Standard Disclaimer

Standard Disclaimer

Well here it is, the final installment of this little tale of mine. Hope you enjoy it.

X-X

Orders

Chapter – 22

Sliding the rubber band into place to keep her hair out of her face, Juri paced nervously outside of the warehouse. Around her, other cultists also felt riddled with nervous energy and excitement, but for her it was something greater. "All my life has been guiding me to this moment," she murmured. Before she was in the cult of Adam her life had been totally different. Her plans prior, had been to live a normal yet boring life. Now that she had seen the light she wasn't content to let her life be wasted on normalcy.

"How long until we begin the ritual?" a man she knew as Koji asked. He too had been a normal yet boring person. As a banker, he had been one of the few members with a purpose other than scripture. He was embezzling funds to keep the cult afloat. "With both Adam-sama and Eve-sama here, why don't we begin?"

The other seven cult members heard the question and turned to Juri and added in their agreements. Not enjoying her place as a semi-leader thanks to her capture of Adam, Juri rolled her tongue around in her mouth, a nervous habit. "High priest Christopher is preparing Eve as we speak. Once he is ready we will begin."

As a global movement, the cult of Adam wasn't just made of Japanese. Thanks to Nerv's assault however most of the foreigners to the cult had either died or been driven off. Christopher was one of the original founders and had been the only person that knew the full ritual until he taught Juri. The overweight bald Frenchman walked out of the warehouse doors now sweating profusely. "We will be needing to do what we feared," he whispered to his faithful new number two.

Taking the portly man's arm, Juri led him away from the gathering. "I thought you said we needed her clear headed or we might risk the ritual failing." She had to turn her head to avoid the stench the man exuded. It was the cult Juri was faithful too, not Christopher. He had tried to use his position to get into her pants and that sickened the nurse, and prayed Adam-sama would cleanse the world of people like him.

Shaking his head fiercely, his fleshy jowls swaying from the motion, Christopher's face reddened with embarrassment. "She is too unruly to cooperate with use. The vessel of Eve-sama is nothing like the spirit she holds within her." Eve was as Christopher believed all women should be, quiet, peaceful, and submissive. The girl handcuffed to the water main was the extreme opposite of that. "Do you have what you need?"

Regrettable, but expected, Juri had what was needed. "I've got it ready just in case. I'll go see to her then." She patted her pocket that contained a single syringe containing a powerful drug. "Why don't you go see to the other members and get them ready? It's a fast acting compound but it doesn't last long." Turning quickly she left the man to do what she had told, she had a child to tend to.

His head bobbing like a dog's, Christopher scuttled off to calm the anxiety of his flock. The appointed time was neigh and they had to be ready. Gathering the members that had wandered far, he brought them together and they headed into their makeshift temple. No longer did they post guards to watch; no they were all going to watch the event unfold. And as the last of the cultists entered the warehouse, Rei slowly crawled out of the garbage bin she had hid inside.

"Why did you not want me to just kill them now?" Rei asked aloud. Her vision was blurring with a haze of black setting in, her body alternated from being on fire to horribly chilled, and here hands shook constantly. "Take them out now before they do whatever they have planned with Shinji and her."

Growing concerned that her vessel wouldn't last long enough to save her beloved, Lilith was in constant debate. In your state, Cherished One, they might over come you and that would end everything. No, best to let them start and then strike at the fat one. Crush the leader and the followers will disburse. Then kill Eve and all would be as Lilith wanted. But one small wrinkle was in the mix, her vessel was resisting the take over. She had tried, reluctantly, to overcome her vessel's body and claim it as her own. Healing the body but sending her beloved child's mind to the abyss. But Lilith couldn't, Rei had grown too strong even in her sickness to be overtaken. Lilith was trapped in the girls mind unless she relented.

Rei went to nod but stopped, a wave of nausea hit hard and sent what little food she had scrapped out of the garbage onto the floor. "What of the woman?" Her hand wiped what little vomit was left on her face away but she made no move to clean her clothing, it was soiled enough anyway. "The one that took him?"

We will have to wait and think about her. While she did cause this mess, she now gives us the chance to remove Eve. Mixed blessing. Lilith didn't care about Juri as long as Eve was killed. With her rival gone, Lilith would rule and the more servants the better. She is a nurse so she might even be able to help you recover.

Stealing into the building, hiding in the shadows, Rei wormed her way carefully through the building. She could hear mummers and chants from inside large room, but it was the loud shout that grabbed her attention. "That was…" Rei mouthed as she peeked through the cracked door.

"Bitch, you let me go right now and maybe I won't kill you!" Asuka screamed at Juri. Waking up handcuffed to a pipe and naked hadn't done Asuka's mood any favors. "And if you did anything to Shinji I'll make sure they skin you alive!" She spat at the woman's feet as she attempted to break her confines.

Hiding the syringe behind her back, Juri used her other hand to try and coax Asuka to calm. "I'm sorry for this, I had no idea that they had planned this for you." She lied. Pulling the key to the cuffs out of her pocket she showed it to Asuka. "If you calm down I'll let you go and then we can get that boy and leave. They plan on…well making the two of you make love." It was true. The main part of the ceremony consisted of Adam taking Eve and once the act climaxed the doorway to Eden would open.

Her body seized instantly at Juri's actions and words. "The fuck are you talking about?" And why did that idea feel wonderfully good? More aware of her nakedness, Asuka clamped her thighs hard together and kneeled down. "Just let me loose and get me some cloths." She had to trust somebody or she'd not get free. Her bleeding wrists were proof enough that she couldn't break free.

Amazed at how easy the fiery German was to placate, Juri moved quickly. As she put the key into the cuff on Asuka's wrist her other hand shot out like a viper. Pushing the plunger quickly and pulling away before Asuka could attack, Juri's smile returned. "I do apologize Eve-sama, but you will take part of the ceremony of rebirth."

Looking at her side where the drop of blood signaled where she was injected, Asuka seethed. "What the hell did you just inject, inject me with?" Her body was already starting to feel funny, warmth spread outward from the point of injection and muddled her thoughts. "Bitch, shouldn't trust you…kill…" Asuka's eyes glazed over and a trail of drool trickled down her chin.

It was the moment Eve had been waiting for, weakness so profound that her captor couldn't defend against it. Pushing the German's consciousness deep down, Eve had to act fast or Asuka would recover and reclaim control. "What will you have me do?" Eve asked using Asuka's body.

Undoing the cuffs, Juri helped Asuka to her feet. "Just what comes natural to you. Even if Adam-sama's host is unwilling his body won't resist." That was the easy thing about men, Juri thought. Even if Shinji refused mentally, his body would react naturally to the stimulation and everything would work wonderfully. "Eve-sama, we have waited for this day," she lead the child slowly out of the room and for a moment Juri thought she saw something glowing in the darkness but put if off as nerves.

Through glazed eyes, Eve was fully in control and basked in the sensation of having a body again. "As have I." Eve let the woman lead her down the darkened hall towards her husband. She could feel him, he was calling out to her, and no longer did she have to coax and plead for the reluctant girl to move. Sadly due to the ritual, Eve wouldn't get to enjoy the world as it was. Silly Lilim, the Eden they will usher in is exactly what it is. Paradise for Adam and myself, they will have no part of it.

Throwing open the doorway to the alter room, Shinji's horse pleas for help still echoing around, Juri had no idea she was about to bring about the end of life as mankind knew it. "Behold our savior's wife!" She gestured to the girl at her side, "Now prepare her for the ceremony and let us all bask in the reward for our efforts!" The cheer was unanimous and loud, nobody knew what they were doing.

X-X

Nobody said anything while they drove. Misato at the wheel with Rei in the passenger seat, and Kaji and Maya in the back they couldn't help but feel nervous. Every so often, Rei would close her eyes and then tell Misato where to turn. Wracked with guilt and shame, Misato couldn't stand the silence anymore. "Kaji is there anything else you want to tell us about this?"

Checking the amount of ammo he had, Kaji wasn't looking forward to a firefight. "Not really Misato. The cult of Adam's goal is the reuniting of Adam and Eve whom they believe will lead them to paradise." Not being a religious man, he didn't have an opinion on the implications of the cult's beliefs. "I wouldn't believe any of this, if it wasn't for our psychic compass here and what happened to Gendo."

"But if this is true, then Ayanami and Ikari-kun aren't themselves are they? They're being controlled by those things," Maya added. Eyes locked on Misato's fiercely determined face, she felt her feelings all the stronger. Her foolish hope of being in a relationship with Misato hadn't died, but now she had even more hurdles to overcome. "I mean what if Ayanami didn't attack Misato and me, but it was Lilith."

Slowing the car down as she backed up behind a stalled car, Misato turned to face Maya. "We don't know what it is like, but I don't care if Rei did it willingly or not. She had to have some hand in it. I refuse to believe she was possessed or some other bullshit excuse. We all have choices." Honking her horn as the car still refused to move, Misato felt the Rei in the car pull on her sleeve. "What is it?"

Using the hand she had pulled on Misato's coat with, Rei pointed at the road ahead of them. "It appears that there has been an accident." She guided the others to the scene not five cars ahead of them. Two cars had hit head on and were sprawled out across the road. "We are getting closer, I can feel him near." But what was that other thing she felt, a gnawing distress that she couldn't place. "Something is happening though, and we must hurry."

Rolling his eyes at the misfortune, Kaji caught a glimpse of something he wished he hadn't. Opening his door, Kaji stepped out into the street. "Get out of the car girls. You need to see this." If he was a betting man, Kaji would have put all his money on that what he was looking at had caused the accident. He could see other people getting out of there cars and doing the same thing he was. An ill omen hung in the sky offering everybody that saw it worry.

Scooting across the backseat and climbing out Kaji's door, Maya fumbled and almost fell. Caught by Kaji's strong arms, she thanked him and followed his finger to what had captured everybody's attention. "What is that?"

"This is just getting worse and worse," Misato grumbled as she followed suit and got out of the car and heard the clone's door shut as well. "Well why are you all so mystified by a cloud?" She asked as she too looked at the floating sign. It appeared to be a storm cloud, only it wasn't bulbous and irregular like clouds typically were. It was perfectly spherical, emitting random bolts in lightning inside itself. "It's just a cloud guys, lets keep moving."

Stepping past the trio of adults, the newest Ayanami Rei gritted her teeth and clenched her teeth. "It is growing. He is there," was all she said before she started running towards the industrial district. And she was correct. The ball was growing larger and larger with each passing moment. Building its energy as the cultists performed there ritual, and when it was big enough it would wipe out the Lilim that had corrupted the world and give back paradise to the first two.

"Do we follow her?" Maya asked Misato. Never taking her eyes off the shrinking form of the teen, Maya didn't know if she could keep going. She wasn't the type to be brave in this type of situation. Her courage came in accepting herself and others, not in facing armed men. And that dreadful fruit hanging in the sky frightened her terribly. "With the roads all clogged, I don't know if we can drive there."

Nodding to Kaji, Misato had the man solve Maya's problem. Catching Maya's unconscious body after Kaji pressed several pressure points. Taking her arms as Kaji grabbed the feet, "We can't have her making this harder for us, and I don't think she's ever used a gun before." Kaji said nothing, he just helped load the body into the car. Pulling her own gun out of the holster, Misato started to jog down the street following Rei's path.

Locking the car doors, Kaji noticed many people had begun fleeing the area. "Guess we're the stupid ones," he said to himself. But if they could do something to stop whatever was approaching they had to try, they had something the rest of the city didn't.

Responsibility.

They knew what was going on and had the ability to stop it using the pills Ritsuko gave them. Did they have time though? Kaji wouldn't know the answer to that until the tracked down Shinji. "Just hope Asuka's not involved in this mess somehow."

X-X

Running down the hallway of terminal dogma, Gendo had only one goal in mind. Get to the lab and hide until whatever was going on was over. He hadn't lived this long, schemed and plotted, and sacrificed so much just to die to some assassin. "I can still win this, its not over yet."

But with Kehl gone he had only himself to rely on, and Nerv's abilities. During the meeting he had with the centurion not twenty minutes ago, Gendo saw the man, for the lack of better words, get eaten. "Swallowed by that blackness," he huffed as his lungs ached for air. No longer the athletic man of his past, Gendo's running was already causing him to sweat and his limbs to hurt.

He had to be safe here though, nobody even knew about this level of Nerv except Ritsuko and him. The most hidden and protected section of Nerv, ground zero for all his plans, was the best place to keep himself until his section-2 agents killed the abomination and halted this assault. "I still have the clones…my son…Yui!"

Falling against the wall heavily, Gendo drug his tired and adrenalin pumped body to the tank room. Opening the door Gendo took three steps in then stopped. Covering his mouth to keep even the sound of his breath from behind heard, the most powerful man of Nerv nearly screamed but through sheer force of will contained it.

On the ground was one of his puppets and the warm body he used as he saw fit. Ritsuko Akagi lay on the ground covered in blood. Alive or dead, Gendo didn't know, wasn't even sure the blood was all hers, but what he was aware of was that he was in mortal danger. Surrounding the fallen doctor was as small army of clones. They didn't move or make a sound, all they did was stand and stare at the woman at their feet.

Sliding his feet backwards to minimize the sound, Gendo took in the condition of the clones and almost felt better. Due to the incomplete nature of there wakening, their AT Fields were weak. Many of the clones were already breaking down. Many were missing arms, two were on the ground having lost legs, and one was dead having lost its head. If I can avoid them long enough they will all die, and I can still stay here.

Ritsuko's condition didn't matter to the man. Be she live or dead, he didn't care. All that mattered was that he lived to bring Yui back. Painfully slow, he made his way back those three steps without making a sound, and had he not forgotten about the wall behind him in his joy at getting out of the room he would have survived. But when he backed up against the wall, his head bounced off the metal siding making the tiniest thud.

It was enough in the total stillness of the lab to garner there attention. A legion of clone's all turned in unison at the sound and advanced. Rushing towards the man, some of the mob ran so fast that their failing AT-Fields caused legs to fall and they tumbled to the ground. Five of the leading clones were the unwilling recipients of the bullets from Gendo's gun.

"NO! NONONO NO!" Gendo yelled at the advancing horde as he fired at them. This was impossible! He couldn't die like this! Killed by his own play thing! "DIE!" he screamed as he pressed the barrel of his gun to the temple of the first clone to get to him.

Click.

The clip was empty.

Click.Click.Click.

He tried again and again as cold hands wrapped around his arms and legs and drug him down to the floor. As they began to feast upon the man's hot flesh, nobody that ever saw the surveillance tape could tell whether the man was screaming or laughing as the dined.

X-X

Something was happening, something bad, but Shinji couldn't see what it was. Whoever had taken him were all up in a fervor, and there chanting had increased in tempo and volume. "Please just let me go," he croaked out with his throat sore from his attempts to get somebody to help him. When Juri walked up to his side again, he shied as much away from her as his confines allowed. "What are you going to do to me?"

It hurt her to see her savior in such a sorry state, but it was necessary. "I'm terribly sorry Adam-sama, but it will all be over soon." Gesturing to the drugged and Eve controlled Asuka, Juri's smile was beautiful. "We have found your wife, Adam-sama, and once you become one with her you shall be freed."

Lead by the high priest, Eve let the sons and daughters of Lilith revel in there own stupidity. Her husband was before her now, and she could feel her wanting for him threaten to break her air of control. "Adam-sama, I have waited so long for this moment," she cooed to the prone boy. So close to her goal, her reunion, but it was going to be close. Already the ancient being could feel her vessel struggling to reclaim dominance.

Passing the blood smeared girl, Christopher stood before his acolytes. "Since we were enlightened to the truth of the universe we have waited for this time." The chanting lulled but didn't stop. "Though we have lost many on our way to this day, we have not wavered or faltered in our belief, and today we stand at the precipice." A rallying cheer was let out by a few of the black robed believers. "And now I stand before you with Adam and Eve about to joined and our way to paradise opened!!"

Wiping a tear of joy from her eye, Juri clapped softly as she took Asuka by the arm and directed her to the table. "Adam-sama, here is your wife," Juri's hand trailed down Asuka's toned stomach careful not to smear the runes. "And such a beautiful wife she is for you." Offering her cherished female savior a chaste kiss to the cheek, Juri was stunned at how Asuka almost radiated beauty.

On the altar, Shinji nearly swallowed his tongue when Juri showed him who they believed his wife to be. "A-Asuka?" he couldn't believe it! How could this be happening! Was it a terrible joke that Misato was pulling trying to get his mind off Rei? No not even on her cruelest day would Misato do this. "Asuka what's wrong with you?" She didn't look normal to him, her expression was too happy and almost unnatural. Those eyes that captivated him and caused a few moments of guilt as he felt he betrayed Rei for his feelings were all dull and vacant.

Fingers a hair breathe away from Asuka's shoulders, Juri gently coaxed Asuka closer to the altar. "We had to give her something to calm her, or she'd never know the joy of paradise. She'll forgive us, surely, when this is all over." Juri was vaguely aware that Christopher had started the ritual and the acolytes were all watching and chanting in unison. Helping Asuka up to the altar, Juri laid the girl on top of her savior.

Runes connected to runes as flesh met flesh, but Shinji fought against his bodies natural inclination. "Asuka please snap out of it! Wake up! Don't let this happen, not like this!" He loved this woman on top of him, he wouldn't lie to himself and say that he didn't in some way wish to make love to her as he had Rei, but not like this. He loved Rei still, wouldn't betray her memory so easily, but this was something all together different.

It was a pollution of his and her feelings. Asuka didn't want this, he thought, and neither did he. "Stop this you bastards!" he yelled as he fought harder against his manacles. "Don't make her do this or so help me I'll…"

Eve silenced her petulant husband with a kiss. Grabbing his head she gingerly held it in place as he struggled to break free. Slowly…oh so slowly she felt him ease and relent. Pulling away only a few inches, she whispered so only he could hear. "Nobody is forcing me beloved. This is what should have been for such a long time. Sadly these creatures are going to destroy themselves though."

Joining the assembled masses, Juri joined in the chanting. She wanted to watch the blessed event and have the moment burned into her mind so she would never forget. Only trace feelings of wrongness existed in her mind now. Being only children had at one time made her squeamish, but now seeing them in the each others arms evaporated her doubts. It is a thing of pure beauty and I am glad I helped bring it about.

Eyes wide, Shinji tried to shake his head but Asuka held it firmly in place. "You're not Asuka. She's not this weak, she's stronger than this. The Asuka I love would never succumb to this." He saw her for a moment twitch, as if fighting some internal battle, but in the end she just smiled at him lovingly, kissed him deeper and carefully started the act of lovemaking proper. As he felt the familiar sensation of a woman around him his senses overload and he cursed his weakness. I'm sorry Rei-chan…Asuka.

As Eve basked in what she had longed to feel for countless ions, Asuka rebelled and was gaining ground over distracted Eve. Be silent wench, he was mine before your kind existed! Eve was done letting her vessel have her way, not when she was here, minutes away from her return to Eden.

Eve was foolishly overconfident and didn't take the tenacity of the proud Asuka Langley Soryu seriously. This is MY body and that is MY Shinji!! Forcing the entity that had stolen her body from her back into deepest confines of her mind, Asuka reclaimed her body, but didn't stop. "This…Shinji…I….we…" getting hit full force at the sensation of being one with her dearest wasn't something Asuka had prepped for.

Biting his lip, hoping the pain would distract him from the building sensation of climax he felt growing, he found Asuka's eyes on his. And the glaze was gone, "A-Asuka?" he asked in disbelief.

A torrent of blood erupted from the amassed crowd as Christopher's arms and head were dissected from his body. Rei and Lilith had watched enough, and it was time to end this farce before Eve got her wish. "This ends NOW!" the albino screeched throwing Christopher's head at Asuka and knocked the girl off of Shinji and to the cold cement floor.

Bathed in their priest's blood had the affect Lilith wanted. Seeing the man's death caused panic and disruption. Outside the black cloud was covering the whole of the sky and sending out lightning strikes causing massive damage to buildings. Juri stood transfixed in her spot, watching as Rei walked towards her with nothing but malevolence in her glowing red eyes. "We failed?"

Gripping the damnable nurse's head with her blood smeared hands, Rei nodded. "You failed," and twisted Juri's head fiercely to the side snapping her neck in two places. Dropping the body, Rei stepped over it as she headed to the altar, the cries of the cultist was already fading as she took the single step up and gazed on Shinji's body for the first time in what felt like ages. "Shin-chan," she whimpered weakly. Her body was almost past the point of consciousness, but one person was left to deal with.

Cherished one we must not dawdle, he will be here for us after we kill Eve! She is here now and weak! Lilith urged her dying body to keep moving and not stop. If Rei stopped now and freed her beloved, their would be no chance at ending Eve's life and Lilith couldn't have that. Kill her now and all the world will be ours, forever and ever. Kill her now!

"Rei-chan! You're alive! You remember me! I know she was a fake…now f-free me and we can get out of here," Shinji's elated voice called out. Tears of shame mixed with joy at having his Rei-chan back. Nothing would please him more than to get free and forget about this whole nightmare. "Please…R-Rei-chan?" Why was she looking at Asuka, if Rei had seen what happened she had to know Asuka wasn't in control of herself right?

Using the altar as support, Rei staggered to Asuka's prone body still in shock from the blow to the head. "I have longed to do this for so long," grabbing Asuka's flowing hair, Rei slammed the German's head hard against the ground. "For so long you tormented me and had what I wished…" But she wasn't to blame! Rei remembered that Asuka, like herself, was being used by the other half. Rei had been strong enough to resist for the most part, but Asuka was weaker.

Don't hesitate Cherished One, don't give her the chance to recover! Using Rei's eyes, Lilith found a fitting tool just to the side of the altar in arms length. The knife, Cherished One, take the knife and end her miserable life and take your rightful place as ruler! Then when recovering Lilith would take over, but still allow the girl's mind to remain as a companion.

Reaching out blindly as Lilith instructed, Rei's fingers squeezed painfully around the hilt of the knife, and crawled over Asuka's body. "Everything I've ever wanted," she echoed Lilith's offer as she held the knife to Asuka's throat. "Everything…I've ever…wanted," her arm tensed as Lilith screamed at her to kill the wretch pinned under her body.

Bending his body in painful angle's Shinji could finally see what was happening. "Rei what are you doing! Asuka didn't know what she was going…this was all these peoples fault!" He couldn't believe it! Rei was hovering over Asuka, bathed in blood, and holding a knife to his friend's throat. Sound exploded to his other side, turning briefly he saw the door had burst open and three people were running towards him, turning back to Rei he saw her hand ready to slit Asuka's throat. "Rei-chan…"

Time slowed.

Rei was aware of everything, every single particle of dust in her field of vision. Gone was the blurry haze of sickness. Everything came down to this moment. Locking eyes with Shinji, seeing the panic and shame in his eyes, Rei raised the dagger high and gripped it with both hands. Shouts of other people, Katsuragi she thought, were coming from the other side of the altar, but she couldn't see them.

Lilith's pleading continued Everything you've ever wanted, and all you need to is stab downward! Kill her! Jubilant that after so long she was finally going to have her lover back and be ride of Eve, Lilith wouldn't relent on her demand.

Stabbing down with all the force she could…

Rei buried the knife into the concrete and a bright spark flared as it grazed across the ground away from Asuka's throat. "All I've ever wanted is SHINJI!" she roared as she fell over Asuka's body her vision fading darker and darker. No longer could she hear Lilith's cries of disbelief and anger. In her heart, Rei knew the truth now. If she killed Asuka, the one thing she wanted would be lost to her. Shinji would never forgive her, because on some level Rei knew that Asuka and Shinji cared for each other, but not as much as she cared for him.

Her breathing became shallow, the occasional large gust of breath. So peaceful and quiet now, Rei felt wonderfully calm yet so powerfully tired. Is Shinji ok? Was the last thought she had before blackness overtook her.

X-X

"Knock, Knock. You awake?" Misato asked as she opened hospital room door. Passing into the room and putting the flowers she carried into a waiting vase a wave of shame washed over her. "Sorry for not visiting more often, but things have been…hectic."

Pushing the button to raise the angle of the bed, Ritsuko giggled. "I'm sure that's the understatement of the year." Sniffing at the flowers, "Smell wonderful." With her good hand, she picked up a glass of water and took a sip. "So going to tell me the news or am I going to have to guess?"

Astonished at how her friend's recovering was going, Misato tried not to look at the white eye patch that covered the permanently blinded left eye of her friend. "Well that's a lot of ground to cover, why don't you narrow it down and I'll tell it to you in segments." It pained Misato to know that she was the only person that ever visited Ritsuko, everybody else felt to betrayed by the woman to think fondly of her. Misato was a rare gem in that regard.

Taking another drink of water the blond set the glass back down then asked, "Let's start easy. How are things at Nerv going?" Business was an easier subject than the touch area of human emotion to Ritsuko. "Not going to tell me you're in charge now are you?"

Clearing her throat, Misato flexed her shoulder making her new badge glisten in the pale light of the hospital room, Ritsuko's gasp wasn't unexpected. "With the death Commander Ikari and Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki, I've been promoted to Commander. But before you go all crazy on me things aren't that simple anymore."

The two weeks that followed the botched Green Earth ceremony and the commander's death brought a lot of facts to light. Nerv's, Gendo's, hidden agenda and that of the secret organization Seele were made public knowledge. Such a bombshell caused not only local uproar but a global resentment.

"I'll be the Commander of Nerv, but I'll have a liaison from the Japanese government onsite at all times," Misato's eyes rolled in her head as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

Covering her smile with the hand not in a cast, Ritsuko could tell already who was going to be keeping tabs on Misato. "Just don't kill Kaji for disagreeing with you," Misato's yelp and shout answered Ritsuko's doubt in a lovely manner. "Well have you given any thought about your vice commander?" Not taking Misato for being the type for nepotism, Ritsuko doubted it would be Maya.

Handing Ritsuko a manila folder Misato said with a faux grimace, "Funny you should ask that." Misato watched as Ritsuko pawed through the document, "Be my vice commander? I know tactics, not science. And we need to find a use for the Evangelion's if the angels are truly gone." Management of the Eva's had become the first issue the global tribunal had for Misato.

Moved at Misato's trusting nature, Ritsuko rubbed her stinging eye, "If you don't mind a one eyed prior back stabber who had a minor case of insanity." Extending her hand, Ritsuko grabbed Misato's firmly and shook it.

"Who said I was any better?" Misato shared a good laugh with her friend.

Drawing in a deep breath, Ritsuko readied herself for the more controversial issues she wanted to learn about. "So how are things at your apartment going?" A loaded question if there ever was one, but the aftermath of the raid of the warehouse had left more than one person befuddled on what to do.

Losing her focus, Misato just stared blindly at the flowers, "Asuka's moved out. Three days ago she moved to on-base housing. She still blames herself for what happened between her and Shinji." Having been there, Misato had easily seen the signs of sex on both Shinji and Asuka. "Shinji forgave her and I think the two of them are becoming friends again, but she said she can't trust herself to sleep in the same building as him."

A logical if not emotional decision, Ritsuko had to give Asuka credit. "Well in time I'm sure the two of them will get over things. Speaking of Ikari-kun, how is he handling…" It was hard, but Ritsuko was able to suppress her fetish for strong men and not think of Shinji like she had his father.

"Well she moved in the same time Asuka moved out," Misato finished Ritsuko's comment. "Though we officially changed her name as nobody wanted to think about the fact she was a clone." Their little compass had been very adamant about moving in with them, and so far only one incident had occurred with the young girl sneaking into Shinji's bed occurred. Misato threatened to kick her out if it happened again.

Glad Misato wasn't looking at her, Ritsuko was able to mask her shame for not telling the truth about the clones ages ago. "What is the name she chose?" As if Ritsuko didn't know, the Gods were nothing but fans of dramatic irony.

"Yui, she named herself Yui," Misato's thoughts on that complicated little genetic equation had still yet to be finalized. "And before you ask I'm making sure all of them are taking their pills daily."

Ritsuko didn't miss the drop in Misato's voice at the mention of the pills. "I'm sorry about that Misato. About your memories and everything, but we can't risk them getting out of control again. They need to keep taking those pills, and you'll just have to accept that." It was easy to tell somebody what they had to accept when it had no bearing on the one telling. Ritsuko had no idea what Misato was going through. Learning that your memories and emotions had been crosswired had to be rough.

Her head bobbed once, "Maya's been avoiding me since the day it happened. I feel horrible about it, but I just…I'm so confused about it. I feel like I'm in love with her, but then the memory that its not really hear in my memories." She shrugged and made no action to continue her discussion on the matter.

Taking Misato's hand in hers, Ritsuko gave the troubled woman a squeeze. "Can't all be bad." Leaning in closer to Misato, Ritsuko's giddiness and anxiety peaked, "And what about him? How is Shinji?"

Freeing her hand from Ritsuko's, Misato laughed long and hard. "You'll never believe the call I got this morning from the hospital." That had been one hell of a wake up call to receive. "Turns out that Shinji's dear girlfriend really needed a…hot meat injection…and the day nurse walked to find Shinji administering."

Jerking back, Ritsuko's mouth opened into a perfect circle as her relaxed and joined Misato in a belly laugh. "Well you know what they say about the quiet ones and you don't get any more quiet then Ayanami Rei." Slapping her bed playfully, Ritsuko continued to laugh, "And now she has her twin to contend with, guess she really wants to mark her territory early."

"Poor Shinji didn't know what hit him it sounds like. He's been visiting her everyday since she regained consciousness last week. Guess the little lady was really wanting and just jumped him when she got enough strength," Misato didn't feel any parental concern regarding this. Yes they were young, but according to Ritsuko, Rei wasn't able to conceive so what was the harm. "Girl earned it after the hell that…Lilith thing did to her. If the nurses didn't get to her when they did they said she'd not have made it. I'm going to pick them up after I leave here"

Pushing the reset button, Ritsuko was already growing tired and wanted to lay back down. "You can say that again. She must really love him to have gone through such pain just to see him again." Both women shared a jealous glance, they didn't have anybody that would fight to the death for them while nearly dead themselves. "Anything else?"

"Yeah one last thing, that little girl is also the richest girl on the planet," Misato said hotly as she got to her feet. Noticing the none-to-discrete yawn, Misato knew her friend wanted sleep and she'd let the doctor have it. "Not only did Lilith have Ayanami kill those men, but somehow she hacked there financial accounts and routed the money to her own." Shaking her head, Misato had no idea what Rei would do with so much money. "Just think of it, over twelve the richest men in the world's personal assets at her disposal."

Hiding her yawn again, Ritsuko shooed Misato, "Just don't let her buy you anymore booze. And give them my best." Ritsuko smiled again as Misato nodded and walked out. Closing her eye, Ritsuko allowed herself one small fantasy about the boy before going to sleep.

In the hallway, as she walked to Rei's room where the pair waited for her, Misato couldn't help but wonder. What would have happened if she hadn't ordered Rei to date Shinji all that time ago? "I think she owes me one…maybe she can finish paying off my car." Once outside the pair's door, Misato stopped when her hand touched the handle. Hearing the telltale sounds of lovemaking on the other side of the door, Misato thought better of opening yet. "Guess they're making up for lost time, just for that I'll ask for a house too," she laughed to herself as she waited for the pair to finish. It was a long wait, but when she walked in and saw the blissful faces of both teens, all her anger dissipated, they deserved what they got, fought long and hard for it, and now got to bask in the reward of it.

The End

X-X

And there it is. The end of the story. A little happier for some, but not all. This was actually two story ideas I had that I didn't think worked well enough on there own.

Misato ordering Rei to date Shinji

An evil Lilith/Rei character

Unfortunately Asuka, Maya, and Rei III don't really have a 'happy' ending I still think this was a good way to end the story. I could have dragged it out and made more of 'fallout' between Asuka and Shinji but I didn't want that. In this story I wanted Shinji and Asuka to have a more friendship feeling that had Shinji not been with Rei easily turned into romance.

You might disagree. Anyway I hope you liked the ending and the story as a whole. I enjoyed writing it immensely and now have to think of what little project to work on next. Thanks for all the support and encouragement over the almost two years it took to write this whole thing.

Ja Mata

Zentrodie (zentrodie-dot-geo-at-yahoo-dot-com)