AS THE PAST COMES BACK TO HAUNT THE PRESENT

Ritsuko breathed in as she typed into her offices holographic desk they had just arrived back at Nerv and now she had to speak Geraldina something she was dreading since there last conversation had been less than good. She breathed in bring up the large holographic screen as she made the outward call watching as the older woman appeared on screen through she clearly looked tired and not in the mood for anyone as she spoke coldly. "Why are you calling me…I was waiting for a call from Misato not you."

Ritsuko breathed in deeply. "We need to talk it's important." Geraldina eyed her. "You know I'm not in the mood for your verfickte bullshit today…so unless you're here to tell me that my grandchild is alive or dead I'm not interested."

Ritsuko felt a sneer form. "Look I get you're tired we all are but this is a matter of Nerv security." She moved pulling up digital papers throwing them on to Geraldina's hologram screen. "You remember project Hammerhead don't you? The failed LCL Nerv bomb concept."

Geraldina put a hand on her temples as she spoke through glittered teeth. "Yes I remember project Hammerhead it destroyed the test building and almost killed ten people why is this scheisse important right now?!" Ritsuko breathed in throwing the hologram of the ball onto her digital screen. "Because whoever blew up the auction house used a Hammerhead bomb and worse they have somehow learnt to fucking control it."

She watched as Geraldina stared at her genuine shock in her eyes as she eyed the hologram before snapping out of her haze her voice turning to utter rage. "Are you verfickte accusing me of having something to do with the auction house? Because I would never betray Nerv my family has given everything for your program including our lives so you can reap the rewards!"

Ritsuko breathed in deeply before slamming her hand down. "I'm not accusing you of anything! I'm called you because it's clear that someone took Hammerhead from your division I'm asking if outside of the German Nerv director at that time was there anyone else who knew about this."

Geraldina put her hands together. "No I told no one it was top secret the only person who knew about was Asuka's mother, but she only read the notes over once." Ritsuko raised her hand. "Did your daughter talk to anyone about it outside of Nerv?"

Geraldina looked up slightly her eyes darting as she raised her hand. "Wait a second there was one person who might have seen those notes I remember now her husband Langley I found him once snooping around my daughters office. He tried to make out he'd lost something but it's an utter lie I could see it in his face and it was clear to me that he was looking at her digital holographic screens to this day I'll never know why but I know the man was trouble."

Ritsuko took in a deep breath letting it out slowly. "Look I don't mean to be rude but we all know you hate Langley all the divisions know it and we all know that you wanted Kyoko to ditch him and marry Yui sisters Kiko since Kiko had feelings for her we all knew that…so could you just be putting blame where it doesn't belong?"

Geraldina moved opening her office draws harshly as she pulled out something. "Then please tell me Ritsuko how did Langley have this? He always claimed it was from Nerv Japan I was never convinced hence why I took it from him. My telling my daughter about this was the beginning of the end of their relationship."

Ritsuko leaned forward easing on her glasses. "Wait is that a special red sector card? The type used during my mother's period." Geraldina breathed in deeply. "Yes but this one’s very special since it's a fake yet it worked, he could open doors with it including very special sectors and to this day I have no idea where the little bastard got it and I've tried to find out for years and ended up hitting dead ends whoever made this was a high level professional as it's not easy to forge Nerv ID cards normally you need an inside source to give you one but this was done without that."

She paused for a long moment. "Langley spent a lot of time in Japan, Germany and Britain tailing my daughter around so I guess we have to ask ourselves what was he really doing and who was he talking to?" Ritsuko eyed the card. "Why did you never report this?"

Geraldina eyed the card. "I did to your mother, she said the same thing as you just did that maybe I had an axe to grind because I hated Langley and wanted my daughter to marry Kiko." She paused. "Though as a side note I just wanted my daughter to see that Kiko was in love with her, the marrying part seems to be a symptom of Chinese whisper."

Ritsuko breathed in deeply. "Maybe these two do have a connection then." She eased up her holographic papers. "Maybe Langley did pass on Nerv information to an outside source it's such a shame he vanished after the marriage of Mari’s mother as the last record of him was in Russia but that was years ago. He's not been seen on any camera footage since and his credit card was never used again it's like he vanished completely but he could be still be alive as Hikari did the same type of disappearing act."

Geraldina looked up slightly. "Well he has a wife and two older children from his first marriage but I've had trouble tracking them down and there his grandmother Sofia Langley but I don't know if she's still alive." Ritsuko typed in the holographic desk. "We'll look into that."

She stood up slightly. "With regards to Asuka we have not found a body though we've found blood stains we believe she was captured along with Rei as both of their blood was found on the carpets of the main auction room and it was nowhere near the main explosion." Geraldina looked up slightly the anger melting from her face. "I'm so happy to hear that."

Ritsuko looked at her for a long moment suddenly feeling very unsure of what to say as she wasn't used to being the one in this situation it was normally Misato or Maya. She breathed in speaking calmly. "Yes well we believe she probably fought back hence the blood." Geraldina's face turned to confusion at her response before she sat back in her chair. "Well I'd expected nothing less I just hope you can tell me more soon."

Ritsuko watched as she vanished from the screen she slammed her fist down hard on the holographic panel why was she being so fucking soft? What was wrong with her! These weren't even her children she barely knew them yet she kept wondering what had become of them.

8

Misato walked up the corridor which led towards the Evangelion bay only to stop opposite the door near her office which had an Evangelion poster on it of 01 roaring and the words keep out in bold on it. She slowly opened the door as Leiko and Shoji came into view as they both had large joint holographic desk to do their work on and there office had Evangelion wall scrolls on the back wall and they had Evangelion toys in places.

She watched as they both looked up at her as she closed the door behind her pulling up a chair as she sat in front of them seeing the concern in both their faces. "You both said you had something important to show me…and you wanted to show it before the full presentation."

The man who was African decent and called Leiko spoke first. "Yeah we have been going through all of the mobile phone footage we have managed to piece it together and create a movie though it took us all night and all morning to finish."

The woman of Indian decent opposite looked up her gaze filled with concern as she typed into her holographic desk bringing up two images of people. "These two appear to be leaders of this whole operation and the guy is scary as fuck but we'll get to him more in the briefing but take a look at the woman on the right and tell me she does not seem slightly familiar to you?"

Misato leaned forward eye the woman who looked to be in late twenties possibly early thirties she had very dark brown hair and glasses she leaned closer seeing what they were getting at. "She looks like Mari they look really similar in the face…"

Leiko breathed in deeply. "Yeah we thought that to so we asked the science division to run that genetic test the one that tracks faces to see if the person or persons has a possible lineage based on facial details and it came up as a ninety percent match. Even they were confused about it and asked who this woman was and said how much she looks like Mari, also they stated that its clear it's not some form of plastic surgery this is her real face."

She paused. "Mari has no records of having other siblings and we checked Langley's back history and he only comes up as having two marriages the first to Asuka mother Kyoko followed by Lydia Mari's mother and is his child directly. Whereas Asuka isn't so this had us wondering if he's had other offspring elsewhere and we didn't know about or who were kept of the records before he vanished off the map some years after divorcing Mari's mother after cheating on her."

Shoji leaned back in his chair. "The question is do you want us to show this at the briefing? I mean if this is another step sister to Mari it could cause problems."

Misato folded her arms eyeing the images. "Word has it that Maya is getting on better with Mari so I say let this go through in the briefing if something happens Maya will be able to talk to her, I won't she still isn't very open towards me." Shoji eyed her. "You know that's a huge risk I mean it might be like kicking a hornet's nest."

Misato breathed in deeply. "I know but the reality is everyone including Gendo is going to be in the briefing they need to see every event as it unfolds in real time be that the good, bad and ugly it's not going to be pleasant for anyone because they will have to watch events unfold it's going to be hard for everyone ."

She'd eyed the woman on the holographic screen for a long moment before speaking. "Do you have any idea who these two are?" Leiko breathed in deeply. "No we are still trying to find records on both of them but all we have is sightings across the world via camera."

She typed bring up some old footage. "The one that looks like Mari was spotted three months ago eating in Venice has real expensive taste too seems she has a passion for red wine longer aged the better and really expensive five star Michelin restaurants." She paused. "Another reason we find this really hard to overlook because we know Mari has expensive taste too it’s just her taste isn't about food she like things…like she kind of splashed out a lot on one of those kinky plug suits at that French up market sex shop called Sérénité Céleste or Heavenly Serenity."

Misato blinked in surprise. "Really?" Leiko looked up slightly. "Look you know us we follow rumours and it's been whispered about really loudly as they’ve sold them to staff but they never expected a pilot to buy one and the fully upgraded version to top it off."

Shoji turned back to his panel bringing up a video footage of people running from bulls on the Spanish streets. "As for the other one well he doesn't have expensive taste and he comes of an idiot thrill seeker who gets off on pain…this is from the Bull Run in Pamplona Spain." He put a hand on his chin. "And this guy I don't know what he's on but he is so damn strong."

He watched as the running man smashed his fist into huge black bull’s face whose horns had been covered in gold and had white hanging tassels causing it to stumble sideways as he laughed. "Clearly he has no fear either and this was filmed earlier this year and he had to pay a heavy fine for animal abuse as the sacred Bulls are not meant to be harmed during the run, there viewed as godly and bull fighting is illegal in Spain as the bulls must never die its viewed as bad luck." He eyed the camera footage. "There is one other video though but it's with the both of them meeting someone who then talks with someone else."

He brought up the video footage. "This is from Lamia in Greece both these two are seen with this older woman who looks to be in her sixties. " He eyed the footage of the older woman hugging them. "Clearly it feels quite family in nature." He watched as they walked off. "Then this woman whoever the hell she is meets someone everyone knows."

He watched as a woman with medium length reddish hair who was very young appeared. "That is the unmistakable star of Thessaly, Mana Kirishima one of Greece's most powerful political figures." Misato leaned closer. "I've heard of her wasn't she some kind of Oculus engineer who moved to politics?"

Leiko looked up slightly. "Yes her growing food system with rotating levels was implemented around the world and she has vast wealth and is one of the richest figures in Greece. Though you wouldn't think it to look at her as she dresses very modest the only give always that she is so well off are her villa estate and car."

She looked up slightly bringing up the older woman's picture. "The reality is you have to have very powerful contacts to meet someone like Mana those meetings don't just happen and she keeps out of the media she has next to no interest in the celebrity status unlike her counterparts and no one even knows what her sexuality is as her private life is locked up tight."

She paused. "Yet the people of Greece love her and when she does speak on camera she has real power and charisma. Like natural born leader material yet strangely she won't make a play for prime minister despite that twice she could have been in the running it's like she's choosing to ignore power which makes no sense to anyone given how popular she is."

She took in the deep breath letting it out slowly. "So you may want to speak directly to her after our briefing this afternoon and ask her who the hell this woman is because we have nothing on her at all either." Misato eyed the image. "Thank you myself and Kaji and I will look into it, when do you aim to do the meeting?"

Shoji looked up slightly. "Two hours from now and we intend to hold it up in the old briefing room the one that used to be for pilot talks before it got outfitted and turned into a cosy cinema for important visitors to watch Nerv promotion videos on as it has that super huge hologram cinema screen and we have a lot to get through."

Misato stood up slowly. "Okay I'll have Sumire and Shigeru relay that message to them and I'll ensure everyone is there without fail, because I'm going to get to the bottom of all this as its pissing me off." Shoji brought up another image on screen. "There's one other thing before you go Mari sent us this last night it came from Rei's phone which Asuka's AI Anneberg locked this was on it."

Misato leaned over eyeing the picture of the person who had tried to use it. "Wait a second that's Rosetta Martinez the Paris fashion designer! Why does she have Rei's fucking phone?" She raised her hand. "I assume the phone showed her location right?" Leiko nodded. "Yes it was at the Atlantica hotel opposite the Dorodome we sent a message to the special ops division to go arrest her…I mean you said you wanted her and Antonio Aguilar right?"

Misato nodded. "Yes I did they were both opposite Asuka and Rei's table, those at their table are both dead so there both the information source we need and they should have turned themselves over to Nerv after this happened."

Shoji leaned on his elbow. "Well they should be coming in as well as Kyo went out personally to bring them in an hour ago and to quote his words he said he was tired of this bullshit he wants Rei and Asuka back as soon as possible and doesn't care for this celebrity bullshit so they should be back at Nerv and in the prison section for interrogation before the meeting."

Misato eyed Rosetta's image again. "Well it appears that myself and Kaji and I are going to have a long day of talks ahead of us."

8

I hate how the hours are dragging how we are getting no information and I had trouble sleeping last night I watch as Kaworu prepares a warm jasmine tea at the bar in the wreck room. It’s painfully quite again Toji is lying on the sofa and looks tired while Mari is playing on one of the retro arcade machines in the corner.

Those machines have been there for years there are six of them in total and three were put there by Asuka and three by Rei as though they never got on when they were younger they both developed a very deep interest in retro gaming. Though the games are very different in what they enjoy to play its strange not seeing them on those arcade machines as they've started trying each out others games out.

Now they were both gone and it felt like there was a huge empty hole in the room without either of their presence and it feels like part of the family is gone. Shinji turned to Toji who looked tired somehow he wished he could tell him and Kaworu the truth about their mothers being in the units but he knew he couldn't. As it hurt to see Toji this way as his younger sister was clearly taking these past few days hard which wasn't helped by the other issues as Mari wasn't her-self either. She hadn't been since they'd all gotten up at Asuka's house and she clearly suffering from lack of sleep but was trying to hide it by showing that could do still things normally she had let him and Kaworu have Asuka and Rei's bed while she'd slept on the sofa.

He breathed in finally finding his voice as he spoke to Toji. "Sorry you couldn't join us last night, how is your sister doing?" Toji sat up slightly. "Last night was hard…and this morning she just didn't want come to school not that I blame her. It's just hard for her she was very young when our mother died in front of us she'd been starving for a while but she never said how bad it was and she gave us all of our food as did my father but he died later in the year, Sakura was so young she didn't understand death."

He breathed in painfully. "We had to grow up fast on those Chinese streets and she saw things little children shouldn't see like sex of all kinds with different sexualities, drugs and gun violence and I tried to shield her from so much but I couldn't shield her from everything. Some days I just wish I could turn back the clock so she could still be innocent and having a normal childhood because I know she's not like the young girls and boys in class they talk about boyfriends and girlfriends and kissing but none of done it. Yet she has witnessed it first-hand she knows how adults go all the way and how they behave at their worst, it was unavoidable in the huge homeless camp outside the city of Guangzhou."

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Kaworu passed Shinji the tea as he eyed Toji. "Shouldn't what counts be the fact that she can live normally now and she doesn't see any of that anymore unlike all of us she will still be able to have more of a real childhood?" Toji tensed slightly. "Your right I guess."

He turned looking at Mari. "You know I have not thanked you, you know for all the time you’ve spent with her since she got here and how you just taught to have fun and do things girls her age should be doing." Mari paused the arcade game turning to look at him as she adjusted her glasses. "Hey it's okay…I'm happy to help, nothing sucks than not knowing how to be a fucking kid."

Toji sat up slightly. "Yeah but she was crying last night and she said that despite everything she's really likes you, you're like a big sister to her and she feels bad that you've lost the person you consider your younger sister." He turned to Shinji. "She also wanted to say that she thinks it's awful what happened with Rei and she wants you both reunited."

Kaworu poured a cup of his own tea. "Perhaps when both our family returns a celebration dinner would be order." Shinji turned to him putting a hand on his. "That would a great idea Kaworu I think everyone would like that, we could even go to that special noodle bar you know the one just outside of Nerv where we all used to go as kids."

He turned as the wreck room double doors opened as Sumire and Shigeru came in, Shinji looked up slightly finally they were here they'd finally hear something as they'd heard nothing all night. "Did you find my sister and Asuka are they okay, are they dead!?" Shigeru took in a deep breath letting it out slowly. "Your sister and Asuka are not dead that we have been able to confirm." He watched as the relief spread across everyone face including Shinji and Mari who looked the most relived.

Sumire looked up slightly "Their bodies were not found but blood was from them both though the larger part of it was Asuka's." Shigeru stroked his beard. "They are not dead of that we know now for sure we believe it was a sting operating to capture them and Asuka fought back hence her blood being more than Rei's."

Mari turned sharply. "Was my little sisters wound serious?" Shigeru put his hands together. "Neither we believed were injured seriously but that's why we are here in two hours' time there will be a briefing in the old briefing room that now been outfitted for guests as Misato's special ops team will be going through all of the footage on the huge holographic cinema screen."

Sumire looked at her tablet which had the list of people on it who would be present. "Gendo and Ritsuko will be there along with Kyo from special ops as he should be back within the next hour. All the bridge crew will be present and Misato and we need all of you to be there as well."

Toji stood up slightly. "Will you be there Sumire, I'm just curious as you're new?" Sumire eyed him before looking at her tablet again. "Yes I will be there they want everyone there as they want all perspectives including that of the science division. So they've invited two special scientists one you already know which is Vitor Castro but the other one is Chilam who is a new scientist on the division both were brought into find ways to hurt the Archangels weapon wise."

Toji blinked in confusion. "Why would they want the science division there I don't get it?" Sumire eyed the tablet. "To be honest I don't understand that either but I was told they need to be there as something in the footage needs to be looked over by them and Maya." She paused. "Sadly that's all we can tell any of you right now even we are in the dark regarding this briefing."

Mari stood up. "Well at least you have better news for us this time." Sumire looked at her. "Yes there is that, now we must go we have to visit others and give them the message that they are needed in this meeting." Shigeru looked up slightly. "Yes we must go we will see you all in the meeting."

Shinji watched as they left he let out the breath he was holding which was filled with relief Rei was alive she wasn't dead and that meant they could get her back. He felt Kaworu wrap his arms around him as he kissed him speaking gently. "Your sister is out there she's okay." Toji turned to Mari putting an arm around her shoulder. "I'm glad Asuka's okay." Mari gave him a smile though it felt like an effort because she was tired. "Yeah so am I, I just hope wherever she is she's okay." Toji hugged her tighter. "She's Asuka she can handle anything."

8

How long has it been? I have no idea I've been in the darkness for so long it feels like an eternity I'm feeling so hungry now and everything still hurts. I've stared into the darkness before but it was different I knew it was in my mind but here I feel so adrift there's no sense of time every now and again my good eye wanders to the suspended prison above. There's a light up there it’s pale and far away but it is there like a beacon in the night.

I know she's there I know at least she's safe and not being tortured like I am with light deprivation as well as not being given food and water, it seems I'm allowed to sleep as they have let me sleep once so far.

There are two shadows which are the two Egyptian guards dressed as gods as I can see the glowing blue eyes of their masks there standing well away from me watching closely. Their gender is impossible to tell under the robes in the darkness.

I wish I weren't still tired or I'd try to pull on these metal locks again I assume they are doing this on purpose as they don't want me at full strength because then I'm a massive threat. Yet a part of me would crave for a painkiller because my stomach and chest really hurt now it's those old verfickte injuries coming back to haunt me.

I'm so stupid why did I fight that asshole I should have run and gotten Rei out or maybe tried to save everyone oh that's right I didn't because I let my ego get in the way I had to win I just couldn't let it go. I can feel the pain rising in my chest but it more emotional than physical. I killed two people in cold blood I shot them because I thought I was protecting Rei I thought they wanted her and not me yet I just feel terrible so many times.

I’ve pulled out my family heirloom so many times I've fired it but never to kill only to maim and now I have killed when it's not using the Evangelion and being with Mama as she is inside its core I feel empty and sad since I could have crippled them both but not killed them. I found Rosetta annoying but I don't want her to be dead, yeah she was the worst person ever to sleep with but she's someone I've known all my life and Nicolai was a perfect gentleman and Antonio stood up for us even though he didn't know us that well.

Claude was an asshole but he wasn't evil much like Ryo and his sister Miki and it hurts to think they could all be dead because of me if I'd have known it was all about me I would have just handed myself over. I don't get why they even want me I'm of no value Shinji and Rei are the ones who have high ransom value since there Gendo's children nothing about this scheisse makes any sense.

"Awake I see."

Asuka turned sharply only for the light to come on piecing down on her causing her to blink painful she watched as the older woman once more came out of shadows taking a chair sitting in front of her very calmly. "I hope we are more settled now and well behaved." Gabriella breathed in deeply raising the special device pressing it watching as the huge floating prison above moved downward on its massive pillar it grinded to stop above them though some distance away which meant Rei would now see what was going on clearly as at its full height she couldn't see much. "Now that you're paying attention do not misbehave, or your lover will end up very hungry." It was a lie granted but she needed Asuka's full attention.

She folded her arms putting the device to one side. "That includes biting the person who is going to feed you after we are done." Asuka eyed her in disgust. "What makes you think I'm going to eat any of the scheisse you offer me?" Gabriella eyed her in breathed in deeply. "Because we'd rather you not die of starvation it wouldn't benefit you and we will force feed you if we have to."

Asuka narrowed her gaze. "Who are you people?" Gabriella looked up slightly. "We are Ankh and you are our prisoner." She paused before speaking. "You really don't remember me at all do you? Well I guess it was deeply traumatic for you and you're clearly still terrified of water."

Asuka breathed in deeply. "That bastard said he met me as well yet I don't remember you or him." Gabriella raised an eyebrow. "That was my grandson Christopher." She eased up her hand. "Now meet his younger sister." Asuka watched as a tall woman half stepped out of the shadows wearing glasses she blinked in utter confusion. "Mari?"

The next moments turned to blinding pain as the woman fully stepped out of the shadows grabbing her chair as she punched her full force across the face. "It's Achika to you bastard child!" Asuka groaned watching as she stepped back seeing the clear differences as well as similarities and that this woman was older than her as was her brother. "My mistake, my older sister is way better looking than you."

Achika moved forward. "Shut up you little!" Gabriella raised her hand. "Now Achika lets, let her speak her mind." She watched as Christopher appeared close by. "Clearly she doesn't remember any off us." Christopher swung his still bloody iron nailed bat over her leather jackets shoulder. "Surprising, hey Achika do you think it's one of those mental trauma things?" Achika adjusted her glasses. "Probably but I never studied that I'm a qualified surgeon remember I only know how to take people apart and put them back together I just prefer taking them apart it's more fun."

Gabriella breathed in deeply looking at Asuka. "Well then let me refresh your memory Achika and Christopher, are your much older stepbrother and sister they were from Mari's fathers first marriage." She eased up her hand. "You see your step father had these two first then he had Mari and you came into the fold you only have the Langley name you just don't share our blood."

Asuka felt a sneer form. "Well I never liked Papa anyway he was an asshole who treated Mari and me poorly." Gabriella sighed aloud. "Personally we thought you'd remember that since your mother probably tried to tell you the truth recently because believe you and me she didn't want you anywhere near us when she was still human." Asuka looked at her for a long moment before speaking knowing her words were a lie. "My Mama is dead she committed suicide I have no idea what you're talking about."

Gabriella eyed her feeling a slight smile form. "Please do not insult my intelligence by lying you're not a very good liar and we know what's in the Evangelion’s cores we know they have an awakened human souls we also know that it can take a person up to two weeks to remember everything after being dragged in. As my son Langley saw one of the early failures were a core rejected a person's soul in the very early tests. The test subject had issues remembering it took them almost two to three weeks to remember everything and they only remembered when dreaming."

She leaned forward. "So don't say your mother Kyoko is not in there because we already know she is and so do you." She put her hands together. "Your mother is right to dislike and fear us after all I threw you into the lake."

She smirked slightly watching as Asuka's face turned to utter shock. "Strange it is but I just wanted you dead you were miserable little bastard child and you weren't true Langley blood, I never would have guessed that Mari would have become so attached to you. I told Christopher Achika and Mari to stay put but she broke the rules and she leapt in after you, saved you from drowning even though it meant I had to punish her the next time I visited."

She raised her finger. "The irony is maybe you weren't meant to die I mean you had a destiny to fulfill even then, since you're very special." Asuka felt a sneer form she hated being called special her feelings had not changed on that. "I'm not special, I'm just an Evangelion pilot I kill people because that's my job."

Gabriella stood up slowly as she picked up a bible which was on the desk close by she breathed in deeply. "There are always special people Asuka they shape this world through voluntary or involuntary actions for better or worse they are history deciders and definers." She eased up the bible. "Like imagine if Christianity had set up roots and we all bowed mostly to one god?"

She eased out a black Zippo lighter. "All because one woman died at the foot of the library of Alexandra I'm sure you know your history how the Christians tried and failed to burn the library and how they killed Hypatia causing the men and women to take their revenge driving them back for good. Now there pathetic little religion is rare just like the other foolish one god believers who think they have any say in this world."

She flicked the lighter watching as it set alight the golden and blue book. "The true gods are those of multi religions whose proof is shown by the angels coming down from the heavens. As a young woman I remember growing up in Rome and watching the Vatican's great temple fall when second impact happen the shock wave carried on for miles destroying buildings all over the world the ancient ones still stood strong the lesser fell."

She paused letting go of the flaming book which hit the floor as it burnt away. "That is the reality and I know the real reason you don't believe in the gods it's very simple." Asuka felt her hands form fists why did she feel like she was in some nutcase peanut gallery? This was just so verfickte insane this woman had just burnt a bible in front of her.

Granted she wasn't into gods or religion but she'd never condemn those who were and she had vivid memories of there being a couple of Christians where she'd grown up with the grandma and everyone had been fine with it and her grandma had always told her that you should respect the religions of others no matter how different they were.

She looked at the older woman the truth was she didn't want an answer to this question as she didn't like where it would probably lead since she worshipped no gods. "So what is the reason I don't believe?" Gabrielle looked up raising her robotic hand closing it so the metal grinded as she spoke calmly. "It's because you don't need to believe in the gods because you are a god in human form."

Asuka breathed as she started to laugh despite that it hurt okay so that wasn't the answer she had expected and she was still finding it hard to believe she'd ever met them as she had no memory of it. "You people are out of your verfickte minds! I am not a god I didn't start the recent impact it was Bardiel he was in my mind I didn't know what I was doing."

Gabriella seated herself again. "We are not talking about that you see Nerv has never told you the truth and Seele has kept it from you but all the factions know the truth it’s why they keep calling you destroyer of worlds. You are a death god encased in human form and we all want the power you have Ouroboros wants you to destroy the world once more and Cerberus wants you to remain human Seele want you to keep you subdued it’s probably why they threw Gendo's daughter at you, they think she can handle you." Asuka narrowed her gaze. "What do you want?"

Gabriella felt her smile widen. "We don't want you to destroy this world no we know you don't care about that we know Rei is what matters to you, we just want you to become a death god once more then hand your gifts to us make my grandchildren gods in your stead let us carry the mantel of destroyer and bring order to this world with our two primal hybrid Evangelions. Then you can spend the rest of your days wealthy happy and making love to that woman you like so much till the day you die we'll even ensue you both have kids in a birthing chamber how does that sound?"

Asuka looked at them for a long moment before finally speaking. "Firstly I don't remember any of you or you throwing me in a lake, second you're all verfickte out of your minds if you think I'm some kind of death god."

She tensed feeling the chair tighten as she struggled trying to ignore the pain as she felt her left eye ignite as her teeth turned to razors. "Lastly you all verfickte pathetic if you think I'd ever help you. You took me and your prison housing Rei and believe me if I ever get out of this chair I will kill you!" Gabriella breathed in shaking her head in annoyance before putting her hands together calmly. "It's okay we understand you just don't understand your grand purpose when we come back we will make you truly believe because your rebirth is more important to us than anything."

She eyed the prison above. "As a gift we'll keep your lover close to you, since you've been better behaved and you will be given food, though it will be via a food rod the same way they feed tigers in cages meat cubes because my employees are now very afraid of your teeth after what you did to my priest of Anubis who will need special surgery to fix his hand since you severed his hands tendons and broke bone." Asuka leaned forward as best she could as she eased out her tongue licking one of her canine teeth. "Pity I didn't ruin more."

Gabriella stood up putting her hand on her chin. "Truth be told we were just testing to see how alert you were he was warned to stay away from your face alas he thought you were just like everyone else." Asuka eyed her in disgust. "I am just like everyone else!" Gabriella felt a smile form. "No you're so much more and soon you will see and believe it."

Asuka watched as the lights suddenly went out again leaving her in the pitch black darkness which caused her to scream in anger. She hated all of this bullshit and mind games! She looked up fighting the chair despite that it hurt like hell as she screamed a second time though it ended in an animalistic roar which echoed through the large room.

8

Fang breathed in as she sat on the sofa happy to back home she hated submarines and the Nebuchadnezzar she loathed the most she hated how it buckled and bent under water unlike their base which despite being in the ocean depths could move around. It had huge legs which could slowly move it very slowly across the ocean surface and was outfitted to look like a mountain. It even had coral reefs growing off it and when placed near countries people took zero notice of it as its six huge legs could fold away and just look any other coral mountain. It didn't move that often and when it did it was a huge slow effort and normally done just to get it to a safer spot.

Keel's idea was why hide in the deep ocean when you could be in plain sight and just be ignored it had even been called the Mountain of Azekah or so she'd heard which was a bible reference of some kind. She turned eyeing Kuchisake who pulled her head back shooting in her favourite low end drug into her neck using a medical gun which was called spice it a tempered form of fake weed which was specially made so it didn't get you trips but more a happy feeling and she knew Kuchisake was addicted to it. She'd been addicted to it for years but it was her way of dealing with her childhood which had been awful since she'd been treated like as a curse because of how she looked.

She'd seen the Evangelion program as her ticket out of poverty only for it be meaningless as Shinji and Rei had still been picked over her making the whole thing feel like fake. It meant going back to a shitty life and it had always made her unhappy.

She moved her head back as her lover sat next to her and she put her head in her lap as she carried on reading her magazine. "Better?" Kuchisake lay back feeling a smile form. "Yes much better now." Fang smiled feeling the other woman's hand move gently through her hair. "When you're more settled how would you feel about getting drunk and having sex for a couple of hours?"

She was about to say more only for Kensuke to suddenly barge into their area without knocking she turned eyeing him in disgust. "You know knocking was never your strong suit in China either but you doing it here pisses me off way more!"

Kensuke eyed her adjusting his glasses. "Oh give it a rest Fang…" Fang lowered her magazine. "Unless you have something really important to say piss off and get out of our quarters." Kuchisake looked up slightly. "Please answer her I'm not in the fucking mood for your bull shit or Joshua's right now we just got back off mission and we want to rest then get very drunk and have sex and you're being annoying!"

Kensuke breathed in deeply. "Keel is pissed." Fang eyed him. "He's always pissed why should we care?" Kensuke eyed her. "So you have not heard then?" Kuchisake felt her hand form a fist. "I swear to the gods if you don't fucking cut to the chase I'm going to give the kind of beating you won't enjoy not like the kind you get turned on by which Hikari gives to you!"

Kensuke tensed sharply. "Someone blew up the Tokyo Three auction house the bulletin's been going out all night but the official word just dropped that Rei Ayanami and Asuka Langley are not dead but missing Keel only told us now, he wants us to find them!" He paused. "Basically if we don't find Asuka and take her back all off our plans will mean nothing and Gryphon has them clearly the vermin have come out of hiding!"

Kuchisake blinked as Fang sat up the shock in her eyes. "Gryphon you're seriously talking about that worthless bunch of angel lovers being success like the last time they did any real damage was in Mexico at the temple of Quetzalcoatl where they killed about forty people and that was years ago."

Kensuke eyed her. "Don't ask me to explain we all have to get back into the Archangels and attack their ships out at sea and get her back and Rei Keel wants to use her as a bargaining chip against Gendo if she's still alive." Fang sat up. "Great and I was so hoping to have the night off." Kuchisake felt a cold smile form as she grabbed another spice syringe for later. "Oh I don't think it's that bad I do enjoy killing vermin."

End of part 25

Silvermoonlight