Standard Disclaimer

Well this isn't good…my word processor is acting up! Lets hope it was a one time event. Oh and I got two kittens on a trial basis. Going to be a strange week.

X-X

The End is the Beginning

Chapter – 8

Keeping Shinji in tow, Misato headed straight to Ritsuko's office after the alarms were silenced. "I can't believe she'd do something like this! The base is already on edge and she's calling spontaneous fear checks!" Her head was abuzz with pent up frustration and anxiety. Shinji had hardly said a word since the news of Rei and Asuka's true demise and that worried her. Offering him a weak smile, "You sure you're feeling alright?"

No, no he wasn't, and the fact that Misato was oblivious to her surroundings wasn't making things any better. Pointing down at Misato's feet, "L-look at what you're standing in!" How she could be so clueless to the shift in the cleanliness was beyond Shinji's frazzled mind to cope with.

Obliging the boy, happy just to hear him speak, Misato didn't notice the look of dread on his face. Finding her expensive footwear saturated by the pool of blood she was standing in, Misato quickly changed her priorities. Back peddling out of the gore, she pressed herself against a wall and tore off some of Ritsuko's notes in the process. "Oh Fuck! What the hell happened in here?" Her mind already creating an idea.

Before Misato or Shinji could say anything else, the door to the lab swung open and a pensive Ritsuko Akagi burst in. "What are you two doing in here?" she asked harshly. She had no time for more delays! The tank had to be examined and possibly destroyed before the clones could turn. The unfortunate business with Maya, and the lies she had to tell to cover it up had stalled her enough already. "I'm really busy so unless Shinji-kun here is close to death, I'd like to be alone," and then she noticed the remains of Maya she hadn't cleaned.

"What did you do in here?" Misato asked tersely. It was clear to Misato now what happened, but she didn't have all the details. The alarm was sounded, Ritsuko was behind it, and here was a pool of blood that would equate in one dead human. Misato's brain was far more powerful than people gave her credit for. Ritsuko killed something or someone in this room and somehow triggered the alarm. She then had to cover it up. The question is who or what? Slowly pushing herself away from the wall, Misato circled her friend, "Well?"

To lie or tell the truth was Ritsuko's biggest debate. Misato would know the need to keep Asuka and Rei's state unknown to the masses, but would she agree that murder was an acceptable recourse. "I…I killed Maya, Misato," Ritsuko took the gambit that truth was best. "She walked in on me while I was working on Ayanami," if Shinji didn't know she was dead he did now and she didn't care. "I panicked when she said she was going to tell the rest of the base. I…I overreacted and before thinking it through I killed her."

Shinji's face paled instantly and he put as much distance between the murderer and himself as possible. "You-you killed her because she knew the truth?" he gasped out. It was all as Asuka said it was. Nerv was an evil place, far more than he ever suspected. Positioning himself behind a chair, he watched as Misato and Ritsuko circled each other, both occasionally stepping into the pool.

Torn, Misato wanted to say something but knew Shinji wouldn't like to hear it. Ritsuko had acted stupidly, horribly stupid, but in light of the consequences it was not a damning mistake. "What did you do with her body? Is she one of those things now that you're playing with?" Misato jerked her thumb towards the room Ritsuko kept her playthings. "You did didn't you?" she asked when Ritsuko's head dropped low.

"She was fresher than Asuka was! I couldn't let a chance like that slip through my fingers!" Ritsuko's words sounded shallow even to her. Maya had been a friend, a confidant, and even a potential love interest. But in a moment of fear and idiocy she killed her and then strapped her to a table to watch. Not liking the disgusted look on Misato's face, "What? I know its bad, but at least I'm honest about it! What about you? Can you say the same?"

Stomping her foot, sending drops of blood everywhere, Misato shouted, "I never killed a friend in cold blood because of something stupid I was trying to HIDE! That's just so cold and inhuman!" The audacity of trying to justify murder and experimentation on the body was making Misato unstable. Grabbing Ritsuko by the collar, she pulled the woman in close, "You've fucking lost it! Kaji was right about you going over the edge!"

Used to Misato's theatrics, Ritsuko knew the easiest way to defuse her. Appearing unaffected by the rage and anger Misato was conveying, Ritsuko smirked. "You did something far worse," already Ritsuko could see understanding dawning on Misato's face. Ritsuko could see the panic and regret seeping into every pour and the unconscious begging for the doctor to stop. Ritsuko loved it "You killed that woman that brought Shinji in, and I think that's far worse. Killing the person that saved the boy you consider your son, that's cold too," every moment of anguish Misato portrayed made it worth it.

His breath stopped as he watched the interplay and heard Ritsuko's statement. "It-it's not true! Right Misato-san? You said you let-let her live!" She had told him point blank that she hadn't killed Kyoshi. She wouldn't have lied about that, she couldn't have! "Misato-san?" he hated that dead air, the deafening silence of her not speaking.

Acting before Misato could try and salvage things, Ritsuko shoved the woman away from her. "No, Shinji, she didn't save her. Misato ordered her death because its what the rules say we do with trouble makers. People who will cause more harm than good are killed. That woman, your father, and Maya were all killed to protect the greater good. Don't let her lie to you about it," Ritsuko's smile was vindictive and cruel.

"Shinji, I…I didn't have a choice!" Misato turned to her boy hoping to explain. But when she saw him, saw the abstract fear and betrayal etched into every feature of him her body refused to function. Reaching out for him, his broken expression burning into her soul, she wasn't shocked when he ran from her. "Shinji come back!" she called out after his retreating form. Moving to follow, she found a restraining hand around her wrist, "What the hell did you do that for!? Why say that to him!?"

Increasing the pressure of her hold, Ritsuko's just shook her head. "Maybe I did it to show you're no different than I am. Or maybe I think he deserves to know the truth about you. Or maybe just maybe I wanted you to know what it feels like to have your failures thrown in your face." Throwing Misato's hand to the side, Ritsuko pointed to the door, "Get out, I have work to finish."

Misato gave her friend one last look and then ran after Shinji. So many things she wanted to say, but her tongue remained dormant and fat inside her mouth unable to do anything. I'll give her a piece of my mind next time I see her, but for now Shinji is all that matters. But as she raced down the halls, hopefully in his direction, she had no way of knowing she'd never see her friend alive again.

X-X

His arm was on fire as the blood coursed down, but Kozo moved with purpose. "I didn't want to rush it like this…but I won't die before I've seen her dream come reality," he gasped out. A spike of pain lanced though his body forcing him to stop. Leaning against the wall, leaving a crimson smear behind, Kozo could hear those accursed things banging on the door seeking not only freedom but also his life.

It was a stroke of luck that when he opened the door to the core room that only one had initially saw him. He had been bewildered by the flood of LCL that he hadn't noticed one of the pale freaks standing by the door. It wasn't moving, hell he doubted it was breathing, but it was watching. And when it saw him it pounced.

Knocked to the floor, a naked clone dripping in LCL on top of him biting and clawing at his face, Kozo clumsily pulled his gun out while fending the thing off with his good arm. The shot was deflected by an AT Field and for a brief moment Kozo thought he was going to die.

Rearing back a moment, the clone dove in and savagely bit into the old man's arm. Teeth sinking into the bone, it pulled back with a snap as the warm flesh flooded her throat. Chomping her first morsel loudly, she never got the chance to get a second as a foot to her chest sent her flying back into the room with the others.

With speed he thought his old body incapable of, Kozo leaped to his feet and sealed the door before the creature could regain its footing or another could move. But he heard them, dead God he heard them. Unlike the other slow and stupid things, the spare clones were snarling and yowling like a cat as the beat themselves against the door. He thought they were trapped, that he was safe. Then the door started to buckle and bend as they pounded against it with their angelic infused bodies.

As any smart man would do, he ran from them.

Going to Gendo's old office in terminal dogma, Kozo grabbed the case marked Adam, and made his way back to his slave. "I'll fucking end this now. It's early yet, but it shouldn't make that big of deal," he didn't have much time left anyway. With the way his body was losing blood, and his heart was starting to feel as if a needle was being driven into it, he gave himself precious little time.

Dropping the case, the metal on metal clang echoed in the long empty corridor, he pulled his key out with his good hand. The other, the one bitten by that damn bitch was hanging lifelessly at his side. Kicking the door open after it was unlocked, he stumbled into the room. "Hi Yui, I'm back earlier than expected," he joked to the clone. Pushing the case along with his foot, Kozo's vision started to fade. Clutching his heart, he cursed being old, "Going to have to cut this love affair short."

The forth incarnation of Ayanami Rei said and did nothing, she had died. Her body ravaged again and again by men who cared nothing for her, hadn't even given her an IV post to keep her feed. Her poor abused body simply gave out like a candle flame in a breeze. It was a brief and tragic life, but in the end peace.

Falling against the medical bed that the clone rested on, Kozo saw the lack of breathe. "Guess we forgot about certain things," his hand laid on her stomach. "No matter, if I make this quick I can still use you," he slapped the cold flesh joyfully. It didn't matter if the clone was alive or dead, the S2 organ would still react to Adam.

Getting down on his knees, Kozo input the codes by each lock and snapped the case open. "No…no no no no no…this isn't possible!" Kozo moaned as he gazed into the empty case. Adam was gone! Somebody had to have done something with it, and that ruined all of Kozo's plans! But who…who could have even KNOWN about Adam. "The only people that knew about it was Seele, Kaji, Gendo, and myself…and only Gendo and me had access…Gendo!"

The bastard had taken Adam for some purpose all his own! "Bastard! If I hadn't killed him already I would have done it again!" he screamed and fell over. In the fetal position, he hugged his legs and shook. "It's all over! All my work! Everything we tried to do is gone!" He would have no way of knowing what Gendo had done with Adam before his body gave out. Kozo would never know that in killing Gendo and burning the body, he had destroyed his own plans as the embryo burned. "What was it all for?" he asked aloud.

Eyes opening again, the forth Rei had no answer for the old man. Her lips pulled back to show her gleaming white teeth as she quietly sat up. Sliding off the bed, she stalked closer to the sobbing man on the ground. Before she could do anything however, several more of her recently liberated sisters gingerly stepped into the room, theirs arms and hands bleeding from breaking the door down.

Clutching the empty case of Adam to his chest, Kozo continued to cry as the weight of reality came crushing down on him. Everything he had done, his life's work, was ruined. Without Adam he couldn't bring about the change Yui wanted. He had failed her. And as the clones fell upon him, each grabbing an appendage they wanted to dine upon, they pulled. Yanked in every direction, all Kozo could do was scream as his limbs were torn off and feasted upon, ironically the clone he had used as his on personal sex slave ate the very thing he had used to violate her.

X-X

Gun dry firing, Kaji ejected the clip and slammed a fresh one in. "We should have left earlier, Shinji," he said to his support. Somehow those damn things had gotten into the base! How it happened he didn't know, let alone care now. Because in a moment of panic, somebody tried escaping out the front gate! Some scared idiot actually thought to leave from the front fucking door when they saw likely one or two of the things and now the whole damn place was overrun. "How are you doing on ammo?" he asked after firing another shot that took the creature Keiichi's girlfriend had become.

Patting his pockets, Shinji felt three more clips, "I've three more, Kaji." He wouldn't think about Misato or her treachery now, he didn't have the blessing of time. After running from Misato, he wandered the base in a daze. People around the base seemed panicked, but he didn't care. A small fraction of him wanted to die, to just give up and let oblivion take over him. But then he pictured Asuka, alive and in all her glory, make fun out of him for being a quitter. Then he heard the shot and saw one of those creatures fall dead not five feet from him, and Kaji's gun barrel was smoking.

"How close are we to my dad's office?" Shinji asked as he fired two shots at a shambling monstrosity. The first went wild, but the second scored a hit between the eyes and one of his ex-guards was down. He was going to live for Asuka's sake, to carry her memory on in his heart for as long as he could. "Do you think Misato-san is already there?"

Holding up his hand, Kaji signaled Shinji to stop. Coming up to a corner, Kaji took a quick peek around the corner and saw it was open, "Clear. And I don't know, but I sure as shit hope she is." Random gunfire was heard all around them as other survivors fought the intruders and their old friends. "Why isn't she with you now anyway? With the way she's been lately I would have thought you'd need to cut her off of you," he didn't try to sound harsh but it still came out that way.

Clicking the safety back on, Shinji holstered the gun Kaji gave him. "We went to talk to Ritsuko about why she called a meeting, but found a big pool of blood in her office." He swallowed hard as the memories forced their way back into his mind. "Misato accused Akagi-san of killing somebody, and she was right. Akagi-san killed Maya because she found out about Asuka and Ayanami. Then Akagi-san said that Misato had Kyoshi killed," his voice faulted and then went silent.

"You ran from her then, didn't you?" Kaji asked already knowing the answer. "Shit, Shinji, when it rains it pours. But don't be too hard on Misato…she's been hard enough on herself for that," he loaded the chamber of his sidearm and mounted the stairs up to Gendo's office. Everything had just perfectly aligned itself to fuck them over the most, it seemed to the ex-spy. After countless nights of Misato berating herself over that damn nurse, Kaji was glad the truth was in the open. "Can you do that for me?" he pleaded.

If he hadn't secretly suspected Misato was lying to him, Shinji would have told Kaji no right then and there. But deep in his soul, Shinji had always doubted Misato was telling him the truth. He lied to himself, blinded by his affection for Misato to ever think she could do wrong, but knew deep down the truth. "She did what she had to do. I don't like it, it hurts knowing she killed the woman that saved my life. But better Kyoshi die painlessly than be turned into one of those things," he surmised as he followed close behind.

"You're a brave kid, Shinji, don't let anybody else tell you otherwise," Kaji meant every word. Firing another shot from his elevated position, Kaji winged one of the ex-techs that had sprung up. "Check the door and head in, password to the elevator is 1981," Kaji would keep point for as long as possible.

Opening the door, Shinji was mixed on his reaction. Misato was already at the elevator with it open, but he wasn't overjoyed as usual to see her. "No need Kaji-san, Misato has it ready for us," he tapped the man on the back. "Lets get moving," he rushed in and after a moment of hesitation embraced Misato. His act of forgiveness must have shocked the woman as for a brief moment all she did was stand still, a statue of the greatest likeness. Then she nearly crushed him as she returned his hug and the trio got into the elevator.

X-X

The room was dark, a makeshift barrier of beds and cabinets lodged against the door, and Ritsuko huddled in the corner. Her body was covered in blood and her clothing in tatters, but at least she was able to kill the fucking bastard that came after her. She had no idea at first that the base had been compromised, but she knew enough to be afraid when a burly man that answered only to Kozo kicked the door to her lab in.

It was quickly made evident what he wanted as he slapped her and threw her to the ground. His big calloused hands grouping and pawing at her through her coat, and he said that before those things ate him he wanted to fuck her. He never got the chance. While he was working to pull his pants down, Ritsuko was able to grab a small metal trashcan and proceeded to bash it against the man's head. At first it did nothing but stun him and blur his vision, but it was enough for her to escape from underneath him.

Having no gun in her lab, Ritsuko had to improvise as she took an empty syringe and stabbed the man in the temple and pushed the stopper in. He gasped and punched her in the face hard enough to break her nose, but he died soon after. Calling Fuyutski on the walkie-talkie was fruitless as he never answered. Several shots later, and Ritsuko found that retiring to her inner lab was a better option than waiting for some other terrified man to try his way with her.

"Great now I'm trapped in a room with two of those damn things in the dark," Ritsuko moaned as she crawled on her hands and knees across the floor. She had no food in her lab, no weapons, and the only person she could hope for help she'd just alienated and pissed off. "Not too good on thinking ahead was I," she joked as she pulled a cigarette from the pack in her coats inner pocket. Flicking her lighter she held it to the last of her smokes to light it and stopped.

Asuka's bed was empty.

Her head dropped and her lit cigarette fell to the ground. It was another perfect day in the life of Ritsuko Akagi. "Don't panic, she's just all the other normal ones," Ritsuko rationalized as she got up on her feet. Holding the small lighter in front of her, she scanned around for any signs of movement. "I must have not tied her down hard enough after the last series of tests…damn it!" she'd have to kill the girl this time. All she needed was one of her drills and she'd put the German down.

Groping around for her tools, she saw a flash of red and smiled. "Oh Asuka, I have something that I've been dieing to give you for ages," Ritsuko practically sang hoping to get the creature to come to her. Killing Asuka, even this version of her, was almost therapeutic to Ritsuko after all the aggravation Asuka had given her.

Slowly approaching the girl from behind, Ritsuko gave the drill a little test, and it fired up just like magic. "You've deserved this for age's kid," she announced as she jabbed at Asuka's skull and missed. The thing had finally noticed her and turned around just in time to avoid getting skewered. "Stand still and take your medicine please," she said as she took another dive and lanced Asuka's shoulder, not that the girl even flinched at the penetration.

Taking several steps back as Asuka started closing in with her mouth open and hands out stretched, Ritsuko bounced off a table. "I will not have you…" Ritsuko's eyes went wide as she felt a pair of hands grabbing her from behind and pulling her down. The lighter flew from her hand as Maya tugged on her collar and spilled her over the table with her one free hand.

Elbowing Maya in the face, Ritsuko repelled herself away from the table as if it was on fire. "Holy fuck I forgot about you," Ritsuko spun around to face where she thought Maya's table was. In the dark it all looked the same, especially after flinging herself away and loosing her balance. "Oh shit…Asuka…" Ritsuko felt her innards start to loosen and chill. Her bladder went as she felt the first brush of fingers against her side, she jabbed the drill into open air, having suspected Asuka but actually she had gotten close to Maya again. "You're not going to get me…I won't be like you two…" Ritsuko felt hot tears cascading down her cheeks as she knew what she was going to do.

Never being a religious person, Ritsuko thought it was comical as she did the sign of the cross moments before pressed the drill bit to her own head. "See you soon mom," she quipped as she pulled the trigger on the drill, felt one moment of agonizing pain, and then nothing.

Asuka enjoyed the meal none-the-less.

X-X

They expected empty corridors and a straight shot to their hidden shelter. What they got were more than a dozen clones of Ayanami Rei giggling and yowling as the feasted upon the body of Kozo Fuyutski. For a moment, for one gleaming moment they thought they'd be able to sneak past them while they ate and get free. They were wrong. One of the clones finished eating the arm she had taken, and saw the trio just after they passed the door and she sent off a snarling charge.

"RUN! RUN! RUN!" Kaji shouted as they changed from stealth to outright flight. Firing several shots at the quartet of blue haired killers, Kaji balked when he saw the bullets bounce off harmlessly from their AT Fields. Chucking the worthless sidearm at the horde that increased in number by two, he was stunned when one of the creatures took the blow to the face and fell backward.

Holding Shinji's hand, Misato yanked hard on it to keep Shinji from slowing, "Now's not the time for fucking playing with them Kaji!" She had seen him fire and then his little temper tantrum, but she wasn't amused. Her side was aching and her breath was hard to come by. "Sh-Shinji you need to run faster!" she gasped out.

Not athletic by nature, Shinji was almost at his ropes end as they rounded a corner only to see three more identical twins waiting. "T-that way!" he pointed to the left corridor which appeared clear. Firing several shots of his own, having not seen Kaji execute the same futile maneuver, his rounds were just as easily worthless. Stumbling as Misato yanked on him, Shinji pitched forward and almost fell.

Spotting a fire extinguisher on the wall, Kaji owed up to his fate. Grabbing the heavy red cylinder, "Misato, here!" he tossed her the badge to the deepest secret of Nerv. Turning around he watched as eight of the clones tumbled around the corner.

"Kaji what are you doing? Now isn't the time for heroics, we have to hurry!" Misato yelled and took a step back in his direction. She saw what he was going, what he was going to do, and she wasn't going to have part in it! No more death! It wasn't necessary, they were hurting but they could make the rest of the run to the safe room together!

Setting the blunt object on his shoulder, Kaji refused to look back. "Shinji isn't going to make it if you push him this hard. Hell you'll burst a gasket before much longer. I'll buy you two as much time as I can," he said and swung at the first clone to get in close enough. A wet snap and heavy clung echoed as he connected. "Hurry damn it! Don't let me do this in vein," he hollered as he readied for the next.

"No, Kaji, no!" Misato took another step towards him only to have Shinji pull on her arm. "Shinji!? You can't just leave him here like this…I'm not that bad…you're not…we CAN'T do this!" she screamed in defiance. To much had been lost already, she couldn't take anymore.

Pulling on her arm harder, Shinji did the only thing he could, "He's doing this because he loves you Misato. Just like Asuka piloted for me. Don't…don't spoil it, and live on for him," he heard another heavy metallic clunk, turned and started running without Misato knowing she'd either come or he'd be dead soon enough that it wouldn't matter. I don't want to see her die…so if she chooses to stay…

But she didn't stay. After on last painful look at the man she loved, "I love you Kaji," she whimpered and then joined Shinji in the longest sprint of her life. Blow after blow she heard echo as Kaji grunted and screamed at the attackers. Killing none, but stopping them long enough.

And then nothing.

Getting to the giant doors, easily big enough for an Eva to walk through standing tall, Misato opened the small door to the side and the two walked in. She felt dead inside, Kaji was gone, Asuka was gone, and she had no idea what happened to Ritsuko. "Lock the door Shinji…lock the fucking door," she said and collapsed on the ground.

Tearing his eyes away from the horrid thing on the gigantic red cross, Shinji did as Misato requested and locked the only entry to the room. Giving the heaping piles of food and ammo a cursory glance, Shinji curled up next to Misato on the ground and held her lightly as she wept. Shortly after she fell asleep, Shinji heard the first of the clones outside the door start screaming and pounding. They'd not break in that door, but they'd know of them and hear them trying.

X-X

A full week of staring at the white monstrosity and listening to the clones futilely bang on the door trying to get it was leaving its mark on the pair. With no want for food, and finding LCL could be drunk, their only real need was entertainment as the boredom was excruciating.

The first few days were spent organizing the supplies Kaji had swindled in for them. It was mostly field rations, ammo for their handguns, and basic survival supplies. Aside from that quick chore the duo spent the majority of their time trying to find the exit Kaji insisted was in the room so that they could escape. Unfortunately they couldn't find a thing.

After Misato gave up on finding an escape, the closest thing was to swim through the LCL pumping tubes and pray nothing would kill them, Misato took to shooting at the creature on the cross. It was like hitting a pincushion as it never was hurt and just looked to bounce in and then out.

Shinji refused to give up on looking for an exit and covered every conceivable inch of the room hoping to find something, anything, that could lead them away from the incessant sound of the clones.

Both were quiet for the first day, neither wanting to comment on the death of Kaji, or anything that transpired in the base before the events that lead to their incarceration. But slowly they started talking again, just the facts at the start, but increasing at a snails pace to light banter as the wounds in their hearts scabbed over and rescinded into their minds.

"I owe you an apology," Misato announced as she pulled herself out of the sea of LCL and gave her body a good shake like a dog would. She thought it was cute that Shinji was still so modest about her nudity. He had seen a woman naked before, hell he had sex with Asuka, but he was still so shy about seeing her. Once her top was dry enough she put her clothing back on.

To alleviate her boredom, Misato took to swimming in the LCL. At first she contemplated drowning herself, after a particularly nasty nightmare about Kaji. She felt stupid after ten minutes of staying under she realized that the LCL was just as good as oxygen. That had been a funny conversation with Shinji to explain that she wasn't really suicidal.

After hearing Misato zip up her pants, Shinji turned to her, "What do you mean?" Defeated at being unable to find an exit, Shinji took to making domino models with the bullet casings. It was far betting than just watching Misato swim or staring at the monster.

Spitting out a stray amount of LCL she pointed to the LCL, "When you first came to us and piloted, I told you to man up about that shit." Sitting down next to Shinji, she couldn't stand how helpless she felt. She swore she'd protect him, and this was where it lead them. Trapped in a cavernous room with an angel and a legion of things outside wanting to eat them. "Nobody should have to breath that snot in and not complain, oh and I guess you were right about it smelling like blood," she joked lamely.

"Well it is blood, and I don't see how you can swim in it after seeing that," he quipped back with a small smile. Everything was so strange now, but at least with Misato he could still smile on occasion. After his dreams of Asuka she would hold him and make him feel comfortable. He did the same when she had an off moment, but both could feel something changing.

They wanted it to end but neither had the courage to say anything. Sure they loved each other like family, but that alone couldn't overcome the sense of loss they both felt. Holding one another couldn't make the things outside stop crying and banging on the door. No matter how much they hunted for that damn exit they would never find it. Both of them knew it, they were going to die in that room sooner or later.

Laying back and gazing up and the cave ceiling, Misato chuckled. "It beats doing nothing, and I always did want to go scuba diving, and this is the next best thing. I could teach you if you wanted, and you have no fear of drowning," she slapped his back. Damn tears were coming back again and she hoped her voice didn't indicate it. It was just so hard to keep on going knowing they were doomed. An angel could attack, those things could get in, or hell they could stave unless that white thing didn't mind being eaten.

Something was going to do them in, and Misato felt it was her fault.

For twenty minutes the pair sat in silence, listening to the waves of LCL and the droning of the clones. Misato started to talk three times but stopped short each time, but finally on the forth try said what she wanted."Shinji…I'm going to ask you something and say something to you. If you feel uncomfortable just forget I opened my stupid mouth," she was finally going to do it this time. She wasn't going to chicken out.

Almost sensing what she was going to do, Shinji was tempted to tell her to wait but didn't. "Go ahead Misato, fire away," people could sense their death approaching at times and he felt Death's shroud falling.

Sitting up, Misato scooted behind Shinji and wrapped her arms and legs around him lightly. "I love you, Shinji. And I know you love me. You're the child I always wanted, and this is no life for a child of mine," she sniffed hard as her emotions threatened to overcome her again. "I-I- I'm going to make love to you, not because I'm 'in love' with you, but because it's the only way I know to convey just how strongly I care for you. Then…after we've finished…I'm going to end this."

Shinji just nodded and understood completely. In his short time with Asuka, he understood that sex was more than just procreation or entertainment. It was opening yourself up to the other person, it was connecting to them on a level that transcended words. "I love you, Misato," he felt his own tears as he knew that all the pain was going to be over.

And there in sight of Lilith, Misato and Shinji became one for the first and only time. When they met they meant nothing to one another, but over time they forged a bond that nothing could break. Betrayal, anger, and other people couldn't shatter what had been created between them. Misato loved Kaji, and Shinji loved Asuka, but they did connect with one another on some way that transcended romantic love.

And with Shinji still inside her, Misato fixed his hair and kissed his cheek, "I'll be coming right after you, Baby." She fired and he fell on her. Kissing him one more time, "I'm sorry Baby, but now we can know the peace we deserve."

And she fired again…and there was silence

X-X

Yeah dark ending. But most zombie stories end this way, because lets face it…if the zombie apocalypse happens there isn't going to be happy endings just good deaths.

Some of you might think the Misato/Shinji part at the end was 'rushed' or 'uncalled for' but I always thought that the true pair of Eva was Shinji/Misato. Not romantically, but something greater as they were essentially the same person.

Shinji chose to run from people and hide his feelings behind complacency.

Misato chose to run from people and hide behind her flighty appearance.

Anyway, it was a dark and depressing run, but I'm glad I took it with this story. With all the dumb happy and perfect timing of "What We' and "The Gift" its good to know I can write something that doesn't have humorous elements.

Thanks again for reading and know the next 'new' story will be more upbeat

Ja Mata

Zentrodie