Disclaimer: see part 1
Chain of Command
Part 12
Repent
By Random1377
"So you are saying… we can use this?"
Maya sighed and leaned back in the uncomfortable hospital chair. "Given time, yes," she conceded, "see, we thought at first that the angel was invisible because it was using it's AT field somehow… but when we analyzed what was left of its body, we realized that it had skin similar to that of a chameleon – only much more advanced."
Rei scanned the printout once more. "How much time, Misses Ibuki?" she inquired, "An enhancement like this would be… incalculably advantageous…"
"I'm not sure," the brown-haired woman replied, "if I did nothing else… a month, maybe a month and a half."
"If I provide you an assistant… would it reduce that time?" the red-eyed girl asked, not looking up.
"It should," Maya said with a shrug, "but they would have to be very smart, know the EVAs in and out, and-"
"Pilot Shi will assist you," Rei interjected calmly, "his intelligence scores are the highest of any pilot, and he will be able to provide practical application advice on the operation of the Evangelions."
"But… does he know the system?" Maya sputtered.
Rei lifted her head to regard the older woman. "He does."
"How??"
A faint smile graced the First Child's lips. "He is remarkably intelligent… though he hides it well." Her smile widened, "He is also quite fond of your accomplishment… and looking forward to working with you."
"You already had this planned??" Maya blurted, sitting bolt upright, "How!? You couldn't have known about these findings!"
"Not this," Rei said quietly, though obviously amused, "he has been asking to assist you for five months. I did not see a reason to allow it up until now."
"Well," Maya said, sitting back again, "guess I have an understudy…"
"I am glad that we are in agreement," Rei said, a smile still dancing around the edges of her mouth.
"How's Kensuke?" the brown-haired woman asked, nonchalantly. –See how amusing you find this,- she thought, suppressing a smile.
"He is… well…" the First replied, her smile remaining in place… and being joined by a light blush.
"Really…" Maya pressed, "I noticed he stood up rather quickly when I came in today… what was he doing?"
The blush intensified. "I think that… your readings are very helpful," Rei said softly, "thank you for bringing this to my attention."
Maya grinned as she stood.
"Why do you not tell the Acting Commander of these developments?" the blue-haired girl asked.
The technician shrugged. "Two reasons," she said matter-of-factly, "one, you were involved with the prior projects and know all of their particulars, where as she would need to be brought up to speed. And two…" she smiled, "you're going to be back in Command soon, and I thought you would like to be current, since it will be your responsibility for more than just a week…"
She paused, then added with a wink, "And three… you're my friend…"
"I am?" Rei said softly.
"Yup."
The blue-haired girl smiled softly. "Well… I suppose that is acceptable…"
"Glad you think so," Maya laughed. "Well, I'm on my way…" she headed for the door, pausing just outside. "I'll send Kensuke in," she whispered with a smile.
"Yes…" Rei replied, blushing deeply, "please do…"
The brown-haired woman hesitated a moment longer.
"There is… something else you would like to say?" the First prompted gently.
"Just a small something," Maya admitted, turning to face the younger woman, "just that I think it's great… you opening up to someone… I'm…" she trailed off.
"Go on…" Rei said curiously.
"Proud."
The brown-haired woman stepped out of the room, feeling incredibly embarrassed.
"Proud…" Rei echoed to the now empty room.
As a gentle knock sounded on her door (Kensuke always knocked – he was exceedingly careful when it came to propriety) she decided that she was proud too.
**
Kaji slowly opened the door to his daughter's room and peeked inside.
"Poor monster," he whispered, smiling softly.
Reiko was asleep in the middle of the floor, a one hundred-piece puzzle half complete in front of her.
He leaned against the doorway and sighed. –I hope you never have to know all that I've had to do for you…- he thought tiredly.
It had been the best (and worst) five years of his life.
When Misato had proposed to him, he had been truly shocked. He hadn't expected her to be so open about her feelings – especially not after confessing to him that she hadn't really found another boyfriend in college, and had broken up with him because she had other issues. He was sure that she would never marry someone like him… someone she had stated flat out was like her father.
"And so publicly, too…" he mumbled, smiling at the memory.
"I WON'T wait anymore. Will you marry me?"
He shook his head wonderingly. –Right in front of the whole bridge crew…-
Slipping into Reiko's room, he quietly pulled her blanket off the bed and laid it over her.
Correction: her blankie.
Heaven forbid you should make that error… or call her Koko to her face.
He kissed her cheek and stole out of the room, allowing himself a small, quiet chuckle as he closed the door. "Just like your mother," he whispered, smiling gently, "I don't think I've ever been slapped harder than when I called her Toto…"
His smile fell away as he went into his small office and turned his laptop on.
He had refrained from doing the work he'd wanted to do while Reiko was awake – not because he was afraid she would read over his shoulder, since she couldn't quite read just yet… and the words onscreen were long and hard to pronounce.
He was more concerned about her seeing the pictures.
And asking questions.
Questions he was not ready to answer. 'What's that?' 'What are those people doing?' 'Why is that man bleeding so much?'
He sighed as he began typing up his report.
Subject is sensitive to electrostatic charges… though only very high doses. Subject's tail made contact with one of the researchers during the test (see file: Miyazawa, Kazumi – deceased) – still unsure if this was involuntary or deliberate. This is the forty-third documented 'weakness' the subject has expressed. Damage is always quickly recovered due to S^2 organ activity. Subject never shows any signs of anger or residual pain after healing.
He rubbed the bridge of his nose, thinking that this last line was probably not true. –I doubt it's just forgiving and forgetting,- he mused, -but it doesn't talk unless 'Mother' is there… and then it only greets her and shuts up… unless she asks it something specific.-
He shook his head and finished the entry.
These findings should not be considered indicative of all angels, as each has varied greatly in physical structure and attack formation… though should this one get free, I feel it would not be difficult to terminate, considering all that we know. That's all for now, more after next test.
End file #658
He leaned back in his chair and stretched. "Six hundred fifty-eight 'tests,'" he whispered to the ceiling, lacing his hands behind his head, "for you, my little baby… all for you…"
Kaji stood and saved the file, then snapped off the computer. Leaving his study, he headed for Reiko's room, where he would take the simple pleasure of watching his angel sleep… and try and forget all the horrid things he had observed the researchers do in the name of survival of the species.
-Maybe we shouldn't survive…- her thought grimly, -if this is the way we treat 'prisoners of war.'-
He pushed the thought away and lay down beside his little girl, closing his eyes amid the stuffed animals and toys and scattered puzzle pieces… and drifting off into a troubled, fitful sleep.
**
"Kaworu came over again last night," Angelica said with a grin as she and Asuka came into the locker room.
"So how was it?" the redhead asked, returning the grin as she stripped off the plugsuit and hung it on its hook.
Even though she was Acting Commander, she was still subject to sync tests. Pilots were pilots, and their responsibilities came first – Rei had made sure there was no division in that regard.
"Like you don't know," Angelica replied, winking, "he told me, you know."
"Told you what?" Asuka asked, genuinely perplexed.
"Don't play dumb!" the brunette retorted, "He told me about it… locked out of the apartment… raining… nowhere else to go… come on, don't give me that look – I know you slept with him, and I know-"
"Yeah," the redhead cut her off as she fastened her bra, "slept. I got locked out, I needed a place to sleep… his place only has one bed and a really hard floor." She paused, "What else were you going to say, little miss jump-to-conclusions?"
"But… he said… God, I'm so stupid," the brown-haired girl laughed, "I asked if he slept with Shinji and he said yes, and told me he'd slept with you too… I never thought that he meant just sleep…"
"Dummy," Asuka giggled, "he's just like Wondergirl… they both answer questions literally." She sighed as her laughter trailed off, "Should have asked if he's ever had sex with Shinji… I know they used to be a lot closer than they are now, but that's something I could never bring myself to ask either one of them – mainly because I don't really want to know the answer."
Angelica wrinkled her nose. "No, I don't think I want to know either, when you get right down to it… that's more Mira's taste."
"She likes that guy-guy stuff, eh?" Asuka asked, shaking her head, "Which reminds me, just why are you with that pretty-boy, anyway? I always pegged you as a shy-guy kinda girl."
"I'm impulsive," her friend replied, shrugging, "you know that. Though the shy ones do hold a soft spot in my heart."
Asuka froze at the wistful tone in her friend's voice. "Hey, Angie…" she said, closing her locker slowly, "how impulsive are you, exactly?"
"Ummmm…" the Ninth hesitated, her laughter gone, "not as… much as I used to be…"
"What's that mean?" the redhead asked, frowning slightly.
"Just that I… don't jump in as fast as I used to," Angelica replied.
"Really…" Asuka pressed, feeling slightly ill, "Ever do anything you wish you hadn't?" she paused for emphasis, "Like, oh I don't know… sleep with someone else's boyfriend?"
It was a shot in the dark, she knew… but all the pieces fit.
"no… you know her…"
"I swore I would never let another chance slip past me without doing anything about it."
Asuka's eyes widened as Angelica paled. "It was you…" she whispered.
"Oh God…" the brunette moaned, putting her face in her hands.
Asuka's emotions ran from relief at finally knowing who it was Shinji slept with to rage at it being a friend of hers in the blink of an eye.
"Why?" she demanded, focusing on the latter emotion.
"You…" Angelica took a deep breath, "I… we were both… alone, and-"
"That's the best you can do?" Asuka snapped.
The other girl looked away, whispering, "Loneliness is a powerful force, Asuka…"
"That's a lame excuse for both of you," Asuka said angrily, "him especially. I waited, why couldn't he!?" Her eyes narrowed, "He was drunk, wasn't he? Were you too, or did-"
"No," Angelica said softly, cutting her off, "it would be a great excuse, though, wouldn't it? But no… we were both sober…"
"Then why?" Asuka asked, her voice cracking, "Why, Angie?"
The brunette closed her eyes. "Why did you sleep with him the first time?"
Asuka blinked. "Because I love h-"
"Bullshit," Angelica cut her off, opening her eyes and fixing the redhead with a stare, "people don't have sex because they love each other. Sure, it's a nice bonus when you do, but people don't head towards the bedroom thinking, 'Oh I love him so much – I wanna fuck him.' There's always another reason."
"You really believe that, don't you?" Asuka said, her voice registering wonder and sadness in equal doses.
"It's true," the Ninth retorted, "and with Shinji I…" looked away from her friend, "it was a hard time for me… my father had just died. Remember when I called you in tears?"
Asuka nodded, "Yeah… I remember…"
"It was that night…" the brunette said softly. She smiled sickly, "I called him up to come talk to me… and I really did just want to talk… but one thing led to another."
"Who made the first move?" Asuka asked suddenly, leaning forward, "Angie… I have to know…"
"Are you kidding?" Angelica laughed, "I practically had to go down on him and swear that I would sooner pitch myself in front of a truck than tell you before he would even touch me!"
Asuka nodded thoughtfully. "He didn't want to… did he? You made him."
Angelica flushed. "You can't really make someone have sex, Asuka…" she said defensively, "I didn't rape him."
"But you made the first move," the redhead said quietly, "and he still didn't want to." She tilted her head, "What did you say that finally changed his mind? You touching him wouldn't be enough… his conscience is too strong. " –Even if you did finally manage to break him down…- she thought darkly.
The brunette looked away once more. "I begged…" she whispered, "I begged him not to leave me alone…" she met Asuka's eyes, "I'm so sorry…"
"Good," the redhead answered flatly, standing up abruptly and heading for the door.
"Where are you going?" Angelica inquired.
"I'm going to see him," Asuka replied, "and look into his eyes." She looked back over her shoulder, "And depending on what I see… I'm either going to ask him to marry me… or leave him."
"What about us?" Angelica asked hesitantly.
"There is no us," the redhead answered softly.
Before the brunette could say another word, Asuka walked out of the room, leaving her in silence.
**
"Are we almost done?" Shinji asked, trying to fight the urge to reach up and do the job himself.
"Mmmm hmmm…" the nurse replied.
Shinji sighed. So far, that was all the woman would say.
"And… no messages from Commander Souryu?" he asked for the third time.
"Hmm mmm…"
-She said she'd be here when the bandages came off…- he thought, feeling inexplicably nervous, -I hope she's ok…-
So far, the nurse had been unwinding the long bandage from his head for five minutes… and Shinji was sure that she was taking as much time as possible.
-Must be a new girl,- he thought absently, -doesn't want to hurt me.-
The last of the bandage was slowly removed, leaving only the white gauze pads that kept the bandages from sticking to his eyes.
As the first was peeled away, Shinji smiled. "She's really pretty…" he said quietly, keeping his eyes closed as the doctor had instructed.
"Hmmm?" the nurse inquired, pausing as she pulled the second pad off.
"The Commander…" Shinji clarified, "well, the Acting Commander… she's my girlfriend…" as the nurse continued her task, he sighed, "she hates being Commander… but it's just for a little while longer… then I'll get to see her again." He waited for the instruction to open his eyes, "I hardly see her now…" he said sadly, "I miss her…"
"You can open your eyes…" the soft order came after a moment of silence.
Slowly, Shinji's eyes opened, showing only glaring brilliance at first as they adjusted to the presence of light after days of darkness.
As the world came slowly into focus, his breath caught in his throat. "Asuka?" he whispered.
She nodded, setting the gauze pads to the side. "I said I'd be here," she reminded him matter-of-factly
"Why didn't you talk to me?" he asked, flushing as he recalled his gushing of a minute ago.
"I wanted to see your eyes," she whispered, meeting his gaze levelly, "I had to look for something."
Confused, he asked, "Did you… ummm… find it?"
She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly before leaning back, out of his reach, and saying softly,
"Shinji… we need to talk…"
Continued…
Author's notes: nope… no notes here.
Ryoma's still getting pre-read thanks on this one… provided he hasn't hunted me down and slapped the hell out of me for that ending. ^_^
Feedback is always welcome at random1377@yahoo.com