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Where Darkness Falls	By : JME Category: +M to R > Neon Genesis Evangelion > Crossovers Views: 8996 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own this anime/manga, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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Where Darkness Falls

Chapter 11 � Amber�s Smile

Misato made her way sy doy down the stairs, thankful that this time at least, they only seemed to descend for about three flights. Reaching the bottom, she found herself in yet another griorriorridor, rife with dinginess and decay. This isn�t going away� she thought grimly, tightening her hold on her service pistol, I�ve got to be getting closer.
Like the one up stairs, this corridor too was lined with doors� but here, each of the doors was trimmed with hand painted flowers � yellow and faded from years upon years of neglect � and small stickers reading �girls rule� and �daddy�s girl� and �little angel.�
"Thioks oks like-"
"Hey Misato�"
The fine hairs on the back of Misato�s neck stood up, and slowly, she turned to face one of the doors. "Hello, Amber�" she said softly, swallowing hard as she found the girl sitting on a horridly filthy version of her own bed, her hands clasped tightly in her lap and a far-off expression on her slack face. "What, ummm� what are you doing here, Amber?&qu/P> /P>

"I get it now," Amber whispered, staring past Misato at something unseen and, presumably, very difficult to behold. "I understand� why I�m still here when everyone else is gone."
Misato stepped into the room, taking a nervous look around as she came. The walls in the small room were covered with posters and magazine clippings, though they were barely clinging to the cracked and peeling wallpaper, and the rock stars and fashion advice they held could hardly be made out through the thick layer of dust and mould that was so pervasive in this place.
"Why is that, Amber?" Misato asked softly, carefully holstering her gun and trying to put herself between the girl and the door � just in case she tried to flee again.
"I get it now," Amber said again, staring up at the purple-haired woman with haunted, vacant eyes. "I�m the same as them," she managed, her voice fading to a wretched sob, "I�m not the only one walking around � you�ve seen them, right? Those� those things! I�m just like them, I�m�" abruptly, the girl sneezed... and blood began to run in a slow trickle from her right nostril. "I�m one of them, Misato� I just hadn�t noticed it before."
Misato took an unconscious step backward as more blood seeped from the girl�s nose, increasing in volume as she rose to her feet and held out her hands.
"Don�t leave me," Amber entreated, taking an unsteady step forward. "It�s so dark here, Misato� so dark and cold. Don�t leave me here, ok? Save me� just� just save me � like you�re saving Shinji, ok? Please�?"
"Amber�"
Misato stared in horror as more blood spilled from Amber�s nose, flowing in an ever-thickening torrent until it had soaked the front of her shirt� though not a single drop touched the dusty floor the girl was standing on, nor did she leave any footprints behind as she took another shuffling step forward.
"Save me," Amber croaked, blinking rapidly as bloody tears began to well up in her eyes and course down her face. "Save me from them, Misato � you have to!"
"Don�t touch me!"
It was too much. The sight of the shambling, blood-soaked apparition was just too much for Misato�s overtaxed psyche to take. With a strangled cry, she turned and darted through the door, slamming it behind her and bracing her shoulder up against the wood. She screamed as the knob turned under her palm, the creature on the other side seeking to make its exit as horribly wet, desperate sobs echoed through the hall.
"Please!" the girl cried, her voice earthy and moist. "Help me � save me � help me � save me � Misato!! MISSSSAAAAATTTOOO!"
"I CAN�T!" Misato nearly shrieked, tears streaming down her face as the girl continued to sob. "an�tan�t save you� God, I�m orryorry � I just CAN�T!!"
For what seemed like hours, Amber begged and banged on the door, sobbing that she was a good girl � that she didn�t deserve this� that she would say anything, DO anything, if Misato would just help her � PLEASE help her.
"Please�?"
"I�m sorry�"
Finally� finally Amber�s desperate pounding and screaming faded away into silence, leaving only Misato�s harsh, miserable, broken sobs to fill the hallway.

**
The door to Amber�s room clicked open, and slowly, Misato drew it open, unable to take the silence any more. The room, as she knew it would be� was empty. The posters on the wall, the makeup on the dresser, the hand-knitted throw at the foot of the bed � everything was exactly as she had seen it in Amber�s room when she had been in her house.

And this is exactly how it will stay until her parents finally give up and change it, Misato thought sickly, God� I think I�m going to throw up.

Shaking her head, she turned to leave the desecrated room, but she came up short as she spotted a small, handwritten journal lying face open in front of the door.
It had not been there when she had come into the room.
"Trying to tell me something, Amber?" Misato managed weakly. "Alright� I couldn�t save you, but I guess I lis listen to what you have to say�"
Taking a deep breath, she picked up the journal and began to read.

5^th August 2015
Babysat for Mr. Fletcher again today. When they got home, Mrs. Fletcher was screaming at him for no reason and he roared at her to shut up � right in front of me! I don�t know what he does to deserve this, but it must be something. She�s so mean to him � and Charlie!
Mr. Fletcher insists I call him Aaron

Misato turned the page, skipping over a few mundane entries.

7^th August 2015
Babysat for Aaron because his wife wandered off again. He sounded angry when he called me to ask if I could do it. I don�t blame him. He�s so patient, Cha Charlie�s a nice boy. He�s got such good humour for his age. I mean, he�s always polite and we always have fun playing Chutes and Ladders� but tonight, Mrs. Fletcher got home before Aaron. She came in and saw me playing with Charlie, and she started screaming right away. She called me a slut and a whore � everything. I tried to get her to calm down but she slapped me� right in front of Charlie! Thank God Aaron came home when he did. He dragged her off to his room and they yelled at each other for a good half hour while I held Charlie and got him to stop crying. Aaron took me home and said he was sorry that Charlie and I had to hear all that and explained what happened to Dad.
9^th August 2015
Bumped into Aaron again while he was on patrol. He looked unhappy. I asked what was wrong and he told me his his wife�s been screaming at him and Charlie and he even caught her trying to hit Charlie with a baseball bat. A BASEBALL BAT!! I don�t understand what either of them did to deserve this. All Aaron ever does is look after his wife and son � and Charlie�s so nice he�d never do anything to anyone!
When he drove me home, Aaron said th for for listening and patted me on the hand.
�it felt nice.
13^th August 2015
I just heard that Mrs. Fletcher�s seeing a doctor. I hope it does her some good because it can�t go like this. I feel sorry for Aaron. I�ve been thinking about him a lot lately.
5^th November 2015
I bumped into Aaron today. He was really upset. He told me that his mother-in-law got a power of attorney and had his wife and Charlie come live with her. Aaron says that Edith�s in need of professional help and he�s already beginning to miss Charlie. I really felt sorry for him so I � God, I can�t believe I actually did it! � I kissed him. It felt so wicked� I mean, he�s a married man! But it felt so perfect � so right � I just couldn�t help it. He asked if I wanted to go out with him tomorrow�
I said yes� oh, I feel so guilty! But I said yes�
14^th November 2015
Went out with Aaron again, and this time we� I don�t even know if I can write it! We� we di � r � right there in his car! I was really nervous, but he was so gentle and nice about it. And he� he� taught me a few things�
I�m blushing. I never knew people did that kind of stuff. It was� kind of dirty, but he kept telling me how good it felt.
I�m so glad I could make him happy.

19^th November 2015
Aaron gave me a ring today. It�s really pretty. He told me it�s really important to him and that I should look after it and never take it off. I wonder what it�s for?

There were entries about how Fletcher was not able to spend time with Amber. Then:

31^st November
I came by Aaron�s house today. He was really mad that I came there in the day, but I hadn�t heard anything from him in four days � I couldn�t help it! I thought he was going to hit me but� but instead we� well, you know. After we were done, he told me that he wanted to see me tonight, and to make sure no one sees me leave the house � and to bring the ring with me. But I can�t find it! I know it�s around here somewhere. I know I had it when I was watching TV with Dad last night, because I was playing with it while we watched American Runner. Oh w I�l I�ll find it before I leave, I guess, and I�m sure Aaron won�t mind if I don�t bring it tonight.
There�s always tomorrow, right?

There were no more entries in the journal.
"There�s always tomorrow," Misato whispered, reaching into her pocket and pulling out the ring the girl had so casually ignored. "Not always, Amber� not always."
She set the journal down with great care, sadness constricting her throat as she slowly slipped the ring onto her littlest finger. Glancing around the room, her eyes fell on something she had not seen before � a small, Mickey Mouse shaped TV with a DVD player sitting on top, located just inside the girl�s closet. Both were plugged in, and much to Misato�s surprise, came right on when she pushed the Power button.
"Another message, Amber?" Misato whispered to herself.
Kneeling in front of the small screen, she hit Play.

Headlights illuminated a park bench at night, the faint glare of light on glass clearly displaying that the view was taken from a police cruiser�s surveillance camera. Amber Donnelly and Aaron Fletcher moved into the frame and sat down on the bench, Amber�s right hand settling tentatively on Fletcher�s knee as she offered him a hesitant smile. The couple leaned in, kissing deeply for several moments before Fletcher pulled back and whispered something into Amber�s ear.
"You sure, Aaron?" asked Amber nervously, her voice sounding tinny and far away.
Fletcher nodded. "It�ll be okay," he said, rising to his feet and shrugging as he started to walk away, "but�If you don�t want to, I�ll understand"
"Wait!"
Facing the camera, Fletcher�s broad smile was clearly visible as Amber gave a reply too soft for the camera�s mic to pick up. The camera showed the big man turn and scoop the girl into his arms, lifting her effortlessly into the air and carrying her off screen. There was no more visual data, but it did not take a genius to figure out what was happening. First there was the sound of a car door opening, then closing, followed by the soft rustling of fabric, several inarticulate gasps, grunts, and whimpers, and finally� a softly moaned �Oh Aaron�!�
And then� silence as the image on the screen froze.

Misato pushed Eject with a shaking finger, wishing she could forget the note of pain-tainted ecstasy in the girl�s final cry� but instead of opening, the DVD player whirred, and another image sprang into existence on the screen.

The front of Brookhaven Hospital could be seen through the front of the police cruiser�s windshield. It was late at night again, and Fletcher looked agitated as he looked up and down the deserted streets before turning to Amber and slapping her across the face.
"Don�t say a word," he warned, shaking with rage as the girl quickly nodded, her eyes wide with fear.
Out of the darkness, moving like a slinking, skulkinray ray dog came a man in a black suit and dark glasses. "You Fletcher?" the man asked in smooth, slightly accented English, his eyes darting everywhere behind his sunglasses.
"Yeah, I-"
"Nakamura," the man cut in, "Section Two."
"Pleased to meet you," Fletcher said, sounding wholly unconvincing.
"How much has this girl seen and why have you given her the code?" Nakamura demanded.
"Safe keeping you moron!" snapped Fletcher. "You just worry about your end of the deal � and watch your damn mouth� loose lips sink ships, or don�t they teach you Japs that in grade school?"
"Aaron what�s going on?" Amber asked timidly, shrinking back as men both rounded on her.
"Give me the ring," Fletcherd hod hotly, "now, you little bitch � I don�t have time to play your fucking games!"
Amber looked absolutely crushed. "Aaron, I� I don�t have it! I told you I-"
"I said now!"
Nakamura smiled thinly as the big man slapped the girl a second time. "Misplaced it, have you?" He drawled. "Well, the Commander won�t be pleased. Best be sure you find it, Fletcher-san� ne?"
"Screw you," Fletcher snarled. "I�ll have his damn package for him when he gets here � now get the fuck out of my face! �I�ve gotta take care of something."
Nakamura gave a shallow bow. "Of course," he said silkily, turning on his heel and striding off into the night.
Amber bowed her head. "I�m sorry, Aaron," she said brokenly, "I�ll go home and find it, I swear! Just� Aaron� don�t look at me like that� ok? Please�?"
Fletcher turned away from the camera, stepping between it and Amber, his huge frame entirely blocking the girl from view. Slowly, his massive hands came up, disappearing from the camera�s line of sight.
He said nothing.
"Aa-aron� you�re� you�re hurting me! Aar-ERK!!"
From the camera�s angle, Amber�s feet could be seen swinging desperately from side to side several inches off the ground as harsh rasping sounds filled the air. Her small, still-childish fingers scrabbled for purchase on Fletcher�s heavily muscled biceps, moving all over his arms and shoulders before clutching uselessly at his face.
After several minutes, the sounds grew weaker and weaker� and finally, the frantically dancing fingers slowed, then stopped, falling away as a last, rattling sob echoed through the night. Silence stole over the scene, broken only by a soft dripping sound as a trickle of urine ran down the girl�s right leg and pattered onto the concrete.
As the camera stopped recording, a face could be seen peering through the bushes on the far side of the frame. Frozen in slack-jawed, horrified fascination� Shinji Ikari stared at the gruesome tableau before him, his already-haunted eyes now absolutely glazed with disgust, sorrow, weariness, and just the faintest hint� of understanding.

Numb, Misato sat and stared at the image, her head spinning with shock and pain at what she had just witnessed. God in Heaven, she thought faintly, pulling the ring off her finger and examining it closely, you died for this. You thought you had found love� but all you�d found was a sick, twisted man who�s only interest was to hide this stupid bauble somewhere no one could find it. She swallowed with some difficulty, squinting as she noticed a faintly visible string of letters and numbers etched into the ring�s tiny band.
"All for this�"
It must have been Fletcher�s car, she realized, that had run the Commander off the road. Probably driven by Nakamura� though what the two were hoping to gain from the man�s death, she was not positive.

Probably thought they could get the money without having to live up to their half of the deal, she reasoned, Nakamura certainly seemed the type � I knew him back in Tokyo-3. God� Tokyo-3. Even with the angels, that place is ten times � no, a HUNDRED times better than this nightmare.

Misato ran a hand through her hair. "Amber," she whispered, "I couldn�t save you� but if it�s any consolation, I DID avenge you. I�m so sorry I didn�t get a chance to know you before� before this place. You didn�t deserve this� you were a good girl."

There�s nothing more I can offer right now, Misato told herself, slipping the ring back on to her finger and rising to her feet as the TV suddenly went dark. Shinji� Ritsuko� Maya� they�re still alive, and we�re leaving here together, damn it!

She thought back to the day she met Shinji, and the time they had subsequently spent together. How many mistakes did she make? Not allowing Shinji to grow up, reprimanding him without any real justification, having Asuka move in, the indifferent attitude she developed, her inaction to the whole situation and the fact she barely took her responsibilities as a guardian seriously� so many errors in judgement � and she had thought it would be so eas car care for him.
Misato sighed. It is not easy knowing that you could have made a difference. If she had actually been clearer with Shinji about her feelings and actually been more responsible, she knew � without question � that the outcome would have been different. Misato was hardly a mother, but wasn�t that what she was trying to set herself up as? Just how much misery did she cause with her selfishness and irresponsibility?
The woman shook her head and decided then and there that the very second she found Shinji she was going to tell him how she felt and that she was sorry about not being open with him. Then she would apologize for all the suffering she had caused him in the name of revenge, and get down on her knees and BEG him to forgive her.

And if he says yes, Misato thought, turning away from the TV and heading out of the room, maybe I�ll even try to get to know Rei. I�ve never made much of an attempt to be anything more than a co-worker� maybe all she needs is a friend. And Asuka� She paused, taking a deep breath as she gently closed Amber�s door, If she wakes up � WHEN she wakes up, I mean � I�ll give her the choice of living with us or finding her own place. If she says no� well� I guess I can live with that, but no matter what she chooses, she�s getting an apology too.

"It�s time to change," she whispered firmly, heading off down the hallway, "No matter what, I won�t hurt any of them any more."
This, she realized, was all because of her irresponsibility and blatant disregard for what other people wanted. She kept on telling them what she THOUGHT they should want instead of trying to find out their hopes and dreams. All this time, she had put up so many walls to keep herself from being hurt� and yet, how much hurt had she caused as a result?
Yes, she decided, opening the door at the end of the hallway to find yet another stairway, it was definitely time for all this to stop�

**

Misato crept carefully into the huge, dark room she had found at the bottom of the stairs. Her rifle was clutched firmly in her hands, and her eyes darted everywhere, trying to cover all the angles. She moved cautiously, because she was positive that she had heard raised voices through the thick, metal door� but she could not see anything in the darkness.

Place is like a freezer, she thought, shivering slightly as she glanced around at tall all poles running from the floor to the ceiling. What is something like this doing here? Oh wait� I guess that�s a stupid question, isn�t it? I mean� I�m in HELL, right? Why should anything be normal?

She glanced at the far side of the room, where a row of what looked suspiciously like the types of doors one might find in a morgue dominated the entire wall.

Super, she thought darkly, wishing the poles did not block QUITE so much of her line of sight.
Stepping around one of the beams, she cauher her breath. "Ritsuko�?"
The blonde was lying on herk ink in the centre of the room, her shotgun several feet away from her limp, open hand. The middle of her forehead was red and swollen, as if something large had slammed into it � possibly more than once.
There was no one else in sight.
"Ritsuko!"
Hurrying forward, intent on her friend, Misato never saw the blow coming.
"Raaahhh!!!"
"Hunh!"
Something big and heavy hammered into Misato�s side, numbing her right arm and sending the rifle to the floor in a clatter of metal on concrete.
"Your ass is mine, you fucking SLUT!!"
Misato cried out in pain as her back slammed into one of the support beams, the momentum of the charge knocking all the breath from her as a triumphant howl rang out in the big room.
"Yeah! Fucking hurts doesn�t it!" a man�s voice shouted with glee, "Well getting a shotgun blast in the chest ain�t no goddamned walk in the park either � but I learned my lesson. I�m not taking anymore chances with you. Say goodnight."
Dazed, disoriented, and in terrible pain, Misato could only think of one thing.

Escape.

Without thinking, she dropped to the floor and rolled to her left, a huge boom echoing over her head as something solid banged into the pole precisely where her head had been a moment before.
"You�re not going ANYWHERE!" the man FletFletcher! It�s FLETCHER!!) roared. "Payback�s a bitch, and she wants to give you a guided tour of painville � population: youot;
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Where Darkness Falls