That word. 'Evangelion'. There was a harsh weight to it, unrelenting and jagged. It felt odd on his tongue. "Eee...van...gell...eee-un...?"
"There was a lot of name shopping for what NERV would call these fusions. We eventually settled on a term from ancient Greek that means '
good news'." Dr. Akagi shrugged nonchalantly. "We could use good news, in this day and age."
"...why me?" Why. Why. Why. It was a familiar sentiment. A familiar question. "Why...why
me?"
"Because after all the screenings and censuses performed by the
Marduk Institute, the number of individuals we've positively identified as being compatible with Project E is
infinitesimal. One in a billion is our
upper bound. Prior to you, we've only successfully identified
two. You've already met the First Child, and the Second Child is operating out of one of our secondary branches, in Europe to be precise. You're the Third."
First Child: that girl with the blue hair, and the yellow-then-red eyes, the one his father had called 'Rei'.
That thing had been...her Evangelion, then? "When-?"
"Were you identified?" anticipated Dr. Akagi. The faux-blonde shrugged, letting a trace of professional irritation slip through. "Above my pay grade, unfortunately. I don't know if you were identified years ago, or last week. Marduk's selection process is kept separate from NERV. To minimize 'legal complications', or so I'm told." The woman loosed a delicate snort, in spite of its contemptuousness. "Unbelievable, that there are those who still think of such trifling things..."
Shinji blinked at the woman's rather open disdain for something as basic as legality. Or maybe it was how she considered it 'trifling'. And
seriously, why was he here?! "I...I only came here because my father asked me to come here. His letter...it didn't say anything. Everything was blanked out, except one word that he wrote himself."
"That word being?"
"Come."
The woman rolled her eyes. "Typical. Then again, that's why I'm talking to you now." In the face of his uncertainty, Dr. Akagi plowed on, blunt and brusque. "I'm not normally known for my bedside demeanor, so I'll be straight with you: the fact that you've manifested an Evangelion
twice means that you're going to be an object of interest for those seeking to end Angel Syndrome. NERV isn't the only game in that metaphorical town, and the show you put on in the train wasn't exactly subtle."
What show?! "You're going to be trained in the use of your Evangelion, as well as how to coordinate with other Persona-users. Be it with NERV or otherwise, you
will be deployed against Acolytes and Ghosts, for the sake of mankind. Essentially, you've been drafted into a war of unknown length against a psycho-spiritual enemy that we've yet to fully identify in terms of motive, objective, or metaphysical composition. There aren't any days off, and you likely won't receive any accolades from the public at large. 'Thankless' would be a good word for what you're going to be doing." A beat. Two beats. "Also, the probability that you'll die in the line of duty is nonzero. Closer to one than it is to zero, if I'm honest."
Shinji wondered if Dr. Akagi thought she was trying to be kind - in some sick, perverse way - by being as callous as possible. An instinctive wellspring of bitterness and petty spite roared within him, manifesting as words, "I...but, that's not
fair! I didn't ask for this!"
"Nope. It also doesn't matter."
"Then
why?!"
"Because the other two people who can do what you do are already employed by us, and they're stretched thin as is. There is literally
no one else who can do what you can do."
That wellspring threatened to become a geyser. Nay, a gout of flame, one that would erupt and burn everything into ash, just like before. His hands clenched and unclenched slowly, seeking something to grip and rip and tear-!
xxxx
The voice of the other him was brimming with furious wisdom, bound by instinctive knowledge.
"You know why you came here...so why are you hesitating?"
Yellow eyes started at him, almost mocking, or perhaps merely challenging. An echo of his own voice joined the feminine Beast.
"The other you knows the truth of why...so what shall you do NOW?"
xxxx
-and he forced himself to exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.
I mustn't run away...I mustn't run away...I mustn't run away! "...fine. I'll do it."
For once, the woman actually looked surprised. "Oh?"
There was a
whoosh from far behind, followed by rapid footsteps. "Hey, Ritsuko!" The voice of Misato Katsuragi rang out, slightly irritated. "You couldn't have waited until
after I woke up?! I still haven't given him the tour!"
A small, yet wry smile came to the faux-blonde's face, the first smile she had demonstrated since Shinji had woken up. "Commander's orders, I'm afraid."
Katsuragi's brown eyes narrowed with suspicion. "...did you at least go lightly?"
"You know me better than that, Misato."
"I bet you told him something awful. Like no performance incentives, or no paid vacation."
"Actually, I told him no days off. Among other things!"
A gasp of pure shock came from the vivacious woman. "That's a load of bee-ess!" roared Katsuragi, somehow angry yet playful at the same time. She turned towards him with a nervous smile, bowing somewhat exaggeratedly. "Sorry if she made you scared or angry or...well,
anything really. She's not known for her bedside manner."
"Already told him that."
"
You are no longer involved with this conversation!" she snapped. "But seriously, Shinji-kun...whatever she told you...well, some of it's true. Not gonna lie. But it won't be all bad either. I can promise you that."
The back-and-forth had been so sudden that Shinji didn't know what to think. "...can we go? I need to think."
The faux-blonde nodded. "You've certainly earned that much. And breakfast from the cafeteria, for that matter." Dr. Akagi briefly ran a hand through her hair, almost looking contrite. "For what it's worth...I think you have what it takes."
"...to do what?" Shinji asked, regarding her with a measure of trepidation, not sure if Ritsuko Akagi's demeanor from earlier had been an act or not.
"I suppose you'll have to find out day by day, same as anyone."
xxxx
And all the while, on a subconscious level, in words he had no way of knowing...a familiar voice spoke, within the depths of his being:
I am thou, thou art I...
Thou hast acquired a new bond.
It shall lead thou to the truth
that parts the seas of depravity.
Take hold of the Moon Arcana,
and let it guide you
to a new Promised Land...
xxxx
"...I guess so," murmured Shinji. The suspicion was still there, yet it was checked by a small measure of curiosity. He would give this woman a chance.
"So!" exclaimed Misato, latching a grabby hand onto Shinji's shoulder. "Let's get some grub, and then we can cover some more details of what you're going to be doing,
without the doom and gloom." She shot the other woman a stink-eye before leading him away.
xxxx
As Misato led the Third Child out of the MAGI Chamber, Ritsuko briefly loosed a sigh of frustration and discontent and regret, wrapped up in a cocktail of self-recrimination.
Well, time for a smoke break. She needed to take the edge off.
At least the boy appeared to have some spine. An unexpected surprise.
It was still horrible, this whole state of affairs. She didn't know whether his acceptance of that made it less sad or
more so.
Then again, he probably has no idea of what's being asked of him...damn it Gendo, what were you thinking?
Just another problem on a list of countably infinite length.
