Doctor Who: The Evangelion Error (Book Two)

Deleted Scene: Diamond Child

Misato's Apartment. Several days prior.

"So the class," the Doctor said. "They're all pilot candidates, aren't they?"

"Huh?" Asuka looked up from the carton of fried rice she'd commandeered for herself. It was the first word she'd spoken since reluctantly leaving her room. (Which by no means meant that she'd forgiven any of them. The tyrant, the crazy hobo and the crybaby -- what had she ever done to deserve the likes of them? -- But the Doctor had brought along takeout, or takeaway or whatever stupid Britishism he'd used, and besides, she wanted to keep an eye on what they were up to.)

Misato slowly chewed the bite in her mouth and swallowed. "If they are, it's news to me," she finally said.

"Has to be." The Doctor leaned back from the kitchen table in his chair. "No other explanation. I'm convinced of it now."

Misato tilted her head. "Explanation for what?"

"They're too smart," the Doctor said. "Test scores're off the charts. Way too much brilliance in that room for it to be random chance. At least without Krillitane oil around. First thing I checked for, trust me."

"You're talking about our class." Asuka knew that she'd heard what the Doctor said. She just couldn't believe that she'd heard him say it. "The one you teach at the school."

"Mmh." The Doctor slurped up a long noodle.

"On what planet would that pack of mouth-breathers be considered brilliant?!"

"Androzani Major, for starters, I suppose..." The Doctor made a face. "Not that that's saying much... anyway. I'm not saying they're all ready for Heidelberg, but they're still ahead of the curve. Explains why they're all originally from all over the country -- they must've picked out the best and the brightest from all of Japan." He looked out into the distance, a sad look in his eyes. "An entire nation, burning away its future just to survive the present..."

"That's not how it's supposed to work, you know." Misato pointed at him with her chopsticks. "There's an entire independent commission that's been set up to review candidates worldwide."

The Doctor shrugged. "Smoke and mirrors, probably. Just a show to keep people distracted from how things really work. 'Sides, you have to admit it makes tactical sense. Keep the backups close, just in case things go wrong." Misato raised her eyebrows.

Asuka thought it through. As long as they were talking about just regular smart, not Soryu-smart... "Okay, look... maybe I could see that being true about Hikari..."

The Doctor nodded enthusiastically. "Medical degree in her future, I'd imagine. Surgeon of some sort, probably. Not a cardiologist, though. Can't see her putting up with the ego parade."

Was -- was that a dig at her somehow? Asuka felt her face redden slightly. "But other than that -- you've got to be kidding me," she snapped. "Name me just one of those losers with even the slightest bit of potential."

"What about Kensuke?"

She snorted. "The nerd who still plays with his little toy planes at lunch?"

"Taught himself English last year so he could read Allied accounts of the Second World War," the Doctor said calmly. "Mostly sticks with the class for help with the pronunciation. Not to mention, he can rattle off the battle order at Guadalcanal backwards and forwards."

Asuka couldn't think of a response to that. So she just glared at him.

"And that's just the tip of the iceberg." The Doctor rooted around towards the bottom of his carton with his chopsticks. "Sadahiko runs his own software business on the side. Mari's an Olympic-level swimmer. Tomoe's been winning poetry competitions since primary school. And Toji... well, alright, still haven't got Toji figured out quite yet. Test scores're still above average, though, when he puts in the effort."

Asuka felt her face start to turn red. "W-well..." She seized on the first thing she could think of. "What about Shinji, though? Don't try to tell me that dope has some kind of a hidden talent!"

The Doctor scratched the back of his head. "Welllll..."

"Oh, come on." She crossed her arms. "If he was any more dense, he'd bend light."

The Doctor eyed her for a second, then leaned back in his chair. "Oi. Shinji?"

"Yeah?" The boy was sitting out in the living room, nose doubtless buried in some book. He'd been moody lately -- or, at least, moodier than normal, Asuka thought, even by his standards.

"What's fifty-nine times thirty-five?" the Doctor asked.

"Two-thousand sixty-five," Shinji said without missing a beat. "Why?"

"Just divvying up the bill, thanks." The Doctor set his chair back down and grinned at Asuka's stunned expression. "Mental calculator," he whispered confidentially. "Can't tell if it's the result of the Eva somehow or if he's always been like that. Either way, he's got processing power to spare these days. Been trying to find a way to break it to him. You know how he is. Give him half a compliment, he'll find some way to brood over it." Misato rolled her eyes and nodded.

"You -- do you seriously expect --" Asuka sputtered. "You staged that." They must have, she thought. Right?

"Nope." The Doctor's grin deepened. "Face it, fräulein. You're among your peers."

Oh, to hell with this, Asuka thought. She shoved her chair back loudly and stood up, glaring down at the arrogant little man from over her upturned nose. "Asuka Langley Soryu doesn't havepeers," she said with as much dignity as she could muster.

She turned and stormed back to her room, pausing only to shoot a particularly venomous glare in Shinji's direction. The idiot didn't even seem to notice, of course.