FEELINGS OF PAINFUL SHAME AND ANGER

Maya breathed in. She already knew what was wrong with Sumire: clearly, her medication, which was there to keep her calm and take the edge off her darker feelings, was clashing with her more important medication transition medicine which controlled her hormones among other things.

She had read it could happen and clearly she needed to get that fixed right away, as she was responsible for any of the bridge crew’s medications and that meant that both Kaji’s stem cell meds and Sumire’s went through her.

All the reports from the Mexican division were that she was outspoken, but aggression wasn’t normal for as she was normally very level headed. Hopefully she could use this to talk Ritsuko out of punishing her, but first she had to find Mari; she had never seen her bolt so fast to get out of a room.

She went down a level, finally catching sight of the huge red area which was bright and filled with the neon red glow of the Taito Station first level on the thirty fifth floor; she could see its second level below.

It had been years since she’d been here; she used to follow Ritsuko around this place as it had a really plush cocktail and drinks bar called the Sun Light Parade which over looked Nerv and you could see the sky trains moving back and forth late at night, along with thousands of lights from the other hanging building above. Below it was the oldest bar at Nerv, built long before the whole Arcade zone had been shops and stalls.

Ritsuko hadn’t wanted to get rid of it in the rebuild, so it had been updated and the Taito Station literally built around it. It still overlooked the same scene; nothing had changed, and it was even considered a feature for visiting important delegates because of its history. Maya stopped, looking up at huge logo, which was a space invader glowing in neon white.

The whole area was covered with media banners for animated shows and worldwide shows and movies, much like the cinema zone where she spent her free time and which was where she had just come from. The station had thirty large cinemas and twenty smaller ones and was the first zone, sometimes called the zero zone as it was at the very top of the complex above the first shopping zone.

So the Taito Station was where Mari liked to go, she wanted to be surprised by that, but really wasn’t. Asuka loved this place, and over the years had worn away hours in it, and despite that they were not genetically related, they could be very similar in their traits.

She also knew Rei liked this place but for her it was more when she felt like it or was in the right mood though in her youth she had spent a lot of time here from what she’d heard but it was more a safe space for her as she had not been that good with conversation at the time.

She turned, seeing the thousands of grabbing arm machines she worked her way through ignoring how weird this place felt to her as she watched the staff win prizes and try their luck. While she could see thousands of arcade machines of every type along with capsule toy machines, what she was looking for was the Arcade owners.

They had a central holographic console which was run by a husband and wife team and six other employees who maintained the games, and they could tell when people used a special red card to play games; the idea was that they put the card in the slot when playing, then at the end of the playing session, the amounts were topped up and they could pay in full at the desk. It also meant you could ask where someone was playing.

She stopped by the desk as she spoke calmly. “Is Mari Makinami here?”

The tall Japanese man with a long beard turned, smiling. “You mean Mari Makinami Illustrious?”

Maya looked up slightly. “Yes, that Mari.”

His wife, who was clearly French by her accent, turned, typing into the holographic panel and watching as a red symbol flashed. “Yes, she’s here. She’s currently running a British Spitfire simulation in our plane simulator in the simulation zone.” She paused. “And she’s running it badly today, which is strange as she’s normally very good at this game.”

The man turned to her. “Did you need us to stop the simulation and call her down?” Maya shook her head. “No, but could you take me to her. I don’t know my way around here; the last time I was here it was the Sun Light Parade and nothing more.”

The man slowly stepped out from behind the counter. “Sure, if it helps, that bar still exists. It’s at the very top of the games complex; we just built around it and it’s now a feature.” Maya looked at him as they passed the many Nerv employees playing racing, fighting, and dance games and shooting simulations with fake guns.

They slowly moved through the games complex and up a set of stairs, coming in to a very dark zone where she could see people sitting on leather benches watching and eating snacks while watching screens of simulation game play in action. Below them in a huge area were hundreds of simulator machines all in neat lines.

The machines were spaced apart for safety and so you could walk around them, as they all were fenced off. The simulators were very special, in that you could hold two people and had a special roll cage allowing for very fast movement and their huge arm could pull them up and down. They were round and almost cylinder-like painted in pure black and neon blue strips of burning bright light, you had to strap yourself in tight. No one could see what was going on inside.

She watched as the man stopped and opened a special panel which was on the fence. He turned to her. “She’s going to hate this just so you know. This is her weekly slot. You have to book in advance for these and pay on the day like everything else here.”

Maya looked at him. “You misunderstand. I want to join her, not stop her game just pause it.”

He eyed her. “She’s still going to get pissed.” He pressed the holographic button, watching as the simulator came to a sudden stop. As it lowered itself to the ground, the hatch door came up and Mari’s angry face came in to view. “What the fuck? I was playing, you just ruined my score Hinata!”

Hinata breathed in deeply, shaking his head. “For the record Mari, you’re not scoring very well today. I watch the console remember.”

Maya moved forward so she could see Mari.” It wasn’t him, it was me. I wanted to speak to you.”

Mari’s anger turned to surprise as she stared at Maya. “You’ll have to wait till I finish.”

Maya moved forward. “There are two seats, so I’ll join you.” Mari blinked, watching as she stepped up and opened the door on the opposite side. Maya slowly strapped herself in the seat so she was secure as she closed the door. “Please carry on.”

Mari eyed her. “You know these things can make people vomit if there not used to them right?”

Maya looked at her. “Yes, now carry on playing.”

Mari breathed in closing her door pressing the central safely locking the doors. “Okay just so you know I warned you.” Maya watched as it went dark as Mari brought up the floating hologram controls resetting it watching as it faded away revealing the spite fire cockpit as it lifted off and Mari took hold of the controls

The simulator began to jerk and rotate as she took flight. She aimed it and started to fire at Russian planes. Clearly this was a World War Two dog fight simulation based on the war with Joseph Stalin and the Russians who had tried to take control of the whole world and failed.

She paused before speaking. “Maybe you would like to tell me who those people were in the video. I saw the way you looked at the man and that women who looked similar to you in the briefing.”

Mari swerved, narrowly clipping another opposing plane as she spoke coldly. “I don’t know what you’re talking about; I don’t fucking know them.”

Maya breathed in deeply. “Yes, I think you do know them and you should tell us who they are, for the sake of your sister and Rei.”

Mari turned only for the simulator to shake as she crashed straight into a Lancaster bomber. Watching as everything turned to darkness, she felt the anger come before she could stop. “Fuck this!”

She brought up the console, not thinking as she pulled out her hacker device and attached it to the red card. As she started to type, turning to its other setting which brought up red code only to watch as the holographic panel came up suddenly going yellow and red.

Maya turned sharply to her. “What are you…” Her next words were cut off as the simulator suddenly went into a violent spin on both the arm and the cage, which was enough to slam her back into her seat as an alarm was heard outside.

She watched Mari flip the codes as best she could, suddenly finding what she was looking for and pressing it on the panel, causing the whole simulation to go dark and change to space. She watched the cameras inside the simulator go out and heard a crackle as the panel went green.

Mari watched the stars go by as the simulator went into a slow crawl of the relaxing space simulation. She lay back in her chair, breathing in deeply. Maya looked at her. “What did you just do?”

Mari breathed in deeply, speaking meekly. “I just killed the camera and sound feed in here and changed the simulation, and turned off the outside screen so no one can see what’s going on.”

Maya felt her eyes dart. “Why?”

Mari breathed in painfully as she turned the simulations setting to auto pilot. “Because I don’t want anyone to hear what I’m about to say to you now.”

Maya blinked, watching as a truly sad look appeared on Mari’s face. “So you know those people?”

Mari nodded sadly. “Yes, they’re part of my father’s vile step family. They’re from his first fucking marriage. The fucker who was shown hitting a bull is Christopher, the bitch who looks likes me is called Achika, the old woman I only knew her as Grandmother.”

Maya stared at her, speaking calmly. “You knew this and you didn’t say anything in the briefing. Why is that?”

Mari turned, unable to stop the anger as it came out. “Because then everyone would know how shit I am and how I stood there like the coward I am!” She raised her hand. “They’d come to know that I stood there and watched my grandmother pick up Asuka when she was six and throw her head first into the lake.

She asked us all to stand in a line and do nothing and like a coward I stood there along with my vile older step brother and sister, like a coward I waited until I couldn’t handle it anymore and I leapt in after her because I couldn’t stand to watch her drown. She was the sweetest little thing ever and I liked her!”

Maya stared at the taller woman in utter shock. “How old were you at the time Mari?”

Mari eyed her. “Does it matter? I was old enough to know the difference between right and wrong and I knew it was wrong and I still stood there. Asuka doesn’t remember; it’s like her mind blanked it out. She only ever seemed to remember me saving her, not that I acted like a piece of shit with my older siblings and stood there while my grandmother tossed her in.” She breathed in, unable to stop the tears as they came. “It was my grandmother’s strength-building exercise, and she considered Asuka some bastard child and she made us watch her toss her in.”

Maya eased up her hand, putting it on Mari’s shoulder. “It sounds to me like you were a child and an adult was being abusive and manipulating all of you, making you do a terrible thing.”

Mari eyed her. “Regardless of it all, I still stood there for a minute before I couldn’t stand it anymore.” She paused, taking in a breath painfully. “Now they have her and they’re going to tell her everything! She’ll know I’m not the protective big sister I pretend to be and that I’m no better than Christopher and Achika.”

Maya leaned closer. “No. Asuka loves you as family. I think she would understand why you kept this to yourself, because you were clearly being abused like her.”

Mari laughed, but it was a sad laughter even to her own ears. “You know when I gave her the year of stick I used to justify my actions by saying she’d turned out like Achika.

After I heard about what happened with Hikari, it made it so easy for me to be vile to her and beat the shit out of her in the gym that day I did. Yet she was innocent all along and I was the one being an asshole. All my life I never wanted to be like Achika or Christopher, yet even though I was being drugged I still acted it out knowing it was wrong.” She looked at her hands. “The truth is, Asuka under all that front is still the innocent little kid with a good heart. I’m the bad one and she’ll always be better than me.”

Maya looked at Mari for a long moment. In their last talk she’d seen the front slip, but this time it was much deeper and more emotional; it was like seeing deep into her soul, and like Asuka she wasn’t cruel or evil, she was a broken young woman who blamed herself for so much that was not her fault. She realized something else in this moment: Mari wasn’t as immature as she had first thought; that was just her front. It was used to protect herself; unlike Asuka who cold-shouldered so others wouldn’t see her pain, Mari instead projected to show confidence. She had clearly been holding on to this for years and probably never told anyone about it out of shame and self-anger.

She undid her straps as she pressed the console, causing the simulator to freeze as she stepped in front of Mari’s side of the simulator. Speaking very softly, she raised her head so their eyes met. “No Mari, I think you’re better than you give yourself credit for. You jumped in after Asuka. You saved her, loved her, protected her, and I understand why you couldn’t tell everyone about this. If our roles were reversed I would not have come forward.”

She raised Mari’s head higher, feeling no resistance. “You were just a child Mari, and I saw the footage. Those two come off as disturbed psychopaths, but you’re not like them. You’re a good person.”

Mari breathed in painfully as she spoke. “You asked me once about the wound on my side, the long thin one under my chest on my waist side. I told you it was from an accident in London.” She eased up her shirt, revealing the long faded thin scar. “It wasn’t, it was from my grandmother. She did it with a horse whip; she whipped me till it bled… it was done because I saved Asuka. I’m sorry that I never told you the truth, that I lied to you just like everyone else, even to my own mother because I was a coward and never spoke my mind.”

Maya looked at her as she wiped her tears away. “You’re not a coward Mari. A coward would have let Asuka die. You’re not a coward and you’re not like them.” She paused. “But you have to tell Misato about this, she has to know.”

Mari put her hands together. “I can’t… I can’t face her.”

Maya spoke before she could stop herself. “Look, why don’t you come home with me tonight, then we can really talk this through and write something out which you can give to Misato and which she can give to the commander.”

Mari looked up sharply. “I can’t, I have to feed Asuka’s cat and look after her house.”

Maya looked at her. “I’ll ask Kaworu and Shinji to look after her house and cat. I’ll say it’s important, they’ll both understand believe me.”

Mari breathed in painfully. “Yes, but I don’t want to impose on you.”

Maya shook her head. “You won’t be, and all this will be private. It will only be between us, Misato, the commander, and Ritsuko. No one else will know.”

Mari looked up, wiping her tears away. “Okay.”

Maya looked around her. “Maybe we should get out of here.”

Mari moved her hand to the console, pulling her card reader out along with her card, which instantly reset the simulator. She pressed the button, ending it and causing it to lower. She watched as both doors opened and Hinata instantly appeared with utter rage in his eyes as she stepped out followed by Maya.

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“You just hacked my simulator didn’t you, to avoid paying? And to top it off, your reckless stupid actions nearly damaged it!” He pointed his finger at her. “Why can’t you just be like your younger sister and blow shit up on the zombie simulator on the other level instead of hacking my expensive hardware?!”

Maya turned slowly to him; she wasn’t in the mood for this. She spoke coldly. “I asked her to do it.”

Hinata blinked in shock. “What why?!”

Maya folded her arms. “Private patient confidentiality; it was not for others to hear.”

Hinata eyed her. “Who the hell are you, you don’t have that authority!”

Maya eyed him. “I’m Maya Ibuki, head of the science division and one of the main bridge crew, as well as the colonel’s helper along with Ryoji Kaji, so I have every authority since the pilots’ welfare is part of my job!” She watched as his face slowly turned white as he swallowed only to bow instantly.

“My deepest apologies, Maya.”

Maya raised an eyebrow. “It’s Miss Ibuki to you.” She turned to Mari. “Now if you’ll excuse me, we have to go. Mari will pay you on her next session.”

Mari blinked. She had been about to say it was all her fault; now she was just stunned.

Maya walked forward. “Come on Mari, how’s about we get something to eat.” Mari half stumbled, moving forward, following her, ignoring the general staff’s surprise at it all. She almost felt bad leaving Hinata in that bowed position, but right now she just wanted out of here.

8

Vitor breathed in deeply as he entered his science room. He watched as Salome flew over and landed on his shoulder. He moved his hand up, stroking her head. “Well that could have gone better.”

Chilam smiled as her mini mass Evangelions flew out landed on her shoulders, cuddling up. “What did that Mexican woman say to Ritsuko?”

Vitor smirked. “Go fuck yourself, that’s what my ear reader read at least.” He put his hands together. “If I see her again, I’ve got to ask her out. Nothing turns me on more than a woman who tells it like it is.”

Chilam smirked. “Well, at least you have a type.”

Vitor pulled on his lab coat. “Oh, and what’s your type?”

Chilam breathed in, pulling on her lab coat. “I’m not into that right now. Just not my thing. I want to work up the career ladder.”

Vitor raised an eyebrow. “Ah yes, I’ve been there, many years ago. I wish you luck on that.” He paused. “How the hell are we even going to do what they asked of us, where do we even start?”

Chilam breathed in deeply, walking over to wall and typing into it. “You’re good at making things, how’s about we do the opposite and take them apart? They said blood samples and DNA revealed nothing, right? So let’s do a living hologram simulation.”

Vitor blinked. “I’ve heard of that. Isn’t it a new coding that makes the projection’s whole internal body behave alive, but it’s not body parts; it’s the whole body, but it’s not living, just imitating. The hologram feels nothing, it’s pure projection.”

Chilam watched as four round platforms rose in the middle of the room. “Yes, they just recently installed it and they were using it in my lab in Canada.”

Vitor breathed in as he began to type into his holographic panel. “Copying Asuka’s whole body to the platform. Now the Magi should build the complete body. Also uploading other pilots in case so we need to flip them up. Okay, building right now based on last full body scan, which was after Bardiel was kicked out.” He watched as the hologram appeared, clothed and semi see-through much like the body part projections. He moved over to it, walking around it, eyeing the teeth and glowing neon blue eye. “Such a fucking beast this one…. check out the cutting blades she has for teeth.”

Chilam eyed the razor-sharp teeth. “Yeah, they tested the bite force on them in this form in a simulation, as Asuka didn’t want the biting device in her mouth, and it’s believed they bite at two hundred and sixty eight PSI; close to a leopard’s bite, which is around three hundred PSI. Basically if you got your fingers or hand too close to that, it wouldn’t end well for you.”

Vitor breathed in deeply. “So we have to strip this body back layer by layer till we find something the other science teams missed.”

Chilam breathed in deeply. “I can put the projection in realistic mode if you want, with realistic blood and body parts.”

Vitor raised his hand sharply, speaking with more force than intended. “No!” He paused, watching as she looked up. “I would prefer not to. I don’t enjoy that kind of simulation anymore. Before Ouroboros it was fine, but not anymore.”

Chilam walked over to him. “Look, I know we don’t see eye to eye, but I saw that that footage really bothered you in the briefing. The others didn’t see it, but I did. I saw it in your eyes.”

Vitor breathed in. He had hoped no one would notice, but she had. He breathed in deeply. “I don’t enjoy watching that kind of violence, not after being stuck in a place with real people who do that. I still have nightmares about it, but Maya knows that and right now I’m just not ready for therapy. I need more time to sort out my thoughts.” He paused, eyeing her. “For someone who eats sandwiches while watching intense human violence, you’re very perceptive.”

Chilam moved over to the simulation. “Well, if you and I are going to work together, we need to at least be on a level.”

Vitor looked at her as he pulled up a mini device which would enable him to touch the semi solid hologram. “So let’s start on this. Let’s unclothe her and let’s skin her yard by yard, revealing all the muscle and skull and eyes.” He paused for a moment, tapping the jaws and slowly easing them open wide. “Let’s see where this force of nature gets her mean fucking overbite and glowing eye and massive strength from.”

Chilam breathed in. “Yeah and if we find anything, we’ll check the others to see if they match; the answer has to be here somewhere.”

8

They have moved me downwards. I can now see Asuka from the window, though only for a while as she was lit up in bright light. I could see this old woman talking to her along with Christopher and Achika, but I couldn’t hear what they were saying. She’s in this metal chair where she can’t move.

It was awful to watch and I felt so powerless. Now I’m searching this room for a way out; there has to be one in this hanging prison other than the opening bridge that connects with it and appears to lower and rise when it does. I wish I’d not taken the lessons about getting out of these situations as something that wasn’t serious during Nerv’s special training or something that wasn’t about me, because clearly I was wrong, and now this has happened to me, and it feels like I’m on edge now, and it’s so hard to sleep or eat. “Please stop trying to find a way out. There isn’t one and we have cameras all over this room.”

Rei watched as the huge metal door opened as an old woman walked in, she instantly recognised her due to her robotic left hand. She watched as the metal door closed behind the woman, who smiled as she seated herself at the round dining table.

“Please sit.”

Rei looked at her, moving slowly towards the table and seating herself. “What do you want?”

Gabriella eyed the young woman whose cold expression was staring into her unwavering. “Since we have not been introduced, I’m the one they call Pharaoh. I’m in charge.”

Rei tensed, eyeing her. “So you are Ankh.”

Gabriella breathed in deeply. “Yes, not that it matters that you know, as my granddaughter has already told you that. Nerv is probably looking in the wrong place now.” She eyed the clothes which the young woman had now dressed in, which were jeans and a plain t-shirt with shoes and socks. “I do hope the clothes are to the right fit.”

Rei eyed her. “They are adequate, though not to my personal taste.”

Gabriella eyed the window before turning back to her. “I’m here because your lover is refusing to eat. She won’t take food from us, which means we now have to use you.” She eased up her robotic hand, eyeing it. “Seems although we don’t want you here, you might be useful in the long run. Soon you’ll be brought to her, since she would only trust your hand over ours.”

Rei looked at her suddenly, feeling the anger burn before she could stop. “I saw what you’re doing to her, you’re tying her to that metal chair, treating her like some kind of animal!”

Gabriella looked up slightly, watching as the young woman’s eyes suddenly changed from their pure green to a burning, glowing red. They weren’t the only thing to go; so did her teeth. Though not as extreme as Asuka’s, they were a parallel match.

She felt her smile widen, though it was more wonder than anything else, more because it answered a question that she had been wondering ever since Asuka had chosen this woman for her lover, as she couldn’t quite understand the appeal. “My, my, so you have razor teeth and glowing eyes too, how impressive, though I’m going to assume unlike your lover you’re not going to bite me with those teeth? As she bit someone very hard and did a lot of damage to them.”

Rei stopped. She eased up her hand, putting it on her teeth feeling the points. Though she really didn’t know how she triggered them, maybe it was anger and the stress of this situation. She sat back down. “No, I won’t bite you, but I don’t blame her for doing the same!”

Gabriella felt a smug smile form. “Let me be clear, because I feel that maybe you don’t understand. She has to go through this pain and suffering. It will help her become a god of destruction. That is her destiny. She must suffer to be reborn.” She eased out a document from her pocket that was a copy of one of Seele’s Dead Sea scrolls, placing it in front of her so she could see the sketch of some kind of dark figure drawn in black ink with demonic horns and huge clawed hands, but it was very hard to make out. “Seele wrote this. It’s already been foretold she has destroyed this world once when her unit became a destroyer god.”

She paused, seeing the unreadable expression on the young woman’s face. “Help her obtain her goal. Help her become her destiny.” She leaned closer. “You are so privileged. You alone got to make love to this death god in human form. She loves you above all others and she is the beginning of the end. Her place is to take the two dead Lances of Longinus and breathe life into them and bring order to this world once more though human instrumentality.”

She eyed the document written in ancient Hebrew. “When the religious texts of all religions talk about the first destruction of this earth through gods and the end of days, they are speaking of your lover, but these Dead Sea Scrolls though, talk about her directly unlike the other ancient texts.”

She turned the document slightly, looking the text as she read it. “So I looked up the face of destruction of all men and women in the darkness. I saw the god demon arise in the night, the thing that was both creature of metal and the condemner of death. I watched the seas boil and turn to blood and the skies turn to darkness and lightening as the volcanoes blew out fire and lava.

I watched the light spires rise to the heavens and pierce them along with the gates of hell. I watched as a red-haired girl child whose body was broken soared as a god of death to the moon and stars and I watched the souls of all be taken in the breaking of the longest night as spikes of light transverse the heavens and stars as the death god fell to earth in blazing firelight.”

Gabriella turned slightly. “This was written after the end of the world. You see, there is a price and consequences. When you destroy the world with human instrumentality, you in essence reset it and maybe time itself, but people are starting to remember past versions of this world in dreams and visions.” She watched as Rei’s glowing eyes scanned the document. “We don’t want to destroy this world, we just want to own her power and for her to grant it to us willingly. Then you can live out your lives together happy. We can ensure that. I mean, don’t lie to me or pretend you have not thought about marriage and children with her; it’s what you do when you love someone with all your heart, and I know you love her. I can see it in your eyes.”

She eyed the other woman, whose face was still unreadable as the glowing red eyes stared into her own. “And looking at you now, I think I understand something else I didn’t before. You have the same gifts as her, just not her incredible strength, but you’re still a parallel opposite. It’s clearly how you control her.”

Rei stood up. Walking away from the table turning her back on the older woman, she took in a deep breath, hating the frustration she was feeling. They were all insane and this was just not real. Maybe it was time to play to their delusions. Maybe it would help Asuka and give her a chance to find a way out. About this place, she was convinced now that it wasn’t a boat but something else, because it creaked oddly and she’d felt the sensation of it sinking, so it could be a submarine. She let out a long slow deep breath. “Let me feed her.”

Gabriella felt a coy smile form. “I knew you’d be the smart one and understand us, Rei Ayanami.”

8

Misato made her way slowly towards the cells with Kaji. These cells were in the lower levels and only for maximum security prisoners. She turned, watching as the special ops guard stood up tall as she came towards the cell which had Rosetta and Antonio in. Kyo was also with her, but he was there more because she might need him to scare the shit out of them if they did not comply. She watched as the guard opened the cell door. The cell was in essence a box with four barred windows and only one door inside, and each cell was separate from the others to avoid prisoners talking to each other. The inner window bars were electrified as well to stop people touching them.

Misato breathed in, watching as both celebrities looked up almost with relief at the sight of her. She heard the door close behind her as it was locked. She folded her arms slowly, raising Rei’s phone so they could both see it. “You know you two better have the story of your lifetime or I’m going to leave you both down here to rot!” She moved forward, grabbing a chair turning it the other way around as she sat on it right in front of them. “Because my team in the intelligence division spent all night putting footage together to find out what happened to Rei and Asuka and we know for a fact Asuka was taken, but what happened to Rei is still sketchy. We know she was taken as well, but not when.”

She paused before speaking coldly as she slammed the phone down on the table in front of them. “You better start talking right now or I am going have that special ops guy back there, the one who captured you, really give you a really bad day. Not to mention, you had Rei’s phone and both of their pistols which we’ve confiscated from you.”

Kaji turned, looking at Kyo. Apparently this was all meant to be for show, but right now it didn’t feel like it. He raised his tablet, getting ready to write everything down. Clearly his girlfriend was on a warpath today.

Claude swallowed looking at her. “We can explain everything, Major.”

Misato felt a cold sneer form. “It’s Colonel now; they promoted me!”

Rosetta breathed in deeply. “Rei Ayanami tried to save everyone. She blew out the lights with her gun and gave us all a chance to escape and we helped her to open the building’s doors, but it was too late; hundreds of people died.”

Misato eyed them, leaning closer. “What happened to Rei?”

Antonio looked up slightly. “The men, they came and took her. This one man broke her nose after she shot him in the foot, and then the others took her away, but not before one of them hit him as it was made clear that he wasn’t meant to touch her in any way.” He paused. “They gave her a sedative, but not before shooting us.”

Misato raised her hand. “Hundreds of people are dead, including Nicolai Gedda and Claude Rains. They were opposite you on Asuka and Rei’s table. There were bulletins out to find you, yet you sat in that five star hotel saying nothing, why!?”

Antonio fumbled around in his torn suit, pulling out a data card. “Because we saw something. One who we thought was dead. I was asking my contacts in Hollywood if they could send a picture of her. She was waiting by these food vans and I saw her put Asuka and Rei inside.”

Misato eyed the data card. She moved over to the slot, pushing it in watching as multiple holograms shot up showing pictures of a young woman with dark hair. “Who is this?”

Rosetta swallowed. “You don’t know?”

Misato eyed the image. “No. Humour me.”

Rosetta raised her hand. “That is the Hyena of Vasai. She was thought to have been killed in the Ukrainian civil war, which the French, Germans, and English got dragged into. It was thought that she died years ago and was killed by a German special ops solider, but there’s a rumour that she survived and only lost part of her arm.”

Antonio eyed the picture. “This isn’t anything to do with Gryphon. The Hyena of Vasai is no petty killer; she’s a mass murderer and psychopath who has gunned down unarmed men, women, and children. They believe she was born in Vasai in India and grew up a street urchin, but once she came of age she became massively ruthless.”

He raised his hand. “She rose from gang leader to military leader to mass murderer and they say she’s still alive. Her name is Gabriella Adelardo. It’s unclear if that is her real name, as it sounds Spanish, though rumour is her mother was a Spanish tourist. Who her dad is, no one knows.”

Misato eyed the image. “So you’re saying you saw her?”

Rosetta nodded. “Yes, but she looked way older. That’s why we both hid for so long; she’s a trained killer and we were afraid to show ourselves, because we don’t know if she saw us.” She breathed in deeply. “There is a rumour that she has allies in every country and she has been trying to corrupt and blackmail people in positions of power, and that she was seen in France three months ago.”

Antonio looked up slightly. “I heard the same rumour that she is poking around in Hollywood elite parties for allies, and that she was seen in the US five months ago. It’s like she wants powerful people to fund something she up to, and she is not someone you want to mess with. I’m sure every single person she targeted said yes.” He raised his hand. “That’s why we believe that aggressive fucker who beat up Asuka beat up Ryo first. We believe he said no to her demands, so she sent in that vile, violent brick wall of a man to do her dirty work. That guy was terrifying and so was the weirdo who looked like Mari, she really creeped me out.”

Misato felt her anger start to fade. “Where were those food vans headed?”

Rosetta breathed in deeply. “Away from Tokyo Three towards the old Tokyo ruins, the one they haven’t fixed yet unlike the other district on the opposite side, which Oculus has made habitable. We didn’t get it though, as there is no dock in that direction and no boats other than the Oculus crew ever go there. We assumed that maybe they had a base in the ruins.”

Misato slowly stood up. “I believe I may have misjudged you; I thought you were running like cowards, but it’s clear you had a reason.” She turned slightly. “Kyo, send a group of your best men and women to the ruins and send a message to both sections of the intelligence to find the footage where Asuka and Rei were put in the food vans, but most of all I want a shot of this woman they’re talking about. I want to see if she matches the other footage from Greece.”

Kyo nodded calmly. “Yes Colonel.”

Misato breathed in deeply, looking at them both. “I believe I owe you an apology. I thought you were being cowards.” She pointed at Rosetta. “And you have history with two of my pilots and neither of them liked you much, relationship-wise.”

Rosetta eyed her. “I am many things and have done many things that I’m not proud of, Colonel, but I have nothing but the utmost respect for Rei and Asuka. My past with both of them aside, what they did for all of us was incredibly brave. Asuka was willing to bleed so we could live, and Rei put herself on the line to open all the doors. I don’t know why they wanted Asuka or Rei, but I see nothing good coming out of it, if the Hyena of Vasai has anything to do with it.”

Kaji moved forward, eyeing them both. “If you follow me, I’ll take you both to guest rooms and have the medical staff check your wounds, then Nerv will transport you both to your countries of origin and tell them that you’re fine.”

Antonio shook his head. “No, I don’t wish to return to Hollywood right now. I heard the other movie stars like me are dead. I knew those people and don’t want to face the press right now. I knew Claude Rains; guy was a total jerk-off, but he didn’t deserve to die.”

Rosetta looked at him. “Same here, I don’t want to face the press in Paris. The other designers are dead, and so is Nicolai Gedda, and he was deeply loved in my country.”

Misato breathed in deeply. “I could send you to one of our divisions in Mexico; it’s very quiet down there, and it’s a very well-protected place. Just until you’ve collected your thoughts, then they can send you home when you’re ready.”

Antonio nodded. “Yes, I would prefer that.”

Rosetta nodded as she looked up. “Yeah, I think that would be for the best Colonel, and don’t worry; when we return, we won’t talk about what happened. We know the rule about Nerv security, and we don’t hold a grudge for this incident; we realize how it looked to outsiders.”

Antonio put his hands together. “I just hope you find who did this and kill the Hyena of Vasai while you’re at it.”

End of part 27

Silvermoonlight