12

Increasing suspicion

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"The larger crimes are apt to be the simpler, for the bigger the crime, the more obvious, as a rule, is the motive."

-Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

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Wednesday, September 23rd, 2015

Geofront

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Fuyutsuki sat on the barstool staring at the glass of beer before him, the jukebox in the corner let out a gentle beat at his chosen volume. He had selected this place as their meeting spot, as surprisingly few people bothered with the on-sight bar. Admittedly it was small and a little dingy, but it was well stocked with various beverages. The dim strip lighting under the bar gave it a vaguely 80's feel, a time he found he sorely missed. The barman a balding whip-thin man in his mid-forties stood looking bored, a polishing rag in one hand as he sorted his glasses. The business was not very brisk here, but it was quiet and that was the way Kozo preferred it. He had spoken with Ritsuko Akagi earlier this morning, she had discovered a problem with the third child, she had requested he be there when she delivered the news. He turned as he heard the bell ring above the door, and sure enough, Ryoji Kaji entered the establishment. The younger man had been difficult to get a hold of, especially after the sinking of Over the rainbow. Now it seemed he had found time to speak to Kozo, he approached and pulled up a stool next to him. "Martini please, dry." Kaji placed his order, and they waited as the man served it up. "Odd, I would have thought you would want it shaken, but not stirred," Kozo noted in amusement.

Kaji smiled in that lopsided way of his, the one that reputedly allowed him to bed any woman he wanted, yet his eyes seemed haunted by something. "Ah but that would give the game away." Came the younger man's response, Kozo inclined his head and accepted the answer. "I take it you haven't heard yet?" Kaji spoke suddenly, and Kozo turned to regard him with curiosity one eyebrow raised in question. "the IPEA has stepped in, the request for unit five to be transferred has been denied." Kozo felt himself grow irritable at this unwelcome news, "what do they think we plan to do? Wage war on the world?" he demanded angrily. Kaji mused his words as he took a sip of his drink, "they're just following new procedure, no country can have more than three Eva's." the agency man explained. Kozo rubbed at his temples and took a drink of his beer, and it was as he dwelled on this news an unwelcome thought hit him. "we'll have a surplus pilot then. Ikari doesn't like surpluses of anything at the best of times." Kaji considered him before speaking, "He would send Mari away then?" a note of annoyance had entered the younger man's voice. Kozo, however, didn't reply; a far crueler possibility had occurred to him instead. Gendo had finally returned from vacation and had arranged a meeting with his son later this week, a meeting he was not privy to.

He hoped he was wrong in his assumption, but his gut instinct told him that the man had already made his choice. Kaji seemed to read his mind somehow and shook his head, "Katsuragi won't stand for that, and Mari will likely throw a fit." The man pointed out. "Then there is the matter of Stanton and his crew, they report directly to Shinji." Kozo mused that over and looked at the problem, with the way Ikari had been behaving, he might well fire Misato outright if she tried to defy him. The woman was top of her field of expertise when it came to strategy and would be very difficult to replace. However, Gendo was the sort to cut his nose off to spite his face and might decide the cost worth it to have his own way. If Makinami on the other hand also threatened to leave, that might leave Ikari in a much more difficult position. Then again, he might then dismiss the girl and call it quits, but Kozo doubted Shinji would like that at all. He very much doubted Ikari would give a damn about the mercenaries, other security could always be organized. Kozo wondered if the downtrodden boy would fight his corner or not, or if he would meekly accept what was handed out to him. Kozo filed such questions away for now and dismissed the barman. He needed to speak with Kaji in private, and they relocated right next to the jukebox. "I asked for your help Ryoji." He opened frankly, and the man leaned in expression curious. "I want to find out who gave the order to place pilot Ikari into that car."

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Splat! Mari raised one eyebrow in part annoyance and part amusement, she had just been shot on the rear for the fourth time now. Spinning behind a nearby tree she did a quick check, sure enough, four purple splotches of paint decorated her backside now, two on each cheek. It had been Stanton's suggestion for them to do this as a bonding exercise, she hadn't realized that Shinji was such a good shot. Or that he would specifically target her rump, a tiny grin broke out on her face. This was likely payback for this morning; the boy had been up and then he had been very up. Mari had teased him about it in private, though she had been more than a little flattered. It gave a fair indication the boy was attracted to her, but thankfully also very restrained. Somewhere out in the forest, the others were roaming, their little circle of friends trying to hunt down Shinji. Asuka had teamed up with Hikari, the class rep had been unsure about the whole exercise at the beginning. Toji and Aida had been drafted in and had paired up, while she had teamed up with Rei. This had left Shinji to get a head start on them into the forest, while their security kept careful track of them all. Mari had been determined to be the first to capture Shinji, yet he had clearly found a sniping spot to shoot from. Rei was creeping slowly towards her like a ghost when she was hit, a purple splotch of paint on her shoulder.

"It appears pilot Ikari's aim is rapidly improving." The stoic girl announced, Mari nodded and peered cautiously around the tree. She had her goggles on but doubted he'd shoot her in the head, and as it turned out no more shots were forthcoming. "Where the hell is he firing from?" she asked out loud, and almost jumped out of her skin when Asuka's voice sounded from near her. "That's what we're trying to find out!" the redhead hissed in frustration and turning Mari had to restrain herself from laughing. Shinji had it seemed hit the girl once on each breast, "those were good shots, considering the size of the targets." Mari said grinning, Asuka growled an obscenity at her and then smirked, "yeah well seems he couldn't miss that big ass of yours!" Mari frowned and looked over her shoulder, "You just ignore her." She comforted her offended rear. Hikari drew up next to her and she looked annoyed, and it wasn't hard to see why with purple splotches on her stomach. The bossy girl had a uniquely peeved look on her face, Shinji had hit them all several times it seemed. It appeared only Mari was immune to being paintballed above the waist, Hikari had a very nasty glint in her eyes. Stanton had given strict instructions, they were being scored on points here, and were not allowed to shoot each other.

Shinji had finally returned to school with her yesterday, and Mari had been full of excitement for what she felt was a big deal. That is until they had approached the school steps, and Mari had spotted the gaggle of giggling girls. Apparently, someone had informed the school of his return, and all the future would be Mrs Ikari's had come out of the woodwork. Mari remembered scowling and seizing Shinji's hand possessively, Mari had not missed the hostile looks directed her way. As far as Mari was concerned Shinji was going to be hers, though she had been surprised at her own possessiveness. Shinji had gently squeezed her hand as if to reassure her, and Mari had felt herself relax a little. It hadn't been until later she had learned he had felt anxiety, all those girls fluttering their eyelashes at him had been a bit much for him. Mari smiled softly in recollection, the boy could show such courage and conviction, yet when confronted by social situations came unglued. Mari had kept a close eye on the boy until Ritsuko had called Shinji to the nurse's office. Shinji had returned his face ashen, and not even Mari could find out what was troubling him.

Upon returning home the boy had retreated to his room and had plugged himself into his SDAT player, seeming to block the world out. Mari sighed forlornly; she could only hope that Shinji would talk to someone eventually. Something bad was up with her puppy, and Mari strongly suspected Misato knew something, as her guardian had also been subdued. Mari frowned, she knew there were secrets she wasn't being let in on, and part of her was hurt by that. Yet whatever it was had to be big for her not to be in the loop, the boy telling her nearly everything else. What little respect for commander Ikari she might have had was gone, for what sort of egomaniac abandoned their own child? She snorted, her own father had at least been very straight forward on the matter, but by then Mari had no interest in the man. Mari vowed that she would never do such a thing, and certainly, she would never turn her back on Shinji. The boy and his guardian had a secret, and she hoped that sooner or later she would earn their confidence with whatever it was. She scanned her environment carefully, Rei dropped down next to her against the tree. She watched as the girl peered out carefully, behind them she noted a twitch in Asuka's right arm. Mari tilted her head puzzled, and the redhead blushed furiously at having been caught out. She had noted that rei had started hanging around with the other two girls, after an initially frosty start. Had Asuka perhaps been bracing herself to pull the girl from harm's way? 'looks like the exercise is working'

They were each using color-coordinated paint guns, and Shinji was the only one with purple paint in his, a deliberate choice by their head of security. From somewhere ahead of them an obscenity-laced howl was heard, this was immediately followed by a very angry Toji's voice. "Ikari! I'm gonna kill you!" Mari winced wondering if he was being as cruel to his male friends, sure enough, she spotted Aida easily enough. The bespectacled boy's groin was a big splotch of purple, "ouch, all's fair in love and war then." She muttered. Mari slid forward very carefully to the next tree keeping low as she did and watched as a purple splotch appeared on Aida's chest. The boy was facing somewhat away from her, but from what she had seen Shinji was in an elevated position to their south. The guns didn't have that big of a range on them, so she peered cautiously into the treeline, and ducked back just in time to avoid being hit. "Think I know where he is, and he's in big trouble," Mari informed the unlikely allies. Nods went around their little erstwhile alliance, and careful to keep trees between them and Shinji, they set off towards his location. Somewhere up ahead of them Shinji lurked, searching for a juicy target to hit.

There was no straightforward way around it, they were gonna get hit but if she kept his eyes on her the others might make it, and so she made sure to gently sway her hips as seductively as she could. Asuka let out a snort of amusement at Mari's antics, while the other two boys simply fell about drooling. As they made their way towards where they thought he was, Mari frowned at the lack of incoming fire. A cracking sound echoed in the forest as a branch gave and she froze, "has he fallen? No cry for help though." she dropped to a crouch and held out a hand indicating halt. The others dropped in place next to her but slightly spread out, the hunters had lost track of their prey. Rei was hit again in her other shoulder, and once again Mari used that to guess the boy's location. "He's still in play then. Spread out this time, and advance." She instructed them, even the normally order shy Asuka made no complaint of these instructions. Mari suddenly felt like Arnie in that movie, the one where an invisible alien had been hunting him. She stayed low this time using whatever cover she could find, arriving at the base of a sturdy tree she looked up as a leaf floated past her head. Her eyes tracked the leaf's path, and she finally spotted what had dislodged it.

Mari blinked in utter astonishment, for there perched high up in the branches was Shinji. His feet were planted ever so carefully on branches, yet they should not have been able to hold his weight. She found herself frozen wondering how on earth he was doing it and cursing internally that she dared not shoot at him in case the surprise caused him to fall. The boy was completely focused on targeting and shooting and had she was relieved to realize, missed her approach. Then again, she had come in stealthily, whereas the others were plowing through like a herd of elephants. Shouldering her weapon, she began to climb, part of her longing to scare the boy out of his wits. Again, the only problem being should he fall, she paused carefully and waited for one of the others to crash through the undergrowth. Shinji snapped to that location, and after a brief pause loosed off a shot that resulted in more of Toji's ranting. The boys normally serious face twitched in amusement, then his face went back to utter concentration. Shaking her head, she continued her ascent, only now was it occurring to her as to how she would descend. She had almost reached him, indeed was within touching distance when her foot slipped. Time seemed to slow to a crawl for her, as gravity took a hold of her and she braced herself to fall.

To her utter astonishment, she didn't even have time to scream, he turned, and his hand had shot out and grabbed her wrist arresting Mari's fall. She dangled there staring up at him in utter amazement, not only had he scaled the tree with apparent ease, but he seemed to have no difficulty supporting her weight one-handed. The impossibility of what was happening hit her, her weight should have yanked them both out of the tree. She regained her footing, and he helped her up the rest of the way. She sat quietly for a few moments calming her breathing, then whacked him on the shoulder. "Jerk, that's for shooting me in the ass!" Shinji had the decency to look apologetic, it was then she realized that this was an amazing vantage point. She turned and started scanning the forest, and almost immediately spotted Aida despite his camo gear. "Truce?" she asked grinning wickedly, Shinji nodded and smiling handed her a change of pellets, then started aiming again. She tracked Aida and shot the poor boy and had to stifle her laughter as the otaku cried out. Toji arrived near his friend's position as his friend declared, "That's two lots of shots! We are betrayed!" The two of them worked in near perfect unison, Shinji spotting targets for her as a means of apology. He was good at it as well, the boy able to single out individuals she could only dimly see.

Their little game continued as the others slowly closed in on them, Shinji looked for all the world like he wanted to relocate, but because of Mari's presence, the boy stayed put. Mari added a fresh splotch of paint to Asuka's chest and grinned when she distinctly made out the grinding of teeth, but her mind now turned to several things that were bothering her. Shinji had clearly been in another tree; indeed, she could see which one he had hastily exited due to a dangling branch. She did a mental calculation and shook her head, there was simply no way he could have made it down from that tree and up to this one as fast. Add into that his reflexes in catching her and supporting her weight effortlessly as she dangled. Shinji was more than he seemed, even she had not failed to notice his little oddity's. Shinji's body was not horrendously over the top like a bodybuilder, but rather he had the muscularity of a well-honed athlete, he hadn't been like that when they had first met. She recalled a comic book she had read once about an alien who looked human, this person had superhuman powers and could fly. Thankfully said individual had become a hero who saved the day, Mari glanced sideways at Shinji pondering the boy's apparent swiftness and strength, even as the others finally sighted them and opened fire on them.

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Kozo and his associate sat in front of the computer terminal, on the screen were replays of the attack, covered from every conceivable angle. "They knew exactly where to strike," Kozo muttered grimly, Kaji nodded as he perused the high definition footage. One thing you had to say about the city's CCTV system, it was top of the line. Kaji located a shot facing toward the ramming vehicle, and the man's face became a mask of intensity. Kozo watched as the footage was manipulated back and forth, wondering what the younger man had seen. Finally, Kaji paused it and pointed, and Kozo leaned in spotting what he had missed, what likely most of section two had missed. "That's." he frowned, analyzing the building he was looking at, the refraction of sunlight couldn't be coming from a window, as there were no windows on the roof itself. "Someone was up there. Either with bino's, or more likely a sniper rifle." Kozo tilted his head accepting Kaji's analysis, "If so, why didn't they fire? No high caliber bullets were recovered." Kaji ran a hand over his unshaven jaw, "Not sure. Wait, wasn't the car Shinji rode in his father's?" Kozo nodded his head, the security camera's covered both the streets and the buildings as well.

"Let's see, building C492," Kozo muttered as he pulled up the rooftop surveillance and scowled as the footage came up blank. So, either electronic interference had been used, which would have set off an alarm or… "Someone erased the camera footage," Kaji spoke, his mind having been on the same track as Kozo's. Oh, and just who had the authorization to do that? You could make the list on two small lines, himself doctor Akagi and the supreme commander. Akagi had no reason to delete the footage unless she had been ordered to by Ikari. "Ikari doesn't want us getting too far it seems." Kozo sighed, yet the man's actions made no sense unless. "The sniper didn't fire because he didn't have the right target." Kaji nodded in agreement, "right car, wrong Ikari." It was safe to assume the mission had been scrubbed. Someone had wanted Gendo dead but had it seemed no beef with the man's son. Had Ikari deliberately placed Shinji in harm's way, and if such was the case, why had he done so? Kozo did not like his own reasoning one little bit, however as his favorite fictional detective once said. "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains however improbable, must be the truth," Kaji smirked at the old quotation.

"The game is afoot then?" The agent said, and reluctantly Kozo nodded his head, however, this alone was not sufficient evidence. That said no amount of evidence would really help, Ikari was all but untouchable atop his throne. Unless of course, they could cite insanity in the man, then they could have him removed from power. The game was indeed afoot, and a more dangerous game they could not find themselves playing. "Let's go and examine that rooftop, who knows, maybe we'll find something up there." Kaji nodded and they grabbed their coats, as they walked to Kozo's car he found himself pouring over what they had learned. If in fact, Ikari was responsible for what had befallen his son, why had he not made a better attempt at disguising it? 'Perhaps he wants to be caught?' his inner voice mused; Kozo frowned at the oddness of the commander leaving a trail. It didn't really fit with the man's methods, and yet Kozo knew Gendo could be so very careful. He had covered up the death of Naoko Akagi, the demise of the original Rei Ayanami. Both deaths were on his doorstep, and yet nearly no one else in Nerv knew of these things. If Ikari was at the center of this web, then perhaps Kozo was setting the noose for his own execution.

/

Shinji sat cross-legged in his room expression vacant, now that he had little to distract him his brain had gone on a loop. Playing over and over the words that Ritsuko had said to him at school, recalled how Misato had pulled him into a deep embrace. His own reaction had been muted and uncomprehending, understanding the concept yet not at the same time. Shinji was sterile, a side effect of his unique situation as a superhuman. Akagi had discerned a problem when developing her serum, the scientist experimenting on hamsters of all things. The initial experiments had proven messy, with one hamster reportedly screeching before exploding gorily. Gradually Ritsuko had perfected the serum and now had male and female super hamsters. Said hamsters had been mating furiously, but much to Ritsuko's puzzlement, had not yet produced any babies. She had called Shinji in and collected a sample, something that he recalled with some embarrassment. Through this, she had discovered his sterility, and Shinji had been left stunned. It had never really occurred to him as a teen, that he might someday carry on the family line. He had been so busy lately fighting for his life, and everything else that had gone on around him, he had never given it any thought.

The sub commander had been there when she had informed him along with Misato, it had been then he had learned of his Mother's efforts. Learned that she had merged his DNA partially with Adam's, all to prevent him from dying at a young age. Misato had been stunned at the revelation, though the sub commander had pushed that Shinji's genetic mutation would not have been an intended side effect. Misato who hated Adam and the angels for second impact onward had never once left his side during that painful meeting. His mother had tried to help him to survive, yet she had perhaps unintentionally cursed the Ikari line to end with him.

He uncrossed his legs and headed out onto the veranda for some fresh air, at the table Stanton sat writing up his report from today's exercise. Shinji couldn't put his finger on why he trusted the man, simply that his instincts had told him to. Elias had adjusted well, and as per his request did not inform the others of his power. Shinji leaned on the railing and stared out at the city, the sounds of cars and sirens filling the air. Shinji found his mind wandering into a fantasy, one involving himself and Mari as parents. Mari had the perfect temperament to be a mom, with her kind ways and her energy, one day she would raise a fantastic kid. Tears threatened and he squeezed the railing in both hands, the realization hit that this was something he could never now experience. Sex? Well yes, he could experience that, but it would be a fruitless act on his part. The whole point of the act was to produce life, and he was unable to provide life from himself. 'Now there'll be no more Ikari's' He mentally groaned and finally, the tears did come from him sliding silently down his face. Arms gently surrounded him, and he turned into them, his grief bursting from him in a torrent. Mari held onto him as he whimpered like a wounded hound, her fingers stroked his hair gently and something wet touched his head.

Shinji slid back slightly and saw tears in the girl's eyes, also fear was etched in her expression as well, and Shinji realized Mari was scared. He wiped his eyes quickly, suddenly feeling like a fool for not thinking how his mood might be taken. "Sorry, just had some unwelcome news, nothing terminal thankfully." He somehow managed a chuckle, yet it was terminal in its own little way, a death sentence for his family line. Mari closed the door and drew him to a seat, he sat down, and the girl perched herself in his lap. Shinji felt his heart hammering in his chest like it was trying to escape, would Mari regard him as less than a man if he told her? Shinji met her eyes; he saw so much compassion it unlocked his tongue and his heart. In that instant, he realized he would do anything for her, and he would not keep this from Mari. He spoke slowly telling her about Ritsuko's discovery, though he omitted the business with the super hamsters and genetic tinkering. Mari's eyes clouded with compassion as he spoke, his own voice hitching as he struggled to finish. Shinji bowed his head and waited for Mari to pass judgment, to find him unworthy of her. Instead, she tilted his chin up, and her lips pressed against his own instead.

This was no chaste kiss like he had experienced from the girl on several occasions, this was deep and intense. Mari tasted exotic to him and he could not get enough of it, realization blasted him that this was no sympathy kiss. Shinji slid his arms around her waist and held her, Mari's tongue met his own and his eyes hooded. The moment seemed to last for an eternity, and when she finally broke the kiss he simply sat there stunned. He reached cupping her face with one hand, sudden understanding hitting like a train that he wanted this girl in his life like he had wanted nothing else before. "Be mine?" He blurted, and Mari giggled at the very straight forward question. Mari leaned back into him and kissed him again, "Take me on a date first, then I'm all yours." Shinji cocked his head at the girl and smirked, his woes momentarily pushed to the back of his mind. "Propriety first huh?" he asked the girl; Mari nodded and poked her tongue out at him. She slid back in and leaned against him once more, "I knew something was hurting you, and that thing doesn't change how I feel about you." Shinji let his fingers play with Mari's hair, the girl had clearly fallen from heaven to be so kind, to be so incredibly humane. The sun had almost disappeared over the horizon when a rap on the window made them both jump, Misato made a gesture for them to come inside.