Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction ❯ So Happy Together ❯ chapter 34 ( Chapter 33 )

Misato was the first person to arrive in the Eva observation deck. She had been in there a little more than 15 minutes before Makoto walked in.

He stopped in the doorway with is eyes wide. Silently, he watched her chew on her bottom lip and pilfer through the many papers. He couldn't believe that Misato was actually there. He shook his head in disbelief. If she was here, that meant she got the promotion, and that meant she was now a participant in the Tojiru project. And if she was part of the Tojiru project.... then that meant she killed Asuka!

<how could you, Misato!> He took a deep angry breath and walked over to her. "You're in my seat."

Startled, she looked up at him. "Oh gomen." The major quickly gathered her papers and stood up. After everything was in her hands, she realized something. "What are you doing here? This is a private synch test."

"I know." He answered curtly. "I've been with the project since its genesis." He started to flip switches that cut on his section of the switchboard terminal. He was so angry with the woman, he couldn't even look at her. He just couldn't believe that she _killed _Asuka. The girl was supposed to be like a daughter to her!

Misato picked up on his angry body language. "What's wrong, Makoto?" She leaned against the switchboard, ran her fingers through his hair and cooed. "You know you can tell me?"

He angrily shook his head to disengage her fingers from his hair, then ignored her as he continued with his work.

The major quirked a brow. That was an odd reaction. Especially since he has had a crush on her for about three years now. "What's wrong?"

<wh-what's wrong?!> Makoto's mind stuttered. He spun toward her in his seat, glared furiously and bit out "How could you!"

"How could I what?" she asked innocently. She had no idea what he was talking about. She didn't know about the test the commander had created for her to secure her job. She didn't know that test was to dispose of the second child.

Makoto was just about to tell her 'what' when Maya and Shigeru walked into the observation deck. By the expressions on their face, they were just as shocked to see the major as Makoto had been. For they both knew what she must have done to be here. Their assumption was confirmed when they noticed the anger riddled on Makoto's face.

"Where is unit 01?" Ibuki called out to Hyuga since he was the first one there. Instead of conversing with Misato, she chose to concentrate on work.

"It's coming out of refrigeration." Hyuga answered as he got up and walked toward them. He wanted, no needed, to get away from Misato.

Katsuragi noticed that she was getting the brush-off, but decided to let it slide. They seemed to know more about the project than she did. So she decided to stand back and analyze what was going on.

"Why is it taking so long?" Maya asked curiously.

Aoba yawned. "The commander ordered a change in the equipment last night."

"Really?" Maya took her seat and started turning on her section of the switchboard. "From b-type to what?"

"To d-type" Shigeru yawned out. He was extremely tired. He was the only one of the three who was called to assist the commander in overseeing the equipment change.

"D-type?!" Makoto asked dumbfounded. "Why? Was he trying to freeze it?"

"What happened?" Maya asked jokingly as she typed in her passwords to completely cut on the switchboard. "Did it come alive or something?" She knew that was impossible.

"That is exactly what happened" answered a calm, collected, yet cruel voice.

The three swallowed hard and slowly turned around. The commander was sitting behind his large, white marble desk, and the 2nd commander was standing beside him. Aoba and Hyuga quickly made it to their seats and finished their preliminaries. The wall in front of them came alive with colors, then showed about two dozen different monitors. One monitor in particular, showed an image of unit 01.

"With the changes made last night," Gendo asked Aoba, "what is the possibility of activation?"

Shigeru answered with an energy he wasn't exhibiting before. "86% sir!"

"Nani?" The major spun around toward the lieutenant and said in a shocked whisper. "That's impossible! The possibility of Rei synchronizing is "0.00000000000001%. Unit 01 only allows Shinji to synch with her.... and now she's not even allowing that.... How the hell is *Rei* supposed to do it?"

"She can do it." Makoto informed bitterly. He had heard the major; even though, she was whispering to herself. He punched in some codes and a visual came up. He looked up at the screen and informed. "The 3rd commander has just entered the entry plug."

<How do they expect her to synch?> Misato continued to ask herself, mentally. This time, she kept her opinions to herself; she was the "new guy" on the project, after all. However, she didn't understand why they believed that Rei would be able synch with unit 01, when Shinji could not. <She has the lowest synchronization record of all the pilots>

The major looked around the massive room. The three lieutenants worked feverishly as the completed their preliminaries, and the two commanders looked as if they had complete faith in Rei's ability.

"Major, you will be surprised of what she can do" the commander said confidently when she stared at him. He could tell by her demeanor that she doubted the blue haired girl's ability, and was confused at what was going on. Gendo returned his gaze back toward the visuals on the wall. This was the moment of truth. "Is the cage in position for docking?"

"Yes sir!" Aoba called out as he punched in codes and silently read out the readings.

"Good." Gendo clasped his hands together. "Then let us proceed."

"Signal plug terminator has been ejected!" Maya informed.

Makoto punched in codes to control the mechanical arm that held the entry plug. "Roger. Inserting entry plug."

"Plug fixed in place.... Connecting unit 01!" Shigeru informed a few seconds later.

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Rei sat inside the entry plug and watched it fill up with the artificial LCL. She took deep even breaths as her lungs and stomach was filled with the cool liquid. To all who observed her, she *looked* calm, but in reality, she was trying to calm her emotions. For the past two hours, she felt extremely... angry. So angry in fact that she felt that she could literally kill someone. However, she knew that the anger she felt was not her own, it was her husband's. Through their silver band of a bond, she was sharing Shinji's emotions. The first child took a mental note to ask her husband what was going on today, when she got home that evening.

The young 3rd commander was also plagued with her own emotions, for she was afraid. Commander Ikari had showed her Akagi's files. He also informed her of an abnormality that was recorded to be inside the Eva. She was told that it maybe in direct relation with what happened yesterday, when it opened its eyes.

Rei took a deep breath and tried not to focus that or the fear that it was dredging up.

Because of this new complication, the commander made it clear to her that Shinji would not participate in the project as originally planned. It would be too dangerous. After being briefed on the information in Akagi's files, Rei doubted if she would have allowed it anyway. She was just pleased that the commander had looked out for the welfare of his son before she had to voice her displeasure. By the surprised look on Kozo's face, he seemed pleased as well.

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In the observation deck, all parties involved were checking and rechecking there second stage preliminaries. Like a well-practiced symphony, the three lieutenants alerted everyone of what was going on.

"Connecting to main power." Maya called out.

Makoto answered back. "All circuits transmitting power."

"Connecting secondary contacts." Shigeru said as he typed in commands.

Looking at the monitors, Maya informed. "A-10 nerve connection,.... normal."

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Rei closed her eyes after the prism of color rushed passed her vision. She didn't need to see the other spectacular visions of color; she knew of them, all too well. As she tried to make herself more comfortable in the chair, she delicately placed her hands in her lap and took in the scent that reminded her of her husband.

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"All preliminary contacts established" announced Maya as she typed in some instructions. "Performance... nominal."

"Bi-directional circuits are open." Makoto informed.

"Synchronization ratio..." Shigeru called out, then looked at the monitor. "Is at... 0%"

Misato snorted indignantly. Despite what the others believed, she knew that Rei couldn't synch with unit 01. For some reason... no one could.

"Rei." Gendo spoke calmly, for he was expecting the initial synchronization reading. "Proceed with first phase."

The young angel answered over the intercom in a calm tone. "Hai."

About five minutes later, Shigeru informed. "Synchronization is still at 0%"

Misato rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. In her opinion, this was such a waist of time. After a few more minutes of waiting, she ran her finger through her hair and walked over to her stack of papers. She wanted to know what they were doing. The first 7 folders were mostly mathematical calculations that told her nothing. However, it was when she opened the eighth manila folder and started to pilfer through it, did she find what she was looking for, and why it had to be Rei to synch with unit 01.

"Oh_ my _gawd.... They found a way to pull Yui out of unit 01!"

********

Shinji, Kensuke and Touji sat in the waiting room of principal's office. It wasn't even ten o'clock and the three boys were already in trouble.

Why were they in trouble? It all started when the little group of friends got out of the limo in front of the school courtyard. Rei had relinquished the use of the limo to her husband. She felt that he needed it more than she did since they now lived so far from all his friends. When the little group walked into the school courtyard, the two girls immediately received the "star treatment" from the male students. Apparently, everyone got word of their little performance at the fair yesterday. So like the former first child predicted, the girls had a slew of guys who wanted to date them. Touji and Kensuke were furious at the blatant disrespect, and tried to keep the guys away from their women. And Shinji... he *really* was glad that Rei didn't go to school that day.

The five students didn't even make it to the school's main doors before Kimiko and Hikari decided that they weren't up to going to school that day. Shinji graciously volunteered that they take the limo home. The girls knew that would be easier for them to avoid their male fan club if they were driven home, so they didn't even make him volunteer twice before they turned around and ran toward the main exit.

After the girls left, and the male students had no one to dolt over, that was when the defamating rumors about the three divas began. The stooges weren't sure if a guy or one of the many jealous girls started the untruths, but those lies spread across the school like wildfire.

It was during homeroom when the first fight broke out.

Whispers and rumors were floating around the classroom about Rei's, Hikari's, and Kimiko's performance and about their 'reputation.' Before yesterday, the three girls could have probably been voted the least likely to have sex. But since they bared it all on the stage, they now had the reputation of being easy. Touji and Kensuke were doing their best not to disrespect the rules of the classroom and hold their peace, but they were taking names, and there was going to be hell to pay come lunch time.

Surprisingly, it was Shinji, the most passive of the three stooges, who started the first fight in the *classroom*. Like his friends, he *tried* to make a hit list and wait until lunch to hand out his retribution. But when he overheard a boy whispering lies about sleeping with Rei *and* the guy said that she was easy and was begging for more after he dumped her, Shinji's vision became as red as his wife's eyes. The pilot bolted out of his seat and rushed the boy. The third child pulled the guy, whose name was Genki, out of his seat by his collar and *threw* him across the room. Then with an almost inhuman speed, the third child ran over to him and punched Genki in the face, while the boy was still in the air! The blow sent the boy to the floor with a bone crushing force.

It happened so quickly, all anyone could do was just sit there and stare, with his or her mouths ajar in a silent awe. Nonetheless, everyone now knew that nobody lied about Rei and got away with it! Not while Shinji was alive anyway.

After the punch to the face, Genki was out for the count, but that didn't matter. Shinji continued his assault on the boy. The pilot fought as if he had been taken over by a dummy plug. By the time the teacher got over the shock of watching the usually timid pilot, savagely attack Genki, Shinji had already beat the holy hell out of the boy and had him crying as he confessed that he lied about sleeping with Rei. The teacher had to physically restrain Shinji because the boy kept thrashing about, trying to lay at least one more punch or kick to Genki. When Shinji finally calmed down to a point to where he could be escorted out of the classroom, by the teacher, the pilot pointed a finger at the crumpled figure on the floor, and said to Genki in a tone that sounded like warmed over ice, that he had better watch his back because he was going to meet his "destiny" for his lies.

No one besides Touji and Kensuke understood what that meant. However, the rest of the class knew it couldn't be good thing because Shinji was furious. No one had ever seen that sort of rage come from the third child in all the years they had known him. They honestly didn't know he had it in him.

That was only one of many fights the pilot got into that morning, and it wasn't long before the other two stooges were fighting for their women's honor as well.

By 10 am Shinji had a major black eye, busted lip, a sore jaw, and bloodied knuckles, Touji and Kensuke were in pretty much the same shape. Plus, all of their uniforms looked war-torn and blood-speckled. The blood was a combination of theirs and the poor idiots who dared to lie about their women. The three boys had taken up arms against practically the entire male student population, and won.

Shinji sighed heavily but felt great as he looked at his bloodied knuckles. Nobody would dare say anything bad about his wife now. He smirked triumphantly; all the guys, plus many of the girls, were probably afraid to even look at her after the display of his protective fury.

"My hand hurts" the fourth child whined as he flexed his bloodied regenerated hand. He feared that he might have broken it on an upper classman's jaw. However, beyond the pain of his injuries, Touji was feeling pretty damn good.

"My dad's gonna kill me!" Aida mumbled and stared blankly at the wall. He wasn't sharing his friend's happy disposition. "He told me that the next time I got into a fight and come home with a black eye or bloodied lip I was going to get punished!" He turned and stared at his friends then angrily gestured to himself. "Just LOOK at me!! He's going to burst a coronary!"

"At least this time you had a good reason." Shinji offered. "You successfully protected Kimiko's honor... and... you kicked a lot of @$$." He gave a reassuring smile. "Maybe he'll understand and let you off."

Slowly, Kensuke turned his complete focus to the third child. "Shin-man, do you how many fights I got into this year alone?!" Before the pilot could answer, Kensuke started rattling off. "How about that time when you thought I was cheating with Rei!"

Shinji sheepishly bowed his head in embarrassment. In Shinji's opinion, it was an honest mistake. How was he supposed to know that his beloved went to Kensuke's home to threaten his life and not to have a secret romantic rendezvous? "Well, you have to admit... you guys did look... kinda.."

"Oh shut up!" Kensuke hissed and glared at Suzuhara. "You guys had no right to attack us!!"

"I told them not to." Shinji offered with innocent and wide dark blue eyes.

Touji looked away from his angry friend and started to whistle innocently.

The hacker continued. "Or that time when Asuka attacked me for commenting on her face!"

Shinji laughed. "You should have kept your mouth shut!"

Kensuke sat at the edge of his seat, pushed Touji back so he could clearly see Shinji, and yelled. "How was *I* supposed to know that Asuka really did get her @$$ kicked by Rei!!"

"Take it easy man!" the fourth child yelled and pushed Aida back in his seat. "We get your point! Sheesh!" Touji wanted him to get off the subject before Kensuke remembered more of the stuff that *he* did to him.

Aida crossed his arms angrily and snorted as he looked away from them. He wasn't even finished with his list yet.

A few minutes later, and after Kensuke seemed to calm down, Touji looked at Shinji and praised "That was f*cking awesome when you punched that guy while he was still in the air!!"

Shinji scratched the back of his head. "You know..." The pilot then tilted his head to the side, narrowed his eyes and delved into his thoughts. "I don't even remember doing that."

"Figures." Aida snorted angrily. "You looked like a crazed maniac when you attacked Genki!"

"E-excuse me?!" Shinji stuttered and blinked hard. None of the pilots liked to have their sanity questioned.

"You heard me!" Aida coaxed as he flayed his arms around. "It's all your fault that we're HERE!! You lost your cool and started fighting that guy like a... a CRAZED LUNATIC!"

Touji sighed and shook his head. Apparently Aida hadn't calmed down as much as he thought. He tried to defuse the situation, but was interrupted.

"You didn't hear what he said!" Shinji defended as he scooted to the edge of his seat, pushed Touji back and glared at Kensuke. "He said he f*cked my WIFE!! _MY_ WIFE!!!"

"Calm down! Both of you!" Touji yelled as he pried the 3rd pilot's hand off his chest. "Anyway Shinji, that was no worse than what they were saying about *our* girlfriends!"

"And you didn't see us threatening to _kill_ anyone!" Kensuke shot in, then looked away with an angry snort. "We're probably going to be expelled because of your threats!"

"You just wait until someone says that bullsh*t about your _wife_!" He stressed the term wife. "Anyway... it wasn't a threat...." Shinji growled darkly as he sat back angrily and glared at the wall. "It was a promise..."

Dismissing his friend's words as an angry rant, Suzuhara sighed heavily again.

After a minute of tense silence, the pilot of unit 01 crossed his arms and mumbled "I'm not crazy."

A few seconds later, Aida mumbled. "I know... Gomen."

Touji smiled slightly knowing that all was forgiven between his friends, then asked to no one in particular. "Do you really think we're going to get expelled?"

After another few minutes of silence, Shinji sighed out. "Yeah.... I think we will."

"It's all your fault, Ikari" the hacker hissed under his breath. With that realization, he was angry again.

Shinji's brow furrowed angrily. "How the hell is *your* expulsion *my* fault!" The pilot scooted to the edge of his seat, turned and faced Aida and yelled. "No one told you guys to fight. You could have *waited* until after school!"

"Nan de mo, Shinji!" Kensuke scoffed. He knew his friend was right, but he refused to tell him.

"Maybe... I shouldn't have burst into that upperclassman classroom to fight Jiroo..." Touji pondered and flexed his injured hand. At the time, he was being escorted to the principal's office when he broke away from the teacher and ran up the steps to get the last guy on his hit list. It was on that guy's face that he hurt his hand. After a minute of mental deliberation, he smirked. "Nah.. that yaro deserved the beating I gave him." He looked over at the sulking Aida. "I'm surprised you didn't lose any of *your* fights... How many where in you in? Eight?"

For two hours, the three boys kept escaping from the teachers once they won a fight. They then ran towards the location of the next person on their hit list. They knew that before this day was over, they were going to get in trouble, so they made sure that their punishment was worth it. They also made sure that the beatings they dished out were so bad that no one would dare lie on their women again.

"It helps when you have something worth fighting for." Kensuke said proudly. "No one's going to try and ruin *my Kimiko's* reputation and get away with it!" He narrowed his eyes dangerously and sucked on his busted lip. The metallic taste of his own life's fluids made him remember that he was going to get punished when he father found out about this. "Dammit Shinji... it's all your fault!"

"It is not!" the pilot shot back.

The secretary came out of her office and walked toward the boys. She was a plump lady and even shorter, in height, than Rei. Even though she was overweight, she didn't look fat. She looked cuddly and soft. She frowned at the three boys, but there was no malice behind it. She found out why the youths were in so many fights this morning, and thought it was rather kawaii. Not many guys would risk getting in trouble for their girlfriends' honor. She thought it was a shame that they were going to get expelled for it.

In a naturally kind voice, she informed "Suzuhara-kun and Aida-kun, I called your parents. They should be here shortly."

The two boys groaned and grimaced.

She looked at Shinji. "Your records show that you no longer have a guardian. Why is that?"

"That's because I'm my own guardian, ma'am."

"You're your own guardian?" She asked flatly; she didn't believe him. "How, may I ask, did that come about?"

"I'm married, ma'am." the pilot answered politely and proudly.

"Oh!" She was visibly surprised. "I-I didn't know that!" She blinked a couple of times. "Who... are you married too?"

The boy sat a little straighter and puffed out his chest just a bit. "Rei Ayanami." Then he gave the woman a wide-eyed expectant stare. "I had her records changed when I did mine... like two weeks ago." He didn't bother to mention that he did it secretly.

"Oh!... I didn't know that..." Her dark brown eyes widened, showing the world that she was clearly surprised. She had met Rei a couple of times, because the girl always dropped off the bulk of her finished assignments at the office, instead of giving the work to each individual teacher. In the woman's opinion, she couldn't imagine the girl dating anyone or getting married. Rei was just so... different from the other girls. "Uh.. congratulations.."

"Thank you!" Shinji beamed then grimaced when his broad smile hurt his busted lip and the shiner around his eye.

"However," she continued, "even though you are *married*" She shook her head; it was almost too hard to believe that this kid was married to Miss Ayanami. She took a deep breath and returned to what she was saying. "You're too young for us to let you go on your own recognizance. Is there an adult we can call to pick you up?" When the pilot shook his head no, she suggested. "How about your dad?"

"Oh no!" The pilot jumped to his feet. "Oh gawd no!" Call his father? Was the woman nuts? She had to have been nuts to suggest such a thing! Shinji scratched the back of his head and quickly thought about someone else. "I guess there's Misato-san. She *used* to be my guardian."

********

Misato looked at the monitor then glanced at her wristwatch and took a deep breath. It was a little past 10 am. Rei had been inside unit 01 for over an hour, and her synch ratio was still at 0%.

"We should call this off." She whispered to herself. It was clear that Rei couldn't synch with the mecca. She glanced around the room. Everyone seemed to be patiently waiting for the girl to succeed, so Misato chose to keep her opinion to herself. She had to keep reminding herself that she was new to the project, so maybe they knew something she didn't.

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Rei was trying to synch with Yui, but she couldn't reach her. It was either that the elder Mrs. Ikari was still refusing to synch with her, or she was trapped like they believed her to be, or in the worst possible scenario, Yui was both trapped *and* refusing to synch.

Over the two and a half years since the 3rd impact, (or what the 1st and 2nd commander thought was the failed initiation of the third impact) the data that had been gathered on unit 01 revealed that Yui was not dead, as they had originally believed. It turned out that Yui was trapped inside the Eva, as Shinji had been trapped when he was absorbed into the Eva during the 14th angel attack. Also, just as Shinji turned into LCL, Yui was the LCL that was the Eva's blood.

During the initial synchronization with unit 01, Yui met the empty darkness that was Eva, and she opened the light of her mind to it. Unknowingly, she had let down her AT field, the wall that separated all lillum, and truly became one with Eva. At the time, she didn't know, nor did anyone else, that because there was no host inside unit 01, becoming one with Eva meant she was going to *become* Eva. If they would have known, Gendo would have chosen any random person to be the first person to synch with the mecca. It didn't matter who, just as long as it wasn't his wife.

They named the project Tojiru because it means to bind. Yui's essence was bound so deep inside the core that now she couldn't even surface her presence. Unlike unit 00 or unit 02, unit 01 had a real S2 organ inside it, and not an artificial S2 engine like the production model Evas. They believed that the S2 organ was the reason why her soul became ineffectual inside unit 01.

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"Rei" the commander called out over the intercom. "Prognosis."

<Prognosis?> The major mentally scoffed. <she can't synch with unit 01>

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"I am unable to synch with unit 01." Rei informed calmly.

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<no, really?> Misato mentally shot in.

From behind his large desk, Gendo stared at the visual of her face and asked calmly. "Are you being rejected?"

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"I... do not know... but I do not think so." She opened her eyes and looked into the camera "The silence is... different from the first time I was refused."

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Gendo unclasped his fingers and pressed his finger tips together, making a triangle. A moment later, he took a silent deep breath.

This was the moment of reckoning.

The commander new that to proceed onto Phase Two will, more likely than not, put Rei's life in danger. To continue as they are now, with the limited information they have concerning the abnormality inside unit 01, there was a great possibility that they will not only be unable to retrieve his wife, but that they will lose Rei as well..... On the other hand, to turn back now, they may loose one of the few chances, even possibly the only chance to get Yui back. The latter was unacceptable in Gendo's opinion. For almost 13 years he had been trying to reunite with his beloved wife, to no avail. In his opinion, they had to continue with the Tojiru Project if only for that reason alone.

Gendo stared at Rei's visual and into her crimson eyes; he felt his chest constrict. The thought of Rei being injured or even killed was unacceptable in his opinion too. Though no one would believe him, this wasn't an easy decision for him to make. He knew that there was much to gain if they succeeded, but in his opinion, there was too much to lose if they failed.

Kozo looked at the visual of Rei on the monitor. The young girl seemed to be looking at both of them. She was waiting for the command to proceed. She was briefed of the possible dangers and of the newly discovered problem. Like the former professor predicted, she still agreed to go through with the project. She said that if anything were to happen, she was sure that her training to manipulate her AT field would keep her safe. However, the 2nd commander wasn't so sure. Kozo could tell that Rei wasn't entirely confident in her capabilities either; she just wanted to please her *shikisha* and the young girl knew that nothing would make him happier than reuniting him with his wife. She also knew that Shinji would be extremely happy as well. So she agreed to continue with the project because she felt the dangers were worth making the two men she cared about, above all others, happy. Yet still, the 2nd commander was wary about this synchronization. He felt that with the information they learned yesterday, it was foolish to proceed as they originally planned, with the exception of a few alterations.

With his hand clasping his wrist behind his back, Fuyutsuki stood beside the commander's desk and asked "Ikari, are you sure about this?" This was the same exact question he asked Gendo when he had Shinji synchronize with unit 01 for the first time.

Gendo re-clasped his hands and smirked. He had made his decision.

Kozo sighed at seeing his friend give him the same nonverbal answer, then commanded "Proceed to the second phase."

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Rei stilled her body from reacting with the fear she felt by that command, and calmly answered "Hai."

She closed her eyes and called on her powers, but only a small amount of her powers. She wasn't going to instigate a repeat of what happened yesterday. She also purposely focused away from the core. Rei knew that was wrong, but she was afraid. All was not right in this Eva. She hoped that by taking the long route, she might *find* Yui and then use her powers to force a synchronization, whether Yui wanted it or not.

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Ten minutes later, the commander seemed to pick up on Rei's dallying and told her to "Stop holding back." He had been waiting 13 years to get his wife back and her hesitation was beginning to anger him. He felt that she was wasting precious time. Time, he could be spending with his wife.

The tender answer of "Hai" was heard through the intercom.

Misato quirked a brow. <holding back?> She stared at the visual of Rei and allowed those words to roll around her thoughts. It wasn't long before her brown eyes widened, and she had a sinking fear that the dream she had about Rei being an angel, last night, was true! She spun on her heels and stared frightfully at the commander.

Gendo glanced at her and smirked then returned his gaze to the screen. He could tell she finally discovered Rei's true origins.

The major was about to ask if her suspicions were true but was cut off when her phone rang.

Maya's attention was focused on the visual that displayed the level of synchronization. "Harmonics are all normal.... No disturbances identified."

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Rei looked as calm as always when she called on her powers. However, her emotions were consumed with deep trepidation. Nevertheless, she did not fail to do as she was commanded. Slowly, she placed her tiny hands on the handgrips.

She was going to become one with Eva.

********

Shinji felt a deep anxiety wash over him, and he quickly turned his head to his right. Though it looked like he was staring at the wall, he knew there was a NERV entrance in that direction.

"What's up, Shin-man?" Aida asked in a joking tone. "Scared that Misato is going to skin you alive?"

Touji laughed.

"I-I- think...." He took a deep breath to try and calm his racing heart. "I think something... might be wrong... with Re--" He stopped mid-sentence and looked into his friend's eyes. He knew that they wouldn't believe that he and Rei had a bond and through that bond they could share emotions . So instead, he lied. "Yeah.. I'm worried what Misato will do when she finds out."

********

Katsuragi gripped her phone tightly and yelled into the phone. "What do you mean Shinji's been EXPELLED!!! Why?!... (listen) ...Fighting?!! I think you got the wrong kid!" She stomped her foot and put one hand on her hip as she listened, then interrupted. "Now I KNOW you have the wrong kid!!!... (listen). No!... You listen to me! There is no way that Shinji would start ten fights and threaten to kill---.. (interrupted... listen)"

Kozo's attention left Rei's visual, and he glanced at the major. Listening to the woman's conversation, all he could do was shake his head and say "Like father, like son."

Gendo chuckled but never took his focus off Rei. He had a feeling this would happen when the boy returned to school.

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Rei's mental purging through unit 01 stopped full force when she reached the core. She realized through her prowess that it wasn't a wall that blocked her from core and prohibited her from reaching Yui. It was an AT field.

<no wonder Shinji couldn't get through to his mother... she really is trapped>

It only took a second of deliberation before she decided to push her fears aside and force her way in. Originally, she was going to feather the outside of the core and look for a crack. But now that she identified that the entity inside was and angel, she was going to destroy the "wall" , get in, retrieve Yui and hopefully.... get out.

Rei started to glow as she called on her powers with full force

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

Misato absently glanced up at the screen while she conversed with Shinji's principal. Immediately, her jaw dropped and she hung up her phone. "Oh... my ....gawd... she really is an angel!"

Observing the monitors, Makoto watched the numbers that tracked Rei's blue light pattern; it was rising rapidly. Seconds later, the man yelled "What the hell is that!"

A red warning light flashed in the blue light detector.

"Another blue light detected!" Maya cried out.

"Where?" the 2nd commander demanded.

"Inside the Eva!" Maya informed.

<I was afraid this might happen> The commander mentally assessed.

He knew that the only thing that separated a human from an angel, or a man made angel from a real angel was an S2 organ. Since unit 01 now had a its own S2 organ, it was only a matter of time before a new angelic soul emerged. It had only taken a thin shaving of Lillith's S2 organ for Rei's unique angelic soul to materialize, and she was more powerful than they would have ever imagined. Gendo silently feared the kind of powerful angel that would emerge from a complete organ.

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

Rei felt the angel's presence but continued with her task. She mentally called into Eva. <Yui... if you are there... please open yourself to me> .

Nothing.

She tried again. <Yui... I have come to bring you out... but you must open yourself to me> The desperation in her mental voice was clearly evident.

Nothing.

With a little more urgency, she promised <Yui... I have come to set you fr-->

Rei was interrupted mid-sentence. <She will not come... You are not *him*!>

The first child grit her teeth. She knew this was going to happen. This was the reason they were going to include Shinji in the original plan.

The voice continued, angrily. <She does not trust you! So I *do* not trust you!>

Rei's burning, crimson eyes snapped open and she looked side to side. She felt something brush against her cheek. There was something else beside her and Yui inside this Eva. Though she knew this already, she really wasn't expecting it to talk to her or *touch* her. Actually, she was hoping that it wouldn't even present itself to her. The voice of the angel sounded like a child, a furious child, and the child felt close. Too close.

<leave.> It commanded.

Rei took a deep breath to calm herself and ignored the voice. With more urgency, more than she had ever used in her entire life, she called to her mother-in-law <Yui... I have the power to bring you out..... but you must first open yourself to me>

<NO!> The voice yelled. <I will not let you! I don't want.... I don't trust you!>

< Why? > The blue haired angel acquired after she felt the AT field wall rebuilding itself. She figured that since the voice sounded like a child; she could distract it with idle conversation and re-tear down the wall.

<We know what you did!...> It answered venomously <You hurt Shinji's friend!>

Rei took a deep breath <that was the dummy plug.... I would not hurt Suzuhara-ku-->

<it was your thoughts ....> It interrupted with a child like fury. < your anger!>

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

Misato looked at the monitor. "Rei I see noise in your harmonic reading.... What's going on?"

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

"I am not alone...." she informed quickly and calmly. <please get me out of here!>

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

The 2nd commander stepped forward as he read the erratic readings in the harmonic monitor. He was using all his self restraint not to cancel the project.

"What do you mean you are not alone?" Misato asked worriedly.

Gendo observed silently behind his desk.

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

"The anomaly ...that was record in Akagi's files.... I have come in contact with ..... her."

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

<her?!> "Is it Yui?" the commander asked hopefully as he sat a little straighter in his seat.

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

"No...."

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

"Then what is it... she?" Gendo asked, but he already knew. He just wanted confirmation on his suspicions.

Kozo bit on his bottom lip and hoped his suspicions were wrong.

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

"An angel." Rei answered. Her fear was clearly audible, but yet she still asked. "How do I proceed?"

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

"Damn" the second commander growled in a whisper. He was hoping that he was wrong.

"Is Yui there?" Gendo asked calmly. He prayed that she was but with an angel in there, there was no telling.

<Is Yui there?! What the hell kind of response is that?!> Misato was dumbfound and looked around at all the people in the massive room. Everyone looked more concerned with the conversation between Rei and Ikari than what was said. The major felt that she was the only one who seemed to care about the dire information Rei just told them. She looked around the room again, and wondered why they weren't ejecting the pilot out of there. And why hadn't they alerted Shinji and Touji to come? Rei had told them that there was an ANGEL in unit 01!! AN ANGEL!!!! But did they care? No! Misato raked her fingers roughly through her hair and she wondered if they had all forgotten what happened when unit 03 was possessed by one of those abominations.

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

"Hai." Rei assured the commander to his question. "The angel has spoken of her... She is protecting her from me."

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

"Eject the entry plug!" Misato ordered sternly. If no one else was going to take the fact that unit 01 was possessed seriously, then she was going to take charge of the project.

Maya quickly started punching the commands to get Rei out of there. Although outwardly she appeared calm, she was terrified for the girl and was relieved by this command.

"Ignore that order!" Gendo commanded sharply. He glanced up at the visual of Rei and could see the subtle yet distressed look that graced her face. Like Misato, he wanted Rei out of there too, but he wasn't going to call off the project. Not yet. They had come too far to quit now. Yui was there and only Rei could bring her out. So as long as Rei was ok, the project would ensue.

Misato spun on her heels and faced her commander and chief. "Sir, we were informed of an angel inside the unit. We need to get her out of there! She may be killed!" She stressed the last word in hopes that it would persuade him.

Gendo glared at the outspoken woman before him. "I am fully aware of the consequences, as so is she." He returned his gaze to the visual of the blue haired angel and commanded callously. "Rei, proceed onto Phase Three... but use your discretion on how to combat with the entity inside." The last part of his sentence was spoken in a warmer tone and was laced with his mental command to <please be careful, my little Rei>

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

She took a deep breath to steel her nerves and answered "Hai."

Rei closed her eyes and she shook her head slightly. She had hoped that the commander was going to get her out of there. She had hoped that he would think of another plan to get Yui out.

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

Kozo was pissed. He glanced at his long time friend. <you're going to regret this, Gendo... I just know it>

Misato turned and watched the monitors again. <Bastard!... I can't believe you would sacrifice _Rei_ for this project> She was just glad that Shinji wasn't in unit 01. If Gendo was willing to risk Rei's life, the life of his favorite, then she was sure that he would sacrifice Shinji's without a second thought.

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

Rei clenched her teeth and put a tighter hold on the hand grips. She was going to try and call on Yui again, but if she wasn't going to come willingly, then Rei was going to have to bypass her little angel bodyguard and take her out.

********

Shinji bent over at the waist, for he felt sick with nervous tension. He knew this anxiety was not his own and that made him worry about his wife. Not a second later, he forced himself to stand and staggered as he made his way toward the office door.

"Shin-man, where are you going?" Aida called out.

The pilot groaned. "To NERV." He needed to find out whether or not his wife was ok.

Touji stood up and walked over to his friend. "Are you ok, man?"

Shinji nodded as he walked out the door. "I just have a bad feeling...."

********

"Rei, what is going on?!" Misato called out. She was seeing a major disturbance in the pilot's harmonics reading.

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

Rei could not answer the major to tell her that the angel was continuing to voice its displeasure about her being inside the Eva, as well as accusing her of trying to "steal" Yui. She could not answer because she was finding it difficult to split her focus as she attempted to destroy the AT field around the core.

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

"Rei!" Misato called out desperately. "If you're alright... please let us know!"

Everyone waited on pins and needles for the young girl's response. Almost a minute later, an almost nonexistent smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

Gendo and Kozo both breathed out a sigh of relief upon seeing Rei's outward expression of success.

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

The blue haired angel felt a rush of adrenaline. Success was hers for the taking! Rei could tell that her powers were neutralizing the AT field that entrapped Yui in the Eva core. Now it would only be a matter of time before she could force synchronization with Yui.

However, she did have one problem.

The entity screamed. <I told you to LEAVE US!>

Rei could now sense her mother-in-law's presence and she answered back adamantly .<Not without Yui> To make her point, she increased the influence of her powers. She was too close to success, and at that moment she felt the same as her commander. She was not about to allow anything to stop her now!

For the briefest of seconds, Rei mentally pictured her husband's reaction. Shinji was going to be so surprised! That thought gave her more of a determination to succeed.

Then she felt her...

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

"We have synchronization!" Aoba cried out. "At 3%!"

A cheer could be heard from almost everyone in the room. Even Gendo.

However, Misato was too afraid for Rei's safety to be excited about the girl's success. She just kept her eyes trained on all the monitors to make sure nothing else went wrong.

*******

"Young men!" the secretary called out as she followed the three boys down the hallway. "Where do you think you're going?"

Shinji was determined to go to NERV and find out what was wrong with his wife, but because of his sickly disposition, Touji and Kensuke decided to take him and make sure he got there safely.

The plump woman continued. "You three must go back to the office and wait for your parents!"

The third child was about to protest when he felt a wave a joy through his bond. He sighed in relief and straightened his stance. Shinji figured that whatever it was that was stressing Rei, was over now. He turned and faced the woman. He still wanted to go to NERV but decided that he could wait for Misato to take him. He looked at the woman, bowed respectfully and said. "Gomen.... I'll return to the office."

The other two quirked a brow. That was a really speedy recovery for their friend.

"Are you sure, Shin-man?" Aida asked worriedly. "I mean.. are you sure you're ok now?"

"Yeah" Touji joined in. "You seemed pretty shaken up."

Shinji nodded and smiled with a joy that was a combination of his mirth and Rei's. He was just glad that his wife was now okay. He made a mental note to ask her, when he saw her that night, what she was doing today. "Yeah, I'm fine now."

"If you say so..." Touji commented as they all started walking back. He only half-believed his friend.

********

Almost ten minutes had passed, and Rei's synchronization ratio was stuck at 4%.

"Rei, why haven't you progressed?" the 1st commander asked in a tone that was slightly impatient.

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

A minute later, the 3rd commander answered. "I am... being refused.... She does not want to synch with me because ... of what the dummy plug did to Suzuhara-kun."

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

Everyone blinked. Hard. Here they were trying to free Yui, and she was still holding a three year old grudge and not allowing Rei to synch with her.

"Rei are you using your prowess?" the 2nd commander asked worriedly. He was losing his cool. The dire stress of her situation was starting to overwhelm him. He wanted her out of there and out of there *now*.

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

"Hai." Rei answered. Her eyes were closed in concentration. "Yui is.... Her will is stronger than my powers."

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

"Dammit!" Gendo growled under his breath. <Yui, this is not a time to be stubborn!>

"Rei..." Misato called out, once again forgetting that she was no longer to address the girl so casually. "What of the angel?"

Everyone waited pensively for the answer.

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

The first child opened her eyes. "She seems to have refrained from voicing her displeasure.... but she is still here... I can feel her presence."

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

"Rei," the commander called out. "Your blue light reading shows that you are not using your full ability."

"Ikari." Kozo whispered so only his commander could hear. "Don't do this... She does not know how to control her powers at a higher level--"

Gendo interrupted his words with a hard glare. "Then I would say that this is as good a time as any to practice."

However, Gendo's true reason for wanting Rei to increase her powers was because he wanted her to hurry up, and get in, and get *out*. He knew that the angel inside did not retreat. They had fought against angels long enough to know that they only fell back to regroup and think of a better form of attack.

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

Rei silently acknowledged the order and increased the call on her powers.

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

"Synchronization at.... 7% and rising!" Aoba informed happily.

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

But it was a short lived victory because not even a second later..

<I said NO!!!... I told you to Leave us!!> The young voice screamed violently. < But NO you didn't listen!! YOU DIDN'T LISTEN!!!>

Rei's crimson eyes snapped open and she arched her back as if she were in pain. She then covered her ears to protect them from the noise; even though, the voice was being mentally heard.

Nonetheless, and through it all, Rei didn't un-synch with Yui, she actually continued to force it.

The voice almost cried out. <NO!! I_ WON'T_ allow you to take her from me!>

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

Everyone stood in alarm as they watched the visual of the 3rd commander.

"She's being attacked!" Maya cried out.

"Eject!" Misato yelled sternly. "Eject the damn entry plug!!"

Maya quickly started to comply but stopped when the 1st commander growled out.

"Ignore that command!"

Kozo turned to face his commander and friend and hissed. "She'll never make to 400%. Call it off! We've failed!"

Gendo looked at screen and noticed the synchronization level only at 12%. Then he looked at his 'daughter' fighting off an unseen attacker. He knew what he must do, yet he did nothing to stop the project. This was the first time, in over two years, that anyone was able to synch with Yui. So instead he said.

"She can do it."

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

Rei forced her hands onto the hand grips. She was not leaving! Not now! Not after they came so far and were now so close! Moreover, she knew that she had to succeed. She had to succeed for her shikisha and for Shinji. The young 3rd commander knew that if she failed now, they would never have this opportunity again.

<STOP!!.... She doesn't want to synch with you!!!> The young voice cried out then yelled < _I_ will NOT let you take her!!>

Rei grimaced, the angel-child's thunderous voice was giving her major headache, and its impudence was making her angry. So she sent an electric surge of her AT field through the hand grips to shock the Eva and the angel inside to make her argument, that she was not leaving, clear.

Then there was ...silence...

Rei smirked.

And then....

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

"Synchronization has been disconnected. It is back a 0%!" Aoba informed nervously.

"What?!" Gendo growled. But before he could ask what was going on, Aoba yelled

"Wait!..."

Everyone watched the monitor and the visual of synchronization links as they zippered themselves together.

"We have synchronization again!" Aoba informed completely amazed. "This time its at 45%.. and climbing.... now at 53%... 66%...72%..100%...120%.....189%...."

"This is unbelievable!" Misato whispered. She was dumbfounded. "Rei has never shown readings like this before!"

Kozo stared worriedly at the blue haired angel. He knew something was wrong. Even with her powers, Rei had informed them that Yui was refusing her and that Yui's will was stronger than her powers. "What the hell is going on?"

Gendo shifted his focus away from Rei's visual and toward the synchronization monitor. He immediately noticed what was amiss. It was the direction, or pattern, in which the merging was happening. It was backwards.

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

Rei felt a reverse sensation. She knew that her synchronization with Yui had been disconnected and another had had been initiated. Rei also knew that she was not synching with Eva. Eva was synching with *her*. Before she could ask what was going on, the angel-child answered her unspoken question.

<if you won't leave on your own....> The voice became foreboding. <then I will make you leave..... one way... or another >

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

"Rei, what is going on?" Misato demanded worriedly.

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

The blue haired angel eyes snapped open. Her crimson eyes expressed a deep sadness as she informed Misato, and the others, in a melancholy voice. "She is.... going to kill me."

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

"Get her out of there!" This time it was Gendo who commanded the order.

Makoto, Shigeru and Maya scrambled at their buttons to comply with that command.

Misato hovered over their shoulders as she tried to will them to go faster.

A tear trickled out of Maya's eye when she turned slightly, looked up at the major and sobbed out "The plug won't eject."

"Dammit!" Katsuragi bit out as she raked her hand through her purple tresses. She looked back up at the visual of the first child and yelled. "Try it again!"

Maya punched in the instructions again, then again and then one more time. "It's still refusing the command."

The major puffed out her cheeks and blew out a deep breath. "Okay.." She looked at Makoto. "Disconnect main power!"

"Hai!" The man readily obeyed. "Disconnecting main power!"

Everyone looked up at the monitor to see if it worked....

.....

.......

.........

...........

It did.

"In 15 seconds power will be completely shut off." Makoto breathed out.

Misato looked over at Rei's visual and promised. "Everything is alright now. We're going to get you out!"

Gendo watched this favorite behind clasped hands. She looked as if she had given up and that she did not believe the major's proclamation. He then glanced at her synchronization visual and slammed his hand on the marble desk. "Rei, un-Synch!"

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

With much effort the first child forced herself to speak. "I... can't...."

Because Eva had synched to her, Eva now controlled Rei and the girl's will was no longer her own. The Eva was now just bidding its time until the main power was completely shut off.

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

"Power will be spent in 4 seconds... 3 seconds... 2 seconds and ..."Shigeru counted. "Main power is off."

The three lieutenants breathed out a heavy sigh of relief.

"Try to eject the plug again!" Misato ordered.

Maya quickly complied, then shook her head a few seconds later. "It's still refusing."

"Send in the technicians!" Kozo ordered.

Shigeru started to call, over the intercom, for the techs to go into the training room and manually eject to plug. However, the words died in his mouth when the Eva moved its head.

"Secondary power has been initiated!" Maya cried out. "It's using its S2 organ!"

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

A second later, Rei screamed and writhed around her seat as she grabbed fistfuls of her blue hair. She was being attacked. Mentally attacked.

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

Everyone's attention was focused on Rei's visual.

Gendo feared this would happen when he noticed that she was still mentally connected. He commanded sternly. "Rei... un-synch!" Ikari could tell that she was trying to, but her efforts were futile. He then glared at the Shigeru and ordered him to "Disconnect the neural transmitter!"

The man tried, then hesitantly admitted, a few seconds later. "The command is being refused."

"_Try_ again." The commander growled through clenched teeth. His tone clearly implied that the lieutenant had better not fail this time.

Unfortunately, Shigeru informed, after punching in the command. "It's still being refused.... Control nerves are not breaking off!" He continued to try again without being told, only to end up with the same result.

"Rei..." Gendo almost pleaded, after accepting the fact that Shigeru's efforts were completely useless. "Try to use your powers to un-synch."

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

"I... can't...." She whispered in a broken voice. Her voice was so pain stricken that it brought tears to everyone's eyes in the observation room. " She.... won't... let me....."

Rei was in indescribable pain. The angel-child was not only screaming in her head but also using her headset to electrocute her. Rei felt hot blood run out of her nose only to be dissolved away in the artificial LCL. She pinched her eyes shut as she tried to keep them in their sockets.

She was going to die... and she new it...

She was going to die without telling Shinji goodbye... I'm sorry... or I love you....

No. That was unacceptable.

With every ounce of her will, Rei Ikari forced herself the raise the bar on the amount of power she was exerting.

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

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when they noticed that the synchronization ratio was starting to decrease. The decline was slow, but it was consistent. Unfortunately, the moment of relief was to be brief, only about ten minutes before....

"Oh my gawd!!" Maya sobbed out. "The LCL pressure enactor has been initiated!"

The young brown haired woman cupped her face with her hands and cried openly. This was just too much! The project was not supposed to go like this. It should have been a simple procedure..... While they were away, they had practiced this, through simulation, until it was routine. Rei should have been able to synch with Yui, hit 400% without a hitch, been absorbed, used her ability as an Ark to retrieve Yui, get out, and expel Yui. Maya cried harder at their failure. For two years they did nothing but calculations to make sure nothing went wrong. And now that every problem had been figured out, and Rei could control her powers, nothing should have went wrong. It should have been so simple... It was SUPPOSED to be so SIMPLE!!!

Makoto didn't wait to be ordered to try and depressurize the LCL, but as he expected, his efforts were in vain.

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

As if being electrocuted wasn't enough, Rei was now being crushed to death. The angel-child was not bluffing when she made her threat that Rei would leave one way or another. She wanted Rei gone and she wanted to make sure that the first child would never come back.

Rei felt the pressure press heavily against her body, but mostly against her ribcage. It appeared that the angel-child was targeting a particular region of her body. It wasn't long before her muscles went into shock, because of the pressure, and started to shake and twitch. Then....

"Crack.. crack ..Cra~ck"

Rei immediately wrapped her arms around her slender waist and doubled over. It was her ribs... they were broken.... By the pain, she could tell that it was more than three... but she only heard three break.

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

When Rei doubled over, in obvious pain, Kozo glanced at her anatomic visual. Three true ribs, the third fifth, on the left side, and seventh, on the right, were broken. The left, fifth and eighth false rib were fractured and a floating rib had punched her right lung. "Dammit!" Forgetting about his own whiplash, he whipped his gaze at Misato and the three lieutenants, and yelled "Why the hell isn't she out yet?"

Though Fuyutsuki asked a question, the four knew it was a command and they quickly increased their futile efforts to free the first child. They had never heard the 2nd commander yell before, nor had they ever heard such rage from him before.

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

Rei could feel herself dying and she cried openly because of it. However, the pain of not being able to tell her husband that she loved him, on last time, was worse than the unrelenting attack on her body. She mentally shook her head no as she sobbed harder. It wasn't long before the 3rd commander decided that she couldn't... no she wouldn't allow herself to die... not without telling Shinji that she loved him... one last time.

With extreme difficulty, an effect of the forced synchronization, the electric attack, and the pressurized LCL, Rei released the hold she had around her waist, she balled her tiny hand into a fist, and forced her hands to return to her head. As she pushed and forced her hands through the resistant LCL, it weighed heavily on her fragile bones. It wasn't long before she felt her right ulna break against the pressure. But she continued; she had to...

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

Everyone's eyes widened fearfully. The had an inkling of what Rei was about to do. They hoped above all hope that she wouldn't do it. They prayed that she wouldn't do it. If Rei disconnected the headset while she was still synched, there was a 99.9999999....% chance that she would end up brain dead.

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

Rei knew the consequences of her intended actions, but she also knew that she was not going to make it out of this plug alive. So if she was going to die, she wanted to be able to say goodbye to her husband first. So she grabbed the interface headset in her tiny hands... and pulled.

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

"No!" Gendo stood up and cried out.

Everyone just stood there, horrified, as they watched the synchronization links begin to separate... but not completely.

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

Rei breathed with deep ragged breaths. Only one headpiece came off, and she limply stared at it in her right hand. The 3rd commander could no longer feel the left side of her body nor was it responding to her efforts to move. She expected this. She knew that by taking off the either headset, she would destroyed the axons of cortical motor neurons on that side of the brain thus making the opposite side of her body useless. It was a tough price to pay, but the reward was to have control of her body and her mind again; even if it was only a partial ability. And in her opinion, it was more than worth it.

Rei quickly concentrated on their sliver strand of a bond and opened the floodgates of her emotions to her husband.

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

Shinji had returned to his seat in the office waiting area. However, he was still worried about his wife; even more so now. For the last few minutes, he couldn't feel her presence. It was like their link was blocked. It was a strange and lonely sensation because ever since they had become bonded, he could *always* feel her emotions lightly feather his thoughts. He loved it and he had grown dependent on it, because it was comforting for him to know she was always there; even though, most of the time they were miles apart. But now.... he couldn't feel her at all.

Touji leaned forward in his chair and looked into Shinji's face. "Are you ok?" His friend looked deathly pale in his opinion.

Shinji shook his head no and stood up. "I've got to go to NERV. Something's happen to Rei. I can feel it!" Or more importantly, he *couldn't* feel it and that was what was worrying him. He quickly headed for the office door. Halfway there, he stopped in his tracks, grabbed fistfuls of his hair and cried out in pain. It was like the dam had broke, and he was overwhelmed with a flood of Rei's emotions.... and thoughts.

In a ghost of a whisper, he heard her. "I love you....."

Shinji fell to knees and cried openly. Such sorrow... there was so much sorrow channeling through their bond... so much regret...

"I love you..." He heard her whisper softly again.

Touji and Kensuke rushed to their friend's side.

As he fell to his knees beside the pilot, Kensuke asked in a distressed tone ."Shin-man! What's going on?"

Shinji doubled over until his forehead rested on the tweed carpeted floor. "Rei..." He sobbed out and shook his head no. "I love you too... but ...don't do this... don't die on me!" He didn't want to accept this. Except he knew it was true and she was dying. He could feel it; he could feel her life leaving her through their bond. And he knew that... she was saying goodbye. He cried harder.

Touji looked around the office, then stood up. "I'm going to go and get someone!" He was worried about Shinji and didn't know how to help him. So the forth child ran out of the office waiting area and into the room where the secretary worked.

Aida was stuck trying to calm down his highly distraught friend, and he had no idea how to do it. For he had no idea what was going on.

"Fight it, Rei!!" Shinji commanded through his tears. He slammed his fist against the floor and demanded. "Fight it!" He didn't know what was going on, but he knew that it had something to do with the project and why she had to train so hard to control her powers.

********

Rei could hear her husband's thoughts before he spoke the words out loud. The first child wanted to do as he commanded, but she couldn't. The angel-child had yet to relent on its attack, and she was too weak to continue to endure the abuse. Rei knew it would be only a matter of seconds before the pain became too much for her body to bare. So she did the only thing she could do...

********

"love.... you..." Came the melancholy, ghost whisper of his wife's mental voice. Shinji shook his head no. He was not accepting this.

The secretary and the principal burst into the room with Touji.

"Go and get the nurse!" the older man ordered to the fourth pilot. Touji quickly complied. The principal turned to the woman. "Go and call his parents!" He shook his head. "Or his guardian again or whatever!"

"Yes sir!" She ran back into her office.

Then man then looked at Aida. "What happened here?"

"I don't know, sir." Kensuke answered with worried honestly as he draped his arm over his friend's back and gave it a comforting pat. "I don't know..."

Shinji was oblivious to the people around him. All he could think about was his wife and the fact that she was dying... "NO!!!!!" He yelled out and slammed both of his fists against the floor "I won't!! I won't allow you to leave me!!" He cried and slammed his fist again. "Do you hear me!! You're not going to leave me here alone!!"

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

Rei heard her husband and felt his sorrow and she cried harder. She also felt his desire to never be separated. The intensity of it scared her and she told him.

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

"don't...." Her voice was barely there. "... try.... and.... follow.......... me...."

"I'm not!!" Shinji cried out loud, then sat up on his knees and looked up at the ceiling. His hot tears streamed out his eyes as he promised in a sobbing whisper. "I'm not going to follow..." He then mentally delved deep into himself and screamed. "Because YOU'RE NOT LEAVING ME!!!!"

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

Commander Ikari's peripheral vision caught an erratic jump in Rei's neural harmonics reading. When he turned his complete focus to it, the pattern of Rei's brain waves were changing sporadically.

"What the hell...?"

When it stopped, the brain pattern did not belong to one Rei Ikari, it belonged to

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

<Shinji!> Whispered the voice of one Yui Ikari.

Immediately, the attack on Rei was stopped. The girl slumped heavily in her chair and passed out.

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

"LCL Pressure has returned to normal!" Makoto called out

Misato quickly pushed the blubbering Maya out of her seat, sat down, and punched in the orders to eject again.

This time....

It worked.

However, the relief felt because of the ejection of the plug was short lived as they watched the plug ricochet against the walls.

"Immerse the unit in bakelite!" Kozo commanded in a stern voice. He was not going to take a chance on it going berserk and going after Rei. There was no telling what the Eva was capable of, now that the angel inside made its presence known.

Shigeru quickly complied to the 2nd commander's order.

Misato turned in her seat to give the commander a piece of her mind. She felt that Rei's injuries were his fault because of his selfish desire. But before she could even utter a single word, she realized that.....

He was gone.

She glanced at the second commander. He was stoically watching one of the monitors and she turned to follow his gaze.

There she saw commander Ikari running past the Eva toward the damaged entry plug. She watched him grab the scorching hot, manual hinges with his bare hands and turn it until the door opened. She watched him quickly crawl inside the plug and then a moment later, carry his badly injured and unconscious 'daughter' out in a cradle position. The techs arrived, as well as the infirmary doctor and his assistants only after the 1st and 3rd commander were completely of the plug.

Misato stared dumbstruck at the screen. How Ikari reached Rei before everyone else, was a though beyond her at the moment.

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

Blood trickled out of Shinji's nose, his breathing was ragged and shallow, and he hurt all over. When he forced the complete synchronization with his wife, he could feel everything she was going through as if it were his own pain. And there was _so_ much_ pain. The pain... it was unbearable.. and he could still feel it, for he was still synched with her.

"Shinji?" Kensuke asked timidly.

The pilot slowly turned his head in the direction of his friend. His energy was completely spent.

Aida looked into his friend's glazed over eyes and asked worriedly. "Are you ok?"

The principal waited silently for the pilot's answer.

Shinji looked down at his left arm. Shooting pains were surging through it and his heart felt like it was constricting. He looked back up at his friend and lethargically shook his head no. "I think... I am having a heart attack."

Kensuke laughed off his confession, thinking it was a joke it. Then screamed when the pilot fainted.

The principal ran into the secretary office and yelled. "Forget about calling his guardian again. Call the hospital!"

********

Kozo watched the familiar scene of Gendo rescuing Rei from the plug as if he were having a bout of deja vu. Once Rei was safely carried away in a stretcher, he turned his gaze toward the untitled 4th commander. "Katsuragi" he called frostily.

The purple haired woman tore her focus away from the visual of Gendo quickly following the unconscious first child and waving off all who wanted to tend to his wounds. When she looked at the man who called her, he said.

"It's time for us to pay a visit to an old friend of yours." He glanced up at the visual of Rei before he looked back at her. "It seems that we are in need of her services once again."

"M-my friend?" She looked confused at his meaning. "Do you mean... Ritsuko?" She stood up quickly. She was clearly surprised. "You mean... she's still alive?"

The other three in the room were just a surprised as Misato. Maya wasn't sure if she was relieved or not by that bit of information.

The 2nd commander didn't answer her question, instead he coolly turned and walked out the door. Misato quickly followed. She was unsure why he would need her to assist him, but she knew better than to ask. His demeanor had changed into something fierce.

~~~

From where they were inside of NERV, it took them about twenty minutes before they reached the brig. Misato used that time to prepare herself and steal her reaction to seeing Ritsuko. She just knew that since Ikari didn't kill her, the woman was going to be tortured beyond repair for what she tried to do to Rei.

She walked behind the tall 2nd commander through the narrow and dim corridor of the brig. There were many levels in the NERV prison. The calaboose, where Asuka was, was more like dorms, meant for minor crimes against the establishment. Most people who are sent there, only stayed there until they were fined and then fired. Misato was surprised when Asuka was ordered there, and even more surprised by the girl's accommodations. She expected the girl to be sent to the lowest depths of NERV's secret confinements. Or in other words, the brig. In Misato's opinion, if hell was ever blueprinted and rebuilt, it would look like the brig. There weren't many rooms down here, for most people who were ordered down here, died here.

A lone guard stood outside of the only occupied cell. When he noticed them, he quickly open the cell's door window and checked inside. He nodded as if pleased with what he saw and closed the window. When Fuyutsuki reached the door, the guard quickly opened it.

Misato stood behind the 2nd commander. She could feel the air rush into the cell from behind her and she heard the doctor gasp as if she were taking her first deep breath in a long while. The major quirked a brow and she took a step forward to look inside the room. She saw Ritsuko lying on her back in the middle of the empty cell. The woman was dressed in the same cotton shorts and tank top she wore yesterday, and besides some minor bruising from resisting her capture, she didn't appear to have any other wounds. Misato would be lying if she said she that she wasn't surprised. The only thing that really looked wrong was that Ritsuko looked as if she were suffering from oxygen depravation. A moment later, the major heard the loud clanking sound of the air being turned back on. So, Ritsuko actually was suffering from oxygen depravation. She shook her head and closed her eyes after she felt her unshed tears sting. She had heard that they periodically cut off the air in these cells as a form of torture. Misato also realized that the solider was only checking into the cell to make sure that Ritsuko was still alive.

Fuyutsuki stood in the cell's doorway as he glared at the woman with a deep frown. "Your expertise is required to assist the 3rd commander."

Ritsuko struggled to sit up then spit at the 2nd commander. But from where she sat on the floor, it only landed in front of his shoe. In a raspy voice she bit out "If you _think_ that I'm going to help that little b*tch... then you are out of your f*cking mind!"

Kozo didn't respond to comment, instead he calmly reached behind his back, to retrieve his gun from its back holster. He didn't even blink when he shot her.

Misato, who stood behind the man, yelped in utter shock. She didn't think or expect that he would actually shoot her!

Ritsuko rolled into the fetal position, hugged her wound, which was no where near fatal and screamed out a slew of curses.

"You must have misunderstood me, doctor" the 2nd commander said icily. "I wasn't *asking* for your assistance."

"F*ck you!" Akagi bit out. "I'd rather die first than help you!..... You cat murdering bastard!!"

Kozo smirked at the memory. Yesterday, right before they left her apartment, Ritsuko said something about his late wife, which in turn pissed him off even more than he already was. He was oh-so-tempted to kill her where she stood, but decided not to, once he saw an even sweeter form of retribution. It was all her fault... really it was.... for it was she who brought the idea to his attention. She was the one who asked "whose going to take care of my cats when I'm gone? Kozo then answered with an "I will" then *took care of* her cats. He shot and *killed* all six of them, in front of her. So... he really was a cat murdering bastard. It was a title he was proud to bare, and when he told Gendo what he did, his friend thought it was funny as hell and was envious that he didn't think of it first. So his actions were a plus on all accounts. His smirk turned into a smile as he thought about the look on her face when he did it. It was priceless! He just glad that he had it on tape.

Kozo walked into the cell, crouched down, and grabbed a fistful of blond hair. He roughly jerked Ritsuko's head back and made her look at him. "I assure you..." He said sadistically. "Death is not going to be an option to you... But if you refuse again, or try and sabotage the care you *will* give to Rei, you will *wish* that I would kill you...." His voice held a firm promise that she would suffer from a lot of pain if she exhibited any more defiance.

With her jaw slightly ajar, Misato looked at he man, who she would have sworn just two days ago was a kind old man and shook her head in disbelief. The major wondered who was worse. The 1st or the 2nd commander. However, she feared that they were equal, except that while Gendo was openly a bastard, Kozo was like a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Kozo tightened a painful grip on the doctor's hair and asked. "Do we have an understanding?"

A pained "Hai" was Akagi's answer.

Kozo let go of her hair, stood up and walked out of the cell and down the dim corridor. "Katsuragi," he called out, "escort the doctor to the hospital and watch over her actions as she interacts with the 3rd commander. If she tries anything suspicious ..." He stopped his retreat. "Shoot her.... but don't kill her. That honor is someone else's." He then continued on his way.

Misato watched the man disappear around the corner with a dumbfounded expression on her face. She then looked at her... friend?... ex-friend? in a crumpled ball on the floor. She raked her hand through her hair and wondered what she had gotten herself into by accepting the promotion as the untitled but official 4th commander of NERV.

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

I still don't own anything that deals with Evangelion.

^__^

A.N. I can't believe no one guessed what the Tojiru Project was..... I gave a major hint in chapter.... umm.... well... I can't remember the chapter.... *hehe* but it was when Gendo showed that he was wearing his wedding band again... remember 0_0

I know, I know... that was a long time ago.. ^_~ LOL

Love ya lots I really really do ^_~

Kimberly