Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction ❯ So Happy Together ❯ chapter 31 ( Chapter 30 )

Three bullets whizzed through the air and toward their target. One was aimed toward the heart. The other two were aimed toward the head. Together, those shots would kill anyone instantly. A simple fact known by even a novice assassin.

A freezing gust of wind blew past Misato, and an orange colored hexagonal wall appeared in front of the second child, stopping the bullets mere centimeters from her face and chest.

"What the fu--" Misato had no earthly idea what just happened until, she heard a soft yet very annoyed voice growl from behind.

"What the hell is going on in here?!"

Slowly the major turned around and looked upon the blue haired girl. What she saw petrified her. In the doorway, Rei was radiating with a blinding white light. Her hair was fluttering beautifully around her face.

In her terrified state, the major barely choked out "W-wh-what are you?"

Rei glanced at the woman and said almost absently, for her focus was on the second child, not the major. "Has it been so long...." The angel took a step forward into her apartment.

Misato took a step backwards.

Rei continued. "That you know me not?" The first child's brow furrowed dangerously as she surveyed the damage to her apartment.

Misato stiffened even more and tears started to stream out of her eyes. "Y-y-you're one of them....."

That simple statement broke the first child out of her reverie and shifted Rei's focus from the destroyed room to the major. She laughed bitterly yet angelically and mocked "What gave it away?" She pushed her star shaped glasses into her hair, making a makeshift headband. "My burning red eyes?" She took another step forward as she continued to survey the damage to her apartment.

A second later, the bullets fell unceremoniously to the floor, and Asuka was entrapped inside a hexagonal bubble.

Katsuragi's head whipped to the fallen projectiles when she heard them clink against the wooden floor. Her eyes widened fearfully when she saw a trapped Asuka. The girl was banging on the walls of the enclosure. Misato wanted to help her, she really did, but she couldn't. Fear and duty kept her from trying to rescue her charge. When Rei walked closer to her, the major took another step backwards to get away from the first child.

As God was her witness, Misato never wanted to see another angel as long as she lived. She hated them! Despised them, loathed them!! They killed her father. The killed 2/3 of the world's population. She couldn't believe that the commander had actually created one, with powers, and could think on its own and had a will of its own. She couldn't believe that he raised it as if it were his child! She couldn't believe that he allowed *it* to marry his son. "Does Shinji know?"

"Of course he does." the young angel said frowning.

Rei was pissed. The second child had destroyed almost everything her husband deemed important. But this time Rei decided that Asuka was going to be punished for her actions, and justice was going to be hers. She easily forgave the second child's attempt to hurt her, but to hurt Shinji was completely unacceptable. The first child smirked when she observed Asuka put a tight grasp around her neck and gasp for air that wasn't in that bubble.

Misato shook her head no as her tears poured out of her eyes. She wasn't aware of the torturous fate of her charge, her mind was focused on more selfish thoughts. Misato couldn't believe that Shinji would do this again! Not after Kaworu. How many nights did she have to comfort the third child because of the guilt he felt for killing his best friend. How many nights did she try to assure him that it wasn't his fault. She always tried to convince him that angels were evil, and reminded him that Kaworu betrayed him, his trust and his love. But Shinji never let go of his guilt. Was this why? Because he knew what Rei was, and didn't care? She shook her head again. She didn't want to accept this. Shinji wouldn't do this.. not to her... He knew how she felt about those horrid beings! Misato would have rather believed that Shinji married someone who was genetically related to him than marry one of those abominations!

Rei glanced away from Asuka and glanced at Misato. The sight of the woman made the young angel press her lips together in a disappointed fashion. She didn't need telepathy to know how the major felt. Misato's opinion about angels was the very reason that Rei and Shinji never allowed Misato to know what she was. She wasn't ready to know. She didn't want to know, because she couldn't handle the truth.

But at that moment, Misato was of no concern to her; she had to use the bathroom. Rei stepped over the shredded furniture and walked into the bathroom. She was so angry at the second child, she didn't even notice when another person appeared in the bathroom with her. Well, directly in front of her.

"Little one."

The first child almost jumped out of her skin, and clumsily tried to cover herself as she sat on the toilet. With burning crimson eyes, as wide as saucers, Rei glared up at her divine brother. "Do you mind?!"

Kaworu was starting to visit her more often. His curiosity about the lillium, one lillium in particular, spurred his decisions to return. However, Rei knew that his visits were merely practices as he worked up his courage to speak to Shinji again. He missed their friendship, but he felt unworthy of it. Kaworu even made Rei promise that she wouldn't tell her husband that he would come back for visits because he knew that Shinji would call on him, and he wasn't ready to face him yet.

Kaworu leaned back against the shower door and stared at her innocently. "No, not at all."

Rei's eyes widened even more when she realized that he had no sense of privacy what-so-ever. Through grit teeth she growled "Look! I'm trying to use the bathroom!"

"So." His melodious voice responded innocently as he shrugged his shoulders.

"So?" she sputtered. "So get OUT!"

"Why?" he asked just to aggravate. He was her big brother after all. He chuckled when she gave him the exact same look Shinji used to give him when he did this to him.

Why? Rei couldn't believe he really had to ask. She couldn't even speak. She could only angrily gesture to where she was, and what she was doing.

Kaworu chuckled as he placed his hands in his pockets, but he didn't budge. "The sin's not mine, little one." He outright laughed when her eyes widened dangerously.

"There is_ no _sin _oniisan! There are just some things you don't want to have an audience watching you do! " When she realized that he was purposely not comprehending her logic, she growled under her breath "Oh, just forget it!"

Kaworu chuckled softly and turned his head respectfully away from her when she got up in a fluster and cleaned up. "You've been hanging around Shinji too much." He laughed. "His over zealous modesty is rubbing off on you."

She shrugged her shoulders to tell him that she didn't care. When she started to wash her hands, she asked "Why are you here?"

Kaworu was a bit offended by her tone, but was more amused by the dramatic change the sugar caused to her personality. "I was sent here to inform you that you cannot kill Asuka."

"Of course I can." she answered innocently yet absolutely.

"_No_ you can't." Kaworu answered back in a playful yet serious tone.

Rei quirked a brow, then cockily gestured to the pilot suffocating in the bubble.

Kaworu glanced at Asuka then back to Rei and asked. "What about Shinji? He would be saddened to find out you killed his friend."

"I doubt it." Rei commented absolutely as she rinsed the soap from between her tiny fingers. "Look at what she has done to our home, not to mention what she tried to do to me."

Kaworu observed the mess the second child made in Rei's apartment. He already knew of what Asuka did to try to get rid of his little sis, so he responded with "Perhaps you're right. He might not care right off... but eventually he would feel sad."

"I'll just remind him of what she did." Rei interrupted as she dried her hands. "He will remember that justice was served."

Kaworu sighed and nodded. Rei spoke the truth. "You still can't kill her."

Rei didn't respond. Instead, she walked out of the bathroom to let the evidence of Asuka's demise do all the talking.

"See... " Kaworu chuckled smugly, accompanied with and exaggerated point of the finger. "I told you."

"OH_MY_GAWD!!!!!" When two angels walked out of the tiny bathroom, Misato slipped on some shard glass, and scrambled backwards until she was stopped by the closet wall. She was terrified! How the hell did Kaworu Nagisa come back!! She wanted to know, but she was so scared she didn't want to stay for the answer. She wanted to get out of there, and out of there NOW!! She just couldn't get her legs to comply with her brain's command.

Startled by the sheer force of her scream, Kaworu stared at Misato.

She was shaking her head no frantically. "How.. how.. did..."

"Did I come back?" Kaworu asked innocently with a playful mischievous glint in his ruby eyes. "I never really left."

This was just too much. <HE NEVER LEFT!!> She sobbed out. "But.. but you're d-d-de.."

"Dead?" He smiled out and put his hands in his pockets. "No, not dead. Just changed."

"Ch-changed...?" That meant if Tabris was not dead then the other angels were probably not dead either. This was just too much for her to accept. Everything she learned today was just_ too_ much !! Misato could feel herself going into mental overload as her eyes rolled into the back of her head.

Kaworu laughed when she slumped over and fainted. To him, lillium were such interesting creatures. He knew it would take him an eternity to understand them, but right now, he only took note to find out why the major reacted the way she did after finding out that he wasn't dead.

Rei ignored the two as they spoke. She was *not* pleased. Asuka should have been dead by now. Instead, the second child was floating around in the bubble as if she were on some ride at the fair.

Kaworu watched the second child do a floating back flip in the bubble and chuckled. "No matter what powers you use on her, she will not die from them."

Rei appeared to be ignoring her fellow angel, but in actuality she was taking everything he said into deep consideration. After assimilating the information given her, she knew what she had to do. Her delicate mouth formed a firm frown, and she quickly spun on her heals, making her soft blue hair fan out. Rei needed to retrieve something out of the fourth drawer of her dresser.

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The young Ikari was about to pull the trigger when he heard.

"Shinji, don't."

The pilot whipped his head in the direction of his father. "Why not?"

Gendo traced a gloved hand on the gun barrel. "It's cracked. Shoot it one more time and it will explode in your hand."

Shinji's eyes widened as his gaze whipped back to the gun, and he stared at the huge crack. "Gomennsai!"

Gendo looked away from the gun, and toward the body of the assassin, then back to his son. God knows he was SO proud! The commander tilted his head back and laughed toward the heavens. He truly laughed. He was experiencing a joy he hadn't felt since before Yui died. Since HIS first kill.

Shinji couldn't help himself from shivering with fear as he listened to the expression of his father's mirth. The commander's laugher was guttural, maniacal and EVIL. Oh God it sounded evil! Shinji was sure that his father's laugh could unnerve even the devil. Then he remembered. <Oh wait, father is the devil.>

However, Shinji did feel a surge of pride knowing that he made his dad so happy. He couldn't help but hate that laugh though. Even more so now because now he knows that it does sound evil! This was the first time he heard that type of laughter from someone other than himself. Yes, unfortunately he inherited that laugh.

Once, while he was living with Misato, he allowed himself to truly laugh when he was reading a manga in his room. It was late, Asuka was supposed to be asleep and Misato was drunk and passed out. So he was relaxing. He didn't realize that Asuka wasn't sleeping and had actually snuck into his room, just as he started laughing. It scared the crap out of her, and it gave her nightmares for weeks. He thought she was exaggerating with her fear of it, but ever since then, he would stifle it, which made him sound like a pig with hiccups. So only around Rei does he truly laugh. She loves the way it sounds. It fascinates her to no end .

When his father sighed out the last of his laughter, Shinji repeated "Gomen.. I didn't mean to--"

Gendo cut in. "Don't worry about it." He looked away from his son and shrugged slightly as he noticed the eraser team pull up in an unmarked van. "You can only use those guns one time anyway. I'm surprised you got so many shots out of it."

Shinji gave a surprised look to the gun. Rei had told him how expensive they were. <*why* would you spend so much money on a gun you can only use once?> He shook his head. It didn't make sense to him.

As he watched the team quickly wrap the man in plastic, bend him, and place him in a box, the commander continued. "Anyways, I'm not like Rei. She acts as if her gun is her baby. I doubt if she ever even uses it."

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Rei placed a ornate teak box on the dresser and opened it up. She delicately and lovingly brushed her fingers against the sleek cool porcelain. Frowning, she picked up the clip, and then hesitantly picked up the gun. Rei turned and glared at Asuka and snapped the two together in one, swift, angry movement.

"If I can't use my powers, then I'll use Wild Orchid!"

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Shinji looked away from the gun and at the eraser team. They worked quickly and efficiently. The body was now gone and four men were cleaning the area. One was cutting away the soiled grass, one was pulling up the bloodied grass, one was replacing it with new grass and the last man was using some type of pressing machine to blend the new grass in with the old. They had *erased* all traces of Shinji's crime.

Shinji nodded in agreement to his father's words. Rei did take care of her gun with kid gloves. And she was as possessive over it as she was with her *soul*. The only reason she even allowed him to hold it was because he gave her the puppy dog eyes.

"I guess everyone has a gun, huh?" Shinji asked a bit dejectedly, knowing full well that he was excluded from his statement.

"Yes, everyone in the Ikari family does." Gendo answered coolly as he smirked. He was watching a woman from the eraser team wipe all traces of blood off of his automobile. The commander was pleased with how his limo held up, not even a scratch in the paint or a crack in the glass. Absently, he continued to answer his son. "Even your mother has one." He chuckled. "Its called Fukushuu."

Shinji eyes widened in shock for two reasons. One was for the mere fact that his father spoke about his mother. Rei told him that his father NEVER spoke of his mother. It was too painful a subject. Shinji understood completely, for he was the same way. The second reason was the new knowledge that his mother had a gun. However, that wasn't what shocked him. Everyone is issued a gun at NERV. What shocked him was that her specially made gun was named REVENGE!! His brow furrowed in disbelief, but he knew his father spoke the truth. Shinji couldn't help but wonder what kind of person his mother was to have a gun called that. He couldn't remember her, and he often wondered what type of personality she had. He imagined her as the sweetest person in the world, kind ,and loving, pure and innocent, but now with this new bit of info about her, he doubted his assumptions about her were correct. Shinji looked at his father, who was about to get into the limo, and thought about his mother again. <what kind of person was she... to fall in love with *him*?>

Gendo gave a wispy smile as he remembered his beloved wife and her gun. "It has the same colors as your Eva." He chuckled at the memory when she picked it out. "It's an odd combination of colors, but they are her favorite."

Shinji smiled at the bit of info. He never knew. Now he didn't feel so bad about being inside a big *purple* monster. Then the realization of what his father said laid heavy on his heart, and he sighed out dejectedly. "So everyone has a gun ... except me.. "

The driver had just opened the door when the boy sighed those words. Gendo stopped and smiled. Oh, how many years had he waited for this moment! How many years did he have to wait for Shinji to *want* his own weapon, *again*.

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Kaworu's crimson eyes widened fearfully, and he almost yelled out. "The Maker wants Asuka to live, little one."

Rei had Wild Orchid pointing at second child's face. Her brow was slightly furrowed and she had a determined look on her face. "Are you sure?"

Asuka was oblivious to her upcoming fate as she enjoyed herself in the gravity free bubble.

He pressed his lips into a smile and nodded. "The Maker said no. That's why I was sent here."

Rei didn't lower her gun. She just stood there, lightly tapping on the trigger, testing its resistance as she mentally debated whether or not it was worth the punishment of disobeying the Maker. A minute later she came to her decision. It wasn't worth it. She lowered her gun and smiled.

Kaworu wasn't sure what her decision was going to be. He was glad that she made the right choice. He smiled warmly at her and admitted. "I'm proud of yo--"

His words died in his mouth when Asuka flew across the room and slammed against the wall with a sadistic force. Then flew across the room again and slammed against the adjacent wall. Back and forth she went, very similar to a tennis ball.

In an eerily calm voice, Rei stated. "So the Maker said I can't kill her..." She looked over at her divine counterpart and smirked at her cleverness. "But I was never told that I couldn't make the second child *wish* she were dead."

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With unnecessary roughness, Touji and Kensuke were dragged out of the paddy wagon. They were hand cuffed and chained to at least a dozen other men.

"Hurry up you f*cking degenerates!" yelled a cop as he hit his night stick in the palm of his hand in a threatening manner.

The chained men growled their protest to being dragged out so roughly. Some even cursed at the cop for his comment. The two boys were terrified and stayed silent.

The men the boys were chained to were not all hardened criminals. Most, if not all, had gotten arrested for disorderly conduct at the fair.

"Touji" Kensuke whimpered out.

"What?" the boy answered back with false calm.

"What do you think is going to happen to us now?"

Touji answered in that same calm voice. "We get booked."

Kensuke blinked back his tears and squeaked out. "My dad's going to kill me!"

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At the other side of town, two little divas were trying their best to leave the fair grounds without being noticed by all their leering, perverted 'fans.' The two teens had slipped out of their hiding spot, which happened to be the girls bathroom and stealthily headed towards the front gate.

"I wish there was another exit!" Hikari cried out as she hid behind a bench.

"*I* wish we would have ran OUT of the fair instead of deeper into it when we got off the stage!" Kimiko growled as she ducked behind a trash can.

"How many times do I have to say I was sorry for that?!" the class rep hissed in an angry whisper. "Anyways no one told you to follow me!"

Kimiko whipped her gaze toward the girl. "I was in shock! And you had a death grip on my hand!! What was I supposed to do?!"

Hikari snorted indignantly and looked away from the girl. "We're almost there." She pointed to the gates. "If we make a run for it, I think we can make it!"

Kimiko nodded in agreement. "On the count of three. Okay?

Hikari nodded and positioned herself to sprint out of there. "One..

Kimiko positioned herself to bolt out of there also. "Two..."

They both yelled "THREE" and made a dash for it. They would have made it too, if they weren't grabbed by the wrist and lifted up in the air by a bunch of adoring male fans and carried back up to the stage.

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Kensuke was still at the verge of crying as he looked at his ink stained fingertips. "Gawd... what a degrading experience."

Touji forked his brow. "What are you talking about? All they did was fingerprint and photograph us."

Aida looked up at his friend. "Yeah but still..."

"But nothing!" Suzuhara cut in. "Trust me, it could have been a lot worse." He knew. Not because he was ever arrested, because he wasn't. His knowledge came from his training at NERV. He was familiarized with some of the techniques used in torture, to prepare them if they were ever caught.

Luckily, they were the only two in the cell. Aida was just grateful that they weren't separated. Then all turned for the worst. A young male guard walked over to their cell and banged his nightstick on the bars.

Kensuke stood up from the bench. He hoped that he was going to let them out. His hopes were shattered when the guard opened the gate and herded about a half dozen men into the cell. Criminals! One man in particular made both boys uncomfortable.

Touji walked over to the bars after the guard closed the door, then called out to the fleeting man. "Hey! You can't keep us in here!! Do you know who we are?!" When the man ignored him, Touji yelled out even louder. "We're friends of... Commander Ikari's daughter... I'm sure you know who I'm talking about! Rei Ayanami!!!"

The guard halted and paled.

Touji smirked at his cleverness.

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"Okay, Rei." Kaworu finally stated as he followed Asuka's movements. His gaze shifted from right to left as if he were watching a ping pong match. "I think she has had enough now."

The first child sighed. "Perhaps you're right." Rei allowed Asuka to fall unceremoniously to the floor, then she pouted slightly. "I'm finding no satisfaction in this justice anyway."

The male angel gave her a wide eyed, sideways glance <you call that justice? that was just mean>

Rei did not respond to his mental comment even though she clearly heard it. Instead, she decided to ask a favor. "Kaworu."

When she called him, he was walking over to the girl who was now physically abused and passed out on the floor. He crouched down and placed two fingers on her neck to make sure she still had a pulse. "Hmm?"

Rei stood stoically on the other side of the room. No regret for what she had done graced her angelic face. "I need your help."

The boy turned slightly, making the broken glass squeak under his shoes. He smiled at his little sis and nodded. He knew what she needed. That's why he was there.

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"Please let me go!" Hikari cried out as she struggled to free herself without falling too awkwardly toward the ground

Kimiko wasn't saying anything or even trying to free herself. She was in shock again. So she was useless and allowed herself to be limply carried to the stage.

"We're not going to hurt you!" assured one of the men who were caring the class rep.

"It's just that they are about to announce the winner!" Another man yelled happily. "We have been looking all over for you guys! You have to be here to win!"

"I don't care about winning that stupid trophy!" Hikari screamed as she struggled. She glared at the stage. "I just don't want to go back up there!" She was too embarrassed to face everyone again.

"Ahh come on!" a guy behind them yelled. "You guys were hot! You just gotta do an encore!!"

"Pervert!" Hikari yelled as they put her safely on the stage. She saw the other men gently put Kimiko on the stage as well.

The tall, dark haired girl was sitting on her knees, and she looked like she was about to cry. This was the last place she wanted to be and she sobbed out.

"Kensuke-chan.... where are you?"

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Kensuke was pressed into a corner. He was terrified. There was one guy who looked like a sumo wrestler and he kept looking at him like he wanted to devour him. The boy glanced over at his friend, who was still at the front of the cell trying to get the guards to believe that he was best friends with the Ikari children, so they could get out of there.

The sumo man whose name was Michiru (yes, Michiru, a girl's name) gave a lecherous smirk to the hacker and got up off the bench and walked over to him.

Kensuke shrunk into himself as he tried to become one with the wall.

"You sure do have a pretty mouth." the large man informed libidinously.

Aida let out a high pitched scream to the only person, in there, he knew would help him. "Tooooouuuuuujjjjjjjiiii!!"

Suzuhara had his arms hanging out the bars as he wondered what was taking the guards so long. How many different ways did he have mention that he knew the Ikari family to get out of this place. Then Aida called him. He almost knocked his forehead against the bars because of the intensity of the loud piercing scream. Thinking a girl had screamed him name, he quickly turned around . He was shocked to see the predicament his friend was in <Aida how in the hell did you get into this mess?> Without a moment of hesitation, the pilot ran over to help his friend.

"What the hell is going on?!"

The large man cockily turned around and informed. "Get your own b*tch! This ones mine!" He placed his large heavy hand on Aida's shoulder.

Kensuke's mouth fell open in shock. At first, he wasn't sure what the man meant by his 'pretty mouth' comment, but now he regretted he knew. He started to cry freely and shook his head no. He did NOT want to become this man's or any man's b*tch!

Touji looked at his friend and inwardly groaned. <what a wimp!> Kensuke always talked big. He always bragged about his bravery and playing war, but when in an actual situation arose, he was a coward plain and simple. The boy was a great friend, but he was not someone you would want to have to count on where *physical* danger is involved. The fourth child sighed angrily and did the only thing he could think to do at that moment.

He glared venomously and yelled "Like hell he is" as he reached around Michiru, grabbing Kensuke's hand and pulling him out of the corner to stand by his side. Touji then possessively and protectively pulled Aida behind him and gave the man a death glare as he pointed his finger in the man's face. "If you even *think* of touching him, I'll kill you!"

Michiru saw a shimmer in the boy's obsidian eyes that told him that his kid was not joking. Defeated, because he was inwardly frightened, he looked away from the pilot and toward Kensuke. "You should thank your *boyfriend* kid. He just saved your @$$. Literally!"

The pilot inwardly cringed, because he was addressed as being Aida's boyfriend, but never relaxed his threatening pose. Kensuke cringed as well. He had to fight the urge to scream out. "I'm NOT gay!" Instead, he kept his mouth shut, swallowed hard and unconsciously tightened his grip on Touji's hand.

The fourth child chose to verbally ignore the comment as he kept his disturbingly angry demeanor. Before leaving and walking hand in hand with Kensuke toward the front of the cell, he glared at everyone in the small room and growled out. "That warning goes for every single one of you in here!"

Without incident, they reached the front of the cell. Suzuhara put his friend safely against the bars and stood protectively behind him. In a low whisper, so that only Kensuke could hear, the pilot warned. "If you tell anyone about this..."

Aida wiped away his tears and sniffed out in total embarrassment. "Trust me... I will NEVER speak of this to anyone..... as long as I live..."

"For your sake..." Touji growled. "You'd better not." He turned around and crossed his arms in a threatening manner and glared at all the other occupants in the cell.

Two guards at the end of the hall were speaking and pointing toward the cell that held the two boys. The younger one shook his head dejectedly and roughly ran his hands through his hair. The older man said something else to him and the young man nodded. He started walking toward the cell, fidgeting with the keys in his hands. The prisoners they locked up had the whole precinct in an uproar once they found out that one of the boys worked for NERV. Then to make matters worse, he was a pilot just like he said he was, just like the commander's two *children*

"Someone's coming...." Aida sniffed out. "I think they are coming for us."

Touji turned slightly and looked over the boys shoulder. "About damn time!"

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Kaworu floated the unconscious second child to the spot where she was standing when Rei first saved her life.

"Are you sure you can do this?" Rei asked coolly.

Kaworu looked at the blue haired angel. "Of course I can." He pointed at the badly bruised and bloodied girl. "Her body is only a vessel."

"Yes, but this vessel already has a soul." Rei informed, then repeated "Are you sure you can do this?"

"Little one, it's not like I'm trying to take possession of her vessel. I'm just going to... visit" he joked. "As long as I don't try to stay I will be alright!"

Rei quirked a brow. "What do you mean 'you will be alright'?'"

Kaworu smiled. He was hoping she would ask that. "All things have their own soul, even angels.. *all* angels."

Rei slightly turned her head but never let her gaze leave him. "Even Evas."

"Eventually, yes." He smiled.

Rei thought about what he just told her then chose her next words carefully. "What will happen if there already is a soul inhabiting a vessel... an Eva... Will an unique soul still eventually emerge?"

The sliver haired boy tapped his forefinger on his lips and shrugged as he thought about it. "I don't know."

<useless> Rei shook her head and rolled her eyes.

Kaworu gave her a looked that clearly said "I heard what you called me even though you think I didn't!!"

"Hypothetically speaking..." Rei continued as she ignored the look he gave her. "What would happen if a unique soul emerged in an Eva?"

The boy scratched the back of his head. "You probably won't be able to synch with it." He then gestured to her. "Well *you* would, but no one else could."

She nodded in understanding.

"Rei?"

She didn't respond.

But he knew that he had her undivided attention. "Why don't you display your synch prowess?"

With a slight gesture, the first child pointed to the girl laying on the floor. "It was important to her that she maintained the highest synch ratio."

"Shinji outdid her score." Kaworu informed innocently.

Rei pressed her lips together then admitted as she tapped on her temple. "It was important for her psyche to outdo *me*. So I allowed it, for it made no difference to me. Evas work efficiently at 34%"

Kaworu gave her a proud smile, then teased. "Suuure that's why you allow yourself to look like the worst pilot out of the five of us."

Rei did not respond to his taunt.

So he continued. "You've always looked out for Asuka. You even suggested to *your* shikisha* that she battle with Israfel even after you were ordered to use unit 02." He crossed his arms triumphantly and nodded. "You were just looking out for her, weren't you? You wanted to give her an ego boost!"

"No." Rei admitted calmly and honestly. "I didn't particularly *like* Shinji back then." She crossed her arms and hmphed as she looked away from her divine brother. "He had said some really hateful things about his father. I didn't want to be around him every second of everyday, to ensure our synchronization in battle."

Kaworu laughed. He could tell she was telling the truth and that that memory still made her angry. Not trying to cause a rift between the two newlyweds, he changed the subject. Sorta. "Stop lying! You know that you bowed out of that mission for Asuka!" He teased. "You know she's your *best friend*!"

Rei's gaze whipped back to the boy and in a calm yet annoyed tone she restated. "Best friend? Hardly!" Her eyes narrowed as she looked at the second child. "If I wasn't worried about how her death would affect Shinji, I would have allowed her to die a long time ago. AND the only reason she is alive NOW is because I was forbidden to take her life."

Kaworu looked at the seriousness on Rei's face as she spoke, so he decided to lighten up the conversation by teasing her some more. "Suuuuuurrrre. That's what you say... But you and I both know that you have always been protecting Asuka!" A mischievous glint shimmered in his crimson eyes.

The first child interrupted and declared calmly yet adamantly "What_ever!!"

The fifth child rolled his eyes mockingly and laughed out. "What are you trying to be? Her own little..... Guardian Angel?" He laughed at the furious and outraged, facial expression she gave him. She looked like she was two seconds from grabbing him by the neck and shaking him like a rag doll.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shinji sat across from his father in the limo. To say he was nervous was the understatement of the century. He had never gone anywhere alone with his father as far as he could remember, and only just recently did he go some place with him and on that day, he got married.

The boy took a deep silent breath to try and calm his nerves.

Gendo sat directly across from his son, but unlike last time, he wasn't nervous. He was too happy to be nervous. A subtle proud smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth as he re-visualized the way his son handled the situation with the assassin.

The commander chuckled softly. He was impressed with the way Shinji told the man to *watch him*, as he killed him. He mentally laughed <I should use that line next time I kill someone>

Gendo was even more pleased that his son, HIS SON, didn't just kill the man. He made him suffer. He made him regret his error when he attempted to kill his wife. He honestly thought that Shinji was going to kill the man quickly, but was happily surprised when the boys first shot was aimed at the man's knee.

<the KNEE!!> Gendo made a wide toothy grin.

Then Shinji watched the bastard scream from the sheer pain of it, for a good minute or so before he shot his other knee cap. Shinji then shot the yaro on the opposite side of his body, on his upper thigh. Gendo laughed as he mentally admitted that it was funny as hell when the man realized that he was going to be 'laddered'. <I'll never forget that facial expression as long as I live!!>

Shinji cringed when his father started to maniacally laugh again. <gawd I wish Rei was here> It was unnerving to see his father so happy and to laugh so freely. To laugh so evilly.

Ignoring his son's distressed stare, Gendo continued to reminisce. Shinji had shot seven of the eight bullets into the man. Six of which, he purposefully ignored vital organs and fatal wounds. He went for joints, like the hip and the shoulder and the.... elbow.

Gendo laughed louder. "The ELBOW!!" It was perfect!! There was absolutely no reason to shoot the man in the elbow. It was done purely to torture the bastard! That's why it was absolutely perfect!!! In a tone that was oozing with pride, Gendo said "I never thought you had that kind of rage in you, son!"

Shinji looked away from his dad and shifted his gaze toward the gun he still held in his hand. He didn't realize it either. Even now, after the deed was done and erased. Shinji didn't fully comprehend the feeling he felt as he shot his father's gun. It was surreal.

"It is good that the roar of the roller coaster masked the man's screams." Gendo said nodding.

Shinji's eyes widened as he slowly nodded in agreement. He hadn't even thought that. The man did scream an awful lot.

"Gomen, I should have known better." The pilot knew that if anyone would have seen or heard what he did, more than one person would have been erased today.

Still laughing, Gendo waved the apology away with a flick of the wrist. He was in too good a mood to get upset because such a minor detail. After he sighed out the last of his laughter, he asked seriously. "I know this is not your first kill, but it is your first human kill...."

Shinji interrupted solemnly. "I've killed a human before... I killed..."

"Tabris." Gendo finished knowingly. "He was angel. He doesn't count. Furthermore, Rei has told me that he has changed, not died. "

Shinji eyes narrowed dangerously. *Kaworu* was his best friend. Angel or not! Changed or not! He didn't like the fact that his father was so callous about what he had to do to him. It didn't change the fact that for two years, he suffered with the guilt of thinking he killed him.

Gendo continued as if he weren't receiving death glares from his son. "Do you regret what you did to this man?"

Shinji turned his head away from his father again and stared out the window. He thought about his crime and came to his answer after a few long minutes. He still refused to look at his father as he answered. "No."

The commander smiled; he was pleased with his son's answer. So much in fact, he confessed "You know... I had my first kill in college.... because someone tried to harm your mother."

Shinji's heads whipped toward his father. "S-someone was hired to kill her?"

Gendo shook his head no and smiled at the memory. "She started a bar room brawl. I'm not sure how or why it actually started... But I believed that she felt like she was being cheated in pool." He shrugged and laughed at his son's reaction and admitted "But between you an me.... I think she started the fight because she's a sore loser."

Shinji's eyes tripled their size. He couldn't believe his father just said that. He couldn't believe that his "M-Mom was a sore..."

"Loser." Gendo interrupted and nodded as he answered. "Oh yeah" Then chuckled. "And a sore winner too!" He could still see her making a 'L' shape with her fingers and placing it against her forehead to inform everyone what they were Lahoo_ saahers. Gendo stared into his son's awe struck face and admitted "I'm proud of you."

Shinji beamed a smile at his dad. Even though Rei was shot, he knew she was ok, and this was turning out to be the best birthday of his life! <my dad said he was PROUD of me... and all I had to do was kill someone!!>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mana stood right beside Hikari and pushed against her roughly with her shoulder. She was pissed that her name got scratched off the list, and they performed in her place. Because of them, she had to perform last AND she had to chose another song!

"B*tch!"

Kimiko's eyes widened, and her gaze whipped toward the girl who looked like a perfect combination of Rei and Asuka. She couldn't believe what the girl just called her and Hikari. "What did you just say?"

The girl smiled sweetly to the judges, but growled under her breath. "You heard me, you f*cking sluts!"

The class rep blinked HARD and her body jerked in anger. This was already the worse day in her life! She found out that her best friend hired someone to kill her other friend, who ended up actually getting shot! Then Rei used guilt to make her perform that lusty, Lady Marmalade, song. Then SOMEHOW she LOST her MIND and practically did a STRIP TEASE for the crowd as she sang that song!! And NOW, she was STUCK on stage, the LAST place in the WORLD she wanted to be, in front of a bunch of HORNY men! Only to be topped off by some jerk nerd girl calling her a SLUT!!!!

Hikari spun on her heals, pointed at the girl with her forefinger and pinkie and screamed "Oh no you didn't!!" That was the only warning the rep gave before she jumped on the girl. She clawed out the girl's hair, she screamed "NOBODY calls ME a slut!!"

Kimiko slapped her hands over her mouth in total shock and stared wide eyed at the spectacle. She was too shocked to do anything else. The other contestants on the stage backed away. Quickly. That fight was all over the place. The guys in the crowd started hooting and hollering

"Cat fight! Cat fight!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"So do you understand the plan?" Rei asked as she raised her brow skeptically.

Kaworu rolled his eyes and nodded. "Just do your part and I'll do mine, ok?"

"Fine." Rei intertwined her fingers and cracked her knuckles. This was going to take great concentration.

Kaworu began to glow and his body returned to its natural state of pure energy. He then floated over Asuka and slowly melded into the girls body. Not even a second later, her crystal blue eyes opened.

Seeing that Kaworu did his part, Rei started on hers. Her crimson eyes started to burn brightly and her focus shifted to Misato. However, before she could complete her task, Kaworu jumped out of Asuka's body and appeared in front of Rei.

"What's wrong?" the first child inquired. Her eyes were still on fire with divine energy.

More than a slight look of fear graced the boy's features. He pointed to the red haired girl. "I don't want to go back in there!"

"You promised to help me." Rei reminded.

He shook his head and whined "I know.. but.." He raked his hand through his silverish hair. "It's SCARY in there! She is thoroughly messed up! I've NEVER seen a vessel like that before!! I've never been confronted with such an ANGRY soul before!"

"That's because the only time you associate with souls is when you are in heaven." Rei informed. "All souls in heaven have made peace with their life. Sohyru has not."

The boy savagely raked his hand through his hair again.

Rei turned away from him, walked toward the door and softly commanded. "Let's continue with the plan."

The boy angel crouched down and grabbed fistfuls of his hair as he groaned "I don't wanna." He stared at the passed out pilot. He *really* didn't want to go back in there.

Once she reached the door entrance way, Rei turned and faced the inside of her apartment. She gave her brother an unsympathetic facial expression. "Any day now."

He pressed his lips together and rolled his burning ruby eyes. "Why did I agree to this again?" He asked as he levitated himself over the second child.

"Because I'm your baby sis and I asked you to." she stated with a dead pan expression. "Now hurry up."

"You owe me!" he growled as he started to meld with the girl.

"No_ I don't. " Rei interrupted as her own crimson eyes started to burn even more brightly. "I'm keeping your secret. However. if you want me to tell Shinji that you have come back--"

"No, no, no!" the boy interrupted as he began to disappear inside of Asuka. "Just forget it. We're even!"

Rei waited for Asuka's eyes to open again before she started with her part of the plan. She watched as Asuka's face contorted with anger and then with peace, then with anger again. Rei knew that Kaworu was having a power struggle with her fellow pilot for control of the body. Almost five minutes went by before crystal blue eyes opened again.

Rei wasn't sure who was in control until Asuka growled out.

"I've changed my mind! You owe me big!"

Rei would have smiled if she didn't already have control of her outward expressions. Now it was her turn.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Touji walked with an arrogant expression through the precinct halls. The way he was caring himself everyone couldn't help to take notice of him.

Kensuke followed him with a relieved expression. He was just glad to be out of that cell and away from Michiru.

An officer was leading the two boys to the captain's office. Upon entering the small office, they noticed a middle aged man sitting behind a medium sized, cluttered desk. He gestured for the boys to sit.

Kensuke quickly complied. Touji glanced at the small uncomfortable chairs then opted to remain standing. He knew how inferior one could feel on the subordinate side of the desk. The pilot also knew that the man in front of him was terrified that he may have angered the commander by arresting him. So the ace was in his hand and he wanted to keep control of the situation.

Kensuke gave his friend a distressed look and whispered threateningly "Touji" as he made gestures with his eyes for the boy to sit down. He was afraid that they would be sent back to the cell with Michiru.

Suzuhara crossed his arms defiantly and asked confidently "So captain, how are you going to correct your error?"

Aida felt like he got the wind knocked out of him because of his friend's question ,and he groaned dejectedly.

The officer who brought them there was shocked as well and his jaw hit his chest.

And the captain was pissed. He was not going to be disrespected in his own office by some punk kid!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hikari was straddling Mana's waist. She had fistfuls of the girl's short, auburn hair and was banging the back of the girl's head against the stage.

When Mana's eyes rolled back, a chuckling NERV agent finally grabbed the class rep by the waist and pulled her off the crying girl. It wasn't an easy feat. Hikari was not only screaming that she wasn't a slut, but she was also kicking and thrashing as she refused to let go of the girl's hair.

It took more than a few minutes to calm her down. When her anger finally subsided, she pushed herself out of the man's grasp and cried. She was embarrassed by her behavior. Hikari had never been that mad in her entire life. But that was not the reason she was crying; she was upset with herself for taking out her displaced anger on that b*tch of a girl. Consumed with guilt and shame, she ran over to Kimiko and cried on her shoulder. The tall dark haired girl did her best to comfort her.

Seeing the two girls embracing, the guys in the crowd went wild!

Hikari started to cry harder and sobbed out "Perverts!"

Kimiko nodded in agreement and started crying as well. Both hiding their crying face from the crowd against each other, both girls admitted "Today is a terrible day!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shinji stepped out of his father's limo and looked around the commander's private entrance and garage. There he saw a spot for Rei's private limo, and a champagne colored Bentley that looked as if it had recently been in an accident.

Gendo noticed Kozo's car too. It had a pretty bad front end collision. "Come, Shinji."

The boy quickly caught up, and followed his father through the large steel doors and down the long narrow corridors of NERV. Silently he followed, not sure where they would end up, for he had never been in this sector of NERV before.

The commander walked over to the elevator and pushed the only button. The doors opened immediately. When he stepped in, Gendo informed his son. "We are going to the infirmary first. I need to speak with Fuyutsuki."

Shinji nodded silently and entered the elevator as well. He wasn't sure why he was even here, or why his father wanted him to tag along, but he wasn't going to complain. He felt honored that his father WANTED to be around him.

It wasn't long before they reached the infirmary floor. Gendo walked ahead while Shinji continued to follow silently. The pilot noticed, exactly, when his father's demeanor changed. No longer did he look happy or laid back as he did in the limo. He had returned to his unapproachable, stoic state. However, Shinji didn't experience the inadequacy he usually felt when he was around his dad. Simply for the fact that he finally realized that his father truly did carry himself the same way Rei carried herself in public. They hid their true self and true emotions from the world. They allowed the world to only know them as cold and emotionless and only allowed a select few to ever see that private side of themselves. The boy smiled. His father had shared something with *him* that he didn't even share with Rei. And Shinji *knew* that Rei was his father's favorite, but he no longer minded. However, knowing how his dad felt about his wife, did make learning that secret bit of info about his mother that much more special.

<This is turning out to be a the third greatest day in my life!!> (1st being last night ^_~ 2nd being the day he got married )

When they reached the infirmary doors, Gendo turned to Shinji before walking in. "Wait here." Then walked in and closed the door behind him. A few moments later, two nurses and a new infirmary doctor walked out of the door. They all looked relieved that they were dismissed.

Shinji sighed, leaned his back against the wall, and watched the medical staff leave as he waited for his dad to come out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A passed out Misato was standing up, with the help of Rei's powers. The young 3rd commander had the woman leaning against an AT field wall. The major's arms were resting on a similar type wall with her gun in her hands. The gun was pointing at Asuka. Asuka was standing almost directly in front of the gun.

With the second child's voice, Kaworu spoke. "Don't forget to tell me when you are going to shoot."

Rei spoke softly. "Kaworu"

"Yeah?" he said nervously.

"I'm going to shoot." With the flick of the wrist, Rei released a beam of her AT field at the major.

In a flash, the woman woke up, for she felt like she was being electrocuted. Then, very similar to stacked dominoes, Misato reacted to being shocked by pulling the trigger to her gun. Completing the third phase of the two angels' plan.

Kaworu's eyes burned brightly as he put an unnoticeable AT field around the bullet and subtlety guided its direction. If Misato was paying attention, she would have noticed Asuka's eyes turn from blue to violet. Instead of shooting the pilot through the eyes, the bullet grazed her left temple.

<OOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!>

Rei grabbed and pressed hard against her temples. Having someone mentally scream in your head was a very painful experience.

The boy continued to mentally yelled. <that HURT!!!> He moved Asuka's hand to quickly cover the wound.

<of course it hurt...> Rei informed mentally. <you've been shot>

<yeah, but *I* wasn't shot! *SHE* was shot!>

Rei rolled her eyes <and you're in *HER* body, so of course *you* felt her pain.>

"Oh yeah... It still hurt though!" He/she groaned out verbally as he/she clutched the painful wound.

Rei's eyes tripled their size and she balled her tiny fist angrily. What was he trying to do by answering her out loud?! Was he trying to ruin the plan on purpose?! She growled mentally. <just continue with the plan>

Still clutching the painful wound, he glanced at her and nodded.

Rei grit her teeth and scowled. She wondered if he was really so stupid or was he trying to aggravate her on purpose. If it was the latter, then it was working. Ten fold.

Misato watched in horror as the girl clutched her wound and as the blood trickled through her fingers. Then with pained effort, Asuka fixed her gaze on her.

"W-wh-why?" the red haired girl squeaked out.

Rei noticed tears in Asuka's eyes. More likely than not, they were real tears. It was only a flesh wound, but Kaworu wasn't used to pain. He was one of the most powerful angels in heaven. Only once before was he harmed, and at that time, it was only because he allowed himself to be captured, to be hurt, to be.. changed. Other than that one time, pain was a stranger to him.

The pilot sobbed out. "I-I- thought.. you cared.... about me....?"

"I do! I do, Asuka!" Misato sobbed out, dropped her gun to the floor and cried out. "I love you like my own daughter!"

Dramatically the girl reached out to the woman "Then why.. why did you...." She started to feign faint, by placing her wrist against her forehead. Staggering around the room, Kaworu/Asuka subtly looked for a place to fall without causing any more pain to himself. He was finding it hard to find a suitable spot, for there was glass everywhere.

Rei rolled her eyes <and the academy award goes to>

Asuka sighed, then did a complete 180 degree turn and staggered toward the ottoman. Finding a comfy place to faint, he/she turned back around and dramatically reached out to the major. "It's ok..." He/she sobbed out, then melodramatically fell back against the soft, torn piece of furniture. "I forgive you...." Crystal blue eyes fluttered shut, one hand fell limp over the furniture but carefully not touching the glass covered floor. Then, the red haired pilot did the most *inhuman* thing a person could do when they die or faint.

Rei scowled and mentally yelled. <put your legs down, baka!!! humans don't faint with their legs straight up in the air!>

Kaworu pried one eye open and looked at the angry, blue haired, angel in the door way and mentally yelled back. <how was I supposed to know!! I'm not lillium!> Asuka's legs plopped down and her feet hit the floor with a heavy ~thunk~

Rei shook her head in disbelief. How could someone older than the lillium know so little about them.

"Ohhh ASUKA!!" Misato cried out and ran over to the girl, falling on her knees and cradling the pilot in her arms. "Please forgive me! I didn't want to!!"

The second child opened her eyes and sobbed out breathlessly. "M-M_Misato-san.... is that you?"

The major started crying hysterically and nodded vigorously as she held onto the girl in a tight embrace "Yes, it's me, darling. I'm here with you!!"

"Is it really you?" The girl asked in a hoarse whisper. Slowly, she moved a her hand to touch the woman's face. "Come closer..... I can barely see you..."

<good grief> The first child rolled her eyes again. Kaworu sure was laying it on thick.

"I'm here!!" Misato cried out as she held the girls bloodied hand against her face.

With one last whimper, Asuka's head fell back dramatically, to show the world that he/she had finally fainted for real this time.

The major held onto the child tighter, and screamed her cries. "I'm here and I won't let anyone hurt you! I promise!!"

That was Rei's queue. "What is going on in here?"

Misato spun her gaze around and saw the first child. She blinked her eyes; she felt like she was experiencing deja vu. <didn't Rei already come in here... didn't she... admit to being an angel?> The woman shook that insane thought out of her head and wrote it off as a manifestation due to stress and the lack of beer.

The blue haired girl inwardly smirked at the major's confused expression. Not waiting for an answer, she reentered the small apartment, walked over the shard glass to where Asuka fainted. Rei crouched down beside the 'unconscious' pilot and was about to touch the girl's face when she heard.

"Don't." Misato commanded. She had no idea what Rei intended to do to the girl, (or what she already did).

Rei looked up and at the major. "Don't what?"

"Don't..." Misato could feel her throat closing up with fear as she stared into those ruby orbs. Part of her feared that Rei really was an angel. She swallowed hard and finished her sentence. "Don't hurt her.."

Rei did not let her gaze waver in the least. "Hurt her? I know what she has done to *hurt me* but I assure you, Katsuragi-san that I did not allow her life to be spared, a life that you just tried to take, just to harm her now."

Because of Rei's calmly spoken words, Misato felt like she was shot herself.

Rei gave no outward expression, but she inwardly smirked. She returned her gaze back to Asuka and gently brushed the girls hair off her face. Rei couldn't help but notice how innocent the second child looked without that ever present demonic scowl on her face. She looked almost angelic. It made Rei wonder if she could always look so gentle or if it was Kaworu's presence in her that gave her an innocent look of peace.

Misato watched Rei and could see wonder in the girl's crimson eyes as she stared at the second child.

Without shifting her gaze Rei asked. "Why did you try to kill Sohyru?"

That question startled the woman. Mostly because of the deadpan way Rei asked it. The major sniffed out "I was told to..."

"Were you?" Rei interrupted, looking up at the woman.

Katsuragi was taken aback by that question and by Rei's piercing gaze. <of course I was!!> "2nd commander Fuyutsuki told...."

Rei looked at the woman with a trained impassive expression; however, her eyes shimmered with skepticism. Kozo and the commander had promised to leave the second child's life in her hands, no matter what the girl did. She knew they would not go back on their word.

Rei interrupted and asked coldly "What did Fuyutsuki command you to do?"

The woman, who would not ordinarily take commands from the first child, sobbed out the answer to the sternly asked question. "H-he told me to take care of the situation."

Rei pressed her lips together and nodded. She stood up and pulled her phone out of her back pocket. As she dialed a number she spoke to Misato. "So from the infinite amount of choices he gave you to 'take care of the situation' you chose to *kill* her." She pressed her lips together again and nodded as if confirming her suspicions. "I see. The commander was correct about you."

That was the most hateful thing anyone could have ever said to Misato. The woman put a tighter embrace on Asuka and cried onto her shoulder.

<I know Misato never cared about you ,but that was mean, little one> Kaworu chided warmly. He felt like he was being choked to death by the distraught woman.

Rei ignored him and walked back outside with the phone. She needed someone to pick up the second child. Once in the hallway, she noticed that the eraser team had just made it upstairs. Rei closed her phone and narrowed her eyes. Just by the team being here, Rei realized that Fuyutsuki gave Misato that open command in hopes that the major *would* kill Asuka; and in doing so he could still honestly say he didn't command it. For it wouldn't be his fault if the major misinterpreted his words.

The team leader walked passed the first child and through the apartment door. Once he saw the mess, he let out a slur of curse words, then screamed out to no one in particular. "How in the hell are we supposed to fix this place in less than an hour?!"

Rei turned slightly and glanced into the room. He was right, the room was destroyed. She was just glad that she didn't have to clean it up. She hated cleaning. "Mamoru." She knew the man by name, and she knew him well, because of the constant company she kept with the commander. The commander had much use for this man and his teams.

The eraser team leader turned to face the girl. "Yes." His agitation was clearly audible. He hated when he had to clean a mess as big as this one. Especially since he was under a time constraint of one hour for any job, big or small.

Rei did not fully turn around, instead she spoke to the man only giving him a side profile of her face. "I request two of your team members to take Asuka to NERV."

"That will not be necessary. "The man assured. "I'll will just roll her up and put her with that other guy we picked up a few minutes ago."

"She's not dead." Rei informed flatly.

"WHAT?!!" He could not believe what he just heard. "Are you telling me that she caused all this mess and she's still ALIVE!!!!" He gestured angrily to the destroyed apartment.

Clearly, the man had been desensitized to what warrants a punishment of death.

The first child turned around, but did not repeat herself. She walked back into the apartment as the rest of the team arrived.

All the members of the team groaned out a colorful assortment of curses upon seeing the apartment. One team member even said that he hoped Misato killed Asuka slowly, just for giving them so much work to do.

It seemed that he was desensitized as well.

Misato held onto the girl protectively when the team entered the apartment. She knew that they not only cleaned up messes, they also finished them if the situation arose. By the looks in their eyes, each one of them wanted to *finish* this job.

"They are not going to harm her." Rei assured coolly as she strapped her gun harness around her slender waist. She then picked up Wild Orchid, reached behind her back, and placed the gun in the back waist harness. Turning away from the major, she pulled her shirt out of her shorts and hid her weapon under her shirt. She didn't trust leaving the porcelain gun in the apartment. It wasn't because she feared it would be stolen, for she knew it wouldn't. The real reason Rei took her gun was because she wanted to make sure that no one touched it.

Because of the huge mess, Mamoru couldn't afford to lose two members of his team just to take Asuka to NERV. Instead, he allowed only one man, Tomita, to carry the second child to headquarters.

Tomita wasn't a large man, but he was strong and could carry the girl without difficulty. When he started to cradle the sleeping teenager in his arms, Misato looked away from the first child and toward Mamoru for conformation.

"He's going to take her to NERV." the team leader agitatedly assured and nodded to her as he spoke on the phone. He was calling the other 3 eraser teams. He was going to need all the help he could get.

They took the elevator to NERV and ended up on the infirmary floor. That was the only place the elevator opened up to in NERV. Rei walked out first, then Misato, who tagged along to make sure Asuka wasn't harmed, and Tomita, who carried Asuka.

Right before they were about to walk down the hall towards the infirmary, Rei commanded softly to Tomita.

"Take the second child to the calaboose."

"WHAT?! No!" Misato yelled. "I thought you said that no harm will come to her!"

The man obeyed the girl's command immediately and walked down the hall with Asuka in tow to take her to NERV's secret prison.

"She will be perfectly safe." Rei impassively assured as she walked away from them in the opposite direction.

Misato turned and watched the man leave with the second child. She could tell by the stripes sewn on his shirt that he out ranked the first child, but he was complying with the girls orders, without hesitation, and ignoring hers. The major returned her focus to the blue haired pilot and grabbed her wrist and spun her around. "I don't know how much power you wield in NERV but you can't do this!! Asuka--"

"Asuka has conspired to kill me, major." The 3rd commander interrupted coolly with a controlled expression.

The calm yet condescending way Rei said *major* Misato knew instantly that Rei out ranked her. Rumors of Rei's *true* rank floated around NERV, but Rei never acted as if they were true. So Misato never really took much note to them. It was too absurd. Rei was 16 years old. But that subtle warning in her tone and the superior glare the girl was giving her told her those rumors were true. Misato's eyes narrowed slightly before she let go of the girls wrist, but did not apologize. Instead, she spun on her heals and ran toward the elevator that held Tomita and Asuka in it. She wanted to make sure that no harm came to the second child while in the calaboose.

When the elevator door closed behind Katsuragi, Rei angrily turned around. She had just made the decision to 'come out of the closet' with her rank. She was tired of being spoken down to. She was so angry, she walked straight into Kaworu.

The boy didn't even seem to notice when Rei's face slammed directly into his chest. "I think I know why the Maker wanted you to spare Asuka." He informed seriously as he walked around his little sis. He wanted to take one more lingering gaze at the elevator. The elevator that had the second child in it.

Rei didn't bother to turn back around, but she did ask as she rubbed and soothed her nose. "And why is that, pray tell?"

Kaworu smiled. "Because I think I like her."

The first child quickly spun on her heals, making her hair fan out like a spinning disk, to face her brother "You've got to be kidding me!!"

The boy turned and faced Rei and gave her such a broad, toothy, grin, his crimson eyes made rainbow shapes. He answered her in a happy sing song voice. "Actually,... I think I like her like her!!"

Rei's top lip curled in disgust. All she could do was rub her temples and blink. HARD!

"Rei-chan!!" said a very happy voice behind her.

The first child's eyes tripled their size and she spun around to see the person behind her. "Koibito!" Shinji was at the corridor corner. She then spun back around to see if Kaworu was still there. Of course, he wasn't. <chicken>

A sarcastic <so> was the boy angel's mental retort. Kaworu had already made his escape, and he was now safe in the confines of heaven.

Shinji's brow furrowed when Rei looked guiltily away from him. Rei's spun back around to her husband, tilted her head to the side, and gave him her best innocent face. Which in turn, made Shinji even more determined to find out what was going on.

"Anything wrong, Koishii?"

She shook her head no and shrugged before running to him and embracing him.

He wrapped his arms around her slender waist, gave her a happy smile and kissed her tenderly on the lips. "Are you ok?" He knew she was, but he wanted to make sure.

She nodded and kissed him again, this time with a little more intensity.

He pulled back when his hand rested on her gun, instead of on the small of her back. His brow furrowed. "Are you sure nothings wrong?"

She smiled. "Of course nothing is wrong. I just wanted to carry my gun that's all." It wasn't a complete lie. She did want to carry her gun, but only because she didn't want the eraser team touching it. "Are you ready to go?" She asked sweetly. "I was informed that the assassin was taken care of."

Shinji's eyes widened guiltily. "Y-y-you were?"

She nodded. She didn't mind repeating herself to him.

"D-did... Were you told who killed him?"

She shook her head no.

The third child exhaled a relieved breath. He didn't want Rei to know what he did. He must have preached the value of a human life to her a hundred times, and the virtues and rewards of sparing such life an equal number of times. She even spared the man who shot her. The same man he KILLED. He didn't want her to know that he was a hypocrite.

The first child quirked a brow, and was about to ask a question when her husband unhinged her tiny hands from around his neck and kissed both of her palms.

Shinji was purposely interrupting her. "As much as I would like to leave, koishii, father told me to wait for him outside of the infirmary door."

"Then what are you doing here?" Rei asked a bit distressed. If he was ordered to wait in a specific location, he shouldn't be down the hall and around the corner.

"I heard you. That's why I came down here." He looked over her shoulder. "I thought I heard Misato too... Hmmm.. I guess I was wrong."

Rei gave no outward expression.

He returned a loving gaze to her and asked hopefully. "Wanna wait with me?"

"Of course I do." She smiled out warmly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I still don't own anything that deals with Evangelion

Wow this took a long time to get out. >_< Gomen!! Like many of you all, I am back in school. WAHHHH!!!!

And you may not know this but I also have two jobs, so the only time I can really find time to write is between classes *yuck* And my thoughts must render on things like school work. *sigh* I need to make good grades so I continue and go to the best grad school possible. So my chapters will be coming slow for now on. Gomen. I will finish though. I promise.

Oh one more thing... that pretty mouth thing *hehe* I got that from the movie Deliverance. Thanks Random1377 for telling me the name of that movie. ^_~ I got the idea for Yui's gun from Goldenkitsune. I kinda swayed from the original plan but I still loved your idea. ^_^ Hmmm anything else... probably... but I forgot. ^_^

I love ya lots I really really do.

Kimberly