--Episode 3--
- No Leaf Clover -
A Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction
Author's Notes:
First things first: WE DO NOT HAVE A HOTMAIL EMAIL ADDRESS. IT IS: the_no_leaf_clover@metallica.com AT METALLICA.COM!!!! See that @metallica.com thing!!
MOST IMPORTANTLY: This fic here is now written by lil' old me. Just me. The other guys are working on a different one (Translation: Screwin' around, lying on their lazy arses...)
By the way, this series is 100% Australian Made and Owned!! :)
If you've sent me some comments & criticism, thank you. If you haven't, well, whats keeping you?
My/our website is having problems. So no, it hasn't been finished yet. And NO, it is not up yet. I'll say when it is.
But just one thing --- If you have any talent at drawing Evas, please email me. I just realized how much of a fluke last episode's Eva was, and how it's never gonna happen again. Dammit.
Another thing- If you're not Tommyrude, please don't read the following paragraph:
You know how you said how the hell can I still like Metallica after the Napster lawcase, well, to be honest, why should I stop liking my favourite band just 'cause they're suing a computer program? It's not about lawcases, money or anything else man - it's about the music. If they keep producing stuff that I like, well, I'll keep thinking of them as my fave band. But I respect your right to have your opinion, so think differently if you wish. Oh, and I couldn't reply because my computer has trouble getting the updates on Message Boards - even when I press refresh and clear the cache. I only saw your message about a fortnight later, buddy :(
And the episode name, hehe...don't you love those super-serious titles? As usual, nothing to do with the episode!!
I'd like to thank my prereaders:
Daniel Y
Writer of No Leaf Clover, Part of Not Illegal In The Least Productions
E-Mail: the_no_leaf_clover@metallica.com
-*3*-
"...where is that blasted report...!!" A soft curse followed the frustrated sentence.
The usually immaculate Dr. Takechi Hishimito looked the perfect figure of chaos. His hair was tousled, and some of it was plastered on his forehead by a layer of sweat. His normally ironed and neat lab coat and suit was dishevelled and dirty.
And a peculiar odour was emanating from him...
"Ah! Here it is..." Dr. Hishimito took a pair of reading glasses from his lab coat pocket and placed them on the bridge of his nose, looking intently at the piece of paper that he held infront of him.
"Unit X status report...etc etc...ah, second child's compatability and synchronization ratio...?!...that...that..WHY wasn't I told about this earlier!!" He shouted in frustration, almost forgetting the fact that it was his fault for losing the report in the first place.
"Thirty-nine percent average on 1st test. Forty-three percent average on 2nd test. Sixty-one percent average on 3rd test....hmm, very good first try...why the tiny improvement on the second test, I wonder? But a huge improvement on the third try...where are the dates for these tests...that lousy Ibuki...never tells me anything...writes crappy, un-informative reports...bad work attitude, too..."
A sudden, loud ringing broke Dr. Hishimito's semi-trance. He started, and then glanced at the vibrating phone on his desk. Reaching out for it, he picked it up and placed on his shoulder as he continued reading the report.
"Dr. Takechi Hishimito here..."
[I know that, you fool. Now shut up and start listening to me. Do you have the report?] As the loud, raspy voice sounded through the phone, Dr. Hishimito's mouth began to dry in nervousness.
"..." He tried to speak, but his mouth was not receiving the message from his brain.
[Do you have the report? Hurry up!! I have to get this call over quickly, otherwise NERV will get suspicious!! Now TELL me, have you got it?]
"...y-yes. What do you need to know?"
[All of it.] The voice laughed. [Send a copy.]
"T-to what address?" Asked Hishimito nervously.
[The usual. Make sure to make it look like a normal letter, so as to not arouse suspicion.]
"...Understood. I-is there anything else?"
[No. Just don't screw this up. Remember, we don't look very kindly upon traitors.]
The line was abruptly cut.
"So we are to use the shell of Unit 02 as spare parts??" Maya Ibuki couldn't believe what she was hearing…the Commander often gave her strange orders, but this one seemed purely insane.
Fuuyutsuki, who was standing imposingly behind the seated figure of Gendo, glared at her, while nodding sharply.
"We have taken out the core to use in Unit X's. Therefore, there seems no use for it, apart from the instance of another pilot being chosen. Since all of our selection pools have been contaminated, there seems no other option for Unit 02."
Maya blinked, slowly understanding the logic of the sub-commander.
"If I may ask it, sir," She began, looking directly at Gendo, "Why are we bothering to spend all this money on a new Evangelion? Eva Unit 00 is still in pieces, isn't it, and the threat of the Angels is over."
The two commanders looked at each other, each grinning slightly.
"Doctor, the Unit 00 reconstruction project has already been finished long ago - we just felt that this was not something you needed to know. And as for the second question, well, I suggest you look into Dr. Akagi's files. They can be accessed on the MAGI using the password: TRSSVDC."
Maya nodded as the letters burned their way into her memory. She began reciting the password mentally so that she wouldn't forget it.
"Is there anything else?"
"You may go, doctor.”
"Asuka?"
"Mmm?" She looked back at Shinji openly as the two walked to school. "What is it? C'mon, we have to hurry. School starts in about ten minutes."
"Well, I just want to ask you something." He replied softly, staring at the ground as he walked. "You don't have to answer it, though."
"But you want me to, right?"
"Well...yeah." He shrugged, trying to make it look like he didn't care that much whether she answered or not.
"Well...go on."
Shinji took a deep breath before beginning.
"I-it's just that you've been really nice to me lately, and you haven't hit me or nuthin' ...Well, I'm just asking you why. Yeah. I want to know why now you're suddenly nice to everyone." He mumbled.
Oh god, I really hope this works, He thought desperately. It's really strange how she's changed so much ever since she recovered.
There was several moments of silence.
"Shinji..." Asuka shook her head slowly, letting her reddish-gold hair cover her eyes so that her expression could not be seen.
"What?"
"...We better hurry up!! School starts really soon!!" She announced, grabbing his hand and pulling him along with her.
Gendo Ikari slowly removed his darkly -tinted spectacles, and placed them onto his desk, closing his bleary and strained eyes as he did so.
Seele. Perhaps the only reason why they still exist and live their miserable lives is to keep me in check -- something which they fail in doing. Six hours. Six hours of mindless talking. Six hours of covering. Six hours of uncovering.
Six hours of deadly mindgames.
'We are very suspicious of your actions, Ikari'...'Why did you not tell us of the reconstruction of Unit 00?' 'We KNOW you have a secret agenda, Ikari'..." Gendo muttered angrily, imitating the annoying and irritating voices of the Seele chairmen.
He spent several moments remembering the grueling questions, and his annoyingly clear but not-so-clear answers that ever so slightly tended to beat around the bush.
Fools. I shall do as I wish...
"Uhhh...Excuse me, sir. Have I come at a bad time?"
Gendo bolted upright, blinking, and reaching for his glasses, inwardly cursing himself for not noticing the intrusion of the stranger. As he placed his spectacles on the bridge of his nose, he saw the nervous figure of Dr. Hishimito.
Of course. As if I could mistake that whining voice for any other man's.
"Good evening, Dr. Hishimito. Sit down…what is it you wish to see me about?"
The scientist visibly relaxed, walking towards Gendo's desk and seating himself.
"Yes, good evening to you as well. I came to talk to you about the state of the Evangelions and their pilots."
Gendo nodded, looking intently into the other man's eyes. It was always so much easier to sense a lie this way.
"Go on."
"As you know, we have removed the armor and several useful items from the Unit 02 bodyshell, and placed them on Unit X. As yet, the Second Child has yet to be informed that the Synchronization Tests that have been performed on her, have actually been with the transplanted Unit 02 core."
"What is the status of the transplant? It is the first time a whole core has been moved from an Evangelion into a new one. Has Unit X taken to Unit 02's core well?"
"Yes, very well. The synchronization scores are actually rising, too. Perhaps the body of Unit X has effects on the transplanted core? That is theory that I am using, anyway...Oh, and on an entirely different matter, I would just like to schedule three synchronization tests each for Unit 01 and Unit 00 during the next we-"
"There will be no such tests." Interrupted Gendo icily, his gaze turning into one of steel.
Dr. Hishimito started.
"B-but why?! I need to have this data so that I can make accurate predictions and prepare a battle plan incase of any invasions!!"
Oh god, they'll kill me if I don't get this information!! They'll think that I'm a traitor! Oh god!! Gendo, you cold hearted son of a bitch!! Say yes, you evil bastard!!”
Gendo did not reply. Instead, he continued to look directly into Dr. Hishimito's eyes, sensing an inner turmoil beneath the scientist's thin and nervous exterior.
Ah, so my little scientist has a few problems, I see. If I don't grant him this, he might make a few drastic decisions...However, maybe if I let him have a little false victory, he will eventually reveal himself to me...willingly or not.
"Permission to host six Synchronization Tests with Unit 01and Unit 00 with their respective pilots granted." He said finally.
Takechi almost collapsed in relief.
"Thank you, sir. That is all."
"So, Miss Ayanami. Do you like school?"
The girl looked back at the bespectacled man, nodding slightly.
"...yes...it provides an interesting alternative to my normal activities."
"Which are?" Challenged the psychiatrist.
I don't know why the school hired me for this girl. She's perfectly normal, if a little closed-in, but that is easily fixed.
"Reading. Thinking mainly, though."
"Well, what do you like to think about?"
The girl glanced away with a slight blush. The psychiatrist groaned in recognition.
Not ANOTHER lovestruck fourteen year old...Really, this case is as easy as pie, I tell ya.
"Not much."
"Now, is there a particular boy that you like?"
As if she'd tell me, but I suppose I'll have to gauge her reaction.
"…no… but, I have...memories. Perhaps the one before me was attracted to hi-" She seemed to catch herself in mid-sentence.
"The one before you?"
"It is of no importance. I have another appointment. I must go...”
And with that, Rei got up and walked out the door.
The psychiatrist blinked.
"W-wha? Wait!!"
But she had all ready left.
[You almost revealed your true origin to a stranger.]
He knows nothing. A minor mistake. He will be confused, that is all.
[...perhaps...]
Through the whole day of school, Shinji just sat there, looking straight at the board like a zombie. Externally, he looked like a frozen statue.
Internally, a storm of thoughts was raging as he argued with himself.
I was so close!! Asuka ALMOST told me why she changed so much!!
[She obviously does not WANT to tell you.]
But if she opened up ONCE to me, I'm sure that I could get her to talk openly to me a LOT more often!!
[Take the first step then, Shinji. Open up to her. Or can't you? Can't you see her dilemma?]
...
[See?! You don't want to open up. She doesn't want to open up. Somebody's got to take the first step to break the ice. And SHE's obviously not going to.]
But what if she laughs at me?
[Would YOU laugh at her, if you were in that situation?]
No, but she's not me.
[Don't you trust Asuka?]
...
[But firstly, do you trust yourself? Do you trust yourself enough to be that open with someone else?]
...
[So, do you trust yourself? Or do you STILL believe that you're not good enough?]
...what?...
Shinji began to feel a strange sensation overcome him, as a familiar voice sounded in his head.
[I'm here to help you, Shinji.]
He shivered violently, causing several other classmates near him to glance at him.
W-who are you?
Shinji heard a rueful but kind laugh.
[I never thought you'd forgot me so quickly.]
Who ARE you? Please, I don't know.
[Don't worry. Just remember this, Shinji: You're better than them. Remember that. No matter how bad it looks, remember that you're better than them.]
??
"IKARI!! ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME?!"
The sound of Shinji's irritated Sensei woke him abruptly, the memory of his dream fading away.
"Err...ye-, I mean, n-...wait..."
"Ikari. Please leave the classroom."
FINI
Well, thats the end of that episode :)
Tell what ya' think of it...just one thing thats annoying me:
I CAN'T FIT ANY ACTION IN YET!! AAAAARGHHH!!! (Yes, PenPen, I know :). I would have placed that in as a little extra piece but I accidentally deleted it!!)
Hopefully in the next couple of episodes...
AND AS A PEACE OFFERING FOR THE UNDOUBTED LATENESS OF THE NEXT EPISODE, PLEASE ACCEPT 'SHINJI THE BOOZEHOUND'!!
PLEASE IF YOU CAN DRAW EVA's -EMAIL ME!! YOU'LL GET FULL CREDIT!! PLEASE!!
AND MOST OF ALL: Wasn't Unit 02 meant for Touji, like the 1st ep. said? Well? WELL? Hmmm, selection pools contaminated? What the? That doesn't make sense - you can't be contaminated after selection...can you?
I think I need to clear things up here. What Gendo was trying to say when he said that the selection pools had been contaminated was not as usual -- he meant that there was a chance that someone from SEELE was forcing Touji to do this and that, maybe on his siter's life. Got that?
Anyone annoyed that the fic is based on a new character (the not-so evil Dr. Hishimito, and his eeeevil plan to t- err, better not reveal that, hehe) I think the fic isn't focussing on him.
Is it? Please tell me, and while you're at it, write C&C, you goose!!
Daniel Y
Writer of No Leaf Clover
the_no_leaf_clover@metallica.com