*************
Neon Genesis Reccangelion
by Rei Himura
*************
Part 2: Strive to reach the heavens...
*************
Whoa! That is one -ugly- looking ANgel I've ever seen. Raiha widened his eyes. Standing in the middle of Tokyo-3 stood a hairy beast-like creature that was as tall as the Evangelion. It had its back to him, sniffing out the buildings surrounding it.
Angels sniff? the boy asked himself. Back in the control room, the technicians were going into overdrive.
"No doubt about it! Pattern blue! It's an Angel alright." shouted Menou. She tossed Saicho a stack of papers which he caught deftly and began summarising it.
"No known possible weaknesses." he exclaimed. Another technician, whose name was Misora, passed by and took the papers from him. She then handed it over to Neon who leaned against teh wall, watching the Angel scratch its back like a dog.
"It's an Anagel that acts like a dog..." she muttered to herself. The papers were thrusted into her arms and she took them without looking.
"Well? What's he waiting for? Kill that thing." urged Menou. Her gaze, as well as the other two technicians and the rest of the crew on the bridge were watching the screen. Raiha merely stood still, he didn't know what to do. Heck, he didn't know what he -should- do in the first place.
So am I supposed to fight bare-handed or what? he asked to the people who were supposed to be behind him all the way. At that, the technician busied themselves again.
"You're progressive knife is in your left shoulder pack." Neon spoke into the com link again.
Shoulder pack? How do I open it up?
"Try pressing the green button on your console." ordered Kagerou. Thank goodness the monster was more interested on the buildings rather than on the Eva. She sweatdropped.
Oh... erm... okay. Done. at the exact moment, the Angel turned. Raiha froze. Eva and Angel looked eye to eye and then it charged.
*************
"Was this expected Sir? The 2nd Angel, Shinju." Domon asked softly. There was a grunt from Joker and he took that as a yes. He should have known better, Joker had all this planned out. He and the rest of the committee. All in their vain attempts to try and repeat history all over again. And the children are the ones who do the dirty work... I pity them...
*************
The Angel was a hairy creature, with a lion for its head. It stood on its two hind legs, claws readied, fangs bared for all to see. Raiha gulped and shuddered. He had never seen anything so horrendous and fearsome at the same time. He took a step forward, tripped on the umbilical cord, and fell. The ground shook and even the overhead lights in Nerve hallways trembled a little. For Raiha, it was the embarrassment of the century. However, before he could scramble back on his feet, the Angel had pounced on him, pinning him to the ground.
Argh! Get off me you... you hairy thing! Raiha struggled to push the thing off but it was too heavy. Besides, he didn't know this Eva thing too well. I wonder why I'm doing this in the first place. He looked away and then the image of the violet-haired girl came back into mind. Her pale face forever encased in agony. The agony she bore after piloting such a machinery as this. Would he end up like her? Torn, battered and bruised? He hoped not. He hoped she was feeling better.
"Why not get him to activate an AT field?" asked Saicho. Menou and Misora lared at him.
"What?" he blinked in confusion.
"Idiot. It's his first time piloting such a thing. You think he'd know how to activate a AT field?" hissed Misora. Saicho backed up. Suddenly the girls were turning on him, backing him up against the wall. He looked to Kagerou for help, but she was too engrossed in the fight scene to bother looking around and saving his arse.
"W-well... s-sorry." he stuttered an apology and then almost instantly, the girls returned to their seats. Saicho heaved a sigh of relief and returned to his own terminal. Women... they're all suffering from PMS...
*************
The Angel had pulled the Eva up with it and now gripped the biomechanical humanoid by its neck. Inside, Raiha winced.But I shouldn't feel pain right? I mean... I'm not the one fighting... it was getting harder to breathe in the LCL. The Eva's hands tore at the Angel's, struggling for its release. The Angel grabbed hold of the Eva's head and then twisted it at an odd angle where it suddenly went limp. It began attacking the body next.
Let... me... go! Let me... go! mentally, the young pilot screamed for his safety. Then suddenly, a strange mixed feeling of euphoria and melancholy enveloped him. His mind felt strangely detached from his body, as though it were somewhere else on the astral plane.
Huh? What? What's happening?
*************
Fuuko winced. She tried focussing her energy to help the new pilot. The boy who sacrificed his life so that she could recover hers. She was piloting with him now. If not physically, then mentally. She would help him defeat. But only this once. She didn't think she would be able to survive another attack.
"Come on Second Child... you can do it... I know you can..." she whispered through gritted teeth.
*************
The Eva suddenly grabbed hold of its once abandoned progressive knife and plunged it into the Angel's left hand. It howled in pain and pulled back, nursing its wound. This gave the Eva enough time to retaliate and gain its footing. The progressive knife was pulled back and this time, aimed towards the Angel's heart - glowing orb in the middle of its body. The Angel, sensing its motive, edged back. The Eva went after it.
*************
"Sync ratio elevating! It's now at 76%!"
"Harmonics going haywire!"
"We lost communication with the pilot!" Neon and Kagerou turned to face each other and then at the three frantic technicians.
"Vital statistics?" Kagerou barked.
"Unknown!" was the rushed reply. The 30-year old head technician moved towards the terminal and began reading out the statistics.
"What about the pilot?" asked Neon as she pushed her way to the trio.
"Unknown as well! It's like... like the Eva is operating on its own!" Menou replied, her eyes scanning the screen so fast you think she'd go cross-eyed.
"She's at it again..." was Kagerou's murmurred response. Just then, the Angel let out a terrifying howl which echoed in the geo-front and it died. Everyone looked back at the screen, only to find the Eva tearing at its heart like a crazed psycho. The room was filled with silence as the Eva continued, and then it stopped, took a few steps back, and collapsed onto the ground.
"Send the medics to the cages. Get the ground support up." Neon finally spoke after a long period of silence. Her voice was strangely alien to herself, as though she were acting on remote. The crews in-charge of the various sections nodded their heads grimly and exited the bridge. Joker and Domon sat in silence.
*************
"It's over..." Fuuko whispered and fell back onto the hospital bed, a smile on her pale face. The electronic pulse beside her went dead, alerting the nurse on duty outside.
*************
"Sir, phonecall for you." Domon passed Joker his mobile phone. The Commander took it with his gloved hand and placed it to his ear.
"What is it?" he spoke in a cold and authorative voice.
"C-Commander sir. It's about the First Child. She's went under-"
"What?" Joker had cut off the nurse, slammed the phone back into Domon's hands and left the bridge. From where she was below, Kagerou watched him leave. She caught Domon's knowing gaze and then turned back to aid her proteges with the data. Neon had left earlier to attend to the paperwork on her desk. It seemed like after the terrifying battle with the Angel, life in Nerve was almost back to normal.
*************
"Fuuko? Fuuko?"
"She needs rest sir. Her heart is still weak, we assume from the accident. She'll be alright tomorrow. Would you like the report on the Seco-"
"Send the statistical reports on the First Child to my office." once again the doctor was cut off and he left in amazement as the Commander walked out on him, without even hearing the statistical report on his son. The young lad who had risked his life to save Tokyo-3 from whatever ugly menace sent to them from God above. He sighed and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him and then headed to another room. Captain Tsujimoto was inside, her pretty face filled with worry.
At least someone is worried for him... the doctor smiled.
"Don't worry Captain. He'll be alright. Got a big concussion that's all." he could see the panic leave her face and the tension ease away from her rigid body. He gave her a warm smile before leaving her alone to the boy.
Neon nodded her head, waited for the doctor to leave, before walking towards Raiha's bed. She took a seat and pulled it closer and watched him breathe. She smiled.
"Well Raiha. You did a wonderful job. Just want to let you know that. You saved the world today." she whispered into his ear, not bothering if he could hear or not. A few more minutes passed and Neon finally got up and left the room. Leaving the boy to recuperate, and perhaps wake up the next day with a hell of a headache. In which he did.
*************
"How are you feeling today boy?" asked the nurse. She was a cheerful lady in her late thirties and brought in a tray decked with food. Raiha was awake, sitting upright and clutching his head.
"Like hell..." he moaned.
"I feel like I've been through some sort of military camp. Geez... what happened?" still clutching his head, he heard the nurse place the tray on the moveable table and bring it towards him. He looked up and winced. The nurse smiled.
"Well.. it'll get better if you eat breakfast and then your medication." she smiled at him again. He smiled back. Smiles were very infectious. The nurse watched him take a spoonful of the chicken porridge and then headed towards the door.
"Erm... wait!" Raiha called out after swallowing a spoonful of the gruel. The nurse turned around to face him.
"Yes?"
"Er... I was just wondering. What happened to the other girl? The one covered in bandages?" he asked. He wanted to know if she was alright. A flicker of emotions crossed the nurse's face. Anger? Hurt? Disappointment? He couldn't quite tell. Damn... I might be needing specs after all!
"She's still recovering. She's in the Intesive Care Ward. Would you like to visit her after you're done?" Raiha nodded his head. She smiled again. Raiha by now had labelled her as the Smiling Nurse.
"Alright then. Finish your breakfast and I'll bring you to see her. Oh wait, I might as well call the Captain. She was going to see her as well." the Smiling Nurse added. Raiha grinned back. She headed towards the door again and then was halted again.
"Wait! Erm... what's her name?" the Nurse gave him a pretty annoyed scowl and then shook her head, with a smile. Boys will be boys...
"Kirisawa. Fuuko Kirisawa." then she left before she was being called back again. Raiha was left to ponder and finish up his breakfast.
"Fuuko Kirisawa... nice name..." he mused to himself and then attacked the tray with renewed gusto.
*************
"How's the food?" came a voice from somewhere to his left. Raiha was laid back on the bed, his stomach full and his head still throbbing. But it wasn't as bad as before. Maybe he should have asked for something stronger. He turned to find Neon grinning down at him. He grinned back. Man... what am I? Some mirror?
"Okay I guess... do you think they could give soemthing stronger for my headache?" he asked. Neon laughed and seated herself on the chair provided.
"You'll have to be 18 to be able to take something stronger."
"Why? Might interfere with my increasing testosterone?" Raiha joked. He heard Neon laugh. It was musical. High and feminine. It reminded him vaguely of his mother's. Her laugh was high, feminine and musical as well. Kaasan...
"Maybe that's one of the reasons. I hear you wish to see Kirisawa?" Raiha sat up. Oh yeah... the girl. Nearly forgot. Must have been the food...
"Yeah. Smiling Nurse said you were going to see her also."
"Smiling Nurse? Oh you mean Mrs. Sakoshita? Yes... I was going to visit Fuuko." Smiling Nurse? This boy sure had a lot of imagination. But then... Hikari Sakoshita did smile a lot.
"Are you going now?" Raiha asked.
"Yes. Here, get changed. You're discharged anyway. Doctor said you suffered nothing more than a nice whack on the head." she tossed him his school uniform on the bed which he gathered up eagerly and vanished into the bathroom with it.
"What happened anyway?" he called from inside the bathroom.
"You can't remember?" Neon's brow furrowed. Must have whacked more than his brain.
"All I -can- remember was being strangled and then I felt like my mind was somewhere far far away from my body. Nice feeling. Like you're on drugs." the boy added. Neon made a mental note to check the entry plug and LCL for contamination and for Raiha to get a blood check. When he came out, she smiled at him.
"You know, if you keep smiling, I might call you the Smiling Red-head next." the boy joked. Neon laughed. It was strange, that a younger male specie could make her laugh so easily. He was unlike the other one, cold, silent and sullen. Who always kept to herself and spoke only when spoken too. Yet somehow she could see the boy was smitten with her as his father was. As his father was... Neon scowled. She didn't like Joker, not especially since the way he treated his own flesh and blood. But he was a smart and intelligent man and did things because he knew it would benefit the people dierctly involved. Yet she only wish he wasn't so crude and didn't spend so much time with the First Child. She shuddered. To otehrs, the Commander's relationship with the First Child probably seemed like incest, but to those who knew, it was more of the case of a deprived father.
"Hey-looo? Earth to Captain Tsujimoto?" Raiha waved his hands in front of the female. She blinked and then blushed apologetically. Standing up she headed towards the door. Raiha still remained by the bed.
"Well? What are you waiting for? We're going to see Fuuko and that's where you and I will go." she said and opened the door so that the boy walked out of the room first followed by her. As they headed to the ICU wards, Hikari smiled and waved at them. Raiha waved back. Somehow... why do I get this strange feeling that I'll be back... he paused and then shrugged away the thought and walked beside Neon.
*************
The pair arrived just as the Commander left. Neon greeted him, Raiha kept silent and he just walked on past.
"Is he always like this?" the purple-haired male whispered as the older Odokemono was out of sight.
"Who? The Commander? Yes. Every day and night. If you see a smile on his face, then something's wrong." Raiha kept quiet. Looks like he never changed... The paused in front of a door with the plaque: Fuuko Kirisawa - First Children - Pilot 00. As they entered the room, Raiha wondered what the 00 in Pilot 00 meant. The sight that greeted him, left him in shock.
The room was decked from ceiling to formica floor with equipment. He could barely discern the figure resting in the middle of the room. The girl, who appeared to be about the same age as he was, slept soundly on the bed. She wasn't wearing the skin-tight uniform I failed to mention in Part 1, but instead a female version of the hospital gown he had worn earlier on. Her head was bandaged as was her left arm. IV tubes ran down her right. A machine set to the head of her bed checked the regularity of her heartbeat. She was pale, the mass of dark purple hair contrasting wildly to her skin. One eye was bandaged and the other close, a sign that she was asleep. Her chest heaved up and down, indicating that she was alive as was she inconscious.
"What happened to her?" Raiha whispered. Neon didn't answer him at first but only moved to the side of the girl's bed to change the wilting flowers in a vase. When she was done, she pulled up two chairs and motioned to Raiha to sit.
"An accident that shouldn't really have happened." she spoke after a while, keeping her voice low.
"Erm... okay. Can I have the details of the accident then?" Raiha asked. The girl suddenly stirred but did not wake. Her heartbeat was normal.
"She was undergoing testing for Unit 00 when it went berserk. The entry plug was ejected but however, the Eva tumbled back and fell on it. She survived, as you can see, but got out by the skin of her teeth." Neon explained, eyes fixated on the girl. Raiha kept silent, he too watched her sleep.
"Your father was there. He was the one who saved her." Neon added. Raiha blinked. Father saved her? Before he could contemplate any of it, the girl awoke, her lavendar eyes scanning the room, slowly coming into focus. She sensed something move to her left and turned her head. She smiled at Neon and at Raiha.
"Ohayou Fuuko." Neon greeted her softly, a smile on her face.
"Ohayou Neon-san." came the soft reply. Fuuko managed a smile which lit up her otherwise ashen face. She shifted her gaze to the boy beside the Captain and smiled at him.
"Ohayou Odokemono-san." she managed.
"O-ohayou." Raiha stuttered.
"Ne... you don't have to call my by that. Raiha will do fine." he added. Fuuko smiled again.
"How are you feeling Fuuko?"
"Slightly better. How's your head Raiha-san?" Fuuko turned back her attention on the boy. He turned red instantaneously.
"M-my h-head?" he stuttered again. Raiha gulped, fighting to regain his lost composure.
"Still throbs like hell... but I'm dealing." he replied with a shrug of his shoulders. Fuuko laughed and then coughed. A nurse entered. Stern and hard totally unlike Hikari, teh Smiling Nurse Raiha had met earlier. She glowered at them and then tended to Fuuko.
"Miss Kirisawa, you musn't strain yourself!" she reprimanded the girl. Fuuko only raised the eyebrow of the uncovered eye, eliciting a half-laugh from Shinji. Throughout all this, Neon kept silent.
"I though laughter was the best medicine." she added as the nurse adjuest the IV drip and then turned to glare at her visitors. She turned back to Fuuko.
"Rest is the best medicine for you now young lady." came the curt reply. Fuuko sighed and looked up to gaze at the ceiling. The nurse turned to face the outsiders.
"It would be good if you leave Miss Kirisawa so that she may rest... in peace." she spoke, her gaze penetrating the pair. Neon brushed it off easily, but Raiha shuddered inwardly. The Captain got up.
"Fuuko... we'll be leaving now. Take as much rest as you need, according to -the nurse-. I'll come again tomorrow." she spoke, addressing Fuuko and completely ignoring the nurse. Raiha stood up as well.
"Erm... uh... bye Fuuko-san. I'll try to come again. Get... er... as much rest as possible." he spluttered, one eye on the glowering nurse the other on the girl. She turned to look at him one final time and smiled.
"See you at school." she added as they left her room.
"Miss Kirisawa! You are not well to go to school tomorrow! You have to stay in here and get -plenty- of rest and-"
"Oh what do you know? I can be replaced either way." Fuuko snapped at the shocked nurse and then turned to her side. The nurse blinked, adjusted a few more of the mechanism and then left.
"I can be replaced..." Fuuko echoed to herself she closed her eyes, letting a single tear escape.
*************
Author's Notes: Haiz... sad isn't it? I think I'll weep soon enough later on. Watch out for the next installment as well as for Part 5b of Mirage. Hehehe...
Neon Genesis Reccangelion
by Rei Himura
*************
Part 2: Strive to reach the heavens...
*************
Whoa! That is one -ugly- looking ANgel I've ever seen. Raiha widened his eyes. Standing in the middle of Tokyo-3 stood a hairy beast-like creature that was as tall as the Evangelion. It had its back to him, sniffing out the buildings surrounding it.
Angels sniff? the boy asked himself. Back in the control room, the technicians were going into overdrive.
"No doubt about it! Pattern blue! It's an Angel alright." shouted Menou. She tossed Saicho a stack of papers which he caught deftly and began summarising it.
"No known possible weaknesses." he exclaimed. Another technician, whose name was Misora, passed by and took the papers from him. She then handed it over to Neon who leaned against teh wall, watching the Angel scratch its back like a dog.
"It's an Anagel that acts like a dog..." she muttered to herself. The papers were thrusted into her arms and she took them without looking.
"Well? What's he waiting for? Kill that thing." urged Menou. Her gaze, as well as the other two technicians and the rest of the crew on the bridge were watching the screen. Raiha merely stood still, he didn't know what to do. Heck, he didn't know what he -should- do in the first place.
So am I supposed to fight bare-handed or what? he asked to the people who were supposed to be behind him all the way. At that, the technician busied themselves again.
"You're progressive knife is in your left shoulder pack." Neon spoke into the com link again.
Shoulder pack? How do I open it up?
"Try pressing the green button on your console." ordered Kagerou. Thank goodness the monster was more interested on the buildings rather than on the Eva. She sweatdropped.
Oh... erm... okay. Done. at the exact moment, the Angel turned. Raiha froze. Eva and Angel looked eye to eye and then it charged.
*************
"Was this expected Sir? The 2nd Angel, Shinju." Domon asked softly. There was a grunt from Joker and he took that as a yes. He should have known better, Joker had all this planned out. He and the rest of the committee. All in their vain attempts to try and repeat history all over again. And the children are the ones who do the dirty work... I pity them...
*************
The Angel was a hairy creature, with a lion for its head. It stood on its two hind legs, claws readied, fangs bared for all to see. Raiha gulped and shuddered. He had never seen anything so horrendous and fearsome at the same time. He took a step forward, tripped on the umbilical cord, and fell. The ground shook and even the overhead lights in Nerve hallways trembled a little. For Raiha, it was the embarrassment of the century. However, before he could scramble back on his feet, the Angel had pounced on him, pinning him to the ground.
Argh! Get off me you... you hairy thing! Raiha struggled to push the thing off but it was too heavy. Besides, he didn't know this Eva thing too well. I wonder why I'm doing this in the first place. He looked away and then the image of the violet-haired girl came back into mind. Her pale face forever encased in agony. The agony she bore after piloting such a machinery as this. Would he end up like her? Torn, battered and bruised? He hoped not. He hoped she was feeling better.
"Why not get him to activate an AT field?" asked Saicho. Menou and Misora lared at him.
"What?" he blinked in confusion.
"Idiot. It's his first time piloting such a thing. You think he'd know how to activate a AT field?" hissed Misora. Saicho backed up. Suddenly the girls were turning on him, backing him up against the wall. He looked to Kagerou for help, but she was too engrossed in the fight scene to bother looking around and saving his arse.
"W-well... s-sorry." he stuttered an apology and then almost instantly, the girls returned to their seats. Saicho heaved a sigh of relief and returned to his own terminal. Women... they're all suffering from PMS...
*************
The Angel had pulled the Eva up with it and now gripped the biomechanical humanoid by its neck. Inside, Raiha winced.But I shouldn't feel pain right? I mean... I'm not the one fighting... it was getting harder to breathe in the LCL. The Eva's hands tore at the Angel's, struggling for its release. The Angel grabbed hold of the Eva's head and then twisted it at an odd angle where it suddenly went limp. It began attacking the body next.
Let... me... go! Let me... go! mentally, the young pilot screamed for his safety. Then suddenly, a strange mixed feeling of euphoria and melancholy enveloped him. His mind felt strangely detached from his body, as though it were somewhere else on the astral plane.
Huh? What? What's happening?
*************
Fuuko winced. She tried focussing her energy to help the new pilot. The boy who sacrificed his life so that she could recover hers. She was piloting with him now. If not physically, then mentally. She would help him defeat. But only this once. She didn't think she would be able to survive another attack.
"Come on Second Child... you can do it... I know you can..." she whispered through gritted teeth.
*************
The Eva suddenly grabbed hold of its once abandoned progressive knife and plunged it into the Angel's left hand. It howled in pain and pulled back, nursing its wound. This gave the Eva enough time to retaliate and gain its footing. The progressive knife was pulled back and this time, aimed towards the Angel's heart - glowing orb in the middle of its body. The Angel, sensing its motive, edged back. The Eva went after it.
*************
"Sync ratio elevating! It's now at 76%!"
"Harmonics going haywire!"
"We lost communication with the pilot!" Neon and Kagerou turned to face each other and then at the three frantic technicians.
"Vital statistics?" Kagerou barked.
"Unknown!" was the rushed reply. The 30-year old head technician moved towards the terminal and began reading out the statistics.
"What about the pilot?" asked Neon as she pushed her way to the trio.
"Unknown as well! It's like... like the Eva is operating on its own!" Menou replied, her eyes scanning the screen so fast you think she'd go cross-eyed.
"She's at it again..." was Kagerou's murmurred response. Just then, the Angel let out a terrifying howl which echoed in the geo-front and it died. Everyone looked back at the screen, only to find the Eva tearing at its heart like a crazed psycho. The room was filled with silence as the Eva continued, and then it stopped, took a few steps back, and collapsed onto the ground.
"Send the medics to the cages. Get the ground support up." Neon finally spoke after a long period of silence. Her voice was strangely alien to herself, as though she were acting on remote. The crews in-charge of the various sections nodded their heads grimly and exited the bridge. Joker and Domon sat in silence.
*************
"It's over..." Fuuko whispered and fell back onto the hospital bed, a smile on her pale face. The electronic pulse beside her went dead, alerting the nurse on duty outside.
*************
"Sir, phonecall for you." Domon passed Joker his mobile phone. The Commander took it with his gloved hand and placed it to his ear.
"What is it?" he spoke in a cold and authorative voice.
"C-Commander sir. It's about the First Child. She's went under-"
"What?" Joker had cut off the nurse, slammed the phone back into Domon's hands and left the bridge. From where she was below, Kagerou watched him leave. She caught Domon's knowing gaze and then turned back to aid her proteges with the data. Neon had left earlier to attend to the paperwork on her desk. It seemed like after the terrifying battle with the Angel, life in Nerve was almost back to normal.
*************
"Fuuko? Fuuko?"
"She needs rest sir. Her heart is still weak, we assume from the accident. She'll be alright tomorrow. Would you like the report on the Seco-"
"Send the statistical reports on the First Child to my office." once again the doctor was cut off and he left in amazement as the Commander walked out on him, without even hearing the statistical report on his son. The young lad who had risked his life to save Tokyo-3 from whatever ugly menace sent to them from God above. He sighed and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him and then headed to another room. Captain Tsujimoto was inside, her pretty face filled with worry.
At least someone is worried for him... the doctor smiled.
"Don't worry Captain. He'll be alright. Got a big concussion that's all." he could see the panic leave her face and the tension ease away from her rigid body. He gave her a warm smile before leaving her alone to the boy.
Neon nodded her head, waited for the doctor to leave, before walking towards Raiha's bed. She took a seat and pulled it closer and watched him breathe. She smiled.
"Well Raiha. You did a wonderful job. Just want to let you know that. You saved the world today." she whispered into his ear, not bothering if he could hear or not. A few more minutes passed and Neon finally got up and left the room. Leaving the boy to recuperate, and perhaps wake up the next day with a hell of a headache. In which he did.
*************
"How are you feeling today boy?" asked the nurse. She was a cheerful lady in her late thirties and brought in a tray decked with food. Raiha was awake, sitting upright and clutching his head.
"Like hell..." he moaned.
"I feel like I've been through some sort of military camp. Geez... what happened?" still clutching his head, he heard the nurse place the tray on the moveable table and bring it towards him. He looked up and winced. The nurse smiled.
"Well.. it'll get better if you eat breakfast and then your medication." she smiled at him again. He smiled back. Smiles were very infectious. The nurse watched him take a spoonful of the chicken porridge and then headed towards the door.
"Erm... wait!" Raiha called out after swallowing a spoonful of the gruel. The nurse turned around to face him.
"Yes?"
"Er... I was just wondering. What happened to the other girl? The one covered in bandages?" he asked. He wanted to know if she was alright. A flicker of emotions crossed the nurse's face. Anger? Hurt? Disappointment? He couldn't quite tell. Damn... I might be needing specs after all!
"She's still recovering. She's in the Intesive Care Ward. Would you like to visit her after you're done?" Raiha nodded his head. She smiled again. Raiha by now had labelled her as the Smiling Nurse.
"Alright then. Finish your breakfast and I'll bring you to see her. Oh wait, I might as well call the Captain. She was going to see her as well." the Smiling Nurse added. Raiha grinned back. She headed towards the door again and then was halted again.
"Wait! Erm... what's her name?" the Nurse gave him a pretty annoyed scowl and then shook her head, with a smile. Boys will be boys...
"Kirisawa. Fuuko Kirisawa." then she left before she was being called back again. Raiha was left to ponder and finish up his breakfast.
"Fuuko Kirisawa... nice name..." he mused to himself and then attacked the tray with renewed gusto.
*************
"How's the food?" came a voice from somewhere to his left. Raiha was laid back on the bed, his stomach full and his head still throbbing. But it wasn't as bad as before. Maybe he should have asked for something stronger. He turned to find Neon grinning down at him. He grinned back. Man... what am I? Some mirror?
"Okay I guess... do you think they could give soemthing stronger for my headache?" he asked. Neon laughed and seated herself on the chair provided.
"You'll have to be 18 to be able to take something stronger."
"Why? Might interfere with my increasing testosterone?" Raiha joked. He heard Neon laugh. It was musical. High and feminine. It reminded him vaguely of his mother's. Her laugh was high, feminine and musical as well. Kaasan...
"Maybe that's one of the reasons. I hear you wish to see Kirisawa?" Raiha sat up. Oh yeah... the girl. Nearly forgot. Must have been the food...
"Yeah. Smiling Nurse said you were going to see her also."
"Smiling Nurse? Oh you mean Mrs. Sakoshita? Yes... I was going to visit Fuuko." Smiling Nurse? This boy sure had a lot of imagination. But then... Hikari Sakoshita did smile a lot.
"Are you going now?" Raiha asked.
"Yes. Here, get changed. You're discharged anyway. Doctor said you suffered nothing more than a nice whack on the head." she tossed him his school uniform on the bed which he gathered up eagerly and vanished into the bathroom with it.
"What happened anyway?" he called from inside the bathroom.
"You can't remember?" Neon's brow furrowed. Must have whacked more than his brain.
"All I -can- remember was being strangled and then I felt like my mind was somewhere far far away from my body. Nice feeling. Like you're on drugs." the boy added. Neon made a mental note to check the entry plug and LCL for contamination and for Raiha to get a blood check. When he came out, she smiled at him.
"You know, if you keep smiling, I might call you the Smiling Red-head next." the boy joked. Neon laughed. It was strange, that a younger male specie could make her laugh so easily. He was unlike the other one, cold, silent and sullen. Who always kept to herself and spoke only when spoken too. Yet somehow she could see the boy was smitten with her as his father was. As his father was... Neon scowled. She didn't like Joker, not especially since the way he treated his own flesh and blood. But he was a smart and intelligent man and did things because he knew it would benefit the people dierctly involved. Yet she only wish he wasn't so crude and didn't spend so much time with the First Child. She shuddered. To otehrs, the Commander's relationship with the First Child probably seemed like incest, but to those who knew, it was more of the case of a deprived father.
"Hey-looo? Earth to Captain Tsujimoto?" Raiha waved his hands in front of the female. She blinked and then blushed apologetically. Standing up she headed towards the door. Raiha still remained by the bed.
"Well? What are you waiting for? We're going to see Fuuko and that's where you and I will go." she said and opened the door so that the boy walked out of the room first followed by her. As they headed to the ICU wards, Hikari smiled and waved at them. Raiha waved back. Somehow... why do I get this strange feeling that I'll be back... he paused and then shrugged away the thought and walked beside Neon.
*************
The pair arrived just as the Commander left. Neon greeted him, Raiha kept silent and he just walked on past.
"Is he always like this?" the purple-haired male whispered as the older Odokemono was out of sight.
"Who? The Commander? Yes. Every day and night. If you see a smile on his face, then something's wrong." Raiha kept quiet. Looks like he never changed... The paused in front of a door with the plaque: Fuuko Kirisawa - First Children - Pilot 00. As they entered the room, Raiha wondered what the 00 in Pilot 00 meant. The sight that greeted him, left him in shock.
The room was decked from ceiling to formica floor with equipment. He could barely discern the figure resting in the middle of the room. The girl, who appeared to be about the same age as he was, slept soundly on the bed. She wasn't wearing the skin-tight uniform I failed to mention in Part 1, but instead a female version of the hospital gown he had worn earlier on. Her head was bandaged as was her left arm. IV tubes ran down her right. A machine set to the head of her bed checked the regularity of her heartbeat. She was pale, the mass of dark purple hair contrasting wildly to her skin. One eye was bandaged and the other close, a sign that she was asleep. Her chest heaved up and down, indicating that she was alive as was she inconscious.
"What happened to her?" Raiha whispered. Neon didn't answer him at first but only moved to the side of the girl's bed to change the wilting flowers in a vase. When she was done, she pulled up two chairs and motioned to Raiha to sit.
"An accident that shouldn't really have happened." she spoke after a while, keeping her voice low.
"Erm... okay. Can I have the details of the accident then?" Raiha asked. The girl suddenly stirred but did not wake. Her heartbeat was normal.
"She was undergoing testing for Unit 00 when it went berserk. The entry plug was ejected but however, the Eva tumbled back and fell on it. She survived, as you can see, but got out by the skin of her teeth." Neon explained, eyes fixated on the girl. Raiha kept silent, he too watched her sleep.
"Your father was there. He was the one who saved her." Neon added. Raiha blinked. Father saved her? Before he could contemplate any of it, the girl awoke, her lavendar eyes scanning the room, slowly coming into focus. She sensed something move to her left and turned her head. She smiled at Neon and at Raiha.
"Ohayou Fuuko." Neon greeted her softly, a smile on her face.
"Ohayou Neon-san." came the soft reply. Fuuko managed a smile which lit up her otherwise ashen face. She shifted her gaze to the boy beside the Captain and smiled at him.
"Ohayou Odokemono-san." she managed.
"O-ohayou." Raiha stuttered.
"Ne... you don't have to call my by that. Raiha will do fine." he added. Fuuko smiled again.
"How are you feeling Fuuko?"
"Slightly better. How's your head Raiha-san?" Fuuko turned back her attention on the boy. He turned red instantaneously.
"M-my h-head?" he stuttered again. Raiha gulped, fighting to regain his lost composure.
"Still throbs like hell... but I'm dealing." he replied with a shrug of his shoulders. Fuuko laughed and then coughed. A nurse entered. Stern and hard totally unlike Hikari, teh Smiling Nurse Raiha had met earlier. She glowered at them and then tended to Fuuko.
"Miss Kirisawa, you musn't strain yourself!" she reprimanded the girl. Fuuko only raised the eyebrow of the uncovered eye, eliciting a half-laugh from Shinji. Throughout all this, Neon kept silent.
"I though laughter was the best medicine." she added as the nurse adjuest the IV drip and then turned to glare at her visitors. She turned back to Fuuko.
"Rest is the best medicine for you now young lady." came the curt reply. Fuuko sighed and looked up to gaze at the ceiling. The nurse turned to face the outsiders.
"It would be good if you leave Miss Kirisawa so that she may rest... in peace." she spoke, her gaze penetrating the pair. Neon brushed it off easily, but Raiha shuddered inwardly. The Captain got up.
"Fuuko... we'll be leaving now. Take as much rest as you need, according to -the nurse-. I'll come again tomorrow." she spoke, addressing Fuuko and completely ignoring the nurse. Raiha stood up as well.
"Erm... uh... bye Fuuko-san. I'll try to come again. Get... er... as much rest as possible." he spluttered, one eye on the glowering nurse the other on the girl. She turned to look at him one final time and smiled.
"See you at school." she added as they left her room.
"Miss Kirisawa! You are not well to go to school tomorrow! You have to stay in here and get -plenty- of rest and-"
"Oh what do you know? I can be replaced either way." Fuuko snapped at the shocked nurse and then turned to her side. The nurse blinked, adjusted a few more of the mechanism and then left.
"I can be replaced..." Fuuko echoed to herself she closed her eyes, letting a single tear escape.
*************
Author's Notes: Haiz... sad isn't it? I think I'll weep soon enough later on. Watch out for the next installment as well as for Part 5b of Mirage. Hehehe...