RUNNING THE GAUNTLET

Rei yawned it was more boredom than anything else why had Misato called them to suit up yet nothing was going on and now they were all standing in a line waiting she watched as Asuka stretched opposite why did she have this bad feeling about this?

Like she was going to pull some crazy thing on them all for training because she always did that when she had something insane going on and she was making them all wait just to add to the frustration.

Shinji looked down folding his arms looking at Kaworu. "She's going to run the diablo inferno simulation it's why she's making us wait." Mari turned sharply. "You can't be fucking serious? I hate that simulation I mean which asshole thought up that simulation anyway? It's horrible that demon they run has all of the angels powers and it's self-leaning and you have to deal with him along with hologram army it's a nightmare and the pain is real."

Toji tensed he had only run it with Mari in the training Beta unit he was yet to run it in 05 and even with all of 05's weapons and upgraded lashing tail he was dreading it because only Shinji and Kaworu had ever completed it and that was by the skin of their teeth.

Asuka stretched again. "So clearly you'll be running it then because she never asks me and my score on it is scheisse." Rei looked at her. "Thirty percent isn't bad Asuka." Asuka looked at her. "Rei even your score is higher than mine you have forty percent." Mari pushed up her glasses as she adjusted her black plug suits glove. "I have less than twenty percent so I can't comment."

Kaworu turned to Shinji. "It's just numbers it's the taking part that counts." Asuka looked at him for a long moment. "Yeah it's the whole taking part bit I'd rather miss." Mari looked at him. "If only the press thought like you Kaworu, unfortunately they don't to them it's a blood bath over whose fucking country is better due to the score."

She looked up as Misato appeared a self-satisfied smirk on her face as Kaji followed her. "I hate it when she smiles like that because you just know your fucking screwed." Asuka tensed seeing the smile which she knew meant they were all in trouble. "No verfickte kidding."

Misato looked at all them they were standing in a neat little line just as she asked all dressed up and ready to go. Even now as grown adults they still stood in the same formation Rei at one end Asuka next and Shinji after her and after him was Kaworu who was next to Mari and Toji who were standing opposite each other. "Well you might have guessed we are about to run the diablo inferno and the press above are biting at the bit as the countdown began thirty minutes ago."

They had brought up the big screen which was normally only put up for delegate displays and now a laughing oni icon was counting down and from what she heard everyone was packing out of the visitor centre and media centre roof was full of people watching and all the press helicopters who normally flew by during training were gathering some way from the training ground above to watch though two vertical flying wings were hovering keeping them from getting to close as they weren't allowed to fly over the field.

She walked down the line stopping next to Shinji because she wanted the others to think that he was going up with Kaworu. "So two of you will be going up and showing your skills to the world today so you'll have to be fast on your feet and ready." She took a sudden step in Asuka's direction. "Isn't that right Asuka?"

Asuka looked up sharply suddenly feeling very confused. "Yes." Misato leaned closer feeling her smile slowly widen. "Maya says it's your turn today Asuka and you'll be going up with Rei in a team exercise." Rei turned sharply. "What?" Asuka eyed Misato as she laughed though it was a really dry anxious laugh. "This is a joke right?"

Misato looked at her. "No Asuka it isn't." Asuka blinked. "Why would you even send me up here? You know my score is beyond pathetic." Misato eased up her tablet looking at it there was that self-worth and low self-esteem talking again but Maya had said that it would take Asuka time to get over this despite that she was doing therapy once a week with Rei she'd made it very clear that it wasn't going to be an overnight thing as it was very deep rooted and had been there for a number of years and like Shinji it might take some years to heal.

"Maya stated that the last time you took the test with Mari which was six months ago you had the start of depression and your drinking bottle was being laced with drugs and we didn't know about it hence your results were probably all wrong hence you need retesting." She turned seeing the uncertainty in Asuka's good eye. "You defeated Bardiel all on your own and ate him alive I don't know what you're worried about."

Asuka looked up meeting her brown eyes. "This is so stupid." Misato turned stepping in front of Rei. "Rei would you kindly escort your girlfriend to 02 though this time could kindly you not tease her sexually before you put her in like you did at last night's dinner table?" Rei eyed her suddenly feeling annoyed so she'd done that so what?

She took Asuka's hand seeing her stare daggers in Misato's direction she spoke not caring how dry her tone was. "Oh I'm sorry that bothered you but you sticking Ryo opposite us bothered me because he's repulsive and vile and I wanted to leave early and Asuka really didn't mind she was bored."

Misato blinked in shock seriously since when had Rei become so dry and sassy? She turned seeing Kaji smirk while Mari laughed she took in a deep breath. "Would you both just move the simulation starts in fifteen minutes?!" Asuka felt a sneer form. "So that's an order then?" Misato eased up her hand she couldn't believe she had to do this, talk about difficult couple. "Yes get in your Evangelion's!"

Kaji turned watching as they left. "Maybe bringing up the whole thing about what happened under the table wasn't the best idea." Misato ignored him as she turned eyeing Mari who was still finding this funny along with Toji while Shinji was trying desperately to keep a straight face. "Don't laugh because after this you’re all having training drills the hard ones!"

She turned pointing at Mari. "Also once you've completed your medication with Maya you're doing the diablo inferno simulation as well with Toji because your results were also messed up because of the drugs and your alcohol level."

Mari rolled her eyes. "You can't be fucking serious?" Misato shook her head, there were moments she swore when Mari was so like Asuka even though they were step sisters they really picked up on each other behaviour and it was really annoying. "I thought you'd be happy since your Evangelion is now enhanced along with Shinji's, Rei's and your younger sisters."

Mari looked up. "Like that will make any difference the simulation is meant to be unbeatable it's like some bad sci-fi movies joke where the captain of the star ship can't win and he or she is then told that this is the point of the exercise to lose as its builds character."

Toji turned sharply. "Wait I watched that film didn't the person hack the simulation because it was only way to win?" Misato folded her arms. "Don't you even think about hacking the diablo inferno Mari and it’s not unbeatable Shinji and Kaworu have done it." Shinji leaned over. "Yes we have but we think we just got lucky, I mean we'd done it hundreds of times before and failed Mari's right it's the almost unbeatable scenario." Mari felt a smile. "Plus the simulation demon what's his name?"

Toji looked up. "It's Chōjin." Mari turned back. "Chōjin is an asshole he laughs at you not to mention he's a demented fucker who is off putting." She breathed in deeply. "Whoever programmed him has a really twisted sense of humour, so no even with an enhanced Evangelion I feel unhappy with the whole idea, because you're always still destined to lose."

8

Asuka took in a deep breath watching as the countdown carried on as the Chōjin demon icon face carried on laughing behind her on the big viewing screen. She couldn't believe that, that asshole was programmed the same way as Anneberg her AI leaning personality who protected her computer system at home and all other things like her phone and digital scroll though she had been working to joint connect him to Rei's computer which was now in the computer room opposite hers.

She really needed to get upgrade her girlfriend's system for better gaming plus her VR helmet needed upgrading it wasn't outputting the sensations right Rei probably wouldn't like if she just changed it but her birthday was coming up next month maybe she could somehow pull it into being a present she was going to hit twenty three as she was the youngest of all of them while Mari was the oldest at twenty six.

The others including her were twenty three she turned as Misato's face appeared on her screen with that self-satisfied smirk on her face. "Make this look good for the press won't you both." Asuka didn't think as she eased up her fingers flipping her image off her holographic screen.

As she turned eyeing 00 which like her was on its hind legs waiting patiently as she spoke darkly. "Yeah I'm sure they'll love watching us getting our asses kicked around by an angel sized hologram that is a complete verfickte asshole." Rei's face appeared on her screen opposite and just like her she looked just as unimpressed as she spoke evenly. "Probably and where are all of our weapons?"

Misato's face suddenly appeared again as she smirking. "You both won't need them today, you’re running this simulation using your Evangelion's only since they both have teeth and claws and your tail knifes, have fun." Asuka watched as she vanished. "Oh this scheisse just gets better and better doesn't it?!"

This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.

She felt her teeth grind together as she spoke knowing they could hear over in the training ground building which was directly opposite. "I know you can hear me Maya! You and I will be speaking after this since this was your idea." Kaji's voice suddenly came over the com. "Actually it was mine you both have fun now."

Rei's face turned to pure annoyance as she spoke coldly her voice directed at Kaji. "You know Asuka won't be visiting your vegetable garden at all this week…so you won't get any help planting your vegetables and fruit."

She felt a sly smile form knowing this was wrong but she really didn't care. "You could rope Misato into it I've heard she loves manual labour." Misato's voice suddenly came back up filled with panic. "What…no I don't!"

Asuka felt a wide smile form suddenly getting where Rei was going with this they had fifty second left on the count down now and this would be worth all of it. "Yes she loves it really Kaji she's just shy, she's said how much she loves your vegetable garden and wants to be there, we've both heard her." She breathed in deeply. "You should give her a spade and have her work the ground you always told me and Shinji that it builds character."

Kaji turned giving Misato a smile. "You really like my garden, I had no idea we should go up there sometime you can help me plant some carrots." Maya leaned forward watching Misato's face turn pale this had clearly backfired on her in a way she wasn't expecting and Asuka and Rei were utterly enjoying it.

She looked over seeing Shigeru smiling while Sumire who was new just had a very strange look on her face like she had no idea what she'd walked into on her first day. Personally though she was sick of Misato saying she'd asked things of Asuka when she hadn't it was a kink in their new friendship she needed to fix and it was time she dealt with it on her own. "Yes Asuka's right she loves manual labour Kaji she'll be a great help."

She watched as the huge demon appeared in hologram form he towered over the Evangelion's he took up half the field he had three sets of horns and a mouth of teeth with clawed hands and feet and three huge tails which could change and fire out all manner of weapons fire some angel and some none around him were hologram tanks and all types of aircraft.

She looked up as both Rei and Asuka's faces turned deadly serious the others would be watching this from a screen bellow along with everyone at Nerv as this simulation was always shown on the Arcades massive screens along with delegate displays for serious battles. "Inferno diablo activated, pain threshold set to maximum!"

Asuka looked up as Chōjin's red and yellow eyes opened as he started to laugh as he spoke granted this was all for the press they could hear what this AI was saying as could they but she had already turned off her outward speaker as she had no interest in replying and had gone to private. "02 and 00, this would be a first."

There was a long pause. "How many years since they put you to together? Ah yes eight years ago." His huge feet collided with the ground as his long tongue came out licking the air. "This should be short and most sweet an affair then." His smile widened. "Feel the pain and agony."

Asuka rolled her eyes not thinking as she forced 02 on its hind legs grabbing the nearest firing hologram tank by its cannon throwing straight at him watching as it flew up smashing into his face causing him to roar in anger. "Verfickte shut up!"

Rei looked up feeling the pain as all of the hologram tanks and planes started firing she hated this simulation as much as Asuka who had grabbed the nearest vertical wing by its tail and had sent it smashing into another. She grabbed the nearest plane sending it smashing into the earth watching as Asuka brought up her secondary tail causing the retractable knife to fly out as she started to stab it anything near her feet.

Misato leaned over seeing that Rei was more behind as Asuka carried on tearing everything she could get her units hand on. "What's with Rei she not moving?" Kaji raised his hand. "Give her a moment she's just watching Asuka."

He watched as the demon raised his tail taking aim as rockets appeared at the end as he started to fire only for them to miss as the blue unit suddenly vaulted on all fours getting alongside 02 as it brought up its slicing tail section driving it into anything on the ground while taking out the jets with claws and teeth.

He smiled watching she was clearly picking this up fast she was mimicking which was what she needed to do as she still been using 00 like it had been in its old form and it was holding her back she needed to use her unit like Mari and Asuka did, because she just wasn't getting the potential out of it.

Asuka looked up only for her unit to be struck in the face with an N2 missile which blew up throwing her back she felt 02 hit the floor feeling the slight daze which passed by quickly yeah it hurt but the real thing hurt way more. She front flipped unit 02 back on its feet they weren't even close to the demon which just sucked.

She stood up only for two N2 rockets to hit her throwing her back blowing up she felt her good narrow this was starting to really piss her off. Rei turned hearing Asuka sudden scream of rage as her unit got up she could see that one of the demons tails was purposely following her girlfriend's movements because the simulation knew she hated N2 rockets.

She watched as one fired she leaned out her units hands last second as she smashed a tank aside with 00's tail dagger only to stop the huge missile mid-flight, she'd seen Shinji do this so there was no reason she couldn't. She turned the rockets around throwing it straight back watching as it hit the demons tail causing it to roar in agony as its tail was thrown in the wrong direction which caused it to come down blowing up half of the tanks below as its other tail raised as it started to fire like a machine gun.

Asuka looked down as the third tail started to come down trying to hit her sending tanks flying. She picked up a hologram jet throwing it at a vertical wing the tank army was all show. "Get up no to his tail!"

Rei turned sharply narrowly avoiding the other tail as it smashed down as the middle one carried on firing. "Asuka!" She watched as she leapt on to his tail close by only to suddenly click at what her idea was and it was crazy not that, that was much of a surprise, she leapt onto the other tail clawing her way up watching as Asuka did the same on the opposite side.

Misato turned. "Can they do that is it in the rules?" Kaji watched as they climbed higher both trying to get to the very ends which were firing weapons. "Yes they can it's not against the rules to climb the hologram." She leaned closer. "What are they trying to do I don't get it?"

Rei leaped up finally getting to the end seeing Asuka do the same she grabbed the end digging her units claws in hard hearing herself scream in anger which in turn caused her teeth turning the back molars to razors as the front canines lengthened on her upper and lower jaw it was a weird sensation and she could feel the sudden warmth in her eyes which meant they' were now glowing red.

She could see Asuka's left right eye igniting as her right turned green and her teeth did the same through her teeth were much more pronounced than hers. She looked down suddenly seeing the one thing that made this all worthwhile as the demon holograms face turned to panic as both of his tails were pointed at his own face as they fired hitting him over and over causing him to cry out in pain.

Asuka started to laugh not caring that it sounded sadistic. "Look at his poor pathetic face." Rei suddenly found herself laughing along though her laugh was just as sadistic. "Yeah almost makes you feel sorry for him!" Kaji eyed the score. "Score sixty percent and rising…" He looked up. "They both might actuality do this."

He looked up only to see the two tail suddenly come crashing down as the clawed hands came out grabbing both Evangelion's pulling them free before throwing them both half way across the training ground which had to hurt. Sumire shook her head. "Perhaps not today."

The demon simulation suddenly started to move which meant the sixty five percent score had been passed and now the final phase was starting. She watched as they both got up only to be smashed by the clawed hands which grabbed them both one in each hand as it started to pummel them into the ground as the tails came over firing all together at them. Maya looked up. "Stop the simulation!"

Misato raised her hand. "Just one more minute…." Maya eyed Asuka and Rei's which were showing real pain now as they were both now hemmed in and corned and it was difficult to see through the smoke. "No end the simulation the pain there experiencing is real remember?"

She looked up only for the demon to suddenly roar as one of his hands flew up which had 02 and 00 attached both of them were biting into the fingers while stabbing the tails into other fingers cutting in to them it shook it huge hands as fingers fell off disintegrating away causing him to let go completely causing both units to crash down to the floor. Misato looked up. "Okay, end the simulation now."

She watched as Kaji typed in causing the huge still screaming demon to fade he could see both unit sprawled out unmoving along with Rei and Asuka's face's they were both breathing hard now and feeling the pain.

Asuka groaned painfully. "Well that's not fair…I hadn't finished eating him." Rei laughed despite that it hurt to do so. "You and eating things, you just can't help yourself." She lay back in her entry plugs chair trying to ignore the fuzzy feeling which was a mixture of pain and adrenaline. "I swear it's weird how powerful the teeth make you feel."

Asuka eased out her tongue licking one of her canine teeth. "You get used to it after a while believe me." She sat back in her entry plug chair taking in deep breaths from her unit she could see the press helicopters off in the distance recording. "Think we gave them a good show?"

Rei moved her unit's eye seeing the helicopters. "Yeah I think there just confused as to why we aren't moving." Asuka breathed in deeply. "Trust me I can't stand right now but we might as well sit back to back, at least then they'll know that we are not unconscious." Rei took her controls pulling her unit up in to a sitting position watching as Asuka leaned up against it as she raised her first tail causing the retractable knife to come free hitting the floor close by. "I swear I want to soak for a long time in the hot tub after this."

Asuka looked down. "I will be joining you plus I want alcohol." She lay back closing her eyes feeling 02's tail move slowly and carefully over to 00's entry plug.

Rei looked up feeling an odd sensation go through her it wasn't pain or hurt it was warmth. "Asuka what are you doing?" Asuka felt a smile form though she didn't open her eyes. "Would you like to connect with me, I'm sure deep down you already know how."

Misato watched as 00's tail rose and the huge slicing dagger point which unlike 02's tail was not an add on but part of the real tail lowered revealing an end piece which looked just the same as 02's. "What's going on what does she mean connect?" She watched as the blue end moved towards 02's entry plug as Rei took in a deep breath closing her eyes. "Rei, Asuka, you both want to tell me what you're doing?"

Asuka felt the warmth flood in as she spoke calmly. "Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you." Rei breathed in again as a smiled formed on her lips. "I know you'd never hurt me." Maya looked up only to watch in shock as both ends came down over the entry plugs locking in.

She looked up as the monitors on both sides went crazy for a moment before everything became still. Misato leaned forward looking at them both, they had both gone still and were completely unmoving their eyes closed to the world and very relaxed. "Rei, Asuka!" Kaji looked up in utter confusion. "I've just lost all entry plug control in both units I can't eject either of them!"

End of part 8

Silvermoonlight