Whahahahahahaha! Sesshy's Girl 00 is back with another chapter! Is't it amazing? Yes, yes it is. . .
Well, two of my three prereaders haven't returned this to me but thankfully Katonus got back to me! Thanks about for your advice and help! Since my birthday is coming up at the end of this week I decided it was time I posted this so . . . here it is . . .
In the last chapter: Rei and Shinji were trapped in the grasp of the latest angel Leliel. What happens next? How will they get out? Read on to find out!
Ask yourself this: Would Hideki Anno or Gainax publish something on this site under such a nickname?
Last of all: Read, Enjoy and Review!
Chapter 10: War in Silence
Pure and total darkness. Complete and deafening silence. That's all Asuka could see or hear. Suddenly a scream pierced the darkness; filled with the pain and agony of the one who cried out. It was the kind of torment for which death was the kindest release.
Asuka found herself suddenly awake and in her room. She was drenched in cold sweat and her heart raced loudly in her chest. Despite the end of the nightmare the scream continued to ring in her ears. Asuka shuttered and pulled the covers tighter around her shoulders. After several minutes Asuka managed to calm her heartbeat and her fears. She sat up and looked out her bedroom window. Outside the last burst of color flared across the sky as the sun slipped below the horizon. At the very edge of her sight Asuka could see the moon hanging low and luminous in the fading purple blue sky.
With a sigh Asuka pushed back the covers and climbed from her bed. It was time she eat and return to NERV. The rescue operation for Shinji and Wondergirl was due to begin soon and Dr. Akagi would be mad if she was late. Asuka scowled at the thought of helping rescue her fellow pilots.
Her revulsion was less at the thought of rescuing Shinji, in fact she wanted him back to keep her company and supply his cooking; it was lonely without him. Asuka's dislike came from the thought of the red-eyed first child. She couldn't stand Rei's red eyes and silence. She seemed to be trying to look through Asuka's exterior to the pain underneath, judging her with her quiet counsel. Rei also reminded her of the doll Asuka hated with every fiber of her being, the doll that had killed her mother.
If Asuka had her way the first child would be gone or have a complete personality remake along with a physical make over. Maybe then Rei's presence wouldn't get under her skin.
However that was not possible. Shinji seemed inexplicably connected to Rei in a way Asuka couldn't understand. The connection was odd but kept one always linked to the other. Asuka wished she could break or at least understand what kept them so connected. Maybe then things would make sense. Was it because they fought the first couple angels together or was the bond deeper?
"Damn you Wondergirl." Asuka hissed vehemently as she opened the fridge.
Once again Rei had shown Asuka up. The First Child had been in position to save Shinji from the black void. Even though she had failed it was more then Asuka could say. The Second Child had only been able to pull on the power cables, which resulted in the power being cut. Asuka bit her lip to keep from crying as the thought rang through her head, "You could do nothing."
Asuka blinked suddenly remembering where she had first seen Rei's eyes. It had been on a day far different then this one. Asuka had been hiding so she could cry before her fist activation experiment with Unit Two. Rei had found her curled up in a deserted stair well and helped her to the changing rooms, then into her red plug suit for the first time.
Asuka clenched her teeth with the frustrating realization that Rei had helped her once again. How she hated her!
--
Hours later Shinji was awakened from a dead sleep to the sound of the communication system beeping loudly. He groaned and closed his eyes against the disturbance not wanting to do anything but sleep more. After it proved to be persistent Shinji sat up and answered it. Ritsuko's unsmiling face greeted him from the other side.
"Shinji I have come to explain the operation to you. We are going to have our planes drop almost every N2 mine we have in our possession on the angel at Zero Hundred. Asuka and Unit Two will protect the city and contain the blast."
She paused and Shinji had the feeling he hadn't heard the worse yet. "Tell me." Shinji stated fiercely between clenched teeth.
"Unfortunately the blast will most likely kill both you and the First Child along with the angel."
"No. You're not going to drop those bombs on us." Shinji hissed low and dangerous.
"I'm afraid that's not you decision to make." Ritsuko stated.
Shinji slammed his clenched fist against the seat's armrests in anger. "No dammit. You're not listening to me. I'm not going to let you guys drop bombs on us!"
"Shinji we . . ." Ritsuko tried to explain but Shinji cut her off.
"NO! I made Ayanami a promise. I promised her the day we fought that square shaped angel that no matter what we would both get out of this together. I'm not going to let her die. There will be no bombs!"
Shinji remembered that smile. It was a small smile, yet it remained the most beautiful ting he'd ever seen in his life. He would do anything to protect that girl from death so that she might live to see the end. Shinji owed her as much for all the times she had saved his butt.
Shinji was breathing deep with great anger as the rage flowed through him. How dare they think this outrageous plan was acceptable? Couldn't they come up with anything else to get Rei and him out of here?
Ritsuko said nothing after Shinji's angry response for a long time. For once she had no idea what to say to the furious young man who was staring back at her. Slowly in a very gentle voice she said, "I'm sorry Shinji. We have no other options. If we don't destroy the angel it will attack NERV and end the world."
Shinji had no response for that. He continued to glare back with simmering deep resentment. The link was cut off before he could find the words to explain how he felt to the Doctor. Clearly his father was behind this. Only he could come up with a plan so cold.
Shinji stared out into the darkness wondering if he could see something, anything to give him a sign of hope. There was nothing. Only the continually silent form of Unit Zero resting in the grasp of Unit One. Beyond that everything else was so impossibly dark, Shinji thought that all light and warmth must be gone.
Shinji glanced over at the counter for Unit One's activation time to see he had only four hours and thirty minutes before time ran out. He almost allowed himself to grind his teeth in frustration. Surly there had to be a way to get him and Ayanami out of here before then. Most importantly prior to when the bombs were dropped on them.
In an effort to ease his boredom Shinji tried to contact Rei in the faint hope she had awakened and would be able to talk. That hope quickly died when he saw that she was still unconscious. Shinji wondered what had happened to her. Did the angel attack her body or mind? That seemed to be the only explanation but Shinji still hadn't seen anything touch her or Unit Zero. So the source of what had hurt Rei continued to baffle him.
Shinji sighed and closed the link. He could gain nothing by expending the excess energy looking upon Rei's unconscious face. Best save it for coming up with a plan to get them out of there.
Still he could come up with nothing at all, absolutely zilch.
Do you want to save her, my son?
Shinji closed his eyes convinced the voice was his imagination and a sign of his sanity slowly slipping away.
Do you want to save her?
This time the voice had been stronger and more insistent. There was no doubt that it was real and not a figment of insanity. Shinji opened his eyes and looked around. He saw no one in the entry plug. On a whim he looked to see if the communication window to Unit Zero was still open. It was not. 'This is odd.' Shinji thought 'whose voice do I keep hearing?'
Do you wish to save Rei? The voice repeated.
Shinji couldn't see anyone but he could almost feel a warm familiar presence wrapping itself around him. It reminded him of, of his mother.
Mother?
Yes, Shinji?
Can I really save her? I mean do I have the power?
Yes, you do my son, as long as you believe in yourself.
But how? I don't know what to do!
I will show you.
Before Shinji could ask what his mother meant he was distracted by a horrendous noise. He looked up to see that Unit Zero was moving again and appeared to be in pain. She roared loudly and batted Unit One away. She gripped her head and thrashed about in pure agony. Shinji starred in surprise and horror, unsure of what to do.
Unit Zero continued to roar madly, putting more distance between itself and Unit One. Shinji struggled to remain close so as not to lose sight of the other Eva. After almost thirty minutes the pursuit began to slow down as Unit Zero came to a stop not far away. Shinji reached her side to see the Eva still writhing although not as badly as she had been.
Shinji approached warily not sure what the violent bio-mecha would do next. For all he knew it would lash out at him next out of blind rage and pain. When he reached her Unit Zero had ceased to struggle but the single red eye still glowed brilliantly in the dark. Shinji gently put Unit One's arm around Unit Zero and pulled the Eva close. "It's . . ."
Shinji stopped abruptly when he felt Unit Zero deployed her A.T. Field. The blue mecha used it to attack the angel that surrounded them. Shinji felt everything around them begin to shake violently and crumble. Madness began to over take Shinji as Unit One joined Unit Zero on her rampage against the angel. Both mechas roared viciously and the world around them fell away.
--
Leliel had left me an unexpected opening. Logically I knew I had to take it or risk her gaining even more control over me. My only hope was that I could activate Unit Zero's berserker and unleash it on the angel before Leliel found out and stopped me.
With knowledge of what I had to do in hand I made my way cautiously into the depths of Unit Zero's core. Once there however, I had no idea what to do. How was I supposed to trigger berserker mode in Unit Zero? After a minute of thinking an idea came to me. I closed my eyes and concentrated my thoughts on one single phrase, "I must save Ikari-kun."
I repeated it over and over letting it possess the dark recesses of the core. That phrase took hold until it was all consuming for the blue unit and Unit Zero went berserker.
My work done I slipped away quietly Leliel's voice haunting my retreat to safety.
--
The NERV personnel along with the Second Child were setting up around the black void in the center of Tokyo III, preparing for the operation, which was to begin at midnight. Someone screamed as the ground began to vibrate and the shadow's edges wavered. The trembling became stronger and the zebra orb that hung in the sky turned black.
A crack appeared down the center and crimson blood came forth through the opening. More fractures began to appear and then without warning the whole thing broke open revealing the blood covered Units Zero and One. Both Evas landed on the ground where the black void was shattering it into a million pieces. Unit One roared loudly as if to proclaim its return but Unit Zero fell to the ground.
NERV personnel swarmed the Eva's and quickly pried open the entry plugs. Inside they found the children unconscious in their seats. Shinji and Rei were placed on stretchers and carried them back to the medical wing. Both were placed under high security as Dr. Ritsuko Akagi poked and prodded with various tests to see what kind of condition they were in.
--
Shinji came to hours later to find himself lying on his back, staring at the ceiling in the NERV medical wing. Due to the massive headache he had it took him almost twenty minutes to remember all that had happened. Rei and him had been trapped inside the black void of the latest angel. Somehow both Eva Units went berserker and managed to break out. After that he had passed out and had woken up where he was.
Shinji sat up and looked around hoping to see sight of his fellow Eva pilot. There was no sign of Rei Ayanami or any other person with in the confines in the room. Shinji was all alone. Shinji groaned and lay back down on the bed, massaging his temples. His head was going to kill him.
Traitor. Shinji stopped wondering where he'd heard that word before. After a long moment he remembered that the angel had called Rei that word. A traitor to her kind, the angel had said. It didn't make any more sense to him now then before. Rei hadn't betrayed humanity. They only way he could remotely imagine it making sense were if Rei was an angel or had angel blood in her veins. Shinji quickly banished the thought from his mind labeling it a sign that his mind still wasn't all there. What had he been thinking, the angels were monsters that came to hurt and kill, Rei was nothing like them. She was there exact opposite. Whatever Rei was it was not one of the angels.
By the next evening the Shinji was released from the hospital and Misato took him home. His headache had subsided leaving him spent and utterly exhausted. So he climbed into bed as soon as he arrived home.
--
Things returned to normal by the end of the week except for one thing, the first child was missing. Well, not exactly. It wasn't a secret that she was in one of the Nerv hospital rooms, but no one had seen her since she was carried inside after the Eva battle except Doctor Akagi and Commander Ikari. Most people assumed she had received some more serious injuries and need time to recover. However being denied visitors was something that had ever happened, despite the fact Rei usually didn't have any.
Meanwhile Section Two was unusually busy with its post battle info control not only for civilians but with the Japanese Government and SEELE as well. The Commander's were at the head of this dealing mostly with the discontent demanding SEELE themselves.
--
The next afternoon found NERV's head scientist deep with in the bowls of NERV running tests on a young girl in a tube.
Ritsuko turned the scanner off and reached for the phone. "Commander Ikari."
"Yes, Doctor, What is Rei's condition?"
Ritsuko took a deep breath and explained, "She's stable but I'm afraid it may take a while before we can bring her out of a coma."
Gendo growled angrily. "How long are we talking Doctor?" He demanded putting special emphasis on the final word.
Ritsuko chose her words carefully before opening her mouth. Making Gendo angrier was not something she wanted to do. "It will take several months to a year or more at the least." Ritsuko replied.
"Really. You should know already that this is unacceptable Doctor. Make preparations to awaken another one."
"But what about a soul? You know we've never been able to have two alive at once before."
"You will use program number 11T8 to transfer the soul to the new Rei once the body is ready, then we will terminate the second."
"Isn't all of this against the plan? I mean the third was not supposed to be awakened until several months from now."
"We will worry about that later. Right now that is an irrelevant matter. I'll be down in two hours for the procedure. Be ready."
It was an order that was not to be violated. "Yes Commander."
There was a long pause and then Ritsuko spoke again. "Um, Sir?"
"Yes. Doctor Akagi."
"What does this mean for your plan?"
"Unknown. However the path events have taken most likely end is failure for both mine and Seele's plan." He replied.
"Failure, sir?" Ritsuko stammered.
Gendo had never, until this day, spoken the word failure and the ramifications scared her. Gendo's plan not seceding was not an option. Yet Ritsuko couldn't get the image of Rei smiling out of her mind. Yes, Rei had been smiling, smiling when they pulled her from the entry plug. It was such a simple gesture but it said so much. Ritsuko looked over at the albino girl and half wondered what she thought of Gendo's plan.
"No need to worry; now get going."
"Yes. Sir."
Ritsuko set the phone down and leaned back in her chair. She didn't like this plan of Gendo's not one bit. Having third alive early was going to cause big problems. She knew that what had happened to Rei was unplanned for and Gendo would have to explain it to SEELE in a way that would cause the least repercussions for Nerv and his plan. There was only one way to do that. Present them with an unaffected Rei Ayanami and show them that although the event was unplanned it would have no ill effects.
Ritsuko brought the unconscious Rei out of the LCL tube and set the tube for the awakening of another. The tube was ready within fifteen minutes and Ritsuko took Rei back up to her hospital room, where she would be under maximum security to make sure no one else found out.
--
Misato was at home working on her report on the latest angel attack when she received a knock at the door. On the other side stood a young man holding a large bouquet of flowers and dressed in the uniform of a flower shop delivery person. He looked vaguely familiar but Misato chose to shake off the feeling "Are you Miss Katsuragi?" He asked.
Misato nodded. "Yes, that's me."
"These flowers are for you." The man said as he held them out towards her.
Misato carried them inside and set the flowers on the table. She then found a flower vase and filled it with water before putting the flowers in it. Only after that was done did Misato allow herself to look at the card. On one side was the typical print card that came with flower shop purchases. It said the flowers came from a man named Ken Naginata. Misato tilted her head in confusion not recognizing the name. She read the card again and it hit her Ken Naginata was one of Kaji's code names, the flowers where from him. Misato flipped the card over to see Kaji's small neat script written there. Misato hesitated a moment but decided to read it anyway.
Katsuragi,
I just found out an interesting piece of intelligence that I thought you should know. The First Child is currently being held under maximum security in the intensive care unit of the hospital. After running a tap on the Commander's phone I learned that she may be in a coma for quite a while and Gendo has ordered Ritsuko to create a second Rei to replace her. They intend to do it tonight. Meet me out side room 566-289 at 22:00. Be prepared to snoop.
Your Beloved,
Kaji Ryohji
Misato blinked in confusion. What did Kaji mean by activate another one to replace Rei? Misato decided she'd go meet Kaji and see for herself what this was all about. After all if what she thought Kaji meant was correct the shock waves of this where going to be enormous. This was too big to be ignored. She'd have to let the, your beloved, bit go for now. Darn. She would have loved reaming him out about it tomorrow and she would, assuming she was there.
Misato quickly put the card through the paper shredder she kept next to her computer, destroying the message so no one else could read it.
--
"It's time." Gendo said.
Ritsuko nodded and pressed the final button. Now one of the Rei's would be injected into the tube and the soul and memory insertion into the body would begin. It was a simple process to her by now and she was confident every thing would go smoothly . . .
Error. Error. Flashed on the screen. Ritsuko cursed herself for not double-checking everything as she tried to untangle the problem. It appeared that someone had messed with her program while she was out. As Ritsuko typed furiously at her laptop a Rei was injected into the tube. Most of the lights in the room went off leaving it feeling like a crypt. The only thing illuminated now was Rei and Ritsuko's control consul. Ritsuko blinked in surprise at the sudden silence. "What happened, Doctor Akagi?" Gendo demanded from behind her.
"Someone sabotaged the program that directed the selection process for Rei."
Gendo Ikari frowned deeply, never a good thing. "Well, did we get a workable one anyway?" Gendo inquired in a vaguely threatening voice.
"I think so but since it's been tampered with I can't guarantee my scans."
Ritsuko typed away furiously trying to figure out what had happened. Behind her the machine stared up again. Ritsuko paled. There was only one thing that could mean; soul insertion had begun. There was no way this could be. The soul had not been collected and prepared unless . . .That must be it; the machine was inserting the experimental second soul for Rei. This was not good. The second soul was highly unstable and was a long way from being approved to operate Rei. It had only been a back up incase of extreme emergency.
Ritsuko turned around in time to see Rei cringe as the soul entered her body. Slowly Rei's eyes opened. "Hello Commander Ikari, Doctor Akagi." She said softly.
"Hello Rei. It's time for you to come out now." Gendo said.
"Yes Sir."
Ritsuko pressed the button, which activated the LCL drain for the tube. As the level went down everything looked fine at first but the moment it got past her nose Rei began to gasp. The farther down the LCL went the more violent her reaction became. By the time the LCL was around her ankles Rei was clinging to the wall just to stand and was gasping and coughing violently. Ritsuko realizing something was wrong quickly entered the code for LCL fill. Instantly a flood of LCL rushed into the tube. As the LCL reached the top Rei finally got control of herself again.
"What happened, Doctor?"
Ritsuko cringed at his voice. She turned to her computer and hit a few buttons then watched as data rolled across the screen. When it stopped Ritsuko scrolled back up to the section she was interested in and reread it to make sure she had understood it correctly the first time. When she was done she turned to Gendo and explained, "When Rei was first created there where problems and the first several copies came out defective in one way or another. She is one of them. It appears her lungs where not created correctly and she can't breathe outside the LCL without assistance from a respirator."
Gendo didn't even hesitate to respond, "Terminate her. She is useless to us."
Ritsuko focused on the large red button on the control console. Its purpose was to disintegrate whoever was in the tube, harmlessly and painlessly by breaking their A.T. Field. Ritsuko had hoped she'd never have to use it. Fate was working against her, curse it. As Ritsuko reached over to press the button a gun went off and Misato burst in gun drawn. "Hands off, Ritsuko!" She shouted.
As Misato dashed down the stairs she kept the gun pointed right at Ritsuko and the Commander. Behind her came Kaji, gun also drawn and actually looking deadly serious for once. Both of them were staring more at the glowing tube in the center of the room then the other two occupants however. "Is, is that . . . you know . . ." Misato whispered to Kaji in horror.
Kaji was only able to barely nod in response. "I can't believe they're using Eva technology to clone children now." Misato hissed with an edge of tension and anger added to her voice.
Nothing more was said and the two reached the floor in silence. Both of them kept their guns leveled at Ritsuko and the Commander preventing either from moving. For a long time this remained with neither side saying anything. During this time all four pairs of eyes went to the blue haired girl floating in the tube. Misato and Kaji with a mix of shock, disgust and pity. Ritsuko starred with amazement and Gendo Ikari with a look that said he wanted her gone.
Commander Ikari was the first to speak, his gaze focused on Kaji. "What do you think your doing bringing Major Katsuragi here? Shouldn't you be working on the assignment I gave you in regards to our friends in the government?"
Kaji put on an almost cheesy smile but didn't lower his weapon. "It was a pure accident. I ran into her on her way to see Rei and I got roped into this."
"Really?" The Commander replied sounding unconvinced.
"Honestly I knew nothing about this."
"So, what do you think your doing with Rei?" Misato demanded.
"Treating her injuries."
"Liar! Kaji and I saw her ten minutes ago. So tell me the truth."
It was Ritsuko who spoke up, "Misato, I, I, downplayed Rei's condition. The fact of the matter is she's too mentally unstable and to bring her out of a coma. I doubt that even when she does come out that she'll ever be stable enough to pilot Eva again. This girl here, she's a clone of Rei."
Misato's eyes widened as she realized what Ritsuko's words meant. If Rei couldn't pilot . . . "You intend her to take Rei's place!" She exclaimed in horror.
"Correct." Commander Ikari said.
"The irony is that she's not much better then the one she's replacing."
"I see. You intend to keep her, right."
"Correct we have no other options."
"But what will happen to Rei, I mean both of them? If and when the first one wakes up."
"If the first is able to return to her duty she will if not the second will remain as Unit Zero's pilot. If the first can pilot the second will be hidden away.
"What about SEELE? Won't they ask questions?"
"Mr. Ryohji will handle that."
There was a long silence before NERV's supreme commander spoke again glaring at the other three individuals in the room. "Of course I'm sure you are aware that none of you allowed to breath a word about this to anyone else. Then again if you want to loose your job and die a most horrible death be my guest."
Misato, Ritsuko and Kaji's faces all paled dramatically at Commander Ikari's threat. Gendo grinned slightly knowing he now had control over his subordinates again. None of them were fools; he wouldn't have hired them if they were. All three were quite aware of the punishment for those who went against Gendo Ikari. It never ended well, for the other person.
"We can't call her Rei can we? I mean most people know that the first child is in the medical wing." Misato's weak voice questioned.
"Of course not. She will be known as Reika. Everyone else will be told that she is the First Child's twin sister who's come to replace her because Rei can't Pilot."
"Understood." Everyone said in unison.
"Very good. Mr. Ryohji, Major Katsuragi you are dismissed. "
Misato and Kaji left quietly unable to shake the feeling of dread that had come over them. Ritsuko meanwhile turned back to the keyboard in front of her and began to type at an unusually slow pace. "Is she fit to leave Doctor?" Gendo Ikari demanded.
"Yes, as soon as I can find a oxygen tank and a mask for her to use."
Gendo nodded and left. It was late, he decided and it was time he went to bed.
In Chapter 11: Misato has something to say to her long time friend that Ritsuko doesn't want to hear. Meanwhile Reika meets her fellow pilots for the first time and isn't impressed with what she sees. Will Reika create an even bigger divide? What about Rei, where is she? How will Gendo Ikari explain Reika to SEELE? All of this and more in the next installment!
And finally the teaser (sorry I forgot it last time):
"Doll. Doll, doll, doll. You're just a stupid doll!" She jeered.
smack "Never call me that again." I replied darkly.
I stomped up to Shinji and stared at him with as much vehemence as I could muster. I couldn't stand him. The spineless coward, he had let her walk all over me like that. "I hate you, Shinji Ikari!" I screamed.