With the last chapter we had some surprising kindness from Gendo, which would spook anyone, let's be honest. With a few sweet moments at home for our little family, and an even sweeter mother/son moment with Misato and Shinji after revealing his doubts about his abilities, with a small portion of his old self rearing it's head. Now with the destruction of the frozen angel, along with Unit 05, Kaji and the young pilot Mari make their way to the battle ship, Over the Rainbow to meet with Asuka as she awaits her greeting party of Misato and the remaining pilots.
7: The Angel and The Demon
"Why, for the love of God, do I have to wear this?!" Shinji growled, looking at himself in the formal black officer's uniform of NERV, beret included. He felt like an overdressed fool who was on his way to a date with a super model. Which turned his thoughts to Asuka. Her lovely flowing red hair, her bright, blue eyes full of fire, and her long silky -
THUNK
Shinji bonked his head against the mirror, Don't think about that, don't think about that! You will look away when it happens, or you will get slapped! He told himself, thinking of when the wind picked up and blew across the deck, lifting her skirt and giving him a spectacular view of her pink -
THUNK
"Shinji, what's that thumping noise?" Misato called from the living room.
Shinji rubbed the small lump forming on his head, "Nothing, just trying to hop into these ridiculous boots you want me to wear!"
Misato laughed from outside his door, "They're not that bad! I'm wearing the same thing!"
"No, you're wearing a skirt, I'm wearing pants! Thank God for that!" Shinji roared, causing to more bursts of laughter to erupt from his two male companions. "Why do we have to wear uniforms, anyway?! Can't we just go casual?"
Misato cracked the door open and, seeing him fully dressed, walked in, "Come on, Shinji, it's not all that bad. Besides, Asuka is a captain, just like you, so you'll want to make a good impression."
"I'm still getting used to the rank," he grumbled, still not believing that what his father had done.
"Look at it this way," Misato grinned, "At least you better dressed than Touji and Kensuke. I always thought those Kaki uniforms were horrible."
"Rei is wearing it as well," he pointed out, straightening his jacket, "And I think those suits are better than this funeral suit!"
Misato snickered, and patted him on the shoulder, spinning him around to make sure he was practically perfect. "I think you're just scared to finally meet the girl you've been interested in since you found out she was coming." She sighed, sounding like a mother, "I swear, you haven't stopped asking about her since I brought it up!"
"She's...interesting." Shinji defended lamely, trying hard not to blush. It was true. For the past week as they prepared everything to meet the arriving pilot and new Eva unit, Shinji had asked Misato everything about her, if only to hide what he already knew about the fiery German. The whole ordeal had led to much teasing on Misato and Touji's part. Rei and Kensuke, which surprised him, kept quiet.
Misato just rolled her eyes knowingly and patted down his shoulders one last time to clear any dust or lint, "You'll be fine. Honestly, she's not that bad, she just comes off as...flamboyant."
If that's what you want to call it, Shinji thought, remembering the embarrassment he'd had to endure when she'd made him dress in her spare plug suit. Kensuke had never let him hear the end of it, right up until he left after the thirteenth angel attacked and nearly killed Touji. He shook himself. That was in the past now. He had a new chance to get the future back on track again, and stop any of the tragedies that would have happened.
"I guess I'm ready," he said, looking up at her, "Thanks for the help."
Misato smiled, "There's my widdle man." She reached out and pinched his cheek playfully, "You look so handsome!"
Blushing bright red, Shinji brushed her hand off and strode out his door, his boot heels clipping the floor as he went.
xXx
"Kensuke, for the love of God, calm down!" Misato yelled over the roar of the helicopter. Her bespectacled charge was practically foaming at the mouth as he saw the U.N. Pacific fleet below them. Touji, to his displeasure, kept his hand clamped over the boy's mouth to keep the volume down, as he had started crying out for sheer joy when he first spotted the fleet. Shinji was thankful to him, for he didn't know how long he could keep himself sane from his friend's rambling. Even Rei, the picture of patience, looking a little annoyed.
God help us when we meet Asuka, Shinji though, not for the first time that day. He reached up and stretched out his collar, feeling his nervousness coming back. Just remember not to look!
The helicopter came to a jaring halt as they landed, allowing Kensuke to be released from Touji's grip, and to run off looking around in wonder at the the air crafts sitting on the deck. Touji followed after him, only, of course, to have his hat blown off by a gust of wind. Naturally he chased after it, cursing the entire time. Rei stepped down next, keeping her hands low to make sure her skirt didn't get caught by the same wind that had snatched up Touji's hat. Shinji sighed and stepped off next, stretching his stiff muscles while Misato came last, rubbing her neck because of a kink.
Touji had nearly caught his hat when some scooped it up from the ground. Touji smiled in relief, looking up in time to have the hat shoved back onto his head.
"Might wanna glue this thing on, NERVling," the strange girl smirked, "It'll keep it on way better."
"Mari, don't tease the kid," another female voice chided, "He's just some dumb jock."
"What'd you say?!" Touji growled in outrage as Misato, Shinji, Rei, and Kensuke finally reached them.
"Well, you sure grown up," Misato smiled, which caught the attention of the second female. The red-haired young woman smiled at her former guardian.
"Yup, and that's not all, my figure's filled out as well," she said, placing her hands on her hips.
Shinji gulped. That was definitely her. She was dressed in the same yellow dress as last time, which was fluttering in the breeze. Misato turned to him and the other two pilots, "Allow me to introduce the pride of the Euro air force, Captain Asuka Langley Shikinami. Asuka, these four are - " The wind chose that exact moment to lift the girl's skirt high above her hips, giving them all an eye full. Shinji had turned just in time; a moment later he heard two distinctive slaps.
"Argh, wha'd you do that for!" Touji roared, while the other girl, Mari, was hunched over laughing.
"That was the viewing fee, quite a bargain, isn't it?" Asuka growled.
"It's over priced, but that's alright," Touji said, and reached for his belt, "Here's your - "
"Stow it, Suzuhara!" Shinji roared before he could pull his pants down, shocking all present. Shinji sighed, collecting himself, "We're here to pick up a pilot, and an Eva unit, not to make a spectacle of public indecency!"
"But she - "
"Shouldn't have worn a dress," Shinji nodded with a slight smirk, "Yes, I know, but that's her decision."
"What did you say?!" Asuka shouted, becoming angry at the black clad stranger, but it was then that she finally took a look at his face, and gasped. It was the pilot from the video she'd received. Captain Ikari, the one she'd been so eager to meet. "Wait, you're the pilot of the Unit 01 Eva, right?"
"I am," he said, stepping forward, offering her a salute, "Captain Shinji Ikari, at your service, Captain Shikinami." A little stunned at the formality, she returned the salute. He was nothing like she expected. He wasn't a rigid military lap dog, or so slack in attitude that he was just plain boring, which impressed her. And, to her pleasant surprise, he was moderately handsome.
"O~h," Mari snickered, giving the red-head a lite elbow in the ribs, "Are you calling dibs already?"
"Wha?! Mari, shut up already!" Asuka shouted, snapping her out of her stupor.
"And who's this?" Misato asked, looking the new girl over curiously, "I was told there was just you, Asuka."
Shinji, and the rest of his group looked over to the new girl. Like Asuka, she had naturally pale skin, but had long brown hair tied back into twin pig tails, and wore pink glasses in front of striking sky-blue eyes.
"Oh, sorry," Asuka said, acting somewhat embarrassed, then gestured to the girl, "This is the Fifth Child, Mari Illustrious Makinami."
"Nice to meet'cha," she said, smiling widely.
Shinji smiled and bowed slightly in respect, "A pleasure. Allow me to introduce your housemates." He gestured behind him to Rei, "Here we have the Unit 00 pilot, Rei Ayanami, this guy with this glasses is the Sixth Child, Kensuke Aida, and the designated pilot of Unit 04." Kensuke smiled and gave the girls a small wave as Shinji turned his attention back to Touji, "And this is the Seventh Child, Touji Suzuhara, pilot of Unit 03."
Asuka looked at the darker skinned boy she'd slapped, "This dummkopf is a pilot? You must be joking!"
"Watch it," Touji growled, to which Misato barely contained a laugh.
"Now, now, take it easy you two," she smiled, "As Shinji said, you're all going to be housemates for the time being, and since we'll all be living together, we should try to get along."
"So we're going to be living with a bunch of boys?" Mari asked, a slight smirk coming to her face, "How fu~n." Asuka eyed her suspiciously before inching away from her.
"Just what is going through that crazy little head of your's, Makinami?" Asuka asked her, though she really didn't want to know.
Mari, however, licked her lips, "Just that our fine captain here smells just like LCL, my favorite smell in the world." Shinji, upon hearing this, blanched a little as the girl came disturbingly close to him. Her eyes narrowed seductively, "Don't suppose you'd be interested in sharing beds, huh?"
"Wha?!" Touji, Kensuke, and Shinji yelped.
Asuka looked downright scandalized, "Sie verkehrte hexe!"
Misato, by now, was shaking with laughter while Rei looked on in bemusement. "I do not understand this concept. Why would sharing a bed be necessary?"
"Oh, Rei," Misato giggled as the two other girls started arguing, "You have so much to learn."
xXx
"Give me a break," the captain of the Over the Rainbow sighed as he looked down at the little group, "We're trusting mankind's future to those children, and the oversized toy?"
"So it would seem, sir," said his lieutenant, "But from what I've heard, that boy there has seen some fierce combat already. Miss Shikinami has a video disc of his three previous battles."
"I could care less," the captain said, "We were once the pride of the US navy, but now look at us. Guard dogs for a children's toy!"
"Sir!" One of the ensigns called, "We've just gotten a hit on the radar. A large cargo ship seems to be trailing us."
"Hail it, and find out why," he growled, "Unless they have a good reason, I don't want any unnecessary distractions."
"What distraction would that be?"
The captain whirled around to find Misato and the children pilots at the door to the bridge. She was smiling pleasantly, even though he could feel a tenseness coming from her.
"So, you must be the one in charge of these children," he said, stressing the term, casting his gaze toward Shinji, "After that display on the deck, I thought you might be the babysitter."
Misato's eye seemed to twitch, "I am the commanding officer in charge of these pilots." She produced a clipboard from under her arm, "Now, I must ask you to sign this, so that I may take possession of Unit 02 and it's pilot from your care."
"Not just yet," he said, which made Misato grimace visibly, "As long as that plaything is aboard my ship, then I have no need to hand it over until we reach dry land," he said, much to the annoyance of Misato and Shinji, who never did take to his attitude. "The ocean is our jurisdiction, Major."
"Granted," Misato said, the smile returning, "However, should an emergency occur, said emergency being a supposed threat to the Eva, or, heaven forbid, an angel attack, then NERV authorization gives me the power to take command if the need arises, so, keep in mind that should anything happen while I am here, you will follow my orders."
"She's awesome," Touji said dreamily.
"She sounds just like Ritsuko," Shinji muttered out of habit.
"As serious as ever, I see," said a flipant, masculine voice that had Asuka whirling around in delight.
"Kaji!" She squealed, almost making Shinji groan.
"Geh!" Misato turned a shade paler than normal.
"Mister Kaji, how many times must I ask you not to invite yourself onto the bridge!"
xXx
Non perverted thoughts, think non perverted thoughts! Shinji chanted over and over again as, somehow, he had gotten his face squished into Misato ample breasts for the second time around in the small elevator. Asuka was, of course, close to Kaji, who was just behind him, and trying not to suffocate him. Kensuke, and Rei were also squished together, though Kensuke seemed to be trying to give her as much room as possible, while Rei had a small smile on her lips as she was resting her head against his shoulder.
Touji, of course, was plastered against the door with Mari leaning on his back as a cushion.
"What are you even doing here?!" Misato growled, perfectly okay with Shinji's position.
"I'm accompanying her, and Mari," Kaji said, "I was Asuka's guardian in Germany, and I managed to rescue Mari from the waters around the base when the Unit 05 proto-type self destructed."
"Talk about bad luck," Misato grumbled, "How in the hell did I end up seeing you again?" Then she and Asuka turned red, "Hey! Watch where you're touching!" The two yelled, but Asuka was yelling at Touji.
"I can't help it!" Kaji and Touji replied to the women. Then Shinji felt someone's foot nudging him in the back side.
"Who's foot is that?!" Shinji squawked.
"Not mine!" Asuka yelled.
"Sorry, I thought you were Misato," Kaji chuckled, making Shinji turn green.
"Stop assaulting my pilot!" Misato growled and kicked out at him.
"Ow!" Mari yelped, "What was that for?!"
"Sorry, I was aiming for Kaji!"
"Whose hand is that?" Touji gagged.
"Sorry," Mari squeaked.
"Kensuke, stop tickling me," Rei giggled suddenly.
"Kensuke!" Shinji roared.
"It's not me, I'm not doin' that!" Kensuke cried, looking a little jealous.
"Woops, sorry about that!" Misato said.
"Shinji you little devil!" Mari giggled with a shiver, "Get your hand of my leg!"
"That's not me!" Shinji yelped.
Mari blanched, "Asuka, you little devil!"
"Oh shut up!" Asuka blushed, "How the hell do we get out of this thing?!"
"Someone hit the stop button," Kaji said.
"I got it," Shiji said, stretching his hand out, but it wasn't a button his fingers touched.
"WHO THE HELL HAS THEIR HAND ON MY TIT!?" Asuka screeched.
Oh shit, Shinji thought.
Lucky bastard, Touji thought.
Ding.
xXx
"That was horrible," Shinji groaned later as they sat around the table in the mess hall, "I officially hate elevators!"
"You and me both," Touji said, "At least you didn't have someone sitting on you!"
"I said I was sorry," Mari pouted, twiddling her fingers, "Are you saying I have a heavy butt?"
"That's not the point," Touji grumbled, "What do I look like, a chair?"
"You look like a moron," Asuka piped, then glared at Shinji, who jumped, "And I still haven't paid you back for touching me like that, you perv!"
"I didn't mean it," Shinji growled, "It's not like I could see where I was reaching. If you didn't notice, Misato had my head in her - "
"Alright, alright!" Misato growled, "Enough, it's over now!" She sat back with a huff, crossing her arms.
Truthfully, the only ones that hadn't come out of the elevator harassed, or violated were Kensuke and Rei. Shinji had noticed that the two seemed to be hanging around each other a lot lately, which was a little surprising on Rei's part. She wasn't one to reach out to anyone.
"That was quite a ride, though," Kaji chuckled, who came up with a tray of coffee, "But I bet it wasn't as wild a ride as getting into your Eva for the first time, right, Shinji?"
"Not quite," Shinji said, accepting a cup, "How did you know about me?"
"How could I not?" Kaji asked, raising his cup to him, "You're the famous Third Child that piloted the Eva perfectly on his first attempt, and in battle no less, with a sync rate of eighty-eight."
Shinji shrugged, "I simply wanted keep the people in the city safe."
"Not a lot of people, let alone kids, would do such a thing when they'd just found out about it." Kaji pointed out.
Shinji smirked, "I'm not like most kids," he said truthfully, "My dad is Gendo Ikari, king of all things dark and gloomy. How was I supposed to turn out? A wimp with no spine?"
Misato chuckled, "That's kinda what I was expecting." She said sheepishly, drawing looks of disbelief, "Don't take it the wrong way, I'm happy that I was wrong, but I honestly expected someone meek, and downright withdrawn. The way you handled Ritsuko and the commander was incredible. You're a hero to some of the staff that fear him."
"I'm no hero," Shinji sighed, "I'm just doing what's right, and giving Dad a little of his own medicine. He has a lot more coming if I have my say about it."
"No hero, huh?" Touji grinned, "Tell that to my little sister. She can't shut up about the cool purple robot that tossed the monster across the city, and kept it from stepping on her."
"Hey, that's my job," Shinji countered, "I'm supposed to keep those things from hurting anyone."
Kensuke chuckled, "Let me ask you something; What's on your mind every time you get in the entry plug? I mean, sure you wanna protect everyone, but what else? There's gotta be more!"
Misato and Kaji looked toward the young pilot, as did Asuka and Mari. For Misato, she already knew part of why he piloted the Eva, but what went through his mind before a fight? She didn't know.
Shinji leaned back in his seat, taking a long drink of coffee, "Honestly? The only thing that goes through my head even before I get into the Eva is am I going to die today? Then when I'm fighting, my one focus is destroying the angel as soon as possible with as little damage as I can manage to keep the city, and it's people safe."
Asuka felt a small tugging sensation in her chest at his words. "You mean pride has nothing to do with it?"
"No way," he shook his head, "If I had any pride," he tugged against his collar again, "I wouldn't be in this monkey suite!"
This got a laugh out of Kensuke and Touji, and a few chuckles from Kaji and Misato. Mari just grinned at him, "I don't know, Shinji, I think you look pretty damn cute in that."
Asuka scoffed, "You think any male is cute."
"True," she said, "But I gotta say, those eyes of his really do it for me."
"Ahem," Shinji coughed uncomfortably, "Moving along, what happened at the base that caused that angel to escape?"
Mari tapped her finger against her chin, "Not a clue, I was on stand-by while my Eva was being outfitted with its arms when the thing broke loose. Then I was scrambled to fight in a unit that barely had the arms attached half an hour before."
"Damn, that must have been nuts," Touji breathed, "But I'm thinking Shinji here could have done something to make sure that thing never got away without destroying his Eva. He fights like he has nothing to lose."
"Do not," Shinji said evenly as he sipped his coffee.
"Says the guy that has a scar on his chest from an energy beam fired by an angel, and had internal bleeding around his lungs afterward because he pushed his sync rate to near dangerous levels." Kensuke said, to which Rei nodded silently.
Asuka looked at him, "He has a scar?"
"Yes," Rei answered, "The beam from the angel was so powerful that it nearly pierced through the Eva, which would have obliterated the plug. The strain of having it focused on one spot for so long with the sync rate so high has given Shinji a permanent scar on the center of his chest."
"Yeah, if Rei here hadn't fired that last shot, Shinji would have bit it for sure!" Touji grinned, nudging Shinji in the ribs.
Shinji rolled his eyes and shoved the boy away, "Thanks for the vote of confidence."
"Speaking of the Evas," Kaji said, "I think that cargo ship the captain was talking about is carrying one of the other units on board."
"WHAT?!" Touji and Kensuke roared in unison, "WHICH ONE?!"
Kaji's grin twitched a little with the effort to stay in place, "I'm not sure, but I'm pretty sure it's Unit 04, since I heard that Unit 03's ship is having some difficulties."
"What's wrong with my Eva?" Touji asked, his face full of worry.
"Nothing," Kaji assured him, "The ship just had a little engine trouble half-way here. This cargo ship just barely passed it by. It'll take a few more weeks to arrive is all."
Touji sighed in relief, "That's good," he said, "I won't have to be a burden much longer."
"Touji, come on, you know that's not true," Shinji said, taking his friend by the shoulder, "I heard from Ritsuko that you could pilot Unit 00 just as well as Kensuke could. If Rei gets hurt, and can't pilot, you can take her place if you need to. And now I'll have Asuka as back up, and Kensuke once he gets some plug time with his Eva."
"Yeah, don't sweat it," Kensuke said, smiling, "We'll keep him alive."
"Actually, I think I'll be keeping you alive," Shinji laughed, getting growls from both Kensuke and Asuka. But the red-haired girl couldn't stay angry at him for some reason.
Mari turned to her with a sly grin, "Asuka, what's that little smile for?"
Asuka blushed, "S-s-shut up, I'm not smiling!"
"Oh, but you were!" Mari sang, "Come on, out with it!"
"Leave me alone!" The girl huffed and turned away. Of course, Mari was about to continue her torment when the alarm blared out.
"What the hell?!" Misato yelled, "What's going on!"
"I think I know," Shinji growled, rising from his chair, "And I hope I'm wrong. Asuka, get to your Eva as quick as possible. Kensuke, you and I will find a life boat and head to that cargo ship!"
"Wait a minute!" Kaji yelled as Asuka, looking a little miffed at being ordered around headed for the door, "You can't mean it's an angel?!"
"In this line of work it's best to expect the unexpected!" Shinji yelled over his shoulder as he and Kensuke headed for the stairs, "And Misato, I don't know what good it'll do, but tell the captain to man the guns, and give Unit 02 all the support it needs until I can get Kensuke to Unit 04!"
"Right!" Misato said, "Touji, Mari, Rei, come with me."
"Coming," Touji said.
"Right behind ya." Mari chirped, while Rei followed after them silently.
xXx
Shinji found a dingy easily enough, and had it lowered just as fast. The problem was the angel...it wasn't Gaghiel. This angel, as far as he knew, had no known name, because even Abraham hadn't mentioned anything about this one. This angel was bipedal, standing on stilt-like legs, with a body made of jumbled up pieces. A small red orb floated above the head, while a larger one connected the shoulders and legs. Also a pendulum swung freely between the legs.
Kensuke paled when he saw the things so close to them, "How are we going to fight that thing?"
"We'll find a way, Ken, just trust me," Shinji said, keeping the boat at top speed, "I just hope Asuka can handle it until we get you suited up!"
"O-okay," the boy said nervously, but the yelped as the angel's face spun like a clock face and opened up to four points as a flash of energy shot out. One of the ships was impaled by the light, lifting it out of the water on a fiery cross, and blowing it in half.
"Dammit!" Shinji roared, "Asuka, hurry!"
It was then that the tarp on top of one of the ships rose up, a huge arm whipping it away, revealing the red giant the was Unit 02. The Eva jumped from the ship toward the Over the Rainbow where the umbilical cable lay, plugging itself in. Shinji noted the wing-like attachments to the shoulders, and grinned, "That's S-type flying equipment!"
"What's that attached to the back?" Kensuke asked, looking at a rectangular piece of equipment in the middle of the back.
"I think that's the product model Super-Electromagnetic Crossbow." Shinji grinned, "That's designed for long-range combat against AT-Fields."
"Great! We've got a chance then!" Even as he said that, another ship was hit by something from below. An enormous white body rolled under the surface where the ship was beginning to go down. "No, is that another one?"
"Afraid so," Shinji growled, "Don't worry, we'll get through this, Kensuke."
xXx
"Damn, there's two of them!" Asuka shouted when she saw the attack on the other ship. The battleships had already opened fire on the bipedal angel that was advancing on the main ship. It seemed to be the less dangerous of the two, even though it had the greater body mass, considering the walking angel was taller, with the core well out of reach.
The cargo ship was nearing them, even as Shinji and Kensuke powered through the water, ignored by the two angels, thankfully. But the thought of taking down two angels before Shinji got the other Eva going was...tempting. If anything, she wanted him to see how good she could be. He? She thought to herself, What the hell am I thinking?! Kaji is the one I want!
Asuka was brought out of her thoughts as pieces of the skeletal angel fell from the body and started raining down on the ships like homing missiles. "That one has to go first." She ground out, reaching for her weapon, "Eva Unit 02, moving out!" The thrusters on her S-type attachments roared to life as the Eva lifted off the deck of the ship.
She had the unit going straight up like a rocket, the equipment not fully design for flight except for slowing her descent when needed, but it would serve her purpose if she could get high enough above the angel. The bow of her crossbow sprang out as she reached the half way mark. But now she had a problem; which core was the real one?
The smaller one, the one that would be hardest to hit, seemed likely to be a decoy. The one below, larger, and more obvious had to house the real core. Using the thrusters to their max, Unit 02 shot over the angel, disconnecting her umbilical cable and going to emergency power. She then angled herself down, and shot through the air at the larger core, taking aim with her crossbow.
The bow exploded five shots one after the other, coming up against the angel's AT-Field, and the end of the bolts themselves. "Hiyaaaah!" Asuka roared as her Eva spun through the air with a flying drop kick, slamming into the first bolt, slicing the one in front of it in half, and kept going until she reached the AT-Field, and punched through. "Yes!" The Eva's foot connected with the core as it burst out the other side, and burst in a bloody mess as the angel started falling to pieces, then exploded in its own cross of energy.
"Way to go, Asuka!" Misato yelled over the link, "That was great!"
"Thanks, but what about Shinji and that stooge of his?!" Asuka yelled, "I don't see the other Unit yet!"
"I've just gotten word from the crew of the cargo ship, and Shinji and Kensuke are just about to activate the Eva." Misato said, "I'll need you to back them up, Kensuke's never had to fight before."
"Wunderbar," Asuka sighed sarcastically.
xXx
"That's one down," Shinji sighed with relief, he turned back to the now suited up Kensuke, "And one to go, you ready, Kensuke?" Kensuke, though nervously, nodded.
"I'm good," he said shakily, "Let's go."
"Okay, come on, then." Shinji guided his friend around the covered body of the Eva as the ship shook with the force of the Gaghiel swimming under them. The crew of the ship was waiting for them. Shinji gave them all a hard look, "Get that covering off, and ready the entry plug, we've got an angel to kill!"
"Sir!" Was the collective shout that rang out as the men and women set to work readying everything for the pilot. To Shinji's surprise, Unit 04 was armed with a replica of the Lance of Longinus, and a shield, a true close-range combat unit. The Eva itself was a silvery white in color, with grey bindings like the green ones on his Unit 01, the unit remarkably resembled Unit 03 in looks.
Kensuke stopped a moment to admire the giant. "It's beautiful!"
"It's yours," Shinji told him, "That lance there is a powerful anti-angel weapon. One hit is all you'll need, and remember, Asuka will be there to help you."
"Yeah," Kensuke nodded, his nerves gone.
"Entry plug ready, Captain," a crew member said, "We're ready for the pilot!"
"And the pilot is ready to kick some ass," Kensuke said for himself, and strode forward without any prompting to the entry plug.
xXx
"Dammit, stop moving around!" Asuka yelled angrily as she tried to get a bead on the angel, but the leviathan kept swerving and diving beneath the surface too fast for her to get a lock on it. And her crossbow was running out of ammo. "Where the hell is Unit 04?!"
"He's on his way, just keep that thing away from the ships!" Misato yelled, sounding a little desperate, but the both their fears seemed to evaporate as the loading doors of the cargo ship were blown off, and out raised a white giant, lance and shield in hand.
"Finally!" Asuka sighed, "What took you so long?!"
"Sorry, the prep time took a little longer than expected," Kensuke smiled over the link, "But I'm ready and willing!"
"Great, now get rid of his Moby Dick wanna-be!" She yelled with a small smile of her own.
Kensuke grinned, hefting the lance, "Right."
"Pilot Aida?" Rei's face appeared on the screen.
"Y-yeah, Rei?"
"...Be careful." The feed cut off then, but Kensuke thought he saw a small blush on the girl's face before she left him.
"She...she said be careful..." a huge blush ran across his face, "Does she like m - "
"Focus, Ken!" Shinji roared as his link popped up, "Fight, now, romancing my sister later!"
"Sister?!" Kensuke yelped.
"Later!" Shinji barked, leaving no room for arguments.
R-Right!" Kensuke stammered. "Where's the angel?"
"Coming at you from below, on your right!" Asuka yelled, "The core is inside the mouth, so nail that thing when it tries to grab you!"
"Roger that!" Kensuke growled, falling into his military mode, and raising the shield up in front of his Eva as the angel broke the surface with it's dorsal fin and mask, "Come on!"
Gaghiel submerged again, then burst out of the water, revealing its size to all around. Kensuke began to sweat as the angel careened toward him with it's gaping mouth open, showing row after row of dagger-like teeth, the core of the beast visible at the back of its throat. Kensuke steeled himself, bracing for the impact as the angel came crashing down on his shield. The strain of the angel's weight nearly toppled the Eva, and the ship, but Kensuke held on, moving his Eva's feet as he needed, and hurled the angel into the air above him.
Gaghiel roared in rage and, if one could call it that, indignation as it was sent flying. Kensuke grinned, pulling back Unit 04's arm, and hurled the lance at the beast. The lance's twin spear head spiraled into a single sharp point as it flew, impaling the angel through the throat, piercing the core. Kensuke beamed as the angel's body convulsed, bubbling around the lance, and burst in a crimson torrent that poured down over the sea, mixing in with the already red waters, and drenching the once white Evangelion.
The lance spun back down to earth as Unit 04 raised its hand to catch it.
"I did it," Kensuke breathed out, "I really did it!"
"You sure did," Shinji smiled at him, "That was excellent, Kensuke!"
"Thanks," the boy sighed, leaning back in his seat, "But man, this is gonna take some getting used to. The simulations were nowhere near anything like this!"
"The Eva will have recorded this battle into the memory banks, so the simulations can be upgraded to use these two angels," Shinji chuckled, "You'll do better than this, I can promise you!"
"I'm just glad to finally be of use," Kensuke said, smiling at his friend, then frowned, "By the way, what the hell was that when you said Rei was your sister?"
"Geh," Shinji paled, "You remember?"
"He's not the only one!" Misato, and Touji roared, nearly deafening both pilots.
xXx
Sitting on a cloud high above the sea, Abraham was looking down with a smile on his face. "Well done, Shinji, you certainly don't need me anymore," he sighed, "At least not for some time."
His body began to fade into nothing as he returned to his home, albeit a little trouble, "I'm sorry that I cannot prepare you for the battles that comes next. I feel these will test you beyond what's been done already."
With that, he faded away, leaving Shinji behind with a new team, a larger family, and a headache as he had to explain a few things.
And that is chapter 7 folks! Finally got it down for Unit 02 and 04 added in for one hell of a debut! As you can guess, there will be more...controlled chaos in the family, but not without a few laughs along the way. Here's a little head's up, what happens when three guys, and four girls live under the same roof? XD This is going to be so much FUN!
