Disclaimer: Evangelion is owned 100% by Gainax animation. Anything in this story is technically theirs (hope they don't want it back). Here is Deviance part 9. Hope you like it.
Part 9
(Episode 23)
Bittersweet victories
Hikari Suzuhara closed her eyes and bit her lip, trying not to cry out as Ritsuko Akagi performed the examination. She tried to think of happy things as the blonde explored her body with an expressionless look on her face, and then let out a long sigh of relief as it ended. -Oh please...- she thought, "please never let me have to go through that again.-
Ritsuko took off the rubber gloves she was wearing and threw them into the garbage. "Hikari," she said, folding her arms, "I know that you're married to Touji... but have you slept with anyone else?"
Hikari flushed deeply, "N-no ma'am..." she whispered, looking at the floor, "only him."
Ritsuko nodded, "I see." She ran a hand through her hair, "Well, he was tested when he became a pilot, and was clean for any sexually transmitted diseases, so anything that would not show up right away on a test would have been contracted from someone else - and since there hasn't been anyone else, I think it's safe to rule that out."
Hikari nodded, still blushing at the way the blonde was talking so openly about sex. "I... was worried it might be..." she looked at the floor again, hesitating, "cancer. My grandmother died from uterine cancer, so I was afraid that... that I might... I mean..." She could not finish the sentence... it was too frightening.
Ritsuko shook her head, "With the advancements in technology and testing, the rapid Pap-smear would have detected it - and if it was elsewhere in your body, the x-rays would have picked it up. You don't have cancer."
Hikari let out a long-held breath, "That's... that's good..." she said weakly, "but if it's not that... what is it? Why do I hurt so badly sometimes, Doctor Akagi? I don't understand..."
The older woman looked away, uncomfortable with the desperate tone of the girl's voice, -Damn,- she thought, -why do I always have to try and comfort them? I'm not the motherly kind!- To Hikari she said, "Most likely it is stress. You've recently gotten married, become an EVA pilot, and undergone a very trying experience in a foreign country. That's bound to take its toll on anyone."
Hikari frowned, "But... the pain is... I..."
Ritsuko sighed, "Hikari, look..." she said, rubbing the bridge of her nose, "I can't find anything wrong with you... so unless it's something our instruments can't detect, it's in your mind... I'm sorry."
Hikari nodded and stood to get dressed, "I see... thank you for helping me, Doctor Akagi... and for not telling Touji. I don't want him to worry."
In spite of herself, Ritsuko smiled as the girl finished dressing and got ready to leave, "You're welcome, Hikari... I hope you feel better." Of all the pilots (and all their problems) she liked Hikari the best... she was the most child-like of the entire group - and for some reason, that gave Ritsuko some hope for the future of the world... even if her own future was uncertain.
Hikari thanked her again and walked home in thoughtful silence. In spite of Ritsuko's assurances, she knew that something was wrong - she just knew it.
As she reached the modest Suzuhara home, she put on a smile. "Everything ok?" Touji asked as she came in the door. Her heart clenched in a combination of guilt and happiness. Guilt that she was about to lie to him, and happiness that he had been waiting for her when she got there.
"Everything's fine, honey," she said, embracing him and kissing him lightly on the lips, "I told you it was just a routine exam."
He smiled and scratched the back of his head sheepishly, "Yeah, I know..." he said with a small blush (a sight that would have instantly destroyed his tough-guy reputation at school), "I just... well, you know..."
She smiled, "Yes," she said, kissing him longer, "I love you too." She sighed and put her head on his shoulder as he held her, -Please, Lord...- she prayed silently, -let me be alright...-
Like many prayers... hers was to go unanswered.
**
Shinji Ikari and Asuka Langley Souryu sat staring at each other across the kitchen table.
Neither said a word.
Between them sat an unopened box.
"It's not like she would ever find out..." Asuka said finally, her tone reasonable, "she's at work all day, and never checks in on us..."
Shinji frowned, "Well, yeah... but we would know... and we promised..."
She growled in frustration, "Look," she said firmly, "Misato said we had to stay home today and do homework... she MUST know that we would... would want to... you know..."
He grinned ruefully, "What if she's testing us? Trying to see if we WOULD - even though we said we wouldn't?"
"She didn't say, 'You can't do it in your room,' did she?" Asuka looked hopeful.
Shinji shook his head and sighed, "Unfortunately no... she said not in the house..."
"Damn..." she whispered.
They lapsed into silence once more, staring at the box of ice cream intently.
"It's a stupid rule!" Asuka burst out suddenly, "Just because ONE time we got a LITTLE on the couch... I see no reason why-"
"It was a gallon," Shinji reminded her with a smile, cutting into her tirade before it gathered too much steam, "and we got it ALL over the living room... or maybe you forgot exactly WHAT we were doing?"
She blushed, "Yeah, well... at least she didn't find out that we broke THAT rule..."
They both smiled as they remembered the afternoon in question.
They had covered up by saying that they had gotten into an ice cream fight... but the skeptical look on her face said loud and clear that she didn't buy it. However, the faint smile as she told them to clean it up and NEVER eat ice cream in the house said loud and clear that she understood.
Shinji was just opening his mouth to say that TECHNICALLY the patio wasn't IN the apartment, when his cell phone rang. He picked it up, "Yes? Oh, Hi Misato..." he flushed guiltily, mouthing 'Told you so,' to Asuka.
His face drained of color as he listened, then said, "I... I understand, we're on the way..." He hung up and met Asuka's eyes, "There's an angel. They haven't sounded the alarm yet because it's advancing slowly and they need us to get there before people start evacuating and the streets get crowded."
Asuka paled, "An angel?" She had still not quite gotten over the encounter with the fifteenth.
Shinji nodded, "Yes... Rei's already at headquarters, so they're going to launch her once the angel gets closer... but we need to get there to play backup. Hikari and Touji are already on the way."
Asuka nodded and stood... then smiled and said, "Hey, Shinji... they're the Suzuharas, right?"
He blinked, "Well, yeah... they're married..." he didn't bother to hide his confusion, "so?"
She began moving towards the door, "So..." she said, slipping her shoes on, "we ever going to be the Ikaris?"
Shinji tripped over the kitchen chair and fell down, much to the delight of his love - who help him stand and tried not to laugh too hard. "Umm... yeah..." he said, blushing deeply as she hoisted him from the floor, "someday... yeah..."
She grinned broadly, "I want a diamond ring," she said teasingly, "and when the time comes I better get a better proposal then your acceptance." He fell to one knee and she laughed, pulling him back up, "Not NOW, you idiot," she giggled, kissing him, "there's an angel, remember? I meant in like a year or two... and I want it to be a surprise."
He grinned sheepishly, "I... yeah..." as she turned, he grabbed her hand, "Asuka?" He said softly, "Will you? When the time is right?"
"Don't be stupid!" She said with an exasperated sigh, "And get your shoes on!" As she hustled him out the door she muttered, "Moron... of course I will... why would I have brought it up if I wasn't going to, I mean honestly..."
She berated him gently the whole way to headquarters, leaving the ice cream to melt silently on the table.
**
Unit 00 moved carefully towards the glowing halo in the sky, the blue mecha holding its huge rifle at the ready.
In Central Dogma, Misato leaned closer to the screen, frowning deeply. "Be careful, Rei..." she said, "just because it hasn't moved yet doesn't mean that-"
"It is coming..." Rei's soft voice replied.
As if on cue, the halo broke apart, becoming a white, serpentine bar in the sky.
"Rei, watch out!" Misato called... but the First Child never had a chance to move.
The angel suddenly exploded into motion, moving towards Unit 00 so fast that Rei barely had a chance to raise her AT field.
It did her no good.
The angel rammed straight through the field and embedded itself in Unit 00's stomach, burrowing in even as Rei brought the Unit's rifle up to bear and fired round after round into the angel's body at pointblank range.
"The angel is merging with Unit 00!" Maya called out, "Its already two percent fused."
Onscreen, Unit 00 dropped its rifle and fell on its back, trying to pull the angel out with its bare hands.
"Launch Units 04 and 02 immediately," Misato said smoothly, "have Unit 03 stand by."
"Yes, ma'am!" Maya replied, triggering the launch code.
Both Units shot to the surface, side by side. As they reached the top, Asuka said, "Hikari, you hang back... I'll take care of this."
Her friend's voice came back to her, sounding tired, "Yeah... ok..." Asuka frowned in concern for a moment, but her attention was drawn to the angel forcing its way into Unit 00.
She snarled unconsciously as she brought her rifle around to bear and raised her AT field.
"The angel is moving..." Maya reported. Onscreen, the end of the angel that was not embedded in Unit 00 whipped around as Unit 02's field came up. It seemed to tense for a moment, then shot towards the red machine.
Asuka barely had time so sidestep as the white being rocketed past her, smashing her rifle to pieces on its way by. "Damn you!" She screamed. Her eyes narrowed as the angel came around for another pass, gauging.
Smiling, she whirled Unit 02 around and sprinted in the opposite direction.
"Asuka!" Misato's startled cry reached her, "What are you doing?"
Asuka ignored her, pushing up on the controls and urging more speed from her Unit, bringing it around a mountainside.
In Central Dogma, all eyes were on the screen as the angel stopped its pursuit and began heading back towards Unit 00.
There was a collective gasp as Unit 02 reappeared on the other side of the mountain, running flat out.
Asuka twisted the control yokes inward, causing the red mecha to leap into the air. "Now, you son of a bitch!!" She screamed, landing with both feet on the free end of the angel's white body. She smiled as she reached forward and began tearing at the white matter underfoot.
Her smile fell away as the angel screamed... with Rei's voice.
"What the...?" She tried to pull away, but found that the angel stuck to her EVA like warm taffy.
"The angel is invading Unit 02 as well!" Maya shouted.
"Asuka, pull back!" Misato ordered, "Hikari, stay out of range, understood?"
Unit 02 tore itself away from the angel with some difficulty and stumbled away, ducking behind a building as the creature tried to pursue.
Within Unit 04's entry plug, Hikari was bathed in sweat. -I feel like I'm burning up...- she thought as she guided the mecha to a safe distance, -please let this end soon...-
**
In the cages, Shinji and Touji sat in their EVAs... tensely watching the fight on their small monitor screens.
"You know what?" Touji said sullenly, "This sucks. We have to sit here while our women fight for us..." he shook his head, grumbling, "it's just not proper..."
Shinji didn't know if he should laugh at his friend's old-fashioned reasoning... or agree with him. He settled for changing the subject, "Well..." he said absently, staring at the battle, "at least it's a break from homework..."
Touji snorted and met Shinji's gaze on the small monitor, "Yeah... like that's a problem for you," he said, frowning as tried to keep track of the action, "you're, what, a STRAIGHT A student? Which reminds me, what did you get on the last-"
Shinji frowned as his friend stopped talking in mid-sentence, a strange look coming over his face. "You ok?" He asked, looking from Touji to the fight and back, "What is it?"
Touji didn't respond, instead he addressed the command room, clicking buttons on his control yokes as he talked, "EVA Unit 03, launching on route five."
"WHAT?" Misato's face came onscreen, "You and Unit 01 are not cleared to launch, Suzuhara!" He watched as she turned to the side, "Lock Unit 03 down."
Touji smiled as he finished the sequence of keystrokes. "I... I can't..." Maya's surprised voice reached him, "it's been overridden somehow!" It was a little trick Asuka had taught him in a moment of civility... just a little feedback on the right circuits, and the EVA was free for two minutes solid. When he had asked her WHY she knew how to do it, she had looked away, mumbling something about no one pressurizing HER LCL.
"Touji!" Misato's eyes burned into him, "I am giving you a direct order to stand down... there's nothing you can do."
Ignoring her, Touji activated the catapult. As he shot to the surface, his mind raced, -I hope this works...-
"DAMNIT!" Misato yelled, slamming her fist down on the closest console, "The minute he gets back I want him detained!"
A cool voice behind her made her head come around quickly, "If he defeats the angel... he will not be detained, Major..." Gendou said firmly behind her, "or perhaps you have forgotten our purpose here."
She flushed, "No... sir..." she said, "but orders-"
He cut her off, "I am concerned that you did not launch Unit 03 in the first place," his voice held a dangerous edge, "at this time, the pilot's sync rate is higher than that of the Fifth Child's."
She looked away, "I... felt that his bravado would be a hindrance in this scenario, sir..." she said quietly. -And I don't trust Unit 03 as far as I can throw it...- she thought darkly, -I don't care WHAT Ritsuko says...-
"You are aware of the stakes, Major..." Gendou continued after a moment's silence, "if you are not willing to use the tools at your disposal, I will find someone who is... understood?"
She nodded, "Yes sir..." she whispered.
**
Rei opened her eyes. "What is this place?" She whispered, looking around.
There was a large lake of LCL in front of her... and a platform of some kind that she was standing on... but other than that, there was nothing. Try as she might, she could not see anything past the horizon.
As she surveyed the scene, she noticed a figure standing hip-deep in the amber fluid, its head down.
"Who are you?" Rei asked quietly.
The figure looked up at her, and she was surprised to see her own features. For a moment, they wavered slightly, as if unsure of what they wanted to be... and the other Rei's hair darkened slightly. Finally, it became solidly her... and it whispered, "Do you not want to be one with me?"
Rei shook her head, "No... you are you... I am I..." She felt an odd sense of deja vu as she looked at her reflection-self. -I... have seen myself like this... somehow... long ago...-
"It does not matter," the other Rei was saying, "it is already begun. Soon we will be united - ALL will be united... even your children."
"I... do not have children..." Rei answered, confused.
The other Rei smiled, "You are not even aware of yourself... of your origins. But that will change. Soon all will be made clear to you."
Rei stared in silence for a moment, trying to isolate the feeling of familiarity within her.
Her mirror image spoke once more, "We have many wonders to see together, Mother... will you not take my hand? It will be less... painful, that way..."
"Mother?" Rei echoed, a memory tickling the back of her mind. Cleaning... wringing out a towel... Shinji saying... what? What did he say? Something embarrassing...
"You are confused, Mother..." the other Rei said softly. "You feel things... and you do not understand them. You are alone, but you do not know HOW alone..." she smiled, her eyes shifting from red to empty black, "let me show you..."
Rei's senses were suddenly assailed as the angel made contact with her mind... and showed her what the meaning of loneliness was. Had the experience not been so painful... she might have remembered the lesson in time to save incalculable suffering...
**
Unit 03 slammed to a halt on the surface, stepping out of the elevator with ponderously slow movements.
"What is he doing?" Misato whispered, "Touji! Take the rifle!!"
The black mecha marched past the weapons building and straight towards the angel, which was watching its approach with little interest... until Touji activated the Unit's AT field. Then, like with Unit 02, it tensed and leapt forward. Touji let it come, extending Unit 03's arms and crouching the machine to brace for the collision.
The angel rammed into the black Unit, clipping through its AT field at if it wasn't there and starting to burrow in.
"Fusion starting..." Maya said tensely, "one percent... two... four..." her eyebrows shot up, "wait!"
"YES!" Touji's triumphant cry echoed through Central Dogma, as all eyes went to the monitor to behold the spectacle unfolding there.
The angel was pulling away from Unit 03, weaving from side to side like a confused snake.
"What's going on?" Misato wondered aloud.
"Biology, Major." Touji's voice came back to her, sounding incredibly satisfied, "Since Unit 03 had already been taken over by an angel once before, it has..." he paused, slightly at a loss for words, "angel antibodies, I guess."
Ritsuko slapped her forehead, "Of course! Since the angel is a foreign body, the EVA considers it a virus - and it's defending itself!"
Maya spoke hesitantly, "Ummm... Major, I... I have an idea..."
Misato and Ritsuko listened carefully as she outlined her idea to them. When she was finished they both nodded. Misato shot a look at Ritsuko, her eyebrow arched, Ritsuko nodded her approval and Misato leaned over Maya's desk, "Maya, since timing is of the essence in this plan, the handling of this operation will be entirely yours."
Maya turned to her, dumbfounded, "M-Me?"
Misato nodded and smiled gently, "I have confidence in you."
Maya turned back to her desk, blushing fiercely, "Ok, Units 02 and 04, get behind Unit 03. This is what we're going to do..."
**
"A tear?" Rei came back to herself as the first drop hit her leg, "Am... am I the one who is crying?" She looked around, noticing the other three EVAs, two crouching behind the last, and the other half of the angel whipping around, apparently trying to find a way to reach them. "You... will not!!" she cried out.
Maya's voice sounded awed, "Rei... Rei has inverted her AT field... she's containing the angel!" Her eyes went wide, "Unit 00's self-destruct has just activated... seventy seconds until detonation." She leaned closer to her microphone, "Rei! Rei, eject now!"
"No..." Rei said, "if I eject, the AT field will collapse."
"Rei..." Touji's quiet voice spoke to her as the timer reached sixty seconds, "it won't get away."
Fifty seconds.
"But... but, if I eject... the angel will-" Rei began uncertainly.
Forty-five seconds
Touji cut her off, "You're going to have to trust us, Rei... can you trust us?"
Thirty-eight seconds
"I... I do not know..." -Trust him...THEM? Trust? Can I?- her thoughts whirled frantically.
Thirty-five seconds
Touji didn't know what else to say... fortunately he didn't have to.
Shinji's voice came through Unit 00's speakers, "Please trust them Rei... please? For me?"
Twenty-four seconds
-For him...- Rei thought, a cool calmness stealing over her.
Twenty-three seconds.
She made her choice.
**
Unit 00's back blew away, and Rei's entry plug rocketed backwards.
"Pilot is clear!" Maya yelled triumphantly, "The angel is trying to separate from Unit 00."
"Asuka! Hikari! NOW!" So saying, Touji concentrated on spreading his EVA's AT field. Unit 02 and Unit 04 stepped around the black EVA and did the same, overlapping the fields and trapping the angel within their confines.
The angel battered at each AT field desperately... but without the momentum it had when it penetrated Unit 00's it could not get through.
"Unit 00 will self-destruct in twenty seconds," Maya said from her post, "nineteen, eighteen, seventeen..."
Touji smiled, -Payback is a bitch, ain't it?- he thought savagely.
"T-Touji?" Hikari's voice came to him, sounding weak, "I... I don't know how much longer I can hold it..."
Touji frowned, "Just a little longer, honey... we're almost there." -She does not sound good...- he thought, concerned, -I should have insisted she stay home...-
"Hang on, Hikari," Asuka spoke grimly, her eyes never leaving the now-frantic angel, "it'll all be over soon."
As Asuka finished, Maya's countdown reached zero... and the space within the three AT fields become filled with explosive force, "Hang on!" Maya shouted.
The three pilots held on, focusing all of their will on maintaining the fields.
Touji watched with squinted eyes and a vicious smile as the angel was vaporized by the blast, his thoughts unknowingly echoing Asuka's, -NOW I can sleep...-
"Ok, now!" Maya yelled, and the three EVAs each took one pace backwards and raised their hands a few feet. The end result of this action was that the remaining energy was channeled upwards, reducing the damage to the Geofront... but not before a small lake could be formed exactly on the ground where Unit 00 once stood.
**
Deep in Terminal Dogma... in a room that only two people on Earth knew existed... a young girl with dark hair opened her eyes.
**
Several seconds of silence followed the massive explosion, broken finally by Touji and Asuka simultaneously screaming, "YES!!"
Maya leaned back in he seat, allowing a small sigh of relief to escape her lips. She looked at Misato and Ritsuko, both of whom nodded, "Evangelion Units 02, 03, and 04, mission accomplished... please return to the cages." She said happily.
"You don't have to tell me twice!" Asuka said, willing the red EVA forward, "I want a long bath..."
Touji frowned as he began to move, speaking almost at the same time as Shinji, "Will Rei be alright?"
Misato nodded, "There is a recovery unit on its way. She'll probably be in the hospital for a day or two to make sure there are no lasting effects from the angel fusing with her EVA." -Her EVA...- she thought sadly, looking at the small lake, -Now what?-
Ritsuko was frowning, "Didn't you hear the order, Hikari? Return to base." Her voice holding a slight edge as unit 04 stood immobile
Hikari's head was pounding as her vision became double. She found that she could not make the EVA move. "Something's... wrong," she gasped, her face covered in sweat, "I can't... I can't think straight!"
"DAMN!" Ritsuko shouted, looking at Hikari's vital signs, "Eject her plug, something IS wrong!."
"HIKARI!!!!" Touji's desperate cry rang through headquarters as his EVA spun around and ran towards the spot where his wife's entry plug had touched down.
"Sorry..." Hikari whispered, then blackness overtook her.
**
Rei awoke, opening her eyes slowly. The entry plug landing was rather rough, and she had been knocked unconscious.
She looked around and blinked hard before speaking, "Shin...ji? Pilot Souryu??" She could not hide the surprise in her voice.
Asuka crossed her arms and sniffed, looking away, "I'm not here JUST for you..."
Rei caught the emphasis on the word 'just', -Meaning you are here PARTLY for me...- she thought, almost smiling at the thought, -I... I would not have guessed that you cared, Pilot Souryu.-
Shinji looked at her worriedly, putting his hand on hers, "Are you ok?" He paused, "I mean really?"
Rei nodded and sat up. Finally taking notice of the room's other occupant, she gasped, "Pilot Suzuhara?"
Touji held his wife's hand against his cheek, tears running silently down his face. He looked up at Rei, smiling sadly, "They... they don't know what's wrong with her, Ayanami... she just passed out and..." His voice cracked, "and they can't get her to wake up..." more tears ran from his eyes, and he kissed her limp hand softly.
Rei didn't know what to say, -I... I do not know this emotion... is it... loss?- To Touji she said, "I am truly sorry that your wife is unwell... Touji."
He looked at her, startled at hearing her use his first name, "Thank you..." he whispered, "Rei."
She nodded slightly and turned to Shinji and Asuka, "Pilot Souryu, Shinji... thank you for... for coming to see me..." she blushed, still unused to expressing gratitude.
Shinji squeezed her hand, nodding as he stood up, "As many times as you came to see me, when I was sick, it was the least I could do." He moved to Touji and put a hand on his shoulder, "Are you ok for a while? We need to shower and get out of these plugsuits."
Touji nodded, "Yeah... yeah I'll be fine." He frowned, looking down at his stricken wife, "but you'll come back, right? I... I can't stay awake much longer, and I want someone here in case..." his voice started to crack again, "in case she wakes up." He stroked her cheek softly, whispering, "I don't want her to be scared..."
Shinji squeezed his shoulder, "We'll be back as fast as we can." He took Asuka's hand, and they headed for the door. Ushering Asuka out first, Shinji turned to Rei, "You know something, Rei?" She looked at him questioningly, "I..." he broke off, wiping his eyes, "I'm glad you're ok."
Rei smiled slightly, which was all that Shinji wanted. He started to close the door.
Rei spoke quietly, making him hesitate, "It was because of you." Seeing his confusion she went on, "I did not trust them... I trusted YOUR faith in them. You saved me, Shinji..." Not knowing what to say, Shinji just nodded, blushing. He closed the door softly.
Rei looked at Touji, who was staring at her with a puzzled look on his face. "What is it?" Rei asked.
Touji shook his head slowly, still clutching Hikari's hand, "Nothing... it's just... never mind, it's stupid."
Rei frowned, "Please... I will not laugh."
Touji spoke reluctantly, looking at Hikari instead off meeting the blue-hared girl's eyes. "Ok... for one thing I've never seen you smile before, and..." he shook his head, feeling foolish, "and when you smile you could pass for Shinji's sister. Silly, huh?" He looked at Rei, expecting her to be frowning.
Rei's eyes and mouth were wide, the word 'sister' echoing in her head.
-That feels so... right...- she thought, shocked. "Thank you." She said to a confused Touji.
"You're... you're welcome... I guess..." he said hesitantly.
**
Now dressed in street clothes, Asuka and Shinji returned to the room quietly, not wanting to disturb the occupants. When they entered, they found Touji asleep on Rei's bed and Rei watching over his sleeping wife.
Rei looked up as they walked in, and spoke without preamble, "Shinji, there is something that I need to speak to you ab-"
"Pilot Ikari," he turned around to find Ritsuko standing behind him in the hallway, "would you come with me please?"
He looked at Rei, "Can it wait for a while, Rei?" She nodded reluctantly "Ok... I'll be back as soon as I can." He kissed Asuka briefly, whispering, "Be nice."
She stuck her tongue out and whispered back, "I make no guarantees... hurry back." She grabbed him and kissed him properly, "Now you can go." She said as she released him and sat in one of the chairs by Hikari's bed.
A little dizzy, Shinji stepped back, blushing. "Ok, doctor, guess I'm ready now." He grinned from ear to ear.
Ritsuko rolled her eyes in disgust, "This way."
She led him deep into the complex, only answering his questions with monosyllabic murmurs until he gave up and just followed. Finally they reached a huge door, marked all over with warnings indicating that trespassers would be shot on sight and the like. She produced an access card from one of the pockets of her lab coat and swiped it through a reader.
Nothing happened.
She swiped it again, frowning deeply. Shinji looked at the door curiously, wondering what was behind it. Since he was looking away, he didn't see Misato step up from the shadows and press her gun to the back of Ritsuko's head.
"It won't open without my code..." Misato whispered, "but I can't get to the deeper rooms." She cocked the pistol, "So show me... let's end this game, Ritsu..."
The blonde smiled, "Ok... but he gets to see too..." She gestured with her head towards Shinji, who was watching the proceedings with wide eyes.
Misato hesitated... then nodded, "Alright..." she said softly. She stepped to the side, keeping the gun trained on Ritsuko and coming closer to Shinji. Ritsuko sighed and waited for her 'friend' to open the door.
After the door had been opened, they made there way deep into the recesses of Terminal Dogma. Ritsuko showed them the resting place of the first attempts to make an Evangelion, eliciting shocked gasps from both Shinji and Misato. Then she led them deeper, passing through a sparse room, furnished with a bed and a nightstand. The beaker on the nightstand caught Shinji's eye, as did a dusty, long-disused crib in the corner.
"This looks almost like Rei's apartment," Shinji commented as they moved through.
Ritsuko smiled... it made Shinji's heart go cold, "This is the place Rei grew up..." she said coolly, "this is the place she called home until the commander took her to his apartment to live with him."
"Why?" Misato wanted to know, "Why did he suddenly take her in? I thought she had always lived with him?"
Ritsuko reached and opened the room's other door, "No... not always. She lived here until she was seven, and an... accident occurred. After that, Commander Ikari deemed that this place was unsafe for her."
Shinji opened his mouth to ask what type of accident, but Ritsuko raised a hand to cut him off, "I'll explain everything in the next room."
They followed her through the door and into a dark room. Shinji thought he could detect the smell of LCL... faint, but unmistakable. As his eyes adjusted to the dark, he heard Ritsuko whisper quietly, "Here... here is the answer to your questions, Misato..."
He heard a small click, and a soft glow began to rise from the floor, becoming brighter until Shinji could see... everything.
He managed not to scream - barely.
All around him... left... right... directly ahead... were copies of Rei. Hundreds... maybe thousands of Reis floating in a huge tank filled with LCL.
"What the...?" Misato's breathless gasp broke the silence that had fallen.
As one, the clones turned to face them... and Shinji had to struggle to maintain his sanity as hundreds of giggles echoed through the dense liquid.
"What is this place?" Misato managed to get out.
"This is the heart of the dummy plug system," Ritsuko replied calmly, sticking her hand into her pocket, "this is the raw material for the system itself. You know that it's based on Rei's thought patterns... now you know how."
"That's... inhuman..." Misato whispered, horrified, "harvesting... PEOPLE like this is..." she didn't - COULDN'T finish... the thought was so far from everything that she had been brought up to believe in.
"They're not human." Ritsuko said coldly, "Just spare parts..." she looked at the tank, "salvaged from the remains of the original pilot." She met Shinji's eyes, "You were there when she was lost..." she said softly, "do you remember?"
Shinji's eyes widened further, "I..." his voice dropped to a miserable whisper, "mother?"
In her mind, Ritsuko could only see Gendou's face as she looked at his son. She twisted the knife further, "Do you? You were looking into her eyes when she was taken..." her voice dropped to barely above a whisper, "you were the last... thing... she... saw... before she di-"
She was cutoff as Misato screamed, "That's enough!!!" She looked at Shinji, who was staring into the empty eyes of one of the clones with a vacant expression on his face.
Misato was trembling with rage, "Why did you show him this... WHY!?"
The blonde's face grew hard, "Because..." she said in a cold voice, "because of who he is, and who SHE is... and what I'VE had to put up with for his FUCKING FAMILY!"
"You're crazy..." Misato whispered.
Ritsuko's face became smooth, "No," she said calmly, "I'm the only sane one here..." she pulled her hand out of her pocket, revealing a small remote control, "and I won't lose to her."
Misato tried to grab the control from the other woman, but she wasn't fast enough. Ritsuko pushed the button.
"My... God..." Shinji breathed in horror. Misato turned around to see what was wrong... and froze in place.
Inside the tank, a red light was flashing... and the clones were breaking apart.
"AHH!!!" Shinji clapped his hands over his ears and closed his eyes as the clones died... still sounding their childish, ethereal giggle.
"Stop this!!!" Misato yelled, "Stop it now!!"
Ritsuko shook her head, "It can't be stopped..." she said flatly, "now there will only ever be her and-" her voice cut off abruptly. She frowned, her finger hovering over a second button on the control. -I... I can't...- she thought, -she hasn't done anything wrong. She hasn't had the chance...-
Misato interrupted her thoughts by cocking the hammer on her pistol, "Drop the control, Ritsu." She commanded, her voice hard.
-Yes,- Ritsuko thought, ignoring Misato, -she deserves a chance.-
She deactivated the control, and set it gently on the floor.
Continued...
Author's notes: ((sigh)) just three more chapters to go... ((stretch)) Sorry it's taking so long... I never thought it would be this hard to say what I was trying to say...
Thanks to Ryoma for pre-reading once again.
Feedback is always welcome at random1377@yahoo.com
Part 9
(Episode 23)
Bittersweet victories
Hikari Suzuhara closed her eyes and bit her lip, trying not to cry out as Ritsuko Akagi performed the examination. She tried to think of happy things as the blonde explored her body with an expressionless look on her face, and then let out a long sigh of relief as it ended. -Oh please...- she thought, "please never let me have to go through that again.-
Ritsuko took off the rubber gloves she was wearing and threw them into the garbage. "Hikari," she said, folding her arms, "I know that you're married to Touji... but have you slept with anyone else?"
Hikari flushed deeply, "N-no ma'am..." she whispered, looking at the floor, "only him."
Ritsuko nodded, "I see." She ran a hand through her hair, "Well, he was tested when he became a pilot, and was clean for any sexually transmitted diseases, so anything that would not show up right away on a test would have been contracted from someone else - and since there hasn't been anyone else, I think it's safe to rule that out."
Hikari nodded, still blushing at the way the blonde was talking so openly about sex. "I... was worried it might be..." she looked at the floor again, hesitating, "cancer. My grandmother died from uterine cancer, so I was afraid that... that I might... I mean..." She could not finish the sentence... it was too frightening.
Ritsuko shook her head, "With the advancements in technology and testing, the rapid Pap-smear would have detected it - and if it was elsewhere in your body, the x-rays would have picked it up. You don't have cancer."
Hikari let out a long-held breath, "That's... that's good..." she said weakly, "but if it's not that... what is it? Why do I hurt so badly sometimes, Doctor Akagi? I don't understand..."
The older woman looked away, uncomfortable with the desperate tone of the girl's voice, -Damn,- she thought, -why do I always have to try and comfort them? I'm not the motherly kind!- To Hikari she said, "Most likely it is stress. You've recently gotten married, become an EVA pilot, and undergone a very trying experience in a foreign country. That's bound to take its toll on anyone."
Hikari frowned, "But... the pain is... I..."
Ritsuko sighed, "Hikari, look..." she said, rubbing the bridge of her nose, "I can't find anything wrong with you... so unless it's something our instruments can't detect, it's in your mind... I'm sorry."
Hikari nodded and stood to get dressed, "I see... thank you for helping me, Doctor Akagi... and for not telling Touji. I don't want him to worry."
In spite of herself, Ritsuko smiled as the girl finished dressing and got ready to leave, "You're welcome, Hikari... I hope you feel better." Of all the pilots (and all their problems) she liked Hikari the best... she was the most child-like of the entire group - and for some reason, that gave Ritsuko some hope for the future of the world... even if her own future was uncertain.
Hikari thanked her again and walked home in thoughtful silence. In spite of Ritsuko's assurances, she knew that something was wrong - she just knew it.
As she reached the modest Suzuhara home, she put on a smile. "Everything ok?" Touji asked as she came in the door. Her heart clenched in a combination of guilt and happiness. Guilt that she was about to lie to him, and happiness that he had been waiting for her when she got there.
"Everything's fine, honey," she said, embracing him and kissing him lightly on the lips, "I told you it was just a routine exam."
He smiled and scratched the back of his head sheepishly, "Yeah, I know..." he said with a small blush (a sight that would have instantly destroyed his tough-guy reputation at school), "I just... well, you know..."
She smiled, "Yes," she said, kissing him longer, "I love you too." She sighed and put her head on his shoulder as he held her, -Please, Lord...- she prayed silently, -let me be alright...-
Like many prayers... hers was to go unanswered.
**
Shinji Ikari and Asuka Langley Souryu sat staring at each other across the kitchen table.
Neither said a word.
Between them sat an unopened box.
"It's not like she would ever find out..." Asuka said finally, her tone reasonable, "she's at work all day, and never checks in on us..."
Shinji frowned, "Well, yeah... but we would know... and we promised..."
She growled in frustration, "Look," she said firmly, "Misato said we had to stay home today and do homework... she MUST know that we would... would want to... you know..."
He grinned ruefully, "What if she's testing us? Trying to see if we WOULD - even though we said we wouldn't?"
"She didn't say, 'You can't do it in your room,' did she?" Asuka looked hopeful.
Shinji shook his head and sighed, "Unfortunately no... she said not in the house..."
"Damn..." she whispered.
They lapsed into silence once more, staring at the box of ice cream intently.
"It's a stupid rule!" Asuka burst out suddenly, "Just because ONE time we got a LITTLE on the couch... I see no reason why-"
"It was a gallon," Shinji reminded her with a smile, cutting into her tirade before it gathered too much steam, "and we got it ALL over the living room... or maybe you forgot exactly WHAT we were doing?"
She blushed, "Yeah, well... at least she didn't find out that we broke THAT rule..."
They both smiled as they remembered the afternoon in question.
They had covered up by saying that they had gotten into an ice cream fight... but the skeptical look on her face said loud and clear that she didn't buy it. However, the faint smile as she told them to clean it up and NEVER eat ice cream in the house said loud and clear that she understood.
Shinji was just opening his mouth to say that TECHNICALLY the patio wasn't IN the apartment, when his cell phone rang. He picked it up, "Yes? Oh, Hi Misato..." he flushed guiltily, mouthing 'Told you so,' to Asuka.
His face drained of color as he listened, then said, "I... I understand, we're on the way..." He hung up and met Asuka's eyes, "There's an angel. They haven't sounded the alarm yet because it's advancing slowly and they need us to get there before people start evacuating and the streets get crowded."
Asuka paled, "An angel?" She had still not quite gotten over the encounter with the fifteenth.
Shinji nodded, "Yes... Rei's already at headquarters, so they're going to launch her once the angel gets closer... but we need to get there to play backup. Hikari and Touji are already on the way."
Asuka nodded and stood... then smiled and said, "Hey, Shinji... they're the Suzuharas, right?"
He blinked, "Well, yeah... they're married..." he didn't bother to hide his confusion, "so?"
She began moving towards the door, "So..." she said, slipping her shoes on, "we ever going to be the Ikaris?"
Shinji tripped over the kitchen chair and fell down, much to the delight of his love - who help him stand and tried not to laugh too hard. "Umm... yeah..." he said, blushing deeply as she hoisted him from the floor, "someday... yeah..."
She grinned broadly, "I want a diamond ring," she said teasingly, "and when the time comes I better get a better proposal then your acceptance." He fell to one knee and she laughed, pulling him back up, "Not NOW, you idiot," she giggled, kissing him, "there's an angel, remember? I meant in like a year or two... and I want it to be a surprise."
He grinned sheepishly, "I... yeah..." as she turned, he grabbed her hand, "Asuka?" He said softly, "Will you? When the time is right?"
"Don't be stupid!" She said with an exasperated sigh, "And get your shoes on!" As she hustled him out the door she muttered, "Moron... of course I will... why would I have brought it up if I wasn't going to, I mean honestly..."
She berated him gently the whole way to headquarters, leaving the ice cream to melt silently on the table.
**
Unit 00 moved carefully towards the glowing halo in the sky, the blue mecha holding its huge rifle at the ready.
In Central Dogma, Misato leaned closer to the screen, frowning deeply. "Be careful, Rei..." she said, "just because it hasn't moved yet doesn't mean that-"
"It is coming..." Rei's soft voice replied.
As if on cue, the halo broke apart, becoming a white, serpentine bar in the sky.
"Rei, watch out!" Misato called... but the First Child never had a chance to move.
The angel suddenly exploded into motion, moving towards Unit 00 so fast that Rei barely had a chance to raise her AT field.
It did her no good.
The angel rammed straight through the field and embedded itself in Unit 00's stomach, burrowing in even as Rei brought the Unit's rifle up to bear and fired round after round into the angel's body at pointblank range.
"The angel is merging with Unit 00!" Maya called out, "Its already two percent fused."
Onscreen, Unit 00 dropped its rifle and fell on its back, trying to pull the angel out with its bare hands.
"Launch Units 04 and 02 immediately," Misato said smoothly, "have Unit 03 stand by."
"Yes, ma'am!" Maya replied, triggering the launch code.
Both Units shot to the surface, side by side. As they reached the top, Asuka said, "Hikari, you hang back... I'll take care of this."
Her friend's voice came back to her, sounding tired, "Yeah... ok..." Asuka frowned in concern for a moment, but her attention was drawn to the angel forcing its way into Unit 00.
She snarled unconsciously as she brought her rifle around to bear and raised her AT field.
"The angel is moving..." Maya reported. Onscreen, the end of the angel that was not embedded in Unit 00 whipped around as Unit 02's field came up. It seemed to tense for a moment, then shot towards the red machine.
Asuka barely had time so sidestep as the white being rocketed past her, smashing her rifle to pieces on its way by. "Damn you!" She screamed. Her eyes narrowed as the angel came around for another pass, gauging.
Smiling, she whirled Unit 02 around and sprinted in the opposite direction.
"Asuka!" Misato's startled cry reached her, "What are you doing?"
Asuka ignored her, pushing up on the controls and urging more speed from her Unit, bringing it around a mountainside.
In Central Dogma, all eyes were on the screen as the angel stopped its pursuit and began heading back towards Unit 00.
There was a collective gasp as Unit 02 reappeared on the other side of the mountain, running flat out.
Asuka twisted the control yokes inward, causing the red mecha to leap into the air. "Now, you son of a bitch!!" She screamed, landing with both feet on the free end of the angel's white body. She smiled as she reached forward and began tearing at the white matter underfoot.
Her smile fell away as the angel screamed... with Rei's voice.
"What the...?" She tried to pull away, but found that the angel stuck to her EVA like warm taffy.
"The angel is invading Unit 02 as well!" Maya shouted.
"Asuka, pull back!" Misato ordered, "Hikari, stay out of range, understood?"
Unit 02 tore itself away from the angel with some difficulty and stumbled away, ducking behind a building as the creature tried to pursue.
Within Unit 04's entry plug, Hikari was bathed in sweat. -I feel like I'm burning up...- she thought as she guided the mecha to a safe distance, -please let this end soon...-
**
In the cages, Shinji and Touji sat in their EVAs... tensely watching the fight on their small monitor screens.
"You know what?" Touji said sullenly, "This sucks. We have to sit here while our women fight for us..." he shook his head, grumbling, "it's just not proper..."
Shinji didn't know if he should laugh at his friend's old-fashioned reasoning... or agree with him. He settled for changing the subject, "Well..." he said absently, staring at the battle, "at least it's a break from homework..."
Touji snorted and met Shinji's gaze on the small monitor, "Yeah... like that's a problem for you," he said, frowning as tried to keep track of the action, "you're, what, a STRAIGHT A student? Which reminds me, what did you get on the last-"
Shinji frowned as his friend stopped talking in mid-sentence, a strange look coming over his face. "You ok?" He asked, looking from Touji to the fight and back, "What is it?"
Touji didn't respond, instead he addressed the command room, clicking buttons on his control yokes as he talked, "EVA Unit 03, launching on route five."
"WHAT?" Misato's face came onscreen, "You and Unit 01 are not cleared to launch, Suzuhara!" He watched as she turned to the side, "Lock Unit 03 down."
Touji smiled as he finished the sequence of keystrokes. "I... I can't..." Maya's surprised voice reached him, "it's been overridden somehow!" It was a little trick Asuka had taught him in a moment of civility... just a little feedback on the right circuits, and the EVA was free for two minutes solid. When he had asked her WHY she knew how to do it, she had looked away, mumbling something about no one pressurizing HER LCL.
"Touji!" Misato's eyes burned into him, "I am giving you a direct order to stand down... there's nothing you can do."
Ignoring her, Touji activated the catapult. As he shot to the surface, his mind raced, -I hope this works...-
"DAMNIT!" Misato yelled, slamming her fist down on the closest console, "The minute he gets back I want him detained!"
A cool voice behind her made her head come around quickly, "If he defeats the angel... he will not be detained, Major..." Gendou said firmly behind her, "or perhaps you have forgotten our purpose here."
She flushed, "No... sir..." she said, "but orders-"
He cut her off, "I am concerned that you did not launch Unit 03 in the first place," his voice held a dangerous edge, "at this time, the pilot's sync rate is higher than that of the Fifth Child's."
She looked away, "I... felt that his bravado would be a hindrance in this scenario, sir..." she said quietly. -And I don't trust Unit 03 as far as I can throw it...- she thought darkly, -I don't care WHAT Ritsuko says...-
"You are aware of the stakes, Major..." Gendou continued after a moment's silence, "if you are not willing to use the tools at your disposal, I will find someone who is... understood?"
She nodded, "Yes sir..." she whispered.
**
Rei opened her eyes. "What is this place?" She whispered, looking around.
There was a large lake of LCL in front of her... and a platform of some kind that she was standing on... but other than that, there was nothing. Try as she might, she could not see anything past the horizon.
As she surveyed the scene, she noticed a figure standing hip-deep in the amber fluid, its head down.
"Who are you?" Rei asked quietly.
The figure looked up at her, and she was surprised to see her own features. For a moment, they wavered slightly, as if unsure of what they wanted to be... and the other Rei's hair darkened slightly. Finally, it became solidly her... and it whispered, "Do you not want to be one with me?"
Rei shook her head, "No... you are you... I am I..." She felt an odd sense of deja vu as she looked at her reflection-self. -I... have seen myself like this... somehow... long ago...-
"It does not matter," the other Rei was saying, "it is already begun. Soon we will be united - ALL will be united... even your children."
"I... do not have children..." Rei answered, confused.
The other Rei smiled, "You are not even aware of yourself... of your origins. But that will change. Soon all will be made clear to you."
Rei stared in silence for a moment, trying to isolate the feeling of familiarity within her.
Her mirror image spoke once more, "We have many wonders to see together, Mother... will you not take my hand? It will be less... painful, that way..."
"Mother?" Rei echoed, a memory tickling the back of her mind. Cleaning... wringing out a towel... Shinji saying... what? What did he say? Something embarrassing...
"You are confused, Mother..." the other Rei said softly. "You feel things... and you do not understand them. You are alone, but you do not know HOW alone..." she smiled, her eyes shifting from red to empty black, "let me show you..."
Rei's senses were suddenly assailed as the angel made contact with her mind... and showed her what the meaning of loneliness was. Had the experience not been so painful... she might have remembered the lesson in time to save incalculable suffering...
**
Unit 03 slammed to a halt on the surface, stepping out of the elevator with ponderously slow movements.
"What is he doing?" Misato whispered, "Touji! Take the rifle!!"
The black mecha marched past the weapons building and straight towards the angel, which was watching its approach with little interest... until Touji activated the Unit's AT field. Then, like with Unit 02, it tensed and leapt forward. Touji let it come, extending Unit 03's arms and crouching the machine to brace for the collision.
The angel rammed into the black Unit, clipping through its AT field at if it wasn't there and starting to burrow in.
"Fusion starting..." Maya said tensely, "one percent... two... four..." her eyebrows shot up, "wait!"
"YES!" Touji's triumphant cry echoed through Central Dogma, as all eyes went to the monitor to behold the spectacle unfolding there.
The angel was pulling away from Unit 03, weaving from side to side like a confused snake.
"What's going on?" Misato wondered aloud.
"Biology, Major." Touji's voice came back to her, sounding incredibly satisfied, "Since Unit 03 had already been taken over by an angel once before, it has..." he paused, slightly at a loss for words, "angel antibodies, I guess."
Ritsuko slapped her forehead, "Of course! Since the angel is a foreign body, the EVA considers it a virus - and it's defending itself!"
Maya spoke hesitantly, "Ummm... Major, I... I have an idea..."
Misato and Ritsuko listened carefully as she outlined her idea to them. When she was finished they both nodded. Misato shot a look at Ritsuko, her eyebrow arched, Ritsuko nodded her approval and Misato leaned over Maya's desk, "Maya, since timing is of the essence in this plan, the handling of this operation will be entirely yours."
Maya turned to her, dumbfounded, "M-Me?"
Misato nodded and smiled gently, "I have confidence in you."
Maya turned back to her desk, blushing fiercely, "Ok, Units 02 and 04, get behind Unit 03. This is what we're going to do..."
**
"A tear?" Rei came back to herself as the first drop hit her leg, "Am... am I the one who is crying?" She looked around, noticing the other three EVAs, two crouching behind the last, and the other half of the angel whipping around, apparently trying to find a way to reach them. "You... will not!!" she cried out.
Maya's voice sounded awed, "Rei... Rei has inverted her AT field... she's containing the angel!" Her eyes went wide, "Unit 00's self-destruct has just activated... seventy seconds until detonation." She leaned closer to her microphone, "Rei! Rei, eject now!"
"No..." Rei said, "if I eject, the AT field will collapse."
"Rei..." Touji's quiet voice spoke to her as the timer reached sixty seconds, "it won't get away."
Fifty seconds.
"But... but, if I eject... the angel will-" Rei began uncertainly.
Forty-five seconds
Touji cut her off, "You're going to have to trust us, Rei... can you trust us?"
Thirty-eight seconds
"I... I do not know..." -Trust him...THEM? Trust? Can I?- her thoughts whirled frantically.
Thirty-five seconds
Touji didn't know what else to say... fortunately he didn't have to.
Shinji's voice came through Unit 00's speakers, "Please trust them Rei... please? For me?"
Twenty-four seconds
-For him...- Rei thought, a cool calmness stealing over her.
Twenty-three seconds.
She made her choice.
**
Unit 00's back blew away, and Rei's entry plug rocketed backwards.
"Pilot is clear!" Maya yelled triumphantly, "The angel is trying to separate from Unit 00."
"Asuka! Hikari! NOW!" So saying, Touji concentrated on spreading his EVA's AT field. Unit 02 and Unit 04 stepped around the black EVA and did the same, overlapping the fields and trapping the angel within their confines.
The angel battered at each AT field desperately... but without the momentum it had when it penetrated Unit 00's it could not get through.
"Unit 00 will self-destruct in twenty seconds," Maya said from her post, "nineteen, eighteen, seventeen..."
Touji smiled, -Payback is a bitch, ain't it?- he thought savagely.
"T-Touji?" Hikari's voice came to him, sounding weak, "I... I don't know how much longer I can hold it..."
Touji frowned, "Just a little longer, honey... we're almost there." -She does not sound good...- he thought, concerned, -I should have insisted she stay home...-
"Hang on, Hikari," Asuka spoke grimly, her eyes never leaving the now-frantic angel, "it'll all be over soon."
As Asuka finished, Maya's countdown reached zero... and the space within the three AT fields become filled with explosive force, "Hang on!" Maya shouted.
The three pilots held on, focusing all of their will on maintaining the fields.
Touji watched with squinted eyes and a vicious smile as the angel was vaporized by the blast, his thoughts unknowingly echoing Asuka's, -NOW I can sleep...-
"Ok, now!" Maya yelled, and the three EVAs each took one pace backwards and raised their hands a few feet. The end result of this action was that the remaining energy was channeled upwards, reducing the damage to the Geofront... but not before a small lake could be formed exactly on the ground where Unit 00 once stood.
**
Deep in Terminal Dogma... in a room that only two people on Earth knew existed... a young girl with dark hair opened her eyes.
**
Several seconds of silence followed the massive explosion, broken finally by Touji and Asuka simultaneously screaming, "YES!!"
Maya leaned back in he seat, allowing a small sigh of relief to escape her lips. She looked at Misato and Ritsuko, both of whom nodded, "Evangelion Units 02, 03, and 04, mission accomplished... please return to the cages." She said happily.
"You don't have to tell me twice!" Asuka said, willing the red EVA forward, "I want a long bath..."
Touji frowned as he began to move, speaking almost at the same time as Shinji, "Will Rei be alright?"
Misato nodded, "There is a recovery unit on its way. She'll probably be in the hospital for a day or two to make sure there are no lasting effects from the angel fusing with her EVA." -Her EVA...- she thought sadly, looking at the small lake, -Now what?-
Ritsuko was frowning, "Didn't you hear the order, Hikari? Return to base." Her voice holding a slight edge as unit 04 stood immobile
Hikari's head was pounding as her vision became double. She found that she could not make the EVA move. "Something's... wrong," she gasped, her face covered in sweat, "I can't... I can't think straight!"
"DAMN!" Ritsuko shouted, looking at Hikari's vital signs, "Eject her plug, something IS wrong!."
"HIKARI!!!!" Touji's desperate cry rang through headquarters as his EVA spun around and ran towards the spot where his wife's entry plug had touched down.
"Sorry..." Hikari whispered, then blackness overtook her.
**
Rei awoke, opening her eyes slowly. The entry plug landing was rather rough, and she had been knocked unconscious.
She looked around and blinked hard before speaking, "Shin...ji? Pilot Souryu??" She could not hide the surprise in her voice.
Asuka crossed her arms and sniffed, looking away, "I'm not here JUST for you..."
Rei caught the emphasis on the word 'just', -Meaning you are here PARTLY for me...- she thought, almost smiling at the thought, -I... I would not have guessed that you cared, Pilot Souryu.-
Shinji looked at her worriedly, putting his hand on hers, "Are you ok?" He paused, "I mean really?"
Rei nodded and sat up. Finally taking notice of the room's other occupant, she gasped, "Pilot Suzuhara?"
Touji held his wife's hand against his cheek, tears running silently down his face. He looked up at Rei, smiling sadly, "They... they don't know what's wrong with her, Ayanami... she just passed out and..." His voice cracked, "and they can't get her to wake up..." more tears ran from his eyes, and he kissed her limp hand softly.
Rei didn't know what to say, -I... I do not know this emotion... is it... loss?- To Touji she said, "I am truly sorry that your wife is unwell... Touji."
He looked at her, startled at hearing her use his first name, "Thank you..." he whispered, "Rei."
She nodded slightly and turned to Shinji and Asuka, "Pilot Souryu, Shinji... thank you for... for coming to see me..." she blushed, still unused to expressing gratitude.
Shinji squeezed her hand, nodding as he stood up, "As many times as you came to see me, when I was sick, it was the least I could do." He moved to Touji and put a hand on his shoulder, "Are you ok for a while? We need to shower and get out of these plugsuits."
Touji nodded, "Yeah... yeah I'll be fine." He frowned, looking down at his stricken wife, "but you'll come back, right? I... I can't stay awake much longer, and I want someone here in case..." his voice started to crack again, "in case she wakes up." He stroked her cheek softly, whispering, "I don't want her to be scared..."
Shinji squeezed his shoulder, "We'll be back as fast as we can." He took Asuka's hand, and they headed for the door. Ushering Asuka out first, Shinji turned to Rei, "You know something, Rei?" She looked at him questioningly, "I..." he broke off, wiping his eyes, "I'm glad you're ok."
Rei smiled slightly, which was all that Shinji wanted. He started to close the door.
Rei spoke quietly, making him hesitate, "It was because of you." Seeing his confusion she went on, "I did not trust them... I trusted YOUR faith in them. You saved me, Shinji..." Not knowing what to say, Shinji just nodded, blushing. He closed the door softly.
Rei looked at Touji, who was staring at her with a puzzled look on his face. "What is it?" Rei asked.
Touji shook his head slowly, still clutching Hikari's hand, "Nothing... it's just... never mind, it's stupid."
Rei frowned, "Please... I will not laugh."
Touji spoke reluctantly, looking at Hikari instead off meeting the blue-hared girl's eyes. "Ok... for one thing I've never seen you smile before, and..." he shook his head, feeling foolish, "and when you smile you could pass for Shinji's sister. Silly, huh?" He looked at Rei, expecting her to be frowning.
Rei's eyes and mouth were wide, the word 'sister' echoing in her head.
-That feels so... right...- she thought, shocked. "Thank you." She said to a confused Touji.
"You're... you're welcome... I guess..." he said hesitantly.
**
Now dressed in street clothes, Asuka and Shinji returned to the room quietly, not wanting to disturb the occupants. When they entered, they found Touji asleep on Rei's bed and Rei watching over his sleeping wife.
Rei looked up as they walked in, and spoke without preamble, "Shinji, there is something that I need to speak to you ab-"
"Pilot Ikari," he turned around to find Ritsuko standing behind him in the hallway, "would you come with me please?"
He looked at Rei, "Can it wait for a while, Rei?" She nodded reluctantly "Ok... I'll be back as soon as I can." He kissed Asuka briefly, whispering, "Be nice."
She stuck her tongue out and whispered back, "I make no guarantees... hurry back." She grabbed him and kissed him properly, "Now you can go." She said as she released him and sat in one of the chairs by Hikari's bed.
A little dizzy, Shinji stepped back, blushing. "Ok, doctor, guess I'm ready now." He grinned from ear to ear.
Ritsuko rolled her eyes in disgust, "This way."
She led him deep into the complex, only answering his questions with monosyllabic murmurs until he gave up and just followed. Finally they reached a huge door, marked all over with warnings indicating that trespassers would be shot on sight and the like. She produced an access card from one of the pockets of her lab coat and swiped it through a reader.
Nothing happened.
She swiped it again, frowning deeply. Shinji looked at the door curiously, wondering what was behind it. Since he was looking away, he didn't see Misato step up from the shadows and press her gun to the back of Ritsuko's head.
"It won't open without my code..." Misato whispered, "but I can't get to the deeper rooms." She cocked the pistol, "So show me... let's end this game, Ritsu..."
The blonde smiled, "Ok... but he gets to see too..." She gestured with her head towards Shinji, who was watching the proceedings with wide eyes.
Misato hesitated... then nodded, "Alright..." she said softly. She stepped to the side, keeping the gun trained on Ritsuko and coming closer to Shinji. Ritsuko sighed and waited for her 'friend' to open the door.
After the door had been opened, they made there way deep into the recesses of Terminal Dogma. Ritsuko showed them the resting place of the first attempts to make an Evangelion, eliciting shocked gasps from both Shinji and Misato. Then she led them deeper, passing through a sparse room, furnished with a bed and a nightstand. The beaker on the nightstand caught Shinji's eye, as did a dusty, long-disused crib in the corner.
"This looks almost like Rei's apartment," Shinji commented as they moved through.
Ritsuko smiled... it made Shinji's heart go cold, "This is the place Rei grew up..." she said coolly, "this is the place she called home until the commander took her to his apartment to live with him."
"Why?" Misato wanted to know, "Why did he suddenly take her in? I thought she had always lived with him?"
Ritsuko reached and opened the room's other door, "No... not always. She lived here until she was seven, and an... accident occurred. After that, Commander Ikari deemed that this place was unsafe for her."
Shinji opened his mouth to ask what type of accident, but Ritsuko raised a hand to cut him off, "I'll explain everything in the next room."
They followed her through the door and into a dark room. Shinji thought he could detect the smell of LCL... faint, but unmistakable. As his eyes adjusted to the dark, he heard Ritsuko whisper quietly, "Here... here is the answer to your questions, Misato..."
He heard a small click, and a soft glow began to rise from the floor, becoming brighter until Shinji could see... everything.
He managed not to scream - barely.
All around him... left... right... directly ahead... were copies of Rei. Hundreds... maybe thousands of Reis floating in a huge tank filled with LCL.
"What the...?" Misato's breathless gasp broke the silence that had fallen.
As one, the clones turned to face them... and Shinji had to struggle to maintain his sanity as hundreds of giggles echoed through the dense liquid.
"What is this place?" Misato managed to get out.
"This is the heart of the dummy plug system," Ritsuko replied calmly, sticking her hand into her pocket, "this is the raw material for the system itself. You know that it's based on Rei's thought patterns... now you know how."
"That's... inhuman..." Misato whispered, horrified, "harvesting... PEOPLE like this is..." she didn't - COULDN'T finish... the thought was so far from everything that she had been brought up to believe in.
"They're not human." Ritsuko said coldly, "Just spare parts..." she looked at the tank, "salvaged from the remains of the original pilot." She met Shinji's eyes, "You were there when she was lost..." she said softly, "do you remember?"
Shinji's eyes widened further, "I..." his voice dropped to a miserable whisper, "mother?"
In her mind, Ritsuko could only see Gendou's face as she looked at his son. She twisted the knife further, "Do you? You were looking into her eyes when she was taken..." her voice dropped to barely above a whisper, "you were the last... thing... she... saw... before she di-"
She was cutoff as Misato screamed, "That's enough!!!" She looked at Shinji, who was staring into the empty eyes of one of the clones with a vacant expression on his face.
Misato was trembling with rage, "Why did you show him this... WHY!?"
The blonde's face grew hard, "Because..." she said in a cold voice, "because of who he is, and who SHE is... and what I'VE had to put up with for his FUCKING FAMILY!"
"You're crazy..." Misato whispered.
Ritsuko's face became smooth, "No," she said calmly, "I'm the only sane one here..." she pulled her hand out of her pocket, revealing a small remote control, "and I won't lose to her."
Misato tried to grab the control from the other woman, but she wasn't fast enough. Ritsuko pushed the button.
"My... God..." Shinji breathed in horror. Misato turned around to see what was wrong... and froze in place.
Inside the tank, a red light was flashing... and the clones were breaking apart.
"AHH!!!" Shinji clapped his hands over his ears and closed his eyes as the clones died... still sounding their childish, ethereal giggle.
"Stop this!!!" Misato yelled, "Stop it now!!"
Ritsuko shook her head, "It can't be stopped..." she said flatly, "now there will only ever be her and-" her voice cut off abruptly. She frowned, her finger hovering over a second button on the control. -I... I can't...- she thought, -she hasn't done anything wrong. She hasn't had the chance...-
Misato interrupted her thoughts by cocking the hammer on her pistol, "Drop the control, Ritsu." She commanded, her voice hard.
-Yes,- Ritsuko thought, ignoring Misato, -she deserves a chance.-
She deactivated the control, and set it gently on the floor.
Continued...
Author's notes: ((sigh)) just three more chapters to go... ((stretch)) Sorry it's taking so long... I never thought it would be this hard to say what I was trying to say...
Thanks to Ryoma for pre-reading once again.
Feedback is always welcome at random1377@yahoo.com