A LITTLE SLICE OF HEAVEN AND HELL

Nerv Grand Central Terminal

The guard watched as the Native Indian woman who was from Canada or at least that what her electronic ticket read put her bags on the belt he turned eyeing the one that looked like some kind of cat box though it was covered. "You know pets are not allowed at Nerv central unless it’s for a vet visits in the Arcade zone there restricted from all of the science zones as well."

He eyed her ticket again. "Miss Chilamu is it?" The woman who was in her mid-thirties who had long dark black hair and was of Inuit decent eyed him in annoyance. "It's Chilam."

She eyed the cat box which suddenly rattled. "Yes I know the rules I did try to apply to Nerv four times only for one of your heads Ritsuko to rejected me outright despite that I worked on the other Evangelion program which wasn't attached to Nerv years ago you know the one the UN pulled the funding on and put everyone out of work. So imagine my complete surprise when Colonel sends me an e-mail two days after Bardiel gets eaten alive that my services are required to work with another high level scientist down there whose also working the problem."

She eyed the cat box which rattled again. "There not pets there my special babies and I was told that could bring anything I wanted if it will help me with your whole Archangel problem." She raised her hand pointing at the sky train which was destining for Nerv central. "So why don’t you put my bags on the train like a good man and let me get on with my day since it took me a while to get over here from Canada."

She ignored his cold look as he began to load her bags on to the train via the belt he leaned over about to take the cat box she put her hand on it sharply. "But not that one that one stays with me." She pulled it up walking away as she went to sit in the train which was very much empty.

She breathed in deeply she hated cities like this too much noise and sound to many people unlike the quite lab she worked in back in Canada which was surrounded by vast forests but the truth was you couldn't turn down Nerv they never asked twice and she'd wanted to work here her whole life.

She watched as the empty train started to move from what she'd read there were no more stops as it would head right in to Nerv central so now was a better time as any to let them have some flying room as they'd been cooped up since she'd felt Canada. She eased up her cat box pulling up the cover seeing the little white faces staring back they had no eyes but then they didn't need them as they could sense vibration like bats and hear really well and they had stumpy little arms and legs and small black wings as well as large mouths with human like teeth and tongue which meant they could smile they also had small heads and bodies and were only the size of a cockatiel.

They liked eating any food you put out they weren't fussy but then she'd engineered them to be omnivores which was a not what the original brief has specified when she'd made them as the company had wanted them dyed in the wool carnivores which she had hated the idea off.

She had six in all and they were her pride and joy and her babies they all had names and she loved them dearly she eased open the cage watching as they all flew out only to land on top of the box looking at her. "So how are mommies babies today?"

She leaned over stroking there little heads hearing them chirp happily. "You going to be living with me now in Tokyo Three but we have to spend the night here until they sort our accommodation sorted out they said we'd get a home out near the farm land but I don't believe them, either way it's a brand new start for us." She put her hands around them protectively. "There's going to be so many new things to see and do."

8

Asuka felt her eyes slowly open though everything went out of focus for a moment feeling the pain in her left eye as she realized that she was on a hospital bed though still dressed in her plug suit she groaned rising herself up into a sitting position as she pulled her patch free seeing that she wasn't the only one in the room as both Rei and Shinji were still passed out and both in the hospital rooms opposite to her and like her they were still in there plug suits though like her their sleeves and gloves had been removed which was done in emergencies if you had suffered any form of shock she could see Kaworu sitting opposite Shinji's bed he was clearly waiting for him to come around and deeply concerned about his boyfriend.

She watched as Maya ran forward. "Asuka you need to lie down." Asuka breathed in deeply. "I'm fine." Asuka breathed in feeling her feet touch the floor. "How long have I been out for?" Maya watched as she stood up slowly. "You have been out for half an hour."

She felt the uncertainty as she spoke her next words. "Do you remember what happened to you Asuka?" Asuka breathed in deeply as she stretched. "Yes." Maya breathed in deeply. "Do you want to talk about it?" Asuka turned slightly. "No I don't I want to check on Rei and Shinji." She turned looking around her. "Where are Toji and Mari?" Maya looked up. "Getting some food I sent them away as they were exhausted it was really hard to get your sister to leave as they wanted to stay with you."

Asuka turned towards her. "You know you should not have been so hard on Mari about her drinking problem, she's trying it's not easy." Maya looked up watching as the blue patterns in Asuka's left eye pulsed and flashed. "I just want her to do better Asuka like you did." Asuka took in a deep breath letting it out slowly. "Then give her time and stop being so hard on her it just makes it worse." She looked up slightly. "She means well she's just having it hard right now."

She began to walk towards the other hospital room. "Plus she really likes you." Maya shook her head. "No she's infatuated it will pass in time." Asuka looked at her for a long moment before speaking. "No she isn't she genuinely has feelings she talks about you differently from her other girlfriends as she had a few back in Britain but it was hidden from everyone in her Division as she didn't want to come out and granted they weren't long term but she has had relationships before."

She moved over looking at Shinji's bed and then Rei's which was opposite. "Look I'm not saying you should be together that's for you two to work out I just want you to know that you're not some kind of fling or moment of lust to her."

Maya blinked inwardly this was so odd Asuka right now seemed so relaxed despite everything that had happened to her and it was so strange. Maybe the fact was that the younger woman was just growing past her anger now and channelling it so well that it just wasn't affecting her outside the entry plug. Or maybe her focus in her life being on her relationship with Rei was now taking centre stage fully and she viewed it as more important.

Asuka moved to stand opposite Kaworu which gave her the best view of Rei as she could see her through wide glass window of the other room though she was being looked over by one of the doctors. She gently put a hand on Kaworu's shoulder watching as he turned to look at her. "Hey."

Kaworu breathed in as he looked up sadly. "Hi." Asuka pulled up a chair sitting opposite him as she turned looking at Shinji. "You know you shouldn't worry about him he's very strong and he can take the hits idiot has a real hard head."

Kaworu looked at his hands. "This is all my fault had my foolish ex not showed up and that white Evangelion he would be conscious now." He turned looking at Rei's hospital bed. "So would Rei." Asuka breathed in deeply. "Shinji would never blame you for this it's not your fault." Kaworu looked at his hands. "I thought he was out of my life once he got thrown off the program."

Asuka looked at him for a long moment before speaking. "Why were you forced to wear a collar?" Kaworu looked at his hands again he'd told Shinji this truth but few others because he felt guilty. "After my parents were killed and the rebels in the Ukraine put a collar around my neck as a small boy which would widen as I grew into a man."

He tensed painfully. "If I ever tried to remove it, it would blow my head from its shoulders and cut my life short. You see without my medication my eyes go a more intense glowing red and my skin goes whiter, it’s called walking dead syndrome it is a feared condition in my country and some others as they say you're cursed by demons and your soul is impure because the devil had touched you. They even told my mother and father after my birth to end my life because I was a curse and the rebels used me to scare their enemies that's why they killed my parents in the first place because I was a trophy they could use." He shook his head. "I fled the rebels because Avel was able to hack my collar, he couldn't release it but he could trick it enough that we could both flee."

Asuka put a hand on his. "But there was a price?" Kaworu nodded sadly. "To keep it from going off I had to give him sexual favours, at first I didn't mind it was just nice to be with someone even in physical sense even if not emotionally and I was happy to join Nerv Ukraine as a soldiers I had no interest in the Eva program."

He took in deep breath letting it out very slowly. "That didn't last long because in my mental tests I was scoring high and myself and Avel were both tested in the sync test and we both passed. They removed my collar fully and gave me medical and health care and tablets which make me look this way. It was after that Avel started to abuse me he would beat me if I didn't comply with his sexual wishes it was only then that the program got wind of his former rebel life and the other boyfriends he'd abused and he was thrown off."

Asuka eased her interface clips loose feeling her hair spill free as she put them to one side. "Did you tell them he was abusing you?" Kaworu tensed sharply. "Yes it was the hardest thing I ever had to do… because I thought he'd kill me and it was becoming more obvious every day to everyone because I was turning up with bruising and black eyes and I kept making excuses like I fell down the stairs I tripped but my division started to think different. I was used to being beaten by the rebels as punishment for not doing as I was told but this was so much worse because at one time we had been friends and in the beginning I didn't mind the sexual favours."

He paused before speaking. "Shinji says it's not my fault." Asuka shifted closer. "That's because he's right, it isn't your fault you were the victim Kaworu and someone asking you for sexual favours isn't normal."

"She's right…you were the victim…I always tell you that."

Kaworu turned sharply seeing that Shinji had opened his eyes thought he looked groggy he moved closer to him helping him sit up in bed. "Are you alright you had me deeply worried?" Shinji coughed painfully his throat felt sour clearly he had been crying out in Evangelion not just in that awful vision. “My throat hurts, was I crying out?"

Kaworu leaned over giving him a gentle kiss on the lips as he wrapped his arms around him pulling him close as Asuka stood up giving them both more space. "Yes it awful, you told me once that you used to scream in your youth due to panic attacks and fear but I never realized how bad it was for you. Your scream sounded like your inner soul was being torn out."

Maya walked in through the door as she spoke. "Kaworu's right you were screaming whatever that Lance did it seemed to effect 00, 01 and 02 the most all of your syncs were going out of alignment and then dropping into the danger zones but then correcting themselves but this meant all these units froze in the end we had to shut you all down.

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

She looked at her tablet. "Tomorrow I will need you all to tell me what you saw." Shinji felt Kaworu move back as he tried to get out of bed. "Rei I need to check her!" Asuka turned putting a hand on his shoulder easing him back down. "Don't worry I'm going to take care of her." Shinji looked at her for a long moment. "How come you didn't pass out?" Asuka stepped away from him. "I did pass out I just feel fine now."

Shinji breathed in deeply. "Yeah but your walking around right now my body feels like it's been hit by a car and it hurts to move my legs." Asuka shrugged as she moved towards the door. "I'm used to pain remember?"

Her next word didn't come as she felt someone grab her from behind as Mari's voice hit the air. "You're awake don't do that to me you had no idea how worried I was!" Asuka struggled feeling Mari's arms tighten around her waist as she watched as both Kaworu and Shinji smirk. "I'm fine now let me go four eyes you're crushing me!"

Mari eased her grip as she ruffled the other woman's red hair. "Stop complaining princess and enjoy it for a change." Asuka let out a deep breath realizing that there was no point in fighting this and though her body didn't hurt mentally she felt drained and a part of her just wanted to curl up and go to sleep. "Mari could you let me go I need to check on Rei she still hasn't regained consciousness."

Mari smiled as she released her picking up a bag opposite seeing that Toji was bringing more as he coming up the corridor holding food in his arms they were both in their normal clothes. "We got you all some food." Asuka turned looking at Shinji and Kaworu. "Great feed them I'm not hungry."

Mari watched as she walked past. "Since when are you not hungry are you feeling sick or something?" Asuka eyed her as she made her way towards Rei room seeing that the doctors were leaving. "I'm going to check on Rei now."

She walked slowly into the hospital room pulling up a chair and sitting opposite Rei who didn't move she eased her fingers running them in a gentle motion down the other woman's arm to her fingers before taking hold of her hand. It felt strange being here now as she was so used to being on the opposite side as Rei had visited her so much after the Alpha unit accident.

She'd never been good at this she never knew what to say to people when they'd been injured least of all someone who was her lover. She'd never been good at it even with Shinji when they'd been together and she knew that Kaworu always had the right words to say, which she didn't which was why they were so good for each other. She looked down tensing in frustration as finally spoke. "I'm really no good at this Rei I verfickte suck when it comes to knowing what to say."

Rei's other hand suddenly moved taking hold of her own as the other woman's eye opened but her right one remained slightly closed as she smiled speaking in a low weak voice. "You're trying, that's all that matters." Asuka looked at her in surprise. "Your awake…can you move?" Rei breathed in feeling the stabbing pain around her right eye and up her right arm. "My right arm hurts…and so does my right eye."

Asuka breathed in helping her sit up though it was hard to stand the painful sounds that came out of her mouth as she eased her up right watching as the younger woman breathed in painfully let out deep slow breathes as her hand went to her lower stomach. "Does it hurt there to?" Rei nodded letting a painful breath as Asuka adjusted the pillows behind her. "Feels like someone twisted my insides the wrong way." She tried to move her arm only to stop because it hurt too much. "What was that Lance doing to us?"

Asuka watched as Shinji was given a pain killer by Maya as Kaworu kept him steady in the other room no doubt she'd been in here next opposite them she could see Mari and Toji sorting through the food. "I don't know." She paused. "But thank you for what you did when you locked into my entry plug it somehow freed me from it."

Rei looked up slightly. "Did we beat Eligos?" Asuka looked up slightly. "I don't think we did we were so close though." She looked down slightly. "I also don't get why everyone is calling me destroyer of worlds even my own stupid vision which was some kind of skeleton but it had one living eye was calling me that before you plugged in." Rei breathed in deeply. "Maybe it's just some stupid tag line which the vision gave you, in mine I was talking to my younger self and she was naked and it felt weird."

Asuka turned sharply she had not said anything about this yet to Rei but she couldn't this goddess version she remembered clearly now it had all come back to her when she'd remember her mother in crystal clarity but that goddess had said that she would see Rei in the future so she could not jeopardize that as she had no idea if doing so would affect things. "Your younger self did she have dark blue hair, you know the colour you used to dye it?"

Rei looked down slightly. "Yes but it wasn't as dark blue its seemed much lighter." She looked at her hands. "It was awful it made me feel so uneasy she looked like me when I was young but I knew she wasn't me there was something so off about her."

Asuka squeezed her hand gently. "In what way?" Rei put a hand through her hair in frustration. "She just seemed odd, it's like when you look in the mirror you see your reflection but you know it's not really you it's an illusion created by the glass but the difference with her was I felt like the glass image was trying to reach out and touch me and it really it scared me."

Asuka turned as Maya came in to the room she stood up. "Rei's right eye and right arm are feeling painful and she has stomach pains." Maya moved forward loading the medical gun as she came up to the bed. "Okay I can give you something for that Rei but it will take a moment to kick in." Rei felt the sharp pain as the pain killer went in. "Thank you."

Maya put her hand on the younger woman's face easing up the hologram scanner checking over her right eye carefully seeing the results come up as negative for damage as she pulled away. "You're experiencing some form of ghost pains as is your brother we couldn't see any injury on his body or yours and Asuka's."

Rei looked at her as she started to feel the pain lessen enough for her to move her right hands fingers. "I thought you fixed the issue with ghost pains seven years ago in that you fitted the Evangelion's with a form sync damping which means old pain or wounds can't loop back to the pilot body once they leave the entry plug?"

Maya put the medical gun to one side. "We did, so we are not sure why this has happened and only to you two and not Asuka so we will need to run the simulations tonight. Misato and Kaji and the others are already doing so as it will take all night to run the numbers and find out how and why the lance caused problems both to you and your units."

She breathed n deeply. "As soon as you feel better and you've eaten I want you and your brother to go home and sleep this off as ghost pains can take up to a day to go away, which means neither of you three will be do training tomorrow." She put her hands in lab coat pockets. "I know your both going to the auction event tomorrow night, so maybe the rest will be good for the both off you."

She looked at Asuka. "I want to run a brain scan on you in a few minutes I just need to set up the bed as you woke up before I could start, as your brain was acting incredibly strangely at one point it's like 02 was bringing up pilot code error which the unit only does that when it thinks the wrong pilot is in the entry plug." Asuka rolled her eyes. "Great just what I need more scheisse brain scans like having all the other ones when Bardiel was in my head wasn't bad enough."

Maya breathed in deeply. "I'll make it as quick as possible this time." Asuka felt a sly smile form. "I'll hold you to that." Maya moved towards the door. "I'm sure you will but for now rest once your scans complete you can eat the food Mari's brought you after its done I have to go and start running the numbers and like Shinji I need you both to tell me what you saw tomorrow."

Asuka watched as she vanished from sight she didn't like anything about this it all felt strange and wrong deep down none of what had happened made any sense. It all gave a deeply uneasy feeling how had that strange Evangelion gotten hold of a lance?

There weren't meant to be any lances or at least that was what she'd heard from Seele. That lance though it was oddly familiar somehow despite being made of stone it felt like she'd seen it before yet she knew that she never had. Maybe she was being stupid and overthinking this maybe it wasn't anything but a copy of the real Lance of Longinus fact was it wasn't something she wanted to dwell on. She turned back to Rei as she leaned over giving her a gentle kiss on the lips before speaking. "Can you stand?"

Rei looked up slightly feeling a smile form. "Can you help me get me to on my feet I want to see Shinji?" Asuka nodded as she helped her slowly get on to her feet though it was clear that for Rei it hurt. "Okay lets gets you in the other room just take it slow." Rei moved forward slowly. "Is this your first time trying to talk to me passed out?" Asuka turned giving her a wide toothy grin. "Yes." Rei carried on moving forward feeling her smile widen. "You know it wasn't that bad."

8

Christopher breathed in painfully as he was pulled from the entry plug by the workers who laid him down carefully on the floor so they could tend to his head wound as the Lance of Longinus was slowly brought back up into its safe place which was hanging above the Hybrid Evangelion bay and close to his grandmother's main office. "That little bitch you know one of you fuckers should have told me that she was going to do weird entry port shit with her girlfriend!"

He watched as his sister walked up to him she was in her plug suit she had used her hybrid Evangelion to swim up and grab his and pull him back to the safety of the undersea air ship Hatshepsut which was currently deep down under the sea both there Hybrid Evangelion's were side by side in the huge bay soaking in bloody water. Achika adjusted her round glasses as she pushed her long dark brown hair back speaking calmly. "Well she always was a weird little shit."

Christopher looked at her for a long moment his brown eyes narrowing. "Both her and Mari were weird little shits I hate being related to the runt of the litter and the bastard child." Achika walked over to him she snatching a lit cigarette from one of the workers mouths which she gently passed to him watching as he took it. "It's not all bad brother, you're still alive and that is what counts."

Christopher pushed his dark brown hair back adjusting his short pony tail as he breathed in the cigarette. "Well I guess there's that but Grandmother's going to be utterly pissed I mean I messed up my first mission." He blew out the smoke. "I don't get what happened like I had Langley but then the other units started doing weird shit."

"Yes they were and it was deeply intriguing."

Achika watched as their grandmother came closer he breathed in deeply as the work crew moved to one side to let her through as she stopped in front of them she never shouted at them but this time she knew it could be different. Christopher looked up slightly putting out his cigarette. "We failed Grandmother and we take full responsibility."

Gabriella felt a sly smile form on her lips as she looked at her grandchildren. "No please my precious children you have not failed if anything you have proven that the Lance of Longinus we hold is not dead I mean it was most curious to see 01, 00, and 02 behave that way but there part in the final equation isn't relevant what is, is that 02 was most effected which means the lance still holds a very deep sway over Asuka." Achika's turquoise eyes narrowed. "If it had not been for 00 and Rei it would have worked."

Gabriella raised her hand. "Which means we need Asuka outside the entry plug we need to capture her and it would seem that a most perfect opportunity has presented itself to us." She eased out a controller pressing it watching as hologram screen popped up opposite showing a television event. "It appears that tomorrow Rei and Asuka are due to attend the Action house in Tokyo Three."

She smoothed down her black suit feeling a cold smile form. "What a spectacle this will be our contact in the auction house is getting the arrangements ready for you and our spy contacts Orino and Hachiro will shadow you for safety, let me be clear Asuka's so called strength that's brought about by rage is an issue but I've made you some new toys to deal with it."

Christopher stood up he feeling one of the doctors give him a shot of pain killer with the medical gun as another put a special wet bandage to his cut to stop the bleeding. "I assume you only want Asuka?" Gabriella turned slightly. "Yes leave Gendo's daughter unspoilt, she's too much of a risk and I've heard enough rumours of what happens to those foolish enough to play around with Gendo's children and none of these stories end well."

She eyed the hologram image which was running the advert and milking the event with everything it had since this was Asuka's second official visit anywhere. "Plus she'll be too much of a distraction to Asuka and we need her to focus on becoming the destroyer of worlds again not on her little sex toy. Christopher smirked. "Well speaking sincerely I'd screw Rei all day long if she was my girlfriend she is very attractive." Achika laughed as she adjusted her silver rimmed glasses. "Yes well I'd like to sleep with Toji, doesn't mean it's ever going to be real."

Christopher smirked putting a hand on her shoulder. "Well there is such a thing as illegal pilot VR dating simulations sister you could try one of those since I have them all so I can copy them and sell on the black market as people will pay a lot for them." Gabriella raised an eyebrow. "You children and your VR toys it's so charming." She turned. "Now come and get out of your plug suits I have the chief preparing us all something nice and you have a long day ahead of you both tomorrow."

Achika pulled on the collar of her white plug suit which had sections of gold and blue on the legs just like her brothers. "Tell me this man can at least cook Timballo because the last chief who you sent to the Caribbean to feed one of our wealthy supporters couldn't." Christopher sneered. "Yeah I hate it when it's not traditional because it tastes like shit." Gabriella raised her hand. "Oh trust me you won't be disappointed this time my precious ones."

End of part 15

Silvermoonlight