THE LONGEST NIGHT

Ritsuko smiled as she met Gendo's gaze. "I'm turning on the main power now." She pressed the buttons hearing the sound come on as Obrax began to power itself up slowly. It sounded like a thundering drum in how it pulsed sharply clearly Asuka could hear it because she looked up very slowly with unseeing eyes. Ritsuko pulled up the hologram screen slowly turning up the power half way watching carefully for any change. "Come on you bastard…leave."

She eased the power bar higher just in time to watch as several hologram screens came up showing brain and heart scans as Asuka's face suddenly changed showing pain as she started to struggle violently her eyes going wide as the left one's pattern started to spin and pulse going crazy.

Gendo looked up watching as Asuka struggled. "I assume this is normal?" Ritsuko turned to him. "Yes it's perfectly normal, don't worry she'll go through a lot of pain but it will force it out of her she'll either puke it out or it will find its way out via her nose." She raised the bar higher eyeing the brain scan noticing that it was active through and through but nothing was changing.

Maya looked up. "Shut it down can't you see it's not working!?" Ritsuko turned eyeing her. "Be quite!" She turned pushing the bar up as high as it could go which was followed by Asuka's intense screaming as she struggled even harder forcing both of her hands straps completely loose as her hands went to her head the light in her left eye getting brighter and spinning harder as she carried on screaming in agony.

The heart monitor suddenly started flashing red Ritsuko turned eyeing it. "That's not possible? This machine shouldn't affect her heart!" Misato moved forward. "She's going to die she's going into cardiac arrest can't you see that?!" Kaji turned to Gendo. "I know you don't like or approve of me director but end this now she's dying in there!" He watched as Asuka's face changed as her teeth started becoming longer at the back and at the front as her eyes went from being unaware to very much alive as she began to snarl and struggle an inhuman roar suddenly came out of her mouth which sounded like some kind of monster's it was long, loud and terrifying.

Her struggling became even more violent and unhinged as her left eyes neon blue iris patterns slowly turned to bright red followed by the other normal eye turning glowing red as she violently pulled her lower limbs free.

Her hand rose towards the inner camera as a voice came out which wasn't Asuka's it was almost male but not quite as it was speaking over her real voice which was weak and distant. "You think you can burn me out who the fuck do you think you are?!" The fingers tensed as a cold frightening smile formed which was only made creepier by the mouth which was now filled with inhuman jagged teeth. "This is body is mine it's not yours! She said you would try this I just didn't believe you would actuality be stupid enough! Now suffer for your fucking stupidity and for daring to challenge me!"

Gendo turned sharply the panic in his voice. "Turn it off now!" Ritsuko moved over typing desperately seeing that suddenly nothing was working. "I'm trying!" Both glowing red eyes narrowed. "Her keeper has already heard her screams of pain and agony and in her mind she was crying out for the one whose love she never feels she got, to save her. Now the one who I fully awakened when I transformed her unit permanently will bring rage and thunder because she just saw what you just tried to do to her."

Misato turned as everything started to flash red. "What's he talking about!?" Maya moved over pushing Ritsuko aside typing trying to bring the power down. Asuka's other hand rose as the smile widened. "Now bathe in the glory of agonizing wonder!"

Kaji looked up just in time to see the red shock wave fly outwards from the Obrax he grabbed Misato pushing her downwards. "Get down!" He watched as the others ducked down as everything turned to chaos as the room behind them exploded in a blast of flames as Obrax was torn to pieces. Every light in the room went out plummeting everything into pitch black darkness as the huge coffin door flew through the air smashing against the glass causing massive cracks before it came down landing hard against the floor inside the room.

The control panel exploded as the door behind them was thrown off as the wave finally dissipated. The inhuman roar came again as the Angel slowly walked up to the glass its red eyes glowing. "Do you think your prison can hold me?!" A fist came up smashing against a section of glass with enough force to crack it down the centre. "I changed this body for a reason!"

The fist came up again smashing the glass a second time causing the knuckles to bleed leaving a bloody print as another section cracked. "It was so I could make it that I could escape and human bodies are so limited in their abilities even ones like this which are fit and strong." The angel pulled Asuka's fist away looking at the wound as blood ran down the knuckles. "You're so limited by your flesh and blood it's so pathetic at times!"

8

Rei eased her card up swiping it only to get the typical red beeping. "Well this is as far as we always get." Mari snatched the card from her hand. "Give it here!" She put the card in her mouth as she spoke through glittered teeth. "Anyone would think you idiots had never hacked an ATM machine before it's the same fucking principle just the codes much harder." Rei looked at her and then at Toji, Shinji and Kaworu. "No I can't say as I've ever gone out of my way to hack ATM machines I mean who does that?" She watched as Mari gave her a cold look. "Oh right you have…."

Mari slowly pulled out a small machine from her pocket eyeing them as she eased out two cables attaching it to the card as she eased it out of her mouth. "Trust me when you're piss poor like I used to be it comes in real handy you just trick the machine into believing you're the rightful owner, since no one types pins anymore there all internal code and it gives you easy money from anyone's account. Yeah I used to spend it on alcohol and treats but so what I was so hungry and food stamps suck over in Britain." Toji leaned over her shoulder. "I would have loved to have you with me back in China I mean I just stole what I could to give Sakura a good meal."

Kaworu looked up. "I don't quite see the appeal as I preferred to grow my own food as best I could." Shinji breathed in deeply. "I get it but I don't agree stealing is wrong didn't you ever feel guilty for doing that?" Mari eased the card up sticking it back in the slot but only half way as she watched the code flash up. "Please don't fucking bring up ethics with me Shinji myself and Toji get what it's like when you have nothing you get desperate and it takes you places where you throw away the moral compass." She breathed in deeply adjusting her glasses. "I had nothing my mother was dead I was left penniless and without a home, so I made the best of a bad situation with the only thing I was ever good at which is hacking."

Rei looked at her seeing a similar pain in her eyes which she was used to seeing in Asuka's. "Why did you not use your skills to work for your government, I'm just curious?" Mari's eyes darted as she carried staring at the code reader. "I'm not interested in being some office junkie working for the secret service, not after the way they fucking treated me!" Rei looked up. "How did they treat you Mari?" Mari eyed her. "Lets just say when they found out I was trying to hack the government for secrets they tortured me for three days straight asking who my leader was and which hacker ring I was part off."

She breathed in painfully. "You really get a taste for pain and misery when those assholes work you over they punched me kicked me, bent my limbs in ways they were not meant to go they threw constant abuse at me trying to make me feel worthless. I have never wanted to pass out so badly in my whole life and they didn't just beat me once it was repeatedly. They water boarded me and gave me sleep depredation as well as starving me and they stamped on my glasses so I couldn't see shit, I was blind the whole time and it was terrifying."

She tensed painfully. "You asked me once why I don't like or trust people that's why! My so called asshole friend sold me out in the group and I took the fall and I thought those man and woman who were torturing me were going to kill me!" She felt a cold sneer form. "I think they would have had Marcus not stepped in, he was so impressed that I'd held on so long being a civilian with no military training and tested me for the Evangelion program because he believed if I could withstand that kind of mental and physical torture then I clearly would have a very high sync rate and he was right."

She breathed in deeply wiping a tear away. "So that's why I have issues with trusting openly because trusting openly gets you hurt every time!" Toji moved forward putting his arm around her shoulder hugging her. "You can trust me Mari I would never do anything like that to you, you're my best friend and I think the world of you and so does Sakura you should have told me the whole story, I would have understood."

Mari eyed him before turning back to the code reader which had brought up some code as she spoke painfully. "Yeah well I didn't want to burden you Toji plus it's not your problem." Toji looked at her for a long moment before speaking. "I would never see anything you tell me as a burden ever and I don't mind listening to your problems we've both been though some awful shit and seen some awful things and we both know what its like to be fucking poor." He breathed in deeply. "So don't ever think that I wouldn't want to listen to you okay?" Mari looked up giving him a halfhearted nod as she stepped away from him her gaze shifted to Rei as she started to type quickly recomposing herself. "So since we are all about truth right now and I just coughed up it's now your turn Rei."

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She felt a sly smile form. "So are you in love with Asuka or something?" Rei eyed her. "It's none of your business." Mari looked up sharply. "Don't give me that shit you owe me the truth since she's always pining after you like a little lost kitten!" Rei folded her arms. "It's complicated!" Mari pulled up the card swiping it watching as the door instantly opened she put her device away. "Bullshit its not complicated at all you're either in love with her or your not!" She was about to say more only to feel the whole room shake nearly causing them both to almost fall over. "What the hell?"

Shinji looked down. "I know where that came from!" He looked up sharply. "That came from the quarantine zone where they hold Evangelion's in the freezer if they think there dangerous!" Toji turned meeting his gaze. "I saw them this afternoon they moved 02 out of the bay." Rei looked down. "But it has no pilot Asuka's not in it, its impossible for 02 to spring to life on its own!" Mari breathed in looking around her. "You know as fun as this is I'd like to get to where Asuka is right now because I don't want to standing right here if 02's trying to get out it will tear the whole zone to pieces!"

8

Hayden tried to pull himself to his feet he could see everyone running trying to get away through any exist possible as the roar that was as loud as thunder shook the whole bay for a second time. Inside the frozen huge cylinder beneath him which had a massive top he could hear cracking as shards of ice smashed apart as the unit inside started to slowly move the solid ice not stopping it.

This wasn't fucking possible! It was his worst fear coming true an awful scratching sound hit the air as one of the clawed hands started to claw at the lid which was holding it in. He watched in horror as the huge claws burst through slicing it open like it was nothing but a tin can, its other clawed hand came up smashing it open. He was frozen in terror he knew he was going to die he hadn't been able to get to the exit ladder in time. He watched as the huge crested demon head rose up followed by the shoulders and massive clawed hands one of which came down landing with in inches of him.

The four huge glowing green eyes lit up in the darkness as its huge mouth opened letting out another roar as the tongue came out. The Evangelion turned catching sight of him its huge face leaned forward he felt himself curl up into a ball in terror as the huge jaws came with inches of his body as the four glowing eyes looked down on him he raised his hands. "Please don't eat me!"

The tongue pulled back inside the mouth as it suddenly lost interest in him moving its huge head up as it looked at where it really wanted to go. Its huge body started to move as it grabbed the walls as it started to the accent upwards as it pulled its huge clawed feet free of the ice followed by the two massive tails. He watched it go, where was it going it had no pilot how had it even activated in the first place? Asuka's entry plug wasn't in it that was in a different area above he looked up as one of its huge clawed hand pulled back before flying forward smashing the wall apart three levels up.

He blinked in shock as it pulled out Asuka's entry plug remaining still as brought it up to its shoulder section which slowly opened. It eased up the entry plug being incredibly gentle as it placed it in the opening right side up then tensed sucking it inside as its shoulder area closed up. It then carried on climbing upwards not looking back it clearly knew where it was going and there was no way of stopping it. He turned only to feel himself freeze as he caught sight of a small figure standing high above him on the rafters looking down watching the massive red demon closely. He blinked seeing the blue hair and red eyes and school girl's clothes it was that ghost girl! What was she doing here? He couldn't believe this was happening it was like some kind of nightmare.

8

Gendo eyed the angel standing behind the glass watching as the red eyes looked up focusing on him as he stood up. "What do you want?" The angel eyed its bloody hand again. "I don't answer questions from foolish small minded human beings who think they carry some form of hammer belonging to the gods." It slowly eased out its tongue licking one of its long canine teeth imitating one of Asuka's well known traits. "You and Seele are fools you know nothing beyond your scenarios you repeat over and over it's tiresome and extremely boring!"

Gendo eyed the red haired woman who was being possessed. "What scenarios do you speak off?" The red head shrugged her shoulders forward as the red eyes flashed. "Now that would spoil the surprise wouldn't it?" Misato looked at Kaji he'd just saved her life she stood up slowly walking over to the glass. "Who are you do you have a name?" The red eyes narrowed. "It's nothing personal but I'm not interested in you either." The angel put its hands in the pockets of the hospital wear. "It's not that you're not interesting you just don't push my buttons in a way that matters." Ritsuko stood up turning sharply. "Oh and Asuka off all people does?"

The red eyes flashed as a wide smile formed. "Now you I really don't like." Its mouth formed a cold scowl. "You think just because something's not perfect that it's less than you, which is rather pathetic considering that long ago in this country your people had a practice called Kintsugi where you used to pour gold into the cracks of jars to fix them because you valued something with history rather than something new and embraced the idea of imperfections and flaws. To me broken things are far more interesting they have more substance they're special."

Kaji came to stand close to Misato as he spoke calmly. "So you find Asuka special is that the reason you didn't walk her down in to the void and merge with Lilith?" The angel walked sideways as it sat down looking at them bending its knee as it put an arm on it once again imitating Asuka's behaviour. "I have no fucking interest in Lilith if I did you wouldn't be alive right now!" It narrowed its gaze. "Lets just say I'm tired of my role and I'm tired of those around me call them my brothers and sisters if you will getting all the fun, so I changed the rules this time around." It looked up. "I'm not the only one others have been tweaking the game as well, you're very lucky in this world Seele does not hold master and spender over you, your roles are reversed but then they made a mistake."

The red eyes darted. "Their downfall came when you gave your lesser false gods the engines of infinite power they started to loose sway over you." Its eyes closed before opening again. "But as always the scale will just tip in someone else's favour it's always the same remove one force another takes it's place and I will say that myself and my brothers and sisters might be the least of your problems and Seele may become your saviour rather than your aggressor for a change." Kaji breathed in deeply. "Does Asuka know about this? I mean about all this."

The angel turned. "Parts here and there but I'm not here to stress out her mind with things like this her mind already has its own issues. I mean this pained little human being was willing to shove a gun between her teeth and kill herself just to get rid off me, granted she didn't go through with it but she thought about it she even shoved the gun in unloaded you know just to try it out." Maya moved up to the glass. "Is Asuka dead?" The angel eyed her. "I know you you're kind of like Asuka but you're both not the same in your sexuality."

It looked up slightly. "To answer your question no she isn't dead, you see when you tried to shatter her brain I forced her personality down to save her life and very existence it's in the back on my unconsciousness sleeping very soundly right now." It raised its bloody hand. "Your machine would have brain damaged her it really disappoints me how cruel you human's are to one another. I don't like my brothers or sisters much I tolerate them with utter distain at times but I have no desire to hurt or even kill them yet you people do not hesitate in your cruelty and you would show cruelty to those who are at their lowest and most vulnerable."

Ritsuko felt a sneer form. "Asuka is not vulnerable she's an emotionless, uncaring, selfish little bitch!" The angel raised a hand. "Since your not hanging out in this mind you don't get to comment! I've seen pain, vulnerability and tears all shed through these eyes, I've seen depression, suicidal thoughts and thoughts of not being good enough or measuring up as well as self hated and loathing and a few things I didn't count on." It looked up slightly. "Love, longing and desire for one out of her reach, it really perplexed me deeply that these emotions could even exist when the others are so much the opposite."

Maya kneeled down. "You're talking about Rei aren't you?" Ritsuko raised her hand in disgust. "Oh gods seriously you find Asuka's hormonal sex drive that interesting that's beyond pathetic?" The angel eyed her in disgust. "I did not say sex drive nor was I referring to her carnal desires, which have not been as active as she might have been led you to believe in fact they're none existent but then you humans seem to hold that kind thing in an unhealthy regard so you lie about sex in the hope that others don't notice that you aren't getting any."

It looked up slightly. "I made the mistake at first of thinking that love and sex were the same. They are not and loves comes from a different place emotionally with very different drives and I just find her emotions regarding that one person fascinating because of how she acts and behaves is so different in that one person's presence it's the place where her true self becomes truly open." It looked at its bloody hand. "Love and sex don't exist where we come from it's a very Lilin ideal."

Maya breathed in deeply. "Is that why you're here, to learn?" The red eyes narrowed. "Yes, I want to know everything about you, how you work at the base level if you will but I'm not here to stop the war. To put it bluntly I have another brother who is very good at screwing up minds and breaking them and he's always loved tormenting the body I'm in. We made a deal if you will and we switched places he even faked my death with a rainbow it was what you all needed to see as I say he is a master of the mind."

Its smile widened. "It's a wager if you will, to see who is better at causing chaos and your stupidity has now put me right at the top." It eased a hand up looking at the still bloody knuckles. "Now bring me what I actuality want which is Rei Ayanami and put her inside the room because I want to talk to her."

The room was suddenly shaken violently as a bellowing roar was heard on the far side some levels bellow. "As for Asuka's keeper, I don't speak for her, her actions are her own and you pissing her off was completely your own doing and when she gets up here she might eat at least one of you alive." It's raised its hand pointing to Ritsuko. "You're the one she'll probably eat it should very be amusing to watch since false gods unlike us have an appetite for flesh and blood. It comes from your pilots desire to eat, since in this world everything seems to eat everything else."

End of part 26

Silvermoonlight