I do not own the rights to Neon Genesis Evangelion, or any of the characters, equipment, or locations written in this fanfiction. The purpose of this fanfiction is merely for the non-profit enjoyment of other readers. If requested by Gainax, Hideki Anno, or other parties which represent aforementioned objects in this story, I will remove it promptly.
Chapter IX:
Misato was shocked to say the least. It was amusing watching the major just sit back in the living room sofa, completely frozen in silence as she slowly processed everything I had told her. This was not one of those moments when the character sweat-drops, their jaw hangs ridiculously unhinged, or their eyes are drawn wide as white ovals in the anime. This was real. The best way to describe her reaction is something along the lines of Robert DeNiro in Ronin, whenever he is staring at a situation preceding the action, knowing something is terribly wrong.
Hikari was there, too. While Katsuragi didn't want her to hear anything classified, she was forced to accept it, as the barrel of the Jericho pistol was aimed towards her chest. "I do not want to do this, but you leave me few options," I spoke quietly, my voice reverberating in a low, echoing grunt. "Hikari needs to know, and if you will not translate, I am certain Asuka will."
"You cannot do this!" the major snapped angrily. "Do you think Section Two will simply sit and wait? They know what you are doing."
I cocked the hammer of the pistol, and reached forward, taking Misato's beer from the table. "It will not help you process the information. Besides, I'm doing you a favor."
"How do you call this a favor?" the major huffed, turning her head away, staring off towards her bedroom. Ritsuko had started sobbing again, and Misato was tempted to comfort her friend. Of course, she knew I would shoot her before she could stand.
"I call it a favor," I started, "because if I drop my guard, and that's a very big if, you will need all your coordination to do it." The woman hated to admit it, but she didn't have to. She knew I was right. "You realize if you keep up this drinking habit of yours, your liver will not handle alcohol later on in life. Then again, I bet you would get a LOT of money if you turned in all those aluminum cans for recycling."
"What are you going to do about Ritsuko?"
"If you will contact the appropriate department of NERV headquarters, I wish to have an apartment of my own, in a residential zone with a high crime rate. Let us say, high enough Section Two will be a little weary to enter the area of operations? She will live with me, as was the arrangement beforehand, but no one except us will know she is alive." Deciding now would be a moment to show a sign of trust and kindness, I returned the pistol to the shoulder holster.
It was important, however, to negotiate from a position of strength. If for any moment Misato and the others thought I was weak, my negotiations would be seen as pleading. Hikari's shoulders drooped as she sighed deeply, the tension of the situation easing once the weapon had been put away.
"Are you serious?" Misato asked, her eyes glaring in anger.
"Quite serious," I answered. "I also must speak with Kensuke Aida and Toji Suzahara as soon as possible." At the mention of the Fourth Child's name, Hikari flinched, glancing at the floor. "Finally, I must have a meeting with the commander before I return to active duty."
Katsuragi scowled, but slowly gave in. "Alright," she answered. "I will make the arrangements, if only for Ritsuko." I rose to my feet, and gave as polite and coordinated a bow as possible, before sitting back down, and informing the two of the deadly secrets which could prevent the end of the world.
•••••••••••••
"Doctor Akagi?" I asked, walking into Misato's bedroom. The lights were off, but I knew she was in there. I could hear her breathing, and it wasn't the soft, peacefully resting kind. The erratic gasps for air, as well as the muffled sobs indicated she was quite awake. "Ritsuko, NERV thinks you are dead."
"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" she shot back angrily. The woman rose up from her prone position on the bed to meet my eyes. Taking a short breath, I sat on the opposite side of the bed, my back to the doctor. "Well," she demanded, "is it?"
"Rokubungi will not get to you any longer," I answered. Turning to face her, I stared angrily. "I will personally see to it." Just thinking about Gendo "Ikari" made me want to crush him with Unit-02. There was nothing powerful or unique about him. He was just another punk that needed someone like Dirty Harry to ask the vital question.
Remembering the other pistol I had taken, I reached under the bed. Misato never did suspect I would be foolish enough to stash confiscated hardware in her own bedroom. That is why it was the perfect hiding place. Ejecting the magazine and racking the slide back to empty the chamber of the remaining live round, I handed the pistol to Ritsuko. "You know how to use one of these?" I asked.
Akagi nodded.
"Do you know the proper way to use one of these?" I replied. Now the doctor shook her head. "I will teach you, but we need a secluded place to practice. More importantly, we need to invent your new identity." Standing to my feet, I turned the lights to the bedroom on. It was then I saw how badly Ritsuko had been attacked. The bruises over her face were the primary target, patches of her skin turning into purple swelling masses. The doctor's eyelids were swollen, and slight traces of blood had dried around her mouth. I must have reacted too visibly, as she cringed and hid her face.
"I must look awful," the doctor mumbled, burying her head into the pillow damp with her tears. As she crawled back into the bed, pulling her legs to her chest, I noticed the pistol creep slowly in her hands towards her face. Immediately I gripped the pistol's barrel, slipping the weapon out from between her fingers. Setting the Jericho on the nearby night stand, I sat beside the woman, resting my hand on her shoulder.
"You look fine," I whispered, trying to smile with my bruised, battered face. "Your injuries will heal with time." I couldn't honestly think of anything else to say. Ritsuko was suffering, Asuka was suffering, and I was fairly certain Shinji was suffering because he felt he couldn't do anything to help the people around him. I didn't mind being the strong one, but I could only take being strong for so many people. It was time to straighten this mess out. "Just wait here."
Walking out to the hallway, I could see a faint hint of light coming from Shinji's room, and the sound of his S-DAT's motor whirring indicated he was listening to whatever was on that tape of his. Approaching the major, I was informed Asuka chose to follow Shinji's example. Hikari was speaking to the major, and was just about to leave when I made my way to Asuka's bedroom door.
"Hey, Asuka, got a minute?" I called out. Knocking a couple times on the door just incase she didn't hear me, I was immediately greeted with cries of "go away", and "you little bitch!" As such, I responded the only way I knew how. I threw the door open, dislodging it from it's tracks, and stepped in to receive a barrage of insults.
"What part of 'go away' don't you understand?" the redhead screamed.
"I think both parts," I answered. Leaning against the wall next to Asuka's bedside, I avoided all eye contact, as the redhead was wearing only her white sleepshirt. However, once seeing the pistol I was carrying, she simply pulled the covers over her head.
"Why are you here?" she grumbled.
"Asuka, I am really sorry about what happened." There was no startled reaction from the redhead, but instead, Soryu pulled the covers tighter over her. "I thought I could prevent the attack from happening, but no one would believe me."
"Is that supposed to change anything?" she growled, beginning to sob. "That... Wondergirl saved me... I had to rely on her to save me!"
"Asuka, it was nothing personal," I tried to reassure her. "Rei is the only one with that level of control with the Eva. She is also the only one who knows most of NERV's darker secrets." This seemed to get the girl's attention. "And before you start talking about how she receives special treatment, you should be aware just what kind of treatment that is." I sat on the bed, bracing myself for a swift kick to the face, but there was no violent response from the girl.
"Just what could she be that makes her so importa-"
"She's an Angel, Asuka," I interrupted. The Second Child immediately bolted, sitting up in her bed, eyes wide. Her cheeks were streaked with tears, but she didn't seem to care any longer. "The Angel, Adam, that awoke in Antarctica causing the Second Impact, wasn't the only Angel found there during the Katsuragi Expedition. There was another, similar being, called Lillith."
Asuka was listening intently now, her fists clenching the top edge of her blankets. "What if I told you the Sixth Angel that showed up during Unit-02's arrival was following an embryonic state of Adam, which Kaji was delivering to headquarters? You see, if an Angel comes in contact with Adam, that initiates Third Impact, which, I can assure you, is far more destructive than anything mankind has seen before."
"You're telling me Wondergirl is an Angel, and we allow her to kill her own kind?"
"Not precisely," I replied. "Rei is a clone of Shinji's mother, who, as I mentioned before, was absorbed into Evangelion Unit-01." Soryu remembered how I loosely mentioned this beforehand, her mind presumably still cloudy from her assault. "You see, for the dummy plug system to work, simulated data and a false or echo of a human presence in the entry plug is required. Rei was created for that purpose, but the commander went one step further."
•••••••••••••
I saw quite a few different reactions from the girl as I continued the story. Most of the reactions, however, were of disgust and hate. "There is an old saying, Asuka," I said. "Perhaps you know it. It goes we have met the enemy..."
"And they are us," the girl breathed softly, her eyes dull, lifeless.
I nodded. "If Seele gets their way, every human being will die and be reabsorbed to form the Eighteenth Angel. If Gendo takes control, however, mankind will be saved extinction, only with Seele left behind to threaten the world again. Also, we can't say for certain Human Instrumentality will be prevented if the commander gets his way." I took a deep breath, and looked the girl straight in the eye, the first time I had done so during our conversation. "However, if we take control, we can set things right."
"Just why should I help you?" Asuka muttered, pulling her knees to her chest. She was crying again. "There's... nothing left for me to live for. Is that it? You're here to laugh at me, because I suffered more than you?" To me, there is nothing wrong with suicide, but there are wrong reasons for it. Hesitantly, I approached the girl. "Just... leave me alone!"
"If you do not want to help, that is fine," I answered softly. "However, I will have a hard time trying to talk to Shinji. You know he doesn't understand a word of English? Perhaps it's my pronunciation."
"So that's it?" the girl snapped, her tears falling faster. "I'm just a translator to you?"
"No, but I would appreciate the help. I only took this job because whether you recover or not, someone needs to stop the upcoming attack."
"You mean piloting Unit-02, is that it?" The German girl went quiet now, pulling her limbs closer, starting to rock slightly in an attempt to comfort her. "God, am I that worthless?" Shaking my head, I felt it was time to inform her of my intentions.
"No, you aren't worthless," I answered. "Your piloting ability is outstanding." Asuka started sobbing again. I knew how she felt. She was alone, and no matter how hard she tried, she was always surrounded by others who could do everything else better and faster than her. It sickened her, as it does me, when I am around others. Whispering into her ear, I felt it was time to set the record straight.
"Shinji is nothing without Unit-01. He connects with it because no matter how hard he tries to keep others from getting close, Unit-01's soul, his mother's soul, knows him well enough to get past his emotional defenses. Yui's soul offers him comfort and a sense of belonging he cannot receive in the real world." I took a deep breath and stretched. I have to admit, I was starting to feel on the verge of tears myself. Watching these people suffer in the show was annoying, but in person, knowing they were real people, it was personal. However, when friends of mine are suffering, I don't get upset.
I get angry.
"You know, Shinji is a lot like you. He wants to feel he has some kind of value as a person, and attaches that value to the praise of others. You attach it to your piloting skill, at being the best, and getting praise for being the best. The difference between you is very slight."
"How can you possibly know anything about me?" the girl cried, her voice on the verge of a scream. "You don't know anything!"
"I know about the kiss you two shared, just to, how did you put it? Oh yes, you said it was to kill time, wasn't that it?" Thinking back on what I said, I suppose it served the purpose. Asuka was no longer depressed, but lunged at me, her hands around my throat. Gun or no gun, she was going to kill me unless I gave her what she wanted.
"JUST HOW DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT?" she snapped. She eased just enough pressure on my throat to let me speak. Lowering her voice to a hushed whisper, she spoke quite slowly. "You will tell me EVERYTHING, Fifth!" Her teeth gnashed between each other, like a pair of scissors being opened and closed menacingly.
"I... can't tell you if you are going to kill me!" I coughed, recovering from her attempted strangulation. Asuka nodded, but added that I had to make the explanation quick. She was clearly tired of these mind games I had been playing with her, regardless of the effects I had on Misato. "Alright, but you have to keep this secret, at least until the last Angel is defeated."
"Spill it, Fifth!" she snarled.
"What if I told you, where I come from, Second Impact never happened?" Immediately Asuka's breathing slowed, her eyes widening in interest, head tilted to the side as she studied me. "Also, what if I told you I was the... shall we say, a cosmic mistake resulting from Unit-01 and Shinji's... merging?"
"What are you talking about?" the girl hissed. "Don't answer me with more questions!"
"Asuka, I am supposed to be a male college student living in the United States, and it is supposed to be the year 2006. Second Impact never happened in my world, do you understand?"
"Your... world?"
"More importantly, a Japanese director named Hideki Anno produced a very controversial anime series in the year 1995. It is still considered very popular in my time, and there is even talk of it becoming a live action film." This was going to be it. Once Soryu knew this, everything would change, and whether she liked me or hated me, I would be badgered like some all-knowing priest for the answers to any problem that would arise down the road.
"That series is called Neon Genesis Evangelionand involves three Children piloting biological constructs against an enemy known only as Angels. Those Children are named Asuka, Rei, and Shinji."
Asuka's tears had slowly come to a stop.
End of Chapter IX
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Yes, I just had to go and do it. The characters were asking for it, of course. Depending on what time I have available, the next couple chapters will be interesting.
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