'I Wanted You.'

Shinji is on a mission to seize control of Wille's operational headquarters. He must go through an underground cavern to reach the facility, little does he know there is someone waiting for him there.

"Misato, I'm approaching their operational headquarters." Radioed Shinji.

"Good and be careful Shinji if you get ambushed we may not be able to get you out of there." Misato Replied.

"Roger, I'll be careful." Shinji said.

While still solemn over Asuka's disappearance he knows he must infiltrate Wille in order to end tensions between them and Nerv. Shinji looks around to observe the cavern "Asuka, where are you?" Shinji pondered sadly.

Whack

Shinji's Eva gets hit from behind by an unknown enemy and collides with the wall at full force.

"You really have some nerve coming around here, idiot..."

Shinji in a daze recognizes this voice and his eyes widen as he looks up at his Eva's interface and sees that Asuka was the one who attacked him from behind.

"What the...? Asuka?! This must be a mistake!" shouted a bewildered Shinji.

"Don't act surprised..." Asuka replied.

"Shinji what's going on, what is that thing?!" Shouts Misato.

"Colonel Katsuragi our data says Unit-01 is about to engage with Wille's experimental weapon 'Unit-X', it appears to be a mechanized version of Sachiel. The Angel's remains must have been located and stolen by Wille's after it's defeat by Unit-01!" Examines Shigeru.

"What?! Dammit! Listen Shinji we don't have time for this, destroy that thing and continue your march to Wille's operational Headquarters." Commanded Misato.

"It's just what we feared, Fuyutsuki..." Said Gendo.

"Yes..." Fuyutsuki replied.

"Hehe you like my new toy? It was specifically designed to destroy the Evas, crush Nerv and of course... kill you!" Said Asuka with delight.

"Asuka, how could you...?" Shinji mumbled in disgust.

She continued on, "Doctor Sakai was even generous enough to paint it in red for me! It's also wayyy better than that hunk of junk Unit-02 I use to pilot!"

"Did she just say Sakai? Ikari wasn't that...?" Asks Fuyutsuki.

"..." Gendo.

"Well then, looks like we finally get to see who's number one!" Said Asuka with a maniacal expression.

Asuka begins her assault on Shinji and in the process Shinji blocks and dodges most of her attacks. Shinji is unwilling to attack knowing who the pilot is.

"Asuka! Stop this! This isn't you!" Shouted Shinji

"What's the matter?! The invincible Shinji doesn't want to fight?!" Asuka says hysterically.

"I don't want to fight!" Shinji replied.

"Well I do!" Asuka shouted while dealing a devastating blow to Unit-01 in the face.

"Ophhhhtt!" Shinji falls to the ground and then decides to fight back. Shinji reluctantly attempts several attacks, but to no avail.

"Oh you missed, idiot!" Asuka's Angel proves to be too fast for his Evangelion.

"Colonel! Unit-01 has suffered major damage to it's torso and legs. It's S1 Battery is also almost depleted! What should we do now?!" Asks Makoto.

"At this rate Shinji doesn't even stand a chance, this is a whole new kind of enemy, how could we allow for this to happen? Alright, retreat Shinji that's an order!" Commands Misato.

"But, but... it's Asuka!" Questioned Shinji.

"Shinji, listen to me she's not one of us anymore. Retreat and we'll regroup for a counter attack at a later point." Said Misato.

"Ikari, shall we activate the dummy plug?" asks Fuyutsuki.

"No I believe it will prove to be ineffective against this... creature, it would be best for him to retreat for now" Gendo replies.

"Asuka tell me why would you betray Nerv for Wille?! They're only using you!" Shinji shouts.

"Hahahaha That's rich, kinda like how Nerv is only using you for their dirty work? Don't make me laugh, idiot!" Asuka replied

Asuka continues, "Before I finish you off, let me tell you something, I trained to become an Eva pilot all my life, I live to pilot, I push myself to the edge of my limits, but you just had to come along and surpass me! To think I was on the brink of suicide and Wille offered me a restoration of my pride when no one at that filth Nerv wanted to help me and that's when I made up my mind. I knew if I joined them the gap between us would soon disappear and I wanted them to return me to the way I was before we met!"

Asuka charges hard at Shinji and continues to dominate Unit-01.

"What's wrong idiot? Not winning as easily as you thought?!" Boasts Asuka.

Unit-01 topples to the ground "Dammit, Asuka! I never said I wanted to fight you!" An angry Shinji replied.

"Hmm well you won't be winning at all!" As she kicks Unit-01 in the stomach.

"Agghhhh! What you said before, it was never about being better than you! You think I liked fighting the Angels? It was our job to defeat them! To protect humanity! To protect us!... YOU!" Explained Shinji.

Shinji tries to get through to Asuka, but it simply isn't enough.

"Shhhut...! UP!" Asuka yelled as she kicks Shinji's Unit-01 off the platform and crashes onto the level below.

Asuka's unit jumps down to where Shinji's unit has landed.

"Agghhh... Asuka, why won't you listen to me...?!" grunts Shinji.

Asuka taken aback by Shinji's statement grits her teeth and pounds her arm rest.

"Listen to you...?" She hurtfully replied.

The angered woman picks up Shinji's unit by the neck.

"Aghh Huh..?" Says Shinji.

She brings him close to her unit's face and says "When you... NEVER LISTENED TO ME?!" She then throws the Eva across the cavern into a rocky wall. Unit-X runs over and jumps on top of the fractured Unit-01.

"Ahhhhhh ugh!" Shinji screams in agonizing pain.

"You never listened to me!" Asuka, enraged by Shinji's words, activates Unit-X's 'Beast' Mode. Her Angel takes on a more monstrous appearance and grows tentacles that she uses to immobilize Unit-01, she becomes even more animalistic than before.

"YOU NEVER DID ANYTHING FOR ME!"

"YOU NEVER HELPED ME!"

"YOU WOULDN'T EVEN HOLD ME!"

Asuka proclaims all this while ripping Shinji's Unit-01 apart, she is blinded by rage, sorrow and hatred for her old comrade and crush.

"ASSSUKKKAAHHH! STOP!" Shinji screams as Unit-01's alert systems go haywire.

"You're no one! Idiot! Idiot! IDIOT!"

"Massive damage to the Unit-01's torso! Colonel he has to pull out of there now!" Yelled Maya.

"Shinji!" Misato shouted.

"Asuka you must control of your emotions before you drain the rest of your battery!" Radioed in Wille command.

"NO! Not until I kill him for what he's done! Little scheisse!" Roared Asuka.

With her true feelings for him on full display and his unit's Angel core exposed she then pulls out her unit's Progressive Knife to finish him and just before she does, the severely injured Shinji makes his unit caress Asuka's unit's face.

Asuka gasps...

Vivid flashbacks to the 'One More Final: I need you'

The two freeze momentarily... realizing that he needed her all along and the error of her ways Asuka begins to break down and cry.

"Errrrrrrrrrrr!" She wept frustratedly.

Eva Unit-01's arm collapses onto the ground and shuts down completely. Asuka notices this and puts her Unit-X in standby mode. She runs over to his exposed entry plug and opens the exit way with her hands thus burning herself in the process. She sees Shinji who is critically injured from all the fighting and heads over to him.

"Looks like you finally beat me..." Says Shinji with a bloodied smile.

"No idiot, I'm sorry. Okay?!" Asuka says regretfully.

Shinji then raises his hand to caress Asuka's face, "If that's how you felt you shou.. have jus..." Shinji passes out.

"Shinji? Shinji...?!" Asuka says frantically.

Wille command radios in, "Asuka, he's finished, do not forget that you still have a job to do. Rendezvous with the others, we have a world to change."

"Roger that.'' she replied.

Asuka not knowing if her old comrade is either dead or alive leaves the entry plug and as she leaves the exit way she looks back at him once more then departs.

Back at Nerv most of the staff is completely shocked at what they just witnessed.

"The enemy has left the cavern, requesting permission to send a search and rescue team to recover Unit-01 and it's pilot." asks Makoto.

"Permission granted." Replied a distraught Misato.

"This is completely my fault." Misato thought to herself.

Shinji then awakens in a hospital bed with Rei at his bedside, he looks towards the window and says...

"Asuka..."

-END-

This is an improved, more fleshed out version of my first ever fanfic 'I wanted you' which I created in 2021. I hope you've enjoyed.

Written by Isuyu