Chapter 22
Major Misato Katsuragi, the Operations Director for NERV, sleeps soundly at her deck in NERV HQ. Her arms support her head as a make-shift pillow and she lightly snores.
"Misato."
The Major shifts slightly on her hands, but makes no move towards waking up.
"Misato."
Misato mumbles something about beer and a drinking contest with Penpen before shifting her position.
"MISATO!!"
Her eyes bolt open as she brings herself to an upright position in her chair. Unfortunately, she does it too quickly and ends up falling out of the chair and onto the floor. Moaning, she grasps the edge of her deck and pulls herself up. As her eyes come into focus, she sees her friend, Ritsuko Akagi, standing in front of her deck, covering her mouth, giggling.
"Not funny, Ritsu," scolds the visibly irritated Major.
"Sorry. So, been having it rough at home?"
By this time, Misato had managed to get back into her chair and was leaning on her desk, her head propped up by her right arm.
"Yeah."
"How's Shinji been doing?"
"He's been up almost every waking moment out searching for her. It's been two days and he's only slept a few hours."
Ritsuko pulls up a chair and sits in front of the desk.
"I guess Section 2 hasn't come with anything yet?"
"Not a thing. And this was their JOB!" exclaims the ecstatic Major.
The doctor leans back in her chair and observes the ceiling above her.
"So what do you think Shinji's doing right now?"
Misato sighs and slumps forward in her chair.
"He's most likely searching all over Tokyo 3 for her."
A few clouds lingered in the afternoon sky above the fortress city. The once busy streets are deathly quiet. Most of the residents had moved out of the city after the destruction of Unit 00. The group also included all of Shinji's friends, who were most likely in school in Tokyo 2 at that very moment.
Through the desolate streets, Shinji Ikari meticulously searches every house and alley for his love, Asuka Langley Sohryu. A lot of the houses in the section he is in are shadows of their formers selves. Some were just completely obliterated by the force of the explosion when Unit 00 self- destructed.
"Asuka-chan! Where are you?!" shouts the young pilot.
He pushes on, continuing down a residential road that was near the explosion's epicenter. After several hours of checking each house, he continues on to the next set of houses. By the time he had finishes searching the third house, it was dusk. This did not damper Shinji's efforts at all. He continues to search into the night, and into the morning.
By noon, he had searched dozens of houses with no avail. Exhausted, Shinji walks towards the lake formed by Unit 00's self-destruct. He sighs and sits down on a nearby rock and stares out into the calm waters. Only then does he notice the soft sound of humming in the air. He instantly recognizes it as "Ode to Joy," which was on his SDAT tape. Looking up, he spies a boy, around his age, sitting a few feet to his left atop of a rock.
"Music is wonderful, isn't it? It's one of man's greatest creations," says the boy.
The boy turns and smiles at the young Ikari. Shinji can see that he is dressed similarly to him, in school attire. What caught his attention was the boy's gray hair, and then his red eyes when he looked at him.
"Yes, it is," meekly replies Shinji.
"It is nice to meet you, Ikari, Shinji."
Shinji blinks and stares up at the boy.
"How do you know my name?"
"Everyone knows the famous pilot of Evangelion Unit 01," he says with a smile.
The young pilot couldn't help but blush slightly at the mark of praise.
"Yeah, but I couldn't have done it without my friends."
"Ah, friends."
"So, who are you? You know me, but I don't know you."
The boy chuckles and shifts his position to face Shinji.
"I'm Kaworu. Nagisa, Kaworu."
"It's nice to meet you, Nagisa-san."
Kaworu hops down off of his perch and places his hands in his pockets.
"Please, call me Kaworu," he says with a smile.
"OK, Kaworu."
"So, what brings you out here, Ikari-san?"
"Just Shinji is fine."
"OK, Shinji. So why are you here?"
Shinji gazes up at the blue sky for a moment, deep in thought.
"I'm looking for someone."
"Ah, I see. This 'someone' must be very special to you."
A blush forms on Shinji's face as he sheepishly looks away.
"Yes, she is. She is very special to me."
"I should let you continue your search, then. I hope you find her, Shinji."
Shinji nods and heads off to continue his search, waving as he leaves the mysterious boy. Kaworu watches as he disappears into a distant street.
"'Till we meet again, Shinji Ikari."
Kaworu turns and leisurely walks in the direction opposite of Shinji, his hands still in his pockets. The soft humming of "Ode to Joy" permeates the cool, noon air once again.
A few hours after Shinji's encounter with Kaworu, he had just completed his search of another street to no avail.
"I will not give up. I will find her, no matter what!" he mentally shouts to himself, urging himself forward.
Physically and mentally exhausted, he pushes himself to continue on. He enters the next house and begins his search. By the time he finishes searching the first floor, he was exhausted and sat down at the base of the stairs.
"I won't.give up."
He grips the rail and pulls himself to his feet. Using it to support some of his weight, he slowly makes his way up the flight of stairs. Once at the top, his legs give out again and he collapses onto the floor. He releases the rail and props himself up against the wall and closes his eyes.
A few minutes pass before Shinji notices something. He concentrates on the noise, trying to block out everything else around him. His eyes bolt open as he realizes that the noise is a voice. A female voice. With a new burst of energy, he stands up and runs down the hall towards the source of the voice. He ends up in front of a partially ajar door. Cautiously, he opens the door and peers inside. At the same time, he can feel his heart racing inside of his chest, his hope growing.
The first thing he sees is what was a white bathtub at the end of the room. As he peers in more, he can see that the roof above the bathroom is missing. His gaze continues down to the other end of the tub. His heart almost leapt out of his chest at what he saw. Sitting in the tub, with her back resting against its edge and bent showerhead above, was Asuka.
Shinji dashes into the room and falls to his knees by her side. He fails to notice her clothes folded neatly besides the tub on a wooden chair.
"Asuka-chan!"
The young girl pays no heed to Shinji as she continues to stare up at the sky above, mumbling the same phrases over and over again.
"Sync-ratio zero. Unable to pilot."
Shinji grabs her shoulders and lightly shakes his limbs form.
"Asuka-chan! It's me, Shinji! Say something!"
Her eyes remain fixed staring up at the sky, repeating the same phrases over and over. Coming back to his senses, Shinji digs into his pocket and pulls out his cell phone and dials.
"Misato-san! I found Asuka!...Yes, and you had better get a medical team over here.OK.I'll leave my phone on. Please, hurry!"
He hangs up and phone, mentally thanking NERV for installing tracking devices in their cell phones. He turns his attention back to the zoned-out Asuka. Acting on instinct, he reaches into the murky water and slowly pulls her out of the tub, bracing her legs with his left arm under her knees and her back with his right. As he struggles to get her out, he uses all his willpower to not look upon her naked body.
After a few minutes, Shinji manages to pull her out of the tub. He lowers himself to the floor and gently rests Asuka on his lap, allowing her to lean against his chest. Eyeing her blouse on the chair, he reaches out and snatches it, wrapping it around her bare top. The water on her body soaks the blouse completely, making the material almost transparent. Careful not to let go of her, Shinji fumbles with his shirt and pulls it off, placing it over the wet blouse.
A chilly breeze silently howls through the open-air bathroom. Asuka unconsciously shivers as it chills her wet body. Shinji wraps his arms protectively around her, pulling her close against his bare chest. Unnoticed by Shinji, Asuka's ramblings had stopped. Silence endures for what seemed like an eternity. Then, the soft padding of footsteps echoes through the building. Shinji turns his head to face the door and shouts, trying to lead them to him. He is awarded as four paramedics, each brandishing the NERV logo on their shoulders, burst through the door carrying a stretcher and several pieces of equipment.
The paramedics gently move Asuka from Shinji and onto the waiting stretcher. Shinji sits and watches as they insert an IV into her left arm. Seconds later, Misato enters the room and rushes to Shinji's side.
"Misato-san," whispers Shinji as he looks up at her.
She kneels next to him and takes his hand into hers.
"It's OK, Shinji. She'll be alright."
He slowly nods in reply. Suddenly, his vision starts to blur. He hears Misato cry his name, then all is black.
A figure groans and slowly opens his eyes. Shinji finds that he is lying down in bed in the infirmary. He stares up at the white ceiling and its single light fixture.
"Familiar ceiling," he mumbles.
He closes his eyes and relaxes. Less than a second passes before a single thought enters his mind: Asuka. Instantly, he bolts up and out of the bed, almost falling onto the floor in the process. The Third Child runs through the door and collides with something. He lands in his rear and looks up to see Rei in front of him in a similar position.
"Oh, I'm sorry Rei!" he apologizes as he helps her to her feet.
Rei straightens out her skirt and brushes off her back.
"It is alright."
"Rei, do you know where Asuka is?"
She thinks for a moment before answering.
"She was placed in room 303 when she arrived yesterday."
"Thank you!" he says as he speeds past her.
"Oniichan.."
Shinji stops and turns around.
"What is it?"
"Don't you think you should put some clothes on?" she replies with a slight blush in her cheeks.
Only then did Shinji realize that he was clad only in a hospital gown that didn't do a good job of covering up his body, especially his back. With a yelp, Shinji tries his best to cover up his exposed parts and darts back into his room to change. After he had disappeared into his room, Rei shakes her head and continues on her way.
After he had put on some appropriate clothing, Shinji made his way towards room 303. He pauses in front of the door and stares at the plate on the door. The numbers '303' were etched in a brass plate in a large, black font. Just below it, in a smaller front, was a removable label with 'Soyru, Asuka L.'
Taking a deep breath, Shinji grips the cold door handle and opens the door. He steps inside and silently closes the door behind him. The room is silent, except for the soft humming and beeping of the hospital equipment. Just beyond the door, atop of a white bed, lies Asuka. A clean sheet covers her body, leaving just her head and the tops of her shoulders exposed. A light-blue hospital gown covers her exposed shoulders, similar to the one Shinji was wearing not too long ago. Several wires and an IV tube run from the machines and under the blanket. As Shinji stands there, he struggles to keep himself from running to her side and taking her into his arms.
Shinji gradually makes his way to her bedside. He spots a chair to the right of the bed and repositions it next to the bed and sits on it. Hesitantly, he reaches up with his right hand and places it atop of hers. Unable to hold it back anymore, the young pilot burst into tears, holding his love's hand gently between his own. His shoulders shudder as the tears freely flow.
Time passes slowly for him. He eventually manages to regain some of his composure and hold back the tears. Using his arm, Shinji wipes away the remaining tears and looks down at Asuka's sleeping form. He reaches up and brushes some stray hairs from her face and lightly kisses her forehead. A small smile forms on his face as he sits back down and watches her sleeping form.
A yawn escapes his mouth as he continues to watch over her. His eyes start to grow heavier and is soon unable to keep them open. Using his arms as a makeshift pillow, he rests his head on the side of the bed and is soon fast asleep. Unaware to either pilot, a pair of red eyes had been watching them closely for the entire time.
The next day, Shinji found himself back in the pilot locker rooms, changing into an all too familiar plug suit.
"Why did she have to schedule Sync Tests for today?" he mumbles.
He instinctively presses the button on his wrist, sealing the body- conforming suit. A moment of silence passes and then is broken by the sound of the locker room door opening. Shinji looks up and stares in shock at what he finds.
"K-Kaworu?!"
The silver-haired boy stands in the doorway, a light smile on his face.
"I said we would meet again, Ikari, Shinji."
Shinji had managed to regain some of his composure, as well as to close his mouth.
"What are you doing here?"
Kaworu merely smiles at the semi-shocked pilot.
"I'm the Fifth Child."
Major Misato Katsuragi, the Operations Director for NERV, sleeps soundly at her deck in NERV HQ. Her arms support her head as a make-shift pillow and she lightly snores.
"Misato."
The Major shifts slightly on her hands, but makes no move towards waking up.
"Misato."
Misato mumbles something about beer and a drinking contest with Penpen before shifting her position.
"MISATO!!"
Her eyes bolt open as she brings herself to an upright position in her chair. Unfortunately, she does it too quickly and ends up falling out of the chair and onto the floor. Moaning, she grasps the edge of her deck and pulls herself up. As her eyes come into focus, she sees her friend, Ritsuko Akagi, standing in front of her deck, covering her mouth, giggling.
"Not funny, Ritsu," scolds the visibly irritated Major.
"Sorry. So, been having it rough at home?"
By this time, Misato had managed to get back into her chair and was leaning on her desk, her head propped up by her right arm.
"Yeah."
"How's Shinji been doing?"
"He's been up almost every waking moment out searching for her. It's been two days and he's only slept a few hours."
Ritsuko pulls up a chair and sits in front of the desk.
"I guess Section 2 hasn't come with anything yet?"
"Not a thing. And this was their JOB!" exclaims the ecstatic Major.
The doctor leans back in her chair and observes the ceiling above her.
"So what do you think Shinji's doing right now?"
Misato sighs and slumps forward in her chair.
"He's most likely searching all over Tokyo 3 for her."
A few clouds lingered in the afternoon sky above the fortress city. The once busy streets are deathly quiet. Most of the residents had moved out of the city after the destruction of Unit 00. The group also included all of Shinji's friends, who were most likely in school in Tokyo 2 at that very moment.
Through the desolate streets, Shinji Ikari meticulously searches every house and alley for his love, Asuka Langley Sohryu. A lot of the houses in the section he is in are shadows of their formers selves. Some were just completely obliterated by the force of the explosion when Unit 00 self- destructed.
"Asuka-chan! Where are you?!" shouts the young pilot.
He pushes on, continuing down a residential road that was near the explosion's epicenter. After several hours of checking each house, he continues on to the next set of houses. By the time he had finishes searching the third house, it was dusk. This did not damper Shinji's efforts at all. He continues to search into the night, and into the morning.
By noon, he had searched dozens of houses with no avail. Exhausted, Shinji walks towards the lake formed by Unit 00's self-destruct. He sighs and sits down on a nearby rock and stares out into the calm waters. Only then does he notice the soft sound of humming in the air. He instantly recognizes it as "Ode to Joy," which was on his SDAT tape. Looking up, he spies a boy, around his age, sitting a few feet to his left atop of a rock.
"Music is wonderful, isn't it? It's one of man's greatest creations," says the boy.
The boy turns and smiles at the young Ikari. Shinji can see that he is dressed similarly to him, in school attire. What caught his attention was the boy's gray hair, and then his red eyes when he looked at him.
"Yes, it is," meekly replies Shinji.
"It is nice to meet you, Ikari, Shinji."
Shinji blinks and stares up at the boy.
"How do you know my name?"
"Everyone knows the famous pilot of Evangelion Unit 01," he says with a smile.
The young pilot couldn't help but blush slightly at the mark of praise.
"Yeah, but I couldn't have done it without my friends."
"Ah, friends."
"So, who are you? You know me, but I don't know you."
The boy chuckles and shifts his position to face Shinji.
"I'm Kaworu. Nagisa, Kaworu."
"It's nice to meet you, Nagisa-san."
Kaworu hops down off of his perch and places his hands in his pockets.
"Please, call me Kaworu," he says with a smile.
"OK, Kaworu."
"So, what brings you out here, Ikari-san?"
"Just Shinji is fine."
"OK, Shinji. So why are you here?"
Shinji gazes up at the blue sky for a moment, deep in thought.
"I'm looking for someone."
"Ah, I see. This 'someone' must be very special to you."
A blush forms on Shinji's face as he sheepishly looks away.
"Yes, she is. She is very special to me."
"I should let you continue your search, then. I hope you find her, Shinji."
Shinji nods and heads off to continue his search, waving as he leaves the mysterious boy. Kaworu watches as he disappears into a distant street.
"'Till we meet again, Shinji Ikari."
Kaworu turns and leisurely walks in the direction opposite of Shinji, his hands still in his pockets. The soft humming of "Ode to Joy" permeates the cool, noon air once again.
A few hours after Shinji's encounter with Kaworu, he had just completed his search of another street to no avail.
"I will not give up. I will find her, no matter what!" he mentally shouts to himself, urging himself forward.
Physically and mentally exhausted, he pushes himself to continue on. He enters the next house and begins his search. By the time he finishes searching the first floor, he was exhausted and sat down at the base of the stairs.
"I won't.give up."
He grips the rail and pulls himself to his feet. Using it to support some of his weight, he slowly makes his way up the flight of stairs. Once at the top, his legs give out again and he collapses onto the floor. He releases the rail and props himself up against the wall and closes his eyes.
A few minutes pass before Shinji notices something. He concentrates on the noise, trying to block out everything else around him. His eyes bolt open as he realizes that the noise is a voice. A female voice. With a new burst of energy, he stands up and runs down the hall towards the source of the voice. He ends up in front of a partially ajar door. Cautiously, he opens the door and peers inside. At the same time, he can feel his heart racing inside of his chest, his hope growing.
The first thing he sees is what was a white bathtub at the end of the room. As he peers in more, he can see that the roof above the bathroom is missing. His gaze continues down to the other end of the tub. His heart almost leapt out of his chest at what he saw. Sitting in the tub, with her back resting against its edge and bent showerhead above, was Asuka.
Shinji dashes into the room and falls to his knees by her side. He fails to notice her clothes folded neatly besides the tub on a wooden chair.
"Asuka-chan!"
The young girl pays no heed to Shinji as she continues to stare up at the sky above, mumbling the same phrases over and over again.
"Sync-ratio zero. Unable to pilot."
Shinji grabs her shoulders and lightly shakes his limbs form.
"Asuka-chan! It's me, Shinji! Say something!"
Her eyes remain fixed staring up at the sky, repeating the same phrases over and over. Coming back to his senses, Shinji digs into his pocket and pulls out his cell phone and dials.
"Misato-san! I found Asuka!...Yes, and you had better get a medical team over here.OK.I'll leave my phone on. Please, hurry!"
He hangs up and phone, mentally thanking NERV for installing tracking devices in their cell phones. He turns his attention back to the zoned-out Asuka. Acting on instinct, he reaches into the murky water and slowly pulls her out of the tub, bracing her legs with his left arm under her knees and her back with his right. As he struggles to get her out, he uses all his willpower to not look upon her naked body.
After a few minutes, Shinji manages to pull her out of the tub. He lowers himself to the floor and gently rests Asuka on his lap, allowing her to lean against his chest. Eyeing her blouse on the chair, he reaches out and snatches it, wrapping it around her bare top. The water on her body soaks the blouse completely, making the material almost transparent. Careful not to let go of her, Shinji fumbles with his shirt and pulls it off, placing it over the wet blouse.
A chilly breeze silently howls through the open-air bathroom. Asuka unconsciously shivers as it chills her wet body. Shinji wraps his arms protectively around her, pulling her close against his bare chest. Unnoticed by Shinji, Asuka's ramblings had stopped. Silence endures for what seemed like an eternity. Then, the soft padding of footsteps echoes through the building. Shinji turns his head to face the door and shouts, trying to lead them to him. He is awarded as four paramedics, each brandishing the NERV logo on their shoulders, burst through the door carrying a stretcher and several pieces of equipment.
The paramedics gently move Asuka from Shinji and onto the waiting stretcher. Shinji sits and watches as they insert an IV into her left arm. Seconds later, Misato enters the room and rushes to Shinji's side.
"Misato-san," whispers Shinji as he looks up at her.
She kneels next to him and takes his hand into hers.
"It's OK, Shinji. She'll be alright."
He slowly nods in reply. Suddenly, his vision starts to blur. He hears Misato cry his name, then all is black.
A figure groans and slowly opens his eyes. Shinji finds that he is lying down in bed in the infirmary. He stares up at the white ceiling and its single light fixture.
"Familiar ceiling," he mumbles.
He closes his eyes and relaxes. Less than a second passes before a single thought enters his mind: Asuka. Instantly, he bolts up and out of the bed, almost falling onto the floor in the process. The Third Child runs through the door and collides with something. He lands in his rear and looks up to see Rei in front of him in a similar position.
"Oh, I'm sorry Rei!" he apologizes as he helps her to her feet.
Rei straightens out her skirt and brushes off her back.
"It is alright."
"Rei, do you know where Asuka is?"
She thinks for a moment before answering.
"She was placed in room 303 when she arrived yesterday."
"Thank you!" he says as he speeds past her.
"Oniichan.."
Shinji stops and turns around.
"What is it?"
"Don't you think you should put some clothes on?" she replies with a slight blush in her cheeks.
Only then did Shinji realize that he was clad only in a hospital gown that didn't do a good job of covering up his body, especially his back. With a yelp, Shinji tries his best to cover up his exposed parts and darts back into his room to change. After he had disappeared into his room, Rei shakes her head and continues on her way.
After he had put on some appropriate clothing, Shinji made his way towards room 303. He pauses in front of the door and stares at the plate on the door. The numbers '303' were etched in a brass plate in a large, black font. Just below it, in a smaller front, was a removable label with 'Soyru, Asuka L.'
Taking a deep breath, Shinji grips the cold door handle and opens the door. He steps inside and silently closes the door behind him. The room is silent, except for the soft humming and beeping of the hospital equipment. Just beyond the door, atop of a white bed, lies Asuka. A clean sheet covers her body, leaving just her head and the tops of her shoulders exposed. A light-blue hospital gown covers her exposed shoulders, similar to the one Shinji was wearing not too long ago. Several wires and an IV tube run from the machines and under the blanket. As Shinji stands there, he struggles to keep himself from running to her side and taking her into his arms.
Shinji gradually makes his way to her bedside. He spots a chair to the right of the bed and repositions it next to the bed and sits on it. Hesitantly, he reaches up with his right hand and places it atop of hers. Unable to hold it back anymore, the young pilot burst into tears, holding his love's hand gently between his own. His shoulders shudder as the tears freely flow.
Time passes slowly for him. He eventually manages to regain some of his composure and hold back the tears. Using his arm, Shinji wipes away the remaining tears and looks down at Asuka's sleeping form. He reaches up and brushes some stray hairs from her face and lightly kisses her forehead. A small smile forms on his face as he sits back down and watches her sleeping form.
A yawn escapes his mouth as he continues to watch over her. His eyes start to grow heavier and is soon unable to keep them open. Using his arms as a makeshift pillow, he rests his head on the side of the bed and is soon fast asleep. Unaware to either pilot, a pair of red eyes had been watching them closely for the entire time.
The next day, Shinji found himself back in the pilot locker rooms, changing into an all too familiar plug suit.
"Why did she have to schedule Sync Tests for today?" he mumbles.
He instinctively presses the button on his wrist, sealing the body- conforming suit. A moment of silence passes and then is broken by the sound of the locker room door opening. Shinji looks up and stares in shock at what he finds.
"K-Kaworu?!"
The silver-haired boy stands in the doorway, a light smile on his face.
"I said we would meet again, Ikari, Shinji."
Shinji had managed to regain some of his composure, as well as to close his mouth.
"What are you doing here?"
Kaworu merely smiles at the semi-shocked pilot.
"I'm the Fifth Child."