In his still hazy state, it takes Shinji a second or two to really register what he means by that.

Oh. That's. A joke.

"Is that what this is, then?" That amusement is gently echoed right back at him. "Pretty relaxed kidnapping." What kind of kidnapping consists of helping said kid feel better before, presumably, releasing him back into the wild? That's not how you paint yourself as a menace, Kai.