Chapter 19 – A Reason To Fight Part III: For Us
Misato had just started her shift and she already wished it was over. Immediately after entering the NERV central command bridge she leaned against the console and began nursing her cup of coffee she'd brought from the lounge. She would admit it, she'd had a few too many beers the night before, and now she was paying for it. Who could blame her though? It had been a party after all, in her honor no less, so why wouldn't she drink away her cares and emotions? Being forced to be in close proximity with Kaji was motivation enough to do that, let alone a stressful promotion... She'd taken a Tylenol before going in to work but her head still had a mild ache and the bright lights of the bridge causing pressure behind her eyes.
"Well... how are you feeling this fine morning?" Ritsuko asked with a knowing smirk.
Misato groaned and closed her eyes, taking another sip of her coffee. "Shut up..." she grumbled.
Ritsuko snickered. "I guess that sums it up," she replied. "You should really work on controlling your drinking."
Misato glared at her friend. "I'll work on my drinking when you get your chain smoking under control," she snapped back.
"Fair point," Ritsuko replied, her smirk not wavering in the slightest.
Misato sipped her coffee once again. "Uh-huh..." she grumbled. The way Ritsuko was looking at her just screamed that she still wanted to say something. "So... what other comments do you have?"
"Nothing," the faux blonde replied. "Just that it's pretty childish to get that wasted to avoid talking with your ex boyfriend."
Misato grimaced at that remark. "How many times do I have to tell you to shut up?" she hissed. "Besides, it's better than just pouring myself into my work to deal with my issues."
Ritsuko's smirk faltered. "I guess both of us have our own ways of doing things," she muttered, turning away.
"Yeah, I guess we do," Misato replied, her anger dissipating as soon as she realized how deep her comment had cut. "So... any interesting projects you're working on?"
Ritsuko sighed. "A few. I have an... intensive series of tests lined up for the pilots coming soon. Basically those will see if we can bolster their synchronization rates. Other than that I've been working on a new system for the commander but that's hit several road blocks," she grumbled. "So much programming, so little breaks..."
Misato nodded. Deep down she counted herself lucky that she was just the tactical branch head. If she were than position she wouldn't be able to handle it. "Sounds stressful," she replied. "How come you can't take any breaks."
Ritsuko shrugged. "It's not that I can't, it's that I feel like I have to keep going..." she replied. "As you said, I pour myself into my work."
Now it was Misato's turn to frown. That statement was one that she too could resonate with, the idea that she was doing the things she did because she felt like she had to, that it was an obligation. Well, they were literally obligations to NERV, but she knew Ritsuko meant in the sense of it being an obligation to the self. That was something she could truly understand. "Yeah..." Misato muttered. "I can understand that mentality..."
There was a pause before Ritsuko spoke again. "I'm going to head to my office. Hope your hangover gets better," she stated before starting to move away.
"Thanks," Misato replied with a sheepish smile. "Hope you can sort out whatever bugs in your project you're dealing with."
"Me too," Ritsuko returned. "If my luck holds I should be finished today."
"Well... good luck," Misato replied.
Ritsuko turned back and issued a soft smile followed by a nod. "Thanks Misato," she returned before resuming her walk off the bridge.
Misato watched her go and continued sipping her coffee. Maybe she had been a bit childish at the party and just moments ago with what she'd said to her friend. She hated to think this way but at least when there was a looming Angel threat she could just... tune everything else in her life that was uncomfortable and just focus on her revenge, the revenge she felt obligated to achieve...
Ritsuko finished typing out the last line of code to her revised memory decryption program and slumped back in her chair. It had taken many days of long hours to get a program working that would be able to account for any type of common error that may arise. Thankfully she'd had the Magi to help her with putting the code together. In a strange round about way, it was almost like her mother was still around helping her push forward. In another way, it was almost like her mother was taunting her for lacking her genius, always having to hold her hand to find success. Needless to say, she had mixed feelings about having to rely on the Magi to help her write her human memory decryption program...
The program that she'd written was simple but ingenious. It would decode and sort all of Rei's memories day by day from the time of her initial release from containment minute by minute. Considering the limitations of modern computing power, even considering the Magi, it would take some time to run the program to its completion. That said, she would need to remain in the office to monitor the entire process once she started it in motion. The reasoning behind this was twofold considering it would perhaps help her to understand why Rei's memory data had caused errors in the first place with her initial decoding program and also... the whole thing was still top secret. In other words, as much as she wanted to get it running immediately she would have to wait. Besides, she was exhausted and... Gendo could wait one day before she told him what was going on. He was away on business anyway.
"Well, what might the good Doctor Ritsuko Akagi be up to today?" a familiar voice sounded from the entrance to her office.
She minimized the window on her screen that contained her newly minted program and turned to greet him with a smile. "Morning Kaji," she replied. "I'm guessing you're not feeling any ill effects from last night."
"Only the lasting sting of rejection," he replied with a dramatic sigh and placing his hand on his heart before snickering and smirking back at her. "But I didn't awaken with a headache if that's what you mean."
"That's good," Ritsuko replied. "If I remember, in college you always managed to hold your liquor pretty well, even if you were almost as bad as Misato."
Kaji laughed. "You remember that better than I do then," he returned. "So... are you working on anything of interest."
Something about how he said that just... put her on alert. She could sense that perhaps he had some sort of ulterior motive for asking. For that matter, how had he managed to enter her office so silently and right when she was in the middle of finishing up a top secret program? To top that off, she was pretty sure she'd locked the door... "Oh nothing," she replied calmly, forcing her smile not to falter. "Just some cataloging program for the Eva combat systems."
Kaji snickered and his smirk took on that... devious look he'd sometimes wear. "Sounds boring but important," he replied. "I bet you're quite proud of it."
"I would say that I am," she returned, playing along an shifting into a teasing tone. "By the way, just how long were you watching me before you made your presence known."
Kaji's smirk remained but his eyes no longer had that playful glint in them. Instead they were the look of someone who was carefully plotting their next move. "You should know I make my presence known to the ladies immediately upon my entry," he replied.
Ritsuko couldn't help but chuckle at his comment. "Oh Kaji... you never change," she replied.
"Perhaps," he replied before tapping the door frame and standing back from the door. "Well, I just thought I'd say hello. Later Ritsuko." With those words, he continued on down the hallway.
Ritsuko stared at the empty hallway for quite a while pondering what had just happened. Even though he'd denied it, somehow she knew he'd been watching her. She didn't know the reason but something about it just rubbed her the wrong way. Perhaps she would consult Gendo about it when he returned from his trip to the Antarctic wasteland..
Gendo couldn't help but smirk as he looked over the red sea of death where the continent of Antarctica had once existed. Everything about the retrieval operation had gone just as planned. It was one more step towards his final goal's success. The triumph was almost enough to distract him from the increasing turmoil brewing in the heart of Tokyo 3 regarding the future of NERV and the dilemma surrounding Rei and his son. Almost...
The day before his expedition aboard the U.N. Aircraft Carrier Carl Vinson had reached the edges of the blood sea he'd received a report from intelligence on the events surrounding the blackout that had occurred the day the Ninth Angel had attacked NERV. According to the report it had indeed been an act of sabotage that had turned out the lights. Said report did not name a culpable party but had heavily implied that the Japanese government had ultimately been behind it. Gendo had no way of knowing completely who had personally killed the power but he had suspicions as to who might be personally responsible and at the top of that short list was Ryouji Kaji.
He'd had reason to suspect that the man had his own motives for being at NERV, especially since he was always asking vague prying questions and skulking around the facility. It didn't matter though, so long as his spy kept quiet and snooped on SEELE when he needed him to, the Japanese government could listen in all they pleased. It wasn't like he would ever let anyone besides Fuyutsuki in on his real motivations or plans. So long as he and SEELE had a use for Kaji then there was no cause for concern. As soon as he outlived his usefulness he would be disposed of.
That left the looming promise he'd made to his son before leaving on his excursion to the ends of the earth. He'd promised to make some time for the boy when he'd gotten back... That in his mind was honestly a far more difficult task than eliminating a double agent. He hated to admit it but... despite Rei's comments about Shinji, he was still afraid to connect with his son. Perhaps he could manage to put it off until the anniversary of Yui's accident in Unit 01? At least on that day they'd have reason to speak to each other and be around one another...
"Once this was the living continent of Antarctica..." Fuyutsuki's words distracted him from his inner debates. "Now it's just an ocean of death... The pole... now it's just another name for hell..."
"Never the less, mankind has returned to this wasteland," Gendo replied. "In the midst of death we still live."
"That's because we're under the protection of science," Fuyutsuki returned.
It was true, it was because of mankind's ability to adapt, improvise, and overcome that they developed the technology to persevere in the broken world post Second Impact. It was science that would allow him to reunite with Yui and free mankind from certain darkness... "Science is what allows man to persevere," he replied.
"That mentality and unbridled ambition is exactly why the Second Impact occurred in the first place," Fuyutsuki returned bitterly. "And here before us is the final result of that. It's a far greater punishment than mankind deserved. This is the real Dead Sea..."
It was true what the older man said, this place was utterly annihilated by the arrogance of SEELE and their callous disregard for anything besides their own ends. If he played his cards right, he would beat them at their own game and create a better world than their machinations promised in the process. In that regard, this desolate sea was a symbol of his hope to accomplish his own ends and a testament to his past folly... "Yet this is a world that has been purified," Gendo replied. "Purged of the original sin."
"I'd rather live in a world with people, no matter how stained it is," Fuyutsuki stated flatly.
Gendo did not have time to ruminate on that statement when an alert klaxon sounded in the room he and his second in command occupied. "We've just received a message from NERV," a voice sounded over the loudspeaker in the room. "An Angel has been detected above the Indian Ocean."
"Well Ikari, this is certainly a development," Fuyutsuki remarked. "Do you think that Katsuragi will be able to handle it?"
Gendo stared off over the desolate hellscape before him and crossed his arms. "If I didn't then I wouldn't have left her in charge."
Such was life that the minute she decided to take a lunch that an alert would be declared. Misato sighed and set down the cup of noodles she'd purchased from one of the many lounge vending machines and made haste to the bridge. At least her hangover had dissipated enough that it was no longer a massive obstacle...
"What's going on?" she inquired as soon as she took her station on the bridge. "Is it an Angel?"
"Yes Major," Lt. Hyuga replied, turning around in his chair to regard her with a worried expression. "The Angel appeared on our radar about two minutes ago."
Misato knew that NERV had a number of surveillance satellites orbiting above the earth for very prospect of an Angel appearing in orbit. "What's the closest recon satellite to the target?" she asked.
"Satellite number six," Hyuga replied. "It's already on a trajectory to intercept, two minutes to contact."
"Target has been sighted," Lt. Aoba stated.
"Bring it up on screen," Misato ordered, staring up at the central display with folded arms.
"Yes Major," Lt. Aoba replied.
The central display changed from a graph of the various recon satellites in orbit to a high resolution image of the Angel what was quickly approaching. Misato couldn't help but be a little shocked by the thing's appearance. This thing was massive! It was a giant orange blob with hand-like wings displaying large roundel patterns and an enormous eye like protrusion in the center of the beast's presumed body. It was quite unnerving to look at. Considering the preliminary measurements, it's wingspan was half a kilometer.
"It's enormous..." Hyuga stated with a gasp.
Misato's brows furrowed. "Yeah, it's impressive alright..." she muttered.
"Recon six is now in range," Aoba declared.
Misato scowled. There was no way that she could fight this thing while it was still in orbit. There was no choice but to observe it for now... "Summon Dr. Akagi," she commanded. "We need to form a plan on how to fight this thing."
Ritsuko had reluctantly left her desk and the preparation she'd been working on for the in depth synchronization training module she'd been planning for the pilots when Misato had called her to the bridge. She'd gotten there just in time to see the first group of surveillance satellites destroyed by the Angel's impressively powerful A.T. Field and now she was standing in the combat operations planning room with Misato and Maya watching a live feed of the Angel's latest movements. It was currently sloughing off pieces of itself in a rhythmic pattern into the ocean as it's orbit drifted closer and closer to being directly overhead. Every single impact was producing substantial tsunamis. Needless to say, this particular Angel was posing a very serious threat...
"Look at the size of those impacts," Misato stated. "That's the power of an A.T. Field impact..."
"It uses kinetic energy too," Maya stated, her voice sounding nervous. "This Angel is acting like a living bomb..."
Ritsuko stared at screen and the line of massive blast points where the Angel had impacted the ocean. It obvious that this thing packed immense amounts of energy. How on earth would they be able to use the Evas to fight this thing? "Thankfully the first shot hit the water but each consecutive shot seems to be moving closer and closer to land. Its margin for error appears to be decreasing." she said.
"So in other words it's learning to aim..." Misato muttered.
"We struck it with an N2 warhead just a little while ago. No effect," Lt. Hyuga stated.
"The Angel has been continuing on it's orbital trajectory since then," Lt. Aoba added.
Misato smiled wryly. "Let me guess, it's coming here isn't it?" she asked rhetorically.
Where else would it be going? "It's a safe bet," Ritsuko replied. "And if it falls on us-"
Misato spoke again, cutting her off. "There will be a third Ashinoka lake, right?" she asked.
The two so dubbed Ashinoka in the vicinity of Tokyo 3 had been created due to the usage of N2 weapons during the operations against the Third and the Seventh Angels respectively. The explosive yield of a standard N2 weapon was in the realm of five to ten kilotons of TNT. This was nothing compared to what the Angel that was moving toward them in orbit. Considering only a fraction of its mass had generated tsunami, Ritsuko could estimate that the full force of the monster slamming into them would be somewhere north of thirty megatons... "Actually, this whole region will probably become an extension of the Pacific Ocean," she replied in a gravely serious tone.
Misato crossed her arms and a pensive frown fell over her features. "Have we been able to reach Commander Ikari?" she inquired.
"Negative," Lt. Aoba replied. "We're experiencing an outage of our satellite communications. It might be interference from the Angel's A.T. Field."
Misato glanced over at Maya. "What do the Magi recommend we do?" she asked.
"The Magi are unanimously recommending evacuation," Maya replied after a quick glance at the clipboard she was holding.
Ritsuko watched as Misato turned back to the display in the room, her scowl deepening and her eyebrows twitching. "What will you do?" she asked. "You're the one in command at this moment."
She watched as Misato's glare took on a determined and authoritative edge. "Notify all the ministries concerned that I'm issuing a special D17 declaration. All residents within a radius of fifty kilometers are to evacuate immediately. Also, tell Matsushiro to back up the Magi," she commanded.
"Are we going to evacuate as well?" Lt. Hyuga asked.
"No, but it's not necessary to place everyone in the city at risk," Misato replied.
Ritsuko couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. What in the world could Misato be planning? The fact that she wasn't going to evacuate when the most advanced computer system in the world recommended getting out of dodge was certainly concerning...
The alert sirens had sounded just about midday signaling that there was an Angel threat. Rei couldn't help but find that a bit frustrating. If it had happened an hour later then she would have already eaten the bento that Shinji had made for her. She always looked forward to that... Now, instead of enjoying a pleasant meal with friends, she was dashing beside Shinji and Asuka to one of the nearest passages down to the geofront.
"I wonder what's going on now," Shinji said between heavy panting breaths. "You think it's another Angel?"
"Of course it's another Angel," Asuka huffed. "What else could it be?"
"You've got a point," Shinji panted.
Rei felt her heart racing, and it wasn't just from the running. Considering the last two Angels had not existed in the timeline she was familiar with, this current one might be outside of her experience as well. She could only hope that she would have the strength to face it. No... she was done with anxiety and fear, at least she told herself that. She would fight this threat with every ounce of strength she could muster and defeat it. She had to, for the sake of the world, for the sake of her friends that made this world worth saving...
"I wonder what kind of threat we'll be up against," Shinji panted. "The woman on the loudspeaker declared and evacuation instead of a shelter in place order...
"Does it matter, stupid?" Asuka huffed. "We'll kick it's ass like we always do."
Rei couldn't help but smile at the redhead's confidence. If only she could be so sure of her abilities when it came to such things... She envied her in that regard. "I hope you are correct in your assumption," she replied.
"Of course I am," Asuka returned. "It's our job to beat them after all, right?"
"Yeah..." Shinji huffed. "It's... our job."
Rei couldn't help but respect that cavalier attitude. Whatever the threat was she would rise to face it because it was her job to do so. If anything had been made clear by the last Angel attack, with the help of her friends anything was possible...
The three of them turned the corner of the street and stopped directly in front of the door to one of the many emergency access paths to NERV central. "Hopefully the power is working this time," Asuka quipped as she tried to catch her breath.
Rei placed her hand on the latch and pulled. The door slid open with no problem. "Looks like the power is functional," she replied.
"Good," Asuka returned, her voice taking on a bit of an edge. "I don't want to have to crawl around through the air vents with Shinji looking up my skirt again."
"For the last time, I wasn't looking up your skirt!" Shinji cried indignantly.
"Just keep saying that, you pervert," Asuka retorted. "At the very least, you were looking at my ass."
"I had to see where I was going!" Shinji spat. "Would you rather I just have closed my eyes and been moving blind?"
"Honestly, yes!" Asuka shouted.
Rei frowned. Considering the looming threat of an imminent Angel attack, there was no time to argue the veracity of Asuka's claims even though she was very certain that Shinji was not one for that type of behavior. On the matter of the subject of her friend's argument, why was the thought of him looking at Asuka's backside so uncomfortable? "We don't have time to argue," she stated. "We must get to headquarters."
"Thank you..." Shinji muttered, shooting a glare at Asuka.
Asuka scowled and crossed her arms. "Whatever..." she grumbled.
Ryuji Nakajima couldn't help but be a bit frustrated as he sat in the back of the transport truck that he sat in with the members of his rifle squad including Masaki. Since the so called "Angel" threat had begun, all he'd been able to do was cower in fear and retreat and today was no different since NERV had petitioned for a D17 evacuation order. Now he and his entire regiment was forced to leave their station and find higher ground in the region away from Tokyo 3 and for what? All so Mobile Suit Bullshit had a better playground to dick around with some stupid Kaiju monster? "I'm sick of this shit..." he grumbled to himself.
"You alright, Nakajima-kun?" Masaki asked. "You look a little stressed, buddy..."
Nakajima couldn't keep the rage contained, not this time. "No!" he spat. "I am not alright! How the fuck could I be alright with all the fucking shit that's been going on! We've got giant fucking robots doing our fucking job against fucking Gojira wannabe monsters and there's not a goddamn fucking thing we can fucking do about it! Fuck! God fucking dammit! Don't you think this is just fucking insane!?"
"Would you shut the fuck up, Nakajima?" Sgt. Saito grumbled from his spot a few feet away from them in the truck, puffing on his cigarette like the chain smoker he was. "We all feel the same way, stop shitting up morale."
"Yeah," another soldier in the truck grumbled. "What the Sergeant said..."
"Seriously, calm down dude..." yet another soldier voiced nervously.
Nakajima leaned back against the canvas backing of the side of the truck. "Fine, whatever..." he huffed. "Still, you gotta admit this is humiliating..."
"It's orders," Sgt. Saito snapped. "And you'd do best not to complain about them, Nakajima. You're a soldier of the JSSDF after all. Ours is not to question, ours is to do and die for the good of Japan."
"I know that," Nakajima replied with a scowl. "Still, Sarge, don't you get the feeling that there's something more going on? How come we don't have that Eva technology or whatever it is that lets NERV succeed where we can't?"
"The government trusts NERV with the security of the nation," Sgt. Saito spat, taking a puff on his cigarette. "So should you. Trust and believe, none of us like where things stand for us."
"Seriously, Nakajima-kun, calm down..." Masaki murmured.
"Fine..." Nakajima huffed. "I'll just sit back and take this bullshit the same as the rest of you... What's even the reason for the evacuation anyway? There's never been one this far reaching before."
"I don't know for certain," Masaki replied. "But rumors are that one of those monsters is going to try and bomb Tokyo 3 from orbit."
Nakajima's jaw fell open. "How the hell are some stupid giant robots going to fight something like that?" he asked, reaching up to adjust his helmet.
"Beats me," Masaki replied with a shrug of his shoulders. "It's just a rumor after all."
Nakajima stared down at his boots and pulled his rifle close to his chest. "What a world we live in... this is fucking insane..." he muttered.
"You're not really serious are you?" Ritsuko asked her from where she stood washing her hands in the staff lavatory the both of them were in.
"Yes," she replied, staring at her reflection in the makeup container she was holding, having just finished touching up her foundation. "I am."
"You can't stand here and tell me that you'd sacrifice all three Evas to satisfy your own ambitions," the faux blond returned. "I've looked at what the Magi calculated for you chance of success and it's around 0.001 percent. That's a one in ten thousand bet your placing."
Misato had to admit that the plan she'd devised was a bit outlandish but it was the best option she had considering the circumstances. Ritsuko seemed to think that her plan was a bit outrageous but it was the best she could think of with such short notice. Currently, she was trying to argue that point with her closest friend. Besides, it wasn't about her ambition, it was a bout doing what had to be done. If her ambitions fell under that umbrella then that was a bonus, or at least that's how she justified it to herself. She snapped the little mirror shut and smirked. "It's not zero," she replied. "And I have faith in the pilots."
"Major Katsuragi!" Ritsuko barked, her brow furrowing with concern. "You are responsible for those pilots! Would you see them killed along with the rest of us?"
Misato's expression hardened and she shot her friend a glare. One would think that the faux blonde would understand that the operation she'd planned was absolutely the best chance for success. Since when did the doctor care that much about the pilots anyway? Besides, after her promotion, Ritsuko was now technically below her in the NERV power structure... "Need I remind you that I'm the one in charge here?" she replied.
Ritsuko said nothing but continued staring at her. Misato turned her gaze away from her friend and looked down at the sink in front of her. "I have to do what I have to do..." she continued softly. "Destroying the Angels is my duty..."
"Duty?" Ritsuko retorted. "I don't believe that at all, this is just to satisfy yourself, to sate your need for revenge for what happened fifteen years ago!"
Misato hated that her friend had a point. She turned away and scowled down at the floor, clenching her fists. "So what if that's why I want to kill them," she hissed. "They need to die so humanity can live so what's does it matter?"
"It matters because there are more lives at risk than yours," Ritsuko replied. "The Angel might simply destroy itself on impact but you still want to try and catch it?"
"I know that," Misato returned. "But you know that we can't let that happen."
"The Magi predict a higher chance of that happening than your plan being successful. Why take that risk?" Ritsuko countered.
Misato turned around to face her friend, a wan smile coming over her. "If I did that then there would be no place for people to come back to," she replied. "All their homes would be destroyed and their lives would be upended. Can we really inconvenience people like that?"
Ritsuko's hard expression softened for a moment before she dipped her head and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I hate that you have a point..." she muttered.
"What!?" Asuka exclaimed. "You want us to catch it with our hands!?"
"That's right," Misato replied with a confident smile. "We'll station the Evas at three points around the predicted drop zone, then you'll catch it with your A.T. Fields before it hits the ground."
Rei was honestly a bit relieved when Misato finished her briefing on the plan of action. Despite jitters she was feeling about having to deploy she was actually relieved that the Angel that they would be sent out to kill was one she'd fought before in the previous timeline, in her past life. The plan that Misato had devised was almost completely identical to the operation she remembered participating in so she was confident in the success of it. Even so, she was still a bit nervous. The last time she'd fought this Angel they had been successful but barely...
"But what if it doesn't fall where you think it will?" Shinji voiced, with a concerned expression.
"Then we'll have to deal with a really big explosion," Misato returned.
"And what if the Evas can't handle the impact?" Asuka inquired.
Rei was confident that the Evas would indeed be able to withstand the impact, they'd done it before in the world she'd come from... "Then we'll all be blown to the moon," Misato replied.
"What are our chances?" Shinji asked.
"Slim to none," Misato replied, her confident grin never wavering for a second. "To tell the truth, I really have no idea."
Asuka scowled and cast her glance downward. "If we manage to pull this off it'll be a miracle..." she grumbled.
Rei watched as Misato's eyes narrowed and her lips curved downward. "Miracles aren't something that just happen, they're something that you make happen," she replied sternly.
"So what?" Asuka retorted. "You've got to admit that this is a suicide mission..."
"I'm sorry, Asuka," Misato replied soberly. "This is the best plan we could devise."
Asuka clenched her fists at her side and took a step towards the major. "How can you call this idiotic idea a plan!?" she roared.
"I suppose I can't really," Misato returned with a tinge of sadness in her voice. "You can refuse to do it if you wish..."
There was silence until Rei stepped forward. "I have faith that we will succeed," she stated softly, glancing back at her two friends.
Shinji met her gaze and his features adopted a resolute expression before he too stepped forward. "I'll give it all I can," he stated.
Asuka chuckled and stepped forward as well. "If Shinji and Wonder-girl are up for then I can't say no," she replied with a smirk. "I didn't want to but now it's a matter of pride."
Misato smiled back at them. "Thanks you three..." she returned. After a moment's pause, she lifted up the clipboard she was holding in her hands. "The regulations state that all of you are supposed to write a last will. Have you done that?"
Rei thought on those words. She vaguely remembered Misato asking a similar thing of them in the previous timeline but she could have been mistaken. Either way, this was a topic that she'd never given much thought before her... realization of her own agency in life and the prospect that if she died her memories would die with her and not carry over to the next clone body. Now she actually gave the idea some thought. What would she put in a last will when she had so few possessions of her own. She supposed that she could leave her meager wardrobe to Asuka but... that was just depressing. No. She wasn't going to die in a battle she was certain she could win. She'd come too far just to die now. "I will not require such a document," Rei stated firmly. "I do not plan to die on the battlefield."
"I'm with Wonder-girl," Asuka declared. "I'm not planning on biting the big one today either."
"The same goes for me," Shinji added.
"Okay," Misato stated. "When all of this is over I'll treat all of you to a nice dinner."
"That does sound kind of nice," Shinji replied. "Thank you!"
"Trust and believe, we'll hold you to it," Asuka warned.
Misato grinned. "Don't worry," she replied before turning on her heel and moving toward he exit of the room. "The three of you deserve it. I'll see you on the bridge once you've changed into your suits."
After a moment Shinji spoke up. "A nice dinner is supposed to impress us?" He muttered.
"Yeah," Asuka grumbled. "We're risking our lives and that's our reward? The Second Impact generation has got some low standards..."
"I suppose that she can't help it," Shinji murmured. "Things were quite different for them when they were our age, right?"
Asuka snickered and smirked smugly at Shinji. "Your thanks seemed pretty enthusiastic even so," she teased.
Shinji shuffled his feet. "Well... I guess it might not seem very important to us but it does mean something to Misato, y'know..." he softly replied.
Rei couldn't help but smile at that comment. Shinji was always so considerate of others and their feelings, it was one of the many things she liked about him. Considering how much Misato struggled, it was probably all she could do for them. The fact that he realized that was rather sweet of him... "I agree with Shinji," she stated.
Rei watched as Asuka's smug grin widened and the redhead nudged her arm with her elbow. "So, what sort of food do you want after we beat this bastard?" Asuka asked with a wide grin.
Rei thought back to what had happened previously when they'd fought this Angel in the other world. If she remembered correctly, there had been no such offer of a meal. The recent memory of the party at Misato's came to mind... The idea of going out for food all together sounded very pleasant. "As long as there is a vegetarian option, anything is fine," she replied. "I simply appreciate the gesture."
Asuka rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Whatever you say, Rei," she muttered. "Whatever you say..."
Shinji stood on the bridge with his fellow pilots, Ritsuko, Misato and the rest of the bridge crew awaiting orders for the final plan of action for their deployment to be given. If he was being honest with himself, he was quite worried about what was about to go down. Knowing that he was going into battle with such a small chance of success was daunting but he had resolved that failure was not an option. There was his promise to Rei to account for and if she was going to fight then so was he. He was not about to let himself fall back into his cowardly ways and let someone else carry him anymore. Even if he still struggled with his duties, doubted his abilities, and questioned why he piloted Eva in the first place, he would not forget that promise to his best friend...
Lt. Aoba queued up a map of Tokyo 3 with a large red overlay plastered on top of it that encompassed the entire city and much of the surrounding countryside. After a moment's pause, Misato began her final briefing. "Since it's impossible to deduce the exact location of impact, the Magi have narrowed it down the estimated drop zone to roughly the area in red you can see on the screen," she stated.
"That's a huge area to cover!" Asuka whined.
Shinji would admit that he agreed with the fiery girl, it was indeed a massive swath of ground they would be tasked to cover. He could only assume that when they were racing to the final drop zone that their Evas would all be running on internal power leaving them only five minutes to intercept and make the kill... "Can it really fall anywhere in that area?" Shinji asked, almost unwilling to believe that it was true.
"Yes," Ritsuko stated flatly. "Considering the power and scope of the target's A.T. Field, it could still annihilate NERV headquarters without the need for a direct hit. Just landing relatively nearby would be sufficient for it to succeed in destroying us."
"With that knowledge..." Misato cut in. "We'll disperse the Evas into these three mutually supporting combat zones."
The central display screen changed again, overlaying three blue circles over the predicted Angel impact zone, each one labeled with the corresponding Eva unit that would be stationed at center of each ring. Shinji's brow furrowed with worry. "What's the reasoning for where you're stationing us?" he asked.
"Call it a hunch," Misato replied.
"A hunch!?" both he and Asuka shouted in unison. Shinji was dumbfounded. How could she be so willing to put everyone's life on the line including her own because of some gut feeling?
Misato scowled. "Call it women's intuition then," she stated firmly.
Asuka's eyebrows knit up in concern. "If that's the case then we are royally screwed..." she muttered.
Rei took a step forward. "For what it's worth, I have faith in this plan, Major," she stated softly in that quiet but oh so confident and resolute voice of hers.
Shinji glanced at the blue haired girl with a surprised expression before shifting his gaze down at his hand at his side. Slowly he lifted his hand and studied the curves of his gloved palm... If Rei could have faith in this crazy plan then couldn't he? He had faith in her after after all so why should he doubt things? He wouldn't, he couldn't, he had that promise to keep. He was done running away. Besides... he had the power to make those miracles that Misato had talked about a reality. That power was in the palm of his hand when he piloted the Eva. So long as he had Rei and Asuka with him on the battlefield then... anything could be possible. He closed his fist and rested it back at his side before turning back to Rei. "You're right," he replied. "We can... make this work."
Rei turned to him with her eyes slightly wide, a slight pink tinge present in her cheeks but before he or she had a chance to say anything Asuka spoke first. "Ha!" she exclaimed. "Since when did you turn into an optimist?"
Shinji frowned. "I wouldn't call it optimism..." he replied. "Just that... if we work together we might be able to pull this off."
Asuka snickered. "Who are you and what have you done with Shinji?" she teased.
"Can it, Asuka," Misato interjected. "Are the three of you ready to do this?"
Shinji nodded timidly, his heart beginning to pound. This was it, do or die... He was ready to for what was to come and yet... not at the same time. Going off to battle was never an easy thing. "I think so," he replied.
"I am ready, Major," Rei stated. Shinji couldn't help but notice just the smallest amount of strain in her voice. As much as she was trying to maintain a stiff upper lip about things, he could tell that deep down she was just as nervous as he was. That was simultaneously disturbing and comforting all in one. At least he wasn't alone in his fear...
Asuka sighed. "Fine, let's do this..." she huffed.
Misato smirked, displaying an air of confidence or more likely false confidence. "Good," she stated. "Get to the cages. The operation starts in thirty minutes."
Shinji turned and followed Rei and Asuka off of the bridge. As he did, his mind began to wander. He began thinking back to the reasons he piloted the Eva, why he put his life in danger in doing so. It was strange, even now he still felt doubts about piloting at all. He had his promise to Rei to stand by her in battle but... was that enough to keep going? Hearing his father's praise for his bravery after the incident surrounding the Angel in the volcano had been exhilarating but was that worth his life? Why did he keep doing this? It was a question that he knew he'd have to find the answer to. Maybe after this battle, pending he survived it, he'd have a definitive answer...
Asuka stood in the elevator with Shinji and Rei to the right of her. A part of her still couldn't wrap her head around the task that they'd been saddled with. How in the world would it be possible for them to defeat an Angel that was essentially a living nuke falling from orbit!? She grit her teeth at the thought of it. So what!? she told herself internally. The harder the fight the greater the glory! Even so, it wasn't easy to shake the feeling that the task was near impossible...
She turned to Rei and Shinji who were both staring at the gate at the front of the elevator with hard expressions not unlike her own. "So..." she drawled, forcing herself to sound confident in the face of their herculean task. "Have you guys given any more thought as to where we're going to have that nice dinner Misato promised once we've destroyed this thing?"
The two of them turned to regard her and Shinji spoke first. "I don't think we should be harsh on her," he replied. "She does struggle with bills after all..."
Asuka crossed her arms and heaved a dramatic sigh. "Pity," she replied. "I was hoping to squeeze steaks out of this, haven't had one of those since I was in Germany..."
"You know that I don't eat meat," Rei stated.
Asuka rolled her eyes. As much as she was displaying otherwise, this banter was doing wonders to help her over her jitters about the mission. "There's other things to be had at a steakhouse, Wonder-girl," she replied.
Rei blinked and tilted her head. "Like what?" she asked.
"There's mashed potatoes, green beans, baked potatoes, cornbread, veggie burgers if you really want to go that far, all sorts of things!" she replied.
Rei looked downward, seemingly contemplating the options put forth. "I see..." she returned. "As... appealing as some of that sounds, I do think that Shinji is right. We shouldn't strain the major's finances."
Asuka sighed, this time a genuine sigh of frustration. "Suit yourselves," she replied. "I guess we can just go to a ramen stand or something."
"I wouldn't mind that," Shinji replied. "It's still something and it would be a break from me having to cook."
"Your cooking is very good, Shinji," Rei stated.
Shinji laughed nervously. "Thanks but... it does get a little tiring cooking most days," he replied.
Okay, now she was just getting pissed off seeing the two of them just getting along so well... "Would you rather let Misato cook?" Asuka huffed. "We'd be dead of food poisoning in a week!"
Rei looked at her with a curious expression. "Do you truly believe that to be a possibility?" she asked.
Asuka snorted, a sardonic smirk creeping onto her lips. "Would you or Shinji like to put that to the test?" she asked rhetorically.
"Absolutely no way!" Shinji exclaimed nervously, shuddering. "That's a bet I don't want to take..."
Rei's brows furrowed. "Surely you can't be serious?" she asked.
Shinji glanced at the blue haired girl with a grave expression. "The day you were over and she cooked was one of her better days..." he replied flatly.
Rei glanced down at her feet, a contemplative look washing over her features. "I see..." she murmured.
Shinji resumed his staring contest with the metal lattice door of the elevator. Asuka's scowl deepened. Great, now she was just stewing over how much Shinji and Wonder-girl trusted each other... A suicide mission in her Eva now seemed like a welcome reprieve from that shit.
The elevator reached the Eva cages and a voice called over the overhead loudspeaker system saying that there was only twenty minutes until the time of the Angel's impact. This was it... it was time to get her game face on and go to war...
Misato stood on the bridge beside Lt. Aoba and Lt. Hyuga. The Evas had just finished getting into position and the operation was about to commence. Even though she'd through up until now, she still had some doubts as to whether he plan of action would be successful. Scratch that, she had a huge amount of doubt. The odds of success that the Magi had given her weighed heavy in her mind. No matter how she sliced it her plan was a long shot... Was it right to make others suffer for her own personal hatred?
No... it wasn't fair to let everyone else get blown to bits if her crazy little plan went south on her. "The rest of you can leave now," she stated to the crew of the bridge around her. "I can oversee the operation alone from here."
Lt. Aoba snickered. "Sorry, Major," he replied with a cavalier smirk. "This is our fight as well."
"Yeah," Hyuga added. "It's not like we can just let those kids risk their lives and not do our part."
Misato smiled. It was touching that they'd want to stay behind until the end if need be. It certainly spoke to their sense of duty and understanding of what the kids went through but at the same time if there was anyone who didn't need to worry right now it was the children themselves. "Don't worry too much about them," she replied. No matter what happens out there, their A.T. Fields will protect them. Honestly, the safest place to be is inside the Eva..."
"Even so," Hyuga replied. "They go out and fight for all of us so this is the least we can do for them."
"What Hyuga said," Lt. Aoba added.
Misato nodded and focused her attention in on the central display screen. The Evas were in place and everything was good to go. Just a matter of seconds until the mission was set to begin. Time to put her faith in those three kids to the ultimate test...
Rei sat in her cockpit trying to steady her heartbeat. Her Eva was in position and everything was set to go. Even though she'd been through this battle before it was still nerve wracking to stand by and await the call the charge. She grit her teeth and glared out at the city in front of her. There was no way that she would let herself give in to fear and waver in her task. She would succeed no matter what, for the sake of the world. She'd succeeded once before so why would this be any different. A part of her even looked forward to having a chance to be the one to kill the Angel. It would be proof that she was making a difference this time around...
The radio crackled to life and Misato's voice rang in her ears. "The Angel is about to enter the atmosphere," she said in a commanding tone. "All units get on your marks and prepare to jettison your power cables."
This was it... the charge was about to begin. She clenched her jaw and brought her Eva down into a crouch, ready to spring forward like a professional sprinter.
Misato continued with her transmission. "We can only give you a rough estimation of where it will fall based on optical and radar observations," she stated. "The Magi will guide you until it's within ten thousand meters of your position but after that you'll have to use your own judgment as to where to go. I'm putting my faith in you guys. Good luck."
Rei looked skyward and her heads up display in her cockpit ascertained a lock on the target. She could see a faint red light getting brighter as the Angel began to enter the atmosphere...
"Begin the operation!" Misato commanded.
"Here we go..." Shinji murmured over the radio.
"Let's do this!" Asuka shouted.
Rei drew a deep breath and exhaled. "Right..." she replied. The fight was on...
"Alright! Let's go!" Shinji screamed.
Rei jettisoned her power cable and the sound of her internal battery coming to life sounded in her ear. With a jolt she lurched her Eva into action. She kept her eyes on the target and the altitude readings thereof as she charged through the streets of Tokyo 3 gaining speed with every massive stride of her colossal mount. As she stamped over and around the buildings and streets she forced her Eva to move faster than she'd ever pushed it. She remembered roughly where the Angel had come down in the previous timeline and so she headed in that direction while keeping the heads up display reading in her sight. Perhaps it was intuition that things would go like the had before but whatever it was she hoped that she was right. If she was then she would be the one to catch it this time...
The Angel made one final course shift and began entering the terminal phase of reentry. It was right overhead, bearing directly down on her position. Elation mixed with fear pulsed through Rei's entire body. She would have to be the one to catch it this time where as before Shinji had been the one to bear the brunt of it's power. No! She wouldn't cave to fear! "A.T. Field to maximum!" she shouted.
She raised her Eva's hands to the sky and braced herself for the coming impact. She had little time to wait until that happened. The massive body of the Angel slammed into her A.T. Field and threatened to make her Eva's legs buckle under its force. Despite this she refused to yield to her otherworldly enemy. Rei yelped from the pain that the neural sync feedback was giving her as her Eva's muscles strained under the force exerted on her. Now all she could do was wait until Shinji and Asuka caught up to assist her. Until then she would give this fight her all if only to show her enemy and the world that she had the courage to stand against the hand of fate.
She felt a sharp pain in her wrists and arms as the Angel continued to smash down on her. She looked over to see her Eva's forearms starting to bleed from the strain of what she was putting it through. She grit her teeth and continued to hold her massive foe at bay. She had come too far to let this be what did her in...
Shinji pushed Unit 01 as hard as he could in his race to catch up with Rei. He'd watched with fear and relief in equal measure as she'd caught their massive foe with her A.T. Field. It was relieving that she'd managed to arrest the Angel's fall but seeing her about to be crushed by it made his stomach churn. As he closed in his blood began to boil. No! He was not about to lose her to some filthy Angel, not now! "Rei!" he shouted as he came to a stop next to her Eva. "I've got you! I'm here!"
"Help me... neutralize... its... A.T. Field..." his friend snarled over the radio, the physical strain of operating her Eva like she was evident in her voice.
"On it!" he shouted, bracing his hands against the Angel's field. He was almost mesmerized by the octagonal strobe pattern that was flashing in the air in front of this eldritch thing they were tasked with killing but he refused to let himself be distracted. He had to save his friend, his best friend. Nothing else mattered except that. Still, it would be really nice to have a bit more help... "Asuka! Where are you!"
"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Asuka shouted over the radio. "Look left, ya dingus!"
Shinji turned his Eva's head and spotted Unit 02 fast approaching from his left. In seconds Asuka was there beside him. She spread her A.T. Field and in a flash the Angel began to be pushed back upwards, relieving pressure on himself and Rei.
Shinji drew his progressive knife and stabbed upward, ripping and tearing at the flashing octagonal force field above. His face contorted into a grimace as he slashed maniacally. There was no way that he was going to let himself or his friends be killed by this monster!
After a moment the Angel's A.T. Field broke. "Asuka!" he shouted. "Do it now!"
"Eat this!" Asuka shouted, lunging her Unit 02 upward and stabbing into the Angel's hideous central eye.
The immense pressure bearing down on his Eva abated. The flashing A.T. Field above them disappeared. Then, after a second of pause, the Angel and it's giant orange body collapsed on top of him and the other two Evas. There was a flash of white and a deafening explosion...
Asuka squeezed her eyes shut as the blast washed over her Eva. For a moment she worried that her Eva's A.T. Field wouldn't hold up against the force of the explosion but as the light of the explosion began to fade away she couldn't help but smirk. Her Unit 02 had pulled through, she had pulled through and now she stood victorious over yet another Angel. The rush of victory washed over her and out of pure elation she began to cheer. This was the kind of shit that she lived for! This glory was why she piloted to begin with! "Yahoo!" she exclaimed. "Hell yeah! We got it!"
"Yes..." Rei's voice sounded through her radio. "We did..."
"Rei, are you alright?" Shinji asked, his voice dripping with concern.
"I am unharmed," the blue haired girl replied.
"That was amazing how you caught it," Shinji stated, his voice teetering on the edge of a nervous laugh. "Sorry I couldn't do more to help."
Asuka's lips curled back in a snarl. Way to take away from her moment of triumph. For that matter, why was he so concerned about her when she had been just as much at risk as Rei had been? Why did thinking about that royally piss her off? Stupid Shinji... "Hey!" she shouted. "I was the one who killed it, where's my recognition!?"
"Thank you for finishing it off," Rei replied.
"Yeah," Shinji replied. "We couldn't have done it without you."
Asuka smirked and crossed her arms. That was more like it... "You're welcome, Wonder-girl," she replied. "So... have you thought more about where you guys want to eat tonight?"
The battle was finally over and Shinji stood beside Rei and Asuka on the NERV central command bridge in front of Misato and the other command structure personnel. He was glad that the deployment had been a success. Seeing Rei nearly get crushed by the Angel as it came into contact with her A.T. Field had been terrifying. Seeing his closest friend fighting for her life had been terrifying... He was so very thankful that things had worked out and that Asuka had been able to kill the Angel and the operation had gone to plan despite the long odds. There was another massive crater where the thing had exploded and Unit 00 had suffered minor damage but he supposed it was a small price to pay for saving the city.
He would admit that watching Rei struggle against the power of the Angel they'd just killed had terrified him. The relief that he'd felt when Asuka had killed it had been exhilarating. Most importantly, he actually felt pride, pride that he'd been able to stand by his friends and do something next to impossible. It was not a feeling he was used to but he liked it, he really did... For perhaps the first time after a combat deployment he was actually smiling a small ghost of a grin.
"You guys did great out there," Misato congratulated them with a warm smile.
Asuka folded her arms smugly grinned. "Of course we did," she replied. "It's us we're talking about!"
Before Shinji or anyone else had a chance to say anything more, Lt. Aoba's voice caught everyone's attention. "Our radio communications with Commander Ikari have been restored," he stated.
Misato's happy and relieved expression immediately shifted to one of pensive worry. "Put him through," she replied.
"Yes Major," the long haired lieutenant returned with a nod.
A sound only icon appeared on of the consoles nearby and Shinji immediately started to freeze up. What was his father going to have to say about the way the operation went? Was he going to criticize Misato's plan or was he going to praise it? Would he comment on his role in it? He awaited the transmission to start with anxiety and anticipation...
"I apologize for what happened today," Misato stated. "Because of my unorthodox and risky operation Unit 00 suffered damage. I take full responsibility."
"No need to apologize," Vice Commander Fuyutsuki replied over the channel. "Destroying Angels is what the Evas are built for, these things are bound to happen. It's fortunate that the amount of damage done was minimal."
"Indeed," his father's voice rang out over the speaker. "Excellent work, Major Katsuragi."
Misato seemed to loosen up. "Thank you sir..." she replied.
"On that subject, I wish to speak with the pilot Unit 00," his father added. "Is she present?"
"Yes sir," Misato replied.
"Rei, I've read the report. Your actions today allowed for Major Katsuragi's plan to be successful," he stated. "Keep up the good work."
"I shall, sir," Rei replied.
Shinji bit his lip. He had hoped that his father would at least say something to him, after all he'd been there and helped too. Was that so selfish? Then there was the fact that his father had promised to spend some time with him but had not given him any definitive time or date for that get together... Before he could stop himself, he spoke out. "Father..." he murmured, his courage to speak dying at his lips.
There was a pause in the room, total silence but for radio channel hissing quietly. "Yes, Shinji?" his father replied.
"When... will you be back from your trip?" Shinji asked.
"I should be back in a matter of days," his father returned. "Why?"
As much as he wanted to just stop talking he was not about to chicken out now... "You said we could spend some time together," Shinji replied nervously. "Will you be able to make time... when you've returned?"
Once again, there was a long pause before his father replied. "I have a number of things I must oversee before that can happen," he stated. "It might be possible if kept short, perhaps a lunch hour. However, the anniversary of your mother's passing is coming up... I visit her marker every year..."
Shinji blinked and his mouth fell open slightly. That last bit had come as quite a bit of a surprise and he wasn't quite sure what to say in response. His father wasn't going back on his word, Shinji did understand that his father was very busy after all, but still it was disappointing. His father was basically saying that he had to take a back seat and that their contact would have to remain limited. At the same time though, he was also basically inviting him to visit his mother's grave with him and honestly opening up to him. Shinji had no idea that his father visited her every year... It made him wonder just how deep the mysteries of his father really ran. Perhaps he was a more complex person than the stoic wall that he'd always known... "O- okay," he stammered.
"Very well," his father replied. "I'll leave the rest of this to you, Katsuragi." With that, the channel closed and the call was over...
Shinji had already done a bit of reflecting on the days events and that conversation had just gave him even more things to think about. At the very least though, he was starting to understand why he continued piloting the Eva. It wasn't just about his father and getting close to him anymore, he was finally starting to realize that. It was just as much about protecting his friends and fellow pilots as it was about anything else. A small, content smile graced across his lips. That... was something he could live with...
Rei was quite content with herself, in fact she was positively joyful. As she walked side by side with Shinji and Asuka under the glow of the evening sun she couldn't help but be happy about how the events of the day had played out. Her hands and forearms still stung from the neural link with her Eva during the battle but it did nothing to sour her mood. A soft smile had worked it's way onto her lips and it wasn't leaving any time soon.
The battle had gone well, quite similar to how she'd remembered it going except in the previous timeline she remembered Shinji being the one to catch the Angel. That wasn't all that important though, the events of the battle were not something she cared much about. All that mattered was that it had been won. There was also the fact that the commander had congratulated her for her actions, which had come as a surprise to her, but did little to shift her conflicted feelings for the man in any meaningful way. No matter what she would always be wary of the man... Deep down, what she was happy about was that her hopes of Shinji and Commander Ikari getting closer, that they could actually connect with one another, seemed to be becoming a reality. Instead of being openly hostile or distant, it seemed like they were finally making some sort of connection with one another. Should that continue then maybe the commander would rethink his plans for her and for the world. She felt genuine hope for the future.
At present herself and her fellow pilots were walking back to Misato's apartment to wait for her while she finished her shift. Thankfully they'd managed to figure out where to eat, having chosen a noodle stand just outside of downtown. Rei was perfectly content with this choice as she enjoyed ramen and it would not cause Misato monetary stress.
Asuka reached her arms up and stretched. "Man, I hope Misato gets out soon," she stated. "Not that I care too much that she's buying us dinner but I am getting kinda hungry."
"She'll probably be there a little late," Shinji replied. "There's always a bunch of paperwork after an Angel shows up or at least that what she says."
"You'd think that she'd just take care of that tomorrow," Asuka huffed.
"I don't think Misato-san has a choice in the matter," Rei stated. "Our after action debriefing is relatively simple compared to hers. She has to file a report."
A lopside frown made its way across Asuka's face. "Yeah..." she sighed. "I suppose that would take a while. Still, it sucks having to wait when you're craving food."
Rei would admit that her own stomach was sending her signals that she needed to fill it. "That I will admit," she replied softly.
"Well, I could fix some tea at the apartment while we wait?" Shinji suggested.
Rei thought back to the two times in her own apartment when she'd had tea with Shinji. That certainly sounded like a pleasant idea. "I would enjoy that," she replied.
"Yeah, I wouldn't mind either," Asuka added. "Just don't make it too bitter."
"I'll try not to," Shinji replied.
Rei smiled. "Even if it is a little bitter I still enjoy it," she replied.
Shinji glanced at her and grinned back sheepishly. "Thanks..." he murmured.
"So..." Asuka drawled. "Should we tell Misato where we're going to have her bring us before we get there or should we leave it a surprise?"
Rei found this inquiry to be just a bit strange. For what reason would they have to conceal that information from her? "Why would we do that?" she asked.
Asuka laughed. "Come on!" she replied. "It'd be a pleasant surprise when she finds out that she doesn't have to pay out the ears for us, but until then it'll be fun to watch her squirm!"
It was after dark when she'd made it back to her apartment to pick the three pilots up. The dinner she'd promised the pilots was finally at hand and Misato parked the car down the street from the place Asuka had said she'd wanted to eat at. She still didn't know exactly what kind of a place she was taking the pilots to but she was worried she'd bit off more than she could chew by extending the offer of a nice meal...
"So where is this place you picked out?" she asked as she stepped out of the car.
"Oh, it's just down the way," Asuka replied as she, Shinji, and Rei all got out of the car and moved onto the sidewalk. "Just follow me."
"Okay..." Misato grumbled in reply. Her wallet was already aching from the anticipation of what was about to happen...
After a few minutes of walking the three pilots stopped walking in front of a street noodle stand. Misato was puzzled. She'd pulled out a sizable sum from her account in order to treat the kids to something nice despite it rendering her nearly flat broke until her next paycheck and yet here they were at a common street ramen stand? "A ramen place?" she blurted out.
"We know you're broke, Misato," Asuka replied in a snarky tone. "So this is just fine. Besides, this way Rei will get her vegetarian option, right Rei?"
"Indeed..." the blue haired girl stated softly.
Misato smiled. That was certainly a kind gesture for the kids to go easy on her. Heavens knew, the deserved far better than what she was able to afford them... "Thanks guys," she replied warmly.
The man running the ramen stand came over and took their orders and in moments Misato and the three Eva pilots were chowing down. She would have to admit that despite this place being decently affordable it was still rather tasty. Misato took down a mental note to come back to this place should she ever get the time to do so in future.
"Hey Shinji," Asuka spoke up between bites of her noodles. "I don't know if I asked, what were you talking about with your dad at the debriefing?"
Misato turned to look at Shinji and noted the conflicted expression on his face. He looked like he had a lot on his mind, even before Asuka had asked a question of him. He'd been pretty quiet on the car ride... "He said that he might be able to spend some time with me when I spoke to him during the blackout. I was just... hoping he hadn't forgotten," he replied.
"Oh, I see," Asuka replied. "So I guess you're trying to get along a little better?"
"Ah... something like that," Shinji replied.
"I think that it's good you've reached out to your father," Rei stated warmly. "I hope you can mend that relationship."
Shinji's cheeks got a little pink and he stared back down at his ramen bowl. "Thank's Rei..." he murmured.
"You're very welcome," the blue haired girl replied with a warm smile.
Misato frowned. Those words that Rei had said reminded her of so many uncomfortable facts regarding her relationship with her own father. Whereas Shinji's father was alive hers was dead... He'd died to save her when in the course of the disastrous expedition to Antarctica that bore his name the Second Impact had been triggered. Even now she didn't know how to feel about the man. A part of her was honestly a bit jealous of Shinji. She'd never get to have any kind of closure in regards to own her father...
"Y'know..." Shinji spoke again, his voice coming out sounding unsure and meek. "I've been giving some thought... as to why I keep piloting the Eva..."
"Oh yeah?" Asuka replied. "I remember you told me a while ago that you weren't sure why you kept on piloting. Finally figure out your reason?"
Shinji continued staring down into his bowl of noodles. "I've been... doing a lot of thinking," he replied, the ghost of a bashful smile appearing on his lips. "It's kinda stupid..."
"Well, what is it then?" Asuka asked.
Shinji sighed but a small smile remained on his face. After a moment he started speaking. "Well... I guess I started piloting because I wanted things to be better with my father... At the beginning I thought that would be impossible and yet I still kept piloting. Now things are looking up for me with him but... that's not why I keep piloting," he stated.
Asuka turned her head to the side displaying curiosity at his statement and Rei was staring at him with wide eyed anticipation for him to keep speaking. Misato had to admit that she too was quite curious as to where he was going with his little speech. "Go on," she murmured.
Shinji poked at his noodles with his chopsticks. "Well... I've been thinking about that and well... I think the reason I keep fighting is for all of you," he stated. He turned to look at Rei for a moment before he continued. "Helping everyone, the people I care about succeed in the battles we fight... it makes this worth it. It makes me feel... needed."
Misato found herself smiling at his words. That was not something she was expecting to hear him say but good heavens it was touching... She smiled. It was hard evidence of just how much he'd grown since she'd known him.
Asuka laughed softly. "Well, that is rather stupid..." she replied. "But... it's also kind of sweet."
"That is very noble, though you don't have to pilot Eva just to be needed, Shinji..." Rei murmured just above a whisper. "We care about you because you are... you."
Shinji's eyes went wide and he looked toward the blue haired girl. "Th- thanks, Rei..." he stammered.
Rei was indeed correct in her assumption, Misato concurred. Life without him in her life would be so much more depressing. Where would she be without his conversation or his cooking or just his company? "Rei is right, Shinji," she said softly. "Don't forget that we're all your friends."
Shinji stiffened up before bowing his head and staring down into his noodles once again. "I won't..." he murmured.
Asuka rolled her eyes. "Jesus Christ..." she huffed. "How come it has to get so damn sappy here? I thought we were out on the town for a good time!?"
Misato laughed, if only to keep the errant thoughts at bay. It would be better to just drown the thoughts that lingered in the back of her mind about her own reasons for remaining at NERV... "I concur!" she declared. Asuka indeed had a fair point. Thankfully there existed services to drive her car home for her should she overindulge in certain beverages... She raised her hand and caught the attention of the noodle stand owner. "Excuse me sir," she said. "Do you have sake?"
Gendo stood staring out the window of his cabin aboard Carl Vinson at the red sea around him under the perpetual light of the October Antarctic sun. It was late in the day and he was tired but the perpetual sunlight even at eleven at night made sleep difficult to come by. He could have avoided this by sleeping in general quarters but that could be seen as beneath the Commander or NERV. Thankfully he had blackout curtains but that wasn't the entirety of the reason that sleep was proving difficult to accomplish...
The report concerning the most recent Angel attack on Tokyo 3 had stirred certain feelings that were rather uncomfortable. He'd not expected for Rei to take such an assertive role in the battle and when news of her Eva suffering damage had come in he would be lying to himself if he wasn't just a little bit worried. He hated to admit that he had been worried about her, not just that it could have ended in him losing an Eva and having to explain a miraculous reappearance of the blue haired girl in the event she was killed, but worried about her. It was yet another thing adding to his growing conflicted feelings regarding the pilots. At the very least, he would admit he was proud of her, and proud of Shinji as well.
That said, the most concerning development was his impending return to NERV and the foolish promise he'd made to his son to spend more time with him. Even now he still questioned why he'd done so but at least it was looking like he could put that off until he visited Yui's marker. At least then he'd have some sort of commonality to relate to him on. He saw far too much of his younger self in his son and that was deeply unsettling. He'd sent him away in hopes that he wouldn't be like him, because he would just have ended up hurting him. The fact that the boy still wanted to get to know him after that was concerning to say the least...
"Is there something troubling you, Ikari?" a familiar voice shook him from his contemplation.
He grit his teeth and turned around to find Fuyutsuki standing in the doorway. Why had he forgotten to shut and lock his cabin door? He must be slipping... That was not something that he could afford to do if his plans were to be successful. He had to remain on guard like the manipulative bastard he'd styled himself to be. "Indeed, Sensei," he replied.
Fuyutuski nodded. "Rei certainly went above and beyond today, didn't she," he stated.
"Indeed, Sensei," Gendo replied bluntly.
"What Is that is bothering you?" the older man asked. "Is it in regards the conversation with your son today?"
Gendo's eyes narrowed. What was his closest confidant and the sole person privy to the full extent of his schemes playing at? "Perhaps..." he replied.
Fuyutsuki stared back at him with a hint of a smirk. "I must ask... how does spending time with your son play into your master plan?" he asked. "What sort of end does that benefit?"
Gendo glowered back at the Vice Commander. He knew exactly what the older man was hinting at and he did not approve of being mocked. "Tread lightly, Fuyutsuki," he growled.
Fuyutsuki gave a slight bow. "As you wish," he replied before exiting the doorway and walking down the hall, leaving Gendo alone with his thoughts.
Shinji couldn't sleep. Instead he lay awake staring at the ceiling of his room. The ride home from the ramen stand had been kind of embarrassing considering Misato had gotten too drunk to drive and he'd had to call a service to drive everyone to their respective destinations using Misato's own car. He really wished that she would cool it when it came to her boozing but he supposed that was her prerogative. This was not why he was unable to sleep however, he lay awake in his bed thinking about the battle and the conversation with his father. Even though it had been getting easier to go out and fight, the night after battle thoughts would always plague his mind, unpleasant thoughts of self doubt and feelings of inadequacy would haunt his mind. It seemed like no matter what he did or how much... better he got at living those would never go away.
Considering sleep was not coming, he decided to get up and pace around the apartment for a little bid. Maybe he'd sit down and watch television for a little while and fill his head with static until he was too exhausted to feel doubts over whether he could have performed better in battle or if he could have gotten his father to solidly promise him a day other than the anniversary of his mother's passing...
As he entered the living room he paused, surprised by what he saw. Misato was sitting there in the dark, watching the TV, with a beer in her hand. Hadn't she gotten drunk enough? "M- Misato-san?" he called out to her nervously.
Misato lazily turned to him. "Oh..." she muttered. "Shinji... what are you doing up?"
Shinji blinked. She seemed to be a little less intoxicated than she'd been earlier in the evening, she wasn't slurring her words as much. "I could ask... the same of you," he replied.
Misato laughed wryly and turned back to face the television. "Oh... don't mind me," she replied. "I just... have a lot on my mind."
"Same..." Shinji replied. "It's hard to sleep after a battle."
"I can understand," Misato returned. "You kids get put through a lot. I'm sorry."
"It's okay..." Shnji replied. "It's... what we have to do I guess..."
"So..." Misato murmured. "I guess you're going to be seeing your dad soon. Good for you."
She sounded sad. Shinji couldn't help but wonder why. He was curious as to why she seemed so down when she'd been having such a good time earlier. Was this just something alcohol did to adults? "Thanks," he replied, unsure of what to say other than that.
His guardian turned to regard him with a melancholy expression. "Hey... remember when you asked me about why I joined NERV the other day?" Misato asked.
Shinji nodded. Indeed he did remember that conversation. "Yeah..." he replied somewhat unsure of where the conversation was going.
"Well..." Misato replied, once again turning away from him. "I wasn't being completely honest with you. So... do you still want to know why I joined NERV?"
"Yeah," Shinji replied, his curiosity getting the better of him. "If... you don't mind."
Misato sighed and took another sip of her beer. "It all goes back to my father," she said in a contemptuous tone of voice. "He lived for his work at the expense of everything and everyone... I still can't forgive him for that in a lot of ways. I think there were times where I... honestly hated him."
Shinji's eyes widened at this revelation. "That... sounds a lot like how it's been with me and my father..." he murmured softly.
"He never had much time for my mother and I," Misato continued. "Everyone he knew always said he was too sensitive or whatever, but I always felt he was just a weak person. He didn't want to face his reality, he didn't want to face me or my mom... Avoiding us was easier than dealing with how things were..."
Misato paused for a moment to take another drink from her can of beer. "When my mother divorced him, I was actually happy. She'd spent so many nights up crying that I was sick of hearing it... When my dad got upset about it I laughed in his face. I felt like he deserved it, after everything he'd put my mom though, what he'd put me through..." she said softly, just above a pained whisper. "Then... during the Second Impact... he gave his life to save mine. Then I didn't know whether I actually hated him or I was just hurt and still loved him. So I joined NERV so I could kill the Angels, have revenge for Second Impact, and maybe find some kind of closure for what happened."
Shinji didn't know what to say. Everything that she'd said reminded him so much of his own conflicted feelings toward his own father. He wanted to go to her, to reach out to her and just... put his hand on her shoulder to let him know he cared but... he couldn't move. "I just want to avenge him..." Misato continued. "So I can be free of him..."
"I... I'm sorry that happened to you, Misato-san..." Shinji replied weakly. What else could he possibly say to her? "I'm... sorry..."
Misato turned to him, that same sad smile from earlier returning to her face. "If I'm being honest, I'm a little jealous of you, Shinji," she said.
Shinji blinked in surprise. "Jealous of... me?" he inquired.
Misato nodded. "Yeah..." she replied. "You have a chance to find closure with your dad. I don't. Don't waste that chance, okay?"
Shinji let those words sink in. She had a point, in that regard, no matter what happened between him and his father going forward, at least he had that going for him... "Okay..." he murmured in reply.
Ritsuko sat down in her swivel chair in her office after making sure to close and lock the door thereof. Though she'd debated doing what she was about to undertake most of the day during the Angel attack, she'd ultimately decided on following through. Her scientific mind would not let it go...
She'd debated whether or not she should run her memory decryption program until the morning but she just couldn't help herself. With the new testing wing set to finish construction in less than a week and the series of tests in said testing wing that would play into the Dummy Plug program as a whole she couldn't afford to wait. There was also the potential that Gendo would notice her and be pleased enough that he might notice her affections, however small a chance of that there was...
She brought up the program and set the parameters to their their necessary settings. She'd concluded during the development of this latest program that most likely it would be unnecessary to code in to the Dummy system anything farther back than one year of Rei's memories. That would have all the technical data an combat experience to make the system work without the need for beefing up hard drive capacity which was already a daunting problem. Turning a person's psychological profile into code took up multiple terabytes of space. This said, in order to isolate that data, she had to upload the entirety of Rei's memories from her birth or rather... activation.
She sighed at that thought... She could only imagine how controversial this type of programming would be if any normal person was used as the template...
She hit the enter key on her keyboard and started the process. The time remaining displayed fourteen hours slowly counting down by the second. Ritsuko leaned back in her chair and sparked a cigarette. This was not the first time and most likely not the last where she voluntarily slept at her desk...
Author's Notes
Well... I do apologize that there weren't as many Rei POV scenes in this one as in previous chapters. I felt that considering the events of the chapter, it would be good to let the other characters get a little more center stage time as it were. It is as much their story as it is Rei's after all. It also, in my most humble of opinions, allows for a glimpse into just how much the butterfly effect is starting to morph the other characters as we reach the mid point of the action arc. Though things haven't changed much so far, they will be shifting in a big way very very soon...
Oh, and if anyone is curious as to why those pesky OC's keep showing up, I can promise that they will serve a purpose... eventually.
Please let me know what you think! I love reading your reviews and any and all critisim is very welcome.
Regards,
A.F.