Misato stumbled back a few steps, her brown eyes wide. "Shinji!"
"Kurikaeshite kudasai?" She shook herself a few times and Shinji was gone. In his place was a boy that looked almost exactly like him. The only differences were his paler blue eyes and pitch black hair. "I thought you said you were looking for Eiro Narikage."
"I am. I'm sorry. You.you look like a young boy I knew." Knew. She shook herself again. "Gomen, gomen. Are you Eiro Narikage?"
"Hai. Is there a problem?"
"No, no problem. I just need to have a word with you." Narikage studied her for a long moment with those intense eyes before stepping back and opening the door for her. She gave him a low bow before stepping past him into the apartment.
The place was small, but very well-kept. There was a small kitchen just the left that led right into the even smaller living room. At the end of a short hallway were two closed doors, which she assumed were his bedroom and bathroom. The furniture looked old, but it was all in good condition.
"Please, sit," the boy said, extending his hand towards one of the overstuffed chairs in a corner. Misato sat down, her hands folded nervously in her lap. "Would you like some tea?" His voice, though soft, was perfectly polite.and a perfect match to Shinji's.
"Yes, please." Narikage gave a slight nod and moved into the kitchen. He put a kettle on the stove and got down a couple cups. "How long have you lived here?" Misato asked after a moment of silence had passed.
"Three years," he replied shortly, adding tea leaves to the boiling water.
"You live alone?"
"Maybe you should tell me why you're here," he said, changing the subject abruptly. Misato blinked a few times.
"Forgive me. I did not mean to pry." She took a deep breath. "Does the name Ikari Gendo mean anything to you?"
Narikage froze in his actions, his blue eyes wide. After a moment, he continued pouring the tea and brought it out to her. "Why do you ask?" He sat across from her, his posture a little tense.
"Have you read the paper lately?"
"No, I'm afraid I haven't." She pulled an article from her folder and handed it to him. He skimmed it quickly, his face showing absolutely nothing.
"I see. And what does this have to do with me?" he asked when he was finished, handing it back.
"Commander Ikari left this note on his desk." She showed him the note.
"'First Child, Eiro Narikage'," he read. "And?"
"You must have known the commander at some point in your life. He obviously knew you." Narikage shrugged, sitting back in his chair.
"I knew him for a short time." Misato waited for him to elaborate, but he didn't.
"I see." she said after a long silence had passed. "What do you know about NERV?"
"Just what I've heard people talking about." Misato held a file out to him.
"Here's everything you'll need to know." Narikage took it, his brow furrowed a little.
"I see.and why am I reading this?"
"I need you to come back to NERV headquarters with me."
"Why?"
"We have a highly unusual situation here, Mr. Eiro. The commander of NERV has committed suicide and left a very cryptic note bearing your name. We must get to the bottom of this."
"In other words, you want to see if I am indeed a child who can pilot an EVA." Misato's eyes went a little wide as Narikage looked back at her calmly.
"How."
"I admit: I know more that I just said I did. I know quite a bit about your work with the EVAs."
"I-I see-"
"But, I can't help you." Narikage stood, dropping the folder back in her lap. "As you are well aware, I'm sure, I'm sixteen, not fourteen. Therefore, I cannot pilot an EVA. It's impossible. I am sorry you wasted a trip." He turned away.
"Wait!" Misato jumped up, catching his arm lightly. He raised an eyebrow, looking down at her hand which she quickly removed. "Look, I do know that you're sixteen, but there is obviously more to this that you are not telling."
"And you think that by making me go with you, I'll spill?"
"No, that's not what I meant." She sighed softly and shook her head. "Oh, I don't know what I mean anymore. All I know is that I have to bring you back for questioning or it's my ass." Her dark eyes met his lighter ones. "Will you come with me willingly or do I have to call in reinforcements?"
Narikage studied her for a long moment, his face still carefully blank. Then, without a word, he turned and walked down the hall into his bedroom. He reappeared a few moments later with a black duffel bag slung over his shoulder.
"I'll go," he said quietly. "But I won't answer anything." Misato smiled a little.
"As you wish."
"Kurikaeshite kudasai?" She shook herself a few times and Shinji was gone. In his place was a boy that looked almost exactly like him. The only differences were his paler blue eyes and pitch black hair. "I thought you said you were looking for Eiro Narikage."
"I am. I'm sorry. You.you look like a young boy I knew." Knew. She shook herself again. "Gomen, gomen. Are you Eiro Narikage?"
"Hai. Is there a problem?"
"No, no problem. I just need to have a word with you." Narikage studied her for a long moment with those intense eyes before stepping back and opening the door for her. She gave him a low bow before stepping past him into the apartment.
The place was small, but very well-kept. There was a small kitchen just the left that led right into the even smaller living room. At the end of a short hallway were two closed doors, which she assumed were his bedroom and bathroom. The furniture looked old, but it was all in good condition.
"Please, sit," the boy said, extending his hand towards one of the overstuffed chairs in a corner. Misato sat down, her hands folded nervously in her lap. "Would you like some tea?" His voice, though soft, was perfectly polite.and a perfect match to Shinji's.
"Yes, please." Narikage gave a slight nod and moved into the kitchen. He put a kettle on the stove and got down a couple cups. "How long have you lived here?" Misato asked after a moment of silence had passed.
"Three years," he replied shortly, adding tea leaves to the boiling water.
"You live alone?"
"Maybe you should tell me why you're here," he said, changing the subject abruptly. Misato blinked a few times.
"Forgive me. I did not mean to pry." She took a deep breath. "Does the name Ikari Gendo mean anything to you?"
Narikage froze in his actions, his blue eyes wide. After a moment, he continued pouring the tea and brought it out to her. "Why do you ask?" He sat across from her, his posture a little tense.
"Have you read the paper lately?"
"No, I'm afraid I haven't." She pulled an article from her folder and handed it to him. He skimmed it quickly, his face showing absolutely nothing.
"I see. And what does this have to do with me?" he asked when he was finished, handing it back.
"Commander Ikari left this note on his desk." She showed him the note.
"'First Child, Eiro Narikage'," he read. "And?"
"You must have known the commander at some point in your life. He obviously knew you." Narikage shrugged, sitting back in his chair.
"I knew him for a short time." Misato waited for him to elaborate, but he didn't.
"I see." she said after a long silence had passed. "What do you know about NERV?"
"Just what I've heard people talking about." Misato held a file out to him.
"Here's everything you'll need to know." Narikage took it, his brow furrowed a little.
"I see.and why am I reading this?"
"I need you to come back to NERV headquarters with me."
"Why?"
"We have a highly unusual situation here, Mr. Eiro. The commander of NERV has committed suicide and left a very cryptic note bearing your name. We must get to the bottom of this."
"In other words, you want to see if I am indeed a child who can pilot an EVA." Misato's eyes went a little wide as Narikage looked back at her calmly.
"How."
"I admit: I know more that I just said I did. I know quite a bit about your work with the EVAs."
"I-I see-"
"But, I can't help you." Narikage stood, dropping the folder back in her lap. "As you are well aware, I'm sure, I'm sixteen, not fourteen. Therefore, I cannot pilot an EVA. It's impossible. I am sorry you wasted a trip." He turned away.
"Wait!" Misato jumped up, catching his arm lightly. He raised an eyebrow, looking down at her hand which she quickly removed. "Look, I do know that you're sixteen, but there is obviously more to this that you are not telling."
"And you think that by making me go with you, I'll spill?"
"No, that's not what I meant." She sighed softly and shook her head. "Oh, I don't know what I mean anymore. All I know is that I have to bring you back for questioning or it's my ass." Her dark eyes met his lighter ones. "Will you come with me willingly or do I have to call in reinforcements?"
Narikage studied her for a long moment, his face still carefully blank. Then, without a word, he turned and walked down the hall into his bedroom. He reappeared a few moments later with a black duffel bag slung over his shoulder.
"I'll go," he said quietly. "But I won't answer anything." Misato smiled a little.
"As you wish."