A Monster
"Damn, he IS still here. After not seeing him at NERV for a week, I'd begun to get my hopes up," Asuka said to Rei, flipping some of her red hair over her shoulder. The two girls were sitting on one of the stone benches outside the school, their lunches spread out on the space between them. Narikage had just come out of the building and gone to sit under a tree about sixty or so feet away from them.
"He WAS wounded," Rei reminded her in her soft voice, watching the older boy as he took out a book, flipped it open, and began to read. Asuka eyed her
"So? I was too but you don't see me limping around and skipping training." She snorted, picking up a rice ball with her chopsticks. "He's nothing but a bit, fat, phony."
"Um...Asuka..."
"And further more, what's with that smug attitude all the time? You should have heard him when we were fighting the angel. He didn't even PRETEND to listen to what Misato-san was saying."
"Asuka, I think you should—"
"If you ask me, that stupid Shinji-knock-off should just go back to where he came from!"
"Well, you must be feeling better if you're hating me again." Asuka froze, the tips of her chopsticks in her mouth. Slowly, she turned her head. Narikage was standing there, his book under his arm, glasses glinting in the sunlight. Her eyes flicked over to Rei who shrugged a little, her eyes saying she'd tried to warn her.
"What do YOU want?" she finally managed, scowling, her cheeks just the tiniest bit pink.
"I just came to see how you were feeling." She turned up her nose at him.
"I WAS doing fine before you came along, pervert." Asuka might not have seen the tiny smile that twitched the corner of his mouth upwards but Rei did and it astounded her. There seemed to be something different about Narikage; it was something she couldn't QUITE put her finger on, but it was there.
"I'm glad you're feeling better, Asuka-san." His pale gaze flickered to Rei and the girl let out a stifled gasp, pulling back slightly. Her lips formed a trembling word and her eyes got very big. "Is something wrong, Miss Ayanami?" She blinked very hard and turned her face away, shaking her head a little. Asuka, protective of her new friend, stood up, moving in front of the girl.
"I think you had better leave. RIGHT NOW," she hissed, dark eyes flashing. Narikage gave her a slight bow.
"As you wish, Asuka-san." He started to turn away.
"That's another thing! How come you call her Miss Ayanami and me just Asuka?"
"Because one has to show respect to their elders. Excuse me." He walked away while the fourteen-year-old was still sputtering.
~*~*~
"Hey, Touji? You going to eat that?" Aida's chopsticks moved in on the other boy's lunch but was quickly smacked away.
"Back off, camera boy." He yanked his lunch tray closer to his chest, glowering.
"You're mean, Touji," Aida said, settling back against the tree trunk.
"Next time don't eat so fast and maybe you'll have a little something left over," Touji retorted, quickly finishing what was left of his. Aida made a face at him, picking up his camera and flipping it on.
"Hey! Hey, Touji!" Aida smacked his friend's shoulder, his camera aimed at something far off.
"Ow! What?!"
"Look! It's that Narikage kid!"
"Where?!" He swung his head around, searching frantically.
"Right there! He's talking to Asuka and Rei!"
"Gimme that!" There was a brief, fierce fight over the video camera but, in the end, Touji won out, and, sticking it to his eye, zoomed in on the three teenagers. "He has the nerve to show his face around here after what he did to me? He's going to get it! Come on!" Grabbing the front of Aida's shirt, he began to drag the boy towards Narikage, who was just walking away from the girls.
"You know, Touji, maybe we should—"
"Shut up! Hey! YOU!" Narikage turned his head when Touji shouted and they both saw his pale eyes roll.
"Something I can help you with, Touji-kun?" Letting Aida fall to the ground, the younger boy got right in his face, expression extremely angry.
"I owe you a couple of punches, you bastard. No one beats up on Touji!"
"But, apparently it's alright for you to beat up on others, ne?" Touji's fist came flying around left and Narikage didn't even try to dodge it. The punch slammed into his nose, sending him staggering back a few steps. His shattered glasses fell into the dirt as he bent over a little, breathing hard.
"Maybe that'll teach you to keep your mouth shut," Touji sneered, crossing his arms. Narikage slowly raised his head, his blue eyes lit with a fire that set Touji slightly off-balance.
"I gave you one free shot. You won't get another." His voice was lower than normal and thrummed with a note that sent shivers up both boys' spines. Touji shook his head hard, clearing the thought and gritted his teeth, meeting the sixteen-year-old's gaze defiantly.
"You don't scare me, Eiro Narikage, or whatever your name is."
"I won't warn you again, Touji-kun. Walk away now."
"Never!" He cocked his fist back, taking another swing at Narikage's face. The boy dodged it easily, catching his wrist and twisting it behind his back. His other arm wrapped around the younger boy's neck, holding him so tightly, Touji couldn't move.
"I don't want to hurt you, Touji-kun."
"Is...that...the best...you can do...?" he gasped out, straining against his arms. Narikage twisted Touji's arm up higher, causing the boy to let out a cry of pain. Jaw locked, he twisted harder and Touji could feel the bones beginning to shift in his arm and cried out again, a little louder than before.
A soft gasp drew Narikage's gaze upwards. A small crowd had gathered around the fighting boys, Asuka and Rei included. Rei's eyes were wide as she watched Narikage and Touji, one hand clenched under her chin. As soon as her gaze met Narikage's, his eyes seemed to clear and he let Touji go so suddenly, the boy crumpled to the dirt, coughing, holding his sore throat. His arm was throbbing painfully and he turned his head a little to look up at Narikage.
He was staring down at his trembling hands, breathing fast and ragged. The schoolyard around them seemed to have grown deathly quiet and Narikage stumbled backwards, clutching something around his neck.
"G-gomen. Gomen nasai," he choked out before turning and running off.
~*~*~
"I can't believe that kid," Asuka ranted as she pulled on her red plug suit later that day. "Starting a huge fight like that in the middle of a schoolyard." Rei gave a little shake of her head, zipping up her white suit.
"I don't think he started it."
"So you're defending him now?"
"No, it's not like that at all. It's just..." Rei trailed off, silent. She had seen something in Narikage's eyes during the fight and it had scared her. It was almost like it hadn't been HIM attacking Touji but someone—or something—else. "I just think he was defending himself, that's all," she finally finished, deciding it was best not to tell Asuka what she'd seen.
"Well, I still don't think he should have been so rough. He almost broke Touji's arm!" The red-head pushed a button on her wristband and the loose suit molded itself to her slender, young body. "I'm going out. I'll see you there." Rei nodded and Asuka left the locker room, heading to the EVA loading bay for training. She passed Unit 01's loading bay and was a little surprised to see the door open and the lights on. Curious, she peeked around the corner.
Narikage was actually sitting ON the EVA's armored head, his knees pulled up to his chin. He wasn't moving or even seeming to breathe. His head was bowed, preventing her from seeing his face.
'The nerve of that guy,' she thought angrily. 'He shouldn't even be here, let alone climbing all over Shinji's EVA. I hope he falls.'
"What do you want, Asuka?" The girl jumped eight feet in the air when he spoke, raising his head as he did so.
'H-how did he know I was here?' she gasped to herself. 'My head was barely around the corner!'
"Are you going to come out or do you want to talk through a wall?" Scowling at his arrogant tone, she boldly stepped onto the platform, looking up at him, arms crossed under her breasts.
"You're not supposed to be climbing on the EVAs."
"It's my unit. Why can't I?"
"It is not your unit! Unit 01 is Shinji's!" Narikage was silent as the loud echo of her voice drifted away. He bowed his head again for a moment before slowly standing, looking down at Asuka.
"Unit 01 was never Shinji's. Unit 01 was built for me."
"Bullshit! You shouldn't even be a pilot! No, I take that back. You should be a pilot and it should have been YOU in Unit 01 instead of Shinji!" Asuka couldn't believe the hatred in her own tone but was finding it impossible to stop. "If it had been you in there, Shinji would still be alive!"
"You're right." Asuka's angry words screeched to a halt as Narikage spoke softly. Temporarily stunned, she just stood there, staring at him, jaw slack. "It SHOULD have been me in Unit 01 during that attack." He reached out, touching the purple-armored machine. "I swore to protect Shinji and I failed."
"W-what are you talking about?"
"Ten years ago, I made a promise to Shinji that I would protect him. I didn't do that and it is my fault." He wouldn't look at her as he spoke, just continued to gaze down at the unit he stood upon.
"Y-you...you knew Shinji?" Narikage gave one, small nod. "No way. You're lying! Shinji never mentioned anything about knowing a person named Eiro Narikage."
"No, he wouldn't have." He sighed heavily and, with an agile leap, landed on the platform in front of Asuka. He straightened, half turned away from her.
"I knew it. You're lying. You didn't know Shinji at all." Narikage looked at her, his pale eyes holding a strange sort of sadness.
It's also when she noticed the blood splattered across his white school shirt.
He must have seen the horror on her face because he turned his back on her completely, hiding it from her view. "Perhaps you're right, Asuka-san. Excuse me." He started to walk away but stopped before he'd gone ten paces. "Can I ask you something?" he called without turning.
"H-hai."
"When you look at me...do you see a monster?" Asuka blinked a few times, not quite understanding. "Never mind. Gomen." Then he disappeared through the other door.
"Damn, he IS still here. After not seeing him at NERV for a week, I'd begun to get my hopes up," Asuka said to Rei, flipping some of her red hair over her shoulder. The two girls were sitting on one of the stone benches outside the school, their lunches spread out on the space between them. Narikage had just come out of the building and gone to sit under a tree about sixty or so feet away from them.
"He WAS wounded," Rei reminded her in her soft voice, watching the older boy as he took out a book, flipped it open, and began to read. Asuka eyed her
"So? I was too but you don't see me limping around and skipping training." She snorted, picking up a rice ball with her chopsticks. "He's nothing but a bit, fat, phony."
"Um...Asuka..."
"And further more, what's with that smug attitude all the time? You should have heard him when we were fighting the angel. He didn't even PRETEND to listen to what Misato-san was saying."
"Asuka, I think you should—"
"If you ask me, that stupid Shinji-knock-off should just go back to where he came from!"
"Well, you must be feeling better if you're hating me again." Asuka froze, the tips of her chopsticks in her mouth. Slowly, she turned her head. Narikage was standing there, his book under his arm, glasses glinting in the sunlight. Her eyes flicked over to Rei who shrugged a little, her eyes saying she'd tried to warn her.
"What do YOU want?" she finally managed, scowling, her cheeks just the tiniest bit pink.
"I just came to see how you were feeling." She turned up her nose at him.
"I WAS doing fine before you came along, pervert." Asuka might not have seen the tiny smile that twitched the corner of his mouth upwards but Rei did and it astounded her. There seemed to be something different about Narikage; it was something she couldn't QUITE put her finger on, but it was there.
"I'm glad you're feeling better, Asuka-san." His pale gaze flickered to Rei and the girl let out a stifled gasp, pulling back slightly. Her lips formed a trembling word and her eyes got very big. "Is something wrong, Miss Ayanami?" She blinked very hard and turned her face away, shaking her head a little. Asuka, protective of her new friend, stood up, moving in front of the girl.
"I think you had better leave. RIGHT NOW," she hissed, dark eyes flashing. Narikage gave her a slight bow.
"As you wish, Asuka-san." He started to turn away.
"That's another thing! How come you call her Miss Ayanami and me just Asuka?"
"Because one has to show respect to their elders. Excuse me." He walked away while the fourteen-year-old was still sputtering.
~*~*~
"Hey, Touji? You going to eat that?" Aida's chopsticks moved in on the other boy's lunch but was quickly smacked away.
"Back off, camera boy." He yanked his lunch tray closer to his chest, glowering.
"You're mean, Touji," Aida said, settling back against the tree trunk.
"Next time don't eat so fast and maybe you'll have a little something left over," Touji retorted, quickly finishing what was left of his. Aida made a face at him, picking up his camera and flipping it on.
"Hey! Hey, Touji!" Aida smacked his friend's shoulder, his camera aimed at something far off.
"Ow! What?!"
"Look! It's that Narikage kid!"
"Where?!" He swung his head around, searching frantically.
"Right there! He's talking to Asuka and Rei!"
"Gimme that!" There was a brief, fierce fight over the video camera but, in the end, Touji won out, and, sticking it to his eye, zoomed in on the three teenagers. "He has the nerve to show his face around here after what he did to me? He's going to get it! Come on!" Grabbing the front of Aida's shirt, he began to drag the boy towards Narikage, who was just walking away from the girls.
"You know, Touji, maybe we should—"
"Shut up! Hey! YOU!" Narikage turned his head when Touji shouted and they both saw his pale eyes roll.
"Something I can help you with, Touji-kun?" Letting Aida fall to the ground, the younger boy got right in his face, expression extremely angry.
"I owe you a couple of punches, you bastard. No one beats up on Touji!"
"But, apparently it's alright for you to beat up on others, ne?" Touji's fist came flying around left and Narikage didn't even try to dodge it. The punch slammed into his nose, sending him staggering back a few steps. His shattered glasses fell into the dirt as he bent over a little, breathing hard.
"Maybe that'll teach you to keep your mouth shut," Touji sneered, crossing his arms. Narikage slowly raised his head, his blue eyes lit with a fire that set Touji slightly off-balance.
"I gave you one free shot. You won't get another." His voice was lower than normal and thrummed with a note that sent shivers up both boys' spines. Touji shook his head hard, clearing the thought and gritted his teeth, meeting the sixteen-year-old's gaze defiantly.
"You don't scare me, Eiro Narikage, or whatever your name is."
"I won't warn you again, Touji-kun. Walk away now."
"Never!" He cocked his fist back, taking another swing at Narikage's face. The boy dodged it easily, catching his wrist and twisting it behind his back. His other arm wrapped around the younger boy's neck, holding him so tightly, Touji couldn't move.
"I don't want to hurt you, Touji-kun."
"Is...that...the best...you can do...?" he gasped out, straining against his arms. Narikage twisted Touji's arm up higher, causing the boy to let out a cry of pain. Jaw locked, he twisted harder and Touji could feel the bones beginning to shift in his arm and cried out again, a little louder than before.
A soft gasp drew Narikage's gaze upwards. A small crowd had gathered around the fighting boys, Asuka and Rei included. Rei's eyes were wide as she watched Narikage and Touji, one hand clenched under her chin. As soon as her gaze met Narikage's, his eyes seemed to clear and he let Touji go so suddenly, the boy crumpled to the dirt, coughing, holding his sore throat. His arm was throbbing painfully and he turned his head a little to look up at Narikage.
He was staring down at his trembling hands, breathing fast and ragged. The schoolyard around them seemed to have grown deathly quiet and Narikage stumbled backwards, clutching something around his neck.
"G-gomen. Gomen nasai," he choked out before turning and running off.
~*~*~
"I can't believe that kid," Asuka ranted as she pulled on her red plug suit later that day. "Starting a huge fight like that in the middle of a schoolyard." Rei gave a little shake of her head, zipping up her white suit.
"I don't think he started it."
"So you're defending him now?"
"No, it's not like that at all. It's just..." Rei trailed off, silent. She had seen something in Narikage's eyes during the fight and it had scared her. It was almost like it hadn't been HIM attacking Touji but someone—or something—else. "I just think he was defending himself, that's all," she finally finished, deciding it was best not to tell Asuka what she'd seen.
"Well, I still don't think he should have been so rough. He almost broke Touji's arm!" The red-head pushed a button on her wristband and the loose suit molded itself to her slender, young body. "I'm going out. I'll see you there." Rei nodded and Asuka left the locker room, heading to the EVA loading bay for training. She passed Unit 01's loading bay and was a little surprised to see the door open and the lights on. Curious, she peeked around the corner.
Narikage was actually sitting ON the EVA's armored head, his knees pulled up to his chin. He wasn't moving or even seeming to breathe. His head was bowed, preventing her from seeing his face.
'The nerve of that guy,' she thought angrily. 'He shouldn't even be here, let alone climbing all over Shinji's EVA. I hope he falls.'
"What do you want, Asuka?" The girl jumped eight feet in the air when he spoke, raising his head as he did so.
'H-how did he know I was here?' she gasped to herself. 'My head was barely around the corner!'
"Are you going to come out or do you want to talk through a wall?" Scowling at his arrogant tone, she boldly stepped onto the platform, looking up at him, arms crossed under her breasts.
"You're not supposed to be climbing on the EVAs."
"It's my unit. Why can't I?"
"It is not your unit! Unit 01 is Shinji's!" Narikage was silent as the loud echo of her voice drifted away. He bowed his head again for a moment before slowly standing, looking down at Asuka.
"Unit 01 was never Shinji's. Unit 01 was built for me."
"Bullshit! You shouldn't even be a pilot! No, I take that back. You should be a pilot and it should have been YOU in Unit 01 instead of Shinji!" Asuka couldn't believe the hatred in her own tone but was finding it impossible to stop. "If it had been you in there, Shinji would still be alive!"
"You're right." Asuka's angry words screeched to a halt as Narikage spoke softly. Temporarily stunned, she just stood there, staring at him, jaw slack. "It SHOULD have been me in Unit 01 during that attack." He reached out, touching the purple-armored machine. "I swore to protect Shinji and I failed."
"W-what are you talking about?"
"Ten years ago, I made a promise to Shinji that I would protect him. I didn't do that and it is my fault." He wouldn't look at her as he spoke, just continued to gaze down at the unit he stood upon.
"Y-you...you knew Shinji?" Narikage gave one, small nod. "No way. You're lying! Shinji never mentioned anything about knowing a person named Eiro Narikage."
"No, he wouldn't have." He sighed heavily and, with an agile leap, landed on the platform in front of Asuka. He straightened, half turned away from her.
"I knew it. You're lying. You didn't know Shinji at all." Narikage looked at her, his pale eyes holding a strange sort of sadness.
It's also when she noticed the blood splattered across his white school shirt.
He must have seen the horror on her face because he turned his back on her completely, hiding it from her view. "Perhaps you're right, Asuka-san. Excuse me." He started to walk away but stopped before he'd gone ten paces. "Can I ask you something?" he called without turning.
"H-hai."
"When you look at me...do you see a monster?" Asuka blinked a few times, not quite understanding. "Never mind. Gomen." Then he disappeared through the other door.