Chapter 2: First Contact

My breath slowed, and everything around me froze. I didn't know what to feel; sadness, anger, or pity. It wasn't happening. I expected the simplicity of a meeting and received the news of a lifetime. Something I never knew I wanted but at the same time now regret knowing.

Soryu…

I had thought I was responsible.

Soryu…

After all these years, I finally knew I wasn't the reason my father never came back for us.

"Ms. Soryu, are you still with us?" one of the committee members asked.

"Yeah, um, I mean, yes. It's just a lot to take in," I say to the committee. "If I may ask, what did he do before he died?"

The committee looked at each other. A woman with a distinctive Southern drawl, spoke. "Are you sure you want to know?"

I pondered for a while and fumbled with my thumbs; I needed to know; I wasn't letting this opportunity slip away. I nodded at her, and she took out some documents.

"Your father was separated from your mother on the year you were conceived. The Soviets had begun the construction of the wall to separate East from West. As we all know, this was an attempt to prevent further loss of workers for the Soviet industry, who kept leaving to the West, even more so after the Second Impact."

So, my father had been separated from me by them. They had denied me an everyday life.

"Your father was a somewhat wealthy man. Upon returning to the US, family members reported changes in emotions and signs of mild depression. He couldn't avoid the draft in 1964 and was sent to Vietnam. Now, Asuka, this is where the reports get a bit ugly, so be warned."

I nodded, not caring about the warning.

"Your father was stationed in Saigon; he had seen active combat during the first months of his arrival before being sent to a guard position in the capital. In 1968, the Vietcong launched a surprise attack on Saigon. Chaos was present, as the attack happened during a holiday. Reports say your father died bravely."

I was surprised when she said that he had fought bravely.

"He guarded the main command base; it is reported that a Vietcong soldier tried to suicide bomb the base, but your father tackled him to the ground before exploding. Several were injured, and both your father and the assailant were killed. Your father saved a lot of lives in that bunker." As she finished telling me the events, she got up and handed me two items.

A heart-shaped medal, purple with a gold edge. And also a photo of him. As I looked at him in his uniform, a single tear fell. He was smiling, probably thinking about my mother.

She laid in bed; in her hand, she dangled the Purple Heart given to her father. She brought it for luck, not that she needed luck. But it was a reminder of the struggle she fought, losing people she cared to this pointless struggle, and she wished no one else died because of her fault. She hoped to end it herself, one woman against the entire Eastern bloc.

A knock came at the door, and Asuka sprang up from her bed, hiding the medal and moving towards the entrance. She looked through the peephole.

It was her.

Asuka opened the door and on the other side stood a woman in a black dress with white lines. She wore a black cap and had ranks showing her as a Major general.

"Hello, Asuka." The woman said.

"I am guessing you are Misato?"

"Misato Katsuragi at your service," she bowed. "May I come in?"

Asuka extended her arm into the room, signaling for her to enter. Misato walked in and looked around. She turned back to Asuka who had moved over to the balcony.

Misato approached and saw that the girl was smoking. "You know those things will kill you," Misato said, pointing at her cigarette.

Asuka looked at her unfazed and gave a smug smile before taking a long draw and releasing it all. "Pretty sure this won't be the death of me if you know what I mean."

On the horizon, the sun began to show. Asuka looked down at her digital watch. It was 7:00 a.m.

"So, how is Kaji," Misato asked.

"Your fiancé? He is all right."

Misato sighed. "That's good to know. Are you all set?"

"You mean for the synch test? Yeah, I am. It's been a while since I've piloted."

"Did you miss it?" Misato looked at Asuka with a smile; she responded similarly.

"You bet your ass I did, and I'm going to prove why I am the Red Baroness."

Misato laughed. "Calm down. It's just a synch test."

Asuka looked at her with a serious look. "It isn't, not when I have competition." She extinguished the cigarette on her ashtray.

"He isn't a bad person, Asuka. He has also been through a lot though you will find out about that."

"As long as he doesn't get in my way or gets his ass in danger, I couldn't care less."

Asuka took one last look at the horizon and began to walk away; Misato took notice and quickly followed.

The car entered an elevator and began descending. Misato had a worried look on her face, she had recently gotten the vehicle, a Renault Alpine A310, and she was scared that it would get damaged or scratched. Asuka sat, unfazed. But her eyes widened upon seeing the enormity of humanity's last line of defense: The Geofront.

As they descended, Asuka could see the HQ, a large pyramid. Next to it was a body of water in the shape of an inverted pyramid. What she assumed to be an administrative building sat just behind.

They arrived at the parking and quickly went through the lobby; it was packed. People were walking around the halls, wearing cream-colored uniforms, alongside some orange. Asuka noticed there were soldiers with the same color uniform as Misato.

"That's weird," she said.

"What is?" asked Misato.

"Why does the military here use this uniform."

"Oh, that's because NERV has its own military; we don't rely on the Japanese military."

"Oh well, that explains it," Asuka said as they went onto the elevator. The almost claustrophobic box went down; the sound of ticking came from the floor indicator.

Some time had passed, and Misato still hadn't found the right floor. Asuka looked down at her watch and crossed her arms, unimpressed with the Katsuragi lack of direction. "Are we there yet?"

Misato looked at her with a nervous look but quickly tried to put on a brave face. She didn't respond to the German's questions, which Asuka understood to mean they were lost.

As the elevator doors opened, a woman in a dark blue one-piece swimsuit stood in front of Misato. Misato jumped from the surprise, backing away as the blonde entered the elevator.

"Lost again, Misato?" the woman said.

"What? N-no, of course not, I just clicked the wrong floors, and we took some time." Misato said with a nervous chuckle.

"Yes, almost twenty-five minutes of wrong floors." The blonde said.

Misato placed her hand on the back of her head and gave a forced smile. The blonde set her eyes on Asuka. "So, this is the 'Red Baroness' I've heard so much about?"

"Yes, Asuka Langley Soryu," She said, extending her arm, "and you might be?"

"Dr. Ritsuko Akagi, Head of the NERV Technological and Science Department," the doctor said while giving her hand to Asuka. "So, did everything go well on your way here?"

"It was fine." said Asuka. The rest of the trip was spent in silence.

The doors of the elevator door opened, and they walked down a corridor, and finally entered the synch test chamber. A large window overlooked the testing chamber; a pool of LCL in which three entry plugs were submerged. Looking closely, Asuka noticed that a fourth one was submerged. Did that mean she wasn't the first one cal-

"Are you ready Ms. Soryu?" Dr. Akagi asked. Asuka grinned.

"Of course, time to make a comeback!" She turned and left in a hurry, leaving Misato and Ritsuko to stare bewildered.

"She sure has the fighting spirit; you think Shinji will handle her?"

Misato sighed. "Hopefully, he can."

Asuka took off her clothes, leaving her naked. As she took out her plug suit, the smile she wore quickly disappeared. On the shoulder of her plug suit was the East German flag, and the Warsaw Pact symbol. Great way to ruin such a beautiful uniform.

The hiss of the plug suit filled the room as she looked at herself in the mirror. Her long red hair was pinned in place with her neural communicator clips.

As she entered the entry plug, memories returned to her as the LCL filled the small space. She held her breath but remembered the LCL properties, so she exhaled. God, I forgot how much I hated this thing.

She gripped the controls and sat still, closing her eyes. The sound of humming enveloped her and took her back.

BOOM!

I felt the shockwave even while underground. My EVA shook when the explosion hit but was so far still intact. I looked towards the ceiling, hoping it wouldn't fall on me.

Another explosion rocked the large space and I focused back on the screen. I couldn't see it; it was in another chamber, but I had a live feed of the science team's excavation site on my display.

Those idiots! Their little science experiment is going to get them killed!

I knew what I should do. But I had orders. I let out a frustrated growl and turned on the communication channel to command.

"Commander, why don't we just destroy it?" I said.

The man on the screen was my commander; his name was Alek. He had a purple uniform and had a full grey beard, blue eyes, and wore grey glasses; he looked in his mid-50s; half of his hair was on the back, leaving the front bald.

"No," he responded in a rough Russian voice, "we can't leave this opportunity. We must persist."

I saw the subcommander next to him; his name was Sacha. He had a khaki uniform, he had light brown hair and his eyes were emerald. He looked younger than the Commander. He leaned into the commander's ear to say something.

I looked at my screen while the two finished. I saw a small Red Army detachment; a mixture of soldiers and NERV scientists enter the area.

"Soryu, according to Sacha, it is approaching and should be up on your screen any moment."

I peered into the darkness of the screen ahead, but this time I saw a glimpse.

It was here.

The thing or one of many that had wreaked havoc on Japan. I told myself that I feared nothing but seeing it for the first time made my heart drop a bit.

The camera panned out, showing its size. The encasing prohibited us from seeing its actual properties; all we could see was a circular brace that housed the neck and tail. It had no skin, only bones. It had eight insectoid-like legs, and the skull had three mandibles.

"Looks different from the one in Tokyo-3," I remark to Alek.

"Indeed, we can assume that they can be of different properties; this finding will allow us to study them. Maybe even give Ikari a run for his money."

Ikari. He always brought up the name. Rumors around the base had mentioned he had a rivalry with the Japanese branch's commander even though they had never spoken.

One of the scientists spoke. "Wait, its pattern, it's changing."

The screen began shaking, and the cocoon cracked. "Vasily, get your men out of there; it's pattern blue!" The subcommander shouted.

The communication channels were suddenly filled with panicked Russian chatter as they ran in different directions. Whoever was recording, bravely stood their ground until it blew wide open.

The screen cut out for a moment.

I tried to see what was happening, but it was only static until the feed stabilized. I saw a group of soldiers firing at the creature, which began to rise from its cocoon; the bullets barely did anything. It slowly looked at them before a bright light in the form of a cross formed in its eyes, followed by screams which were cut short when it all went to static.

"Vasily? Come in!" The subcommander asked while the Commander watched in horror. "Alek, snap out of it. Tell the 7th Tank Division and 47th Rifle guard to move into position." The subcommander began to order the red army into position.

I saw as the commander regained his composure after what felt like an eternity. "Get me the air force, begin striking it," he looked at me, "Pilot, get your Eva in position and wait for further instructions."

Finally! I thought.

My adrenaline was rushing; I felt the rumble of the EVA climbing up the elevator until I reached the top. My visibility dropped from the raging blizzard, not that I needed it; I knew that the excavation was only a few miles away, close to the coal mines.

"Pilot, you are to bring the Angel, now codenamed AKIM, close to the base."

My blood began to boil; Am I just a distraction?

"Sorry, Commander, but I am taking it out now," I said, already moving forward.

"Asuka, listen to me! Do not engage it now, lead it away, the city is still bein- "

The commander was cut short when a blast hit my EVA, sending me flying to the ground. As I rose, I tried to search for the centipede-like, but the blizzard made it impossible to see.

On the corner of my HUD, I saw a spec of black. As I turned, I saw the angel running towards me. I jerked my controllers, moving the arms over my back. Taking out my progressive knife I let out a scream as I charged. It had to die. I would show that I could save humanity.

And I would, with my skills and determination.

I felt a heat blast my chest and as I placed my hand on it, I realized had been hit by one of the angel's blasts. I couldn't help but kneel from the pain.

I am not giving up. Come on, get up!

An AT Field formed and blasted me backward, falling close to the city. The Angel leaped towards me; its body landing on top of me as I desperately tried to keep its legs from trapping me. Then I saw, as I used my knife to pierce through it, its AT Field generated, and a rocket from a MIG landed on it; it screamed before firing at the jet, destroying it.

My mind raced and an idea popped. That's it; it can only do one at a time.

I pushed the screaming creature off me and ran through the city; I crushed vehicles and houses along the way.

"Commander, I need a positron rifle at Sector #26 immediately."

"What are you doing, Asuka?"

"Just give me the damn rifle!"

A box popped out in the distance, or what I thought was a box due to the blizzard. As I moved forward, I felt knocked by something.

The Angel swung its tail, almost hitting my head. I generated an AT Field deflecting another attack, then I fell onto my feet. It had gotten the better of me, as it lunged and bit my neck. I screamed from the pain and punched it off.

I ran towards the rifle. Upon reaching it, I began loading the weapon.

"Commander, tell the jets to fire all their missiles at the creature."

"That won't do anything! What are you planning Asuka? I demand to kno-" I shut off the communications. He really doesn't trust me, let's hope he at least does what I said. I wouldn't blame him, taking orders from a fourteen-year-old is laughable.

As I got into position, I heard jets and the roars of the Angel. It kept moving closer, I began to sweat, as I readied my shot.

The jets got louder; I placed my finger on the trigger.

I looked at the screen, the Angels eye began to glow, as well as its mouth. It meant business.

The jets broke the barrier and fire rained. An AT Field formed on top, exposing his mouth.

"Chance."

I pulled the trigger.

After the battle, two Red Guards escorted me through a long hallway, the only sound was our footsteps and the soft clinking of their weapons. As we arrive, they opened a door and closed it behind me.

I now found myself in a room with a fireplace, above it a display of medals. On the far side, there was a table, with someone looking out a window.

Commander Alek.

"Take a seat." He said.

I sat down in front of his desk.

"I am disappointed in you Soryu. You disobeyed orders and caused more harm than good."

What is he talking about? I killed the Angel, didn't I? That was the whole point, why tell me this?

He placed down a folder in front of me.

"Open it."

I took it and began to unwrap the string around it. I peeked inside and my heart dropped, dropping the folder and spilling its contents.

"What-what are these?" I asked with a tremble, looking at the photos.

"Casualties of war. Your war, to be exact," Alek said as he sat down in his chair, facing me directly.

"I ordered you to make the Angel move North in order to evacuate the city, we couldn't act in time because of the storm, yet you did the opposite."

I was still reeling in from all of it, it felt as if someone slapped me. I couldn't understand such things, I knew people would die, but… by my own hand.

"A hundred and sixty civilians are dead because you disobeyed orders!" he slammed his desk making me jump.

Regaining composure, he sighed.

"You are blinded by war, Asuka. This is not a competition, nor a game, in war there are no winners. You either lose or lose significantly more."

I felt annoyance at his reprimand, I had everything under control, those deaths aren't on my hand... yet I can't help but feel a sense of dread every time I look at them. Did I really cause that?

"Commander, I just wanted to defeat it, I didn't mean-" I was interrupted by his raised hand as he pointed at the medals.

"You see those Soryu?"

I nodded.

"Those are medals from my time serving in the Red Army during the Great Patriotic War, or World War Two as it's called. I earned each one because of my actions and bravery, however, each one came at a cost." He stood and began pointing at each one.

"This one cost me, twenty-five men. This one is forty, and this one is thirteen; my lowest count. This, however, cost me over sixty. Do you see? War isn't an opportunity to become a legend. These could have been avoided if I hadn't been so brash."

He looked at me with a serious face.

"So, I'll tell you this, Pilot. Think over your choices, or you will not avoid mistakes. If you seek glory, then in war you shall find it, but it will cost you. Let this be a warning. Dismissed!"

"How is she, Maya?" Akagi asked a brown-haired woman.

"Synchronization rate at 45.5%, minus the margin errors." She responded.

"She can still pilot, though it's a bit low. Shinji's first time was 41.3%, now he is at 50.1% Then again she hasn't piloted in a while." Maya nodded thoughtfully at Ritsuko's words as the Doctor came beside her, eyeing another set of graphs.

"Time doesn't matter, it's just what I expected."

"What do you mean?" Misato asked, confused.

"EVA is still a field filled with uncertainties. From what we know, a pilot can maintain their connection if they are subjected to it from a young age. That's why Asuka and Shinji can still pilot. If I went inside or you, it wouldn't even move. Our link is weak while theirs is stronger. And even that is only one of several theories we have."

"So, Asuka can still pilot... making this test irrelevant?" Misato said.

Ritsuko sat down on an office chair and pushed herself to another computer and started typing. The movement of her hands was faster than the sound of each key being pressed.

"No, I still needed her to be tested. We can't risk anything, even if the theory is correct."

Misato sighed, as she looked at the plug. I hope you are right Rits.

Asuka opened her eyes to a world of LCL. She received a transmission.

"You alright in there?" asked Misato.

"I am fine, nothing to worry about. What was my score?" Asuka said, brimming with enthusiasm.

As Misato was about to talk, Ritsuko cut in, pushing the major aside.

"You're at 46%, not bad for you."

Asuka pumped her fist. "I knew I had it in me. Now get me out of here, it's starting to stink."

Heavy clouds hung overhead, obscuring the late evening moon. The rain started to pour over the busy streets and alleyways of Tokyo-3. Despite the years of oppression, the hustle and bustle of the big city were all around; neon lights and propaganda announcements were scattered as were soldiers patrolling the streets.

Kaji took a drag from his cigarette, exhaling the fumes and taking in the air of the country he had once called home. He took a right turn and headed into an alleyway, disappearing into the abyss and away from the bright lights of the city. He walked through puddles and avoided vagabonds, asking for something he couldn't give.

In front of him lay a door, it's red paint faded. He stopped in front of it as a cold breeze came through, spraying some of the rain to his face and making him shudder.

He knocked rhythmically, and the door opened ever so slightly. A pair of skeptical eyes looked back at him.

Kaji said nothing only returning a smug smile.

The door opened and Kaji walked inside, past the man who was no doubt still judging him, and put away his umbrella. He walked down some stairs.

As he walked down the stairs, the darkness began to set in. The closer he got to a white door, the more Kaji could hear a voice.

Someone was screaming.

"Where…fucking…money"

"I d-d-don-t hav-e-e it-t-t, some t-hu-gs stole it. Please, ha-v-v-e merc-"

A loud scream could be heard, a blood-curling one. "Get him the fuck out, if you don't pay in five days, you will lose more than your fingers."

Two men carried a man, badly bruised with blood dripping from his hand. Kaji went inside. Inside he saw it was a traditional Japanese room, in front of him was a man wearing a yellow robe, Kaji guessed to be in his 30s.

"Ah! So glad you could make it, please sit down." The man said. He signaled for refreshments to be served.

"Sorry about the scandal, we were dealing with something. I am sure you will understand."

"It's not a bother," Kaji replied.

"Well then, let's talk business, you have what we asked."

Kaji placed a briefcase on the table.

"Ten million dollars in cash."

The man took the money and smelled it, taking a dollar bill and inspecting its authenticity, like a child playing with his food.

"Very well then, the Yamaguchi-Gumi shall provide safety and secure locations to your men."

Kaji gave him a serious look.

"I ask for one more thing, Kiru."

"What is it?" The Yakuza man asked, looking back with curiosity.

"I need intel on key locations. Government locations."

Kiru began laughing.

"I thought the CIA had everything mapped out, you are asking the Yakuza to scout out your task."

"In a way." Kaji smiled, but it only served to anger him.

"it's going to cost you five million mor-."

"What, we gave you ten, you expect more," Kaji said, a bit uneased.

"Now now what is that talk," a man came behind Kaji with a knife to his neck, "let's not get hasty. We are not a charity, we get paid and we work, and you get to breathe on."

Kaji looked at him, after calming down and measuring his words.

"Of course, the CIA values the Kumicho work in our efforts, we will provide you with additional money."

Kiru smiled calling down his men.

"Very well then. You need to understand that the Yakuza has been in a tough spot. That Ikari man is quite the power, he doesn't work with us, wants us gone. The man is an enigma. Think about it, he could have more power, more than he already has, yet he does nothing with it. It is quite confusing." He looked away thoughtfully before remembering his audience.

"Ultimately it is no great concern. No matter who sits on the throne, we will endure. I thank you for your cooperation." Kiru, nodded to the guards around him signaling an end to the meeting. Kaji got up and bowed at Kiru.

"I thank you and the Kumicho for his time, send him my regards."

"With pleasure."

Kaji walked out of the lair of the Yakuza and into their illegal business which was in the same building. Japan had illegalized the sale of alcohol and the running of bars, so the Yakuza welcomed it with open arms.

As Kaji walked down the stairs. He began seeing a neon pink glow up ahead, he went deeper, walking past women in lingerie and frilly dresses. They ran their hands over their bodies, inviting him to have fun. Not batting an eye, he kept walking arriving at the source of the light; a room lit with neon pink and decked in sky-blue walls.

Dance poles, booze, drugs, and laughter. The atmosphere of the place spoke for itself as he closed in on the bar. All around were men trying to enjoy life, a life which had been taken from them. Risking their lives for a lap dance, a shot of vodka, or for a line of coke. Pathetic.

He sat down beside a black man wearing a blue polo and white pants. Black hair framed a thoughtful but determined face.

Kaji signaled the bartender for a drink. He placed the cigarette in his other hand as he took the nearly full glass and chugged it down. After a moment's thought, the cigarette was extinguished.

He joined both his hands and spoke.

"Must we always meet at a bar or a strip club?"

"Scared of getting caught?" The man chuckled, responding in a gruff South African accent. Kaji smiled.

"No, but last time we were in a bar was in Cuba back in 71'. I don't think I need to remind you what happened next."

"I had it under control; you didn't hold the guy's legs correctly. Got a good kick from him; I still owe you for that."

"I'll figure something out, Daniel," Kaji said as he patted him in the back. "You know I will."

"Sure Kaji," said Daniel drinking a shot before placing the empty glass next to two others, "so how did the meeting go?"

Kaji touched the area where the knife had been placed, the cut was still fresh. "Better than expected."

Daniel laughed. "Your one crazy motherfucker you know that right?"

He got up, signaling that it was time to leave. Kaji also got up and left a tip for the bartender.

"So, you got what you wanted?" Daniel asked.

"Not quite," Kaji said while trying to reach for his pack of cigarettes, "they asked for five million more."

He pinned Kaji to the wall.

"What! Why more? What are you getting at with this?"

"We needed information," Kaji responded.

"We can get MI5 or the resistance to help, hell maybe even our own guys."

Kaji frowned at him, looking down at the hand grabbing his shirt. After a moment Daniel let go and watched as Kaji fished out a cigarette.

"This is off the books." Kaji watched as the implications of his words hit the other man.

"Shit you going rogue?"

"No, this is something I need to know."

"What?"

I think I can trust him, if he talks, all I need is four million more and a fake story and the Yakuza makes him disappear for good.

"Five Angels attacked Vorkuta in the span of three years and six attacked Tokyo-3."

Daniel began to think. "Oh, not the alien shit again man. I told you before they just come here to kill us, that's it. It's like we did back in Roswell."

"No, I think there is something bigger because they stopped coming to Vorkuta once Asuka and her EVA left." Kaji said, the words making Daniel pause and concern now showing on his face.

"So, you think there is a foul play by NERV?"

"I mean that there maybe more, and I need to find out on my own. The agency can't know of this, otherwise, it jeopardizes everything."

"Well, if you need anything you know where to find me."

As Daniel began to walk away, he turned back, and finger gunned Kaji. "Watch yourself out there man."

"You too," Kaji said as he saw the man ascend the stairs. Kaji smiled and chuckled to himself. Crazy bastard.

A/N: Hey guys it's Chad Commander. Hope you enjoyed the new chapter, I had lots of inspiration writing this one, especially the last part after reading Scar Tissue (go read it it's really cool). Also, you are seeing various OCs, don't worry these will be developed further and some won't because I have special things planned for them, but this is as much OC as there will be. Next chapter we will have more Asuka and Misato talk, mainly cause it won't be like the OG FTWL where Shinji drove Asuka around (sorry but this needed to happen). Anyways I wanna thank IllusoryMist and Quietly-Confident for beta reading. Hope you enjoyed reading as much as I did writing it.