I do not own Evangelion or Full Metal Panic, if I did I would not have driven a forklift for twenty plus years. I own nothing except some original characters. The plot of this story was told to me by the voices in my head, no, seriously, when I write I can her the characters speak, and sing in harmony.
A/N This is a major re-write of One Tin Soldier. I have added Asuka's story and made many major and minor changes. Asuka and her family have a habit of slipping into German when speaking among themselves or in Asuka's case agitated of angry. Translations are at the bottom of the page.
This story was inspired by many stories on FFN and I was influenced by too many authors to list. I would like to mention Seeking Professional Help and 7th Maniac for their comments and suggestions. They are the ones that helped make the decision to re-write easier.
So, without much ado, enjoy the story...
"Father please...sniff...please don't go! I'll be good, I promise. Why? Why are leaving too? Mother left me and now you're going away," the young boy was crying his eyes out as his father was finishing his business with the boy's uncle. " You understand that don't want that kid of yours?" the older man asked. "What you want and what has to be done are two different things, right now you are useless to me" the boys father replied thinking at the same time, ' I'm sorry son, but this is best. I can't take care of you, you remind me of your mother and it breaks my heart when I look at understand, I do love you but for me to bring your mother back I have to send you away for a while.'
The boy's father spoke again, " You will receive a stipend monthly for his care, it will be watched so it would behoove you to spend it carefully. You will also ensure his education is a priority and that he makes as few relationships and ties here as it is possible," he concluded. " I will comply with what you ask," the man said, "but I don't understand why you want him isolated, It's not healthy for a young child to not have friends."
The younger man adjusted his glasses peering through them as if he was looking through the elder mans soul, " I do not wish him to go through the trauma of cutting any ties he has here when he is sent for," the man smoothly lied, turning to his son he fixed another glare, "Shinji, you will live with your uncle from now on, as I said, I have no use for you at this time...good bye," and with that he stalked off to the waiting sedan. The boy dropped to his knees and cried out," FATHER! Take me with you, at least send me Asu-chan's house, I don't want to leave you, PLEASE!
Gendo Ikari closed his ears to his sons plaintive cries while in his heart, 'If I could keep you with me I would son, but what I am about to undertake will damn me, I wish to keep you innocent for a while longer'. "So Gendo, the last remnant of Yui has been disposed of?" a grey haired man in a uniform similar to his partner asked. " Kozo, don't make light of my decision," Gendo replied, " it broke my heart to hear him cry like that. I never thought that it would be so hard, and I don't think I will get used to the quiet of the apartment now that he is gone."
Gendo then ordered the driver to return to NERV headquarters, glancing at the tracks as the train with Shinji and his uncle disappeared from view. " Kozo, make sure section two has agents watching my son at all times as well as any friends he makes. I want to ensure his safety as much as I can," Gendo ordered. "Yes sir," the elder said, "I will see to it personally once we reach HQ."
Time Skip 1 Year
The young redhead ran down the dim hallway, "This time," she thought, "this time momma will see me not that stupid doll. I'm a pilot now! She has to see me!" Little feet pounded along the carpeted floors. Turning the corner she saw the door to her mothers room, "Momma, momma! They picked me momma, they told me I'm going to be a pilot!" Bursting through the door the girl was still calling, "I'm the best momma just like you wanted me to be. Momma...momma?" Asuka didn't see her mother on the bed so she began looking around the room. Turning to her left she saw a shadow on the ground, "Momma, you're scaring me. Where are y...AAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIEEEEEEEE!" Looking up Asuka saw the her mother hanging from the ceiling light, her open eyes lifeless as her tongue protruded from blue lips set in a deathly pale face. Asuka
noticed that doll momma carried was in her hand a noose around it's neck, her own name scrawled on it's dress. Just as one of the nurses rushed up to her the world went black.
" Is she going to be alright?" Asuka blinked, the room was dim and she heard a voice in the next room. She felt funny, sleepy, her eyes started to close again as she heard, "I don't know, it must have been a major sho.. to such a sma.. gir..."
Her eyes opened once again, this time the room was brighter, as she stirred in the bed she heard a male voice, "Ahh mein Kleiner, bist du wach?" "Ja poppa, was ist passiert?" she asked her father."Sie fiel in Ohnmacht, Asuka, wenn Sie Ihre Mutter fand." her father replied. Asuka sat up at this remembering the body hanging from the ceiling,"Momma ist ... sie ist ... " "Ja, meine Liebe, deine Mutter ist gestorben," said the man sighing as he broke the news to his only child. Stunned Asuka looked at he hands and in English she mumbled, "I see..."
"William, it's been three weeks, you have to talk to her," the elder woman said to her son in law. "I know momma Zeppelin, I know. Perhaps you can say something to her. She refuses to speak to me at the moment," William Langley told his mother in law. Nodding the woman shuffled off to her granddaughters room.
"Asuka, kann ich reinkommen?" the elder lady called. „Ja Großmutter, geben Sie bitte" Asuka replied opening the door to her room. „Es ist drei Wochen her, seit der Beerdigung, sind Sie nicht nicht traurig? Es ist okay, wenn Sie Tränen für jemand Sie Liebe," her grandmother said as she held the girl trying to comfort her. „Kein Großmutter, ich bin ein großes Mädchen, Asuka said as she pulled away from her grandmothers arms, „ich werde nicht weinen nicht mehr, sind große Mädchen eigentlich nicht zu weinen, ich werde nie wieder zu weinen," the girl fininshed a look of determination in her eyes.
The older woman held her granddaughter for a while as the girl slowly drifted off to sleep. Frau Zeppelin looked at the girl as she stroked her hair, 'Such a lovely child Kyoko, almost a perfect copy of you. It's too bad you took her happiness, but now her childhood. What were you and William thinking?' The woman put Asuka in the child's bed and left the room.
Time Skip, Two Years
" Kozo, what is the latest on my son?" Gendo inquired. " According to section two he has adjusted well to his first year in primary school but has made very few friends as you required," Kozo Fuyatsuki began looking through a folder, He spends his time studying and doing chores. His uncle spends most of his time running a small business nearby so he has a sitter that has taken a liking to him." " I see, what do they know about this sitter?" Gendo asked.
"Well, from what they found is surprising," Kozo started again looking into the folder, " His sitter is a young lady in her early twenties, married with no children. She and her husband moved in about six months after Shinji took up residence at his uncles. Her husband has been seen in possession of a variety of weapons but the local law enforcement agencies have not taken any action against him. He also disappears for extended periods of time and while he is gone section two reports that the wife is visited by several known ex-mercenaries," he concluded. " I see," Gendo spoke, does this couple have any names to go with these photos?" Gendo asked looking through some pictures taken with a telephoto lens.
"Yes, Isegar Sousuke and Isegar Mitsukai, they have both completed secondary school and Mitsukai has some university credits to her name,"Kozo informed the younger man, "it also seems that the young lady also carries a handgun and a taser at all times, even when she watches your son. As far as the young man is concerned, it seems that he has some reputation commenting on and reporting military engagements and appears in various special interest magazines dealing on military equipment and technologies. " " I see," Ikari said, "have surveillance stepped up discretely on both my son and his sitters." "Yes sir."
Two weeks later the still air of a quiet neighborhood was shattered with gunshots and the crashing of a door. Shinji jolted awake as his uncle was arguing with someone in the front hallway. More gunshots as his uncle was now yelling for him to go next door to Mitsu-chan's. Shinji wasted no time opening the window, as he was halfway out he heard a menacing voice behind him, " Get back in here brat, you're coming with us. Consider yourself payment for what that old man owed us." Shinji kept going, somehow he knew his uncle was dead, but now he had to get to Sousuke and Mitsu-chan.
Landing in the flowers outside his window he was surprised to see his sitter and her husband rushing to him with guns at the ready. Sousuke raised his MP-5SD and let loose a burst, the suppressed weapon's only noise was the sound of the working parts operating with dry metallic clicks. Mitsukai rushed to Shinji wrapping him up in a Kevlar vest. " Come Shinji, we have to leave," she said, Shinji nodding, eyes glazed from shock. Sousuke ran into the house clearing each room as he went. He found the assailant in Shinji's room dead, a tight group in the center of mass. He made his way to the front of the house finding the old man bleeding out and two more intruders nearby.
As he fired his eyes went wide as one of the men tossed a Molotov cocktail at him with the last of his strength. Sousuke ducked, the bottle missing him bursting in the living room. With the living room starting to burn the young man fired twice more, a bust into the heads of each thug to ensure their demise. Kneeling down he began to treat the uncle's wound. " Leave me, take the boy and go, he all but whispered, there is a bag in his room, top shelf of the closet. It has all his documents, some clothes and shoes, the man coughed out. " I can get you to a hospital," Sousuke started smoke starting to cut off his breath.
"No!' the man spat out, " go, take him to your people," he said shocking the younger man, "who do you think called your superiors?" he laughed, get his pack and if you can there is another bag that has things of his mother as well as a letter with instructions concerning him in it", he was gasping for air now, 'Keep him safe, I'm trusing you and Mitsukai," he finished as his eyes closed and his chest stopped rising. "I'll do as you ask old man, it's not a problem."
Sousuke found the bags in question and on his way out he saw the boys cello. Knowing how much the kid liked to play it he grabbed it on the way out just as the fire from the Molotov spread to the back rooms of the house, consuming it a matter of minutes. The man made his way to his house as the local firefighters arrived. Stuffing the boys gear in the back of their Tundra Sousuke made his way to the radio in the den, "Urzu 7 to the TDD1, Urzu7 to TDD1, I need immediate extraction of myself, Angel and Cherub".
Ten minutes later, Mitsukai came into the den, 'Babe, I've gotten Shinji calmed down and almost done with out bags, can you give me a hand?" " Sure, we need to get out of here in about an hour", he said. Mitsukai frowned and said, "Oh? And why is that?" " I called for a pick up near Tokyo2, we need to make it to the airfield that we use to get in and out of the country". "Shinji, he's important somehow, the old man left us letters that will explain things and told me that he was the one that told Mithril about the boy," her husband explained. Mitsukai just nodded and went back to packing things up while her husband continued to take things to their SUV. Shinji just lay on their futon trying to stop shaking in fear. He knew that Mitsu-chan asd 'suke would protect him no matter what.
To say the atmosphere in NERV HQ was tense would be like saying Second Impact was a minor nuisense. Gendo Ikari was not a happy man, last night his son vanished from the face of the earth, his uncle shot and then burned beyond recognition. When the investigators were done they had recovered the bodies of four men but no child. When section two dug deeper into last nights event it seemed that not one of Shinji's protection detail was on site when the shooting had transpired. After a small interview each and every agent found themselves with a new hole in their skulls, courtesy of Gendo Ikari, who at this time was being updated in the search for his son and baby sitters.
"Tell me that again why you could not find anything useful in the Isegar household, lieutenant?" Gendo demanded of the nameless officer that had the misfortune of giving him the latest update on the status of his son now most often referred to as the Third Child. "W..w..well sir, it seems that in the time we pulled his protection detail back to Tokyo Three and the arrival of an investigative team someone gained entry to the house and for lack of a better term cleaned it. Every piece of furniture was removed and the home it seem has been given a terminal cleaning," the young lady reported holding her gaze with the man known as The Bastard King. Said king adopting his trademark pose, holding his hands in a bridge in front of his mouth and peering at her through his tinted glasses, 'If only you knew how ridiculous you look when you try to pull that look...sir' is what she was thinking.
"What do you mean terminal clean?", Ikari demanded. "Just that, sir, the house was cleaned top to bottom and it is sterile, not one sample of DNA, fingerprint or speck of dust remained," the Lt replied, before continuing, " who ever they were had lots of resources behind them. They and everything else vanished from the face of the earth." Gendo thought for a bit before speaking again, "Hmphh, very well, continue the search until we find the Third Child, not matter the time frame Lt, am I clear?" " Yes, sir, crystal sir," the young lady replied before she turned on her heel and left.
'Shinji, where did you go son? Are you alright? I hate what I've done to you and I hate agreeing to your mothers plans. It's bad enough I had to do this to you, Asuka hurts even worse and she tries to hide her pain by forcing people away, I hope you still have an open heart after what I put you through, I wouldn't be surprised if you wind up hating me my son' Gendo sat in silence thinking about his son and worrying about his well being. " So, thinking about him again?" the Vice Commander of NERV asked. " Yes, tell me again why this was a good choice for my son?" Gendo asked, "Why did it have to be him? Yui, Yui never should have agreed to that damned contact test, her and Kyoko both, this project is ruining two kids that I know of and there's no guarantee that the scenario will play out like those old fools think," the man finished. "I know that it's rough Ikari, but I still trust my students judgment," Fuyutsuki told him, "We know that the Angels are real and that hey are coming, but not for a few years, we'll find him before then, have faith." " Faith?" Gendo asked, " Sensie, I lost my faith when I abandoned my son to an uncle that resented him. No, the only thing I have faith in is that my son will be strong enough to survive what we put him through when he is older."
Same time NERV Berlin
"Asuka Langley Soryu, this is Misato Katsuragi. Misato, this is your charge Asuka Soryu," the director of NERV Berlin said as he introduced the young woman to the Second Child. Misato looked at the now six your old girl standing before her. Smiling at her Mistao shook Asuka's hand saying, "I'm very pleased to finally meet you Asu-chan. I've head nothing but good things about you."
Asuka frowned hearing Misato call her that name, "It's Asuka, not Asu-chan, only one person is allowed to call me that," Misato was taken aback at the child's outburst, "Excuse me?" "No one. Is. Allowed. To call me. Asu-chan," Asuka spat through clenched teeth. Misato was now curious, " Why is that Asuka?" she asked.
Asuka looked down, a little red on her cheeks as she mumbled something. "What was that?" Misato continued to ask. "I said," Asuka said glaring at this woman "I said that's Baka-Shinji's name for me. Only he can call me Asu-chan, that's his name for me," she trailed off blushing ever harder.
Misato saw this and thought she'd have some fun, "So, this Shinji, do you like him?" Asuka nodded as Misato grinned, " He must be really good looking," she teased. Asuka looked up with a glare. Misato paid the look no mind, "Do you want him to be your boyfriend?"
Asuka had had enough of this woman's teasing and she was getting mad. After some thought she decided to put an end to this discussion, "Actually Misato," catching her new guardian's attention, Baka-Shinji is my boyfriend, my mamma and his told us so. Auntie Yui said that Baka-Shinji is going to marry me when I grow up," the girl said with an air of finality.
Misato was stunned but she was not done, she had one last thing to ask, "So, he's your future husband huh? Where is he then?" Asuka looked down and said "I don't know, Auntie Yui died and Shinji's father sent him away. Poppa and I couldn't find him. Now poppa's left me," Asuka's eyes shimmered refusing to cry.
Seeing this Misato picked the girl up, ignoring her protests Misato pulled the young redhead into a gentle hug. Whispering into her ear she told the girl, " Asuka, your Shinji would want you to be happy. I'm going to take care of you and I'll have some friends I know look for him, okay?"
"Okay, Misato but what do you want from me?" the girl asked. Misato was unsure of the question so she asked Asuka what she meant. The young girl replied that everyone always wants something for a favor. Misato just grinned and told Asuka, " All I want from you little one is for you to do go to school, work on being a pilot and grow up to be the sweet girl your Shinji would like you to be. Can you do that for me?" Asuka Nodded and let Misato hug her again thinking it was something she could get used to.
Time skip plus two years on an unnamed South Pacific island
An eight year old Shinji Ikari was running home from school passing the parade grounds of the secret mercenary base. Over the past two years he has gone from a shy introverted child to an outgoing bundle of energy that had grown physically and mentally. Even at the age of eight he was turning heads of his female classmates with his dark blue eyes and shaggy brown hair. Like most kids that lived on a military base he was interested in the euipment his 'aunts and uncles used in their chosen profession. He was hurrying home because his adopted father, one Sousuke Sagara was home from one of his many deployments and in what had become a tradition, would be taking his son fishing at their secret spot.
Shinji had learned that his adopted parents were not Sousuke and Mitsukai Isegar but Sousuke and Kaname Sagara and they were not just a young couple starting out but officers for in the private military company Mithril. His dad was a Lt in the Special Response Team and a top arm slave pilot. His mom was a Lt. in the research and development section as well as an infiltration specialist and body guard assigned to the SRT. He also learned that his dad had been a child soldier from the age of four and had met Kana-chan while assigned as her body guard in high school. When Shinji heard that he made up his mind that he would be a soldier and protect his Asu-chan. Hearing this raised both his parents eye brows.
Flash back two months ago
"Shinji," Kaname began one afternoon, "dear, who is this Asuka that you always talk about? There's no one at the school with that name is there?" she asked. Shinji looked up from his snack and answered, "Nah, she's my best friend her mother was friends with my mother before... you know, we would play together when our mothers were visiting each other, Kyoko-chan would tell my mother that me and Asuka made a nice pair and we would make a cute couple. She always called me her Asu's boyfriend," he told his mom with a slight blush. Kaname thought for a minute over that statement before teasing her son a little, "So, you already have a girlfriend huh? Is she pretty like me?" Shinji looked at her with his blue eyes and told her," No, prettier, she has red hair and sky blue eyes, well I remember her hair, but she was really pretty just like her mother," he finished.
Kaname looked at her son and sniffed, "You don't think mommy is pretty? Shinji, I'm hurt, you hurt mommy's feelings," she pouted. Shinji just laughed and said, "Mom you know you are really pretty, dad says you are the most beautiful woman he has ever seen, but Asuka is my beautiful girl," Shinji smirked finishing his snack. After some more talk about Asuka and her mother Shinji went to his room to do his home work and Kaname started dinner.
Now Shinji was hitting the door to his home, calling out " I'm home," as he removed his shoes. "Welcome home," called a deep voice, " did you miss me?" Shinji ran to his dad yelling, " OF COURSE I MISSED YOU! Me and mom always do and I'm always worried that you'll leave me like my father did when I was little," he finished. Sousuke softened his look as he spoke to his boy, " Son, listen to me, while I can't guarantee that nothing will ever happen to me, I will promise you that I will always try to come home, okay?" Shinji nodded his head and wrapped his arms around the man," Okay, It's not a problem." Sousuke looked at him for a minute, "Good, get the poles and meet me at the jeep."
Later that evening as Shinji slept, the Sagaras were talking in their rooms, " So, is this all confirmed?" Kaname asked. "Yes, Koyoko Soryu underwent a contact test shortly after Yui Ikari underwent hers. In Soryu's case she came out mentally unstable and committed suicide a few months after," Sousuke explained as he did his voice took on a grave tone," her daughter Asuka found her suspended from the ceiling along with a doll with Asuka's name on it." Kaname gasped, "That's awful, poor thing must have been devastated." " She was," Sousuke confirmed, "but it's worse, according to what Mithril has found, Asuka was four years old when she found her mother. At the same time her father began an affair with his wife's care taker, they were not discreet in their...affection, Asuka either saw them or heard them in the throes of passion as Kurz would call it numerous times. She has a very fragile mind and has pushed everyone away from her not allowing heself to get close to anyone," he concluded.
"There has been some good in the girls life however," Sousuke said trying to cheer his wife up, "About the same time we pulled Shinji out of that house this girl was placed in the care of one Misato Katsuragi." Kaname looked at him knowing there would be more, "From what we've gathered she has been the girls guardian ever since and that they have a very close relationship. Katsuragi is in a relationship with a Ryoji Kaji, allegedly a UN Inspector." "But?" Kana prompted getting a kiss on the cheek. "But he's suspected of being an intelligence agent for an unknown power." Sousuke told her.
"As a byproduct of this relationship Asuka has been raised in as normal a home as she can get. The three of them go out as a family and Asuka is allowed to be a child when not being trained at the NERV facility or when at school," Sousuke went on with his briefing of his wife, "Her preliminary psych evals showed a tendency to be a spoiled child and a bully. Katsuragi took measures to stop that behavior. According to our source she still has her moments and is highly competitive, for all intents and purposes Miss Soryu is a very smart but very normal seven year old girl," he finished as he took Kaname in his arms.
Kaname was quiet for a very long time taking all this in finally she spoke up, " Shinji should know, the girl was his friend and he still thinks about her. You know his dream, to be like you so he can protect her." " That's the other thing," Sousuke said, "intelligence is picking up traffic regarding her and at least one other child that NERV has guardianship of and is training while they are searching for one that went missing." " What do you mean?" asked Kana. "What I mean is this," Sousuke said in a very low tone, Tessa asked me to start training Shinji for a task down the road." "What sort of task?" Kana said eyes narrowing. Sousuke looked her in the eye, Shinji was as much hers as his and she needed to be told, " Body guard, other children will be trained too as well as my father in Helmajistan said the he will be sending what few Hawks and Sparrows that he has turned, those will be sent here for training." "How many?" Kaname asked, knowing that she would not like the answer. "No more than ten, Shinji will be trained by SRT along with the others. They will spend half the day at school learning the basics and the rest of the day is for military instruction. Kaname, Shinji is to be assigned to watch over his redhead."
"What? Are you and Tessa mad?" Kaname exclaimed, "you know that NERV and that father of his are still actively looking for him and you want to send our son into that den of lions." " Kaname, there's something else you need to know. We think that Shinji is the missing child but don't worry, our son is smart, will be well trained and will be hiding under NERV's nose. On top of that he'll have a cover name by then and they're looking for Shinji Ikari." " I hope you're right mister, that's our little boy that you'll be training," Kaname sighed, snuggling into her first and only love.
Meanwhile in Berlin
"Asuka Langley Soryu!, get down here this instant!" yelled a purple haired twenty-something year old. The girl being called ran down the stairs remembering what happened the last time she took her time as she subconsciously rubbed her butt. "But Misato," she called out "those girls started it."
"And you finished it, right?" her unofficial big sister asked. "Well, I don't like anyone making fun of my baka, you know that," she answered touching a pendant around her neck. Inside was a picture of a four year old Shinji getting a kiss on the cheek by a three year old Asuka. It was one of Asuka's prized possessions, given to her for her seventh birthday by Misato and Kaji. She never took it off unless bathing or sleeping, and today a pair of girls tried to take it from her making fun of the boy inside. That didn't go over well by the short tempered redhead as she took out both girls with a couple of karate moves.
Now she was facing a slightly pissed off big sister. The woman was still reading the report from section two via text that came in after she had hung up after the headmaster of Asuka's school called, she had gotten into another fight with the older students and once again Asuka had ended the battle in a few moves. Not that Misato wasn't proud of her charges martial prowess, it was just that there is a time and place for things and fights during school hours, on school grounds was not them.
Asuka had gotten a small rebellious streak shortly after being jumped a few grades from the second to the sixth. Misato was determined to knock that streak out of the girl. "Asuka, I just talked to the headmaster, again, and he's had it with you," the woman said scowling a bit. Asuka looked at her like she was annoyed, "So? They made fun of Shinji and then they tried to take my necklace. I just stopped them from trying," she explained.
"Be that as it may young lady," Misato began, Asuka wondering where she was going with this, "The headmaster said he was done with you. Asuka, you've been expelled for fighting, again." "Oh," the girl said looking up with a smile, "You know there's a way to teach me and I don't have to put up with other students."
"No, not no but Hell No!" Misato shot back, this kid is going to kill her yet was what she was thinking, " You are not going to be privately tutored at NERV." " Oh come on Misato, you know that I don't get along with the other girls, especially when they know I'm smarter than them," Asuka pleaded.
" Asuka, we've gone over this before, you are not going to be taught by yourself. You need to be around kids your age you kno..." "Then why the hell did you let them jump me to the sixth grade?" the girl interrupted. "Honey, it was a mistake, we were worried that you were getting bored, you're so smart that I thought it would be a waste of your talent if you stayed in the second grade," Misato explained.
Asuka looked down at hearing that, she understood that everyone wanted her to be the best but she was really happy when they let her just be herself. "Asuka, your actions are not acceptable for someone that is connected to NERV, this is the third school you've been tossed out of," despite herself Asuka smirked at this, " Therefore young lady you leave me and Kaji no choice. Beginning Monday you will be attending the parish school of the Church of Saint Barbara, Our Lady Of Pain and Suffering."
"No," she said. "Yes, Misato replied, "we meet the school's headmistress Sister Mary Himmler in the morning."
Time Skip four years later,
Asuka had finally met her match in the nuns of Our Lady Of Pain and Suffering. Even though she was a prodigy and genius, the nuns were wise to her antics. The first thing to go was her attitude, Sister Mary Elefant, Sister Mary Rosetta Stone and Sister Mary Mary took her under their wings and over a few months she began to return to the sweet girl Misato had met a few years ago. Sister Mary Mary was as far as Asuka was concerned, a whack job. She had spent time in the old US Navy before finding God loading bombs and bullets on Hornets. As crazy as she was she was also Asuka's favorite and confidante. Sister Mary Mary would give the young girl advice on boys and herself when the nun noticed that Asuka was beginning to develop into a young woman. When they had these kind of talks she allowed Asuka to call her by her given name, Dawn, as it made the girl more comfortable. Dawn, Asuka found, never sugar coated things and was honest about her life prior to entering the convent.
Once in a while Asuka would invite the Sister to dinner with her and Misato and just listen as the two women swapped stories, some that would turn Asuka's face red. Asuka once asked her why she chose to teach at this particular school, the nun just looked at her and said, "It was where God wanted me to be," as if sharing an inside secret. By the time Asuka was ready to leave the school she and the nun were very close, Asuka having learned things from the Sister that wasn't really taught in class.
She had been placed in accelerated classes and had graduated from it's high school a few weeks ago. Asuka was kind of sad to leave, true to Misato's wishes she had made friends with kids her age as a tutor, as she entered her preadolescence some of the boys were smitten with her but she would point to her locket and tell them that she was waiting for her Shinji to come back to her.
She also made friends with several of the nuns, aside from the three that adjusted her attitude there were Sister Mary Coach the gym teacher, Sister Mary Mozart the music teacher and Sister Mary Sheldon her introductory physics teacher. She was a model student at the school mostly because the nuns did not take anything from a student and the let their steel rulers do the talking as Asuka found out the few times her mouth overloaded her scrawny butt. More than a few times did she wonder that it was a miracle that she could hold a pencil and not be a cripple for all the times she got her knuckles rapped. Asuka did find out one thing, no matter the age or IQ, all of the Sister's treated their students equally. Asuka was just Asuka or Miss Soryu if she wasn't paying attention, the Sisters made it known that she was not as special as the other kids in class, and Asuka was going to miss being treated that way.
Today however was going to be different, it was her last day as a school girl, in the morning she would begin classes at the University of Berlin but she pushed those thoughts aside as Misato began to speak to her, "Asuka, sit down. We have a few things to talk about" she began. Asuka had just come into the apartment after spending a few hours hanging out with friends. At the moment she was in the fridge getting a cold soda.
Sitting down and handing Misato a beer she asked Misato what was up. "Well, since you asked," Misato said, NERV has decided that you need some form of protection while in university." "What? Why? You know I can take ca..." the girl yelled.
Misato rubbed the beer can over her forehead as she waited for her charge to calm down. Seeing her chance she began to speak, " I know, I know you can protect yourself, I know," she sighed, "But, be that as it may, you still need some form of close protection. Do you understand?"
Asuka nodded before she spoke up, " Misato, I don't need a badly dressed section two goon following me around the campus. If that doesn't attract attention I don't know what will." Misato took a drink and told the girl, "I agree, section two is kind of... noticeable. But it won't be section two that will watch over you, the job was contracted out," she said stunning the redhead.
She wasn't quiet for long, Asuka rallied and asked," Okay, so he's contracted, big deal. I'm not letting any of those people, section two or contracted near me. I. Can. Take..." "Care of your self, I know, I know," Misato sighed in frustration, "Look he's not one of those goons okay? I know some of the people that trained him and he's following in his dad's shoes,"Misato told the girl.
Asuka, her interest piqued spoke up, "What do you mean, 'in his dad's shoes'?" "What I said, look I met his old man when I was in the UN Military Command. The guy was a soldier and mercenary since he was a kid," Misato explained, "NERV knew you would need protection a few years ago and I asked Isegar-san if he knew someone. Turns out he did, his son."
Asuka just sat there, a kid her age was going to be her protection, taught by a father that had been a child soldier himself? She didn't believe it. Misato seeing Asuka in deep thought decided to have fun.
"You know, he is kind of cute," she teased, "I have a picture of him if you're interested" Asuka looked at her and spat back "Hexe, warum haben Sie ein Foto eines kleinen Jungen, ich dachte nicht, dass Sie in das noch," she finished with a feral grin.
Misato spat her beer in Asuka's direction waving a hand, " No, no, no, it's not like that. I have his pic so we know what he looks like when we meet him in the morning, here, take a look," she was saying as she passed a small photo to her charge.
Asuka took a critical look at it remarking, "Not much to look at if you ask me," all the time grasping her locket and wondering why she all of a sudden wanted to meet this boy. "Good, see? You'll get along well with him. Now lets get dinner and call it a night," Misato cheered while Asuka still held the locket and wondered about what the morning would bring.
Next day, Berlin
"Okay, you have everything? Papers, weapon, condom?" the blond German asked getting a punch to his head. " Knock it off Webber,this is Shinji not his dad," an exotic looking woman said hitting the man again for good measure. "Shinji, I'm trusting you to not be like your old man and blow everything up on the campus, just keep aware of your surroundings and keep close to miss Soryu," his aunt Mellisa told him. Shinji just nodded his head and with a gleam in his eye replied, "It's not a problem." Mellisa just looked a the boy and said, " Okay, name?" "Sadao Isegar" "Ledgend?" " I was born in Okinawa on the sixth of March two thousand one, I completed secondary school in two thousand and twelve and spent that last year in a prep school to ready myself for university here in Berlin. I am estranged from my father and never knew my mother, I was adopted when I was six by a young couple from Kyoto that moved to Okinawa post second impact," Shinji recited, " I am fluent in English, Japanese and have a working knowledge of German." Mellisa nodded asking, " What are your pastimes?" " I enjoy reading, fishing, video games and music as I also play the cello when I have to opportunity," Shinji told her. "Okay, last question, why do you carry a pistol?" Shinji did not miss a beat, " because of my fathers business dealings and past associates several attempts on my life have been tried and I petitioned and received an international carry permit." Mellisa smiled, " Good job, now lets meet your charge," and with that the three left the BMW and walked up the walk to the front door of the Langley residence.
"Commander, we just got a report on the Third Child," Fuyutsaki called out to his leader. Gendo turned to face him, " Anything concrete this time, not a rumor?" he asked. "No, this is confirmed," the old man said, it seems that the PMC Mithril has been training him to be a child soldier, this is his first assignment." " Oh really and what is that assignment?" Gendo asked. " You won't believe this," Kozo said, " he's in Berlin to act as a body guard for the Second Child. He is going under the name of 'Sadao Isegar' and is attending university with miss Soryu." " Isegar, Isegar... that sounds familiar," Gendo mused, "of course, that was the name of his baby sitter when he was with his uncle." " That may be so," Kozo said looking the man in the eye, " but the question now is what do we do with him now that we know where to find him?" Gendo looked back and said to his mentor, "Nothing, we do nothing other than keep an eye on the two of them, the angels are not due to arrive for three more years. Let him enjoy life for the short time both are able. Besides, I have no use for him yet." " Very well sir, I'll instruct section two as to your orders."
The two settled into a prolonged silence before Gendo spoke up, " Do you think that he will ever forgive me?" The older man looked puzzled asking, " What brought this on Ikari?" "You know that I've worried over him, and I feel guilty spending most of my time with the First Child, and now, now I find out that he's been trained to be a soldier watching over another broken child. As I've always said, I never should have gone with Yui's plan, it's caused too much pain. My son was a gentle boy now he carries a gun, a gun Kozo, they taught him to be a killer." Fuyutsuki sighed as he poured two glasses of Scotch, "Gendo, the boy would have been taught to kill anyway once you called him back here, you know that." Taking the drink Gendo shook his head, " No, he would have been taught to just kill the angels, now, now he's been taught to kill other humans," tossing the drink down and pouring another he continued, "This could have unwanted results in the scenario Kozo. If he has a grudge and a gun he may try to use it on me. If that happens you know the consequences of an action like that," the man sighed, " You know Kozo,I never wanted this for him."
Translations:
Ahh my little one, are you awake?
Yes poppa, what happened?
You fainted, Asuka, when you found your mother.
Momma, is...is she...
Yes my love, your mother has died.
Asuka, may I come in?
Yes grandmother, please enter.
Asuka, it's been three weeks since the funeral, are you not sad? It's okay if you shed tears for someone you love.
No grandmother, I'm a big girl now, I won't cry anymore, big girls aren't supposed to cry. I'll never cry again.
Witch, why do you have a photo of a young boy, I didn't think you were into that
A/N This is a re-write based on comments from a couple of trusted fellow authors and my own displeasure of how this story was going. There were too many questions of Shinji and Asuka and why they got together so fast as well as Shinji and Asuka's OOC actions. Well this time I decided to put Asuka's story along side Shinji's, I hope it make things a little clearer.
Asuka and Shinji at this time are clinging to the memory of their childhood friendship. Remembering the comments of their mothers of them making a cute couple and Kyoko's teasing of Shinji calling him her daughters boyfriend both are holding on to those memories since it's the few times they remember happiness when they were little.
Asuka is the one that holds on to Shinji in her mind tighter as shown by her grasping her locket when boys start to take interest in her and ask her out. She's faithful to the boy and desperately wants to see him again. She's gone so far as to ask Misato and Kaji to look for him though it's not shown here but it will be addressed in the next chapter.
Shinji, while just as faithful already knows about Asuka by the time he's eight and has trained hard both physically and mentally to protect her. He's not in love per se but he is devoted to her as mentioned in his talk with Kaname. Being raised by not only Kaname and Sousuke but Webber and Mao and his grandfather figures, Majid and Kalinen he is not the timid, cowering doormat that NERV's and his fathers scenario calls for. However, Asuka is still his weakness as he is hers.
A word about the school Asuka ultimately attends and graduates from. The name of both the church and school are a nod to my days as an Aviation Ordnanceman in the US Navy. Santa Barbara is the patron saint of Ordnancemen and Canoneers and has been for centuries. Pain and Suffering refers to what you get if you cross an ordie, the Navy or the US. Sister Mary Mary is a nod to a lady AO that once worked for me in the 90's. When things got messed up she would yell that she was quitting the Navy and joining a convent. I thought Dawn would be at home teaching Asuka the ways of the world.
Misato is still Misato and Kaji is still Kaji with the exception of how they relate to each other and Asuka. Both see Asuka as the child they can't have and have rekindled their relationship to give Asuka a more family like atmosphere. Note that Kaji does not share the apartment with the two, he does spend all his free time there while in Berlin. Asuka see's Misato as a big sister as no one can replace Kyoko and has developed a small crush on Kaji. Not as rabid as in canon but enough for her to have internal arguments with herself over her feelings on Shinji or specifically his undercover persona.
Last but not least, Gendo. I wanted Gendo to start out a loving father that was forced to abandon his son on orders from NERV and his wife. Over time I hope to show him slide into the darkness that made him the Bastard King. Rei will enter the story next chapter and it will begin Gendo's turning away from his son and putting his attention on Rei. As for her, she's more than she was in canon. I won't reveal much but I will say this, she is very cold and calculating and has her feelings under very tight is not the doll she is in canon.
I am looking forward to writing her meeting Shinji and Asuka. Asuka will not be as antagonistic but will privately dislike the girl and Shinji will have trouble breaking through to Rei as well as understanding her. That's all the hints you get for her.
