TASHIGI:
CHAPTER 2: Test Anxiety
Disclaimer: I do not own Neon Genesis Evangelion or any of its characters. It's true. I'm not lying here. Who said I was? glares
RECAP: "Mine name iz Tazhigi… Tazhigi Heinrich Soryu" he said slowly
"I am Asuka's older brother, it's a pleazure to meet zyou Zhinji Ikari, ze famous zird child"
Shinji could only stare in shock at what the voice had just claimed.
"Y-You're w-who?" Shinji stammered, as his mouth ran dry
Tashigi gave no response and kept his gaze on Shinji, trying his best to work the same spell he cast on Misato. At first it didn't work, but Tashigi continued his efforts. He attempted to focus harder but it was still to no avail, as Shinji's defenses were stronger than he had anticipated. Tashigi began to scrunch his brow further, hoping that the increased pressure on his eyes would allow him to penetrate into Shinji's mind. This time was a success, as he broke through the boy's AT Field. Unfortunately he entered into one of the most unlikely of places.
What's this? Tashigi wondered as he glanced around and saw a dark, empty void surrounding him. A very loud clap of thunder resonated through the darkness as Tashigi dodged a bolt of lightning that struck near where he had stood
This can't be his mind, it has to be something else., he thought as he evaded yet another bolt from its unknown source. The sheer power coursing through the bolts were enough to rattle Tashigi's calm and confident nature.
What's going on here? he wondered as he searched for a clue as to where he was. Such a powerful defense, he thought as he moved further into the void.
Suddenly a harsh chill gusted through the darkness, encircling Tashigi. His eyes were drawn to the source as he moved quickly to his left, away from the onslaught of another lightning bolt. The icy breeze intensified as Tashigi drew closer to the source, causing him to shiver slightly. Though he was able to push through, anyone of lesser mental fortitude would've succumbed to the chill's heart-freezing ferocity. Tashigi pressed on despite the pressure it put on his being.
As he drew closer to the epicenter of the chill, another loud clap was heard along with two parallel bolts of lightning. Tashigi attempted to shield himself, throwing his left arm in front of his face and averting his eyes. When he glanced back to where the two bolts hits he gasped in surprise.
Ach What now?, he wondered as 2 human figures appeared before him.
It was difficult, but Tashigi could now make out two black and white figures. One was a seemingly small child in tears, while the other was a full grown man, walking away from young one. Upon closer inspection it appeared that Shinji had taken the role of the little boy. However, it was harder to make out who the taller figure was. The taller figure began to fade into the shadows as the cries from the younger boy grew louder, but still unheard.
The next turn of events threw Tashigi for a loop. He watched as the younger boy began to grow rapidly into a teenager, and continued to look on towards the disappearing figure. What happened next began to disturb Tashigi greatly. The teen began to shout.
"FATHER! FATHER! Don't you want me? Can't you face me?" the teenager screamed into the darkness with no response. He continued to scream into the void as his voice began to echo off the walls of the chamber.
Tashigi now knew exactly where he was. He hadn't been transported to Shinji's mind, but his soul instead. Immediately he began to weaken the stare he had on Shinji, trying his best to get out of the darkness that was beginning to affect his own psyche. All around him the air became very thick, and began to reek of blood. Tashigi began to retch and found it very hard to get any air into his lungs. He felt as if his mind was being ripped to shreds by the horrors that began to surround him. Specters of the 17 angels that were destroyed began to appear all around the confines of Shinji's soul. One figure appeared as boy with red eyes and white skin, before melting into a pool of LCL. Tashigi let out a violent scream as he continued his efforts to pull himself back to his own body.
After a great struggle, Tashigi barely managed to wrench himself from the confines of Shinji's soul. The "adventure" had taken its toll on him, as he huffed deeply at what he'd just seen. It was by far the most unsettling thing he'd ever witnessed and never wanted to again.
Without a sound he began to walk away from the door. Releasing his grip on Misato and causing her to faint into Shinji's arms. Slowly Shinji laid Misato down on the floor and then went to chase after Tashigi.
"Hey where do you think you're going? Get back here! I demand an explanation for this!" Shinji barked at Tashigi's quickly fading silhouette. Tashigi gave no reply, as the boy's screams rang in his ears.
"Didn't you hear what I said? Stop! You can't just show up here, make an outrageous claim, and then leave without saying anything. Just who do you think you are? ANSWER ME!" Shinji screamed, piercing the night time air. He'd surely awoken a few neighbors, if not cats and dogs with the powerful shrieks from his voice.
"I told you vonce already" Tashigi finally replied, not turning to face Shinji, nor stopping to give his answer. "I am Tazhigi Heinrich Zoryu. Asuka's older brozer. " With that he gave no new information and with a slightly menacing smirk left the apartment complex.
Shinji stood paralyzed, in a mix of rage and fear at what had just transpired. He would've stayed that way all night had he not remembered he had two… well now three women to deal with the following morning. Sighing deeply, and getting his emotions under control, Shinji strolled back to his apartment to get to sleep. He knew he'd need it for the next morning.
Meanwhile, at the foot of the complex, Tashigi's eyes wandered one more time to Misato's apartment.
"I'll zee you again zoon Zhinji, much zooner zen you zink", Tashigi chuckled to himself as he disappeared into the shadows of the night.
The Next Morning:
"Ugh!" Rei grunted as she was the first to arise from her drunken stupor the night before.
"Hey Sis!" Shinji greeted his little sister wrapping her in a light hug.
"Ouch hey, look out brother I'm still hurting from last night!" Rei answered, responding to the hug.
"Oh s-sorry!" Shinji responded, as he returned to his cooking for the three women.
It was Saturday, so Shinji knew he didn't have to wake Asuka up for school. He decided to let her sleep in for as long as she wanted. However, as the aroma of breakfast wafted its way through the house, it didn't take much to wake the other two up from their slumber.
"Pancakes?" Asuka asked out loud as she awoke and drifted into the kitchen
"BACON & BEER!" Misato screamed, as she bounded into the kitchen, trampling poor Asuka in the process.
"Good…morning….to you too…Misato." Asuka mumbled with a hint of annoyance as she pulled herself up.
Misato had already piled on a quarter pound of bacon onto her plate and was guzzling down her first can of beer
"WOOHOO! The breakfast of champions!" Misato declared with a piece of bacon swinging from her mouth.
I've seen Pen Pen with better table manners…, Shinji thought with a sigh.
Misato continued to devour the crisped meat like a starving dog, as Rei watched in disbelief.
She turned to Asuka, who had just sat next to her, and whispered, "Does the Major always eat with such enthusiasm?"
Asuka looked up from her specially made, Belgian pancakes and replied, "You should see her go to town with a steak. Any cows left in the world would be seeking sanctuary in India!"
"Are we discussing a certain someone's eating habits? Huh ladies?" Misato asked as bacon bits spewed from her mouth. After the assault from the flying shards of half-chewed bits of meat, Misato took another huge swig of beer, prompting her to release a rather loud belch that shook the entire table.
The two female pilots just stared at Misato's grotesque display of table manners.
"If this is how the Major thinks we should eat…" Rei began as she piled a half foot stack of bacon onto her plate.
"Rei….um, I wouldn't…." Shinji tried to warn his sister, but to no avail.
Rei had become a mirror image of Misato as bacon was sent flying everywhere. The munching and gulping seemed to resonate throughout the whole kitchen.
Asuka looked on in disgust before saying, "You know, I think I'll just go eat in my room."
As she made her way toward her room with her plate, she thought to herself, where did we get all of this bacon from anyway…
Asuka made her way into her room and sat down on her bed. It didn't take too long to hear some shouting for Shinji to hurry up with the next batch of bacon, then Shinji apologizing for being so slow, and finally Misato teasing him after guzzling down yet another beer.
"Honestly sometimes I think I live in a house full of pigs" Asuka mumbled to herself, as she popped a piece of her pancakes in her mouth. She was surprised at the great taste. Well, at least the baka's good at something. she thought.
"Well, I'll be honest. He's better at a lot more than just cooking" Asuka sighed, as she sub-consciously slid her fingers over lightly over her lips.
Mein GOTT! Did I just say that Asuka mentally slapped herself Gott in himel what's wrong with me lately all I can think about is…
"Hey Asuka!" Shinji called, right outside of Asuka's door
"WHAT?" she shrieked, startled by his voice.
For some reason, as the months wore on after her attack from the fifteenth Angel, Asuka had found herself incapable of feeling hatred for Shinji. Even though she'd said that still hated him, she still found herself more drawn to him than before.
It started out rather innocently at first. She began standing in the kitchen and peering over his shoulder while he was cooking, admiring his improved culinary skill. Strangely enough, from that point on it seemed that the food Shinji cooked had a richer and more robust taste than before.
Then Asuka gradually progressed to the point where she would be hanging around him during other activities as well. During his cello playing, Shinji now always had a somewhat captivated in Asuka, who gave him a rousing applause every time he finished. This made him turn around and blush before he proceeded to another song. Strangely enough Shinji's skill seemed to improve even more when Asuka was there to watch. Shinji could even play the most complicated pieces, not only perfectly, but also with ease when she was near. Needless to say, something about Asuka made Shinji discover hidden talents he never dreamt possible when he was growing up alone.
"Umm… Earth to Asuka? Asuka, are you still there?" Shinji asked, still behind her bedroom door.
"Y-Yes… Yeah I'm still here what do you want dumkopf?" Asuka asked, still shaken to a degree.
"There's a waffle out here if you want it. I made one for Rei and Misato already" Shinji explained.
"That sounds great. I'll be out in a minute or two!" Asuka replied with a little more composure in her voice.
As Shinji's footsteps drew away from the door, Asuka could not help but notice how fast her heart was racing. A soft smile appeared on her face before being replaced by her usual, sterner facade.
"Hmph! The nerve of that idiot, surprising me like that!" she said as she walked out of her room.
Asuka walked through the living room and saw Misato now lying on the couch. Bacon bits could be seen strewn around her on the floor.
"Oooooh….bacon….." Misato groaned as she placed her face in the couch cushion.
Rei on the other hand was still sitting at the table, wiping her mouth delicately with a napkin.
"Hmm..", Asuka said as she sat down next to the 1st Child. "Looks like you couldn't keep up with Misato's pace, could you Rei?" Asuka said in a teasing manner.
"Actually, I consumed twice as much bacon as Misato did." Rei said calmly as she cleaned her place at the table.
"WHAT?" Asuka exclaimed with a look of disbelief on her face. "Then…then how come your not sick?"
"Pacing and a lot of water. I saw it on a television show from the Pre- second impact era." Rei explained as she deposited her dish by Shinji, who was now at the sink, before walking into the living room
Unbeknownst to the other two Eva pilots, Shinji was preoccupied with something more important than washing the dishes. As he continued to scrub and rinse the plates and silverware in a robot-like manner, Shinji greater concentration was elsewhere.
Who was he really? Shinji thought to himself as he recalled the events from the previous night.
A pair of golden eyes seemed to appear on the plate that Shinji was rinsing, as if responding to this thought.
"AHH!" Shinji shouted as he dropped the plate on the floor, shattering it into multiple fragments.
He immediately fell to the floor and began to clean up the mess he had made, his face turning various shades of red.
Asuka just rolled her eyes and gave a small smirk to the frazzled boy.
"Scared of your own reflection dumkopf?" she chided to him. "You really are hopeless at times." Asuka finished as she returned to her waffle.
Shinji continued to clean up the mess the broken plate had made, but still couldn't get the vision of those eyes out of his mind.
What if he was…, Shinji thought before turning to Asuka, who was just finishing her breakfast.
"Umm, hey Asuka…" Shinji said with a cautious voice.
"If you expect me to come down and help clean up your mess Shinji, you can forget about it." Asuka replied as she went to place her dish by the sink.
"Oh, it's not that. I was just wondering whether you had any relatives here in Japan?" Shinji continued with a cautious manner. "I mean, has anyone come to visit you lately?"
Asuka cocked an eye brow at the raven-haired boy and gave a perplexed look.
"What in EVA's name are you talking about, Third Child?" Asuka responded.
"Well…" Shinji began
"Look dumkopf I'm trying to eat. If you want to know something let me know now", Asuka responded.
"uhh…I.uhhh…" Shinji stuttered, unable to find the right words explaining last nights events.
He didn't want to freak Asuka out about what happened. However, he couldn't simply just let it go he had to find the truth.
"WHAT?" Asuka shot her head up now giving Shinji the glare that he'd come all to well to recognize.
"Uh…" Shinji squeaked in fear of the impeding pounding that was about to commence if he continued on his current path.
"Excuse me?" Rei interrupted in a quite voice,
"Oh great, now Wonder girl wants to get in on the act." Asuka sighed in annoyance, "What is it?" she asked hastily, wanting to get back to the imminent restructuring of Shinji's face.
"Sorry to interrupt but didn't we have our monthly sync and harmonics tests today?" Rei asked
As soon as Misato heard Rei's question, her eyes fired open and she catapulted off the couch and into the kitchen.
"NO MORE BACON! We're gonna be late!" Misato screamed as she bolted for her bedroom to grab a clean towel.
"Oh crap!" Asuka shouted as she made a mad dash for her room, nearly tripping over Shinji, who was still on the floor.
Rei followed in suit, making a b-line straight for the bathroom.
"Oh no you don't!" Asuka shouted as she raced to the door, with her towel barely covering her nude body.
"But I must cleanse myself before going to work. Body soil in the plug suit can disrupt a synch test…" Rei explained calmly as she disrobed in the doorway.
"Sorry girls, but I outrank both of you and it's my shower!" Misato announced as she too claimed access to the bathroom.
(Also, only in a towel…)
"We're not at NERV yet Misato! You can't pull rank on us here!" Asuka shouted as she attempted to move in front of Rei.
"Excuse me!" Misato retorted as she attempted to move into the bathroom behind Rei. "I am your guardian and still hold rank outside of NERV, Pilot Soryu!"
Shinji could not believe his eyes. Two partially nude women were sandwiching one fully nude woman in the doorway to bathroom. Watching Asuka and Misato attempt to rub past Rei was more than enough for his body to blush all over.
"…" Shinji stared in silence, with no words for what he was seeing.
Asuka was the first to notice their audience and shouted, "Scheise!", as she pitched a random bar of soap at Shinji's head. This caused him to promptly fall back onto the floor, as the women continued to fight for dominance of the bathroom.
"Women…" Shinji sighed under his breath.
NERV Headquarters:
It was amazing that the pilots were able to get to NERV in one piece, since Misato had taken the wheel to drive to their destination.
"Honestly Asuka, I think you're overreacting a bit!" Shinji said through his side of the locker room, as the three pilots began to change into their plug suits for the days test.
"No I'm not. You were peeking at all three of us, standing there in nothing but…" Asuka began
"It's not like I could help it. You were in the doorway for cryin' out loud!" Shinji cut her off, trying to make himself seem somewhat less guilty for the events after breakfast.
Since when does he not apologize for something like this? Also, how did he come up with a good defense for his actions? Asuka pondered as the three suited up for the days tests.
Tensions were high. Naturally the regulars would be observing the tests and then reviewing the scores from each individual. It figured to turn out the same, Asuka at number one, barely edging out Shinji at number two, and Rei bringing up the rear at number three. However, the scores of Asuka and Shinji had gotten increasingly closer after the defeat of the Angels.
The examiners really didn't know what to make of it but there were rumors going around that Shinji had finally made peace with his father and inner-demons that haunted him during the threat of a Third Impact. After Angel 17 (Code name: Tabris) was defeated things made a dramatic turn.
Shinji seemed more relaxed, and even happy during his "time-off." He began to freely express exactly what he was feeling inside, and wore more readable looks on his face. When he was angry, he visibly fumed, when he was happy, he smiled; though basic in nature it made a remarkable impact on his scores of his sync tests. He jumped first from 56 to 70 percent, then from 70 to 80 percent, and finally up to Asuka's range at 90 percent. When asked, Shinji would answer that he didn't know why his scores had jumped up so drastically, it just happened. However, that's when the rumors started going around, which Shinji took in stride and continued to use towards bettering his scores.
Today though, was Shinji's chance to show his worth. He'd heard from Dr. Akagi, who at the time was having a conversation with Misato, that his father would be observing today's sync and harmonics tests. To make things even more interesting, Gendo would be the evaluator of the exams and, not only evaluate where the pilots stood on each, but also offer advice on how to improve further with their training.
It was only natural that Shinji wanted to impress his father, for more than just showing Gendo that he was a good EVA pilot. He also, wanted to prove that, Gendo had made a mistake in disregarding Shinji as a boy.
"Shinji? Please pay attention!" Ritsuko Akagi scolded the young man over the intercom, arousing him from his thoughts.
"Huh? Oh, what were you saying Ritsuko?" Shinji said with a look of utter confusion on his face.
Ritsuko gave an aggravated sigh before replying, "The tests are over. Unless you would like to be alone in the plug overnight, I'd suggest getting out."
"Oh, uh right!" Shinji replied with a red face, before finally climbing out of the plug.
As he reached the catwalk that ran adjacent to Unit-01, Shinji noticed Rei, Asuka, and Misato standing toward the end of the cage.
"Have a good nap dumpkopf?" Asuka harassed her fellow pilot.
"You seemed very comfortable during the tests today Shinji. More so than you used to be…" Rei observed.
"Should we move all of you things to the cage instead? The plug would make an interesting bedroom.", Misato teased Shinji with a chuckle.
"Hey, knock it off…" Shinji tried to fired back. "It's not like I was snoring or anything during the tests!"
The group began to make its way out of the cage as the technicians moved in to perform their daily maintenance. One of the men, clad in a dark grey jumpsuit, caught Shinji's eye. Two golden eyes peered at Shinji from beneath the technician's hard hat before he joined the others by Unit-01.
"Was that…" Shinji whispered under his breath, while turning to get another glance at the man.
"Hey Ikari!" barked the voice of a certain red head from down the hall. "Get your ass in gear! I'm so hungry that even the food served in this place sounds like a gourmet meal!"
"Coming!" Shinji shouted as he ran to catch up with the others.
It was 2:30 when Shinji and the others reached NERV's cafeteria, which was quite empty after the lunch rush. Misato had gone on to confirm the test results of the day with Ritsuko and the higher ups, leaving the three pilots to have lunch by themselves.
Ugh, if Dr. Akagi thought the coffee was bad here, she must not have had the food., Shinji thought as he poked what was supposed to be a pork chop with his fork.
"I bet he's staring at you Rei!" Shinji heard Asuka whisper in excitement
Shinji looked up and saw the two girls blushing while staring at something behind him. They were actually acting like girls their own age.
Unbelievable…, Shinji thought to himself with a small smile.
Rei's developing personality had brought upon another positive side-effect. She had begun to form a strong relationship with Asuka over the past few months. This had progressed to the point where she had joined Asuka and Hikari on trips to the mall and parties. Of course, the fact that both of his fellow pilots were hyperventilating over what he guessed was another boy was something Shinji was not used to yet.
"Who is it this time?" Shinji asked with a sarcastic tone, not bothering to even turn around.
"Only the most handsome man I have ever seen." Rei sighed softly, never taking her eyes off of her target.
"You mean "hot" Rei?" Shinji shot back, not too happy that Asuka had gotten his sister interested in men.
"Oh quiet Ikari! You know nothing about the matters of love!" Asuka shouted before turning to Rei. "Go on Rei. Go talk to him!" she encouraged to blue haired girl.
"What about you Asuka. I would not want to take that "hunk of hunk of burning love" away from you.", Rei replied calmly.
"WHAT?!" Shinji and Asuka screamed simultaneously.
"I heard it on one of Major Katsuragi's old…records I think she called them."Rei explained.
"Well…"Asuka began after regaining her composure. "…there is only one real man in my life." she said while clasping her hands together.
"Shinji?" Rei asked calmly.
"WHAT?! NO WAY!" Asuka shrieked, while blushing.
Both of the girls then turned to Shinji, who was now spurting milk out of his nose after hearing Rei.
"Who could be attracted to that?!" Asuka shouted, while still blushing. "Anyway, get moving!" Asuka commanded as she coaxed Rei out of her seat.
Shinji had just finished wiping up the milk and now wanted to see who Rei's new interest was. Unfortunately, before he could turn his head…
"Would Pilot Ikari please report to the Commander's Office. Pilot Ikari…" the P.A. system announced.
Oh great. This can't be good. Shinji thought with a grimace on his face. He arose from his seat and walked form the cafeteria, knowing that he was bound to be chewed out by his father.
Gendo's office:
"You wanted to see me sir?" Shinji asked the Commander, who was turned toward the wall.
"Yes Shinji. Please sit down." Gendo ordered in a firm voice.
Using my first name? Can't be good. Shinji thought with apprehension, as he sat in the chair, directly to the right of Gendo.
"I assume you know why you're here."Gendo began.
"I do indeed commander, so lets just get on with it" Shinji answered in a detached manner.
Well, that was an interesting response. Gendo thought to himself.
"Then let's begin." Gendo announced as he turned to his son.
"Now Shinji you were made aware that I was evaluating your performance today, correct?" Gendo asked his estranged son.
"Yes" Shinji responded quietly.
"Well, let me ask you Shinji: How do you think you did?" Gendo inquired as he sat to the left of Shinji in his usual pose.
"I think I did…ok, but let's be honest there's no way I outscored Asuka. She's the best" Shinji replied
"Well Shinji, let's just say you've come a long way, but there's still much room for improvement" Gendo smirked for a moment.
"Now, according to these reports, you're first few sync tests indicated scores of only up to 56 percent. This was well below a satisfactory score." Gendo explained, in a harsh tone.
"I thought 56 percent was good, at least according to Doctor Akagi's…" Shinji tried to retort, but was interrupted by Gendo.
"NOT BY MY STANDARDS SHINJI! That's a failing percentage and I do not tolerate failure, as you well know.", Gendo exclaimed. After this small outburst, the Commander calmed down a bit and spoke again, "Now, as I was saying, your first attempt at the sync ratio left you at 56 percent. After that you made a significant jump to seventy percent, then to eighty. Finally, according to Doctor Akagi's report from a month ago, you were at 90 percent." Gendo explained, still maintaining an unresponsive expression, while still impressed by Shinji's previous score.
"Now Shinji are you ready to hear your results from today?" Gendo asked.
I mustn't run away! I mustn't run away! I mustn't run away! I won't run away! Shinji told himself, bracing for a good tongue lashing from his overbearing father.
"I take it by your silence you are." Gendo smirked once again. "You're scores today, were…"
Oh great here it comes! Shinji thought to himself, cringing inwardly, but showing no fear on his exterior.
"93 percent, a three percent increase from the last time you took these tests.", Gendo finally revealed the results to a very shocked Shinji, as he tossed the folder across the table for Shinji to read.
"Well, go ahead, read it." Gendo instructed his son, who did not follow, since he was still paralyzed by the results of the test.
"You were able to outscore both the First and Second child by 12 percent combined (6 percent for each), as they were only able to achieve a 87 percent sync ratio." Gendo explained; Shinji still sat silently.
"Now 93 percent is a very good sync ratio Shinji, but you can do much better. As I've been informed by Doctor Akagi, Major Katsuragi, and second Lt. Maya, they've all asked and you've responded the same way to the question that I am about to ask" said the elder Ikari as he removed his glasses, revealing for the first time, since Shinji could remember, his eyes.
"How have you're scores climbed so much? Now I know your standard answer has been that you don't know, but I won't stand for that answer Shinji. Because I know that you are aware of why your scores have jumped so much in the past month. So tell me." Gendo commanded, as his son shook with nerves
"Honestly sir, I have no idea" Shinji answered. He knew as those words left his lips they were the wrong ones to say.
"THAT'S BULLSHIT PILOT IKARI!" Gendo roared, closing the distance between Shinji and himself to the point where Shinji could literally taste the tobacco coming off of Gendo's breath.
"I can tell when you're lying, and you're doing it right now." Gendo hissed into his son's ear, "Now either tell me or I'll make sure you never pilot Unit-01 again. Do you understand?"
The stench of his breath began to upset Shinji's stomach
I musn't run away, I musn't run away, I won't run away., Shinji mentally repeated his mantra in his head. Though this time it didn't take as many times to stand up for himself.
"DAMN IT! I DON'T KNOW COMMANDER! IF I DID DON'T YOU THINK I'D TELL YOU?" Shinji howled back, immediately shooting a glare as sharp as a double-edged sword that could have very well pierced Gendo's face.
"Hmmm…. You really don't know do you?", Gendo asked, not soliciting a response.
Shinji's huffed as he regained his composure again. He was still shaken from what he had done.
Gendo returned to his seat and smirked again before saying, "Well done Third Child. You've passed your first test."
Shinji just stared back in shock and awe at what he had just heard.
"Test?" Shinji said aloud.
"Correct.", Gendo replied sharply. "This psychological test was to see whether or not you could hold your ground to a certain degree when faced with an obstacle. You did and thus passed this test of mine." Gendo explained with a straight face again.
"What? Now I'm being tested by you? Now, when the Angels have been defeated? What the hell is this about?" Shinji barraged the elder Ikari with questions.
"Do not question my methods Third Child. Although it is true that the timing may seem inappropriate, this test was a necessity. You have shown unwillingness to defend yourself in the field before, if you remember." Gendo remarked.
Images of EVA-Unit 3 strangling Unit 1 began to flash through Shinji's mind, followed by those of Unit 01 eviscerating the black Evangelion moments later. Shinji retched slightly at these grotesque memories.
"As I was saying…" Gendo continued, "Your abilities back then were questionable. It is only natural that we evaluate your psyche during a time of limited conflict. Now we move onto the second test."
There's more?! Shinji thought with a minor panic.
"Do not think that you are getting any special treatment either, Third Child. The other two pilots will go through the same evaluation. I advise you not to reveal these methods to either of them." Gendo explained as a spotlight revealed a black chair with the NERV emblem on its back rest.
Shinji attempted to observe the chair from where he sat, still blinded by the new source of light. The chair itself appeared to almost look like an office chair, composed of leather, but with a high backrest. However, multiple wires could be seen extruding from the base of the chair itself.
"Do you know why I always wear these?" Gendo asked as Shinji returned his gaze to his father, who was indicating toward the blood red glasses that remained on the table before him. "The eyes have been said to be doorways to the soul. If observed carefully, one may gain infinite knowledge of a person by just gazing into their eyes for a moment." Gendo explained further.
Shinji glanced into his father's eyes for the first time and saw ferocity within them. These were the eyes of a man who would not be denied his desires.
"I can see much from your eyes as well Shinji. Your mind is like an open book to me…" Gendo continued.
These words made Shinji shiver, as a pair of golden eyes overlapped the Commander's for a moment.
"Although I have much confidence in my own abilities to read what people are really thinking, it is required that we perform a more formal test for this evaluation. What you see before you is a type of polygraph test, more advanced than anything law enforcement used to use. You will be asked a series of 20 questions while seated within this chair. If you lie while answering any of the questions, I will know one way or another. The number of truthful answers you need in order to pass will be left to my discretion." Gendo explained as Shinji's gaze returned to chair itself. "Now please have a seat." Gendo commanded.
Shinji slowly rose from his place at the table and made his way over to next test. He hadn't been so anxious to sit in a chair since the first time he had sat within an entry plug so long ago. He gently sat in the chair as the Commander positioned himself directly in front, with a file in hand. The chair was comfortable to a degree, except for a number of unknown objects prodding Shinji's back through the leather exterior.
Sensors… Shinji thought to himself as he turned his head back to his father.
"Let's begin…" Gendo announced.
"Question 1: What is your full name?"
Shinji took in a deep breath and began his answers, "Shinji Kozu Ikari"
"Very good" Gendo responded, without hesitation he went to the next question,
"Question 2: Who are your parents?"
Shinji hesitated ever so slightly before this question, knowing full well how he had to answer "Yui and Gendo Ikari"
"Correct" Gendo replied, again not hesitating to move to the next question,
"Question 3: When were you born?"
"June 6th 2001" Shinji fired back, trying to avoid making contact with Gendo's eyes.
"Yes…" Gendo responded.
About 20 minutes later:
"You've done well Shinji. As far as I can tell you've lied to me only twice and the sensors haven't picked anything up yet" Gendo began before giving his son his final question
Shinji just sat, his breathing had become labored and he was starting to develop cold sweats beneath his shirt and on his forehead.
"Are you ready for the final question of this test?" Gendo asked smirking, "Before I ask this, you have to know a few things. First this is most likely the most difficult question of all; as such I will give you three chances to answer it truthfully. Should you lie to me I will consider the test a failure and you will not be allowed to pilot Unit-01 until further notice. Furthermore, should you refuse to answer the question I will consider it a lie, and once again will automatically fail. However, should you choose this route I will revoke your pilot assignment and you will be immediately removed from the NERV premises is that clear?" Gendo's eyes narrowed on his son to gauge his reaction.
As if Shinji wasn't exhausted enough, now he had to truthfully answer a very tough question from a person who could tell within a second if he was lying.
Shinji inhaled deeply, "Yes very clear commander"
"Good, now question 20: When you sync with your EVA do you feel someone else inside along with you? In other words does it feel like another person is there guiding you through when things get tough?" Gendo smirked; he really had no intention of revoking his son's assignment as an EVA pilot. It was just amusing to see him squirm as Gendo posed a very hard question to him. Silence gripped the room as Gendo continued to stare at his son who was clearly in mental turmoil trying to figure out how to answer the question.
"N-No I-I…" Shinji stammered, immediately he was cut off by Gendo
"That's strike one Shinji." Gendo stated, continuing to smirk as his son squirmed
"W-what?" Shinji stammered
"That's a lie so that's one! Two more chances Shinji" Gendo smirk grew wider, as Shinji just squirmed even more.
I mustn't run away, I WON'T RUN AWAY! Shinji repeated one more time. As he did, Shinji sat upright and stopped squirming, immediately noticing the change Gendo's smirk melted of his face as it shifted to a look of confusion and anger.
"M-Mother!" Shinji answered, "I can feel her when I sync up with Unit-01. She is there, I can't explain how or why it feels like sometimes she's at the controls, guiding, helping, in a way telling me what to do and she helps me complete my missions with success when things get tough. She's always there advising and protecting me, like a true parent should" Shinji now had the smirk on his face.
Gendo looked shaken now, as he saw the confidence Shinji was exuding. So as not to show any weakness, quickly he cleared his throat and began to speak to Shinji.
"Very good Pilot Ikari, that is all" Gendo dismissed his son. Oddly enough Shinji refused to move from his seat.
"I have a question for you now Father" Shinji began gaining more confidence as he saw his father begin to squirm.
"That is ALL! Pilot Ikari, I'm very busy so now…" Gendo said quickly, too quickly and Shinji picked up on it.
"Strike one Father!" Shinji shot back, "Now who's the one that's lying. I can see it in your eyes, your soul is an open book to me! You're scared aren't you?"
"That's enough Third Child! Now leave or I will have you removed" Gendo commanded
"Hmph.. Don't think so, if you think you can waste half of my day and then not expect retaliation from me in return you're 100 percent wrong! So sit down it's my turn to ask" Shinji's smirk grew wider
Seeing no other way to rid Shinji from his office, and running short on time, grabbed his glasses and placed them on his face.
"Fine Shinji now what is it?" Gendo asked impatiently
"Did… Did you ever love my mother?" Shinji asked, swallowing a lump in his throat. Gendo stayed silent
"If you refuse to answer the question father, I won't pilot Unit-01 ever again. Before you agree to those terms, remember this: she's the only one that will respond to me, she won't accept the dummy plug, and she won't achieve her full potential without me behind the wheel. So father what will it be" Shinji's smirk had transformed into a smile as Gendo continued to squirm, under the pressure of his sons threats.
"Did… Did I ever love your mother? What kind of question is that Shinji? Don't waste my time with such nonsense…" Gendo protested
"Strike two father! One more and Unit-01 will never activate again" Shinji's smile grew even wider.
Gendo pinched the bridge of his nose, near his eyes and began to rub them. There was no avoiding this one, for the first time in a long time he'd have to tell the truth about a rather sore subject, Yui.
"Did I ever love your mother Shinji? I loved her more than anything in the world" Gendo answered, trying to regain his composure after Shinji had turned the tables.
"That is all Commander, and thank you" Shinji saluted and turned on his heel and left
"By your leave Pilot Ikari. By the way, has anyone visited you that you do not know or have ever heard of?" Gendo asked
Shinji froze immediately, but still tried to keep his confidence level high.
"Yes I have" Shinji gave his answer,
"Name" The Commander demanded
"Like you said, you know more about me than I know about myself, so I'm assuming you know already" Shinji responded defiantly
"NAME!" Gendo barked his demand this time, "you will not leave until I know it!"
"Well it's of little consequence, but if you must know sometime you may want to look up, Tashigi Heinrich Soryu" With his answer Shinji walked out of the commander's office.
"Fuyutski get in here NOW!" Gendo roared his command. Within 2 seconds Sub-commander Kozu Fuyutski entered the room.
"Gave your son quite the grilling Ikari?" Fuyutski asked with a chuckle
"Yes Fuyutski, now let's get down to it. Did you see the Third Child's scores on his Sync test today?" Gendo asked
"Yes I did, very impressive." Fuyutski replied,
"Indeed" Gendo nodded in agreement
"Why are you having them do this Ikari? It's not like the Angels will be around anytime soon, there are no threats for any uprisings anywhere in the world, so why…" Fuyutski questioned before being cutoff by Gendo.
"Fuyutski, you are not to question my motives as commander. You are to listen to my commands and make sure they are carried out." Gendo shouted
"Of course sir, pardon me for overstepping my bounds" Fuyustki responded to Gendo's outburst
"Noted" Gendo answered, "Now as you know we've been in contact with our branch in Germany. Well during the last few years, I've had one of our men keeping tabs on that branch and reporting back to me with what he's found. The man, as you know is your son, Tashigi Heinrich Soryu."
"Yes, this is not news to me commander. I'm assuming you called me in here for more than just this story" Fuyutski answered
"Of course. I called you in to inform you, that Tashigi is headed to Tokyo-3 and according to reports will be here in about a week." Gendo explained
"What does this have to do with me?" Fuyutski asked
"I have to know, since this does involve Tashigi, if your personal feelings for the boy will affect your performance during the time he is here." Gendo explicated
"First of all he's not a boy, not anymore. And secondly I'll do as I'm instructed, Tashigi will not affect that." Fuyutski confided in Gendo
"Very good that is all" Gendo instructed
"Then by your leave Commander" Fuyutski said as he turned on a heel to go.
"One more thing Kozu" Gendo said, causing Fuyutski to stop dead in his tracks.
"What's that Gendo?" Fuyutski responded with surprise that his superior had called him by his first name
"I'll be leaving on business in about an hour, to observe the development of our new branch in Italy. I'll most likely be gone for about a week, so during the interm you are to head up operations here." Gendo instructed
"Very good commander" With that Fuyutski headed out the door.
I hope I can trust him Gendo thought as he packed his brief case and prepared for his departure.
Tokyo-3, Outside NERV Headquarters 3:45 PM
I can't believe it. Shinji thought with a smirk on his face. I stood up to him!
Shinji was now making his way toward the train station, in order to catch a ride back to his neighborhood. Misato still had paperwork to complete, while Rei and Asuka had gone on ahead with out him. Times of peace meant shorter days of work within the Geofront, at least for the EVA pilots.
If I hurry, I can catch the 4:00 train. Shinji thought as he quickened his pace.
As Shinji made his way into the nearly deserted train station, a voice called out to him, "Hey dumkopf, did the Commander rip you a new one or what?"
Shinji just gave Asuka one of the biggest smiles he could muster before replying, "That's not working today Asuka! I'm a new man!"
Asuka just stared at Shinji and thought to herself, What's up with him? He looks so, so happy! He's kind of cute when he…ack! Watch what your saying Asuka!
"Hmph, so you didn't piss your pants when the Commander did your review." Asuka finally retorted, with a little less force than usual.
"Even better. I actually held my ground with him. Sure, I was scared out of my mind, but I actually did it! I've never felt so good before!" Shinji said while uncharacteristically punching the air.
Is this really Shinji?! Is this really spineless, down on himself, not a hope for him Shinji? I've never seen him feeling this good about himself. Not like I ever helped though... Asuka thought as her gaze shifted downward.
"So, how were your results? How'd you do on the tests today?" Asuka asked, finally relenting on her usual tirade.
"Uh, well…" Shinji began.
I can't say that I got higher than her. Asuka can be a pain to me at times, but she's not a bad person. The past few months have shown me that. Besides, I don't want her to… Shinji thought as memories of what Asuka was like after her encounter with the 15th Angel.
"…lets just say that its an all time record for me. I wasn't told the actual score. The Commander likes to withhold information from me all the time I guess. Thinks it will break me or something…" Shinji said before giving a pathetically fake laugh.
"Right…", Asuka replied.
Must have not been that much of a record…, she thought.
"Anyway, how about I cook something special for dinner tonight?" Shinji asked. "Maybe I'll make a German dish for you…I mean us Asuka. I've been trying to practice on more international dishes for a while. We can invite Rei over. Where is she anyway?", Shinji wondered, finally noticing the absence of his sister.
"Oh that…" Asuka began. "Well, I think she made a connection with that guy with the lunch room earlier. She went off with him afterward and said that she'd catch up to me after. That's why I'm still here at the station." Asuka explained.
"You let her go off with a stranger?! What if he takes advantage of her? What if she's hurt? What if…" Shinji started before being cut off.
"Don't worry, she's fine. Look!" Asuka said, holding up her cell phone.
A text message was one the screen that read:
Asuka Do not wait for me at the train station. The young man that I met in the lunch room will be escorting me home this afternoon. He is very polite and says that he is from the German Branch of NERV. I haven't gotten his name yet though. Tell Shinji that I hope his meeting with the Commander went well and that I will see you both later. Ayanami
Asuka snapped the phone closed after a moment before saying, "That girl has come a long way, but still needs a ton of help. I mean come one, not asking what his name was? How does someone do that?"
TRAIN 4-B, bound for East Tokyo-3, arriving on Track 2., the P.A. system announced.
"We better get going.", Asuka said as she gripped onto Shinji's arm, dragging the boy behind her. "I'm not waiting another hour to get a ride home!"
Tokyo-3; Misato's Apartment Complex 5:00 PM (for lack of a better name)
"Mein Gott! Why did it take this long to go grocery shopping? Please explain it to me again?" Asuka said as she struggled to carry an overstuffed shopping bag
"It can't be helped!" Shinji grunted under the weight of his own bag. This particular recipe requires quite a few particular ingredients." He explained as the two entered the elevator, making their way up to the apartment.
"Well, if being a dog of the military doesn't work out for you, at least you can become Iron Chef: Tokyo-3!", Asuka teased as the two made there way off of the elevator and to Misato's door.
"Do they still make that?" Shinji wondered aloud as he rummaged for his keys in his pocket.
"They're in your back pocket! Let me get them…" Asuka said as she shifted the weight of her bag into her left arm, before reaching out for Shinji's back pocket. "Don't get any ideas either!"
As Asuka reached in and grabbed the apartment keys, Shinji was sweating bullets and was red enough to be mistaken for Unit 2.
"Alright, I got them." Asuka said as she finally moved forward to unlock the door.
As soon as the click was heard Asuka pushed the door forward and entered the dark living room. Shinji soon began to follow until the light came on and he heard a thud.
"Aiyee!" Asuka shrieked.
"Asuka!" Shinji yelled as he dropped his bundle and ran to see what was wrong.
Asuka was standing by the entrance to the kitchen, staring at something that was making her shake. Shinji turned to where Asuka's gazed was and saw a raven haired man with golden eyes sitting at the kitchen table.
"Velcome home Zinji! Vhats for dinner?"
To Be Continued…