Evangelion: Iron
                                by Ken Arromdee

    Misato fingered the cross hung from a chain on her neck.  It was all
that remained of her father...  She could still remember that day as if it
were only moments ago, the day which left her the only survivor of the
greatest catastrophe in human history.  It took her years to even recover from
the shock enough to live normally.  But though she had recovered, that one
scene would be a flashback in her head forever....

    And now, she knew who did it.  From the information that Kaji had slipped
her, and from bits and pieces she'd picked up, she was pretty sure SEELE was
ultimately responsible for the Second Impact.  SEELE, whose grand conspiracy
had ruined the life of all humanity.  SEELE, who had indirectly killed her
father and who would no doubt soon kill Kaji.

    SEELE, who was no doubt calling her in for a conference via the "Division
of Intelligence", which was a sham as all of NERV was.

    The agents were two men, in black suits, wearing sunglasses even though
the room was as dark as the inside of a refrigerator full of beer cans after
the light went out.  They had explained that there was a kidnapping.  "An
insider was spying on us and led the operation.  We were outwitted by that
person."

    And here it comes, thought Misato.

    "Kaji Ryoji is suspected to be the leader of this plot."

    Yeah, there it came.  There probably was a kidnapping; maybe it was
someone else, or maybe it really was Kaji.  She didn't care.  Trying to string
them along, she noncomittally remarked "That's why you came to see me."

    "You can help us a great deal, because you think quickly."

    "That's for sure", replied Misato, pulling her pistol out.  The two agents
tried to get out their own guns and shoot at her, but they had no chance, not
wearing sunglasses as dark as that in lighting conditions as poor as in that
room.  She let loose two shots at each agent, aiming for their unprotected
heads.  They collapsed to the floor, the pools of blood nearly invisible in
the darkness.

                                *   *   *   *   *

     Got to run, thought Misato.  What she did might get her killed very
fast.  But it was her only chance to save Kaji.  And to strike back at the
people who killed her father.  Besides, she knew now that her days at NERV
were numbered.  She'd either die when someone found out about the planned
Third Impact, and took down NERV in the same way they would raid a cult, or
she'd die in the Third Impact...  she had only a few weeks to live regardless.
Killing agents and beeing a fugitive didn't seem so bad, considering all that.

    She knew, at least, where Kaji was going.  If he hadn't told her... if he
hadn't provided her that information...  she might have listened to the
agents and waited as he died.  But he wasn't going to die now.  He couldn't.
She hoped.

    Misato ran along the corridors.  Turning a corner, she slammed straight
into someone.  What rotten luck...  she had to get away.

    A split second later, she realized it was Ayanami Rei.  And Rei was staring
at her gun.  In her panic, she hadn't holstered it.

    "Hello" said Misato, quickly holstering the gun.

    Rei looked at her.  "You shot someone."  She said that in that strange,
just-an-observation, tone that she often used.

    "Come with me", said Misato.  She didn't exactly want Rei telling anyone,
and she couldn't bear to shoot the girl, nor was there time to tie her up.
Soon everyone would know what she did anyway, just from the security cameras.

                                *   *   *   *   *

    Dragging Rei by the arm, Misato arrived at Kaji's meeting room, and twisted
the handle in anger.  The locked door resisted her pull, of course.  Rei looked
up at her and down at the door, then removed a card from her pocket.  She slid
the card through a notch on the door and it clicked.

    Misato pushed the door open, her eyes focusing on the agent inside, and
her nose reacting to the tang of blood...  the blood from Kaji's steaming
corpse, which the agent was standing over.  "What a fool I am..." she muttered.
Too late.

    The agent turned in surprise.  The pistol nearly glided into Misato's hand
as in one smooth move she shot him dead.

    Rei looked up at her.  A little feeling showed in Rei's eyes, just for
a second.  Misato wondered what had set that off.  "What are you going to do?"
asked Rei.

    "Do you care?" she retorted.

    Rei looked at her.

    "Never mind.  You probably can't figure that out yet.  As for what I'm
going to do...  I'm going to run.  Do what I can against SEELE, even if I have
to fire this gun a lot more times.  This is going to end in blood, and I'd
rather it not be mine and three billion other people's....  but you don't know
what I'm talking about, do you?  You don't know what Third Impact is going to
do."

    "I know", said Rei.  She kneeled to the dead agent and picked something
up.

    In horror, Misato lifted her own gun, hoping she could kill Rei before Rei
could kill her with the gun from the dead agent.  Misato didn't make it.  Rei
fired, her face expressionless, her aim deadly...  but she didn't fire at
Misato.  There was another agent in the room.  But not any more; now there was
another corpse.

    "Rei, you..."

    "I told you, I know.  I am to be part of Third Impact."

    "Do you want to be?"

    "I don't know."

    Misato had a flashback again, to one frightened child, not much younger
than Rei, and one cross...  It ran through her head in slow motion.  Finally,
she said, "Rei, would you like to come with me?"

    "I don't know what I am going to do."

    "Maybe we can figure it out... figure out where you're from, too, what
happened to make you like I was after the Second Impact, the way you've been
ever since I met you..."

    "I will come.  And you can help me figure out what to do.  But it may be
fate for me to kill you.  I assume that you are aware of that."

    "Not right now, I hope."

    "No."

    "Then let's get out of here, Rei.  I hear the guards coming already."

(Definitely not the end.)