Chapter 05 - Shadowplay
Ten years ago:
"Mom, why do I not have a daddy like the other girls?"
Ritsuko Akagi started when her four-year-old daughter asked that question. The hot coffee in
her cup poured over the edge and onto her labcoat. Startled she looked at her own mother who
sat on the other side of the table.
Naoko Akagi looked at her seriously and shrugged.
"This question had to be asked oneday, you knew, Ritsuko, didn´t you?"
"Yes..."
She turned to her daughter who was looking at her with large eyes.
"Rei..."
The bluehaired girl tilted the head expectingly while put the hands behind her back.
Rei Akagi wore a brightblue blouse, a sleeveless red dress that ended at her knees and white
socks.
"Yes, Mom?"
"Listen, I... you are not old enough to..."
"But the other children all do have a daddy, so where´s my daddy?"
"Rei, your father... I... he´s on a journey, yes, for quite a long time now... he had to leave
before your birth... and..."
She swallowed, searching for words... other lies...
"Rei-chan, I have to talk to your mother about something very important", Naoko said. "Why don´t
you go to your room and dress for bed, hm? Grandma will be there in a few minutes and read
something to you."
"From the story-book?"
"Yes."
She smiled.
"But you have to come, too, Mom, grandma knows such great tales."
Ritsuko smiled forced.
"Of course, dear. And don´t forget to brush your teeth."
"Yes, Mom!"
Rei ran out of the kitchen and into the bathroom.
The younger Akagi sighed.
"That came by surprise... like a punch to the stomach..."
Naoko just nodded.
"Sooner or later they all want to know... Growing up without a father isn´t easy, Ristuko, you
asked silimiar questions when you was her age."
"Yes, but father died in an accident..." With a hint of fear in her eyes she looked at her mother.
"That´s the truth, isn´t it?"
Naoko´s face darkened.
"Yes. I did not have myself got pregnant by somebody I had just met at the disco."
"Mother!"
"Ritsuko, I´m sorry... But the question about your father..."
"Well, but you are right..."
She looked down at her cup as if she was trying to find an answer within the black fluid.
"I met her father at the disco, we both were drunken, one thing led to the other and when I
woke up the next morning he´d already left... and I was pregnant with Rei..."
"Well, I showed you the possible solutions, but didn´t want to hear anything about abortion
or adoption... and I wouldn´t have allowed anything of it after I saw her for the first time."
"Yes... but... I can´t even tell her her father´s name if she asked, just because I can´t
remember..."
"Hm" Naoko growled with disdain. "He had his fun with you and left afterwards, that´s the way men
are..."
She wanted to add something but saw her only grandchild standing in the open door, already
dressed in her nightskirt and listening with eyes wide open.
"Rei...!"
The girl ran to her room, crying...
***
Now:
The expresselevator was descending for an eternity now after it had passed the tenth level of
basement.
Selene Shigen was used to waiting. She was leaning again the cabin´s wall and browsed the files
of the potential pilots.
A low ´ping´ told her that the end of the ride was near.
Light filled the elevator, coming through the transparent walls.
The elevator was within a glass tube, she was able to see the complete geofront below her,
lighted by large reflectors at the ceiling of the underground cavern.
The view gave her a sense of humility, she felt small.
She saw her destination, the building at the base of the tube, a large obsidian black pyramide
with the symbol of NERV...
The elevator slowed down, reached the bottom of the shaft. The door opened and Selene stepped
up to a security gate, placing her hand on the scanner and looking in the direction of the
hidden camera.
"Identifying: Selene Shingen, commanding officer of NERV headquarters at Tokio. Welcome!"
The gate opened, on the other side an ordonanceofficer was already waiting.
She returned the salut.
"Bring me to control center."
***
The control center was a giant room at the heart of the pyramid, it counted five levels, the
top level was the so called bridge with the desk of the commander. One wall consisted of
countless screens, momentarily showing one large picture, a transmittion of the survilance
satelite that´s been in geostationary orbit above the Antarctica for three now.
Selene left the pyramid´s main elevator at bridge level.
When heard the doors opening in his back, Gendo Ikari rose form the commander´s seat.
"Anything to report, Colonel Ikari?"
"No, all is quiet. Nothing´s moving at the south pole, we are getting constantly new data from
the gateway sent by Fortess."
"The calm before the storm..."
"Probably."
"Your skills as chief of tactics may be needed soon, Colonel. At the end of this week my husband
will arrive with the PROMETHEUS and most probably he´ll be bringing the prototype and the test
model with him. The ODYSSEUS will follow in three weeks with the first two series models."
"I will prepare everything for their arrival. Within the Geo-sector a test of the remote
controlls should be undisturbed."
"Maybe the units will be tested together with the pilots."
"So you´ve found some candidats?"
"Yes. Three definitly and another one whose data is at the border area."
"Children... It´s not right..."
"From a point of ethic probably not, but we don´t have a choice. At this age reflexes are by
far superior then with older human. Even the best pilots of the airforce wouldn´t be able to
pilot an EVA and keep up the AT-field at the same time..."
"But that´s just a theory. The psychic pressure within the EntryPlug has made each pilot who´d
tryed so far loose his consciousness."
"With the exception of the two of us."
"Yes, but just thinking about having been piloted by a fourteen year old makes me sick. My own
son´s at this age right now."
"That´s what I wanted to talk about, Colonel."
She gave him the files.
***
Careless Ikari let the file fall to the ground. On his forehead a large vein popped out.
"You can´t be serious! That´s my son! He´s can´t be part of the project!"
"Now he is. Your son, Shinji, is a natural, his synchrate is the highest one I´ve ever seen."
"No, I won´t allow it!"
"Colonel Ikari, do I have to remind you of your vow?"
His shoulders slumped foreward.
"No..."
"Good. It will your son´s decision to join NERV or not, this I promise you. But you will do
nothing that could affect his decision."
"You don´t know what you are asking..."
"Maybe, maybe not. A war is coming, a war against the Angeloi, we have to take any chance we
get, Colonel."
"I know. I know!"
The final words he screamed.
On the lower levels technicians and tactical officers turned the heads to see what was happening
on the bridge.
"You won´t talk about it."
"Yes... But if anything happens to my son, god will be the only one knowing mercy..."
***
After they had left the EVA-center Kensuke and Shinji had stayed at Touji´s place for a while,
eating cooking made by Touji´s mother. At dusk Shinji said his friends goodbye and walked home.
When he arrived at the house he lifed, he was surprised to find Rei sitting on a bench in front
of the house.
"Uhm, hi."
"Hello, Shinji."
"What are you doing here? I though you were living..."
"I´ve waited for you to come home."
"Oh..."
She lowered her eyes.
At first he didn´t know what to do, then he sat down next to her.
"Why did you wait for me?"
"I wanted to talk to you... and I couldn´t wait until school tomorrow."
"What... what do you want to talk about, Rei?"
"You told me, you´d not know me long enough to tell if you like me."
"Um, yes... Rei, I´m sorry, if..."
Suddenly he felt her touching his. He twitched a bit, wanted to remove his hand but didn´t.
"I didn´t intent to startle you."
"Your hand is cold."
"Yes... Shinji... I´d like to get to know you better."
He stared at her, looked into her crimson eyes that seemed all too familiar.
But why...?
"Rei, I... ah... I´d like to get to know you better, too,... but..."
She blinked.
"But?"
"But I already feel like I´d know you for eternity..."
"Yes."
Now he was blinking.
"Yes?"
"I feel the same. Since yesterday, since we ran into each other... and I looked into your eyes
when I got up..."
"You too? Rei, I..."
"Would you like to... be my... boy-friend?"
The words came hastely from her mouth like she had trained them the whole afternoon. An
expression that could have been called startled was for a moment on her face when she turned
her gaze away and looked down to the ground.
A single lock of blue hair fell into her face.
"Shinji, this... I´m sorry, I didn´t want to obtrude on you... and I don´t know, why I..."
She looked up when his fingertips gently touched her cheek and pushed back the lock of hair.
Shinji smiled.
"I don´t know want to do in such a situation... but... I´d like to be your... boy-friend..."
"Really?"
She moved her head a bit aside so that her cheek was resting in his open hand.
So warm...
"Yes, but I have to warn you, you would be my first girl-friend..."
Before his mind´s eye another picture of her appeared with the half of her face covered by
bloody bandages and the one eye, that wasn´t covered, full of pain...
The picture vanished as fast as it had appeared.
What was this?
"And Asuka?"
Rei´s voice brought him back to reality.
He had to laugh.
"We are at a movie once, a few weeks ago... and Touji had advised me... well, when I tryed to
place my arm around her shoulders, I woke up later with a blackened eye."
"I see."
Hesitating she raised her other hand and touch the hand that was still touching her cheek.
"Rei, I don´t know the reasons I told you this... maybe because I knew that you wouldn´t tell
it other people or laugh..."
"Never, I would never about someone being hurt... Shinji, I think, that... in a situation like
this... you should... kiss me..."
"I... uhm..."
He looked into her eyes, saw that her words were meant serious. Slowly he moved foreward, pulling
her towards himself at the same time.
Their lips are closing onto each oter and...
"Obscene."
Startled Shinji jumped back and lost contact to Rei´s hand.
In front of them Asuka stood, a shopping bag in one hand, the other one clenched to a fist,
like an angel of vengeance that had been to the drugstore.
"A-Asuka..." the boy stuttered.
"What were your Hentai trying to do to her? And in public! Don´t you know shame?"
"Asuka, that´s not your business." Rei said calmly.
"Ah, is isn´t? By coincidence I am living in this building! What you were going to do...
that was optical molestation!"
"Stop it." Shinji mumbled.
"Why? You are looking at every skirt, do you think I haven´t notice that you are always staring
at my breasts?"
"That´s not true!"
And why am I always thinking of Asuka wearing her red-white bathsuit when thermical expension´s
the topic of physics class?
"Your breasts aren´t easy to overlook, Asuka." Rei explained. "Aren´t you a bit to young for
silicon implants?"
"What?" Asuka screamed, followed by a string of german curses.
Hm, Shinji thought, that would explain the thermical expansion...
Meanwhile Rei had got up, so that the two girls´ eye were on the same level, one calm and
reserved, the other with deep red face and glowing eyes.
"Keep away from Shinji!" Asuka was just demanding.
"Why? You do not own him."
"Because I do not want a bitch like you to be near him!"
*wham*
*rums*
Asuka found herself sitting on the ground. Her cheek stung where Rei´s hand had made a clearly
visible impression.
"I am not a bitch", Rei whispered with a dangerous sound. "Note that."
"You..."
Asuka jumped to her feet, ready to kill the other girl.
At the same moment Shinji finally started moving to prevent further violence.
"Children, what´s going on?"
The sound of his father´s voice made Shinji turn his head, while Asuka didn´t move.
"Father..." Shinji mumbled.
Asuka´s face twitched to show her unappreciation about this disturbance.
"So, was going on?" Gendo Ikari repeated his question, casting a strange look at his son and
then looked at Asuka´s reddened cheek where Rei´s fingers still were visible.
Asuka swallowed.
"We... ah, Mister Ikari, we are argueing and... and I..."
Gendo looked at her without blinking, it was a gaze that would even have made a hungry wolf
feel nervous.
Asuka lifted her bag.
"My mother´s waiting for me... and the shopping... I have to go... good night, Mister Ikari..."
She ran to the house´s entrance and entered the building.
Gendo turned to Rei.
"I know my son. And I know Asuka, as I do know most children in the neighborhood. But I do not
know you. Who are you?"
His voice had a strange sound, like he already knew the answer.
"Uh, father, that Rei, my... girl-friend." Shinji said. The words felt right...
Rei´s eyes lightened up. She smiled at Gendo.
"I am Rei Akagi. You are Shinji´s father?"
"Yes." Gendo said stand offish. "You should go home, it´s getting late." Without paying
any further attention to her he turned to Shinji. "Your mother´s waiting for you, I´m sure."
Shinji swallowed.
"Yes, father."
Normally he´s not like that... not like a stranger... or an enemy...
Rei nodded.
"Yes, Co... Mister Ikari. Shinji, we´ll talk tomorrow at school, yes?"
"Yes. Good night, Rei."
He smiled hesitanting.
"Good night, Shinji."
She looked at Gendo, bowed and ran away.
Why did I want to address him as ´Commander´ at first?
Gendo looked at his son darkly.
"Stay away from this girl."
He walked pass Shinji towards the building.
"Why, father?"
The older Ikari didn´t turn around when he said:
"She means trouble."
Maybe that´s the only way I can prevent them from talking you away...
***
"Mom! I´m home!" Rei shouted when she closed the apartment´s door and took off her shoes,
kicking them well-aiming into a corner.
"Finally. I was already concerned!" it came from the living room.
Rei looked around the corner, her mother was laying on the couch, still wearing her labcoat.
The cat sat on the couch´s back and gave a low ´Miau´.
"That wasn´t my intention. What´s up?"
"Headache."
"I´ll make some tea."
"No, not necessary. How was school?"
Rei nodded and shrugged.
Ritsuko laughed.
"I answered grandma the same way when she asked. - And your friend?"
"What... Mom!"
"Doctor Ikari´s son´s really in your class. And doctor Soryu´s daughter, too, if that´s not a
stange coincident."
"I could resign to Asuka Soryu", Rei mumbled.
"Darling, what´s up?"
"Nothing..."
"Rei!"
"She called me a bitch."
"Why?"
"I... I don´t know... I guess she´s jealous."
Ritsuko frowned.
"Oh, Rei, problems with a boy? Or because of a boy?"
Rei looked down to the floor, the hands with her bag behindd her back.
"Well, that wasn´t nice by her. What did you do?"
"I kicked her @$$!"
"Rei... I never knew you that way..."
***
Lunch at Ikari´s was in silence.
More than once Yui tryed to initiate a talk with her husband and her son, but failed at their
untalkativity. After Shinji had said goodnight and gone to his room, she turned to Gendo.
"What´s going on?"
"Nothing."
"Gendo, I want to know what´s up with you, now! Do you have trouble at the ministry? Are you
griefing about something?"
"No." he replied and got up.
She sensed that he was lying...
********************************************************************************************
Next: What happened fifteen years ago at the south-pole? * More memories * And a visit at the
clone vats...
Ten years ago:
"Mom, why do I not have a daddy like the other girls?"
Ritsuko Akagi started when her four-year-old daughter asked that question. The hot coffee in
her cup poured over the edge and onto her labcoat. Startled she looked at her own mother who
sat on the other side of the table.
Naoko Akagi looked at her seriously and shrugged.
"This question had to be asked oneday, you knew, Ritsuko, didn´t you?"
"Yes..."
She turned to her daughter who was looking at her with large eyes.
"Rei..."
The bluehaired girl tilted the head expectingly while put the hands behind her back.
Rei Akagi wore a brightblue blouse, a sleeveless red dress that ended at her knees and white
socks.
"Yes, Mom?"
"Listen, I... you are not old enough to..."
"But the other children all do have a daddy, so where´s my daddy?"
"Rei, your father... I... he´s on a journey, yes, for quite a long time now... he had to leave
before your birth... and..."
She swallowed, searching for words... other lies...
"Rei-chan, I have to talk to your mother about something very important", Naoko said. "Why don´t
you go to your room and dress for bed, hm? Grandma will be there in a few minutes and read
something to you."
"From the story-book?"
"Yes."
She smiled.
"But you have to come, too, Mom, grandma knows such great tales."
Ritsuko smiled forced.
"Of course, dear. And don´t forget to brush your teeth."
"Yes, Mom!"
Rei ran out of the kitchen and into the bathroom.
The younger Akagi sighed.
"That came by surprise... like a punch to the stomach..."
Naoko just nodded.
"Sooner or later they all want to know... Growing up without a father isn´t easy, Ristuko, you
asked silimiar questions when you was her age."
"Yes, but father died in an accident..." With a hint of fear in her eyes she looked at her mother.
"That´s the truth, isn´t it?"
Naoko´s face darkened.
"Yes. I did not have myself got pregnant by somebody I had just met at the disco."
"Mother!"
"Ritsuko, I´m sorry... But the question about your father..."
"Well, but you are right..."
She looked down at her cup as if she was trying to find an answer within the black fluid.
"I met her father at the disco, we both were drunken, one thing led to the other and when I
woke up the next morning he´d already left... and I was pregnant with Rei..."
"Well, I showed you the possible solutions, but didn´t want to hear anything about abortion
or adoption... and I wouldn´t have allowed anything of it after I saw her for the first time."
"Yes... but... I can´t even tell her her father´s name if she asked, just because I can´t
remember..."
"Hm" Naoko growled with disdain. "He had his fun with you and left afterwards, that´s the way men
are..."
She wanted to add something but saw her only grandchild standing in the open door, already
dressed in her nightskirt and listening with eyes wide open.
"Rei...!"
The girl ran to her room, crying...
***
Now:
The expresselevator was descending for an eternity now after it had passed the tenth level of
basement.
Selene Shigen was used to waiting. She was leaning again the cabin´s wall and browsed the files
of the potential pilots.
A low ´ping´ told her that the end of the ride was near.
Light filled the elevator, coming through the transparent walls.
The elevator was within a glass tube, she was able to see the complete geofront below her,
lighted by large reflectors at the ceiling of the underground cavern.
The view gave her a sense of humility, she felt small.
She saw her destination, the building at the base of the tube, a large obsidian black pyramide
with the symbol of NERV...
The elevator slowed down, reached the bottom of the shaft. The door opened and Selene stepped
up to a security gate, placing her hand on the scanner and looking in the direction of the
hidden camera.
"Identifying: Selene Shingen, commanding officer of NERV headquarters at Tokio. Welcome!"
The gate opened, on the other side an ordonanceofficer was already waiting.
She returned the salut.
"Bring me to control center."
***
The control center was a giant room at the heart of the pyramid, it counted five levels, the
top level was the so called bridge with the desk of the commander. One wall consisted of
countless screens, momentarily showing one large picture, a transmittion of the survilance
satelite that´s been in geostationary orbit above the Antarctica for three now.
Selene left the pyramid´s main elevator at bridge level.
When heard the doors opening in his back, Gendo Ikari rose form the commander´s seat.
"Anything to report, Colonel Ikari?"
"No, all is quiet. Nothing´s moving at the south pole, we are getting constantly new data from
the gateway sent by Fortess."
"The calm before the storm..."
"Probably."
"Your skills as chief of tactics may be needed soon, Colonel. At the end of this week my husband
will arrive with the PROMETHEUS and most probably he´ll be bringing the prototype and the test
model with him. The ODYSSEUS will follow in three weeks with the first two series models."
"I will prepare everything for their arrival. Within the Geo-sector a test of the remote
controlls should be undisturbed."
"Maybe the units will be tested together with the pilots."
"So you´ve found some candidats?"
"Yes. Three definitly and another one whose data is at the border area."
"Children... It´s not right..."
"From a point of ethic probably not, but we don´t have a choice. At this age reflexes are by
far superior then with older human. Even the best pilots of the airforce wouldn´t be able to
pilot an EVA and keep up the AT-field at the same time..."
"But that´s just a theory. The psychic pressure within the EntryPlug has made each pilot who´d
tryed so far loose his consciousness."
"With the exception of the two of us."
"Yes, but just thinking about having been piloted by a fourteen year old makes me sick. My own
son´s at this age right now."
"That´s what I wanted to talk about, Colonel."
She gave him the files.
***
Careless Ikari let the file fall to the ground. On his forehead a large vein popped out.
"You can´t be serious! That´s my son! He´s can´t be part of the project!"
"Now he is. Your son, Shinji, is a natural, his synchrate is the highest one I´ve ever seen."
"No, I won´t allow it!"
"Colonel Ikari, do I have to remind you of your vow?"
His shoulders slumped foreward.
"No..."
"Good. It will your son´s decision to join NERV or not, this I promise you. But you will do
nothing that could affect his decision."
"You don´t know what you are asking..."
"Maybe, maybe not. A war is coming, a war against the Angeloi, we have to take any chance we
get, Colonel."
"I know. I know!"
The final words he screamed.
On the lower levels technicians and tactical officers turned the heads to see what was happening
on the bridge.
"You won´t talk about it."
"Yes... But if anything happens to my son, god will be the only one knowing mercy..."
***
After they had left the EVA-center Kensuke and Shinji had stayed at Touji´s place for a while,
eating cooking made by Touji´s mother. At dusk Shinji said his friends goodbye and walked home.
When he arrived at the house he lifed, he was surprised to find Rei sitting on a bench in front
of the house.
"Uhm, hi."
"Hello, Shinji."
"What are you doing here? I though you were living..."
"I´ve waited for you to come home."
"Oh..."
She lowered her eyes.
At first he didn´t know what to do, then he sat down next to her.
"Why did you wait for me?"
"I wanted to talk to you... and I couldn´t wait until school tomorrow."
"What... what do you want to talk about, Rei?"
"You told me, you´d not know me long enough to tell if you like me."
"Um, yes... Rei, I´m sorry, if..."
Suddenly he felt her touching his. He twitched a bit, wanted to remove his hand but didn´t.
"I didn´t intent to startle you."
"Your hand is cold."
"Yes... Shinji... I´d like to get to know you better."
He stared at her, looked into her crimson eyes that seemed all too familiar.
But why...?
"Rei, I... ah... I´d like to get to know you better, too,... but..."
She blinked.
"But?"
"But I already feel like I´d know you for eternity..."
"Yes."
Now he was blinking.
"Yes?"
"I feel the same. Since yesterday, since we ran into each other... and I looked into your eyes
when I got up..."
"You too? Rei, I..."
"Would you like to... be my... boy-friend?"
The words came hastely from her mouth like she had trained them the whole afternoon. An
expression that could have been called startled was for a moment on her face when she turned
her gaze away and looked down to the ground.
A single lock of blue hair fell into her face.
"Shinji, this... I´m sorry, I didn´t want to obtrude on you... and I don´t know, why I..."
She looked up when his fingertips gently touched her cheek and pushed back the lock of hair.
Shinji smiled.
"I don´t know want to do in such a situation... but... I´d like to be your... boy-friend..."
"Really?"
She moved her head a bit aside so that her cheek was resting in his open hand.
So warm...
"Yes, but I have to warn you, you would be my first girl-friend..."
Before his mind´s eye another picture of her appeared with the half of her face covered by
bloody bandages and the one eye, that wasn´t covered, full of pain...
The picture vanished as fast as it had appeared.
What was this?
"And Asuka?"
Rei´s voice brought him back to reality.
He had to laugh.
"We are at a movie once, a few weeks ago... and Touji had advised me... well, when I tryed to
place my arm around her shoulders, I woke up later with a blackened eye."
"I see."
Hesitating she raised her other hand and touch the hand that was still touching her cheek.
"Rei, I don´t know the reasons I told you this... maybe because I knew that you wouldn´t tell
it other people or laugh..."
"Never, I would never about someone being hurt... Shinji, I think, that... in a situation like
this... you should... kiss me..."
"I... uhm..."
He looked into her eyes, saw that her words were meant serious. Slowly he moved foreward, pulling
her towards himself at the same time.
Their lips are closing onto each oter and...
"Obscene."
Startled Shinji jumped back and lost contact to Rei´s hand.
In front of them Asuka stood, a shopping bag in one hand, the other one clenched to a fist,
like an angel of vengeance that had been to the drugstore.
"A-Asuka..." the boy stuttered.
"What were your Hentai trying to do to her? And in public! Don´t you know shame?"
"Asuka, that´s not your business." Rei said calmly.
"Ah, is isn´t? By coincidence I am living in this building! What you were going to do...
that was optical molestation!"
"Stop it." Shinji mumbled.
"Why? You are looking at every skirt, do you think I haven´t notice that you are always staring
at my breasts?"
"That´s not true!"
And why am I always thinking of Asuka wearing her red-white bathsuit when thermical expension´s
the topic of physics class?
"Your breasts aren´t easy to overlook, Asuka." Rei explained. "Aren´t you a bit to young for
silicon implants?"
"What?" Asuka screamed, followed by a string of german curses.
Hm, Shinji thought, that would explain the thermical expansion...
Meanwhile Rei had got up, so that the two girls´ eye were on the same level, one calm and
reserved, the other with deep red face and glowing eyes.
"Keep away from Shinji!" Asuka was just demanding.
"Why? You do not own him."
"Because I do not want a bitch like you to be near him!"
*wham*
*rums*
Asuka found herself sitting on the ground. Her cheek stung where Rei´s hand had made a clearly
visible impression.
"I am not a bitch", Rei whispered with a dangerous sound. "Note that."
"You..."
Asuka jumped to her feet, ready to kill the other girl.
At the same moment Shinji finally started moving to prevent further violence.
"Children, what´s going on?"
The sound of his father´s voice made Shinji turn his head, while Asuka didn´t move.
"Father..." Shinji mumbled.
Asuka´s face twitched to show her unappreciation about this disturbance.
"So, was going on?" Gendo Ikari repeated his question, casting a strange look at his son and
then looked at Asuka´s reddened cheek where Rei´s fingers still were visible.
Asuka swallowed.
"We... ah, Mister Ikari, we are argueing and... and I..."
Gendo looked at her without blinking, it was a gaze that would even have made a hungry wolf
feel nervous.
Asuka lifted her bag.
"My mother´s waiting for me... and the shopping... I have to go... good night, Mister Ikari..."
She ran to the house´s entrance and entered the building.
Gendo turned to Rei.
"I know my son. And I know Asuka, as I do know most children in the neighborhood. But I do not
know you. Who are you?"
His voice had a strange sound, like he already knew the answer.
"Uh, father, that Rei, my... girl-friend." Shinji said. The words felt right...
Rei´s eyes lightened up. She smiled at Gendo.
"I am Rei Akagi. You are Shinji´s father?"
"Yes." Gendo said stand offish. "You should go home, it´s getting late." Without paying
any further attention to her he turned to Shinji. "Your mother´s waiting for you, I´m sure."
Shinji swallowed.
"Yes, father."
Normally he´s not like that... not like a stranger... or an enemy...
Rei nodded.
"Yes, Co... Mister Ikari. Shinji, we´ll talk tomorrow at school, yes?"
"Yes. Good night, Rei."
He smiled hesitanting.
"Good night, Shinji."
She looked at Gendo, bowed and ran away.
Why did I want to address him as ´Commander´ at first?
Gendo looked at his son darkly.
"Stay away from this girl."
He walked pass Shinji towards the building.
"Why, father?"
The older Ikari didn´t turn around when he said:
"She means trouble."
Maybe that´s the only way I can prevent them from talking you away...
***
"Mom! I´m home!" Rei shouted when she closed the apartment´s door and took off her shoes,
kicking them well-aiming into a corner.
"Finally. I was already concerned!" it came from the living room.
Rei looked around the corner, her mother was laying on the couch, still wearing her labcoat.
The cat sat on the couch´s back and gave a low ´Miau´.
"That wasn´t my intention. What´s up?"
"Headache."
"I´ll make some tea."
"No, not necessary. How was school?"
Rei nodded and shrugged.
Ritsuko laughed.
"I answered grandma the same way when she asked. - And your friend?"
"What... Mom!"
"Doctor Ikari´s son´s really in your class. And doctor Soryu´s daughter, too, if that´s not a
stange coincident."
"I could resign to Asuka Soryu", Rei mumbled.
"Darling, what´s up?"
"Nothing..."
"Rei!"
"She called me a bitch."
"Why?"
"I... I don´t know... I guess she´s jealous."
Ritsuko frowned.
"Oh, Rei, problems with a boy? Or because of a boy?"
Rei looked down to the floor, the hands with her bag behindd her back.
"Well, that wasn´t nice by her. What did you do?"
"I kicked her @$$!"
"Rei... I never knew you that way..."
***
Lunch at Ikari´s was in silence.
More than once Yui tryed to initiate a talk with her husband and her son, but failed at their
untalkativity. After Shinji had said goodnight and gone to his room, she turned to Gendo.
"What´s going on?"
"Nothing."
"Gendo, I want to know what´s up with you, now! Do you have trouble at the ministry? Are you
griefing about something?"
"No." he replied and got up.
She sensed that he was lying...
********************************************************************************************
Next: What happened fifteen years ago at the south-pole? * More memories * And a visit at the
clone vats...