Chapter 9
Persuasion
2 weeks later, the students file back into their classrooms as the bell rings, announcing the end of lunch. Touji enters the classroom and heads towards his desk.
"Mr. Suzuhara."
Touji stops and walks up to the teacher.
"Yes, sensei?"
"They wish to see you in the office."
"Ok."
Touji exits the room and heads towards the office. He is directed into a room. It is bare except for a desk and two chairs. In one of the chairs sits a blonde woman in a lab coat. The door closes behind Touji.
"Please have a seat, Mr. Suzuhara."
Touji walks to the chair and sits.
"You are probably wondering why you are here."
"Yeah."
"Well, my name is Doctor Ritsuko Akagi, head of Project E."
Something in Touji's mind clicks at her name.
"Where have I heard that name before?" he wonders.
"You are aware of what NERV does, Mr. Suzuhara?"
"They protect the city and man-kind from the Angels."
"Well, Marduk has selected you as the Fourth Children."
Touji stiffens and sits up straight. Memories of Asuka referring to Shinji as the Third and Rei as the First come to mind.
"What are you saying?"
"You were chosen to be an Eva pilot, like your friends Rei, Asuka, and Shinji. It is an honor to be chosen as a pilot."
Touji sits there, remembering about the fight with the 4th Angel.
"What is this stuff?"
"My camera!" exclaims Kensuke.
The entry plug lights up. Touji and Kensuke look around at their new surroundings. Below them is Shinji. They look up and spot the Angel right in front of them, with its tentacle being held in Unit 01's hands. As the plug came online, they feel a tingling sensation in their hands. They watch as Shinji hurls the Angel down the hill.
"Shinji! Retreat for now."
The pair looks down at pilot.
"No. I mustn't run away. I mustn't run away. I mustn't run away.," he mumbles.
Unit 01 reaches towards its left shoulder wing and pulls out the Progressive Knife.
"Shinji, I order you to retreat!"
"Didn't you hear what she said?! Retreat!!" shouts the jock.
Shinji screams as he wills the Eva forward. It slides down the hill towards the Angel. The Angel sees the Eva and lashes out with its whips. They tear through the Eva's abdomen. Touji and Kensuke feel a slight burning sensation on their own abdomens. Touji realizes what just happened.
"He feels what this thing feels. That means its much worse for him than us," he thinks.
He looks at Shinji, whose face is covered with pain and anger. Unit 01 slams the knife into the Angel's core, sparks flying from it. After what seemed like an eternity, the plug goes black. Touji and Kensuke look at the now crying Shinji.
"It brings them nothing but pain and suffering," he thinks.
"No thanks. I think I'll pass."
Touji stands up and walks towards the door.
"It's a shame about your sister."
He stops dead in his tracks.
"Being a pilot does have its benefits, you know. We can help her."
Touji thinks about his sister in the hospital, of how the doctors there say that they can't do anything to help her walk again. He stares at the floor.
"Will you help her?"
"We'll move her to the NERV hospital where she will receive the best care and treatment from the very best. That is, if you agree to become a pilot."
Touji stands there, lost in thought. He turns around.
"I'll be a pilot, but I'm only doing this for her sake. Not yours, and not NERV's."
"Fine. We'll call you."
Touji opens the door and leaves the room. Ritsuko pulls out a cell phone after the door closes and dials a number.
"He accepted, with a little persuasion."
"Excellent."
She puts away the phone and leaves the room.
Persuasion
2 weeks later, the students file back into their classrooms as the bell rings, announcing the end of lunch. Touji enters the classroom and heads towards his desk.
"Mr. Suzuhara."
Touji stops and walks up to the teacher.
"Yes, sensei?"
"They wish to see you in the office."
"Ok."
Touji exits the room and heads towards the office. He is directed into a room. It is bare except for a desk and two chairs. In one of the chairs sits a blonde woman in a lab coat. The door closes behind Touji.
"Please have a seat, Mr. Suzuhara."
Touji walks to the chair and sits.
"You are probably wondering why you are here."
"Yeah."
"Well, my name is Doctor Ritsuko Akagi, head of Project E."
Something in Touji's mind clicks at her name.
"Where have I heard that name before?" he wonders.
"You are aware of what NERV does, Mr. Suzuhara?"
"They protect the city and man-kind from the Angels."
"Well, Marduk has selected you as the Fourth Children."
Touji stiffens and sits up straight. Memories of Asuka referring to Shinji as the Third and Rei as the First come to mind.
"What are you saying?"
"You were chosen to be an Eva pilot, like your friends Rei, Asuka, and Shinji. It is an honor to be chosen as a pilot."
Touji sits there, remembering about the fight with the 4th Angel.
"What is this stuff?"
"My camera!" exclaims Kensuke.
The entry plug lights up. Touji and Kensuke look around at their new surroundings. Below them is Shinji. They look up and spot the Angel right in front of them, with its tentacle being held in Unit 01's hands. As the plug came online, they feel a tingling sensation in their hands. They watch as Shinji hurls the Angel down the hill.
"Shinji! Retreat for now."
The pair looks down at pilot.
"No. I mustn't run away. I mustn't run away. I mustn't run away.," he mumbles.
Unit 01 reaches towards its left shoulder wing and pulls out the Progressive Knife.
"Shinji, I order you to retreat!"
"Didn't you hear what she said?! Retreat!!" shouts the jock.
Shinji screams as he wills the Eva forward. It slides down the hill towards the Angel. The Angel sees the Eva and lashes out with its whips. They tear through the Eva's abdomen. Touji and Kensuke feel a slight burning sensation on their own abdomens. Touji realizes what just happened.
"He feels what this thing feels. That means its much worse for him than us," he thinks.
He looks at Shinji, whose face is covered with pain and anger. Unit 01 slams the knife into the Angel's core, sparks flying from it. After what seemed like an eternity, the plug goes black. Touji and Kensuke look at the now crying Shinji.
"It brings them nothing but pain and suffering," he thinks.
"No thanks. I think I'll pass."
Touji stands up and walks towards the door.
"It's a shame about your sister."
He stops dead in his tracks.
"Being a pilot does have its benefits, you know. We can help her."
Touji thinks about his sister in the hospital, of how the doctors there say that they can't do anything to help her walk again. He stares at the floor.
"Will you help her?"
"We'll move her to the NERV hospital where she will receive the best care and treatment from the very best. That is, if you agree to become a pilot."
Touji stands there, lost in thought. He turns around.
"I'll be a pilot, but I'm only doing this for her sake. Not yours, and not NERV's."
"Fine. We'll call you."
Touji opens the door and leaves the room. Ritsuko pulls out a cell phone after the door closes and dials a number.
"He accepted, with a little persuasion."
"Excellent."
She puts away the phone and leaves the room.