JUNE 12th, 2015
AUTOWALK TERMINAL, NERV HQ
12:06am:
"A who'e fuckin' momf?" Toji asked in disbelief, his mouth still chewing his food rations.
"Yup. And it was one of the most bizarre experiences in my life, which is saying a lot given what I've seen in my time here..." Said Shinji.
He had just enlightened his friends about his time inside the core, finally making some sense to them as to why he came back so suddenly and without any explanation. He, along with the rest of Unit-01, were all sitting around the now-damaged Autowalk Terminal having a much-needed dinner.
All units inside HQ were ordered to be on standby in case the Angels attempted another attack, though they were informed that it was highly unlikely at that point.
"Man. Just what was it like in there? You know, that 'core' that was hooked to the machine?" Asked Kensuke.
"Well-" Shinji began. "-it's kind of hard to describe it, really. I couldn't feel my body at all, but my mind still felt conscious. I was in some kind of nothing world... if that makes any sense. And like, these dark thoughts entered my head at some point. It was really crazy stuff... like things I had buried deep down in my mind and didn't even realize I held inside me. The craziest part for me is that time itself didn't even feel like it existed. It never even felt like I spent an entire month in there... it felt endless, yet I don't even remember it beginning."
He briefly paused.
"It was like some kind of bridge between being alive and dying. I think that's the only way I can think to describe it feeling."
His friends remained silent for a few seconds following Shinji's explanation.
"That's a trip, Shin. That last part sounded like some tacky-ass poetry, but still a trip." Toji said after finally swallowing his food. "And ya said that this was that same 'plug' device that booted yer trainin' into ya?"
"Yeah. It was insane." Replied Shinji.
Then he thought back to his reuniting with his own mother, which was something he debated telling either of his friends. Shinji just wasn't sure what they'd think about that, but even more perplexing to him was why he even was able to communicate to her in the first place. The core felt like an entirely different world from the one he was in now.
'How is it that it all felt real and unreal at the same time?' He wondered. 'And mother... what was she doing in there? Did the core have something to do with her death?'
"Are you okay, Shinji?" Asked Rei, making him realize he was spacing out in front of everyone.
Rei also sat within Shinji's inner circle, having seated herself right next to him. At this point, it was obvious to everyone that the two shared strong feelings for one another and just wanted each other's company. So neither Toji or Kensuke were teasing Shinji about Rei sitting a mere inch away from him, the two practically glued together at that point.
"Oh! S-Sorry... got distracted for a second." He said.
Eventually, they all finished their meals and continued on with their casual conversations. Without much to do in their present location, boredom came in rather quickly. The order to remain within HQ hadn't been lifted for hours now, which resulted in some of the already-exhausted soldiers knocking out cold on the floor, while others fought to stay awake.
But the sad truth was that most of the troops there didn't know what they'd come home to on the surface. If they still even had a home.
"Suzuhara!" Hikari was heard shouting not too far from the boys and Rei.
Toji turned around to see Hikari with her hands on her hips standing next to Asuka, frowning at him as per usual. His immediate reaction was to groan in annoyance, thinking that he was in some kind of trouble with the two despite not doing anything.
'Geez, I can't get a break around those two...'
"Suzuhara! Are you deaf? I'm calling out to you, dingus!" Hikari shouted again.
"Well if ya keep shoutin' at me like that, I might jus' become deaf after all!" He snapped back to her. "Whaddya want now?"
Hikari grunted in frustration, looking quite annoyed at him as well. But what she found more infuriating was his lack of respect for her, especially since she crushed on him. But she was not about to let that side of her show.
"You got a phone call on the line, apparently it's an urgent one. Get your butt on over to the phone room, now!" She barked at him.
Toji sighed and promptly stood up to receive the call.
"Be right back, dudes. Guess I gotta take this call, or the devil duo over there's gonna murder my ass." He joked.
"Forsure man, you can leave your stuff here. We're probably not leaving anytime soon." Said Kensuke.
As Toji left to take the call, he passed by Hikari and Asuka, who were walking towards the friend circle he just left to sit with them. He pettily stuck his tongue out at them as they crossed paths, earning him a death stare from Hikari.
But of course, only Asuka knew what Hikari was really thinking about him.
'What does she even see in that dolt, anyway?' She pondered.
Even worse, as soon as the two girls sat, Asuka had to deal with the sight of Shinji and Rei being extremely close to each other. She was already annoyed with Rei being there, but was all the more disgusted by the two being open about liking each other. It was something she'd have to deal with now. And she knew it was only a matter of time before she started making crude comments about the two.
'Get a fucking room, will you?'
After Kensuke was finished downing some water from his canteen, he looked over at another circle of friends of Unit-01. He could see that they were watching a news report on the offensive launched by the Angels on Tokyo-3 through a portable television someone had brought in. The headlines were what caught his attention, shocking him to his core.
"Fucking hell..."
"What're you looking at, Kensuke?" Shinji asked.
Kensuke simply pointed at the television, making everyone else in his circle turn to see for themselves.
"More than 3,000 have already been confirmed dead." He said with a depressive tone to his voice. "Most of them civilians... and they predict the death toll will be much higher."
"Holy shit..." Uttered Shinji.
Every troop knew that the loss of life in the surface would be pretty high. But no one expected it to be that great. What happened that day was certainly going to be remembered as a national tragedy. Even worse, everyone inside HQ feared for their family and loved ones, at least the ones who lived up in Tokyo-3 and not in the Geo Front.
All reports had detailed a great deal of damage to the surface, but the underground city inside the Geo Front had remained largely untouched, save for NERV HQ.
"It's pretty bad out there." Asuka stated. "Aside from all the casualties, whole neighborhoods were decimated. Certain sectors of the city are in ruins now... I'm not sure people are going to want to live here anymore."
Shinji's eyes narrowed, thinking back to when he heard a platoon of Angels execute innocent civilians not too far from where Kaji eventually picked him up.
"Fucking animals." He said.
"Yeah no shit, genius. Did it really take a skinjob nearly killing you with their bare hands to get you to realize that?" Asuka asked insultingly.
Shinji ignored her, knowing why she was being so passive aggressive towards him.
"Skinjobs will stop at nothing, man. They're just a bunch of murderous brutes thirsting for blood. That's why I never felt bad about letting one of them die slowly. Now look what they've done... more than 4,000 dead? And most of them innocent people in their own homes? That's just fucking evil." Chimed Kensuke.
Rei looked away awkwardly, choosing not to comment on the topic. Hikari noticed this, but assumed it was just the blue-haired girl's usual lack of social skills.
"When that Angel rushed towards me, god damn. I thought I was dead for sure." Shinji recalled. "That was one of the scariest moments of my life, honestly. They even move like animals! Christ... it's unsettling!"
As they continued talking, Shinji could see Toji coming back from his phone call. But something seemed slightly off about him.
Kensuke looked back and saw Toji coming back as well, but was so invested in their talk about the Angels' viciousness that he didn't notice anything wrong about how his friend looked walking back.
"Y'know, Toji has had some pretty close calls with Angels too!" Said Kensuke. "Tell him, Toj-"
Kensuke finally noticed the look on his face, though. Toji's eyes looked as if they were droning off, his mouth hanging slightly open as he weakly approached the friend circle. Now everyone could tell something was seriously wrong.
"Something wrong, dude?" Kensuke asked.
Toji remained vacantly silent for a few seconds, but attempted to speak. But all he could do was let out miniscule mumbles.
"Toji, what happened? You're scaring me, man." Kensuke said, now standing up to check on him.
"M-My-" His friend tried speaking. "-my, um..."
And as if it wasn't jarring enough that Toji was acting completely out of the ordinary, it began to look like he was holding back tears. Choking on his own words as the struggle to speak only worsened.
"My... lil' sister died..."
A collective gasp was let out from everyone in the circle, the devastation now spreading to them all.
"She's dead, man. She's fuckin'- *sniffle* gone, man!" He finished.
Toji grabbed his head as the tears welled up in his eyes. He wasn't able to hold it in anymore as the emotion began to pour out violently. He still couldn't stomach looking at his friends at all, and turned around to avoid their stares.
"HHH- Fuck, man... fuck... w-what the-"
In an attempt to comfort him, Shinji, Kensuke and Hikari approached him. But this only made Toji more uneasy, and he backed away.
"-FUUUCK!"
The rest of Unit-01 went quiet, looking over at Toji as he suffered a complete breakdown. He fell to his knees and repeatedly punched the floor, refusing to believe his little sister had been taken away from this world so soon.
"FUCK! FUCKFUCKF- HHH- FUUUUUCK!"
"Sakura's... dead? S-Sakura's-? Oh shit, man..." Kensuke said in pure shock, having apparently met Toji's sister at one point.
Shinji never knew that Toji had a little sister, only because Toji never really liked talking about his life at home much at all. The only thing he knew about Toji's family was that his father was a rather abusive man. But that was about it. Toji had never talked about anything else. And by the looks of it, the boy really adored his sister.
"Good fucking god..." He uttered.
Neither Hikari, Asuka or Rei knew what to do or say to him. Even Asuka, who tended to never take anyone's problems other than her own very seriously, couldn't help but feel bad for him. Such a loss was nothing to be dismissed, and Asuka knew that all too well.
But Hikari herself was devastated. Seeing him like this broke her, and she began to tear up along with him.
"TH-THOSE FUCKIN' SKINJOBS! F-FUCKIN'- HHH- I HATE 'EM ALL! I'M GONNA FUCKIN' K- HHH- KILL THOSE FUCKIN'- I'M-! I'M GONNA KILL MYSELF! I'M GON- HHH- GONNA- HHH- I WANNA- GAAAAAHHH!"
Toji couldn't even rage anymore. His unfiltered anger had turned into a deep sadness as he began to sob uncontrollably. He buried his head into his hands as he curled up into a ball, his knuckles bleeding from hitting the hard metallic floor. It was obvious to everyone else in his unit what had gone on, and all they could do was watch and pity him.
At this point Hikari had ran over to him, trying to snap him out of it. But it was no use. He had just suffered an unimaginable loss and was inconsolable.
Shinji watched in shock, feeling deeply sorry for his close friend. None of this made any sense whatsoever, and his resentment for the Angels only grew from there. Before today, the Angels were only his enemy because he was told they were his enemy. Other than that, he always thought of them as near-humans. But that changed after the vicious murder he heard them commit in the streets, and almost being ruthlessly killed by one himself.
Seeing his friend go through consequences of their actions only added to the growing hate.
"Jesus..."
Rei approached everyone and stuck close to Shinji. She too appreciated Toji and had become friends with him, as well as Kensuke during Shinji's absence. But she didn't know him well enough to say anything that could help him. She did, however, feel a deep sadness upon hearing what Toji was going through. And though Rei knew that his loss was much greater, she couldn't help but relate it to what she went through when Shinji's life was on the line.
'Grief... the extreme devastation one feels from the loss a loved one.' She mused. 'Just like I felt when Shinji was gone...'
GENDO'S OFFICE
12:31am:
"You informed SEELE of the Angel in Terminal Dogma?!" Fuyutsuki asked, flabbergasted once again by Gendo's decision-making. "Won't that put us in even more danger? How could this possibly turn out well for us, Commander?"
Gendo had indeed given away that the Angel SEELE had been looking for was in their very own basement. But as usual, he had something up his sleeve.
"Because they already suspected as such." He explained. "This confirmation is not without reason, Sub-Commander. Yes, it is a great risk for the organization and Instrumentality as a whole, but those old men want what we have fully intact. The only way I was able to get them to pull back was by threatening to destroy all of HQ. If that were to happen, the Angel would be obliterated along with us. So they ordered all their Angel troops to surrender."
Now it all made sense to Fuyutsuki. But he still felt that the risk outweighed the benefits of such a move.
"And with the Children Program finally in place, we have a good chance to strike at them before they ever get a chance to get to our Angel. All I am doing is buying us time until then." Gendo added.
The mention of the Children Program had made Fuyutsuki think back to Shinji and Rei's newfound connection, which was yet another problem they had to deal with now. Having the two in the same team also brought upon a great risk as well, which was their ever-growing attraction to each other.
"And what's to be done about those two, Ikari?" He asked. "Your son and Ayanami, I mean."
Gendo pensively sat at his desk, looking once more at the picture frame he tended to look back at in times of uncertainty. This time he was focusing on a certain figure in the photograph the frame held inside and thinking back to Shinji with utter disgust. While he knew his current trajectory in winning the war would likely get him exactly what he wanted, he just wasn't exactly sure what to do about Shinji and Rei.
"Their infatuation for each other only grows by the hour." His Sub-Commander added. "And neither have been exactly obedient lately, are you sure this isn't too great a risk? Won't bringing Shinji back only cause more conflict within the context of your new scenario?"
"Limits will have to be imposed on the two. They cannot be together, especially in this war." Gendo finally answered back.
"And how exactly do you plan on doing that, Commander?" Asked Ritsuko, who had also been involved in the conversation. "My attempts to discourage Rei from pursuing a relationship with your son were met with a foul attitude. And judging by what I've seen from the two, they won't back down so easily. Neither Shinji or Rei are going to cave to your demands like they did before, especially the latter."
Ritsuko was only being half-truthful about Rei's reaction. It was true that she was given attitude from the head of blue hair, but it wasn't anywhere near as petty as Ritsuko had described it to Gendo and Fuyutsuki.
"You saw how she was when we sent Shinji away... weak, hopeless, basically non-existent. Separating the two will only make things worse."
"And what do you propose we do about it, doctor?" Gendo asked impatiently. "Let them do as they will? Allow the pieces to fall where they may? Because in my mind that is not an option, and will never come close to being an option."
This had been the most impatient Ritsuko had heard the Commander get at her, and for some reason she felt like she was in more control now.
"Well? Any ideas?" He asked in an almost insulting manner.
Ritsuko took a deep breath, now beginning to lose patience herself. But she had an idea, one that she knew neither Gendo or Fuyutsuki would approve of, but one that she thought could work if she reasoned with them enough. Though even Ritsuko admitted to herself that this plan involved a certain degree of repugnance.
"Letting them do as they will... might just be what we have to do, sir." She finally said.
Neither the Commander or his right-hand man looked on-board with the idea at all, which was to be expected. But Gendo looked almost furious at the prospect of Shinji and Rei being free to have an intimate relationship.
"No." Was all he could say to her.
"Sir there's-"
"I said no, Dr. Akagi." Gendo cut her off before she could go any further. "And that is where this discussion ends. I already told you that this is not a viable option so there's no point in driving it any further. I do not need to hear anymore of-"
"There's no other way I see it being feasible to have Rei under our control, Commander!" She snapped.
When she put it like that, Gendo had suddenly gone quiet. She finally had his attention. Ritsuko had thought long and hard about this, and realized that letting Shinji and Rei be together had the potential to be a means to regain control of the two. But most important to her, Ritsuko saw this as the perfect opportunity to cover up her assault on Rei.
"Think about it, if we allow them the freedom to be with each other, it'll most likely give them the drive they need to fight the Angels. It'll be the perfect setup." She explained.
Gendo scowled at Ritsuko.
"It's repulsive."
"But it's a gateway to their emotions. You saw how depressed she was when we sent Shinji away... basically unwilling to do anything anymore, not even for herself. But when he came back, she was right as rain. If they truly feel this strongly for each other, we can use it to our advantage." Ritsuko said to him.
Both men were conflicted about this. She had made a good point, and knowing her way around psychology, it likely made her all the more right in her predictions.
On one hand, Gendo was angered and downright disgusted at the thought of letting Shinji and Rei be together. But he had no better ideas of his own. Fuyutsuki decided against commenting on the matter, as he was also rather unsettled by the idea. He was never fond of the idea of controlling such young souls anyway. Ultimately, it was up to Gendo and only Gendo.
"I'll tell you what, Commander, let me have this talk with Rei. I'll strike a deal with her; in return for her freedom to be with your son, she will remain loyal to us at all other times. Given her infatuation for him, it'll get her right where we want her... in the palm our hands." She offered.
"And how can you be so sure, doctor?" He asked. "Your last attempt at a serious conversation with Rei was a complete failure."
Ritsuko stared at Gendo coldly in the eyes.
"When you're so deeply in love with someone that your life completely revolves around them, you'll do anything to be with them... anything. No matter the cost."
Fuyutsuki was rather taken aback by her statement. It was very clearly a jab at Gendo himself, but he could tell there was something else to it. Something about the way she said it seemed so personal, and it was then that he had finally made a big realization.
'Good lord, it can't be that she... can it?'
Gendo sat quietly for a little while. As much as he'd hate to admit it, she did bring up very valid points as to why this would be a benefit to his plans. But it felt in every way like it was a detriment to himself despite it fitting perfectly with his methods of emotional manipulation. For the first time in a really long time, Gendo would have to debate on whether to make a compromise or not.
Ritsuko pulled out a cigarette and lit it, taking a long drag and releasing a cloud of smoke that hovered right over Gendo's desk.
"So what's it going to be, Commander?"
COMMAND CENTER
12:43am:
Rei walked onto the bridge deck she had been defending not too long ago, now empty and somewhat darkened as most of the lights had been turned off. All personnel of the Command Center had been dismissed after that night's violent ambush. A lot of the equipment inside had been severely damaged, with debris sprawled all over the floor and even the coagulated blood from crew members splattered on the walls.
It was eerily quiet in there, the vast room usually echoing with voices left and right. This was what made Rei was confused as to why she was summoned there in the first place.
'So quiet, so peaceful... but just hours ago this same room was overflowing with carnage.'
She waited exactly where she had been instructed to wait at. As the minutes passed, Rei wondered exactly what kind of meeting this was supposed to be, and what it would be about. She was still a little on edge since neither the Commander or Ritsuko had taken well to her newfound yearning for independence. So when Rei heard the sound of high-heels coming towards her, she immediately got anxious.
"Hello Rei." Said Ritsuko.
Rei froze in place. It was at this point that she seriously contemplated running away from there, but wasn't exactly sure what the renowned scientist was capable of. She backed away until she hit the edge barrier.
A sense of irony was felt by Ritsuko as a distant memory came back to her, one that took place right there in the Command Center. And adding to said irony, Rei also happened to have been involved in this distant memory of hers. Even the manner in which the entire center was dark and empty was scarily similar to what she was reminiscing on. But she was here to do her job, and repressed the flashbacks as much as she could.
"Please, just... don't hurt me again." Rei said with a noticeable quiver in her voice, to which Ritsuko scoffed at in response.
"Calm down, I'm only here to discuss matters with you."
"How do you expect me to trust you after what you've done to me?" Asked Rei while holding back tears. "I-I don't feel safe around you anymore. Stay away from me... I will have you reported to-"
"Don't you want to be with Shinji?" Ritsuko asked in return.
Rei was silenced.
She was still unsure as to whether she could trust Ritsuko or not, but the woman had brought up a question that sounded like some kind of offer. And with how the war seemed to only be getting worse, Rei wasn't sure exactly how much time everyone had left on earth. All she wanted was to experience a true loving relationship for the first time.
"Isn't that what you really desire, Rei?" She asked once more. "If so, I suggest you stay right where you are and engage in this discussion. Who knows? I might just have something in store for you."
The pale-skinned girl nervously swallowed, trying to gain her composure.
"I'm listening..."
Ritsuko grinned, having caught Rei exactly where she wanted her. She calmly pulled back the closest office chair and sat on it, noticing Maya's cat pillow still placed right on the seat, completely untouched from when the assault on the Command Center occurred. Ritsuko then pulled another cigarette for herself and indulged in the calming effects of nicotine, feeling in complete control of the situation.
"Now, we both know that Commander Ikari does not want this 'thing' between you and his sown to develop. But what if I told you that I managed to convince him otherwise? What if I told you that a relationship between you and Shinji is possible without any interference from either me or the Commander?"
The anxiety still welled inside Rei, at this point just the sight of Ritsuko giving her all kinds of negative emotions. But her interest had certainly been piqued by now.
"Now of course, this doesn't mean you're completely off the hook here, Rei. There are still things we expect from you over here and out in the battlefield. Follow every procedure we throw your way, our every order in combat, and whatever it is we need of you, then your wish will be granted. You and Shinji can be together." Ritsuko stated. "But just one more thing-"
She stood up now, menacingly approaching Rei where she was, looking down at her coldly.
"-that little... 'incident', if you will, from earlier today... the Commander hears nothing of it. Got it? And neither does anybody else. Not. One. Soul."
Rei nodded nervously.
"And I just want to make myself perfectly clear-" The scientist added, narrowing her eyes at the younger girl. "-I'm not doing this for you. That's because I never cared about you. In fact, I absolutely despise you. Everything about you makes my skin crawl. But I'm doing this nonetheless. I'm going out of my way to get you what you want despite how much I loathe your existence. Do you understand what I'm trying to say here?"
Again, Rei nodded at her before finalizing the deal that had just been offered to her.
"Not one soul..."
Ritsuko slowly backed away and grinned.
"Good girl." She said. "With that all said and done, you are dismissed."
Rei turned to make her exit, but Ritsuko quickly grabbed her by the arm, wanting to make one thing clear before she got a chance to leave.
"Just remember what I told you earlier... I am in control of your body. Don't mess this up."
The girl nodded at the older woman, and she was finally allowed to leave. Rei walked away feeling conflicted, speeding up her pace the further she got from Ritsuko. Never had she felt so terrified, but relieved at the exact same time. This was finally her chance to be with Shinji, to be free from the Commander's control. But the more she thought about it, she questioned if this was really the 'freedom' she had been yearning for lately.
'I can be with him... just as long as I do what they say.' She thought. 'Am I, then, truly free at all?'
Rei's thoughts went back to Shinji, seemingly calming her down.
'Perhaps not. But if it means I can pursue what it means to love another, and to be loved... then that doesn't matter. I love him. That is all I need right now.'
She smiled once more.
'I'm finally able to become one with Shinji.'
AUTOWALK TERMINAL
12:51am:
Shinji leaned on a railing as he observed the ruins of the terminal. From the bottom floor all the way to the highest platform, medical teams rolled stretchers of which either injured troops or dead bodies lay on. As for the bodies, sometimes it was one of NERV's very own troops, and other times it was an Angel. The extent of the damage inside the terminal was great, making Shinji wonder about the state of the rest of HQ.
All units had been dismissed and were free to go home. But after what happened to Toji's sister, he wondered if everyone even had homes to go back to. Based on what Asuka described, a lot of the city was in ruins now.
'Man... I wonder if Misato's place is still up anymore. Are we going to have to relocate?'
"Well well well, if it ain't the hero himself. Good to see you still breathe in the air." A nonchalant voice said from behind Shinji.
He turned around to see none other than Kaji, walking towards him with his hands in his pockets and a cigarette hanging from his mouth. That all-too familiar smirk plastered on his face as was common for the man.
"Ah, Mr. Kaji." Shinji said.
"Hey there, sport." The ponytailed man greeted. "Misato told me your unit would be here. Where's everyone else, though? Looks like you're the only one still here."
"The standby order was lifted. Everybody went home."
Kaji approached the same railing and stood alongside Shinji, now taking in the view as well.
"I can see that. Why are you still here, though? Don't you want to go home already?" He asked. "This isn't exactly the prettiest of sights."
"Just waiting for Rei. She was called to some meeting." Shinji replied.
Kaji nodded as a silence overtook the two. Now both were watching as the cleanup crew removed the debris and numerous scattered bodies across HQ. There was a depressing feeling hanging over everyone's heads that day, as they knew that not only were so many people's lives affected by this, but that the city would never be the same.
"I heard about Suzuhara." Kaji mentioned.
Shinji sighed.
"Yeah. Didn't even know he had a sister. But I guess we're not supposed to know everything about our friends." He said. "Christ, a little sibling, gone... just like that. I mean, what are you supposed to say to something like that?"
"Nothing. You just move on or you don't."
Then Shinji remembered the story Kaji had told him back in the emergency facility. The man had gone through the exact same thing, albeit under different circumstances.
"Oh right, your brother..."
He was also reminded of the blaster Kaji had let him borrow, so he reached into his pocket and took it out.
"Here, almost forgot to give you this back." Shinji said as he handed Kaji his weapon back. "And I just wanted to say... thanks a lot. I really needed it."
Kaji took his PKD 'blaster' back and holstered it.
"Don't mention it, Shinji. I wasn't about to let you waltz into a battle without a proper weapon."
"No no, not the gun. I mean that talk. It really put things in perspective for me." He clarified. "I've never felt like I did today. I always hated going into battle... but today was different. I completely forgot about my father, or NERV, and even that all of this violence is a result of the war. I came here thinking about my friends. I finally made my own choice, and it paid off."
Shinji then stopped for a bit, pondering something.
"Though, I have to ask... how'd you know it was going to work?" He asked Kaji.
But the older man was more than confused by his question.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Like, how were you so sure that by telling me about what happened to you after Second Impact was going to drive me to come back? It worked out so well in the end... and I have none other than you to thank for that." Shinji explained.
Kaji chuckled, much to Shinji's own confusion.
"What's so funny?"
"You don't get it, do you?" Kaji asked him. "I really didn't know whether it was going to work. And that wasn't the point either way. You came here on your own. I mean I might've helped a little in convincing you to come back to fight for your friends, but you're the one who decided to do it in the end. Misato filled me in on how you were able to prove yourself to your father. And now look at you, a soldier once again! You're back in Tokyo-3 because of your choice. You have yourself to thank for that, not me."
Then he patted a wide-eyed Shinji's back, a gesture letting him know that he was really proud of him.
"I showed you the door, but you were the one who walked through it."
Shinji was speechless. Aside from the realization that he had more to be proud of himself for, he had also realized something about Kaji. This random man had given him more wisdom to work with and care than his father did in his entire life. From that moment on, he began to idolize Kaji. This was a man he could count on. More importantly, Shinji felt like he made a new friend.
Then he noticed Kaji's eyes shifting slightly to the side as a smirk grew on his face.
"Shinji."
He turned around, finding Rei to have come back from the meeting. Shinji got up from the railing and approached her as Kaji himself decided it was time to leave.
"I'll be off, then." He told the two. "Take care, you two. Catch you on the flip side."
Then Kaji left the two alone, assuming that they wanted some alone time together, as he knew all too well what young love was like. As soon as he was out of their sight, Shinji turned back to Rei, wondering what she needed to say to him.
"So... is everything alright? What was the meeting about?"
Rei didn't even know where to begin, and wasn't exactly sure she could even tell him the full story. All that mattered to her now was one thing.
"Please come with me." She said as she grabbed Shinji's hand.
He followed, not questioning anything about this. For the most part, everything seemed well, and Shinji enjoyed holding Rei's hand so freely now. But he did notice a slight look of unsettlement on her face. Because of this, he couldn't help but wonder if this had anything to do with Ritsuko again. Before he even had a chance to ask Rei about this, she stopped in a more private area, looking into his eyes again.
"What is it, Rei?" He asked.
She suddenly pulled him close, feeling that magnetic-like attraction to him overtake her once more. Shinji hadn't expected this and was immediately flustered. Her hands
"Shinji... I am so happy when I'm with you." Rei began. "I don't ever want to lose you, not like I almost did last month. This ambush... it has made me think a lot about what I truly want in my life, and that is to spend my time with you as much as possible. I want to explore my feelings for you."
He smiled at her, but couldn't help but feel a sense of pessimism coming from what she was telling him.
"Hey now, don't talk like we're running out of time. We have to fight for each other, for everyone we care about. We can do this, Rei!"
But something still bothered Shinji, despite him wanting nothing more than to be with her.
"But... we'd have to be careful. The Commander wouldn't want us to be anything more than just colleagues. I don't think we can be together openly, we might have to keep it under wraps... it hurts me to say this, but I think it's the only way."
Rei shook her head.
"That won't be a problem anymore." She told him, though he still had his doubts.
"But how can you be so sure? You saw how he was acting when he saw you and I so close together, he looked livid! I don't know... I just don't think-"
She grabbed his hand and held it tightly, as if to assure him that everything would be okay.
"That's what my meeting was about." Rei said, a warm smile now forming on her face. "We are free to be together now, Shinji. We no longer have to worry about the Commander getting in our way."
Shinji was almost not believing what he was hearing, feeling as if he was in a dream of some sort. But this was all very much real.
"Are you serious?!" He asked excitingly. "No way. No way... no way!"
Shinji hugged Rei tightly as she returned the hug, neither having felt so happy in their lives. Being in each other's arms was enough to make both of them forget about the world, lost in the warmth from one another's body, wanting this moment to last forever. When they pulled back from the hug, they noticed just how close their faces were to each other. There was still one thing neither had been able to experience together.
"I love you." She said in a whisper.
Then Rei leaned in closer, prompting a timid Shinji to do the same. But there was still a little hesitation from both sides. Neither were used to showing this kind of affection towards another, but the pull both felt only grew stronger as their faces started to close the distance. Rei could only think of the tender sensation she felt inside as their lips neared. They inched closer, and closer-
'I want to become one...'
-until they finally shared their very first kiss.
SEELE HQ
1:16am:
"Ikari has played us like a fiddle once again." Chairman Keel said to the rest of the SEELE council members. "Every one of our leads on the Angel's location has been nothing short of a sham. I am beginning to suspect that our source of intel has been directly manipulated by NERV itself. But we now know that they possess the Angel we have been searching for in their very own headquarters."
"And what is to be done about it, Keel? The direct invasion has proven to be a complete and utter failure. Hundreds of our combat Angels... decimated!" One of the council members stated.
"We are running out of time, Chairman. Who knows what Ikari is capable with that Angel in his possession? Or what his intentions with it may be? This entire time, our forces have been expanded on every city but Tokyo-3, the very location of the Angel. It is abundantly clear that our source of intel is botched." Another councilman said. "Commander Ikari has been purposefully taking the battles elsewhere to buy himself time... but for what? If he already has the Angel, what could he be possibly waiting for?"
"Whatever his reason may be should not be our main concern at the present moment. It is a given that Ikari is quite efficient at throwing us off course at this point... our focus should be on getting to that Angel before he does anything with it!" Yet another council member said.
"Men, let us not argue about the matter. We must focus on the solution rather than panic over the predicament. Panicking will bring us no closer to our goals." Keel said.
"And what do you propose we do about it, Chairman?" Asked the previous councilman. "What is to be done about this? Ikari has us right where he wants us... forgive us for stressing about it, but the situation is quite dire!"
Chairman Keel kept his calm despite being fed up with the other men.
"Our combat Angels have not been able to make contact with the target. But NERV's troops are still incredibly skilled and dangerous to us. As of now, our combat models will only be used as a distraction to keep their troops occupied until we are able to find a proper way to reach the Angel."
Keel then entered a command on his computer.
"We do, however, have one final resort."
The rest of the councilmen already knew what he was referring to, and were fully onboard with the idea.
"He will be the keystone of our plans, the individual to win us this war, and allow us to achieve godhood... let our trump be seen. Let him be our striking hand."
Keel stared at the display of surveillance footage of a room with a single glass tube and shared it with the other councilmen. The nude body of a boy no older than 14 floated among L.C.L inside it. His skin was pale, his hair a shiny silver, and eyes a haunting tone of crimson.
"The prodigal son... Tabris."