The rocking motion of the ship calmed the nerves that came with Kaji's visit. Shinji had worried that the spy had seen through his act, and now he had confirmation.
What's the best way to explain this? I can't just say "Hey, I'm a time traveler." I've got to have something that can prove-
"THAT'S IT!" The boy excitedly jumped up from his position on the bed in his quarters. He stepped over to his bag and rifled through it.
Where is it? What did I do with it? He froze. Right. I put it in my backpack, which is in Misato's apartment. I just hope that I can get back to it first.
A soft knock at the door drew his attention. Shinji moved over and opened the door. The moon shone through and illuminated a figure in the doorway.
"Hello?" He asked timidly.
The figure whipped around and he caught a glimpse of long hair in the moonlight. Red hair.
"Come with me, Third."
What is she doing? What could have happened that she comes to get me now? I wonder if there is-
Asuka grabbed his wrist and pulled him out of the room, breaking his train of thought.
"You need to learn not to just stand there when I tell you to come with me, Third." Asuka grumbled at him. She led him to an empty hallway, closer to where her room was. She stopped suddenly and turned to Shinji. "Now, I'm going to tell you this once ever: I'm not crazy."
Shinji blinked. What? Asuka tapped her foot and looked annoyed. "Right. I mean, there was that vision thing we both saw right?" He chuckled awkwardly, hoping to alleviate the sudden pressure he felt.
"Hmph. Well, he was right there," the redhead growled out, pointing to the ground five feet in front of the two. She turned towards Shinji again. "That boy we saw was back. I was walking and he… s-… stood there, watching me." Asuka shuddered. "It was kinda creepy. I mean, it was like you watching me."
Shinji decided not to comment on her barb. "What happened to him? And did he say anything? Do anything?"
Asuka shook her red mane. "I don't know where he went or what happened to him because I went looking for you. I was hoping he would be here and we could start to get to the bottom of this. He never spoke or made a motion that could be seen as speaking. He just stared." The girl wore a semi-vacant expression, as if lost in thought. Her eyes widened after a moment. "Do you think he's appearing to try to warn us about something?"
Her companion thought for a second before dismissing the idea. "Why hasn't he tried to communicate with us then? You would think he would try to say or do something, instead of just staring at us."
"Hmm… You haven't seen anything strange, have you?"
The Third Child shook his head. "I haven't seen anything that would catch my eye."
Asuka narrowed her eyes for a second, before huffing. Shinji heard her mutter something under her breath but didn't dare ask what she'd said. The boy looked at a nearby door, which was slightly ajar.
"Uh… Asuka?" He whispered, advancing towards the door. The brown-haired boy inched his way until he could see inside the room. There was a figure inside, and Shinji thought it was huddling in the corner. He moved his head to get a better look; the figure was small, and Shinji could see it was a boy. The same boy from before. He pushed the door open further, stepping cautiously into the room-
"Hey! What're you kids doing?"
Shinji ignored the voice and kept inching into the room. A pain shot through him and settled as a throbbed pain in his head. The room flashed: a sterile white room, with a monitor right next to a young man in a bed. Attached were IVs and other medical equipment. He didn't look in good condition. The room flashed back into a small storage room. The boy was nowhere to be seen.
A hand grabbed Shinji's shoulder and spun him around. "What are you doing here, kid?"
Shinji, confused with what had just happened, stuttered and couldn't put together a coherent word. The tall, bearded man the hand belonged to looked frustratedly at him. Luckily, Asuka was with him. "We were just exploring the ship. No harm in that."
The man turned to face the small girl. "Aye. 'Cept you go 'round where you're not supposed to. You should go back to your rooms. No good comes from prowling 'round at night."
Asuka glanced at her companion. She then grabbed his wrist and led him towards her room. "You're right, mister," she threw over her shoulder. She pushed him into her room, closing the door and standing against it, hands on her hips. "So, what did you see?"
Shinji cleared his throat. "I… I-I saw the boy again. He was in the corner of that room, holding his knees to his chest."
"Did he say anything?"
The boy squinted and looked to the side. "He… didn't say anything." Shinji looked down, knowing that Asuka was disappointed.
"Oh." He heard her move away from the door. "Then you can go," she said dejectedly.
Maybe I should tell her. If anyone would understand, it's her. She's the only one I can tell any of this to who won't think I'm insane. "Asuka-"
"I'm fine, just tired. Go to your room, Shinji."
"O-okay. Goodnight, Asuka."
She grunted in response and Shinji left her alone. He returned to the storage room, half expecting something else that could explain what was going on. He saw nothing, only sinking his spirits further. Lowering his head, the boy trudged back to his room.
Just before he reached his room, Shinji heard voices two doors down from his. As he approached, he could make out what was being said.
"… not sending fourteen-year-olds to war!" That's Misato's voice. Who is she arguing with?
"You didn't seem to have any qualms about forcing them to fight Angels, Katsuragi." Oh, Kaji. But what is he proposing to Misato?
"I told you; I didn't have a choice in that matter. I wasn't asked to pick up Shinji, I was told. And Ikari's orders are not something I can ignore. I don't have the leverage you do."
"You didn't. Until now. Now you have an Evangelion pilot under your care. You have influence over Ikari, so you can get him to agree to this. Plus, I have another incentive for him."
Shinji heard Misato huff in annoyance. "Let me think about it until we get back to Japan, at least."
"Thanks, Katsuragi." Kaji's footsteps neared the door, and Shinji hurriedly moved back to his room.
What could Kaji possibly want us to do? It has to be something big, or he wouldn't need Misato's support. Maybe he's planning a raid on a rival? Or on the Japanese military?
"Ugh… There are too many possibilities and too much politics involved with this." Shinji laid on his bed, trying not to think too much about what he'd overheard or what he'd seen earlier. I really just need to sleep and work it out later.
"Idiot Shinji!" Asuka's voice carried throughout the small apartment. "You couldn't match rhythm if you were a robot!" The redhead pushed the target of her rage. Shinji fell over, causing the others in the room to gasp.
"Asuka! That wasn't very nice," Hikari scolded.
"Well, if he was better, I wouldn't need to do such things."
"Oh? Is that the case? Rei, would you mind stepping in?" Misato's commanding voice silenced any opposition from Asuka. "Shinji, you and Rei will go through the routine."
"WHAT!?" Asuka raged as Rei and Shinji performed the dance totally in-sync. "Well, of course he'd be in sync with her. She's just a doll, doing everyone's bidding."
"I am not a doll."
"Whatever, First. And you," the German girl marched over to Shinji, "are just a spineless idiot."
A weight landed on Shinji's stomach, throwing him out of his dream. "Aaaagh!" He looked around, finding a suitcase lying over him and a giggling redhead in his doorway. "What?"
Asuka giggled more. "Misato," she laughed, "said you need to pack today. We're arriving in Japan tomorrow."
Shinji sighed and laid his head back down. "Okay. I'll get started in a second." He looked over to the clock, which read 9 am. I overslept?! That never happens. Throwing the suitcase off him, Shinji got out of bed, closed his still-open door, and changed out of his sleeping clothes. Rolling the suitcase over to the bathroom area, he began packing up what he wouldn't need for the night.
What was that dream? Shinji thought as he packed. I don't remember things going down that way before. I mean, Asuka got upset in a similar way, sure. But that was not the way things went down. Was that my brain playing out a wishful thinking moment? Or was it something else?
"I guess I'll just have to find out…"
"Find out what? Whether Asuka has a boyfriend?"
Shinji turned red and whipped around to see Misato standing in the doorway. "Misato!"
The woman laughed and pointed at him. "You should see your face!"
"Misato!"
The captain giggled. "Alright, alright. I wanted to let you know that there's some breakfast leftover for you."
Shinji glared for a second, trying to figure out if his guardian would tease him more. "Okay. Thanks."
The purple-haired woman smiled. "You're welcome, Shinji." She turned to leave. "Oh, by the way, she doesn't."
"Who doesn't-? Misato!" The boy could hear her laughing all the way down the hall. It sounded like she was heading toward the bridge. Probably to get an update on what time exactly we'll be landing in Japan.
After eating the cold breakfast leftovers, Shinji made his way to the deck to get some air. I still need to find a way to explain all of this to Kaji. Misato's cross will help, but I need to be able to provide information as well. Maybe I can tell him about the next Angel attack. Especially the knowledge that the Angel can split into multiple beings. That might be enough to convince him, although I should consider telling him more.
Memories of his previous life flooded over him; joking with Toji and Kensuke, fighting Angels with Rei and Asuka, eating with Misato and Asuka, talking with Kaji, visiting his mother's grave. Kissing Asuka. Rei sacrificing herself, Toji being crippled by Unit 01, Asuka in a coma, the Geofront being raided, Misato's goodbye, Asuka's screams as she was ripped apart. The aftermath of it all.
"Home is whatever you make it, Shinji." Tears fell from the boy's eyes as the memories receded into his subconscious. And what if I can't make home right? After all, I was useless and powerless to stop anything from happening last time. Just because I know what's going to happen, does that mean I can stop it? Or even delay it?
Nausea swept over him and he retched over the side of the ship. Shinji knelt down, putting his back against the , he could see footprints in the dirty metal of the ship. A voice echoed in the boy's head; "Always remember: when there is a single set of footprints, that does not mean you have been abandoned by those who love you." The footprints faded as the voice quieted. A sense of peace enveloped him and Shinji leaned his head against the railing, simply taking in the rocking motion of the ship.
"SHINJI!" The boy raised his head and looked around. The voice sounded far away, but he couldn't see anyone around trying to get his attention. The pilot shook his head and stared at the sky, enjoying a moment of rest.
"SHINJI!" The voice sounded again. Again, it was far off. But this time he recognized it: it was Misato's. And she sounded very concerned. Shinji got up and moved onto the deck, towards where Misato's room was. He went down the stairs, getting closer to her room.
"PLEASE, SHINJI!" He stopped. The voice still sounded far off. And he could tell Misato was crying. What is going on? He moved slowly towards Misato's room and heard two voices: Kaji's and Misato's. Thoroughly confused, Shinji crept closer until he could make out what was being said.
"… our way back. It'll just be a small stop, so we won't have any delay."
"And this… package will help us defeat the Angels? What even is it? Is it a weapon?"
"Not exactly, Katsuragi. It's more of… intel."
"Intel? Intel about the Angels? Like their weaknesses, or what they'll appear as?"
Kaji chuckled ruefully. "No. I don't know how this will help us, but Ikari says it's vital. I'll only be a few minutes receiving it."
"So, you want me to come up with an excuse to get the fleet to stop for a few minutes while you journey off to get this intel?"
"Yes. Katsuragi, please. I wouldn't—"
"Fine. But, once you get back, you have to tell me what you know about it. And no bullshit about how you don't know."
"Sure, Katsuragi." Kaji began moving closer to the door and Shinji ducked into the room next to Misato's so as not to be seen. After the spy walked by, Shinji moved back into the hall. So, Kaji wants us to pilot the Evas to fight in a war, in Misato's eyes. And he needs to stop to get this intel. Definitely different from the first time around.
"Shinji, are you all packed?"
The boy's eyes widened and he wheeled around to face Misato. "Uh… I-uh… Yes!"
His guardian raised an eyebrow at him. "Good. Are you feeling okay?"
"Yup! I just got a little seasick."
Misato's expression changed to one of concern. "I'm sorry, I didn't know you got seasick. Everything okay now though?"
Shinji nodded emphatically. "All good now. What did Kaji want?"
Misato rolled her eyes. "He's on this 'mission for truth' and wants us to make a stop to feed his addiction. Pft. That man is always obsessed with something."
"He seems obsessed with you!" A new voice joined the conversation. "He always has time to see his beloved Misato. But never any time for me!"
Misato blushed a little but seemed to control herself. "And that is what we call 'hierarchy' Asuka. He 'always makes time' for me because I'm leading this little excursion. I need to be informed of what's going on, especially when it comes to that man."
Asuka huffed, rolling her eyes. "Of course, you need to be informed of what Kaji's doing. So you can scare off his other girlfriends."
The NERV captain narrowed her eyes. "His other girlfriends? I'm going to kill him," she declared as she marched toward the stairwell.
Shinji felt a deep concern for Kaji's well-being but knew better than to intervene when Misato had that look in her eye.
"So Third, what were you talking about?"
Her attention seems to swing widely. "Uh… nothing, really. Just about packing our stuff."
"Ah. Boring. Welp, I'm going to find Hikari. Have seen any of them?"
Shinji thought for a moment, then drew his brows together. "I haven't seen them since before the Angel attack."
"What?! You haven't seen your friends since then! Some friend you are!" The redhead grabbed his wrist and dragged him toward the stairwell Misato had gone up.
Here we go again, always grabbing my wrist and leading me around. I should tease her about it… What to say? "Hfelidfs." What. Can't I speak? Shinji's heart pounded in his chest as Asuka led him to the dining area. What just happened there? "A-A-A-Asuka, t-t-that's eno-enough." What is wrong with me? SPEAK YOU IDIOT!
Asuka released his wrist and looked at him, eyebrow raised and hands on her hips. "That's enough of what?"
"Of. Uh… uhm… T-the leading me around."
The German's eyes narrowed and her look reflected Misato's from minutes earlier. Uh-oh. "Fine," she said as she tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Whatever. But when I leave you just standing around, remember that it was your choice."
"Okay."
"Hmph. Idiot," she muttered. "Well, it doesn't look like the others are here yet. They'll be serving lunch soon, though."
Is it really that late? Shinji checked the clock hanging on the wall about the table. It read 11:37. Wow, time really flew.
"…okay?" Asuka was looking at questioningly.
"I'm sorry?"
The girl rolled her eyes in frustration. "I asked if you were okay waiting here until lunch started."
"Oh, um. Yeah."
A line formed behind the two pilots as they got their food and sat down. Shinji saw his friends towards the back of the line. Toji was looking hungrily at Shinji's plate and Kensuke was wide-eyed, pointing to Asuka. Shinji walked over to them.
"Man, how did you get here so quick? That sure looks good."
"And why are you with the Red Demon?"
Shinji chuckled. "Asuka and I got here a little early and decided to wait. She's not that bad, Kensuke."
Kensuke paled and Toji kept staring at the food. "Hikari said you two had 'made up,' whatever that means."
Unit 01's pilot looked shocked. "Hikari said what?"
Toji shrugged. "She said that you and the Demon made up. While you were fighting that thing. I guess nothing solves issues like being in a life-or-death situation with someone. But I would still steer clear of her, man. She's like a lioness; dangerous and untamable."
"Don't worry, Jock, the lioness won't eat prey too weak to put up a fight. Or prey that's too stupid." Toji glared at the approaching Asuka.
"Yeah? And what if the lioness is too weak and stupid to hunt correctly?"
The Second Child snarled. "Well, this lioness is perfectly capable! And I would watch out because her teeth are sharp and her wits sharper." A triumphant smirk spread across Asuka's face.
And the lioness is the beautiful queen of the jungle. As long as she can keep her fire, she'll rule forever. "When you guys get your food, why don't you come join us?"
"Sure thing, Shin-man. Demon."
Toji and Asuka both narrowed their eyes at each other while Kensuke found the ground interesting.
"Hmph. Your friends are idiots. Where did you find them?"
"Well, we all go to school together. And we just kind of started hanging out."
The German redhead raised an eyebrow. "Wow. How boring. I thought you were going to say you at least saved their lives somehow and now they owe you a life-debt."
Shinji smiled and shook his head. "Well, I did save Toji's life. That was actually how we became friends."
"And you didn't make him your servant? At least for a little while?"
"Nope."
"Ugh. You're no fun at all. I would have at least made him carry my bags when I went shopping. Or carry around my books for school," she pointed her fork at him. "I'm going to teach you how to mess with people."
A/N: I'm not dead and I haven't given up on the story! Just had a lack of inspiration on how to get from Point A to Point B in this chapter. And I know there are seemingly some pacing issues, don't worry, those will be addressed.
Anyway, hope you enjoy and have a nice day,
Commander Sarco.
