First off, I apologise immensely for this chapter taking so long to come out. I had the Episode segments of this chapter finished about a month ago, but then got stuck writing new stuff because there isn't much I can add here in the actual Episode itself. Thankfully I was able to get it done and it's out now, thankfully. Time to meet up with Asuka!
-.-
Darkness
Darkness.
That's what it always felt like.
Uncle.
Aunt.
Waiting.
It never changed.
Bicycle.
Wrongly accused.
Despite everything.
Despite how everything had changed in months.
Nothing ever did.
Cell-like.
Trapped.
Light.
Warmth.
This was different.
Red.
Old friend.
She left me behind.
No, she didn't.
Don't be so hard on yourself, baka!
But you never returned.
I would've if I could've.
Why didn't you?
I tried, I tried so hard.
Why did you leave?
My father made me.
Your father.
Yes.
Why didn't you try and fight it?
I couldn't.
I had no power.
Will I see you again?
Soon.
What do you mean?
Soon.
What are you saying?
Soon.
Soon.
Soon.
Soon.
Believe.
I will see you again.
Shinji awoke.
Asuka awoke.
Minds melded together.
Life will never be the same...
-.-
August 30th, 2015
Pitch blackness. That was the current state of Gendo Ikari's office. The man himself sat as he always did, hands folded silently in front of his face. Unlike other cases, the man held a phone to his ear, in deep conversation with the other person.
"Correct. I have already made the necessary preparations and arranged it with the committee. The cargo left a few weeks ago from Sasebo Port. As of this very moment, it is on its way here, across the Pacific Ocean." Gendo finished his short call. Time was of the essence after all. He placed the Phone down carefully, satisfied.
-.-
For once, since Shinji had arrived in Tokyo-3, Misato had made it a goal to get up early for once, with the idea of actually wanting to be up early instead of being forced to due to NERV work.
It was because of this that for the first time, Misato was awake and ready to go before pretty much anyone else was. She headed towards the main living space, where the kids had set themselves up for the night. Misato fully expected all six teens to still be sleeping when she entered the room, however, Shinji was found wide awake, staring out the closest window.
She walked over quietly, sitting down next to the boy, trying hard not to wake anyone else up yet.
"Hey, Misato." Shinji said, his eyes not moving from the window.
"Up early, Shinji?" Misato asked, slight amusement in her voice.
"Always, Misato." Shinji replied, giving the woman a small smile. "Someone has to get up and cook breakfast." He jokingly said, intending to push the woman's buttons by implying she didn't usually get up early at all, instead preferring to sleep and get up when she wanted to. Misato slapped him playfully, smiling slightly at him.
"So, where is breakfast?" She replied, trying to get back at the boy. Shinji turned away, returning to staring out the window. "Shinji?" Misato asked, her tone of voice completely changing. "Are you okay?" She continued, her voice laced with concern for her charge.
"I'm fine, Misato. Just a weird dream." Shinji replied, his body language saying there was more to this dream.
"Seems like an interesting dream. You sure you don't want to talk about it?"
"It's fine, Misato. I'm going to go make breakfast." Shinji replied, standing and leaving towards the kitchen, where the clanging of kitchen appliances started to wake the others up from their slumber. Mari was the first one awake, quickly settling into her usual floaty self, she got up quickly and stretched, intending to highlight as much of her body as possible, something that she loved to do.
Kensuke awoke to Mari stretching in the middle of the room, his eyes widened and he promptly collapsed against the floor. Toji and Hikari woke up at similar times, staring straight at each other. They quickly got up and turned away from each other, blushing wildly. Somehow, they'd managed to end up snuggled together during the night, and Mari took notice of this with a massive smirk, intent on teasing the two teens as much as possible.
Throughout all of this, Rei quietly walked into the room, having gotten up, walked to the bathroom, and changed into her uniform. Mari noticed, turning towards the other girl, noticing her uniform.
"We really need to buy you some new clothes, Blueberry. School uniforms should only be worn at school." Mari stated coming to stand beside the First Child. Grabbing to fabric and shaking her head.
"Is this not good enough?" Rei asked, confusion in her voice. "These are clothes, and clothes hide my natural form." She said, causing Hikari to bush brightly, quickly ducking into the bathroom to change herself, fully intent on getting away from the sexual talk that Mari was inevitably going to say. "These clothes do that, so why can't I wear them?"
"As much as I'm sure everyone here would love to see our natural forms." Mari replied, winking at Kensuke and Toji, who were staring at the two girls with wide eyes. "This uniform is really designed for school use, because we need to be somewhat formal. You really need some clothes for casual use. Something like what Hikari's wearing." Hikari blushed at being brought into the spotlight, having changed into a striped shirt under a yellow sundress. She turned and sternly stared at Mari, her hands on her hips. Despite the completely different dress, she could still nail the Class Rep look.
"Sorry Freckles." Hikari rolled her eyes and headed towards the kitchen to help Shinji. "So, Blueberry, while the others are away getting our new pilot, we're going to go shopping!" Rei just nodded, before heading towards the Kitchen herself, ready for some food.
Mari smiled, stretching one last time, before gathering her stuff and heading to the bathroom to change herself.
Eventually, everyone ended up in the Kitchen for a scrumptious breakfast courtesy of Shinji Ikari, before they were all required to head to NERV HQ for various reasons. Mari and Rei would be required there for Sync Tests, and Mari would be trying to sync with Unit-01 in case anything happened while the rest of the group were collecting the Second Child.
-.-
The rather peaceful breakfast was suddenly stopped by Sachiel flying frantically into the room, Skeletal right on his tail, diving into the food Shinji had prepared for everyone's breakfast.
"This is the life." Sachiel stated, relaxing into the food, letting the sauces relax into his skin. Skeletal skuttled around inside as well, not getting the same feeling as Sachiel, but enjoying the food skuttling along his bones.
Ramiel flew in soon after, floating above the table, and using her drill to pick up some food for herself.
"Yes." She said, satisfied with what she was given, continuing to float above the table.
Shamshel was the most natural. Coming in quietly, sitting down at the table as best as he could, using his tendrils to collect food for eating. He'd decided to go with a more human size today, allowing him to sit at the table with everyone else. The completely normal reactions of the rest of the table indicated that this was no longer a strange occurrence, and had become perfectly normal in their interesting and strange lives that had been given to them.
"So," Misato started, her voice cutting through the silence that had perpetrated up to this point. "Are we all ready for our lovely trip?"
"Yes! Oh, it's going to be so exciting!" Kensuke replied, jumping up and down in his seat as only the military buff could do. "Old ships! And another Eva! I can't wait!"
"Calm down, Aida." Hikari said sternly, her Class Rep voice slipping back into play. "Personally, I'm looking forward to it. It should be interesting, and I can't wait to meet the new pilot!" She said. "I'm happy it didn't interfere with School though."
"Of course, can't miss School, that would be horrible."
"Learning is good for you, Suzahara!"
"Calm down, Hikari." Toji replied. "Just a joke." Hikari glared at him, as Mari spoke up from across the table.
"Hey, Miso," Misato nodded, indicating Mari to ask her question. "The new pilot is female, right?" Misato nodded with a small smile, directed more at Shinji than anyone else. Shinji stared blankly back at her, not understanding why she would be giving him a look.
"Yes, Mari she is."
"Great! That means the guys will be outnumbered!" She wooped, giving a large smile to everyone in the room. Shinji, Toji and Kensuke stared at each other, she was right after all. Hikari, Mari and Rei were already in their small group, when the new pilot arrived, they would be outnumbered 3 to 4...
"Shinji, we need a new male pilot so we don't stay outnumbered!" Toji commented, staring right at Shinji, who stared back at him, unimpressed.
A little while later, the group had separated, Hikari, Toji, Kensuke and Shinji making sure that they had everything they needed packed for their trip, while Mari and Rei packed up all the sleepover supplies.
In his room, Shinji glanced over it one last time, making sure he hadn't forgotten anything. A spare plugsuit lay nearby, which Shinji quickly grabbed in case anything bad happened while they were out, like an Angel attacking the ship, and the new pilot somehow ended up pulling him along for the ride. With a small smile, he was about to close his suitcase when he noticed a small object in the corner. Stepping over, he smiled as he pulled out his Purple see-through Game Boy, with Pocket Monsters Green sitting in the back, he smiled as he packed it, thinking he may finally get a use for it. With a small smile, he stood and exited the room, letting the door slide shut behind him.
-.-
"Reminder, never let Misato drive like that again." Shinji said as the group got out of the car at NERV HQ, after a rather dangerous drive with Misato doing her signature thing of breaking all the road rules at the same time.
"It's fine, Shinji!" Misato replied, ruffling his hair. "I'm with NERV, so I can deter anything that goes wrong."
"That still doesn't change the fact that you're driving could get someone killed..." Shinji said as the group slowly made their way through NERV HQ, the Angels taking a chance to float in the open for once, as NERV knew of their existence.
The lift doors closed behind them, taking them further into the triangular base. The first stop would be for Mari and Rei, who would be getting off near the Eva Cages, to have a normal Sync test. Rei in Unit-00 as normal, while Mari would be doing a general test first, to see how she stacks up against the other pilots. Afterwards, a decision would be made over whether she could test with Unit-01, as a backup in case Shinji was indisposed.
With the lift doors opening, Mari and Rei stepped out with a final wave, Skeletal following Mari at a brisk pace. The door closed again, this time taking the group up towards the Geofront surface, where the Helicopter Pad was located, with the Helicopter already sitting there, ready to take the group out to sea.
As the lift opened, the sounds of the Helicopter's rotors could be heard over anything else. Makoto stood nearby, making sure that final preparations were ready to go. "Morning Major!" He said, making himself heard over the loud rotors which were already spinning.
"Morning Hyuga!" Misato replied, staring out at the Helicopter, a member of Section 2 in the pilot's seat, ready to go. "How are we looking?"
"All good, Major!" Makoto replied, indicating to the Helicopter in question. "The Over the Rainbow is already prepared for your arrival, I've heard the Second Child is anxious to meet you, Shinji." He said, looking over at the Unit-01 pilot, who nodded with a small smile. He would be lying if he wasn't anxious to meet her either.
"Shinji's got an admirer!" Sachiel said, dancing around in the air, Ramiel joined in as best she could, however being an octahedron, there wasn't much she could do. Shamshel stared at his brother and sister in a mixture of bewilderment and affection.
"Shut up!" Shinji replied, his face starting to go red. Toji and Hikari smiled and giggled, finally feeling happy that someone else was getting teased instead of them.
"Don't be so happy, lovebirds!" Sachiel said, flying in front of the aforementioned teens. "You're still going to be..." Sachiel was cut off by Hikari's hair, which was once again let down on its own accord, whipping him in the face from the intense wind from the Helicopter's rotors.
Makoto laughed at the display, before indicating to the Helicopter, anxious to leave. "Well, if you'd like to hop into the craft. We'd like to get you going as quickly as possible." Kensuke rushed towards the transport, jumping in and settling in, his camera in his hands, set up and ready to go. Shinji followed at a more normal pace, silently getting in and looking out the window. Shamshel and Ramiel followed, hovering around inside. Sachiel however, had other things on his mind.
With a bout of strength, Sachiel pushed Toji and Hikari towards the Helicopter, with the full intent of having them sit together so they knew how they were absolutely perfect for each other. They sighed as Toji was pushed back into the seat, with Hikari practically falling into his lap, they both blushed hard as the door was shut by Makoto, while Misato jumped into the co-pilot's seat, putting the headphones over her ears.
"Are we ready, kids?" Misato asked, a large smile on her face, with two sets of thumbs up, and a couple of flustered attempts to reply to her, the Helicopter lifted of the ground, heading out of the Geofront, headed towards the Over the Rainbow.
With a smile on the ground, Makoto gave a final wave, shutting his folder as he headed back to the lift himself. Pushing the button for Central Dogma, he waited as the lift moved swiftly into the depths of NERV HQ. 'Time to tell Maya and Shigeru of the good news.' He thought as the doors opened, work and chatting to come.
-.-
The Helicopter made quick, fast movements across the rather interesting landscape. Inside, Misato Katsuragi sat with her charge, Shinji Ikari, and his friends, Toji Suzahara, Hikari Horaki and Kensuke Aida.
"Wow! Would you guys look at this!? It's a MIG-55 D Transport Helicopter!" Kensuke cried out in glee, his camera as always, mere inches away from his face as he tried to take in as much as possible. He had to record this after all. "This is amazing! Thank you, Miss Misato for the change to actually fly in one of these things! Man, it sure is great to have friends like you, right, Shinji?"
"Eh?" Shinji replied, glancing at the boy, nowhere near as excited as the army buff was. After all, this was just a pickup mission. Sachiel floated nearby, just as excited as Kensuke was.
"Yippee!" The Angel cried as he flittered around the small cabin, his brother Shamshel, sat in exasperation nearby, wondering when this was going to end. "This is great! Who knew you humans could do these things!"
"We also destroyed these things, Sachiel." Shamshel noted, just glancing up at his brother.
"Yes." Ramiel replied, floating nearby. No-one still had any idea of what it was that Ramiel did, so everyone just left the Angel to herself.
"Ah, whatever Shamshel! You've got to lighten up!" Sachiel replied, floating towards his brother. "Relax a little!" Shamshel just stared back. He was proud of his role as the reasonable one, thank you very much.
"Haha!" Misato laughed, turning around from her seat up front, to glance at the teens in the back. "Yeah, I figured you guys would get sick of waiting in the mountains constantly, so I took you guys out on a little date!" Misato winked, causing Shinji to glance back at her, unimpressed. Kensuke burst out of his seat, leaning forward.
"Are you saying this is a date, Misato!?" Misato smiled widely again, giggling slightly at the bespectacled boy's enthusiasm. Kensuke relaxed against the seat again, turning to Toji. "Hey Toji, did you hear that, this is a date!"
"Yeah, Ken, I heard." Toji replied dismissively. Hikari sat nearby, cuddled up against him, in a situation neither wanted to be in. Hikari's face was completely red, and she had just sat in dumbfounded shock since leaving NERV HQ, having not said a word. Considering the size of the cabin, someone had to squeeze in, and it just so happened to be Hikari. Toji was also uncomfortable, his face a similar shade of red. Needless to say, his thoughts were not on the purple haired woman up front.
"So, where are we going, again?" Shinji asked, his mask of unimpressiveness still on his face.
"Oh, we're just taking a nice little cruise along the Pacific on that cute little boat down there." Misato replied, indicating to the group of ships that could now be seen below. Kensuke got excited again, his face going red from the sheer amount of army that sat all around him.
"Oh my god!" He cried, his camera flittering wildly left and right. "Five aircraft carriers and four battleships! What a fleet! Do you see this Shinji!?"
"Yes, Kensuke, I can see it." Shinji replied, glancing out the window slightly.
"Wow! This is really what friends are for!" Kensuke said, flittering about wildly. The small group had shifted slightly, glancing down below. Toji and Hikari were still huddled together, the jock glancing out with a look of indifference.
"That is your cute little boat?" His voice coming out in a monotone. Severely disappointed after Misato's earlier comment. 'I just wanted to have a nice relaxing day with Hikari... Wait, what?' He thought, wondering why he had been thinking about the girl so much.
"Oh yeah! She sure is gorgeous!" Misato gave Toji a triumphant look after Kensuke's comment, causing the other boy to stick his tongue out at her. "That right there is the pride of the United Nations! The glorious super-carrier, the Over the Rainbow!"
"It's huge." Hikari stated, speaking up for the first time on the whole trip. She was still embarrassed, but she had managed to calm herself down a bit.
"Yep!" Misato replied, also glancing out the window. "What I'm more surprised about is how such a crusty old relic is still afloat."
"Nah!" Kensuke replied, his camera having not left his face yet. "It's not so bad. It is a vintage model from before the Second Impact!" The group settled back into their seats, watching the deck of the boat come closer to them, the Helicopter getting ready to touch down on the surface of the large carrier.
Nearby, in the Bridge of the Over the Rainbow. The gruff Captain had his eyes glued onto a pair of binoculars, a hard edge to his voice. He watched carefully as the Helicopter approached the deck, speaking in dissatisfaction. "Give me a break!" He said, his voice carrying gruff annoyance.
"Not only that, but they're bringing the power cables for that toy they have." His First Officer said from nearby, watching just as intently.
"Give me a break!" The Captain said again, his old and barely styled grey moustache flittering in annoyance. "This is a child's errand!" His First Officer, significantly younger, with a fresh mop of brown hair, nodded in agreement.
Above, a red-haired girl in a bright yellow sundress stood watching out. Her hair fluttering in the wind brought by the helicopter, a smug smile sat on her face, her blue eyes shining with challenge.
A loud clang brought the vessel to the surface of the deck, and quickly, the group of kids started to exit the Helicopter. The Angels had taken to hiding in Shinji's shirt pocket as they usually did, so they could not be seen by unsuspecting eyes.
– Neon Genesis Evangelion OST – Track 9 – Asuka Strikes! –
"Cool! Cool! Cool! Cool! Cool! Oh, this is awesome!" Kensuke cried out as he exited the Helicopter. Rushing ahead to get a good look at everything he could. His camera recording the entire time. "Real men would shed tears for this thing!" Kensuke said dramatically, continuing to rush forward and look at as much boats and jets as he could. The crew of the ship glanced around in amusement at the kid who was currently having some sort of freakout, laughter echoing through the deck.
Toji came out next, his cap he had put on for the day flying out into the distance. He rushed after it, exasperated at the wind. "Hey, wait up! Get back here!" He cried, dashing after it. Hikari came next, using her arms to smooth out her own yellow sundress as much as possible, she felt warmer though, as she had worn a nice striped shirt underneath. Shinji followed, yawning and stretching to crack his back, relaxing his muscles after the long trip. Finally, Misato brought up the rear, one hand clutching her hair to stop it from swaying in the wind, the other to hold onto her jacket, keeping it closed around her, a folder sitting in between.
"Hey! Wait!" Toji continued to shout, clamouring for anyone to stop his hat. "Come on! Please! That's my special hat!" His wish was granted, when his hat came to relax against the red heel of someone. Toji looked relieved, happiness gracing his features, when the heels stomped on the hat. He stopped, glancing up as the rest of their group came to a stop behind them. This person was obviously important.
"Why, hello Misato!" The girl said, causing everyone to stare at her. "How have you been?"
Shinji froze. Thoughts running through his mind like a record. She felt familiar, and yet, he couldn't figure out why she did. The young girl from his childhood flashed in his eye. He was so out of focus that he didn't hear Misato speak up from beside him.
"I'm fine, what about you? My goodness, you've really grown up huh?"
"Uh huh!" The girl enthusiastically replied, her foot still firmly crushing Toji's special cap, said boy continuing to struggle to pull it out from underneath her heels. "And it's not just my height either, my figures filled out as well!" Misato smiled as she continued.
"Everyone, let me introduce you to the designated pilot of Evangelion Unit-02, and the Second Child, Asuka Langley Soryu." Asuka smirked, a challenge in her eyes as she glanced around at the people in front of her. A sudden gust of wind suddenly brought everyone's attention to the young girl, deciding to give everyone a showcase of the girl's body, as her yellow sundress lifted under the intense wind.
Misato and Hikari simply glanced on as Asuka shrieked in alarm, pushed her sundress down to cover herself up again, and proceeded to slap all three of the boys in front of them. Hikari would've intervened, but she was stunned by what just happened. "Alright guys, let's just move on, please?" Hikari asked, pleading in her voice, she wasn't heard however, as Toji jumped up, annoyance in his face.
– End –
"What the hell did you do that for?" He cried, jumping up to face the girl in front of him. Kensuke groaned, pulling his camera away from his face, a rather cruel black eye behind it. Hikari groaned, her annoyance with Toji coming across in spades. Asuka noticed this, and gave the other girl a small smirk, she smiled slightly back, both pleased, and slightly worried about what she would do.
Asuka returned her attention to the jock in front of her, she wasn't impressed. Her hands were placed firmly on her hips, glaring down at the boy in front of her. "That's the viewing fee! It's quite a bargain, isn't it?"
"It's overpriced!" Toji replied, anger in his features. "But that's alright." He continued, fumbling with his belt. His friends groaned, covering their faces in horror as they figured out what Toji was about to do. Hikari frowned, anger and annoyance in her eyes. "Here! Have your change!" Toji was about to pull his pants down, when Hikari stepped forward, her Class Representative voice in full force.
"That's enough, Suzahara!" Toji glowered as the pigtailed girl stepped into his space, jabbing her finger at him in annoyance. "You've done enough to embarrass everyone here, but somehow you think continuing is the right answer!"
"But she..."
"That was the wind you complete and utter..." Hikari growled in frustration as Asuka stared at her with wide-eyes. She was going to slap the boy, but the other girl had beaten her to it. Instead, she decided to step forward, while Hikari continued to make sure her point was understood by the complete and utter dummkopf behind her.
"So, Misato? Which one is the famous Third Child I've heard so much about?" She asked innocently, as if nothing had happened in the last couple of minutes. She then frowned in disgust and turned back to Toji. "Ugh, nein, please don't tell me it was him."
"No, Asuka. It's not him." Misato replied, instead gesturing to Shinji who stood in front of her. "It's him."
Asuka froze. Mere moments ago, she was calm and collected, ready to showcase just how much of an Eva Pilot she was, and how she was the best, and how no new rookie pilot was going to take that away from her. But seeing this boy crushed those plans, he seemed familiar, but she couldn't quite place it. She had her bastard father to thank for that...
She shook her head quickly, before returning to her usual tirade for any male who was not Kaji, complete and utter disgust. She leaned forward, glancing at him intently.
Shinji felt weird, conflicting feelings in his chest, he was getting irritated at what this girl was doing, yet it felt right to him. Like this was completely normal. He was snapped out of his thoughts by her quick and snappy comment. "Not much to look at." Shinji frowned, crossing his arms and staring right back at her, a challenge that Asuka met with willingness, a small smirk gracing her features.
"I could say the same about you." He replied, she frowned, stepping back to stare straight at him.
"Watch yourself, Third." She replied, meeting his stare head on, neither blinking once. "Don't want NERV's precious Third Child to be the cause of their undoing."
"Don't worry." Shinji replied flippantly. "I will be."
"Wunderbar." Asuka replied, a small smile gracing her lips. Before straightening and glancing at Misato, wondering what was next. Shinji gave a small smile as well, turning to face his guardian.
"Where to, Misato?" He asked, as Misato just stared wide eyed at them, she wasn't expecting Shinji to reply and meet her head on at all, from what she remembered of Asuka, she was incredibly headstrong, and not many people were able to meet her on an equal ground. 'It should be interesting watching those two.' She thought. She shrugged before leading the group towards the bridge, the door located nearby. She pushed the door open, and professionally stepped onto the bridge. Big Sister Misato was gone, Work Misato was in her place.
She extended her hand towards the captain, shaking it for a moment, the Captain frowned, his grey moustache twisting in barely disguised annoyance at the intrusion on his bridge. She gave the man a card, who glanced at it in disgust. The card was a light brown colour, her official NERV card. Barely anything could be gathered from the card, as anything that was classified had been crossed out efficiently beforehand.
"Hmm. NERV." The man said, the distaste evident in his voice. Misato frowned, but kept up her professional demeanour in front of the man. "So, you seemed to be the one in charge of this band of boy scouts, considering that display on the deck. But, it appears I was mistaken."
"I must thank you for your wonderful hospitality, Captain." She replied, her stoic demeanour still in place.
"Oh no!" The Captain replied sarcastically. "I must thank you for giving me and my crew the opportunity to babysit a bunch of kids." The Captain glanced to his right, annoyance clouding his face as Kensuke happily danced about the bridge.
"And we thank you for your assistance in the marine transport of Evangelion Unit-02." Misato pulled out a set of sheets from her folder and handed them to the Captain. Who snatched them out of her hand. "These sheets hold the specifications for the Evangelion's emergency power supply."
"I'm sorry to say, Major, but you've wasted a trip. I would never approve activating that toy whilst we are out at sea."
"Think of it as being prepared in case of a possible emergency." Misato replied, her face betraying no emotions, but her body stiffening. "Like a possible Angel attack? The Eva is quite valuable sir."
"It's so valuable that the entire pacific fleet is escorting it!? Yamanoi?"
"Yes, sir?" His First Officer replied, just as stoic as his Captain.
"Is it me, or has the UN Navy suddenly become a cargo service?"
"It's not just you, sir."
"Really? I would've believed it if I saw it." The Captain replied, sarcasm dripping from his lips.
"Captain? If my memory serves me correctly, I believe it happened once a certain organisation was established."
"Guarding a toy?" The Captain spat, twisting to stare out at the tarp covering the gigantic machine a few ships over. "This is quite a grandiose escort for the entire Pacific Fleet."
"It's still not enough." Misato replied, still calm and collected. "Especially considering the importance of the Eva." She grabbed another set of papers from her folder, holding them out to the Captain. "Would you sign these transfer documents, please?"
"Not yet, Major." The Captain replied sternly, letting his displeasure show. Misato just stared back, her small smile still forced on her face. "Unit-02 and its pilot have been entrusted to us by the Third Branch in Berlin. You aren't just going to waltz onto this ship and do as you please!" Misato composed herself, before continuing, as if nothing had happened.
"If that is the case, then when will you transfer Unit-02 and its pilot over to us?"
"Once we've unloaded the Unit in New Yokosuka." The First Officer replied, calmly but firmly.
"The ocean is our jurisdiction, Major. While you are on this ship, you will follow our orders." The Captain finished, nothing having changed in his face.
"I understand." Misato replied, snapping the folder shut and placing it under her arm again. "However, I feel the need to remind you than in the case of an emergency, NERV's military authority overrides your own." Shinji and his friends stared at Misato in a mixture of shock and indifference. To most of them, Misato was a cool older sister, who seemed like the least likely person to be a Director of Operations for a military group, yet here she was, speaking and acting completely different to how she usually did back at home.
"She can be reasonable." Hikari said, wonder and surprise going through her as she stared at the woman she thought she knew.
"She's sounding a lot like Ritsuko." Shinji commented in turn. The sound of a door opening wasn't heard, but a voice afterwards was.
"Well, I see you're as gallant as ever." The voice said, distinctly man-like. The group turned as one, curiosity etched on all their faces, on noticing the man standing in the doorway with a small but crooked smile.
"Kaji!" Asuka cried in happiness, turning quickly and raising her hand in greeting, Misato turned, immediately gasping in horror, a scowl coming across her features. No one else could hear her and understood why she was like this.
"Mr. Kaji, how many times do I have to tell you, you must not insist to invite yourself onto the bridge."
"Oh, my apologies." Kaji replied, sounding completely unapologetic, stepping briefly into the room. "I just had to come see Asuka again after coming back onto the ship after my assignment. But it seems some other lovely people have arrived as well." Kaji gave a sly smile, directed straight at Misato, who growled in annoyance and stomped out of the room, pushing past Kaji in annoyance, the rest of their little group followed, stepping onto the stairs leading to the lower level, when they noticed Misato was still standing in the doorway, a salute in place, talking to the Captain.
"Excuse us, then." She said firmly. "Just make sure you get us to New Yokosuka as ordered." The door shut firmly behind her, indicating her leave.
"Shit!" The Captain said, glancing at where Misato once stood. "Those children are going to be the cause of Mankind's salvation."
"I suppose that times are changing, Captain." The First Officer replied. "I also understand that congress has put its hopes behind that robot."
"On that child's toy!?" The Captain said in exasperation, swirling in his chair to glance out the window, towards the ship where Unit-02 lay under a cream tarp. "What idiots! If they've got the money to blow on those toys then they ought to give us a little more!"
-.-
Meanwhile, miles underwater. A whale-like creature swiftly moved through the bleakness of the ocean. A long fin streached out behind, and the creatures mouth was filled with teeth, looking like a massive cross between a Shark, Whale and a Jellyfish.
Hahaha! Hey guys, look! I'm actually going to do something! The fish gleefully swam back and forth underneath the water. As you already know, I am the strongest! Hahaha! Oh, cra- The fish's musings were cut off as he collided with the side of a ship, causing the ship to rock slightly back and forth. What was I doing? Oh, yeah! Going to find the mother! Mother? Mother, where are you? Mooooothhhhhhheeeeeeer!?
-.-
The group of seven moved towards the nearest lift and stepped inside, as the door shut behind them, they instantly realised that maybe having some of the group wait for another lift was a good idea, as this lift they were now all in was incredibly crowded. Kensuke looked right at home, not really caring about the situation as he continued to swing his camera around in glee, nearly hitting Hikari in the face, who was currently hugged up against Toji, who was trying really hard to stay calm and not make any rash decisions, who in his haste, accidently bumped Shinji straight into Misato's chest, who didn't care at the distraction because she was glaring heatedly at Kaji, who simply smiled slyly at her in affection, while constantly trying as much as possible to move away from Asuka, who was desperately trying to use him as a leaning pole. All in all, it was the worst trip in a lift any of them had ever had.
"What the hell are you doing here!?" Misato said in annoyance, her gaze having not moved from Kaji at all. Kaji simply gave a grin before responding.
"Accompanying her." He said simply, gesturing down at the redhead beside him. "I'm on a... let's call it a business trip." Misato scowled, and turned away from Kaji, shifting Shinji below her, who started to fall backwards towards Asuka.
"Talk about being careless. I should have anticipated this." Misato said to herself, as Shinji collapsed onto Asuka, his hands landing firmly on her breasts.
"Oh shit." Shinji said bluntly, as Asuka's face turned a heated red, and she started trying her hardest to hit the boy who'd dared touch her. The redhead couldn't move though, and a large shout from Misato stopped her immediately.
"Hey, watch where you're touching!" Misato shouted, her face staring daggers at Kaji, who had the decency to look down slightly as he replied.
"I can't help it!" He responded. "If you haven't noticed Katsuragi, it's quite crowded in here."
Misato growled as the door finally opened, and the group, in their haste to get out, ended up in a tangle of limbs on the floor. The only two to stay out of the situation, was Toji and Hikari, who had stayed up holding onto each other as everyone hustled to get out.
With a glare at Kaji, Misato stood and swiftly entered a small dining area. Kaji quickly stood and followed her, a small smile gracing his lips the entire time. Shinji stood and turned toward Asuka, and decided to hold a hand out to her. She stared at it for a moment, contemplating whether to give this boy she'd just met her time of day. Do it, Asuka. Take his hand. You need each other. A voice echoed around her head, sounding suspiciously like her own, younger self. With a small smile, she let the boy take her hand and pull him up. Before letting go and strutting proudly into the dining area. Shinji followed behind at his own pace. Small smiles on both their faces. Kensuke followed enthusiastically, his camera still trying to catch as much as possible. Finally, Toji and Hikari silently walked into the room, where more stuff was happening.
They slowly sat down next to Kensuke, who sat next to Misato, a frown on her normally happy face, turned as much as she could from Kaji, who sat across from her, a wistful look and smile on his face, his foot tapping hers in an attempt to get her attention. Beside him, sat Asuka and Shinji, amusement on both their faces.
"So," Kaji started, his foot still not giving up. "Are you seeing anyone right now?" He asked innocently, curiosity in his face and voice.
"I don't see why that's any of your business." Misato replied, her arms cross tightly in front of her chest.
"I'm hurt." Kaji replied, taking his mug and relaxing against the seat. "Ow." He said, trying to make the woman react. "You're acting quite cold, aren't you?" Misato didn't answer, continuing to look anywhere but the man sitting across from her. Kaji smiled, leaning back and turning towards Shinji. "So, Shinji. I hear you're living with Katsuragi right now?"
"Yeah, that's right." Shinji replied, slight confusion in his voice.
"Tell me something, Shinji." Kaji said with a smile, glancing over at Misato for a moment, who continued to grumble about unruly attractive men who don't know what no means. "Is she still, how do I put this... Wild in bed?"
"WHAT!" Was the collective reaction from anyone who wasn't Shinji or Kaji, complete bafflement crossed the faces of the teens in the room. Misato's was the loudest, her face having paled considerably and her eyes wide as saucers.
"Wha... Why..." She mumbled, before anger overtook her and she slammed her hands on the table, her face coming inches in front of Kaji. "What the hell are you implying by that!?" Kaji glanced at her, his face an air of amusement as the woman stared hard at him.
"So, it seems that Katsuragi hasn't changed at all. Am I right, Shinji?" Misato huffed and collapsed back into her seat, her head situated firmly in her hands.
"Uh, I guess..." Shinji replied, not sure how to answer the man. "I'm more interested in how you knew my name?"
"Well, I'd ought to know you. Why you're famous in our business!" Kaji replied, indicating at Shinji directly. "The famous Third Child! Who was able to pilot an Evangelion in combat for the first time in his life with no training at all." Asuka frowned slightly, she had spent years honing her skills in an Eva, and she wasn't going to let a generic boy who had only recently started piloting take that from her.
'Even if he feels familiar and is able to stand up to me.' The young girl thought, staring hard at the boy next to her.
"Thanks, I guess, but it was nothing really. Mostly luck." Shinji replied, scratching the back of his neck in a sense of embarrassment. Asuka softened slightly, so he knew it was all luck.
"Well Luck is a great talent to have, Shinji." Kaji replied, getting along with the boy swimmingly. "If you can't tell already, it's a part of your destiny." Kaji smiled, before standing abruptly. "Well, it's been nice, but I must take my leave. I will see you all later."
"Okay, see you." Shinji replied, giving the man a small wave. A chorus of byes went around the table, as most of the group said goodbye to Kaji. Misato didn't, her head still in her hands, staring directly at the table.
"This has to be a really bad joke, or just a nightmare." She said to herself in horror, memories of years before coming back to her mind.
-.-
Kaji had settled against the edge of the Over the Rainbow, staring out at the waves nearby. He heard the door opening nearby, and Asuka stepping onto the deck. She stepped towards the banister, and started swinging her legs back and forth on it, she was happy to spend time with Kaji, even if it wasn't under the greatest circumstances. Kaji however was more interested in having a conversation with Asuka, about the person she had recently met.
"So, Asuka. Tell me. What do you think of Shinji Ikari?" He asked, as Asuka glanced at him in surprise.
"You mean the Great Third Child?" She replied, a bit of sarcasm sitting in her voice. "He's... interesting I guess." Asuka said, wanting to keep talking but remembering how Kaji hadn't know about her old childhood friend.
"Well, it was definitely surprising when he managed a sync ratio of over 40 in his first sortie with no training."
"Mein gott!" Asuka replied, slipping into German for a moment, something she usually did when she was excited or annoyed. With a triumphant smirk, she stormed away from Kaji, heading towards the elevator leading to the deck, intent on running into Shinji.
-.-
Misato had calmed down considerably since the episode in the Dining Area regarding Kaji, she now had a small smile on her face, signs of worry completely gone. Shinji stood nearby, a good-natured smile on his face. Toji relaxed against the arm of the elevator as it took them back up to the deck. Kensuke continued to use his camera wildly. Hikari stood waiting nearby, annoyance on her face.
"That Captain wasn't the nicest person!" She said in her authoritive Class Rep voice. "If he acted like that in a class I would..."
"Would what?" Toji asked, intent on teasing the girl. "Give him cleaning duty for a month?" Hikari blushed at the teasing and ducked her head. Keeping her face hidden.
"I would give Hikari credit, Toji." Misato stated, intent on helping the girl. "That Captain is a very proud man. Too much of it can make you very resentful and sarcastic."
"Say, Misato. Do you know Kaji? He seems very lively and funny." Shinji asked, wondering about this new person in his life. Misato growled.
"That idiot hasn't changed a bit, that chauvinistic pig!" Shinji smiled slightly at Misato, feeling that she was hiding something deep inside her. His thoughts were cut off at the sound of the Second Child's voice.
"Hey, Third Child!" Shinji turned, seeing Asuka standing at the top of the elevator, a hand on her hip, staring down at him. He flushed under her intense gaze, yet never never letting his own gaze up. "You're coming with me!" He gasped as she grabbed onto his hand and pulled him away with her. He glanced back at his friends, wanting a way out. Hikari looked happy for him, while Misato was giving him a sly smile. Toji and Kensuke were under a different impression, instead looking at Asuka with annoyance. He sighed as he realised he wasn't getting out of this situation as he was pulled onto a small lifeboat nearby. Asuka intent on taking him to another ship.
They didn't speak as the boat jetted across the ocean. He kept glancing over at her, and she kept glancing at him. They knew why they continued to glance at each other. Memories of years ago at the forefront of both their minds. But neither could place it. Neither could figure out why this was suddenly on the forefront of their minds, for the first time in years.
They were both interrupted in their thoughts by their arrival at the next boat. A large tarp covering a machine underneath. She grabbed his hand again and led him to the tarp. Letting go to step forward and lift it up slightly, letting Shinji see what was underneath.
"That's really an interesting colour..." Shinji said, not knowing what to say in this situation. "I didn't know Unit-02 was red." He said bluntly, hoping it came across decently. Asuka turned and stared right at him, speaking once again.
"That's not all that's different about Unit-02." Asuka smirked, then ducked under the large tarp, indicating him inside with her finger. He silently followed, stepping onto buoys on a small pool of water. Inside this pool, sitting on the surface, was Evangelion Unit-02. Mostly Red in colour, yet having mainly White highlights where Unit-01's Green was. Unit-02 also had the small distinction of having small bits of Orange littered around the Unit. Its face was significantly different to Unit-01 and Unit-00, having a total of four small Green eyes compared to Unit-01's two eyes and Unit-00's one large eye. It also had two small horns, similar to Unit-01's one large horn. Shinji glanced up at Asuka, who had taken a position on the Eva itself, looking down at him.
"After all, Unit-00 and Unit-01 were created as part of the development process of an Evangelion. Being the Prototype and the Test Type respectively. That explains why it easily synced with an untrained pilot like you is proof of that." Shinji just stared up at her, not letting any emotion show on his face. "But Unit-02 is different! My Evangelion was created for actual combat purposes, the world's first Evangelion Production Model! The final step for an Evangelion!" She smirked down at him, letting her pride in herself and her Eva show. Shinji just continued to stare at her, an eyebrow raised.
A sudden shock rocked the cabin, sending Asuka toppling towards the buoys below. She collapsed on the ground, slightly hurt, but otherwise fine. She took Shinji's offered hand and pulled herself up.
"I have a bad feeling about this." Shinji said, to both Asuka and the Angels hiding in his pockets.
"It was an undersea shock wave!" Asuka said, letting go of Shinji's hand and running outside, intent on getting a view of what this thing was. "And on top of that, it sounded close!" Shinji quickly followed, coming to a stop beside her on a railing. He stared out at the sea, obvious that something was happening. "Look!" Asuka said, pointing out at the sea. A sudden explosion rocked a battleship nearby, causing the entire thing to sink quickly into the water. Waves came up quickly as the object moved around the area. Crashing and sinking another battleship in its wake.
"Everything points to that being an Angel!" Shinji said, getting the girl's attention beside him.
"An Angel?" Asuka replied, a fearful look coming onto her face. "You mean a real one?" The nervousness was starting to set in now. Another gigantic wave came out of the sea, crashing into a nearby ship.
"This is bad!" Shinji said, starting to move for the lifeboat that got them here. "Asuka! We have to head back and find Misato! She'll know what to do!" Shinji stared as Asuka continued to stare out at the water. She turned to him with a smirk on her face, her intentions clear. Shinji sighed, knowing what was about to happen.
"Wunderbar!" Asuka muttered, glee and excitement in her eyes.
-.-
German – English:
Dummkopf = Idiot
Nein = No
Wunderbar = Wonderful
Mein Gott = My God
Well there we go! Asuka has arrived, Unit-02 is ready for battle, and Gaghiel is on his way! Just a couple things, I don't know if I mentioned this before, but all Eva Units are based on their appearance in Rebuild, which explains the bits of white that Unit-02 has here.
As for why the Angels don't get much appearance here after the first few scenes, it's simply because no one on the OTR or Kaji and Asuka actually know about their unique abilities yet. Don't worry, they'll have more scenes in the next chapter.
For a long time, I contemplated over using Asuka Langley Soryu or Asuka Langley Shikinami, by the time I wrote Asuka's first appearance in Chapter 5, I'd decided upon Soryu. This took a while, as I considered the female pilot trinity that Rebuild has if I used Shikinami, because Mari is also in the story, (For anyone who doesn't know: Rei Ayanami, Asuka Langley Shikinami, Mari Illustrious Makinami.) However, I have plans for Hikari later on, and decided against it, so here Asuka is Soryu, not Shikinami. In terms of personality, she's going to be mainly based on the Anime, with aspects of Rebuild and Manga intertwined in. So, we'll see how that goes.
Next time! The battle against Gaghiel, and Asuka meets the Angels! Until then...
Chapter Title from: Neon Genesis Evangelion E8, English.