"Get out here already!" Asuka insisted as she dragged Shinji out onto the apartment balcony. Only when they were alone in the open air did she release his wrist, closing the glass door behind her
"All right, all right! Sheesh! You don't have to drag me along like a... a sack of potatoes or something!" He muttered, rubbing his wrist. Asuka just turned to face him, leveling a dangerous look at him.
"All right Shinji, I've had enough of this. You're going to tell me EVERYTHING you know about whats going on, and you're going to tell me now!"
"Ummmm. . I know that this sucks?" Shinji ventured, backing up towards the railing of the balcony.
"I mean BESIDES that you idiot!" Asuka fumed.
"Well, let's see..." He started ticking things off on his fingers. "Ritsuko insists the whole thing is impossible and violates the laws of physics... I'm the only one who remembers things. Well, me and now you." He continued counting on his fingers. "Each day is exactly the same, except how you change things with your actions. And even then people always respond to the same things the same ways. And it never, ever, ever, ever ends..." He blew out a deep, unhappy breath.
"Well.. It must be some sort of Angel attack then! Some sort of time bending thing or something!" She slammed her fist into the palm of her hand. "That's it! We just need to beat up the angel, and the loop will be broken!"
Shinji just snorted in response and, to Asuka's surprised, made a loud buzzing sound. "BZZZZzzz! Wrong!" He replied, rolling his eyes. "Do you really think I haven't TRIED that?" He demanded, sounding rather angry. He pulled himself up onto the edge of the balcony, sitting on the railing facing her before continuing, ticking things off on his fingers again.
"I've killed the Angel by myself. I've killed it with your help. I've killed it with Rei's help. All three of us have killed it together. I've killed it with a progressive knife, with your axe, with an N2 mine, and just one time with a lucky rifle shot." Asuka could only stare at the seemingly confidant and angry Shinji that had suddenly replaced her usually spineless roommate.
"I've killed it quickly, and I've had to take an hour to do it sometimes. I've figured out new ways to fight with an Eva so I could kill it quicker! I've killed it just before the reset, and I'm gotten my Eva launched first thing in the morning and hunted it down before NERV even realizes it exists!" He ranted, growing louder and angrier with each item. "I've beaten it up every way I can imagine and NOTHING. EVER. CHANGES!" He threw his hands in the air and leaned back dangerously, sucking in a deep breath as Asuka watched.
"Well.. Maybe.. you're just not doing it right..." Asuka replied weakly, unsure what she should say.
Shinji's head came back up and he shot Asuka an intense, angry look that made the red-head swallow nervously. It lasted only a second before he sighed and dropped his gaze, looking a lot more like the uncertain and unhappy pilot she knew. At least until he pulled himself upright... and began standing on top of the balcony railing, perfectly balanced. Asuka blinked, staring at Shinji as he stood there, silhouetted by the rising sun behind him.
"Idiot! Don't do that!" Unit 02's pilot commanded. "You'll fall off!"
"Nah." Shinji replied calmly. "I spent a week learning to balance up here one time. I like feeling the breeze..." He smiled a bit, extending his arms. Asuka just swallowed nervously.
"Shinji... How many times HAVE you repeated this day? REALLY?" She asked earnestly.
"Well, I don't know. Do you mean full days or half days?" Shinji asked, breaking eye contact and staring at a point well above and to the right of Asuka's head.
"Half days? What are you talking about?" Asuka grumbled, crossing her arms angrily. Being angry was so much easier than being worried. "Just tell me how many loops you've been through!"
"Never mind. You'll get it later." He sighs. "And I really DON'T know how many. I keep losing count." Shinji muttered, crossing his arms and shifting his balance from foot to foot, looking increasingly uncomfortable.
"You KEEP losing count?" Asuka asked, eyes narrowing as she grasped that point.. "How high did you get?"
"I don't know...." Shinji's eyes darted around worriedly for a moment before he suddenly turned around, facing away from the red head, still standing on the railing. His movements almost made Asuka swallow her tongue, sure he would lose his balance. But he managed the turn with an ease that just made Asuka's temper flare higher. Shinji just continued speaking however, his back to her, arms crossed.
"I... Usually lose count of things when I get to a hundred." He muttered. "Then I get bored and stop for a while. Then I get bored of not counting and start again sometimes. I haven't bothered counting loops at all for a while..."
"Usually stopped at 100....?" Asuka asked quietly, half speaking to herself. She licked her lips a bit as she digested that. Four or five of these loops and SHE was ready to smash her head into a wall to make it stop. "And.. How many times did you stop counting?"
Shinji chuckled mirthlessly. "I don't know. I lost count of the number of times I lost count...."
Asuka blinked and tried to wrap her mind around what Shinji was telling her. The very idea of going through this same day over and over so many times frightened her. It sent a shiver down her spine. Asuka hated being frightened. A battle hardened Eva pilot shouldn't be frightened. Couldn't be frightened! Being frightened just made her angry, and being angry was far more comfortable.
"Dummkopf! No way this could be going on so long! I would have noticed already! And that many times would drive ANYBODY crazy, let alone a spineless wimp like you!" She snorted, walking towards him.
"And your point is?" Shinji muttered, beginning to turn around to face her again.
"Stop joking around you idiot!" Asuka growled, giving the balcony railing a light kick in her irritation.
Unfortunately, she did this just as Shinji was turning around atop the railing, when his balance was worst. Not expecting to see Asuka right behind him, or feel the balcony vibrating below him, he blinked. And slipped. Backwards.
Everything seemed to go into slow motion for Asuka. Her heart stopped as Shinji's arms pinwheeled, reflexively grasping for a handhold that didn't exist. Surprise froze her for a fraction of a second, and then she was reaching out to try to grab the other pilot. But her hesitation had cost her, and Shinji slipped backwards from her grasp.
Shinji's last words were a heartfelt "Damnit!" as he disappeared from view, an annoyed look on his face.
Asuka could only stare at the empty space for a few seconds, arm still outstretched, eyes wide and heart pounding. It took a few more moments for her to work up the courage to walk to the balcony, and look over it. And look down, down, down at the street far below, and what lay sprawled out upon it.
Asuka slumped down against the balcony wall, eyes still large as saucers. ~~No way. No way. No way. ~~
*********
"What was he even DOING out there!" Misato bawled, sobbing into a tissue as Ritsuko and Maya tried to calm her down. "How could he fall off the balcony! How could he DO this to me! HOW!" She wailed.
"We were just talking. Just talking and he stood up on the edge and... I didn't even do anything! He just turned around and.. And slipped... I didn't do anything. I couldn't do anything." Asuka mumbled, sitting on the floor with her arms wrapped around her knees. ~~This can't be happening. It's just a bad dream. Everything will be fine. It's not real.~~
"Why would Shinji do something so STUPID!" Misato continued to bawl. "He never did crazy things like that! Why didn't I see this coming!" Ritsuko handed her another tissue while she exchanged a look with Maya.
Asuka just shivered. ~~Everything will be fine. Everything will be fine. Everything will be fine...~~ she thought to herself loudly, rocking back and forth a bit.
*********
"In regards to the Second Child's apparent suicide..." Gendo Ikari said coldly, looking down at the group assembled before him over his steepled hands. Deputy Commander Fuyutsuki stood beside him, a slight frown on the older man's face. "No investigation will be necessary, or charges filed."
Misato had begun sobbing again, if a bit more quietly for the moment, her head bowed. Asuka just stared at Gendo with a blank look on her face. Ritsuko stood behind Misato, keeping a comforting hand on her shoulder while Maya remained in the background, looking sad and uncomfortable.
"Given Captain Katsuragi's current mental state, she will be temporarily relieved of command. Dr Akagi will take over the position of Director of Operations until such a time as Captain Katsuragi is fit to resume her duties. First Lieutenant Ibuki will fill in for Dr. Akagi." His expression never changed, his voice cool and emotionless. He may as well have been discussing changes to the menu in the cafeteria.
"With the loss of the Second Child the pilot candidate program will have to be accelerated. Fuyutsuki will handle selection with the assistance of Dr Akagi. Eva Unit 01 will be placed in storage until a suitable pilot is prepared. The pilots of Unit 00 and Unit 02 will be kept on higher alert status for the time being. That will be all."
"Yes Comamnder." Ritsuko, Maya, and Fuyutsuki, responded with various levels of enthusiasm. Misato just continued to sob quietly as Ritsuko guided her out of the room. And Asuka just stared as Gendo turned his chair away from the departing group.
Asuka had never given the commander much thought. At least not on a personal level. But one observation filled her mind at the moment. ~~What a total heartless bastard.~~
*********
"Rei, Asuka, long range weapons are ineffective! The Angel has the ability to alter the density of its internal fluid to deflect projectiles!" Ritsuko called across the radio.
"Yeah, yeah..." Asuka replied listlessly, grunting at she was knocked back by the Angel.
"Understood Dr Akagi." Rei replied, dropping her rifle and closing with her progressive knife.
"Asuka! I know it's hard but PLEASE, try to focus! Your synch ratio is horrible!"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever! Just leave me alone!" She growled at the communication window before killing the connection to NERV HQ. She pulled out her own progressive knife and made a desultory slash at the monster, barely dodging out of the way of the return attack. Her Eva felt slow and sluggish, like she wasn't quite connected with it. On the other hand, her own thoughts felt slow and sluggish too.
~~Maybe this is all a bad dream. Maybe it's not happening at all. It's almost time for things to reset. That was real, wasn't it? Things will reset and this nightmare of a day will start over again.. . But everything will be fine. Right? Right. Everything has to be fine. Everything will be okay. I won't be to blame for anything.~~ Asuka barely grunted at the Angel got in another hit on the distracted pilot. Only Rei's intervention kept the blob from smashing Unit 02 with a follow up attack.
"Pilot Soryu, you need to focus if we are going to win this battle." Rei called out coolly over the pilot's channel.
"I KNOW!" Asuka growled, struggling to get her Eva back to its feet.
There was a momentary pause before Rei continued speaking. "I do not think Pilot Ikari would wish us to lose the battle due to his death." She finally said after a moment as Unit 00 struggled to cut off one of the Angel's psuedopods.
"And what the hell do YOU know about people Wondergirl?" Asuka growled angrily. The anger helped her focus as she sliced the angel three times in rapid succession. It didn't do much, but it made her feel a little better.
The battle raged on, with Asuka and Rei getting the worst of it by far. Asuka's performance was still poor, her synch ratio low, and her reactions slow and sluggish. With the bulk of the fighting left on Rei's shoulders, Unit 00 was taking a heavy beating. Things were looking grim, and Asuka expected Ritsuko to order a retreat any moment when...
*********
Darkness.
Asuka shot up in bed, gasping for breath, her eyes darting around the darkened room. She was just opening her mouth to speak when a voice called out from across the hall.
"And THAT would be a half day." Shinji groused. "More like a tenth of a day really, but..." The second child didn't manage to get any further before the door to his room was thrown open, and he found himself with an armful of sobbing German.
"Danke Gott! You're alive! You're alive!" Asuka sobbed in relief as she hugged Shinji's chest. Shinji just sat there, stunned, clearly uncertain what to do. He kept his arms well away from the red-head, not sure if he should push her away or try to comfort her.
A moment later Misato stuck her sleepy head into the doorway.
"What on earth is all the ruckus..." she muttered, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Then she blinked at the scene before her. Asuka hugging Shinji and sobbing into his chest? Misato rubbed her eyes again. Clearly they still weren't working right.
Asuka's sobbing cut off abruptly after a few moments, and her head shot back up, eyes burning in rage. "SHINJI! You stupid bastard! How could you do something like that to me?!?" she growled, instantly wrapping her hands around the other pilot's neck an squeezing.
"Gack! I.. Didn't.. Thhhbt.." Shinji's arms flailed as he tried to speak through his constricted windpipe.
"I should KILL you for making me worry you jackass!" She shouted at him, shaking him as she throttled him.
Misato stared for a moment longer, before turning around and walking towards the kitchen. Asuka trying to kill Shinji with her bare hands? That made much more sense. All was still right with the world. Clearly she had time to have a beer before she had to deal with the latest disaster, whatever it was.
Glancing back at the doorway and the listening to the sound of Shinji gasping for air, she reconsidered. ~~I think I'll need SEVERAL beers before I deal with this...~~
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(Posted Mon, 24 Sep 2012 02:05)
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