TRUE WAR
CHAPTER 14
BY WONGA316
COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER
I don't own Neon Genesis or any of its characters. If you want to use any ideas in the fiction just drop me an email –
AUTHOR'S NOTES
This is my first attempt at a Neon Genesis fan fiction, so please be gentle. This scenario doesn't take into account the final two movies / episodes and Touji never lost his limbs during this activation test. Some of the guys may seem OC to the die-hard fans. Sorry about this but I hope my ideas will make it worthwhile. Big thank you and applause to NateGold who proofread.
"…" Normal speech
(…) Thoughts
-…- Computer / phone / other chat (you will know what I mean…)
NERV HEADQUARTERS – HOSPITAL
The dull ache from his shoulder gradually brought him back to wakefulness, eyes slowly opening and focusing on a pale white ceiling easily recognizable from his past. A pale light from outside cast soft shadows across his face.
Shinji turned his head to find that the window curtains had been pulled open, revealing the early evening sky. He guessed that it wasn't late because the moon wasn't at its highest. Staring out into the peaceful night, he started to wonder.
(Is Eva right? Do I have to do this again? I know I can't keep on running away but is staying and piloting Eva the right thing to do?)
He tried to move his arms to push himself up when he found that both were held down. His left was heavily strapped and bandaged while the right hand was covered by a mess of indigo hair. It was Rei, asleep and resting her head on his hand, her breath tickling his skin. His attempts to sit up had wakened her. At first, she seemed unaware of her surroundings then her eyes met Shinji's.
"I'm glad you are awake." Rei said quietly. "You have been asleep for almost three days. You had us worried." She brushed some of his long bangs around from his face.
"Three days? How's Touji?" Shinji asked.
"Touji is fine. He only suffered a badly bruised sternum and was released from hospital after an over night stay for observation."
"I'm glad… that's good." Shinji grimaced as he tried to sit up.
"You have a dislocated shoulder. You should rest. Unnecessary motion will only aggravate your injury." Rei went to stop him from moving.
"Well, could you at least give me a hand getting to the toilet?" he grumped. She nodded, a light blush spreading across her cheeks. "Three days is a long time. What's been happening?"
"Someone came to see you the other day." Rei answered, motioning to the chair in the corner. A woman was slumped there, sleeping with a blanket draped over her.
"Aya! What is she doing here?" Shinji exclaimed, keeping his voice as low as possible.
"Since her arrival, she has spent almost her whole time by your side. Would you like me to wake her?" Rei said cradling Shinji's right arm and helping him to the bathroom.
"No… Let her sleep."
NERV HEADQUARTERS – CARPARK
Two lone figures stood in the shadows towards the rear of the parking lot, the many cars and poor lighting conditions making it difficult to distinguish their forms.
"Is that all we know at the moment?" Fuyutsuki asked.
"Afraid so… local authorities have begun their investigation of the accident. I have someone onsite to keep tabs on the situation."
"Good. Kaji, what do you make of this? A bus carrying Ikari being involved in an accident where all prisoners and driver are killed is just a little too convenient, especially since his execution was set for next month."
"Do you really want me to answer that?"
"Humour me." Kaji didn't answer as the headlights of a car shone past. He waited until the car left. "It's a setup. Why would they put Ikari with his high profile on a public prison bus for transfer with other prisoners? The bus lacked standard police escort and if he was being moved then the media would have been all over it."
"Yes. Media coverage of Ikari has died down since his court case. Prior to that he was the story of the decade. Someone's obviously pulling some major strings to keep a lid on it." Fuyutsuki agreed; his cell phone began ringing. Seconds later Kaji's started to ring as well.
UNDISCLOSED LOCATION – SEELE HEADQUARTERS
Keel was reviewing the battle footage of the fourth Angel on his monitor when an incoming signal appeared, informing him that he had a scrambled call. He minimised the screen and took the call. A small window with the word "secured" in bold red text appeared.
"It's me. I have news." The sleeper spoke.
"Go ahead."
"She left for Tokyo 3 a few days back. My informant on the inside reports that she has managed to make contact."
"Excellent. Monitor the situation and report in when required. Can your informant be trusted? I don't like the idea that more people know the plan."
"She can be trusted… I have some leverage against her."
"Very well. Did you receive the care package?"
"Yes but there was something extra. Is it what I think it is?"
"It's a replacement drive for Unit One's black box. Destroy the original."
"Infiltration and stealth are not my speciality. It has been a while since I've had to do something like this in the field. What's on it anyway?"
"You need not be concerned with that. Concentrate instead on your assignment. If you are unable to complete this task, I will be forced to find someone that will."
NERV HEADQUARTERS – EVA REPAIR BAYS
Kensuke watched the technicians shift the damaged Eva Units via dummy plug systems into position.
"Well I guess it's something to keep us busy for the next couple of weeks." Dr. Akagi commented, walking up next to the young scientist.
"More like a couple of months."
"I'm afraid we don't have that luxury. The commander has made the repairs to the Eva Units our top priority and wants them all to be battle ready in under a month."
"That's crazy! Replacing the chest armour alone will take at least two weeks!"
"Two attacks in just as many days has the UN council in a frenzy. They're worried the world is going to go back to the way it was during the first war with the Angels. Economic downturns and depressions are what they really fear. They've given us a blank chequebook and said get it done."
"Just your typical politicians worried about their careers." Yui added. Unknown to the two Nerv scientists, the Vice Commander had entered the room and heard the tail end of their discussion.
"Vice Commander." Ritsuko greeted her superior. "Has there been any news on Shinji's condition?"
"No. He's still asleep but the doctors have said that his injuries were relatively minor and that he should wake soon." replied Yui. "Kensuke, could I have a word with you in private please?" Ritsuko nodded ok and Kensuke followed Yui out of the room.
"What can I do for you, Vice Commander?"
"Kensuke, I need to know if Shinji was acting strange before getting into Unit One."
"Strange? What do you mean?" (Why would she be asking me this?)
"Anything odd or something that Shinji wouldn't normally do."
"Nothing really stands out… he was nervous but who wouldn't be?"
"Ok… Thanks." Yui paused for a moment. Kensuke felt uneasy under her gaze. "Have you had a chance to analyse the entry plug data?"
"Not yet. The Commander's made repairs top priority…"
"Don't worry about the Commander's order. I want you to check the black box and the entry plug footage. I'll let Dr. Akagi know so you won't be disturbed."
"Ah… Ok, but that extracting and collecting the data from all the Units is process intensive. Since Maji will also be used for diagnostics and reconfigurations, I think…"
"Don't concern yourself with the other Units. Just Unit One. Once you're finish, report to me directly and no one else." She turned quickly and walked down the hallway. Kensuke watched her retreating form (Man… This is getting thick…first I have to look up some Keel guy for Shinji and now his mom wants something done on the QT.) Deciding not to think about it too much, he re-entered the control room to start work.
"What are you doing Yui?" Misato muttered under her breath, as she stayed hidden around the corner. She was on her way to visit Shinji and had decided to stop by Ritsuko to check on the Eva's when she overheard their discussion.
NERV HEADQUARTERS – HOSPITAL ROOM
Shinji opened the bathroom door to have someone hug him tightly. He looked around to see Rei standing to the side and the chair which had held Aya's sleeping form now empty.
"Aya… a little air please?" He gasped. The elder woman pulled back from her hug and looked at him.
"Don't you know how to use a phone?!" She exclaimed. "I heard what happened on the news. You scared the shit out of me!"
"Sorry Aya. I didn't really have time to…" before Shinji could finish, he was over come by a wave of dizziness and disorientation. Aya quickly supported his weight and Rei rushed over to lend a hand.
"You have to rest." said Rei.
"Sorry… guess the Angel did a better job on me than I thought." Shinji tried to explain as he struggled to remain on his feet.
"I'll let mother and the doctor know that you are awake." Rei said before leaving Shinji and Aya alone.
"How did you know I was here?" He asked as he was helped back to bed.
"It's actually a funny story. When I heard about the second one of those Angel things and hadn't heard from you, I started to worry. So I told George to look after the pub and left for Tokyo 3."
"You left George in charge of the pub? Isn't that kind of like leaving the fox alone in the chicken house?"
"He's done it before for me; he's actually quite responsible when it comes to running it." Aya explained. "When I arrived, I went straight to the Nerv Headquarters but the idiot at the front gate wouldn't let me in. He kept going on about a state of emergency and that I had to get to a shelter."
"You should have gone to one of the shelters like he said. During an Angel attack it's the safest place to be for a civilian."
"I'll never go into one of those things after…" Aya stopped short of explaining her fear and hatred of the shelters after losing her family in a collapse during the fist Angel War.
"Sorry… I didn't mean…"
"It's all right! Don't worry about it." She brushed it away. "Anyway, these two science types were coming in and stopped to see what all the commotion was about."
"Scientists?"
"Yeah. One was a bleached blonde, and the other a nerdy kid with glasses. I can't remember their names, though." Shinji chuckled as much as his side would let him.
"Sounds like Ritsuko. Kensuke is the other one. I actually went to school with him. Both of them work on the Evas."
"Sounds about right. Well, they helped get me in and after that I meet Misato, I think that's her name, the Commander, some of your friends and your mother."
"You met mom?" Shinji asked (Great… this can't be good)
"Oh yeah! We talked for hours; got on like a house on fire. We decided to take turns watching over you until you woke. How come you never told me that your mother was still alive? I always thought that she passed away when you were young."
"That's a Nerv secret. If we told you, we would have to kill you." Yui said half-heartedly from the doorway. Rei stood by her side. Aya laughed at her response, not knowing how true Yui's comment was.
"You guys better have a moment. I'll be outside." Aya left Shinji's side and moved towards the door. Both women exchanged a pleasant smile, as they brushed passed.
"The doctor should be with you in a moment." Rei added before leaving with Aya.
"Mom, I'm…" Shinji began to apologies for his behaviour during the fight with the fourth Angel when Yui placed her finger across his mouth stopping him.
"Shhh… You don't have to apologize for anything."
"But…" Yui gently pulled Shinji into a hug, cutting him off again.
"Just promise me that you won't do anything like that again." She said, stroking his hair. "You were out for nearly three days. You had me worried sick. I was afraid that you'd never wake up." Yui's voice began breaking and Shinji felt tears fall onto the top of his head.
TOKYO 3 – KATSURAGI APARTMENT
"Get out of there! You've been in there for the nearly two hours." For the past week, the Katsuragi household had been a battleground of an entirely different sort.
"It takes time to prepare beauty like this." Mana's muffled voice came through the door.
"That's because you're so damned ugly it takes two hours just to powder your nose" Asuka shouted back. The bathroom door flew open, knocking her to the ground.
"What did you say, you German bitch?" Mana spat, sticking out her head. "Where the hell did she go?" She scanned the hallway looking for the source of her grief.
Asuka lay on the floor rubbing her forehead where the bathroom door connected. Muttering curses in a hybrid of German and Japanese, she kicked the bottom of the door, slamming Mana's head between the door and frame. She consequently fell back onto the bathroom-tiled floor.
Both were so occupied, they failed to hear the phone ring. Eventually the answering machine accepted the call. It was Rei Ayanami.
-Shinji is wake and allowed visitors- She was short and concise.
NERV HEADQUARTERS – HOSPITAL
"Who was that?" Aya asked, after Rei hung up the phone.
"Mother asked that I inform Pilot Sorhyu and Kirishima that Shinji has regained consciousness." She answered the older woman. In the distance, the sound of running feet grew increasingly louder. Both women looked down the hallway to see the amethyst haired major charging towards them.
Rei calmly walked towards Shinji's door and opened it for the oncoming Misato. "Thanks Rei!" Misato yelled as she rushed past and into the room.
"It's sometimes better to not get in the way of the Major in these situations." Rei offered an explanation to Aya.
"I see…" Not long after Misato's spectacular entrance, Hikari and the Doctor appeared.
"Hello Ayanami." Hikari greeted as she and the doctor walked past and into Shinji's room. "You two can come in as well if you like." Aya and Rei followed after.
"You can release him Major. I'd like to examine him" the doctor advised as he took in the scene before him. Yui had retreated to a visitor's chair when Misato entered the room, the memories from her imprisonment in Unit One reminding her of Misato's overreaction emotionally when it came to these situations. The major had Shinji trapped in one of patented bear hugs, crying his name.
"Major… his shoulder?" The doctor asked again.
"Oh, sorry." Misato replied climbing off Shinji and wiping her tears.
"Thank you." The doctor then turned to Shinji. "How are you feeling Shinji?"
"Like an over-squeezed orange" came the arch reply.
"Well, I can't do much about that but let's have a look at that wing of yours, shall we?" As he proceeded to test and probe the injured shoulder, Shinji's eyes locked onto Hikari's. She was standing aside by the medical cart. Her eyes spoke more than words ever could, a single tear expressing her appreciation and gratitude for Shinji's actions. He replied with an understanding nod when the doctor caused him to grimace.
"Sorry about that." The doctor apologized for causing the pain. "No severe muscle or ligament damage. Keep it in a sling for two weeks just to be safe. After that, come back and see me."
"Does that mean he's able to come home?" Yui asked the doctor.
"It does but no strenuous activities." He turned around and grabbed a bottle of pills from the tray that Hikari was holding. "If it really starts throbbing, take one and only one. These pain killers are particularly strong."
Shinji reached out for the pills when Yui's hand intercepted them. "Thank you doctor." She then turned to Shinji. "I'll get you some spare clothes. Then we can leave."
"All RIGHT! IT'S PARTY TIME!" Misato exclaimed.
"Major Katsuragi! Please keep your voice down. There are other patients in the hospital." Hikari reminded the Major.
"Oh, sorry Hikari. I just got a little excited about Shinji's welcome home party."
"I think it would be best if Shinji came home and rested. We can always have the party another night" said Yui.
"I actually feel alright mom. I think 3 days is more that enough rest." Shinji added, his comment drawing a concerned look from Yui. "It'll be nice to see everyone again outside Nerv after such a long time."
"For once I actually have to agree with the Major's idea of a party. You've all worked particularly hard these past couple of days. You should take this opportunity to unwind." Fuyutsuki chimed in from the doorway.
"A party's a great idea" Kaji said, walking past the commander into the room. "What do you say Misato? Am I invited?" he finished with one of his trademark grins.
"This party is for my Shin-chan and not for you." She rebuffed the head of Section Two. "Everyone else is invited."
"I'll inform the Ritsuko and her team that they can have the night off as well." Fuyutsuki said and the doctor followed up.
"You can finish your shift early as well Hikari. You go and enjoy yourself."
"Really? Thank you sir" She replied and bowed formally.
"All right! I'll ring the girls and tell them to start getting ready. We may need to pick up a few things but we can do that along the way…" Misato started rattling off things she had to do to prepare the get together.
"Major, earlier I attempted…" Rei tried to explain that her earlier phone call to the Katsuragi household was unsuccessful but Misato was preoccupied with her own thoughts.
"Ok! I'll see you later Shin-chan!" She waved and blew a playful kiss to Shinji before leaving. "You're welcome to come along as well Aya."
(Why does she have to call me that in front of everyone?)
TOKYO 3 – KATSURAGI HOUSEHOLD
The bathroom confrontation between Asuka and Mana had escalated into open warfare. They had moved into the kitchen, both pilots wielding their weapon of choice. Asuka had armed herself with a broomstick while Mana had a saucepan in each hand. Both were sporting battle scars from their earlier skirmish.
"HA! What makes you think you can take me down?" Asuka snarled.
"It shouldn't take much to put in your place. After all, you weren't much of a help to Shinji during the last battle." Mana fired back. She had hit two tender subjects to the German – Shinji and Eva. Asuka smashed the broomstick against the tabletop that separated them.
"What did you say?!"
"You heard me! If you knew how to handle your Eva, Shinji wouldn't be in hospital!"
"That's it, you stupid bitch!" Asuka quickly rounded the table and swung her broomstick back. She had targeted Mana's skull when Misato's voice broke her concentration.
"I'm home, girls!" She walked into the kitchen carrying two over flowing shopping bags. Asuka and Mana quickly hid their makeshift weapons behind their backs. It was a rather poor attempt of acting normally.
"Hi Misato" They both replied.
"Don't just stand there. Come and give me a hand." She was struggling with the load of groceries. "Why didn't either of you answer the phone? You two weren't fighting again?"
"What's with all the stuff? Didn't you just go grocery shopping the other day?" Asuka ignored Misato's question and threw her broomstick into the corner. She went over and grabbed one of the bags.
"All this is for my Shin-chan."
"What are you talking about? The baka is still loafing around in hospital." Asuka replied.
"Shinji? But all this is just junk and party food. Don't we have enough of this around here?" Mana added, inspecting another bag.
"Hello? Where is everyone?" A familiar voice came from the hallway.
"We're in here, in the kitchen." Misato shouted back. Yui entered the kitchen carrying two more overstuffed grocery bags.
"Don't you think that we brought too much? We're not feeding an army." Yui asked.
"Yeah but the commander said we could have a party and that means I'm allowed to use this." Misato reached into her pocket and flashed her Nerv issued credit card. "And since Nerv was paying, I added some personal items."
"Why would the commander agree to a party?" asked Mana, now thoroughly confused.
"Please be careful, Shinji-kun." Rei said from the front door supporting the young man, even though he didn't require any assistance. "Remember, the doctor has given instructions to rest." Asuka and Mana quickly shoved and pushed each other to reach the hallway to confirm what they both thought.
"You don't need to baby me, Rei. I'm not exactly crippled." Since leaving the hospital, Rei had remained very close to Shinji, worrying about him excessively. They still hadn't noticed Mana or Asuka standing before them.
NERV HEADQUARTERS – EVA REPAIR BAYS
Kensuke was at his terminal, downloading the data from Unit One. While waiting for the download to complete, he quickly looked over his shoulder. He ensured that no one could see what he was doing and switched windows to the illegal search he was conducting on Keel.
(Nothing yet… hang on, what's this? Access denied. Level 6 clearance required… hmmm… Let's try this…)
He pulled a disk from his inner pocket and loaded it into the console. It contained a backdoor program that he created himself.
(This should work… Come on. Hurry up.)
Moment later the screen changed and the secured file opened. He quickly ejected his disk and replaced it with a blank, copying its content. The hiss of the door opening forced him to flick back to the Unit One download process. He turned around to see Commander Fuyutsuki.
"Mr. Aida, do you know where Dr. Akagi is?" The elder man asked.
"Ah… I think she is with Unit Zero, on the lower platform." Kensuke answered. Fuyutsuki walked over to him and took a look at what he was doing.
"You're downloading the battle data from Unit One. I ordered all efforts to be concentrated on repairs and not analysis."
"Vice Commander Ikari ordered that I do this as a priority."
(Yui asked for this? Hmmm… is she genuinely worried about Shinji or is there something she is hiding?) "Very well, continue with your work. But you can leave this till tomorrow. The Major is holding a celebration. Everyone has been working hard and could do with a break from the norm."
"Ok. Thank you, sir." Kensuke saluted the commander. He waited until Fuyutsuki left the room before removing the copied disk and turning off his terminal.
TOKYO 3 – KATSURAGI APARTMENT
The music was playing loudly and the lights burning bright from Misato's apartment. Inside the adults were gathered together in the kitchen talking among themselves. The children, or rather former children were in the main living room arguing.
"Sounds like Shinji has become rather popular…" Kaji observed, as the voices of Asuka and Mana carried into the kitchen.
"Who said that you could come?" Misato asked bitterly taking a swig from her can.
"Shinji asked if I was coming, so naturally I couldn't leave the young lad alone with all you women. He wouldn't last two minutes." He replied. "I hope that's alcohol free." Kaji motioned to Misato's drink.
"It's a light beer and I don't need you checking what I drink every second!" She spat back.
"I just don't you going back to the way things were. Is it a crime to worry about my woman?"
"I'm not your woman!"
"What does Kaji mean by 'the way things were'?" Shinji asked as he rummaged through one of the shopping bags.
"Shinji?! When did you come in?" Misato questioned, surprised by her former charges appearance.
"We ran out of snacks. Plus I needed a break from the fighting." He pulled out a bag of chips and placed it under his good arm. "So are you going to tell me what you and Kaji were talking about?"
"Oh that was nothing…" Misato replied, brushing the question aside. "Actually, Shinji… why don't you stay with me? There's plenty of snacks here and maybe something more if you'd like?" Her voice changed from hesitant to seductive in an instant as she delicately traced circles on his chest.
"You should be ashamed of yourself. An old hag like yourself should stick to men in your own age group." Asuka interrupted. "And you! I bet you like having Misato all over you! How hard is it to get a bag of chips?" she pointed and accused the young man.
"We were just talking?" (Why does she always have to get worked up?)
"Just talking?! You're still a hentai, plain and simple."
"Sounds to me like there is a little jealously in the air?" Yui threw in. "What do you think Aya?"
"It does seem like that. I never knew Shinji was so popular. I knew he was a hit with girls when he would help out behind the bar from time to time but he never spoke about his past girlfriends."
"Has my Shin-chan been cheating on me?" Misato pretended to sound upset and shock. "Oh, I'm heartbroken?"
"What's this about you sleazing about bars preying on young girls?" Asuka demanded Shinji.
(I've never seen him this nervous. This actually gives me an idea.) "There was this one time when I caught Shinji in the store room with …" She motion Yui and Kaji to lean towards her as she began telling the juicy details. Her comment was more than Asuka could take.
"That's it! You're coming with me third!" She grabbed his healthy arm and yanked him out of the kitchen back into the living room, leaving a trail of chips on the floor.
"Tell me! Tell me! And don't leave out any detail." Misato didn't want to be left out of the gossip.
"Don't worry Misato. I never caught Shinji in the storeroom with a girl. I just wanted to stir things up a bit." Aya explained.
"Oh man… You got me all worked up over nothing."
"But that doesn't mean he never had girl or girls in the storeroom. He is a resourceful person and could have done it without you knowing, Aya." Kaji added.
"What are you trying to say my baby boy isn't sweet and innocent anymore?" Yui half-heartedly asked Kaji.
"Well, he isn't exactly a baby boy now, is he?" His remark caused everyone to share a laugh and miss the doorbell. The interruption is what Shinji needed to get away from Asuka's interrogation, Mana's advances and Rei's overly attentive care. He rushed to the door and opened it to find Touji, Hikari and Kensuke.
"Oh thank god, the cavalry has arrived! You have to help me." He greeted and then dragged them into the living room. Shinji hoped their presence would divert the attention that he was getting and it worked to a certain extent. Asuka pulled Hikari aside for some girl talk while Kensuke and Mana started an animated conversation about Evangelions and everything Eva related. Shinji breathed a sigh of relief, which was noticed by Touji.
"You should learn to relax more. It's a party after all."
"That's easier said than done, especially with a bunch of hungry women proclaiming you catch of the day" Shinji responded. "How are you feeling? I heard that your sternum was bruised or something."
"Yeah, nothing serious. The doc said no piloting for a while so I guess I'm on the side lines with you, buddy." He placed a playful slap on Shinji's back. "I've got to thank you, man. You really saved my arse out there."
Shinji didn't really know how to reply. Instead he asked another question, changing the subject. "Did you have a chance to talk with Hikari?"
"About what?"
"You know… The stuff we talked about in the locker room."
"Oh that stuff… nah. But she has been acting little weird. I guess what happened with the fourth angel scared her a little more than usual."
(Hikari hasn't mentioned anything about the baby yet.)
"Hey Kensuke! Did Ritsuko and the others say that they were coming?" Misato's head stretched out from the kitchen to ask the young scientist the question.
"They had to finish up. They should be here soon. I think the commander said he might drop by as well." He yelled back.
"The commander is coming? I didn't think parties were his sort of thing." Shinji added.
"Fuyutsuki is much more laid back than Ikari. He doesn't have a stick up his…" Misato stopped herself when she noticed the look in Shinji's eyes when she mentioned his father. "Oh Shinji… I'm sorry. I didn't mean…"
"It's alright. Excuse me; I'm going to get some fresh air." Shinji quickly stood and went out to the balcony.
"Shinji! Wait! Please!" Misato stumbled backwards out of her chair and followed him.
KATSURAGI APARTMENT – ASUKA'S ROOM
"You took your sweet time getting here. You know how hard it is keeping wonder girl and that new bitch away from Shinji." Asuka expressed half annoyed and frustrated.
"Sorry Asuka. I had to wait for Kensuke and then go home to pick up Touji." Hikari knew that Asuka wasn't getting upset with her but the situation. "So what have Mana and Rei done?"
"Haven't you been listening? They are all over Shinji like a rash."
"I think Rei is genuinely concerned for Shinji as a sister. As for Mana…you can't be scared of a little competition."
"I'm being serious, Hikari! This is no joke."
"So you do admit you have feelings for Shinji. I always knew you did!
"What!? That's… that's not true!"
"Well, I can't help you if you can't admit the truth."
"Arrrgh! Fine…"
KATSURAGI APARTMENT – BALCONY
(I shouldn't be upset with what Misato said but on the other hand why do I feel like it does. He never gave a crap about me when I was piloting. Why should I care about him now… Hey what ever happened to his punishment? I haven't seen or heard anything on the news lately. Then again I've been asleep for the past three days. Maybe I should ask mom. Nah, better ask Fuyutsuki.)
"Shinji? Shinji?" Misato's worried voice broke his train of thought. He didn't turn around but remained against the balcony railing looking up at the night sky. "Shinji… I'm really sorry. I didn't mean what I said." She approached and placed a hand on his shoulder. To her surprise he didn't really react to her touch. In the past, the gentle touch of her hand would normally cause Shinji to shutter and react nervously.
"It's a nice night." He commented.
"Huh… yeah… It is. Why don't you come back inside? You wouldn't want everyone to think that we're making out under the moonlight." Misato tried to lighten the mood. Her hand slid across the top of his shoulders and pulled him against her side. As she did this Shinji noticed the can of Yebisu she was carrying.
(Light beer? I always thought she hated the light stuff) "When did you switch to light Yebisu? You on a diet or something?"
"Oh, this?" She raised the can and shook its half empty contents. "Well… Ah… I'm not getting any younger. Do you think I need to go on diet? Is there something you don't like about my figure?"
"That's not what I said. I just noticed you were drinking light."
"So you do like my figure?" She changed into a sexy pose.
"Will you stop changing what I say and be serious for a moment?" He said with a hint of irritation behind his voice. Shinji moved from the railing to the one of the lounge chairs.
Misato noticed the change and decided to comply. "I hit really bad patch a while ago. I hit rock bottom. Nothing mattered to me anymore. I just wanted to drink my problems away and for a time the problems did go away but I didn't think how my actions affected other people around me. I nearly lost everything I worked and stood for."
(What's this? Hang on Touji and Ken mention Misato had problems. Could this be…?)
"It took me a long time to realise that blaming and feeling sorry for myself doesn't fix anything. I had to be strong for the ones that depended on me and be strong for you."
"For me?"
"Hahaha… I guess I've talked enough about myself. You have better things to do than to listen to my petty little problems. Come on, you better get inside before you catch a cold." She turned towards the door.
"Hey Misato, wait up." Misato stopped in her tracks. "I never blamed you for anything. You were the only person that never looked at me as just a pilot back then. You were the first person that I could call family. I'm sorry… It's because of me, you had…"
"No Shinji. You can't be responsible for other people's actions or decisions. At the end of the day, the buck stops with yourself and no one else. But is it good to hear say those words. It means a lot to me." Her voice then changed to her usually playful self. "You know if I was only ten years younger. You'd be in a lot of trouble, young man."
"Nah… I prefer it if I was ten years older. That way you wouldn't have to change. I think you're prefect the way you are, Misato. And by the way, I don't think you need a diet." He got up and walked past Misato. He noticed that she wasn't following and turned around to see what was happening.
"OH SHINJI!" She cried and pulled him into a bear hug.
"All right, all right! Misato, do you have to always get so damned emotional when we talk?" Shinji squirmed to break the hold.
"Shinji! That's the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me!" Misato cried happily as she tightened the hug. The flicker of a spot light and the red dot of a camcorder got their attention. It was Kensuke.
"Way to go Shinji!" He pumped his free fist into the air while still holding the camera. "You're the man!"
"What's going on? / Let me look / What do we have here?" While Shinji and Misato were on the balcony, the bridge crew and Ritsuko arrived. Aya and Touji also decided to stick their noses in to see what was going on.
KATSURAGI HOUSEHOLD – OUTSIDE THE FRONT DOOR
"What can I do for you Sensei?" Yui asked casually.
"I hate to bring up official business during times like this but this is something that couldn't wait. Can you tell me why you ordered Aida to collate the battle and entry plug data from Unit One when I specifically ordered the repair and restoration of the Evas as priority?"
"How did you know?" She sounded shocked and surprised.
"That's not important. What is important is why you thought it was appropriate to override my decision?"
"You wouldn't understand. You're not a parent so you don't have a clue."
(Is that the truth, Yui?) "Maybe not. But I do understand that we are at war, and I cannot have personal relationships clouding the judgement of my people. I understand he's your son. I know what you and your family have been through, but you have to understand where I'm coming from."
"There is nothing wrong with my judgement."
"Field reports from the fourth suggest otherwise. In any case, Shinji has not indicated that he will continue piloting so you may consider this a warning. Please don't force me to use stronger measures."
"Are you threatening me? Do you think Nerv can win the war without myself, Shinji or Rei?"
"I'll say that you're threatening me, Vice Commander. Are you hiding something from me? Something about Unit One and Shinji?" They both just stood there, calling the other's buff.
END OF CHAPTER
