Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction ❯ Justice Complete ❯ Complete Justice ( Chapter 4 )

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Neon Genesis Evangelion
Justice Complete
Complete Justice





Danger reader! Danger! End of Evangelion spoilers! You have been
warned! Enjoy! ^_^







Journal Entry: April 12, 2016


It has been almost two months since I returned from Hokkaido. My
talks with Kiyone and Mana have helped me see the error of my ways.
For some reason the two weeks I spent in Japan seemed to be the two
weeks that everyone wanted to hire me. I must have lost out on five or
six million dollars worth of jobs.
But that doesn't really matter. The money was never the reason I
took up this job, and never will be. I haven't gone back out on a job
since I returned home.

Everyone is getting worried about me. Frank and Billy have a
vague idea of what happened to me on my trip, but they have no
comparison to what happened. The girls at the bars and clubs are
getting worried, I haven't show up once since I left for Columbia three
months ago, and I'm a regular everywhere. I've had a few calls from
the bartenders asking for me. Not that I answer any of them.
I can't remember the last time I even answered a phone. My
answering machine needs to be emptied, and I don't even want to think
about my voice mail.

I have a strange feeling that I need to go back to Tokyo 3. Not
sure why, but something big is going on over there, and its going to
happen soon. Maybe I should cash out and buy a ticket. Been a long
time since I flew commercially.
Though I must admit the boat ride back home was a lot more
relaxing than I thought it would have been. Carousal still owns the
main airport, but his goons won't sell me a ticket. They hate me,
guess that happens when you put six UD bullets into a crime lord's son.
Well back to Billy and Frank I guess.

Until life throws me a new curve ball, or God smites me with his
mighty fist of justice, life be given to all.

Judas Moonflower Crenshaw
14:52:00 Zulu







JC pulled on his black trench coat and straightened out the few
wrinkles forming in its Kevlar-cloth design. He looked at the table
where his black leather gloves and Desert Eagle handguns lay waiting on
him to pick them up.
With a defeated sigh JC picked up the gloves and slid them onto
his powerfully, masculine hands. Slowly, like a man on a death
sentence, the assassin covered his hands. Taking care not to move the
bandages wrapped around his wrists, the tan man prepared himself for
battle.
JC looked down at his wrists as he finished pulling the gloves on
and remembered how it happened.


JC rolled over in his bed. Half asleep he noticed
something acrid touch his lips. He knew it wasn't booze, he preferred
things with a sweeter taste. With a pissed expression the man who
should be dead dragged himself from bed and made his way to the
bathroom.
JC looked in the mirror at himself and saw a streak of red
liquid making its way down his face and ending at his lips. Worried JC
began searching himself for bullet holes, knives, or anything that
could have cut him. That was when he noticed his wrists.
Holes the size of railroad spikes were punched through the
man's wrists. All the way through, he could see blood seeping through
both sides of his wrists. Thinking quickly JC turned the water on in
the sink and began washing the wounds.
After a few minutes the young man pulled some gauze wrap
from his first aid kit and wrapped his wrists. He walked to the toilet
and removed a Glock 9mm from behind the tank. Assuming someone was in
his apartment JC began searching for his attacker and or their weapon.

JC's search lasted all of an hour before he gave up.
Knowing he would find nothing JC looked down at the red splotches
forming on the bandages. Suddenly he was struck by a thought.
Grabbing the phone he quickly dialed one of the local whorehouses.

Two hours later JC had cleaned and dressed his wounds once
again as a knock came at the door. Without waiting for an answer a man
in a slick business suit walked in. He carried an air of authority and
respect.
JC glared at the man and held up his wrists. "Tell me
about the stigmata."
The man gave JC a strange look before stepping closer.
"Ju..." JC glared at the man. "JC, why do you want to know about the
stigmata of a God you don't believe in?"
JC slowly began unwrapping his left wrist. "Because Father
Emerson. I think I may have them." He placed the gauze down on the
kitchen table and held up his wrist. Most of the wound had healed, but
there was still enough open that light passed easily from one side to
the other.
The man who had been a priest ran to JC's side and grabbed
his arms. Carefully he inspected the holes in the man's arms. "Jace,
how in hell did this happen?"
JC glared at the man before him. "I woke up bleeding.
Look I know what you're thinking. Probably bullet holes or knife
wounds, but if you look close enough the wholes are perfect circles.
No obvious entry or exit, just the holes."
The priest nodded. "You're right. I see it now." He
looked up at the assassin. "You do know I'll have to inform the Church
of this."
JC laughed heartily. "Right. Like, I'm going to hand
myself over to those psycho Romans. There are WAY too many people in
Italy that want my head on a platter, and at least half of them work
for the Church."
The priest sighed and turned away from the assassin.
"Fine. But don't come to me when the other stigmata begin appearing."
Without another word Father Emerson left the young assassin to his own
fate.



JC picked up his pistols and holstered them. He didn't have time
to waste on idle thoughts. Placing a few extra magazines and a bowie
knife into the inner pockets of his coat JC exited his apartment to
make a lonely trek across the island.

A few minutes later the sound of a large motorcycle could be
heard moving away from the building.




JC walked his Harley upto Lone Palm Airport. Quickly he glanced
inside before walking the bike into the hanger. He could see Frank
sitting under the wing of the Hemisphere Dancer and Billy was in the
back office filing papers.
JC smiled at his two airborne friends. Probably the only two
real friends he had left on the island. With a smug look JC pulled out
his knife and threw it at the far wall, causing a loud clang to emanate
forth in the expansive hanger.

Frank and Billy jumped at the unexpected sound. The pair of
pilots shared a quick questioning glance before turning to the source
of the sound. The obsidian clad assassin standing in their doorway.
Frank stepped upto the younger man; he gave the assassin a gentle
smile. "JC. Been a while. We were beginning to think you were dead."

JC returned the smile. "Not dead, yet. No, I just spent the
last few months doing some thinking that's all." JC leaned the bike on
its kickstand and walked over to the chair next to the one Frank had
occupied a moment ago. He fell into the chair and propped his feet up
on the coffee table in front of himself.
Frank returned to his chair while Billy pulled up a chair
opposite both of them. "So what have you been upto recently?" Frank
asked with genuine curiosity.
JC lowered his gaze momentarily. "Nothing. Absolutely nothing."
Billy looked at the young assassin curiously. He didn't need to
ask what JC meant, he could see that the man was telling the truth.
"So, Jace. What happened that caused you to stay in Tokyo?"
JC looked up at the older pilot. "I..." JC questioned the answer
he was going to give, but resigned himself to the truth. "I was
visiting my ex-fiancée's grave."

Billy and Frank shared a look of confusion as they looked at JC.
Neither knew about Kiyone and JC being engaged. They had met Kiyone
just after the pair had been reassigned to Nevada. JC had worked an
overnight layover on the island. While the team had the day off JC and
Kiyone stopped by the hanger to visit for a few hours before JC,
Kiyone, Frank, Billy, and Trevor (Frank's girlfriend at the time) went
out for drinks.
Frank broke the silence. "Kiyone?" He asked carefully, to which
JC nodded. "When did you two get engaged?"
JC grinned slightly. "Remember when you and Trevor started
fighting down at Captain Tony's," Frank nodded, "well Billy went off to
talk with Tony. And I decided to pop the question there. Because if I
didn't I wouldn't have that much available time to do so until after
everything got settled in Nevada. Of course we were only in Nevada a
month before she died..." JC's thoughts drifted off suddenly.
Billy snapped his weather beaten fingers before JC's face. The
assassin jumped slightly. Billy smirked, but it didn't last long.
"We're sorry Jace. We didn't know."
JC nodded. "That's how I wanted it really. It only mattered
that I knew and her family knew. Those were the only people that
really needed to know that she was gone."

JC stood up and began pacing the small hanger. He crisscrossed
the room a few times before stopping at the office door. Quickly he
grabbed his knife and sheathed it. JC turned and looked at the pilots.
"Guys. I need a ride. I need into the States proper."

Frank and Billy looked slightly shocked. Ever since the embargo
gaining access to the mainland had become nearly impossible. It took
months just to get the paperwork to even have the government THINK
about allowing the islanders access. Both men knew that JC would be
wanting in within a week at the most.
Frank was the first to speak. "Jace. I hate to say this
but...have you lost your mind?! With your history and international
fugitive track record there's no way the governor is going to let you
into Florida."
JC shook his head. "I don't want into Florida. I need into
Chicago. Got an old friend up there I need to see. Look. All I
really need is a ride to Old New York. Drop me at Ellis Island and I
can get in through what's left of Jersey."
Billy held up his hand. "JC, Frank. Hold on a moment. Think
for a moment, both of you." The aged pilot looked to the Latino. "JC
do you still have your old NERV access codes?"
JC stared at the old man for a moment as he thought over all the
possible code variations he could use to get inside the United States
proper. "Sure. I'd need to make a few calls before we left, but yeah
I can use my old NERV codes."
Billy nodded. "Good. If they work, then we can just drop you at
O'Hare Int. How's that sound?"
JC though for a few seconds. "That would cut about a week off my
plans. So yeah if you guys want to put down at O'Hare that'll work.
I'd rather we put down at Palwaukee."

Frank rubbed the back of his neck for a moment. "Palwaukee? I
thought they closed Palwaukee after the Impact."
JC shook his head. "Just to commercial traffic. But I know the
guy that owns the place. He'll let us land and refuel. I suggest
taking the Cessna."
Billy looked around the hanger in thought. "The Skyhawk?"
JC shook his head. "No, the Skylane 182R. We'll need something
fast and agile. Knowing my track record with in and out ops, we'll be
fired on. At least twice."

The pair of pilots shared a look of understanding before turning
back to their only client. In perfect synchronization they replied,
"We'll do it."
JC clapped his hands together, causing a muffled clap sound. The
young assassin grunted at the sudden movement to his wounds.
Frank noticed the red-white slits between JC's sleeves and
gloves. His right eyebrow rose slightly in confusion. "Jace? What
happened to your wrists?"
JC dropped his hands into his pockets. "Nothing."
Billy looked between the two younger men. In the last twelve
years he could easily tell when Frank was lying, and over the last
three he'd begun to notice JC's lying habits. JC tended to tilt his
head to the side as if looking out the side of his eyes.

JC turned on his heel and began walking out of the room. "I'll
call as soon as I have the available access codes. I'll get everything
setup for the Cessna to get to Chicago, then I'll need a drop off at
Hiroshima after we get back. There's some...stuff, I need to take care
of back in Japan."
Without waiting for a response, JC mounted his bike and gunned
the engine. A few seconds later he was cruising down Duvall Street in
the direction of his apartment.






'Life has a funny way of playing jokes on us humans.' JC looked
around the tiny airport. He and Frank and just landed Billy's old 2003
Cessna Skylane 182 at Palwaukee, a small airport outside the Chicago
suburb of Mount Prospect.
JC picked up his green nylon duffel bag and carefully slung it
over his left shoulder. He started towards the Quonset hut a few
hundred yards from the hangers. He could see a black Jeep Wrangler
waiting there for him, as he requested.
'I know the pastor saw what I saw in my wrists. Even after the
research I did, it still looks like a stigmata. What I can't
understand is why me? I haven't been back to a church since I was
thrown out as a kid for having sex during Mass. I never believed in
any god, except maybe the Voodoo gods, so why was I given this mark of
the world's major deity?'

Frank tapped JC on the shoulder. "Jace?"
JC jumped. "Si?"
"Is that our man?" He pointed to a man who's skin was so dark he
could have been mistaken for motor oil. The man stood next to the Jeep
and watched as the pilot and assassin neared him.
JC waved with his right hand. "MERV!" he cried out happily.
The man under the Quonset waved back. "Jace!"
Merv leaned against the Jeep and waited as the pair closed the
distance between them and him. JC stepped upto the man and dropped his
bag. In a quick motion he grabbed the man and gave him a bone breaking
hug. The man returned the hug with equal strength.
Frank looked at the pair and shrugged. "Hey Jace. How long are
we going to be here?"
JC looked at his pilot and shrugged. "All depends on my contact.
After my last trip I...well..." JC rubbed the back of his neck, "kinda
ran out of ammo." He smiled as he held the back of his neck.
Frank looked perplexed as he considered what JC had just told
him. "JC, are you telling me that you, the world famous Hourglass
Assassin, ran out of ammunition?"
JC smiled as he rubbed the back of his neck. His eyes, behind
his mirrored sunglasses, darted around the Quonset. "Heh, well...yes."
Frank shook his head. "So where are we headed?"
JC threw his bag in the back of the Jeep. "Merv. Thanks for the
loaner. I'll call if I need it for any more time after today."
Merv nodded and watched Frank and JC load into the all-terrain
vehicle. "Don't mention it. You have my mobile right?"
"I've got your pager actually. I'll just leave a '999 Galaxy
Express' if I need it, all right?" JC started the engine and revved it
a few times.
"Fair enough. See you soon Jace. Nice meeting you Frank."
Frank nodded to the man as JC steered the Jeep out of the Quonset
and onto the road. "So Jace, where exactly are we headed?"
JC grinned devilishly. "An old flame of mine. She owns a gun
store in the city. Place is called..."




Rally Vincent sat behind the counter highlighting numbers in a
gun catalog. Her cat-like face was feminine and beautiful, even though
the signs of worry lines could be seen at the edges of her face. Her
auburn hair was clipped short around her face, giving her a stylish and
very mature look. She sat behind the counter wearing a white silk
shirt and a dark blue skirt, the matching jacket hug on a peg near the
door.
Rally didn't bother to look up as she heard the bell ring. She
just highlighted another line. "Welcome to Gunsmith Cats. How may I
help you?" She highlighted another line and looked up. She found she
was staring back at herself, or rather a reflection of herself.
Rally sat back and refocused her eyes. Standing before her was a
smiling man in a dark trench coat, dark clothing, and a pair of dark
mirrored sunglasses. Rally smiled happily. "Dammit Bean, don't scare
me like that."
The man's smile faded. "Well now Ral." His thick Spanish accent
caught the shop's proprietor off guard. "I knew you and Beanie had
gotten close, but the day you can't distinguish between your ex and
your present, then you've got problems."
Rally was silent as she stared at the large man before her.

The silence was shattered as Minnie May walked into the room
attempting to connect a pair of wires. "Rally, have you seen..." she
looked up at the pair at the counter.
May stood just under five feet tall, with large green eyes and
short blonde hair that gave her the appearance of a child. May dropped
the explosive she had been attempting to complete and ran at the large
man standing before her friend. "JC!!!" Steps away from the large man
May jumped and clenched onto him, hugging as hard as she could.
JC looked stunned at the little blonde woman attached to his
chest. After a moment he returned the hug. "Minnie May?" He pulled
the woman off and placed her on the floor. "Shit May, you haven't
changed. What's it been...ten years?"
May smiled happily and nodded. "Sure has, just before you left
for Germany. How'd that go by the way?"
JC stopped smiling. "Long story. Short version, I made it into
NERV. But I'm retired from the security business now. I'm actually in
between jobs at the moment."

Rally used May's sudden appearance as a chance to get her voice
back. Her gaze drifted over the ebony-clad man before her. Ten years
had not physically changed him, except for the scar running down his
cheek.
Rally watched as May and JC joked with each other. She barely
noticed when JC leaned against the counter.
"Rally? Rally?" JC waved his hand in Rally's face and whistled.
Rally shook herself. "Jay? JC, what are you doing here?"
JC smiled. "I'd say I was just here to see you, but then I'd be
lying. Actually, I'm in need of some serious gear."
Rally frowned. "What kind of gear, exactly."
JC pulled a small 2x2 notebook from his pocket. "2 cases of
standard .50 caliber Eagle ammo, a case of .50 caliber Eagle hollow
tips, three flash/bang grenades, six proximity grenades, two ounces of
C-6..." he looked to Minnie May, "SEAL issue if you can find it, if not
MI-6 grade works too."
May nodded excitedly.
JC continued his order. "Three shrapnel grenades, a half liter
of napalm, and a date with Rally." JC placed the open notepad before
Rally and stepped back. He caught a small grin cross May's features as
she heard what he'd said.
Rally took the list and examined it. "Okay Jace, I think most of
this is doable. But its gonna take some time. I don't get many orders
for .50 cal ammo."
JC smiled. "That's okay. How long are we talking?"
Rally looked at the door for a moment and sighed. "The hollow
tips alone will take a week. I believe I can get the standards in...in
about three days."
JC grinned. "That's good for me. Uh...Ral. Do you have a
restroom I can use. It was a long flight from the Republic."
Rally pointed down the hall. "Sure. Down the hall, second on
the left."
JC nodded and headed down the hall towards the bathroom.


JC closed the door and locked it behind himself. Weakly he
removed his trench coat and placed it aside. Carefully he removed his
holsters and placed them aside with his coat. Closing his eyes JC
pulled his T-shirt over his head and threw it over with his coat and
guns.
The former assassin gasped slightly as the cool air touched his
back. Ever so gently JC reached back and touched the open wounds on
his back. Grimacing he pulled his hand back and looked at it, his
gloved fingers were covered in crimson blood.
"Shit. The next one already? But this one is on my back, I
thought it would be the holes in my feet." JC reached over and opened
the door. "Rally. Do you have a first aid kit?"

Rally covered the mouthpiece on the phone. "May, will you go see
what he's yelling about."
May shrugged and walked down the hall to where JC was yelling.
She opened the bathroom door slightly. "Jace? What's wrong?" From
May's perspective she could make out the whip lashes easily against
JC's dark skin. "Oh my god! JC, what's wrong?!"
JC turned around to see May in the doorway. Quickly he pulled
May into the room, he looked down the hall and saw Rally on the phone.
JC looked at May. "Don't tell Rally about what I'm about to show you.
She'll be worried about me."
May nodded. "Alright."
JC turned around and showed May his back. Marks ran across his
back in all directions, many of them overlapping each other. After a
few moments JC turned to look at the tiny blonde. "May, I have the
stigmata."
May looked confused. "What?"
JC sighed and knelt down to May's level. Gently he removed his
sunglasses, allowing May a rare sight. Sincerely JC spoke the next few
words. "Minnie May, I'm dying."
Minnie May gripped JC around the neck and began crying against
his large shoulder. Her tears resembled a fountain as they streamed
down JC's bare shoulder.
The large man grimaced as one of the tears slid over one of the
lashes. JC removed May and stood up. "May do you have a first aid
kit. I want to get some disinfectant into those wounds, just in case."
Minnie May wiped away her tears. "A-alright. Sit down, I'll
take care of you."
JC nodded and sat down with his back to Minnie May. "Thanks for
doing this May."


Rally put the phone down and sighed. "Jerk. Disappears for ten
years and then just shows up demanding weapons. Bastard doesn't even
bother to send a letter or a postcard. We thought he was dead when the
papers listed his obit. The least he could have done was called."
A wide shadow passed over Rally. "Who should have called," a
strong male voice asked.
"You should have JC." Rally looked up to find a pair of dark
sunglasses and a smiling face looking back at her. "Who the hell did
you think I...meant?" Rally blushed and looked away quickly. "Hi,
Bean. Uh...how long have you been there?"
Bean chuckled and looked down at Rally. "Since you hung up the
phone. This 'JC' you mentioned, is that the same JC I think it is?"
"International fugitive, world renowned assassin, former NERV
Security Lieutenant, and my ex boyfriend? Is that who you were
thinking of," Rally asked slyly.
Bean nodded. "Sure was."
"Then yes. It is."
Bean nodded again. "So what brought about this sudden rant about
him? I mean, you haven't seen him in what, ten years. What suddenly
reminded you of him?"
Rally looked up at Bean with a serious look. "Do you remember
what kind of guns JC uses?"
"Sure. Dessert Eagles. He bought them from you just after you
opened shop. That's how he met you, wasn't it?"
Rally blinked a few times. "You're good. Yeah. Well, look at
this." Rally pushed the notepad over to Bean.
Bean took the papers and looked over the inventory list that JC
had written. He looked curiously at Rally. "He's not serious is he?
What's he planning on doing, killing the President?"
Rally took the notepad back and sighed. "If anyone we know can
it'd be JC. No, he's got something else planned. I just don't know
what exactly. I get the feeling he's going to Tokyo 3, there's
something he has to do, and it involves NERV somehow."
Bean nodded. "Well, let's think about something else. Like,
lunch? Would you mind an escort?"
Rally looked at Bean then to the papers and shrugged. "What the
hell, JC can wait." Rally walked out from behind the counter and
grabbed her blazer. "May! I'm headed out for lunch, probably be back
in an hour. Handle things will ya?!"

May popped her head out of the bathroom. "Sure thing Ral. Have
fun. Tell Beanie I said 'hi!'" May giggled and closed the door.
JC looked at May. "So she's dating Bean Bandit now?"
May nodded. "Yep. They won't admit it you know, but they are.
I mean, there have been times when Bean's car is parked outside all
night, or Rally's not home, or Bean's trying to slip out early in the
morning. Stuff like that." May placed another bandage on JC's back.
"Why, jealous?"
JC looked at his back in the mirror as he thought over what May
had just told him. May had driven home a point that JC had not thought
of in almost four years. He was lonely. His reason for coming to
Chicago wasn't to load up on ammunition, he could have had it imported
to the island, no his real reason for coming here was now out on a date
with Bean Bandit. JC looked up at May who was smiling like a child.
"Yes," he blinked slowly. "Yes, I am a bit. But I'm also happy
for her. Bean's a good guy, and he'll treat her right." JC smiled
warmly. "Thanks May, now if you don't mind I'd like to get dressed and
use the head."
May giggled as she backed out of the room. She closed the door
and smiled to herself. "I knew he had the hots for Rally still. I
wonder if he's still driving that '97 Viper, Rally'd dump Bean in a
minute to get back in that car." May giggled as she walked behind the
counter.





Frank and JC spent the next few days cruising around Chicago. JC
usually dropped Frank off at Palwaukee to keep an eye on the Cessna and
to keep in touch with Billy. After that JC would spend countless hours
at the mall, sitting in parks, attending outdoor concerts, going
wherever large numbers of people gathered.

JC sat in a small park as he had since early that morning. He'd
left Frank with Merv at the airport and was sitting in an outdoor
concert. A band claiming to be the Smashing Pumpkins was playing a
free concert that day.
With little else to do JC had pulled on his trench coat and made
way for the park. He sat through most of the concert enjoying the
music, until he noticed something. A large number of couples had
gathered.
As he had done all week JC studied the couples, the groups of
friends, and the loners. In general he was studying the people. He
knew that if there was something to be gained from human gatherings it
would be found in study of their behavior and interaction with others.

After an hour of study JC noticed that his pager was vibrating
madly. As he thought about it the pager had been going for almost ten
minutes. With a defeated sight JC grabbed the little plastic box and
read the number on the LCD display. A familiar one.
"Rally."


Rally hung up the phone and grumbled. "Where the hell is he? He
never USED to miss my calls. If only that ass had given me his
cellular number." Rally looked at the large boxes sitting in the
middle of her store.
Most of it was military issue ammunition. Desert Eagles were not
the most well known weapons, especially the .50 caliber +P models which
JC was fond of. Rally had been forced to use Becky to hunt down a
distributor of the expensive armaments. Becky had found the people
Rally wanted, but it had cost an arm and a leg to get what JC had
requested. Rally grinned devilishly at the profit she was going to
make from this sale.

Rally picked up a small caliber pistol and began affixing pieces
for the custom job someone had ordered. She had been halfway done when
JC had made his insane order. Rally sighed and began her work again.


JC parked the Jeep outside the shop. He sat behind the wheel
holding his head for a few minutes. After a few long hard moments the
Latino exited the car and walked into Gunsmith Cats, his obsidian
trench coat flapping wildly behind him as he walked.

Rally looked up from the gun she was working on. "Welcome...JC.
Hi. Your equipment just arrived."
JC looked at the boxes and nodded. "Thanks. How much do I owe
you? I mean this stuff obviously isn't cheap."
Rally smiled. "You're right, its not. Let me ring everything up
alright?" Rally stepped over to the cash register and began punching
buttons. "Jace, do you mind if I ask you something?"
JC was riffling through the ammunition. "You just did." Rally
gritted her teeth. "No I don't mind." JC picked up one of the
proximity mines and reviewed the explosive device.
Rally punched another button. "Why did you come here? I mean
Eagle ammo can be gotten from Key West, can't it?"
JC placed the mine down and looked at Rally. "Not since the 2010
embargo. When Magnum Research took over the Eagle development here in
the States they refused to ship to the Keys. Even Israel won't send it
to me anymore. I figured if anyone could find me some good Eagle ammo,
it'd be my fav gal pal Ral."
Rally looked at the man. "So...why Eagles? Why not something
more reliable. How about a 9mm. I mean almost everyone uses 9 mil
bullets. You're .50 cals are hard to find."
JC shrugged. "Style babe, style. Plus anything that can blow
the back of a person's head off from five clicks with a single bullet
has my immediate respect."
Rally shook her head. "You always were insane."
JC shrugged and picked up one of the boxes of the hollow points
and began sifting through the ammunition. "Takes one to know one." JC
closed the box and replaced it.
"Two grand, six-hundred and seventy-five."
JC looked up. "That's all? Is that just my ammo, or is that the
explosives included?"
Rally looked to JC. "I haven't added in the flash bangs and
shrapnel grenades or the C-6. May is taking care of those. They
should be in tonight."
JC smiled and stepped upto the counter. Reaching into his coat
JC removed a black leather wallet and began counting out assorted
bills. He placed five five-hundred bills and two hundred dollar bills.
"Keep the change Ral. Not like I need it. I'll be back tonight for
the explosives."
JC walked over to the handcart and wheeled it to the door. Just
before he was outside Rally placed a hand on his shoulder. "Jace, what
do you need this kind of gear for? I thought you quit the biz."
JC looked down at the ammunition. "I did leave the biz. I've
got a new mission now. I've got some people that I need to protect."
Rally looked confused. "Protect? Who are you going to protect
with this stuff?"
JC inhaled deeply. "My friends. People I left sometime ago. I
just found out how much they need me, and how much I need them. I know
that this is the kind of stuff I'd need for a hit or a bounty, but
believe me I won't be on a job. Not any longer."
Rally pulled JC around to look at her. She stared deeply into
his onyx eyes with her piercing blue ones. "Promise me something."
JC nodded. "If I can."
Rally glared. "No! I want your promise now. Promise me you'll
come back. Things haven't been the same since you left. I miss how
things were when you'd hang out in the shop until I was forced to run
you off, or the shoot-outs we'd have on the range. I want to do that
again. So promise me, you'll survive so that we can do that again."
JC looked into Rally's bright blue eyes and nodded. "I...I
promise." He sighed.
Rally grabbed JC's face. "You promise what?!"
"I promise I'll survive this mission. And when I get back you
and I will have an old fashioned shoot-out, like the old days."
Rally smiled. "Good." She hugged JC, not noticing him wince.
"Get going ya big lug."
JC smiled as he wheeled the cart out to the Jeep. 'I'll have to
get Frank to replace my bandages when we get to the hotel.' As soon as
JC had the ammunition loaded he fired up the Jeep and drove off towards
the suburbs.





A week passed easily for the former assassin. He'd retrieved the
last of his equipment from Rally and Minnie May. After that he and
Frank and returned home to Key West. JC spent the rest of his time on
the phone with Kaji attempting to gain access to Tokyo 3. After four
days of failed attempts, the young spy gave in and agreed to gain JC
temporary access to the city.
JC's new codes and identification had been faxed over a day
later. The rest of JC's time was spent in acquisition of a vehicle
that he could take to Japan. That had arrived yesterday



JC picked up his nylon travel bag as he rested the phone against
his shoulder. "Come on Corsair. I'm willing to go double what you
ask." JC picked up a T-shirt and smelled it, grimacing he tossed it
into the closet. "Look man, it's a one way trip, I swear."
JC reached into the closet and removed three pair of black denim
jeans. Folding them in half JC placed them in the travel bag, he then
placed three black T-shirts on top of them. "C'mon Corsair. I have to
be in Japan tomorrow. What'll it cost me this time, you know money's
not an object.
"Sure, anyone can take me. I don't care who flies, just so long
as I get there. If Joey's gonna take me he's gonna need a big plane.
What do you mean how big? C-130 big."
JC picked up an AR-17 Assault Rifle. He quickly checked the
magazine and the front snap grenade launcher. As he carried the large
rifle JC wondered about concealing the weapon. Taking an assault rifle
into a country that has laws against guns would be hard enough, but
doing the job JC was planning the AR-17 was almost a foolish thought.
The young man placed the rifle back down on the counter where he'd
retrieved it and began looking at his impressive collection of weapons.

JC walked over to his wall of pistols and picked up a Colt six
shooter. He smiled as he remembered his Stetson in the back of his
closet. JC replaced the pistol and sifted through his closet in a vain
search for the old cowboy hat.
"So come on 'Sair. What's Joey say, will he do it? What do you
mean what kind of vehicle am I taking? An SUV what else. NO WAY! I
would NEVER take my Harley to Japan. What are you insane? That's a
classic 1972 Softtail. Harley doesn't even make parts for it anymore.
"No, I'm taking an SUV, a BIG one." JC smiled as he found the
black velvet hat. "Alright. I'll be there in," he looked at his
watch. "Hmmm...gimme two hours. Okay, see you then."
JC disconnected his phone and tossed it onto the couch. "Gods, I
hate the guy." He turned away from the offensive piece of technology
and returned to his guns. Almost in the middle of the wall lay a
familiar looking pistol. Without thinking about it JC reached out and
retrieved the familiar black metal weapon.
The pistol had been a going away gift from Rally. A CZ-75
exactly like hers, down to the "cocked and locked" fashion that it hung
on the wall and was carried in. A gentle grin crossed JC's masculine
features as he placed the weapon on his bag and went in search of his
ever limited supply of 9mm ammo.




Corsair was a man in his mid-twenties. He was tall and lean,
with a crop of blonde hair that made him look almost Scandinavian. He
was dressed in a well-tailored Armani with Italian patent leather
shoes, shined to perfection. A thin cigarette hung from his hand as he
walked around the hanger.
A large black C-130 sat tethered in the middle of the expansive
hanger. Three men were carrying a hose to the back to fuel the plane
for its transcontinental flight in an hour. Along the sides of the
plane was a roughly sketched half fig leaf with the letters "NERV"
stenciled above it.
Corsair watched in rapt fascination as the men went about
preparing the vehicle for its long flight. Corsair ran the local
airport. He hated JC for killing his brother, but loved money enough
to look the other way if the man was proposing a one way flight.
Corsair knew JC to be a man of his word and if he agreed to refuse
taking hits against his family again Corsair would easily give the man
a ride to Japan.

Corsair turned his back on the work and found himself looking at
a large mass of black body armor and rippling muscle. The person
before him was so close Corsair could smell the man's cologne.
'Preferred Stock,' Corsair mentally noted, 'good brand.' Corsair's
deep blue eyes roamed up the large muscled chest as he took a small
step backwards.
All the way up the man saw black. Midnight black all the way to
the person's face, which was tanned, like that of an island native.
Corsair only knew of one man that wore black with that complexion.
"Well if it isn't my client. To what do I owe this early arrival?"
JC looked down at the shorter man. "I wanted to get a look at my
ride, and discuss the terms of this little agreement. I don't like you
Corsair, you don't like me, so let's just get this done with as little
bloodshed as possible. Agreed?"
Corsair nodded. "Of course. Follow me to my office?" Corsair
began to walk towards the unmoving man.
"I'd prefer we stay out here. Not that I don't trust you, but if
I have to shoot anyone I'd like to make it to my Humvee before my body
armor gets TOO dinged up." JC smirked. "You understand, right?"
Corsair nodded. "Of course I do. A man of your..." Corsair's
ass kissing was cut off by the hammer of a pistol being pulled back
under his chin.
JC's left Eagle was now positioned under Corsair's chin. "Stop
kissing my ass, I don't like it. I'm going to offer you half a million
greenbacks to take me and my equipment to Tokyo 3. No questions asked,
no snooping in my car, and when we get there if ANYONE knows I'm there,
I kill your pilot and blow your plane to hell. Agreed?"
Corsair swallowed the lump forming in his throat. Slowly, as not
to further annoy the man with the gun, he nodded. "Si, si. I agree
with it all, good terms."
JC holstered the pistol. "Pleasure doing business with you. As
soon as that plane is fueled I'll drive my Hummer inside and we can
part our ways. I know you're dying to get rid of me."
"in more ways then you know."
JC looked back at Corsair. "What was that?"
Corsair looked up into JC's perfectly obsidian eyes. "Huh? Oh,
nothing. The refuel should be done in an hour."
JC glared. "Should? I don't do should. I'm on a schedule.
What time exactly will it be done?"
Corsair looked at his watch, a gold Rolex. "Um...four. We'll be
ready to lift off at four."
JC nodded and turned to the door. "Then I'll be back at 15:50."
With that said the assassin began towards the door and his dramatic
exit. "And fix that DAMN logo, the fig leaf is on top!"




The flight to Nagano was easy enough. There were no problems.
The pilot flew the plane leaving JC alone long enough to prepare all of
his equipment.
He arrived in Japan in the middle of the night, which suited the
former assassin perfectly fine. He took the whole of two days to drive
to the relic of a city that was Tokyo 3.
The city had changed so much since he'd last been here. What few
bearings JC had were shot to hell. JC had spent nearly six hours
driving aimlessly around in the middle of the night attempting to find
what he was looking for.





Misato sat in her bedroom looking over a file. She wasn't sure
how long she had been sitting there. She wasn't even aware that she
was out of beer. Her room, no her apartment had fallen into an eerie
silence days ago that had lasted until today.

BANG BANG BANG BANG

Misato jumped on her futon. She looked around the room a few
times looking for what had fallen. That was until she noticed the
sound had not stopped.

BANG BANG BANG BANG

Jumping to her feet Misato grabbed her service issue pistol and
exited her room. On the oft chance that someone might be attempting to
get at Shinji, or herself, Misato wanted to be armed.

KNOCK KNOCK TWAP KNOCK BANG

Misato listened to the sounds against her door. Curiosity, and
fear, gripped her as the sounds continued. The purple haired Major
took a deep breath to steady herself. In one fluid motion she threw
the door back, aimed her gun for a killing shot, and found herself face
to chest with muscles covered in a black T-shirt.
Misato took a cautious step back and raised her pistol to the
chest. Behind the person she could see a green military seabag hit the
floor, obviously coming off their shoulder. As Misato looked back at
the body she found herself staring at the ominous black visage before
her face.

"Kit-Kat-chan. I knew you were pissed at me, but I never
expected you to pull a gun on me." The man's voice was thick with a
protruding Spanish accent. Even though it was strong and powerful the
voice carried a feeling of familiarity and safety.

Misato's eyes scanned the figure before her; tall, dark, ominous,
and obviously well armed. The man standing in Misato's doorway was
familiar to a fault. The Major hadn't seen him since he walked out of
her office, and subsequently her life. Without thought Misato threw
herself against the large man's chest and began crying. The tears
quickly soaked through the armored cotton. Gripping the man around his
chest Misato locked her arms behind his back.

JC looked down at the tear-ridden woman attached to his body. He
could feel the stitches in his back give out, but didn't worry about
it. Right now all that mattered was that Misato needed him. JC pried
the young Japanese woman from his chest and walked her into the kitchen
of her apartment.
The Latino sat the woman down and immediately went about boiling
a pot of tea. JC expertly maneuvered his way through the kitchen and
in a few minutes had a pair of boiling cups of tea poured out. One for
Misato and one for himself.
JC reached out for Misato's hand and gripped it in his gloved
one. With his other hand he reached out and raised Misato's tear-
ridden face to his own. "Yes Misato, I am here, and I am alive."
Misato pulled away from JC and turned from him. "Why are you
here?" She sniffled. "Did you come back to finish the job. Who's
next? Me, Rit-chan, Commander Ikari?" Misato turned on the man she
once called friend. "Oh my god. NO! Someone hired you to kill Shinji
and Asuka?! How could you?! What kind of monster have you become?!"
JC reached back and slapped Misato. His gloved hand prevented
much sound, but its armor plating nearly threw the buxom woman to the
floor. "Get a hold of yourself Misato! Dammit! I'm not here to kill
anyone. On the contrary. I'm here to protect the Children, and you."

Misato raised a hand to her stinging cheek. In all the years
she'd know him, Misato had seen JC hit a female once, and that was in
self-defense class. She stared in shock at him, not hearing what he'd
said. She just sat there staring at him holding her stinging cheek.

JC looked at the silent woman before him. Never in his life did
he think that he could EVER harm Misato, but it was obvious that he was
capable of doing so. JC fell to his knees beside Misato. "Oh my god.
Misato, I'm...I'm sorry."
Misato looked down at the tanned man before her. His black hair
was slicked back, as usual, except for a few stray strands that always
seemed to fall between his eyes. His armored T-shirt was a bit
wrinkled, but not too obvious. His black jeans were pressed, she
noticed, with a military fashion. She could just barely make out the
outline of his dual Desert Eagles under his large onyx trench coat.
Misato reached down as if ready to backhand the larger man,
instead her fingers gently caressed his face, taking great care as they
drew across his scar. The white flesh contrasted deeply to his olive
skin and dark hair and clothes. "It...it's alright. I...I think...I
think I needed that." Misato smiled weakly as a few strands of deep
purple hair fell into her line of sight, causing her vision to blur.
JC smiled as he got up. He could feel the cheap, quick stitching
losing its integrity on his back. He grinned in an attempt to suppress
the pain that was threatening to overtake him. "I'm sorry Miso-chan.
I should have told you why I was in Tokyo the other month. But the
more people that knew the more risk I ran that Kaji would have been
captured, rather than safe where he is. Believe me I wanted to tell
you, but I couldn't stand to think of all the pain I'd be putting you
and the Children in, so I didn't."
Misato looked at the man. "Is he alive? Is he going to come
back?" Misato looked away. "Did he say anything to you?"

JC felt like reaching into his chest and removing his beating
heart, knowing it would be less painful than what he was doing now.
After a few moments the freelancer sighed and took Misato's hand in his
gloved hands. "Kit-Kat. Listen to me, and listen good. I'm only
gonna say this once alright?" Misato nodded. "Good."
JC took a deep breath and released it through clenched teeth. He
could feel the blood seeping out of his back, and knew it would soon
begin to pool under him. "Misato. Kaji loves you, he never stopped.
Eight, nine years ago, whatever it was, he was going to ask you to be
his wife. Kaji is alive; I personally made sure of it. As for coming
back, I'm not sure. Knowing him, he'll show up when you least expect
it." JC looked at Misato.
Misato sat enraptured to what JC was telling her. The man she
loved was alive, and might be coming back. A tiny smile appeared on
her worried, but still radiant, features. "Thank you JC. Thank you."
JC tried to grin. "Don't mention it." He stood up and brushed
off his gloves. "If you don't mind, I'm gonna grab my bag." With the
ease of an urban jungle animal JC gracefully made his way to the
previously discarded bag.
Misato looked at the man as he searched through the bag. "JC,
what are you looking for?"
JC looked up. "Just making sure I didn't pull the pins on any of
my grenades." He smirked as he closed the bag and leaned it against
the wall. "I hope you don't mind, but I was hoping you'd let me crash
on your couch until things begin making sense. I don't like thinking
that you and the boy, who's shoulders the world's fate rests on, are
unprotected."
Misato looked at JC for a moment as she considered what he'd just
said. "But we are protected. Section Two personnel are watching
everything Shinji does."
JC raised a brow. "Oh are they now. Then why didn't they stop
me when I drove in? Because there's not enough people to do the job
anymore. Misato, I saw the city, okay. I know what's happened. I
would not feel right if I didn't do something to help you and Shinji.
So like it or not I'm going to stay, whether its with you, Rit-chan, or
in a burnout building...I'm not leaving Tokyo 3 until everyone I know
is safe."
Misato looked at the determination on her friend's face and
sighed. "Jace, there's something you need to know. Commander Ikari
had Rit-chan arrested not long after you left. Some cheap ass blown-up
phony charges. So unless you plan on breaking into NERV lockup I think
you're a little late."
JC turned and punched a hole in the wall behind him. "DAMN! I
never did trust Ikari." He looked at Misato. "I'm sorry. This is
probably my fault. Look Misato, I am going wherever you and Shinji go.
Think of me as a free bodyguard and personal chef. I'll do what I can
to pull my weight around this place, but only if you'll let me stay
here."
Misato could almost see the pleading look in JC's eyes behind his
glasses. "You really going to cook?" JC nodded. "Alright, you'll be
sleeping on the couch, not that that's anything new for you. You've
probably slept on worse."
JC smirked. "Try a bed of nails in Istanbul."
Misato shuddered. "Well Shinji's in his room, doing god knows
what. I'm going to bed, so the couch is yours my friend."
"Domo arigoto, Misato-imoto."

JC watched as Misato turned and walked back to her room. His
eyes followed every motion she made until the door blocked his view.
Scant seconds passed before JC unholstered one of his Eagles and
stepped into the hallway.
JC spent the next half hour surveying the apartment complex he
would soon be calling home. Simplistic and empty the building made for
an easy hideout for anyone with low morals or lax funding. Besides a
few squatters and hobos the building was empty, those still remaining
were far too afraid of the man with the guns to go anywhere near
Misato's floor.



The next few weeks were spent in relative ease. Karou had been
defeated. Asuka was comatose. Shinji was in emotional turmoil. Rei
was...no longer Rei, rather she was Ikari's doll again. Misato had
begun spending her days at NERV attempting to air out all the
organization's dirty laundry, including JC and Kaji's secrets.
JC had taken a permanent residence on the living room floor. His
armored trench coat was always to be found draped across the back of the
couch. The man himself could usually be found either in the kitchen
making meals that only he ate fresh and Shinji had when he needed food,
or sitting on the balcony cleaning his weapons.
Tokyo 3 had taken beating after beating, each worse than the one
before it. But the worst beating of all was to come. Not from an
Angel, but from that which refuses to die, Humans.




JC sat in the bath looking at the water as it emptied from around
his body. 'Red. A color I hate. Red is hate, red is pain, red is
blood...red is...' "Death." JC had whispered the word to himself as he
looked at the latest stigmata to appear on his body.
The day after he'd arrived in Tokyo 3 his feet began to bleed.
Holes similar to the ones in his wrists appeared in his upper feet.
The crown of thorns would soon follow. JC knew his time would soon
come to an end, and he knew he'd soon break his promise to Rally.

JC stood up in the bath and grabbed a towel. Silently he dried
his body and prepared to get dressed for another day of protecting the
Third Child.


Shinji lay on his bed listening to his S-Dat player. Bach played
through the simple device delivering the music directly to the Child.
"He's still here." Shinji whispered to himself. "He knows
Misato, I wonder who he is. Maybe he's the man on the answering
machine." Shinji sighed and tried to sink lower into his futon.
"I wonder what he'll cook next. I should cook something, but
why? It won't matter. No one cares about me, no one loves me...not
anymore...not since..." Shinji began crying again.

JC stood outside Shinji's door as he had everyday since he
arrived. He was going to invite the young boy to join him for
breakfast when he heard what Shinji said.
JC placed his hand against the door, just below the sign, and
sighed. "Shinji. There are people here for you. I'm here, Misato's
here, and Asuka...well Asuka will listen." JC leaned against the wall.
"If you want to talk, I'll be on the balcony. Just come out and
find me." With that said the former assassin pushed off the wall and
walked towards the kitchen.

Shinji sat up in the bed. "Asuka will listen. The bitch will
have to listen to me." For the first time since Karou had died at
Shinji's hands the pilot of Eva Unit 01 was willing to do something.

JC watched as Shinji stormed out of the apartment, a tiny smirk
on his face. Already wearing his coat and boots, JC watched the pilot
leave the apartment. A few seconds later JC followed, locking the room
behind himself.



JC stood against the wall in the medical wing. His cell phone
against his ear as he watched Shinji. Shinji's back was to the man,
but it was obvious to JC that the boy was not happy with the red head.
"Yeah. We're in the med-wing. Huh? No, no one knows I'm here.
Yeah I followed Shinji in using his passcode. What? No he doesn't
know I'm following him. Kit-Kat, please. I'm a professional. If I
wanted him to know I was here he'd know.
"Calm down Kit-Kat. Shit, hold on." JC sidestepped and pushed
the door behind him open, stepping into an empty room. Through the
window he could see a slightly less upset Shinji walk by. "Kit ya
there? Okay. Look Shinji just left Asuka's room. He's probably
headed back home, so I'll call you when we get there. Later."
JC pocketed the phone and followed the Third Child. He took a
glance at Asuka's room and raised a brow. "I wonder what he was doing
in there." JC turned and saw Shinji slip around the corner, quickly he
checked that his id was in place along with his fake NERV security
patches before he followed the boy.


The former assassin didn't make it three feet before he fell flat
on his face. A thin pool of blood began forming under his large form.
Suddenly the pool began to expand exponentially. Not only had the
stigmata of the "Crown of Thorns" appear, but the whip lashes crossing
JC's back had reopened spilling blood across his unconscious form.


Misato sat in her car, her arms crossed and resting on the
steering wheel. She stared at the phone on the seat next to her and
sighed. She slumped forward and rested her chin against her arms.
"The Human Instrumentality project will evolve an incomplete army...
that is the last stage of mankind: artificial evolution. It would be
an ideal world. This is why the committee wants to use neither Adam
nor NERV, but EVA." Misato's head jerked up in sudden realization.
"Its exactly what Kaji-kun said."
Misato jumped out of her car and made a dash for the nearest
entrance, she a little more snooping around to do.


Silent and alone Shinji wandered the halls of NERV. Those few
that passed him barely noticed him or gave him a second thought.
Shinji himself didn't even know where he was or if he had a
destination. Until he found a staircase.
A simple staircase, but it provided a place to go unnoticed.
Silently he walked behind the stairs and sat down under them. He
pulled his knees up close to his chest, turned on his S-Dat player and
resigned himself to do nothing.


JC jerked up in the bed, and yelled in pain. "What the hell?!"
His speech had returned to English with a Spanish accent. "Where am
I?" His head jerked from side to side as he attempted to determine his
surroundings.
As if on cue JC screamed again. He could feel the stitches in
his back being pulled almost to their breaking point. In pain and not
exactly feeling like arguing JC laid back down and stared up at the
anesthetic ceiling that stared back at him. The ceiling was winning.
"An unfamiliar ceiling," JC whispered. "I hate unfamiliar ceilings."

A door opened, allowing a middle-aged man enter. He wore a light
brown NERV command uniform, his insignia stated that he was NERV
Security's sub-commander. The man looked at a chart in his hands and
smiled. "Judas, it has been a while."

JC jumped and rolled off the bed. He landed on his feet in a
crouched position with the bed between himself and the man. "How do
you know my name?! The only people that know that name are dead or
family. So answer my question, how do you know that name?"
The man smiled slyly. "Or you'll what, kill me? How would you
go about that when your coat is ten feet away?"
JC smirked, "Eight feet but who's counting. And you really think
that all my weapons are in my clothing, then you're a fool. Now who
are you and how do you know my name?" JC still crouched behind the bed
in an attempt to use it as a shield, if need be.
The sub-commander smirked. "I always did like you Judas. Smart
enough to hide your real name from NERV security, insane enough to use
our tactics as a freelance assassin, impetuous enough to break into
NERV for God only knows why, and stupid enough to get caught.
"As much as I like you Judas, I need some information. As your
former, and it seems present, commanding officer I demand you answer my
questions." The man tapped the pad in his hands. "As of one hour ago
you were drafted and reinstated as a NERV Second Lieutenant."
JC glared and stood up. "Well Commander Jacobson. It's been
some time. You want answers, fine. Give me my clothes and I'll tell
you what you need to know."
Jacobson nodded and tossed a pile of neatly folded clothing on
the bed. "Your guns are being held...until we deem them necessary for
return to you."

JC pulled the hospital gown off and tossed it on the nearby
chair. Standing naked before his former commanding officer he picked
up his jeans and began sliding them on. "Well I'd say you're not
getting any help from me then."
Jacobson watched as the man tied his boots. "You mean you're
just going to sit here and watch NERV get attacked?"
JC smirked as he tied the other boot. "In a sense. There are
only two reasons I'm here in Tokyo 3. My family."
Jacobson looked at the man slightly confused. "What are you
talking about?"
JC glared at the older man. "You know my real name, you know of
my last job, then you know what I can do. I'm here for the opposite
reason. I am here to protect them.
Jacobson looked shocked. "You're saying that you're not here to
kill anyone?"
JC pulled on his T-shirt and pushed past Jacobson. "Not this
time. I just need to get my weapons so I can do my job." JC picked up
his armored trench coat and slid it on as if it were a second skin he'd
worn his whole life.
Jacobson glared. "Well that's too bad. You have been drafted
and your weapons confiscated. Now if you wish to work with us,
then..."
JC slammed the old man against the wall a small switchblade
placed under the Sub-Commander's chin. "Don't push me old man. I want
my guns. I want my explosives. And I want to find Misato."
Jacobson looked down at the man with the knife, a tiny glint of
hate in his eyes. "Very well, Lieutenant Judas Crenshaw, your first
assignment is to report to the Seventh Evangelion cage. Your weapons
and equipment will be there. I believe you know where that is."
JC whipped the switchblade back and slid it into his pants. "Of
course. You do know that if my weapons are not there..."
Jacobson pulled out a cell phone and hit a single button. "Yes
this is Jacobson. Bring Lieutenant Crenshaw's equipment to the
Seventh Eva cage. Good." He closed the phone and pocketed it. "Its
waiting on you."
JC smiled and prepared to respond until red lights began
flashing. "I'll deal with you later." JC released the old man and
charged down the hall.


Misato glared at the computer screen as its contents cleared.
"They found me!" She grabbed her handgun and stood up prepared to
protect herself. "No they haven't. It's starting."


JC opened the door to the cage to find a man in a tan NERV
Security uniform standing there holding a MP5K automatic. He leveled
the weapon at JC who walked upto the man. "Stand down Private. I'm
Crenshaw. Jacobson said my guns and orders would be waiting here."
The private aimed the gun at the ground. "Right." The man
looked at the glare building on JC's face. "Uh, gomen. Sir, your
weapons are on that shelf over there, they have not been tampered with
since they were delivered."
JC walked over to the shelf that the private pointed to. He
reached out and picked up his holster, still holding his Eagles.
Drawing the Eagles and CZ-75 he quickly field-stripped and rebuilt the
guns. Turning on his heal JC fired a 9mm round into the private's
skull killing him instantly. "Sorry 'bout that kid. I don't like
loose ends."
JC removed his coat and slipped into the holster. Picking up the
CZ-75 and holstering it on his lower back he grabbed the flash-bang,
the frag, and the proximity grenades and placed them in differing
pockets in his coat. JC smiled as he removed a proximity grenade and
affixed it next to the inside door as he exited.
JC stopped momentarily and grabbed the private's hat and placed
it on his head to cover the bandages covering his latest stigmata. He
smirked at the dead body. "Thanks kid." Stuffing the C-6 into a
pocket JC ran down the hall towards NERV's most epic battle.


Misato walked down the main hall leading to the bridge. She was
releasing her hair from the simple ponytail it had been in. Misato
held the phone close to her ear and listened to the voice on the other
end. "We're presently at Stage One Emergency!"
Misato spoke to the person. "How's your side?"
"Good Morning. A-801 departed from Tokyo 2 not too long ago."
"801?" Misato asked.
"A waiver of legal rights protecting NERV, supported by special
law..." the voice responded. "...meaning a transfer of control to the
Japanese government."



Shinji sat under the stairs holding his knees and listening as
the music filled his ears. He pushed out all thoughts and sounds
around him.



"This is the ultimatum. Yes it is. They're hacking into Magi,
it's under control." Makoto informed the Major before handing the
phone over to Maya.
Maya leaned towards the phone. "Ibuki speaking. Doctor Akagi
has started work on the defense."
Maya and Makoto turned and looked at the elevator platform as it
rose from the floor to reveal Misato standing there with the phone to
her ear.
"Ritsuko?" Misato asked with an equally mixed amount of shock
and confusion.


Ritsuko sat inside of the raised Casper unit typing madly at the
keyboard on her lap.
"Am I foolish? There's no logic between man and woman." Ritsuko
stopped typing and raised her glasses and looked at the brain casing
above her head.
"Ain't I right..." Ritsuko's gaze landed on the Casper 3 plate
staring back at her, with its recently fused metal standing out against
the light metal. Ritsuko ran her hand gently across the surface of the
plate, stopping at the fused metal. "...mother?"




The twelve SEELE monoliths stood in the circle. Sound Only and
the corresponding SEELE number were all that could be seen on the
monoliths.

"Ikari set the protection of 666 on the Magi. Its not easy to
break." One of the monoliths informed.
"We have no choice but to cancel occupation of Magi," another
responded.
"I wanted to proceed moderately, but I've decided to occupy the
main facility directly!" SEELE One stated.


A man dressed in camouflage hung up the radiophone. "Move out as
scheduled."
The man to his immediate right moved off into the brush to spread
the word.

All through the wooded area people appeared from their hiding
spots. VTOL craft appeared in the sky as if they'd always been there.
Tanks, APCs, and Jeeps filled with men all occupied the once empty
streets of Tokyo 3.

The tanks fired round after round of explosive shells at the
mountain side over the Geo Front. Flatbed trucks carrying launchers
fired row after row of Surface to Surface missiles at the target
effectively destroying the radar stations situated on the mountain.


All doors leading into the Geo Front and NERV proper opened
allowing the JSSDF access to the underground fortress.



"Digital tunnel sealed."
"Deliver pathway Number Five is on fire."
"Fire at the warehouse."
"Invaders at West Building."
All the voices melded into one continuous background noise in
Misato's ears as she looked at the holographic displays before her.
"The Decoy is entering from the West Building! If their goal is EVA
they'll attack the pilots!" Misato yelled at the bridge crew, her
concern for her charges made obvious.
Misato turned to Makoto. "Have Shinji-kun prepared and ready at
EVA-01 immediately."
Makoto turned to his terminal. "Hai."
Misato stood up and looked at the bridge. "Where's Asuka?"
Shingeru looked to his commanding officer. "Room 303," he
informed her quickly.
"Take her to EVA-02."

Maya pulled away from her console and looked at Misato somewhere
between shock and anger. "But she's not completely synchronized with
the Eva!"
Misato looked out of the corner of her eye at the young
Lieutenant. "She'll be killed if she stays there. It's better to hide
her in EVA-02 to protect her."
Maya watched Misato as she told her this. "Hai." Maya grabbed a
phone and raised it to her ear. "Have the pilot..."
Misato looked over Makoto's shoulder. "After getting Asuka into
EVA move EVA-02 to the underground warehouse. I know they'll find it
soon, but it's better." Misato turned to look at Shingeru. "Where's
Rei?"

The long-haired bridge tech typed at his console. "We lost her,
we cannot ascertain her whereabouts."
Misato's face grew grim. Her voice lowered and took on a
completely serious tone. "She may get killed. Hurry!" Misato looked
at the holographic display of the area outside Tokyo 3. "Damn you JC,
where are you?" she mumbled silently.


Rei floated in a tube of LCL.


JC fired a round into an incoming JSSDF operative. The man
dressed from head to toe in black fell dead before the running
assassin. JC jumped over the fallen body and continued running.
"Gotta find Misato."
JC stopped at a corner and leaned against the wall quickly
sucking in deep, uneven breaths. He prepared to look around the corner
when his cellular phone began vibrating. Not wishing to make too much
noise he removed it and opened the front. "JC here, make it quick," he
whispered into the phone.

"JC, goddammit where the fuck are you?!" A strong voice yelled
over the line.
JC grumbled. "Jacobson? How in fuck's sake did you get my
cellular? It's unlisted and wired for satellite use, so how'd you get
my number?" JC continued to whisper.
"That's not important. Judas, where are you?"
JC looked around for any sign of his position. That huge
escalator he'd taken a few minutes ago had destroyed any bearings he
had forged for himself. His eyes landed on a white directory sign, he
struggled for a moment before the Kanji fell into place in his
overtaxed mind. "Ninth floor, about two corridors west of the Silver
Bell, whatever that is."
"Dammit JC, you're on the wrong fucking floor. Didn't you get
your orders?! You were supposed to stay with the guard and protect the
Eva cages."
"Screw you Jacobson! I'm not a member of your team anymore. I
quit years ago, remember? I'm a free agent, and I'm on my way to find
the Third Child and protect him. If you have a problem with that, then
too bad." JC slammed the phone closed and placed it back in his coat.

JC took a cautionary glance around the corner before sprinting
down the hall. He only made it halfway down the hall before things on
all sides of him began shaking and vibrating. JC knew immediately that
NERV was under attack, and quickened his pace.



EVA Unit 02 stood on the launch platform stoic. With a pilot
unable to synchronize with it the humanoid war machine just stood
there. The locks released under its feet and the devil red Evangelion
was fired vertically through the ground.

"EVA-02 has just been launched. Route number 8. Power 70,
stabilized." Makoto informed Misato.
"Launch Eva-01 after it, position it within the Geo Front line."
Misato's command was halted as Shingeru turned to the Major.
"Don't, the pilot is still..."
Misato looked at the screen that appeared before her. Shinji was
sitting with his knees to his chest under the stair well. "What?!"


JC stood at the cross-section of two areas and sighed. "Fuck! I
knew I should have studied the schematics more before coming back to
Japan. Hell, I don't even know where I am now." JC shrugged and
turned left. "I've been going right since I left the cage might as
well try left now."



"Level 2 sealed. Non-combative troops meet at Route 87." The
voice commanded over all the intercoms.

Hydraulic drives receded into their housings. Doors slammed
closed effectively locking down whole corridors. People rode the
escalators to arrive at their destinations.


Gendo and Fuyutsuki occupied their places above the bridge
watching the commotion. Gendo sat in his usual manner, with his hands
crossed covering the lower portion of his face. Fuyutsuki stood behind
and to the side of his former pupil.

"Confirmed: underground Route number 3 destroyed and Warehouse
number 2 invaded." Makoto's voice informed the bridge.

"They've deployed all their troops gradually." Fuyutsuki
informed Gendo. "A complete takeover is only a matter of time."
Commander Ikari stood and looked out over the bridge. "Professor
Fuyutsuki, please take care of the rest."
Fuyutsuki watched the bridge as Gendo walked off. "I know. Give
my regards to Yui-kun."


In a parking garage a soldier fired off a bazooka at a pair of
NERV Security officers. Instantly destroying them and a few nearby
vehicles. The garage caught fire causing the enclosed area to turn
into an oversized funeral pyre. The invading troops were silhouetted
in the fires raging through the complex.
The black-clad figures rushed past the burning wreckage. Every
step taking them closer and closer to Central Dogma and their prize.


"No response from Group 2. Communication to Calculation Office
77 cut. Linear Rail 52 destroyed," the voices on the bridge informed
each other.

Makoto scrolled his monitor as he spoke to Major Katsuragi.
"They must have had something wrong with their upbringing. They're
very cruel." He closed his eyes as he looked to another monitor.
Misato's scowling features only betrayed a fraction of what she
felt. She spoke quietly to herself all the while thinking of the last
two men in her life, JC and Shinji. "It's no surprise this would
happen. No one is trained to kill."


A young female officer attempted to move the corpse of an
associate of hers. The JSSDF forces had shot the man. Her attempts to
move his body were futile as a soldier stepped into the hall she
occupied. Without hesitation the soldier fired multiple short round
bursts into her body.
The woman dropped her friend and attempted to run down the hall.
The soldier took aim and fired another burst into her retreating form.
The woman fell to the ground in a heap.
Another group of soldiers was aiming a flame thrower into an
office. Without remorse the men continued pumping deadly flames into
the room. Even the screams of the dying humans did not stop them.
JSSDF forces continued their homicidal rampage through the
facility leaving no one in a NERV uniform alive, as per ordered.


"B-Block invaded." A tech yelled into his microphone.
"Impossible to stop."
Misato looked down at the screen before her. Octagons and
triangles showing different blocks and areas of NERV flashed yellow and
black to red and black.
"S-Block has been taken. All were shot in the main by-pass,"
another tech yelled.
Misato glared at a tech. "Seal off Level 3, all combat troops
are to be receded. All the pipes and routes leading to Section 803
will filled with Bakelite."
Shingeru nodded. "Hai."


"Starting Bakelite injection to Section 803," a tech responded.
The speech was repeated continuously as the operation took place.
Pipes filled with the deep crimson liquid. The thick liquid
began emptying out of the pipes onto the floors. Dead bodies lay
strewn about were picked up by the rushing fluid.

Misato stood on the bridge with her arms crossed watching the
huge area of 803 as it filled with the deep red liquid. "I hope this
helps us for a while," she whispered silently.
Makoto looked up from his phone. "Major Katsuragi, Route 47 was
destroyed and Group number 3 is unable to proceed forward." He jerked
around to look at Misato. "If this continues, Shinji-kun's life...!"
A look of near shock crossed Misato's features.

Shinji sat under the stairs. His head rested on his lap. No
noise could be heard where he was.

"Tell non-combative troops to avoid close range combat when
possible." Misato dropped the clip from her pistol and check it. The
magazine was full, just as JC had told her to carry it. "Our opponents
are professionals. If they can't get back to Dogma, it's better to
surrender."
Misato cocked the pistol and looked to Makoto. She leaned over
his chair and spoke directly to him. "Gomen, look after things here."
Makoto nodded. "Hai."



"Its hopeless. We don't have a reliable system that allows us to
attack troops." Makoto removed a pistol from his desk. Carefully he
chambered a round.
Shingeru crouched before a case and removed an MP3K automatic.
"All we can do is scare them."
Makoto looked skeptically at Shingeru. "If they were serious,
they could take over instantly."
Shingeru began affixing extra magazines and a scope to the hefty
gun. "I wonder if the budget reduction for defense systems was planned
from the start."
Makoto looked across the bridge. "Maybe."

An explosion rocked the bridge allowing the JSSDF forces access
to the bridge. The men stormed in firing their weapons at anything in
the room.
Makoto looked up and around the room.
May knelt under her desk covering her head with her hands.
Shingeru slid across the floor to Maya's side. He held out a
pistol and placed it in her shaky hands. "Unlock it." Shingeru slid
up to one knee and cocked his own gun prepared to do battle.
Maya looked at the gun resting in her hands. "I...I can't
shoot." she whispered.
Shingeru looked Maya in the face. "You did it many times in
training!" he responded angrily.
Maya looked at her friend in fear. "But they weren't at people!"
A bullet ricocheted off a wall in the distance
Shingeru lifted his head and nearly shouted. "Baka! Shoot or
they'll kill you!"



Level B-2. Blood seemed to be a common item to be seen on this
hallway. NERV personnel lay dead and dying in the small walkway.
Blood covered the floor, blood covered the walls, blood even covered
the blood.
"Warehouse Number 2 is in out hands." a voice stated.
"From Level 2, original Magi hasn't been found yet," a voice
crackled over a radio.
"Maruboruju, use heat treatment. It seems very tricky, still
investigating." another radio voice stated.
A NERV staffer backed down a hall. Someone was coming towards
him dressed in all black. A bullet was fired taking off the back of
the NERV officer's head, and sending a nice spray of blood into the
hall.
A JSSDF officer walked upto the dead body and fired two more
shots into the dead man. Content with his work the man began down the
hall once more.

*Clap, clap, clap*
The JSSDF officer turned around. Leaning against the wall stood
a man of six foot one, dressed from head to toe in casual black attire.
The officer could easily read the NERV patch sewn onto the man's
trench coat.
"Good work boy, three shots, one to the head, one to the neck,
and one to the heart. I guess they really have been training you all
much better in recent years." The man pushed off the wall and began
walking towards the officer, his left hand in his coat pocket.
"Of course if it had been me... ... it would have been one shot
one kill. Like this." Like lightning on a summer day, the man whipped
a large black gun out and fired a single shot into the officer.
The JSSDF operative fell to the ground. Blood seeped from the
open wound where his head had been. His face and half of his head were
gone from the pointblank range of the bullet. The red liquid poured
forth forming a pool under the dead man.
JC smiled as he looked at the smoking body before him, and the
wall behind the body that was slowly catching fire. "And Rally
wondered why I wanted napalm and hollow point shells." JC's smile
widened, "Bigger boom."
The tanned assassin looked around, scratching his head with the
barrel of his pistol. "Now where the hell is that parking garage?"



"Upon seeing Eva pilots kill immediately." a female voice spoke
over the radio. "All troops authorized to shoot unconditionally,
non-combative included."
"Yamgihara, attack the underground immediately." a male voice
commanded.

Shinji crouched under the stairs in the parking garage. His head
resting against his knees. He didn't even flinch as the sound of a
bullet ricocheting caught his ears. Nor did he move when running feet
stopped before him, their owners cocking their automatic weapons
preparing to kill him.

Three operatives surrounded the Third Child. One of them spoke
into his comm unit. "Third found, will erase him." His voice was
mechanical, almost as if he'd been programmed to speak in such tones.
One of the men placed his service issue side arm to the pilot's
skull and prepared to fire. "Don't hate me, boy." His voice held no
remorse, or any feeling at all really.
Shinji did nothing save sit where he was. At this point the
young boy felt as if he were to die no one would truly notice nor would
they care. His assumptions would soon be put to the test.
From in the darkness a gun was fired causing the man to fall
over. His partner looked around in shock trying to find the attacker.

Misato came charging into the garage firing blindly at the two
men still standing. Six bullets flew from her gun, three three-round
bursts from the men's guns and she was within range. The purple haired
beauty jumped at the closest man and kicked, sending him up against the
wall.
Misato shoulder checked him into the wall and leaned in close as
she placed her pistol under his chin. "Don't hate me," she mocked in
an almost sultry voice. She pulled the trigger sending the man's brain
and blood to the ceiling and the walls.
Shinji sat with his hands over his head.
Misato watched as the man fell to the ground dead. "Let's
go...to EVA-01." She was breathing unevenly as she spoke.


Misato knelt over one of the dead men "borrowing" one of the
radios to listen to the outside situation. She tuned into the all
bands frequency hoping to find something useful.

"...have control of 'Purple'. No problem with Bakelite
injection." a voice stated.

Misato listened to the chatter as she mentally ran through what
she'd just heard. "Not good. They're destroying physical routes
between Shinji-kun and Eva-01. They're tough."
Shinji still crouched in his sitting fetal position. "Let's go
Shinji-kun..."
Misato half-turned and looked at her young charge. "Decide
whether you want to run away or go to EVA." Misato growled at her
charge's lack of response. "Otherwise, you'll have died without having
accomplished anything."
Shinji lowered his head farther into his knees and whispered.
"Help me, Asuka, help me."
Misato stood up and stared at the boy. "You're relying on women,
running away, and deception. Indecision is the worst!" Misato was
yelling now, not too worried about who heard them. She reached over
and grabbed the young pilot by his arm. "Stand up!"
Shinji refused to move, causing Misato to forcibly pull him to a
sitting position. "No, I want to die. I don't want to do anything."
Meekly he spoke; there was no conviction or strength in his
words...only defeat.
Misato attempted a light pull to get the young man standing.
"Spoiled kid!" She bent over to look him in his face. "You're still
alive! Don't waste your life by dying!" she demanded.
Shinji did not move. His young body lay against the cold cement,
his arm in Misato's grip as she pulled at him.



The bridge itself was a scene of death. JSSDF, NERV, everyone
fired at everyone else. From the high-rise over the Magi to the ground
floor people with guns were shooting at one another.

Fuyutsuki held a phone to his ear and yelled into it. "It
doesn't matter! Forget it! Give priority to Dogma Terminal."

Makoto and Shingeru stood next to their consoles and fired at the
JSSDF troops below them. Simultaneously the men fired round after
deadly round at the invaders.
The bespectacled man fell to the cold hard floor under his
terminal and released the magazine in his pistol allowing it to hit the
ground. Turning his head slightly to the left he could see Shingeru
sitting on the floor. "Everything was destroyed systematically, but
they won't do that here."
Shingeru pushed a full magazine into his MP5K as he leaned
against the unmoving chair behind him. "They probably want to do it
all at once. But they probably know the original Magi is below us."
Makoto peeked over the console he was hiding behind. "They may
want it taken without scratches."
Shingeru held his weapon before himself before he replied. "The
Anti-BC weapons system isn't good. If they use them, we'll be in
trouble!"
Maya pulled her knees and head closer, making her body a smaller
target. Tears could be seen forming in her tightly clenched eyes.
"An N2 bomb as well," Makoto remarked.


At that moment a tiny sliver of light could be seen moving
through the bright blue sky. Unlike an airplane this object was not
moving horizontally rather it moved in a vertical path, towards the
ground directly over Japan.
The tiny pinprick of light began to grow and expand as it neared
the ground. Any military otaku near enough would have recognized the
item as an non-nuclear explosive device. The light sliver slammed into
the ground with untold force, causing trees, shrubbery, animals, cars,
pavement, anything remotely touching the ground to shift its position.
Mere milliseconds later a blinding flash of light, resembling a
solar flare, burst forth from the object. A shockwave of immense
proportions accompanied the light. Anything with in an enormous blast
radius was vaporized by the impending explosion, including all of
NERV's armor platting directly beneath ground zero.

The explosion ripped its way through NERV's armor plates until
its path was no longer impeded allowing its full power to exalt itself
on the Geo Front below. The force of the explosion ripped up the
ground, it tore buildings from their moorings, the leak's water was
evaporated, the top of Central Dogma was scorched by the resulting heat
and power that imposed itself on the immobile structure.

Lighting, consoles, monitors, the main holographic display...all
things around the Magi shut down. Emergency lights flickered on
bathing the room in a deep crimson color.

The two male members of the "Bridge Bunnies" crouched behind
their consoles covering their heads. The explosion effectively
destroyed any hope the techs may have had of reinforcements and outside
contacts.
Shingeru released his head and sat up slightly. "Oh God!"
Makoto rose from his crouch slightly and looked to his friend.
"They're not using common sense!"

Fuyutsuki looked out over the damage caused by the N2 device.
"Foolish," he commented as sunlight streamed in through the gaping hole
over Central Dogma.

Something, or rather many somethings suddenly interrupted the
light streaming into the Geo Front. Missiles, hundreds of missiles
streamed in through the giant hole in the ground. The explosive
devices did little more that rip up trees and soil as they found
purchase within the softer ground of the Geo Front.


Maya crouched under her console, hands covering her head. "Why
do they want EVA so much?" she screamed loudly. The emergency lights
flickered between on and off causing a rather eerie light show that
would make Pink Floyd happy.




The Eva graveyard. A place of death. A place no human should
ever have to see. The disgusting scenery passed by in a slow blur as
Misato and Shinji drove through the underground horror.
"They're awaiting the Third Impact with the EVA series, not the
Angels. The Second Impact that occurred fifteen years ago was pre-set
by human beings. The damage was minimized by making Adam into an
egg...before the Angels awakened." Misato's voice changed from cold,
calculating, and informative to a more familiar, motherly tone that
could keep young boys, and some girls, up til late ours having wet
dreams.
"Shinji-kun, we humans and Adam come from Lilith, the source of
all living creatures...we're the eighteenth Angel. The others were
possibilities...which had non-human form. It's a sad existence, we
neglected and rejected each other even though we were human."
Misato continued to speak as she drove her voice betraying her
worry and fear for her young charge as she spoke. The purple haired
NERV official turned to look at the boy who had become, for all intents
and purposes, her son. The boy sat as he had for most of the day, his
head down resting against his knees, effectively ignoring any of the
outside world.
"Listen, Shinji-kun. Destroy all of the EVA series. It's the
only way for us to survive.


JC stood in the underground parking garage. Three dead JSSDF
operatives, a smashed radio, an empty magazine, and at least thirty
empty slugs were the only things obvious to the former killer. He took
note that not all of the slugs were from the dead men's automatic
rifles, many of them were from a small caliber service issue weapon.
JC pulled his armored overcoat closed and walked deeper into the
shadows leading back into NERV proper. "Good work Misato, very good."



Light streamed down from the vast crater above Central Dogma.
The light was blinding to those not expecting it.

"Heat at the upper level has calmed down," a voice informed.

The light streamed onto the pyramid and dead trees surrounding
it. The once great underground headquarters of NERV now resembled a
weather-beaten relic of ancient Egypt.

"No problem with high pressure steam," the voice continued. "All
troops have completed their positioning of the area."


At that moment on one of the many hills surrounding the Tokyo 3
area ebony clad troops waited for their orders. Hundreds of troops
prepared for battle awaited the single word that would allow them to
attack along side their fellow compatriots.
"Presently Dogma Level 3 and 'Purple' are under control."
A grizzled old man dress in matching black looked through a pair
of binoculars at the destruction being caused. "How about 'Red'?"
A young officer listened to his radio for a moment before
replying. "Discovered underwater, depth 702 in Shite Lake. It's
unknown if the pilot's alive or not."



Asuka hung upside down in her plug. LCL circulated around her
causing a very relaxed atmosphere in the entry plug.
Slowly Asuka's head began to move. Her eyes timidly opened as if
some great weight lay upon them. Cautiously she took a gentle breath
of the amber liquid surrounding her.
Still inverted the now awake pilot looked around at her
surroundings quickly taking in that she was alive and well inside her
gratuitously destructive war machine.
"I'm alive," the young girl murmured.


Row after row after row of large cylindrical devices were fired
from their stationary launchers on land at the expansive Shite Lake.
The silver metal objects caused great splashes as they hit the water
and began their slow trek to the bottom.
One by one the object sank lower and lower until they reached
their desired depths, the area surrounding the red behemoth known as
EVA Unit 02. In the order they sank the objects also exploded causing
shockwaves a plenty to shake the waters.

The outside of the mecha was bombarded by depth charges, while
the pilot inside was bombarded by wave after wave of pain, anguish, and
shockwaves causing the young woman inside to lose her seat a few times
as she was thrown around the entry plug's innards.
Asuka screams wretched from her lips as a depth charge struck the
side of Unit 02's head and detonated. The fiery pilot convulsed in
pain as the depth charge exploded. As the charges continued Asuka
curled into a sitting fetal position and cried.
The lighting inside the plug fluctuated between bright bursts of
white light and blinding darkness. Asuka held her knees close as she
whispered the words, "I don't want to die" over and over to herself.
All the while her Eva was rocked by explosion after deafening
explosion.

"Live on..." the words were quiet, comforting. They seemed to
come from nowhere. But they did not interrupt Asuka's rant. "I don't
want to die."
"I won't let you die." The voice speaking was calm and soft. It
spoke to the young German girl in a comforting manner. "Live
strong..." the words spoke of an urging tone. "Live honest..." this
time the voice seemed to comfort and urge the young pilot, even if it
did nothing to stop her repetitive speech.
"Don't die..." the voice demanded. "Live on...I won't let you
die...Live strong...Live honest..." the words blurred into a single
sentence. They succeeded in calming the pilot's speech and slowing her
down, but she did not stop.
"Live on! I won't let you die!" The voice just continued to
repeat itself. Its words becoming stronger in the young girl's ears.
They did not slow nor did they become harsh. The speech only grew more
intense in its emotions.

"I don't want to die!" Asuka screamed to the nothingness
surrounding her. Flashes of her childhood came searing into Asuka's
mind. All at once until they became nothing more than a great blinding
white light.

A young Asuka stood holding her hands out as if for reaching for
someone. "Mamma, you're here." Young Asuka's hand reached out for the
light. The child's hand connected with something solid and was slowly
and gently pulled into the light. Young Asuka did not resist.
Asuka's bright blue eyes slowly opened in a realization even she
did not expect. "Momma!"


A destroyer lazily floated on the lake outside the NERV pyramid.
A great screeching sound could be heard coming from everywhere.
Seconds later the destroyer was engulfed in an intense scarlet beam of
light that seemed to emanate from the lake, directly beneath the ship.
The beam ripped through the ship and into the sky, illuminating
everything in sight with a pinkish-red hue. The beam continued high
into the sky until its vertical assent halted and the horizontal
expansion began.
In mere milliseconds the pink/red beam of light had become a
multi-kilometer tall red cross emanating from within the lake.

Troops, stationed on the ground, capable of seeing the cross were
frightened. "W...What?" one asked in fear. "Did we do it?" another
queered from next to the first.

Miraculously the destroyer began rising from the water. Slowly
as if it were being lifted the boat began to rise higher and higher
into the air. In mere seconds the destroyer was out of the water, its
sides still draining the remaining H2O from its hull.
Beneath the oceangoing vehicle stood a red behemoth. Like a
demon rising from the depths of Hell, Unit 02 rose from the water. Its
eyes glowing with renewed fires of vengeance.
The red devil stood in the lake with the broken ship in its
hands, holding it above it head.

The ground troops fired off missiles at the demonic mecha, in a
vain attempt to attack and damage it. Unit 02 turned its head to the
offending missiles, in response it tilted the destroyer and used it as
a makeshift shield. The missiles connected to the destroyer's deck,
obliterating the ship's upper hull.
Asuka screamed in anger at the attack. Bullets and large caliber
shells were zipping past the Evangelion, doing little damage but
pissing the pilot off easily. In response Asuka heaved the useless and
broken ship at the ground forces.
The boat landed directly upon the offending forces, effectively
destroying them and quieting attackers.


Asuka smiled to herself as she saw the weapons explode. "Momma!
Momma! I understand..." The Eva was suddenly struck by incoming
missiles and shells. "...the meaning of the AT Field!" Asuka grit her
teeth and prepared for the next stage of the attack.
"Its been protecting me!" Asuka smiled as her Eva fell from the
sky watching the incoming projectiles as the exploded on the mecha's AT
Field. Asuka beamed as another missile was fired at her. "It's been
watching over me!"

The red giant landed on its oversized Reebok's with a resounding
crash that ripped up kilometers of cement and asphalt. The Eva's
umbilical cord landed destroying its own length in trees, cement,
asphalt, and buildings.
Asuka didn't even notice the missile until it had imbedded itself
into the Evangelion's head. The missile crumpled as its motion was
abruptly stopped by the mecha. In a maneuver resembling the Third
Angel, Asuka swung her fist out and punched another missile.
The pair of destroyed explosives detonated, surrounding the Eva
in a growing ball of flames. Not wanting to be outdone the Eva jumped
forward, undamaged.
"For a long, long time, it's been with me momma!" Asuka looked
to the sky as if she were speaking with the heavens. Standing tall
Unit 02's eyes began glowing an eerie white.




JC looked at the destruction outside and whistled. He'd heard
the Evangelions were dangerous. But he had never seen the extent of
what they could do. As he watched Unit 02 take the full brunt of the
explosion. "If that thing survives I swear I'm gonna quit drinkin'."
JC watched as the smoke cleared and the Evangelion stood
undamaged in the open ground. "That's it." JC removed a flask from
his coat and threw it into the air. In a single easy motion he fired a
9mm round through the flask and turned his back. The former assassin
was headed down the hall before the expensive silver container hit the
ground.
"I swear I'm gonna find Misato. We need to have a talk, soon!"



The SEELE camber was dark. The twelve monoliths sat in a circle
facing each other. Sound only appeared on the monoliths.

"Eva has become a burden again." SELEE One informed. "Poison
should be discharged by the same poison."


Above Tokyo 3, nine stealth carriers flew to their destination.
Under the fuselage of each plane was a large white liquid-like object.
As one the nine objects partially removed themselves from their
designated carrier allowing a long red cylindrical object to insert
itself into its corresponding body.
The moment the dummy plugs were inserted each of the liquid-like
Evas unfolded their bodies. Seconds later the nine white Evangelions
released themselves from the carriers and began to fall to the Earth.
A few kilometers from the planes the nine Evas unfolded their
wings and began a controlled descent that was aimed directly at the
whole in the ground.
The white Evas began circling the giant hole; they resembled a
pack of giant vultures circling their prey.



Misato dragged Shinji through the halls of NERV. Emergency Route
20 lay before them awaiting their use. Misato stopped momentarily to
look at the sign above her reading Emergency Route 20. "This is it."
The moment didn't last long.
JSSDF troops began firing at the purple haired Major and her
young charge. Bullets streamed by in an endless sea of hellfire.
Misato momentarily released Shinji as she attempted to cover her head.
That moment didn't last long as the shots got closer to the pair.
Misato reached out and grabbed Shinji dragging him through the access
hatch. Seconds before the pair entered the emergency route a stray
shot caught Misato on her left side, ripping flesh from her body.
Groggily she led her charge to safety.

The second the emergency doors closed behind Misato and Shinji
they exploded. Any chance of being followed seemed gone.

"The target has escaped," one of the troops spoke into his radio.
"Failed to eliminate target." Another informed anyone listening.
"Respond if we should pursue."
"Unnecessary, that area will be bombed. Return immediately."
"Roger." The first responded.


A former NERV employee yanked his stolen headset radio off and
looked at the troops above him. Three years did nothing to improve
stealth and deniability with the Japanese government.
JC watched Misato escape through the emergency hatch and grinned.
"Good move love, good move." The former assassin raised his Eagles and
quickly began plucking enemy agents off as if they were stationary
targets used for target practice.
After a minute the enemy troops were either on fire from the
napalm bullets, melting into puddles from the acid shots, or praying
for a less painful death from the mercury and hollow tip shells they'd
been hit with. JC admired his handiwork before he holstered his
weapons and began pilfering the enemies ammunition.
"It's a good thing everyone and their brother uses 9mm for side
arms. If not, I'd be screwed." JC smiled as he pocketed a full
magazine in his coat.


Shinji looked down at his guardian almost in shock. This woman
had been strong for him. She'd taken him in when no one else wanted
him. She'd loved him like a mother. And now she leaned against a wall
bleeding to death before his very eyes, and he could do nothing to stop
it.

Misato held her side as her crimson lifeblood seeped out. "As
long as we're in here, a bit of time is all right." Misato's breathing
was labored as she moved her head to look at the young boy beside her.
Misato smiled and attempted to stand. "Don't worry. It's not bad."
Hey body betrayed her words as she attempted to stand, but could only
master a bent over hunch.
Slightly resembling the old Jet Alone, Misato lumbered forward to
the boy she almost considered a son. She used the wall as a balance as
she keyed in a code on the elevator keypad next to her. The doors flew
open allowing access.
"The power is on. It'll work." Misato's words seemed weak and
slightly labored.

In a single movement Misato turned and straddled her body over
Shinji's. She used her arms to hold on to the elevator's gates as a
balance to counteract the dizziness she was feeling and to stabilize
herself so she didn't fall over on top of the young pilot.
Shinji's eyes were drawn to the bloody hand at the side of his
head. He ignored the fact that Misato, a beautiful woman that cared
greatly for him, was standing a mere arm's length away. His resolution
died and the boy lowered his face to look at the floor.
Misato's beautiful face was a mix of concern and anger as she
looked at the young man before her. Gently she spoke to him, even if
he didn't care he would listen. "Listen, Shinji-kun. You're on your
own from this point. Decide for yourself, with no help."
Shinji continued to stare at the ground. It seemed as if nothing
would drag him from his sorrow. "I can't do it...I can't...pilot EVA
to harm and kill people? I believed that I had no choice to pilot
EVA...but that was just a deception. I don't have any values to pilot
EVA...sine I don't know anything. There's nothing I can do to help
anyone."
Shinji's sorrow grew, as did the tears that threatened to fall
from his radiant sapphire blue eyes. "I was cruel to Asuka. I killed
Karou-kun. I don't have a bit of the word 'kindness'." The tempo of
his voice grew in strength and anger as he spoke. "I'm dishonest, a
coward, and I always hurt people, it's better that I don't do
anything!" With an unsure strength the boy gripped the wire fence
behind himself as he spoke.

Misato grew more compassionate as she listened to her charge.
Now she wished that she'd listened to JC when he told her to sit and
talk with the boy. She knew JC had tried, and he didn't know any of
what had been happening.
"I'm not going to empathize with you. If you don't want to get
hurt, die doing nothing." The tears threatening to erupt from Shinji
slowly seeped from his tightly closed eyes.
"Nothing will change if you cry..." Misato stared at the boy
before her. "You don't like yourself, do you? That's the reason you
hurt others. You know hurting others is more painful than hurting
yourself. Your remorse is the result of your decision... which does
have value.
"Shinji-kun, that's who you are." Misato's anger faded as she
spoke to the young man before her. "Don't deceive yourself about what
you can do and beg forgiveness for your mistakes."

Shinji still refused to look Misato in the face as she spoke.
When the words escaped from his own lips he still could not face the
woman before him. "Misato-san, you're one of them! You don't
understand what I feel!"
Fed up with the boy's continued self-degeneration, Misato grabbed
the boy and forced him against the mesh behind him. Angrily she yelled
back at the pilot. "What's wrong with being 'one of them'? Are you
going to stop doing everything? If you stop doing everything now..."
Misato's anger ebbed and slowly turned into tears.
"I'll never forgive you!" The purple haired Major's hands moved
from her charge's shoulder to grip his face, causing his to look her
directly in the eyes. "For the rest of my life! You're not perfect.
People find later what they did wrong and beg forgiveness."
Misato's anger was all but forgotten as her voice betrayed the
sadness that she felt. She knew tears would soon being to pour forth
from her eyes. "I've repeated that. I've loved myself and hated
myself again and again. But every time, I believed I got better.
Shinji-kun, pilot EVA again and finish it.
"Find the answer to why you exist. Find the answer to why you
came here." Misato reached around her neck and removed her cross.
"And when you're finished, come back." She placed the cross in
Shinji's hands. "Promise me."
Shinji looked away from Misato, again finding the ground quite
interesting. With a tiny gulp he nodded. His eyes closed as his head
moved up and down.
Misato gave the boy a tiny smile. "Have a good time."

Slowly the older woman moved her head down closer to Shinji's.
The mesh cage rattled loudly as Shinji momentarily attempted to escape
his guardian's advances, but his attempts were futile as she gently
placed her hands against the sides of his face. Misato's soft lips
gently came down to cover his.
Seconds ticked by as the pair's mouths entwined in a kiss that
could only be reserved for the closest of friends or the most reserved
lovers. Stoic, Shinji stood there enjoying the kiss...while Misato
expertly stooped down to a more enjoyable height.
Misato released her charge and stepped back allowing Shinji to
look her in the face. "It's an adult kiss." Misato's hands had since
returned to Shinji's shoulders as she stared into his deep blue eyes.
"Let's do the rest when you come back." Her voice was neither sultry
nor sexy, Misato spoke in a tone of love...an emotion almost alien to
the pair of housemates.
As the boy was distracted Misato reached over and pushed the
switch, allowing the mesh to disappear. Shinji stumbled as he fell
through into the elevator, which immediately began moving. With
nothing better to do, Shinji returned to his fetal position and cried.



Lilith hung crucified on the enormous red cross in the lake of
LCL. Two figures stood before her, one Ikari Gendo and one Ayanami
Rei. Silently they stood before Lilith, watching the Angel as it
watched them.
With the seven eyes of SEELE staring back at them the pair moved
away from Lilith.

Ritsuko sat at the edge of the LCL lake. Silently she sat there
waiting for the Commander and his doll to near her. "I waited for
you." The blonde doctor slowly stood and turned to her former lover.
Her right hand in the pocket of her lab coat clutched an unfamiliar
weapon.
Weakly she lifted the pistol and took aim at the two people
standing before her. "Gomen-nasi. I secretly changed Magi's program a
little while ago. This is your daughter's last request. Please die
with me... mother..."
The doctor's left hand, still in her coat pocket, gently pressed
a button, the click audible. Ritsuko's eyes closed as she tilted her
blonde head back slightly. After a moment a realization struck her,
and her eyes flew open. "It didn't work. Why?" Quickly Ritsuko
withdrew a plamtop and examined its screen.
The screen showing the three sides of the Magi were illuminated.
On Casper's portion the signs for "Negative" appeared. Shocked Ritsuko
drew back slightly. "Casper betrayed me! Mother, you chose him
instead of your daughter!"
In retaliation to the doctor's impudence, Ikari elevated his own
weapon to aim at the doctor. "Akagi Ritsuko-kun, honestly..." the man
whispered a few words that seemed to give Ritsuko some form of comfort
as the fear receded from her features. A single shot was fired, and
Ritsuko Akagi was falling to her death.
As she fell a single image occupied Ritsuko's view. Ayanami Rei
floated in midair. Floating face down in a lake of LCL was the last
thought that occupied the mind of the polymath genius.



A NERV coffee mug lay smashed in a pile of spent shells. Makoto
peered out from behind his chair as he yelled to his comrades. "What's
the situation out there?"
Maya read off the information that scrolled down her computer.
"The time remaining is less than a minute. At this rate, Asuka
will..."

Shinji sat on the catwalk, his head on his knees. In the
background he could hear Asuka's crazed screams. "I'll definitely win!
Momma is watching me!"
"Momma...Momma..." the simple words a child says so often.
Shinji spoke them as if in defeat.


Maya looked over her screen, the information on it was not
pleasing. "The Inner Engine System has stopped. The end of mobility.
EVA-02 is silent."
The other two members of the main bridge staff turned to look at
Maya, shock and fear covered their faces.
Maya's voice was suddenly filled with surprise. "Nani? The EVA
series that was destroyed..."

All across the Tokyo Three landscape, nine white Evangelions
slowly and methodically began repairing themselves. Missing body parts
began regenerating, holes gouged into the bodies began filling in with
liquid flesh...a rather disgusting sight for anyone watching.




Misato lay against the cold metal wall where she'd left Shinji.
Silence permeated from within the hallway. Nothing moved in the long
black hallway. For the first time in ages Misato finally felt
comfortable in the darkness.

JC leaned against the wall and grumbled. "I know this is the
right direction. That asshole, Jacobson better not have fucked me over
on those directions. I'll kill him if he did...hell I'll probably kill
him anyway." The former assassin took a deep breath and pushed off the
wall turning down the hall.
Obsidian covered eyes met vibrant, tear ridden chocolate eyes, a
distance of a hundred meters separated the two people. That distance
was quickly closed as the Latino man ran towards the bleeding form
before him.

Misato could hear a voice down the hall. The echo it caused was
painful in her head. Not wishing to take a chance the Major of Special
Operations removed her side arm and readied it to fire at the voice's
owner, whomever it may be. Misato watched as the figure's shadow moved
to block the light coming down the hall.
Silently their eyes met in an exchange that spoke volumes.
Misato lowered her weapon and gave the figure a tiny smile. "Some
Judas you turned out to be. Shinji-kun's gone; he's with Unit-01 now.
All that's left is a dying woman."

JC kneeled before Misato and smiled. "Hey gorgeous. I'm not
worried about Shinji-san. I was worried about you. I'd never forgive
myself if either of us died without the other around."
Misato's smiled widened as her friend reached down and wrapped
his arms around her. "Jace, don't. Leave me, I'm not going
anywhere...not now..."
JC looked down upon the violet vixen in his arms and gave her a
curious look. "Huh? C'mon. Is this the same woman that drank a
former bartender to the ground two years straight? Misato, don't give
me this hero shit it doesn't suit you. Now get up, we're gonna get you
to the med wing."
Without so much as straining, Misato reached up and slapped her
Latin friend. "God dammit JC, for once in your life listen to someone
else. I'm dying."
JC removed his arms from Misato and dropped to the floor. "Gomen
Kit Kat." The Latino psycho leaned up against the wall next to Misato
and sighed. "I just noticed something."
Misato looked at her friend. "What's that?"
"This is the first time in years we've been alone like this." JC
turned his attention to the woman by his side. "You know what I mean.
It's been almost ten years since we spent any time together where we
weren't drinking, drunk, or planning on drinking."
Weakly Misato nodded. "You're right." Misato inhaled sharply as
she attempted to repress a tear.

Turning his full attention to the woman by his side, JC stood and
removed his trench coat. Silently he draped the heavily armored object
over Misato's shoulders.
The former assassin leaned into the cold steel wall and sighed.
"I missed you Misato. I just wanted you to know that."
"I missed you too JC." Misato's voice was trembling.








At the Gunsmith Cats shop Rally Vincent sat behind the counter
reviewing her quarterly books. Minnie May Hopkins walked around the
room doing inventory.

May stopped her inventory and sighed. Her large green eyes
drifted over to Rally, who was staring intently at her books. May
blinked a few times before walking across the room.
"Rally," she asked softly. "We need to talk."
Rally waved a hand at May. "Later May. I need to finish the
books right now."
May gently placed her hand on the open book, effectively stopping
her partner. "No Rally. We need to talk, now. Its about JC."
The brunette woman stared at her young friend curiously. "What
about him? He's off in Japan doing business. We both know that."
May shook her head, causing her short blonde hair to whip around
slightly. "Not what I meant Ral. When JC was here something happened,
something important."
Rally closed her books and turned her full attention to her
friend. "Okay, May, you have my attention. What happened while he was
here?"
Minnie May leaned against the counter and gripped her friend's
hand, causing Rally to look at her suspiciously. "Rally. JC's dying.
Don't say anything, please. He showed me something that has got to be
the most scary thing I've ever seen. How much do you remember from
church?"
Rally looked surprised at her friend's question. "Not much."
May nodded. "Same here, that was until JC returned. I did some
research on what he showed me." May took a deep breath and slowly
released it. "Rally, he's got the stigmata. Holes in his wrists,
feet, side, forehead, and lacerations on his back. I saw his wrists
and back Rally. This is for real. I dressed his back wounds when he
showed up."
Rally closed her eyes as something struck her memory. JC had
flinched when she'd hugged him. He'd never done that before. Rally
opened her eyes and looked at her partner, a small tear forming in her
eyes.
Minnie May reached out, took her friend's hand, and held tightly.
"I'm sorry Rally. He didn't want you to know, because you'd worry
about him."
Rally began sniffling. "I made him promise me. I had him
promise he'd come back. Oh God, May. He's going to break his promise.
He's never broken a promise." Rally's tears finally formed, and tore
through the strong woman's defenses.
Silently May walked around the counter and hugged her friend.
"It's okay Rally. We both knew this day would come. He was always
close to the grave."



JC lifted his arms over his head, causing his shoulders to crack.
Grunting the Latin man lowered his arms. "Misato, you still with me?"
A small tired grunt came from the assassin's side. Misato was
lying on the floor curled up under JC's trench coat. A tiny pool of
congealed blood lay under her.
JC shook his head knowing that Misato had lost consciousness
almost a half hour ago. Shaking his head JC reached up and removed the
bandanna he had wrapped around his head to slow the loss of blood from
the second to last stigmata.
The young assassin lowered the bandanna into his lap. The white
fabric was stained all the way through with dried crimson, that no
matter how often he'd seen it he'd know it. JC looked at the dried
blood on his bandanna and sighed. "This is wrong. I'm comforted by my
own blood." He placed the bandanna off to the side and laid his head
on the wall. "Or am I comforted by my coming death?"

JC's answer was swift in coming. Down the hall stood a young
girl of fourteen years of age. She was petite with unruly lavender
blue hair cut short around her face. He blood red eyes seemed to shine
in the surrounding darkness. But her most distinguishing feature was
the apparition-like form her body took on.
Slowly the young woman closed the distance. Her feet did not
touch the floor as she walked. Like a specter she floated down the
hall towards the thirty-something couple lying on the floor.

JC slouched into the wall. He could feel his recently bandaged
back, the stitches the doctors had placed in him were useless against
divinity. "Men playing God. This is what gets people in trouble." JC
snickered as he looked at the door beside him. "'God's in his Heaven
and all's right with the world,' my ass."

The ethereal form of Ayanami Rei stood a few meters from the man
she knew to be Judas Crenshaw. She also knew that her present from
would no doubt be useless in moving him through Instrumentality. The
young girl's form shifted in the blink of an eye.
Rei's form was replaced with that of a young Asian woman in her
mid-twenties. Her long aquamarine hair was braided down her back. She
stood silently in a familiar black NERV Security uniform. Her ebony
eyes gleamed in the hazy fluorescent light from above. Kirishima
Kiyone stood in the hall, like a ghost risen from the grave.

JC removed his infrared/night-vision-mirrored sunglasses, and
placed them in his pocket. Silently the Key West native rubbed the
bridge of his nose, massaging the strenuous muscles around his eyes.
Restlessly JC pulled one of his Eagles from its holster and began
checking its ammunition level when he felt a presence near him.
With reflexes honed from 32 years of near-death experiences the
former NERV Lieutenant whipped his pistol around and aimed it at the
apparition. JC's anger and distrust were quickly replace by fear and
shock as he looked into the eyes of the ghost.
"Ki-chan?" The large pistol took aim at the specter. "I don't
know what you are, but if you don't lose that face I swear to anything
holy that I'll empty this clip into you!"
The phantom said nothing as it closed the distance between itself
and the insane man. A twinge of pity could be seen in the woman's
eyes. She knew the pain that this man felt. She could see it in his
deep, ominous orbs that looked through her.
Still the ghost-woman neared. She had nothing to fear from this
man, he had only to fear her. The man began firing at her, this was
not unexpected as his answer to much was violence.

JC began unloading the magazine of death at the coming specter of
his dead lover. Fiery, acidic death rained out from the weapon, having
no effect on the reflection of the long dead woman. Her aquamarine
hair did not catch fire as the napalm bullets sailed through her long
tresses. Her chest did not cave in as the explosive shells ripped
through her form. Her head did not explode nor melt as the ammunition
rent holes in her spirit body.
The man finally gave in and fell to his knees. He could feel all
of the stigmata burn in his dying body as his knees hit the cold steel
floor. Salty tears rained down the man's face as he hid from the woman
nearing him. She held the face of one that meant so much to him, had
done so much for him, had changed him...and had caused his death so
many years ago with her own death.
Judas could feel the gentle touch of the apparition as its
pallid skin glided over his scarred cheek. He could feel the woman's
tiny, delicate fingers as they traced the shrapnel scar from the bottom
of his left, eye down his neck, and into his shirt. JC looked up with
tear-ridden eyes; black met black as a tiny smile crept over JC's stone
features.
"I understand." He nodded slightly as he closed his eyes. "I
understand it all. Thank you Lilith. I guess I can't keep that
promise to Rally...too bad." JC took a deep calming breath that he
slowly released. "Hold on Ki-chan, I'm finally comin' home." The
former assassin lowered his head and awaited his final moments. He was
not disappointed as "Kiyone's" hand traced his face, finally resting on
his lips.
The Kiyone-ghost knelt over and placed her lips to the man's.
She could tell he was smiling as his Ego-border dissipated, as his own
AT-Field shut down, and the former killer drifted into the world of LCL
that would soon encompass every living being on Terra.




Earth, the third planet in the Sol System. It has one moon, two
if you count the Black Moon that encompasses the Geo Front. Terra has
a population that exceeds its resources.
Today that population is going to receive a sever wake up call.

A single boy has been charged with the fate of the human race.
He was given this choice not by those controlling him, not by his
father, not by his mother, not by God, not by the Angels...but by his
own choices.
Ikari Shinji, Pilot of Evangelion Unit 01, sat in his entry plug.
It had come down to his decision of what would happen to the human
race. Not an easy task for a young boy, not an easy task for anyone.
Shinji knew that at this point all Humans had finally returned
home. They had finally returned to Lilith. An LCL lake had formed in
the city that was once known as Tokyo 3.

Unit 01 lowered to the ground. Its cocoon of light was gone and
replaced by the familiar purple and green armor of the war machine.
Ikari Shinji lay unconscious at the edge of the orange-yellow lake of
LCL. He could hear the waves gently crashing against the beach.
Slowly, he opened his eyes. The red, overcast sky gleamed down
upon the boy. Weakly Shinji pulled himself up to look at his
surroundings. The world he knew was gone and replaced by...This.

Shinji looked around the beach for something familiar, something
he could clutch onto and remember the world he once knew. He found
what he was looking for. It was down the beach a few meters. The
shape was bright red with splotches of white, and it was unmoving.
The young boy knew exactly what the shape was and knew exactly
how to deal with it. With a confidant stride Ikari Shinji neared his
fallen pilot and fell to his knees, straddling her. With a grip like a
vise the once meek boy wrapped his hands around Asuka's throat and
began to squeeze.
He had wanted to hold onto something from the world he'd known,
even if it was this woman's throat. Shinji's grip tightened, his eyes
glazed over a bit as he shut out the real world, all that mattered was
this moment right now. Like all moments in history and in the future
this one would not last.
Shinji's death grip was destroyed by a single touch. Asuka's
hand had reached up and caressed the boy's cheek. That single, tiny,
insignificant motion forced Ikari back to the real world. Shinji's
hands lost their vice grip on the German's throat, a second later and
the Japanese boy had rolled off of Asuka.
Asuka took the moment's respite to roll onto her hands and knees
and lose her last liquid meal. Weakly the girl disgorged her stomach
of all its contents.
"I feel sick."






The End.





*Chibi Dude Slayer does official Author's Jig*

*The Dude Slayer walks onstage, his duster flapping gently at all
times. TDS looks exhausted, with dark circles around his eyes.*

TDS: *yawn* Gomen-nasi all. *stretch* I know its taken a while
for me to finish this, so I apologize. I wanna do somethin' real quick
before I forget. Hey bro, come on out.

*Vampboy walks onstage, his duster lies flat on his shoulders*
*Vampboy rifles through a set of note-cards as he walks.*

VB: *looks at TDS* You sure I should do this?
TDS: *yawns and waves* Yes dude. I'm beat, will ya just do this
part. I'll have the Chibis do something next, okay?
VB: *shrugs* Why not. I don't get enough screen time anyway.
TDS: *groans and lies down* I keep tellin' ya ta start writin'
again.
VB: Shut up, bitch. *looks at cards, then to camera* Hi all.
Well I'm here to do lazy ass's disclaimer. As you noticed there were a
few things Non-Eva involved. We'll get to those in a moment. First
off. NERV, the Evangelions, Tokyo 3, the Geo Front, and all characters
(which there are too many to mention) are owned by Anno, a genius of
untold caliber, and Gainax Studios.
Next up is Frank Bama, Billy Cruiser, Trevor Kane, and Lone
Palm Airport. These are owned by Jimmy Buffett, The Dude Slayer's
favorite musician. I say anything that keeps him writing and keeps him
from losing his small mind is good.

*an object flies out and strikes Vampboy in the side of his head*

VB: *picks up object, it's a brick* What the FUCK?! DUDE!
TDS: *off camera* *sarcastically* DUDE! *angry* Just read the
damn cards.
VB: *grumbles* Next on the disclaimer list is the Gunsmith Cats
characters. TDS tossed these in, cuz he's recently gone and become
obsessed with them. Bean Bandit, "Minnie" May Hopkins, Rally Vincent,
and Gunsmith Cats are all owned by Kenichi Sonoda, a pretty kool guy.
Just wish he'd finish the "Riding Bean" series and the "Gunsmith Cats"
mangas.
Dude just left us hangin'! How's that for increased reader
base. Anyway. TDS added these characters to deepen JC's character and
he wanted to prove that even though JC could take a few hits and keep
going. The man was not invulnerable. And that no matter HOW MUCH
hardware the loon carried, he could run out.
Now up is the major thing. JC's stigmatas, come on you
know you all wanna know.

*The Dude Slayer growls from off screen*

VB: *gulp* *hurried* Well now to take over for me is
Firefingers. CB, you're up!

*Vampboy runs off stage*
*A tall woman with dark blonde hair, wearing snakeskin pants, a
black tanktop, and a red leather jacket walked onstage. A tiny glimmer
of fiery orange light surrounded the woman.*

*Firefingers waves cutely at the crowd*

FF: *sweetly* Hi all! I'm Dude Slayer's sister, of sorts. He's
letting me do this so I don't kick his ass.
TDS: *off camera* Bitch!
FF: *blows kiss off camera* You know you love me.
TDS: *off camera* Ugh. I hate you all, you know that.
FF: Fuck you too. Now, where was I? Oh yes. JC. JC was given
the stigmata cuz my brother is too lazy to think up a fucking original
way to kill off his prize character.
TDS: *oc* Shut UP!
FF: I love you!!
TDS: *oc* Grr
FF: Anyway... So in an attempt to prove that this story still
centered around Eva and its centering around Christianity he did the
*gasp* unthinkable. He killed off his own character. *gasp*
TDS: *oc* I hate you.
FF: This is what happens when you work the morning shift, get
wasted, and stay up 'til who knows when talking to your girlfriend.

*another brick flies from off camera*
TDS: *oc* She is NOT my girlfriend!!!
*Firefingers ducks under the brick and snarls*

FF: Coulda fooled me. ^_^

*The Dude Slayer growls and picks up his story boards for his
next story. Grumbling he walks off to a room with a large gold star on
it.*
TDS: I'll be in my dressing room if anyone needs me.
*The Dude Slayer slams the door behind him.*

FF: Grumpy. Oh well. Let's see. Oh yeah the "Galaxy Express
999" joke. Did anyone actually catch that? If so e-mail TDS at
the_dude_slayer@alberta.com make him happy.
Anything else. No? Oh yeah. DJ Croft is owned by some
loser over at EYRIE PRODUCTIONS. DJ's such a loser. As you will see
in this free OMAKE!!!! One last note. TDS had to discontinue his
website for personal reasons....

*Chibi Dude Slayer runs onstage*

CDS: Hotwire and a bunch of Strike Fiss fans wanted to KILL
HIM!!! ^_^ They wanted his head on a pike! On a big rusty pike.

*Firefingers looks shocked*

FF: What are you doing out of your cage?
CDS: :P Fuck you, old hag. No cage can hold the Dude Slayer!!!
FF: *picks up CDS and punts him backstage* GET LOST! And I'm
not an old hag!

*Firefingers rubs the bridge of her nose and sighs*
FF: Idiot. Anyway. There were personal reasons for the
discontinued site. So just enjoy this on Fanficiton.net until lazy
bones gets back to work and rebuilds the site. So read the omake and
leave us all alone. Dude Slayer has to get back to the new Barstool
Sessions series. WOO HOO! I likey! ^_^


Ja ne





Omake



The room was filled to capacity. Human bodies sat or lay in
every possible position. Most were sitting on the floor bound and
gagged. No one moved freely through the room, save one man.

Clad in black from head to toe the man seemed like a walking
shadow. Carefully he stepped over the bodies. The man took a quick
glance around the room before removing his gas mask.
His tanned features and black hair gave him a look of someone
that had grown up on an island. The man placed the mask in his green
duffel bag. He gave the room a once over as he made sure that everyone
in this room was either choking on their own lungs and bile or was
dead. Satisfied he picked up the bag and slung it over his left
shoulder, and began walking down the hall to the elevator.
As the man stepped into the elevator he could hear the gasping,
choking words of one of the men in the room. His well trained ears
picked up the teenage man's last words: "J...C...no..." The teenager
fell over as a pool of blood and bile mixed together in the hallway.



The shadow figure stood leaning against a derelict building. Out
of the folds of his obsidian, armored trench coat he removed a remote
control with a single red button on its surface. With a smile that
betrayed malice and euphoria the man pressed the button.

Buildings for ten kilometers in all directions either exploded in
great fireballs of orange and red flame, or imploded upon themselves in
great mushroom clouds of black and gray smoke. The smell of gunpowder
and natural gas was thick in the air, almost a sign of what happened.

The man picked up his green canvas duffel bag and began walking
down the street. He had one last person to visit before his job would
be complete. As the man walked away a trail of blood could be seen
following him.


Justice Complete Omake:
To Kill A God




DJ Croft sat in his apartment laughing at the scene on the
television before him. Jerry Seinfeld was laughing and joking with his
neighbor Kramer about something stupid. DJ reeled back in laughter
until he heard a knock at the door.
Cautiously DJ stood up and walked to the door. He removed his
pistol and held it at the ready as he looked outside. As of recent he
had become an international target among young up and coming authors.
"Who goes there?" DJ asked in his thick British accent.
His answer came in the reply of a strong, husky voice with a
potent Spanish accent. "I'm just like you. An ACC with a bad rep.
Please, let me in, I'm being hunted."
DJ looked at the man before his door. Black hair, black clothes,
a black trench coat, tan skin, and a green canvas duffel bag. DJ
couldn't see the harm in opening the door for a fellow ACC, especially
one that was being hunted. DJ also knew that if the man tried anything
his "Aura of Smooth" would protect him.

The shadow man stood in the hallway glaring at the door behind
his threateningly dark mirrored sunglasses. As he heard the locks
being to turn the man reached under his coat and placed his right hand
on his left pistol. He jerked it out as the door slid open.
Before the teenage boy before him could react the elder man had
punched three bullets into the boys abdomen. Knowing the boy was
unprepared for the attack he quickly jerked his leg up and kicked the
younger person back and onto the floor.

DJ fell onto the floor and held onto his stomach. He was
currently in too much pain to protect himself. His gun had been thrown
across the room, his "DJ Field" was unable to form itself with his
divided concentration, and his martial arts skills were useless since
he was unable to stand.

With a gleaming smile the man placed his bag on the floor and
removed his sunglasses, neatly tucking them into a pocket. Small
trails of blood seemed to seep from a series of tiny pinpricks across
the man's forehead Deftly he wiped a hand across his forehead and
trained the gun on the boy before him.
"Good evening Mr. Croft," his thick accent was gone and replaced
by a more subdued but no less noticeable Spanish accent. "Do you know
what I am?

DJ looked up at the man. A slight tingle of fear flashed through
his features. "You're a bloody ACC asshole."
The man smiled. "You're right. I am an asshole, and I am an
ACC. So one point for you. Now do you know what you are?"
DJ attempted to look prideful and dangerous. "I am DJ Croft,
Fifth Child and pilot of..." DJ's rant was cut short by his howls of
pain.
The man made a buzzer sound. "WRONG boy!" He held his smoking
pistol down at his side. "I just put a .50 caliber bullet into your
left lower thigh. The next wrong answer gets one in your right. Try
again. What are you?"
DJ glared at the man. "I am DJ Croft. Son of Fox Mulder and
Lara Croft. I am designate Fifth Child..."
The sound of a powerful pistol reverberated through the small
room, again. The man let out a deep sigh. "Wrong again shithead. Now
if you screw up again. I'm putting a bullet in a place that will
assure you NEVER procreate. Which is probably a good thing." The man
scratched his chin as if in deep thought.
DJ watched as the man seemed to slip into his own little world
for a moment. Seeing an opportunity DJ rolled onto his hands and knees
and attempted to crawl into the next room, or to his gun at least.
The man watched as DJ attempted to crawl away. With a lecherous
smile he raised the Desert Eagle and pumped a round into each of DJ's
palms, causing the boy to fall to floor in pain. "Stupid kid. Can't
take a little pain. When I was your age I was pulling bullets out of
my body every two days."

DJ rolled over onto his back holding his hands in pain, tears
slowly made their way down his cheeks. "Why, why are you doing this?"
The man kneeled down at DJ's side and growled. "Someone has to
end your reign of idiocy." He stood up once more and aimed the gun at
DJ's right shoulder. "Now answer the question, what are you?"
DJ whined. "I'm an ACC!"
The man fired off another round, into DJ's right shoulder. "And
a damn shitty one at that. Fucking God complex. The only good thing
that came out of you is a comparison for authors to make, as in what
NOT to do."

DJ looked up the man that was shooting him. "Who are you?"
The man looked down. "Moi? I am JC. I'm the guy that has
decided to kill you as his last act to humanity. Seeing as how I'll be
dead within the hour, I'd better be quick about this."
DJ gave the man a curious look. "What do you mean?"
JC glared. "You're supposed to be some kind of fucking super
genius, figure it out. Bleeding hands, bleeding forehead, and bleeding
side. Not too hard to understand is it?"
DJ's eyes widened as he realized what his attacker was saying.
"The stigmata!"
JC smiled. "Ding, ding, ding, give the boy a prize." He aimed
the pistol and punched another hole in the "pilot's" body, his left
shoulder this time.
DJ howled in pain.

"DJ is something wrong," a mechanical voice asked.

JC looked up at the voice. "Well I'll be damned. A HAL AI
computer. Well fuck. Guess I'll have to burn this place to the ground
too. Oh well. Not my problem." JC fired a round into the red circle
in the corner of the room, destroying the camera.
DJ stared in horror as his computer was slightly violated. "HAL
NO!!!" Weakly DJ got to his feet and attempted to rush JC.

JC turned to look at the boy "running" at him. With a roll of
his eyes JC replaced his pistol and removed a hunting knife. As DJ got
within range he jerked forward and embedded the blade within DJ's left
ventricle. JC took a step back as the "god-boy" stood there holding
the knife gasping for breath.
The boy held the knife much like a lifeline as he inhaled his
last breaths.
JC watched as the boy fell to the floor gasping and trying not to
die. Suddenly JC felt a twinge of regret as he looked at the body of a
boy so many hated. JC could feel his knees weaken as he stood there
looking down. Under his shirt he could feel the warm blood as it
seeped from his wounds.

The man once known as Judas fell to his knees. The man once
known as the Hourglass Assassin fell to the floor. The man known as JC
lay in an ever growing pool of his own blood as it drained from his
dying body.
The assassin lay there looking at the ceiling. "Unfamiliar
ceiling," he commented as his face slowly began to loose its color. JC
smiled as an inane thought came to mind.
"Here lays Judas Moonflower Crenshaw, the Hourglass Assassin. He
died of the holy stigmata of the Lord Jesus Christ. Though he lived
his life as an atheist. Poetic justice it may be, but in his own words
it has been Justice Complete."