8
Melody Lanes - Part 1
I
When Asuka awoke from her nightmare, she made no sound. She was so adept at rising quietly that she didn't disturb Shinji, who was slumbering serenely next to her in bed. His mouth was slightly ajar, emitting a soft snore. Asuka smiled, got out of bed, and reached for her cellphone, which was resting on the nightstand. It displayed the time: 05:24. "Yay, Asuka! Another record for sleeping through the night!"
She used her phone as a flashlight to guide her through her tiny bedroom and into the bathroom to change. The light turned on automatically, revealing a room that was both rustic and modern, with wood paneling on the walls, a sink made of natural stone, a spacious bathtub, a toilet, and a shower. Shinji had wanted to spend their final weeks in Bavaria in a smaller mountain cabin, but why skimp when you can indulge?
In the mirror, a stranger stared back at her: her red hair was disheveled, she had dark circles under her eyes, and her lips were dry. Asuka filled a glass with cold water and gulped it down, the refreshing liquid helping to dispel the lingering aftertaste of her nightmare. "Come on, Asuka. It's your big party today. Pull yourself together," she muttered to herself. She splashed more cold water on her face before stepping outside, bundled up in warm clothing.
As she stepped onto the porch, the frigid morning air immediately hit her face, banishing any lingering remnants of her nightmare. Another motion sensor illuminated the porch and Asuka settled onto a small wooden bench next to the entrance. She took a deep breath, drawing the icy air into her lungs before slowly releasing it; watching as a small cloud formed in front of her face. Disheveled hair and tired eyes were forgotten for a moment as she took in the peacefulness of the wintry landscape.
Once again, Shinji was the central figure in her dream. He hung from a rope, his eyes vacant as he gazed at her. Asuka wasn't sure what was worse: the fact that she still had nightmares about Shinji after all these years, or that she had grown so numb to them that they no longer held any significance for her.
After a while, the light went out again as Asuka remained motionless, and the motion detector had nothing more to detect. She savored the quiet and darkness that followed. She loved the winter and the snow that draped the land like a cozy blanket, burying everything under a hush of silence.
On the horizon, down in the valley, the city was coming to life. Its lights twinkled and glimmered in the still-dark sky. The moon cast a gentle glow on a narrow path winding down to the valley, disappearing amidst the trees. In the past two weeks, Shinji and Asuka had frequently taken this route to buy groceries or go out in town. Usually, they were driven by their bodyguards and chaperons - the only two people on Earth who could pilot an Evangelion were quite VIPs - but recently, they had also been taking driving lessons from Robert, one of their bodyguards and a former member of Section 7. He had taught them that you shouldn't always take a curve at full throttle, unlike Misato who always did. Who would have thought?
"Hey," a voice suddenly said behind her. "Hey." Asuka slid a little to the side so that Shinji could sit down next to her. He had two steaming cups in his hands and a warm blanket hanging over his shoulder. "Will you hold this for a minute?" he said, handing her both cups of coffee. Then he sat down next to her and wrapped them both in the fluffy warm blanket. "Thanks," Shinji said, taking his cup again and quietly drinking his coffee. Asuka looked at him for a while, then took a sip as well.
No "How are you?" or "Did you have another nightmare?" Shinji was just there for her. Without many words, just through his gestures and attention, he comforted her. And that's why she loved him so much. She moved a little closer to him.
For a while, they sat together in silence, sipping their coffee and waiting for the sunrise. The horizon had already begun to glow with a hint of orange. Asuka leaned her head against Shinji's shoulder and closed her eyes. Her thoughts were slowly winding down as she drifted off again.
"Asuka?"
"Huh?" she replied sleepily.
"Shall I make breakfast?" asked Shinji.
Asuka shook her head. "Let's stay here for a while longer."
He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. "Or," he whispered into her red hair, "we could go inside and cuddle up in bed some more..."
She grinned mischievously, suddenly feeling very warm. Shinji stood up and held out his hand to her. Asuka took his hand and stood up, too. "Hmm... I like that idea."
II
"Are you coming, Asuka? Our cab's here!" Shinji called from the entrance, peeking out through the half-open door onto the driveway. Light snow was falling gently. A car was parked there, its lights momentarily blinding him, cutting through the soft snowfall before the driver turned off the engine.
The sun had bid goodbye a few hours ago. It was fascinating how quickly time flew when you were just lying in bed and cuddling. Shinji's heart warmed as he reflected on the day. And it wasn't just because of the thick winter jacket he had put on. His hand felt in his jacket pocket for a small object to make sure it was still there. When his fingers closed around the small square box, he sighed in relief. He wondered how Asuka would react. He had already felt a sinking feeling in his stomach all day. Well, almost the whole day. Not counting the hours in the bedroom.
Suddenly, the light in the car turned on, snapping Shinji out of his thoughts. The light revealed the driver, Robert, who waved at Shinji. Shinji waved back. Robert pointed to his watch. Shinji shrugged and pointed behind him to the house. Robert shook his head, but from a distance, Shinji could tell Robert was smiling.
Robert was a good guy. Shinji liked him, and he was certain Asuka liked him too. Robert was in his late thirties, wore a full black beard that was already streaked with a little gray. He had a young daughter named Anna and an older son named Jonas. When you put those two together with Misato's daughter, it was best to always have a working fire extinguisher in the house. Asuka was quite fond of the three of them.
In addition, Robert always had an open ear for all the worries and problems that plagued Shinji and Asuka. In a way, he had taken over the role of their psychiatrist, but in a cool and funny way. Plus, he could easily rival Misato in drinking.
Suddenly, Asuka pushed past him and planted a kiss on his cheek. "What are you standing around for, Baka?" she called out as she dashed towards the waiting car. "Come on, let's get to the party!"
Shinji sighed and closed the door. He hurried to the car, where Asuka was in the process of dragging Robert out of it.
"Come on, Bert! Tomorrow is my birthday! That's when I officially get to drive!" the redhead said, tugging on Robert's arm.
"I don't like it when you call me Bert," Robert protested.
"He doesn't like it when you call him Bert," Shinji added.
Asuka pierced Shinji with an icy stare. "Shut up, Baka!" Then she turned to Robert. "I'll stop calling you Bert if you let me drive, Bert."
Robert sighed. "Well, first of all, Misato will kill me if I let you drive again."
"But-"
"And second, like you said: You're not eighteen yet."
"It's just a few hours! Pleeease!" Asuka pleaded, casting her dangerous puppy-dog eyes at Robert. However, he remained unmoved. Instead, he just stared at her. Minutes passed, and Shinji wondered how a human could go so long without blinking. He fumbled again for the small box in his jacket pocket.
"Ugh, fine!" Robert said suddenly.
"Yeah!" exclaimed Asuka, punching the air and grinning, still holding onto Robert's arm.
"Wait a minute," Robert said. "Here's what we'll do: I'll drive you there, and then you get to drive back."
Asuka's eyes widened, and she grinned.
"But then you can't drink anything," Robert continued.
Asuka's face froze.
Robert grinned. "I thought you'd react that way. Well, if that's settled, then—"
"Okay," Asuka said suddenly.
Both Shinji and Robert looked at her, puzzled. "Okay?" they said simultaneously.
"Okay! Agreed! That's how we'll do it!"
"Are you sure about this?" asked Robert. "After all, you only turn eighteen once."
"An Asuka Soryu Langley is always sure! Now, let's get to the party!" said Asuka, hopping around the car and getting in the front. "I will destroy you at bowling, Third Child!" she declared before slamming the door.
Shinji looked at Robert. "Okay," they both sighed simultaneously. Then Shinji got in the back, and the car started moving.
III
In the first few minutes of the trip, Asuka listed all the possible ways she would beat Shinji at bowling. Shinji smiled, only briefly mentioning "karaoke." Asuka stuck her tongue out at him, and the car fell into a comfortable silence.
The snow fell harder, slowing down the car. In good weather, the trip would have taken twenty minutes, but now they had been on the road for ten minutes, yet there was no sign of the town, only the dark silhouettes of trees in the headlights.
"How are the kids?" asked Asuka after a while.
"So far, so good," Robert said. "Anna is getting her molars."
"Ouch!" went Asuka. "Let me see, do you have a picture?"
"There, on my phone," Robert pointed to the center console. Asuka grabbed the phone and held it to Robert's face. "Now, look into the camera and smile." Robert turned his head briefly to unlock his phone using facial recognition. "Oh God, is that a smile?" teased Asuka. "I think the phone unlocked because it was afraid of your face!"
"Ha ha," said Robert.
Shinji giggled.
Asuka typed something on the phone and squealed in amusement. "Oh my god, Shinji, look!" She turned around and showed him the phone, displaying a picture of a smiling girl with brown eyes, her long hair braided into two pigtails. In her hair, she wore two specific red triangles.
"Cute," Shinji said, smiling. His chest constricted a bit when he saw little Anna's smile, feeling like he had lost something he did not yet possess. He handed the phone back to Asuka. "She's wearing the synch clips you gave her for her birthday."
"Yessss!" she said.
"Yeah," Robert said. "As often as she wears them, I think they're fused to her head."
"Well, they're very fashionable," Asuka replied.
"Mh-hmm. By the way, Jonas asked me again when Aunt Asuka and Uncle Shinji are coming to play again," said Robert.
"Hehe, the little rascal," Asuka said.
"To play 'we-are-two-evas-and-fight-against-angels...'" continued Robert.
"Uh..." made Asuka.
"Shinji?" Robert looked at him in the rearview mirror.
Shinji shrugged and screwed up his face. "I always have to play the angel..."
"You're really cute in that dress, too!" said Asuka.
Robert looked at Asuka. "In the what?"
Asuka burst into laughter. Shinji grinned.
"Don't worry," Asuka said. "We'll keep all that bloody psycho-horror stuff from him, too. Shinji's just a nice angel."
"I should hope so!" retorted Robert.
Asuka turned around to the back. "My nice angel," she said, smiling at him in a way that always made his stomach tingle. He mouthed a 'thank you' and blew her a kiss.
"Oh... I think... I have some vomit in my mouth..." said Robert when he noticed this.
"Oh, shut up!" Asuka playfully boxed him on the shoulder. "You're just jealous!"
Shinji blushed.
Robert made some more choking noises and then laughed too. "No, but seriously," he said after a short pause. "That thing you two have is very special. That something like this could grow in this world... In this environment and with your past-" He whistled. "Pretty cool."
"Yes..." Asuka extended her hand backward.
"Pretty cool." Shinji took her hand.
"Urgh, again... Urgh..." went Robert.
"You idiot!" grinned Asuka, pulling her hand away and boxing Robert on the shoulder again.
"Ouch! Watch it, Soryu. I have a black belt in karate!"
"Ohh, I'm so scared! And me in jiu-jitsu!"
Shinji smiled as he listened to the two argue about who could knock out who in the ring. But then something caught his attention. The music suddenly stopped. The clock on the radio read 8:50 pm, still too early for the news.
"If you're done flirting, could you turn the radio up for a minute?" he asked.
"Spoilsport," Asuka said, sticking her tongue out at him in the rearview mirror and turning up the radio.
"...the latest developments. Terrible news has just reached us about another attack by the fanatical terrorist group 'Mors Caeli'.
About an hour ago, a coordinated attack was carried out, covering several neighborhoods of Berlin. The number of victims has not yet been fully confirmed, but it is feared that dozens of people may have been affected. Security authorities have confirmed the exact location of the attacks in the area of the government district, near the Reichstag building, and at Alexanderplatz.
According to eyewitnesses, several explosive devices detonated in quick succession, followed by armed attacks in various public places. Police and emergency services are on the scene and working under high pressure to treat the injured and bring the situation under control.
The sect 'Mors Caeli' has stated in the past its intention to bring about the Third Impact and believes that the return of the angels is the only way to salvation. Authorities have increased their security measures and ask the public to be more vigilant.
We will keep you updated as more information becomes available."
When the music started again, Asuka turned the radio down and gave him the finger. "Fuck you, Mors Caeli!"
"Normally I'd say watch your mouth right now, young lady," Robert said. "But yes, fuck you."
Shinji shook his head. "I still don't get it... Why do they want Third Impact?"
"Shit, because they're idiots!" said Asuka.
"Nobody understands terrorists, Shinji," said Robert. "But when the real intentions behind Third Impact became known, I guess some went more nuts than others."
"Hmm..."
"Don't take it to heart," Robert said.
"Isn't there anything LICHT can do about it?" asked Asuka.
"I'm afraid not. Not yet. We have our hands full rebuilding the world after NERV nearly destroyed it."
"I thought we saved the world," Shinji said quietly.
"Shinji," Robert said. Shinji looked at him in the rearview mirror. "You did. And not just once. If it wasn't for you guys, I don't think I'd have two little buggers right now."
That brought a small smile to Shinji's face.
"Yeah, my baka, we're heroes." Asuka turned back around and blew Shinji a kiss.
"Thank you, my darling. Ah think Robert is getting sick again."
"Urgs, too much love talk... Can't steer anymore..."
"Lucky we're here anyway, Bert!" Asuka pointed ahead.
The forest receded on either side and disappeared into the dark snow flurry. Then the first street lamps and lights of Schwarzensee materialized. They transformed the falling snow into tiny, glowing orange balls, playfully dancing around the top of the lanterns. Occasionally, a car glided towards them. The road, once meticulously cleared, was now in the process of being reclaimed by the falling snow.
On both sides of the main street, an array of stores twinkled through the snow. For many, only the store names remained illuminated, and the windows of the storefronts stared out at them like mysterious black eyes. The bowling and karaoke center Melody Lanes was located pretty much at the end of Schwarzensee in the industrial area and after another five minutes drive they were there.
As they turned into the almost full parking lot, the grand Melody Lanes sign greeted them, radiating in all the colors of the rainbow. A small group of smokers huddled outside the entrance, their exhales forming a glowing cloud of nicotine above their heads.
Robert skillfully parked the car in one of two empty handicapped spaces right next to the entrance and turned off the engine. Shinji still harbored reservations about their privilege to park anywhere due to the LIGHT special right, but he couldn't deny the convenience it offered, even if it came with a pang of guilt.
"So, you two lovebirds." Robert turned in his seat to face them. "You guys know the procedure by now, so we'll keep it short." Asuka groaned and threw her hands in the air. "Really now, Bert? Today too?"
He looked at her seriously. "You guys stay close to me and we'll keep eye contact. I want to see you guys all the time. I want to know where you are at all times. And if you have to go to the bathroom-"
"-then one of you will wait outside the bathroom with you and the other will go pee pee, yes yes," Asuka said, waving her hand.
"Good good. Do you have your vests on?"
"Jawohl, Herr General!" Asuka saluted.
Shinji tugged a little on the light neonite vest under his shirt. "Yes, Robert, thank you."
"Well then, let's get to the party." Robert checked the fit of his firearm, an HK-207, which he carried in a hidden holster under his jacket, and got out.
"Woohoo!" cheered Asuka, and the three of them entered Melody Lanes.