Stage 34 - "The Fourth Children" (Part II) Cover/Scene: Gendo and Ritsuko walking toward dummy system tube in which Rei floats silently with eyes closed Gendo: EVA-03 is being transported by the UN. It should arrive on the weekend. After that it's all yours. Ritsuko: Yes sir. The adjustments and activation test will be performed at Matsushiro. Gendo: And the test pilot? Ritsuko: The dummy plug is still too dangerous, so from among the current candidates... Gendo: You'll select a fourth Children? Ritsuko: Yes. There is one child who can be physiologically prepared. Gendo: I'll leave that up to you. -- Rei, you can come out now. (Rei opens eyes slowly) Gendo: Let's get something to eat. Rei (perks up noticeably - smiles): Okay. (Ritsuko looks on from behind Gendo -- expressionless but with slightly narrowed eyes) Scene: Shinji standing in stairwell - hand pressed against the window glass, staring blankly out at the school ground Shinji (monologue/thinking): ...Memories... Faint memories on the other side of a glass pane... The more I stretch forth my hand to pull them in, the deeper and deeper they sink. (Shinji as child standing before glass during mother's experiment) Do I want to recall what happened? Or do I want it to remain sealed away... (Various images accompanying each memory) The mixed odor of machine oil and blood... the sound of alarm buzzers... people's shouting voices... the mother I haven't seen since... the father I haven't spoken to since... the Eva... the new people I have met... the Angels... the giant underground... the truth... What is my truth? Everything is like sand, spilling out from between my hands. When all is said and done, I wonder what will remain inside my hands? (Touji smacks Shinji in back of head with dustpan) Touji: Come on, Shinji! *smack* You're supposed to be cleaning! Shinji: Ow!! (rubbing head) Don't hit me without warning from behind like that! Touji: You idiot -- If you're gonna peep, ya gotta be sneakier about it. Shinji: Wha!? Peep? Touji (whispering/pointing at female student climbing up stairs): Come on - you were tryin' to look up the girls' skirts, right? Well then ya gotta make it look like you're really cleaning. Shinji: Wha- what are you talking about! Just because you-!! Touji: Shh! Don't make such a fuss. (gets down on hands and knees with rag) For example, you pretend like you're wiping the floor like this, and then you just kind of look over-!! (Touji glances aside and up to see Hikari standing over him in full view, glowering down at him) Hikari: *Su* *Zu* *Ha* *Ra*!! Today of all days I am *not* going to let you get away with this! Touji (scrambling to get away): Sh*t!! Wouldn't you know I'd have to see the most dangerous underwear in the school! Hikari (chasing after him): Now you just wait!! Touji (clings to Shinji): Save me, Shinji! Shinji: Hey! Watch out!! (Shinji topples over backwards and falls down stairs together with Touji - Hikari looks on with shocked expression) Hikari: Are... are you two all right? Touji/Shinji: Ow! Ouch! (Shinji has slight scrape/cut on forearm near elbow) Hikari: Ikari - you're bleeding! Shinji (calmly): Oh, I guess the metal mop head hit me. Hikari: We have to get you to the infirmary! Shinji: I'm fine. It's just a scratch. Hikari: No! We have to disinfect it! Touji (groggily): What about me! I'm black and blue all over. Hikari (shouting): You just stay there and clean!! Scene: Hikari and Shinji in infirmary Hikari (applying disinfectant): I'm sorry. After all it was half my fault... Shinji: That's okay. Don't worry about it. Hikari: Ikari, you're pretty good friends with Suzuhara, right? Why do you hang around with that idiot? Shinji: Huh? Why...? Hikari: Stupidity is contagious, you know. Shinji: Touji's not stupid. He just likes to fool around. He's actually more reliable than I am, and a real nice guy, too. Hikari (blushing/small voice): I think so, too... Shinji: Hm? Hikari (denying furiously): Oh, just kidding! I didn't mean it! (slightly downcast expression) Does Suzuhara ever say anything about me? Shinji: Hm? Hikari (denying furiously again): Oh, nothing serious! -- I mean I just want to know if he thinks I "nag" or that I'm "bossy" or "nosey" or something... Shinji: He really doesn't say anything about that. Hikari: Well that's good... Suzuhara likes Asuka, doesn't he? Shinji (shocked): What!? Hikari: Well, they always seem to get along... Shinji (imagining Touji and Asuka fighting)(thinking): Is that called getting along? Shinji: I don't think there's any chance of that. I think Touji is more attracted to the 'home-body' type. Hikari (perking up): Really? (blushing) I guess so... (slight giggle) Scene: Misato's apartment -- Shinji and PenPen watching TV, Asuka eating a 'watermelon' ice-sicle (a popsicle/ice cream bar shaped/colored like a triangular slice of watermelon) Asuka: Hey Shinji, change the channel. (sarcastically) Or do you actually find that old program interesting? Change it to something better. Shinji (thinking): If they only knew her true nature, I don't think *anyone* would like her -- not just Touji.) Asuka: Did you say something? Shinji: Nope... (changes channel) I wonder why the Class Pres was asking questions about Touji? Asuka: ?? - What do you mean? Shinji: Today the Class Pres asked me a lot of things about Touji. Has Touji said anything about her... Does Touji like Asuka... Asuka: Yeeeck!! Make me sick! Shinji: It's strange, don't you think? After all she always treats him so harshly. Asuka: Are you stupid? That means she likes him. Shinji (slight time lag): What!? Asuka: So that's why she seemed so happy when I invited her to that party... She was after Suzuhara... Shinji (desperately): But it doesn't seem that way at all... Asuka (smirking): Ha... You'll never understand women as long as you live. (to herself) But Hikari, what bad taste... And how could you ask stupid Shinji -- I would have been so much more help... Shinji (thinking): You probably would have messed up the whole thing... But I sure don't understand women. Do they really treat the men they like harshly? (image of Misato and Kaji) Misato does... (glances back at Asuka - turns back around with slightly worried expression) And Asuka is always mean to me... (slightly relieved expression) No way -- This one's just naturally mean-spirited. This one has to be the opposite pattern -- Kaji, you're a lucky man... Asuka (shouting): Hey! what are you looking at me and mumbling about! Scene: Ritsuko's office Ritsuko: We're going to use the fourth pilot for EVA-03's activation test in Matsushiro. Misato: The fourth? You've found a fourth? Ritsuko: Just yesterday. Misato: I haven't received any report from the Marduke Agency. Ritsuko: The formal paperwork will arrive tomorrow. Misato: Ritsuko... You're not hiding anything from me, are you? Ritsuko (typing away at computer - poker face): Nope... Misato: Hmpf... whatever. So, who is the chosen child? (looks over Ritsuko's shoulder at computer screen) Misato (shocked): Who would have thought it would be him...? (Touji Suzukara's file is displayed with all fields and data in German) - End Stage 34