Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction ❯ Comfort and Kindness ❯ To Hell, and Back! ( Chapter 7 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Disclaimers:
Neon Genesis Evangelion and all related characters, concepts, etc., are
property of ADVision and Gainax. I only *wish* they were mine.
This is my first stab at a Rei/Shinji fic. It take place between the 5th and
6th angel attacks. Also, I have yet to see if I will continue this with more chapters.
The types of reviews will determine the continuation of this story as long
as they are constructive. Flames need not apply!
I do need Pre-readers if I continue as well. Hope you enjoy!
This Story will be revised in the future!
****Special Thanks go to my Pre-reader Andre Laval!
He has edited this story and I would recommend all to check his stories out at Fanfiction.net!***

Of Comfort and Kindness

Chapter #7: To Hell and Back!

Touji Suzahara was a star athlete at Tokyo-3 junior high and knew it. He lettered in track and basketball.
He was also the swim team's top male swimmer, though his friend Kensuke Aida would argue
that had more to do with the girl's swim team.

Being a athlete was Touji's main talent. Though he did well in math and science he was not an overachiever.
So he concentrated on athletics and that's were he thought his future would lie.
But within three days his future became clouded and his dreams were seemingly broken forever.

A wednesday morning found Touji already at school waiting for his friends Shinji and Kensuke.
While he waited, he was talking to Hikari Horaki, the class representative and his longest childhood friend.
While he discussed last weeks win in basketball over Gora, he spotted one of his friends being dragged
by his redheaded room mate and EVA pilot Asuka Langley Sohryu.
One of the things Touji loved to do was antagonize the redheaded pilot and he seemed to thrive on the conflict
and tirades that became the staple of his fun for the day. Since Misato's promotion party over 3 months ago,
he had mixed feelings for the German EVA pilot. At times he couldn't stand her, at other times
he marveled at the confidence and strength she had. So it came as no surprise why he loved to fight Asuka
in their many outbursts and shouting matches that almost always happened before class, during lunch,
or after school, depending on who started it and what finished it.
To Touji, it wasn't a good day unless he had one fight with Asuka. Even though at first he wasn't really
paying attention during their matches, he began to notice a smirk ever so often on Asuka's face.
It was lightning quick when it showed, but when it did, it gave him more confidence to continue.
Their best fights always seem to escalate after one, or the other had that smirk on their face,
and it seemed to boost both of the children's self esteem. This later showed in their work at school,
and with Asuka, improving sync rates.

As this was happening Touji started noticing some little things that Asuka did.
Leaving a pen or pencil on his desk whenever he didn't bring his from home?
Purposely suggesting to her friend Hikari give her remaining lunch to him
whenever he forgot his?
Getting an angry call from her trying to find her friend Hikari and at the same time
reminding him of his homework that he had to do with off handed remarks.
He looked at these differing behaviors and started to get the idea that maybe his feelings
for her were matched somehow by her actions. Blistering and loud comments
underlying a feeling of caring for him.

He then remembered his conversation with Rei a few days earlier, and finally resolved that he had
to find out that day what Asuka thought of him.
Maybe she might even go out with him, well he thought he was strong enough to find out.
Maybe the red devil had a kinder side she only let show to the ones she liked? Maybe,
but now he had to first talk to Hikari about her feelings for him. He had to do that first.
So he planned to talk to Hikari at lunch, and Asuka after school.

But, all his plans went out the window when he was called to the Principal's office and his life changed forever.
______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________

Dr Ritsuko Akagi wasn't happy with surprises, especially if those involved any project she oversaw.
When her assistant Maya Ibuki came to her with a discrepancy in the DNA of one Rei Ayanami,
she just gave the standard reply;
"That is classified Maya. Do not pursue further and do not discuss it with anyone," was her standard reply.
But today that didn't work!
"Sempai, I was ordered to do this ... by the Commander.
He told me to give the results to you to analyze and then report them to him."

"What are you trying to pull Gendo?" thought a puzzled Ritsuko before replying;
"All right. I'll take the report. Thanks Maya and please keep this quiet, right?"

"Yes, sempai," and she left Ritsuko's office.
She then read the DNA analysis report.

NERV Analitical report on Human genome percentage present in subject's DNA.
Name: Ayanami, Rei
Probabilities and matches with other personnel stated in percentages

50%- unknown/ probability mutation
05%-Ikari, Yui/ probability 100%
0%-Gendo Ikari/probability 100%
0%-Ikari, Shinji/probability 100%
45%-Akagi, Naoko/probability 100%
25%-Akagi, Ritsuko/probability 100%
0%-Soryu, Asuka/probability 100%
0%-Ibuki, Maya/probability 100%
0.5%-Fuyutsuki,Kouzou/probability 100%
10%- Katsuragi, Misato/probability 100%
0%-Aoba, Shigeru/probability 100%
0%-Hyuga, Makoto/probability 100%
0%-Sohryu,Kyoko Zeppline/probability 100%

What jumped out at her were the matches to herself and to her mother.
"My god, mother used her own ova ... as ...a base to... the dummy plug system, ...and Rei."

First she had to digest the idea that she and Rei were, for all intents and purposes, sisters.
Second, why did the Commander want this information to slip to her, and Maya?

"What are you planning, you bastard?" thought a now troubled Rtisuko Akagi. "And why give this to me?"

She then glanced down to another memo that alerts her to the selection of the 4th child.
"Great, another run to that school," she said to herself as she made her way out of the geofront.
"Well might as well do that now. It will take my mind of this for awhile." Ritsuko then got into her car and drove off to Tokyo-3
Junior High and Touji's fate.

__________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________

Asuka Langley Sohryu was perplexed. First Misato had just left to Masushiro for the EVA Unit-3's activation test.
Then, just as class starts, she sees stooge number Touji get called into the office and to top it all off Rei wanted to see her at lunch.
"Asuka I need to talk to you, in private," said Rei.
"Why didn't you tell me at home?" asked Asuka, earlier in the day.
"Because it indirectly involves Shinji, and one of his friends," replied Rei in her usual monotone voice.
"OK, but this better be good, Rei. You better not be wasting my time, got it wondergirl?" stated Asuka.
"I will see you at lunch." she turns and heads for the stairway where Shinji is waiting with his friends for Rei.
As lunch rolled on Asuka made her way to the isolated corner where Rei and Shinji sat to eat lunch.
"Ok Baka leave us, we have some female issues to discuss!" stated Asuka to a surprised Shinji.
As he rose to protest, Asuka took him by his collar and shoved him in the direction of his friend
Kensuke, who was sitting next to Hikari.
As the confused pilot tried to return Rei spoke;
"It is all right Shinji, I will be fine." Rei then looked to her love and with a slight nod, alleviated Shinji concerns.
"OK, Rei if you need me..."
"She won't, so get going baka!" Asuka interrupted.
After Shinji reluctantly left the area, Asuka sat down next to Rei and asked;
"Ok, what so important that you had to send the baka away?"
"One of his friends has been chosen as the fourth child," stated Rei.
It didn't take Asuka more than two seconds to realize who that was.
"Touji!?!" was her only response.
"Yes," was Rei's reply.

As that realization sunk in, Asuka was thinking of the ramifications of having Touji as the fourth child.
Her feelings for Touji were mixed at best. He irritated her daily though recently her feelings were changing slowly.
They fought verbally on a daily basis and she was secretly enjoying the sparring with him,
throwing barbs and personal remarks at each other. She also remembers the time she caught
Misato and Kaji within seconds of kissing. How he was there, hidden from their view.
Yet he comforted her and didn't run away.
"He does have some backbone after all," she said to herself.
Smiling she forgot Rei was still there.
"Asuka, why are you smiling?" asked a puzzled Rei. She thought Asuka would be upset
since she had observed Asuka subtly showing her feelings for Touji.
"Ahh, ... nothing Rei. Nothing!" said Asuka while raising her voice.
"Don't you have feelings for him? Aren't you worried about his safety?"
"What? I don't like that baka! He always fights with me! He's such a little boy with his impoliteness,
his arrogant attitude, his constant hentai thoughts, his tight butt, his...?"
Realizing too late what she said, she got up in a huff and stalked back towards the school's building.
Hikari spotting her friend, runs to catch up to her, leaving Kensuke, Shinji, and Rei with confused looks on their faces.
Their own thoughts about what just happened still in their heads.

After a few minutes ranting in the girl's restroom. Hikari finally calms Asuka down enough to ask;
"What did Rei tell you that made you this upset?" asked Hikari.
"Ahh, well let's just say that I was upset about the fourth child's selection, OK?"
"Why, do we know him?" Hikari asked innocently.
Asuka knew of Hikari's feelings for Touji, plus her own emerging feelings complicated the scene.
"Listen Hikari, there is more than one branch of Nerv. Did you know each has a school like this with children that could become
EVA pilots like me. I attended one of these schools myself before I went to college," said Asuka.
"So what you're saying is that the new pilot could be from another Branch of Nerv?" quizzed Hikari.
"Yes, of course," answered Asuka.
"If I told her the truth it would break her heart. It already making me have mixed feelings about... him,"
Asuka thought to herself.
Before they could continue a klaxon went off signaling another angel attack.
All three pilots raced off towards NERV not knowing that this angel was
the turning point for all of them.
_________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________

Only after the pilots had changed and mounted their Biomechanoids,
were they told of the disaster at Matsushiro, the Angel taking over Unit-03
and its heading towards Tokyo-3.
All three children looked stunned. Rei had a worried look as her thoughts went to the pilot,
whom she and Asuka knew while Shinji was still uninformed as to whom it was.
She knew the underlying problems were Asuka and her reactions in battle
with the Angel that had Touji trapped inside of it. The second was her reactions.
Her knowledge may become a liability during battle.

While Shinji was worried about the safety of Unit-03's pilot,
he was also worried about his two friends. He had a nagging feeling that this battle
would turn out differently. He just hoped that they would come out alive.

As the Angel turned the corner of the valley where the three EVAs were waiting,
a quick private message was exchanged between Asuka and Rei.
"Listen Wondergirl, we both know that Touji's Entry plug is stuck.
So we need to get it out of the angel and then we're free and clear to destroy it.
Do you agree Rei?" asked a confident, but worried Asuka.
"I agree, we will try to get the plug out first. But, remember Asuka, this is an Angel,
we will stop it."
Rei then cut off transmission.
"Touji first then we trash the EVA," Asuka said to herself.
Shinji had no idea that Touji was trapped in the Angel possessed EVA.
But he still had his reservations about attacking another person,
even though the other pilot was confirmed as unconscious.
All that reserve vanished when the Angel attacked Unit-02.
As they two EVAs fought Rei got into position to fire at the Angel.
Unit-02's AT field had neutralized the Angel's so Rei took two shots,
one loosened the areas holding the entry plug.
The second, aimed right at the Angel's head, was deflected with an AT field.
Asuka had just lost her fight with the Angel.
Her scream jolted Shinji to action. using his pallet gun he kept firing at the Angel.
He became more desperate as the Angel moved to the next EVA. Rei's!
As his shots continued to glance off the Angel's AT field, Shinji's heart was getting a huge knot in it
as he saw the Angel simply walk past the blue EVA.
His relief lasted about five seconds as the Angel elongated it's arms and simply grabbed the prone EVA
and started to slam it to the ground repeatedly. The Angel then infected one of the blue EVA's arms.
That's when Rei's wails were heard at the geofront, and Shinji's entry plug.
He rushed out and engaged the Angel knocking it down and proceeded to kick and punch it.
As this happened, Rei came up from behind and grabbed the stuck entry plug.
As she did this the Angel grabbed the EVA by the neck and threw it a half mile onto a mountain side.
The good thing about that was that Touji's entry plug was in her one good hand,
as she had her infected arm blown. Her scream enraged Shinji as he continued his attack
on the now pilotless EVA. Suddenly both elongated arms were around Shinji's neck,
squeezing the life out if it and it's pilot. Then the Angel threw Shinji's EVA a mile out of the valley.
As he came to Touji was being loaded into an ambulance as all witnessed the most frightening sight to see.
The Angel possessed EVA heading towards them and Unit-00. Rei had not ejected the now powerless plug
and so was defenseless as the Angel began tearing the EVA apart.
Luckily her screams were of fright
and not feeling what the EVA was feeling. But her screams had the undivided attention of both Ikari's.

"Pilot Ikari return to the battle immediately, and assist Unit-00," ordered the Commander.
"Why is the Angel attacking Rei?" was all Shinji could say as he was running at full speed
towards the valley's entrance. "Hurry or Unit-00 pilot will die," was all the commander had to say,
as Shinji's Unit-01 leaped a half mile away, up and over the valley rim, and landed
on the shoulders of the Angel driving it away from Unit-00.
As Shinji drove the Angel away it again started strangling the EVA.
"You must fight back!" yelled the Commander.
"No, there is another way, but... it will destroy the Angel." was Shinji's garbled reply
as he fought from becoming unconscious.

"Sir, Pilot Ikari's losing consciousness, if he gets knocked out, there nothing left to fight the Angel,"
said a desperate Maya. Kensuke couldn't be there and was back at the school's shelter
helping Hikari keep things calm there.

As he was losing consciousness, all he could think of was, "I'm sorry Rei, I couldn't protect you."
After a heavy sigh, the Commander said to Lt. Ibuki, "Initiate the dummy plug system!"

"But Sir, it hasn't been tested, the recommended..." Maya was interrupted.
"Do it, do it now. Initiate the Dummy plug system NOW!" was all the Commander said.

Within two minutes it was over. As Shinji awoke all he saw was red, EVA red!
The blood and pieces of Unit-03 was spread all around the valley as Shinji realized what happened.
"Father, what did you do? Where's the Pilot of Unit-03, where's Rei and Asuka? WHERE???"
As Shinji waited for an answer he realized that a crushed entry plug was in his hands.
"What, what did I do?" was what Shinji was now asking himself quietly.
"The three pilots are alive, but if you hadn't fainted pilot, none of us would have been here,"
was all Gendo Ikari would say to his son.
As the word sunk in Shinji formulated a plan and shut down his EVA as it was readied for transport.
"Well see what happens at the next sync test Father, then we'll see who faints,"
thought a now serious Shinji.
_______________________________________________________________ ____________________________________

Touji woke up in a start. The last thing he remembered was synching with Unit-03 then, .... nothing!
He looked around and found himself in a large white room with four beds in it.
The other three pilots were asleep in each of the others. As he looked at each he was puzzled by two things.
What day was it, and why was Shinji strapped to his bed?

"Man he must have done something stupid to get that sort of treatment," thought Touji.
He then looked at the bed opposite if him and saw a sleeping Rei.
Then in the bed in front of his laid Asuka. Both girls had bandages.
More on Rei than on Asuka but that made Touji nervous.
"Damn. What happened to get all of us laid up?" he said softly.

"You were possessed by an Angel, and they saved you while destroying your EVA,"
answered an annoyed Ritsuko.

"Hey, you're the Doctor who talked to me at the Principal's office," said Touji.

"Yes, now keep quiet, or you'll wake them," she pointed to the remaining pilots.

"Can you tell me why Shinji's strapped down, ...ma'am?" he asked.

"Shinji attacked the Commander after his EVA was returned to the Geofront," she answered.

"Why? Why would Shinji do that?" asked a now puzzled Touji.

"Because he blamed all of you being hurt on his father. So, he disobeyed orders and
tried to get the Commander in his EVAs hand."

"I gather he failed and got strapped down as his punishment?"

"Yes, and now Touji, get some sleep. You need your rest to pilot Unit-01 tomorrow," said a tired Ritsuko.

"Wait, isn't Unit-01 Shinji's EVA?"

"Not anymore. He's suspended from piloting until further notice."

With that Touji was assimilating what was just said to him. "Oh Crap," was all he could say.

Next Chapter: What happens with Shinji, and how can Touji Pilot unit-01?
We'll see in Chapter 8: "Doubt"