Disclaimer: Same as Chapter 1.
Chapter 16: Kings I
Gendo flashed his identification to the guards situated on both sides of the door to NERV's detention block. After walking for a few minutes he found the cell he was looking for, and entered the necessary code into the keypad. The steel door opened with a hiss, and light spilled into the dark cubicle. Inside sat Ritsuko, her back turned to the door and her head hung. She didn't turn around or make any sign that she noticed her lover; she simply spoke.
"...Did you know my cat died?"
Gendo ignored her odd statement, his mind focused only on a question he already knew the answer to, but was required to ask so as to maintain the secrecy of his knowledge.
"Doctor Ritsuko Akagi-- Why did you destroy the Dummy Plug system?"
"...I hadn't seen my cat in a long time...Now I know that I'll never see it again."
"Dr. Akagi, answer the question-- why did you destroy the cores of the Dummy Plugs?"
She smiled bitterly in the shadows, but the tone of her voice only served to reveal the twisted pleasure she had taken in her actions.
"...It wasn't the cores I destroyed...It was Rei!...Yui...Even reborn as that...THING... neither mother or I could ever..."
Gendo sighed, Ritsuko's babbling shedding some light on her motives as well as exasperating him.
"You disappoint me, Dr. Akagi."
"...I...'disappoint you'...?"
Before Gendo could react, Ritsuko had sprung up from her bench and had her hands at his throat. Within an instant guards appeared and aimed their weapons at the hysterical woman trying desperately to strangle the Commander. Overcoming his shock, Gendo used a free hand and used it to twist the doctor's right arm. Her grip slackened as she gritted her teeth in pain, and he let her fall unceremoniously to the floor. She glared up at him from her pathetic position on the cold ground, her left hand massaging her bruised right arm.
"I DISAPPOINTED YOU? YOU NEVER HAD ANY HOPES OR EXPECTATIONS OF ME TO START WITH! I WAS NOTHING!"
The Commander stared down at her coldly, the full fury of his gaze hidden behind his tinted lenses. When he spoke, it was as though nothing had happened.
"...If you will not speak, then our conversation is over. I have no time to waste on a tempramental child."
With that, he turned around, ignoring the demands of the guards regarding his health. The door shut behind him, locking Ritsuko into the darkness once again. Overcome with the knowledge of what she had tried to do, as well as the futility of it, she broke into angry tears.
"What...do I do now...Mother?..."
"...It would seem as though your plan did not come to fruition, Tabris."
"Indeed--rather than recover the true path, your actions have lead to a more grievous divergence."
Kaworu sighed, his eyes narrowed at the twelve monolith holograms that surrounded him.
"...I admit that the actions of the Third were quite unexpected. I...underestimated the strength of their connection."
"Mistakes are not to be tolerated-- not when one is following the predetermined will of the Divine."
"There was a reason we chose the path the Scrolls laid down for humanity."
"As far as prophecy goes, we are now entering unknown territory."
"At this point, Ikari's doll cannot be free to initiate Instrumentality-- she has changed too greatly from her original state."
"We cannot allow the son of Ikari and the daughter of Lilith to choose a future other than that which we have determined."
Kaworu smiled and chuckled to himself grimly.
"There are still ways to ensure that the Third's mind enters your desired state of being."
The members of SEELE were silent at Kaworu's words.
"...Explain your meaning, Tabris."
"...I mean... if the connection between the First and Third is indeed strong, then its strength can be turned against them. And if the Second were to suddenly return..." his smile widened ever so slightly, "...It could make things very interesting."
He then turned his head to stare directly at the chief monolith, thusly denoted by the '01' that was emblazoned in red on its glassy surface.
"...If the original path cannot be recovered...then we will simply shape this new one to reach the same destination."
Misato sat down at the kitchen table, in the middle of her daily beer-nursing ritual. But she didn't indulge in her natural inclination of yelling at the top of her lungs and singing the praises of fermented barley and hops; rather, her thoughts were on the two teenagers in the living room putting on their coats.
It had been one thing to find out that Rei was...not exactly normal. It had been an entirely different can of worms when she came home from NERV late last night her and Shinji sitting together, hands intertwined, on thecouch asleep.
To Shinji's apparent surprise, Misato did not tease him, or do anything that she normally would have involving him and a member of the opposite sex. In fact, she hadn't said anything to either of them since she had returned. It made Shinji a little worried, to say the least.
"Misato?"
There was no response from the kitchen.
"...Rei and I are going out for dinner, okay?"
When their guardian still didn't speak, Shinji sighed, then opened the door to let Rei go through first. Before he could follow her, Misato's voice came from the kitchen.
"Shinji-- can I talk to you, please?"
Rei turned her head in the voice's direction, wondering just what Misato wanted. She glanced at Shinji as he said he would. He noticed the curious look on Rei's face and turned to face her.
"...I'll just be a minute, okay?"
She nodded and closed the door after Shinji walked back into the house and to Misato's current position. She acknowledged his presence with her eyes, then finished her beer with a single swig before throwing the can into the trash a few feet away.
"...So... What are you two lovebirds doing today?"
She had her old mischevious grin on again, and Shinji had to smile.
I guess I just imagined it-- probably just had too much to do last night.
"Well," he rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment, " after dinner we're going to go for a walk. Not much."
Misato chuckled.
"Wow, Shinji, you're quite the romantic-- all that in one night?" She said with just a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
"Yeah, yeah, I know...but I'm still new to all this..." his eyes fell onto the ground, looking a little distant. He sighed, then waved at his guardian. "We won't be back too late, but don't wait up, okay?"
"Shinji...How long do you think this will last?"
On hearing Misato's voice suddenly turn serious, he stopped where he had been walking, his back to the older woman. Knowing that he was listening, Misato continued.
"...Do you think that the time you're spending with her now will change anything? How can you look her in the face at all, after what we found out? It's not even like she's human--"
"I DON'T CARE!"
Misato jumped slightly but otherwise did not move. She somehow couldn't believe that this was Shinji-- he never stood up for himself or anyone else, but since they had found out Rei was still alive,hehad startedto change. Not a dramatic change, but for him to defend Rei like that... it was definitely unexpected. An uncomfortable silence fell between them. Misato broke it with a sigh.
"...All right, I won't stop you... but... just don't get too attached to her, Shinji."
He didn't answer her, just walked around the corner. His footsteps echoed throughout the house, then were followed by the loud slamming of the front door. Misato let out another sigh, simultaneously smirking at how much she sounded like a tired old woman.
Looks like I'll have to do a little more snooping...
She took out a small object that looked like a medicinal pill, but was in fact a very tiny flash drive, and looked at it significantly. It was, after all, Kaji's last--and most important-- gift to her. Setting it back in her pocket, she looked at the watch on her left wrist.
"Hmph...well, work before pleasure, I suppose."
She went outside to her car, then sped off to NERV to begin her shift.
A/N: Hmm, lots of sighing in this chapter-- it's almost like an episode of Gundam Wing ; ) Anyway, I'll try to have another chapter done for today-- I meant to do a bunch yesterday, but I made the mistake of getting wrapped up in watching "Bleach"-- good stuff. Anyway, that's enough excuse-making from me, and I'll see you next chapter!