to predict the attack on Los
Angeles-2 from a previously unknown Angel, things were not looking good.
    For starters, the French Parliament was calling for the NATO nations to
break off ties from NERV and start their own operations, based on
contingents of Lancelot and TCM mecha.  A pipe dream, to be sure, but the
French were a noisy group when they wanted to be and noise tends to have the
effect of getting noticed, regardless of the intent.  Gendo liked things to
be in control, right where he wanted them.  After all, he and his partner,
if they succeeded, stood to gain a very big part of the pie.  A very large
slice, indeed.


    It was when he began to read through the personnel rosters that his
attention was sparked.  Ayanami was in close proximity to Raven Ayers.  That
was by no mean a good idea, and something would have to be done about it.
Damn that sentimental bitch Ayers.  He should have followed up on it when
she said disposed of the dummy plug, but he believed her and this was the
result.  Well, he wouldn't make a second mistake like that again.
    Picking up a nearby phone, he dialed a series of numbers and spoke
tersely into it: "Agent Garuda, this is Commander Ikari.  I have a slight
issue that I need attending...Yes, that's correct.  I need it attended at
the operation in Canada...Compensation will be dealt with accordingly.  We
will forward the information to you upon arrival."  He hung up without
pretense; with a man like that, such pleasantries were wasted on him,
anyway.
    Sitting in the darkened room, he almost felt an emotional response for
his creation: the third Rei clone was almost a daughter to him, in a
detached sense; but at least the fourth clone wouldn't be able to be tainted
by the one called Raven, possibly the most dangerous person at the moment,
and a clear impediment to all of his plans.

<(*)>

NERV Branch-1, Geofront, Tokyo-3, Japan
Intelligence Center

    Kaji looked at the information, his jaw practically dropping.  "I...I
don't believe this!  I just don't believe this!"  His mind became a morass
of conflicting emotions and priorities.  Should he take this information to
SEELE, or the JSS?  Maybe he should pass this information to colleagues at
the CIA, NSA, MI6?  If even half of the information here in the terminal was
accurate, the world was in deep, dark defecate.
    He sat there for a few more minutes, collecting his thoughts.  Should he
fail, there would be no backup.  SEELE had invested in quite a bit finding
an agent who was willing to bend in more than one direction.  Ironic, in a
sense, that the one to do so would be from the Japan Security Service, and
not one of the other spook farms all over the world. ((But then,)) he
reasoned, ((they were probably counting on my connections with Misato and
Ritsuko.))  For a second, he almost felt bad for his one-time lover and his
friend; they probably had no idea what they were getting into.  But this
wasn't a business where you would last long if you did--unless you were one
of those calling the shots.
    The next step, then, was logical: find out who was behind hiding the
truth about Adam, and see where the wires connected, straight through to the
inevitable links that were tied to Ikari's hands.  Likely, they were tied in
some manner to SEELE as well, but Kaji wasn't paid to look both ways while
crossing the street.
    Shutting down the computer, he headed back to his apartment.  There was
a lot to think about, and many decisions to make.  And all of them could be
disastrous.

<(*)>

NAVSTA Joshua Tree, Los Angeles-2, NV, US
Joint Intelligence Center, Pacific

    "Skipper?" Lt. Col Sumner sat down next to Ayers at the main table,
where she was reading over briefs.  As seemed to be traditional for navy
captains, she had a mug of coffee in front of her, the size of which could
easily give a carrier a run for its money.  She looked burnt out, and
characteristically for her, she was working on her off-time, evident by
sitting in the top secret area in her civvies.
    "Oh, hi Pat.  Just reading over the OPLAN for the operation up north.
Both teams are in position, and should be reviewing the main plans.
Canadian forces will be providing air support, but it'll be up to the EVAs
to ensure that nothing gets close to McClannehey.  Tomorrow, they should be
deploying from Cotter's Pond to their main site."
    "That's nice," he said, in an uninterested tone.  "Look,
Captain...Pam...we've worked together for quite a while, and I've known you
since our high school days.  That also means I've known you long enough to
know you don't sit down in JICPAC casually reading the operations plans
because you're bored."
    "Well, nice to know I'm so transparent," she sighed, setting down the
report momentarily and taking a sip of her coffee.  "That'll be a nice
bullet for my next FITREP.  I can see it now: 'CAPT Ayers' methodologies are
innate to her officers and crew, so much so that even Army officers can
understand them.'"  She chuckled.  "Bet that'll make Admiral Ramirez real
happy."
    The Army officer grinned.  "Well, that's the problem with you Navy
types.  You're *way* too confusing for the real military."  However, his
tone softened and he commented, "Look, I know you're worried about your
daughter, Pam.  You don't have to hide it."
    "I know, but personal feelings don't go too well with the uniform.
After the things that have happened to her in the past 48 hours, I wonder
how she's still able to look me straight in the eye.  Sometimes, I think
she's too much like her real parents, whomever they were."
    "Look, I've never meant to pry about that, but as I recall, you and Ken
didn't have any children when he died down on DEEP FREEZE.  What made you
decide to adopt that kid?"
    "Two reasons: one, I was lonely.  Ken was the only good thing in my life
other than anything that came in haze gray.  When I first saw Raven...trust
me, she's nothing like she was back then."  She then stared at him straight
and said, "The other reason was that I did it to save her from her guardian.
That'd be Gendo Ikari, the head of NERV 1 in Japan--"
    Sumner whistled in amazement.  "Don't know him, but I know his
reputation.  Creepy bastard."
    "He's worse in person than his rep.  Well, I can't prove it, but I think
that she's related to him, somehow.  But that's not the point.  To him, she
was nothing more than an experiment for the wetware suites.  When he was
done, he wanted me to 'dispose of the dummy plug wetware', to use his
words."
    "You're joking."
    "Not in the least, Pat.  The only reason he can get away with what he
does get away with is, well, we're at war.  Even still, he's got two other
kids that he uses as his personal toys."  Pulling two pictures out of the
briefing, he said, "These are two other kids who are under his control.
One's Shinji, his son, and an EVA pilot.  That'd be bad enough, but look at
the other one--Rei Ayanami."
    "Well, other than the fact that she looks either bored out of her skull
or dead in this picture, she's a near-dead ringer for Raven."
    "Exactly.  But I can't find any proof that they're related or anything.
In fact, I can't find anything on this Ayanami person, either; and I have
minimal past data on Raven."  Ayers stretched, then continued.  "Raven
doesn't remember anything about her past, and a lot of times I don't think
she even wants to.  But underneath her punky exterior is a girl afraid of
something, and she's not telling me about it."
    "Maybe she knows something about this Ayanami character that you don't,"
Sumner suggested.
    "Not likely.  If she did, she would have told Mana...er, Lt. Kirishima;
and Mana, with those Marine sensibilities of hers would have deemed it
important enough to tell me.  No, I think this may just be something that
she has no idea about.  Nonetheless, I'm going to keep a sharp eye on
things.  Whatever she may have been to him, Ikari gave up custody on that
girl when he began to treat her like a piece of meat.  If he thinks he's
getting *his* meathooks on *my* child again," she snarled, "that bastard has
never faced the business end of an AMHA before.  And I will gladly be the
one to shove it up his ass."


Next:
Part Five
Swarm

Author's Notes:

ETB 4's Military Glossary can be located at:
http://calicatcafe.megami.net/The-Bond/ETB-G4.htm

As you've already realized, I'm taking EVA and going my own direction with
it.  Lately, I've gotten a ton of rather...odd...mail asking me why I'm not
following standard EVA canon.  To those, I answer: maybe because this isn't
a standard EVA fic?  I think the first chapter alone would have clued that
in.  And just for that, I'm going to go even in a more bizarre direction
now, so there! ^_^  Fasten your seatbelts and enjoy the ride.

Some of you may have noticed varied differences in the way that NERV and DOD
talk about EVA-related materials, such as pilot plug vs. spinal cockpit,
plug suit vs. biosuit, Children vs. Pilot Candidates.  There's a reason for
that, and it has to do with the fact that different nations have different
ways of referring to things.  For example, an OPS room aboard an Australian
warship is the CIC on a US warship; a Brigadier General in the US Army may
just simply be a Brigadier in another army.

The events described in Yui's Diary are from the upcoming ETB sidestory
Equinox, which will be written as soon as I can get around to it, or find a
willing victim, er...writer willing to do it.  ^_^;;;

For those of you who keep track of the RCAF, neither RCAF Cotter's Pond nor
McClannehey Proving Grounds exist.  I couldn't find actual Canadian military
facilities that met my needs, so just like the fictional NAVSTA Joshua Tree,
I made it up.  If there's anyone in Canada who could/would like to input
some other information (especially those in the Canadian Defence Forces),
I'm all ears.

Kudos to you if you can guess the meaning behind Raven's shirt. ^_-
Neon Genesis Evangelion:
The Bond

By Rob Barba
Series initiated by James Lee
Neon Genesis Evangelion is copyright Gainax and ADV

Part Four:
Communion

Dear Diary,
    I'm home, now, finally.  Kamisama, I was so afraid that they were going
to kill me.  Fu-chan's still in the hospital, and the doctors don't know if
she'll be able to walk again, unless she gets those new cyborg legs.
Tomorrow I'll have to attend the funeral of several of my friends who were
killed in the blast.  Then, as soon as that's over, I have to talk to the
lawyers about preparing for the upcoming trial.  I'm afraid to do this.  I'm
afraid to face Lorenz again.
    I know that I wouldn't even be alive if it wasn't for Aunt Rei.  I never
knew that she could be like how I saw her when she came in.  Dressed in
cammies, holding her AT beam rifle and flanked by both Colonel Suzuhara
Hikari and Aunt Rei's entire team of EVAs, she came in on foot and demanded
that the Equinox group release me or she'd raze the entire compound, then
start hunting everything that was dear to them...which what I figure, wasn't
much.  To prove her point, she shot and killed the two guards holding me,
without even so much as blinking, then trained her gun on Lorenz, Dr, Akagi,
and that man who...ugh, I still shiver when I think about it.  I was afraid
that I was going to die, but at the same time, I couldn't stop my pride at
the fact that Aunt Rei was willing to throw away her career and all to save
me.  She hijacked her entire EVA unit, and 12 EVAs went "renegade", looking
for me.
    Of course, it helped that she had some friends--even if she didn't know
that Colonel Suzuhara had informed the others.  General Katsuragi, once she
found out what was happening, declared the whole thing a military operation,
putting the Government Criminal Investigations Directorate in their place.
Additionally, when Admiral Chapel found out what was going on in her area of
operations, she placed every military unit on alert, scouring high and
low...and intentionally looking inept.  To aid in the distraction, Colonel
Suzuhara's husband, Colonel Suzuhara Toji, took his EVA battalion and staged
a diversionary raid on an Equinox compound in a small town called Waco, in
the Texas district.  And all of it was meant to mask the real action as Aunt
Rei and her group fought in the jungles of Africa, just to find me.
    When it was all over, it was all explained that it had been an operation
designed to save the life of the daughter of two of the world's most famous
war heroes.  The GCID, smarting from the blow of being outwitted by the
military, had to lick their chops from the action.  General Katsuragi issued
medals of valor to all those involved with the rescue, but Aunt Rei declined
hers, saying that, in her own words, "having yui home is all the reward i
will ever want or need."  That's Aunt Rei for ya: dedicated to her combat
skills and honest and sincere.
    Well, gotta go visit Fu-chan in the hospital.  Someone's gotta cheer her
up!

Mata ne,
Ikari Yui Langley

<(*)>

NAVSTA Joshua Tree, Los Angeles-2, NV, US
Captain's Office

    <<Hmmm.  I don't approve of what you've done, Captain Ayers,>> a gruff
voice said on the other side.  The video screen, via a teleconference call
from the burgeoning, relatively new NERV Branch-3 in Berlin, showed the face
of the man in charge of the NERV organization.  And that face radiated
annoyance at having to be bothered with this issue.
    "And I don't give a damn what you think, Ikari!" CAPT Ayers snarled into
the transmission pickup.  "That was my call, and my call alone.  I was given
discretion on disposal of the Autospine wetware, and I did as I saw fit."
    Gendo pushed his glasses back onto his face, where they'd been slipping.
Switching to a soften tone, he said, <<Look, Pamela....>>
    "Don't give me any of that 'Look, Pamela,' shit, Gendo!" Ayers snapped.
"Don't think you can browbeat me into submission.  *You* may be in charge of
NERV, but *I* am in charge of US involvement in the project.  If you so much
as give me any crap, I'll pull the plug on this and scrap those precious
EVAs of yours.  DOD is still well ahead on our TCM project, and it won't
take much to switch to that."  Her eyes radiated sharp anger as she said in
a hiss, "You are to leave the unit alone, do you hear me?"
    Gendo knew she was bluffing; his information had indicated that the
American Transformable Combat Mecha project--jokingly labeled by the media
as the "Robotech defense system"--was like the French Lancelot mecha
project.  That is, it was an over-budgeted disaster and as slow and plodding
as any American government project was.  Still, Gendo knew that when
cornered, the US military historically had a bad habit of pulling rabbits
out of their hat.  He still needed their cooperation if what he planned was
to succeed.  <<Very well, Pamela.  You win this round.  But don't test my
patience again.>>  With nothing further to add, he cut the line, something
which Ayers felt she could live with--she hated talking to the bastard,
anyway.
    Ayers leaned on the table, drained.  She'd spent the longest time trying
to ensure that something like this wasn't going to occur, and that had blown
up in her face.  Well, she'd just have to switch tactics.  Bad enough that
she didn't really trust Ikari or his right hand man, but there was something
about him that automatically told you that he might not be on the level.
Ayers knew better--she *knew* he wasn't on the level.   She just had to keep
the status quo going until she could find a way to trip him up.


    Enough of that, though.  There were other things to worry about.
Tapping a button on the control panel, she said, "CIC, this is Captain
Ayers.  Put the Officer of the Deck on, please."
    A voice answered a couple of seconds later.  <<OOD, Cap'n.  What can I
do for you this evening?>>
    "What's the status of air operations?"  Three aircraft had left Edwards
about ninety minutes ago, bound for New Vancouver.  The reason was simple:
DEFCON 1 conditions had been detected at the McClannehey Proving Grounds.  A
NATO operation, the facility was the world's largest supplier of N2-class
ordnance.  Without that, a huge portion of the arsenal humanity had against
the Angels would be rendered useless.  No way in hell that was going to
happen.
    <<Give me a few to get in contact with Edwards Control, ma'am,>> the OOD
replied.  Ayers waited for a few minutes before the OOD was on again.
<<Just got off the horn with EdCon.  Angelic Rapier flight will be landing
at RCAF Cotter's Pond in five minutes.>>  That group of aircraft was the US
EVA team, racing to defend the Canadian munitions plant from destruction.
<<Exodus Wanderers 25 and 26 are approaching Alpha point, and will pass
zenith in the next twenty minutes.>>  The sole C-37 Dragonwing was carrying
its payload, the damaged Unit 03, to its intended repair facility at
Tokyo-3's Geofront complex.  Following close behind it was a small C-27D
Tempest, a lear-jet like passenger unit that was carrying the Candidate
pilot and support staff.
    "And what of Tembatsu Shinden flight?"
    <<EdCon reports they've just left New Yokota.  JASDF FX-1s will be
escorting as far as their range; after which fighters from the REAGAN will
handle the second leg.  Once they approach Canadian airspace, Cotter's Pond
will have their Eurofighters finish up the job.>>  Even more important than
Angelic Rapier flight, the four aircraft that comprised the flight leaving
Japan was the entirety of the Japanese EVA team.  More experienced than the
US team, it would be up to them to provide backup.
    "And conventional forces?"
    <<Dunno about that, ma'am.  I'll have the Duty Intel Officer report to
you with that information.  Will there be anything else, ma'am?>>
    "No," she sighed.  "Carry on."
    <<Aye, ma'am,>> he dutifully replied before breaking the connection.
    Once he did, Ayers sat in her office, staring at the paperwork, which
she soon ignored.  Her eyes wandering, they eventually fell on a picture of
her and Raven after the latter's graduation from Officer Candidate School.
That had only been about four months ago.  ((She's just a child, my little
girl.))
    Ayers idly recalled that she'd heard once that a member of the Japanese
team was Ikari's own son, pressed into the duty against his will.  Well, so
was Raven, and Ayers hadn't given her much choice in what she wanted out of
her own life.  ((After this war is over,)) Ayers vowed, ((I'm going to
support whatever Raven wants for her future.  I don't care what it is.  As
long as she's happy, I'm happy for her.))  The Commanding Officer of Naval
Station Joshua Tree and Commander of NERV Branch-2 vowed that she would
never become as cruel and heartless towards her own daughter as Ikari was
apparently towards his own son.
    The fear for her, though, was obvious: ((what if I already am?))

<(*)>

JASDF C-17D Galaxy, codename Tembatsu Shinden 01
Somewhere over the Pacific Ocean near Kamchatka Island, Russia

    Racing into the darkness of the eastern night lumbered a bulky, C-145D
Galaxy IV cargo plane.  Usually used for the transporting of troops or
armament, today, it carried a much smaller group of military personnel and a
far more different array of technology than it had ever done before.  As a
result of this modification, the plane did not bear the drab olive green
color scheme of the JASDF, but instead a blinding white, black, and red
schematic that was clearly identifiable as an aircraft assigned to NERV.
    Behind the whale-shaped prop plane were the black arrowhead shapes of
the C-37 Dragonwings, each carrying one of the precious EVAs strapped under
it.  Darting around the four great craft were the sleek predatory shapes of
two full squadrons of combat aircraft; the Japanese FX-1s were at the edge
of their range and making ready to turn around, even as behind them a
squadron of heavily-armed US Navy F-23s, which would run escort right up to
Canadian airspace.  In the waning light, the four huge cargo craft seemed to
lumber along with a sort of unconcerned air, even as the two teams of
fighters performed flight position replacements.  After a few minutes, as
the group reached the International Date Line, the fighter switch had
commenced, and the Japanese sped towards home under the protection of
Russian MiG-I2000s that came by to assist.


    Within the passenger section of the modified cargo craft, most of the
team was asleep in the rather uncomfortable, utilitarian seats that were on
the aged cargo plane as it sped towards the North American continent.
    Most.
    Seated at the center conference table in the passenger section, three
lone souls were in a sort of bonding that all military members had done from
time to time.  Though NERV was more a paramilitary organization than an
actual army, this still didn't remove itself from the traditional
camaraderie that people in those situations shared.  Two men and a woman sat
at the table, the two gentlemen looking rather uncomfortable in the soft
gray uniform of NERV's pilot corps, while the slightly older woman seemed a
bit more relaxed wearing the red of NERV operations staff.  In seats nearby,
a few more people were asleep, wearing either pilot gray, or the tan that
was the mark of NERV technical personnel.


    "Okay," Toji said, setting down his cards.  His steely gave never
wavered as he took two cards from the dealer, but he relented for a second
or two as he added, "I just don't get it, Shinji old pal.  You're supposed
to be lousy at this, man!  The last time we played poker, you couldn't win
to save your life, and now you've won the past two out of four hands!  What
the hell happened?"
    Misato yawned, then looked around for a beer.  When realizing one was
not available on the military flight, she muttered, "Don't look at me.  I
haven't taught him anything."  Her own glance unreadable, she simply looked
at her cards and said, "I'm out."  She dropped her hand down, a rather
anemic one at that.
    At the third end of the makeshift table, Shinji said nothing, but
inclined his head in the direction of his bondmate, asleep in a chair on the
other side of the passenger cabin.  The look on his face was not the typical
poker face, but a warm, caring glance as he thought about her.
    Misato saw that look.  "Shinji, I--"
    "We're being careful, Misato," Shinji answered, as he pushed a few more
yen into the sizable pile in the center of the table.  "She and I have
already agreed to go slowly.  Very slowly."
    The older woman nodded agreement.  "I'm glad you did.  The situation you
two are in is very dangerous, for more than one reason.  We can't afford you
two to slip up on that."  She grinned wolfishly and said, "Maybe when all
this is over, then you can.  But I'd rather you two behaved yourselves until
then."  At Shinji's slight blush, Misato commented cattily, "Or have you two
already been experimenting?"
    *"NO!"* Shinji cried, a little more loudly than he intended to.  *"No
way!  I'd never!"*

    On her end of the cabin, a young girl twitched in her passenger seat,
sleeping peacefully.  Turning slightly, she half-murmured, half-cooed, "Oh,
that feels *grrrrreeeaaat*, Shinji-kun...." and crawled into a fetal ball.
    Misato gave Shinji a knowing look, while Toji merely snickered.  Shinji,
on the other hand, went pale as a sheet, the card game forgotten.  If the
trio could have seen Asuka's face, they would have seen a mischievous grin
on the face of the sleeping young woman.

    Shinji, his composure lost, grunted, "Aw hell.  I fold.  You win, Toji."
Shinji tossed down his hand in disgust, his set of cards far better than
what Toji held.  As the newer EVA pilot scooped up the pot, Shinji
commented, "We should call this game quits, anyway.  We should get some
sleep before we arrive in Canada tomorrow."
    "Personally, I can't sleep--I'm just too primed for what we're about to
do," Toji said.  "I mean, getting to visit another country an' all...."
   Misato retorted softly, "Sometimes visiting other places doesn't work out
the way you want it to...."  Her voice was distant, and the look in her eyes
hinted that she was looking at a horizon beyond the metal confines of the
aircraft hull.  Unconsciously, her hand crept up to her chest and the cross
that she wore around her neck.  "No, sometimes it doesn't...."
   Shinji, not wanting to disturb his mentor, tapped Toji on the back and
commented, "C'mon, let's hit the simulators.  You still need the practice."
Toji complied eagerly, as the simulators onboard the craft were designed
more for practical application of movements and protocols than the actual
synch ratios.  In short, they were overly expensive videogames.  Quietly,
the pair headed towards the access ladderway, leaving Misato to her
bittersweet memories.

   The plane rushed on towards the lands in the east, towards a
conflagration that could spell the end of humanity.

<(*)>

RCAF Cotter's Pond, BC, Canada
Visiting Officers' Quarters, Fifth Floor

    "I said, leave me alone, Raven," a voice said, quiet and packed with a
slow-burning anger.
    "Look, Carter, what can I say to tell you that I'm sorry, okay?" Raven
retorted, her own anger growing by the minute.
    *"I don't give a damn what you were planning to say.  I just want you to
leave me the hell alone!"* the young man snapped, his tolerance limit
clearly reached.
    *"FINE, THEN!  I DON'T KNOW WHY I BOTHERED TO TRY TO MAKE IT UP TO
YOU!"* she snarled, turning to stomp away from the idiot who she was trying
to--


    "All right you two, that's enough!" Kendra sniped as she opened the door
to her room and glared at the two in the hall.  The pair looked pretty
ridiculous, with Carter still dressed in his working khakis, while Raven was
dressed in her favorite PT getup--a set of red too-short shorts and a very
tight black tank top that read !3M TA3.  Around her neck was a white gym
towel, and her SDMI player, the headphones set entirely too loud as usual.
At first, the scene looked like a pair of high school brats arguing in the
hall; only the rank pins and decorations of Carter's uniform and Raven's
green smart ID card slung around her neck gave any indicator that they were
anything but.
    "Look," the older woman said, "I know you two aren't exactly going to
get along with each other for a while--"  If ever, Kendra silently admitted;
ENS Raven Ayers had a lot to make up for her tragedy-borne stupidity the
previous day, "--but may I take the time to remind you two of a few things.
One, despite your age, you two are US military officers in a foreign
country, and you need to act like good ambassadors of American goodwi--"
    Raven yawned at what she felt was the bullshit typical line.  "Yeah,
yeah, Kendra--we hafta be good little zeros," she muttered, deliberately
using the enlisted insult towards officers.  "So you want us to be
well-behaved little squidlings and skip the Tailhook convention.  You were
saying?"
    "--and two," Kendra continued without skipping a beat, "if you two do
not stop this childish display right here and now, I'll see to it that you
two will personally handwash your EVA units for the next two months using
nothing but paper towels!  Do you get my message?"
    Carter feebly nodded, while Raven's eyes narrowed in slits of anger.
Eventually, she too, nodded in understanding.
    "All right then.  Now don't forget that tomorrow morning I want you two
prepped and ready to meet your Japanese counterparts.  And please, try not
to embarrass the entire U.S. military this time?"  Nothing more to add,
Kendra shut the door and went back to whatever she'd been doing.
    Carter looked at Raven, his face still filled with an unforgiving look,
and now added with this latest insult.  Saying nothing more, he headed back
to his own room.
     Raven stood alone in the middle of the hall, unable to vent whatever
emotions were roiling inside her.  Grunting an epithet, she declared, "The
hell with them--you'd think they'd rather see me dead than the Mouse."  In
her mind, she added, ((An' I don't blame them.  Maybe I *shoulda* died
instead of Wendy.))  Unsure of what to do next or how to express the pain
she held, she went back to her original plan and headed towards the base
gym, where she would likely force the anger out through some sort of
exercise.
    She doubted it, though.

<(*)>

Von Weisstrausse Casern, Berlin, Germany
SEELE/NERV-3 Conference Room 4A

    Keel Lorenz stared that the flat panel display that gave him the
readings on the most recent Angel attack.  The look on his face was a study
in desperation in trying to keep calm.  Vaguely looking around the table, he
saw the same things as others did: complete and utter amazement.  The secret
Dead Sea Scrolls, the remaining documents that had not been translated over
the years, were to have given the complete plan on how to deal with the real
days of Revelations, not that trippy prose that was at the end of the Bible.
Using that set of ancient leather, it was meant to detail the correct way to
deal with the Angels.
    Well, the time of Revelations was at hand, and here they were, reading
the scrolls, which had turned out to be frighteningly accurate.  From the
point of the Second Impact, straight through to the defeat of the Sixth
Angel, things had been alarmingly real, as though the documents were nothing
but a script to a play already written.
    That changed with the appearance of the seventh Angel, the one
code-named Maruiel.  The scrolls had spoken of a twinned creature to be
code-named Israfel, described as:

"A beast that doth be a mockery of the form of man, a homunculus that shall
cleave itself in twain when approached by adversity unto itself...."

With such an expectation on hand, not one had been expecting anything else.
And since the Angels had shown an inclination to attacking the stronghold in
Tokyo-3 since the Third Angel, all had been going according to plan.


    Well, the appearance of the torus-shaped Angel blew everything out of
the water, for now and forever.  And here was SEELE, in their stronghold in
NERV-3, attempting to deal with it.  Strange things were being reported from
all corners of the globe now, and by all appearances, the bizarre events
that were recorded at the end of the Bible were seeing to come true.  From
fishes that had been dying in droves off the coast of the Island of Hawaii,
where the seas were said to be boiling, to the inexplicable discoloration of
the nighttime sky, creating the moon that was as red as blood.  Events of
the Revelation were now occurring on Earth, along with the Kabbalic
mysteries of this war which some wags in the know were beginning to call
"The War of Ascension".
    But every battle had to have some sort of OPLAN, something to go by.
And if that was the case, what was the true document to reference?  The
Secret Dead Sea Scrolls, which had now been proven to be not as
authoritative as they'd expected; the Book of Revelations, which was by far
and away was thought to be completely off-base, but now was beginning to
show signs that it had been accurate to some degree, after all; or some
incomprehensible combination of the two, joined in a manner so twisted that
humankind would fail in its understanding of the whole issue?
    ((Perhaps, the answer wasn't even found in any Judeo-Christian-Islamic
tome,)) he thought.  ((Maybe the answer is in Hinduism, or in Shinto
legends.  Maybe even in Zoroasterism or something even more obscure.  Maybe
even it is up to us to create the answer for ourselves, though I cannot be
too sure of that.))
    Lorenz looked across the table at Ikari, and noticed that for once,
something was different about him.  Although his face was the usual stoicism
of complete control, for once there also seemed to be an aura of chaos
around him, an element that hinted that something was no longer in control.
Lorenz wondered what that might be, and decided he would take action on it
later.  Perhaps it might be the key to controlling the uncontrollable Ikari
Gendo.

<(*)>

RCAF Cotter's Pond, BC, Canada
Runway 01

    Standing in the shelter of a nearby hangar, the members of the US Joint
Mechanized Strike Force, awaiting their counterparts from NERV HQ.  It was a
dour-looking day, and though it wasn't likely to rain today, the iron color
of the overcast sky made things uncomfortably chilly for this time of year;
enough so to require the three to wear jackets today.  While Kendra was
currently wearing her basic working khakis, the two pilots had opted for
their biosuits, wearing their bomber jackets over them.
    Wearing the drab olive gray of his biosuit, Carter felt uncomfortable.
He, like so many of the other pilots he'd known, tended to lean towards
superstition.  One of those superstitions for him was that every time he
slipped on his pilot gear, he'd end up fighting fairly soon.  Although,
until the events of the other day back in LA-2, the only fighting he did per
se was to arrive on the scene moments after an Angel had vaped it and moved
on.  It was inexplicable, but afterwards, they were drawn to Tokyo-3 like
flies.  Personally, he wished they had stayed there.
    Raven, in her dark blue version of the biosuit, tried to concentrate on
the situation at hand, even though she felt dam uncomfortable.  Neither
Kendra nor Carter had forgiven her for the Mouse's death, and truth be told,
neither had she.  ((Fuck this shit, Rave.  All you have to do is to get out
of this alive, show up the damn Japanese, and get Carter off your ass.
Maybe if we can beat these damn Angels, I can score me an upgrade to JG or
something.))


    Watching the aircraft slowly coming in, under escort by Canadian
fighters, made the whole scene look like an ominous invasion from beyond.
An irony, Kendra realized; these forces were here to prevent said invasion
from beyond.  One of the most critical battles in humanity's history was
likely to take place several miles northeast of the base at the nearby
McClannehey Proving Grounds, and the line was being held by some of the
world's most courageous fighting forces.  But the tip of the spear, as
military clich�s went, was in the hands of a bunch of kids who should be
thinking more about the trials and tribulations of teenhood.
    Only five minutes late, the C-145D Galaxy IV came in for a landing with
all the grace of a beached whale.  Kendra, a fighter jock herself, laughed;
she never could imagine herself flying one of those tubby bastards.  ((The
Dragonwings, on the other hand...)) she mused as the C-37s moved into a
stationary position and cut their main engines in favor of the VTOL nozzles.
The three black aircraft descended slowly, lowering their payload onto the
massive flatbeds that would make the transfer to the hangar currently
reserved for the Japanese EVA team.  Meanwhile, the Canadian fighter
squadron, satisfied their job was done, winged away from the runway and
bolted off in the direction of their base, several more miles away.
    After a few minutes of taxiing to their assigned parking spot and
shutting down the flight systems, the great door on the back of the plane
rolled down, and out of the plane boiled various techs and support
personnel, carrying off equipment and other materials necessary for the EVA
units to do their job.  Last to come out of the plane was a mid-sized group
of people: one wearing the red uniform of NERV operations, a couple wearing
the tan of technical, and four teens wearing the muted gray of aviation.
The group began to walk towards the Americans, and Kendra, her charges in
tow, did the same.


    The two groups met in the middle.  Misato spoke first, her English being
better than the others, and to assure the Americans there would hopefully be
no language problems.  "LT Chapel, I presume?"  Misato didn't bother to
salute; the less protocol on the ground at the moment, the better, and from
what she read of the briefing of this officer, she was pretty much
accustomed to ignoring the rules as well.
    "That's correct, major.  LT Kendra Chapel, USN, OPS Officer for US
JMECHSTKFOR and NERV-2.  And these are my pilots, Ensign Kaoru C. Nagisa,
pilot for Unit 05--"
    "Just call me Carter," the boy said, offering his hand.  "Always
preferred my middle name, anyway."
    "--and Ensign Raven Ayers, Unit 04's pilot."
    "How the hell are ya?" Raven said in her usual brash tones, putting her
hand out and knowing that it would probably set the staid Japanese on their
ear.  Instead, she found herself being stared at, as though she was some
sort of freakshow on display.  She was about to give a big WTFO, but a
second later, she found out why.  And suddenly she felt like a sort of
freakshow on display.


    The Japanese team could only stare in wonder at the strange sight before
them.  Not the rather normal looking gray-haired, red-eyed boy in the olive
green odd American plug suit; but rather, his companion.  The girl with the
brash attitude, and bright, cheerfully daunting eyes.
    A girl that, with the exception of the long hair, was a complete match
for Rei, in terms of looks.  Even more jarring, the girl had a personality
that made pre-bonding Asuka look like pre-bonding Shinji--and that was
saying a mouthful.  Still, professionalism was professionalism, so Misato
shook off the surprise and said, "Well, a pleasure to meet you all.  As
you've already figured out, I'm Major Misato Katsuragi, and to my side is
our EVA pilots, Second Lts. Shini Ikari, Asuka Langley-Sohryu, Rei Ayanami,
and Toji Suzuhara, the EVA pilots for Units 01, 00, and 02."
    "Four pilots for three units?" Kendra asked, the same thing on her mind
as on Misato's: ((where the hell did you dig up a person that looks like a
twin of my pilot?))
    "Unit 01 is a dual pilot plug," Misato explained.  "Shinji and Asuka
are, um, gifted."
    "Well, they definitely seem to work well together," Kendra added, noting
that the two were holding hands.
    "That they do," Misato added, perspiration coming to her brow, her hand
waving frantically while she held it down, trying to signal for them to quit
it; she didn't dare turn around to tell them.  "And they make up a vital
component of our team.  Speaking of components, I thought that you were
supposed to have a full complement of pilots as well."
    Kendra bristled at that; she brushed it off, though, writing it off as
military brusqueness and not an attempt to be insensitive to their recent
loss.  "After the death of Second Lt. Del Vientos, we've had to scramble to
get a new pilot for Unit 03 while it's being repaired over at your
facilities.  To speed up the training process, we've sent our next candidate
over there to see if she'll cut it.  If not, NERV-1 will supply the pilot
for Unit 03.  Other than that, my current pilots will have to suffice for
this operation.  They may not have the experience that your forces have, but
they're highly trained officers despite their ages, just as yours are."
    "Never doubted it for a moment, LT Chapel.  You have our condolences on
the loss of your teammate."
    "Thank you, Major.  Well, I'm sure that you'd all like to settle in, and
my team still has a few more things to attend to.  I'll have some of the
base staff show you to your quarters, and give you a couple of hours to get
settled until we all meet at the briefing this morning."  Kendra signaled,
and a couple of Canadian airmen came by to assist the Japanese team with
things.  "Be seeing you, Major Katsuragi."


    "that girl looked like me," was all Rei said when the Americans had
walked off.
    "That was kinda creepy," Asuka admitted.  "That American pilot was a
dead ringer for Wonder Girl here, except *she* had a personality."
    "The Wonder Kid with a personality," Shinji mused.  "Now that has to be
a really frightening thought.  Hey, whaddaya think, Toji?"
    "I'm trying not to," he admitted.  "I found it too mindwarping a
concept."
    The three other pilots had a hearty laugh about this while the pilot of
Unit 00 simply stood there and watched as the girl who looked exactly like
her walked into a nearby building.  ((strange...she looked exactly like me.
but she acted differently than i do.  could she be another me?))  She had to
admit it was possible.  It also had another effect on her: the curiosity
that if it was true, was she really capable of acting like that?
    Meanwhile, Misato, having finished giving directions to the assistants,
rounded up her charges and said, "Okay, you guys, let's get settled in and
relaxed, and then we'll figure out what's going on.  Oh, and Shinji and
Asuka, may I remind you about a little thing called military protocol?  As
in: no holding hands while in *uniform*?!?!?!"
    Asuka shook her head in dismay while Shinji snarled, "Okay, then I'll
just have to forget about that little incident with Major Hamayata last
week, right?"
    Misato eeped.  "Yo-you know about that?"
    Shinji gave her a nasty grin.  "Misato, I consider you like family, so
I'm not going to discuss details.  Especially the part about your secondary
scar from the Second Impact.  You know, the smaller one down by your--"
    "You wouldn't dare," she commented, in a tone that was half-warning,
half-shock.
    Asuka smirked.  "Misato, I think that we pilots would like some time to
relax and look around the base before we get settled in.  Please be a dear
guardian and let us?"
    The older woman wasn't expecting the change in tone.  "Er, Why?"
    "Because you think dearly of me and Shinji-kun, and you think well of
Toji and Rei, too."  Her tones clipped back to catty as she added, "And
because I think you'd rather that I didn't tell, oh, say, Kaji about a
certain dream you had the other night?"
    Misato's eyes bugged so wide at those words, Toji swore that she almost
looked like an anime character.  Feeling sick to her stomach, she moaned, "I
guess we...could use the downtime.  I'll contact LT Chapel and ask her to
reschedule the meeting for later."
    In a saccharine-sweet voice, Asuka said, "Thanks, Misato!" while Shinji
had the same self-satisfied smirk on his face that seemed to say, "You're
the greatest, Misato!"  The NERV officer merely looked at them with an ashen
glance before wandering off, muttering, "I really could use a beer right
now...."
    As she walked off, Toji looked at the pair, who merely gave each other
knowing looks of satisfaction.  "I'd really like to know how you two know
about things like that.  It might come in handy someday."
    Asuka smiled cattily.  "It's called being a total bitch, Suzuhara.  You
should try it sometime."
    Toji turned to the male half of the Dastardly Duo.  "Okay, then, so
what's your excuse?"
    In a disaffected tone, Shinji yawned a sort of answer: "I dunno.  Being
an alpha male or something like that?"
    "What?  I don't get it."
    "We thought so."  Patting his friend on the back, Shinji said, "Well,
shall we go enjoy our time off?"


    Raven turned the corner and counted to ten before cutting loose with her
tongue.  Frankly, it was the longest the girl was known to have kept her
temper.  *"WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?!?!?!?!"*
    Kendra gave Raven a helpless shrug.  "That's what I'd like to know."
    Carter gave her a wolfish grin.  "Maybe the Japanese cloned a new and
improved model.  Notice how nice, quiet and unassuming she was?"
    Raven responded to that flattering bit of information by turning and
flipping off her teammate.  "Sit and spin, cheese dick!"
    "Guys, knock it off," Kendra warned.  She was already still spinning
from the sudden appearance of another Raven.  This was only adding fuel to
the fire.
    Of course, her pleas went unnoticed by the two combatants.  "Go to hell,
Raven!" he snarled.
    Raven's fists balled in anger.  "You'd better check your six, pretty
boy, or I swear that I'll--"
    *"OR ELSE YOU'LL DO WHAT, RAVEN?!?!?!"*  Carter, unable to hold in his
anger, exploded with a fury that no one had ever seen in him before.
Getting right up to her face, he roared, *"WHAT, YOU'LL GET ME KILLED TOO,
JUST LIKE WENDY?  GOOD FUCKING GOING THAT'LL BE, YOU GODDAMN SCREWUP!!!!!
MAYBE THAT'S WHY THE JAPANESE ARE BUILDING BETTER YOUS!!!!!  SO WE CAN GET A
COPY THAT'S NOT SOME MENTALLY DERANGED LOOSE CANNON!!!"*
     *"I AM NOT A CLONE, YOU FUCKHEAD!!!!!!  IT HAS GOT TO BE A
COINCIDENCE!!!!!!!"*  Raven instinctively drew back to punch him; it was a
tactic that usually worked with other guys, and Carter here was no
different.  What stopped her were his words, as they sank in.  ((My God...is
that what they think of me?))  If she could have seen herself in a mirror,
she would have noticed that she went completely ashen, and between her
blanched face, pale blue hair and red eyes, she appeared very much like an
albino.  As though not even under her control, her hands dropped limply to
the side for a second before she whispered in a shaky voice, "No...that's
not true...that's not true and you know it!"  For reasons she couldn't
explain, she found herself covering her ears, trying to block out the hated
words that she feared were the ring of truth.  "Leave me alone!" she cried,
not realizing the irony in saying the words that he'd said to her last
night.
    *"KNOCK IT OFF, ENSIGNS!!!!!"* Kendra screamed at the top of her lungs,
trying to get some semblance of calm.  *"THAT'S A DIRECT ORDER, YOU
TWO!!!!!"*  Unfortunately, her attempt to restore military discipline was
failing, and badly.  ((Gods, the *last* thing I need is for base security to
show up and toss these two in the brig, but I'm tempted to toss them in
there, myself!))
    Unaware of Kendra's thoughts, Carter continued to bear his soul.
*"BULLSHIT!!!!!  I'VE HELD MY TONGUE LONG ENOUGH, RAVEN!!!!  I'M SO SICK OF
YOUR FUCKING ANTICS!!!  I'M SICK OF YOU PICKING ON WENDY BEFORE SHE DIED,
AND ME!!!!!  I'M SICK OF HEARING HOW HOT SHIT YOU THINK YOU ARE!!!!  I'VE
HAD IT UP TO HERE AND I'M NOT GOING TO PUT UP WITH IT ONE MORE FUCKING
MOMENT!!!!  I WISH YOU WOULD JUST GO TO HELL AND STAY THERE!!!!!!"*
    Something beyond the edge of control snapped within Raven, and as her
eyes became twin daggers of pain and rage.  *"I.  SAID.  LEAVE.  ME.
ALONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"* she finally bellowed with the voice of a woman at her
edge, cocking her fist back to beat the hell out of Carter, and to hell with
what base security did to her.  She was fast enough that neither Carter nor
Kendra would be able to stop her at least for the first volley of punches,
and for her, that would be more than enough.


    "please, do not punch him," a nearly whispered, very soft voice said in
accented, halting English.  The three turned around to see one of the
Japanese pilots staring at them; specifically the one that looked like
Raven--what was her name?  Ah, yes--Rei Ayakawa or something like that.
    Raven turned to face the apparent doppelganger.  "Just what is it to you
if I spill his guts all over the deck, huh?"
    "i would rather you didn't," Rei responded.  "i don't like red."  She
said in such a plain-matter-of-fact tone, that all the rage drained out of
Raven as complete confusion dawned on her features.
    "Oh, so you don't like blood, huh?" Raven snarled.  "Then why the hell
are you an EVA jo--"  The girl's train of thought was instantly halted as
the two made eye contact.  Red eyes met red eyes, identical faces framed in
same-hued hair, as though a fractured image of Gemini had been brought into
the third dimension.  Rei was the first to break eye contact, and Raven's
fists fell to her side, as though useless and spent without even performing
the task they were summoned for.
    Seeing her job was done, she murmured a "thank you," then walked down
the hall, as though nothing had happened.
    The three watched the girl walk down the hall, eventually turning a
corner and disappearing from sight.  When she was gone, Kendra, no longer
livid but now completely lost, said, "I hate to say it, you two, but that
girl is creepy."  Turning to look at Raven, she noted the girl herself was
beginning to shake, as though suddenly struck by palsy.
    Carter noticed it, too.  Putting aside his hatred of her for the concern
of a teammate, he asked, "Hey, Ayers, you okay?"
    Raven never answered, as she was too busy trying to control herself from
what she saw in the other's eyes.  ((I saw death in her eyes.  Countless
deaths.  All of them hers.

    ((All of them, mine.))

<(*)>

    A couple hours later the meeting was held, sans the pilots.  In light of
Asuka's personal desire for them to be left alone for the rest of the day,
Misato contacted Kendra and suggested the change.  Kendra, still embarrassed
about the aftermath of Raven's outright warfare in the halls and the sudden
halting of it by the Japanese ghost girl (as Raven was naming her), was only
too quick to agree.  Kendra made a few more calls to various other officers
involved, rescheduling for the next day.
    The pair met in the O-Club's coffee shop, both having deemed it still a
bit too early to drink.  This decision lasted all of two seconds, and
eventually the two found themselves in the O-Club's wet bar, downing
Mooseheads by the dozens.  Much more warmed up, they chatted about many
things and got to know one another, both palpably shying away from the
Rei/Raven issue.  They did discuss the other pilots though, and how they
would integrate the two pilot groups.
    Leaning over her twelfth beer (having settled on twelve as a nice,
reasonable number after she passed the twenties), Kendra slurred, "So...ya
zink we shud haf tha tu gruups of pi-pi...jockeys sit down amongst
themselves?"
    Misato dizzily nodded.  "Haaaiiiiiiiiiii!" she said, her voice slurred.
    "Hi t' yu to," Karen replied.  "Soooooooooooo...we star' t'mrrow?"
    Misato nodded, unsure of how to answer that.  In turn, Kendra bobbed her
head vigorously in a reasonable attempt at a nod, but instead ended up
banging her head on the table, knocking herself out.
    Misato gave the unconscious American a wide, stupid grin and mumbled, "I
think this 's gunna be th' start ov a bea...beau...great friendship."  No
further philosophical points to add, she passed out as well in an
alcohol-induced sign of solidarity.

<(*)>

JASDF Airbase New Atsugi, Japan
Runway 7

    The officer, resplendent in her class "C" uniform, gave Ritsuko a sharp
military salute.  "Reporting as ordered, Major Akagi."  She then slipped
into parade rest, her seabag standing also at military height.
    Looking at the briefing sheet, Ritsuko said, "Dr. Akagi is fine--I
rarely use my rank."  Ritsuko tore her eyes away from the file, and looked
at the American pilot.  Despite having spent all those hours in transit,
you'd never know just by looking at the military bearing the girl, a US
Marine, had.  ((To paraphrase Misato,)) Ritsuko thought, ((the girl looks
like a poster child for Heavy Armament.))  Despite having a slight build no
bulkier than say, Asuka, the girl's eyes had the look of a calculating
beast--the very look, the scientist noted, that American Marines were known
all over the world for.
    Ritsuko had to admit, the US branch of NERV was a lot more prepared for
war than the Japanese branch was...if only because it was run by the US
military, vice the private organization that Japan's NERV was.  If it
weren't for the fact that Tokyo-3 saw a hell of a lot more action than any
of the other places in the world, they simply wouldn't have the level of
readiness that the Geofront currently enjoyed...if enjoyed would be such a
term to be used in the situation.
    "Well," Ritsuko said, looking at the girl's single gold bars on her
uniform and trying to remember the rank, "Lieutenant, you'll be
participating in synchronized tests with our own candidate.  If you succeed,
you will become the new pilot for Unit 03, once we make the repairs to it.
If not, our pilot will take over, and you will likely be assigned to support
and intelligence, where your secondary specialty lies, okay?"
    The Marine slipped from parade rest into attention.  "Yes, Doctor."  She
slipped right back into parade attention, and Ritsuko stifled a groan.
    ((Great.  I'm stuck with this one until Misato gets back.  Oh well....))
"Okay, then, Lieutenant, you've been issued an apartment on this address.
You'll be living next door to the other pilot, so it might behoove you to
get to know each other."  Ritsuko handed the girl a slip of paper, then
waved her hand to signal a few JASDF airmen to escort the Marine.  "Report
for duty at eight, okay?"
    "Aye-aye, ma'am!"  Another salute was thrown in the direction of
Ritsuko, and the Marine, escorted by the two airmen, went off towards the
nearest car.
    Ritsuko watched them as they left.  Why do I get stuck with the weirdoes
in this world? she asked herself, before realizing it was a gauntlet of
sorts.  If things worked out the way Gendo had planned, there would be a
grand change in the way the world worked, and the name of Major Akagi
Ritsuko, MD & PhD, NERV Science Division, would be at the forefront.

<(*)>

RCAF Cotter's Pond, BC, Canada
Visiting Officers' Quarters, Suite 208

    Asuka stepped out of the shower, heading towards the bed that she and
Shinji shared, grabbing only a towel to wrap around herself.  She didn't
bother to throw on clothing or anything of the sort.  It didn't matter
anymore, after all; he'd seen inside the deepest depths of her mind already,
so what good was modesty going to do?  Besides, maybe tonight, she began her
thoughts.
    Without looking up from reading a book from where he lay on top of the
bed, Shinji said, "I thought we wanted to hold off on that, Asuka."
    ((I was just teasing you, Shinji-kun,)) she thought, continuing to test
out their newest skill.  ((Besides, I always thought that if I did something
like that, I would do it with the man I love.))
    ((And what am I?  Day-old sashimi?))  It was the closest he'd come to
asking if she did.
    She only thought it would be fair to give him an appropriate response.
Moving to his side, she took the book out of his hands, leaned against him
and kissed him with all the passion she could give that was hers to give.
As she breathlessly broke away, she sighed, "Everything for you, Shinji-kun.
Everything for you."  As if by some silent cue, she slipped away the towel,
letting him see her as she was.  Exposed to him in a way she'd never offered
him before, until now.
    "Asuka," Shinji said, averting his eyes from roaming over her perfect
body and concentrating on her face.  "I--"
    "I love you too, Shinji," she said, a lump in her throat.  "But I'm
scared."
    "I know."
    "I'm so afraid that I'll be left alone when all of this is over.  That
something, or millions of something, will happen.  What if they find a cure
for what happened to us?"
    "Then I won't take it," he insisted with firmness.  "I don't want
anything that'll separate us, Asuka.  I don't want to be alone anymore.  I
don't want *you* to be alone anymore."  Kissing her tenderly, she could feel
her feelings reciprocated as well as the willpower it took to keep certain
other feelings under control.  "Asuka, you have no idea how hard it is to
fight this," he admitted.
    "Then don't.  Shinji, if you want me, I'm yours," she said in a soft
voice.  "I'm always yours."
    "Not until this is over," he said, with some difficulty.  "But when this
war is over, then we'll see."
    She could see that he was fighting it for both of their sakes, not only
because of their duties, but also because it just wasn't the time for it.
She swelled at pride at the boy she loved, and knew that if he could control
his longings, so could she.  But with that, there was a new fear in the back
of her mind, one she tamped down immediately.  "If we're going to wait that
long, then we can wait until I'm Ikari Asuka."  She said that so
matter-of-factly that both giggled at the prospect.  Here they were,
discussing their whole life in five minutes.  And to top it all off, she
said, "And we're naming our son Heinrich.  We can name the girl after your
mother."  Leaning closer to him, so close he could practically taste her
breath, she whispered, "Shinji, I don't know if I can fight it much longer.
Being here...in your arms...."  Unconsciously, neither of them was realizing
that she was already unbuttoning his shirt, her control slipping.


    Fortunately, there was a knock at the door, and an unfamiliar voice
called out in English, "Hey, Ikari!  You in there?"
    That snapped the two out of their reverie.  "Um, yeah," he answered in
the same language, having learned it from Asuka's years of living in
Milwaukee.  "Just a minute!"  The pair gave each other a rushed, passionate
kiss, then Asuka grabbed the towel, making sure she displayed what he'd just
fought so hard to give up...and conversely, protect.  Giving him a loving
look, she went back into the bathroom.
    The male half of them went to the door and opened it to find the
American (what was his name again?) and Toji standing there, both dressed in
civvies and looking rather casual; while Toji was wearing his usual jogging
gear, the other boy wore a crew-neck jersey and faded jeans.  Running his
fingers through his long gray hair, he said, "Hey, man, Toji and I were
going to head over to the base movie theatre and wanted to know if you
wanted to go.  You know, that 'getting to know each other' stuff we gotta
do."
    "Just getting out of your uniform, Shinji?" Toji asked.
    "Um, yeah.  Been reading a book for the past couple of hours, just
trying to kill the time." he responded.
    "Funny, I thought you and Asuka would have found a more...intense...way
to fill the time," Toji joked.  Shinji shot him a murderous look, and Carter
merely chuckled at that.  "So, you coming, Shinji?"
    "Um, sure.  Hold on a sec."  ((Asuka?))
    ((Sure,)) she responded to him.  ((It'll...be a good idea to test how
far we can be from each other.))  There was a tinge of sorrow to her voice
somehow, but Shinji wasn't going to pry.  What little privacy they had left
they were entitled to, and she might just want some right now--the sorrow
just might have been hormones he misread.
    Within a couple of minutes, Shinji had slipped into a polo and slacks
and the three of them went off to go learn about each other in the spirit of
international goodwill.


    A few minutes later and curled into a ball, Asuka cried on the bed,
unable to hold her fears outside of her body, if she could hold it in the
private parts of her mind.  She was shivering, not from cold but from
something even more elemental to the human condition: she was terrified.
And that terror had a name: Shinji, but a better name for it might be
Asuka's itself.
    ((Shinji, how can you be so brave?)) she ruminated, holding onto one of
his shirts for comfort.  ((I don't want to be alone.  I just want you to be
with me forever.  What am I going to do when you leave me?  What am I going
to do?))  Never once did she even believe that he would be around forever.
He said he would, and she believed that, but then her parents told her the
same thing.  So did his.  The truth was, there was no such thing as forever.
Nothing, that is, save for the fear in her heart.
    ((I hate what I've become.))  Not the bond with Shinji; that was so much
a part of her life now that she constantly wondered how she could have lived
without it until that day.  Rather, it was more the emotions that came with
it.  Part of her personality had slipped into Shinji and he was no longer
the passive male that he used to be.  But the bond went both ways, and the
passiveness that was part of Shinji's old persona, now was a part of hers,
and gradually becoming more dominant.  They were slowly becoming what the
other was, and if it wasn't for the fact that they'd fallen in love, she
knew that he would have left.  After all, she knew that if things hadn't
happened the way they did, she never would have stuck with such a person as
he'd been.
    There was a knock at the door.  She wanted to say "Go away," or just to
ignore it and pretend that she was sleeping.  But she didn't--the person was
company, a lifeline.  Taking a second to slip on underwear, a T-shirt, and
shorts, she went to the door, wiping her tears away and trying to bring up a
pleasant smile, or at least an easily faked one.
    Standing on the other side of the door, was Rei, of all people.
"sohryu," she said in her monotone.  "i need to ask you something."
    ((Why are you here, Wonder Girl?)) she asked herself.  But, company was
company, so....  "Um, sure.  C'mon in.  Shinji's not here.  He went out with
the guys.  Would you care for something to drink?"  ((Don't ask for
40-weight, 'cause I'm fresh out, robogirl!))
    "water, please."  She sat down on one of the chairs, and as Asuka came
back from the kitchen, she began to speak.  "i need to talk to someone.
about what happened today."  There was an almost human look in the Wonder
Girl's eyes, Asuka noted.  "that american girl...ayers.  she looked just
like me.  when i looked into her eyes, i realized she *was* me."
    The fact that Rei stressed that last part somewhat bothered Asuka.  It
just wasn't like the Wonder Girl to show emotion.  It was like she wasn't
capable of it, and that any attempt to do so violated the natural order of
things.  "C'mon, Ayanami, you're just freaking out.  You're acting like
you're..."  Asuka thought about her statement for a second, and wondered who
it applied to.  "...afraid?"
    Rei looked at Asuka dispassionately, then said, "i don't know."
    "Look, Ayanami...Rei...what is it about her that freaks you out?  She
seemed, I dunno, kinda cool."
    "i saw death in her eyes.  i saw red.   a thousand versions of me, all
dying in a sea of flame."  Things were getting really weird, now.  Rei was
sounding poetic, the puppet daring to be human.  "is there something wrong
with me?"
    "Maybe you need to relax, Rei.  Whatever it is you do to relax." Asuka
sighed inwardly.  She didn't need this, while she was trying to deal with
her own problems.  She was afraid herself--what could she do for Rei?
    ((Maybe the best way to deal with your fear is to deal with hers,)) she
realized.  Acting on spontaneity, Asuka went up and hugged the albino,
saying, "Don't worry, Rei.  Your friends are here for you."  ((Did I mean
what I just said?)) she wondered before realizing, yes.  She was at a
pointing her life where she couldn't afford to push away anyone anymore, and
she found that she no longer wanted to.  An eternity ago, she would have
probably taken on the world single-handed, with no regrets; Asuka couldn't
dream of doing such a thing now.
    "friends?" Rei asked, as though she'd never heard the term before.  "i
feel so odd...so warm."
    Asuka loosed the embrace and said, "That's friendship for you.  I know I
tease you a lot, Wonder Girl, but...ah, nevermind.  Let's just say that
you're a friend."  Rei, unsure of what was transpiring, merely nodded.
Asuka, in the meanwhile, had another brainstorm and said, "Hey, I'm tired of
sitting around here.  Wanna go out for a bit?"
    "where?"
    "I dunno.  The mall, maybe?  Or possibly a movie.  I wish Hikari were
here--she'd have some ideas."  Reaching for her shoes, she said, "But
anything's gotta be better 'n sitting around here, right?"  Opening up her
mind, she called out to Shinji, and said, ((Shinji-kun, I'm gonna go out
with Rei for a while, okay?))
    It took a while, likely due to distance, but there was a response.
((Wonder Girl?  Why her?))
    ((Because she needs someone to show her how to be normal, I guess.))
She heard Shinji mentally chuckle and she said, ((Seriously.  Besides, I
don't want to sit around all day.))
    ((Okay.  I'll see you later then, Asuka-chan.))
    ((Bai, Shinji-kun.))  Returning to some normal semblance of thought, she
looked at Rei, gave her a smile, and said, "Let's go hit the mall and get
you some new clothing, Rei."
    "is something wrong with what i am wearing?  i did not notice...."
    "Rei, lesson number one: you can't wear nothing but NERV and school
uniforms all your life.  You have to relax sometime.  Now c'mon.  We're
going out, and when I'm done with you, you'll be a new person!"
    "i don't need to be a new person.  i am fine with my current body."
    "That was a figure of speech, Wonder Girl."
    "oh."

<(*)>

    Meanwhile, three floors above....
    The blast ripped through the demon, and she moved forward, over the lava
pits.  Stalking through the labyrinthine features of the sunken ruins, she
hefted her NUK-666 Plasma Rifle, heading towards the exit.  While there was
about six nightstalkers guarding the gates to the next circle of hell, she
had her rifle at full power and her armor was at full stren--

AUTO PAUSE.  YOU HAVE A CONTACT ON THE PHONE LINE.

    Raven ripped off the VR headgear, muttering, "Oh, Goddamn it.  Just when
I was finally about to beat that level, too...."  Setting the headset and
taking off the tactile gloves, she reached for the phone.  "ENS Ayers."
    The phone line sounded a bit blurry, as though it was being monitored.
<<Hey, hothead, is that you?>>
    Raven smiled.  "Hey, stupid!  Was wondering when you were gonna call."
    <<Relax, I just found out you got deployed.  I told you I was going to
call as soon as I landed here; I just didn't expect you to guys to be road
trippin'.>>
    "Yeah, we got possible DEFCON up here, so we had to come up and save
some Can-Can asses.  So, how's Japan?"
    <<Fine, I guess.  Haven't had a chance to look around yet.>> There was a
pause on the line for a second, then: <<Is it really true about what they
were saying about you, Rave?  That you got tossed in the Brig because Wendy
got killed?>>
    "How...how'd you find out about that?"
    <<I got pulled off F-23 sim duty and assigned Candidate Pilot Status.
That only happens when one of you is...you know.  While in the air, the doc
aboard had to do some DNA tests on me to prep some of the wetware files for
Unit 03.  As for the brig part, chalk that up to scuttlebutt.>>  The voice
on the other end was silent for a couple before saying, <<Look, Raven, if
you need to talk to someone about it, you 'n' I've been best friends all our
lives.   Got your six.>>
    Raven's eyes darkened with sorrow.  "Thanks, but I don't want to talk
about it.  I...."
    <<Say no more, Rave.  I understand.  I just can't believe the Mouse is
gone, that's all.  I always thought if any one of us was going to survive,
it would be her, an' only because she was too quiet to get noticed.>>
    "Well, she got noticed and that was my fault."
    <<Well, as soon as I get back to Josh, I'll hafta put some flowers on
her grave or something.>>  Raven twitched on her end as she heard that;
there was no way that her friend could know that there wasn't enough left of
Wendy to *have* a grave.  There was a gravestone at Tahoe Bay Military
Cemetery, but there was nothing in it.  <<Look, I gotta get some sleep,
'cause I supposed to meet with the head honchos here tomorrow.  But call me,
okay?>>
    Raven wrote down the phone number and said, "Cool.  Watch your back, you
twisted twit."
    <<You watch yours, you psycho, you,>> the voice said with a chuckle.
"Hope to see you soon."  The line disconnected, leaving Raven to hold the
receiver.  Setting it back down in the cradle, she went back to the VG
terminal and plugged right back into the game.  In that virtual world, she
stared at the two demons, her lone block to getting to the next level.
    Life was like that too much, sometimes.  Too much preventing her from
reaching what she wanted, and she wasn't even sure what it was she wanted.
A question came to her-((Who'll be the next one to pay for your
mistakes?))--and just as quickly, the answer came to her.  She smiled and
turned the rifle to her head, pulling the trigger.

FINAL LIFE EXTINGUISHED.  GAME OVER.

    Taking the gear off once more, she mused: ((It's only a game.))   She
went over to the table and got her MiniDVD player, opting for that instead;
at least that decision wasn't going to cause more chaos.

<(*)>

3-22-4 Kasumigaseki-cho, Tokyo-3, Japan
Apartment 2D

    In her room, the Marine put the phone down on the cradle.  ((Something
must really be wrong with Raven, she thought.  She's usually not that
withdrawn.))  Well, there was nothing she could do on this end for her
friend.  ((Better to concentrate on your situation now, and figure out
what's next.))
    She looked around her apartment, given to her by NERV and wondered how
such a militia could have such power.  NERV apparently issued rooms as
standard gear for any personnel under its umbrella, and as long as she was
on TEMADD orders here, that meant her, too.  Since she really hadn't
decorated or anything yet, she decided to look around.  The apartment had
the basic amenities, but not much more than that; if she wanted to
personalize, that would be her problem.  The apartment was nothing but a
barren white, in a sense, just like her.
    It was little wonder why she and Raven got along so well.  They were, to
a degree, two sides of the same coin.  Neither of them could remember their
pasts, and although Raven had been adopted by Pamela Ayers, she hadn't been
so lucky to have parents of her own.  Still, she survived; and God Bless the
Marines for choosing to sponsor her as their entry for the Special
Candidates Project.  Raven might be her best friend, but it was the Corps
that was her family now.
    During this train of thought, she ended up standing over by the mirror
in the bathroom.  Looking at her reflection, she smiled at it, approving of
her looks.  Her hair was a barely controllable mop, the way she preferred
it, just within regulations; her brown eyes tired but still holding some of
the twinkle of life and did well to hide the truth underneath.  Her uniform,
pressed and starched to the point that it looked like it was made of nothing
but hard angles, gave the appearance of a sharp Marine's Marine.


    The doorbell sounded, and she went over to answer it.  Standing there
was another of those NERV types.  A girl, about the same age as herself, her
Asian face framed by expressive brown eyes and somewhat long brown hair.
Her cheeks, lightly dusted with a spray of freckles, gave her an appearance
that made her seem like a modern-day Pollyana...whatever the hell that
meant.  She was dressed in gray, which meant she was part of the pilot's
corps.  Bowing slightly, the girl smiled once and rattled off a few quick
phrases that she had *no* idea what the other'd just said.
    "Um, I'm...sorry, but I don't speak Japanese."
    The NERV pilot looked at her for a second and finally said in shaky
English, "You not speak Japanese?"
    "Not a single bit.  Only words I know are Sony and Mitsubishi," she
answered.
    "Aaa...so da yo.  I speak little English," the other replied.  "Very
nice meet you.  My name...Hikari.  Hikari Horaki, Second Lt., NERV Branch-1.
I am Fifth Child."  She bowed again, nodding her head in a polite manner and
asked, "Who are you?"
    "Um...Second Lt. Marianne Kirishima, but you can just call me Mana.
Everyone does."
    "Mana?  That short name for Marianne?"
    Mana chuckled.  "Well, in my case it was.  When I was a kid, I had a
hard time pronouncing my first name, for some reason.  I kept flubbing it
and saying, 'Mana'.  Eventually, it stuck, but hey, we all can't be Marys or
Annes or what have you."  Running her hand through her hair, she asked, "So,
you're the competing Candidate pilot for Unit 03?"


    Hikari was only sure of half of what the other girl was saying.
Although, she did find it odd that a Japanese girl didn't speak a single
word of it.  Then again, she was born in America, so who knows?  ((They all
can't be like that Sohryu girl.))
    Mana muttered something that Hikari vaguely caught as, "Can you show me
around town?"  Hikari promised herself to work on her English, all while
agreeing to show Mana around.  Even though they appeared to be rivals for
the slot of Unit 03, there was no reason that they couldn't be friends,
right?  She felt that she could really use one--she thought that she would
have made one with Asuka, but she turned out to really want nothing more
than to spend most of her time with her boyfriend, Shinji.  The other girls
in the class weren't that interesting, and if Mana was a typical Amerikajin,
Hikari's spare time would be a lot more interesting.

<(*)>

Von Weisstrausse Casern, Berlin, Germany
SEELE/NERV-3 Conference Room 2

    Ikari Gendo read over the briefing that his personnel provided him
regarding the growing situation up in Canada.  His personal thought was that
the whole operation was a total waste, but the truth of it was that a lot of
NERV's funding depended on controlling the situation before it started.  And
with the recent failure of NERV Intelligence to predict the attack on Los
Angeles-2 from a previously unknown Angel, things were not looking good.
    For starters, the French Parliament was calling for the NATO nations to
break off ties from NERV and start their own operations, based on
contingents of Lancelot and TCM mecha.  A pipe dream, to be sure, but the
French were a noisy group when they wanted to be and noise tends to have the
effect of getting noticed, regardless of the intent.  Gendo liked things to
be in control, right where he wanted them.  After all, he and his partner,
if they succeeded, stood to gain a very big part of the pie.  A very large
slice, indeed.


    It was when he began to read through the personnel rosters that his
attention was sparked.  Ayanami was in close proximity to Raven Ayers.  That
was by no mean a good idea, and something would have to be done about it.
Damn that sentimental bitch Ayers.  He should have followed up on it when
she said disposed of the dummy plug, but he believed her and this was the
result.  Well, he wouldn't make a second mistake like that again.
    Picking up a nearby phone, he dialed a series of numbers and spoke
tersely into it: "Agent Garuda, this is Commander Ikari.  I have a slight
issue that I need attending...Yes, that's correct.  I need it attended at
the operation in Canada...Compensation will be dealt with accordingly.  We
will forward the information to you upon arrival."  He hung up without
pretense; with a man like that, such pleasantries were wasted on him,
anyway.
    Sitting in the darkened room, he almost felt an emotional response for
his creation: the third Rei clone was almost a daughter to him, in a
detached sense; but at least the fourth clone wouldn't be able to be tainted
by the one called Raven, possibly the most dangerous person at the moment,
and a clear impediment to all of his plans.

<(*)>

NERV Branch-1, Geofront, Tokyo-3, Japan
Intelligence Center

    Kaji looked at the information, his jaw practically dropping.  "I...I
don't believe this!  I just don't believe this!"  His mind became a morass
of conflicting emotions and priorities.  Should he take this information to
SEELE, or the JSS?  Maybe he should pass this information to colleagues at
the CIA, NSA, MI6?  If even half of the information here in the terminal was
accurate, the world was in deep, dark defecate.
    He sat there for a few more minutes, collecting his thoughts.  Should he
fail, there would be no backup.  SEELE had invested in quite a bit finding
an agent who was willing to bend in more than one direction.  Ironic, in a
sense, that the one to do so would be from the Japan Security Service, and
not one of the other spook farms all over the world. ((But then,)) he
reasoned, ((they were probably counting on my connections with Misato and
Ritsuko.))  For a second, he almost felt bad for his one-time lover and his
friend; they probably had no idea what they were getting into.  But this
wasn't a business where you would last long if you did--unless you were one
of those calling the shots.
    The next step, then, was logical: find out who was behind hiding the
truth about Adam, and see where the wires connected, straight through to the
inevitable links that were tied to Ikari's hands.  Likely, they were tied in
some manner to SEELE as well, but Kaji wasn't paid to look both ways while
crossing the street.
    Shutting down the computer, he headed back to his apartment.  There was
a lot to think about, and many decisions to make.  And all of them could be
disastrous.

<(*)>

NAVSTA Joshua Tree, Los Angeles-2, NV, US
Joint Intelligence Center, Pacific

    "Skipper?" Lt. Col Sumner sat down next to Ayers at the main table,
where she was reading over briefs.  As seemed to be traditional for navy
captains, she had a mug of coffee in front of her, the size of which could
easily give a carrier a run for its money.  She looked burnt out, and
characteristically for her, she was working on her off-time, evident by
sitting in the top secret area in her civvies.
    "Oh, hi Pat.  Just reading over the OPLAN for the operation up north.
Both teams are in position, and should be reviewing the main plans.
Canadian forces will be providing air support, but it'll be up to the EVAs
to ensure that nothing gets close to McClannehey.  Tomorrow, they should be
deploying from Cotter's Pond to their main site."
    "That's nice," he said, in an uninterested tone.  "Look,
Captain...Pam...we've worked together for quite a while, and I've known you
since our high school days.  That also means I've known you long enough to
know you don't sit down in JICPAC casually reading the operations plans
because you're bored."
    "Well, nice to know I'm so transparent," she sighed, setting down the
report momentarily and taking a sip of her coffee.  "That'll be a nice
bullet for my next FITREP.  I can see it now: 'CAPT Ayers' methodologies are
innate to her officers and crew, so much so that even Army officers can
understand them.'"  She chuckled.  "Bet that'll make Admiral Ramirez real
happy."
    The Army officer grinned.  "Well, that's the problem with you Navy
types.  You're *way* too confusing for the real military."  However, his
tone softened and he commented, "Look, I know you're worried about your
daughter, Pam.  You don't have to hide it."
    "I know, but personal feelings don't go too well with the uniform.
After the things that have happened to her in the past 48 hours, I wonder
how she's still able to look me straight in the eye.  Sometimes, I think
she's too much like her real parents, whomever they were."
    "Look, I've never meant to pry about that, but as I recall, you and Ken
didn't have any children when he died down on DEEP FREEZE.  What made you
decide to adopt that kid?"
    "Two reasons: one, I was lonely.  Ken was the only good thing in my life
other than anything that came in haze gray.  When I first saw Raven...trust
me, she's nothing like she was back then."  She then stared at him straight
and said, "The other reason was that I did it to save her from her guardian.
That'd be Gendo Ikari, the head of NERV 1 in Japan--"
    Sumner whistled in amazement.  "Don't know him, but I know his
reputation.  Creepy bastard."
    "He's worse in person than his rep.  Well, I can't prove it, but I think
that she's related to him, somehow.  But that's not the point.  To him, she
was nothing more than an experiment for the wetware suites.  When he was
done, he wanted me to 'dispose of the dummy plug wetware', to use his
words."
    "You're joking."
    "Not in the least, Pat.  The only reason he can get away with what he
does get away with is, well, we're at war.  Even still, he's got two other
kids that he uses as his personal toys."  Pulling two pictures out of the
briefing, he said, "These are two other kids who are under his control.
One's Shinji, his son, and an EVA pilot.  That'd be bad enough, but look at
the other one--Rei Ayanami."
    "Well, other than the fact that she looks either bored out of her skull
or dead in this picture, she's a near-dead ringer for Raven."
    "Exactly.  But I can't find any proof that they're related or anything.
In fact, I can't find anything on this Ayanami person, either; and I have
minimal past data on Raven."  Ayers stretched, then continued.  "Raven
doesn't remember anything about her past, and a lot of times I don't think
she even wants to.  But underneath her punky exterior is a girl afraid of
something, and she's not telling me about it."
    "Maybe she knows something about this Ayanami character that you don't,"
Sumner suggested.
    "Not likely.  If she did, she would have told Mana...er, Lt. Kirishima;
and Mana, with those Marine sensibilities of hers would have deemed it
important enough to tell me.  No, I think this may just be something that
she has no idea about.  Nonetheless, I'm going to keep a sharp eye on
things.  Whatever she may have been to him, Ikari gave up custody on that
girl when he began to treat her like a piece of meat.  If he thinks he's
getting *his* meathooks on *my* child again," she snarled, "that bastard has
never faced the business end of an AMHA before.  And I will gladly be the
one to shove it up his ass."


Next:
Part Five
Swarm

Author's Notes:

ETB 4's Military Glossary can be located at:
http://calicatcafe.megami.net/The-Bond/ETB-G4.htm

As you've already realized, I'm taking EVA and going my own direction with
it.  Lately, I've gotten a ton of rather...odd...mail asking me why I'm not
following standard EVA canon.  To those, I answer: maybe because this isn't
a standard EVA fic?  I think the first chapter alone would have clued that
in.  And just for that, I'm going to go even in a more bizarre direction
now, so there! ^_^  Fasten your seatbelts and enjoy the ride.

Some of you may have noticed varied differences in the way that NERV and DOD
talk about EVA-related materials, such as pilot plug vs. spinal cockpit,
plug suit vs. biosuit, Children vs. Pilot Candidates.  There's a reason for
that, and it has to do with the fact that different nations have different
ways of referring to things.  For example, an OPS room aboard an Australian
warship is the CIC on a US warship; a Brigadier General in the US Army may
just simply be a Brigadier in another army.

The events described in Yui's Diary are from the upcoming ETB sidestory
Equinox, which will be written as soon as I can get around to it, or find a
willing victim, er...writer willing to do it.  ^_^;;;

For those of you who keep track of the RCAF, neither RCAF Cotter's Pond nor
McClannehey Proving Grounds exist.  I couldn't find actual Canadian military
facilities that met my needs, so just like the fictional NAVSTA Joshua Tree,
I made it up.  If there's anyone in Canada who could/would like to input
some other information (especially those in the Canadian Defence Forces),
I'm all ears.

Kudos to you if you can guess the meaning behind Raven's shirt. ^_-
Neon Genesis Evangelion:
The Bond

By Rob Barba
Series initiated by James Lee
Neon Genesis Evangelion is copyright Gainax and ADV

Part Four:
Communion

Dear Diary,
    I'm home, now, finally.  Kamisama, I was so afraid that they were going
to kill me.  Fu-chan's still in the hospital, and the doctors don't know if
she'll be able to walk again, unless she gets those new cyborg legs.
Tomorrow I'll have to attend the funeral of several of my friends who were
killed in the blast.  Then, as soon as that's over, I have to talk to the
lawyers about preparing for the upcoming trial.  I'm afraid to do this.  I'm
afraid to face Lorenz again.
    I know that I wouldn't even be alive if it wasn't for Aunt Rei.  I never
knew that she could be like how I saw her when she came in.  Dressed in
cammies, holding her AT beam rifle and flanked by both Colonel Suzuhara
Hikari and Aunt Rei's entire team of EVAs, she came in on foot and demanded
that the Equinox group release me or she'd raze the entire compound, then
start hunting everything that was dear to them...which what I figure, wasn't
much.  To prove her point, she shot and killed the two guards holding me,
without even so much as blinking, then trained her gun on Lorenz, Dr, Akagi,
and that man who...ugh, I still shiver when I think about it.  I was afraid
that I was going to die, but at the same time, I couldn't stop my pride at
the fact that Aunt Rei was willing to throw away her career and all to save
me.  She hijacked her entire EVA unit, and 12 EVAs went "renegade", looking
for me.
    Of course, it helped that she had some friends--even if she didn't know
that Colonel Suzuhara had informed the others.  General Katsuragi, once she
found out what was happening, declared the whole thing a military operation,
putting the Government Criminal Investigations Directorate in their place.
Additionally, when Admiral Chapel found out what was going on in her area of
operations, she placed every military unit on alert, scouring high and
low...and intentionally looking inept.  To aid in the distraction, Colonel
Suzuhara's husband, Colonel Suzuhara Toji, took his EVA battalion and staged
a diversionary raid on an Equinox compound in a small town called Waco, in
the Texas district.  And all of it was meant to mask the real action as Aunt
Rei and her group fought in the jungles of Africa, just to find me.
    When it was all over, it was all explained that it had been an operation
designed to save the life of the daughter of two of the world's most famous
war heroes.  The GCID, smarting from the blow of being outwitted by the
military, had to lick their chops from the action.  General Katsuragi issued
medals of valor to all those involved with the rescue, but Aunt Rei declined
hers, saying that, in her own words, "having yui home is all the reward i
will ever want or need."  That's Aunt Rei for ya: dedicated to her combat
skills and honest and sincere.
    Well, gotta go visit Fu-chan in the hospital.  Someone's gotta cheer her
up!

Mata ne,
Ikari Yui Langley

<(*)>

NAVSTA Joshua Tree, Los Angeles-2, NV, US
Captain's Office

    <<Hmmm.  I don't approve of what you've done, Captain Ayers,>> a gruff
voice said on the other side.  The video screen, via a teleconference call
from the burgeoning, relatively new NERV Branch-3 in Berlin, showed the face
of the man in charge of the NERV organization.  And that face radiated
annoyance at having to be bothered with this issue.
    "And I don't give a damn what you think, Ikari!" CAPT Ayers snarled into
the transmission pickup.  "That was my call, and my call alone.  I was given
discretion on disposal of the Autospine wetware, and I did as I saw fit."
    Gendo pushed his glasses back onto his face, where they'd been slipping.
Switching to a soften tone, he said, <<Look, Pamela....>>
    "Don't give me any of that 'Look, Pamela,' shit, Gendo!" Ayers snapped.
"Don't think you can browbeat me into submission.  *You* may be in charge of
NERV, but *I* am in charge of US involvement in the project.  If you so much
as give me any crap, I'll pull the plug on this and scrap those precious
EVAs of yours.  DOD is still well ahead on our TCM project, and it won't
take much to switch to that."  Her eyes radiated sharp anger as she said in
a hiss, "You are to leave the unit alone, do you hear me?"
    Gendo knew she was bluffing; his information had indicated that the
American Transformable Combat Mecha project--jokingly labeled by the media
as the "Robotech defense system"--was like the French Lancelot mecha
project.  That is, it was an over-budgeted disaster and as slow and plodding
as any American government project was.  Still, Gendo knew that when
cornered, the US military historically had a bad habit of pulling rabbits
out of their hat.  He still needed their cooperation if what he planned was
to succeed.  <<Very well, Pamela.  You win this round.  But don't test my
patience again.>>  With nothing further to add, he cut the line, something
which Ayers felt she could live with--she hated talking to the bastard,
anyway.
    Ayers leaned on the table, drained.  She'd spent the longest time trying
to ensure that something like this wasn't going to occur, and that had blown
up in her face.  Well, she'd just have to switch tactics.  Bad enough that
she didn't really trust Ikari or his right hand man, but there was something
about him that automatically told you that he might not be on the level.
Ayers knew better--she *knew* he wasn't on the level.   She just had to keep
the status quo going until she could find a way to trip him up.


    Enough of that, though.  There were other things to worry about.
Tapping a button on the control panel, she said, "CIC, this is Captain
Ayers.  Put the Officer of the Deck on, please."
    A voice answered a couple of seconds later.  <<OOD, Cap'n.  What can I
do for you this evening?>>
    "What's the status of air operations?"  Three aircraft had left Edwards
about ninety minutes ago, bound for New Vancouver.  The reason was simple:
DEFCON 1 conditions had been detected at the McClannehey Proving Grounds.  A
NATO operation, the facility was the world's largest supplier of N2-class
ordnance.  Without that, a huge portion of the arsenal humanity had against
the Angels would be rendered useless.  No way in hell that was going to
happen.
    <<Give me a few to get in contact with Edwards Control, ma'am,>> the OOD
replied.  Ayers waited for a few minutes before the OOD was on again.
<<Just got off the horn with EdCon.  Angelic Rapier flight will be landing
at RCAF Cotter's Pond in five minutes.>>  That group of aircraft was the US
EVA team, racing to defend the Canadian munitions plant from destruction.
<<Exodus Wanderers 25 and 26 are approaching Alpha point, and will pass
zenith in the next twenty minutes.>>  The sole C-37 Dragonwing was carrying
its payload, the damaged Unit 03, to its intended repair facility at
Tokyo-3's Geofront complex.  Following close behind it was a small C-27D
Tempest, a lear-jet like passenger unit that was carrying the Candidate
pilot and support staff.
    "And what of Tembatsu Shinden flight?"
    <<EdCon reports they've just left New Yokota.  JASDF FX-1s will be
escorting as far as their range; after which fighters from the REAGAN will
handle the second leg.  Once they approach Canadian airspace, Cotter's Pond
will have their Eurofighters finish up the job.>>  Even more important than
Angelic Rapier flight, the four aircraft that comprised the flight leaving
Japan was the entirety of the Japanese EVA team.  More experienced than the
US team, it would be up to them to provide backup.
    "And conventional forces?"
    <<Dunno about that, ma'am.  I'll have the Duty Intel Officer report to
you with that information.  Will there be anything else, ma'am?>>
    "No," she sighed.  "Carry on."
    <<Aye, ma'am,>> he dutifully replied before breaking the connection.
    Once he did, Ayers sat in her office, staring at the paperwork, which
she soon ignored.  Her eyes wandering, they eventually fell on a picture of
her and Raven after the latter's graduation from Officer Candidate School.
That had only been about four months ago.  ((She's just a child, my little
girl.))
    Ayers idly recalled that she'd heard once that a member of the Japanese
team was Ikari's own son, pressed into the duty against his will.  Well, so
was Raven, and Ayers hadn't given her much choice in what she wanted out of
her own life.  ((After this war is over,)) Ayers vowed, ((I'm going to
support whatever Raven wants for her future.  I don't care what it is.  As
long as she's happy, I'm happy for her.))  The Commanding Officer of Naval
Station Joshua Tree and Commander of NERV Branch-2 vowed that she would
never become as cruel and heartless towards her own daughter as Ikari was
apparently towards his own son.
    The fear for her, though, was obvious: ((what if I already am?))

<(*)>

JASDF C-17D Galaxy, codename Tembatsu Shinden 01
Somewhere over the Pacific Ocean near Kamchatka Island, Russia

    Racing into the darkness of the eastern night lumbered a bulky, C-145D
Galaxy IV cargo plane.  Usually used for the transporting of troops or
armament, today, it carried a much smaller group of military personnel and a
far more different array of technology than it had ever done before.  As a
result of this modification, the plane did not bear the drab olive green
color scheme of the JASDF, but instead a blinding white, black, and red
schematic that was clearly identifiable as an aircraft assigned to NERV.
    Behind the whale-shaped prop plane were the black arrowhead shapes of
the C-37 Dragonwings, each carrying one of the precious EVAs strapped under
it.  Darting around the four great craft were the sleek predatory shapes of
two full squadrons of combat aircraft; the Japanese FX-1s were at the edge
of their range and making ready to turn around, even as behind them a
squadron of heavily-armed US Navy F-23s, which would run escort right up to
Canadian airspace.  In the waning light, the four huge cargo craft seemed to
lumber along with a sort of unconcerned air, even as the two teams of
fighters performed flight position replacements.  After a few minutes, as
the group reached the International Date Line, the fighter switch had
commenced, and the Japanese sped towards home under the protection of
Russian MiG-I2000s that came by to assist.


    Within the passenger section of the modified cargo craft, most of the
team was asleep in the rather uncomfortable, utilitarian seats that were on
the aged cargo plane as it sped towards the North American continent.
    Most.
    Seated at the center conference table in the passenger section, three
lone souls were in a sort of bonding that all military members had done from
time to time.  Though NERV was more a paramilitary organization than an
actual army, this still didn't remove itself from the traditional
camaraderie that people in those situations shared.  Two men and a woman sat
at the table, the two gentlemen looking rather uncomfortable in the soft
gray uniform of NERV's pilot corps, while the slightly older woman seemed a
bit more relaxed wearing the red of NERV operations staff.  In seats nearby,
a few more people were asleep, wearing either pilot gray, or the tan that
was the mark of NERV technical personnel.


    "Okay," Toji said, setting down his cards.  His steely gave never
wavered as he took two cards from the dealer, but he relented for a second
or two as he added, "I just don't get it, Shinji old pal.  You're supposed
to be lousy at this, man!  The last time we played poker, you couldn't win
to save your life, and now you've won the past two out of four hands!  What
the hell happened?"
    Misato yawned, then looked around for a beer.  When realizing one was
not available on the military flight, she muttered, "Don't look at me.  I
haven't taught him anything."  Her own glance unreadable, she simply looked
at her cards and said, "I'm out."  She dropped her hand down, a rather
anemic one at that.
    At the third end of the makeshift table, Shinji said nothing, but
inclined his head in the direction of his bondmate, asleep in a chair on the
other side of the passenger cabin.  The look on his face was not the typical
poker face, but a warm, caring glance as he thought about her.
    Misato saw that look.  "Shinji, I--"
    "We're being careful, Misato," Shinji answered, as he pushed a few more
yen into the sizable pile in the center of the table.  "She and I have
already agreed to go slowly.  Very slowly."
    The older woman nodded agreement.  "I'm glad you did.  The situation you
two are in is very dangerous, for more than one reason.  We can't afford you
two to slip up on that."  She grinned wolfishly and said, "Maybe when all
this is over, then you can.  But I'd rather you two behaved yourselves until
then."  At Shinji's slight blush, Misato commented cattily, "Or have you two
already been experimenting?"
    *"NO!"* Shinji cried, a little more loudly than he intended to.  *"No
way!  I'd never!"*

    On her end of the cabin, a young girl twitched in her passenger seat,
sleeping peacefully.  Turning slightly, she half-murmured, half-cooed, "Oh,
that feels *grrrrreeeaaat*, Shinji-kun...." and crawled into a fetal ball.
    Misato gave Shinji a knowing look, while Toji merely snickered.  Shinji,
on the other hand, went pale as a sheet, the card game forgotten.  If the
trio could have seen Asuka's face, they would have seen a mischievous grin
on the face of the sleeping young woman.

    Shinji, his composure lost, grunted, "Aw hell.  I fold.  You win, Toji."
Shinji tossed down his hand in disgust, his set of cards far better than
what Toji held.  As the newer EVA pilot scooped up the pot, Shinji
commented, "We should call this game quits, anyway.  We should get some
sleep before we arrive in Canada tomorrow."
    "Personally, I can't sleep--I'm just too primed for what we're about to
do," Toji said.  "I mean, getting to visit another country an' all...."
   Misato retorted softly, "Sometimes visiting other places doesn't work out
the way you want it to...."  Her voice was distant, and the look in her eyes
hinted that she was looking at a horizon beyond the metal confines of the
aircraft hull.  Unconsciously, her hand crept up to her chest and the cross
that she wore around her neck.  "No, sometimes it doesn't...."
   Shinji, not wanting to disturb his mentor, tapped Toji on the back and
commented, "C'mon, let's hit the simulators.  You still need the practice."
Toji complied eagerly, as the simulators onboard the craft were designed
more for practical application of movements and protocols than the actual
synch ratios.  In short, they were overly expensive videogames.  Quietly,
the pair headed towards the access ladderway, leaving Misato to her
bittersweet memories.

   The plane rushed on towards the lands in the east, towards a
conflagration that could spell the end of humanity.

<(*)>

RCAF Cotter's Pond, BC, Canada
Visiting Officers' Quarters, Fifth Floor

    "I said, leave me alone, Raven," a voice said, quiet and packed with a
slow-burning anger.
    "Look, Carter, what can I say to tell you that I'm sorry, okay?" Raven
retorted, her own anger growing by the minute.
    *"I don't give a damn what you were planning to say.  I just want you to
leave me the hell alone!"* the young man snapped, his tolerance limit
clearly reached.
    *"FINE, THEN!  I DON'T KNOW WHY I BOTHERED TO TRY TO MAKE IT UP TO
YOU!"* she snarled, turning to stomp away from the idiot who she was trying
to--


    "All right you two, that's enough!" Kendra sniped as she opened the door
to her room and glared at the two in the hall.  The pair looked pretty
ridiculous, with Carter still dressed in his working khakis, while Raven was
dressed in her favorite PT getup--a set of red too-short shorts and a very
tight black tank top that read !3M TA3.  Around her neck was a white gym
towel, and her SDMI player, the headphones set entirely too loud as usual.
At first, the scene looked like a pair of high school brats arguing in the
hall; only the rank pins and decorations of Carter's uniform and Raven's
green smart ID card slung around her neck gave any indicator that they were
anything but.
    "Look," the older woman said, "I know you two aren't exactly going to
get along with each other for a while--"  If ever, Kendra silently admitted;
ENS Raven Ayers had a lot to make up for her tragedy-borne stupidity the
previous day, "--but may I take the time to remind you two of a few things.
One, despite your age, you two are US military officers in a foreign
country, and you need to act like good ambassadors of American goodwi--"
    Raven yawned at what she felt was the bullshit typical line.  "Yeah,
yeah, Kendra--we hafta be good little zeros," she muttered, deliberately
using the enlisted insult towards officers.  "So you want us to be
well-behaved little squidlings and skip the Tailhook convention.  You were
saying?"
    "--and two," Kendra continued without skipping a beat, "if you two do
not stop this childish display right here and now, I'll see to it that you
two will personally handwash your EVA units for the next two months using
nothing but paper towels!  Do you get my message?"
    Carter feebly nodded, while Raven's eyes narrowed in slits of anger.
Eventually, she too, nodded in understanding.
    "All right then.  Now don't forget that tomorrow morning I want you two
prepped and ready to meet your Japanese counterparts.  And please, try not
to embarrass the entire U.S. military this time?"  Nothing more to add,
Kendra shut the door and went back to whatever she'd been doing.
    Carter looked at Raven, his face still filled with an unforgiving look,
and now added with this latest insult.  Saying nothing more, he headed back
to his own room.
     Raven stood alone in the middle of the hall, unable to vent whatever
emotions were roiling inside her.  Grunting an epithet, she declared, "The
hell with them--you'd think they'd rather see me dead than the Mouse."  In
her mind, she added, ((An' I don't blame them.  Maybe I *shoulda* died
instead of Wendy.))  Unsure of what to do next or how to express the pain
she held, she went back to her original plan and headed towards the base
gym, where she would likely force the anger out through some sort of
exercise.
    She doubted it, though.

<(*)>

Von Weisstrausse Casern, Berlin, Germany
SEELE/NERV-3 Conference Room 4A

    Keel Lorenz stared that the flat panel display that gave him the
readings on the most recent Angel attack.  The look on his face was a study
in desperation in trying to keep calm.  Vaguely looking around the table, he
saw the same things as others did: complete and utter amazement.  The secret
Dead Sea Scrolls, the remaining documents that had not been translated over
the years, were to have given the complete plan on how to deal with the real
days of Revelations, not that trippy prose that was at the end of the Bible.
Using that set of ancient leather, it was meant to detail the correct way to
deal with the Angels.
    Well, the time of Revelations was at hand, and here they were, reading
the scrolls, which had turned out to be frighteningly accurate.  From the
point of the Second Impact, straight through to the defeat of the Sixth
Angel, things had been alarmingly real, as though the documents were nothing
but a script to a play already written.
    That changed with the appearance of the seventh Angel, the one
code-named Maruiel.  The scrolls had spoken of a twinned creature to be
code-named Israfel, described as:

"A beast that doth be a mockery of the form of man, a homunculus that shall
cleave itself in twain when approached by adversity unto itself...."

With such an expectation on hand, not one had been expecting anything else.
And since the Angels had shown an inclination to attacking the stronghold in
Tokyo-3 since the Third Angel, all had been going according to plan.


    Well, the appearance of the torus-shaped Angel blew everything out of
the water, for now and forever.  And here was SEELE, in their stronghold in
NERV-3, attempting to deal with it.  Strange things were being reported from
all corners of the globe now, and by all appearances, the bizarre events
that were recorded at the end of the Bible were seeing to come true.  From
fishes that had been dying in droves off the coast of the Island of Hawaii,
where the seas were said to be boiling, to the inexplicable discoloration of
the nighttime sky, creating the moon that was as red as blood.  Events of
the Revelation were now occurring on Earth, along with the Kabbalic
mysteries of this war which some wags in the know were beginning to call
"The War of Ascension".
    But every battle had to have some sort of OPLAN, something to go by.
And if that was the case, what was the true document to reference?  The
Secret Dead Sea Scrolls, which had now been proven to be not as
authoritative as they'd expected; the Book of Revelations, which was by far
and away was thought to be completely off-base, but now was beginning to
show signs that it had been accurate to some degree, after all; or some
incomprehensible combination of the two, joined in a manner so twisted that
humankind would fail in its understanding of the whole issue?
    ((Perhaps, the answer wasn't even found in any Judeo-Christian-Islamic
tome,)) he thought.  ((Maybe the answer is in Hinduism, or in Shinto
legends.  Maybe even in Zoroasterism or something even more obscure.  Maybe
even it is up to us to create the answer for ourselves, though I cannot be
too sure of that.))
    Lorenz looked across the table at Ikari, and noticed that for once,
something was different about him.  Although his face was the usual stoicism
of complete control, for once there also seemed to be an aura of chaos
around him, an element that hinted that something was no longer in control.
Lorenz wondered what that might be, and decided he would take action on it
later.  Perhaps it might be the key to controlling the uncontrollable Ikari
Gendo.

<(*)>

RCAF Cotter's Pond, BC, Canada
Runway 01

    Standing in the shelter of a nearby hangar, the members of the US Joint
Mechanized Strike Force, awaiting their counterparts from NERV HQ.  It was a
dour-looking day, and though it wasn't likely to rain today, the iron color
of the overcast sky made things uncomfortably chilly for this time of year;
enough so to require the three to wear jackets today.  While Kendra was
currently wearing her basic working khakis, the two pilots had opted for
their biosuits, wearing their bomber jackets over them.
    Wearing the drab olive gray of his biosuit, Carter felt uncomfortable.
He, like so many of the other pilots he'd known, tended to lean towards
superstition.  One of those superstitions for him was that every time he
slipped on his pilot gear, he'd end up fighting fairly soon.  Although,
until the events of the other day back in LA-2, the only fighting he did per
se was to arrive on the scene moments after an Angel had vaped it and moved
on.  It was inexplicable, but afterwards, they were drawn to Tokyo-3 like
flies.  Personally, he wished they had stayed there.
    Raven, in her dark blue version of the biosuit, tried to concentrate on
the situation at hand, even though she felt dam uncomfortable.  Neither
Kendra nor Carter had forgiven her for the Mouse's death, and truth be told,
neither had she.  ((Fuck this shit, Rave.  All you have to do is to get out
of this alive, show up the damn Japanese, and get Carter off your ass.
Maybe if we can beat these damn Angels, I can score me an upgrade to JG or
something.))


    Watching the aircraft slowly coming in, under escort by Canadian
fighters, made the whole scene look like an ominous invasion from beyond.
An irony, Kendra realized; these forces were here to prevent said invasion
from beyond.  One of the most critical battles in humanity's history was
likely to take place several miles northeast of the base at the nearby
McClannehey Proving Grounds, and the line was being held by some of the
world's most courageous fighting forces.  But the tip of the spear, as
military clich�s went, was in the hands of a bunch of kids who should be
thinking more about the trials and tribulations of teenhood.
    Only five minutes late, the C-145D Galaxy IV came in for a landing with
all the grace of a beached whale.  Kendra, a fighter jock herself, laughed;
she never could imagine herself flying one of those tubby bastards.  ((The
Dragonwings, on the other hand...)) she mused as the C-37s moved into a
stationary position and cut their main engines in favor of the VTOL nozzles.
The three black aircraft descended slowly, lowering their payload onto the
massive flatbeds that would make the transfer to the hangar currently
reserved for the Japanese EVA team.  Meanwhile, the Canadian fighter
squadron, satisfied their job was done, winged away from the runway and
bolted off in the direction of their base, several more miles away.
    After a few minutes of taxiing to their assigned parking spot and
shutting down the flight systems, the great door on the back of the plane
rolled down, and out of the plane boiled various techs and support
personnel, carrying off equipment and other materials necessary for the EVA
units to do their job.  Last to come out of the plane was a mid-sized group
of people: one wearing the red uniform of NERV operations, a couple wearing
the tan of technical, and four teens wearing the muted gray of aviation.
The group began to walk towards the Americans, and Kendra, her charges in
tow, did the same.


    The two groups met in the middle.  Misato spoke first, her English being
better than the others, and to assure the Americans there would hopefully be
no language problems.  "LT Chapel, I presume?"  Misato didn't bother to
salute; the less protocol on the ground at the moment, the better, and from
what she read of the briefing of this officer, she was pretty much
accustomed to ignoring the rules as well.
    "That's correct, major.  LT Kendra Chapel, USN, OPS Officer for US
JMECHSTKFOR and NERV-2.  And these are my pilots, Ensign Kaoru C. Nagisa,
pilot for Unit 05--"
    "Just call me Carter," the boy said, offering his hand.  "Always
preferred my middle name, anyway."
    "--and Ensign Raven Ayers, Unit 04's pilot."
    "How the hell are ya?" Raven said in her usual brash tones, putting her
hand out and knowing that it would probably set the staid Japanese on their
ear.  Instead, she found herself being stared at, as though she was some
sort of freakshow on display.  She was about to give a big WTFO, but a
second later, she found out why.  And suddenly she felt like a sort of
freakshow on display.


    The Japanese team could only stare in wonder at the strange sight before
them.  Not the rather normal looking gray-haired, red-eyed boy in the olive
green odd American plug suit; but rather, his companion.  The girl with the
brash attitude, and bright, cheerfully daunting eyes.
    A girl that, with the exception of the long hair, was a complete match
for Rei, in terms of looks.  Even more jarring, the girl had a personality
that made pre-bonding Asuka look like pre-bonding Shinji--and that was
saying a mouthful.  Still, professionalism was professionalism, so Misato
shook off the surprise and said, "Well, a pleasure to meet you all.  As
you've already figured out, I'm Major Misato Katsuragi, and to my side is
our EVA pilots, Second Lts. Shini Ikari, Asuka Langley-Sohryu, Rei Ayanami,
and Toji Suzuhara, the EVA pilots for Units 01, 00, and 02."
    "Four pilots for three units?" Kendra asked, the same thing on her mind
as on Misato's: ((where the hell did you dig up a person that looks like a
twin of my pilot?))
    "Unit 01 is a dual pilot plug," Misato explained.  "Shinji and Asuka
are, um, gifted."
    "Well, they definitely seem to work well together," Kendra added, noting
that the two were holding hands.
    "That they do," Misato added, perspiration coming to her brow, her hand
waving frantically while she held it down, trying to signal for them to quit
it; she didn't dare turn around to tell them.  "And they make up a vital
component of our team.  Speaking of components, I thought that you were
supposed to have a full complement of pilots as well."
    Kendra bristled at that; she brushed it off, though, writing it off as
military brusqueness and not an attempt to be insensitive to their recent
loss.  "After the death of Second Lt. Del Vientos, we've had to scramble to
get a new pilot for Unit 03 while it's being repaired over at your
facilities.  To speed up the training process, we've sent our next candidate
over there to see if she'll cut it.  If not, NERV-1 will supply the pilot
for Unit 03.  Other than that, my current pilots will have to suffice for
this operation.  They may not have the experience that your forces have, but
they're highly trained officers despite their ages, just as yours are."
    "Never doubted it for a moment, LT Chapel.  You have our condolences on
the loss of your teammate."
    "Thank you, Major.  Well, I'm sure that you'd all like to settle in, and
my team still has a few more things to attend to.  I'll have some of the
base staff show you to your quarters, and give you a couple of hours to get
settled until we all meet at the briefing this morning."  Kendra signaled,
and a couple of Canadian airmen came by to assist the Japanese team with
things.  "Be seeing you, Major Katsuragi."


    "that girl looked like me," was all Rei said when the Americans had
walked off.
    "That was kinda creepy," Asuka admitted.  "That American pilot was a
dead ringer for Wonder Girl here, except *she* had a personality."
    "The Wonder Kid with a personality," Shinji mused.  "Now that has to be
a really frightening thought.  Hey, whaddaya think, Toji?"
    "I'm trying not to," he admitted.  "I found it too mindwarping a
concept."
    The three other pilots had a hearty laugh about this while the pilot of
Unit 00 simply stood there and watched as the girl who looked exactly like
her walked into a nearby building.  ((strange...she looked exactly like me.
but she acted differently than i do.  could she be another me?))  She had to
admit it was possible.  It also had another effect on her: the curiosity
that if it was true, was she really capable of acting like that?
    Meanwhile, Misato, having finished giving directions to the assistants,
rounded up her charges and said, "Okay, you guys, let's get settled in and
relaxed, and then we'll figure out what's going on.  Oh, and Shinji and
Asuka, may I remind you about a little thing called military protocol?  As
in: no holding hands while in *uniform*?!?!?!"
    Asuka shook her head in dismay while Shinji snarled, "Okay, then I'll
just have to forget about that little incident with Major Hamayata last
week, right?"
    Misato eeped.  "Yo-you know about that?"
    Shinji gave her a nasty grin.  "Misato, I consider you like family, so
I'm not going to discuss details.  Especially the part about your secondary
scar from the Second Impact.  You know, the smaller one down by your--"
    "You wouldn't dare," she commented, in a tone that was half-warning,
half-shock.
    Asuka smirked.  "Misato, I think that we pilots would like some time to
relax and look around the base before we get settled in.  Please be a dear
guardian and let us?"
    The older woman wasn't expecting the change in tone.  "Er, Why?"
    "Because you think dearly of me and Shinji-kun, and you think well of
Toji and Rei, too."  Her tones clipped back to catty as she added, "And
because I think you'd rather that I didn't tell, oh, say, Kaji about a
certain dream you had the other night?"
    Misato's eyes bugged so wide at those words, Toji swore that she almost
looked like an anime character.  Feeling sick to her stomach, she moaned, "I
guess we...could use the downtime.  I'll contact LT Chapel and ask her to
reschedule the meeting for later."
    In a saccharine-sweet voice, Asuka said, "Thanks, Misato!" while Shinji
had the same self-satisfied smirk on his face that seemed to say, "You're
the greatest, Misato!"  The NERV officer merely looked at them with an ashen
glance before wandering off, muttering, "I really could use a beer right
now...."
    As she walked off, Toji looked at the pair, who merely gave each other
knowing looks of satisfaction.  "I'd really like to know how you two know
about things like that.  It might come in handy someday."
    Asuka smiled cattily.  "It's called being a total bitch, Suzuhara.  You
should try it sometime."
    Toji turned to the male half of the Dastardly Duo.  "Okay, then, so
what's your excuse?"
    In a disaffected tone, Shinji yawned a sort of answer: "I dunno.  Being
an alpha male or something like that?"
    "What?  I don't get it."
    "We thought so."  Patting his friend on the back, Shinji said, "Well,
shall we go enjoy our time off?"


    Raven turned the corner and counted to ten before cutting loose with her
tongue.  Frankly, it was the longest the girl was known to have kept her
temper.  *"WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?!?!?!?!"*
    Kendra gave Raven a helpless shrug.  "That's what I'd like to know."
    Carter gave her a wolfish grin.  "Maybe the Japanese cloned a new and
improved model.  Notice how nice, quiet and unassuming she was?"
    Raven responded to that flattering bit of information by turning and
flipping off her teammate.  "Sit and spin, cheese dick!"
    "Guys, knock it off," Kendra warned.  She was already still spinning
from the sudden appearance of another Raven.  This was only adding fuel to
the fire.
    Of course, her pleas went unnoticed by the two combatants.  "Go to hell,
Raven!" he snarled.
    Raven's fists balled in anger.  "You'd better check your six, pretty
boy, or I swear that I'll--"
    *"OR ELSE YOU'LL DO WHAT, RAVEN?!?!?!"*  Carter, unable to hold in his
anger, exploded with a fury that no one had ever seen in him before.
Getting right up to her face, he roared, *"WHAT, YOU'LL GET ME KILLED TOO,
JUST LIKE WENDY?  GOOD FUCKING GOING THAT'LL BE, YOU GODDAMN SCREWUP!!!!!
MAYBE THAT'S WHY THE JAPANESE ARE BUILDING BETTER YOUS!!!!!  SO WE CAN GET A
COPY THAT'S NOT SOME MENTALLY DERANGED LOOSE CANNON!!!"*
     *"I AM NOT A CLONE, YOU FUCKHEAD!!!!!!  IT HAS GOT TO BE A
COINCIDENCE!!!!!!!"*  Raven instinctively drew back to punch him; it was a
tactic that usually worked with other guys, and Carter here was no
different.  What stopped her were his words, as they sank in.  ((My God...is
that what they think of me?))  If she could have seen herself in a mirror,
she would have noticed that she went completely ashen, and between her
blanched face, pale blue hair and red eyes, she appeared very much like an
albino.  As though not even under her control, her hands dropped limply to
the side for a second before she whispered in a shaky voice, "No...that's
not true...that's not true and you know it!"  For reasons she couldn't
explain, she found herself covering her ears, trying to block out the hated
words that she feared were the ring of truth.  "Leave me alone!" she cried,
not realizing the irony in saying the words that he'd said to her last
night.
    *"KNOCK IT OFF, ENSIGNS!!!!!"* Kendra screamed at the top of her lungs,
trying to get some semblance of calm.  *"THAT'S A DIRECT ORDER, YOU
TWO!!!!!"*  Unfortunately, her attempt to restore military discipline was
failing, and badly.  ((Gods, the *last* thing I need is for base security to
show up and toss these two in the brig, but I'm tempted to toss them in
there, myself!))
    Unaware of Kendra's thoughts, Carter continued to bear his soul.
*"BULLSHIT!!!!!  I'VE HELD MY TONGUE LONG ENOUGH, RAVEN!!!!  I'M SO SICK OF
YOUR FUCKING ANTICS!!!  I'M SICK OF YOU PICKING ON WENDY BEFORE SHE DIED,
AND ME!!!!!  I'M SICK OF HEARING HOW HOT SHIT YOU THINK YOU ARE!!!!  I'VE
HAD IT UP TO HERE AND I'M NOT GOING TO PUT UP WITH IT ONE MORE FUCKING
MOMENT!!!!  I WISH YOU WOULD JUST GO TO HELL AND STAY THERE!!!!!!"*
    Something beyond the edge of control snapped within Raven, and as her
eyes became twin daggers of pain and rage.  *"I.  SAID.  LEAVE.  ME.
ALONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"* she finally bellowed with the voice of a woman at her
edge, cocking her fist back to beat the hell out of Carter, and to hell with
what base security did to her.  She was fast enough that neither Carter nor
Kendra would be able to stop her at least for the first volley of punches,
and for her, that would be more than enough.


    "please, do not punch him," a nearly whispered, very soft voice said in
accented, halting English.  The three turned around to see one of the
Japanese pilots staring at them; specifically the one that looked like
Raven--what was her name?  Ah, yes--Rei Ayakawa or something like that.
    Raven turned to face the apparent doppelganger.  "Just what is it to you
if I spill his guts all over the deck, huh?"
    "i would rather you didn't," Rei responded.  "i don't like red."  She
said in such a plain-matter-of-fact tone, that all the rage drained out of
Raven as complete confusion dawned on her features.
    "Oh, so you don't like blood, huh?" Raven snarled.  "Then why the hell
are you an EVA jo--"  The girl's train of thought was instantly halted as
the two made eye contact.  Red eyes met red eyes, identical faces framed in
same-hued hair, as though a fractured image of Gemini had been brought into
the third dimension.  Rei was the first to break eye contact, and Raven's
fists fell to her side, as though useless and spent without even performing
the task they were summoned for.
    Seeing her job was done, she murmured a "thank you," then walked down
the hall, as though nothing had happened.
    The three watched the girl walk down the hall, eventually turning a
corner and disappearing from sight.  When she was gone, Kendra, no longer
livid but now completely lost, said, "I hate to say it, you two, but that
girl is creepy."  Turning to look at Raven, she noted the girl herself was
beginning to shake, as though suddenly struck by palsy.
    Carter noticed it, too.  Putting aside his hatred of her for the concern
of a teammate, he asked, "Hey, Ayers, you okay?"
    Raven never answered, as she was too busy trying to control herself from
what she saw in the other's eyes.  ((I saw death in her eyes.  Countless
deaths.  All of them hers.

    ((All of them, mine.))

<(*)>

    A couple hours later the meeting was held, sans the pilots.  In light of
Asuka's personal desire for them to be left alone for the rest of the day,
Misato contacted Kendra and suggested the change.  Kendra, still embarrassed
about the aftermath of Raven's outright warfare in the halls and the sudden
halting of it by the Japanese ghost girl (as Raven was naming her), was only
too quick to agree.  Kendra made a few more calls to various other officers
involved, rescheduling for the next day.
    The pair met in the O-Club's coffee shop, both having deemed it still a
bit too early to drink.  This decision lasted all of two seconds, and
eventually the two found themselves in the O-Club's wet bar, downing
Mooseheads by the dozens.  Much more warmed up, they chatted about many
things and got to know one another, both palpably shying away from the
Rei/Raven issue.  They did discuss the other pilots though, and how they
would integrate the two pilot groups.
    Leaning over her twelfth beer (having settled on twelve as a nice,
reasonable number after she passed the twenties), Kendra slurred, "So...ya
zink we shud haf tha tu gruups of pi-pi...jockeys sit down amongst
themselves?"
    Misato dizzily nodded.  "Haaaiiiiiiiiiii!" she said, her voice slurred.
    "Hi t' yu to," Karen replied.  "Soooooooooooo...we star' t'mrrow?"
    Misato nodded, unsure of how to answer that.  In turn, Kendra bobbed her
head vigorously in a reasonable attempt at a nod, but instead ended up
banging her head on the table, knocking herself out.
    Misato gave the unconscious American a wide, stupid grin and mumbled, "I
think this 's gunna be th' start ov a bea...beau...great friendship."  No
further philosophical points to add, she passed out as well in an
alcohol-induced sign of solidarity.

<(*)>

JASDF Airbase New Atsugi, Japan
Runway 7

    The officer, resplendent in her class "C" uniform, gave Ritsuko a sharp
military salute.  "Reporting as ordered, Major Akagi."  She then slipped
into parade rest, her seabag standing also at military height.
    Looking at the briefing sheet, Ritsuko said, "Dr. Akagi is fine--I
rarely use my rank."  Ritsuko tore her eyes away from the file, and looked
at the American pilot.  Despite having spent all those hours in transit,
you'd never know just by looking at the military bearing the girl, a US
Marine, had.  ((To paraphrase Misato,)) Ritsuko thought, ((the girl looks
like a poster child for Heavy Armament.))  Despite having a slight build no
bulkier than say, Asuka, the girl's eyes had the look of a calculating
beast--the very look, the scientist noted, that American Marines were known
all over the world for.
    Ritsuko had to admit, the US branch of NERV was a lot more prepared for
war than the Japanese branch was...if only because it was run by the US
military, vice the private organization that Japan's NERV was.  If it
weren't for the fact that Tokyo-3 saw a hell of a lot more action than any
of the other places in the world, they simply wouldn't have the level of
readiness that the Geofront currently enjoyed...if enjoyed would be such a
term to be used in the situation.
    "Well," Ritsuko said, looking at the girl's single gold bars on her
uniform and trying to remember the rank, "Lieutenant, you'll be
participating in synchronized tests with our own candidate.  If you succeed,
you will become the new pilot for Unit 03, once we make the repairs to it.
If not, our pilot will take over, and you will likely be assigned to support
and intelligence, where your secondary specialty lies, okay?"
    The Marine slipped from parade rest into attention.  "Yes, Doctor."  She
slipped right back into parade attention, and Ritsuko stifled a groan.
    ((Great.  I'm stuck with this one until Misato gets back.  Oh well....))
"Okay, then, Lieutenant, you've been issued an apartment on this address.
You'll be living next door to the other pilot, so it might behoove you to
get to know each other."  Ritsuko handed the girl a slip of paper, then
waved her hand to signal a few JASDF airmen to escort the Marine.  "Report
for duty at eight, okay?"
    "Aye-aye, ma'am!"  Another salute was thrown in the direction of
Ritsuko, and the Marine, escorted by the two airmen, went off towards the
nearest car.
    Ritsuko watched them as they left.  Why do I get stuck with the weirdoes
in this world? she asked herself, before realizing it was a gauntlet of
sorts.  If things worked out the way Gendo had planned, there would be a
grand change in the way the world worked, and the name of Major Akagi
Ritsuko, MD & PhD, NERV Science Division, would be at the forefront.

<(*)>

RCAF Cotter's Pond, BC, Canada
Visiting Officers' Quarters, Suite 208

    Asuka stepped out of the shower, heading towards the bed that she and
Shinji shared, grabbing only a towel to wrap around herself.  She didn't
bother to throw on clothing or anything of the sort.  It didn't matter
anymore, after all; he'd seen inside the deepest depths of her mind already,
so what good was modesty going to do?  Besides, maybe tonight, she began her
thoughts.
    Without looking up from reading a book from where he lay on top of the
bed, Shinji said, "I thought we wanted to hold off on that, Asuka."
    ((I was just teasing you, Shinji-kun,)) she thought, continuing to test
out their newest skill.  ((Besides, I always thought that if I did something
like that, I would do it with the man I love.))
    ((And what am I?  Day-old sashimi?))  It was the closest he'd come to
asking if she did.
    She only thought it would be fair to give him an appropriate response.
Moving to his side, she took the book out of his hands, leaned against him
and kissed him with all the passion she could give that was hers to give.
As she breathlessly broke away, she sighed, "Everything for you, Shinji-kun.
Everything for you."  As if by some silent cue, she slipped away the towel,
letting him see her as she was.  Exposed to him in a way she'd never offered
him before, until now.
    "Asuka," Shinji said, averting his eyes from roaming over her perfect
body and concentrating on her face.  "I--"
    "I love you too, Shinji," she said, a lump in her throat.  "But I'm
scared."
    "I know."
    "I'm so afraid that I'll be left alone when all of this is over.  That
something, or millions of something, will happen.  What if they find a cure
for what happened to us?"
    "Then I won't take it," he insisted with firmness.  "I don't want
anything that'll separate us, Asuka.  I don't want to be alone anymore.  I
don't want *you* to be alone anymore."  Kissing her tenderly, she could feel
her feelings reciprocated as well as the willpower it took to keep certain
other feelings under control.  "Asuka, you have no idea how hard it is to
fight this," he admitted.
    "Then don't.  Shinji, if you want me, I'm yours," she said in a soft
voice.  "I'm always yours."
    "Not until this is over," he said, with some difficulty.  "But when this
war is over, then we'll see."
    She could see that he was fighting it for both of their sakes, not only
because of their duties, but also because it just wasn't the time for it.
She swelled at pride at the boy she loved, and knew that if he could control
his longings, so could she.  But with that, there was a new fear in the back
of her mind, one she tamped down immediately.  "If we're going to wait that
long, then we can wait until I'm Ikari Asuka."  She said that so
matter-of-factly that both giggled at the prospect.  Here they were,
discussing their whole life in five minutes.  And to top it all off, she
said, "And we're naming our son Heinrich.  We can name the girl after your
mother."  Leaning closer to him, so close he could practically taste her
breath, she whispered, "Shinji, I don't know if I can fight it much longer.
Being here...in your arms...."  Unconsciously, neither of them was realizing
that she was already unbuttoning his shirt, her control slipping.


    Fortunately, there was a knock at the door, and an unfamiliar voice
called out in English, "Hey, Ikari!  You in there?"
    That snapped the two out of their reverie.  "Um, yeah," he answered in
the same language, having learned it from Asuka's years of living in
Milwaukee.  "Just a minute!"  The pair gave each other a rushed, passionate
kiss, then Asuka grabbed the towel, making sure she displayed what he'd just
fought so hard to give up...and conversely, protect.  Giving him a loving
look, she went back into the bathroom.
    The male half of them went to the door and opened it to find the
American (what was his name again?) and Toji standing there, both dressed in
civvies and looking rather casual; while Toji was wearing his usual jogging
gear, the other boy wore a crew-neck jersey and faded jeans.  Running his
fingers through his long gray hair, he said, "Hey, man, Toji and I were
going to head over to the base movie theatre and wanted to know if you
wanted to go.  You know, that 'getting to know each other' stuff we gotta
do."
    "Just getting out of your uniform, Shinji?" Toji asked.
    "Um, yeah.  Been reading a book for the past couple of hours, just
trying to kill the time." he responded.
    "Funny, I thought you and Asuka would have found a more...intense...way
to fill the time," Toji joked.  Shinji shot him a murderous look, and Carter
merely chuckled at that.  "So, you coming, Shinji?"
    "Um, sure.  Hold on a sec."  ((Asuka?))
    ((Sure,)) she responded to him.  ((It'll...be a good idea to test how
far we can be from each other.))  There was a tinge of sorrow to her voice
somehow, but Shinji wasn't going to pry.  What little privacy they had left
they were entitled to, and she might just want some right now--the sorrow
just might have been hormones he misread.
    Within a couple of minutes, Shinji had slipped into a polo and slacks
and the three of them went off to go learn about each other in the spirit of
international goodwill.


    A few minutes later and curled into a ball, Asuka cried on the bed,
unable to hold her fears outside of her body, if she could hold it in the
private parts of her mind.  She was shivering, not from cold but from
something even more elemental to the human condition: she was terrified.
And that terror had a name: Shinji, but a better name for it might be
Asuka's itself.
    ((Shinji, how can you be so brave?)) she ruminated, holding onto one of
his shirts for comfort.  ((I don't want to be alone.  I just want you to be
with me forever.  What am I going to do when you leave me?  What am I going
to do?))  Never once did she even believe that he would be around forever.
He said he would, and she believed that, but then her parents told her the
same thing.  So did his.  The truth was, there was no such thing as forever.
Nothing, that is, save for the fear in her heart.
    ((I hate what I've become.))  Not the bond with Shinji; that was so much
a part of her life now that she constantly wondered how she could have lived
without it until that day.  Rather, it was more the emotions that came with
it.  Part of her personality had slipped into Shinji and he was no longer
the passive male that he used to be.  But the bond went both ways, and the
passiveness that was part of Shinji's old persona, now was a part of hers,
and gradually becoming more dominant.  They were slowly becoming what the
other was, and if it wasn't for the fact that they'd fallen in love, she
knew that he would have left.  After all, she knew that if things hadn't
happened the way they did, she never would have stuck with such a person as
he'd been.
    There was a knock at the door.  She wanted to say "Go away," or just to
ignore it and pretend that she was sleeping.  But she didn't--the person was
company, a lifeline.  Taking a second to slip on underwear, a T-shirt, and
shorts, she went to the door, wiping her tears away and trying to bring up a
pleasant smile, or at least an easily faked one.
    Standing on the other side of the door, was Rei, of all people.
"sohryu," she said in her monotone.  "i need to ask you something."
    ((Why are you here, Wonder Girl?)) she asked herself.  But, company was
company, so....  "Um, sure.  C'mon in.  Shinji's not here.  He went out with
the guys.  Would you care for something to drink?"  ((Don't ask for
40-weight, 'cause I'm fresh out, robogirl!))
    "water, please."  She sat down on one of the chairs, and as Asuka came
back from the kitchen, she began to speak.  "i need to talk to someone.
about what happened today."  There was an almost human look in the Wonder
Girl's eyes, Asuka noted.  "that american girl...ayers.  she looked just
like me.  when i looked into her eyes, i realized she *was* me."
    The fact that Rei stressed that last part somewhat bothered Asuka.  It
just wasn't like the Wonder Girl to show emotion.  It was like she wasn't
capable of it, and that any attempt to do so violated the natural order of
things.  "C'mon, Ayanami, you're just freaking out.  You're acting like
you're..."  Asuka thought about her statement for a second, and wondered who
it applied to.  "...afraid?"
    Rei looked at Asuka dispassionately, then said, "i don't know."
    "Look, Ayanami...Rei...what is it about her that freaks you out?  She
seemed, I dunno, kinda cool."
    "i saw death in her eyes.  i saw red.   a thousand versions of me, all
dying in a sea of flame."  Things were getting really weird, now.  Rei was
sounding poetic, the puppet daring to be human.  "is there something wrong
with me?"
    "Maybe you need to relax, Rei.  Whatever it is you do to relax." Asuka
sighed inwardly.  She didn't need this, while she was trying to deal with
her own problems.  She was afraid herself--what could she do for Rei?
    ((Maybe the best way to deal with your fear is to deal with hers,)) she
realized.  Acting on spontaneity, Asuka went up and hugged the albino,
saying, "Don't worry, Rei.  Your friends are here for you."  ((Did I mean
what I just said?)) she wondered before realizing, yes.  She was at a
pointing her life where she couldn't afford to push away anyone anymore, and
she found that she no longer wanted to.  An eternity ago, she would have
probably taken on the world single-handed, with no regrets; Asuka couldn't
dream of doing such a thing now.
    "friends?" Rei asked, as though she'd never heard the term before.  "i
feel so odd...so warm."
    Asuka loosed the embrace and said, "That's friendship for you.  I know I
tease you a lot, Wonder Girl, but...ah, nevermind.  Let's just say that
you're a friend."  Rei, unsure of what was transpiring, merely nodded.
Asuka, in the meanwhile, had another brainstorm and said, "Hey, I'm tired of
sitting around here.  Wanna go out for a bit?"
    "where?"
    "I dunno.  The mall, maybe?  Or possibly a movie.  I wish Hikari were
here--she'd have some ideas."  Reaching for her shoes, she said, "But
anything's gotta be better 'n sitting around here, right?"  Opening up her
mind, she called out to Shinji, and said, ((Shinji-kun, I'm gonna go out
with Rei for a while, okay?))
    It took a while, likely due to distance, but there was a response.
((Wonder Girl?  Why her?))
    ((Because she needs someone to show her how to be normal, I guess.))
She heard Shinji mentally chuckle and she said, ((Seriously.  Besides, I
don't want to sit around all day.))
    ((Okay.  I'll see you later then, Asuka-chan.))
    ((Bai, Shinji-kun.))  Returning to some normal semblance of thought, she
looked at Rei, gave her a smile, and said, "Let's go hit the mall and get
you some new clothing, Rei."
    "is something wrong with what i am wearing?  i did not notice...."
    "Rei, lesson number one: you can't wear nothing but NERV and school
uniforms all your life.  You have to relax sometime.  Now c'mon.  We're
going out, and when I'm done with you, you'll be a new person!"
    "i don't need to be a new person.  i am fine with my current body."
    "That was a figure of speech, Wonder Girl."
    "oh."

<(*)>

    Meanwhile, three floors above....
    The blast ripped through the demon, and she moved forward, over the lava
pits.  Stalking through the labyrinthine features of the sunken ruins, she
hefted her NUK-666 Plasma Rifle, heading towards the exit.  While there was
about six nightstalkers guarding the gates to the next circle of hell, she
had her rifle at full power and her armor was at full stren--

AUTO PAUSE.  YOU HAVE A CONTACT ON THE PHONE LINE.

    Raven ripped off the VR headgear, muttering, "Oh, Goddamn it.  Just when
I was finally about to beat that level, too...."  Setting the headset and
taking off the tactile gloves, she reached for the phone.  "ENS Ayers."
    The phone line sounded a bit blurry, as though it was being monitored.
<<Hey, hothead, is that you?>>
    Raven smiled.  "Hey, stupid!  Was wondering when you were gonna call."
    <<Relax, I just found out you got deployed.  I told you I was going to
call as soon as I landed here; I just didn't expect you to guys to be road
trippin'.>>
    "Yeah, we got possible DEFCON up here, so we had to come up and save
some Can-Can asses.  So, how's Japan?"
    <<Fine, I guess.  Haven't had a chance to look around yet.>> There was a
pause on the line for a second, then: <<Is it really true about what they
were saying about you, Rave?  That you got tossed in the Brig because Wendy
got killed?>>
    "How...how'd you find out about that?"
    <<I got pulled off F-23 sim duty and assigned Candidate Pilot Status.
That only happens when one of you is...you know.  While in the air, the doc
aboard had to do some DNA tests on me to prep some of the wetware files for
Unit 03.  As for the brig part, chalk that up to scuttlebutt.>>  The voice
on the other end was silent for a couple before saying, <<Look, Raven, if
you need to talk to someone about it, you 'n' I've been best friends all our
lives.   Got your six.>>
    Raven's eyes darkened with sorrow.  "Thanks, but I don't want to talk
about it.  I...."
    <<Say no more, Rave.  I understand.  I just can't believe the Mouse is
gone, that's all.  I always thought if any one of us was going to survive,
it would be her, an' only because she was too quiet to get noticed.>>
    "Well, she got noticed and that was my fault."
    <<Well, as soon as I get back to Josh, I'll hafta put some flowers on
her grave or something.>>  Raven twitched on her end as she heard that;
there was no way that her friend could know that there wasn't enough left of
Wendy to *have* a grave.  There was a gravestone at Tahoe Bay Military
Cemetery, but there was nothing in it.  <<Look, I gotta get some sleep,
'cause I supposed to meet with the head honchos here tomorrow.  But call me,
okay?>>
    Raven wrote down the phone number and said, "Cool.  Watch your back, you
twisted twit."
    <<You watch yours, you psycho, you,>> the voice said with a chuckle.
"Hope to see you soon."  The line disconnected, leaving Raven to hold the
receiver.  Setting it back down in the cradle, she went back to the VG
terminal and plugged right back into the game.  In that virtual world, she
stared at the two demons, her lone block to getting to the next level.
    Life was like that too much, sometimes.  Too much preventing her from
reaching what she wanted, and she wasn't even sure what it was she wanted.
A question came to her-((Who'll be the next one to pay for your
mistakes?))--and just as quickly, the answer came to her.  She smiled and
turned the rifle to her head, pulling the trigger.

FINAL LIFE EXTINGUISHED.  GAME OVER.

    Taking the gear off once more, she mused: ((It's only a game.))   She
went over to the table and got her MiniDVD player, opting for that instead;
at least that decision wasn't going to cause more chaos.

<(*)>

3-22-4 Kasumigaseki-cho, Tokyo-3, Japan
Apartment 2D

    In her room, the Marine put the phone down on the cradle.  ((Something
must really be wrong with Raven, she thought.  She's usually not that
withdrawn.))  Well, there was nothing she could do on this end for her
friend.  ((Better to concentrate on your situation now, and figure out
what's next.))
    She looked around her apartment, given to her by NERV and wondered how
such a militia could have such power.  NERV apparently issued rooms as
standard gear for any personnel under its umbrella, and as long as she was
on TEMADD orders here, that meant her, too.  Since she really hadn't
decorated or anything yet, she decided to look around.  The apartment had
the basic amenities, but not much more than that; if she wanted to
personalize, that would be her problem.  The apartment was nothing but a
barren white, in a sense, just like her.
    It was little wonder why she and Raven got along so well.  They were, to
a degree, two sides of the same coin.  Neither of them could remember their
pasts, and although Raven had been adopted by Pamela Ayers, she hadn't been
so lucky to have parents of her own.  Still, she survived; and God Bless the
Marines for choosing to sponsor her as their entry for the Special
Candidates Project.  Raven might be her best friend, but it was the Corps
that was her family now.
    During this train of thought, she ended up standing over by the mirror
in the bathroom.  Looking at her reflection, she smiled at it, approving of
her looks.  Her hair was a barely controllable mop, the way she preferred
it, just within regulations; her brown eyes tired but still holding some of
the twinkle of life and did well to hide the truth underneath.  Her uniform,
pressed and starched to the point that it looked like it was made of nothing
but hard angles, gave the appearance of a sharp Marine's Marine.


    The doorbell sounded, and she went over to answer it.  Standing there
was another of those NERV types.  A girl, about the same age as herself, her
Asian face framed by expressive brown eyes and somewhat long brown hair.
Her cheeks, lightly dusted with a spray of freckles, gave her an appearance
that made her seem like a modern-day Pollyana...whatever the hell that
meant.  She was dressed in gray, which meant she was part of the pilot's
corps.  Bowing slightly, the girl smiled once and rattled off a few quick
phrases that she had *no* idea what the other'd just said.
    "Um, I'm...sorry, but I don't speak Japanese."
    The NERV pilot looked at her for a second and finally said in shaky
English, "You not speak Japanese?"
    "Not a single bit.  Only words I know are Sony and Mitsubishi," she
answered.
    "Aaa...so da yo.  I speak little English," the other replied.  "Very
nice meet you.  My name...Hikari.  Hikari Horaki, Second Lt., NERV Branch-1.
I am Fifth Child."  She bowed again, nodding her head in a polite manner and
asked, "Who are you?"
    "Um...Second Lt. Marianne Kirishima, but you can just call me Mana.
Everyone does."
    "Mana?  That short name for Marianne?"
    Mana chuckled.  "Well, in my case it was.  When I was a kid, I had a
hard time pronouncing my first name, for some reason.  I kept flubbing it
and saying, 'Mana'.  Eventually, it stuck, but hey, we all can't be Marys or
Annes or what have you."  Running her hand through her hair, she asked, "So,
you're the competing Candidate pilot for Unit 03?"


    Hikari was only sure of half of what the other girl was saying.
Although, she did find it odd that a Japanese girl didn't speak a single
word of it.  Then again, she was born in America, so who knows?  ((They all
can't be like that Sohryu girl.))
    Mana muttered something that Hikari vaguely caught as, "Can you show me
around town?"  Hikari promised herself to work on her English, all while
agreeing to show Mana around.  Even though they appeared to be rivals for
the slot of Unit 03, there was no reason that they couldn't be friends,
right?  She felt that she could really use one--she thought that she would
have made one with Asuka, but she turned out to really want nothing more
than to spend most of her time with her boyfriend, Shinji.  The other girls
in the class weren't that interesting, and if Mana was a typical Amerikajin,
Hikari's spare time would be a lot more interesting.

<(*)>

Von Weisstrausse Casern, Berlin, Germany
SEELE/NERV-3 Conference Room 2

    Ikari Gendo read over the briefing that his personnel provided him
regarding the growing situation up in Canada.  His personal thought was that
the whole operation was a total waste, but the truth of it was that a lot of
NERV's funding depended on controlling the situation before it started.  And
with the recent failure of NERV Intelligence to predict the attack on Los
Angeles-2 from a previously unknown Angel, things were not looking good.
    For starters, the French Parliament was calling for the NATO nations to
break off ties from NERV and start their own operations, based on
contingents of Lancelot and TCM mecha.  A pipe dream, to be sure, but the
French were a noisy group when they wanted to be and noise tends to have the
effect of getting noticed, regardless of the intent.  Gendo liked things to
be in control, right where he wanted them.  After all, he and his partner,
if they succeeded, stood to gain a very big part of the pie.  A very large
slice, indeed.


    It was when he began to read through the personnel rosters that his
attention was sparked.  Ayanami was in close proximity to Raven Ayers.  That
was by no mean a good idea, and something would have to be done about it.
Damn that sentimental bitch Ayers.  He should have followed up on it when
she said disposed of the dummy plug, but he believed her and this was the
result.  Well, he wouldn't make a second mistake like that again.
    Picking up a nearby phone, he dialed a series of numbers and spoke
tersely into it: "Agent Garuda, this is Commander Ikari.  I have a slight
issue that I need attending...Yes, that's correct.  I need it attended at
the operation in Canada...Compensation will be dealt with accordingly.  We
will forward the information to you upon arrival."  He hung up without
pretense; with a man like that, such pleasantries were wasted on him,
anyway.
    Sitting in the darkened room, he almost felt an emotional response for
his creation: the third Rei clone was almost a daughter to him, in a
detached sense; but at least the fourth clone wouldn't be able to be tainted
by the one called Raven, possibly the most dangerous person at the moment,
and a clear impediment to all of his plans.

<(*)>

NERV Branch-1, Geofront, Tokyo-3, Japan
Intelligence Center

    Kaji looked at the information, his jaw practically dropping.  "I...I
don't believe this!  I just don't believe this!"  His mind became a morass
of conflicting emotions and priorities.  Should he take this information to
SEELE, or the JSS?  Maybe he should pass this information to colleagues at
the CIA, NSA, MI6?  If even half of the information here in the terminal was
accurate, the world was in deep, dark defecate.
    He sat there for a few more minutes, collecting his thoughts.  Should he
fail, there would be no backup.  SEELE had invested in quite a bit finding
an agent who was willing to bend in more than one direction.  Ironic, in a
sense, that the one to do so would be from the Japan Security Service, and
not one of the other spook farms all over the world. ((But then,)) he
reasoned, ((they were probably counting on my connections with Misato and
Ritsuko.))  For a second, he almost felt bad for his one-time lover and his
friend; they probably had no idea what they were getting into.  But this
wasn't a business where you would last long if you did--unless you were one
of those calling the shots.
    The next step, then, was logical: find out who was behind hiding the
truth about Adam, and see where the wires connected, straight through to the
inevitable links that were tied to Ikari's hands.  Likely, they were tied in
some manner to SEELE as well, but Kaji wasn't paid to look both ways while
crossing the street.
    Shutting down the computer, he headed back to his apartment.  There was
a lot to think about, and many decisions to make.  And all of them could be
disastrous.

<(*)>

NAVSTA Joshua Tree, Los Angeles-2, NV, US
Joint Intelligence Center, Pacific

    "Skipper?" Lt. Col Sumner sat down next to Ayers at the main table,
where she was reading over briefs.  As seemed to be traditional for navy
captains, she had a mug of coffee in front of her, the size of which could
easily give a carrier a run for its money.  She looked burnt out, and
characteristically for her, she was working on her off-time, evident by
sitting in the top secret area in her civvies.
    "Oh, hi Pat.  Just reading over the OPLAN for the operation up north.
Both teams are in position, and should be reviewing the main plans.
Canadian forces will be providing air support, but it'll be up to the EVAs
to ensure that nothing gets close to McClannehey.  Tomorrow, they should be
deploying from Cotter's Pond to their main site."
    "That's nice," he said, in an uninterested tone.  "Look,
Captain...Pam...we've worked together for quite a while, and I've known you
since our high school days.  That also means I've known you long enough to
know you don't sit down in JICPAC casually reading the operations plans
because you're bored."
    "Well, nice to know I'm so transparent," she sighed, setting down the
report momentarily and taking a sip of her coffee.  "That'll be a nice
bullet for my next FITREP.  I can see it now: 'CAPT Ayers' methodologies are
innate to her officers and crew, so much so that even Army officers can
understand them.'"  She chuckled.  "Bet that'll make Admiral Ramirez real
happy."
    The Army officer grinned.  "Well, that's the problem with you Navy
types.  You're *way* too confusing for the real military."  However, his
tone softened and he commented, "Look, I know you're worried about your
daughter, Pam.  You don't have to hide it."
    "I know, but personal feelings don't go too well with the uniform.
After the things that have happened to her in the past 48 hours, I wonder
how she's still able to look me straight in the eye.  Sometimes, I think
she's too much like her real parents, whomever they were."
    "Look, I've never meant to pry about that, but as I recall, you and Ken
didn't have any children when he died down on DEEP FREEZE.  What made you
decide to adopt that kid?"
    "Two reasons: one, I was lonely.  Ken was the only good thing in my life
other than anything that came in haze gray.  When I first saw Raven...trust
me, she's nothing like she was back then."  She then stared at him straight
and said, "The other reason was that I did it to save her from her guardian.
That'd be Gendo Ikari, the head of NERV 1 in Japan--"
    Sumner whistled in amazement.  "Don't know him, but I know his
reputation.  Creepy bastard."
    "He's worse in person than his rep.  Well, I can't prove it, but I think
that she's related to him, somehow.  But that's not the point.  To him, she
was nothing more than an experiment for the wetware suites.  When he was
done, he wanted me to 'dispose of the dummy plug wetware', to use his
words."
    "You're joking."
    "Not in the least, Pat.  The only reason he can get away with what he
does get away with is, well, we're at war.  Even still, he's got two other
kids that he uses as his personal toys."  Pulling two pictures out of the
briefing, he said, "These are two other kids who are under his control.
One's Shinji, his son, and an EVA pilot.  That'd be bad enough, but look at
the other one--Rei Ayanami."
    "Well, other than the fact that she looks either bored out of her skull
or dead in this picture, she's a near-dead ringer for Raven."
    "Exactly.  But I can't find any proof that they're related or anything.
In fact, I can't find anything on this Ayanami person, either; and I have
minimal past data on Raven."  Ayers stretched, then continued.  "Raven
doesn't remember anything about her past, and a lot of times I don't think
she even wants to.  But underneath her punky exterior is a girl afraid of
something, and she's not telling me about it."
    "Maybe she knows something about this Ayanami character that you don't,"
Sumner suggested.
    "Not likely.  If she did, she would have told Mana...er, Lt. Kirishima;
and Mana, with those Marine sensibilities of hers would have deemed it
important enough to tell me.  No, I think this may just be something that
she has no idea about.  Nonetheless, I'm going to keep a sharp eye on
things.  Whatever she may have been to him, Ikari gave up custody on that
girl when he began to treat her like a piece of meat.  If he thinks he's
getting *his* meathooks on *my* child again," she snarled, "that bastard has
never faced the business end of an AMHA before.  And I will gladly be the
one to shove it up his ass."


Next:
Part Five
Swarm

Author's Notes:

ETB 4's Military Glossary can be located at:
http://calicatcafe.megami.net/The-Bond/ETB-G4.htm

As you've already realized, I'm taking EVA and going my own direction with
it.  Lately, I've gotten a ton of rather...odd...mail asking me why I'm not
following standard EVA canon.  To those, I answer: maybe because this isn't
a standard EVA fic?  I think the first chapter alone would have clued that
in.  And just for that, I'm going to go even in a more bizarre direction
now, so there! ^_^  Fasten your seatbelts and enjoy the ride.

Some of you may have noticed varied differences in the way that NERV and DOD
talk about EVA-related materials, such as pilot plug vs. spinal cockpit,
plug suit vs. biosuit, Children vs. Pilot Candidates.  There's a reason for
that, and it has to do with the fact that different nations have different
ways of referring to things.  For example, an OPS room aboard an Australian
warship is the CIC on a US warship; a Brigadier General in the US Army may
just simply be a Brigadier in another army.

The events described in Yui's Diary are from the upcoming ETB sidestory
Equinox, which will be written as soon as I can get around to it, or find a
willing victim, er...writer willing to do it.  ^_^;;;

For those of you who keep track of the RCAF, neither RCAF Cotter's Pond nor
McClannehey Proving Grounds exist.  I couldn't find actual Canadian military
facilities that met my needs, so just like the fictional NAVSTA Joshua Tree,
I made it up.  If there's anyone in Canada who could/would like to input
some other information (especially those in the Canadian Defence Forces),
I'm all ears.

Kudos to you if you can guess the meaning behind Raven's shirt. ^_-
Neon Genesis Evangelion:
The Bond

By Rob Barba
Series initiated by James Lee
Neon Genesis Evangelion is copyright Gainax and ADV

Part Four:
Communion

Dear Diary,
    I'm home, now, finally.  Kamisama, I was so afraid that they were going
to kill me.  Fu-chan's still in the hospital, and the doctors don't know if
she'll be able to walk again, unless she gets those new cyborg legs.
Tomorrow I'll have to attend the funeral of several of my friends who were
killed in the blast.  Then, as soon as that's over, I have to talk to the
lawyers about preparing for the upcoming trial.  I'm afraid to do this.  I'm
afraid to face Lorenz again.
    I know that I wouldn't even be alive if it wasn't for Aunt Rei.  I never
knew that she could be like how I saw her when she came in.  Dressed in
cammies, holding her AT beam rifle and flanked by both Colonel Suzuhara
Hikari and Aunt Rei's entire team of EVAs, she came in on foot and demanded
that the Equinox group release me or she'd raze the entire compound, then
start hunting everything that was dear to them...which what I figure, wasn't
much.  To prove her point, she shot and killed the two guards holding me,
without even so much as blinking, then trained her gun on Lorenz, Dr, Akagi,
and that man who...ugh, I still shiver when I think about it.  I was afraid
that I was going to die, but at the same time, I couldn't stop my pride at
the fact that Aunt Rei was willing to throw away her career and all to save
me.  She hijacked her entire EVA unit, and 12 EVAs went "renegade", looking
for me.
    Of course, it helped that she had some friends--even if she didn't know
that Colonel Suzuhara had informed the others.  General Katsuragi, once she
found out what was happening, declared the whole thing a military operation,
putting the Government Criminal Investigations Directorate in their place.
Additionally, when Admiral Chapel found out what was going on in her area of
operations, she placed every military unit on alert, scouring high and
low...and intentionally looking inept.  To aid in the distraction, Colonel
Suzuhara's husband, Colonel Suzuhara Toji, took his EVA battalion and staged
a diversionary raid on an Equinox compound in a small town called Waco, in
the Texas district.  And all of it was meant to mask the real action as Aunt
Rei and her group fought in the jungles of Africa, just to find me.
    When it was all over, it was all explained that it had been an operation
designed to save the life of the daughter of two of the world's most famous
war heroes.  The GCID, smarting from the blow of being outwitted by the
military, had to lick their chops from the action.  General Katsuragi issued
medals of valor to all those involved with the rescue, but Aunt Rei declined
hers, saying that, in her own words, "having yui home is all the reward i
will ever want or need."  That's Aunt Rei for ya: dedicated to her combat
skills and honest and sincere.
    Well, gotta go visit Fu-chan in the hospital.  Someone's gotta cheer her
up!

Mata ne,
Ikari Yui Langley

<(*)>

NAVSTA Joshua Tree, Los Angeles-2, NV, US
Captain's Office

    <<Hmmm.  I don't approve of what you've done, Captain Ayers,>> a gruff
voice said on the other side.  The video screen, via a teleconference call
from the burgeoning, relatively new NERV Branch-3 in Berlin, showed the face
of the man in charge of the NERV organization.  And that face radiated
annoyance at having to be bothered with this issue.
    "And I don't give a damn what you think, Ikari!" CAPT Ayers snarled into
the transmission pickup.  "That was my call, and my call alone.  I was given
discretion on disposal of the Autospine wetware, and I did as I saw fit."
    Gendo pushed his glasses back onto his face, where they'd been slipping.
Switching to a soften tone, he said, <<Look, Pamela....>>
    "Don't give me any of that 'Look, Pamela,' shit, Gendo!" Ayers snapped.
"Don't think you can browbeat me into submission.  *You* may be in charge of
NERV, but *I* am in charge of US involvement in the project.  If you so much
as give me any crap, I'll pull the plug on this and scrap those precious
EVAs of yours.  DOD is still well ahead on our TCM project, and it won't
take much to switch to that."  Her eyes radiated sharp anger as she said in
a hiss, "You are to leave the unit alone, do you hear me?"
    Gendo knew she was bluffing; his information had indicated that the
American Transformable Combat Mecha project--jokingly labeled by the media
as the "Robotech defense system"--was like the French Lancelot mecha
project.  That is, it was an over-budgeted disaster and as slow and plodding
as any American government project was.  Still, Gendo knew that when
cornered, the US military historically had a bad habit of pulling rabbits
out of their hat.  He still needed their cooperation if what he planned was
to succeed.  <<Very well, Pamela.  You win this round.  But don't test my
patience again.>>  With nothing further to add, he cut the line, something
which Ayers felt she could live with--she hated talking to the bastard,
anyway.
    Ayers leaned on the table, drained.  She'd spent the longest time trying
to ensure that something like this wasn't going to occur, and that had blown
up in her face.  Well, she'd just have to switch tactics.  Bad enough that
she didn't really trust Ikari or his right hand man, but there was something
about him that automatically told you that he might not be on the level.
Ayers knew better--she *knew* he wasn't on the level.   She just had to keep
the status quo going until she could find a way to trip him up.


    Enough of that, though.  There were other things to worry about.
Tapping a button on the control panel, she said, "CIC, this is Captain
Ayers.  Put the Officer of the Deck on, please."
    A voice answered a couple of seconds later.  <<OOD, Cap'n.  What can I
do for you this evening?>>
    "What's the status of air operations?"  Three aircraft had left Edwards
about ninety minutes ago, bound for New Vancouver.  The reason was simple:
DEFCON 1 conditions had been detected at the McClannehey Proving Grounds.  A
NATO operation, the facility was the world's largest supplier of N2-class
ordnance.  Without that, a huge portion of the arsenal humanity had against
the Angels would be rendered useless.  No way in hell that was going to
happen.
    <<Give me a few to get in contact with Edwards Control, ma'am,>> the OOD
replied.  Ayers waited for a few minutes before the OOD was on again.
<<Just got off the horn with EdCon.  Angelic Rapier flight will be landing
at RCAF Cotter's Pond in five minutes.>>  That group of aircraft was the US
EVA team, racing to defend the Canadian munitions plant from destruction.
<<Exodus Wanderers 25 and 26 are approaching Alpha point, and will pass
zenith in the next twenty minutes.>>  The sole C-37 Dragonwing was carrying
its payload, the damaged Unit 03, to its intended repair facility at
Tokyo-3's Geofront complex.  Following close behind it was a small C-27D
Tempest, a lear-jet like passenger unit that was carrying the Candidate
pilot and support staff.
    "And what of Tembatsu Shinden flight?"
    <<EdCon reports they've just left New Yokota.  JASDF FX-1s will be
escorting as far as their range; after which fighters from the REAGAN will
handle the second leg.  Once they approach Canadian airspace, Cotter's Pond
will have their Eurofighters finish up the job.>>  Even more important than
Angelic Rapier flight, the four aircraft that comprised the flight leaving
Japan was the entirety of the Japanese EVA team.  More experienced than the
US team, it would be up to them to provide backup.
    "And conventional forces?"
    <<Dunno about that, ma'am.  I'll have the Duty Intel Officer report to
you with that information.  Will there be anything else, ma'am?>>
    "No," she sighed.  "Carry on."
    <<Aye, ma'am,>> he dutifully replied before breaking the connection.
    Once he did, Ayers sat in her office, staring at the paperwork, which
she soon ignored.  Her eyes wandering, they eventually fell on a picture of
her and Raven after the latter's graduation from Officer Candidate School.
That had only been about four months ago.  ((She's just a child, my little
girl.))
    Ayers idly recalled that she'd heard once that a member of the Japanese
team was Ikari's own son, pressed into the duty against his will.  Well, so
was Raven, and Ayers hadn't given her much choice in what she wanted out of
her own life.  ((After this war is over,)) Ayers vowed, ((I'm going to
support whatever Raven wants for her future.  I don't care what it is.  As
long as she's happy, I'm happy for her.))  The Commanding Officer of Naval
Station Joshua Tree and Commander of NERV Branch-2 vowed that she would
never become as cruel and heartless towards her own daughter as Ikari was
apparently towards his own son.
    The fear for her, though, was obvious: ((what if I already am?))

<(*)>

JASDF C-17D Galaxy, codename Tembatsu Shinden 01
Somewhere over the Pacific Ocean near Kamchatka Island, Russia

    Racing into the darkness of the eastern night lumbered a bulky, C-145D
Galaxy IV cargo plane.  Usually used for the transporting of troops or
armament, today, it carried a much smaller group of military personnel and a
far more different array of technology than it had ever done before.  As a
result of this modification, the plane did not bear the drab olive green
color scheme of the JASDF, but instead a blinding white, black, and red
schematic that was clearly identifiable as an aircraft assigned to NERV.
    Behind the whale-shaped prop plane were the black arrowhead shapes of
the C-37 Dragonwings, each carrying one of the precious EVAs strapped under
it.  Darting around the four great craft were the sleek predatory shapes of
two full squadrons of combat aircraft; the Japanese FX-1s were at the edge
of their range and making ready to turn around, even as behind them a
squadron of heavily-armed US Navy F-23s, which would run escort right up to
Canadian airspace.  In the waning light, the four huge cargo craft seemed to
lumber along with a sort of unconcerned air, even as the two teams of
fighters performed flight position replacements.  After a few minutes, as
the group reached the International Date Line, the fighter switch had
commenced, and the Japanese sped towards home under the protection of
Russian MiG-I2000s that came by to assist.


    Within the passenger section of the modified cargo craft, most of the
team was asleep in the rather uncomfortable, utilitarian seats that were on
the aged cargo plane as it sped towards the North American continent.
    Most.
    Seated at the center conference table in the passenger section, three
lone souls were in a sort of bonding that all military members had done from
time to time.  Though NERV was more a paramilitary organization than an
actual army, this still didn't remove itself from the traditional
camaraderie that people in those situations shared.  Two men and a woman sat
at the table, the two gentlemen looking rather uncomfortable in the soft
gray uniform of NERV's pilot corps, while the slightly older woman seemed a
bit more relaxed wearing the red of NERV operations staff.  In seats nearby,
a few more people were asleep, wearing either pilot gray, or the tan that
was the mark of NERV technical personnel.


    "Okay," Toji said, setting down his cards.  His steely gave never
wavered as he took two cards from the dealer, but he relented for a second
or two as he added, "I just don't get it, Shinji old pal.  You're supposed
to be lousy at this, man!  The last time we played poker, you couldn't win
to save your life, and now you've won the past two out of four hands!  What
the hell happened?"
    Misato yawned, then looked around for a beer.  When realizing one was
not available on the military flight, she muttered, "Don't look at me.  I
haven't taught him anything."  Her own glance unreadable, she simply looked
at her cards and said, "I'm out."  She dropped her hand down, a rather
anemic one at that.
    At the third end of the makeshift table, Shinji said nothing, but
inclined his head in the direction of his bondmate, asleep in a chair on the
other side of the passenger cabin.  The look on his face was not the typical
poker face, but a warm, caring glance as he thought about her.
    Misato saw that look.  "Shinji, I--"
    "We're being careful, Misato," Shinji answered, as he pushed a few more
yen into the sizable pile in the center of the table.  "She and I have
already agreed to go slowly.  Very slowly."
    The older woman nodded agreement.  "I'm glad you did.  The situation you
two are in is very dangerous, for more than one reason.  We can't afford you
two to slip up on that."  She grinned wolfishly and said, "Maybe when all
this is over, then you can.  But I'd rather you two behaved yourselves until
then."  At Shinji's slight blush, Misato commented cattily, "Or have you two
already been experimenting?"
    *"NO!"* Shinji cried, a little more loudly than he intended to.  *"No
way!  I'd never!"*

    On her end of the cabin, a young girl twitched in her passenger seat,
sleeping peacefully.  Turning slightly, she half-murmured, half-cooed, "Oh,
that feels *grrrrreeeaaat*, Shinji-kun...." and crawled into a fetal ball.
    Misato gave Shinji a knowing look, while Toji merely snickered.  Shinji,
on the other hand, went pale as a sheet, the card game forgotten.  If the
trio could have seen Asuka's face, they would have seen a mischievous grin
on the face of the sleeping young woman.

    Shinji, his composure lost, grunted, "Aw hell.  I fold.  You win, Toji."
Shinji tossed down his hand in disgust, his set of cards far better than
what Toji held.  As the newer EVA pilot scooped up the pot, Shinji
commented, "We should call this game quits, anyway.  We should get some
sleep before we arrive in Canada tomorrow."
    "Personally, I can't sleep--I'm just too primed for what we're about to
do," Toji said.  "I mean, getting to visit another country an' all...."
   Misato retorted softly, "Sometimes visiting other places doesn't work out
the way you want it to...."  Her voice was distant, and the look in her eyes
hinted that she was looking at a horizon beyond the metal confines of the
aircraft hull.  Unconsciously, her hand crept up to her chest and the cross
that she wore around her neck.  "No, sometimes it doesn't...."
   Shinji, not wanting to disturb his mentor, tapped Toji on the back and
commented, "C'mon, let's hit the simulators.  You still need the practice."
Toji complied eagerly, as the simulators onboard the craft were designed
more for practical application of movements and protocols than the actual
synch ratios.  In short, they were overly expensive videogames.  Quietly,
the pair headed towards the access ladderway, leaving Misato to her
bittersweet memories.

   The plane rushed on towards the lands in the east, towards a
conflagration that could spell the end of humanity.

<(*)>

RCAF Cotter's Pond, BC, Canada
Visiting Officers' Quarters, Fifth Floor

    "I said, leave me alone, Raven," a voice said, quiet and packed with a
slow-burning anger.
    "Look, Carter, what can I say to tell you that I'm sorry, okay?" Raven
retorted, her own anger growing by the minute.
    *"I don't give a damn what you were planning to say.  I just want you to
leave me the hell alone!"* the young man snapped, his tolerance limit
clearly reached.
    *"FINE, THEN!  I DON'T KNOW WHY I BOTHERED TO TRY TO MAKE IT UP TO
YOU!"* she snarled, turning to stomp away from the idiot who she was trying
to--


    "All right you two, that's enough!" Kendra sniped as she opened the door
to her room and glared at the two in the hall.  The pair looked pretty
ridiculous, with Carter still dressed in his working khakis, while Raven was
dressed in her favorite PT getup--a set of red too-short shorts and a very
tight black tank top that read !3M TA3.  Around her neck was a white gym
towel, and her SDMI player, the headphones set entirely too loud as usual.
At first, the scene looked like a pair of high school brats arguing in the
hall; only the rank pins and decorations of Carter's uniform and Raven's
green smart ID card slung around her neck gave any indicator that they were
anything but.
    "Look," the older woman said, "I know you two aren't exactly going to
get along with each other for a while--"  If ever, Kendra silently admitted;
ENS Raven Ayers had a lot to make up for her tragedy-borne stupidity the
previous day, "--but may I take the time to remind you two of a few things.
One, despite your age, you two are US military officers in a foreign
country, and you need to act like good ambassadors of American goodwi--"
    Raven yawned at what she felt was the bullshit typical line.  "Yeah,
yeah, Kendra--we hafta be good little zeros," she muttered, deliberately
using the enlisted insult towards officers.  "So you want us to be
well-behaved little squidlings and skip the Tailhook convention.  You were
saying?"
    "--and two," Kendra continued without skipping a beat, "if you two do
not stop this childish display right here and now, I'll see to it that you
two will personally handwash your EVA units for the next two months using
nothing but paper towels!  Do you get my message?"
    Carter feebly nodded, while Raven's eyes narrowed in slits of anger.
Eventually, she too, nodded in understanding.
    "All right then.  Now don't forget that tomorrow morning I want you two
prepped and ready to meet your Japanese counterparts.  And please, try not
to embarrass the entire U.S. military this time?"  Nothing more to add,
Kendra shut the door and went back to whatever she'd been doing.
    Carter looked at Raven, his face still filled with an unforgiving look,
and now added with this latest insult.  Saying nothing more, he headed back
to his own room.
     Raven stood alone in the middle of the hall, unable to vent whatever
emotions were roiling inside her.  Grunting an epithet, she declared, "The
hell with them--you'd think they'd rather see me dead than the Mouse."  In
her mind, she added, ((An' I don't blame them.  Maybe I *shoulda* died
instead of Wendy.))  Unsure of what to do next or how to express the pain
she held, she went back to her original plan and headed towards the base
gym, where she would likely force the anger out through some sort of
exercise.
    She doubted it, though.

<(*)>

Von Weisstrausse Casern, Berlin, Germany
SEELE/NERV-3 Conference Room 4A

    Keel Lorenz stared that the flat panel display that gave him the
readings on the most recent Angel attack.  The look on his face was a study
in desperation in trying to keep calm.  Vaguely looking around the table, he
saw the same things as others did: complete and utter amazement.  The secret
Dead Sea Scrolls, the remaining documents that had not been translated over
the years, were to have given the complete plan on how to deal with the real
days of Revelations, not that trippy prose that was at the end of the Bible.
Using that set of ancient leather, it was meant to detail the correct way to
deal with the Angels.
    Well, the time of Revelations was at hand, and here they were, reading
the scrolls, which had turned out to be frighteningly accurate.  From the
point of the Second Impact, straight through to the defeat of the Sixth
Angel, things had been alarmingly real, as though the documents were nothing
but a script to a play already written.
    That changed with the appearance of the seventh Angel, the one
code-named Maruiel.  The scrolls had spoken of a twinned creature to be
code-named Israfel, described as:

"A beast that doth be a mockery of the form of man, a homunculus that shall
cleave itself in twain when approached by adversity unto itself...."

With such an expectation on hand, not one had been expecting anything else.
And since the Angels had shown an inclination to attacking the stronghold in
Tokyo-3 since the Third Angel, all had been going according to plan.


    Well, the appearance of the torus-shaped Angel blew everything out of
the water, for now and forever.  And here was SEELE, in their stronghold in
NERV-3, attempting to deal with it.  Strange things were being reported from
all corners of the globe now, and by all appearances, the bizarre events
that were recorded at the end of the Bible were seeing to come true.  From
fishes that had been dying in droves off the coast of the Island of Hawaii,
where the seas were said to be boiling, to the inexplicable discoloration of
the nighttime sky, creating the moon that was as red as blood.  Events of
the Revelation were now occurring on Earth, along with the Kabbalic
mysteries of this war which some wags in the know were beginning to call
"The War of Ascension".
    But every battle had to have some sort of OPLAN, something to go by.
And if that was the case, what was the true document to reference?  The
Secret Dead Sea Scrolls, which had now been proven to be not as
authoritative as they'd expected; the Book of Revelations, which was by far
and away was thought to be completely off-base, but now was beginning to
show signs that it had been accurate to some degree, after all; or some
incomprehensible combination of the two, joined in a manner so twisted that
humankind would fail in its understanding of the whole issue?
    ((Perhaps, the answer wasn't even found in any Judeo-Christian-Islamic
tome,)) he thought.  ((Maybe the answer is in Hinduism, or in Shinto
legends.  Maybe even in Zoroasterism or something even more obscure.  Maybe
even it is up to us to create the answer for ourselves, though I cannot be
too sure of that.))
    Lorenz looked across the table at Ikari, and noticed that for once,
something was different about him.  Although his face was the usual stoicism
of complete control, for once there also seemed to be an aura of chaos
around him, an element that hinted that something was no longer in control.
Lorenz wondered what that might be, and decided he would take action on it
later.  Perhaps it might be the key to controlling the uncontrollable Ikari
Gendo.

<(*)>

RCAF Cotter's Pond, BC, Canada
Runway 01

    Standing in the shelter of a nearby hangar, the members of the US Joint
Mechanized Strike Force, awaiting their counterparts from NERV HQ.  It was a
dour-looking day, and though it wasn't likely to rain today, the iron color
of the overcast sky made things uncomfortably chilly for this time of year;
enough so to require the three to wear jackets today.  While Kendra was
currently wearing her basic working khakis, the two pilots had opted for
their biosuits, wearing their bomber jackets over them.
    Wearing the drab olive gray of his biosuit, Carter felt uncomfortable.
He, like so many of the other pilots he'd known, tended to lean towards
superstition.  One of those superstitions for him was that every time he
slipped on his pilot gear, he'd end up fighting fairly soon.  Although,
until the events of the other day back in LA-2, the only fighting he did per
se was to arrive on the scene moments after an Angel had vaped it and moved
on.  It was inexplicable, but afterwards, they were drawn to Tokyo-3 like
flies.  Personally, he wished they had stayed there.
    Raven, in her dark blue version of the biosuit, tried to concentrate on
the situation at hand, even though she felt dam uncomfortable.  Neither
Kendra nor Carter had forgiven her for the Mouse's death, and truth be told,
neither had she.  ((Fuck this shit, Rave.  All you have to do is to get out
of this alive, show up the damn Japanese, and get Carter off your ass.
Maybe if we can beat these damn Angels, I can score me an upgrade to JG or
something.))


    Watching the aircraft slowly coming in, under escort by Canadian
fighters, made the whole scene look like an ominous invasion from beyond.
An irony, Kendra realized; these forces were here to prevent said invasion
from beyond.  One of the most critical battles in humanity's history was
likely to take place several miles northeast of the base at the nearby
McClannehey Proving Grounds, and the line was being held by some of the
world's most courageous fighting forces.  But the tip of the spear, as
military clich�s went, was in the hands of a bunch of kids who should be
thinking more about the trials and tribulations of teenhood.
    Only five minutes late, the C-145D Galaxy IV came in for a landing with
all the grace of a beached whale.  Kendra, a fighter jock herself, laughed;
she never could imagine herself flying one of those tubby bastards.  ((The
Dragonwings, on the other hand...)) she mused as the C-37s moved into a
stationary position and cut their main engines in favor of the VTOL nozzles.
The three black aircraft descended slowly, lowering their payload onto the
massive flatbeds that would make the transfer to the hangar currently
reserved for the Japanese EVA team.  Meanwhile, the Canadian fighter
squadron, satisfied their job was done, winged away from the runway and
bolted off in the direction of their base, several more miles away.
    After a few minutes of taxiing to their assigned parking spot and
shutting down the flight systems, the great door on the back of the plane
rolled down, and out of the plane boiled various techs and support
personnel, carrying off equipment and other materials necessary for the EVA
units to do their job.  Last to come out of the plane was a mid-sized group
of people: one wearing the red uniform of NERV operations, a couple wearing
the tan of technical, and four teens wearing the muted gray of aviation.
The group began to walk towards the Americans, and Kendra, her charges in
tow, did the same.


    The two groups met in the middle.  Misato spoke first, her English being
better than the others, and to assure the Americans there would hopefully be
no language problems.  "LT Chapel, I presume?"  Misato didn't bother to
salute; the less protocol on the ground at the moment, the better, and from
what she read of the briefing of this officer, she was pretty much
accustomed to ignoring the rules as well.
    "That's correct, major.  LT Kendra Chapel, USN, OPS Officer for US
JMECHSTKFOR and NERV-2.  And these are my pilots, Ensign Kaoru C. Nagisa,
pilot for Unit 05--"
    "Just call me Carter," the boy said, offering his hand.  "Always
preferred my middle name, anyway."
    "--and Ensign Raven Ayers, Unit 04's pilot."
    "How the hell are ya?" Raven said in her usual brash tones, putting her
hand out and knowing that it would probably set the staid Japanese on their
ear.  Instead, she found herself being stared at, as though she was some
sort of freakshow on display.  She was about to give a big WTFO, but a
second later, she found out why.  And suddenly she felt like a sort of
freakshow on display.


    The Japanese team could only stare in wonder at the strange sight before
them.  Not the rather normal looking gray-haired, red-eyed boy in the olive
green odd American plug suit; but rather, his companion.  The girl with the
brash attitude, and bright, cheerfully daunting eyes.
    A girl that, with the exception of the long hair, was a complete match
for Rei, in terms of looks.  Even more jarring, the girl had a personality
that made pre-bonding Asuka look like pre-bonding Shinji--and that was
saying a mouthful.  Still, professionalism was professionalism, so Misato
shook off the surprise and said, "Well, a pleasure to meet you all.  As
you've already figured out, I'm Major Misato Katsuragi, and to my side is
our EVA pilots, Second Lts. Shini Ikari, Asuka Langley-Sohryu, Rei Ayanami,
and Toji Suzuhara, the EVA pilots for Units 01, 00, and 02."
    "Four pilots for three units?" Kendra asked, the same thing on her mind
as on Misato's: ((where the hell did you dig up a person that looks like a
twin of my pilot?))
    "Unit 01 is a dual pilot plug," Misato explained.  "Shinji and Asuka
are, um, gifted."
    "Well, they definitely seem to work well together," Kendra added, noting
that the two were holding hands.
    "That they do," Misato added, perspiration coming to her brow, her hand
waving frantically while she held it down, trying to signal for them to quit
it; she didn't dare turn around to tell them.  "And they make up a vital
component of our team.  Speaking of components, I thought that you were
supposed to have a full complement of pilots as well."
    Kendra bristled at that; she brushed it off, though, writing it off as
military brusqueness and not an attempt to be insensitive to their recent
loss.  "After the death of Second Lt. Del Vientos, we've had to scramble to
get a new pilot for Unit 03 while it's being repaired over at your
facilities.  To speed up the training process, we've sent our next candidate
over there to see if she'll cut it.  If not, NERV-1 will supply the pilot
for Unit 03.  Other than that, my current pilots will have to suffice for
this operation.  They may not have the experience that your forces have, but
they're highly trained officers despite their ages, just as yours are."
    "Never doubted it for a moment, LT Chapel.  You have our condolences on
the loss of your teammate."
    "Thank you, Major.  Well, I'm sure that you'd all like to settle in, and
my team still has a few more things to attend to.  I'll have some of the
base staff show you to your quarters, and give you a couple of hours to get
settled until we all meet at the briefing this morning."  Kendra signaled,
and a couple of Canadian airmen came by to assist the Japanese team with
things.  "Be seeing you, Major Katsuragi."


    "that girl looked like me," was all Rei said when the Americans had
walked off.
    "That was kinda creepy," Asuka admitted.  "That American pilot was a
dead ringer for Wonder Girl here, except *she* had a personality."
    "The Wonder Kid with a personality," Shinji mused.  "Now that has to be
a really frightening thought.  Hey, whaddaya think, Toji?"
    "I'm trying not to," he admitted.  "I found it too mindwarping a
concept."
    The three other pilots had a hearty laugh about this while the pilot of
Unit 00 simply stood there and watched as the girl who looked exactly like
her walked into a nearby building.  ((strange...she looked exactly like me.
but she acted differently than i do.  could she be another me?))  She had to
admit it was possible.  It also had another effect on her: the curiosity
that if it was true, was she really capable of acting like that?
    Meanwhile, Misato, having finished giving directions to the assistants,
rounded up her charges and said, "Okay, you guys, let's get settled in and
relaxed, and then we'll figure out what's going on.  Oh, and Shinji and
Asuka, may I remind you about a little thing called military protocol?  As
in: no holding hands while in *uniform*?!?!?!"
    Asuka shook her head in dismay while Shinji snarled, "Okay, then I'll
just have to forget about that little incident with Major Hamayata last
week, right?"
    Misato eeped.  "Yo-you know about that?"
    Shinji gave her a nasty grin.  "Misato, I consider you like family, so
I'm not going to discuss details.  Especially the part about your secondary
scar from the Second Impact.  You know, the smaller one down by your--"
    "You wouldn't dare," she commented, in a tone that was half-warning,
half-shock.
    Asuka smirked.  "Misato, I think that we pilots would like some time to
relax and look around the base before we get settled in.  Please be a dear
guardian and let us?"
    The older woman wasn't expecting the change in tone.  "Er, Why?"
    "Because you think dearly of me and Shinji-kun, and you think well of
Toji and Rei, too."  Her tones clipped back to catty as she added, "And
because I think you'd rather that I didn't tell, oh, say, Kaji about a
certain dream you had the other night?"
    Misato's eyes bugged so wide at those words, Toji swore that she almost
looked like an anime character.  Feeling sick to her stomach, she moaned, "I
guess we...could use the downtime.  I'll contact LT Chapel and ask her to
reschedule the meeting for later."
    In a saccharine-sweet voice, Asuka said, "Thanks, Misato!" while Shinji
had the same self-satisfied smirk on his face that seemed to say, "You're
the greatest, Misato!"  The NERV officer merely looked at them with an ashen
glance before wandering off, muttering, "I really could use a beer right
now...."
    As she walked off, Toji looked at the pair, who merely gave each other
knowing looks of satisfaction.  "I'd really like to know how you two know
about things like that.  It might come in handy someday."
    Asuka smiled cattily.  "It's called being a total bitch, Suzuhara.  You
should try it sometime."
    Toji turned to the male half of the Dastardly Duo.  "Okay, then, so
what's your excuse?"
    In a disaffected tone, Shinji yawned a sort of answer: "I dunno.  Being
an alpha male or something like that?"
    "What?  I don't get it."
    "We thought so."  Patting his friend on the back, Shinji said, "Well,
shall we go enjoy our time off?"


    Raven turned the corner and counted to ten before cutting loose with her
tongue.  Frankly, it was the longest the girl was known to have kept her
temper.  *"WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?!?!?!?!"*
    Kendra gave Raven a helpless shrug.  "That's what I'd like to know."
    Carter gave her a wolfish grin.  "Maybe the Japanese cloned a new and
improved model.  Notice how nice, quiet and unassuming she was?"
    Raven responded to that flattering bit of information by turning and
flipping off her teammate.  "Sit and spin, cheese dick!"
    "Guys, knock it off," Kendra warned.  She was already still spinning
from the sudden appearance of another Raven.  This was only adding fuel to
the fire.
    Of course, her pleas went unnoticed by the two combatants.  "Go to hell,
Raven!" he snarled.
    Raven's fists balled in anger.  "You'd better check your six, pretty
boy, or I swear that I'll--"
    *"OR ELSE YOU'LL DO WHAT, RAVEN?!?!?!"*  Carter, unable to hold in his
anger, exploded with a fury that no one had ever seen in him before.
Getting right up to her face, he roared, *"WHAT, YOU'LL GET ME KILLED TOO,
JUST LIKE WENDY?  GOOD FUCKING GOING THAT'LL BE, YOU GODDAMN SCREWUP!!!!!
MAYBE THAT'S WHY THE JAPANESE ARE BUILDING BETTER YOUS!!!!!  SO WE CAN GET A
COPY THAT'S NOT SOME MENTALLY DERANGED LOOSE CANNON!!!"*
     *"I AM NOT A CLONE, YOU FUCKHEAD!!!!!!  IT HAS GOT TO BE A
COINCIDENCE!!!!!!!"*  Raven instinctively drew back to punch him; it was a
tactic that usually worked with other guys, and Carter here was no
different.  What stopped her were his words, as they sank in.  ((My God...is
that what they think of me?))  If she could have seen herself in a mirror,
she would have noticed that she went completely ashen, and between her
blanched face, pale blue hair and red eyes, she appeared very much like an
albino.  As though not even under her control, her hands dropped limply to
the side for a second before she whispered in a shaky voice, "No...that's
not true...that's not true and you know it!"  For reasons she couldn't
explain, she found herself covering her ears, trying to block out the hated
words that she feared were the ring of truth.  "Leave me alone!" she cried,
not realizing the irony in saying the words that he'd said to her last
night.
    *"KNOCK IT OFF, ENSIGNS!!!!!"* Kendra screamed at the top of her lungs,
trying to get some semblance of calm.  *"THAT'S A DIRECT ORDER, YOU
TWO!!!!!"*  Unfortunately, her attempt to restore military discipline was
failing, and badly.  ((Gods, the *last* thing I need is for base security to
show up and toss these two in the brig, but I'm tempted to toss them in
there, myself!))
    Unaware of Kendra's thoughts, Carter continued to bear his soul.
*"BULLSHIT!!!!!  I'VE HELD MY TONGUE LONG ENOUGH, RAVEN!!!!  I'M SO SICK OF
YOUR FUCKING ANTICS!!!  I'M SICK OF YOU PICKING ON WENDY BEFORE SHE DIED,
AND ME!!!!!  I'M SICK OF HEARING HOW HOT SHIT YOU THINK YOU ARE!!!!  I'VE
HAD IT UP TO HERE AND I'M NOT GOING TO PUT UP WITH IT ONE MORE FUCKING
MOMENT!!!!  I WISH YOU WOULD JUST GO TO HELL AND STAY THERE!!!!!!"*
    Something beyond the edge of control snapped within Raven, and as her
eyes became twin daggers of pain and rage.  *"I.  SAID.  LEAVE.  ME.
ALONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"* she finally bellowed with the voice of a woman at her
edge, cocking her fist back to beat the hell out of Carter, and to hell with
what base security did to her.  She was fast enough that neither Carter nor
Kendra would be able to stop her at least for the first volley of punches,
and for her, that would be more than enough.


    "please, do not punch him," a nearly whispered, very soft voice said in
accented, halting English.  The three turned around to see one of the
Japanese pilots staring at them; specifically the one that looked like
Raven--what was her name?  Ah, yes--Rei Ayakawa or something like that.
    Raven turned to face the apparent doppelganger.  "Just what is it to you
if I spill his guts all over the deck, huh?"
    "i would rather you didn't," Rei responded.  "i don't like red."  She
said in such a plain-matter-of-fact tone, that all the rage drained out of
Raven as complete confusion dawned on her features.
    "Oh, so you don't like blood, huh?" Raven snarled.  "Then why the hell
are you an EVA jo--"  The girl's train of thought was instantly halted as
the two made eye contact.  Red eyes met red eyes, identical faces framed in
same-hued hair, as though a fractured image of Gemini had been brought into
the third dimension.  Rei was the first to break eye contact, and Raven's
fists fell to her side, as though useless and spent without even performing
the task they were summoned for.
    Seeing her job was done, she murmured a "thank you," then walked down
the hall, as though nothing had happened.
    The three watched the girl walk down the hall, eventually turning a
corner and disappearing from sight.  When she was gone, Kendra, no longer
livid but now completely lost, said, "I hate to say it, you two, but that
girl is creepy."  Turning to look at Raven, she noted the girl herself was
beginning to shake, as though suddenly struck by palsy.
    Carter noticed it, too.  Putting aside his hatred of her for the concern
of a teammate, he asked, "Hey, Ayers, you okay?"
    Raven never answered, as she was too busy trying to control herself from
what she saw in the other's eyes.  ((I saw death in her eyes.  Countless
deaths.  All of them hers.

    ((All of them, mine.))

<(*)>

    A couple hours later the meeting was held, sans the pilots.  In light of
Asuka's personal desire for them to be left alone for the rest of the day,
Misato contacted Kendra and suggested the change.  Kendra, still embarrassed
about the aftermath of Raven's outright warfare in the halls and the sudden
halting of it by the Japanese ghost girl (as Raven was naming her), was only
too quick to agree.  Kendra made a few more calls to various other officers
involved, rescheduling for the next day.
    The pair met in the O-Club's coffee shop, both having deemed it still a
bit too early to drink.  This decision lasted all of two seconds, and
eventually the two found themselves in the O-Club's wet bar, downing
Mooseheads by the dozens.  Much more warmed up, they chatted about many
things and got to know one another, both palpably shying away from the
Rei/Raven issue.  They did discuss the other pilots though, and how they
would integrate the two pilot groups.
    Leaning over her twelfth beer (having settled on twelve as a nice,
reasonable number after she passed the twenties), Kendra slurred, "So...ya
zink we shud haf tha tu gruups of pi-pi...jockeys sit down amongst
themselves?"
    Misato dizzily nodded.  "Haaaiiiiiiiiiii!" she said, her voice slurred.
    "Hi t' yu to," Karen replied.  "Soooooooooooo...we star' t'mrrow?"
    Misato nodded, unsure of how to answer that.  In turn, Kendra bobbed her
head vigorously in a reasonable attempt at a nod, but instead ended up
banging her head on the table, knocking herself out.
    Misato gave the unconscious American a wide, stupid grin and mumbled, "I
think this 's gunna be th' start ov a bea...beau...great friendship."  No
further philosophical points to add, she passed out as well in an
alcohol-induced sign of solidarity.

<(*)>

JASDF Airbase New Atsugi, Japan
Runway 7

    The officer, resplendent in her class "C" uniform, gave Ritsuko a sharp
military salute.  "Reporting as ordered, Major Akagi."  She then slipped
into parade rest, her seabag standing also at military height.
    Looking at the briefing sheet, Ritsuko said, "Dr. Akagi is fine--I
rarely use my rank."  Ritsuko tore her eyes away from the file, and looked
at the American pilot.  Despite having spent all those hours in transit,
you'd never know just by looking at the military bearing the girl, a US
Marine, had.  ((To paraphrase Misato,)) Ritsuko thought, ((the girl looks
like a poster child for Heavy Armament.))  Despite having a slight build no
bulkier than say, Asuka, the girl's eyes had the look of a calculating
beast--the very look, the scientist noted, that American Marines were known
all over the world for.
    Ritsuko had to admit, the US branch of NERV was a lot more prepared for
war than the Japanese branch was...if only because it was run by the US
military, vice the private organization that Japan's NERV was.  If it
weren't for the fact that Tokyo-3 saw a hell of a lot more action than any
of the other places in the world, they simply wouldn't have the level of
readiness that the Geofront currently enjoyed...if enjoyed would be such a
term to be used in the situation.
    "Well," Ritsuko said, looking at the girl's single gold bars on her
uniform and trying to remember the rank, "Lieutenant, you'll be
participating in synchronized tests with our own candidate.  If you succeed,
you will become the new pilot for Unit 03, once we make the repairs to it.
If not, our pilot will take over, and you will likely be assigned to support
and intelligence, where your secondary specialty lies, okay?"
    The Marine slipped from parade rest into attention.  "Yes, Doctor."  She
slipped right back into parade attention, and Ritsuko stifled a groan.
    ((Great.  I'm stuck with this one until Misato gets back.  Oh well....))
"Okay, then, Lieutenant, you've been issued an apartment on this address.
You'll be living next door to the other pilot, so it might behoove you to
get to know each other."  Ritsuko handed the girl a slip of paper, then
waved her hand to signal a few JASDF airmen to escort the Marine.  "Report
for duty at eight, okay?"
    "Aye-aye, ma'am!"  Another salute was thrown in the direction of
Ritsuko, and the Marine, escorted by the two airmen, went off towards the
nearest car.
    Ritsuko watched them as they left.  Why do I get stuck with the weirdoes
in this world? she asked herself, before realizing it was a gauntlet of
sorts.  If things worked out the way Gendo had planned, there would be a
grand change in the way the world worked, and the name of Major Akagi
Ritsuko, MD & PhD, NERV Science Division, would be at the forefront.

<(*)>

RCAF Cotter's Pond, BC, Canada
Visiting Officers' Quarters, Suite 208

    Asuka stepped out of the shower, heading towards the bed that she and
Shinji shared, grabbing only a towel to wrap around herself.  She didn't
bother to throw on clothing or anything of the sort.  It didn't matter
anymore, after all; he'd seen inside the deepest depths of her mind already,
so what good was modesty going to do?  Besides, maybe tonight, she began her
thoughts.
    Without looking up from reading a book from where he lay on top of the
bed, Shinji said, "I thought we wanted to hold off on that, Asuka."
    ((I was just teasing you, Shinji-kun,)) she thought, continuing to test
out their newest skill.  ((Besides, I always thought that if I did something
like that, I would do it with the man I love.))
    ((And what am I?  Day-old sashimi?))  It was the closest he'd come to
asking if she did.
    She only thought it would be fair to give him an appropriate response.
Moving to his side, she took the book out of his hands, leaned against him
and kissed him with all the passion she could give that was hers to give.
As she breathlessly broke away, she sighed, "Everything for you, Shinji-kun.
Everything for you."  As if by some silent cue, she slipped away the towel,
letting him see her as she was.  Exposed to him in a way she'd never offered
him before, until now.
    "Asuka," Shinji said, averting his eyes from roaming over her perfect
body and concentrating on her face.  "I--"
    "I love you too, Shinji," she said, a lump in her throat.  "But I'm
scared."
    "I know."
    "I'm so afraid that I'll be left alone when all of this is over.  That
something, or millions of something, will happen.  What if they find a cure
for what happened to us?"
    "Then I won't take it," he insisted with firmness.  "I don't want
anything that'll separate us, Asuka.  I don't want to be alone anymore.  I
don't want *you* to be alone anymore."  Kissing her tenderly, she could feel
her feelings reciprocated as well as the willpower it took to keep certain
other feelings under control.  "Asuka, you have no idea how hard it is to
fight this," he admitted.
    "Then don't.  Shinji, if you want me, I'm yours," she said in a soft
voice.  "I'm always yours."
    "Not until this is over," he said, with some difficulty.  "But when this
war is over, then we'll see."
    She could see that he was fighting it for both of their sakes, not only
because of their duties, but also because it just wasn't the time for it.
She swelled at pride at the boy she loved, and knew that if he could control
his longings, so could she.  But with that, there was a new fear in the back
of her mind, one she tamped down immediately.  "If we're going to wait that
long, then we can wait until I'm Ikari Asuka."  She said that so
matter-of-factly that both giggled at the prospect.  Here they were,
discussing their whole life in five minutes.  And to top it all off, she
said, "And we're naming our son Heinrich.  We can name the girl after your
mother."  Leaning closer to him, so close he could practically taste her
breath, she whispered, "Shinji, I don't know if I can fight it much longer.
Being here...in your arms...."  Unconsciously, neither of them was realizing
that she was already unbuttoning his shirt, her control slipping.


    Fortunately, there was a knock at the door, and an unfamiliar voice
called out in English, "Hey, Ikari!  You in there?"
    That snapped the two out of their reverie.  "Um, yeah," he answered in
the same language, having learned it from Asuka's years of living in
Milwaukee.  "Just a minute!"  The pair gave each other a rushed, passionate
kiss, then Asuka grabbed the towel, making sure she displayed what he'd just
fought so hard to give up...and conversely, protect.  Giving him a loving
look, she went back into the bathroom.
    The male half of them went to the door and opened it to find the
American (what was his name again?) and Toji standing there, both dressed in
civvies and looking rather casual; while Toji was wearing his usual jogging
gear, the other boy wore a crew-neck jersey and faded jeans.  Running his
fingers through his long gray hair, he said, "Hey, man, Toji and I were
going to head over to the base movie theatre and wanted to know if you
wanted to go.  You know, that 'getting to know each other' stuff we gotta
do."
    "Just getting out of your uniform, Shinji?" Toji asked.
    "Um, yeah.  Been reading a book for the past couple of hours, just
trying to kill the time." he responded.
    "Funny, I thought you and Asuka would have found a more...intense...way
to fill the time," Toji joked.  Shinji shot him a murderous look, and Carter
merely chuckled at that.  "So, you coming, Shinji?"
    "Um, sure.  Hold on a sec."  ((Asuka?))
    ((Sure,)) she responded to him.  ((It'll...be a good idea to test how
far we can be from each other.))  There was a tinge of sorrow to her voice
somehow, but Shinji wasn't going to pry.  What little privacy they had left
they were entitled to, and she might just want some right now--the sorrow
just might have been hormones he misread.
    Within a couple of minutes, Shinji had slipped into a polo and slacks
and the three of them went off to go learn about each other in the spirit of
international goodwill.


    A few minutes later and curled into a ball, Asuka cried on the bed,
unable to hold her fears outside of her body, if she could hold it in the
private parts of her mind.  She was shivering, not from cold but from
something even more elemental to the human condition: she was terrified.
And that terror had a name: Shinji, but a better name for it might be
Asuka's itself.
    ((Shinji, how can you be so brave?)) she ruminated, holding onto one of
his shirts for comfort.  ((I don't want to be alone.  I just want you to be
with me forever.  What am I going to do when you leave me?  What am I going
to do?))  Never once did she even believe that he would be around forever.
He said he would, and she believed that, but then her parents told her the
same thing.  So did his.  The truth was, there was no such thing as forever.
Nothing, that is, save for the fear in her heart.
    ((I hate what I've become.))  Not the bond with Shinji; that was so much
a part of her life now that she constantly wondered how she could have lived
without it until that day.  Rather, it was more the emotions that came with
it.  Part of her personality had slipped into Shinji and he was no longer
the passive male that he used to be.  But the bond went both ways, and the
passiveness that was part of Shinji's old persona, now was a part of hers,
and gradually becoming more dominant.  They were slowly becoming what the
other was, and if it wasn't for the fact that they'd fallen in love, she
knew that he would have left.  After all, she knew that if things hadn't
happened the way they did, she never would have stuck with such a person as
he'd been.
    There was a knock at the door.  She wanted to say "Go away," or just to
ignore it and pretend that she was sleeping.  But she didn't--the person was
company, a lifeline.  Taking a second to slip on underwear, a T-shirt, and
shorts, she went to the door, wiping her tears away and trying to bring up a
pleasant smile, or at least an easily faked one.
    Standing on the other side of the door, was Rei, of all people.
"sohryu," she said in her monotone.  "i need to ask you something."
    ((Why are you here, Wonder Girl?)) she asked herself.  But, company was
company, so....  "Um, sure.  C'mon in.  Shinji's not here.  He went out with
the guys.  Would you care for something to drink?"  ((Don't ask for
40-weight, 'cause I'm fresh out, robogirl!))
    "water, please."  She sat down on one of the chairs, and as Asuka came
back from the kitchen, she began to speak.  "i need to talk to someone.
about what happened today."  There was an almost human look in the Wonder
Girl's eyes, Asuka noted.  "that american girl...ayers.  she looked just
like me.  when i looked into her eyes, i realized she *was* me."
    The fact that Rei stressed that last part somewhat bothered Asuka.  It
just wasn't like the Wonder Girl to show emotion.  It was like she wasn't
capable of it, and that any attempt to do so violated the natural order of
things.  "C'mon, Ayanami, you're just freaking out.  You're acting like
you're..."  Asuka thought about her statement for a second, and wondered who
it applied to.  "...afraid?"
    Rei looked at Asuka dispassionately, then said, "i don't know."
    "Look, Ayanami...Rei...what is it about her that freaks you out?  She
seemed, I dunno, kinda cool."
    "i saw death in her eyes.  i saw red.   a thousand versions of me, all
dying in a sea of flame."  Things were getting really weird, now.  Rei was
sounding poetic, the puppet daring to be human.  "is there something wrong
with me?"
    "Maybe you need to relax, Rei.  Whatever it is you do to relax." Asuka
sighed inwardly.  She didn't need this, while she was trying to deal with
her own problems.  She was afraid herself--what could she do for Rei?
    ((Maybe the best way to deal with your fear is to deal with hers,)) she
realized.  Acting on spontaneity, Asuka went up and hugged the albino,
saying, "Don't worry, Rei.  Your friends are here for you."  ((Did I mean
what I just said?)) she wondered before realizing, yes.  She was at a
pointing her life where she couldn't afford to push away anyone anymore, and
she found that she no longer wanted to.  An eternity ago, she would have
probably taken on the world single-handed, with no regrets; Asuka couldn't
dream of doing such a thing now.
    "friends?" Rei asked, as though she'd never heard the term before.  "i
feel so odd...so warm."
    Asuka loosed the embrace and said, "That's friendship for you.  I know I
tease you a lot, Wonder Girl, but...ah, nevermind.  Let's just say that
you're a friend."  Rei, unsure of what was transpiring, merely nodded.
Asuka, in the meanwhile, had another brainstorm and said, "Hey, I'm tired of
sitting around here.  Wanna go out for a bit?"
    "where?"
    "I dunno.  The mall, maybe?  Or possibly a movie.  I wish Hikari were
here--she'd have some ideas."  Reaching for her shoes, she said, "But
anything's gotta be better 'n sitting around here, right?"  Opening up her
mind, she called out to Shinji, and said, ((Shinji-kun, I'm gonna go out
with Rei for a while, okay?))
    It took a while, likely due to distance, but there was a response.
((Wonder Girl?  Why her?))
    ((Because she needs someone to show her how to be normal, I guess.))
She heard Shinji mentally chuckle and she said, ((Seriously.  Besides, I
don't want to sit around all day.))
    ((Okay.  I'll see you later then, Asuka-chan.))
    ((Bai, Shinji-kun.))  Returning to some normal semblance of thought, she
looked at Rei, gave her a smile, and said, "Let's go hit the mall and get
you some new clothing, Rei."
    "is something wrong with what i am wearing?  i did not notice...."
    "Rei, lesson number one: you can't wear nothing but NERV and school
uniforms all your life.  You have to relax sometime.  Now c'mon.  We're
going out, and when I'm done with you, you'll be a new person!"
    "i don't need to be a new person.  i am fine with my current body."
    "That was a figure of speech, Wonder Girl."
    "oh."

<(*)>

    Meanwhile, three floors above....
    The blast ripped through the demon, and she moved forward, over the lava
pits.  Stalking through the labyrinthine features of the sunken ruins, she
hefted her NUK-666 Plasma Rifle, heading towards the exit.  While there was
about six nightstalkers guarding the gates to the next circle of hell, she
had her rifle at full power and her armor was at full stren--

AUTO PAUSE.  YOU HAVE A CONTACT ON THE PHONE LINE.

    Raven ripped off the VR headgear, muttering, "Oh, Goddamn it.  Just when
I was finally about to beat that level, too...."  Setting the headset and
taking off the tactile gloves, she reached for the phone.  "ENS Ayers."
    The phone line sounded a bit blurry, as though it was being monitored.
<<Hey, hothead, is that you?>>
    Raven smiled.  "Hey, stupid!  Was wondering when you were gonna call."
    <<Relax, I just found out you got deployed.  I told you I was going to
call as soon as I landed here; I just didn't expect you to guys to be road
trippin'.>>
    "Yeah, we got possible DEFCON up here, so we had to come up and save
some Can-Can asses.  So, how's Japan?"
    <<Fine, I guess.  Haven't had a chance to look around yet.>> There was a
pause on the line for a second, then: <<Is it really true about what they
were saying about you, Rave?  That you got tossed in the Brig because Wendy
got killed?>>
    "How...how'd you find out about that?"
    <<I got pulled off F-23 sim duty and assigned Candidate Pilot Status.
That only happens when one of you is...you know.  While in the air, the doc
aboard had to do some DNA tests on me to prep some of the wetware files for
Unit 03.  As for the brig part, chalk that up to scuttlebutt.>>  The voice
on the other end was silent for a couple before saying, <<Look, Raven, if
you need to talk to someone about it, you 'n' I've been best friends all our
lives.   Got your six.>>
    Raven's eyes darkened with sorrow.  "Thanks, but I don't want to talk
about it.  I...."
    <<Say no more, Rave.  I understand.  I just can't believe the Mouse is
gone, that's all.  I always thought if any one of us was going to survive,
it would be her, an' only because she was too quiet to get noticed.>>
    "Well, she got noticed and that was my fault."
    <<Well, as soon as I get back to Josh, I'll hafta put some flowers on
her grave or something.>>  Raven twitched on her end as she heard that;
there was no way that her friend could know that there wasn't enough left of
Wendy to *have* a grave.  There was a gravestone at Tahoe Bay Military
Cemetery, but there was nothing in it.  <<Look, I gotta get some sleep,
'cause I supposed to meet with the head honchos here tomorrow.  But call me,
okay?>>
    Raven wrote down the phone number and said, "Cool.  Watch your back, you
twisted twit."
    <<You watch yours, you psycho, you,>> the voice said with a chuckle.
"Hope to see you soon."  The line disconnected, leaving Raven to hold the
receiver.  Setting it back down in the cradle, she went back to the VG
terminal and plugged right back into the game.  In that virtual world, she
stared at the two demons, her lone block to getting to the next level.
    Life was like that too much, sometimes.  Too much preventing her from
reaching what she wanted, and she wasn't even sure what it was she wanted.
A question came to her-((Who'll be the next one to pay for your
mistakes?))--and just as quickly, the answer came to her.  She smiled and
turned the rifle to her head, pulling the trigger.

FINAL LIFE EXTINGUISHED.  GAME OVER.

    Taking the gear off once more, she mused: ((It's only a game.))   She
went over to the table and got her MiniDVD player, opting for that instead;
at least that decision wasn't going to cause more chaos.

<(*)>

3-22-4 Kasumigaseki-cho, Tokyo-3, Japan
Apartment 2D

    In her room, the Marine put the phone down on the cradle.  ((Something
must really be wrong with Raven, she thought.  She's usually not that
withdrawn.))  Well, there was nothing she could do on this end for her
friend.  ((Better to concentrate on your situation now, and figure out
what's next.))
    She looked around her apartment, given to her by NERV and wondered how
such a militia could have such power.  NERV apparently issued rooms as
standard gear for any personnel under its umbrella, and as long as she was
on TEMADD orders here, that meant her, too.  Since she really hadn't
decorated or anything yet, she decided to look around.  The apartment had
the basic amenities, but not much more than that; if she wanted to
personalize, that would be her problem.  The apartment was nothing but a
barren white, in a sense, just like her.
    It was little wonder why she and Raven got along so well.  They were, to
a degree, two sides of the same coin.  Neither of them could remember their
pasts, and although Raven had been adopted by Pamela Ayers, she hadn't been
so lucky to have parents of her own.  Still, she survived; and God Bless the
Marines for choosing to sponsor her as their entry for the Special
Candidates Project.  Raven might be her best friend, but it was the Corps
that was her family now.
    During this train of thought, she ended up standing over by the mirror
in the bathroom.  Looking at her reflection, she smiled at it, approving of
her looks.  Her hair was a barely controllable mop, the way she preferred
it, just within regulations; her brown eyes tired but still holding some of
the twinkle of life and did well to hide the truth underneath.  Her uniform,
pressed and starched to the point that it looked like it was made of nothing
but hard angles, gave the appearance of a sharp Marine's Marine.


    The doorbell sounded, and she went over to answer it.  Standing there
was another of those NERV types.  A girl, about the same age as herself, her
Asian face framed by expressive brown eyes and somewhat long brown hair.
Her cheeks, lightly dusted with a spray of freckles, gave her an appearance
that made her seem like a modern-day Pollyana...whatever the hell that
meant.  She was dressed in gray, which meant she was part of the pilot's
corps.  Bowing slightly, the girl smiled once and rattled off a few quick
phrases that she had *no* idea what the other'd just said.
    "Um, I'm...sorry, but I don't speak Japanese."
    The NERV pilot looked at her for a second and finally said in shaky
English, "You not speak Japanese?"
    "Not a single bit.  Only words I know are Sony and Mitsubishi," she
answered.
    "Aaa...so da yo.  I speak little English," the other replied.  "Very
nice meet you.  My name...Hikari.  Hikari Horaki, Second Lt., NERV Branch-1.
I am Fifth Child."  She bowed again, nodding her head in a polite manner and
asked, "Who are you?"
    "Um...Second Lt. Marianne Kirishima, but you can just call me Mana.
Everyone does."
    "Mana?  That short name for Marianne?"
    Mana chuckled.  "Well, in my case it was.  When I was a kid, I had a
hard time pronouncing my first name, for some reason.  I kept flubbing it
and saying, 'Mana'.  Eventually, it stuck, but hey, we all can't be Marys or
Annes or what have you."  Running her hand through her hair, she asked, "So,
you're the competing Candidate pilot for Unit 03?"


    Hikari was only sure of half of what the other girl was saying.
Although, she did find it odd that a Japanese girl didn't speak a single
word of it.  Then again, she was born in America, so who knows?  ((They all
can't be like that Sohryu girl.))
    Mana muttered something that Hikari vaguely caught as, "Can you show me
around town?"  Hikari promised herself to work on her English, all while
agreeing to show Mana around.  Even though they appeared to be rivals for
the slot of Unit 03, there was no reason that they couldn't be friends,
right?  She felt that she could really use one--she thought that she would
have made one with Asuka, but she turned out to really want nothing more
than to spend most of her time with her boyfriend, Shinji.  The other girls
in the class weren't that interesting, and if Mana was a typical Amerikajin,
Hikari's spare time would be a lot more interesting.

<(*)>

Von Weisstrausse Casern, Berlin, Germany
SEELE/NERV-3 Conference Room 2

    Ikari Gendo read over the briefing that his personnel provided him
regarding the growing situation up in Canada.  His personal thought was that
the whole operation was a total waste, but the truth of it was that a lot of
NERV's funding depended on controlling the situation before it started.  And
with the recent failure of NERV Intelligence to predict the attack on Los
Angeles-2 from a previously unknown Angel, things were not looking good.
    For starters, the French Parliament was calling for the NATO nations to
break off ties from NERV and start their own operations, based on
contingents of Lancelot and TCM mecha.  A pipe dream, to be sure, but the
French were a noisy group when they wanted to be and noise tends to have the
effect of getting noticed, regardless of the intent.  Gendo liked things to
be in control, right where he wanted them.  After all, he and his partner,
if they succeeded, stood to gain a very big part of the pie.  A very large
slice, indeed.


    It was when he began to read through the personnel rosters that his
attention was sparked.  Ayanami was in close proximity to Raven Ayers.  That
was by no mean a good idea, and something would have to be done about it.
Damn that sentimental bitch Ayers.  He should have followed up on it when
she said disposed of the dummy plug, but he believed her and this was the
result.  Well, he wouldn't make a second mistake like that again.
    Picking up a nearby phone, he dialed a series of numbers and spoke
tersely into it: "Agent Garuda, this is Commander Ikari.  I have a slight
issue that I need attending...Yes, that's correct.  I need it attended at
the operation in Canada...Compensation will be dealt with accordingly.  We
will forward the information to you upon arrival."  He hung up without
pretense; with a man like that, such pleasantries were wasted on him,
anyway.
    Sitting in the darkened room, he almost felt an emotional response for
his creation: the third Rei clone was almost a daughter to him, in a
detached sense; but at least the fourth clone wouldn't be able to be tainted
by the one called Raven, possibly the most dangerous person at the moment,
and a clear impediment to all of his plans.

<(*)>

NERV Branch-1, Geofront, Tokyo-3, Japan
Intelligence Center

    Kaji looked at the information, his jaw practically dropping.  "I...I
don't believe this!  I just don't believe this!"  His mind became a morass
of conflicting emotions and priorities.  Should he take this information to
SEELE, or the JSS?  Maybe he should pass this information to colleagues at
the CIA, NSA, MI6?  If even half of the information here in the terminal was
accurate, the world was in deep, dark defecate.
    He sat there for a few more minutes, collecting his thoughts.  Should he
fail, there would be no backup.  SEELE had invested in quite a bit finding
an agent who was willing to bend in more than one direction.  Ironic, in a
sense, that the one to do so would be from the Japan Security Service, and
not one of the other spook farms all over the world. ((But then,)) he
reasoned, ((they were probably counting on my connections with Misato and
Ritsuko.))  For a second, he almost felt bad for his one-time lover and his
friend; they probably had no idea what they were getting into.  But this
wasn't a business where you would last long if you did--unless you were one
of those calling the shots.
    The next step, then, was logical: find out who was behind hiding the
truth about Adam, and see where the wires connected, straight through to the
inevitable links that were tied to Ikari's hands.  Likely, they were tied in
some manner to SEELE as well, but Kaji wasn't paid to look both ways while
crossing the street.
    Shutting down the computer, he headed back to his apartment.  There was
a lot to think about, and many decisions to make.  And all of them could be
disastrous.

<(*)>

NAVSTA Joshua Tree, Los Angeles-2, NV, US
Joint Intelligence Center, Pacific

    "Skipper?" Lt. Col Sumner sat down next to Ayers at the main table,
where she was reading over briefs.  As seemed to be traditional for navy
captains, she had a mug of coffee in front of her, the size of which could
easily give a carrier a run for its money.  She looked burnt out, and
characteristically for her, she was working on her off-time, evident by
sitting in the top secret area in her civvies.
    "Oh, hi Pat.  Just reading over the OPLAN for the operation up north.
Both teams are in position, and should be reviewing the main plans.
Canadian forces will be providing air support, but it'll be up to the EVAs
to ensure that nothing gets close to McClannehey.  Tomorrow, they should be
deploying from Cotter's Pond to their main site."
    "That's nice," he said, in an uninterested tone.  "Look,
Captain...Pam...we've worked together for quite a while, and I've known you
since our high school days.  That also means I've known you long enough to
know you don't sit down in JICPAC casually reading the operations plans
because you're bored."
    "Well, nice to know I'm so transparent," she sighed, setting down the
report momentarily and taking a sip of her coffee.  "That'll be a nice
bullet for my next FITREP.  I can see it now: 'CAPT Ayers' methodologies are
innate to her officers and crew, so much so that even Army officers can
understand them.'"  She chuckled.  "Bet that'll make Admiral Ramirez real
happy."
    The Army officer grinned.  "Well, that's the problem with you Navy
types.  You're *way* too confusing for the real military."  However, his
tone softened and he commented, "Look, I know you're worried about your
daughter, Pam.  You don't have to hide it."
    "I know, but personal feelings don't go too well with the uniform.
After the things that have happened to her in the past 48 hours, I wonder
how she's still able to look me straight in the eye.  Sometimes, I think
she's too much like her real parents, whomever they were."
    "Look, I've never meant to pry about that, but as I recall, you and Ken
didn't have any children when he died down on DEEP FREEZE.  What made you
decide to adopt that kid?"
    "Two reasons: one, I was lonely.  Ken was the only good thing in my life
other than anything that came in haze gray.  When I first saw Raven...trust
me, she's nothing like she was back then."  She then stared at him straight
and said, "The other reason was that I did it to save her from her guardian.
That'd be Gendo Ikari, the head of NERV 1 in Japan--"
    Sumner whistled in amazement.  "Don't know him, but I know his
reputation.  Creepy bastard."
    "He's worse in person than his rep.  Well, I can't prove it, but I think
that she's related to him, somehow.  But that's not the point.  To him, she
was nothing more than an experiment for the wetware suites.  When he was
done, he wanted me to 'dispose of the dummy plug wetware', to use his
words."
    "You're joking."
    "Not in the least, Pat.  The only reason he can get away with what he
does get away with is, well, we're at war.  Even still, he's got two other
kids that he uses as his personal toys."  Pulling two pictures out of the
briefing, he said, "These are two other kids who are under his control.
One's Shinji, his son, and an EVA pilot.  That'd be bad enough, but look at
the other one--Rei Ayanami."
    "Well, other than the fact that she looks either bored out of her skull
or dead in this picture, she's a near-dead ringer for Raven."
    "Exactly.  But I can't find any proof that they're related or anything.
In fact, I can't find anything on this Ayanami person, either; and I have
minimal past data on Raven."  Ayers stretched, then continued.  "Raven
doesn't remember anything about her past, and a lot of times I don't think
she even wants to.  But underneath her punky exterior is a girl afraid of
something, and she's not telling me about it."
    "Maybe she knows something about this Ayanami character that you don't,"
Sumner suggested.
    "Not likely.  If she did, she would have told Mana...er, Lt. Kirishima;
and Mana, with those Marine sensibilities of hers would have deemed it
important enough to tell me.  No, I think this may just be something that
she has no idea about.  Nonetheless, I'm going to keep a sharp eye on
things.  Whatever she may have been to him, Ikari gave up custody on that
girl when he began to treat her like a piece of meat.  If he thinks he's
getting *his* meathooks on *my* child again," she snarled, "that bastard has
never faced the business end of an AMHA before.  And I will gladly be the
one to shove it up his ass."


Next:
Part Five
Swarm

Author's Notes:

ETB 4's Military Glossary can be located at:
http://calicatcafe.megami.net/The-Bond/ETB-G4.htm

As you've already realized, I'm taking EVA and going my own direction with
it.  Lately, I've gotten a ton of rather...odd...mail asking me why I'm not
following standard EVA canon.  To those, I answer: maybe because this isn't
a standard EVA fic?  I think the first chapter alone would have clued that
in.  And just for that, I'm going to go even in a more bizarre direction
now, so there! ^_^  Fasten your seatbelts and enjoy the ride.

Some of you may have noticed varied differences in the way that NERV and DOD
talk about EVA-related materials, such as pilot plug vs. spinal cockpit,
plug suit vs. biosuit, Children vs. Pilot Candidates.  There's a reason for
that, and it has to do with the fact that different nations have different
ways of referring to things.  For example, an OPS room aboard an Australian
warship is the CIC on a US warship; a Brigadier General in the US Army may
just simply be a Brigadier in another army.

The events described in Yui's Diary are from the upcoming ETB sidestory
Equinox, which will be written as soon as I can get around to it, or find a
willing victim, er...writer willing to do it.  ^_^;;;

For those of you who keep track of the RCAF, neither RCAF Cotter's Pond nor
McClannehey Proving Grounds exist.  I couldn't find actual Canadian military
facilities that met my needs, so just like the fictional NAVSTA Joshua Tree,
I made it up.  If there's anyone in Canada who could/would like to input
some other information (especially those in the Canadian Defence Forces),
I'm all ears.

Kudos to you if you can guess the meaning behind Raven's shirt. ^_-
Neon Genesis Evangelion:
The Bond

By Rob Barba
Series initiated by James Lee
Neon Genesis Evangelion is copyright Gainax and ADV

Part Four:
Communion

Dear Diary,
    I'm home, now, finally.  Kamisama, I was so afraid that they were going
to kill me.  Fu-chan's still in the hospital, and the doctors don't know if
she'll be able to walk again, unless she gets those new cyborg legs.
Tomorrow I'll have to attend the funeral of several of my friends who were
killed in the blast.  Then, as soon as that's over, I have to talk to the
lawyers about preparing for the upcoming trial.  I'm afraid to do this.  I'm
afraid to face Lorenz again.
    I know that I wouldn't even be alive if it wasn't for Aunt Rei.  I never
knew that she could be like how I saw her when she came in.  Dressed in
cammies, holding her AT beam rifle and flanked by both Colonel Suzuhara
Hikari and Aunt Rei's entire team of EVAs, she came in on foot and demanded
that the Equinox group release me or she'd raze the entire compound, then
start hunting everything that was dear to them...which what I figure, wasn't
much.  To prove her point, she shot and killed the two guards holding me,
without even so much as blinking, then trained her gun on Lorenz, Dr, Akagi,
and that man who...ugh, I still shiver when I think about it.  I was afraid
that I was going to die, but at the same time, I couldn't stop my pride at
the fact that Aunt Rei was willing to throw away her career and all to save
me.  She hijacked her entire EVA unit, and 12 EVAs went "renegade", looking
for me.
    Of course, it helped that she had some friends--even if she didn't know
that Colonel Suzuhara had informed the others.  General Katsuragi, once she
found out what was happening, declared the whole thing a military operation,
putting the Government Criminal Investigations Directorate in their place.
Additionally, when Admiral Chapel found out what was going on in her area of
operations, she placed every military unit on alert, scouring high and
low...and intentionally looking inept.  To aid in the distraction, Colonel
Suzuhara's husband, Colonel Suzuhara Toji, took his EVA battalion and staged
a diversionary raid on an Equinox compound in a small town called Waco, in
the Texas district.  And all of it was meant to mask the real action as Aunt
Rei and her group fought in the jungles of Africa, just to find me.
    When it was all over, it was all explained that it had been an operation
designed to save the life of the daughter of two of the world's most famous
war heroes.  The GCID, smarting from the blow of being outwitted by the
military, had to lick their chops from the action.  General Katsuragi issued
medals of valor to all those involved with the rescue, but Aunt Rei declined
hers, saying that, in her own words, "having yui home is all the reward i
will ever want or need."  That's Aunt Rei for ya: dedicated to her combat
skills and honest and sincere.
    Well, gotta go visit Fu-chan in the hospital.  Someone's gotta cheer her
up!

Mata ne,
Ikari Yui Langley

<(*)>

NAVSTA Joshua Tree, Los Angeles-2, NV, US
Captain's Office

    <<Hmmm.  I don't approve of what you've done, Captain Ayers,>> a gruff
voice said on the other side.  The video screen, via a teleconference call
from the burgeoning, relatively new NERV Branch-3 in Berlin, showed the face
of the man in charge of the NERV organization.  And that face radiated
annoyance at having to be bothered with this issue.
    "And I don't give a damn what you think, Ikari!" CAPT Ayers snarled into
the transmission pickup.  "That was my call, and my call alone.  I was given
discretion on disposal of the Autospine wetware, and I did as I saw fit."
    Gendo pushed his glasses back onto his face, where they'd been slipping.
Switching to a soften tone, he said, <<Look, Pamela....>>
    "Don't give me any of that 'Look, Pamela,' shit, Gendo!" Ayers snapped.
"Don't think you can browbeat me into submission.  *You* may be in charge of
NERV, but *I* am in charge of US involvement in the project.  If you so much
as give me any crap, I'll pull the plug on this and scrap those precious
EVAs of yours.  DOD is still well ahead on our TCM project, and it won't
take much to switch to that."  Her eyes radiated sharp anger as she said in
a hiss, "You are to leave the unit alone, do you hear me?"
    Gendo knew she was bluffing; his information had indicated that the
American Transformable Combat Mecha project--jokingly labeled by the media
as the "Robotech defense system"--was like the French Lancelot mecha
project.  That is, it was an over-budgeted disaster and as slow and plodding
as any American government project was.  Still, Gendo knew that when
cornered, the US military historically had a bad habit of pulling rabbits
out of their hat.  He still needed their cooperation if what he planned was
to succeed.  <<Very well, Pamela.  You win this round.  But don't test my
patience again.>>  With nothing further to add, he cut the line, something
which Ayers felt she could live with--she hated talking to the bastard,
anyway.
    Ayers leaned on the table, drained.  She'd spent the longest time trying
to ensure that something like this wasn't going to occur, and that had blown
up in her face.  Well, she'd just have to switch tactics.  Bad enough that
she didn't really trust Ikari or his right hand man, but there was something
about him that automatically told you that he might not be on the level.
Ayers knew better--she *knew* he wasn't on the level.   She just had to keep
the status quo going until she could find a way to trip him up.


    Enough of that, though.  There were other things to worry about.
Tapping a button on the control panel, she said, "CIC, this is Captain
Ayers.  Put the Officer of the Deck on, please."
    A voice answered a couple of seconds later.  <<OOD, Cap'n.  What can I
do for you this evening?>>
    "What's the status of air operations?"  Three aircraft had left Edwards
about ninety minutes ago, bound for New Vancouver.  The reason was simple:
DEFCON 1 conditions had been detected at the McClannehey Proving Grounds.  A
NATO operation, the facility was the world's largest supplier of N2-class
ordnance.  Without that, a huge portion of the arsenal humanity had against
the Angels would be rendered useless.  No way in hell that was going to
happen.
    <<Give me a few to get in contact with Edwards Control, ma'am,>> the OOD
replied.  Ayers waited for a few minutes before the OOD was on again.
<<Just got off the horn with EdCon.  Angelic Rapier flight will be landing
at RCAF Cotter's Pond in five minutes.>>  That group of aircraft was the US
EVA team, racing to defend the Canadian munitions plant from destruction.
<<Exodus Wanderers 25 and 26 are approaching Alpha point, and will pass
zenith in the next twenty minutes.>>  The sole C-37 Dragonwing was carrying
its payload, the damaged Unit 03, to its intended repair facility at
Tokyo-3's Geofront complex.  Following close behind it was a small C-27D
Tempest, a lear-jet like passenger unit that was carrying the Candidate
pilot and support staff.
    "And what of Tembatsu Shinden flight?"
    <<EdCon reports they've just left New Yokota.  JASDF FX-1s will be
escorting as far as their range; after which fighters from the REAGAN will
handle the second leg.  Once they approach Canadian airspace, Cotter's Pond
will have their Eurofighters finish up the job.>>  Even more important than
Angelic Rapier flight, the four aircraft that comprised the flight leaving
Japan was the entirety of the Japanese EVA team.  More experienced than the
US team, it would be up to them to provide backup.
    "And conventional forces?"
    <<Dunno about that, ma'am.  I'll have the Duty Intel Officer report to
you with that information.  Will there be anything else, ma'am?>>
    "No," she sighed.  "Carry on."
    <<Aye, ma'am,>> he dutifully replied before breaking the connection.
    Once he did, Ayers sat in her office, staring at the paperwork, which
she soon ignored.  Her eyes wandering, they eventually fell on a picture of
her and Raven after the latter's graduation from Officer Candidate School.
That had only been about four months ago.  ((She's just a child, my little
girl.))
    Ayers idly recalled that she'd heard once that a member of the Japanese
team was Ikari's own son, pressed into the duty against his will.  Well, so
was Raven, and Ayers hadn't given her much choice in what she wanted out of
her own life.  ((After this war is over,)) Ayers vowed, ((I'm going to
support whatever Raven wants for her future.  I don't care what it is.  As
long as she's happy, I'm happy for her.))  The Commanding Officer of Naval
Station Joshua Tree and Commander of NERV Branch-2 vowed that she would
never become as cruel and heartless towards her own daughter as Ikari was
apparently towards his own son.
    The fear for her, though, was obvious: ((what if I already am?))

<(*)>

JASDF C-17D Galaxy, codename Tembatsu Shinden 01
Somewhere over the Pacific Ocean near Kamchatka Island, Russia

    Racing into the darkness of the eastern night lumbered a bulky, C-145D
Galaxy IV cargo plane.  Usually used for the transporting of troops or
armament, today, it carried a much smaller group of military personnel and a
far more different array of technology than it had ever done before.  As a
result of this modification, the plane did not bear the drab olive green
color scheme of the JASDF, but instead a blinding white, black, and red
schematic that was clearly identifiable as an aircraft assigned to NERV.
    Behind the whale-shaped prop plane were the black arrowhead shapes of
the C-37 Dragonwings, each carrying one of the precious EVAs strapped under
it.  Darting around the four great craft were the sleek predatory shapes of
two full squadrons of combat aircraft; the Japanese FX-1s were at the edge
of their range and making ready to turn around, even as behind them a
squadron of heavily-armed US Navy F-23s, which would run escort right up to
Canadian airspace.  In the waning light, the four huge cargo craft seemed to
lumber along with a sort of unconcerned air, even as the two teams of
fighters performed flight position replacements.  After a few minutes, as
the group reached the International Date Line, the fighter switch had
commenced, and the Japanese sped towards home under the protection of
Russian MiG-I2000s that came by to assist.


    Within the passenger section of the modified cargo craft, most of the
team was asleep in the rather uncomfortable, utilitarian seats that were on
the aged cargo plane as it sped towards the North American continent.
    Most.
    Seated at the center conference table in the passenger section, three
lone souls were in a sort of bonding that all military members had done from
time to time.  Though NERV was more a paramilitary organization than an
actual army, this still didn't remove itself from the traditional
camaraderie that people in those situations shared.  Two men and a woman sat
at the table, the two gentlemen looking rather uncomfortable in the soft
gray uniform of NERV's pilot corps, while the slightly older woman seemed a
bit more relaxed wearing the red of NERV operations staff.  In seats nearby,
a few more people were asleep, wearing either pilot gray, or the tan that
was the mark of NERV technical personnel.


    "Okay," Toji said, setting down his cards.  His steely gave never
wavered as he took two cards from the dealer, but he relented for a second
or two as he added, "I just don't get it, Shinji old pal.  You're supposed
to be lousy at this, man!  The last time we played poker, you couldn't win
to save your life, and now you've won the past two out of four hands!  What
the hell happened?"
    Misato yawned, then looked around for a beer.  When realizing one was
not available on the military flight, she muttered, "Don't look at me.  I
haven't taught him anything."  Her own glance unreadable, she simply looked
at her cards and said, "I'm out."  She dropped her hand down, a rather
anemic one at that.
    At the third end of the makeshift table, Shinji said nothing, but
inclined his head in the direction of his bondmate, asleep in a chair on the
other side of the passenger cabin.  The look on his face was not the typical
poker face, but a warm, caring glance as he thought about her.
    Misato saw that look.  "Shinji, I--"
    "We're being careful, Misato," Shinji answered, as he pushed a few more
yen into the sizable pile in the center of the table.  "She and I have
already agreed to go slowly.  Very slowly."
    The older woman nodded agreement.  "I'm glad you did.  The situation you
two are in is very dangerous, for more than one reason.  We can't afford you
two to slip up on that."  She grinned wolfishly and said, "Maybe when all
this is over, then you can.  But I'd rather you two behaved yourselves until
then."  At Shinji's slight blush, Misato commented cattily, "Or have you two
already been experimenting?"
    *"NO!"* Shinji cried, a little more loudly than he intended to.  *"No
way!  I'd never!"*

    On her end of the cabin, a young girl twitched in her passenger seat,
sleeping peacefully.  Turning slightly, she half-murmured, half-cooed, "Oh,
that feels *grrrrreeeaaat*, Shinji-kun...." and crawled into a fetal ball.
    Misato gave Shinji a knowing look, while Toji merely snickered.  Shinji,
on the other hand, went pale as a sheet, the card game forgotten.  If the
trio could have seen Asuka's face, they would have seen a mischievous grin
on the face of the sleeping young woman.

    Shinji, his composure lost, grunted, "Aw hell.  I fold.  You win, Toji."
Shinji tossed down his hand in disgust, his set of cards far better than
what Toji held.  As the newer EVA pilot scooped up the pot, Shinji
commented, "We should call this game quits, anyway.  We should get some
sleep before we arrive in Canada tomorrow."
    "Personally, I can't sleep--I'm just too primed for what we're about to
do," Toji said.  "I mean, getting to visit another country an' all...."
   Misato retorted softly, "Sometimes visiting other places doesn't work out
the way you want it to...."  Her voice was distant, and the look in her eyes
hinted that she was looking at a horizon beyond the metal confines of the
aircraft hull.  Unconsciously, her hand crept up to her chest and the cross
that she wore around her neck.  "No, sometimes it doesn't...."
   Shinji, not wanting to disturb his mentor, tapped Toji on the back and
commented, "C'mon, let's hit the simulators.  You still need the practice."
Toji complied eagerly, as the simulators onboard the craft were designed
more for practical application of movements and protocols than the actual
synch ratios.  In short, they were overly expensive videogames.  Quietly,
the pair headed towards the access ladderway, leaving Misato to her
bittersweet memories.

   The plane rushed on towards the lands in the east, towards a
conflagration that could spell the end of humanity.

<(*)>

RCAF Cotter's Pond, BC, Canada
Visiting Officers' Quarters, Fifth Floor

    "I said, leave me alone, Raven," a voice said, quiet and packed with a
slow-burning anger.
    "Look, Carter, what can I say to tell you that I'm sorry, okay?" Raven
retorted, her own anger growing by the minute.
    *"I don't give a damn what you were planning to say.  I just want you to
leave me the hell alone!"* the young man snapped, his tolerance limit
clearly reached.
    *"FINE, THEN!  I DON'T KNOW WHY I BOTHERED TO TRY TO MAKE IT UP TO
YOU!"* she snarled, turning to stomp away from the idiot who she was trying
to--


    "All right you two, that's enough!" Kendra sniped as she opened the door
to her room and glared at the two in the hall.  The pair looked pretty
ridiculous, with Carter still dressed in his working khakis, while Raven was
dressed in her favorite PT getup--a set of red too-short shorts and a very
tight black tank top that read !3M TA3.  Around her neck was a white gym
towel, and her SDMI player, the headphones set entirely too loud as usual.
At first, the scene looked like a pair of high school brats arguing in the
hall; only the rank pins and decorations of Carter's uniform and Raven's
green smart ID card slung around her neck gave any indicator that they were
anything but.
    "Look," the older woman said, "I know you two aren't exactly going to
get along with each other for a while--"  If ever, Kendra silently admitted;
ENS Raven Ayers had a lot to make up for her tragedy-borne stupidity the
previous day, "--but may I take the time to remind you two of a few things.
One, despite your age, you two are US military officers in a foreign
country, and you need to act like good ambassadors of American goodwi--"
    Raven yawned at what she felt was the bullshit typical line.  "Yeah,
yeah, Kendra--we hafta be good little zeros," she muttered, deliberately
using the enlisted insult towards officers.  "So you want us to be
well-behaved little squidlings and skip the Tailhook convention.  You were
saying?"
    "--and two," Kendra continued without skipping a beat, "if you two do
not stop this childish display right here and now, I'll see to it that you
two will personally handwash your EVA units for the next two months using
nothing but paper towels!  Do you get my message?"
    Carter feebly nodded, while Raven's eyes narrowed in slits of anger.
Eventually, she too, nodded in understanding.
    "All right then.  Now don't forget that tomorrow morning I want you two
prepped and ready to meet your Japanese counterparts.  And please, try not
to embarrass the entire U.S. military this time?"  Nothing more to add,
Kendra shut the door and went back to whatever she'd been doing.
    Carter looked at Raven, his face still filled with an unforgiving look,
and now added with this latest insult.  Saying nothing more, he headed back
to his own room.
     Raven stood alone in the middle of the hall, unable to vent whatever
emotions were roiling inside her.  Grunting an epithet, she declared, "The
hell with them--you'd think they'd rather see me dead than the Mouse."  In
her mind, she added, ((An' I don't blame them.  Maybe I *shoulda* died
instead of Wendy.))  Unsure of what to do next or how to express the pain
she held, she went back to her original plan and headed towards the base
gym, where she would likely force the anger out through some sort of
exercise.
    She doubted it, though.

<(*)>

Von Weisstrausse Casern, Berlin, Germany
SEELE/NERV-3 Conference Room 4A

    Keel Lorenz stared that the flat panel display that gave him the
readings on the most recent Angel attack.  The look on his face was a study
in desperation in trying to keep calm.  Vaguely looking around the table, he
saw the same things as others did: complete and utter amazement.  The secret
Dead Sea Scrolls, the remaining documents that had not been translated over
the years, were to have given the complete plan on how to deal with the real
days of Revelations, not that trippy prose that was at the end of the Bible.
Using that set of ancient leather, it was meant to detail the correct way to
deal with the Angels.
    Well, the time of Revelations was at hand, and here they were, reading
the scrolls, which had turned out to be frighteningly accurate.  From the
point of the Second Impact, straight through to the defeat of the Sixth
Angel, things had been alarmingly real, as though the documents were nothing
but a script to a play already written.
    That changed with the appearance of the seventh Angel, the one
code-named Maruiel.  The scrolls had spoken of a twinned creature to be
code-named Israfel, described as:

"A beast that doth be a mockery of the form of man, a homunculus that shall
cleave itself in twain when approached by adversity unto itself...."

With such an expectation on hand, not one had been expecting anything else.
And since the Angels had shown an inclination to attacking the stronghold in
Tokyo-3 since the Third Angel, all had been going according to plan.


    Well, the appearance of the torus-shaped Angel blew everything out of
the water, for now and forever.  And here was SEELE, in their stronghold in
NERV-3, attempting to deal with it.  Strange things were being reported from
all corners of the globe now, and by all appearances, the bizarre events
that were recorded at the end of the Bible were seeing to come true.  From
fishes that had been dying in droves off the coast of the Island of Hawaii,
where the seas were said to be boiling, to the inexplicable discoloration of
the nighttime sky, creating the moon that was as red as blood.  Events of
the Revelation were now occurring on Earth, along with the Kabbalic
mysteries of this war which some wags in the know were beginning to call
"The War of Ascension".
    But every battle had to have some sort of OPLAN, something to go by.
And if that was the case, what was the true document to reference?  The
Secret Dead Sea Scrolls, which had now been proven to be not as
authoritative as they'd expected; the Book of Revelations, which was by far
and away was thought to be completely off-base, but now was beginning to
show signs that it had been accurate to some degree, after all; or some
incomprehensible combination of the two, joined in a manner so twisted that
humankind would fail in its understanding of the whole issue?
    ((Perhaps, the answer wasn't even found in any Judeo-Christian-Islamic
tome,)) he thought.  ((Maybe the answer is in Hinduism, or in Shinto
legends.  Maybe even in Zoroasterism or something even more obscure.  Maybe
even it is up to us to create the answer for ourselves, though I cannot be
too sure of that.))
    Lorenz looked across the table at Ikari, and noticed that for once,
something was different about him.  Although his face was the usual stoicism
of complete control, for once there also seemed to be an aura of chaos
around him, an element that hinted that something was no longer in control.
Lorenz wondered what that might be, and decided he would take action on it
later.  Perhaps it might be the key to controlling the uncontrollable Ikari
Gendo.

<(*)>

RCAF Cotter's Pond, BC, Canada
Runway 01

    Standing in the shelter of a nearby hangar, the members of the US Joint
Mechanized Strike Force, awaiting their counterparts from NERV HQ.  It was a
dour-looking day, and though it wasn't likely to rain today, the iron color
of the overcast sky made things uncomfortably chilly for this time of year;
enough so to require the three to wear jackets today.  While Kendra was
currently wearing her basic working khakis, the two pilots had opted for
their biosuits, wearing their bomber jackets over them.
    Wearing the drab olive gray of his biosuit, Carter felt uncomfortable.
He, like so many of the other pilots he'd known, tended to lean towards
superstition.  One of those superstitions for him was that every time he
slipped on his pilot gear, he'd end up fighting fairly soon.  Although,
until the events of the other day back in LA-2, the only fighting he did per
se was to arrive on the scene moments after an Angel had vaped it and moved
on.  It was inexplicable, but afterwards, they were drawn to Tokyo-3 like
flies.  Personally, he wished they had stayed there.
    Raven, in her dark blue version of the biosuit, tried to concentrate on
the situation at hand, even though she felt dam uncomfortable.  Neither
Kendra nor Carter had forgiven her for the Mouse's death, and truth be told,
neither had she.  ((Fuck this shit, Rave.  All you have to do is to get out
of this alive, show up the damn Japanese, and get Carter off your ass.
Maybe if we can beat these damn Angels, I can score me an upgrade to JG or
something.))


    Watching the aircraft slowly coming in, under escort by Canadian
fighters, made the whole scene look like an ominous invasion from beyond.
An irony, Kendra realized; these forces were here to prevent said invasion
from beyond.  One of the most critical battles in humanity's history was
likely to take place several miles northeast of the base at the nearby
McClannehey Proving Grounds, and the line was being held by some of the
world's most courageous fighting forces.  But the tip of the spear, as
military clich�s went, was in the hands of a bunch of kids who should be
thinking more about the trials and tribulations of teenhood.
    Only five minutes late, the C-145D Galaxy IV came in for a landing with
all the grace of a beached whale.  Kendra, a fighter jock herself, laughed;
she never could imagine herself flying one of those tubby bastards.  ((The
Dragonwings, on the other hand...)) she mused as the C-37s moved into a
stationary position and cut their main engines in favor of the VTOL nozzles.
The three black aircraft descended slowly, lowering their payload onto the
massive flatbeds that would make the transfer to the hangar currently
reserved for the Japanese EVA team.  Meanwhile, the Canadian fighter
squadron, satisfied their job was done, winged away from the runway and
bolted off in the direction of their base, several more miles away.
    After a few minutes of taxiing to their assigned parking spot and
shutting down the flight systems, the great door on the back of the plane
rolled down, and out of the plane boiled various techs and support
personnel, carrying off equipment and other materials necessary for the EVA
units to do their job.  Last to come out of the plane was a mid-sized group
of people: one wearing the red uniform of NERV operations, a couple wearing
the tan of technical, and four teens wearing the muted gray of aviation.
The group began to walk towards the Americans, and Kendra, her charges in
tow, did the same.


    The two groups met in the middle.  Misato spoke first, her English being
better than the others, and to assure the Americans there would hopefully be
no language problems.  "LT Chapel, I presume?"  Misato didn't bother to
salute; the less protocol on the ground at the moment, the better, and from
what she read of the briefing of this officer, she was pretty much
accustomed to ignoring the rules as well.
    "That's correct, major.  LT Kendra Chapel, USN, OPS Officer for US
JMECHSTKFOR and NERV-2.  And these are my pilots, Ensign Kaoru C. Nagisa,
pilot for Unit 05--"
    "Just call me Carter," the boy said, offering his hand.  "Always
preferred my middle name, anyway."
    "--and Ensign Raven Ayers, Unit 04's pilot."
    "How the hell are ya?" Raven said in her usual brash tones, putting her
hand out and knowing that it would probably set the staid Japanese on their
ear.  Instead, she found herself being stared at, as though she was some
sort of freakshow on display.  She was about to give a big WTFO, but a
second later, she found out why.  And suddenly she felt like a sort of
freakshow on display.


    The Japanese team could only stare in wonder at the strange sight before
them.  Not the rather normal looking gray-haired, red-eyed boy in the olive
green odd American plug suit; but rather, his companion.  The girl with the
brash attitude, and bright, cheerfully daunting eyes.
    A girl that, with the exception of the long hair, was a complete match
for Rei, in terms of looks.  Even more jarring, the girl had a personality
that made pre-bonding Asuka look like pre-bonding Shinji--and that was
saying a mouthful.  Still, professionalism was professionalism, so Misato
shook off the surprise and said, "Well, a pleasure to meet you all.  As
you've already figured out, I'm Major Misato Katsuragi, and to my side is
our EVA pilots, Second Lts. Shini Ikari, Asuka Langley-Sohryu, Rei Ayanami,
and Toji Suzuhara, the EVA pilots for Units 01, 00, and 02."
    "Four pilots for three units?" Kendra asked, the same thing on her mind
as on Misato's: ((where the hell did you dig up a person that looks like a
twin of my pilot?))
    "Unit 01 is a dual pilot plug," Misato explained.  "Shinji and Asuka
are, um, gifted."
    "Well, they definitely seem to work well together," Kendra added, noting
that the two were holding hands.
    "That they do," Misato added, perspiration coming to her brow, her hand
waving frantically while she held it down, trying to signal for them to quit
it; she didn't dare turn around to tell them.  "And they make up a vital
component of our team.  Speaking of components, I thought that you were
supposed to have a full complement of pilots as well."
    Kendra bristled at that; she brushed it off, though, writing it off as
military brusqueness and not an attempt to be insensitive to their recent
loss.  "After the death of Second Lt. Del Vientos, we've had to scramble to
get a new pilot for Unit 03 while it's being repaired over at your
facilities.  To speed up the training process, we've sent our next candidate
over there to see if she'll cut it.  If not, NERV-1 will supply the pilot
for Unit 03.  Other than that, my current pilots will have to suffice for
this operation.  They may not have the experience that your forces have, but
they're highly trained officers despite their ages, just as yours are."
    "Never doubted it for a moment, LT Chapel.  You have our condolences on
the loss of your teammate."
    "Thank you, Major.  Well, I'm sure that you'd all like to settle in, and
my team still has a few more things to attend to.  I'll have some of the
base staff show you to your quarters, and give you a couple of hours to get
settled until we all meet at the briefing this morning."  Kendra signaled,
and a couple of Canadian airmen came by to assist the Japanese team with
things.  "Be seeing you, Major Katsuragi."


    "that girl looked like me," was all Rei said when the Americans had
walked off.
    "That was kinda creepy," Asuka admitted.  "That American pilot was a
dead ringer for Wonder Girl here, except *she* had a personality."
    "The Wonder Kid with a personality," Shinji mused.  "Now that has to be
a really frightening thought.  Hey, whaddaya think, Toji?"
    "I'm trying not to," he admitted.  "I found it too mindwarping a
concept."
    The three other pilots had a hearty laugh about this while the pilot of
Unit 00 simply stood there and watched as the girl who looked exactly like
her walked into a nearby building.  ((strange...she looked exactly like me.
but she acted differently than i do.  could she be another me?))  She had to
admit it was possible.  It also had another effect on her: the curiosity
that if it was true, was she really capable of acting like that?
    Meanwhile, Misato, having finished giving directions to the assistants,
rounded up her charges and said, "Okay, you guys, let's get settled in and
relaxed, and then we'll figure out what's going on.  Oh, and Shinji and
Asuka, may I remind you about a little thing called military protocol?  As
in: no holding hands while in *uniform*?!?!?!"
    Asuka shook her head in dismay while Shinji snarled, "Okay, then I'll
just have to forget about that little incident with Major Hamayata last
week, right?"
    Misato eeped.  "Yo-you know about that?"
    Shinji gave her a nasty grin.  "Misato, I consider you like family, so
I'm not going to discuss details.  Especially the part about your secondary
scar from the Second Impact.  You know, the smaller one down by your--"
    "You wouldn't dare," she commented, in a tone that was half-warning,
half-shock.
    Asuka smirked.  "Misato, I think that we pilots would like some time to
relax and look around the base before we get settled in.  Please be a dear
guardian and let us?"
    The older woman wasn't expecting the change in tone.  "Er, Why?"
    "Because you think dearly of me and Shinji-kun, and you think well of
Toji and Rei, too."  Her tones clipped back to catty as she added, "And
because I think you'd rather that I didn't tell, oh, say, Kaji about a
certain dream you had the other night?"
    Misato's eyes bugged so wide at those words, Toji swore that she almost
looked like an anime character.  Feeling sick to her stomach, she moaned, "I
guess we...could use the downtime.  I'll contact LT Chapel and ask her to
reschedule the meeting for later."
    In a saccharine-sweet voice, Asuka said, "Thanks, Misato!" while Shinji
had the same self-satisfied smirk on his face that seemed to say, "You're
the greatest, Misato!"  The NERV officer merely looked at them with an ashen
glance before wandering off, muttering, "I really could use a beer right
now...."
    As she walked off, Toji looked at the pair, who merely gave each other
knowing looks of satisfaction.  "I'd really like to know how you two know
about things like that.  It might come in handy someday."
    Asuka smiled cattily.  "It's called being a total bitch, Suzuhara.  You
should try it sometime."
    Toji turned to the male half of the Dastardly Duo.  "Okay, then, so
what's your excuse?"
    In a disaffected tone, Shinji yawned a sort of answer: "I dunno.  Being
an alpha male or something like that?"
    "What?  I don't get it."
    "We thought so."  Patting his friend on the back, Shinji said, "Well,
shall we go enjoy our time off?"


    Raven turned the corner and counted to ten before cutting loose with her
tongue.  Frankly, it was the longest the girl was known to have kept her
temper.  *"WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?!?!?!?!"*
    Kendra gave Raven a helpless shrug.  "That's what I'd like to know."
    Carter gave her a wolfish grin.  "Maybe the Japanese cloned a new and
improved model.  Notice how nice, quiet and unassuming she was?"
    Raven responded to that flattering bit of information by turning and
flipping off her teammate.  "Sit and spin, cheese dick!"
    "Guys, knock it off," Kendra warned.  She was already still spinning
from the sudden appearance of another Raven.  This was only adding fuel to
the fire.
    Of course, her pleas went unnoticed by the two combatants.  "Go to hell,
Raven!" he snarled.
    Raven's fists balled in anger.  "You'd better check your six, pretty
boy, or I swear that I'll--"
    *"OR ELSE YOU'LL DO WHAT, RAVEN?!?!?!"*  Carter, unable to hold in his
anger, exploded with a fury that no one had ever seen in him before.
Getting right up to her face, he roared, *"WHAT, YOU'LL GET ME KILLED TOO,
JUST LIKE WENDY?  GOOD FUCKING GOING THAT'LL BE, YOU GODDAMN SCREWUP!!!!!
MAYBE THAT'S WHY THE JAPANESE ARE BUILDING BETTER YOUS!!!!!  SO WE CAN GET A
COPY THAT'S NOT SOME MENTALLY DERANGED LOOSE CANNON!!!"*
     *"I AM NOT A CLONE, YOU FUCKHEAD!!!!!!  IT HAS GOT TO BE A
COINCIDENCE!!!!!!!"*  Raven instinctively drew back to punch him; it was a
tactic that usually worked with other guys, and Carter here was no
different.  What stopped her were his words, as they sank in.  ((My God...is
that what they think of me?))  If she could have seen herself in a mirror,
she would have noticed that she went completely ashen, and between her
blanched face, pale blue hair and red eyes, she appeared very much like an
albino.  As though not even under her control, her hands dropped limply to
the side for a second before she whispered in a shaky voice, "No...that's
not true...that's not true and you know it!"  For reasons she couldn't
explain, she found herself covering her ears, trying to block out the hated
words that she feared were the ring of truth.  "Leave me alone!" she cried,
not realizing the irony in saying the words that he'd said to her last
night.
    *"KNOCK IT OFF, ENSIGNS!!!!!"* Kendra screamed at the top of her lungs,
trying to get some semblance of calm.  *"THAT'S A DIRECT ORDER, YOU
TWO!!!!!"*  Unfortunately, her attempt to restore military discipline was
failing, and badly.  ((Gods, the *last* thing I need is for base security to
show up and toss these two in the brig, but I'm tempted to toss them in
there, myself!))
    Unaware of Kendra's thoughts, Carter continued to bear his soul.
*"BULLSHIT!!!!!  I'VE HELD MY TONGUE LONG ENOUGH, RAVEN!!!!  I'M SO SICK OF
YOUR FUCKING ANTICS!!!  I'M SICK OF YOU PICKING ON WENDY BEFORE SHE DIED,
AND ME!!!!!  I'M SICK OF HEARING HOW HOT SHIT YOU THINK YOU ARE!!!!  I'VE
HAD IT UP TO HERE AND I'M NOT GOING TO PUT UP WITH IT ONE MORE FUCKING
MOMENT!!!!  I WISH YOU WOULD JUST GO TO HELL AND STAY THERE!!!!!!"*
    Something beyond the edge of control snapped within Raven, and as her
eyes became twin daggers of pain and rage.  *"I.  SAID.  LEAVE.  ME.
ALONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"* she finally bellowed with the voice of a woman at her
edge, cocking her fist back to beat the hell out of Carter, and to hell with
what base security did to her.  She was fast enough that neither Carter nor
Kendra would be able to stop her at least for the first volley of punches,
and for her, that would be more than enough.


    "please, do not punch him," a nearly whispered, very soft voice said in
accented, halting English.  The three turned around to see one of the
Japanese pilots staring at them; specifically the one that looked like
Raven--what was her name?  Ah, yes--Rei Ayakawa or something like that.
    Raven turned to face the apparent doppelganger.  "Just what is it to you
if I spill his guts all over the deck, huh?"
    "i would rather you didn't," Rei responded.  "i don't like red."  She
said in such a plain-matter-of-fact tone, that all the rage drained out of
Raven as complete confusion dawned on her features.
    "Oh, so you don't like blood, huh?" Raven snarled.  "Then why the hell
are you an EVA jo--"  The girl's train of thought was instantly halted as
the two made eye contact.  Red eyes met red eyes, identical faces framed in
same-hued hair, as though a fractured image of Gemini had been brought into
the third dimension.  Rei was the first to break eye contact, and Raven's
fists fell to her side, as though useless and spent without even performing
the task they were summoned for.
    Seeing her job was done, she murmured a "thank you," then walked down
the hall, as though nothing had happened.
    The three watched the girl walk down the hall, eventually turning a
corner and disappearing from sight.  When she was gone, Kendra, no longer
livid but now completely lost, said, "I hate to say it, you two, but that
girl is creepy."  Turning to look at Raven, she noted the girl herself was
beginning to shake, as though suddenly struck by palsy.
    Carter noticed it, too.  Putting aside his hatred of her for the concern
of a teammate, he asked, "Hey, Ayers, you okay?"
    Raven never answered, as she was too busy trying to control herself from
what she saw in the other's eyes.  ((I saw death in her eyes.  Countless
deaths.  All of them hers.

    ((All of them, mine.))

<(*)>

    A couple hours later the meeting was held, sans the pilots.  In light of
Asuka's personal desire for them to be left alone for the rest of the day,
Misato contacted Kendra and suggested the change.  Kendra, still embarrassed
about the aftermath of Raven's outright warfare in the halls and the sudden
halting of it by the Japanese ghost girl (as Raven was naming her), was only
too quick to agree.  Kendra made a few more calls to various other officers
involved, rescheduling for the next day.
    The pair met in the O-Club's coffee shop, both having deemed it still a
bit too early to drink.  This decision lasted all of two seconds, and
eventually the two found themselves in the O-Club's wet bar, downing
Mooseheads by the dozens.  Much more warmed up, they chatted about many
things and got to know one another, both palpably shying away from the
Rei/Raven issue.  They did discuss the other pilots though, and how they
would integrate the two pilot groups.
    Leaning over her twelfth beer (having settled on twelve as a nice,
reasonable number after she passed the twenties), Kendra slurred, "So...ya
zink we shud haf tha tu gruups of pi-pi...jockeys sit down amongst
themselves?"
    Misato dizzily nodded.  "Haaaiiiiiiiiiii!" she said, her voice slurred.
    "Hi t' yu to," Karen replied.  "Soooooooooooo...we star' t'mrrow?"
    Misato nodded, unsure of how to answer that.  In turn, Kendra bobbed her
head vigorously in a reasonable attempt at a nod, but instead ended up
banging her head on the table, knocking herself out.
    Misato gave the unconscious American a wide, stupid grin and mumbled, "I
think this 's gunna be th' start ov a bea...beau...great friendship."  No
further philosophical points to add, she passed out as well in an
alcohol-induced sign of solidarity.

<(*)>

JASDF Airbase New Atsugi, Japan
Runway 7

    The officer, resplendent in her class "C" uniform, gave Ritsuko a sharp
military salute.  "Reporting as ordered, Major Akagi."  She then slipped
into parade rest, her seabag standing also at military height.
    Looking at the briefing sheet, Ritsuko said, "Dr. Akagi is fine--I
rarely use my rank."  Ritsuko tore her eyes away from the file, and looked
at the American pilot.  Despite having spent all those hours in transit,
you'd never know just by looking at the military bearing the girl, a US
Marine, had.  ((To paraphrase Misato,)) Ritsuko thought, ((the girl looks
like a poster child for Heavy Armament.))  Despite having a slight build no
bulkier than say, Asuka, the girl's eyes had the look of a calculating
beast--the very look, the scientist noted, that American Marines were known
all over the world for.
    Ritsuko had to admit, the US branch of NERV was a lot more prepared for
war than the Japanese branch was...if only because it was run by the US
military, vice the private organization that Japan's NERV was.  If it
weren't for the fact that Tokyo-3 saw a hell of a lot more action than any
of the other places in the world, they simply wouldn't have the level of
readiness that the Geofront currently enjoyed...if enjoyed would be such a
term to be used in the situation.
    "Well," Ritsuko said, looking at the girl's single gold bars on her
uniform and trying to remember the rank, "Lieutenant, you'll be
participating in synchronized tests with our own candidate.  If you succeed,
you will become the new pilot for Unit 03, once we make the repairs to it.
If not, our pilot will take over, and you will likely be assigned to support
and intelligence, where your secondary specialty lies, okay?"
    The Marine slipped from parade rest into attention.  "Yes, Doctor."  She
slipped right back into parade attention, and Ritsuko stifled a groan.
    ((Great.  I'm stuck with this one until Misato gets back.  Oh well....))
"Okay, then, Lieutenant, you've been issued an apartment on this address.
You'll be living next door to the other pilot, so it might behoove you to
get to know each other."  Ritsuko handed the girl a slip of paper, then
waved her hand to signal a few JASDF airmen to escort the Marine.  "Report
for duty at eight, okay?"
    "Aye-aye, ma'am!"  Another salute was thrown in the direction of
Ritsuko, and the Marine, escorted by the two airmen, went off towards the
nearest car.
    Ritsuko watched them as they left.  Why do I get stuck with the weirdoes
in this world? she asked herself, before realizing it was a gauntlet of
sorts.  If things worked out the way Gendo had planned, there would be a
grand change in the way the world worked, and the name of Major Akagi
Ritsuko, MD & PhD, NERV Science Division, would be at the forefront.

<(*)>

RCAF Cotter's Pond, BC, Canada
Visiting Officers' Quarters, Suite 208

    Asuka stepped out of the shower, heading towards the bed that she and
Shinji shared, grabbing only a towel to wrap around herself.  She didn't
bother to throw on clothing or anything of the sort.  It didn't matter
anymore, after all; he'd seen inside the deepest depths of her mind already,
so what good was modesty going to do?  Besides, maybe tonight, she began her
thoughts.
    Without looking up from reading a book from where he lay on top of the
bed, Shinji said, "I thought we wanted to hold off on that, Asuka."
    ((I was just teasing you, Shinji-kun,)) she thought, continuing to test
out their newest skill.  ((Besides, I always thought that if I did something
like that, I would do it with the man I love.))
    ((And what am I?  Day-old sashimi?))  It was the closest he'd come to
asking if she did.
    She only thought it would be fair to give him an appropriate response.
Moving to his side, she took the book out of his hands, leaned against him
and kissed him with all the passion she could give that was hers to give.
As she breathlessly broke away, she sighed, "Everything for you, Shinji-kun.
Everything for you."  As if by some silent cue, she slipped away the towel,
letting him see her as she was.  Exposed to him in a way she'd never offered
him before, until now.
    "Asuka," Shinji said, averting his eyes from roaming over her perfect
body and concentrating on her face.  "I--"
    "I love you too, Shinji," she said, a lump in her throat.  "But I'm
scared."
    "I know."
    "I'm so afraid that I'll be left alone when all of this is over.  That
something, or millions of something, will happen.  What if they find a cure
for what happened to us?"
    "Then I won't take it," he insisted with firmness.  "I don't want
anything that'll separate us, Asuka.  I don't want to be alone anymore.  I
don't want *you* to be alone anymore."  Kissing her tenderly, she could feel
her feelings reciprocated as well as the willpower it took to keep certain
other feelings under control.  "Asuka, you have no idea how hard it is to
fight this," he admitted.
    "Then don't.  Shinji, if you want me, I'm yours," she said in a soft
voice.  "I'm always yours."
    "Not until this is over," he said, with some difficulty.  "But when this
war is over, then we'll see."
    She could see that he was fighting it for both of their sakes, not only
because of their duties, but also because it just wasn't the time for it.
She swelled at pride at the boy she loved, and knew that if he could control
his longings, so could she.  But with that, there was a new fear in the back
of her mind, one she tamped down immediately.  "If we're going to wait that
long, then we can wait until I'm Ikari Asuka."  She said that so
matter-of-factly that both giggled at the prospect.  Here they were,
discussing their whole life in five minutes.  And to top it all off, she
said, "And we're naming our son Heinrich.  We can name the girl after your
mother."  Leaning closer to him, so close he could practically taste her
breath, she whispered, "Shinji, I don't know if I can fight it much longer.
Being here...in your arms...."  Unconsciously, neither of them was realizing
that she was already unbuttoning his shirt, her control slipping.


    Fortunately, there was a knock at the door, and an unfamiliar voice
called out in English, "Hey, Ikari!  You in there?"
    That snapped the two out of their reverie.  "Um, yeah," he answered in
the same language, having learned it from Asuka's years of living in
Milwaukee.  "Just a minute!"  The pair gave each other a rushed, passionate
kiss, then Asuka grabbed the towel, making sure she displayed what he'd just
fought so hard to give up...and conversely, protect.  Giving him a loving
look, she went back into the bathroom.
    The male half of them went to the door and opened it to find the
American (what was his name again?) and Toji standing there, both dressed in
civvies and looking rather casual; while Toji was wearing his usual jogging
gear, the other boy wore a crew-neck jersey and faded jeans.  Running his
fingers through his long gray hair, he said, "Hey, man, Toji and I were
going to head over to the base movie theatre and wanted to know if you
wanted to go.  You know, that 'getting to know each other' stuff we gotta
do."
    "Just getting out of your uniform, Shinji?" Toji asked.
    "Um, yeah.  Been reading a book for the past couple of hours, just
trying to kill the time." he responded.
    "Funny, I thought you and Asuka would have found a more...intense...way
to fill the time," Toji joked.  Shinji shot him a murderous look, and Carter
merely chuckled at that.  "So, you coming, Shinji?"
    "Um, sure.  Hold on a sec."  ((Asuka?))
    ((Sure,)) she responded to him.  ((It'll...be a good idea to test how
far we can be from each other.))  There was a tinge of sorrow to her voice
somehow, but Shinji wasn't going to pry.  What little privacy they had left
they were entitled to, and she might just want some right now--the sorrow
just might have been hormones he misread.
    Within a couple of minutes, Shinji had slipped into a polo and slacks
and the three of them went off to go learn about each other in the spirit of
international goodwill.


    A few minutes later and curled into a ball, Asuka cried on the bed,
unable to hold her fears outside of her body, if she could hold it in the
private parts of her mind.  She was shivering, not from cold but from
something even more elemental to the human condition: she was terrified.
And that terror had a name: Shinji, but a better name for it might be
Asuka's itself.
    ((Shinji, how can you be so brave?)) she ruminated, holding onto one of
his shirts for comfort.  ((I don't want to be alone.  I just want you to be
with me forever.  What am I going to do when you leave me?  What am I going
to do?))  Never once did she even believe that he would be around forever.
He said he would, and she believed that, but then her parents told her the
same thing.  So did his.  The truth was, there was no such thing as forever.
Nothing, that is, save for the fear in her heart.
    ((I hate what I've become.))  Not the bond with Shinji; that was so much
a part of her life now that she constantly wondered how she could have lived
without it until that day.  Rather, it was more the emotions that came with
it.  Part of her personality had slipped into Shinji and he was no longer
the passive male that he used to be.  But the bond went both ways, and the
passiveness that was part of Shinji's old persona, now was a part of hers,
and gradually becoming more dominant.  They were slowly becoming what the
other was, and if it wasn't for the fact that they'd fallen in love, she
knew that he would have left.  After all, she knew that if things hadn't
happened the way they did, she never would have stuck with such a person as
he'd been.
    There was a knock at the door.  She wanted to say "Go away," or just to
ignore it and pretend that she was sleeping.  But she didn't--the person was
company, a lifeline.  Taking a second to slip on underwear, a T-shirt, and
shorts, she went to the door, wiping her tears away and trying to bring up a
pleasant smile, or at least an easily faked one.
    Standing on the other side of the door, was Rei, of all people.
"sohryu," she said in her monotone.  "i need to ask you something."
    ((Why are you here, Wonder Girl?)) she asked herself.  But, company was
company, so....  "Um, sure.  C'mon in.  Shinji's not here.  He went out with
the guys.  Would you care for something to drink?"  ((Don't ask for
40-weight, 'cause I'm fresh out, robogirl!))
    "water, please."  She sat down on one of the chairs, and as Asuka came
back from the kitchen, she began to speak.  "i need to talk to someone.
about what happened today."  There was an almost human look in the Wonder
Girl's eyes, Asuka noted.  "that american girl...ayers.  she looked just
like me.  when i looked into her eyes, i realized she *was* me."
    The fact that Rei stressed that last part somewhat bothered Asuka.  It
just wasn't like the Wonder Girl to show emotion.  It was like she wasn't
capable of it, and that any attempt to do so violated the natural order of
things.  "C'mon, Ayanami, you're just freaking out.  You're acting like
you're..."  Asuka thought about her statement for a second, and wondered who
it applied to.  "...afraid?"
    Rei looked at Asuka dispassionately, then said, "i don't know."
    "Look, Ayanami...Rei...what is it about her that freaks you out?  She
seemed, I dunno, kinda cool."
    "i saw death in her eyes.  i saw red.   a thousand versions of me, all
dying in a sea of flame."  Things were getting really weird, now.  Rei was
sounding poetic, the puppet daring to be human.  "is there something wrong
with me?"
    "Maybe you need to relax, Rei.  Whatever it is you do to relax." Asuka
sighed inwardly.  She didn't need this, while she was trying to deal with
her own problems.  She was afraid herself--what could she do for Rei?
    ((Maybe the best way to deal with your fear is to deal with hers,)) she
realized.  Acting on spontaneity, Asuka went up and hugged the albino,
saying, "Don't worry, Rei.  Your friends are here for you."  ((Did I mean
what I just said?)) she wondered before realizing, yes.  She was at a
pointing her life where she couldn't afford to push away anyone anymore, and
she found that she no longer wanted to.  An eternity ago, she would have
probably taken on the world single-handed, with no regrets; Asuka couldn't
dream of doing such a thing now.
    "friends?" Rei asked, as though she'd never heard the term before.  "i
feel so odd...so warm."
    Asuka loosed the embrace and said, "That's friendship for you.  I know I
tease you a lot, Wonder Girl, but...ah, nevermind.  Let's just say that
you're a friend."  Rei, unsure of what was transpiring, merely nodded.
Asuka, in the meanwhile, had another brainstorm and said, "Hey, I'm tired of
sitting around here.  Wanna go out for a bit?"
    "where?"
    "I dunno.  The mall, maybe?  Or possibly a movie.  I wish Hikari were
here--she'd have some ideas."  Reaching for her shoes, she said, "But
anything's gotta be better 'n sitting around here, right?"  Opening up her
mind, she called out to Shinji, and said, ((Shinji-kun, I'm gonna go out
with Rei for a while, okay?))
    It took a while, likely due to distance, but there was a response.
((Wonder Girl?  Why her?))
    ((Because she needs someone to show her how to be normal, I guess.))
She heard Shinji mentally chuckle and she said, ((Seriously.  Besides, I
don't want to sit around all day.))
    ((Okay.  I'll see you later then, Asuka-chan.))
    ((Bai, Shinji-kun.))  Returning to some normal semblance of thought, she
looked at Rei, gave her a smile, and said, "Let's go hit the mall and get
you some new clothing, Rei."
    "is something wrong with what i am wearing?  i did not notice...."
    "Rei, lesson number one: you can't wear nothing but NERV and school
uniforms all your life.  You have to relax sometime.  Now c'mon.  We're
going out, and when I'm done with you, you'll be a new person!"
    "i don't need to be a new person.  i am fine with my current body."
    "That was a figure of speech, Wonder Girl."
    "oh."

<(*)>

    Meanwhile, three floors above....
    The blast ripped through the demon, and she moved forward, over the lava
pits.  Stalking through the labyrinthine features of the sunken ruins, she
hefted her NUK-666 Plasma Rifle, heading towards the exit.  While there was
about six nightstalkers guarding the gates to the next circle of hell, she
had her rifle at full power and her armor was at full stren--

AUTO PAUSE.  YOU HAVE A CONTACT ON THE PHONE LINE.

    Raven ripped off the VR headgear, muttering, "Oh, Goddamn it.  Just when
I was finally about to beat that level, too...."  Setting the headset and
taking off the tactile gloves, she reached for the phone.  "ENS Ayers."
    The phone line sounded a bit blurry, as though it was being monitored.
<<Hey, hothead, is that you?>>
    Raven smiled.  "Hey, stupid!  Was wondering when you were gonna call."
    <<Relax, I just found out you got deployed.  I told you I was going to
call as soon as I landed here; I just didn't expect you to guys to be road
trippin'.>>
    "Yeah, we got possible DEFCON up here, so we had to come up and save
some Can-Can asses.  So, how's Japan?"
    <<Fine, I guess.  Haven't had a chance to look around yet.>> There was a
pause on the line for a second, then: <<Is it really true about what they
were saying about you, Rave?  That you got tossed in the Brig because Wendy
got killed?>>
    "How...how'd you find out about that?"
    <<I got pulled off F-23 sim duty and assigned Candidate Pilot Status.
That only happens when one of you is...you know.  While in the air, the doc
aboard had to do some DNA tests on me to prep some of the wetware files for
Unit 03.  As for the brig part, chalk that up to scuttlebutt.>>  The voice
on the other end was silent for a couple before saying, <<Look, Raven, if
you need to talk to someone about it, you 'n' I've been best friends all our
lives.   Got your six.>>
    Raven's eyes darkened with sorrow.  "Thanks, but I don't want to talk
about it.  I...."
    <<Say no more, Rave.  I understand.  I just can't believe the Mouse is
gone, that's all.  I always thought if any one of us was going to survive,
it would be her, an' only because she was too quiet to get noticed.>>
    "Well, she got noticed and that was my fault."
    <<Well, as soon as I get back to Josh, I'll hafta put some flowers on
her grave or something.>>  Raven twitched on her end as she heard that;
there was no way that her friend could know that there wasn't enough left of
Wendy to *have* a grave.  There was a gravestone at Tahoe Bay Military
Cemetery, but there was nothing in it.  <<Look, I gotta get some sleep,
'cause I supposed to meet with the head honchos here tomorrow.  But call me,
okay?>>
    Raven wrote down the phone number and said, "Cool.  Watch your back, you
twisted twit."
    <<You watch yours, you psycho, you,>> the voice said with a chuckle.
"Hope to see you soon."  The line disconnected, leaving Raven to hold the
receiver.  Setting it back down in the cradle, she went back to the VG
terminal and plugged right back into the game.  In that virtual world, she
stared at the two demons, her lone block to getting to the next level.
    Life was like that too much, sometimes.  Too much preventing her from
reaching what she wanted, and she wasn't even sure what it was she wanted.
A question came to her-((Who'll be the next one to pay for your
mistakes?))--and just as quickly, the answer came to her.  She smiled and
turned the rifle to her head, pulling the trigger.

FINAL LIFE EXTINGUISHED.  GAME OVER.

    Taking the gear off once more, she mused: ((It's only a game.))   She
went over to the table and got her MiniDVD player, opting for that instead;
at least that decision wasn't going to cause more chaos.

<(*)>

3-22-4 Kasumigaseki-cho, Tokyo-3, Japan
Apartment 2D

    In her room, the Marine put the phone down on the cradle.  ((Something
must really be wrong with Raven, she thought.  She's usually not that
withdrawn.))  Well, there was nothing she could do on this end for her
friend.  ((Better to concentrate on your situation now, and figure out
what's next.))
    She looked around her apartment, given to her by NERV and wondered how
such a militia could have such power.  NERV apparently issued rooms as
standard gear for any personnel under its umbrella, and as long as she was
on TEMADD orders here, that meant her, too.  Since she really hadn't
decorated or anything yet, she decided to look around.  The apartment had
the basic amenities, but not much more than that; if she wanted to
personalize, that would be her problem.  The apartment was nothing but a
barren white, in a sense, just like her.
    It was little wonder why she and Raven got along so well.  They were, to
a degree, two sides of the same coin.  Neither of them could remember their
pasts, and although Raven had been adopted by Pamela Ayers, she hadn't been
so lucky to have parents of her own.  Still, she survived; and God Bless the
Marines for choosing to sponsor her as their entry for the Special
Candidates Project.  Raven might be her best friend, but it was the Corps
that was her family now.
    During this train of thought, she ended up standing over by the mirror
in the bathroom.  Looking at her reflection, she smiled at it, approving of
her looks.  Her hair was a barely controllable mop, the way she preferred
it, just within regulations; her brown eyes tired but still holding some of
the twinkle of life and did well to hide the truth underneath.  Her uniform,
pressed and starched to the point that it looked like it was made of nothing
but hard angles, gave the appearance of a sharp Marine's Marine.


    The doorbell sounded, and she went over to answer it.  Standing there
was another of those NERV types.  A girl, about the same age as herself, her
Asian face framed by expressive brown eyes and somewhat long brown hair.
Her cheeks, lightly dusted with a spray of freckles, gave her an appearance
that made her seem like a modern-day Pollyana...whatever the hell that
meant.  She was dressed in gray, which meant she was part of the pilot's
corps.  Bowing slightly, the girl smiled once and rattled off a few quick
phrases that she had *no* idea what the other'd just said.
    "Um, I'm...sorry, but I don't speak Japanese."
    The NERV pilot looked at her for a second and finally said in shaky
English, "You not speak Japanese?"
    "Not a single bit.  Only words I know are Sony and Mitsubishi," she
answered.
    "Aaa...so da yo.  I speak little English," the other replied.  "Very
nice meet you.  My name...Hikari.  Hikari Horaki, Second Lt., NERV Branch-1.
I am Fifth Child."  She bowed again, nodding her head in a polite manner and
asked, "Who are you?"
    "Um...Second Lt. Marianne Kirishima, but you can just call me Mana.
Everyone does."
    "Mana?  That short name for Marianne?"
    Mana chuckled.  "Well, in my case it was.  When I was a kid, I had a
hard time pronouncing my first name, for some reason.  I kept flubbing it
and saying, 'Mana'.  Eventually, it stuck, but hey, we all can't be Marys or
Annes or what have you."  Running her hand through her hair, she asked, "So,
you're the competing Candidate pilot for Unit 03?"


    Hikari was only sure of half of what the other girl was saying.
Although, she did find it odd that a Japanese girl didn't speak a single
word of it.  Then again, she was born in America, so who knows?  ((They all
can't be like that Sohryu girl.))
    Mana muttered something that Hikari vaguely caught as, "Can you show me
around town?"  Hikari promised herself to work on her English, all while
agreeing to show Mana around.  Even though they appeared to be rivals for
the slot of Unit 03, there was no reason that they couldn't be friends,
right?  She felt that she could really use one--she thought that she would
have made one with Asuka, but she turned out to really want nothing more
than to spend most of her time with her boyfriend, Shinji.  The other girls
in the class weren't that interesting, and if Mana was a typical Amerikajin,
Hikari's spare time would be a lot more interesting.

<(*)>

Von Weisstrausse Casern, Berlin, Germany
SEELE/NERV-3 Conference Room 2

    Ikari Gendo read over the briefing that his personnel provided him
regarding the growing situation up in Canada.  His personal thought was that
the whole operation was a total waste, but the truth of it was that a lot of
NERV's funding depended on controlling the situation before it started.  And
with the recent failure of NERV Intelligence to predict the attack on Los
Angeles-2 from a previously unknown Angel, things were not looking good.
    For starters, the French Parliament was calling for the NATO nations to
break off ties from NERV and start their own operations, based on
contingents of Lancelot and TCM mecha.  A pipe dream, to be sure, but the
French were a noisy group when they wanted to be and noise tends to have the
effect of getting noticed, regardless of the intent.  Gendo liked things to
be in control, right where he wanted them.  After all, he and his partner,
if they succeeded, stood to gain a very big part of the pie.  A very large
slice, indeed.


    It was when he began to read through the personnel rosters that his
attention was sparked.  Ayanami was in close proximity to Raven Ayers.  That
was by no mean a good idea, and something would have to be done about it.
Damn that sentimental bitch Ayers.  He should have followed up on it when
she said disposed of the dummy plug, but he believed her and this was the
result.  Well, he wouldn't make a second mistake like that again.
    Picking up a nearby phone, he dialed a series of numbers and spoke
tersely into it: "Agent Garuda, this is Commander Ikari.  I have a slight
issue that I need attending...Yes, that's correct.  I need it attended at
the operation in Canada...Compensation will be dealt with accordingly.  We
will forward the information to you upon arrival."  He hung up without
pretense; with a man like that, such pleasantries were wasted on him,
anyway.
    Sitting in the darkened room, he almost felt an emotional response for
his creation: the third Rei clone was almost a daughter to him, in a
detached sense; but at least the fourth clone wouldn't be able to be tainted
by the one called Raven, possibly the most dangerous person at the moment,
and a clear impediment to all of his plans.

<(*)>

NERV Branch-1, Geofront, Tokyo-3, Japan
Intelligence Center

    Kaji looked at the information, his jaw practically dropping.  "I...I
don't believe this!  I just don't believe this!"  His mind became a morass
of conflicting emotions and priorities.  Should he take this information to
SEELE, or the JSS?  Maybe he should pass this information to colleagues at
the CIA, NSA, MI6?  If even half of the information here in the terminal was
accurate, the world was in deep, dark defecate.
    He sat there for a few more minutes, collecting his thoughts.  Should he
fail, there would be no backup.  SEELE had invested in quite a bit finding
an agent who was willing to bend in more than one direction.  Ironic, in a
sense, that the one to do so would be from the Japan Security Service, and
not one of the other spook farms all over the world. ((But then,)) he
reasoned, ((they were probably counting on my connections with Misato and
Ritsuko.))  For a second, he almost felt bad for his one-time lover and his
friend; they probably had no idea what they were getting into.  But this
wasn't a business where you would last long if you did--unless you were one
of those calling the shots.
    The next step, then, was logical: find out who was behind hiding the
truth about Adam, and see where the wires connected, straight through to the
inevitable links that were tied to Ikari's hands.  Likely, they were tied in
some manner to SEELE as well, but Kaji wasn't paid to look both ways while
crossing the street.
    Shutting down the computer, he headed back to his apartment.  There was
a lot to think about, and many decisions to make.  And all of them could be
disastrous.

<(*)>

NAVSTA Joshua Tree, Los Angeles-2, NV, US
Joint Intelligence Center, Pacific

    "Skipper?" Lt. Col Sumner sat down next to Ayers at the main table,
where she was reading over briefs.  As seemed to be traditional for navy
captains, she had a mug of coffee in front of her, the size of which could
easily give a carrier a run for its money.  She looked burnt out, and
characteristically for her, she was working on her off-time, evident by
sitting in the top secret area in her civvies.
    "Oh, hi Pat.  Just reading over the OPLAN for the operation up north.
Both teams are in position, and should be reviewing the main plans.
Canadian forces will be providing air support, but it'll be up to the EVAs
to ensure that nothing gets close to McClannehey.  Tomorrow, they should be
deploying from Cotter's Pond to their main site."
    "That's nice," he said, in an uninterested tone.  "Look,
Captain...Pam...we've worked together for quite a while, and I've known you
since our high school days.  That also means I've known you long enough to
know you don't sit down in JICPAC casually reading the operations plans
because you're bored."
    "Well, nice to know I'm so transparent," she sighed, setting down the
report momentarily and taking a sip of her coffee.  "That'll be a nice
bullet for my next FITREP.  I can see it now: 'CAPT Ayers' methodologies are
innate to her officers and crew, so much so that even Army officers can
understand them.'"  She chuckled.  "Bet that'll make Admiral Ramirez real
happy."
    The Army officer grinned.  "Well, that's the problem with you Navy
types.  You're *way* too confusing for the real military."  However, his
tone softened and he commented, "Look, I know you're worried about your
daughter, Pam.  You don't have to hide it."
    "I know, but personal feelings don't go too well with the uniform.
After the things that have happened to her in the past 48 hours, I wonder
how she's still able to look me straight in the eye.  Sometimes, I think
she's too much like her real parents, whomever they were."
    "Look, I've never meant to pry about that, but as I recall, you and Ken
didn't have any children when he died down on DEEP FREEZE.  What made you
decide to adopt that kid?"
    "Two reasons: one, I was lonely.  Ken was the only good thing in my life
other than anything that came in haze gray.  When I first saw Raven...trust
me, she's nothing like she was back then."  She then stared at him straight
and said, "The other reason was that I did it to save her from her guardian.
That'd be Gendo Ikari, the head of NERV 1 in Japan--"
    Sumner whistled in amazement.  "Don't know him, but I know his
reputation.  Creepy bastard."
    "He's worse in person than his rep.  Well, I can't prove it, but I think
that she's related to him, somehow.  But that's not the point.  To him, she
was nothing more than an experiment for the wetware suites.  When he was
done, he wanted me to 'dispose of the dummy plug wetware', to use his
words."
    "You're joking."
    "Not in the least, Pat.  The only reason he can get away with what he
does get away with is, well, we're at war.  Even still, he's got two other
kids that he uses as his personal toys."  Pulling two pictures out of the
briefing, he said, "These are two other kids who are under his control.
One's Shinji, his son, and an EVA pilot.  That'd be bad enough, but look at
the other one--Rei Ayanami."
    "Well, other than the fact that she looks either bored out of her skull
or dead in this picture, she's a near-dead ringer for Raven."
    "Exactly.  But I can't find any proof that they're related or anything.
In fact, I can't find anything on this Ayanami person, either; and I have
minimal past data on Raven."  Ayers stretched, then continued.  "Raven
doesn't remember anything about her past, and a lot of times I don't think
she even wants to.  But underneath her punky exterior is a girl afraid of
something, and she's not telling me about it."
    "Maybe she knows something about this Ayanami character that you don't,"
Sumner suggested.
    "Not likely.  If she did, she would have told Mana...er, Lt. Kirishima;
and Mana, with those Marine sensibilities of hers would have deemed it
important enough to tell me.  No, I think this may just be something that
she has no idea about.  Nonetheless, I'm going to keep a sharp eye on
things.  Whatever she may have been to him, Ikari gave up custody on that
girl when he began to treat her like a piece of meat.  If he thinks he's
getting *his* meathooks on *my* child again," she snarled, "that bastard has
never faced the business end of an AMHA before.  And I will gladly be the
one to shove it up his ass."


Next:
Part Five
Swarm

Author's Notes:

ETB 4's Military Glossary can be located at:
http://calicatcafe.megami.net/The-Bond/ETB-G4.htm

As you've already realized, I'm taking EVA and going my own direction with
it.  Lately, I've gotten a ton of rather...odd...mail asking me why I'm not
following standard EVA canon.  To those, I answer: maybe because this isn't
a standard EVA fic?  I think the first chapter alone would have clued that
in.  And just for that, I'm going to go even in a more bizarre direction
now, so there! ^_^  Fasten your seatbelts and enjoy the ride.

Some of you may have noticed varied differences in the way that NERV and DOD
talk about EVA-related materials, such as pilot plug vs. spinal cockpit,
plug suit vs. biosuit, Children vs. Pilot Candidates.  There's a reason for
that, and it has to do with the fact that different nations have different
ways of referring to things.  For example, an OPS room aboard an Australian
warship is the CIC on a US warship; a Brigadier General in the US Army may
just simply be a Brigadier in another army.

The events described in Yui's Diary are from the upcoming ETB sidestory
Equinox, which will be written as soon as I can get around to it, or find a
willing victim, er...writer willing to do it.  ^_^;;;

For those of you who keep track of the RCAF, neither RCAF Cotter's Pond nor
McClannehey Proving Grounds exist.  I couldn't find actual Canadian military
facilities that met my needs, so just like the fictional NAVSTA Joshua Tree,
I made it up.  If there's anyone in Canada who could/would like to input
some other information (especially those in the Canadian Defence Forces),
I'm all ears.

Kudos to you if you can guess the meaning behind Raven's shirt. ^_-



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