An Internal Battle. . . and One in the School Yard
Toji locked the apartment door and waked out of the building. Aida, sporting his camera as usual, met him at the corner and the two continued on to school in silence.
It had been hard on the two friends to loose Shinji, though neither of them ever expressed it. The first few days after it had happened, they had been halfway to his house before they remembered he wouldn't be in school anymore. Aida had been able to laugh about it, but Toji had just turned and started away, his face hard and slightly sad. Since then, Aida had tried hard to bring his other friend around, but with little success.
"Hey look! Misato's car!" Toji cried as they entered the school yard.
"Are you sure it's hers?" Aida zoomed in on the vehicle. "Yep, it's hers," he answered his own question. "I wonder what she's doing here?"
"Only one way to find out! Let's go!!" Toji seized the other boy's arm and half-dragged him into school. Just outside the registration office, they spotted her. "Misato-san!" The woman turned her head and smiled.
"Hello, boys. It's nice to see you two again." They hurriedly bowed, both coloring slightly.
"A-and you, Misato-san. We were just wondering why you're here," Aida said, turning off his camera for once. The woman suddenly looked nervous and cleared her throat softly.
"Well. . .boys. . ."
"He's all set, Miss Katsuragi." The principal came out of the office just then, another person behind him. The other two boys couldn't make out his face as his head was bowed while he put something in his school satchel.
"Gomen." She bowed. "I am very grateful you decided to accept him so late in the term.
"It was no trouble at all. As it is, I've decided to allow him to start a grade ahead of what he should be. I believe, if he were to stay in his actual grade, the class would move too slow for him."
"Gomen, gomen. You are very kind." She bowed again and the principal shook her hand before going back into his office. "Narikage, come over here. I want you to meet a couple of Shinji's former classmates." Narikage raised his head and Toji and Aida let out yells of surprise.
"It's Shinji!!"
"What in the hell?!!!"
Narikage, who had gotten used to the reaction by now, stepped up beside Misato and bowed politely. "I am pleased to meet you." Toji, who was the first to recover, leapt forward.
"You there! Where do you get off stealing Shinji's appearance?!" His face was angry and slightly red. Narikage blinked at him.
"I didn't steal his appearance. I'm older so he stole mine."
"Are you mocking me?!"
"Not at all."
"You liar. I should punch you for that," Toji growled, getting right up in the other boy's face. Narikage didn't back away or show any signs of fright. In fact, he got even closer so his nose was nearly touching Toji's.
"Go ahead and do it then." The fourteen-year-old's eyes went a little wide and he just stood there for a long moment before looking away.
"Please, boys," Misato said, getting between them. "Don't fight. Narikage, you don't want to get expelled your first day do you?"
"No, Miss Katsuarai." He took a few steps back, his face expressionless again.
"W-we should get to class," Aida spoke up, pulling Toji back as well. "It was nice to meet you, Narikage, and nice to see you again, Misato-san." Now it was his turn to drag Toji.
"I could have taken him," he muttered as they neared their classroom.
"He's two years older than you."
"So? He doesn't look so tough to me." Aida put a hand on his friend's arm, stopping him before he could walk in the room.
"I'm upset too, Toji, but-"
"I'm not upset!"
"You're such a bad liar."
"Asuka lives right down the hall from Misato, right?"
"Yes, but what does that have to do with--?" "Maybe she knows why Misato's helping that guy register for classes." He dashed into the classroom before Aida could say anything. He spotted Asuka sitting next to Rei by the window and bounded over there, slapping his palm down and startling them. "What do you know about Eiro Narikage?"
"Eiro Narikage?!" Asuka repeated. "How the hell do you know about HIM?"
"We just saw Misato registering him for school."
"What?! You mean he's going to attend this school?!!" The red-head leapt to her feet, fuming. "No way!!"
"You must know him then," Aida said, walking up, camera back on. He angled in on Asuka's angry face.
"Yes, we know him. He showed up at NERV yesterday and turned the whole place upside down!"
"What do you mean?"
"He piloted Shinji's EVA." All heads turned towards Rei and she spoke again, "He's in perfect sync with Unit 01 and is NERV's newest pilot." She didn't look at them as she said this; her eyes never left the window.
"You mean he can pilot one of those things? I thought only kids our age could do that. That's what my dad said," Aida protested, blinking very fast.
"Yeah, well this guy can do it too and he knows it. He's super arrogant and so rude." Asuka made a frustrated noise. "I just want to punch him across the face!!"
"Me first," Toji said, holding up a curled fist. "He's not going to be doing any piloting for a while after I get done with him."
"Excuse me." Rei stood and shouldered gently past them, walking out of the room. Asuka's face lost its angry expression.
"Is she okay?" Aida asked in a soft voice, suddenly concerned.
"Not really," the other girl admitted. "She ran out of NERV yesterday after we met him and has barely spoken since. I think it's just hard for her to have watched Shinji die and now to have someone show up that looks just like him. . .well. . ."
"Why is that?" Toji inquired, now just looking interested.
"Why is what?"
"Why does Narikage look so much like Shinji? Are they related or something?"
"I don't think so. If he was, we would know." Toji ruffled his spiky hair.
"I just think it's really odd how much the two look alike."
"Why are you suddenly so curious, Toji-san? I thought you wanted to kill him," Aida said, getting close to his face with the camera. Toji pushed him back a little, scowling.
"I do! I was just wondering, that's all. I'm allowed to do that, you know."
"Hey, you guys! Stand at attention!" The class rep's harsh voice washed over them. "Where is Ayanami-san?"
"None of your business," Asuka retorted, sticking her tongue out at the other girl. She huffed and walked away, calling everyone to attention. Toji and Aida returned to their seats, each thinking his own thoughts.
***
Narikage dug around in his school bag, searching for his glasses. He finally found them and slipped them on before opening his book. The other students, all busy eating and rushing about, paid the boy sitting under the tree no mind.
Not to say that he minded overly much.
"New kid." Narikage raised his head questioningly and found three people standing in front of him, all looking mad about something. Toji, standing between Aida and Asuka, stepped forward, his face the angriest of all.
"Is there something you wanted?" he asked in his mild voice, closing his book and removing his glasses.
"Yeah. We want to know who you think you are," Asuka demanded, hands on her narrow hips.
"I am afraid I don't follow you." Narikage stood, setting his things aside and facing them squarely.
"You know exactly what we're talking about. Showing up out of nowhere and taking over Shinji's EVA like that, acting all arrogant about it."
"So that is what's bothering you, Asuaka-san." He smiled a little, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "I'm able to pilot, not just any EVA, but Shinji's EVA, and you feel that, by doing this, I'm replacing Shinij, hai?" Asuka rocked back on her heels, blinking. "And you two," Narikage's gaze traveled to Aida and Toji, "feel that I dishonor Shinji just because I happen to look like him, am I right? Well, if you ask me, I think that's a pretty silly reason to dislike someone." Toji and Aida exchanged shocked looks. "I didn't exactly choose my appearance, you know. I am sorry that you three have lost someone close to you, but there is nothing anyone, least of all I, can do about it." Asuka, who had finally recovered, shoved Toji out of the way, taking his place.
"I want to know why you can pilot Unit 01," she snapped, narrowing her eyes. "How come your sync ratios are 100%?"
"I can pilot it because she lets me," he said in a soft voice, his face holding the strangest expression. Something between sadness and happiness.
"She who?"
"Unit 01. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have class in a few minutes." He put his glasses back on and jammed his book back in his satchel.
"I'm not through talking to you," Toji snarled, leaping forward, fists clenched.
"Ah, but see, I am through talking with YOU." Narikage offered the fourteen- year-old a strange smile, swinging his bag over his shoulder. With a growl of rage, Toji took a swing at him.
What happened next occurred so fast, not even Aida had time to catch it with his camera.
Narikage dropped his bag, grabbing Toji's wrist. He twisted his body under the other boy's arm and launched him over his back, sending Toji flying into a metal fence nearby. He straightened and picked up his bag again. Flashing Asuka and Aida a peace sign, he walked off, humming a strange tune softly to himself.
Toji locked the apartment door and waked out of the building. Aida, sporting his camera as usual, met him at the corner and the two continued on to school in silence.
It had been hard on the two friends to loose Shinji, though neither of them ever expressed it. The first few days after it had happened, they had been halfway to his house before they remembered he wouldn't be in school anymore. Aida had been able to laugh about it, but Toji had just turned and started away, his face hard and slightly sad. Since then, Aida had tried hard to bring his other friend around, but with little success.
"Hey look! Misato's car!" Toji cried as they entered the school yard.
"Are you sure it's hers?" Aida zoomed in on the vehicle. "Yep, it's hers," he answered his own question. "I wonder what she's doing here?"
"Only one way to find out! Let's go!!" Toji seized the other boy's arm and half-dragged him into school. Just outside the registration office, they spotted her. "Misato-san!" The woman turned her head and smiled.
"Hello, boys. It's nice to see you two again." They hurriedly bowed, both coloring slightly.
"A-and you, Misato-san. We were just wondering why you're here," Aida said, turning off his camera for once. The woman suddenly looked nervous and cleared her throat softly.
"Well. . .boys. . ."
"He's all set, Miss Katsuragi." The principal came out of the office just then, another person behind him. The other two boys couldn't make out his face as his head was bowed while he put something in his school satchel.
"Gomen." She bowed. "I am very grateful you decided to accept him so late in the term.
"It was no trouble at all. As it is, I've decided to allow him to start a grade ahead of what he should be. I believe, if he were to stay in his actual grade, the class would move too slow for him."
"Gomen, gomen. You are very kind." She bowed again and the principal shook her hand before going back into his office. "Narikage, come over here. I want you to meet a couple of Shinji's former classmates." Narikage raised his head and Toji and Aida let out yells of surprise.
"It's Shinji!!"
"What in the hell?!!!"
Narikage, who had gotten used to the reaction by now, stepped up beside Misato and bowed politely. "I am pleased to meet you." Toji, who was the first to recover, leapt forward.
"You there! Where do you get off stealing Shinji's appearance?!" His face was angry and slightly red. Narikage blinked at him.
"I didn't steal his appearance. I'm older so he stole mine."
"Are you mocking me?!"
"Not at all."
"You liar. I should punch you for that," Toji growled, getting right up in the other boy's face. Narikage didn't back away or show any signs of fright. In fact, he got even closer so his nose was nearly touching Toji's.
"Go ahead and do it then." The fourteen-year-old's eyes went a little wide and he just stood there for a long moment before looking away.
"Please, boys," Misato said, getting between them. "Don't fight. Narikage, you don't want to get expelled your first day do you?"
"No, Miss Katsuarai." He took a few steps back, his face expressionless again.
"W-we should get to class," Aida spoke up, pulling Toji back as well. "It was nice to meet you, Narikage, and nice to see you again, Misato-san." Now it was his turn to drag Toji.
"I could have taken him," he muttered as they neared their classroom.
"He's two years older than you."
"So? He doesn't look so tough to me." Aida put a hand on his friend's arm, stopping him before he could walk in the room.
"I'm upset too, Toji, but-"
"I'm not upset!"
"You're such a bad liar."
"Asuka lives right down the hall from Misato, right?"
"Yes, but what does that have to do with--?" "Maybe she knows why Misato's helping that guy register for classes." He dashed into the classroom before Aida could say anything. He spotted Asuka sitting next to Rei by the window and bounded over there, slapping his palm down and startling them. "What do you know about Eiro Narikage?"
"Eiro Narikage?!" Asuka repeated. "How the hell do you know about HIM?"
"We just saw Misato registering him for school."
"What?! You mean he's going to attend this school?!!" The red-head leapt to her feet, fuming. "No way!!"
"You must know him then," Aida said, walking up, camera back on. He angled in on Asuka's angry face.
"Yes, we know him. He showed up at NERV yesterday and turned the whole place upside down!"
"What do you mean?"
"He piloted Shinji's EVA." All heads turned towards Rei and she spoke again, "He's in perfect sync with Unit 01 and is NERV's newest pilot." She didn't look at them as she said this; her eyes never left the window.
"You mean he can pilot one of those things? I thought only kids our age could do that. That's what my dad said," Aida protested, blinking very fast.
"Yeah, well this guy can do it too and he knows it. He's super arrogant and so rude." Asuka made a frustrated noise. "I just want to punch him across the face!!"
"Me first," Toji said, holding up a curled fist. "He's not going to be doing any piloting for a while after I get done with him."
"Excuse me." Rei stood and shouldered gently past them, walking out of the room. Asuka's face lost its angry expression.
"Is she okay?" Aida asked in a soft voice, suddenly concerned.
"Not really," the other girl admitted. "She ran out of NERV yesterday after we met him and has barely spoken since. I think it's just hard for her to have watched Shinji die and now to have someone show up that looks just like him. . .well. . ."
"Why is that?" Toji inquired, now just looking interested.
"Why is what?"
"Why does Narikage look so much like Shinji? Are they related or something?"
"I don't think so. If he was, we would know." Toji ruffled his spiky hair.
"I just think it's really odd how much the two look alike."
"Why are you suddenly so curious, Toji-san? I thought you wanted to kill him," Aida said, getting close to his face with the camera. Toji pushed him back a little, scowling.
"I do! I was just wondering, that's all. I'm allowed to do that, you know."
"Hey, you guys! Stand at attention!" The class rep's harsh voice washed over them. "Where is Ayanami-san?"
"None of your business," Asuka retorted, sticking her tongue out at the other girl. She huffed and walked away, calling everyone to attention. Toji and Aida returned to their seats, each thinking his own thoughts.
***
Narikage dug around in his school bag, searching for his glasses. He finally found them and slipped them on before opening his book. The other students, all busy eating and rushing about, paid the boy sitting under the tree no mind.
Not to say that he minded overly much.
"New kid." Narikage raised his head questioningly and found three people standing in front of him, all looking mad about something. Toji, standing between Aida and Asuka, stepped forward, his face the angriest of all.
"Is there something you wanted?" he asked in his mild voice, closing his book and removing his glasses.
"Yeah. We want to know who you think you are," Asuka demanded, hands on her narrow hips.
"I am afraid I don't follow you." Narikage stood, setting his things aside and facing them squarely.
"You know exactly what we're talking about. Showing up out of nowhere and taking over Shinji's EVA like that, acting all arrogant about it."
"So that is what's bothering you, Asuaka-san." He smiled a little, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "I'm able to pilot, not just any EVA, but Shinji's EVA, and you feel that, by doing this, I'm replacing Shinij, hai?" Asuka rocked back on her heels, blinking. "And you two," Narikage's gaze traveled to Aida and Toji, "feel that I dishonor Shinji just because I happen to look like him, am I right? Well, if you ask me, I think that's a pretty silly reason to dislike someone." Toji and Aida exchanged shocked looks. "I didn't exactly choose my appearance, you know. I am sorry that you three have lost someone close to you, but there is nothing anyone, least of all I, can do about it." Asuka, who had finally recovered, shoved Toji out of the way, taking his place.
"I want to know why you can pilot Unit 01," she snapped, narrowing her eyes. "How come your sync ratios are 100%?"
"I can pilot it because she lets me," he said in a soft voice, his face holding the strangest expression. Something between sadness and happiness.
"She who?"
"Unit 01. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have class in a few minutes." He put his glasses back on and jammed his book back in his satchel.
"I'm not through talking to you," Toji snarled, leaping forward, fists clenched.
"Ah, but see, I am through talking with YOU." Narikage offered the fourteen- year-old a strange smile, swinging his bag over his shoulder. With a growl of rage, Toji took a swing at him.
What happened next occurred so fast, not even Aida had time to catch it with his camera.
Narikage dropped his bag, grabbing Toji's wrist. He twisted his body under the other boy's arm and launched him over his back, sending Toji flying into a metal fence nearby. He straightened and picked up his bag again. Flashing Asuka and Aida a peace sign, he walked off, humming a strange tune softly to himself.