THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS

Rei turned the corner feeling everything shake violently as she caught sight of the room where Obrax was held she had never forgotten it due to what had happened to her brother in that it had driven him crazy and he had forgotten who she was for a while which had been heartbreaking because she had feared that he might never remember her again but he had and it was thanks to Maya's medication and care.

She turned seeing the room's entrance only to see shattered glass and the door which was also lying on its side. She could see the others following her as she ran into the room seeing everyone turn to look at her. She blinked in shock seeing that the huge glass screen was cracked in numerous places there was even blood from where a fist had been smashed into it. The whole room behind the glass was in darkness she turned as Ritsuko caught sight of her followed by everyone else including her father who remained emotionless as he raised his hand. "Well it appears for once my daughter has revealed herself at the right time required."

Rei looked up as the others came in she ignored her father as she walked forward. "What's going on?" Ritsuko eyed the other pilots. "What are you all doing here? You shouldn't even be here!" Misato moved over taking hold of Rei's arm gently guiding her forward so she could see Asuka better. "Ritsuko tried to destroy Asuka's mind using Obrax Rei because there's an angel hiding inside her brain and she was trying to force it out."

She breathed deeply. "It took over Asuka's mind and blew up the machine and now it wants to talk to you and you only it's not interested in anyone else." She watched Rei's eyes drifted as they saw Asuka for the first time shock appeared in them as she caught sight of the in human features. "I don't want to ask this off you Rei but you have to go inside that room it wants to speak to you." She looked down slightly. "I know it's going to be terrifying but we have faith in you." Shinji moved forward. "I'm going in with her!" Kaji moved forward pulling him back gently. "No Shinji not this time this angel is not messing around it only wants Rei."

Rei watched as the angel stood up its red eyeing glowing as it smiled showing off its mouth full of jagged sharp teeth as it raised its finger causing the lock on the door to unlock at the far end and slowly open. Mari turned eyeing Asuka. "Man that is so fucking creepy look at her eyes and those shark like teeth they look like they could tear the flesh of your bones, it's like a horror movie." Toji turned sharply. "You're not helping Mari!"

Kaworu put his hands in his pockets looking up with uncertainty. "It's fascinating and frightening all at the same time." Misato breathed in deeply keeping hold of Rei's shoulder. "I know I'm asking a lot of you Rei but we are running out of time he's somehow unleashed unit 02 from the quarantine zone and it's on its way up here as we speak." Rei took in a breath steadying herself. "I can do this, I'm not afraid."

Misato moved with her closer to the open door. "Go on." Rei slowly walked inside breathing in deeply as she caught sight of the red eyes which lit up as Asuka stepped closer to her a cold sadistic smile forming, she knew it wasn't Asuka though Asuka never smiled in that horrible manner. She turned as the door slammed shut behind her locking itself she turned back steadying herself as she did the best she could to ignore her fear as she spoke evenly. "Bardiel I presume?"

Bardiel raised his finger clicking it watching as both inner speakers which had allowed him to talk through the glass were shut down instantly along with the last surviving video camera. "So you know me by name, ah yes Asuka's video I told her there was no point in sending it but she was so focused on it." He looked up. "You shouldn't be afraid of me I'm not going to eat you or anything the teeth are merely for show and she also said that if I ever laid a finger on you it wouldn't go well for me."

He moved closer so he was standing over the younger woman. "You know what she's like she never ever bluff's and even I'm not stupid enough to overstep the mark with the things she really likes." Rei looked up meeting the Bardiel's eyes one of which was glowing pure red while the left eyes blue patterns were burning light red while the white pupil had turned dark red his voice was so unnerving it was dark and male sounding but it was talking over Asuka's which was meek sounding. "Is she dead?"

Bardiel raised his bloody hand seeing that the others behind the glass who were trying desperately to get the sound back by trying to override one of the undamaged side panels. "No she's fine, just very much asleep I had to do it to save her that awful machine would have probably brain damaged her for life but she'll be fine. Though she might wake up again in a seriously bad mood and have a lot of issues with anger and confusion but I'm sure it'll pass you see she had completely resounded herself to the fact that she would not return and when she does return she probably won't take it well because now her softer underbelly has been exposed for all to see."

He looked in to her eyes. "You know she gave up willingly because she saw no way out she was happy to go to her death and she had accepted it unconditionally but here's the thing that might really break your heart when she looked up at skyline, in all its glory your face was the last thing she saw in her minds eye, that was the image she wanted to die with." He watched as Rei's green eyes lowered sadly to the floor. "She loves you so much you know you're the one person in this horrible vile human world who actuality touches her, you're the one she always thinks about."

He turned slightly. "But she never tells you this because she doesn't think she deserves you and that she can never take back the bitter school memories where she harassed you and overstepped boundaries and she has always wished that she could turn back the clock." He raised his hand towards her face touching it slightly with his finger tips. "It's so sad." Rei stepped back hating the tingling sensation from his finger which made her skin crawl. "Don't touch me."

Bardiel raised an eyebrow. "Why because the truth is what she's always thought that you don't like her in that way and even in her wildest dreams you'll never be more than friends?" Rei looked up. "No don't touch me because you're not her, I enjoy her touch I don't like or approve of yours." Bardiel felt a cold sneer form. "If you hadn't noticed I'm in this body it's the same one!" Rei folded her arms she could see what Asuka was talking about now Bardiel was awful it was the sensation of him, he was so dark and foreboding, which meant that to her this past week or so must have been like torture.

It made sense now sleeping in lift shafts and spacing out this must have driven her crazy half of the time and she must have struggled so hard just to keep it together. "You're not the same though you may look like Asuka even sound like her but you're not her." Bardiel snarled inhumanly as he got closer. "Explain that concept to me I fail to understand the meaning!"

Rei breathed in. "It's your eyes your presence you're awful, she's warm, loving and gentle you are not." Bardiel roared in anger as he eyed her. "You're talking about the soul aren't you?!" Rei looked up feeling the anger take over. "Yes I am! Why did you do this to her, I mean who gave you the right?"

Bardiel's red eyes narrowed. "I don't need to talk rights with you, you're human I did it because I could plus she fascinates me because she's so broken inside and out. She's desperately sad and lonely forever wanting and needing but never taking the first steps because she is so afraid, yet in others things she does not hesitate. I told her she could jump the level she never questioned if I was lying I could have let her fall to her death but she put her trust in me unconditionally despite how cruel I've been to her. So much trust for one who doesn't always trust so much love never given and so much regret and misery."

He raised his hand. "She'll never make the first move and kiss you even though she wants it more than she can breathe and it kills her every time you're close." He looked up as the whole room shook. "So answer me the one question I really want to know will you ever return her love?" His mouth formed a cold sneer. "Or am I wasting my time talking to you?" He looked up as the room shook again. "Hurry now her keeper is getting very angry."

Rei turned to him she realized now that she should have admitted it to herself a lot sooner but everything had changed that day in the gym the way Asuka had touched her she wanted to feel like that everyday since. She'd seen the best in her that day and she carried on seeing it and she found her very beautiful both inside and out and it had drawn her in so deeply. She just hadn't wanted to admit it as she had been deeply confused by her own feelings, because she very rarely felt much when others touched her but when Asuka did it she felt alive every time and her touch was always so gentle and caring. "Yes I love her."

Bardiel raised an eyebrow. "I do hope you're not lying to me just to save your own skin." Rei looked up meeting his cold gaze. "If you know me from her memories you'll know I don't like lies or lying to others." Bardiel mouth formed a cold smile. "No I guess you don't I mean you were always brutality honest when you rejected her advances in school if you can be brutality honest about rejection then clearly you can be honest about love."

Rei turned as a massive crash was heard she watched as unit 02's face appeared in one of the side windows. "How do I stop 02!?" Bardiel breathed in deeply. "That I will help you with since you've been honest with me. Once I dive back into Asuka's mind her keeper will feel her presence again you just need to show her to the unit and it will shut down and once I release my hold the door will open and the sound will come back on." He looked up. "Tell the unit you mean her no harm and that she's safe it will understand, it came here to rescue her after all it heard her cries of deep pain in the void when the machine was turned on and it felt her going into cardiac arrest, it has a very strong connection with her." Rei felt her eyes dart. "Who is her keeper?!"

Huge claws suddenly tore through the ceiling close by Bardiel breathed in as he closed his eyes. "I'm sorry but your time is up, have fun with her keeper." Rei watched as the red eyes faded away as the normal one went back to blue and the pupil dilated while the red circles and patterns turned to back to neon blue as Asuka whole body began to slump. She grabbed her lowering her down to the floor carefully as the whole roof came away as unit 02 massive clawed hand tore it clean off causing everyone to duck down it terror as it roared its long tongue coming out.

She pulled Asuka up in to a sitting position so it could see her directly. "She's here!" The unit mouth opened as it roared again looking in her direction. "You're her keeper right?" She looked up watching as the jaws slowly closed. "She's okay now she's safe, I came to save her please believe that!" The unit eased up a clawed finger moving it forward stopping within inches of her. "She's not dead she's just sick she needs to rest." The clawed hand pulled away as the unit became still. "I would never do this to her I care about her to much!"

Unit 02's whole head turned as it looked in Ritsuko's direction letting out a massive roar which ended as is huge mouth formed a cold scowl. It stopped as it seemed to contemplating its next actions as the tongue moved up licking one of the huge upper canine teeth as it turned back to look at her much to her surprise. Its body leaned back as it relaxed its huge green eyes dimming as its clawed hands became loose and it fell away from the wall.

She tensed holding Asuka tighter against her as she heard the massive crash as it hit the earth below somewhere at the bottom of the quarantine zone. Granted Evangelion's could take that kind of fall but she'd never seen it from the outside only from the inside. She turned as everyone came rushing in she watched as her father came to stand over her a rather dark smile spreading across his lips as he spoke evenly. "It would appear that I've misjudged your value, you are useful after all just like your brother."

Rei looked up eyeing him. "I didn't do this to earn your respect or gain your approval I did this because you were going to kill Asuka!" Her father smirked. "You've always been soft just like your mother her love for others was her weakness too." Rei felt a sneer form as she looked up eyeing him. "Yeah well you know I'd rather be like mother than share a single once of your unfeeling soul." She narrowed her gaze. "I'm happy I look like her to because she was a far better person that you could ever hope to be." She turned to Shinji who was getting closer. "Can you give me a hand? I need to get Asuka on to her feet."

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Shinji moved over helping his sister stand up Asuka who still had her eyes wide open and was staring blankly into space and completely unresponsive he eyed his father in disgust. "You could have avoided this whole scenario but as usual you listened to Ritsuko, Asuka did not need to go through this she's suffered enough as it is! Putting her through this was beyond cruel I mean you knew how much that machine messed me up when you tried it on me all those years ago!"

Ritsuko folded her arms. "Your father and I were trying to get rid of an angel!" Rei eyed her in disgust. "No you were both trying to get rid of Asuka there's a big difference, yeah I get it to a lot of people she's not the greatest and most out going person in the world but she deserves so much better than to be treated this way she's a kind person with a good heart and she's not expendable."

Kaji moved forward seeing his chance to speak. "Come on all of you, let's leave, this doesn't need to continue." Misato turned feeling a cold smile form. "Yeah Kaji's right I mean since Ritsuko's idea failed miserably and caused unit 02 to go crazy and try to kill us all, I guess we have to try Maya's ideas when it comes to removing the angel for the foreseeable future." She met Ritsuko's cold gaze. "Like we should have done when you found out about this, as it is we are lucky that the angel could be reasoned with!" Rei turned to her. "His name is Bardiel."

Misato eyed her before turning back. "But as it is Bardiel might never speak to us again and you better pray that Asuka isn't brain damaged because if she is her grandmother will probably come down here and kill you personally because her patience with you is at its very limits from what I've heard and I won't stop her. I mean who in there right mind does this to young woman her age and thinks it's right or even fucking acceptable!"

Maya moved towards the fallen door. "Can you all argue about this later? I need Asuka brought to the hospital wing right now!" Kaji moved over to Misato putting his hand on her arm. "Come on Misato you can finish this later, now just isn't the time." Misato took in a deep breath knowing he was right she eyed Toji, Mari and Kaworu who were all looked completely out of there depth as they were clearly not used to being in the middle of these kinds of fights. "Come on all of you we are leaving!"

8

Maya breathed in painfully as she looked at Asuka who had been put in the hospital bed and was staring upwards aimlessly into space, there was nothing happening she was completely unresponsive even her good eyes pupil wouldn't dilate and her left eye had gone dark there were no glowing iris patterns in it and the pupil had turned a very dark grey.

She looked at the brain scan which was barely firing her brain wasn't damaged but it just wasn't active it had become a dead zone, nothing was going on it and it had nothing to do with the anti physiologic that had long left her system. She put a hand on her face it was like some form of coma but she was wide awake and she'd used the same medication she'd used on Shinji many years ago but she was getting no response at all.

Whatever was going on in Asuka's brain she just couldn't fix it and she could feel the frustration mounting as she couldn't bring herself to call her grandmother and tell her this. She'd just break an old woman's heart because saying she was in a coma was like saying she was dead. She just wanted to break Gendo and Ritsuko's neck, if they'd just given her a chance to do her job this wouldn't have happened. She looked up seeing that Rei was sitting opposite Asuka's bed she hadn't left and she'd said she had no intention of leaving. The others had stayed including Mari for as long as they could until they'd had to go home Shinji had gone to Asuka's home though to feed her cat and then Pen Pen before going back to his own home.

Rei had said that Bardiel would bring her back so why the delay was it him or Asuka? She had checked the living brain scan he was still there in the same position he hadn't moved inside her brain, even if he was an evil sounding bastard he clearly didn't want to ruin her mind because it didn't benefit him. She looked up her gut was telling her the worst in that this wasn't him it was in fact Asuka, in that she just didn't want to come back. Like Rei had said she had resounded herself to the fact that she was going to die and she'd accepted it with out question, she had seen her death as noble and the only way to end it, because she couldn't commit suicide so she'd opted for a the warriors death instead hence why she'd put up such a hard fight against the special ops.

Gods watching the video she'd sent Rei had been outright sad yet so surprising. She had wanted to leave Rei so much after her death and she had given her all the things she cared about most in her will her cat Erika who she loved and adored, her books her games even her Trident motorbike she'd seen that bike when she'd been building it was her pride and joy and one of the few things she was proud off.

She turned as Misato entered the room with Kaji the sadness in her face as she spoke. "Anything?" Maya put her hand on her face looking at Rei who was still sitting quietly in the room opposite Asuka. "I don't get this, I've tried everything I know to knock her brain back into gear." She folded her arms. "Nothing I've tried has worked!" She breathed in deeply. "I just don't know what's going on in her mind it's not damaged." Kaji sat opposite her. "Is it Bardiel?"

Maya shook her head as she turned to him. "No it's not him you know personally I think it's her I think she's somehow hiding in her own mind away from everyone and I know the reason why we all do. She was trying to die like a warrior because she couldn't go through with the other option I think she might believe in her mind that she's already dead and there's nothing to drag her back to this world I mean she probably felt her own heart start stop beating." Misato looked up. "Why not get Rei to talk to her, I mean normally in a coma isn't it good for people to hear the voices of others? She might realize that she's not dead."

Maya looked up sharply. "You know that just might work." She stood up. "I'll give anything I try right now." She walked towards the room opposite watching as they followed her as she entered it seeing that Asuka was lying still her open eyes unchanged the only thing that had changed was her teeth which had taken back there normal form some hours ago.

Kaji watched as Rei stood up the concern in her face as she spoke. "Has something happened?" Kaji raised his hand. "No we just want to try something Rei, we want you to talk to Asuka we think the reason she's not coming back is because in the back of her mind she thinks she's dead it might help her realize she's not." Misato looked at her. "I know it's a long shot but would you try it? I mean she cares about you it might make her realize that she's still alive."

Rei moved over slowly to Asuka's bed. "I'll try anything I can't stand seeing her this way." She took hold of the other woman's right hand raising it very gently. "Hey Asuka can you hear me? We know that you're somewhere in there do you think your dead? Because you're not, you're alive, you survived and we all want you to come back." She looked in to the other woman's eyes which were staring lifelessly upward. "You can't hide out in there forever you know, I mean gods when do you ever run away from anything? You always face it head on and I've always-" She breathed in deeply and painfully before speaking again. "I've always loved that and we have so much to talk about. There's so much that's unspoken between us and I want to make it right because you deserve that." She gently kissed the other woman's bandaged palm. "Wherever you are please come back me, if not for anyone else then just for me."

8

So this is death? This verfickt sucks where are the pearly gates where are the bright lights where are the angels the real ones not the ones I've spent half my life fighting? Oh that's right assholes like me don't get heaven how ironic I should have known better this is probably purgatory. It would be funny if it wasn't so pathetic I felt my heart stop I saw the blackness now I'm here and its outright annoying.

I guess I should be happy I mean I got to see her face one last time I saw her when Yuki was beating me up and she was as beautiful as ever and in my last moments I carried her face before they knocked me out and when they put me in the machine it was the image I concentrated on despite the pain right down to my last and final heartbeat.

Asuka lay still watching as the snow fell around her where she was seated on an ice plane which had jagged plated ice rocks which looked like those from Antarctic. She was dressed in her plug suit her new one with its darker purple legs and white and green shoulders though her interface hair clips were missing. She raised her knees leaning her head against them as she wrapped her arms around them looking at the red and dark blue sky above as white lightning came out hitting the red bloody sea close by.

She watched as a dark shadow moved close by she turned feeling the anger burn as Bardiel walked towards her his claws crunching the snow as his red eyes narrowed as he spoke. "You do make it such hard fucking work don't you Asuka? I don't take kindly to having to spend hours shifting through your layers of subconscious to find you I put you in a nice safe little place and what do you do? Oh that's right you go and move yourself elsewhere!"

Asuka watched as he sat down next to her so he was looming over her. "You've got to be verfickt kidding me!?" She felt a sneer form. "You know I thought in death you'd be gone what is this did they send me to hell or something?" Bardiel breathed in deeply. "Your alive you stupid idiot, you're lying in a hospital bed with your eyes wide open staring at the ceiling!" Asuka lowered her legs folded her arms. "I don't believe you, you abusive scumbag!"

Bardiel stood up moving to her left remaining on all fours. "You are so fucking irritating do you know that?" Asuka smirked as she met his gaze. "Oh look the asshole angel is regretting his life decisions already? How pathetic..." She felt a sly smile form. "I see you've also learned how to swear what's wrong did the human world get to you, was it not what you hoped for, did it make you miserable?"

She eased up her hands making sure that her next words were filled with sarcasm. "Bet you really wish you'd never decided to leap into me of all people now." Bardiel narrowed his gaze. "Be quite!" He dug his claws in to the ground raising his tail. "You're coming back with me and you're going to wake up!" Asuka narrowed her gaze as she ripped off her patch throwing it to one side as she stood up. "You know I'm sick of listening to your orders and demands and your condescending little comments about my self worth. I'm not doing anything you want anymore so you can take your ugly verficktes carcass elsewhere, I'm done being walked over by you, I'm also dead so I don't answer to anyone anymore!"

She watched as the tail came at her she dodged sharply stepping sideways. "When I was alive you made me feel so much like scheisse! You're not powerful and you're not smart you're nothing but a bully and a coward!" She felt her hand form a tight fist. "I personally despise bullies, since I know how their mindset works since I used to be one."

His tail flicked out again trying to hit her she moved fast on in the snow feeling her suits heals grip they were after all made to handle snow. She turned grabbing his tail this time as it came at her again she started to squeeze the end slowly. "I may not ever get you out of my mind but I'm going to make sure that you never ever have the upper hand over me again!"

She squeezed harder only to blink in surprise as he roared in agony she felt a wide toothy grin slowly form. "Oh well look at that, I can actuality hurt you!" The tail was yanked free of her gloved hand in a lightning fast motion. "I wonder if you bleed as well because I'd like to see what colour your blood is." Bardiel turned as he started to circle her on all fours showing off his teeth. "You don't stand a chance? You're human!"

Asuka stepped forward feeling her back molars extend on both sides of her mouth along with her upper and lower canines as her left eye ignited. "You made me this way, remember? Right now I'm a copy of you, just a better one!" Bardiel looked up sharply. "You cannot become the better form of humanity like me!" Asuka breathed in deeply. "No not in the outside world I can't but this is the after life so it's my choosing!"

Bardiel breathed in watching as she tensed as she let out a long and loud scream as the blue and white light came bursting out from her eye consuming her whole form surrounding her it slowly dissipated as a huge form appeared it like his yet so unlike his at the same time. There were stripes of black and orange fur along with huge hind clawed feet and long palmed hands. There were two body length long twisting tails all covered in black and orange stripes along with a huge long mane of blazing red fur which was going down from the head which looked like a tigers but with longer ears. The right eye was blazing blue while the other was now pure blazing white and blue light he watched as a bellowing roar came out from the mouth now filled with long sharp cutting teeth just like a tigers only much bigger and sharper.

Asuka leaned forward feeling her claws hands and feet push in to the snow okay so she was a lycanthrope version of Nekomata but it was the first thing that popped in to her head and now it just felt so right on every level. "Come and try me you verfickt piece of scheisse!" Bardiel growled running at her with all his might only to feel the intense pain as they both collided and her massive claws sliced across his face he felt the cold feeling of his own blood as it ran down his inhuman snout.

He dragged his claws down her back watching as red blood started to run down the thick fur though Asuka showed no pain as kept pushing against him as their red and blue blood dripped all over the snow. Asuka brought her teeth down straight in to his shoulder enjoying the taste of his blue blood as it spilled out, she loved pain she'd never admit it openly but the worse the pain the higher the adrenaline and it made her feel so alive!

She loved challenges the harder the better and she liked tasting blood between her teeth. Maybe that was why this felt so good now as she bit down even harder feeling him as he struggled for all he was worth trying to get free and that just made her want to bring him even more pain but there was another sensation that was very dark and new to her it was carnal urge from a completely new place, she wanted to eat him alive!

Was this how Shinji felt that time when he had gone berserk in 01 and eaten part of Sachiel, was this what it felt like to leave your humanity behind? Either way it was liberating and she would enjoy every moment of it on these eternal ice planes!

End of part 27

Silvermoonlight