Chapter 10: Getting to Know an Empty Shell, Pt. 2

School Observations:

School remained relatively the same for all the students. Since transferring to the school, the male pilot was a relatively hot topic of conversation. At first, people found his behavior peculiar and his mannerisms odd. He rarely expressed anything other than a stoic one similar to the First Child. Despite seemingly hard to approach, he did talk more than her. All the students had to do was confront him if they wanted to ask him something.

However, communicating with him by the school email and message board was apparently ignored. The only option that students had was to talk to him face to face. As time went on, only a couple of students were brave enough to continue approaching him. A good portion kept their distance assuming that he was just a asocial loner. As the following weeks went, other things popped up that students found weird, puzzling, and weirder.

A week of school went by relatively without any other changes.

The Class Rep did her morning class routine and everybody sat down. Only five minutes went by and the class went on ignoring the teacher's lecture. Shinji sat in the front row and apparently was doing something on his school issued laptop. Some students ignored it while others took interest as something else to do. Kensuke looked over at him and could see he was doing something, but couldn't get a good view of what. He looked over to Hikari. She was in the front row as well and thought that maybe she would be able to tell.

A message popped up on her computer. Looking at it, she narrowed her eyes. However, she decided to open it.

Aida: [Hey Class Rep, can you tell me what Ikari's doing?]

Hikari: [Aida! You know you're not supposed to send messages during class!]

Aida: [Yeah yeah but could you just look over to see what he is doing? No one is close to him and almost everyone in class is interested.]

Hikari frowned: [Fine.]

She looked over and couldn't get a clear idea of what he was doing at first. Hikari saw him look up with his eyes then down and began typing. He did it again while continuing to type quietly. When he stopped, the teacher droned on. Then he typed something short then looked back up.

Kensuke saw the surprise look on Hikari's face. Messages started populating on his laptop from other students interested in what the new student was currently doing. Aida went into the message board settings to do a reply all when the Class Rep messaged him. Still having a patch over her eye and an arm in a cast, Rei prompted her head with her other hand. She stared out the window ignoring the classroom's interests and activities.

Aida: [What? What? What do you see?]

Hikari: [Ikari is taking notes from the teacher's lecture.]

All the students read the message and looked dumbfounded at the back of the new student. All were too lost for words as in why would the purple eye boy do such a thing as taking notes…especially in this class. Rei saw a message pop up on her screen. She was about to erase it when she saw the Third Child's name. Blinking and looking at the back of the male pilot, curiosity nagged her. Reading the message, she tilted her head a little in confusion.

'Why…'

'The instructor's lessons are invalid and do not provide valuable information…maybe Ikari does not know this,' she thought. With her one hand she typed a messaged to him.

Shinji listened to the lecture with no interest. He took notes because that is what he heard students do in school. It was like doing a routine: sit, be quiet, listen, take notes, go home, study, and be ready for any exam. His voices started adding in other bits of activities as part of the school routine.

'Don't forget bullying.'

'Don't forget lynching.'

'Don't forget fighting.'

'Don't forget stealing.'

'Don't forget lusting.'

'Don't forget bombing.'

'Don't forget murdering.'

'don't forget-Don't forget-Don't Forget-DoN't FoRgEt-DON'T FORGET!-DOOONNNNN'TTTTT FFFFFOOORRRRGGGGEEETTTTT!'

The voices stated one after another in rapid session. Their voices grew louder and louder till all of them were screaming in his ears. Staring passively at the board, he concentrated at the monotone drone of the teacher. Though the voices stopped talking, their screams were fading and echoing in his head. When their decaying sound was lower than the volume of the instructor's, he began typing again.

As he continued, messages were bombarding his mail box. He didn't answer any of them and proceeded to take more notes. Suddenly, his computer popped up a window message that prevented him from typing. It indicated that the mail box reached max capacity and needed to delete messages before continuing. Compiling, he started deleting them.

Reaching the last one, it had the First Child's name on it. Staring at it, he was going to erase it when decided to not. Trying to figure out a reason why the female pilot would message him, a couple reasons came to him. Deciding to open it, Shinji read the email believing she would give advice of some kind.

Ayanami: [Pilot Ikari, I do not understand your need to take notes in this class. It is not beneficial.]

Shinji just blinked and wrote back.

Ikari: [Is it not said that it is recommended to take notes from our classes? For this reason, it helps students understand the material given and be ready for tests on it.]

Ayanami: [That is true, faulty material is not.]

Shinji just stared at the message as his "insights" were giving him random questions one overlapping another again.

"What does she know that the world doesn't?"

"Why does she take consideration for you?"

"Why is she a half-breed?"

"Why is there multiple Ayanamis?"

"Has voicing an opinion become faulty?"

"Aren't people indifferent about other people's thoughts?"

"People are very nosy…" the voices trailed off.

All the questions they asked seem to be a mixture of things. Some was personal information while others were of different topics. Not too sure what to make of them, he put them as a mental note for another time. Rei stared at the screen a few moments then looked at him. He sat still then a message popped up on her screen.

Ikari: [Is teacher's information faulty or matter of opinion?]

She read the question then listened to the teacher's lecture a little bit. He went on about what the government put out and his personal experience about what happened before the Second Impact.

Ayanami: [Both.]

Ikari: [Is matter of opinion an error?]

The female pilot blinked. She felt the question wasn't important but answered speaking from her experience at NERV and someone's view.

Ayanami: [It can contradict with actual information. In most occasions, it does not matter.]

Ikari: [If I gave you an answer, would I not be the same as the teacher's lecture?]

Rei seemed surprised by this but didn't express it. She felt that the discussion turned upside down.

Ikari: [If so, my answer would not matter. Is there anything else I can help you with Miss Ayanami?]

Blinking and looked up at the Third Child, he did not turn or express anything. Instead, he went back to taking notes on the lecture. She looked back at the last message and responded.

Ayanami: [No.]

Ikari: [Very well. Good day Miss Ayanami.]

Ayanami: [Bye.]

Looking back out the window, Rei felt less satisfied because she didn't get an answer. Trying to answer her questions about the male pilot, it didn't work from the lack of information. She felt maybe another time would be appropriate to try asking him again. In some ways, Ayanami could get a feeling that the Third Child being somewhat the same as her. Matter of opinion was told to irrelevant by Gendo; however, she found herself always curious about it. She couldn't decide if it was a logical or illogical way of thinking.

Into the second and third week, students tried analyzing and comparing the two Eva pilots. Students found that Rei and Shinji acted alike in some ways. Both sat alone when they ate their lunches. Both emitted signs of being asocial and difficult to talk to. They knew Rei would be reading somewhere but couldn't find where Shinji went on campus during some lunches. However during those times, he always came back as if he ran somewhere. Some students tried looking for him during the times they couldn't find. They never could.

One oddity about them was how they conversed. Both had different ways of talking yet had the same impassive expression. Rei would get out of a conversation by being to the point and cold at times. Depending on the person, she would just ignore students entirely. Shinji, on the other hand, would ask people what they needed or help with. Depending what students asked, he would help them. After helping, he would ask if there was anything else. He responded calmly and politely to everyone, but his emotionless expression made them feel uncomfortable. It gave students the feeling that they were bothering him.

When it came to short breaks, both didn't bother to leave the classroom and just sat there. Shinji sometimes stood up and stretched or went to the bathroom. But he came back and sat down back in his seat. Students also found that both Rei and Shinji arrived at school early so that drew some hypotheses. One student decided to take an initiative and make a rumor.

One day, Shinji walked through the school campus. Not many students were around at the time he came. Up ahead, there was a bulletin board. Normally, he would have just walked by it when he saw something on the board that wasn't there before. Stopping and turning toward it, he read it. Blinking, he read it again trying to understand the true purpose of why this message was posted.

A few moments later, Rei walked onto the school grounds. She saw the Third Child up ahead standing in front the school bulletin board. Normally she wouldn't even bother to look at it; however, curiosity grabbed her wondering what got his attention. She walked up next to him and read the same post-it. A slight shiver went through her. Slowly turning her crimson eyes at him, dark magenta eyes were looking back at her. Both were looking at each other with the corner of their eyes for a moment before he bowed slightly.

"Good morning Miss Ayanami," he said calmly.

Rei just nodded her head and watched him look back at the post-it. Turning to his left, he headed towards the classroom which she did as well. The rumor didn't spark any fire due to no expressions or talkback from both pilots. Even when students asked the male pilot about it, he stated he did not think so. No one attempted to ask Ayanami for what she thought.

During PE is where the two were different. Shinji would do physical training but kept to himself by asking the coach to go to the track or gym room. The coach assumed that the Third Child would be similar to the albino female pilot in terms of participation. He grunted and waved him off not really caring much what the male Eva pilot did. Rei, on the other hand, just did the bare minimum. Other coaches had given up on trying to get her to participate and let her be.

Three weeks had passed since Shinji came to school and the hype about him died down a little. It was near the end of the school day. He was walking down an opening between the gym wall and part of school buildings. Three male students were leaning against the gym wall and saw someone coming. Recognizing the Third Child, the leader pointed at him then made a hand gesture of cutting his throat. They snickered watching the pilot walk closer. Within a few feet, the three stepped out and blocked his pathway.

"Well, well, well if it isn't our good friend Ikari," the leader said with sarcastic grin. Shinji stopped and bowed slightly.

"Greetings gentlemen, is there something you need?" he asked. All three snickered again and gave shark smiles.

"Oh I believe that you have something that we need Ikari," the leader said as all three cracked their knuckles. Shinji kept his expressionless face and stared through them.

"That's a pretty nice watch you got there," the gang member left of the leader stated.

"And we are a bit low on cash too," said the one right of the middle delinquent.

"We don't want to cause any trouble so how about handing them over and we can all go away happy," said the leader holding out his hand.

"I decline the request gentlemen and please leave me alone. I do not want to hurt you," Shinji said calmly.

All three snickered again and walked over to him. The voices were grinning widely and the male pilot agreed with them. The leader threw a right fist at Shinji's face. Dodging the attack, the Third Child quickly unleashes a lunging right side kick into the leader's chest. The two other delinquents stopped their advance. Their leader recoiled harshly backwards and hit the ground. Hitting the earth hard, it made him flip over to be face down in the dirt.

Shinji went into a fighting stance and waited. The other two attack him at the same time. One threw a kick and the other tried to punch him. The Third Child caught both attacks with his hands. Quickly twist their limbs in a direction, both students shriek in pain. Though his voices kept egging him on to continue twisting, Shinji didn't comply with their want of broking limbs. Pulling his arms back, he harshly pushed the students back. Both of them hit the ground and landed near their leader who was knocked out.

Getting back to a standing position, he bowed slightly. Walking around the three, he continued his way. At the end of the pathway, he saw Ayanami standing staring at him. Reaching her, he stopped and bowed. The Angel siren suddenly went off.

"Ikari, we just received an emergency call."

"I see, may I accompany you?"

"If you wish."

"Then shall we." Rei nodded and both headed off to NERV.

Coming from the sea, the fourth Angel made its way toward Tokyo-3. The evacuation procedures were already in play as people made their way towards the shelters. As the angel came closer to the coast line, UN defenses and the military fired their artillery. With all the firepower they had, it didn't cause a single dent due to the behemoth's AT-field. While the forces continued to attack, two male students had other plans. Inside one of the shelters, Kensuke decided he wanted to see the battle up close. Convincing Toji to join him, both made their escape to see the giant humanoid robot.

Inside the Eva cages, preparations had been made to send Unit-01 out to battle.

"Okay Shinji, remember to use the rifle against the Angel. Just like in practice, got it?" Misato asked.

"Yes," he replied.

"EVA-01, Launch!" ordered Misato.

As the Eva was going up, Kensuke and Toji were running up stairs on a mountain side for a better view, much to Kensuke's wanting. They went through some bushes till Kensuke found a spot and whipped his cam recorder out.

"Whoa! Here it comes!" Kensuke shouted in amazement.

A building shook a little, before one side of it went down. Inside the giant camouflaged lift, Eva-01 stood holding onto a giant rifle. It causally got out of its covering spot and turned toward the street in the opposite direction he came out. Not lifting the rifle, he stood staring at the Angel comin. It had entered the city and hovered over it going to where its purpose was. Sensing a fake sibling up ahead, the Angel stopped.

Taking on the form of a disfigured male's genital, the monstrous creature got into a cobra stance. Two elongated tentacles came down out of its head stretching as long as the it was. They became illuminated emitting a bright light and heat from them. The laser whips moved around like serpents. The Eva didn't move and still stood there waiting with its rifle pointing down.

The whips started to move around quicker then launched themselves at the purple war machine. The Eva grabbed both incoming laser whips with its left hand and felt its hand starting to heat up. Shinji pulled on them hard sending the Angel flying towards him. When the Angel came close enough, he took the rifle and shoved the muzzle into the core. A loud clang was heard making the Angel moaned a little bending backwards a little. The pilot closed his eyes and concentrated on a different kind of way of stopping the Angel. He pointed the rifle to the lower part of the Angel.

In the NERV HQ and Kensuke's view, both Misato and Kensuke were thinking the same thing,

'What the heck is he doing…'

"Eva's left hand is starting to melt from the target's weapons," Makoto stated.

"Shinji! What are you doing just standing there, fire already!" Misato ordered. Ritsuko looked closely at Shinji's sync ratio and saw it was gradually growing. Another screen popped. It showed small A.T. fields forming inside the rifle.

'He is making anti-A.T. bullets...' she looks up with amazement on her face to the screen showing the two giants.

[Shinji! Are you even listening!?] Misato shouted over the intercom.

Reopening his eyes, he squeezed the trigger switch. The rifle exploded in automatic mode sending bullets flying through the Angel's defense and A.T. field like paper. The Eva moved the rifle slowly upward keeping it steady while it rumbled in its hand. Bullets ripped and tore away the Angel's flesh, insides, and bones. Limbs and parts were sent flying in different directions while others disintegrated.

As the rifle ended above the monster's head, the magazine was spent. He let go of the laser whips watching the Angel drop backwards onto a city street with a loud boom and rumble. Looking down at it, its body was crudely split in half. It was making violent spasms in its attempt to move and crawl away from the giant death machine. Moments later, it ceased struggling as it felt all of its blood pool over the cold concrete and splashed against buildings.

Back in NERV command center, everybody watch another Angel brutality scene by the male pilot's hands. They thought what the boy could do was incredible. But the way he stopped Angels was ruthless and gore filled. A cockpit view of him showed that he had the same stoic expression. Maya turned away from the screen and cringed from the sight. Misato and Kouzou just stared in a shocked daze. Ritsuko was taking notes on her clipboard. She looked up to see the Eva's hand semi melted. Noting it for repairs, she also looked at what was left of the core. Seeing a good portion of it still intact, a retrieval team will dispatch to see if was usable…stressing the "if" part.

A beeping icon was flashing on Maya's screen.

"Angel has gone silent," said Shigeru

"Pilot's ratio is randomizing again!" she shouted.

The bridge crew froze and then looked at Shinji. He looked fine, but he turned the Eva around and started to walk toward the forest. Misato snapped out of her trance.

"Shinji, the Angel is dead. Return to base." Misato ordered. He kept walking toward the forest. She was getting annoyed on his non-response treatment. About to order him again, Ritsuko cut her off.

"Pilot Ikari, why are you going to the forest?"

Shinji stopped the Eva from moving and his view magnified to see a few parts of the Angel on the ground. Then movements of two individuals came into view. Information came up immediately.

"Shinji's classmates!" Misato said in shock.

"What! Why are they there!?" Ritsuko expressed the same feeling.

Shinji stared at his two classmates below and bowed slightly in his seat.

[Good evening, Mr. Aida and Mr. Suzuhara. I am sorry to say that both of you will be apprehended for your actions of not being in a shelter during the Angel attack…] Shinji spoke on the loud speaker.

Kensuke and Toji were still recovering from almost getting squashed by a giant rib that covered them. Both heard a familiar voice and looked up to see the purple war machine looking down at them. Its glowing white eyes made them nervous.

"Ikari?" Kensuke said trembling a little.

"What?! It's that kid!" Toji said slightly scared.

[Both of you will receive punishment for your actions and will be sent to a building post for that punishment. Do you understand?]

Both calmed themselves and nodded to the giant bio-robot. Switching the rifle to its semi-melted left hand, Unit-01 knelt down and held out its right hand. Both Kensuke and Toji looked at the hand then back at the Eva staring at them.

[If you wish to ride with NERV's special police, then say so. I am offering a shorter ride if you want gentlemen.] Shinji explained.

Kensuke lit up like it was Christmas and he leaped onto the hand. Toji seemed skeptical at first. Aida explained to him about NERV's Section-2 and what they do to people that cross the company. It made the jock jump onto the Unit's hand. Standing back up and slowly turning around, the Eva headed back to a NERV checkpoint. Both got a towering view of the city at the Eva's height. Kensuke was giddy as ever and Toji just watched the view with awe.

Back at NERV, most of the crew smiled a little at the pilot's kind gesture of punishment.

"Well look at that," Misato said smiling. "He's playing the gentle giant."

Ritsuko smirked. "Kind of hard to believe he's gentle after dealing with the Angel."

"Ditto."

The sub-commander just smiled thinking of how the gentle display would increase a good reputation a little. The thought that the male pilot did have a human side to him made him feel better. Both Kensuke and Toji saw the Eva stopped and kneel down. They looked down and saw black suits standing near a small building. Getting off, they watched as the purple war machine stand back up and head off in a direction.

Being escorted in the building, both were told about the dangers of being outside during an Angel attack. They were also told about their responsibility of staying in the shelters when the Angel alarm is announced. Nodding in understanding and accepting punishment, Kensuke was told to give them their camera. It wasn't confiscated but the memory was erased which the military enthusiast sighed heavily from getting it all the time. After being escorted back to where they lived, both got scolded by friends and family. Despite apologizing and feeling bad, both thought the experience was good enough.

Shinji went to the lockers, showered, applied lotion over his body, and then dressed back in his school attire. He finished tying his shoes and walked out. Walking down a hallway, his voices were clicking their tongues at him. It sounded similar to crickets in a field at night. Their sounds continued as he headed toward an elevator. Standing in front of the elevator, the clicking stopped and felt a familiar presence behind him. He turned and bowed.

"Good evening Miss Ayanami, how are you today?" he asked calmly. Rei had fully recovered and didn't have bandages on her or a cast.

"I am adequate," she said staring at him.

Shinji turned around, "That is good to hear."

The elevator dinged and the doors opened. The male pilot stepped aside and motioned her to go in. He entered after her and pressed the level of the surface. Rei didn't press any level. Both stood close to the door staring forward as the elevator doors closed. Going up, they continued to stare at the doors as if locked in a void. Both breathed evenly and calmly. Sometimes they would blink at the same time. No one had said anything in a while. She looked at him with the corners of her eyes to her right.

'Why does this strange feeling come when I am around Pilot Ikari?' she thought blinking.

Shinji slowly moved only his eyes to the left till he was looking at the female pilot from the corner of his eyes. Ayanami thought his eye movements were strange. It didn't seem to bother her like some of the students at school. Both stared at each other's eye color. For some reason or another, his eye color brought a mysterious yet easing feeling to her.

'What is this feeling…it feels…comfortable. It seems to set me at ease…it is like being around the Commander but in a different way…' she thought blinking.

"…have we met before…" a child voice asked in his head.

Shinji had no familiarity with the female pilot, but it seemed that the voice had. In the background, he could hear the others. They were grinning at him and the child silhouette wildly making odd haunting sounds.

'Ikari acts different from the Commander's and people's description,' Rei began thinking to herself.

'He acts similar to the Commander but hasn't given a harsh tone or become angry. His mannerisms are odd…yet are acceptable at the same time.'

The elevator stopped and Shinji held the door for her. Nodding, she went through followed by him. When an intersection came, he broke off left and went toward the air-rail. Going in the opposite direction for a bit, she stopped. Rei couldn't understand why, but she turned around and followed him.

Both walked outside and headed toward the rails. Anayami thought the Third Child would call for the car. However, he passed the button and headed toward the emergency stairs. Blinking, she looked at the long staircase that was never used. Looking back at the Third Child, he inserted his ID card to access the stairs. She seemed more confused as in why he would take the stairs and not the rail car.

"Ikari?"

About to step inside, he stopped. Backing up and closing the door quietly, he turned back toward her. Stopping a few feet away, his expression was the same as her impassive face. He didn't seem surprised or annoyed that she followed.

"Yes Miss Ayanami?"

"I do not understand your choice of going home. It would be much quicker in the rail than the emergency stairs," she asked.

"That it would Miss Ayanami. Is there anything else you wish to know?" Shinji asked in his impassive face.

Rei blinked and tilted her head slightly. Both stared at one another not saying anything. After a minute or two, he got the feeling that she was confused.

"Do wish me to elaborate Miss Ayanami?"

Rei nodded her head and listened to him explain his decision. While listening to his reason, she felt strangely relaxed from his calm voice and presence. Other than feeling that way with the Commander, it felt more so. She felt confused on why this occurred…yet she didn't mind it. So caught up in her analysis, she failed to hear what he said when he stopped talking.

"I see."

"Is there anything else you wish to know Miss Ayanami?"

"No."

Shinji bowed, "Then until we meet again, good day."

Rei nodded and watched him enter the emergency access door. When it closed, she turned and headed back into the NERV building.