Sokila doodled a picture of a young man with bright red hair.
"He seemed so angry..."
Sighing, she stood up, brushing the crayon shavings onto her pants.
"...but why? What happened to him..."
She looked down at her right hand, examining it almost...analytically.
"...I miss you."
She clenched her hand, experimentally.
"...can I do it...?"
The faint haze of blue began to brighten-
xxxx
/Monday: August 10, 2015/
/Sojiro Sakura's Residence, Nishiawakura, Okayama Prefecture/
Shinji Ikari twitched in his sleep, unconsciously clenching his right hand.
His slumber would be a short reprieve from the interrogation that awaited him.
xxxx
/Horaki Apartment, Tokyo-3/
Hikari Horaki watched the morning news with a sense of uncertainty.
"The current tally for casualties in Okayama has officially reached a minimum of ten thousand-"
Click, went Kodama's thumb on the remote.
"-the International Olympic Committee has submitted an official complaint to the Japanese government regarding the security measures taken for the events-"
Click.
"The Security Bureau has officially declared Sho Minazuki to be a terrorist and member of Strega; preliminary investigations indicate he was an orphan, but records regarding his family have proven elusive-"
Click.
"Footage has been obtained showing Minazuki at an underground fighting arena from the night before the terrorist attack; he apparently engaged in direct combat with the Third Child at this illicit gathering. NERV has not provided any comment-"
"...he goes to your school, doesn't he?" asked Kodama.
Hikari squirmed, privately thankful that their younger sister Nozomi was too busy playing on her Danbai WonderGoose — headphones latched firmly over her ears to block out the (in Nozomi's estimation) boring television — to listen in. Likewise, her father was already at work, so it was just the sisters for today. Given the harrowing news out of Okayama as of yesterday, the overall mood throughout the house (much less Tokyo-3) had taken on a somber quality. "...he does, yes."
Kodama sighed, idly nibbling on a granola bar. "Seems pretty dangerous. And irresponsible."
"I'm sure there's a perfectly logical explanation-"
"As much power as the Evangelion-users are reported to have, what possible situation would result in him being forced to participate in a yakuza fight club?"
To her embarrassment, Hikari couldn't really think of one. "...I'm sure there's a perfectly understandable explanation."
Kodama huffed, clearly not buying it. "My colleagues and peers at university...well, the ones with interest in politics, at least...there's been some growing disdain for how much leeway NERV offers its Evangelion-users, especially in the face of the increasing Angel Syndrome incidents this year..."
"And that's Ikari-san's fault?"
"Don't take it that way; I'm just saying that stuff like that," she said, pointing at the still image of Shinji Ikari and Sho Minazuki in the middle of a seemingly one-sided fistfight, "is not going to help."
As much as she wanted to protest in favor of Ikari's innocence, Hikari couldn't help but acknowledge her elder sister's point. Ikari...what exactly has been happening on your summer vacation? Maybe it would be a good idea to try and find out how everyone was doing...
Knock knock, echoed the front door of their apartment. "...who would be knocking at the door this early?" wondered Kodama. "And who would knock instead of using the door phone?"
"I'll get it," instinctively said Hikari, rising to get the door. Peering at the interphone screen, she frowned; it was a tall man with slick hair, gaunt cheekbones, and a nose sharp enough to cut meat with. Who is this? Holding the talk button, she said, "hello?"
"Good morning; is this the Horaki Residence?"
"May I ask who's visiting?"
The rather grainy image showed the man quickly bowing humbly at the waist. "Agent Hirofumi Kurosawa." He held up his badge towards the door camera, detailing his credentials. "Paranormal and Supernatural Countermeasure Office for the Public Security Division of the NPA."
"...oh," whimpered Hikari, impulsively gulping, because why would someone from the national police be visiting her apartment?! Regaining her composure (Class Rep mode is a go) with admirable quickness, she said, "is there something I can help you with, officer?"
"I'd just like a little bit of your time to talk about someone who may be an acquaintance of yours. Are you familiar with a boy named Shinji Ikari?"
"...yes sir," she admitted. "Is...is he in trouble?"
"Not at all," answered the man with such casual ease that it would be outright irrational of her to suspect him of lying. (Yet a part of her distrusted him regardless.) "Given the various rumors and uncertainties revolving around your friend, it's rather important that I get to the truth of who he is as an individual. For the sake of easing public concerns, you see."
"...are you sure he's not in trouble?"
"It's part of my job to see to it that he doesn't end up in trouble."
Hikari honestly didn't know what to do; thus was she privately grateful for Kodama stepping up behind her. "Listen," her sister said with authority, "if you're going to talk to my sister about anything, it'll be while I'm present."
Agent Kurosawa nodded solemnly. "It's not my intention to make anyone uncomfortable. I'm just trying to do my job without inconveniencing anyone unduly. I'll try not to take up too much of your time."
Kodama pulled Hikari's hand off of the talk button, asking aloud, "do you have any reason to say no?"
"...not really." Hopefully, this would help out Ikari (and thus Toji, Aida, Yamagishi, and Kirishima by proxy) in some small way.
"...all right then." Kodama stepped around Hikari, unlocking the front door and opening it up. "Hello. Kurosawa-san, was it?"
The older man nodded, smiling in a manner that was reserved yet grim. "You have my gratitude. May I come in?"
"Would you like some tea?" asked Hikari as the man removed his boots, letting his thick socks brush against the flooring.
"I would like that very much," he said, rising back up. "After all, I have quite a lot of questions I need to ask."
That's what I was afraid of, thought Hikari with a hidden grimace.
xxxx
/Sojiro Sakura's Residence, Nishiawakura, Okayama Prefecture/
Shinji wasn't too embarrassed to admit that interrogations at the hand of Misato Katsuragi were...rather frightening. Not so much for the look on her face (which was less 'furious anger' and more 'irritated concern'), or for how she paced throughout the living room; rather, it was the utter awkwardness of having to deal with how much Misato seemed to care and trying to square it with his own personal feelings. Which were complicated. Because feelings.
As such, he tried answering all of Misato's questions about went down in Okayama: from the moment Kaworu woke him up to visit an underground fight club ("Still can't believe you went along with that," Misato had muttered with disbelief), to his hazy memories of the fights, to awakening to the sight of Okayama in flames, to the decision to confront Minazuki directly.
Needless to say, Misato was busy kneading her temples with both hands. "Ugh...you kids are not making it easy for me...how am I supposed to tell Niijima-san about all of this...?"
Ryuji Sakamoto, sitting in a nearby easy chair, simply said, "you could try telling her that it was thanks to the kids that she survived the day."
"Not exactly helping my case!"
Sitting besides Shinji on the floor were Toji Suzuhara, Kensuke Aida, Mayumi Yamagishi, and Mana Kirishima, the latter of which had awoken after a good night's rest. Ren Amamiya was separate from the group, his eyes fixated on the news broadcast with a keen eye. Rei Ayanami stood in a corner of the room, set apart from everyone else by her own choice. Ken Amada and Junpei Iori were absent, apparently helping Zenkichi Hasegawa patrol the Metaverse today; since Sojiro Sakura was at his cafe down the hill, that left Misato and Ryuji to handle any and all questions.
"...any idea as to what Kaworu Nagisa was even thinking?" incisively asked Misato.
Shinji shook his head. "He seemed...unconcerned. I think he trusted that I would be safe, no matter what I did..."
"Fat lot of good that did, apparently," grumbled Toji.
"And I find it suspicious that those videos which leaked out from that fight club only focus on the battle between you and Minazuki," remarked Misato. "Wish we knew who did it..."
"Probably the local yakuza being preemptive," said Ryuji, leaning on his cane. "Bet they figured eyewitnesses would point the finger in their direction regardless after what Minazuki did; best to try and minimize any apparent 'complicity' on their part."
"...but from what it sounds like, there was no indication that Sho Minazuki planned to do any of this," murmured Mayumi, hands lightly combing Mana's hair. "He was just a boxer with a penchant for violence."
"Penchant is putting it mildly," said Kensuke with a somber look, leaning back on his hands. "When we fought him...he sounded like a madman."
"And he kept making these weird jokes," remarked Mana, idly chewing on some rice crackers. "He seemed to like them, but I didn't get it."
Misato sighed heavily, her eyes conveying a sense of anxiety and weariness belonging to someone twice her age. "So...Strega has at least three known members...and judging by Minazuki's observed capabilities, he's not only a Persona-user and an A.T. Adept, but is capable of pulling people into whatever dimension the Angels reside in...am I in the ballpark?"
Shinji nodded. "The Angels I fought in June and July...the place where Minazuki-san pulled us felt just like that..."
"And he's somehow capable of infecting Shadows with Angel Syndrome from afar, without any means of interacting with them directly," added Ryuji. "And when comparing the timelines you provided us...Shadows stopped getting infected the moment his focus was on battling you. Small mercies."
Misato grimaced. "...Strega made their threat to you all, and yet Takaya Sakaki and Jin Shirato didn't show up. All we've got from that snafu...is a bunch of dead people, a lot of property damage, and a geopolitical embarrassment for our country."
"...but who cares about that stuff?" griped Toji, scratching irritably at his hair. "We stopped the bad guy, didn't we?"
"...more like held him off until backup arrived." Misato turned towards Rei. "You said he was gone by the time you arrived, right?"
Rei Ayanami slowly nodded. "The massive A.T. Field faded once I was in the vicinity of Okayama. I surmise that he, or the Angel, sensed my approach."
Misato frowned. "...and the words he used," she murmured, repeating to herself a certain detail from Shinji's debriefing. "...'I did my job anyhow'...but what was his job? To cause mayhem? To distract everyone?"
"I'm sure it won't be long until we find out, for better or worse," remarked Ryuji.
"...guess you're right," said Misato with an explosive sigh. "But in the meantime, there's something else we can work on," she said, turning back towards Shinji. "Namely...that new power you apparently demonstrated."
(He shouted out Kensuke's name, in a moment of desperation...and by his will, the barrier of his soul reached out towards his friend. With a great crash, Sho's sword smashed against the projection of his A.T. Field.)
"...my A.T. Field," he answered, "and the way it kept Aida-san safe."
"That sort of power is something that neither I nor the Second Child have ever manifested," acknowledged Rei Ayanami from her corner of the room. "It is...important that you cultivate it."
Misato nodded. "My thoughts exactly."
Shinji looked down at his hands. "How exactly would I do that?"
"...much like with Evangelion, it comes down to your heart...and to the Light of your Soul," explained Rei with an enigmatic expression. "You have begun to open your heart to more than just Evangelion...and the soul that separates you from everyone else has formed connections. I believe that insight is the key, Ikari-kun."
"Ayanami-san..."
Turning towards Misato, Ayanami said, "I must be off. My missions will not wait."
"Go ahead then," said Misato, dismissing her.
"So soon?" asked Shinji with a curious tone.
"...the power I possess is not like yours, Ikari-kun," she plainly admitted, turning her head away. Despite being clad in her normal school uniform, she seemed so much older (older than everyone else in the room), just from the sound of her voice. "I've told you before, have I not? Before you left on your summer vacation."
"...oh," muttered Shinji, thinking back to that morning encounter at the LeNoir Café in Tokyo-3...
("You are different from me, Ikari-kun," said Ayanami, rebuffing his invitation to come along on the impending road trip. "As your bonds grow, and become stronger...you become more powerful. The Commander is aware of this. Is it not ironic, that a vacation with your friends could strengthen you more than any amount of training?" There was a strange firmness to her tone, as though she were repeating the wisdom of a mountain sage. "I...do not have that talent.")
...had that really been only eleven days ago? So much had happened in the interim. (And so many things would keep happening, he just knew it.) "...and what if I asked you to stay?"
Rei went still. "...I do not believe that you need your hand held. You are perfectly capable."
"It's not about that," he protested. "...even if you don't possess the power I do...even if I don't know why...you don't have to keep carrying the burden alone!"
Kensuke, Toji, and Mayumi listened with bated breath, wondering what their peer would say. Mana, not really having as much experience with Rei, simply said, "if your mission load is that heavy, just swap places with Ikari for a bit. I bet he wouldn't mind taking on your tasks while you took a break."
Rei slowly turned her head, glancing over her shoulder. "...that would defeat the purpose. But I thank you nonetheless for the offer." Before another word could be said, Rei faded into static and vanished from sight.
"...man, no wonder our classmates call her an ice queen," grumbled Toji.
"Suzuhara-san, that's not very nice," warned Mayumi with a frown.
"Hey, Ikari was trying to be nice! It's not like things would fall apart if they switched spots, right?"
Before Toji could get into it further, Misato interjected. "Just leave it. We've got more important things to focus on."
"That's right," said Sakamoto, rising to his feet. "Let's go ahead and grab ourselves an early lunch...I have a feeling we're gonna be pretty busy today."
Shinji stared at the spot where Rei had vanished from, feeling oddly dissatisfied. (Why was it so wrong for Ayanami to do the things he could enjoy with impunity? Why are you so special?) Sighing, he said, "I guess so..."
xxxx
Ren Amamiya kept his focus on the television in silence; from where he was sitting, he'd had the perfect angle to see Ayanami's face in his peripheral vision. That expression of regret and longing and simple knowing...well, he'd seen it a few times on the faces of Minato Arisato and Yu Narukami, when they thought no one was looking.
He could only wonder how many lives the girl (but oh, she was far more than a mere girl) had endured to get to this point.
xxxx
Within the Metaverse, Rei Ayanami tried not to tremble at the reality of Shinji Ikari's honest concern.
It was...humbling.
None of it was deserved.
You opportunity for happiness...was lost a long time ago, she resolutely told herself. Now...there is only setting things right...and perhaps absolution, at the end of it all. It was all she dared to hope for. In the meantime...
(On the morning of July the 19th, she had asked — among many other things — about why Kaworu Nagisa insisted on getting close to Ikari-kun. His answer was blunt yet revealing: "The minds of lilim...sorry, humans...can be so base, no matter how long it's been. I am not blind nor deaf to what others say; yet, I will act as I will, until we attain the consummation of all things. To put it very bluntly...Shinji Ikari gives my existence meaning. Nothing more, and nothing less.")
...she needed to clarify a few matters with an old 'friend' of hers. Kaworu-kun...to take Ikari-kun to an underground fighting arena run by the yakuza...what were you possibly thinking?
Such thoughts lingered in her mind as she took off for another part of Japan.
xxxx
Hirofumi Kurosawa was asking questions and paying attention to the answers he was getting from Kōzō Fuyutsuki. At least, that's what anyone observing would have said.
However, the back of his mind was mulling over a great many things.
The hour-long interview with Hikari Horaki had been somewhat enlightening, particularly for the portrait that she had painted regarding Shinji Ikari: somewhat withdrawn, generally quiet and unobtrusive, a bit dense on emotional matters, a disposition that tended towards inoffensive politeness and then towards blunt honesty, a diligent student...those were the descriptors the young girl had deigned to give. Only when his work with NERV interfered — be it because of operations in the Metaverse, recuperating at the big building which served as their headquarters, or going on missions to hunt Ghosts, Acolytes, or Angels on the new moon — did his image as a meek student become skewed.
As such, he had gone to Hakone Academy to get a second opinion.
Thus far, he had spoken with a few of the teachers in the Junior High branch, before finally managing to squeeze some time in with the boy's homeroom teacher. Needless to say, Fuyutsuki's connections with the Ikari family had been somewhat surprising. "I wouldn't have thought that the student of such an influential scientist and intellectual like Katsuhito Ikari would be slaving away at an institution for secondary education."
Fuyutsuki's poker face was good at hiding any displeasure at the barb, if he felt any at all. "That's rather rude of you, Agent Kurosawa."
"I imagine that you deal with too many pretenses in life as it is," he remarked. "And besides, given your pedigree, it's only natural that people would wonder. I'm sure that when you first signed on for this position, the gossip must have been...pointed."
"I'm afraid I've reached the age where such lowbrow talk no longer matters that much," he stonily replied.
"Fair enough. I don't want to digress any further from the reason I'm here." Kurosawa leaned back in his chair, idly writing a few more possible avenues of inquiry in his notepad. "Your colleagues seem to have a similar opinion about Ikari as a student, but you have an actual connection to his family. What are your observations about the boy?"
"In what respect? As a student? As a civilian?"
"As someone who possesses power beyond mortal men."
"And I'm suddenly an expert in that field? I recommend you actually speak with some representatives from NERV."
Oh, I'll get there. "The government is concerned about who he is as a person. Given certain incidents revolving around him." which Kurosawa declined to elaborate on, "it's only reasonable to get a better understanding of Shinji Ikari. After all, it's not exactly a secret that NERV likes to keep their Evangelion-users on a tight leash."
"You could've fooled me, given that both Ayanami-kun and Ikari-kun are still attending school and mingling with their peers."
"A mere veneer, some might say. NERV keeps a tight operational control over these mythical Evangelions; the First and Second Children have a notorious reputation for being workaholics, with little time for interactions with media or government personnel. The only non-NERV organization that has had regular contact with the First and Second Children over the years is the A.T. Task Force...and since last month, their reputation has taken many hits. Into this picture, as if from nowhere, comes the Third Child at the beginning of June...and it seems as if all the rules go out the window when applied to him. Why else would NERV tolerate the boy leaving Tokyo-3 for his summer break?"
"...I assume you mean to imply the influence of nepotism, to some degree."
Kurosawa shrugged. "The boy's father is the Commander of NERV, and you're associated with his family. It's not an unreasonable accusation to make."
The lines in Fuyutsuki's face seemed to deepen imperceptibly, adding at least five years to his face. "...the boy actually called me a few days ago, you know. He had a question about his mother's old musical hobby."
"Is that so?"
"Are you aware, Agent Kurosawa, that the boy's mother disappeared without a trace in 2004? That, as a mere child, his father sent him away to live with a custodian in Nishiawakura? That, as far as I'm aware, his father never even visited him in Nishiawakura?"
Kurosawa frowned. He knew that the boy had been living with Sojiro Sakura before being summoned to Tokyo-3, but that particular background detail had not been in the intelligence provided to him. How curious...a family member outright vanishing like that is a major red flag. He'd have to call in some favors from friends he had in the Ministry of Justice to see if there was any old investigation file detailing that incident. "Curious."
"Despite it all, Ikari's inquiries about his mother have not been laced with any bitterness or resentment: only the longing of a child who wishes to know about who they came from. After having been denied by his father for who knows how long, I'm frankly amazed that he's come out as well as he has."
Before Kurosawa could say anything else, another voice interrupted them. "Either he has the patience of a saint, or he's someone who has been broken down before...and is in the process of building himself back up." Kurosawa turned around in his chair, facing a rather diminutive geriatric with a very pronounced visor over his eyes.
"Hello Principal Lorenz," said Fuyutsuki. "I was just having a conversation with Agent Kurosawa about one of the Academy's more notable students."
"Ibuki-sensei informed me about a rather short conversation that she had had with Kurosawa-san," remarked Keel Lorenz. "Would you mind walking with me?"
Kurosawa inwardly sighed, knowing that this particular inquiry had been spectacularly derailed...and to be honest, pulling rank on the school's principal (despite the fact he was an obvious foreigner) felt like it would backfire on him. "Not at all."
As they departed the Faculty Office, the school's intercom began playing a piano-heavy tune. Noting his apparent confusion, the principal said, "since there are no ongoing classes, there's no reason I can't play music of my choice over the PA system. It's my Academy, after all."
"I'm sure," dully said Kurosawa, crossing his arms. "I assume I don't need to inform you as to who I'm inquiring about?"
"Shinji Ikari is the only commonality. And whatever you're seeking, I can assure you that NERV will provide more perspective than the teachers at this institution will."
"You're sure about that?"
"Well, his reputation as a student won't provide the requisite smoking gun that the government is undoubtedly looking for. If one does exist, it will be with NERV."
"You sound quite confident about that."
Principal Lorenz lightly raised his nose, a slight sneer of condescension ghosting across his face. "I've had more than a few students who've awoken to cognitive powers in my time here, so I'm intimately familiar with the politics and issues of jurisdiction that such children have to deal with...even more so for Rei Ayanami, who has been attending my establishment for years, now. Shinji Ikari is no different."
"...you're going awfully far for someone who only transferred here in June," observed Kurosawa.
"Is it truly surprising that a principal should care about the future of one of their students? If so, you have my condolences for the subpar education you've undoubtedly received."
How cheeky, mused Kurosawa. Outwardly, he simply said, "I'm only on a fact-finding mission of sorts...but in the interest of not antagonizing a member of the public unduly, then perhaps I'd best direct my attentions elsewhere."
"A wise decision," said Keel Lorenz with a nod. Before turning away, he added, "oh, and a word of advice...on a professional level, I assure you."
"Hm?"
"I've had few occasions to interact with Gendo Ikari in my time...mostly due to the fact that Rei Ayanami is enrolled at this institution. I've not even seen him in person since his son began attending. But from those few meetings...and from what Fuyutsuki-sensei and Ikari-kun have deigned to tell me about their personal lives...I'm quite comfortable in stating that Gendo Ikari is motivated by something very simple, and quite base."
"And that would be?"
"Spite," gravely said the principal. "Do keep that in mind, if you end up speaking with him about his son." He then walked away without another word.
"...I'll keep that in mind," Kurosawa murmured to himself, brow furrowing out of concern, suspicion, and curiosity. How strange. Tokyo-3 had long been joked about in certain circles as being nothing more than Gendo Ikari's little fiefdom, in spite of the fact that NERV had no 'official' ties with the city's municipal government.
Now he couldn't help but wonder if some of the darker jokes about Gendo Ikari had some semblance of truth to them.
xxxx
Within the Metaverse, the training session had entered a brief recess. Needless to say, some were more exhausted than others.
"...really wish there was a better way of trying to get your power to work," griped Kensuke, sucking in large heaping gulps of air.
Privately, Shinji couldn't help but agree...
("Okay Ikari...think fast!" yelled Ryuji as his Persona launched a God's Hand in the direction of Kensuke and Toji. With high-pitched yelps of terror, they promptly tried to evade, even as he tried to project his A.T. Field at a distance.)
...because willfully trying to manifest his A.T. Field within the Metaverse still felt weird. "Well...at least you're also getting some practice with evasion...?"
Kensuke snorted, propping himself up on his elbows. At the edge of the clearing they were in, Hamlet was dodging Ozymandias's Ailment Skills; in essence, they were also practicing their ability to utilize their Personas without consciously thinking about it. "It beats getting my butt kicked," he said, gazing towards the clearing's other occupants: Toji was sparring with Sakamoto, whilst Mana was doing the same with Misato...albeit without Personas. (Because apparently, the battle against Sho Minazuki meant they now needed practice at hand-to-hand.)
Mana's efforts against Misato were decent. Toji's...well, the fact he kept getting dropped into the dirt by a middle-aged guy with a cane was bad enough.
"...I think we're going to train like that anyway," admitted Shinji.
"Probably," relented Kensuke, a glum expression on his face. "...does it bother you?"
"Huh?" he asked with a blink.
"...the craziness, I guess. It's...hitting me a bit."
"How so?"
Kensuke frowned, fully sitting up; from Shinji's vantage point, there was an oddly opaque quality to Aida's glasses, hiding his eyes from view. "...I've seen a lot of dead people."
"Eh...?"
"I mean, there was that whole thing with the ferry, which was kind of crazy all by itself...but there were a lot of bodies at the Olympics Stadium."
Shinji tried not to highlight the fact that he had been too focused on trying to pull everyone into the Metaverse to focus too much on Sho's deadly carnage.
The Beast snorted derisively.
"And to call such a display 'carnage'...what a farce."
In its hands was a world soaked with blood.
"Your standards for carnage are, after all, rather extreme."
"...are you okay, Aida-san?"
"...I really don't know," he admitted. "I mean, that sort of thing...I don't think even mom ever saw something like...that. Though, if she did...maybe she never said anything."
"...do you need to talk to someone about it?"
"I mean...I don't know. Should I? Toji and Mana didn't seem as affected by it. Or you, for that matter."
Shinji tilted his head. "...but you're not us."
Aida grunted, acknowledging the point. "...I know. But still. If I want to be like my mom, I've gotta be tougher than this."
"Aida-san-"
Kensuke's lips twisted into a complicated grimace, as he finally turned towards him. "Look...Shinji." The sudden use of his given name elicited stunned silence, allowing his friend to continue without interruption. "You saved my life, you know that? That's...that's a pretty big deal."
"...I was just doing what I could," sheepishly admitted Shinji.
"Yeah, well...I think politeness and propriety doesn't really matter that much compared to something like that, you know? Doesn't make sense."
"...I suppose..."
"Then returning the favor is only polite."
"...okay then...Kensuke."
"There we go," quietly cheered Kensuke, his face sporting a complicated expression: one of satisfaction marred by uncertainty. "...I wonder...if my dad had a point."
"What do you mean?"
"This is all pretty heavy stuff...even though I wanted this life for so long, it doesn't change how hard it's gonna be, does it...?"
"...I don't think so." The difficulty of a given task or a given path in life would remain, even if one's knowledge prior to it was subject to change.
(Would such knowledge have prepared him for Evangelion, had he known beforehand?)
(Would such knowledge have made you flee in terror?)
"I guess this whole trip has really cemented just how dangerous this is," Kensuke admitted, resting his elbows on his knees. "Even when I fought alongside Toji, Mana-san, and Sakamoto-san against Acolytes during the last new moon...it still kind of felt a bit like a game. Like it was all something I could just garner experience at, and become stronger, like an RPG character. But...it's not that simple. There are people involved, who can live or die..." Sighing, he gazed up at the wavy pattern in the sky of the Metaverse, stark red and black lines moving like molasses. "...I wonder if this is what getting cold feet is like..."
"...you've made it this far though, haven't you?" If nothing else, Shinji could admire Kensuke's zeal for the path he had chosen. For that zeal to be marred or diminished felt...wrong, somehow. "And you've got others to rely on...just like your mom did, I'm sure."
"...yeah." Kensuke sniffed, masking his haunted expression with a forced grin. "Thanks, Shinji."
"Not a problem...Kensuke." What a strange turn of events...
His Other sighed out of exasperation.
"Honestly, you and your friends could stand to use more therapy..."
...but he felt like he had a greater understanding of his friend, now.
"Okay you two, break time's over!" yelled Sakamoto from afar, his cane pressed pointedly into the back of a prone Toji, who was practically heaving for air.
"Welp...back to the grind," said Kensuke, rising to his feet.
"Yeah," said Shinji with a weary nod.
(Little did they know that a smiling figure watched from afar, hissing with irritation; why hadn't the girl come with them, this time?! Angrily, it slithered away.)
xxxx
/Nishiawakura, Okayama Prefecture/
Akane Hasegawa waved her hand in front of Mayumi Yamagishi's eyes. "Hey."
Mayumi blinked. "Hmm?"
"You kind of zoned out there for a second."
"Oh. My apologies."
Akane sighed, leaning away from the daikon radish she had previously been inspecting. The two girls had coordinated to spend some time at the Farming Club's plot at the local junior high school, given that everyone else apparently had plans for the day.
"...are you irritated?" asked Akane.
"About what?"
"About not going into the Metaverse with your friends today," said Akane with a pout. Should've asked dad before he took off for work this morning. Then again, given the fallout from the Olympics...it was highly probable that he would be indisposed for the foreseeable future.
(It was one of those seminal moments in media, seeing a young man slaughter so many Olympic athletes with abandon; even as the broadcast quickly shifted to a news-style feed, she couldn't help but wonder what exactly was happening in Okayama. Given how quickly her father had left — telling her to stay at home until he got back — she could only imagine.)
"Should I be?" honestly asked Mayumi. "They all have cognitive abilities, and I don't."
"Doesn't mean you can't watch them."
"...but to what effect?"
Akane frowned, peering inquisitively at Mayumi's face. "...you seem different, today." She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but it was almost...unsettling? She couldn't put her finger on it as to why, though.
"...do I?" hesitantly asked Mayumi. "How so?"
"Not sure. You okay?"
"I'm fine."
"Even after hearing about what happened to your friends in Okayama?" Because seriously, she still hadn't gotten over the fact that footage had leaked of Shinji Ikari fighting Sho Minazuki in a yakuza fight club. (Seriously, what was up with Ikari? What had happened to him?!)
Mayumi sighed, looking at the thick flesh of a nearby aubergine; it seemed to reflect the shine of the daylight, so plump it was. "...it's not like I can do anything about that, can I? I'm just a civilian. The fact they're even willing to talk about such things with me is a privilege. And to be honest...it all seems kind of scary. I'd probably have my nose stuck in a book right now, if I were back in Tokyo-3...it'd help keep my mind off of things."
"I suppose I can see that," admitted Akane. "I guess...with my dad being who he is, the thought of that kind of stuff isn't as frightening to me."
"Being an A.T. Agent, you mean?"
"Not just that; even before that, he was pretty cool as a Community Police officer." With a prideful grin, she said, "did you know my dad actually helped catch a serial killer?"
Mayumi blinked with surprise.
xxxx
/Sojiro Sakura's Cafe/
Ren Amamiya blinked with surprise. "Is that what all of your regulars were gossiping about during the lunch rush?"
Sojiro Sakura nodded, his hands busy wiping a mug dry. "It's a story from even before the kid," meaning Shinji, "ever got here. But it was a big deal at the time. Made Hasegawa a bit of a minor celebrity." With a grimace, he put the mug away before grabbing another one to clean and dry. "Guess the carnage from yesterday have put the locals in a bit of a morbid mood, if they're talking about something that ancient."
Ren, instinctively sensing something juicy, promptly pulled up a chair. "Go on."
"Don't you still have tables to wipe?"
"I volunteered to help you cook today, not clean...unless you'd like to pay me," he said cheekily.
Sojiro snorted. "Wiseass punk." However, he let it slide. "Back in 2003, the world was still trying to make sense of everything that had happened since Second Impact. Some places became ghost towns over the course of a single night. The Anti-Terror Task Force hadn't even officially announced its existence yet...so you can imagine that policing resources were stretched thin, just trying to keep the peace. In retrospect, it wasn't shocking that a homicide report fell through the cracks."
"What happened?"
"Gruesome stuff. The wife of one of the younger couples in town went missing, and was found days later hanging from a tree in the woods. Most would have chalked it up to a suicide...were it not for the fact that her cheeks were cut open like a kuchisake-onna."
"A killer with a theme, huh?"
"Yeah. Hasegawa was the town's sole Community Police officer at the time, so he followed all the procedures. The prefectural police came in, took reports, asked questions, did their investigating...but couldn't find a perp. Honestly, given everything going on, I can imagine they didn't feel too concerned about one woman dying in a podunk village out in the countryside."
Ren frowned, resisting the urge to let 'colorful' thoughts about the police filter through his mind. "How lovely."
"Anyway, a couple of months after that, there was another death. Another young woman, found in the same circumstances: hanging, with her mouth slit open. That caused a bunch of the old fogeys at the time to start thinking an actual onryō was haunting us." Shrugging half-heartedly, he added, "given that vengeful Ghosts were a thing after Second Impact, it wasn't even that farfetched."
"But that's not what it was, was it?"
"Nope. The prefecture authorities came back in and did their thing. Still nothing. But this time, Hasegawa wasn't resting on his laurels; he did interviews of his own, started compiling a big picture. After all, he had a wife of his own and a young daughter, so they could have been potential victims as well."
"I bet that'd put a fire under him," remarked Ren.
"Hoo boy, did it ever. Five months after the first body was found, a third woman went missing. However, Hasegawa was able to track down the killer's movements...and caught her in the act, right in the middle of hanging the victim's body from a tree."
Ren blinked. "...'her'? The killer was a woman?"
Sojiro nodded glumly. "A damn shame, it was; the eldest daughter of one of the oldest families in the area, with roots going back generations. But an incident of Angel Syndrome from 2002 absolutely ruined them; her husband had become an Acolyte and killed their entire family, destroyed the home that had been in her family's for decades. She survived only because he dropped dead without warning." Putting the mug away, he added, "we wouldn't find out until much much later after the fact, but that was the work of an A.T. Agent destroying the man's Shadow. But it was well before the Task Force went public, so the more superstitious types thought she had been saved by the gods themselves. For all those who considered her cursed for being the sole survivor, others considered her blessed."
"...sounds rough."
"That woman continued on as though nothing had happened, tending to her family's plot of land...but that pain must have dug deep, and bloomed into something ugly. Cause those three girls she had killed? All childhood friends of hers."
Ren blinked dumbly. "...damn."
"Gotta say, the phrase 'misery loves company' hits a hell of a lot harder after that sordid mess."
"What happened to the killer?"
Sojiro shook his head. "Slit her throat right in front of Hasegawa's eyes before he could apprehend her."
"...damn."
"The prefectural police were called back in; they took pictures of the scene, scoured her residence, dug through the sheds located on her plot of land, and found circumstantial evidence tying her to the first two victims. Speculation about her motive didn't go anywhere, because she hadn't written anything down...so for all intents and purposes, the case was closed. Hasegawa was offered a promotion, but he apparently turned that down in favor of a one-time bonus so he could stay here. It turned him into a bit of a local hero: the man who took down the Kuchisake-onna Killer."
"...he hasn't brought it up before."
"It's honestly an old story by now; he's more well known as an A.T. Agent these days, and talking about that case only brings up a lot of pain for most who live here. Why dig up the past if there's no point than to pick at an old wound?"
"...fair enough."
xxxx
Mayumi gulped as Akane finished relaying the story of how Zenkichi Hasegawa had eventually found the Kuchisake-onna Killer. "...how terrible for those women."
"I guess so," admitted Akane with a shrug. "I only found out about it because of an odd comment from one of my teachers a few years back. I pestered my dad about it until he spilled the beans."
"...what for?"
"Because my dad took down a murderer! He turned out to be even cooler than I thought. I was proud of him."
"...but you were proud of him before, weren't you?" Mayumi looked around with a melancholy expression. "I guess...I'm more interested in knowing what happened to make the killer do what she did."
"...I guess that's fair."
"Do you think anyone can be driven to do those sorts of things?"
Akane frowned. "Hypothetically speaking, anyone can do anything. But why think about it in such a depressing way?"
"...I'm not sure. Maybe that's just how I think..." murmured Mayumi.
(Little did Akane know of the source of Mayumi's doldrums.)
(Little did Mayumi — or anyone else — know of the coling beast at the core of her being, slowly isolating her from all else...)
xxxx
Hirofumi Kurosawa was rather irritated, to put it mildly; his request to speak with members of NERV had been deferred to tomorrow, so his afternoon had been spent trying to deal with other leads...and that came with its own set of problems.
The lone roommate that wasn't accompanying Ikari on his summer vacation — Kaworu Nagisa — had yet to arrive back in Tokyo-3, given how utterly wretched traffic had been for those who had tried to flee Okayama during yesterday's bedlam. So he was out.
Kensuke Aida's father — Seigo — was an employee of NERV, and thus he wasn't available either.
Toji Suzuhara's custodian — Sae Niijima — was unavailable, and wasn't in Tokyo-3 at the moment as far as he was aware.
However, one particular avenue had been unveiled quite by happenstance, because Mayumi Yamagishi's parents were, fortunately, not employed by NERV whatsoever.
Hence why he found himself returning to the eastern shores of Lake Ashi, to an apartment complex near that of the Horaki Residence. Ringing the doorbell, he waited for someone to answer.
"Who is it?" inquired a man's voice from the interphone.
Flashing his badge towards the door camera, he answered, "Agent Hirofumi Kurosawa, of the Paranormal and Supernatural Countermeasure OFfice for the NPA's Public Security Division."
"Is there an issue?"
Kurosawa already decided that he didn't much like Mr. Yamagishi, because the tone of the man's voice evoked no surprise or concern. "There may or not be. I just have a few questions I'd like to ask."
Without saying another word, Mr. Yamagishi opened the door, standing aside to let him go by. Kurosawa took him in at a glance — short dark hair in a professional yet boring hairstyle, brown eyes which were...strange (but why, they looked normal) — before walking inside the apartment. Mrs. Yamagishi — long black hair tied into a simple ponytail, and eyes the color of chestnuts (eyes which also seemed strange, but why?) — was sitting on a couch, watching the television quietly. The whole scene seemed relatively normal...and yet...
"What are your questions?" asked Mr. Yamagishi, sitting down beside his wife. They both stared at him as though they were a united front.
Putting his mind away from the odd feeling at the base of his spine, Kurosawa sat down in an open chair and looked at them with an even-handed expression. "I'm conducting an investigation into one of your daughter's friends: a boy by the name of Shinji Ikari." There was no reaction to that name. "Has your daughter brought him around at all?"
"No. Our daughter doesn't bring people home," explained Mrs. Yamagishi.
"I see." He turned towards the husband. "Does she tend to keep her extracurricular activity outside of the home?"
"Mayumi is a good girl," said Mr. Yamagishi with a stony expression. "She's done nothing wrong."
"I'm not saying she herself is guilty of anything," assured Kurosawa. "But there are a lot of people who are concerned about Ikari, and I just want to make sure she's safe."
"Our daughter hasn't done anything wrong," insisted Mrs. Yamagishi. "She wouldn't do anything dangerous."
Kurosawa narrowed his eyes; the oddly subtle sensation in the back of his spine wouldn't leave him alone. He was tempted to simply take their obvious dismissals for what they were and just leave...
His Other quietly took aim.
"Eyes on the target."
...but with a grunt, he ignored that temptation and decided to do something different. "Maybe you don't know your daughter as well as you think. Teenagers tend to be pretty crafty."
"Mayumi is a good girl," repeated Mr. Yamagishi. "She's done nothing to warrant any suspicion."
"You sound pretty confident. Does she talk about her school life often?"
"She tends to keep to herself. But she hasn't gotten into trouble with anyone," said Mrs. Yamagishi.
Their tone's not changing at all, Kurosawa suddenly realized. Either they had the patience of Buddha, or...no, he couldn't draw any conclusions yet. "Is she struggling with her studies?"
"She does very well," answered the father.
"Is she dealing with any stress?"
"She's doing fine," insisted the mother.
"What's your form of employment?" inquired Kurosawa, suddenly switching tracks without warning. "Both of you."
Without even missing a beat, Mr. Yamagishi answered, "I drive a delivery truck."
"I deliver mail," added Mrs. Yamagishi.
No hesitation at all. A sudden swerve would have at least bewildered most people...but they had responded without hesitation, with all the efficiency of robots. Or automatons, driven by an algorithm. Hmm. Sensing a possible gambit, he threw out an obvious falsehood. "The reason I'm asking is that it turns out your daughter is a co-conspirator in the recent attacks at Okayama. Your daughter could be facing jail for a long time...maybe even the death penalty." Leaning forward, he intentionally put on a sneer and upped the derision. "How does it feel to have such a shameful daughter? How would your ancestors be able to stomach their family lines being stained with such an evil child bearing their name?" The utter corniness of it nearly made him gag.
Yet...there was no reaction like there should have been. No raising of the hackles, no widening eyes, no instinctive inhalation of breath; just those same dead stares. "Our daughter is a good girl," reiterated Mr. Yamagishi.
...something's wrong. Grimacing, Kurosawa rose to his feet. "I might get in touch with you later. Have a good evening."
"Have a good evening," calmly remarked Mrs. Yamagishi, as though he hadn't just labelled her daughter as a murderous terrorist.
Agent Kurosawa swiftly walked out of the apartment, the back of his mind buzzing with a strange tension; that whole encounter had been...strange. (Strange? You underselling it. That was downright bizarre.) As he left the apartment complex entirely, he hurriedly opened an application on his phone, rapidly pressing buttons so as to input a particular mission from the local A.T. Task Force. It would cost a bit, requesting a rush response...but the Yamagishis' whole demeanor demanded a welfare check of their Shadows. "...nothing can ever be simple when Evangelions are involved, can it?"
(The whole meeting with Mayumi Yamagishi's parents just didn't make sense.)
(What was that strange feeling when you began talking with them?)
xxxx
Little did Hirofumi Kurosawa know, but there was someone who knew exactly what that strange feeling was...to some extent, at least. Not on the level of conscious thought or active recognition...but on a simple understanding at the very level of the soul itself.
Mayumi Yamagishi knew that something was wrong with her parents.
She also knew that something was wrong with her.
Yet she could never speak of it, for she could not recognize what the depths of her being knew to be true.
Having turned in early for the night — claiming to be tuckered out from helping Akane Hasegawa with gardening that day — Mayumi was already asleep in her futon...or so it seemed.
Rumbling storm clouds.
"...this has been so lovely..." she unknowingly(?) whispered to herself.
The land, falling away.
"...even if it's been scary...or frightening..."
A herd of cats, huddling together for warmth.
"...these feelings...I never thought I'd experience them..."
All but one of the cats fleeing, sensing the presence of a predator.
"...but all good things come to an end..."
The lone cat sat quietly, watching as a great serpent emerged from the ground. The cat was resigned to what would come.
"I...don't know why...I'm like this..."
The coiling beast surrounding the ground whereupon the cat stood, ready to squeeze...or devour.
"...but I know...there's nothing that can be done..."
The beast, bearing no face, looked down at the cat.
"...I just wish it could have been longer..."
The beast spoke without a mouth. "Thy-loneliness-beckons...resign-thyself-to-our-fate..."
"...I...wish..." Murmuring to herself, Mayumi turned over in her futon, ignorant of why she felt so restless. Her quiet whispers trailed off into silent snores, her mind descending into a dreamless slumber.
(Just like every other time, she would awaken the next day with no memory of the words she had spoken.)
xxxx
END OF 8/10/2015
xxxx
Author's Notes: Magician is now at Rank 6!
And I'm sure that story about the Kuchisake-onna Killer won't have any ramifications in the near immediate future, no no no. :D
/it keeps being weird
/having Keel Lorenz as a Reasonable Authority Figure
/also darn it Armisael LEAVE MAYUMI ALONE