Chapter 103: Revelation

"…" Ritsuko said hearing only mild humming from the machinery that was on in the large room. Both stared at a tank with LCL fluid inside as there was still no trace of the clones left. Glancing down at him, he was expressionless and emotionless. Looking back forward, she cleared her throat before turning to face him.

"How do you feel seeing them?" she asked.

Part of her hoped that what was witnessed caused him to view some people differently. If it caused any more tension in the relations between the Commander and the First Child, it would satisfy her resentment amongst the two. She knew that possibly he would see her different as well from keeping a dark secret. Also, she determined that her act of destroying the clones would be an instant termination and possibly imprisonment. However, she didn't care at this point.

"…" Shinji said blinking and thinking about an answer. Hearing two screams in his mind, it was followed by the dark clone clenching and grinding many of its teeth together. Turning toward Dr. Akagi and not hearing anything else voiced to him, he spoke his thoughts.

"I believe the Commander has an attachment and midlife crisis predicament," he said calmly.

"…?!" Ritsuko said with a surprised face. Blinking and repeating what he stated in her mind, she began to snicker. Replaying it again, it tickled her insides more. Holding her stomach and covering her mouth, she couldn't stop herself as she began to laugh out loud. Looking back at him, his expression was emotionless as he just blinked.

"Hahahahahaha!" the scientist said in mirth.

Beginning to lose her balance, she continued laughing hard. About to trip and fall over, the male pilot stood next to her to prevent her from tipping over. Still feeling that she would tip over while continuing to cackle, she let go of herself and held onto his shoulders. After a short while, she began to calm down. Wiping the tears from her eyes and giggling a little, she stood up straight. Taking a deep breath in and out, she looked down at him.

"Are you alright Dr. Akagi?" he asked with a blank face.

"Yes, I feel better," she said with an amused smile. "Tell me, is that what you think of the Commander?"

"He hasn't told me anything regarding these aspects," the male pilot said. Blinking, he felt a bit perplexed on why he wasn't reacting to the scientist holding his shoulders.

"I am basing on what I have observed of him and his behavior."

"Do you know," Ritsuko said softly and bent forward to be face to face with him. "What Ayanami is and what his true goal was?"

"…" he said still confused on why his body was not reacting normally.

At the same time, the evil voice had become non-verbal. It only emitted abstract sounds of various objects and things. Instead of words, it made shouts and different callings. Focusing back on why he was not reacting, he pondered on the scientist's motive. Getting a sense that the faux blonde had a different reason to touch him, he concluded that was a possibility on why he wasn't reacting.

"Yes."

"…?!" she said with a shocked face. Blinking a couple of times, his expression didn't change as his head tilted a little.

"Y-You…you do?"

"Shall I state to see if I am wrong or not Dr. Akagi?"

"…" she said standing up straight and talking her hands off his shoulders. Taking a small step back, she focused on his face. Not seeing any signs of lying as he moved his head back straight, she gave a small nod out of curiosity.

"Very well," he said with a small bow.

[That should be good for the screening Pilot Ayanami. You can get off the bed once you are extracted from the scanner] a doctor stated from an adjacent room with a window.

"…" Rei replied opening her eyes.

Hearing the bed start to retract, she watched as she and the bed slowly came out of a hollow area of the large medical machine. Once the bed stopped moving, she slowly sat up. Shifting herself to have her feet over the edge, the female pilot slowly got off. The doctor came in and escorted her out of the room. Changing out of the hospital gown and into her school uniform, she followed the medical staffer to the administration desk.

"That will be it for this medical checkup Pilot Ayanami. We will check you out from here. You are dismissed."

"…" Ayanami said nodding to the doctor. Turing toward the connection hallway that lead to the other building of NERV, she walked down it. Once out of the connection hallway, another shiver went down her spine. Oddly, an emotion came over her that made her feel antsy. Not too sure why, she continued walking forward.

'It is possible that Ikari has not completed his extra tests with Dr. Ikari,' Rei thought going down a hallway. 'If that is the case, I may be able to see him…then I will wait outside the locker rooms.'

"…?!" Ritsuko said with a shocked face after he told her what he knew. "You…you knew!?"

"Yes Dr. Akagi."

"How?"

"When I was mentally unstable, I ventured into areas I did not have clearance to."

"…" she responded remembering camera footage of him accessing security terminal panels. It also brought up images of him taking care of "employees" that were accessing those terminals as well. Knowing that he was aware of accessing them, he should be disciplined for it. However, it didn't matter now.

"I see," she said placing her hands in her lab coat pocket. A small sense of relief was felt as if some weight got off her shoulders for him knowing. Not only did she feel the need for a smoke, but she didn't want to stay in the room any longer. What represented here was dark, cold, inhumane, and an evil side of science.

"Let's head back to the locker room so you can change and go home."

"Very well," he replied following her toward the elevator doors. Pressing the call button, the lift opened. Stepping inside and selecting a higher level, the doors closed. Ritsuko and Shinji stood side by side looking at the elevator doors. Only the sound of the pulley system and the clicks of the level indicator filled the silence between them. Glancing down at him, she was still curious at his thoughts.

"Does seeing what you saw or what you know change anything?"

"Regarding what?"

"How you view the people around you and work with?" she stated as the lift started to slow down.

"…" the Third Child said when the elevator stopped. When the doors opened, both exited. Following the scientist, they began to trace their way out of the high security clearance area.

"Other than the difficulties of trusting them, my views toward my co-workers are relatively the same."

"…" she said with a sad smile. Reaching the exit doors, she inputted her key code. Hearing an electronic beep and seeing a green light, the doors slid open. Stepping out into a hallway, they continued walking forward.

"Is there anything you'd like to ask of me?"

"…" he said blinking. About to open his mouth to say no, he held his tongue.

'…yyyeeessss…a-a-a-s-s-s-k-k-k-h-h-h-e-e-E-E-R-R-R-R-R-R!' it spoke slowly and getting louder. Without warning, a gore filled explosion occurred in the pilot's mind. A large body of flesh fell to the ground with a meaty splat. Hearing a demented giggle, sounds of scrapping of metal on a hard surface followed after. Hearing the object being moved around, it slammed into something with flesh.

'askher…AsKhEr…aSkHeR…ASKHER…ASKHER!' the evil voice shouted again and again with each down swing. It gave the male pilot flashbacks of the night raid on the gang leader.

"May I ask something personal?" Shinji asked feeling his limbs tingle with an old sensation.

"Personal?" Ritsuko repeated being thrown off guard a little. "…there isn't much to say, but go ahead."

"Why are you living in someone's shadow?"

"…?!" she reacted blinking in surprise. Both passed an intersection and continued down the hallway.

"I recalled you mentioning one time of living in your mother's shadow…it was during the time I was secured to a hospital bed and in a strait jacket."

"Oh," Dr. Akagi said calming down a little from recalling something close to that. "That sounds about right. Do you mind if we stop here?"

"I do not Dr. Akagi. Please go ahead," Shinji said hand gesturing to the place they were coming up to.

Both walked to one of the break areas that had vending machines, water fountains, benches, and designated smoking areas. Sitting on the center bench, she got out her pack of cigarettes. Pulling one out and putting the pack away, she grabbed the lighter in the other lab coat pocket. Putting the cigarette in her mouth, she placed the lighter near the end and lit a small flame. Seeing it lit and inhaling, she put the light away. Taking the cig out of her mouth, she exhaled feeling her nerves calming down more.

"Mother was the one that lead me through my career up to this point. Everything she did and taught I picked up on. Educated in the same field, worked in the same area of sciences, and went through similar workplaces up until coming to NERV. In a way, I am kind of became her replacement."

"I see," Shinji said when the evil voice mimicked the voice of the older Dr. Akagi. After saying a statement, white noise blared in his ears before another mimicked voice was heard. It was of the scientist sitting down and smoking in front of him. In both mimicked voices, there was a familiar male's voice that responded to both. The statements from both female voices were similar in theme and what they were gesturing.

'RePlAcEmEnTiNeVeRaSpEcT,' it whispered multiple times. At the same time, it chomped on the fleshy object more than once. Several swallows came after as it continued to eat. Blinking, he continued.

"A replacement in every shape and form Dr. Akagi?" he questioned seeing her pause then look up slowly. Despite seeing his stoic expression, what he said seemed to make her freeze. Shaking her head internally, see took another drag.

"…What do you mean?"

"If you are being your mother's shadow, I assume you copy all of her actions."

'ItGoEsDeEpErThAnThAt,' the twisted voice spoke softly mimicking Naoko's voice.

"…" Ritsuko responded with silence.

She felt herself becoming afraid of where the male pilot was going with his question. It was as if he was dissecting her decisions, choices, and behaviors and bringing them out into the open. Part of her wanted no one to know what life she decided to live like which made her feel a little testy at him. The other side of her started feeling paranoid that he knew what she did and then some.

"…well…I do acknowledge that I am following in her footsteps…but, I wouldn't say I am copying every aspect of what she did. Both her and I had our disagreements about things," she answered moving her cigarette to the ash tray and patting it a couple of times.

"…" the male pilot said closing his eyes and feeling warmth building in them. Slowly closing then opening them, everything was tinted red.

"Are you sure Dr. Akagi?"

"…!?" Ritsuko said flinching and eyes widening with apprehension. Seeing her hand with the cigarette start to tremble a little, she felt the morbid and malicious aura nearby. Slowly looking up with her eyes, she froze and held her breath. Black-red eyes bore at her with tears of crimson falling down his face.

"…" Rei said reaching and standing outside of the locker rooms. After a couple of minutes, no one was seen down both directions of the hallway. Oddly, the more she waited the more anxious she became.

'Dr. Akagi is known for doing lengthy testing,' she thought blinking then looking at the floor. 'This is nothing to worry about…yet…I feel something is amiss.'

After a minute or two pass by, she felt herself becoming impatient. Part of her wanted to go find him while the other part of her told her to wait. Her second self was not voicing anything still. Ever since that grotesque familiar voice shouted in her mind, it had been quiet. More time seemed to pass by as she stood there.

'…I can't…stop these emotions…' Ayanami thought to herself. Feeling her mind race a little, different impulses came to her.

'Assuming that Ikari is still in his plug suit, he will need to come here to change. If I stay, the probability of running into him will be higher than searching for him.'

'Despite saying and understanding that would be the logical method…it does not bring me at ease,' she thought starting to walk away from the locker rooms. After walking down the hallway a few yards, she stopped.

'No…I will be less likely to find him if I search,' she thought turning around; however, she didn't move back to where she was standing.

"…" the First Child said feeling the confliction inside her grow and clash in her mind.

A speculative thought of where he was came to mind. There was no reason to believe he was there; however, it seemed to push one of the impulses greatly. Turning around, she started walking away from the locker rooms. Seeing an elevator up ahead, she pressed the call button. The doors opened and she stepped in. Automatically pressing a level a few floors up, she stood in front of the doors as the elevator closed and started to ascend.

"W-Why…" the scientist said carefully while staring at the Third Child. "…are you asking?"

"Shadows with secrets…tend to repeat secrets their predecessor had," he stated blinking slowly at her.

She saw only his eyes move a little which made her glance quickly to where he was looking. It was her cigarette. The bud had burned off 3/4th of its length. Being now at the filter part, she recognized that her fingers were getting a little hot. Dropping it in the ash tray, it continued to burn till there was none of it left.

"Are your fingers #$% #$okay, Dr. Akagi?" he asked when static was heard in mid-sentence.

'…no…' Ritsuko thought closing her eyes and breathing a little heavier. 'He does not have a mental illness…his blood has normalized for what I researched…there is nothing else that could be causing this…I am just tired.'

"…" she said opening her eyes and mouth.

No voice came as his head was tilting. A couple of loud scrunching cracks and pops emitted from his neck making her cringe. His eyes never blinked as he stopped with a 45 degree tilt. The blood coming out of his eyes seemed to have stopped and had dried a little. Swallowing, she could feel her legs had gone weak as if the blood flowing had been cut off. Taking another deep breath in, she tried pushing through the fear.

"They…they are fine."

"Good to…hear," he mentioned moving his head back straight. More pops and cracks were heard causing a shiver to go down her spine.

"What secrets are you saying I am repeating from my mother?"

"Her end…came from jealousy…will you follow the same fate as well?"

"…jea…jealousy?" Ritsuko whispered blinking and keeping still. About to continue, she started to see his eyes changing color. His black scleras faded into white while his irises became deeper in color from red to purple to violet to the dark magenta color. The change happened so quickly that the scientist was equally fascinated and alarmed.

"Yes Dr. Akagi," he said blinking and walking to the water fountain. Watching him stand in front and press the knob, the stream came out of it. Bending his face into the arcing liquid, the clear water became discolored with red.

"…" Rei said as the elevator stopped and the doors opened. Stepping out into the hallway, she looked down left then turned around. Thinking she saw something down the right side, she couldn't state what it was. However, her instincts told her to go in that direction. Despite having no clear reason to think he was down that direction, her feet started walking down the hallway.

"…" Ritsuko said staring at the male pilot seeing him rubbing his face with the faucet water still going. Her insides felt tight as if his words pierced her causing her to pause and think. Recalling if her mother had any rivals to be jealous of, the thought of the Sub-Commander came to mind.

'Other than Dr. Ikari from a scientist to scientist perspective…I don't think there was anyone else,' she thought.

Knowing that Naoko did not tell her what jealousy or what love life she had, thinking of anyone involved did not seem to make sense. Other than her father that left due to her mother always working, the Commander came to mind. Despite having a small admiration of him when she first visited NERV, her mother never mentioned any interest in him. Suddenly, a certain pilot came to mind.

'There is the First Child…but she was a small child during the time when my mother was alive…who could he be talking about?'

"Are you having trouble Dr. Akagi?" Shinji asked turning off the faucet.

Feeling the water drip down his face, the tint red vision went away. Looking down at the small pool of water in the fountain, the dark clone stared back at him. Its image kept going in and out of focus from the rippling of the water. When the liquid went through the grated drain, the voice's hideously bloody image went down with it.

"…" the scientist said blinking and shaking her head a little. "I am afraid I…don't…!?"

"…" the Third Child said putting his hands on his face and pushing them up.

With the small amount of water on his hands and mild dampness on his hair, his hands pushed his hair back. Putting his hands at his side, he slowly turned around. Stopping, he slowly blinked seeing Dr. Akagi's expression slowly change. It went from recognition to realizing a horrible revelation while staring wide eyed and in shock. Turning his eyes to the person she was boring at, he gave a small bow.

"Evening Miss Ayanami. How are you?"

"…" Rei said feeling better to have found him. Glancing at the scientist, she looked at her with shock as she started to shake. Looking back at him, she ignored the faux blonde's awkward staring.

"I am fine…how are you Ikari?"

"I am fine as well. Was there something I could help you with?"

"…is…the testing completed?" she asked looking at Ritsuko.

'…no…' Dr. Akagi said staring at the ground with a hand over her mouth.

Despite not looking at the blue-haired teen, she could still see the shadows of a very familiar scientist choking a toddler to death. The expression of jealous, resent, and gratification on the older woman's face made her cringe. It made her think about her reaction when destroying the clones in the secret lab. The other image was the same scientist with a recognizable male.

" #$^ #?"

"…!?" Ritsuko reacted by recoiling and pulling back a little from the vicious sounding voice. Looking up quickly, both the First and Third Child were looking at her with stoic expressions. His eyes were still the dark magenta color.

"Are you well Dr. Akagi?" Shinji asked blinking slowly.

"…" she replied breathing harder and harder while staring at him. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she forced herself a slow small nod.

"I see. Miss Ayanami was wondering if the extra tests have been completed for today."

"…yes…"

"Very well. I will go change," he commented bowing to her a little.

"May I accompany you Ikari?"

"If you would like to Miss Ayanami, I do not mind," he said turning toward her and nodding a little.

"…" the scientist said watching both Eva pilots walk down the hallway that Ayanami came from. Seeing them pass out of sight, she let out a heavy sigh of relief and held her head with her right hand. Shaking still, she reached for another cigarette.

'I'm just tired…I'm just tired…' she thought putting it in her mouth and grabbing her lighter. She let a couple of sparks but couldn't produce a flame.

'I'm just-'

" $% #$%…t…i…r…e…d…(*($%^&"

"…" she said feeling her blood run cold.

The cigarette in her mouth and the lighter in her hands fell to the floor. Feeling cold sweat everywhere, she slowly looked up frighten from the horrid familiar sound. Standing at the corner, entering the break area, was a morbid version of the Third Child's slashed up body. There were alterations: extra appendages, extra mouths, numerous eyes, black-red skin that dripped heavily with iron smelling liquid, and numerous scars, drill holes, depressions, and burn marks. Instead of crimson dripping everywhere, it was a mixture of red and pitch black blood. Without warning, it started slithering closer at her.

Immediately bolting around the bench, she kept her distance until she hit the back wall. Blinking, the grotesque figure was instantly at the bench. Its various black-red eyes stared at her and were blinking in different times. Numerous mouths opened and closed emitting airy and breathing sounds of pain and pleasure at the same time. Feeling every nerve in her body screaming at her to run, Ritsuko followed the wall to the hallway without taking her eyes off the creature. Watching only its eyes follow her made her side step quicker.

Reaching the hallway, she walked backwards still not taking her eyes off of it. Getting to the middle, she walked backwards till she couldn't see into the break area anymore. Suddenly, she couldn't hear the clicks of her heels hitting the floor. It made her apprehension elevate higher. She could only feel herself hyperventilating as well as her elevated heartbeat. It felt as if she was in a vacuum in space with no sound emitting. Glancing quickly behind her, she saw both pilots continuing down the hallway a little a ways. Loud slithering was heard followed by a monstrous shout making her dart her head back forward.

"…!?" she reacted scared.

The figure crawling on the ceiling as its tentacles inched forward in her direction. All of its eyes were narrowed looking at her while all of its mouths were grinning horrendously wide with numerous jagged teeth. Unable to resist her flight mechanism, she turned and bolted toward the teens. Her heel clicks boomed and echoed down the hallway seeing both pilots stop and turn around. Only Rei seemed to blink in surprise while Shinji remained stoic and still. Reaching them, Ritsuko got behind him and quickly grabbed his shoulders.

"…" both he and the First Child said blinking. Rei looked at the scientist with confusion while looking back and forth between her and the hallway.

'…w-w-where i-is i-it!?' Dr. Akagi thought in fear. Frantically, she looked with her eyes down the hallway. There was no trace of the vile figure anywhere.

"Is something the matter Dr. Akagi?"

"…" she replied still feeling unnerved and paranoid. Trying to calm down to answer, she held onto his shoulders a little firmer.

"I'm…I'm a bit over tired…" the scientist finally stated carefully looking down at him. His head was turned and looking at her with the corner of his eyes. Seeing the dark magenta eyes made her feel a little at ease.

"I see. Are you in need of support till we reach your office?"

"…" Dr. Akagi was about to say no when the ominous aura was still nearby. Not looking up, she glanced at the First Child. Instead of looking back at her, Ayanami looked a little apprehensive. She took a step closer to him.

"Ikari?"

"Yes Miss Ayanami?"

"Is something here?" she asked slowly scanning around though not finding anything out of sorts.

'…I'm not tired…and I'm not crazy,' Dr. Akagi thought feeling a mixture of relief and more alarmed at the same time.

"…" Shinji said blinking and looking around himself. Turning around, Ritsuko did not take her hands off his shoulders and moved to stay behind him. Strangely, Rei did the same thing of moving to stay next to him. Ignoring their actions, there was nothing to be seen down both directions of the hallway.

"My apologizes, I do not see anything around us. Is something amiss?"

"…" the First Child said slowly grabbing his left wrist with her right hand. Ritsuko saw the back of her neck had goosebumps.

"…no…"

"…I see…" he commented. He was confused that he was not having flashbacks from the two holding him. Again with not have a bodily reaction of fear from their touch, his body was still and calm. Internally shaking his head, he continued.

"Shall we continue then?" he asked seeing both nod their head.

Moving forward at a slower pace, both kept up with him and stayed close to him while walking. Going down the hallway, nothing happened or occurred. Security personnel saw the oddity on their cameras and bookmarked it. Checking down the hallways back and forward of them, nothing was out of the ordinary. Scratching their heads, they moved back to monitoring the camera feeds. Reaching the locker room, Shinji stopped in front of the men's side.

"Are you madams entering as well?" he asked feeling both of flinch from holding him.

"No Ikari, we will-!?" Ritsuko initially said letting go of his shoulders. She instantly heard loud slithering nearby along with a stronger morbid aura. Re-gripping his shoulders, should stood directly behind him and pressed herself against him. Strangely, Rei changed her grip and hugged his left arm pressing herself against him.

"…" he said feeling both shaking a little. Not turning his head to look at them, he slowly blinked and pushed the door to open. Entering in slowly, the door behind them closed. Making their way to the locker he used, they stood staring at it.

"May I change madams?" he asked stoically opening up his locker. Inside, both Ritsuko and Rei saw his school clothes and other items. Blinking, Shinji saw the evil clone staring back at him.

'Greeting sir. Are you comfortable being in there?' he stated in his mind with an internal bow. Reaching in the locker with one arm, he stuck his hand into one of its open mouths. Gripping something, he pulled out his school clothes.

'PrAcTiCaLlYlIbErAtInGmYsEeD,' it answered with distortion.

'I see. Have you obtained something sir?' he thought feeling the women's hands slowly let go of him. Setting his clothes on the bench below, he began to depressurize his plug suit.

' #$%#$…y…e…s… #$% #$CoNsUmPtIoN$%^ #$'

'So I gathered sir,' he continued while pulling his plug suit down. He ignored the aspect that two pairs of eyes were looking at him.

'…one…StEp…CLOSER!CLOSER!CCLLOOSSEERR!'

'If you say so sir,' Shinji thought putting on his clothes one by one. Getting his belt on and pocketing his things, he put a hand on the locker door and blinked.

'Anything else I can help you with sir?'

' #$% S#$$ L#$#$ #$E $% #$E #$% #P #$%^#$%' it screeched loudly as its whole body vibrated violently in the locker. Slowly closing the locker door, a powerful bursting splat happened inside of small storage unit. Removing his hand away, a mixture of red and black blood oozed out of every opening of the locker and pooled to the floor.

"…" he said nodding inside his head and turning around. Both of them were still next to him and looked a little pale.

"Shall we leave?"

"Y-yes," Ritsuko said desperately. "I will drive you two home. Let's go."

Not giving him a change to speak, she put her hands behind his back and pushed forward. Ayanami frowned at the action, but immediately followed them. From leaving the locker room to the parking garage, both of them stayed close to him. There were many NERV employees that were walking by that stopped and stared. They didn't say anything as they blinked in confusion.

Seeing the Third Child look at them and give a small nod, they gave a small nod back watching the trio walk on by. It was only when they reached the surface and drove on the highway did both Ritsuko and Rei felt able to completely relax. They felt that the dark presence was following them the entire time and would get closer if they did not stay in constant physical contact with him. Both could not find enjoyment out of holding onto him as paranoia and fear bombarded the entire trip out of NERV HQ.