Chapter 09: Fourth Children
After a rather strong outburst of violence, resulting in a blackened eye at Rei and a
dislocated shoulder at Asuka, Hikari help Shinji to mediate between his two fellow pilots.
In the end the two made peace without many further words. To everyone´s surprise they
managed to get around with each other quite well afterwards. Rei even asked her roomie
to join them when they met once again at Kuro´s billiards hall.
In the meantime the others had become used to Shinji and Rei appearing arm in arm and
exchanging fast kisses when nobody seemed to notice.
Just Touji always got nervous since Hikari was watching him in a similiar way as Rei was
watching Shinji. For quite some time she had been cooking lunch for him and of course he
was able to do the math. Interestingly he found some qualities within himself he never
would have believed to be there before, shortly, Touji Suzuhara behaved like a gentleman,
not quite perfect yet, but Hikari still had the rolled-up newspaper just for this case...
Several weeks it has been silent, routine had taken over the daily schedule of the pilots.
Rei laid with closed eyes on her bed and listened to Asuka breathing. When she thought,
that her fellow roomie had fallen asleep she quietly got up and moved in the darkness
towards the door.
"Are you going to him again?"
Rei twitched, felt caught.
"You do not sleep?"
"Of course not, or would I talk to you otherwise?"
Asuka turned on the light.
"That´s the third time this week."
Rei stepped back from the door and looked at the redhaired girl that was sitting on the
bed. Asuka wore a way to big yellow T-shirt and as always her long white gloves.
"You know...?"
"I don´t sleep too deeply anymore."
"Please, don´t tell anyone."
"I won´t. I just want to know what you are seeing in Shinji."
"He cares for me..."
"And... are the two of you... doing it?"
"Rei blushed deeply.
"No."
"Really? You are visiting him at least three times a week for more than a half year, what
are you doing all the time?"
Rei sat down next to Asuka.
"We... we are talking..."
"Just talking?" Asuka grinned. "I have observed quite other lip-activities."
"It is... he is there for me... I am there for him... His presense lessens my loneliness."
"How can you be lonely? I mean, everybody likes you, Hikari, Touji, Misato... if you had
eyes for other boys than Shinji you would notice that many of them look after you. And
somehow I can even understand them."
"Really? Before... Lots of things have changed..."
"Seems so. When I arrive here in Japan I had a completly different picture on my mind. What
I had heard about you had given me a different impression. And maybe I was a bit...
unfair..."
"Unfair?"
"I had seen you a rival from the very beginning, the reports said you were... perfect...
I had expected to meet a doll, not a person..."
"A doll... maybe I was one..." the bluehaired girl mumbled.
"Hm? What did you say?"
"Nothing of importance... Does this mean your picture of my person has changed?"
"Yes."
"So your version of the truth has changed."
"Ah... Rei, no philophical discussions, yes? - So, is Shinji a great kisser?"
"I..." She shallowed. "I think so."
"I´m sorry for what has happened."
"Yes."
"Sometimes I´m quite a bitch."
"Why are you saying this?"
"Because... at some days I hate everything and everybody, even myself. You and Shinji, you
are lucky."
"Why don´t you go and find a boyfriend for yourself?"
"Who? There are only mutants at school, either perverts like Touji or idiots like Kensuke."
"That´s wrong."
"And if... As you said yourself... that´s my version of truth. I like older men like Kaji..."
"Major Kaji is meeting Misato."
"Yes. And this keeps happening to me always. I loose everyone I like, now or tomorrow...
as I lost my mother..."
"You are like Shinji... and like myself... we have nothing else."
"You have each other."
"Yes, but each time an angel attacks I´m afraid of losing him... and without him I would
have nothing..."
"Rei... does this mean that you can´t live without him anymore?"
"I´m only able to truely live since I know him... before I only had my existance as a
pilot... and I had waited for the day I wouldn´t be needed anymore, the day I was finally
free to go..."
"You are talking like... like you wanted to die."
"Yes... My existance had no deeper meaning except fighting angels. I still feel the wish
to end everything, but now I have a reason to keep on living... something to fill the
emptyness within my heart..."
"We are more similiar than I thought. I have nothing else, too... For ten years I have
been trained to pilot EVA-02, that´s all I can, all I want to do... because EVA-02 will
never leave me..."
"Yes, we are similiar. I see."
"You do? I have to show you something first..."
She put off the long gloves, showing Rei her wrist. Both wrists were disfigured by deep
black scars.
"That´s the last memory of my mother."
"How did this happen?"
"She... she committed suicide... and wanted me to come with her... when they found us...
it... it was already to late to save her..."
Rei didn´t know the exact reason, but she reached out and pulled Asuka close to her, put
the arms around her shoulders and let her rest her face on her shoulder.
"Why are you doing this? I don´t want your pity..."
But Asuka didn´t even try to move away from Rei.
"..."
"Why do you have sympathy for me?"
"Do you truely have noone else?"
"I´m grown up at the place of aunt Ann and uncle Wolf... They are not real relatives, but
they were close friends with my mother... Aunt Ann is my godmother. Uncle Wolf works for
ODIN, he´s a spy... he is the liaison officer between NERV and the UN-secret service...
He taught me to use a gun... and fighting with a knife... an interesting way to spend
your childhood, isn´t it?
"Just talk, I listen."
"They are good people... but... uncle Wolf has much work to do and little time... Aunt
Ann got very ill before my departure, she´s still in hospital..."
"You are afraid for her."
"Yes... I called my uncle today. She feel worse... And I can go and visit her since an
angel could attack in the meantime. I didn´t told her goodbye... I wanted, but everything
reminded me of my mother before her death... I just couldn´t..."
"I understand. It pains your soul."
"Yes, damned."
A sob accompained her words.
"I keep telling myself to be hart, unyielding, like stone. But the tears keep coming anyway."
"Tears... I have only cryed once in my whole life... after seeing Shinji and you..."
"Really...? That... I didn´t want that... You have never cryed before?"
"Or laughed..."
"Never?"
"I had no reason. There was noone I wanted to laugh for, noone who made me laugh."
"And he makes you laugh?"
"Yes."
"You childhood must have been even bleaker than mine."
"I had nothing else but my duty... my mission to pilot an EVANGELION... I was born to do
this..."
"Born?"
"Yes. For ten years there were only the EVAs within my existence... no parents, no friends..."
"And he gives your life a sense."
"Yes. When... as long as I can remember I always felt cold, as if a part of my soul was
missing, as if I wasn´t... complete. When I am with him I don´t feel cold..."
"You are talking about loneliness."
"Yes."
"Thanks, Rei... Thank you for being there when I was in need of a friend. You should go
now, he might be waiting."
Rei didn´t move.
"You are not alone. Nobody can exist without others."
***
"My existence... I doubt it´s sense, the sense the Commander give to it. I want to live...
but for what...?
***
The peace was interupted by the MAGI who had detected a blue pattern.
A black-white ball was levitation over the city.
EVA-01 was leading the attack - and was swallowed within the angel´s shadow.
Just before running out of energy EVA-01 broke out, ripping the angel apart from within.
The pilot was salvaged unconcious and brought to NERV-hospital.
***
Gendo Ikari stood in the doorframe and watched the scene.
His son laid sleeping on the hospital bed, having suffered no bodily damages by staying
inside the angel. Next to the bed stood Rei with concerned face.
"Rei."
She turned around.
"Commander Ikari."
"We have to talk."
"Yes."
She followed him into the corridor.
"You have quitely changed during the last half year. I guess this is a result from your
stay at Major Katsuragi´s."
"..."
"Rei, Akagi told me that your efficiency didn´t suffer, but even got better."
"Yes."
"Alas, I don´t know if I can agree to your... relationship... to my son."
"It won´t influence my... efficiency."
"Good."
"I will protect him and unit one."
"Yes. The scenario mustn´t be disturbed."
She was tempted to tell him that this was the only reason for her being but couldn´t tell
him that lie.
"I will stand virgil until he regains consciousness."
"Is this necassary?"
"He trust me. And it will his trust to grow when I am by his side when he awakens. It
will help his efficiency. And the cooperation."
"Hm... good."
***
"The Commander... his friendlyness is only a mask. He doesn´t see me, he sees her, the
person whose face I have. I am not her. His heart is cold... Lies... Shinji... he doesn´t
lie to me, I would feel it... I lied at the Commander, tried to sound like him, to prevent
him from taking Shinji away from me. I would never lie to Shinji... his warmth... I look
at him and feel desire... I don´t want to lose him."
***
Shinji awoke when a hand softly stroke his cheek. His sight was blurry, at first could
only see a bright spot within soft blue, then he could see better.
"Rei...?"
"Yes. Welcome back."
She sat on the edge of the back. Maybe for the first time he recognized how much she had
changed when he saw the caring look on her face.
"How are you?"
"Tired... and happy..."
"Happy?"
"Yes... That someone... that you are here."
"I... I was worried."
"I... uhm... Rei-chan..."
"Rei-chan? That... that´s nice. I like it."
"I wanted to say that... I... It ´s the first that somebody tells me to have been worried
for me..."
"I was. That´s truth."
He took her hand and squeezed it softly.
"Thank you."
"When the angel swollowed unit one... I was full of fear..."
"Fear, Rei? You?"
"Yes, fear to lose you."
***
When she left the room after Shinji had fallen asleep again, she met Asuka in the corridor.
"Is he okay?"
"Yes."
"That´s good." Asuka seemed reliefed. She had been nearly as worried as Rei.
Rei nodded.
"Could you... could you wait here until he wakes up and come home with him?"
"I... yes, I can... I can also do the homework here... But why don´t you stay yourself?"
Rei smiled.
"A surprise, but... don´t tell him, yes?"
Asuka grinned conspirously.
"Ooo-kay!"
***
Shinji was surprised to be greeted by Asuka when he left the hospital who told him that Rei
had to do some tests. When he told Asuka that he wanted to go to the testing area, she nearly
had to use force to stop him. Before they left the NERV-HQ she left Shinji for a moment
to call at Misato´s and tell Rei that they were on their way.
***
The kitchen looked like a battlefield. The sink was full of pots and bowls, the wall full
of brown stains. Rei sat at the table wearing Shinji´s pink apron that was full of similiar
spots. Her head rested on her arms, she was sleeping.
In front of her, on the table, was a chocolate-cake.
Asuka grinned and whispered: "All for you..."
"Uh... yes..."
His cheeks were bright red, he looked at Rei with loving expression.
The sleeping girl moved and opened the eyes slowly.
"Oh..."
"Hi, Rei!" Asuka hailed her and sniffed at the cake. "Hm, smells good!"
"I must have fallen asleep", Rei mumbled, stretched and got up.
Shinji removed her apron, let water pour into the sink.
"The... the cake looks fine. Did you... made it all alone?"
"Yes. For you."
"I... uhm... shouldn´t we wait for Misato?"
"Are you stupid?" Asuka shouted and grabbed a large knife from the drawer. "Until Misato
is here it will be night!" She handed the knife to Rei and got forks and plates.
Rei cut the cake, silently putting pieces on the plates while Shinji did the wash up.
Asuka rolled her eyes.
"Argh! Baka-Shinji! Come here, now! Rei does all of this for you and you aren´t even
grateful!"
"But... I am..."
When he turned around they could see a lonely tear running down his cheek.
Rei´s eyes widened, the next moment she was by his side, drying the tear with a towel.
"Why are you crying?" she softly asked.
"Noone did something like this for me ever... noone had been happy to see me coming home
before..."
Asuka listened to his words and closed her eyes.
Noone... alone... loneliness... I have had someone to care for me but I wasn´t grateful...
Mama, why, why did you leave me? And... auntie Ann, I´m sorry, so sorry for not visiting you
at the hospital...
Without words Rei embraced Shinji and caressed his cheek.
"Thank you, Rei."
"For what?"
She knew that he didn´t speak about the cage.
"That you are here." He smiled. "When I know that you will be waiting for me than not angel can
stop me."
"Shhh."
A loud champing came from the direction of the table.
"Oh, the cage is good!" Asuka proclaimed between two bites.
The door of the second fridge was opened and the penguin´s head poked out. He saw the cage
and pointed at his bowl.
"Wark!"
***
Nearly at the same time Touji Suzuhara was chosen as pilot for EVA-03 after the US-american
branch of NERV had been destroyed during a test run of the S2-machine along
with EVA-04. Touji´s training mostly took place at the NERV-area at Matsushiro, far away
from the other pilots. But the identity of the new pilot didn´t stay a secret for long,
Rei knew it like most things going on within NERV, while Asuka read it rather unintentionally
in Kaji´s notes. Only Shinji didn´t know it.
At the evening before the first test of unit three Asuka and Rei were talking about the
subject in their room with Asuka thinking that it should stay a surprise.
During the tests an incident happened - EVA-03 was taken over by the angel Bardiel and
laid waste to the test area before marching towards Tokio-3. Ritsuko Akagi as well as
Misato Katsuragi were missing in action, so Gendo Ikari commanded a field mission for the
first time, ordering to make EVA-03 a target until the destruction of the angel.
All three units were employed to intercepte the possessed unit.
***
Rei had the first contact with Bardiel. The dark black figure of the EVA appeared between
the hills, coming towards her with large steps.
EVA-00 was with an assault rifle on the middle of a street crossing, kneeling behind the
readied gun, seeing the target clearly with the help of the target-visor.
One shot would be enough to disable the EVA, to destroy it´s core.
One shot only...
But she hesitated.
"Rei, why are you not shooting?" Gendo Ikari asked via radio.
"I..."
Within the other EVANGELION was a human, a human she knew, whom she counted among her
friends.
What if the destruction of the core started the self-destruction-sequence?
She looked at her hands, within her imagination they were red with blood.
She felt sick.
At the same time she felt anger. Why did the Commander, the man who was the second-most-
important man in her life, send her into battle against another human...? Why did he do
this? Did he want her to kill, to murder...?
EVA-03 had reached her position...
Rei screamed when the pain started...
***
The scream of the bluehaired girl came out of the loudspeakers
"Rei!" Ikari´s voice joined the scream.
Shinji shouted her name, turning towards EVA-02.
"The angel´s mine..."
EVA-01 started running, toward the black EVANGELION, followed by EVA-02.
EVA-03 let go of the limp EVA-00, the unit´s head dangled around in an unnatural angle.
Shinji opened his eyes widely, seeing that the possessed EVANGELION did break EVA-00´s
neck.
"No! Rei!"
Powerful he slammed into the other unit, throw it to the ground.
Instead for proceeding with the attack EVA-01 stood still.
"Rei, can you hear me?"
Rei didn´t answer but his father did.
"We get stable lifesign from her. Go and get the angel!"
"Yes, father..."
"What, Shinji?"
"It´s an EVA... I can see the entryplug... that means someone is inside, a child like me..."
"Shinji, destroy the target!"
EVA-03 slowly rose again. EVA-01 draw it´s progressive-knife.
"Father... I can´t... I can´t fight another human!"
"You have to! I order you to do it!"
"Father!"
The arms of EVA-03 came shooting towards EVA-01 like rubberbands, hitting the chestarmor
that hard the single elements were broken.
Shinji clenched his teeth, tried to move aside.
The next attack hit his shoulder, he couldn´t feel his arm anymore.
"Fight!"
He couldn´t. In his imagination the other unit´s pilot had no face but Shinji thought to
know what he was experiencing.
"I can´t..." the boy whispered. "I cannot..."
EVA-03 ran towards him, eyes glowing in demonic fire...
A shot...
EVA-03 stopped, pressed a hand against it´s head, against the left eye.
A second shot...
EVA-03 screamed, howled full of pain, when the bullet entered it´s shoulder and exploded,
ripping the arm out of the socket.
"Shinji, don´t stay there like frozen! Hold it down!" Asuka shouted. "I don´t want to do
anymore damage!"
Shinji looked at her.
The red EVA-02 stood within some distance, it´s positron-colt in both hands.
"Asuka..."
"Lets do it! We can get Touji out of it!"
Shinji felt horror.
"Touji?"
"Yes, he´s the pilot! Now, do something, or..."
"Yes, okay..."
EVA-01 grabbed unit three´s arm, throwing the black EVANGELION down to the ground, pressing
the knees into it´s back, still holding the arm.
The entryplug was covered by a spiderweblike substance.
"That must be the angel! Asuka, come and bring your knife!"
"On my way!"
"Cut the plug free, very careful!"
"Hey, I´m a professional!"
The blade of the prog-knife came into contact with the angel, the white webbings turned
black, twitched. The EVA started twitching, too, but EVA-01 kept holding it down, while
EVA-02 kept cutting at the angel.
The entryplug was free. Shinji removed the stoppings, let EVA-01 grab the plug.
"Touji, can you hear me?"
No answer...
"Target destroyed" Gendo explained via radio. "Medical teams are under way. Shinji, we
will talk about ignoring my orders when you are back."
He disconnected.
Shinji put the entryplug down carefully, opened a channel to EVA-02.
"Asuka, could you look after him?"
"Yes."
Her face was white.
"Go and look after Rei."
He nodded, interrupted the connection.
A few moments later he stood in front of Rei´s entryplug that he had removed the same way
as he had done over half a year ago after the battle with Ramiel, but this time he used
a large wrench to open the hatch.
"Rei?"
"Shinji?"
Her voice was just a low moan what she sat up within the pilot seat and looked into his
eyes.
He took a deep breath.
"You are alive... thank god..."
He climbed into the plug, went down on his knees next to her, caressed her forehead with
his hand.
"What about Touji?"
"I don´t know... we destroyed the angel and stopped EVA-03... Asuka´s just opening the
hatch of his plug."
"Help me, please."
She extended a hand.
He helped her getting up, place her arm around his shoulder, hesitated for a moment, before
lifting her up and carrying her out of the plug. Rei didn´t protest. She was light,
nearly as light as a feather, on the other hand he was physically stronger than half a
year ago, a result his training. He sensed her head resting on his shoulder but was busy
preparing himself for whatever Asuka did find inside the other plug.
His worst fears didn´t come true, at least not completly. Asuka stood within the hatch and
waved at him.
"Come! He needs help!"
"Rei..."
"Yes, put me down."
Carefully he put her down on the ground smile forced and ran to Asuka.
The inside the entryplug of unit three was full of blood. Touji Suzuhara laid unmoving
on his seat, blood on his face, left arm ripped out of the socket. Asuka already had
bandage his shoulder, she was full of blood, too.
"Check his eye!"
"How?"
"Bandaging, we can´t do anymore with our equipment here." Her face bore a determined
expression while she checked Touji´s shoulder-wound. "Luckily uncle Wolf also taught me
that... he has lost way too much blood... damned, damned, damned..." With each word her
voice got louder, after the last word she broke down, started to sob.
"If I had known that he would suffer the same wounds... I would have never... damned..."
"Asuka..."
He didn´t know what he should say, what he could say.
The bandage was bloodied rather fast. Asuka applaided further bandages automatically.
"He must survive... oh, no, Suzuhara, you won´t die under my hands... Hikari would kill
me..."
Finally doctors and medics arrived, bringing Misato with them. Her right arm war bandaged
and in a sling, her face battered and bruised. While Touji was brought away and Rei checked
ambulantly, Misato looked after Asuka until the redhaired girl had calmed down.
Shinji stood on the middle of the crossing, watching the EVAs being loaded upon large
heavy transport vehicles, but he felt disconnected from reality. He couldn´t banish Touji´s
face with the empty, bloody eye-socket out of his mind...
A hand touched his shoulder, the touch brought him back to reality.
"Rei-chan..."
She embraced him without words.
***
"Rei-chan... his voice calling my name, so full of love... echoing within my head..."
***
The sorcerer had wandered the city streets for days, seemingly aimless, in reality
following the dragonpaths which pulsating energies vanished at different places into
the deepth.
He had watched the living shadow´s attack from direct vicinity, cloaked in mystical
shields, protected by the powers of the night itself.
The arrival of EVA-01 did give him a special sensation - Excitement.
The giant robot was clearly a construct, a being of the Sons of Aether, a golem.
Should he have found a lost stronghold of the technomantical Tradition?
The answer was waiting below in the protected and shielded area under the city, within the
geofront...
After a rather strong outburst of violence, resulting in a blackened eye at Rei and a
dislocated shoulder at Asuka, Hikari help Shinji to mediate between his two fellow pilots.
In the end the two made peace without many further words. To everyone´s surprise they
managed to get around with each other quite well afterwards. Rei even asked her roomie
to join them when they met once again at Kuro´s billiards hall.
In the meantime the others had become used to Shinji and Rei appearing arm in arm and
exchanging fast kisses when nobody seemed to notice.
Just Touji always got nervous since Hikari was watching him in a similiar way as Rei was
watching Shinji. For quite some time she had been cooking lunch for him and of course he
was able to do the math. Interestingly he found some qualities within himself he never
would have believed to be there before, shortly, Touji Suzuhara behaved like a gentleman,
not quite perfect yet, but Hikari still had the rolled-up newspaper just for this case...
Several weeks it has been silent, routine had taken over the daily schedule of the pilots.
Rei laid with closed eyes on her bed and listened to Asuka breathing. When she thought,
that her fellow roomie had fallen asleep she quietly got up and moved in the darkness
towards the door.
"Are you going to him again?"
Rei twitched, felt caught.
"You do not sleep?"
"Of course not, or would I talk to you otherwise?"
Asuka turned on the light.
"That´s the third time this week."
Rei stepped back from the door and looked at the redhaired girl that was sitting on the
bed. Asuka wore a way to big yellow T-shirt and as always her long white gloves.
"You know...?"
"I don´t sleep too deeply anymore."
"Please, don´t tell anyone."
"I won´t. I just want to know what you are seeing in Shinji."
"He cares for me..."
"And... are the two of you... doing it?"
"Rei blushed deeply.
"No."
"Really? You are visiting him at least three times a week for more than a half year, what
are you doing all the time?"
Rei sat down next to Asuka.
"We... we are talking..."
"Just talking?" Asuka grinned. "I have observed quite other lip-activities."
"It is... he is there for me... I am there for him... His presense lessens my loneliness."
"How can you be lonely? I mean, everybody likes you, Hikari, Touji, Misato... if you had
eyes for other boys than Shinji you would notice that many of them look after you. And
somehow I can even understand them."
"Really? Before... Lots of things have changed..."
"Seems so. When I arrive here in Japan I had a completly different picture on my mind. What
I had heard about you had given me a different impression. And maybe I was a bit...
unfair..."
"Unfair?"
"I had seen you a rival from the very beginning, the reports said you were... perfect...
I had expected to meet a doll, not a person..."
"A doll... maybe I was one..." the bluehaired girl mumbled.
"Hm? What did you say?"
"Nothing of importance... Does this mean your picture of my person has changed?"
"Yes."
"So your version of the truth has changed."
"Ah... Rei, no philophical discussions, yes? - So, is Shinji a great kisser?"
"I..." She shallowed. "I think so."
"I´m sorry for what has happened."
"Yes."
"Sometimes I´m quite a bitch."
"Why are you saying this?"
"Because... at some days I hate everything and everybody, even myself. You and Shinji, you
are lucky."
"Why don´t you go and find a boyfriend for yourself?"
"Who? There are only mutants at school, either perverts like Touji or idiots like Kensuke."
"That´s wrong."
"And if... As you said yourself... that´s my version of truth. I like older men like Kaji..."
"Major Kaji is meeting Misato."
"Yes. And this keeps happening to me always. I loose everyone I like, now or tomorrow...
as I lost my mother..."
"You are like Shinji... and like myself... we have nothing else."
"You have each other."
"Yes, but each time an angel attacks I´m afraid of losing him... and without him I would
have nothing..."
"Rei... does this mean that you can´t live without him anymore?"
"I´m only able to truely live since I know him... before I only had my existance as a
pilot... and I had waited for the day I wouldn´t be needed anymore, the day I was finally
free to go..."
"You are talking like... like you wanted to die."
"Yes... My existance had no deeper meaning except fighting angels. I still feel the wish
to end everything, but now I have a reason to keep on living... something to fill the
emptyness within my heart..."
"We are more similiar than I thought. I have nothing else, too... For ten years I have
been trained to pilot EVA-02, that´s all I can, all I want to do... because EVA-02 will
never leave me..."
"Yes, we are similiar. I see."
"You do? I have to show you something first..."
She put off the long gloves, showing Rei her wrist. Both wrists were disfigured by deep
black scars.
"That´s the last memory of my mother."
"How did this happen?"
"She... she committed suicide... and wanted me to come with her... when they found us...
it... it was already to late to save her..."
Rei didn´t know the exact reason, but she reached out and pulled Asuka close to her, put
the arms around her shoulders and let her rest her face on her shoulder.
"Why are you doing this? I don´t want your pity..."
But Asuka didn´t even try to move away from Rei.
"..."
"Why do you have sympathy for me?"
"Do you truely have noone else?"
"I´m grown up at the place of aunt Ann and uncle Wolf... They are not real relatives, but
they were close friends with my mother... Aunt Ann is my godmother. Uncle Wolf works for
ODIN, he´s a spy... he is the liaison officer between NERV and the UN-secret service...
He taught me to use a gun... and fighting with a knife... an interesting way to spend
your childhood, isn´t it?
"Just talk, I listen."
"They are good people... but... uncle Wolf has much work to do and little time... Aunt
Ann got very ill before my departure, she´s still in hospital..."
"You are afraid for her."
"Yes... I called my uncle today. She feel worse... And I can go and visit her since an
angel could attack in the meantime. I didn´t told her goodbye... I wanted, but everything
reminded me of my mother before her death... I just couldn´t..."
"I understand. It pains your soul."
"Yes, damned."
A sob accompained her words.
"I keep telling myself to be hart, unyielding, like stone. But the tears keep coming anyway."
"Tears... I have only cryed once in my whole life... after seeing Shinji and you..."
"Really...? That... I didn´t want that... You have never cryed before?"
"Or laughed..."
"Never?"
"I had no reason. There was noone I wanted to laugh for, noone who made me laugh."
"And he makes you laugh?"
"Yes."
"You childhood must have been even bleaker than mine."
"I had nothing else but my duty... my mission to pilot an EVANGELION... I was born to do
this..."
"Born?"
"Yes. For ten years there were only the EVAs within my existence... no parents, no friends..."
"And he gives your life a sense."
"Yes. When... as long as I can remember I always felt cold, as if a part of my soul was
missing, as if I wasn´t... complete. When I am with him I don´t feel cold..."
"You are talking about loneliness."
"Yes."
"Thanks, Rei... Thank you for being there when I was in need of a friend. You should go
now, he might be waiting."
Rei didn´t move.
"You are not alone. Nobody can exist without others."
***
"My existence... I doubt it´s sense, the sense the Commander give to it. I want to live...
but for what...?
***
The peace was interupted by the MAGI who had detected a blue pattern.
A black-white ball was levitation over the city.
EVA-01 was leading the attack - and was swallowed within the angel´s shadow.
Just before running out of energy EVA-01 broke out, ripping the angel apart from within.
The pilot was salvaged unconcious and brought to NERV-hospital.
***
Gendo Ikari stood in the doorframe and watched the scene.
His son laid sleeping on the hospital bed, having suffered no bodily damages by staying
inside the angel. Next to the bed stood Rei with concerned face.
"Rei."
She turned around.
"Commander Ikari."
"We have to talk."
"Yes."
She followed him into the corridor.
"You have quitely changed during the last half year. I guess this is a result from your
stay at Major Katsuragi´s."
"..."
"Rei, Akagi told me that your efficiency didn´t suffer, but even got better."
"Yes."
"Alas, I don´t know if I can agree to your... relationship... to my son."
"It won´t influence my... efficiency."
"Good."
"I will protect him and unit one."
"Yes. The scenario mustn´t be disturbed."
She was tempted to tell him that this was the only reason for her being but couldn´t tell
him that lie.
"I will stand virgil until he regains consciousness."
"Is this necassary?"
"He trust me. And it will his trust to grow when I am by his side when he awakens. It
will help his efficiency. And the cooperation."
"Hm... good."
***
"The Commander... his friendlyness is only a mask. He doesn´t see me, he sees her, the
person whose face I have. I am not her. His heart is cold... Lies... Shinji... he doesn´t
lie to me, I would feel it... I lied at the Commander, tried to sound like him, to prevent
him from taking Shinji away from me. I would never lie to Shinji... his warmth... I look
at him and feel desire... I don´t want to lose him."
***
Shinji awoke when a hand softly stroke his cheek. His sight was blurry, at first could
only see a bright spot within soft blue, then he could see better.
"Rei...?"
"Yes. Welcome back."
She sat on the edge of the back. Maybe for the first time he recognized how much she had
changed when he saw the caring look on her face.
"How are you?"
"Tired... and happy..."
"Happy?"
"Yes... That someone... that you are here."
"I... I was worried."
"I... uhm... Rei-chan..."
"Rei-chan? That... that´s nice. I like it."
"I wanted to say that... I... It ´s the first that somebody tells me to have been worried
for me..."
"I was. That´s truth."
He took her hand and squeezed it softly.
"Thank you."
"When the angel swollowed unit one... I was full of fear..."
"Fear, Rei? You?"
"Yes, fear to lose you."
***
When she left the room after Shinji had fallen asleep again, she met Asuka in the corridor.
"Is he okay?"
"Yes."
"That´s good." Asuka seemed reliefed. She had been nearly as worried as Rei.
Rei nodded.
"Could you... could you wait here until he wakes up and come home with him?"
"I... yes, I can... I can also do the homework here... But why don´t you stay yourself?"
Rei smiled.
"A surprise, but... don´t tell him, yes?"
Asuka grinned conspirously.
"Ooo-kay!"
***
Shinji was surprised to be greeted by Asuka when he left the hospital who told him that Rei
had to do some tests. When he told Asuka that he wanted to go to the testing area, she nearly
had to use force to stop him. Before they left the NERV-HQ she left Shinji for a moment
to call at Misato´s and tell Rei that they were on their way.
***
The kitchen looked like a battlefield. The sink was full of pots and bowls, the wall full
of brown stains. Rei sat at the table wearing Shinji´s pink apron that was full of similiar
spots. Her head rested on her arms, she was sleeping.
In front of her, on the table, was a chocolate-cake.
Asuka grinned and whispered: "All for you..."
"Uh... yes..."
His cheeks were bright red, he looked at Rei with loving expression.
The sleeping girl moved and opened the eyes slowly.
"Oh..."
"Hi, Rei!" Asuka hailed her and sniffed at the cake. "Hm, smells good!"
"I must have fallen asleep", Rei mumbled, stretched and got up.
Shinji removed her apron, let water pour into the sink.
"The... the cake looks fine. Did you... made it all alone?"
"Yes. For you."
"I... uhm... shouldn´t we wait for Misato?"
"Are you stupid?" Asuka shouted and grabbed a large knife from the drawer. "Until Misato
is here it will be night!" She handed the knife to Rei and got forks and plates.
Rei cut the cake, silently putting pieces on the plates while Shinji did the wash up.
Asuka rolled her eyes.
"Argh! Baka-Shinji! Come here, now! Rei does all of this for you and you aren´t even
grateful!"
"But... I am..."
When he turned around they could see a lonely tear running down his cheek.
Rei´s eyes widened, the next moment she was by his side, drying the tear with a towel.
"Why are you crying?" she softly asked.
"Noone did something like this for me ever... noone had been happy to see me coming home
before..."
Asuka listened to his words and closed her eyes.
Noone... alone... loneliness... I have had someone to care for me but I wasn´t grateful...
Mama, why, why did you leave me? And... auntie Ann, I´m sorry, so sorry for not visiting you
at the hospital...
Without words Rei embraced Shinji and caressed his cheek.
"Thank you, Rei."
"For what?"
She knew that he didn´t speak about the cage.
"That you are here." He smiled. "When I know that you will be waiting for me than not angel can
stop me."
"Shhh."
A loud champing came from the direction of the table.
"Oh, the cage is good!" Asuka proclaimed between two bites.
The door of the second fridge was opened and the penguin´s head poked out. He saw the cage
and pointed at his bowl.
"Wark!"
***
Nearly at the same time Touji Suzuhara was chosen as pilot for EVA-03 after the US-american
branch of NERV had been destroyed during a test run of the S2-machine along
with EVA-04. Touji´s training mostly took place at the NERV-area at Matsushiro, far away
from the other pilots. But the identity of the new pilot didn´t stay a secret for long,
Rei knew it like most things going on within NERV, while Asuka read it rather unintentionally
in Kaji´s notes. Only Shinji didn´t know it.
At the evening before the first test of unit three Asuka and Rei were talking about the
subject in their room with Asuka thinking that it should stay a surprise.
During the tests an incident happened - EVA-03 was taken over by the angel Bardiel and
laid waste to the test area before marching towards Tokio-3. Ritsuko Akagi as well as
Misato Katsuragi were missing in action, so Gendo Ikari commanded a field mission for the
first time, ordering to make EVA-03 a target until the destruction of the angel.
All three units were employed to intercepte the possessed unit.
***
Rei had the first contact with Bardiel. The dark black figure of the EVA appeared between
the hills, coming towards her with large steps.
EVA-00 was with an assault rifle on the middle of a street crossing, kneeling behind the
readied gun, seeing the target clearly with the help of the target-visor.
One shot would be enough to disable the EVA, to destroy it´s core.
One shot only...
But she hesitated.
"Rei, why are you not shooting?" Gendo Ikari asked via radio.
"I..."
Within the other EVANGELION was a human, a human she knew, whom she counted among her
friends.
What if the destruction of the core started the self-destruction-sequence?
She looked at her hands, within her imagination they were red with blood.
She felt sick.
At the same time she felt anger. Why did the Commander, the man who was the second-most-
important man in her life, send her into battle against another human...? Why did he do
this? Did he want her to kill, to murder...?
EVA-03 had reached her position...
Rei screamed when the pain started...
***
The scream of the bluehaired girl came out of the loudspeakers
"Rei!" Ikari´s voice joined the scream.
Shinji shouted her name, turning towards EVA-02.
"The angel´s mine..."
EVA-01 started running, toward the black EVANGELION, followed by EVA-02.
EVA-03 let go of the limp EVA-00, the unit´s head dangled around in an unnatural angle.
Shinji opened his eyes widely, seeing that the possessed EVANGELION did break EVA-00´s
neck.
"No! Rei!"
Powerful he slammed into the other unit, throw it to the ground.
Instead for proceeding with the attack EVA-01 stood still.
"Rei, can you hear me?"
Rei didn´t answer but his father did.
"We get stable lifesign from her. Go and get the angel!"
"Yes, father..."
"What, Shinji?"
"It´s an EVA... I can see the entryplug... that means someone is inside, a child like me..."
"Shinji, destroy the target!"
EVA-03 slowly rose again. EVA-01 draw it´s progressive-knife.
"Father... I can´t... I can´t fight another human!"
"You have to! I order you to do it!"
"Father!"
The arms of EVA-03 came shooting towards EVA-01 like rubberbands, hitting the chestarmor
that hard the single elements were broken.
Shinji clenched his teeth, tried to move aside.
The next attack hit his shoulder, he couldn´t feel his arm anymore.
"Fight!"
He couldn´t. In his imagination the other unit´s pilot had no face but Shinji thought to
know what he was experiencing.
"I can´t..." the boy whispered. "I cannot..."
EVA-03 ran towards him, eyes glowing in demonic fire...
A shot...
EVA-03 stopped, pressed a hand against it´s head, against the left eye.
A second shot...
EVA-03 screamed, howled full of pain, when the bullet entered it´s shoulder and exploded,
ripping the arm out of the socket.
"Shinji, don´t stay there like frozen! Hold it down!" Asuka shouted. "I don´t want to do
anymore damage!"
Shinji looked at her.
The red EVA-02 stood within some distance, it´s positron-colt in both hands.
"Asuka..."
"Lets do it! We can get Touji out of it!"
Shinji felt horror.
"Touji?"
"Yes, he´s the pilot! Now, do something, or..."
"Yes, okay..."
EVA-01 grabbed unit three´s arm, throwing the black EVANGELION down to the ground, pressing
the knees into it´s back, still holding the arm.
The entryplug was covered by a spiderweblike substance.
"That must be the angel! Asuka, come and bring your knife!"
"On my way!"
"Cut the plug free, very careful!"
"Hey, I´m a professional!"
The blade of the prog-knife came into contact with the angel, the white webbings turned
black, twitched. The EVA started twitching, too, but EVA-01 kept holding it down, while
EVA-02 kept cutting at the angel.
The entryplug was free. Shinji removed the stoppings, let EVA-01 grab the plug.
"Touji, can you hear me?"
No answer...
"Target destroyed" Gendo explained via radio. "Medical teams are under way. Shinji, we
will talk about ignoring my orders when you are back."
He disconnected.
Shinji put the entryplug down carefully, opened a channel to EVA-02.
"Asuka, could you look after him?"
"Yes."
Her face was white.
"Go and look after Rei."
He nodded, interrupted the connection.
A few moments later he stood in front of Rei´s entryplug that he had removed the same way
as he had done over half a year ago after the battle with Ramiel, but this time he used
a large wrench to open the hatch.
"Rei?"
"Shinji?"
Her voice was just a low moan what she sat up within the pilot seat and looked into his
eyes.
He took a deep breath.
"You are alive... thank god..."
He climbed into the plug, went down on his knees next to her, caressed her forehead with
his hand.
"What about Touji?"
"I don´t know... we destroyed the angel and stopped EVA-03... Asuka´s just opening the
hatch of his plug."
"Help me, please."
She extended a hand.
He helped her getting up, place her arm around his shoulder, hesitated for a moment, before
lifting her up and carrying her out of the plug. Rei didn´t protest. She was light,
nearly as light as a feather, on the other hand he was physically stronger than half a
year ago, a result his training. He sensed her head resting on his shoulder but was busy
preparing himself for whatever Asuka did find inside the other plug.
His worst fears didn´t come true, at least not completly. Asuka stood within the hatch and
waved at him.
"Come! He needs help!"
"Rei..."
"Yes, put me down."
Carefully he put her down on the ground smile forced and ran to Asuka.
The inside the entryplug of unit three was full of blood. Touji Suzuhara laid unmoving
on his seat, blood on his face, left arm ripped out of the socket. Asuka already had
bandage his shoulder, she was full of blood, too.
"Check his eye!"
"How?"
"Bandaging, we can´t do anymore with our equipment here." Her face bore a determined
expression while she checked Touji´s shoulder-wound. "Luckily uncle Wolf also taught me
that... he has lost way too much blood... damned, damned, damned..." With each word her
voice got louder, after the last word she broke down, started to sob.
"If I had known that he would suffer the same wounds... I would have never... damned..."
"Asuka..."
He didn´t know what he should say, what he could say.
The bandage was bloodied rather fast. Asuka applaided further bandages automatically.
"He must survive... oh, no, Suzuhara, you won´t die under my hands... Hikari would kill
me..."
Finally doctors and medics arrived, bringing Misato with them. Her right arm war bandaged
and in a sling, her face battered and bruised. While Touji was brought away and Rei checked
ambulantly, Misato looked after Asuka until the redhaired girl had calmed down.
Shinji stood on the middle of the crossing, watching the EVAs being loaded upon large
heavy transport vehicles, but he felt disconnected from reality. He couldn´t banish Touji´s
face with the empty, bloody eye-socket out of his mind...
A hand touched his shoulder, the touch brought him back to reality.
"Rei-chan..."
She embraced him without words.
***
"Rei-chan... his voice calling my name, so full of love... echoing within my head..."
***
The sorcerer had wandered the city streets for days, seemingly aimless, in reality
following the dragonpaths which pulsating energies vanished at different places into
the deepth.
He had watched the living shadow´s attack from direct vicinity, cloaked in mystical
shields, protected by the powers of the night itself.
The arrival of EVA-01 did give him a special sensation - Excitement.
The giant robot was clearly a construct, a being of the Sons of Aether, a golem.
Should he have found a lost stronghold of the technomantical Tradition?
The answer was waiting below in the protected and shielded area under the city, within the
geofront...
