Chapter 12: Luck

Ritsuko

The red head cowered before me, pleading and begging for me to spare her life. That was a wish I could not grant.

"Please, please Dr Akagi! Don't shoot! I won't tell anybody!" she pleaded, and sat on her knee's praying for someone to save her. Nothing could save her now. Inching in, I place the end of the barrel against Asuka's forehead, and edge my finger on the trigger.

"Goodbye Asuka." Pulling back on the trigger, I was greeted by a short click and the barrel pushed back. Asuka's eyes slowly opened, tears still streaming down her cheek.

"God dammit, it's jammed!" I yell, before receiving a roundhouse kick to the chin. The red head began to run, and was just about to round the corner. I reload the clip and take aim, and then pull the trigger. This time I'm greeted by a much louder bang, and a bullet whizzes down the corridor. But she had rounded the corner and disappeared.

Sigh...what should I do now...mother?

Turning around, I take out my NERV security card and swipe to open the heavily fortified door. Revealed on the other side is a large, circular room. In the centre of the room was the heart of the dummy system. Rei spent countless hours here, as for us to perfect the dummy system to her likeness.

I may have failed to kill the current Rei, but I am still able to rid the world of these empty vessels.

Pressing down on the remote, the room is darkened to show the underwater cage. Hundreds of floating, soul less, Rei's drifted in eternal solitude. They didn't deserve to have a future. They didn't deserve to have a purpose. My finger dwindled over the large red button on the remote.

I hate you.

The bodies slowly began to fall apart, pieces of Rei's began to litter the cage and then disintegrate into nothing. It's what they deserve.

And this is what I deserve.

I once again remove the pistol out of my coat, and fall to my knees.

This is for you...mother.

I place the barrel inside my mouth and pull the trigger.

Rei

"Hey Rei...did you see Asuka tonight?" Shinji asks. Now that I think, I haven't seen the Second Child at all tonight.

"No, I haven't." Soryu has been nicer to me, ever since the battle with Unit 03. Were we friends? I regarded Shinji as a friend, but he was more than a friend. Other than him, there was nobody I could call my friend...but now...

"I think we better start heading home Rei...Misato will wonder where we are." Nodding slightly, I put my shoes back on which I was carrying in my hands, as for them not to get wet. On our way home, we pass the school again, which was now engulfed in the darkness of the night. Everybody had gone. The light from the city and the streetlights were comforting in a sense, as they banished the darkness surrounding them. Before long, we were at Major Katsuragi's apartment door, and as the door shut behind us, the cold night wind had gone and a refreshing feeling took over me. The feeling of the place that I could call home.

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An awkward silence was covering the apartment at the moment. The Major had left for groceries, and Shinji and I sat on the couch watching television. Although it doesn't particularly interest me, Shinji seems to be taking an interest in what the show had to offer. Looking down, I realise I was still wearing the clothes from the prom, as was Shinji. The white dress wasn't very comfortable, so I got up to get changed.

"Rei, what is it?" Shinji asks as I stand and break the awkwardness.

"I believe it would be appropriate for us to change." I reply, looking down on him. A slightly disappointed face follows my answer, and Shinji looks down to his hands.

"Y-you...look really pretty in that dress..." was the answer back from Shinji, his eyes downcast and a blush evident on his face. His eyes then quickly shot open and he waved his hands in front of him.

"I-I mean...you look really pretty in anything! I didn't-...didn't mean..." he stuttered, finding his words.

"I know what you mean Shinji. Thank you." I walk back into my room and get out of the dress, throwing it onto the bed. Again putting on the clothes Soryu lent me, I return to Shinji in the lounge room. He was still sitting there, watching the television. I return to where I was previously sitting, and again take my place. Shinji doesn't flinch.

"I'm getting a bit worried about Asu-..." was all Shinji managed to get out before the sound of the apartment door opening was heard. Stumbling into the room was the Second Child, in a black dress, mascara staining her cheeks from tears.

"Asuka!" Shinji yelled as he quickly got up and went over to see the problem. Soryu fell to her knees and started to cry. I follow Shinji, and approach her.

"D-Dr...Aka-..Akagi...tried to...k-ki...ki-kill me....!" Soryu exclaimed.

Dr Akagi tried to kill Soryu? Why?

"Why?" I ask, and she looks up at me with sorry eyes.

"Be-because...she asked me...to ki-...kill you Rei. I'm so sorry!" she said as she leapt over at me and pulled me into a tight hug.

Kill me? Why would Dr Akagi...

I slowly feel my arms reach around the Second Child and return her hug.

What is this feeling? Love?

"I don't know what I was thinking Rei, I'm s-...so sorry..." she whispered.

No. Then what is this feeling?

Is this what it's like to have friends?

"Asuka, sit down, explain what happened!" asked Shinji, again concerned, Always concerned for others. Soryu grabbed her phone off of the kitchen table where she left it and began to dial.

"Misato!" she yelled into the phone.

"D-Dr Akagi...she, she tried to kill me!"

Incoherent rambling was all Shinji and I could hear from the other side of the phone.

"In NERV! Please, find her!" she yelled as she hung up and started to break down again.

She's looked death in the face before. Why was this time different?

Misato

Ritsuko...

There were so many secret's that I didn't know. This cage was just one of them. There was no chance of revival. She was dead. Skull fragments and brain tissue spread across the floor.

Why would she go this far to kill Rei?

Deep psyche problems could be the answer, but; there is no way to know now. I've known Ritsuko since college; I could never imagine her with any kind of mental strains.

You fool Ritsuko! How could you give in?

Rei

"Get up Rei, let's go!"

I slowly open my eyes, and peer around the now heavily lit room. It was morning already. Soryu stood at the doorway with her hands on her hips. Only yesterday she was breaking down in tears constantly, and now, it seems nothing is worrying her at all.

"Let's go Rei, no school, yay!" she yelled from down the hallway. Getting out of the bed, I step out of the room and take a look around. Shinji was preparing breakfast, and Soryu was sitting down ready to eat. It looked like the Major was not home yet. I take my seat at the table and wait patiently for the meal.

"Rei, I thought maybe today, we could go to the mall and do some shopping! Just you and me!" Soryu said with a pleasant grin across her face.

"Shopping? What for?" I ask, slightly confused on the matter.

"You know...shopping? For clothes?" she replied, looking a little confused.

"Why?"

"So you can wear them silly!"

Now that I think about it, I only have my school uniform to wear. It wouldn't hurt to buy some new clothes.

"I believe I could use more clothes." I say, although I'm still a bit worried about a day alone with Asuka. A smile crosses her face as she heard my reply.

Shinji's phone began to ring, so he stops cooking and answers.

"Misato?

She did what...?

Y-yes, I'll be right there."

Shinji hung up the phone and served breakfast.

"Sorry girls, Misato wants to see me at NERV right away. Have fun today." Shinji said as he walked out the door.

Shinji

Ascending the elevator alone, it gave me time to think about what I was about to face. Dr Akagi had shot herself.

The elevator doors slid open, and presented in front of me was something I was most definitely not expecting. Misato stood in the centre of a dimly lit room, with Dr Akagi lying face down.

"Shinji, you're here, good." Misato said; a worried look on her face. She was about to tell me something.

I was never close to Dr Akagi, but it still hurt. She was dead.

"Shinji...I have to tell you something." She said.

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It was good that I was once again ascending, but what Misato just told me felt like a stab through the heart.

The elevator stopped, and the doors slowly slid open. On the other side was a boy, about my age, a smile on his face. He stepped inside the elevator and stood next to me.

"Shinji Ikari, correct?" he asked, as he turned his head to face me.

"Y-yes...who are you?" I asked the boy.

"I have waited a long time to meet you Mr Ikari.

My name is Kaworu Nagisa.

I am the Fifth Child."