"Due to its possible use for military purposes, cloning is henceforth outlawed."
Article 18 of the Vatican Treaty, drawn up by the United Nations, December 25th 2006
5:30pm, Thursday the 29th of June, Tokyo-3, NERV quarters.
Shinji was glad to be doing the cooking. With an apron wrapped around him, he fried the fish that would soon be added to his already prepared rice with a grace that could only be made by experience.
It'll need a kick to it...
"Katsuragi-san? Do you mind if I use some of the Wasabi?"
"Sure! Go right ahead, but not too much. Rits-chan here can't handle spice..." Misato chuckled as their guest for the evening harrumphed.
"It's not that I can't handle spice, it's just that I don't take pleasure in my taste buds being incinerated." Ritsuko muttered.
It wasn't often the two women did stuff together these days, the times they'd visit each others homes even less so. But the Sub Commander had taken advantage of work related matters to bring herself over here. Into this far more cramped and simple dwelling than her own.
But because Misato lived here, it was far more lively with her unending aptitude for teasing echoing through the halls.
Deep down, Ritsuko really enjoyed the purplehead's party girl ways. It was a reminder of the old days, of college and doing stupid shit they hoped their tutor would never find out about.
The days before Gendo Ikari, were something she missed.
The cooking she was subjected to however...not so much. That was why the faux blonde was quite thankful for Shinji right then and there. She didn't know how good his cooking was, but it couldn't be any worse than that of her old college friend.
"How's dinner coming along, it smells good." Misato had already asked some three times before over the past ten minutes, whilst she and her guest sat on the lounge floor with a table at the centre, inevitably with six or so cans of beer lying around.
It'll be ready when it's ready...his subconscious grumbled before he responded with "It's almost done."
Shinji added a drop or two of sauce to the fried fish mixture, and then to the rice. A quiet warking by his feet made him look down and sigh.
"It would be a bit spicy for you, Pen-pen. Sorry."
The Penguin warked in dissatisfaction before it waddled off.
A few minutes later, he walked into the lounge with three plates of rice, covered in some slightly spiced fish, steam still wafting off it. Misato gave a quick applause of excitement and approval, whilst Ritsuko raised an eyebrow.
Smells nice...looks nice...am I in the right house?
Having set the food down, the three tucked in. Well "tucked in", as in, Shinji ate his food in the classic polite manner, Misato wolfed it down as someone who was always in a hurry for something would, and Ritsuko gingerly prodded her food with her chopsticks, wary of possible spice. Eventually giving in to her curiosity, the faux blonde placed some fish in her mouth, and found it quite delightful.
It was spicy, but not quite enough to be "painful" as she would say.
Turning to her right, Ritsuko inwardly sighed upon seeing Misato had gotten through half her meal already.
"You'll give yourself indigestion..."
"At least my food won't get cold." The younger woman shot back.
Shinji didn't add anything to the conversation, as whilst he did agree with "Akagi-san," he'd never really been one for taking sides. Unless said side happened to be against his father...
"So, Ikari-san" He nearly jumped when Ritsuko addressed him, but quickly met her gaze so as not to be impolite.
"How are you finding life with my old room mate?"
"Katsuragi-san has been kind to me. I am very grateful to her..." He didn't mean for his tone to be so forced, but it clearly was.
Ritsuko's chuckling, and Misato's playfully raised eyebrow, showed that.
"I'm sure she has been. Now..." The faux blonde used a handkerchief to dab her mouth.
I'll have to make a note to come over here whenever he's cooking.
"Unfortunately I didn't just come over to spend time with the big baby-"
"Hey!" Misato interrupted indignantly.
"I do have some work related things to attend to." Ritsuko started rummaging around in her grey uniform's pockets, totally ignoring the purplehead's various harrumphs.
"Ayanami-san's security card has expired, I have her new one right here." Grasping hold of said card, she drew it out of her pocket and handed it to a surprised Shinji.
"I believe you should be the one to give it to her. Don't worry, her address is on there."
Visit...Ayanami-san? I'm still struggling to think about even talking to her, let alone go to wherever she lives. I...It's not that I don't want to...it's just...
"What? Me? Um...I...no...I've got school tomorrow and...and I've got a synch test as well. I'll be too busy..." He stammered.
"You could take it to her before school? If you get up early enough you'll have plenty of time." Misato both cheerfully and unhelpfully offered.
Thanks.
"But...why me?"
"Tenka-sensei has informed of the fact you're aware of, Ayanami-san's...origins. I'll point out here that is quite classified, higher ranks only, but as a Pilot and considering your...relation...you are entitled to know. Just...try and keep it to yourself okay?" She waited for him to nod in acceptance before continuing.
"Alright then. Back on topic, I understand it must be very awkward for you, but you will need to start socialising with her eventually. You are going to be co-workers after all. And besides...Ayanami-san is a nice girl, you've got nothing to fear from her."
Shinji's attempt at a response died in his throat, as he regretfully noted how he couldn't fault her logic. Besides, it was time he had another conversation with Rei, instead of gazing hopelessly at her from across the class room.
Well...it seems we're having a talk tomorrow. I hope it'll be less awkward for you than it will be for me.
"What actually happened to her? I mean as in...why was she hospitalized when I got here?" He decided to change the topic, and gain some useful information while he was at it.
Ritsuko closed her eyes and exhaled through her nose whilst her gloved hands started fiddling with themselves.
"About a day or so before you arrived, we attempted to activate Unit 00. Something went wrong...very wrong." She trailed off for a few moments.
"We lost control. We had to initiate an emergency shut down of the Eva, which caused Ayanami-san's entry plug to eject...inside the simulation area..."
The table was quiet for a while, with Misato grimly remembering the aftermath, and Shinji's jaw dropping.
"That sounds awful. No wonder she could hardly move..." He said, aghast.
"Indeed. The accident broke almost every bone in her body, she was lucky to even be alive as far as I'm concerned. It was only after a six hour dip in the rejuvenation tank, that she could even move again..." Ritsuko grimly agreed/
Realising he may have dampened the evening, the meek young man decided to take himself away from the table and leave the adults in peace. That was what teacher had taught him to do.
"I've...got an assignment to do. I'll be in my room for a while." He took the card, stood, bowed, then walked off.
"Quite a shy young man isn't he?" Ritsuko murmured after his door shut.
"Yes...he struggles with new people. But I think when he vaguely knows someone it becomes easier for him." Misato agreed, then downed a quarter of a can.
"Still...he usually keeps to himself. I guess we know where Ayanami-san gets it from now." She chuckled quietly, whilst her friend of the past twelve years looked thoughtful.
"The Hedgehog's dilemma..." Ritsuko muttered.
"What's that?"
"Oh, the Hedgehog's dilemma. It's an old metaphor..." The faux blonde uncrossed her legs.
"A Hedgehog tries to get close to other Hedgehogs, so it can keep warm. But its spines, and the spines of the other Hedgehogs, can cause both parties to hurt each other."
Misato pondered those words for a moment.
"So he's afraid of getting hurt by other people?"
"In short, yes. And possibly he could be afraid of hurting others. But that's just guesswork on my part, I'm smart but I'm not a psychiatrist."
"So why does he get along with me?"
"Well, A, as you said, he somewhat knows you. Therefore it's easier for him to be in your company. And B, this is quite a confined space. He's literally had no choice but to socialise with you...how do you think we became friends?" Ritsuko laughed a little, as Misato explosively harrumphed.
"No choice? Everyone wants to socialise with me, Rits-chan..." She put a hand on her chest in a grandiose manner. The faux blonde rested her cheek upon her hand and shook her head slightly.
When the chuckling subsided, Misato's expression became a little more serious.
"What do you think about...sending him out there...against them?" She swirled her can around, having gone over this question many times before in her head.
"I...think we don't have an option, Misato-chan."
"Don't give me that, Rits-chan. I know we haven't got much of a choice...but...It surely isn't the right thing to do..."
Child soldiers, have, will, and always shall be unacceptable. I just hope after this war they'll never have to be used again... She mused.
"War is terrible. That's always been a fact. And we are at war, Misato-chan, make no mistake. The Seraphim will kill us all. The Evangelions are our only hope."
"Then we'll just have to kill them first." Misato scowled into her beer before letting her expression soften.
"Anyway, enough of that. What about the other Evas...when do they get here?" She downed some more beer. Whilst she was quite high up in NERV's command structure, she didn't know everything. Commander Ikari strictly controlled information, if you wanted to know something, you had to go to him.
Ritsuko nodded and leaned forward.
"The German High Seas fleet set sail some weeks ago, they'll be here on the 15th of July, or roundabouts. They've rendezvoused with the Imperial Navy's 5th fleet near the Falklands..."
"They should have joined them in the English channel. Unit 03 should have been in Leopard, not Buenos Aires!" The flames of Argentina, and the navy blue behemoth which stood in them, caused rage to burn within Misato's heart.
The thought of using an Evangelion on under equipped rebels, as a weapon of war against other men, was horrifying. The Evas were mankind's last hope against the threat of the Seraphim, not tools to secure its various tyrannies and Empires.
"They're the Empire, Misato-chan, they don't play fair. Which reminds me..." Ritsuko reached into her pockets, and produced a memory stick.
"On here is practically everything that isn't classified about the Fourth Child. I can tell you now, he's a Major in the Imperial Army, and he has absolutely no loyalty to NERV. Only to Britain and its Emperor." She handed the stick to Misato, whilst the mere thought of a Pilot whose allegiance was to something other than the organization which prevented the destruction of humanity, disturbed her.
Letting the superpowers build Evas was unwise. That much power in their hands...Spirits.
"Samuel Meadow...Asuka-chan talked about him every now and again. Spoke weirdly highly of him...by her standards." Misato dimly remembered rumblings about an "Imperial dummkopf."
"Really? Interesting...anyway, there is one more thing you should know..." Ritsuko's finger tapped the table.
"His father is Alexander Meadow."
The purplehead's expression fell into a look of fear.
"His father...is the conqueror of France? The supreme commander of the Imperial Army, second only to Emperor Vance himself in the chain of command? High Field Marshal Alexander Meadow, is the Fourth child's father?"
"Yes indeed. So...tread lightly with him alright? We provoke Alexander and we might as well be provoking Britain. Now, it's been good to see you for a while, but I've got to go. I'll see you at work." Ritsuko stood up and bowed her head, receiving one back from her hoast.
But before she could reach the door, Misato called out to her.
"Hey. So what's the big plan with Shinji-kun and Ayanami-san?"
"Come again?"
"Rits-chan you could have taken that card to Ayanami-san yourself. So why do you want Shinji-kun to do it?"
"I believe I've already said why. Now, if I may take my leave." Ritsuko put her put her key-card in the slot, then sighed.
"Fine...I think Ayanami-san should have a friend."
Misato didn't respond through sheer surprise, leading to the faux blonde successfully opening the door and leaving the apartment.
You want Shinji-kun to be that thing's friend?
Meanwhile, within the recently christened Shinji's lovely suite, the room's occupant paced around, muttering to himself. Usually in times of stress, he would have his earphones in and be deaf to the world. But this was a little different.
"Hello, Ayanami-san, how are you? No, no, that's stupid..."
He kept trying to come up with a greeting that didn't sound strained, and consistently failed. He didn't want to get this wrong, so very badly. He wanted to be a friend at the least to all he had left of his mother.
Slumping down on his bed, Shinji clasped his hands together and closed his eyes in thought.
Do I just want to talk to her because she's a clone of mother? Because I think I might just get that sort of affection from her? How shallow...
As much as he tried, the boy simply failed to see Rei as her own person. He knew too little of her to see her as a person, not as an extension of his mother.
But I do want to know you...and I do want to help you... The words of "If I die I can be replaced" flashed painfully though his mind as tears welled up.
I hate you, father...I hate you, I hate you, I hate you...
Was that the other reason? He wanted to get her away from his father's influence so as to exact vengeance upon him? Horrifically, that possibility seemed just as likely as the other. He didn't want either to be true.
I suppose I'll just have to find out tomorrow. He inhaled then exhaled deeply, unclasping one of his hands and allowing it to clench.
"I'll see you tomorrow then...Ayanami-san."