The next day there was mass gossip circulating around school about the wonderful, mysterious and beautiful Asuka Langley Soryu. People had all sorts of stupid thoughts about her. Suzuhara and Aida thought that everyone else was nuts since they new how she acted.
"At least her pictures don't revile her personality." said Suzuhara.
"Your selling pictures?" asked Shinji from behind them. "Do you want to die?"
"Where did you come from Shinji?" asked Aida slightly surprised.
"Blame my parents."
"I meant now but whatever. And as long as she doesn't find out we're ok."
"I wont tell her." Shinji assured them.
The next day Asuka showed up just after Shinji and caught him in the yard.
"Guten Morgen Shinji."
"Good morning Asuka." he said dryly.
"What's that? You should be happier, I am the most popular girl in school."
"I was the most popular boy when I first moved here too. It will pass, don't worry."
Asuka, ignoring the response said, "The other one is here too right?"
"Other, oh you mean Rei. Right there." Shinji said and pointed down to a bench that Rei was sitting on.
Asuka walked down to the bench and stood over Rei who was reading. Rei shifted to escape the shadow Asuka was producing and read. When Asuka moved again she spoke.
"So your Rei Ayanami the pilot of the prototype? I'm Asuka Langley Soryu pilot of unit 02. Lets be good friends."
"Why?"
"Because it would be convenient, you know."
"If I am ordered too than I will."
"Freakazoid."
Farther away Shinji, Suzuhara and Aida stood watching and Suzuhara said, "Takes one to know one. I wonder if only weirdo's are chosen to be Eva pilots?"
"Looks that way." Replied Shinji.
At NERV Kaji was, well, being Kaji and talking to Ritsuko while hugging her from behind. When Misato walked into the room, pissed, the alarm sounded that another angel had appeared.
As the Evas were being flown out to intercept the angel Misato explained how there was very little combat ability left due to the last battle that occurred in Tokyo-3. When they landed they were given the speech on how to attack. The Evas would attack in waves.
"This sucks." said Asuka. "My first battle over Japan and they wont even let me go solo. Why do I have to bring him?"
"It's procedure. Wouldn't someone who's had training as long as you know that?"
"Let me tell you something first child," Asuka said angrily, "I'm only doing this because I have to. Don't get in my way."
The angel surfaced and the attack started. Asuka jumped in and cut the angel in half and then the angel formed two bodies.
"That's odd." said Shinji.
The angels attacked and beat both Evas with surprising ease.
Back in the control room Shinji, Asuka and several other watched the screen and listened to the timeframe of the angel attack. On the screen, after the cool bombing down by the Japanese military, was the Evas upside down.
"How does this happen?" asked Shinji. "I thought this was a cartoon thing?"
"This is all your fault. You totally messed up by debut battle!"
"I'm sorry you guys had to get me out of there, I was under water and all."
"Hey are you listening!?" yelled Asuka.
"Yes. Your mad, the commanders mad, and a whole lot of other people are. Honestly, I don't care. No ones dead, the angels aren't moving, and we get a few days to plan a new attack, I think that is pretty good."
"That's not good!" yelled Fuyutsuki. "You have embarrassed this organization and your selves!"
"Really?" said Shinji quietly.
"As of today you will have to begin training on how to work together." Fuyutsuki left on his elevator chair, platform.
Everyone left to do what they had to do and Shinji walked home. He was so preoccupied with the last stage of his plan from the other day that he missed the moving truck coming from the direction of his apartment. When Shinji walked into his house he noticed all the boxes.
"This is a lot of boxes."
"That's rude. These are my personal belongings." said Asuka who was dressed very comfortably in a T-shirt and short shorts.
"You have a lot of crap." said Shinji. "And Why is it in my house? There is just enough room for Misato and I. We could fit you, but not with all this."
"Well I guess we don't have to worry about that since I'm taking you place."
Shinji stared blankly at Asuka.
"That's right Misato will be living with me now. It's only logical to trade up to a better model."
"Are you a car?"
"Don't interrupt me!" yelled Asuka. "Anyway I'd rather be living with Kaji. And why are Japanese houses so small? I couldn't fit half my stuff into my new room."
"You just have too much stuff." Than Shinji noticed that all his things were in a box. "What the hell? You just moved it all? That is all very delicate, I hope to god you didn't break anything. I can't get it all again." the last part Shinji said under his breath.
"Well you two seem to be getting along." said Misato as she walked through the door. Misato changed out of her work clothes and sat the children down at the table and explained the situation.
"The only way to destroy the angel is to launch a simultaneous attack on both cores while it is separated. In other words a attack by two Evas at once. And to do that from now on you two are going to be living together."
"WHAT!!" yelled Asuka. "No way. A boy and a girl shouldn't live under the same roof after the age of seven."
"Are you phobic of guys or something that makes no sense. What if you just happen to have a sister? Does it take effect when they are both seven or just one?"
Asuka turned to slap Shinji but he leaned back in his chair to avoid it.
"Stop it you two." said Misato. "The attack will be choreographed using this music. If you sync up with the music perfectly than the operation will be a success. We attack in six days."
"Ok." said Shinji. "This plan makes sense. I guess we have to, huh Asuka?"
"Yeah whatever."
"Good." said Misato. "Oh one more thing you both have to wear this for your training." she held up a leotard with a blue cloth for Shinji and a pink one for Asuka.
"Are you serious? I'm not wearing that."
"Why not Shinji?"
"Well first I'm not gay, and second it will cause me great discomfort. You see it's too tight."
"Aw you can't handle it great third child?" said Asuka in a condescending voice.
"You may not be aware of male anatomy, but no, I can't handle that. Can't we wear karate gi or something? I have a few somewhere."
"Fine." said Misato. "As long as you two are identical in every way it's ok with me."
The next several days was filled with sync training. None of this was known to the rest of the class and after three days Aida and Suzuhara came to check up on Shinji. They ran into the class rep. who was looking for Asuka. They were all shocked when they stopped at the same door. When they rang the bell and both Shinji and Asuka opened it they were all a bit surprised.
"What's going on here Shinji?" asked Aida.
"It's training." Asuka and Shinji said in unison. "It was all Misato's idea. We have to eat breath and sleep together."
"Your living in sin." said Hikari.
"It's not like that." they replied.
"Hi ya." said Misato who showed up with Rei.
"Hi, can you explain to us just what is going on?" asked Suzuhara.
Inside they all got their explanation while Shinji and Asuka continued their drills.
"Wow that's funny." said Suzuhara.
"So how are their synchronization drills going Miss Misato?"
"Not good."
"Arrggg!!" yelled Asuka as she threw her headphones. "This is awful. You can't expect me to sink down to the pace of this slowpoke."
"So your giving up?" asked Misato.
"Well you don't have anyone else do you?" Asuka replied smugly.
"Rei."
"Ma'am."
"You give it a try."
"Yes ma'am."
Rei got up and put on the head phone and began the drill. Shinji and Rei stayed in perfect sync.
"Well maybe I should change the operation to include Rei instead."
Rei smiled a bit. A Smile ever so small that no one could notice it except her.
"No this can't be." said Asuka than she stormed out of the room.
"Shinji you jerk." said Hikari. "Go after her."
"Huh?"
"You made her cry. Go apologize."
Down in a store Asuka was crouched in front of an open cooler door looking at drinks.
"Don't say anything." she said as Shinji came up behind her. "I have to pilot the Eva I know that."
Up on the roof of the apartment Asuka stood on a bench eating a sandwich and drinking soda.
"I have to pilot the Eva now."
"You know the fault here is not with Rei."
"What are you talking about, of course it is. I have to do this and restore my pride."
Shinji stood up and put his right hand on Asuka waist and grabbed her right hand taking a dance pose.
"The problem is your not following the music. It's like an dance," Shinji said and then started to move. "in a waltz you follow the rhythm of the song and that guides you steps. It's the same here. You trying to go somewhere other than what the music is telling you and that's why we can't stay in sync. You see I'm to stubborn to break away from the music."
Asuka listened to this and blushed, then she gained control of herself and tried to hit Shinji for touching her like he did. Even at the close range he avoided it.
"I told you, you aren't going to hit me."
"Whatever." said Asuka. "Lets do this."
For the next three days Asuka and Shinji stayed perfectly in sync in everything they did. The progress was amazing driven by Shinji's speech, Asuka's determination not to loose to Rei, and by the need to do it or else. The night before the attack Asuka came out of the Shower in just a towel.
"Where's Misato?"
"At work." Shinji called from the other room. "She called earlier. She'll be there all night."
"I guess we're all alone tonight huh?" Asuka said walking into the room where Shinji was. She grabbed her futon and brought it into the next room shutting the door. A moment later she opened it looking at Shinji.
"This is the invincible wall of Jericho Third child. Cross this line and you're a dead man."
They both lay down to sleep and before she turned the lights off Asuka blurted out, "Why do Japanese sleep on the floor? This is so stupid."
"Do you ever stop whining?"
During the night Shinji was still away and Asuka got up from her room and walked to the toilet. Shinji pretended to be asleep and then Asuka walked over and lay down next to Shinji.
Looking at Asuka's breast, which were pushed together and half way out of her oversized shirt, Shinji said quietly, "This too is also strange."
Asuka slowly moved her head closed to Shinji's and started to talk in her sleep. A tear fell from her eye and she said, "Ma ma."
Stopping before a stolen kiss Shinji got up and moved to the other side of the room. "If she woke up and found me next to her I'd never hear the end of it." He laid down at his new spot and look over at Asuka. "The first girl I saw down her shirt. The second I saw naked. The third tried to hit me and now, I'm not sure what happened. I think that counts as getting worse, or lower on the scale not up a notch. That's boring."
The next day Shinji and Asuka were in there Evas preparing for the attack.
"This has bugged me for a few days now. Why isn't Rei helping with this battle? Is her Eva still being fixed or something? She wouldn't help much here, but the first time she could of."
"Shut up Shinji." said Asuka. "Don't worry about that, just worry about the operation. You know what to do right? Full power, performance at maximum."
"Oh darn. I wanted half power and to perform badly." he said sarcastically.
The Evas launched on Misato's order and the attacked the angel. That stupid music and dance routine worked and the angel was defeated. After the smoke cleared from the explosion Shinji was still standing and Asuka had fallen slightly. Shinji caught her and made it look like a dance pose. In the cockpit Asuka was yelling at Shinji.
"You idiot you knocked me over."
"Yes I did that just so I could hold you up, this way I look better to the commander. Have you noticed how little I actually care about that stuff?"
"Well what's with the hold? Let me go!"
"The hold was so we didn't fall over and look like complete fools, only partial fools from the last time. And if I let you go you fall."
"Very excellent job you too." said Misato. "You look just like a regular dance couple out there."
"Hell no I don't want to be like this it's humiliating."
"I should have dropped her."
Later that night Misato, Shinji and Asuka were at home eating dinner. Asuka was impatiently waiting for her dinner and insulting Shinji while he cooked.
"What's taking so long? I'm hungry."
"If you wanted your food raw you should have said so. I have to cook it. I'm glad Misato and I aren't this mean when the other cooks. Oh by the way we have to redo the chore list to include Asuka."
"Your right." said Misato. "I hope she makes something interesting hen she cooks."
"What? I can't cook."
"Neither can Misato but she still makes dinner. Do we still have to live together even thought this training is done?"
"Yes you do."
"This sucks." said Asuka.
"Well as long as I can have my room back I'm ok. Oh Asuka, you should look into that sleep walking thing. You laid down right next to me and I think tried to kiss me. Or just moved and my face happened to be there, I'm not sure which."
Asuka yelled and Misato laughed making embarrassing jokes. Shinji sighed hoping Asuka would eventually open up. He was thinking about including her in his plan.
AUTHORS NOTE: Ok not as much difference in this chapters as the other I know, but oh well. I had to make Shinji carefree when the angels split because I like that type of reaction. As for the karate uniforms it's just as the story says, those thing they had originally look stupid. Now you have seen the start of both a possible ShinjixAsuka and ShinjixRei. If you have an opinion on which one you'd like to see please tell me and I might include it. And as for the person that asked if I was modeling Shinji's new character on a character from another anime, that is all coincidental. I'm kind of making this us up as I go. Hope you enjoyed chapter nine.
