This is the fic that never ends, yes it goes on and on my friends…
BTW, my friend Hamstadini wrote a chapter that talks about Kimiko's POV as she was absorbed by Unit Three. Check it out! As well as all his other stuff, it's really good!
Asuka looked over the renovations to the apartment in approval, before turning to Misato and grinning.
"So basically, since the people nextdoor moved out, you got to knock down the wall between the two apartments and make it one big apartment?" Misato nodded, downing another beer at the kitchen table with a smile.
"Yup! And NERV footed the bill, since it makes more sense to keep the pilots in one dwelling." Asuka turned to her bowl of hot soup and spooned some into her mouth.
"Mmm… I missed this cooking," Asuka confessed. Misato shot the redhead a sly look.
"Oh? What else did you miss about Shinji-kun, hm?" Asuka flushed.
"W-Well… Allright, I admit I missed the baka, okay? But it's not like I want to jump his bones." She took another spoonful of soup, still glaring at Misato. "Besides, I'm not the one whose turning into a regular Michael Jackson!" The purple-headed major's eyes widened.
"What? What do you mean? Andrew-kun's an orphan, after all. I couldn't just let him live by himself." Asuka grumbled.
"Great… Another perverted little boy." Misato giggled.
"Actually, this is one boy I don't think you can really call perverted." Asuka frowned at the older woman.
"What do you mean by that?"
"I'm home!" A moment later, Andrew appeared in the doorway to the kitchen, holding bags of groceries. He was smiling in a way that seemed almost doll-like to Asuka, as though there wasn't much feeling behind it. The American put the bags on the table, reached in, and pulled out a box of pads. He handed it to Misato.
"Mission accomplished, Misato-san. I believe I got the right brand, but the supermarket guy wasn't a lot of help," Andrew admitted. Asuka blinked at the lack of a blush on the American's pale face.
"That's all right, Andrew-kun. By the way, do you know what these are for?" Misato inquired sweetly. Andrew blinked owlishly.
"No, I'm afraid I don't. Would you tell me, Misato-san?"
"Don't ask about stuff like that!" Asuka growled. Andrew turned to the redhead and stared blankly at her.
"Why not?"
"Because… Because it's not… It's not acceptable, dumpkoff!" Asuka snarled. Andrew looked perplexed.
"How? I don't even know what they're for."
"That's all right, Andrew-kun, you don't have to worry about it," Misato soothed. "Now, why don't you tell Shinji and Rei to get ready for the mission?" Andrew saluted, and headed back out of the kitchen. Asuka turned to Misato, eyes wide.
"What… The hell… Was that?" Misato shrugged, and took a gulp of beer.
"When he came out of Unit 04, most of his memory was erased. He could only recall stuff that happened in the last year or so, like his training." Her expression became one of sympathy. "He can't even remember his parents." Asuka looked back at the doorway, her face incredulous.
"Mien Gott… So, what's this mission we're going on anyway," Asuka asked, changing the subject. Misato smiled.
"It's a super special training mission! And top secret, allright? So just remember to keep your mouths shut about it to everyone." Asuka narrowed her eyes.
"What kind of training are we talking about here?"
"You approved this?" Fuyutsuki asked in disbelief. Gendo, sitting at his desk, nodded thoughtfully as he fiddled with a complex diagram on the surface.
"Of course. The First, Second, Third and Sixth have not all worked together on a single operation before. This training mission will allow them to hone their skills. At the same time, it will grant us time to prepare for the old fools' next move." Fuyutsuki shook his head.
"One has to wonder where they're getting all these new angels. Do you think they intend to initiate their own scenario?"
"Possibly. However, thanks to a recent new translation of the scrolls, it will be revealed to SEELE and NERV that this new series of Angels serve as a final test, preparing us for Instrumentality by challenging us with the worst of Man's doings by Angels." Fuyutsuki rolled his eyes.
"In other words, you forged some new scrolls that you can change anytime you like to trick the Committee into thinking we have everything under control." Gendo smirked.
"Of course. Now then… The First and Second Children both have attractions to the Third. Attractions which can be used to our advantage. For Suzuhara, we can use his growing fanclub." The commander held up an action figure of Andrew Stewart up away from the other NERV-made Evangelion toys situated about his desk.
"What about the Sixth?" Fuyutsuki inquired. Gendo shrugged, and put the action figure back down.
"He has never disobeyed orders in his career, even before his mindwipe." Gendo frowned.
"Still… His recovery could pose a problem."
"We also have the new development of the US creating their own Evangelions," Fuyutsuki reminded him. "Based upon the Unit Three design. We will be able to get Unit Five, but we continue to negotiate for Units Six and Seven." Gendo frowned.
"Designate a Seventh Child, and make sure the proper core for it is installed into the unit." The commander thought hard. "Make it another female. Preferably an attractive, affectionate one. She will kill two birds with one stone-Provide a pilot for Unit Five, and serve as a distraction for the Sixth and Fourth."
"I'll get right on it," Fuyutsuki sighed, calling up a holoscreen and cycling through names. He paused. "Hm… I believe this one will work." The older man opened another holoscreen by pressing a button on the desk, displaying the image of an attractive, auburn-haired girl with smiling green eyes.
"Mana Kirishima. Daughter of the Special Financial Director," Gendo read aloud thoughtfully. "The perfect choice." Fuyutsuki raised an eyebrow.
"Her father is involved in various covert activities in the government proper," Fuyutsuki realized. "Through her, we can get another set of eyes into the ministry and JSSDF."
"Exactly. Should SEELE run out of Angels, it would be good to have some prior warning," the commander nodded. He then frowned.
"Curious… How is it that she never showed up before?"
"She was recently transferred to Class 2-A from Osaka," Fuyutsuki read. He then shook his head. "Incredibly convenient."
At a NERV computer terminal usually reserved for emergencies, in a secluded alley, an auburn-haired green-eyed girl sneezed.
Fuyutsuki generally didn't believe in coincidences, but if Ikari was unconcerned, so was he.
"In the mean time, let us map out our strategy." Gendo turned to Fuyutsuki. "Did the Major indicate exactly what kind of training they would be involved in?"
"She said something about… what was it," Fuyutsuki muttered, rummaging through the forms before finally reaching the desired one. "Oh yes, 'combat and teamwork on unfamiliar terrain'."
"Heads up, Third!"
BONK!
"OW!" Shinji held his head and winced, a volleyball rolling around at his feet. "Asuka!"
"Ha! Me four, you zero third!" Asuka laughed, standing on the other side of the volleyball net in her infamous white, red-striped bikini. Overhead, the sun beat down on one of the few recreational beaches near Tokyo-3. Shinji sighed, then turned to look over at the parasail Rei, Andrew and Misato were currently under. "Misato-san!"
"Sorry Shinji, this is all part of the training," Misato grinned, downing another beer from the cooler she'd brought along. "Of course, for this to be truly effective, every one of you pilots has to be involved." The purple-haired woman turned to Andrew and Rei, both sitting quietly on either side of her on the Yebisu-brand beach towel she'd brought along. "You'd better get out there, guys!"
Rei blinked. Andrew copied.
"What's the matter, bakas? Never played volleyball before?" Asuka taunted. Rei and Andrew looked at her in synch, which made Asuka shiver slightly.
"No," Rei replied.
"Not to my knowledge," Andrew answered. Asuka groaned, and slapped her forehead in exasperation.
"Mein Gott! All right, all right, look. Get over here, I'll teach you bakas, sheesh…"
Andrew could not recall ever playing volleyball before, but he was sure that if he had, he wouldn't have liked it.
BONK!
"Gah!" Asuka bounced the ball off his head when Shinji served it over the net, before rushing and spiking the airborne ball with flourish, Rei and Shinji's superior teamwork no match (in this case) for Asuka's brute force and effective strategy.
"Asuka-san! Can you not do that anymore?" Andrew winced, rubbing his head. "That really hurts!" Asuka snorted.
"Oh c'mon! You've suffered worse! Stop being such a baby. Besides, we've scored seven points like this already!" Asuka paused, as Rei served once more. The redhead leapt up, slapped the ball once again against Andrew's head, making it bounce back into the air in just the right spot for Asuka to spike it once more, Shinji yelping as he pulled his feet back from the impact site.
"Eight," Asuka grinned. Andrew rubbed his aching head.
"Don't worry, Andrew-kun! You're doing great!" Misato called out, licking an icecream cone in a teasing manner. Shinji blushed bright red, Asuka cursed, and Rei and Andrew just looked confused.
"Shinji-kun? Why are you acting as you are now?" Rei asked. "Do you require close contact?" Shinji blushed even harder at that, as Asuka's nostrils flared.
"WHAT? What was that, Third?"
"Er, um…" Shinji mumbled. Rei almost glowered at the Second.
"Shinji-kun and I have been comforting eachother physically for some time now," Rei confessed. "He seems tense at the moment." Actually, Rei had been sneaking into Shinji's room and sleeping next to him, which had seemed to keep him from having nightmares. It had also given Rei a profoundly warm feeling, especially when he wrapped his arms around her. Things after the twenty-first Angel had progressed back somewhat to where they were before, Shinji talking with her and being kind. But with the Second Child's return, Rei was wondering if this progress would be lost.
She was knocked out of her musings by a familiar scream of terror.
"ASUKA-SAN, IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!" Shinji yelped, running for his life as Asuka chased him, waving the wooden bat they were going to use on the watermelons Misato brought along.
"GET BACK HERE YOU PERVERT!" Rei stared after them, before turning to an equally perplexed Andrew.
"Are we not supposed to use the bat on the watermelon?"
"I think so," Andrew replied, blinking. "Guess we're not doing that now."
"Indeed," Rei spoke with the hint of a smile. For some reason, the fact that the Sixth Child was just as ill-informed of such things comforted her. Rei was suddenly struck by inspiration, though you wouldn't know it by looking at her.
"Pilot Stewart. Have you ever had ice cream?" Andrew shrugged.
"If I did, I don't remember it." Rei smiled, recalling the time Shinji made banana splits for desert.
"Come with me," the albino girl said quietly, turning and heading for the nearest food stand. Andrew followed, still watching Asuka chase Shinji. Rei paused, and looked at the American curiously.
"What is it?" Rei asked.
"I feel warm inside," Andrew answered. "But I don't think it's because of the heat." Rei turned and regarded the Sixth Child.
"What does it feel like?" Andrew looked thoughtful.
"Like… How I feel when I'm flying," he answered at last. A small smile broke on Rei's face.
"I believe you are feeling contentment, Pilot Stewart." Andrew blinked… Before smiling slightly back.
"It feels good." Rei recalled the happiness she felt simply by being with Shinji, and nodded as the feeling returned to her heart.
"Yes, it does."
Sorry for the short chapter. Welp, next time's gonna get interesting, that's for sure. R&R!
And no, Andrew and Rei are NOT going to become a couple. They're bonding over the similarities in their lives.
