*And now, we return to the climactic battle against the forces of the Angels--and this time, I promise to take care of the part y'all are actually interested in.  ^_-*

Victory.

*We begin with Asuka, who has just crashlanded into the concealed Eva cage beneath the city.  At the moment, the Second Child is examining her Unit, still unsure of the situation....*

Asuka: Hmmm....*Circles the metal catwalk around her Evangelion, coming up behind the crimson titan*

*Her Eva appears to've been set up for combat.  The Entry Plug is in place, waiting for a pilot.  However, two things are missing--there're no NERV crew members manning the cage, and there's no evidence of a power cable.*

Asuka: Damn.  Well, I suppose I'll make do with what I have!

*The Second Child hops into the waiting plug and pulls the hatch shut.  Asuka closes her eyes in concentration, and the Entry Plug activates itself, sliding fully into the Evangelion.  The back panel encloses the plug, and synchronization initiates.*

Asuka: *Opens her eyes once the process is complete* *Glances at the time remaining display* *Jaw drops*

*She has good reason to be surprised.  Under normal circumstances, the display would tell her she had five minutes of power remaining--but now, the numbers have reset to zero.*

Asuka: *Grins widely* All riiiiight....*Grasps the controls* Let's party.

*And now we return to Aoi and Tenkei, who're facing down the Angels in the surface of the City of God.  The Shito have left their temporary bodies, returning to their massive combat forms--except, of course, for Ramiel, Bardiel, Sahaquiel, Zeruel, Ireul, and Rogziel, who've all fallen in battle.  ^_-*

Aoi: All right, then....um, any ideas, kiddo?

Tenkei: *Babble babble babble*

Aoi: *Smirks* Hey, I like it.  Indiscriminate slaughter sounds good about now.

*The Angels ring around the pair and begin to close in.  However, they come to a halt when they begin to detect a steadily-growing tremor from beneath the City....*

*Suddenly, a building on the block Aoi and Tenkei are standing next to shatters into rubble.  The two hurl up their AT Fields, deflecting the huge flying chunks of debris raining down upon them.*

*And when the dust clears, Eva-02 stands in what's left of the building the bootpad propelled her through.*

Aoi: O_o; Asuka?

Asuka: *Smirks* Did you really think I'd let _you_ have all the fun, Tamashii? I've got a score to settle here.  Now, where is he....? *Scans the Shito ranks, her gaze finally settling on the Angel of Light Arael* Hey! Angel-baka! Remember me?

Arael: *Speaks directly to Asuka* Indeed I do, mortal.

Asuka: *Takes a fighting stance and beckons at Arael, in blatant homage to The Matrix* Bring it on, bitch.

Arael: Fool.  *Releases a shaft of heavenly radiance that washes over Asuka, probing deep into the recesses of her mind and memories* Yes, I remember you well, human....it took so little effort to tear your little mind apart....

Asuka: *Winces under Arael's attack, but a fierce grin soon replaces the pain in her expression*

Arael: ....Nani?

*Eva-02 slams head-on into Arael's AT Field, huge ripples of orange fire spreading through the air around the impact.  Asuka raises her Evangelion's Field in response, dissolving the enemy Field like thin tissue, and draws her pistol from its holster.  Before Arael can do a thing to counterattack, she empties three shots directly into the Angel's core, shattering it.*

Asuka: *Regards the mortally wounded Arael disdainfully* You already brought the worst of me out once, Angel.  I will never be taken advantage of that way again.  Never.

Arael: ...!! I....*Arael implodes uneventfully, flickering out of existance*

Aoi: *Arches an eyebrow* Damn, not bad!

Tenkei: *Babbles*

Aoi: True, we do have other things to worry about at the moment.  ^^;;

*As Aoi, Tenkei, and Asuka lay into Adam's warriors, Rei confronts The Man Himself....*

Rei/Lilith: Now then....perhaps we can finish this uninterrupted.

Adam: The only way this will end is with you as one of us again....or dead.

Lilith: *Sighs* You haven't listened to a word I've said, have you?

Adam: *Sneers* Why should I listen to the words of a heretic?

Lilith: ....Well, I suppose that's all the answer I need.  *Spreads her wings* But I'll make you hear me, one way or another.

*Rei's eyes flash, and a photon blast flares up beneath Adam, branching out into the shape of a crucifix.*

Adam: *Roars in pain*

Lilith: *Rises into the air* Didn't dodge that time....

Adam: You....will not....win....!! *Lashes out at Rei with a blazing lance of celestial fire, but her AT Field deflects it with ease*

Lilith: I won't? It seems I already am.

Adam: Die....DIE!!!

*Adam's body begins to glow even brighter than normal, until even Rei can't look at it directly*

Adam: DIE!!!

*Adam's wings burst from his back and spread.  Now, for those of you unfamiliar with the significance of that, it means an explosion of unbelievably destructive energy is about to be released.  Not Impact-level destruction in this case--but close.  The blast strains the walls of spatial distortion that contain Adam's and Lilith's battleground.  It lashes against Lilith's AT Field--and actually breaks it in places.  It disentegrates the very air within the battleground.  (Which neither Adam or Lilith need at this point, incidentally.)*

Lilith: *Falls to her knees, breathing heavily--and she begins to bleed.  LCL fluid flows from her wounds, pooling beneath her* A-Adam....

Adam: *Smug* Didn't I tell you, Lilith? A heretic like you will always fall before the power of the Brethren.

Lilith: ....No.

Adam: *Incredulously* "No?" You _still_ plan to resist, even in this state?

Lilith: *Rises to her feet again, pressing her hand to a large wound in her side to staunch the bleeding* I'm not dead, am I?

Adam: That will change, soon enough.

Lilith: *Weak grin* You poor deluded fool....you can't repeat that attack at will.  I, on the other hand....

*Lilith tips her head back, raising her hands to the sky, her wings opening to their full span.  The battlefield floods with light....*

*....and we switch perspectives to the City of God, where the remaining three fighters are cleaning house.*

Aoi: *Rips through Sandalphon with a single blast* Oi, Tenkei! Do you have any idea how Rei's doing?

Tenkei: Babble babble--*Trails off* Babble....?

Aoi: Nani? O.o;

Tenkei: O_O BABBLE BABBLE BABBLE!!! *Translation: HIT THE DECK!!!*

*There is no time to react, however, as blinding white explodes above the City into a pillar that is miles wide, bursting free of the spatial-distortion boundaries and completely filling the city.  But it doesn't stop there--the shaft pierces the roof of the subterranean City, shooting into the sky above EGC and splitting into a cross that can be seen for miles around.*

*After ten whole minutes, the light fades away, although it takes a good deal longer for those caught in it to clear the spots from their eyes.*

Aoi: *Awestruck whisper* Lilith....

*As sight returns to Aoi, Tenkei, and Asuka, what meets their eyes is somewhat hard to believe.  Whatever was left of the Angels they were fighting--not much--is simply gone.  Eerily, all the damage caused to the City by the battle has been undone, including the disintegration of the roof.  There is no evidence of Adam, either.  And Rei has returned to her normal form, once again clad in her school uniform, but the fabric of the dress is stained with fresh blood, or rather, LCL.*

Rei: *Floats to the ground in front of Aoi and Tenkei, stumbling slightly on the landing*

Aoi: Rei! *Rushes over to her* Are you all right?!

Rei: *Winces* Somewhat....where's Hugh?

Aoi: *Smiles softly* He's fine....

Rei: *Nods, and immediately proceeds to faint dead away in Aoi's arms*

Aoi: *Chuckles* Well, let's go home....^_^ Someone needs time to regenerate.

Tenkei: *Smiles*

*Well, I suppose there's nothing left to be said but....*

End Communication.