Maya Ibuki sighed as the pilots entered the Pribnow Box. Immediately, hostile glances were shot all around. Whatever cordial working atmosphere had once existed in NERV Sections 1 and 3 currently seemed to be entirely gone.
Asuka… Soryu and Ritsuko seemed to consider each other mortal enemies by now, at least going by how they looked at each other. At the same time, Soryu seemed to have nothing but scorn for Touji and Kaworu as well, and at least Touji gave as good as he got. And whatever friendship there once may have existed between Ritsuko and Captain Katsuragi seemed to be dead. The two were still polite to each other – but indeed, very polite, formal and distant.
But what worried Maya most was Ritsuko herself. The head of Project E had been cold and hard to everyone the entire day. In fact, she had been that way ever since her sudden and still unexplained three days' absence. Something had happened there, but Ritsuko wouldn't tell anyone what. That frustrated Maya. She knew Ritsuko would never return her feelings, but even so she just wanted to help her sempai – her friend. Ritsuko was brilliant, hard-working, caring, always supportive of and attentive to those working under her… she had more than earned the right to get support in return. And Maya wanted to offer it; not to get something in return but just to help Ritsuko. However, the faux-blonde remained quiet and icy.
But even now, apparently stressed as she was, she maintained enough good sense and oversight to leave the debriefing to Maya. A delicate hand in leadership and a dedication her the work, as always. Maya just hoped that eventually, things would be able to return to how they had been.
...though maybe not completely so, she decided as she saw a shy smile on Shinji. The boy's mood had clearly improved, and he seemed quite close with both Soryu and Rei. Maya wondered if he and Soryu were still together. Those things could come and go so quickly at their age. Well, normally. She at their age of course had had little choice but to abstain from romance…
"Well then," she began with a fake cheeriness in her voice. "I'd say the test was very productive. Touji, we noticed an improvement of 2.8 percentage points over the course of your test. That's a good start to your development!"
The boy merely rolled his eyes. "Yeah, whatever."
He made for a stark contrast to the other pilots. Without awaiting authorization, he had simply brought a thin wool or cotton longcoat to wear over his plugsuit, a plain, gray thing going down to his ankles. Ritsuko had sighed in exasperation when he had appeared in the EVA cages with it, but had raised no principal objection. She just found the whole thing incredibly silly.
Maya could see why. Wearing the plugsuit was in fact a very minor thing, after all, nothing to make a fuss over. But then, just having a longcoat ready really wasn't much of a fuss, and if Touji did have problems appearing in the plugsuit, then it was a good solution.
In fact, it was Asuka who made much more a fuss about this. She had been livid that Touji had been allowed to keep the coat, despite the (quite careful) attempts by Shinji and Rei to intercede on his behalf. Even now she was still fuming, while Touji of course had no problems rubbing his "victory" in her face.
The other pilots were stable as always. Due to scheduling issues, the synch-test had to be held in the morning, so at least they had all gotten free from school for the day. Maybe that had helped with motivation. Asuka was still at the top, with Shinji catching up to her, while Rei improved slowly but gradually. And Kaworu was, just like last time, too stable. There had to be something peculiar about the way he synched. Showing absolutely zero deviation in synch-rate for an entire hour was just unnatural.
"You seem to be able to concentrate very well," Maya addressed the grey-haired boy.
"It seems to come naturally to me," Kaworu answered. Which of course didn't help Maya at all.
Before Maya could continue, the debriefing was shortly interrupted by Ryoji Kaji entering the room. As U.N. Inspector he had access to all parts of the Geofront… or at least all parts NERV would admit existed. Maya knew there were some ultra-secret locations, secrets that she shouldn't even know the mere existence of, nevermind what they were. Kaji might find it difficult to go there; but he could enter the Pribnow Box whenever he liked.
As long as he doesn't come too close to me… Kaji was a charming, friendly man, but he also was a bit too forward and pushy at times. Now that he had backed off and didn't try to seduce Maya anymore he was pleasant company, though.
"Oh hey," he spoke up. "Thought you guys were finished here already. Sorry then. I'll shut up and wait."
Maya sighed and then shrugged. "Actually, I think we are finished here." There was really no reason to drag this out.
"Ah, that's good then," Kaji said. "Say, Katsu… hey now. Are those two stripes? You got promoted! Congratulations!"
Maya took a closer look. And indeed, the insignia on Katsuragi's collar had two black stripes on silver, denoting a major, not a captain. And she didn't even tell anyone!
"Congratulations, Major!" she chirped.
"Yes, congratulations, Misato," Shinji added with a smile.
"Does that mean you get more pay?" Asuka asked with a smirk. "Because I think there are some more high quality ingredients Shinji wanted to stock up on."
Touji and Kaworu added congratulations as well, while Rei remained silent, and Ritsuko just stared silently. Kaji didn't let that sour the mood. "I think this should be celebrated, Katsuragi!"
"Oh, that's a good idea!" Maya agreed enthusiastically. "What do you all say we go to a karaoke bar ?"
"There's really no need..." Katsuragi grumbled quietly.
"Nonsense!" Kaji disagreed. "Opportunities for celebration must be taken as they arise! Who knows when we'll have the next chance?"
Sensing an opportunity indeed, Maya turned towards Ritsuko. "How about it, sempai? Let's take some time away from work! Have some fun!"
Ritsuko scowled. "I don't think so. I have yet more work to do."
"Ah come on!" Maya insisted. "Surely that can wait a while?"
"No it can't!" Ritsuko shouted. An awkward silence followed. Then she rushed out of the room.
"Wellll… so much for that," Kaji muttered. "But I still think it's a good idea."
Maya looked at the door through which Ritsuko had just disappeared, and felt a pang in her heart. If she could just find out what was bothering her sempai so much. If she could just comfort her… well, okay, she probably wouldn't be able to in the way she wanted. But she still wanted to help.
"So much for partying," Misato muttered. She was watching the door as well and sounded sorrowful.
A feeling of defiance rose in Maya. She would get to the bottom of what was bothering Ritsuko, but for now she would not let her sour the mood. "We still have enough other people here!" She grinned as an idea hit her. "What about it, Shigeru, Makoto? Wanna celebrate Katsuragi's promotion?" She looked especially at Makoto while suggesting this. While Kaji was behaving now, well, Maya wasn't above encouraging some competition for Katsuragi as a small revenge for his behaviour.
"Uh… I suppose..." Makoto stated unsurely, while Shigeru demanded, "Only if we go to a karaoke bar."
"Great!" Maya exclaimed. She turned to the pilots. "How about you all? Celebrating the promotion of your Operations Director?"
"She isn't my Operations Director," Touji corrected her. Maya cursed herself for not having seen that coming; of course Touji always put as much distance between himself and his job as possible. And purely technically, the pilots, as minors, were indeed not part of the command hierarchy.
"Hey now! Do I get a say in this as well?" Katsuragi intervened.
"Your authority is strictly limited to NERV related matters," Maya told her with a grin.
"Come, Touji, you can bring Hikari along," Kaji suggested. He was grinning as well now. "A perfect cover to get her into a karaoke bar with you, wouldn't you say?"
"And what do you mean by that, Mr Kaji?" Touji protested. "I mean… well… hm."
"Well, that means someone needs to keep watch over you," Asuka declared.
"Unfortunately, I have already agreed to meet with friends," Kaworu spoke up with a polite smile.
"Well, call them and invite them as well!" Maya prompted him. "The more the merrier!"
Katsuragi just groaned.
Nobody was surprised that Shigeru knew all the karaoke bars in Toko-3. Half of them were currently no good to visit, due to NERV's security advisory about yakuza attacks, but then the seedier and cheaper bars were no proper place to celebrate a promotion, anyway, or so Ibuki had claimed. Following that logic, the parlor they went to was clean, upper-class and most of all large. The establishment had no problem to produce a table for thirteen people on the spot, and that with a karaoke stage directly next to it.
Kaji and Ibuki had basically dragged Misato to her own celebration. Hyuga and Shigeru, the other two 'bridge bunnies' as Asuka usually called them in the irreverence so typical of her, had come as well, and so had all the pilots – five of them by now. It was no surprise that Touji had brought Horaki along. What was surprising was that Kaworu had brought Kensuke and Mana along.
Everyone was quite loud as the sat down at the table, and apparently quite occupied by gossip, banter and laughing. So nobody noticed when someone pulled at Shinji's collar. Ibuki quite literally pulled him aside.
"Ah..." Shinji voiced.
"Don't worry," Ibuki laughed. "I was just… wondering how you were doing."
"Uh… I'm fine..." Shinji answered non-committedly.
"Well, hmmm..." Ibuki hesitated. "The last time it was just us two… talking… you weren't doing so well. So… I'm just concerned, is all. Have things become better since then?"
"Oh, definitely!" Shinji answered immediately. Then he looked down, abashed, remembering what had happened 'last time'. He felt too awkward now to say more.
"How are things with, hm, I suppose, I should call her Soryu here? And with Rei?" Ibuki inquired.
"Ah… good, good," Shinji answered. Still looking down, he smiled faintly. "That is… that is why you don't need to worry, Ms Ibuki. I'm… I'm still anxious about having to pilot EVA. About having to fight angels. I don't like it. I fear it." The smile vanished and his body became rigid. "And… and nobody seems to give me any thanks or respect for it. But..."
"But?" Ibuki prompted.
"I feel like I can't reach certain people," Shinji explained. "Can't understand them." He thought back to his visit to his mother's grave. "Can't question them. And they remain cold, despite… despite everything I've done, But..." He thought back to what had happened after his father had left. He looked up to Ibuki and smiled again. "But not all people are like that. I… I know that now. And I, uh, I have those people around me. That's what matters."
Ibuki smiled back. "That's good. You… you and Asuka and Rei have become close, haven't you?"
Shinji looked over his shoulder to see Asuka arguing with Touji, the two shouting over the whole length of the table. Rei was keeping very close to Asuka. A certain redness spread over his face, but for once he didn't back down. "We… we all know how it is," he clumsily tried to explain their bond. "Piloting. Living alone." He shrugged. "That all."
"And you and Asuka?" Ibuki asked. "Are you two still… together?"
"Ah… it's, uh, complicated," Shinji evaded the question.
Ibuki chuckled. "That's good." When Shinji looked at her oddly, she explained, "Shows that you three still are teenagers. 'It's complicated' is what every teenager feels." She winked.
Smiling awkwardly and unsurely, not knowing what to say to that, Shinji went over to the table and sat down next to Rei, on the other side from Asuka. Meanwhile, Shigeru had already climbed up the karaoke stage and begun singing. And while Shinji had no idea what he was singing, he was pretty sure it wasn't supposed to be sung that way.
Asuka had never heard Elvis so maltreated as Shigeru was doing right now. Not that she was really paying much attention. She was too busy shouting across the table.
"Yes, as it so happens, I do think I'm essential for the existence of the world," she declared, looking Touji square in the eyes. "No goddamn robot could do what I can."
"Pff, whatever," Touji dismissed her. "If they had those… what were they called… dummy plugs in every EVA, they wouldn't need to coerce us into being pilots."
"And then your sister wouldn't get special medical treatment from NERV," Asuka pointed out. "Ever considered that, Mr Bathrobe?"
Hikari chuckled. It sounded nervous, and too loud. It was obvious she just wanted to intervene and end the argument. "Bathrobe?"
"The guy appeared in one during synch-training today," Asuka explained.
"It was a longcoat!" Touji insisted, and then grinned. "And both Akagi and Katsuragi allowed me to wear it. Because, you know, not all of us are exhibitionists."
Not that she could see it herself, but Asuka's face turned a really unhealthy shade of red, distorted by a rather worrisome grimace of anger. "The fate of the world rests on our shoulders, and you're worrying about decency?"
Touji scoffed. "You might get off on this 'fate of the world' thing, but I only pilot due to my agreement with NERV."
Asuka scoffed back. "Figures that an ape like you wouldn't care about the world." She defiantly threw her head back. "Me, I fight for the world and its people!"
Touji rolled his eyes. "Yeah, whatever."
It was then that Shinji finally joined them, sitting down on the other side of Rei from Asuka. So why care about that buffoon; I have Rei and Shinji. However, it seems Touji wasn't quite done. After Shigeru finally, finally left the karaoke stage there was some hesitation as to who would go next. Apparently, nobody really had the courage to. Asuka already was about to stand up and just do it, annoyed at everyone's cowardice, when she was beaten to the punch by the jock.
And unfortunately, even though he was very much a below-average student in school, he seemed to have a natural knack for languages. For English. And he couldn't contain a grin when he started singing.
"You're so vain, you probably think this song is about you.
You're so vain, I'll bet you think this song is about you.
Don't you? Don't you?"
The way Touji now turned his grin to Asuka was impertinent.
This challenge of course couldn't go unanswered. As soon as Touji was finished, Asuka stormed onto the stage and took a hold of the karaoke equipment. The list of songs there was vast, including some quite obscure bits going all the way back to the 80s, 70s, 60s… Aha. Just what I need. The song was synthpop with speaking parts rather than singing, but what mattered were the lyrics. Asuka smiled overly sweetly at Touji when she sung.
"Oh, mystical East, you've lost your way
Your rising sun shall rise again
My western world gives out her hand
A victor's help to your fallen land."
The song was actually sarcastic here: An anti-globalist/capitalist message about western commercialism spreading everywhere and how that is presented as 'help'. But of course, that wasn't the way Asuka was using it. She just wanted to get a rise out of Touji – and it worked: The jock was fuming. Of course, everyone else was giving her irate looks as well, but she didn't care about that. Okay, maybe she had overdone it a bit here, but… but… well, it was Touji's fault for having provoked her. With her head held deliberately high in defiance she sat down again.
There was some awkward pause now, which was ended when Kaworu went up the stage. That wasn't a surprise, given his musical leanings. What was a surprise was that he was singing metal – German metal.
"Erst wenn die Wolken schlafen gehn,
kann man uns am Himmel sehn.
Wir haben Angst und sind allein;
Gott weiß ich will kein Engel sein!"
In all honesty, this made Asuka's opinion of him rise at least tiny little bit. For one thing, he wasn't doing his usual cultivated fancy-pancy style of things, and second, Rammstein was cool. Of course half the people in the room couldn't follow the lyrics, but oh well. She, Mana, Rei, Misato and Kaji all did… though Rei's grasp on German was tenuous enough that she might not understand it through all the growling, and Misato was too busy drinking one beer after the other.
Afterwards there again were no volunteers stepping forwards. What a bunch of boring Weicheier… She had expected better of Misato and Kaji, at least. But Kaji was just doing his usual enigmatic smirk, and Misato – she was prone to doing crazy things, normally, but maybe she didn't want to part with her beer. Or whatever. So it of course fell to Asuka again to keep things lively. Determined, she stepped forth. She had seen another song on that list she quite liked.
She provocatively grinned at the assembled NERV personnel as she was singing.
"We don't need no education
We dont need no thought control
No dark sarcasm in the classroom
Teachers leave them kids alone."
Her voice rose considerably to stress this part… and she adapted the lyrics a bit.
"Hey! Officers! Leave them kids alone!"
Asuka was still grinning, flush with sense of victory, as she was hopping down the stairs from the stage and sitting down again. She pretended not to notice Misato's stares, but of course she did, and she enjoyed them. Of course, she also knew that her guardian wouldn't be all too offended in reality; it was actually really difficult to offend Misato.
"Your provocations seem to be working," Rei commented flatly.
"Is there a daily quota you need to fill?" Shinji muttered with some amusement.
"Don't tell me you haven't thought the same thing about NERV," Asuka answered.
"Well… yeah," Shinji admitted. "But it's strange hearing it from you."
Asuka knew what he meant. And truthfully, she never had had much problem with NERV's training and regulations. It wasn't like she had ever been subjected to full military discipline; she was a warrior, not a soldier. And that training was part of being a warrior, something Asuka was proud of. However… that wouldn't keep her from needling Misato and other NERV personnel. Now and then she needed to remind them that she couldn't be taken for granted.
While they were talking, Mana had taken the stage. She was singing some 80s thing, Heart of Glass by Blondie. Shigeru seemed to disagree with the choice of music, Ibuki seemed to listen to everyone, Kensuke was listening intensely, Touji and Hikari were too busy with each other, and Kaworu… Kaworu seemed to smirk at the music.
"Your first song was… uh… well maybe a bit over the top?" Shinji mentioned cautiously.
Asuka snorted. "It worked, didn't it? It got Touji."
Shinji almost winced. "I really don't like how you two are attacking each other. He's my friend and you're… you… well…" He trailed off, his head red.
Huh. Yeah. It was difficult to discern just what they were right now, so Asuka seized on a different point. "You have really bad taste in friends."
"Aren't we his friends as well?" Rei asked.
"We're… well, we're… hm..." Asuka muttered. Now both she and Shinji were red-faced.
"I see," Rei answered… and ascended the stage.
It was unsurprising that Rei had a melodic voice. But Asuka wouldn't have thought that it could also be that full, that powerful. Soft and melodic, yet strong. And utterly captivating.
"You can tell by the way
She walks that she's my girl.
You can tell by the way she talks she rules the world.
You can see in her eyes that no one is her chain.
She's my girl, my supergirl."
Rei wasn't looking at anyone in particular, and yet…
"And then she'd say, it's okay; I got lost on the way
But I'm a supergirl and supergirls don't cry"
Asuka felt addressed. And she was feeling surprised and touched and hot all at once. Rei was singing about a girl who was maybe flawed… but determined and strong and pushing on. And Shinji realized that as well. His head was still red when he said it, but he whispered over to her, "Our supergirl." Asuka looked straight down to hide her heavy blush, but under the table she grabbed Shinji's hand.
"She's sewing seeds, she's burning trees,
She's sewing seeds, she's burning trees.
She's a supergirl, a supergirl,
A supergirl, my supergirl."
By the time Rei was finished, Asuka felt her face positively burn. Is that how she sees me? Of course, those were just the lyrics to the song, but… It was Rei who had sung it. And surely not without reason. Am I that to her? Her supergirl?
And what are we?
Asuka thought as she let go of Shinji's hand when Rei sat down again.
There also was the question what others thought of this all. Certainly, Kaji had a massive grin as he went up the stage. And just as Rei had just interpreted a piece by a male singer, Kaji now took on a piece by a female singer.
"You're begging me to go,
Then making me stay.
Why do you hurt me so bad?
It would help me to know,
Do I stand in your way,
Or am I the best thing you've had?"
For some reason, Shigeru laughed at this to Hyuga, who looked really unhappy. Maya, meanwhile, walked over behind Asuka, and just as Rei was leaning over to Shinji, to listen to something he had said, whispered: "You know, Soryu, after this, you just have to respond to Rei, don't you think?" She sounded amused, but good-willed.
Nevertheless, Asuka hissed back silently, "I have no idea what you mean!"
"Of course," Maya allowed. "Just keep in mind we can talk about that idea if you want to." And with that, she left again.
This left Asuka grumbling. And what the hell does she mean by that? Who is she even, to intrude like this? But the idea had taken root inside Asuka. And it wasn't like she could just back away from a challenge.
It was the third time she entered the stage, but then, people weren't exactly fighting for the chance to be up there, so that was okay.
"I don't mind spending every day,
Out on your corner in the pouring rain
Look for the girl with the broken smile
Ask her if she wants to stay awhile
And she will be loved
And she will be loved.
Tap on my window, knock on my door
I want to make you feel beautiful
I know I tend to get so insecure
It doesn't matter anymore."
She also avoided looking at anyone directly. She simply sang a song she had found in the playlist. But she did have Rei in mind as she did so. Her own insecurities did indeed not matter. What mattered was giving Rei that feeling, that feeling of being… hm. Well, she had already admitted to loving Rei, and it was true.
Still, she was uncharacteristically quiet and subdued when she sat down again. And when this time there was some hesitation about who would go next, Asuka absolutely didn't volunteer.
"What about you, Shinji?" Misato spoke up. She sounded like she already had quite a buzz going on. "Asuka has been up three times already, and you haven't at all!"
"Neither have you," Shinji muttered.
Misato took a large swig from her beer glass. "I..." Then she hesitated and winked at Shinji. "I'll let you go first."
"I'm curious about your singing voice," Rei pitched in. And there was so much earnest interest in her statement…
Shinji smiled faintly and sighed. Then he got up. His hesitation and general awkwardness actually just served to draw even more attention to him. Once up on the stage he didn't seem to know what to do. Finally, he simply settled on one of the more popular songs on the playlist.
"Fly me to the moon.
Let me play among the stars.
Let me see what spring is like."
As he walked down the stage again, Shinji told Misato, "But now it's your turn!"
"I… eh, maybe later," Misato deflected, taking yet another large swipe of beer.
So it was actually Kensuke who sang next. And Asuka rolled her eyes when she recognized the song.
"Brothers everywhere - raise your hands into the air.
We're warriors, warriors of the world.
Like thunder from the sky - sworn to fight and die,
We're warriors, warriors of the world."
Asuka could just scoff at this. Yeah, right, Kensuke. You're a warrior. Sure. She almost felt insulted by this. She was a warrior. Rei and Shinji also were warriors. And, much as she disliked it, but Kaworu and Touji could at least also make that claim. But Kensuke? Kensuke was just a scrawny nerd boy with false delusions about the military and NERV. Someone who was taking himself too seriously. Someone who…
Asuka grinned. She had just the right idea for the follow-up song. And while Kensuke might not be able to follow the lyrics, the song was famous enough that he would understand the message.
She looked straight at Kensuke for the third stanza.
"99 Düsenjäger,
Jeder war ein großer Krieger,
Hielten sich für Captain Kirk,
Das gab ein großes Feuerwerk."
Of course he didn't know what she had sung. About fighter pilots who thought themselves great warriors and nobly shot down the threat of 99 balloons. That part fit to Kensuke like a glove. But he did know the song in general of course, and he didn't look pleased that Asuka was singing it at him.
For the next stanza, Asuka looked at Misato and Hyuga again.
"99 Kriegsminister -
Streichholz und Benzinkanister -
Hielten sich für schlaue Leute,
Witterten schon fette Beute.
Riefen Krieg und wollten Macht,
Mann, wer hätte das gedacht,
Dass es einmal soweit kommt,
Wegen 99 Luftballons."
Hyuga looked confused. Misato growled. And Asuka grinned once again as she left the stage. Curiously, Kensuke seemed to have left the table, and so had apparently Kaworu and Mana. Oh well, all the better.
Asuka spent the next minutes explaining the song to Shinji, so that she nearly missed Hyuga's turn:
"All I'm saying it takes a lot to love you
all I'm doing you know it's true
all I mean now there's one thing
yes one thing that turns this grey sky to blue."
It wasn't exactly a top performance, but it was solid. Next up was Shigeru again.
"We dared to ask for more,
But that was long before
The nights began to burn.
You would have thought we'd learned
You can't make promises
all based upon tomorrow.
Happiness, security are words we only borrowed.
For is this the answer to our prayers,
is this was God has sent?
Please understand this isn't what we meant."
Huh. Asuka had never heard that song before, but it seemed quite powerful. Not everybody was paying attention, though. Hyuga and Kaji were eying each other coolly.
"Always interesting how many love songs are sung at such events, isn't it?" Kaji remarked and made it sound like idle small talk.
"One would think there are other topics to sing about as well," Hyuga agreed. Both sounded rather stiff.
"Well, I suppose sometimes a message needs to be repeated multiple times before it gets through to certain people," Kaji observed.
"It isn't always a matter of the message coming through," Hyuga argued with a thin smile.
Kaji tilted his head. "I guess you're right. Sometimes people are just averse to all sorts of romance."
Misato groaned. And grabbed her glass beer more often than before. And refilled it more often as well.
A guitar solo played in the background. And on stage, Shigeru was playing his most beloved instrument – the air guitar. Bending his knees and moving his fingers as if he were actually playing the most epic solo of all time. Certainly showing more enthusiasm than he ever did in the NERV command centre.
Asuka became slightly flustered at Rei's next song again, but then, so did Shinji this time.
"Take all your goodness and shyness away.
I'll tell you the things I've been longing to say.
I'll break it to you just so you understand
The force and control that you hold in your hands.
You are loved.
You are loved.
You are loved."
And unlike Asuka, Shinji was terrible at hiding the blush that was now spreading across his face. Again, Rei was not looking at any person in particular, but if anyone had remained clueless so far about what existed between her and Shinji… well, now they surely weren't clueless anymore.
Loved. That was a nice thought, though. To be loved… Shinji deserved that, for sure. And maybe, just maybe, Asuka was as well…
Even Touji, that meathead, couldn't escape the general theme of romance.
"I'm gonna try for an uptown girl.
She's been living in her white bread world,
As long as anyone with hot blood can.
And now she's looking for a downtown man;
That's what I am."
He was pretty good at English pronunciation, but he didn't seem to have one musical bone in his body. The rhythm and melody were all wrong. But even so, Hikari was blushing pretty hard when he returned to his place next to her. He seemed to make some quiet jokes to her, but then actually stood up and left her, looking for where the hell Kensuke had gone.
It was now that, finally, Misato was walking up the stage. Maybe she has finally drunk together enough courage. She certainly wasn't exactly fully sober anymore. Her voice was kinda slurred, and she had an even worse sense of melody than Touji.
"Every time I see you falling,
I get down on my knees and pray.
I'm waiting for that final moment
You say the words that I can't say."
All during Touji's song, Hyuga and Kaji had continued their 'cooler than thou' banter. Now they were shut up.
And it was Shinji whom Misato addressed when she returned to her seat. "See, Shinji? I can do this as well!"
"Barely," Shinji muttered.
Misato laughed at that. "Do it better then!"
"That shouldn't be difficult," Shinji accepted the challenge and went up the stage.
His song was one of the few post-Second Impact songs played here.
"You are beautiful, no matter what they say.
Words can't bring you down, oh no.
You are beautiful in every single way.
Yes, words can't bring you down, oh no.
So don't you bring me down today..."
This time, Asuka didn't blush. Of course, it was equally likely that Shinji meant her or Rei, but it really made no difference. They all were beautiful… maybe beautiful together… and somehow, Asuka was increasingly getting used to the idea…
She smiled broadly at Shinji when he sat down again. Meanwhile, Maya was snickering. When Shinji looked at her oddly, she asked: "Ah, do you know the history of that song? Who is using it?"
"Using it?" Shinji asked, but before Maya could respond they were interrupted when Touji quite loudly took his seat again. Something seemed to have upset him.
"Ah, who cares what others use the song for!" Misato, now quite drunk, exclaimed. "You will all see how beautiful you all are on Thursday!"
Asuka looked at her drunk guardian with some disgust. "And what's that supposed to mean?"
Hastily, Maya spoke up. "Ahhhh... it's a chance for you to… to excel in the synchtests!"
Misato grinned broadly. "Ah, but it'll be a very special synchtests!"
"Yesbutyourenotsupposedtotellthem!" Maya hissed.
Misato waved her hand dismissively. "Nonsense! This is an opportunity for endless fun! Because… you five… will do the test… ab-so-lu-tely na-ked!"
"WHAT?" Asuka exclaimed. Suddenly all talk at the table died down. Shinji and Touji looked aghast.
Misato snickered again. "Ritsuko needs baseline data. How the synch goes without any clothes or even only the plugsuit on. So, tomorrow, you five, all nude in your entryplugs. And the EVA cages. And the way to there."
"You want us to run around naked?" Asuka demanded to know.
"Ritsuko wants you 100% disinfected," Misato explained, apparently deriving great enjoyment from this. "So you'll get disinfected at length and then can't come into contact with textiles again until you reach the entry-plug." She put her chin on a hand and grinned. "So imagine that, you five all walking to the plugs butt-naked."
Asuka jumped up. "I think not! Who the hell do you think we are! I'm not doing this!"
"You'll have to," Misato simply declared.
Asuka was fuming. All colour had been drained from Shinji's and Touji's faces, but as for her… a cold fear was spreading in her guts. If this truly was a NERV test, then there was indeed nothing she could do about it. But to be paraded around naked in front of the creep and the stooge… and then, how would that affect things with Rei and Shinji? That was absurd! But it was a NERV directive, apparently, so…
"Du perverses, dreckiges Schwein!" she insulted Misato and stormed off, out of the bar.
A minute later Rei and Shinji had caught up to her.
The previous afternoon had been cheery. Now, it was like a big dark cloud was hanging over the pilots. Shinji hadn't talked with Misato since storming out of the karaoke bar. He, Rei and Asuka had eaten something in the city and then returned home very late. Shinji hadn't responded at all to communication attempts by Misato, but had simply gone straight to his room without saying a word. Misato had knocked several times, even opened the door to speak to him, but he had never responded. And this morning he had woken up early enough and gone over to the girls' apartment so as not to come into contact with the Major at all.
As the three had begun walking to school, Misato had waited for them at the door of her apartment. They had simply ignored her. That in turn had sunk the mood of the trio, and made the whole situation awkward, so that they had made most of the trip to school in silence. Only towards the end had Asuka begun to speak, and eventually to rant about Akagi's plans.
Shinji felt very uncomfortable about the prospect himself. He supposed it was worse for Asuka, though. She would have to worry about Touji and Kaworu. As for Shinji, well, he was a boy as well and as for Asuka and Rei, he trusted them. But… it still carried the risk of making everything awkward. And walking around naked in the EVA cage? That was just a mortifying thought. But what can we do?
During the lunch break, the pilots barely spoke. Touji sat with Hikari, but was sullen and quiet. Kaworu was nowhere to be found. And while Rei, Shinji and Asuka ate together, they almost desperately avoided any conversation, knowing it would only have one topic, a topic they surely didn't want to breach here.
So even after school, there was an awkward silence. Kaworu was walking next to Asuka, Shinji and Rei. Differently to them, he seemed to be in good spirits. Finally, when they had left the school premises behind, it burst out of Asuka, "Gottverdammt nocheinmal, I don't want to run around naked in the EVA cages for Misato's goddamn enjoyment."
"The Major is acting unprofessionally," Rei stated.
"When isn't she," Shinji muttered sullenly.
"She's crazy." The three stopped and turned around. Touji was closing up to them. "That's what she is."
Asuka scoffed. "Why are you complaining? You get to ogle."
"And you don't?" Touji shot back. "Maybe I don't want to have your grubby eyes on me?"
"Don't you worry. There's no danger of that," Asuka assured him acidly.
"And you think there's a danger you will be watched? You're not as important as you think you are," Touji told her.
"It still sucks. For every one of us," Shinji hastily intervened. He didn't want all this bickering between his friends, and besides… they all were victims of this crazy policy, weren't they? So why argue among each other?
It was now that Kaworu spoke up. "You all seem quite displeased with that upcoming order."
Shinji winced. That had been a rather thoughtless thing to say. Asuka would not react w… Ah yes, there it is. She growled. "And you aren't?"
Kaworu shrugged. "It doesn't matter to me. But I must confess, I don't see your problem."
Shinji had expected Asuka to again react angrily, but now instead it was Touji. "Hey man, not all of us want to prance around in our birthday suits!"
Kaworu smiled faintly. "That isn't what I meant, Suzuhara. I respect that you have problems with appearing in NERV in the nude. And yet you all seem intent to do so nonetheless."
"Akagi will make it an order," Asuka stated flatly.
"So?" Kaworu simply commented.
That caused dumbfounded looks between Asuka, Shinji and Touji. "What… are you saying?" Touji asked suspiciously.
"The case seems rather simple to me," Kaworu explained. "You don't want to appear in the nude. That is fair enough. So simply don't do so."
"...mutiny?" Asuka whispered.
"That seems like a drastic formulation. I simply think humans have free will, do they not?" Kaworu asked rhetorically. His smile was quite enigmatic. Then he turned his gaze ahead. "Ah, there they are." Shinji followed that gaze and saw Kensuke and Mana. "Well, I hope this idea will help you. See you tomorrow!"
He began moving. Next to Shinji, Asuka balled her hands into fists and shouted out: "Hey! Kaworu!" The greyhaired boy stopped and looked back over his shoulder. "It's a plan. That's what we'll do. But don't tell anyone. We'll spring a surprise on Misato and Akagi."
Kaworu nodded with a broad smile, then continued on his way to Mana and Kensuke.
" 'That's what we'll do'?" Touji snorted when the Fifth Child had gone. "Who died and made you Queen?"
"I'll have you know that my mother did in fact belong to a noble house[1]," Asuka answered haughtily. Her spirits seemed to be rising. "Come on! You were complaining as well!"
"Yeah, but… can we really do that?" Touji asked. "I'd be all for that, but… my sister."
Asuka scoffed, but had no good answer for that. And Shinji could understand his friend. It was well possible that, in the long run, his sister's life was on the line here.
"We can if we all do it," Rei spoke up. Given the combative nature of that statement, she sounded oddly soft.
"And then what?" Touji demanded to know. "They can still kick Sakura out of their hospital."
"Not if we then refuse to pilot," Rei explained.
Asuka began to grin viciously. "As long as we're a united bloc, there's nothing NERV can do. They need us. Hah. A general strike! I'll bring the red flags!"
Touji seemed to hesitate. Then he answered, "Fine. We'll try that. I'm sick of being bullied around by Akagi anyway."
Asuka's heart was thumping heavily. And yet, there also was a wild battlelust in her. It was a battlelust completely different from the one she felt in the entry-plug. She enjoyed showing her skill against the angels; this proved the superiority she had over most people. But angels weren't people. They had no personality; they were just forces of nature. Angel fights were only chances to show off. But this… now she would directly triumph over people.
Maybe. If everything went well. And it carried great risk.
She, Shinji and Rei had again avoided Misato the entire previous day and the day so far. Nobody had spoken a single word to the Major, much to her growing despair as Shinji reported. Misato was realizing she had screwed up at the bar, and what was more, she was fearing she'd lose her wards in an emotional sense. Well, it's a justified fear. As far as Asuka was currently concerned, Misato and Akagi could go to hell. And Ibuki as well – she had known and not said a single word.
The pilots had taken a train directly from school to the nearest Geofront entrance. Misato had offered to take them by car, but of course they had declined – or, rather, not answered at all. So now the pilots were entering the Geofront, were preparing for the big confrontation. Asuka did her best not to let it show, but she was anxious. If this went wrong, her whole life could end up ruined.
She looked to her left and right side and grinned faintly. But that won't happen. She had Shinji and Rei supporting her. And she had Touji and Kaworu backing them up. The five pilots were walking united through the corridors of NERV Headquarters. The pilots corps stood together. They had the power. It was an invigorating feeling.
To nobody's surprise, Misato was waiting at the top of the large escalator that led down towards the EVA cages. She had her arms crossed in that position peculiar to her, where her right hand held her left elbow. She was looking down.
"Hey," she said quietly. "Look, I wanted to… apologize. I've acted unprofessionally. The test needs to..."
"Can it," Asuka interrupted her aggressively. "We need to speak to Akagi."
Misato looked up again, at her. "Why?" She sounded suspicious. And rightly so.
"For exactly the reason you suspect we do," Asuka told her. "We won't do this test. None of us will."
The people around her looked uneasy, but none of them protested at this. Meanwhile, Misato did a double-take and then let her gaze wander over them. Then she put an extra effort into responding calmly. "Asuka… I promise you all we'll do this professionally. And no, you won't have to run around naked in the EVA cages. We..."
"I. Don't. Care." Asuka answered her forcefully.
"Asuka, this is an order," Misato told her, still staying calm.
Asuka crossed her arms. "And we refuse that order." Her heart threatened to jump out of her chest, but she managed to maintain a calm exterior. She had worn a mask for ten years; this was nothing difficult anymore to her. "Now take us to Akagi. I have no desire to explain myself twice."
Wordlessly, Misato got moving, even forcefully walking down the steps of the escalator. The pilots followed her.
Asuka held her head high. In truth, as anxious and at times even fearful as Asuka was, the current situation was also intoxicating. A rush of hormones flooded through her body. This was something she could get used to seeing herself in: The defiant fighter against injustice, the one who leads the righteous resistance. The centre of attention. In fact, if she was honest with herself, this was right up her alley.
The six people had just entered the Pribnow Box when Misato already announced, "Ritsuko, we have a problem."
Akagi looked up from a terminal. Her face was icy. "What is it now?"
Misato nodded to Asuka, who took the cue. "We're refusing the planned synch-test."
Well, that has gotten everyone's attention. The room was dead silent now.
Akagi walked over briskly to the group. "Refuse? What's that supposed to mean?"
"We are pilots," Asuka told her. "Do you know what this means?"
"I'm sure you'll tell me what you think this means," Akagi answered.
"It means our job is defeating the angels," Asuka answered. "Defending the world. Not playing guinea pig for you. Not becoming a… a Wichsvorlage for people's perverted thoughts. Piloting doesn't require us to give up our dignity."
Akagi rubbed her nose. "Of course this would result in problems. Misato just had to get drunk and run her loose mouth..."
This irritated Asuka. "And you? You would have sprung this as a surprise on us, wouldn't you? So that we have no chance of defending ourselves. Just exposed us naked.[2]" She shot an angry glare past Akagi, at Ibuki. "And you pretended to care about us." Ibuki furrowed her brows in response.
"What exactly is the problem, Soryu?" Akagi almost exploded now. "I promise you this will be handled professionally. Yes, you're pilots. That means there are certain necessities. This will serve to better your synch-rate out in the field."
"Yay. More pain," Touji commented sarcastically.
"A better synch-rate would be nice," Asuka admitted. "But it isn't worth this. And since it is us who go out there and fight for our lives, surely that's our call."
"But… Asuka… you honestly never had a great problem showing your body!" Misato intervened now. "I mean, when we went to the beach..."
Oh jeez thanks for telling people that! "That's completely different!" Asuka exploded.
"How so?" Misato merely asked.
"Because… because… on the beach I decide how much I strip down," Asuka explained. "How narrow or revealing my swim clothes are. It's all my free choice. But this… this… this would be humiliating!"
"Besides, it isn't just about her, you know," Touji added.
"Well, Fräulein Professionell," Akagi spoke up sternly. "It's time to let your feelings take a backseat. This is a necessary procedure..."
"No, it isn't," Asuka interrupted her. "We've done fine without it so far."
"I still don't see what the fuss is all about," Akagi complained.
"Dignity," Asuka replied. "It's about dignity."
"Dignity!" Akagi scoffed. "Dignity and twenty yen gets you a coffee. Surely survival is more important."
"Die Würde des Menschen ist unantastbar," Asuka quoted the first article, the basis, of the German constitution – Human dignity shall be inviolable.
"Major Katsuragi," Akagi hissed now. "Keep your pilots under control!"
"Asuka," Misato spoke up. "And that goes for you as well, Shinji. If you don't comply with orders, I may have to restrict your video game and TV privileges."
"Abusing your role as guardian over us, I see," Asuka answered darkly. "So that we have no choice but to blindly follow orders, because otherwise we get punished at home."
Misato's voice now began to match Asuka's. "You have all the choice in the world. You're free to leave NERV. But inside NERV there is a command structure to follow."
"I'm not part of it!" Asuka reminded her.
"But I am," Misato argued. "And I have a job to do. And as part of that I will make sure you will comply with orders."
Now Asuka was fuming. "Make sure. Right. So, our guardian will have us walk around naked for everyone to observe and analyze, or else we will be punished. What do you think Child Protection Services would think of that?" Not that they'd dare go against NERV, but Asuka was trying to guilt-trip Misato. "Or for that matter, what do you think our resident U.N. inspector will think of that?"
Misato crossed her arms. "If you find this to be unbearable, you can quit. I'd make sure you can stay in your current apartment then, and you'd be free of all obligations."
Akagi furrowed her brows at Misato. The Major was probably being too lax with Asuka for her liking. But as far as Asuka was concerned – that comment only made her angrier. "Maybe I will do exactly that!" she shouted. She didn't mean that, of course, she just wanted to see people's reaction.
And she wasn't disappointed. The pilots around her were looking at her aghast. Even Rei showed a reaction. And Misato did a double take. "What do you mean?"
"Maybe I will quit," Asuka told her. "What will you do then?"
"Maybe we'll all quit," Shinji added darkly, which made Asuka's heart beat yet a bit faster.
"I think that would be inconvenient," Kaworu joined in.
"Alle EVAs stehen still, wenn dein starker Arm es will," Asuka said. She grinned.
Akagi made a sweeping hand gesture. "Right! That's it!" Her voice filled the entire room and beyond. "Okay. We're doing just a normal synch-test. For now. But you, Asuka – you're suspended!"
"What?" Misato exclaimed, turning her head to Akagi.
"I do outrank you," Akagi reminded her. "And if you can't create order, I will!" Wordlessly, Shinji turned around and walked towards the door. "Shinji, where are you going?"
Shinji stopped, but didn't turn around again. "I told you. It's Ikari for you." His voice signalled controlled anger. "And if Asuka is suspended, then there won't be a synchtest today."
Kaworu nodded. "That seems like a reasonable conclusion." He turned around.
Asuka grinned triumphantly at Akagi as behind her Rei turned to go as well, followed by Touji.
The feeling was exhilerating.
Her entire life, Rei had just been a machine. A tool to be used that just so happened to have a human form. She had had free will; but that free will had followed what others had demanded of her. People had demanded she pilot, and she had piloted because it was the only connection to the world she had. People had demanded she obey the Commander and she had, because he was the only one who would interact with her at all.
So she had endured everything. The pain. The treatment at the hand of others, especially by Akagi. Her other self in the EVA. She had known nothing else. The elder Akagi had killed part of her, and the younger Akagi had mistreated her, and she had just endured it. So now it felt absolutely amazing to defy the younger Akagi. There was a part of her, a part that had rejoined her soul, that burned in hatred for both Akagis, and that part was rejoicing now.
There had been so many new emotions since her contact with Leliel. All the experiences she had never had before. Seeing, smelling, hearing stuff. And a feeling of deep, moving love for Asuka and Shinji. For that feeling alone she would have followed Asuka's plan, just as Shinji as well was now solidarizing with her. But now she discovered that she enjoyed doing this.
That it was enjoyable to follow one's own will, in defiance of others. Maybe she wouldn't have before. Maybe she in her second body wouldn't have done this at all, not even for Asuka's sake. But then, her second body hadn't contained her full soul. And that new part that had rejoined her soul… that spurred her on to do more things like this.
"Touji!" Akagi called out. "Remember our deal!"
Suzuhara only stopped for a short moment. Rei did so as well, watching him. "You won't end it just because of one missed synch-test. You need a pilot for EVA-03." The two got going again.
"Rei!" Akagi shouted now. Rei paid her no mind and simply continued walking, out of the Pribnow Box. Akagi ran after her and grabbed her upper arm. "What are you doing?"
"Going home," Rei told her bluntly. She stopped, and so did everyone else.
"I don't think so," Akagi answered. "I think you'll stay the night here."
Rei tried to free herself from Akagi's grip, unsuccessfully. She noticed the new posture Asuka was taking – ready to physically attack. "I will not," she simply said.
"The Comm..." Akagi began, but she didn't come far. In a single motion, Rei turned around in Akagi's grip and pushed her to the ground. NERV sensors would no doubt record a Pattern Orange, but right now Rei didn't care. The part of her soul that had been missing from her second body took over. This had been the woman who had mistreated her for ten years. And now she'd. had. ENOUGH!
Angrily, Rei sent another AT Field push against Akagi, who was now groaning in pain. But Rei wasn't touching her; surely the Doctor's fall must have been simply very unlucky. Rei looked down at her, her face still entirely blank, but inside dark thoughts were rising to the surface.
"You will never touch me again," she told Akagi, as monotonously as ever. Inside her various impulses were vying for control. A return to former calmness. Just leaving. Sending another AT Field push. Sending enough of them that Akagi would never be a threat again.
But before she could act on any of them, she felt someone carefully grab her wrist. She turned her head around and saw Shinji gently smiling at her. "She won't, Rei. Let's go home."
Rei nodded and got moving. Neither Akagi nor Katsuragi followed them. When they were far enough away, Shinji's hand slid down her wrist and took hers.
Shinji was feeling terrible.
That was the reason he had slept the night in a closet room. He and the two girls had agreed that he should spend the night with them, away from Misato. And strangely enough, the Major hadn't even tried to get him to come back. Nevertheless, Shinji had felt and still felt terribly guilty about this all. He would all do it again, of course, just to support Asuka, but… he had disobeyed a direct order. Had taken part in a mutiny. There even had been a bit of a brawl during which Akagi got injured. And Shinji had been part of it all.
He hadn't deserved any reward for that. Even though it had remained unspoken, the idea of him sleeping in the same futon as Rei and Asuka again had been in the air. But Shinji had just not been able to do this, not after what else he had done that day. So instead, he had gotten a spare futon and had it unrolled in the apartment's closet room. [3] He hadn't gotten much sleep.
Breakfast was an awkward affair. Nobody spoke. And after some time, Shinji got the impression Rei was deliberately looking away from him. What have I done now? But, after all he had in fact done the previous day, maybe he did in fact deserve scorn.
They hadn't even finished breakfast when the angel alarm went off. Hastily, they scrambled from their chairs and ran to the apartment door.
They were just running past the doors of Misato's apartment when the Major emerged from them. "Hey!" she called out to them. "I'll drive. Don't worry, I won't ask questions or comment on anything. Let's just get to HQ."
The three stopped and looked at each other. Nobody was really looking forward to spending any amount of time in Misato's company, not after what had happened, but they also realized that this wasn't the time for such sentiments. They had to go to NERV HQ as quickly as possibly. So Asuka, communicating for the entire trio, nodded.
Truth be told, Misato looked terrible. Her uniform wasn't sitting straight at all, and there were dark rings under her eyes. She probably hadn't gotten much sleep either. Shinji's guilt flared up again: He had helped to cause this mess.
Just as Misato had promised, she didn't talk during the drive. In fact, nobody did. The atmosphere was tense and awkward. It only was interrupted by an incoming call to Misato's phone. As she was driving, she had put it in loudspeaker mode.
"Major." It was Ibuki's voice. "The Pattern Blue notice was transmitted from Hawaii, from NERV Space Command. The Pattern Blue was picked up by our satellites. It appears the angel is holding position high up in orbit."
[1]Kyoko Zeppelin-Soryu. It was Count Zeppelin who invented the flying machine named for him; the family is noble. So, Asuka is canonically descended from a German noble house (though probably not from the Count Zeppelin).
[2]That is what happened in canon. The pilots had no idea what the test was until they were suddenly naked in the corridor leading to their entry-plugs.
[3] In canon, after Asuka moves in, Shinji moves into a smaller room, which is basically a closet room. So basically, here he has slept in the equivalent of his canon room in Rei's and Asuka's apartment.