Chapter XII

He Who Ate The Fruit

Ritsuko Akagi gazed out of the window of the plane, in the way one does when they have things running through their mind that just don't seem to go away. Misato had woken up with a heavy hangover from nursing a bottle of sake all night, which had left her, indeed rather fittingly, to go to the "Jet Alone" exhibition alone.

She looked at her watch. There was a good ten or twenty minutes until landing, depending on air traffic. She looked back out of the window. This man, the Doctor. She'd heard rumours Commander Ikari planned to have him "removed" if he failed in his efforts to defeat the Angels again. Last time was a lucky escape—this time, he might not be so lucky.

Who was he? This man in his blue box? Why wasn't she concerned with telling the others about the fact there was a, no, two technical walking violations of the laws of physics trying to help defeat the Angels? Was he even fully aware of the capabilities of the Evangelion yet? So far, he'd barely even seen them. He made the plans on a whim. There was definitely something odd about him.

Why was he here? What was his relation to anything? Was there a reason? Could there be a reason? Or was it just sheer coincidence that this man appeared? And then it occurred to her. Ritsuko, for once in her life, felt she knew nothing about something. There was nothing—nothing—she knew about him. He simply made an empty promise of helping and saving...why did she listen to him? What effect had he had to suppress these signs? So many thoughts...

Dr. Akagi.

Who had he met so far? Who did he know? What did he know? How? Where? Why? When?

Dr. Akagi.

She had to speak to him at some point...she had to tell the others, also, who he really was.

Dr. Akagi!

'What?' Ritsuko turned to see a NERV agent, wearing black sunglasses and a suit, standing before her.

'We are beginning our descent. Please put your seatbelt on.'

Ritsuko stared dumbly at the undone seatbelt. 'Uh...uh...yes...of course.'

The NERV agent gave what might have been considered a "smile", more a feelingless upturning of the corners of the mouth, before returning to his usual stone-cold face, moving up the aisle and back into his seat.

Ritsuko clicked the seatbelt back into place.

'Doctor...' she mumbled, as she felt the lurch of the plane coming in for landing.

Shinji, forearms thrust under his pillow, eyes looking towards the ceiling, listening to Track 24 on his tape player for what seemed like the first time in months, no, years, went back over the moments after the Fifth Angel had been destroyed in his head. It was like a film, flickering and chattering as each piece of celluloid drifted past his face.

First, he didn't know what to think. The Angel, involuntarily, had killed itself. The first he knew of it was when the long, purple drill-bit of the abomination, which had doubled as a "barrel" for its energy-beam, had crumbled and shattered into white sparks that licked at the ground. It was then he had, for the first time in a long time, clapped, cheered and laughed. It felt good.

And then he remembered getting out of the Eva. And they patted him on the back and said he did well...but Ayanami didn't get any congratulations. He had congratulated Ayanami on her quick thinking. She had looked back at him blankly, as if she didn't understand. When he tried to explain, she didn't seem to grasp it. She stayed quiet, as usual.

And then he stood there, and he considered telling her that perhaps she could try a smile, but when she looked at him, he realised she really didn't understand. So he didn't tell her to do that. And then he went home, and went to sleep, same as any other night.

Why was that?

Misato was out. She'd been called by his father to explain her absence on that "Jet Alone" thing. Somewhere, at the back of his mind, Shinji hoped that she wouldn't get fired. She was a slob, granted, but not that bad. He just hoped that Father would not be too hard on her.

And then there was that guy. The Doctor. Shinji had heard all too many people distrusting him. He didn't know what to think. The Doctor had tried to help, but it seemed his makeshift plan didn't work properly. It was only the fact that Ayanami had stepped in at the last moment that they had survived.

So, then, that was it. Shinji stopped the tape once again, and tried to get some sleep. When it became apparent he couldn't, he put the ear-buds back in. The silence was deafening without them.

The Doctor rolled out on his creeper from under the control panel, and opened and closed his hand in a signal to Amy. 'Spanner. No...yes...no, wait, tape measure.' Amy moved her hands from left to right in confusion. She gave it to him. He'd been like this for ages now.

'Screwdriver...actually, sponge. Then screwdriver.'

Amy passed over the sponge.

'Wet it first, for goodness' sake!'

'How? There's no bathroom here!'

'No bathroom? No bathroom? 'course there's a bathroom. You just go over there, take a left, then a right, then another left, go up the ramp, down the stairs to your...north-east, and then take another left, all right?'

'Um...yeah, I think.'

'You have no clue, do you?'

'Nope.'

'Take this map,' the Doctor said, 'The bathrooms are coloured in red on the map.'

'Which shade of red?'

'Crimson,' the Doctor replied. 'Um, just be careful, there's no lighting here, what with the TARDIS having no power, and all. Amy? Amy?' She didn't reply. She was gone. The Doctor returned to his work.

In reality, he was working to take his mind off of the realisation he had. It was feasible Rei would have been down there and would have touched the TARDIS...but why? It was surreal, really. Rei was a young girl with blue hair and red eyes, and it never seemed to come up. At first, the Doctor suspected it might be an issue of politeness, but now, it seemed more "off" that nobody seemed to pay attention to it.

The Doctor just couldn't seem to work out why Rei looked so bizarre, at least to his eyes. He shook his head as if to brush away the thoughts. Here he was, trapped in 21st-century Japan, in a parallel universe, with a very angry Commander breathing down his neck. He could tell this wasn't going to end well.

He was just thankful that the TARDIS could translate Japanese telepathically like that. Without it, he would have a lot of trouble...communicating...

The Doctor slapped himself on the forehead. 'Of course!' came the shout, as he rolled out on the creeper once more. 'I'm such an idiot!'

He climbed up the steps to the control panel. 'There's got to be something...' he said, gazing at it. He looked up and down. He circled it very slowly. And then, he saw it.

It was obscured, yes, but it was clearly a small, teal dot, glowing.

The Doctor delicately—that is to say, he took a spanner and brought it down with forces rivalling a fighter plane—opened the control panel and reached in, putting his arm past various knobs, buttons and switches, before feeling a tiny bit of heat. His hand wrapped around the dot and pulled it out.

The Doctor sat down with it. A tiny part of the TARDIS was still alive, just like it had been the last time he had been in this situation.

Amy returned with the wet sponge. 'Doctor, I got the—'

'Amy, I'm not going to need that sponge any more.'

He reached into his pocket and pulled out an electronic, cigar-shaped object. The sonic screwdriver. He joined the glowing speck to the screwdriver, and it suddenly made a weak buzzing noise. The Doctor blew calmly on to the glowing object. The sonic screwdriver suddenly began buzzing more and more intensely.

'She's not dead,' the Doctor said, happily. 'She's just sleeping.'

'Captain Katsuragi, your behaviour in the wake of the destruction of the Fifth Angel has been...unsatisfactory, at best.' Commander Ikari's icy stare met Misato's like a laser pointed right at her.

'Yes, sir. My behaviour was totally inappropriate, sir.'

'Yes. I warn you, Captain, that behaviour like this is not tolerated at NERV. I already have one person under warning, I do not need another. Now, leave.'

'Yes, sir.' Misato said, respectfully bowing and leaving the room.

She huffed in relief as soon as she got out. She was convinced the Commander would demote her back to Lieutenant, which would have not only been embarassing, but would have taken away her authority entirely.

Her boots made clopping noises as she walked back to the Command Center. Not that Ritsuko was going to be there. Perhaps she could try striking up some conversation with the technicians. It wasn't often that she got a chance to properly speak to them, but today it just felt right.

Picking up her pace a little bit, Misato tried to take her mind off of the Commander. All she had to do was be good and try not to drink so much...

...or at all...

Misato groaned. This was not going to be easy.

Ritsuko's eyebrows, which were quite noticeably darker than her bleach-blonde hair, lowered as the crowd of people laughed at not only her, but all of NERV. She looked up at Shiro Tokita, the leader of the Jet Alone project, the smug grin across his face filling her with quiet rage. She'd just made a rather good argument as to why sending out a robot with a dangerous nuclear reactor was completely idiotic, only for Tokita to shrug it off with possibly the unfunniest sexist joke she had ever heard.

'The Evangelions are not only utterly useless,' Tokita said, 'But dangerous, too! Just look at this picture we discovered from the recent battle against these "Angels"!' He held up an image with the caption, "A BERSERK EVA-01", showing a rather stark image of EVA Unit-01 roaring as it went berserk during the battle with the Third Angel.

'Do we really want these things to be protecting us? I don't think so. Thus, the Jet Alone project is superior in many different ways. Wouldn't you agree...Dr. Akagi?' The crowd around Ritsuko's table, which only she sat at, having been shunned by everyone else, erupted in even louder guffaws, Tokita joining in this time.

I swear to God... Ritsuko thought. If I were Misato right now, I would have torn his head off and eaten it ten minutes ago.

'...oh, oh,' Tokita said, trying to get his breath back. 'But enough of this. We will convene here later on to watch the demonstration of the new Jet Alone in action. For now, help yourself to some cocktails at the bar, courtesy of us at the Jet Alone Corporation. Just don't drink too much—we don't want you getting too rowdy. Right, Dr. Akagi?'

A little part of Ritsuko, buried away under all that stoicism, growled, in an otherwise disturbingly calm voice, I am going to snap his neck. Watch me. I will go right up there and snap his neck.

Thankfully, one of the more logical parts of her said, Now, now, let Mr. Tokita have his fun. Just stay calm.

Ritsuko gave a little smile as if to say, "All right, fine, whatever," and then the laughter died down quite dramatically. Ritsuko sat down. She was done arguing. The audience grew bored and left to grab the cocktails and numb themselves nicely for the launch of the giant Angel-fighting robot. Ritsuko was growing increasingly suspicious that they were there for the alcohol and perhaps the off-chance they might get to see something blow something up.

Lucky them.

Amy was getting used to the terminals at NERV now. Whether it was that she was still relatively youthful or because she had been conditioned into fearing Shigeru's often extreme reactions to asking how to get the "help" button up, she was getting the hang of it. It was that manual that did it. She barely needed to ask Shigeru for help any more, thankfully.

She looked over to the empty seat that the Doctor was supposed to be sitting and working in. Of course, the Doctor being the Doctor, he seemingly had an aversion to doing anything remotely work-related. In fact, she wasn't sure where he was. She was trying to get by with work at the moment in order to avoid having to explain the time machine she arrived in was almost repaired so she could go home, because then she would have to explain she was from a parallel universe, and that would just be awkward.

Suddenly, someone tapped her on the shoulder. Amy whipped round and looked. It was Captain Katsuragi.

'Oh, Captain, I...am I...can I get you something?'

'No, Amy,' Captain Katsuragi said. 'And please, call me Misato.'

'All right, Misato, what do you need?'

'I'd like to apologise. I know, it sounds dumb, it happened a long time ago now, but I just feel sorry for hitting you across the face. You were right. I should have treated Shinji better. I just wish I'd seen that at the time. So, uh...yeah. That's kinda my apology.' She avoided eye contact and coughed.

Amy looked up at her. 'That's okay.'

'Yeah.' Misato nodded and walked away. Amy paused for a moment.

'Hey, Misato?' Amy said.

'Yes?'

'Thanks.'

Misato nodded and turned away.

'Control rods, full release.'

'Engine going through critical point.'

'No problems with the power.'

'Start walking!' Tokita said, the biggest of grins crossing his face.

'Move ahead slowly. Raise right foot ahead.'

'Roger that.'

Ritsuko watched as the enormous cream-and-red robot's took its first step. There was, admittedly, a rather satisfying "crunch" noise when it walked that you just didn't get with the Evas.

'Balance is nominal.'

'Engine is nominal.'

'Roger. Next stage, move left foot ahead.'

With another crunch, the robot's left foot met the ground. It was walking normally.

Suddenly, a beeping noise came from one of the computers.

'What? What's that? What's wrong?' Tokita asked, looking from left to right.

'No way...reactor pressure...is increasing!'

'The temperature of the first level cooling liquid is also rising!'

'God have mercy!' Tokita shouted. 'Open the release valve! Pump in the neutron deceleration fluid!'

'Negative! The pumps aren't responding!'

A very small, devilish smile crossed Ritsuko's face.

'Stop power! Emergency halt!'

'Transmission of the "halt" signal is being verified...it's not being accepted!'

'The wireless connection did not carry!'

'This can't be happening...' Tokita said. 'Impossible...'

'It's out of control...it's coming this way!'

'NO!' Tokita shouted. 'RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!'

Ritsuko was smiling.

The NERV alarm, usually reserved for Angel attacks only, howled loudly.

VWEE-RP! VWEE-RP!

Makoto Hyuga, who had until that point been enjoying an issue of Weekly Shōnen Jump, suddenly leapt into action. 'Status report?'

'Uh...' Maya Ibuki shouted from across the deck, 'We have a negative for Angels. Alert is for...a nuclear meltdown?'

'Nuclear?' Misato said, running up to view the main screen. 'Ritsuko said something about that robot being nuclear!'

'What, what do you mean?' Amy asked, as the main screen came on, revealing a massive robot walking in one direction. 'Meltdown time is estimated in two hours, if that,' Shigeru Aoba announced. 'It's heading for Tokyo-3...the explosion from that thing will take out much of the city!'

'Damnit!' Misato shouted. 'Get the Commander.'

'What about the Doctor?' Amy said, as the Commander arrived at his desk. 'That will not be necessary, Lieutenant Pond.'

'Lieutenant?' Makoto said, before being shot a 'not now' glance by Misato.

'But...'

'Lieutenant Pond, turn back to your computer.'

'Yes, sir,' Amy said, reluctantly.

'Good. The Jet Alone robot must be allowed to continue towards the city, at which point we will stop it.'

'But sir, arrival time is estimated in three hours,' Maya announced. 'The robot will melt down before then!'

'I see. I was not aware of this.'

'Let me stop it!' Misato cried. 'I'll shut it down.'

'That's very heroic of you, Misato,' a voice said from in the doorway. It was The Doctor. He smiled. 'Hello there. I heard the alarm and got here as soon as.'

'As soon as?' Amy said. 'The alarm went off ten minutes ago.'

'Patience, Pond, patience,' the Doctor said, waltzing into the room as Ikari's eyebrows drooped.

'So, let's see here. Giant robot. Not an Evangelism, or whatever you call those things. Two hours to meltdown. Nuclear power? Didn't you lot learn anything from Chernobyl?'

'Doctor!' Ikari said. 'Your services are not needed here! Please leave!'

'Well, what on earth are you doing about it, then?'

Ikari paused for a moment. 'Waiting for it to get here so we can shut it down.'

'Waiting for it to...Ikari, you're a very intelligent man, and I respect that, but that is by far the most stupid thing I have ever heard anyone like you ever say. Ever.'

'Well, Doctor, what do you intend to do about it?'

'Um, well...' the Doctor looked embarrassed. 'Okay, so I hadn't thought of that.'

'One hour and fifteen minutes to meltdown,' Shigeru announced.

'Thanks, thanks, that's helping,' the Doctor said. 'Right, okay...er...is there anyone there from NERV who might be able to help?'

Misato's face suddenly fell. 'Ritsuko...!'

Ritsuko's phone rang suddenly. She was covered in dust from the robot's foot, which had come crashing through the ceiling, destroying the room.

'Hello?'

'Hello, Ritsuko, it's the Doctor.'

'Doctor?' Ritsuko straightened up. 'Right. Doctor. Hello.'

'We understand you just saw a giant, nuclear-powered robot malfunction and go walking off towards Tokyo-3?'

'I did.'

'Right. Is there anything you can do to stop it?'

'No, Doctor, I'm afraid,' she said. 'The thing will either have to melt down or burn out.'

'Ritsuko, you sound strangely calm.'

'I do? Oh, no, this is a coping mechanism, I'm terrified.'

'Right,' the Doctor said. Ritsuko hoped he bought it. 'Okay. Right. Um. Oh. Oh dear.'

'What?' Ritsuko said.

'Well, I don't have a plan. Hmmm. We're all going to die,' he said, rather calmly.

Amy quickly realised that the Doctor was trying to say, "Any ideas?"

'Any ideas?' she said, to help him.

Misato coughed. 'Well, it's a makeshift plan, but it could work.'

'What is it?'

'Well...'

Ritsuko was rather confused. She was back on a jet again, in a pressurised radiation suit, about to climb into the Jet Alone and, ahem, shut it down. Multiple calls for the classified secret password to shut down the machine had all but failed, until Tokita had finally seen sense and realised he'd rather fill out tons of paperwork, or better yet, be fired, rather than die in horrible third-degree-burned agony.

Should she tell them? No. Especially not the Doctor. Play along.

Misato had at first insisted she do it, but Ritsuko had taken the opportunity to stop her. If she saw the reactor...

'Ready, Ritsuko?' the voice came over the radio, as the Evangelion disconnected from the plane and fell to earth, with Ritsuko the relative size of an action figure in its hand.

'Yes,' she said, tersely. She hadn't even spoken to Shinji. Misato had done that.

The Evangelion chased after the fast-moving machine as it stomped towards Tokyo-3.

'Are you ready, Shinji?' she asked.

'Uh, right, Ritsuko,' the boy replied, reaching out and grabbing a conveniently-shaped piece of piping on the robot's back.

Ritsuko came off of the giant's hand and on to a ladder, safely entering the robot as Shinji held it in place in the Evangelion.

The NERV staff listened intently to the radio. 'I'm currently entering the reactor,' Ritsuko said. She approached the computer.

'Thirty minutes to meltdown,' Shigeru announced.

Outside, gaskets and bolts began blowing off the machine as its pressure began to reach maximum.

'Misato...I can't...hold it for much longer...'

'Just hang in there, Shinji.'

'What's the password?' Ritsuko asked.

'It's HOPE,' Maya Ibuki said.

'Right,' Ritsuko replied. She looked for the kanji for 'Hope', or its equivalent to her. Slowly, she typed it out. She knew, of course, the password would not be accepted.

She was behind all this, after all.

The 'ERROR' message bleeped on screen.

'Oh, no!' Ritsuko feigned. 'It's not accepting the password.'

'Damn!' Misato said. 'Try anything! Manually shut it down if you have to!'

Ritsuko tried pushing on the cores. She, of course, knew this was futile, and knew what was coming next.

With a low-pitched hum, the cores slid back into place and the lighting changed from red to green.

'I did it.'

NERV was quiet for a moment. Then there was a sigh of relief. 'Well done, Dr. Akagi,' Ikari said. 'Doctor, you may go now.'

'Thank you, sir,' the Doctor said, bowing and walking out.

'I apologise for making you do that earlier, Dr. Akagi,' Commander Ikari said, hands folded. 'I did not wish to arouse suspicion.'

'Well, it seems that despite the Doctor's intervention, everything went according to the plan,' Ritsuko replied.

'Yes. Indeed.' Ikari said. 'I shall...see you later, Dr. Akagi...that is, Ritsuko.'

'And you too, sir.' Ritsuko turned on her heel and walked towards the door. Only she truly knew what Ikari meant by "see you later". She was horribly ashamed, but it was all she could do.

Author's note: Phew. Finally. Apologies for the OOC Ritsuko. I was trying my best to make the disappointing Episode 7 seem more exciting. I think I half-succeeded. I'm also sorry for being gone for so long. I've had writer's block. But I'm better now ^_^

Anyway, the next chapter or two should be more exciting. I'm pretty sure anyone familiar with the series can guess why.

Until then, it's goodbye from me. And make sure to review, as I always, ALWAYS value what you have to say. Reviews brighten my day, so I'd be really glad to see some :D

Bye!

All characters, settings, and boxes of a blue time-travelling nature are owned by Studio GAINAX and the British Broadcasting Corporation, and other affiliates. I own none of these things. Please don't sue me. I don't like being sued.