Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction ❯ Where Darkness Falls ❯ Gathering Shadows ( Chapter 10 )

Where Darkness Falls

Chapter 9 -

Misato entered the woods it was the shortest route to that house, the woods were eerily silent without the sounds of any animals moving and this made Misato somewhat nervous because this looked like the kind of place where a monster could get the drop on her.

Hopefully there aren't any around…Misato hoped knowing this was wishful thinking on her part as suddenly a beak monster leapt at her from a bush and Misato barely had time to fire at the monster. It fell down dead.

Misato hurried towards the house it was not too far and she hoped that Shinji would be there…

Misato made her way through the woods and found a clearing she saw a log cabin and she saw somebody sitting on a rock with a semi-automatic pistol in her hand. Misato came closer the figure got up and Misato recognised her…

"Maya?"

Maya's expression was blank as she pointed her pistol at Misato "Hey wait a minute-"

Misato instincts kicked in as she ducked and took cover behind a tree, Misato took aim at Maya but then ducked back and shook her head as she remembered Maya…I can't just do it, I just can't!!! And yet…yet…oh man what am I gonna do??? Misato thought as she couldn't bring herself to kill Maya as it quite obvious she wasn't herself.

Misato then heard another voice "Maya! Wait its me!" then she heard another gunshot this time Maya was firing at Ritsuko. Misato had an idea she still had that red stuff from the Ridgeview Clinic, she rushed at Maya pulling off the lid of the bottle and threw it on Maya.

Then Maya groaned which turned into a cry of agony as she collapsed onto the grass, then Misato saw a worm come out of the area of her shoulder blade as it crawled onto the ground when it did Misato kept stamping until she was sure it was dead.

Ritsuko came rushing to Maya who was still groaning "Maya, can you hear me?" she asked as she came to assess Maya.

"S-Sempai?" Maya asked weakly as she tried to get up.

"Hold on Maya." Said Ritsuko as she helped Maya to her feet "Misato could you?"

Misato nodded and between their shoulders they took Maya to the log cabin and lay her down on a bunk as Ritsuko checked a cabinet and found some alcohol while Misato helped Maya take off her shirt.

"Maya this will hurt a little alright?"

Maya nodded and winced in pain as the alcohol was poured over the wound and then Ritsuko applied a bandage. "Are you alright?" asked Misato.

"I think so." Replied Maya.

"Don't take this the wrong way but what are you doing here?"

"I don't know…" Maya began…

**

Maya Ibuki had just come home after handing in her resignation at NERV after helping Ritsuko escape she was fed up with working for people who do half the things and don't care after they do it, memories of what happened with the 13th Angel are still raw and she always felt sorry for that poor boy who was maimed as a result.

"I swear he enjoys it…" Maya muttered bitterly thinking about Commander Ikari a man who doesn't care about his own son! After helping Ritsuko escape its not a good idea to stay at NERV besides she was fed up with NERV anyway. How could Commander Ikari hurt Ritsuko in such a manner? Maya thought as she started to pack…

Then suddenly her door bursts open and several section two operatives restrain Maya as one of them injected a sedative and then darkness…

**

Maya woke up and found she was tied down no matter how much she struggled it was no use. She saw the driver and saw the blood on both the steering wheel and the dashboard, the passenger side was open and she wondered what was going on?

"Help!!! Somebody!" Maya shouted hoping someone would hear.

What felt like hours pass with no help coming, then she saw a woman enter the car she was quite beautiful, with long dark, a clear complexion and wore a long blue dress.

"Don't worry. The woman I'll have you out of those." The woman stated calmly.

Maya watched as the woman unbuckled her and helped her out of the car.

"What's going on?" asked Maya.

"Lets just say a Gendou Ikari had plans to replace a test subject for something that is being developed here in this town." The woman showed her a folder and Maya looked at and her jaw dropped as she read through it…

"Progress report, subject: R.K.…"

1st November 2015

Subject appears to be responding to dosage quite well. So far, effects of `Sakura' are limited, but that is to be expected as subject adjusts to compound. Will keep note of any progress. Gunshot wound is healing nicely.

15th November 2015

Subject uncooperative today. Needed to be restrained and forcefully dosed. Popped a stitch.

22nd November 2015

Subject finally showing favourable response. Exhibited quick obedience to simple commands from handler designate `Prudence.' Still unwilling to take direction from handlers `Faith,' `Providence,' or `Charity.' Recommend upping dosage to 15 ML.

31st November 2015

Subject has escaped. Mister `I' was not too pleased about this…has authorised the `second section' of his organization to track him.

1st December 2015

Subject has been shot by the police. Mister `I' states that this is no cause for alarm - alternate subject to arrive shortly.

Maya was horrified, as she recognised the man in the photo as Kaji she would never wish this on anybody and to think she was about to be put through this. Alicia took the folder back.

**

"I was walking through here and then…I don't remember anything." Maya finished.

Misato's hands shook as she looked at Ritsuko who was hiding her own anger, it was who the `alternate subject' was going to be. From Maya's description the woman who helped her was Alicia.

"I'm sorry about Kaji…major…" Maya began as Ritsuko put her arm around her.

"I know…" Misato cut in gently as she explained what she filled in the blanks on `Project Sakura'.

"Commander Ikari was going to use this on the children?" Maya asked horror evident on her evident on her face.

"Should have been obvious." Maya sighed she didn't really sound all that surprised.

Both Misato and Ritsuko explained to her what had been happening in the town and of some force that had been behind all this happening.

"This may sound strange…" Ritsuko began "We're here in this town and yet we're not here…"

Misato was about to ask what she meant when she saw that house, the house in the photo both Ritsuko and Maya looked in that direction.

"Wait here." Said Misato as she walked out of the cabin and towards the house….

**

Misato made her way towards the house and in front of the main door there was Alicia.

"What's going on here? Where is Shinji? Is he here?" Misato demanded she was getting of this woman's games.

"Why now?" asked Alicia "After all you've put him through? How you've never told him how you really felt about him? Having Asuka move in with him? Did you notice how casual he was becoming in expressing his feelings after the 4th Angel? How it stopped after you had Asuka move in with him? Have you the faintest idea how you treated him?"

"I am aware of my shortcomings…" Misato replied

Alicia shook her head "Is that so? Then why didn't you do anything about it? What you did was make things and give Asuka a reason to resent when you kept on pushing her towards him. Even though her feelings towards him were plain. She would scream at him to make her breakfast, lunch you name it and she called every name under the sun destroying what self-esteem he had and gained when you had lived with him, to her Shinji was some lowly dog to abuse. Why didn't you have her move out?

Before Misato could reply Alicia cut her off "I'll tell you why you never got your priorities straight even when you knew you were making a mistake you never admitted it. How long have you spending deluding yourself that you were trying to reach him when all you did was unconsciously push him away…"

"When Toji became the 4th Child you should have told Shinji instead you hid behind the excuse of `adding stress' on him if you were concerned why did you have Asuka move in with you and Shinji?"

"Then there was the 16th Angel you ran away again thinking he was afraid of women or love? Which is not true, Shinji was afraid of hurting and also he was simply not used to this kind of intimate contact he never even had his hand held, had that thought ever occurred to you?

Alicia narrowed her eyes as she concluded "You did as much damage as his father, Asuka or anyone else did…"

Misato wanted to slap this woman and yell at her but her conscience wouldn't let her do either.

"Kaworu Nagisa was an angel…yes. But he genuinely cared about Shinji, he was always open with Shinji, always treated him with kindness and more importantly…" Alicia continued her tone softening "Kaworu told Shinji that he loved him, Kaworu gave Shinji unconditional love a higher, purer love but love was something Shinji had barely ever known. Kaworu was not able to kill himself even if Shinji didn't kill him he would have been destroyed anyway by you or his father."

Misato sighed, she couldn't object Alicia was right.

"There are people who would have exploited and he couldn't allow that to happen…what kind of life would that have been? You didn't care all you cared was he was dead. With the 4th and 9th Angels you could never stand to be proven wrong. Shinji was doing his job and the angel was vulnerable to a well placed knife strike and the 9th Angel was he supposed to let Asuka die? No you never cared all you give was a load of angry drivel when the reality you had been proven wrong and you couldn't handle it."

"Shinji never understood what you ever wanted you keep saying you care yet how many expressions of affection did you give him? Have you ever bothered to ask yourself `What do I REALLY feel for Shinji? His true self eluded because you were never clear, how could he open up to a woman who is not even honest with herself."

Misato gaped as she made a realisation, I…I love him…all this time I never admitted it not even to myself…Misato wondered how a lot of things could have been avoided if she had been more honest with herself. I never told him this…

"Well?" asked Alicia waiting for a response.

"I love him." Misato answered "I never admitted it…"

"If you what you say is true then come inside the house he is waiting in there somewhere." Said Alicia as she went through the main doors "The sins Ritsuko, Maya, Fletcher, his father and you WILL be addressed." The doors closed behind her…

TBC