Disclaimer: Neon Genesis Evangelion is the property of Gainax, ADV Films,
and all those other people who have much more money than I do. So, let's
forget all about the lawsuits, okay?
Author's Notes: 11/28/99- I realize that part one of "Corners" lacked any
sense of direction, but never fear, part two begins to establish the story's
heading. Any and all OOCness is intended (well, at least what I intended is
intended, anything else is extraneous and my mistake) and will be explained
as the story progresses. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Axel
Terizaki, KoalaKiller, and Daniel Snyder for their comments and suggestions
regarding part one.
12/26/99- Further thanks to Axel Terizaki for heading me off and pointing
out some things about this part of the fic before I prematurely posted it.
Not only this second part, but the overall story would most likely have
suffered without these changes. That's all for now, I promise. Without
further commercial interruption, I present...
"From all Corners they Cried..."
An Evangelion Fan Fic
by Dave Ziegler
Part two: "The Focus" or "Ground Zero"
Version 1.3
"Guten morgen Shinji." Shinji Ikari eyed his roommate warily as he
made his way to the kitchen table. Asuka was smiling. That was dangerous.
Even more confusing, or disturbing if you thought about it, was the sizzling
pan she was toiling over. Asuka never cooked. Never.
"Um, good morning Asuka." Shinji edged into a chair on the far side
of the table, his eyes never leaving Asuka. It was better safe than sorry,
to be sure. Asuka, cheeriness, and a combination of the two rather made
Shinji want to run for the nearest shelter.
"And how are you feeling today?" Asuka flipped a wedge of egg onto
itself as the pan continued to crackle.
"I'm. . . I'm much better, thank you." Shinji let the silence
linger for a few moments, struggling for something to say to a suddenly nice
Asuka. He was just too used to arguing with the girl. Come on, think.
"What are you doing, Asuka?"
"I'm making breakfast of course." She promptly lifted a mass of
white and yellow omelet from the pan, dropped it on a plate, and deposited
it in front of Shinji. "Here you are. Enjoy."
"Wow, I didn't know you could cook." Shinji took a quick bite of
egg, eager to keep Asuka and this pleasantness going for as long as he could.
"What is it exactly?" The egg was actually quite good, and he smiled his
appreciation.
"It's an omelet. An egg with cheese and vegetables. And of course
I can cook, idiot. I went to college you know." Asuka plopped the
remaining egg on another plate and took the seat opposite Shinji. Regarding
her as she sat, Shinji was beginning to feel better able to gauge Asuka's
smile, now that the initial shock of seeing it had worn off. It didn't
quite have that 'I'm going to nail you this time baka!' look to it that most
did when she meant him trouble. Strange as it was starting, this could be a
good day after all.
"I know, I know. I always thought they had cafeterias or something
at universities," Shinji said around a mouthful of egg.
"Yeah, they do, but you can't have expected me to eat that slop. I
lived in an apartment and had my very own kitchen," Asuka proudly stated.
"Was it really that bad?"
"Look at it this way third child. Misato's cooking is something to
anticipate compared to what they served." Shinji nearly gagged on his food.
"You're joking," he accused.
"Not at all." Asuka began to silently chew her own breakfast and
stared down at the plate. Come on, come on. Keep the conversation going
Shinji, he chided himself.
"Misato's left already?"
"Hmm?" Asuka spared Shinji a momentarily dazed look. "Misato? Oh
right. Yeah, she left early again today. Said something about having more
work that needed catching up on. Of course, I don't think she's going to do
any work at all. I'd give you odds Misato's just having an early morning
rendezvous with Kaji." This time Shinji actually did choke.
"Asuka! How can you say something like that?"
"What? It's probably true. She's begun to take every opportunity
to sneak off with him and leave us in a lurch."
"Even so," Shinji said failing to fight back a deep flush, "it's not
any of our business."
"Well, I suppose not," Asuka sighed. "Not if you're going to be
such a dull little boy on me." Asuka returned her gaze to the plate and
began to idly draw patterns with her utensil. Suddenly she bounded out of
her chair and pinned Shinji with an intense gaze. "Hurry up and finish
already, Shinji. You are going back to school today, and we wouldn't want
to be late." Asuka danced to the sink, dropped her dishes and spun back to
Shinji. "We'll let Misato clean up. After all, I'm sure she'll be the most
energetic of any us once the day's through."
Shinji watched, baffled, as she skipped out of the kitchen.
* * *
"Asuka, are you feeling all right?" Shinji and Asuka were about
halfway through their morning walk to school, and she had shown no signs yet
of returning to her usual self. Breakfast had been quite nice, but Shinji
was beginning to become wary again. If this perpetual state of boundless
enthusiasm for him kept up, he might start believing the real Asuka had been
abducted and replaced with an angel or something in their last battle.
"Of course I'm all right. I'm not the one with the waning
concussion, am I?"
"Well, no," Shinji stammered.
"There you go. You're the injured one here, so don't go worrying
about me."
For the next few blocks, Shinji watched her in silence. Asuka kept
up a lively gait and her smile never fell out of place. At this point, he
wouldn't have been at all surprised if she suddenly started whistling. It
just wasn't Asuka. The girl next to him was too picturesque, too happy,
too. . . saccharine and artificial.
"Asuka, why are you being so nice today?"
"WHAT?" Asuka whirled on him. "Are you trying to say that I can't
be kind, third child!?" Shinji stumbled a few steps away from her, taken
aback at the entirely Asuka-like outburst.
"Well, yes. . . I mean no. . . I mean, well, you're not usually. To
me at least." He yanked his briefcase in front of his face, not wanting to
tempt fate, and Asuka's fist, twice.
"Thank God!" Asuka exclaimed. "There might actually be something
rattling around inside that head of yours. Finally, I don't have to play
little miss sunshine anymore. Oh, it was really starting to irritate me!"
Shinji peeked out from behind his case. "Misato?" he ventured.
"You've got it in one. Misato told me if I didn't start acting
kinder towards you she'd sign the authorization papers for my Unit-02 to be
painted that hideous purple they have your Eva slopped in. I couldn't let
her do that to my baby, so you had your little breakfast and a taste of
Asuka the housebroken." Her expression suddenly darkened. "Don't you expect
this to become a regular occurrence, I don't care what Misato threatens."
Shinji watched as the old Asuka took control. The forced smile was
gone, and she reclaimed her proud and elevated posture. For some reason
quite beyond Shinji's understanding, he suddenly felt more comfortable
walking with her. "You know something Asuka, I. . . kind of like you better
the way you are anyway." The words slipped from his mouth before he
realized what it was he was saying. Asuka gaped at him, confusion
momentarily overriding any other response. Fortunately, before she was able
to regroup, Shinji noticed Rei appear just a little way in front of them.
Rei had just turned the corner from the alley up ahead, and
maintained a steady walk. Eager to escape whatever Asuka might conjure up
for his loose tongue, Shinji sprinted to catch her. "Hey, Ayanami! Wait
up." Without a word, Rei paused just long enough for Shinji to get to her
side, then resumed her progress. "Good. . . morning. . . Ayanami,"he
panted.
"Good morning Ikari." Her voice was flat, as usual. Lacking any
intonation or inflection, it merely cut through the waves instead of riding
them.
"Aren't you usually at school by now?" he asked finally reclaiming a
steady breath. "That is, uh, on those days you actually come." Shinji
stumbled through the question, unwilling and unwanting to probe too deeply.
"I had obligations to meet this morning," Rei stated.
"Licking the commander's boots again wondergirl?" Asuka jibed,
having finally closed the distance between Shinji and herself. Remaining
impassive to Asuka, Rei stopped at the next street corner and faced Shinji.
"I walk this path to school. Good-bye Ikari."
"See you later Ayanami," Shinji flung the parting at the girl's
retreating back. He wasn't sure he would ever quite understand Rei Ayanami.
Even if she didn't enjoy dealing with people as he, it didn't explain her
almost robot-like lack of feeling. The only time he had ever even seen her
smile had been when he'd coaxed her into it after just slipping past death
at the hands of an angel.
"I can't believe she ignored me again!" Asuka's shriek tore Shinji
from his reverie about Rei. "Of all the conceited things to do, just
because she's Commander Ikari's little doll they let her get away with all
kinds of crap they'd nail us for!"
"Asuka." Shinji's voice began to waver.
"I just won't stand for it, do you hear me! I will not stand for
it!"
"ASUKA!"
Voice. A crack of thunder. Once. Twice. Three times.
* * *
Blackness.
"Hello?" Asuka's voice rang through the expanse, echoing, then
finally faded into nothingness. It was dark here, lonely and cold. She
could feel no warmth, see any light, nor catch any fragrance. The very
emptiness of the place frightened her to death.
Death.
Well, considering what had just happened she could very well
be. . . No, No, NO! No. That wasn't an alternative. It couldn't be.
Circumstance wasn't that cruel, was it?
A cone of light. A body.
Rei.
Rei Ayanami.
"Oh Christ, as if being here wasn't punishment enough!" Asuka flung
her hands heavenward in agitation. "Now I have to deal with you too,
wondergirl?" Secretly, she was glad the first child had appeared. The halo
of light illuminating her would, at least, allow Asuka to determine wherever
it is she was. That had been the theory anyway.
Rei stood on a black even floor which sped off into the distance.
The bright white and green of her school uniform contrasted viciously with
the sheets of darkness that flanked her. Okay, so the light didn't do a
whole hell of a lot of anything in terms of helping her see. It was still
somewhat comforting to have around.
"Do not call me that," Rei intoned.
"What?" Asuka challenged. "Wondergirl?" If she was going to end
up trapped in this hell, wherever it was, she most definitely was not going
to passively endure this aloof little bitch.
"Yes."
"And why shouldn't I? Does it hurt your feelings?" she sneered.
"Oh wait, I'm sorry. You don't have any, do you!? Doll!"
"This is a deception. If you embrace deception you will not
survive," Rei answered. Damn the girl, why couldn't she react for once?
Why couldn't she just crumble?
"What the hell are you talking about?" Rei suddenly lunged forward,
grabbed Asuka by the shoulders, and pulled her into the circle of light. A
startled cry escaped Asuka's lips. She had been hoping for a reaction, but
never thought wondergirl would have the guts to actually go after her.
"Asuka Langley Sohryu. The second child. Designated pilot of
Evangelion Unit-02. All these things, yet more. You face ahead of you an
arduous journey. I may aid you in surviving, if you allow it."
"What makes you think I would let you help me do anything!?" Asuka
snarled, shoving Rei away from her.
"If you wish completion, you will permit it. Think on it, Sohryu.
We shall speak again." And Rei was gone.
* * *
Asuka awoke screaming. It was a cry of frustration and anger, one
quickly replaced by excruciating pain.
"Hold her down! Hold her down, before she aggravates the injury!"
Voices flew around her, bucking and weaving past her head and occasionally
deciding to dip in an ear to whisper hints as to just what was going on.
Asuka didn't much care though. Such pain as she had never experienced was
crashing up and down the length of her side with the force and consistency
of a raging geyser. As if by doing so it would somehow perform a miraculous
warding, Asuka screwed her eyes shut and bit firmly down upon her lip to
prevent any further cries from escaping. She could feel several pairs of
hands grab hold of her, and slowly force her down. Her head hit a great
soft lump, 'pillow' Asuka reminded herself hazily, and slowly the bursts
began to ease into a comfortable ache.
Once her breathing settled and a pair of cool hands had clutched her
wrist, Asuka heard a quick series of footsteps clap across the floor and the
heavy rattling of a door swinging shut. For a moment following the parade,
there was nothing but silence.
"Asuka? Asuka listen to me, I know you are awake. You need to
avoid any further sudden movements of the upper body. We don't want to risk
you making things worse for yourself, okay?"
Asuka knew that voice. It was the same one that had been yelling
before. It belonged to. . . belonged to. . . Oh yes, Dr. Akagi. That was
it. Dr. Ritsuko Akagi.
"Fine," Asuka's voice came out cracked and hoarse. God, her throat
was dry.
"Good. Now, we have managed to remove the bullet and repair most of
the damage, but the healing will take some time. . ." Asuka's thoughts
erupted in a jumble, swiftly masking anything else Ritsuko said. Bullet,
bullet, boy, gun, Eva pilots think they're something else don't they?better
than the rest of us?, shinji, crack, crack, no, no, no, god help us, shinji,
crack. . . Shinji. ". . . hit your left shoulder, so it will be painful
for quite awhile yet, and you might not immediately have full use of it,"
Ritsuko continued to dictate. "Now. . ."
"Shinji," Asuka croaked, finally cracking open her eyes. They felt
sluggish, content, almost as if she'd been asleep most her life and they had
become accustomed to the position.
"Misato is with Shinji, don't worry." gungunboyguncrackshinji... no.
"What happened to HIM!?"
* * *
Shinji Ikari woke up. He didn't immediately make any attempt to
move, his body felt too strange. The left side of his chest and shoulder
tingled, like someone was moving about above him lightly pricking him every
few moments with a needle point. And his head, his head was absolutely
throbbing. It was worse than he had felt right after the concussion.
Forget about tennis, this was comparable to one of those American football
matches.
Shinji opened his eyes expecting to see the flat white of the
Infirmary ceiling. After all, where else could he be if he felt this
terrible and woke up in what definitely felt like a bed? Although, the
exact reason for his current state of malady seemed to slip past his
conscious grasp. He had probably been injured in another angel attack.
Again.
When his eyes finally slid completely open, Shinji was surprised.
The now familiar infirmary ceiling didn't greet him as he expected.
Everything around him was dark, a collage of black masses and blacker lumps.
Maybe someone had forgotten to turn the lights on? Maybe the power was out?
No, that didn't make any sense. Shinji could hear some kind of machine
beeping and chattering just off to his side.
"What's going on?" he whispered.
"Shinji? Are you awake?" That voice, God was he glad to hear that
voice.
"Mi. . . Misato, what's happening? Where are you?"
* * *
Despite her parched mouth and throat, Asuka had managed that last
verbal assault upon Ritsuko with a healthy dosage of volume and vehemence.
Ritsuko, for her part, stared at Asuka for a moment, then simply shrugged.
"Shinji took the first two bullets. You the third. The initial
shot entered his body near the left collar bone, and imbedded itself there.
We have since removed it, and attended to what damage we could. The second
grazed low near his left temple, tearing flesh, bone, and most everything
else. There were certain damages, however, that we could not repair."
"Certain damages?" Asuka suddenly found her inner fire fading and
suffocating, and could not muster any strength to put behind the query. It
came out weak, trembling. . . disgusting. Damn it, and she couldn't help
herself. She just could not stop.
"The second bullet caused some severe damage to the surrounding
nerve tissue. Many of the connections were shattered and irreparable. To
be blunt, the immediate result of this damage concerns his eyes. He's blind,
Asuka."
Asuka could find no reply. Her head simply sank deeper into the
pillow, her body suddenly apathetic. "The boy who attacked you is dead, of
course. There were a few witnesses, but intelligence was able to provide us
with most of the details. I understand Shinji acted very bravely."
God, not this. "Shut up," Asuka whispered.
"Actually, if I'm interpreting the reports correctly, I'd say that
Shinji would not have been as seriously injured if he hadn't tried to shield
you. In fact, the second bullet would most likely have missed him
completely."
"SHUT UP!" Asuka exploded. Her face was flushed a bright red and
she held the infirmary sheet in two viciously balled fists. It was becoming
increasingly difficult to control herself, as her emotions continued to
rapidly jackknife.
"You asked," Ritsuko said.
Asuka took a few precious moments to try and gather herself as best
she could. A few moments to wall away everything that was assaulting her,
leaving her this pathetic vacillating creature. "Kaji?" Asuka managed to
ask.
"What about him?"
"Is he here?"
"No. He never came."
Asuka closed her eyes.
* * *
Misato Katsuragi stepped from Shinji's room within the infirmary.
She couldn't stand to see him like that any more, crushed and lifeless.
Once he had pried the information concerning his condition from her, Shinji
had shakingly held his hand near his face and waved it back and forth a few
times. He then collapsed onto the bed, unwilling to move or speak. It was
as if he were catatonic instead.
Misato could feel the cold, hard edge of a knife twisting around
inside her chest, aiming for those things she cherished most. And doing a
damned good job of it at that. Still, at least Asuka was all right.
Ritsuko had said her injury was relatively minor compared to Shinji's. She
could be thankful for that, at least.
Tears began to suddenly struggle to the surface, but Misato
staunchly fought them back. There would be time to cry later. Right now,
there were people in Intelligence who needed their collective asses
kicked. . . and Misato felt she had the biggest foot around.
* * *
"Well, Fuyutsuki?"
"It still seems problematic at best to me. We are operating under
some rather tenuous extrapolations here," he replied. Gendo Ikari smirked.
"We shall see."
[End Part two]
End Notes: 1) I do not tackle the topic of blindness lightly. I have
family who are, and I must deal with the looming possibility. I am not
making light, and do not want to offend anyone. Just so we are clear.
2) Having said that, know that I'm not a doctor, so if this isn't entirely
medically accurate, well. . . sorry. Just remind yourself that it's a fic
and you really should relax, as they say on MST3K. Or at least they would.
3) I need to do some cultural research regarding the common dishes served
for breakfast in Japan. As if that wasn't evident.
and all those other people who have much more money than I do. So, let's
forget all about the lawsuits, okay?
Author's Notes: 11/28/99- I realize that part one of "Corners" lacked any
sense of direction, but never fear, part two begins to establish the story's
heading. Any and all OOCness is intended (well, at least what I intended is
intended, anything else is extraneous and my mistake) and will be explained
as the story progresses. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Axel
Terizaki, KoalaKiller, and Daniel Snyder for their comments and suggestions
regarding part one.
12/26/99- Further thanks to Axel Terizaki for heading me off and pointing
out some things about this part of the fic before I prematurely posted it.
Not only this second part, but the overall story would most likely have
suffered without these changes. That's all for now, I promise. Without
further commercial interruption, I present...
"From all Corners they Cried..."
An Evangelion Fan Fic
by Dave Ziegler
Part two: "The Focus" or "Ground Zero"
Version 1.3
"Guten morgen Shinji." Shinji Ikari eyed his roommate warily as he
made his way to the kitchen table. Asuka was smiling. That was dangerous.
Even more confusing, or disturbing if you thought about it, was the sizzling
pan she was toiling over. Asuka never cooked. Never.
"Um, good morning Asuka." Shinji edged into a chair on the far side
of the table, his eyes never leaving Asuka. It was better safe than sorry,
to be sure. Asuka, cheeriness, and a combination of the two rather made
Shinji want to run for the nearest shelter.
"And how are you feeling today?" Asuka flipped a wedge of egg onto
itself as the pan continued to crackle.
"I'm. . . I'm much better, thank you." Shinji let the silence
linger for a few moments, struggling for something to say to a suddenly nice
Asuka. He was just too used to arguing with the girl. Come on, think.
"What are you doing, Asuka?"
"I'm making breakfast of course." She promptly lifted a mass of
white and yellow omelet from the pan, dropped it on a plate, and deposited
it in front of Shinji. "Here you are. Enjoy."
"Wow, I didn't know you could cook." Shinji took a quick bite of
egg, eager to keep Asuka and this pleasantness going for as long as he could.
"What is it exactly?" The egg was actually quite good, and he smiled his
appreciation.
"It's an omelet. An egg with cheese and vegetables. And of course
I can cook, idiot. I went to college you know." Asuka plopped the
remaining egg on another plate and took the seat opposite Shinji. Regarding
her as she sat, Shinji was beginning to feel better able to gauge Asuka's
smile, now that the initial shock of seeing it had worn off. It didn't
quite have that 'I'm going to nail you this time baka!' look to it that most
did when she meant him trouble. Strange as it was starting, this could be a
good day after all.
"I know, I know. I always thought they had cafeterias or something
at universities," Shinji said around a mouthful of egg.
"Yeah, they do, but you can't have expected me to eat that slop. I
lived in an apartment and had my very own kitchen," Asuka proudly stated.
"Was it really that bad?"
"Look at it this way third child. Misato's cooking is something to
anticipate compared to what they served." Shinji nearly gagged on his food.
"You're joking," he accused.
"Not at all." Asuka began to silently chew her own breakfast and
stared down at the plate. Come on, come on. Keep the conversation going
Shinji, he chided himself.
"Misato's left already?"
"Hmm?" Asuka spared Shinji a momentarily dazed look. "Misato? Oh
right. Yeah, she left early again today. Said something about having more
work that needed catching up on. Of course, I don't think she's going to do
any work at all. I'd give you odds Misato's just having an early morning
rendezvous with Kaji." This time Shinji actually did choke.
"Asuka! How can you say something like that?"
"What? It's probably true. She's begun to take every opportunity
to sneak off with him and leave us in a lurch."
"Even so," Shinji said failing to fight back a deep flush, "it's not
any of our business."
"Well, I suppose not," Asuka sighed. "Not if you're going to be
such a dull little boy on me." Asuka returned her gaze to the plate and
began to idly draw patterns with her utensil. Suddenly she bounded out of
her chair and pinned Shinji with an intense gaze. "Hurry up and finish
already, Shinji. You are going back to school today, and we wouldn't want
to be late." Asuka danced to the sink, dropped her dishes and spun back to
Shinji. "We'll let Misato clean up. After all, I'm sure she'll be the most
energetic of any us once the day's through."
Shinji watched, baffled, as she skipped out of the kitchen.
* * *
"Asuka, are you feeling all right?" Shinji and Asuka were about
halfway through their morning walk to school, and she had shown no signs yet
of returning to her usual self. Breakfast had been quite nice, but Shinji
was beginning to become wary again. If this perpetual state of boundless
enthusiasm for him kept up, he might start believing the real Asuka had been
abducted and replaced with an angel or something in their last battle.
"Of course I'm all right. I'm not the one with the waning
concussion, am I?"
"Well, no," Shinji stammered.
"There you go. You're the injured one here, so don't go worrying
about me."
For the next few blocks, Shinji watched her in silence. Asuka kept
up a lively gait and her smile never fell out of place. At this point, he
wouldn't have been at all surprised if she suddenly started whistling. It
just wasn't Asuka. The girl next to him was too picturesque, too happy,
too. . . saccharine and artificial.
"Asuka, why are you being so nice today?"
"WHAT?" Asuka whirled on him. "Are you trying to say that I can't
be kind, third child!?" Shinji stumbled a few steps away from her, taken
aback at the entirely Asuka-like outburst.
"Well, yes. . . I mean no. . . I mean, well, you're not usually. To
me at least." He yanked his briefcase in front of his face, not wanting to
tempt fate, and Asuka's fist, twice.
"Thank God!" Asuka exclaimed. "There might actually be something
rattling around inside that head of yours. Finally, I don't have to play
little miss sunshine anymore. Oh, it was really starting to irritate me!"
Shinji peeked out from behind his case. "Misato?" he ventured.
"You've got it in one. Misato told me if I didn't start acting
kinder towards you she'd sign the authorization papers for my Unit-02 to be
painted that hideous purple they have your Eva slopped in. I couldn't let
her do that to my baby, so you had your little breakfast and a taste of
Asuka the housebroken." Her expression suddenly darkened. "Don't you expect
this to become a regular occurrence, I don't care what Misato threatens."
Shinji watched as the old Asuka took control. The forced smile was
gone, and she reclaimed her proud and elevated posture. For some reason
quite beyond Shinji's understanding, he suddenly felt more comfortable
walking with her. "You know something Asuka, I. . . kind of like you better
the way you are anyway." The words slipped from his mouth before he
realized what it was he was saying. Asuka gaped at him, confusion
momentarily overriding any other response. Fortunately, before she was able
to regroup, Shinji noticed Rei appear just a little way in front of them.
Rei had just turned the corner from the alley up ahead, and
maintained a steady walk. Eager to escape whatever Asuka might conjure up
for his loose tongue, Shinji sprinted to catch her. "Hey, Ayanami! Wait
up." Without a word, Rei paused just long enough for Shinji to get to her
side, then resumed her progress. "Good. . . morning. . . Ayanami,"he
panted.
"Good morning Ikari." Her voice was flat, as usual. Lacking any
intonation or inflection, it merely cut through the waves instead of riding
them.
"Aren't you usually at school by now?" he asked finally reclaiming a
steady breath. "That is, uh, on those days you actually come." Shinji
stumbled through the question, unwilling and unwanting to probe too deeply.
"I had obligations to meet this morning," Rei stated.
"Licking the commander's boots again wondergirl?" Asuka jibed,
having finally closed the distance between Shinji and herself. Remaining
impassive to Asuka, Rei stopped at the next street corner and faced Shinji.
"I walk this path to school. Good-bye Ikari."
"See you later Ayanami," Shinji flung the parting at the girl's
retreating back. He wasn't sure he would ever quite understand Rei Ayanami.
Even if she didn't enjoy dealing with people as he, it didn't explain her
almost robot-like lack of feeling. The only time he had ever even seen her
smile had been when he'd coaxed her into it after just slipping past death
at the hands of an angel.
"I can't believe she ignored me again!" Asuka's shriek tore Shinji
from his reverie about Rei. "Of all the conceited things to do, just
because she's Commander Ikari's little doll they let her get away with all
kinds of crap they'd nail us for!"
"Asuka." Shinji's voice began to waver.
"I just won't stand for it, do you hear me! I will not stand for
it!"
"ASUKA!"
Voice. A crack of thunder. Once. Twice. Three times.
* * *
Blackness.
"Hello?" Asuka's voice rang through the expanse, echoing, then
finally faded into nothingness. It was dark here, lonely and cold. She
could feel no warmth, see any light, nor catch any fragrance. The very
emptiness of the place frightened her to death.
Death.
Well, considering what had just happened she could very well
be. . . No, No, NO! No. That wasn't an alternative. It couldn't be.
Circumstance wasn't that cruel, was it?
A cone of light. A body.
Rei.
Rei Ayanami.
"Oh Christ, as if being here wasn't punishment enough!" Asuka flung
her hands heavenward in agitation. "Now I have to deal with you too,
wondergirl?" Secretly, she was glad the first child had appeared. The halo
of light illuminating her would, at least, allow Asuka to determine wherever
it is she was. That had been the theory anyway.
Rei stood on a black even floor which sped off into the distance.
The bright white and green of her school uniform contrasted viciously with
the sheets of darkness that flanked her. Okay, so the light didn't do a
whole hell of a lot of anything in terms of helping her see. It was still
somewhat comforting to have around.
"Do not call me that," Rei intoned.
"What?" Asuka challenged. "Wondergirl?" If she was going to end
up trapped in this hell, wherever it was, she most definitely was not going
to passively endure this aloof little bitch.
"Yes."
"And why shouldn't I? Does it hurt your feelings?" she sneered.
"Oh wait, I'm sorry. You don't have any, do you!? Doll!"
"This is a deception. If you embrace deception you will not
survive," Rei answered. Damn the girl, why couldn't she react for once?
Why couldn't she just crumble?
"What the hell are you talking about?" Rei suddenly lunged forward,
grabbed Asuka by the shoulders, and pulled her into the circle of light. A
startled cry escaped Asuka's lips. She had been hoping for a reaction, but
never thought wondergirl would have the guts to actually go after her.
"Asuka Langley Sohryu. The second child. Designated pilot of
Evangelion Unit-02. All these things, yet more. You face ahead of you an
arduous journey. I may aid you in surviving, if you allow it."
"What makes you think I would let you help me do anything!?" Asuka
snarled, shoving Rei away from her.
"If you wish completion, you will permit it. Think on it, Sohryu.
We shall speak again." And Rei was gone.
* * *
Asuka awoke screaming. It was a cry of frustration and anger, one
quickly replaced by excruciating pain.
"Hold her down! Hold her down, before she aggravates the injury!"
Voices flew around her, bucking and weaving past her head and occasionally
deciding to dip in an ear to whisper hints as to just what was going on.
Asuka didn't much care though. Such pain as she had never experienced was
crashing up and down the length of her side with the force and consistency
of a raging geyser. As if by doing so it would somehow perform a miraculous
warding, Asuka screwed her eyes shut and bit firmly down upon her lip to
prevent any further cries from escaping. She could feel several pairs of
hands grab hold of her, and slowly force her down. Her head hit a great
soft lump, 'pillow' Asuka reminded herself hazily, and slowly the bursts
began to ease into a comfortable ache.
Once her breathing settled and a pair of cool hands had clutched her
wrist, Asuka heard a quick series of footsteps clap across the floor and the
heavy rattling of a door swinging shut. For a moment following the parade,
there was nothing but silence.
"Asuka? Asuka listen to me, I know you are awake. You need to
avoid any further sudden movements of the upper body. We don't want to risk
you making things worse for yourself, okay?"
Asuka knew that voice. It was the same one that had been yelling
before. It belonged to. . . belonged to. . . Oh yes, Dr. Akagi. That was
it. Dr. Ritsuko Akagi.
"Fine," Asuka's voice came out cracked and hoarse. God, her throat
was dry.
"Good. Now, we have managed to remove the bullet and repair most of
the damage, but the healing will take some time. . ." Asuka's thoughts
erupted in a jumble, swiftly masking anything else Ritsuko said. Bullet,
bullet, boy, gun, Eva pilots think they're something else don't they?better
than the rest of us?, shinji, crack, crack, no, no, no, god help us, shinji,
crack. . . Shinji. ". . . hit your left shoulder, so it will be painful
for quite awhile yet, and you might not immediately have full use of it,"
Ritsuko continued to dictate. "Now. . ."
"Shinji," Asuka croaked, finally cracking open her eyes. They felt
sluggish, content, almost as if she'd been asleep most her life and they had
become accustomed to the position.
"Misato is with Shinji, don't worry." gungunboyguncrackshinji... no.
"What happened to HIM!?"
* * *
Shinji Ikari woke up. He didn't immediately make any attempt to
move, his body felt too strange. The left side of his chest and shoulder
tingled, like someone was moving about above him lightly pricking him every
few moments with a needle point. And his head, his head was absolutely
throbbing. It was worse than he had felt right after the concussion.
Forget about tennis, this was comparable to one of those American football
matches.
Shinji opened his eyes expecting to see the flat white of the
Infirmary ceiling. After all, where else could he be if he felt this
terrible and woke up in what definitely felt like a bed? Although, the
exact reason for his current state of malady seemed to slip past his
conscious grasp. He had probably been injured in another angel attack.
Again.
When his eyes finally slid completely open, Shinji was surprised.
The now familiar infirmary ceiling didn't greet him as he expected.
Everything around him was dark, a collage of black masses and blacker lumps.
Maybe someone had forgotten to turn the lights on? Maybe the power was out?
No, that didn't make any sense. Shinji could hear some kind of machine
beeping and chattering just off to his side.
"What's going on?" he whispered.
"Shinji? Are you awake?" That voice, God was he glad to hear that
voice.
"Mi. . . Misato, what's happening? Where are you?"
* * *
Despite her parched mouth and throat, Asuka had managed that last
verbal assault upon Ritsuko with a healthy dosage of volume and vehemence.
Ritsuko, for her part, stared at Asuka for a moment, then simply shrugged.
"Shinji took the first two bullets. You the third. The initial
shot entered his body near the left collar bone, and imbedded itself there.
We have since removed it, and attended to what damage we could. The second
grazed low near his left temple, tearing flesh, bone, and most everything
else. There were certain damages, however, that we could not repair."
"Certain damages?" Asuka suddenly found her inner fire fading and
suffocating, and could not muster any strength to put behind the query. It
came out weak, trembling. . . disgusting. Damn it, and she couldn't help
herself. She just could not stop.
"The second bullet caused some severe damage to the surrounding
nerve tissue. Many of the connections were shattered and irreparable. To
be blunt, the immediate result of this damage concerns his eyes. He's blind,
Asuka."
Asuka could find no reply. Her head simply sank deeper into the
pillow, her body suddenly apathetic. "The boy who attacked you is dead, of
course. There were a few witnesses, but intelligence was able to provide us
with most of the details. I understand Shinji acted very bravely."
God, not this. "Shut up," Asuka whispered.
"Actually, if I'm interpreting the reports correctly, I'd say that
Shinji would not have been as seriously injured if he hadn't tried to shield
you. In fact, the second bullet would most likely have missed him
completely."
"SHUT UP!" Asuka exploded. Her face was flushed a bright red and
she held the infirmary sheet in two viciously balled fists. It was becoming
increasingly difficult to control herself, as her emotions continued to
rapidly jackknife.
"You asked," Ritsuko said.
Asuka took a few precious moments to try and gather herself as best
she could. A few moments to wall away everything that was assaulting her,
leaving her this pathetic vacillating creature. "Kaji?" Asuka managed to
ask.
"What about him?"
"Is he here?"
"No. He never came."
Asuka closed her eyes.
* * *
Misato Katsuragi stepped from Shinji's room within the infirmary.
She couldn't stand to see him like that any more, crushed and lifeless.
Once he had pried the information concerning his condition from her, Shinji
had shakingly held his hand near his face and waved it back and forth a few
times. He then collapsed onto the bed, unwilling to move or speak. It was
as if he were catatonic instead.
Misato could feel the cold, hard edge of a knife twisting around
inside her chest, aiming for those things she cherished most. And doing a
damned good job of it at that. Still, at least Asuka was all right.
Ritsuko had said her injury was relatively minor compared to Shinji's. She
could be thankful for that, at least.
Tears began to suddenly struggle to the surface, but Misato
staunchly fought them back. There would be time to cry later. Right now,
there were people in Intelligence who needed their collective asses
kicked. . . and Misato felt she had the biggest foot around.
* * *
"Well, Fuyutsuki?"
"It still seems problematic at best to me. We are operating under
some rather tenuous extrapolations here," he replied. Gendo Ikari smirked.
"We shall see."
[End Part two]
End Notes: 1) I do not tackle the topic of blindness lightly. I have
family who are, and I must deal with the looming possibility. I am not
making light, and do not want to offend anyone. Just so we are clear.
2) Having said that, know that I'm not a doctor, so if this isn't entirely
medically accurate, well. . . sorry. Just remind yourself that it's a fic
and you really should relax, as they say on MST3K. Or at least they would.
3) I need to do some cultural research regarding the common dishes served
for breakfast in Japan. As if that wasn't evident.