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Needs No Name

Chapter 13

"Arrival"

"'Must have been terrible for you, Jack.

Must have been terrible.'

Well it bloody is now!"

Captain Jack Sparrow

"Whoo... I forgot how valuable personal space is" - Shinji commented, as he stretched his cramped limbs.

They just got out of the helicopter that brought them onto the deck of the aircraft carrier "Over the Rainbow", right at the heart of the UN Pacific Fleet which was engaged in transporting a new Evangelion unit and its pilot. The gang was here to meet the latter.

"Moved up in the world hasn't she?" - Shinji murmured. He looked up at the sky with a strangely wistful expression.

"You okay, Shinji?" - Misato asked, more curious than concerned. It was so rare to catch him in that particular mood. She wondered if it was because the girls decided not to come with them. 'He became so attached to Rei. It's so cute! But why won't my teasing work? Just you wait, I will find your weakness. Brace yourself!'

"What? Oh, yeah. Peachy." - he answered, half-laughing - "Come on let's meet the new member of the crew."

The said member was already getting acquainted with "the crew". A sudden gust of wind blew Toji's hat away, culminating in a mad (yet surprisingly slow, as Kensuke easily kept up with him, though he was still busy with his camera) chase, which was terminated by a foot that stomped down on top of it. After a futile effort to extract his much prized possession, Toji angrily looked up when...

Wooosh... SLAP! SLAP!

"What the hell, you...!" - Toji yelled angrily, nursing his cheek. Behind him Kensuke was torn between tending to his black eye and replacing the now-broken lens of his beloved camera.

"That was a viewing fee. Pretty good bargain, no?" - replied the owner of the foot. She was a girl of 14, with blue eyes and red hair that reached just below her shoulders, adorned with a pair of A10 clips. She was clad in a yellow sun-dress and, it seemed, blue-and-white striped panties.

"Oh yeah? Well, here!" - Toji replied defiantly and did something that had even Kensuke facepalming.

One could almost feel Toji's skull cracking as the girl's foot collided with his head. Kensuke was again torn; should he laugh at the situation, or bemoan the missed opportunity?

"I see you've still got the temper"

'That voice! Could it really be?' - she turned her head to see Shinji, with his trademark ear-to-ear grin, and Misato, who had the 'what the hell?' look on her face.

"Shinjiiii!"

Everyone was blown away by the sheer amount of pure happiness in the girl's voice as she dashed madly at the boy, practically throwing herself into his arms. After what seemed like a long time - a few seconds really - he held her at an arm's length.

"You've grown." - Shinji commented.

"And not just that!" - Asuka said proudly, putting her hands on her hips - "I've grown out plenty too!"

"Oh?" - Shinji leaned down for a closer look - "So you ha-mmph!"

Out of the four people there - not counting Asuka - he was surprised the most when a pair of hands grabbed his head from behind and quickly pulled him into Asuka's breasts.

"And they're all yours, whenever you want them, lover." - Asuaka cooed, huggind his head even tighter and all but squealing in delight.

"WHAAAAT?" - Misato's jaw practically hit the deck.

"That's r- eek!" - Asuka didn't get to finish her sentence as Shinji grabbed her midriff and lifted. The end result was her, while still holding onto his neck, being held in his arms - one holding her body, while her legs rested on the other.

"Sorry, was running out of air. Seemed like the best compromise, heh." - Shinji apologized, somewhat sheepishly, adding in an undertone - "Let me... uh... handle this, okay?"

Asuka nodded and snuggled up to him. He turned to face his now furious guardian.

"Now, Misato, take a deep breath and..."

"L-lovers? LOVERS? What the hell is going on here?" - Misato shook with confusion-fuelled fury.

"Me and Asuka known each other for a while." - Shinji started - " Haven't seen each other for years. Kept in contact through email." - then he smiled at Asuka - "Surprised you didn't just get another guy."

"Baka. How could I let you go?" - Asuka replied, smiling back.

There was silence. Toji and Kensuke wisely kept out of the argument. Misato had a strange look on her face. Then she suddenly covered her face with her hands.

"Oh ye gods!" - she exclaimed - "Why does this always happen to me?"

Shinji laughed. He knew now that the situation has been defused.

"Fine! Whatever, but" - she waggled a finger at the pair - "You and me, we are going to have a talk about this."

"Yes, ma'am!" - the two replied in unison, laughing afterwards. Misato simply huffed and headed off.

"I see you're not just the leader of this bunch of Boy Scouts." - said the Captain, contempt practically oozing out of each syllable.

They were on the bridge, as they had to report to the highest authority in the fleet. Which, in this case, was the Captain of 'Over the Rainbow'. The Captain was in his seat, with the First Mate standing at attention behind him. He handed Misato's ID back to her. Shinji stood next to her, with Asuka holding onto his arm. Toji was right behind them. Kensuke was... well... everywhere. It was amazing he didn't trip over something.

"Thank you for understanding, Captain." - Misato made best attempt at being cordial.

"No, no. Thank you for making me babysit even more kids." - replied the Captain. Did I mention the oozing contempt?

"'The last hopes of Mankind' is what I think you meant to say, Cap'n." - Shinji spoke up. He did not appreciate the old man's attitude.

"If this is it then we are truly doomed." - the Captain snorted

"What, you're going to save us with this fleet of yours?" - Shinji putting a special emphasis on the word.

The Captain practically lit up with rage. Misato was about to speak up when he raised his hand, though it was the look in his eyes that silenced her.

"I will say this only once, Captain" - Shinji said. The old man seemed to shrink under his glare - "Remember your place." - then he turned to Misato and asked cheerfully - "You wanted to say something, Misato?"

The transition was so sudden and complete that it took Misato a few seconds to register what was said.

"U-uh... Yes... Uhm... During emergencies..." - she started

"Like an angel attack" - Shinji interjected, facing the Captain again. He was calm, but his eyes still made the Captain quite uneasy.

"... Yes... Like an angel attack... our... Nerv's authority will override all others." - Misato finished, somewhat hesitantly.

"... I understand." - the Captain said. He briefly glanced in Shinji's direction - "I don't like it at all, just so you know. But... I do understand."

"Well, he's certainly a handful, isn't he, Misato?"

"Kaji!" - Asuka exclaimed. Misato's brief look of shock quickly dissolved into one of annoyance.

"Mr Kaji, I insist you stop your coming and going whenever you please." - the Captain said irritably, though his manner did seem a little subdued.

What followed could only be described as a rapid tactical retreat by Misato. After saying a hasty farewell to the Captain she practically shoved everyone - except Kaji, of course - out the door. In the end, her effort was all but futile as they reached the one and only elevator they needed to go below deck. It is enough to say that the atmosphere during lunch was... mixed.

There was the indifferent Toji, who was just enjoying his meal. There was the ever-irrepressible Kensuke, still giddy with excitement over how awesome this trip was for him. There was the happy Asuka, whose mind went onto things even Rei would blush about.

And then there were Shinji, Misato and Kaji. Misato annoyingly rebuking Kaji's attempts at flirting, and Shinji watching on, both curious and amused.

"So, you live with Katsuragi, right?" - Kaji asked

"Yeah." - Shinji answered, raising his eyebrow at the sudden question.

"Tell me. Is she still wild in bed?"

"Wh-what the hell kind of...?" - Misato's face lit up in rage

"Are you kidding me? I can't sleep half the time because of all the moaning and screaming!"

"Sh-SHIINJII, YOU...!" - she could not believe this double team.

Shinji laughed uproariously. Misato grabbed her head in her hands and rocked back and forth in her seat.

"This can't be happening! This can't be happening! This can't be happening!..." - Misato kept repeating the line over and over, like one who expects to wake up from a bad dream.

"She hasn't changed, has she, Shinji Ikari?" - Kaji said cheerfully

"I guess not" - Shinji replied. Then he asked - "Am I really that famous, Mr Ryoji?"

"Mr Ryoji? That makes me sound old. Kaji is fine." - Kaji replied, laughing - "And you should be! You're the Third Child, the boy who piloted Eva without any prior training!"

"It was close shave, too. The thing didn't even work properly first time." - Shinji said, casting his mind back to the first battle.

"What do you mean?" - Asuka asked, curious.

"That's right." - Misato spoke up. She could see it vividly in her mind - "His AT Field would not even deploy."

"Whaat?" - Asuka asked, shocked at this revelation.

"Well, never mind now. It's over. What can I say? I was lucky." - Shinji shrugged his shoulders.

"Luck is part of your destiny. It's a talent." - Kaji said. Then he got up - "Well, I'll see you later."

"Come on, Shinji I want to show you something!" - Asuka said excitedly as she dragged him off.

"Lucky guy." - Kensuke bemoaned - "Why does he get all the chicks?"

"I thought you'd be all like 'When could he have possibly met her? Why didn't Katsuragi-san know about it? Why didn't he mention it to us?'... Or something like that?" - Toji commented, smirking.

"D-don't make fun of me!" - Kensuke replied angrily. Toji held up his hands apologetically, while still smirking. He adjusted his glasses, his eyes gaining his 'conspirator' look - "But there is all that too, huh?"

Toji sighed. Kensuke was too predictable. He smacked the back of the otaku's head.

"What was that for?" - Kensuke demanded

"Don't go prying into other people's business" - Toji reprimanded.

"Oh come off it, I'd only-!" - Kensuke yelped in pain as Toji smacked the back of his head again.

"I have to admit, red is totally you" - Shinji commented cheerfully.

"The colour is not the only thing that's different!" - Asuka replied poudly.

"Yeah, yeah. It's the Production Model. I know, I know. Superior specs and all that stuff." - Shinji's tone was indifferent, but his eyes hardened.

'The first Production Model, mind you'

'H-uh... Kinda makes you wonder...'

"... what's next?" - Shinji murmured thoughtfully.

'Ah well! We'll burn that bridge when we cross it. For now... WHAT THE?'

'Oh-oh'

Suddenly the ship shook violently. Moments the air was full with sounds of explosions.

"An Angel!" - Asuka called out excitedly - "Let's go!"