Disclaimer: Evangelion and its characters are copyrighted by Gainax
and are the creation of Hideaki Anno.
Asuka Langley Sohryu, Pilot Errant
Er-rant adj. 1. roving or wandering, esp. in search of adventure; itinerant 2. erring or straying from what is right or the right course
Asuka Langley Sohryu was a remarkable teenage girl in many ways. From the moment she was born, in December of the year 2001, people constantly described her as beautiful. Even as a hairless baby her undeveloped perfect features could be seen. In fact, she would never in her life hear someone describe her as ugly or less than beautiful in any way. But, in spite of this, she did not aspire to be a model or supermodel whose worth would decline with age. Also, despite her unparalleled intelligence, she did not desire to be merely a great scientist or physicist. She had higher aspirations. She didn't know what those aspirations were, but she knew they were damned high. These unknown aspirations obsessed her. These phantom aspirations haunted her daily, taunting her for her puny role in the universe.
At the age of 12 she graduated from a university in Germany, driven by this great ambition. No one living could claim the same thing. 'Genius' was not a strong enough word to describe her intellect, and no words exist that begin to define her devotion to her own self-improvement. To her knowledge she was also the most beautiful person in existence as well. Simply put, she was the best there was, looking at it from her own perspective. But to her, that was just a starting point.
She did not aspire to any one occupation, because none of them would be broad enough to encompass her vision of perfection. Instead she sought out some divine position that would allow her to realize her ambitions, and display her greatness for everyone to see. At the age of 13 she began learning to speak Japanese and write Kanji. This is mentioned because it is very important, though she considered it a minor thing at the time.
Within a year she was nearly fluent, aided heavily by popular Japanese animation and manga. They were very practical as learning tools, but also very entertaining to her. She began to idolize certain animated characters as she gradually became fluent in Japanese, as they were each the center of their own separate universes. They had achieved the very ideal she sought.
Now, it should be said that after mastering the Japanese language she had planned on learning several languages; Russian, Latin, Mandarin, French, Italian, and so on. It was something she planned on doing on the side, in passing. Her ambition was to be nothing less than perfect, and speaking several languages was just a small way to further this ideal. It was her plan to learn a new language every year, becoming semi-fluent at the very least. She had considered taking language classes, but the pace was far too slow. On her own she could move at her own lightning fast pace, but in a classroom she would have to waste time waiting on other people. If she had learned anything in college it was that no one could match her level of intelligence.
A year later, however, she was still watching Japanese animation and reading manga. In fact, she had an entire library devoted to the subject. Her room was full of shelves of black-and-white comic books and old-fashioned DVD discs. She hadn't started learning any other languages. In fact, she wasn't really learning anything, other than trivial facts. She was an encyclopedia of seiyuu and she could match up television series' with production companies, directors, and animators with ease. These trivial facts became the focus of her life. In time, they consumed her life. She slept very little, spending much of her time watching anime, reading manga, or in anime-related forums and chat rooms. She read through scripts, trying to piece together puzzles that were unsolvable, and meant to be so. But in her mind she was able to solve these unsolvable riddles, using sparse facts and speculation. For a girl that had until recently possessed such a drive for self-improvement, this was very strange behavior.
For the first time they could remember, Asuka's parents began to truly worry about her.
Her father hurriedly gestured as he talked, as if he was in a hurry. For anyone else, it would seem like a very strange thing to do on a Saturday, but it was usual for him. "She started babbling on and on about 'second impact' yesterday, and a conspiracy to cover up a meteor or something."
"Meteor?" asked Kyoko, confused.
"Something she read about in one of her comic books, I assume."
"Well, recently she was explaining some interesting theories about the AT field in relation to the human soul that seemed quite reasonable," Kyoko said in an even voice, not wanting to antagonize the easily angered man.
"Did she tell you that she thinks AT stands for 'absolute terror'? Or about the huge lumbering monsters that generate these "Absolute Terror" fields? Or any of the other nonsensical things she spouts at me?"
"Oh my." Kyoko was overwhelmed by this information, proving that she knew nothing of her daughter's life.
"We need to have a talk with her. This has gone on for far too long. I'm going to try to talk some sense into her this time."
Kyoko nodded. They obviously hadn't spent nearly enough time with their daughter. Asuka had been able to take care of herself since she was five years old, and had always insisted on being left alone. Her parents had obliged her, and it had seemed to work out very well. But leaving her alone all the time had apparently caused her to become alienated from the world. Hardly ever speaking to Asuka, they hadn't even realized it until it was too late how serious her situation was.
But it wasn't entirely their fault, Kyoko told herself. Asuka had always been independent, after all. It had been Asuka that had constantly insisted she needed privacy so that she could study.
The two of them silently agreed on the method of intervention with a simple glance and nod and walked towards their daughter's room, knocking on the door.
"Asuka? We need to talk to you."
No response. It was most likely that she was ignoring them.
"Asuka, we're coming in," said her father gruffly and impatiently.
They cautiously entered her room. She was gone, the window was open, and a note was left on top of her bed.
It read simply:
Gone to fight the angels. I am humanity's only hope.
Asuka, Pilot Errant
-
Book One
-
Asuka's Lamentation on the Over the Rainbow
You are super-cool
What awesome stubble you have
But you won't kiss me...
Kaji's Lament
Your purple tresses
Hang limply over the edge
Are you regretful?
Asuka's First Impression of Shinji
Who is this child?
Walking, no pride in his step
Is he different?
Kyoko's Delusions in Regard to Asuka
My innocent girl
Should never grow up
Children need no tears
But she must be strong
Weakness is tempered
Only through living
Shinji's Thoughts on Misato
I love Misato
I clean up her apartment
My true family.
Shinji's Thoughts on Ayanami Rei
She is so quiet
Never speaking of sadness
She is just like me
The Ravings of Ayanami Rei
The white moon is lonely
The black moon hides in safety
Why am I to choose?
Asuka's Praise of Unit-02
Backflip! Dodge! Feint! Follow with strikes and kicks!
Exhibiting a luminous and terrifying presence
It is quite beautiful, striking, and bold!
And so, limited only by physics,
(and even those cannot always restrain it's magnificence)
My unit-two is a sight to behold!
Aida Kensuke's Praise of the Over the Rainbow
Beautiful?
Of course!
Beauty is not defined by outline
(this works out well for me)
The pistons pump! The engines whine!
And it floats upon the sea!
Look at all the cannons!
And those predatory birds
With their ravenous machine guns
I just don't have the words…
Shinji's Sonnet to Ayanami Rei
I don't understand anything
And your eyes will betray nothing
The most misunderstood by far
You are a real person,
You are.
Chairman Kihl's Words on the Lance of Longinus and the Sacrament
An instrument of humanity
Bringing an end to all suffering
Human Instrumentality
With only one left lingering
With this brilliant sacrament
And a human's pain, unending
I hear Ikari-kun's lament,
Over the great rending!
Shinji's Sonnet to Asuka
Who is this?
She knows me well
Lips to kiss
She breaks my shell
Eyes like steel
And she's seen hell
Breasts to feel
How far she fell...
Is she an angel?
Gendou's Last Thoughts on His Son
My son is the same as myself
Enshrouded in his pathos
He rejects the world
In this lonesome room
My wife stands nearby
And I drown in my regret
Ayanami Rei's Sonnet to Shinji after the Defeat of Ramiel
Ikari Shinji,
You care for me?
What is it that you understand?
(I saw you digging in the sand)
Why is it that you care for me?
(human experience is key)
And this is completely new
I just don't know what to do...
Why are you crying?
I understand. I smile.
Asuka's Praise of Shinji's Defeat of Shamshiel
You're a bundle of fear and hate
Each word we speak corrupts your mind
In battle all of this will condensate
So that you can retaliate in kind.
Then, the moment when least expected,
The option of "retreat" elected,
A roaring fury breaks the lull
Target silent. Fallen angel.
The Depressed Ramblings of Misato
I am really drunk right now
(The obligatory leer)
That guy over there is so like, wow
I think I'll drink another beer
I'm really a whore
I'll sleep with anybody
And what's more
I'm a friggin' hottie!
Can I have some service here?
I really need another beer
How ya like my dress?
How about my breasts?
I like guys with real big lips
And... I kinda... like to eat chips. Fuck.
Everyone knows that sex sells...
Is there really nothing else...?
Service! Service!
Ayanami Rei's Opinion of Sohryu Asuka Langley
The opposite of me
She possesses a soul,
She, with a sense of 'we',
Has a spirit that is whole.
Obsessed with the result
And not the process
She has what I lack,
I can do what she musn't
Asuka's Ravings after the Defeat of Cervihel
A courageous boy, a pathetic toy, a stupid boy
Who's full of JOY.
He makes me sick and he's a dick
He doesn't even care anymore.
Shinji's Description of Asuka's Battle with Shamshiel and Ramiel
Such a simple thing as jumping rope
(She has good energy, though)
She transforms herself into 'Man's Hope'
(She's attractive too, I know)
Tearing off the fell beasts limbs
But that is just a joke
Her momentary madness dims
Her sleeping sense awoke
But she is easily distracted,
Without a thought she gives another phantom a chase...
And breaks her face
*sigh*
Suzuhara Touji's... Poem
I like poetry
But I really hate haiku
Fuck this shit.
Chapter 1: Of Asuka's Delightful Trip to Tokyo, and the Pleasant and Agreeable Events that Follow
Three days earlier...
Asuka picked up the phone in one hand as she held a small slip of paper and a pen in the other. She found herself forced to order a ticket to Tokyo-3 by phone. Asuka had wanted to get a soft ticket, but she'd had a little trouble ordering a ticket on-line. Despite an hour-long search, she couldn't find a single website that would sell her a ticket to Tokyo-3. It was as if the place didn't even exist. So she had to resort to making a phone call, the old fashioned way.
"I'd like to purchase a ticket to Tokyo-3." She said firmly, expecting that the man would be hard to deal with. She'd recently had a very rough time dealing with several people who had insisted that Tokyo-3 didn't exist at all.
"Three tickets?" asked the man, confirming her suspicions that he would be a total idiot.
"No, one ticket to Tokyo-THREE."
The man didn't reply. She assumed he was typing in the information, but knew that it shouldn't have taken more than a few seconds.
"Are you typing it in?" she asked suspiciously.
"Do you want one ticket or three ma'am?" he asked, causing her anger to boil over.
"ONE!"
How hard is it to tell one ticket from three? She understood that it must be boring to take phone calls all day, but honestly...
Present...
"Wait for me Kaji-san," the young girl said breathlessly, apparently talking to herself, "I'm finally coming to Tokyo-3."
A large drop of sweat gathered, unseen, on the back of his head. "Would you like something to drink?"
She noticed him, and nodded. "Green tea. Hot."
He smiled apologetically. "Sorry, we don't have any hot drinks on this flight."
She became visibly outraged. "Gott in Himmel! We can throw a Lance of Longinus to the moon but we can't even heat up some drinks on an airplane?"
Another sweatdrop joined the first, and he slowly walked away.
-
Asuka fumed. Everyone treated her like she was crazy. On top of that, they had given her a ticket to Old Tokyo instead of Tokyo-3. The difficulty in actually getting to Toyko-3 was almost unbelievable. It got her to Japan, at least, but the idea that no one had even heard of Tokyo-3 was just ridiculous.
They had treated her like a criminal, threatening to call security guards. Then, they had threatened to throw her out of the airport, and one man had even made the unbelievable threat of deporting her to Tokyo-3 permanently. People could be so stupid and ignorant. She hadn't been yelling that loud, really. She sighed.
-A Pilot Errant simply has to tolerate lesser people. -
-
The plane landed and she stood up, grabbed her bag tightly as she did so. Her bag, which was technically larger than the allowable size for carry-on luggage, contained a sleeping bag, a couple of other things, and three plugsuits. The three plugsuits were of different types and colors, and elaborately constructed. The peerless Kaji had managed to get them for her, matching her specific instructions for their design exactly. Each suit was meant for a different person, though they fit various builds.
The first plugsuit was meant for the First Children, a quiet child with no regard for others. The second was meant for the Second Children, the ultimate pilot. The last was meant for the Third Children, a small and shy boy. Finding them was her first mission in Tokyo-3.
-
Walking out of the airport, Asuka was surprised to see a complete city brimming with people and activity, instead of the half empty ruins she knew Old Tokyo to be. It looked to her as if she had arrived in Tokyo-3. She stared in her ticket in confusion. It still said Tokyo. She shrugged. As long as she was in Tokyo-3 it didn't really matter how she had gotten there.
"Now, to find the Third Children..."
-
Shinji walked down the street in a depressed mood. He considered all of his troubles, one by one. No one ever wanted to be his friend. All they ever did was abandon him, or ignore him. Touji and Kensuke only talked to him at school. He hadn't seen Misato in a long time, and she only came over because it was her duty to watch after him. His father, when he was around, hardly even talked to him.
He was officially feeling sorry for himself.
-Help me. Don't leave me alone. Don't forsake me. Don't kill-
"Hey." A voice interrupted his depressed thoughts.
"W-what?" A pretty girl was blocking his path, somewhat frightening in her intensity. He edged backward almost imperceptibly. "Yes?"
"You look like a guy that had lots of repressed anger and an inferiority complex. You want to be the Third Children?" She spoke with a brash tone, and never took her eyes off of him. It made him slightly uncomfortable. Still, she had an undeniable charisma. She was also a very attractive foreigner with an impressive figure.
Despite his immediate attraction to her, he had a feeling this was a dangerous girl to be around. She seemed mildly threatening, standing there with her hands on her hips, looking at him expectantly. He realized she was waiting for a response, so he said the first thing that came to mind.
"Huh?"
"Third children. Pilot of the Unit-01. Adventure. Saving the world. Humanity would depend on you. Et cetera."
Shinji blinked. She was making fun of him. She had to be. She had obviously assumed he was some kind of otaku freak.
"Please leave me alone." -Don't leave me alone.-
"Really? You sure? This is a big opportunity, and there's a lot at stake. The whole world."
"Just do it without me, okay?" -Don't abandon me.-
She sighed unhappily. "So you're just saying no? You don't even want to know what it's all about?"
Seeing her expression and realizing that she was actually serious, he wanted to say yes. The offer was strange, and he didn't really understand what she was talking about, but it sounded vaguely exciting. What she was offering was ludicrous, but there was something undeniably genuine in her tone. But he couldn't just accept such an absurd offer...
Asuka was disappointed. The scrawny boy, who obviously had tons of pent up rage, was obviously the Third Children. Without him, things would be more difficult, perhaps even impossible.
But there was no way to force him to be be a pilot.
She shrugged, "Okay, if that's what you want, fine. But you do realize that I'll have to kill you if you refuse, right?"
His response was immediate. "Don't kill me. I'll give it a shot, whatever it is."
She clasped her hands together with a clapping sound, "Okay then. First of all, how about I tell you the truth about Second Impact?"
"Second Impact?"
She nodded. "What they told you in school isn't the truth."
"What do you mean?" -What the hell is 'Second Impact'?-
She took a deep breath, and started, "The last angel attack was 17 years ago. They covered it up by saying it was a meteorite. Another one was supposed to happen about two years ago, but it never happened. However, it could happen any time. I think the attacks need to be initiated somehow. Because of this, we have to be on guard constantly. You never know when an angel might attack."
He repressed the urge to laugh at the story, not wanting to offend her. Instead, he attempted to take her seriously, in a misguided attempt at politeness. "An angel? Like a messenger from God?"
She nodded. "Yeah. God can be a little weird sometimes."
"Oh." He wasn't sure how to respond to that. She was clearly an insane religious nut.
She smiled sympathetically. "We just kill them. Don't worry about the morals for now. There's a lot more information, but you don't really need to know as of this moment."
"What about school?" he asked, concerned that she might not have considered it, "That's where I was going when you stopped me."
She nodded. "Education is important. Fortunately, I already have mine. We can concentrate on yours."
"You already have yours?" he asked, skeptical.
"Yes. I graduated from a university in Germany."
He didn't really believe her at first, until she showed him her credentials.
"Wow," he said, very impressed. She became even more of a mystery. Apparently, she was smart enough to get a college degree at her young age, but she couldn't even distinguish fantasy from reality.
"Pretty impressive huh? Now, I'll have to go to school with you. It wouldn't be safe for us to be separated for long periods of time. Understand?"
"Oh. Okay. Sure."
Now she was starting to weird him out. He couldn't deny that the idea of her hanging out with him constantly was pretty attractive though. And also frightening. Definitely frightening. What if she did weird things in class? What if she alienated him from the few friends he had? What if she was a stalker?
-
Asuka walked in and, as Shinji took his seat, wrote her name on the chalkboard as if she were a teacher herself, followed by the customary 'Pilot Errant'. Frowning, she erased the title, feeling no need to make it common knowledge.
She turned to the class. "My name is Asuka Langley Sohryu. Nice to meet all of you!"
"Who are you?" asked the teacher, a little confused.
She blinked, turned toward the teacher, and pointed at the board. She stated the obvious, "I just wrote my name on the board."
"Are you a new student?"
"Yeah, I transferred here from Germany." She gave the teacher her best 'I'm-well-behaved-and-charming' smile.
He shrugged. "There must have been an error somewhere. Very well, take a seat. I'll take care of it." She knew that in his mind, it wasn't possible that a student would voluntarily attend a class that they weren't required to attend, and this possibility would never come up in the teacher's mind. She was sure that he would let her stay.
Asuka walked over to one of the desks that was next to Shinji's. There was currently a girl sitting there. Asuka stood there silently. It was necessary that she sit next to Shinji, as they were both pilots, and he was surrounded by occupied seats. A hush fell over the room as the eyes of the two girl met.
"Just sit down!" whispered the Class Representative from another seat, annoyed.
There was complete silence for nearly an entire minute, neither of them saying anything. Asuka, however, felt a slight thrill as she inspected the blue haired girl who held her gaze with two emotionless red eyes.
-This is the First Children!-
"You have to sit down!" hissed the class representative, furious. Asuka ignored her.
Asuka smiled at the girl, and walked over to another desk that was adjacent to Shinji's, letting her keep her seat.
"SIT DOWN!" roared the class representative.
The teacher cleared his throat, finally fed up with the interruption. "Excuse me miss. Class cannot start until all students are seated."
"Oh, sorry!" She physically removed the boy from the seat and pointed him in the direction of an empty one. He had been asleep and so followed her orders without question, shambling over to the empty desk she had indicated.
"KIRITSU! REI! CHAKUSEKI!" shouted the Class Representative, sounding as if she was letting out quite a lot of excess rage.
Asuka paid very little attention to the class, instead watching the blue haired girl as she sat through the class. She didn't seem to move very often. She didn't shift in her seat or glance around the classroom like the rest of the students. She didn't speak once. There was no doubt.
She was the First Children.
-
"Hey you. You want to be a Pilot?" asked the new gaijin student, who blocked her path.
"Why," asked Rei, not bothering to change the intonation to make the word sound like a question.
"We need one more person. Humanity is at stake."
The girl was persistent, annoying. Still, her words were interesting.
-Humanity?-
From her experience, it was likely that the girl was trying to pick on her and make her look stupid. In contrast to this, the gaijin's tone was earnest. There was no hint of mockery.
She responded to the proposal, her interest raised. "Why are you asking me?"
"You've got more guts then anyone I've ever met!" the girl proclaimed.
-A rare compliment. However.-
"You do not know me."
It was a compliment that was based on nothing. Meaningless.
"You held your own against me in a staring contest. That makes you more than qualified to be a pilot."
-That was a test?-
A lie. The staring had meant nothing. Rei met the girls eyes again, and stared into her eyes coldly for a long moment.
The girl met her stare, a contemptuous smile on her face.
Seeing that smile, which seemed to say, "I am infinitely better than you," Rei realized something.
The girl was not just offering something to her. The smug look on her face did not contain generosity. She wasn't trying to make a kind offer.
-She is challenging me.-
Rei spoke above a whisper, "What will I pilot?"
Chapter Two: In Which Asuka is Not Selected as a Pilot
Shinji watched with a mixture of confusion and slight sadness as Asuka offered Ayanami the position of pilot. The fact that Asuka was offering the position to Rei, who was not a popular girl by any means, seemed to hint that she was selecting only losers and loners as pilots. This was a blow to Shinji's ego, which had been inflated, just slightly, that morning. He eavesdropped on the conversation, seeing that Rei said no more than five or six words throughout the conversation, as was normal for her, but unable to hear her words. She always spoke in a barely audible whisper that couldn't be heard except by someone standing close to her. Her voice was only audible to him for one sentence, in which she agreed to Asuka's proposal.
Watching the strange event, he sincerely hoped Asuka wouldn't try to recruit his whole class. In addition to the fact that he had been proud that Asuka had specifically chosen him out of the crowds of people walking the streets of Tokyo, he didn't want her insanity to become common knowledge among his classmates.
-But what, exactly, does she expect me to do?-
Seeing that she was walking away from Ayanami, he approached her, hoping for a more thorough explanation of the unusual things she had been talking about. "Asuka..." he said hesitantly.
She glanced in his direction. "Yes, Third? What do you want?"
He was a little bit unnerved, though she wasn't antagonizing him in any way. He didn't often feel compelled to approach other people, and doing so made him feel slightly nervous. He took a deep breath.
"You keep on saying 'pilot'. What is it that we are supposed to be piloting, anyway?"
She put her hands on her hips and tilted her head upwards in a haughty manner before loudly stating, "Eva, of course! You have Evangelion Unit-01 and I have Unit-02. The new girl has Unit-00, since she's the First."
Shinji was confused by the entire sentence, in which all the numbers seemed to be in reverse order of sensibility, but he decided to simply ask about the part that confused him the most.
"What is an 'Eva'?"
She turned towards him and started speaking in a knowledgeable tone, "We call them androids, but they're technically cyborgs. Clones of angels fitted up with armor and restrai... well, armor anyway. No need to go into too many details. They don't have any will of their own most of the time. That's why we pilot them."
Cyborgs? With pilots? It was a little hard to believe, even for a fantasy. "Uhh... where are these 'cyborgs'?"
"They keep them way underground. When an angel attacks, we'll have to defeat it. But there will be all kinds of stuff leading up to the angel attacks. Shadowy background stuff."
Shinji gave her a skeptical look. "What kind of 'background stuff'?"
"How should I know!? It's in the background, stupid." .
He opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again.
"Oh. So we just wait?"
She shook her head emphatically. "No no no. We can't trust anybody. Especially not Nerv, and ESPECIALLY not Seele. We can't just wait around while they do things in the background. That's how things get screwed up."
"Seele? Nerv?"
"Yes, Nerv is the organization that your dad is in charge of."
"My dad is a business executive," he corrected her.
She didn't seem to hear him. "Your dad is such a jerk, treating you like some kind of possession that he has a use for." She paused thoughtfully, then continued, "If he had raised you right you wouldn't have so much pent-up rage and a need to prove yourself to him though, so I guess it's kind of necessary."
Now, Shinji's father wasn't exactly perfect but Shinji was sure he wasn't the leader of some shadowy organization bent on... whatever it was she seemed to think they were bent on. His father, though silently frightening at times, seemed very normal to Shinji. The idea that he was an evil villain was ridiculous, and Shinji guessed that Asuka knew nothing about his father. In spite of this, she had apparently assigned him a role in her fantasy world without ever having met him.
"Well, if we aren't going to just wait around, what are we going to do?" Shinji asked.
"We have to make sure that no spies infiltrate Nerv. We also have to make sure that your dad's plan doesn't work," she said, starting to walk towards the classroom. She looked over her shoulder and gestured for him to follow her.
"What plan is that?" he asked, hurrying to catch up.
"I can't tell you here. Someone could be listening. It's really complicated and diabolical. I'll tell you what, you go grab First and tell her to meet us at your place. Oh, by the way, I'm coming to live with you."
He was shocked, to say the least, and he came to a complete stop. "What!?"
She turned around, sighed, and started to repeat her last sentence, "Go grab First and-"
Shinji interrupted her, yelling in a whining voice, "I understand that! You can't live with me! My dad would kill me if I just brought a girl home!"
She shrugged. "What if I tell him my mom committed suicide and my father married someone that hates me? You Japanese are hospitable about stuff like that right?"
Her plan didn't seem exactly foolproof, especially considering her low opinion of Shinji's father. Shinji was skeptical. "I don't think that will work. He isn't hospitable at all."
She nodded, as if this was already obvious to her, "Yes, but if he doesn't let me I won't have any place to stay. He needs me to kill the angel, so he'll agree."
Shinji sighed. It was becoming more obvious with each passing minute that she was completely nuts. She seemed to have a new fantastic notion every minute, and seemed inclined on sharing every one with anyone who would listen. However, what she had said about her parents was halfway sensible, and her wondered if it was true. If it was, he had something in common with her. Shinji had lost his own mother when he was young.
He didn't like to bring up the subject of mothers, and especially didn't like to talk about his own, but curiosity overcame him. "Did all that stuff with your parents really happen to you?" he asked hesitantly.
"My mother you mean? Yes, but I don't like to talk about it," she said, seeming almost casual.
It was strange that she had mentioned her mother's death so casually. She spoke about something so traumatic as if it wasn't really important to her. As if her mother's death was just an event in her life. He didn't inquire further, he had a feeling he didn't want to know anything else about her mother. There was probably a horrible and gruesome story behind her death, one that Asuka wished to avoid telling with her uncaring attitude. Or perhaps she was so casual about it because she had repressed her misery deep inside, using a cavalier attitude to mask it.
-
"I can't believe you're taking time off of work for this," Kyoko said to her husband, as they boarded the plane, carrying very little baggage. They felt it necessary to travel light, knowing only that Asuka was somewhere in Tokyo.
His voice was surly, as he had just gotten off work an hour before. "What, you think I'm a complete bastard or something? This is the first serious problem we've had with Asuka." Kyoko wasn't sure she agreed with his statement, but she didn't argue with it. "Besides, I have to use my sick days some time or else I'll just lose them."
That was certainly true. Neither of them would ever take a sick day for something as pitiful as an actual illness. Contributing to the spreading of a flu epidemic was far better than admitting to one's own weakness. That was an attitude that Asuka seemed to share. She had never stayed home sick in her life.
Kyoko watched her feet as they walked, hope starting to drain from her. He husband noticed this and gave her a reproachful look that she didn't see (she was looking at her feet, remember). "Perk up a bit. We'll find the girl, but we have to stay alert."
She shook her head sadly. "What are you saying? Find the girl? Stay alert? Are we looking for our daughter or a criminal?"
"By now, probably both," he noted grimly.
-
Gendou Ikari stared, fascinated, at the magnificent and confounding foreigner. His expression remained neutral, but he was filled with curiosity. "You want to live here?"
"Yes, sir." Her voice was very cold. It was as if she knew and respected him, but disliked him greatly. In fact, she acted just like his secretary.
"Why?" he said, straightforward and impolite. In his experience, that was the best way to deal with foreigners, and the way he dealt with most people anyway.
"I have no where else to go, sir. My mother committed suicide after being driven insane during the testing phase of the Unit-02, which you are no doubt familiar with, and my father remarried. The woman hates me. She thinks I'm too mature for my age and said she didn't want to be my mother anymore. Besides that, they have to stay in Germany and I am needed here, in Tokyo-3. All of which you already know, of course."
Gendou pondered this for a moment, his expression stern and unchanging, his hands folded under his nose. Only his shaded eyes could be seen.
His son leaned in closer and whispered, "She's completely crazy."
"Hmm."
"Will you let me stay here, sir?" she asked again, coldly.
"You could stay with the teacher," suggested Shinji.
Gendou shook his head. "That is a ridiculous suggestion, Shinji. She can stay here."
"Thank you, sir." Asuka bowed stiffly, and went outside to retrieve her single bag of luggage.
-
Asuka sighed deeply. That little display of weakness hadn't been easy. She didn't like to speak of her mother's suicide, especially in a plea for sympathy. There was no other way though. That was simply the way it was done. She picked up her travel bag, which contained nothing but the three plug suits and a sleeping bag, and walked back inside. She was halfway through the living room when Gendou's voice stopped her in her tracks.
"There is no spare room."
She blinked, her expression confused. "Then where do I...?"
"You will stay in Shinji's room."
She paled imperceptibly. She would have refused immediately if the situation were less critical, but she felt she had no choice but to accept. Still, it wasn't appropriate at all.
-
Gendou smiled in satisfaction, watching as the beautiful girl entered his son's room. All was going according to plan. It was a hasty plan, constructed in a single moment, but it was still a good plan. It was a chance for redemption.
He had not have been there for Yui when she needed him. He had not have been there for Shinji as a father. He knew that he would never be there for Shinji as a father. But, perhaps, this small peace offering would be a small step towards the redemption he sought. It was necessary to distance himself from his son, yes, just as it was necessary to distance himself from all people. However, that didn't mean he couldn't force other people to move closer to his son. Then something struck him.
-I wonder if that girl is homicidal?-
He shrugged. He was sure that Shinji would agree that it was worth the risk.
-
"Asuka, why're you bringing your stuff in here?" Shinji asked in confusion as he sat up in his bed.
She grumbled, "Commander Ikari said that I had to stay in here."
"So where am I going to sleep?" Shinji said, irritated, "We don't have a spare room."
She didn't hesitate a moment to answer. The only thing that bothered her was the inconvenience, and the improperness of the whole thing, so there was no reason to be embarrassed. She didn't think he would actually try anything untoward. "You're going to be sleeping here too. Don't get any ideas though, we're co-workers."
Asuka laid her sleeping bag out on the ground, and took out one of the three plugsuits, handing one to Shinji. "Make sure this fits okay. Just to be safe, you know?"
Shinji examined the strange costume. It looked very realistic somehow. It was something a cosplayer might wear, certainly, but it didn't seem too ridiculous to be a military uniform. "Where did you get this?"
"Kaji. He has connections."
"Oh." He had no idea who Kaji was, but her voice made him believe that it should be obvious to him already.
-
"Kaji-san!" she hugged him tightly. It had been weeks since she'd seen him. " I need you to do something for me."
He smiled at her. "What do you want?" he asked, his tone making it obvious that he would refuse any outrageous requests.
She handed him the complex designs she had drawn out. "I need to have these made. Do you know anyplace I could go?"
He examined the drawings she had given him, and raised his eyebrows at her. "What do you need these for Asuka?" They seemed to be designed to be as airtight as possible and, therefore, very revealing. "I think you're a little young for this sort of thing."
"Kajiiii! It's just for cosplay!"
-
Asuka stood up and took a brief look around.
"Is your room secure, third?"
"I... guess so," he said, not sure exactly what she meant.
"Okay, I guess I can explain this to you in a little more detail."
She then explained the entire false situation in detail, sometimes in too much detail. She seemed to have worked out every minor fact and occurrence. If it wasn't so ridiculous, he could almost believe that the "Eva" units that she talked about actually existed. She talked for some time, and Shinji had to resist the urge to take notes as she lectured.
"Understand?"
Shinji thought for a moment, scratching at the uncomfortable plugsuit. "Why doesn't 'Seele' just let the angels win if they want 'Third Impact'?"
She answered immediately. "It might have something to do with the angels' souls returning to Adam or Lilith after they die."
"They don't go to the White Moon?"
"Maybe, maybe not. I think that the White Moon is just where they come from in the first place. In any case, Seele doesn't want to initiate Third Impact until the seventeenth angel."
"All right, I guess I understand. How do we know where Nerv is, though?"
"Your father is the Commander. We can follow him," she said.
"Hold on a second. How can you be a pilot if my father's 'the Commander'? He doesn't even know you. I'm sure he couldn't have selected you for anything."
He regretted his words several seconds before he'd finished speaking them. He was still a little flabbergasted by her story, and the comment ended up sounding a lot more insulting than he'd consciously intended.
She crossed her arms and glared at him. "So suddenly you know everything about how this works, huh? I'll have you know that I'll be selected as a pilot this very night. No one else would do as the Second Children, that's one thing I'm completely sure of. He has no choice."
Shinji did his best to hide his skepticism, knowing it would only make her angry. He had listened attentively as she explained all of the imaginary facts and events to him, and hadn't given a single sign that he disbelieved her. "So you're just going to ask him?"
She nodded. "He'll probably ask me to do prove I can do it. Some kind of multiple choice test or physical examination or something. And a synch test, naturally."
"Multiple choice test?"
"Just some fake thing. The Marduk institute doesn't exist but they have to pretend it does. So I assume there'll be some kind of test."
"Marduk Institute?"
She sighed deeply. "Take notes next time, okay?"
-
Asuka approached the man with a calm confidence. It wasn't a matter of whether he accepted her proposal or not. That was a given. No one in their right mind would reject Asuka Langley Sohryu as a pilot.
"Sir."
Gendou looked up from his book, something in a language Asuka didn't recognize. "What."
Asuka held back a shudder, disgusted and horrified by the man, who seemed to be completely abominable in every way. "I am the perfect candidate for pilot. Any tests you can do will support this, I'm sure. I request that you assign me to Eva Unit-02 in accordance with whatever regulation is required."
Gendou began reading again, and responded a moment later, not pausing to look up as he did so. "No." His voice wasn't loud, or stern, but somehow his monotone voice made it obvious that there was no room for negotiation.
Asuka blinked in disbelief, her mouth hanging open as she watched him continue to ignore her. Then, chin tilted downwards as if in deep thought, she walked back towards Shinji's room. She entered his room and sat on his bed, completely ignoring his presence. The Commander had denied her request without even considering it. Without even a synch test, and without any sort of test.
-Why?-
Could it be that she wasn't worthy of being a pilot? Could he tell that much just by looking at her? The idea was ridiculous. She was the ideal, the model for other pilots to strive towards. If she wasn't fit to be a pilot, no one was. Absolutely no one.
-
-"Asuka? What are you doing? It's one in the morning."
Asuka didn't turn to look at her mother as she replied in a monotone, "What do you think." She was studying, of course.
"You have to sleep Asuka."
Asuka didn't respond. Her mother sighed and went back to bed, thinking it would only make things worse if she tried to force her daughter to do as she said. To her it seemed that, since Asuka had always thrived on competition, it was useless to argue with her.
Asuka shook her head, and snorted. "You shouldn't even try to pretend that you care about me."
Her mother didn't hear her, having already left.-
-
The reason for his rejection struck her suddenly. It was so obvious. He had rejected her because he didn't plan on calling her in until she was actually needed. They didn't plan on calling Shinji in until the last moment, so it seemed reasonable that they might intend to do the same with her. He had refused her request so easily because he knew it would be pointless to assign her as a pilot. The first battle would be won because of a lack of training, not in spite it.
In this way Asuka convinced herself that she was worthy of being a Pilot .
End Chapter Two
Asuka Langley Sohryu, Pilot Errant
Er-rant adj. 1. roving or wandering, esp. in search of adventure; itinerant 2. erring or straying from what is right or the right course
Asuka Langley Sohryu was a remarkable teenage girl in many ways. From the moment she was born, in December of the year 2001, people constantly described her as beautiful. Even as a hairless baby her undeveloped perfect features could be seen. In fact, she would never in her life hear someone describe her as ugly or less than beautiful in any way. But, in spite of this, she did not aspire to be a model or supermodel whose worth would decline with age. Also, despite her unparalleled intelligence, she did not desire to be merely a great scientist or physicist. She had higher aspirations. She didn't know what those aspirations were, but she knew they were damned high. These unknown aspirations obsessed her. These phantom aspirations haunted her daily, taunting her for her puny role in the universe.
At the age of 12 she graduated from a university in Germany, driven by this great ambition. No one living could claim the same thing. 'Genius' was not a strong enough word to describe her intellect, and no words exist that begin to define her devotion to her own self-improvement. To her knowledge she was also the most beautiful person in existence as well. Simply put, she was the best there was, looking at it from her own perspective. But to her, that was just a starting point.
She did not aspire to any one occupation, because none of them would be broad enough to encompass her vision of perfection. Instead she sought out some divine position that would allow her to realize her ambitions, and display her greatness for everyone to see. At the age of 13 she began learning to speak Japanese and write Kanji. This is mentioned because it is very important, though she considered it a minor thing at the time.
Within a year she was nearly fluent, aided heavily by popular Japanese animation and manga. They were very practical as learning tools, but also very entertaining to her. She began to idolize certain animated characters as she gradually became fluent in Japanese, as they were each the center of their own separate universes. They had achieved the very ideal she sought.
Now, it should be said that after mastering the Japanese language she had planned on learning several languages; Russian, Latin, Mandarin, French, Italian, and so on. It was something she planned on doing on the side, in passing. Her ambition was to be nothing less than perfect, and speaking several languages was just a small way to further this ideal. It was her plan to learn a new language every year, becoming semi-fluent at the very least. She had considered taking language classes, but the pace was far too slow. On her own she could move at her own lightning fast pace, but in a classroom she would have to waste time waiting on other people. If she had learned anything in college it was that no one could match her level of intelligence.
A year later, however, she was still watching Japanese animation and reading manga. In fact, she had an entire library devoted to the subject. Her room was full of shelves of black-and-white comic books and old-fashioned DVD discs. She hadn't started learning any other languages. In fact, she wasn't really learning anything, other than trivial facts. She was an encyclopedia of seiyuu and she could match up television series' with production companies, directors, and animators with ease. These trivial facts became the focus of her life. In time, they consumed her life. She slept very little, spending much of her time watching anime, reading manga, or in anime-related forums and chat rooms. She read through scripts, trying to piece together puzzles that were unsolvable, and meant to be so. But in her mind she was able to solve these unsolvable riddles, using sparse facts and speculation. For a girl that had until recently possessed such a drive for self-improvement, this was very strange behavior.
For the first time they could remember, Asuka's parents began to truly worry about her.
Her father hurriedly gestured as he talked, as if he was in a hurry. For anyone else, it would seem like a very strange thing to do on a Saturday, but it was usual for him. "She started babbling on and on about 'second impact' yesterday, and a conspiracy to cover up a meteor or something."
"Meteor?" asked Kyoko, confused.
"Something she read about in one of her comic books, I assume."
"Well, recently she was explaining some interesting theories about the AT field in relation to the human soul that seemed quite reasonable," Kyoko said in an even voice, not wanting to antagonize the easily angered man.
"Did she tell you that she thinks AT stands for 'absolute terror'? Or about the huge lumbering monsters that generate these "Absolute Terror" fields? Or any of the other nonsensical things she spouts at me?"
"Oh my." Kyoko was overwhelmed by this information, proving that she knew nothing of her daughter's life.
"We need to have a talk with her. This has gone on for far too long. I'm going to try to talk some sense into her this time."
Kyoko nodded. They obviously hadn't spent nearly enough time with their daughter. Asuka had been able to take care of herself since she was five years old, and had always insisted on being left alone. Her parents had obliged her, and it had seemed to work out very well. But leaving her alone all the time had apparently caused her to become alienated from the world. Hardly ever speaking to Asuka, they hadn't even realized it until it was too late how serious her situation was.
But it wasn't entirely their fault, Kyoko told herself. Asuka had always been independent, after all. It had been Asuka that had constantly insisted she needed privacy so that she could study.
The two of them silently agreed on the method of intervention with a simple glance and nod and walked towards their daughter's room, knocking on the door.
"Asuka? We need to talk to you."
No response. It was most likely that she was ignoring them.
"Asuka, we're coming in," said her father gruffly and impatiently.
They cautiously entered her room. She was gone, the window was open, and a note was left on top of her bed.
It read simply:
Gone to fight the angels. I am humanity's only hope.
Asuka, Pilot Errant
-
Book One
-
Asuka's Lamentation on the Over the Rainbow
You are super-cool
What awesome stubble you have
But you won't kiss me...
Kaji's Lament
Your purple tresses
Hang limply over the edge
Are you regretful?
Asuka's First Impression of Shinji
Who is this child?
Walking, no pride in his step
Is he different?
Kyoko's Delusions in Regard to Asuka
My innocent girl
Should never grow up
Children need no tears
But she must be strong
Weakness is tempered
Only through living
Shinji's Thoughts on Misato
I love Misato
I clean up her apartment
My true family.
Shinji's Thoughts on Ayanami Rei
She is so quiet
Never speaking of sadness
She is just like me
The Ravings of Ayanami Rei
The white moon is lonely
The black moon hides in safety
Why am I to choose?
Asuka's Praise of Unit-02
Backflip! Dodge! Feint! Follow with strikes and kicks!
Exhibiting a luminous and terrifying presence
It is quite beautiful, striking, and bold!
And so, limited only by physics,
(and even those cannot always restrain it's magnificence)
My unit-two is a sight to behold!
Aida Kensuke's Praise of the Over the Rainbow
Beautiful?
Of course!
Beauty is not defined by outline
(this works out well for me)
The pistons pump! The engines whine!
And it floats upon the sea!
Look at all the cannons!
And those predatory birds
With their ravenous machine guns
I just don't have the words…
Shinji's Sonnet to Ayanami Rei
I don't understand anything
And your eyes will betray nothing
The most misunderstood by far
You are a real person,
You are.
Chairman Kihl's Words on the Lance of Longinus and the Sacrament
An instrument of humanity
Bringing an end to all suffering
Human Instrumentality
With only one left lingering
With this brilliant sacrament
And a human's pain, unending
I hear Ikari-kun's lament,
Over the great rending!
Shinji's Sonnet to Asuka
Who is this?
She knows me well
Lips to kiss
She breaks my shell
Eyes like steel
And she's seen hell
Breasts to feel
How far she fell...
Is she an angel?
Gendou's Last Thoughts on His Son
My son is the same as myself
Enshrouded in his pathos
He rejects the world
In this lonesome room
My wife stands nearby
And I drown in my regret
Ayanami Rei's Sonnet to Shinji after the Defeat of Ramiel
Ikari Shinji,
You care for me?
What is it that you understand?
(I saw you digging in the sand)
Why is it that you care for me?
(human experience is key)
And this is completely new
I just don't know what to do...
Why are you crying?
I understand. I smile.
Asuka's Praise of Shinji's Defeat of Shamshiel
You're a bundle of fear and hate
Each word we speak corrupts your mind
In battle all of this will condensate
So that you can retaliate in kind.
Then, the moment when least expected,
The option of "retreat" elected,
A roaring fury breaks the lull
Target silent. Fallen angel.
The Depressed Ramblings of Misato
I am really drunk right now
(The obligatory leer)
That guy over there is so like, wow
I think I'll drink another beer
I'm really a whore
I'll sleep with anybody
And what's more
I'm a friggin' hottie!
Can I have some service here?
I really need another beer
How ya like my dress?
How about my breasts?
I like guys with real big lips
And... I kinda... like to eat chips. Fuck.
Everyone knows that sex sells...
Is there really nothing else...?
Service! Service!
Ayanami Rei's Opinion of Sohryu Asuka Langley
The opposite of me
She possesses a soul,
She, with a sense of 'we',
Has a spirit that is whole.
Obsessed with the result
And not the process
She has what I lack,
I can do what she musn't
Asuka's Ravings after the Defeat of Cervihel
A courageous boy, a pathetic toy, a stupid boy
Who's full of JOY.
He makes me sick and he's a dick
He doesn't even care anymore.
Shinji's Description of Asuka's Battle with Shamshiel and Ramiel
Such a simple thing as jumping rope
(She has good energy, though)
She transforms herself into 'Man's Hope'
(She's attractive too, I know)
Tearing off the fell beasts limbs
But that is just a joke
Her momentary madness dims
Her sleeping sense awoke
But she is easily distracted,
Without a thought she gives another phantom a chase...
And breaks her face
*sigh*
Suzuhara Touji's... Poem
I like poetry
But I really hate haiku
Fuck this shit.
Chapter 1: Of Asuka's Delightful Trip to Tokyo, and the Pleasant and Agreeable Events that Follow
Three days earlier...
Asuka picked up the phone in one hand as she held a small slip of paper and a pen in the other. She found herself forced to order a ticket to Tokyo-3 by phone. Asuka had wanted to get a soft ticket, but she'd had a little trouble ordering a ticket on-line. Despite an hour-long search, she couldn't find a single website that would sell her a ticket to Tokyo-3. It was as if the place didn't even exist. So she had to resort to making a phone call, the old fashioned way.
"I'd like to purchase a ticket to Tokyo-3." She said firmly, expecting that the man would be hard to deal with. She'd recently had a very rough time dealing with several people who had insisted that Tokyo-3 didn't exist at all.
"Three tickets?" asked the man, confirming her suspicions that he would be a total idiot.
"No, one ticket to Tokyo-THREE."
The man didn't reply. She assumed he was typing in the information, but knew that it shouldn't have taken more than a few seconds.
"Are you typing it in?" she asked suspiciously.
"Do you want one ticket or three ma'am?" he asked, causing her anger to boil over.
"ONE!"
How hard is it to tell one ticket from three? She understood that it must be boring to take phone calls all day, but honestly...
Present...
"Wait for me Kaji-san," the young girl said breathlessly, apparently talking to herself, "I'm finally coming to Tokyo-3."
A large drop of sweat gathered, unseen, on the back of his head. "Would you like something to drink?"
She noticed him, and nodded. "Green tea. Hot."
He smiled apologetically. "Sorry, we don't have any hot drinks on this flight."
She became visibly outraged. "Gott in Himmel! We can throw a Lance of Longinus to the moon but we can't even heat up some drinks on an airplane?"
Another sweatdrop joined the first, and he slowly walked away.
-
Asuka fumed. Everyone treated her like she was crazy. On top of that, they had given her a ticket to Old Tokyo instead of Tokyo-3. The difficulty in actually getting to Toyko-3 was almost unbelievable. It got her to Japan, at least, but the idea that no one had even heard of Tokyo-3 was just ridiculous.
They had treated her like a criminal, threatening to call security guards. Then, they had threatened to throw her out of the airport, and one man had even made the unbelievable threat of deporting her to Tokyo-3 permanently. People could be so stupid and ignorant. She hadn't been yelling that loud, really. She sighed.
-A Pilot Errant simply has to tolerate lesser people. -
-
The plane landed and she stood up, grabbed her bag tightly as she did so. Her bag, which was technically larger than the allowable size for carry-on luggage, contained a sleeping bag, a couple of other things, and three plugsuits. The three plugsuits were of different types and colors, and elaborately constructed. The peerless Kaji had managed to get them for her, matching her specific instructions for their design exactly. Each suit was meant for a different person, though they fit various builds.
The first plugsuit was meant for the First Children, a quiet child with no regard for others. The second was meant for the Second Children, the ultimate pilot. The last was meant for the Third Children, a small and shy boy. Finding them was her first mission in Tokyo-3.
-
Walking out of the airport, Asuka was surprised to see a complete city brimming with people and activity, instead of the half empty ruins she knew Old Tokyo to be. It looked to her as if she had arrived in Tokyo-3. She stared in her ticket in confusion. It still said Tokyo. She shrugged. As long as she was in Tokyo-3 it didn't really matter how she had gotten there.
"Now, to find the Third Children..."
-
Shinji walked down the street in a depressed mood. He considered all of his troubles, one by one. No one ever wanted to be his friend. All they ever did was abandon him, or ignore him. Touji and Kensuke only talked to him at school. He hadn't seen Misato in a long time, and she only came over because it was her duty to watch after him. His father, when he was around, hardly even talked to him.
He was officially feeling sorry for himself.
-Help me. Don't leave me alone. Don't forsake me. Don't kill-
"Hey." A voice interrupted his depressed thoughts.
"W-what?" A pretty girl was blocking his path, somewhat frightening in her intensity. He edged backward almost imperceptibly. "Yes?"
"You look like a guy that had lots of repressed anger and an inferiority complex. You want to be the Third Children?" She spoke with a brash tone, and never took her eyes off of him. It made him slightly uncomfortable. Still, she had an undeniable charisma. She was also a very attractive foreigner with an impressive figure.
Despite his immediate attraction to her, he had a feeling this was a dangerous girl to be around. She seemed mildly threatening, standing there with her hands on her hips, looking at him expectantly. He realized she was waiting for a response, so he said the first thing that came to mind.
"Huh?"
"Third children. Pilot of the Unit-01. Adventure. Saving the world. Humanity would depend on you. Et cetera."
Shinji blinked. She was making fun of him. She had to be. She had obviously assumed he was some kind of otaku freak.
"Please leave me alone." -Don't leave me alone.-
"Really? You sure? This is a big opportunity, and there's a lot at stake. The whole world."
"Just do it without me, okay?" -Don't abandon me.-
She sighed unhappily. "So you're just saying no? You don't even want to know what it's all about?"
Seeing her expression and realizing that she was actually serious, he wanted to say yes. The offer was strange, and he didn't really understand what she was talking about, but it sounded vaguely exciting. What she was offering was ludicrous, but there was something undeniably genuine in her tone. But he couldn't just accept such an absurd offer...
Asuka was disappointed. The scrawny boy, who obviously had tons of pent up rage, was obviously the Third Children. Without him, things would be more difficult, perhaps even impossible.
But there was no way to force him to be be a pilot.
She shrugged, "Okay, if that's what you want, fine. But you do realize that I'll have to kill you if you refuse, right?"
His response was immediate. "Don't kill me. I'll give it a shot, whatever it is."
She clasped her hands together with a clapping sound, "Okay then. First of all, how about I tell you the truth about Second Impact?"
"Second Impact?"
She nodded. "What they told you in school isn't the truth."
"What do you mean?" -What the hell is 'Second Impact'?-
She took a deep breath, and started, "The last angel attack was 17 years ago. They covered it up by saying it was a meteorite. Another one was supposed to happen about two years ago, but it never happened. However, it could happen any time. I think the attacks need to be initiated somehow. Because of this, we have to be on guard constantly. You never know when an angel might attack."
He repressed the urge to laugh at the story, not wanting to offend her. Instead, he attempted to take her seriously, in a misguided attempt at politeness. "An angel? Like a messenger from God?"
She nodded. "Yeah. God can be a little weird sometimes."
"Oh." He wasn't sure how to respond to that. She was clearly an insane religious nut.
She smiled sympathetically. "We just kill them. Don't worry about the morals for now. There's a lot more information, but you don't really need to know as of this moment."
"What about school?" he asked, concerned that she might not have considered it, "That's where I was going when you stopped me."
She nodded. "Education is important. Fortunately, I already have mine. We can concentrate on yours."
"You already have yours?" he asked, skeptical.
"Yes. I graduated from a university in Germany."
He didn't really believe her at first, until she showed him her credentials.
"Wow," he said, very impressed. She became even more of a mystery. Apparently, she was smart enough to get a college degree at her young age, but she couldn't even distinguish fantasy from reality.
"Pretty impressive huh? Now, I'll have to go to school with you. It wouldn't be safe for us to be separated for long periods of time. Understand?"
"Oh. Okay. Sure."
Now she was starting to weird him out. He couldn't deny that the idea of her hanging out with him constantly was pretty attractive though. And also frightening. Definitely frightening. What if she did weird things in class? What if she alienated him from the few friends he had? What if she was a stalker?
-
Asuka walked in and, as Shinji took his seat, wrote her name on the chalkboard as if she were a teacher herself, followed by the customary 'Pilot Errant'. Frowning, she erased the title, feeling no need to make it common knowledge.
She turned to the class. "My name is Asuka Langley Sohryu. Nice to meet all of you!"
"Who are you?" asked the teacher, a little confused.
She blinked, turned toward the teacher, and pointed at the board. She stated the obvious, "I just wrote my name on the board."
"Are you a new student?"
"Yeah, I transferred here from Germany." She gave the teacher her best 'I'm-well-behaved-and-charming' smile.
He shrugged. "There must have been an error somewhere. Very well, take a seat. I'll take care of it." She knew that in his mind, it wasn't possible that a student would voluntarily attend a class that they weren't required to attend, and this possibility would never come up in the teacher's mind. She was sure that he would let her stay.
Asuka walked over to one of the desks that was next to Shinji's. There was currently a girl sitting there. Asuka stood there silently. It was necessary that she sit next to Shinji, as they were both pilots, and he was surrounded by occupied seats. A hush fell over the room as the eyes of the two girl met.
"Just sit down!" whispered the Class Representative from another seat, annoyed.
There was complete silence for nearly an entire minute, neither of them saying anything. Asuka, however, felt a slight thrill as she inspected the blue haired girl who held her gaze with two emotionless red eyes.
-This is the First Children!-
"You have to sit down!" hissed the class representative, furious. Asuka ignored her.
Asuka smiled at the girl, and walked over to another desk that was adjacent to Shinji's, letting her keep her seat.
"SIT DOWN!" roared the class representative.
The teacher cleared his throat, finally fed up with the interruption. "Excuse me miss. Class cannot start until all students are seated."
"Oh, sorry!" She physically removed the boy from the seat and pointed him in the direction of an empty one. He had been asleep and so followed her orders without question, shambling over to the empty desk she had indicated.
"KIRITSU! REI! CHAKUSEKI!" shouted the Class Representative, sounding as if she was letting out quite a lot of excess rage.
Asuka paid very little attention to the class, instead watching the blue haired girl as she sat through the class. She didn't seem to move very often. She didn't shift in her seat or glance around the classroom like the rest of the students. She didn't speak once. There was no doubt.
She was the First Children.
-
"Hey you. You want to be a Pilot?" asked the new gaijin student, who blocked her path.
"Why," asked Rei, not bothering to change the intonation to make the word sound like a question.
"We need one more person. Humanity is at stake."
The girl was persistent, annoying. Still, her words were interesting.
-Humanity?-
From her experience, it was likely that the girl was trying to pick on her and make her look stupid. In contrast to this, the gaijin's tone was earnest. There was no hint of mockery.
She responded to the proposal, her interest raised. "Why are you asking me?"
"You've got more guts then anyone I've ever met!" the girl proclaimed.
-A rare compliment. However.-
"You do not know me."
It was a compliment that was based on nothing. Meaningless.
"You held your own against me in a staring contest. That makes you more than qualified to be a pilot."
-That was a test?-
A lie. The staring had meant nothing. Rei met the girls eyes again, and stared into her eyes coldly for a long moment.
The girl met her stare, a contemptuous smile on her face.
Seeing that smile, which seemed to say, "I am infinitely better than you," Rei realized something.
The girl was not just offering something to her. The smug look on her face did not contain generosity. She wasn't trying to make a kind offer.
-She is challenging me.-
Rei spoke above a whisper, "What will I pilot?"
Chapter Two: In Which Asuka is Not Selected as a Pilot
Shinji watched with a mixture of confusion and slight sadness as Asuka offered Ayanami the position of pilot. The fact that Asuka was offering the position to Rei, who was not a popular girl by any means, seemed to hint that she was selecting only losers and loners as pilots. This was a blow to Shinji's ego, which had been inflated, just slightly, that morning. He eavesdropped on the conversation, seeing that Rei said no more than five or six words throughout the conversation, as was normal for her, but unable to hear her words. She always spoke in a barely audible whisper that couldn't be heard except by someone standing close to her. Her voice was only audible to him for one sentence, in which she agreed to Asuka's proposal.
Watching the strange event, he sincerely hoped Asuka wouldn't try to recruit his whole class. In addition to the fact that he had been proud that Asuka had specifically chosen him out of the crowds of people walking the streets of Tokyo, he didn't want her insanity to become common knowledge among his classmates.
-But what, exactly, does she expect me to do?-
Seeing that she was walking away from Ayanami, he approached her, hoping for a more thorough explanation of the unusual things she had been talking about. "Asuka..." he said hesitantly.
She glanced in his direction. "Yes, Third? What do you want?"
He was a little bit unnerved, though she wasn't antagonizing him in any way. He didn't often feel compelled to approach other people, and doing so made him feel slightly nervous. He took a deep breath.
"You keep on saying 'pilot'. What is it that we are supposed to be piloting, anyway?"
She put her hands on her hips and tilted her head upwards in a haughty manner before loudly stating, "Eva, of course! You have Evangelion Unit-01 and I have Unit-02. The new girl has Unit-00, since she's the First."
Shinji was confused by the entire sentence, in which all the numbers seemed to be in reverse order of sensibility, but he decided to simply ask about the part that confused him the most.
"What is an 'Eva'?"
She turned towards him and started speaking in a knowledgeable tone, "We call them androids, but they're technically cyborgs. Clones of angels fitted up with armor and restrai... well, armor anyway. No need to go into too many details. They don't have any will of their own most of the time. That's why we pilot them."
Cyborgs? With pilots? It was a little hard to believe, even for a fantasy. "Uhh... where are these 'cyborgs'?"
"They keep them way underground. When an angel attacks, we'll have to defeat it. But there will be all kinds of stuff leading up to the angel attacks. Shadowy background stuff."
Shinji gave her a skeptical look. "What kind of 'background stuff'?"
"How should I know!? It's in the background, stupid." .
He opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again.
"Oh. So we just wait?"
She shook her head emphatically. "No no no. We can't trust anybody. Especially not Nerv, and ESPECIALLY not Seele. We can't just wait around while they do things in the background. That's how things get screwed up."
"Seele? Nerv?"
"Yes, Nerv is the organization that your dad is in charge of."
"My dad is a business executive," he corrected her.
She didn't seem to hear him. "Your dad is such a jerk, treating you like some kind of possession that he has a use for." She paused thoughtfully, then continued, "If he had raised you right you wouldn't have so much pent-up rage and a need to prove yourself to him though, so I guess it's kind of necessary."
Now, Shinji's father wasn't exactly perfect but Shinji was sure he wasn't the leader of some shadowy organization bent on... whatever it was she seemed to think they were bent on. His father, though silently frightening at times, seemed very normal to Shinji. The idea that he was an evil villain was ridiculous, and Shinji guessed that Asuka knew nothing about his father. In spite of this, she had apparently assigned him a role in her fantasy world without ever having met him.
"Well, if we aren't going to just wait around, what are we going to do?" Shinji asked.
"We have to make sure that no spies infiltrate Nerv. We also have to make sure that your dad's plan doesn't work," she said, starting to walk towards the classroom. She looked over her shoulder and gestured for him to follow her.
"What plan is that?" he asked, hurrying to catch up.
"I can't tell you here. Someone could be listening. It's really complicated and diabolical. I'll tell you what, you go grab First and tell her to meet us at your place. Oh, by the way, I'm coming to live with you."
He was shocked, to say the least, and he came to a complete stop. "What!?"
She turned around, sighed, and started to repeat her last sentence, "Go grab First and-"
Shinji interrupted her, yelling in a whining voice, "I understand that! You can't live with me! My dad would kill me if I just brought a girl home!"
She shrugged. "What if I tell him my mom committed suicide and my father married someone that hates me? You Japanese are hospitable about stuff like that right?"
Her plan didn't seem exactly foolproof, especially considering her low opinion of Shinji's father. Shinji was skeptical. "I don't think that will work. He isn't hospitable at all."
She nodded, as if this was already obvious to her, "Yes, but if he doesn't let me I won't have any place to stay. He needs me to kill the angel, so he'll agree."
Shinji sighed. It was becoming more obvious with each passing minute that she was completely nuts. She seemed to have a new fantastic notion every minute, and seemed inclined on sharing every one with anyone who would listen. However, what she had said about her parents was halfway sensible, and her wondered if it was true. If it was, he had something in common with her. Shinji had lost his own mother when he was young.
He didn't like to bring up the subject of mothers, and especially didn't like to talk about his own, but curiosity overcame him. "Did all that stuff with your parents really happen to you?" he asked hesitantly.
"My mother you mean? Yes, but I don't like to talk about it," she said, seeming almost casual.
It was strange that she had mentioned her mother's death so casually. She spoke about something so traumatic as if it wasn't really important to her. As if her mother's death was just an event in her life. He didn't inquire further, he had a feeling he didn't want to know anything else about her mother. There was probably a horrible and gruesome story behind her death, one that Asuka wished to avoid telling with her uncaring attitude. Or perhaps she was so casual about it because she had repressed her misery deep inside, using a cavalier attitude to mask it.
-
"I can't believe you're taking time off of work for this," Kyoko said to her husband, as they boarded the plane, carrying very little baggage. They felt it necessary to travel light, knowing only that Asuka was somewhere in Tokyo.
His voice was surly, as he had just gotten off work an hour before. "What, you think I'm a complete bastard or something? This is the first serious problem we've had with Asuka." Kyoko wasn't sure she agreed with his statement, but she didn't argue with it. "Besides, I have to use my sick days some time or else I'll just lose them."
That was certainly true. Neither of them would ever take a sick day for something as pitiful as an actual illness. Contributing to the spreading of a flu epidemic was far better than admitting to one's own weakness. That was an attitude that Asuka seemed to share. She had never stayed home sick in her life.
Kyoko watched her feet as they walked, hope starting to drain from her. He husband noticed this and gave her a reproachful look that she didn't see (she was looking at her feet, remember). "Perk up a bit. We'll find the girl, but we have to stay alert."
She shook her head sadly. "What are you saying? Find the girl? Stay alert? Are we looking for our daughter or a criminal?"
"By now, probably both," he noted grimly.
-
Gendou Ikari stared, fascinated, at the magnificent and confounding foreigner. His expression remained neutral, but he was filled with curiosity. "You want to live here?"
"Yes, sir." Her voice was very cold. It was as if she knew and respected him, but disliked him greatly. In fact, she acted just like his secretary.
"Why?" he said, straightforward and impolite. In his experience, that was the best way to deal with foreigners, and the way he dealt with most people anyway.
"I have no where else to go, sir. My mother committed suicide after being driven insane during the testing phase of the Unit-02, which you are no doubt familiar with, and my father remarried. The woman hates me. She thinks I'm too mature for my age and said she didn't want to be my mother anymore. Besides that, they have to stay in Germany and I am needed here, in Tokyo-3. All of which you already know, of course."
Gendou pondered this for a moment, his expression stern and unchanging, his hands folded under his nose. Only his shaded eyes could be seen.
His son leaned in closer and whispered, "She's completely crazy."
"Hmm."
"Will you let me stay here, sir?" she asked again, coldly.
"You could stay with the teacher," suggested Shinji.
Gendou shook his head. "That is a ridiculous suggestion, Shinji. She can stay here."
"Thank you, sir." Asuka bowed stiffly, and went outside to retrieve her single bag of luggage.
-
Asuka sighed deeply. That little display of weakness hadn't been easy. She didn't like to speak of her mother's suicide, especially in a plea for sympathy. There was no other way though. That was simply the way it was done. She picked up her travel bag, which contained nothing but the three plug suits and a sleeping bag, and walked back inside. She was halfway through the living room when Gendou's voice stopped her in her tracks.
"There is no spare room."
She blinked, her expression confused. "Then where do I...?"
"You will stay in Shinji's room."
She paled imperceptibly. She would have refused immediately if the situation were less critical, but she felt she had no choice but to accept. Still, it wasn't appropriate at all.
-
Gendou smiled in satisfaction, watching as the beautiful girl entered his son's room. All was going according to plan. It was a hasty plan, constructed in a single moment, but it was still a good plan. It was a chance for redemption.
He had not have been there for Yui when she needed him. He had not have been there for Shinji as a father. He knew that he would never be there for Shinji as a father. But, perhaps, this small peace offering would be a small step towards the redemption he sought. It was necessary to distance himself from his son, yes, just as it was necessary to distance himself from all people. However, that didn't mean he couldn't force other people to move closer to his son. Then something struck him.
-I wonder if that girl is homicidal?-
He shrugged. He was sure that Shinji would agree that it was worth the risk.
-
"Asuka, why're you bringing your stuff in here?" Shinji asked in confusion as he sat up in his bed.
She grumbled, "Commander Ikari said that I had to stay in here."
"So where am I going to sleep?" Shinji said, irritated, "We don't have a spare room."
She didn't hesitate a moment to answer. The only thing that bothered her was the inconvenience, and the improperness of the whole thing, so there was no reason to be embarrassed. She didn't think he would actually try anything untoward. "You're going to be sleeping here too. Don't get any ideas though, we're co-workers."
Asuka laid her sleeping bag out on the ground, and took out one of the three plugsuits, handing one to Shinji. "Make sure this fits okay. Just to be safe, you know?"
Shinji examined the strange costume. It looked very realistic somehow. It was something a cosplayer might wear, certainly, but it didn't seem too ridiculous to be a military uniform. "Where did you get this?"
"Kaji. He has connections."
"Oh." He had no idea who Kaji was, but her voice made him believe that it should be obvious to him already.
-
"Kaji-san!" she hugged him tightly. It had been weeks since she'd seen him. " I need you to do something for me."
He smiled at her. "What do you want?" he asked, his tone making it obvious that he would refuse any outrageous requests.
She handed him the complex designs she had drawn out. "I need to have these made. Do you know anyplace I could go?"
He examined the drawings she had given him, and raised his eyebrows at her. "What do you need these for Asuka?" They seemed to be designed to be as airtight as possible and, therefore, very revealing. "I think you're a little young for this sort of thing."
"Kajiiii! It's just for cosplay!"
-
Asuka stood up and took a brief look around.
"Is your room secure, third?"
"I... guess so," he said, not sure exactly what she meant.
"Okay, I guess I can explain this to you in a little more detail."
She then explained the entire false situation in detail, sometimes in too much detail. She seemed to have worked out every minor fact and occurrence. If it wasn't so ridiculous, he could almost believe that the "Eva" units that she talked about actually existed. She talked for some time, and Shinji had to resist the urge to take notes as she lectured.
"Understand?"
Shinji thought for a moment, scratching at the uncomfortable plugsuit. "Why doesn't 'Seele' just let the angels win if they want 'Third Impact'?"
She answered immediately. "It might have something to do with the angels' souls returning to Adam or Lilith after they die."
"They don't go to the White Moon?"
"Maybe, maybe not. I think that the White Moon is just where they come from in the first place. In any case, Seele doesn't want to initiate Third Impact until the seventeenth angel."
"All right, I guess I understand. How do we know where Nerv is, though?"
"Your father is the Commander. We can follow him," she said.
"Hold on a second. How can you be a pilot if my father's 'the Commander'? He doesn't even know you. I'm sure he couldn't have selected you for anything."
He regretted his words several seconds before he'd finished speaking them. He was still a little flabbergasted by her story, and the comment ended up sounding a lot more insulting than he'd consciously intended.
She crossed her arms and glared at him. "So suddenly you know everything about how this works, huh? I'll have you know that I'll be selected as a pilot this very night. No one else would do as the Second Children, that's one thing I'm completely sure of. He has no choice."
Shinji did his best to hide his skepticism, knowing it would only make her angry. He had listened attentively as she explained all of the imaginary facts and events to him, and hadn't given a single sign that he disbelieved her. "So you're just going to ask him?"
She nodded. "He'll probably ask me to do prove I can do it. Some kind of multiple choice test or physical examination or something. And a synch test, naturally."
"Multiple choice test?"
"Just some fake thing. The Marduk institute doesn't exist but they have to pretend it does. So I assume there'll be some kind of test."
"Marduk Institute?"
She sighed deeply. "Take notes next time, okay?"
-
Asuka approached the man with a calm confidence. It wasn't a matter of whether he accepted her proposal or not. That was a given. No one in their right mind would reject Asuka Langley Sohryu as a pilot.
"Sir."
Gendou looked up from his book, something in a language Asuka didn't recognize. "What."
Asuka held back a shudder, disgusted and horrified by the man, who seemed to be completely abominable in every way. "I am the perfect candidate for pilot. Any tests you can do will support this, I'm sure. I request that you assign me to Eva Unit-02 in accordance with whatever regulation is required."
Gendou began reading again, and responded a moment later, not pausing to look up as he did so. "No." His voice wasn't loud, or stern, but somehow his monotone voice made it obvious that there was no room for negotiation.
Asuka blinked in disbelief, her mouth hanging open as she watched him continue to ignore her. Then, chin tilted downwards as if in deep thought, she walked back towards Shinji's room. She entered his room and sat on his bed, completely ignoring his presence. The Commander had denied her request without even considering it. Without even a synch test, and without any sort of test.
-Why?-
Could it be that she wasn't worthy of being a pilot? Could he tell that much just by looking at her? The idea was ridiculous. She was the ideal, the model for other pilots to strive towards. If she wasn't fit to be a pilot, no one was. Absolutely no one.
-
-"Asuka? What are you doing? It's one in the morning."
Asuka didn't turn to look at her mother as she replied in a monotone, "What do you think." She was studying, of course.
"You have to sleep Asuka."
Asuka didn't respond. Her mother sighed and went back to bed, thinking it would only make things worse if she tried to force her daughter to do as she said. To her it seemed that, since Asuka had always thrived on competition, it was useless to argue with her.
Asuka shook her head, and snorted. "You shouldn't even try to pretend that you care about me."
Her mother didn't hear her, having already left.-
-
The reason for his rejection struck her suddenly. It was so obvious. He had rejected her because he didn't plan on calling her in until she was actually needed. They didn't plan on calling Shinji in until the last moment, so it seemed reasonable that they might intend to do the same with her. He had refused her request so easily because he knew it would be pointless to assign her as a pilot. The first battle would be won because of a lack of training, not in spite it.
In this way Asuka convinced herself that she was worthy of being a Pilot .
End Chapter Two
