Rei and Shinji are home alone. Their parents are still out at Nerv, working. Like always. Rei is used to being alone, but she doesn't think Shinji is. She's sitting in the living room, channel surfing, when she hears Shinji's door open.
"Shinji?"
"Hi." He walks toward the door.
"Where are you going?"
"I... I'm going for a walk. A long walk, I'll be back in a few hours."
"This walk wouldn't be in the direction of Hikari's house, would it?"
"What makes you say that?"
"A hunch."
"Well, it's wrong. I'm just going for a walk. I have to clear my mind. It'll take a while, don't wait up."
"I won't. Shinji?"
"Yeah?"
"Have fun at Hikari's"
Kensuke watches as Hikari opens the door and Shinji goes inside. They hadn't met after school, and Kensuke had gotten his hopes up. But now this is happening. He sits down on the cough to think about it. He doesn't get up for a long time.
Hikari opens the door and Shinji walks in. She smiles at him, but he doesn't smile back. Her smile fades and she leads him to the living room.
"Would you like a cup of tea Shinji?"
"Yes, please."
"Just a minute, I have some ready." She walks out to the kitchen and returns with two cups of green tea.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome." There's a long pause. Both of them take small sips of tea, but no one says anything. Then, Shinji breaks the silence.
"I'm sorry Hikari, I shouldn't've come. It was stupid, I didn't mean to bother you. I'll go now."
"No, it's not a bother. I... I wasn't sleeping. Please, stay." There's another silence. "Do you need any sugar? Milk? Cream maybe?"
"No thank you." There's one more pause, as the tension builds. Finally, Shinji can't take it. "Hikari. I... I have to tell you something."
"What?"
"Well, today, when I was avoiding you... it wasn't your fault. You didn't do anything wrong, I... I had a lot to think about. I still do..."
"I understand. When Touji first disappeare-" Shinji winces at Touji's name, and Hikari notices. "What? What's wrong?"
"Touji's one of the things I've been thinking about."
"What do you mean?"
"They want me to pilot."
"So when Touji gets back, you can be good friend. Do you know what your robot will look like?"
"Yes... they want me to pilot Unit-01."
"That's Touji's... isn't it?"
"Yes."
"So what will Touji pilot?"
"He... he won't be piloting."
"That's great! We'll have time to spend together."
"No. You won't."
"Why... why not? He doesn't have to pilot, they'll let him free, won't they?"
"They can't."
"Why not?"
"Because... well... this is hard to say."
"What? Just say it, I can take it."
"Hikari," Shinji takes a deep breath, "they won't be letting him free because... he won't be here to be free."
"He's being reassigned? Where to? Germany? The US? Where?"
"No. He's not being reassigned, he-" He stops. "He's not being retrieved."
"Wh... Wh... What do you mean?"
"Nerv won't expend the time and effort to retrieve him. They say that I'm a suitable replacement. I'm so sorry."
"My Touji... my Touji, gone forever? No, it can't be. You promised. You promised that they'd retrieve him!"
"I know... I know Hikari, believe me, I know. I feel like such a total jerk. I wish there was something I could do."
"What if you didn't pilot? What then? They'd have to bring him back, wouldn't they?"
"No. They could get a replacement."
"But... but... " Hikari can't say anything else and she breaks down crying. Shinji holds her in his arms and she cries onto his shoulder.
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry..." Shinji keeps repeating it over and over, hoping it will help. Hikari continues crying.
Shinji walks out of Hikari's house, looking like he hasn't gotten any sleep. His clothes are a mess, so is his hair. Kensuke sees him and steps out of the shadow. He walks up to Shinji and pushes him from behind. Shinji turns around and sees Kensuke.
"What do you want?"
"This." Kensuke slugs Shinji in the face as hard as he can. Shinji looks surprises as he falls to the ground.
"What the fuck are you do-" Shinji's cut off as Kensuke kicks him in the ribs. He rolls over and holds his side.
"You ASSHOLE. You fucking ASSHOLE."
"What are yo-" Shinji is cut off again as Kensuke starts kicking him in the ribs again. He rolls into a fetal position and Kensuke stomps on his side.
"What kind of fucking sicko are you to take advantage of Hikari like that? You disgust me." Shinji just groans. After five minutes, Kensuke has kicked Shinji's back, sides and head till he has blood everywhere. Kensuke spits on Shinji, then turns back toward his house. "If you EVER take advantage of Hikari like that again, this will seem like nothing. Got that?" Shinji doesn't reply. "I said you GOT THAT?" Shinji lets out a low moan. Kensuke looks satisfied, grabs his things and goes to school.
Hikari looks at her clock. School's starting, and she's late. She's never been late before. The class representative CAN'T be late. But she's still at home, and school is starting. She's late. She gets dressed and makes lunch for the day slowly. School's been going for 2 hours before she's ready to leave. She opens the door, and sees a bloody body lieing there in the street. She walks toward the school, but just a foot past the body she stops. She turns around and looks at the body. It's Shinji. Her eyes widen and she starts to run for help. She goes into her house and calls the emergency number Touji gave her. She is immediately connected to Nerv. The voice of Misato Katsuragi is on the other end.
"Yes?"
"I need help. I need help, help me. Please, help me. Come quickly."
"What? What's wrong? Who is this, and how did you get this number."
"Shinji. Shinji is... he's lieing outside, he's... oh god... he's just... help. Come quickly, please. HELP HIM."
"Shinji? Something's happened to Shinji? Where are you? WHO are you?"
"I'm... I.. Hikari Horaki. Please, come quickly."
"I'm sending someone now. Tell me, what's wrong? What happened to Shinji?"
"He... I don't know, he's just... just lieing there- help him. He's bloody, and I think he might be... might be- HELP."
"I'm coming as quickly as I can. Take the phone and wait outside. Just stay by him." Hikari takes the phone and waits outside.
Shinji tries to open his eyes but can't. He groans.
"Shinji?"
'That voice... I know that voice. Misato!' He tries to speak, but he can't.
"Be still, calm down Shinji. You're safe, you're in the Nerv hospital. There's been an accident.
'An accident? Then all of that was a dream. It was all a dream. My mother is dead... Touji is... Rei isn't my sister. It was all a dream.' Then he hears the one voice that ruins that all.
"Will my son be alright?"
"Calm down Dr. Ikari. We don't know yet. Right now, we're still waiting for the results. It's amazing he's even alive after the kind of beating he must've taken."
'My mother... but then... but why... ' Shinji makes one last groan, and then passes out.
"Shinji?"
"Hi." He walks toward the door.
"Where are you going?"
"I... I'm going for a walk. A long walk, I'll be back in a few hours."
"This walk wouldn't be in the direction of Hikari's house, would it?"
"What makes you say that?"
"A hunch."
"Well, it's wrong. I'm just going for a walk. I have to clear my mind. It'll take a while, don't wait up."
"I won't. Shinji?"
"Yeah?"
"Have fun at Hikari's"
Kensuke watches as Hikari opens the door and Shinji goes inside. They hadn't met after school, and Kensuke had gotten his hopes up. But now this is happening. He sits down on the cough to think about it. He doesn't get up for a long time.
Hikari opens the door and Shinji walks in. She smiles at him, but he doesn't smile back. Her smile fades and she leads him to the living room.
"Would you like a cup of tea Shinji?"
"Yes, please."
"Just a minute, I have some ready." She walks out to the kitchen and returns with two cups of green tea.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome." There's a long pause. Both of them take small sips of tea, but no one says anything. Then, Shinji breaks the silence.
"I'm sorry Hikari, I shouldn't've come. It was stupid, I didn't mean to bother you. I'll go now."
"No, it's not a bother. I... I wasn't sleeping. Please, stay." There's another silence. "Do you need any sugar? Milk? Cream maybe?"
"No thank you." There's one more pause, as the tension builds. Finally, Shinji can't take it. "Hikari. I... I have to tell you something."
"What?"
"Well, today, when I was avoiding you... it wasn't your fault. You didn't do anything wrong, I... I had a lot to think about. I still do..."
"I understand. When Touji first disappeare-" Shinji winces at Touji's name, and Hikari notices. "What? What's wrong?"
"Touji's one of the things I've been thinking about."
"What do you mean?"
"They want me to pilot."
"So when Touji gets back, you can be good friend. Do you know what your robot will look like?"
"Yes... they want me to pilot Unit-01."
"That's Touji's... isn't it?"
"Yes."
"So what will Touji pilot?"
"He... he won't be piloting."
"That's great! We'll have time to spend together."
"No. You won't."
"Why... why not? He doesn't have to pilot, they'll let him free, won't they?"
"They can't."
"Why not?"
"Because... well... this is hard to say."
"What? Just say it, I can take it."
"Hikari," Shinji takes a deep breath, "they won't be letting him free because... he won't be here to be free."
"He's being reassigned? Where to? Germany? The US? Where?"
"No. He's not being reassigned, he-" He stops. "He's not being retrieved."
"Wh... Wh... What do you mean?"
"Nerv won't expend the time and effort to retrieve him. They say that I'm a suitable replacement. I'm so sorry."
"My Touji... my Touji, gone forever? No, it can't be. You promised. You promised that they'd retrieve him!"
"I know... I know Hikari, believe me, I know. I feel like such a total jerk. I wish there was something I could do."
"What if you didn't pilot? What then? They'd have to bring him back, wouldn't they?"
"No. They could get a replacement."
"But... but... " Hikari can't say anything else and she breaks down crying. Shinji holds her in his arms and she cries onto his shoulder.
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry..." Shinji keeps repeating it over and over, hoping it will help. Hikari continues crying.
Shinji walks out of Hikari's house, looking like he hasn't gotten any sleep. His clothes are a mess, so is his hair. Kensuke sees him and steps out of the shadow. He walks up to Shinji and pushes him from behind. Shinji turns around and sees Kensuke.
"What do you want?"
"This." Kensuke slugs Shinji in the face as hard as he can. Shinji looks surprises as he falls to the ground.
"What the fuck are you do-" Shinji's cut off as Kensuke kicks him in the ribs. He rolls over and holds his side.
"You ASSHOLE. You fucking ASSHOLE."
"What are yo-" Shinji is cut off again as Kensuke starts kicking him in the ribs again. He rolls into a fetal position and Kensuke stomps on his side.
"What kind of fucking sicko are you to take advantage of Hikari like that? You disgust me." Shinji just groans. After five minutes, Kensuke has kicked Shinji's back, sides and head till he has blood everywhere. Kensuke spits on Shinji, then turns back toward his house. "If you EVER take advantage of Hikari like that again, this will seem like nothing. Got that?" Shinji doesn't reply. "I said you GOT THAT?" Shinji lets out a low moan. Kensuke looks satisfied, grabs his things and goes to school.
Hikari looks at her clock. School's starting, and she's late. She's never been late before. The class representative CAN'T be late. But she's still at home, and school is starting. She's late. She gets dressed and makes lunch for the day slowly. School's been going for 2 hours before she's ready to leave. She opens the door, and sees a bloody body lieing there in the street. She walks toward the school, but just a foot past the body she stops. She turns around and looks at the body. It's Shinji. Her eyes widen and she starts to run for help. She goes into her house and calls the emergency number Touji gave her. She is immediately connected to Nerv. The voice of Misato Katsuragi is on the other end.
"Yes?"
"I need help. I need help, help me. Please, help me. Come quickly."
"What? What's wrong? Who is this, and how did you get this number."
"Shinji. Shinji is... he's lieing outside, he's... oh god... he's just... help. Come quickly, please. HELP HIM."
"Shinji? Something's happened to Shinji? Where are you? WHO are you?"
"I'm... I.. Hikari Horaki. Please, come quickly."
"I'm sending someone now. Tell me, what's wrong? What happened to Shinji?"
"He... I don't know, he's just... just lieing there- help him. He's bloody, and I think he might be... might be- HELP."
"I'm coming as quickly as I can. Take the phone and wait outside. Just stay by him." Hikari takes the phone and waits outside.
Shinji tries to open his eyes but can't. He groans.
"Shinji?"
'That voice... I know that voice. Misato!' He tries to speak, but he can't.
"Be still, calm down Shinji. You're safe, you're in the Nerv hospital. There's been an accident.
'An accident? Then all of that was a dream. It was all a dream. My mother is dead... Touji is... Rei isn't my sister. It was all a dream.' Then he hears the one voice that ruins that all.
"Will my son be alright?"
"Calm down Dr. Ikari. We don't know yet. Right now, we're still waiting for the results. It's amazing he's even alive after the kind of beating he must've taken."
'My mother... but then... but why... ' Shinji makes one last groan, and then passes out.