Their Sacrifices: True Love
By: Langerhast
Chapter 3: Judgement
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Asuka lay on her bed, staring up at the blank, white ceiling as she had so many times before. She still wrestled with her mind and her feelings, ever since the incident at school that day.
She didn't know what had come over her. She didn't know why se had even tried to reach out to him. 'He's just a baka!' She thought, trying to convince herself of it. 'I hate him! Why did I…?' She kept searching for the answer. She knew it was there… somewhere in the depths of her mind, but she couldn't find it.
Sitting up to move to the edge of her bed, she sighed. It had come to the point that sometimes, she didn't even understand herself.
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Shinji sat on the carpeted floor, staring at the blank television screen. Even if the TV had been turned on, he wouldn't have noticed it. His thoughts plagued him, like persistent wasps. The events of that day had left his head spinning.
'Why did Asuka do that?' He thought. 'Could she know that I… care? She pushed me away. No… I pushed her away. I was too afraid of what she might say to me… that what she might say would break me… again. But why did she want to talk to me? What was her hidden reason?'
Suddenly, something compelled him to stand up and make his way to Asuka's bedroom. At first he was confused, but he gave in to his inner wishes. He simply wanted to make amends.
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The German girl's gaze shot up from the floor to the door of her bedroom as a faint, timid knock came from the other side. "Who is it? What do you want?" Asuka inquired, slightly irritated.
"It's… just me, Asuka. Shinji."
Asuka gave a small grunt. 'Probably wanting to apologize, no doubt…' she thought, before making her decision. The boy could be good for a laugh.
"Come in," she sighed, leaning back onto her bed.
Shinji stepped into the room very cautiously, and stopped just inside the room. He looked at Asuka warily before beginning. "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry… for what happened earlier today."
"As well you should be, baka," Asuka replied, sitting up again.
"I… backed away because I was scared. Of what you would say to me."
Asuka's face softened slightly. "Well, I'm…" suddenly, she stopped. 'Why should I apologize to him? He's the spineless coward! The baka who ran away because he was too frightened! Spineless little IDIOT!'
"Well, what? Asuka?" Shinji's voice had shrunk to little above a whisper when Asuka's face turned hard once more.
"Well, I'm sorry that I wasn't tough enough on you, you spineless twit! You're so useless that you can't even face someone because you're too afraid of what they'll think of you! Well, this is what I think of YOU! YOU'RE A WORTHLESS, SPINELESS BAKA, AND THE SIGHT OF YOU MAKES ME SICK! GET OUT!"
Shinji's face was contorted into that of a wounded man's, his eyes staring in utter disbelief at the girl sitting on the edge of the bed. Tears of rage and anguish streamed down his face as he stumbled towards Asuka, clenching his fists. The girl frowned at him, leaning back.
"What the hell are you doing? I SAID GET OUT! GET OU-!"
Her scream was cut short as Shinji's fist connected with the side of her head. Her vision became blurred. As her vision slowly came back into focus, she saw Shinji standing in front of her, his dark blue eyes wide with shock at what he had just done.
Asuka managed to stand up, and slowly moved over to where Shinji stood. She glared venomously at him, face to face, her teeth clenched in a rage. Shinji's mouth opened, and he choked out, "Asuka, I…"
With a growl she whipped her hand up and smacked him across his face, sneering at him. Tears welled up in his eyes as he looked at her sideways with a gaze that could only be described as utter pleading agony and grief.
"GET OUT!" Asuka screamed once more, and slowly, he stumbled back out of her room. His gaze connected with hers for a moment, then, before he turned sadly and ran away down the hallway.
The German redhead slumped back onto her bed, staring blankly at the doorway where Shinji had stood. The pain of what she had done was welling up inside her, and finally it became too much to contain. Burying her face in her hands, she broke down and wept. 'No! I can't cry! I'm the invincible Asuka Langley Sohryu!' She tried to make herself stop with her thoughts of defiance, but she couldn't. She couldn't fight the tears that she had kept inside for so long.
++++++
The Children had once again been called to the Geofront; the Fourteenth Angel had invaded. In moments, the pilots were sealed in their entry plugs, hearts racing with anticipation. This new Angel was not content on wreaking havoc in the streets of Tokyo- 3… it had penetrated the Geofront.
The three crouching beasts that were the Eva Units waited on the outskirts of the fortress for this new Angel to show itself. After a few moments, a dark shape appeared hovering slowly towards the NERV pyramid. With a yell, the three Evangelions lunged at it, feet pounding the turf.
Whipping out his progressive knife, Shinji dove with all of his power at the beast, focusing on its hideous face. He yelped in shock as the blades unfolded from the Angel's sides, and shot towards him. He gasped as the blades narrowly missed the head of the Eva, and looked up only to find that Rei was charging the creature.
'What is she doing?' He screamed at himself in sheer panic. 'Her Eva is still damaged! Wha… she has an N2 mine?!' He looked on helplessly as the mine was thrust through the Angel's AT field, going for the core. Suddenly, the shield slid over the core and the mine deflected off… horror was frozen on the faces of all of the pilots.
The explosion of light sent Shinji reeling backwards, and his Eva slammed into the ground. He could hear Rei's echoing scream in his head, even as the light died. As he slowly opened his eyes, he was greeted by the sight of a downed Unit 00 and the savage Angel slouching triumphantly over it.
"Bastard!" He screamed as he lunged once more at the beast, knife arm brought back to swing down in a stab. The blades shot past his head, and he struck home with his own. He carved at the howling Angel, desperately trying to reach its core. He kicked and punched and slashed with all of the Eva's might, and yet his enemy still stood, a mocking grin fixed on its face.
His scream of pain echoed around the plug as Unit 01's left arm was sheared off by the whipping blade, and he was thrown back.
Asuka watched the scene almost helplessly, holding a pair of automatic rifles in Unit 02's hands. She wanted to fire and destroy the Angel, but she was afraid she would hit Shinji instead. 'Shinji? Why am I worried about the baka? I shouldn't care whether he lives or dies! This is important!'
A strange agony gnawed at her as she watched Eva01 striking blow after blow at the Angel and not causing a scratch. It was worry. She worried about Shinji. She didn't want to, but she did nonetheless. She refused to admit it, even when Unit 01 was hurled backwards, blood spraying from the stump where its left arm had been. This was her opening!
She raised the gun, finger beginning to pull the trigger, when she saw the flash of light in the Angel's eye.
Shinji struggled to push his Eva off of the ground, but as he looked up, he saw the deadly gleam in the creature's eye. This was it. He was going to die, and he would never tell Asuka…
Asuka's scream of rage tore through his mind. He looked around, panicking, to see Unit 02 racing towards him. Asuka was screaming his name. "Shinji!"
"No, Asuka!" He yelled at her desperately. "Get back!" But his words fell silent in his throat as Unit 02 leapt between hi and the angel, just as the blinding flash ripped across his monitor.
He screamed, slapping his hands over his eyes as the white light seared his vision. A split second later, though, the light died as suddenly as it had started. His blurred vision slowly came back into focus, and he peered at his monitor, only to see the giant, bloody hand of Unit 02. His Eva ripped it off, and he panicked.
His eyes fell upon the Angel, and the sight in front of its hulking body… the bloody crater where Unit 02 had stood.
The heartbeat grew louder in his ears. His vision snapped out of focus. He panted, breathing and breathing but never taking in any oxygen.
They had taken Asuka.
The scream of Unit 01's pilot, Shinji Ikari, ripped through the command center, a scream like a wounded animal. The utter despair in his howl seared the hearts of all. Gendo Ikari flinched, and Misato, courageous Misato, broke down weeping. The scream echoed.
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There; a turning point. Rest assured, all does not end here. I will post more as soon as possible, but this may be delayed by the other fics I am currently working on.
By: Langerhast
Chapter 3: Judgement
++++++
Asuka lay on her bed, staring up at the blank, white ceiling as she had so many times before. She still wrestled with her mind and her feelings, ever since the incident at school that day.
She didn't know what had come over her. She didn't know why se had even tried to reach out to him. 'He's just a baka!' She thought, trying to convince herself of it. 'I hate him! Why did I…?' She kept searching for the answer. She knew it was there… somewhere in the depths of her mind, but she couldn't find it.
Sitting up to move to the edge of her bed, she sighed. It had come to the point that sometimes, she didn't even understand herself.
++++++
Shinji sat on the carpeted floor, staring at the blank television screen. Even if the TV had been turned on, he wouldn't have noticed it. His thoughts plagued him, like persistent wasps. The events of that day had left his head spinning.
'Why did Asuka do that?' He thought. 'Could she know that I… care? She pushed me away. No… I pushed her away. I was too afraid of what she might say to me… that what she might say would break me… again. But why did she want to talk to me? What was her hidden reason?'
Suddenly, something compelled him to stand up and make his way to Asuka's bedroom. At first he was confused, but he gave in to his inner wishes. He simply wanted to make amends.
++++++
The German girl's gaze shot up from the floor to the door of her bedroom as a faint, timid knock came from the other side. "Who is it? What do you want?" Asuka inquired, slightly irritated.
"It's… just me, Asuka. Shinji."
Asuka gave a small grunt. 'Probably wanting to apologize, no doubt…' she thought, before making her decision. The boy could be good for a laugh.
"Come in," she sighed, leaning back onto her bed.
Shinji stepped into the room very cautiously, and stopped just inside the room. He looked at Asuka warily before beginning. "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry… for what happened earlier today."
"As well you should be, baka," Asuka replied, sitting up again.
"I… backed away because I was scared. Of what you would say to me."
Asuka's face softened slightly. "Well, I'm…" suddenly, she stopped. 'Why should I apologize to him? He's the spineless coward! The baka who ran away because he was too frightened! Spineless little IDIOT!'
"Well, what? Asuka?" Shinji's voice had shrunk to little above a whisper when Asuka's face turned hard once more.
"Well, I'm sorry that I wasn't tough enough on you, you spineless twit! You're so useless that you can't even face someone because you're too afraid of what they'll think of you! Well, this is what I think of YOU! YOU'RE A WORTHLESS, SPINELESS BAKA, AND THE SIGHT OF YOU MAKES ME SICK! GET OUT!"
Shinji's face was contorted into that of a wounded man's, his eyes staring in utter disbelief at the girl sitting on the edge of the bed. Tears of rage and anguish streamed down his face as he stumbled towards Asuka, clenching his fists. The girl frowned at him, leaning back.
"What the hell are you doing? I SAID GET OUT! GET OU-!"
Her scream was cut short as Shinji's fist connected with the side of her head. Her vision became blurred. As her vision slowly came back into focus, she saw Shinji standing in front of her, his dark blue eyes wide with shock at what he had just done.
Asuka managed to stand up, and slowly moved over to where Shinji stood. She glared venomously at him, face to face, her teeth clenched in a rage. Shinji's mouth opened, and he choked out, "Asuka, I…"
With a growl she whipped her hand up and smacked him across his face, sneering at him. Tears welled up in his eyes as he looked at her sideways with a gaze that could only be described as utter pleading agony and grief.
"GET OUT!" Asuka screamed once more, and slowly, he stumbled back out of her room. His gaze connected with hers for a moment, then, before he turned sadly and ran away down the hallway.
The German redhead slumped back onto her bed, staring blankly at the doorway where Shinji had stood. The pain of what she had done was welling up inside her, and finally it became too much to contain. Burying her face in her hands, she broke down and wept. 'No! I can't cry! I'm the invincible Asuka Langley Sohryu!' She tried to make herself stop with her thoughts of defiance, but she couldn't. She couldn't fight the tears that she had kept inside for so long.
++++++
The Children had once again been called to the Geofront; the Fourteenth Angel had invaded. In moments, the pilots were sealed in their entry plugs, hearts racing with anticipation. This new Angel was not content on wreaking havoc in the streets of Tokyo- 3… it had penetrated the Geofront.
The three crouching beasts that were the Eva Units waited on the outskirts of the fortress for this new Angel to show itself. After a few moments, a dark shape appeared hovering slowly towards the NERV pyramid. With a yell, the three Evangelions lunged at it, feet pounding the turf.
Whipping out his progressive knife, Shinji dove with all of his power at the beast, focusing on its hideous face. He yelped in shock as the blades unfolded from the Angel's sides, and shot towards him. He gasped as the blades narrowly missed the head of the Eva, and looked up only to find that Rei was charging the creature.
'What is she doing?' He screamed at himself in sheer panic. 'Her Eva is still damaged! Wha… she has an N2 mine?!' He looked on helplessly as the mine was thrust through the Angel's AT field, going for the core. Suddenly, the shield slid over the core and the mine deflected off… horror was frozen on the faces of all of the pilots.
The explosion of light sent Shinji reeling backwards, and his Eva slammed into the ground. He could hear Rei's echoing scream in his head, even as the light died. As he slowly opened his eyes, he was greeted by the sight of a downed Unit 00 and the savage Angel slouching triumphantly over it.
"Bastard!" He screamed as he lunged once more at the beast, knife arm brought back to swing down in a stab. The blades shot past his head, and he struck home with his own. He carved at the howling Angel, desperately trying to reach its core. He kicked and punched and slashed with all of the Eva's might, and yet his enemy still stood, a mocking grin fixed on its face.
His scream of pain echoed around the plug as Unit 01's left arm was sheared off by the whipping blade, and he was thrown back.
Asuka watched the scene almost helplessly, holding a pair of automatic rifles in Unit 02's hands. She wanted to fire and destroy the Angel, but she was afraid she would hit Shinji instead. 'Shinji? Why am I worried about the baka? I shouldn't care whether he lives or dies! This is important!'
A strange agony gnawed at her as she watched Eva01 striking blow after blow at the Angel and not causing a scratch. It was worry. She worried about Shinji. She didn't want to, but she did nonetheless. She refused to admit it, even when Unit 01 was hurled backwards, blood spraying from the stump where its left arm had been. This was her opening!
She raised the gun, finger beginning to pull the trigger, when she saw the flash of light in the Angel's eye.
Shinji struggled to push his Eva off of the ground, but as he looked up, he saw the deadly gleam in the creature's eye. This was it. He was going to die, and he would never tell Asuka…
Asuka's scream of rage tore through his mind. He looked around, panicking, to see Unit 02 racing towards him. Asuka was screaming his name. "Shinji!"
"No, Asuka!" He yelled at her desperately. "Get back!" But his words fell silent in his throat as Unit 02 leapt between hi and the angel, just as the blinding flash ripped across his monitor.
He screamed, slapping his hands over his eyes as the white light seared his vision. A split second later, though, the light died as suddenly as it had started. His blurred vision slowly came back into focus, and he peered at his monitor, only to see the giant, bloody hand of Unit 02. His Eva ripped it off, and he panicked.
His eyes fell upon the Angel, and the sight in front of its hulking body… the bloody crater where Unit 02 had stood.
The heartbeat grew louder in his ears. His vision snapped out of focus. He panted, breathing and breathing but never taking in any oxygen.
They had taken Asuka.
The scream of Unit 01's pilot, Shinji Ikari, ripped through the command center, a scream like a wounded animal. The utter despair in his howl seared the hearts of all. Gendo Ikari flinched, and Misato, courageous Misato, broke down weeping. The scream echoed.
++++++
There; a turning point. Rest assured, all does not end here. I will post more as soon as possible, but this may be delayed by the other fics I am currently working on.