Chapter 4: Gaming The System

"-So that's when I almost won the fifteenth time!"

Toji sighed, grimacing slightly. Whole time across the city and he never shut up once. Surprisingly, no one had paid attention to them beyond a few brief looks."…Was it like this before he could talk?" He asked, staring at the light across the street.

"Yes."

Toji winced at Shinji's defeated tone. Man, I feel sorry for Shinji. If I had a guy this annoying in my head, I'd go crazy in a heartbeat. It's like being around Kensuke when he's in military nerd mode, except Shinji can't leave….He stopped in front of the arcade's entrance and looked around. Where is Ken anyway? Does he think I ditched him?

" Hey! Toji!"

Nevermind. "Hey Ken." Toji looked up, watching the bespectacled nerd run up to him. "Thanks for waiting, man."

"Dude, you took like a half hour! What took so…" Kensuke trailed off as his eyes focused on the boy next to Toji. "…is that the pilot?" He asked, voice filled with equal amounts of apprehension and hope.

"His name's Shinji Ikari, and I'm gonna show him around the arcade. That's fine with you, right?"

The freckled boy's stupidly happy smile was so wide it looked downright freaky. "N-no way, man! That's more than cool with me!" He stammered excitedly, his short, sandy brown hair swishing in time with his head's frantic shaking. He extended a shaky hand, looking at Shinji with eyes full of obsessive hope. "M-my name's Kensuke Aida! Let's be friends! I-if you wouldn't mind, that is!"

He wants to be my friend? Shinji blinked at the boy's excited display, a slow smile crawling across his face. Maybe that won't be so bad... He extended his hand in kind, opening his mouth to introduce himself. "N-nice to meet you, -"

"NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRR RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRD!"

Kensuke recoiled like he'd just been slapped, Shinji covered his mouth in an instant, and Toji just sighed in frustration. The customers around them backed up a few feet, forming a wall-to-wall half circle around the three boys.

"Wh-what the hell was that for!? I didn't do anything to you, jerk!" Ken shouted, his wide smile replaced with a shocked look of hurt. He pointed a shaking finger at Shinji, heedless of the many stares they were getting from both the arcade's patrons and the pedestrians. He opened his mouth to speak, only to shut it when he felt Toji's hand clamp down on his shoulder.

Toji glanced conspiratorially around at the people now looking at them. "It's complicated. We'll explain inside. Come on." He dragged Ken inside the arcade, with Shinji following awkwardly behind. The people who'd been staring looked for a few more moments, before shrugging and continuing on their way.

Kensuke blinked, both from his eyes adjusting to the dim light inside the arcade, and from trying to process what he'd just been told. "So, he's possessed by a ghost?" He asked incredulously, his voice almost drowned out by the chaotic sounds of the arcade machines.

Toji shrugged. "Pretty much, as far as I can tell." He jerked a thumb in Shinji's direction. "According to Shinji, taunts and jeers are pretty much all he can do."

"Screw you with a light pole, dumbass!" Thankfully, even Gig's vile voice couldn't pierce the arcade's noise field. The rest of the patrons didn't even look in their direction.

"See?"

Kensuke scratched his nose. "…Huh."

"I-I'm really sorry…I try to stop him, but sometimes he just…slips out. Maybe it'd be better to-" Shinji looked like he was about to bolt.

Kensuke scratched the back of his neck, feeling intensely awkward. "Umm…N-no, it's fine." He offered lamely. " He just… caught me off guard, that's all." He offered lamely, feeling incredibly stupid for calling Shinji out like that. "I-I still wanna be your friend, though!" He pled desperately, already considering getting down on his hands and knees.

Gig laughed at the sight of Kensuke's pleading face. "Ha! You're really gonna take this lameass nerd with you? He's only sticking around cause you ride around in a giant robot!" He sneered.

Kensuke shook his head wildly at the incredibly true statement. "N-no I'm not!" He stammered angrily.

Gig scoffed. "Ha! So you're not just trying to appease your raging nerd boner for giant robots? Sure. Well, I'll leave it up to the kid. You wanna take this obsessive nerd with you or not?"

Shinji grimaced. Sometimes, I really, really, really wish he had a mute button. "…I-I'd be happy to be friends with you…Mr. Aida." He said awkwardly, completely unused to people asking him to be their friend.

Kensuke slumped, relief evident in both his face and his body. "Thanks, but, um, please call me Ken. Mr. Aida makes me feel old!" He laughed nervously.

The ensuing silence was broken when Gig coughed. "…You keep some lame company, kid. I'll leave it up to you whether you want to dominate him, though I don't see why, since the jock's at least a better meatshield." He yawned softly. "I'm gonna take a nap. Wake me up when something interesting happens."

Toji blinked, glancing at the other two boys. "…Did he just fall asleep?"

Shinji glanced around. Whenever Gig was awake, and especially when he was talking, it always felt like someone his size was standing right behind him. Now that Gig had ostensibly fallen asleep, it felt like something much tinier was behind him. Like a bird, or maybe a small dog. "…I think he did."

Toji smiled, clapping a hand on both Kensuke's and Shinji's shoulders. "Then I've got an arcade to show off. Come on!" He walked into the thick of the arcade, pulling both Ken and Shinji with him.

Ritsuko leaned back in her chair, sighing deeply. She shut her eyes, digging around in her coat pocket for a moment, quickly pulling out a half empty pack. Sliding open her desk drawer, she picked up a silver lighter and lit her cigarette in one smooth motion. She set the lighter back in the drawer, slipping the cigarette into her mouth at the same time.

"…So, this is Rei's pilot profile?"

Ritsuko took a good pull before addressing the woman standing behind her. "So, you finally managed to crawl out from under that pile of paper. Or is an unfortunate Section Two member buried under an avalanche of black and white?" She deadpanned, taking great delight in the hurt look the captain was giving her.

Misato's shoulders slumped, frowning at the playful jab. "Ha ha. Real funny, doc." She groused, walking back around the desk. "Bet you had to try hard for that one."

Ritsuko chuckled lightly at Misato's pouting face. "Oh, you know me. I put a hundred percent into everything I do."

Misato rolled her eyes. "Right. Anyway, this is Rei's profile, right?" She said, grabbing the monitor and turning it to the side. "Why are you erasing it?" She asked, a bit of confusion in her voice.

Ritsuko sighed. "It's for Unit-00's activation later this week." She waved a hand dismissively towards the screen. "This is just a formality, but the commander is insistent that it's done."

Misato frowned, playing a bit with her cross. "…Wait, activation? I thought it was already activated once?"

Ritsuko shook her head, supressing a shudder at the memory. "It was, but the original activation ended in failure. Unit-00 lost control and had to be frozen." She said calmly, hiding the abject fear she'd felt when it had tried to smash through the plate glass in the control room.

Misato actually looked shocked at this little tidbit. "Wait, what? Why'd that happen?"

"Well, we're not entirely sure." Ritsuko lied. "but it was thought to be because of instability in the pilot."

Misato laughed, disbelief written on her face and in her voice. "…Rei? Unstable? Are we talking about the same girl?" Misato stared at the doctor incredulously. "Blue hair, follows all orders, very quiet?"

Ritsuko looked away, regretting telling Misato anything. "Just because she's quiet doesn't mean she's not disturbed. The girl's problems made the test fail. End of story."

Misato pursed her lips. " If anything, the only person around here with serious problems is…" Misato trailed off awkwardly, slightly regretting bringing it up.

Ritsuko cocked her blonde head to the side, fixing Misato with an olive-green stare. "Yes?" she coaxed, slightly irritated at the way Misato fidgeted.

Captain Katsuragi chewed her lip, finding her shoes a very interesting spot to stare at. "…About Shinji…is it true? Did he really talk to the Eva during the battle?"

Ritsuko tensed ever so slightly, but she forced herself to relax. "…I can't say yet. He's at least convinced that he talked to it. Whether he's crazy or if it was just the heat and pain of battle getting to him, I don't know." Ritsuko sighed, taking another long drag of cigarette smoke. "Without any data outside of battle, I can't say one way or the other…Why are you looking at me like that?"

Misato pursed her lips, slowly raising her index finger to point at the blonde doctor. "…Ritz? Remember how you were coming over for dinner tomorrow?" She stated, her tone calm and serious.

Ritsuko raised an eyebrow. "Yes?" What do dinner plans have to do with Shinji?

"What if we moved that up a bit?"

The good doctor blinked, comprehension dawning on her face. "Ah, I see. Yes, that could work. Fine, I'll come over tonight." Ritsuko smirked at Misato's tiny sigh of relief. "It's good to see you're so worried about our combat capability."

Misato frowned, slightly annoyed at Ritsuko's phrasing. "Of course I'm worried about it, but…" She trailed off, sighing in frustration. "It's just…he's a kid, he should be doing kid things like playing with his friends, or watching movies, or trying to talk to girls." She shook her head, purple hair falling in front of her eyes. "Instead of doing normal stuff like that, he just comes home, does the chores, and then he holes up in his room listening to Mozart or something. " She slumped, sighing unhappily. "I'm not sure he's called a single person with that cellphone we gave him."

Ritsuko rolled her eyes, inwardly smirking at Misato's stricken look. Of all the times, your maternal instincts choose now to flare up? How unprofessional. She kept all amusement off her face, instead fixing Misato with her version of a reassuring smile. "I understand. I'll do everything I can to get this sorted out." She turned her monitor back around. "Is seven pm good?"

Misato nodded. "Yeah, that'll work." She turned and walked to the door, her steps loose and relaxed. She turned back around at the doorway, offering Ritsuko an honest smile. "Thanks again, Ritz."

Ritsuko waved her off. "Yes, yes you're welcome. Now get going."

The door shut, leaving Dr. Akagi alone once again. She stared at the screen, sighing softly. Much as Misato thinks it'll help, I don't believe Shinji will be off-guard at home. She shut her eyes, taking a deep breath. Not when I'm there…No, I need a way to get data on him when he's all alone…

Ritsuko's thoughts were interrupted by the ding of a pop-up.

"Oh for god's sake I thought I turned you…off…" She paused, reading the text on the pop-up.

Pilot Rei Ayanami requires a new security card. Please deliver a new card as soon as possible.

Ritsuko slowly started to smile as gears began turning in her brain. A place where he thinks he'll be all alone… She flipped open her phone, knowing exactly who she needed to call.

"Security? We need a few more cameras in pilot Ayanami's apartment complex…"

Ritsuko groaned. "Oh come on, Misato. Really? Instant curry? That counts as dinner food?" She sighed, leaning a bit farther back from the table. "If only it had been Shinji's turn to cook…"

Misato frowned, shooting her erstwhile 'friend' a disapproving glance. "Hey, you accepted the invitation to dinner, so you don't get to complain." She turned back to her plate and noisily started to eat.

Ritsuko rolled her eyes and shook her head."…If you say so. At least I can wash it down with your beer."

Misato grinned at that. "Yup. Speaking of which… Another two beers, Shinji!"

"O-okay!" came the boy's quick reply as he got up with practiced ease.

He returned promptly with the two beers, and sat back down. Aside from some stiff posture, he didn't seem any different than when he was at NERV.

Ritsuko eyed Shinji carefully. Seems I was right to believe it wouldn't be so easy. Alright, time for plan A. "Shinji?" She asked sweetly, making him look up. "Could you do me a favor and give this to Rei?" She asked kindly, producing a small card from her purse. "I should've done it today, but I forgot." She smiled.

The boy blinked. "…Um…Sure, Dr. Akagi." He reluctantly agreed, taking the card and shoving it in his pocket.

The good doctor nodded. "Thank you, Shinji. Go to her place tomorrow and hand it to her. The address is on the card. Oh, and come see me afterward, if you could? " She finished, relaxing once he'd nodded his assent. Now then, let's just hope that Section Two came through for once…

"Hey! I need more booze, Shinji!" Misato crowed, throwing her already drained can of Yebisu into the sink.

The boy sighed, getting up once again. "Coming, Misato…"

"So kid, refresh my memory. Why exactly are we walking around in hobotown again?"

Shinji rolled his eyes, almost tripping over a bag of garbage. "To give Rei her new access card." He sighed, dodging around an errant newspaper. Though why she lives in a place like this is beyond me.

"…and why exactly are we doing this?"

Shinji grimaced, stepping around a sleeping man that smelled and dressed like Misato on her worse days. "Because she's my co-worker….and Dr. Akagi forgot to do it." He wiped his forehead, wanting to get this over with as fast as possible. It was hot, and the weather service had issued a heat warning for midday. Shinji had no intention of being caught out in the worst of it because of an argument.

Gig snorted. "Right. So, where does this chick live anyway?"

Shinji stopped, digging the card out of his pants pocket. "It says…" He looked up, staring at the dilapidated concrete apartment block in front of him. "Right… here…"

The boy stepped inside the lobby, and staggered immediately at the stench. He gagged, feeling for a second like he was going to throw up. She lives here?!

"Ugh! It smells like something died in here!" Gig spat.

Shinji coughed. "Wouldn't that appeal to the Master of Death?" He stated, feeling brave for once.

"Are you high or something!?" Gig yelled incredulously. "This place is disgusting! How the hell would that appeal to me?!"

Shinji blinked. "…Oh. I just thought-"

"Yeah, you just 'thought'." Gig paused, watching a rat dash out of the welcome desk and up the wall, disappearing into the ceiling. "Let's just get this over with." He sighed.

Shinji stepped into the elevator, shivering slightly as it began to creakily ascend.

"…Wait a sec. She's your …teammate, right?"

"Yes…?" Shinji offered, glancing around the tiny elevator cab at the random creaks and judders he heard.

"And you're like, what, the only two people on the planet that can fight the…'Angels', right?"

Shinji shrugged. "Yes…? I think we are, anyway-!" He jumped as something came off the elevator with a bang.

"…Then what the hell is she doing in a piss-stained ruin like this?" Gig asked, his voice a mix of shock and confusion. "Not that I can claim to understand the thoughts of peons, but shouldn't you get like, a penthouse suite or something? Come to think of it, why did she let them stick her in this dump?"

Shinji blinked. He'd never even thought of it like that before. "I…I don't know…" He would've continued, but the ding of his arrival stopped him. He took a deep breath as the elevator doors slid open, and he stepped forward.

Shinji gingerly crept across the concrete floor, in fear that a wrong step would send him plummeting three stories. "It was floor three, door 607, right?" He asked, pulling the card out of his pocket and reading the address again.

Gig rolled his eyes. "Hell if I know. That scratch means nothing to me."

Shinji stopped dead in front of the first door. "Wait…you can't read?" he whispered, genuinely shocked.

"No, not really." Gig said flippantly.

Shinji pursed his lips. "…Why not?"

Gig shrugged. "Never had to. Murder's a form-free activity."

"…Oh." Shinji slumped, turning his attention back to looking for Rei Ayanami's apartment. As he made his way along the hall, he thought he could hear something like running water, but it was too muffled to pinpoint. Plus, the random creaks and groans the building made distracted him from thinking about it that much.

Eventually, he found what he was looking for. "Wait, this is Ayanami's apartment?" Shinji didn't want to believe what he was seeing. The door looked just as shabby as the rest of the building, and the mailbox next to it was crammed full of mail that Rei had evidently never bothered reading. The neat freak in him was quietly appalled. "Should I knock, or…?" He trailed off, silently debating his options.

"…Kid, did you just see that?" Gig's tone was unusually quiet.

Shinji looked around, finding nothing of interest. "Huh?" He offered, confused by Gig's vague observation.

"That thing up in the corner. It's all grey and boxy, but it looks new."

Shinji looked up. There it was, just like Gig said. It was boxy, steely grey, and with a little blinking red light next to the lens. Even to a media virgin like Shinji, there was only one thing it could be.

"…A surveillance camera?"

Ritsuko Akagi's head hit her keyboard. "CHIRON YOU GODDAMN IDIOT!"

"So wait, they can afford to keep that blue-haired chick under 24 hour watch, but they can't spring for a place that doesn't reek of dead hobo?" Gig sounded thoughtful.

Shinji shrugged, turning back towards the door. "…I guess Ayanami must like this place, to get something like that here."

"…Kid. I'm giving you five seconds to realize how dumb that sounds."

Shinji shrugged. "It's not like there's any other reason she'd stay." He muttered, shaking his head.

Gig chuckled. "Hey, she ate my lie up like it was candy. You think she isn't gullible enough to get tricked into staying here?"

Shinji sighed. "I don't know…" he turned back to the door and shut his eyes. In one smooth motion he pushed the door open and walked into the apartment's main room, conveniently walking straight through the kitchen and how bad it looked. "I guess she just…just…" The words died in his throat when he opened his eyes.

It was a mess. Random trash littered the floor, spent bandages and other medical supplies littered every surface. The walls were covered in a layer of grime that looked quite old, and the floor, or what could be seen of it under the trash, was hardly better. Every bit of furniture was caked in dust and grime. The only things that looked even remotely clean were the closet and the bed. Even Misato's apartment on its worst days never looked this…abandoned.

Shinji walked over to the curtains framing the door to the veranda and threw them open, gawking at the grime on the glass door. It's like she doesn't even care that this place is dirty! Doesn't she have any pride in her home? He had to talk to her about this. Even if she liked living in a grimy, disgusting ruin, it wasn't safe! She should-

"Ikari? Why are you here?"

To Shinji's credit, he didn't jump out of his skin or bolt from the apartment.

Instead, he froze for a good ten seconds, before very slowly turning around to face Rei Ayanami. Her bandages were gone, and she was clad in her school uniform. Her face held the same blank expression he'd seen every other time he'd seen her, except now it wasn't bandaged.

"H-hi, Ayanami." He croaked, feeling his voice untrustworthy of much more.

If Rei cared that he'd barged into her home without even knocking, she didn't show it. "…Why are you here?" She asked again, her voice just as blank and lifeless as before.

Shinji gulped. Is she angry? "Oh, right! Um, I was sent to give you the new security card." He nervously dug the card out of his pocket, presenting it to the blue haired girl. "Th-They're updating this week or something."

"I see." She replied curtly, taking the offered card in one smooth motion. She strode over to a chair next to her bed and sat down, picking a book off her bed and flipping to a page.

Feeling bored, Gig looked around. He quickly spied a bottle of pills on the nightstand. Hey, that looks good and heavy… He looked to the glass door, then the pills, then back to the door, smiling evilly.

"Hey kid. What's with the drugs?"

"Huh?" Shinji blurted, quickly catching sight of the bottle on Rei's nightstand. "Oh…Wait, Ayanami? Are you sick?"

Rei didn't even look up. "No. I am in perfect health." Rei's tone was calm and clinical as she continued reading. "Those are prescribed to me by Dr. Akagi as a precaution."

"Ask her if we can see them. I'm kinda suspicious of that doctor chick."

Shinji complied, feeling slightly confused. "…Can I see them?"

At that, Rei did look up. She blinked owlishly, unused to being sincerely asked for permission. "…I do not believe that would be a problem." She ventured, sounding slightly awkward. I feel odd. I should ask the commander what this means later.

Shinji took her response as a yes and strode over to the nightstand, which stood next to the veranda door. He picked up the bottle and began reading the label on it. Aside from its considerable weight and incredibly dense medical terminology, there was nothing special about-

"NOW!"

In one smooth motion, before Shinji could even begin to comprehend what was happening, Gig threw the bottle straight at Rei's veranda door. It smashed through it with a thunderous crash, scattering glass shards everywhere. It flew across the street, striking an unfortunate brunet in a suit and scattering di-coloured pills everywhere.

Shinji dashed onto the veranda, with Rei following close behind. "Why did you do that?" She asked, sounding more confused than angry.

Shinji opened his mouth to reprimand Gig harshly, but his erstwhile target was faster on the draw.

"Oh, sorry. I thought they had a bomb in them. False alarm!" Gig said cheerily.

Rei blinked quizzically. "…I see. Thank you for your concern." Though she knew that there had been no bomb in the bottle, she'd heard several of Section Two's men refer to an action like that as being 'better safe than sorry'. She didn't quite understand their choice of words, but the meaning behind them was clear.

Gig laughed. "Oh, no need to thank me. I just did what came naturally."

"I see." Rei nodded, before turning and walking back inside, with Shinji following shortly thereafter. She closed the book she'd been reading and dropped it on the bed. That finished, she turned and left her apartment, with Shinji dogging her heels all the way to the elevator.

Shinji scratched the back of his head nervously as Rei pressed the call button for the elevator. "…Where are you going, Ayanami?" He asked, feeling awkward at trying to pry into her affairs.

"To NERV. " She stated simply. "Unit-00's activation test is today."

…Oh yeah, Dr. Akagi wanted me to meet her after I gave Ayanami the card...But that escalator is huge and boring, and with just Gig it'll be… "Th-then I'll go with you!" He blurted out, feeling slightly stupid the moment he said it.

She turned to regard him, a tiny bit of curiosity in her gaze. "Why?" She asked levelly.

If she's with me I won't have to listen to Gig babble on about nothing! Come on me, think of something! His hand curled into a fist almost unconsciously. "Um…Well, I'm supposed to meet with Dr. Akagi today, and…um… you could use the company…on the way there?" He finished, feeling incredibly stupid.

Rei blinked. This was… strange to her. Normally, no one ever approached her with the mere intent of being near her. Usually they had something they wanted to say, be it an order or a piece of information she had to memorize. To have someone stay with her for no reason was…disquieting...and she couldn't understand why. Perhaps if he stayed with me, I would be able to ascertain why this is so. "…I see. Very well then, you may accompany me." She stated coolly, turning and walking into the elevator.

Shinji slumped, walking into the elevator after her. "Why does she have to sound so cold?" He muttered quietly as the elevator doors creaked shut.

Gig snorted. "Beats me. Why do you have to sound like such a dork?"

Shinji shut his eyes and groaned as the elevator began to descend.

"Those goddamn useless morons!" Ritsuko cursed, making a mental note to chew Chiron's idiotic thugs out the next chance she got. "They might as well have put out a sign advertising that stupid thing! Or painted it hot fluorescent pink!" She sat forward in her chair and grimaced. "Actually, that might've been more useful, because then he might've thought it was FAKE!"

Now this is a story all about how

my life got flipped turned upside down

And I'd like to take a minute just wake up sleeper,

I'll tell you how I became the undisputed Death God Reaper

A central Drazilian, born and raised,

in the palace, was where I spent most of my days,

Chillin out max and relaxing all the while,

or killing some fools making fun of my style

When a couple of girls, who were up to no good,

started makin trouble in my neighbourhood.

I started one little fight and got sealed in a sword,

all because of a cheap hit that old hag scored.

I spent two hundred years in that black sheathed prison,

Planning out my revenge for the day I'd arisen.

I had it all figured out, to the day of my return

When I heard a freaky voice that made my stomach turn.

There were some crazy clashes and blasts of dark magic

The fact I couldn't join in was just plain tragic.

Then with a hell of a bang, it all disappeared,

Leaving me in a ditch feeling nothing but weird

So I wound up in Japan where things were less clear,

Like how I couldn't kill folks for no reason here.

If anything I could say that this place is lame,

but I thought 'nah forget it, I'll play some head games!'

I, jumped, in-side a sad sack living with a hot chick

And I yelled to the kid 'thanks for the body, slick!'

I looked at the city, I was finally free

To reap the all the souls my eyes-

Shinji frowned. "Stop that."

"-could-"

Shinji slumped, sighing in a long-suffering way. "If you don't stop I'm going to let Misato cook tonight." He deadpanned.

"…You suck, kid."

Shinji sighed again, feeling more than a little irritated at Gig's nonstop babbling/complaining. And now he's pouting again. For someone who says he doesn't like people, he's very…talkative. Shinji looked up, watching Rei stride forward almost mechanically on the grey concrete sidewalk. He looked around, only to realize that they were still pretty much next to Rei's building. According to the map Misato had him memorize, they still had another ten minutes to go. Why does this have to take so long…And why am I even coming along? I gave her the card, so why am I coming with her? She's…weird, and it's not like I owe her anything. Besides, Gig's still annoying even with someone who can hear him too. Shinji kept his head down as they walked, paying no attention to anything around him.

They were halfway through a cherry tree lined street before Gig finally spoke up again.

"Hey! What's your face! Er, Rei!" He yelled, his rough voice echoing between the low buildings.

Rei stopped, slowly turning to regard Shinji with a cool stare that held the barest hint of impatience. "…What is it?" She asked, her flat tone betraying none of the slight irritation she felt.

Gig chuckled, unconcerned by her frosty tone. "Well, it's just that the kid here forgot to mention something pretty important."

Rei raised an eyebrow. "Oh?" she queried, her slight impatience replaced by an equally slight amount of curiosity.

Shinji blinked. I did?

"Yeah, we got a letter yesterday about some new security measures for NERV. Apparently some dude broke in without a problem last week." If Gig's tone was any more offhand, he would've dropped it like a ten pound weight.

Now Shinji felt really lost. What is he talking about? I never got a letter about anything, and Dr. Akagi just gave me Rei's security card.

Rei stepped closer, leaving only a few feet between her and Shinji. "So, what are these new security measures?"

Gig chuckled, happy that Ayanami had taken the bait once again. "Well, the card was the first part, but now it seems you need some kind of red crystal to get in. They called it a 'Crimson Tear'. "His tone abruptly switched to one that dripped concern. "Me and the kid've got one for ourselves, but what about you?"

Rei frowned, trying to recall whether she'd ever heard of such a thing. "…I do not possess a 'Crimson Tear'." She stated, her momentary frown replaced by her normal blank look.

Now for step two. Gig sighed dramatically, making sure to fill it with as much regret as possible. "Well then, guess you can't get inside. The commander will be so disappointed you couldn't show up." Gig smiled at the tiny look of fear in Rei's eyes. "Man, he has such faith in you, and you'll prove how much that was warranted when you can't even get inside the base." Gig twisted the knife further, delighting at the growing horror in Rei's eyes. "I bet he'll be wondering 'why isn't she here? Can't I at least trust her to arrive on time?' And then he'll find out just where you are, and he'll be distraught at the fact that you couldn't be bothered to follow protocol." Gig finished, stifling a chuckle as he waited for Rei's response.

Rei shook. It was a tiny, almost impossibly fast twitch, but both Gig and Shinji noticed it. "…What should I do?" Her voice wavered slightly, her eyes squeezing shut almost on instinct.

And here comes the fun part! "Well, actually, it turns out you're in luck!" Gig's voice filled with false cheer. "There's actually one buried right there, under that big tree!" Gig chuckled as Rei turned to look at the very old and very dead cherry tree beside them. "Start digging, look for a blood red gem. That's the Crimson Tear." He finished, trying very hard not to snicker at the way her body relaxed.

Rei looked to the side, staring intently at the ground around the cherry tree's blackened trunk. "I see…Thank you for your assistance." She stated, her eyes still glued to the cherry tree's roots as she marched up to it.

Gig chuckled heartily. "Oh, no need to thank me! If you don't find it right away, just keep looking!" Now Gig was quickly losing the battle to keep from collapsing into gales of laughter. "But if it's all the same to you, we'll go on ahead and wait for ya! BUh-Bye!" Now march, kid!

Shinji automatically fell into step at Gig's command, walking forward like a trained dog. He realized what he was doing about half a block away. With a bit of a self-scolding, he turned back to check on Rei, only to catch her petitioning some tiny old man for a shovel. Shinji frowned at the sight. To trick someone that naïve….It wasn't right to do that to her. "…That wasn't very nice." Shinji frowned.

Gig laughed. It was a short, sharp, malicious laugh that stopped the words in Shinji's throat cold. "Oh what? Now you're gonna complain? You sure as hell didn't speak up before!" He snapped. "If she's really willing to believe such an idiotic lie, she deserves what she gets! I just don't have the energy to put up with a chick like her. She makes me wanna…strangle a kitten or something. Anyway, I-" He abruptly stopped, going completely silent.

It was almost half a minute later when Shinji finally spoke up. "Gig? Are you…okay?"

"What?" Gig abruptly realized Shinji was speaking to him. He shook his head with an arrogant scoff. "Let's just go. I have no interest in staying near familiar idiots." He grumbled.

Shinji watched Rei for a few more moments before turning to continue on to NERV, feeling like a heel the whole way.

Dr. Ritsuko Akagi leaned back in her office chair and shut her eyes, sighing softly. Truly, padded leather was one of the best perks of her position. It almost made up for having to deal with Chiron earlier. Now, he should be arriving in three…two…one…

On cue, the door slid open, revealing the uncomfortable mess of teenage awkwardness that was the Third Child. "Ah, Shinji. I was waiting for you." She stood up, walking to the front of her desk. Once there, she crossed her arms and leaned against it with a knowing smirk.

His eyes darted about for a moment before settling squarely on the floor. "Dr. Akagi? Wh-what did you want me for?" He mumbled.

She rolled her hand. "Well, I'd like you to do a sync test to check something." She pushed off from the desk and walked past him, stopping in the doorway. "Now, if you would just follow me…" She smirked at his stricken expression as he turned to follow her.

Must…dig…Rei's thoughts were focused, even in the hot, dry air. She didn't let anything distract her from her task of digging. Not her growing thirst, not her steadily rising body temperature, not even her aching muscles could stop her. She was a girl on a mission, and she would not disappoint the Commander.

At the other end of the block was an unconscious man lying in the shade of a still-living cherry tree, a rainbow of pills scattered all around him. On his hip was a radio labeled 'Guy Kazama'…

"Beginning ionization…" The technicians ran through the preparations like well-oiled machines. Within minutes, everything was ready for what they thought was a routine Sync Test.

Ritsuko smiled. At least her own subordinates could be counted on, unlike some others she could think of. Now then, time to expose this fake.

"Wh-what is it, Dr. Akagi?"She had to stifle a chuckle at the sight of his face. It was almost adorable how nervous he looked.

"Well, you said it spoke to you before, right? Do you think you could try to communicate with it now?" She asked, trying to sound as nice as she could.

"…Umm…O…Okay. I'll try."From the look on his face, her tone didn't seem to work all that well.

Ritsuko muted the feed, turning to Maya once that was done. "Lieutenant? What's his sync ratio right now?"

"Um…52%, Dr. Akagi." The mousy brunette replied.

Dr. Akagi raised an eyebrow. …His sync's holding at 52%? If she was truly conscious, it should be much higher…but I can't use that as a reason. She looked back to the visibly squirming boy. I think I'll let him stew for a little while. "Thank you Maya." She unmuted the feed and leaned closer to the microphone. "Actually, Shinji, hold off on talking to it right now. I need to do some prep work, so just sit tight for now." With that, she sat down and started typing meaningless commands into the computer. The sheer boredom will hopefully loosen those lips of his…

Misato sighed, staring at what still lay everywhere on her desk. Paperwork, paperwork, and more paperwork. I wish I did something other than that around here. Her silent complaints were interrupted by the ring of her cellphone.

Misato sighed. She forced a smile onto her face as she flipped open the phone. "Captain Katsuragi here. Lieutenant Ibuki? What is it?" She said cheerily. Her smile abruptly fell off as she heard the answer. "…Wait, what? Ayanami hasn't shown up yet? Shouldn't she have shown up over an hour ago? Yeah, I'll look into it. You sit tight." Misato hung up, already dialing Chiron's department.

Some generically genial voice greeted her, asking what her reason for calling was.

Misato blinked. "Um…Where the hell is Pilot Ayanami? She should've arrived almost an hour ago. " She asked, feeling slightly irritated at having to talk to NERV's goon squad. She almost dropped the phone at the answer she got. "…What the hell do you mean you don't know!?" She shouted, nearly crushing the phone in her hand. "Wasn't someone supposed to be watching her!?"

The man on the other end sounded apologetic. "Well, agent Kazama was chosen to keep watch over her, but all attempts to contact him are not being answered."

Misato's jaw dropped, her anger momentarily smothered by sheer disbelief. They…They can't be this incompetent. There's no way. "…Then go find her yourselves, you idiots!" She bellowed. She heard a slightly scared agreement before the line went dead. She sighed, sinking deep into her desk's black leather chair. Just what kind of hiring policy does Commander Ikari have to get these guys?! I probably can't even trust them to look after a turtle! Or even a washing machine!

Shinji fidgeted in the chair. It had been fifteen minutes and they still hadn't started the questioning.

"Um…Dr. Akagi? Should…I, uh…start talking to it?" He offered.

It was a few seconds before the blonde doctor responded. "Oh, certainly. We just finished the prep work on our end, so go ahead whenever you want." Ritsuko's voice came through smooth and clean, like gasoline.

"ummm…Okay…" Shinji responded, feeling very helpless all of a sudden. Oh god what do I do?! I can't think of anything! I don't wanna be operated on!

Gig coughed meaningfully. "Quit your whining, kid. I'll help you out. Just repeat what I say and everything'll be fine…probably.

Okay, so what should I start with!?

Gig laughed. "Hmm…how about…I know! Ask her if she's taken!"

Shinji blanched. What?! That's stupid!

"No, seriously! It'll totally throw her off!" Gig encouraged.

Shinji tried to think of something else to say, but nothing could dislodge Gig's suggestion. …Okay. "Um? Dr. Akagi?"

"Yes?"

"It…wants to know…if…you're…um…seeing anyone…right now."

Ritsuko's eyes widened just a hair. How the hell does he know? I thought nobody except Gendo and I knew! How did he figure it out? "I see." She ground out, keeping her voice flat and level. "Well, I am in a relationship right now. Beyond that is none of its business." She sank into her chair, feeling even more drained than usual. Actually, it would be her business…Thank god I had the foresight to leave this audio only. "Is there anything else, Shinji?" she leaned forward, wiping a tiny bit of sweat off her brow.

"Umm….It, also wants to know if the…Commander's seeing anyone too."

Ritsuko pressed back into her chair, feeling the hairs on her neck stand up. No. Nonononono. Ritsuko took a deep breath. Calm down Akagi! He's just bluffing! He HAS to be! His sync score hasn't budged an inch! "I…I see. Well, the commander is a very…private person. He doesn't share much, so I can't say, really. But I believe he's doing fine." She sighed, ruthlessly suppressing a shudder. "Is that all…?"

"Oh! Um…It…uh…says that Rei feels familiar…and it wants to know why."

The blood drained out of Ritsuko's face as her jaw dropped open. Every part of her body stiffened as that little tidbit echoed over and over in her mind. …That's…That's not…there's just no way… She shook her head, but the black fear in heart would not be so easily vanquished. "….R-really?" She laughed nervously. "That's…I can't say why that would be, Shinji. Is…is there anything else?"

"and…It…says it wants to be coloured black with red edging."

Ritsuko blinked. "…Really?" She asked honestly. That's…better than I expected….far better than I expected…Maybe all that time in there has damaged Yui's mind more than we'd thought…

Shinji blinked, feeling his nerve crumble as Dr. Akagi remained silent. I don't think she bought that! Think of something else! He silently pleaded.

"I'm thinking as fast as I can, idiot!" Gig snarled back. " Keep that up and I swear I'll choke you to death! I'll-"

GET OUT!

Shinji immediately clutched his head, feeling an absolutely horrid spike of pain shoot through it. "Ah! I…h-huh?" He blinked, feeling the pain vanish as quickly as it came. "Dr. Akagi? …What just happened?" He asked, wondering if there'd been a glitch or something.

"….250%? That's-huh? Shinji? Did you say something?"

"…Kid?" If Shinji was more observant, he would've noticed Gig's rather…unnerved tone. "I suggest we bail. Like, right now."

Shinji blinked. I guess he's out of ideas. "Um…Dr. Akagi?" He ventured. "Should I keep talking to it…?"

"Oh, no, it's alright, Shinji. You can go. We need to, ah, review the results of this test. Just…uh…go home or something." Ritsuko laughed nervously.

Shinji blinked. "Oh. Okay." He stated, feeling the LCL around him beginning to drain away. That was…weird.

Rei was tired. She'd dug an entire meter down, but there was no sign of the Crimson Tear that Gig had spoken of. She put a hand to her dry forehead, feeling very hot all of a sudden. I cannot give up now. Not matter what, I cannot disappoint the commander. With that in mind, she steeled herself to continue digging, even as her muscles screamed in protest.

"Pilot Ayanami? …What are you doing?"

She looked up for a moment, seeing a bunch of confused Section Two agents circled around her. "Digging." She panted, striking the shovel's point deeper into the hole.

One of the men stepped forward. He had a brown buzzcut and was slightly taller than the others. "…But, why? You do realize that Unit-00's reactivation test is today, right?"

Rei felt faint, but suppressed that to continue digging. "Yes. I need a Crimson Tear to enter Headquarters. I was told one was buried under this tree." She pointed at the hole, feeling even hotter as the nausea came back full force.

The men looked at their apparent leader, who shrugged helplessly. "Er…No you don't. All you need is your security card." The brunet leader said, feeling even more confused by Rei's answer.

Rei stopped, leaning on the shovel to help keep her upright. "…But I was told I needed a Crimson Tear." She panted, her mouth completely dry. She gave their leader a quizzical stare, confused by his response. Her head was starting to swim, and her vision was blurring.

The men's leader coughed, feeling intensely awkward under the albino's questioning gaze. "Well, I'm sorry, Ms. Ayanami, but whoever told you that lied to you.

Rei dropped the shovel, feeling very woozy. He lied? But why would he lie to me? Why…

Further thought on the subject was foreclosed as Rei toppled backwards onto the hot concrete.

She struggled to keep her eyes open as darkness flooded her vision. She heard something about heatstroke before she gave in to the inevitable and lost consciousness.

"...So does that mean he's the villain?"