First off, I just want to offer my condolences to the
friends and family of Ben Kosse, thouugh I didn't know
him really, it's still sad to hear about a fellow
fanfic writer taking their own life. I plan on
looking up some of his works in the future as well.
okay, enough on that part. I am hoping to have this
part released before chrismas hopefully, I am sending
it out now because I have recieved no complaints from
my prereadersso now it is up to the rest of you. The
standard notices apply here.
enjoy ^_^
========
Warning: Lime content present!
Not intended for anyone under 15, read at your own
risk.
OOCness ahead, maybe.
----
Version I-B {1.5}
----
"speaking"
'thinking'
<phone>
=dream=
----
This Chapter follows the events of Chapter Three
----
-Rei's Child-
Written By: Jon L
-Chapter IV-
----
The Angels, believed to be enemies by all, with the
exception of a few individuals who have met one
personally, one named Tabris. Tabris, the Angel of
free will, he made a choice that changed what would
have been, had he not stopped it. It is now days
after the incident in Terminal Dogma, things have gone
back to the way they were at the residence of Misato
Katsuragi, Misato has been out all night, leaving the
other three residence to sleep in peace, but not
everyone is asleep at this hour. Shinji can be seen
in the cool night air right outside the apartment. He
appears to have something on his mind this morning.
'Everyone says Angels are bad, yet Kaoru saved us all,
why?'
He walks up to the railing for the sixth time and
stares out over the horizon, the sun is minutes away
from rising, but Shinji doesn't seem to really care
that much about it.
'Asuka is still sick as well, what is it she sees
right now? Rei has also become a mother to be, but I
am still concerned about it...'
His thoughts are suddenly interrupted as he hears the
door open behind him.
"QWAAA!!"
"Pen-pen, is it time for breakfast already?"
Pen-pen waves his flippers around, indicating to
Shinji that he wants some food.
"QWAA."
"Pen-pen, you know by now that I can't feed you, Rei
gets you your food now. See if she is up first."
The bird just gives the boy a cold glare before he
turns and heads back into the apartment.
'Why is it Pen-pen fears Rei so much? She at least
does a better job then Misato at food preparation, he
has even stopped drinking beer now because of it...'
He stops worrying about Pen-pen and goes back to his
thinking.
****************
Minutes later, Rei is awoken by the sound of something
letting out a small squeal.
"Qwa!"
She opens her eyes and sees a penguin lying on the
floor next to the futon, the penguin looks up and sees
he has been spotted.
"It is time..."
Pen-pen doesn't bother to reply as he darts back to
the kitchen, and to the safety of his fridge. She
soon follows and sets some food out for him, minus the
beer. After she has finished, she exits the kitchen
but doesn't go back to her room yet; instead she
stands in the doorway and watches as Pen-pen comes out
of his fridge the same way he has for the past few
days.
"You are welcome..."
Pen-pen doesn't respond to the blue-haired girl that
has been feeding him REAL food as he continues eating.
As soon as he has finished, Rei turns and heads to
her room. Once she enters she sees the futon is empty
of its owner, so turns and heads in the direction of
the balcony instead.
"Shinji is worried again..."
When she has arrived outside the door she slides it
closed and walks up to Shinji, assuming the same pose
he has.
"Shinji, why do you worry?"
"Rei, the past several days have been interesting.
Asuka is in a coma, you are pregnant, we have shared
an experience together, I have learned of your origin,
and I have come close to seeing you die..."
"But..."
"...But I have been betrayed by a friend...who was an
Angel, only to be saved by him in the end..."
"Shinji, Kaoru did it for both of us because you
helped him do what was right..."
"I know Rei, but everyone says Angels are bad, what
made him so different?"
"He had a choice, unlike the other Angels who did
not."
"I see, Rei, but why is it he made THIS choice? Surely
he deserved to live more then I did."
Rei is taken aback by his statement "Shinji?.."
"Rei?"
She turns and hurries back into the apartment, hurt by
what he has just said. As she nears her room, she
sees Pen-pen lying on the floor of the kitchen.
****************
"Rei?"
Shinji sees Rei hurry back into the apartment.
'What did I say wrong?'
//'Father, the time has come.'
"What?"
He starts to feel lightheaded and staggers to one of
the chairs nearby and manages to sit down right before
he blacks out.
=(Shinji is standing in total darkness, with the
exception to himself who appears to be illuminated
from an unseen source, and the penguin in front of
him.)=
="What is going on?"=
=//"Father, it is time for you to learn about your
second challenge some more."=
="You mean Asuka?"=
=//"Yes."=
=(Suddenly, he is blinded by the sudden burst of light
in front of him.)=
=//"This is what Auntie Asuka is going through right
now..."=
=(In front of him, he sees the same thing Asuka does,
right down to the vivid colors.)=
=//"Though it may help if you were part of her right
now."=
=(The next thing Shinji sees is himself running up to
a door and opening it.)=
****************
"Momma! Momma! I have been chosen as an Eva pilot! I
am the best!"
Door opening.
"I will only tell you, cause I have to keep it a
secret!"
Door opening.
"Everyone is so nice now! I won't be alone anymore!"
Door opening.
"I don't need Papa anymore!"
Door opening.
"Look at me now Momma!"
A young Asuka reaches for the handle like she has done
for the past 36 times, but this time she shudders
right before she turns the doorknob.
"Momma!"
She pushes the door open and sees her mother again,
hanging from the ceiling, all the while she has a
smile on her face. Inside Asuka's head she hears a
scream, one that is there, but is not hers.
"Huh, this feels different this time?"
Asuka senses the presence of another, one that she
knows, but can't identify.
Instead of repeating like it has before, Asuka's dream
freezes as she begins to walk around in the infinite
room.
"What is going on?"
"Asuka..."
Asuka quickly spins around, thinking that someone was
in back of her, but she does not see anyone around
her, nor does the voice speak again.
"Who said that?! Shinji?"
"Asuka..."
"WHO ARE YOU!?!"
*****************
="Asuka..."=
=//"You see what you must do now, Father?"=
="Yes..."=
=//"Then, you see that you are not the only one who
has seen tragedy, you just deal with it in a different
way."=
="I see now, but why show me this?"=
=//"I hoped that it would be more effective then just
telling you. It is time for you to return now, and
please cheer up, you have Mother now..."=
="I will try..."=
=//"Then, I wish you luck, Father."=
Shinji is suddenly awoken as the first rays from the
sun reach his face.
'I should go talk to Rei...'
****************
Rei sits on the bed, thinking about what Shinji has
said on the topic of who should have lived.
"Why is it Shinji feels this way?"
She continues to stare at the futon as she ponders for
a reason, until she hears the door open.
"Rei?"
"Shinji, why do you feel Kaoru should have ended
life?"
"Because he was a better person I thought...but...when
I think about it...he made the right choice after all,
it gives you a chance to be a mother."
"Then, you believe he has done the right thing?"
"Yes, I now believe he made the right choice for both
of us..."
"I...am happy you see it that way." Rei lets out a
small smile as she says this.
"I am glad you are, Rei. All I want is for you to be
a good mother..."
****************
"WHO ARE YOU!?!"
//"Asuka Langley Soryu. The Second Child. Pilot of
Eva Unit-02."
"Not anymore...I am not fit to be an Eva Pilot
anymore..."
//"STOP!"
Asuka is now starting to become tired of this game,
"WHERE ARE YOU!?!"
Suddenly, a penguin appears in front of her.
//"Right here."
"Pen-pen?"
//"Not quite, I appear as the common object for
everyone that has met him, but I am NOT him."
"Then who are you?"
//"I am a person that will soon be here, but you must
not concern yourself with me. I am here for you right
now, Auntie Asuka. You are in need of help, only you
do not know it yet."
"And why not?! I don't even know you!"
//"Oh, but you will soon, give it time."
"Why are you here now?!"
//"I have came to help you turn back from where you
are headed, back on to the path to life."
"I am perfectly fine where I am right now."
//"You call this fine?" Pen-pen indicates the person
hanging in the center of the room, "This is what you
call fine?"
Asuka begins to see his point as she thinks about what
to say next.
"But I don't have anyone else back in the real world,
at least here I can avoid loneliness."
//"You can't avoid it forever, you will tire of this
soon. When you do though, you will have two choices.
Life...or death."
"GO AWAY!!!"
//"I will, but think about what I just said, you will
be glad you did..."
Pen-pen fades out as the dream continues it's cycle.
"Momma! Momma! I have been chosen as an Eva pilot! I
am the best!"
Door opening.
"I will only tell you, cause I have to keep it a
secret!"
Door opening.
"Everyone is...is..." The message finally hits Asuka
as she slows down, then stops completely, "Everyone is
gone..."
Asuka now sees the choice in front of her that she has
been told about, "Life or death..."
"Live, my Asuka."
"Momma?"
"Live...my Asuka, and be free."
"Yes, I will momma, for you."
"NO!"
"What?"
"Not for me...live for yourself, and for those who
still care for you."
"But momma..."
"Live, my Asuka, live and be free of me..."
"I..." Asuka begins to cry, "I can't, momma, not
without you..."
"Yes, you can my child. And...you will..."
"I..."
"Live, my darling Asuka..."
"I will momma, I will make you proud of me again..."
Asuka turns away from the door and walks back in the
direction she has come, on her way back to the outside
world again.
"Thank you...Momma..."
****************
That evening, Shinji, Rei, and Misato have been called
down to the NERV Medical Ward with the rest of the
involved NERV staff. Ritsuko is currently giving her
latest report to everyone on the status of Asuka, Rei,
and the latest Angel.
"As you can see on page 2, we are still not sure as to
what occurred in room 407, be we do know the explosion
left no trace of the 17th Angel, and we still have two
functioning Eva pilots here."
"What about the report here stating there was an
unusual reading moments before the explosion?"
"It is believed that it was a sensor malfunction
caused by the presents of the 17th Angel."
"But we have a way of finding out if anything else
could have occurred to cause it, don't we?"
Makoto stands up and gives his finding to the Major.
"The MAGI indicated that all sensors may have been
affected by the interference caused by the latest
Angel, we would not be able to run any tests on the
sensors until we finish repairs to NERV, by then it
may be too late."
"Understood."
Ritsuko continues on to the next subject, "In regards
to Rei's pregnancy, I still have not been able to
determine what the final item is in her stomach, but
hope to know soon. Rei, I will need to run a few
tests to check on the fetus soon..."
"Hai."
"The next item on the list is the Unit-02 incident, we
still have not been able to determine the cause for
Unit-02 going berserk, but I do have a few theories."
Since Gendo was currently away, Fuyutsuki has taken
his place in this meeting, "Proceed, Doctor."
"Rei's mind may have been damaged after Unit-00
exploded. Rei may not be able to sync properly with
Unit-02. Or we didn't have the right data in the ram
and it interfaced incorrectly with the Eva itself."
"Do you have any suggestions in case Unit-02's current
pilot does not pull through?"
"I believe we should try a dual pilot synchronization
with Unit-01 for the time being."
"What would this involve?"
"Both the First and Third Children attempt to
synchronize at the same time with the Eva."
"Very well, you may proceed with the attempt, Doctor."
"Thank you. Now on to the last matter at hand
concerning the Second Child, her condition has shown
no signs of deterioration, but has not improved
either..." Ritsuko walks other to the monitor and
sets it to Asuka's room, "The Second Child is still in
a comatose state in room 303. It's hard to say what
will happen next, but I believe we should start the
search for another pilot soon."
Misato still has a few questions for the doctor,
"Ritsuko, what do you think will become of Asuka in
the end?"
"Insanity, then death."
"I see..."
"Assuming she wakes up again, that is."
Shinji, having never spoken at one of these meetings
before, decides to ask a question, "If I may ask, what
will happen to Rei's child if she has it?"
"Assuming it is a healthy child, it will be looked
after by someone in NERV until it is old enough to
pilot."
"What?"
"Rei is not old enough yet to take care of a child,
Shinji. I am sorry, but it is the only way. Are
there any more questions?"
Everyone remains silent as Ritsuko looks around the
room, "Then this meeting is finished."
Everyone gets up and proceeds to the door. Just as
Shinji is about to exit the room, the doctor speaks
up, "Shinji, can I talk to you for a moment?"
"S-sure, Ritsuko."
After everyone else have left, Ritsuko sits down and
motions for Shinji to do the same.
"Shinji, why is it you asked about what will happen to
the child?"
"I was just curious as to what would happen to it, I
was hoping Rei could take care of it, she is the
mother."
She pushes a few keys on the keypad in the table,
causing the door to slide closed, "Shinji, I was
hoping for the same thing, I have already taken care
of the arrangements for the child." She pulls out a
sheet of paper from the folder in front of her and
slides it to him. "I was hoping that the child would
stay with Rei."
He reads the paper in front of him.
RESIDENCY REPORT
CONCERNING: _______________
VALID ON: _____________
TYPE OF RESIDENCY: JOINT
HEAD PERSON: MAJOR KATSURAGI, MISATO
ADDRESS: SAME AS KATSURAGI
ISSUED BY: DOCTOR AKAGI, RITSUKO
"This form will make it possible for Rei to take care
of the child herself."
"Why didn't you tell anyone this before?"
"Because the commanders would not approve of this if
they knew about it, and I must ask that you do not
tell anyone about this, not even Rei. I am only
telling you all this because you inquired about it."
"I understand."
"Good, you are dismissed then, Shinji Ikari."
Both of them get up and walk out of the room, all the
while missing the message flashing on the monitor
showing Asuka's room.
****************
The next afternoon, Rei is down in the Medical Ward
with Ritsuko for an ultrasound.
"The fetus looks good so far, with the exception of it
growing more rapidly then normal, but that may be just
a side effect at this time."
"Hai."
"Rei, what do you think of Shinji?"
"I...do not know what you mean?"
"Well, yesterday he ended up asking the question I
thought you would have asked. I don't think he beat
you to it, so I feel he must care about you and this
child a lot."
"I see..."
"Rei, you are your own person, you should take some
actions once in a while when it comes to this child
you will give birth to."
"I understand..."
"So, what do you think of him then?"
"He is...confusing at times, but he is caring as well,
and he makes me happy."
"He seems like the type of person anyone might want as
a father for their child."
"Yes, he does."
"Well, I am not saying that you should have him be the
father, but think about how much he cares for you. In
the end, you will know if he is the kind of person
that should be a father to your child."
"I see..."
After about ten minutes more of the ultrasound,
Ritsuko decides she has enough info for this test and
allows her to go home again. Once she has dressed
again, she exits the room and heads in the direction
of room 303B, where Shinji has decided to wait for
Rei. As soon as she enters the room, he jumps up from
the chair he is sitting in.
"Rei, how was the test?"
"It had no problems."
"Good..." Shinji turns back to a large window that
allows others to look in on the occupant of the room
next door, "...Asuka's condition hasn't changed much,
she still looks lifeless there on the bed..."
"Shinji, do not worry too much about her, she will be
fine."
"I hope she recovers soon..."
"She will."
The two end their conversation and head home, moments
before the monitors start going nuts with info being
displayed on them in the other room.
****************
The next day, Ritsuko is talking to Misato about the
latest happenings at NERV.
<Ritsuko, what is going on here?>
"We are not sure, Misato. As of last night the
quarantine has been lifted for Asuka, due to the fact
that she is showing signs of improvement."
<But why, isn't she still considered contaminated?>
"Yes, but I got the quarantine lifted so Shinji and
Rei could visit her as she gets better. Even the sick
need the touch of another, Misato."
<So what do you want me to do about it?>
"Well, since Asuka does not get along with Rei that
well, I was hoping you would not tell her yet, but do
let Shinji know. He is the one that seems to be
affected the most right now, if he was able to speak
to Asuka, then she may get better faster."
<I understand now, I will let him know.>
"Thank you, Misato."
Ritsuko ends the call and goes back into the room
where Asuka still remains. She does a quick check of
Asuka's current status, then walks over to the
terminal set up on a table and enters her latest
report.
[R. Akagi]
[Medical Log]
[Soryu, Asuka Langley]
[]
[My latest findings on the Second Child have revealed
a few concerns related to the Unit-02 incident
involving the First Child. Though I do not have
enough data to back this theory up, Asuka's brainwave
patterns appear to have the same basic pattern as the
'unknown pattern'.]
[]
[Though my original outcome still has not been ruled
out, I believe that her chances of pulling through are
starting to get better. Her physical condition has
not changed much, weight has dropped 5 more pounds,
but skin color has improved some. The quarantine has
been lifted for the time being for the purpose of
interaction with the patient by the First and Third
Children.]
[]
[As to whether the Second Child will ever pilot Eva
again, it is still unknown at this time, but my
current standings on the question are still no.]
[]
[End Log]
Ritsuko finishes up and leaves the room.
"I wish I knew what was happening here..."
****************
It is now two days after Shinji has been notified of
Asuka's condition, and down in room 303, he sits next
to the bed his fellow pilot currently lays in.
Quietly, he talks to his fellow pilot, "Asuka?.."
No response, nor did he expect one from her.
"Asuka...can you hear me?"
All that can be heard is the sound of the medical
equipment in the room.
"Asuka...I know that you and I don't get along
well...but I really need you to pull through. I miss
you a lot at home...I think Pen-pen does to. We have
a new housemate...Rei has moved in with us..."
Shinji looks away from the bed for a few moments,
"Asuka...please come back to us..."
He turns back again and continues to talk to her,
"Misato has been away for the past few days at night,
no one really sees her much outside of NERV anymore.
The last Angel has come and gone...and a few things
have started to happen to Rei..." He gets up and
walks to the end of the bed as he finishes what he is
saying, "Rei is pregnant now..."
Since Shinji was not looking at Asuka at that moment,
he missed her reaction to the news when her index
finger on her right hand twitched, causing a response
from the machinery next to her.
BEEP--BEEP--BEEP--BEEP...
"Huh?"
Startled by the noise, he backs away from the bed as
the nurse comes in to respond to the beeping.
"I didn't do anything...honest."
"It's okay, did she move at all or anything?"
"Not that I saw..."
"Well, don't worry about it any, probably nothing."
"Hai..."
The nurse turns and exits the room, leaving the two
pilots alone again.
"Asuka, please come back..." He trails off as he
sheds a tear.
"Shinji?"
Shinji quickly turns his head towards the door and
sees Rei standing there, "Yes, Rei?"
"What is wrong?"
"Rei...I guess I just miss her is all. She may have
been a pain, but she still was a fellow pilot."
"I understand..."
He turns and stares at Asuka for a bit longer before
finally walking up to the bed, giving her a sweet kiss
on her head and mumbling something to himself, and
heading out the door with Rei.
****************
="Misato has been away for the past few days at night,
no one really sees her much outside of NERV
anymore..."=
"Ha, Misato is with Kaji now, why come home again!"
="...The last Angel has come and gone..."=
"So now I don't have any reason to fight anymore..."
="...and a few things have started to happen to
Rei..."=
"Who cares about Wondergirl!!!!"
="Rei is pregnant now..."=
Asuka shudders after hearing this latest news, "What?
Wondergirl is pregnant?" She stops listening to the
outside world and turns back to the Penguin beside
her, "Who did Wondergirl get knocked up by?"
//"That is not important right now. You can see that
Shinji cares for you."
"So what, Shinji is a boy, he can't understand how I
feel."
//"Are you sure?"
"YES!"
//"Well, give him time, and he may."
The penguin fades out just as she turns back to the
outside world again, just in time to see Shinji giving
her a kiss and quietly whispering something to her.
="I love you..."=
"Shinji..."
She continues her journey again back to the life she
left behind days ago, with a new purpose.
****************
Evening has fallen upon the city, bringing the
illusion of darkness where bright light interferes;
Shinji and Rei are sitting on one of the few trains
still running in Tokyo-3.
"Shinji, what is it you see in Pilot Soryu?"
"Rei?"
She remains silent
"Well, she is in pain all the time..."
The children sit there for about a minute, waiting for
their ride to end. Since time seems to moves slower
on the train, Rei picks up the conversation again to
fill the quiet air.
"You know about her mother?"
"Yes, I found out a few days ago."
"Then, you know of her past, her pride, her purpose as
she sees it?"
"Yes, but I also see a person who is crying on the
inside, I care for her a lot, but not the same way as
you..."
"I see. You want to help Soryu with her pain?.."
"Yes..."
As the train comes to a stop at the station, Rei and
Shinji get up and exit. As they continue the rest of
the way home on foot, they pick up on their
conversation again.
"Rei, what is it you see in Asuka?"
"She is a fellow pilot and a friend."
"But what do you think her problem is?"
"She has closed herself off to all, and she is finding
it is not good to do so..."
The conversation ends as Misato drives up in her car,
"I have been looking all over for you two, get in!"
The children do as they are told. As soon as the door
closes, Misato guns the engine, sending everyone
flying backwards into the car seats.
"Where have you two been, I left a message saying I
was going to pick you both up at NERV, didn't you get
it?"
After peeling himself out of the car seat, Shinji
speaks up, "No, Misato."
"Well, it's okay, but I have some bad news for both of
you..."
"What is it?"
"Well, since we have taken care of the last Angel,
NERV has been told to reveal everything it has been
doing to the Japanese government."
"How does this affect us?"
"Well, NERV has decided not to reveal anything to
them, and because of that, it has been designated as a
military attack point."
"What?"
"Shinji, NERV could be invaded soon by the JSSDF
unless we turn over all information concerning the
Angels. Because of that, NERV is now on alert to a
possible invasion..."
Misato pulls into the parking garage and parks the
car, then hurries the children into the stairwell.
While they start their ascent up, Misato continues,
"Shinji, do you remember what Ritsuko said about a
dual synchronization with both you and Rei in
Unit-01?"
"Yes?"
"Well, starting tomorrow, we will be running tests on
that very idea. So we need both of you to get some
rest. Hold up." Misato pauses on the level they live
on and looks around the corner, "Okay, go ahead."
"Misato, what is wrong?"
Misato hurries the children down the hall to the
apartment, opens the door, and huddles them inside as
quickly as possible. Once the door closes, Misato
locks it again and huddles the children to the couch.
"Have a seat."
"Misato?"
"Shinji, we have to be sure that you are both under
constant surveillance now until the problem is
resolved, Security has been tightened all over now.
As of this point you are BOTH to remain together and
within range of quick retrieval in case of an
emergency. Security will need you to let them know
when you go anywhere so they may keep a close eye on
both of you."
"Hai..."
"Now then, you will need to be at NERV by 9:00h
tomorrow so we can start the tests, so you should both
get some sleep now, okay?
"Hai, Misato."
"Good, we have a Security team posted to this floor to
watch over you both while I go back and assist with
the lockdown methods. I will see you both in the
morning at NERV."
"Goodnight, Misato."
Misato hurries back out the door, leaving the two
pilots to tend to each other.
'So, it has started...' She finishes her thought as
she gets up and heads to the kitchen, since it is her
turn to cook tonight.
"Shinji, what would you like to eat?"
"What, Rei?"
"Are you hungry?"
"A little..."
"Then, what do you want to eat?"
"Rice will be fine, I am not that hungry right now..."
"Hai." Rei begins to make some rice and prepares some
dinner for Pen-pen as well, 'Shinji, he is scared now,
I should comfort him.'
//'Mother, are you scared as well?'
'No.'
//'Fear isn't that easy to hide, Mother, especially
from me.'
'What do I have to fear?'
//'A lot, you may not know it yet, but you are scared.
Father is afraid, yes, but you can help him overcome
that fear, and he can do the same for you...'
'But what do I fear?'
//'You fear being a mother for one, but you fear what
may happen to Father as well. Don't hide your fear
from him, allow him to help you ease it.'
'I understand.'
"Rei, is dinner ready yet?"
"Yes, Shinji."
"Coming then."
Rei hears Shinji's footsteps as he nears the kitchen.
"Smells good."
The two of them start their dinners off in silence as
they eat.
****************
The next morning, both Shinji and Rei are currently
changing into their plugsuits in the new locker room
set up for the tactical situation NERV has gone under.
"Shinji, are you worried about the latest news?"
"What do you mean, Rei?"
"I...am worried about what might happen to this child
if NERV is invaded." She puts a hand on her stomach
to indicate what child she is talking about.
"Rei, do not worry, I will protect you, your child,
and Asuka from harm if it comes down to that."
"I see..." 'So, he will do the same that I have done
for him in the past...'
"Rei, do not worry about an invasion yet, right now
you have something else to worry about inside of
you..." He puts a hand over the same hand she has on
her stomach, "...You will be a mother soon, and you
will be a good one too."
She turns her back to him and puts the hand currently
being held to her stomach over his hand, "Shinji, I
have something to ask you?.."
"Of course, Rei, anything."
"Shinji, you think I would be a good mother, but I
feel..." She is cut off by the intercom coming to
life in the room.
<Pilots Ayanami and Ikari, please report to test cage
3.>
"It is time, Shinji."
She drops her hand from Shinji's and seals her plug
suit, letting out a slight gasp as it shrinks.
"Rei?"
"The plug suit is tighter then I remember..."
"Oh..."
After about 5 minutes, the pilots arrive in cage 3 and
await further orders. Misato walks up to them along
with Ritsuko, and is the first to speak.
"Pilots Ayanami and Ikari, you are here for an
experimental test run of a dual synchronization in Eva
Unit-01, Ritsuko will give you your instructions."
Misato walks to the control room, leaving Ritsuko to
explain what will be happening.
"You will be using the same Entry Plug used normally
for Unit-01. Pilot Ikari will sit on the left side
while Pilot Ayanami will sit on the right side, it
will be this way until we are able to construct a new
Plug for the Eva that will fit the needs of two
pilots, Understood?"
Both pilots reply in unison with, "Yes ma'am."
"Good, proceed to the Entry Plug then, we will be
standing by in the cage control room."
Ritsuko leaves the pilots as she heads off in the same
direction as Misato. The children make their way to
the waiting Entry Plug and climb in according to the
arrangement set by the doctor. Once they are set, the
door slides shut and the plug is lifted over to the
Eva. Once it finishes screwing in, the walls begin to
light up with the standard patterns seen during
startup.
<Can you both hear us?>
An image of Misato and Ritsuko appears in front of the
pilots.
"Yes, Misato."
<Good, standby for synchronization then.>
"Hai."
The children hear the standard checklist being read as
they wait.
<...1.3...0.9...0.7...0.4...0.2...Wait, checklist put
on hold, problem with current pow...>
The plug switches over to emergency mode as the
intercom goes out.
"Misato?"
He gets no response as the window disappears from the
screen.
"Rei, what is going on?"
"I am unsure..."
They both wait in silence for any signs of
communications being restored. When about two minutes
have passed, Shinji breaks the silence, "Rei, what was
it...you were you going to ask me...in the locker
room?"
"Shinji, do you wish for me to have this child?"
"Well, I think that you deserve some happiness by
having a child of your own."
"Then, I believe I should ask you this question..."
"What is it?"
"This child will need a father as well, I have chosen
you as that person?"
"Rei..."
"I will allow you to think it over before replying."
"Rei...I don't need to think it over any, I have my
answer now..." He turns to face her, "...My answer
is..."
They feel the plug begin to slowly move as they sit
there.
She turns and looks at him, "Shinji?.."
Shinji smiles as he finishes his sentence, "...My
answer is yes, Rei."
She reaches for his hand as the plug locks into
position, "Thank you, Shinji..."
The two of them feel the LCL drain out of the plug
right before the hatch is opened and see Misato enter
the plug with a flashlight in hand, "Come on, NERV has
been shut down by an unknown source, so we need to get
both of you out of here ASAP!"
The children crawl out of the Entry Plug and are
wrapped in towels right before they are rushed out of
the dark test cage with Misato leading the way to the
Medical Ward where they are brought to a well lit
room.
"You both will have to remain here for a while so we
can be sure it is safe to move you out of NERV,
Ritsuko is on her way here with your clothes right
now."
The door is closed and locked as the children look
around the room and see Asuka has been brought here as
well.
Shinji breaks the tension by making a small comment on
the situation, "Well, at least we don't have to stay
in Eva..."
That evening, after it was deemed safe to release
Shinji and Rei, the housemates find themselves back at
the apartment eating dinner. Misato has heated some
instant for herself while Shinji has made some ramen
for he, Rei, and Pen-pen. Misato has decided she
would head back to NERV that evening to check in on
the investigation into the power outage that crippled
NERV that morning and early afternoon.
"We have rescheduled the synch test for tomorrow
morning at 10:00h. The test will be the same as
today, only this time NERV Security will bring you
there instead, you will need to be ready by 9:00h
tomorrow. Understood?"
Shinji finishes his last few bites of ramen and gives
her an answer.
"Yes, Misato."
"Good. Now, I will be heading back to NERV now for
the night so I want both of you asleep by 20:00h
tonight."
Both children reply in tandem with, "Hai."
****************
The next day down in the test cage, Rei and Shinji
have stepped into the Entry Plug and await
synchronization inside as the plug is lifted into the
air and locked into position.
"Rei, do you think this will affect our child any?"
"I...am not sure..."
As soon as the plug has been screwed in to Unit-01,
the plug lights up with the various colors that appear
during the startup phase.
<Can you two hear me?>
Misato's image appears on the front area of the plug.
"Hai."
<Good, We will be starting where we left off
yesterday, standby.>
The plug begins to vibrate as the Eva begins to
synchronize with the pilots. They can hear the
checklist being read off by Maya in the control room.
<0.6...0.4...0.2...0.15...Count has stopped at 0.15,
unable to synch with pilots.>
The pilots see Ritsuko's image replace Misato's on the
plug wall.
<Hold on you two. Maya, raise the synch variables by
.45%.>
<Yes, Doctor.>
After Maya has entered in the new variables, the count
resumes.
<0.15...0.1...0.05...Borderline passed.>
The plug stops vibrating as borderline is passed, at
the same time, both pilots can feel each other's
thoughts.
****************
"0.15...0.1...0.05...Borderline passed."
Maya starts recording the current readings displayed
on her terminal, "Doctor, I am receiving data for
three brainwave patterns."
"Are you sure?"
"Quite sure, but none of the patterns seem to be
creating feedback in Eva."
Ritsuko types a few keystrokes at another terminal and
reads the info from Maya's, "I see no problems so
far, the third pattern may be caused by the presence
of two patterns for the same Eva. Raise the synch
variables to .5% over nominal."
"Yes, Doctor."
Maya does as she is told and sees the third pattern
disappear. "Doctor, third brainwave pattern has
disappeared from the graphs."
"Understood, start recording the data then."
****************
After what seemed like minutes inside the plug, Rei
and Shinji finally hear Ritsuko speak to them again,
<Okay, here is what we will do first. Shinji is to
attempt to operate Unit-01 while Rei will stand by for
now.>
"Hai, Ritsuko."
<Shinji, try to move the left hand first.>
Shinji clears his mind of all thoughts as he
concentrates on the left hand.
'Move...'
After a few moments, he feels a reaction from Eva as
the hand moves slightly.
<Good, Shinji. Now try to move the right leg
forward.>
After another few moments, the right leg moves outward
and into his sight, then slowly falls back as he
lowers it again.
<Very good, Shinji. Now you may take a break while we
do the same test with Rei.>
****************
"How were Shinji's reading, Maya?"
"Shinji's readings were normal during the first test."
"Good, then we can start Rei's part next."
****************
<Rei, are you ready?>
"Hai."
<Good, we will have you start out with moving the
right hand first.>
"Hai."
Rei goes through the same process that Shinji did and
tries to move the hand.
'Move...'
She finally succeeds after a few moments of deep
concentration and feels the hand move slightly.
<Good, now try to move the left leg.>
She clears her head again as she lifts the left leg
into the air.
<Good, Rei. You can lower the leg now.>
She lets the leg lower back down slowly.
<Please hold on a few moments while we prepare for the
next part.>
****************
"Maya, how was Rei's results?"
"She had a bit more trouble, but otherwise she did
fine."
"Then, let us proceed with the next step. Ready
Major?"
Misato does a quick check of the current safety
protocols and answers, "Ready."
"Then, let us begin."
****************
<Rei, Shinji, we will now be sending you both to the
testing chamber, hold on tight.>
The second Ritsuko finishes her sentence, pilots feel
the Eva being rushed to another cage.
<Okay, here is what will happen next, I want you both
to try walking around the chamber.>
Both children reply to the instructions, "Understood."
Before they start walking, Shinji turns to face Rei,
"Are you ready for this?"
"Yes, let us begin."
"Okay."
The children clear their thoughts and begin to
concentrate on the task at hand. They both manage to
move the right leg forward, then the left leg, and
soon have the Eva moving slowly but unsteadily around
the room.
//'Father, the time is nearing for Auntie Asuka to
wake. Go to her now.'
"Huh?"
Suddenly, Rei crumples forward and lets out a few
gasps before the Eva falls forward.
****************
Alarms start sounding in the cage control room as Eva
Unit-01 hits the ground.
The moment everyone is off of the floor, the situation
is turned over to Misato.
"REPORT!"
Maya "Rei's brainwaves are erratic at the moment,
Shinji's brainwaves are normal!"
Tech "Damage reported on level 12, no injuries
reported!"
"Close off the affected section and cut the synch
ratio to Unit-01!"
The cage crew does as ordered and dispatches a rescue
team to the test chamber as well.
****************
Hours later, Shinji is looking in on Asuka. Ritsuko
is currently examining Rei in the NERV Maternal Ward
two floors up.
"Asuka, I don't now if you can hear me yet, but I
really need you to come back soon...I know you can
still pilot Eva if you try again..."
Asuka doesn't even move as he stands there looking at
her. Quietly, he continues, "You are like the sister
I wish I had, Asuka. We...don't get along that
well...but when it comes down to it, we make a good
team..."
Soon, he hears the door open and turns to see Misato
walk in, "How is she doing, Shinji?"
"Still the same. What about Rei?"
"Rei is fine, we think the plug created a feedback
loop, so Ritsuko is working on a new plug right now.
I hate to have this visit cut short, but we need to
get going now."
"Okay, Misato, I will be right out."
"Understood."
Misato turns and exits the room. Shinji walks up to
the bed and gives Asuka a light kiss on the forehead,
"Please come back, Asuka..."
As soon as he finishes, he turns and walks out the
door, leaving Asuka alone again in the room.
****************
="Please come back, Asuka..."=
Asuka is now getting close to the end of her journey,
though she still has a ways to go at the same time.
"Shinji, I am coming back..."
She has now reached a crossroads point in the journey,
"I don't remember this..."
Soon, a Chibi Asuka fades in next to her, "What do you
want?"
"I do not understand?"
"What do you want?"
"I want to be to be depended on!"
"Why is that?"
"Why not?!"
"Why is that?"
"SHUT UP!!"
"Why is that?"
"Because I am needed then!"
"Are you?"
"Yes!"
Soon, the Chibi Asuka fades out and a Chibi Shinji
fades in, "Why is it you pilot?"
"Because I have a purpose."
"Why is it you pilot?"
"I told you why!"
"Why is it you pilot?"
"Because being a pilot means I am important!"
"Does it make you happy?"
"Yes."
"Does it make you happy?"
"YES!"
"Does it make you happy?"
"YES, it brings me happiness!!"
"Does it make you happy?"
"No..."
"Why?"
"Because if I pilot, then I have no other purpose."
"What do you want?"
"I want to be happy!"
"Is that all?"
"YES!"
Soon, Chibi Shinji is replaced by Chibi Rei, "What do
you want?"
"I want to be loved."
Stepmother "It's difficult for me to deal with that
child."
Father "You're worried? It's not like you, a doctor."
Stepmother "A Doctor is a human, as I said before."
Father "Well, still it's not like you against a kid."
Stepmother "She is quite adult in some ways, with a
total rejection, with a tension, that I'm often afraid
of. Don't you think so?"
Father "Well, you are Asuka's mother, after all."
Stepmother "I became your wife before that.
Father "Didn't you become them at the same time?"
Stepmother "Yes, from a social standpoint. However, I
can stop being her mother at anytime, though you
cannot stop being her father."
Father "That might be true."
"NO! I don't want to remember that!"
//"But you must, Asuka. It is part of your reason for
being here."
"But why must I remember?"
//'Because, in the end, it will lead you down the
right path."
"But why must I see this pain?"
//"Pain is what keeps us alive..."
The sight in front of Asuka changes now to the image
of a doll left on the floor.
Asuka "Don't stop being my mother! I'm going to be a
good child, whom you'd love. So, don't stop being my
mother. So, look at me! Stop MOM; don't kill me!"
Kyoko "Your daddy now hates mommy. Your daddy
deserted me. Or, I knew he's never loved me from the
very beginning. He has never needed me, I guess. So,
die together with mommy. Daddy does not need us.
Please, let's die together."
Suddenly, the doll rips apart.
Asuka "NO! I'm not your doll. I can think by myself,
I can live by myself.
The last image Asuka sees is her mother hanging from
the ceiling again, just like before.
"At that time, Mom was hung from the ceiling. She
looked very happy."
"Were you happy?"
"I was happy for her."
"Were you happy?"
"No, my mother killed herself. I was alone then..."
"What do you want?"
"I don't want to be alone..."
The image in front of her changes back to what it was
before, except that now, instead of two paths, one
remains in front of her.
//"Then, Auntie Asuka, proceed..."
Asuka now starts running like she never has before,
running down the path that will bring her back to the
outside world again.
****************
Back in room 303, the cameras are focused on Asuka
lying in the bed, and the machinery is silent save for
the hum of their power supplies. As the camera on the
wall focuses for the fifth time that day, it picks up
a slight movement coming from the bed. Suddenly,
everything starts to make noise as the movement
increases on the bed.
BEEP-- BEEP-- BEEP-- BEEP-- BEEP-- BEEP-- BEEP--
BEEP-- BEEP-- BEEP...
After a few minutes, a few nurses run into the room
with a crash cart, but instead of reviving Asuka, they
sedate her and place a call to a higher person.
"Yes, this is room 303, I need to speak to Doctor
Akagi right away, it involves the Second Child!"
****************
Two days later, Misato finds herself in the same room
she was in the night she heard the news about Rei.
"Ritsuko, how is she?"
"Asuka is sedated at the moment due to a seizure two
days ago, she has not responded to any other treatment
since then, but she appears to be getting better each
day now."
"That sounds good, I will let the other children know
then..."
"Misato, that is not the only news I have. I called
you down here to let you know about what I have
discovered concerning who the father is."
"What?"
"What I am about to tell you is not to be told to
Shinji, Rei, or Asuka!"
"I understand..."
"It's Shinji."
"WHAT?!"
"Shinji is the father."
"How, I thought that it was not done naturally?"
"It was implanted inside of Rei without her or I
knowing."
"Well, Shinji really is the father then..."
"Misato, this is not a good thing, I was not informed
of any of this!"
"True, but..."
Ritsuko holds up her hand indicating that there is
more to be said first, "Misato, the fetus is also
growing faster then normal. I did a test on Rei right
after she was examined for problems two days ago, the
fetus has already started to take shape...and I can't
slow it down any."
"Ritsuko, what are you saying?"
"I am saying that this will not be a normal
childbirth."
"Do you know why yet?"
"No, I am still examining the fourth chemical, but I
don't think I will have an answer anytime soon..."
"What do you want me to do?"
"Keep an eye on Rei, if she starts to have pain in her
stomach, call me right away."
"Got it."
****************
Now, after a week of being bedridden, Rei has been
told that she is able to leave the apartment again.
Since Shinji has been brought to NERV for a synch test
today, and Misato is working in her office, she is
left alone in the apartment. She plans on avoiding
Security today as much as possible.
In her room, she is looking through all of her
clothing trying to find something that will allow her
to slip away from the surveillance that has been set
up around Tokyo-3. As she tries on the sixth
combination, she sees that she personally has nothing
that will work out.
"This will not work..."
She comes to the pile of discarded clothes and decides
to try something new. She walks over to the pile of
clothes waiting to be washed and picks out a pair of
Shinji's pants that are for school, tries them on, and
sees that they make her look different, but not enough
yet. Next she walks to Misato's room and begins
looking for a shirt to wear, what she finds is shirts
that are large or revealing, as she found out when she
tried one on and saw her bra was not very well hidden
under it. Just as she is about to give up, she sees
Pen-pen walk into the room with a dark colored shirt
hanging from his flipper, she takes the shirt and
tries it on, finding it is a perfect fit.
"Thank you..."
"Qwaa."
As soon as she finds one of Shinji's hats, Rei heads
to the front door, but before she opens it, she turns
and walks to the kitchen, and digs out something she
made last night for Pen-pen.
She lets out a slight whistle, signaling to the
penguin that some food was left out for him.
Over the past week, Pen-pen has become less and less
afraid of Rei, to the point that all she has to do is
whistle and he would come running in.
"Qwaa Qwaa!"
"You are welcome..."
Several hours later, after walking all the way to
NERV, while at the same time avoiding Security, Rei
has arrived in room 303, alone.
"Pilot Soryu, you are the Second Child...and
a...friend, both to Shinji and I. Why is it you are
here?"
She does not expect an answer as she stands at the
foot of the bed.
"What has brought you to this point?"
Rei pauses as she contemplates her next words.
"Why are you here?"
She stops talking as she continues to stare at the
comatose Asuka.
'She is in pain...like me...'
After several minutes have passed, she hears the sound
of footsteps approaching and moves to a dark corner
where she can be masked in the shadows that plague the
dimly lit room. She hears the door open and close,
then sees a person walk to the foot of the bed.
****************
"Asuka, I am here once again, I don't know how long
you will be this way, but I hope you will awaken soon.
I have come to consider you as my sister over the
past week, watched over you for hours while you sleep
here, unmoving even to the slightest touch..."
Shinji wipes away a tear that has started to roll down
his face and continues, "I have spent the last few
hours thinking about you and Rei, how you were forced
into this state because of Eva, because of your
pain..."
"Shinji..."
The boy looks away from Asuka and sees Rei emerge from
a dark corner she was standing in.
"Rei?"
She moves closer to him and puts a hand on his
shoulders.
"Rei, how did you get in here?"
"It...does not matter right now."
"And why are you wearing my pants?"
"It does not matter..."
She turns him around and gives him a gentle hug. He
returns the hug and closes his eyes, welcoming her
caring embrace with open arms as he starts to shed
more tears, "I miss her, Rei, she may have been
mean...but she was caring as well..."
The two children remain there for a few moments longer
in silence until a voice calls to him.
="Shinji, I am here..."=
His eyes suddenly go wide as he hears this voice,
"Asuka?"
Instantly, all the machinery comes alive as Asuka
begins to stir in the bed. Moments later, Ritsuko,
Misato, Maya, and a few nurses run into the room,
startling the two children.
Misato is the first to notice Rei, "Rei? How did you
get in here?"
"I..."
"Never mind, we can talk about this later. Ritsuko,
what's happening?!"
"I have no idea, her readings are off the charts right
now!"
"Doctor, the sedative isn't working!"
"Maya, check her pulse!"
Maya grabs one of Asuka's arms and checks for a pulse,
"I feel one, but it's going too fast for me to count."
****************
Asuka is running as fast as she can now after hearing
Shinji's words to her.
"Shinji, I am here!"
Instantly, everything stops in front of her, "Huh,
what is going on?"
"My Asuka, you have reached the starting point once
again, but you can still turn back..."
"NO!"
"Then, be free, my sweet child..."
After the voice fades out, everything starts to get
fuzzy as she feels herself slipping away into what
feels like nothingness.
"Momma, what is happening?"
"You are returning to the outside again..."
Asuka now becomes aware of a dizzy feeling flowing
around her as a sharp pain is felt in her left arm.
"No, I didn't want this pain!"
"But, it is the pain of life. Fight it, Asuka."
"I can't, it's too much!!"
"Fight it..."
"SHINJI!!!"
The pain starts to fade away as her vision begins to
clear up slowly, "HELP ME, ---"
"---SHINJI!!!"
Asuka instantly bolts upright in the bed while yelling
out Shinji's name, causing everyone to back away from
the bed all at once.
"Asuka?.."
Shinji is the first one to break the thick blanket of
silence that had draped itself over the room.
Weakly, she manages a reply, "Shinji, I have come
back..."
Shinji comes running up to her and gives her a teary
eyed hug, "You came back..."
"Baka, of course I did!"
He turns to the rest of the people in the room, "May
I...have a few moments alone?"
"Shinji, it's best if we let Ritsuko examine As..."
"NO!! I want to talk to Shinji first!"
"Misato, I can do the tests a little later, why don't
we let Shinji talk to Asuka first. Besides, Rei still
needs to explain how she got in here."
"That's right, Rei, you still haven't told me yet."
Everyone walks out of the room, leaving Shinji and
Asuka to talk in private. He sits down of the edge of
the bed, "I am glad you are b..."
"BAKA SHINJI, don't sit right there..."
"Sorr..."
"Come closer to me."
Fearing that Asuka will bop him on the head, he tries
to move away, but she grabs his arm and pulls him into
a hug.
"You are a baka, but you are still my Shinji..."
"Asuka?.."
After a few more moments, she instantly lets go of him
and bops him on the head, "Don't ever kiss me again
when I am asleep!"
"Sorry..."
"Baka, stop saying sorry all the time!"
"Sorry!"
"BAKA!!"
"Asuka, maybe I should let Ritsuko start the
testing..."
"FINE, Go, you were the reason I came back, Rei was
too in a way. But before you go, answer me this, is
it true the Angels are gone?"
"...Yes, Asuka, it is..."
"I see..."
"I will try to come back tomorrow if Misato allows
it." He gets up and walks to the door, stopping short
to say one last thing, "I am sorry about your
mother...Asuka..." With that having been said, he
opens the door and steps out, leaving her with a
puzzled expression on her face.
"What?.."
****************
Two weeks later, after almost having a tracker put in
her neck, Rei walks down the corridor to the Medical
ward alone, on her way to pick up a fellow pilot being
released today. As she approaches room 303, she digs
out her pocketbook that contains all the data she will
need. The door opens and in she steps, book in hand,
ready to bring home Asuka.
"Wondergirl, what are you doing here?!"
"I have been ordered to update you on the current
status of NERV."
"I don't need you to tell me anything!"
"You are also to be escorted back home by me."
"Why can't Shinji do it?"
"He is unable to come right now."
"Fine, let's get this over with!"
"Asuka Soryu, as of 14:00h this day, You are being
placed under special guard as stated under Article
13-8 of the NERV Security Act..."
"Can you explain what that is?!"
"You have been placed under constant supervision
during the current situation..."
"And that situation is?"
"NERV is currently preparing for a possible invasion.
Until this situation has been deemed resolved, all
pilots are to remain under constant watch by Division
2..."
"So now I have to be looked after as if I am a little
kid?!"
"No, you are to be watched over in case something goes
wrong."
"I see, continue."
"You are not to be alone at any time outside of NERV
or Block B-6, when you are out, you must alert
Security to your plans, and you must be accompanied by
Misato, Shinji, or I when walking."
"Why has all of this been placed on ME?!"
"This affects Shinji and I as well..."
"BUT WHY?!"
"If NERV is under attack, you will be needed here, you
are to always be in range of a quick retrieval unit as
well."
"Anything else I should know?"
"Not at this time. You will be issued a new phone as
soon as you are ready to leave."
"Then, let us leave here now. I want to get back to
my room again where I have a soft bed."
"Hai."
As Rei turns towards the door, Asuka asks her a
question, "Wondergirl, Shinji said something about you
being pregnant, is it true?"
"Yes."
"Who is the father?"
"I am unsure, but Shinji is willing to be that
person..."
"WHAT?!"
"He will be the father to my child when the time
comes."
"I...see."
Asuka walks up to behind her and lets her know she is
ready to go now, "Come on Wondergirl, let's go!"
"Hai." She pulls out a red cell phone and hands it to
Asuka, "This is the new phone issued to you."
Asuka snatches it out of her hand and rushes past Rei
out the door.
A few hours later, after waiting for a special train
to come, both Rei and Asuka walk into the apartment.
"Welcome home, Asuka."
"Shinji?"
"Welcome home, Asuka."
"Qwaa!"
"Misato and Pen-pen?"
"We are glad to have you back."
"It's nice to be back!"
"Rei, can you assist me in the kitchen while Misato
tells Asuka about the current arrangements?"
"Yes, Shinji."
Both her and Shinji walk into the kitchen and close
the sliding door. As soon as it is deemed safe, he
begins to ask her some questions, "You didn't tell her
about the surprise, did you, Rei?"
"No, I told her only of the current status of NERV."
"Good, I wanted to surprise her with this special
dinner I cooked for her."
"I did not say a word about it."
"Thank you, Rei."
"You are welcome, Shinji..."
****************
"Asuka, its time for us to discuss a few things..."
"Like what?"
"Well, I am sure you have heard by now that Rei is
staying here..."
"She better not have been sleeping in my room!"
"No, she hasn't, but...she does sleep with Shinji."
"WHAT?!"
"ASUKA, keep your voice down, allow me to explain
everything first!"
"Fine!"
"First, Rei is pregnant, so it was decided it was best
to have Shinji sleep with her instead of her sleeping
alone..."
"Riiiiiiight, Misato."
"Second, they are NOT sleeping in the same bed at all,
I have checked on that many times."
"At least you have them under guard..."
"Not exactly, but it's not for you to worry about.
Third, Pen-pen is now Rei's responsibility so she can
learn how to take care of her child when it comes..."
"By the way, who knocked up Wondergirl anyway?"
At that last comment, Misato decides that Asuka has
said enough bad stuff about Rei, "Asuka, we don't know
HOW it happened, but one thing Ritsuko knows is that
she should NOT be able to have one. Now, I am going
to make this VERY clear for you young lady, Rei is
apart of this family now, so I want YOU to start
respecting her MORE from this point forward! Am I
clear on that?!"
"No, Misato. Wondergirl thinks she is all high and
mighty all the time..."
"Asuka, you are the only one that seems to have a
problem with that, but you seem to forget you are the
one that has finished school AND college..."
"So? She thinks that she knows more then me..."
"Only when it comes to Eva, Asuka. Besides, you were
the one that had friends when you were in Germany,
remember?"
"Yeah, so?"
"Rei only knows of Eva, that is all she has really
been prepared for. You are still the better one when
you think about it, why can't you just accept that you
BOTH could benefit from each other!"
"Misato, can you come here for a moment?"
"Yes, Shinji." Misato gets up from her spot on the
sofa, "I will be right back, Asuka." Misato walks
into the kitchen, leaving Asuka alone.
'Who does Misato think she is, telling me that I HAVE
to be nice to Wondergirl.'
She crosses her arms as she waits for Misato to come
back.
'Why is it Wondergirl has to live here anyway, I was
better off without her in the same place as me...'
"Pilot Soryu, we are ready to eat."
She quickly turns around, surprised to hear Rei's
voice, "Wondergirl, don't do that! I did just wake
from a coma!"
"Apologies, Soryu..."
"That's better. Now then, how did you do that?"
"Do what?"
"Sneak up on me like that?"
"I am not sure..."
"Asuka, I forgot to tell you, Rei is good at
surprising others."
"Thanks, Misato!"
"No problem."
"Dinner is ready Pilot Sor..."
"Rei, you can call her Asuka as well."
"...Asuka."
'Baka Misato.'
She gets up and walks into the kitchen, as she steps
through the door, she is greeted to a loud noise.
"WELCOME HOME ASUKA!!!!!!"
Since this was not expected one bit, Asuka jumps back
into Rei as she follows Asuka in, causing them both to
fall back into the living room.
"Oof..."
"Rei!!"
Shinji runs over to Rei and helps her up, "Are you
okay?"
"Yes."
"MISATO!"
"What?"
"It's my welcoming party, right?"
"Yes..."
"Then why is Shinji helping Rei up first?"
Misato begins to chuckle at Asuka's question, "Well
one, she is pregnant, and two, you did land on her so
your fall was not as bad."
After Shinji is sure Rei is okay, he helps Asuka off
the floor as well, "Sorry, Asuka, allow me to show you
to the honoree's spot."
He takes her hand and leads her to the chair closest
to the bathroom since Misato DID help cook one of the
meals.
"Thank you, Baka Shinji."
About an hour later, after dinner, dessert, and one
trip to the bathroom, Asuka and everyone else present
has moved to the living room for the rest of the
party.
"Wondergirl, who showed you how to cook?"
"Shinji did, I have been preparing Pen-pens meals
since then..."
"Well, you may be annoying to me at times, but you do
make good fish, but I thought you didn't eat any
meat?"
"I...do not."
"Well, I see Misato still uses curry powder!"
"Hey, there is nothing wrong with curry powder on
rice!"
Instead of asking how Misato kept Kaji alive in
college, she just keeps her comments to herself, 'I
wonder if Kaji ever had real food in college?'
After about an hour, both Shinji and Rei turn in for
the night since they have to be at NERV in the morning
for another synch test. Misato has asked that Asuka
stay up a bit longer so they can talk for a little
bit.
"Asuka, you have been told about the lockdown, right?"
"Wondergirl told me it was because of some invasion or
something..."
"Asuka, the JSSDF could invade NERV at any time, so
everyone has been put on alert until we hear they will
not."
"So why does this mean I can't be on my own anymore?"
"Well, if they were to attack and we needed you, then
it would be easier to know your location in two way,
if Security knew your whereabouts, and if we had two
signals to home in on at the same time."
"Oh..."
"It's for your safety mainly, NERV does not want you
to be killed or captured is all."
"I understand then."
Misato's tone now becomes a little more relaxed as she
relays the final bit of news, "Also, there is
something else you should know about Rei and Shinji
currently, Shinji has agreed to be the child's father
when the time comes. That was the other reason for
him attending to Rei before you earlier..."
"Why does that bitch need Shinji to help her!!"
"Because she asked him to, and he said YES."
"Damn her..."
"Asuka, he cares for both of you, you are both family
to him as well and I believe he will do everything in
his power to protect both of you if needed."
"Rei doesn't need help, she is Wondergirl!"
"Asuka..."
"And I don't want to live in the same place as her if
she starts asking me to assist her in any way!"
She gets up, walks to her room, and slams the door
shut.
'Stupid Wondergirl...'
****************
Two days after Asuka has come back home, things are
not going well between Rei, Shinji, and her. As a
matter of fact, Asuka has totally rebelled against
Rei's presence to the point that Shinji has begun to
feel the tension.
"Asuka, why can't you just accept the fact that Rei
lives here as well?"
"Cause she doesn't belong here!"
"WHY NOT?!"
"She has her own place, she doesn't need to be
here..."
"You know why she is here, Asuka, she can't go
anywhere else until both problems are taken care of
first!"
She starts pounding on the door to the bathroom again,
"HURRY UP WONDERGIRL!!"
"Asuka, why can't you just be nice to her."
"She is Wondergirl, she is better then me in all
ways..."
Shinji has heard enough and goes back to his room,
then slams the door shut.
'Baka!!'
After a few more moments, he hears the sound of Asuka
yelling at Rei again as she comes out of the bathroom.
Soon the door slides open and he sees Rei come in the
room with a red mark on her face the size of Asuka's
hand.
"Rei, way is your face red?"
"Soryu was upset at me."
"Why do you still call her by her last name?"
"She does not wish for me to call her by her first..."
'Why is she so upset over Rei's living here!'
//'You see the challenge now, Father.'
'Yes.'
//'Then, do what you can to change her mind...'
'I will!'
He marches out of the room and waits for Asuka to
finish in the bathroom. After about 35 minutes, she
emerges from it already dressed.
"Asuka, Misato just called, we are needed at NERV."
"I thought we had today off!"
"Since when do we get days off."
"DAMNIT!!"
****************
Five minutes later, both Shinji and Asuka have emerged
from the building and start walking in the direction
of a shuttle station, but this one is a
non-operational one currently.
'Why has Shinji brought me here?' "Shinji, what's
going on?"
"Asuka, sit!" Shinji points to one of the benches in
the corner and follows behind her.
"What is this all about?!"
"Asuka, tell me why you dislike Rei, the whole
reason?"
"Why should I tell you?!"
"Because I ASKED YOU!!"
Asuka starts to move away from him, but Shinji is not
willing to give up yet, "ASUKA, STAY!!"
"NO, BAKA SHINJI!!"
Shinji has had just about enough from her. He grabs
one of her wrists and grabs a pair of Misato's
handcuffs, a pair he found one day while cleaning, and
attaches one end to her, the other end to the armrest.
"Asuka, you are not going anywhere until you really
tell me WHY you dislike Rei so much."
Asuka, having never seen him become this angry before
up close, starts to become scared, fearing that he may
to the same to her he did to the 14th Angel,
"Shinji?.."
"You know what, I am going to go over to that bench
there, sit down, and let you think about what you are
doing."
Shinji walks over to another bench and sits down.
'Why is he mad at me?!' What have I done wrong?'
"Asuka, when you are ready to talk to me, call me."
'I don't have to answer him, it's none of his business
why I hate Wondergirl!'
Many minutes pass as they both sit there in the cool
day's air. Finally, she decides to speak again.
"Shinji, how did you know about my mother?"
"I can't tell you yet, Asuka, but I promise I will
when the time is right..."
"Misato told you, didn't she!" 'That bitch!!'
"No, I found out from a more direct source, no one
told me anything..."
She begins to recall something from when the unknown
voice spoke to her for the first time in her coma.
(FLASHBACK)
Voice "Asuka..."
Asuka quickly spins around, thinking that someone was
in back of her, but she does not see anyone around
her, nor does the voice reply again.
Asuka "Who said that?! Shinji?"
Voice "Asuka..."
Asuka "WHO ARE YOU!!"
(END)
'Shinji...'
"It was you I felt, Shinji..."
"Huh?"
"You were the one that said my name right before I
headed back."
"Yes, Asuka...that is how I knew about your mother..."
"But...why?.."
"I am not sure anymore really, all I know is that the
reason involves you."
"Shinji, please come here..."
"Are you ready to talk to me about you and Rei?"
"...Yes, I will tell you now."
Shinji gets up and walks over to the bench she is
cuffed to and sits down.
"Shinji, you want to know why I hate Wondergirl so
much. Why?"
"Because you are both family to me, and it hurts to
see you fight like that now..."
"Shinji, Wonder...Rei is the person that I want to be
like sometimes, minus the doll parts..." She stops
for a few moments to consider how to proceed, "She has
had it easy, Shinji. She didn't see her mother hang
herself...and she can still pilot Eva..."
"Asuka, there is something you should know first about
Rei. Rei is sort of my mother or sister, depending
how you see it."
"How can that be!"
"She is not a normal person, as you might have figured
out by now..."
"Yeah, I kinda figured that."
"Asuka, please let me finish first..."
"Sorry."
"Rei is a clone of my mother, physically. But she is
her own self deep down. I care for her even more now
then I did before, not because of who she is, but
because she has had it worse then both of us...She has
been used for my father's purposes..."
"She is a doll, Shinji, she has no free will."
He stops for a moment and thinks about her last
comment, then continues, "...Yes, she was a doll, she
did what she was told because that is what my father
trained her to do. It was really all she could do."
"She had a choice, Shinji, she chose this!"
"No, she did what she was told was right, not what she
thought was right, until Unit-00 exploded."
"By the way, how did she survives that?"
Shinji recalls seeing the big fireball come from the
center of the explosion, "She didn't..."
"Then how did she survive?"
"She is a clone, remember. Her soul was just moved
into a new body is all..."
"See, this is why I hate her, Shinji. She can live
forever, she knows more then me about Eva, she is the
favored one..."
"Asuka, what will happen after Eva is done?"
"I don't know, ask your father!"
"Well, if NERV closes down, then what do you think
will happen to Rei then, if she can't die, then she
will always have nothing but memories of her
usefulness as a pilot. You will then have more then
her, you will have a purpose still..."
"I...never thought of it that way before, so she was
made to pilot Eva, nothing more..."
"Yes..."
"Shinji, Soryu."
They both look up and see Rei waiting 200 meters away
from them, "Misato is waiting for you outside."
"Rei, what did I tell you about doing that?"
"It was necessary."
"Why didn't she just call us?"
"NERV has been cut off again..."
"What is happening then?"
"We are all to report to NERV for a briefing."
Shinji releases Asuka from the bench and starts
walking to the exit with Rei, when Asuka stops him,
"Rei, tell Misato we will be right there."
"Hai."
Rei walks down the steps and to the waiting car while
the two remaining children talk a few moments longer.
"Shinji, this won't change anything for now between
Wondergirl and I, but I now know she is not as lucky
as I thought..."
"I understand, but please try to be nicer at least,
she is going to be a mother."
"I understand, and..." Her tone now becomes a bit
more annoyed, "...if you EVER do that to me again,
make sure you run faster then me!"
She gives him a kick in the leg as she starts walking
to the car.
"Yep, still the same old Asuka..."
He soon limps his way to the car as well.
****************
Ritsuko is down in the bowels of NERV working in the
dim light that is present from the few remaining
monitors that have not been affected by the power
outage that has currently crippled NERV again.
"Now for the last test results..."
She types in a few commands and waits for the results
to finish being analyzed.
[TEST C-18]
[RESULTS OF TEST HAVE BEEN LOGGED]
[DO YOU WISH TO READ NOW Y/N]
Seeing that she still has about enough time before her
break is done to read them, she types in Y.
[RESULTS OF TEST HAVE GIVEN A CLEAR IMAGE OF GENDER
FOR CHILD REI-T02. THE CHILD IS OF GENDER -]
She doesn't get a chance to read the last part before
the monitor turns off from low power mode.
"Dang, I guess I can read it later..."
She types in a few commands into another terminal
[PROGRESS OF PROGRAM - NAOKO45]
[DELETING GENERAL LOGIN OF CURRENT SESSION]
[MOVING FILE - TEST C-18 REPORT - TO SECURE DIRECTORY]
[DELETING RECORD OF MOVE]
[DONE]
"Well, at least this file is safe for now."
Since she has finished her business here, she turns
off the remaining terminals and leaves the room.
To Be Continued...
----
Wow, it gets odder by the month, here you go:
Now that Asuka has woken, what will happen next?
Why is NERV being plagued with problems now?
What is the gender of the child?
Will Rei and Asuka ever get along?
Will there ever be a successful test for Unit-01?
Why was Pen-pen passed out on the kitchen floor?
Well, find out next time in Rei's Child, Chapter V.
----
Ooomakeees, Ooomakeees, wonderful wonderful
Ooomakeees:
Omake 1
The penguin fades out just as Asuka turns back to the
outside world again, just in time to see Shinji giving
her a kiss and quietly whispering something to her,
="I love you..."=
"Shinji..."
Asuka continues her journey again back to the life she
left behind days ago, with a new purpose. One that
Shinji will find VERY painful when she arrives.
"Third Child, Now would be the time to start running,
CAUSE YOU ARE DEAD WHEN I WAKE!!!!!!"
'BAKA HENTEI, no boy kisses me and lives to tell about
it.'
Weeks later, Shinji ended up being given a wooden leg
similar to Toji's.
Omake 2
What Pen-Pen really thinks about not getting a beer:
'Damn, no beer again?'
"Why no beer bitch?"
Pen-pen then wacks Rei upside the face with his fin
The end
----
Notes:
Come on now, you don't get that info THAT easily, but
don^�t worry, you get to hear what the gender is next
chapter.
Wow, December already, my how time goes by. Well, for
all you Asuka fans, you got to see me revive Asuka, so
enjoy the gift from me to you.
Now then, I know what you are saying about Shinji's
reaction to Asuka slapping Rei, "That is very OOC,
Jon!" and you are right, but think of it this way,
Shinji holds in a lot of anger, so this was the
breaking point. Shinji has become a father in two
ways here, He just wants to protect Rei and junior.
Next, I must thank Elaine Cardenas for the art she did
in Eva:R, without it, Asuka waking up would have
bombed BIGTIME, cause when I didn't have an image up,
I was lost on how to see it happening. If Elaine is
reading this right now, CONGRAD'S go to you, if I
could, I would have paid you for those images, but
Maher Al-Samkari has the right's to them in Eva:R
(great series too). Maher should be happy as well for
his drawing of Rei, very well done, it assisted me the
rest of the way.
Now, I know that people think the questions are a
waste of time, at least that is what I have been told,
but the questions also give you a feeling for what is
about to come, with the exception of one from Chapter
Two (Why is Rei suddenly able to feel emotion?) this
question was to make you possibly think about her in
general, what she has gone through up to this point, I
will tell you now that even I don't know the answer to
that one.
Omake 1 was something that popped into my head one
night while writing that scene, and the funny thing
is, it made sense as well.
Omake 2 came from Quick_Man again, it's similar to the
one from Chapter III, but still holds a bit of truth
in it.
Well, C&C is welcomed.
Flames will be tolerated.
quizered@evafan.com
ICQ: 77294434
http://members.xoom.com/tvinc01
or
http://tvinc.w3.to
Of course, any fuck-ups are my fault. :-)
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