Disclaimer: Same as Chapter 1.
Chapter 31: Acts of the Apostles
Misato stared at the Entry Plugs halfway submerged in LCL, then at the monitors showing each of the four pilots.
"...How's Asuka doing?" the Major asked Maya, who was giving the data readouts her complete attention. After a few moments, the younger girl indicated for her superior to see for herself. Misato stared at the data, her eyes widening in surprise.
"Is...is that even possible?"
"To be honest, Major, I'm just as surprised as you are," Maya admitted, "...but I'm sure Asuka will be glad to hear this."
"A-are you serious? Ninety-seven percent?"
Asuka stood in shock as Misato smiled at her, holding the sync test results out to the redhead. She took the folder and opened, to reveal that it was, in fact, true.
"Good job, Asuka. I'm glad you're feeling better." Misato's kind words did not reach the young girl, however. She was completely preoccupied by the feat she had managed to somehow accomplish.
I...I can't believe it...How did I get it so high again?
"Misato... Does this mean I can pilot again?" The violet-haired woman blanched, her mouth going slightly dry.
"How...how did you--"
"...I heard you talking about it the other day." Asuka looked down at the ground, slightly ashamed of herself. The girl's downcast expression surprised Misato, but she managed to recover her composure as she put a hand on her shoulder.
"Asuka...You don't have anything to feel bad about. I should have told you--you deserve that much, at least. And yes...I'll put you back on the roster immediately."
The original pilot of Unit-02 breathed a sigh of relief, then thanked the older woman as she headed towards the showers. She didn't see Misato's warm smile fade into a sober grimace as the Major considered the strange new shift in events. There was something wrong with all this. Asuka may have been talented, but there was no way she could have restored her sync ratio in only a few days.
...Well, at least I don't have to let Kaworu pilot anymore. After last time...I think I'd rather stick with Asuka.
Asuka met the silver-haired boy outside the men's showers, changed out of his black-and-red Plugsuit and into a white collared shirt and black slacks. She grabbed his arm anxiously and started to lead him towards the exit.
"...Let's go." Kaworu looked rather startled, but knew why she wanted to leave, so he said nothing. However, Shinji came out of the locker room a few minutes later. He barely glanced at Kaworu as he noticed the individual pulling him along.
"...Asuka?" The girl froze, realizing that there was no escape now. She took a deep breath, then turned around with a smile that screamed insencerity.
"Oh...Hi, Shinji." Shinji was too familiar with her two-faced nature to be fooled by a mere grin, however-- he now knew that Asuka must have found out about him and Rei. Neither of them said a thing after that, both feeling awkward beyond words. They simply stood where they were until the face Asuka least wanted to see in the world came around the corner. Rei was about to say something to Shinji (as she had planned to meet him there) when she noticed that her former roommate as well as Kaworu Nagisa were standing in the hallway. She shut her mouth instantly, sensing the uncomfortable atmosphere. Finally Shinji surprised everyone by breaking the ice.
"So, um...Asuka, did you want to come home for dinner?"
Only one thought was going through Asuka's head as she quietly ate the teriyaki vegetables Shinji had prepared.
Why the hell did I agree to this?
She had thought it would be awkward for her to be here at all, and she was absolutely correct. No one had bothered to make real conversation since they had arrived, only speaking when necessary or not at all. And sure enough, the sting of seeing Shinji and Rei together had not dissipated.
Well, at least Kaworu's here, she thought to herself.
Shinji had reluctantly invited the Fifth Child as well, upon prompting of a familiar glare of Asuka's and his own habitual curteousy. He couldn't pretend for a moment that being near Kaworu didn't feel uncomfortable, and he kept glancing nervously at him from across the table, as if he was planning to do something dangerous and was waiting for the moment when no one would be looking. The boy merely continued to eat, occasionally making sounds of satisfaction at the taste of the meal.
Both Rei and her male companion were feeling exceedingly uncomfortable until Asuka declared that she and Kaworu needed to head back, around 7:45. Rei was secretly relieved, but Shinji walked up to the redhead and grabbed her wrist.
"...Asuka, can I speak to you for a minute?" She barely had time to protest as he half-dragged her to his bedroom and slid the door shut, leaving a stunned Kaworu and Rei behind.
Asuka pulled her hand away from Shinji once they had stopped.
"...What do you want?" The boy didn't speak at first, as he tried to put what he wanted to say into words without pressing Asuka's buttons.
"Asuka...What are you doing with Kaworu?" Almost immediately he knew he had said the wrong thing. She had been looking at the floor sheepishly, but the instant he mentioned her current host her eyes flashed dangerously at him.
"...What does it matter if I'm staying with him?" She said, a bit of her trademark icyness sneaking into her voice. "Are you jealous, Shinji?" the redhead said with a not-too-hard-to-distinguish wicked grin on her face.
"Wha...? No, it's just that... Rei and I were worried about you. You just disappeared and never called us, and Misato said that you were at Hikari's but she said she hadn't seen you, so..." his voice trailed off nervously as Asuka defensiveness faded in spite of herself.
They... were worried about me?
"Besides...I...I don't think that you should be around him anymore."
With that, the relative passiveness Asuka had been demonstrating up to that point evaporated.
"...WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE! I'LL STAY WHEREVER THE HELL I DAMN WELL PLEASE, YOU BASTARD!" Asuka's outburst made Shinji, who already felt like he was walking on pins and needles, took a step back in the hopes that distance between him and the violent half-German might lessen the impact of her fury. It didn't.
"A-A-Asuka, I'm n-not trying t-t-to control y-y-you...I just think that you s-should be careful..."
"'Careful!' I don't need YOU to tell me that! And don't you DARE talk about Kaworu like that!" Asuka's anger was beginning to infect Shinji, who to both her and his surprise, straightened up slightly and began to yell at her with equal fury.
"Asuka, I know it sounds wierd-- maybe I'm just being paranoid, I don't know! All I do know is that you're my friend and I don't want you to get hurt by someone like him!" Asuka paused briefly and stared at him. Instead of feeling warmed by his sentiment, she was only getting angrier. She was finding it hard to believe she had ever liked ANYTHING about this pathetic, sniveling coward-- every good feeling that she had ever had about him was being tainted and distorted at this moment.
"SHUT UP, SHUT UP! KAWORU IS A GOOD PERSON-- HE WOULDN'T HURT A FLY!"
"HOW ARE YOU SO SURE ABOUT THAT!" Shinji yelled back. Asuka was struck speechless at this statement, unable to answer at first.
"...Because he's my friend," she said quietly and with a certainty that surprised even herself. She then turned her back on Shinji as she spoke again, in a cold, furious voice. "This conversation is over." Shinji only stared at her as she pushed the door open with a bang and stomped out.
God...I'm such an idiot...
Rei watched as Shinji and Asuka disappeared behind the door to his room, unable to ignore a strange ache in her chest that had occured when he had grabbed Asuka's hand.
...What is this? I know that he loves me, yet...I cannot help feeling this way when they are together.
"...Is something wrong?" Kaworu's voice broke Rei's train of thought. She turned her head to see that his hand was barely an inch from her shoulder. She knew that he was making an effort to show compassion for her, but she instinctively pushed his hand away before he could make contact. The silver-haired boy blinked in surprise at Rei's defensiveness.
"So...you don't like me either?" He said in reference to Shinji's attitude toward him, a smile playing on his lips. Rei shifted her head so that she could make eye contact with Kaworu, their red eyes clashing.
"...No. I apologize, but...I do not believe I could ever be your friend." She felt guilty for being so cold to someone she barely knew, but something inside her told her that he could not be trusted. To her surprise, Kaworu began to chuckle lightly to himself.
"How amusing...Shinji said the very same thing to me once." Rei said nothing, she only continued to stare at Kaworu with a bit of apprehension. "...I can see why you two get along so well."
"...Is there something you want to say to me?" the pale girl asked with a slight undertone of anger. She was becoming aggravated by him, though she wasn't sure why. He then gave her a cold grin.
"Only this: That you were a fool to become involved with him." Rei froze. Her anger disappeared, leaving her paralyzed by uncertainty as he continued to speak. "You sense it, don't you? You and him were not meant to share this world together."
...No...That can't be...
But Rei said nothing, she simply clenched her fists helplessly as Kaworu neared her.
"...Because you see..." he was so close now that only she could have heard him, "No matter what either of you may desire, you and I are the same...Sister."
Before she could even register what he had said, the sound of incoherent yelling drifted in from Shinji's room and both of them turned in the noise's direction. After a few minutes, Asuka burst in and grabbed Kaworu's wrist, making it clear she was ready to leave. She said nothing as her and Rei's eyes happened to meet, but if looks could kill, Rei would have fallen dead at that moment. Soon the door closed behind Asuka and her companion, leaving Rei and Shinji alone with their now troubled minds.