Chapter 17
"I'm home," weakly announces Misato as she enters the apartment.
She looks around.
"Where are they?" she wonders.
Her question is answered by a note placed on her beer fridge, stating that they had gone out. Misato lets out a sigh and opens the fridge. She grabs a beer and sits down at the table. After taking a long drink, she rests her head on the table and thinks.
"What have you gotten yourself into, Kaji?"
FLASHBACK
A few hours ago…
Misato sits in a dark room. Across from her stand two Section 2 agents.
"Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki was abducted?" asks Misato.
"He was abducted two hours ago and was last seen in the 8th District," replies one of the agents.
"That's inside out installation. What the hell are you guys in intelligence going?"
"The whole thing was set up by someone inside our operation. We were taken by surprise."
"Someone who could outwit Section 2? It couldn't be him!" whispers Misato.
"Ryoji Kaji is suspected of being the mastermind behind this plot."
"Then that's why you can for me."
"We believe that you can be of use to us. As your colleagues, we regret having to consider the Director of Tactical Operations as a suspect, but that is the nature of our profession."
Misato reaches into her jacket and pulls out her gun and NERV ID card, placing both items on the table.
"Considering our relationship, it's a natural precaution."
"We appreciate your cooperation. Take her away."
A few hours later…
The door to the darkened brig opens with a hiss. Misato looks up from her chair. An agent walks in and holds out a tray with her gun and ID card.
"Thank you for your cooperation."
"Is it over?" asks Misato.
"Yes, the problem has been solved."
"I see."
Misato stands up and takes her gun and ID card, placing both items back in her jacket.
"Where is he?"
"I have no idea."
Elsewhere….
Kaji stands against a wall in an industrial building. Behind him, a giant industrial ventilation fan slowly spins. The sound of footsteps soon echoes throughout the large area. Kaji turns from his sideward gaze and looks at the approaching person.
"Oh, hi! You're late."
A gunshot echoes throughout the area.
END FLASHBACK
Misato stands up from the table and walks own the hallway to her room. As she passes by the answering machine, she notices that there's a message on the machine. She stops and presses the play button.
"Katsuragi, it's me," comes Kaji's voice over the recorder, "I'm sure you're listening to this message, especially after I caused you so much trouble. Sorry. Please tell Ristuko 'I'm sorry,' too. And there's one more thing to trouble you with. I've been growing watermelons. I'd appreciate it if you could water them for me. Asuka knows where they are. Katsuragi, the truth is with you. Don't hesitate, move ahead! If I ever see you again, I'll say the words I couldn't say eight years ago. Bye."
Misato places her hands on the table to hold herself up as tears begin to fall down her face.
"This message was recorded at 12:02 pm."
"You fool. You were always such a fool."
Misato falls to her knees, unable to stop the tears from coming.
The door to the apartment opens.
"We're home, Misato!" shouts Shinji.
The two pilots enter the apartment, removing their shoes at the door. As they enter the living room, they notice the sound of crying emanating from somewhere in the apartment. Cautiously, they both follow the sound of until they find Misato, on her knees, crying by the answering machine. Shinji and Asuka rush to the side of their guardian.
"Misato, what's wrong?" asks a concerned Shinji.
Misato responds by clutching the boy and resting her head in his shoulder, continuing to cry.
"He's not coming back…not coming back…," mutters Misato.
Shinji and Asuka help Misato to her feet and half carry, half drag her to her room. They lay her down in her bed. Asuka leaves the room.
"What got into her?" she wonders.
She stops at the answering machine.
"Maybe this has some answers."
She walks over to the machine and replays and most recent message.
In the meantime, Shinji had covered Misato with her futon and stayed by her side until she had calmed down. Satisfied that she was asleep, he slowly walked out of the room and closed the door. He turns and heads to find Asuka. As he nears her, he can hear the ending of a message being played.
"…I couldn't say eight years ago. Bye."
"That sounded like Kaji," he thinks.
He stops to find Asuka, tears in her eyes as she gazes at the answering machine.
"Asuka! What's wrong?"
He walks to the side of his girlfriend. She looks up at him with tear- filled eyes.
"He's gone, Shinji."
"Who's gone?"
Asuka wipes the tears from her eyes and replays the message for Shinji. As the message ends, tears till Shinji's eyes.
"My God. Misato must be devastated."
"He's not coming back, Shinji…"
Shinji embraces Asuka as she cries on his chest.
"It's ok, Asuka. Don't worry, I'm here."
He does his best to console her. After she had calmed down a bit, they both went to his room and fell asleep, wrapped in each other's loving embrace.
"I'm home," weakly announces Misato as she enters the apartment.
She looks around.
"Where are they?" she wonders.
Her question is answered by a note placed on her beer fridge, stating that they had gone out. Misato lets out a sigh and opens the fridge. She grabs a beer and sits down at the table. After taking a long drink, she rests her head on the table and thinks.
"What have you gotten yourself into, Kaji?"
FLASHBACK
A few hours ago…
Misato sits in a dark room. Across from her stand two Section 2 agents.
"Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki was abducted?" asks Misato.
"He was abducted two hours ago and was last seen in the 8th District," replies one of the agents.
"That's inside out installation. What the hell are you guys in intelligence going?"
"The whole thing was set up by someone inside our operation. We were taken by surprise."
"Someone who could outwit Section 2? It couldn't be him!" whispers Misato.
"Ryoji Kaji is suspected of being the mastermind behind this plot."
"Then that's why you can for me."
"We believe that you can be of use to us. As your colleagues, we regret having to consider the Director of Tactical Operations as a suspect, but that is the nature of our profession."
Misato reaches into her jacket and pulls out her gun and NERV ID card, placing both items on the table.
"Considering our relationship, it's a natural precaution."
"We appreciate your cooperation. Take her away."
A few hours later…
The door to the darkened brig opens with a hiss. Misato looks up from her chair. An agent walks in and holds out a tray with her gun and ID card.
"Thank you for your cooperation."
"Is it over?" asks Misato.
"Yes, the problem has been solved."
"I see."
Misato stands up and takes her gun and ID card, placing both items back in her jacket.
"Where is he?"
"I have no idea."
Elsewhere….
Kaji stands against a wall in an industrial building. Behind him, a giant industrial ventilation fan slowly spins. The sound of footsteps soon echoes throughout the large area. Kaji turns from his sideward gaze and looks at the approaching person.
"Oh, hi! You're late."
A gunshot echoes throughout the area.
END FLASHBACK
Misato stands up from the table and walks own the hallway to her room. As she passes by the answering machine, she notices that there's a message on the machine. She stops and presses the play button.
"Katsuragi, it's me," comes Kaji's voice over the recorder, "I'm sure you're listening to this message, especially after I caused you so much trouble. Sorry. Please tell Ristuko 'I'm sorry,' too. And there's one more thing to trouble you with. I've been growing watermelons. I'd appreciate it if you could water them for me. Asuka knows where they are. Katsuragi, the truth is with you. Don't hesitate, move ahead! If I ever see you again, I'll say the words I couldn't say eight years ago. Bye."
Misato places her hands on the table to hold herself up as tears begin to fall down her face.
"This message was recorded at 12:02 pm."
"You fool. You were always such a fool."
Misato falls to her knees, unable to stop the tears from coming.
The door to the apartment opens.
"We're home, Misato!" shouts Shinji.
The two pilots enter the apartment, removing their shoes at the door. As they enter the living room, they notice the sound of crying emanating from somewhere in the apartment. Cautiously, they both follow the sound of until they find Misato, on her knees, crying by the answering machine. Shinji and Asuka rush to the side of their guardian.
"Misato, what's wrong?" asks a concerned Shinji.
Misato responds by clutching the boy and resting her head in his shoulder, continuing to cry.
"He's not coming back…not coming back…," mutters Misato.
Shinji and Asuka help Misato to her feet and half carry, half drag her to her room. They lay her down in her bed. Asuka leaves the room.
"What got into her?" she wonders.
She stops at the answering machine.
"Maybe this has some answers."
She walks over to the machine and replays and most recent message.
In the meantime, Shinji had covered Misato with her futon and stayed by her side until she had calmed down. Satisfied that she was asleep, he slowly walked out of the room and closed the door. He turns and heads to find Asuka. As he nears her, he can hear the ending of a message being played.
"…I couldn't say eight years ago. Bye."
"That sounded like Kaji," he thinks.
He stops to find Asuka, tears in her eyes as she gazes at the answering machine.
"Asuka! What's wrong?"
He walks to the side of his girlfriend. She looks up at him with tear- filled eyes.
"He's gone, Shinji."
"Who's gone?"
Asuka wipes the tears from her eyes and replays the message for Shinji. As the message ends, tears till Shinji's eyes.
"My God. Misato must be devastated."
"He's not coming back, Shinji…"
Shinji embraces Asuka as she cries on his chest.
"It's ok, Asuka. Don't worry, I'm here."
He does his best to console her. After she had calmed down a bit, they both went to his room and fell asleep, wrapped in each other's loving embrace.