Chapter Text
Things we do for love
The smell of wine and cheap perfume enveloped the room as I gazed up at his sleeping form.
The sheets were a mess and all over the place. I looked up at the man holding me and
I talked to him as if he were a child.
“Despite how much you have ruined my family, my mother, I can’t help but stay, you know that?”
“I feel so disgusted I chose you sometimes and-”
My voice quivered
“I bet you’re disgusted by me too,”
“Gendo Ikari.”
[The following day in the cafeteria of Nerv Headquarters]
“Ritsuko Akagi please report to the testing chambers at your earliest convenience. Commander Ikari is requesting for you specifically to attend.” Maya’s voice echoed through the loudspeaker in the cafeteria room.
I sighed softly, the old man won't spare even his lover a break.
The talk of all the other Nerv employees plunged into silence as I disposed of my remaining food and packed up my envelope and laptop.
Their squabbles don't matter much to me nowadays, not when we are at the cusp of achieving something wonderful.
My heels clicked and tapped the surface as I walked through the halls. My mind felt numb, not just because of another emotionless yet passionate night that only took up my time but this place. This place makes me feel numb sometimes. Each sterile hallway, shining a bright palette of white paint all around.
Sometimes I believed this place could fit as a mental asylum.
The metal doors slid open as I joined Gendo’s side and gazed over the one way glass overlooking the Eva Pen, holding the first Evangelion prototype, Unit 00.
Maya walked up to me and assured me that all of the pieces are set in place to assure a perfect first trial.
Despite her assurances, I felt hesitant on the results of putting Rei in the cockpit and having her be our first test pilot.
I glanced at Gendo and leaned in to whisper in his ear.
“Rest well, commander?” I shifted my body and crossed my arms, already expecting a dry response.
Gendo merely let my words simmer, keeping his gaze over the window and focusing on the task at hand.
He never changes the way he interacts with people in the workplace.
After unit 00’s plug was inserted I gave the technicians the go ahead to activate unit 00. I took a hold of the microphone.
“Rei? In about a minute I will fill the entry plug with LCL. Please respond to me on whether or not you would like to back out-”
Gendo took the microphone from my hand and coldly cast aside my instructions.
“Rei, stay put. We have invested too much to hesitate now. Proceed.”
My eyes narrowed at my superior as I tried to argue.
“Commander Ikari, this is still experimental technology we are working with; forces we have yet to fully understand.”
“Doctor Akagi, I only requested you to be here for the role of data analysis. Nothing more.”
Gendo responded coldly before shutting off the microphone.
As the minute passed, I stood by his side as the Evangelion stood still in the center of the chamber, the sounds of Rei’s strained breathing echoed through the intercom as the LCL began to fill her entry plug.
Her heart beat faster and her vitals slightly spiked from her body’s initial shock to being drowned, in a way.
Maya walked up to me and tried to whisper something- something one of the technicians noticed through the scans but I waved her murmurings aside, not wanting to be wavered now.
I talk through the intercom again, assuring Rei the initial discomfort will go away after more exposure to the liquid.
It’s hard to believe this teenage child is not even a real human/p>
I held my papers tightly to my chest as the evangelion showed the first signs of movement. Using the microphone, I asked “How does it feel, Ayanami?”
Rei responded through the intercom
“It feels like an extension of me, doctor Akagi”
I simply nodded
“Good. Now, I will be inputting some instructions that will appear on your HUD. Try to emulate them for me, If you will.”
The test was going well for a good 30 minutes until the readings spiked red for the Evangelion.
Rei screamed in pain as her control was cut off but the LCL was still in the entry plug, mimicking the feelings of the Evangelion to Rei’s consciousness.
We severed the umbilical cords immediately but that did not stop the humanoid wailing and punching the walls, leaving structural damage to the large chamber.
I knew we had about 5 minutes before the external battery of the Evangelion would run out.
I yelled at the technicians to raise the room temperature to freezing condition in the chamber but this method was not working fast enough.
It wasn’t until the creature punched a large hole through the one way glass that its power shut off on its own, and its rage seemed to be quelled. If it weren't for an employee pulling Gendo aside he would have been killed that very day.
It was like the attack was targeted to him, specifically.
I struggled to pick myself up as the observation deck was a wreck of destroyed computers and exposed electrical currents due to the attack but from my peripheral vision I could swear I saw Gendo yell at the technician to fix the temperature as he rushed to the Evangelion's side.
The entry plug was ejected and I stood over the deck again, observing over where the protective glass used to be as Gendo struggled to twist the wheel to open the emergency hatch of the entry plug.
Upon opening it I saw him take her by the hand and pull her out.
So selfless. So uncharacteristic.
I clenched my fist as I saw him embrace her and check for any injuries.
What does Rei have over him that gets him to be this way?
Appalling.
I think the last person he was this caring to was his late wife, Yui Ikari. Not his son, my mother, or even me.
My thoughts subsided as I felt a warm substance pooling from the right of my side. I look down to my labcoat and I push it aside to observe.
It seems a shard of glass pierced my right abdomen.
Maya was walking through the observation deck looking for anybody left behind. Accompanying her were some first responder medical staff along with search and rescue employees.
Before I could call out to them to come and rescue me I already felt my body growing weak as I fell onto the ground.
I always had a certain sensitivity to my own blood. My vision shifted to black as the voices of first responders came into play.
Mother, if only you saw me now.