Author's Note: Sorry it's been so long. My real dad came back to get me and he didn't tell anyone, so there were problems. Aanyway now things are better and I'm living with my grandma again, so everything is good! Hope you diddly dog dig this!
A State of Mercy
Chapter 11: Containment
"Democracy is the worst form of government that exists, except for all the rest."
-Simon Kirby's Personal Log
IBUKI RESIDENCE
War Pigs by Black Sabbath began to play out of the cell phone lying on the bedside table. A hand reached out from under the covers and grabbed it. "Hello?" Maya answered, "Yea he's right here," she said and handed the phone to Simon. "It's five in the morning. Something had better be attacking, Ikari," he groaned.
"No, I just thought you might want to know how Asuka's trial went," Gendo replied. "Let me guess: the chair, right?" Simon was obviously never too tired to be a smart-ass. "No guilty by reason of temporary insanity," Gendo's voice didn't give a hint to humor whatsoever. "If the jury knew her better they'd know 'temporary' is out of place," Simon grumbled.
"Indeed. Good bye, Simon."
"Wait a second."
"What?"
"Is the new Eva coming in today?"
"Yes."
"And the pilot?"
"Next week."
"Goodbye Gendo."
SS/NERV UNIT 05 CAGE
"Wow, that's an interesting color. I didn't think it was going to be teal," Shinji mused, looking at the new Evangelion. "No way man, this thing's aqua. Teal's out," Simon said with a small grin. "What?" Shinji asked, confused at what must be a somewhat inside joke on Simon's part. "Forget I said anything," Simon grumbled.
"I get to pilot it, right?" Asuka said as she walked in. "Fuck no," Simon told her without hesitation. "Why not!?" she screamed back. "Because you can't be trusted ever again you stupid bitch," Sean put in from where he leaned against the umbilical bridge's railing. "Exactly," Simon confirmed. Asuka stood silent for a moment before turning and walking away.
Even from behind her, Simon could tell she was wiping her eyes and quite frankly he didn't give a shit. Looking over at Sean, he could also tell that his friend was somewhat troubled. "Sean, what is it?" Simon asked. After a second Sean tore his eyes away from the door Asuka had walked through and met with Simon's. "Nothing. I'm fine," he said.
"Glad to hear it."
"Who'll be the pilot?" Shinji asked. "We don't know yet, but they're supposed to be here next week," Simon explained. "I'll need to be here when they arrive?" Shinji asked. "Yea, I'll let you know when they do get here. I want all the pilots present, even Asuka," Simon told him, making a small note on his clipboard about something completely unrelated.
"Okay then. I've got to go," Shinji said. "Where're you running off to so quickly on a Sunday?" Sean asked him. "Nowhere," Shinji replied and turned to leave. "You stay the fuck off my bed, you hear?" Simon shouted as he left. "I will!" Shinji shouted back. "Damn strait," Simon muttered, doodling an octopus on his clipboard.
After Shinji left, Sean got off the railing and walked over closer to Simon. "You know who the new pilot is, don't you?" he whispered. "Yeppers," Simon replied. "Are you going to tell me?" Sean pressed. "Nope. It's more fun this way," Simon said with a grin. "You're twisted," Sean scoffed. "If you knew who it was, you'd do the same thing," Simon concluded with wry smile and walked off.
RESEARCH FLOOR THREE
Ritsuko Akagi tapped her fingers across the keyboard with lightning quickness, imputing code so quickly that the people around her couldn't keep up with what she was doing. "I want to thank you again for letting me come and do this, Bill," she said to the man standing next to her without looking up from the laptop's screen.
"No problem. Finishing HAL was going to be hard enough with just me working on him. Your help was always wanted," said Bill Langley from where he stood working on one of the voice recognition subroutine processors. "I enjoy it Bill," Ritsuko said, then asked, "Are you going to see your daughter since you're in town?"
"No, she's just as insane as her mother," Bill said with a small, nervous laugh. "Who, Kyoko?" Yui said as she approached the two. "Y-Yui?" Bill stuttered at seeing her while Ritsuko damn near fell out of her chair. "Yes, they salvaged me. I know that it'd been tried before but certain people's whorish mothers didn't want the process to work," Yui glared right at Ritsuko, who visibly gulped.
Then, in a complete change of attitude, she asked, "How is HAL coming?"
"Yea, that's exactly what Ikari wants to know. Not Yui or the faggot, but the cool one," Simon said as he entered the area. "Tell Gendo that it's all going fine, and thank you very much," Bill told him with a little wave of the hand that seemed to say 'fuck off'. Simon stuffed his hands into the pockets of his red operations director jacket.
"Langley, don't presume that I'm some form of mere watchdog for Gendo. I'm much more than that. Also, I need to speak with Ritsuko. Privately," Simon motioned to Yui's office. Ritsuko reluctantly stood up and followed him into the room. Simon shut the door and whipped a photograph out of his pocket. He handed it to Ritsuko. "Look familiar?" he asked.
The picture was of the Map to the Universe drawn on her hospital room ceiling. "Yes it does," she braced herself for a gunshot to the temple. "Relax, I'm not here to shoot you," Simon said as if he could read her mind, "I'm simply saying that this little scenario won't be carried out. If you try to, then you'll be shot. Also, you should call off whatever you're planning with Misato. She's immune to being shot. You aren't."
Simon turned and left her standing in the office. Two seconds later, Yui walked in to get a folder off her desk. "He tell you to call off your little conspiracy?" Yui asked. "Which one?" Ritsuko added a little nervous laugh. "Good point," Yui told her and left.
THE HOUSE LATER IN THE DAY
"Why'd you take me here?" Bill groaned. Simon slipped his key in the door and turned it. "Because I'm not done making her life a living hell. It's the only for sure way of accomplishing my ultimate goal," Simon slid the door open. "Oh yea? What's that?" Bill asked. "For her to hang herself," Simon stated in the calmest voice possible.
"You're kidding," Bill muttered. "Of course I don't want her to hang herself. If something were to happen to one of the pilots we wouldn't have a spare," Simon grinned at him. By now they were outside Asuka's bedroom door, the words KEEP OUT ASHLOF were written on it in bright red paint. Simon slid the door open and ushered Bill inside.
"Asuka, it's your dad here to see you," Simon cooed mockingly. Asuka spun slowly until she made eye contact with her father, at which time she started screaming at him in German. Simon backed out and shut the door. "You're twisted," Sean observed as Simon walked into the kitchen. "You've said that twice now this episode. Can't say anything else?"
"Episode, what?" Sean looked confused. "Never mind. Fucking fourth wall. Anyway, guess where I'm going to put the new pilot?" Simon continued. "Asuka's room?" Sean guessed. "Yeppers. It should be
pretty damn funny."
"Like I said, you're twisted."
GREYMARCH'S CAGE, NIGHTSHIFT TIME
Misato stood alone on the umbilical bridge in front of Greymarch, staring up at the elongated helmet, eyes hidden behind tinted lenses. "What is the difference between you and the rest of them?" she asked the impassive face, "What makes you so special? Who's in you and why? Will I ever find out?"
Misato sighed, "I'm wasting my time," she concluded. As she turned to walk out, something caught her eye. Out across the oil from her on the opposite side from Greymarch stood a figure. As she looked more closely at it, she realized it wasn't so much standing as floating. She took a step and observed the figure's head track her movement.
She took three quick steps toward the exit and the lights flickered. With each flicker, the figure moved a little closer to her. Now with the hair on the back of her neck standing up, Misato made a beeline for the exit. She made it through just as the figure would have made contact with her. "Now just what the hell was that?" she asked no one in particular.
"You shouldn't go in there late at night," Simon said, suddenly behind her, "You should go home." Misato noticed that he was wearing his plug suit under his red jacket. "Are you going in there?" she asked. "Yea, I forgot something I had to do earlier. I'll see you at the house," Simon told her and walked through the door.
As it slid shut behind him, Misato could see him look off to his right and nod in a friendly manner. "What the hell is going on around here?" she fumed and left for her car.
