Sokila quietly dabbled paint onto a blank canvas.
"...I wonder what it's like, going on summer vacation?"
She painted a night sky with childish enthusiasm.
"I enjoyed that one day I was with you...but you also suffered a lot..."
Sighing, the young girl's brow furrowed with confusion.
"Were you always thinking of stuff like this...?"
The faint haze of blue began to brighten-
xxxx
/Sunday: August 23, 2015/
/Northeastern Shores of Lake Kawaguchi, Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture/
Shinji Ikari awoke to the sound of a high-pitched scream. Immediately sitting up (and feeling something strangely-shaped fall off his chest...?), he looked over to see Toji Suzuhara dancing madly away. "What-?"
"B-B-B-BUG!" retorted Toji, pointing with a flustered expression at the grass they had all been sleeping in. "ON MY FACE!"
Blinking slowly, Shinji looked down and to his left; sure enough, a Japanese rhinoceros beetle — the vaunted kabutomushi — was idly walking along. Another one was on his abdomen, its legs wiggling ineffectually as it tried to right itself. "Oh."
"Gee, that's all?" sleepily remarked Mana Kirishima, pulling another rhino beetle off of her face. "We used to make 'em fight a lot whenever we came across a few..."
Kensuke Aida blinked, feeling something in his hair; pulling a rhino beetle off, he gently set it onto the grass. "Guess LABRYS didn't feel like keeping these away from us..."
"...knowing her, she'd probably find it funny," muttered Mana.
"Well good for her," growled Toji, stomping his foot onto the gravelly sand for emphasis. "But waking up to a beetle about to crawl into your mouth is not cool!"
"Maybe that'll teach you not to snore," snarked Kensuke.
xx
Mayumi Yamagishi, it must be said, had not risen. She was, however, wide awake. Mostly because, like Suzuhara, she too had a kabutomushi walking on her face. Unlike Suzuhara, she was frozen stiff, unable to move...until Rei Ayanami came to her rescue, quietly pulling the beetle off of her. "Thank you," she quietly whispered, feeling at her face nervously.
"You are welcome," replied Rei, seemingly uncaring for the rhino beetle perched on her shoulder. The blunette quietly ran a finger over the beetle's carapace, looking at it intently.
Moments later, all six rhino beetles took to the air, their flapping wings sounding like helicopter blades as they made for their nearby forest at the edge of the lakeshore.
xx
Ren Amamiya appeared moments later near the walkway leading from the beach to the public parking lot, calling for them to head on over. Despite feeling just a bit worn down and odd from sleeping in grass on a summer night, the overall mood was one of being...refreshed.
(As Rei Ayanami walked near the rear, she paused before passing by Amamiya. "...why did you put beetles on all of us?" she said, waiting until the others were out of earshot.)
(Ren simply pushed his glasses against the bridge of his nose for dramatic effect. "Because it was funny.")
("...how juvenile.")
("Well, I did spend time in juvie once," he quietly joked back.)
The HiAce rumbled to life once they were all inside. Once back on the road and over the bridge, they eventually veered onto the E68 Road that served as a bypass between Yamanashi and Shizuoka Prefectures; Mount Fuji served as an ever-present landmark to their right as they drove, its slopes catching more and more of the rising sun from the east. Eventually, they merged back onto National Route 138, crossing through Gotemba. It widened into more lanes as they exited the city; one of the many changes wrought by the transformation of Hakone into Tokyo-3. Instead of winding through a complicated mountain road, they drove straight through a mountainside that had been blasted through in years past.
"Wonder what could have justified such a crazy demolition project," wondered Ren aloud.
"For the sake of Tokyo-3, many things were justified," cryptically said Rei.
Shinji had no idea what to make of that.
Alas, after less than an hour of driving, they cleared the rim of the Hakone Caldera, driving downward towards Tokyo-3.
"Ah...home sweet home," remarked Kensuke with a weary smile, taking in the sight of the downtown area and Lake Ashi glistening in the morning sun.
'Home', Shinji repeated in his mind. Armed with the fullness of hindsight, Nishiawakura now occupied that status in his mind, if only because of Sakura-sensei. Tokyo-3...was merely the place where he went to school, and where his father lived.
He wondered if this city would ever feel like 'home'.
xxxx
As Amamiya pulled the HiAce up along the curb, NERV Headquarters loomed large over them all. "Well, this is probably where you guys need to be let out."
Shinji nodded, looking at the brief text logs he had shared with Misato that morning. "Misato-san and Sakamoto-san should be here within the hour."
"Then you should probably get going," explained the lone high school student.
As Shinji, Mana, Mayumi, Kensuke, Toji, and Rei disembarked from the HiAce, a question came to Aida's mind. "Hey, what about all of our stuff?"
"I'll drop it off where it needs to go; besides, I gotta return this van. Wasn't expecting to be back until September, after all; I might get at least a bit of a refund."
"...you not coming with us?" asked Toji with a blink. "I mean, you were with us the entire time!"
"True. But is there anything that I could say that you kids, Katsuragi, and Sakamoto-san wouldn't be able to cover?"
"But it's...it's about solidarity, and stuff! We're probably gonna be stuck in there for hours!"
Toji's complaint elicited a thoughtful hum from Amamiya. "A very true statement. Here's my rebuttal." He promptly rolled the driver's side window up and merged back into a gap in traffic.
Everyone stared rather mutely as the trusty rental van rumbled on its way, until Suzuhara loudly protested, "That's not cool, senpai! Not cool!"
"Does it really matter?" remarked Mana, shrugging to adjust the weight of LABRYS and AIGIS on her back. "We're here. So let's get it over with."
"...I don't think I've ever been inside NERV Headquarters before," murmured Mayumi, looking suddenly intimidated by the height of the skyscraper.
Kensuke sagely explained, "Trust us to be your friendly guides, then! Two things of note: Dr. Ritsuko Akagi is a slavedriver who'll probably scan you several times over for the sake of redundancy...and whatever you do, try not to do anything to catch Gendo Ikari's attention."
Mayumi caught the name and its significance, looking intently towards Shinji. "His father? But why?"
"...if you see him, you'll understand," muttered Shinji, already drawing the inevitable comparisons between Sojiro Sakura and Gendo Ikari in his mind.
Rei quietly stepped away from the road, saying, "Let's not dally. The sooner we enter, the sooner it'll be over."
"Way to make it sound like an unpleasant medical procedure," grumbled Toji.
"That's because it kind of is," joked Kensuke.
xxxx
Sure enough, their arrival had not gone unnoticed, because Ritsuko Akagi and a bunch of her subordinates were ready to wheel them away to various parts of NERV.
Shinji had a distinct feeling that life had it in for him, because his first stop was — what else? — The Tube™.
Joy, he thought sarcastically to himself, managing to school his face into a stoic expression. He had at least a few hours of boredom to look forward to, with nothing but his own thoughts for company...that, and whatever he could manage to wheedle out of Dr. Akagi in terms of conversational topics.
(July the 30th: as they were wrapping up his most recent spiriological scan, he'd had a rather 'enlightening' conversation with Dr. Akagi about the MAGI and her mother, with brief asides into the reality of death. "...kid, you have to get used to the fact that people die. A lot of people seem to forget that, but everyone dies eventually. If they realized that, maybe they'd stop clinging to the dead so much and focus on the living. But in this place, that's asking the impossible.")
Those words hit differently now, than they had back then...
xx
Mayumi Yamagishi and Mana Kirishima were both directed into the care of Dr. Sayoko Uehara and her subordinates, among which included nurse Tae Takemi. "Is...something wrong with us?" asked Mayumi.
"Probably," casually remarked Takemi, taking some preliminary notes. "You're here, after all."
"Don't scare the poor dears," chided Dr. Uehara, looking at the girls with a warm yet distant expression. "Mana-san, being not only a more physically-inclined combatant, but also the subject of illegal experimentation, is someone we already have a vested interest in keeping track of."
"Gee, way to make me feel better," groused Mana.
"The extent to which your bond with AIGIS and LABRYS affects your physiology is a long-term concern; it's only reasonable for us to check on you periodically to ensure you're still developing normally." Dr. Uehara then turned towards Mayumi. "As for you, Yamagishi-san...well, you were apparently bound to an Angel for an untold number of years. Establishing a physiological baseline is imperative for us, in light of your recent awakening as a Persona-user." When Mayumi looked worryingly at the other medical personnel, Dr. Uehara added, "we all have the needed security clearance, if that's what you're wondering about. It comes with the territory."
Not exactly what I was worried about, thought Mayumi with a grimace.
Nurse Takemi chuckled at her obvious distress. "You could ask Ikari-kun; he would tell you that our behavior is completely professional."
Somehow, Mayumi doubted that. Still...a checkup was a checkup. When was the last time I had one...?
"We just had a doctor's visit last week," griped Mana.
...oh, that's right...
xx
Kensuke Aida and Toji Suzuhara found themselves in one of NERV's many training rooms.
"We want to update our records on your abilities," remarked one of the many technicians in NERV's employ (who Kensuke was only somewhat embarrassed to say he had forgotten the name of), speaking over the intercom. "After you shift into the Metaverse, you'll be facing select waves of Archetypes. I recommend that you summon your Personas immediately."
"More fighting," grumbled Toji. "What fun."
"Honestly, compared to the life-or-death struggles we've been dealing with since the new moon, letting loose actually sounds fun."
Kensuke's point elicited a thoughtful hum from Toji. "...that's a good point."
"Heck, we could even use this opportunity to practice some more team attacks!"
"...okay, I'm sold." Toji began cracking his knuckles. "Let's bash some heads!"
Kensuke gave his old friend a stink eye. "Could you be more stereotypical?"
"Hey, I'm just trying to get into the mood! I'm not some cognitive-battle junkie like you are."
"Okay, just because I like stuff related to the A.T. Task Force does not make me some kind of blood knight!"
"Could've fooled me."
Their bickering continued even as they were manually shifted into the Metaverse...and then the training began.
xxxx
The proceedings of the day were interrupted by lunch in the cafeteria, by which point Misato Katsuragi and Ryuji Sakamoto had made it back to Tokyo-3.
"So...anything unusual, thus far?" asked Misato.
Mana shrugged. "Same stuff as what those doctors in Mimasaka said."
"Likewise," said Mayumi.
"Guess we'll have to wait for your spiriological scans then." Looking at the trio of Shinji, Toji, and Kensuke, Misato frowned. "Where's Amamiya?"
"He ditched us," grumbled Toji as he nibbled at his tempura skewers. "Lousy no-good senpai..."
Ryuji raised an eyebrow. "Where'd he go?"
"He said he was going to drop all of our stuff off before returning the van," explained Kensuke.
"...but where, exactly?" asked Misato.
xxxx
/Three Hours Ago/
Pen-Pen, with the aid of a stool and other precariously-placed furniture, opened the door to Misato's apartment. "Wark."
Ren Amamiya stared intently at the penguin. "I have a bunch of luggage and summer vacation souvenirs to drop off, and this was the closest place I could think of. Do you mind?"
"Wark." Pen-Pen hopped off, waddling back towards the couch to watch the latest developments in the financial markets.
"I'll take that as permission granted."
xxxx
Kensuke shrugged. "Got me. I figured we'd find out soon enough as is; it's not like he was going to dump it off."
"He'd better not have junked Kitagawa's drawing," growled Mana.
Right as they were finishing lunch, Misato, Shinji, Rei, and Kensuke received messages on their phones, all saying the same thing. "...we have a meeting after lunch," explained Misato. "Something about an update regarding NERV's status as it relates to the government."
"...then we'd best wrap this up," said Sakamoto, devouring the rest of his seaweed salad.
Ten minutes later, the cluster of two adults and six teenagers made their way to a small conference room, with three rows of long tables and chairs arranged in a manner similar to a university classroom; the projector and canvas hanging over a whiteboard helped to cement that image. "So...any idea what this meeting could be about?" asked Toji.
"It if it has to do with the government, then it might have to do with the legal status of NERV's charter," speculated Kensuke.
Sakamoto nodded, propping up his cane onto the long desk. "Pretty good guess. A lot of governmental entities have simply ceased to be."
"...so who's delivering the-?" Shinji's question was aborted mid-sentence by the entrance of Gendo Ikari. "...meeting..." (He hadn't seen his father's face in nearly a month.)
(Yet it doesn't feel long enough, does it?)
Gendo quietly looked in their direction, taking them in at a glance. "I've heard that your trip was rather eventful."
"...that's putting it mildly, Commander Ikari," diplomatically replied Misato.
Gendo looked tellingly towards Ayanami. "Rei: have you sensed any change in Angel activity since the desolation of Tokyo-2?"
Rei didn't react to his remark, staring for a few seconds before answering, "Not to the same degree."
"Then perhaps the pattern of increasingly minimal Pattern Blue readings will hold as we approach the full moon. It will allow the country time to manage the sudden change in administration." Surprisingly, Gendo towards Mayumi. "Mayumi Yamagishi: the girl who was bound to an Angel, underneath all of our noses."
Mayumi impulsively squirmed underneath his opaque gaze. "Um...yes...?"
"Fascinating." Ignoring the odd looks coming in his direction, he pulled out a remote for the projector; as the lights dimmed, a map of Japan — split on prefectural lines — appeared on the canvas. "Given the sudden loss of the national government, the Prefectural Governors are trying to implement a new constitution that maintains much of the same civil structure as before; the caveat being that matters which were once handled at the national level will now default to the prefectural level. However, that matter is irrelevant compared to the reason why we're having this meeting." A click of the remote, and the image changed to a scanned photograph of a bald man with similarly colored shades, albeit not quite as opaque or intimidating as Gendo's. "The provisional President, Masayoshi Shido, is seeking to implement greater governmental oversight over how individuals with cognitive and metaphysical capabilities are deployed. Since NERV, the Anti-Terror Task Force, and numerous other private entities now have to renew their charters with the provisional government, there's a concerted attempt at trying to rein such organizations in."
"...how come?" asked Toji.
"The writing was on the wall after the casualties during the July New Moon. The Annihilation of Korea and the Desolation of Tokyo-2 only solidified the opinion of many that the relative lack of state oversight over how we respond to threats like Strega and the Angels could no longer be countenanced. To that end, a proposal was delivered to my desk this morning." He pulled a sheaf of papers out of his coat pocket, holding it with gloved hands. "Signed by the Governor of Kanagawa Prefecture, it — in so many words — is a demand that all of NERV's assets are to be deployed at the will and directive of the governmental authorities, complete with a new chain of command going all the way up to the confederate level. The effective date will be upon the passing of the new constitution next month...and I highly doubt that the initiative will fail to pass."
Mana snorted. "Figures...I thought we were done with this shit..."
It seemed that, even with Kurosawa no longer among the living, there were others who were of a similar mindset. (The more things changed, the more they stayed the same.) "...so what does it mean for us?" asked Shinji.
"For you and your peers who have operated under NERV's auspices? Nothing." With a detached nonchalance, Gendo Ikari pulled out a lighter and set the governor's proposal alight.
"The eff...?" murmured Sakamoto under his breath.
"Uh...it's on fire," said Kensuke with a dumbfounded expression.
"I noticed," dryly said Gendo, letting the fire spread further before dropping the burning papers onto the laminated floor. With a foreboding stomp, he crushed it beneath his heel, snuffing the fire out. Grinding his shoe and crushing the burned fragments into ash, he stated "I want to be perfectly clear with you: governmental squabbles and political power games will always be a factor, given the abilities you possess. However, in the face of existential threats like Strega and the Angels they serve, you have more important things to worry about than the schemes of such...petty men."
(Unbeknownst to them all, Rei successfully stifled the urge to scoff at such rank hypocrisy, as she saw it.)
Gendo calmly stated "So long as you operate under NERV's umbrella, that will not change. With that said...exercise caution, should you find yourself on a mission outside of Tokyo-3." Stuffing his hands back into his pockets, the Commander turned away. "You're dismissed." Without another word, Gendo Ikari left.
"...not sure that was worth such a short 'meeting'," grumbled Sakamoto, looking distinctly put off by the display.
"He's basically saying that NERV will have our back should something go awry. That's something, given all of the recent craziness," observed Misato, trying to find a bright spot.
Without warning, Shinji rose to his feet, walking after his father like a man possessed. "Um...I need to talk with him about something."
Misato waved him off. "I'll let Ritsky know."
Bowing slightly, Shinji left the room.
xx
Mayumi couldn't help but shiver as the intimidating presence of Gendo Ikari faded away from the conference room. "...Aida-san."
"Yeah?" replied Kensuke.
"I think I understand what you were talking about, now." The Commander seemed to seethe with a strange — almost inhuman — intensity.
"I know, right?! The guy's intimidating!"
xxxx
Shinji actually managed to catch up with his father as he was stepping into an elevator. After a brief moment of hesitation, he stepped into the elevator, standing by the man's side.
"And what exactly would you like to talk about?" asked Gendo. "There's no reason you would follow me otherwise."
"...can we wait until we get to your office?" He doggedly said, trying to cut down on his impulsive responses (to be silent; to quail; to mutter and grumble, to wonder 'why wouldn't I want to talk with you, I'm your son').
Gendo simply arched an eyebrow, saying nothing more as he keyed in the buttons for the floor with his office. The next minute was spent in utter silence that would've felt awkward, if Shinji hadn't already expected it. (And wasn't that a commentary?) When the doors opened, he quietly followed his father, ignoring the questioning look from the secretary sitting by his office doors. As they entered his office, Shinji impulsively grimaced at the darkness that pervaded his office. "Why do you sit in the dark? Doesn't it hurt your eyes?"
His father stepped behind the desk, becoming illuminated once more by his monitors; the effect it had on his shades was to render his expression utterly opaque. "Curious that you ask this question now, after the times you've been in here. Your summer vacation must have been quite...interesting."
"...that would be putting it mildly, sir."
"And yet none of that changes the reality that whatever escapades you got up to don't change how you or I feel. Or have you come to an epiphany during your time away?"
"..." Why is it so hard for me to talk with him?
"...no words?" Gendo quietly asked. "Then I'll make it simple: you have one chance. Tell me something that you learned that you think is worth my time. If it's not...then there's no point in continuing this conversation."
Shinji grimaced, his hands impulsively tightening around his knees. What kind of standard is that? What would I even say?! There was just so much he could talk about: the strangeness regarding his own memories of Nishiawakura, his interactions with Strega, the attack by Minako, everything involving Armisael...and yet...in the end, only one thing came to mind. "...I learned about Third Impact."
Gendo went still; the very air within his office seemed to die, taking away all sound and all semblance of life. It was akin to suddenly finding himself within a vacuum...until the effect vanished, as his father grinned. "You're not referring to a hypothetical repeat of Second Impact...no, you're talking about the actual one, aren't you?"
"...I know that the world we live in...the reality that we think is real...is a mutual creation of mankind, formed from the Collective Unconscious and the Sea of Souls."
Gendo leaned back, looking inordinately pleased. "And how exactly did such a scenario come about? Do you know?"
He knows, thought Shinji with a grimace. He knows as well. (What could that imply?) "...the power of ADAM and LILITH was placed into the hands of one called God. They brought mankind to an end...but for whatever reason, they didn't like what happened. They left, leaving an empty Throne...and the Sea of Souls was born in their absence."
As he spoke, Gendo's grin faded, replaced by his standard: a cool apathy, just slightly warmer than ice. "So your knowledge is still incomplete...I see."
Shinji was just cultivated enough to understand his implication. "...you remember past timelines, don't you?"
"Not just past 'timelines', boy; I remember life in the real world, before Third Impact."
Shinji blinked, feeling an unnerving hunger grow inside of him. "Then...do you know why I am the way I am?" Looking down at his right hand, he continued, "it wasn't until I was back with Sakura-sensei...that I realized just how good life was in Nishiawakura. Yet until I went back, I didn't remember any of it. It all seemed...like an illusion, that wasn't real...and I don't know why...!" His right hand clenched into a fist. "And my mother...the way she disappeared, where no one knows why...I just feel like she's connected somehow, because I can't help but feel that you loved her-!"
SLAM.
"Don't speak of 'love', you petulant child," coldly said Gendo; his palm was flat against his desk, which still vibrated(?) from the force of his hand. "Not when your own memory is still...lacking."
"Then tell me!" yelled Shinji, asking for — demanding — clarity. "Why can't I remember? Why, whenever I bring up mother, do you act so...disgusted? What did she do to make you hate her?!"
"You're all over the place," stoically retorted Gendo. "What exactly is it that you want to know?"
"...I want to know why...I want to know the 'why', for so many things...because if I just keep stumbling along, I won't be able to protect my friends, I won't be able to become stronger, I won't be able to become...who I want to be...!" Looking back up at his father, he asked, "You know so much more than you're letting on...so why not tell me...?"
"Because that would ruin the point."
"What point?!" When Gendo didn't answer, Shinji tried to reclaim his emotions (even as his Other held him back; even as the Beast goaded him on), whispering, "...Sakura-sensei would have at least tried to help me...so why not you...?"
Gendo's sneer was audible. "Wishing for a change in parenthood? I could certainly make that happen. It would remove you from my sight, and it would doubtless make you happier...so why not? A mutually beneficial exchange."
A small part of Shinji — bitter and angry and sad — wanted to agree. The rest — confused, determined, impossibly hopeful — recoiled at the possibility. "That would just be running away..."
"And that persistence of yours would lead you off the edge of the cliff...and you wouldn't care, even if you drag the rest of the world with you..." Gendo's smirk had a strangely bitter yet nostalgic flavor to it. "Like looking into a mirror...to let that which we want most drive us to madness, even when there's no rational chance of success...cultivating the will to stand fast against the world itself...only to realize that in the end, it all amounts to nothing..." Looking back at him, the man chuckled, inflecting every sound with contempt. "What a miserable creature that would be; and yet what would be worse than one who finally gained what they wanted, only to recoil at the forbidden fruit they had craved for so long?"
"...what are you talking about...?"
The air of mania finally receded, and Gendo Ikari was once more the epitome of cool detachment. "Keep searching for the answers to the mysteries you find so intriguing...perhaps you'll finally attain to the insight you claim to desire...and then, perhaps, you'll understand."
Just like that, Shinji sensed that the conversation would go no further. "...okay then..." Sighing with remorse, he walked away; feeling on the one hand that he understood his father both more...and less than before. "I...I'll try to make you proud, father..."
He didn't expect an answer.
What he heard was a snort of disbelief.
Despite it all, Shinji only wished that he could have felt surprise...and that, in retrospect, was the most disheartening fact of all.
With a weary exhale of breath, he departed his father's office without another word.
Right as Shinji opened the elevator, he blinked at the sight of Rei Ayanami standing in the car. "Ayanami-san?"
"There was a sudden influx of assignments on the Mission Board," she explained, holding up her phone. "Would you mind assisting me? The reallocation of forces to the ruins of Tokyo-2 after the Fog of Desolation have left other regions short-staffed."
"...sure," he said, feeling a sudden desire to get out of NERV HQ as soon as possible.
As Rei stepped out, she briefly glanced down the hall, towards the entrance to Gendo Ikari's office. "How did your discussion with the Commander go?" Whatever his expression morphed into, it was enough for Rei to nod. "I see."
Mentally preparing to undergo the synchronization of mind, body, and spirit needed to shift between dimensions, he remarked, "Is it wrong that I wish I was still on summer vacation...?"
"...it is an understandable sentiment," admitted Rei. "We can start with Ghost subjugation and dispersal missions in Yamanashi Prefecture."
Shinji couldn't help but shake his head. "It feels like we were just there..."
The duo of Evangelion-users faded into static, and then they were off.
xxxx
As for the others? Well...
xx
Toji Suzuhara stared glumly at Dr. Sayoko Uehara and her assistants. "I feel like we just had a hospital visit..."
"Because a rural hospital is going to be on par with our equipment," sarcastically said Dr. Uehara.
Kensuke Aida patted his friend on the shoulder. "Look on the bright side: we could be spending time in The Tube™."
xx
"...so...do I just...lie here...?" asked Mayumi Yamagishi, hands folded into her lap. Her voice sounded oddly hollow within the translucent cylinder.
"That's the general idea," remarked Dr. Ritsuko Akagi, her voice sounding somewhat tinny over the speaker built into the large spiriological scanner.
Mana Kirishima, situated in another translucent tube within the room, couldn't help but snort audibly. "It's all pretty boring."
"...in my normal clothes, and everything?"
Dr. Akagi raised an eyebrow. "Why do you ask?"
"Um...it just seems like this is the sort of equipment that I would be stripping down for, to minimize interference? That seems to be the usual trope with science-fiction scanners like this..."
"...this isn't science-fiction. This is reality. And why would a scanner built to observe and analyze the soul be affected by physical matter?"
"...oh. Right."
Dr. Akagi sighed. "Can't believe they somehow found someone who shares brain cells with Aida..."
Mayumi flushed with embarrassment.
"...people can share brain cells?" asked Mana, with utter sincerity. "How would that even work?"
Ritsuko groaned audibly.
xxxx
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the city, Ren Amamiya was quietly walking back towards the grounds of Hakone Academy.
Returning the Toyota HiAce (may that trusty warhorse live forever!) had gone without a hitch...
(A few employees of the rental lot had gone over the HiAce with a fine-toothed comb, comparing its current condition with how it had been at the end of July. In the end, they had one pertinent question. "What are these odd indents on the undercarriage?" a stern-faced man had asked, showing pictures of what looked like...exaggerated handprints. Remembering that Trismegistus and Seiten Taisei had literally carried the HiAce away from the Ai Ferry, he could only offer a perfectly-executed Shrug of Apathy™.)
...well, mostly. Can't really fault them, though...farewell, my beloved security deposit...
He didn't mind walking, because it allowed him time to get his thoughts in order. As his mind churned and put the events of the Road Trip (because thinking of it without capital letters was just wrong, given everything that had happened), he idly pulled out his phone to text a certain someone.
-Me, Myself, and My Rival-
A. Kurusu: yo
A. Kurusu: back in Tokyo-3
(This little chat group was an odd relic, of sorts: the only reminder of the name he remembered using for literal decades.)
(And now, you've become quite comfortable going by the name of 'Ren Amamiya'...)
The response came back relatively quickly.
Pancake Boy: What the hell did you and those brats get up to?
(Because why not label his username in this chat group as 'Pancake Boy'?)
Pancake Boy: A 'simple road trip', you said.
Pancake Boy: 'Nothing bad will happen', you said.
A. Kurusu: the kids got brought back in one piece
A. Kurusu: mission accomplished as far as I'm concerned, given everything that happened
Pancake Boy: The fact such an excursion was even authorized is utterly vexing.
A. Kurusu: just cuz you keep having crappy luck with childhood doesn't mean other kids can't try and have one
(A low blow? Possibly.)
Pancake Boy: You're trying to take the piss out of me.
A. Kurusu: I might be =D
Pancake Boy: Damned attic trash.
(Akechi gave as good as he got, so they were still good.)
A. Kurusu: how you handling the whole 'President Shido' thing?
Pancake Boy: ...
A. Kurusu: that bad huh
Pancake Boy: And how did *you* handle Sakamoto?
A. Kurusu: with the grace of a swan and the charm of a gentleman thief
Pancake Boy: Be serious.
A. Kurusu: humor's how I handle serious stuff
A. Kurusu: it's like you don't know me :(
Pancake Boy: I hate you.
Pancake Boy: We need to rendezvous and coordinate soon.
A. Kurusu: if you wanted to hang out you can just say it
The chat window showed that Akechi had logged out.
Smirking, Ren pocketed his phone. Still got it. That little excursion had gobbled enough time that he had made it back to the Academy grounds. It was oddly nostalgic, stepping back onto the large premises of Hakone Academy...but alas, he knew a long night was ahead of him. At least most of the students are still going to be off the campus until September; we still have two weeks until school starts back up. With hands stuffed in his pocket, Ren quietly entered the Vulcanus Dorms, taking the stairs up to the third floor. Swiping his card, he opened the door to Room 4 and walked inside.
Sure enough, Minato Arisato and Yu Narukami were waiting for him. "So...that was a pretty eventful road trip."
Minato's dry comment elicited a hearty snort from Ren. "That's putting it mildly."
"You up for giving us the details?"
"It depends." Ren turned towards Yu, who was opening three large plastic bags. "I've done a lot of driving recently..."
"There's a place I found that offers a food challenge," he explained, pulling out chopsticks and three large styrofoam bowls. "The S-Day Special, only available on weekends."
Ren grimaced at the weight, popping off the lid; it looked like a rice bowl...but just barely. "How much chicken, beef, and pork did they stack on this...?"
Minato quietly snapped open his own chopsticks. Yu simply said, "if nothing else...you'll have plenty of fuel to make it through the night."
Ren smirked. "...well, can't deny that."
Sitting down at their respective desks, the boys chanted "Itadakimasu"; as they chowed down, Ren proceeded to tell of the Road Trip in grandiose detail.
xxxx
After several stops, Shinji and Rei's round of missions concluded atop Mount Fuji.
As Shogoki stomped a Ghost into spiritual smithereens, Shinji couldn't help but feel...perturbed. "Ayanami-san..."
"Yes, Ikari-kun?" she said, watching quietly as Zerogoki tore through the last two Ghosts.
(He had noticed that, when no one else was present, she called him 'Ikari-kun' instead of 'Ikari-san'. Strangely enough, there was no romantic sentiment...so far as he could tell.) "...does it seem like these Ghosts have been more durable than usual?"
"It is something I have noticed since the last new moon," she explained. "I do not know if it is universal, or if it was something unique to those I faced."
"Should we inform Dr. Akagi?"
"Yes. She will share the information with the proper parties and correlate it with other reports since the last new moon."
Nodding, Shinji turned towards the western rim of Mount Fuji; the view was somewhat intimidating, especially in light of how the sun had set beyond the western horizon. Places not covered by clouds were lit by manmade lights...which made any gaps signifying Cognitive Dead Zones more conspicuous by comparison. "It's strange...from this high up, you'd think that nothing's changed..."
"Political upheavals are only to be expected in a time of chaos and disorder," explained Ayanami with the tone of one who had seen it all. "Such concerns are minor, relative to our duty."
"...but what if those political upheavals affect us?"
"Then we will deal with them as they come." Glancing back at him, her eyes seemed unnaturally bright amidst the encroaching darkness of night. "...are you doing well?"
Shinji shrugged, because what did it even mean to 'do well' in light of recent events? "I'm...I'm trying."
"...I suppose that's all one can ask for," she murmured, with that strangely knowing tone.
(He wanted to inquire with her about the state of the world, of reality. He wanted to let her know about what he and the rest of Team Statherós had learned within the Velvet Room.)
(...now's not the time. Confer with your friends, first...)
"...should we head back for now?" asked Shinji.
"Yes."
The Third Child took one last look of the Japanese countryside, feeling somewhat invigorated by the crisp air at this high altitude, as well as the distant beauty of the environment. (Somehow, he felt like he had gotten closer with Ayanami-san as well...)
xxxx
Back in Tokyo-3, everyone had been dismissed for the day, with strict orders from Dr. Akagi to return the following day for follow-ups regarding their various scans.
Misato Katsuragi had departed with Mana and Mayumi.
(The bespectacled girl had briefly made a move to simply take public transportation back to her apartment...until, as if struck by lightning, she remembered her current circumstances. "Oh...right..." With a subdued demeanor, Mayumi quietly followed Misato and Mana to where she had parked her Alpine Renault.)
Ryuji Sakamoto had left by himself.
("I'll get in touch with you soon to set up a training session," explained Ryuji, patting Toji on the shoulders. "In the meantime, rest up. You've had a busy summer, after all..." Without another word, Sakamoto hobbled off towards his motorcycle.)
With Rei heading elsewhere into NERV, that left Shinji, Kensuke, and Toji.
The trio opted to walk back to Hakone Academy, taking in the sights of Tokyo-3. The city carried a strange sensation, now; after being away for what felt like forever (even though it had been less than a month!), the place seemed strangely fresh and nostalgic in equal measure.
"Does it feel odd to say that I missed this place?" asked Toji.
"Nope. The familiarity is nice," said Kensuke with a grin.
"...it feels strange, after being in Nishiawakura for so long," remarked Shinji.
"Well duh," said Toji with a snort. "Coming from a country town like that, I can hardly blame ya for being so withdrawn when you first transferred."
"...I wasn't that bad, was I...?"
"You kind of were," joked Kensuke.
Similar banter sounded between the trio as they eventually reached the grounds of Hakone Academy. The abundant greenery (at least, by urban standards) within the school's courtyards served as a balm to Shinji's soul; inhaling deeply, he found himself somewhat mollified by the familiarity. "At least the Academy seems the same..."
"...you think they're gonna cancel the upcoming term?" seriously asked Toji. "You know, what with the whole government going bye-bye?"
"Why would it?" asked Kensuke. "The cognitive regularity imposed by this kind of routine is pretty robust. Why imperil that?"
"Ah, but it makes no sense!" griped Toji. "Why are they makin' us go to school when it could be the end of the world at any given moment?!"
Kensuke adjusted his glasses with faux sagacity. "Better minds than yours or mine have tried to decipher this mystery, Toji."
As Shinji thought about it, the current nature of the world came to mind. "...what if it's simpler than that?" When the other two looked curiously at him, he elaborated, "well...if our current world is born from the collective mind and spirit and humanity...maybe they still went to school in reality after Second Impact, all the way up until Third Impact." (In the innermost parts of his mind, idle memories of another school — with the same uniform as Hakone Academy, yet structured quite differently — quietly percolated, unknown and unseen.) "Maybe that's why school keeps going, no matter what happens...?"
"...an interesting hypothesis," murmured Kensuke. "Plausible, too."
"Then if people still made kids go to school in the 'real world'," said Toji with air quotes, "they were stupid too."
Privately, Shinji couldn't argue with that. (But then you'd have nothing to pull you away from doing nothing but fighting all the time...)
As they entered the Izanagi Dorms, the overall quiet of the place hit them hard; doubtless, most of the student body was still absent on their own summer vacations. Even so, they stoically made their way to the second floor, reaching the familiar doorway to Room 23. Swiping the card, they stepped inside...
"Welcome back."
...and were greeted by Kaworu Nagisa; sitting at his desk, the ashen-haired boy turned his crimson gaze towards them. "It feels like it's been forever since we've last laid eyes on each other. Did you all enjoy your summertime romance?"
"And just like that, the mood's ruined," griped Toji, stepping towards his bunk.
"What? What did I say?" curiously asked Kaworu. "Did you engage in fanciful adventures fit for chivalrous heroes?"
"I don't think that's what most people think of when you say 'romance'," remarked Kensuke, looking around with a curious eye. "...hey Shinji, I thought Amamiya-senpai said he was dropping our stuff off?"
Looking down at his phone, Shinji noticed a few texts that had been sent whilst they had been walking back. "...Misato-san says that he apparently dropped everything off at her apartment."
"That cheapskate!" protested Toji.
"And...done," said Kaworu out of the blue, closing his notebook.
"...done...?" repeated Shinji. "Done with what?"
Flashing them all a beatific grin, Kaworu answered, "Why, my summer homework, of course!"
Just like that, all of the energy was sucked out of the trio.
"Summer homework...?" dumbly echoed Toji.
"...oh crap, we haven't even started on our summer assignments," said Kensuke with dawning horror.
Just like, the two quickly scrambled towards the desks, pulling out books and notepads to try and remember what they were supposed to do. Tiredly sighing, Shinji lethargically copied them, slipping into the chair at his desk.
Kaworu grinned at the sudden burst of manic chaos and tired weariness that his roommates exhibited. "I missed you all too!"
They didn't get much done that night...but tomorrow was another day.
xxxx
END OF 8/23/2015
xxxx
Author's Note: So after 24 days, the main party is back in Tokyo-3.
- Ren lived up to his Trickster nature with one last road trip prank for his kouhai.
- Everyone on Team Statherós had to go through the rounds at NERV upon their return.
- Gendo made it clear *exactly* what he thinks about the new government in terms of its demands on NERV.
- After a tense one-on-one between father and son, Shinji's Devil Social Link is now at Rank 6.
- While Shinji and Rei do some missions, Ren caught up with Akechi (who's less than pleased about Shido becoming a national figure *yet again*)
- And in spite of everything else...summer school assignments still loom large.
I'm glad to be back in Tokyo-3. I already feel the constraints of the city helping plot advance further.