Ch. 14: Showdown at Paradise
A humble playwright steps on-stage.
"Ahem. I have a little message to deliver. It states:
'Some people might see this as being cheap, but if anyone has read this far, it means they have some form of appreciation for my work, however little or great. Now, it is quite plain that any person who is not naturally talented at writing would have had to put quite a lot of effort into this story. I did. For all my effort, I have received few reviews. Hence, I really don't know what people think about this story. Excepting those who don't have an author-name in the fan-fiction network, I ask that, henceforth, for every chapter of material that is read straight through, readers write at least one review. The chapters will be longer than in the past; don't worry.
'It is common knowledge that many people don't even read any stories that have fewer than 40 reviews. A boost in reviews would help spread this story around. It'd be a nice way of showing your appreciation. In return, the encouragement of the reviews would induce the writer into churning out the material at a faster rate, and good reviews would naturally help improve the quality of the story, anyway. It is encouraged that reviews include a meaningful message.
Flames (reviews like: 'you suck,' or, 'blah, I have nothing to say') will be used to burn yaoi fics, bad politicians, and annoying people. A big fat thank-you to those of you who wish to contribute to the story."'
* Bows. Curtains close *
Ready your play-list:
Music sequence:
1 Chicago-Died in your arms tonight
2 Goo Goo Dolls-Big Machine
3 The Beatles-Don't let me down
4 AFI-Girl's not grey
5 Jimmy Eat World- Authority Song
6 Mr. Big-Shine
---
"Shinji! Your flimsy guitar broke and sprayed sawdust all over me!"
Asuka was in the kitchen, wailing as usual. And they had been only a day away from achieving a full week of peaceful mornings.
"Why can't you make better guitars, Misato? Is this the best you can do?"
….
…
"Damnit, Shinji! I just said that the guitar broke!"
"Oh…sorry about that. Let me get you the spare one."
"No, wait! I…I can get it myself."
"No, my guitar broke, so I should-"
"I said I'll get it MYSELF!"
She stormed out the kitchen.
"Well, then," he whispered.
---
Earlier that morning, at 1 am:
"Hey, I can't sleep…"
…
…..
"Hey, hey, I can't sleep.
…
"C'mon…don't keep me waiting…"
Shinji rubbed his eyes and looked up into an impatient face. Oh, great. Another impromptu midnight practice session?
"Another one of those?" he moaned.
"No, I don't want to do practice. Actually, I want to practice. Well, I…"
What?
"I want to practice on your guitar."
(Start Music Background: Chicago-"Died in your arms tonight")
What? Hadn't he given all his guitars to Touji and her?
*FLASHBACK*
"Shinji, I want you to take your focus off the guitar in general," Misato said. "Give all of your guitars to Asuka and Touji. You just need to be comfy with your Bass."
*End FLASHBACK*
Asuka looked at the floor. "I keep thinking about what happened…between us, and I…"
Shinji was silent.
"I want to thank you," she whispered. "Just-for listening. I…I don't know what it is about you, but I can't…I just had to…"
Shinji started to blush.
Asuka moved closer, and gently put her hand on his chest. The moonlight, pushed through thin clouds, fell through the window and pierced her blue pupils. Shinji could feel his heart throbbing through his neck.
This-this can't be, he thought. It's just a stupid dream.
Despite his resolution, her breathing pushed softly on his cheek. Her hair, more disheveled than usual, fell in spreading red curls across his pillow. Strands of her hair tickled his neck, and he reflexively reached up to push her hair away. It trickled over his fingers like silk. Asuka looked down at him, her eyes soft and full. Shinji started to feel uncomfortably hot.
She stroked his black hair with her left hand, and a small, mischievous smile came to her lips. Suddenly she dove onto his futon. She missed. Shinji gasped. Asuka giggled, but Shinji pressed a hand to her mouth to stifle any further sounds.
"You're-You're going to wake them!" he said.
Asuka struggled to free his hand from her mouth, but she was laughing too much to use any of her strength. Unable to loosen his firm grip, she tickled him, causing him to squirm wildly.
Shinji tried to regain his breath, but she had rolled on top of him, and, whether from excitement or fear, his heart pounded short, fast beats, joining with hers. Asuka pushed her body against his, melding herself to his shape. Feeling her body against his for the first time, Shinji gasped in surprise. Then she struck. Her hands slid down his face and into the sheets, traveling slowly down his still form, her light fingers caressing his tingling skin. Shinji felt like his heart would burst.
"I just…I thought you'd like to know how I felt when I realized you cared for me…I thought…even though I've always loved you, somehow I never acted like I was grateful…
Shinji involuntarily shuddered. She wasn't planning to do…THAT…was she?
"Please, don't resist this…"
Her hands felt further down.
Suddenly she shrieked.
"It's-so-so…BIG!!!"
Shinji looked confused. What was so big?
Asuka's face turned a shade of scarlet.
"And…and slippery! EEW!!"
Asuka jumped off his futon with the speed of a demon.
"What-what kind of monster do you have?" she screeched, pointing her finger condemningly at the terrified Shinji. Shinji couldn't move. What was going on?!
"How could…it possibly…" She started making shapes in the air.
Shinji turned entirely purple. Had he let her down? What had he done?
Asuka continued screaming.
"How-how dare you…how dare you do that to me!! What'd you do, exercise it?!?"
She slammed her fist against his bed-pole. Something wet landed in his lap. Shinji looked up at her. She was crying.
"DAMNIT, ANSWER ME!"
"EEEEK!"
Shinji turned to face the inhuman sound that had answered Asuka. Oh, Lord.
It was Pen-pen.
Asuka stared at the penguin in unbelief. Shinji suddenly realized what she had understood to be Pen-Pen's relatively large body. He fainted.
Mortified, Asuka turned her face to the wall.
"I can't believe this…" she whispered. "THAT STUPID PENGUIN!"
She punched the wall as hard as she could. Blood and tears mingled in the crescent light, slowly falling down the wall.
"I-I overreacted…he didn't do anything wrong…"
She bit her lip, fighting back her tears.
"Why couldn't he have told me?! All my life…for that moment…I would have given anything…"
She broke down and cried.
(End Music Background: Chicago-"Died in your arms tonight")
---
1 pm the same day:
"Okay! Final practice before the competition!" Misato yelled.
"Asuka, show me that solo you've been practicing!"
….
"Asuka, get on it!"
"Guitar Solo no Jutsu!" Asuka yelled, making a cross with her fingers. Suddenly, the guitar charged up with the energy of a hundred past guitar solos, bending under the force of ingenious history, ripping through chords like a crazed bull-dog, channeling sound wave after sound wave into the pounding stereos.
BOOM! The first stereo burst.
"Stop, Asuka! We need these for the competition!"
BOOM! Stereo number two.
"Wait!!"
BOOM!
Pen-Pen's igaloo.
-Twenty minutes later…
Misato pulled herself up, noting the crumbling pieces of plaster and the sparkling dust that indicated the end of practice for that day. She took a look around.
Hmmm…Could Asuka be doing this to get revenge on someone? She normally wasn't THIS destructive. Suddenly she realized something.
The rest of the band members weren't there. Where were they? Had they left to the competition without her?
And then she remembered…
---
"Look…I don't want you guys to worry about me. I'll be taking care of things behind the background. If I trip and fall, and end up in the ambulance on a trip to the hospital, don't even look back. Keep trekkin' down to the Paradise Hotel. That's where the competition is. Shinji, Asuka, Rei, and… a fourth member… Touji! You all MUST beat the competing bands, no matter what the cost. Same goes with any of you. Don't turn back. Abandon your hurting teammates. This is a war. Do anything it takes to win. They will more than likely attempt sabotage on your sound systems. Hit them first, and with force, and they'll be too busy recuperating to retaliate. But don't worry about me. I've put you all together, done this much for you all, so you must give me the chance to sacrifice myself for you all, to even die for this, for something I've always wanted to make true."
Needless to say, they were all moved.
---
"That Jimi Hendrix solo…that was truly amazing." Rei breathed a deep sigh.
"Oh. You mean the one Asuka tore down our house with?" Touji asked.
"No. The solo we heard on the Jimi Hendrix albulm yesterday."
"Oh."
"Who inspired him to make such music? Who told him how to make the guitar wail with such passion?"
Shinji looked up at the sky.
"I don't know how Jimi Hendrix created such music," he said. "But I do know that Asuka's solo isn't something any average band can match. She has the strength of a tiger."
(Start Background Music: Goo Goo Dolls-Big Machine)
---
It took them thirty minutes to haul their equipment there. The building was huge. Music pounded the bodies of Underneath a colorful banner titled "Paradise bar," a throng of spectators watched an outside hologram, which depicted a playing band.
Rei was the first to the reach the display. She looked around, found Shinji, and nudged him on the shoulder.
"Look at their performance. The bass player is juggling his instrument like he's a clown in a circus, and he's swaying around he has a seizure. It's not beneficial to have people who move their bodies more than their hands, and I certainly wouldn't want him on my band. And look at the drummer. She's swinging the sticks as if they were baseball bats. There's no subtlety in her playing at all."
"But look at the lead guitarist," Shinji observed. "She's quite a talent. Might even give Asuka a run for her money."
"Impossible," Rei said.
Shinji looked at Rei. "Why?"
"Her guitar-jitsu is a level below Asuka's. She does not even have a good grasp of the basic hand position technique. Her thumb goes way over the top of the bridge. That gives her fingers no room at all to form big chords, and it slows their movement. Her fingers don't even go straight down onto the fret-board. The only thing she's got in her favor is that her solo has a particularly catchy tune. But Asuka's solo would slap her silly."
"Isn't that right?" Asuka asked. "I can't believe they actually let her lead the band. She should be demoted to the pee-wee middle school bands."
"It's not like any of these bands are professional," Shinji said. "Most of these are start-up bands trying to find an audience. Besides, people have different ways of playing."
"Feh. I'll show her how to play when it's our turn."
"Don't be so boastful," Touji said. "This is only your first competition, after all."
"You're one to tell me that, Eva-Music-Maker rookie," Asuka shot back.
Touji flushed bright red, but Shinji put a hand on his shoulder.
"Save your energy for the show," he whispered. "I'll calm her down."
All of a sudden…
(Beatles-"Don't let me down")
"Hello, band-mates! Thanks for leaving without me!"
……
"Misato?"
The four band members stared in disbelief.
"We thought you were dead," said Touji.
Misato did a double take. They did? Well, well. Someone was gonna get it.
"Uh…well, never mind that. I'm here, and so are you guys, and now we're here, so, well, let's do our best!" Misato concluded. She eyed them suspiciously. Which one had said that she was dead?
"Ok…" said Rei.
"Well, uh, what's our status report?" Misato asked.
"Oh…well, all four of us reached the battleground unharmed-"
"Good, good. We've got the advantage already," Misato said, her mouth forming a slight grin.
"Oh Lord," Touji whispered to Shinji. "She didn't do that, did she?"
"But," continued Rei, "our band is caught in the throes of a hurricane of mixed feelings. Apparently, some are overconfident, and some feel a bit too conservative about this whole event. I advise that you give us a good perspective on the challenge we are about to face."
"Hmm…"
….
……
"Well, do your best!" Misato said energetically.
Rei cringed. "Perhaps something more descriptive? You are the Originator of our band, after all."
"I'll be ashamed of you guys if you don't do your best, so that's why you all should do your best!"
….
"Mein Gott…"
"What was that, Asuka?"
"Just praying."
---
(Start music background: AFI-"Girl's not Grey")
Fifteen minutes later…
Rei rallied the other three players around her.
"Okay! Listen up! This is our battle plan. I've just done a swift recon of the whole area, and I picked up some information. There are fifteen bands in the whole competition. This event is going to take the whole day. We are going to stay here to listen to all of them, even if they suck, and analyze each and every one.
"We must learn as much as we can from this experience. Now I know that Misato may have pointed us toward sabotage earlier, but I am overriding that directive. We are an honorable band. We will not cheat or put others at a disadvantage. Each of us four were famous as EVA pilots, and although most people here can't attach our names to our faces, the honor and dignity we held as EVA pilots will be tested here. Therefore, we will be true to ourselves. We will defeat them on their terms, on their ground, just like we destroyed the Angels."
Rei furrowed her brows.
"Anyways, it looks like we're short on cables, and Shinji forgot his bass amp. We can't break their equipment if we're planning on using it. Any questions?"
Nobody answered.
"Well, looks like we're ready to rock..."
"Um, Um," Touji said in agreement.
"Let's get going-"
"Wait a minute," Asuka interjected. "We're actually using their equipment?"
Rei paused.
"Yes. You have a problem with that?"
"Perhaps. I thought we were only using the best sound equipment. I don't want inferior machinery interfering with our music."
"It won't interfere. Everyone's using the same speakers anyways, and I don't want to embarrass us by lugging on our own set of speakers as we're being called up."
"Yea, but if we have an advantage, why not take it? We'll use our equipment, and we'll just use their bass amp for Shinji's bass."
"Listen, it's not something we have to do. It's just easier to-"
"We don't want to do what's easier. We want something that'll make us win-"
"Asuka, don't worry about it, okay?"
"What do you mean, don't worry? You're obviously trying to sabotage our efforts to win! What kind of leader are you, anyway?"
"Asuka, just listen and follow me, like everyone else-"
"I'm not listening! Everyone else is stupid."
Asuka turned and pouted her lips.
"You're just Misato's pet, that's all."
Rei's eyes went wide. "Listen, Asuka. If you're not going to be cooperative, I'm going have to release you-"
"What? Is Misato's little doll trying to say something?"
Rei's tone hardened. "I'm not kidding. I'm going to kick you out of this performance if you don't shut up right now. All this talk is just interfering-"
"You can't do that!" Asuka yelled. "The most talented member should make the decisions! You probably don't have the balls to kick me out, anyway."
"You're right. We're just wasting time talking about this," Rei said, looking down the street. "We shouldn't even be out here. Equipment is not our biggest concern, but the willingness of our members to follow their leader is our utmost priority."
Asuka pressed her finger to Rei's forehead. Her eyes were hard and cold.
"I will not let you destroy my career, ruin Misato's dreams, AND tarnish this band with your incurable laziness. If you can't act like a leader, I guess I'll have to-"
"Oh, wait a minute-wait a minute-hold on there…you're calling ME lazy?…that's practically the joke of your life, isn't it? I think someone's a little too hasty in judging others-"
"No way! But you know what's wrong with you? You're too afraid of embarrassment. You're not fit to be leader at all. Period!"
(Start Music Background: Jimmy Eat World-"Authority Song")
Rei chuckled. "The last time I checked, I was chosen as the leader, not you. You don't have to play, if that's your choice. But you have to go by Misato's rules if you want to play. And that means listening to me. So don't sweat it."
Shinji tried to look the other way. They were attracting far too much attention.
"Excuse me? What about the Overriding Directive? Listen to Misato's RULES, you say? Be COOPERATIVE, you say?! I don't have time for your hypocritical crap."
"If that's the attitude you choose to have, then the band doesn't have time for you."
Throwing all her weight into her right hand, Asuka slapped Rei as hard as she could. Rei stumbled back two steps, but she wouldn't have fallen had not a passing stranger been standing just two paces behind her.
Shinji and Touji stared. What had just happened?
"You had it coming," Asuka said edgily.
Shinji began to tremble with anger. It was as if shaft had been driven straight through his heart. He yearned to go to Rei's aid, and his instincts told him to attack the person who had hurt her, but he couldn't bring himself to lay a hand on someone he had grown to love so dearly.
Rei examined her stinging cheek. "Asuka, I cannot let you play. You have an uncontrollable temper, and you are entirely too impatient. You don't respect your fellow players. Even if you think yourself the best one here, you must think of the band's welfare before your own. Your insubordination is unacceptable. Therefore, you are dismissed from this competition entirely, and if you try to join in on our performance in any way or form, you will have to deal with me."
Asuka stood there gaping. It took her a minute to fully comprehend what Rei had meant.
"You can't…"
"I already have."
Asuka stared at Rei for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, regaining some of her composure, she leaned back on a cigarette stand and spoke in a soft, hushed voice.
"Miss Bossy Boss here thinks she can just push us all around, hey? Do you really think Misato favors you because of your talent? Huh? Didn't you wonder why Misato gave you a brand new drum set, and gave all the rest of us home-built guitars the equivalent of glued-together sawdust? I know exactly why. Misato and I go back quite far. I know quite a few of her secrets, as she knows some of mine. And I'll tell you this: You're not who you think you are. Misato's had quite a wild history, and you're a VERY IMPORTANT part of it."
Her voice gathered volume.
"That little bitch you think has been so clean all her life went to a graduate party one night after her high school reunion, and she got clean wasted. Could hardly even handle a 24 pack back then. She can't remember exactly what happened, but nine months later…there you were, all six pounds of white skin and fluffy blue hair. Yes, Gendo fed you some of Yui's DNA, but he could only go so far as the hair and eyes. He called you his daughter, his precious gem…but you're no daughter of Gendo. You're Misato's unrecognized bastard, and she can barely even stand to look at you, you sick…accident.….."
Rei simply stood there.
Asuka continued, "That's why she kept you in your own little apartment for so long…You thought you wanted to be alone, huh? Maybe you subconsciously sensed that she didn't want you around."
Rei went pale. She looked as if she wanted to speak, but nothing came out.
"The truth hurts, doesn't it?"
"You lie…" Rei stared hard at the ground.
"She's just lying, right Shinji?"
Shinji couldn't move. He didn't know what to say.
"I-she…."
An uneasy silence followed.
"It's alright, Shinji. I understand everything now."
NOOOO!!!!!! Shinji thought. This wasn't true…it had to be a dream. They were forbidden to tell.
Misato had forced him and Asuka to promise, under pain of the worst devices of torture known to man, to keep silent. She had even cursed them with some sort of Chinese rune. Asuka had remarked that it looked like a piece of dung from the flea-market, but Shinji was quite sure the rune was something more. He thought Asuka would at least give it the benefit of the doubt. Now they'd have to deal with a raging Misato AND, perhaps, a raging curse. But that wasn't the least of his worries. He knew Rei had been deeply hurt.
Even so, Rei didn't understand. Misato wasn't ashamed of her. Misato loved Rei. How could a mother hate a child so gentle and serene? Rei never knew how long Misato yearned for them to share the same roof, the same struggles, the same life. Misato was simply ashamed of herself.
But what was up with Asuka? Why was Asuka torturing her? Hadn't Rei been grappling with her doubts about her identity and her purpose since she knew her left from right? Why was Asuka stabbing her foot on the thing that hurted Rei most?
Rei walked past Asuka.
Shinji could see tears on the bottom of her chin as she turned around.
"You're welcome to play. I don't see how it would matter now, anyway."
"Fine. Forget the equipment. I don't really care anymore."
They stood still for a few moments.
"Well, I guess that's it," Touji muttered. "We're probably all too tired to argue anymore."
Shinji couldn't help but disagree. This had started a war. Their trials were only beginning.
"Okay, guys," Rei said. "Let's go in there and get it over with."
They marched into the battlefield, faces grim.
The doors of Paradise closed behind them.
(Ending Music sequence: Mr. Big-"Shine")
A humble playwright steps on-stage.
"Ahem. I have a little message to deliver. It states:
'Some people might see this as being cheap, but if anyone has read this far, it means they have some form of appreciation for my work, however little or great. Now, it is quite plain that any person who is not naturally talented at writing would have had to put quite a lot of effort into this story. I did. For all my effort, I have received few reviews. Hence, I really don't know what people think about this story. Excepting those who don't have an author-name in the fan-fiction network, I ask that, henceforth, for every chapter of material that is read straight through, readers write at least one review. The chapters will be longer than in the past; don't worry.
'It is common knowledge that many people don't even read any stories that have fewer than 40 reviews. A boost in reviews would help spread this story around. It'd be a nice way of showing your appreciation. In return, the encouragement of the reviews would induce the writer into churning out the material at a faster rate, and good reviews would naturally help improve the quality of the story, anyway. It is encouraged that reviews include a meaningful message.
Flames (reviews like: 'you suck,' or, 'blah, I have nothing to say') will be used to burn yaoi fics, bad politicians, and annoying people. A big fat thank-you to those of you who wish to contribute to the story."'
* Bows. Curtains close *
Ready your play-list:
Music sequence:
1 Chicago-Died in your arms tonight
2 Goo Goo Dolls-Big Machine
3 The Beatles-Don't let me down
4 AFI-Girl's not grey
5 Jimmy Eat World- Authority Song
6 Mr. Big-Shine
---
"Shinji! Your flimsy guitar broke and sprayed sawdust all over me!"
Asuka was in the kitchen, wailing as usual. And they had been only a day away from achieving a full week of peaceful mornings.
"Why can't you make better guitars, Misato? Is this the best you can do?"
….
…
"Damnit, Shinji! I just said that the guitar broke!"
"Oh…sorry about that. Let me get you the spare one."
"No, wait! I…I can get it myself."
"No, my guitar broke, so I should-"
"I said I'll get it MYSELF!"
She stormed out the kitchen.
"Well, then," he whispered.
---
Earlier that morning, at 1 am:
"Hey, I can't sleep…"
…
…..
"Hey, hey, I can't sleep.
…
"C'mon…don't keep me waiting…"
Shinji rubbed his eyes and looked up into an impatient face. Oh, great. Another impromptu midnight practice session?
"Another one of those?" he moaned.
"No, I don't want to do practice. Actually, I want to practice. Well, I…"
What?
"I want to practice on your guitar."
(Start Music Background: Chicago-"Died in your arms tonight")
What? Hadn't he given all his guitars to Touji and her?
*FLASHBACK*
"Shinji, I want you to take your focus off the guitar in general," Misato said. "Give all of your guitars to Asuka and Touji. You just need to be comfy with your Bass."
*End FLASHBACK*
Asuka looked at the floor. "I keep thinking about what happened…between us, and I…"
Shinji was silent.
"I want to thank you," she whispered. "Just-for listening. I…I don't know what it is about you, but I can't…I just had to…"
Shinji started to blush.
Asuka moved closer, and gently put her hand on his chest. The moonlight, pushed through thin clouds, fell through the window and pierced her blue pupils. Shinji could feel his heart throbbing through his neck.
This-this can't be, he thought. It's just a stupid dream.
Despite his resolution, her breathing pushed softly on his cheek. Her hair, more disheveled than usual, fell in spreading red curls across his pillow. Strands of her hair tickled his neck, and he reflexively reached up to push her hair away. It trickled over his fingers like silk. Asuka looked down at him, her eyes soft and full. Shinji started to feel uncomfortably hot.
She stroked his black hair with her left hand, and a small, mischievous smile came to her lips. Suddenly she dove onto his futon. She missed. Shinji gasped. Asuka giggled, but Shinji pressed a hand to her mouth to stifle any further sounds.
"You're-You're going to wake them!" he said.
Asuka struggled to free his hand from her mouth, but she was laughing too much to use any of her strength. Unable to loosen his firm grip, she tickled him, causing him to squirm wildly.
Shinji tried to regain his breath, but she had rolled on top of him, and, whether from excitement or fear, his heart pounded short, fast beats, joining with hers. Asuka pushed her body against his, melding herself to his shape. Feeling her body against his for the first time, Shinji gasped in surprise. Then she struck. Her hands slid down his face and into the sheets, traveling slowly down his still form, her light fingers caressing his tingling skin. Shinji felt like his heart would burst.
"I just…I thought you'd like to know how I felt when I realized you cared for me…I thought…even though I've always loved you, somehow I never acted like I was grateful…
Shinji involuntarily shuddered. She wasn't planning to do…THAT…was she?
"Please, don't resist this…"
Her hands felt further down.
Suddenly she shrieked.
"It's-so-so…BIG!!!"
Shinji looked confused. What was so big?
Asuka's face turned a shade of scarlet.
"And…and slippery! EEW!!"
Asuka jumped off his futon with the speed of a demon.
"What-what kind of monster do you have?" she screeched, pointing her finger condemningly at the terrified Shinji. Shinji couldn't move. What was going on?!
"How could…it possibly…" She started making shapes in the air.
Shinji turned entirely purple. Had he let her down? What had he done?
Asuka continued screaming.
"How-how dare you…how dare you do that to me!! What'd you do, exercise it?!?"
She slammed her fist against his bed-pole. Something wet landed in his lap. Shinji looked up at her. She was crying.
"DAMNIT, ANSWER ME!"
"EEEEK!"
Shinji turned to face the inhuman sound that had answered Asuka. Oh, Lord.
It was Pen-pen.
Asuka stared at the penguin in unbelief. Shinji suddenly realized what she had understood to be Pen-Pen's relatively large body. He fainted.
Mortified, Asuka turned her face to the wall.
"I can't believe this…" she whispered. "THAT STUPID PENGUIN!"
She punched the wall as hard as she could. Blood and tears mingled in the crescent light, slowly falling down the wall.
"I-I overreacted…he didn't do anything wrong…"
She bit her lip, fighting back her tears.
"Why couldn't he have told me?! All my life…for that moment…I would have given anything…"
She broke down and cried.
(End Music Background: Chicago-"Died in your arms tonight")
---
1 pm the same day:
"Okay! Final practice before the competition!" Misato yelled.
"Asuka, show me that solo you've been practicing!"
….
"Asuka, get on it!"
"Guitar Solo no Jutsu!" Asuka yelled, making a cross with her fingers. Suddenly, the guitar charged up with the energy of a hundred past guitar solos, bending under the force of ingenious history, ripping through chords like a crazed bull-dog, channeling sound wave after sound wave into the pounding stereos.
BOOM! The first stereo burst.
"Stop, Asuka! We need these for the competition!"
BOOM! Stereo number two.
"Wait!!"
BOOM!
Pen-Pen's igaloo.
-Twenty minutes later…
Misato pulled herself up, noting the crumbling pieces of plaster and the sparkling dust that indicated the end of practice for that day. She took a look around.
Hmmm…Could Asuka be doing this to get revenge on someone? She normally wasn't THIS destructive. Suddenly she realized something.
The rest of the band members weren't there. Where were they? Had they left to the competition without her?
And then she remembered…
---
"Look…I don't want you guys to worry about me. I'll be taking care of things behind the background. If I trip and fall, and end up in the ambulance on a trip to the hospital, don't even look back. Keep trekkin' down to the Paradise Hotel. That's where the competition is. Shinji, Asuka, Rei, and… a fourth member… Touji! You all MUST beat the competing bands, no matter what the cost. Same goes with any of you. Don't turn back. Abandon your hurting teammates. This is a war. Do anything it takes to win. They will more than likely attempt sabotage on your sound systems. Hit them first, and with force, and they'll be too busy recuperating to retaliate. But don't worry about me. I've put you all together, done this much for you all, so you must give me the chance to sacrifice myself for you all, to even die for this, for something I've always wanted to make true."
Needless to say, they were all moved.
---
"That Jimi Hendrix solo…that was truly amazing." Rei breathed a deep sigh.
"Oh. You mean the one Asuka tore down our house with?" Touji asked.
"No. The solo we heard on the Jimi Hendrix albulm yesterday."
"Oh."
"Who inspired him to make such music? Who told him how to make the guitar wail with such passion?"
Shinji looked up at the sky.
"I don't know how Jimi Hendrix created such music," he said. "But I do know that Asuka's solo isn't something any average band can match. She has the strength of a tiger."
(Start Background Music: Goo Goo Dolls-Big Machine)
---
It took them thirty minutes to haul their equipment there. The building was huge. Music pounded the bodies of Underneath a colorful banner titled "Paradise bar," a throng of spectators watched an outside hologram, which depicted a playing band.
Rei was the first to the reach the display. She looked around, found Shinji, and nudged him on the shoulder.
"Look at their performance. The bass player is juggling his instrument like he's a clown in a circus, and he's swaying around he has a seizure. It's not beneficial to have people who move their bodies more than their hands, and I certainly wouldn't want him on my band. And look at the drummer. She's swinging the sticks as if they were baseball bats. There's no subtlety in her playing at all."
"But look at the lead guitarist," Shinji observed. "She's quite a talent. Might even give Asuka a run for her money."
"Impossible," Rei said.
Shinji looked at Rei. "Why?"
"Her guitar-jitsu is a level below Asuka's. She does not even have a good grasp of the basic hand position technique. Her thumb goes way over the top of the bridge. That gives her fingers no room at all to form big chords, and it slows their movement. Her fingers don't even go straight down onto the fret-board. The only thing she's got in her favor is that her solo has a particularly catchy tune. But Asuka's solo would slap her silly."
"Isn't that right?" Asuka asked. "I can't believe they actually let her lead the band. She should be demoted to the pee-wee middle school bands."
"It's not like any of these bands are professional," Shinji said. "Most of these are start-up bands trying to find an audience. Besides, people have different ways of playing."
"Feh. I'll show her how to play when it's our turn."
"Don't be so boastful," Touji said. "This is only your first competition, after all."
"You're one to tell me that, Eva-Music-Maker rookie," Asuka shot back.
Touji flushed bright red, but Shinji put a hand on his shoulder.
"Save your energy for the show," he whispered. "I'll calm her down."
All of a sudden…
(Beatles-"Don't let me down")
"Hello, band-mates! Thanks for leaving without me!"
……
"Misato?"
The four band members stared in disbelief.
"We thought you were dead," said Touji.
Misato did a double take. They did? Well, well. Someone was gonna get it.
"Uh…well, never mind that. I'm here, and so are you guys, and now we're here, so, well, let's do our best!" Misato concluded. She eyed them suspiciously. Which one had said that she was dead?
"Ok…" said Rei.
"Well, uh, what's our status report?" Misato asked.
"Oh…well, all four of us reached the battleground unharmed-"
"Good, good. We've got the advantage already," Misato said, her mouth forming a slight grin.
"Oh Lord," Touji whispered to Shinji. "She didn't do that, did she?"
"But," continued Rei, "our band is caught in the throes of a hurricane of mixed feelings. Apparently, some are overconfident, and some feel a bit too conservative about this whole event. I advise that you give us a good perspective on the challenge we are about to face."
"Hmm…"
….
……
"Well, do your best!" Misato said energetically.
Rei cringed. "Perhaps something more descriptive? You are the Originator of our band, after all."
"I'll be ashamed of you guys if you don't do your best, so that's why you all should do your best!"
….
"Mein Gott…"
"What was that, Asuka?"
"Just praying."
---
(Start music background: AFI-"Girl's not Grey")
Fifteen minutes later…
Rei rallied the other three players around her.
"Okay! Listen up! This is our battle plan. I've just done a swift recon of the whole area, and I picked up some information. There are fifteen bands in the whole competition. This event is going to take the whole day. We are going to stay here to listen to all of them, even if they suck, and analyze each and every one.
"We must learn as much as we can from this experience. Now I know that Misato may have pointed us toward sabotage earlier, but I am overriding that directive. We are an honorable band. We will not cheat or put others at a disadvantage. Each of us four were famous as EVA pilots, and although most people here can't attach our names to our faces, the honor and dignity we held as EVA pilots will be tested here. Therefore, we will be true to ourselves. We will defeat them on their terms, on their ground, just like we destroyed the Angels."
Rei furrowed her brows.
"Anyways, it looks like we're short on cables, and Shinji forgot his bass amp. We can't break their equipment if we're planning on using it. Any questions?"
Nobody answered.
"Well, looks like we're ready to rock..."
"Um, Um," Touji said in agreement.
"Let's get going-"
"Wait a minute," Asuka interjected. "We're actually using their equipment?"
Rei paused.
"Yes. You have a problem with that?"
"Perhaps. I thought we were only using the best sound equipment. I don't want inferior machinery interfering with our music."
"It won't interfere. Everyone's using the same speakers anyways, and I don't want to embarrass us by lugging on our own set of speakers as we're being called up."
"Yea, but if we have an advantage, why not take it? We'll use our equipment, and we'll just use their bass amp for Shinji's bass."
"Listen, it's not something we have to do. It's just easier to-"
"We don't want to do what's easier. We want something that'll make us win-"
"Asuka, don't worry about it, okay?"
"What do you mean, don't worry? You're obviously trying to sabotage our efforts to win! What kind of leader are you, anyway?"
"Asuka, just listen and follow me, like everyone else-"
"I'm not listening! Everyone else is stupid."
Asuka turned and pouted her lips.
"You're just Misato's pet, that's all."
Rei's eyes went wide. "Listen, Asuka. If you're not going to be cooperative, I'm going have to release you-"
"What? Is Misato's little doll trying to say something?"
Rei's tone hardened. "I'm not kidding. I'm going to kick you out of this performance if you don't shut up right now. All this talk is just interfering-"
"You can't do that!" Asuka yelled. "The most talented member should make the decisions! You probably don't have the balls to kick me out, anyway."
"You're right. We're just wasting time talking about this," Rei said, looking down the street. "We shouldn't even be out here. Equipment is not our biggest concern, but the willingness of our members to follow their leader is our utmost priority."
Asuka pressed her finger to Rei's forehead. Her eyes were hard and cold.
"I will not let you destroy my career, ruin Misato's dreams, AND tarnish this band with your incurable laziness. If you can't act like a leader, I guess I'll have to-"
"Oh, wait a minute-wait a minute-hold on there…you're calling ME lazy?…that's practically the joke of your life, isn't it? I think someone's a little too hasty in judging others-"
"No way! But you know what's wrong with you? You're too afraid of embarrassment. You're not fit to be leader at all. Period!"
(Start Music Background: Jimmy Eat World-"Authority Song")
Rei chuckled. "The last time I checked, I was chosen as the leader, not you. You don't have to play, if that's your choice. But you have to go by Misato's rules if you want to play. And that means listening to me. So don't sweat it."
Shinji tried to look the other way. They were attracting far too much attention.
"Excuse me? What about the Overriding Directive? Listen to Misato's RULES, you say? Be COOPERATIVE, you say?! I don't have time for your hypocritical crap."
"If that's the attitude you choose to have, then the band doesn't have time for you."
Throwing all her weight into her right hand, Asuka slapped Rei as hard as she could. Rei stumbled back two steps, but she wouldn't have fallen had not a passing stranger been standing just two paces behind her.
Shinji and Touji stared. What had just happened?
"You had it coming," Asuka said edgily.
Shinji began to tremble with anger. It was as if shaft had been driven straight through his heart. He yearned to go to Rei's aid, and his instincts told him to attack the person who had hurt her, but he couldn't bring himself to lay a hand on someone he had grown to love so dearly.
Rei examined her stinging cheek. "Asuka, I cannot let you play. You have an uncontrollable temper, and you are entirely too impatient. You don't respect your fellow players. Even if you think yourself the best one here, you must think of the band's welfare before your own. Your insubordination is unacceptable. Therefore, you are dismissed from this competition entirely, and if you try to join in on our performance in any way or form, you will have to deal with me."
Asuka stood there gaping. It took her a minute to fully comprehend what Rei had meant.
"You can't…"
"I already have."
Asuka stared at Rei for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, regaining some of her composure, she leaned back on a cigarette stand and spoke in a soft, hushed voice.
"Miss Bossy Boss here thinks she can just push us all around, hey? Do you really think Misato favors you because of your talent? Huh? Didn't you wonder why Misato gave you a brand new drum set, and gave all the rest of us home-built guitars the equivalent of glued-together sawdust? I know exactly why. Misato and I go back quite far. I know quite a few of her secrets, as she knows some of mine. And I'll tell you this: You're not who you think you are. Misato's had quite a wild history, and you're a VERY IMPORTANT part of it."
Her voice gathered volume.
"That little bitch you think has been so clean all her life went to a graduate party one night after her high school reunion, and she got clean wasted. Could hardly even handle a 24 pack back then. She can't remember exactly what happened, but nine months later…there you were, all six pounds of white skin and fluffy blue hair. Yes, Gendo fed you some of Yui's DNA, but he could only go so far as the hair and eyes. He called you his daughter, his precious gem…but you're no daughter of Gendo. You're Misato's unrecognized bastard, and she can barely even stand to look at you, you sick…accident.….."
Rei simply stood there.
Asuka continued, "That's why she kept you in your own little apartment for so long…You thought you wanted to be alone, huh? Maybe you subconsciously sensed that she didn't want you around."
Rei went pale. She looked as if she wanted to speak, but nothing came out.
"The truth hurts, doesn't it?"
"You lie…" Rei stared hard at the ground.
"She's just lying, right Shinji?"
Shinji couldn't move. He didn't know what to say.
"I-she…."
An uneasy silence followed.
"It's alright, Shinji. I understand everything now."
NOOOO!!!!!! Shinji thought. This wasn't true…it had to be a dream. They were forbidden to tell.
Misato had forced him and Asuka to promise, under pain of the worst devices of torture known to man, to keep silent. She had even cursed them with some sort of Chinese rune. Asuka had remarked that it looked like a piece of dung from the flea-market, but Shinji was quite sure the rune was something more. He thought Asuka would at least give it the benefit of the doubt. Now they'd have to deal with a raging Misato AND, perhaps, a raging curse. But that wasn't the least of his worries. He knew Rei had been deeply hurt.
Even so, Rei didn't understand. Misato wasn't ashamed of her. Misato loved Rei. How could a mother hate a child so gentle and serene? Rei never knew how long Misato yearned for them to share the same roof, the same struggles, the same life. Misato was simply ashamed of herself.
But what was up with Asuka? Why was Asuka torturing her? Hadn't Rei been grappling with her doubts about her identity and her purpose since she knew her left from right? Why was Asuka stabbing her foot on the thing that hurted Rei most?
Rei walked past Asuka.
Shinji could see tears on the bottom of her chin as she turned around.
"You're welcome to play. I don't see how it would matter now, anyway."
"Fine. Forget the equipment. I don't really care anymore."
They stood still for a few moments.
"Well, I guess that's it," Touji muttered. "We're probably all too tired to argue anymore."
Shinji couldn't help but disagree. This had started a war. Their trials were only beginning.
"Okay, guys," Rei said. "Let's go in there and get it over with."
They marched into the battlefield, faces grim.
The doors of Paradise closed behind them.
(Ending Music sequence: Mr. Big-"Shine")