- Location
- supernatural
If that not Leliel... then who are BW!Shinji and Asuka talking to?
Yeah Okito that plan might have worked, even with the other pilots came on the scene but no you had to jump the gun didn't you.
No arguing with that.
-
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Broken Wings [NGE]
- Thread starter Teen Spirit
- Start date
- Location
- Earth
Maybe Tabris?
- Location
- supernatural
I doubt it.Maybe Tabris?
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Oddly enough one of my original ideas for this fic was Ria as a semi-amnesic Tabris with Kaworu occasionally taking over. Of course I've had a lot of ideas for this fic and it's previous versions, up to and including this being a Parasyte crossover, so that's pretty much meaningless
Quadhelix
Professional Windmill Hunter
Leliel: "I am given to understand that holding negotiations in a location comfortable to the other side is an effective method of putting them at ease."
Shinji: "Yeah...
. . . . . . "I'm going to have say that, 'their bedroom, in the middle of the night, unannounced' doesn't quite fit the bill there."
Shinji: "Yeah...
. . . . . . "I'm going to have say that, 'their bedroom, in the middle of the night, unannounced' doesn't quite fit the bill there."
Someone other than the person who Shamshel and Okito are talking about?
- Location
- Surrey
That would get really weird really fast if Kaworu took over Ria around Shinji.
"Okay Ria. I am going to regret every single part of this conversation, but why did you try to take a shower with young me?"
- Pronouns
- He/Him
That's one of the reasons I decided against that. though to be fair I think it was incredibly clear that Ria and Tabris shared absolutely zero memories, Leaving Ria only vaguely aware she was an angel but unclear as to which one.
I don't remember, it's been a while. And I don't have my notes. Strangely I still have my notes for when It was a Parasyte Crossover for some reason.
Like I said, no bearing on the plot as it stands. Just a very old idea.
Chapter 11 Part 1
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Chapter 11: A Matter of Trust.
Before Shinji was Angel cloaked in darkness, an Angel that promised answers, help, perhaps even a way to end this war. And here he was, sitting on his bed, in his pajamas, with no shirt. This was less than ideal.
"You said you would call us, not invade our hotel room," Asuka wearily protested.
"That I did. Apologies," Leliel replied, her Osakan accent thick. "But after Iruel's involvement in the last attack, I felt electronic means of communication would be unsecure."
"How did you know about our daughter?" Shinji demanded. That letter had unnerved him. Okito and whoever he had told knowing was bad enough. But Leliel seemed just as aware as Okito. How many others knew? How long before someone tried to blackmail them?
"A few years ago Okito was going around telling everyone he could find who Zeruel was," Leliel explained. "He had feared one of us was going to try and kill you two and either didn't want to see his friend hurt, and/or was terrified of how Zeruel would react."
"Scheiße..." Asuka muttered, summing up how both of them felt.
"Gaghiel tells me that Ramiel had actually hoped to ally with you using her. Thankfully Okito's actions made that incredibly unlikely," Leliel said, sounding far too pleased.
Shinji lowered his pistol.
"Ally with us?" That didn't make any sense to Shinji. Why would one of them, particularly one of the two who seemed to be behind all this, want to ally with Asuka and him?
"Ramiel's plan, to my limited understanding of it, doesn't involve the world ending, a Fourth Impact or anything of that nature. Our kind certainly would benefit the most from their plans, but Ramiel insisted humanity would survive, some would even profit. Ramiel bragged he already had numerous human allies and backers. Name dropping one Retired Officer Langley in particular."
Asuka flinched at the name, frowning in deep disgust.
If humans were working with the angels, that meant this wasn't just a group of teenagers and young adults operating in isolation, they could resources, allies around the world. Trust would become far more problematic.
"My father is working with Ramiel?" she said, deeply skeptical.
"Oh, I'm sure Langely will deny everything, true or otherwise," Leliel remarked.
"What the hell?" Ria's muffled voice came through the door.
The bedroom door shot open, darkness recoiling from the light off the hallway.
Ria stood in the door frame, her confused expression turning to anger at the sight of the other Angel.
"Ahh, speak of the devil," Leliel said merrily.
"Leliel," Ria growled.
"Relax, Zeruel, I've come to talk," Leliel assured her.
Shinji nodded in affirmation.
Ria calmed down, though her gaze never left the hooded form of Leliel as she stepped to her parent's side.
"So if you knew Ramiel and Okito were planning something, why didn't you contact us before, or Ria?" Asuka asked.
"I wasn't sure if you would agree with my goals, and frankly I wasn't entirely sure if I could trust Zeruel's loyalty."
Ria was incredulous. "My loyalty?"
"If our Progenitor were to be come back tomorrow and ask you to wipe out humanity, what would you do?" Leliel asked.
Ria glared at Leliel. "Adam's dead."
"Not an answer," Leliel retorted.
"They would not ask that," Ria snapped.
"What if he did?"
"What do you mean by 'agree with your goals'? What exactly are your goals?" Shinji interrupted.
If Ria was more loyal to them or Adam was really not a conversation he wanted to be having right now.
"Peace," Leliel replied. "Survival. We are not all Ramiel or Okito, many of us simply want to live our lives. Ramiel is banking on us having nowhere else to turn to. He attacked Seoul because he wants you to think all Angels are like that. Ramiel's plan is evil. It will not work and must be opposed. But the others are frightened, they think you will kill us all regardless of where we stand."
That was what Shinji had wanted to hear, for the most part. If they wanted peace he was more than happy to let them live in peace.
"What do you need their help for?" Ria questioned. "You seem to be doing pretty well on your own, what with dragging three Evangelions into the fight. Just wait for them to kill the idiots and keep your heads low."
"As I said, I had no role in that," Leliel insisted.
Shinji found that hard to believe.
"Really?" Ria shared his skepticism. "Because bringing the two in proved to be the perfect way of tricking Okito into exposing his conspiracy. Where you just going to sit by and let Ramiel enact his plan?"
"Well, no." Leliel's calm demeanor faltered as anxiety crept into her voice. "I won't deny the arrival of the Pilots was fortuitous in some regards."
"Fortuitous?!" Asuka repeatedly skeptically.
"In some regards," the Angel repeated defensively. "The damage Okito has inflicted on this city and yourselves is most unfortunate. I'm simply saying that the situation has allowed me to contact you directly and be honest in my intentions. If you were both still blissfully unaware of what Okito or your daughter were, any attempt to reach you would have failed just as badly as my first attempt."
"First attempt?" Ria questioned
Shinji realized why she sounded so familiar.
"You were the woman on the phone!" he said "You're 'Tsukiko Yamagishi'!"
The Angel nodded. "Half true. I was the woman you talked to. But Tsukiko Yamagishi is not my Lilim name. Apologies for the deception."
"You called right before Shamshel attacked," Ria said angrily.
"Because I was trying to warn them," Leliel stated. "I... lost my nerve at the last moment."
"How did you know Shamshel was going to attack me?" he asked.
"Someone close to Okito feeds me info from time to time. Israfel, Iruel... I don't know," Leliel admitted.
For a group that had seemed almost monolithic before tonight, it appeared the Angels were as fractious and conflicted as any human organization.
"I'm getting off point," Leliel went on. "I came to strike a deal. I don't know much about Ramiel's plan but I know someone who knows more and could even spy on Ramiel for you. But they need assurances. They want me to ensure that this cooperation won't be met with you killing them later when it's convenient."
"Who?" Ria asked.
"A certain spider; Matarael. He wants to speak with Sub-Director Soryu at WILLE and tell you what he knows. I'm here to ensure he is able to leave again."
"At WILLE?" Asuka said skeptically. "That's mad."
"He doesn't want it getting back to Ramiel that he talked with you. Coming here will no doubt be impossible even for me after today and with Iruel around, electronic communications are hard to trust. He assures me he can get himself to WILLE without being spotted with little trouble," Leliel explained.
"General Katsuragi would kill him the moment he set foot on the property," Asuka pointed out.
"That's why you're not going to tell her. Wouldn't be the first time in recent days you've lied to her," Leliel observed. "WILLE has an internship program. Matarael will apply to it under a false identity that says he was born before Third Impact. You will accepted his application and speak to him, alone in your office. He will tell you what he knows and leave. Coming back from time to time when he has more info. In exchange you will ensure he is allowed to leave and will work towards convincing your superiors that peace can be achieved."
"You're asking me to leave myself completely alone with an Angel I don't know," Asuka argued.
"He wouldn't make it out of WILLE alive if he harmed you, he knows that. He's willing to walk into probably the most dangerous place on earth for an Angel right now and risk crossing Ramiel. He's putting himself in far more danger."
They considered it. Killing only the angels that attacked them and leaving the rest alone would make this entire war far more simple and less violent. But could either of them trust Leliel, angels were by nature incredibly good liars. Even Ria had been lying to them every day for sixteen years, without either of them suspecting a thing. Leliel, or Matarael could be trying to pull something here.
But if Asuka could work with one of them, if they could convince Misato that not every Angel was a monster, that some were even willing to work with humanity. They would have a foot in the door, a way to tell Misato the truth about Ria without everything going horribly wrong like it had with his younger self and Third Impact.
"I'm willing to work with Matarael if he acts in good faith," Asuka said after a long pause. "If he crosses me, my family, or WILLE though, he's dead."
Ria bit her lip.
Leliel sighed, content with that. "Good, good. More than acceptable terms. Look for a letter from a man named Musashi Aoi. That will be Matarael."
"So out of curiosity, which Angels are willing to consider peace?" Shinji asked.
"Fair question," Leliel replied. "Let's see... Myself, Matarael, Gaghiel obviously, but Gaghiel's no longer in the country. Sandalphon, Armisael, Arael is on the fence, no idea where or who Bardiel even is."
Asuka tensed up at the mention of Arael.
"Oh, Zeruel, since you're here..." Leliel began, "I have a gift for you."
Shinji almost fired as he saw Leliel reach into her pocket.
"Relax, relax," she insisted as she tossed something white at Ria.
She caught it, holding it in both hands as she inspected it. It was a mask. An almost exact replica of the face of Zeruel, only sized to fit Ria's face.
"Matarael made this, and mine," Leliel explained. "It's some hobby of his. Apparently Okito commissioned this some time ago."
Ria's grip tightened on it, her eyes totally focused on the mask.
Leilel bowed, the darkness wrapping around her.
"Until next time, then," she said, before vanishing.
/
The three of them gathered around the kitchen table. None of them could even pretend they were going to get back to sleep tonight.
"The question is, can we remotely trust them?" Asuka asked, coffee cup in hand.
"The others have made it clear they don't have much interest in going after you two," Ria noted. "And for Matarael to be willing go into WILLE... I don't know, he might be honest, or they might be trying to win our trust as part of some elaborate ruse. I don't know. Maybe. I mean Matarael isn't a particularly dangerous Angel."
"Leliel's lying," Shinji stated.
The other two turned towards him.
"Not about the deal, I think she's being forward about that. I think she's lying about her involvement in Rei and the others being here," Shinji explained.
She had grown too hesitant at that topic, clearly nervous. She wasn't even subtle about it.
"She's the only one I can think of who could even attempt something like that," Ria agreed. "The question is, why lie about it?"
Shinji didn't have an answer, and that only served to further unnerve him. What did she have to lose by admitting the truth?
"So if we can't trust her fully, what do we do?" Asuka asked.
For a moment, he considered his options.
"We tell Misato." Shinji announced.
"How?" Ria asked.
Shinji sighed, he didn't like what he was about to say, it required even more deception. But it seemed the best solution all things considered. "We tell Misato that Leliel came in, unannounced, and made the offer. We don't mention the letter or Gaghiel at all. Then we just need to make sure Misato agrees to pretend she doesn't know anything when Matarael arrives. That way we don't spook him off but if it turns to be some sort of attack, WILLE won't be totally blindsided. I know the odds of Misato agreeing to it are remote but considering the unusual nature of the situation, she might."
"And if she refuses I can just warn Matarael not to come when I get the letter. No harm, no foul," Asuka agreed.
"Do you think she would agree to it?" Ria questioned. "Peace with half of the Angels?"
It was a deeply unlikely prospect. Even Shinji couldn't pretend otherwise.
"You never know," he said. "Anything's possible these days."
"And apparently humans are working with Ramiel and Okito after all," Asuka commented bitterly.
"Are you okay?" Shinji asked.
Asuka and her father were never close. The two hadn't really spoken in over a decade. Still, what Leliel said about him, that had to be tough to hear. It was like his father all over again.
"He's a miserable bastard," Asuka replied, "but this would be a new low even for him."
A deeply troubling thought entered Shinji's mind.
"Who else might be working with them?" he asked.
Before Shinji was Angel cloaked in darkness, an Angel that promised answers, help, perhaps even a way to end this war. And here he was, sitting on his bed, in his pajamas, with no shirt. This was less than ideal.
"You said you would call us, not invade our hotel room," Asuka wearily protested.
"That I did. Apologies," Leliel replied, her Osakan accent thick. "But after Iruel's involvement in the last attack, I felt electronic means of communication would be unsecure."
"How did you know about our daughter?" Shinji demanded. That letter had unnerved him. Okito and whoever he had told knowing was bad enough. But Leliel seemed just as aware as Okito. How many others knew? How long before someone tried to blackmail them?
"A few years ago Okito was going around telling everyone he could find who Zeruel was," Leliel explained. "He had feared one of us was going to try and kill you two and either didn't want to see his friend hurt, and/or was terrified of how Zeruel would react."
"Scheiße..." Asuka muttered, summing up how both of them felt.
"Gaghiel tells me that Ramiel had actually hoped to ally with you using her. Thankfully Okito's actions made that incredibly unlikely," Leliel said, sounding far too pleased.
Shinji lowered his pistol.
"Ally with us?" That didn't make any sense to Shinji. Why would one of them, particularly one of the two who seemed to be behind all this, want to ally with Asuka and him?
"Ramiel's plan, to my limited understanding of it, doesn't involve the world ending, a Fourth Impact or anything of that nature. Our kind certainly would benefit the most from their plans, but Ramiel insisted humanity would survive, some would even profit. Ramiel bragged he already had numerous human allies and backers. Name dropping one Retired Officer Langley in particular."
Asuka flinched at the name, frowning in deep disgust.
If humans were working with the angels, that meant this wasn't just a group of teenagers and young adults operating in isolation, they could resources, allies around the world. Trust would become far more problematic.
"My father is working with Ramiel?" she said, deeply skeptical.
"Oh, I'm sure Langely will deny everything, true or otherwise," Leliel remarked.
"What the hell?" Ria's muffled voice came through the door.
The bedroom door shot open, darkness recoiling from the light off the hallway.
Ria stood in the door frame, her confused expression turning to anger at the sight of the other Angel.
"Ahh, speak of the devil," Leliel said merrily.
"Leliel," Ria growled.
"Relax, Zeruel, I've come to talk," Leliel assured her.
Shinji nodded in affirmation.
Ria calmed down, though her gaze never left the hooded form of Leliel as she stepped to her parent's side.
"So if you knew Ramiel and Okito were planning something, why didn't you contact us before, or Ria?" Asuka asked.
"I wasn't sure if you would agree with my goals, and frankly I wasn't entirely sure if I could trust Zeruel's loyalty."
Ria was incredulous. "My loyalty?"
"If our Progenitor were to be come back tomorrow and ask you to wipe out humanity, what would you do?" Leliel asked.
Ria glared at Leliel. "Adam's dead."
"Not an answer," Leliel retorted.
"They would not ask that," Ria snapped.
"What if he did?"
"What do you mean by 'agree with your goals'? What exactly are your goals?" Shinji interrupted.
If Ria was more loyal to them or Adam was really not a conversation he wanted to be having right now.
"Peace," Leliel replied. "Survival. We are not all Ramiel or Okito, many of us simply want to live our lives. Ramiel is banking on us having nowhere else to turn to. He attacked Seoul because he wants you to think all Angels are like that. Ramiel's plan is evil. It will not work and must be opposed. But the others are frightened, they think you will kill us all regardless of where we stand."
That was what Shinji had wanted to hear, for the most part. If they wanted peace he was more than happy to let them live in peace.
"What do you need their help for?" Ria questioned. "You seem to be doing pretty well on your own, what with dragging three Evangelions into the fight. Just wait for them to kill the idiots and keep your heads low."
"As I said, I had no role in that," Leliel insisted.
Shinji found that hard to believe.
"Really?" Ria shared his skepticism. "Because bringing the two in proved to be the perfect way of tricking Okito into exposing his conspiracy. Where you just going to sit by and let Ramiel enact his plan?"
"Well, no." Leliel's calm demeanor faltered as anxiety crept into her voice. "I won't deny the arrival of the Pilots was fortuitous in some regards."
"Fortuitous?!" Asuka repeatedly skeptically.
"In some regards," the Angel repeated defensively. "The damage Okito has inflicted on this city and yourselves is most unfortunate. I'm simply saying that the situation has allowed me to contact you directly and be honest in my intentions. If you were both still blissfully unaware of what Okito or your daughter were, any attempt to reach you would have failed just as badly as my first attempt."
"First attempt?" Ria questioned
Shinji realized why she sounded so familiar.
"You were the woman on the phone!" he said "You're 'Tsukiko Yamagishi'!"
The Angel nodded. "Half true. I was the woman you talked to. But Tsukiko Yamagishi is not my Lilim name. Apologies for the deception."
"You called right before Shamshel attacked," Ria said angrily.
"Because I was trying to warn them," Leliel stated. "I... lost my nerve at the last moment."
"How did you know Shamshel was going to attack me?" he asked.
"Someone close to Okito feeds me info from time to time. Israfel, Iruel... I don't know," Leliel admitted.
For a group that had seemed almost monolithic before tonight, it appeared the Angels were as fractious and conflicted as any human organization.
"I'm getting off point," Leliel went on. "I came to strike a deal. I don't know much about Ramiel's plan but I know someone who knows more and could even spy on Ramiel for you. But they need assurances. They want me to ensure that this cooperation won't be met with you killing them later when it's convenient."
"Who?" Ria asked.
"A certain spider; Matarael. He wants to speak with Sub-Director Soryu at WILLE and tell you what he knows. I'm here to ensure he is able to leave again."
"At WILLE?" Asuka said skeptically. "That's mad."
"He doesn't want it getting back to Ramiel that he talked with you. Coming here will no doubt be impossible even for me after today and with Iruel around, electronic communications are hard to trust. He assures me he can get himself to WILLE without being spotted with little trouble," Leliel explained.
"General Katsuragi would kill him the moment he set foot on the property," Asuka pointed out.
"That's why you're not going to tell her. Wouldn't be the first time in recent days you've lied to her," Leliel observed. "WILLE has an internship program. Matarael will apply to it under a false identity that says he was born before Third Impact. You will accepted his application and speak to him, alone in your office. He will tell you what he knows and leave. Coming back from time to time when he has more info. In exchange you will ensure he is allowed to leave and will work towards convincing your superiors that peace can be achieved."
"You're asking me to leave myself completely alone with an Angel I don't know," Asuka argued.
"He wouldn't make it out of WILLE alive if he harmed you, he knows that. He's willing to walk into probably the most dangerous place on earth for an Angel right now and risk crossing Ramiel. He's putting himself in far more danger."
They considered it. Killing only the angels that attacked them and leaving the rest alone would make this entire war far more simple and less violent. But could either of them trust Leliel, angels were by nature incredibly good liars. Even Ria had been lying to them every day for sixteen years, without either of them suspecting a thing. Leliel, or Matarael could be trying to pull something here.
But if Asuka could work with one of them, if they could convince Misato that not every Angel was a monster, that some were even willing to work with humanity. They would have a foot in the door, a way to tell Misato the truth about Ria without everything going horribly wrong like it had with his younger self and Third Impact.
"I'm willing to work with Matarael if he acts in good faith," Asuka said after a long pause. "If he crosses me, my family, or WILLE though, he's dead."
Ria bit her lip.
Leliel sighed, content with that. "Good, good. More than acceptable terms. Look for a letter from a man named Musashi Aoi. That will be Matarael."
"So out of curiosity, which Angels are willing to consider peace?" Shinji asked.
"Fair question," Leliel replied. "Let's see... Myself, Matarael, Gaghiel obviously, but Gaghiel's no longer in the country. Sandalphon, Armisael, Arael is on the fence, no idea where or who Bardiel even is."
Asuka tensed up at the mention of Arael.
"Oh, Zeruel, since you're here..." Leliel began, "I have a gift for you."
Shinji almost fired as he saw Leliel reach into her pocket.
"Relax, relax," she insisted as she tossed something white at Ria.
She caught it, holding it in both hands as she inspected it. It was a mask. An almost exact replica of the face of Zeruel, only sized to fit Ria's face.
"Matarael made this, and mine," Leliel explained. "It's some hobby of his. Apparently Okito commissioned this some time ago."
Ria's grip tightened on it, her eyes totally focused on the mask.
Leilel bowed, the darkness wrapping around her.
"Until next time, then," she said, before vanishing.
/
The three of them gathered around the kitchen table. None of them could even pretend they were going to get back to sleep tonight.
"The question is, can we remotely trust them?" Asuka asked, coffee cup in hand.
"The others have made it clear they don't have much interest in going after you two," Ria noted. "And for Matarael to be willing go into WILLE... I don't know, he might be honest, or they might be trying to win our trust as part of some elaborate ruse. I don't know. Maybe. I mean Matarael isn't a particularly dangerous Angel."
"Leliel's lying," Shinji stated.
The other two turned towards him.
"Not about the deal, I think she's being forward about that. I think she's lying about her involvement in Rei and the others being here," Shinji explained.
She had grown too hesitant at that topic, clearly nervous. She wasn't even subtle about it.
"She's the only one I can think of who could even attempt something like that," Ria agreed. "The question is, why lie about it?"
Shinji didn't have an answer, and that only served to further unnerve him. What did she have to lose by admitting the truth?
"So if we can't trust her fully, what do we do?" Asuka asked.
For a moment, he considered his options.
"We tell Misato." Shinji announced.
"How?" Ria asked.
Shinji sighed, he didn't like what he was about to say, it required even more deception. But it seemed the best solution all things considered. "We tell Misato that Leliel came in, unannounced, and made the offer. We don't mention the letter or Gaghiel at all. Then we just need to make sure Misato agrees to pretend she doesn't know anything when Matarael arrives. That way we don't spook him off but if it turns to be some sort of attack, WILLE won't be totally blindsided. I know the odds of Misato agreeing to it are remote but considering the unusual nature of the situation, she might."
"And if she refuses I can just warn Matarael not to come when I get the letter. No harm, no foul," Asuka agreed.
"Do you think she would agree to it?" Ria questioned. "Peace with half of the Angels?"
It was a deeply unlikely prospect. Even Shinji couldn't pretend otherwise.
"You never know," he said. "Anything's possible these days."
"And apparently humans are working with Ramiel and Okito after all," Asuka commented bitterly.
"Are you okay?" Shinji asked.
Asuka and her father were never close. The two hadn't really spoken in over a decade. Still, what Leliel said about him, that had to be tough to hear. It was like his father all over again.
"He's a miserable bastard," Asuka replied, "but this would be a new low even for him."
A deeply troubling thought entered Shinji's mind.
"Who else might be working with them?" he asked.
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Trust No One.
Timerider
That guy who really should get out more.
- Location
- The End of the World.
Personally, I suspect Tabris.
If Leliel isn't responsible for the sliders' appearance, he's the only one left who might be capable of the necessary shenanigans to pull it off.
Just a wild theory, but it fits.
- Location
- National Capital Region, USA
Yyyyyeah... considering he managed to compromise and nearly get young-Shinji killed with your own Positron Cannons, I'd avoid even using computers at all.
Ramiel's sure an optimist, if he thought he could get the Ikaris to side with him against their own foster-mother. What the Hell did Ramiel think they could offer that would beat that kind of bond?
ohhhhhh shit.
Either Leliel is lying or... then who was it? Their nervousness betrays something, but is it a lie, or something else going on? Are they afraid because they don't know how this is happening and they should?
That's... very interesting. Who's the mole? Hmm...
Counting Ria, that's 6 Angels definitely willing to agree to peace, and Arael on the fence. And boy, is that an awkward one for Asuka... the rapist who destroyed her mind, but may have had no more idea what it was doing than an animal.
But still, 6 Angels out of 15 (assuming Lilith, Adam, and 'Humanity' are non-factors here)... And the other side has Okito, Ramiel, Israfel, Iruel... who am I missing? Bardiel's an unknown. If Misato can be convinced that she's really only facing a faction, not Angels as a whole, that will help a lot. But Misato has never let her hate of the Angels go, so it's questionable if that's even possible.
trob030490
Professor Kokonoe
- Pronouns
- she/her
I do hope Misato is composed enough to see the advantage of like half the known to be active angels being on their side even if she absolutely loathes the idea.
She's got problems, she sees them as nothing but absolute monsters, but it's way too good a play to just throw away even if she wants to stab them all in the back the moment anyone flinches wrong. That's an obscene amount of firepower to throw away.
Edit: Now I wonder if we've encountered Bardiel somewhere in the story so far, since they remain a named mystery, rather than her saying Bardiel and Sahaquiel are both unknowns.
She's got problems, she sees them as nothing but absolute monsters, but it's way too good a play to just throw away even if she wants to stab them all in the back the moment anyone flinches wrong. That's an obscene amount of firepower to throw away.
Edit: Now I wonder if we've encountered Bardiel somewhere in the story so far, since they remain a named mystery, rather than her saying Bardiel and Sahaquiel are both unknowns.
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Canis
Shoulder Puppy
- Location
- United States
Given that Leliel being the "Angel of Crossovers" is something of a thing in the fandom (even if it's a relatively minor thing) I'm going with the idea that it's likely an alternate Leliel that's doing it and that said alternate is somehow in contact with the Leliel that just showed up.
If that isn't the case I do think she's telling the truth about not being behind the pilots showing up. I do however think she knows the who, the how, the why, or some combination of the three.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
It's not like Misato ever adopted them so it's not like the general world knows she's basically the closest thing they have to an actual parent. And Okito probably didn't really give their bond with Misato much thought.
Canis
Shoulder Puppy
- Location
- United States
...Okito is trying really really hard for that Darwin Award isn't he?
I don't think Okito ever gave anything much thought
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I'm actually surprised by how much of general waste of human flesh Okito turned out to be.
- Location
- supernatural
I just had a theory as to why Mr. Langley would be working with the Angels and if true the reason why would add a whole new layer to the charater nobody could expect from him. I won't tell anyone what it could but I will PM Teen Spirit if the theory could be true.
- Location
- National Capital Region, USA
Okito, for all his 'I am an Angel and only an Angel' pretenses, is acting like what he also is: a teenage boy with the usual 'I am so smart' delusions of a young man who thinks he has it all figured out, a grand cause, and poor planning skills. He panicked himself into a stupid action that hurt his cause more than just doing nothing would have, and is now only making things worse as he flails around trying to fix the first mistake. He's now in over his head, at the mercy of people/Angels smarter and more ruthless than he is, and has so thoroughly fucked up and burned all his bridges that he can't even go back. I mean, even if he totally gave up and surrendered right now, you think Kodama would even speak to him? Would his family ever trust him again?
I'm actually starting to feel a little pity for Okito. He's far from the first or only young man to utterly fuck up his whole life thanks to one stupid mistake that seemed like a great idea at the time. Part of what terrifies Ria at times is her own recognition that if not for her parents and Mari continuing to love her, she could easily have been as stupid, and be where Okito is right now.
I'm actually starting to feel a little pity for Okito. He's far from the first or only young man to utterly fuck up his whole life thanks to one stupid mistake that seemed like a great idea at the time. Part of what terrifies Ria at times is her own recognition that if not for her parents and Mari continuing to love her, she could easily have been as stupid, and be where Okito is right now.
Canis
Shoulder Puppy
- Location
- United States
Given that she's an Ikari by blood in an Evafic that's both a Crowning Moment of Awesome and a Crowning Moment of Heartwarming. Because Shinji and Asuka managing to raise a normal kid to be even halfway to being well adjusted is...an achievement of epic proportions. Having it be the reincarnation of Zeruel makes it even more incredible.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Okito's biggest sin is one of assumption. He assumed Ria would join him, he assumed that since Sachiel was the Herald of God, it was his duty to lead the way, he assumed the other angels would feel the same way as he did about their 'brotherhood'. If he had stopped for a moment to think "What if I'm wrong." A lot of tragedy could have been prevented.
But yeah, as much as the angels pretend otherwise, they are still to a degree very human in nature. Sachiel was little more than an animal, Okito is far more than that in terms of just sheer ability to think. As much as Okito likes to pretend otherwise, his ideas of angelic brotherhood come from the human part of his brain.
Chapter 11 Part 2
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Rei stood in Misato's kitchen, the General having insisted that she have breakfast with them before school.
It was just the two of them now, and Pen-Pen. Asuka and Shinji were getting ready for school. Misato wasn't entirely sure how to treat the First Child. She wasn't one of her charges, one of her kids. She knew quite a bit about her, the Rei of this world that was. But this was an entirely different Rei, one even Ristuko didn't understand.
"I have a question, General," Rei said as she sat at the table.
Misato took a seat across the table, coffee in hand. "What about?"
"Asuka and Shinji, why don't they like their other selves?"
It was surreal how strange questions like that could become so normal.
"Asuka dislikes what the Sub-Director has become. And Shinji… he's upset over what his older self told him about what happened towards the end of the war," Misato tried to explain.
"But you're not. You know what he did, and you do not judge him," Rei observed.
Misato had been tempted at time. All the suffering she had to go through, the the chaos that engulfed the world in the early days... Blaming Shinji for it would been so easy. And yet, anytime where she felt like she was about to, she realized she could have prevented it. She had more power to stop Third Impact than Shinji ever did. She could have been a better guardian, she could been there for both of them, she could have gotten them therapy or something. There were so many thing she could have done, and one thing she really should not have but did. She had failed, utterly, and Third Impact could in part be laid at her feet for that.
Shinji had forgiven her, so she forgave him.
"Shinji wasn't in control of the situation, so I can't blame him for what happened," Misato replied weakly.
"I feel the same," Rei nodded.
Misato wondered how much Rei knew. If she was anything like the Rei of their world, she was in part... that thing. But considering how different this Rei had been so far, it was very possible she was simply just some clone that NERV had used to pilot Unit-00. Either way, Misato did her level best to treat her fairly.
"It's just..." Rei went on, "wouldn't they be happier if they got along?"
"Well, yes. But it's not that simple," Misato explained. "Ria's trying to smooth things over, though even for her that's going to take a while."
Ayanami frowned for some reason. A knock came at the door before Misato could ask why.
Misato opened to see the older Shinji, Asuka, and Ria standing at the door, unhappy expressions on their faces.
"We need to talk," Asuka said solemnly.
/
Both sets of Pilots, Misato, Ria, and Ayanami were gathered around Misato's kitchen table. Ria and Ayanami mostly stayed in the back towards the wall. Once or twice the younger Asuka noticed the wary look Rei gave her other self's daughter. But what was being discussed proved far too important for Asuka to give it much thought
"You can't possibly be considering this deal," Misato said, disgusted by the very notion being discussed.
"She came to us. If she wanted us dead we probably would be," Shinji pointed out. "And it involves a great deal more risk for them then it does for us."
"You don't even trust it," Misato countered.
"She knows more than she's letting on about the pilots being here," Asuka admitted. "But the deal... I don't see what they could gain by lying about it. If they prove false we risk little. But if they're telling the truth we could cut our enemies in half and have a source on what Ramiel is doing."
"How many Angels want peace?" Rei asked.
"According to Leliel, Matarael, Gaghiel, Sandalphon, Armisael, Arael maybe, and Zeruel for certain," Sub-Commander Soryu listed off.
Misato's anger grew tenfold at the name of the last Angel.
"You expected me to make peace with that monster?" Misato barked.
The older Shinji flinched.
"It hurt you, it hurt Rei! It directly tried to kill me!" Misato exclaimed. "It was moments away from doing so, in fact! Had Shinji arrived two seconds later it would have!"
"I know what they did," the older Soryu said firmly, staring directly at Misato. "I also remember what Arael did. Do you think you suffered more from Zeruel then I did with Arael?"
"Of course I don't," Misato sighed.
"I'm willing to make peace with that bastard," Sub-Commander Soryu spat, her words dripping with venom. "And believe me, I really would prefer that thing dead. But if its survival means peace, I'm willing to accept that. You should consider the same for Zeruel."
The younger Asuka found herself both terrified and curious as to what this Arael could have done to her other self to earn such hatred. That was probably a question best left unanswered.
The older Shinji stepped in again. "We have bigger problems. What Leliel told us fit Okito's actions. He had something to hide. They have plan, one that apparently involves humans. This isn't instinct for them, or just some mindless revenge. The Angels involved made a decision to do this, a decision that not all of them might have agreed to."
"She could be lying about that," Misato replied, clearly not wanting to believe humans could be involved.
"What do they have to gain?" The older Soryu questioned. "If they're lying to us we're going to find out sooner or later and then we have the name and face of Matarael. They'd be selling out one of their own."
"Assuming they don't send an imposter." Misato paused. "But that would just mean they are working with people. Godamnit."
"I wouldn't put it past the old bastard to do something like that," the younger Asuka dryly noted.
Hearing that her father was apparently involved with the Angels was depressingly not shocking to her in the slightest.
"What does he even do these days?" she asked.
"Retired due to a war injury," her older self said. "I really don't pay attention to him. Frankly I'm confused what he could get out of an alliance with the Angels, or what they could get out of him."
"If, IF I accept this deal from the Angels," Misato said hesitantly. "How can we guarantee they won't try something, twenty, fifty years from now?"
The older Asuka sighed. "Because they will all have to give us their identities. They're not getting a peace treaty unless we know who they are. We'll make a record of it. If they start something we'll have every means to track him."
"Every Angel?" Rei questioned.
She nodded. "Every Angel that wants to live."
Misato clearly hated every bit of the idea, but she seemed to actually be considering it.
"They're not asking for amnesty for any of the Angels who have attacked since this all began," Ria spoke up, her voice sounding surprisingly small. "Okito is still going to die."
That wasn't in question. Asuka was looking forward to the day she could wring that monster's neck.
"And what about everything they did before? They killed thousands, and would have wiped us out if they could. We're suppose to just let them off the hook for that?!" Misato snapped.
"They died, they all died for what they did…" Shinji began.
"And they should have stayed dead!"
Asuka recoiled slightly, Misato's rage twisting her face in ways the Second Child had never seen. It was frightening. Her counterpart and the older Shinji looked increasingly unhappy.
"Their existence mocks everything we struggled for!" Misato ranted. "Everyone we lost, everything we suffered! It threatens everything you've tried to give Ria!"
"And how much more is at threat if we add Six plus Angels to the fight?" the older Asuka countered. "If we don't make this deal, every Angel that would have made peace is either going to fight us or do their level best to hide and then we're looking at a war that will last for years, if not decades. Is that what you want? To be seventy years old and spending every night worrying what tomorrow will hold because you haven't been able to find one or two of them?"
The room went silent for a minute, Misato brewing over her options.
Asuka thought about it. She wanted to kill the Angels, sure. That was what she did, that was what she was. She was an Eva Pilot and a warrior. She had trained her entire life to kill Angels. But the idea of fighting an Angel that didn't want to fight, that had begged for peace... there was something unsettling about that idea.
Looking at Shinji, she could tell he felt much the same way. They were defenders, not aggressors.
To her surprise, Misato relented. "Fine. I despise doing this, but if they want peace I'm willing to come to the table. But I'm keeping security on high alert when this Matararel comes. If I think even for a moment that it's about to pull something, it's dead."
Asuka nodded. "Fair enough."
"And thank you," Misato added. "For telling me about this. I know it couldn't have been easy considering how much it put the plan you made with... that thing at risk. But I really appreciate the honesty."
For some reason the older Shinji only looked more upset at Misato's words.
/
Part of Ria wanted to punch the next person who made it clear just how much they trusted her. A strange feeling to be sure, particularly for Ria, who normally quite appreciated the trust and familiarity. But the trust Misato and the Pilots gave her recently was only causing her more and more guilt.
Their faith in her was not ill-placed. Even if the worst had unfolded, and Ria had to fight against them simply to survive, Ria didn't think she could ever physically hurt any of them. But if they knew the truth, they wouldn't trust her at all. They might hate her, despise her, think she had used them or worse.
But if this peace were to work, she would have to tell them, or they would never stop hunting for Zeruel. Peace would be great. It would mean she wouldn't have to live in fear anymore. She could be herself. Her parents, Misato, the Pilots, Mari, Kodama they would all be safe. But how much would she lose when the truth came out?
And if the peace failed. Misato would never give any Angel another chance. Ria would never be safe. At best she would spend the rest of her life in fear. Assuming Ayanami held her tongue for that long.
Regardless of what happened, she knew she would have her parents. But would that be enough if she lost everyone else? It would be so terribly lonely.
Ria sat at her desk, her hand resting against her hand as she looked out the classroom window. It was overcast today, the skies grey and dreary. The storms were suppose to blanket Kyoto for most of the week.
Homeroom was still pretty empty, save for Rei, Shinji, Asuka, and herself.
"Ikari, I have a question. Do you cook?" Rei asked suddenly.
"Um, yeah?" Shinji replied.
"Kind of have to when you live with Misato," Asuka snarked.
"Do you need me to bring you lunch or something?" he added.
Rei blushed. "I wasn't going to ask, but thank you."
Asuka frowned but said nothing.
Kensuke Aida walked in, books in hand.
For a second he and Rei looked at each other.
"Hello, Aida. It is good to see you again." Rei said evenly.
He nodded. "Thanks, uhh same to you? I wasn't actually sure if you would recognize me considering, you know."
"You appear identical to the Kensuke Aida of my universe," Rei explained.
"Oh," Kensuke replied awkwardly. "Well... that's neat."
Shortly behind him was Kodama, who looked much the same as she had since Okito attacked; absolutely miserable.
She stared at Shinji, who returned it awkwardly. They both knew what her brother had done, and what would more than likely happen in the future. Either Shinji would kill her brother, or be killed by him. Kodama wanted him dead, but even now, no matter how much she hated him, it was clear either option would only hurt her even more.
Ria sank further into depression. She didn't know how to help Kodama, and even if she did, what good would it do once Kodama knew the truth? She would hate her as much as she hated her brother, or even worse. After all, she had kept the deception up long after Okito revealed himself.
Kodama glared at Ayanami, saying nothing but clearly distrusting her.
The First Child looked back in confusion.
"Do you have an issue with me?" she asked quietly.
"Your eyes," Kodama growled. "They're the same as his."
"An unfortunate coincidence," Rei replied.
"And you're in his spot," Kodama added.
"This is the seat I was assigned," Ayanami explained.
Kodama huffed and took her seat.
"Freak," she muttered hatefully under her breath.
Asuka glared hard at her.
"Thin ice," she warned.
"You know, we were happy before you came here," Kodama snapped. "We had a nice, normal life. Evas and Angels were ancient history. And the biggest thing we had to worry about was school. But then you had to show up and drag all your past problems with you and create a bunch of new ones for us. The city's in ruins, my parents no longer trust me because they're scared I'm a monster and the news talks about my brother the terrorist."
"Because clearly that's my fault," Asuka deadpanned.
"Kodama, please calm down," Ria urged.
Kodama pivoted towards Ria.
"How?!" she begged. "How the fuck are you even remotely calm? For all you know one of the other students, even your girlfriend, might be one of those things and try and kill your parents! And you're just sitting here like it's a normal day! The Pilots aren't strong enough to stop them!"
Asuka glared angrily at Suzuhara.
Oh, if only you knew, Ria thought sadly.
"I'm as scared as you are, Kodama," she tried to comfort her. "But you need to have faith things will get better."
"How can you say that?!" Kodama was bewildered.
"It's classified," Ayanami spoke up. "But possibly significant progress was made this morning."
Kodama was more confused than relieved.
"Did you really just accuse me of being one of them?" Mari said as she stood by the door.
"I am so glad the rest of the class isn't here yet," Shinji muttered.
In truth there probably won't be many more students today. The school was only open due to sheer stubbornness and luck. Despite that though, many students couldn't get to school due to the damage to the city, while others were starting to move away.
"You know what? Yeah, I did," Kodama said, clearly in a mood to fight with everyone today.
"No," Ria said, harshly. As sympathetic as she was to Kodama she had her limits.
"It's fine," Mari insisted. "I'd probably be a wreck if I went through half the stuff she did."
She approached Ria's desk nervously, much to the annoyance of Kodama.
"So um... I know this is a bad time..." Mari said, ignoring Suzuhara's glare, "but can I talk to you, in private?"
"Uhh, sure?" Ria replied.
/
Ria followed Mari to the closest Girl's Restroom. Which briefly made Ria concerned that Mari wanted to do something that Ria wasn't quite ready for, and really didn't want to do in a bathroom. But Mari's nervous demeanor eventually made it clear that wasn't her intention.
Mari checked to make sure the restroom was completely clear.
"Is everything alright?" Ria asked, concerned.
"Oh it's fine, fine...at least I hope it's fine," Mari said nervously.
She scratched her head. "So... you know the other night, when we were at the clothing store?"
Ria did not like where this was going.
"Did I come across as too forward?" Mari asked.
Ria blinked in surprise.
"Uhh, a little, but it's fine. You were just stressed out," Ria assured her.
"Oh, good," Mari replied. "It's just... I was thinking about it and I realized what I said kind of sounded I wanted to elope or something and that's way way too soon. I just don't want to seem like I'm trying to rush or pressure you."
"It's fine," Ria insisted. Putting her hand on Mari's shoulder. "Honestly the way things are, moving to New England sounds like a pretty good idea right now."
Mari was surprised. "Really? What about your parents?"
"I'm not going to abandon them," Ria insisted. "I just…once things are settled down, I think I should leave. Find a new place to call home"
"Why?"
Ria was silent. Unable to give any sort of real answer.
"You would tell me if you could, right?" Mari asked cautiously.
"Of course," Ria replied.
"Well then, make sure to bring me with you when you decide to go," Mari said cheerfully.
"Really?" Ria couldn't hide her shock.
Mari shrugged. "Why not? We're both young, stupid, and incredibly hormonal. Might as well be those things together."
Ria leaned down and grabbed Mari in a passionate kiss, fear, lust, and joy overwhelming her. More than anyone, she feared losing Mari the most.
Mari wrapped her arms around Ria, grabbing her tightly.
"You mean so much to me," Ria breathless said after they finally broke apart. "Whatever happens, remember that."
"I know," Mari replied.
They looked at each other for a moment, unsure of what to say.
"Uhh, I need to powder my nose," Mari said nervously. "You should go back ahead of me."
Ria nodded and left.
Mari was all alone, joy filling her. Though she found herself doubting, worried. Her girlfriend's actions brought fears she had tried to repress back to the surface.
"What are you, Ria?" she asked quietly. "What are you really?"
It was just the two of them now, and Pen-Pen. Asuka and Shinji were getting ready for school. Misato wasn't entirely sure how to treat the First Child. She wasn't one of her charges, one of her kids. She knew quite a bit about her, the Rei of this world that was. But this was an entirely different Rei, one even Ristuko didn't understand.
"I have a question, General," Rei said as she sat at the table.
Misato took a seat across the table, coffee in hand. "What about?"
"Asuka and Shinji, why don't they like their other selves?"
It was surreal how strange questions like that could become so normal.
"Asuka dislikes what the Sub-Director has become. And Shinji… he's upset over what his older self told him about what happened towards the end of the war," Misato tried to explain.
"But you're not. You know what he did, and you do not judge him," Rei observed.
Misato had been tempted at time. All the suffering she had to go through, the the chaos that engulfed the world in the early days... Blaming Shinji for it would been so easy. And yet, anytime where she felt like she was about to, she realized she could have prevented it. She had more power to stop Third Impact than Shinji ever did. She could have been a better guardian, she could been there for both of them, she could have gotten them therapy or something. There were so many thing she could have done, and one thing she really should not have but did. She had failed, utterly, and Third Impact could in part be laid at her feet for that.
Shinji had forgiven her, so she forgave him.
"Shinji wasn't in control of the situation, so I can't blame him for what happened," Misato replied weakly.
"I feel the same," Rei nodded.
Misato wondered how much Rei knew. If she was anything like the Rei of their world, she was in part... that thing. But considering how different this Rei had been so far, it was very possible she was simply just some clone that NERV had used to pilot Unit-00. Either way, Misato did her level best to treat her fairly.
"It's just..." Rei went on, "wouldn't they be happier if they got along?"
"Well, yes. But it's not that simple," Misato explained. "Ria's trying to smooth things over, though even for her that's going to take a while."
Ayanami frowned for some reason. A knock came at the door before Misato could ask why.
Misato opened to see the older Shinji, Asuka, and Ria standing at the door, unhappy expressions on their faces.
"We need to talk," Asuka said solemnly.
/
Both sets of Pilots, Misato, Ria, and Ayanami were gathered around Misato's kitchen table. Ria and Ayanami mostly stayed in the back towards the wall. Once or twice the younger Asuka noticed the wary look Rei gave her other self's daughter. But what was being discussed proved far too important for Asuka to give it much thought
"You can't possibly be considering this deal," Misato said, disgusted by the very notion being discussed.
"She came to us. If she wanted us dead we probably would be," Shinji pointed out. "And it involves a great deal more risk for them then it does for us."
"You don't even trust it," Misato countered.
"She knows more than she's letting on about the pilots being here," Asuka admitted. "But the deal... I don't see what they could gain by lying about it. If they prove false we risk little. But if they're telling the truth we could cut our enemies in half and have a source on what Ramiel is doing."
"How many Angels want peace?" Rei asked.
"According to Leliel, Matarael, Gaghiel, Sandalphon, Armisael, Arael maybe, and Zeruel for certain," Sub-Commander Soryu listed off.
Misato's anger grew tenfold at the name of the last Angel.
"You expected me to make peace with that monster?" Misato barked.
The older Shinji flinched.
"It hurt you, it hurt Rei! It directly tried to kill me!" Misato exclaimed. "It was moments away from doing so, in fact! Had Shinji arrived two seconds later it would have!"
"I know what they did," the older Soryu said firmly, staring directly at Misato. "I also remember what Arael did. Do you think you suffered more from Zeruel then I did with Arael?"
"Of course I don't," Misato sighed.
"I'm willing to make peace with that bastard," Sub-Commander Soryu spat, her words dripping with venom. "And believe me, I really would prefer that thing dead. But if its survival means peace, I'm willing to accept that. You should consider the same for Zeruel."
The younger Asuka found herself both terrified and curious as to what this Arael could have done to her other self to earn such hatred. That was probably a question best left unanswered.
The older Shinji stepped in again. "We have bigger problems. What Leliel told us fit Okito's actions. He had something to hide. They have plan, one that apparently involves humans. This isn't instinct for them, or just some mindless revenge. The Angels involved made a decision to do this, a decision that not all of them might have agreed to."
"She could be lying about that," Misato replied, clearly not wanting to believe humans could be involved.
"What do they have to gain?" The older Soryu questioned. "If they're lying to us we're going to find out sooner or later and then we have the name and face of Matarael. They'd be selling out one of their own."
"Assuming they don't send an imposter." Misato paused. "But that would just mean they are working with people. Godamnit."
"I wouldn't put it past the old bastard to do something like that," the younger Asuka dryly noted.
Hearing that her father was apparently involved with the Angels was depressingly not shocking to her in the slightest.
"What does he even do these days?" she asked.
"Retired due to a war injury," her older self said. "I really don't pay attention to him. Frankly I'm confused what he could get out of an alliance with the Angels, or what they could get out of him."
"If, IF I accept this deal from the Angels," Misato said hesitantly. "How can we guarantee they won't try something, twenty, fifty years from now?"
The older Asuka sighed. "Because they will all have to give us their identities. They're not getting a peace treaty unless we know who they are. We'll make a record of it. If they start something we'll have every means to track him."
"Every Angel?" Rei questioned.
She nodded. "Every Angel that wants to live."
Misato clearly hated every bit of the idea, but she seemed to actually be considering it.
"They're not asking for amnesty for any of the Angels who have attacked since this all began," Ria spoke up, her voice sounding surprisingly small. "Okito is still going to die."
That wasn't in question. Asuka was looking forward to the day she could wring that monster's neck.
"And what about everything they did before? They killed thousands, and would have wiped us out if they could. We're suppose to just let them off the hook for that?!" Misato snapped.
"They died, they all died for what they did…" Shinji began.
"And they should have stayed dead!"
Asuka recoiled slightly, Misato's rage twisting her face in ways the Second Child had never seen. It was frightening. Her counterpart and the older Shinji looked increasingly unhappy.
"Their existence mocks everything we struggled for!" Misato ranted. "Everyone we lost, everything we suffered! It threatens everything you've tried to give Ria!"
"And how much more is at threat if we add Six plus Angels to the fight?" the older Asuka countered. "If we don't make this deal, every Angel that would have made peace is either going to fight us or do their level best to hide and then we're looking at a war that will last for years, if not decades. Is that what you want? To be seventy years old and spending every night worrying what tomorrow will hold because you haven't been able to find one or two of them?"
The room went silent for a minute, Misato brewing over her options.
Asuka thought about it. She wanted to kill the Angels, sure. That was what she did, that was what she was. She was an Eva Pilot and a warrior. She had trained her entire life to kill Angels. But the idea of fighting an Angel that didn't want to fight, that had begged for peace... there was something unsettling about that idea.
Looking at Shinji, she could tell he felt much the same way. They were defenders, not aggressors.
To her surprise, Misato relented. "Fine. I despise doing this, but if they want peace I'm willing to come to the table. But I'm keeping security on high alert when this Matararel comes. If I think even for a moment that it's about to pull something, it's dead."
Asuka nodded. "Fair enough."
"And thank you," Misato added. "For telling me about this. I know it couldn't have been easy considering how much it put the plan you made with... that thing at risk. But I really appreciate the honesty."
For some reason the older Shinji only looked more upset at Misato's words.
/
Part of Ria wanted to punch the next person who made it clear just how much they trusted her. A strange feeling to be sure, particularly for Ria, who normally quite appreciated the trust and familiarity. But the trust Misato and the Pilots gave her recently was only causing her more and more guilt.
Their faith in her was not ill-placed. Even if the worst had unfolded, and Ria had to fight against them simply to survive, Ria didn't think she could ever physically hurt any of them. But if they knew the truth, they wouldn't trust her at all. They might hate her, despise her, think she had used them or worse.
But if this peace were to work, she would have to tell them, or they would never stop hunting for Zeruel. Peace would be great. It would mean she wouldn't have to live in fear anymore. She could be herself. Her parents, Misato, the Pilots, Mari, Kodama they would all be safe. But how much would she lose when the truth came out?
And if the peace failed. Misato would never give any Angel another chance. Ria would never be safe. At best she would spend the rest of her life in fear. Assuming Ayanami held her tongue for that long.
Regardless of what happened, she knew she would have her parents. But would that be enough if she lost everyone else? It would be so terribly lonely.
Ria sat at her desk, her hand resting against her hand as she looked out the classroom window. It was overcast today, the skies grey and dreary. The storms were suppose to blanket Kyoto for most of the week.
Homeroom was still pretty empty, save for Rei, Shinji, Asuka, and herself.
"Ikari, I have a question. Do you cook?" Rei asked suddenly.
"Um, yeah?" Shinji replied.
"Kind of have to when you live with Misato," Asuka snarked.
"Do you need me to bring you lunch or something?" he added.
Rei blushed. "I wasn't going to ask, but thank you."
Asuka frowned but said nothing.
Kensuke Aida walked in, books in hand.
For a second he and Rei looked at each other.
"Hello, Aida. It is good to see you again." Rei said evenly.
He nodded. "Thanks, uhh same to you? I wasn't actually sure if you would recognize me considering, you know."
"You appear identical to the Kensuke Aida of my universe," Rei explained.
"Oh," Kensuke replied awkwardly. "Well... that's neat."
Shortly behind him was Kodama, who looked much the same as she had since Okito attacked; absolutely miserable.
She stared at Shinji, who returned it awkwardly. They both knew what her brother had done, and what would more than likely happen in the future. Either Shinji would kill her brother, or be killed by him. Kodama wanted him dead, but even now, no matter how much she hated him, it was clear either option would only hurt her even more.
Ria sank further into depression. She didn't know how to help Kodama, and even if she did, what good would it do once Kodama knew the truth? She would hate her as much as she hated her brother, or even worse. After all, she had kept the deception up long after Okito revealed himself.
Kodama glared at Ayanami, saying nothing but clearly distrusting her.
The First Child looked back in confusion.
"Do you have an issue with me?" she asked quietly.
"Your eyes," Kodama growled. "They're the same as his."
"An unfortunate coincidence," Rei replied.
"And you're in his spot," Kodama added.
"This is the seat I was assigned," Ayanami explained.
Kodama huffed and took her seat.
"Freak," she muttered hatefully under her breath.
Asuka glared hard at her.
"Thin ice," she warned.
"You know, we were happy before you came here," Kodama snapped. "We had a nice, normal life. Evas and Angels were ancient history. And the biggest thing we had to worry about was school. But then you had to show up and drag all your past problems with you and create a bunch of new ones for us. The city's in ruins, my parents no longer trust me because they're scared I'm a monster and the news talks about my brother the terrorist."
"Because clearly that's my fault," Asuka deadpanned.
"Kodama, please calm down," Ria urged.
Kodama pivoted towards Ria.
"How?!" she begged. "How the fuck are you even remotely calm? For all you know one of the other students, even your girlfriend, might be one of those things and try and kill your parents! And you're just sitting here like it's a normal day! The Pilots aren't strong enough to stop them!"
Asuka glared angrily at Suzuhara.
Oh, if only you knew, Ria thought sadly.
"I'm as scared as you are, Kodama," she tried to comfort her. "But you need to have faith things will get better."
"How can you say that?!" Kodama was bewildered.
"It's classified," Ayanami spoke up. "But possibly significant progress was made this morning."
Kodama was more confused than relieved.
"Did you really just accuse me of being one of them?" Mari said as she stood by the door.
"I am so glad the rest of the class isn't here yet," Shinji muttered.
In truth there probably won't be many more students today. The school was only open due to sheer stubbornness and luck. Despite that though, many students couldn't get to school due to the damage to the city, while others were starting to move away.
"You know what? Yeah, I did," Kodama said, clearly in a mood to fight with everyone today.
"No," Ria said, harshly. As sympathetic as she was to Kodama she had her limits.
"It's fine," Mari insisted. "I'd probably be a wreck if I went through half the stuff she did."
She approached Ria's desk nervously, much to the annoyance of Kodama.
"So um... I know this is a bad time..." Mari said, ignoring Suzuhara's glare, "but can I talk to you, in private?"
"Uhh, sure?" Ria replied.
/
Ria followed Mari to the closest Girl's Restroom. Which briefly made Ria concerned that Mari wanted to do something that Ria wasn't quite ready for, and really didn't want to do in a bathroom. But Mari's nervous demeanor eventually made it clear that wasn't her intention.
Mari checked to make sure the restroom was completely clear.
"Is everything alright?" Ria asked, concerned.
"Oh it's fine, fine...at least I hope it's fine," Mari said nervously.
She scratched her head. "So... you know the other night, when we were at the clothing store?"
Ria did not like where this was going.
"Did I come across as too forward?" Mari asked.
Ria blinked in surprise.
"Uhh, a little, but it's fine. You were just stressed out," Ria assured her.
"Oh, good," Mari replied. "It's just... I was thinking about it and I realized what I said kind of sounded I wanted to elope or something and that's way way too soon. I just don't want to seem like I'm trying to rush or pressure you."
"It's fine," Ria insisted. Putting her hand on Mari's shoulder. "Honestly the way things are, moving to New England sounds like a pretty good idea right now."
Mari was surprised. "Really? What about your parents?"
"I'm not going to abandon them," Ria insisted. "I just…once things are settled down, I think I should leave. Find a new place to call home"
"Why?"
Ria was silent. Unable to give any sort of real answer.
"You would tell me if you could, right?" Mari asked cautiously.
"Of course," Ria replied.
"Well then, make sure to bring me with you when you decide to go," Mari said cheerfully.
"Really?" Ria couldn't hide her shock.
Mari shrugged. "Why not? We're both young, stupid, and incredibly hormonal. Might as well be those things together."
Ria leaned down and grabbed Mari in a passionate kiss, fear, lust, and joy overwhelming her. More than anyone, she feared losing Mari the most.
Mari wrapped her arms around Ria, grabbing her tightly.
"You mean so much to me," Ria breathless said after they finally broke apart. "Whatever happens, remember that."
"I know," Mari replied.
They looked at each other for a moment, unsure of what to say.
"Uhh, I need to powder my nose," Mari said nervously. "You should go back ahead of me."
Ria nodded and left.
Mari was all alone, joy filling her. Though she found herself doubting, worried. Her girlfriend's actions brought fears she had tried to repress back to the surface.
"What are you, Ria?" she asked quietly. "What are you really?"