How many of you have heard the song "Tumbling Down" in End of Eva? I'm
listening it right now as I type. It is very good motivation. And Asuka
is returning to a more normal behavior standard for her.
Chapter 9: Faith in Each Other
"So Asuka, how was your synchronization test?" Shinji asked when she had gotten back.
"Ninety!" she said, making a v-sign with her hand.
"Don't get too competitive Asuka," Misato warned, "Besides, you know that Shinji has the highest score."
"Well of course," said Asuka, "He's with me!"
Misato shook her head. Despite everything, Asuka would always remain her confident self. And being with Shinji just boasted it. The phone rang and Misato picked it up.
"This is Major Katsuragi. Yes. Okay. What!"
Shinji and Asuka looked at her curiously. Rei was awakened from her nap by Misato's outburst.
"Okay. No, I will not bring them along. They have no need to be involved. That is my decision and I will stand by it. Fine."
She nearly slammed the phone down, but put it down gently.
"What is it?" Shinji asked her.
"The Chinese government is delivering Unit 07 to us."
Asuka and Shinji both froze. After twenty seconds, Shinji finally spoke.
"Please tell me you're joking."
"I'm sorry Shinji," said Misato, "The commander ordered that it be delivered to us."
Shinji's fist tightened. "And does he expect Rei to pilot it as well?"
"I don't know," Misato said, but it sounded weak even to her.
"Who else can pilot it? A dummy plug? Those were destroyed. Remember?"
Oh how I remember, Misato thought. It was something she would rather forget however.
"I will pilot if I am ordered to," Rei said quietly.
"No you won't," said Shinji.
There was no change on her face, but there was just something about Rei that changed.
"Why should I not?"
"Because I am not about to let you get killed again," he said.
"Shinji's right," said Asuka, "Ayanami, he's trying to help you. He's trying to do this for your own good. Don't do this."
"Why do you care for me?" Rei asked Asuka, "Did you not wish for me to die?"
That made everyone stop.
"I-I'm sorry I said that," Asuka said in a shaky voice, "I didn't mean it."
"Then why did you say it?"
Asuka let her head fall in shame. The truth of the matter was, she wasn't sure why she had said it before. She walked quietly into her room and shut it.
"Asuka! Wait!"
Shinji walked over. "Rei, I'll talk to you about this later."
"I have to go to NERV," said Misato.
Shinji nodded and tried to open the door. Asuka had opened it.
"Asuka, let me in."
"Go away," she yelled back, "Just leave me alone."
"No," said Shinji, "I'll never leave you alone. I promised that I would never leave you alone, and I intend to keep the promise."
Finally, after a while, Asuka opened the door and let him in. After she had closed it, she hugged him.
"I didn't mean it," she said, "I didn't mean it."
Tears ran down her face and onto Shinji's shoulder. He kept hold of her, holding her tightly. Asuka needed his help and comfort. He would give all that he had, but would it be enough? That was the ultimate question.
"Of course you didn't," he said, "I know you didn't."
"I'm so sorry I said that," Asuka managed to say as she continued to cry, "I would never wish that on someone."
"It's okay," Shinji said soothingly. He continued to hold her, trying to comfort her the best he could.
Misato got to NERV as quickly as she could. The EVA Unit had already arrived, and was being moved into an underground hanger like the other ones.
"Why wasn't I notified earlier?" she demanded.
"The commander didn't feel as if you needed to know," said Maya, "Besides, we were ordered not to tell you."
"Damn it! I'm the Operations Director! And I have a need to know about these things! And why the hell do we need another EVA?"
"Because the commander feels that the first two Angels are still unaccounted for."
"What? But-" But she and a few other NERV personnel knew that Adam was actually deep underground in Terminal Dogma. What the hell was the commander up to this time?
"He also has ordered that Asuka and Shinji begin training with a new combat simulation program," said Maya.
"What? Why?"
"I do not know," Maya answered, "However, it is a multi-opponent simulation."
"He expects too much from them," Misato muttered.
"Not at all," someone said behind her.
"Ryan!" Maya said in a surprised voice.
Misato spun around and there indeed, Ryan Evans stood.
"What are you doing here?"
"I'm in charge of security for the moving of the EVA," he answered, "Besides, I'm here to make sure you ladies will be safe."
Misato frowned. He talked way too slick for her taste. But then again, no. She would not dwell on the past. Too much was at stake. The entire future of the human race depended on the pilots, and they had to be ready, even if they had to play along with the commander's sick scenario.
"By the way, the commander has ordered that all personnel be armed," said Evans, "for additional security support."
"Ryan!" Maya said, horrified.
"I'm sorry, but we have to be ready to defend ourselves. If we aren't, we're in serious trouble."
"So you really believe that the Japanese government will attack?" Misato asked him.
"Yes. There is absolutely nothing that will make them back down," Evans said as he turned to look at the MP EVA, "However, the EVA units might tip the balance in our favor."
"Is that why the commander ordered Unit 07 to be delivered to us?"
"No. He has other reasons as well."
With that cryptic statement, Evans walked out of the room, leaving Maya and Misato looking after him, wondering what he had meant.
"Maya, you have a very mysterious boyfriend," Misato said a few seconds later.
Maya nodded before she realized what Misato had said. A faint blush appeared on her face which Misato missed.
"By the way, is the commander going to make Rei pilot the EVA unit?"
Maya shook her head. "He's going to use a dummy plug."
"I thought all of them were destroyed?"
"I'm not completely sure myself. But if he does use a dummy plug, it means he really is desperate."
"Or he doesn't care," muttered Misato.
Maya didn't hear her and went back to making sure the EVA was ready for immediate combat. It would take a while to completely prepare it, but they would be ready when the time came.
Evans had gone down to the armory. Inside, several shipments of OICWs were being stored. The Offensive Infantry Combat Weapons were state-of-the-art and very powerful. Able to fire two different types of ammo, they were also equipped with a sort of grenade launcher that fired small explosives. Another nice thing about them was that they had explosive rounds. One shot was almost guaranteed to kill the target if it hit.
"Distribute these to the guards and all officer being transferred to defense," he ordered.
The time for playing nice was over. Since the Japanese government had decided to disregard his advice, he was going to make them see the mistake they made at the exact moment when they can't back out. Oh how it was going to insult and humiliate them. The Asian-mindset was far too set on personal pride and honor. That would be their undoing.
End of Chapter 9
Well, so much for Asuka getting back to normal. I had planned for that, but I just couldn't do it. As you can see, we are nearing the time when NERV will start fighting. Also, I've been working on redrafting a story that I have not put up yet. It isn't EVA. It is actually a sci-fi/fantasy combo. The first book is Gathering of Force, and it is damn long. Anyone interested in reading a story about a war against Lucifer? Be on the lookout for it.
Z98
Chapter 9: Faith in Each Other
"So Asuka, how was your synchronization test?" Shinji asked when she had gotten back.
"Ninety!" she said, making a v-sign with her hand.
"Don't get too competitive Asuka," Misato warned, "Besides, you know that Shinji has the highest score."
"Well of course," said Asuka, "He's with me!"
Misato shook her head. Despite everything, Asuka would always remain her confident self. And being with Shinji just boasted it. The phone rang and Misato picked it up.
"This is Major Katsuragi. Yes. Okay. What!"
Shinji and Asuka looked at her curiously. Rei was awakened from her nap by Misato's outburst.
"Okay. No, I will not bring them along. They have no need to be involved. That is my decision and I will stand by it. Fine."
She nearly slammed the phone down, but put it down gently.
"What is it?" Shinji asked her.
"The Chinese government is delivering Unit 07 to us."
Asuka and Shinji both froze. After twenty seconds, Shinji finally spoke.
"Please tell me you're joking."
"I'm sorry Shinji," said Misato, "The commander ordered that it be delivered to us."
Shinji's fist tightened. "And does he expect Rei to pilot it as well?"
"I don't know," Misato said, but it sounded weak even to her.
"Who else can pilot it? A dummy plug? Those were destroyed. Remember?"
Oh how I remember, Misato thought. It was something she would rather forget however.
"I will pilot if I am ordered to," Rei said quietly.
"No you won't," said Shinji.
There was no change on her face, but there was just something about Rei that changed.
"Why should I not?"
"Because I am not about to let you get killed again," he said.
"Shinji's right," said Asuka, "Ayanami, he's trying to help you. He's trying to do this for your own good. Don't do this."
"Why do you care for me?" Rei asked Asuka, "Did you not wish for me to die?"
That made everyone stop.
"I-I'm sorry I said that," Asuka said in a shaky voice, "I didn't mean it."
"Then why did you say it?"
Asuka let her head fall in shame. The truth of the matter was, she wasn't sure why she had said it before. She walked quietly into her room and shut it.
"Asuka! Wait!"
Shinji walked over. "Rei, I'll talk to you about this later."
"I have to go to NERV," said Misato.
Shinji nodded and tried to open the door. Asuka had opened it.
"Asuka, let me in."
"Go away," she yelled back, "Just leave me alone."
"No," said Shinji, "I'll never leave you alone. I promised that I would never leave you alone, and I intend to keep the promise."
Finally, after a while, Asuka opened the door and let him in. After she had closed it, she hugged him.
"I didn't mean it," she said, "I didn't mean it."
Tears ran down her face and onto Shinji's shoulder. He kept hold of her, holding her tightly. Asuka needed his help and comfort. He would give all that he had, but would it be enough? That was the ultimate question.
"Of course you didn't," he said, "I know you didn't."
"I'm so sorry I said that," Asuka managed to say as she continued to cry, "I would never wish that on someone."
"It's okay," Shinji said soothingly. He continued to hold her, trying to comfort her the best he could.
Misato got to NERV as quickly as she could. The EVA Unit had already arrived, and was being moved into an underground hanger like the other ones.
"Why wasn't I notified earlier?" she demanded.
"The commander didn't feel as if you needed to know," said Maya, "Besides, we were ordered not to tell you."
"Damn it! I'm the Operations Director! And I have a need to know about these things! And why the hell do we need another EVA?"
"Because the commander feels that the first two Angels are still unaccounted for."
"What? But-" But she and a few other NERV personnel knew that Adam was actually deep underground in Terminal Dogma. What the hell was the commander up to this time?
"He also has ordered that Asuka and Shinji begin training with a new combat simulation program," said Maya.
"What? Why?"
"I do not know," Maya answered, "However, it is a multi-opponent simulation."
"He expects too much from them," Misato muttered.
"Not at all," someone said behind her.
"Ryan!" Maya said in a surprised voice.
Misato spun around and there indeed, Ryan Evans stood.
"What are you doing here?"
"I'm in charge of security for the moving of the EVA," he answered, "Besides, I'm here to make sure you ladies will be safe."
Misato frowned. He talked way too slick for her taste. But then again, no. She would not dwell on the past. Too much was at stake. The entire future of the human race depended on the pilots, and they had to be ready, even if they had to play along with the commander's sick scenario.
"By the way, the commander has ordered that all personnel be armed," said Evans, "for additional security support."
"Ryan!" Maya said, horrified.
"I'm sorry, but we have to be ready to defend ourselves. If we aren't, we're in serious trouble."
"So you really believe that the Japanese government will attack?" Misato asked him.
"Yes. There is absolutely nothing that will make them back down," Evans said as he turned to look at the MP EVA, "However, the EVA units might tip the balance in our favor."
"Is that why the commander ordered Unit 07 to be delivered to us?"
"No. He has other reasons as well."
With that cryptic statement, Evans walked out of the room, leaving Maya and Misato looking after him, wondering what he had meant.
"Maya, you have a very mysterious boyfriend," Misato said a few seconds later.
Maya nodded before she realized what Misato had said. A faint blush appeared on her face which Misato missed.
"By the way, is the commander going to make Rei pilot the EVA unit?"
Maya shook her head. "He's going to use a dummy plug."
"I thought all of them were destroyed?"
"I'm not completely sure myself. But if he does use a dummy plug, it means he really is desperate."
"Or he doesn't care," muttered Misato.
Maya didn't hear her and went back to making sure the EVA was ready for immediate combat. It would take a while to completely prepare it, but they would be ready when the time came.
Evans had gone down to the armory. Inside, several shipments of OICWs were being stored. The Offensive Infantry Combat Weapons were state-of-the-art and very powerful. Able to fire two different types of ammo, they were also equipped with a sort of grenade launcher that fired small explosives. Another nice thing about them was that they had explosive rounds. One shot was almost guaranteed to kill the target if it hit.
"Distribute these to the guards and all officer being transferred to defense," he ordered.
The time for playing nice was over. Since the Japanese government had decided to disregard his advice, he was going to make them see the mistake they made at the exact moment when they can't back out. Oh how it was going to insult and humiliate them. The Asian-mindset was far too set on personal pride and honor. That would be their undoing.
End of Chapter 9
Well, so much for Asuka getting back to normal. I had planned for that, but I just couldn't do it. As you can see, we are nearing the time when NERV will start fighting. Also, I've been working on redrafting a story that I have not put up yet. It isn't EVA. It is actually a sci-fi/fantasy combo. The first book is Gathering of Force, and it is damn long. Anyone interested in reading a story about a war against Lucifer? Be on the lookout for it.
Z98