Disclaimer: Neon Genesis Evangelion belongs to Studio Gainax, and not me. I own nothing! I'm just playing in their spiffy world for my enjoyment. No money is being made off this fic, so please, no one sue me. I have no money anyway. Thanks much.
Author's Notes: As always, I can be contacted at Ziggymd24@yahoo.com. Let me know what you think. Previous parts of "From all Corners they Cried" can be found at iow.free.fr/Ziggymd24. As I can no longer update that site though, I would check fanfiction.net for anything of mine that's new. Now, on with the show.
Tick.
The clock read 2:00 pm.
A warm afternoon breeze rattled the blinds of the nurse's office, and carried the faint smell of tsubaki blossoms into the room. It swept by her desk, unoccupied and in disarray, and the chair abandoned near the wall. Soft crinkles sounded as health brochures shifted in their stacks and flyers gently wafted away from the bulletin board.
By this time in the afternoon, the office was usually accepting and regurgitating students at a brisk rate. Most children wanted an easy out from the last class of the day; the nurse, conversely, wanted all the amateur actors out of her way. Thusly the daily battle was fought, and its bustle would filter down the hallway giving the on-duty monitors something to chuckle at.
The current stillness was something to marvel over. However, routine exercised its will and the office door opened. Rei Ayanami stepped inside. She paused and let her eyes move over the lifeless scene. "Ikari?" she called, and took another step inward. There was no response.
Puzzled, Rei moved toward a long line of yellowing plastic curtains that served as partitions between the various patient bays. Ikari should be here. Rei was certain this was where the teachers had taken Shinji after leading him off the field. No other location was logical. Unless Ikari had already been released.
Rei pulled the first curtain open: nothing. She moved steadily down the line, opening each curtain without regard to the possibility that someone other than her target might be inside. Embarrassment or misunderstanding did not concern her. Three curtains before the end, she stopped.
"Ikari," Rei stated, pushing the plastic drape aside. Shinji Ikari lay upon the small bed within. He was still dressed in his dirt and grass stained uniform, and the various visible bruises on his arms and face looked like they had been given little attention. Shinji appeared not to care though. He just lay on his back, staring emptily toward the ceiling.
"Ikari?" Rei attempted again. Shinji stirred and turned his head in the direction of Rei's call.
"Asuka?" Shinji's voice was stale. Like old bread, it seemed to have dried out and crusted over with disuse.
"No," Rei replied, frowning slightly. "Pilot Sohryu is not available."
"Oh," Shinji muttered before rolling his face back toward the ceiling. "It's you, Rei."
"Ikari, I have come to evaluate your well being," Rei began anew. "Have the doctors examined you?"
"Not really," Shinji said. "The teacher brought me in and told me to lay down. But it doesn't matter. I'm not any worse than before."
Rei paused a moment and again looked over all of his visible injuries. Perhaps Ikari had suffered a blow to the head and was unaware of his condition? "Two of your attackers," Rei started again, "have been taken to the hospital to receive further medical attention for their injuries. The third has recovered and returned to class."
"Did you see, Asuka?" Shinji interrupted. "Was she hurt?"
"I did see Sohryu. She appeared to be uninjured. However, the Second Child has been taken into custody by the teachers and brought to the principal to face disciplinary action. Major Katsuragi has been informed of her situation and should arrive shortly."
"Oh." Shinji continued to stare upward. "I'm such a burden to her," he mumbled. "She had to fight because of me. It would have been better if she hadn't. But - but I'm glad she helps me. I'm glad."
Rei blinked. "Ikari? Ikari?" There was nothing though. Shinji remained dazed and unresponsive. Rei took one last look at the boy, and then stepped from the bay. There would be no gain in staying. She pulled the plastic curtain shut behind her.
"From all Corners they Cried"
An Evangelion Fanfic
By Dave Ziegler
Part 6: "Seven Days Hence/From Midday to Midnight"
Teenagers like to gawk. Anything from new clothes in a shop window to the latest sports car is bound to grasp their attention and not let go, lest threatened with a tire iron. It was something of a surprise then that these same teens were fleeing the hallways of Tokyo-3 Regional Middle School because of a woman: a generously proportioned woman wearing a clingy black mini-dress to boot. Hormone driven adoration was usually the most difficult to dislodge. The caustic look of the woman, however, dismembered any potential lust, and set the lot of them running.
Misato Katsuragi snapped through the hallways like a snake cutting a groove through sand. She paid little mind to the scurrying children or the queer looks of the teachers as she made her way to the main office. There was one thing and one thing only that concerned her at the moment. And that was-
"Asuka, are you all right?" Misato yanked the door shut behind her, and strode into the principal's office. There wasn't anything to stop her forward drive; the office was spartan. It featured only a desk, two chairs, three filing cabinets, and a lone still life hung upon the wall. Misato halted before the principal's desk, leaned over Asuka's seat, and cupped the girl's chin with her hand. "Let me take a look at you."
"Stop that, Misato," Asuka ordered her, swatting her hand away. "It's undignified."
"Concern is not undignified, Asuka," Misato snapped. "It's human. Now tell me if you're okay." She stared hard at the girl. "You don't look any worse for wear."
"That's because she was the one dealing out the damage," a deep voice commented from behind the desk, "not receiving it."
Asuka snorted at this, and Misato turned to face the opinion's owner. A short but thick man stood behind the desk's polished planes and angles. His girth was fastidiously wrapped in a three-piece suit, and Misato took instant notice of the shrewd cast of his eyes.
"And you are?" Misato asked.
"Principal Masaki Ikeda. And I assume you are Ms. Misato Katsuragi, guardian to both Ms. Sohryu and Mr. Ikari?"
"Major, thank you very much," Misato countered.
"Whatever you feel most comfortable with, Major Katsuragi," Ikeda acquiesced. He bowed shortly, and gestured for Misato to sit in the empty chair next to Asuka's. Ikeda then took his own seat. "Did my secretary inform you as to why I had to call you here today?"
"Of course," Misato said. "I wouldn't have come without some justification. I have important work, and jumping at a civil servant's whim doesn't go far in getting it done."
Ikeda raised an eyebrow at Misato's remark and folded his hands across the desktop. "Is that so? Then Ms. Sohryu's altercation today was reason enough for you to spare me time? How serendipitous."
"Of course, it was reason enough," Misato growled. "Don't start feeding me the same 'undignified' bullshit she just tried." Misato nodded at Asuka, who simply turned away and stared at the wall. "I had to see if she and Shinji were all right. We've had enough damn trouble with the kids in this school, already."
Ikeda smiled thinly. "And this school, Major Katsuragi, has reached its limit in tolerating the trouble Ms. Sohryu causes."
"Excuse me?"
Ikeda straightened his tie before beginning. "Ever since Ms. Sohryu transferred to this institution, she has had a history of creating conflict and ill will that has troubled both my staff and other students. I reassured the teachers at first, reminding them she came from a foreign nation and was most likely acting out to cover any insecurities she might have dealing with and surviving in an entirely new culture."
"Hah," Asuka snorted.
Ikeda ignored her and continued. "I did not make mention of the stresses she must suffer as one of the Evangelion pilots, as that information was not public knowledge at the time. And even considering such additional factors, I believed she would settle in after the first few months. The problems, however, continued. Uncontrolled aggression, disrespect to both her teachers and her fellow students, and now physical attacks: she has become too big a distraction and detriment to be left alone."
"Thank you for the amateur psychology review," Misato said. "Now make your point."
"My point is this, Major Katsuragi. Since the developmental psychologist sent to us by the board of education to work on Ms. Sohryu's case has suddenly gone missing, I find my only beneficial recourse is to indefinitely suspend Ms. Sohryu from this institution, pending documentation of successful therapy and or treatment for her condition."
"Her condition!" Misato snarled. "There's nothing wrong with her!"
"Please tell that to the families of the two boys she sent to the hospital earlier today."
"Those boys were attacking Shinji! She defended him!" Misato lurched forward, thrusting herself to the desk and clenching its front edge with her hands.
"And the proper course of action, had she wanted to help him, would have been to alert one of the lunch attendants, who could have resolved the matter in a much more acceptable manner."
"Yeah, if your definition of 'acceptable' involves Shinji getting his face kicked in. And what about these boys? What about the antagonists in all this? Are they getting suspended pending psychological evaluation as well?"
"They will be punished according to what their actions warranted," Ikeda stated. "Nothing more, and nothing less. That is how it is for all the students."
Misato flushed several shades of her favorite lipstick. "You hypocrite!" she accused. "You balding, fucking hypocrite! You're going to let them off with a slap on the wrist! I don't believe this!"
"I appreciate your passion regarding my decision, Major Katsuragi," Ikeda said, his mouth drawn, "but it still stands. I must do what is best for this school. Ms. Sohryu must leave, for now."
Misato leaned over the desk and forced her eyes level with Ikeda's. "You can't do this," she hissed. "I will get this overturned, and Asuka will be back in school before you can ram even a drop more starch up your ass." She backed away and beckoned Asuka from her seat.
"What are you going to do, Major?" Ikeda asked. "The board of education will support my decision. And even pulling strings at NERV won't get you anywhere. The educational system is not under the influence of your little empire."
"You'd be surprised, Principal Ikeda," Misato said, holding his eyes another long moment after speaking. Then, "Come on, Asuka. Let's get out of here." She turned and briskly pushed her way out the office door. Asuka followed.
"Ms. Sohryu," Ikeda said, stopping the girl momentarily. "I sincerely wish you the best of luck in getting the help you need. Please don't disregard this matter."
Asuka turned to the face the desk and smirked. "I already have two more university degrees than you do. What makes you think I'll be in any hurry to come back?"
* * *
The sports car sped through town, darting through the narrow side streets and whipping gravel like fastballs in its wake. Traffic began to line up at a recently red stoplight, but the little sports car didn't slow its rapid pace. Instead, it swung quickly into the opposite lane, diving past the oncoming traffic, and through the intersection.
"You're going to kill us," Asuka noted from the passenger side seat as the sound of several screeching horns faded into the distance. Her feet braced against the car floor, and she gripped both the console and door handle on either side of her. The rigid position had been necessary almost as soon as Misato raced the car from the school parking lot.
"Stop complaining," Misato scolded. "Driving is a great way to work off stress and aggravation." She wrenched the car around another turn, tossing its occupants. "And," she continued as they moved onto a straightaway, "I'm a little pissed off at the moment. You should be too, Asuka," Misato ventured. "He is doing this to you, after all."
Asuka shrugged as best she could in her position. "It doesn't really matter. Me going back to middle school was a sham anyway. Why should I be angry? I'm not going to learn anything new."
"Tell me that again the next time you try to read one of your mission briefings."
"She's actually gotten a lot better at Kanji, Misato," Shinji ventured from the back seat.
"You tell her, Third Child," Asuka encouraged him. "Besides, she's the Operations Director. It's her job to tell us what to do. Why should we have to read about it?"
"You mean 'why should you have to,' Asuka. I can't pilot anymore."
Misato slammed on the breaks, wresting the car to a halt and throwing all of them as far forward as their seatbelts would stretch. When they recovered, Misato twisted herself around to face Shinji. "Don't say that, Shinji! You haven't been on your medication very long. Give it time. You'll get your sight back. You have to believe, Shinji!"
Shinji turned from Misato's voice, and sat silently for a few moments. "I'll try," he finally whispered.
"Good," she said, smiling sadly. "Look at you." Misato's eyes traced the visible bruises and guessed at those hidden beneath his clothing. "We'll get you home and cleaned up, and right into a hot bath. It'll help with the hurt, trust me."
Shinji nodded.
"And as for you, Asuka," Misato began, rounding on the redhead sitting opposite her. "You should realize that the most important reason for you being in school right now is to do just what you did today: protect Shinji while he's vulnerable."
"Oh, so that's it," Asuka said, throwing her arms into the air. "And here I thought it might actually have something to do with me. Wake up, Misato!" she snapped. "Shinji's vulnerable with both eyes wide open and his shoelaces tied right! I'm not always going to be able to baby-sit him. Why doesn't he try standing up for himself once in a while?"
The two women glared so intently at one another they missed Shinji's small whimper as he slunk down the car seat. Moments passed before Misato finally broke eye contact. She turned back to the wheel, threw the car into drive, and sped out into traffic.
Not a word was spoken for the rest of the drive.
* * *
The clock changed. It was 3:00 pm.
The bell rang, intoning the end of the school day at last. The bustle of happy youths rose from each classroom and plunged into the halls, filling them near to overflow with sound. The effect wasn't quite the same in class 2A. There was a bubble of worry in this room; it fought against the daily rush of glee and smothered all it could.
Hikari, Toji, and Kensuke huddled around a single desk, looking from one to the other and back again. It seemed as if they were playing a game. The rules were simple: coax your competitors into speaking first, saving you the burden.
Toji lost.
"We shouldn't wait this time," he began. "We should go check and make sure they're all right."
Hikari nodded her vigorous assent. "It's strange that Asuka didn't come back to class."
"Shinji, I can understand," Kensuke added, pushing his glasses back up to the bridge of his nose. "They might have wanted to take him to the hospital and make sure he was all right. I'm sure NERV is awfully nervous about the health of its pilots."
Toji thumped a fist into his open palm. "It's settled then. We'll all head down to Major Katsuragi's place and find out how everyone is doing. I guess I should even congratulate Asuka. That was a hell of a fight for a girl."
Hikari turned and rolled her eyes, but nevertheless let a small smile bend her lips. It wasn't often Suzuhara was willing to even call Asuka by her name, much less feel the need to say something kind to her. Perhaps this could start a breakthrough between them. It'd certainly be nice not to have two of her friends barking at each other all the time.
Each of them picked up their bags and readied to leave. Someone, however, stepped in their path. Rei examined Hikari, Toji, and Kensuke in turn. The full gaze of those still, blood colored orbs chilled them into halting.
"Your presence will make no difference to him," Rei stated.
"Not this again," Toji muttered, throwing his head back. Hikari placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, gave him a small smile, and slid around Toji to the front.
"Why wouldn't it make any difference, Rei?" Hikari asked the eva pilot. "We are Shinji and Asuka's friends. This is a difficult time for them, and we should be there to help."
"He does not seek your help."
"Well, sometimes people in pain do that, Rei," Hikari told the girl. "They think that they're all alone, or that they have to handle the situation themselves. It's not true though. As a friend you can help by just listening to his problems. You don't actually have to solve anything."
Rei shook her head. "You do not understand."
"Are you sure that it's not you who don't understand, Rei? I can feel this is new for you. Why don't you come with us?" Hikari asked. "I'm sure Shinji would be happy to have you there as well."
Rei's face crinkled around the small frown she made. "You are wrong," she said. "Ikari only wants the Second."
* * *
The little girl watched Toji, Kensuke and Hikari leave the classroom, throwing somewhat furtive and suspicious glances back toward Rei. And as far as the girl was concerned, they had every right to do so. "Why did you tell them that," she asked Rei.
Rei blinked, and caught sight of the girl curled up in a desk to her right. The child stared intently at her.
"I told them because Ikari has demonstrated he only wishes to speak with the Second. If they attempt to converse with him, they will be ignored," Rei stated.
The child shook her head, swinging her loose hair from side to side. "Are you so sure? Perhaps the girl is right about you. Perhaps you don't yet understand."
"Explain."
The girl smiled slightly at Rei's command. "You," she began, "are not one to interact. And now all of the sudden you're trying. Did you consider that Ikari did not accept your offer of comfort because you did not convey it clearly enough? Or perhaps he refused because of the distance between you. He may not feel comfortable yet confiding in you."
"I see," Rei intoned.
"Those children," the girl continued, "are close to him. They have taken the time to build their relationship, and ease themselves past his walls. He will speak to them, and if you wish to be included, you must work as hard as they have."
Rei's gaze was pensive for moments following the girl's words. They seemed to stare out, seeing nothing, but reflective of an inward deliberation. Finally, her eyes cleared, and she nodded curtly to the youngster before leaving the classroom.
* * *
Kensuke leaned on the doorbell. The heavy chime droned, sounding every few seconds like a church bell that refused to admit all its parish had arrived.
"Stop that, you twit." Toji swatted his friend. "They could be asleep for all we know."
"Aw, come on. A man couldn't sleep after winning a fight like that," Kensuke complained.
Hikari stepped in front of Kensuke before he could resume his tactile relationship with the bell. "Stooges," she muttered under her breath. Toji always showed potential, like his concern for
Asuka and Shinji just now. It might only come in snippets, but it was there. On the other hand, Hikari had a hard time believing Kensuke would ever really grow up. He seemed doomed to life as an adolescent.
The door cracked open, and the three children stiffened to attention. A single eye and a wisp of dark hair peeked out at them.
"Hello," Hikari ventured.
"Oh, it's you guys," Misato said. The door closed and was followed by a slight jingling. Quickly enough, it opened again, this time giving them full access to what was behind. "Sorry about that, kids. Come in, come in." Misato waved them into the apartment and closed the door behind them.
"Is something the matter?" Toji asked, and then blushed. "Er, something else, I mean."
Misato waltzed through the mess that littered her living room and flopped on the couch. "No, there's nothing else wrong. I'm just not looking forward to having to explain this all to NERV. Nothing for you kids to worry about." Misato fixed them with a look. "You're here to check up on Asuka and Shinji, right?"
"Yes, Ma'am." Hikari said.
"That's what I figured." Misato dangled her head over the arm of the couch and looked toward the back hall. "Asuka!" she bellowed. "Hikari and the boys are here to see you and Shinji!" Misato waited a moment. "Asuka!"
"Fine! Fine!" Asuka screamed back. "Could I have a minute before you start yelling again? You sound like a starved owl."
Misato twitched and looked as if she were readying a return barrage. The anger died though, and was replaced by something almost melancholic. Only Hikari noticed the transition, for just as quickly as it came, the wistful look disappeared and was replaced with a patented Misato smile. "Shinji's in the bath. Will you sit already? You're making me nervous with all the standing about and twiddling."
"Eh, right. Sorry. Yes, Major," the three children said in turn. They looked abashedly at the ceiling while settling themselves on the floor around the couch.
"Much better. Would any of you like something to drink? I'm sure we can have Asuka hit the fridge on her way in."
"Like hell I will," Asuka steamed as she stepped up behind the couch. "The stooges know perfectly well where the refrigerator is. Would you like something, Hikari?"
* * *
Shinji winced as, "Screw off, Sohryu" reverberated throughout the house. He slid further down into the bath, feeling the water rise past his neck and up onto his chin. Maybe if he kept going, the water would come up enough to cover his ears? That would be wonderful. All the noise and yelling would be muffled, or indistinguishable from the 'plop' of the shifting water.
But would he be able to tell how far was too far? Shinji wasn't sure he trusted himself that much, not when he couldn't see the water level for himself. He would probably end up doing something stupid if he tried. Shinji could see it now. He'd push his head down, feel the glorious escape from the noise, and he'd shrug as the water covered his mouth. It wouldn't be a big deal, not while his nose was still clear. But then he'd get careless and his head would list, the water would slide up his face and crash against his nose like a breaking wave, and then he would drown. Everything would be over.
Was that bad?
Nothing was good in his life. There were only those fleeting moments with Asuka. The conversation in the car had showed that they were only that, though: fleeting. Asuka didn't think of him as anything more than a nuisance. He was a burden to her: making her late, making her fight, and getting her kicked out of school. Without him around, she'd be free. Asuka would have a great life, Shinji was positive. She was so vibrant, so strong! She never backed down and never gave up. Asuka was in control of her life, and with his parting, the last shackle of obligation would fall from her ankle.
Shinji could help her, just as she had helped him in the kitchen and on the way to school. He could say 'thank you' like he never thought he'd be able to. It was just like his dreams were telling him. It was just as Mother said. The world was better off without him now. It was time for him to move on.
Shinji took a deep breath and let his body slide.
"Back up, Stooge!"
Shinji stopped. Asuka's voice commanded his attention.
"Shinji needs his soak and not you bothering him. The lot of you can just shove off till I say he's ready to deal with you."
Shinji propped his head against the side of the tub.
* * *
"We just want to see how he's doing, Sohryu!" Toji snarled. He was on his feet now, and glaring at Asuka. His fists balled at his waist, but he'd yet to raise them. If Asuka kept lounging on the floor though, looking for the world as if she were talking to a four-year-old, they might not stay that way.
"And I told you 'no,' Stooge."
"Who made it your decision?"
"I place them in your capable hands, Hikari," Misato interjected, rising from the couch. "I need a beer to help with my headache."
"But - but, Miss Katsuragi," Hikari stammered.
"You'll do fine," Misato tossed over her shoulder as she entered the kitchen. Hikari looked from Toji to Asuka and back again.
"I don't think she's ready to be class rep," Kensuke snickered. Hikari quickly smacked him across the back of the head. "Ow. All right, I guess she is," he repented.
"Look, Toji," Asuka said. "I don't want to laden Hikari with trouble, so let's just look at it like this. Shinji was beat up pretty bad, agreed?"
"Agreed," Toji assented.
"A long, hot bath will do all those aches and bruises some good, agreed?"
"Agreed."
"So, just let him soak then. You can talk to him tomorrow, after all. I won't be there to stop you."
Toji sat back down and looked at Asuka. "What do you mean?"
"Oh, the principal kicked me out of school today for fighting."
"He did what!?!" Toji, Kensuke, and Hikari all stared at Asuka, dumbfounded. The room suddenly swelled with a nervous air.
"Can he do that?" Hikari ventured.
Toji shrugged. "I only ever get detentions."
"Regardless," Asuka said, "he did and I'm out. Not a big deal for me, but it is for Shinji. I could handle it when the punks went after me. Shinji won't be able to. So, as much as it pains me, I'm going to have to rely on you, Suzuhara, to make sure nothing happens to him."
"When did you start to care what happens to Shinji?"
"Toji!" Hikari scolded him. "Don't say that. You saw what Asuka did to protect Shinji."
"I still don't know why, though."
The doorbell sounded before anyone could respond. Asuka jumped to her feet, eager for the opportunity to stall the conversation. Why should she care about what happened to Shinji? If he was too stupid to take care of himself, that was his own fault, right?
Asuka swung the door open. "Yeah, who is it?"
Rei pushed past Asuka and into the apartment. Her eyes quickly searched the living room, seemingly assessing a potential battleground. The children stared at her, till she finally spoke. "Where is Ikari?"
"In the bath, Wondergirl," Asuka snapped. "You're out of luck, just like them."
Rei, however, was already moving. She strode purposely toward the bathroom door and grabbed the handle. She twisted hard, but the door refused to open.
"Hey, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Asuka demanded.
"Ikari," Rei said, completely ignoring Asuka. "Ikari, it is Ayanami. If you wish to speak, I will listen." Rei waited at the door. She seemed almost anxious, desperate for a response. But none came. "Ikari?" she tried again. After a further moment of silence, Rei spun around and stalked from the apartment. The door slammed in her wake.
"What was that?" Kensuke asked. But no one could give him an answer.
* * *
"You lie," Rei accused the girl.
"I don't," she replied. "You have no patience and no practice. You offered yourself to him, but now you must wait for his reply. You can't expect it instantly. Didn't I tell you that these things must be nurtured?"
"I do not believe you. You are deceiving me." Rei walked more quickly, trying to outpace the little girl. The child remained with her though.
"I wouldn't do such a thing."
"You are!" Rei spun on the girl. "You tell me things - if they were important Commander Ikari would have made sure I had them."
"Don't trick yourself."
"You want to make me something I am not! Leave!" Rei grabbed a piece of loose concrete and hurled it at the girl. It cracked against the wall where she had been standing. "I am not what you think I am," she whispered. "I do not have it in me."
* * *
Kaji stared pensively at the wall. The beige paint didn't reveal any patterns, though, nor did the wallboard suddenly separate and form a mouth that would speak the answers he sought. It was simply there: thick and impenetrable. Much like situation he focused on.
Kaji knew now that NERV had orchestrated the attack on Shinji and Asuka. He knew that the sniper's orders were to only graze Shinji, not incapacitate him. He knew it was all a well-orchestrated sham, from top to bottom. This undoubtedly meant that Gendo Ikari was running the show. Nothing happened at NERV that the puppet-master himself did not initiate.
Kaji smiled faintly to himself. Well, almost nothing.
Two points made this puzzle particularly difficult. One: how would staging the attack and superficially wounding Shinji and Asuka benefit Commander Ikari? There was a reason; Ikari did nothing on a whim. Kaji needed a clue to the driving force behind this plot, and then he was sure the rest of the picture would begin to fill in.
Two: what had gone wrong? The boy sniper had emphasized that Shinji was not to be hurt, yet now he was blind, and Gendo did not allow for mistakes in his plans. It could all be that the boy had misjudged his own prowess and actually severally damaged Shinji's optic nerve, as Ritsuko had reported. Or it could be something else entirely.
Kaji gave the wall a disapproving frown. Of course, it was something else. He should have seen it before. Gendo Ikari's plans DID NOT go awry. If Shinji was currently blind, it was because Ikari wanted him that way. And who diagnosed and treated Shinji for this condition? Ritsuko. And as much as Kaji hated to admit it, his old friend was little more than Ikari's lapdog nowadays. Her unquestioning genius at Ikari's command could produce terrifying results.
Ritsuko had done something. Somewhere between the infirmary and Shinji's release, Ritsuko had done something. The attack had just been a cover. They needed a believable reason to get Shinji away from prying eyes and into Ritsuko's hands. There was nothing wrong with Asuka; she must have just been there to add corroboration to the story of a malcontent student attacking the Evangelion pilots.
The wall suddenly wasn't looking so impenetrable. Still, some armor plating remained. Kaji needed to know why, before his breach would be complete.
"Why, indeed," he muttered. Kaji kicked his chair onto its back legs, and stretched himself out. He'd been sitting in brooding contemplation for much too long. His muscles were tense and knotted. He settled the chair into an even balance and rolled his head in slow circles.
The answers to his questions lurked in only one place: Japan.
There was a sudden, sharp click, and the door to Kaji's hotel room swung open. Four black-garbed soldiers charged in and smoothly surrounded him, their assault rifles held at the ready. Kaji made no move for his pistol. There was little point. He knew the look of professionals when he saw it; this lot would mow him down before got within six inches of his weapon. Besides, violence wasn't his specialty anyway.
"Would any of you gents like a beer?" Kaji quipped. Not even a twitch. Kaji sighed. Really, some people just couldn't enjoy themselves in pressure situations.
"Agent Kaji, I can assure you that your glib tongue will not help you here." A final man entered the room, and lit a cigarette. "You see, SEELE wishes to know what Ikari is up to, and you're going to tell us."
* * *
9:00 pm.
Maya turned away from the clock and resumed staring at her bedroom ceiling. For the first time in weeks she was home early. The upgrade to the Magi system was finally complete. All that time she had spent inputting code, and then double and triple checking her work, it had all finally come to fruition.
So, why wasn't she pleased?
The upgrade was brilliantly ambitious. Only Dr. Akagi could have conceived of and made it reality. Maya had done little more than punch in numbers. Was her limited contribution making her feel inferior? No, that couldn't be it. Maya unabashedly admired Dr. Akagi's genius. She would never hold herself to such a lofty standard.
Maya was tempted to lay and contemplate in circles all night long, but she bit down on her fear and forced herself to acknowledge the truth.
The upgrade itself bothered her.
Maya conceded freely that it was pure genius. The idea of the Magi having the ability to accurately predict individual human behavior based upon an inputted personality profile had never occurred to her, even in her dreams. Instinct told Maya to instead search her nightmares. The Magi knew you now, or would very soon. They could compute you inside and out. Your most intimate thoughts were no longer your own.
It may sound absurd, but was nevertheless true. Maya had tested it. A faint nervousness had taken hold of her when she finally finished the code. So, Maya took her profile and entered it into the Magi. She asked them to predict her heart's most secret desire.
It took the Magi twenty seconds to answer. The response was correct.
Maya liked her privacy, her secrets. But now anyone with access to the Magi could dissect and study her. And she wasn't the only one. Dr. Akagi had left to run her own tests on the upgrade just before Maya had been dismissed for the night, and she had taken the profiles for the entire bridge staff with her.
* * *
Asuka crept through the darkness. She had been here for some time now, yet nothing had happened. The shadows simply swum against one another, and created thick, buffeting waves of black. Wondergirl should have shown up long before now. It was routine. Asuka found herself here, and her albino tormentor showed up and tossed a few cryptic messages her way.
However, Rei was nowhere to be found. So, Asuka decided to go looking for her.
Looking for someone in pitch black, though, is a lot easier said than accomplished. How do you spot someone when you can't see? When all you can do is grope blindly, taking one tentative step after another, fervently praying that your next doesn't take you over the edge of a precipice or into oncoming traffic? Not that there had ever been any cars in any of her previous dreams, but the point still held.
Asuka sighed. She wondered if this was what Shinji felt like. Did the helplessness gnaw at him, biting and chewing till the remains of his confidence was nothing short of pathetic? Let's face it, though, Shinji's self-reliance was zilch to start with. Living every day like this, feeling like this, it would destroy him utterly in short order. There would be nothing left. That's why she had to help him.
Much to Asuka's surprise, she felt determination thrill through her. It felt strange, but somehow good, as well. She could see Shinji in her mind's eye, and he wasn't beaten yet. He might be bowed, battered, and suffering, but when he'd come out of the bathroom earlier today there was something that Asuka could sense that told her he hadn't given up. She hadn't been so sure when he'd gone in for his bath; Shinji had been nothing more than a wilted flower waiting for winter's first frost to finally bring it death. The situation had changed, though. Something had buoyed him.
Whatever changed Shinji's stance, Asuka was thankful for it. Weakness repulsed her, and this place seemed orchestrated to do nothing more than cultivate it. Asuka could escape her dreams, but Shinji lived this in his waking reality. It was cruel beyond measure.
Asuka wouldn't let it win. She would not. She would beat the darkness in her dreams, and help Shinji conquer his. She was Asuka Langley Sohryu. Fate was her whipping boy.
* * *
Rei smiled and huddled closer to the black wall. The wall shifted and gave a great, audible groan. The crack widened. It was just slightly bigger than it had been when Sohryu had turned from the path. Now, the girl had found her way back, and Rei luxuriated in the freshly expanded ribbon of light.
Still, there was something Sohryu did not see at all. Rei only prayed that before the end came, she would notice.
* * *
The train car rattled around Shinji, but he paid it no mind. His attention was fixed solely upon his mother. Yui Ikari was smiling congenially, like she was attending afternoon tea with a group of friends. Shinji's face held no such contented expression.
"Have you decided, Shinji? Will you come with me?" Yui asked.
"I... I don't know yet, Mother."
Yui's smile faltered. "You don't know yet? Surely you must realize that you're useless to your father and your friends, Shinji? Asuka was hurt because of you, expelled because you can no longer take care of yourself! Do you wish such things to continue?"
Shinji squirmed. "I don't want Asuka hurt. I don't want anyone hurt on my account. I know I'm not worth it, but..."
"But?" Yui pressed him.
"Asuka keeps helping me. Every time I think she's given up on me or is going to leave me to my fate, she steps in and saves me or says something encouraging. I don't think I can give up when she's doing that, Mother. I don't know if I want to. Not if Asuka's willing to go to the trouble of helping me. It feels - it feels nice," Shinji finished.
"I didn't realize I had raised such a selfish boy."
"I'm not!"
Yui strode across the narrow train car and grabbed Shinji by his shirt collar. "Of course, you're being selfish. You're taking that girl's pity as an excuse to live when you know your proper place is with me. Mark my words, my dear; if you press on and leave me alone, you will bring them all down with you! Every last one of them will fall into hell at your side and writhe in flame! And your precious Asuka, who you so poorly misjudge, will curse your name for eternity for leading her to such a fate. That is what your selfishness will bring you, Shinji." Yui tossed him back against his seat. "Think on it."
* * *
"We meet again."
Asuka dropped into a squat next to Shinji. He was curled up in the hallway, just outside his bedroom. The door was only partially open, like it had been flung aside and then rebounded. Further inside the room, the bedding lay in hastily discarded lumps.
Shinji shifted slightly, and peeked out from the huddled mass of his body. "Asuka?"
"The one and only. Had another nightmare?" Asuka dropped from her squat and kicked her legs out. She leaned against the wall and cushioned her head with her free hand. "There we go. That's much better. What about you, Shinji?" Asuka indicated him with a flick of her chin. "If you stay that way for any length of time you're going to end up pulling a bunch of muscles. And considering the condition you're already in, that'd just be stupid if you can avoid it."
Shinji slowly uncurled and stretched himself out. "There you go. That's got to feel better," Asuka said. Shinji nodded. "So?" Asuka prompted him again.
"What?"
Asuka rolled her eyes and sighed. "Come on, Third Child, keep pace. Why are you huddled out here instead of happily asleep in bed? Did you have another nightmare?"
"Oh." Shinji shuffled his limbs through a variety of positions before replying. "Yeah. It was another nightmare. I didn't want to go back to sleep or stay in my room. I thought if I did, it might come back."
"Shinji," Asuka began, leaning close and whispering into his ear, "I'm going to let you in on a little secret in case this ever happens again. Are you ready?"
"Sure," Shinji said hesitantly.
"Use the couch. It's much more comfy than the floor."
For a moment, Shinji's mouth simply hung open in dumb shock, but then his face puckered, and Asuka wasn't sure if he was going to laugh or cry. She decided to stop either eventuality, just in case Shinji decided to pick the latter option.
"So, was this dream any worse than the last one?"
Shinji shrugged nervously. "There have been more since the one I told you about. I don't know if it's worse, but it's more - more intense. She really wants me to go with her."
"She?" Asuka asked.
"Mother," Shinji replied.
Asuka raised an eyebrow at this. He was of dreaming of his mother? Actually, Asuka could sympathize. Both their mothers had met similar fates, and both while their children were still very young. But what did he mean she wanted him to come with her? Wait, he couldn't possibly mean-
"What did you tell her?"
"I don't really want to talk about it," Shinji said. His voice took on a sudden guarded tone. It probably wasn't worth pressing him on, Asuka decided. In all likelihood, she was just over-interpreting the situation.
"Fair enough."
"What about you, Asuka? Did you have a nightmare too?"
"Me?" Asuka pointed at herself before realizing the gesture was pointless where Shinji was concerned. "Yeah, I did."
"What was it like?"
"Err - well, it was better than the others, I guess. I woke up feeling - I don't know, reassured, I guess. Anyway, something was different about it."
Shinji nodded. "That's good for you."
And the clock moved on.
* * *
11:30 pm.
"Go away," Rei pleaded. She rolled onto her stomach and pulled the blankets up close to her head. Rei could still see the girl's red eyes though. They seemed to burn right through her eyelids. She couldn't escape. "Please?"
"No." The girl's voice sounded from all around her. "You must listen. You need to understand."
Rei buried her face in the pillow and tried desperately to vanquish her heckler, but the night would not see her leave.
* * *
Kaji stood at the airline's gate, ready for his flight to Japan. Soon he'd be back. It'd just be a few hours in the air, and then he'd start getting his answers.
Kaji hoped they wouldn't come too late.
[End Part Six]
Author's Notes: As always, I can be contacted at Ziggymd24@yahoo.com. Let me know what you think. Previous parts of "From all Corners they Cried" can be found at iow.free.fr/Ziggymd24. As I can no longer update that site though, I would check fanfiction.net for anything of mine that's new. Now, on with the show.
Tick.
The clock read 2:00 pm.
A warm afternoon breeze rattled the blinds of the nurse's office, and carried the faint smell of tsubaki blossoms into the room. It swept by her desk, unoccupied and in disarray, and the chair abandoned near the wall. Soft crinkles sounded as health brochures shifted in their stacks and flyers gently wafted away from the bulletin board.
By this time in the afternoon, the office was usually accepting and regurgitating students at a brisk rate. Most children wanted an easy out from the last class of the day; the nurse, conversely, wanted all the amateur actors out of her way. Thusly the daily battle was fought, and its bustle would filter down the hallway giving the on-duty monitors something to chuckle at.
The current stillness was something to marvel over. However, routine exercised its will and the office door opened. Rei Ayanami stepped inside. She paused and let her eyes move over the lifeless scene. "Ikari?" she called, and took another step inward. There was no response.
Puzzled, Rei moved toward a long line of yellowing plastic curtains that served as partitions between the various patient bays. Ikari should be here. Rei was certain this was where the teachers had taken Shinji after leading him off the field. No other location was logical. Unless Ikari had already been released.
Rei pulled the first curtain open: nothing. She moved steadily down the line, opening each curtain without regard to the possibility that someone other than her target might be inside. Embarrassment or misunderstanding did not concern her. Three curtains before the end, she stopped.
"Ikari," Rei stated, pushing the plastic drape aside. Shinji Ikari lay upon the small bed within. He was still dressed in his dirt and grass stained uniform, and the various visible bruises on his arms and face looked like they had been given little attention. Shinji appeared not to care though. He just lay on his back, staring emptily toward the ceiling.
"Ikari?" Rei attempted again. Shinji stirred and turned his head in the direction of Rei's call.
"Asuka?" Shinji's voice was stale. Like old bread, it seemed to have dried out and crusted over with disuse.
"No," Rei replied, frowning slightly. "Pilot Sohryu is not available."
"Oh," Shinji muttered before rolling his face back toward the ceiling. "It's you, Rei."
"Ikari, I have come to evaluate your well being," Rei began anew. "Have the doctors examined you?"
"Not really," Shinji said. "The teacher brought me in and told me to lay down. But it doesn't matter. I'm not any worse than before."
Rei paused a moment and again looked over all of his visible injuries. Perhaps Ikari had suffered a blow to the head and was unaware of his condition? "Two of your attackers," Rei started again, "have been taken to the hospital to receive further medical attention for their injuries. The third has recovered and returned to class."
"Did you see, Asuka?" Shinji interrupted. "Was she hurt?"
"I did see Sohryu. She appeared to be uninjured. However, the Second Child has been taken into custody by the teachers and brought to the principal to face disciplinary action. Major Katsuragi has been informed of her situation and should arrive shortly."
"Oh." Shinji continued to stare upward. "I'm such a burden to her," he mumbled. "She had to fight because of me. It would have been better if she hadn't. But - but I'm glad she helps me. I'm glad."
Rei blinked. "Ikari? Ikari?" There was nothing though. Shinji remained dazed and unresponsive. Rei took one last look at the boy, and then stepped from the bay. There would be no gain in staying. She pulled the plastic curtain shut behind her.
"From all Corners they Cried"
An Evangelion Fanfic
By Dave Ziegler
Part 6: "Seven Days Hence/From Midday to Midnight"
Teenagers like to gawk. Anything from new clothes in a shop window to the latest sports car is bound to grasp their attention and not let go, lest threatened with a tire iron. It was something of a surprise then that these same teens were fleeing the hallways of Tokyo-3 Regional Middle School because of a woman: a generously proportioned woman wearing a clingy black mini-dress to boot. Hormone driven adoration was usually the most difficult to dislodge. The caustic look of the woman, however, dismembered any potential lust, and set the lot of them running.
Misato Katsuragi snapped through the hallways like a snake cutting a groove through sand. She paid little mind to the scurrying children or the queer looks of the teachers as she made her way to the main office. There was one thing and one thing only that concerned her at the moment. And that was-
"Asuka, are you all right?" Misato yanked the door shut behind her, and strode into the principal's office. There wasn't anything to stop her forward drive; the office was spartan. It featured only a desk, two chairs, three filing cabinets, and a lone still life hung upon the wall. Misato halted before the principal's desk, leaned over Asuka's seat, and cupped the girl's chin with her hand. "Let me take a look at you."
"Stop that, Misato," Asuka ordered her, swatting her hand away. "It's undignified."
"Concern is not undignified, Asuka," Misato snapped. "It's human. Now tell me if you're okay." She stared hard at the girl. "You don't look any worse for wear."
"That's because she was the one dealing out the damage," a deep voice commented from behind the desk, "not receiving it."
Asuka snorted at this, and Misato turned to face the opinion's owner. A short but thick man stood behind the desk's polished planes and angles. His girth was fastidiously wrapped in a three-piece suit, and Misato took instant notice of the shrewd cast of his eyes.
"And you are?" Misato asked.
"Principal Masaki Ikeda. And I assume you are Ms. Misato Katsuragi, guardian to both Ms. Sohryu and Mr. Ikari?"
"Major, thank you very much," Misato countered.
"Whatever you feel most comfortable with, Major Katsuragi," Ikeda acquiesced. He bowed shortly, and gestured for Misato to sit in the empty chair next to Asuka's. Ikeda then took his own seat. "Did my secretary inform you as to why I had to call you here today?"
"Of course," Misato said. "I wouldn't have come without some justification. I have important work, and jumping at a civil servant's whim doesn't go far in getting it done."
Ikeda raised an eyebrow at Misato's remark and folded his hands across the desktop. "Is that so? Then Ms. Sohryu's altercation today was reason enough for you to spare me time? How serendipitous."
"Of course, it was reason enough," Misato growled. "Don't start feeding me the same 'undignified' bullshit she just tried." Misato nodded at Asuka, who simply turned away and stared at the wall. "I had to see if she and Shinji were all right. We've had enough damn trouble with the kids in this school, already."
Ikeda smiled thinly. "And this school, Major Katsuragi, has reached its limit in tolerating the trouble Ms. Sohryu causes."
"Excuse me?"
Ikeda straightened his tie before beginning. "Ever since Ms. Sohryu transferred to this institution, she has had a history of creating conflict and ill will that has troubled both my staff and other students. I reassured the teachers at first, reminding them she came from a foreign nation and was most likely acting out to cover any insecurities she might have dealing with and surviving in an entirely new culture."
"Hah," Asuka snorted.
Ikeda ignored her and continued. "I did not make mention of the stresses she must suffer as one of the Evangelion pilots, as that information was not public knowledge at the time. And even considering such additional factors, I believed she would settle in after the first few months. The problems, however, continued. Uncontrolled aggression, disrespect to both her teachers and her fellow students, and now physical attacks: she has become too big a distraction and detriment to be left alone."
"Thank you for the amateur psychology review," Misato said. "Now make your point."
"My point is this, Major Katsuragi. Since the developmental psychologist sent to us by the board of education to work on Ms. Sohryu's case has suddenly gone missing, I find my only beneficial recourse is to indefinitely suspend Ms. Sohryu from this institution, pending documentation of successful therapy and or treatment for her condition."
"Her condition!" Misato snarled. "There's nothing wrong with her!"
"Please tell that to the families of the two boys she sent to the hospital earlier today."
"Those boys were attacking Shinji! She defended him!" Misato lurched forward, thrusting herself to the desk and clenching its front edge with her hands.
"And the proper course of action, had she wanted to help him, would have been to alert one of the lunch attendants, who could have resolved the matter in a much more acceptable manner."
"Yeah, if your definition of 'acceptable' involves Shinji getting his face kicked in. And what about these boys? What about the antagonists in all this? Are they getting suspended pending psychological evaluation as well?"
"They will be punished according to what their actions warranted," Ikeda stated. "Nothing more, and nothing less. That is how it is for all the students."
Misato flushed several shades of her favorite lipstick. "You hypocrite!" she accused. "You balding, fucking hypocrite! You're going to let them off with a slap on the wrist! I don't believe this!"
"I appreciate your passion regarding my decision, Major Katsuragi," Ikeda said, his mouth drawn, "but it still stands. I must do what is best for this school. Ms. Sohryu must leave, for now."
Misato leaned over the desk and forced her eyes level with Ikeda's. "You can't do this," she hissed. "I will get this overturned, and Asuka will be back in school before you can ram even a drop more starch up your ass." She backed away and beckoned Asuka from her seat.
"What are you going to do, Major?" Ikeda asked. "The board of education will support my decision. And even pulling strings at NERV won't get you anywhere. The educational system is not under the influence of your little empire."
"You'd be surprised, Principal Ikeda," Misato said, holding his eyes another long moment after speaking. Then, "Come on, Asuka. Let's get out of here." She turned and briskly pushed her way out the office door. Asuka followed.
"Ms. Sohryu," Ikeda said, stopping the girl momentarily. "I sincerely wish you the best of luck in getting the help you need. Please don't disregard this matter."
Asuka turned to the face the desk and smirked. "I already have two more university degrees than you do. What makes you think I'll be in any hurry to come back?"
* * *
The sports car sped through town, darting through the narrow side streets and whipping gravel like fastballs in its wake. Traffic began to line up at a recently red stoplight, but the little sports car didn't slow its rapid pace. Instead, it swung quickly into the opposite lane, diving past the oncoming traffic, and through the intersection.
"You're going to kill us," Asuka noted from the passenger side seat as the sound of several screeching horns faded into the distance. Her feet braced against the car floor, and she gripped both the console and door handle on either side of her. The rigid position had been necessary almost as soon as Misato raced the car from the school parking lot.
"Stop complaining," Misato scolded. "Driving is a great way to work off stress and aggravation." She wrenched the car around another turn, tossing its occupants. "And," she continued as they moved onto a straightaway, "I'm a little pissed off at the moment. You should be too, Asuka," Misato ventured. "He is doing this to you, after all."
Asuka shrugged as best she could in her position. "It doesn't really matter. Me going back to middle school was a sham anyway. Why should I be angry? I'm not going to learn anything new."
"Tell me that again the next time you try to read one of your mission briefings."
"She's actually gotten a lot better at Kanji, Misato," Shinji ventured from the back seat.
"You tell her, Third Child," Asuka encouraged him. "Besides, she's the Operations Director. It's her job to tell us what to do. Why should we have to read about it?"
"You mean 'why should you have to,' Asuka. I can't pilot anymore."
Misato slammed on the breaks, wresting the car to a halt and throwing all of them as far forward as their seatbelts would stretch. When they recovered, Misato twisted herself around to face Shinji. "Don't say that, Shinji! You haven't been on your medication very long. Give it time. You'll get your sight back. You have to believe, Shinji!"
Shinji turned from Misato's voice, and sat silently for a few moments. "I'll try," he finally whispered.
"Good," she said, smiling sadly. "Look at you." Misato's eyes traced the visible bruises and guessed at those hidden beneath his clothing. "We'll get you home and cleaned up, and right into a hot bath. It'll help with the hurt, trust me."
Shinji nodded.
"And as for you, Asuka," Misato began, rounding on the redhead sitting opposite her. "You should realize that the most important reason for you being in school right now is to do just what you did today: protect Shinji while he's vulnerable."
"Oh, so that's it," Asuka said, throwing her arms into the air. "And here I thought it might actually have something to do with me. Wake up, Misato!" she snapped. "Shinji's vulnerable with both eyes wide open and his shoelaces tied right! I'm not always going to be able to baby-sit him. Why doesn't he try standing up for himself once in a while?"
The two women glared so intently at one another they missed Shinji's small whimper as he slunk down the car seat. Moments passed before Misato finally broke eye contact. She turned back to the wheel, threw the car into drive, and sped out into traffic.
Not a word was spoken for the rest of the drive.
* * *
The clock changed. It was 3:00 pm.
The bell rang, intoning the end of the school day at last. The bustle of happy youths rose from each classroom and plunged into the halls, filling them near to overflow with sound. The effect wasn't quite the same in class 2A. There was a bubble of worry in this room; it fought against the daily rush of glee and smothered all it could.
Hikari, Toji, and Kensuke huddled around a single desk, looking from one to the other and back again. It seemed as if they were playing a game. The rules were simple: coax your competitors into speaking first, saving you the burden.
Toji lost.
"We shouldn't wait this time," he began. "We should go check and make sure they're all right."
Hikari nodded her vigorous assent. "It's strange that Asuka didn't come back to class."
"Shinji, I can understand," Kensuke added, pushing his glasses back up to the bridge of his nose. "They might have wanted to take him to the hospital and make sure he was all right. I'm sure NERV is awfully nervous about the health of its pilots."
Toji thumped a fist into his open palm. "It's settled then. We'll all head down to Major Katsuragi's place and find out how everyone is doing. I guess I should even congratulate Asuka. That was a hell of a fight for a girl."
Hikari turned and rolled her eyes, but nevertheless let a small smile bend her lips. It wasn't often Suzuhara was willing to even call Asuka by her name, much less feel the need to say something kind to her. Perhaps this could start a breakthrough between them. It'd certainly be nice not to have two of her friends barking at each other all the time.
Each of them picked up their bags and readied to leave. Someone, however, stepped in their path. Rei examined Hikari, Toji, and Kensuke in turn. The full gaze of those still, blood colored orbs chilled them into halting.
"Your presence will make no difference to him," Rei stated.
"Not this again," Toji muttered, throwing his head back. Hikari placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, gave him a small smile, and slid around Toji to the front.
"Why wouldn't it make any difference, Rei?" Hikari asked the eva pilot. "We are Shinji and Asuka's friends. This is a difficult time for them, and we should be there to help."
"He does not seek your help."
"Well, sometimes people in pain do that, Rei," Hikari told the girl. "They think that they're all alone, or that they have to handle the situation themselves. It's not true though. As a friend you can help by just listening to his problems. You don't actually have to solve anything."
Rei shook her head. "You do not understand."
"Are you sure that it's not you who don't understand, Rei? I can feel this is new for you. Why don't you come with us?" Hikari asked. "I'm sure Shinji would be happy to have you there as well."
Rei's face crinkled around the small frown she made. "You are wrong," she said. "Ikari only wants the Second."
* * *
The little girl watched Toji, Kensuke and Hikari leave the classroom, throwing somewhat furtive and suspicious glances back toward Rei. And as far as the girl was concerned, they had every right to do so. "Why did you tell them that," she asked Rei.
Rei blinked, and caught sight of the girl curled up in a desk to her right. The child stared intently at her.
"I told them because Ikari has demonstrated he only wishes to speak with the Second. If they attempt to converse with him, they will be ignored," Rei stated.
The child shook her head, swinging her loose hair from side to side. "Are you so sure? Perhaps the girl is right about you. Perhaps you don't yet understand."
"Explain."
The girl smiled slightly at Rei's command. "You," she began, "are not one to interact. And now all of the sudden you're trying. Did you consider that Ikari did not accept your offer of comfort because you did not convey it clearly enough? Or perhaps he refused because of the distance between you. He may not feel comfortable yet confiding in you."
"I see," Rei intoned.
"Those children," the girl continued, "are close to him. They have taken the time to build their relationship, and ease themselves past his walls. He will speak to them, and if you wish to be included, you must work as hard as they have."
Rei's gaze was pensive for moments following the girl's words. They seemed to stare out, seeing nothing, but reflective of an inward deliberation. Finally, her eyes cleared, and she nodded curtly to the youngster before leaving the classroom.
* * *
Kensuke leaned on the doorbell. The heavy chime droned, sounding every few seconds like a church bell that refused to admit all its parish had arrived.
"Stop that, you twit." Toji swatted his friend. "They could be asleep for all we know."
"Aw, come on. A man couldn't sleep after winning a fight like that," Kensuke complained.
Hikari stepped in front of Kensuke before he could resume his tactile relationship with the bell. "Stooges," she muttered under her breath. Toji always showed potential, like his concern for
Asuka and Shinji just now. It might only come in snippets, but it was there. On the other hand, Hikari had a hard time believing Kensuke would ever really grow up. He seemed doomed to life as an adolescent.
The door cracked open, and the three children stiffened to attention. A single eye and a wisp of dark hair peeked out at them.
"Hello," Hikari ventured.
"Oh, it's you guys," Misato said. The door closed and was followed by a slight jingling. Quickly enough, it opened again, this time giving them full access to what was behind. "Sorry about that, kids. Come in, come in." Misato waved them into the apartment and closed the door behind them.
"Is something the matter?" Toji asked, and then blushed. "Er, something else, I mean."
Misato waltzed through the mess that littered her living room and flopped on the couch. "No, there's nothing else wrong. I'm just not looking forward to having to explain this all to NERV. Nothing for you kids to worry about." Misato fixed them with a look. "You're here to check up on Asuka and Shinji, right?"
"Yes, Ma'am." Hikari said.
"That's what I figured." Misato dangled her head over the arm of the couch and looked toward the back hall. "Asuka!" she bellowed. "Hikari and the boys are here to see you and Shinji!" Misato waited a moment. "Asuka!"
"Fine! Fine!" Asuka screamed back. "Could I have a minute before you start yelling again? You sound like a starved owl."
Misato twitched and looked as if she were readying a return barrage. The anger died though, and was replaced by something almost melancholic. Only Hikari noticed the transition, for just as quickly as it came, the wistful look disappeared and was replaced with a patented Misato smile. "Shinji's in the bath. Will you sit already? You're making me nervous with all the standing about and twiddling."
"Eh, right. Sorry. Yes, Major," the three children said in turn. They looked abashedly at the ceiling while settling themselves on the floor around the couch.
"Much better. Would any of you like something to drink? I'm sure we can have Asuka hit the fridge on her way in."
"Like hell I will," Asuka steamed as she stepped up behind the couch. "The stooges know perfectly well where the refrigerator is. Would you like something, Hikari?"
* * *
Shinji winced as, "Screw off, Sohryu" reverberated throughout the house. He slid further down into the bath, feeling the water rise past his neck and up onto his chin. Maybe if he kept going, the water would come up enough to cover his ears? That would be wonderful. All the noise and yelling would be muffled, or indistinguishable from the 'plop' of the shifting water.
But would he be able to tell how far was too far? Shinji wasn't sure he trusted himself that much, not when he couldn't see the water level for himself. He would probably end up doing something stupid if he tried. Shinji could see it now. He'd push his head down, feel the glorious escape from the noise, and he'd shrug as the water covered his mouth. It wouldn't be a big deal, not while his nose was still clear. But then he'd get careless and his head would list, the water would slide up his face and crash against his nose like a breaking wave, and then he would drown. Everything would be over.
Was that bad?
Nothing was good in his life. There were only those fleeting moments with Asuka. The conversation in the car had showed that they were only that, though: fleeting. Asuka didn't think of him as anything more than a nuisance. He was a burden to her: making her late, making her fight, and getting her kicked out of school. Without him around, she'd be free. Asuka would have a great life, Shinji was positive. She was so vibrant, so strong! She never backed down and never gave up. Asuka was in control of her life, and with his parting, the last shackle of obligation would fall from her ankle.
Shinji could help her, just as she had helped him in the kitchen and on the way to school. He could say 'thank you' like he never thought he'd be able to. It was just like his dreams were telling him. It was just as Mother said. The world was better off without him now. It was time for him to move on.
Shinji took a deep breath and let his body slide.
"Back up, Stooge!"
Shinji stopped. Asuka's voice commanded his attention.
"Shinji needs his soak and not you bothering him. The lot of you can just shove off till I say he's ready to deal with you."
Shinji propped his head against the side of the tub.
* * *
"We just want to see how he's doing, Sohryu!" Toji snarled. He was on his feet now, and glaring at Asuka. His fists balled at his waist, but he'd yet to raise them. If Asuka kept lounging on the floor though, looking for the world as if she were talking to a four-year-old, they might not stay that way.
"And I told you 'no,' Stooge."
"Who made it your decision?"
"I place them in your capable hands, Hikari," Misato interjected, rising from the couch. "I need a beer to help with my headache."
"But - but, Miss Katsuragi," Hikari stammered.
"You'll do fine," Misato tossed over her shoulder as she entered the kitchen. Hikari looked from Toji to Asuka and back again.
"I don't think she's ready to be class rep," Kensuke snickered. Hikari quickly smacked him across the back of the head. "Ow. All right, I guess she is," he repented.
"Look, Toji," Asuka said. "I don't want to laden Hikari with trouble, so let's just look at it like this. Shinji was beat up pretty bad, agreed?"
"Agreed," Toji assented.
"A long, hot bath will do all those aches and bruises some good, agreed?"
"Agreed."
"So, just let him soak then. You can talk to him tomorrow, after all. I won't be there to stop you."
Toji sat back down and looked at Asuka. "What do you mean?"
"Oh, the principal kicked me out of school today for fighting."
"He did what!?!" Toji, Kensuke, and Hikari all stared at Asuka, dumbfounded. The room suddenly swelled with a nervous air.
"Can he do that?" Hikari ventured.
Toji shrugged. "I only ever get detentions."
"Regardless," Asuka said, "he did and I'm out. Not a big deal for me, but it is for Shinji. I could handle it when the punks went after me. Shinji won't be able to. So, as much as it pains me, I'm going to have to rely on you, Suzuhara, to make sure nothing happens to him."
"When did you start to care what happens to Shinji?"
"Toji!" Hikari scolded him. "Don't say that. You saw what Asuka did to protect Shinji."
"I still don't know why, though."
The doorbell sounded before anyone could respond. Asuka jumped to her feet, eager for the opportunity to stall the conversation. Why should she care about what happened to Shinji? If he was too stupid to take care of himself, that was his own fault, right?
Asuka swung the door open. "Yeah, who is it?"
Rei pushed past Asuka and into the apartment. Her eyes quickly searched the living room, seemingly assessing a potential battleground. The children stared at her, till she finally spoke. "Where is Ikari?"
"In the bath, Wondergirl," Asuka snapped. "You're out of luck, just like them."
Rei, however, was already moving. She strode purposely toward the bathroom door and grabbed the handle. She twisted hard, but the door refused to open.
"Hey, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Asuka demanded.
"Ikari," Rei said, completely ignoring Asuka. "Ikari, it is Ayanami. If you wish to speak, I will listen." Rei waited at the door. She seemed almost anxious, desperate for a response. But none came. "Ikari?" she tried again. After a further moment of silence, Rei spun around and stalked from the apartment. The door slammed in her wake.
"What was that?" Kensuke asked. But no one could give him an answer.
* * *
"You lie," Rei accused the girl.
"I don't," she replied. "You have no patience and no practice. You offered yourself to him, but now you must wait for his reply. You can't expect it instantly. Didn't I tell you that these things must be nurtured?"
"I do not believe you. You are deceiving me." Rei walked more quickly, trying to outpace the little girl. The child remained with her though.
"I wouldn't do such a thing."
"You are!" Rei spun on the girl. "You tell me things - if they were important Commander Ikari would have made sure I had them."
"Don't trick yourself."
"You want to make me something I am not! Leave!" Rei grabbed a piece of loose concrete and hurled it at the girl. It cracked against the wall where she had been standing. "I am not what you think I am," she whispered. "I do not have it in me."
* * *
Kaji stared pensively at the wall. The beige paint didn't reveal any patterns, though, nor did the wallboard suddenly separate and form a mouth that would speak the answers he sought. It was simply there: thick and impenetrable. Much like situation he focused on.
Kaji knew now that NERV had orchestrated the attack on Shinji and Asuka. He knew that the sniper's orders were to only graze Shinji, not incapacitate him. He knew it was all a well-orchestrated sham, from top to bottom. This undoubtedly meant that Gendo Ikari was running the show. Nothing happened at NERV that the puppet-master himself did not initiate.
Kaji smiled faintly to himself. Well, almost nothing.
Two points made this puzzle particularly difficult. One: how would staging the attack and superficially wounding Shinji and Asuka benefit Commander Ikari? There was a reason; Ikari did nothing on a whim. Kaji needed a clue to the driving force behind this plot, and then he was sure the rest of the picture would begin to fill in.
Two: what had gone wrong? The boy sniper had emphasized that Shinji was not to be hurt, yet now he was blind, and Gendo did not allow for mistakes in his plans. It could all be that the boy had misjudged his own prowess and actually severally damaged Shinji's optic nerve, as Ritsuko had reported. Or it could be something else entirely.
Kaji gave the wall a disapproving frown. Of course, it was something else. He should have seen it before. Gendo Ikari's plans DID NOT go awry. If Shinji was currently blind, it was because Ikari wanted him that way. And who diagnosed and treated Shinji for this condition? Ritsuko. And as much as Kaji hated to admit it, his old friend was little more than Ikari's lapdog nowadays. Her unquestioning genius at Ikari's command could produce terrifying results.
Ritsuko had done something. Somewhere between the infirmary and Shinji's release, Ritsuko had done something. The attack had just been a cover. They needed a believable reason to get Shinji away from prying eyes and into Ritsuko's hands. There was nothing wrong with Asuka; she must have just been there to add corroboration to the story of a malcontent student attacking the Evangelion pilots.
The wall suddenly wasn't looking so impenetrable. Still, some armor plating remained. Kaji needed to know why, before his breach would be complete.
"Why, indeed," he muttered. Kaji kicked his chair onto its back legs, and stretched himself out. He'd been sitting in brooding contemplation for much too long. His muscles were tense and knotted. He settled the chair into an even balance and rolled his head in slow circles.
The answers to his questions lurked in only one place: Japan.
There was a sudden, sharp click, and the door to Kaji's hotel room swung open. Four black-garbed soldiers charged in and smoothly surrounded him, their assault rifles held at the ready. Kaji made no move for his pistol. There was little point. He knew the look of professionals when he saw it; this lot would mow him down before got within six inches of his weapon. Besides, violence wasn't his specialty anyway.
"Would any of you gents like a beer?" Kaji quipped. Not even a twitch. Kaji sighed. Really, some people just couldn't enjoy themselves in pressure situations.
"Agent Kaji, I can assure you that your glib tongue will not help you here." A final man entered the room, and lit a cigarette. "You see, SEELE wishes to know what Ikari is up to, and you're going to tell us."
* * *
9:00 pm.
Maya turned away from the clock and resumed staring at her bedroom ceiling. For the first time in weeks she was home early. The upgrade to the Magi system was finally complete. All that time she had spent inputting code, and then double and triple checking her work, it had all finally come to fruition.
So, why wasn't she pleased?
The upgrade was brilliantly ambitious. Only Dr. Akagi could have conceived of and made it reality. Maya had done little more than punch in numbers. Was her limited contribution making her feel inferior? No, that couldn't be it. Maya unabashedly admired Dr. Akagi's genius. She would never hold herself to such a lofty standard.
Maya was tempted to lay and contemplate in circles all night long, but she bit down on her fear and forced herself to acknowledge the truth.
The upgrade itself bothered her.
Maya conceded freely that it was pure genius. The idea of the Magi having the ability to accurately predict individual human behavior based upon an inputted personality profile had never occurred to her, even in her dreams. Instinct told Maya to instead search her nightmares. The Magi knew you now, or would very soon. They could compute you inside and out. Your most intimate thoughts were no longer your own.
It may sound absurd, but was nevertheless true. Maya had tested it. A faint nervousness had taken hold of her when she finally finished the code. So, Maya took her profile and entered it into the Magi. She asked them to predict her heart's most secret desire.
It took the Magi twenty seconds to answer. The response was correct.
Maya liked her privacy, her secrets. But now anyone with access to the Magi could dissect and study her. And she wasn't the only one. Dr. Akagi had left to run her own tests on the upgrade just before Maya had been dismissed for the night, and she had taken the profiles for the entire bridge staff with her.
* * *
Asuka crept through the darkness. She had been here for some time now, yet nothing had happened. The shadows simply swum against one another, and created thick, buffeting waves of black. Wondergirl should have shown up long before now. It was routine. Asuka found herself here, and her albino tormentor showed up and tossed a few cryptic messages her way.
However, Rei was nowhere to be found. So, Asuka decided to go looking for her.
Looking for someone in pitch black, though, is a lot easier said than accomplished. How do you spot someone when you can't see? When all you can do is grope blindly, taking one tentative step after another, fervently praying that your next doesn't take you over the edge of a precipice or into oncoming traffic? Not that there had ever been any cars in any of her previous dreams, but the point still held.
Asuka sighed. She wondered if this was what Shinji felt like. Did the helplessness gnaw at him, biting and chewing till the remains of his confidence was nothing short of pathetic? Let's face it, though, Shinji's self-reliance was zilch to start with. Living every day like this, feeling like this, it would destroy him utterly in short order. There would be nothing left. That's why she had to help him.
Much to Asuka's surprise, she felt determination thrill through her. It felt strange, but somehow good, as well. She could see Shinji in her mind's eye, and he wasn't beaten yet. He might be bowed, battered, and suffering, but when he'd come out of the bathroom earlier today there was something that Asuka could sense that told her he hadn't given up. She hadn't been so sure when he'd gone in for his bath; Shinji had been nothing more than a wilted flower waiting for winter's first frost to finally bring it death. The situation had changed, though. Something had buoyed him.
Whatever changed Shinji's stance, Asuka was thankful for it. Weakness repulsed her, and this place seemed orchestrated to do nothing more than cultivate it. Asuka could escape her dreams, but Shinji lived this in his waking reality. It was cruel beyond measure.
Asuka wouldn't let it win. She would not. She would beat the darkness in her dreams, and help Shinji conquer his. She was Asuka Langley Sohryu. Fate was her whipping boy.
* * *
Rei smiled and huddled closer to the black wall. The wall shifted and gave a great, audible groan. The crack widened. It was just slightly bigger than it had been when Sohryu had turned from the path. Now, the girl had found her way back, and Rei luxuriated in the freshly expanded ribbon of light.
Still, there was something Sohryu did not see at all. Rei only prayed that before the end came, she would notice.
* * *
The train car rattled around Shinji, but he paid it no mind. His attention was fixed solely upon his mother. Yui Ikari was smiling congenially, like she was attending afternoon tea with a group of friends. Shinji's face held no such contented expression.
"Have you decided, Shinji? Will you come with me?" Yui asked.
"I... I don't know yet, Mother."
Yui's smile faltered. "You don't know yet? Surely you must realize that you're useless to your father and your friends, Shinji? Asuka was hurt because of you, expelled because you can no longer take care of yourself! Do you wish such things to continue?"
Shinji squirmed. "I don't want Asuka hurt. I don't want anyone hurt on my account. I know I'm not worth it, but..."
"But?" Yui pressed him.
"Asuka keeps helping me. Every time I think she's given up on me or is going to leave me to my fate, she steps in and saves me or says something encouraging. I don't think I can give up when she's doing that, Mother. I don't know if I want to. Not if Asuka's willing to go to the trouble of helping me. It feels - it feels nice," Shinji finished.
"I didn't realize I had raised such a selfish boy."
"I'm not!"
Yui strode across the narrow train car and grabbed Shinji by his shirt collar. "Of course, you're being selfish. You're taking that girl's pity as an excuse to live when you know your proper place is with me. Mark my words, my dear; if you press on and leave me alone, you will bring them all down with you! Every last one of them will fall into hell at your side and writhe in flame! And your precious Asuka, who you so poorly misjudge, will curse your name for eternity for leading her to such a fate. That is what your selfishness will bring you, Shinji." Yui tossed him back against his seat. "Think on it."
* * *
"We meet again."
Asuka dropped into a squat next to Shinji. He was curled up in the hallway, just outside his bedroom. The door was only partially open, like it had been flung aside and then rebounded. Further inside the room, the bedding lay in hastily discarded lumps.
Shinji shifted slightly, and peeked out from the huddled mass of his body. "Asuka?"
"The one and only. Had another nightmare?" Asuka dropped from her squat and kicked her legs out. She leaned against the wall and cushioned her head with her free hand. "There we go. That's much better. What about you, Shinji?" Asuka indicated him with a flick of her chin. "If you stay that way for any length of time you're going to end up pulling a bunch of muscles. And considering the condition you're already in, that'd just be stupid if you can avoid it."
Shinji slowly uncurled and stretched himself out. "There you go. That's got to feel better," Asuka said. Shinji nodded. "So?" Asuka prompted him again.
"What?"
Asuka rolled her eyes and sighed. "Come on, Third Child, keep pace. Why are you huddled out here instead of happily asleep in bed? Did you have another nightmare?"
"Oh." Shinji shuffled his limbs through a variety of positions before replying. "Yeah. It was another nightmare. I didn't want to go back to sleep or stay in my room. I thought if I did, it might come back."
"Shinji," Asuka began, leaning close and whispering into his ear, "I'm going to let you in on a little secret in case this ever happens again. Are you ready?"
"Sure," Shinji said hesitantly.
"Use the couch. It's much more comfy than the floor."
For a moment, Shinji's mouth simply hung open in dumb shock, but then his face puckered, and Asuka wasn't sure if he was going to laugh or cry. She decided to stop either eventuality, just in case Shinji decided to pick the latter option.
"So, was this dream any worse than the last one?"
Shinji shrugged nervously. "There have been more since the one I told you about. I don't know if it's worse, but it's more - more intense. She really wants me to go with her."
"She?" Asuka asked.
"Mother," Shinji replied.
Asuka raised an eyebrow at this. He was of dreaming of his mother? Actually, Asuka could sympathize. Both their mothers had met similar fates, and both while their children were still very young. But what did he mean she wanted him to come with her? Wait, he couldn't possibly mean-
"What did you tell her?"
"I don't really want to talk about it," Shinji said. His voice took on a sudden guarded tone. It probably wasn't worth pressing him on, Asuka decided. In all likelihood, she was just over-interpreting the situation.
"Fair enough."
"What about you, Asuka? Did you have a nightmare too?"
"Me?" Asuka pointed at herself before realizing the gesture was pointless where Shinji was concerned. "Yeah, I did."
"What was it like?"
"Err - well, it was better than the others, I guess. I woke up feeling - I don't know, reassured, I guess. Anyway, something was different about it."
Shinji nodded. "That's good for you."
And the clock moved on.
* * *
11:30 pm.
"Go away," Rei pleaded. She rolled onto her stomach and pulled the blankets up close to her head. Rei could still see the girl's red eyes though. They seemed to burn right through her eyelids. She couldn't escape. "Please?"
"No." The girl's voice sounded from all around her. "You must listen. You need to understand."
Rei buried her face in the pillow and tried desperately to vanquish her heckler, but the night would not see her leave.
* * *
Kaji stood at the airline's gate, ready for his flight to Japan. Soon he'd be back. It'd just be a few hours in the air, and then he'd start getting his answers.
Kaji hoped they wouldn't come too late.
[End Part Six]