When the boy opened his eyes. He was drifting in complete darkness. He felt as if something or someone wanted to have a little personal chat with him. Looking down, the boy saw a white glowing figure swimming up to greet him. Her body was feminine and had long white hair tailing behind it. Her eyes were black and so was her mouth. She floated in font of him for a few seconds. Her hand reached out for him, almost touching his cheek. Before her hand connected, she violently whipped away from him and withdrew. The boy felt distant emotions at the back of his mind.
Anger, sorrow, hurt, confusion, betrayal.
With a sigh, the boy had no other choice. He had to let her in, completely. Closing his eyes again, he began to open up and expose everything to her. The figure looked to him with an unreadable expression. She swam back and studied him, brushing a loose strand of hair out of his face. The boy saw memories of all of his previous lives as Shinji. All of it. The good, the bad, and the down right horror of his reality. The pale woman drifted closer to the boy and reached for him again. Placing a soft hand delicately on his cheek, he tried to close back up. But it was too late. She began to see his life as well, not just Shinji's life. He had a difficult time seeing what she was seeing. She witnessed memories that were long forgotten by him. He expected her to reject him or even kill him, but that never happened. She caressed his cheek and embraced him. A new set of emotions played in the boy's mind.
Happy, empathy, sympathy, comfort, love.
She held him like he was her own. In a way, the boy was. He may not be Shinji, but he was still her son regardless of form. The boy, on the other hand, was left confused in her embrace. He blinked a few times. Did Unit-01 just adopt him as her son? That seemed to be the case as the figment cradled him. A sharp pang shot through his head as his eyes opened, revealing the inside of the entry plug. The Eva hummed as it fully activated. He had been accepted by his mother once more. Yui Ikari was now connected to him.
Back in the laboratory, Ritsuko was taken aback by what she just witnessed. The berserker activated without a hitch! The beast seemed to have been tamed, but still, something unnerved her. The boy's sync score shot up to 500%. It only lasted for a point of a millisecond, but the M.A.G.I. recorded it all the same. That percent could have astronomical repercussions if gone on for any longer. After the blip in the score, he sat at a luxurious 84%. Ritsuko leaned back in her chair, she let out a humored breath. With a solid eighty four, that could be the deciding factor in this ware against the angels. This kid … who ever he may be, he could be the greatest asset to NERV. Scratch that, he may be able to save the whole world if they gave him the proper training. She opened the channel.
"E-Excellent job! You did phenomenally well on your first sync test! I will prepare Unit-00. Go to the next cage when ready." She said.
Huh, the boy wasn't expecting praise from Ritsuko. She wasn't one to blow smoke, that he knew. When she complemented or insulted someone, there was usually something to it. If she called you stupid, that wasn't an opinion, that was a fact. The boy sighed in relief, the doctor seemed to have at least taken a liking to him. Within the span of a few minutes, he was ejected from Unit-01 and moved on to Unit-00. The Cyclops. There he stood, in front of the popsicle painted Eva of orange and white. Second verse, same as the first. Hopping up the platforms, he made it to the entry plug. It opened up for him and he jumped right on in with out a second thought.
Who was it going to be this time? A Rei soul or somebody else's? The boy didn't have as much experience with this Unit in particular, who knows what could happen if he made the wrong move. The LCL filled the cockpit and took a deep breath of the iron scented red liquid. The system booted up and the comms sounded.
"Listen carefully Fourth Child, this Unit is known to be a little … twitchy. Please be careful. If you feel endangered, even for the slightest moment, tell me and we'll stop the test."
"I'll make sure not to poke her too much." He replied, little to Ritsuko's comfort.
With the hum of the Eva, once again, he was plunged into darkness. The void welcomed him with open arms as he sank back into the abyss. He noticed another white figure floating with him. This one had shorter hair than the previous one. Like the one before, her eyes were blackened like obsidian. He shuffled through his memory bank to find some sort of clue to who this might be. She turned to look at him and hesitantly swam to his position. The woman tilted her head at the boy, clearly unsure how to react.
Confusion, curious.
She barged into the boy's mind and projected her emotions. Without his permission, she began shuffled through his memories. He noticed something odd about this phantom, besides her pushiness. She lingered on the memories of Ritsuko the longest. The zombie child started feel off as his head began to ache and burn. He looked to the woman who now held a scornful expression. A continuously growing rage ignited inside the woman, burning the poor boy. She replayed memories over and over in his head. The memories of Gendo and what he had done. … Uh oh.
Anger, hatred, sorrow, disdain, betrayal, hurt, loath, regret, love?
A hurricane of emotions ripped through his mind. He had to find a way to get her away from these memories. With effort, he decided to show her the calmer side to his mind.
Outside of the plug, the Eva's hand twitched. Ritsuko and Maya looked to the computer, the boy wasn't fully synced with the Unit yet and his vitals were becoming increasingly worrisome. His heart rate gradually starting increasing and his brain activity became irregular. Ritsuko hovered her hand over a large button, ready to terminate the test if things escalated any further.
Back inside the cyclops, the boy took his time in exposing more of his past experiences. The woman calmed, but that lasted for only a few seconds. Memories of Rei began to play in his head. Instantly, the anger struck back with vengeance. Whatever happened between this woman, Rei, and Gendo must have been terrible for her reactions to be so hostel … Something clicked in the boy's head. He focused on Ritsuko for a moment. She reacted.
Sadness, sorrow, regret, longing.
Interesting. The boy switch over to Rei and showed the phantom what had happened to the bluenette. The manipulation, replacement, lying, abuse. absolutely everything the poor girl had been through. Even her becoming the angel that ended the world. The figure seemed to be in awe by the slide show. It paused for a few moments in thought. She crept closer to the boy and touched her forehead to him. His world flashed white.
There, he stood in a large room. It looked to be a control center of some sort. He turned to see a woman with brown hair that looked like a cross between Ritsuko's and Rei's hair style. She tapped away on the computer, until she swiveled her sci-fi-looking chair in his direction.
"Eh hem, did you need me for something Rei?" She said with a little smile.
The boy turned to see a little girl with blue hair at the entry way.
"I lost my way, doctor …" She trailed off.
The child Rei blinked and looked up at him. He turned to see if she saw something above him, there was nothing. He moved, her head followed.
"Um, Rei? Are you feeling okay?" The Doctor asked.
"I am fine. However, I have a question. Who is that?" She pointed at the air.
The older woman quirked a brow. "Rei, no one is-" She cut her self off with a gasp. Black mist swirled around the ground and took shape, The doctor jumped from her chair.
Within a few seconds, a boy was standing between the two of them. He turned to the taller lady. The boy didn't really know where he was or what to do. He huffed a breath.
"Welp … This just got a lot more interesting. Bet you weren't expecting this to happen when you woke up this morning, huh?" He asked.
The lady subconsciously nodded. They were all in the same boat, confused and unsure of what to do in this situation. The boy rubbed his head in thought. This was a memory, he was sure of it. But … it was interactive? Did he travel back in time or something? He didn't know. The boy sighed.
"Well, this is a conundrum." He said, scratching the back of his neck.
He noticed the doctor reach into her pocket. She was going to call security, wasn't she. He clicked his tongue. "I don't think that'll help the situation at hand."
She froze as she was caught and slowly placed the phone back into her coat.
"What are you and why are you here!" She asked, her brows knitted together and her voice was as stern as ever.
The boy quirked a brow of his own. " ... I'm the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come." He said, "look, Miss, I'm not even sure where here is. The only thing that I can recognize here is Rei."
She gasped. "How do you-"
"Could you relax, please?" He interrupted, " tell you what, I'll explain everything I know about what's going on, but first I'm gonna need you to work with me a little here."
With a sigh, the boy sat down in an open seat. "Alright, here's the gist. I'm an upcoming Evangelion pilot for NERV. I was syncing with Unit-0 when it transported me here for one reason or another. A Doctor by the named of Ritsuko Akagi was in charge of the test. I can only imagine what's going on through her head right now, my scans must be all over the place. … I believe the Eva sent me here to show me something, but that's just a guess at best. That's about all the relevant information I have." He explained.
The Doctor took a step back in shock. She began to mutter to herself. "It worked? The Evangelion project was a success? No, how would he know that, it's impossible... and how does he know about my …" She looked to him and narrowed her eyes.
"Forgive me, but I find it hard to believe that your from the future or where ever." She started. "However, I have a couple of questions. First, how do you know my daughter?"
He blinked. Daughter? Slowly, but surely, he began to understand. The phantom kept staying on the memories of the good doctor, so could this woman be the soul inside Unit-0? The mother of Ritsuko Akagi. Huh, imagine that. But if that were true, why make him talk to a memory from a time long past?
"I take it that you're the elder Akagi then. Hmm, interesting. To answer your question, I've met her millions of times really. All throughout timelines and universes. Every single reset. Over and over again. For me, personally, I recently met her in the laboratory of NERV, who was accompanied by the first lieutenant named Maya Ibuki. But, like I said before, your daughter Ritsuko helped me with the sync tests." He tilted his head, "did you know she gained weight?" He asked. A dumb question indeed.
Akagi's eye twitched at the 'elder' part. "Timelines? Universes? Resets? I'm not sure I follow, but then again, you did just appear out of black vapor that came from who knows where. So, I guess I'll humor you … for now." She tapped her chin and scowled. "And what's this about gaining weight!"
The boy snickered at her little outburst. "I guess it, pfft, runs in the family!"
And there it was again, the eye twitch. He noticed and stopped snickering. The boy closed his eyes in thought and hummed. "I see you're a little self-conscious." He mused. "I find it funny how butterflies never truly know how beautiful they really are." Scratching at his hair, he continued. "Honestly, I don't think you should be wound up about your appearance. You are a beautiful woman to say the least."
The doctor's face lit up with a bashful blush at the boy unexpected blunt remark. He caught her off guard, damn! She mustn't get too careless. She cleared her throat. "I'm flattered, but I fail to see the reliance of that."
He nodded and awkwardly craned his head to the side and looked to the child Rei that had been standing at the entry way ever so quietly. "Rei, may I ask why you're down here? You have no reason to be … well, besides spending time with the good doctor." The boy had a suspicion that he was behind this somehow. Why else would Rei be here of all places, it's not like she randomly wanders around. He knew she was told to come down here, the question was, why?
The confused girl blinked at him. "I was instructed to come down here."
Well, that was easy. This must've been the first Rei clone, so maybe the programming wasn't as far along as the other ones. Taking a guess, she probably would tell him anything as long as Gendo didn't instructed her specifically not to. He stood up and walked over to her. Crouching down, he spoke on her level.
"What were you instructed to do?"
"To tell Doctor Akagi what the commander told me." She answered.
" … Which is?"
Rei blinked again and tilted her head to the side. "He wanted me to tell Doctor Akagi his opinion of her, that the commander see's her as an 'old hag' and that he has no more use for her. I was instructed to instigate the doctor, though I am unsure why."
Ah, this memory, or something, was starting to make a little more sense. Was this the reason why the elder Akagi hated Rei so much? Possibly her self-consciousness may have played a factor in all of this. Gendo always knew where to poke someone and manipulated them with ease, especially when it came to a 'loved' one. The boy truly hated that man.
"Thank you Rei, that's all for now. I will pass that along to the doctor, you may leave at your leisure." He said, giving the girl a little pat on the head.
Her eye's sparkled at the contact. The boy's smile faltered. He knew Rei was starved of affection, but for god sake's Gendo! Was it too much to treat a child, not to mention a clone of your wife, with just a little more love and respect? Who was he kidding, that thing didn't feel anything for anybody. The boy started to wonder if Gendo even capably of loving Yui anymore.
Rei scampered off down the hallway, she turned her head to look at him one last time before disappearing from sight. The boy sighed and looked over to Doctor Akagi, who seemed trying her best to hide her distress. The bomb was armed now, all he need to do was defuse it. Easy … right?"
"You heard all of that, didn't you." He said, it was more of a statement then a question.
The woman clenched her fists in her lap, her eyes narrowed.
"That little bitch! I know I'm replaceable damn it, but doesn't she know she' just as replaceable as me!" She clenched her teeth. Her emotions steadily escalated, sweat began to accumulate on her forehead.
The boy sat back in his chair. "I don't think Rei is the one you should be mad at. Gendo instructed her to come down here and antagonize you, Miss Akagi." He stated with his usual calmness.
Doctor Akagi only glared at the boy in front of her. What the hell did he know. He didn't know what her and her darling Gendo shared. Who was he to say who deserved her wrath. The doctor's world began to spin. The truth sank in like a knife. Old hag, old hag, old hag, useless and annoying old hag. That was what the love of her life thought of her. After everything she did for him, after everything she gave away and sacrificed. That was all she ever was to him, an old hag. She could feel the burning tears threaten to leave her eyes. A numbness shot through her. The woman looked to the boy. She heard his voice, but no words registered.
"You're not replaceable nor are you a hag, Doctor Akagi. Please, you're more than-"
The only thing that got through to her was 'replaceable' and 'hag'.
The boy was cut off by a sudden pressure around his throat. Two delicate hands were firmly clasped around his neck, clamping down in a vice-grip. Blinking, he looked up to see the doctor standing over him with a horrifying expression that only a scorned woman could have … and he was at the receiving end of it. Her wrath fell upon him as her hand constricted around his scarred neck. Air became scarce for the boy. Funny enough, he wasn't too concerned by this turn of events. He could last longer without air then an Evangelion without its umbilical cable. However, that didn't mean his blood flow wouldn't suffer. He already began to feel light headed. The boy felt a few drops splash on his face. Looking up to the doctor once more, he found a heartbreaking sight. Gone was the wrath, now it was confusion and pain.
"Why damn it! Tell me why! WHY CAN'T I JUST BE LOVED!" She screamed out. Tears fell like rain down onto the zombie child.
For such an emotional outburst of this level, this poor woman must have been pushed to the brink by Gendo. The intense feeling of inadequacy, stress, strain, desire, and longing for that thing's attention all boiled over. Turning the good doctor into an attempted murderer in a crime of passion. The boy wasn't going to let her fall. He wasn't going to let her kill him. No, he wasn't going to give Gendo the satisfaction of that, nor was he going to let Ritsuko's mother be shamed in such a horrid way. All he could do in that moment was something that came naturally to him. He smiled at the good doctor.
With her head tucked in, her chest heaved. Sobs came from the woman as more tears fell. Her body shook violently as she gave a quivering breath.
"Why couldn't I be like her. Why do I have to live in her shadow. Why, why couldn't I be just as good as Yui!" She cried.
The boy could feel her grip loosen a little, but he refused to struggle. As the doctor sobbed, she felt something. A gentle hand cradled her cheek. The pained woman looked down at the boy, he only smiled back at her as his thumb wiped away her tears. A moment passed in silence as the doctor stared into the gray eyes of the boy. He extended an open hand to her, inviting her to take it. Subconsciously, her trembling hands released their grip on the boy's throat and hesitantly placed one in the boy's hand.
In a steady motion, he pulled her close and enveloped her in a soft hug. He felt her arms wrap around him, clinging to him as she nuzzled her face into his hoodie. It was a little awkward due to the size difference, but to the doctor, it was like hugging a large teddy bear. Her chest sagged as the boy felt her body shake with every ragged breath. He stroked her back, aiding in soothing the woman. She sniffed and hug him tighter.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm so, so, sorry." Her voice was a hoarse whisper.
The boy just smiled, "I forgive you, Miss Akagi. I'll be right here for as long as you need me to be."
They spent a few more minutes in each other's embrace, until the good doctor seemed to run dry. The boy slowly pulled away and held the doctor's hands, looking into her puffy red eyes. Her breathing calmed. The boy just kept smiling to her. An unknown feeling of warmness spread through the good doctor's chest when she looked at him.
"Pace yourself. You went through a lot in a brief amount of time, just focus on the whole breathing thing." He said.
Doctor Akagi only huffed out a humored breath. "Says the guy who was just strangled by an emotionally broken woman." She replied, there was a tinge of bitterness in her comment.
The woman felt pathetic, how couldn't she. She almost killed this boy, and now, he's trying to console her? He's more concerned about her than he is about himself. Daring to look to him, she found the zombie boy with a slanted smile.
"Touché." He said with a shrug.
She almost had the nerve to chuckle at his casualness. The boy's nonchalant attitude helped her a little in her emotional cool down, but the guilt kept growing by the second. The more she started to get to know this boy, the worse she felt.
The boy sat back in his chair and scratched the back of his head. "I'm not blaming you, you know. Why would I fault the puppet when it's the puppeteer pulling the strings?"
Doctor Akagi looked to the boy. "I appreciate the sentiment, but I'm a grown woman who's responsible for her own actions. What I did to you …" She trailed off, not wanting to finish that sentence.
A sigh escaped from the boy as he threw both hands behind his head. He lazily had one eye half open. "Yeah, you're right." He paused, then glued his attention to the troubled girl in front of him. "Tell me something, is it the fault of the victim for staying in an abusive relationship? If their abuser has gotten to them emotionally, mentally, and physically, convincing them or altering their perspective so that they believe they have no other options but to stay … is it truly fair to say it's completely all the victims fault when they inevitably break or lash out? Look, I'm not justifying the actions done, but I'm also not ignoring the root of the problem either." He giggled, "Can you really blame the bull for charging at the poor sap in front of him when someone else electrocuted his balls?"
The woman's puffy eye's widened slightly and stared at the boy. She didn't how to respond to him. Moreover, she wasn't expecting a child to comprehend such a topic. For the first time in a while, an amused smirk grew on her face.
"It's funny to hear that from a presumed child. That just leads me to question which one of us is the adult." A humored breath escaped her lips. After throwing her "tantrum" she wasn't really in any position to call herself an adult.
The boy just grinned. "Can't it be both?"
Another huff of air left the doctor's mouth, her pink lips slightly cured up in a faded smile. A moment of silence past, the tension in the air lessened. An aura of comfort radiated from the boy in front of her. Soothing her unsound mind. She took a deep breath in through her nose then out through her mouth, steadying and relaxing herself.
"I think we got off on the wrong foot, would it be alright if we start again?" She asked, almost pleading to the boy. He smiled and made a small hand gesture for her to keep going. Taking a deep breath, she continued. "My name is Naoko Akagi, i-it's a pleasure to meet you." Naoko said, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly.
The boy hummed. "Naoko." He repeated, sounding it out. "A lovely name indeed." The boy watched her reaction. A light pink blush coloured her cheeks. Behind the professionalism and doctor façade, Naoko seemed to be a normal woman. With a cute side to boot. Unfortunately a certain someone didn't appreciate that as much as he should've. Opting to manipulate and break the poor girl instead of actually spending quality time with her. … Why was it that almost every problem he encountered thus far had Gendo attached to it, if not smack dab in the center of it? Furthermore, why couldn't people have mundane problems, like missing the bus or forgetting their lunch? It was always life or death, with an added bounce of tireless work and one sided relations. Having said that, it led the boy into the next topic.
"Let's acknowledge the elephant in the room here." He started, "and no, I don't mean you." A chuckle came from him as he poked her belly. To his delightful surprise, she giggled back. He was happy to see her loosened up a bit or at least understand his humor. "Now, the whole situation with Gendo … thing." The boy saw her falter slightly, but she didn't seem to freak out again. That was a plus. "There's plenty of fish in the sea and let me tell you, he's one of, if not, the worst looking salmon I have ever seen in my life. So … I guess my question is why were you attracted to him in the first place?"
A tired sigh escaped the poor doctor. " … I-I honestly don't know. There was something about him that lured me in, though it's hard to pinpoint it."
The boy hummed in thought, he wished he had a clipboard. Then he'd look like a real therapist. That thought aside, he smiled. "Don't stress yourself thinking about the why, I was just curious." He paused slightly, organizing his words. "You mentioned during your emotional break something about Yui, right? 'Why couldn't I be just as good as Yui'." The boy let out a sigh. "Truth be told, at least where I come from, I don't think Gendo is even capable of loving Yui anymore."
A soft gasp came from Naoko. An accusation like that wasn't a light one. For the longest time, everything had been for Yui, ever waking minute of Gendo's life was designated to bringing her back. How could he lose his love for her?
"I can see you're a little more than shocked by that." The boy pointed out. "Allow me to explain my raisins, first I dry out a grape … " Naoko blinked at him, did he just make a stupid joke now of all times? The boy giggled to himself. "In all seriousness, and lack of dried fruit, I'll explain my reasons for thinking this. First off, after Yui's passing, he tossed his kid to the curb. Abandoning him. Throwing away his wife's legacy."
Naoko gasped again, a flame was lit behind her eyes. Anger started to bubble in the pit of her belly, slowly rising up. She was far and away from being the best mother or even a good mother at that, but she cared deeply for her daughter. How could she not? To hear about the man she loved … once obsessed over was more accurate, there was very little to no love present in their unhealthy relations. Her lack of meaningful contact led to her little school girl crush becoming her undoing. That was her fault, but Gendo throwing away his child? How dare he, after all the things he'd done and said for Yui's sake. Out of love was always his excuse, so why would he'd toss away her kid?
"I think now he uses the whole "for Yui" thing as a way to sooth his conscious so that he has no emotional consequences for his actions. Kinda like a psychopath, with the whole lacking of empathy and emotional stuff. Instead of being a true psycho, he uses excuses like "the greater good" to justify his means to an end." The zombie explained. "But, I'm still unsure of this one's disposition. Remember the reset stuff I mentioned? Every time there's always a few things different, Gendo is one of them. Does he actually give a damn? Does he really love Yui? Hell if I know, a part of me doesn't really care anymore if I'm being honest." His smile slanted as his eye's lowered.
The doctor blinked a few times. This kid wasn't lying about the multiple timelines and living his lives over and over again … was he. A moment of silence past. Her lips trembled when a thought stoked her mind. "W-what about me? A-and what about my daughter?"
His eyes grew soft as he looked down. "This is my first time ever meeting you and speaking to you. I have never seen you in the flesh unit right now." His voice was quiet and soft, "tell me, what would you have done if you did kill me?"
Naoko gulp. " … I-I don't know." she whispered.
"Really?" The boy looked to the ledge where the M.A.G.I awaited down below. The doctor's face became pale … she would've done it, wouldn't she.
"If I wasn't here, Rei would have told you up front what Gendo told her, without the niceties as well. What would you have done?"
She stuttered, trying to find words. "I-I w-would never … never … " her voice became more and more distant when reality set in. She would have taken Rei's last breath and then … it would've been her turn. Naoko's hands tremored at the thought.
An audible breath came from the boy. "The fun doesn't stop there." He sighed. "For the dear doctor Ritsuko … what hasn't happened to her. After your passing, she became intimate with Gendo." He started. Already Naoko's expression went from solemn to resentment in a heartbeat.
"What." She stated. Her voice carried a cold sternness that only a mother could carry. A chill shot up the boy's spine.
"Eh heh, don't shoot the messenger." He said, waving his hands at her. " … I've seen so many things happen to that poor woman. One of my first times around, Gendo and her had a … disagreement. Which led to our good doctor being shot by the man she once loved." The boy's body language betrayed his smile. His hand clenched into an open claw, his back arched as his head lowered. "That was a common death for her, being killed by that Thing. Other ones were as simple as being crushed by debris or being killed in the raid of NERV, courtesy of SEELE, of course. Some others though …" A short pause passed. "Ritsuko had been killed by an Evangelion a few times. Sometimes she stood too close to the glass when it went berserk and when it punched the glass … she either exploded on impact or was sent across the room like a rag doll, dying on impact. Other times, she was sent on a one way trip down an Eva's throat."
After a heavy silence past. The boy's tightness seemed to falter and lessen. He looked up and met the elder Akagi's eyes.
"You know, the death isn't the only sad thing that has happened to your daughter. Gendo seemed to rub off on her at times. She can be so … cold. Unfeeling at best. She always thought with hard logic, but I have a sneaking suspicion that her coldness is a front." The boy chuckled a little at his stupid pun. "A defense mechanism, a way to protect herself from being harmed by others and by the world around her … sort of. Emotionally battered and physically warn, I can't even imagine what's going on with her mentally. It's almost like she became more of a machine than a person. It's interesting really, she pretends not to care or, more accurately, doesn't allow herself to feel and express care. But in the end, she is the one who is hurting the most. Funny how that works. Guess there's a little more human imperfection in there after all. Not just a bunch of zeros and ones."
Naoko looked onward, speechless. She was absolutely heartbroken and livid by what she had just heard. She was also surprised on how the calm boy reacted, for the duration of his company, she'd never seen him … angry? No, it was more like agitation. Who knows what this kid would be like if he was actually mad. He told her what was going to … has happened to her daughter, the doctor couldn't help but to feel ill to her stomach just thinking about the things yet to come. She knew one thing however, she would not let Gendo near her daughter. Ever.
The boy sighed, his posture deflated back into his usually relax one. Leaning back in his chair, he chuckled. "Let me count the ways …" He mused. "Ritsuko wasn't the only one who suffered, you know. Many of my friends and loved ones had perished before my eyes … somewhere screaming my name when they did, begging for me to save them. One gave me a goodbye kiss before she crumpled over and died. … another was right beside me, arms length away. Even then, I was helpless to do anything. … Some hero I am, huh?" A wary chuckle came from the boy. "Tragedy echoing back on itself, from it, something new." He hummed. "I am not the boy who experienced these things nor was the one to cause them, I have the memories and feelings, but was never there for them. If that makes sense. "
The boy looked away, his smile twitched. "Is it wrong that I carry no guilt nor shame for the his actions? Is it wrong that I'm okay with that? … Is it wrong to hate him for his incompetence? Shinji … " He whispered to himself.
Naoko stared at the boy, a part of her felt sorry for him. Another part wanted to hug him. After hearing about what happened to his friends … she couldn't even imagine what that would be like. Seeing them die over and over. Living a life that wasn't yours, but still feeling the consequences of it. And yet, here he stood, smiling. Pressing through all the hardships in his mind with careless ease. It left her thinking about the boy some more. A new feeling started to bubble up within her, she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Why did she feel a little jealous when she heard about another girl kissing him?
The boy looked back to the doctor. He smiled and hummed once more, changing the topic. "To be honest, I think I'm a very selfish man. I have no stakes in this game, if I die, I'll just come back. My life doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things. I don't have a need in life nor do I crave validation of my existence. All I have are my wants. If I help someone per se, I'm only doing it because I want to. I don't care if you want my help or not, I'm going to do it regardless. If I want you to have a relaxing time, guess what?"
Naoko grinned a little. "You'd force them against their will?"
"Damn straight. I'll drag their miserable ass to the hot springs, kicking and screaming if I half to."
"Oh my, that does sound relaxing!" She said. Failing to hold back a laugh.
The two shared a peaceful moment of laughter. Naoko leaned forward and took his hands into her own, getting a little more serious this time. "Don't say that." The boy blinked at her, confused. "Don't say your life is without value." Her brown eyes were piercing through his metallic gray ones. The boy tilted his head slightly, his pupils dilated, shrinking into little dots. His smile grew narrow as an overwhelming unconformable feeling washed over him.
"I'm not sure where you came from and frankly I don't think I'll ever understand, but I do know one thing. You have a beautiful soul." Her voice was soothing. The zombie child's breath faltered, almost struggling to breath.
How. How could he of all people have a good soul? Much less a beautiful one. After all the things that had happen to him, the head-splitting memories, everything. How? The echoing screams in his head were haunting at best, all because he failed. It was all his fault in the end. In a moment he felt like he was struck in the head by a wrecking-ball. He felt a bit little lighter after that. Of course, it should have been obvious. I mean, he was the dumbass who just said it. He. Wasn't. Shinji. He wasn't tainted by his precursors inabilities or self-doubts. That burden wasn't his to carry. His smile morphed into a dopey grin as his eyes returned to their playful shine.
"I guess I really am an idiot, huh?" He said with a snicker, rubbing the back of his head.
Naoko hummed in acknowledgment of his self-deprecation. "Perhaps." She mused. "Tell me. Have you ever thought about how your death would affect those around you? How they would feel if they lost you? I, for one, would find it deeply upsetting. Even though we've just met." The boy looked down in thought. The woman could almost hear the gears in his head turn.
Like mother, like daughter. Ritsuko always had a habit of being right, most of the time. Seems like this is where she got it from. The boy huffed a breath, taking some humor in that. "I guess I really am selfish."
The good doctor smiled. "A man who knows what he want is an attractive thing. A man who doesn't want to live or refuses to do so however, is quite the opposite. Dare I say, stupid."
She heard the boy chuckle a little. He lifted his head up, facing her once again. A large smile stretched across his face, his metallic gray eyes glowed a bit brighter. "Noted." There was a brief pause be for he spoke again. " Smart as ever I see, you are definitely an Akagi." He said.
Naoko cheeks heated up as a blush appeared on her face. That feeling bubbled up again, the warmth she felt was quite welcoming. A comfortable silence fell between the two. The boy blinked as he heard a strange sound. It was a faint wisping noise, like mist. He looked down to see the black haze swirl around his feet, disintegrating him.
"I guess times up." He murmured. "Whatever Unit-0 wanted was achieved, I guess." He shrugged at that. Naoko grew a look of concern for a moment, but slowly changed into a saddened one. She nodded her head, accepting that their time had come to an end. The doctor stood up and walked over to him and leaned over.
"Promise me something." She whispered next to his ear. "Take care of yourself and … keep my daughter out of trouble, will you?"
The boy blinked and smiled. "Already a head of you." He retorted.
"And what of your health?" She asked.
" … I'll do my best."
"Good." Her voice was almost a purr.
Before he completely disappeared. He felt something warm touch his cheek. Soft lips pressed against him, giving him an affectionate peck. His calm demeanor shattered in an instant as a bright blush exploded onto his face. His smile widened like an idiot. Naoko withdrew an gave him a final sad smile. The boy placed his misty hand on his cheek. Almost feeling for the red lipstick mark left behind.
"You'll be fine Naoko Akagi." He said. "Besides, if this is a timeline thingy, your bound to run into me again. Well … until next time, Miss Akagi." He smiled at her with what was left of his mouth, blood dripping from his cracked lips. The boy was enveloped in black mist and dissipated. Flowing across the floor like water, until there was nothing left. Leaving Doctor Naoko Akagi in silence, almost as if he never existed. She gave a sigh and pulled out her phone. It sounded a few times until someone answered.
"Well this is a surprise, You never call. What's the occasion?" A younger feminine voice answered.
"Do I have to have a reason to call my lovely daughter, Ritsuko?" Naoko chuckled.
Another short giggle played on the other end. "No, I just wasn't expecting it since you were so busy. Didn't think you had the time for me."
The doctor's eyes dropped a little. "I know I haven't been the greatest mother, nor have I been around lately, but … let's just say I had a severe wake up call." She said, her smile reignited. "Tell me, do you have plans this after noon? I was thinking we could do something together, dinner perhaps? just the two of us."
There was a short pause on the line. " … But what about your prodj-"
"Oh fuff! The commander can wait. So, you in?"
" … I would like, very much … mom." Her soft voice responded.
"I'll see you then." With that they hung up. Naoko couldn't shake her smile. She felt as if the world had finally opened up to her again. She grabbed her bags and walked out of the Central Dogma with her head held high. She made her way to the elevator. As she approached the chrome box, the doors surprisingly opened without her input. Naoko looked down to see a young man shorter then her. He had long blood red hair in a complete bed headed mess. Underneath were two green eyes looking up at her. A familiar smile grew on his face.
"Well, hello again." He chuckled. " … You'll find that my lips this time around aren't a cracked mess … but my hair on the other hand …" A humored breath left him. A different voice sounded, but he spoke like … All Naoko Akagi could do, was smile.
With a violent jerk, the boy's eyes snapped open. He attempted to suck in air, but only found the LCL instead. He looked around, orientating himself. With a sigh, the boy found that he was back in the coziness of Unit-0's cockpit. A gentle hum of the Evangelion sounded around him as it activated. His heart thumped hard in his chest. What the hell was that? He could have sworn that as nothing more than a memory, but that felt so real. Feeling his neck, he could still feel the soreness of when it was crushed. Looking off to the side, he saw an off red colour drifting in the LCL. He blinked as he ran a finger along his cheek. Only to find makeup. It mixed with the LCL, washing away. The boys eyes widened. Damn … just when he thought he was starting to understand the Evas, only for them they go and pull this malarkey.
The soft static of the comms played, snapping him out of his thoughts.
"Are you alright?" A more then flustered Ritsuko asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Heh, she ended up poking me a little more then I did her. But I think we've come to an agreement." The boy chuckled, still a little disorientated.
Ritsuko let out a heavy sigh and sat back in her chair. She pinched the bridge of her nose and looked to the screen in front of her. Once again, there was a blip in his sync score. A dramatic spike only lasting for a point of a millisecond, then flat-lining at a solid 84%. That was twice now. A pattern perhaps? If he got synced with another Evangelion, what would happen? The good doctor shook her head, now was not the time for her to play twenty questions with herself.
"Alright … let's get you out of there. We're done for today." She said into the mic.
She sat back and watched the cigarette-looking Entry Plug ejected from the Eva. A sense of relief washed over her, the quicker that boy was out of Unit-0's grasp, the better. She lit a cigarette of her own and pressed it to her lips, staining it with her red lipstick. She huffed out a gray plume of smoke. Once the boy was brought back to safety, she could get some answers when she debriefed him. Hopefully he could explain what he experienced during the testing. Until then however, she'd gladly label this a resounding success. Maya seemed to think so too. The girl was quite animated, there was no secret on how she was feeling at any given time. The first lieutenant sighed in relief then proceeded to fist bump and bounce around the room chanting "he did it" over and over again. This earned a smile from the faux blonde. The kid really did do it, didn't he. The moment of victory was short lived as a blaring alarm rang throughout NERV, the lights flashed an ominous red. Ritsuko's cigarette dropped from her mouth as her heart leaped into her throat. Maya froze stiff. The two women looked to the computer. Ritsuko paled and Maya gasped. A blue pattern had made itself known … in the depths of NERV.
An Angel.