Shinji Ikari sat absolutely still, unwilling to move much. Even if Kensuke Aida's fidgeting in the seat beside him felt contagious, because this whole situation was
really uncomfortable. Especially with Rei Ayanami staring unnervingly at him.
The men in black had taken them into Hakone Academy's parking garage, where activity had still been minimal so early in the morning. They had stopped by a
food truck, of all things...or so it had seemed. They had opened up the side, revealing an armored interior with two rows of seats facing each other. The men in black had swiftly disrobed from their jackets, ties, sunglasses, and earpieces, putting on colorful aprons with a stylized logo for their food truck (and why was he thinking about food right now, the food truck was
fake) before hopping into the front seats of the vehicle, separated from the armored passenger compartment.
Aida had only whispered "I
knew it" in a triumphant manner before Ayanami had lightly pushed him towards the back seats. She had taken the middle row all to herself, and had proceed to stare quietly at them. Well, after telling them to put on their seat belts, of course.
Because safety was
important, apparently.
He wished she would stop staring, until they got...wherever they were going to. NERV, apparently.
"How did you escape from the Metaverse?"
Her question jolted him and Aida into alertness. "Huh?"
"You escaped from the Metaverse yesterday. I would like to know the means by which you did so." She glanced towards his bespectacled roommate, and
boy he wished they had gotten a chance to get out of their sleeping clothes before leaving, this was
so awkward. "A preliminary investigation of the Aida Residence unveiled the possible means of your entry, but not your escape, given the possible sabotage."
That prompted Aida to speak. "Wait, you broke into my place?! Wait,
sabotage? Wait,
WHAT?!"
"Your father's employment with NERV renders his private property searchable at any time, at least within the bounds of Tokyo-3."
"...ah..." The boy deflated. "...that...would have been good to know..."
Ayanami turned back towards him, with that
damnably creepy stare of hers. And yet, he couldn't look away, as one mesmerized. And yet not...was it just because she was a pretty girl? He
hoped it was that simple.
(His sensei shook his head. "I suppose you are getting to that age...then again, most young girls would react that way with a compliment like that." What had he done wrong? All he had done was say that his classmate's new haircut had looked nice, and then all of a sudden she had thrown a carton of milk in his face! "I'll give you a brief crash course in the mysteries of women." Mysteries? Women?? "And judging by that look on your face, you'll need it.")
He still didn't quite get it. The only conclusion he had gotten after that was that girls could be scary.
"How did you escape from the Metaverse?" she asked again.
Shinji gulped - telling the unsettling nervousness in his gut to
calm down - and blurted out, "I think we got out because of a tuxedo-wearing bird-man called Mister P." A pause. "He had a red mohawk."
"...wow, you would be
terrible at going through an interrogation," muttered Aida, with some measure of awe.
"I was answering her question!"
"...I see. Do you recall the method?"
"I...think he knocked us out? Um, we were in the Metaverse, then everything went black...and then, next thing I knew, we were waking up on a bench in a bus terminal."
Ayanami let those words soak in, and marinate, and
stop thinking with food metaphors, brain! "...I see." She leaned back, and why had he only noticed that her face hadn't changed expressions at
all during this entire trip? "I believe it will be likely that you run into this 'Mister P' again in the future. I would advise caution."
"...why?" asked Shinji.
"He is not what he seems."
Aida snorted. "That's rich, coming from you, ain't it?"
Ayanami somehow managed to
increase the creepiness of her stare, turning slowly towards Aida. Was it intentional?! Did all girls have this power, or was it just her? "I am unsure what you are implying, Kensuke Aida; son of the late Naomi Aida."
The boy's face took on an unpleasant pallor, before curdling with irritation. "If you think you can get me to talk by bringing
her up, then think again!"
"Your current suspicions of NERV are unfounded. Being difficult is pointless." Their vehicle slowed to a stop, and the wall separating them from the driver's compartment was knocked twice. Ayanami unbuckled herself, rising to her feet. "We must move quickly. Stand up."
Shinji did so dutifully, with Aida doing so more reluctantly. Without warning a panel in the floor of the 'food truck' opened up, revealing a well-lit tube leading...somewhere. "What is this?"
Ayanami answered by pushing Kensuke into it. "This means
waaaar....!" he cried, fading away rather quickly. She then turned to him, expectantly.
Shinji jumped in without hesitation, resisting the urge to scream, even though he
really really wanted to and never mind he actually was screaming.
xxxx
From the outside, it would have seemed as though a harmless food truck - marketing ramen and soba, one of many throughout the city - had paused at a busy intersection in downtown Tokyo-3, waiting for the light to turn green. It had stopped over an ordinary-looking manhole cover.
Ordinary indeed.
The light turned green, and the food truck puttered on. Little did outsiders know, that it had dropped off its three passengers already. And if anyone swore they heard screams coming from the manhole cover? Well, it's a busy intersection, there are bound to be people screaming.
NERV's towering headquarters loomed over, not even a block away.
xxxx
The tube deposited them - okay, more like spat them out, because it was
not a pleasant landing, despite the plush carpet - into a well-lit room, filled with
more men in black.
Dr. Ritsuko Akagi and Major Misato Katsuragi were
also there, and somehow looked even more terrifying.
"I have retrieved them," said Rei Ayanami, as she slid out into a standing position.
"Thank you, Ayanami," answered Misato, looking intensely at them both. "Welcome to NERV, boys."
