N.G.E.: THESE SCARS WE BEAR
By: Tezza1502
Rating: MA+
Disclaimer: Despite convincing rumours to the contrary, I don't own any part of Evangelion. Honestly! GAINAX and Anno have that distinction.
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DAY FOUR Part Two
Tokyo-3.
A city in ruins.
And within its boundaries, an attempt at ending humanity as we know it occurred.
The city landscape looks like the surface of the moon, only with colour. Craters pockmark it at random intervals around the outskirts. The largest of these was formed by Evangelion Pilot Rei Ayanami self-destructing her EVA, ending the fight against the Sixteenth Angel. It had since filled with water, becoming a new lake. This was where Shinji and Asuka had appeared after Third Impact. At the city's centre, a hole, the size of which is almost too much for a sane mind to comprehend. Daylight shines into places that have not felt the sun's kiss for a long time, if ever.
Looking carefully over the edge of this hole, another city becomes visible below. A secret city. Home to a secret gathering of dedicated people that fought a very public war against a foe whose purpose was as vague as those who sought to defeat them. This group thought they were on the side of angels, fighting other Angels.
Four days ago, that war ended. Almost immediately, another war began. A war of possession.
It was a short war, lasting about half a day. It ended when humanity was drawn into one consciousness, in preparation for a next evolutionary step. Unfortunately for those who had guided circumstances to this point, too many plans about how this event was to happen were in play at the one time. It became ugly.
And the fate of humanity finally rested on the shoulders of a boy who would have much rather have been left alone in his room, listening to his S-DAT.
But, all was not lost. This unlikely saviour had made some strong emotional connections to those around him, despite his best efforts to remain alone. Those connections allowed him to rise to the occasion and bring humanity back.
Currently, this saviour of humanity was busy trying his best to explain to his girlfriend why they were taking a long detour away from NERV and safety. And failing. Miserably.
"Asuka, I know it's out of our way, but-"
"'But' nothing, Shinji. It was you that convinced me that it was a good idea to go back. Remember?" She waited until he nodded. "So, the quicker we get there, the better."
""I know that! It's just . . . When we returned; I saw something and left it behind. And now I need to go back and get it, before someone else does."
"Why? What is it?"
Shinji hesitated. "You'll see when we get there."
Asuka started to growl at his evasiveness. "Damnit, Shinji! We don't have time for one of your flights of whimsy. Leave it and we'll come back and get whatever it was, later. When it's safer." She turned to follow Rei towards NERV. A firm voice stopped both teens in their tracks. "No!"
Turning, they stared at Shinji. "I am going to get it. It is important, both to me and the person who gave it to me." The apologetic tone of his voice was at odds with the steel in his eyes. "I'll meet up with you later." With that, he turned and headed up the shoreline without looking back.
Asuka glanced over at Rei to see if she knew what Shinji was being so stubborn about. The girl shook her head in the negative. She then began to follow Shinji up the beach.
Asuka stood there for a moment, cursing whatever Gods that had decided to screw with her life this time, before catching up with Rei.
"Are you sure you have no idea what this is about, Wondergirl?"
"I am sure." She fell into thought for a moment. "We shall find out shortly. Is it a long walk to where you reappeared?"
"I don't know." Seeing Rei's confusion, Asuka elaborated. "I was pretty out of it. Shinji carried me to the unit in his arms while I slept most of the way. Not too far, I think."
Reis eyes widened at that. "He carried you to the unit? From further away than here?" Asuka nodded. Rei looked at Shinji's back thoughtfully. "You are lucky." She said softly.
"What, to be going out with someone who has issues with self-preservation?" She scoffed.
"No. To have someone in your life who is willing to go to those lengths to ensure your comfort." Now Asuka was confused. "While you are lighter than him, you are also taller. It would not have been easy for him to carry you all this way." Rei continued before Asuka could comment. "So, if he is willing to chance annoying you for whatever this is about, it must be important to him." The red-head pondered the point Rei was making. "It is not too far from the route I took in finding him, yesterday. Unless we hear something to indicate we are discovered, I say we indulge him in this."
"Fine!" Asuka declared, reluctantly. "But it better be good, or I'm gonna kick his ass."
Presently, they reached the ring of Evangelions that SEELE had pitted against NERV and Asuka. Looking around, Shinji spotted the object of his search and walked over. He stopped in front of a wooden cross. Looking over his shoulder, he beckoned the others over. "This is why I needed to come back." He said as they took up position on either side of him. Following his gaze, they saw the silver cross nailed to the wood in front of them. "It's Misato's." He explained before either girl could ask. "She gave it to me just before she put me in the elevator that sent me to my EVA. It was her way of making me promise to come back to her, no matter what." He shed a silent tear at the memory of that moment. "She gave it to me, sealed that promise with a kiss, and that was the last I saw of her." He turned to Rei and smiled weakly. "I was going to leave it here. I didn't want a reminder of how I had failed her." Reaching out, he picked it off the nail and put it in his pocket. "But, you say she is alive again, so I thought I had better return it to her. I don't know how it came to be here like this, though?" Leaving that mystery for a later date, he hung his head. "Sorry about before. But I needed to do this."
Asuka slipped her hand into his, gaining his attention. A sympathetic expression was on her face. "Next time just tell me, baka. Okay?" Reaching up, she brushed away the tear travelling down his cheek. "I'm not always unreasonable, y'know." She said as she drew him into a hug, which he returned gratefully.
Rei stepped away to give them a moment. Looking around, something very large in the middle of the lake gained her undivided attention. She ignored Asuka's next question to Shinji.
"Wait a minute. Misato kissed you!"
Rei stared at herself in horror.
Memories began to flit through her mind. Though mercifully vague, their sheer scope alone was still overwhelming. She couldn't take her eyes off the grotesque spectacle in front of her. Details leapt out at her with perfect clarity. Birds were feeding of the meat exposed by the split halves of her head sliding apart. The water was a deeper shade of red around it than the waves breaking at her feet. The one red eye left above the level of the water stared at her, as if mocking her attempts to distance herself from her past. Worst of all, her avatar was still smiling the same small smile that had brought joy to Shinji on the occasions she had shown it to him.
It was all too much for her to cope with at once.
Shinji was in the middle of frantically explaining to Asuka that he was sure Misato wasn't trying to seriously come on to him by kissing him and that his wonderful girlfriend to whom he was completely devoted to was a much better kisser, anyway, when he felt rather than heard Rei crumble to the ground. Spinning about mid-sentence, he ran to her as fast as he could. Asuka was about to let fly at him when she saw Rei lying on her side, still staring straight ahead. Following her line of sight, she gasped in shock as she recognised the giant face in the lake staring back at them. 'How the fuck did I miss seeing that, the other day?' She thought as she walked over and positioned herself inbetween Rei and whatever the hell it was in the middle of the lake, blocking her view.
Flinging his pack to the ground, he took Rei's off as well and gathered her into his arms, all the while talking a mile a minute. "I'm sorry Rei I didn't think I forgot it was here it's not you anymore it's just a shell that's all nothing to do with who you are now don't leave us please stay don't go away." Shinji babbled on as he rocked Rei back and forth. She continued to stare unblinkingly ahead.
"Shinji." Asuka tried to get his attention. "Shinji!" Still no luck. "Shinji!" She puncuated it with a slap on the head. He looked up blankly. "She's alright. She just freaked out, that's all." Picking up the discarded backpacks, she started walking towards the line of buildings. "Pick her up and follow me. Once we're out of sight of that thing, she should be fine." Shinji complied.
Reaching the building Asuka had picked out, Shinji placed her on the ground inside and stepped back. Asuka took off her pack and got a bottle of water out. Opening it, she splashed some over Rei's face. The girl groaned slightly. "Come on, Wondergirl. Snap out of it! Surely this isn't the weirdest thing you've had to deal with, the life you've had." Getting no response, Asuka decided to go a step further. She slapped her. Rei's eyes flew open at that. "Ow!"
"Asuka!" Shinji cried, moving in to restrain her. He stopped when Rei looked at him. "It is okay, my brother." Turning her attention to Asuka, she grimaced slightly. "Thank you. Although you need not be so rough, next time." Rei took a deep breath to try and calm her mind. Willing the panic to fade away from her.
Asuka smiled at that. "What, and pass up an opportunity like that." She allowed some concern to show. "Will you be okay? It can be hard to come face to face with your own past. Believe me, I know."
"I will cope. It was just the shock of seeing that, with the associated memories. I will be fine, eventually."
Asuka nodded. "Good! Can't have the baka here going to pieces all the time." She looked up at Shinji, who was busy trying to look indignant at her suggestion.
"I was just worried, that's all." He said, kneeling down beside Rei.
"Thank you, both of you." Rei tried to get up, but failed. "May we rest here for a few moments? I am still unsteady, it seems." She looked embarrassed at this show of weakness.
Asuka nodded, rummaging through her pack again. Pulling out some orange juice, she handed it over. "Here, drink this. It should help you feel better." Rei nodded and complied.
Shinji assured that Rei would be okay, got up and pulled Asuka after him. Leading her over to a corner, he silenced her questions with a finger to her lips. "I just wanted to appologise, that's all."
"Why?"
"For nearly tackling you when you slapped Rei. I should have known you had a good reason. So, sorry for not trusting you to know what you were doing."
Asuka squirmed under his adoring gaze. "That's alright. I figured she needed a short sharp shock to get her mind off what was in the middle of that lake." She giggled. "Becides, how often am I going to get a legitimate reason to take a poke at her, huh?" She subsided and looked at her boyfriend with a serious expression. "So, I will accept your apology on one condition." She said formally.
"What's that?" Shinji asked, cautiously.
"I need a kiss and a hug. She gave me a fright too, y'know." Shinji laughed and set about fulfilling her conditions with great enthusiasm.
While they had only begun their journey a short while ago, it was by mutual consent that they decided to stop and have a small snack while hidden in the abandoned building. Watching her boyfriend move around, Asuka noticed that Shinji had much greater mobility than yesterday. When she commented aloud on it, he replied that a good night's sleep always made him feel better. She shook her head.
"No. It's something more." Asuka thought about the little things she had noticed during this morning.
"What do you mean?" He asked, curious.
"You were beaten up pretty thoroughly, yesterday. By rights, you should have been unable to move at all for a few days. At the very least, you should still be in agony right now."
Shinji scratched his ear absently. "Well, I did have a couple of painkillers before we left."
"And the bruises on your face are fading too quickly." She continued, ignoring his explanation. "They're still bad, but nowhere near as pronounced as they were, last night." She brushed a hand across his face, tenderly.
Rei, who had been silent during this exchange, joined in at that moment. "Asuka makes an interesting point, Shinji. I too, have been seriously injured in the past, as you both know." They both nodded, Shinji's face clouding with concern at those memories. "The reason my recovery time was always so abbreviated was that the Angelic DNA that was a part of me accelerated the healing process, dramatically."
Shinji did not like what Rei was implying. Did not like it at all. "Are you saying that I am now part Angel, or something? Like you were." He was becoming angry.
Rei ignored his tone. "'Or something', I think. Remember Zereul?"
The abrupt change in the conversations direction threw Shinji. "How could I ever forget the Fourteenth Angel! It nearly killed the both of you!"
"And what happened, as you defeated it?" She continued pressing him, gently.
"I was absorbed by my EVA, of course!" Shinji paused at the memory, and then gasped as he made the connection Rei wanted him to. "Oh. My. God!"
"What?" Asuka asked.
"Exactly." Rei nodded as she saw understanding flood his face.
"What?" Asuka was getting annoyed at being ignored.
"Do you think it's possible?" Shinji proceeded to turn the possibility over inside his mind.
"What!" Asuka's eyebrow began to twitch.
The other pilots still did not answer her.
Rei continued. "Also remember, it is not known if Third Impact changed you. Or myself, other than the obvious. We were both at the centre of it."
"Last chance, children. What the hell are you both talking about?" Asuka shouted at them both.
"I don't know if you were aware of this, Asuka, but when I returned from my month inside Unit-1, it was not by coming out of the entry plug. I was returned via the S2 organ my EVA had absorbed from the Fourteenth Angel. What Rei is implying is that the process may have . . . altered me somehow. And with the way things went to hell soon after that, it could have easily been missed. Especially if no one knew of any changes to look for." Shinji looked to Rei for confirmation. She nodded.
"This would also explain why I was causing the NERV doctors so much confusion. It may not have been just that I had come back looking like you, Shinji. Because I chose to come back as your twin, whatever changes may have occurred within you would also be present in myself." She frowned. "If my thoughts on this matter are accurate."
Asuka latched on to Shinji in a possessive manner, clearly worried at the implications. "So, you're saying Shinji came back different, or something. That's why he's healing so fast." Rei nodded. "Bullshit! He's still the same Shinji." She argued. "And anyway, what good does this do us? So he heals faster. What's so bad about that?"
Shinji hugged her back. "Asuka, have you ever known something good to come from EVA?"
The pilots fell into a contemplative silence.
Asuka broke it first. Kissing Shinji's cheek, she stood up and walked around in front of the others. "It doesn't matter right now. There is nothing we can do about it on our own. All we can do is get back to NERV and let them sort it out. That's what their paid for. Anyway, even if you two did come back changed in some way, it doesn't matter to me. Your still Shinji and Rei Ikari. You're still the same people I've lived with and fought beside these past months. You're still the two people I care about the most in the world." She stopped, surprised and embarrassed that she had just blurted that out to the others. Turning pink at the way they were both looking at her, Asuka demanded, "What! It's the truth!"
Shinji got up and pulled her into an embrace. "Thank you, Asuka. It means a lot that you feel that way, to both of us."
Enjoying the warm feeling that flowed through her at his words, she looked over his shoulder to Rei. The other girl gave Asuka a broad smile of affirmation.
'So this is what it's like to be accepted just for being me, huh? I could get used to it.' Asuka thought, wrapping herself around Shinji. She would have been surprised to know that Rei was having the exact same thought towards her.
Later, when Rei found that she could walk once again, they started to get ready to leave. As they were putting on the packs, Asuka froze. Shinji was about to ask what was wrong when Rei did the same thing. Turning their heads this way and that and a look of great consentration on both their faces, they both turned towards the shoreline at the same time.
"What?" He asked.
"Shh!" Asuka waved her hand at him.
"Can you not hear it?" Rei spoke in a hushed tone.
"Um-" He started to reply when he finally heard it, too.
The sound of a large car, driving up the beach.
They all looked at each other, and then moved to a window that faced in that direction. A small dot could be seen in the distance. As they watched, it got larger.
Shinji spoke first. "What do you think, friend or foe?"
Asuka squinted, trying to get a better look. "It's too far away to tell, yet."
"We should be ready, just in case." Rei cautioned.
"Your right." Asuka and Rei drew their sidearms. "What do you think, Wondergirl?"
Rei thought for a moment. "Our tracks leading from the beach will be visible. If we stay hidden, they may walk past us, thinking we have gone deeper into the ruins of the city."
Asuka nodded. "Right. We should also find some higher ground. Gives us a greater advantage, tactically." She explained, seeing Shinji's confused look.
"Okay." Trusting the others greater training in this area, he began to look for a way up to the next level of the building. Finding a staricase that seemed solid, he waved them over and led them up.
As the car drew closer, the girls took up position at opposite ends of the floor, putting their packs in front of them as a shield and making sure that they were not visible from outside. Shinji stayed still in the centre with the first-aid kit, ready to go to the aid of either one if things got nasty.
The car came close enough for them to see that it was a SUV of a type that Section-2 commonly uses. It was driving slowly. Eventually, it came to where the pilots had been standing, not long ago. Stopping, a man got out cautiously to investigate the tracks in the sand. They observed him place his feet next to random prints before turning back to the vehicle and talking to the other occupant.
"Well?" Shinji whispered.
"Dunno. They look like Section-2. Or, could be they nicked the car from them and are out for a nice drive by the seaside. Let's wait and see what they do next." Asuka whispered back.
Shinji looked over at Rei. "I agree with Asuka. It could be a trap."
Outside, the second occupant, which was a woman, exited the car and began walking towards the buildings, closely followed by the man. Stopping a short distance from the base, the woman cupped her hands around her mouth and began to shout.
"REI AYANAMI! SHINJI IKARI! ASUKA LANGLEY SOHRYU! If you are nearby, please listen to what I have to say. My name is Mina Kusimoto. My partner here is Goto Watashi. We are both agents with Section-2. We have been looking for you. Our job is to return you to NERV as soon as possible. We are under the command of Major Misato Katsuragi. If you are here, please come with us. I am sure you know by now that a band of looters are in the city. We have reports that you have run into them at least twice in the last few days." Pausing, she listened for any clue that the three pilots were nearby. "Please, if you are here, come out and tell us. The Major has not had a drink for three days and she is taking it out on us. I beg you, let us take you back so she will calm down and leave us alone!" She stopped again. Turning to her partner, she shrugged.
Inside, the pilots were having a quick conference.
"What do you think?" Asuka asked.
Shinji mused. "Well, it sounds like they work for Misato. The bit about her not drinking for three days sounds a bit farfetched, though. "
Rei interrupted. "Does it sound like her enough to justify exposing ourselves?"
"Only one way to find out. Cover me." With that Shinji stood up and headed for the stairs.
"What do you think you are doing?" Asuka whispered urgently.
He stopped and faced her. "Look, we need to know if they are on the level. And we have already established that I'm useless with a gun, so . . . "He shrugged. "It's decoy time."
Asuka grabbed him as he passed by her. Dragging him down, she planted an urgent kiss on him.
"Stay low, use what cover is available, and make damn sure you come back to me in one piece. Got it!" She said fiercly. Shinji grinned at her.
"I have two guardian angels in my corner, looking out for me. I think I will be safe enough."
"Damn straight!" She kissed him again before taking up her position at the window once more.
Making his way downstairs, Shinji felt his confidence start to ebb. 'I must be mad to even think of doing this.' He shivered. Exiting the building, he saw that the two Agents were starting to head back to their SUV. Hiding himself behind a collapsed wall underneath where Rei was positioned, he called out. "Hey!"
They spun around, going for their weapons. Looking about, they spotted a hand waving from behind a wall. "Who's there? Show yourself!"
"Put the guns away, first. Please." Shinji replied.
Goto looked at Mina, confused. She grinned in response. "Only one person would be that polite in a situation like this." She holstered her gun and motioned for Goto to do the same. "Would I be addressing Shinji Ikari, Third Child and Pilot of Evangelion Unit-1?"
Shinji poked his head out, surprised. "Yes." He said, uncertainly.
The Agents both let out a sigh of relief. "Thank the Gods! Are you alone? Where are the other pilots? Are they nearby?" Goto asked.
"Yes, they are."
"Well, where are they? We can't hang around here all day." He sounded stressed and not in the mood for children's games.
Shinji held up a hand. "Not yet. I need more proof that you are who you say you are. Sorry."
"Damnit, we don't have the time for this!" Goto started forward.
"I wouldn't come any closer, if I were you." Shinji warned.
"And why not?" Mina asked, puzzled. Shinji was not acting like the boy they had on file.
"Because Asuka and Rei are both nearby. And if they see you try to touch me before I tell them its okay to come out, they will shoot you both dead." He sounded appologetic.
That brought them up short. "What?"
"You heard me." He said softly.
The Agents looked around, trying to spot the other pilots. "You're kidding. Right?"
"No." His voice was firm. "As you said, we have run into those bastards already. So we're a bit more cautious, now." Feeling confident that they wouldn't try anything now that they had been warned, Shinji stepped out fully into view, allowing the Agents to get their first good look at him.
Mina spoke first. "What happened to your face?"
Shinji reached up and touched his bruised eye. "Oh, this? A gift from one of those looters you're so worried about. I have plenty more over the rest of my body, too."
"Bastards!" This from Goto. "Do you need medical attention?"
"Probably." He shrugged.
"Come with us and get that seen to." Mina asked, her consern evident.
Shinji shook his head. "Not yet. You still haven't proved you are who you say you are."
The two Agents went into a conference.
"So, what do we do, Mina?"
"Well, he definitely needs to see a doctor."
"True, but we can't just grab him. I don't think he's lying about the other pilots being nearby. He's too cocky for it to be a bluff." Goto gave a quick glance over to the Third Child. He waved back cheerfully.
"Yeah, I get that feeling, too. Damnit!" She blew a frustrated breath out through clenched lips. "They trained those kids too well. And their paranoid as hell, to boot."
"And if we go back and say we ran into them but couldn't convince them to come back with us, the Major's going to tear us a new one." He shivered at the thought.
"Yup! She'll kick our asses six ways from . . ." Mina stopped talking as an idea hit her. Slapping her forehead, she started calling herself every rude name she could think of.
Goto let her go on for about a minute before interrupting. "Not that I mind you talking dirty in front of me, but is there a reason for it?"
Mina looked at him. "We are the biggest idiots, you know. We need to gain the pilots confidence, right?" He nodded. "We also need to prove that we are who we say we are?" Another nod. "Well, who do you think they would trust that we also know?" She waited for him to think it through.
"Of course!" He slapped his own forehead. "Your right. We are the biggest idiots."
Mina turned back to Shinji. "Pilot Ikari, I am going to go back to our SUV to get the proof you need. I'll be back in a moment." He nodded in agreement.
She ran down to the beach and returned quickly.
"This is a walkie-talkie, Pilot Ikari. There is someone who wants very much to talk to you on the other end." She walked forward five paces, put it on the ground and stepped back. They both then retreated.
Shinji walked out cautiously and picked it up. "How do I use it?"
"Press the button on the side and hold it to talk. Release it to listen."
He pressed the button. "Hello?"
"SHINJI! Oh my God, it's really you! How are you? Are you safe? What about Asuka and Rei? Are they alright?" The questions poured forth in an excited torrent. Shinji's eyes went wide.
"MISATO!" He cried. "We're fine. We're all fine. Are you okay? I was so relieved when Rei said that you were alive. Where are you?"
"At the base camp. We've been looking for you for a couple of days, now." Sniffling could be heard. "Shinji, listen to me: You can trust Agents Kusimoto and Watashi. Get the girls. Go with them. They will bring you back here to me. Okay?"
"Okay, Misato." Shinji was a bit teary eyed himself, by now. "It's so good to hear your voice again."
"Back at you, kiddo!"
"Can you hang on the line? I'm sure the others would want to say hello, too."
"No problemo!" She answered cheerfully.
Shinji faced the Agents. "Could you stay here while I go and get Rei and Asuka?" He asked as they approached.
"Sure! Take your time."
Shinji put the walkie-talkie down and sped back inside the building.
Goto reached down and picked it up. "Damn, you're good." He said to his partner.
"You know it!" She laughed. He keyed it and began to make a report to Misato.
Racing up the stairs, Shinji burst into the room. "It's okay! They're on the level!"
Asuka tackled him. "Damnit, baka, I almost went grey when you walked over to them." She tried to sound cross, but couldn't keep it up. She settled for whacking the back of his head, then pulling him into a tight hug. Rei stayed in position on the other side of the room.
"Are you sure? Could they have tricked you?" She asked, never taking her eyes off the Agents.
"No, I'm convinced they're on the level." He replied, gasping as Asuka began to crush his already tender ribs. "Ow! Asuka. Enough."
"Sorry." She loosened her grip, but didn't let go. "So, how did they convince you?"
"They didn't. Misato did." He grinned at her expression.
"Huh? You're kidding."
"You saw me talking on the walkie-talkie?" They both nodded. "Well, Misato was on the other end. She says it's fine, we can trust them." He was almost bouncing at the prospect of seeing Misato again.
Asuka and Rei looked at each other, deciding.
"Very well." Rei picked up her pack and headed for the stairs. Asuka let Shinji go and did the same. Neither one had holstered their weapons yet. Just in case.
Shinji picked up his own pack and joined them.
Outside, Goto and Mina were taking turns reporting their position and other details to the Major. Hearing footsteps, they turned to the building to see the three pilots walking towards them. They were somewhat disconcerted to see that Rei and Asuka were indeed armed, and that they hadn't put them away yet.
The two female pilots stopped a short distance away while Shinji kept coming. He put his hand out for the walkie-talkie, giving them an apologetic look. "They don't trust you." He said simply.
Mina nodded, handing it over. He walked over to Asuka and gave it to her. She put it to her ear and began speaking rapid German into it.
"Damnit, Asuka! Slow down. You know my German is rusty." Misato demanded. "And I caught that bit about how much I drink! Give it a rest, okay? I haven't had one since before Third Impact! And what was that about me and Shinji? I didn't quite catch it."
"Nothing! Just making sure it's really you, that's all. How ya been?" She smiled and put her gun away.
"Worried sick about you kids, thank you very much! I hope you haven't been giving Shinji a hard time?"
Asuka gave Shinji a warm smile. "No, we're getting along just fine, Misato." She said, airily.
"Riiiight!" Misato drawled. "Put Rei on. I want to make sure you're not a pod person, or something."
"Fine! See ya soon." She handed it over to Rei.
"Hello, Major." She said softly.
"Hi, Rei. I'm glad you found Shinji and Asuka so quickly, but I wish you could have waited until we were ready to search for them." Misato was trying her best to sound angry at Rei. It wasn't very convincing.
"I grew impatient with all the tests and being ignored. So I took matters into my own hands. As it turns out, it was fortuitous I did so." She shivered.
"Why?" Misato was intrieged.
"Because if I had not, you would be mourning Shinji's demise by now." Rei sounded almost angry.
"WHAT!" She screeched.
"I found him just as he was about to be killed by a looter." Rei explained.
"Put Shinji on." She demanded.
"Yes, Major." Rei handed it back to Shinji, who did not look happy with her. "What?" She asked as she too put her gun away. In the background, Asuka was rolling her eyes at Rei's big mouth.
"You could have left that part out, Rei. She didn't need to know that, yet." He whispered as he put it to his ear. "Hi Misato."
"What on earth is Rei going on about?"
"It's a long story, Misato. I'll tell you about it when we get to where you are, okay."
"No, not okay! Spill it!"
Shinji took a deep breath. "It's nothing to worry about. I got a little banged up. My ribs are a bit sore. Otherwise, I'm fine. I'll see you soon." He tossed the walkie-talkie back to Mina. "She's all yours." The three of them picked up their packs and headed for the SUV. Goto followed them before Mina had a chance to give the walkie-talkie to him. He gave her a small wave as he walked off.
She mouthed the word 'bastard' at him before answering the insistant voice coming from the device.
Asuka took Shinji's hand again. "That was a bit mean, Shinji." She gave him a lopsided grin. "Bout time I started rubbing off on you." He returned her grin and gave her hand an extra squeeze.
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Notes: Heh! Hands up anyone who thinks that it's going to be that easy. I whacked most of this chapter out in one seven hour marathon writing session. Big mistake! I'm stuffed! Oh, and thank you to everyone who sent in details and specs about the gun I mentioned, last chapter. It's appreciated.