Sorry 'bout the delay.  Real life and all, and varied little projects of mine.

I don't own this, I just play with it.

Attack of the Killer Reis

______________________

            Ritsuko Akagi has done many things in her life.  She has brought about death, destruction, helped in a genocidal plan to bring about the end of the world, and manipulated those close to her to bring about the goals of the man she loves.  She has done all these things with nothing more than a perverted version of affection in mind.

            But none of them have brought to her the satisfaction of the sight of Gendo Ikari screaming like a girl as he stands frozen in the entrance to the Dummy Plug room.

            "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!"

            "Exactly what it looks like," Ritsuko deadpans, "The Reis have gone berserk."

            Dumbly, the Supreme Commander of NERV walks over to Akagi's side, peering into the massive tank that has been nicknamed the Reiquarium.

            The Reis, the many, many exact replicas of the First Child, take time out of their spirited game of Marco Polo to swim down and stare at the two scientists with wide, toothy grins, the type that makes one unsure whether if they're glad to have company or if they're pondering recipes.

            But it lasts only for a second, before they swim off to hide in the respective vents.

            At least, until every alarm in the base goes off.

            For a man pushing fifty, Gendo Ikari can run surprisingly fast.

            Skidding to a half in the doors to his office, he bypassed Central Dogma entirely.  He knew, of course.  He always knows what's going to happen, and he knew this time what happened when he sees that one of the chairs is empty.  And the empty chair isn't the one Shinji is sitting in.

            "Where.  Is.  Rei?"

            Shinji dry swallows.  Omnipotence or not, he still finds it hard not to be frightened by his father, especially when situations like this arise.  Not that it is directly Shinji's fault, but he finds he can't make the words to completely explain it.

            "Rei…said she was going to fix things up for me.  Now that we're sisters."

            Even faster than before, his father now stands in front of his chair.

            "How?"

            "She said she would…settle things with…Asuka."

            Gendo Ikari does not say a word.  He does not make a move or a gesture, only staring blankly at Shinji…although something does appear on his forehead which Shinji notices.

            "Um…Dad?  There's a vein popping out…"

            Asuka Langely Sohryu opens the door to find a slightly ruffled Rei standing in front of her.

            "What is it, Wondergirl?"

            Rei smiles.  A small smile that shows teeth, not dissimilar to the one she gave Shinji when she attempted to mount him.  It still shows anticipation on her part.  Not of unfamiliar attraction, but this one is of deep-seeded satisfaction of a thing she has long wanted to say.

            "Stop tormenting Shinji, you kraut bitch."

            "BLUE PATTERN DETECTED," Maya Ibuki shrieks, "We have a Blue Pattern in…it's in Tokyo-3!"

            There's a small crash of objects hitting the floor as Fuyutsuki stands, and Misato runs over to Maya's side.  The other two Bridge Bunnies are quickly working in stride, collating data and positions that will be fed into the Entry Plugs.

            "Where is it," Misato demands.

            "We're narrowing down locations," Shigeru responds, "Locked on…what the Hell?"

            Misato runs over to his console, narrowing her eyes as a direct location appears…

            "What is an Angel doing in MY APARTMENT?!"

            "I called you that because it seems most appropriate," Rei says, as Asuka looks at her dumb-struck, "Kraut is the word I hear most often from Aida and Suzuhara to describe you, as it is derogatory for Germanic descent.  And as you are contradictory, bipolar, easy to enrage and hypocritical in your behavior, you are a bitch."

            Patterns can be made of even the most unpredictable person's behavior if one tries hard enough.  Rei, always the social outcast, has made it a point to observe people so she can find these patterns for her later advantage.

            True to Asuka's patterns, she replies to Rei's words with a punch.

            Which makes it surprising to the red-head when Rei catches the punch and begins to squeeze with surprising strength.

            "I am created from the Second Angel, and from genetic material taken from Yui Ikari.  Therefore, I am Shinji's sister.  I am now assuming my role of protecting my younger sibling."

            She grabs Asuka by the shirt, lifting her with ease off of the ground as her eyes begin to glow red.

            And then, she does what she thinks is at the time the most logical step.

            She puts Asuka through a wall.

            Shinji takes off in a run the moment he exits NERV.  The Metatron appears behind him, floating beside him as he makes the mad dash to his apartment.

            "You'll get in trouble for abandoning the base like this," he says, "They may become suspicious."

            "I can deal with that," Shinji pants, "But I have to stop Rei!"

            "Seems to me she's doing what comes naturally to her.  She was told to protect you.  No one's rescinded the order."

            Shinji says nothing, running as fast as he can.

            Asuka spits out a wad of blood, standing shakily in Shinji's room.  Rei reaches through the hole in the wall and unlocks the door, sliding it open and walking up to Asuka.

            "You will apologize for everything you have done to torment Shinji.  Then you and he will explore whether or not you have feelings for each other.  Or we will continue.  Do you accept?"

            Asuka's reply comes in the form of Shinji's chair smashing into Rei's face, making her stumble back before Asuka grabs the chair leg and slams it into Rei's stomach.

            Swinging it like a baseball bat, Asuka sends Rei flying into the living room, patting it on her hand as she walks after the First Child with a smile.

            "Alright, Wondergirl…you want a fight?"

            She grits her teeth, and takes off in a run at Rei.

            "Then you've got one!"

            She swings the chair leg into Rei's stomach, making her bend over in pain before she grabs her by the hair, turning and pulling the screaming Rei with her as she slams her face repeatedly into the wall, finally driving it into the plaster.

            She brings back the chair leg to swing at Rei's knees, when the pale hand snaps out and cracks it in two, tossing it aside as she grabs Asuka.

            Rei pulls herself out of the wall, scowling as she lifts Asuka up, releasing her hold…

            And smiling as Asuka floats.

            She then gestures to the far wall.  And screaming Germanic curses the entire way, Asuka goes flying.

            The Requarium cracks as the Reis throw themselves at it, screaming unintelligibly as Akagi watches dumbstruck.  One moment they were calm, albeit giddy, and the next moment they were spiraling into a rage.

            And they were all yelling something she can vaguely make out.

            Something about…

            "Why do they want a red-head?"

            Telekinetics are fun.

            Lazily waving her hand side to side, Rei watches as Asuka goes flying, screaming and cursing the entire way, from one wall to the other.  No real dents have been made, but the intent is all the same.

            She flies, hits, flies some more, hits.

            Repeat until the point is driven home.  Well, the point or unconsciousness.  Whichever comes first.

            Which is when the pulling starts.  A subconscious pulling, a tug at her very core which seems to draw her from her present task.  Eyes wandering, she turns to the direction of the Geofront.

            "Adam," she says, "I must become one with Adam."

            She leisurely extends her arm, sending Asuka flying across the living room and slamming into the wall, where she slides down unconscious.  She turns from her opponent/target, walking out to the outside walkway.

            Blindly, instinctively, she climbs atop the railing.  Closing her eyes, she lets her instincts guide her.  She steps off…

            And she begins to float.

            "Sir," Aoba shouts, "The Angel has been identified!"

            "Put it onscreen," Misato barks.

            The main holographic screen in Central Dogma flashes, turning into an image outside the Major's apartment building.

            Bursting through the doors, struggling for breath, Commander Ikari skids to a stop next to her, looking up at the image.

            The image of Rei flying towards the Geofront.

            "The Angel," she says, "Is the First Child."

            "You said you wanted her to be more in touch with her emotions," Metatron says, "But her training was all that kept her from activating her S2 organ and seeking out Adam so she could initiate Third Impact.  I don't fault you.  You didn't know this before.  But you do know what you can do about it now, yes?"

            Shinji stares, blankly, as he watches Rei race through the sky towards the main entrance to the Geofront.  One could hazard the mess of emotions racing through Shinji's mind.

            Fear.

            Love.

            Hatred at himself.

            Sadness at what he had to do.

            But in the end, it all boiled down to what he next said.

            "I wish Rei wasn't an Angel."

            And then he could only watch as she fell from the sky.

            "All the computers are going berserk," Maya screams, "MAGI is caught in a casualty loop!  It's locked in deliberation on what's happening to the Angel!"

            Which is when a mighty bellow echoes through the halls of the pyramid.

            Followed by a great purple and green shape bursting through Central Dogma to the surface.

            The first thing that vanished was the longing.

            The second thing that went was the ability to fly, and that's really what Rei finds herself more concerned about.

            Some time ago, she would have confronted falling several hundred feet as she would have anything else.  She would have stared at the approaching ground, said nothing, and rest easy with the knowledge that she was replaceable.

            However, that was then.

            Now, she shrieks as only an excitable schoolgirl can.

            At least, until the giant hand bursts from the ground, grabbing her and resting her in its palm.

            Falling onto her seat, Rei looks up as the blur steadies, looking up at her savior…

            And catches only the barest hint of recognition as Evangelion 01's eyes fade, the giant deactivating waist high in the street.

            "That was a gamble," Ariel says, "Counting on the Evangelion to save her."

            Next to her, the Metatron smiles.

            "It's more a constant," he says, "Yui Ikari always protects her children from mortal harm.  And it was a subconscious wish on Shinji's part, so I'm guessing that he's getting more and more of a grip on the power as he uses it."

            "And when he gets a full grip?"

            "Then," the Metatron says with a grin, "Then it all changes."