LEVIATHAN IN THE MIST

Maya looked up eyeing her read outs. "Asuka is unconscious and unit 02 has powered down." She paused before speaking unable to keep the shock out of her voice. "She survived that fall and I have no idea how…even her unit is still fully intact. We know that Shinji once fell from sixty kilometres three years ago and the impact broke the top half of 01's crest horn off but we were told that Evangelion's couldn't survive hundred kilometre drops intact and that the impact would destroy them."

A media shot flew up showing 02 as it collided directly with the Uluru Mountains top from a tourist's phone camera before it crashed down on to the forest floor below the impact causing masses of dirt to fly up surrounding the mountain in a red dust cloud. "She's at Uluru." Kaji typed faster. "I'm administering emergency pain killers through LCL, I'm not reading any bone breaks or fractures on her body but she did experience intense pain and has strained her back muscles from the impact."

Misato pressed the speaker. "Wake up Asuka!" She could see her on the screen but she was in partial darkness and didn't respond. She turned to the other screen pressing the button so Shinji and Kaworu could hear her. "There's been an attack on unit 02 and unit 00 you need to leave Sidney right now and head for Uluru, Asuka's unconscious!" Shinji spoke his voice filled with shock. "Where's Rei?!"

Misato eyed him she could still see Rei falling through she had managed to fully right herself now and was slowing her decent. "She's coming down now near New Zealand’s coast, Asuka saved her life!"

Rei grabbed her controls pulling with all her might as she forced her legs up opening her wings fully as she came down hard colliding with the sea causing a massive wave to crash up against the shore. She turned seeing a movie film crew up on the hill above her staring down at her slack jawed she looked around realized why, she had just sent one of their ancient Greek trireme prop ships crashing into the shore when she had landed.

She walked over to it carefully picking it up before placing it down close to the others props which were lower down the hill on trucks she looked at the filming crew as she turning on her speaker so they could hear her as she spoke hoping that her English sounded correct as she didn't speak it that often. "I'm really sorry!" She watched as a guy who had to be director walked up to the hill side as he spoke using his microphone. "It's no problem can we use your shot? We'll just over lay it with a CGI god it'll be really cool they'll love it back over in Hollywood!" Rei rolled her eyes. "Sure."

She turned jumping into the air getting air born again as she spoke to Misato. "I'm safe I just crashed down on New Zealand's coast." Misato's face came up. "You need to get to Uluru now! Asuka unconscious and something is tailing her it hasn't landed yet but it's going to land any minute now!" Rei grabbed her controls. "I'm coming as fast as I can!" She felt her heart beat go faster as she made her wings pound harder as she started to really pick up speed.

Misato eyed the news feed which was now direct as there were media helicopters and planes flying over 02 which was lying on its back one leg lying against the mountain the clawed foot sticking upwards while the other leg was bent. While the clawed hands were spread and arms were outwards the mouth was wide open and the tongue was drooping out and unmoving even from here she could see that at least two of the lenses were cracked on the left side and the face plate on that side also looked damaged. She looked up seeing the media's press camera's turn to the mountain as something massive crashed down directly on top of it causing more dust to fly up.

Huge long armoured four clawed hands broke through the red mist followed by a huge head which had a massive long upper and lower jaw which was covered in curved sharp plating the mouth had pure bone teeth but no living gums there was a long living tongue though while the eyes were covered by glowing purple glass lenses. A huge armoured body followed all of it plated in crimson red and dark blue there were huge over lapping shoulder armour sections one of which had a huge rotating rocket launcher attached. Its massive barrel like chest was covered in armour while the huge back hind legs were animal like and only had four clawed toes. Every section was plated in armour and it was absolutely huge twice the size of an Evangelion and it share size meant that it sat on Uluru taking up a huge part of the mountain as the dust began to clear as it's huge bat like wings each folded into a wing case as it had one on each side to house a single wing.

Shigeru looked down as the alarms went off all around them. "I'm reading angel but that's impossible!" Maya looked up blinking in horror. "That's not an angel look at it, it's been engineered!" Makoto looked up. "I'm reading similar readings to Sachiel but Sachiel is dead we killed him years ago, Shinji even ate his S² engine!"

Misato watched as the huge being began to move down the mountain towards 02 its huge hand coming up as it came to stand over it so it was looking down. "Wait look at the shoulders and back between those wing cases!" Maya blinked as she looked up in shock. "I see it, is that a double pilot system?" Misato watched as Ritsuko and Gendo suddenly came running in through the doors above, it was very rarely that she saw Gendo shocked by anything but he looked shocked right now and so did Ritsuko.

The huge clawed fingers moved as it grabbed 02's mid section picking it up looking at it curiously almost treating it like a large fallen toy as it held it with both hands. "This is not an Evangelion can someone explain to me what the fuck this is?!" Maya watched as the Magi system suddenly came up on the big screen opposite. "The four Magi personalities are reading this an engineered angel complete with two sectioned piloting system through Casper and Hypatia are arguing that the premise being absurd while Melchior and Agnodice have no comment to add."

Misato turned sharply as the adenine kicked in causing her to tense. "Wake Asuka up now do anyway you can, even if it means pissing of Bardiel!" Maya breathed in deeply. "I can shock her but it will have to be very low level through her plug suit." She pressed her holographic screen watching as Asuka's face remained unmoving as she shocked her.

A female voice suddenly came over the speaker as whoever was piloting the angel abomination spoke on an outward speaker loud enough for everyone to hear including the press. "Well, well it's been a while Asuka Langley Soryu, do you remember me?" Another voice hit the air which was male and sounded young. "I think you knocked her out." The female voice came again as the hands shook 02 violently. "Come on you piece of shit wake up, I want to see your face when you die!"

Asuka groaned her head was spinning she felt her good eye slowly open as she looked up realizing that she being hung in the air and that a huge metal monstrous face was staring down at her filled with bone teeth. The living tongue suddenly came out licking her unit's face the sensation was awful it felt like being rubbed with sandpaper. "Let me go!"

She started to struggle violently grabbing her controls trying to get loose only to feel the sudden crushing sensation on her stomach which was agonizing as a voice hit the air over the speaker. "Don't squirm now little kitty, I want to rip your fucking head off its shoulders!" There was a long pause. "I mean if I had a big enough bag I'd shove you in it and drown you out at sea, you know like they used to do in the old world with kittens they didn't want."

Asuka looked up sharply she knew that voice! She turned only for the crushing to get harder which made her feel sick. "Hikari!" The voice came again. "Ah that's good you remember me! Guess our night together really stuck in your memory." Asuka felt the anger start to burn before as she started to violently yank her controls trying to get her unit free. "You ruined my life you freckle faced bitch!"

Hikari laughed. "Oh and where was that rage on the night when I tried to sleep with you? God you were such a wash out frankly I've never been into women but I expected more from you than some lame shit about being uncomfortable about domination and violence, it was so fucking pathetic that I had to walk out clearly sex with you just wasn't worth the time and effort!" She paused before speaking in cold evil tone. "I will say this though it was great watching you career crash and burn and seeing your life fall apart was amazing, also the money Nerv paid me was fantastic. So now you know what rejection feels like and how I felt in Germany when I was told I'd never be an Evangelion pilot, 02 should have been mine!"

Asuka felt her good eye dart as the other woman's words sank and a memory flashed through her mind of being stood over by a young girl with freckles and two pony tails who was laughing as she held up her red monkey toy baiting her with it as two of the other children behind her laughed along with her. "Oh so now the truth finally comes out, you're one of the German programs children funny now I remember you and even when we were kids you were cruel you used to pick on me, push me around and steal my toys." She felt a sneer form. "So now you've opted for a bargain bucket Evangelion, so I guess only rejects get picked to pilot ugly scheisse!"

Hikari spoke again her tone filled with anger. "It's not an Evangelion its better than an Evangelion its pure angel it's stronger and meaner than your little piece of shit!" She breathed in deeply. "Ouroboros will bring this world back to order!" The male voice hit the air filled with defiance and anger. "Nerv changed the order, Nerv abounded its principles of human instrumentality and Seele's remaining six members are pitiful and weak!"

He breathed in speaking evenly. "They want the cycle to complete naturally and defeat the angels without causing the true impact event they are denying us heaven and we have the right to heaven!" There was a long pause. "So we will see heaven and we will get rid of you to obtain it, because it is our right!" He spoke again punctuating every word. "Look up our true angel Bukavac, our true savour of god and weep in his graces, before you die!"

Asuka laughed enjoying the mocking sound of her own laugher. "Do you religious idiots always monologue? Because you're so verfickt boring." Hikari's voice came again filled with sarcasm. "Say's the dumb bitch wearing a Buddhist Endless knot symbol around her neck which symbolizes death and rebirth!" Her voice came again but the tone was dry and cold. "By the way how's your little fuck buddy Rei? Because when I'm done with you, I'm going to rip out her entry plug and eat it!" Asuka felt the rage start it wasn't like before, no this time it was different it had a really violent edge.

She felt the sudden warm sensation as her left eye ignited and her molars all lengthen at once as she screamed at the screen going for the massive face clawing at it trying to rip apart anything she could dig her units claws into no longer caring that her middle was being crushed as she used the huge feet claws in the same way as her unit started to roar with rage.

Shinji slammed down to earth hard pulling unit 01's gun free as the flying wing hovered close by he could see Asuka now trying to tear this angels face off despite that it wouldn't let her go. He'd heard everything that had been said and he didn't think as he started to fire his units machine gun watching as its bullets smashed against the huge metal body as Kaworu's unit remained airborne as he raised his own gun firing as he tried to aim for the arm in the hope that it would allow Asuka to get free. "It has no AT field that makes no sense!"

Maya's voice hit the air. "Yes it has its currently being disrupted though, it's like something's cancelling it out." Shinji fired his gun watched as red blood sprayed free from the huge beast back as it turned to them raised a huge hand as a massive long bone like structure flew up from the wrist, he knew just what it was it was the weapon Sachiel had used to crack his units face plate open. "Is it Asuka?" He felt his eyes dart. "I mean is it because of Bardiel?" Maya's voice came again filled with uncertainty. "We don't know!"

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He watched as the huge being stood up on its hind legs just as Asuka ripped off a huge chunk of its face plate sending it flying as her unit left tail shot up as she rammed it straight into the monsters open mouth firing off a volley of rockets from the turret gun watching as it blasted into flames causing its whole head to go back as it roared in agony. The next moment's caught him by surprise as the heard the sound barrier break some way off in distance only for 00 to come flying in like a rocket straight over his units head as it smashed into the massive angel throwing it completely off its feet.

The massive clawed hand let go off Asuka who was thrown through the air only to come crashing down close by before she flipped herself right side up staying on all fours as she fired her second volley from the tail only for it to smash against an AT field she flicked her other tail up watching as the knife extension shot out.

Rei landed on her other side in 00 as the huge monster rose up getting back on its feet its mouth was still on fire. "Can someone over at Nerv please get me my verfickte big gun is so I can do my job? I have no weapons here!" Rei watched as the flying wing dropped a rifle next to her it was Kaworu's she grabbed it getting ready to fire. She could see the Australian military fighter jets and bombers flying in along with Imperia, who was about to be air dropped as it readied its huge loaded guns.

All of them started taking shots which blew up as the bounced across the AT field causing balls of fire and flames to fire up which only increased as Imperia landed hard nearby and started to fire all of its turret guns. Misato's voice came over the com. "Asuka I need you to get close to that thing again you were disputing it's AT field before it let you go!" Asuka eyed her screen blinking in confusion. "But that's not my job I'm meant to send in opposing fire for Rei, Shinji and Kaworu so they can destroy angels!"

She turned suddenly feeling nervous. "That's how it's always been…." Misato voice came again even more forceful. "You have to do this!" Asuka breathed in deeply only for Misato's voice to hit the air filled with rage. "Get out there now Asuka!" She turned running her unit forward on all fours as the other units got closer. "Okay I'm going!"

Since when was she ever sent up front? She was no good up front the battle with Shamshel had proven that she wasn't cut out for it and that the others were better than her. She was just the volley fire or the crazy last minute thinker and she had never killed an angel on her own she just wasn't as good as Shinji or Rei and Kaworu who had all dealt killer blows.

She raised her right tail shoving its blade in to the AT field only for blue and red waves to shoot out as it started to fade away in one section allowing the rockets and missiles to hit the body. Kaji's voice suddenly came over the speaker. "Get on that thing's shoulders Asuka!" Asuka turned sharply. "What?!" Misato voice came. "Jump on its shoulders, once you're on it the whole upper half of the AT field will drop and the others can shoot at its head and Shinji and the others can get in close and find out where this things core is!"

Asuka breathed in as she moved forward why were they sending her in she'd just screw it up like she did most things she watched the field fall as she walked through before leaping her unit onto the massive monster as she crawled up its back. She felt it shift violently as it tried to grab at her as the bullets really started to make there mark sending red blood all over the place.

She could see both Shinji and Rei moving in now as Kaworu started aiming higher up at the chest and head she forced her units claws into the lower shoulders as she got on top of them only for a weird sensation to hit her as Bardiel spoke. "Shower in the light of the gods supreme." Her hands moved on there own as she pressed the controls as both tail attachments were freed and she moved both tails back so they were above the double piloting system on both sides one on each side. She sensed the entry plugs protective plates opening as the tails flew downwards inserting in to them locking in to place above the entry plug.

The pain that hit her left eye was awful as she suddenly heard screaming inside from both pilots as she felt a barrage of emotions from the both of them. She could feel them all of there pain, fear and agony she yanked her right tail out of one side violently focusing the other on Hikari as she pulled her patch off because the pain was just so intense as she held on as the huge angel suddenly went crazy as its hands went to its head. She gritted her teeth as she spoke directly to Hikari feeling her aggression reach it full height. "You said I was a good person and that I deserved to be happy!"

She looked down sadly. "I thought when you said that, that maybe you loved me, that maybe you were the first person in ages who saw something worth while in me." She felt her good eye narrow. "It wasn't love though was it? It was cruelty and malice so let me show you pain, let me show misery let me show you how you made me feel these past three years!" She breathed in as all of her emotions collided outwards finding Hikari's mind causing her to scream even more.

She could now see there entry double pilot plug system in her left eye as if she was looking out of Hikari's eyes she could see the other young man opposite in glasses who was called Kensuke trying to do an emergency take off the panic in his face. "You know I used to be just like you Hikari, I used to think that everything was mine and it didn't matter who I hurt to get what I wanted but I learned that there are consequences when you act like a jacked up selfish asshole, so its time you verfickte learnt yours you evil little hure!" She pushed harder forcing her most painful emotions out as the huge wings suddenly opened around her with enough force to make her loose her grip as Rei rifle found it mark as it blew off part of the angels upper jaw while Shinji's gun blew the bottom jaw in half.

She freed the tail at the last moment as the monster took to the air and her unit collided hard with the ground she pulled her unit up onto all fours as forcing its head up hearing it let out a bellowing roar as Bukavac hit the speed of sound vanishing in the clouds above as the jet fighter and bombers followed it trying to keep up as they carried on firing, she stopped feeling the sting as her tears started to run free. She knew what she'd done was mean, cruel and very spiteful and she was probably going to face some sort of punishment back at head quarters for her actions. She picked up her fallen attachments putting them back in place.

Rei's face appeared on her screen filled with concern. "Asuka?" Asuka wiped her tears away. "I'm fine it's just my back it really hurts." She moved her unit slowly forward on its hind legs picking up one of the pulled off sections along with part of the broken jaw. "I assume you want these back at headquarters?" She heard no reply as she carefully stepping over Imperia looking for anything else that looked important. The Imperia walking robot spoke over the speaker in its digital voice which masked the pilot's voice and gender for security reasons. "You are crazy and very brave." Asuka eyed it turning her speaker on. "Leave me alone I'm working!"

She carried on looking around turning her voice back to private. "There has to be something better than this!" She breathed in feeling her frustration mount. "I should have pulled out its tongue that might have been verfickte useful!" She kicking a burnt up plate of metal out of the way with her units clawed foot, only to hear a massive crack as part of her units front face plate came off it came down smashing in to the red desert at her feet.

It was the section that housed the green eye protection which meant that half of the real face was now exposed including the two of the four eyes and she knew full well that Evangelion's looked as ugly as sin underneath so the press would probably have a field day with this. She put her unit in to a kneeling position just wanting to give up it wasn't like her day could get any worse.

Misato's voice hit the air filled with concern. "Shinji, Kaworu can you take those things from Asuka?" Rei watched as they took the things Asuka was holding. She walked over picking up 02's fallen face plate section as she kneeled down in front of Asuka's unit as she spoke on the private channel quietly and softly seeing the other woman's face appear on her screen. "You know unit 02 doesn't look so bad underneath, didn't know it had green eyes."

Asuka looked down that had to be a mistake she'd seen the face plate refitting after Shamshel had taken the head off because she'd had nothing to do. So she'd spent time in the bay watching them repair the damage which had taken ages to fix and it meant she hadn't been able to go out with the others at the time. Though that had given her so much time to reflect on who she was as a human being and what she needed to do to change. "The iris is brown and the outer eye is orange."

Rei's voice came again. "No Asuka the iris is green and the outer eye is yellow." Rei shifted her unit a little closer ignoring the press helicopters which were watching them both very closely. "Can you fly?" Asuka stood up slowly opening her unit's wings seeing that a section had been burnt off though it wasn't the flight feathers. "Yes but they'll need to repair the damaged section when I get back." Rei opened her unit's wings. "Thank you, for saving my life." Asuka looked down sadly as she started to work her controls. "It's nothing really I've been hit by N2 missile's before its just pain." Shinji's face came up on her screen. "Yeah but that was brave Asuka, you saved my sisters life."

Asuka eyed him. "I'm not brave and I know any of you would have done the same for me." Kaworu's face appeared filled with confusion. "You doubt you're self worth so much why is that?" Asuka felt a sad smile form. "Because I know I'm only great at anything because of Bardiel, I doubt that AT field dropping had anything to do with me I don't have the talent or mental strength to make that kind of thing happen."

She paused as she started to flap her unit's wings hoping she could at least get airborne watching as everyone faces vanished. "I'll just never be on par with you guys but its okay I can live with that." Shinji turned looking at Rei on his screen as he changed his setting so only she could hear him. "Is she always like this?" Rei nodded sadly. "Yes, she thinks none of her accomplishments matter and she thinks that she's just not on par with you, me or Kaworu." Shinji leaned closer as they all took flight. "That's ridiculous did she not just see what she just did?"

Rei turned slightly. "I'm doing everything I can to change this, she is just so afraid of getting hurt now she won't risk things. I had to talk her into speaking to the Elysium gallery and it was the only thing she said that she wanted to do." She looked up meeting his uncertain gaze. "I get the issue with distrust at work I really do but as far as the outside world goes she just wants to stay out of sight."

Shinji eyed her. "Nerv has that recording now Rei, Hikari even admitted to it, Asuka can now be vindicated as innocent." Rei breathed in deeply. "No you don't understand that recording won't change anything unless, people attitudes change towards her and I mean really change, like they genuinely want to believe in her." She looked down sadly. "I know she's going to cry the moment we touch down or later when we are alone, she's probably even thinking that she will be punished for causing Hikari pain even though she deserved it because what she did to her ruined so much of her life."

Misato breathed in deeply as she seated herself she'd heard all of the pilot's conversations her gaze drifted to Ritsuko who had gone very quite, her face was unreadable. "I want you to reimburse Asuka that six months pay you docked her and I want it in her account by tonight!" Ritsuko folded her arms in annoyance. "Fine..." Misato turned to Kaji. "I want you to go to the room where the new employees I told you about are and I want you to create a full report showing Asuka's innocence using this footage and their findings and release it to the press and media world wide tonight."

Kaji looked at her as he leaned forward putting his hands together speaking calmly. "I can do that." Misato stood up watching the others do the same seeing that Gendo now looked very uncomfortable. "Well it would appear that we have a serious leak inside Nerv! Someone here is fucking screwing us over because we collected all of the dead angel parts and we keep them in ice storage in the same place we build the Evangelion's so clearly some one has been helped Ouroboros to build that thing by stealing samples!" She raised her hand. "Not to mention they have somehow worked out how to create the duel pilot system which we've never been able to create successfully."

Ritsuko spoke coldly. "Both myself and Gendo will be speaking directly to Seele with regards to this!" Gendo leaned forward stroking his beard. "Preparation will be made for this, Seele told us they didn't care for human instrumentality anymore." Misato eyed him as she folded her arms. "Yeah well either Seele is lying to us or we are missing something huge here, Seele says that they hate Ouroboros and always have."

Gendo looked at her. "If you have concerns regarding the truth then you will join us in the meeting through you are not permitted to speak of what you see or hear beyond the void." He breathed in deeply. "Kaji will escort you as Seele's Black Guard do not take well to new people therefore an old familiar face will break the ice."

End of part 42

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