Disclaimer: Evangelion is owned, licensed, copyrighted, pimped – whatever term of ownership you choose – by Gainax, NOT me. I just like messing up their continuity. I hope if they read this they will feel honored, rather than feel like suing me. This is part of the Deviance story line I'm writing, and is therefor rather filled with WAFF and spoilers – proceed cautiously. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this (mostly character development) installment.
Part 3
(Episode 17)
…thicker than water
By Random1377
Misato stood alone, the harsh light coming up from below made her feel hot. She had been here three hours already.
"Major Katsuragi," one of the disembodied voices spoke to her, "you STILL refuse to let us question the one person who had a direct part in this incident, the pilot of Evangelion unit 01?"
She suppressed a frustrated sigh, answering the question for at least the fourth time, "Yes sir. I feel that the pressure of being brought into this situation would have an adverse effect on his psyche."
Another voice spoke, sounding irritated, "Well then, as his proxy perhaps you can answer something. Was the angel trying to make contact?"
The first voice spoke again, "Yes, are the angels trying to analyze the contents of the human mind?"
"I am unable to answer that question at this time." Misato spoke carefully, "The pilot has no recollection of what occurred when the EVA broke free."
The first voice spoke again, "But his memories could have been altered…"
"The Magi show no indication that his memories were tampered with, sir." Misato countered.
"Could this be an indication of what is to come with the predicted thirteenth angel and all angels thereafter?" The first voice continued.
"According to our data, the angels have shown no sign of even being aware of one another." Misato answered.
The second voice spoke, almost to itself, "Yes… they have acted independently up until now."
Misato's curiosity was piqued, "What do you mean, sir?"
The first voice cut in sharply, "You may not ask questions!"
Misato bowed her head, "Understood."
All of the voices spoke at once, "Dismissed." And the light went out.
***
Touji Suzuhara knocked gently on the door to his sister's hospital room.
"Kimiee, are you awake?" he asked softly.
He pushed the door open gently, revealing a complex array of life support machines.
-Looks like she's not having a good day…- Touji thought grimly.
His sister, Kimiko Suzuhara, lay on a bed in the middle of all of the machinery, her head wrapped in bandages.
"T-Touji? Is… that you?" her tired voice made him grimace, but he changed it into a smile and strode confidently into the room.
"Hey, pipsqueak, how's it going?" He asked, forcing casualness as he sat down on the edge of her bed.
She smiled, "Lame… you… never… call me… pipsqueak. Don't… give me… that… phony…" She took a deep breath, "Phony happy-happy crap…. I only… want to see… you smile… if it's… real."
His smile fell away, "I'm sorry…" he looked at the bandages, then the floor, "I… I heard you had another operation."
"Yeah…" she frowned, "they said… there was… some bleeding… in my head…"
"Again!? I thought they said that was taken care of the last time!" Touji clearly remembered the doctor's assurance that everything should be smooth sailing.
She changed the subject with no preamble, "So… how is… school?"
He shrugged, letting her lead the conversation, "It's ok… nothing really ever happens."
She eyed him with a trace of confusion, "You haven't… been giving that... pilot boy… problems… have you?"
Touji frowned, "No, Kimiee… I've become his friend. I told you last time, remember? His name is Shinji Ikari."
Her forehead wrinkled as she concentrated, "Oh yeah… I remember now… sorry…" she closed her eyes, "Tell me about him again, will you?"
Touji's heart felt tight in his chest. -She looks so small in that bed… and her memory is getting worse, too…- he thought sadly as he spoke, "At first it was hard for me to forgive him, even after talking to you…" He smiled at the memory of her chewing him out, "but the more I got to know him, the more I realized that he was just a scared little kid…" he bowed his head, "like me…"
He watched his sister's steady breathing, -I… I don't know what I would have done if I had met him on the street instead of school,- he thought guiltily, -I might have killed him…-
Kimiko opened her eyes and looked at him, "Don't… believe you…" she spoke with some effort, "you're not… scared of anything…" She took a deep breath and pushed herself to a sitting position, grimacing in pain. She waved away his protests, and spoke more firmly, "Listen to me… big brother… I'm glad that you visit me so much, and I'm glad that… you… became friends… with him." She took a deep breath, closing her eyes again, "That's good… because what I need… more than anything right now… is for you to be… strong… and happy."
He looked at her, tears threatening, "But-"
She forestalled any comment from him by raising her hand, "Do you… remember mom?"
"I… I don't even remember her face," He whispered, a single tear running down his cheek.
She nodded sadly, "Neither do I… but I remember her here," she placed her hand over her chest, "and I know that she… wouldn't want to see you… moping around…" her breath grew short again, but she went on, "and worrying… about the… past. I also know… that she would… want you to be… happy."
Touji raised his head, the tears flowing freely now, "How… how can I? You're in here… and I can't help you, and-"
She put her hand on top of his, whispering, "Shhh…" She smiled, "I'll be ok, given time…" Touji knew that this was not true, but said nothing as she went on, "What would… give me strength… is knowing that you are happy. Can you… be happy? Can you do that… for me… and for mom?"
He smiled, wiping his face, "I'll… I'll try… but it's not fair to use mom that way…" he leaned down and hugged her carefully, her small gasp of pain tearing through his soul.
When he pulled away she smiled and leaned back, exhausted, "You know… I never… play…fair…" her eyes drifted closed.
Touji sat with her for several more hours, thinking about what she had said and watching her sleep.
***
Asuka and Shinji were running late, literally.
"This… is… all… your fault!!" Asuka panted as they ran, "If you hadn't… started kissing me… when I was trying… to get ready… we'd be on time…"
Shinji stopped, putting his hands on his knees, and said, "W-Wait just… a… minute…" He took a deep breath, as Asuka stopped a few feet ahead of him, tapping her foot impatiently, "I didn't hear you complaining, and why the big rush? We can't be marked TARDIER, you know…"
Asuka frowned as she considered him, then took a deep breath, blowing a loose strand of hair from her eyes as she exhaled. "I guess you're right about the tardy thing," she conceded, "but what about the other students?"
Shinji looked at her, confused, "What about them," he asked with a smile, "are we making them tardy too?"
Asuka threw her hands up, exasperated, "No, my sweet and loving (but somewhat dense) darling," she walked up to him, putting her face a few inches from his before yelling, "THEY MIGHT START TO SUSPECT SOMETHING!" Shinji swallowed hard as she went on in a quieter voice, "Come on! Our class is not filled with morons. We've been late every day this week. People are already starting to talk about it!"
Shinji flushed, "W-Well… so what if they do? Misato said it was ok to tell people we are dating, and-"
Asuka cut him off flatly, "Misato is an idiot. If we told everyone we were dating, and we showed up late all the time, what would they think? Hmm? Take your time."
He looked at her, skeptical, "Just because we are late doesn't mean people will assume that we're-"
She cut him off again, "Of course they will!" The look on her face became wondering, "You really don't know about stuff like this do you?"
He lowered his head, averting his eyes, "Well… I haven't had that much experience with others…"
She smiled, looking slightly embarrassed, "I'm sorry… I forgot…" she raised his head gently and kissed him, "Listen, until other people find out, we should try to act the same as we did before… at least in school."
Shinji frowned, "I… I don't think I could handle it if you were mean to me again…"
She patted his cheek; "I won't be too bad… but don't expect me to hang all over you, either."
His smile returned, "You mean… like you do at home?"
She threw her hands up again, but she was smiling this time, "You're hopeless!" She kissed him again, "Now, let's get going before we get marked absent."
Laughing, they continued their run once more.
***
Gendou Ikari stood alone, his hands folded behind his back. He was not laughing. "Soon," he spoke quietly, "soon it will be the appointed time."
He was standing in a room that not even Fuyutsuki knew about, it contained a tank filled with LCL and a lone control panel.
Floating inside the tank was a girl.
"Many… sacrifices were made to reach this point," he mused quietly, "yours among the greatest."
The girl made no response.
Gendou removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose, a rare sign of the weariness he felt, "I know that I cannot ask for your forgiveness, nor do I believe you would willing to give it to me… if you were able." He looked at the girl, floating peacefully behind a wall of glass and sighed.
He put his glasses back on, all signs of weakness now gone, "When this is all over, perhaps I will see you again. If I do not, know that I will not forget what you have given."
He regarded the girl one final time before turning on his heel and striding from the room. As the lights in the room went dark, one word could be seen clearly stenciled on the tank: Prime.
***
After the teacher had chastised them for being late, Shinji took a look around the classroom. Noticing that Kensuke was absent, he asked Touji if anything was wrong.
"Nah," Touji responded, "some stupid ship is down at the docks and he just had to-"
"MISTER Suzuhara!" The teacher's sharp tone cut Touji off effectively, as he leapt to his feet, "Since you have time for idle chitchat, I suppose you have time to deliver these papers to Miss Ayanami after school, correct?" The teacher was looking at him closely, making sure he had the boy's attention.
"Yes sir!" Touji bowed.
After getting the papers, Touji sat down, breathing a deep sigh of relief, "Wow… I thought I was going to be in trouble for sure…"
Shinji grinned, "Well, perhaps you should pay more attention."
Touji shot him an angry look, "Well, considering that I was answering YOUR question, YOU should be the one getting in trouble."
Shinji just shrugged and turned back to face his desk, "I'm not the one who got caught."
Touji just continued to glare at his friend's back for the remainder of the class.
***
Rei floated gently in the tank, her thoughts wandering, -What is happening to me?-
Outside the tank, she could see the commander and doctor Akagi discussing something, but their words did not reach her. She closed her eyes.
-Am I… am I beginning to dislike commander Ikari?- the thought shocked her. She remembered her second meeting with Shinji, 'How could I ever trust him again!?' He had spoken those words with so much force, -Could there BE a reason not to trust the commander?- she thought with some confusion.
"Rei, we're finished now." She opened her eyes to find Commander Ikari smiling at her.
"Right." She said, smiling back, -Yet when he smiles… all seems right… I must think more on this when I am alone.-
"Let's eat." Gendou continued.
As the LCL drained from the tank, Rei saw doctor Akagi staring at commander Ikari – and the look of jealousy on the older woman's face made her shiver.
***
"What do you mean, you forgot our lunches?"
-If she's just pretending to be mad, she's doing an awfully good job,- Shinji thought as Asuka loomed over his desk, her hands on her hips. "I didn't have time to cook last night. I… I had a lot of homework…" He tried his best to seem deferent to her – which wasn't that difficult for him.
"So now I have to go hungry because of that?" Asuka, on the other hand, found that she was having a very hard time even ACTING mean to him anymore, -The look in his eyes...- she thought with some concern, -I hope he knows this is just for show…"
Touji Suzuhara spoke up from somewhere near the back of the class (speaking from around a pile of food), "Uh-oh, looks like the newlyweds are fighting again!" The classroom erupted with laughter.
Asuka and Shinji both blushed bright red, identical thoughts flashing through their minds, -Does he KNOW!?-
Realizing that he was teasing, they both turned to face him and spoke in unison, "Oh shut up!!"
As she leaned over to yell, Asuka had discretely put her hand on Shinji's and squeezed firmly. When she pulled back she met his eyes, the corners of her mouth twitching up ever so slightly. He read the unspoken apology perfectly, and inclined his head a fraction of an inch.
She smiled wide, then frowned and stomped over to Touji's desk, raising her hand.
Touji, who knew a lot about women (or, when they were going to hit him, anyway), jumped up from his desk, screaming, "Class rep! Class rep! Asuka's going to hit me! It's your duty as representative to protect me!"
As he watched Asuka chase Touji around the room, cursing at him in German, Shinji smiled. -It's going to be a good week-
***
In geo-synchronous orbit, high above the Earth, a lone satellite named Echo-8 was the only witness to the sudden flare of energy in the Nevada region of the United States. It recorded precisely six seconds of the event before it went silent itself, left to drift forever in the coldness of space.
In NERV headquarters, almost every alarm went off at the same time.
Three minutes later, Hyouga Makoto was on one of the red phones, "…but the first branch is ok? What? No, never mind!"
He hung up the phone, turning to the command dais, "It's confirmed: America's Second branch has completely disappeared."
Within twenty minutes, all of the key people associated with the E project were assembled in one of the briefing rooms deep within Central Dogma.
"Oh my God…" Ritsuko whispered quietly, reviewing the data.
Aoba Shigeru looked at the readout in his hands, "The time frame indicates that they would have been in the process of testing and installing the experimental S^2 engine from Germany."
Maya Ibuki spoke up, "The Magi indicate possible causes ranging from insufficient structural capacity to a miscalculation in the fabrication process. In total, thirty-two thousand, seven hundred and sixty-eight possibilities."
"And that's not including sabotage." Misato muttered angrily.
"Unit 04, its support group, and everything within an eighty-nine kilometer radius was destroyed… along with thousands of people." Ritsuko summed up, bowing her head.
"But they didn't blow up… they just – vanished, correct?" Hyouga wondered aloud.
Ritsuko turned to him, "Most likely, they were swallowed by a Dirac sea, like unit 01."
Maya spoke once more, "The Magi calculate a two percent chance of it returning on it's own."
Ritsuko's eyebrows rose, "Two whole percent? How generous."
Maya smiled, a little sickly, "Since unit 01 returned, the Magi felt there was precedence."
Ritsuko was nodding, "That makes sense… now on the subject of the children."
Misato spoke quickly, "I don't think it would be wise to tell them about this… it could adversely affect them, especially Shinji."
Ritsuko arched an eyebrow, "You're awfully concerned about Shinji's well-being, Major. Besides, I thought you said he was improving?"
Misato flushed, "Well, I AM his guardian… and he IS making progress," –A lot of progress, thanks to Asuka,- she thought with an internal smile, "but he's still a sensitive child. If he learned that one of the Evangelions was destroyed, along with thousands of people…" she trailed off, unsure of how to finish.
Maya came to her rescue, "It would worry him, wouldn't it? He would start to think that the same thing could happen here. Am I right?"
Ritsuko nodded, "Very well. Keep it from them if you will, but Rei will be informed."
Misato was confused, "Why does Rei-"
Ritsuko cut her off, a touch of anger in her voice, "You deal with your charges, Major, allow me to deal with mine."
There was an awkward silence, broken by Hyouga's polite cough, "Well," he said, "I should get back to my post and see if any new information has come in."
The others saluted and made their way from the room.
***
As they made their way through Central Dogma, Misato and Ritsuko were quiet. Both wrapped in their own thoughts.
Misato spoke first, "So… what was that all about?"
Ritsuko turned to face her on the moving walkway, "I'm… I'm sorry. Things have been a little tense lately, and I lost my temper. Commander Ikari has given express orders that Rei be kept up to date on all events regarding the EVA units themselves."
Misato looked at her, puzzled, "Why?"
Ritsuko turned away and shrugged, "I have no idea."
Seeing that she was not going to get any more information, Misato changed the subject, "So what will happen to unit 03?"
Ritsuko sighed softly, "It is going to be sent here for activation."
"What?" Misato was stunned, "They made such a big deal about having the right to build the damn thing, and now they're pawning it off on us??"
Ritsuko shrugged again, "I suppose they didn't want to risk losing the first branch as well."
They lapsed into silence again until they reached Ritsuko's office, where Misato spoke again, taking a sip of coffee, "So will you be using one of the children for the activation, or the dummy plug?"
Ritsuko started tapping on her keyboard, "We will be using the fourth."
Misato spat her coffee all over the floor, much to Ritsuko's dismay, "WHAT!? The fourth child has been found?"
Ritsuko looked at the spilled coffee, frowning, "Yesterday."
Misato said, "I haven't received a report from the Marduk institute. Who is it, anyway?"
Ritsuko tapped on her computer, "You'll get your report… and it is this young man right here." She hit the enter key.
Misato's jaw dropped, "You're kidding?! HIM!?"
***
As the final bell rang, Touji jumped out of his seat, "Alright! Time to get out of here!"
"Not so fast, Suzuhara!" Hikari Horaki was standing in front of his desk, a stack of papers in her hand, "Don't you remember? You have to take these bulletins to Rei."
Touji looked crestfallen, "Oh come on class rep! Isn't there someone else who can do it?"
Hikari shook her head, smiling faintly, "No, it was assigned to you."
Touji scratched his head, "Well, if I have to, I have to… but I can't go to a girls place by myself…" he began looking around the room.
Hikari's face brightened, "Well, I could go with-"
"Hey Shinji!" Touji yelled, totally missing Hikari's words, "Walk home with me, ok? You know where Ayanami lives."
Shinji looked out the door at Asuka, who was holding his hand, "Go ahead," she whispered, squeezing his hand before letting it go, "but hurry home to me, ok?" She leaned in and quickly kissed his cheek, then hurried off down the hallway before Touji could see her.
He turned back to Touji, "Yeah, I can do that."
Together they started walking away, neither one of them noticing the look of disappointment on their class representative's face.
***
Shinji and Touji were standing outside of Rei's place, wondering what to do next.
After trying Rei's doorbell repeatedly with not luck, Shinji yelled, "Rei? It's Shinji, I'm coming in, ok?"
"You can't just go into a girls apartment without her permission!" Touji was shocked.
Shinji pointed to the stack of unread (and unopened) mail in the slot, "Well, we can't just leave it here, she'll never get it!"
As they entered the small apartment, Touji was struck by how disorganized the place was, "Wow! EVA pilots sure are a messy bunch."
Shinji frowned and looked around the room until he found some cleaning supplies. "I'm going to straighten this place up." He announced.
"You've changed." Touji commented as Shinji picked up a garbage bag.
"How so?" Shinji looked at him.
"Well, when you first came to school, I couldn't imagine you doing something for someone else."
Shinji considered this for a minute, "Maybe you're right… so I'm going to clean for her to make up for lost time."
"You better not," Touji warned, "she might get mad."
Shinji knelt down and started cleaning; "It's just trash. Why don't you help? I could finish quicker that way."
Touji frowned, trying to think up an excuse, "Because… it's just not manly!" he proclaimed.
"So you're just going to stand there and watch?" Shinji asked, as he continued to pick up garbage.
Touji growled, folding his arms, "It's… it's against my principles!"
Shinji, who was not a stupid boy and knew a golden opportunity like this only arose once in a blue moon, smiled and said, "I'll bet if it was Hikari's room, you'd help out…"
Touji's mouth hung open and he turned red. Regaining his senses, he quipped, "I was right… you HAVE changed."
Before Shinji could respond, he heard the sound of the front door opening. Turning around, he saw Rei entering the apartment. She looked at the bag of garbage he had collected, blinking.
"I… hope it's ok that I cleaned up," Shinji said, looking a little embarrassed, "it was just trash, right?"
Rei inclined her head slightly, saying, "T-Thank you." The words sounded odd to her ears.
Shinji just smiled and waved it away, "No problem." He motioned to the stack of papers, "we also dropped these off for you."
Rei had nothing to say about that, so they lapsed into and uncomfortable silence. "I must bathe now." She said quietly, breaking it, and started towards the apartment's little bathroom.
"Rei?" Shinji began hesitantly.
"Yes, Pilot Ikari?" She turned and waited expectantly.
"I… I was wondering… umm… why… when I was in the hospital..." he trailed off, finding it harder than he had thought to ask her the question. Rei waited patiently for him to finish. "Umm… never mind… it's not that important…"
Rei kept staring for a minute, then said, "Very well." and continued towards the bathroom.
***
After Touji and Shinji had departed, and she had bathed, Rei sat on her bed thinking.
-Why… why do I feel this way towards him- She spoke quietly, "Thank you. Words of gratitude… words I've never used before." Her eyes flashed to the glasses on her dresser, "Not even with him…"
She rolled over, facing the ceiling.
"Why…" she continued aloud, "why do I have this feeling here?" she lay her hand on her chest, "What is it about him that makes me want to defend him?"
She thought of unit 04, and the people that were lost with it, -I do not feel anything for them… but I do not know what I would do if it had been unit 01… and him, that disappeared.-
She rolled over again, frowning as she remembered her conversation with Asuka, -That must be what this is, too…- she thought, -this feeling must also be love… but not the kind that Pilot Souryu has for him…- her frown deepened, -The thought of uniting with him is… disturbing.-
She whispered quietly, "Regardless, I love Pilot Ikari." She liked the way the words felt.
***
"Lunch time!!" Touji was quite pleased. Eating was his favorite pastime.
His happiness was short-lived, however, as a feminine voice came over the school's PA system, "Touji Suzuhara, please report to the principal's office. Touji Suzuhara…"
Kensuke looked at his friend, shaking his head, "What did you do THIS time?"
Touji looked confused, "I don't know! Maybe it's because I wasn't paying attention in class yesterday."
Shinji and Kensuke watched him walk out the door, "Man," Kensuke commented, "I'm surprised he doesn't just STAY in the principal's office, as much as he goes there!"
Touji made his way to the office slowly, -What could it be now? I thought that taking the notes to Ayanami was my punishment.-
He knocked on the door, "Excuse me," he said diffidently, "I'm Touji Suzuhara."
The door opened, revealing the principal's secretary and a blond woman with a mole on her cheek. "You're Touji Suzuhara?" The blond woman asked.
He nodded, stepping into the room at the secretary's beckoning. He sat down, "Am I in some kind of trouble?" he asked nervously.
The woman ignored his question, looking him over carefully. After a moment she spoke in a firm, business-like manner, "Touji Suzuhara, you have been selected in accordance with the Marduk institute's findings to be the designated fourth child. Will you accept the position?"
She paused, and Touji took the opportunity to express his confusion: "Huh?"
The woman smiled, showing all of her teeth. Touji decided he did not like the look in her eye, but he listened as she continued, "I expected you to be familiar with the term, considering the company you keep." Touji looked more confused. She sighed.
"Very well," she said, "I'll get right to the point. My name is Doctor Ritsuko Akagi, I head up the E project. Your friend Shinji Ikari is the designated third child, we would like you to be the fourth. We want you to pilot an Evangelion."
Of all the responses she had anticipated, the one Touji gave surprised her the most. He looked her in the eyes and said, "No."
Ritsuko's eyes widened, "I don't think you understand what we're offering. You would be protecting the ones you love, and piloting a giant bio-organic robot – you were inside unit 01, you know what it looks like."
Touji's voice was hard, "Yeah, I saw what it was like. I saw someone in agony, and reduced to tears from the strain. If you want to impress someone with high-tech gadgets, make Kensuke a pilot!"
Ritsuko frowned, "Mister Aida is not a viable candidate."
"Tell me why, or I won't even consider helping you." Touji said, not really expecting an answer.
Ritsuko surprised him by smiling fiercely as she spoke, "Very well, mister Suzuhara, I'll tell you. Your friend Kensuke Aida has vision problems."
Touji's mouth fell open, "That's it? Because of his eyesight?"
Ritsuko shook her head, "No, I said he had vision problems. Mister Aida is unable to asses a situation past the here and now. For a normal fourteen your old, this is not a problem. For an Evangelion pilot, it could prove fatal. His psychological profile absolutely rules him out."
Touji could not hide his surprise, "But I fit the mold??"
"To a T." Ritsuko answered quickly, "You are aggressive, loyal, determined to get what you want, and in spite of your grades, remarkably intelligent." She smiled conspiratorially, "I know a lot about you, Touji. You're an incredibly smart boy, yet you only make So-so grades."
Touji looked uncomfortable, "Well… I'm not THAT smart… and I don't study that mu-"
She shook her head, cutting him off, "No… no I don't think that's it at all. Want to know what I think?" He made no reply, so she went on, "I think you got labeled as a jock early on, and since that was an easier way to go, you just let everyone go right on thinking that, am I right?"
He just stared at her blankly. She sighed and finished, "Well, in short: Yes, we believe you are suited to be a pilot."
Touji shook his head, "Didn't I just say no?" He rose to leave, "I'm sorry that you wasted your time."
As he reached the door, Ritsuko spoke quietly, "It's a shame about your sister."
Touji froze, his hand on the doorknob, "What about my sister?" he whispered.
Ritsuko ignored the threatening edge in his voice, "I've read her report… looks bad." She was holding a file marked Suzuhara, K. "So many injuries… and the hospital she's in… hmmm… not the best around." -Come on,- she thought, -take the bait.-
Touji was silent for a moment, "If… if I become a pilot…"
"Yes?" Ritsuko asked, innocently as her thoughts screamed triumphantly, -Yes!-
His voice became quiet, "If I become a pilot, she would be moved to a better hospital?"
Ritsuko smiled at the boy's back, but her voice was level, "The best in the world."
He didn't turn around as he spoke, "Alright, I'll do it… but she gets transferred today!"
"Done." in her mind, Ritsuko breathed a sigh of relief.
Touji left without saying another word.
***
"Well, I'm out of here."
Asuka opened the door as Misato said, "Whoa, where are you off to in such a hurry?" She smiled, showing all of her teeth, "I thought you were spending every waking second with Shinji?"
Asuka frowned at her, thinking, -well, I WANT to, but duty calls.- "I have something I have to take care of… I won't be long."
Misato just smiled and winked, "Well, you better hurry, before I take Shinji for myself."
Asuka mocked throwing up, but she smiled and spoke in a friendly tone, "I think we both know that I would kill you, Misato. Bye."
Misato laughed to herself, as the door swung shut, -Yeah… I believe you might, at that.- As soon as she heard the elevator descending, Misato called Shinji into the kitchen. She motioned to the chair opposite her, a serious look on her face.
"What is it, Misato?" He asked, curious.
Misato looked him over carefully before responding, "Shinji, as Asuka's guardian, and yours, I need to know what you are planning to do about the current situation." She took a drink of coffee from the mug in front of her.
He looked confused, "I don't understand. You said no unprotected sex, and no sex in the house, but other than that-"
She cut him off, "I mean what do you plan to do if she's pregnant right now?"
"Oh." He said, his mouth snapped closed. He looked at the floor, uncomfortable.
She smiled and put her hand on his, "I'm not mad, Shinji… I just need to know what you guys have planned. I think I have the right to know, don't you?"
Shinji nodded reluctantly, raising his head. He fidgeted as he answered, not quite able to meet his guardian's eyes, "Umm… if she is… we plan to… umm… keep the child and get married."
Misato's smile widened, "Good. I expected that you would make that choice, but hearing you say it puts me more at ease." She stood up and walked around the table to where he was sitting, looking serious again.
"W-What? What is it now?" Shinji stammered as Misato walked around the chair behind him.
She answered by leaned down and putting her arms around him from behind.
He stiffened, still not really used to being touched, but she held him tight. "I'm very proud of you, Shinji," she whispered, her head resting against his back, "I know that it must be hard for you to watch her get into unit 02, and I'm proud of how strong you are."
He didn't answer, but she felt his tears drop onto her arm. "Shhh…" she whispered, "it's ok…"
She held him close as he wept, comforting him with softly spoken words.
***
Hikari was still at school. She had pretended that it was because she wanted to catch up on some work without being bothered by her sisters, but she really wanted to talk to Touji. Since he had been called to the principal's office, he had been despondent – a total change from his usual upbeat (if rough around the edges) personality.
She found him in their classroom, quietly eating vending machine food. "Suzuhara," she said, trying to think of something to say, "Umm… you're supposed to be on clean up duty. Those… those desks should be straightened." -I can't believe I just said that!- she thought angrily, -He's obviously having a bad day, and I'm still giving him work to do…- She looked at him again, -and I've wanted to ask him out for so long.-
Touji looked up at her soberly, "Yeah…" -he sounds so… wiped out- she thought as he continued, "can it wait until after I've eaten? I missed lunch…"
She nodded quickly, seeing an opening, "Umm…. do you always buy your food from the cafeteria?"
He looked down at the bag of chips he was currently eating and sighed sadly, "Yeah… my father works pretty much all the time… there really isn't anyone at home to cook, so…" he trailed off.
Hikari suppressed a smile, "Well, I have to cook for myself and my two sisters…"
Touji nodded, "Yeah… that must be hard…"
Hikari waved his concern away, "Oh, it's not big a deal – and I'm actually a pretty good cook – but I always cook too much, and some of it goes to waste…" she let the thought hang there, hoping he would pick up on it.
She wasn't disappointed, "Well… it seems like a shame to waste good food. If you want, I can take some of it off your hands…" He smiled.
-He smiled at me!- Hikari's pulse started to increase. She got herself under control, only allowing a slight smile, "That would be helpful… thank you. I'll bring you something tomorrow."
"That would be great," he said, looking back to the junk food in front of him, "goodbye to you." He whispered, grinning.
She lingered for another minute, watching him, -So many things I want to tell him,- she thought wistfully, -well, this will have to do for now.- "Don't stay here too late, Suzuhara." She said as she turned for the exit.
"Hey, class rep," he spoke up as she reached the door. She turned to face him, one eyebrow raised. "Thanks." He smiled again.
Hikari turned her head so he would not see the blush spreading across her cheeks, "S-Sure…"
She walked home slowly, smiling the whole time.
***
Asuka knocked on Kaji's office door.
As she waited, she thought, –I can't believe I let Shinji talk me into this… Misato and Kaji can work out their own relationship problems, they don't need our help!-
"Come in." Kaji's voice sounded lightly muffled threw the door.
Asuka took a deep breath, and walked in. "Hi Kaji!" she threw as much enthusiasm into her voice as she could, thinking, -Was I really like this before? Ick…-
"Oh… Asuka, it's you…" Kaji did not turn from the computer he was typing on, "I'm kind of busy right now, can it wait?"
"I'll bet you would have time if it was Misato…" she whispered under her breath. Louder, and with a slight pout, she said, "I wanted to know why you didn't take me shopping like you said you would." Not that he HAD said he would, but Asuka knew he probably would not remember if he had or not, -Men are so gullible.- she thought.
Still facing the computer, Kaji sighed, "Shouldn't… Katsuragi be doing that now?" She noticed his slightly wistful tone as he spoke the older woman's name.
She thought, -Why I ever thought I could compete with HER for your heart, I will never know…- To Kaji she said, "It's funny you should mention her name, because…" She trailed off, as she stepped further into the room and caught sight of the readings on his computer.
"Those are our Sync test results," she said, leaning forward as Kaji fumbled for the monitor's power button. "FOUR?!?!"
Kaji sighed, knowing it was too late to stop her from finding out.
Her voice rose in pitch as she spoke, "Who made HIM a Pilot!? I won't stand for it!"
Kaji spoke quietly, "I don't know who chooses the pilots, but I do know that you cannot tell Shinji about this, got it?"
Asuka frowned, "Why not? Shouldn't he-"
Kaji cut her of gently, "Misato doesn't want him to know until after the sync tests." He smiled, "You're seeing Shinji, aren't you?" Asuka's blush was all the confirmation he needed. He chuckled, "Well, I'm glad. You make a cute couple, but being close to him, you must know how he is better than anyone else. If he knows about the pilot, he'll worry about it. Am I wrong?" She shook her head reluctantly. "Ok," he went on, "so you'll keep it to yourself?"
Asuka nodded, still not meeting his eyes. "If Touji tells him on his own, then that's ok, right?" She asked, hoping.
Kaji smiled indulgently, "Of course… but I doubt he will. It was hard enough convincing him to do it in the first place." Asuka nodded her understanding. "I'm glad we got that cleared up," Kaji said cheerily, "not if you will excuse me, I have a lot to catch up on." He turned back to his computer.
Asuka let herself out, so wrapped up in her own concerns that she forgot to mention Misato… or ask why Kaji had top secret test results on his computer.
***
Hikari read from her cookbook, adding ingredients to a boiling pot as she went.
-I hope he likes stew- she thought. She paused, looking out the window. "Touji… I finally found a way to talk to you…" she whispered quietly. Smiling, she added more carrots and stirred, humming under her breath.
***
Touji stood on the school's basketball court, contemplating the hoop. –I don't want to do this,- he thought, -but for you… for you, I can do anything…- he lined up the ball with the hoop, –for you, Kimiko…- he thought as he let it fly.
***
Halfway around the world – at the exact second the ball went through the hoop – the six engines of the massive carrier holding Evangelion unit 03 burst into life… and the giant machine made it's way towards its new home… dark rain beating down on it's black armor like an unholy baptism.
To be continued…
Omake
From the scene where Hikari talks to Touji about lunches:
Hikari suppressed a smile, "Well, I have to cook for myself and my two sisters…"
Touji nodded, "Yeah… that must be hard…"
Hikari waved his concern away, "Oh, it's not big a deal – and I'm actually a pretty good cook – but I always cook too much, and some of it goes to waste…" she let the thought hang there, hoping he would pick up on it.
"Well," he said, wiping his mouth on his sleeve, "don't cook so much."
She groaned internally, -come on, figure it out!- "Yeah, I guess you're right. If only there was someone who could take some of it off my hands…" she waited for a moment, thinking, -no one is THAT dense.-
She was wrong, "Give some to Rei. I've never seen her eat anything." Touji frowned at her, "You know, you're thinking about this an awful lot… do you have some kind of food fixation or something?"
She stared at him, dumbfounded. "N-No!"
He ignored her, going on thoughtfully, "You know, you probably should see someone about that… I'd hate to see you get all big and fat from eating that extra food."
Hikari threw her hands in the air, thinking, -I give up! Why I even tried is beyond me, he's apparently too stupid for me anyway.-
Amazingly, Touji was still talking, "…and my uncle Ben almost died of bulimia – but everyone thought it was a tapeworm, so then..."
She shook her head sadly, walking out the door. As she made her way down the hall, she could still hear him rambling.
From the scene where Misato talks to Shinji about Asuka's possible pregnancy:
Misato smiled, "Good. I expected that you would make that choice, but hearing you say it puts me more at ease." She stood up and walked around the table to where he was sitting, looking serious again.
"W-What? What is it now?" Shinji stammered as Misato walked around the chair behind him.
She answered by leaned down and putting her arms around him from behind.
"Well," she whispered, breathing in his ear, "I was hoping you might give me a sample of what you already gave Asuka."
He stiffened (his BODY stiffened! GEEZ, you can't say anything around here!!) and tried to pull away, only to feel her snap handcuffs around his wrists, cuffing him to the chair. "Umm, Misato?" He began nervously.
"Don't be scared," she whispered (he could now smell alcohol on her breath, and it worried him), "I'm very… experienced…."
Shinji could only watch helplessly as Misato slowly took his clothes off… and showed him just how experienced she really was….
Author's notes: Ok, I admit it… I had trouble with this one. Mostly because I am not as familiar with this episode as I am with some of the previous and subsequent ones, I suppose… it just took me a long time. I tried to hit on the key plot points, and still take the time to pursue the character development as I saw fit. Hope it came out ok. And, honestly, I could NOT remember when Misato stopped drinking… but I figured that seeing "Adam" on the cross should be sufficient motivation for ANYONE, especially her. What is The Prime project, you say? Just wait a while… all will be revealed… ;) The only information I had on Touji's sister is that she is younger and was hurt in the fight with Sachieal – everything else (including her name) I fabricated. If anyone has more solid data on this girl, please send it my way. And no, I am NOT making a love triangle for Shinji Rei and Asuka. Like Rei said in the last chapter, there are more kinds of love than one. Which brings me to Misato. I've always seen Misato as a mother figure for Shinji, so I wanted to explore that a little bit more. Expect more of it. Lastly, in reviewing the episode one more time I realized that unit 04's disappearance takes place before the whole newlyweds comment… but I didn't change it because I liked this sequence better (see? It DEVIATES :) ).
Feedback is welcome at Random1377@yahoo.com.
And, as if that's not enough, Deviance can now be found at http://www.geocities.com/random1377/.
Part 3
(Episode 17)
…thicker than water
By Random1377
Misato stood alone, the harsh light coming up from below made her feel hot. She had been here three hours already.
"Major Katsuragi," one of the disembodied voices spoke to her, "you STILL refuse to let us question the one person who had a direct part in this incident, the pilot of Evangelion unit 01?"
She suppressed a frustrated sigh, answering the question for at least the fourth time, "Yes sir. I feel that the pressure of being brought into this situation would have an adverse effect on his psyche."
Another voice spoke, sounding irritated, "Well then, as his proxy perhaps you can answer something. Was the angel trying to make contact?"
The first voice spoke again, "Yes, are the angels trying to analyze the contents of the human mind?"
"I am unable to answer that question at this time." Misato spoke carefully, "The pilot has no recollection of what occurred when the EVA broke free."
The first voice spoke again, "But his memories could have been altered…"
"The Magi show no indication that his memories were tampered with, sir." Misato countered.
"Could this be an indication of what is to come with the predicted thirteenth angel and all angels thereafter?" The first voice continued.
"According to our data, the angels have shown no sign of even being aware of one another." Misato answered.
The second voice spoke, almost to itself, "Yes… they have acted independently up until now."
Misato's curiosity was piqued, "What do you mean, sir?"
The first voice cut in sharply, "You may not ask questions!"
Misato bowed her head, "Understood."
All of the voices spoke at once, "Dismissed." And the light went out.
***
Touji Suzuhara knocked gently on the door to his sister's hospital room.
"Kimiee, are you awake?" he asked softly.
He pushed the door open gently, revealing a complex array of life support machines.
-Looks like she's not having a good day…- Touji thought grimly.
His sister, Kimiko Suzuhara, lay on a bed in the middle of all of the machinery, her head wrapped in bandages.
"T-Touji? Is… that you?" her tired voice made him grimace, but he changed it into a smile and strode confidently into the room.
"Hey, pipsqueak, how's it going?" He asked, forcing casualness as he sat down on the edge of her bed.
She smiled, "Lame… you… never… call me… pipsqueak. Don't… give me… that… phony…" She took a deep breath, "Phony happy-happy crap…. I only… want to see… you smile… if it's… real."
His smile fell away, "I'm sorry…" he looked at the bandages, then the floor, "I… I heard you had another operation."
"Yeah…" she frowned, "they said… there was… some bleeding… in my head…"
"Again!? I thought they said that was taken care of the last time!" Touji clearly remembered the doctor's assurance that everything should be smooth sailing.
She changed the subject with no preamble, "So… how is… school?"
He shrugged, letting her lead the conversation, "It's ok… nothing really ever happens."
She eyed him with a trace of confusion, "You haven't… been giving that... pilot boy… problems… have you?"
Touji frowned, "No, Kimiee… I've become his friend. I told you last time, remember? His name is Shinji Ikari."
Her forehead wrinkled as she concentrated, "Oh yeah… I remember now… sorry…" she closed her eyes, "Tell me about him again, will you?"
Touji's heart felt tight in his chest. -She looks so small in that bed… and her memory is getting worse, too…- he thought sadly as he spoke, "At first it was hard for me to forgive him, even after talking to you…" He smiled at the memory of her chewing him out, "but the more I got to know him, the more I realized that he was just a scared little kid…" he bowed his head, "like me…"
He watched his sister's steady breathing, -I… I don't know what I would have done if I had met him on the street instead of school,- he thought guiltily, -I might have killed him…-
Kimiko opened her eyes and looked at him, "Don't… believe you…" she spoke with some effort, "you're not… scared of anything…" She took a deep breath and pushed herself to a sitting position, grimacing in pain. She waved away his protests, and spoke more firmly, "Listen to me… big brother… I'm glad that you visit me so much, and I'm glad that… you… became friends… with him." She took a deep breath, closing her eyes again, "That's good… because what I need… more than anything right now… is for you to be… strong… and happy."
He looked at her, tears threatening, "But-"
She forestalled any comment from him by raising her hand, "Do you… remember mom?"
"I… I don't even remember her face," He whispered, a single tear running down his cheek.
She nodded sadly, "Neither do I… but I remember her here," she placed her hand over her chest, "and I know that she… wouldn't want to see you… moping around…" her breath grew short again, but she went on, "and worrying… about the… past. I also know… that she would… want you to be… happy."
Touji raised his head, the tears flowing freely now, "How… how can I? You're in here… and I can't help you, and-"
She put her hand on top of his, whispering, "Shhh…" She smiled, "I'll be ok, given time…" Touji knew that this was not true, but said nothing as she went on, "What would… give me strength… is knowing that you are happy. Can you… be happy? Can you do that… for me… and for mom?"
He smiled, wiping his face, "I'll… I'll try… but it's not fair to use mom that way…" he leaned down and hugged her carefully, her small gasp of pain tearing through his soul.
When he pulled away she smiled and leaned back, exhausted, "You know… I never… play…fair…" her eyes drifted closed.
Touji sat with her for several more hours, thinking about what she had said and watching her sleep.
***
Asuka and Shinji were running late, literally.
"This… is… all… your fault!!" Asuka panted as they ran, "If you hadn't… started kissing me… when I was trying… to get ready… we'd be on time…"
Shinji stopped, putting his hands on his knees, and said, "W-Wait just… a… minute…" He took a deep breath, as Asuka stopped a few feet ahead of him, tapping her foot impatiently, "I didn't hear you complaining, and why the big rush? We can't be marked TARDIER, you know…"
Asuka frowned as she considered him, then took a deep breath, blowing a loose strand of hair from her eyes as she exhaled. "I guess you're right about the tardy thing," she conceded, "but what about the other students?"
Shinji looked at her, confused, "What about them," he asked with a smile, "are we making them tardy too?"
Asuka threw her hands up, exasperated, "No, my sweet and loving (but somewhat dense) darling," she walked up to him, putting her face a few inches from his before yelling, "THEY MIGHT START TO SUSPECT SOMETHING!" Shinji swallowed hard as she went on in a quieter voice, "Come on! Our class is not filled with morons. We've been late every day this week. People are already starting to talk about it!"
Shinji flushed, "W-Well… so what if they do? Misato said it was ok to tell people we are dating, and-"
Asuka cut him off flatly, "Misato is an idiot. If we told everyone we were dating, and we showed up late all the time, what would they think? Hmm? Take your time."
He looked at her, skeptical, "Just because we are late doesn't mean people will assume that we're-"
She cut him off again, "Of course they will!" The look on her face became wondering, "You really don't know about stuff like this do you?"
He lowered his head, averting his eyes, "Well… I haven't had that much experience with others…"
She smiled, looking slightly embarrassed, "I'm sorry… I forgot…" she raised his head gently and kissed him, "Listen, until other people find out, we should try to act the same as we did before… at least in school."
Shinji frowned, "I… I don't think I could handle it if you were mean to me again…"
She patted his cheek; "I won't be too bad… but don't expect me to hang all over you, either."
His smile returned, "You mean… like you do at home?"
She threw her hands up again, but she was smiling this time, "You're hopeless!" She kissed him again, "Now, let's get going before we get marked absent."
Laughing, they continued their run once more.
***
Gendou Ikari stood alone, his hands folded behind his back. He was not laughing. "Soon," he spoke quietly, "soon it will be the appointed time."
He was standing in a room that not even Fuyutsuki knew about, it contained a tank filled with LCL and a lone control panel.
Floating inside the tank was a girl.
"Many… sacrifices were made to reach this point," he mused quietly, "yours among the greatest."
The girl made no response.
Gendou removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose, a rare sign of the weariness he felt, "I know that I cannot ask for your forgiveness, nor do I believe you would willing to give it to me… if you were able." He looked at the girl, floating peacefully behind a wall of glass and sighed.
He put his glasses back on, all signs of weakness now gone, "When this is all over, perhaps I will see you again. If I do not, know that I will not forget what you have given."
He regarded the girl one final time before turning on his heel and striding from the room. As the lights in the room went dark, one word could be seen clearly stenciled on the tank: Prime.
***
After the teacher had chastised them for being late, Shinji took a look around the classroom. Noticing that Kensuke was absent, he asked Touji if anything was wrong.
"Nah," Touji responded, "some stupid ship is down at the docks and he just had to-"
"MISTER Suzuhara!" The teacher's sharp tone cut Touji off effectively, as he leapt to his feet, "Since you have time for idle chitchat, I suppose you have time to deliver these papers to Miss Ayanami after school, correct?" The teacher was looking at him closely, making sure he had the boy's attention.
"Yes sir!" Touji bowed.
After getting the papers, Touji sat down, breathing a deep sigh of relief, "Wow… I thought I was going to be in trouble for sure…"
Shinji grinned, "Well, perhaps you should pay more attention."
Touji shot him an angry look, "Well, considering that I was answering YOUR question, YOU should be the one getting in trouble."
Shinji just shrugged and turned back to face his desk, "I'm not the one who got caught."
Touji just continued to glare at his friend's back for the remainder of the class.
***
Rei floated gently in the tank, her thoughts wandering, -What is happening to me?-
Outside the tank, she could see the commander and doctor Akagi discussing something, but their words did not reach her. She closed her eyes.
-Am I… am I beginning to dislike commander Ikari?- the thought shocked her. She remembered her second meeting with Shinji, 'How could I ever trust him again!?' He had spoken those words with so much force, -Could there BE a reason not to trust the commander?- she thought with some confusion.
"Rei, we're finished now." She opened her eyes to find Commander Ikari smiling at her.
"Right." She said, smiling back, -Yet when he smiles… all seems right… I must think more on this when I am alone.-
"Let's eat." Gendou continued.
As the LCL drained from the tank, Rei saw doctor Akagi staring at commander Ikari – and the look of jealousy on the older woman's face made her shiver.
***
"What do you mean, you forgot our lunches?"
-If she's just pretending to be mad, she's doing an awfully good job,- Shinji thought as Asuka loomed over his desk, her hands on her hips. "I didn't have time to cook last night. I… I had a lot of homework…" He tried his best to seem deferent to her – which wasn't that difficult for him.
"So now I have to go hungry because of that?" Asuka, on the other hand, found that she was having a very hard time even ACTING mean to him anymore, -The look in his eyes...- she thought with some concern, -I hope he knows this is just for show…"
Touji Suzuhara spoke up from somewhere near the back of the class (speaking from around a pile of food), "Uh-oh, looks like the newlyweds are fighting again!" The classroom erupted with laughter.
Asuka and Shinji both blushed bright red, identical thoughts flashing through their minds, -Does he KNOW!?-
Realizing that he was teasing, they both turned to face him and spoke in unison, "Oh shut up!!"
As she leaned over to yell, Asuka had discretely put her hand on Shinji's and squeezed firmly. When she pulled back she met his eyes, the corners of her mouth twitching up ever so slightly. He read the unspoken apology perfectly, and inclined his head a fraction of an inch.
She smiled wide, then frowned and stomped over to Touji's desk, raising her hand.
Touji, who knew a lot about women (or, when they were going to hit him, anyway), jumped up from his desk, screaming, "Class rep! Class rep! Asuka's going to hit me! It's your duty as representative to protect me!"
As he watched Asuka chase Touji around the room, cursing at him in German, Shinji smiled. -It's going to be a good week-
***
In geo-synchronous orbit, high above the Earth, a lone satellite named Echo-8 was the only witness to the sudden flare of energy in the Nevada region of the United States. It recorded precisely six seconds of the event before it went silent itself, left to drift forever in the coldness of space.
In NERV headquarters, almost every alarm went off at the same time.
Three minutes later, Hyouga Makoto was on one of the red phones, "…but the first branch is ok? What? No, never mind!"
He hung up the phone, turning to the command dais, "It's confirmed: America's Second branch has completely disappeared."
Within twenty minutes, all of the key people associated with the E project were assembled in one of the briefing rooms deep within Central Dogma.
"Oh my God…" Ritsuko whispered quietly, reviewing the data.
Aoba Shigeru looked at the readout in his hands, "The time frame indicates that they would have been in the process of testing and installing the experimental S^2 engine from Germany."
Maya Ibuki spoke up, "The Magi indicate possible causes ranging from insufficient structural capacity to a miscalculation in the fabrication process. In total, thirty-two thousand, seven hundred and sixty-eight possibilities."
"And that's not including sabotage." Misato muttered angrily.
"Unit 04, its support group, and everything within an eighty-nine kilometer radius was destroyed… along with thousands of people." Ritsuko summed up, bowing her head.
"But they didn't blow up… they just – vanished, correct?" Hyouga wondered aloud.
Ritsuko turned to him, "Most likely, they were swallowed by a Dirac sea, like unit 01."
Maya spoke once more, "The Magi calculate a two percent chance of it returning on it's own."
Ritsuko's eyebrows rose, "Two whole percent? How generous."
Maya smiled, a little sickly, "Since unit 01 returned, the Magi felt there was precedence."
Ritsuko was nodding, "That makes sense… now on the subject of the children."
Misato spoke quickly, "I don't think it would be wise to tell them about this… it could adversely affect them, especially Shinji."
Ritsuko arched an eyebrow, "You're awfully concerned about Shinji's well-being, Major. Besides, I thought you said he was improving?"
Misato flushed, "Well, I AM his guardian… and he IS making progress," –A lot of progress, thanks to Asuka,- she thought with an internal smile, "but he's still a sensitive child. If he learned that one of the Evangelions was destroyed, along with thousands of people…" she trailed off, unsure of how to finish.
Maya came to her rescue, "It would worry him, wouldn't it? He would start to think that the same thing could happen here. Am I right?"
Ritsuko nodded, "Very well. Keep it from them if you will, but Rei will be informed."
Misato was confused, "Why does Rei-"
Ritsuko cut her off, a touch of anger in her voice, "You deal with your charges, Major, allow me to deal with mine."
There was an awkward silence, broken by Hyouga's polite cough, "Well," he said, "I should get back to my post and see if any new information has come in."
The others saluted and made their way from the room.
***
As they made their way through Central Dogma, Misato and Ritsuko were quiet. Both wrapped in their own thoughts.
Misato spoke first, "So… what was that all about?"
Ritsuko turned to face her on the moving walkway, "I'm… I'm sorry. Things have been a little tense lately, and I lost my temper. Commander Ikari has given express orders that Rei be kept up to date on all events regarding the EVA units themselves."
Misato looked at her, puzzled, "Why?"
Ritsuko turned away and shrugged, "I have no idea."
Seeing that she was not going to get any more information, Misato changed the subject, "So what will happen to unit 03?"
Ritsuko sighed softly, "It is going to be sent here for activation."
"What?" Misato was stunned, "They made such a big deal about having the right to build the damn thing, and now they're pawning it off on us??"
Ritsuko shrugged again, "I suppose they didn't want to risk losing the first branch as well."
They lapsed into silence again until they reached Ritsuko's office, where Misato spoke again, taking a sip of coffee, "So will you be using one of the children for the activation, or the dummy plug?"
Ritsuko started tapping on her keyboard, "We will be using the fourth."
Misato spat her coffee all over the floor, much to Ritsuko's dismay, "WHAT!? The fourth child has been found?"
Ritsuko looked at the spilled coffee, frowning, "Yesterday."
Misato said, "I haven't received a report from the Marduk institute. Who is it, anyway?"
Ritsuko tapped on her computer, "You'll get your report… and it is this young man right here." She hit the enter key.
Misato's jaw dropped, "You're kidding?! HIM!?"
***
As the final bell rang, Touji jumped out of his seat, "Alright! Time to get out of here!"
"Not so fast, Suzuhara!" Hikari Horaki was standing in front of his desk, a stack of papers in her hand, "Don't you remember? You have to take these bulletins to Rei."
Touji looked crestfallen, "Oh come on class rep! Isn't there someone else who can do it?"
Hikari shook her head, smiling faintly, "No, it was assigned to you."
Touji scratched his head, "Well, if I have to, I have to… but I can't go to a girls place by myself…" he began looking around the room.
Hikari's face brightened, "Well, I could go with-"
"Hey Shinji!" Touji yelled, totally missing Hikari's words, "Walk home with me, ok? You know where Ayanami lives."
Shinji looked out the door at Asuka, who was holding his hand, "Go ahead," she whispered, squeezing his hand before letting it go, "but hurry home to me, ok?" She leaned in and quickly kissed his cheek, then hurried off down the hallway before Touji could see her.
He turned back to Touji, "Yeah, I can do that."
Together they started walking away, neither one of them noticing the look of disappointment on their class representative's face.
***
Shinji and Touji were standing outside of Rei's place, wondering what to do next.
After trying Rei's doorbell repeatedly with not luck, Shinji yelled, "Rei? It's Shinji, I'm coming in, ok?"
"You can't just go into a girls apartment without her permission!" Touji was shocked.
Shinji pointed to the stack of unread (and unopened) mail in the slot, "Well, we can't just leave it here, she'll never get it!"
As they entered the small apartment, Touji was struck by how disorganized the place was, "Wow! EVA pilots sure are a messy bunch."
Shinji frowned and looked around the room until he found some cleaning supplies. "I'm going to straighten this place up." He announced.
"You've changed." Touji commented as Shinji picked up a garbage bag.
"How so?" Shinji looked at him.
"Well, when you first came to school, I couldn't imagine you doing something for someone else."
Shinji considered this for a minute, "Maybe you're right… so I'm going to clean for her to make up for lost time."
"You better not," Touji warned, "she might get mad."
Shinji knelt down and started cleaning; "It's just trash. Why don't you help? I could finish quicker that way."
Touji frowned, trying to think up an excuse, "Because… it's just not manly!" he proclaimed.
"So you're just going to stand there and watch?" Shinji asked, as he continued to pick up garbage.
Touji growled, folding his arms, "It's… it's against my principles!"
Shinji, who was not a stupid boy and knew a golden opportunity like this only arose once in a blue moon, smiled and said, "I'll bet if it was Hikari's room, you'd help out…"
Touji's mouth hung open and he turned red. Regaining his senses, he quipped, "I was right… you HAVE changed."
Before Shinji could respond, he heard the sound of the front door opening. Turning around, he saw Rei entering the apartment. She looked at the bag of garbage he had collected, blinking.
"I… hope it's ok that I cleaned up," Shinji said, looking a little embarrassed, "it was just trash, right?"
Rei inclined her head slightly, saying, "T-Thank you." The words sounded odd to her ears.
Shinji just smiled and waved it away, "No problem." He motioned to the stack of papers, "we also dropped these off for you."
Rei had nothing to say about that, so they lapsed into and uncomfortable silence. "I must bathe now." She said quietly, breaking it, and started towards the apartment's little bathroom.
"Rei?" Shinji began hesitantly.
"Yes, Pilot Ikari?" She turned and waited expectantly.
"I… I was wondering… umm… why… when I was in the hospital..." he trailed off, finding it harder than he had thought to ask her the question. Rei waited patiently for him to finish. "Umm… never mind… it's not that important…"
Rei kept staring for a minute, then said, "Very well." and continued towards the bathroom.
***
After Touji and Shinji had departed, and she had bathed, Rei sat on her bed thinking.
-Why… why do I feel this way towards him- She spoke quietly, "Thank you. Words of gratitude… words I've never used before." Her eyes flashed to the glasses on her dresser, "Not even with him…"
She rolled over, facing the ceiling.
"Why…" she continued aloud, "why do I have this feeling here?" she lay her hand on her chest, "What is it about him that makes me want to defend him?"
She thought of unit 04, and the people that were lost with it, -I do not feel anything for them… but I do not know what I would do if it had been unit 01… and him, that disappeared.-
She rolled over again, frowning as she remembered her conversation with Asuka, -That must be what this is, too…- she thought, -this feeling must also be love… but not the kind that Pilot Souryu has for him…- her frown deepened, -The thought of uniting with him is… disturbing.-
She whispered quietly, "Regardless, I love Pilot Ikari." She liked the way the words felt.
***
"Lunch time!!" Touji was quite pleased. Eating was his favorite pastime.
His happiness was short-lived, however, as a feminine voice came over the school's PA system, "Touji Suzuhara, please report to the principal's office. Touji Suzuhara…"
Kensuke looked at his friend, shaking his head, "What did you do THIS time?"
Touji looked confused, "I don't know! Maybe it's because I wasn't paying attention in class yesterday."
Shinji and Kensuke watched him walk out the door, "Man," Kensuke commented, "I'm surprised he doesn't just STAY in the principal's office, as much as he goes there!"
Touji made his way to the office slowly, -What could it be now? I thought that taking the notes to Ayanami was my punishment.-
He knocked on the door, "Excuse me," he said diffidently, "I'm Touji Suzuhara."
The door opened, revealing the principal's secretary and a blond woman with a mole on her cheek. "You're Touji Suzuhara?" The blond woman asked.
He nodded, stepping into the room at the secretary's beckoning. He sat down, "Am I in some kind of trouble?" he asked nervously.
The woman ignored his question, looking him over carefully. After a moment she spoke in a firm, business-like manner, "Touji Suzuhara, you have been selected in accordance with the Marduk institute's findings to be the designated fourth child. Will you accept the position?"
She paused, and Touji took the opportunity to express his confusion: "Huh?"
The woman smiled, showing all of her teeth. Touji decided he did not like the look in her eye, but he listened as she continued, "I expected you to be familiar with the term, considering the company you keep." Touji looked more confused. She sighed.
"Very well," she said, "I'll get right to the point. My name is Doctor Ritsuko Akagi, I head up the E project. Your friend Shinji Ikari is the designated third child, we would like you to be the fourth. We want you to pilot an Evangelion."
Of all the responses she had anticipated, the one Touji gave surprised her the most. He looked her in the eyes and said, "No."
Ritsuko's eyes widened, "I don't think you understand what we're offering. You would be protecting the ones you love, and piloting a giant bio-organic robot – you were inside unit 01, you know what it looks like."
Touji's voice was hard, "Yeah, I saw what it was like. I saw someone in agony, and reduced to tears from the strain. If you want to impress someone with high-tech gadgets, make Kensuke a pilot!"
Ritsuko frowned, "Mister Aida is not a viable candidate."
"Tell me why, or I won't even consider helping you." Touji said, not really expecting an answer.
Ritsuko surprised him by smiling fiercely as she spoke, "Very well, mister Suzuhara, I'll tell you. Your friend Kensuke Aida has vision problems."
Touji's mouth fell open, "That's it? Because of his eyesight?"
Ritsuko shook her head, "No, I said he had vision problems. Mister Aida is unable to asses a situation past the here and now. For a normal fourteen your old, this is not a problem. For an Evangelion pilot, it could prove fatal. His psychological profile absolutely rules him out."
Touji could not hide his surprise, "But I fit the mold??"
"To a T." Ritsuko answered quickly, "You are aggressive, loyal, determined to get what you want, and in spite of your grades, remarkably intelligent." She smiled conspiratorially, "I know a lot about you, Touji. You're an incredibly smart boy, yet you only make So-so grades."
Touji looked uncomfortable, "Well… I'm not THAT smart… and I don't study that mu-"
She shook her head, cutting him off, "No… no I don't think that's it at all. Want to know what I think?" He made no reply, so she went on, "I think you got labeled as a jock early on, and since that was an easier way to go, you just let everyone go right on thinking that, am I right?"
He just stared at her blankly. She sighed and finished, "Well, in short: Yes, we believe you are suited to be a pilot."
Touji shook his head, "Didn't I just say no?" He rose to leave, "I'm sorry that you wasted your time."
As he reached the door, Ritsuko spoke quietly, "It's a shame about your sister."
Touji froze, his hand on the doorknob, "What about my sister?" he whispered.
Ritsuko ignored the threatening edge in his voice, "I've read her report… looks bad." She was holding a file marked Suzuhara, K. "So many injuries… and the hospital she's in… hmmm… not the best around." -Come on,- she thought, -take the bait.-
Touji was silent for a moment, "If… if I become a pilot…"
"Yes?" Ritsuko asked, innocently as her thoughts screamed triumphantly, -Yes!-
His voice became quiet, "If I become a pilot, she would be moved to a better hospital?"
Ritsuko smiled at the boy's back, but her voice was level, "The best in the world."
He didn't turn around as he spoke, "Alright, I'll do it… but she gets transferred today!"
"Done." in her mind, Ritsuko breathed a sigh of relief.
Touji left without saying another word.
***
"Well, I'm out of here."
Asuka opened the door as Misato said, "Whoa, where are you off to in such a hurry?" She smiled, showing all of her teeth, "I thought you were spending every waking second with Shinji?"
Asuka frowned at her, thinking, -well, I WANT to, but duty calls.- "I have something I have to take care of… I won't be long."
Misato just smiled and winked, "Well, you better hurry, before I take Shinji for myself."
Asuka mocked throwing up, but she smiled and spoke in a friendly tone, "I think we both know that I would kill you, Misato. Bye."
Misato laughed to herself, as the door swung shut, -Yeah… I believe you might, at that.- As soon as she heard the elevator descending, Misato called Shinji into the kitchen. She motioned to the chair opposite her, a serious look on her face.
"What is it, Misato?" He asked, curious.
Misato looked him over carefully before responding, "Shinji, as Asuka's guardian, and yours, I need to know what you are planning to do about the current situation." She took a drink of coffee from the mug in front of her.
He looked confused, "I don't understand. You said no unprotected sex, and no sex in the house, but other than that-"
She cut him off, "I mean what do you plan to do if she's pregnant right now?"
"Oh." He said, his mouth snapped closed. He looked at the floor, uncomfortable.
She smiled and put her hand on his, "I'm not mad, Shinji… I just need to know what you guys have planned. I think I have the right to know, don't you?"
Shinji nodded reluctantly, raising his head. He fidgeted as he answered, not quite able to meet his guardian's eyes, "Umm… if she is… we plan to… umm… keep the child and get married."
Misato's smile widened, "Good. I expected that you would make that choice, but hearing you say it puts me more at ease." She stood up and walked around the table to where he was sitting, looking serious again.
"W-What? What is it now?" Shinji stammered as Misato walked around the chair behind him.
She answered by leaned down and putting her arms around him from behind.
He stiffened, still not really used to being touched, but she held him tight. "I'm very proud of you, Shinji," she whispered, her head resting against his back, "I know that it must be hard for you to watch her get into unit 02, and I'm proud of how strong you are."
He didn't answer, but she felt his tears drop onto her arm. "Shhh…" she whispered, "it's ok…"
She held him close as he wept, comforting him with softly spoken words.
***
Hikari was still at school. She had pretended that it was because she wanted to catch up on some work without being bothered by her sisters, but she really wanted to talk to Touji. Since he had been called to the principal's office, he had been despondent – a total change from his usual upbeat (if rough around the edges) personality.
She found him in their classroom, quietly eating vending machine food. "Suzuhara," she said, trying to think of something to say, "Umm… you're supposed to be on clean up duty. Those… those desks should be straightened." -I can't believe I just said that!- she thought angrily, -He's obviously having a bad day, and I'm still giving him work to do…- She looked at him again, -and I've wanted to ask him out for so long.-
Touji looked up at her soberly, "Yeah…" -he sounds so… wiped out- she thought as he continued, "can it wait until after I've eaten? I missed lunch…"
She nodded quickly, seeing an opening, "Umm…. do you always buy your food from the cafeteria?"
He looked down at the bag of chips he was currently eating and sighed sadly, "Yeah… my father works pretty much all the time… there really isn't anyone at home to cook, so…" he trailed off.
Hikari suppressed a smile, "Well, I have to cook for myself and my two sisters…"
Touji nodded, "Yeah… that must be hard…"
Hikari waved his concern away, "Oh, it's not big a deal – and I'm actually a pretty good cook – but I always cook too much, and some of it goes to waste…" she let the thought hang there, hoping he would pick up on it.
She wasn't disappointed, "Well… it seems like a shame to waste good food. If you want, I can take some of it off your hands…" He smiled.
-He smiled at me!- Hikari's pulse started to increase. She got herself under control, only allowing a slight smile, "That would be helpful… thank you. I'll bring you something tomorrow."
"That would be great," he said, looking back to the junk food in front of him, "goodbye to you." He whispered, grinning.
She lingered for another minute, watching him, -So many things I want to tell him,- she thought wistfully, -well, this will have to do for now.- "Don't stay here too late, Suzuhara." She said as she turned for the exit.
"Hey, class rep," he spoke up as she reached the door. She turned to face him, one eyebrow raised. "Thanks." He smiled again.
Hikari turned her head so he would not see the blush spreading across her cheeks, "S-Sure…"
She walked home slowly, smiling the whole time.
***
Asuka knocked on Kaji's office door.
As she waited, she thought, –I can't believe I let Shinji talk me into this… Misato and Kaji can work out their own relationship problems, they don't need our help!-
"Come in." Kaji's voice sounded lightly muffled threw the door.
Asuka took a deep breath, and walked in. "Hi Kaji!" she threw as much enthusiasm into her voice as she could, thinking, -Was I really like this before? Ick…-
"Oh… Asuka, it's you…" Kaji did not turn from the computer he was typing on, "I'm kind of busy right now, can it wait?"
"I'll bet you would have time if it was Misato…" she whispered under her breath. Louder, and with a slight pout, she said, "I wanted to know why you didn't take me shopping like you said you would." Not that he HAD said he would, but Asuka knew he probably would not remember if he had or not, -Men are so gullible.- she thought.
Still facing the computer, Kaji sighed, "Shouldn't… Katsuragi be doing that now?" She noticed his slightly wistful tone as he spoke the older woman's name.
She thought, -Why I ever thought I could compete with HER for your heart, I will never know…- To Kaji she said, "It's funny you should mention her name, because…" She trailed off, as she stepped further into the room and caught sight of the readings on his computer.
"Those are our Sync test results," she said, leaning forward as Kaji fumbled for the monitor's power button. "FOUR?!?!"
Kaji sighed, knowing it was too late to stop her from finding out.
Her voice rose in pitch as she spoke, "Who made HIM a Pilot!? I won't stand for it!"
Kaji spoke quietly, "I don't know who chooses the pilots, but I do know that you cannot tell Shinji about this, got it?"
Asuka frowned, "Why not? Shouldn't he-"
Kaji cut her of gently, "Misato doesn't want him to know until after the sync tests." He smiled, "You're seeing Shinji, aren't you?" Asuka's blush was all the confirmation he needed. He chuckled, "Well, I'm glad. You make a cute couple, but being close to him, you must know how he is better than anyone else. If he knows about the pilot, he'll worry about it. Am I wrong?" She shook her head reluctantly. "Ok," he went on, "so you'll keep it to yourself?"
Asuka nodded, still not meeting his eyes. "If Touji tells him on his own, then that's ok, right?" She asked, hoping.
Kaji smiled indulgently, "Of course… but I doubt he will. It was hard enough convincing him to do it in the first place." Asuka nodded her understanding. "I'm glad we got that cleared up," Kaji said cheerily, "not if you will excuse me, I have a lot to catch up on." He turned back to his computer.
Asuka let herself out, so wrapped up in her own concerns that she forgot to mention Misato… or ask why Kaji had top secret test results on his computer.
***
Hikari read from her cookbook, adding ingredients to a boiling pot as she went.
-I hope he likes stew- she thought. She paused, looking out the window. "Touji… I finally found a way to talk to you…" she whispered quietly. Smiling, she added more carrots and stirred, humming under her breath.
***
Touji stood on the school's basketball court, contemplating the hoop. –I don't want to do this,- he thought, -but for you… for you, I can do anything…- he lined up the ball with the hoop, –for you, Kimiko…- he thought as he let it fly.
***
Halfway around the world – at the exact second the ball went through the hoop – the six engines of the massive carrier holding Evangelion unit 03 burst into life… and the giant machine made it's way towards its new home… dark rain beating down on it's black armor like an unholy baptism.
To be continued…
Omake
From the scene where Hikari talks to Touji about lunches:
Hikari suppressed a smile, "Well, I have to cook for myself and my two sisters…"
Touji nodded, "Yeah… that must be hard…"
Hikari waved his concern away, "Oh, it's not big a deal – and I'm actually a pretty good cook – but I always cook too much, and some of it goes to waste…" she let the thought hang there, hoping he would pick up on it.
"Well," he said, wiping his mouth on his sleeve, "don't cook so much."
She groaned internally, -come on, figure it out!- "Yeah, I guess you're right. If only there was someone who could take some of it off my hands…" she waited for a moment, thinking, -no one is THAT dense.-
She was wrong, "Give some to Rei. I've never seen her eat anything." Touji frowned at her, "You know, you're thinking about this an awful lot… do you have some kind of food fixation or something?"
She stared at him, dumbfounded. "N-No!"
He ignored her, going on thoughtfully, "You know, you probably should see someone about that… I'd hate to see you get all big and fat from eating that extra food."
Hikari threw her hands in the air, thinking, -I give up! Why I even tried is beyond me, he's apparently too stupid for me anyway.-
Amazingly, Touji was still talking, "…and my uncle Ben almost died of bulimia – but everyone thought it was a tapeworm, so then..."
She shook her head sadly, walking out the door. As she made her way down the hall, she could still hear him rambling.
From the scene where Misato talks to Shinji about Asuka's possible pregnancy:
Misato smiled, "Good. I expected that you would make that choice, but hearing you say it puts me more at ease." She stood up and walked around the table to where he was sitting, looking serious again.
"W-What? What is it now?" Shinji stammered as Misato walked around the chair behind him.
She answered by leaned down and putting her arms around him from behind.
"Well," she whispered, breathing in his ear, "I was hoping you might give me a sample of what you already gave Asuka."
He stiffened (his BODY stiffened! GEEZ, you can't say anything around here!!) and tried to pull away, only to feel her snap handcuffs around his wrists, cuffing him to the chair. "Umm, Misato?" He began nervously.
"Don't be scared," she whispered (he could now smell alcohol on her breath, and it worried him), "I'm very… experienced…."
Shinji could only watch helplessly as Misato slowly took his clothes off… and showed him just how experienced she really was….
Author's notes: Ok, I admit it… I had trouble with this one. Mostly because I am not as familiar with this episode as I am with some of the previous and subsequent ones, I suppose… it just took me a long time. I tried to hit on the key plot points, and still take the time to pursue the character development as I saw fit. Hope it came out ok. And, honestly, I could NOT remember when Misato stopped drinking… but I figured that seeing "Adam" on the cross should be sufficient motivation for ANYONE, especially her. What is The Prime project, you say? Just wait a while… all will be revealed… ;) The only information I had on Touji's sister is that she is younger and was hurt in the fight with Sachieal – everything else (including her name) I fabricated. If anyone has more solid data on this girl, please send it my way. And no, I am NOT making a love triangle for Shinji Rei and Asuka. Like Rei said in the last chapter, there are more kinds of love than one. Which brings me to Misato. I've always seen Misato as a mother figure for Shinji, so I wanted to explore that a little bit more. Expect more of it. Lastly, in reviewing the episode one more time I realized that unit 04's disappearance takes place before the whole newlyweds comment… but I didn't change it because I liked this sequence better (see? It DEVIATES :) ).
Feedback is welcome at Random1377@yahoo.com.
And, as if that's not enough, Deviance can now be found at http://www.geocities.com/random1377/.