Notes: My first posted Fan Fic, please R+R! (Well, that's it for the shameless begging.)
So, here it is, beginning right where Episode 26 left off.
"End of Evangelion" happened, but was a dream, except for the first scene in Asuka's hospital room. (I know that sounds cheesy, but I'm not writing the movie off. EoE will greatly influence this sequel, though Third Impact has not occurred.)
And that's assuming the EoE Episodes override the originals in the canon. Okay? Okay.
Finally: I don't own Evangelion…. Who needs death threats?
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Evangelion: New Testament
Episode: 1
"Awakenings"
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"Shinji?"
Shinji Ikari doesn't move, pretending he hadn't heard.
"Shinji?"
He hopes his blanket covers him enough, and that his room is dark enough, that she can't see him trembling.
"Give it up, Misato," cuts in a new voice. "Shinji doesn't do anything anymore besides lie in bed all day. That's fine, though. If he doesn't want to help with the party, he doesn't need to come, does he?"
"Asuka, go get breakfast," Misato tells her.
"I've already had breakfast, actually. I still get up in the morning, unlike some people!"
"Then go get Pen-pen his breakfast," Misato says. She gives Asuka a disapproving look that quells further argument. Shinji hears angry footsteps stomp toward the kitchen as the door to his room slides closed. He is uncomfortably aware that he has not been left alone.
Misato Katsuragi stands over Shinji for a while in silence. She watches the dust dance in the slivers of daylight that penetrate his closed shade. As her eyes adjust, she notices Shinji shaking beneath his covers, his hair stuck to his forehead with sweat. Before she can ask, he answers her unspoken question.
"I had the dream again," he tells her. "It was the same as all the other times. I still can't remember all the details, just images and feelings that don't make sense. Except, at the end, I know that everyone is dead." It makes Shinji feel better to confide in Misato, even though he still can't bring himself to tell her everything.
The truth is, there is one part of the nightmare that he can recall with crystal clarity. In it, Misato kisses him deeply, with a promise of more. And thinking about that part now, alone in his room with her, he finds a uniquely male problem arising. Shinji quickly shoves his blanket between his legs and thinks unpleasant thoughts, trying to smother it. But the word "unpleasant" invariably brings Asuka to his mind, and thoughts of her do nothing to alleviate the situation.
"I know you've been through a lot, Shinji. We all have. But this has got to stop," Misato says, tearing open the shade. For an instant, Shinji is blinded, and in that instant, Misato rips off his covers. "And you need to get up!"
"Oh," she continues with a trace of amusement, "I guess you already did." Shinji turns away, embarrassed, just as his pants fly through the air, hitting him in the head. "Put these on and meet me at the car. We're going to the store."
In the kitchen, Asuka Langley Soryu leans against the counter, watching with disinterest as a penguin eats noisily in front of her. She's already wearing the new dress she'd bought for this evening's party. It's white, has a pink floral print, a short, breezy skirt, and thin straps. On the way out, Misato sees her and pauses.
"You can still change your mind about coming with us," Misato tells her. Asuka frowns, appearing to consider, but then spies Shinji walking past. His eyes are downcast, his shoulders are hunched, and he says nothing even as Asuka glares at him. Asuka doesn't reply until the door to outside closes behind him.
"No, thank you, Misato," she says icily. She turns curtly, knocking over a precarious pile of empty instant ramen containers. Ignoring the cardboard avalanche, she opens the refrigerator and pretends to search for something amid its sparse contents. Misato sighs, then follows Shinji out.
He waits in the car, staring absently out the window. Even Misato's arrival doesn't draw his attention. She gets in, starts the engine, and soon, Shinji is watching the pedestrians of Tokyo-3 pass swiftly by outside the glass. Seven weeks ago, this area was one of the scattered remnants of a city that had become a lake. Now, it was once again a thriving suburb. Shinji marvels at those who would return after such devastation. But, of course, they were the same people who remained in the wake of the first Angel attacks.
"Maybe Asuka's right," he says after a few minutes. "Maybe I shouldn't come to the party." Without warning, Misato slams on the brakes. Shinji thanks himself for remembering to wear his seat belt as it presses hard into his chest.
"Oh, no you don't, Shinji Ikari!" Misato exclaims, pointing her finger at his face. "Toji was your friend before he went to the hospital, and I won't have you avoiding him now that he's finally out! Asuka's been home for three weeks now, and you're still treating her like a pariah. She's too proud to say anything, but I'm sure her feelings are hurt."
"I'm sorry, Misato," Shinji says. He remembers Asuka lying unconscious, her chest exposed. He remembers with shame what he did then. Slowly, he becomes aware of car horns blaring.
"Alright, alright!" Misato yells out her open window. "Have some patience, will ya?" With a squeal of tires, the car hurtles forward once more.
"But… what if Toji doesn't want to be a pilot, after what happened?" asks Shinji. He grips his armrest as Misato takes a corner at high speed.
"Well…," she says, sounding uncertain, "your first time in an Eva was a lot like his. And you're still a pilot."
"I nearly quit," Shinji says quietly, "twice." His seat belt assaults him again as the car comes to a halt in front of the store.
"Besides," Misato says, opening her door, "there's positive speculation that the Angel attacks have stopped for good. It's been over a month since-" (she catches herself before saying the name) "-since the last one."
But what am I suppose to do then, Shinji thinks to himself, just go back to being a normal kid? How can I? What about what I did to Toji? What about what I did to Kaworu? What about what I did to myself, alone in Asuka's hospital room? And what about what I've been dreaming about doing to you, Misato?
Dozens of questions swim through Shinji's mind. Only one of them is Shinji both willing to ask Misato and hopeful that she can help him answer. But she's gone from the car before it escapes his lips.
"What about Rei?"
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Rei Ayanami awakes with a start; her eyes snap open and she draws breath sharply. She is lying in her bed, though she would not have been surprised to find herself anywhere else. What startled her was the sense that, on the edge of waking, someone had been calling her name.
She sits up cautiously. Glancing quickly at the meager confines of her apartment, she finds no one else present. Her attention is drawn, however, to the small gift box sitting on her dresser. Other thoughts are pushed aside as she remembers the impending party.
It will be a twofold homecoming celebration for Suzuhara. He finished physical therapy and was given a clean bill of health at almost the same time as Tokyo-3 had been made livable again. Major Katsuragi had the idea to welcome him back, and she's seen to all the arrangements. She even purchased a gift for Rei to bring in the hope of coercing her into attending.
Rei, though, does not intend to do so. She plans to drop by Misato's apartment early, leave the gift to avoid being rude to her or Toji, then depart before the party begins. She stands and removes her nightshirt in preparation for a shower before going out.
The sunlight from Rei's window warms her body as she moves through it from her bedside to the bathroom. After making sure her towel is hanging in place, she turns on the faucet. The surrounding silence is shattered as water plummets from the shower-head to the tub floor. She enters immediately, closing the plastic curtain behind her.
The icy water stings until her body gets used to it. It doesn't make sense to Rei to waste water while waiting for its temperature to rise. She dowses her hair as the cold water slowly becomes less so. It's hot by the time she finishes washing. She lets the water cascade over her, then tips her head back to rinse her hair.
"Rei," someone calls. With her head immersed, she nearly misses hearing it. She straightens her neck, straining to listen, as she gropes for the faucet handle.
"Commander Ikari?" she asks, turning off the shower. Silence returns to the small apartment, broken only by the sound of water dripping. No one answers her. Rei notices an unfamiliar shadow against the shower curtain, vaguely human in shape.
"Shinji?" she says.
Pulling back the curtain reveals… nothing. The bathroom is empty. Walking into the rooms beyond, she is met only by further emptiness and silence. She feels a chill, but it's just an errant breeze against her wet skin. Though unsettled, she can think of no recourse but to continue the tasks already before her.
Rei dries, then dresses herself without further incident. Once she is finally ready to go, the strangeness of the morning is more easily ignored, but not yet forgotten. She feels relief, stepping out of her own door. Without looking back, she begins the trek to Misato's apartment with Suzuhara's present in hand. She doesn't notice the storm clouds gathered on the distant horizon.
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Shinji exits the store, for the third time dragging behind him numerous over-filled plastic bags. His face falls when he sees Misato struggling to fit the bags he'd already brought out into her car. He draws closer to her, wincing at the crunching sound, as she shoves bag after bag in the open hatch-back. With a great effort, consisting of throwing herself bodily onto it, Misato manages to shut the rear of the car.
She leans against it for several seconds, panting, before noticing Shinji and his load. When she does, her eyes narrow and she lets out a heavy sigh. She strides wearily to the passenger side, opens the door, and adjusts the seat as far forward as possible. Bags tumble over each other into the newly created space. She slams the door closed, returns to the back of the car and opens it.
"Um… Misato," Shinji asks, "do we really need this much beer?" It feels, to him, like the tenth time he's asked that question since they began shopping. He's correct; it is.
"Well, I didn't just invite kids to Toji's party, you know," she answers, stuffing the last of the bags in the car. "I invited your father, for example."
"You invited my father?" asks Shinji, wide-eyed.
"Yes… but, I doubt if he'll actually come. I also invited the Vice-Commander, though I don't know if he'll come if the Commander himself isn't. I told Toji's father and grandfather that they'd be welcome, but I don't think they want to come. Kensuke Aida's father answered back that he can't make it. And I invited Lieutenant Ibuki, but she's probably too busy. Oh, and Rei! I'm sure Rei wasn't going to show, until I got her that present to bring."
"Rei drinks beer?" exclaims Shinji in shock. Misato pauses a moment, puzzled.
"I thought we were talking about who wasn't coming," she says. Shinji opens his mouth, but can't think of a response. Misato shrugs.
After forcing the hatch-back closed once more, she opens her door and drops down into the driver's seat. Shinji opens the other door and tries, with minimal success, to painlessly wedge himself into the tiny space remaining between his seat and the dashboard.
As they begin the drive home, Shinji hears a distant rumble, like thunder, except that it doesn't abate. Slowly, the sound grows louder. Misato doesn't seem to notice and Shinji has no desire to distract her from her driving to point it out. He looks to the sky, searching. What he sees is his nightmare made real.
Three black planes, looking like nothing more than a flying set of wings, approach Tokyo-3 from the east. Shinji knows them from experience even before he recalls them from the dream. They are Eva transport planes. But it's the white, faceless Eva under the lead plane that fills him with visions of half-remembered terror. In a panic, his breath catches in his throat and he can make no sound but a pitiful whisper.
"Shinji?" Misato asks, noticing his distress. Her voice calms him and he finds his own again.
"We're being attacked!" he says, pointing out his window. He looks to Misato, not knowing what to do. He can't explain or even fully understand his own certainty. He only adds, "They're going to kill everyone."
Misato tries to look, seeing only three black shapes against gray clouds. But she can think of no reason to doubt Shinji that would be worth the risk of him being correct. She jerks the wheel, sending the car directly toward the nearest elevator down to the Geo-front. As the entrance closes behind them, she steals another look.
"That didn't look like an Angel. Were those… Eva transport planes?" she mutters to herself. As soon as the car begins its descent, she pulls out her cell phone and dials. While it rings, she glances over at Shinji. He's trembling and sweating, much like she found him this morning.
"Hello?" she says, once connected. "Hyuga, this is Misato. Do you have Rei or Asuka on site…? Damn! Okay, I'm en route with Shinji. Prep Unit-01 for launch…. What do you mean "why?" Shinji and I just I.D.ed three incoming hostiles in Tokyo-3 airspace…! Well, you better have them on radar by the time I get down there!"
Misato throws the phone behind her in frustration. It rings almost immediately. She turns to retrieve it from the backseat, but finds she has accidentally buried it in a mountain of groceries. She shuts her eyes tightly and grimaces, remaining that way until she and Shinji reach NERV HQ.
Upon arrival, Misato sends Shinji off to board his entry plug, then heads for the Command Center by herself. The scene that greets her there is not what she'd expected. The warning sirens are silent. Most of the viewscreens show nothing. Maya Ibuki and Makoto Hyuga sit with their backs to their control panels, watching Misato nervously as she enters.
"Why are we not on alert?" she asks, stepping to the front of the control platform. Below her, the Magi hum softly.
"I cancelled the alert, Major," calls a familiar voice. Misato looks up. Commander Gendo Ikari stands at the edge of the platform above. He holds his hands behind his back and stares down his nose at her.
"With all due respect, Commander," she begins, "I observed three aircraft, minutes ago, that I believe were transporting Evas. Lieutenant Hyuga and I have suspected for some time that the Evas in production around the globe are being amassed not for defense against the Angels, but to attack and seize this facility. It seems that we may be witnessing that eventuality right now!"
"We are not, Major," states Commander Ikari.
"But, Commander-" she starts.
"You forget your place, Major," he interrupts. "I am fully aware of the Evangelions now arriving by air. They belong to us."
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On a sidewalk at the corner of a quiet suburban intersection, a young boy stands, looking quite lost. He runs one hand through his short, brown hair as he studies the crudely drawn map clutched in the other. With a sigh, he stuffs the paper in a jacket pocket, pushes his glasses back up his nose, and studies his surroundings as unenthusiastically as ever.
In the process of looking around, he spies a girl, about his age, walking briskly away from him on the other side of the street. With a smile of apparent recognition, he crosses the street, then quickens his pace to try to overtake her. He marvels at the almost robotic uniformity of the girl's speed and gait. If he falters, she is so unwavering that he must jog to make up ground. Eventually, he manages to reach her.
"Hello!" he says cheerfully. He begins to offer his hand in a friendly gesture, but, realizing his mistake, quickly bows instead. When he rises from his bow, he finds she has continued up the street. Another short burst of jogging and he is at her side once more.
"Uh, pardon me," he asks nervously, "but… are you Rei Ayanami?" Her eyes acknowledge him briefly, but she continues walking.
"Yes," she says simply.
"I knew I recognized you," he says confidently, trying to hide his relief. "I saw you back there, and I figured you were probably headed to Major Katsuragi's apartment, just like me, so I thought we could walk together." He congratulates himself on not revealing to Rei the fact that he was lost, then feels foolish, remembering something else he has not revealed.
"Oh, by the way," he adds hurriedly, "I'm Kaagi! Kaagi Chuda."
Rei surmises that he must be a friend of Suzuhara's, coming early to the party. It's a fair assumption. He looks like a cross between Shinji and Aida, with glasses, short hair, an ever-present grin, and a thin frame. He even said he recognized her. But, though he seems familiar, she can't recall ever seeing him before.
She turns her eyes back toward him, taking a longer look this time. He catches her staring and smiles at her. At that moment, the dark clouds above send a light rain falling down upon them. Rei keeps staring, confused, as Kaagi looks up, frowns, then unzips his jacket. In one quick motion, he removes it and drapes it around her head and shoulders. She's startled at first, but soon understands his intention.
"Thank you," she says, blushing. He just keeps smiling as the rain slowly soaks his shirt and hair.
"No, don't thank me," he tells her. "I only gave you the jacket. I still have an umbrella in my pocket for me."
"Oh," Rei says. Kaagi looks mortified.
"Oh, no, Rei! That was a joke," he says. He feels guilty and stupid.
"Oh," she says again.
They walk on through an awkward silence.
"If you like, you can put that in one of my pockets," Kaagi says finally, indicating the small box Rei still carries. A few water spots dot the pink paper in which it's wrapped, but it's not yet ruined. "Did you wrap it yourself?"
"Yes," she says. She remembers Misato dropping by one day, in a hurry to be somewhere else, thrusting the present at her along with some scraps of paper she'd probably dug out of an unkempt closet. She remembers taking time and care, folding the corners just so. "But… I don't remember ever learning how."
"It's very well done," Kaagi replies, though he doesn't feel like she was speaking to him. Rei still looks as if her thoughts are elsewhere as she places the gift inside his jacket.
The rain picks up and Kaagi starts to shiver. He hopes the apartment isn't far, but he can't ask while pretending that he knows where he's going. Rei doesn't choose to continue conversing, and he now lacks the confidence to do so. He hums a bit, for no reason other than the hope that she'll ask him what the song is. She doesn't.
Distracted by disappointment, he almost misses Rei turning and entering the next building.
Several stories above, Asuka lies sleeping in her bed. She's on her stomach, her face buried in a pillow. The brand-new dress sits in a crumpled heap in one corner of the room. She'd stripped it off and thrown it there after it had failed to impress Shinji earlier. Now, the sound of the doorbell stirs her from an accidental nap.
Lifting her head, the first thing she sees is the dress. She sneers at it before rolling out of bed. It was the first new piece of clothing she'd gotten since leaving the hospital. It's tasteful, yet revealing, but still Shinji had ignored her. Standing and stretching, she examines her underwear-clad body in her wall mirror and concludes that there must be something wrong with Shinji. All the other boys from school still dote on her, even though she returns none of their affections, deeming them undeserving. And whom could she deem more undeserving than Shinji? In fact, she can't remember why she'd even bothered trying to get his attention, anyway!
The doorbell sounds again, interrupting her musings. Asuka rolls her eyes, grabs a school uniform off the floor, and puts it on as she makes her way to the door. She notices the rain out the window and the clock on the VCR. Hours have passed since she dosed off after going to her room to sulk.
Where are Shinji and Misato? she wonders. They should have been back already, unless that's them now. Ha! I can just picture it: lazy Shinji lets Misato carry most of the bags, tells her he'll get the door, but the idiot forgot his key!
Asuka puts on her best "put out" face before opening the door. Behind it, she finds a boy and a girl, both waiting patiently. It's obvious that they've been outside in the rain. The boy is drenched from head to foot. His white dress-shirt has turned transparent, his hair is matted, and his glasses are covered with water spots. The girl isn't quite as wet, thanks to the jacket on her head. Asuka continues to convey displeasure at her inconvenience, despite having only had to walk about twenty feet versus several blocks in the rain.
"Guten Tag, fraulein!" says the boy, grinning. Unfazed, he strides past Asuka into the apartment. The jacket-headed girl remains in the doorway.
"Sprechen ze Deutch?" asks Asuka in bewilderment.
"Ach, nein," replies the boy, giggling slightly.
"Vas?" says Asuka, now annoyed.
"I think he was making a joke," states the girl in the doorway. With no trace of irony, she adds, "He does that."
"You?" challenges Asuka. She peers beneath the jacket and discovers Rei's expressionless face. "What are you doing here? And who is that?"
"I'm Kaagi," says Kaagi helpfully. "Kaagi Chuda." Asuka eyes him suspiciously.
"Are you the boy who keeps writing me love letters in German?" she asks.
"Well, no-"
"Because the syntax and grammar are always wrong!" she complains, interrupting. "The punctuation never fits. And who ever heard of German haiku?"
"He's a friend of Suzuhara's," says Rei flatly. "He's here for the party."
"Well, you're early…," says Asuka dismissively, "both of you." She turns back to Rei, smugly raising an eyebrow. "And my, isn't this is quite a switch, Ms. Ayanami? I thought you didn't do parties."
"I'm not staying," says Rei. She takes the jacket off her head, removes a small box from one of its pockets, then hands both items to Kaagi. "Please see that Toji receives this gift."
"Okay, but…," Kaagi replies, trailing off as she turns to leave. "But wait! Please don't go. It's still raining really hard out there, and… well… why don't you stay for the party? We can talk more. We didn't get to, much, on the way here."
Is Toji's dork friend actually hitting on Wonder Girl? thinks Asuka, in disbelief.
Kaagi hopes that Rei's considering. She hasn't turned back around, but nor has she begun walking away.
Why don't I stay? she wonders. Where am I going? I'm no longer required to report for periodic memory uploads. I am the third, but… there are no others, now. What is my purpose? Sometimes, it feels like the Commander doesn't need me anymore. Other times, it feels as though he needs me now more than ever. What is my purpose?
"It looks like she's really deep in thought, but she's just too stuck-up to bother listening," Asuka tells Kaagi.
"I'm staying," announces Rei quietly, surprising them both. She even surprises herself, just a little. She doesn't look to either Kaagi or Asuka; she just turns around and walks inside, past them.
"If you're looking for Misato," Asuka calls after her, "she's not back yet. Neither is Shinji."
"Were they summoned to the base?" asks Rei. She actually appears to Asuka to be concerned, but Asuka presumes it's only concern that she might be shirking her duty.
"Don't be stupid!" Asuka snaps. "They went shopping. If there was some kind of emergency, NERV headquarters would have called us!" She shows her dormant cell phone to Rei condescendingly. Rei, unimpressed, checks her own cell for missed calls anyway.
"Yeah, I don't think there's anything to worry about," says Kaagi.
Asuka turns toward him, ready to deliver a scathing "who asked you?" but she stops when she sees him checking an identical cell phone. Her jaw drops open and her phone slips from her grasp, landing with a loud clatter on the floor.
"Oh," says Rei with mild curiosity. "The Sixth Child."
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Episode Midpoint
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Notes: I wanted to have a single chapter be a whole Episode, so I could end with a definite "To Be Continued." But whoa, that got long. So it's "Midpoint," like an ADV DVD.