No matter how much I ran, it didn't feel like my legs were fast enough.
I managed to stay just beyond its outer reaches, at least for the moment. My heart slammed against my ribcage, and my muscles burned in agony, screaming for me to stop.
It wouldn't be long now. I'd have to slow down, and when I did, that'd be it. I'd become its next victim.
This formless wave of sentient darkness, hungry and determined to find its next meal in me. Slithering across the ground like a serpent, removing any trace of what was beneath it as it came, as if turning the solids it rode upon into the very same darkness that made up itself.
It chased and I ran. I didn't care where I was going. Hell, I didn't even know where I was. Some sort of industrial-sized maze. Was this an experiment? How did I end up here?
The ever growing pain shooting up my thighs was now unbearable, yet this thing was still nipping at my heels. I shut my eyes tightly, as if to escape it all, wish myself to another place, but nothing changed. Every hard step I made as I ran sent more and more burning jolts into my body.
A tearing feeling in my ankle, erupting a wave of heat into my lower leg that made my foot numb. I had twisted it, and badly. Time slowed momentarily as the reality of what happened hit me. I felt the cold, tiled floor connect with my face as my loss of balance brought me crashing onto it.
The darkness surrounded me. I opened my mouth to scream, but I made no noise.
I was part of it now.
I shot forward in bed, nearly pulling a muscle in my lower back as I did so. A headache throbbed away just behind my eyes. I laid my hand on my face and took a deep breath of the stagnant air in my room.
"I hadn't had a dream like that in months…" My voice came out as little more than a rough whisper.
Moving to the edge of my bed, pushing through my sweat-dampened sheets, I reached out for my cell phone. The time said "4:13am". I finally let out the breath I had been holding and stood up.
Before leaving my room, I popped the window open to help the air circulate. It was a warm night outside too, but it was better than keeping it all closed in either way. I crept out into the hall and into the bathroom.
Feeling the cold water hit my face was a welcome relief. That dream felt like a far distant memory now, thankfully. I stared at the water as it flowed through my fingers.
"Wouldn't it be funny if I looked at the mirror, and there was a face behind me…" I chuckled at the absurdity of the statement, especially how it sounded spoken aloud. Though, I still hesitated in looking at myself in the mirror, and seeing the wall behind me as regular as it had ever been still gave me a chill.
I blame that damned movie. We're a week into November now and I'd wager it's stuck in my head longer than Asuka's, or anyone else's for that matter. Though, even if that were the case, something still didn't sit right with me about that dream.
Hopefully, this would be the first and last time I ever had to experience that exhausting mess.
"You're looking as sunny as ever." Asuka slaps me with her deadpan sarcasm as she ate breakfast. I didn't get to sleep after being disturbed, so I was clearly not feeling 100%, and no amount of coffee seemed to help. "Hey, just because you're sluggish this morning doesn't mean you get to slack off today, y'hear?"
Today was a special day for Asuka. One of the choice few school events she actually cared to mention to me. A sports meet, and I could tell from the fire in her eyes when she had first told me about it, she was poising herself to win the entire thing. I wouldn't've expected any less from her.
I gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, I'll be there."
"Just being there isn't good enough, you gotta cheer for me too, okay?"
"You bet."
"Louder than anyone else! I want you to drown out every parent calling their stupid kid's name. I'm serious!"
I hope she doesn't think I have a loudspeaker on hand or something…
"D-Don't worry. I'll cheer plenty loud! Promise!"
She poked at the last bite of her meal, visibly questioning my enthusiasm.
"You better."
It was warm outside, but the humidity from last night had dissipated, which was a welcome factor for today's event. Misato had offered to drive me to the school, which I graciously accepted. She didn't say much during the ride, but I had a feeling that she felt bad for passing out during the party, and this was her way of making up for it. I don't know how she would've felt about the movie, so part of me is glad she did pass out, but I didn't say anything about it either.
Being at a junior high for a sports meet felt a little strange, I do have to admit. Thinking on it, this was also the first time I was referred to as "Asuka's foster parent" as we got cleared for entry at the front desk, which didn't help. It was a weird thing to hear, despite it being true.
"I would say you get used to it, but you never really do." Misato said as we walked towards the field and race track behind the main building. She picked up on how I felt pretty quick. "That's why I like to think of myself as Shinji's cool big sis rather than a parent!" She flashed me a dorky smile, which got one out of me as well in response.
It never really crossed my mind too much before, but I guess I do apply some of the protectiveness I felt towards Suzue onto Asuka, so maybe calling myself her 'cool big bro' isn't a terrible way to go about it.
Guardian still has a nicer ring to it though…
There were more kids at this school than I thought there was going to be, but the stands themselves were relatively bare. It wasn't hard to find a spot to sit.
"So, skippy, how about you and I make a bet on which of our intrepid pilots will score the highest place?" The Major cut to the chase immediately as we took our seats.
I raised an eyebrow. "Making bets on teenagers at a school race might be one of the worst ideas I've ever heard from anybody." She stuck her tongue out at me.
"Who's gonna know about it, anyway. It'd just be between us." She crossed her arms and pouted. "Why do you have to be such a stick in the mud?"
Way to flush the vibe of the car ride over here down the toilet.
"If it's just you and I here, it falls on me to rein you in, I suppose."
Misato's ears were piqued at my words. "Hey, yeah, why is it just the two of us here?" She looked amongst the paltry viewership sitting around us with a not insignificant amount of confusion growing on her face. "Ritsuko and that one jerk said they'd be showing up too, so what gives?"
The field now looked just about filled with as many kids as could fit on it, and amongst them, I noticed Asuka, with a white ribbon tied around her head, looking like a warrior about to ride into battle… gym clothing aside. She was stretching next to Hikari, and both looked ready to rumble at a moment's notice. Not too far from them sat Shinji and his two buddies, slumped back on the green, looking far less enthused about the whole matter. It sounded like everything was ramping up to the start of the meet.
"Well, if they're not within walking distance now, they're going to miss the start of the show." I said, leaning back against the fully empty row of bleachers behind us.
I knew Asuka aced her physical exams all the time at the HQ during training and the sync test preps. She was in peak condition, and her metabolism was nothing short of impressive too, so she could stay in whatever shape she wanted no matter what she ate.
What I didn't realize was how incredible those results were in action. She dashed faster than anyone else, she jumped further than anyone else. Asuka had entered herself into every event on the list, and was knocking them out of the park as fast as they were coming up, and almost faster than I had a chance to cheer her on. She was like a machine, a blur, blitzing her way past even the most staunch of competition, and from the look on her face after every one, that beaming smile with just the slightest hint of smugness, she knew just how impressive she looked.
….and Shinji did about what I expected. It seemed like he had only entered himself into races, and there barely broke the top 10 at even his best results. Toji Suzuhara made a surprising stir amongst the kids, though. I had him pegged for the slacker type, but he even got first place once.
Strangely, I hadn't seen Rei at all.
The meet was going according to schedule, and was passing its middle point, which served as a break for everyone on the field to prepare for the final events, and for everyone watching to go get refreshments.
"Maybe I should start cheering for Suzuhara, he'd probably get a boost outta that." Misato said under her breath as she slumped forward, silently glad she didn't push betting on Shinji against me. I gave her a pity laugh.
"I would say Asuka's got the training advantage, but for the most part she and Shinji have the same regimen." I chuckled again, and Misato only responded with a grumble.
As we spoke, we almost didn't notice the blonde lady and stubbly man coming to sit beside us.
"Sorry we're late." The man's jovial tone just made Misato's expression worsen as she turned to look at the duo. "Wouldn't you know it, there was a delay on my dry-cleaning, I took the wrong turn at one or two points, and to make matters worse, they were out of my favorite cigarettes at the gas station."
The blonde lowered her sunglasses towards us and smiled. "I hope we haven't missed too much."
"Oh no, not too much at all." Misato gave a sweetly voiced answer, which quickly grew into a growl. "You only missed almost the whole damn thing!"
Kaji scratched the back of his head in defeat. "Well, I'll take the blame for this one. Honestly, have you ever tried navigating this city without a map? Impossible, I tell ya." He gave Misato a smile. "If you keep scowling at me like that, your face'll get stuck that way forever. Lighten up!"
"I don't want to hear your excuses!" With that, the Major grabbed a hold of my arm, pressing it tightly against her. "At least someone here was willing to accompany me when I asked if they needed a ride!"
I'm an innocent bystander, why am I being brought into this? As those words echoed in my head briefly, I felt something like a pair of eyes burning holes into the side of my head from across the field.
Kaji gave me a wink. "You better treat her well then, Matsuo! She's a rough lady, that one!"
With the speed Misato exhibited in her lunge towards the man, it was clear she could probably outperform most of the kids here given half a chance… though saying 'an adult woman could run faster than a bunch of 14 year olds' isn't as impressive of a statement when framed that way.
Luckily, Dr. Akagi was there to physically separate the two before any actual commotion occurred. Turning my attention back towards the field, I just caught Asuka just as she took her attention away from the stands.
As the last few penultimate events were clued up, Asuka was already the clear winner of the entire thing. This final event, a relay race, was only a formality at this point, but everyone on the field still looked ready to compete. It felt like Asuka had put such a target on herself, that even if she was walking away with the gold, a lot of her classmates were looking to take her down, if just for one event.
Was that inspirational? Mmh, maybe not, but it still somehow served to create tension during this match that shouldn't really have any.
Asuka's partner, however, was not too amused. What a stroke of fate that it would be Shinji leading the charge for her last hurdle. Their arguing voices were clear as day, like out of tune music to my ears.
Without hesitation, the finale began, and like clockwork, Shinji was quick to fall behind the racers around him. I saw Asuka immediately put her face in her hands, before she slapped her cheeks and got into a sprinting position, murderous intent in her eyes.
Misato stood straight up and screamed.
"PUT YOUR BACK INTO IT, SHINJI! COME ON!" Her voice carried across the field, and shockingly, Shinji's speed began to increase. As they passed the midway mark of the track, the other racers began to slow down, their energy becoming spent. It was with that I now realized Shinji's strategy.
This was what he was planning for.
His reserved energy still keeping him at a constantly increasing pace, pushing into the ranks of the racers who had seemingly underestimated him, Shinji managed to get up toe-to-toe with everyone else.
As they approached the line where their teammates were, those teammates launched into a light jog, except Asuka.
Asuka stayed on her ground, still in position, now with one arm back.
Shinji headed the pack, and as he reached out the baton to her, her hand clasped around it just as the other racers passed her.
Like a shot, she flew. Passing the other racers and their teammates, who were now getting their batons in hand. No matter how much they tried, she was three steps ahead of their pace the whole way.
I stood up.
"YOU CAN DO IT, ASUKA! DON'T LET UP!" I yelled across the field. I think I actually hurt myself yelling as loud as I did, and it earned me a few odd looks from the people around me, even Misato.
That's what I promised I'd do.
Of course, it was her foot that crossed the finish line before anyone else's. She crushed the race just like any other, barely breaking a sweat.
I was so proud of her.
She made a beeline for me as soon we were allowed to enter the field itself. Asuka raised the gold medal hanging from her neck with a huge smile on her face.
"See this, Lieutenant? This is what being the best gets you." It was clear she was exhausted, but her adrenaline was still pumping, so she was practically jogging in place as she showed the medal off. "I still think you could've cheered a little louder." I thought I heard her say to herself.
"You were great, Asuka. Heck, you honestly surprised me. I didn't know you were such a skilled athlete!" She stuck a finger up.
"Tsk tsk, I should be offended you thought I would be anything less, but I'll let it slide this time!" She giggled. "So, since it's just me this time, steak's on the menu for my victory, right?" I winced, but… I suppose that was a fair reward.
"Well, if you're fine with just steak, I can make that happen."
As the redhead celebrated, Shinji strolled up beside us, a glum look on his face.
"How come I helped you win the final race, but I didn't even get my own medal for it?"
Asuka turned up her nose. "Next time, just apply yourself better, dummkopf." She followed it with a quick cackling laugh, capping it off with a particularly sly look of superiority. "Though, if you want one so badly, I'll let you take a photo of mine to hang on your wall."
Shinji just sighed and walked back into the crowd, too tired to argue.
With the focus back on her, Asuka started boasting about how easy each competition was. Her spirits got a huge boost from this, and in the back of my mind, I prayed the next Angel would take it easy on them. She deserved to feel a win like this more often. I just smiled as I listened.
"You're not even listening, Lieutenant!" The girl stared up at me, pouting. "Come on, look alive!"
Almost by instinct, my hand was outstretched before she finished voicing her annoyance, patting her head.
"Of course I'm listening, dummy." For a short moment, she happily accepted the gesture, before hurriedly pushing my hand off.
"Geez, don't just pet me like I'm an adorable animal all the time!" Asuka crossed her arms and turned her head away from me. "Fine, I'll just tell you the rest over my victory dinner. Then you'll have no choice but to listen to me!"
"...but I really was listening…"
"Ah, Asuka and the Lieutenant!" As we were walking back to Misato's car, Hikari caught up to us. Stopping for a second to catch her breath, she stood up and held her hand out for a high-five. "I didn't get a chance to congratulate you, and I was worried you'd be gone before I had the chance to! Glad I caught you!"
Asuka returned the high-five and giggled. "Well thanks. It wasn't a difficult battle at all, but at least it was fun!"
"I figured you'd end up saying something like that." Hikari said with a smile.
"I mentioned this to her earlier, but I'm still surprised at how well she handled the competition. Who knew Asuka was so skilled, eh?" I joined in, laughing. Hikari gave me a funny look.
"Huh? If you ask me, this was the expected result." She started. Asuka's face began turning a soft crimson. "Asuka's been making short work of every gym event since she enrolled. I'd go as far to say she's a pick for the school's star athlete!"
I furrowed my brow. "You don't say."
Asuka immediately turned on her heel and began walking back towards the car, where Misato and Shinji were already waiting.
The class rep leaned in closer to me. "Are you really surprised, Lieutenant?" She whispered.
"Well, yeah. She doesn't talk about much of her school life with me. Actually, none of it at all." Hikari frowned. "What little I do know, Shinji had to tell me."
"Maybe she doesn't want you to make a big deal out of any of it?" She scratched her cheek in thought. "...or maybe she's embarrassed with some of her work and thinks it's easier just to tell you nothing? Who knows. She's pretty hard on herself, so it wouldn't shock me…"
I watched as Asuka kept walking away.
"Yeah. That could be it." I gave a pensive smile. "Well, I won't pry. She'll tell me what she wants when she's ready, I'm sure."
"Mmh, yeah, probably." Hikari said softly. "Though, you know how she is. There's some stuff she'll never get off her chest without you prying." She turned back towards the school. "At least, that's what I think."
I should keep that in mind for the future. "Thanks for the advice, Hikari. Have a good evening."
She nodded and started to walk away, before quickly calling over her shoulder. "Oh Asuka! I forgot to mention, there's something VERY IMPORTANT I need to tell you tomorrow!"
Very important, eh? Wonder what that could be.
The evening was fairly uneventful for us. After Misato and Shinji went on to their apartment, Asuka dropped her school stuff inside ours and we took my car out to one of the steakhouses she had heard about last month.
Even though her earlier enthusiasm signaled to me that this meal would be one where she'd be talking nonstop, the conversation with Hikari seemed to dampen her spirits a little for whatever reason. I figured that if there was any time not to pry, it'd be now, so I tried to stay away from mentioning anything about school and leave that for another day. Luckily, as we sat down and prepared to order, Asuka seemed like she was more than fine just enjoying her medium rare ribeye in complete silence.
When the meat arrived on the table, her elation was more than apparent. Every bite she put into her mouth melted away her mood, and before long, she was making small talk between bites. It was always welcome to see her happy like this. However, again, my mind floated back to the subject of the Angels that awaited on the horizon.
If life was as simple as it felt today, we'd all be better off, but that's not the hand we've been dealt. Even the happiest of days could precede the most awful of nightmares.
I can't let myself become complacent. Not after we've come this far.
Author's Note : I'm feeling a bit of the groove again, coming off the back of Christmas! I even went ahead and replanned the entire rest of the fic during my holiday writing break, so it's actually going to be a bit longer now overall. The focus right now is still to give Matsuo and Asuka more time together, so look forward to that!
I hope you all continue to enjoy the fic! See you all again soon!