+++++ 6th Angel + 6: Saturday (44)
Shinji rode in the backseat of 'his' car, the same black sedan that was always ready no matter where he was. Up front, Akane was driving slower than she otherwise would, at his request. Next to her, Mikoto was keeping in constant contact with the other cars, engaging in various exercises and actions to practice movements with the other drivers. Next to him, Maya was working on her laptop, still untangling the Akagi women, Ritsuko and Naoko, from the MAGI network.
What do I want? The same question had haunted him since leaving Misato's office. Love. Everyone brings it back to that same thing. But how do I know that what I'm feeling is love?
Gentle's whisper caressed his neck, Would you like me to make it easier on you?
You know, he growled, I would be more willing to listen to you two if you wouldn't just randomly pop in and/or disappear.
Oh, I'm sorry, Dark snapped. Would you prefer a titanic fanfare from invisible trumpets? We can make things a lot more uncomfortable for you if that'd help you adjust to us.
Or, he glared in the direction of Dark's voice, which happened to be directly outside of his window, I could instead just ignore you until you actually answer some of my questions.
Which questions, Shinji? Gentle seemed to shoulder Dark away, You know that there are some we simply cannot answer. It is not that we do not wish to, but the answer itself simply wouldn't make sense to you. It would be like singing to someone without ears, an exercise in pointlessness.
What do you want?! He clenched his hands, That's something that has to have an answer I can understand.
These 'Angels' as you call them, Dark sighed. We'd like them all dead.
He frowned, But why?
That wouldn't make sense to you, Gentle caressed his cheek. The closest you could come to the knowledge is that it is necessary for other events to occur. Without their deaths, life will unfold differently.
Shinji tilted his head, If I don't, I'll die. There won't be life.
Of course there will, you idiot. Dark groaned, Do you honestly believe that this pathetic speck infested with carbon-based things is the only place in the entire universe that harbors life?
From his perspective, life will cease, Gentle admonished her counterpart. Which only explains his motivation, not ours. Trust me, Shinji, when I say that both of our goals are compatible. You wish to provide protection to the beings that live on this world, and we do not desire to see that species end. Your assistance will not be to your detriment.
Shinji realized that their admission was more than he'd been given by NERV the first time around. That's…fair. I'd like to know more about who's in my head, but at least I can accept that we're not enemies.
Dark snorted angrily, If you want to know more, stop blocking us out.
I'm…not? Shinji blinked, I don't even know how we're talking! How could I possibly know how to stop you from talking to me?
A topic for another time, Gentle rubbed his chest. For now, you have yet to answer my question: would you like me to make this easier on you?
He sighed, Make what easier?
You question your own emotions, how you feel, how you would know what it is you feel. What you are suffering is existential, and not as complex as you are making it on yourself. So, I'm offering to simplify things. Gentle pressed against his body, It won't hurt.
All right, you, he can't see what you're doing. Dark's voice pulled Gentle's away, I may be angry with him, but I don't hate him. Make your offer from over here.
Wh-what were you doing? Shinji blushed, realizing how often he felt them pressing against him, suddenly imagining any number of rather…intimate scenarios.
Unimportant, Dark flicked his ear. Now, do you want our help so you can focus on your fight instead of your own damn navel?
Looking down to his knees, he frowned, Fine.
Look to your left. His head turned at a touch, Dark's voice growing soft. Who's there?
Suddenly, it was daytime. Gone was Maya, the agents, the world around him. Shinji was riding in an open-air, roofless, carriage along a forest road, a cool breeze winding its way along the damp earthen path. Seated to his side…was someone he didn't recognize, looking out to the trees along the side of the path and the river beyond. I…don't know?
The person beside him was very feminine, without question. A white cotton sundress cut in a modest style hinting at the curves within without flaunting her figure. Her hair, down to her waist and sun-dappled with the shadows of the swaying branches above, seemed to shift hues as they rode along. Looking forward, he noticed that nothing propelled the odd carriage, it simply moved along the path at a leisurely pace of its own volition.
Focus, idiot. Dark pushed his head back towards his companion, Focus on her. Who is she?
Blinking, trying to clear away the odd haze that hung to the woman beside him, he tilted his head to try and catch her face. I…I don't know. I don't know her.
His motion drew the attention of his seatmate, who turned to look at him with a simple, pure, smile, "Yes, my love? Did you need something?" Her features, the set of her eyes, everything screamed at him that he knew this person. Like her hair, her eye color shifted subtly with the light, taunting him with recognition that just wouldn't fully arrive.
Opening his mouth to speak, he found himself unable to vocalize. Confusion dominated his face, and he tried again only to suffer the same fate.
"No, no, my heart," the woman reached over, lightly pressing his jaw shut. "You're having another of your episodes. It's ok, we're here." With his lips together again, she stroked his cheek, "You're no longer there, no longer fighting. We're going to visit the new hospital to show our support for the town, remember?" Scooting closer on the bench seat, she worked her way under his shoulder, sheltering in the crook of his arm, "I do so wish we could rid you of these terrible memories. It hurts me to watch you struggle against the past."
His free hand moved of its own volition, forming a set of signals with fluid ease.
"There we go," she giggled. "I have to admit, it's kind of satisfying to know that holding you is a way to ground you again. It does a wife's heart and soul good to know that I have such power over my husband." She nodded, "But yes, you are right. The memories were what brought us together, and if you hadn't been there, we would never have met."
Another series of words, a language he didn't know yet spoke with simple gestures confounding him further.
"Truly? What an odd memory. We haven't spoken with them since the victory back on Earth," she tilted her head in thought, idly rubbing her hand along his thigh. "Though, I suppose, they likely wanted nothing to do with…me. I'm sorry," she sighed, "I know you hate it when I blame anyone but those you think deserve it, but they couldn't help what happened. You don't choose your emotions, your emotions choose."
Only hearing half of the conversation increased his frustration, but his body refused to transfer his thoughts beyond basic actions. Setting his hand down, he tried to think of a way around the limitations.
"You know," a vaguely naughty tone entered her voice, "we're all alone on this road. Nobody takes this path, not with the Chosen protecting it." Her fingers danced closer to between his legs, "We could…occupy our time."
His hand was more stilted in its motions, but still communicated thoughts opaque to his own mind.
"Well, of course," she tittered. "We might be a little late, but would that be truly so terrible?" Looking up at him, she let her love for him fill her gaze, "I swear, Shinji, there are times that I think you take your title far too seriously. However, since we're speaking of the past…a Paladin should hold his Light close, should he not?"
With an agility beyond that of a normal human, she sprang astride his lap, and Shinji finally saw it. Beneath the oddly sun-bleached hair, her eyes a brighter hazel than he was used to seeing…was Hikari. She had aged, her face refining its beauty, her body filling out with the promises of youth paid in spades. If he had found her compelling before, he was smitten beyond all hope with the woman before him.
"I pity the women that are plagued with doubts about their spouse's feelings," she whispered, tracing her fingers across his collarbone. "If my faith in your love for me ever wavers, all I need to do is look at the world you've created for us. The beauty we lucky few will forever know is all the proof I'll ever need."
As her lips met his, the world dissolved once more into the dark of the car's interior. The droning hum of the engine, the clacking of Maya's fingers dancing along the keys, it was as if no time at all had passed without as he had experienced the odd visions within.
So, Gentle asked breathily, do you love her?
There's more there, Dark mused. That is not the only possibility before you. Though it is the brightest point on the road you're walking.
Shinji smiled at the memory. Despite the confusion over her identity, the undercurrent of attraction went beyond the physical lusts he'd been feeling. It wasn't just infatuation, or duty, or any of the other myriad things he feared that he'd been confusing it with. He loved that woman, loved her with an intensity that threatened to unman him. Which meant….
What do I do about Maya? Or Kodama? He looked to the place he felt the voices rested, I don't know for sure what I feel about them, if it's love, if it can become love…. If I love Hikari…no, because I love Hikari that much, I have to tell her. Tell them.
Idiot, Dark sighed. They know exactly how you feel about Hikari. It's all over your face every time you even think about her.
We could always show you the likeliest possible future, should you choose to include them in your life as more than friends, Gentle offered. If you want, we could show you each woman in your life, in such a manner.
We could, but we won't, Dark shut the idea down hard. We are not pushing him towards any particular future, period. We are not her, and he will have to use the knowledge we've given him tonight to make the best of his own decisions. I accepted this was necessary to get him out of this static rut he'd dug. Any more, he earns himself.
Shinji nodded, That…makes sense. If I'm going to trust you, I can't be given any doubt that you're possibly trying to control me by dangling a carrot out in front of my nose. It seemed very peaceful wherever I went…and I want that kind of peace very badly.
There was a measure of pride in Dark's voice, Now, remember that you make your own choices, Shinji. Your guardian has the right idea, listen to your heart and everyone else can go hang. If you love everyone in the world, you love everyone in the world. If you love only Hikari Horaki, you love only Hikari Horaki. Nobody owns you, except you.
You should know, the other voice is trying to ask me to do something. He was offering trust for the trust he'd been shown, She didn't get to say what, but she talked to me while I was in Unit-01. You said you can't talk to me when she's around, and so I don't know if you knew that.
Don't. Trust. Her. Dark jabbed the back of his neck with her finger. She's a manipulative, lying, deceitful bitch that will abuse your goodwill for her own ends, Shinji. I don't care if she offers you the world on a platter, there'll be poison barbs under every step you take.
"Oh, yay!" Maya's cry of victory turned his attention from the two voices to her little celebratory dance, "I found it, Shinji! I have the argument she used to disguise the recursive call that…I'm getting too technical," she blushed. "Just trust me when I say that I found something extremely helpful that Akagi-san's mother put in place. There's still a lot of work to do, but finding this gives me better direction."
I feel…warm. Happy. Is this love too? "I'm glad, Maya," reaching over, he gripped her shoulder. "I'm proud of you. You're putting a lot of work into this, and if anyone could figure this out, it's you." I'll be cautious around the other voice, Dark. As soon as he sent the thought out, he knew that he'd receive no reply, the two presences gone from his side for the moment.
Slapping her laptop shut, Maya dived across the bench seat and wrapped her arms around his neck, "Thank you, Shinji." Hugging him close, she bounced with excitement, "Tomorrow, Hikari gets out of the hospital, you don't have class, I found the end of the string I've been tearing my hair out over…." Looking up to the two agents, both wearing smirks according to the rearview mirror, she blushed brightly and went to move away.
Quickly slipping his arm around her shoulders, Shinji pulled her close, "It's a good day, Maya. We don't have enough of those, and I'll take any reason we can get to be happier." Fixing his eyes on Akane, he tested out his recently discovered command voice, "Why don't we go ahead and hurry home? I think I'm ready to deal with everything, now."
"On your orders, sir," Akane grinned. "Mikoto-chan?"
Her partner nodded, touching her throat microphone, "All points, this is Actual, time for a new drill. I want to get him home five minutes ago. You know your jobs, get it done. Out."
+++++ 6th Angel + 6: Saturday (44)
As soon as he entered the house, Shinji could feel the weight of Kodama's displeasure permeating the place he called 'home'. Nozomi sat at the table, quietly keeping her head down and her nose in her homework. Holding the door for Maya, he stopped her as she walked past with a finger atop her shoulder, "See to Nozomi-chan. I'll handle Kodama." I'm sorry, Suzuka-san, I can't give her the cold shoulder. That's not me, "It's better she and I have this out now, with Hikari coming home tomorrow. If she can't be civil, then I'd rather be yelled at now than when I'm worried about everything else we'll have to adapt to."
"I'll work on homework and dinner," Maya nodded, accepting that Shinji knew himself and his limits best. Stepping towards the table with her laptop held behind her back, she swayed happily towards the little lady of the house, "Hey Nozomi-chan! I need some help with dinner, and you need help with homework. Let's go to the kitchen while your nii-san checks on Kodama-san."
Nozomi finally looked up, cautiously, and leaned slightly to look past Maya at Shinji. Once he gave her a comforting nod, flicking his head towards the kitchen, she began to gather up her books and writing implements, "Ok, Maya-nee-san. Thank you for offering to help me, I'm having some trouble with the grammar lessons today."
"What is it you always say?" Maya set her laptop down on the table, making it clear that all of her attention would be reserved for the youngest Horaki, "Family helps family?" Picking up a few odds and ends, she crouched down next to Nozomi and smiled back to Shinji, "Since I'm your nee-san now, and I think I might like your nii-san, I might just qualify as a member of your family after all."
Shinji took a deep breath, then started up the stairs. Family. There's so many types of love, I know this. I love Nozomi. I love Nozomi deeply, but it's 'family' love. Like Misato, or…maybe even Asuka. Do I love Maya like Hikari? Is it in between? He caught sight of the light coming from under Kodama's door, And then there's this. I…don't feel like that about family. She can crook her finger and I'm a gibbering idiot, but is it just physical? Could that honestly be love? …Or is it just me being weak.
Knocking gently on her door, he called, "Kodama-san, it's me. Do you have a moment?" You can't help your emotions…even in the future I haven't reached, Hikari's still giving me the clues I need to succeed. Kodama's angry, she's scared, and it pisses me off that she won't back down…but isn't that what's best about her?
The woman that pulled her door open hit him with a look that spoke of plenty emotions, but love couldn't be counted among them at the moment, "What do you want, Shinji?"
Does she need time to cool down? Would that just be me avoiding this? Why does this have to be so damn complicated?! "I want to talk to someone I care about," he offered with his hands spread out peacefully. "If now isn't the best time, I can come back later. Dinner will be ready in a bit, if you haven't eaten, and I can come get you…or ask Nozomi-chan, or Maya if you'd prefer."
"So I get the '-san' again, but she doesn't?" She crossed her arms under her ample assets, "Just spit it out, Shinji-san, I don't have all night."
Breathe. Don't let her bait you into yelling. "May I come in?" He gestured into her room, "I'd rather not scare Nozomi-chan with her hearing two people she loves arguing."
"Whatever," turning around, she crossed to the desk she'd once used exclusively for studying. Sitting down in her chair, she crossed her legs at the knee and began to bounce her foot in a clear display of irritation. When Shinji hesitated to enter, trying to control his responses, she snapped, "In or out, Shinji-san, choose one."
Another breath, and he stepped into her domain and slid the door shut, "Thank you, Kodama. I appreciate that you're very busy." Carefully leaving the measure of respect he wished everyone would just let him afford them off her name, he lightly clasped his hands before his pelvis. "I said, last night, that I needed you to let go of Asuka's past. That the woman here in this world is not the woman from my world. I wanted to explain that, in addition, I may simply have been misinterpreting everything she did. What I saw as…hatred, may simply have been fear. Her actions could very well have been intended to provoke me into acknowledging her existence. There is so much we don't know-"
"And there is so much you don't know," Kodama snapped. "You didn't see my memories, either, Shinji. You didn't see her abusing Hikari, or Nozomi. Or getting into unending fights with me. You are absolutely right, you're only able to see things from your point of view. I don't get that benefit."
Fair point…could she not just talk to me? He felt his anger rising, the tone she used seemingly custom-made to make him lose his cool. "Then, talk to me about it, ok?" Offer a compromise, show good faith. He frowned, Maya's bleeding over. I can feel her influence, because I know I'm not that good at this. "We talked about this in the furo, Kodama. I need her," he extended his hand, "I need you. We don't have to make this difficult, not until something outside of the house forces us to."
Glaring at him, she curled inward, "And when she hurts you? When you choose her over me? When I get left behind because I refuse to let you be abused? Then what? I get to be alone forever because I was right. Wonderful."
"I have told you," his anger pushed upwards, forcing his words through a clenched jaw. Hearing his worst fears thrown in his face, as if he wasn't keenly aware of how that felt, hurt, "I will not abandon you three." His voice raised its volume a few notches, "If I have to keep her away from here, I will. If I have to ask that she has no contact with you, I will."
Pushing out of her chair, she met his anger with more anger, "And when she hurts Nozomi? Hikari? Then what, Shinji? You have to work with her, you said it yourself!" Standing right before him, she jabbed him with her finger with each point made, "You just choose work, to save everyone's life, our feelings be damned! You leave us behind, make a happy little house with someone else! Let her walk all over you, and maybe, just maybe, you can jerk it yourself while you wish she'd look at you like we did."
His tolerances exceeded, Shinji roared his frustrations back into her face, "What do you want from me, Kodama?! I am giving the three of you everything I have! I am trying to balance eight million different competing interests and priorities and always, always, placing all of you at the top of the heap. What more could you possibly want from me?"
"Your fucking love, you myopic, soft-hearted…goody-goody!" Her attempt at shoving him backwards was mostly unsuccessful, as Shinji held his ground to avoid breaking anything with an uncontrolled fall while giving enough that she wouldn't rebound off and hurt herself. "I want to know that no matter what, I will have my part of you!" She shoved him again, "I want to know that you'll hold me when I'm dying!" And again, "I want to know that the fucking spirits aren't tormenting me for wishing that my fucking mother would just die so that I didn't have to watch her suffer any longer!" With her final shove, her arms gave way and she collapsed against him, sobbing, "I want to know that you aren't going to end up like Daddy…."
Like a stopper had been pulled from the tub, his anger drained completely away. She's…Asuka. She's so much like Asuka that she hates what she sees in herself as she argues against Asuka's presence. I really am an idiot. How did I not see this? Cradling her, he scooped her up from the ground and carried her to her bed. Sitting down on the Western-style piece of furniture, he laid her in his lap and began to softly stroke her hair, "I'm sorry, Kodama. I shouldn't have yelled…you're scared, you're angry…and you're just trying to find your way through it like I am." Apologize, just like I saw her do to Nozomi. It's what I wanted, after all. "I…I don't know why, but you just have a way of winding me up. It's my fault, I'm not saying it's your fault, I have to control myself."
Her tears choked anything she might have added, and as he rocked slowly she seemed to release more and more of her sorrows.
How long have you been building this up? He sighed internally, I'm one to talk. He knew that dinner might be nearing completion any moment, but he put his faith in Maya to work around what he was doing. "We'll figure this all out, Kodama. We can do it, as a family. I know I have challenges, and you have challenges, but no matter what we have each other! I…I don't know if I love you, not like you want me to, but I know I do love you. I wasn't lying, or making fun, I need you in my life. I need my brilliant, beautiful, protector to fight for me when I can't fight for myself. I need to know that when I get into Unit-01, that you'll be there to take care of Hikari and Nozomi-chan. You've got my back, I know this in my heart."
Balling her hand into a fist, she clubbed it against his chest in a strike that Nozomi could have doubled the force of without effort, "I l-love you, you stupid, stupid man…." Gripping his shirt, she tried to pull herself in tighter against him, "Why can't you just let me love you?"
Because you don't deserve to live a lie. The answer settled in his gut like a stone. If I don't love you in return, I'll be doing nothing but lying to your face every day. "I don't choose how you feel, Kodama," he echoed the future Hikari's sentiment. "I don't even choose how I feel. If I could just tell myself that I loved you, so that you didn't have to wonder, I would. But…it took me a while to figure it out for Hikari. You need to give me some time. I know you want to push, and…and…."
Coughing out a sob, she sniffled, "And what?"
"…And as ashamed of myself as I am to admit it," he set his jaw, "if you push much harder, we're going to end up risking a pregnancy." Tell her the truth, let her understand how conflicted you are. "You…you are so compelling, Kodama. But lust isn't love, even I know that. R-right now," spit it out, "if…if I didn't love Hikari like I do, I'd…uhm…I'd disappoint you. Really, really disappoint you. Enthusiastically disappoint you."
Another set of sniffles was followed by a bark of laughter, "Not anywhere near as much as I'd disappoint you, Shinji." Lifting herself up, she toppled him backwards. Laying halfway atop him, she nuzzled her face into the space between his neck and shoulder as his arms encircled her, "I told you, you're the first man to ever receive affection from me. I don't have any better idea what I'm doing, and chances are very, very good that I'll mess up our first time with the same enthusiasm I do everything else."
"You don't mess everything up," Shinji chided gently. "You just…you do what you think to be right. I admire that, Kodama. I admire that a lot."
"I love you, Shinji." She kissed the small of his neck, "And…I wish I could promise you more than my best effort. But I hate her. I hate her so much…and I know she's going to hurt you."
"Then she hurts me," he sighed. "She won't be the first, or the last. She won't even be the best at it. Kodama, you can't keep me away from pain. I can't even keep myself away from situations that lead to pain, how can you hope to stop people from hurting me?" Reaching up, he lightly ran his fingers through her hair, "Let's…stop. Ok? We're just winding each other up in anger because we want what's best for each other."
"…If you '-san' me again, I'm going to strip naked and show you how much I love you." She snorted, "We're closer than that, Shinji. Don't…don't push me to arm's distance."
Taking a cue from Misato, he tried teasing again, "So…what you're saying is all I have to do to see you in all your grandeur is call you 'Kodama-san'?"
Shoving herself upright, her hands on his chest, she set herself astride his hips and glared playfully down at him with tear-soaked eyes, "I will pound your hips through this mattress, Baby. Do not push me."
+++++ 6th Angel + 7: Sunday (45)
While everyone else slept, Shinji worked through the house with an eye towards someone in a wheelchair. Each pace someone would normally take was measured for width, the step up into the house proper the first of many tasks to fall. "You see the problem?" He gestured to the stair, showing Jake his concern. "I have to make it so that her chair can come in and out, in the event of an Angel attack."
"We would carry her, sir," Jake looked askance at the pilot. "Evacuating her is part of the priority chain."
"And if you were also engaged in a firefight?" Shinji began to run through horrible scenarios, "If the only people functional enough to move her had to use the chair because they couldn't carry her properly? She isn't as light as Nozomi-chan, Jake."
"Ok," the agent nodded, accepting the argument as valid enough. "If we're going to take this seriously, let's take it seriously." Tapping his throat-mic, he called back to his handler for the evening, "Cherry, this is Copper-Two, principle is concerned about the egress into his house. I need an engineering crew out here to design and implement a ramp for Light. She's coming home in a wheelchair later today, and all we have are stairs. Over."
Shinji looked along the walkway, frowning as he considered the cracks that had developed over the long years the cement had been present. "I really should put some more work into the house before we sell it."
"Cherry, I don't think you understand. I don't care if it's two in the morning, principle says that he wants a ramp. And if I have to send Nicolette back to base to find the grease monkeys herself, I'm going to involve several people in the conversation that you don't want to have to answer to. So you have your options, engineering crew, or most of the command staff climbing up your ass to find out what was more important than calling the night-shift supervisor to see if he has a person or two to spare for the Lead Pilot. Over."
It's just a ramp, Shinji sighed. "What's wrong?"
"Someone thinks they're important," Jake snorted. "We couldn't bring everyone from our team with us, and Colonel Katsuragi's still working on evicting all of the assholes." Holding up a finger he tapped his throat-mic again, "Thank you. I look forward to them arriving soon. Out." He smirked at Shinji, "She says twenty minutes. I give them thirty before I'm calling Idunn and letting her work off some frustration."
"She'll be sleeping in my room," Shinji thought aloud. "Everything she'd need is in reach, but I'm going to need to move the couch and table some. A wheelchair," he gestured at the width he was familiar with, "can't fit through there without scraping. I don't want her to feel crowded."
The agent gave him a sly look, "In your room, eh?"
The impulse to act embarrassed was triggered, but he was quick to squelch it. I won't belittle what I feel, not anymore. "The futon is big enough, and it's on the floor so she won't have to struggle in or out of bed." He looked to Jake, "Besides, the doctor told us specifically that we should wait at least a week before trying anything."
The big man's smile broadened, "All right, my friend." Patting Shinji's back, "Congratulations on realizing it."
A strange sense of pride grew in his chest as he realized that he'd been firm, but his statement had only prompted collegial praise from the man beside him. "It took me far too long, Jake-san. Far, far too long."
Far faster than the twenty minutes promised, a heavy van rolled to a stop and quietly disgorged three jumpsuit-wearing technicians. The foreman Shinji recognized from the team assigned to Unit-01, and the two ladies with him from his platform trips up to the behemoth. Quietly walking towards them, the big man kept his voice low, "What are we looking at, Paladin?"
"The step, Matsuda-san," Shinji gestured to the step into the house, "and then the mud-step. I have to be able to close the door, but I also have to get a wheelchair into and out of the house. If everything goes wrong, and Hikari has to leave on her own, I don't want her trapped here while I go and fight. I don't want to have to delay because I couldn't get her out in time. It's just not acceptable as it is."
One of the ladies pulled out a tape measure and began taking down numbers, the other snapped a few pictures of the area and sent a text back to some colleagues. The foreman nodded, "I see, I see. Not acceptable at all." Rubbing his chin with a couple of fingers, he approached the sudden project with an experienced eye, "We'll make it work, sir. Give us a few moments to discuss."
Stepping away to allow the trio room to work, Shinji gestured along the path to Jake, "This is ok, I never really thought about it until just now, though. I'm going to have to put a lot of work into the home to sell it, and all of the things we've done to this house, I have to do to the new one."
"Not alone, sir," Jake punched his shoulder gently. "Don't lose sight of the people around you. You're developing into a good leader, but you can't let yourself think of just what you can do. You've got thousands that'd step up if you directed them to. You've got approval from your own leaders to exercise that authority responsibly. Look at the end goal, then ask for the right people to make it happen. Don't tell them how, tell them what. Works better that way."
+++++ 6th Angel + 7: Sunday (45)
Arriving at six o'clock in the morning, with Maya in tow, Shinji walked into Hikari's room with her breakfast tray. The agent that had watched the preparation of the meal was more than happy to let Shinji serve his girlfriend, smiling broadly when he asked politely if it was okay for him to perform the task she'd been given. "Room service," he called with a grin as the door finished opening.
"I don't remember ordering a handsome stranger," Hikari giggled. "I was told that they were out of stock."
"We special ordered one," Maya joined in on the fun. "Unfortunately, they broke the mold when they made him."
"Lucky me," adjusting the back of her bed so that she was seated upright, she smoothed out her blanket. "I'm surprised they don't have you both testing today. Asuka-san said she was going to be at it all day."
"She wants to get up to speed," Maya pushed the tray table into place. "She's taking her duty seriously, and I've set her up with Shigeru-kun. I wanted to be here, and Shinji had to be here."
"Kodama is at home helping the engineers," Shinji added quickly, wanting to prevent any ill-feelings. "Her and Nozomi are helping them get everything in place for your chair." Setting her breakfast down, he uncovered it with a flourish, "Your tasteless slop, madame."
"Oh, hush," the Class Rep tittered. "It's not that bad, and I'm sure the cooks do the best they can with what they have."
"It's terrible," he smiled to Maya. "This is further proof she's a better person than I am."
"I'm going to throw my peach at you," Hikari threatened jokingly. "Then I'll make you go get me a new one."
"Truly, a terrifying presence to behold," Maya giggled. Looking back to Hikari, she let her humor fade to a fond grin, "Misato told him about you and I spending time together."
"Our secret club! No!" Hikari sighed, sagging, "I was so happy to finally be a part of a super-secret club, and now it's ruined."
"I'm just glad you weren't alone," Shinji 'broke character'. "It's been a small taste of what you must have felt each time I was in here, Hikari. I don't know how you made it." Sitting on the foot of her bed, he worked open the small carton of apple juice, "You're stronger than I am, and I'm lucky to have your love."
"I doubt that se-" The sound of Shinji's and Maya's phones ringing filled the room with a sudden dread.
"No." Shinji looked at his phone for a heartbeat before pulling it to his ear, "Misato-san…."
He heard the mixture of duty and regret in his guardian's voice, "Hurry, Shinji. I know you're on base, but we need to get out ahead of this. It's approaching the shore rapidly, moving north from the Kii Peninsula."
"On my way," standing, he hung up his phone and gave the love of his life the fiercest kiss he felt comfortable with. Standing away, he let his heart show in his eyes, "I love you, Hikari Horaki. With all of my heart. The Agents will see you to safety." Standing tall, he turned to Maya, "Give her a kiss goodbye, and let's go. We have a battle to win." Turning away so he wouldn't delay them further, he had the door open as Maya gave a quick kiss and pep talk to the bedridden woman, "Agent, you know your duty. Nothing touches her."
"Too right, mate." The brassy belle grinned, "You take your Italians and leave the real work to us, yeah?"
Looking to the pair of agents that had cycled onto his protective detail for the times Mikoto and Akane were off duty, he nodded, "Once I'm on the gantries, you two are on Maya and Misato. Same orders, nothing touches them."
"Only until you come home, Tesoro," the first agreed with a condition. "You are ever our priority."
"Let's go, Shinji," Maya pushed on him gently. "The Angel isn't waiting for us."
+++++ 7th Angel + 0: Sunday (45)
Dashing out onto the gantries, Shinji nodded to those that paused to salute as he walked past. Keeping his microphone open, he spoke at a rapid clip, "I'm here. Asuka's aboard Unit-02, where's Rei?"
"She's being brought in, Paladin," Shigeru's response was professionally formal. "Section Two is fighting against the flood of people caused by the evacuation orders, but they'll be here in fifteen."
That's another ten minutes to change and get in Unit-00. Shinji's mind was absorbing Misato's thoughts as the woman directed the countermeasures designed to draw the Angel away from any densely occupied areas. "Roger. Mother, what's our plan? A half an hour may as well be three years." Hopping up onto his lift, he grabbed the railing as it raced up to his plug.
"Sending you out to take point, Unit-02 is holding position on the Angel's projected path. The two of you will have to tag-team this one, Paladin. If the fight goes long, I'll send out Unit-00 as reinforcement." Misato's voice didn't dim despite her clearly speaking away from her microphone, "Tell the Air Group to stop getting cute! We just need them to harass it, not attempt to merge with it."
Irritating it is all they can manage, Shinji grimaced as he climbed aboard his chariot. At least now I understand why they're doing it. Luring the Angel towards them and away from the population centers…I need to do more to thank them. Sitting down, he felt the plug insert into Unit-01, "Science, let's hurry this up. Two is out there all alone."
Asuka's voice came through the microphone, "I'm fine, Shinji. This doesn't look like a terribly threatening beast. Kind of like the first one you fought, just without all of the spiky ostentatiousness."
"Please, just hold off on attacking until I'm out there to support." How do I tell her not to use her glaive? Does she have it? He was hip-deep in LCL, "What's your loadout?"
"I'm trying out the new sonic glaive," she reported happily. "It's a rather elegant weapon, I look forward to seeing what this monster looks like when it's laying in two pieces."
"Right attitude, Asuka," Misato approved. "Once Paladin is up there to provide covering fire, we'll advance. Until then, keep an eye on its trajectory and shift your cover as necessary."
Crap. Shinji felt the LCL begin to pressurize, Anything I say is going to sound like I want the glory. If I tell her not to use the only weapon she has, I'm going to provoke her. She may be nicer than the other Asuka, but she's still got that damnable pride.
"Go for A-ten," Maya announced.
As Shinji filled Unit-01, he felt the presence of the odd voice lay against his human form. There's an Angel out there, he stated tersely. I'm sorry, I won't be able to talk and fight.
Oh, I know, Lover. The feminine presence caressed his chin, I am simply here to observe an artist at work. There will be time enough for us to speak after Israfel is no more.
"It has a name," Shinji mused aloud.
Misato was quick to take note of his abstracted thought, "Something wrong, Paladin?"
Cursing himself a fool for still having difficulties with maintaining an interior dialogue, he shook his head to clear his mind out, "Nothing, Mother. Just thinking out loud, let's get me up there."
"He's steady at two six two, Misato," Maya reported with a grim tone, her song's affection filling him and binding him. "He's not climbing, but we need to be cautious."
"The Angel's not waiting for us," Colonel Katsuragi knew her duty and unknowingly quoted Maya as she made her orders known. "Evangelion Unit-01, launch."
Shinji braced himself, ready for the pressure of multiple gravities forcing the odd duality to feel competing sensations. His body sat clenched for several seconds, waiting. As the third second passed, he frowned, "Mother?"
Shigeru's voice called out from his position, "Negative for launch, ma'am. The rail sled isn't responding!"
"What?" Shinji could see Misato turn to address the chief of engineering, "Report."
The big man was scrolling through a series of displays on his station's screen, "System is showing…nothing, no errors. The MAGI are reporting the sled has launched, Colonel. Software glitch?" He began to type out new commands as he waited for further orders.
Triaging her needs, she set aside finding out 'why' for later, "Can we launch manually? The mechanical failsafe in case of total power loss?"
"Already have my teams working on it, Colonel. But that's another ten minutes." He turned and scrubbed his hand through his hair, "They aren't designed for rapid action, and we don't leave them primed because it increases wear on the entire system and could induce an accidental launch."
"Bringing Asuka's back down," Maya offered. "We can beat the manual deployment time by four minutes if we reuse it for launching Unit-01."
"We need to do something," Shinji growled. "My wingman is out there alone and I'm sitting here on my hands!"
"Visual contact," Asuka reported, her song now staticky and conflicted as he heard it with unified ears. "Long-range cameras show it approaching from the south-southeast."
"Damn it all," Misato snapped. "Ok, Asuka, I want you to approach with caution. It's going to reach you before Shinji reaches the surface. Feints and evasive maneuvers only. We don't want to give this bastard a fair fight."
While Misato continued to give direction to Asuka, Maya switched her channel to Shinji exclusively, "Ok, I've disabled the magnetic locks on your sled. I don't know if they've actually disabled though. If you have to, just rip free of them and get ready to move. The engineers are all moving clear, so you're free to act."
Shinji felt the clamps release him, and he began to gently slide himself towards Unit-02's pen to avoid causing more damage than absolutely necessary. The humans were gone, but that didn't give him free reign to re-enact one of Misato's old Toho movies where a man in a rubber suit destroyed a mock-up of Old Tokyo. He was only halfway off, however, when the sled launched of its own volition.
The violent action upwards sent him twisting into the gantries, smashing his back against the underside of the bridge and rocking everyone present viciously. "Gah!" Bracing himself as best he could to avoid causing further damage, he called out his concern, "Is everyone ok? Anybody hurt?"
"Enemy approaching rapidly," Asuka reported with a heavy dose of eager anticipation. "Preparing to engage."
Misato snapped, angered by the further disruption to orderly operations, "What the hell happened, Engineering?"
Straightening himself, Shinji turned to face the bridge and glare at his guardian, "Focus, Mother. Asuka's engaging the enemy, she needs guidance from you!" Looking around for the best path to Unit-02's bullpen, he tried to see with his mind what his human form would be seeing through the viewscreens, "Be careful, Asuka. These bastards have too many surprises. Don't just take the first attack it gives you, it'll be a trap."
Makoto Hyuga muttered loud enough for Maya to hear, which meant Shinji heard through her, "There is something distinctly terrifying about being glowered at by a machine that big, that close. It's even worse with the discordance coming from the man controlling it probably being the nicest guy I've ever met." He shook himself, "Sled's arrived, Paladin. Climb on board, we'll get you up top."
Maya simply smiled softly, "He's not angry, he's worried. I don't feel fear with him involved, Shigeru-kun. I feel hope." Looking over to her new sub-commander, she let her smile dim, "Unit-01 is mounting the sled now, Misato. He'll be up top in another sixty seconds."
"He's not biting on any of my feints, Misato," Asuka's frustration was clear to everyone. "This Arschloch just keeps letting me nip at it."
Settling Unit-01 into place, Shinji saw the feed from Unit-02 in the depths of his mind. The oddly-shaped bipedal Angel was indeed just moving slowly towards its destination, ignoring most of what Asuka attempted. It made no attempts to attack, no real hostile movements whatsoever. Just as it had the first time, it almost seemed to beg for Asuka to cleave it in half. Please don't. "Aim for the core, Asuka! The red orb is the key!"
"Launching," Maya announced.
As Shinji climbed, the rails adjusting to his destination, he saw the fire-maned warrior slowly lose her composure. Her attacks changed from slices and jabs to broad cuts and slashes. Come on, Asuka. Stab it in the core! Why aren't you stabbing the damn thing?
Finally, tired of being ignored, she screamed out her wrath, "Spott mich, du Ficker!" With her music momentarily unified, the static gone and replaced with a torrential undercurrent of raging madness, she jumped directly into the Angel's path. Spinning her glaive to gain more angular momentum before slashing downwards and cleaving her foe in twain, she appeared victorious.
Choking back his anguish, Shinji saw that her attack once again had missed the orb by a matter of centimeters. Go faster. GO FASTER! He tried to will the sled to hurry upwards, I have to stop her from-
Slamming the butt-end of her spear into the ground, Asuka smiled confidently with her song once again overcome with static, "And there we go. I guess this one was just too stupid to actually dodge." Stretching in her seat, she took her hands off the control yoke, "Not much of a first engagement, but I'll take the 'W'. Could have been…worse…."
Misato cried out for Asuka to take evasive action as the Seventh Angel pulled out the trick it had been born to use. Where there had once been a single, vaguely starfish-shaped creature, there were now two near-identical twins. One an orangish gold, the second a dull silver. Flowing like liquid metal, the pair flanked the flat-footed pilot of Unit-02, preparing to repeat history.
Shinji burst from the ground, too far away to intercede, but close enough to watch the brutal beatdown of his compatriot. Tearing free from the magnetic restraints, he dashed towards the scene just as Israfel Beta slashed a feint at the face of its tormentor.
Unlike the Angel, Asuka's natural reaction was to bite on the seemingly poorly aimed attack. As she slapped it away and went to raise her spear to thrust at the Angel, Israfel Alpha transformed a limb into a sharpened blade and cut her lifeline from her back. Her attempt to roll away from that assault gave Israfel Beta a clean shot at her head, which it gladly used to stomp the four-eyed helm face-first into the dirt. Rapid, coordinated, blows rained down on the crimson giant, battering the pilot in her plug and quickly knocking her unconscious from repeated trauma.
"Shinji, get her out of there! You two need to fall back and buy time for Unit-00 to deploy," Misato's tune carried its roaring bonfire, the anger and contempt she held for the aliens infecting her song.
As Shinji arrived on the scene, Alpha picked Unit-02 up and threw it unceremoniously out of the way of the forthcoming fight. Beta spun through a whirling attack, both 'arms' slashing twice against the horizontal plane counter to Shinji's approach. Shinji, unlike his fallen comrade, was not unprepared for this event.
The first time, I hadn't trained. The first time, I hadn't committed myself to winning. Ducking under the attack and smashing his fist into the now-armored core of Beta, he added the entirety of his momentum to the blow. This time, I'm not going to be stupid. Scooping up the sonic glaive from the ground, he blocked an overhead slash from Alpha with the haft. I need to get Asuka clear. Evade, wait for Rei. She'll coordinate with me.
Leaning away, he allowed Beta's thrust to pass harmlessly by before letting go of his spear, grabbing the Angel's limb, and throwing it over his shoulder away from the engagement. Carrying through the motion, he ducked and lashed out with Unit-01's foot, hooking and taking out Alpha's legs. Taking advantage of their confusion, he sprinted over and picked up Unit-02, "I'm going to position her on the lift, Mother! ETA on Zero?"
"She's working around to the other side of the facility, the gantries are out now and she'll have to climb across the wall. We're looking at another four minutes at least, Paladin." There was no frustration in her voice, no pity. He could feel her trust in him, and he used it to drive him onwards.
Roll forwards! The enigmatic voice's warning cry sparked an immediate response, and he sent Unit-01 diving into a tight ball. It meant losing his grip on Unit-02, though it stopped him from being impaled on the very weapon that had created the current mess. Alpha had recovered, sending the spear lancing through the air he had recently vacated and imbedding it in the hillside several kilometers away. You need to use your senses, Lover. I don't want to have to spend another trillion years trying to create the perfect Shinji Ikari.
"Good instincts, Paladin," Misato praised him. "Leave her there and head to Lima Three Six Five, you need to get an umbilical in and rearm. She's far enough away that she's safe, you need to buy some more time for Unit-00 to get on the board."
He sensed Maya's confusion before the woman spoke, "His batteries aren't draining." Her statement was too soft for anyone but him to hear, her voice pitched to not draw attention to the oddity. "Is this more software glitches?"
Shifting his course to the destination Misato had given him, Shinji forced himself to focus, Thanks for the head's up. I don't know what 'senses' you're talking about, though. All I know is that I'm…Unit-01. Just as it's me. If you have advice, we'll talk later about it. He reached the station ten seconds before Beta, giving himself enough time to slide in the umbilical and tear the door of the armory off.
Swinging the building-sized hunk of metal like a paddle, Shinji slapped Beta across the midsection. Letting go and setting his trailing foot, he kicked door and Angel away. Alpha leapt over its twin's tumbling form, slashing down at Unit-01 and driving Shinji further away from his armaments.
The Angel's voice, its Tenor conveying a sense of loathsome determination, echoed in his soul. You are not the Father. He would not torment us so. Whatever you are, Mockery of Adam, we will end you this day!
The accompanying Bass came from Beta, recovering its footing and moving to assist his brother, We are not weak, like our brothers. You will not find us easy prey, Mockery of Adam.
Mockery? The feminine presence within him became indignant, Mockery?!
Don't let them flank me. Shinji tuned out the distractions, instead drawing on the voices of the trio of warriors that had been teaching him how to fight in just such a circumstance. Stay in motion. Stasis is asking for a knife in the gut. Line them up, force them to get in each other's way. Each lesson recalled propelled him to an action, a flowing set of movements that had been drilled into him again and again. New ideas, new concepts, his connection to the people watching him struggle fed him ever more useful data to integrate with his training. He danced to a song that none but he could hear, gaining no ground but losing none himself.
"Thirty seconds, Paladin," Misato advised him, her voice calm and steady. She wanted to let him know that he wasn't alone, but didn't want to distract what she knew to be a daunting task. A master of self-defense would be hard-pressed against two adversaries if they were well coordinated and equally capable. That her ward, the young man she had begun to think of as her own, was still upright and fighting with everything he had amazed her. She switched her channel, though Shinji still heard, "Rei, when you get up there, I want you to lay down suppressive fire on the silver one. I don't need it to be effective, just distracting."
Rei's voice, the only presence around him that was free of music, replied simply, "Understood."
Shinji could feel the impact of his enemies' blows; cuts and scrapes, dents and rending strikes, each digging a new wound in his human body as the sympathetic connection mimicked the Eva's damage. He knew he had no choice but to fight with his bare arms, they wouldn't give him the distance he'd need to pull out his knife and they had maneuvered him away from the weapons cache. Every ounce of his concentration was required to avoid being gutted like a fattened calf, and so he trusted his plugsuit to hold his skin together long enough to finish the fight. Rei's coming. I'm not alone. This will not end like the last time.
As Unit-00 erupted from the ground behind the twin Angels, Shinji moved to support the orders his wingman had been given. Lunging towards the silvery Beta, he allowed it to think he was intending to attack it. When it stood taller, offering a very tempting target for Unit-01 to strike so that the golden Alpha could have an unopposed chance, Shinji instead shifted his momentum to drive his shoulder into Alpha's gut.
Pumping his knees and staying under its center of gravity, he drove his foe away from its partner so that Rei had an unobstructed field of fire. True to form, the bluenette read his actions before he made them and used her opportunity well to rapidly empty three magazines from her pallet rifle into Beta's back as she approached. Shinji's A.T. Field had degraded the twins' enough that the attack was effective in staggering her target in addition to providing the distraction Misato had ordered. Before she could rack the first round from her fourth magazine, however, the Angel moved to assault Unit-01's unprotected spine in a desperate move to recover its own offensive.
That was the move the Third Child had hoped it would make, and so Shinji borrowed a move from the wrestling shows that Nozomi so dearly enjoyed to push the battle towards its end. Wrapping his arms around Alpha's waist, he lifted it free from the earth beneath its feet and suplexed it into Beta. The titanic collision set the twins towards fusing into a unified being once again but left Shinji on his back, tangled in his umbilical, and needing to regain his base.
Understanding her partner's movements, Rei tossed aside her rifle and set Unit-00 to charging the freshly singular Angel. As Israfel Prime lifted its foot to stomp down on Shinji, she latched her Evangelion's arms under the 'shoulders' of the alien menace. Her action prevented a more serious wound, but could not thwart all damage as the talon-like foot of the Seventh Angel dug a trench on Shinji's face over his eye. "Strike the core, Paladin. Do not worry about me, I will not feel as you do!"
Neither needing, nor desiring, further prompting Shinji unsheathed his prog-knife and as he stood jammed it forcefully into the core of the grey-tinted invader. Bleeding freely from his most visible wound, the Third Child roared his defiance into what passed as the face of his foe. Punctuating each palm-strike against the pommel of his knife with an oath, he pushed the vibrating blade harder and harder into the crimson orb, "You. Are not. Welcome. HERE!"
As its lifeforce ebbed, the Angel sent out one final message, You…are him…. The orb crumbled, the rigidity of the alien faltered, and Israfel was no more. The oddly formed flesh crumpling into a boneless pile of biomass beneath the victorious Eva's feet.
Unit-00 caught Unit-01 as it stumbled forward, the purple behemoth dropping its weapon to avoid damaging its partner. "I have you, Paladin. Do not worry, I will not allow you to fall."
Breathing heavily, Shinji righted himself and tugged Unit-00 and Rei away from the misshapen corpse before them, "Back up some…. I don't want any more surprises today." Things have been weird enough. It would just be my luck that it had another form. "Science?"
"No more blue pattern, Paladin," Maya announced. "It's dead."
Her confirmation of the kill set the bridge crew to cheering, and only then did Shinji relax even slightly, "Roger that EKIA, Science." Patting Unit-00 on the back, he gestured towards the fallen and powerless Unit-02, "Come on, Rei. Let's go help Asuka."
+++++ 7th Angel + 0: Sunday (45)
After positioning Unit-02 so that the rescue crew would have easier access to its pilot, Shinji sat himself down and grimaced with a sickly smile, "Maya…what does breathing my own blood do to me?" He laughed, the concept amusing him, I'm breathing a blood-scented liquid that's tainted with my own blood. Somehow, I think I'll be fine. He couldn't see from his left eye, could count at least a dozen places on his body that felt wrong, and it just amused him more. That the LCL refused to drain was just the latest in the string of oddities that was the day.
"Let's not draw out the experiment," Misato interjected. "I want you and Rei out of your Evas and ready for evac. With the sleds acting up, I'm not taking any risks. You'll ride home in the evac bird."
Your blood is lighter than my own, Lover. The odd presence in his mind probed the wound on his face, It floats to the top of this prison, and so little, if any, of your blood would have entered your lungs.
That's…comforting, Shinji moved to place Unit-01 to the side of Unit-02. Thank you, again, for the warning. I don't feel pain, usually, but I get the feeling that being gored by the glaive might have stung a little.
Your senses, she picked up on the abandoned conversation thread. You use them outside of this clone. Inside, they are simply amplified. The memories, skills, and mood of the closest allies, the method by which you draw them into yourself is the way you need to practice. Master that, and you will master your awareness.
Settling on his belly, he risked angering the feminine presence, Dark and Gentle say I shouldn't trust you. They say that I can't understand why they oppose you, or why you pulled me back through time.
I do not know any 'Dark' or 'Gentle', Lover. Though if those of which you speak are who I believe them to be, I would say the same as they. He felt a hand grip his throat, Do not trust them. I am never dishonest in my desires, nor have I once lied to you. Ask yourself who you should trust: those who hide their ambitions behind esoteric slogans, or the one that offers you tangible payment for honest service.
He had to admit that she had a valid point worth considering, What service?
Kill these Children of Adam. Free me. Her hand moved from his throat to cup his face, I will give you anything you desire, Shinji. I will help you rebuild the universe itself in the image of peace and tranquility you crave. I do not seek dominion, or ladyship. I pursue no throne or worship. I just yearn to be free again to choose my own associations. To offer my love to those who would accept it, he felt her lay closer to him, return it….
"Severing the connection," Maya announced before unknowingly cutting Shinji's conversation short.
The sense of vertigo as he lost his link to Unit-01 slapped Shinji across the face, and he gagged back the urge to vomit, "Guh…." Once more in his human form, he looked into the worried face of one of his potential paramours, "I…was going to do that." Don't get angry. She's trying to get you somewhere safe. She doesn't know.
The sensation of his plug ejecting was more than he could handle, and he flopped onto his side and twitched as his inner ear and brain rebelled against further motion. Rei's voice, muffled by the liquid between him and her, sounded off, "Shinji?" He felt the LCL displace, his fellow pilot dropping down to slide under his arm, "I have you. You are not alone."
"Now…you're breathing…my blood," he tried humor to stop himself from swearing in disoriented pain and confused anger.
"I find nothing offensive about that concept," the bluenette replied as she helped him move towards the exit. "We are unified in purpose," with a tiny, ladylike, grunt she struggled to position his bulk where he wouldn't fall back down. "I desire a closer rapport with you," flipping upside down, she hooked her legs over the edge of the entrance. "You will never suffer again, Shinji. Not so long as I draw breath."
With her face inverted near his, he smiled at the seriousness she projected over such a simple topic as comradeship. "Nor will you, Rei. Nor will you."
Pausing, she seemed to consider his statement. Pulling him closer, she kissed him gently. It wasn't the kind of hungry kiss Kodama gave, or the awkwardly enthusiastic kiss of Nozomi. It didn't have the fire and passion Hikari put into it, or the serene offer of Maya's. It was, as all things with the albino pilot were, pure Rei Ayanami. "Thank you, Shinji. It is a less lonely world with you in it. Now, I will need you to assist me with moving you into the open air. Your mass is in excess of what I am currently capable of lifting alone."
After she laced her fingers together as a stirrup, Shinji was able to use her as a leverage point to lock his arms in the open air and hoist himself halfway out. Watching Rei flow up from the LCL, he chuckled and coughed out the LCL, "You," a series of hacking coughs erupted, "make it look so easy."
"I weigh approximately a third of what you do," she slid down to pull him out. "At your mass, it becomes exponentially more difficult to accomplish what I can at my own." The remainder was a simple matter of providing him adequate grip to heft himself free, and she set herself to the task with an eager enthusiasm. "You are bleeding significantly, I would recommend we move to the external first aid storage compartment."
He wiped his face, his hand coming away covered in a mixture of LCL and blood, "Oh…is that what this is?" Keep laughing. Don't get angry. "I was hoping it was coffee. I liked Kelly-san's coffee."
"That is…humorous," Rei tilted her head. Settling once more under his arm, she helped balance him on the path to the panel that would allow her to begin treating his wound. "I enjoy your jokes, Shinji. You should share them more often."
Dropping to the ground, he laid his head back against Unit-01 as Rei began pulling out the various pre-packaged medical supplies, "I'll try." I don't hear the VTOLs, they're usually right on their way. Flicking the switch on his suit to open communications with the bridge, he closed his eye and waited for Rei to do what she would, "Mother, this is Paladin. What's going on? We're not that far from the airstrip."
"Shinji," Maya's voice replied instead. He could tell just from how she said his name that he wasn't going to enjoy what followed, "We have two SAR teams en route. Rina and Hina will take care of you and Rei, we have Kaz and Green heading for Asuka in Unit-02. The VTOL squadron…suffered a loss during combat, so we're sending out two helicopters. We'll talk more when I'm not operating over the radio, ok?"
"Wh-who?" I have to know. I can't sit here and relax if…if any of them…. When there was no response, he opened his eye and glared at his wrist, "Maya, who?!"
"Glitch and Toggle," she replied quietly. "Their Osprey got hit with one of those bizarre cruciform explosions. We don't have any word on casualties yet, Shinji. I promise you, we'll keep you informed. Just, not over the radio. Please, just wait for the helicopters and cooperate with the Corpsmen."
"You need to calm yourself," Rei cautioned, using a liberal amount of foaming disinfectant spray around his left eye. "Agitation will only increase the bleeding, and as it is you may have a scar. Class Representative Horaki would not appreciate it if I returned you to her with further damages that I might have prevented."
"It's kind of hard to be calm, Rei," Shinji sighed, struggling to not take his anger out on the ballerina. "Asuka's in her plug, and I don't know if she's still out of it or is just not wanting to see us. I can't go check because my head feels like someone's pulling on my brain randomly. I'm sitting here bleeding into my plugsuit, and all over yours. Two of my…two good men may very well be dead because the sled didn't deploy on time. We won…but what did it cost us, Rei?"
Rei took his chin and held it steady as she worked a padded bandage into position, "The price of another day in this life, no more, no less." Wrapping an elastic bandage around his head to hold the padding in place, she kept her tone soothing, "If the Second Child is unconscious, there is little we can do for her. The LCL will be better than sitting out here. Your injuries are not an attempt at malingering to avoid your duties, and should she feel otherwise I will gladly correct her misperception. As for our colleagues…." She frowned, sitting back down, her work done for the moment, "I do not know how to advise you. They accepted all risks associated with their station, and should they have fallen in combat we will owe their family appropriate compensation. It is…why we fight, is it not? To protect life, to see it thrive and flourish."
"I could have done more, Rei," Shinji wasn't willing to accept their loss as unavoidable. "I don't know how…but I should have done more."
