Alright, since I really don't feel like going through and fixing stuff
on this one, I decided to just leave it as it is.  There's nothing new
from when I sent it as a rough draft.  The rough draft of last part of
this fanfic is about 1/3 done and if things go right it should be
finished by mid-January.

NEON GENESIS EVANGELION

EPISODE 7:  BETRAYAL

It was after school, after most of the students had already gone home.
It was after Hikari had finished off her after school duties as the
class rep.  And it was after Touji had helped so they could leave
together.  They entered the hospital run by NERV so they could see the
young Suzuhara lying in bed, asleep.

"She is why I�m piloting Eva, and now I have to fight against Shinji and

everyone."  Touji lowered his head to look at his sister lying there.
All because of the stupid actions of Shinji in the first battle between
Eva and angel in Tokyo, she has to stay here in this hospital.  No, that

excuse was used up long ago.  No matter how much he tried to justify it
and make the transition to an Eva pilot in this situation, his honor
would not allow him to believe the lie that his friend was a traitor.

"What do you think she wants?"  Hikari had several questions, but
thought this was the safest one to ask.

"She told me it doesn�t matter what she thinks.  Sometimes I wish she
wasn�t smart like that."  It was amazing how smart the second grader
really was.  Touji thought back on how she yelled at him for hitting
Shinji, who really saved her.  But Touji really needed the justification

to pilot now and she wasn�t cooperating.

"Do you really mean that you are going to fight Asuka and Shinji?"

"Well I�ve had the impression that NERV is trying to get Shinji and
Unit-01 back so they can blow everything up in Tokyo-02, but nothing
about Asuka."

"How come they aren�t going to rescue Asuka?"

"I don�t know."

"You can�t do that!  Why don�t you quit?"  The sudden rise in her voice
made the sleeper shift.

A little quieter, Touji responded, "I can�t quit.  If I do, I�m just
proving to everyone that I�m a wimp."

"That doesn�t matter.  What matters is how you feel about yourself."

"It does matter.  To me it does.  I guess I�m just like Shinji that
way."

Deciding not to press the matter at this time, Hikari decided to ask
about Rei, "What does Rei think about all of this?"

Well, I saw her at NERV yesterday.  She wasn�t acting like herself.  I
mean she was still quiet as always, but she seemed somehow colder."

The tape recorder stopped playing and SEELE�s special meeting continued.

"So what do you think that means?"  The voice was from a scratchy voiced

man.

"At least we know our intelligence measures are finally paying off."
This voice was a little more cryptic.

"Yes.  Rei was picked up by Misato Katsuragi.  It is impossible for her
to be at NERV.  Unless�"

"Unless our friend Ikari has been playing more games than we first
thought."

"That is all beside the point.  Pilot Suzuhara mentioned an attack on
Tokyo 2.  Do you suppose the commander is going to try something he will

regret?"

"No use in taking chances with something like this.  I say we dismiss
him."

"I don�t think that will be enough.  In a situation like this, he could
easily order an attack before word gets out of his dismissal.  He is
good at covering things up, I�d say he would attempt to find a way to
keep his command."

"Yes.  As difficult as it is, we must get the JASDF to take control of
the Geofront.  We can move everything concerning the Human Compliment
Project to the Third Branch in Germany."  Kihl�s decision was made with
a resolute tone almost to underline the urgency of the action.

"But do you realize how much the scenario will have be altered?"

"Ikari is up to something for sure.  It is better we alter SEELE�s
scenario than to risk losing everything."

"Agreed.  We will start making preparations for an A-17 on NERV."

Across town, Asuka was waking up early in the evening.  She got up, got
dressed and went out the door and down the hallway.  After turning the
corner, she found four people standing in one of the control rooms.

<Wait a minute.  That�s Shinji standing there.  Isn�t he supposed to be
somewhere else?>  As the sleepiness faded away, her thought process
began to move a little quicker.  Rei was also there, time to make her
jealous.  "Shinji!"  Without thinking, Asuka jumped onto him, throwing
her arms around him.  "Shinji, you�re here!"

Shinji was scared half to death.  First, he never expected someone to be

tackling him at that moment.  Secondly, he never expected that person to

be Asuka.  His own thought process was seriously hindered as he fell
onto the floor.  Every muscle in his body trembled as his mind
desperately searched for a logical answer to Asuka�s answers.  He could
remember how she acted before being taken in by the Eva, but it seemed
so distant, it was like it never happened.  Finally, he was able to
squeeze out a few quivering words.  "Um�Asuka�what are you doing?"  It
was in hope that the answer would come from some exterior stimulus.

"Seems like you two have been getting along better than I thought."
Even Ritsuko couldn�t help adding that quick comment.

Asuka turned as red as her plug suit as she realized just where she
was.  There was no way to get out of this one gracefully, but being
Asuka, there was no need to be graceful.  "Oh shut up!  I don�t need to
hear any of this!"  Quickly, she got up and proceeded to pull Shinji to
his feet.  Grabbing Shinji by the back of his collar, she dragged him
off down the hallway.  After getting out of sight, threats could be
heard from her direction, "Just leave me alone!"

Shinji was still in shock.  He couldn�t find the strength to resist the
scary mood of Asuka, much less argue with her, so he simply went along
with her like a puppy being picked up by the scruff of the neck.

Finally she stopped and Shinji was able to catch his breath.  But it was

Asuka that was the one wanting answers.  "Alright now tell me what�s
going on."

"What are you talking about?  What�s with dragging me around?"

"You idiot, just shut up and answer me."

Shinji just gave her a weird look and figured she wanted to know how he
found his way out of the Eva.  Afterall, that was the only thing that he

thought would have made her act so hysterical.  "Well, I sorta saw my
mother."

"You what?"

"My mother.  She was inside the Eva."  There was a moment of silence.
Curiosity finally overtook him as Shinji realized Asuka was not as scary

as a minute ago.  She seemed almost depressed.  "Asuka."

"Yes."  She sat down on a crate and looked at her feet.  Her right foot
came out, kicking the air.

"What was your mother like?  I mean I can�t remember what my mother was
like."  Shinji wanted to know what was a mother after being without one
for so long, he had long since forgotten.

"I don�t want to talk about it."  Her voice was almost a slight whimper,

remembering the dream she had had earlier.

"Why not?"  It was not like Shinji to pry into other people�s lives, but

remembering his experience inside the Eva, he decided to take that
chance.

"Because I don�t."  She was much firmer with her words this time,
jerking her head up and giving him a look of warning but Shinji could
tell she was hiding something.

Shinji sat down next to her and let his eyes focus on his feet.  Like
Asuka had done a few seconds ago, he began kicking the crate with his
heel, creating a low, rhythmic drumming.  "From what she said, I can
tell that she loved me very much.  I wonder if your mother is inside
Unit-02."

The thought made Asuka react unexpectedly.  She stood up, turned toward
Shinji and violently brought her palm across his face. "I said I don�t
want to talk about it!"  Her anger could not hide the tears that came
streaming down her face.  Shinji had broken down her wall when she had
left it unguarded.  All she could do was run now.  She turned away, and
ran out the door, sobbing.  All Shinji could do was think about that
slap and the sadness she had shown.  But he promised he wouldn�t run
away from confrontations any more, so he stood up and followed after the

first confrontation he needed to resolve.

On the video screen, Ritsuko was speaking to Gendou.  Since Misato was
busy looking over a few of the systems that have recently been put back
online, the two could afford to be less discrete.

"How is Pilot Ikari?"  The man in glasses was right to the point.

"His nerve impulses seem to be normal.  There�s no evidence that he was
effected by the synthesis with Unit-01.  But he does seem more
confident."

"Interesting.  Will he be useable in retrieving the Eva?"

"I haven�t finished all the tests yet but there is a possibility that he

has regained his memory."

"I see.  But we have no choice, prepare him for retrieving the Eva."

Gendou was a little concerned.  He valued the precious core of that Eva
more than his own life.  Inside, was the key to his complementation, the

soul of the one person that had brought him happiness.  If Shinji knew
she was inside, he would either understand his father better or would
never forgive him again.  The decision not to tell him was done because
he hoped to restore their family in the future.  But for now, neither he

or his son could come remotely close to understanding each other.

When Shinji opened the door to reveal Asuka huddling in the corner in a
fetal position, she was still crying.  The young boy gulped, thinking
about what he was about to do, but it made him more firm to his stand
that he was not going to run away.  Slowly, he moved toward the weeping
girl, unaware of his presence.  He sat down slowly so not to scare her
and then put his arm around her back, then taking a comforting hold on
her far arm.  Shinji was terrified of the situation he put himself
into.  For as long as he could remember, he was scared of others
reaching out to him.  It was like they were reaching out to take
something away from him.  Now he was the one reaching out.  He was the
one taking away.  He didn�t know how Asuka would react to this.  He only

knew he was afraid of others doing this to him and he certainly didn�t
want to be the one taking from Asuka.

"Go away."  Through her sobs, she managed to get the words through,
though not in any convincing tone.

"Why don�t you want to talk about it?"  In his own discomfort, he found
the courage to continue.

"Because�she�s there�but she�s dead, I saw it�but she�s still there."
This was all she could say before the sobs blocked out her voice.  But
it was her eyes which continued to speak and they said everything that
needed to be said.  What couldn�t be put in words.  The torture, the
pain, the despair, and the fear.  Her eyes pleaded for the help Shinji
offered.

Instinctively, Shinji wrapped his other arm around her to blanket her
from the harsh outside environment.  It suddenly hit him, why everyone
reached out to him.  They were not trying to take something away, but
they were all trying to give.  He was giving Asuka strength.  And in the

process, he found his own inner strength.  As the right shoulder of his
shirt became soaked with tears, he couldn�t help but to cry himself.  He

could finally understand that his compassion, the quality that had
locked his soul from others, was actually the key to reach others and to

understand.

TO BE CONTINUED