Chapter One: An unhappy awakening.
"Dummy plug synch testing complete", Maya Ibuki announced, relief almost tangible in her voice. Another day with no screw ups, she thanked her good fortune.
"Hmmm, that's odd" Dr. Ritsuko Akagi noted. "There was a spike in the synch of Unit 01's dummy plug. It only lasted a second."
"Sempai?"
'Please don't let it be my fault. Please don't let it be my fault.' Maya prayed quietly.
"Ah, must have been an instrument error. The spike reads as a 400 synch rate. Everything else checks out."
Maya silently slumped in her seat, relieved that this could in no way be blamed on her.
"We'll do a full diagnostic tomorrow. Maya, eject the plugs and move them back to storage."
"Yes Sempai", Maya replied as she started entering commands into the EVA cage plug transit system.
Ritsuko trudged from her terminal intent on getting to the exit. Heading home, feeding her cats, and catching forty winks before tomorrow's synch testing.
Down in the EVA cages overhead transport rails were moving the Dummy Plug equipped entry plugs into their storage positions connecting them with a fresh supply of LCL to keep their core's alive.
If anyone had been present that night, they would have noted that Unit 01's characteristic aura of intimidation seemed to be missing.
Deep within Dummy Plug 00 the eyes of the Dummy were open . . . And filled with anger.
Shinji Ikari woke tired and dry mouthed.
Asuka Langley Soryu woke hungry and ready to kill said tired and dry mouthed Ikari.
And Rei Ayanami woke as she always did to the sound of construction, that was no big problem. It was a consistent part of her life, it did not bother her.
Shinji went about making breakfast for his three roommates, his drunk commanding officers, his bitchy fellow pilot, and a warm water penguin who happened to be one of his best mates.
Asuka went about her duty as Shinji's bitchy fellow pilot, namely chewing him out.
And Rei, well, Rei was just Rei, and went about her normal morning rituals, thankfully several miles from her comrades.
'It's a Saturday', Shinji thought to himself as he left the apartment Asuka not far ahead as they headed for Misato's parked Alpine. It had taken him a week to work up the courage but he finally was going to try and ask Ayanmi to go to a movie with him. Admittedly it had taken most of the last month to work up the courage, to work up that courage. Frankly the albino girl scared him nearly as much as she fascinated him.
He had already planned it out. He had even confirmed that Rei didn't have any extra testing today.
He sometimes wondered why she spent so much time with synch tests. It might have had something to do with her condition. He never asked and it would be hard to tell by how fit she was, but it was pretty obvious from the impressive number of medication's he'd seen in her apartment when he . . .
Shinji found himself blushing furiously and prayed Asuka wouldn't notice and ask for an explanation. Their were things that he really didn't want to remember about that day, and he was really hoping to get through the synch testing before being hit today. Instead he found himself focusing on the present, even if the present did have an irritated Asuka chewing him out. At least the day seemed like it was going to turn out well. Just one round of synch tests and the rest of the day for him to do with as he pleased. Nothing could be better than that.
The Tokyo-3 GeoFront was, to say the least, the penultimate human fortress. The perfect shield placed against the ultimate sword that was the Angels. Buried at its core was the HQ of NERV. Central Dogma.
It was rare event for the bridge of Central Dogma to be graced with the presence of commander Gendo Ikari, if graced was the right word. He had found himself with an extra hour with nothing more to do than sit on the bridge looking menacing. He had a well worn copy of Nietzsche's Beyond Good and Evil in one gloved hand but he wasn't really reading it.
He was spending his time thinking about his current scenario. So far everything was on schedule, the dummy plug system for Unit 01 would soon be fully functional. Which was fortunate, they would need it incase Shinji refused to fight the 13th.
It was a Saturday and half the GeoFront staff had found excuses to take the day off.. Most of that half were the bridge crew. Only Doctor Akagi and her assistant 2nd Lieutenant Ibuki were present on the bridge this morning. But even Fuyutsuki was away attending to other business and would not be back until tomorrow. This, he supposed, was what you got for hiring from the techno nerd dredges of society, but he could put up with it as long as they got the job done.
"Commander", a soft voice announced the arrival of Rei Ayanami.
Rei was the one living person that Gendo gave a damn about. That didn't stop him from seeing her as a tool, and a replaceable tool at that. But she was a tool that he took at least a little time to care for, after all she asked so little and gave her loyalty and affection so freely in return.
"Yes Rei?" He replied.
"Commander, I have a request."
He frowned as he turned to meet her, as much as he could frown considering his usual facial composure. Rei was in her school uniform, but why did she smell like LCL, and why were her arms bandaged like that. He had not been informed of her being injured.
Somebody in Section Two was dragging their ass, that would have to be dealt with.
"Very well Rei, what is-" Commander Ikari's words and train of thought were abruptly interrupted as he was overcome by the revelation that Rei had remarkable strong legs.
He slid from his chair, eyes crossed, clutching his groin.
"I would like an explanation . . . Ikari." Rei hissed coldly. Gendo had never heard her speak like that. In fact only one woman had ever been able to speak to him with that tone. He was so overcome by surprise and pain he forgot to be angry.
"Rei what do you think your doing" Doctor Akagi shouted. She was a blur of motion as she came rushing to the commanders aid.
"I want an explanation for what you've done to my son, and that poor Ayanami girl. If this is what you call a scenario then you were never the man I thought you were", Rei shouted angrily tears in her eyes. That did not stop those eyes from almost glowing with rage. She raised her hand to slap him, and was abruptly sent flying as Ritsuko tackled her to the floor. Already with a fast acting sedative in her hands. The dosage was probably a bit much, but who carried if Rei's IQ was twenty points bellow average after this was over with.
She was about to place the needle in Rei's pinned wrist when she reeled back. For the foremost expert on Rei's inhuman physiology she had not expected her to have such a hard skull. Ritsuko clutched her nose as blood pored from it.
By this time Gendo had regained enough of his composure by now to make sense of some of his situation. He drew himself to his full height. Rei ignoring the Doctor did the same, brushing off the front of her skirt as she did. "Rei, what is the meaning of this?"
Despite being a head and a half taller than her and outweighing her by a good ninety pounds Commander Ikari had the distinct feeling that he was failing to intimidate her. Unfortunately this didn't seem to work in reverse.
A sick smile played across Rei's face, it was hard to think of the pale girl as intimidating but at the moment she looked ready and able to kill.
"Gendo, you really should stop trying to stair me down", her voice was already growing horse due to the strain put on her weak vocal cords. She rubbed at her throat as she continued. "You always were a bit of pansy Gendo, seriously it took you a year to hop in bed with me after getting married. I distinctly remembered wondering if you intended to be a celibate."
Gendo's face went pale, his mouth went dry, and he had the feeling that if he hadn't been used to concealing his true motives from some of the most powerful men on earth he would probably have voided himself by now.
"Y-Yui?" Odd that . . . he couldn't remember the last time his voice had held such a quaver.
"Right in one Gendo no baka". Yui replied simply.
Ritsuko Akagi and Maya Ibuki just found themselves staring dumbly, the entire bridge was devoid of life other then a handful of Section Two agents who had now surrounded the seemingly insane Rei Ayanami. Even they seemed somewhat intimidated.
Gendo, supreme bastard king of NERV had two emotions going through his head that moment, one was joy. Their was little doubt in his mind, and he was trying very hard to doubt, that this was Yui. The other was dread, Yui seemed less then happy to see him.
"Sergeant, stand aside", Gendo ordered quietly. He walked slowly, and with a little difficulty he would likely be sore for several days. "Who are you to judge me . . ." Gendo said quietly.
". . .but my own conscience." Yui replied, still looking at him with anger.
Gendo nodded satisfied with the response. "All of you are to disavow all knowledge of this and leave immediately." The Section Two agents looked from one another nervously before filing out as the Commander ordered.
"Ms. Ibuki, Doctor Akagi, both of you should stay. Lock down the Magi sensors on the bridge now." The two unfortunate and now very confused souls did as they were ordered as well. Akagi tapped a command string into the system. "Ok, you have fifteen minutes, this isn't even going into the classified information section. As far as Casper is concerned none of this is happening. Now are you going to explain this Gendo, or do I need to beg."
Yui snorted slightly, "Gendo I can understand you needing someone to relieve the tension but did you have to choose Naoka's daughter. Admittedly I never expected her to turn out so bitchy."
Ritsuko's eyes widened. "Commander Ikari!"
Gendo raised his hand, "I don't think I understand either. All I'm sure of", he replied quietly, "Is that this . . . is Yui." His breathing was somewhat unsteady. He was certain it was his wife now, only one person had ever heard those words and he had only spoken them once.
"That's impossible, Yui was-"
"Trapped in Unit 01's core, yeah I know, and don't ask me how I'm out and about. I don't know either." She never let her cold stare leave Gendo. If looks had physical form then Gendo would be impaled on a red hot pin like an insect as Yui sadistically pulled his wings off. Though a very tiny part of his psyche was squeaking that he probably deserved that.
"I think I wanted to get out very badly, each time I synched with my son I wanted to be their for him more and more. The first thing I remember clearly is waking up last night crammed into the space under the seat of an entry plug with LCL surrounding me. I guess it took me about twenty minutes figuring out how to release myself. I got these", she motioned to her bandaged arms. "Pulling out a bunch of wires and feeder tubes imbedded in my arms and legs . . . I suppose that these are my arms and legs", she mused on her current physical condition.
"That doesn't explain how you managed to get clothed or find your way up here", Ritsuko countered, she was highly suspicious this was some sick joke Gendo had cooked up. Rei would follow his orders to the letter no matter how odd. She was going to get to the bottom of this.
She finally looked away from Gendo, the hate in her eyes subsiding as she sat down on the floor, spread her arms behind herself and closed her eyes. "I guess you wouldn't know what its like in their Ritsuko. Your a smart girl, you were even when I first met you. Your mother was very proud. But there is no way to truly explain it to someone who's never been their."
"Yui, please try", Gendo asked sincerely. He needed to know what his wife had been through. Part of him that had not surfaced in many years had taken control. The part of him that Yui had married.
"I felt them Gendo. I felt Shinji every time he synched, and I felt Rei during her cross synch test . . . She's a sweet girl, she doesn't deserve what you have planned, but she accepts it, you made her that way . . . I don't know if I can forgive you for that.
But every time they synch I get to see little parts of them and their memories and personalities. That how I know what's been going on Gendo. Its also how I know how the layout of the GeoFront had changed. And where to acquire spare clothes and bandages. Its fortunate for me that Rei knew so much about this place."
Ritsuko frowned, the answer made some sense but . . . "Its impossible for a soul to be removed from the core, even if you could get out the core would immediately try to pull you back. The only thing that would anchor your Ego Border would be another . . . Core.
"Rei's creation, is very similar to the EVAs, your soul must have been able to connect with Unit 01's dummy plug." Gendo thought out lowed.
"The only thing that would cling tighter to a soul then an EVAs core is Rei." Ritsuko concluded. "That . . . Shouldn't be possible." She bit her thumb, the synch spike during the dummy plug testing. "The system registered a 400 synch rate last night. But a dummy plug doesn't have any ego border. That was you asserting yourself in another body."
This was all making a scary sort of sense.
"Thank you for the explanation Ritsuko", Yui said cordially, she turned back to Gendo. "As for your 'scenario' I've had the better part of a decade to think and I refuse to let you carry on with it,." It was then that Gendo noted the slight, odd, stiffness with which she held her back.
Rei knew lots of things about the GeoFront, like the locations and combinations to the weapons lockers. The kinds of things that Yui would have found useful right now.
"I agree", Gendo replied honestly.
"I figured as- what?" She was startled.
"I agree," Gendo repeated "I have what I want back now I see no need to proceed." His eyes were tearing up, he pushed his glasses up to rub at his eyes. He had never before cried over the loss of his wife. But now she was back. And it didn't matter to him if she was trapped in the body of a fourteen year old Nephilim, he could talk to her. And he could spend time with her again. He no longer was reduced to hours spent late at nigh staring hatefully, longingly, into the eyes of Unit 01.
"That still depends Gendo, I can't say right now whether I want you back. Not to mention", she gestured to herself. "That my current condition would make our relationship rather awkward."
Gendo shook his head sadly. "I'm content just having you with me again, I ask nothing more. As for the rest, Yui, please let me try to redeem myself."
Yui just stared at him coldly Rei's blood red eyes gave her already intimidating glare a rather demonic affect, "we'll see Gendo, we'll see."
She seemed to take note of her surroundings for the first time. "So this is Central Dogma eh", seems a bit . . . Wasteful."
Ritsuko personally had to agree, all things considered Misato was happy with a command Van. And she got the job done. The NERV operations director had never called for spaciousness in her work place. Tremendous amounts of firepower, yes, space, not so much.
"Now then, when can I see my son." All three members of the NERV staff froze.
"Don't you think Shinji would be a little uneasy seeing you like this?" Gendo asked mildly. It was strange how quickly he could get back in the habit of trying to duck the wrath of the woman he had married.
"Gendo, I think the realization that he's essentially been sitting inside of me for the past few months is what's going to make him a little uneasy. Not that I've been reborn as a half angel doppleganger of a girl he has feelings for."
Gendo flinched, "I suppose he will have to know about the room of Gaff as well then . . ."
"No, too soon, I know my son Gendo, apparently better than you. He has a strong heart and he can take the truth, but too many revelations at once could confuse him. Both mentally and emotionally. We're going to need to ease him onto the idea, not just show him a . . . a . . . "
"Reiquarium?", Maya suggested.
"Exactly.", Yui agreed. "We have some time, we'll start him on some half truths, and work on from their."
"Very well", Gendo replied, "he will be here soon, about an hour. Major Katsuragi is bringing the children for a synch test . . . I suppose for now Unit 01 is useless" he mused idly. "We will debrief the children in my office."
"And the Major", Yui added.
"And the Major", Gendo agreed.
"Fair enough Gendo."
Yui looked about herself in disgust. "I could really use a Yebisu right now."
"I wouldn't advise that", Ritsuko said dryly. She pulled a small notebook from her lab coat, flipped through some pages and tossed it to Yui.
Her features were creased into a deep frown. "This looks like metabolic chemistry, but I'm not familiar enough with it. What does it all mean?"
"That's Rei's metabolism, and by extension yours. Essentially it says no alcohol, Rei has the constitution of your average daisy, and alcohol had some rather disturbing affects on her."
'At least Rei's a happy drunk', Ritsuko remembered when the girl had accidentally consumed some of Misato's sake, more distilled jet fuel admittedly.
After her first sip she was all over Ritsuko wanting to "have a good time" and attempting to kiss several NERV technicians. She'd ended up straddling Misato in a full body hug for half a day before she finally snapped out of it. She'd have a hangover for the rest of the week. Gendo had not been amused.
Since then Misato had been forbidden to ever imbibe Alcohol during working hours again. A rule that she had apparently not broken once since then.
'Well beggars cant be choosers.' Yui supposed.
"Why don't you pass the time while we wait for Shinji telling me what I can have . . . Rits. And maybe get some of it, I haven't had anything to eat in over a decade."
Ritsuko fixed Yui with a cold glare, this woman, girl, angel, whatever. She could already tell was going to piss her off.