Evangelion: Redemption (Prologue)

[fanfic_mausoleum_n_grill]

Neon Genesis Evangelion

EVA-R Prime Extension

Version 1.0

Alex Voutsis

Writer's Notes:

Credit where credit is due to Gainax, etc etc. Evangelion is someone else's property, etc.

Additional Credits to the creators of EVA-R Illustrated Fan Fiction. Find it at http://www.eva-r.com - it is an absolutely brilliant fan fic and essential reading to understand this story. You should have read EVA-R up to episode 53 PRIME before reading this fan fiction.

Please be aware that this is a prologue to what will hopefully become a string of fan fictions. It is designed to be short and sweet.

And I sure hope nobody's got dibs on the name "Redemption".

Neon Genesis Evangelion - R

Redemption

The bright lighting faded slowly as the hologram conference was concluded, the parties dismissed.

A solitary man regarded his hand in the darkness of the holographic suite. The suite itself was standard - nothing more than a small, darkened cubicle with just enough space for a desk to be placed. The walls of the cubicle did the work, taking the image of the occupant and projecting it to the other members of the conference.

Quite standard stuff, actually. Child's play technology for this day and age. If you didn't particularly wish to be seen, at the press of a button your 'image' would be rendered as a simple black, rectangular obelisk - imprinted with the words: 'SOUND ONLY'. They were quite famous for their reluctance to be seen.

The hand moved slowly, stroking the projector control console. It is the same hand as it was a week ago, the man thought to himself sadly. Many things - other than his hand - had changed since that day. That day.

The man's face twisted into a cynical smile, an expression that none who knew him would have recognised. It was an expression of contempt, pure and utter hatred. Not for another; this was a very special kind of contempt, the sort of disgust one reserved for themselves when they had made a terrible mistake, commited the most heinous of crimes - when they knew they had finally, and utterly, passed beyond all redemption.

But then - the day. It had happened, and many things had changed. Though some had stayed the same.. what was that song again? It didn't matter. Some things haven't changed, the man thought to himself grimly. If events occured as expected, very little would be of relevance to him shortly.

The statement, when it was finally offered, was totally ordinary. "We would like you to step down," they had said. Affirmations, chorused agreement. He was a liability. A weak link in the chain. A potential threat to their scenario.

Ah yes. Their fabled scenario.

"I trust that all necessary preparations have been made for your.. departure." Another ordinary statement, spoken without rancour. There was very little point in concealing the true nature of his departure - all knew in what capacity he would be leaving. Preparations, indeed! Any ordinary man would have packed his clothing, booked a flight and called his family to announce his homecoming.

This man, and the situation he was in, was very far from ordinary. He had called his family - to announce that he would never return.. and he had entered this hologram suite for the final time to submit his 'resignation'. The man's hand slid sideways over the console, brushing the frame of the photograph he had brought into the meeting this one time; the only time he had brought his family with him. The day of reckoning. His hand slipped down, travelling over the identification pad, touching the keys to dismiss the login session and clear his passcode from the system. The identity is briefly visible..

SEELE 03

SOUND ONLY

.. before the screen fades to black - soon lost in the darkness of the room.

A rough sigh is heard. The intake of breath, followed by a short, gutteral laugh. They were late. Well, all the better. He would have time for reflection, as it were.

Preparations. All had been made; his departure would be according to the procedure, its incidence soon included in the scenario. But they would not include his procedure, the special preparations he had made - the ones that would perhaps, at the last, earn them all what he had hoped for. All except one.

If there is a Hell, the man thought to himself, I hope you find it, Lorenz.

The entry panel slid open behind him with a faint hiss. Light spilled into the room, a rectangle of yellow around the bulky silhouette of a man.

The man closed his eyes as his executioner stepped into the room, circling around behind him. His footsteps were lithe and almost silent - a trained killer in every respect. There was another faint hiss, and darkness enshrouded them both. Neither spoke; words were totally unnecessary. The course of action had already been agreed upon.

A scratching sound.. a click.. and the slight glint of light off an automatic pistol. It did little more than pinpoint the source of his voice as he spoke in a smooth, deep tone.

"Any last words.. Sir?"

The target did not respond for a long time. His mind was elsewhere - thinking back to the day - the event that had sealed his fate. He remembered the black monoliths, the voices in the dark, discussing plans deadly and secret. And then - it came to him. Soft, quiet.. a child of light, rising on clear wings.. it had reached forth with its hand.. and shattered his world.

.. its hand.. the man, soon to die, slowly clenched his hands into fists, then relaxed - laying them on the table. He let his head roll back slightly, relaxing the muscles of his neck, the back of his head lolling to rest against the silencer of the pistol now pressed against his skull. He recalled with sudden clarity the Angel's words, what it had said as it had touched him, how - against all hope - the lies which had been spread, the false hope which had been created was now incredibly, undeniably shown true.

Chiba Kimio spoke his final words.

"I forgive you."

It took a single shot.

[Chapter 1]