Geofront, AEL Headquarters
October 22, 2041
1307 hours
"All systems online and operational. Tertiary synchronization achieved."
"How is the pilot doing?"
At her terminal, Maya scrolled down on the holographic screen before replying. – "All values are normal, no detectable noise. Neural response time is unchanged."
Behind her, Yui let out an almost silent sigh of relief. – "Excellent. Continue monitoring his state and report any abnormalities." – she ordered before giving a meaningful look to Sanada, who was waiting nearby.
"Yes, ma'am."
Unseen to the technicians, Yui and Sanada retreated to the back of the observation room. As soon as they were out of earshot, Yui turned to the doctor. – "I've looked over the data you sent me. I assume it's accurate?" – she asked with a hushed voice.
Sanada nodded. – "All of it based on what we observed, as well as what he said."
"The correlation between him and Rei is quite close." – she noted. – "Having her as cross-reference is useful, but we'll have to dig up the old files for anything definite."
"You're going to restart the project?"
"Of course not." – Yui replied immediately. – "We almost crossed a line back then. I've learned my lesson. Still, I have to know how much he developed in the past ten years and in what direction; it might help us avoid a repeat of what happened last time." – She glanced at Unit-01's form beyond the observation window. – "Though I honestly hope it won't come to that."
"What should I tell my staff? Sooner or later, someone will notice and start asking questions."
"No comment. If we explicitly order them to not discuss it, they will realize we're hiding something. Just tell them not to worry about it."
"Alright."
Neither of them noticed Rei standing on the other side of the observation room, facing the window but subtly watching the whispering adults from the corner of her eye.
She, of course, picked up every word with her enhanced senses. Rei also knew what they talked about; after all, it related to the very reason why she developed a general lack of trust towards other people. Both reasons, to be exact – and only one of them involved her directly.
She still remembered the most powerful emotions she felt in her adoptive mother when the latter took her in. Shame and remorse. As much as the woman took care of all her needs and as young as Rei herself was, she still realized that Yui was primarily driven by atonement, not love. That was ultimately why Rei never bonded with Yui as a daughter to her mother. And it's not like anyone was different in that regard: no one ever loved or appreciated her for who she was. It was always ultimately about objectifying her to satisfy their own desires, to get from her what they wanted without having to give up anything in return. Just a means to an end. Student, object of sexual fantasies, employee, test subject... the exact term didn't matter.
She hated it. She hated every time someone looked her way, even briefly. The trenchcoat could hide her body, but it couldn't hide her. A hostile attitude and appearance might scare people into leaving her alone, but it couldn't influence their thoughts. At times, Rei wanted nothing more than to run away and hide, out of sight and out of mind. Other times, she was sorely tempted to just massacre everyone in sight so that they would stop thinking about her – or even acknowledging her existence.
On the other hand, she ended up bonding with Lilith almost immediately upon being introduced. The scientists in charge of monitoring the AI's psychological development certainly didn't expect it, that much they both knew. Still, Rei reached out and Lilith reciprocated, the two naturally finding common ground in the nature of their existence. While Lilith had a friendly and polite attitude towards everyone, only with Rei did she share an almost familial connection – and on Rei's side, the AI felt to her like an elder sister she never had. No one else had ever gotten anywhere close to the point where Rei appreciated even their mere presence in her life.
Until recently, that is.
While it helped alleviate some of her doubts, her impromptu meeting with Kaworu two days before ultimately ended up raising even more questions than what she found answers for. Rei spent the next night devoid of sleep, silently staring at the ceiling of her room in the darkness as she pondered the recent revelations that shook her entire worldview – and not because of Tabris, an actual Angel, calling her beliefs into question. Rei always looked at religion as spiritual guidance, not a way of life. While she was an active practitioner and occasionally went to church after service to pray, the girl was not officially part of any congregation, partly because of the fact that her interpretation was not in line with any denominations she knew of.
Her reasoning for her unique interpretation of the scripture was simple: the source material was written by humans and humans are fallible, especially when it comes to recording the acts of a great person without embellishment. Therefore, the Bible shouldn't be trusted as perfectly accurate in all matters. That alone she knew would offend a great majority of priests and some of the more fervent congregations, hence why she chose to practice her beliefs by herself. And because not having been baptized meant she wouldn't be able to take part in liturgical rites anyway.
Then there was the other matter she discovered that day. All her life, Rei thought she was unique and thus, no one could possibly understand her. Him, however... he was just like her, even if he didn't know it. As far as Rei was concerned, he was the only person in the entire world who had even a slight chance of understanding her – and on some level, Rei desperately wanted to be accepted by that person.
That is why Rei eventually turned around and quietly walked to an unoccupied terminal in the corner. As an AEL employee, she had a MAGI user account and familiarity in its use. What very few people at the company knew was that Rei actually had top-level privileged access to the company's research archives, second only to Yui.
Bringing up the user interface, the girl first pulled up a communication log to Unit-01. Confirming that no actual person was currently monitoring the entry plug's audiovisual feed, Rei requested a secure communication channel. After a few seconds of delay – during which she knew Adam was evaluating the incoming request –, Kaworu's image popped up in a window.
"I have a request." – Rei said bluntly, not even bothering with a greeting.
Kaworu blinked in surprise at her sudden appearance. – "That's kinda abrupt. What is it?"
"May I accompany you to your home? There are certain issues I wish to discuss in private."
"The colonel's taking me home. Have you told him?"
"Not yet."
"What do you want to talk about anyway? I mean, can't you just say it right now?"
Without showing any outward signs, Rei briefly flashed her enhanced senses towards the adults in the room to verify she wasn't anyone's center of attention before continuing. – "It is meant for you only. Adam is monitoring the channel as well."
Kaworu sighed at that and glared at the top of the entry plug. – "It isn't nice to eavesdrop on people."
"Advisory: all inbound and outbound communications are parsed by this platform." – the AI replied. – "Communication protocols inoperable otherwise."
"So you're saying you can't help it?"
"Confirmation."
"Just a simple 'yes' would be enough." – He turned back to Rei. – "Anyway, I don't have a problem with you coming, but you should ask the colonel anyway, just in case."
Tokyo-2, Outer District 6
1752 hours
"So... welcome back home, kid." – Shephard quipped as he unlocked the apartment's door. – "Hope it's not a problem I haven't organized a welcoming party for you."
"No, it's fine. I'm not the partygoer type anyway."
"I guessed that." – The man glanced over Kaworu's shoulder, at Rei's dark form in the doorway. – "I didn't expect her to tag along, though."
"I will not stay for very long." – Rei replied, walking inside without pausing for even a moment.
Shephard shrugged nonchalantly. – "I don't have the slightest problem with you being here, but I'm not the one who owns this place. If he says you can stay, that's his call." – With that, he retreated to the kitchen.
As soon as the adult was out of earshot, Kaworu turned to Rei. – "Are you going to tell me what you wanted now, or should we go to my room?"
"I would prefer the privacy of your room."
Truth be told, Kaworu was also looking forward to being back in his usual quarters. Even an entire week couldn't make him get completely used to the infirmary, leaving him feel out of place. While he didn't live in the apartment for long either, at least it was a place he could call his own instead of being one where he only stayed at for someone else's convenience.
The only way to his room, however, passed by Asuka's room. And the occupant of said room evidently knew this, leaning against her own door's frame. – "And the prodigal son returns." – she remarked snidely when the two drew near. – "Or you'd prefer 'lost sheep'?"
"Neither, actually." – Kaworu shot back.
"And you even brought your girlfriend with you. Celebrating your discharge with a roll in the hay?"
Kaworu opened his mouth to answer but Rei beat him to it. – "I am not sexually attracted to him."
Asuka just smirked at that. – "Hear that? Even she thinks you're ugly."
"And she's not my girlfriend!" – Kaworu shot back again, his irritation rising.
The blonde just sighed and ducked back into her room with a dismissive wave. – "Sure, sure, whatever. Just keep it down." – With that, she slammed her door.
Only when she was out of sight did Kaworu released the groan of annoyance he's been holding back. – "Just ignore her. Seriously... what the hell is her problem?"
"She believes we are about to perform sexual acts in your room." – Rei deadpanned.
As weird as that statement sounded, Kaworu suspected he knew how she got that piece of information. – "And she calls me a pervert..." – he muttered under his breath.
The rest of the way to Kaworu's room thankfully went by without incident.
"Alright then... what did you want to talk to me so badly about?"
In response, Rei merely lifted a hand to eye level, palm facing upwards as if she was holding something. And before Kaworu could question, one of the smaller circuit boards on his desk abruptly flew into the air, coming to a stop in mid-air over her hand.
"...okay, that's pretty cool."
"I believed a physical demonstration was necessary to prove my claims from yesterday." – Rei said, twirling the board in the air. She then turned her back to him and held her hand to the side. The board immediately shot out towards Kaworu, only slowing down to orbit the startled teen's head a few times before returning to her. Then a screwdriver and a spool of soldering tin lifted off his desk as well, joining the board in a three-body orbit around her.
Before he could catch himself, Kaworu found himself asking – "How many of those can you hold up at once?"
"My personal record was fifteen separate objects."
That he didn't expect. – "Fifteen?! How the hell are you doing that?!"
"You are not capable of replicating it, then?"
"Of course not! I'm not a psychic."
"You are wrong." – Rei replied flatly. – "I sensed it in the infirmary. You possess this power as well, although you never seem to have used it."
Kaworu shook his head vigorously. – "You got it wrong. I don't have anything like this."
"Your ignorance of it explains why you are unable to use it yourself. Disuse has caused it to atrophy."
Cutting off his reply, Rei suddenly looked at the door and the objects around her all dropped to the ground.
"What is it?"
"We are being eavesdropped upon." – She looked back at him. – "Am I allowed to use physical violence in dissuading her from further interruptions?"
This time, Kaworu couldn't resist rolling his eyes in exasperation. – "Oh, for-... I don't think that'll be necessary." – Marching to the door, Kaworu loudly banged his fist on it. – "Get lost!"
"...you're no fun." – Asuka muttered on the other side before leaving.
Once he couldn't hear the intruder anymore, Kaworu returned his attention to Rei. – "Do you think she left?"
"For now. But not for good."
Kaworu sighed. – "She really thinks we're about to have sex, doesn't she?"
"Indeed."
For the sake of his own sanity, he decided a quick change of subject was in order. – "Anyway... you were saying you're psychic and can detect other psychics?"
"That is correct." – she confirmed.
"And you think I might be one too?"
"It is not a hypothesis. I know for certain that you are."
At that moment, something suddenly occurred to the boy and he pointed at the door. – "And that just now... you can sense normal people too?"
Rei nodded. – "That is where my suspicion initially arose from. Your presence is unlike the others'."
Kaworu mulled over that for a while. – "Even so..." – he said finally. – "what's the point, really? I have this but I can't use it, you said so yourself."
"You might still be able to restore it... with training. I am adept in its use and may be able to help."
"But why are you telling me this?" – he pressed. – "Hell, why are you even talking to me about this after asking me not to tell it to anyone?"
Expecting another deadpan reply, Kaworu was surprised to see Rei averting her eyes from him before quietly saying – "...I don't know."
"What?"
"We are alike, but... I... I can't explain. Your presence feels... odd."
Kaworu had seen Rei plenty of times. Never before, however, did he see her visibly hesitate with uncertainty – and a distant, deep corner of his mind felt strangely uneasy at seeing her like that.
Blinking at the sudden feeling, he shook his uneasiness off. – "You mean Tabris?"
"No. It is you in particular. I feel as if I have... always known you."
"...really?"
"Yes."
A long silence settled over the room.
Rei expected him to, among other things, call her crazy. What she didn't expect at all was to hear him chuckle. – "...that's really weird. I feel the same way about you."
Her head perked up at that. – "You do?"
"I first noticed it around the time when I went to your place. You know, when I saw your tattoo?"
Rei's expression hardened. – "I believe I told you not to mention it again."
"Don't worry, I haven't told anyone. I just found it strange, that's all. I mean, it's just like mine."
"...what are you talking about?"
"I have a tattoo on my arm too. It even looks like yours."
Kaworu didn't even see her arm move before he found himself staring down the barrel of her revolver.
"Are you mocking me?" – she asked with cold fury.
"Not at all."
"Then show me." – she demanded, gesturing with her weapon.
He didn't have the slightest idea what set her off like that. But for some reason, that tattoo seemed to agitate her to near-homicidal levels – and while he wasn't exactly scared from her sudden hostility, common sense told him not to antagonize anyone pointing a lethal weapon in his general direction. So he complied, unbuttoning his shirt and sliding it off his shoulder, mentally wondering whether she was jealous.
That train of thought was promptly derailed by the sound of her weapon hitting the floor, causing him to look up.
Kaworu honestly never would've thought that the pale girl could get even paler. But not only she did just that, her expression was one of complete and utter shock.
A moment later, she yanked his arm closer with a vice grip and practically screamed. – "WHERE DID YOU GET THIS?!" – she demanded.
"I don't know! I've always had it, for as long as I can remember!"
She let go of his arm at that... only to backpedal across the entire room before collapsing against the far wall, face veiled by her hair.
Kaworu opened his mouth to ask – "Is... something wro-"
"黙れ!" – she suddenly barked at him. Kaworu didn't understand what she said, but her tone was enough to get the meaning across: shut up.
She remained cowering on the ground in an almost fetal pose for several minutes, with only her quivering breathing making any sound at all. Eventually, Rei seemed to get a grasp on her composure and slowly got back to her feet, only to suddenly stride towards him with purpose. Her unreadable expression almost caused Kaworu to take a step backwards before she stepped up to him... and wordlessly pulled him into a bear hug.
Kaworu had absolutely nothing to say to that.
Confusion wasn't the only thing he felt, however. That hidden part of his brain he wasn't aware of before felt... content. Comfortable. As if a severed part of him just returned and healed the gaping wound it left, making him whole again. Kaworu was never the touchy-feely type but right now, he wanted her to be around. And for some unfathomable reason, he just knew she felt the exact same way.
They stood like that for what felt to him like an hour. Rei clung him as if her life depended on it and that hidden part nagged at him to not let her go, no matter what happens... especially when he felt a tremor run across her body, accompanied by the sound of a repressed sob.
She was crying.
And as soon as he made that realization, that unexplainable uneasiness reared its head again, albeit not drowning out the comfortableness.
'What the hell am I supposed to do?'
"...don't... do anything..." – he heard her force out between sobs. – "Just let... let me stay like this..."
So he did.
After what seemed like an eternity, Rei slowly detached from him and took a step back before briefly pushing her shades up to wipe her eyes with her sleeve. – "I will leave now." – she said quietly, he voice wavering.
He had absolutely no idea what was going on. But on some level, something had changed. He didn't know what or even how he knew; he just did.
"Will you attend school tomorrow?" – she asked suddenly, her voice still not quite returned to its former strength.
"I think so, yeah."
She looked up at him, head tilted just enough for their eyes to meet above the rim of her shades. – "The roof, lunch break. In private. There are things about us you have to know."
Chapter rewrite complete on 15/08/22.
I deliberately chose to not have Rei being part of any denomination. Partly to avoid showing preference for any over the the others and partly because while I can do research, I cannot with 100% accuracy get right the rites of any denomination other than my own.
The lengthy psychoanalysis in this chapter is meant to shed some light on Rei's new personality. She's nowhere near as tough and invincible as she seems – or to be more exact, she's tough, yes, but she is by no means one-dimensional. The trenchcoat she wears isn't just physical protection: it is a shell she wraps around herself. Her behavior at the end of the chapter is what happens if that shell momentarily cracks.
The expression Rei used indeed means 'shut up'. However, it is a sharply impolite and offensive form more akin to 'shut the hell up'; it's not quite profanity, but it's still radically unlike the polite speech register she tends to use (and uses all the time in canon). The very fact that she momentarily uses stronger-than-usual language should be a clue as to just how agitated she is at the time.
