Chapter 107: Playing with Strings
"…?" Kaji stated after reading the card.
'I'll admit this is in my handwriting…sort of sounds like what I would say to Misato,' he thought looking the card over and over.
"Are you still not convinced that you wrote and sent the box?" Asuka asked letting go of him and walking to his side.
"…well…it is in my handwriting and does sound like me," he stated with a neutral face. "But I did not send you the get well package. All I have brought so far was those flowers."
"…" the redhead said looking a bit taken back. "…oh…"
"Sorry to disappoint you," he said putting the card back in the box. "The stuff that you got looks nice though. Similar to what I would think about giving."
"…yeah..." she said turning around and getting back into the hospital bed. "Looks like useful stuff."
"Definitely would help pass the time for you being in here," the special investigator said picking up one of the items and looking at it.
"…" Asuka said looking a little disappointed at the bed. Sighing to herself, she brought her knees up and hugged them. Feeling too tired to push her feelings aside, she rested her head on her knees to look at him.
"If you did not send it…who do you think did?"
"Good question," Kaji said placing the item back in the box. Placing one hand on his hip and one his chin, he closed his eyes.
"Hmmm."
"…" the Second Child said giving him a longing stare at him.
"Could be my secret admirer and imposter," he said looking at the teen with a smile.
"…" she said blinking and sighing to herself again. "Sounds like a stalker to me."
"That it does. Guess I'll have to watch my back more," the investigator said pulling up a chair and sitting down. "How long have you been awake?"
"Not too long. You are the first person to visit me."
"Lucky me," he said smiling and pulled out his mobile phone. "I'll let the doc know you are awake."
"W-wait!" she said shooting her legs out and reaching toward him.
"Hmm?"
"…couldn't…we just talk more?" she asked quietly.
"Sure we can, but you need to be checked up on first."
"Why…why aren't you taking me seriously?" the redhead stated getting on her hands and knees on the bed. Reaching up with her hands, she pulled down the collar on her hospital gown. "Look at me. I'm considered a woman already. I'll become more so later on."
"…" Kaji said blinking and keeping a neutral face. "I'm sure you'll become a real looker when you are an adult."
"I'm plenty ready now. I know what to do. I can show you!"
"I'm sorry. I will pass on that offer Asuka," he said without changing an expression. "Right now, I will get a doctor here to come check up on you."
"…" she said looking more hurt and retracting away. With her head downcast, she stared angrily at the bed.
"…" Kaji said sighing softly through his nose. Dialing a number on his phone, he stood up. Looking at the floor and walking toward the door, he heard the phone ring a couple of times before it connected. At the same time, he saw a shadow of a person in front of him.
"Hey," Misato said seeing the photo. "How did this get in here?"
"…huh?" Toji said closing his eyes and concentrating on his breathing.
"I remember giving this to someone," she said turning the picture around. "…"
"Really? Who was the other guy?"
'…strange…this isn't the one I gave him,' Misato thought puzzled. 'I don't remember making copies.'
"It was for a friend."
'She would send that to her guy friends?!' he thought getting excited again. 'Damn it! I'm so envious to have a friend like that.'
"Must be one lucky friend," he said turning toward her and looking her up and down.
'Damn it,' Toji said looking the other way not being able to calm down.
'Not only that…but the card,' the Major thought looking at it. 'It is me like I actually wrote it. Everything from the phrasing, the handwriting, the little cartoon expressions…it is me.'
'Who would want to impersonate me?' she thought blinking then focused on the photo. Turning it around to the front, she saw something in the image.
"…" Rei said blinking and staring at the date on the phone. "That…is today's date?"
"Yes Miss Ayanami."
"Must feel weird to finally wake up," Rana said walking to where Shinji stood.
"…it…does feel…peculiar," she said still trying to grasp the time that had passed.
"Indeed. Time does seem to pass by when it only has felt like a day has passed," the Third Child said with a blink. Closing his phone, he pocketed it.
"Are you experiencing any aliments Miss Ayanami?"
"No…I do not believe so," Rei stated moving her arms, legs, feet, and hands a little. Nothing registered as sore or in pain.
"I'm surprise you aren't a little banged up from the Angel battle," Rana said sitting down on the edge of the bed.
"…did…we defeat the Angel?" the First Child asked seeing both nod at the same time.
"Shinji called it before the mayhem happened."
"…mayhem?" Ayanami asked tilting her head. As Rana started to explain what occurred during the battle, the Third Child felt the dark clone's presence. In his left peripheral vision, he could see its silhouette of red and black slithering in the air. Blood started to scent the air.
'Greetings sir.'
' #$%#$h…E…l…L…o… #$% #$^!'
Ritsuko was in her lab going over analysis tests when her mobile phone started to ring. Placing the documents down on her desk, she answered her phone after the second ring.
[Dr. Akagi speaking.]
"…!?" Kaji said freezing in place when looking up. Goosebumps flared over his body seeing who the person was.
[…hello?]
"ShOuLdN'T…yOu…AnSwEr…Mr…InSpEcToR?"
"…" he said swallowing slowly and putting the phone to his ear. "Hey…Ritsuko."
[Oh…it's you. Sorry, Misato is not with me. I can pass on a message to her if you'd like.]
"No-no…I called you specifically," he whispered and flinched from seeing the person's neck bend and crack loudly a couple of times.
[If it is for a date, I will decline. Plus, Misato wouldn't be too pleased at either of us if we did.]
"…that sounds better than here…"
[…what?]
"i'M…hUrT…mR…iNsPeCtOr…"
"Nevermind…Asuka just woke up," Kaji stated taking a slow step back. He immediately stopped when the individual took a large step closer to him.
[She did? That is a relief. Do you know if the other children have awoken?]
"…don't know…haven't checked."
[Could you do me a favor and check on them?]
"Sure."
[I'll let the current staff there know so they can take over.]
"Good."
[…are you okay…there is a lot of breathing in the background] she asked finding his speech pattern very off. Almost as if he was frightened.
"…another person…is with me…"
[Someone I know?] Ritsuko asked when the breathing started becoming a little more audible. Not hearing a response, she listened to the breathing till it suddenly stopped. Listening more, there was nothing. Looking at her cell phone screen, it showed that the call was still connected. About to put it back to her ear, she saw two red orbs slowly come into the reflection on the screen. They were hovering above her head.
"# $%#$hElLo #$%# $ DoCtOr#$% #$"
"…!?" she said in shock recognizing the voice. Standing up quickly and whipping around, there was no one behind her. Breathing a little quicker and feeling her pulse beat in her head, she scanned her surroundings. There was no one else in the room that she was in. Looking down at her phone, she slowly put it to her ear.
[You still there Kaji?]
"…yeah…" he said heavily sighing out loud. The sound of the Second Child was heard in the background asking what was wrong. He stated that he was a bit tired and that a doctor will be coming to check up on her soon.
[Something happened?]
"Nah…just seeing things. I'll go check up on the others then give you a call back."
[…okay…talk to you soon then.]
"Late," he said hitting the end button on his phone. Turning around, he saw Asuka had laid down and pulled the bed sheet up to her head. Giving an apologetic smile, he knew what face she had.
"I'll stop by again later. Be good and rest alright?" he said opening the room's door and exiting.
"…" Asuka said hearing the door close. Cringing and feeling bitter, she turned to her side away from the door.
"You jerk."
"Ahh!" Misato let out a small shout dropping both the card and photo. Taking a few steps back, she felt her pulse beginning to beat faster quickly.
"W-What's wrong?" the Fourth Child said turning his head back seeing her alarmed face.
"…" she said breathing a little faster, but tried to calm down. She looked at him and gave a nervous reassured smile.
"I…I thought I saw a bug or something on the photo. I must be jumpy today."
"…?" Toji said seeing the photo hover a little in the air before heading in his direction. Catching it and looking at it, his face became a little red. Looking at her, he steeled himself as much as he could.
"Is it okay if I keep this photo?"
"…?" the Major said blinking. "It…doesn't look weird or anything?"
"No! It is fine! It is the first photo I got from you so I am happy!" he said with a confident smile.
"…" Misato said scratching her head a little. "…okay…if you are fine with it, you can keep it. Just don't get too dazzled from it."
'Too late' he thought nodding his head with vigor.
'Male in puberty,' she thought giving a small smile then saw something on the floor. Looking down, apprehension ripped through. Immediately, her insides told her to escape seeing its eyes slowly turn toward her.
"The doctor hasn't seen you yet…right Toji?" the Major said quietly while not taking her eyes off the figure underneath the pilot's bed. Its head rigidly turned to her making several loud bone and cartilage cracks and snaps. It made her skin hairs stand on end.
"…no…not yet," he said noticing her taking a step back while looking at something below him.
"O-Okay, I'll go inform the doctor. Keep tight for me, okay?" she said reaching behind her and searched for the door handle.
"R-Right, will do!" he said still feeling excited with the photo in his hands. Seeing her open and exit the room quickly, he looked at the photo in awe.
"I can't believe she gave me this…a hot babe in this pose…kyyaaaaaaa, I've hit the jackpot!" he whispered excitedly while staring at it.
"Just makes you want to let loose…don't it?"
"Oh man…I am so ready once I get home."
"WhYnOt…n…o…w-now-NOW?"
"No way man!" Toji whispered while shaking his head still locked on the photo. "Can't leave any evidence. That way, you still look innocent."
"…IsEe…hEhHeH…enjoy the glory…CrAnKsHaFtEr."
"Heh heh…you know it man," the Fourth Child said then looked from the photo and pondered what he heard. "…hmmmmm…The Crank Shafter…heh heh sounds like a wrestler name!"
"…all…three Units went berserk?" Ayanami asked after Rana told what happened.
"Yeah. All three went mad. They beat then devoured the Angel to bits," the female twin stated nodding her head. "It was pretty brutal."
"…strange…" Rei said looking at her hands. "I don't remember what transpired during that time…yet…a phantom sensation remains from what you described…Ikari?"
"Yes Miss Ayanami?" he said after blinking at her.
"Have you experienced these phantom sensations?"
"More or less, yes."
"Are they affects from a dream or something else?"
"…" the Third Child said sensing the dark clone cackling evilly as it slowly descended through the floor. Once its image was gone, it began to move closer to him underneath.
"From past experiences…it is usually the body's remembrance of an action that has already been committed."
"…the devouring of the Angel…" she stated quietly.
"Unfortunately, yes Miss Ayanami. Evas-00, 02, and 03 defeated and consumed the Angel."
"…" Ayanami said looking down at the bed and stared. A part of her felt sick while the other part of her did not care about the significance from it. From the strange mix inside her, she sighed softly and closed her eyes feeling slightly nauseated.
"Are you in need of medicine Miss Ayanami?"
"…possibly…"
"Well you just woke up from sleeping for a long while. It makes sense that you'd feel drowsy and disoriented still," Rana said standing up.
'…g…o…t…o…t…h…e…m…' Sid stated in a whisper with its mouth appearing between the male pilot's feet. 'ThEoNeStHaTaReEsCaPiNg'
'…very well sir,' Shinji said with a slow blink feeling its presence sink back down.
"I will go inform the doctor that you have awoken," he said to Ayanami. "Is there anything else that you need Miss Ayanami?"
"…" Rei said opening her eyes and glancing at him. Her eyes shot wide open from seeing a familiar grotesque figure hovering between the twins. Remembering the sensation last time and what kept it at bay, she quickly reached out and grasped his wrist.
"I require that you stay with me Ikari," she said with slight elevation in her voice as she became alarmed.
"…what?" Rana said with a blink of surprise.
"That is my only requirement for the time being," she said watching it slowly move to be behind him. Though her face felt she had the same neutral expression, her limbs were shaking a little.
"…" Shinji said blinking then turned to Rana. She stared back at him and instantly flinched.
"…uh…you can stay Shinji…I'll go find the doc and come back."
"…if that is what you'd like to do, very well," he said with a small nod. Seeing her turn around and leave the room, he turned to the First Child.
"It's here…isn't it Ikari?"
"It?"
"…yes…your other self?" Ayanami said noticing that the morbid figure had not gone away. It's tentacles were slithering closer to him and her.
"My other self…are you speaking when my eyes change pigmentation and my presence becomes…unsettling?"
"…" she said pulling him closer and holding his other wrist with her other hand. "…sort of…"
"…" the Third Child was about to speak when a sharp blinding stab hit him in the back of his head. Feeling the pointed tentacle wiggle a little, he felt it push his head downward. Hearing rapid and several whispers at once, he concentrated on what they were trying to say until his head hit something soft and hard at the same time. Blinking, he saw that Rei's face was in front of his. Realizing what happened, he just blinked and kept his stoic expression.
"My apologizes Miss Ayanami for my abrupt action."
"…" she said blinking and remembering the first time he did that in the elevator. All of the sudden, her focus and apprehension on the figure seemed to disappear. Even in her peripheral vision, she could not see slithering appendages getting closer. Placing her attention in front of her, she gave a small smile.
"It is okay Ikari…I enjoy…this closeness."
"Have I hurt your head?"
"No," she said closing her eyes and enjoying the sensation again.
'What…what was that thing?' Misato thought standing outside of Toji's hospital room. Shaking her head, she was battling with herself internally. Part of her wanted to go get help while the other wanted to get the male pilot out of that room. Whatever the figure was, it reeked of hostility.
'Come on, come on, come on!' she thought rubbing her head
"Hey there."
"…" the Major said turning toward the familiar male's voice down the hallway to her right. "Oh, its you."
"Glad to see you too," Kaji said with a smirk.
"Were you checking on Asuka?"
"Just came from her room."
"How is she?"
"Doing fine and dandy for the most part."
"That's good to hear."
"He alright in there or did you wet his pallet?"
"…" Misato said with narrow eyes at him. "For your information Inspector, I did not do anything."
"So you say."
"…as for Toji, he is doing fine as well. Just need to go get his doctor to check him."
"Same with Asuka. Ritsuko asked me to check on all of them while the staff gets assembled and heads over here."
"Guess that leaves Rei," she said turning toward the hallway behind her. Both saw someone round a corner dressed in a high school female uniform. Looking at the face, both flinched a little thinking it was someone else.
"Hi there Rana," Misato said feeling relieved to see the female twin.
"…hello…" the teen said with a neutral face and blinked. "Hello Mr. Kaji."
"Hey there. You visiting?"
"Yes."
"Are you going to visit the others?"
"After I find a doctor," she said with a stoic expression and tone.
"You can probably get in touch with one at the admin desk."
"That's true."
"Actually," Kaji stated getting out his cell phone. "I was asked to check on the others and let Dr. Akagi know. I take it Ayanami is awake and fine."
"…" Rana said nodding her head.
"Cool. I'll let her know now," he said dialing the scientist's number. After the short call, he closed it and pocketed the mobile.
"Medics are on their way," he said giving a small smile at the female twin.
"Thank you," Rana said bowing a little before standing up straight. Turning around, she walked back down the hallway then made a left. Once out of sight, Misato let out a soft sigh through her nose.
"What did you do to make her look like that at you? Steal her boyfriend or something?"
"Probably would be better than what I did."
"You mean about shooting the kid?"
"…" she said grimacing. "So you knew."
"Word travels fast."
"Figures," Misato said turning around and heading down the hallway. Kaji walked beside her and put his hands in his back pockets.
"I haven't been able to mend that incident. She really does not like me."
"Probably hates her father more than you."
"How did Asuka warm up to you?"
"She initially did not. It took time to get her to thaw."
"That sounds like it needs more than a short daily encounter."
"It did take more. Becoming her guardian was the only way to be able to keep constant contact while monitoring. Kids are easy to turn around their ways of thinking. The older they get, the more hard set they can become over certain matters. If it is something they obsess over, it is more difficult to break that mold."
"Straight from the horse's mouth," she said walking out of the hallway and into a more open area.
"…" Kaji said looking at her then gave a short snicker. "Yes...I do still think of you when we are apart."
"…" the Major said continuing to walk forward, but held her hands behind her back. "That won't work no matter how hard you try."
"Oh?" he asked turning toward her and getting in front of her. "That means I can try then."
"N-No it doesn't," Misato said turning away from him when he wrapped his arms around her. "H-Hey!?"
"A tease and playing hard to get sounds like the old you."
"I'm not a kid anymore."
"I see you as a woman," the investigator spoke softly in her ear.
"…" Misato said not really fighting him and just holding onto his wrists. Feeling his head move closer to her, she turned a little to face him.
"…m…I…s…A…t…O"
"…!?" both adults stopped and felt apprehension build up. Slowly backing away from her face, Kaji kept his arms around her while scanning around.
"…K…a…J…i…"
'Where…where is it coming from?' she thought looking around not seeing anything wrong.
"SiTtInG-iN-a-TrEe," a demented boy's voice sounded. Despite having a similar tone to the Third Child, the voice kept changing pitch and annunciation. Both felt a morbid aura was nearby and getting closer.
"K…i…#$%# $L…l…i…N…ggggggggggggggggg#$%#$$ #$% " it spoke viciously while using the sound of an innocent boy to spell out the word.
"Where is it coming from?" Kaji whispered seriously.
"I don't know. I can't tell."
" #$%#$I'M#$ % #" the dark clone said materializing instantly in front of both of them.
"…!?" both said freezing in horror.
A slashed up and bloody body of the Third Child stood inches away from them. Black-red eyes bore at them with red veins coursing webbing through its scleras to its irises. Internal body parts were either hanging out or spilled onto the floor around its feet. Around them, a bloodbath with severely butchered bodies littered all around. Many of them wore NERV uniforms that looked like they were freshly killed.
" #$ $!…h…e…r…e…)&*(*&%$#" &*(*&%$#" it whispered as it grinned stretching the corners of its mouth to the back of its human head. Both started to shake seeing the numerous haggard teeth and rows of teeth. Its breath reeked of decay and iron making both lean back.
" ?" it asked before vanishing with the bloodbath around them. Blinking, both saw nothing around them despite still feeling locked in fear. Seeing a person's shadow, the quickly glanced over to see Ritsuko standing there with her hands in her lab coat pockets. Her expression was that of indifference.
"If I'm interrupting something, there are plenty of rooms to continue."
"...when did you get here?" Kaji asked holding onto Misato's shoulders with his hands.
"Just now."
"Did you see it?" the Major asked.
"See what?"
"The Shinji double."
"You mean the female twin? I saw her walking away from you two in the distance."
"No...the other one," the inspector stated with a serious face.
"Which other one?" the scientist asked raising an eyebrow.
"Does Shinji have a second personality Ritsuko?"
"…not that I know of…maybe when he was a schizophrenic. I haven't detected a second personality from him."
"Even when he turns to that evil form?" Misato asked seriously. Ritsuko was about to open her mouth when she thought about what she heard and remembered seeing in previous events. Closing her mouth, it made her wonder about if that was true or not.
"Dr. Akagi," a familiar voice spoke toward the hallway. The three flinched and slowly turned their heads toward where the voice was. The person they were talking about was standing there. His dark magenta eyes stared stoically back at them as he looked normal without alterations. However, his normal murky atmosphere was reverberating harder..
"Miss Misato…Mr. Kaji…greetings," he said with a small nod. "Has Mr. Kaji indicated that all pilots have awoken?"
"…he has…Ikari," the scientist said as normally as possible despite feeling unnerved again.
"I see," the male pilot said with a slow blink. "May I visit the Mr. Suzuhara and Miss Souryu?"
"You can."
"Thank you," he said with a small bow. "Good day."
"…" Misato said watching him turn toward the hallway that Ritsuko came down.
Walking away from them, part of her felt scared still while another part of hated herself. The incident from shooting him and what happened in the apartment still plagued her consciousness. Despite knowing that the female twin hated her, she had the belief that he didn't trust her at all. Knowing that he did scare her and gave a guilt trip, she felt depressed. Though there were a lot of things that were out of her control and that he had stated they she wasn't at fault, she felt like a failure to him.
"He seems to have creepier abilities than I remember," Kaji stated softly then felt the Major gently removed his hands from her.
"I'll go check on…" Misato said then thought about the reaction from visiting the First Child. Cringing, she continued. "…Asuka."
"…" the other two said watching the lavender haired woman walk away with a downcast face. Seeing the Third Child stopped in front of a hospital room and knock, he entered the room. Misato eventually reached the same room and stopped. Looking at the door, she looked back at the ground and continued forward.
"Did all three pilots go into a coma of some sorts for being unconscious for a week?" Kaji asked turning toward the scientist.
"Based on the circumstances and screenings, you could say that. The amount of strain put upon the pilots when their Evas went berserk was more than normal. All three reached a higher synchronization rate than 100% which would lead to a greater connection affect between both the Unit and the pilot," Ritsuko stated playing with her pack of cigarettes in her pocket.
"Basically, the pilots feel and experience what the Evas felt and went through."
"Roughly, yes."
"Sounds harsh…well, I'll be going then. Got to look like I'm working," he said with a stretch. Looking at the faux blonde, she just nodded her head with a blank expression.
"Alright, see you," she said and walked down the opposite hallway that Misato and Shinji took. Watching her leave, he headed toward and elevator down the hallway that lead toward Asuka's room. While walking, what the evil version of the Third Child said rang in his head.
'…I have uncovered a good portion of NERV's secrets as well as SEELE's,' he thought with his hands in his pockets. 'It will be only a matter of time before I will be found out…but…I have to let Misato know what is going on. Putting aside the strange aspects of the Third Child and Unit-01, NERV's secrets and SEELE's objective is a dark future for mankind.'
Later on in the day, all three pilots were released from the medical facility and sent home. Given their clean bill of health, they were told to attend school the next day. The following day, the three pilots were seen at school in the morning.
"Asuka!" Hikari stated after coming into the classroom to see her friend at her desk. Walking toward her, she looked to be brooding.
"Oh…hey Hikari," she said looking at her and smiling a little at her. Her friend gave her a small hug which made the redhead feel a little better.
"Are you okay?" the Class Rep asked sitting in the desk in front of her.
"Just still recovering from being in the hospital. NERV can be slave drivers. No rest or recovery. Get a clean bill of health and they kick you out back into society."
"That does sound harsh. How are Ayanami and Suzuhara doing?"
"Wondergirl is fine," Asuka stated glancing over at her. The blue haired teen was standing next to Shinji and Rana as they were conversing with one another. Looking at the expression on her face, despite being neutral, it looked more relaxed than normal. A part of her felt irritated seeing her that way. Turning back to her friend, she moved a couple of locks over her shoulder.
"The stooge is the same as ever."
"Good to hear everyone was alright," Hikari stated with a small smile. "Did the get well package help a little?"
"The get well package?" she stated and immediately felt bitter about it. Masking it, she smiled and nodded.
"I'm glad. I'll have to thank Ikari."
"Uh? Why?"
"He was the one that delivered mine to you."
"…?" Asuka said staring at her friend with a blinking blank expression. Her mind felt like it was screeching to a stop as she replayed what was said.
"What?"
"Yeah. I asked him to give it to you and combined it with his get well box. A couple of our school friends pitched in too."
"…what?" Asuka said in a whisper looking lost and blinking.
Turning her head toward the Third Child, he was stoically staring at Rana as she was talking to him and Rei. Staring hard at him, his eyes slowly moved on their own and looked at her. Blinking, his eyes slowly moved back to look at the female twin. Feeling her mind grinding from trying to process what she thought, the aspect that Kaji wasn't the person that sent the package started to sink in.
"Asuka?" the Class Rep said seeing her immediately stand up with an annoyed face. Without saying anything, the Second Child started walking toward the trio group. Despite seeing the First Child watch her, she shot angry eyes at the male pilot. The thought of grabbing his collar came to mind. Instead, she walked around Rana's right side and snatched his wrist.
"Outside now Third!"