Hi again, sorry for the long wait between updates. This chapter is much
longer than the other ones and I actually thought about breaking it up into
two chapters, but I think it's best to keep it all in one lump for the
moment.
I want to say thanks to the two new readers NET and DarkPower. Thank you both for replying and for the kind words. Please feel free to continue commenting, I really appreciate the feedback; and that goes for all my readers. Without your input I would have probably quit a long time ago! ^_^
Anyway trying some new stuff here so please let me know what you think. If you have any questions feel free to post them in the review section and I'll gladly answer them.
Disclaimer: Yeah, I don't own any Evangelion property, but I don't plan to sell this so no need to sue.
And now on to the story…
Language Protocol:
"…" – Japanese
[…] – English
… - German
'…' – Thoughts
Chapter 4: Moving In, Moving On
(NERV Headquarters, Commanders Office…)
A few hours after the angel attack, the two commanders of NERV met within Commander Ikari's private enclave. As usual, Fuyutsuki took his place at the commander's side, while Gendo sat down behind the desk, with his hands clasped in front of his face. Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki tried to keep his breathing at a normal level as Gendo remained motionless and silent.
At last the unearthly silence was broken. "Why did you disobey my orders regarding the foreign pilot?" Commander Ikari's voice was devoid of emotion, yet still held the crisp air of command to it. Fuyutsuki answered honestly, knowing he could do nothing else.
"I believed it was the best course of action, given our goals," Kouzou replied in an even tone, "And I thought it best to put a proven weapon to use, rather than an untested system."
Gendo arched an eyebrow at Fuyutsuki's last comment. "You refer to the dummy plug system? You know it has been successfully tested; you saw the same tests as I. And I would hardly call Unit-04 a proven weapon…"
"Ah, but the dummy system has never been tested in a combat situation. There could have been no way to predict how it would react," Kouzou pointed out, falling into the old role of a lecturing professor, "And a human piloted Evangelion has always been our foremost weapon, whether or not the pilot has been one-hundred percent reliable. If I remember correctly, you had no problem sending out your own son to combat the third angel with absolutely no training at all."
Commander Ikari merely 'hmmphed' in indignation, but made no real attempt to rebut the claims of the Sub-Commander.
"Besides," Fuyutsuki continued, "I don't believe you were altogether dissatisfied with the results of today's battle. Am I not correct?"
The Commander's frown began to dissipate, but his demeanor remained frigid as ever. "You assume correctly, Sub-Commander. Aside from the damage to three of the Evas, and the loss of Unit-03, today's events were satisfactory. And the American pilot has proven himself capable."
Fuyutsuki felt the urge to smile in victory, though that quickly vanished as Commander Ikari continued his quiet tirade. "However…in the future you will not question my orders under any circumstances. Because of today's events the scenario must be changed. Not drastically, but it could prove troublesome to us nevertheless." At this Gendo sighed and leaned back in his seat, "The good news is that this altercation may buy us a brief respite before the next attack. The angels are not dumb beasts; they will take time to re-evaluate their course of action."
"Therefore," Gendo continued putting the focus back on Kouzou, "as discipline, I'm curtailing your executive privileges for one week. You understand this of course?"
"Of course. And believe me, it was with a heavy heart that I did go behind your back on this. So then," Fuyutsuki said with a resigned air, "What do you plan to do now?"
Standing up from his desk, Gendo Ikari faced the windows behind him and crossed his arms over his chest. "Unfortunately, although Unit-03 was stopped without being completely destroyed, it will be impossible to salvage. Dr. Akagi has informed me that when the Angel took over the Eva, it completely reconfigured its DNA structure. It will need to be incinerated; it is too great a liability for us to keep or try to repair."
"And the Fourth Child?" Kouzou asked, "What is to become of him?"
"We have no choice," Commander Ikari replied emotionlessly, "He will have to be released from duty once he is out of the infirmary. Since he knows so little of NERV due to his short time here, he should not present a problem to us."
"I see…and what is to become of the American pilot?"
Though Fuyutsuki could not see, the Commander's lips twisted into a thin smile. Returning his features to their characteristic impassiveness, Gendo turned around and took his place once more at his desk. "Pilot Reynolds is on his way here as we speak, Sub-Commander."
As if by perfect timing, the doors to the Commander's office swung open and Jordan Reynolds entered flanked by two Section 2 agents. Once more, the young adult's hands were handcuffed in front of him. Commander Ikari made a small gesture to the Section 2 agents, who then promptly removed Jordan's restraints and left to stand outside the chamber. Throughout all of this, Jordan's verdant gaze remained unfocused at the floor in front of him.
Gendo raised one arm from it's place in front of his chin and motioned for Fuyutsuki to act as translator. Clearing his throat, Fuyutsuki addressed the sullen looking pilot in front of them.
[How do you feel Pilot Reynolds?]
Jordan looked up, as if becoming aware of the other two men for the first time. Bringing his head around to face Fuyutsuki, he replied tersely, [I've been worse.]
[Oh?] the Sub-Commander's eyes arched in mild surprise.
Once more, the young man returned his gaze to the floor, before answering. [Let's just say it's not everyday you save the day and receive a criminal's welcome.]
Through out the entire exchange, the Commander's eyes remained riveted on the young man from behind the orange tinted glasses. The scrutiny did not go unnoticed by the American. When the feeling of discomfort became more than he could stand, he looked back at Fuyutsuki and blurted, [Look, what do you want of me?]
Without breaking his gaze, Commander Ikari reached under his desk and pulled out a beige folder and handed it up to Fuyutsuki, who accepted it dutifully. Opening the folder, the Sub-Commander skimmed its contents briefly; his eyes widening fractionally as its significance dawned on Fuyutsuki. Kouzou then laid the open folder facing Jordan on the desk so that the American could see for himself.
[You are to be officially reinstated into NERV as the full-time pilot of Unit-04,] Fuyutsuki said calmly, [All we need is your signature to complete the process.]
Jordan accepted the proffered pen and bent down over the contract offered to him. Though as he began to read the same contract he had signed once before in America, he once again became aware of Commander Ikari watching him. Jordan suppressed the urge to cringe. 'It's like he's searching me; trying to find some weakness or flaw.' He tried to discern the commander's eyes through the glasses but the glare from the window behind them made it impossible to see. In the end, it was Jordan who broke eye contact; he lifted the pen and affixed his signature to the contract.
As Jordan straightened his stance again, Fuyutsuki accepted the folder back. [Welcome back to NERV, Pilot Reynolds,] the Sub-Commander said with a thin smile, [Since your case is rather different from that of the other pilots, your status will also be altered slightly. Since you are a legal adult, you will be given a position within NERV's military structure equivalent to that of a Specialist. Accordingly you will also be given a small pension to support yourself.]
Nodding, Jordan let out a gruff, [Thanks.]
After removing a few important sets of pages, the Sub-Commander handed them over to the American and explained. [These contain your NERV identification card as well as a handbook of NERV regulations. Also you will find a copy of the Japanese Kanji inside as well. As a stipulation of your rejoining NERV, you are required to learn to speak passable Japanese. It is simply too hard to direct a battle while translating back and forth. Does this present a problem?]
Jordan frowned as he looked at the thick translation book. A vague memory reminded him that the Japanese language contained several thousand unique characters. Grimacing, he replied, [No sir, no problem.]
[Good,] Fuyutsuki answered, and then on an afterthought he added, [Your report did not say, but do you speak any other languages besides English?]
Jordan looked up from the Kanji. [I speak some German…]
Fuyutsuki allowed himself a small smile. [Well…that is fortunate. The Second Child hails from Germany; until you get a firm grasp on the Kanji, it may work well for you to use her as a translator.] Jordan nodded again in understanding.
It was then that Commander Ikari spoke for the first time. "Tell Pilot Reynolds that he is dismissed for the time being." Both Jordan and Fuyutsuki seemed surprised by the sudden interruption, but the elder man was better and covering it up. The Sub-Commander relayed Gendo's command and activated a signal for the doors of the office to open.
Recovering from his surprise, Jordan found the presence of mind to ask, [Where will I stay?]
Looking non-plussed, Fuyutsuki looked to Commander Ikari for an answer. The NERV commander made a deft motion with his fingers, giving Fuyutsuki his answer. [Your housing arraignments will be taken care of before you leave here. You are dismissed.]
Unsatisfied with the cryptic answer, but taking the meaning behind the Sub- Commander's tone, Jordan nodded and left through the double doors, leaving the two commanders alone once again.
"So…what will be done about Pilot Reynolds housing situation?" Kouzou asked when the sound of retreating footsteps had vanished. "Surely you don't intend to store him in his entry plug the entire time?"
Gendo snorted indignantly, "Don't be ridiculous. I have already given some thought to the matter. It has proven wise to have most of the pilots in one place during an Angel attack. I would like to continue that trend."
Fuyutsuki hesitated before asking, "Do you think it's wise to burden Major Katsuragi with yet another responsibility? You would think she was the official NERV nanny. Furthermore, do you think it is wise to place Reynolds there, given his past record?"
Commander Ikari was silent, as he appeared to ponder the situation. "Your observations have merit, Kouzou. And the Major is somewhat overburdened already. But I have a satisfactory solution."
"Oh?" Fuyutsuki asked, arching an eyebrow.
"The apartment adjacent to the Major is free, is it not?" Gendo asked, "So long as the pilots are near-by I think it would be sufficient. Do you not agree?"
Nodding thoughtfully, Fuyutsuki said, "An excellent idea. I'll see that the arraignments are made."
"While you do that," Gendo added, "Be sure that you schedule several synch- tests for Pilot Reynolds this week. We must see if he can be brought up to speed with the rest of the pilots."
Fuyutsuki nodded in understanding. Despite the American pilot's success against the angel, his recorded synch ratio had been less than stellar compared to the rest of the children. "I'll do so. Though you know, he did make a personal record for himself this time, synching at 40.8 percent. Nearly as high as your son on his first try."
At his desk, Gendo frowned once more. "This is true. But after nearly a year, the other children have already much progress. Between the second and third children, they have come close to almost doubling their initial synch ratios. Yet in ten years, the American has only progressed by barely 2%?"
"You fear that something is interfering with his ability to synch? His age perhaps?"
Gendo thought about it for a second and replied, "No, his age shouldn't be a factor, considering he was still born after Second Impact. No, I believe the answer may lie in the core profile of the Eva itself."
"Oh? Do you think the American's forgot to imprint their Eva's core?" Fuyutsuki asked.
"No, they weren't that foolish. Their scientists had just as much understanding as ours," Gendo corrected, "However, for the sake of time, I think they failed to pay as close attention to the core imprint as they should have. Deep down, I think the reason why the second and third synch so well, while Specialist Reynolds does not, is not dissimilar to the reason why Rei had such trouble synching with Unit-00."
"Ah, I see," Kouzou murmured as understanding finally came to him, "And you wish to run the synch tests to confirm that?"
Behind his clasped hands, Gendo smiled grimly.
***
(Inside the NERV Infirmary…)
"Shinji…why the long face?" a somewhat hoarse voice croaked.
Looking up from the floor, Shinji looked into the face of his good friend Touji Suzuhara and forced himself to smile. When he had heard that his friend was awake, he had rushed down from the pilot's debriefing room to the infirmary. Though he was shocked to see that his friend had a broken leg and several stitches, the relief at seeing Touji alive had taken a heavy burden off the boy's shoulders.
"Gomen," Shinji replied, "I just had a lot on my mind."
"Hey…it could be worse," Touji said with a weak smile, "…least I made it out in one piece…mostly."
Shinji's smile vanished as he remembered the events from earlier that day. "I just can't believe…that I almost had to kill you." 'Would Father have forced me?' Shinji asked himself, as he once more returned to his silent introspection, 'Would he, if it hadn't been for that other Eva?'
Suddenly, Shinji felt something touch his shoulder and he looked up to see Touji gripping him by the shoulder. His face displayed a lop-sided grin as he said, "Hey, ya did what ya had to do. Remember I was there too, I saw just about everything that happened. And I want you ta know that I don't blame you or nothing. If anyone's ta blame its those damn Angels, eh?"
Smiling in spite of himself, Shinji nodded in agreement, "Yeah, you have a point." Shinji then snorted as if thinking of some private joke. "I don't get it. After all that's happened to you, I can't understand how you can still be so care-free about it."
"Well…" Touji began to say, as he fiddled with the bandage around his forehead, "You weren't the first person ta visit me today…"
At this, Shinji's eyes widened in confusion. Seeing his friends bewilderment, Touji began to explain, "Well you see, I guess they didn't tell you guys right away that I was awake, but apparently Class Rep found out I was here, and somehow managed to get in."
"Class Rep?" Shinji echoed in shock and confusion.
"Yupp, she dropped off the assignments I missed as well as a lunch she made personally for me. Awfully darn nice of Hikar — I mean Class Rep…"
Touji's slip of tongue did not go unnoticed by Shinji. "W-wait…you just called Class Rep, Hikari…"
Averting his eyes, Touji pretended in vain to act unconcerned. "So what? Slip of tongue, nothing else."
"You and Class Rep…" Shinji mulled over the thought in his head before reaching the conclusion, "…in love?"
Going into full panic mode, Touji fixed Shinji with a look of pure desperation, "Hey, don't say that so loudly. Someone might here ya!"
"But there's nobody here," Shinji protested, then after some more thought he added, "Does that means it's true?"
"What? No! I never said anything like that!"
"It IS true," Shinji emphasized, grinning ear to ear, "That's why you've been so cheerful, isn't it?"
Deflating in defeat, Touji plopped his bandaged head onto the pillow. "Look, just don't go spreading it around all over school, please? I'd never hear the end of it from the guys. And the She-Demon would want ta have my head on a wooden stake. No, Hikari would have my head on a wooden stake!"
Shinji clamped a hand over his mouth to keep from laughing. "Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me. I won't even tell Kensuke."
Breathing a he sigh of relief, Touji looked up at Shinji and said, "You're a real life-saver, Shinji, ya know that?"
"Thanks," Shinji replied as he stood up to leave. "I-I guess I'll see you again tomorrow?"
"Sure," Touji replied as he closed his eyes to rest, "You take care of yourself now, ya hear?"
"You too, Touji, you too."
***
Outside in the infirmary's lobby, Major Misato Katsuragi fiddled with the bandage around her broken arm. It was a memento from the failed-activation of Unit-03 earlier that day; thankfully the painkillers had set in a few hours ago, leaving the limb numb. Looking over to her left, Misato saw that her companion, Asuka Soryu was leaning back in one of the hospital chairs with a look of extreme boredom.
Noticing the sudden attention, Asuka looked over and whined, "Can we go yet?"
"Not until Shinji is done," Misato replied with as much patience as she could muster after the long day, "You know Touji was one of his close friends."
Misato noted thankfully that Asuka made no snide or sarcastic comments. Though it was undeniably part of her nature, Misato knew that sometimes Asuka could hurt people with her comments, more than the girl realized. 'At least she's being mostly mature about all this,' Misato thought to herself, 'Maybe she's finally learning.'
The major's attention was drawn away from her thoughts as one of the infirmary orderlies cleared his throat behind her. "Excuse me, Major Katsuragi?"
"Hai," Misato replied automatically as she stood up to face the orderly. 'God, do I really sound that exhausted?'
"Here's a message for you, delivered from NERV Headquarters," the orderly replied as he handed Misato a large envelope. She recognized the format; it was a set of new orders. Pushing back the protests forming in her mind, Misato sat back down and tore open the envelope. As Misato read through the orders, Asuka watched from her seat, trying to discern what was going on.
After Misato set down the sheet of paper, Asuka could hold back her curiosity no longer. "Well? What's going on, Misato-san? Please don't tell me we have to stay here even longer?!"
"Well…maybe a little longer…" Misato replied as she began to read the orders a second time.
Groaning loudly, Asuka buried her face in her hands. "Why can't we just go HOME, Misato-san?"
"Well…I dunno, how can I put this…we're getting a new neighbor."
Asuka looked up and blinked in bewilderment. "New neighbor?" she repeated as if the words were foreign to her, then after wracking her brain quickly for an explanation, she made what seemed like a obvious assumption. "The other new pilot?"
Misato smiled at Asuka's quick thinking. "Looks like it."
Her curiosity getting the better of her, Asuka plopped herself down next to Misato and attempted to read over the other woman's shoulder. "Well does it say anything interesting? I've been trying to find out about this new pilot ever since I heard about the new Evas, but nobody will tell me anything about her!"
Misato ignored the fact that Asuka wasn't supposed to know about either the new pilots or the new Evas, and instead asked, "Oh? What makes you think it's a 'her'?"
"Isn't it obvious? Of course they would bring in a female pilot. Myself and Wondergirl ought to be proof of that."
Trying not to grin, Misato handed Asuka one of the papers from the envelope. "Brace yourself," was all that the major said.
Asuka snatched up the paper with a look of confused annoyance and began to scan over its contents. However she had only read through about three lines when she saw what she had been dreading.
"Awwwwww! Not another boy! They may as well make the next Eva pilot a monkey!!"
Misato tried to hold back a grin and failed miserably. "Not a boy, Asuka- chan," Misato teased, "Read more carefully."
Looking back at the paper, Asuka began to read again, mumbling as she did. "American…could be worse, I guess. Might be cute, but I doubt it…what the…?!" Asuka looked up and over at Misato who merely nodded in affirmation.
"B-b-but…I thought only children could pilot Eva?' Asuka asked.
"I know," Misato sighed, "I never said it made sense. But I'm sure there's some explanation."
"Well at least it explains why he won't be living with us. It's bad enough with just one male in the house," Asuka mumbled.
The sound of a door clicking shut caught the attention of both females. Looking down the hallway to the left, they saw Shinji walking towards them. When he reached them, Misato spoke.
"How is he, Shinji-kun?"
"He's doing alright, I guess," Shinji replied, remembering his promise to Touji. "He just needs to rest."
"Must be the luckiest stooge in the whole world," Asuka replied with mild distaste.
Shinji thought for a moment and then muttered, "Yeah I guess so."
Seeking to change the subject quickly, Misato beckoned for Shinji to sit down next to her. "Look at this, Shinji. We're going to have a new neighbor," she said as she handed him the same paper as she had given Asuka earlier.
Shinji read through the paper and reached the same conclusion as Asuka. "The new Eva pilot? Is that who we're waiting for?"
"Hai, he ought to be here any minute now," Misato replied as she checked the watch on her good wrist.
After a moment's silence, Asuka spoke up. "Well what do you have to say about this, Third Child? You've barely said anything since you came out of there?"
"I'd really like to meet him, I think," Shinji replied, "He did help me against the Angel…and he helped save Touji too."
While Asuka made no reply to Shinji's answer, a sudden thought occurred to Misato. "Oh, Asuka I almost forgot to tell you. The new pilot doesn't speak Japanese, and the only other language he knows besides English is German. So do you mind acting as translator? At least until he learns a little Japanese?"
The girl rolled her eyes but replied, "Yeah, I'll help the dummkopf. He just better not mangle my native language."
Just then, the sliding doors of the infirmary hissed open, and all three turned their heads around in expectation. Jordan walked in through the threshold escorted by a single Section 2 agent. The young man now wore a simple blue button-up shirt and a pair of khaki slacks. Slung over one shoulder and held by a single finger was an ordinary gray windbreaker. Once inside, the Section 2 agent turned around and left, leaving the blond- haired young man with a lost expression on his face.
"Well, there he is, children," Misato said as she worked her way out of the chair. "Asuka, try not to give him a bad first impression, okay?"
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Asuka huffed as the three made their way over to the lost-looking American.
Asuka stood in front of him and cleared her throat. Then slowly she asked in German, You are Jordan Reynolds, are you not?
Jordan narrowed his eyes at her tone, but simply nodded. Ja, that is I. And you are?
Holding her head high, she put a hand on her chest and said, I am the Second Child, Asuka Langley Soryu. These other two are Major Misato Katsuragi and Shinji Ikari. Asuka gestured to each of the individuals in turn, who waved at the newcomer.
Though he had trouble understanding some of the words, Jordan recognized 'Major Katsuragi.' Ah, that is good. I'm going with you three then?
Ja, but before we go, I want to make something clear, okay? Asuka said holding a hand up. Since I am the only one you can really communicate with, when it comes to fighting the Angels you are going to need to depend on me for orders. So no just charging in blindly doing whatever you please, okay? Do you understand, or do I need to use smaller words?
Jordan huffed indignantly, as he crossed his arms over his chest. Though he glared down at the shorter girl, he only said, Ja, I understood perfectly, kleines mädchen.
What did you call me? Asuka suddenly blinked in surprise, Speak with some respect, dummkopf, I don't have to take any…
"Asuka," Misato said from the sidelines of the discussion, "All I wanted to know was if he was ready to go or not."
"Hai, hai," Asuka replied in irritation as she turned back to Jordan, annoyed to see that the young adult had the nerve to be smirking. Come with us. We are leaving now.
***
(Later at Misato's apartment complex…)
"Shinji-kun, go ahead and take everything inside," Misato called out as she fiddled with the key to the next-door apartment. "I'll be with you after Asuka and I have got Mister Reynolds settled."
At Misato's side, Asuka had her arms crossed over her chest in indignation. "Why do I have to be here? We're just letting him in, aren't we?"
"Yes, but you are needed in case he has any questions. Living in Japan must be a lot different from living in America," Misato explained. Asuka merely sighed in exasperation.
"I told you to try and make a good impression back at the infirmary," Misato reprimanded. "I don't know why you're making such a fuss. He doesn't seem all that bad," she added as she stole a glance over her shoulder. Jordan was leaning against the railing behind them looking at something down the hall.
"I just don't like him," Asuka insisted, "He's quite rude. And he's too quiet…like Shinji."
Finally, Misato managed to get the door open. "Here we go," Misato said loud enough to get Jordan's attention. She gestured for him to follow her in. "Come on in, welcome to your new home."
Following curiously, Jordan stepped into the apartment and began to look around. As the American began to explore, Misato and Asuka stood to one side. They both noted that the apartment was smaller than Misato's studio, due to the fact that it was located at the corner of the complex. However it did have its own kitchen and living room in the central chamber, with two doors on the side that led to the bedroom and bathroom.
"Well, looks like he doesn't have any questions," Asuka said after a moment as Jordan disappeared into one of the rooms, "Let's go."
As the girl turned to escape, Misato caught her with her good hand. "Where's your sense of hospitality, Asuka-chan? He's all but our guest, you know."
Then from the bedroom, came Jordan's muffled voice. Kleines madchen? I need your help.
Asuka grit her teeth. 'A little girl am I? I'll show you a little girl…" Coming, dummkopf!
Entering the bedroom, Asuka found Jordan standing with an annoyed look on his face. Well, what is it? Asuka asked with all the civility she could muster.
Where is the bed? I can't find it. Jordan sated with frustration in his voice.
Asuka looked from Jordan to the futon on the floor in the center of the room and back at the American. Then she nearly laughed aloud, as she realized his mistake.
Don't worry. Your bed is right here, mein idiote. Asuka gestured towards the futon on the floor.
Now it was Jordan's turn to stare at the futon. You call that a bed?!
Ja, what did you think it was, dummkopf? Asuka asked.
That's a pile of sheets on the floor, not a bed. Jordan replied with annoyance.
Well, then you must be more ignorant than I thought. Asuka said in a condescending tone. In Japan, people sleep on the floor. If you don't like it, that's just too bad. Live with it.
Jordan gave Asuka one final glare, before shaking his head. Very well. he replied as he plopped down on the futon and cupped his hands behind his head. Goodnight.
Without needing to be told twice, Asuka whirled around and began to walk out of the apartment. Misato was still standing there, and looked up as Asuka left the bedroom.
"Is everything alright Asuka?" Misato asked, "I wanted you to ask him if he wanted to come over to our place for a little bit. You know, kind of like a welcoming party."
Asuka shrugged, and made up a small lie, "I already asked him. He said he was too tired." 'Well he did practically fall asleep right in front of me.'
"Oh," Misato said in an almost disappointed tone, "Well sleep does sound pretty good right now."
"I thought you'd never say so," Asuka quipped as she pushed her way past Misato and into the apartment next door. Misato watched after her, confused at the girls' short temper. 'Well shorter than usual, I guess. Today has been stressful…for everyone.' Satisfied that she had fulfilled her obligation as hostess, she turned off the light in the apartment and closed the door behind her.
***
A few minutes later, found Misato sitting down at the kitchen table sipping at a can of beer, which in her opinion worked even better than the painkillers for her arm. In the background, Shinji was sitting on the couch listening to his SDAT serenely. Now that the alcohol was giving her a slight buzz, Misato was beginning to feel bored. Looking at the pile Shinji had brought in from the car, Misato began to sift through it looking for anything of interest. As she did so, Jordan's copy of the Japanese Kanji fell out and landed on the floor. Misato picked it up and recognized it quickly.
"Shit, that new pilot forgot his stuff," Misato mumbled to herself. "Asuka? Asuka!"
"What?!" shouted the girl from within her room.
"Our neighbor left some of his stuff with us, would you mind giving it back?"
"Nein!" Asuka shouted emphatically, "What do I look like, his maidservant? Besides, I'm half undressed for bed!"
"I'll do it, Misato-san," Shinji said quietly from the couch. The SDAT had been turned off, and now lay on the floor.
"Are you sure Shinji? If you'd rather listen to your music, I'll do it," Misato offered.
"No, I'll take care of it," Shinji said more firmly, standing up to show his determination.
"Suit yourself," Misato answered, handing the Kanji booklet to the boy, "Though I think he may be sleeping so be careful."
Nodding, Shinji accepted the small book and walked outside the apartment to the next door over. 'What am I going to say?' thought for the first time, 'He doesn't speak Japanese, and I don't speak English or German.' Then Shinji reminded himself that he was just giving the man a book and that was it. Just put the book in Mr. Reynolds hand and walk away. That was all he had to do, right? That was all he needed to do.
'But is it all I want to do?' Shinji found himself asking. 'Do I want to thank him? For helping me, and saving Touji?'
'Do I want to try and be his friend?'
Shinji hesitated in front of the door. Did he really want to try and be Jordan's friend? True, he may be a lot older than Shinji, but he was still an Eva pilot like himself. And though he was friends, after a fashion, with the other two pilots, Rei was often difficult to talk to, and Asuka, though she could be nice when she wanted to, never opened up to Shinji in the way he wanted.
Raising a shaky hand, Shinji rapped on the door. 'Just give him back the book,' He repeated to himself. Shinji waited a handful of moments and knocked again. He repeated this two more times before the door swished open, startling Shinji. The light in the apartment was off, so the light from the hallway cast eerie shadows over the man's face. Jordan stared down at Shinji without emotion or expression, nor did he try and ask Shinji what he was doing. Staring back at Jordan, Shinji found himself unable to speak. The boy then realized that Jordan's expression was familiar; it reminded him of how Rei would sometimes look at him. Not disapproving, like his father, yet…curious?
Then, Jordan suddenly turned around and walked back into the apartment; yet he left the door wide open. Standing out in the hall, Shinji stammered in confusion. Was Jordan trying to tell him to leave? Then why did he leave the door open? Why did this have to be so confusing?!
"J-J-J-Jordan-s-san?' Shinji stuttered from the hallway as he poked his head inside.
[Come in.] a voice said in English. Its meaning was lost on Shinji, but somehow he came to the right conclusion. Entering the apartment, Shinji saw that the light was on in the bedroom. Approaching it, he looked in and saw Jordan lying on the futon and facing towards the window on the opposite end of the room, appearing to be asleep. Then as if sensing Shinji's presence, one green eye opened and focused on Shinji.
Hesitating at first, Shinji stooped down and laid the book of Kanji at the edge of the futon. Jordan looked over at it, and replied, [Thanks…Shinji.]
Yet, though Shinji knew he was being dismissed, he still felt compelled to stay. Finally he worked up the courage enough to speak.
"Thank you."
Jordan looked up at the sound of Shinji's voice. [Huh?]
Shinji groaned, remembering the language barrier. Who was he trying to kid anyways? He was about to leave, when sudden inspiration came to him. Turning back into the bedroom, Shinji sat down cross-legged and picked the Kanji booklet back up. Looking to see what Shinji was doing, Jordan also sat up and stared at the boy in front of him.
Holding up the Kanji manual, Shinji pointed one finger towards himself. "Me…" Shinji then pointed at the Kanji, "…teach…" Lastly, he pointed towards Jordan, "…you?"
Young Ikari waited anxiously, as Jordan appeared to mull over the super- simplified question. Finally, the man's mouth twisted into a smirk, and Jordan held his hand out in front of Shinji. Shinji tentatively took it and Jordan began to shake it firmly. A smile breaking out on his face too, Shinji returned the handshake with vigor. Cracking open the Kanji book, Shinji hoped Misato wouldn't miss him for too long. Looking at his watch, Shinji noted that it wasn't too late in the evening. Well, if she asked Shinji decided he would just tell her the truth.
Looking through the book, Shinji realized the daunting task ahead of him. The teachers in school always made the lessons look so simple; but the teenager discovered he had no idea where to start.
'Well I guess I'll try the basics…' Shinji decided as he began to leaf through the pages. The book was organized with the Japanese language in one column, the corresponding English word in the next column, followed by an English pronunciation in the last column.
Finding what he was looking for, Shinji offered his hand out like Jordan had earlier. When Jordan accepted the handshake, Shinji said, "Kon- nichiwa."
"Ko-nishi-wah…" Jordan repeated slowly, drawling out the syllables.
"Kon-nichiwa," Shinji repeated again, stressing the pronunciation.
"Kon-nichiwa," Jordan repeated once more, earning a satisfied grin from Shinji.
'Maybe this could be fun,' Shinji thought to himself as he began to look through the Kanji again.
************************************
Well there it is. Please let me know how I'm doing, especially with characterizations. That's my largest concern at the moment. Is Shinji too bold? Is Asuka too much? Not enough? Is Misato not Misato enough? Am I babbling incoherently? O_o Don't answer that last question.
By the way, to those who think Gendo might have been a little lenient on Fuyutsuki, its my feeling that although Gendo is a rather cold bastard, he still regards Fuyutsuki as a colleague and friend. He may be disappointed in him, but I don't see him flat-out firing his former sensei over something like this.
But again, please, FEEDBACK! I'm trying to keep Jordan normal, so that's why I had Asuka being rather cold towards him. I got a pretty firm warning about ACC/OC relationships, and I'm taking it seriously. I'm afraid if I have her show the least bit of niceness towards him, some of the hardcore fans here will give me a whole new understanding of the term, fire-bombing. ^_~ So please just let me know if there's anything I should change in the next few chapters. Also let me know how that language protocol worked out, please? Thanks again to all!
I want to say thanks to the two new readers NET and DarkPower. Thank you both for replying and for the kind words. Please feel free to continue commenting, I really appreciate the feedback; and that goes for all my readers. Without your input I would have probably quit a long time ago! ^_^
Anyway trying some new stuff here so please let me know what you think. If you have any questions feel free to post them in the review section and I'll gladly answer them.
Disclaimer: Yeah, I don't own any Evangelion property, but I don't plan to sell this so no need to sue.
And now on to the story…
Language Protocol:
"…" – Japanese
[…] – English
… - German
'…' – Thoughts
Chapter 4: Moving In, Moving On
(NERV Headquarters, Commanders Office…)
A few hours after the angel attack, the two commanders of NERV met within Commander Ikari's private enclave. As usual, Fuyutsuki took his place at the commander's side, while Gendo sat down behind the desk, with his hands clasped in front of his face. Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki tried to keep his breathing at a normal level as Gendo remained motionless and silent.
At last the unearthly silence was broken. "Why did you disobey my orders regarding the foreign pilot?" Commander Ikari's voice was devoid of emotion, yet still held the crisp air of command to it. Fuyutsuki answered honestly, knowing he could do nothing else.
"I believed it was the best course of action, given our goals," Kouzou replied in an even tone, "And I thought it best to put a proven weapon to use, rather than an untested system."
Gendo arched an eyebrow at Fuyutsuki's last comment. "You refer to the dummy plug system? You know it has been successfully tested; you saw the same tests as I. And I would hardly call Unit-04 a proven weapon…"
"Ah, but the dummy system has never been tested in a combat situation. There could have been no way to predict how it would react," Kouzou pointed out, falling into the old role of a lecturing professor, "And a human piloted Evangelion has always been our foremost weapon, whether or not the pilot has been one-hundred percent reliable. If I remember correctly, you had no problem sending out your own son to combat the third angel with absolutely no training at all."
Commander Ikari merely 'hmmphed' in indignation, but made no real attempt to rebut the claims of the Sub-Commander.
"Besides," Fuyutsuki continued, "I don't believe you were altogether dissatisfied with the results of today's battle. Am I not correct?"
The Commander's frown began to dissipate, but his demeanor remained frigid as ever. "You assume correctly, Sub-Commander. Aside from the damage to three of the Evas, and the loss of Unit-03, today's events were satisfactory. And the American pilot has proven himself capable."
Fuyutsuki felt the urge to smile in victory, though that quickly vanished as Commander Ikari continued his quiet tirade. "However…in the future you will not question my orders under any circumstances. Because of today's events the scenario must be changed. Not drastically, but it could prove troublesome to us nevertheless." At this Gendo sighed and leaned back in his seat, "The good news is that this altercation may buy us a brief respite before the next attack. The angels are not dumb beasts; they will take time to re-evaluate their course of action."
"Therefore," Gendo continued putting the focus back on Kouzou, "as discipline, I'm curtailing your executive privileges for one week. You understand this of course?"
"Of course. And believe me, it was with a heavy heart that I did go behind your back on this. So then," Fuyutsuki said with a resigned air, "What do you plan to do now?"
Standing up from his desk, Gendo Ikari faced the windows behind him and crossed his arms over his chest. "Unfortunately, although Unit-03 was stopped without being completely destroyed, it will be impossible to salvage. Dr. Akagi has informed me that when the Angel took over the Eva, it completely reconfigured its DNA structure. It will need to be incinerated; it is too great a liability for us to keep or try to repair."
"And the Fourth Child?" Kouzou asked, "What is to become of him?"
"We have no choice," Commander Ikari replied emotionlessly, "He will have to be released from duty once he is out of the infirmary. Since he knows so little of NERV due to his short time here, he should not present a problem to us."
"I see…and what is to become of the American pilot?"
Though Fuyutsuki could not see, the Commander's lips twisted into a thin smile. Returning his features to their characteristic impassiveness, Gendo turned around and took his place once more at his desk. "Pilot Reynolds is on his way here as we speak, Sub-Commander."
As if by perfect timing, the doors to the Commander's office swung open and Jordan Reynolds entered flanked by two Section 2 agents. Once more, the young adult's hands were handcuffed in front of him. Commander Ikari made a small gesture to the Section 2 agents, who then promptly removed Jordan's restraints and left to stand outside the chamber. Throughout all of this, Jordan's verdant gaze remained unfocused at the floor in front of him.
Gendo raised one arm from it's place in front of his chin and motioned for Fuyutsuki to act as translator. Clearing his throat, Fuyutsuki addressed the sullen looking pilot in front of them.
[How do you feel Pilot Reynolds?]
Jordan looked up, as if becoming aware of the other two men for the first time. Bringing his head around to face Fuyutsuki, he replied tersely, [I've been worse.]
[Oh?] the Sub-Commander's eyes arched in mild surprise.
Once more, the young man returned his gaze to the floor, before answering. [Let's just say it's not everyday you save the day and receive a criminal's welcome.]
Through out the entire exchange, the Commander's eyes remained riveted on the young man from behind the orange tinted glasses. The scrutiny did not go unnoticed by the American. When the feeling of discomfort became more than he could stand, he looked back at Fuyutsuki and blurted, [Look, what do you want of me?]
Without breaking his gaze, Commander Ikari reached under his desk and pulled out a beige folder and handed it up to Fuyutsuki, who accepted it dutifully. Opening the folder, the Sub-Commander skimmed its contents briefly; his eyes widening fractionally as its significance dawned on Fuyutsuki. Kouzou then laid the open folder facing Jordan on the desk so that the American could see for himself.
[You are to be officially reinstated into NERV as the full-time pilot of Unit-04,] Fuyutsuki said calmly, [All we need is your signature to complete the process.]
Jordan accepted the proffered pen and bent down over the contract offered to him. Though as he began to read the same contract he had signed once before in America, he once again became aware of Commander Ikari watching him. Jordan suppressed the urge to cringe. 'It's like he's searching me; trying to find some weakness or flaw.' He tried to discern the commander's eyes through the glasses but the glare from the window behind them made it impossible to see. In the end, it was Jordan who broke eye contact; he lifted the pen and affixed his signature to the contract.
As Jordan straightened his stance again, Fuyutsuki accepted the folder back. [Welcome back to NERV, Pilot Reynolds,] the Sub-Commander said with a thin smile, [Since your case is rather different from that of the other pilots, your status will also be altered slightly. Since you are a legal adult, you will be given a position within NERV's military structure equivalent to that of a Specialist. Accordingly you will also be given a small pension to support yourself.]
Nodding, Jordan let out a gruff, [Thanks.]
After removing a few important sets of pages, the Sub-Commander handed them over to the American and explained. [These contain your NERV identification card as well as a handbook of NERV regulations. Also you will find a copy of the Japanese Kanji inside as well. As a stipulation of your rejoining NERV, you are required to learn to speak passable Japanese. It is simply too hard to direct a battle while translating back and forth. Does this present a problem?]
Jordan frowned as he looked at the thick translation book. A vague memory reminded him that the Japanese language contained several thousand unique characters. Grimacing, he replied, [No sir, no problem.]
[Good,] Fuyutsuki answered, and then on an afterthought he added, [Your report did not say, but do you speak any other languages besides English?]
Jordan looked up from the Kanji. [I speak some German…]
Fuyutsuki allowed himself a small smile. [Well…that is fortunate. The Second Child hails from Germany; until you get a firm grasp on the Kanji, it may work well for you to use her as a translator.] Jordan nodded again in understanding.
It was then that Commander Ikari spoke for the first time. "Tell Pilot Reynolds that he is dismissed for the time being." Both Jordan and Fuyutsuki seemed surprised by the sudden interruption, but the elder man was better and covering it up. The Sub-Commander relayed Gendo's command and activated a signal for the doors of the office to open.
Recovering from his surprise, Jordan found the presence of mind to ask, [Where will I stay?]
Looking non-plussed, Fuyutsuki looked to Commander Ikari for an answer. The NERV commander made a deft motion with his fingers, giving Fuyutsuki his answer. [Your housing arraignments will be taken care of before you leave here. You are dismissed.]
Unsatisfied with the cryptic answer, but taking the meaning behind the Sub- Commander's tone, Jordan nodded and left through the double doors, leaving the two commanders alone once again.
"So…what will be done about Pilot Reynolds housing situation?" Kouzou asked when the sound of retreating footsteps had vanished. "Surely you don't intend to store him in his entry plug the entire time?"
Gendo snorted indignantly, "Don't be ridiculous. I have already given some thought to the matter. It has proven wise to have most of the pilots in one place during an Angel attack. I would like to continue that trend."
Fuyutsuki hesitated before asking, "Do you think it's wise to burden Major Katsuragi with yet another responsibility? You would think she was the official NERV nanny. Furthermore, do you think it is wise to place Reynolds there, given his past record?"
Commander Ikari was silent, as he appeared to ponder the situation. "Your observations have merit, Kouzou. And the Major is somewhat overburdened already. But I have a satisfactory solution."
"Oh?" Fuyutsuki asked, arching an eyebrow.
"The apartment adjacent to the Major is free, is it not?" Gendo asked, "So long as the pilots are near-by I think it would be sufficient. Do you not agree?"
Nodding thoughtfully, Fuyutsuki said, "An excellent idea. I'll see that the arraignments are made."
"While you do that," Gendo added, "Be sure that you schedule several synch- tests for Pilot Reynolds this week. We must see if he can be brought up to speed with the rest of the pilots."
Fuyutsuki nodded in understanding. Despite the American pilot's success against the angel, his recorded synch ratio had been less than stellar compared to the rest of the children. "I'll do so. Though you know, he did make a personal record for himself this time, synching at 40.8 percent. Nearly as high as your son on his first try."
At his desk, Gendo frowned once more. "This is true. But after nearly a year, the other children have already much progress. Between the second and third children, they have come close to almost doubling their initial synch ratios. Yet in ten years, the American has only progressed by barely 2%?"
"You fear that something is interfering with his ability to synch? His age perhaps?"
Gendo thought about it for a second and replied, "No, his age shouldn't be a factor, considering he was still born after Second Impact. No, I believe the answer may lie in the core profile of the Eva itself."
"Oh? Do you think the American's forgot to imprint their Eva's core?" Fuyutsuki asked.
"No, they weren't that foolish. Their scientists had just as much understanding as ours," Gendo corrected, "However, for the sake of time, I think they failed to pay as close attention to the core imprint as they should have. Deep down, I think the reason why the second and third synch so well, while Specialist Reynolds does not, is not dissimilar to the reason why Rei had such trouble synching with Unit-00."
"Ah, I see," Kouzou murmured as understanding finally came to him, "And you wish to run the synch tests to confirm that?"
Behind his clasped hands, Gendo smiled grimly.
***
(Inside the NERV Infirmary…)
"Shinji…why the long face?" a somewhat hoarse voice croaked.
Looking up from the floor, Shinji looked into the face of his good friend Touji Suzuhara and forced himself to smile. When he had heard that his friend was awake, he had rushed down from the pilot's debriefing room to the infirmary. Though he was shocked to see that his friend had a broken leg and several stitches, the relief at seeing Touji alive had taken a heavy burden off the boy's shoulders.
"Gomen," Shinji replied, "I just had a lot on my mind."
"Hey…it could be worse," Touji said with a weak smile, "…least I made it out in one piece…mostly."
Shinji's smile vanished as he remembered the events from earlier that day. "I just can't believe…that I almost had to kill you." 'Would Father have forced me?' Shinji asked himself, as he once more returned to his silent introspection, 'Would he, if it hadn't been for that other Eva?'
Suddenly, Shinji felt something touch his shoulder and he looked up to see Touji gripping him by the shoulder. His face displayed a lop-sided grin as he said, "Hey, ya did what ya had to do. Remember I was there too, I saw just about everything that happened. And I want you ta know that I don't blame you or nothing. If anyone's ta blame its those damn Angels, eh?"
Smiling in spite of himself, Shinji nodded in agreement, "Yeah, you have a point." Shinji then snorted as if thinking of some private joke. "I don't get it. After all that's happened to you, I can't understand how you can still be so care-free about it."
"Well…" Touji began to say, as he fiddled with the bandage around his forehead, "You weren't the first person ta visit me today…"
At this, Shinji's eyes widened in confusion. Seeing his friends bewilderment, Touji began to explain, "Well you see, I guess they didn't tell you guys right away that I was awake, but apparently Class Rep found out I was here, and somehow managed to get in."
"Class Rep?" Shinji echoed in shock and confusion.
"Yupp, she dropped off the assignments I missed as well as a lunch she made personally for me. Awfully darn nice of Hikar — I mean Class Rep…"
Touji's slip of tongue did not go unnoticed by Shinji. "W-wait…you just called Class Rep, Hikari…"
Averting his eyes, Touji pretended in vain to act unconcerned. "So what? Slip of tongue, nothing else."
"You and Class Rep…" Shinji mulled over the thought in his head before reaching the conclusion, "…in love?"
Going into full panic mode, Touji fixed Shinji with a look of pure desperation, "Hey, don't say that so loudly. Someone might here ya!"
"But there's nobody here," Shinji protested, then after some more thought he added, "Does that means it's true?"
"What? No! I never said anything like that!"
"It IS true," Shinji emphasized, grinning ear to ear, "That's why you've been so cheerful, isn't it?"
Deflating in defeat, Touji plopped his bandaged head onto the pillow. "Look, just don't go spreading it around all over school, please? I'd never hear the end of it from the guys. And the She-Demon would want ta have my head on a wooden stake. No, Hikari would have my head on a wooden stake!"
Shinji clamped a hand over his mouth to keep from laughing. "Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me. I won't even tell Kensuke."
Breathing a he sigh of relief, Touji looked up at Shinji and said, "You're a real life-saver, Shinji, ya know that?"
"Thanks," Shinji replied as he stood up to leave. "I-I guess I'll see you again tomorrow?"
"Sure," Touji replied as he closed his eyes to rest, "You take care of yourself now, ya hear?"
"You too, Touji, you too."
***
Outside in the infirmary's lobby, Major Misato Katsuragi fiddled with the bandage around her broken arm. It was a memento from the failed-activation of Unit-03 earlier that day; thankfully the painkillers had set in a few hours ago, leaving the limb numb. Looking over to her left, Misato saw that her companion, Asuka Soryu was leaning back in one of the hospital chairs with a look of extreme boredom.
Noticing the sudden attention, Asuka looked over and whined, "Can we go yet?"
"Not until Shinji is done," Misato replied with as much patience as she could muster after the long day, "You know Touji was one of his close friends."
Misato noted thankfully that Asuka made no snide or sarcastic comments. Though it was undeniably part of her nature, Misato knew that sometimes Asuka could hurt people with her comments, more than the girl realized. 'At least she's being mostly mature about all this,' Misato thought to herself, 'Maybe she's finally learning.'
The major's attention was drawn away from her thoughts as one of the infirmary orderlies cleared his throat behind her. "Excuse me, Major Katsuragi?"
"Hai," Misato replied automatically as she stood up to face the orderly. 'God, do I really sound that exhausted?'
"Here's a message for you, delivered from NERV Headquarters," the orderly replied as he handed Misato a large envelope. She recognized the format; it was a set of new orders. Pushing back the protests forming in her mind, Misato sat back down and tore open the envelope. As Misato read through the orders, Asuka watched from her seat, trying to discern what was going on.
After Misato set down the sheet of paper, Asuka could hold back her curiosity no longer. "Well? What's going on, Misato-san? Please don't tell me we have to stay here even longer?!"
"Well…maybe a little longer…" Misato replied as she began to read the orders a second time.
Groaning loudly, Asuka buried her face in her hands. "Why can't we just go HOME, Misato-san?"
"Well…I dunno, how can I put this…we're getting a new neighbor."
Asuka looked up and blinked in bewilderment. "New neighbor?" she repeated as if the words were foreign to her, then after wracking her brain quickly for an explanation, she made what seemed like a obvious assumption. "The other new pilot?"
Misato smiled at Asuka's quick thinking. "Looks like it."
Her curiosity getting the better of her, Asuka plopped herself down next to Misato and attempted to read over the other woman's shoulder. "Well does it say anything interesting? I've been trying to find out about this new pilot ever since I heard about the new Evas, but nobody will tell me anything about her!"
Misato ignored the fact that Asuka wasn't supposed to know about either the new pilots or the new Evas, and instead asked, "Oh? What makes you think it's a 'her'?"
"Isn't it obvious? Of course they would bring in a female pilot. Myself and Wondergirl ought to be proof of that."
Trying not to grin, Misato handed Asuka one of the papers from the envelope. "Brace yourself," was all that the major said.
Asuka snatched up the paper with a look of confused annoyance and began to scan over its contents. However she had only read through about three lines when she saw what she had been dreading.
"Awwwwww! Not another boy! They may as well make the next Eva pilot a monkey!!"
Misato tried to hold back a grin and failed miserably. "Not a boy, Asuka- chan," Misato teased, "Read more carefully."
Looking back at the paper, Asuka began to read again, mumbling as she did. "American…could be worse, I guess. Might be cute, but I doubt it…what the…?!" Asuka looked up and over at Misato who merely nodded in affirmation.
"B-b-but…I thought only children could pilot Eva?' Asuka asked.
"I know," Misato sighed, "I never said it made sense. But I'm sure there's some explanation."
"Well at least it explains why he won't be living with us. It's bad enough with just one male in the house," Asuka mumbled.
The sound of a door clicking shut caught the attention of both females. Looking down the hallway to the left, they saw Shinji walking towards them. When he reached them, Misato spoke.
"How is he, Shinji-kun?"
"He's doing alright, I guess," Shinji replied, remembering his promise to Touji. "He just needs to rest."
"Must be the luckiest stooge in the whole world," Asuka replied with mild distaste.
Shinji thought for a moment and then muttered, "Yeah I guess so."
Seeking to change the subject quickly, Misato beckoned for Shinji to sit down next to her. "Look at this, Shinji. We're going to have a new neighbor," she said as she handed him the same paper as she had given Asuka earlier.
Shinji read through the paper and reached the same conclusion as Asuka. "The new Eva pilot? Is that who we're waiting for?"
"Hai, he ought to be here any minute now," Misato replied as she checked the watch on her good wrist.
After a moment's silence, Asuka spoke up. "Well what do you have to say about this, Third Child? You've barely said anything since you came out of there?"
"I'd really like to meet him, I think," Shinji replied, "He did help me against the Angel…and he helped save Touji too."
While Asuka made no reply to Shinji's answer, a sudden thought occurred to Misato. "Oh, Asuka I almost forgot to tell you. The new pilot doesn't speak Japanese, and the only other language he knows besides English is German. So do you mind acting as translator? At least until he learns a little Japanese?"
The girl rolled her eyes but replied, "Yeah, I'll help the dummkopf. He just better not mangle my native language."
Just then, the sliding doors of the infirmary hissed open, and all three turned their heads around in expectation. Jordan walked in through the threshold escorted by a single Section 2 agent. The young man now wore a simple blue button-up shirt and a pair of khaki slacks. Slung over one shoulder and held by a single finger was an ordinary gray windbreaker. Once inside, the Section 2 agent turned around and left, leaving the blond- haired young man with a lost expression on his face.
"Well, there he is, children," Misato said as she worked her way out of the chair. "Asuka, try not to give him a bad first impression, okay?"
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Asuka huffed as the three made their way over to the lost-looking American.
Asuka stood in front of him and cleared her throat. Then slowly she asked in German, You are Jordan Reynolds, are you not?
Jordan narrowed his eyes at her tone, but simply nodded. Ja, that is I. And you are?
Holding her head high, she put a hand on her chest and said, I am the Second Child, Asuka Langley Soryu. These other two are Major Misato Katsuragi and Shinji Ikari. Asuka gestured to each of the individuals in turn, who waved at the newcomer.
Though he had trouble understanding some of the words, Jordan recognized 'Major Katsuragi.' Ah, that is good. I'm going with you three then?
Ja, but before we go, I want to make something clear, okay? Asuka said holding a hand up. Since I am the only one you can really communicate with, when it comes to fighting the Angels you are going to need to depend on me for orders. So no just charging in blindly doing whatever you please, okay? Do you understand, or do I need to use smaller words?
Jordan huffed indignantly, as he crossed his arms over his chest. Though he glared down at the shorter girl, he only said, Ja, I understood perfectly, kleines mädchen.
What did you call me? Asuka suddenly blinked in surprise, Speak with some respect, dummkopf, I don't have to take any…
"Asuka," Misato said from the sidelines of the discussion, "All I wanted to know was if he was ready to go or not."
"Hai, hai," Asuka replied in irritation as she turned back to Jordan, annoyed to see that the young adult had the nerve to be smirking. Come with us. We are leaving now.
***
(Later at Misato's apartment complex…)
"Shinji-kun, go ahead and take everything inside," Misato called out as she fiddled with the key to the next-door apartment. "I'll be with you after Asuka and I have got Mister Reynolds settled."
At Misato's side, Asuka had her arms crossed over her chest in indignation. "Why do I have to be here? We're just letting him in, aren't we?"
"Yes, but you are needed in case he has any questions. Living in Japan must be a lot different from living in America," Misato explained. Asuka merely sighed in exasperation.
"I told you to try and make a good impression back at the infirmary," Misato reprimanded. "I don't know why you're making such a fuss. He doesn't seem all that bad," she added as she stole a glance over her shoulder. Jordan was leaning against the railing behind them looking at something down the hall.
"I just don't like him," Asuka insisted, "He's quite rude. And he's too quiet…like Shinji."
Finally, Misato managed to get the door open. "Here we go," Misato said loud enough to get Jordan's attention. She gestured for him to follow her in. "Come on in, welcome to your new home."
Following curiously, Jordan stepped into the apartment and began to look around. As the American began to explore, Misato and Asuka stood to one side. They both noted that the apartment was smaller than Misato's studio, due to the fact that it was located at the corner of the complex. However it did have its own kitchen and living room in the central chamber, with two doors on the side that led to the bedroom and bathroom.
"Well, looks like he doesn't have any questions," Asuka said after a moment as Jordan disappeared into one of the rooms, "Let's go."
As the girl turned to escape, Misato caught her with her good hand. "Where's your sense of hospitality, Asuka-chan? He's all but our guest, you know."
Then from the bedroom, came Jordan's muffled voice. Kleines madchen? I need your help.
Asuka grit her teeth. 'A little girl am I? I'll show you a little girl…" Coming, dummkopf!
Entering the bedroom, Asuka found Jordan standing with an annoyed look on his face. Well, what is it? Asuka asked with all the civility she could muster.
Where is the bed? I can't find it. Jordan sated with frustration in his voice.
Asuka looked from Jordan to the futon on the floor in the center of the room and back at the American. Then she nearly laughed aloud, as she realized his mistake.
Don't worry. Your bed is right here, mein idiote. Asuka gestured towards the futon on the floor.
Now it was Jordan's turn to stare at the futon. You call that a bed?!
Ja, what did you think it was, dummkopf? Asuka asked.
That's a pile of sheets on the floor, not a bed. Jordan replied with annoyance.
Well, then you must be more ignorant than I thought. Asuka said in a condescending tone. In Japan, people sleep on the floor. If you don't like it, that's just too bad. Live with it.
Jordan gave Asuka one final glare, before shaking his head. Very well. he replied as he plopped down on the futon and cupped his hands behind his head. Goodnight.
Without needing to be told twice, Asuka whirled around and began to walk out of the apartment. Misato was still standing there, and looked up as Asuka left the bedroom.
"Is everything alright Asuka?" Misato asked, "I wanted you to ask him if he wanted to come over to our place for a little bit. You know, kind of like a welcoming party."
Asuka shrugged, and made up a small lie, "I already asked him. He said he was too tired." 'Well he did practically fall asleep right in front of me.'
"Oh," Misato said in an almost disappointed tone, "Well sleep does sound pretty good right now."
"I thought you'd never say so," Asuka quipped as she pushed her way past Misato and into the apartment next door. Misato watched after her, confused at the girls' short temper. 'Well shorter than usual, I guess. Today has been stressful…for everyone.' Satisfied that she had fulfilled her obligation as hostess, she turned off the light in the apartment and closed the door behind her.
***
A few minutes later, found Misato sitting down at the kitchen table sipping at a can of beer, which in her opinion worked even better than the painkillers for her arm. In the background, Shinji was sitting on the couch listening to his SDAT serenely. Now that the alcohol was giving her a slight buzz, Misato was beginning to feel bored. Looking at the pile Shinji had brought in from the car, Misato began to sift through it looking for anything of interest. As she did so, Jordan's copy of the Japanese Kanji fell out and landed on the floor. Misato picked it up and recognized it quickly.
"Shit, that new pilot forgot his stuff," Misato mumbled to herself. "Asuka? Asuka!"
"What?!" shouted the girl from within her room.
"Our neighbor left some of his stuff with us, would you mind giving it back?"
"Nein!" Asuka shouted emphatically, "What do I look like, his maidservant? Besides, I'm half undressed for bed!"
"I'll do it, Misato-san," Shinji said quietly from the couch. The SDAT had been turned off, and now lay on the floor.
"Are you sure Shinji? If you'd rather listen to your music, I'll do it," Misato offered.
"No, I'll take care of it," Shinji said more firmly, standing up to show his determination.
"Suit yourself," Misato answered, handing the Kanji booklet to the boy, "Though I think he may be sleeping so be careful."
Nodding, Shinji accepted the small book and walked outside the apartment to the next door over. 'What am I going to say?' thought for the first time, 'He doesn't speak Japanese, and I don't speak English or German.' Then Shinji reminded himself that he was just giving the man a book and that was it. Just put the book in Mr. Reynolds hand and walk away. That was all he had to do, right? That was all he needed to do.
'But is it all I want to do?' Shinji found himself asking. 'Do I want to thank him? For helping me, and saving Touji?'
'Do I want to try and be his friend?'
Shinji hesitated in front of the door. Did he really want to try and be Jordan's friend? True, he may be a lot older than Shinji, but he was still an Eva pilot like himself. And though he was friends, after a fashion, with the other two pilots, Rei was often difficult to talk to, and Asuka, though she could be nice when she wanted to, never opened up to Shinji in the way he wanted.
Raising a shaky hand, Shinji rapped on the door. 'Just give him back the book,' He repeated to himself. Shinji waited a handful of moments and knocked again. He repeated this two more times before the door swished open, startling Shinji. The light in the apartment was off, so the light from the hallway cast eerie shadows over the man's face. Jordan stared down at Shinji without emotion or expression, nor did he try and ask Shinji what he was doing. Staring back at Jordan, Shinji found himself unable to speak. The boy then realized that Jordan's expression was familiar; it reminded him of how Rei would sometimes look at him. Not disapproving, like his father, yet…curious?
Then, Jordan suddenly turned around and walked back into the apartment; yet he left the door wide open. Standing out in the hall, Shinji stammered in confusion. Was Jordan trying to tell him to leave? Then why did he leave the door open? Why did this have to be so confusing?!
"J-J-J-Jordan-s-san?' Shinji stuttered from the hallway as he poked his head inside.
[Come in.] a voice said in English. Its meaning was lost on Shinji, but somehow he came to the right conclusion. Entering the apartment, Shinji saw that the light was on in the bedroom. Approaching it, he looked in and saw Jordan lying on the futon and facing towards the window on the opposite end of the room, appearing to be asleep. Then as if sensing Shinji's presence, one green eye opened and focused on Shinji.
Hesitating at first, Shinji stooped down and laid the book of Kanji at the edge of the futon. Jordan looked over at it, and replied, [Thanks…Shinji.]
Yet, though Shinji knew he was being dismissed, he still felt compelled to stay. Finally he worked up the courage enough to speak.
"Thank you."
Jordan looked up at the sound of Shinji's voice. [Huh?]
Shinji groaned, remembering the language barrier. Who was he trying to kid anyways? He was about to leave, when sudden inspiration came to him. Turning back into the bedroom, Shinji sat down cross-legged and picked the Kanji booklet back up. Looking to see what Shinji was doing, Jordan also sat up and stared at the boy in front of him.
Holding up the Kanji manual, Shinji pointed one finger towards himself. "Me…" Shinji then pointed at the Kanji, "…teach…" Lastly, he pointed towards Jordan, "…you?"
Young Ikari waited anxiously, as Jordan appeared to mull over the super- simplified question. Finally, the man's mouth twisted into a smirk, and Jordan held his hand out in front of Shinji. Shinji tentatively took it and Jordan began to shake it firmly. A smile breaking out on his face too, Shinji returned the handshake with vigor. Cracking open the Kanji book, Shinji hoped Misato wouldn't miss him for too long. Looking at his watch, Shinji noted that it wasn't too late in the evening. Well, if she asked Shinji decided he would just tell her the truth.
Looking through the book, Shinji realized the daunting task ahead of him. The teachers in school always made the lessons look so simple; but the teenager discovered he had no idea where to start.
'Well I guess I'll try the basics…' Shinji decided as he began to leaf through the pages. The book was organized with the Japanese language in one column, the corresponding English word in the next column, followed by an English pronunciation in the last column.
Finding what he was looking for, Shinji offered his hand out like Jordan had earlier. When Jordan accepted the handshake, Shinji said, "Kon- nichiwa."
"Ko-nishi-wah…" Jordan repeated slowly, drawling out the syllables.
"Kon-nichiwa," Shinji repeated again, stressing the pronunciation.
"Kon-nichiwa," Jordan repeated once more, earning a satisfied grin from Shinji.
'Maybe this could be fun,' Shinji thought to himself as he began to look through the Kanji again.
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Well there it is. Please let me know how I'm doing, especially with characterizations. That's my largest concern at the moment. Is Shinji too bold? Is Asuka too much? Not enough? Is Misato not Misato enough? Am I babbling incoherently? O_o Don't answer that last question.
By the way, to those who think Gendo might have been a little lenient on Fuyutsuki, its my feeling that although Gendo is a rather cold bastard, he still regards Fuyutsuki as a colleague and friend. He may be disappointed in him, but I don't see him flat-out firing his former sensei over something like this.
But again, please, FEEDBACK! I'm trying to keep Jordan normal, so that's why I had Asuka being rather cold towards him. I got a pretty firm warning about ACC/OC relationships, and I'm taking it seriously. I'm afraid if I have her show the least bit of niceness towards him, some of the hardcore fans here will give me a whole new understanding of the term, fire-bombing. ^_~ So please just let me know if there's anything I should change in the next few chapters. Also let me know how that language protocol worked out, please? Thanks again to all!