Debts
by Sean Newton

Neon Genesis Evangelion is the property of GAINAX. 
Used her without permission.  No ill intent is meant.

Lady Serina is a Stage Six Invid, based upon the character
class from Dave Dietrich's Third Invid War RPG setting. 

NOTE: Trying to explain this exactly is difficult because this
is really the fourth in a series I'm trying to do, but I've only
plotted the first three.  I just felt the NEED to write and
send this one first.  Comments and criticisms welcome. 
Flames will be dealt with using TLAM-N  :-P

   The Phoenix emerged from the Rift in the middle of a
sprawling metropolis.  "I think I may be home," he
commented aloud.  Unfortunately, such was not the case. 
"Or not," he corrected himself, as he caught sight of the
horrific entity in the sky above the city.  "Fuck me...." he
murmured, as his mind instantly placed the object and their
continuity.  Neon Genesis Evangelion, episode 23.  "Oh,
shit!"
   "What is it?" Lara, his copilot/gunner, asked.
   "Trouble," Sean answered, locking the object into
Phoenix's targetting computer.  "Take with lasers, Lara."
   "Uh.... on it!"  Lara swung into action, her hands on the
control stick, pulling back on the trigger.  The turret atop
Phoenix swung around to face forwards, and burst after of
burst of intense coherent light energy poured forth.  "It
doesn't seem to be doing anything, Sean!"
   "Damn!"
   "What's happening up there?" Serina called.  
   Sean bit back a curse.  He didn't need to deal with the
Invid princess right now.  After the dealt with this threat.... 
"Later, Serina!"  Conventional weapons were supposed to
be useless against an Angel, but he could always hope.  He
checked the numbers.  Perfect.  He armed the wing missiles,
all but two of them, and pulled the trigger.  Six small
high-explosive missiles leapt from beneath the wings,
headed for the pulsating, rotating ring.  They exploded, but
there was no effect on the target.
   "Sean, what is that thing?"
   "Later, Lara!"  A new contact appeared on his sensors,
moving to engage the target.  The new contact fired upon
the target.  "That's gotta be Rei in Unit 00..."  Which meant
that the target, the 16th Angel, was about to change forms. 
But there was one last trick up his sleeves.  Two very
special missiles remained on Phoenix's wings.  They might
just do the trick.  Sean slammed his fist down on the large
red button mounted on his console.  Instantly, the radiation
shields began to activate.
   "Are you crazy?!?" Lara demanded.  Lara knew as well as
Sean that Phoenix was only carrying one type of weapon
that would require radiation shielding.  Using those
weapons, above a city, was crazy.  She was too late.
   Sean pulled the trigger one more time, and the last two
missiles left their places.  These were different from the ones
before them, though, in that the warheads were of quite
another design.  Three seconds later, that became quite
clear.
   In each warhead, detection gear indicated that the target
was in range.  A high-yield fusion reaction took place, but
rather than simply exploding, nearly all of the energy was
instead harnessed to power the real weapon.  Even as the
casings of the missiles began to disintegrate, releasing
radiation, the warhead's true weapon sprang to life.  Each
warhead let loose a single, brief x-ray laser burst of over
twenty-five gigajoules, all of it directed towards the
Sixteenth Angel.  Even an AT Field can not defend against
that.
   The Sixteenth Angel ceased to exist.

   "I guess I owe you all some explanations," Sean admitted
after he'd set the Phoenix down outside of Tokyo-3.
   "You've got that right," Dave told him.
   Sean sighed.  The others, Lara Greene, Dave Smith, Lady
Serina, Matthew Nixon, and Eliana, were already sitting in
the cabin just aft of the cockpit.  "Alright, I deserved that. 
But I had to take action, fast.  I know where we are!"
   "Again?" Serina asked.  "Most peculiar."
   Sean nodded.  "I know.  Strange, isn't it, how ever place
we've been, has been a fictional universe, and one that I
recognize?"
   "We recognized Star Wars, too," Dave pointed out. 
Everybody glared at him, and Dave shut up.
   "Unfortunately, in this universe, we're facing something a
lot more difficult than taking out a Super Star Destroyer,"
Sean poiunted out. "We're talking about protecting the very
essence of humanity.  What makes humanity strive is about
to be taken from it."  Sean began to explain Neon Genesis
Evangelion, as best he could.  Where's Hideki Anno when
you need him? he wondered silently.
   Serina and Eliana shared a look as Sean finished.  The two
Invid had much experience with humanity.  Both owed
much to the humans.  Their work in establishing the
Northeast Protected Zone had payed back some of the debt
they owed to humanity, but Serina knew she was far from
balancing the account.  
   And for some reason, Serina sensed that she would have a
part to play in the events to come.  A chance to repay her
debt once and for all. 
   Fifteen minutes later, NERV Security Intelligence
personnel surrounded the Phoenix, and those aboard
surrendered.  They were brought to NERV HQ, and
confined there.

   The group of humans and Invid from the Phoenix stood in
the Command Center of NERV Headquarters, speaking
with the Lieutenants who manned the facility.  They'd
managed to sneak into the command center with ease. 
After all, NERV and SEELE had no reason to see the group
as a threat, separated as they were from their dropship and
their mecha.
   Suddenly, one of the techs shouted.  "Eva Unit 02 is
activating!"
   "What!"  Chaos followed, but it quickly became clear that
the Evangelion was headed for the heart of the NERV
facility, Terminal Dogma, along with Kaoru, the Last Angel. 
Sean watched the disaster unfold exactly as he'd told the
others it would, the week before.
   Lady Serina suddenly knew that Rei Ayanami would try
to stop Kaoru.  That duty, though, was not for her. 
Telepathically, Serina gave Eliana her orders.  Eliana slipped
away unnoticed, followed shortly thereafter by Serina
herself.

   Rei Ayanami moved towards the access to Central
Dogma, only to find one of those from Phoenix, the once
called Eliana, blocking her path.  "Move," Rei told her.
   "No, little one.  My Lady Serina instructed me to inform
you that your destiny lies along another path.  Come with
me now, please."  Rei and Eliana returned to the command
center, resuming their places, their absence unnoticed due to
the events in Central Dogma.

   "The strongest AT Field ever has just been detected!"
   "Signals from Eva 01 and Eva 02 have been lost!"

   "Debts must be payed, and accounts balanced," Lady
Serina said softly, more to herself than to the others in
Central Dogma.  She concentrated hard, and the blueish
form of her Psi-Sword appeared in her hand.  It was time to
repay her debt to humanity, even if it cost her her life.
   "Shinji, deal with Eva Unit 02," she shouted, moving
slowly and deliberately towards Kaoru Nagisa.  "Surrender
now, and live," Serina told Kaoru sharply.
   Kaoru's reply was but a superior smile.
   Serina moved closer.  "Last chance."  She 'gripped' the
Psi-Sword in both hands, and prepared to strike.  "Very
well.  Now you die."  She struck, but her Psi-Sword
bounced harmlessly off some sort of strange energy field.
   So maybe this won't be as easy as it appears, she thought
to herself.  She struck again, but to no effect.  Her efforts
foiled, she began to search for another way.  I must stop
him, or humanity is doomed.  Alas, she saw no solution,
save one.  Normally, to accomplish what she was about to
try, it would take several other Invid of her status.  But
there was another way.  One that would work, but at a high
price.
   As she began the process, she could feel the battle raging
behind her, between Shinji and the Eva being controlled by
Kaoru.  That matter would be taken care of once she'd dealt
with the 17th Angel.
   "Enough!"  Drawing on her own inner strength, she
started the process.  A glowing white light began to form
around her, slowly growing in size and intensity as Serina
moved closer to Nagisa.  "Our revelries now are ended,
Kaoru!" she cried out, and the white light flared around
them both, and was gone, as were Kaoru and Serina.
   Up above, in the NERV Command Center, those of the
Phoenix watched in horror.  "My God!  Eliana, what
happened?" Sean asked of the other Invid.
   Eliana, holding back tears, turned to him to answer.  "She
sacrificed herself to take Kaoru and herself to another
plane."
   A ghostly vision of Lady Serina formed suddenly before
them, larger than life.   "My friends, it has come for a
parting of the ways.  My destiny lies along another path than
yours," Serina's voice called out.  "My debts are cleared
now, I expect," she commented with a faint smile.
   "The accounts have been balanced, and the debts payed,"
Sean acknowledged.  "You didn't have to do what you did."  
   Serina shook her head.  "But I did.  It was the only way." 
She paused a moment.  "My friends, I will miss you all, but
it is for the best.  Farewell, and good luck to you all," she
said finally, closing out her remarks as the ghost faded from
existence.
   "No!  Lady Serina, don't-" Eliana began to cry as the
ghost faded.
   Sean placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.  "Come,
Eliana, our job here is done."