The Revelation of Sacrifice
Chapter 3 – Misconceptions
Based on characters and ideas created by and copyright GAINAX
Reviews/Comments always appreciated
Anything else? Requests? Questions? Contact me at: vicious471@hotmail.com
Guide:
"..." = Speech
'...' = thoughts
(...) = audible sound like a sigh or moan or click
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Neon Genesis Evangelion
(Caption) Misconceptions
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=== Katsuragi Apartment, 9:15 AM ===
"So what do you think of this 'Colonel Langley?" Ritsuko asked.
"He seems alright," Misato answered.
"Appearances can be deceiving Misato," Ritsuko said.
"Yes they can be, can't they," Misato responded sarcastically. This sarcasm caught Ritsuko off guard.
"So what has he been like, Major?" Ritsuko said, intentionally adding Misato's rank in retaliation for the sarcasm.
"Well…" Misato paused, "he's been really kind…Shinji almost immediately took to liking him, but that's completely understandable. But I think it's for more than just the fact that Langley saved his life. He seems to defend Shinji in a true sense of the phrase….not only from physical harm, but Shinji seems to be able to identify with something in Andrew, and vice versa."
"So Agent Langley is another emotional shut-in?"
"No, not at all…that's the part that gets me. He seems to be able to adjust himself to Asuka and Shinji. With Shinji, he is encouraging, but never pushes too hard on him, and he has shut down Asuka's attacks on every occasion," Misato paused, "but he's also been kind to her, almost exactly how she acts toward others, a fluctuating mass of hate and love."
"Interesting…." Ritsuko said, taking notes on her end of the phone. "We're still trying to dig up everything we can on him. The American State Department provided us with all the records they had on him, then we had the Magi hack their system to make sure they weren't withholding information from us…."
"So what were they hiding?" Misato asked.
"That's where we were stumped…they weren't"
"They weren't what? Hiding anything?" Misato asked, genuinely surprised by the information.
"Yes," Ritsuko said, shifting through some papers for a report, "the Magi confirmed that we now have all the recorded information on Andrew Langley at 9:47 last night."
"He was born on December 25, 1986 in Death Valley, California. Parents deceased in Second Impact. The only other information we have are his training records."
"And what do those look like?" Misato questioned.
"Well, I'm afraid the US isn't joking around," Ritsuko said seriously, "they sent us their top agent. He holds every marksmanship record for their nation's services, all completed before he even had three months of training."
"That's impossible!" Misato exclaimed.
"Apparently not," Ritsuko said, flipping a page in her report, "he's operated successfully in 13 missions to destroy terrorist cells in their country, and he rescued Senator McAtherty single-handedly back during the 2009 standoff with religious separatists."
"Sounds like he's pretty DAMN good…." Misato agreed.
"I'll agree with you there Misato," Ritsuko became very serious, "and I'll warn you, I honestly think that if he wanted to do anything in Nerv, that we wouldn't be able to effectively neutralize him without using overwhelming force, and I'm not sure how that would even work."
"Is the commander worried?" Misato asked, suddenly feeling the urge to check the clip in her pistol.
"If he is, he doesn't show it," Ritsuko sighed, "but you know how our ice cold commander is with his emotions…if he even has any."
"…." Misato was silent at the last comment, it seemed to her that it was spoken out of regret, which struck her as odd, "Well, enough about him, what else do you have for me?"
"The Children are-"
"Yeah, they're at school now," Misato said into the phone.
"Alright," Ritsuko answered, "the sync test is scheduled for 4:30 and after that, we'll need to have Shinji for a couple hours more to explain what happened during the twelfth Angel and during the incident afterwards."
"A sync test and interrogation this early!?" Misato shouted at the phone. "As Shinji's legal guardian, I have to object to this in his best interests." Misato answered sternly.
"This is an order from the commander, there's nothing I can do about it," Ritsuko said dryly with a touch of annoyance, "you should know that by now."
"(sigh of disgust)….Yeah, whatever…"
"Listen MAJOR, there are chains of command that have to be followed, no matter what we think," Ritsuko answered harshly. "Now, if you have no further objections, I suggest you repor-"
Misato hung up the phone. She was tired and still had a headache from drinking last night. Andrew had followed the Children to school and she was now alone in the apartment, wondering what to do.
'This is too confusing…' she thought, 'Nerv's keeping so much from us…Kaji…I'll have to talk to him about all this'
Misato got up from her chair at the table and grabbed her trademark jacket, heading out the door to work.
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=== Lunchtime, Shinji's School ===
"Hey Shinji!" Kensuke called out as Shinji and Touji were sitting down at an outside table.
"Hi Kensuke," Shinji answered.
Kensuke bowed as he stopped in front of Shinji.
"Shinji! You've got to tell me!"
"Tell you what?" Shinji asked dumbfounded.
"Tell me what?!" Kensuke asked hysterically, "Tell me who the pilot of Unit 03 is! They're shipping it here in a week from the 2nd Branch in the US. And I even heard that Unit 04 is almost complete and it will be ready in a little under a month!"
Shinji just looked bewildered, as this really was all new information to him.
"Come on Shinji! Are there any pilots chosen!?" Kensuke asked as he got down on his knees and begged to Shinji.
"I…I….I never heard of Unit 03 or 04," Shinji answered with honesty, "I guess they don't tell us pilots these types of things. They probably figure it would make us worry or something."
"Aghhh!" Kensuke grunted, putting his hand to his forehead, "You mean you really don't know!?"
"I'm sorry Kensuke…" Shinji said, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder, "but the next time we go in for sync tests, I'll ask, ok?" Shinji gave a reassuring smile.
"You will? Alright! You're the greatest friend ever Shinji!" Kensuke said, his eyes lighting up with hope.
Shinji chuckled and went back to eating his lunch.
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=== Major Katsuragi's Office, Nerv ===
"Mmmmm," Kaji said with a smile, "so you want to know what Nerv is keeping from us all, eh?"
"Yes," Misato answered with a serious tone, "I want to know about the dummy system, Adam, Lilith…all these things that the commander and Ritsuko are keeping from us. I want to know about all the secrets that Nerv has buried within this facility."
"Then you have chosen your path," Kaji answered, drawing closer to Misato, "the thirst for knowledge is the first step to gaining it."
"So what do we know right now?"
"Well, you probably don't realize it, but I don't know all that much more than you," Kaji said scratching the back of his head, "your position in Nerv is fairly sensitive, so you are privy to a great deal of information, but I do have one little tidbit you might find interesting."
"And that is?"
"Unit 04 will be using a restored S2 engine recovered from the fourth Angel."
"What!?!" Misato said, her eyes growing wide.
"Yes," Kaji said with a touch of sorrow in his voice, "I'm afraid that's why SEELE delegated its construction to the US." Kaji laughed, "They have been raising quite a bit of hell for them with their position in the UN. It may be the governing body of the world now, but the US still has as much influence as it ever has. SEELE knows that Unit 04 is highly dangerous, so if it succeeds, then they will be using up a massive amount of American resources in the process….and if it fails….the US will take a large hit cleaning up the mess."
"A win-win situation for SEELE…" Misato agreed, "what else is there?"
"Well, Unit 03 is being prepped for shipment here…" Kaji grew a serious expression, which startled Misato, "and the Fourth Child will be notified tomorrow…"
"The FOURTH Child?!?!" Misato exclaimed.
"Yes," Kaji said, as he moved behind Misato, who was sitting at her desk. He slyly slid his arms beneath hers and brushed her face with his own.
"You know Kaji…" Misato said seductively.
"Yes?" he answered equally seductively and moved in for a kiss.
Misato moved her hand up to his chin…and grabbed on to one of his long stubble hair with her fingers and yanked, tearing it from its place on his face.
"You really do need to shave your sloppy face!" she added playfully.
"Owww!" Kaji groaned as he rubbed his chin, "I guess I deserved that Katsuragi….but if I deserved that, then…" Kaji slid his hand down her back and pinched her butt, causing Misato to jump in her chair, "…you get that in return!" he finished with a satisfied grin.
Misato was blushing furiously. 'Damn…Shinji's rubbing off on ME now…how ironic' she thought with a giggle.
"I see we've gone back to being seven years old again."
"Yeah….." Misato said nostalgically, "it's nice not to have any cares in the world….I wish the Children could have that much at least…."
"True," Kaji said, leaning in to type on Misato's computer, "but I'm afraid that no one in this world has that luxury anymore." Kaji brought up a screen. "And I'm also afraid that things have just gotten a bit more complicated for our Children…" he said as he typed in some commands. Misato took one look at the screen.
Marduk Institute Report - October 26, 2015
1st Child: Ayanami, Rei – Active
2nd Child: Sohryu, Asuka Langley – Active
3rd Child: Ikari, Shinji – Active
4th Child: Suzuhara, Touji – TBD
"What!?!!?" she exclaimed, "it's him? How could it be!?"
"Yes it is," Kaji said sadly, "Shinji's best friend is the fourth child…but that's not all…"
"What else Kaji?" Misato said seriously.
"From what I've been able to dig up from in Nerv's security files, all of the potential candidates for piloting the Evas in Japan were moved to Shinji's school, so they could be easily tracked and protected." Kaji said as he typed in some more commands and passwords.
"My, my God…just what in the hell is Nerv up to…"
"I'm still trying to figure that one out myself, Katsuragi…"
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=== Shinji's School, 4:30 PM ===
Shinji walks next to Touji and Kensuke as school lets out.
"Hey dummkopf!" the voice of a siren calls out.
"Uh…(gulp)..y-yes…Asuka?" Shinji yelped out.
"Hmmmpfff! Are you going to let a beautiful girl like me walk home alone with all these perverts around just waiting to take advantage of me?" she asked annoyed.
"Asuka, you know you could beat them up better than I ever could," Shinji conceded with a sigh.
"You have no sense of chivalry, you-"
"OH MY GOD!!!!!" Kensuke screamed out, scrambling for his video camera, "it's a US AP-32 ATH-SE Stream Eagle attack and insertion VTOL!!!! Only 6 SE versions were ever made!" he sounded off with his military expertise, loading a disc and immediately recording.
The AP-32 slowly descended, allowing for all the people in the general area to run for cover then stand in shock at the landing military aircraft. The huge black and gray craft touched down nearest to Shinji's group. They could only stare on as the engines died down to a low hum and the door on the side of the VTOL slid open. A dark figure by the name of Andrew Langley stepped out.
"Oh mein Gott, sollte ich es gekannt haben war Sie! Versuchen Sie, über mir im deutschen sheisskopf lustig zumachen!" Asuka said, pointing at Andrew with a venomous grin.
(((Oh my God, I should have known it was you! Try to make fun of me in German shithead!)))
"Sind Sie Stille bitter ungefähr gestern, Asuka? Hmmm, möglicherweise konnten Sie erlernen, einen Witz zusammen mit Shinji hier zu nehmen?" Andrew raised his eyebrows quickly in a cocky fashion and smiled at Asuka.
(((Are you still bitter about yesterday, Asuka? Hmmm, maybe you could learn to take a joke along with Shinji here?)))
Asuka just looked at him in bewilderment and then anger. Shinji looked to Touji, who looked to Kensuke and they all nodded to each other giving lopsided grins.
"Welcome, oh defeater of the red-haired German demon!" Kensuke said, bowing.
"Yeah, any enemy of Asuka's is a friend of ours!" Touji said, stretching out his hand to Andrew. "I think this is what they do in America, right?"
"Right Touji," Andrew said shaking his hand. "And you must be Kensuke Aida, right?" Andrew said, bowing to Kensuke.
"Yes sir!" Kensuke responded, saluting Andrew, "I must be dreaming, or is that an AP-32 ATH-SE?"
"Impressive as ever, Mr. Aida," Andrew said, causing Kensuke to blush and scratch the back of his head, "I'd heard about you, I pulled some strings in Washington and called in a few favors to get this sucker shipped here, ain't she a beaut? You can go check her out while I talk to the kids here for a sec, kay?"
Kensuke's face lit up like the sun and he stuttered some unintelligible words as he ran off to the AP-32 to record as much as he could.
"I guess I should go too," Touji said as he turned around to leave the group. Andrew's left hand went to his chin and his right hand to his left elbow, as he sank into thought.
"Actually Mr. Suzuhara…." Andrew said, moving his left hand down slightly as to not muffle his speech, "I probably shouldn't be doing this, but….oh what the hell, it'll piss Ikari off, and that's enough for me." He finished off with a laugh.
Touji turned around giving a puzzled look to Andrew as were both Shinji and Asuka. And as usual, Rei showed up to observe the dealings of her peers.
"I do not believe you were to inform Pilot Suzuhara of his position, Agent Langley," Rei said coolly.
"Mmmmm…" Andrew wondered, "perhaps you're right, but then, why would this be any fun at all if I had to obey every little order, Rei?"
"I do not think that our positions are required to be entertaining, Colonel," Rei said with a slight emphasis on the word 'required', "We are to do a service, not object to our superiors." She answered his question dryly.
"If that was our purpose, Rei," Andrew responded with sorrow in his voice and in his eyes, "then we would be nothing more than dolls."
Rei was silent, but as Shinji observed, not her usual silence, if that was possible. He saw that she looked down and away from Andrew after his last sentence, as if it had struck, not her body, but her soul with some sort of force.
"Mein Gott, we agree on something, jerkface!" boomed the voice of a German red-head. "What's the fun in life if you always just do exactly as you're told?"
"Quite correct Asuka," Andrew said, smiling at her and then looking down to his watch, "hmmm, we'd better get going…" then he looked at Touji, who had a cock eyed look on his face, wondering what the hell they were talking about, "Oh my God! I got sidetracked by Rei, I'm sorry Touji," Andrew said, smashing his palm against his forehead. "You're going to need to come with us."
"Uhhhh…." Touji looked to Shinji questioningly. Shinji just nodded. "….ok….I guess…." Touji finished shakily.
The 5 of them climbed into the massive beast of a machine, which Kensuke tried to physically attach himself to, and Andrew put its massive VTOL engines into work as it lifted off the ground and flew towards a shaft leading to the GeoFront.
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Neon Genesis Evangelion
(Caption) Continued Misconceptions
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=== Nerv Command Center – Sync & Harmonics Testing Control Room ===
"Why did you bring him here!?" yelled an obviously upset Ritsuko, "he wasn't even supposed to be INFORMED yet!"
"Oh, really Dr. Akagi," Andrew said pleading his case, "it's not like I let an Angel in or anything. He would have been asked on Thursday of this week anyway, right? So what's the-"
"The problem?" Ritsuko cut him off, "the PROBLEM!?! The PROBLEM, is that you disobeyed direct orders-"
"Wait a minute," Andrew returned the favor of cutting her off, "let us not forget who is under who's command. I answer to three people in my current assignment; first and foremost, the President of the United States, second, the Secretary-General of the UN, and third, by special agreement, the President of the Russian Federation. I, however, do NOT answer to Commander Ikari of Nerv, or anyone in the Japanese command structure."
Ritsuko scowled at him, accepting the facts for what they were, then she turned to Touji.
"Well, it's been done…so will you pilot Mr. Suzuhara?" Ritsuko asked in an annoyed tone.
"I…uh…well….uh….guys?" Touji mumbled out as he looked over to Shinji, Asuka and Rei.
"I can't believe another stooge idiot is a candidate…" Asuka mumbled, "there must be some defect in the male gene that makes them able to pilot…"
"Hey!" Shinji said, "are you saying-"
"I'm merely reporting the facts, Third Child…"
'Ughh…I hate it when she does that….I HATE being called the Third Child…..it's what father calls me…I don't want to associate anyone I care about with him……least of all someone…like her…' Shinji thought as he submitted to Asuka's attack and looked down. "Touji, can I give you some advice?"
"O-Of course Shinji" Touji said trying hard to smile, "what else are friends for?" As he said that, Shinji's face darkened slightly as he prepared to respond.
"There's so much pain…y-you can't imagine what it feels like," Shinji's voice was growing in exasperation, "Touji, I don't want to see you get hurt…the Eva…I…already hurt someone….and-"
Touji was just shaking his head as he walked toward Shinji, then when he got to Shinji, he put his left hand on his shoulder than rammed his right fist into Shinji's head. Security tensed, Misato and Asuka had looks of amazement on their faces, Andrew narrowed his eyes, and shifted his weight onto another leg, and Rei of course, being herself, looked down to Shinji with a look of bewilderment.
"Damnit Ikari!" Touji yelled, "what the hell is wrong with you, you bring this up even though I thought we settled it."
"Touji…" Shinji said, shrinking into his spineless mode.
"What?" Touji responded forcefully, "What is it? 'Cause if it isn't important, shut up and listen to me." Touji paused, waiting for a response and got none, "Okay, now; 1. This is an opportunity for me to
get revenge on the ANGELS that caused that accident with my little sister. 2. it's an opportunity to help you guys out so I don't have to worry about my best friend dying out there protecting my ass and thinking about how there was nothing I could do to help him. And 3," Touji laughed, "it's going to drive Kensuke crazy" he added with a grin.
The contents of the command center were still in shock until a quiet, calm voice broke the silence.
"Are you alright Pilot Ikari?" Rei asked.
"Yeah….I'm fine," Shinji said with a defeated sigh. He looked up to see Rei stretching out her hand, "thanks Rei," he replied, mustering a small smile as he took her hand. 'Her hand feels nice…it's warm' he thought 'just like that time…' Shinji briefly reflected on the incident in Rei's apartment, how it now seemed almost comical.
Rei mindlessly slipped her red school uniform ribbon off and folded it into a small handkerchief. She took it and dabbed at the small amount of blood in the corner of Shinji's mouth.
Asuka snapped to attention seeing Rei walk over and help Shinji. Her mind sighed as she realized she had missed another opportunity to genuinely show Shinji she didn't hate him. She had to make fun of him, and put him down, and after all it was just constructive criticism right? It didn't really mean anything to her, it was just how she was supposed to act toward him. It had been like that almost since the moment they had met. But then again, so had the feelings she had now developed for him. Asuka didn't fully realize it at first, but Shinji really was a cute boy, so she had had some thoughts on him on a first impression. But their work had made her realize that she was thinking of him more and more beyond a simple crush, and yet it wasn't how she thought about Kaji, which constantly puzzled her. And despite her feelings, Asuka wouldn't allow herself to show them, because then she would allow another to get far too close to her, someone who could very easily leave her behind…and for that Wondergirl… That was what angered Asuka about Shinji, while she realized that she wouldn't allow herself to have him, that meant that no one else should get to either, which was the real cause of all her viciousness. Rei would get him anyway, since he seemed so happy and comfortable around her…and that angered Asuka even more. Shinji seemed both nervous and happy around Rei, but now he just seemed to feel annoyance and tiredness around Asuka. Worse still, she realized, that Andrew's influence on Shinji, which was inevitable now, would make him grow a spine! Then what would she do when he started fighting back? What if he learned to tear her apart piece by piece in every situation like Andrew had thus far. What if…what if…what if he broke her down? What if he was as cruel to her as she had been to him all this time……What if…he didn't…
"Asuka!" Misato practically screamed in Asuka's ear, "where the hell has your mind been?"
"Oh…uh…" Asuka looked around at concerned faces, which were all pointed at her, "guess I…uh…I was just thinking about how badly the Angels are gonna get beat with another pilot and Eva! Yeah!" she finished with a triumphant shout and stormed into the girls locker room with her proudest stride.
Meanwhile, eyebrows around the room went up.
"Ummm, did she just…" Misato lost words in her bafflement.
"-sound excited that Touji was a pilot?" Andrew finished for her.
"Interesting…" Ritsuko said, tapping away at a keyboard while she said so, "we'll see how this new attitude adjustment affects her sync ratio…and how it affects the Katsuragi nuclear family" she added with a sarcastic chuckle.
"Very funny Ritsuko," Misato said sarcastically.
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=== Nerv Command Center – Girls Locker Room ===
'What the hell was I doing back there?' Asuka thought.
"Do you approve of pilot Suzuhara's selection?" Rei asked.
"What?! Of course not!" Asuka said defensively, "they just added another STOOGE to our team! The only way the world could be ANY crazier is if Kensuke was a pilot candidate!"
"Then, you lied, earlier…" Rei said, pausing to gather the correct words, "…to…cover…your true thoughts with fabricated ones?"
"That," Asuka said, pulling her shirt off, "has to be the dullest explanation I've ever heard." She turned to Rei, "But I guess it's right," she conceded.
"Why?" Rei asked.
"Why what?" Asuka said indignantly.
"Why…did you lie?" Rei reiterated.
"Why!?" Asuka sounded shocked, "Well, because if I said the truth…" she sighed, "it would have been embarrassing."
"So…lies are created…to avoid embarrassment? Or pain?" Rei said in more a statement than a question.
"I guess so…" Asuka said, looking at her red plug suit, "…Oh why in the hell am I talking to you anyway, doll!"
"Excuse me," Rei said apologetically, "I did not mean any offense, Pilot Sohryu."
"UGGGHHH!!! You're acting like HIM now!" Asuka said throwing her hands in the air, "Apologizing for no reason at all. At least I could handle a Wondergirl, but noooo, now I have to have an apologizing wimp and an apologizing doll!" Asuka's voice was edging toward cracking as she went on, "You two are just SO perfect for each other. FINE! Like I care anyway!" Asuka grunted something in German as she slammed the metal door of her locker, deforming it, and storming out of the room in her loose plug suit. She didn't hear Rei's warning that she had not tightened her suit, the anger was both blinding and deafening.
Asuka strode outside, not paying attention to the trouble her legs were having while walking. She didn't notice the shocked expressions on the lab techs' faces. Then she got to the front of the Sync & Harmonics testing plugs, where Shinji and Touji were talking. Of course, their speech degraded to nothingness as she came in.
"What're you looking at sheisskopf?!?!" she angrily yelled at Shinji and Touji.
Shinji was the first to snap to his senses, due to the fear of the wrath sure to come any second. He thought fast and quickly spun Touji around, holding him by his shoulder as he turned around as well, both their faces were redder than Asuka's plug suit could ever hope to be.
"I…uh…um…A-Asuka…your…uh…y-your p-p-plug suit," Shinji's voice squeaked out, full of tripped up sounds and cracks in his voice.
Possibly the best way to accurately define the Second Child's Reaction would be to imagine the simultaneous detonation of all munitions on the planet, from the lowly 9mm rounds to the monstrous ICBMs sitting in American and Russian silos. That would maybe, just maybe cover the explosion of anger, embarrassment, shock and extensive array of other emotions that Asuka so graciously let the world know with a single, drawn out scream/yell/cry. Maybe. But that faded away (after a few minutes) and Asuka entered a catatonic state of shock. She merely pushed the button on her wrist to snug up the suit, then walked over to a nearby chair and sat down. She slouched and lowered her head until it was almost between her legs…but no sobs came.
That last point was the one that bothered Shinji. Asuka had just walked away. No slap, no lecture on how perverted the boys were. No retaliation, no venting of anger, nothing but that one drawn out yell.
Shinji's mind was torn on what to do, a large part of him wanted to go over to her and try to comfort her despite the fact that she would hate him for it. Although an equally large part of him wanted to stay put and let her feel pain and sorrow for once, some sort of revenge for all the teasing, the hitting the annoying, the arrogance, everything that she had forced upon him since they had met. 'What has she ever done for me?' Shinji thought, 'Nothing. Has she ever comforted me when I was in pain? No. Rei, for all the personality she had, at least made that attempt.' That was when Rei walked into the boarding area, with Ritsuko and Misato in tow. Andrew was walking a bit ahead of Rei.
"What is going on here, why haven't you gotten into the plugs yet?" Ritsuko asked with impatience.
"Uhhhmmm…" Shinji and Touji tried to find words simultaneously.
"You…uh…might wanna wait for these tests or whatever they are," Touji, indicating for them to come over.
"What is it?" Ritsuko asked sharply, her foot tapping on the ground. Touji whispered something in Ritsuko's ear that made her eyes go wide for a moment, before she regained her usual scientific aura.
"Hmmm…the tests are postponed for half an hour…" Ritsuko said turning her head around for all to hear. "Misato."
"Yeah," Misato said, tentative to leave the four pilots alone. "Andrew," she whispered as she grabbed his coat collar, "don't you DARE let anything happen while I'm gone."
"Misato," he said wrapping his hands around the one she had gripped to his coat, causing her to immediately relax her iron grip at the sudden touch, "you KNOW I wouldn't let anything bad happen," he said in a forceful, yet soothing tone.
Misato just met his gaze for a moment in silence, then walked off at yet another call from Ritsuko.
Andrew looked on as Misato's form disappeared behind a door.
"Misato Katsuragi…" Andrew said quietly, "she's impressive, I'll give her that right now…" then he turned to see Shinji and Touji standing far away from Asuka and sighed inwardly…he had his work cut out for him. 'Man, why do I always try and do it all alone?'
Rei was standing quietly a few feet away, and since she was with Asuka in the locker room, Andrew decided to talk to her. Rei related the story with frightening detail. She had memorized the entire conversation and told it with a cold edge to her voice.
'My goodness,' Andrew thought, 'is that…animosity?…that I'm detecting from her? Who woulda thunk it?' Andrew was more than a little surprised that Rei was showing an unusual amount of emotion in her story, and he almost burst out of his calm interrogator mode when Rei's eyes flared and her lip curled for a very brief moment at the part where Asuka had talked about her and Shinji being alike.
"And so you tried to tell her about her…uh…" Andrew asked searching for a correct word.
"Yes, I attempted to do so," Rei said complacently.
"Mmm-hmmm…" Andrew diverted his eyes slightly upward thoughtfully, "…thank you Rei, you've helped me quite a bit here," he said, putting a hand on her shoulder, "but you do-"
"Yes, I do," Rei said, cutting him off.
"Well," Andrew said, "that's good for you," he said, smiling at her and patting her shoulder once.
It was Rei's turn to be surprised. Her brow raised and her eyes ever so slightly widened. For some reason, she found those words very, VERY prodding to her. She knew them, and yet had no idea why. She stood quietly in place, contemplating how she knew these words, and why they held such an impact on her.
Andrew left Rei and walked to Asuka and he saw Shinji visibly cringe at his approach to her.
"Go…away…" Asuka said in a low and deadly voice.
"Asuka, I won't kid around this time…" Andrew said in a noticeably serious tone, "but if that is what you wish, I will comply right now…but I tell you that another will come in my stead…someone that you may not wish to face right now."
"No…you wouldn't make me…face him…not now…" Asuka's voice grew in desperation with each syllable, "no…please…a-anything but that…" Asuka looked up and Andrew noticed the pathetic look on her face, the sorrow in his heart for her was apparent in his face. "No…you would wouldn't you …bastard."
"I swore to protect you Children," Andrew began, "even if that means protecting you from your own damn stupidity, Asuka."
Asuka's face briefly changed to one of shock, then she returned to a neutral state and her head sank back down. Andrew sighed quietly and then turned to Shinji. He pointed to him and Shinji got the message, Touji followed about half way, where Andrew had walked to. Shinji continued on to meet Asuka, his feet seemingly growing in weight the closer he got.
"You see it too, right?" Touji asked, looking to Andrew.
"Hmmm?" Andrew cocked his head questioningly.
"You know exactly what I mean," Touji responded, growing a small smile, "the newlyweds…Shinji and Asuka."
Andrew chuckled. 'So it was obvious to everyone but those two eh?' he thought. "I'm taking it that everyone else sees it as well?"
"Are you kidding?" Touji said, "of course they do, I think those two boneheads know it too, but they're just too stubborn to admit it."
"Asuka COULD be stubborn, but…" Andrew paused, "well, they don't realize it, but those two have something completely unique in common. Something no one else in the world has experienced, and probably never will ever again. I believe that is what is keeping them apart…the fact that they can't cope with this common bond they both have, and that they don't realize the other is in the same situation."
"Yeah, you lost me around 'but…' " Touji said flatly.
"Eh…just the fact that you realize it makes you understand much more than you know," Andrew said, then his face gained a wry smile, "now that you mention it though, it's sort of like…you and Ms. Horaki?"
"Ihavenoideawhatyou'retalkingabout,"
"Sure you don't," Andrew smiled to him, his eyes narrowing mockingly.
Meanwhile, Shinji walked over to Asuka and sat down next to her in silence. Asuka gave no recognition of his presence as Shinji breathed tensely. Shinji just sat there looking at the girl he had been living with for the past months, but someone who he knew more about than most other people, and yet, someone he also knew very little about. There's was an odd relationship, two people shunned from the world, one for her fiery and arrogant attitude and the other for his meek and spineless attitude. Polar opposites on first comparison, yet they have an underlying likeness that one must look very hard for.
Shinji thought that it might be a good idea to make a whole big joke about it like Asuka always seemed to do to him. She seemed so good at situations like this to Shinji. She always knew what to do and when to do it. He always bumbled through anything he even had the courage to face. But this was truly hard. He was more scared now than he was when he was inside the twelfth Angel. This didn't strike him as odd, because at least he knew what the Angel wanted to do to him at that moment, but right now, Asuka was being very unlike herself…something Shinji didn't know how to handle. As the minutes passed between them with nothing happening, Shinji slipped into thought as he glanced up at Andrew and Touji talking, then back down to the floor, assuming almost the same position as Asuka.
'Hmph,' Shinji thought, looking at Asuka, 'you really are just a kid like me.' Then the thought began to formulate in his mind. 'Is she really just like me?' he thought, 'No, not the Asuka I know, she's a loud, arrogant, self-serving, egotistical, immature bitch and she, and everyone else, knows it. Me most of all…' He gained a determined look on his face and he sat up.
"Asuka," it wasn't a question, but a command for attention. If she had not been in another room, Misato would have audibly gasped. She was watching this all on security monitors with Ritsuko in the control center.
Asuka looked up dryly at him, with narrowed eyes. Her expression blank and without the usual fire in her cheeks, her lips…her hair even seemed to be dulled. This stalled Shinji for a little, his mind getting caught up in her still admirable beauty. Even Misato would have to admit that Asuka was growing up to be a very beautiful and well figured woman, if lacking in the element of elegance (though wasn't Misato in the same position?).
"…" Shinji's face stiffened, "What the hell are you moping about Asuka?!" Shinji yelled, to nearly everyone's surprise. Misato was dropped to the floor. "You always say you hate the way I act, you stupid hypocrite!" Shinji was growing out of control of himself. Now, it was the strength that resided within him that was in control. The flurry of emotions he had been experiencing unlocked the same person inside of him that brought out the true power of Unit 01. Shinji poked Asuka's shoulder, kindling a fire within her. "Well Asuka?!" Shinji's eyes were beginning the action of watering and his voice was on the verge of cracking. "You're just a kid like me! You're no better!" Whatever Shinji was attempting, it was definitely resurrecting Asuka's attitude, her teeth clenched and her hands went into fists.
"Mmmm….this should be interesting…" Andrew said quietly to Touji, who was staring at the newly grown spine Shinji was showing.
"You perverted idiot!" Asuka stepped forward, closing onto Shinji, but he didn't back down, "you stooges gawked at my young and innocent body!"
"And who's fault is that, Asuka?"
…
!!! (SMACK) !!!
"What in the hell would you know anyway you PERVERT!!!"
Touji cringed away from the sound of the smack, knowing that that wasn't one of the regular slaps Shinji received. Asuka's emotions resonated in the air along with the pulsing feeling that Touji could feel within his own cheek, despite not being hit. His eyes opened to see Rei. Her fists clenched at her sides, her mind obviously fighting to restrain the body…and fighting a losing battle. Even from across the room, both Touji and Andrew could see and feel the fury in Rei…an emotion one would not normally associate with her. Suddenly her body relaxed and her emotion receded to one of surprise, yet again a shocking development to the two onlookers, who followed her gaze across the room to Shinji…who was mustering a smile.
Shinji took his hand away from his cheek where it had instinctively gone, and barely responded to the streaked spots of blood. Shinji looked down thoughtfully at them as Misato burst into the room from a full sprint.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Misato exclaimed, angrily glaring at Shinji and Asuka.
"It's all HIS fault!" Asuka said maliciously, pointing to Shinji, "the stupid - "
"It's both your faults!" Misato said, her teeth seething. "Damnit why can't you ever understand that Asuka?! Oh, and don't think you're off the hook mister!" she added turning her eyes to Shinji, "you picked one helluva time to show some backbone Shinji…" Misato sighed and started to walk back to the control deck, "get yourself cleaned up Shinji, then we're proceeding with the tests," all the pilots, even Rei, were beginning to formulate a response in their mouth to protest that last piece of information, but Misato stopped them cold without turning around, "and that is a DIRECT ORDER from the COMMANDER," she said sternly.
Andrew glanced at Rei, who was coming up behind Shinji with a small container, 'probably First Aid' he thought, 'oh crap…here it comes again…' and he decided the best course of action would be to get Touji and himself out of the vicinity of these three pilots.
"Touji…?" Andrew said expectantly as he began to stroll calmly away.
"Yeah…" Touji said taking the cue to get out from the Agent.
Shinji and Asuka had turned away from each other and Shinji found himself facing Rei, who was taking some items out of a small box with a red cross on it.
"Allow me to assist, Ikari," Rei said as she took a cleaning pad out and applied it to Shinji's cut cheek. Shinji's teeth seethed from the cleansing alcohol. "I'm sorry," Rei said quietly as she removed the pad. She took a small dry cloth from the kit and dabbed it on Shinji's cheek with great care, taking up the blood from his skin. That's when Asuka turned around.
Asuka had been going over everything from the moment she entered the girls locker room up until the point where she slapped Shinji. Especially the part where she had slapped Shinji. His blood, his life essence, was on her fingers. She looked at them oddly. 'Why do we always do this?' she thought, 'It always ends up like this…silence…then yelling…then hitting…then this, this horrible feeling…this…regret? It eats away at me…to my soul, but why? It's always like this…and always only with him…' Then Asuka turned to try and form an apology.
"Thanks a lot Rei," Shinji said sincerely with a warm smile, "that's the second time today."
"It is not any trouble Pilot Ikari," Rei said, turning away and paying attention to the kit to hide her blush.
"Rei?" Shinji said looking thoughtful, "Could you call me, uh, Shinji…it's embarrassing, I guess…" Shinji said scratching the back of his head as he blushed.
"A-Alright……Shinji…" Rei stumbled through the sentence oddly for one of the few times in her life.
"Thanks," Shinji said as he continued his beaming smile.
"…just so perfect together…" Asuka muttered in a sarcastic and almost psychotically annoyed tone, "…he says that and she does that, they're just the cutest little homebodies…hip hurray, the two freaks got together!" her voice grew in emotion and volume. "Look at that fucked up little girl over there! She's all alone, she's pathetic, she can't do anything as good as the Wonder Kids over there!" Asuka's voice was beginning to mingle with choked up tears, "Well that's just fine!" she finished with a violent edge. Asuka growled and threw her fist into the wall near her. She marched to the entrance to her test plug, screaming for it to be opened. Apparently the control room had been watching, for as she neared it, the door opened upon command and closed behind her.
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=== Nerv Command Center – Sync & Harmonics Testing Control Room ===
"Very interesting…" Andrew whispered to himself as he watched the satisfied, and almost evil, smile on her face dissipate as she and Shinji got up and walked to their respective plugs. Misato nodded to Touji that it was safe for him to go in now and he did so.
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To be continued...
Next Episode: Betrayal / Deliverance
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Author's Notes: I'm not very confident about this chapter, so please review if you can. I will most likely revise this chapter if enough reviewers say to do so. As always, thanks a bunch.
Love n' Pizza
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