NGE: Another Way

Chapter 2

A Calling in the Aftermath

I lied on my bed the next morning, getting no sleep. As I sit up, I remember one of the last words Asuka said to me before leaving.

"I wish things were different."

I constantly wished that for so long, though I knew it would never happen. At least this time I had a couple people I could turn to. I wasn't afraid to.

I stood up from my bed, dragging myself to the kitchen to cook breakfast. Father was probably still asleep, so I had time to cook before he asked about it.

I was tired and had to stay awake, so I just made rice and miso soup with coffee for him, nothing special. I wasn't feeling hungry, so I took the coffee and sat down on the couch.

Today's the day. I have to visit Rei.

I wished Misato was there to go with me, or at least call me, but I was going to see her in a couple days. Then I thought about Asuka going, but I couldn't see her actually going to visit Rei, let alone come back to see me.

I turned on the TV, hoping to distract me from those thoughts. A few moments later, I saw my father stumble out of his room, in a tired daze.

"Good morning. Breakfast is on the table." I said.

"O-okay. Thank you," Father replied, after nearly falling over.

As morning duties were then done, I left the room, sort of awake.

I put on some clothes and went to the restroom. As I was getting ready, I looked into the mirror. I didn't look 19 to a lot of people I met in college. Some of them even questioned if I was in college. I was tall enough to be considered and a lot of those students looked as old as I did, so I didn't get it. My eyes were as dark and blue as they were as they were back then. My hair was also similar to when I was 15, but as I got older, it drooped down more in the front and flipped up in the back. I was still very skinny, which I always wondered if that was a good thing or not.

I stopped staring at myself in the mirror and left the bathroom. Entering the hall, I checked the calendar, showing my class dates and other events. I was done with school for the week, as my only four classes were only two days in the week, being Monday and Wednesday. The latter was the day before. I realized I needed to buy some stuff, so my day was set, being to buy some groceries and supplies for school, as the next semester was approaching, and lastly to visit Rei.

"Father, I'm going out," I announced, unlocking the door.

"Ok, don't be out too late," I heard him say behind.

I looked behind me. "Father, it's 11 AM and I'm nineteen. It's not like I have a curfew or anything."

I heard him snicker as I opened the front door.

I stepped out of the apartment and headed down the stairs, leading to the exit of the building.

The train station wasn't far, being two blocks away from the apartment complex I had been living in. I stepped down the long and wide staircase to the underground station lobby. I looked for the division leading to downtown, which is where the outlets and malls were, as well as the hospital Rei was transferred to after NERV.

I used my entrance pass to get in, waiting for the train. I checked my watch after a while, due to the train going it's entire course before arriving back at my station. It was still pretty early, but there were a ton of people along with me as I boarded the train.

I never thought of downtown Tokyo-2 much over the years. It wasn't very different from Tokyo-3 with exception that there weren't any evacuation areas (aside from the ones used in case of Earthquakes) or technology to keep the buildings protected from the Angels.

Speaking of Angels, a lot had been discovered about them, along with the true cause of Second Impact. My father told me he was responsible, making me livid at him, until he explained himself. Although he knew it was a possibility then, he didn't know it was SEELE's full intention. Nothing came out explaining who specifically was assigned to trigger Second Impact, but GEHIRN, the organization Father was involved in, was certainly blamed. The Japanese government and later the UN was sent this information by an informative in NERV soon after the manmade EVAs were killed. The following day, an international raid was organized upon SEELE's headquarters in most of the countries they were stationed in, but when forces arrived, all of the employees had been found dead or were gone. All of the leaders of SEELE were dead as well, most likely from suicide after the failure of Third Impact.

After the attack, one of the first orders of business in the process of disbanding NERV was to destroy the rest of Lilith in Terminal Dogma. Of course, I was ordered to the honors. I was very resiliant, but was convinced as Father and Misato both said that was my last order in Unit-01. They held their end of the deal, to my surprise. Any evidence of Adam on the other hand, remains in the laboratory Father worked at.

With no threat and no Angels, everything became peaceful for the first time in 15 years. NERV was gone for good, and I was relieved. Here's a difficult question to answer: Why did I suddenly miss it? Especially over time, I realize how much it gave me. A few great friends, a place I could call home, a loving mother figure, a place in society, and the list went on. I came to the same answer everytime that there was no turning back after NERV fell apart. I had got some of those things back plus my father and a life without risking it all by piloting a robot, but there were still things that were missing.

I walked into the supply store, which had just opened for the day, so it was nearly empty. I grabbed a basket and browsed a bit, seeing what the prices were and what was on sale. I then reached for a list in my pocket, and began grabbing things I needed.

As I headed for the cashier, I opened my wallet, revealing a picture of Rei, Asuka, Hikari, Kensuke, Toji, and I somewhere in Tokyo-3. I remember Hikari and I trying to get Asuka and Toji to stop arguing about they way everyone looked or the way we were positioned and take the picture.

I paid for pencils, four notebooks, and a large binder and left the store, beginning the walk of nearly a mile to the hospital.

As I walked, many experiences of NERV popped into my mind, such as the day I found out Rei's secret:

"Rei... isn't the same Rei from yesterday morning, is she?" I asked.

Misato sighed.

"No. The Rei we knew self-destructed in the 16th Angel's attack," She responded.

"But when I talked to Rei last night, she knew me."

"It seems she retains her memories, but a lot of the feelings she experienced earlier vanished."

"So... she isn't human?"

"I don't know. NERV doesn't seem like they want to tell me anything anymore."

"I hope she isn't the last Angel."

"I think we would've known that one, Shinji."

"Yeah, I guess."

"Misato?"

"Yeah?"

"Where's Asuka?"

"I don't know. I just hope she is alright."

"There might be a replacement for her coming."

"I hope it's not anyone I know."

"I'm sure it isn't. It didn't go so well last time."

"You could say that again."

That's when everything starting to fall apart. Asuka was gone, Rei wasn't around either, and Kaworu came and made everything worse, resulting in the bastard's death. Of course, everything was okay in the end. I had done things I thought I would never do during and after my days at NERV.

I kept walking, now in the heart of the city. The streets were filling up with people, attending their jobs on the last work day of the week.

I passed a restaurant and saw a boy and a girl arguing alone. It reminded me of Asuka and I, but of course, we were in a special situation.

After a 30 minute walk, I saw the hospital where Rei remained.

The building was taller than any other hospital I'd ever seen. Tokyo-2 was the capital of Japan, anyway, so there were a lot of people. As I made my way to the entrance, I spotted a man on a gurney being pushed into the ER entrance. He looked fine from my eyes, but there was probably something going on internally. I opened the entrance, to see a waiting room with hardly anyone in it.

After glancing around the room for a second, I approached the front desk. I had seen the lady at the desk before many times when visiting Rei.

"Hi, I'm Shinji Ikari. I'm here to visit Rei Ayanami."

"It's been a little while, hasn't it Shinji? Go ahead, she's on floor 7 on the door closest to the elevator," she responded.

"Thank you," I added, as I began to walk down the hall toward the elevators.

The doors opened and closed as I entered the elevator, being reminded of that one time I told Rei she squeezed liquid out of a cloth like a mother would. I cringed at the thought of it, as I must have been one awkward 14 year old.

As the elevator began to head up, anxiety was beginning to set in.

How will I react? I won't run from this without seeing her first. I sure as hell won't do the same thing I did to Asuka on that day.

The elevator stopped. I stood there for a second, staring into space. I heard a ding and I quickly stepped out, fearing I would go back down to the lobby.

There was only one door in the area I was in, unless I went left or right.

A sign next to the door read:

Rei Ayanami

ICU

Checked in March 24th, 2015

I turned the knob of the door, letting it open itself.

I sighed, and stepped inside the room, shutting the door behind me.

The room was quite large for a public hospital, with the bed on the outer side of the room.

No one was in there at the time, which meant no one could see me if I did or said something emotionally I'd regret.

I approached the bed, seeing Rei for the first time in nearly 2 years.

Rei Ayanami was now abnormally skinny and pale. I thought she had been pale before, but she was almost purely white from staying in the same room for a long time. Her blueish purple hair was messy and grew to her mid-back and her fingers and feet were bony and looked frail, also from being in a coma. It was tough to see. Although I didn't think she was getting enough attention, the hospital was the most populated in the city, which is the capital of a country, not to mention how long Rei had been there.

I stood there for a while, not even noticing all of the IVs in her arm. There was a heart rate monitor just next the bed.

"Ayanami..." I managed to say, holding back my emotions.

I was about to burst and blame myself for everything aloud like I used to, but I just stood there.

"You have no idea how much I've wanted to see you again. It's just grown hard, Ayanami. It's hard to see you like this," I explained to her. I had read online on how coma patients may hear what people are saying, so I tried talking.

"You don't know how much has changed, Ayanami. I'm almost back to square one. I have no one except my father. Living with Father is great and all, but he can be busy, which means I have no one to spend any time with. I know Misato calls and all, but I just feel so distant. If only you knew what's happened. I'm sorry for not visiting for a while."

There was another silence, as I knew no one was there to respond.

"Why must you be in this situation? Why you of all people? You helped change things for me, you were one of the first to do so. You don't deserve this, you were their puppet trying to break free, trying to do the right thing."

Silence.

"God damnit, Ayanami! Why did you have to try fusing with Lilith?"

Still no one there.

I sat in a folding chair behind me.

I held my head in my hands, just like I always used to. I didn't cry, but I was sure as hell frustrated. It kept building and building.

Suddenly, I had the urge to stand, knocking over the chair behind me.

I turned away from the comatose Rei, about to leave.

"Please come back to me, Rei."

I took one step and heard a whisper that I thought was my mind, but I was dead wrong.

"Ikari is calling me," the voice said.

After I heard what I thought wasn't real, there was a change in the heart rate monitor, which stopped me right in my tracks. Next thing I knew, I see a murse rush in, followed by a doctor.

After that, it seemed like a blur. I rushed out, knowing I did something wrong this time.

I barely remember where I was going, although I ended up at home. I only remember the guilt and the pain along with it.

I ran up the stairs to the apartment, nearly stumbling as I opened the door.

Father wasn't there, but I knew he'd be back soon, so that left only one person to talk to:

Misato.

I picked up the home phone, typing in Misato's cell. I desparately hoped she'd pick up. It rang once, it rang twice, it rang once more, and just when I thought she wasn't going to answer I hear a clicking noise.

"Hello?" I heard, obviously being the intended person.

"Misato?" I asked, heaving.

"Shinji? What's wrong? You don't sou-"

"I visited Ayanami and I think I screwed everything up. I was yelling and calling for her and her heart rate got fast as I was leaving and-"

"Calm down, Shinji. I know it's hard and these things happen but-"

"No! Doctors came rushing in! Something's happening to her, Misato, you have to believe me!"

There was a moment of silence.

"Ok then, this is... big. Should I come today then?"

"If you can. Please," I begged.

"Fine, I'll be there within a few hours. Does your dad know?"

"He should be home any minute. I'll tell him everything."

"Alright. See you soon, Shinji."

"Bye."

The phone connection was cut. I leaned on the wall, slowly falling to sit down.

This might be my fault. I don't know anymore.

I remained there for at least half of an hour, before hearing the front door open.

"Shinji? Are you home?" I heard my father call.

"Yes, Father," I answered, with obvious worry and sadness in my voice.

"What's wrong?" he asked, coming into my line of sight.

"Go to the hospital," I responded.

"Is there something wrong with Rei, Shinji?"

"I don't know anymore. Misato should be here soon. Go."

As soon as I answered his question, he walked out of the house, leaving me alone once more.

I moved to my bedroom, laying on my bed.

I didn't know how much time had passed, but I heard a knock on the door.

Misato.

I slowly made my way to the entrance, hearing multiple knocks.

"Shinji? Open the do-"

I stopped her mid sentence, as I opened it.

Misato didn't look any different. Age hadn't touched her one bit.

"Hi, Misato."

"Shinji..." She just barely made out, shocked to see my expression.

"Come in," I invited. She did so, as I took her bag and put it in the guest room.

I came back to the living room, sitting next to Misato.

"So what's up with Rei? What happened?"

"I don't know what happened to Rei. I had just come to see her for a moment that turned into a long time, in which I broke down. I called for her, but then decided to leave. As I was leaving, a few doctors rushed in, and the rest of it is a blur."

"I understand. Is this the reason you called me here early?"

"I needed someone to talk to. Father's been busy."

"When did Gendo leave to see what happened?"

"Just after I called."

"He's been gone for hours! That's worrying, not for Gendo, but for..."

She stopped after realizing what she was about to say.

She then smiled at me.

"Do you wanna know the real reason I wanted to come? I was going to surprise you, but do you want to know?" she asked.

"No. It might be ruined by my sulking. Save it for later."

"Ok."

There was a silence, before an urge came to ask something.

"Have you talked to Asuka lately?" I asked.

"No, she has a job now, so we haven't spoken in a few months."

"Oh."

I wanted to ask if Asuka hated me as well, but pulled back.

"What does Kaito do for a living again?" I asked.

"He's an intel agent in the government to prevent things like Seele from happening again. That's how I met him, silly. I remember that day where I was at a meeting for ex-NERV and government officials who asked us questions. Only Aoba, Hyuga, Fuyutsuki and I were there, well at least who I personally knew. I went as an informant from then on and eventually he got to know me and asked me out. The rest is history."

"I remember Fuyutsuki inviting us to go, but my father refused to let me," I added.

"Is he still around, in Tokyo-2?" Misato asked.

"Yeah, he's a biology and chemistry professor at the college I go to. I signed up for his class last year, but it didn't go far for a degree or anything. Probably because I'm majoring in both Music and English."

I was starting to think Misato was only talking to me to calm me down, and she was good at it, considering her calming methods from when I was in NERV.

"Are any of your junior high friends around?" she asked.

"Toji and Hikari live together somewhere downtown. I helped him pay for the apartment as a birthday gift. Hikari doesn't know that though. She's in Tokyo University, but I only see them at the few parties and get-togethers we have. I think Kensuke is deployed, but I'm not sure. All I know is that in the Japanese Air Force."

"Oh, good for them. They all seem to be doing well."

"Have you seen Hyuga, Aoba, or Maya lately?" I asked.

"Maya's in America or Canada right now, so that's a definite no. Aoba lives a few towns over from me. He's tried so hard to chase after Maya. Hyuga is actually my neighbor as of recently. He's got a little boy now."

"Wow. Sounds like they are in a different world."

"If you think about it, they kind of are. Hyuga's a completely different person and Maya is now a mystery to me. But Aoba is Aoba."

After a little while, I heard the door open.

"I'm home, Shinji." My father said, in a semi-monotone voice.

My father then spotted Misato.

"Why hello there, Misato. It's been a while."

"Indeed it has," she responded.

"How's Ayanami, Father?" I asked.

"Fine. They don't know what's wrong, but you changed something. They request that you come back soon."

"That's good, ain't it Shinji?" Misato asked, elbowing me gently.

I didn't answer.

"It's been a few hours and it's getting dark. I'll make dinner," I finally said, standing up.

"It's been a while since I've had your cooking, Shinji. Has he gotten any better, Gendo?" Misato asked, trying to remain positive.

"Oh, most definitely. Not a single class either," My father complimented.

I had a small smile, trying to hold in both my mixed feelings and my urge to scream.

It took a while, but I made a full course meal, on the occasion that Misato was here.

After taking a few bites of all the food I made, Misato looked like she was about to eat the table if I had cooked it.

"Oh, Shinji. You sure have outdone yourself."

"Try cooking for high school and college parties. Of course Hikari would help me but it's a hassle," I added.

I looked at Father's face as he cringed at the memory of the giant mess we had to clean up when Hikari and I finished cooking for one of those.

I chuckled, briefly snapping out of my trance of Ayanami.

"Does Kaito cook for you, Misato?"

"Most of the time. He's taught me some stuff. I know how to cook certain dishes when Kaito's not home."

"Like instant noodles?" I asked, making myself and Father snicker.

She gave me a face of dignity and said, "Not anymore, Shinji. You can't make fun of me anymore."

"How 'bout you cook for me tomorrow, then?"

She blushed, almost in defeat, but then went back to her face of dignity.

"You're on, Ikari!"

After dinner, Father went to his computer to work. Misato went to her room and fell right to sleep. I decided to sit in my bed and see if I could sleep, but sat there for a while. I turned on a movie for a little while, falling asleep halfway through.

I woke up in a completely pitch black room, with a spotlight over me.

"What is this? It doesn't feel like it's real, but at the same time, it doesn't feel like a dream."

"You are right, Shinji," a quiet, familiar voice said.

I turned around.

I saw Rei, who looked like herself now, but wasn't as skinny, and wore the same clothes and bandages as when I first met her.

"What is this, Ayanami?"

"Please, it's not NERV anymore. Call me Rei, as I will call you Shinji now."

"Rei, what is this?" I asked, in a more nervous tone.

"This is me reaching out to you for the last time like this. I was a puppet, a clone, and an abnormal being. Now I am free and since my separation from Lilith, fully human."

"What do you mean? Will I see you again?"

"You know what I mean, Shinji. You know what I was, what I still kind of am."

"I knew you were a clone of my mother. I don't care about that just come back!"

"You will see me soon enough," she answered.

"When?"

"Goodbye, Shinji Ikari." she began to levitate away, disappearing into darkness.

"Wait, Rei! Come back!"

Everything faded to white as I awoke to Misato shaking me.

"Shinji, Shinji! Wake up! You gotta get up and come with us! C'mon!" she yelled.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"It's Rei," Misato answered.

"What about her?" I asked.

My father came in.

"She's awake, Shinji."

My eyes widened.

A/N: Whoo this took me a while to write! Thank you for the support on the first chapter. The next chapter will be a big one, it'll be out soon! Is Rei alright? What about Shinji? What did Rei mean? All will be answered. Thanks for reading and please review! Favorite if you like the story! I hope I can update all my stories soon!

Stay cool and IN THE ROBOT,

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