A/N: This is the first in a series of three short chapters, after which you can expect some meatier ones. Also I know everybody and their moms has their own version of this, but few do it justice so...
Grime
She was in a rush. Not for any of the usual reasons, like fetching coffee or delivering intra-departmental mail. No, on this day Maya Ibuki found herself on the receiving end of a promotion, and her first order of business was to rouse Miss Ayanami for a very important appointment with sempai!
The soft heels of her sensible shoes scurried in muted clicks down the chromed hallway towards the massive double doors. Taking the elevator up this far had taken long enough, and the extra distance to the girl's mysterious suite tested her endurance. Once she reached the threshold, she took a moment to compose herself, drawing in a sharp breath and knocking twice. No answer.
Dammit.
She checked the time on her phone, nervously thumbing the hem of her skirt with her other hand. Suddenly, the door creaked open, seemingly of its own free will.
I guess it's okay then?
The young woman cautiously slipped inside, marveling silently at the cavernous opulence that surrounded her. The room, it seemed, was covered in a creamy white-gold lacquer, not shining but glowing softly in what little light peeked through the curtains. Some distance away an ornate four-poster bed dominated a slightly raised platform, in which slept the diminutive form of the First Child herself.
"Umm, Miss Ayanami?" she squeaked, holding her clipboard tightly to her chest. She waited for a few seconds, then cleared her throat to speak again. That was when the voices came. An unearthly chorus of monotones washed over her and the curtains parted in a blinding wave of light.
"Good morning, Ibuki-san" they said.
When Maya finally opened her eyes she saw the young girl in her nightgown, staring curiously at her with intense red eyes. She was also hovering a few inches above the ground.
"Rits- Doctor Akagi," Maya corrected herself forcefully, looking away as she felt the mental probe "wished to speak with you before your appearance this morning."
"Yes, of course." Even her whispers trailed echoes in the back of Maya's mind, and she shook her head to dispel them. She no longer wondered why the girl was largely left to her own devices, secreted in a tower like a princess of ages past. However, that would imply that she was the one being protected from an external threat, and it was well known that the First Child could more than handle herself.
The longer I stay, the more I feel like it's us trapped in here with her.
But Maya's good nature wouldn't let her harbor those bad thoughts either. Really, she should give the girl more credit. After all, where would the city be without its sworn protector?
The girl, uninterested in Maya's ruminations, floated over by her wardrobe and flung the doors apart with a flick of her wrist. Hanging in the center of various dresses and gowns was of course the girl's premier outfit. It had originally been a flight suit, the experimental sort given to pilots of stealth bombers and astronauts and other things way above Maya's pay grade. Over time though, the girl had it tailored to her exact measurements, and it certainly showed. In another whisk she slipped into it like second skin, feeling her arm through the slightly reflective material. To Maya's distaste, it seemed that she'd been cutting off bits of the fabric and exposing more skin, going so far as to have a "boob window" as she heard Makoto call it. To some, it might have been downright risqué especially considering her age, but none of them were about to correct her.
Besides, it isn't like the cold bothers her.
The final piece of her ensemble was the billowing navy blue cape that she hid in the back, reserving it for official occasions.
"I am ready" she declared.
One very awkward elevator ride later, Rei Ayanami arrived at the good doctor's office as Maya scampered away.
"You wished to see me?" the pale girl asked. The blond stopped typing for a moment, putting out the last stub of her cigarette.
"Just a brief check up, I wouldn't want to keep the Commander waiting." The girl nodded and took a seat opposite her desk while Ritsuko pulled out a thin tablet and opened a recording program.
"Bi-monthly Patient Check Up" she spoke after hitting 'record'. "Medical Chief Ritsuko Akagi presiding. Please state your name and affiliation."
"Rei Ayanami" she spoke coolly "Current S-Class Rank 1 Hero."
"Known aliases?" Ritsuko's half-smile betrayed her amusement as she felt the girl attempt to make passing prods and pokes into her subconscious.
"Officially recognized by NERV: The First Child" she began "Officially disavowed by NERV: Baby Blue, Ice Queen, and White Death. Rating pending: Wonder Girl."
"I suppose you'll be happy to know that 'Wonder Girl' was approved by a two-thirds majority" the doctor informed her.
"This is satisfactory." Rei allowed the corners of her mouth to turn up slightly. "Girl" wasn't that far-off from "child", but that the commander had actually listened to her request brought her a feeling of warmth.
"In any case, let's move on. Overall physical condition?"
"Satisfactory."
"Satisfactory in terms of improvement as well or…?"
"Satisfactory." Rei repeated.
"Alright" Ritsuko flipped a page dramatically, it had been some time since she'd had to deal with the girl and her "quirks". "And what of your abilities?"
"The submission of the weak-willed is of no consequence" Rei stated with just a hint of pride. "Many of our sorties into robberies and the like have been resolved peacefully even with the Second's belligerent nature."
"And of your offensive capabilities?" Ritsuko really had to hand it to the commander, there was no way in hell she thought that pairing the girls would ever result in anything other than unmitigated disaster and yet here they were.
"Thriving in heat's absence and fighting mainly warm-blooded mammals allows for unique advantages." Ristuko looked down at her desk momentarily, spying the spiderwebbed tendrils of frost that crept out from the girl. A neat party trick sure, but Ritsuko was left unimpressed.
"Yes, that's quite the demonstration Rei. Any contact with alcohol or other drugs?"
"The commander allows me a glass of wine at dinner every evening."
"Yes, yes I'm well aware of your standing with him." She brought down her pen perhaps with a little more force than she'd intended.
Of course he has time for her.
In another second she felt the shimmering haze of voices at the edge of her thoughts, and looked up into the girl's slightly glowing eyes.
"Stop that. Now." She ordered.
"You seem distressed, Doctor. Is everything alright?"
Can't afford to lose my nerve right now, especially not around her.
"Yes, yes" Ritsuko took off her glasses and dismissed her question. "Now Rei I trust that you're a responsible young woman and I know the commander can vet that so I'll let you off now and continue this session after your appearance."
"Thank you, Doctor." Rei offered her curt nod and stepped out of the office, leaving the woman alone with her thoughts.
That little bitch, she really tried to read me.
All NERV personnel had been thoroughly briefed on the nature of the First's "powers", but mentally steeling one's self against them was something else altogether. In truth, Ritsuko just didn't want to waste her time with what essentially boiled down to a mere formality. As far she knew, the girl had never caught so much as a cold and possessed physical durability yet unmatched. She glanced down at the paper again, frowning at the ridiculousness of some of the questions.
Average interaction with boys her age? Permission to perform a virginity test?
"Talk about control issues" she muttered, lighting up another cigarette. If Gendo wanted to make a mockery of medicine in his institution that was all well and good but each passing day she found it harder and harder not to laugh at the unofficial "to protect and serve" slogan that had been plastered everywhere. Shrugging in apathy, she returned to her work.
"Don't worry honey, you're gonna look absolutely gorgeous" the stylist declared in a campy flourish. The commander stood off to the side, watching as the various attendants poked and dabbled at the First Child.
"As long as she maintains a balance of power and courtesy" he warned.
"And nothing says fierce like a coat of Coral Blue #2 Semi-Gloss."
"Actually," Rei interjected "I'd prefer Coral Blue Num-"
"Showtime in five minutes, everyone!" Maya called from the dressing room door. That one statement sent the make-up team scrambling again, obscuring Rei's form in a cloud of cosmetics. At the two-minute mark, the stylist wheeled her around, and Rei cupped her mouth.
"I'm hot" she proclaimed.
"That's the idea, sweetie."
She smiled into the mirror, turning her head slightly. Oh yes, this man had no idea what he'd just done. The rest of the staff quickly escorted her into place, and before too long, the cameras were rolling.
"Hello citizens" she spoke into the lens, letting her allure permeate the room "Wonder Girl here!" She flashed an uncharacteristically enthusiastic smile.
"When I'm out patrolling the streets of Tokyo-3, I hear a lot of things you know."
On the screens around her, still images and videos of Rei in full flight and apprehending criminals sprang to life.
"So let's get one thing straight: we're waging a war on crime!"
Pictures of masked men armed with guns assaulted the viewer.
"On drugs!"
More pictures, this time accompanied by narcotics and surly men in prison uniforms holding up black slides.
"And on those who threaten our very way of life!"
Many more pictures, all taken within the last week, of veritable monsters and men with similar powers killing and razing buildings to the ground.
"NERV Inc. works around the clock to make sure that our streets are safe from these savages, but we can't do it alone!"
Rei stood up dramatically, conjuring wind to make her cape flap majestically behind her.
"We need YOU citizen!" she pointed her finger directly at the camera. "So if you think you have what it takes to work with the best" she was joined on stage by various other heroes employed by the association "our doors are always open! Apply NOW!"
A fast talking man quickly informed the viewer of the various liabilities and restrictions, culminating in a reminder that this was indeed a paid advertisement for NERV Inc. The response? Immediate.
All over the city, in every room and shop window where a TV calmingly buzzed, the denizens of Tokyo-3 sat, transfixed. Before the week was up, it would be counted among one of the most successful morale campaigns of the year, ensuring big bonuses to NERV's upper echelons. For now, however, Rei stood alone as the rest of the members congratulated each other on a job well done.
"Excuse me, sir" a non-descript man whispered into the commander's ear "There's been an incident, the Second is in need of assistance."
"Of course" he responded firmly. "Rei," Commander Ikari called her over "Please go and retrieve your partner."
Frowning inwardly, Rei forced the nearby window open, and disappeared in another breeze.