You Wish! Productions presents...
Neon Genesis Evangelion: Cross
By: Blue Taboo
Chapter 5: The First Step of the Journey
They had ridden in silence, and now they walked in silence. Shinji knew that he didn't have to ask Misato what they were doing or where they were going and he also knew that there was no point in trying to get out of it. He was afraid, really afraid, but fear was no stranger to Ikari Shinji. At least he had sense enough to keep his dignity through keeping quiet. That could only help him for so long, for room number 103 was growing closer and closer and Misato wasn't walking any slower.
She stopped just outside the door and regarded him with that cold look she
usually reserved for him when there was an Angel rampaging around the city.
It reminded him of the first day he met her. Maybe it was some sort of trick
his senses were playing on him, but her face looked exactly the same as
when she had said, "Get inside," with that cold uncaring voice.
There were two sides to the purple-haired Major, and Shinji found that he
really didn't like this one.
She opened the door for him and told him, "I'll wait outside. Don't
do anything stupid."
That was certainly not what he needed to hear. Shinji nodded and swallowed
his fear then took a step into the cold and sterile hell of the hospital
room.
The door shut behind him.
The figure in front of him was in a state similar to the one Misato had
found her in. She seemed to be testing her arm out, fascinated by its movements.
When the sound of the door shutting altered her, her concentration was immediately
focused on Shinji. She was so foreign, even if he knew every feature of
her face and body, they were mixed in a way that was completely new. The
skin under her pale blue eyes was red and swollen, indicating that she had
been crying a lot. Her eyes were so tormented.
"Shinji?" she asked quietly, almost in disbelief, but somehow
relieved.
"This is unfortunate..." a voice decreed from the darkness.
"Truly unfortunate..." another agreed.
"Ikari seems to be unaware of the importance of the agenda..."
yet another pointed out.
"It seems that he has his own," came from the figure of an old
man surrounded by the voices in the darkness, that, if one was to look closely,
came from black monoliths bearing white numbers and the words 'SEELE' and
'SOUND ONLY' on each of them.
"Then he plans to defy us?" the one with '03' on it stated more
than asked.
"He already has..." the old man informed them.
"Sempai?" Maya inquired after the streak of blonde that flew past, grateful to take her eyes away from the computer.
Doctor Akagi reappeared in the doorway. "Yes, Maya. What is it?"
"I was just wondering if you're going to get some rest. You're coming
up on your forth shift in a row," the tech told her mentor.
"I have a lot of work to do," Ritsuko explained curtly and then
made off towards her office again. And a lot of that bastard's 'projects'
to undo...
"Y-yeah?" was all the pilot of Unit 01 could say in response.
"Pilot Ikari," the girl regarded him, her voice sounding much
calmer and a lot like Rei's, "I will inform you on the situation. Pilot
Sohryu and I are trapped within one body due to the accident that occurred
during the Eva to Eva synchronization experiment. I requested that Major
Katsuragi bring you here because--" she blinked in a surprised looking
manor, "Shinji! Don't listen to her! What did Misato tell you?"
Asuka most obviously questioned.
"N-nothing!"
"Good! Have you heard anything from that bitch Ritsuko yet? I want
my body back!" as her voice rose so did she, a bit unsteadily, from
the bed and stood before him.
"N-no!"
"Grr! Shinji, if I was--" she was interrupted as Rei took control,
"I would advise you to say something, Ikari-kun..."
"W-what?" Shinji was on the verge of collapse. He felt as if he
was about to faint right in front of the combined form of Rei and Asuka
standing before him.
"Sohryu is very distraught--" the girl clutched the side of the
bed to stabilize herself as control of the body was switched again, "She
won't even call me by my first name! Mein Gott! Tell Misato to get that
bitch on the phone RIGHT NOW!!!"
Shinji simply nodded in affirmative and bolted toward the door. He opened
it and met Misato's cold gaze once again. Her expression softened quickly
when she noticed that he was hyperventilating. "What's wrong?"
"Sh-she told me to t-tell you to call R-Ritsuko," he panted.
"All right," she said soothingly, "I'll do it right now.
Just sit down and catch your breath, okay?" she advised as she pulled
out her cell phone. She speed-dialed Ritsuko's office, since she figured
that the blonde scientist would be there.
"Ritsuko?" she asked is someone on the other end picked it up
after the third ring.
"Yes? What is it, Misato? I'm really busy right now," the very
tired voice of Doctor Akagi greeted her.
"I'm sure you've probably been told that the girl has both Rei and
Asuka's personalities, right?"
"Of course," the head of Project E affirmed, her voice a little
less annoyed as she became interested.
"I think that Asuka just yelled at Shinji for me to call you."
"What?! You brought him there?!" It sounded like a cup of coffee
was dropped in the background.
Misato winced. "Well she asked..."
"Misato! I can't believe you! As if that boy's sanity hadn't been shattered
already!"
"Well, what would you have done?" the purple-haired tactical officer
challenged.
"I certainly wouldn't have done that! How many more pilots are we going
to lose thanks to this fluke? What if he tells someone!?" Ritsuko charged.
"He won't tell anyone!"
"How can you be sure?"
"Because," Misato looked over to where Shinji had gone to sit
and found his limp form dangling over the side of the chair, "Oh shit!"
she cursed as she hung up.
Ritsuko's right...she thought to herself as she ran to get a doctor for
the boy, who had probably fainted from the shock, I barely even thought
about what this would do to him. What kind of guardian am I?
You would not let me speak...
Because you were going to say things that I don't want you to say!
I was merely trying to inform Pilot Ikari of the reason that I requested
that he be sent here...
Why DID you do that anyway?!
Because it would ease your pain...
What?!
I feel as you do, and I do not like this pain which you have brought
upon me. I knew Ikari-kun would bring some comfort to you and therefore
bring comfort to me. At least it is said that the ones you love bring you
comfort. I would not know this...
A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.
-- Chinese Proverb
-Blue Taboo-
