Less than half an hour passed before I was convinced that I was right. First, a wave of spiritual energy covered the surrounding space, weak, but quite noticeable for me - Eva-01 was looking for me, and having found me, she got very angry. Naturally, not just like that. In general, communicating through spiritual energy is pure perversion, since it can carry information about emotions and, to some extent, health status, but transmitting something meaningful, similar to a dialogue, in a stream of spirotons is almost impossible. However, this was not required, the emotional state of "walled up by demons" is not so difficult to depict, and after synchronization, Eva-01, she is, in fact, Yui Ikari, understood my emotions perfectly. The rest she completely thought out herself based on the information she saw in the hangar, because no one guessed to isolate Eva's visual and auditory receptors. Of course, I can only guess what she was thinking, but the fact remains - Eva-01 decided to go wild. At least her anger was not directed at Rei and there were no attempts to attack Ayanami's consciousness, fortunately, I took care of the impossibility of this while we were sitting together in the capsule. And then I barely managed to calm Yui down, having spent all my reserves of spiritual energy on the message "don't you dare!"
The whole action didn't take even ten seconds, and I felt like a squeezed lemon. "Exhaustion again, damn it..."
"I wonder if these idiots, when they were planning this adventure, even understood that they had no chance of stopping the enraged Eva-01? This isn't a prototype that has enough energy for forty seconds of operation, this is a monster that not every Angel will stand in the way of. However, the main thing is that Rei is okay, and Gendo and his cockroaches in his skull, who cares."
Leaning my head against the wall of the elevator, I tried to slide down to the floor as naturally as possible, then buried my face in the tablet again, pretending to read, but actually trying to doze off. The term "shitty" was too soft to describe the sensations I was experiencing - weakness, nausea, dizziness, blurry vision, buzzing in my head and cloudy thoughts. My body simply wanted to lie down and die, preferably in a snowdrift and with a fan in my face, but I had to endure it. It seemed that I even used a little vital energy in a hurry to shout...
After another hour of sitting on the floor, struggling with the effects of exhaustion and slowly coming back to life, the elevator doors finally opened. Standing behind the elevator doors was Misato, a very nervous Misato.
"It was stupid and useless," I said, getting ahead of the girl and preparing to perform a labor feat - to stand up.
- Uh-uh, Shinji, what are you talking about?
- It's stupid, because it would have been possible to try to synchronize Rei with Zero-One in my presence. And it's useless, because without my knowledge, he won't accept anyone else but me, just as a mother wouldn't confuse her son with someone else. - During the slowly spoken monologue, I nevertheless stood up and, without raising my eyes from the tablet so that Misato wouldn't see my face, walked towards the exit. Having already passed the captain, I turned slightly and added: - And Misato, of course, I can arrange a drama here with accusations and hysteria, but I'm lazy, and I need to visit Rei. So just tell the Commander that he's an idiot. However... don't tell him, it won't help.
- Shinji, I...
"No need," I interrupted the girl without turning around. I really didn't want to make a scene in the inner corridor of the headquarters.
- But I...
- Misato, this is pointless, - I had to stop and turn around a little. - I already know that you were following orders and I don't blame you at all. Let's go already, I don't want Rei to be alone now.
"Okay..." Katsuragi said quietly, lowering her head.
Rei was waiting for us in Misato's office. The first thing that caught my eye was her hair, wet from the water, and her gaze... A gaze in which expectation, anxiety, guilt, and apprehension were bizarrely intertwined. And as you might guess, it was directed specifically at me.
Ignoring Misato's presence behind me, I walked up to Ayanami and hugged her, pressing her to me. For a few moments I could still feel her tension, her fast heartbeat, her uneven breathing, but then the girl slowly relaxed and timidly hugged me with her arms. Another second and she shifted slightly for comfort, slightly shuddering, and a moment later the girl's cheek barely noticeably, trustingly rubbed against my chest.
– Were you scared?
- Yes... At the very first moment.
- And then?
- Then I felt how angry Eva was, but... not at me. And then you calmed her down.
- Did you feel it?
- I... understand. I don't know how to explain, - after Ayanami's answer, I slightly bowed my head and buried my nose in the girl's wet hair.
- Aren't you scared now?
- No, - Ray moved a little and now it was not her cheek that touched my chest, but her nose. I felt warm breath through my shirt...
"Misato, don't be so jealous," I turn around with a smile after a couple of minutes of silence, while moving away from Rei.
- What?! I didn't say it loudly!
"So you guessed right," I stated, giving Misato a knowing look. "Let her relax, because from what I know about her, her nerves were probably more frayed than anyone else's today, so a return to teasing, on my part, would be more than appropriate now."
After watching the girl blush and her indignation grow, I turned to Ayanami and pulled her towards the sofa, where I sat down next to her, holding hands. Rei took my hand herself and had no intention of letting go, showing with her whole appearance that this was the way it should be. I love...
- I didn't do anything!...
- Okay, okay, let's hush it up for the sake of clarity, - I shook my head carelessly. My mood and well-being had noticeably improved, probably the reason was Ayanami, or rather the effect of her aura, at least I didn't see any other options, and it was a sin to complain. - And now please tell me how everything looked from the outside, and then we'll discuss those new toys for Eva, the materials for which you so carefully handed me so that I wouldn't get bored in the elevator...
***
A wave of fresh, cool air was slowly descending from the open window. Somewhere in the distance, an alarm on a car howled several times and fell silent, just as abruptly as it had turned on. Rey was quietly snoring in her sleep, her head on my chest. And I was slowly thinking.
Misato's story was very emotional, even taking into account that she tried to choose her expressions and epithets. In general, the girl fully confirmed my expectations, and fortunately, it was far from the worst possible option, at least Eva did not have time to rip out the fastenings and start destroying the hangar, but she could have. Much more interesting was what slipped between the lines during the girl's story, and it seemed that it was completely unconscious. Whether Misato realized it or not, but there was nothing left of her reverence for the Commander. I had been working on this since the moment I appeared in Tokyo-3, but today's events became the last straw that broke the camel's back and now Katsuragi almost hated Ikari Sr. Of course, it was worth making allowances for the captain's emotional state at the time of the conversation, so as soon as she moved away, the burning hatred would be replaced by silent hostility mixed with contempt, but the main thing was that I achieved my goal. Of course, there is still the question of which of us looks like a bigger bastard. Gendo, who seems to be protecting humanity and is willing to make any sacrifice for that, or me, who openly declares that I am ready to destroy humanity with pleasure, who indifferently spits on the lives and opinions of others, but at the same time directly risks my life to protect them. A difficult question... For an outside observer. But for the woman to whom I gave such a long-awaited family... I think quite the opposite.
Be that as it may, there were a lot of options for me to use this situation, but I had no desire to do anything specific right now, and the effect needed to be consolidated.
What will Gendo do in response to such a slap in the face? He doesn't have many options, by and large. And perhaps the best option for Gendo is to pretend that nothing happened. And I would be quite happy with even such an absurdity as an attempt at liquidation, even if it would complicate the implementation of the main plan a little. Although it is hard to believe that Gendo will undertake it, rather Seele. But only if they find out, and this is precisely the question. Will the Commander share such piquant information as the pilot's ability to interact with Eva at a distance? But their sensors probably detected my emission of spiritual energy, at least they detect the radiation of Angels, and the peak I gave should have been enough for the sensitivity of their devices. I would have hidden such information even if I had not played a double game, but what about Gendo? Could it be that handing me over to Seele will allow him to receive some benefits comparable to the loss of the most experienced pilot and the main character in the upcoming performance according to the original script? Doubtful...
By the way, I wonder if I'll be able to recreate a body from LCL inside the Eva-01 entry plug? In theory, there's a chance of that, I think about fifteen percent, maybe even a little more. Although it all depends on whether I'll retain freedom of action after death by becoming a spirit, or whether I'll be immediately drawn to my own body inside the enclave. Hmm... Perhaps this will be a very interesting experiment... but I'll still refrain from conducting it without unnecessary need. Ah, it's good that Rey has dozens of free bodies in reserve for the transmigration of the soul. However, here too it's worth trying to prevent a situation where they'll be needed.
Images of Rei activating Unit-00's self-destruct system to destroy the Angel that had invaded her body flashed before her eyes. A wave of rage and murderous intent rose from deep within the images. "Yes, it's definitely worth trying, and quite thoroughly."
Ayanami stirred anxiously nearby, shrinking and trying to cling closer.
"Did you feel it?"
I quickly calm down and hug her tighter, so that my lips touch the top of her head, sending the girl a wave of tenderness, care and calm, fortunately with such close tactile contact even those crumbs of energy that have managed to recover are more than enough. Rey calms down and freezes, her breathing evens out again, and the fingers clinging to me relax.
"Sorry, little one, I won't do it again." I kiss the top of her head. "And yet... how did you sense my emotions? And... how long have you been doing this?"...
The next day brought confirmation of my expectations. At least, I was partly right. Gendo decided to pretend that nothing had happened, moreover, apparently in order to quickly distract people from unnecessary memories, he scheduled the reactivation of Unit-00 for the following day. I think if he had such an opportunity, the reactivation would have taken place today, but alas, Unit-00 had not yet been completely freed from the frozen Bakelite. Which Misato graciously explained while telling about the essence of the call from work over breakfast.
– As I understand it, they don't expect us there?
- Yeah, - the girl nodded, chewing her sandwich, - Ritsuko didn't even mention the tests, which directly indicates that she has a lot of work right now, I'll even say more, it means that she's buried under it! Believe me, I've known her for fifteen years.
"An unplanned day off, huh? Hmm... Should I take Rei somewhere? Although no, that's a bad idea. If it were Asuka or Misato in her place, then going somewhere together would really be the right decision to strengthen the relationship, because being part of modern society, girls understand that this way they are paid attention to and are being courted. You could say that they themselves are waiting for this, obeying established stereotypes, but with Rei, the situation is completely different. She doesn't know anything about such "mating dances" of a modern person, or this knowledge is purely theoretical, not hammered into the subconscious with the stamp "must be performed". So it may very well be that my very presence is much more important to her than any and all walks, and a quiet rest in the silence of the apartment, with the accompanying feeling of constant care and support, may be much more pleasant for her than an incomprehensible walk around the city, even with ice cream in hand."
- Mm? - Misato's voice distracted me from my thoughts.
- I'm saying that today we'll go meet your instructors, - the girl finished her coffee in one gulp and looked at me seriously. - Sin, I understand that you're very strong in Eva and that little of the possible training can be useful to you in it, but you can't do without it. If it's possible to increase your chances of survival even a little, you need to do it! Who knows what kind of Angels will come next? Well, you should understand yourself! - Blinking, I slowly nodded at Misato's monologue. There was no arguing with that, she was completely right, and I wasn't in the mood to argue anyway. Plus, she missed one fact, I can roll almost anyone in Eva into a thin layer on the asphalt, but Rei can't and it's not a fact that I'll always be able to cover her, so she really needs training. "It's a shame, of course, that the plans were ruined, but that's a small thing."
- I understand and I'm not going to argue. One question: What are these disciplines? - Katsuragi smiled and even seemed to relax a little.
- Fencing and tactics of action in pairs. For now, this is optimal, and we have only just managed to find instructors for them. After all, when Eva-00 is reactivated, you will work together, so you need to get used to it now, well, they will tell you everything there, though how will it be suitable for Evas... - The girl did not hide the doubt on her face about the fact that the usual tactics would be acceptable for Evangelions. - Oh well, it still won't be superfluous, - Misato jerked her head and immediately stole a cookie from the plate and began to crunch, looking to the side and thinking about something.
- And what about fencing? What style?
- Well... I don't understand them, something European with a straight sword. As Ritsuko explained to me, Japanese styles are completely unacceptable for Evas, something with the historically bad metal of the blades and they say this somehow greatly influenced the development of art, bringing it to a form completely unsuitable for us. The devil knows what the matter is, I've never been interested, but as Ritsuko explains, you know. - I nodded, although judging by the words I said, Misato still got the gist of it and it seems to me, she's pretty much dodging right now... - But, in general, they picked out someone for you who can teach you how to handle that monster we just talked about yesterday. But as for Rei, I don't even know...
"Is there a problem?" I ask, taking a sip of tea and glancing at the silent Ayanami.
- Hmm... Basically... yes. You see, we just haven't decided yet how to use Zero. Compared to your Eva, it's inferior in all respects - weak armor, less physical strength, you can even see it visually, Eva-01 has one and a half times more muscle mass, we don't know yet what's going on with the AT field, but I seriously doubt that it's even close to yours, and I won't even mention the energy supply. In general, the only criterion by which Eva-00 surpasses Zero-One is cross-country ability, and that's solely due to its lower mass. As you understand, letting it into close combat, when even you got it, is far from the best idea, and the Evas' remote weapons haven't shown themselves in any way yet. Or rather, they've shown themselves only as a useless waste of money. So we're thinking... - Another cookie went into the girl's mouth, the plate with them was almost empty, and Rey and I didn't even touch them. "And frankly speaking," Misato continued, "teaching Rei to swing iron... in general, I don't think anything will come of it quickly," Katsuragi's gaze slid to Ayanami and, shaking herself, she quickly added: "Rei, just don't be offended, okay? I didn't mean anything like that."
- I'm not offended. It's true that my physical abilities are much inferior to my peers and it's unlikely that I'll be able to quickly master heavy, cold weapons, even at a minimal level.
- That's just it... - Misato sighed. - So we're thinking. So far, the plan is that you'll shoot from a distance, while Shinji distracts the enemy in close combat and suppresses his AT field accordingly, but how is that feasible in practice...
"It's not a bad idea at all," I decided to cheer the girl up, because she seemed very thoughtful.
- I hope so... Eh. Well, okay, let's finish breakfast and get ready, no one has cancelled work...
- So, Shinji, Rei, meet Lieutenant Meyer, arrived three days ago from the German NERV branch, your instructor in handling bladed weapons. - We were standing in an office adjacent to one of the training halls, which Misato showed me during our first tour. Lieutenant Meyer was a man of average height, about thirty-five years old, with black hair tied back in a ponytail and a clean-shaven face. His eyes were gray, there was a small scar above his left eyebrow, his hands were also covered with scars and traces of deep cuts. He was dressed in a uniform, apparently of the German model. Also, when looking at him, the phrase just begged to be said - "Nordic character. Not married." His look spoke about his character - heavy and without the slightest trace of pleasure from communicating with us, even feigned out of politeness, and the lack of a wedding ring on his hand indicated his marital status. - Lieutenant Mayer, this is Lieutenant Ikari and Junior Lieutenant Ayanami, but you will be teaching Shinji for the most part.
- I already understood, ma'am. - The German nodded, he pronounced the words with a noticeable accent but quite clearly. - May I ask a question?
- Yes, sure.
"Since I've only just arrived, we haven't had time to talk about this yet," the lieutenant began in detail, carefully pronouncing his words. "However, I must know what level my students are and whether they've had any training at all?"
- Mm... - Misato looked at me with thoughtful suspicion. - As such, there is no combat training at all. That's why you were called in, as far as I understand, you have the necessary experience?
"Yes, ma'am," the German nodded again, but his gaze became even more gloomy.
- Any other questions? Shinji? - I shook my head, continuing to study the instructor with my eyes. - Okay, then I'll leave you. I think two and a half hours will be more than enough for you to get acquainted, then, if I don't show up, come to my office with Rei. Is everything clear? - I nod, still silently. Misato looked us over for another ten seconds, but without waiting for a reaction, she almost silently chuckled and quickly left the room.
- Well then, Lieutenant, - Meyer addressed me, watching the captain's back and waiting for her to move away. - Let's skip the point of checking your physical condition, I'll have time to evaluate it later, let's move straight to the main thing, - and turning away, he headed into the hall. Ray and I followed.
In the hall, the instructor took a pair of wooden swords from the stand, not Japanese bokken, but swords, or rather blunt sticks with a guard depicting them, and handed one of them to me.
- Do you know how to address me?
"It seems like you need to hold it here," I took hold of the handle and looked questioningly at the German, raising an eyebrow.
- Well, well, joker, - my opponent chuckled, but a shadow of a smile appeared on his face. - So, I want to clarify a couple of details right away. First, no one is going to make an ordinary swordsman out of you. When it comes down to it, you won't be holding the sword with your own hands anyway, and your personal endurance won't mean much there either. So our main task is to give you the skill and knowledge of how to hold the sword correctly and how to strike, and that's what we'll do. Second, regarding your special position... - He fell silent and began to look expectantly at my face. It was curious. "Hmm... NERV – Germany... And, could it be?..."
"You speak as if you have already had the pleasure of encountering such a situation." Mayer nodded slowly, and his gaze became even more focused.
- Yes, "had the pleasure" is the most accurate definition.
– Does Germany have its own pilot?
- Eat.
"And as I understand it, he left a far from good impression on you," I stated dispassionately, looking indifferently into his grey eyes. "May I know the reason?"
- There are many reasons, but we won't talk about it now. I just hope that you, boy, really take all this seriously, otherwise, I can hardly help you with anything.
"Hmm... I understand, Lieutenant," I turn away and walk to the center of the hall.
- Good. Then let's begin, - he stood opposite. - Ready? - nod. - Let's begin, show what you can do.
"Show me, you say? Well, well..."
I grip the handle tightly, until my knuckles turn white - this is completely wrong, but it is easier to hide the skill, even if the body has no reflexes, but the knowledge, and most importantly - the habits of consciousness have not gone anywhere, so complete control is needed.
I hit from top to bottom. Without moving from the spot, he takes the block. I can rip the throat in one step, but instead I again deliver a miserable, sweeping blow "wherever it happens".
It deflects. One movement of mine and I can rip open a wrist, the sword is dull but it can tear the skin.
Hit. Block. "Left side and neck are open."
Hit. Takes away. "Now the shoulder."
Hit. Goes to the side. "Left leg."
Blow. Blocks... "Chest... Throat... Stomach... Side again... Shin..."
"It's so good that this body doesn't have reflexes clogged up. I can almost calmly pretend to be a clumsy person, without being distracted by suppressing them, only noting with my consciousness the mistakes of the enemy."
But it is still hard to restrain yourself, all attention is focused on how to move the least effectively, as a teenager would do if he picked up a sword for the first time. The task is not at all simple, especially if you remember that the enemy should not guess anything. He should not have even the slightest suspicion. The worst thing is with the legs and the grip of the sword, if in everyday life there are no problems with movements, it is enough to rely on the existing motor skills of the body, then here the consciousness literally aches from discomfort and the desire to start moving correctly. A disgusting feeling.
And Mayer watches, studies. He doesn't try to attack, he only deflects and blocks. Well, I'm not in a hurry either. It's even better this way, if the fight were more dynamic the chance of breaking down would be much higher, of course I have good self-control, but no one is insured against accidents and if it's possible not to take unnecessary risks, that's good...
Hit. Diverts.
Strike. Dodges, stepping to the side and to the side.
Blow. Again deflected...
"That's enough," Mayer commanded after about five minutes.
I lower the training sword and look expectantly at the instructor. He, in turn, stares at me thoughtfully for a couple of seconds and finally speaks:
- Better than I expected. Good reaction, even better speed, I see you're not out of breath, so your endurance is fine too. But your technique is just disgusting, although you hold the sword well, you just squeeze it too hard, you need to relax your wrist, - the lieutenant was silent for a few seconds, thinking about something. - Where did you pick up such blows?
- Anime. It filled...
- I see... - his tone really made it very clear how he felt about such "methods". - Well, at least it's not Hollywood... Okay, rest for now, and I'll check your girlfriend, - I nod and turn away to Rey. The look of her ruby eyes is tense and focused, her face is expressionless. I approach and silently hand over the sword, no gestures, winks or nods, and we don't need them now, there will be time to talk later, but for now it's business.
Rei also silently accepts the wooden sword, our fingers touch for a moment and without looking at me the girl goes to the center of the hall. It begs to be compared to the Snow Queen, the only thing missing to complete the image is arrogance, but that's good. Arrogance doesn't suit Ayanami at all.
The test lasted the same five minutes, overall Rei showed good reaction, coordination of movements and, strange as it may seem at first glance, endurance. Which is what Meyer said, voicing my thoughts as well. After which, without thinking twice, he made us do a series of simple, monotonous exercises, which we did for those same two and a half hours that Misato had set aside for the introduction.
There were no more conversations as such. Meyer clearly had no desire to pour out his soul to us and share details of his biography, but he watched us closely. It was felt that the man was waiting for some kind of reaction, and he was waiting tensely. If I was right and he had trained Asuka before, then I could understand him. However, Rei and I did not show any dissatisfaction with the monotonous waving of sticks, although after two hours even I was brutally tired, what can you do? Shinji's body was not distinguished by outstanding physical condition, and it had not yet had time to fully adapt to my soul, after all, I tried not to force this process, otherwise a teenager rapidly growing muscles, not bothering himself with special training, would look very strange, and I have enough oddities as it is. Ray, by the way, showed almost no signs of fatigue, only sweat on her forehead and rapid breathing, but she didn't even allow a hint of slacking off. Be that as it may, we impressed the instructors, even if it wasn't very noticeable, but he definitely added a couple of points to us in his eyes. Maybe it will come in handy again.
We said goodbye dryly. The German was thoughtful and, having thrown out a couple of meaningless routine phrases, sent us to the shower and then to the awaiting command in the person of Misato. After which, he retired to his office.
The shower by the gym was, attention – drum roll, separate! Well, at least somewhere at NERV everything is like people, praise Bacchus, I feel he took an active part in the design of this complex. However, this discovery was left without due attention and respect on our part. Or rather on Rey's part, the girl just went and followed me, first into the men's part of the locker room, and then into the shower...
"Doesn't it bother you that this is a men's shower?" I asked after about twenty seconds, soaping my head. The question was, of course, purely rhetorical, its entire meaning boiled down to the fact that I simply wanted to hear her voice.
"Why should this bother me?" Ayanami's usual indifferent intonation came from the neighboring booth.
- A difficult question... - I thoughtfully stretch out and expose my face to the streams of water. - The essence is in the moral and ethical principles accepted in human society, it is believed that a person should be ashamed to show himself naked in front of representatives of the opposite sex. - Silence and the sound of water.
- But you've seen me naked many times... and I've seen you too. - "A strange intonation... seemingly normal, but... a little different. A very subtle change, but we'll remember."
- That's not what I'm talking about. It's just that in some situations, it's better for you to use women's locker rooms and showers, for example, in cases where we're not alone and strangers are going to want to take a shower... I don't want any extra problems because of other people's stereotypes... - "And also, to have a crowd of strange men staring at you, of course, such a situation is unlikely, but you never know."
- I see... - Again silence, lasting for several minutes. I had almost finished washing myself when Rey spoke again: - But you yourself don't mind us taking a shower together?
"Hm?... I have some vague suspicions about the double meaning in this phrase... Although, it's Rey, what double meaning could there be?... However... if you think about it..."
"Ikari?" the girl reminded him of herself, breaking the long pause and simultaneously turning off the water in her cubicle.
- I don't mind. You know that yourself.
- Fine...
- What, already? - Misato greeted us in surprise when I opened the door to her office. - Hmm... Right, I've been working too much. - The girl checked her watch and massaged her eyes. In front of her on the table were piles of papers, mixed up in an order that was imperceptible to the outside eye. - So how did it go? Did you warm up?
- Okay. No. - Having already closed the door behind Ayanami, who had entered, I follow her to the sofa.
- And in more detail? - Katsuragi smiled, supporting her chin with her left hand, whose elbow rested on the table, and directing a slightly wandering gaze at us. It seemed that the answer itself did not interest her very much, but the excuse to take a break from work and give her eyes a rest opposite was.
- Everything went well, but we didn't warm up, two hours of continuous training for our physical parameters is a serious workout, not a warm up. - I answer monotonously, literally spreading out on the sofa, although maintaining an upright position.
- Um... Have you been studying there all this time?
- That's what I said. - "Misato's sofa is so comfortable... Now I just want to lie down... or put Rei down... Hmm... I wonder what would be more pleasant?"
- A-ah... Harsh... - The captain's gaze went somewhere to the ceiling. - Ray, was it all like this?
- Yes.
"Okay..." Misato said, with pleasure that was clearly not connected to the ongoing dialogue, closing her eyes.
- Sadist, - I commented.
- I didn't mean it that way! And anyway! Why are you melting on government furniture?! You would have given in to a girl, like a real man!
- Hm, logical, but I have a more rational proposal. - I move to the edge. - Lie down, Rei. - The girl, who had been watching our dialogue with Misato with detached interest until then, collected her thoughts for a few moments, shifting her gaze from Katsuragi to me and, having made a decision, readily settled into a horizontal position, resting her head on my lap. - Now, everyone is fine. - I bury my hand in my still slightly damp, blue hair.
- F-f-f-f... - came mournfully from the table. "What have I done to the unfortunate girl, that such a weak reaction to such a provocative scene?"
- Are you jealous?
- Of course... - Misato confirmed with a sigh and immediately perked up. - I mean, of course not! What makes you think that?! And anyway, don't bother me while I'm working, I still have four reports to sort out. - And the girl buried her head in the papers, although from time to time the rustling stopped and narrowed, envious, brown eyes peeked out from behind the stacks of waste paper.
Misato finished in about an hour, during which time Rei had time to doze off, and I was not far from her, the only difference was that even a deep sleep did not prevent me from monitoring the situation, what can we say about a light nap? After drilling us with an angry look for about a minute, the captain sighed heavily and, trying not to make noise, began to collect the scattered sheets into folders. Having finished with this task, she also tried not to make noise, stood up and took several folders and left the office.
The commander returned half an hour later, Rei was just starting to wake up. Misato looked much more satisfied, at least the glass of something steaming in her hand and the smile on her lips spoke volumes about that.
Then they sluggishly pushed us, or rather pretended to, since there was no need for this process, and took us to the dining room for lunch. There we met Maya, our main assistant to Dr. Akagi, who was standing at the distribution point, sleepily wrinkling her nose and suppressing a yawn. Having become happy for some unknown reason, Misto abruptly took the girl into her hands and while Rei and I were methodically filling the trays, she managed to conduct an express interrogation in the field. And so that Maya did not even have time to realize anything. In general, she stunned us with her pressure, shocked us, cracked us, and somehow it turned out that a minute later the girl was already sitting at our table and dumbfoundedly trying to understand what had happened and where she was?
- Shinji, did you get me lunch? - the captain remembered (!) By the way, there was no hint that I would get anything for her, but... it was Misato. So yes, I did, because I foresaw something like this.
"Here," I put the second set of plates from my tray in front of her.
- You're a miracle! - and, having skewered a full forkful of salad at once, sent it into her mouth. - Well, Maya, tell me, what is Ritsuko up to? - Having chewed while pronouncing the phrase, this sadist pressed on the poor girl.
"Well... I really don't know, Misato-san," Ibuki shyly cowered, not daring to touch the food.
- You helped her, I know that yesterday you locked yourself in the lab together and sat there all night! So come clean!
- Well, I only counted! Akagi-sensei only gave me data arrays for checking and recalculation, I honestly don't know what was there, I didn't ask. - The girl pulled her head in completely.
- I see... - Misato's voice became thoughtful, and her gaze meaningfully rose to the ceiling. However, a moment later, the captain's lips twitched in a sly smile, which eloquently testified to everyone "in the know" that there was going to be some nastiness. - Or maybe you were doing more than just science there?... Well, you know, all these new trends... ideas that excite young minds... You probably heard that a new romantic film came out - "Sensei", they say it's very pick...
- NO! - Maya, red as a lobster, squealed throughout the dining room.
- Oh, well, don't react so violently, if you didn't like the film, just say so, I'm not insisting. - Katsuragi disowned herself with the most innocent look, but the satisfied eyes of the cat who stole a jug of sour cream gave her away completely. - By the way, do you think Ritsuko will like it? - Cover and hit! "I don't know what the film is about, I can only guess, but the client in the person of Maya is ripe and ready for recruitment."
"It was a pseudo-pilot..." the girl muttered quietly, filled with embarrassment and shame.
- What? - the brown-eyed beast in the red jacket feigned incomprehension.
- You asked what we were doing. I remembered Akagi-sensei mentioned a dummy pilot for the Eva. Based on the latest data, it looks like the project will have to be shut down, or completely reworked. I don't know anything else! Honestly! - And a hopeful, pleading look. "Simply lovely, I'm almost ready to melt."
- Okay, okay, I believe you, eat up, otherwise it will get cold, - Misato really did stop torturing Ibuki and concentrated on eating. She held the mark well, not a single muscle on her face twitched, but I had no doubt that the facts that had been revealed were being carefully considered.
"The information itself... Hm, freezing, although no, rather, the revision of the pseudo-pilot project does not threaten me personally in any way, and in light of recent events, this is a completely predictable and logical action on the part of NERV's leadership. The question is different - why did Misato arrange this performance for me? An accident? Well, maybe Maya and I met by accident, but Misato began to extract information from her in front of me and Rei quite consciously, so there is no smell of an accident here. The point? To share the information? And why do I need it? Although ... the original Shinji should not know about the pseudo-pilot, and given my psychological profile ... Yes, definitely. So she wanted to share information that is important to me, and to show that she is on my side. And also that she trusts me and believes that I will not turn her in and will not do stupid things, even if I find out something very unpleasant. Well, that's understandable, there is almost no risk, even if it is secret now, then in a couple of weeks the head of the operational department will still be given access, and the gesture is beautiful. The question is, did the cutie captain know what she would hear? Judging by her reaction, not everything, but Maya's words were not a surprise to her, which means she suspected something like that. And since she didn't know everything, then this is no longer just a nice gesture and show, but a very real action. Albeit with a very modest result. But you have to start somewhere? Honestly, it's surprising that Katsuragi even went for such, hmm, "union proposal", after all, unions are not offered to children, they are protected from problems at their own discretion. Well, yes, this only plays into my hands."
My thoughts passed almost unnoticed by the surrounding reality, hardly ten seconds passed, at least the guy who was standing with a tray at the distribution point moved hardly one and a half meters. However, I was still distracted.
Graceful, white fingers lightly touched the sleeve of the shirt and pulled gently, attracting my attention. I turn to Rei and we play a familiar game of staring for a few moments. I don't know what she thinks about this, but as for me, you can admire her eyes for a very long time. But Ayanami still breaks contact and lowers her gaze to the tray, pointing with it to the salad bowl. There are pieces of tomatoes visible in the salad... I silently take the bowl and fish out all the abominable vegetables from there. By the way, a very accurate definition... You couldn't say it more truthfully.
A "very" "quiet" whisper came from the side:
- Maya, look at these lovebirds, it's a joy to behold. Do you think they'll invite me to the wedding? - Misato hovered over the table with a conspiratorial look, leaning closer to Maya and glaring meaningfully in our direction. In response to this remark, Ibuki only blushed even more and buried her nose deeper in her teacup. Rei and I calmly ignored everyone.
"Oh, okay, we're used to it, but I feel sorry for Maya, it seems she's not used to Misato's jokes. By the way, is it a coincidence or does she really have a thing for Ritsuko? I think there was something like that in the series... Hmm... Maya is a lesbian, I wonder. And Misato apparently knows something... Yeah... Poor girl. And if you remember that Akagi is Gendo's lover, Makoto is secretly in love with Misato, what's going on in the elevators and that somewhere down there is a whole reservoir with hundreds of naked girls... Yeah, Grandpa Freud is just crying bitter tears over Nerve, so much material is wasted..."