Dreamland Act 1
Real World Dilemma's
A/N: I am so in love with the Shinji Maya pairing I decided to do one. After like four tries to pick one like I decided to go with this angle. I hope you love it.
Shinji maintained himself in his lovely suite. Asuka had been missing for days now and Rei was….after learning the horrible true about her, he had done his best to avoid her. His world was shattering or shattered, but that had yet to be seen. Misato was gone probably banging Kaji again more then likely leading the search for the redheaded German. Shinji, though a solitary creature by nature, found the silence unbearable. He was in desperate need of human contact anyone would do as long as they were human. He had two choices as he saw it; one he could go to Rei's and try to making sense of all that has lead up to this point. Or walk around the streets of Tokyo-3 praying to find someone that will listen. The latter was more mentally stabilizing then the former, Shinji sat the broken SDAT down on his nightstand. He debated with himself about taking his cell phone; but who would call him? There was always the changes Misato could call him telling him she is okay and that her and Kaji found Asuka. Then again he was planning to bear his soul to the world he wouldn't want any distractions. So he left it as he left the apartment.
Normally at night Tokyo-3 was a bustling city full of life, full of hope, full of people. Teaming, often swarming the sidewalks day and night like roaches. Shinji always hated the people that frequented the bars and taverns close to his abode. They smelled of massive amounts of cheap sake and beer. But not even they were around and the bars were all closed. Closed for repair signs littered them, it was lie, they were afraid so they ran. Only one bar had the strength to leave an honest sign up. He walked on hoping to find some luckless traveler that found themselves on Death's door. He pressed on seven miles that encompassed the distance between his residence and legendary lookout. His wish was finally granted when he saw her gazing out over the dying city. He approached one of the last human beings in Tokyo-3 with caution.
Maya's was tired; the extra shifts, the long hours not to mention the tirades of Commander Ikari. She found herself wondering how Ritsuko put up with it. She found herself sprawled across the railing overlooking the city; reevaluating the events up to this moment.
"These last few days have been taxing to say the less. Captain Ibuki. With us one eva short, one pilot missing we must endeavor to maintain," the commander lectured from behind his desk. He noticed the concerned look on her face and decided to indulge her.
"You may speak freely, Captain."
"But sir if Sempai…I mean Doctor Akagi was here preparations would go a lot smoother," she retorted hoping not to regret her words later.
"Ritsuko Akagi is being detained," the vice commander revealed as he leaned forward; he placed a hand on the desk as he continued onward, "She have had a hand in the dummy plug destruction incident." Gendo cleared his throat signaling that his old professor needed to quiet down before he revealed too much about the esteemed Ritsuko Akagi's fate. The vice retreated back into his original position three steps behind the commander.
"In any event Nerv must conduct business as normal. I expect new synch test data on the two remaining children, the Marduke report on the fifth and if necessary the sixth, the repairs list of Unit Zero, and I want to see how much of the dummy plug system is actually salvageable. I want this day on my desk by Monday sharp," the commander informed the assistant, "Questions, Captain."
"Permission to speak freely, sir?" she asked her comment burning up inside her.
"Granted."
"But sir that is only two days. Even with Doctor Akagi it would take at least a week," she protested.
"Noted," he replied cruelly, "Then see this as your chance to surpass the Akagi Legacy and raise the first milestone in the Ibuki Legacy,"
Maya let out a defeated sigh, "Yes commander," she replied.
"Dismissed Captain!"
Somehow she managed everything in the Commander's time limit. Though she took comfort in the fact that she did it without the help of Ritsuko, the fact that she wasn't there to congratulate her was a bit saddening. The commander was thrilled that she managed to get things done freed her from the pain and suffering of working for the next two day. She knew that section 2's watchful eye was ever-present encase of an emergency. However, without people there wasn't much to do. She found the first day of her emancipation quite boring. Anyone including Kaji would have been fine instead this unjustly and cruelly induced isolation. The seventeen districts of Tokyo-3 can house up to three million residents and accommodate trillions barely had to support hundreds now. Maya needed human contact; Nerv employees weren't human, they were pawns. Pawns to serve Gendo Ikari, pawns to maintained, repair, and rebuild Evangelion, pawns to be sacrificed the angels. Aoba and Hyuga conseeded their humanity, the last vestages of it anyway when they went along with Commander Ikari's plans without so much as a whisper. Maya however was still pure and naïve as the day she first started working as in Nerv as a lowly tech. The Angel Wars had hardened their A.T. Fields, but the angel wars only severed to soften hers.
Maya slowly remember the place that brought her the most happiness. The Lookout! Every Nerv employee at one point or the other gone there to look and gaze in the past. It renewed them to see exactly what they were fighting for. She prayed that whatever magic that place possessed was enough to aid her through this uphill battle with her duties and her survival, because female intuition had predicted that this wasn't even the first rounds of hardships. She took the short way there hoping that she wouldn't miss the humans returning from their pawn states.
The walk through Nerv's numerous corridors and passages was as taxing as the work. She listened to the conversations of the other techs and support staff as she passed them by.
"Have heard the third child has been locking himself away inside his apartment?" one tech inquired.
"I guess he was a bit sad today. His synch ratio dropped another 12 points today. I hope the enemy doesn't attack," the other replied, "because if they do then we are dead."
"We are dead anyway as long as the second child is missing and with the major gone we are that mercy of the commander's leadership skills."
"Yeah you are right. Asuka kicked a lot of Angelic Ass." Maya sighed as she found the exit at last. Maya stared over the city. The lights were on but the city was dead. A desolate wasteland of concrete. The magic was gone and so were the humans in this city.
"Excuse me?" a soft voice called out from behind her, "Ms. Ibuki you have a minute?"
She turned to find the third child smiling at her. She returned the look; thanking whatever god that she found any human being here. He slowly made his way up to her and leaned against the railing. For a moment, they said nothing; fearing the notion of offending the other into leaving. Amazing enough it was Shinji that broke the silence.
"Have you heard from Misato…I mean Major Katsuragi?" That was the question burning a hole in his skull currently, Maya smiled at his forwardness.
"No, the major hasn't reported in. She has been leading the search for Asuka," she answered him frowning at the thought of the missing child, "Um…Shinji?"
"Yes?"
"Do you mind coming over to my place and keeping me company?" Shinji ran the first teenage ramifications of the action inside his head, sex. However his logical mind knew she was suffering from the isolation just as he was. What was his alternative? Rei? No he couldn't face her yet.
"Yes Ms. Ibuki," he said the need to be with another person outweighing the terrible thoughts in his head.
"Call me Maya, Shinji," she said leading him to her car.
Maya drove the Impala the way she always have, slow and obeying speed limit. It was a welcome change from Misato's driving, nothing sort of kamikaze. As she drove along, she and Shinji talked as they were old friends seeing each other for the first time in years. Maya pulled over into one of the few store left open and excused herself. She quickly ran, grabbed a few things then returned. After that they continued onward.
Shinji woke up with Maya in his arms both were fully clothed underneath one of her larger quilts. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and gazed down at Maya, who looked mighty angelic just laying there in his arms. Her brown her sprawled across his body; human contact did both their spirits some good. Shinji tried to move but the weight of Maya's body was forcing him in place. As if she were afraid to lose the warmth he provided. Her alarm clock went off and in some Misato's zombie state like manner, she spring up moving into her bedroom to stop it. She returned fully awake and coherent before Shinji could return from the bathroom.
"Shinji?" she called out in a panic.
"Yes Maya," he answered back emerging from her bathroom.
"I thought you vanished on me," she laughed trying to hide the swell fear in her heart, "What are you planning for today?"
Shinji answered quickly, not even drawing in air to breathe, "Nothing!"
He wasn't ready to face Rei or return to the apartments, "Do you want me to cook?" Maya blinked then blushed; no male had ever offered to cook breakfast for her she usually did that. The tint of pink on her cheeks gave her face a radiant glow.
"Yea thank you," she replied walking with him into the kitchen. He started to rummage through her refrigerator, pulling out the necessary ingredients to cook for two.
"Sleep well?" she asked, grabbing a glass and the orange juice.
"Yea I haven't slept that well since that since I was last in the hospital," he replied in all honesty. He sighed as he thought about it; dropping a bits of chopped vegetables into the Miso Soup.
"I know those little calm moments before the storm."
"Yea expect the storm is always an angel."
Shinji took the rice out of the Rice Cooker, and then threw in it with some stir-fry. He sighed again. Maya looked over the food.
"How did he get so good?" she thought as her mouth started watering. He dug around until he found two bowl and two plates.
"Did you cook like this for the major and Asuka?"
"Yeah. For females neither of them could cook to save their lives. And I swear Misato's taste buds are set of permanently sour.
He laid the food on the table before sitting down in front of his plate. They silently ate; she had two entire days to herself and thanks to the explosion of Unit Zero, Shinji's school had been closed.
"Shinji want to do something later?"
A/N: God….help me! Sorry it took me so long…I think my supporters will like this stry a lot…and for those awaiting my updates due to a laptop breaking accident…I am going to be a little late on my delivers but trust I will make it up.