The first thing Gendo did in the morning was checking if his wife's diary was still at its place. It was still in the drawer where he had locked it. He thought about it for a moment, then got dressed and prepared for work.
Today was once again another test and when Shinji arrived, he put on his plugsuit as usual and got ready to board the entry plug... but looked up in bewilderment when he was being approached by none other than his father.
Shinji scratched his head. This was highly unusual... his father rarely approached him directly. If he had any sort of orders, he'd give them over the speakers or tell them to Misato instead.
"I need to talk to you for a minute... in private," NERV's commander told his son, his hands behind his back. As usual, there wasn't a hint of emotion in his voice.
"Sir?" Misato and Fuyutsuki both exchanged a confused look.
"It won't take long... come along, Shinji," Gendo said.
"Um... sure," Shinji nodded as he followed his father, wondering if there was anything he had done wrong.
In Gendo's office, the commander closed the door and turned around the key. Shinji suddenly felt nervous, like a trapped animal.
He waited until his father sat down at his desk, but Gendo did nothing like that. Instead, he stepped in front of his son and looked at him sternly through his glasses.
"Shinji... where were you tonight? And I mean especially the time between one and two o'clock."
The Third Child blinked. "Uh... at Misato-san's apartment, as usual. That's where I always sleep, after all..."
Gendo searched for any hint that Shinji was lying in his son's eyes, but could find none. If there was anything he knew about his son, it was that he was a poor liar. Also, Gendo knew enough about lying and trickery to realize when someone didn't tell him the whole truth.
That left the question: If it wasn't Shinji who showed him all these scenes of the past... who was it?
The Ghost of Christmas Past? Gendo mentally snorted at that idea. While the images of his youth had made him wonder, he still wasn't ready to believe in the supernatural.
"Um, father?" Shinji asked. "Why do you ask? Did something happen?"
Gendo realized that his son must have looked at him for a few minutes now. "Nothing you should be concerned with," he simply replied. "That is all. Now, to your Evangelion Unit!"
"Y-yes, sir!" Shinji quickly saluted. Father or not, this was still his superior officer.
That night, Gendo personally checked every door, every exit and every security camera... he only went to bed after making sure that no human intruder would be able to reach HQ... especially not his bedroom.
Part of him didn't really believe that these security measures would be enough to stop the second guest Yui had announced.
At eleven o'clock, he was woken by a loud noise... it sounded as if someone was pounding against the metal locker that was standing in the corner of his room... from the inside.
From his bed, Gendo watched the absurd scene as the locker shook around, being moved by an invisible force. After a while, an irate voice yelled from the inside: "Would it hurt you to get that lazy ass off your bed and help me already? I'm stuck!"
Gendo was so baffled that he actually complied, got out of bed and opened the locker door. Together with the commander's belongings that had been stuffed in there, a red-headed girl clad in what looked like a toga worn in ancient Rome came falling out, crashing headfirst into the floor.
"Verdammt, that HURT!" the double of Asuka Soryu Langley cussed as she picked herself up from the ground. Angrily, she wiped some dirt from her toga. "Did you ever think of cleaning up in there every once in a while? That place is a dump!"
Gendo approached her. "You are..."
"The Ghost of Christmas Present, what do I look like?" Asuka huffed as she turned around to face him. "Who did you expect, the Easter Bunny?"
Gendo frowned. "Watch your tone... as your Commander, you still have to..."
"Ah, stuff it, jerk!" Asuka shouted, not giving him any time to finish his sentence. "I'm not here so you can boss me around like you usually do with me... and all of NERV's staff, for that matter. I'm here to give you a little tour."
"I have no intention of leaving this room tonight," Gendo said. "What my son showed me last night was enough, I do not need to repeat that foolish experience."
"Baka-Shinji only showed you the sentimental stuff of the past, idiot!" Asuka said. "I'm here to give you the hard stuff, the undeniable truth of the present!"
"Say as you wish. I still won't leave this room," Gendo proclaimed, turning his back to her. He was aware that this behavior was a bit childish... yet he had no intention of playing along with the little game of these so-called 'spirits'.
A mischievous smirk appeared on Asuka's face. "I was hoping you'd say that..."
About four seconds later, Gendo found himself flying through the air. Before he was able to even gasp, he crash-landed inside his metal locker. With a groan, he tried to stand back up.
Asuka didn't give him any chance. "Move it, jerk!" she shouted, kicking him in the rear, so that he fell down again. "Get that ass in motion. Do you think I have all night?"
"Let... go... of me..." Gendo mumbled as his face was mashed against cold metal. The spirit had picked him up from the ground and was now pressing his whole body against the inside of the locker as she was climbing in again herself.
"Dang, you really need to buy a wardrobe," she grumbled. "But this will have to do for now..." She grinned and closed the door behind her. "And here we go!"
Gendo had no idea what was happening to them as the locker shook around. If it wasn't for the spirit's toga-clad body being pressed into his own, he'd be falling down again for sure.
"Well, here we are," Asuka smirked as she opened the door. Bright light shone into the locker. "Now get out."
Gendo mumbled something. It wasn't too clear what it was, since his face was still pressed against cold metal, but it sounded unpleasant. Asuka frowned.
"I said get your ass out there, jerk!" she yelled as she tossed him outside. And once again, Gendo found himself flying through the air, this time landing headfirst in a pile of snow.
He cursed to himself angrily as he climbed to his feet. "How dare you..."
"What? Call you a jerk?" the red-headed spirit sneered. "I'm calling you a jerk as much as I want, jerk, because that's what you are, jerk... a jerk!"
Gendo then realized that they weren't in his bedroom anymore. The locker was standing near the entrance gate of a place he had rarely seen in person, but which he recognized nevertheless: It was the school Shinji, Asuka and Rei were attending.
"What are we doing here?" he asked the spirit.
"Shut your trap," Asuka shouted with a grin. She loved commanding the commander around. "And watch closely." She gestured towards the gate, where three children were standing, who seemed to be Shinji's age.
"I hope you remember to study during the holidays," the brown-haired girl with the twin ponytails just told the two boys. "Sensei wouldn't want you to forget everything he taught us over Christmas."
"Give us a break, class rep," the boy with the glasses sighed. "We're finally out off this hell hole, and you still want us to study? Forget it! Yo Koji... did you also get the invitation for the party at Misato-san's place?"
"I sure did," the more athletic-looking boy nodded. "This will be one heck of a party... with Misato, there's gonna be more than enough booze for everyone!"
"Hey, we're underage! We're not allowed to drink yet," the class representative shouted. "Looks like it's up to me again to make sure you boys stay out of trouble..."
"What, you're coming too, Hikari?" Toji asked in surprise.
"Why not? You know Asuka's my friend. Why shouldn't I be invited, too? It took me by surprise, however... I didn't expect NERV to give them enough free time for this... do they even get to stay home at Christmas?"
"Ya know, I seriously doubt it," Kensuke huffed. "From what I've heard about Shinji's father, he's gotta be the worst slave driver in town..."
"Why, the nerve..." Gendo grumbled from afar.
"Quiet!" Asuka commanded. "The best part is yet to come."
"Well, I'm sure he will give at least Shinji a day off," Hikari spoke up. "I mean, he is his father..."
"You think that means anything?" Toji huffed. "There's a reason why Shinji never talks about his father with us. Misato's taking care of all the parenting issues... I don't think Mr. NERV Commander guy will ever lift his lazy butt from his office chair."
Asuka broke out in laughter after hearing that, while Gendo's face slowly turned red. "That's not true," he grumbled. "I'm often called away from NERV headquarters for emergency reasons and..."
"Yeah, but it's still funny," Asuka giggled. "But you see? All of them have their holidays, even their parents and everyone else in Tokyo-3... so why not the NERV employees?"
"Safety reasons," Gendo replied, crossing his arms. "What are we supposed to do when an Angel attacks and there's no one ready to defend the city?"
"Point taken... but it's not like the security of the city is your main problem," Asuka said, looking at him strangely. "Your only goal is that the Evangelions turn all those Angels into trash... so that your precious 'Instrumentality' plan can proceed.
Gendo froze. How many things did these spirits know about him?
"Pretty much everything," the spirit replied as she read his thoughts. "No, get back into the locker. There's another place we need to visit before we head back."
Gendo stared at the dark, cramped inside of the metal locker. "I'm not going back in there," he said.
Asuka was going to throw him in again, but then she stopped herself in time and smirked. "Fiiine... I can just leave without you. You can stay here, in the cold and snow... only clad in your jammies. Is that what you want?"
"Let's leave already..." Gendo sighed, ignoring the broad grin on the half-german spirit's face.
Another bumpy ride later, the locker landed again... this time inside a building. Gendo opened the door and looked around. He didn't recognize the apartment. "Where are we now?"
"Same day, couple of hours later," Asuka said as she pushed him out so she could get out of the locker as well. "I knew you wouldn't recognize this place... after all, you never came to visit your son, right?"
It took a moment for Gendo to understand. "This is... Major Katsuragi's apartment?"
"Bingo! The candidate wins 30 points!" Asuka smirked. "Tell me, did it ever cross your mind to come and see how your son lives like?"
"That is of no importance, as long as he's doing his job as an Evangelion pilot," Gendo stated. "Emotionally attaching yourself to family members that have no desire of doing the same is foolish and naive."
A moment later, the commander was holding his swollen head, where Asuka's fist had left a nasty bruise. "What did you do that for?" he complained.
"I felt like it..." Asuka gritted her teeth. "Now shut up and watch!"
Together, they witnessed the party that Shinji's classmates had spoken of earlier. Even though the apartment was barely big enough for the three people and the one water fowl living inside, Misato had still bought a small tree that was standing in one corner. The major herself, together with Shinji, Asuka and the three classmates, were sitting around the table, playing a board game. For a moment, Gendo looked back and forth between the spirit Asuka and the Asuka sitting at the table.
"How can you be here and there?"
"Baka. I'm the Spirit of Christmas Present, I'm everywhere you can find joy. Why do you think we've been avoiding your place?"
Gendo frowned as he looked at the table. "What are they doing?"
"Ssshhh!" the spirit waved her hand. "This looks like fun... take a look!"
Misato was rolling the dice and moved her figure. She then drew a card and read the question on it: "If you had the chance to give Player 3 any order he or she had to follow... what would it be?"
Shinji gulped. He was Player 3 in this game.
Misato grinned. "Well, I would order dear Shinji to go to the nearest bar... and do what I would do in such a place!"
"That would include flirting with any member of the opposite gender he comes across and drink one beer after another until he's lying unconscious on the ground..." Asuka murmured.
Everyone around the table snickered while Shinji blushed. "I don't think I would be able to follow that order..."
"Ah, you need to unwind every now and then," Misato smiled. "You're a nice boy, Shinji, but you can be so stiff and boring."
"Listen to her, Shin-man!" Toji laughed. "She's the wisest woman in town!"
"Why do we have to watch this foolishness?" Gendo grumbled. "We should leave..."
The spirit glared at him. "You know, it wouldn't hurt you to do the same. Maybe that would teach you that work and 'Instrumentality' are not all there is to life. And look, they're having fun... being stuck in that hellhole of HQ can be truly depressing, don't you agree?"
"Your turn, Toji!" Shinji pushed the dice over to his friend.
"Right," Toji smirked as he rolled them. Like Misato, he came to a point where he had to draw a card. He read the question: "If you had one free wish, what is it you would wish for?"
Suddenly, a serious expression appeared on his face as he looked down at the card.
"Toji-kun?" Misato asked, surprised at the boy's reaction. "What's wrong?"
"My... my wish would be that I want my little sister to be able to walk again..." he quietly said.
Everyone looked at him with a shocked expression. Shinji closed his eyes and sighed.
"What's going on?" Gendo wondered. "What about his sister?"
Spirit Asuka sighed. "The first time Shinji fought an Angel... several buildings were destroyed and many citizens were injured... or worse. Toji's sister was hurt so bad that she had to be taken to hospital. The doctors saved her life, but her legs were crushed... she will probably never be able to walk again."
Gendo became silent. He knew that the battles with the Angels couldn't be controlled in a way that safety for all citizens was assured.
"This is war," he said. "Casualties are to be expected."
"Rubbish," Asuka mumbled. "Don't tell me you actually care about what you heard about Toji's sister... but then again, aren't you doing all of this just to see your wife again... who also became a casualty?"
"That... is different," Gendo claimed. "Besides, with Instrumentality, we will all be united as one... Toji's sister won't ever feel any pain again."
"You're such an egoistical bastard..." the spirit whispered. "Did you ever ask the people if they want this? So many things will be destroyed... things that humanity created... towns... culture... the concepts of love and marriage will lose all of their importance... Do you think I would hesitate if I had a chance to see my dead mother again?"
Gendo looked at her in surprise. He realized he never really gave the other pilot's past any thought. "Wouldn't you?"
"I may not be the real Asuka, but I have her feelings for this night," the spirit whispered. "And I know she wishes nothing more than to relive the moments of her childhood... with her mother's mind intact, that is. But if she knew, if she realized what you and SEELE are planning, she would never accept the prize for that. Neither would Shinji, even if it meant to be with his mother again. That's why they are good people... and you... are a jerk!"
Gendo couldn't think of any reply.
"It's time to head back..." Asuka said darkly. "You wouldn't want to miss your final guest..."
The trip back into NERV HQ wasn't as bumpy as the two rides before that. In fact, Gendo felt like he and the spirit were standing inside a very dark elevator. When they arrived, he simply stepped out of the locker and turned around to face the spirit one last time.
It was so dark in the locker that he couldn't see Asuka's face. "Is there a way... Toji's sister can be helped?"
"A way that doesn't include Instrumentality, you mean?" the spirit asked in a calm voice. "Possibly... there are bionical implants that would allow her to walk like a normal human... but those are expensive. Very expensive. And Toji's family is exactly rich..."
It became even darker. Gendo was barely able to see the outline of the spirit's body. "I'm going now... I hope what I showed you opened your eyes at least a bit, Gendo Ikari... there's nothing left to do for me but to leave the rest to Wondergirl..."
And then, she disappeared.
Gendo was confused. Wondergirl? What did she mean?
Just then, his gaze fell upon the electronic clock. It was twelve o'clock... midnight.
A shiver ran down the commander's spine as he felt something approaching him from behind. He turned to see a cloud of darkness, out of which stepped a thin figure, clad in a black cloak that hid all of her body. Only the lower part of her face was visible... the girl in the cloak was as pale as a ghost.
"I am the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come," the figure whispered.
Gendo froze. He knew that voice. "Rei?" he muttered.
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(Posted Wed, 23 Dec 2009 12:40)
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