Chapter 22: Children Bound by Fate

NERV headquarters

In the center of a dimly lit room, a large table with only one lamp supporting the light of the room.

"The Fourth Apostle was annihilated, and it was a pretty perfect battle." The one who spoke was Fuyutsuki who was playing shogi by himself while watching the chess game. "Ling Lang's appearance is very good, this is a little different from what I expected, Ikaru-kun." Dongyue said and skimmed Yuandu Ikaru, who was sitting motionless on the side. And Yuandu Ikari still crossed his hands in front of him, looking like a 10,000-year-old iceberg, as if as long as there was a table in front of him and a chair behind him, he would sit like that. "It's okay, it won't affect us. Follow the script and get him closer to Leigh. ”

"Is it okay? Your son seems to have a great crush on Leigh, and he's already been in contact with him. Dongyue put down the chess pieces in her hand and looked at Yuandu Ikari with her eyes.

"It's okay, the plan hasn't changed." Yuandu Ikari said with a sneer.

"The script was written fourteen years ago, the children who were bound by fate." Dongyue sighed. "It's brutal."

Picture back to school.

The scorching sun scorched the earth. Shinji, who was in physical education class, was lying on the steps under the high platform next to the playground. Look at the swimming pool on the other side. Behind a group of laughing teenage girls. A delicate figure is sitting by the pool, it is Li. The dark blue one-piece swimsuit vividly reflects the beautiful white and tender skin and perfect body. Shinji couldn't help but feel hot in his nose when he saw it. At this moment, Rei sat by the pool with her hands on her knees and said nothing, as if the movements around her had nothing to do with her. As if sensing Shinji's gaze, Rei turned her head slightly and glanced in Shinji's direction, just in time for Shinji's sunny smile. Rei immediately withdrew her gaze, and her cheeks instantly flushed with a flush.

"Hey, this gentleman." It's Dong Er who speaks, and the three of them have become very good friends since the last incident. Shinji looked back at him. "What are you looking at, so obsessed?" Fuyuji looked at Shinji playfully.

"Are you looking at Rei Ayana? Could it be you...... Hey. Kensuke also squinted at the half-moon and looked at Shinji gossipingly.

"Huh?" Shinji began to play dumb. Kensuke and Dongji don't eat this set.

"Shinji-kun, you're here again, it's suspicious. Hehe, are you looking at Ayaba's boobs, Ayaba's thighs, and...... Ayana's buttocks...... Where are you looking, Shinji-kun? You can't hide your actions from us. "Seeing that the two of them are talking more and more lewd. Shinji couldn't help but twitch the corners of his mouth. "No, I'm just wondering why Liz is always alone." As he spoke, he looked at the shadow again.

"Haha, I said I didn't watch Ayaba, but I called her Li." Dong Er quipped. Then he retracted his smile and began to recall. "Listen to you. I also remembered that she had been alone since she came here a year ago, and it seemed that she still had no friends. ”

"I always feel that she is difficult to approach, probably because of her cold personality." Kensuke also stopped giggling and said to Shinji with a little memory.

Shinji looked at the two of them and didn't say anything more, just turned his head back to Rei. Looking at the lonely figure, Shinji's eyes were full of pity.

Someday, I'll make you open up—

a.tfield――

Over the weekend, Shinji came to NERV for an experiment at Ritsuko's request. He was accompanied by Misato and Rei. Misato mainly came to see the test situation of the two drivers, after all, Misato is Shinji's guardian and naturally needs to go along. And Leigh didn't come because of the regular training on the weekend. Today's Lily also needs to be real, to carry out the second start-up test of machine zero.

"In other words, more than twenty days ago, Li's first start failed to start the real yàn, that's why she was injured so badly, right?" Shinji, who has completed the start of the real yàn, is still wearing a combat uniform, leaning on the railing of the high platform not far from the "Second Test Ground", the exclusive test site for machine zero, and chatting with Ritsuko Akagi next to him while waving to Rei inside.

"Yes." Ritsuko replied. Since the end of the last battle, the relationship between Ritsuko and Shinji has become better and better, for the simple reason that for Ritsuko, who is a workaholic, Shinji's words and deeds are like a huge treasure trove, and he can give himself great inspiration if he can't keep a single sentence. This leads Ritsuko to habitually answer all the questions raised by Shinji. And Shinji is also willing to take the initiative to approach Ritsuko in order to know more about Eva and Nerv. Not for anything else, but to seek the truth that I want to know.

"According to the report, the reason for the failure of the last launch is unknown. But according to her own account, her mind became very confused when she was in practice, and the director Zì Zero caused a 35-second rampage after cutting off the power supply. caused the accident at the time, but after the incident, Rei couldn't remember why it happened. Ritsuko replied to Shinji, her eyes fixed intently on the report in her hand.

"Well. I don't really care about last time, but this time, have any security measures been added? Shinji leaned against the railing, his eyes never leaving the girl who was busy below, his eyes full of tenderness.

"Hehe, you kid is really careful, don't worry. Since the last accident, we have added an anti-shock device to the insertion bolt to ensure the damage caused by the abnormal ejection of the insertion bolt in an emergency. Ritsuko stopped her report and turned her gaze to Shinji, who was standing aside. Looking at Shinji's focused expression, Ritsuko smiled helplessly, walked over to the computer after speaking, and began to prepare for the start of machine zero.

Just as Shinji was concentrating, a cold figure walked towards Rei, who was about to enter the cockpit.

"Huh?" Shinji raised an eyebrow. "Why is Daddy there?" Ritsuko heard Shinji's muttering and looked down. Ikari Gendu was talking to Rei about something, and a faint smile appeared on the face of the 10,000-year-old iceberg. Shinji who watched it was stunned. In Rei's eyes, Shinji could see the adoration of Gento Ikari in his eyes.

"Damn! This old immortal pervert, Lolicon, blame Shu Xiao! Shinji looked at the two people talking below with an unhappy expression, and couldn't help but burst into foul language.

Seeing Shinji complaining about his father like this, Ritsuko next to him was dumbfounded, and then covered her mouth and laughed. Then he looked at the two people under the high platform with strange eyes. He whispered, "Maybe your father thinks Rei Ayanami is someone else." ”

It's quiet, but it can't escape Shinji's ears. Shinji, who heard the sound, turned his head and saw Ritsuko's strange eyes. There is another way in my heart. No way...... Could it be that Dr. Ritsuko is also ...... Just now, he could clearly see the trace of envy in Ritsuko's eyes, and more of jealousy.

"It's about to start. Don't you go to the main control zhì platform? It's not very safe here. After Ritsuko checked the various systems, she kindly said to Shinji.

"Ah, no need Dr. Ritsuko, you can see it more clearly here." Shinji rejected Ritsuko and continued to lie on the high platform as if he had no intention of moving. Ritsuko knew Shinji's skills, so she didn't say anything, and left by herself.

The real yàn began

"All circuits connected to the mains power supply." Ritsuko commanded.

"Understood, after the mains power supply is connected, the system is up and running." In front of the workbench, Ibuki and the others were nervously busy.

"There are still 0.5, 0.2 from the critical voltage, breakthrough!" With the sweet report of Ibuki, the power indicator above the head of the orange zero lit up.

The first stage went smoothly, and Ritsuko ordered again, "Start the system and enter the second stage." ”

"The second stage begins, the connection with the driver, the synaptic insertion, the combining. The pulsatile transmission loop was normal, and the nerve connection was examined to 2580 items. There is no anomaly, there are still 0.9, 0.7 ...... from the critical spiritual limit" As the real yàn progressed, the huge head of machine zero was raised. The arms trembled unnaturally. Shinji felt that something was wrong. I secretly said in my heart. Nothing could go wrong, right?

On the other side of the control platform, Ibuki was still nervously reporting the number jù "0.5, 0.4, 0.3...... Pulsating countercurrent! "I saw the number of jù abnormalities. Ibuki immediately shouted loudly. Because of the experience of the last failure, Ritsuko commanded very decisively this time. "Cut off the power directly and inject special phenolic resin."

Bang! The huge power connector fell to the ground, and Unit Zero, which had lost its power source, struggled. Because it is a power supply that is directly cut off, the runaway of machine zero this time has been effectively controlled. In just a dozen seconds, Unit Zero was no longer struggling and stood there straight. Just when everyone thought it was safe, the body of Zero writhed strangely again.

"Scratch, bang. Sou! "The back armor of Zero was ejected, and the plug flew straight out, sticking to the ceiling and sparking a lot of sparks. The scraping sound was very harsh. After a long time, the ejection flame that inserted the bolt went out. The entire plug is plugged from the ceiling of nearly 100 meters

Dropped.

"Not good. Beautiful! The scene in front of him made Shinji's heart tug hard. I don't care that I'm on a high platform, and I'm about to jump off when I lift my feet. Outside the test site, Misato who saw Shinji's actions through the glass. Frightened, he threw away the coffee in his hand and leaned on the window and shouted at Shinji. "Shinji! No! "It's a pity that Shinji inside can't hear Misato's screams outside, so he just clings to the wall and jumps over the railing. For Rei's safety, Shinji can't care so much anymore. But Shinji is Shinji after all. Near the ground, he took out the tearing night from his necklace and slammed it into the wall. The sharp tearing night pierced directly through the wall, leaving a deep wound on the huge wall. Sparks flew around, and Shinji reached the ground safely amid the unpleasant noise. Regardless of Qiē, he rushed in the direction where Li was. Running to the plug that had already fallen to the ground, completely ignoring the heat caused by the friction of the emergency hatch, Shinji grabbed the ends of the hatch handle and turned it vigorously.

Sizzle

Clouds of white smoke rose from the place where the hatch handle touched Shinji's hands. The pungent smell of dissolved plastic was not long in coming.

Open the hatch and wait for the LCL solution to drain clean. Shinji got in.

"Leigh! Are you okay? Beautiful! Shinji, who looked panicked, looked at the delicate girl in front of him and asked anxiously.

The girl slowly raised her head, her white face was full of pain and weakness, but she still nodded slightly. Seeing Rei's expression, Shinji let out a long sigh of relief. "Great, Leigh" and pressed the emergency contact button in the cockpit, "Dr. Ritsuko, please hurry up and get over to the medical team." Then his right hand wrapped around Li's slender neck. His left hand went through Leigh's knees and lifted Leigh out of the driver's seat. "Good work, Li, take a rest, someone will come to help us soon." Shinji looked at the person in his arms with pity and gave Rei a gentle smile.

"Hmm." Just like the first encounter, lying in Shinji's arms, Rei still feels so warm. Such serenity. As if he had found a support, he replied softly, and then snuggled up to his broad chest and fell into a deep sleep.

Seeing that the girl in her arms fainted, Shinji's brows tightened. Isn't this damn design said that safety has been added?

At this time, everyone on the stage saw that the two of them were safe and sound, and the worries in their hearts were put down. Ritsuko looked at the boy who had jumped off the high platform unscathed. In a voice that can only be heard, he sighed, "It is worthy of being a father and son, and he can actually do the same thing." Then she looked at Yuandu Ikari who was not far in front of her, her eyes suddenly widened, and the Yuandu Ikari she saw was not as panicked as last time, but looked indifferently at what happened in front of her, and there was a strange smile on the corner of her mouth that she didn't notice.