"Ha ha!" Asuka laughed. "Only a stupid baka like you could ever get lost."
"I'm sorry…" Shinji mumbled. "I just wasn't thinking straight…and even worse the oven was never on in the first place."
"HAHAHAHAHA!" Asuka barely constrained her laughter.
"Sorry, Asuka, but Shinji's lying – he's not limp, he showed me last night." Obviously Misato, as she walked into the kitchen.
Shinji started blushing a deep scarlet. "Misato, please!"
"Oh, don't worry – anyway, Kaji's…" A small vein appeared on her forehead as she forced out the name, "Coming over tonight. Shinji, would you please start making dinner?"
"Uh…okay, Misato." Shinji walked over to his familiar place and started grabbing plates and food for dinner.
Asuka noticed he was walking a bit uncomfortably and stiffly. "Hey baka, something wrong?"
"No, nothing!" Shinji said a bit too quickly as he bent down to grab a tin of sauce.
"Are you sure? You walk like an Evangelion barely passed borderline!"
"No, I'm telling you, I'm fine!" Far from the truth. The plug suit was tight and fitted well, but even with its increased mobility, it was NOT designed to be worn under clothes.
Asuka shrugged before walking off. It's not like I care.
Shinji pushed his glasses up, turning to glance at her as she left before continuing cooking.
-------
Asuka lay on her bed, thinking about the man who called himself Superman before sighing girlishly. He's so handsome…and dreamy, and strong and fast and he can fly…
Her eyes widened in shock. Whoa! Down girl, he's probably too old for you!
She started to sigh again. But Kaji's never too old for any girl…
And there was Shinji…
HA! Maybe once he grows a backbone!
The redhead got up, getting ready to dress up for her Kaji.
-------
"Hi Mr. Kaji!" Shinji greeted as he opened the door.
The unshaven man grinned at the Third Child. "Hey, it's certainly been a while, you've grown a bit and you know most girls have a glasses fetish…"
Shinji blushed for the second time that night. "Uh thanks…but come in, dinner's almost ready!"
Kaji nodded, walking in and looking around. "Hey Misato…don't tell me you're on a date!"
"Kaji…" Misato acknowledged as she came out.
"Oh and by the way, is Asuka…"
"KAAAJJJIIIII!"
The man winced. "I guess my question is answered."
Asuka came out, dressed in a stunning white dress that showed off all her best 'assets'. "Hello, Kajiii…"
Shinji sighed as he concentrated on putting the dishes at the table.
Having to be a superhero was one thing, having to put up with Asuka flirting with Kaji (while he had super hearing) was something else.
"So Misato," Kaji said quickly before Asuka could say anything else, "Have you heard of the latest hero in town?"
"No," Misato replied. "Who's that?"
"Word is that he's called Superman. Apparently he single-handed foiled a hostage taker – a heavily armoured, heavily armed one with nothing but his bare hands."
"Whoa!" Misato said in surprise. "Now that's impressive."
"And there's more! The guys who I know that work with Special Forces say that he could deflect bullets, wielded super strength, and could fly and shoot beams out of his eyes."
"Would that mean he was an Angel?" Misato asked quickly in worry.
"If he were, he would definitely be the smallest Angel I've ever seen," Asuka interjected.
Misato raised an eyebrow. "You were there?"
"Yeah," The girl nodded. "He was…incredible."
Kaji sighed inwardly in relief. If she's developing a crush on someone else, then I can concentrate my efforts on Misa…
"BUT," Asuka said with a sigh, "He'll never overwhelm my desire for you Kaji…"
Damn.
"Dinner's ready!" Shinji announced.
-------
Shinji stared up at the ceiling that night in thought.
The suit's far too uncomfortable. Somebody will eventually notice, but I can't just put it in a pack and carry it around because I need to be able to change quickly and somebody will notice far quicker.
He turned to the side, wrapping his blankets around him. If I can go to Dr. Akagi…
No. I can't let anyone know about this.
His SDAT lay unused on the desk. He didn't need that to help him sleep anymore.
-------
Gendo watched his son as he entered the Evangelion for his sync test. "Strange," He muttered under his breath.
"What's strange, Ikari?" Fuyutsuki asked, as always by his side.
"My son seems to have gotten much taller," He said. "And the plug suit shows that he is much more defined than before…"
"Do you want me to order Katsuragi to ask?"
"No, I do not want her to know about it. Ask Ritsuko to give him a physical test."
-------
Shinji frowned as he heard this. Guess I won't be able to get away with this unless I can convince Dr. Akagi not to tell the others about my abilities.
-------
"Shinji?" Ritsuko asked.
"Dr. Akagi?" Shinji asked as he exited the locker room in normal clothes, his Superman attire in a pack, appearing to be puzzled.
"The Commander has asked me to give you a physical test concerning your new height and physical appearance."
"Alright, then," Shinji said. Here goes nothing…
Ritsuko guided him to a medical room. "Firstly, could you please take off your shirt?" She asked as she sat down, getting her medical instruments.
Shinji did without any comment.
Not surprisingly, Ritsuko was shocked by his new muscles. There's no way a 14-year old can have those kinds of muscles or gain height in such a short amount of time.
She grabbed a needle from her set of instruments. "Shinji, I'm just going to take a blood test."
"Uh…Dr. Akagi, I'm not sure that's such a good idea."
She raised an eyebrow in surprise, but nonetheless continued.
Shinji didn't stop her, so she assumed it was just nervousness.
But as she was about to put the needle into his skin…
Snap! The needle broke in half.
"I don't want to break your needles," Shinji said.
Was that expectancy in his face? Expectancy of something like this to happen?
Maybe that was a bad needle. I'll grab another one.
With the same consequences.
One by one, all the needles broke and Ritsuko now had a bunch of useless instruments. "Shinji, how come…"
"It's probably not that you have a bad set of instruments," Shinji said, half-joking, half-serious. "After all, nothing short of a cannon can pierce my skin now."
A CANNON?! Ritsuko quickly processed this information, matching it with a certain hero that was appearing in the news. "There's only one thing that can deflect bullets, other than an Angel…"
"Please don't tell the others I'm Superman," Shinji begged.
But Ritsuko was happy. Yes…this is the perfect opposition to Instrumentality…and I will get my revenge on you, Gendo, using your own son!
"Don't worry, Shinji – my lips are sealed."
Shinji was relieved as he sat down. "Thank you. I don't want any extra attention."
Ritsuko nodded in full understanding. "But tell me Shinji – how did you get these powers?"
So Shinji recounted how he used to have headaches and other strange things, then went on to the kidnapping and then his taking the plug suit and using it as a costume to beat that psycho.
"Can I see this costume?" Ritsuko asked.
Shinji nodded, taking it out of his backpack.
The doctor's eyes went wide as she saw the sleek costume. "Wow, Shinji! Did you actually make this from the plug suit?"
"Um…there wasn't very much I needed to add," Shinji said meekly. "But the suit's too weird to wear underneath clothes even though it's quite good to move in while flying and walking around by itself."
"Oh, I think I can fix that," Ritsuko said eagerly with a grin.
-------
Ritsuko had promised to build a very advanced version of his suit for use in any terrain and environment – including even space and most importantly underneath his clothes. But for the time being he would have to stick to his original suit.
-------
"Hello, Ikari," Rei said in her usual soft manner as they came across each other on a street.
"Um…hi, Ayanami," Shinji said with a smile.
Rei frowned as she sized him up. His shoulders appear to have straightened out and he carries himself in a much more confident manner. Something has caused him to become like this…
"Well…see ya," he said quickly as a large explosion sounded across from them in a building, with police sirens blaring. And with that he ran away into an alley.
Rei turned to survey the large damage caused. There was a massive fire, and many fire engines were surrounding it, to try and put out the flames.
Then suddenly BANG! A huge explosion occurred, sending a massive shockwave across, easily shattering the already weakened water tank above Rei as it tumbled from the building and now went flying to her.
As she looked up, her eyes widened in shock as fear coursed through her for the first time. There would be no time to dodge –
A heroic figure flew above her and stopped the fall, easily holding the water tank with one hand as he hovered down to speak with her.
He was extremely handsome, with long hair, a curl out on his forehead and deep blue eyes that seemed to stare into her soul. He had a muscular build and seemed to boom an aura of confidence and power.
"Next time, watch where you're going," Superman said in a deep…but soft, mature voice as if one of a parent gently correcting a child.
Rei felt something inside her, something she had never felt before…
Superman knew she was feeling it through his super senses. After all, the increase of her heart rate, the almost undetectable faint rising of color on her skin as her overall body temperature rose…
But those were only extra details that he didn't need to know as he flew up, using his heat vision to bond the water tank supports back together.