Chapter 95: Upsurge of Self
'…mmmMMmmmMMMMM #$%# %$mmmmmmmmm' the evil voice hummed as the Third Child walked down a hallway. No one encountered him while he was heading toward an elevator in the distance. Anyone following him would see the small droplet trail of crimson on the floor while he continued moving forward.
"…" Shinji said slowly blinking.
'WhErE oH wHeRe HaS mY pArTs GoNe,' it thought while making heavy swimming sounds and talking as if underwater. The dark clone continued to hum with various gurgling and swallowing sounds.
'Are you enjoying yourself sir?'
'…I…a…M…# $% #myseeeeeeeeedddddddd…'
'Glad to hear it,' the male pilot said turning a corner to go down another hallway.
'tElLmE#$% #TELLMEHOW#$^% #…i…s…t…h…e…n…e…w…v…e…s…s…e…l…o…f…f…l…e…s…h…?' the dark clone shouted then whispered followed by a series of gruesome cracks and pops. It made the male pilot blink from a phantom feeling of parts of his body tingling. Placing a hand on his chest and feeling around, it made the Third Child conclude what skin he was in.
'It does not appear to be insufficient,' he thought calmly when the sound of a neck snapping several times came to his ears. It exhaled with mild elation in its breathing.
'ggggoooooooodddddddddddd,' the evil voice cooed in a deep monstrous tone. ' #$% do you#$% #$hear it!?'
'Hear what sir?' Shinji asked in his mind while stoically heading toward the elevators not too far from where he was.
'…Y…o…U…s…H…o…U…l…D…k…N…o…W…heeeeeeeee…tHeSoUnDs#$% #$AHAHAHAHAHAHA #$% #$OFTHEPAST!'it screamed in agony and glee.
"…?" the Eva pilot said blinking and tilting his head a little while continuing forward.
Running down hallways, Ayanami kept wiping her eyes while trying to find someone. With her vision going between blurry to semi-clear, she didn't run into anyone. Memories with the Commander kept flooding her mind making her feel bitter and torn over and over again. Rounding another corner, there was no one down either hallways.
"…" the First Child said breathing heavily and looking back and forth desperately.
'You will never find that lilim,' her second self spoke in her mind. 'He has abandoned you just like the other.'
"…no…" Rei said grimacing and started running down a hallway. "…leave me…alone…"
'Look at you…so weak…childish…broken down from lilim emotions…you are useless.'
'Stop it!' the female pilot stated in her mind as a couple of choking sobs came out of her.
'All lilims return to their creators…it is in their nature…to return to what was norm…there is no place for you in either lilim's world,' it stated looking down at the Eva pilot.
'I DON'T BELIEVE YOU!' Ayanami mental shouted as more tears were running down her face.
'Hmph…we shall see shortly stupid child.'
Turning a corner to the next hallway, the person she was looking for was 2/3rds down to the other end. He was heading toward one of the elevators. Feeling her voice choked up in her throat, she was unable to call out to him. Feeling a second wind, Ayanami ran after him.
'…heHehEhEehehe #$^ #$…hhhhheeeerrrrreeeeeeiiiiiitttttttiiiiiisssssssss!' the sinister voice chimed having a laughing fit before giggling quietly.
"…" Shinji responded stopping in front of an elevator and blinking slowly.
Looking down at the call button, he pressed it seeing it light up. Feeling the blood had dried on his face a little, he tried rubbing his face with his left hand. Not knowing if that helped his appearance or not, he looked at his palm. Seeing small rubber marks of red, he could only assume that it helped little to none. Placing his hand to his side, the elevator made a sound. Blinking and seeing the elevator doors open, he stepped inside. Stopping, he heard rapid footsteps coming and slowly turned around.
In the narrowing view of the elevator doors closing, Ayanami saw him turn around. His face was semi-smeared with blood as his black-red eyes stared back at her. His right shoulder had blood spots and dried up streams going down his right arm. Though he had an unreadable expression, his aura felt the same in the D-econt lab. The closer she ran toward him, the more of her apprehension and his vileness grew. The doors closed when she stopped in front of them. Without warning or a second thought, she raised both of her arms and swung down fits on the elevator doors.
"Ikari!...Ikari!" she yelled pounding on them hard.
'It is useless.'
"Ikari! Please!…open the doors!" she continued to pound harder.
'Stop this foolish and childish act! You disgrace!'
"…please…" Ayanami stated quietly after her last slam on the doors. She felt gravity starting to take over and pull her slowly to the ground. Her closed fists started to make friction sounds on the doors as she knelt on the ground on both knees. Tears started pouring out faster as the pain in her chest continued to grow.
"…help…me…Ikari…" she whispered then felt the doors open slowing from her hands. Putting her hands down on the ground and looking up, she saw Shinji standing near the button panel. Slowly walking to be in front of her, he moved his head down.
"…" Rei said blinking a couple of times from confusion. His eye color had changed to dark magenta again. His aura was back to being murky that she sought comfort in. In a blink, the feelings that pushed her to find him surged into something else. The impulse became so gripping that her body moved quicker than she could assess it.
"Yes Miss Ayan—" he started to say when he saw her immediately stand up and rushed him. Pressing against him hard, the impact pushed both of them to the elevator wall with a thud. Immediately, her arms went around his mid-back and held him while her head was placed between the left side of his neck and collar bone. The elevator doors slowly closed without making a sound and the lift started moving up.
"…" Shinji stated while slowly blinking. Not hearing the dark clone say anything, the First Child started to let out quiet sobbing chokes. Staring at the elevator doors for a second, his eyes slowly moved to the head of blue hair that was touching the left portion of his jaw. Her embrace became tighter as her hands gripped onto him stronger.
"…?" he said feeling odd.
There were no flashbacks or memories of the sisters behaving this way. The sensations and emotions emitting from Rei was not something he had experienced seeing or feeling. The twisted voice did not make a sound; however, he heard more stretch marks of flesh folding on itself. He could only assume it was grinning wider and wider. Blinking again, he addressed her in a quiet tone and not moving.
"Miss Ayanami…what is the matter?"
"…the…Commander," she spoke in a hurt tone as tears kept falling down her face. "…he…he…he does not…need me…"
"…?" he said thinking about what she stated.
It didn't make much sense regarding what her occupation was. Going to ask her for clarification, he thought about getting space between them. Though he was not shaking from physical touch, he felt uncomfortable. The aspect that she was naked did not bother him. It was how she was behaving and holding onto him in a desperate manner that made him unable to figure out a correct response or gesture. Raising his hands, he reached slowly to touch her shoulders. She suddenly started while holding him more.
"…I...I was…replaced…" she spoke harsher gritting her teeth and crying more.
"…replaced?" he asked freezing his hands and arms in place.
"…yes…" she stated pushing her head more into his neck. The water coming from her eyes was felt on his neck and collar bone. Still unsure of how to respond, he kept his voice low and tried to seek more information.
"Who has replaced you?"
"…Dr…Dr…Ikari."
"…" Shinji said trying to deduce the possible explanations of the replacement. At the same time, he assessed that he had to respond to her somehow. Recalling when they were in the locker room, he slowly moved his hands. Placing one hand and arm around her back and one hand behind her head, he gently stroked the back of her head.
"…" Ayanami said still sobbing quietly with a couple of chokes.
"In what aspect has Dr. Ikari replace you with?" he asked quietly with a slow blink. The dark clone was giggling hysterically while grunting from the sounds of stabbing something. A phantom needle sensation of the Third Child's heart being pierced was in sync with the stabbing sounds. It didn't change his vision, but could feel a mild burning sensation of the organ pseudo bleeding.
"…she…she is…they…are…" Ayanami tried speaking but the raw emotions were still gripping her hard. Despite feeling the need to cry out, being held and comforted by Shinji made her able to control the impulse. It reminded her of the locker room when he did the same motion. However, the aspect that she was replaced and how the Commander disregarded her felt stronger. It gripped her on a higher emotional and psychological level.
'…SHE…SHESTOLEHIMAWAYFROMME!'
'Do not be misled by this lilim. This offspring is just the same as its parent. He will abandon you,' the second self stated firmly.
'Sheeeeeeee…SHHEEEEEEEE…#$% #$%'
'You are losing control child! I told you. Do not give in!'
"…?" Rei said slowly calming down trying to figure out what was going on in her head.
'I don't care! I will kill her! I will slaughter her! I WILL BUTCHER HER! I WILL! #$ #$^ IWILL !#$^# $^ #IIIIIIIWWWWIILLLLLLL!'
'IF YOU LET LOOSE NOW, I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO COMPLETE MY PURPOSE! IF YOU PERISH, I WILL HAVE TO WAIT FOR ANOTHER COPY! I WILL PUT YOU IN AN ETERNAL SLUMBER BEFORE-!?'
'KILL HER! KILL HIM! KILLEVERYONE! KILL #$% #$KIIILLLLLLLLLL# $ #^ #…k...i...l...l...e…v…e…r…y…t…h…i…n…g…hee hee hee hee.'
'…' the second self stated alarmed from what it was hearing. It flinched from hearing a loud pop blast and the sound of a head exploding.
'…who…are you talking to?' Ayanami thought slowly lifting her head from the male pilot's neck and collar bone area.
'…!?' the voice stated with a violent recoil. '…no…No…No!…NO!…NO!'
Suddenly, the female pilot's legs gave out startling her. Quickly holding onto Rei with one arm, he brought the other hand down. Slowly kneeling down with her, he felt her breathing had picked up and sounded as if she was straining.
"Miss Ayanami, what is wrong?" he asked stoically with both sitting on their knees on the ground. The hand grip she had on him became murderous as she dug her fingers into his skin.
"…it…hurts…inside…" the First Child stated grimacing with a tight voice next to his ear. She felt him press his cheek against hers in which he whispered calmly in her ear.
"Where?"
"…mind…trying…to…resist…"
"…" he said blinking as several flashbacks happened at once. Hearing it cackling dementedly and in distortion, a new voice was shouting, yelling, and screaming in background. It only made the dark clone viciously laugh harder and hyperventilate. Hearing no statements or orders from it, the Third Child decided to proceed with the thought in his mind.
"Do you need assistance in resisting Miss Ayanami?"
"…y…y…e…s…"
"Very well," he said with a slow blink.
'Pardon me sir?' he thought.
'YYYYY #$% #$!EEEEE# $^ #$SSSSS?' the demented clone shouted cutting in and out of white noise.
'Do you know what Miss Ayanami is resisting?'
'…hheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee…'
'I see,' he thought and gave an internal bow.
'$% #$^aha-AHA-HAHA-#$^ #$%' it said having a short laughing fit before quieting down. Still feeling a rush from experience and sensations, the corrupted voice started grinding its teeth. Sounds of some breaking from the sheer pressure of clenching made the male pilot feel goosebumps on his skin.
"Miss Ayanami, I will move a little. Please do not be alarmed for I will stay in the same position."
"…" Rei said clenching her teeth together and nodding tightly.
She felt his hands slowly move away from her back and slowly traced her arms to where her hands held him. Feeling his hands on hers, he gently tugged on them. Trepidation festered in her mind as she let him pull her hands away. Thinking he would put them down to her side, she felt his finger interlace with hers. Feeling him adjust a little, both their knees were touching each others. Feeling his face pull away a little, she opened her eyes to see what he was doing.
"…!?" she said in surprise as his face got closer and closer to hers.
Slowly and gently making contact with their foreheads, their noses were next to each other. Feeling the air from his nose, she blinked in wonder and from being startled. The raging emotions from before were slowly dissipating as well as the harsh mental strain she was experiencing. His actions seemed to draw her senses to focus tentatively at what he was doing.
"Miss Ayanami?" he asked in a quiet low tone with his eyes closed.
"…!" Rei said feeling his breath and how close his mouth was towards hers. "…y-yes?"
"…" Shinji said opening his eyes and stared into hers. "My apologies for startling you. Are you feeling a little better or no?"
"…I…feel…a little better…yes," she thought blinking and not moving from her spot still wondering what he was going to do next.
"That is good to hear. If it is acceptable for you, can you stare into my eyes for a couple of minutes?"
"…I…" Ayanami said feeling unable to turn away. It almost felt that she subconsciously wanted to stay put. "…believe so."
"Very well. If you feel uncomfortable or wish to stop, please say so."
"…why…" she initially said then stopped feeling her cheeks warm a little. "What will this do?"
"Hopefully to help you Miss Ayanami. Please pardon my face as I have not cleaned it yet."
"…I..." Rei said blinking and continuing to stare in his dark magenta eyes. "…I…don't mind."
"..." he said slowly blinking while hearing two different screeches going through his head. One sounded sadistic while the other was in agony. They weren't in harmony as it made a distorted chord resonate in his ears.
"I am sorry that you feel the way that you do Miss Ayanami...other than what I am doing now, is there anything else that I can do to help you?"
'…anything else…' Ayanami thought as his words seemed to echo in her mind.
Oddly, her second self was not present anymore. Blinking and calling out to it, it didn't responded. Focusing back on the Third Child, she thought about the times she has asked him for assistance. Memories from the first time meeting of him up until recently came to her. He helped her understand almost everything she was curious about. Though the Commander was her sole person she became close to growing up, the Third Child made her grew out more. He made her reach further out into her curiosity, made her experience things, gave her more emotions she didn't know she had or understood.
"…" Rei said thinking about the sudden emotional impulses that generated in her mind. Her face started to become warm as her heart and pulse began to beat faster. Holding hands while touching foreheads with their faces so close made her feel embarrassed yet content a little. Still feeling unable to move, she felt her lips part a little on reflex.
"Something the matter Miss Ayanami?" he asked quietly still staring into her eyes and not moving still.
"…no…I…" she said quietly blinking slowly and focusing harder into his eyes. About to continue, the elevator slowed down to a halt. Making its sound to open the doors, it showed a hallway with no one standing outside of the lift. Suddenly, embarrassment rushed into her making her pull her head and hands back. Turning away a little, her face was feeling warmer.
"…I feel…fine now Ikari," she said looking at the floor. It seemed strange that looking at him now made her feel uncomfortable all of the sudden.
"I am glad to hear that," he said blinking and looked toward the opening. Slowly standing up, he slowly walked to be in between the doors. They started closing until stopping from sensing a person still there. Rei looked up to see him facing toward the hallway outside of the lift.
"Where are you going?"
"…" the Third Child said slowly turning toward her and blinking. "I am heading to a medical room to get some supplies. Though I have stopped the bleeding, I am in need of a blood pack and rest."
"…I see…" she said blinking at him and tried to stand up. Her legs still had not recovered from giving out. She could feel her nerves firing in her legs to move, but for some reason her lower half still felt in shock.
"…I…wish to go with you…if that is acceptable," she stated feeling anxious about not being able to move still.
"Very well. Shall I assist you in traveling there?" he asked with a stoic tone.
Immediately, his arms flared with goosebumps from a couple of chaotic flashbacks. Also, there was a sudden piercing, high pitch sound. It slowly started decreasing until it changed into the noise of someone screaming. Continuing down, the male pilot heard the dark clone's voice barking madness and laughing maliciously as the shrill continued over.
"…" Rei replied nodding a little slowly not sure what he will do.
"…" Shinji said bowing a little to her. The dark clone's shouts and the scream ended with a monstrous roar that echoed in his mind.
"Very well. Pardon me Miss Ayanami."
"…" she commented watching him kneeling down next to her. His arms moved slowly to her as she watched him intently. His right went around her back and moved her a little. She felt his other arm hook under her knees. Once he felt secured, he lifted her up without too much effort.
"…!?" Rei said with surprise remembering the previous times he carried her. Adjusting a little and turning around, he proceeded out of the elevator. Feeling the remains of her harsh emotions slowly decline, the First Child finally felt able to feel calm and think clearly. Blinking, she looked at his face being a few inches away. A content feeling washed over her despite slowly being able to move her legs a little.
'…' she thought feeling the corners of her mouth turn up. Placing her head on his right shoulder, she did not care about the blood on it. She decided to not ask anything wanting to continue feeling the current sensation going through her. It made her mind at ease, physically relaxed, and her heart to feel less torn.
As they continued down hallways toward the NERV medical facility, Rei thought about her purpose. Oddly, her second self still did not interject itself to state what their purpose was. Feeling no response or a presence from it, her mind tried thinking what her purpose was before. Identifying it, she wondered if it will change.
'I am still an Eva pilot. Battling the Angels is what I was told and raised to do,' the First Child thought blinking looking at herself. Her face started to grimace from remembering the other portion of her purpose.
'…I…I…can't with the Commander…his goal was to regain what he lost,' Ayanami thought feeling still bitter. 'I…was only a tool…to get to that end goal of his.'
'If what my purpose was has been rejected…what do I live for now,' she thought looking up to see the elongated scar on Shinji's neck. Looking at the scar on his neck and remembering the scars on his body, it brought questions to her mind. One that stuck out was what made him keep living after receiving so many.
'If I understood what keeps Ikari moving forward…maybe I can find a reason to continue,' she thought.
At the same time, her emotional side gripped her stronger. The sensations that he made her feel made her look at the male pilot differently. One question gripped her mind making her move her hands and gently touched his chest. Despite it being a simple gesture, it made her hands feel warm and gave her a sense of security. Rounding a corner, they entered the medical facility part of the base. Seeing a couple of staffers down the hallway, Shinji went to the first door on his right. Upon opening and entering it, it was just a supply room with an adjacent room connecting it.
"Let us change here Miss Ayanami," he said going to a padded chair and gently placing her on it.
"Change?" she asked seeing him turn around and walked to a nearby sink.
"Yes," he replied stopping in front of it. Turning the faucet on, he started to wash off the blood on his face and hands.
"I would assume from incident that happened in the D-econt room, a medical team will be dispatched to retrieve both of us."
"…" the female pilot said thinking about it. Trying to move her legs, she felt strength back in them. Slowly standing up and feeling stable, she walked to him.
"That would be a correct assumption. Are you making it easier for the staff to contain us?"
"Yes," he said rubbing his face again with water.
Turning off the faucet, he opened his eyes and felt no sting. The red shade over everything was removed. Looking down at the sink, it was splashed with his blood. A flashback came over him of a child staring at a sink. It was filled with bloody body parts and decapitated heads. Seeing no reaction from the small boy, it went to the paper towels and grabbed one. Rubbing its face, it turned around having the look of being devoid of life.
"…" the Third Child said blinking slowly and seeing the sink back to normal. Standing up and reaching for a paper towel, a wave of nausea and dizziness bashed his head. Falling backwards, he reached to grab the edge of the sink. He missed it and continued falling to the ground.
"Ikari!?" Ayanami said and quickly caught him. However, she got dragged down from not having enough strength. She landed on top of him as he looked up. Pushing herself up and looking at him, he didn't look well.
"…" she said looking him over. "You look pale…you probably lost too much blood."
"…yes…I believe so…as well," the male pilot said lightly touching a side of his head. Despite keeping a stoic expression, his mind felt as if it was light and spinning. Blinking, he was about to sit up when the First Child took the initiative.
"I will look for medical supplies. Please stay here," Rei said and stood up. Watching her leave, he stared at an unfamiliar ceiling. The cold floor was helping to ease the throbbing in his head. Hearing cabinets being opened, a sharp static noise blared inside his ears.
'FeElInG…aLiTtLe…FaInTmYsEeD?' the dark clone said in its normal eerie voice.
'Yes…I do feel a bit lightheaded sir,' the male pilot thought back slowly prompting himself up on his elbows.
Slowly moving his eyes, he saw Ayanami looking through cabinets then tried entering the adjacent room. The door was unlocked and she headed inside. About to sit up, the presence of the evil voice was stronger. Parting his mouth to speak, he stopped from feeling its mouth grinning on his. Blinking and waiting for him to speak, the voice said nothing. Inhaling to speak again, he stopped from hearing flesh stretch and starting to pop and tear. He felt its grinning was getting inhumanly wide and beyond the length of a human head.
'…sir…could you explain why?'
'WHY!? HAHAHAHAHA… #$% #$ WhY do YOU think…my seeeeeeeeddddddd?' it thought to him cackling with harsh static in the background.
'…Miss Ayanami…is not broken…' he thought when a surge of goosebumps covered his skin.
'you think so #$% #$YoUtHiNkSo! #$^ #%$YOUTHINKSO!?#$% #$# $% #$)*%*$ %^SSSSSSSOOOOOOOOOOOO #$ #$# $% #$% #$HEEEEEEEEEE#$% #$% #%$AHA-AHA-AHA-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!' the dark clone shouted maliciously and in demented mirth.
"…" Shinji said raising his hand again to touch his padded and wrapped head.
'…B…r…O…k…E…n…H…a…S…m…A…n…Y…f…O…r…M…s…' it whispered in his ears as barefoot steps were heard coming closer. Blinking and slowly turning his head, Ayanami came in with a couple of supplies. She walked toward the male pilot and kneeled down next to him.
"I was only able to find first aid kit supplies. I did not see any blood packs," she stated.
"That is fine," Shinji said slowly sitting up. "A new dressing of both head wounds should suffice for now."
"…" Rei said holding onto the medical supplies and giving him a neutral expression. "I will dress the wounds."
"…" he said with a slowly blinking looking at her as she didn't change her emotion. "If you'd like to Miss Ayanami, I appreciate it."
"…" she said with a small nod.
Placing the supplies down, she began removing the old dressings. After removing them, she saw that the bullet wounds grazed his skin removing a layer or two. It looked like two red slash marks. Ignoring that, she applied ointment and new dressings. After finishing, she watched him blink and touch the sides of his head.
"…" he said turning to her and bowed his head. "Thank you Miss Ayanami. Again, I appreciate your help."
"…" Rei said blinking at him feeling pleased inside. The corners of her mouth started turning up again making her feel better. Seeing the male pilot slowly getting up, she assisted him again.
"I did find hospital gowns in the supply closet in the other room," she stated in which the male pilot nodded. Both walked to the adjacent room and saw the cabinet. Going to it, they grabbed their size. Rei quickly slipped hers on while Shinji loosened his plug suit.
"…" she said hearing his suit depress. Images of the D-econt room came to mind making her feel goosebumps litter her skin. The aspect of seeing parts missing on him made her feel clammy. However, she didn't turn away and closed her hands into loose fists.
'I must accept him as he is,' Ayanami thought steeling herself. 'He has done so for me…I can do that much for him.'
He pulled the plug suit down and let it drop to the floor. The First Child blinked with a bewildered expression. The amount of scars changed again. There were only a third of the scars he had remaining on his body now. Instead of tattered and torn look, it was back to what he had before after the Twelfth Angel battle. It made him look rough, edgy, and toned. She failed to her the menacing giggles inside the Third Child's head.
Picking up his patient clothes, Shinji stepped out of his plug suit and turned toward Rei. Perplexed and blinking, she looked the male pilot up and down. His front had less scars and drill holes as well. The large crude scab on his chest was replaced with a large cross slash scar where the heart would be. Looking at the region between his legs, the reproductive organs were present. They were hanging normally as she remembered the first time seeing him without clothes on. Remembering how she felt at that time along with the recent skin contact, she felt her face warm again.
'…dOyOuReMeMbEr…THATLOOK!…m…y…s…e…e…d…?' the dark clone whispered softly in one ear and coming out of the other.
"Miss Ayanami?" Shinji called after putting on the hospital gown.
"Y-Yes?" she replied blinking. Trying to push away the developing emotions, it was difficult with the others swimming in her mind and chest. For a strange reason, the region below her waist was having a strange effect. It almost seemed like it was trying to influence her. Startled, she never knew that region could cause a profound effect.
'… #$% #when #$%^ THEY#$#$% #$%'
"Are you feeling well?"
'…dEfIlEd…Y…O…U…'
"Yes…I think so," Rei answered looking at the ground.
'…a…g…a…i…n…'
"I see," the Third Child stated stoically.
'…again…'
"…" Ayanami said feeling her cheeks warm up more. Clenching her hands on her hospital gown, she was resisting the impulses surging inside.
'…and again…AgAiN…aGaIn!…AGAIN!…AGAIN!' it shouted louder and louder into a Banshee scream.
Instantly, the shouts were silenced by a low grunting sound followed by slashing and thrashing of chains. Ignoring what he heard, he blinked and stepped forward. Just as he passed her to go back into the room they were in, he stopped. Looking back, the female pilot had turned around and grabbed his upper left arm.
"Is something wrong Miss Ayanami?" he asked stoically turning to her slightly.
"…" Ayanami said trying to process the different sensations that was pulling her in different directions. Each one had a variation of what action to do. Feeling the avalanche of emotions, impulses, urges, questions, and confusion, she felt extremely drained. Getting closer to him, she changed her hold and wrapped her arm around his.
"…I…think I am tired," she stated quietly feeling her face still warm. "…may…may I use your arm as support?"
"Very well," he said calmly. Leading both to the outside hallway, they slowly started walking down it.