Disclaimer: see Act 0.
Enmity sparks between old lovers, and more hidden secrets are uncovered as mystery further surrounds the storm. Asuka and Rei taste soul-deep fear and horror as amber eyes burn with rage...
Longinus
Act VI - Warnings
Revenge is mine, sayeth the Lord. Revenge is mine.
"Nice to meet you! My name is Sohryu Asuka Langley!"
Three boys looked up, two in disbelief while the other sighed in resignation. It was bound to happen, he knew. He hadn't seen any other junior high schools around. Tokyo-3 Municipal Junior High School was probably the only public school around here. And he had heard that many of the students here had parents who worked at NERV. So it would be completely logical for her to attend here as well.
"Oh God! Now the Red Haired Devil is here too?!" Kensuke wailed.
The red-head frowned. "Oh Mien Gott! I'm going to the same school as you three morons?!!"
All in all, it seemed like it would be a very long school year indeed.
He snarled. The anger still raged at that twitty little GIRL for nearly killing them both. Who in their right mind would put someone THAT conceited into an Evangelion unit?! Reckless, egotistical and complete lack of conduct! This girl would get killed in a war, no doubt about it. He had seen kids and men alike that acted just like her. They had been the first casualties of war. As much training she had, it was obvious that in a real combat situation, she'd be nearly useless. Even Ayanami was better than her.
If he was anywhere but here, he would have ripped her head clean off her shoulders. What a spoiled brat. Shinji...I hate her. Don't you?
No! He thought sharply. I don't hate her! I don't!
Yes you do. Sure she's got a killer body, but...she's worthless. Useless and full of childish desires. You don't need her. Loki purred. Ayanami...she'll do fine. Ayanami's safer. She's passive...but aggressive too...she'll be our perfect toy. Kill that red-headed slut.
Shinji slammed his eyes shut, feeling that dangerous rush of power through his body. All of his powers were manifesting at an alarming rate. 3 years ago, all that could be seen of his presence were the eyes, but now, the wings...the power...the eyes...the bloodlust...everything was manifesting itself in his body. He knew now that he could use his powers at his own will.
It was an addictive thought, having this kind of power.
He wasn't weak, he was POWERFUL.
She couldn't believe this! First she was pushed into a squalid NERV housing quarter, and now she was in the same school as that geeky nerd, the stupid jock and the freaky Third Child?! How worse could her day get?!
Well, at least the Class Representative is nice enough, she thought to herself.
As her eyes drifted over to the Third Child, also known as Ikari Shinji, she couldn't help but feel that same shiver of fear race down her spine. That low growl of menace and authority had haunted her dreams last night, of what could have happened had he not left when he did. She could have been dead...or raped, or even both.
And nobody would have been there to stop it, she thought, not even Misato or Kaji.
That scared her. To know that someone like him could have ripped her apart with his bare hands. The boy was lanky, a bit thin and looked boring. But behind those blue eyes and meek face lay a destructive force unlike any other.
But it didn't matter. She was the Second Child, and she would show that stupid Third Child that no-one upstaged her.
Ever.
He watched them from the distance, feeling nervous. The last time hadn't been the best experience; monitoring the Third Child was very dangerous. At the present moment it was safe enough, he was in school. But...when he had been alone on those streets...
...those poor boys hadn't had a chance in Hell to win.
When he had received the preliminary report on the Third Child, he would never have suspected the boy to be so violent. And sadistic as well. Without second thought, the Third Child had broken the boy's arm and snapped his neck.
"It must run in the family," he muttered.
The sound of the bell ringing snapped him out of his thoughts, and he returned to his vigilant watch of the Third Child.
Strangely, he still felt that gut feeling...that something would go wrong.
He smiled as he walked into the dim room, the briefcase held in his hands. He knew that what was stored in here...it was a dangerous thing. It could make or break his plans, or SEELE's plans.
But right now wasn't the proper time to think of such things. He was just a delivery man, delivering the package to the customer.
"It's still in its embryonic form."
"Excellent job, Agent Kaji."
He smiled to himself, but not full of his normal cheer. The smile was full of melancholy and bitterness, the past long gone reminding him of the choices he had made, and of the morals that he had compromised. His quest...his quest would never be complete until he could find the truth.
The truth to what...?
He didn't know.
All he knew was that he was starved for it, craved for it like nothing else...
...save one person.
Misato.
He could still remember the day he had met her with crystal clarity. Her black-violet hair, the soulful brown eyes...and the soul that lay within those eyes. Sure, her physical body had drawn him to her, but it was her wounded heart that he loved, the fragile woman that lay behind the mask of the playful girl.
He had loved her then, and he still loved her now.
Could he still right what was wrong?
Did he have time?
Misato sat in her office, a scowl marring her beautiful visage. How had he entered her life again?! After their break-up, she had never expected to see him again.
But her heart ached at the sight of him, his roguish features and handsome face reminding her of their time together. The good, the bad, and the beautiful times they had shared.
She knew that despite his "lady-killer" exterior, he was the type of man who would settle for life if he found the perfect woman. And she had that chance, to be with him forever. But she knew that she had not been ready then, and she didn't know if she was ready now. Nothing was left for them now, just feelings of what had been and dreams of what could be.
Her heart loved him now, and she knew that she would always love him. Ryouji Kaji, playboy extraordinare. But he was the Ryouji Kaji that she loved, no matter who he was being.
Even if she wanted to try again, too much history was between them. It wouldn't work, she was different. And...she wouldn't risk her heart like that again, not to him. Her pride would never let her do that again. It was a pain she could live without.
If it meant that she had to live without Kaji...then that was fine.
But she knew...she would never love another like Kaji ever again.
Katsuragi Misato smiled bitterly as she raised her coffee cup, toasting a life that she could never live.
"Well Third Child?"
Shinji looked up. "Well what?"
"Where is the First Child?" she asked impatiently.
He pointed to where Rei sat and watched as the red-headed girl strode over to the First Child, only to be rebuffed. Asuka trotted back towards him, a scowl on her face. "What a freak."
He frowned. "Don't call Rei a freak."
She smirked at him viciously. "Awww...does the widdle Third Child have a crwush on the First?"
"Shut up," he hissed.
"Am I making you mad, Third Child?" she taunted.
Shinji slammed his eyes shut, feeling the power building within him. The rage...it burned like a blazing inferno. It burned true and hot like the flames of Hell...waiting for him to unleash it. His hand clenched and unclenched unconsciously; Shinji didn't want to hurt her, he really didn't but at this rate...
"You're so boring Third Child," Asuka sighed melodramatically. "Such a boring little boy."
Desperately trying to gain control over himself, he muttered under his breath, "And you're nothing but a prissy little twit."
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" she screeched. Apparently, her hearing was better than he thought.
He snapped. "I said, you're nothing but a prissy little TWIT!!!"
She shivered. It was that voice again. "Fuck you Third Child!"
Loki leered. "I'm game if you are."
Laughing at the radical blush on her face, he spun on his heel and walked towards the blue haired Rei. He could feel her following him, but suddenly, he was stopped.
"Where'd you think you're going, punk?"
He looked to find the boys he had met before. He smirked. "Pardon?"
Loki laughed. It was so easy to play around with these Lillims. He was a god, he had power at his disposal. He could feel the eyes of the Second and the First boring into him. These children...they wanted to play with fire, he'd show them fire.
Shinji opened his eyes, the amber light dancing and sparking menacingly. "What do you want?"
The boys trembled before him, and he knew it. Loki loved to use Shinji's body, it was deceptive. Underneath the seemingly thin, lanky frame was muscle and power like nothing else. It wasn't just his own power, it was Shinji's own power. Shinji smiled to himself, a smile full of shady intentions. "I'm t-talking to Ayanami."
"Listen punk, you killed Kei. And we don't forget that kind of shit," the boy snarled.
"What's your point?" he asked. "You attacked me. It's your own fault for attacking me."
"FUCK YOU!" the boy shouted.
The boy lunged at him, but he easily sidestepped it.
Show those stupid Lillim that you won't be defeated by the likes of them, Shinji, Loki smirked.
Shinji ducked under a wide punch and stepped into the boy's circle of defense. With a small, effortless push, the boy toppled backwards. He moved at an inhuman speed, his foot sweeping the boy's legs out from underneath him, only to have that same leg fold and smash squarely into the falling boy's back. The boy's body was brought rudely upwards, and then smashed back down into the ground with an elbow into his stomach.
The body richocheted cruelly from the cement, and the boy's gasping breath was ignored as Shinji propelled himself forward, a cold sneer adorning his youthful face. His eyes alternated from blue to amber, sparking and blinking like a lightbulb on the verge of burning out.
Stop toying with them, Shinji, Loki purred coldly, the sound resembled a cold snake in his mind. They're worthless. They don't deserve to live. Weak, spineless children like them should be dead.
No...I won't kill them, Shinji stated firmly.
Oh Yes...you will...
He tried to ignore his voice as he twisted around to face the back of one of the boys, and executed a debilitating double-handed chop to both sides of the boy's collarbone, putting enough force to fracture it. The crack of the bone fracturing under the impact echoed through the school's grounds as the other children watched with horror and revulsion etched into their faces.
"Stop this Ikari," a soft, feminine voice interrupted.
Loki whirled around to face the intruder, none other than Ayanami herself. He grinned nastily, contorting his vessel's face to something that resembled the face of Satan himself. "Why?"
"You will be suspended," she answered, her voice even and monotonous.
Shinji looked around to find his schoolmates gaping at him, shock and fear in their eyes. He cringed. But something...or someone wasn't satisfied. As if turning on a light, amber light came to life in his blue eyes and the game began once more. He spun on his heel and dropped low to the ground, planted his hands and pushed his body upwards so that it was perfectly perpendicular to the ground.
Without warning, he launched himself into the air, performed a flawless backflip and finished off with a powerful roundhouse kick to the boy's torso, sending him flying backwards. The last boy had already run off in fear. He laughed. It was so easy!
"What the hell is going on?!" a new voice demanded.
They all turned around to find the Second Child, Asuka and the school's principal standing there, eyes wide with shock and a bit of fear. Asuka looked at her fellow pilots, the First and the Third Children. Shinji was standing near the other fallen boy, his eyes and face betraying nothing. A similar expression was on Rei's face, and she idly wondered whether they were related.
"Ikari Shinji, come with me," the principal stated firmly.
"Yes sir," Shinji murmured meekly.
Misato sat on the opposite side of the table, staring intently at the young boy in front of her. The school had sent him home; suspension for three days for fighting. She would read the Section 2 report later to find out what exactly triggered the fight.
"I'm disappointed in you, Shinji," said Misato. "Starting a fight in the first week of school?"
"It wasn't my fault," he answered in a low tone. "They jumped me. I had to defend myself."
"That doesn't excuse the amount of force you used," Misato said angrily. "You could have broken his ribs!"
"That's a load of crap," Loki spat angrily. "That's fucking bullshit and you know it. I was toying with them, I wouldn't kill them in front of all those witnesses. Do you take me for a fool?!"
Startled by the sudden change of tone in her young charge, she pushed her chair back, as if to put more distance between them. "The school nurse said that the boy's ribs were cracked."
"Cracked is not broken, woman. There's a difference. When I want to play, I play. When I want to kill..."
Loki smirked as he planted his hands on the table and leaned forward, his lips just barely brushing hers. "Elegance is key."
Frightened and shaken, Misato shoved him back, hard; Shinji was thrown bodily against the chair from the unexpected push and fell backwards. The boy's blue eyes were staring at her with something akin to apology and defiance. He silently stood up and whispered, "I'm sorry Misato-san. That was...uncalled for."
With that, he quickly fled to the safety of his room, leaving his guardian and commanding officer in a state of mixed emotions.
Asuka lay awake in her temporary quarter that night, scowling to herself. Not only was she attending the same school as that idiotic Third Child, the First Child was a complete nut-case! The girl didn't say a word! And when she did...it was always in that cultured monotone of hers. She was fucking creepy.
But that wasn't what was making her think...it was that amber-tinged glare of the Third Child. Those demonic eyes that sparked and danced with rage, anger and sheer, unbridled power. Nobody should have been able to move like that, at least not someone their age. He was an enigma, a dangerous enigma.
She didn't understand why a psychopath like him was allowed to battle! He could kill everyone if he really wanted to. The guy was completely loopy! His eyes were messed up and he had nearly killed someone. According to one idiot, he already has killed someone. This Third Child wasn't as weak as she thought.
No, he wasn't weak at all. Just a complete psychopath!
He was a fucking menace to everyone health.
Snorting derisively, she turned onto her side and closed her eyes, hoping that sleep would claim her quickly, and without any nightmares.
His amber gaze haunted her all night.
He sighed heavily. He had lost control of himself today. He had smashed his way to the forefront of his consciousness to viciously beat the living daylights out of those boys. He had wondered why the faces looked so familiar.
I don't want to kill people. I can't kill them. Then I'll become like...like Father. I don't want to ever become like father. Ever.
Shinji, you ARE stronger than him. You regret death, that is why you will never be like him. The stronger will prevail. You are strong. The weaker will die. They were weak, Loki whispered. They deserve to die because they're weak.
No! That's not true!
It is true Shinji.
"It isn't true, it can't be!" he whispered to himself.
Face it. The strong survive, the weak die. That's why you're strong Shinji. You're going to survive, you're going to outlast all those cowardly little bastards.
"No..."
Yes, Loki murmured seductively. So you will do as I say...won't you?
The battle of wills -- Shinji's desperation against his selfish wants and bloodthirst -- raged within him, but Shinji knew he would lose. He didn't want to kill her...but he did want to hurt her. He couldn't resist his charm, his unfathomable power could make him bend to his will. But his power was also his own power. Couldn't he make him bend to his will?
But will you, Shinji? Will you make me bend to your will? Can you? You know I bend knee to no-one. Will you FORCE me to bend my knee?
Shinji flinched.
Oh, but don't worry. We'll have our fun with her. But when we're done with her...we'll throw her away and find a new plaything.
Within the recesses of his mind and soul, he heard the jovial, cruel laughter of Loki as he closed his eyes and desperately tried to block out the temptation, to push the dark presence of Loki to the back.
The blood smeared on the walls...glassy eyes...burnt, charred hair...hollow, dying screams...they all taunted him, seduced him to succumb. Misato, father, Asuka, Rei...Touji, Kensuke...all of their blank faces called to him, teased him and laughed.
His rage boiled and frothed underneath the surface, waiting to be released. His body trembled and his hand clenched, itching to break the dam that held back his rage. But no, he couldn't. He would never hurt anyone intentionally.
Please...stop...
He stood triumphantly over his fallen victim, the two-pronged lance dripping with the crimson red of his challenger. These pitiful...things dared to fight him?
Tossing his hair over his shoulder, he strode away from the battlefield to mount his might steed, droplets of blood leaving a telltale trail of his path behind him. His amber eyes scanned the grounds, satisfied at the sight of the dismembered bodies and the blood that marred the once green fields.
"Loki."
He turned the steed around to find his trusted general, Hymir. He smirked as he shook the sea giant's hand. "Well met, Hymir."
"Well met indeed, Loki," Hymir rumbled. "Quite a long way you've come. What brings you to my doorstep?"
Hymir was a tall man, nearly 8 feet at his full height and broad at the shoulders. There were not many men that were as large as Hymir; with his imposing build, piercing indigo blue eyes, pale ocean blue skin and a large trident in his hand, not many dared to anger the sea giant.
"I come here to bring news," Loki murmured.
The blue-skinned man lowered his head. "I entreat you, if it is about..."
"Indeed," Loki answered. "I bring news."
The sea giant smirked. "Then do be haste, I mean you no offense, Loki."
"Of course not," Loki nodded. "I have asked the Surt to join us. He has accepted."
"The Surt? He agreed?"
"Yes. It took some manipulation, but he agreed. We have one more in our midst," said Loki.
"That is most excellent! Not many can match the strength of the Surts," Hymir exulted happily.
Not even Hymir or Surt dared to anger Loki. The man was not as large as they, but his power was far beyond what many of them could reach. Some giants whispered that even Odin would fall to Loki's power and that damned lance of his; the crimson red lance that never left the smaller man's side.
Tall, broad-shouldered and chiseled features, Hymir knew that with their strength, Gotterdammerung would be coming soon. Very soon.
And he would finally exact his revenge against those damned Aesir. "We will have our revenge."
"Sayeth I, revenge is not without its price," Loki warned. "The Aesir are not to be taken lightly. My ancestry is of the Aesir and they will rise to the full strength if we are not careful."
Hymir nodded. "So what shall be done?"
Loki smiled darkly. "First, we kill Balder. That idiotic walking smile. Then things will go from there."
Nodding, Hymir returned to the sea while Loki rode off, laughing as he raced across the bloody plain and back to his home.
He stood on the barrne plain, standing across from his soul, his life-force, Loki. He couldn't help but be terrified of those abnormal amber eyes; his frame radiated power and violence, promising death to all those who dared to oppose him.
"It has been a long time, Shinji," he said casually.
"Indeed, Loki," he answered.
Loki chuckled. "Walk with me."
Falling into step next to the man, he let his eyes wander across the bloody landscape, the manifestation of his thoughts and soul. The rain fell steadily upon them, despite the glaring sun that shone overhead. Strange. There were no bodies.
"That is because we are alone," replied Loki. "Well...you are alone, or so you think."
"I am alone," Shinji said softly. "And I always will be."
The taller man smirked. "Some things will never change. But...I'm here to talk about something else."
"Such as?"
Amber met blue and for a split second, Shinji felt as if he was falling into a pit of terror and abyss, the amber eyes of Loki projecting the years of meaningless existence. "The Fates have something stored for you. For all of those surrounding you. Through your Evangelions, they want to take the next step."
"Next step?"
"Yes. The next step in the evolution of your species," replied Loki. "But that is what is revealed to you. But I am telling you now, and you must heed my warning."
Shinji gaped at him, a mixture of apprehension and naked terror racing each other across his face. "This is not evolution, Shinji. This is your judgement. This is your Armageddon."
"Armageddon..." Shinji whispered. "The end of the world?"
In the morning, Shinji sat up and shuffled to the kitchen, making sure that he would not encounter Misato or Asuka. His "dream" had left him awake since 3 AM and nothing had helped him fall alseep again. Not even his SDAT.
"Baka! Where the hell is my breakfast?!"
Emerald eyes narrowed with anger. "Damn that meddling Loki!"
Her sisters nodded. "Agreed. We must eliminate him, and quickly."
"We cannot kill Ikari!" they chanted. "Loki must die. This we agree."
They nodded as they continued to watch the scene unfold before them. The red-headed girl continued to rant and rave and the first of the Fates decided that the girl would have face her punishment in due time.
"So we are agreed. Loki will live...only because Ikari would be destroyed without him."
"Agreed," they intoned.
"What of the Enigma?" the second asked.
"The Enigma will not be harmed," the first answered, "until we find out more."
"So it is written, so it shall be."
Within the swirling vortex, a disembodied voice spoke. "I am Israfael. I shall have my revenge."
End Act 6
Revision - I heard the dissatisfaction of various readers; thank you for pointing things out. I wasn't very happy with this chapter either, so I went back and did some minor revisions. Major plot change comes in the next chapter. But still...I'm actually pretty pissed off about this chapter, it didn't turn out the way I wanted it to. But yeah. *shrug*
Author's Notes: Yeah, it's been awhile, hasn't it. Mind you, sometime down the road, this will be revamped in order to suit my...darker tastes. ^^ But until then, you get this. Anyways, feedback and other blah blah blah is welcomed.