Disclaimer: Check the Prologue. Also, 'Payback' belongs to the band Flaw.
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AN: Good to know that everybody enjoyed the Interlude. For the moment, though, things will still be going lightweight... On The Seventh Rule, however, the plot will thicken considerably, but, in this and the next chapter, all will be nothing more than preparation Evil Grin
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This is narrative.
"This is a dialogue."
"THIS IS SHOUTING."
'This is a quote/EMPHASIS made either during a dialogue or narrative.'
These are thoughts.
These are mouthed and facial expressions before, during, and after, a dialogue.
This tells where and when the following happens.
(These will be Author Notes)
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"One fight at a time."
-Tyler Durden
Around 22:52
Central Dogma, NERV HQ, Geofront
It had been one hellish night, over at NERV. First, an Angel had infiltrated the Magi and tried to initiate a self-destruct. It hadn't been easy, but NERV, and mostly due and thanks to Ritsuko, had managed to defeat the Angel. Actually, they simply showed him that the only logical path was his own self-destruct.
It had been stressing, seeing time running out, and being powerless to stop him, but they had done it.
Cheering and congratulating the head scientist of NERV, they had tried to contact the EVA's Entry Plugs; Pilot Sohryu had copied their call and reported she was well. From Shinji's Plug, they never received a signal so, not worried since they had no reason to, they contacted Rei. They got her signal and she had told them she was well. Unfortunately, that was just the tip of the iceberg...
Within moments, they were hearing Rei's respiration increasing, not only in volume, but also in quantity. Of course, such wouldn't be too important, were not for the fact that Rei had spoken to Shinji directly, not through the radio. Still, while slightly troublesome, it wouldn't be all that bad. The Third Child would receive a lot of mixed calls from everybody when we would return, from honest and joyous congratulations to indignant and shameful shouts. But it didn't stop there...
They then heard the two of them, Rei and Shinji, talking to each other in such a way, that it indicated to anyone listening that they were currently participating together in a certain activity... One that should, and would, and is, forbidden for fourteen year-old kids.
Suffice it to say that the higher ranks from NERV did NOT like what they were hearing... The Commander suffered a cardiac arrest, which prompted the head scientist, Ritsuko Akagi, who had first shown surprise and then a grin, along with Maya, who had her jaw resting on the floor, to perform CPR on him. Needless to say that Ritsuko took care of the mouth-to-mouth while Maya made the external cardiac massage. The two of them, along with an emergency crew of paramedics, managed to resurrect the Commander. As for the Vice-Commander, Kouzou Fuyutski, he had passed out, due to oxygen being re-routed to other parts of the body and, therefore, ceased supplying critical areas. After five minutes with a paramedic doing a quick exam on him, he had been brought back to conscience unharmed. And Misato... First, she was gasping open-wide, eyes bugging out. Second, she was, apparently, preparing herself to fetch the Third Child and give him an intensive, crash-and-burn, fast course implicating severe head trauma and psychological violence... Then again, scratch this last statement, because it would involve also physical violence... But, at the last minute, while checking her pistol for ammo, her raging hormones must've subsided, for she had gained a pensive look. What she was reflecting about, though, remains unknown...
After the Commander took a few shots of, first, a transparent and, next, a golden liquid, he resumed his position, sitting on his desk in Central Dogma, in his own trademark stance, along with the Vice-Commander siding him, though the latter was adorning a weary expression all over his body...
Misato stood near the bridge bunnies, one half of her facing the Commander, the other facing the eastern door to bridge, with Asuka, in her Plug Suit, looking everywhere with a face of boredom. Then, the elevator doors swung open, revealing a small squad of NERV military operatives, properly dressed and armed of course, with, amidst them, the First and Third Child wearing their own Plug Suits, though, for Shinji, it shouldn't be very comfortable due to his bruises spread around his torso. They were escorted to the centre of the bridge, which showed, to their watchers, that the Third Children was handcuffed. He gave a saluting nod to Misato and Asuka and, along with Rei, turned their attention to the Commander, who was lightly frowning, which was so far, of course, unprecedented.
Everybody stood in silence for a minute, before Dr. Akagi reached the bridge, carrying a clipboard, which she surrendered to the Commander, who inspected it. Another minute passed, the silence unchanging, before the Commander addressed the two Pilots in front of him.
Oh, if only he would know that more shit would hit the fan before the night was over...
Not quite stoically, though such was not surprising anymore, the Commander stated
"The two of you consciously misinformed Commanding officers of your current status, intending to enjoy yourselves. Such is a grave offence. Do you have anything to say in your defence, Pilots?" The word 'defence' was stated through his gnawing teeth.
Shinji took a step forward, and said
"Yes, I do. I convinced Pilot Ayanami to participate in this. – And here he glanced at her – She is not to be accused about this, since the one to blame is solely me."
The Commander spent a moment staring his son in the eyes, before turning to Rei, and asking
"Is this true, Pilot?"
Rei looked down, for a few seconds, before lifting her gaze to Shinji, and seeing him lightly smiling at her. She then opened her mouth, but frowned and asked
"I do not know the best way to inform you, but, if you would allow, I would ask a favour at one of the technicians."
Frown never subsiding; the Commander gave her a nod. She, in turn, walked to the bridge technicians, and approached Aoba, who had a bandage on his nose. She murmured something in his left ear, to which Aoba replied with a smiling nod, and then she walked back to where she was before, next to Shinji, while Aoba worked on his console. A couple of minutes passed, curiosity rising in everybody who had been paying close attention to this, before Aoba swivelled in his chair in Rei's direction smiling, and said
"It's up." She glanced and gave him a nod, before turning her gaze to the Commander and saying
"The song will convey my thoughts better than I could." Aoba, now grinning, pressed a button in his console.
Surprise seemed to be the order of the day, because loud music started to blare in the speakers.
'There's another reflection involved up in my mind
A wholeness that has just been lost
Striving hard for perfection but still nothing to find
Some value with a cheaper cost
And as I reach out to hear you the sound is so muffled
It makes a lesser man of me
So the only thing left to bring up to date is
You suck!
Watch me fall while I go down,
I'm taking all you bastards to the ground with me, then I'll frown
On your fucking whole life
The systematic, hype still means a bit much to me
Watch me fall while I go down,
I'm taking all you bastards to the ground with me, then I'll frown
On your fucking whole life
The systematic, hype still means a bit much to me
I'm at the point of retraction and still slipping further
This place is getting worse for me
There's such a lack of direction and models to live by
No bright skies ahead of me
But I reach out for your hand you turn and then wander
Why I suddenly just can't see
No separation of gender no difference in me
You're just leading on and on and on
You lead me on and on and on
You lead me on and on and on and on,
on and on and on and on
on and on and on
Yes! You suck!
Watch me fall while I go down,
I'm taking all you bastards to the ground with me, then I'll frown
On your fucking whole life
The systematic, hype still means a bit much to me
Watch me fall while I go down,
I'm taking all you bastards to the ground with me, then I'll frown
On your fucking whole life
The systematic, hype still means a bit much to me
Pretty soon it's gonna come back and be your turn
Pretty soon it's gonna come back and be your turn
Pretty soon it's gonna come back and be your turn
Pretty soon you're gonna be the one that burns
Pretty soon it's gonna come back and be your turn
Pretty soon it's gonna come back and be your turn
Pretty soon it's gonna come back and be your turn
Guess what! You suck!
Watch me fall while I go down,
I'm taking all you bastards to the ground with me, then I'll frown
On your fucking whole life
The systematic, hype still means a bit much to me
Watch me fall while I go down,
I'm taking all you bastards to the ground with me, then I'll frown
On your fucking whole life
The systematic, hype still means a bit much to me
A bit much to me,
Your turn now!'
The music starting to fade, everybody stood, shock written all over their faces. Even the military officers. The only who weren't, were Shinji and Rei, both with a content smile, and Aoba who was smirking. As for the Commander, suffice it to say, he did not smile as well. Both gloved hands now against his desk, no longer sitting but standing, torso leaning forward, and a face of barely contained rage, he shouted to the soldiers to throw them in the brig. The two pilots simply turned to each other, and Rei, while caressing his left cheek with her right hand, leaned to him, and gave him a soft kiss in the right side of his face, which he replied respectively.
Now banging repeatedly on his desk, he shouted again for the soldiers to remove the pilots from his sight, with saliva being spitted from his mouth and adorning the desk, while pointing to the doors.
The military entourage and the pilots left the bridge silently, with everybody following them with their own gaze, and even some going as far as giving Rei some congratulations for her stance against the Commander.
As for Misato, she shook her head a couple of times, turned to Ritsuko, who was near her grinning as if she was in Heaven, and asked her if she could prescript her a jar of aspirins.
And as for Asuka, she was smiling, glad that Wonder Girl was breaking out from her doll-shell...
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TBC
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AN: I know this might seem exaggerated, Rei coming up with music of rebellion against Gendou, but it just seemed the best to me, so... Sigh Besides, I warned, twice so far, that they were going to become OOC...