Rei figured that she should go to bed as soon as she arrived home. She was tired, so even if she went to bed earlier today, she would probably wake up at the same time tomorrow.
Dr Akagi had sent her through her usual battery of medical tests, as always only ever looking at the results, never sparing a glance, let alone small-talk, for Rei. Not that Rei minded or would even know it any other way. She had been there so that her fitness could be tested; as it was, she was functional for all her purposes, and that was everything that mattered. Given her origins, her biology was delicate; and her metaphysical biology was even worse. Her soul was just not made for her body; that body had hence to be constantly recalibrated.
If her body maintenance were to be left to her AT Field alone, the results could be potentially quite bad. By now, Rei did not even consciously consider that fact anymore. It was a normal part of her life, such as it was.
She walked up the litter-filled stairs of her apartment bloc. In the background, the demolition work was going on even at this late hour, but its noises did not even register with Rei anymore, nor did all the trash around her.
She did stop mid-movement in surprise when she saw a man leaning casually against the wall next to her door, though. He was wearing casual clothing, and looked into the setting sun with a grin on his unshaven face. Rei recognized him as the man who had come with Pilot Soryu. Her guardian. She did not know why he was here, and what she could say to him, so she said nothing. She simply walked around him and opened her door.
"You really should get a lock, you know," the man commented.
Rei stopped for a moment, but then continued walking in. So far, having no lock had not caused her any problems, and Soryu's guardian was not in a position of authority over her.
"May I come in, Rei?" he asked her back before she could turn around and close the door.
She would have no inherent problem with that. If he had a reason to come in, she would not have minded. But he had asked her and she saw no reason for that. So she simply began to wordlessly close the door.
He pushed against it from the other side. She looked through the opened gap and saw him holding up a laminated ID card.
He sighed. "I did not want to go this route, but alright. Ryoji Kaji, UN Inspector to NERV. I am to supervise your actions regarding the angels. So I want to talk with the pilots."
Wordlessly, Rei stepped aside and opened the door. It apepared that man, Inspector Kaji, did have authority. It did not even occur to her to check the card.
"Thank you," Kaji told her as he stepped in. He looked around, but did not say anything. The smirk was back on his face.
He furrowed his brows as he walked into her sleeping room. "Has this apartment been assigned to you by NERV?"
Rei nodded.
Kaji's smile... shifted, but Rei could not say how. "You really should at least get a lock, you know. Not that many people still come out here, but I bet police reaction times for the area are terrible."
Rei was not terribly concerned about this. She had not seen a single neighbour in months; the apartment bloc was nearly entirely empty. There simply were no people here who could commit crimes against her. If something were to be stolen, NERV could replace it. And if people attempted violence against her... Rei had means to prevent lasting damage. And minor injuries were inconsequential.
"So, Rei, why don't you tell me a bit about yourself?" Kaji prompted her. "Where you're from, for example?"
"I am Commander Ikari's ward," Rei answered truthfully.
"Do you know when he became your guardian?" Kaji asked.
Rei nodded. She did know that.
Kaji sighed. "When did he become your guardian?"
"As soon as I left the hospital," Rei answered. Also technically true.
"So you've never known any other caretaker than him?" Kaji inquired further.
Rei nodded. Then she considered. "Dr Akagi has also been very involved in my upbringing."
Kaji raised an eyebrow. "Ritsuko, is that so? Hmm. Very well. When did you enter the Evangelion program"
"Two years ago," Rei answered. Of course she had always known that she was slated for it, and she had done simulator training for years before that. "I was called in to do reactivation tests with EVA-00, to clear up questions regarding EVA deployment."
Kaji nodded. "That's the scientific aspect. But it was also planned to have you be part of the military aspect from the beginning, wasn't it?"
"I was supposed to be EVA-01's designated pilot," Rei reported. "The plan was modified by the introduction of Shinji Ikari as Third Child. EVA-00 has been re-equipped as a battle-worthy Evangelion, and I am now its designated pilot."
Kaji hesitated. "Have you ever considered leaving the program?" Rei shook her head. The question was very alien to her – considering such things was in itself a thing she could never have considered. "Not even after the injuries you received during that one reactivation test?" Again she shook her head. "Why did you agree to pilot EVA, to go into life and death battles?"
"I am able to," Rei simply replied. "Therefore I should do it." She decided not to tell him how piloting EVA connected her to people. It was one thing to tell Ikari. But this man was a stranger.
"That's noble of you," Kaji lauded her. "If you could get out of the program... because there are more pilots than units, or because we find an alternative for fighting angels... would you?"
That was another strange question. What use were such hypotheticals? The real world was what mattered, and in the real world she was obliged to pilot EVA.
"I would follow Commander Ikari's order in such a case," she answered.
"I see," Kaji muttered. "Do you mind the Commander giving orders to you?" Rei shook her head. Kaji sighed. "Very well then. Thanks for your time, Rei." He hesitated. "I assume you will report this talk to Commander Ikari?"
"Should I not?" Rei asked.
"Eh, it's alright," Kaji told her. "After all, I don't think I've done anything bad." He grinned again and winked at her. "Or do you think I have?"
Rei just continued looking at him and did not reply. She knew that this was not a genuine question, and in any case, it was a question only he could answer.
Kaji sighed again. "Well, I hope to see you around, Rei. Bye!" And finally, he left her apartment again.
That's a fine mess I've gotten my genius ass into. What the fuck use is a maths bachelor if I'm still acting that stupid?
Maybe the mistake had been showing interest in Shinji's memories in the first place. The obvious parallels to her own history had awakened her curiosity, but maybe she should simply have let sleeping dogs lie. Asuka had enough problems shutting out her own memories anyway, at night when it was dark and she was just lying in bed, or worse, when she would finally fall asleep only to see her mother again in her dreams... her nightmares. There was no reason to also involve other people in it.
And then, worst of all, Shinji! She already had compromised her situation enough by trying to be all friendly with him for a week. He would get all the wrong ideas if she let that stand unchallenged. It was bad enough how little interest that little whelp had in her, even though the great Asuka Langley Soryu had spent so much time with him. The boy seemed to have no drive of his own, which was intolerable in an EVA pilot. Hence Asuka thought she should be a challenge to him, to get him to act and not... not present her company as a free gift like that!
That was why she had to clarify things with him. Even if it meant appearing at the Katsuragi residence at not even half past eight on a Sunday morning. Knowing how her former guardian acted on weekends, Asuka was reasonably sure Misato had only gone to bed four, five hours ago, and that not even a ringing doorbell would disturb her likely beer-fuelled slumber. She is such a sloth... Misato had also been the first NERV guardian who had truly shown affection for Asuka, but that did not mean the Second Child would go easy on her – she needed to get a grip, and that as soon as possible. She also needed to stay the hell away from Kaji.
The door opened relatively quickly after she had rung. However, there was no one behind it. Asuka's jaw dropped when something appeared behind it. A... a... penguin? In Japan? Has Second Impact fucked over the climate here that badly? And why is a penguin wearing a backpack?
"Wark!" the penguin greeted her.
"What are you...?" Asuka whispered, mouth still wide open.
"Wark!" the penguin told her.
Asuka closed her mouth, stood straight again and muttered: "Well, that explains it." Great. Now I'm talking to even more animals besides just the stooges.
It was then that, fortunately, Shinji appeared behind the penguin. He was wearing an apron. "Sorry," he apologized. "Forgot I still had something on the stove. Uh... Soryu. What are you... ah, I mean, nice to see you here."
Asuka raised her eyebrow. "Yes, I'm sure." He sounds like the epitome of happy excitement... "Listen... uh... I assume Misato is still sleeping?"
"You know her well," Shinji commented.
"Yeah, well, she used to be my guardian, back in Germany," Asuka explained. You get that morsel for free. She stopped, unsure what to say or do next, but completely unwilling to show it.
"Huh. She never told me," Shinji answered.
Before an awkward silence could ensue, the penguin again spoke up: "Wark!"
Shinji smiled. "That's Pen-Pen, Misato's hot spring penguin. No, I don't know what a hot spring penguin is. But if Pen-Pen is anything to go by, they're a nice bunch." He patted the penguin on the head. It looked pleased.
"Misato sure takes in strange life forms," Asuka muttered, then looked pointedly at Shinji.
Shinji nodded. "That's your former guardian for you."
Did he just...
Asuka could almost feel the steam rising inside her. She fought it down; she was here on a purpose. "Listen, Third. I'm here to talk to you about what happened on Friday. I let you off the hook too quickly. "
"I... I won't tell anything, I promise!" Shinji hastily assured her. He hesitated. "Ah... you see... it's just..."
"What 'it's just'?" Asuka shouted. "There is no 'it's just'! You'll shut up, and that's the end of it!"
"But don't you think it's strange?" Shinji insisted. "Both our mothers, lost in contact experiments with the EVAs we would late pilot?"
Asuka narrowed her eyes. He's right... no. Rather, I haven't driven my point home enough yet. "So, how's your stuff on the stove? Can you leave it alone for a while?"
"Uh... I think so... why?" Shinji answered.
"If I shout at you here, it'll just wake people up," Asuka told him. "We need to talk somewhere more private."
"Uh... yeah... sure, that makes sense," Shinji agreed. "Let me just clean up the kitchen... I suppose we can get something to eat on the way..."
"Hrrrnnnggg..." Asuka voiced, but she did not say something. She supposed his request was reasonable enough; but she did not like standing in front of a door waiting for people. It was annoying, and people might get the wrong impression.
She had started contemplating using her head to ram the door in when Shinji finally emerged. Enough people had told her how thick it was, after all. She felt like she had waited an eternity. Her phone said it had been less than ten minutes, but standing around with nothing to do and waiting for an ungrateful whelp, that was an eternity.
The two got going wordlessly. When they had left the apartment bloc, Asuka realized she did not actually know where there could be a private place to talk to here in Tokyo-3. She was still too new to the city, and she was no fool: She knew the pilots were probably being watched every time they were in the open. They somehow needed to get rid of NERV's security apparatus. She just did not know how. That did not stop her from simply confidently walking in an arbitrary direction, though
After they had walked for ten minutes, Shinji finally dared to say something: "So, uh... you wanted to talk?"
Asuka looked around while she continued walking. They had entered a surprisingly upscale residential area; there were some high quality apartment blocs here as well, but also single residence houses, something rare enough in Japan. It would be difficult for spooks to catch us here... but I also don't want to stand around on the street the entire time.
"I just don't want you to get any wrong ideas!" Asuka told him. "So our... uhm, our... argh!" This is definitely the wrong place for such a talk. "Isn't there somewhere in this damn city we can go that's a bit more private?"
"I thought..." Shinji began, then stopped himself. "Well, I don't know... hm. How about a bit outside the city?"
"What? Do you think I want to go on a hiking trip?" Asuka argued.
"No, we can take the train!" Shinji defended himself. "Come on, let's go."
Huh. That's unusually active for him. She could not say she disliked 'active Shinji'.
The two remained entirely quiet on the train. Sometimes, Asuka glanced over nervously to Shinji, afraid he would do something stupid like starting to babble in the middle of the ride. But he seemed oddly relaxed and content with the silence. Asuka rarely was; she always had to occupy her mind with something. She had to always walk forwards; it was the only way to leave the past behind.
The silence grated on her, but she would not break it. She would not make a fool out of herself in front of all these people. So for half an hour, Shinji and Asuka sat reasonably close together and kept silent. When the train finally arrived at its final stop, Asuka realized that it was quite a bit outside the city indeed, already a way up the mountains that surrounded Tokyo-3. She and Shinji were the last two remaining passengers.
"How do you know that place?" she asked as the two left the train.
"Misato once took me to here," Shinji explained. "There is a platform with a great view over the city up those stairs. "
"Misato used the train?" Asuka asked. That seemed unlikely; she knew what a car fanatic the Captain was.
"No, I also was here with, uh... well, with Ayanami," Shinji continued.
The two have been on a date already? Was zur Hölle...
"Yes, I'm sure you two could put a private place outside the city, with basically no people around, to good use," Asuka insinuated angrily. "Though I'm surprised she even cares for privacy."
"Ah, uh... I thought about going downhill," Shinji tried to change the subject. "Nobody will be there. And it hasn't rained in ages; we can sit down on the grass."
Asuka looked down on her clothing. She had decided there was absolutely no need to dress fancy just for Shinji, so she conveniently was wearing jeans. Nonetheless, there was something about the idea that bothered her. "So that's how you treat a lady? Invite her to a patch of grass? Did you do the same for Rei as well?"
"I took Ayanami to see the city," Shinji defended himself. There finally was some rigour in his voice. "We can do the same, but I thought you didn't want people around."
Asuka harrumphed, raised her head defiantly and turned around, to walk down the hill. She could hear Shinji sigh behind her before he also got going.
After a good distance downhill, she simply let herself sink unceremoniously onto the ground. Even from here, the view on the city was not bad. For all its charms, Berlin was ugly. Tokyo-3 was much cleaner and more glittering, even with the decaying ruins of Ramiel still visible right at its centre. Not that she had really seen much of Berlin, of course. Basically just the Technical University and the NERV facility. She dimly remembered where her grandparents lived, a small South German town with a medieval centre, where she had lived for the first two years of her life, and where her mother had... but such memories best remained buried.
Shinji sat down besides her.
Asuka began talking seriously and calmly; she wanted to get somewhere, after all. "This is important to me, okay? I just... I don't want to be seen as something I'm not. I don't need pity or worse, people going easy on me because I've had it oh so rough. I managed to make my way through it. I managed to graduate from university aged 14, and I'm the best EVA pilot in the world. I'm owed respect, not pity."
For a long time there was no answer. Asuka was already sure Shinji would chicken out of an answer, but she did not look. She did not want to see that pathetic spectacle. However, finally, he did reply. It was quiet and soft, but entirely without his usual stuttering: "I know what you mean. Not that I have achieved much in my life, but I know how it is when others talk. When they look at you with pity... with eyes reserved for victims. When I... when my mother died, my father sent me away, to a tutor. He was good at teaching, but very cold. And the people around me, they looked at me and whispered."
"There were... rumours, weren't there?" Asuka asked carefully and looked over to him. Only now she noticed how close he sat.
He nodded. "They said my father had killed my mother. I... I know he was there. At that experiment. So maybe..." He shook his head. "No. Even he would not do such a thing. But the people around me, they didn't know that. Or maybe they didn't care. They just wanted something to gossip about, I think. I was just convenient for them."
Asuka nodded. That could have been the conversation. It seemed her point had come across to Shinji just fine. It had been a risk to open up so much to make that point, but it seemed to have paid off. But what he said now... it sounded so familiar to her. It sounds like... like someone who might understand.
"Sometimes that's all people see," she answered, and was surprised herself how bitter she sounded. "Only your use to them. Before Misato, I had half a dozen guardians. None of them cared. They just tried to keep me fit for my task. Piloting EVA."
"Yes," Shinji agreed. "My tutor... he did his job. But he never cared."
"They only measured me by what I had achieved," Asuka went on. "By my synch-rates and my grades."
"He never looked at me," Shinji continued. "Just a professional doing his job, nothing more."
A slight shiver went through Asuka. That was it exactly.
Maybe it was that what prompted her to go on: "My mother didn't die in the contact experiment. But she... she lost her mind. Afterwards, she didn't even recognize me. I tried so hard to gain her attention again... and after she... after she... I hoped at least my father would pay attention to me."
"Mine never did," Shinji told her. "He dumped me at some train station, for that tutor, for a person I'd never seen before, to pick me up. I... I..." He tightened a hand to a fist and ripped out a bunch of grass. "I still remember it. Standing there at the platform, crying, while my father simply walked away. I think I was four or so."
"...why do you even speak with him then?" Asuka asked. "I mean, my father..." She scoffed. "I tried so hard to gain his attention, but he was too busy with his new wife. They simply wrote me off, gave me to NERV. We talk maybe once every year, at my birthday. He always sends me gifts. To still appear as a caring father, I'd wager. Screw him." She became quiet. "But accepting that... that was..."
"I still don't think I have," Shinji whispered. "I thought that, maybe, if I was really good... did really well in my work... was well-behaved... my father would return to me. Maybe... maybe I still think that."
"I understand," Asuka breathed. "It's wrong, but... I understand."
"Nobody has so far," Shinji muttered darkly.
"Nobody understands," Asuka pointed out. "How could they?"
Shinji nodded again. "That's true. I mean, some people have the best intentions, like Touji and Kensuke... or Misato... but..."
"They don't know what it's like," Asuka finished for him. "To long for something... someone... you can't even properly remember the face of."
"I still don't know what my mother looked like," Shinji stated. "Father threw away all pictures, all videos. I have no idea. Only the feeling that something is missing."
"Yeah," Asuka agreed.
Gottverdammt. How... how can that be? She decided to not further analyse the improbability of some random Japanese boy knowing exactly how she felt because he felt the same. Rather, she simply enjoyed that emotion of understanding.
"And ever since then, I... I think I had nobody," Shinji continued. "I think Touji, Kensuke... Ayanami... maybe you... you're the first real friends I had in... a decade."
"I never had longlasting classmates," Asuka answered. "I rushed through school, through college. There was no time for friendships. And at college, I was practically just the little mascot of the other students. They were friendly, yes, but they didn't take me seriously."
"They're always so polite," Shinji agreed. "But in the end, nobody wanted to have anything to do with me, so I just... accepted it, eventually."
Asuka nodded. "Knowing that one will be alone. Accepting it." There was a long silence now. There was still one thing on Asuka's mind. She did not know where it had come from, but... after that talk she felt safe bringing it up. Maybe Shinji would understand that as well: "Is that why you've been talking to Rei? Has she also lost her mother?"
Shinji looked thoughtful. "I... I have never heard her mention her mother. She is... yeah, she's strange. But... she listens. She may not always agree, but she also doesn't judge. With her... I think with her, she doesn't need to understand. It's enough that she listens. I think she genuinely just wants the best for people but can't express it."
Asuka scoffed. "Yeah, if that's her true nature, then she's very good at hiding it."
"Maybe... I'm not saying you have to tell her this," Shinji answered. "But maybe you could talk to her. I think she would listen to you as well."
"After what happened at her apartment? Fat chance," Asuka dismissed the idea.
Shinji smiled faintly. "She doesn't seem to mind. As I've said, she doesn't seem to judge."
"And you don't find that weird?" Asuka asked.
Shinji shrugged. "There is worse than 'weird'."
Annoyance began to rise in Asuka. "Why are we even talking about her right now?" Before Shinji could protest, she continued: "We find out how much we have in common, and you go on about Ms Bluehair."
To her surprise, Shinji smiled, as if amused. "You're right, of course. I... I'm not good at this, Soryu. But this talk... it went well. I suppose talking between us works as well."
"Asuka," she replied flatly.
"Huh?" Shinji made.
"I have not told you my entire damn life story so that you can still go on calling me 'Soryu'!" Asuka argued. "This Japanese custom is weird, anyway."
"Ah... okay," Shinji said uncertainly. "Asuka."
She worked her mouth. After that talk, seeing how Shinji did understand, she felt almost bad bringing it up, but it needed to be said. "And none of this..."
"Will ever be spoken of to anyone else," Shinji finished the sentence – surprisingly fast and surprisingly confidently.
Asuka nodded. Then she smiled. "It's odd. I wouldn't have thought..."
She was interrupted by two identical signals: The angel alarm from their phones.
Rei was in her seat inside her entry-plug. She looked entirely calm as she watched the flooded ruins of Shizuoka in front of her. She had a job to do, and she would do it. There was no question to it.
However, she was aware that this would be her first actual combat engagement, the first engagement where she was expected to actually fight the enemy instead of just holding a shield, and on top of that her first engagement in EVA-01. It was only the second time she had been inside that unit, and yet already the first time she would have to take it to battle.
Ikari had not even seen it before his first fight.
She did not know what exactly had happened to him inside EVA-00, but it seemed to have incapacitated him in regards to piloting his unit. Apparently, neither the Commander nor Dr Akagi knew how this could have come about, but then EVA technology was far from mature. Accidents like this were to be expected.
And yet, she felt concerned about the incident. It had not been a simple accident. There had been no mechanical or electronic failure. The EVA had gone berserk. The me inside the Evangelion has acted. Am this version of me at fault for what has happened?
Maybe that explained the feeling of gratitude she was experiencing right now. It was an irrational feeling: She would be deployed as necessity dictated, regardless of other concerns. But she was glad that she could make up for whatever had happened to Ikari by now taking over his role. Besides, it felt nice synching with Unit 01. There was no struggle involved, nothing resisting her control over the machine. Nothing that just wanted to end it all.
"EVA-01, EVA-02, are you reading this?" Captain Katsuragi's voice sounded over the communication system.
"Yes," Rei merely responded.
"Yes, yes," Soryu said. "I think the comm system is the one thing that has never failed."
"Right," Katsuragi stated. "Fortunately we got sufficient warning from the Maritime Forces, allowing us to make a stand right here, at the coast. Maybe this time, we can even avoid damage to Tokyo-3."
"What good is a fortress city if we don't even use it in a fight?" Soryu complained.
"The last angel shot down anything it perceived as a threat," Katsuragi explained. "Only a fraction of our defensive guns are still operational. The fortress wouldn't really help you anyway at the moment." Soryu scoffed at this, while Katsuragi continued: "We have no information about the capabilities of the enemy object, so be careful. Go in one at a time, while the other covers her. Take turns."
"That's what you call a fair fight?" Soryu questioned her. "Two against one?"
"I have no interest in giving a fair fight to angels," Katsuragi replied. She sounded unusually cold.
Rei saw Soryu shrugging on the comm screen. "Whatever. I'm sure I can demolish it by myself."
Rei really saw no point to all this unnecessary communication. Captain Katsuragi had little choice but to reply to Soryu's complaints, but Soryu seemed to be talking for the sake of talking. It was... inefficient. Superfluous. Loud. She concentrated on just looking straight ahead, scanning the sea for disturbances.
There was one.
Not too far off the coast, a huge mountain of water was forming, with the sea there being tossed into the air. Something was emerging, something big.
As the air cleared of the water again, Rei could see that the angel did not look very impressive compared to some of its predecessors. It had a very vaguely humanoid form, with two short legs, a torso that widened considerably up to the shoulders and two long arms that seemed to be perpetually outstretched. There was no head, just a visible core at the centre of the upper torso.
"Commence the attack!" Katsuragi ordered.
Immediately, Soryu set her unit in motion, grabbing the EVA-sized naginata that was among the weapons prepared at the beach. "I'll handle the angel!" she told Rei. "You cover me."
It did not make a difference to Rei. "Roger," she acknowledged.
She started firing at the angel. The pallet rifle had no effect on it, but then, that wasn't the point. The idea was to restrict its movement... at least, in theory. It was of course still possible that angels would simply move under fire without caring about it. However, the pallet rifle was the only EVA-scale method for cover fire NERV had.
Suddenly, Soryu declared: "Charge!" and began jumping from rooftop to rooftop. It was actually a clever idea. Rei realized that at once, even as she was still aiming at the angel, though she doubted it would have come to her as easily: By jumping, EVA-02 avoided losing any speed or momentum due to being stuck in water.
In less than ten seconds Soryu was at the angel... no, above the angel. EVA-02 soared high into the air, the naginata raised far above its head...and then it struck. That one single strike cleanly cut the entire angel in half, top to bottom.
Rei would not have judged that possible, but showed no signs of surprise. What happened, happened.
"What do you think of that, First Child?" Soryu taunted her. "A fight should be clean, elegant and without waste."
"I agree," Rei merely replied. It was true.
Soryu did not get a chance to further the conversation. Suddenly, the flesh of the cloven angel quivered, and then burst – revealing what looked like two smaller versions of its original form, one orange, one white. Since EVA-02's momentum had carried it behind the angel, its two successors now stood between the two Evangelion units.
Without further comment, Rei began firing again. What happened, happened.
Soryu, of course, showed her displeasure more openly. "Hey, that's cheating!"
As she was saying that, the two angels came charging, both right at Rei. The First Child dropped the pallet rifle, opened her Evangelion's shoulder pylons and drew her prog-knife. She had trained for EVA-scale close combat extensively, but only in simulations. She knew she had to do her job, but there was this sliver of uncertainty she just could not fight down.
The first demi-angel, the white one, reached her, slamming its rigid arm against the suddenly flaring up AT-Field of EVA-01. Trusting in those magical octagons to handle the defence, Rei had her unit hold the prog-knife blade down, and began stabbing. However, the enemy's AT-Field held as well. And then its partner appeared, leaping over it. The orange enemy's AT-Field crushed right into EVA-01's, through it, and the angel struck right at the Unit's face. Pain vibrated through Rei and she could taste blood.
EVA-01 took some steps backwards, its left arm raised to block any further attacks. Angel swings hit empty air, until finally the two got moving again. Rei blocked the strike of the orange one, but the white one...
...was pushed aside as EVA-02 rammed directly into it, Soryu screaming as her unit did so. Then she swung her naginata to hit the other demi-angel.
Rei could have used her chance when the orange demi-angel now turned to now face Soryu, but she was too surprised to do so. As EVA-02 and Orange began facing each other, White quickly whirled around that skirmish to face EVA-01. Rei and her enemy both chopped at each other, both blocked by each other's AT-Field. Behind White's unshapely stature she could see Soryu struggling with her own enemy.
EVA-01 was more agile, more active, more aggressive all on its own, despite Rei's slightly lower synch-rate in it. On the other hand, she had the gut feeling the AT-Field was slightly weaker than EVA-00's. She strained herself trying to keep it as strong as possible. The air between her and the angel was filled with orange glowing geometric shapes.
There was a scream by Soryu in the comm system, and then Rei could hear a loud bang behind White. A moment later, White stumbled. Rei realized someone had struck against its leg. Soryu's naginata. With a reaction time she realized was too slow, she renewed her attacks. With two AT fields now eroding White's own, the demi-angel soon found itself the victim of several cuts and strikes. Finally, Rei managed to sink her prog-knife into its core. Silently, but with an angry grimace, she slid it down the core further and further. Finally, the demi-angel stopped moving.
By this time, Soryu had already turned around to face Orange again, who now was backing off again. Rei had EVA-01 run to that fight, into the shallow water, but it was unnecessary: Two short slashes by Soryu's naginata, and the core was shattered.
Rei stopped mid-way and silently breathed out in relief.
"How sporting of them to have given us a surprise challenge," Soryu joked smugly. "EVA-02 to Command: Mission co... Scheiße! Rei, behind you!"
Rei turned her Evangelion around to see the flesh of White quivering... its wounds closing and its core lighting up again. It leaped at EVA-01.
She heard a hissing sound coming from behind... and then saw a spear hitting White right in the core. Not a spear. Soryu has thrown her naginata. How... she must have used her unit's AT field to stabilize its trajectory. Rei was genuinely impressed. She did not think she would have dared doing this. Loud and brash... but maybe 'brash' is not a bad thing...
"Grab it!" Soryu roared.
Rei did not understand. With an annoyed grunt, Soryu had her EVA run forwards, pushing Rei's unit out of the way, and rammed the naginata deep into White's core. When Rei had stabilized EVA-01 again, she could see Orange now running to them. She tried to counter-charge... but so did Soryu. The two Evangelions ran into each other. EVA-01 fell down into the shallow water, while EVA-02 stumbled. Soryu could barely parry Orange with her EVA's bare hands. By the time EVA-01 was up again, White was moving again.
From here on, the fight descended into utter chaos.
"Cover my flank, Rei!"
"I need your assistance, Soryu."
"Out of the way!"
"Careful, Soryu."
"We should..."
"This is inadvisable."
The bickering even went on once both Evangelions had been immobilized.
Kaji smirked.
That was expected of him, just as much as the beard stubble or the unkempt hair. He was the always smirking rogue. That could charm some people on the spot, while others, usually the sort of stiffy, serious people in important positions, would constantly underestimate him. After all, he was just the slightly bedraggled guardian of the Second Child, right? Certainly not someone who would steal Adam from under SEELE's collective nose.
So he smirked even in the most serious or uncomfortable situations. Like right now. The First and Second Children had been ordered to this small room, to see the results of their catastrophic failure in the fight, carefully watched by Vice Commander Fuyutsuki. Commander Ikari could not be bothered to care about such petty nonsense. As always, Rei showed no emotional reactions, but Asuka looked uncomfortable.
And truth be told, Kaji felt the same way. Not that he would shun Ikari and Fuyutsuki, quite the contrary: The only way to gain that information that he sought so desperately was through contact with such people. But whenever he was near them, he was cautious. He had spent the past week scanning NERV networks for information regarding EVA-01 and Yui Ikari. What Asuka had told him was interesting.
It was possible Shinji had made the stuff up; that boys with low self-esteem would tell lies to make themselves more important was not entirely infeasible. However, Yui Ikari's official date of death was only two days after the official date for the first activation of EVA-01. And most people who had been part of that test had been reassigned all over the globe. A disproportionate amount of them had died, most prominently Naoko Akagi, the mother of his old friend Ritsuko.
He had always known that there was a deep and dark secret in NERV, but he would never have guessed that it would be something so personal. Both Ikari and Fuyutsuki had been at that test as well, and yet both were still here, alive and at the very top. Kaji would have to be damn careful in dealing with them.
His smirk widened miniscully. He would need to make friends among NERV's officers, and he already knew just how to start. Business and pleasure, all at once. Just what a charming rogue would do. But for now he would have to listen to the pilots getting scolded for their failure. Just what NERV would do. First recruit children as soldiers, and then getting all upset when they act like children on the battlefield. Just keep smiling, Kaji...
A movie was running on a screen in front of them all, showing images of EVA-02 half drilled into the ground and EVA-01 half-drowned in the sea. A narrator commented: "Today, at 11:04:18, EVA-01 lost its final engagement with Target Alpha after an especially powerful flare of the target's AT field. EVA-01 was displaced 2.2km from Target Alpha, in Suruga Bay. At the same time plus 20 seconds, a similar powerful AT field spike from Target Beta overcame EVA-02. EVA-02 ended up 1.7km inland. We have a comment from the head of Project E: 'This is pathetic.' "
Kaji suppressed a sigh and kept smirking. Ritsu, when did you become so harsh?
Asuka stood up from her seat and looked to Rei. "This is all your fault! You totally screwed up the fight!"
Rei did not react.
While Asuka was still standing and glaring at Rei, the movie went on: "At 11:20, NERV abandoned the operation and yielded command to the UN Secondary Force."
"We have been humiliated," Fuyutsuki growled.
"At 11:23, UN forces attacked with an N2 mine," the movie narration continued, while showing a map of the region – a large semi-circle of what was formerly land would now be part of the sea. "They succeeded in burning off 28% of the target's structural substance."
"We were both unsuccessful," Rei calmly remarked to Asuka.
"How can you just sit there and say that?" Asuka angrily demanded to know. "No wonder that went poorly! I have to fight besides a so-called pilot with such an attitude."
"You charged blindly ahead," Rei continued just as calmly.
"And you just stood there and did nothing!" Asuka shot back. "With the reaction times of a post-communist Russian government office!"
"Enough of that!" Fuyutsuki cut in. "We can't allow this childish bickering! Look at what sort of joke you made out of NERV." The screen showed pictures of the salvage operations for EVA-01 and EVA-02. "The conventional forces have just been waiting for this opportunity. Their N2 mine gives us a reprieve – Dr Akagi estimates about seven to eight days. But..."
Misato coughed to gain attention. "Sir, if I may." She walked over to him and began to speak quietly to the Vice Commander.
Truth be told, Kaji was a bit surprised to see her here. This did not concern Shinji, and gods knew she would have enough paperwork to fill out after a disaster like this. But for some reason she had taken the time for this. It would make things easier for him.
Fuyutuski still looked unhappy, but said nothing. Finally he nodded and stood up. "Very well then, Captain. I leave this in your hands. Do not screw up again." With that he left the room... practically stomped out of it.
Misato stood there with closed eyes and rubbed her nasal bridge. "Very well," she finally said and turned around to face the pilots. "You heard the Vice Commander. We have seven days to come up with a tactic. The problem seems to be that as long as one of the two sub-units is active, the other can start regenerating. The two cores must be destroyed at exactly the same time... if Ritsuko is to believed, with a failure tolerance of only 0.18 to 1.12 seconds. If you have any ideas on how you will achieve this, I'm listening."
"I could do it!" Asuka claimed. "It's her that's the problem! You have seen how slow she's always been to react! Can't Shinji pilot EVA-01?"
Misato sighed. "It's possible that by next week he can pilot again; we still don't know what the matter with him is. But we can't exactly build on that possibility. And as good as you are, Asuka, I doubt you can kill two targets at once. It seems you two will have to cooperate."
"Cooperate?" Asuka echoed angrily. "That's not an option! I would have to lower my standards so much that..."
Now Kaji coughed to gain everyone's attention. "I think I have an idea, but I'd like to talk about it with Misato first." He smiled his best 'cunning rogue' smile. "Who knows, maybe it's completely idiotic. So, would you two go outside and wait for us? And please, without killing or seriously hurting each other."
For a moment Kaji considered if such a remark to the First Child had been wise. By all accounts, Rei could be very literal-minded. She might take it as permission to cause minor injuries. He dismissed that thought.
When the two were outside, Misato looked at Kaji with a raised eyebrow. "So, what is this all about?"
"Why so standoffish?" Kaji asked. "You work too hard, Misato. Too much stress."
"And this incident will just contribute to it," she commented, annoyed. "So how do you want to help in that?"
Kaji smiled in response. "What did you tell the Vice-Commander?"
Misato made a dismissive hand gesture. "I told him his attitude towards the pilots is unhelpful. And it is. We exist to defeat the angels. Whether we make a joke out of ourselves in the process... who cares. Defeating the angels is the only thing that can justify getting those kids into the giant, pain-transmitting robots. Interservice rivalry should not be their concern."
Kaji nodded appreciatively. "And you confronted a direct superior over that? I'm honestly impressed, Misato."
She glared at him. "That's all your fault you know. If you hadn't pointed this out to me..." She sighed. "But it's probably for the better."
"Fuyutsuki is an old man, you know," Kaji pointed out. "Our generation... we experienced Second Impact when we were young. It shaped us. Made us pragmatic. We never had the luxury to care about 'saving face'. And Commander Ikari only cares about whether an operation is ultimately successful or not. But Fuyutsuki is of an earlier generation. He grew up with the notion of always saving face, especially to outsiders. It's not NERV policy, just his personality."
Misato sighed again. "Let's hope so. So, your plan?"
"Under current conditions, Rei and Asuka will not be able to cooperate within a week," Kaji stated bluntly. "We need to change the conditions."
Misato placed her arms on her sides. "I'm listening."
"There are several apartments in your bloc that are empty, aren't there?" Kaji asked, as if he were changing the topic.
"What does that... yes," Misato confirmed.
"And NERV could requisition one on short notice," Kaji continued. "So, for the week, that is where Asuka and Rei will move. Under your supervision."
"What?" Misato exclaimed "Asuka..."
Kaji shrugged. "...is currently still living in a hotel. And Rei... have you ever been to her residence?" Misato shook her head. "I have no idea why the Commander lets one of his pilots live in such a dump. Getting her out of there even temporarily will be an improvement."
Kaji's eternal grin was now matched in his thoughts. Oh sure, he was just pushing his slightly crazy idea. He would not interfere in Ikari's plan for Rei, oh no, Commander, sir. It's just for the mission, you see?
He had actually been pretty shocked by Rei's living conditions. Oh sure, he had had worse, but that had been right after Second Impact, when Japanese society had basically completely collapsed outside the armed forces and the Tokyo-2 construction project. And there were more than enough vacant apartments in Tokyo-3 that Rei's place of residence probably served another reason. But what reason? Why does Ikari stick her inside there?
His talk with Rei had been just a masquerade, basically. Just the sort of superficial questions an UN inspector was supposed to ask. He had really been primarily there to check on how that most enigmatic of pilots lived, and secondarily to stir up the hornet's nest – to see how NERV would react.
"I suppose..." Misato answered uncertainly, "but what does that have to do with the double-bodied angel just some dozen kilometres away?"
Kaji got a data disk out of his shirt pocket and smiled again. "I have a training program for them."