"She'll let me pilot her."
*Authors note* I've received many comments that my characters, mainly Rei, are OOC. Not to sound rude, but there is a reason for this and, if everyone will be patient, everything will be explained in later chapter. And, like the movie, this fanfic stands alone and does not fit in the actual story, so I would appreciate it if I could get other comments than those. Thank you*
Narikage sat silently during the long ride, his chin resting in his palm, his eyes fixed on something far away. Misato shot glances at him every now and again, but didn't attempt to make conversation. She was still reeling with the fact that this boy looked nearly identical to Shinji, save the hair and eyes. Almost as if he were.
Misato shook her head a little, brushing the thought out of her head. Couldn't be. No way. But still.
"What do you do at NERV?" The question jolted Misato from her jumbled mind. She looked over at him for a moment.
"I'm the Operations Director. I'm in charge of making sure everything goes smoothly once the pilot gets into her unit." Narikage tilted his head a little.
"Her? Are all the pilots female then? Strange. I would have thought Ikari would have wanted men as the pilots." The woman was silent for a long moment.
"There was one," she said so quietly Narikage had to strain to hear it over the engine. "Commander Ikari's only son, Shinji."
"I see." Narikage's gaze flickered back to the window, but not before Misato saw some emotion in those blue eyes. She couldn't be sure what it was.Loneliness? Sadness? "So who are the other pilots then?"
"Well, there's Rei and Asuka. You'll be meeting both of them once we get to headquarters." The boy nodded and said no more.
***
"So this is NERV." Narikage said softly, looking around him as they descended a long escalator. Misato, who stood on the step behind him, nodded.
"Hai."
"Where exactly are you taking me?"
"To see Commander Fuyutski." He nodded, quiet. 'He certainly keeps to himself,' Misato thought. 'I wonder why. Maybe because he's lived alone for so long, he's forgotten how to communicate.'
"How long do I have to be here?" Narikage asked, glancing back at the woman.
"Until our questions are answered I guess. I'm not sure. Why?"
"I have school," he said, facing forward once more.
"If needed, you can enroll here. There are more than enough openings."
"And where will I stay then?" He looked at her again.
"With me," Misato said, completely surprising herself. She had had no intention of asking this complete stranger to stay with her. Narikage tilted his head to the side.
"With you? Why with you?"
"Why not?"
"You hardly know me."
"That's okay." She smiled slightly at him.
"Very well." He shut his mouth and refused to say anything more, which was fine with Misato.
***
"Commander Fuyutski, this is Eiro Narikage," Misato said, presenting the sixteen-year-old to the older man. He looked up from his paperwork then stood. Narikage bowed politely.
"I see. Thank you, Captain. Will you wait outside?"
"Of course." She bowed and left, shutting the door behind her.
"So, you are Eiro Narikage."
"Hai."
"I suppose the Captain has explained why you are here?"
"Vaguely, yes. I understand your former commander wrote down my name with the words 'first child' before he shot himself." The corner of his mouth lifted a little. "And I will tell you what I told Miss Katsuragi: I can't help you. I can not be a pilot since I am two years over the age allowance."
"Who said anything about being a pilot? We are quite aware that you could not possibly be a pilot of one of our EVAs."
"Then why am I here?"
"All we wish to know is how you knew Commander Ikari." Narikage shrugged indifferently.
"I can assure you I have no idea why he wrote my name."
"I find that very hard to believe, Mr. Eiro. You know more than you're letting on."
"You're very observant, Commander. But what I know is not your business, but my own. So, if you don't mind, I'll like to go back to my home now." Commander Fuyutski slammed his palms down on the desk, causing Narikage to give a small jump.
"Damnit, boy! Why did Ikari write your name?!" A silence hung in the air as both men stared at each other, each trying to get the other to back down first. Finally, after about five minutes had passed, Narikage spoke:
"You want to know? Take me to Unit 01 and you'll see." Fuyutski nodded.
"Fine." He came around, marching past the boy, opening the door. "Captain, come with us, please. And call Ritsuko down to Unit 01's holding bay please." Misato blinked in confusion.
"Yes, Sir. I'll call her down immediately and meet you in the holding bay." He nodded.
"Come on, boy." Narikage trailed behind the Commander, that slight smirk still on his face.
Commander Fuyutski led him through a doorway that led into complete darkness. A moment later, the lights flipped on and the two were face-to- face with Unit 01. Instead of jumping back as Fuyutski expected, Narikage's eyes actually lit up and he took a step towards the enormous machine.
"You wanted to see me, Commander?" Ritsuko, Misato beside her, came in, her hands in her lab-coat pockets.
"This is Eiro Narikage, the boy we've been looking for." Narikage didn't turn or even register that someone had said his name. His eyes were fixed solely on the unit in front of him.
"I see? And why are we here?"
"He asked to see Unit 01." The three adults turned their eyes to the boy. As they watched, he moved forward until his stomach was pressed against the guard rail. Then, he leaned forward as far as he could, his hand stretching out. His fingertips brushed against the armored helmet and they heard him whisper something they couldn't make out. But they did see a soft smile alight on his face and his eyes warm considerably. He rocked back on his heels, drawing his hand to his chest, that small smile still on his face. He turned to look at them. He only spoke five words, but those words were enough to stagger all three grown-ups:
"She'll let me pilot her."
*Authors note* I've received many comments that my characters, mainly Rei, are OOC. Not to sound rude, but there is a reason for this and, if everyone will be patient, everything will be explained in later chapter. And, like the movie, this fanfic stands alone and does not fit in the actual story, so I would appreciate it if I could get other comments than those. Thank you*
Narikage sat silently during the long ride, his chin resting in his palm, his eyes fixed on something far away. Misato shot glances at him every now and again, but didn't attempt to make conversation. She was still reeling with the fact that this boy looked nearly identical to Shinji, save the hair and eyes. Almost as if he were.
Misato shook her head a little, brushing the thought out of her head. Couldn't be. No way. But still.
"What do you do at NERV?" The question jolted Misato from her jumbled mind. She looked over at him for a moment.
"I'm the Operations Director. I'm in charge of making sure everything goes smoothly once the pilot gets into her unit." Narikage tilted his head a little.
"Her? Are all the pilots female then? Strange. I would have thought Ikari would have wanted men as the pilots." The woman was silent for a long moment.
"There was one," she said so quietly Narikage had to strain to hear it over the engine. "Commander Ikari's only son, Shinji."
"I see." Narikage's gaze flickered back to the window, but not before Misato saw some emotion in those blue eyes. She couldn't be sure what it was.Loneliness? Sadness? "So who are the other pilots then?"
"Well, there's Rei and Asuka. You'll be meeting both of them once we get to headquarters." The boy nodded and said no more.
***
"So this is NERV." Narikage said softly, looking around him as they descended a long escalator. Misato, who stood on the step behind him, nodded.
"Hai."
"Where exactly are you taking me?"
"To see Commander Fuyutski." He nodded, quiet. 'He certainly keeps to himself,' Misato thought. 'I wonder why. Maybe because he's lived alone for so long, he's forgotten how to communicate.'
"How long do I have to be here?" Narikage asked, glancing back at the woman.
"Until our questions are answered I guess. I'm not sure. Why?"
"I have school," he said, facing forward once more.
"If needed, you can enroll here. There are more than enough openings."
"And where will I stay then?" He looked at her again.
"With me," Misato said, completely surprising herself. She had had no intention of asking this complete stranger to stay with her. Narikage tilted his head to the side.
"With you? Why with you?"
"Why not?"
"You hardly know me."
"That's okay." She smiled slightly at him.
"Very well." He shut his mouth and refused to say anything more, which was fine with Misato.
***
"Commander Fuyutski, this is Eiro Narikage," Misato said, presenting the sixteen-year-old to the older man. He looked up from his paperwork then stood. Narikage bowed politely.
"I see. Thank you, Captain. Will you wait outside?"
"Of course." She bowed and left, shutting the door behind her.
"So, you are Eiro Narikage."
"Hai."
"I suppose the Captain has explained why you are here?"
"Vaguely, yes. I understand your former commander wrote down my name with the words 'first child' before he shot himself." The corner of his mouth lifted a little. "And I will tell you what I told Miss Katsuragi: I can't help you. I can not be a pilot since I am two years over the age allowance."
"Who said anything about being a pilot? We are quite aware that you could not possibly be a pilot of one of our EVAs."
"Then why am I here?"
"All we wish to know is how you knew Commander Ikari." Narikage shrugged indifferently.
"I can assure you I have no idea why he wrote my name."
"I find that very hard to believe, Mr. Eiro. You know more than you're letting on."
"You're very observant, Commander. But what I know is not your business, but my own. So, if you don't mind, I'll like to go back to my home now." Commander Fuyutski slammed his palms down on the desk, causing Narikage to give a small jump.
"Damnit, boy! Why did Ikari write your name?!" A silence hung in the air as both men stared at each other, each trying to get the other to back down first. Finally, after about five minutes had passed, Narikage spoke:
"You want to know? Take me to Unit 01 and you'll see." Fuyutski nodded.
"Fine." He came around, marching past the boy, opening the door. "Captain, come with us, please. And call Ritsuko down to Unit 01's holding bay please." Misato blinked in confusion.
"Yes, Sir. I'll call her down immediately and meet you in the holding bay." He nodded.
"Come on, boy." Narikage trailed behind the Commander, that slight smirk still on his face.
Commander Fuyutski led him through a doorway that led into complete darkness. A moment later, the lights flipped on and the two were face-to- face with Unit 01. Instead of jumping back as Fuyutski expected, Narikage's eyes actually lit up and he took a step towards the enormous machine.
"You wanted to see me, Commander?" Ritsuko, Misato beside her, came in, her hands in her lab-coat pockets.
"This is Eiro Narikage, the boy we've been looking for." Narikage didn't turn or even register that someone had said his name. His eyes were fixed solely on the unit in front of him.
"I see? And why are we here?"
"He asked to see Unit 01." The three adults turned their eyes to the boy. As they watched, he moved forward until his stomach was pressed against the guard rail. Then, he leaned forward as far as he could, his hand stretching out. His fingertips brushed against the armored helmet and they heard him whisper something they couldn't make out. But they did see a soft smile alight on his face and his eyes warm considerably. He rocked back on his heels, drawing his hand to his chest, that small smile still on his face. He turned to look at them. He only spoke five words, but those words were enough to stagger all three grown-ups:
"She'll let me pilot her."