"Start
entry sequence. Initiating LCL Ionization. Plug depth stable at
1.29."
The
lights in the entry plug flicker on, and Shinji coughs out an air
bubble as he looks around to find the walls all solid metal. In the
corner of his eye, a screen folds out, showing Mana, clad in her
beige NERV uniform, leaning over the camera.
"Comfy?"
"Pretty
much," he says, "I'm not actually using Uri's plug, am I?"
"Nope.
This is one of the spares. Your normal entry plug is still in the
Mark-01, for just in case. We're going to be testing Uri in Go-kun
after this."
"Okay.
Say, Mana? What happens if I get a better score than Uri in Zwei?"
"I
imagine he kills you, because you've managed to surpass him in yet
another thing due to the universe being unfair."
He
cocks an eyebrow.
"Kidding.
We doubt that's going to happen, but we're just seeing who can pilot
what. Brass says you're too good a pilot to be sidelined, so they
want you piloting something."
"Got
it," he says, and sighs, hands rolling around the butterfly
controls. He feels the pulling at the back of his head, a familiar
sensation. Perhaps even welcomed. How messed up has his life gotten
when something summed up as 'supergluing his soul to a 60 meter tall
cyborg' is a welcome thing, he asks himself.
"Third
stage reached. Synchonization start."
At
the pronouncement from Maya, the plug walls turn transparent. The
lights on the A-10 connectors glow, as his own eyes begin to outline
themselves in blue.
"Second
Child Recognized. Synchronization at 68%. Evangelio Unit-02 has
activated."
"Wait,"
he says, "Second child? I thought I was the thir-"
"MASTER!"
The
entry plug shakes with the delighted pronouncement. The piloting
seat tilts as Zwei's head rises, four eyes glowing dimly over the
Cage.
"Uh...Zwei?
I'm not Asuka. I'm Shinji. We've met before-"
"MASTER!"
"Zwei...I'm...I'm
not Asuka. Seriously. Mana, is something wrong with Zwei's
programming or something?"
"SMELLS
LIKE MASTER!"
Shinji's
shoulders slump. Well, in all honesty, he did expect something like
this at some point. He got shit from his mother, from Asuka's
brother, and more. So, eventually, he had to get shit from her pet
Evangelion.
"Okay,"
Shinji says, "Zwei, when a boy and a girl really like each
other..."
"Is
he giving the sex talk to another Evangelion?" Misato asks,
shaking her head as they listen to Shinji over the speakers.
Mana
nods, failing to mask the grin on her face.
"Y'know,"
she says, "If piloting doesn't work out, he's got a future as
Evangelion therapist."
entry sequence. Initiating LCL Ionization. Plug depth stable at
1.29."
The
lights in the entry plug flicker on, and Shinji coughs out an air
bubble as he looks around to find the walls all solid metal. In the
corner of his eye, a screen folds out, showing Mana, clad in her
beige NERV uniform, leaning over the camera.
"Comfy?"
"Pretty
much," he says, "I'm not actually using Uri's plug, am I?"
"Nope.
This is one of the spares. Your normal entry plug is still in the
Mark-01, for just in case. We're going to be testing Uri in Go-kun
after this."
"Okay.
Say, Mana? What happens if I get a better score than Uri in Zwei?"
"I
imagine he kills you, because you've managed to surpass him in yet
another thing due to the universe being unfair."
He
cocks an eyebrow.
"Kidding.
We doubt that's going to happen, but we're just seeing who can pilot
what. Brass says you're too good a pilot to be sidelined, so they
want you piloting something."
"Got
it," he says, and sighs, hands rolling around the butterfly
controls. He feels the pulling at the back of his head, a familiar
sensation. Perhaps even welcomed. How messed up has his life gotten
when something summed up as 'supergluing his soul to a 60 meter tall
cyborg' is a welcome thing, he asks himself.
"Third
stage reached. Synchonization start."
At
the pronouncement from Maya, the plug walls turn transparent. The
lights on the A-10 connectors glow, as his own eyes begin to outline
themselves in blue.
"Second
Child Recognized. Synchronization at 68%. Evangelio Unit-02 has
activated."
"Wait,"
he says, "Second child? I thought I was the thir-"
"MASTER!"
The
entry plug shakes with the delighted pronouncement. The piloting
seat tilts as Zwei's head rises, four eyes glowing dimly over the
Cage.
"Uh...Zwei?
I'm not Asuka. I'm Shinji. We've met before-"
"MASTER!"
"Zwei...I'm...I'm
not Asuka. Seriously. Mana, is something wrong with Zwei's
programming or something?"
"SMELLS
LIKE MASTER!"
Shinji's
shoulders slump. Well, in all honesty, he did expect something like
this at some point. He got shit from his mother, from Asuka's
brother, and more. So, eventually, he had to get shit from her pet
Evangelion.
"Okay,"
Shinji says, "Zwei, when a boy and a girl really like each
other..."
"Is
he giving the sex talk to another Evangelion?" Misato asks,
shaking her head as they listen to Shinji over the speakers.
Mana
nods, failing to mask the grin on her face.
"Y'know,"
she says, "If piloting doesn't work out, he's got a future as
Evangelion therapist."