Chapter 9
Kaji wasn't new to the game, far from it. He had seen a lot in his years, much of it he wished he could forget. What had just happened in front of him had left him speechless though. He knew what he was seeing was real, but his brain just would not accept it as reality.
"So, do you understand know why I cannot tell you everything?" She asked. "I do trust you, wholly Kaji, but this is something way bigger than you. If certain people find out about this, then I would be taken away, and that cannot be allowed to happen." she trailed of sullenly towards the end.
He nodded, never taking his eyes off the small statue on his desk. "Could you have used something else though? That was a gift from a very old friend." he said in a flat tone.
She apologized and quickly clapped her hands together then touched the model of Unit-02 on the desk. After the bright flash of light disappeared, the model was turned back into the pistol Kaji had placed in front of her.
He was still stunned, he reached for the weapon and took hold of it. "So.. you and Shinji know about the committee, and what their real plans are? You also know what we are taking to Japan with us when we leave in a few weeks?" he asked as he inspected the weapon.
She nodded her head quickly, she was told at the beginning of this "talk" that the room was completely secured for highly classified conversations. No bug, transmitters, cameras or anything of the such. Which the only reason she was as forthcoming with the little information she had revealed. "We know a lot more than just that. We know about the truth of second impact, what your job really is, what is held in lowest point of headquarters, and the truth about the Evangelions." She said, hoping no one would show up and put an end to this. It had been driving her crazy not being able to tell anyone, finally she could let a little of the pressure off her shoulders.
A few days later as Asuka was in the locker room, getting ready to change, there was a knock at the door. "Come in." she said.
Kaji walked in slowly, making sure he wasn't walking in on something. "Hey, just wanted to let you know. NERV Headquarters has issued mandatory simulated training against the previously defeated angels. Apparently, Shinji made the suggestion that all active duty pilots should learn train against the enemy. That boy's pretty smart you know." He said, with a grin, as he lowered the folder he was holding.
Asuka smiled, "He just wants to make sure I'm ready for what is coming, and I'm sure he wants Rei to be trained up." She said as she motioned that she needed to get changed.
After running through all the simulations, the first two working on close quarters combat, and the last one working on sniping, Asuka ejected from the plug and stood on the gangway letting the LCL drip off her body and wringing it out of her hair. She noticed Kaji walking towards her with two guards behind him. "We need to talk, in private, now." he said with urgency in his voice.
As they walked through the door to his office, Kaji had the guards stand outside the door. "Okay, what's with the grunts out there?" Asuka said as with a nod over her shoulder.
Kaji motioned with a finger for her to wait. He walked over to his desk and sat down, then pushed a button under the desk. "Okay, we're clear to talk. Apparently a few hours after defeating the last angel, Shinji went to the gym where he was assaulted by several men, apparently all from SEELE." Kaji said. He could see the young girl physically tense up in front of him. "But don't worry, He's fine. Though the same cannot be said for most of the guys he fought."
Asuka was still a bit shaken up, but the thought that Shinji was alright made her feel slightly better. "So, does this mean SEELE is after me next?" She asked nervously.
"There is a possibility of that. Though SEELE of course has not come forward to confirm these men work for them. Doing so would mean they tried to make a move against one of the pilots. Believe me, Gendo might be a complete ruthless ass, but he would not stand for any actions that go against his plans." Kaji replied. "But those guys out there are meant to be your body guards for the duration of your stay in the Germany Branch."
"Don't need them." Asuka stated.
"This isn't up for debate." Kaji replied.
"You know what I'm capable of, you also know I'm well trained in Martial Arts. This isn't even a discussion. I don't need them, and they would just get in my way." She said as she crossed her arms across her chest.
Kaji sighed, he knew she had a point. There probably wasn't anything she couldn't deal with on her own, but his bosses would not be pleased about this. "Alright, but you must carry your cell with you at all times, with a panic button to call base security. Understand?" He finally said.
As the days continued to pass the training stayed the same, classes stayed the same. Asuka was starting to go crazy, the monotony of the day to day routine was starting to push her to the limits. She tried to keep herself sane by thinking about Shinji and what he would be doing. If she remembered correctly, the Jet Alone project unveiling should be soon. She remembered asking Shinji about it before. He said it was the only time that the EVA strained to keep something from moving forward.
Finally, She'd had enough of sitting around and left the compound. She was only going a short ways away, and she made sure to take her phone with her, just to keep Kaji happy.
It was a beautiful area, the trees were the perfect shade of green. "Oh Shinji, when this is all over I would love to show you this place." She said as she looked toward the blue sky. She was brought out of her day dream by a change in the air, and the rustle of brush, as two men in white suits approached her from behind.
"Ms. Sorhyu I presume?" one said.
"You are?" She asked, already knowing the answer.
"Me and my associate here were hired to take you to see our bosses." He replied as the slowly walked forward.
She grinned as she put her hands in her pockets, pushing the panic button on her phone as she did. "Sorry guys, but I have other plans for the rest of the day. So, that won't be possible." she says.
Both men rushed her, attempting to grab her. She back flips away, clapping her hands together mid flight, and slams them on the ground when she lands. Both men were instantly encased in mounds of dirt, neck high.
"Well, that was kind of a disappointment." She said. "I hope Kaji let's me sit in on your interrogation."
Asuka released the men and returned the ground of the clearing to its normal appearance just as the emergency response teams burst through the clearing, weapons drawn.
Later that night, as Kaji walked into his office, he noticed Asuka was asleep on the couch. What surprised him was that there was a single tear drop rolling down her cheek. He was torn about waking her, but knew the consequences if he did not tell her what, little though it may be, he learned. Just as he reached to wake her she whispered " Oh, Shinji.".
* Dream *
Asuka was happy. Happier than she had been in a long time. They were sitting in the clearing just outside the German Nerv Branch. It was a beautiful day, the sky was clear, the breeze was calm, and the surrounding forest was full for nature. The tall grass around them was moving gently in the breeze. Shinji was laying on the ground, his head was resting in her lap.
"Hard to believe it's all over." Asuka said as she ran her fingers through his hair.
"Mm-hmm." Shinji mumbled as he laid there, enjoying the feel of her presence near him.
The Angel wars were over, and not the bloody mess they had been before. The infiltration by the JSSDF was stopped. The Mass Produced Eva's were stopped with minimal civilian casualties. Shorty after things were settled they were allowed to take leave, at which time Asuka thought it was a perfect opportunity to take him to her favorite place.
Slowly, Shinji sat up and reached into the picnic basket he packed for this little outing. He turned back towards her, his one hand still behind his back.
"You know, I've been thinking about something." He started.
Asuka was going to say something, but held her tongue, as he looked serious about this, almost combat serious.
"We've been through a lot together, twice as a matter of fact." He said with a small chuckle. "I was... wondering... if you... would... um... continue this journey with me?" He finally asked, stammering, producing a diamond ring inside a small black box from behind his back.
She stared, disbelief written across her face. "Oh, Shinji." She said as tears began to swell in her eyes, and streak down her cheeks.
He reached out to wipe the tears from her face, then spoke gently "Wake up Asuka."
*Dreams End*
Asuka opened her eyes with a jolt. She looked around slowly, taking in where she was and realizing that it had been a dream.
"Why hello there. Did you sleep well?" Kaji asked as he stood up and walked over to his desk.
"I'd rather have stayed asleep." She muttered as she sat up, putting her feet on the ground. "So did you learn anything from them?" She asked as she stood and stretched.
"No, they haven't said a word since we brought them in." He said as he opened his lowest desk drawer and pulled out a bottle of whiskey and a glass. "They are not going to admit they work for SEELE, that is for sure. They also seem to be a bit stunned by how they were captured, though I only know that from you." He continued as he poured a small amount into the glass and then took a huge pull from the bottle. "Here, I think you earned this." He said as he slid the glass to the edge of the desk.
"Are you sure about this?" She asked, reaching out to grab the glass. "You could get in serious trouble." She said as she sniffed the glass.
"You don't tell, I won't." He said, not reminding her about the rooms air tight security.
Asuka simply nodded and took the glass from the desk. "So, what will happen to them?" she asked, thinking about the drink in her hand.
"Oh, they will be charged with attempted abduction of NERV personnel. Which is punishable by death. So they will probably be taking their secrets to the grave with them." He said as he took another drink.
Asuka nodded, then took a sip of her drink. The bitterness of it was overwhelming, and the effects were very quick acting. She then downed it in one shot, this forced a chuckle from Kaji.
"Why don't you get some more rest. I'll get you up in the morning." Kaji said as he took the glass from her.
She nodded and walked back over to the couch.
A few days later
"So you ready?" Kaji said, standing on the pier.
"Yeah. By the way, how did you convince them to allow that?" She said pointing off into the distance.
"Oh, I had to do some quick talking, but they got answers that they could live with. Also a certain level of denial gives them an excuse to say they didn't know what was going on when something bad happens." Kaji said as he turned towards her. "You sure you can keep yourself calm for the two days it will take to meet up with him?"
"Yeah, I think so. I'm just nervous about seeing him." She said as she pulled her arms across her stomach.
'Ah, young love.' Kaji thought as the VTOL landed near them.
Okay, so I'm planning on partaking in NanoWrimo this year. For those that don't know, it stands for National Novel Writers Month. Basically try to pound out a novel in one month... so maybe ill really get something done... now have an idea for two other fics, but i want feedback to see which the people want. So i will post part of one in this chapter and part of the other in the next chapter, please hold your vote till both have been released. ^.^
(btw neither of these stories have a name so that will be something you could help with.)
As the last train for the day pulled away from the station, two figures stood, watching the city before them.
"Well, where is our ride?" a female voice asked.
"I don't know. She knew we were coming early." Said a male
The young man flipped his phone open and brought up his received messages.
"See right here." He said as he handed the phone over to the woman.
"Well she's late damn it." She said as she flipped a lock of her hair over her shoulder.
Suddenly the screech of tires could be heard in the distance, and the sound of a roaring engine got louder by the second. Without warning a small blue alpine tore around the corner and slid to a stop in front of the two, now startled, people. The passenger window lowered and another female voice spoke.
"Shinji Ikari and Sonya Seiyaku?" asked the voice.
"I take it your Misato Katsuragi?" asked Sonya.
"Yup, sorry I'm late. Not really used to this part of town." She said apologetically.
"No problem." Shinji said as he opened the door.
Misato instantly noticed that he was not what her reports stated. He didn't look like a scrawny little boy, he wore a pair of black dress pants with a black buttoned up shirt ,leaving the top three buttons undone, with a white undershirt on.
As Sonya opened the back door to get in Misato caught a quick look at her, curious as to who could get authorization to accompany the boy. Her straight pink hair came down to her shoulders, when she could keep it behind her ears, which was a contrast to her cobalt blue eyes. She was wearing a pair of jean shorts that looked like they could be one of Misato's, with a white button up shirt that could barely contain her large⦠assets.
Once all the seatbelts where fastened, Misato floored it and shot down the street. Both passengers held on for dear life.
'Jesus she drives like a damn psycho.' Sonya thought.
'I was just about to say that.' Shinji replied.
After a short but speedy trip they arrived at what looked like a giant garage door just below a major street. As the doors slid open they could see it was a huge freight elevator.
"So, we're going to see my father correct?" Shinji asked.
Misato nodded, adding "I believe security has also been informed of our other guest as well." motioning towards Sonya.
"Thanks for that. I know it was sudden but it's for my benefit." Shinji said. 'Because I might kill him.' He thought.
Sonya was sitting quietly in the backseat. 'Now, now that is exactly why I'm here. You're still not ready to be on your own.' She thought back.
Shinji looked out the window. Thankful Sonya was there, but irritated that he still required a babysitter. He chuckled to himself; the term was rather accurate now. Compared to Sonya and most of the others he was still an infant.
"Oh, do you still have the packed your father sent?" Misato asked.
"Yeah, hold on." He replied as he dug through his backpack
After handing over the papers she passed him a handbook with a half of a maple leaf with the letter on the cover.
"So, this is what he's been up to." He said.
"That's right, helping to defend humanity." Misato said.
'What if they don't deserve to be defended' he thought.
'You know that's not our call.' Sonya replied.
Shinji let out a small sight and shoved the book into his bag.
As they broke the outer "shell" of the geofront Shinji was stunned by the sight before him. He had never seen anything like it, but Sonya was less impressed. She was suddenly on edge, something was wrong. She scanned the horizon, sweat forming on her brow.
'Don't you feel that?' she asked him, concern evident.
'No, I don't feel anything, thought my powers are not as developed as yours. What is it?' he responded.
'Something awful is here, we need to leave as soon as we finish business.' she thought.
Shinji had been with Sonya for a while now, and had never seen her worked up like this. As they got closer to the facility Sonya grew more and more anxious to leave.
