Woo I'm keeping the promise lol. Next update will be towards the end of this month since I've had to up my search for a new job so hopefully this might only stumble a bit. I'll try not to have it get effected too much.
Shinji had managed to grab a cab and taken it to the airport to collect Rock, knowing that he would be here for about week as fractured ribs were not the most comfortable things to have, he would be a slow mover for a while.
"I'll be right back. Keep the engine going." he told the driver after they pulled up at the airport, "Shinji!" he heard Rock call out and saw the man in question shuffling towards him with a large shoulder bag.
"Rock you idiot! I told you to wait till I arrived. You shouldn't even be carrying that if your ribs are busted." Rock merely waved him off, with his undamaged wrist. "Wow that really is one hell of a black eye." he said getting a closer look at the fist sized mark on Rock's face.
"Yeah and it feels as bad as it looks." Shinji was tempted to poke it and see what would happen but decided not too, he knew first hand how painful it was, "Right lets get going. I have to get to school after this.", "Can't wait to see Mari again?" Rock chuckled as he put his bag in the back of the cab, "Funny, but your right. Now hurry up." Shinji said holding the door open for him.
The cab ride was quiet on the way back to the apartment, neither male was really a morning person and they were mainly trying to wake themselves up at this point in the morning.
Arriving at the apartment he saw that Misato was still there and remembered it was her day off, which was something she rarely had now-a-days.
"Looks like you'll be spending time with Misato. You can crash in my room though if you get tired, just don't touch anything." Shinji said as he took Rock's bag out of the back, "Not so bad then.".
Following his adopted son up to the apartment they waited for his guardian to answer the door, "Misato! Open up its me! I told you I was coming back, remember!" he called out and slowly the sleepy looking Misato opened the door wearing her usual pair of shorts and tank top, "He's all yours." Shinji said unfazed by the sight as he dropped Rock's bag inside and picked up his school one before taking off.
Misato looked over at Rock who was currently holding a cold can of beer to his black eye, "So how's your wife?" she asked with a slight smile already knowing the answer, "She's fine. Still has a great right hook, I guess this will be good for both of us in the end.", "How so?", "My wounds get to heal and she gets used to someone else being in her crosshairs for the time being." he laughed at his little joke though Misato failed to get it.
"How's Shinji been then? I mean he's told me but I'd like to get someone else's view.", "He's been normal as can be I guess. Though he did trash my door and waste a good bottle of booze when someone came after his uncle.", "I heard about that. I'm sorry but Shinji is very good at improvising, he may not look it or even show it but he's very good with his hands. Even more so when you give him tools.".
Rock opened the beer and took a big mouthful before returning the can to his eye, "I'm still not certain where he picked it up but I think he spent a lot of days watching old DVD's and reading. He once used a mobile phone and a blasting cap to, and I quote, 'immobilise' this informants car. Almost blew it into the water, because he 'accidentally' placed it over the fuel tank." he took another swig of the beer, "We made sure to keep the more dangerous stuff out of his reach after that.".
"So he's a young MacGyver?", "Pretty much. Though he seems to be going after the mullet as well.", "I hope not, he'd look stupid with that." they both pictured Shinji with a mullet and could not help but laugh at the thought, "That would be a strange sight. What with his trench coat and sandals.", "Blame Chang for that, I swear I'll never let him baby-sit our kid." Misato laughed again and believed that Rock's time here would be interesting to say the least.
Shinji arrived at school about ten minutes after leaving Rock, he had grabbed something to eat on the way as he had not been able to grab anything from the apartment and had taken a slower route to fill his stomach so he could just relax at lunch, which was when he arrived.
"Yo! Shinji!" looking up to the roof of the school he saw Touji and Kensuke waving wildly. Heading into the school and up onto the roof, not jumping up the stairs because of his full stomach but all but kicked open the door and saw only Touji and Kensuke sitting there.
"Hey guys. Where's Mari?", "Hikari took her off to one side while Asuka was getting buying something to eat, must be about this plan of hers.", "Still can't believe she wants to pull off an intervention, but hey… I'd be happy if she just stops being a bitch for five minutes." Touji said before continuing to eat his food, "No argument here. She's happy to burst into my room without saying anything but the moment I knock on her door she screams, calling me a pervert." Shinji sighed.
"Are you?" Kensuke chuckled earning a laugh from Touji, "Only with Mari." he grinned back getting both of them to look at him seriously, "Are you serious…you and her…", "No. It's true I am a ladies man, but I don't want to ruins things with Mari so we'll take it one step at a time.", "I'd hate to see your ego." Touji grumbled, "Inside of your head must be messed up.".
"No arguments here." Shinji said seemingly bouncing the slight insult off him, "Does anything actually faze you?" Kensuke asked, "I mean you get shot at and kidnapped and you just brush it off.", "Well yeah…it's not the first time so I'm used to it." Kensuke and Touji just looked at each other and shrugged, they weren't going through that conversation again.
"So where were you earlier man? How'd you miss the first half of classes?", "Rock came in from Roanapur this morning. Revy's getting a bit emotional and the time apart would be good from them.", "That's bad luck for him. She seems pretty cool.", "She is. She's also one of the three most terrifying women of in the world.", "Who's the other two?", "Balalaika you've already met. The other is Roberta, she lives in South America; only met her a few times myself but she and Revy hate each other." he chuckled at the thought of how frustrated she would get whenever someone mentioned her.
"Shinji." he heard his name being sung as he felt two soft objects being pressed into the back of his head, "Mari I hope that's you or the real Mari will kill me." the two mounds moved off his head and felt a soft pair of arms wrap around his shoulders, "Don't worry it is me. And I thought I made myself clear that your mine now?" Shinji gave a small shudder at the comment, 'She's starting to sound like Revy!'.
Sitting down next to him she had a small grin as she opened her bento, "So I had a talk with Hikari and she is going to act as our final stage. I've asked her to just say that she's had enough of her attitude when she next kicks off over something, and then we all move in and tell her what we think and that she needs to change.".
"Sounds like a plan. But I still have my thoughts about if it backfires. Can't we just do a direct approach?" Kensuke asked, "Because if we're direct she will go on the defensive and then it will never work." she latched onto Shinji and stuffed a rice ball into his mouth, "It will work trust me.".
However fate decided to intervene when she had kicked off at them during their last class and while Hikari was out dropping off some papers for the teacher which stumbled their plan slightly but it was Shinji that stepped up and told her how it was. Or rather snapped.
"Will you shut it!? God! Ever since you've arrived all you've done in complain about this and that; as well as put everyone down who doesn't agree with you. I'm sick and tired of your attitude!" the entire classroom was silent before the room moved themselves backwards as if moving away from an unexploded bomb.
"What was that third?" she asked clearly struggling to control her anger, "I said sort your fucking attitude out, or else your going to get someone killed the next time you pilot your Eva. All you think about is yourself and I trust you as far as I can throw you, we're meant to look out for each other while in Eva and I believe you almost killed me twice.", "What a liar! You just couldn't keep up with me!" she shouted her voice filled with pride.
"Bollocks! The Angel that attacked that carrier group transporting your Eva, what happened? Oh yes, you dived into the water without the right equipment and we almost became fish food!" taking a breath he continued, "And then the next one, you charged in head first and screwed things up! Instead of taking it carefully! Not to mention that the sub-commander was pissed at us because they had to use an N2 mine!".
Thankfully the rest of the class were able to grab Asuka before she could wrap her hands around his neck, they wanted to keep Shinji safe, because while they wouldn't say it out loud they liked him more then Asuka because he wasn't a pain in the ass.
Rock had seen many things during his time in Roanapur but the fact that he was watching a penguin drink a can of beer still confused the hell out of him, Misato however was unfazed by the birds actions.
"I still don't get it? How does he open the cans?" Misato shrugged opening her own beer, "I have no idea. Sometimes I open them for him but when I'm not around so I wouldn't know.", "I can't believe I'm watching a penguin drink beer and I ask how he opens the cans." he groaned before taking a sip from his own.
The sound of the door opening and closing got their attention, "I'm back!" Shinji called out as he entered the kitchen, "Hey Shinji. How was school?", "Alright I guess. Asuka is going to be pissed when she gets home since I sort of told her a few home truths. Oh and she tried to strangle me." Misato winced at the mention of this and looked at her drinking partner, "Looks like this day is going to end early.".
"Well is it alright if we have Mari over for dinner?", "Sure it is Shinji-kun. That would be wonderful.", "The grin on your face means your going to tease the hell out of me isn't it?" his guardian just nodded happily as she went back to her beer.
Slumping his shoulders in defeat he headed for the bathroom, "I'm going to have a quick shower before I start dinner okay?", "Sure thing." soon they heard the shower start and they went back to their conversation, "So Rock can I ask how you actually ended up in Roanapur?", "Long version or short version." he said with a small grin, "Short I guess.", "I was left to die by my company. The others took me in and soon made a name for myself as the 'honest' man of Roanapur.".
"What does that mean?" she asked "Basically I don't undermine people for my own ends, sort of… But that is the short version of things. But I'm usually called up to broker deals between groups when they need a natural party involved." his thoughts drifted back to the incident years ago when he last came to Tokyo on business, and ended up having a hand in wiping out the leadership of two Yakuza families, "Sometimes though that doesn't always work.".
"Would you change things if you could?" Misato asked which made Rock think about it, for all of a second, "Not a chance…sure I miss my brother, my family. But they were more then happy to toss me out into the cold when I failed my university exams, everyone did except Yui." Rock let out a tired sigh, "Have you spoken to them at all?", "No. I tired once on a previous trip here but I just couldn't do it. For all they knew I was still dead, coming back…I just couldn't do it. And I haven't spoken to them ever since." finishing his beer he looked at her, his eyes having a slightly cold look.
"So I wouldn't trade in what I have now for any kind of fresh start. I have Revy, a child on the way and some of the greatest people I know around me, then there's Shinji…sure things get stressful sometimes but I know we'll always come out on top. We're family.", "I'll drink to that…" Misato said with a small smile, finishing off the rest of her beer.
Rock awoke with a groan, he had rolled over onto his ribs again during the night and felt the pain surge through him.
"Crap that hurts." he groaned softly looking around he could just make out Shinji's room, and he was sleeping on the floor while he was staying there, not that he minded of course since he was a guest. Sitting upright slowly he made his way out of the room towards the bathroom, 'I shouldn't of had that last beer' he thought as he made it to the door.
Relieving himself he shuffled back to Shinji's room and was dreading the effort it would take to lower himself back down on the floor but was more then a little surprised when he saw Shinji moving his bed sheets down onto the floor. "Shin? What's this?", "You need it more then I do Rock. You look like hammered shit.", "Thanks Shin." the young pilot waved him off as he went back to sleep, leaving Rock an easier task of laying down on the offered bed.
As he heard Shinji begin to snore he stared at the ceiling and went through his thoughts. He could not know how Shinji would react if he found out what Balalaika and Chang were planning to do to Gendo when the time came, but he knew it would have to be quick and clean or else the Japanese government would move in and could wreck the entire plan if they were not careful.
Another thing he was curious about was what Shinji would do after all this was over and done with, he had a home both here and in Roanapur and where he would go afterwards would be entirely up to him, but hopefully he would be free to baby sit every now and again.
He chuckled softly to himself at the thought of a worn out Shinji running about after their young child while they were away on a possibly much needed vacation, "Mari…. Little to the left…." Shinji mumbled before groaning fairly loudly, "And of course his wife at his side." laughing a little more he closed his eyes and let sleep consume him.
Asuka was woken up by the sound of someone flushing the toilet and rolled over to try and get back to sleep, but couldn't. She was still fuming at the fact that the idiot and his girlfriend had talked to her like he had and even Wondergirl had stepped in for a few cheap shots. But she didn't need them, she didn't need anyone.
Ritsuko sat once again at her desk. She had decided to stay a little longer to finish some work left over from earlier and now she was going against the idea, because for everything she did more paperwork just seemed to appear out of nowhere.
"Why on earth did I stay?" groaning she slumped down on her desk, her cigarette poking up from the corner of her mouth, she was tired of looking at a computer screen all day.
She had been thinking about what she could do with Maya, she had begun to accept her new and growing feelings towards her loyal assistant, dealing with the last Angel had really shown her just how reliable the young woman was, and decided she would give it a go.
She knew Maya was interested in her and remembered she said she wasn't very experienced with dating since most of her time had been taken up with her studies to get a good job, followed by the work itself.
"I'll take it slow." she mumbled as she sat upright, "Take what slow?" looking over her shoulder she saw Maya standing in the doorway with a clipboard in her arms, "Nothing Maya. Why are you still here? I thought you went home hours ago?", "It's only been an hour sempai." she looked at her watch and saw it had only been an hour since the end of her shift, "I must have really been bored." stretching out the kinks in her back and shoulders she spun round to face her assistant.
"Care to go for a drink Maya? I think this can wait until the morning." she watched her expression quickly turn to one of surprise, "S-Sure sempai that sounds great." Ritsuko could tell she was trying not to turn into a over excited teenage girl and smiled at her actions.
When Ritsuko had awoken the next morning she had enough of a mind to think of the many possible outcomes of the previous night, as much good as it did her considering the head splitting handover she had, but what she was seeing was something she honestly was not one she was expecting.
Maya purred as she snuggled up closer to her naked body and Ritsuko thought, or at least tried to think about the previous nights events, the only thing she remembered was having a quiet drink with Maya at their usual lounge bar and everything after that was just a blur, but she certainly was not complaining about the results.
"Maya? Maya? You awake?", "Hmmm... sempai is that you?" her sleepy face quickly turned to one of shock and surprise, "Oh Kami! I can't believe this… I'm sorry sempai.", "Maya?" she kept calling her name but Maya continued to rant until Ritsuko rested her hand on her bare shoulder. "Don't worry about things Maya. I'm actually glad this happened." she said glad that she was controlling the blush slowly creeping up to her cheeks.
"You mean it?" she asked looking like she was going to burst out in tears, "I wouldn't say it out loud but I've been watching you for a few weeks Maya. I guess it took me a while to decide what I wanted in life.", "Sempai…" the young tech threw herself into the arms of her new lover and enjoyed the moment.
"As much as I'd like to stay like this we need to get going." Ritusko said after five or so minutes of cuddling, "We might not get another moment like this for a long time though…" Maya countered, wanting to stay put in the comfort and safety of the bedroom.
Shinji was called in the following morning along with Mari and Asuka for an early test, they had been told they could have the rest of the day off since it was the weekend and of course they did not even look at Asuka let alone talk to her on the way there which did not do much for her attitude.
Even with the sun shining down on them as they headed into NERV, they were looking forward to the end of the tests.
"Hope this won't take long. I want to enjoy this great weather." Mari said jumping up and down while holding onto Shinji's hand, "Oh how about the lake! We can go for a swim at the lake and take a picnic.", "That sounds like a great plan Mari. Once we get out of here I'll buy something and we'll drop by the apartment and grab some stuff.", "Like what?", "Towels, bathing suits, drinks." Mari leant in close to Shinji with a cheeky smile, "Who says we need bathing suits?".
Shinji grinned as he went red, that was a very good idea for him, "Not a chance!" Misato said coming out of no where. They were so into their conversation they didn't see how close to the Geo-front they actually were, "That is a great idea about the lake Mari. Shame I'll be there." she snapped a victory pose before guiding them inside, "Now hurry up. The faster we're done the better.".
Shortly after they had started the test the alarms started going off, the next Angel was approaching. All four Eva's were deployed quickly with Shinji in the north, Rei in the east, Mari in the south and Asuka in the west.
"Alright it's a marble. What does he do?" Shinji said while he held onto an oversized desert eagle's for Evangelion's, "He? How do you know it's a male?" Misato asked, only for Shinji to cup the his hand and cough, "You…just no Shinji. No. I don't need that image in my head.".
"Anyway do not engage it yet Shinji, we don't now what this one is capable of yet so just hang back while we try and think of something." he looked at the Angel which just seemed to float in mid air, not moving as if waiting for them to make the first move. "Can't we just shoot it and see what happens?" Mari grinned, "No that could make things worse. Just sit tight." Misato said closing the video link.
"Asuka are you in position yet?" Shinji asked knowing it was taking a little longer to Asuka and Rei to move into position, "Shut it third. I know what I'm doing." she cut off any further communications, "Okay still in a mood. How about you Rei?", "I require at least one minute." she answered, "Mari? How about you?", "I'm ready and waiting." he adjusted his optics and saw his girlfriends Eva spinning a progressive spear around in her hand like a baton.
"Show off." he had another desert eagle nearby since he could not risk wasting time reload them, so he went with two instead of one, "Alright cut the chatter you two." Misato said popping back up to silence the two, while the commander was around the communications were still recorded.
Five minutes past and all the pilots were in position and still the Angel hadn't moved, Shinji was thinking it was a complete waste of time to just sit and wait while their Eva's gathered dust. However one insane red head decided she would have a go. "Asuka! What are you doing!?" he shouted as she burst from cover and opened up with her pallet rifle, he watched as the shells went straight through the body of the Angel, just before it vanished.
"What the hell?", "Blue pattern is still present." he heard over the comm link, "Where!?", "Asuka look out!" he could not keep up with what everyone was saying but saw the buildings around them begin to sink lower, and saw a black shadow sucking his feet in.
"Fuck!" not wasting any time he clambered up the side one of the nearest buildings, "Everyone get to higher ground! Get away from the shadow!" he fired a few shots into the black mass just out of reflex and jumped to the top of another skyscraper, the only route open to him was heading towards Asuka.
"Shinji I'm clear!" Rei said loudly over the comms, "Shinji get out of there!" he heard someone yell at him, 'It's not like I want to be here!' he thought as he landed on another building, feeling it lurch beneath him.
As he got closer towards Asuka he saw she was down to her knees in the black shadow, after she had lost her footing on one of the buildings.
"Grab my hand!" he shouted as he held onto the side of a building like a climber would, "No!" he was actually stunned to what he just heard, "Listen you bitch just grab my hand!" he slid down a little and grabbed her wrist and pulled her out, "Now climb!" he could tell she was reluctant but she climbed the building, however the combined weight of the two war machines put too much of a strain on the building and it collapsed.
Since she was on the highest part of the building, Asuka was able to jump to safety, Shinji wasn't able to do so as his side of the building collapsed, sending him into the shadow of the Angel. The last thing he heard was Mari and Misato shouting his name.
Once they had recovered the Evangelion's, Misato had dragged the pilots to a debriefing room where she wanted to hear what had happened from their points of view. However she had to get something out of her system, something that she couldn't hold onto without it effecting her judgement.
"Care to tell me what the hell that was all about Asuka!?" Misato yelled as she stood in the middle of Mari and Rei, "I told you all to wait! What you did wasn't waiting! Was it!?" she was silent even though Misato was all but screaming in her face, "Shinji…" Mari and Rei looked at Misato as she stuttered, trying to find her voice again, she couldn't dismiss the fact that she just watched her ward, someone who she cared about deeply, get swallowed by an Angel.
"The idiot shouldn't of done it then." Asuka said barely above a whisper but it was loud enough for them to hear, or rather Mari, "You…bitch!" Rei wasn't able to move quick enough to stop Mari from slapping Asuka with enough force to send her to the ground. Though she was conflicted if she would have moved to block her anyway.
"Shinji went out of his way to help you! It should be you there! Not him!" she was pulled back by the quiet girl as Misato tried to compose herself, "Asuka we'll talk about this later. Rei get her out of her.", "Yes ma'am." Rei quickly took Asuka out of the room.
"Mari?" Misato said softly, "I'm sorry…", "Don't you dare say that!" Mari said firmly, "Saying that is like saying he's already dead! Don't give up on him, please…" Mari couldn't hold it back and began sobbing as the purple haired woman drew her into a hug, "We won't. Ritz is already working on a plan. She knows more about this then I do…" she hoped her friend knew how to get Shinji out, for all their sakes.
As you can see this is going a little more in line with the original story, its only for a little bit though as I will say that Shinji has some experiences whilst inside the Angel. Don't want to say what exactly but it is rather interesting, or at least I think so, you'll just have to wait and see.