Well, hope you liked Chapter One…It might have been a bit short, and a bit boring, but who cares, at least I didn't have myself go all super saiyan and then have Asuka fall in love with me, and then conquer the damn world like all other SIs seem to do…bleah.
Well, one review so far, but we're just getting started. Thanks lordmaquareion..ehhehe. But to respond to one thing in your review, I'm definitely not an anti-R/S fan at all...I like Rei a lot, she's a great character.
Perhaps most of my fanfics give her the short straw, but it's not really intention, she's just an extremely difficult character to right for (Which is another reason why it may seem I don't like R/S, it's just that it seems that 90 of the R/S fanfics here suck...
True there's a ton of crappy A/S fics too, but there are so many that you're bound to find a lot of good ones. There just aren't as many R/S fics.)...I swear one day I'll make a straight up R/S romance, or maybe not; I'm not so good at romantic fics really...
Maybe I just like the fact that A/S usually has more conflict….Asuka is far more disagreeable and annoying, which makes the romance more interesting...eheheh.
In other news. Maybe I shouldn't say this is a three-shot fanfic. It probably will be, and I don't like SI enough to make it an epic, but I don't like limiting myself, what if I have to make it a four chapter fic?
Well, let's get it started.
Disclaimer: I don't own Evangelion or its characters. Gainax does, and they rock. Who else could create both Evangelion and FLCL!
Tokyo 3, Japan
Misato's Apartment
The Fifth Child yawned as he leaned up against the couch, feeling uncomfortable in someone else's apartment.
He'd gotten the empty room next to Shinji, for which he was glad, since the other boy seemed quiet and collected, compared to the growing ball of hormones and terror that he now recognized as Asuka.
Argh…Crazy Germans, she's so bloody bossy…Germans always seem like that, but when you get them drunk they sing cheesy songs and fascist stomp around…I better be careful.
He'd been disappointed when he'd learned that Rei had different quarters however. The girl seemed like the epitome of Japanese beauty he'd heard of, fair skin, quiet and most probably obedient.
Except for the freakish red eyes and blue hair…Maybe she's going for some weird punk look or something? Can't blame her for trying to be unique.
He picked up the novel he had brought along and leafed to the last page, reading his favorite passage from it to himself, as he did with all the other hundreds of random novels he had left at his house in America.
"Michael Henchard's Will
That Elizabeth-Jane Farfrae be not told of my death, or
Made to grieve on account of me.
& that I be not bury'd in consecrated ground.
& that no sexton be asked to toll the bell.
& that nobody is wished to see my dead body.
& that no mourners walk behind me at my funeral.
& that no flours be planted on my grave.
& that no man remember me.
To this I put my name.
-Michael Henchard."
The Fifth Child put the book down with a sigh and looked around the room around him a bit.
He peered down at his notepad and scrawled a few more notes in his horribly garbled handwriting, looking around at the room around him, closely, the walls, the windows, the television, the furniture, the annoyed face of Asuka Langley Sohryu looking at you.
"Hey, Fifth Child, what are you doing?"
"Not much Second Child", responded Sanbud, not too offended by Asuka calling him by such a formal name.
It's like we're secret agents with codenames and stuff, awesome! Hey Second Child, the winter in Siberia is quite cold…Do you have the package? Good, now shove it up your ass! Goddamn KGB…
"Not much? Then what the heck are you writing down? Hey? Hey, are you listening to me?"
Sanbud nodded, staring at Asuka, although his right hand was continuously scribbling on the notepad while he wasn't looking.
"Let me see that!"
Asuka quickly snatched the notepad away, causing Sanbud to genuinely jump up in fear, scrambling for it, although she kept it away quite agilely.
Eventually he sat down, figuring that she wouldn't be able to decipher his horrible handwriting anyway.
She stared at it, confused, slowly repeating it to herself as she struggled to read.
"Red…pilot…blue…Ikar…lion…hate…What in the hell is this? Why is your handwriting so bad."
"Uh I don't know…Oh hey Shinji."
The Fifth Child waved at Shinji as the boy slumped in, his face down and depressed.
"Hi."
Asuka continued reading the notepad, or attempting to, while the Fifth Child snuck around her, trying to steal it back.
"parents…poem…dog…the truth is…What the hell is this jibberish?"
Sanbud snatched it away, stumbling back with a grin.
"I'm a novelist alright? I'm a writer; I take notes on my surroundings and any…uh…interesting things in my life."
"You idiot, you better not be writing perverted things about me or taking notes about me, dammit!"
"Riiiiight…well…"
Sanbud reached out and pulled a small, shiny object out of his breast pocket, pressing a button, a voice issuing from it, "…perverted things about me…", the sound of tape rewinding and then, "Oh hey Shinji.".
"What!"
"So no recording either?"
Asuka reached for it, fully intending to crush it, but Sanbud pulled it away just in time, sticking it back in his pocket and raising his hands in the gesture of surrender.
"Hey, hey, I surrender, I surrender, isn't there freedom of press here, Sohryu."
Reich Commander Sohryu…ehehhee.
Asuka raised an eyebrow, and then frowned, peering at Shinji who was meekly setting up the table. He noticed Asuka's glance and returned it, a sad look on his face.
Sanbud sighed, noticing a solid line of teen angst between the two pilots, and tried to change the subject.
"So, I'm just writing about my experiences, my life, maybe adding a bit more intrigue, and it's shaping up to be a great novel really…Just taking notes on family, friends, my parents for example, who I can't say I really miss, I don't know why…"
He paused to see if anyone would talk, but Asuka just frowned and Shinji just looked up and then went back to his kitchen duties.
"So…Do you guys miss your parents?"
Suddenly, all eyes were on Sanbud, and he chuckled nervously.
"Eh, comrades?"
Ten minutes Later
Tokyo 3, Japan
Misato's Apartment
Misato Katsuragi strolled through the door, groceries in hand as she peered around the room and walked into the kitchen.
Ugh, he seems like a nice guy overall, I guess, but cooking for three is hard enough, now we've reached our breaking point, four…And I have no idea how this is going to affect Asuka and Shinji's little battles…Where does he fit in? Hopefully nowhere.
Suddenly she noticed The Fifth Child, sprawled on the couch with a fresh, red mark of a hand imprinted in his left cheek and the Third Child curled up in a fetal position on the ground, drowning in a pool of his own tears.
Pilot Tehrani noticed her and shook his head.
"Don't ask…"
"Yeah…"
Tokyo 3, Japan
NERV Headquarters, Control Room
Ritsuko Akagi and Misato Katsuragi looked on at the screens strewn all around, four large ones were in the center; each one video feed of each pilot in their individual Evangelion.
Asuka Langley Sohryu sat with an annoyed scowl which seemed to be peering through at the whole control room.
"Are we almost done with this stupid testing yet? It's so annoying…"
Ritsuko sighed.
"Soon enough, soon enough."
Meanwhile the other three pilots were mostly silent.
Shinji Ikari sat with his eyes closed his face listless.
He seems nice…but so soon after the last incident…I can't let anyone around me die anymore, I have to defend them, I realize that now…
Rei Ayanami sat in her entry plug, her eyes open, her face equally listless, staring at the control room without any defining emotion on her face. But her thoughts were different.
What is the significance of this new pilot…Commander Ikari would like to know his 'mental state', however I do not understand…He is not like Ikari, none of them are like Ikari…that is the difference.
Sanbud Tehrani sat in his entry plug, dressed in a light gray plug suit, peering around with a blank look on his face.
Hmm…I wonder how far I could get with this Evangelion if I got disconnected from the power…Dammit, wouldn't it rock if I was like Super Saiyan or something? DBZ was an awesome pre-Impact show…Dude, if I was freaking Vegeta, I'd like go around and fly and stuff and shoot energy blasts at people and they'd be like, "Oh snap! I got destroyed!" and I'd be like, "Damn right, mothafunkah!"
Gendo stared quietly at the readings on the screen at his desk.
"Tell me, Ritsuko, how is the new pilot's synch ratio?"
Ritsuko paused, gasping.
"Dear God, this is the highest synch ratio I've ever seen! This is impossible! He's higher than Shinji or Asuka combined! He's a golden god!"
A/N: Just kidding.
Got you huh?
Gendo peered at Ritsuko.
"Tell me the new pilot's synch ratio. Seriously."
Ritsuko nodded, looking at the readout.
"Hmm, he's not bad, higher than Rei's current ratio, she's been going down recently for some reason. Looking at his synch ratio history, I doubt he'll ever reach a high as high as the Third Child or Second Child, but on the other hand, his ratio is hardly as chaotic, it won't fluctuate too high, but it won't drop too easily either."
"Hmm. A good balance to the other pilots, perhaps, and if not, cannon fodder will be enough."
Ritsuko raised an eyebrow, nodding and moving away.
Tokyo 3, Japan
The Streets
Asuka groaned.
"Argh…Why couldn't that drunk give us a ride home? This stinks."
Shinji spoke for the first time in hours, his voice soft.
"She had to stay in there for a while more, too much paperwork."
Asuka eyed Sanbud warily as he walked alongside them and Rei.
"Yeah, because of a stupid new pilot…Why did we even order another one! I don't even need anyone to back me up…"
Suddenly Rei's voice wafted into the group's ears for the first time that day as well.
"Pilot Sohryu, the last angel was dispatched by Shinji alone…"
Asuka raised an eyebrow in shock, jumping, and Shinji indeed was surprised as well to hear Rei call him by his first name.
Sanbud just peered around, yawning.
Oh, so she does talk, huh.
Shinji meanwhile tried to fight off his growing blush.
"Shut up doll! Why are you suddenly opening your mouth!"
Sanbud chuckled.
"Doll? Do you guys have pet names for each other or something? Can you call me 'honeycakes'? Or 'The Boss'?"
"Shut up, you idiot, I'm calling her a doll because she's nothing but a doll, all she does is follow her precious Commander's orders."
"She's…she's not a doll, Asuka, you know that?"
Asuka peered around in complete shock as she heard Shinji's kind but firm voice, completely and utterly surprised.
He's…He's defending her! That doll?
She growled and Shinji actually physically cowered, if only for a few seconds.
But nothing happened, she simply shouted at the group angrily as she sped off, most probably back to Misato's apartment.
"Oh, I get it now, you're all against me! You're all just a bunch of stupid idiots!"
Sanbud looked up absentmindedly as Asuka dashed off angrily in the distance and then nudged Shinji, who peered at him awkwardly.
"Psst, hey Third Child, I bet if you go and chase her down she'll have some sort of emotional breakdown and fall crying in your arms…you might even get a kiss, eh?"
Sanbud continued to nudge Shinji, who edged away from his elbowing and gave him a queer look.
"I…doubt that somehow."
"Alright then, I think I'll take your chance! Hah! And even if I don't get a crying girl in my arms I'll at least get good writing material! See you later!"
The Fifth Child quickly sped off towards where Asuka had run, leaving a trail of dust.
And then there were two.
Shinji peered at Rei awkwardly, blushing as she walked silently and listlessly beside him.
"Uh…Ayan-"
"You may call me Rei, Shinji. It is only appropriate that we cease the formality, or at least that is what Dr. Akagi said."
Shinji chuckled nervously.
"Uh…yeah…Rei."
And they continued walking, both in complete silence although there was a slight but warm smile on Shinji's face.
Tokyo 3, Japan
Misato's Apartment
The Fifth Child groaned, as he leaned against the kitchen wall, completely out of breath after having followed a retreating Asuka back to Misato's apartment.
If I can get my tape recorder there…Boy, maybe she'll have some weird moment or something or I'll get some good dramatic writing material…
He steadied himself as he peered at the door to Asuka's room, which was open just a little bit, and made sure his tape recorder was in his breast pocket as well as a notepad with a pencil in his jeans.
Quickly pulling out a toothpick from his pocket, he stuck it in the corner of his mouth and then pulled out his lighter, lighting the end of the toothpick, letting it smoke at the corner of his mouth.
Knocking lightly against the door so that he seemed pilot and so that the door would seem to open by his knocking, he looked in.
Asuka was sprawled across the floor, her back shaking, obviously sobbing into her own pillow, apparently not hearing Tehrani enter.
He slowly stalked forward and tried to hold back his chuckles.
Ahaha..ehehe…I don't know why I find people in pain or misery so…eheha...funny…
Putting on his best patronizing smirk, he laid a warm hand on Asuka's shivering shoulder and spoke, trying to mask his impolite snickers with fake coughs.
"I'm…(snicker)...(cough) there for you…(cough)…(snicker)…Asuka…I'm there for you, I may not understand you, or know you for that matter, but I feel your pain."
Suddenly a soft voice.
"Oh…really? You want to feel my pain?"
And suddenly The Fifth Child felt that he probably shouldn't have tried this, at least not without some sort of heavy anti-personnel weapon.
Twenty Minutes Later
Tokyo 3, Japan
Misato's Apartment
Shinji Ikari strolled into the apartment, a beaming look on his face, a great happy smile that was rare from him.
He had walked Rei home, and although nothing else had been said or done, he felt comfortable with her in the silence and happy for her company.
He had expected some sort of furious attack on him by Asuka, or perhaps a drunken Misato asking for food, but when he had entered the apartment, he had been greeted by silence.
He peered around, uncomfortable, and unsure of what was going on.
Wait…Could it really be possible that he really did get Asuka to cry in his arms? Or at least become his friend?
Shinji suddenly felt a tinge of emptiness and heaviness in his chest that he could not explain, and a scowl growing on his face, not as expert-level as Asuka or Sanbud's scowling techniques, but a good rookie attempt nonetheless.
He slowly stalked forward towards the living room, and it was then he got the answer to his angsty and jealous questions.
The Fifth Child was sprawled on the floor with a lopsided grin on his face, along with a stream of blood flowing from some unseen wound on his head.
He groaned and shakily held a tape record into his mouth, not really noticing Shinji.
"I lie here, broken and battered, a lopsided grin on my face, after having encountered the best in German technology…Some sort of berserker or Viking woman, frightening really…Not to self, stay away from German or Japanese women, or for that matter any women from countries that were in the Axis during World War II…there's something about them…Especially the…ow…ow…ow…hybrids…Not to…argh."
He dropped the tape recorder, apparently asleep or exhausted, a broken toothpick in his mouth, smoke inexplicably rising from it.
His left eye suddenly opened and he noticed Shinji, who stumbled backwards in fear of the victim of Asuka's wrath.
"Don't ask…"
Shinji nodded and so did Sanbud, right before he passed off again, into dreams of giant robots, Mexicans, random violence, and flying zombie cars.
Good chapter? Weird chapter? Lame chapter? Well whatever…I liked it.
Well, I've finally decided, this will definitely be a three-shot, next chapter shall be the last…I'm glad I split the one-shot up, it would've been a twenty one page one-shot, which would've been a pain in the arse.
Well, see you next chapter, for…THE FINAL CHAPTER! Dun…dun…Dun!
