Disclaimer: I don't own Eva.
Proofreader credit goes to Cyber Undead and Big D.
Chapter 21
"There is something about war that can pull a person in. Whenever man makes a technological leap, weaponry is always the first to partake of the fruit, assuming there is an application. Incredible destructive capacity is something that should inspire awe. I mean- it's just so cool! A person can get lost in the various intricacies of it all. What is the best defensive measure for stopping an enemy's projectiles? What means can be implemented to counter that defense? It's like a high tech game of paper-rock-scissors! What vehicle can be made that will maximize its war-waging utility? What sort of mindset does a person need to be in to best exploit his opponent's plans? It's a game that a person can play until, at some point, he just shrugs and decides- who cares? This is all so cool!"
"On the battlefield, the drama is real. There is none of that mopey 'Oh no, my lover has leukemia' garbage or some silly crap about who likes who. In the heat of a conflict, a soldier keeps anteing his sweat and blood for the sake of winning. When one is paying for their beliefs, the lives of their friends, or trying to sate the sheer desire to win with their own life, nothing else even comes close to being as dynamic."
"On some level, I guess I knew that conflict was bad. But things get fixed in my head a certain way. I always used to love playing war games, even when it was just by myself. Battles are fun to do because they are simple. Win, and don't die. I usually prioritized them in that order too. Some brave commander with his last breath would pass on leadership to his junior officer, who would go and destroy the enemy by relying on guts, a sneaky trick or two, and the awesome ability to fire his weapon with unerring accuracy."
Kensuke Aida was sitting in a cushioned chair. On a nearby table was a glass of water. He paused briefly in his speech to take a sip, before continuing. "That's how it was in my mind. Then one day, because my interest in seeing some cool new military toy was a lot higher than my survival instinct, I walked into my first real battle. It was an accident, and certainly not what I would have wanted as a debut. To make a long story short, I got my ass saved by some scrawny little girl."
"That day I had something introduced into my perception of combat that had only existed as an abstract idea before: pain. Eva Unit-00 had held the energy tendrils of the Angel to allow Touji and me a chance to get into the entry plug. The smell almost made me gag, though I was so elated to be in the android at the time that it took me a minute to even notice. It was like burnt pork, except with a sweeter tinge to it. When the entry plug closed, I felt something for just a moment. My hands were burning. It wasn't a full blown flaming sensation: it was more like that light tingling when you finish rubbing some Icy-Hot. I remember when the Eva reattached itself to the launch rails to free-fall back into the Geofront. The pilot kept flexing her hands and tears were standing up in her eyes. Or it seemed that way: the LCL makes that sort of observation iffy. It was enough that Touji touched her on the shoulder to ask her if she was okay. She screamed at us, but you could hear her hurt even in that. We got out of the plug quickly."
"I thought about that while I was being interrogated. Well, that's a little bit of a lie. Mostly I was worried about how screwed I was and hoping Nerv wasn't going to do something horrible to me. I mean, as far as I know, I was one of the only people on Earth outside of Nerv that had been in an Eva plug. To begin with, I just hoped that they wouldn't lock me away or kill me. But after Captain Katsuragi came around I felt better. She didn't act like there was much concern about us. Plus, what a goddess! Touji and I answered some more questions, and received strict orders to not speak about classified information. In the middle of all that, and for quite a while after, I contemplated that experience with Rei."
Kensuke waved his hands in front of his chest defensively. "Not like that, though. It was just, that was the first time I had seen a real life battle. And the good guys were hamstrung because I was in the way. Someone was actually coming as close as they could to cooking their own hands without actually doing it to save me because I had been stupid. I would have taken that better if it had been some macho soldier guy I guess, but the one who had done it was a pale, almost sickly girl who looked like the wind might blow her over."
Kensuke looked up and waved in a panicked way again. "No offense intended. I could have said that better. It was just that I had all of these daydreams of being a soldier. In my mind, I was the quintessential man's man. But when it came down to it, Rei was more of a man than I was." Kensuke flinched as he realized his error again. "If you weren't unconscious, you would have hit me a long time ago."
In a hospital bed across from Kensuke, various tubes went to Rei Ikari. One of her legs was in a cast, and she had some nasty looking blisters going up her arms. Her face was relaxed, despite the large bruise on her cheek that was yellowing on the edges. Her docile visage stood in contrast to the obvious signs of suffering throughout her body.
The doctors couldn't figure out why she was still cataleptic. This level of psychosomatic damage was outside of their experience.
Kensuke folded up a piece of paper he had been reading from and shifted to tuck it into his back pocket. "Well, that was one of the things that was going to be on the journal part of my home page. Except for the end: I winged that. I know you don't like me, and that's fine. I wouldn't like me either if I were you. Especially after three days ago. I finally got to go out into the same field of battle as you, and on equal footing. I ended up being dead weight anyway. Sure, we beat the Angel, but if I could have helped you hold it up, nobody would have been hurt."
"I guess what I wanted to say is that… well, I'm not sure. The first thing I thought about after that fight was that I had screwed it up. I just knew you were hurt, and that it was my fault." Kensuke's sigh filled the air. "I guess I thought that now, since I was piloting an Eva, I could be a hero. But I wasn't one that day, when it would have mattered. The person I am in my mind isn't the person who is there in reality. I'm trying to get there, but I'm not even in the same league as you and the other Children when it comes to piloting. Every time I've ever been out in that world, I've been a stone around your neck. I'll try to get better and pull my own weight."
There was a brief pause. "They say that people in comas can hear things that are happening around them. I don't know if that's right or not. If you don't remember any of this, I'm not repeating it. If Touji were here he would tell me I've totally wussed out. Reading touchy-feely stuff to an unconscious girl isn't particularly manly, I guess. But I wanted to say it." There was a pause. "Once."
Kensuke got up and walked over to the bed. "Get better, Rei." He hesitated a moment, frozen in place, and then leaned in. He stopped the motion partway through, his lips a good six inches from Rei's forehead. He seemed to consider something, and then pulled back. He instead squeezed Rei's hand.
Kensuke almost jumped out of his skin as light weight fell on his shoulder. He turned to see his dad standing beside him. The man sported the same sandy hair as Kensuke, and thick, black-framed glasses sat atop his nose. He had on slacks and a button down shirt. A white lab coat let Kensuke know that either his father was still at work or had just finished his shift. "It's time to go. Your visiting time is over.
Scene Shift
Ritsuko was lost in the latest projections and timetables for Unit-Beta when she felt a pair of hands clasp scandalously close to the underside of her bosom. She could only think of one person who had the audacity to use that as a standard greeting.
"Kaji." Her voice picked up a bit of scorn as she turned off the screen. "If you try to sneak a glance at the research again, I'm going to have security intervene."
She felt the stubble on his jaw brush against her own cheek. "I'll admit that such things interest me. But what I hold in my arms is much more worthy of attention."
"Kaji, I'm on…"
"A tight schedule. I know. But one must not become so involved in their work ethic that they can't step away and clear their head. That level of devotion is not good for the mind or soul."
"So what, I just drop it?"
"Take at least one night off, woman! Some people actually leave their jobs and go home. You are a beautiful lady, and it pains me to see you hording that splendor behind an unappreciative computer screen."
"Ryoji, you flatter to the point of being cheesy."
"I'll admit that I am trying to sweet-talk a bit. That does not mean that the things I say are any less true."
Ritsuko let a hand drift up to the side of his cheek, feeling his stubble in her palm. She turned her head towards him, and kissed him on the jaw. Kaji instantly turned his own head, seeking her mouth out with his. Ritsuko pulled back.
"Ah, an old-fashioned woman."
Dr. Akagi shook her head. "Misato."
"You needn't worry yourself on that mark. Any chance that I might have had at stirring old embers with her was demolished with my last assignment."
"I've betrayed her enough with this project."
"Does she care for me so deeply that I've become exclusive to her? I wouldn't have thought so."
"It's a bad idea."
Kaji motioned to one of the computer monitors. "It's not nearly as ill conceived as letting that girl walk about freely."
Ritsuko looked to a screen that showed the monstrosity that was their best pilot walking away from her room. "Now that is interesting. She hasn't ventured out without our urging before."
"Do you have any security detail with her?"
"Yes. They've been instructed to keep their distance but to watch her closely. She's been different ever since she unfolded an A.T. Field. I want to observe her behavior with as little clinical interference as possible."
Kaji was still close to Ritsuko's head. He brought himself nearer and said conspiratorially "She and the Second Child may have some sort of psychic connection."
"Rubbish."
"When I led her from Nerv, the First and Second Children were able to pinpoint my location, even though I was in hiding. One of the things that the Second Child said at the end made me think she was tracking us by seeing things through that girl's eyes. If such is the case, you would be well served by keeping that one in the dark as much as possible." Kaji indicated the screen. "Nerv finding out that we might have a potential pilot would not bode well."
Scene Shift
The girl traced a coloring pencil along the rim of her eyelash, looking up so hard that it felt like her irises were rolling up into her head. As she pulled the pencil away she blinked several times and saw her reflection in the mirror. Her short, chestnut-colored hair was feathered, and the lightest hint of makeup was around her gray eyes. She patted her cheek with just a slight amount of blush, before a knock interrupted her.
Mana Kirishima looked to her bed where a white shirt was still laid out. She decided to peek through the eyehole in her door before putting the garment on.
She was surprised to see the new girl standing outside in the hall. What made the sight surreal was that the girl seemed to be humming. In fact, it was in Mana's list of things that should not occur.
"Just a minute." Mana went to the bed and started buttoning her shirt, her mind racing. She had seen the new pilot only a few times since the girl had arrived, but they had never spoken directly. She wasn't even sure of the girl's name: people that she had overheard just referred to her as the pilot to Unit-Beta.
Mana was not the type to be unkind, but her first instinct had been that the girl was slow mentally. She walked around in what seemed to be a daze. That wasn't accurate. The girl had acted like nothing around her was even there. She had been totally disconnected.
And now she was in the hall, humming.
Mana fastened the final button and walked back to the door. She opened it, trying to be friendly so that her nervousness wasn't evident.
The girl with the light blue hair beamed when she saw Mana's face. "Greetings, Pilot Mana Kirishima."
"Good morning…" Mana didn't know what to call the girl.
"Rei. Either Ayanami or Ichijo, I haven't decided. I don't believe that Ikari is appropriate."
"Oookay." Despite the girl's newfound energy, Mana wasn't convinced that she should discard the idea that all the wiring might not be routed correctly. "Come in."
'Rei' bounded into the room, and sat on the bed. She almost immediately went from a sitting position to a prone one. She rubbed the covers of the bed against her face. Mana looked on nervously. "This is nice. It's so soft."
"Thanks. It has a high thread count." Mana turned back to the mirror. She only had to apply some lipstick and she would be done with her face.
Rei looked on with interest. "What are you doing?"
Mana waited until she had traced a line of red across her upper lip before answering. "Since your successful activation of Unit Beta, I've gotten a break from the pilot tests. I didn't bother with prettying up too much before because the LCL always ruins the work. But today I get to be girllie."
"Can I try it?"
Mana held up the lipstick. "Be my guest."
"I thought I was."
Mana giggled at the quick retort. The humor died fast when she saw that Rei had been absolutely serious when she had made the comment.
It was obvious from the way that Rei gripped the lipstick that she was going to make a mess. "Let me." Mana traced the lipstick lightly around the girl's mouth. She turned back to the mirror. "You've never put on makeup before?"
"Should I have?"
Mana shrugged. "I guess not. Now, move your lips together like this." Mana rubbed her lips over the top of each other, getting the makeup to cover them totally. Rei imitated the action.
"That red isn't right for your skin. We need a lighter shade I think." Mana started digging through the drawer. "Can I ask you something?"
"You just did."
Again, a remark that Mana thought was witty without any show of it having been a joke. Did Rei just have a dry sense of humor? "Okay then, I'll make it two. Are you an albino?"
"I'm not sure."
Mana pulled out some pink lipstick. She handed Rei a bit of tissue. "Go ahead and rub that red off. You don't have to say if you don't want to. I shouldn't have asked."
"You're not at fault."
Mana put the pink lipstick on now, going through the same routine again. She pulled back to appraise her work. "Wow. That's good. You look very pretty."
Rei smiled. "Thank you, Mana Kirishima. That is very kind. Are all people so nice?"
Mana looked puzzled. Before she could say anything, there was a knock at the door. 'This room is busy today.' Mana thought. 'Thank goodness someone came before this got awkward. Rei was beginning to get weird on me. Well, weirder' "I need to get that."
Rei nodded. "Of course. Oh, you are pretty as well, Mana Kirishima."
"Thanks. And just call me Mana, okay?"
"As you wish."
Mana made her way to the door and peeked to see who was there. A man in a blue security uniform was standing there, listening to something in his walkie-talkie. Mana quickly opened the door. "Hello, sir."
"Hello. Is the pilot for Unit-Beta currently here?"
Rei approached the door. "I am."
"You need to come with me."
Rei nodded, and turned to Mana. "I hope to see you again, Mana."
"Yeah, me too." Rei's face became puzzled, as if she were trying to work through some mystery buried in Mana's statement. Abruptly, she spun on one heel and left with the security man falling in beside her.
'Odd,' Mana thought.
Scene Shift
Kozo Fuyutsuki stood on the catwalk in front of Unit-01. Technicians working on the ground below seemed to put an extra effort into their duties, no doubt nervous because of the Commander's presence. They could have been drinking sake and dancing naked and Kozo wouldn't have paid them any mind, but there was little need to let them in on that fact. Fuyutsuki stared into the dim eyes of the android, as if he could see the occupying presence behind them.
If the eyes were windows to the soul, then the blinds were pulled close and the lights turned off within these particular panes of glass.
Section Two had finally found a radar tech on duty the night of the power failure. Three objects that were most likely transport helicopters had been spotted. The man had been instructed by someone higher in the command chain to disregard the objects at the time. When Nerv had inquired after this decision, the superior could not be located.
They had been able to deduce two facts from this. First, since the blips had been moving north, away from the coastline, the stolen materials should still be relatively close. This didn't preclude that the abducted angel and S2 organ hadn't been loaded on a ship, but probably dictated that what had been taken from Nerv was still somewhere in the Japanese mainland. Secondly, the convenient unavailability of the radar tech's superior suggested that at least certain parties in the government or military were actively working against Nerv.
So, who were the perpetrators? It could be a rival venture, such as the defunct Jet Alone project. The JSSDF could be behind it. If a foreign power were involved, it would almost certainly have to be under Seele's ultimate guidance. There was almost no other organization that might have enough influence within Japan to pull this off.
If only this dilemma were the end of his problems. But Naoko's fears were proving correct. He remembered the conversation he had thirty minutes earlier:
"And why, Commander Wisdom, are you trying to delay her transfer?" Fuyutsuki had been stern as he said this, letting cold, calm menace into his voice.
The American on the hologram across from him had tapped something that was away from the encryption area of his transceiver. All that could be seen was an arm disappearing up to the elbow in space. In front of Kozo, various screens opened themselves. The first showed bare skin around the upper torso, the slight swell of a breast making it clear that the subject had been a female. Scabs ran around in an intermittent pattern, forming an arc along the exposed area. A close-up featured a nasty bruise on the upper left of what was presumably the same female's body. A third, fourth, and fifth picture showed various burns along a pair of arms, then another picture of facial bruising and swelling. Finally a trio of pictures showed an ankle broken in a simple fracture and the post treatment shot after it was reset.
"What you have been doing to these children is inhumane."
Kozo chuckled dryly. "How convenient it must be for you to absolve yourself of any involvement. Rei's latest, and by far worst, injuries were received for your sake, and those of your countrymen."
"We are not moving her until she has made a sufficient enough recovery to allow for her safe transportation. We owe her at the very least that much."
"Some might think it suspicious that your sudden humanitarian impulses serve to keep a pilot in your care that you should not have."
The conversation had degenerated from there. Veiled accusations and claims of oblivious innocence were what their words had amounted to.
Nothing had changed on the face of Unit-01, but Kozo's perception felt as if it deepened. He imagined he saw approval on the demonic visage, but a prolonged study made it seem like the look was more of accusation. Fuyutsuki has been soft and weak. He was a damned idiot who couldn't make the hard call and let the U.S. take a hit so that the rest of humanity might be saved. He could have prevented the second children's captivity, not to mention her injuries.
That wasn't the worst of his shortsightedness in this venture. He knew that Rei's synchronization rate had spiked above eighty percent. Unit-04 was a derivative of Adam. The conditions were dangerously close for instituting one set of requirements for a Third Impact. He had been too self-assured in interpretations of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Rei hadn't achieved a hundred percent, but the whole venture had been careless. He did not need to proceed with the assumption that events would unfold as he thought they should.
The Americans had done tests on Rei by now. It would have probably started innocently enough: after the battle, she would have been checked for blood type. It would be decided that she could receive O-, but a few anomalies in her protein sequencing would eventually warrant further investigation. That would uncover all sorts of abnormalities in her gene pairs.
So, two Reis were out of his control now. What was worse, the Americans could take over the Eva program by merely stalling. Commander Wisdom would have never tried such a thing before. Because the U.S. had been given more leash by the committee they had become brazenly confident. Maybe they had forgotten the leash was even there.
That wasn't the reason. The rogue Seele member from the U.S. had never been forced to pay penance for leaving the Cabal. That was what had emboldened the Americans. In fact, Kozo felt confident that he saw Joshua's hand in all of this mess.
If events were left as they were now, Fuyutsuki knew how it would play out. China and America would stop letting headquarters look to them for repairs on Units-00, -01, and -02. With an angelic attack happening outside of Japan, everyone would want an Eva. Korea would probably stay on board with the Japanese if they could be convinced that Nerv was capable of responding to an Angelic threat to them. Seele was influential enough within the European commonwealth that they could still convince France and Britain to cooperate. And Germany was always a stable support. But those countries were all too far away, and with the next Angel attacks potentially coming with less down time between each, re-supplying would become impractical. All that he would be able to mend his current squad with would be what was on-hand at Tokyo, and perhaps the Russians, who were not very far along in fabricating one of the golems. The Soviets were still in a deep economic depression, so they were easy enough to buy off.
The last few attacks had witnessed extensive damage to the Eva units. Unit-02 had needed far-reaching repairs, and Unit-01 had been even more expensive because almost all of the epidermis had been damaged in the magma immersion. Unit-00 had almost cleared inspection to be sure it hadn't been contaminated during its time encased in Bakelite with an angel. He would have a fresh set of Evas within a pair of weeks, but when they were damaged next time, that would be it. And given one interpretation of the scriptures, it seemed that at least one of the golems was destined to turn against them. It was almost a given that without the parts to keep the Evas running, they would be unable to go the distance to Third Impact.
So, when his squad became unsalvageable, which was very likely with the next few Angels, an alternative would have to be sought out. The Americans would have two fresh Evas and able pilots on hand to man them. Adam would be officially placed somewhere in North America by the Committee, who would sanction the Americans thieving after the fact.
Mankind would be doomed to becoming a single, homogeneous being because a few old men were scared of being alone and dying. The fault wouldn't lie with just Seele though. He had made a bad decision and given in to humanitarian impulses.
Fuyutsuki knew he could be overreacting. The Americans might be sincere in their reasoning and might be more than willing to send Rei back when she was considered medically sound. And they might not have discovered anything abnormal enough in her physiology to justify a test on the genetic level. But he had to go forth with an assumption of the worse case scenario.
Kozo knew he had a resource to extract Rei. Getting inside an American installation and retrieving someone should have been damn near impossible. But he recalled that Keel had talked about leaving contingencies in place on the various branches. It wasn't long after Gendo had gone into Unit-01, if Kozo's memory was correct. When Gehirn had become Nerv, Fuyutsuki had been worried about various nations taking over the Nerv branches and using the androids for their own interests. In fact, a variation of that fear was the card that he played to keep Naoko on board with his interests. Keel had said that he had fail-safes in place to keep that from occurring.
At the time Kozo had thought it was something as simple as a self-destruct sequence. As time passed and he noticed the various branches falling into line with Seele's will, another theory emerged. Keel had most likely planted influential people, or inactive sleepers for that matter, to quell insurrection and take emergency measures as needed. After all, it was impractical to put a self-destruct capability on an Eva. Given the mutable nature of the Angels and their proclivity to attempt an attack from any angle, eventually one of them would be able to activate such a thing remotely. They were already seeing new uses for the A.T. Field, and the trials were barely at the halfway mark. And the destruction of a whole branch was irrelevant if an Eva unit could not be secured.
So, all Kozo had to do to fix this was use Seele's resources. He would approach them and tell them what was wrong, and most likely they would have Rei delivered back within a week.
Except that Joshua Christian, the man who had quit Seele, had not been dealt with.
There was no reason for that at first glance. Seele had the resources and means to end his life instantly.
Unless he was allowed to roam free to bring about the current situation.
Kozo should have approached Seele when the Americans abducted Adam. It probably hadn't been foreseen that Yui would be able to strike a deal with Joshua, or that he would find the conditions agreeable. Kozo had not wanted to approach Seele with the problem. He felt that they would have gotten the job done, but there would have probably been additional staff in the aftermath to increase security. Those men would no doubt hold ultimate allegiance to Keel, and prove to be Nerv's downfall at an inopportune time. Calling for assistance in getting Rei now was fraught with the same hazard.
There was another danger as well. Keel might take the initiative and have Rei killed instead of extracted. Such an operation had a much likelier chance of success. And given Rei's current medical state, which was largely a mystery to the American doctors, an accidental death was quite possible to arrange.
So, there were the options he had been able to devise. Damned if he did; damned if he didn't.
At least there was a small silver lining: having an Angel almost literally dropped into their laps had galvanized the Americans' release of Adam. Kozo was expecting the first man to return to his possession before the next day was up. Adam was being sent to them with all possible haste.
Fuyutsuki concentrated again on the demonic purple head before him. Kozo had held an immediate dislike for Gendo Rokubungi when he had first met the man. He had a smug, egotistical nature that just begged for someone to punch him. A notion that more than a few people seemed to act on during the time Kozo had known him. But damned if it wasn't justified.
Gendo had made a good decision. Even after ten years, his widow (after a manner) was ready to drop Fuyutsuki in favor of him, and he resided within the belly of a god-beast that he could control like a puppet. All this while Kozo worked through ulcer-creating dilemmas that should have belonged to Rokubungi.
"Clever bastard. God, how I hate and admire you."
Scene Shift
Naoko looked as someone knocked on her door. "Come in."
Misato strode in with a smile on her face. To anyone else it might have seemed merely cheerful, but Naoko had known the other woman long enough now to know that she was going to ask for something. Misato made sure to lock the door behind her. "Good morning, Dr. Akagi." Misato spared a glance around be fore taking a seat at her customary chair. "Maya around?"
"I've got her finishing up the Magi's diagnostics. We don't ever seem to get enough of a break from Angel attacks to finish it." Naoko smiled a little indulgently. "Plus, letting Maya order some people around will be good for the girl. She really is too shy. The idea of being in control of the process positively elated and frightened her."
"Will she be alright?"
Naoko waved the question off dismissively. "Maya is a technophile and a genius. She'll be fine. Honestly, I can't figure out where her lack of self-confidence comes from. But anything I can do to help is a good thing."
"I'm glad to hear you're in such a generous mood…"
"Ah, here we go."
"And what does that mean?" Naoko arced an eyebrow and Misato looked away, slightly embarrassed. "I don't come by just to ask for favors."
"Not always."
A brief silence filled the room before Misato finally spoke up. "Asuka is having a hard time coming to terms with what Kaji did. I need to borrow the video surveillance of him from that night."
Naoko thought about telling Misato 'no' flat out. Giving Asuka access to that footage was just a slow way of revealing that Naoko was spying on the Commander and Sub-Commander. Asuka would tell Shinji, who would tell Yui, who would wonder how such footage existed and hadn't made its way to her.
Misato could be a little stubborn sometimes though, and Naoko would like to keep any hurt feelings from springing up between them. So she decided on a white lie. "That's not possible. I destroyed the file."
"Why would you do that?"
"To keep from getting caught, Misato. Yui doesn't know as much as I do about the Magi, but she is knowledgeable enough to snoop around the system adeptly. I can't leave things like that on a computer, or anywhere else for that matter."
Misato sighed. "It's okay. I understand. It just would have helped Asuka get out of her denial. She's really rabid about discovering the truth of that night, and I'm not sure what to do. I want to help her, but once she realizes that the accounts are accurate, she's going to go somewhere bad mentally. I'm worried that she might relate it to what happened to her mother on an emotional level."
"The best thing you could do is to just be there for her, Misato."
"I try. It's just… Asuka is so independent. The closest I can come is being like a sister, but it's still not a friendly relationship for the most part."
"There's nothing wrong with that."
"And this job keeps me from being home."
"You won't hear me brag on Yui much, but I'll say this. She's proof that you can spend a lot of time in this place and still raise your kids well."
Misato chewed on that for a minute. "Mind if I ask something personal?"
"Go ahead, but I might return the favor sometime."
"What's the deal with you and the Sub-commander?"
"Oh, I think cattiness in general is a genetic trait encoded onto the Ikari X chromosome."
Misato smiled. "You don't have to say."
"Men."
Misato felt her mouth open just a little. "Men?"
Naoko nodded. "Our problem is men. Of course, we've been around each other long enough that any ill feelings have simmered down into cold professionalism. The job comes before being bitchy with each other. But she is not one of my favorite people. And she shouldn't be one of yours either."
"Why's that?"
"She doesn't speak about you favorably, Misato."
"I didn't know."
"It's nothing. Just know that Yui Ikari is not your friend, but she is your boss." Naoko sighed. "Most likely, she projects some of her feelings concerning me onto you. It's no secret that we aren't the best of buddies. But I guess none of that really answered your question, did it?" Naoko nodded towards Misato's cup. "Go ahead and get some more, this might take a moment."
Misato waved her off. "I'm good."
"I know that most of your social exposure was from Germany, so you might not know how things can be with married people in Japan. It's not uncommon that when a husband and wife have a child together for their… sexual dynamic to change. There's a distinction made between a sexy girlfriend and a mother of a child. So some couples, after having a child, sate their urges outside of the union. Just so long as the person is discrete, there's not an issue."
"Well, I remember that's how it used to be with some people. Sorry to interrupt." Naoko motioned for Misato to continue. "Well, with the population shortage following Second Impact and the decreased rate of pregnancies, I thought that sort of thinking was tossed out the window."
"I should have given you a relevant time frame. We are talking about early 2000."
"Oh."
"I guess this is just a long justification for my actions, but I never saw myself as some sort of 'home-wrecking whore.' But after Shinji was born, Gendo, Yui's husband of the time, and I engaged in a sort of arrangement. We were very subtle about it, but word got back to Yui anyway. She didn't take it well."
"After her husband died, Kozo followed her around like a puppy. Of course it was brushed off as him being a doting father figure and former mentor, but I saw his glances at her. The fact that they were in a platonic relationship was certainly not his prerogative."
"So, things went like this for three years, and the woman never shows any romantic interest. The truth be told, it was very annoying to watch. Kozo is not an ugly man. He has a morale fortitude that is endearing, and his resolve when committed to what he believes is right is admirable. He's a smart person, if a bit cold under social pressure. So I decide to explore whether there's anything there for the two of us. We went out a time or two, and were starting to hit it off. And then, out of nowhere, Yui decided that she missed Fuyutsuki's attentions, and pulls him back in. The two have been cohorts ever since."
"So, the Commander and Sub-commander are a couple?"
"I'm not sure. They certainly were. Something's going on lately though. I doubt they think I notice, but I've been around them for a long time. Their mannerisms are pretty easy for me to read."
"Wow. Score another one for the rumor mill. I thought all that talk about the two being involved with each other was because their positions dictated they spend time together."
"Quid pro quo, Major. I get to ask you something."
"Dang." Misato sighed resignedly. "What is it?"
"Who are you taking to Megumi's wedding?"
"I might just go stag."
"Oh? You're not taking Makoto as your date?"
Misato raised her eyebrows. "You think that's wise?"
"I think that you've tested him quite a bit. He runs more than a few errands for you."
"Megumi works in Unit-01's cage. Half of Nerv will be there. Do you think it's a good idea to be seen with a subordinate like that?"
"Throw the man a bone, Misato. I'm sure he'll return the favor."
"Naoko!"
Dr. Akagi's eyes sparkled, and she had an impish smile. "Just something to think about. You've said yourself that Asuka has been a challenge. If you're getting tension from work and from home, you need to find somewhere that you can relax."
"I'll do it if you come too."
Naoko laughed. "You'll do it anyway."
Misato got up and started moving towards the door. "Don't be so sure."
"I'll feign uncertainty if it makes you feel better."
Misato stuck out her tongue, and left the room.
Scene Shift
Asuka was pacing in a hall making hand gestures. Seeing no one around, she occasionally voiced some of her internal dialogue.
"This is stupid. Who in the Hell does he think he is to tell me what to do? He's got a lot of nerve."
Asuka walked to a door, and raised her hand to knock. She immediately lowered it. 'No.' She thought furiously. 'I am not kissing up to anyone because he decides that's how it's got to be. It doesn't matter what some damn little boy thinks anyway. I'll toss him away and find a real man.'
Asuka turned away ready to stomp off. 'Why in the Hell do I worry about what he thinks anyway? He's not that special.'
Even through her righteous indignation, she managed to dredge up a sensation. It was the feeling of her foot slipping on something. Except it hadn't been her foot: it was Unit-02's. Shinji had jumped into the lava without any regard for himself. He had urged her to climb him even as her steps almost disemboweled him.
Those were not the actions of a little boy.
He was cute; she could admit that. Shinji was nice too, though all the boys were nice when their hormones started acting up, which was a reaction that Asuka's beauty tended to inspire in the opposite sex.
But he did not get to order her around, damn it! That was not a part of who she was. Asuka Langley Sohryu was self-sufficient. She lived for herself, and to pilot Eva, because eventually, that was all she had. In all likelihood, some fourteen-year-old boy was not going to inspire a lifelong romance. He'd leave. Everyone left.
Another memory crept up. She could hear Shinji talking. "I thought maybe you had some human decency in you, that you could regret what you did a little, but you can't even say that you're sorry. Go find another dog to kick."
This wasn't her fault. She shouldn't have to go begging for forgiveness. He managed to get one apology out of her, but that wasn't enough. Oh no, not for the number one synch ratio pilot Shinji.
"Damned stupid baka!"
On some level, he had made it her fault. He had done everything right, never mind that he had wrongly accused Kaji and started some witch-hunt. She shouldn't have slapped him. In his mind she had betrayed him. Who cared if it was actually the other way around?
She did want to keep talking to him. Shinji understood her a little, which was more than she could say for most people. No one else knew what it was like to pilot the Eva, except maybe for that freak Rei.
Asuka gritted her teeth. "This is such a load of bull."
Scene Shift
Yui Ikari watched the feed from a video camera outside her hall. Section Two had called her to notify her that the Second Children was outside her door and acting erratically.
What was Asuka up to?
The girl always dredged up the worse feelings in Yui.
On one level, she saw her own failures when she looked at Asuka. Keel had talked with Kyoko and Yui, separately of course, to convince them to go into Eva. Had Yui been allowed, she would have given herself over to the golem whole, leaving nothing behind. Because that was the way it had to be: the prophecies seemed to state this clearly. But Kyoko had tried to sacrifice only a part of her essence on the altar that was Eva. The results were disastrous, but Yui had always thought that Kyoko had been the braver one of them.
Despite what had eventually happened, Kyoko had been the better mother. She had done what she could to save humanity, while trying to keep her little girl from being alone. The idea had not even occurred to Yui to go forward with half-measures.
The whole thing had been tragic. The empty shell that became Kyoko had done much more damage than a sudden disappearance would have ever caused.
On top of that guilt was anger. Asuka had all but broken Shinji's heart. It was all she could do to keep from gouging the girl's eyes out when she slapped him in the hospital. Shinji had never been hurt like that: not emotionally.
Finally, there was a knock at the door.
"Enter."
Asuka came in and bowed. "I would like to speak with you, Sub-Commander Ikari."
"Then do so." Yui's response was soft, and even though it tempered her words, they still felt hostile to Asuka.
Asuka twisted her lips, almost visibly biting down on some remark that wouldn't have helped the conversation. "I shouldn't have slapped Shinji. I wished it hadn't happened. I have apologized to him. I'm sorry."
"That's all?"
Asuka clenched her hands together, and rolled her head to the side. She looked back at Yui. "What do you mean?" The words came out through mostly clenched teeth.
"You hurt my son, Pilot Sohryu. That is not something I take lightly. Pretty words that feel like they are delivered under duress aren't convincing, though I can appreciate the intent."
"You know it wasn't Kaji that night."
"You have no clue as to what I do and do not know."
Asuka put her hands on her hips. "Fine. Who did he kidnap?"
"What?"
"Shinji and Rei said they allegedly saw him kidnapping someone before he supposedly shot them. Sooo…" Asuka shrugged her hands. "Who's missing?"
"You don't need to know that, Asuka."
"Because no one on the bridge has said anything about a missing person. None of the techs that I talked to had any missing co-workers, except for some Kisho guy who broke his arm. Nobody is missing. As far as I can tell, that means this whole kidnapping thing is a bunch of sheiss."
"I know Kaji was special to you, Asuka. He was your overseer before Misato, so you were probably quite attached. But he did betray Nerv."
"How? Who did he kidnap?"
"He was responsible for the power loss before the Angel attack. He sabotaged Headquarters. His actions were indirectly responsible for almost getting you killed." Yui wished she could take those words back even as she said them. The cold look of resolve that crossed Asuka's features told of her error.
"Have you got proof? Or are we relying on the eyewitness account of the Wonder Twins?"
"I will not discuss this matter further, Asuka. Desist speaking on this subject with any Nerv personnel, or anyone else for that matter." Yui's authoritative tone softened as she said, "You need to move on."
Asuka turned quickly on her heel, not quite stomping back into the hall. Before she left, she turned back. "I meant it. I'm sorry about Shinji. But that's the only damn thing." And then she was gone.
Yui took a moment to ponder the conversation. Asuka had managed to surprise her, though Yui should have seen this coming. Now she had to decide the best way of fixing this situation.
Scene Shift
Maya let the clipboard down to her side, clearly exhausted. "That's good. Everyone take a break." A quick look of panic crossed her face. "Well, not everyone. I mean… non-essential personnel may take a break."
More than a few amused glances were passed between some of the techs around the exposed Magi casings. Maya blushed slightly. She almost jumped when someone nudged her side.
Out of the side of his mouth, and in a quiet whisper, Makoto spoke. "You're doing fine. We've made it through the diagnostic without a hitch. Try to relax, Maya."
Maya gave one quick nod, before walking over to check something on Caspar.
"Poor woman." Aoba had turned around in his chair now, and faced Makoto.
"Yeah."
"So, is the remote plug experiment still tomorrow?"
Makoto shrugged. "It should be. I had to check some code on a computer in the Pribnow Box earlier, but it came out fine. I don't see any reason for it to be delayed. Of course, you know how the Angels are about letting us have a schedule. I would almost bet good money that one of them will attack during the middle of the test. I swear they're trying to wear us down with redundant maintenance checks as opposed to assaulting us outright."
Aoba grinned. "Our enemies are more devious than we know."
Author's Notes:
First off, I try to give credit where credit is due. Big D looked over the Chapter 20 draft and sent me back some good feedback on why the initial scene with Shinji and Asuka felt wrong. His suggestions inspired the revised scene, which seems to have gone over very well.
I learned a few things about writing over the course of this chapter. First off, if you get out of the habit of writing, it is very, very hard to slip back in. I had initially planned on just taking a two week break while I vacationed and went to Conventions and the such. That stretched out a little longer, and every time I sat down to write this chapter, I felt like I was forcing the words out. I'm still not happy with this Chapter.
Got something to say? Lemme have it. I read the criticisms and compliments and take them into consideration. My appreciations for all the comments and suggestions to make this story better.
Thanks for reading