Chapter 13

Asuka looked up as the detention room door hissed open, and her expression brightened upon seeing who it was.

"KAJI!" she exclaimed gleefully. Kaji ignored her and looked around the bare room. He sniffed the air, it smelled strongly of LCL, as Asuka had been thrown in there the moment she got out of her Eva. Asuka stood up from the bed and started walking towards him.

"I'm so glad you're here, you can get me out of here. Misato and everyone are being so unfair, they all act like it's my fault, of course you don't think..." her speech was cut short when Kaji spun, grabbed her arm and slapped her as hard as he could, then threw her to the back of the room. Asuka shrank back when he looked at her, as his eyes held none of the kindness and cheer they usually did, now they held only anger and contempt. When he spoke, his voice was razor-edged.

"You didn't expect that from me did you? Then perhaps it will put things in perspective, maybe this time you will finally realise how badly you FUCKED THIS UP! Look at the situation we're in now you STUPID GIRL! We have two missing pilots and an Angel on the way, all because you didn't want to help your friends. From what I've heard, they're the only ones you've got, because no-one in NERV will ever respect you again. I always put your arrogance down to you being spoilt, but now I see that you just don't give a fuck about anyone but yourself. Don't expect me or Misato to bail you out, you're going to sit in here until the angel comes, and I guarantee things won't be the same after that either, at the rate you're going you'll probably be shipped back to Germany as soon as possible, without Unit 2." With that Kaji walked out. He didn't look back.

When he was gone Asuka's despair flowed from her, and she screamed over and over, thrashing about, pounding her fists on the walls until they burned, then she sank down onto the floor, crying brokenly.

...

Misato looked up from studying the angel readings when she heard Kaji approach.

"Well?" she asked, getting straight to the point. Kaji, still feeling the overwhelming anger from his talk with Asuka, responded in kind.

"You were right to send me, besides herself I'm the only one she's interested in listening to...GOD that girl's messed up." He exclaimed forcefully.

"So, what happened?"

"I basically shattered the pedestal she put herself on, either this experience will make her a lot more humble or it will destroy her. To be honest I prefer the second option, 'cause it gives her a chance to create a totally new persona, while the first choice gives the possibility of a relapse. I just hope I wasn't too hard on her." Misato laid a hand on his shoulder gently.

"Kaji, this is not your fault, it never will be. If you hadn't done it someone else, probably Commander Ikari, would have. Asuka needed to be put in her place, because everyone else has noticed her attitude getting worse and worse, it needed to be done." Kaji smiled tiredly at her, then his expression grew serious again.

"So what's the status of the Angel?" He asked. Misato's expression grew grim.

"Our satellites caught it on the other side of the world, we've run the calculations and we know it's headed straight here. On the plus side it's not moving all that quickly, so if it keeps to it's current velocity it won't reach us for another 4 days, so we have that long to get Shinji and Hikari back. Ritsuko's working on it, so there's not a great deal we can do until she comes through with results. Kinda makes you feel helpless, doesn't it?" she finished sadly. Kaji let out a low whistle.

"Well I don't know about you, but I definitely need a drink, care to join me?"

"I might as well. C'mon let's get out of here," she turned to the bridge techs "Hyuga, call me ASAP with any developments, understand?"

"Yes, Major."

"Good, let's go."

...

Slowly, Shinji Ikari regained consciousness. When his vision returned, he was disorientated by what he saw.

"Wha, what is this? Plugsuits? Then where am I? Where's Hikari! What's going on?"

"Shinji?"

"Hikari! Where are you?"

"I don't know! I can't see you Shinji!"

"Hikari, just hold on, we'll find a way out of this, I promise." Around them, the world began to fade, and the last thing Shinji heard was Hikari's calls becoming softer until nothing remained but the darkness.

...

When the darkness lifted Shinji found himself on a train, facing someone, he couldn't tell who it was as their face was hidden in shadow.

"Who are you?" asked a voice that seemed devoid of all life, Shinji couldn't tell where it came from.

"Who are you?" repeated the voice.

"Shi, Shinji Ikari." He answered nervously.

"You are in the memories, you were a...friend."

"What do you mean, whose friend? Whose memories?"

"The memories of the pilot."

"Pilot, you mean Hikari?"

"No, she is not the pilot. You know the pilot as Toji."

"Toji? Toji's dead isn't he?"

"I am bonded with the pilot. We are one."

"Who are you then?" asked Shinji.

"I am Bardiel, I am one of the creatures you refer to as Angels." Shinji gasped.

"You were the Angel who took over Unit 3, weren't you? What do you want?" he demanded.

"REVENGE!"

"Revenge for what?"

"Revenge for the pilot. I am now linked to the thoughts and desires of the pilot. He desires revenge for the betrayal."

"What betrayal, who betrayed Toji?"

"YOU!"

"Me?"

"YOU! You befriended the pilot, then you destroyed him and took the one he loved, you are a friend NO LONGER!"

"That's not true Angel. Let me speak to Toji, I need to see him."

"You cannot."

"Why not?"

"Because he is talking to her."

...

"Hello Hikari." Hikari looked around, trying to find the source of the voice.

"Who's there?"

"Have you forgotten me already Hikari?" said the figure who materialised in front of her. Hikari's eyes widened in shock upon seeing him.

"Toji!"

"Yes, it's me."

"It's so good to see you again." Hikari said as she started towards him, but he held up a hand.

"Stop. Sorry, but I don't feel all that close to you right now."

"Why not Toji? What did I do?" Hikari was crestfallen. Toji's eyes hardened.

"You abandoned me! I tried to express my feelings towards you when I was alive, but the moment I stopped breathing you moved on and found somebody else, my 'close friend' Shinji Ikari!"

"That's not true Toji," Hikari cried, distraught "I've missed you so much since then! Sometimes it's hard to even get up in the mornings knowing I won't see you at school!"

"DON'T LIE TO ME! I got a glimpse of some of Shinji's memories. 1 day after I died you and Shinji were together. Were you seeing him when I was still around too?"

"NO TOJI, I SWEAR IT!"

"ENOUGH! I will win you back Hikari, Shinji will not stop me." He raised his head as if searching for something.

...

"Bardiel, are you there?" a voice echoed.

The Pilot has reached a decision.

"What do you mean?" asked Shinji. The surroundings began to warp and distort around them.

"What's happening?"

Shinji found himself in the entry plug of Unit 1. He looked up at the view screen and saw a black Evangelion standing across from him.

"Unit 3!" he gasped. A link screen popped up and Toji's face appeared on the screen.

"Hikari will be mine, she will stay with me forever." Toji stated firmly, though there was a deeper voice overlaying his, which Shinji guessed to be the angel, after this thought came to him, he noticed Toji's eyes. They were blood red.

"Toji, this isn't you. Bardiel is controlling you, you have to fight it!" Toji's face took on a look of amusement.

"Why should I fight it Shinji, when we both want the same thing and can help each other get it."

"The angel doesn't want the same thing as you! It's just using you to try and destroy us all, it wants the same thing as all the other angels. You can't trust it."

"Trust? How dare you talk about trust when you were the one who stole my girl?" Toji sneered.

"I didn't steal Hikari, Toji, we just helped each other with our grief over your death, and feelings developed from there." Toji's face contorted into rage.

"I LOVE HIKARI, NOT YOU DAMMIT!" the double-voice yelled, then the link closed and the black Eva roared, then charged. Shinji got into a ready stance, and started to dodge the obsidian behemoth's wild swings. Shinji reopened the link between entry plugs.

"Toji, why do you want to keep Hikari here?" Shinji shouted back as he blocked a thrusting punch.

"So we can be together, like we should be!" replied Toji.

"Why are you being so selfish?" argued Shinji. Upon hearing this the black Eva froze. Toji's expression became one of confusion.

"What do you mean selfish? Hikari and I belong together, that's all there is to it."

"Is it? Toji, you're stuck here, you don't have a life on the outside anymore, Hikari does. Will you deny her that just to be with her? Have you become that heartless?" Toji looked as if he'd been hit between the eyes by an Evangelion. His eyes filled and his expression became remorseful. The environment shifted until it was just Toji and Shinji on the basketball court at the school.

"Shinji I...I'm sorry man, I didn't think...I've been such a fool, how could I do this to her, and to you? Dude I am so sorry." Stammered Toji, his head hung. Shinji walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay Toji, the fact that you did all this shows how deeply you care for Hikari, and the fact that you stopped shows what a good friend you are. Thank you." Toji looked up at him and grinned goofily.

Thanks, Shinji. I'll take you to Hikari soon, but before you go," he indicated the court "how about some hoops? While we're playing you can tell me what's been happening while I've been gone." Shinji returned the grin and grabbed the ball Toji passed to him.

"Sure." He started dribbling the ball while Toji played defence, he took a shot which was blocked.

"You know Kensuke gave up his military fascination." Shinji remarked as he tried and failed to stop Toji's shot. Toji looked shocked.

"You serious? Mr Future-Supreme-Commander himself isn't playing with toy guns anymore, what next, Rei Ayanami starts talking to people?" He joked and looked at Shinji, who was trying hard to contain his laughter.

"Funny you should say that..." he began, and Toji burst out laughing.

"Well, seems a lot's changed since I've been gone, I guess Asuka's gone nice has she?" Shinji just grinned evilly.

"Actually, it seems you were right all along Toji, Asuka's become even more of a bitch than she was before. Can you believe that when me and Hikari were sucked in here Asuka wouldn't even help out? I mean Hikari's her best friend for Fuck's sake. I tell you, when I get out of here she's gonna get it." proclaimed Shinji angrily.

"Well alright!" said Toji, slapping Shinji on the shoulder "It's about time that German devil got what's coming to her. Give her one punch for me ok?" smirked Toji.

"You got it, man." replied Shinji. The two friends stopped talking for a few minutes and just passed the ball around and took a few shots. Suddenly Toji arced the ball over Shinji's head, and Shinji looked at him, confused.

"Who was that to, Kensuke?" He quipped. Toji just smiled.

"Me." A soft voice replied. Shinji turned to see Hikari standing there, holding the ball. She beamed and ran to him, tossing the ball back to Toji on the way. Shinji gathered her into a fierce hug, then turned to Toji.

"Thank you Toji, for letting us live our lives."

"Don't mention it, Shinji."

"I'll miss you Toji."

"I'll miss you too, Hikari, but if you want to you can come back y'know." Upon hearing this Hikari's eyes lit up.

"You mean it, we can really see you again?"

"Absolutely, I'll be in your Eva, protecting you. Next time you want to come see me, just open your mind and I'll bring you here. You can do it too Shinji, but bring Kensuke next time, I wanna see him too."

"You got it Toji." Toji's expression became serious.

"It's time to send you back." Hikari ran and hugged him.

"I'll miss you Toji, but I'll visit you, I swear it." Hikari hugged him tighter then let go and drifted back to Shinji's side. Toji looked at them both and smiled.

"I know you two will be very happy together, I'm going to give you one final gift, you'll see what it is when you wake up." Toji waved his hand and the world began to collapse.

"Goodbye."

...

Hikari's eyes fluttered open and she saw that she was in the entry plug, she glanced down and saw her green plug suit, then she heard movement behind her and turned to see Shinji, in his blue-and-white plug suit, also returning to consciousness.

"Goodbye Toji." He remarked, then turned to Hikari and gasped.

"What is it?" She asked worriedly, but Shinji's surprise quickly softened into a smile.

"Toji's final gift." He said simply, and it was then that Hikari noticed his eyes, his right eye was a deep blue, as it always had been, but his left eye...his left eye was a rich chocolate-brown, so familiar to Hikari, but now so different. She reached over and took Shinji's hand and looked into his eyes, both old and new, and smiled.