It's been a long time since I worked on this fic. I finished this chapter a bit over a month ago, but I never got around to uploading it. I'm uploading 2.1 and 2.15 at the same time.
REBUILD OF EVANGELION: 2.0 (ヱヴァンゲリヲン新劇場版:破)
YOU ARE (NOT) WORTHLESS
"An MIG-55 D transport helicopter! I'd never have had the chance to fly in one if it weren't for something like this! Man, this is what friends are for, right, Shinji?" Kensuke exclaimed happily.
"Eh?"
Man, he's such a nerd! I mean, seriously!
Misato turned around from the co-pilot's seat.
"I figured you'd get claustrophobic looking at the same mountains day after day, so I invited you on a date, since it is a Sunday."
Oh, no, you said the magic word…
As if on cue, Toji came to life, face lighting up with excitement.
"What?! Then today is a real date?"
Wow, Toji…you're fourteen, she's in her twenties, maybe even thirty. You really think it's a date?
"I bought this cap just for today, Misato-san!" he said, apparently hoping for her to be impressed. For once, Kensuke wasn't joining in fawning over Misato; he was too busy videotaping every second spent near military equipment. I was the only one who was genuinely bored by the trip; helicopters didn't excite me, and I was used to Misato's presence.
"So, where are we headed?" I said.
"We're taking a little jaunt across the Pacific on a gorgeous cruise ship," Misato replied, winking at us.
The clouds around us cleared, and up ahead, a fleet of ships came into view. The view was impressive; the glistening sun and bright red ocean against the fleet of gray cruisers and battleships was picturesque. Kensuke's voice perked up with excitement, and he zoomed to the window to videotape them as well.
"Wow, five aircraft carriers and four battleships! What a fleet! This really IS what friends are for!"
Toji and I were less enthused.
"That's your gorgeous cruise ship?" he groaned as we approached one of the carriers. I shared his sentiments.
"Yeah, she sure is gorgeous!" Kensuke responded, voice picking up speed, "That's the pride of the U.N., the glorious regular carrier, 'Over the Rainbow!'"
"It's huge…" I gasped.
It was rather impressive, I conceded. It was bigger than any ship I'd seen before, and its deck was covered in planes and copters. It looked like it had been through a lot; it certainly wasn't new.
"I'm surprised such a relic is still afloat," Misato said.
"Nah, it's not so bad," Kensuke, of course, argued, "It's a vintage model from before the Second Impact."
As we begun to land, I remembered why we were really here.
So…the Second Child and Eva-02 are aboard this ship…I wonder what they'll be like…
2.1: AKAI KAMI (赤いカミ)
"Awesome! Awesome! Awesome! Awesome!" Kensuke squealed over and over as we walked down the flight deck, admiring each and every plane on the deck, much to the amusement of the crew, who smiled at him awkwardly as we passed.
"Awesome, awesome, awesome! This is way too awesome! Real men shed tears for this kind of thing!"
Real men, huh…he seems completely overwhelmed…it's like his life's dream came true…
"Awesome, awesome, awesome, awesome, awesome!"
"Hey, wait! Wait up!" Toji had lost his "prized" hat, and was running after it. I yawned and followed slowly along and Misato followed me sheepishly, as if she was embarrassed by it all.
"Damn it! Stop! Stop already!" Toji yelled after his hat, which came to a halt suddenly against the leg of a girl, who promptly stepped on it.
"Hello, Misato," she said cheerfully, not acknowledging Toji's presence, "How have you been?"
"Fine," she replied, "How about you? You've grown some, haven't you?"
Toji kneeled down and was tugging at his hat to no avail, getting steadily angrier.
"Yeah! I'm not just taller; my figure's filled out as well!"
"Let me introduce you," Misato said, "This is the pilot of Evangelion Unit 02, the Second Child, Soryu Asuka Langley."
Asuka smirked.
So she's the Second Child…
She was about the same height as I was, with long red hair. She was clad in a yellow sundress and red shoes, with what looked like the Eva's synchronization headpiece in her hair as an accessory. She seemed to possess a certain fire; something about her eyes—a piercing blue—and the way she stood gave off an air of pride and arrogance. And she was very attractive, with a pronounced figure. I kept reminding myself to look at her eyes.
As if on cue, the wind, which had been blowing strongly since we arrived, picked up. The gust blew Asuka's bright yellow sundress up, giving Toji (who was still crouching by her feet) a full view of her underwear, as well as giving the rest of us a glimpse as well. Naturally, she slapped Toji fiercely across the face, and hit Kensuke as well, cracking his camera, which had videotaped the unfortunate incident. I got a slap too, of course. She hit hard.
"What did you do that for?!" Toji demanded.
Isn't it obvious…?
"That's the viewing fee," Asuka replied, still cross, "Quite a bargain, don't you think?"
"What? Well then, take a look at this!" Toji yelled as he unbuttoned his pants.
Toji, come on…that's not a good idea…
He threw his pants down with considerable force, revealing his privates for all to see. Asuka shrieked in horror.
"What the hell are you doing?" she screamed as she slapped him again. I just looked away and put my palm to my face, embarrassed. Misato just looked on, amused. Toji, face swollen from Asuka's attacks, got out of her way, still seething.
"So, which one is the famous Third Child?" Asuka asked brightly, calmed down. "Don't tell me it was him…" she added as an afterthought.
"No, it's him," Misato replied, gesturing towards me.
Asuka leaned forward, examining me as someone examines a pet that they might be interested in. Her eyes narrowed.
"Well, he looks kind of dull."
--
"Well, well, I thought you were the leader of this gang of Boy Scouts, but it seems like I was mistaken."
We stood in the control room of the Over the Rainbow. The captain was a surly American with a thick gray mustache, and was clad in a Navy uniform. His assistant was identical, except he was clean-shaven. They both expressed open dislike towards us for some reason. He snarled when Misato had entered the cabin, and was talking to her as if she was an unruly student, even though Misato showed him more respect than he obviously deserved.
He handed Misato her ID card back when he finally accepted that she was, indeed, a Nerv officer. As she did, I caught a glimpse of it. I couldn't help but chuckle a bit; her picture appeared as if she had just woken up, and her measurements, age, and weight were all scratched out.
Typical…
"Thank you for your understanding, Captain," Misato said with authority.
"Oh no, thank you for giving me the opportunity to baby-sit some kids," the captain replied, irritated.
How can he talk like that to Misato-san? Nerv is here to help save the human race; why does he hate us?
"We appreciate your assistance in the transport of Unit 02," she continued, ignoring the captain's sarcasm.
She opened a folder and handed the captain a stack of papers.
"Here are the specs for the emergency power supply socket."
The captain laughed when he looked them over.
"In the first place, I haven't heard anything about activating that toy while at sea," he said, irritated.
T…toy? The Evas are the most advanced weapon on the planet! How can he refer to them as toys?
"Why don't you just think of this as being prepared for an emergency?" Misato answered calmly.
The captain didn't think along those lines, however.
"That is why the Pacific Fleet is escorting it," he replied in the same irritated tone, "When did the UN Navy become a cargo service?"
"I believe it was just after a certain organization was established," his assistant replied, using a similar tone.
"Quite a grandiose escort for transporting one single toy! After all, this is the entire Pacific Fleet," he continued, sarcasm growing. I felt Asuka, who was standing next to me, tense at the word 'toy.' She hadn't moved throughout the entire dialogue, keeping the same cheerful, smiling expression the whole time. It was very different from the fiery, angry Asuka we had just encountered. It seemed altogether faked, but it was obviously enough to satisfy the adults.
"It's still not enough, considering the importance of the Eva," Misato said simply. She withdrew another paper from her folder. "Would you sign this document?" she asked cheerfully.
Predictably, the captain refused, and Misato's face finally broke its stoic expression into one of obvious irritation.
"Not yet. Eva-02 and its pilot have been entrusted to us by the Third Branch in Germany. You can't just do as you please!"
Misato quickly regained her composure and continued.
"Then, when will you transfer them to us?" she asked.
"Once we've unloaded in New Yokosuka," the assistant answered.
"The ocean is our jurisdiction. You will follow our orders here," he concluded adamantly.
Misato smiled slightly.
"I understand," she said as she snapped her folder shut, "However, I should remind you that, in case of an emergency, Nerv's authority overrides yours."
"So cool…" Toji sighed.
Wow…she's so official when she needs to be…she seems like a totally different person!
"She's just like Ritsuko-san…" I muttered.
"You're as gallant as ever," a new voice proclaimed. Asuka gasped.
"Kaji-senpai!" she squealed happily, as a broad grin slid over her face and waved to the man.
Kaji waved at us, a silly smile covering his rough, unevenly shaven face. He was a rather tall man compared to Misato, with messy dark brown hair tied back in a ponytail. He wore a blue collared shirt with the top button open and the sleeves rolled back, and a red tie. His pants were dark blue with black shoes. All in all, his appearance practically screamed "care-free." You could hear it in his voice as well; it was rough, but sounded distinctly…fun.
Misato's reaction was completely opposite to Asuka's, however. As soon as she saw him, an expression of utter horror overtook her, and she gasped audibly and loudly.
"Kaji-kun, I don't recall inviting you onto the bridge," the captain said sternly, although he appeared to be relieved to no longer be talking to Misato.
"Oh, sorry about that," Kaji replied.
Misato dropped her folder by accident. I bent down to pick it up for her, but she pushed my hand away and picked it up herself.
"Go on ahead, I'll be right behind," Misato said.
I nodded and walked out the door that Kaji had come in from. He smiled at me as I walked past. Toji and Kensuke followed me close behind, but Asuka stayed attached to Kaji's arm. I turned, halfway down the stairs. Misato stood at the outside of the door, saluting the captain.
"Excuse us then," she finished, "We're counting on you to escort us to New Yokosuka as ordered."
"This is a date?" Toji moaned.
"Awesome, too awesome!" Kensuke exclaimed.
Does everyone have one-track minds here?
I sighed and began to walk down the stairs, followed by Kensuke and Toji. Misato turned to follow as well.
"So, now that that's over, you kids hungry?" she asked cheerfully.
"You bet!" Toji and Kensuke exclaimed.
Misato led us to the nearest elevator. It wasn't a very large elevator, fit for only about two people. We squeezed inside uncomfortably, and Misato pushed the button to go down.
"Hey, hold on! Wait for us!" Kaji called from the staircase. Misato cursed under her breath. She was forced to hold the door until Kaji and Asuka arrived, Asuka still clutching his arm. Problem was, we were now six people, and we could barely fit our bodies inside the elevator. I was pushed up awkwardly against Misato, and Toji's face was squashed against the door.
"What are you doing here?!" Misato finally asked angrily.
What does she have against Kaji-san? He seems like a nice guy.
"Accompanying her," he replied, "I'm on a business trip from Germany."
"Man, I was careless," Misato lamented, "I should have anticipated this."
There was an awkward silence for a second, before the tension was released in another way.
"Hey, don't touch me!" Asuka and Misato screamed in unison.
"I can't help it!" Kaji and Toji protested.
--
When we finally arrived at the mess hall, the mood didn't change at all. Misato's anger put a damper on the whole group. Only Kaji seemed unfazed by it all.
"Seeing anyone right now?" he asked Misato cheerfully.
"And that would be your business WHY?"
He leaned back, feigning offense.
"What? You're kind of cold," he remarked as he sipped his tea. He leaned over the table to look me in the eye.
"I hear that you're living with Katsuragi?" he said.
"Yes," I answered.
"So, does she still toss and turn in bed?" he asked, seriousness etched all over his face.
Everyone at the table except for Kaji and me reacted in horror and embarrassment. However, it didn't really bother me much. But it did tell me why Misato hated him.
So, they had been seeing each other, and were pretty serious…I wonder why they aren't together anymore…
"Wha…wha...WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?" Misato demanded as she smashed her fists down onto the table, face beet red and contorted in anger.
"So, she hasn't changed, Ikari Shinji-kun," he said, ignoring her reaction. Her expression slid from anger to that of utmost embarrassment, and her face was a particular shade of pinkish-purple.
"Well…" I leaned over, around Asuka—who was unmoving, presumably still shocked—to look straight at him, "How do you know my name?"
"Well, of course I do. You're famous in our business," he replied. Asuka finally moved, and she was giving Kaji her full attention now. She seemed shocked at my apparent fame.
"The Third Child, who piloted an Eva in battle with no training," Kaji continued. Asuka turned around to glare at me.
This thoroughly embarrassed me; I wasn't used to public praise, and I wasn't sure I liked it. It seemed to make Asuka particularly irritated. I rubbed the back of my head nervously.
"Oh, no, it was just luck…" I stammered.
"Luck is a part of your destiny. It's your talent," Kaji insisted. He rose from the table and looked down at Misato, hunched over the table, clutching her head.
"Well, I'll see you later."
"See you," I said.
"This has got to be a bad joke. No, a nightmare…" Misato muttered, face now a sickening shade of blue.
We were riding an escalator to take us back up to the main deck. Misato seemed to have recovered from the incident at lunch, and was now taking every opportunity to say rude things about Kaji. Kensuke was still videotaping every second. Toji, obviously upset about the lack of attention Misato was paying him, tried to strike up conversation.
"That captain's attitude got on my nerves…"
"He's a proud man," Misato replied, "Pride can make you sarcastic."
"That Kaji-san is pretty lively…and funny too," I added, interested to hear Misato's reaction.
"He hasn't changed at all, that jerk!" Misato snapped.
"Hey, Third Child!" a voice called from the top of the escalator. It was Asuka, wearing a serious expression.
"Come with me."
--
She led me to a helicopter, where we were taken over to a larger carrier. She didn't say a word the whole way there; she simply looked the other way, giving off an air of contempt. She did, however, steal occasional glances at me, apparently looking me over. The carrier's deck was clear, save for a large tent-like bundle. This was where Asuka was leading me. She lifted the front of it enough for me to see the inside.
"So, Unit 02 is red? I didn't know that."
"The colour isn't the only difference," she said proudly.
Under the bundle lay a pool of purplish liquid and lots of mechanical equipment. And in the pool lay an Eva. It was coloured a deep red with an orange trim on the arms and shoulder pylons. This wasn't the only difference between Eva-01 and 02, however. I couldn't see the entire Eva because of how it was laying, but its face was distinctly more humanoid, although Eva-02 possessed four green eyes as opposed to Eva-01's two and 00's one. Two small horns jutted out from its head. Asuka seemed to believe the differences went farther than that, however. Asuka had climbed to stand on top of her Eva, all the while explaining how her Eva was superior to mine.
"After all, Units 00 and 01 were created as part of a development process, prototype and test type," she was saying, "The fact that it synchronized with an untrained pilot like you is proof of that."
I looked up at her. She seemed rather silly up there, as opposed to impressive. And she kept taking every opportunity to explain how much better she was than me, almost to the point of absurdity. However, somehow I couldn't take my eyes off of her.
What's up with her…?
"But Unit 02 is different," she continued. Her voice rose to a level of excitement, and she made a flourishing gesture towards her Eva.
"Created for actual combat conditions, this is the world's first true Evangelion!" she finished, voice filled with pride and excitement, "This is the final model."
But you've never done anything with it…all the Angels have been defeated by me…and Eva-01 seems to work just fine. I don't see what's so special.
As I thought this, there was a loud rumbling. The whole cruiser shook. Asuka nearly fell off of her Eva.
"What was that?" I yelled in surprise.
"An undersea shockwave!" Asuka responded, alarmed. "That explosion was nearby!"
We dashed from the Eva to the edge of the cruiser, and looked out over the ocean for the source of the blast.
"What's that?" I gasped. Another explosion sounded, and a battleship seemed to collapse inward, into the blood-red sea. Distantly, I could hear the screams of people on the ships around us. A wave came out of the smoke, and it moved rapidly towards another ship. I realized that it wasn't just a wave, but that something underwater was moving fast enough to make that wave.
"Could it be an Angel?" I gasped again.
"That? A real one?" Asuka replied, in awe.
More explosions sounded. I was beginning to worry.
"What'll we do? We have to get back to Misato-san!"
Asuka seemed to ignore me. Her eyes narrowed. She grinned and turned to look back at the Eva.
"Chance…" she muttered, excited.
--