Chapter 113: Confirmation
As the police strike force wrapped things up at the Sakura Palace, there were many vehicles in the parking lot. Ambulances, police cars, and large heavy duty trucks with passenger compartment attachments lined up in the drive way with colored lights flashing. Beyond the police caution line and the gates of the parking entrance was the media. News organizations lined up with their crews all set up with getting a scoop. Police officers kept them inline and to not flood the entrance to get their five minutes of recording.
Opening up the front entrance, Chief Ryu lead the teenage group that was awake. Both twins were carrying one of the meek teens that had fainted. The members of the NERV party were still unconscious as they were being transported to one of the large ambulance vehicles. The back doors opened up with medics coming out. He stopped and addressed the group behind him.
"They will be in good care. We'll send them to the nearest hospital," Yogosami stated when he heard two car doors open behind him. Turning around, two black suited men with sunglasses stepped out of a black limo. Seeing him, both closed their doors and approached.
"Chief, we will take our employees back to NERV's medical facility," one of the Section-2 agents stated as both stopped near him.
"And who are you two?" Ryu asked neutrally though was tense. Remembering the shoulder garment, he knew who they are.
"They are two Section-2 agents Mr. Yogosami. They are the ones that drove us here," the male pilot replied from behind.
"…" the officer said with a small frown. "Fine. Hand them over."
"Thank you for your cooperation," the other agent mentioned with a blank face.
"On one condition," he said and gestured with an open hand to the teens behind him. "These will be needed for questioning and giving statements due to their involvement with the suspect's crime."
"The twins can give statements now, but will be coming with us regardless."
"Despite being part of a secret organization that is protected by the government and the U.N., it doesn't protect individuals that are part of a scene of the crime. Especially witnesses with firsthand knowledge," the Chief claimed with narrow eyes and crossing his arms over his chest.
"Would it be troublesome to go with Mr. Yogosami gentlemen?" the Third Child asked stepping forward to be next to the officer.
"…" both agents answered looking at the male pilot. "You are protected by NERV's special privileges. If you forfeit them, you will be treated as any citizen that is a witness of the crime committed. NERV will not be able to protect you if you do so."
"I understand. I will let go of my right," Sid replied without moving, blinking, or expressing anything.
"…very well…" one agent said without nodding. Turning to the other twin, Rana straightened herself a little.
"I-I will do the same," she stated. She felt her hands get squeezed by the two conscious teens that were next to her. Both looked a bit relieved.
"Fine. We will inform the Commander of your decision. You are on your own on this matter," the other agent stated. He looked at the strike force members that were transporting the NERV party members.
"Go ahead guys. It's fine. Load them up in their limo," the Chief said with a neutral tone. Seeing his crew nod, they placed the members into the passenger cabin of the elongated vehicle. Once the last person was placed in, the passenger door closed. Watching the two Section-2 operatives get into the driver compartment, the limo turned on and slowly turned toward the exit.
"I appreciate you two deciding to stay behind," Ryu commented out loud. He watched the limo turn to the street with many flashes from cameras illuminating it. He turned back to the twins and gave a small smile.
"But…you could have gone with them. What made you two decide to stay?"
"Well…I felt that it was the right thing to do," Rana answered quietly. "And I didn't want my brother to be alone."
"That's a nice sibling relationship. What about you Ikari?"
"…" the male pilot spoke only moving his eyes toward the officer. "I believe…you will need an aid for the interrogation…yes?"
"…" the Chief replied with a smirk. "The thought did cross my mind. Depending how things go, I might ask you for that little persuasion ability."
"E-Excuse me sir," the female teen next to Rana asked in a quiet voice. "W-Where will Dr. Conrad be taken to?"
"For the time being, a jail cell at my station. Why?"
"J-J-Just asking."
"Do you two want to be with him?" Yogosami questioned quietly. The possibility that the doctor had warped their minds too much did cross his mind. The thought that the doctor abused them enough to become heavily dependent on him made him feel angry. It would make things increasingly difficult if the weak looking teens wanted to protect him from harm.
"…" both conscious teens opened their mouths and had apprehension in their eyes. Immediately, both looked down and started to shake.
"He's…He's our c-caretaker…he will treat us bad if we leave him and make decisions on our own. He'll punish us if we defy him," the male teen said quietly.
"…" the officers within ear shot commented. They cringed and gripped their weapons a little firmer. As much as he wanted to tell the boy that he didn't have to follow the doctor, Ryu bit the inside of his lip. Thinking quickly of a change of topic, he thought about what needed to be done now.
"We'll decide what to do later. Let's all go together to the police station for now," he said softly to the teens. The two conscious frail teens looked at him with their heads down.
"For the time being, could you two be with the twins?"
"…" both said nodding immediately and looking relieved.
"Looks like you two have babysitting duty for now."
"Very well sir," the Third Child said with a slow blink. The rest of the strike force gathered everything and got into their transportation vehicles. The chief and teenagers road in the back of a large heavy duty van as a chain line of police vehicles travelled out of parking lot.
Along the way, Ryu went over information and specs with an officer on one side of the compartment. The other side occupied the twins and the four teens. The two conscious had fallen asleep while resting their heads on either side of Rana's shoulders. She had put her head back on the head rest and went to sleep too. The two unconscious teens lied down on the bench nearby the Third Child.
'…how strange…' the male pilot thought looking at the floor. 'To go by one identity when there was another…I do not remember the madams calling me by that name.'
'Yet…it is what the sir addressed me as…also…the subjects of Dr. Conrad did not recognize me as Shinji…they recognized Rana as such.'
'If that is so and both of us have a name to differentiate…we are and aren't Shinji Ikari,' he thought as he heard movement to his left. Turning his eyes and looking down, both unconscious teens had started to stir. Appearing to be still half asleep, both of them crawled forward until the bumped into the Third Child. Reaching their hands forward, they started patting him on his thigh and arm.
"Is there something I can do for you two?" he asked quietly as both of them stopped.
Looking up at the person who talked, they squinted their eyes. When they saw two dark magenta eyes pierce through the darkness, they flinched and froze. Scanning around only with their eyes, they heard two older adults talking. The space they were in was dark and appeared to be moving. Both felt they were in a vehicle.
"…w-where are we…a-are we going to a new practice?" the male teen asked in frightened whisper.
"No sir. We are currently in a police transport vehicle heading to a police station."
"W-Where is the doctor?" the female teen asked quietly.
"He is in another police transport vehicle heading to the same location as we are," he replied without blinking.
"A-are we in trouble?"
"Not to my knowledge."
"Where are the others?"
"Resting to my right miss," the male pilot said seeing both teens nervously look around him. They saw their friends with the female twin between them. Seeing them resting together made both of them feel relieved. Looking back, they flinched to see only his eyes move watching them.
"Is there something else I can help you with?"
"…are…you really Shinji's brother?"
"Do you doubt we are related?" Sid asked with a slow blink. Both shook their heads.
"He never stated he had a brother or a twin before," the meek boy stated relaxing a little.
"…" the Third Child said hearing nothing in his head. "We were separated at birth."
"T-That's right," the female teen agreed slowly sitting up. "You did state that before."
"Indeed."
"D-Do you know what will happen to us?" the male adolescent asked looking cautiously at the officers.
"Depending on the outcome of Dr. Conrad, separation from him I assume," the male pilot answered with another slow blink.
He saw both of them blink and look at each other. A faint feel of relief seemed to come on their faces. Thinking about how the other two reacted and not hearing the evil voice speak, he pondered on what to say. Recalling what the chief stated, he spoke his thought.
"Do you two wish to remain with the doctor?"
"…no…" the teens said quietly at the same time. Both held an equal look of contempt.
"He…he makes me feel so useless and weak," the male stated gripping his pants tightly. "I…I can't protect anyone…I can't even defend myself."
"…" the female teen said grimacing but didn't say anything.
"You…you have the strength and power that caused him to back away," the boy mentioned turning toward the Third Child. "If…if I had that same thing, I'd kill him over and over again."
"Stop it…you'll get in trouble for saying such things. The doctor will put you in isolation for a longer period of time when he finds out," the other teen commented weakly despite clenching her skirt with her hands.
"I don't care. I want to be free from him, his lectures, his beatings, his humiliations, his experiments," the boy stated then grabbed the Third Child's left arm in two places.
"If I had a body like this and your temperament too…I…I…I…!?"
"Is something wrong," the male pilot asked in a low voice as he watched the teen immediately look at his arm. The boy's left hand had grasped his wrist and was looking at it wild eye. Looking up at Sid, a stronger aura emitted from him making the boy freeze. Goosebumps flared up and down his skin.
"Sir?"
"M-m-may I a-ask you s-s-something?"
"…" the male pilot replied blinking and waiting. It threw both teens off guard as the adolescent gulped.
"…m-m-may…I see…your," the boy said stuttering and shaking. The female teen also swallowed in nervousness on how emotionless and stoic the male twin was being. Despite his murky aura and piercing gaze, she acknowledged him to herself.
'…he…he so controlled…and strong,' she thought feeling a mixture of emotions. Part of her felt apprehension while the other felt safe and a wanting. The stability that he would provide seemed ideal to what she needed.
"Y-Your b-b-body?"
"…!?" the female adolescent said with a shocked face. Immediately fearing a bad reaction, she grabbed his hands and pulling them off the Third Child's arm. Letting go, she pinched her friend's ear and pulled.
"Ow-ow-ow-ow!" he said out loud.
"What the hell are you saying!?" she whispered sternly.
"Do you wish to see my scarred body that much sir?"
"…" both teens reacted and sat still. Slowly turning towards him, they flinched again. His eyes still were staring at them stoically. Even his body hadn't moved since they started talking to him. It added a level of uneasiness that kept them alert.
"There will be no stripping in this vehicle," the Chief said out loud. "Clothes will stay on. Is that clear?"
"…" the Third Child said slowly moving his eyes toward the officer who didn't flinch.
"Very well sir," he complied with a slow nod.
"Y-Yes sir," both teens said immediately afterwards.
"Good," Ryu replied as he picked up a wall phone and dialed a number. As they watched him, the two teens saw dark magenta orbs slowly turn back to them. Looking back nervously at the male twin, only his eyes looked at them.
"Perhaps another time would be better if you still desire that sir," he said closing his eyes slowly.
"…!?" both teens said in surprise. Shaking his head, the male adolescent replied.
"R-R-Really? Y-You don't mind?"
"No sir. I do not."
"O-Okay. T-Thanks," he stated with a small smile while the female teen still stared at the male twin with surprise.
After some time of driving, the police vehicles turned into the South Side police station. Entering into the garage, a few officers were waiting inside for them. As the cars turned off one by one, a couple of officers in SWAT gear opened the doors to one large heavy duty van compartment. Escorting the doctor to a detention cell, he was still bickering and demanding his lawyers and subjects be brought to him. Exiting out of the back of another large compartment, the Chief looked back inside.
"Take your time in getting them ready. Once so, follow your escort and head to Nami's office. Wait for further instructions. Alright?"
"Very well Mr. Yogosami," the Third Child said standing up and gave him a small bow.
"Good," he said then turned to the officer next to the doors. "I trust you to not have any of them escape if they attempt to."
"Copy that chief," the policeman complied with a nod. Watching Ryu walk off, he turned toward the compartment seeing three teens were still sleeping. Two were still sitting and looked afraid at him while the male pilot was standing and looking at him.
"Let me know when you are all ready," he stated and saw the male teen with dark magenta eyes nod slowly.
"May I ask you two to wake up your friends?" Sid asked quietly turning toward the two that were next to him.
Both looked at him and nodded. Moving to the other two teens, both silently woke them up. Immediately, the other male and female adolescent started to panic as their two friends quickly tried calming them down. It took a couple of minutes till both of them had regained composure; however, both were very cautious and anxious of their surroundings. Seeing the male twin staring stoically at them, they stared back with nervous eyes.
"Can you wake Miss Rana or is she still sleeping?" he asked quietly.
"W-We tried but he-I mean, she hasn't stirred yet."
"I see," the Third Child stated and walked in front of her. The four teens watched as the male twin placed an arm under her knees and one around her back. Without much effort, he lifted her in his arms. They saw the female twin moved a little bit and seemed to relax more. She turned her head and leaned it against his shoulder and collar bone.
"Please follow me ladies and gentlemen," he said softly as he turned toward the exit carrying Rana.
"…" all of the teens said watching him. Forming a straight line, the leading frail looking teen grabbed the bottom portion of the male pilot's jacket. The others held hands with one another.
"We are ready sir."
"Cool. Follow me," the officer whispered with a small nod and smile.
Walking across the police garage, the teens were blinking and looking around with anxious eyes. Despite them whispering to each other back forth, the officer could hear how apprehensive and paranoid they sounded. Entering through a door to the main building, all of them entered a hallway. There were more people talking inside which made the frail teens more alert and walk closer together. Entering and passing an open space with cubicles, a few police officers saw the human chain walking by. Murmurs went by as they recognized the Third Child and wondered about the teens around him. Passing the open space into another hallway, the officer escorted the group to the secretary's office at the end.
"Go ahead and take a seat. It might be a while before the Chief comes back to talk with you all," he mentioned opening the door and filing the group in. All of them entered and stayed closed to the Third Child who was still caring his twin sister.
"Is there anything I can get you kids? Soda, snacks, or something? We got some pastries from this morning if you'd like them."
"Some tea would suffice for me sir," the male pilot said with a blink.
"Sure. What about you four?"
"…" the four answered blinking looking around from standing behind the Third Child. None of them were opening their mouths as they held onto him and shook a little while watching him.
"…emm…on second thought, I'll just put stuff together and give it to our secretary," he commented exiting the room. About to close the door, he looked back at them with a neutral expression.
"Don't leave this room until told to. Understand?"
"Very well sir," Sid replied with a slow blink.
"…" the officer said slowly closing the door.
'Those are pretty messed up kids,' he thought walking away and shaking his head. Seeing the officer leave, the four teens began to relax and move away from the male pilot.
"I take it we are prisoners here?" one male teen asked.
"Until further notice, yes sir," he commented moving to a bench.
Bending down and placing her on the couch, Rana seemed to have kept a grip on him. He slowly removed her hold on him and gently lied her down on the bench. Removing his jacket, he placed it gently over her. She shifted a little bit and seemed to smile a little. Turning around, he saw the four staring at him uncomfortably. One of the male teens stepped forward.
"I-I'm sorry about w-what I asked before in the vehicle," he said bowing his head.
"I am not offended by the request sir," Sid said blinking and tilting his head a little. "Did you still want to look at it?"
"…!?" the other three blinked in surprise and turned toward their male comrade who looked more put on the spot. Playing with his fingers, he stuttered.
"M-M-Maybe n-not the w-whole body…m-maybe j-j-just the t-top."
"For what reason?"
"…I…I-I j-j-just wanted…t-to confirm…s-s-something."
"…" the Third Child said tilting his head back up and waiting for a reason or reply. Hearing nothing in his head, he thought about what to do. Seeing that the teens were figures from the past, he had no memory of them and neither did Rana. However, only the dark clone seemed to recognize them from memory.
"Are you seeking confirmation of which one of us was from your past?" he asked with a stoic expression. The male teen nodded quickly.
"I see," he replied and looked down at his tie. Moving his hands, he began to loosen it.
"W-W-Wait!?" one of the females stated with a hush whisper. "Y-You don't have to do this!"
"If it helps to solidify an identity," Sid stated removing his tie and placed it on the bench. "It will clear up things in more than one way."
"…?" the teens said watching him start to unbutton his dress shirt. As he continued, the four stood watching him with high anxiety.
"As far as my knowledge goes ladies and gentlemen," he said removing his dress shirt to reveal a tank top underneath. All four teen's eyes widen from seeing the numerous scars on his arms and exposed upper torso. The neck scar on him was more pronounced and seemed to make him more savaged. Blinking, they saw him remove his undershirt.
"These were done as part of my discipline and punishment under a family I stayed with."
With the tank top off, they saw an athletically built male teenager with many scars on him. Instead of how their bodies looked, his scars and old wounds made him rugged and tough looking. From their perspective, it made him looked stronger.
"A-A family did this to you?" the male teen asked slowly looking from one body part to another.
"Yes. A pair of sisters whom I served at the time were the main individuals that dealt my discipline and punishment," he stated with a neutral expression.
"…" one of the female teens said with curious eyes and walked forward.
Slowly heading and stopping in front of him, she nervously touched the cross slash scar that was above his heart. Removing her hand, she looked closer at the neck scar. Blinking, she walked around him. The others noticed that he remained emotionless and not bothered by her actions. Looking at the male pilot's back, it was heavily scarred as well. Searching and lightly touching a few areas, she noticed something. Blinking, she walked around till she stopped in front of him. With her hands at her side, she gripped her clothes.
"W-What is it?" the other female asked.
"His scars are different from ours," she said and looked down at her plain clothes that the doctor provided. Feeling anxious and her pulse increasing, she took a deep breath and removed her top. Placing her blouse and hands in front of her legs, she felt surprised at how embarrassed and ashamed she felt.
'…I have done this…so many times before,' she thought slowly looking back at the male twin. His expression didn't change as he stared directly back at her eyes.
'…why…why am I so nervous around him?'
"…" Sid commented seeing how frail, scarred, abused, and tortured her body looked.
Based on the variety and the quantity of marks on her body, she had been tortured and abused for years. Blinking, the skin crème formula that he was grilled to learn flooded in his mind. Seeing her drop her blouse to the floor, she moved her arms. Placing them in front of her chest to cover herself, she nervously turned around. Her back looked worse. With the same amount of scarring, there were large depressions on the skins. Many of them caused skin pigmentation changes making the skin color blotchy and red.
"One of the doctor's practices was using acid on the skin. Not enough to melt all the way through…b-but enough to remove a layer…it was part of his experiments. It usually occurred after a red liquid injection."
"I see," the male pilot said then slowly turned his head to the left. The other teens heard a faint sound of a door opening a little and turned toward the source. They saw an adult female who was partially in the door frame. It was Nami with a horrified expression on her face and a hand over her mouth.
"Oh my god," she breathed seeing how brutally scarred the two teens were. Looking to her right a little, she saw the Third Child nod his head.
"Greetings Miss Blaze," he said as he bent down to pick up his under shirt and put it on. The topless female teen became more embarrassed as she kneeled to the floor and formed into a ball. Grabbing her blouse, she quickly put it on as the Third Child started putting on his dress shirt.
"Are…are all of you…like that?" Nami asked still in shock from seeing how scarred both were. Looking at the other three teens, all of them were looking down at the ground and holding themselves. Each of them started to remove their tops when the secretary held up her hand.
"No-no-no! I don't need to see," she said quickly seeing them stop. Taking a deep breath in and out, she looked back to see the male pilot who finished buttoning his shirt. He proceeded to put on his tie. Rana was still sleeping while the female teen was still balled up and squatting on the floor.
"I'll be back in a few minutes. Just…don't do any more show and tell."
"Very well Miss Blaze," he mentioned done with his tie. Hearing the door close, the group could hear fast heels walking away. An awkward silence remained in the air. The three heard the Third Child move and kneeled in front of the female teen that was still balled up.
"Do you need help standing up Miss?" he asked.
"…" she stated looking up with a red face and tears falling from her eyes. Seeing him reach into his pocket and pulling out a handkerchief, he offered it to her. Looking at it, she sniveled a little. Reaching her hands out, she slowly grasped his forearm and nodded her head.
"Very well," Sid stated and slowly stood up. Pulling her up to a standing position, part of her became less tense. Slowly grabbing the handkerchief, she proceeded to wipe her eyes.
"…are…are we in trouble?" one of the males asked out loud. The three watched his arm being let go as it returned to his side. Turning toward the bench, he walked near it. Quietly moving the guest chairs to be facing the couch and the desk, he sat in one and looked at them.
"I do not think so."
Back in the NERV facility, the Sub-Commander came out of his screening tests. Going over the results, all proved to be negative.
"There was nothing to indicate that I am developing something mental?" the older man asked the doctor.
"Based on our findings sir, you as well as the other staff members do not have any signs or brain activity that would lead to a mental disorder."
'That is a relief…and not a relief at the same time,' Kozo thought to himself then nodded at the medical staffer.
"Maybe you are more tired than you realize Sub-Commander. The brain does strange things to compensate for a lack of sleep," the doctor suggested.
"…I guess so…" the older man replied with a sigh and stood up. "Very well doctor. Thank you for your analysis."
"Welcome sir. I will have admin check you out so you can leave."
Leaving the doctor's office, the Sub-Commander headed towards the admin counter. After a brief talk with them, there was a message for him from the Commander. In reading, Gendo told him to go rest for the day before coming back tomorrow. Departing from the desk, he headed back to the main NERV building. Once on the other side, he made his way to the parking garage. As he continued walking, he contemplated what happened in his mind. Even when he stepped into the multi-level parking lot, he was still lost in thought.
'…if none of the staff developed any symptoms…' he thought walking toward his vehicle. 'And there was none in me…how did we all see the same vision?'
'The only constant factor through the vision was Unit-01…but in the system,' Kozo thought unlocking his car and opening the door. 'It hasn't been activated since the Commander put a restraining order on using it.'
'Something has to be going on,' he thought sitting in the driver seat and closing the door. Putting his keys in the ignition, the car roared on.
'A new type of Angel…no…the system hasn't detected anything…possibly a third-!?' he thought when something whacked the back of his head. His vision blackened as everything became numb and passed out. After idling for a little bit, the Sub-Commander's car started backing out and heading toward the car escalator.
After more waiting, both the Chief and secretary came to her office. Knocking, they entered the office seeing the teens were still inside. All were sitting on the bench or in chairs and looked up at them. Both adults were a bit relieved that they did not remove their clothes. Entering, Ryu closed the door while Nami held a tray of beverages and snacks.
"I hope these are okay in case any of you would like a variety of something to drink and eat," she mentioned placing the platter on the table. In looking at the food and drinks, the meek looking teens flinched but remained where they were. All saw the male pilot get up and looked at them all.
"Would any of you like something to drink or eat?"
"…" the four replied looking back and forth between him and the tray.
"…?" Rana said looking back and forth. Getting up, she walked toward the snacks and drinks. Grabbing one of each, she sat back where she was and began eating. About to take a sip, the four teens were watching her intently.
"Y-Yes?" she asked feeling uncomfortable from them staring.
"…" the Third Child said turning toward the tray and grabbing a couple of items. His action made the teens look at him. Watching him taking a sip then a bite, he turned toward them. Only blinking, he walked toward his chair and sat down. After a small wait, the teens saw that nothing was happening to the twins. Each of them slowly got off the couch and went toward the tray. Ryu and Nami watched them pick one of each nervously.
"You guys can have more than one if you'd like," she stated seeing how thin and frail they looked compared to the twins.
"…o-okay…" one of the boys said and grabbed two more snacks. Each other teen did the same and went back to the bench. Expecting them to ravenously eat the food, each ate on the slow side. It almost seemed like they were savoring the flavor of each bite.
"Do you know why they were acting like that?" Ryu whispered out of the side of his mouth seeing all of them eating quietly.
"Probably suspected the food to be tainted. My guess it is a learned behavior of anyone they don't know," the secretary commented quietly back and controlled her grimace.
"…it has to be the guy…" he said quietly clenching his hands into fists. "He has to be the one with those 600 kids."
"So far, he fits the profile and personality of someone doing that kind of atrocity."
"You said that Ikari is possibly not a victim?"
"Based on what I saw and what they were…showing and telling, he does not have the same markings as the others."
"But he was heavily scarred up as well."
"Apparently he stayed with a family that did that to him."
"I wonder if the groups are connected," the Chief whispered.
"It's possible."