One Hundred Percent
Rei sat down on her bed, pulling on her simple white shoes. That being done, she stood and picked up her school bag, locking the apartment door behind her. Her face was carefully blank, her eyes revealing nothing. No one could tell how much pain she was in right now.
Which is how she wanted it.
***
Asuka yawned, shuffling into the busy classroom. It was still about ten minutes before class started so the students were gathered in little clumps around desks, talking quietly or playing hand games.
Aida, his camera stuck firmly to his eye as always, zoomed in on Asuka's sleep-deprived face. Toji sat beside on the desk next to him, chewing on an old toothpick.
"She doesn't look so good," the camera-man said, glancing at the other boy.
"I can't blame her. She's probably feeling the after affects of Shinji's death." The two boys, of course, had been invited to the funeral. It had been hard on the both of them, but they were slowly coming to grips with it.
"I never really thought of her as the type to feel anything," Aida said, scanning the room, his lens finally stopping on Rei. She was sitting by the widow, as usual, staring out of the glass, her chin resting in her palm. "Ayanami certainly doesn't seem to be too upset."
"I'm not so sure, Aida. I mean, think about it. He died in her arms, after all." Toji raked his fingers through his hair, sliding back to sit in his seat. "She's probably just hiding it, like the rest of us."
Asuka's eyes flickered over the room, settling, finally, on Rei by the window. Ignoring the stares and whispers that followed her, she marched over to the other girl and plopped down in the desk next to her. Rei's head whipped around and she stared at the red-head, surprised. Asuka didn't even look at her, just took out her homework and settled back in her seat. With a shrug, Rei returned to the window.
***
Ayanami walked towards NERV after school, swinging her briefcase a little. Her shoes made a faint scraping sound on the concrete sidewalk, badly chipped and potted from the footfalls of many. She looked down as she walked, half because she didn't want to trip and half because she didn't want anything she felt to show on her face.
Another pair of shoes, these ones black mary-janes, suddenly fell into step with hers. Rei looked up to find Asuka beside her yet again.
"You don't mind?" she said in a quiet voice, one Rei had never heard her use before. The girl glanced over at her, blue meeting red. "It's kind of lonely walking alone." Rei blinked.
"No, I don't mind." She faced forward again and Asuka did the same. The silence dragged on for about fifty paces.
"I should say this now, before I loose my nerve," Asuka went on. "I'm.well, I'm sorry for the way I treated you, Ayanami-san." Now Rei was totally speechless. Asuka? Apologizing?! "I wasn't really fair to you and I hope you'll accept my apology."
"Why should I?" Rei hadn't meant to say the words; they had jumped, unbidden, from her mouth.
"I deserve that I suppose. I just." The fourteen-year-old sighed, looking down. "When Shinji died, all I could think about were all the mean things I'd ever done or said to him. It's still all I can think about. And, last night, another thought popped into my head: what if one of us dies next?" Rei's eyes joined hers on the ground.
"I see."
"If you did die, I don't want to be plagued by these thoughts any more than I already am. It's like that old saying, I guess: don't go to bed angry." Asuka's eyes sought hers. "I want to try to be your friend, Ayanami-san. I really do this time." She smiled a little, her eyes misting slightly. "We women have to stick together." Very slowly, a tiny smile crept onto Rei's face.
"Hai, we do. Apology accepted, Asuka." The girls exchanged understanding glances before continuing their stroll.
***
"I can't believe we're even allowing this," Misato said, shaking her head. "There's no way he'll be able to sync with Unit 01. He's too old!" Ritsuko shrugged.
"I agree, but we have to follow orders."
"Pfft. I'll be surprised if he even fits in the damn suit." The door to the training room slid open then and Narikage stepped out. Both women's mouths fell slack.
"Dear Lord.he looks exactly like Shinji in that suit!" Ritsuko breathed, her eyes nearly popping out of her head. Misato could only stare.
Shinji.
"Are we going to fire this thing up or what?" Narikage said, striding forward. He seemed.different somehow. His eyes were a little brighter and.was that a smile hovering around the corners of his mouth?
Misato gave herself a shake. "Hai, of course. Keep in mind, Eiro-san, that this is only a training exercise. Truth be told, everyone here has their doubts about this."
"So I've gathered. Eject the plug." He moved past them, face set with determination.
"Who's in charge again?" the blonde asked, a little amused by the boy's sudden attitude change. Misato glared before beginning to shout orders. The entry plug was ejected and Narikage climbed in, strapping himself in like he'd done it a million times before.
"Don't be alarmed," Ritsuko said over the intercom as the LCL began to fill the capsule. "The LCL will oxygenate your blood directly."
"I'm fine," Narikage replied. "Let's hurry this up." Misato and Ritsuko exchanged glances again.
"Alright, fire up Unit 01," Misato said, giving a nod in Maya's direction. There was a flurry of activity.
"Reaching borderline in five.four.three.two.one.borderline passed." A hushed silence fell over the entire room. "Captain, come look at this!" Misato dashed over to the screen and her brown eyes went wide.
"Oh my God.it's impossible! There's no way!"
"What is it, Misato?"
"His sync ratios.they're at one hundred percent. He's in perfect synchronization with Unit 01!"
Rei sat down on her bed, pulling on her simple white shoes. That being done, she stood and picked up her school bag, locking the apartment door behind her. Her face was carefully blank, her eyes revealing nothing. No one could tell how much pain she was in right now.
Which is how she wanted it.
***
Asuka yawned, shuffling into the busy classroom. It was still about ten minutes before class started so the students were gathered in little clumps around desks, talking quietly or playing hand games.
Aida, his camera stuck firmly to his eye as always, zoomed in on Asuka's sleep-deprived face. Toji sat beside on the desk next to him, chewing on an old toothpick.
"She doesn't look so good," the camera-man said, glancing at the other boy.
"I can't blame her. She's probably feeling the after affects of Shinji's death." The two boys, of course, had been invited to the funeral. It had been hard on the both of them, but they were slowly coming to grips with it.
"I never really thought of her as the type to feel anything," Aida said, scanning the room, his lens finally stopping on Rei. She was sitting by the widow, as usual, staring out of the glass, her chin resting in her palm. "Ayanami certainly doesn't seem to be too upset."
"I'm not so sure, Aida. I mean, think about it. He died in her arms, after all." Toji raked his fingers through his hair, sliding back to sit in his seat. "She's probably just hiding it, like the rest of us."
Asuka's eyes flickered over the room, settling, finally, on Rei by the window. Ignoring the stares and whispers that followed her, she marched over to the other girl and plopped down in the desk next to her. Rei's head whipped around and she stared at the red-head, surprised. Asuka didn't even look at her, just took out her homework and settled back in her seat. With a shrug, Rei returned to the window.
***
Ayanami walked towards NERV after school, swinging her briefcase a little. Her shoes made a faint scraping sound on the concrete sidewalk, badly chipped and potted from the footfalls of many. She looked down as she walked, half because she didn't want to trip and half because she didn't want anything she felt to show on her face.
Another pair of shoes, these ones black mary-janes, suddenly fell into step with hers. Rei looked up to find Asuka beside her yet again.
"You don't mind?" she said in a quiet voice, one Rei had never heard her use before. The girl glanced over at her, blue meeting red. "It's kind of lonely walking alone." Rei blinked.
"No, I don't mind." She faced forward again and Asuka did the same. The silence dragged on for about fifty paces.
"I should say this now, before I loose my nerve," Asuka went on. "I'm.well, I'm sorry for the way I treated you, Ayanami-san." Now Rei was totally speechless. Asuka? Apologizing?! "I wasn't really fair to you and I hope you'll accept my apology."
"Why should I?" Rei hadn't meant to say the words; they had jumped, unbidden, from her mouth.
"I deserve that I suppose. I just." The fourteen-year-old sighed, looking down. "When Shinji died, all I could think about were all the mean things I'd ever done or said to him. It's still all I can think about. And, last night, another thought popped into my head: what if one of us dies next?" Rei's eyes joined hers on the ground.
"I see."
"If you did die, I don't want to be plagued by these thoughts any more than I already am. It's like that old saying, I guess: don't go to bed angry." Asuka's eyes sought hers. "I want to try to be your friend, Ayanami-san. I really do this time." She smiled a little, her eyes misting slightly. "We women have to stick together." Very slowly, a tiny smile crept onto Rei's face.
"Hai, we do. Apology accepted, Asuka." The girls exchanged understanding glances before continuing their stroll.
***
"I can't believe we're even allowing this," Misato said, shaking her head. "There's no way he'll be able to sync with Unit 01. He's too old!" Ritsuko shrugged.
"I agree, but we have to follow orders."
"Pfft. I'll be surprised if he even fits in the damn suit." The door to the training room slid open then and Narikage stepped out. Both women's mouths fell slack.
"Dear Lord.he looks exactly like Shinji in that suit!" Ritsuko breathed, her eyes nearly popping out of her head. Misato could only stare.
Shinji.
"Are we going to fire this thing up or what?" Narikage said, striding forward. He seemed.different somehow. His eyes were a little brighter and.was that a smile hovering around the corners of his mouth?
Misato gave herself a shake. "Hai, of course. Keep in mind, Eiro-san, that this is only a training exercise. Truth be told, everyone here has their doubts about this."
"So I've gathered. Eject the plug." He moved past them, face set with determination.
"Who's in charge again?" the blonde asked, a little amused by the boy's sudden attitude change. Misato glared before beginning to shout orders. The entry plug was ejected and Narikage climbed in, strapping himself in like he'd done it a million times before.
"Don't be alarmed," Ritsuko said over the intercom as the LCL began to fill the capsule. "The LCL will oxygenate your blood directly."
"I'm fine," Narikage replied. "Let's hurry this up." Misato and Ritsuko exchanged glances again.
"Alright, fire up Unit 01," Misato said, giving a nod in Maya's direction. There was a flurry of activity.
"Reaching borderline in five.four.three.two.one.borderline passed." A hushed silence fell over the entire room. "Captain, come look at this!" Misato dashed over to the screen and her brown eyes went wide.
"Oh my God.it's impossible! There's no way!"
"What is it, Misato?"
"His sync ratios.they're at one hundred percent. He's in perfect synchronization with Unit 01!"