Evangelion: The Final Testament
By Jonas Briones
Chapter 3: Silence
(It is early that morning, almost night even, though most people couldn't this discern from the darkness outside. However, not everyone was resting in the early hours of the new day as a young girl haunts the edge of the balcony, chancing a glance at the glowing sphere floating in the night. As a soft breeze whispers through the night air, it circles through her short cobalt locks, rustling them for a second before settling soon afterwards to silence.)
Rei: (panting) …
(her hands reach for the railings, trembling as they found home as her fingers tightened around the steel, almost afraid to let go. Her eyes were no different, unable to release its gaze from the pale moonlight as they too shook with terror, as if they had seen a ghost. The rising and falling of her chest slowed beneath a thin white t-shirt as did her pulse within her chest)
Rei: (panting) wh… who am I?
(after a long while, she lifts a hand to brush back her hair, only as she did, she felt a thin layer of sweat coating her fingers. She stops to stare at it for a while when the shaking returned. Frightened, the girl quickly grabs the railing and shut her eyes tightly)
Rei: (panting) what have I become?
(It is with a grim realisation that the girl suddenly slackens her grip around the steel tubes to hide from the moon's glow inside her desolate room, leaving in her wake, a faint voice)
Rei: … what will I become?
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(Elsewhere, about the same time, a weary Ritsuko's head bobs up and down upon a computer screen as her bloodshot eyes struggle to keep open. Her worried companions throw glancing looks at their exhausted co-ordinator, but kept silent as they proceeded with the task at hand. Knowing that their shift was going to end soon, they tacitly decided to do their best. After all, the sooner the work was done, the sooner they could go home)
Shigeru: Beginning diagnostic checks of MAGI Melchior.
Makoto: Sectors one through to five thousand are cleared… no abnormalities detected.
Maya: Checking subsystems A9 through to B5…
Ritsuko: …
Maya: What's the diagnosis on that bug we found on MAGI Casper?
Ritsuko: …
Maya: Ma'am?
(The young lieutenant throws a glancing look over her shoulder to her two male counterparts and shrugged)
Maya: Is it me or has she been a bit out of it lately?
Shigeru: Huh! You think that's weird? I saw her ducking in and out of the ladies room two days ago. If you ask me, somebody's got her spooked.
Ritsuko: …
Makoto: You don't think it's got anything to do with that other doctor, do you? What's her name again?
Maya: Doctor Cortez you mean?
Makoto: Yeah! That's it! She's probably hounding her for taking over her job.
(Shaking her head, the Maya looked over her shoulder just in time to see Ritsuko's forehead slam into her keyboard)
Maya: (unsure) Something tells me it's something else. Misato was like this before…
Ritsuko: … zzz
Shigeru: You mean when Kaji first came around?
Makoto: (growling) I don't think so…
Shigeru: Yeah! She'd always turn up pretty late for work… well, later than usual, if Kaji was on shift that is…
Ritsuko: ..zZzZZ
Maya: (anxious) Do you think that's what this is all about? She's got… man problems?
Shigeru: Who, ice lady over there? I don't think so. She's way too logical to have emotions.
(earning the wrath of Maya in the form of a frigid glare, both men are quick to return to their stations and got back to work. This lasted a few heartbeats before they once again swivelled over to Maya)
Makoto: So who do you think it is?
Shigeru: Do you 'spose it's the Commander?
Ritsuko: zzz… ZZZZ.
Maya: (reeling) Eww! Gross! He's old enough to be her father!
(the sleek haired lieutenant jolted back, somewhat amused at Maya's frustrated reaction)
Shigeru: Well then who?
(suddenly a thought came to mind, manifesting itself in an evil grin)
Shigeru: You know… she had always been close with Major Katsura-
Maya and Makoto: SHUGERU!
(the man falls back into his seat, clenching his chest, laughing out loud to himself while his two companions eye him with looks of murderous intent. It was then that they heard a familiar whoosh of hydraulic doors sliding open. Shigeru was quick to silence as he found a strange figure standing by the doorway, as if looking for something… or someone. The young lieutenant stood up and coughed loudly, catching what the man's attention).
Shigeru: Can I help you?
(the stranger is startled by this, stiffening in the spot and managing a sheepish smile as he scratched the back of his head.)
Jude: Um… you wouldn't happen to have seen a woman, about five foot nine, short blonde hair, glasses…
(All of a sudden, Shigeru noticed something gold glitter from something on his shoulder. A bronze badge: an eagle. It was then that Shigeru bolts straight up and snaps a quick salute)
Shigeru: Colonel Grant!
(This only managed to put the superior officer in a more awkward situation. Uncomfortably, he returned the technician's salute before scanning what seemed to be a near empty command platform)
Jude: So I was saying, did you see a woman… about five-nine, blonde hair, tight ass-
Makoto: You're referring to Doctor Akagi?
Ritsuko: … zzz
(the man brightens up at once)
Jude: Yeah! That's it! Akagi! Have you seen her?
Maya: Uh… her shift finished about an hour ago
Shigeru: MAYA!
Makoto: I think she'll be back at about four. She's got some more diagnostics to run about then.
Ritsuko: ZZZ…
Jude: (stepping closer) Huh? Is there someone else with you?
All three: NO!
Jude: (defensively) Hey! Take it easy…
(the American colonel turns to face the opening, waving the three goodbye on his way out)
Jude: Keep up the good work guys!
(A moment later, sounds of footsteps faded outside the corridor soon afterwards followed by the pneumatic hiss of the bulkheads shutting firmly behind them at which at all three lieutenants turned suspecting glances to their erstwhile companion snoring by her console)
Maya: She really needs to take a break… maybe I should take her to see a movie later on or something…
(it was the that her two male counterparts turned to her with quizzical looks)
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(Later that morning, a proud Asuka had a regal aura about her as she claims her seat to Shinji's right amidst a sea of gossip, most of which, of course, was about her. Short of brushing aside a tide of possible suitors, Asuka was completely overwhelmed by all the attention she was getting. Something which Shinji was less than comfortable with. Knowing that there was nothing that he could do about this, he sighed as he scanned the room, finding Rei nodding of near the window.
As he continues to scan the room, he finds that much has changed since the last time it was full. Touji was now seated near the front of the table rather than the back so that he could be close to Hikari. Though he couldn't admit it himself, Shinji saw just how much Hikari meant to her in the way he looks at her which said more than words could ever tell. Sure they fought once in a while, and it did get pretty heated when they had arguments, but they would always get back together, stronger than before.
The only thing that hadn't changed, Shinji thought as he looked around the class, was Kensuke. He was still the war buff that he ever was, but he doesn't talk about it much nowadays. Perhaps it was because Touji was spending less time with him to be with Hikari. Now that he thought about it, Kensuke really didn't spend much time with him either since he was gone most of the time as well.)
Asuka: Hey, why the gloomy face, Ikari?
(Shinji flinched inwardly: he had never gotten used to her calling him by his surname)
Shinji: I… see you're the most popular girl in school again-
Asuka: Naturalich
Shinji: -and… well…
Asuka: Hm?
Shinji: I'm happy for you.
(At this, Asuka pauses, her eyes fully dilated with shock. It takes her a few moments to process this, at which she stoops over the boy with a sly grin)
Asuka: Just what's your angle?
Shinji?
Asuka: (sarcastically) You wanna go out with me? Is that it?
Shinji: Huh?
Asuka: You must be up to something! You've got perverted look on your face.
Shinji: I think you got me all wrong-
Asuka: Well then tell me!
(the room, at once, falls deathly silent as ambient chatter gives way to hear the boy's response. Shinji looks around and finds a whole range of expressions directed at him from envy, lust, jealousy and downright hostility. It was then that his gaze fell upon Asuka's at which he gulped heavily, took a deep breath and signed his death warrant)
Shinji: (whispering) yes…
(All hell is let loose even before Shinji's voice ended as the whole class was worked up in a frenzy, patting both boy and girl who sat frozen at their seats, unable to process just what had happened)
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(At lunch, a young couple stood at the rooftop by the railings, almost alone to themselves. Both were vexed, but only Asuka was permitted to show it)
Asuka: (clapping) Congratulations, Ikari! You've done it again! You've ruined my glorious return to the scene.
Shinji: Well I thought that-
Asuka: (scoffing) I somehow doubt that.
Shinji: …
Asuka?
Shinji: …
Asuka: (angrily) well? Aren't you at least going to tell me what you were thinking about?
(gulping nervously, the boy looks up at the menacing scowl directed at him and decides that, now more than ever, he had nothing to lose)
Shinji: I thought that if I said no… everyone would have thought that I rejected you…
Asuka: (gasping) What? You dump me? I think they'll understand the humour.
Shinji: … but I'd be lying to myself again… I just
Asuka: Just what?
Shinji: … wanted to be with you again.
(these words knocks the wind from Asuka's lungs)
Shinji: I don't mind if you yell at me or pick on me-- really
Asuka: …
Shinji: I like hearing your voice. To tell you the truth… I was really scared when I thought that you weren't going to… uh… (looks away) never mind.
(honesty is a rare and wonderful virtue, one that Asuka isn't used to receive, however the boy's small spill was more than enough to warm a part of her which has remained cold for the longest of times… her heart
At last, she breaks a scoff as she scoots over to an empty bench away from Shinji and begins to rummage through her bag. This does not go unnoticed as Shinji quickly chases after her, digging into his bag to reveal two lunchboxes)
Shinji: H-hey! I've made some lunch-
(the boy then spots Asuka taking out a large plastic container full of rice and a mix of meat, vegetables sautéed in a sickly yellow sauce. Asuka quickly peels the lid open to release a strange aroma before reaching into the bag again, this time pulling out a plastic spoon. She looks at Shinji and smiles nervously)
Asuka: Uh- Rina always makes waaaytoo much lunch, and I'd hate to throw away perfectly good food…
Shinji: What is that?
Asuka: …
Shinji?
Asuka: I think she calls it Kare-kare…
Shinji: (coiling) it… sounds twice as bad as Misato's ramen-curry.
(This deserved the boy a sharp scowling over)
Asuka: Shinji… if this was Misato's curry, it wouldn't have made it out the kitchen waste basket. This thing is pretty good, in fact if it's so good, I'd eat it all by myself… but I've got my figure to worry about and-
Shinji: I can help you with it.
(Shinji is about to break reach into the strange dish with his chopsticks when-)
Asuka: Uh- thanks.
(Asuka begins to devour the contents but then stops, finding that she was alone in doing so. After gulping a large chunk of meat, she eyes the boy coldly)
Asuka: (annoyed) what is it now?
Shinji: it's nothing.
Asuka: (angry) Just tell me already!
Shinji: It's just… that was the first time you said thanks to me.
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(A few feet below, a lonely Kensuke slowly glances away from the couple on the rooftop as he heaved a heavy sigh. Before, not too long ago, there were three of them, friends until the end, just Shinji, Touji and himself. Where one would go, the other two would follow. Friends until the end…
Or at least when they got to work. First it was Touji. Kensuke knew that he couldn't even begin to imagine the nightmares Touji must have gone through inside of Unit-03 that fateful day. His best friend lost an arm and a leg. But then he had Hikari to ease his suffering. One down, two to go.
Sure, he thought that Shinji and Asuka were like two positively charged ends of a magnet who always repelled each other, but he had always felt a strange tension between the two long before he saw the end result on the rooftop. Now they seemed destined to a life together.
That left him to himself. He had always blamed the Eva program for this: that Eva pilots had all the girls, but deep inside he knew that something else had brought the others closer to each other. This, however, provided cold comfort to him as he sighed in defeat and ambled off to the last sanctuary that he knew of in these difficult times… the computer laboratories)
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(Elsewhere around the same time, Elise is laid upon her back along the bay of the saline lake as her gazing at the velvet mantelpiece over head, dusted with traces of light twinkling far away. Strangely, though, she is drawn to the pale glow of the moonlight above her that she barely notices the sand shuffling a few meters behind)
Elise: Douglas… if that's another meat pie that you've got for me, I swear to God, I'll shove that so far up your ass-
Balthazar: I dun recall ye ever studyin' proctology back at home-
Elise: (glancing up in shock) D-daddy!
(indeed there he was hovering above her with one hand tucked behind him)
Balthazar: (laughing) well yuv always picked these kinda stuff up real quick, just like ya mum.
(The girl shakes her head as she returns to star gazing. The elder man sees this and shuffles closer to the girl and knelt beside her)
Balthazar: Ya know there's sumfin' wrong if ya kid starts hangin' out wit' her old man's friends… ya should really be hangin' out wit kids your age.
Elise: Two things, dad… first, I'm not a kid! I'm almost eighteen. I've done everything around the dig sites from taking the seismic readouts to translating the Phoenician characters on our only map-
Balthazar: An' I appreciate your contributions, El. I really do.
Elise: Secondly, the nearest person my age is about two hundred kilometres north of our position-
Balthazar: Not wid de miraclez of modehn technology at your fingertips, it ain't.
(He promptly reveals what he has been hiding behind his back to Elise: a laptop which he offers to her and in turn, which she accepts)
Balthazar: Say? How's ya Jap? We haft a make a report ta da bankers at Tohmatsu 'n Co. to extend us a line of credit next week. Ya fink ya up ta it?
(she snorts as she quickly flicks the switch on the laptop and inspects it)
Elise: Does this have a wi-fi link to the satellite relay you've got set up in the middle of the camp?
Balthazar: Sure duz! Anyway… as I was sayin', ya tink ya can talk Jap well 'nuf ta sway a few grand ahh-way?
Elise: (smiling) So what do I have to do to prove to you that I really can speak Japanese?
Balthazar: By talkin' ta one, of course! Go inta wan-a dose chat sites dat you teens go to all da time…
(a speedy series of clicks fill the night air as Elise strings in a few commands into the machine, then stops)
Elise: (raising a brow) which one?
Balthazar: A Jap one.
Elise: (laughing) which one?
Balthazar: (playfully) Fackin' pick one already!
(Elise giggles to herself as she closes her eyes, pressing firmly on the down key for a few heartbeats before at last hitting enter. Promptly opening her eyes, the girl turns to her father with an anxious expression)
Elise: There's only one guy in this channel.
Balthazar: Not a problem. Just talk to him! Ask him what's the whether like over there at this time of the year!
Elise: If I wanted to know the weather, I could just hook up with Japan's Bureau of Meteorology-
Balthazar: Don't be a kill-joy, El. Just do it!
Elise: Okay… let me just set things up to write in kanji…
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(After a long silence of nothingness, a message bleeps across Kensuke's monitor, finding )
crazyoz: You looked lonely… I thought that you might like the company.
(he is slow to move over to the keyboard, still taken aback that someone, has started a conversation with him, but it has been so while that he wasn't sure how to respond)
evapilot: Thanks, I guess
(the response is slow, a fact which troubled Kensuke until the message came)
crazyoz: Is something the matter?
evapilot: Not really, no.
crazyoz: You don't sound right… mind talking about it.
Kensuke: (thinking) I sound bummed? (shrugging) might as well-
evapilot: I guess my friends are too busy now that they've got girlfriends of their own…
crazyoz: And you don't?
evapilot: No… I don't. Why else would I be here, waiting for someone to feel sorry enough to actually start a conversation.
crazyoz: Hey! I'm on your side!
evapilot: Yeah right
(A few heartbeats pass as the cursor freezes on one spot, pulsing like his heart before at last it moves again)
crazyoz : Sounds like you've already given up.
Kensuke: (thinking) again with the sounds
evapilot: It's not exactly as if I haven't tried. All the girls in class are attracted to these… other boys.
crazyoz: So what have they got that you don't?
Kensuke: (laughing) a three hundred ton robot capable of snapping I-Beams like matchsticks-
crazyoz: Look, I wouldn't worry too much about these kinds of things. You seem normal enough, pretty soon you'll be beating them off, with a stick, you'll see.
(Kensuke laughs at the imagery as he keys in a reply)
evapilot: Well forgive me if I don't share your sense of optimism.
crazyoz: At least you've got a good sense of humour. And I bet you're cute too!
(the boy pauses as he couldn't help but blush at the compliment. Just as he is about to thank her, the class bell rings.)
evapilot: Thanks, but I got to go now. It was nice talking you.
crazyoz: Likewise.
(Kensuke is about to reach for the kill switch when a thought came to mind)
evapilot: I'll be back here tomorrow around the same time. Maybe we can catch up around then.
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(Back at the Southern-most tip of the Dead Sea, a puzzled old man stared at the computer screen, wondering just what Elise what laughing about as she slowly turns the laptop off)
Balthazar: So what was that all about?
(the girl laughs a reply)
Elise: Just some kid having girl problems… can I do this again tomorrow?
Balthazar: I dun see why not. Sure.
Elise: Thanks-
Balthazar: Just one thing though…
Elise: (blinking) Yeah?
Balthazar: This kid
Elise: …
Balthazar: Are you sure there's nothing on between you two?
Elise?
Balthazar: (sheepishly) You're not… having sex online, are you?
(Instantly, the girl coils back in terror as the elder man walks away, laughing to himself)
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(Later that day, a curious Rina steps back from the examination table inside one of NERV's many infirmaries, drawing back a stethoscope from Rei's chest, turning to a clipboard on the far side of the room.)
Rina: Well, everything checks out. I don't suppose that you've been taking drugs, have you?
(the weary girl is slow to rise from the cold bench top, buttoning up her school blouse and ignoring the doctor)
Rina: (embarrassed) O-kay… stupid question.
(Rina places her clipboard onto a nearby bench top as she shifts to cupboard and draws out a small white bottle, handing it to Rei who accepts it)
Rina: Take one pill about thirty minutes before you want to sleep.
Rei: (pockets the bottle) Understood, doctor…
(Rina manages an awkward smile, and for several seconds studies the look on Rei's face)
Rina: You know, if you tell me what's happening, I can do more than prescribe you some sedatives.
Rei: …
Rina: I can help you.
(For a long moment, Rei merely glances vacantly at the doctor in complete silence. Then, after a few long heartbeats, Rei returns to her bench top and sits on her previous spot where it was still warm)
Rei: Will this conversation remain classified?
Rina: Doctor-patient privilege means that what you say stays between you and me.
(the girl looks down, her crimson eyes wandering along the lifeless white tiles)
Rei: I hear voices… in the night they come to me in hushed whispers… reminding me who I used to be
Rina: …
Rei: The voice is my own… telling me what happened in past lives…
Rina: …
Rei: It feels that these voices are trying to tell me something… that they are trying to warn me.
Rina: Of what, Rei?
(Several wordless moments pass until finally the girl lifts her gaze. What Rina saw in Rei's eyes then would haunt her for the rest of her life as she sees her reflection beneath those twin scarlet orbs: as if Rei had stolen her soul.)
Rei: to beware…
Rina: …
Rei: the rising of the new dawn.
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(Sun has set beyond the horizon draping the city outstretched shadows over the city of twilight. Like a phoenix, this legendary city was once the culmination of human achievement, only to be razed to ashes not even a decade since its first foundations were laid, then restored once again better and brighter than ever before. From the night sky, one could be forgiven for misbelieving his or her eyes as they find stars below them,
-if they are not first blinded by its lights.
Rising high above the cityscape far beyond its boundaries, a young couple hid amongst the shadows as they gazed upon the city that they called home. For Shinji, the experience is more profound: it is the first time that Asuka has been here, and as he threw a casual glance over his shoulder to the girl to his right, he finds that she is smiling.
This, however, does not go unnoticed as she finds him ogling her from her peripheral view. Asuka's jolts back cautiously)
Asuka: Stop looking at me like that, will you?
Shinji: Like what?
Asuka: LIKE THAT!
(Asuka feels a deep sting in her chest as the boy drops his gaze. At this she sighed and dropped all pretences of royalty, deciding to take a road less travelled of understanding. However this is something which she is not used to and is hesitant to speak at all.)
Asuka: Sorry… I- I appreciate you bringing me up here-
Shinji: …
Asuka: I never knew that Tokyo-3 could be so beautiful at night…
Shinji: …
Asuka: … but you didn't bring me here just for the view…
Shinji: …
Asuka: Did you?
(The boy's eyes perk up as the girl discovers his true motives on her own. He had planned on slipping it in the middle of a conversation, but then abandoned it just a moment ago when the girl screamed at him. He barely manages a whimpered squeak)
Shinji: (weak) it's just…
Asuka: Go on.
(She finds the sight of the boy frozen stiff in front of him unbearable to watch that she does something unexpected: grabbing the boy by either shoulder and turning him violently so that he had no choice but to look at her. Asuka gnashes her teeth)
Asuka: (crying) Why are you so scared of me? Huh? Why don't you just say what's on your mind, Shinji?
(suddenly the boy lifts his eyes up, revealing to the girl the tears that he so desperately tried to hide. As she is startled by the sight, he takes a chance, brushing both her arms away in a single swipe as he manages to respond in between whimpers)
Shinji: (angry) You- want to know what I want?
Asuka: Yes! Tell me alrea-
(Muffled pleas are trapped between locked lips as Asuka suddenly finds herself engulfed within the boy's arms, her body locked between his and the railings. At first, she tries to push away, struggling against Shinji's grasp-)
Asuka: MMff! HMF!
(… however he was stronger than she had anticipated, but moreover, there was a part of her that didn't want to push him away. Soon, her struggle weakens and what used to be whimpers of her great effort to break free become moans of pleasure, her fingers now settling upon Shinji's broad shoulders. Asuka feels his grip slacken from her arms as they travel behind her hips to pull her shapely outline against his.)
Asuka: Ahhhh…
(Just as reluctantly as a single tears breaks from the corner of her eye, Shinji pulls away from her. The air felt cold without her breath upon his skin, but as she pulls on his clothes towards her a second time, the boy shakes his head)
Shinji: We have to go
Asuka: Bullshit we have to go- I don't want to go! We don't have to go anywhere!
Shinji: Asuka…
(the girl stops at once as he mentions her name. His hand slides along the length of her arm, grasping the tip of her delicate fingers as he once more directs her out to the scintillating city below and embraced her from behind)
Shinji: Happy birthday…
Asuka: …
Shinji: (thinking) God… Misato's going to kill me.
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Rina: Oww! Sh- what the hell? Excuse me! So sorry-
(A young scar-faced doctor could be seen in the soft glow of light bouncing off the screen as she stumbles through a packed cinema, weaving through a row full of patrons. She manages to balance a large bucket of popcorn in one hand and a cup of cola in the other hand before she finally reaches a vacant seat adjacent to a familiar blonde major with a face that's about to burst from holding her amusement
Her younger company carefully hands Misato the popcorn as she takes her seat)
Rina: (whispering) You owe me big, Misato-
Misato: (whispering) Like hell I do! You were more than five minutes late to the lobby.
Rina: (hissing) I was working with Rei… and I barely made it in time to get Asuka a gift…
All: SSSSHHHH!
(Rina is silenced by the insistent crowd, though she couldn't figure out why. They are only screening previews just now. After a long while, she chances a look at Misato and leans over)
Rina: I tried calling Asuka while I was out there… kept saying that her phone's switched off or something, and nobody's picking up at home.
Misato: Just relax, Rin-
Rina: (growling) Relax? Something could have happened to her!
(For the second time, the group reprimands her with a stricter hiss as if to warn her that there will be no third time. The woman takes her cue and settles back into her seat, chugging a mouthful of cola.
Misato shakes her head as she then digs into her pocket and shows Rina a PDA)
Misato: It's a map of the city…
(Rina finds two dots near the edge of the screen, raising her suspicion)
Rina: What's the red dot?
Misato: Oh, that's Shinji… I had tracking devices installed in his lunchbox.
(the doctor nods)
Rina: And the-
Misato: is Asuka… (sighing dryly) Shinji packed her an extra lunchbox.
Rina: Impressive
Misato: Thanks.
Rina: So where are they now?
(She leans over to check the co-ordinates)
Misato: It… looks like they're at the eastern lookout… it's a place I showed him the first time he came here.
Rina: A lookout, huh? They could probably see the whole city light up like a Christmas Tree right about now.
Misato: Yeah, they should…
(an unsteady silence follows as Rina wonders whether she should go on.)
Rina: Hey, you don't suppose that-
Misato: Don't suppose what, Rina?
Rina: (awkward) you- know… what kids their age do at lookouts…
(the major throws her companion a raised brow)
Misato: Most of the kids their age are checking out the new malls that they've built in the Togo area. That place is going to be absolutely deserte-
(Stopping at the end of her sentence as a thought dawns on her, her eyes dart towards a blushing Rina who was probably thinking the same thing. Mysteriously though, she cracks a smile. A nervous one at that, but still a smile)
Misato: (shaking her head) Naaah! I don't think so…
Rina: (giggling nervously) Yeah, that's stupid. Asuka'll probably beat him to a pulp before that happens.
Misato: Yeah. There's nothing to worry about. They're responsible adults.
Rina: Eva Pilots at that.
Misato: The best that NERV's got to offer.
(Both pause, glancing at each other for a moment, exchanging panicked glances. At once, the two women shoot up from their seats to the hisses and boos of the other cinema patrons as they barrel across their row)
Misato: Excuse me… pardon me- HEY WATCH IT BUSTER!
Rina: Sorry- uh jeez! I'm so sorry-
(A loud noise, half cheers, half jeers, met the two women as they finally made it to the safe haven of the darkened aisle. Both women sighed inwardly as they ambled hurriedly down the corridor, neither really expecting to see a familiar blonde scientist with a young lieutenant wandering up the stairs. Misato tried to sidestep, Rina opened her mouth to screen and Ritsuko as well as Maya were too tired to even look up, but it was all too late…
a moment later, the three ended up in a tangled mess of limbs, butter popcorn and icy cold cola all over the front of the cinema for everyone to see. The show hasn't even started but the fun has already begun)
Maya: Owww…
Ritsuko: (weak) Please… kill me already…
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(Elsewhere, Jude felt something wrong about this office. It was a waste of space, no doubt about that, it could easily host a UN General Meeting, let alone act as an office of the Supreme Commander of NERV. Jude's thoughts wandered as his gaze lifted to the crimson impressions upon the ceilings which sent a cold shiver down his spine…
His attention was brought back into line with a sharp cough from a grey old man at the front who stood aside Gendo)
Fuyutski: As I was saying, Colonel, we assigned Doctor Akagi to accompany you around NERV not only as a guide to familiarize you with our facilities but also ensure your safety. Wandering around NERV can be quite dangerous, especially to the uninitiated. Last month, we had seventeen work related injuries to, seven of which were attributed to workers being in places where they shouldn't be where they were exposed to hazardous materials.
Gendo: It is quite vulgar of a visitor to ignore the requests of the host… no matter how important the visitor may be.
(Jude shrugged his shoulders and their accusations, casually stepping closer to the desk)
Jude: Don't get me wrong, gentlemen. I've been searching for the good doctor for the better part of the day, you can verify this with your CCTV surveillance which has been following me like a bad stink.
(Silence answered the Colonel as he saw the skin around Gendo's eyes tense. Faithful Fuyutski quickly steps)
Fuyutski: (stern) Which has also raised our concern, Colonel Grant. For five days you have taken advantage of Doctor Akagi's cooperation to inspect our cafeterias, our lavatories even our lounge rooms. If I wasn't mistaken, Colonel, I could have sworn that you are flirting with your guide which is a serious conflict of interest.
(All of a sudden, the smile on Jude's face disappears as something more sinister replaces it, his glance alone was able to startle the stalwart Fuyutski)
Jude: Professor Fuyutski… are you a God fearing man?
Fuyutski: What are you tryin-
Jude: I'll take that as a no… I would also assume that you have also not heard about parable of the unmerciful servant.
Fuyutski: …
Jude: Once upon a time… a very long time ago, there was once a king who called his head servant who owed him ten thousand shackles of gold to be paid at once. The head servant fell to the king's feet and begged him forgiveness, for if the king decided to throw him into the dungeons, how could his wife and child survive.
Gendo: (thinking) interesting…
Fuyutski: (infuriated) Does this… parable have point?
(The old man's outburst only managed to amuse the Colonel as he continued)
Jude: The king decided to release the head servant, but not only that, he cancelled all of his debts. Overflowed with joy, the servant thanked the king and ran out of the palace. Outside, he finds one of the lower servants that owed him ten silver pieces. The head servant grabs the other by the throat and demanded him to repay his debt at once. The other servant begged the head servant to forgive him, to give him more time to pay his debt, but the head servant refused to listen. He then had the poor servant thrown into the castle's dungeon and tortured until he was able to pay his debt.
Fuyutski: Colonel, quite frankly I am getting rather fed up with this-
Jude: Patience, professor. I am nearly done.
Fuyutski: Hurry up with it then…
Jude: Very well… the king later heard about this and summoned the head servant a second time. The king asked why the head had done this after he had forgiven him of all of his debts. Infuriated, the king then threw the head servant in the deepest dungeon of his castle where he was tortured day in and day out…
Fuyutski: …
Jude: …
Fuyutski: That was quite a tale you spun, but what has that got to do with your situation? We could have you exorcized from the military.
Jude: And I can have NERV shut down at once, professor.
(the blonde man walks around the desk and stops an inch from Fuyutski's face, smiling)
Jude: I have audited your so called Financial Statements… one billion embezzled here, another two there, nothing too much but when you add it up, you find that quite a lot of money disappearing. If I were to report this to my superiors, you would have to stand before the General Assembly to account for all of this misappropriation. I doubt that they will be as understanding as I.
(Behind interlocking fingers hid a smile of admiration for the young man, but at the same time, Gendo realized that he was not to be taken lightly. He could see that Fuyutski was calm and collected, able to stare down the younger man, however, inside, he knew that he was trembling. After a few tentative heartbeats, Gendo rose from his seat)
Gendo: What is it that you really want?
(for a long while, Jude stood eye to eye with Fuyutski, neither man willing to back down. Then Jude smiled and shrugged as an crimson light glinted off his auburn orbs)
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To be continued
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A/N
Thanks for responding guys… please keep those responses coming. I don't care if they're negative, so long as they are constructive.