Shinji's Redemption
Chapter 10
"Thanks for letting us in Shinji." Toji thanked. Shinji handed the two boys a towel for their wet hair.
"Where's Misato," Kensuke asked.
"She's sleeping. She's been working a lot lately." Shinji replied.
"Let's be nice and stay quiet, then," Toji said. He and Kensuke put up their finger to there lips, signaling to be quiet. Shinji just rolled his eyes and went to the fridge to make some snacks for the two.
"What are you two doing here?" Asuka complained, completely disregarding the boy's request to be quite.
"It was raining, so I let them in," Shinji said. Asuka sneered.
"I bet you just came here to peep at me!" Asuka yelled as she shut the bathroom door. Toji held up his fist.
"Why does she have to be so high and mighty! I just want to rub the smug right off her face!" Toji exclaimed. Just then Misato started to walk out of her room. She wore her famed brown dress with her red Nerv Jacket. On her collar was her rank insignia.
"Miss Misato! Sorry to be a bother!" The boys apologized. Misato just smiled.
"It's nice to see you, boys. Asuka, Shinji, you have a harmonics test tonight. Don't be late." Misato said.
"Yes, ma'am." Asuka and Shinji said in unison. Kensuke looked up at Misato's collar and bowed. Her rank insignia had two bars instead of just one.
"Allow me to congratulate you on your promotion, ma'am!" Kensuke bowed, Toji quickly following suit.
"Thank you, boys." Misato said with a smile." Well, I'm off." Misato said as she walked out the door. Shinji completely forgot about Misato being promoted to Major.
The storm soon passed and Toji and Kensuke went home. Shinji sat at his desk drawing more landscapes.
"Misato has already become Major?" Shinji said in his head. Time was moving more quickly than he thought. Changing the future is going to start getting more and more difficult to change with each angel they defeated. If he was remembering correctly, the tenth angel was going to come tomorrow. Shinji sighed. He wished he could just tell people what was going to happen, but if he did that then who knows what would happen. It was best for everybody if he just kept this all to himself and only change things for the better. Shinji looked at his painting. It seemed that every time he looked at it Unit 01 became more and more uncontrolled. Which wasn't far from the truth. He nearly got Asuka killed just because his stress set the Eva into berserk mode. "I should really be more careful," Shini said to himself.
"Amazing," Ritsuko said.
"He's already in the mid-eighties, by the time we're done fighting the angels, he may exceed a hundred," Maya said. Ritsuko looked down.
"That's strange, Asuka seems to be going up as well," Ritsuko stated.
"What's so surprising about that?" Misato asked.
"Asuka started piloting Unit 02 when she was four. By the time she was ten, she had already reached 85%. Ever since then she had plateaued at around 90%." Ritsuko explained.
"Why the sudden improvement?" Misato asked, curious. Ritsuko shrugged, something she rarely did.
"Your guess is as good as mine," she replied.
After the tests were done the pilots came into the analysis room to be told their results.
"Asuka you're at 91.8%, Shinji you're at 86.2%, and Rei you're at 33.4%. According to your previous report, you all have improved." Ritsuko reported.
"Looks like I'm still the best," Asuka said, sticking out her tongue at Shinji. In return, he just rolled his eyes and smiled. Misato had noticed the two becoming more and more relaxed around each other. They still fought like cats and dogs over little stuff, but that was to be expected when it came to their personalities.
Shinji was just getting ready to leave when Ritsuko stopped him.
"Shinji we want to conduct a few experiments with you and Unit 01." She said. Shinji looked concerned. Ritsuko couldn't help but be amused at his worries. She often thought about her conversation with Gendo. Maybe she really was jumping to conclusions, after all, the circumstances were pretty stressful. But she finds it weird that he would go as far as faint from the stress, much less send Unit 01 into berserk mode.
"Don't worry it's not anything bad. We just want to see if we can't figure out how and why you pass out when you go into high synch rates.." Ritsuko explained. To be honest Shinji was wondering why as well. The Evas always bewildered him, especially Unit 01. He still thought about the voice he heard while fighting the fourth angel. Nothing like that has happened since then, but he couldn't just shake it off. Ritsuko told Shinji the experiments would start next week. Shinji caught up to Misato and Asuka and rode back to the apartment.
"Congratulations!" Everyone said in a cheer, clashing their drinks together.
"Thanks, everybody!" Misato said with a smile. Toji looked across the table to she Hikari.
"What are you doing here, class rep?" Toji asked with a bit of angst. Asuka sneered at Toji.
"She's here because I invited her, you moron," Asuka said with venom. Toji stood up and raised his fist.
"What was that you witch?" Toji spat. It wasn't long until a whole ruckus broke out. The only ones still being civilized was Shinji and Misato. Shinji noticed that Misato looked off. He remembers her telling him about her father.
"You don't seem too happy about this promotion," Shinji said. Misato was surprised that she was able to be read so easily.
"It's not that I'm unhappy about it…, It just feels undeserved.
"Undeserved?" Shinji asked.
"I didn't join Nerv just to rise in rank. To be honest I don't even remember why I joined." Misato answered. Shinji just took a sip of his soda.
"It's alright if you don't want to tell me," Shinji said. Misato frowned.
After the party was over everybody left. Shinji started to clean the kitchen when Misato called him out to the veranda. It was just turning dark and Tokyo-3's lights were just coming to life. He walked out and closed the door. Misato stood looking out towards the city.
"Shinji, remember when I told you why I joined Nerv?" Misato asked. Shinji walked to the railing, standing beside Misato.
"You told me you didn't remember," Shinji answered. There was a long pause. The only sound was the cool summer breeze blowing in the wind.
"My father was obsessed with his research. The only thing he cared about was his work. I would often act up just so he would acknowledge my existence. Eventually, I came to hate him, until the second impact happened and he saved me. I don't know if I hate him or love him, all I know is that the angels must be killed." Misato confessed. There was another long pause. "Seeing as how you're under my command, you should at least know why I'm sending you out to fight those things," Misato admitted. Shinji just smiled.
"It's all right. To be honest I would be lying If I said I didn't come here out of my own volition." Shinji said. Misato looked confused.
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"I only agreed to come to Tokyo-3 to swear off my dad," Shinji admitted. Misato put on a smile, then frowned.
"Shinji, do you really hate your father?" Misato asked. How could he not? For starters, he left him when he was just four. He also made him pilot the world's most dangerous superweapon to fight off the world's greatest threat, the angels. What pissed him off the most was just how he didn't care about his own son, all he cared about was the Evas and angles. Shinji opened his mouth to answer, only for nothing to come out. He believed that he truly hated his father, but he couldn't make himself say it. Even if he was a complete bastard, he was still his father.
"Even if I do hate him, he' the only family I have left," Shinji said. Misato just smiled.
"That's not true," Misato said. Shinji couldn't help but smile at that.
"Thanks, Misato," Shinji said. The screen door open with a loud thud. An upset Asuka stood in the doorway.
"Shinji, you gonna help me clean up this mess or what?!" she screamed. She then left just as quickly as she came. Misato and Shinji just sighed tiredly.
"We're doing what?!" Asuka shouted. The three pilots stood at the ceiling of the Geofront. The room they were in was dark and empty, the only thing keeping them from failing was a layer of glass.
"You are going to be stationed at certain points. Whenever the angel comes down, you're going to use your AT fields to neutralize it's decent." Misato briefed.
"What if the Evas can't take the pressure?" Asuka asked.
"Game over," Misato said, a little too casually.
"If this works, it's gonna be a miracle," Asuka said. Misato smiled.
"If anybody can make a miracle happen, it's you three," Misato said."When all this is over, I'll treat you to dinner," Misato said.
"Really?! You better hold your promise!" Asuka said.
"I'm looking forward to it," Misato said as she walked off. Asuka looked at Shinji and saw him smiling. She elbowed him, teasingly.
"What are you smiling about? Is that confidence I see?" Asuka teased. "Just don't let it get to your head, idiot," Asuka said.
"We have a visual on the angel," Aoba reported. Misato smiled.
"Are all Evas at starting positions?" Misato asked.
"Unit 00 in position," Rei reported.
"Unit 01 in position," Shinji reported.
"Unit 02 in position," Asuka reported.
"Launch!" Misato ordered. All three angels sprang into a sprint shaking the ground they were on. They lept over power cables, rivers, and even buildings. The speed at which the Evas ran made nearby trees blow over. Unit 01 was the first to get under the angel. Shinji set his AT field into overdrive. The angle came crashing down on the AT field. Shinji could feel the weight of the angel, Shinji felt like Atlas holding up the world. Unit 01's feet dug into the ground below, the angle slowly crushing Unit 01. Units 00 and 002 finally caught up and helped Unit 01 lift the angel.
"Do it now!" Shinji yelled. Unit 00 took out its progressive knife and cut a slit in the AT field. It then stretched the AT field apart with its hands.
"Eat this!" Asuka shouted while Unit 02 jumped in the air and stabbed the angel's core with a progressive knife. Shinji could feel the weight be lifted from him. The angel slowly floated down on top of the Units, an explosion the size of an N2 mine went off.
After the rescue team came and retrieved the pilots, they were sent to HQ for immediate Debriefing. The three pilots stood at the Nervs main bridge. Misato stood with a wide smile.
"Incoming signal from C0mmander Ikari," Aoba reported.
"Put him through," Misato ordered. A hologram with the words "sound only" poped up.
"Commander Ikari, I apologize, but Unit 01 was damaged during the emergency operation. I accept full responsibility." Misato said. There was a long pause before there was a response.
"That's fine. As long as the angel was taken care of." Fuyutsuki said.
"You did well Major Katsuragi," Gendo said.
"Thank you, Commander," Misato said. There was another long pause.
"Is the pilot of Unit 01 there?" Gendo asked. Misato looked over at Shinji.
"Yes, sir," Shinji said with some dread.
"You did a good job Shinji," Gendo said. Asuka looked at Shinji. His eyes held anger in them, but it was more controlled than what she has seen from him before. "Very well, Major Katsuragi will still hold top rank until further notice," Gendo ordered.
"Yes, sir," Misato said.
As promised, Misato brought the three pilots to dinner. Unknowenling to Misato the three picked an outside ramen place.
"We all know how broke you are Misato, so we decided to eat here!" Asuka said. Misato felt relieved, but a little disappointed. If anyone deserved a nice dinner it was these three kids.
"I'll have the garlic ramen, hold the pork ." Rei requested.
"Shark fin with roast pork, and make it a large!" Asuka demanded.
"I'd like beef with soy sauce, please," Shinji requested.
"Chicken with teriyaki." Misato requested. The chef immediately began work. The four sat down and waited for their food to be finished. Asuka went on about how all the boys at school were either total idiots or perverts.
"Hey Rei, you like anybody?" Asuka asked.
"I don't find any reason to have romantic feelings for another person," Rei said, coldly. Asuka couldn't help but be a little disturbed by her apathy.
"It's no wonder why you scare people off, Rei," Asuka said. She looked over at Shinji.
"Hey Shinji," Asuka said. There was no response. This was nothing new, Asuka knew exactly how to snap him out of his trance. Asuka slowly got up out of her seat and quietly walked behind Shinji. She raised her hands and clapped them together. Shinji immediately jumped up and nearly fell out of his seat.
"How many times do I have to tell you to stop doing that?!" Shinji yelled. Asuka was too busy laughing to hear what he was saying.
"Your reaction never gets old!" Asuka said in between laughs. Misato just sighed. After the two calmed down, the chef bought them their bowls.
The four of them finished their meal. Misato offered to drive Rei home but she declined. When Shinji walked into his room he looked up at his painting, Asuka walked past Shinji's room to find him looking up at the painting in his room. She reluctantly walked into his room and looked at the painting with him. The two stood there for a few moments. Asuka looked at Unit 01 in the painting, It was very intimidating yet protective, almost like a mother protecting her child. The sky was bathed in a blue hue with white specs of white resembling stars. Asuka looked at Shinji.
"Shinji why do you pilot your Eva?" Asuka asked. Shinji looked down at his palm. The scar, while still was pronounced, was slowly healing fading over time. He thought about it for a second, before coming to an answer.
"To protect everyone," Shinji said. Asuka looked back up at Unit 01.
"You're too kind for your own good Shinji," Asuka said with a frown.