Ok so if ya want to see a disclaimer... go to the first chapter. That's where it is and that's where it will be be... you people... sheesh.
'...' stands for thought
"..." stands for talking
--?--?-- stands for beginning and end.
~~...~~ stands for author interruption(Me, making myself heard)
--- stands for... I guess the next Scene
*Shinji* or *Ikari* stand for someone referring to Asuka in Shinji's body
*Asuka* or *Sohryu* stand for someone referring to Shinji in Asuka's body
Enjoy!
DrunkDrake
World from the eye's of Another
05: Truth learned yet accepted? / Test of ourselves
--?--?--
"This is soo humiliating!!!"
"You brought this upon yourself now hush *Shinji*"
"Damn it, I'm Asuka!"
"Ahh.. oops sorry"
Ritsuko placed her hand on her head and attempted to shore off the rushing tide of a massive headache that was threatening to rise. The sheer impossibility of this situation is mind-boggling even the Magi haven't came up with any serious figures to confirm Ritsuko's beliefs.
Upon the pilots arrival, second and third children, were both put under about every possible physical exam ever dreamt under the yellow sun. Obviously the children protested very loudly, *Shinji* more so.
"Damn it Ritsuko don't make me hurt you!" Ritsuko blinked and wondered where she was currently. *Asuka* crouched behind the examining table her eyes glaring over the edge.
"Don't even think of coming near me with that thing!" Ritsuko looked what she held in her hand and slightly grinned at the implications of what the instrument's purpose was.
---
It had been a long drive over to the infamous NERV HQ. Misato had been asking questions fairly constantly. Though she was was constantly questioning them, her driving didn't worsen...
"Misato, that's our turn over there"
"SHIT"
*SSCCCRRRREEEEEEEE*
It didn't improve either. Crossing 4 lanes of traffic isn't seen as smart, though Shinji did credit her as a very "resourceful" driver.
"Not everyday she she drives on 2 wheels between traffic..."
"Asuka stop it with the peanut gallery!" Asuka sat(only thanks to very effective seat belts) with a smirk over her face. Misato may be an awful cook and a lousy roommate but her driving is always a good stress reliever.
"Dead or Alive..."
"Shinji shut up... waging a war from 2 fronts while driving... my life sucks"
"Apparently you forgot who your sharing a car with. Hmm?" Misato promptly shut up as she didn't really have any come backs for that line of questioning. Asuka stared out the window and watched as a boy and his dog decided walking on the street was safer then standing in front of the aptly named(at least in police records) 'Blue Menace'.
"Misato..." Shinji turned at Misato.
"Yeah..." there was an audible pause as Misato sorted out with name to call him "Shinji. What's bothering you now?"
"What is Ritsuko going to do to us..." Asuka perked up, after all she would like to know the answer herself "Yeah Misato. Best guess"
"Well..." Misato drove past another red light as she wondered what Ritsuko would do. The situation was weird enough.
"Wellllllllll..." Misato parked in the express slot for the rail car. The rocking motion of the train seemed to calm Misato down. The fact that the car stopped moving settled Shinji and Asuka's mind's but that's beside the point.
"She'll probably treat it as if you were foreign elements. You know like a virus to an immune system" from the shaking of their heads Misato continued "Well... expect a lot of poking and prodding"
Shinji and Asuka faced each other and shared a heart felt sweatdrop.
---
"Shinji, don't worry. I picked this up by accident" Ritsuko waved the menacing(at least to Shinji) object.
"I'll believe you, when it's put away" Shinji's eye's followed the instrument waving through the air. Ritsuko smirked viciously.
"Unless you've been sexually active you don't have anything to worry about" Ritsuko dropped the 'tool' in question back into a draw and Shinji crawled back on top of the examination table.
"So if your done... humiliating me, can I replace this drafty..." Shinji looked at his open backside "with something less revealing... like clothes?"
"My, my so *testy* are we Shinji?" Ritsuko could have sworn he used the classic *Asuka Glare of impeding doom* "Sure, I've done every test... unless" Ritsuko motioned towards the draw again and a steady hissing sound came from Shinji's direction.
"Ok so we're all done" Shinji got up and claimed the clothing that he deposited earlier, a yellow sundress and a the blue choker that Asuka insisted. Walking out of the bathroom fully changed a funny thought came to him just then.
"Fashion..."
---
"What's taking the dork so long anyway!?" Asuka crossed her arms as she continued waiting in a reception room just a few doors away. She had been checked out first and while it had been rather... uncomfortable she's glad it's over.
"Mein Gott, It's been what...20 minutes?!" Asuka looked away from her watch and at Misato as she fidgeted. Ritsuko made an appearance at this point.
"Well Shinji is a perfectly healthy young ahh, girl now" Ritsuko grinned just at the thought of what the rumour mill would turn this around to be if they ever heard it.
"So, NOW can we get to the my eva?" Ritsuko paused and silently watched Asuka. Asuka waited for a reply.
"Ahh... Honestly speaking I have no idea which eva would be YOURS now" question marks seemed to circle above everyone's head.
"My eva is unit 02, that'll never change" Ritsuko looked at one of the charts she held and replied.
"Well, eva syncing isn't a perfect science you know..."
"What are you implying..."
"Well, we don't know if the eva's sync with soully the mind. The eva's might also imprint the body of the pilot also"
"So your saying...what? That I can't sync with my eva!?" Ritsuko nodded
"That is one possibility" Asuka crossed her arms and glared at a poster nearby "however, I've thought up about 15 different ones too, good and bad"
"Look, let's just get the the test room and begin testing" Misato pushed off the wall to enforce her opinion as they walked down the hall Misato spoke up again
"Oh and nice choice of clothing *Shinji*, you look so much more sexier then usual" Asuka blushed, being complemented wasn't a bad thing but being called sexy by your female guardian...
"MISATO, just because I have sense of fashion, doesn't mean that you have to think it's for your benefit" Shinji walked out of the bathroom in front of them and looked almost wistful.
"... and the girls that enforce it"
"Oh you are so dead Baka!!" Shinji realised where he was and took off down the hall with one of his shoes thrown after him. Ritsuko smiled at Misato knowingly.
"Well, you guys wait for me. I've got a report to make" with that she left for Gendo Ikari's office.
---
"Report" The unmoving and uncaring eye's watched Ritsuko's every movement from behind their tinted windows.
"There's a situation with the children" Ritsuko's voice seemed to have been swallowed by the looming darkness at was Gendo's office.
"The second and the third correct?" Ritsuko nodded and Gendo's head tilted forward letting the light catch off his glasses.
"Explain their current situation to me..."
Gendo's glasses flashed dangerously several times through this conversation.
---
"Misato, we don't go down corridor E-23 to reach sync test room Z-X17Z" Misato wondered where she'd gotten herself as Shinji pointed out a fact that she'd have preferred to have not stumbled upon at all.
"Look, we'll get there eventually, don't worry" Asuka sighed and looked down the hall Misato turned down. She recognized it almost immediately.
"Say guys... I'll catch up to ya in a second" Shinji looked at Asuka questioningly, but she was already headed to a room in question.
She stopped outside it and collected herself before running in exclaiming "Kajiiiii"
Shinji stopped stock still as Asuka leaped into the room. He slowly stepped back and looked into the room Asuka invaded. It was perfectly clean, not a single sheet of paper nor an active computer terminal. Shinji had over heard Misato's message from Kaji...
'I guess no one got around to telling her... Maybe I should...'
Asuka stood in the middle of the room fuming and muttering about irresponsible males and scanning the room as if Kaji was hiding in a tiny corner.
"What?" Asuka picked up Shinji's sigh and faced him. Shinji didn't know how to tell her and remembering the only person that was like a father to him, wasn't helping either.
"Ahh..."
"Well, spit it out" Shinji did the one thing he was good at...
"I ummm... forgot. Sorry" ...he ran ~~figuratively speaking people~~
"Stop apologizing idiot, it's really annoying" Asuka walked out of the vacated room and walked down the hall to catch up with Misato. Shinji looked into the room and pictured a smiling Kaji.
"If anyone could understand me at all... it was you" Shinji turned to leave and spotted something in a flower vase across from him. He looked in and pulled it out, immediately he remembered Kaji's last request.
"I've been growing... flowers. Shinji knows where they are"
Shinji looked at the dried and dead flower and placed it upon the desk of a Ryouji Kaji, as gently as if it was a sacred tomb.
---
"So..."
"..."
"The good doctor has informed you... and?" Fuyutsuki stood in front of his one time student.
"It's possible that we may need to have SEELE re-schedule it's plans" Gendo uncupped his hands and rested them at each corner of his desk. 'Seeing his mouth move, comforts me somehow... perhaps it's the fact that he's human like the rest of us... at least when it comes to communication'.
"And OUR plans?" if it had been anyone else other then Fuyutsuki they would have missed the nearly invisible curl of a lip in a mock of a smirk.
"Slight deviation's can be easily handled" Gendo stood up and exited the room with Fuyutsuki keeping pace.
"And where are you off to?"
"To see if I'm correct" Fuyutsuki took his eye's off the endless hall in front of him and looked at Gendo. 'You must be shaken. As of yet I've never seen you double check something before...'
"Where would SEELE make it's stance and how would this effect OUR plan?" Gendo's periodic steps continued to echo in the vacated hall along with Fuyutsuki's softer tones.
"SEELE, might over react. They dislike their plans being walked over and they hate it even more when they believe I have one of my own" Fuyutsuki frowned. Upsetting SEELE wasn't a good option.
"Baiting the spider by pretending to be caught in it's web, is a sure way to risk ourselves" Gendo glanced at Fuyutsuki not missing a step.
"However, baiting the predator makes it come to you" Fuyutsuki raised his head a notch and closed his eye's as he contemplated Gendo's words. They approached their ride down to the primary test cages.
"SEELE is no dumb animal"
"They are scared old men however. They will come to us. As of such, that means the battlefield shall be of our choosing" Fuyutsuki darkly grinned at the first statement.
"So that's SEELE's stance, now how does this effect the plan" Gendo darkened.
"That, good professor, depends on this test..." The private elevator doors closed without further word and sped it's charges to their destination.
---
"There Misato, the testing rooms" Asuka pointed at the clearly labelled signs painted on the walls. Misato had a glum expression on but shooed her charges towards the change rooms and departed.
"Geez. She's been working here how long and still can't remember the way here?" Shinji walked towards the change room until he felt the air suddenly drop perhaps 20 degrees.
"*Shinji*..." Shinji's eyes bugged out 'WHAT'S REI DOING HERE?! "You are acting out of character"
Asuka waved a hand around and desperately tried to look dismissive as she muttered incorherant apologies. Rei stood in her school uniform ~~I don't even think she's worn anything else in her life(plug-suit's don't count)~~ Her deep scarlet red eye's bearing upon Asuka. Her blue hair clung to her head like a mop. She was a rarity, both in looks and personality. The latter was equal to somewhere of a stump and twice as ambiguous but Shinji always found something about her that said she was so much more. Truth be told she was the only person that seemed to notice the new *Shinji's* behaviour.
"Perhaps, you have spent too much time with pilot *Sohryu*" Asuka blinked a few times
"How so...Rei?" Shinji could have sworn he almost heard Asuka choke on her name
"You apologized in German" Shinji glared at Asuka if he could have sent her a telepathic message it would have been along the lines of 'AND YOU SAID I WAS MORE LIKELY TO BLOW OUR COVER!?'
"Apparently *Sohryu* finds your skill in German annoying by seeing how she is attempting to glare a new eye socket on your fore head" Shinji blinked at Rei then entered the change room. Rei watched Shinji for a moment before turning to Asuka.
"Perhaps, I should retrieve *Sohryu* from the male change room for you *Shinji?" Asuka nodded finding it somewhat difficult wondering if Rei had attempted at being funny earlier. The door swished closed behind her and some odd muttering/screaming came from the other side.
"Ahh...Asuka?" Asuka glanced at Misato who had joined her "Why are you looking like Shinji who was just proposed?" Asuka glared at Misato entered the change room. Two bodies exited. Misato blinked as she watched Rei drag *Asuka* out of the boys change room.
"Ah Rei, I need to talk to you." Misato grinned at Shinji as he made his way into the appropriate locker room. She did catch his look of gratitude before the door swished closed.
"What is it that you need to disclose with me?" Misato suddenly found herself in the position of distracting Rei and she forgot to come up with a plausible excuse. 'What would Ka...' Misato nearly choked on the thought. 'How much I miss him embrace...'. This dour thought however did the trick.
"Has anyone explained to you the 'Birds and the Bee's'?"
"Yes but I am curious how wildlife have references to procreation" Misato sweatdropped and wondered how she always got the weird jobs.
Through the girls locker room door Shinji silently thanked Misato for the distraction. The male plug suit was an adventure the first time but the female version was a trip all on it's own. He pressed the button on his left wrist after wrestling the suit into place. Shinji gave an "Eeep" as the suit conformed to his new figure.
"Well, it fits a lot better then the first time..."
Snickering was heard from the other side of the curtain. Apparently Asuka remembered that time as well. Rei entered the room just as Shinji was about to leave.
"Ahh... Good luck Rei..." Rei didn't even look up as she begun to undress. Shinji blushed and exited just as Rei undid the straps to her skirt.
---
"So Asuka in 02 and Shinji in 01 right?" Misato still hadn't gotten over her conversation with Rei but decided that Ritsuko's company on the test room command centre would be a good way to recover.
"Actually Misato, I was thinking perhaps I should start by putting Rei in her eva and have her on stand-by before we start our experimenting"
"That is preferable. Continue Doctor" Misato quickly turned her head and saw the commander and sub commander standing behind them. Misato was irked but recovered by not dying of a heart attack. She turned and faced the view port with 00's single eye staring at her.
This test centre was actually the placed above a hub. It's walls were glass as each side faced a different test chamber. The command centre was raised and underneath it was a block of ,solid armoured, doors that could swing open to allow access to each of the other ones. It was a convenient because they could activate their safe eva and keep it on standby while they tested the other two.
'Usually it's 00 that misbehaves while being tested. Weird how it's going to be the one to watch out for the other 2' Misato wondered as Ritsuko and Maya finished the pre-launch check ups on the evas.
---
"Activation successful" Rei sat in the charged LCL as the view screens showed a sterile white world outside.
"Everything ok Rei?"
"No problems"
Misato nodded and ordered for the other two pilots to prep in their entry plugs.
Fuyutsuki glanced at Gendo's impassive face as they turned their attention towards unit 01.
---
Shinji sat on the plug seat as his world suddenly spun around in full 360. If not for the fact that the entry plugs somehow had their own gravity of sorts he would have thrown up the first time he entered one. By now the yellowish orange liquid seemed to fade to an almost black as a vid-window popped up in front of him framing Misato's face inside it.
"Alright Shinji. Your first up" Asuka's vid-window popped up and her dark eyes stared cross at Shinji.
"Baka boy goes first... of course gotta see if the invincible Shinji's ok. He's only the number one highest..."
"Asuka, cut it out" Shinji watched the mock drama unfold in front of him and waited for the order to start up. Asuka huffed and sat back maintaining the vid-window and watched as Shinji started to fidget.
"What's got you worked up baka-idiot?" Shinji stared at his image and wondered if she would call him something less pleasant then normal. 'May as well tell her...'
"What happens if the eva doesn't recognize me?" Asuka blinked at him then smirked viciously
"It's just a dumb toy. A mindless doll like the one piloting the blue one"
"I am not a doll" Rei's voice came from a 'Sound Only' panel that popped up.
"Sureeee you are" All further conversation was interrupted by Misato making another appearance.
"Cut it out. Ok, you've got the go ahead Shinji. Sit tight" With that all the vid-screens disappeared plunging the entry plug into darkness.
---
"All primary link ups established"
"Begin secondary link ups" Ritsuko watched the nameless techs running around firing up the systems of the eva.
"Secondary link ups 50% complete"
Gendo watched impassively with Fuyutsuki by his side. Misato sat on one of chairs in front of the emergency power removal button.
Ritsuko scoffed at the idiocy of having that button. Eva 01 had a *borrowed* S2 engine. The one from the 14th angel Zeruel ~~Best damn angel fight EVER!!~~. Luckily the engine wasn't 'hooked up' so that if the eva ran out of electricity the eva wouldn't automatically switch to it... 'But this is eva 01. Three times it's moved without power anyway... and S2 just makes it that much more uncontrollable'.
"Rei get to your position and standby"
"Yes" Unit 00 now stood underneath the command centre awaiting for the doors to open and restrain any berserk evas. It's cable dragging behind it still plugged into the test room's wall.
"Primary and secondary link ups complete. All green" the same tech reported again, he turned around awaiting Ritsuko's orders.
"Commence third and final connection" Ritsuko nodded her head with Gendo's order and the techs begun the count-down.
---
"Moment of truth Shinji-boy" Asuka stressed the last word but stayed silent after that. Eva 01 had accepted Shinji without prior training or having even heard of an eva before. Shinji was going to do his test first and if he failed then that meant Asuka would have little chance in hell. 'Who are they kidding... I'll do this easily'
She started paying attention as the count down started nearing the 'now or never' mark.
"...done, continuing connections 180 to 255" another tech spoke louder then the first.
"Borderline crossed in 0.9... 0.7 , 0.6... 0.5... 0.4 , 0.3 , 0.2"
"Come on Shinji..." Misato wondered who said that. For all she knew it could have been her.
" 0.1... "
--?--?--
CLIFF-HANGER!!!!!!! OH MY GOD. I must be the cruellest guy in the world!!!! Probably not but I try.
I had a hard time putting Rei in this chapter... I don't know maybe it's me... And no I am not a Rei hater! I love all the characters of NGE. In no way have I purposely bashed any characters viciously (though Shinji's good for laugh). I just find Rei is a headache to type in character.
I hope to post the 6th chapter before (dare I say it?) school (OW who hit me?!@) but if not I hope to finish it soon. Perhaps a lot of reviews would encourage my lazy arse to type... that or a large sum of 20 dollar bills in unmarked green garbage bags placed at this location(hands out a folded paper) Paper reads: Eat at Joes.
...Ok so I gave out the wrong note...
Well, that's that for chapter 5. Perhaps you liked it? Perhaps you hated it? Review it if you read it (I accept all forms of reviews whether they are paper, plastic, good or flamed) and if you absolutely, have to, MUST reach me... DrakeforBake@hotmail.com is my address (not that you couldn't have seen that in my profile)
---Omake---
Shinji was just finished putting on his new Red plug-suit (or Asuka's old one you pick) when Rei walked into the change room.
"So *Asuka*. Shall we continue from where we left off?" The way Rei's voice rolled off her tongue sounded like honey.
"ah... what?" Rei giggled and clasped Shinji.
"Playing hard to get again? We did that last Tuesday" Rei started undoing her shirt.
"Ahhh... ah Rei? I think I'm needed...err REI!!!"
Across the light curtain that separated the change rooms Asuka suddenly wondered if perhaps maybe she should have told Shinji some of the little 'innocent' things they hid in their lockers.
"OOHHHHH THAT'S SOOOO GOOOODDD!!!"
"OH YEAH GIMME SOME MORE OF THAT!!!"
"Rei do you really think this is appropriate... I mean *Shinji's* on the other side... what if he catches us... He might be mad... or worse..."
"If pilot *Ikari* wishes to join us in sharing a tub of double hot fudge triple decadent rainbow ice cream then he may join... but I get first dibs"
Shinji blinked... who knew they hid ice cream in the locker room. He always thought they were doing some thing else.
---end Omake--- Rigghhhhhttttt......
'...' stands for thought
"..." stands for talking
--?--?-- stands for beginning and end.
~~...~~ stands for author interruption(Me, making myself heard)
--- stands for... I guess the next Scene
*Shinji* or *Ikari* stand for someone referring to Asuka in Shinji's body
*Asuka* or *Sohryu* stand for someone referring to Shinji in Asuka's body
Enjoy!
DrunkDrake
World from the eye's of Another
05: Truth learned yet accepted? / Test of ourselves
--?--?--
"This is soo humiliating!!!"
"You brought this upon yourself now hush *Shinji*"
"Damn it, I'm Asuka!"
"Ahh.. oops sorry"
Ritsuko placed her hand on her head and attempted to shore off the rushing tide of a massive headache that was threatening to rise. The sheer impossibility of this situation is mind-boggling even the Magi haven't came up with any serious figures to confirm Ritsuko's beliefs.
Upon the pilots arrival, second and third children, were both put under about every possible physical exam ever dreamt under the yellow sun. Obviously the children protested very loudly, *Shinji* more so.
"Damn it Ritsuko don't make me hurt you!" Ritsuko blinked and wondered where she was currently. *Asuka* crouched behind the examining table her eyes glaring over the edge.
"Don't even think of coming near me with that thing!" Ritsuko looked what she held in her hand and slightly grinned at the implications of what the instrument's purpose was.
---
It had been a long drive over to the infamous NERV HQ. Misato had been asking questions fairly constantly. Though she was was constantly questioning them, her driving didn't worsen...
"Misato, that's our turn over there"
"SHIT"
*SSCCCRRRREEEEEEEE*
It didn't improve either. Crossing 4 lanes of traffic isn't seen as smart, though Shinji did credit her as a very "resourceful" driver.
"Not everyday she she drives on 2 wheels between traffic..."
"Asuka stop it with the peanut gallery!" Asuka sat(only thanks to very effective seat belts) with a smirk over her face. Misato may be an awful cook and a lousy roommate but her driving is always a good stress reliever.
"Dead or Alive..."
"Shinji shut up... waging a war from 2 fronts while driving... my life sucks"
"Apparently you forgot who your sharing a car with. Hmm?" Misato promptly shut up as she didn't really have any come backs for that line of questioning. Asuka stared out the window and watched as a boy and his dog decided walking on the street was safer then standing in front of the aptly named(at least in police records) 'Blue Menace'.
"Misato..." Shinji turned at Misato.
"Yeah..." there was an audible pause as Misato sorted out with name to call him "Shinji. What's bothering you now?"
"What is Ritsuko going to do to us..." Asuka perked up, after all she would like to know the answer herself "Yeah Misato. Best guess"
"Well..." Misato drove past another red light as she wondered what Ritsuko would do. The situation was weird enough.
"Wellllllllll..." Misato parked in the express slot for the rail car. The rocking motion of the train seemed to calm Misato down. The fact that the car stopped moving settled Shinji and Asuka's mind's but that's beside the point.
"She'll probably treat it as if you were foreign elements. You know like a virus to an immune system" from the shaking of their heads Misato continued "Well... expect a lot of poking and prodding"
Shinji and Asuka faced each other and shared a heart felt sweatdrop.
---
"Shinji, don't worry. I picked this up by accident" Ritsuko waved the menacing(at least to Shinji) object.
"I'll believe you, when it's put away" Shinji's eye's followed the instrument waving through the air. Ritsuko smirked viciously.
"Unless you've been sexually active you don't have anything to worry about" Ritsuko dropped the 'tool' in question back into a draw and Shinji crawled back on top of the examination table.
"So if your done... humiliating me, can I replace this drafty..." Shinji looked at his open backside "with something less revealing... like clothes?"
"My, my so *testy* are we Shinji?" Ritsuko could have sworn he used the classic *Asuka Glare of impeding doom* "Sure, I've done every test... unless" Ritsuko motioned towards the draw again and a steady hissing sound came from Shinji's direction.
"Ok so we're all done" Shinji got up and claimed the clothing that he deposited earlier, a yellow sundress and a the blue choker that Asuka insisted. Walking out of the bathroom fully changed a funny thought came to him just then.
"Fashion..."
---
"What's taking the dork so long anyway!?" Asuka crossed her arms as she continued waiting in a reception room just a few doors away. She had been checked out first and while it had been rather... uncomfortable she's glad it's over.
"Mein Gott, It's been what...20 minutes?!" Asuka looked away from her watch and at Misato as she fidgeted. Ritsuko made an appearance at this point.
"Well Shinji is a perfectly healthy young ahh, girl now" Ritsuko grinned just at the thought of what the rumour mill would turn this around to be if they ever heard it.
"So, NOW can we get to the my eva?" Ritsuko paused and silently watched Asuka. Asuka waited for a reply.
"Ahh... Honestly speaking I have no idea which eva would be YOURS now" question marks seemed to circle above everyone's head.
"My eva is unit 02, that'll never change" Ritsuko looked at one of the charts she held and replied.
"Well, eva syncing isn't a perfect science you know..."
"What are you implying..."
"Well, we don't know if the eva's sync with soully the mind. The eva's might also imprint the body of the pilot also"
"So your saying...what? That I can't sync with my eva!?" Ritsuko nodded
"That is one possibility" Asuka crossed her arms and glared at a poster nearby "however, I've thought up about 15 different ones too, good and bad"
"Look, let's just get the the test room and begin testing" Misato pushed off the wall to enforce her opinion as they walked down the hall Misato spoke up again
"Oh and nice choice of clothing *Shinji*, you look so much more sexier then usual" Asuka blushed, being complemented wasn't a bad thing but being called sexy by your female guardian...
"MISATO, just because I have sense of fashion, doesn't mean that you have to think it's for your benefit" Shinji walked out of the bathroom in front of them and looked almost wistful.
"... and the girls that enforce it"
"Oh you are so dead Baka!!" Shinji realised where he was and took off down the hall with one of his shoes thrown after him. Ritsuko smiled at Misato knowingly.
"Well, you guys wait for me. I've got a report to make" with that she left for Gendo Ikari's office.
---
"Report" The unmoving and uncaring eye's watched Ritsuko's every movement from behind their tinted windows.
"There's a situation with the children" Ritsuko's voice seemed to have been swallowed by the looming darkness at was Gendo's office.
"The second and the third correct?" Ritsuko nodded and Gendo's head tilted forward letting the light catch off his glasses.
"Explain their current situation to me..."
Gendo's glasses flashed dangerously several times through this conversation.
---
"Misato, we don't go down corridor E-23 to reach sync test room Z-X17Z" Misato wondered where she'd gotten herself as Shinji pointed out a fact that she'd have preferred to have not stumbled upon at all.
"Look, we'll get there eventually, don't worry" Asuka sighed and looked down the hall Misato turned down. She recognized it almost immediately.
"Say guys... I'll catch up to ya in a second" Shinji looked at Asuka questioningly, but she was already headed to a room in question.
She stopped outside it and collected herself before running in exclaiming "Kajiiiii"
Shinji stopped stock still as Asuka leaped into the room. He slowly stepped back and looked into the room Asuka invaded. It was perfectly clean, not a single sheet of paper nor an active computer terminal. Shinji had over heard Misato's message from Kaji...
'I guess no one got around to telling her... Maybe I should...'
Asuka stood in the middle of the room fuming and muttering about irresponsible males and scanning the room as if Kaji was hiding in a tiny corner.
"What?" Asuka picked up Shinji's sigh and faced him. Shinji didn't know how to tell her and remembering the only person that was like a father to him, wasn't helping either.
"Ahh..."
"Well, spit it out" Shinji did the one thing he was good at...
"I ummm... forgot. Sorry" ...he ran ~~figuratively speaking people~~
"Stop apologizing idiot, it's really annoying" Asuka walked out of the vacated room and walked down the hall to catch up with Misato. Shinji looked into the room and pictured a smiling Kaji.
"If anyone could understand me at all... it was you" Shinji turned to leave and spotted something in a flower vase across from him. He looked in and pulled it out, immediately he remembered Kaji's last request.
"I've been growing... flowers. Shinji knows where they are"
Shinji looked at the dried and dead flower and placed it upon the desk of a Ryouji Kaji, as gently as if it was a sacred tomb.
---
"So..."
"..."
"The good doctor has informed you... and?" Fuyutsuki stood in front of his one time student.
"It's possible that we may need to have SEELE re-schedule it's plans" Gendo uncupped his hands and rested them at each corner of his desk. 'Seeing his mouth move, comforts me somehow... perhaps it's the fact that he's human like the rest of us... at least when it comes to communication'.
"And OUR plans?" if it had been anyone else other then Fuyutsuki they would have missed the nearly invisible curl of a lip in a mock of a smirk.
"Slight deviation's can be easily handled" Gendo stood up and exited the room with Fuyutsuki keeping pace.
"And where are you off to?"
"To see if I'm correct" Fuyutsuki took his eye's off the endless hall in front of him and looked at Gendo. 'You must be shaken. As of yet I've never seen you double check something before...'
"Where would SEELE make it's stance and how would this effect OUR plan?" Gendo's periodic steps continued to echo in the vacated hall along with Fuyutsuki's softer tones.
"SEELE, might over react. They dislike their plans being walked over and they hate it even more when they believe I have one of my own" Fuyutsuki frowned. Upsetting SEELE wasn't a good option.
"Baiting the spider by pretending to be caught in it's web, is a sure way to risk ourselves" Gendo glanced at Fuyutsuki not missing a step.
"However, baiting the predator makes it come to you" Fuyutsuki raised his head a notch and closed his eye's as he contemplated Gendo's words. They approached their ride down to the primary test cages.
"SEELE is no dumb animal"
"They are scared old men however. They will come to us. As of such, that means the battlefield shall be of our choosing" Fuyutsuki darkly grinned at the first statement.
"So that's SEELE's stance, now how does this effect the plan" Gendo darkened.
"That, good professor, depends on this test..." The private elevator doors closed without further word and sped it's charges to their destination.
---
"There Misato, the testing rooms" Asuka pointed at the clearly labelled signs painted on the walls. Misato had a glum expression on but shooed her charges towards the change rooms and departed.
"Geez. She's been working here how long and still can't remember the way here?" Shinji walked towards the change room until he felt the air suddenly drop perhaps 20 degrees.
"*Shinji*..." Shinji's eyes bugged out 'WHAT'S REI DOING HERE?! "You are acting out of character"
Asuka waved a hand around and desperately tried to look dismissive as she muttered incorherant apologies. Rei stood in her school uniform ~~I don't even think she's worn anything else in her life(plug-suit's don't count)~~ Her deep scarlet red eye's bearing upon Asuka. Her blue hair clung to her head like a mop. She was a rarity, both in looks and personality. The latter was equal to somewhere of a stump and twice as ambiguous but Shinji always found something about her that said she was so much more. Truth be told she was the only person that seemed to notice the new *Shinji's* behaviour.
"Perhaps, you have spent too much time with pilot *Sohryu*" Asuka blinked a few times
"How so...Rei?" Shinji could have sworn he almost heard Asuka choke on her name
"You apologized in German" Shinji glared at Asuka if he could have sent her a telepathic message it would have been along the lines of 'AND YOU SAID I WAS MORE LIKELY TO BLOW OUR COVER!?'
"Apparently *Sohryu* finds your skill in German annoying by seeing how she is attempting to glare a new eye socket on your fore head" Shinji blinked at Rei then entered the change room. Rei watched Shinji for a moment before turning to Asuka.
"Perhaps, I should retrieve *Sohryu* from the male change room for you *Shinji?" Asuka nodded finding it somewhat difficult wondering if Rei had attempted at being funny earlier. The door swished closed behind her and some odd muttering/screaming came from the other side.
"Ahh...Asuka?" Asuka glanced at Misato who had joined her "Why are you looking like Shinji who was just proposed?" Asuka glared at Misato entered the change room. Two bodies exited. Misato blinked as she watched Rei drag *Asuka* out of the boys change room.
"Ah Rei, I need to talk to you." Misato grinned at Shinji as he made his way into the appropriate locker room. She did catch his look of gratitude before the door swished closed.
"What is it that you need to disclose with me?" Misato suddenly found herself in the position of distracting Rei and she forgot to come up with a plausible excuse. 'What would Ka...' Misato nearly choked on the thought. 'How much I miss him embrace...'. This dour thought however did the trick.
"Has anyone explained to you the 'Birds and the Bee's'?"
"Yes but I am curious how wildlife have references to procreation" Misato sweatdropped and wondered how she always got the weird jobs.
Through the girls locker room door Shinji silently thanked Misato for the distraction. The male plug suit was an adventure the first time but the female version was a trip all on it's own. He pressed the button on his left wrist after wrestling the suit into place. Shinji gave an "Eeep" as the suit conformed to his new figure.
"Well, it fits a lot better then the first time..."
Snickering was heard from the other side of the curtain. Apparently Asuka remembered that time as well. Rei entered the room just as Shinji was about to leave.
"Ahh... Good luck Rei..." Rei didn't even look up as she begun to undress. Shinji blushed and exited just as Rei undid the straps to her skirt.
---
"So Asuka in 02 and Shinji in 01 right?" Misato still hadn't gotten over her conversation with Rei but decided that Ritsuko's company on the test room command centre would be a good way to recover.
"Actually Misato, I was thinking perhaps I should start by putting Rei in her eva and have her on stand-by before we start our experimenting"
"That is preferable. Continue Doctor" Misato quickly turned her head and saw the commander and sub commander standing behind them. Misato was irked but recovered by not dying of a heart attack. She turned and faced the view port with 00's single eye staring at her.
This test centre was actually the placed above a hub. It's walls were glass as each side faced a different test chamber. The command centre was raised and underneath it was a block of ,solid armoured, doors that could swing open to allow access to each of the other ones. It was a convenient because they could activate their safe eva and keep it on standby while they tested the other two.
'Usually it's 00 that misbehaves while being tested. Weird how it's going to be the one to watch out for the other 2' Misato wondered as Ritsuko and Maya finished the pre-launch check ups on the evas.
---
"Activation successful" Rei sat in the charged LCL as the view screens showed a sterile white world outside.
"Everything ok Rei?"
"No problems"
Misato nodded and ordered for the other two pilots to prep in their entry plugs.
Fuyutsuki glanced at Gendo's impassive face as they turned their attention towards unit 01.
---
Shinji sat on the plug seat as his world suddenly spun around in full 360. If not for the fact that the entry plugs somehow had their own gravity of sorts he would have thrown up the first time he entered one. By now the yellowish orange liquid seemed to fade to an almost black as a vid-window popped up in front of him framing Misato's face inside it.
"Alright Shinji. Your first up" Asuka's vid-window popped up and her dark eyes stared cross at Shinji.
"Baka boy goes first... of course gotta see if the invincible Shinji's ok. He's only the number one highest..."
"Asuka, cut it out" Shinji watched the mock drama unfold in front of him and waited for the order to start up. Asuka huffed and sat back maintaining the vid-window and watched as Shinji started to fidget.
"What's got you worked up baka-idiot?" Shinji stared at his image and wondered if she would call him something less pleasant then normal. 'May as well tell her...'
"What happens if the eva doesn't recognize me?" Asuka blinked at him then smirked viciously
"It's just a dumb toy. A mindless doll like the one piloting the blue one"
"I am not a doll" Rei's voice came from a 'Sound Only' panel that popped up.
"Sureeee you are" All further conversation was interrupted by Misato making another appearance.
"Cut it out. Ok, you've got the go ahead Shinji. Sit tight" With that all the vid-screens disappeared plunging the entry plug into darkness.
---
"All primary link ups established"
"Begin secondary link ups" Ritsuko watched the nameless techs running around firing up the systems of the eva.
"Secondary link ups 50% complete"
Gendo watched impassively with Fuyutsuki by his side. Misato sat on one of chairs in front of the emergency power removal button.
Ritsuko scoffed at the idiocy of having that button. Eva 01 had a *borrowed* S2 engine. The one from the 14th angel Zeruel ~~Best damn angel fight EVER!!~~. Luckily the engine wasn't 'hooked up' so that if the eva ran out of electricity the eva wouldn't automatically switch to it... 'But this is eva 01. Three times it's moved without power anyway... and S2 just makes it that much more uncontrollable'.
"Rei get to your position and standby"
"Yes" Unit 00 now stood underneath the command centre awaiting for the doors to open and restrain any berserk evas. It's cable dragging behind it still plugged into the test room's wall.
"Primary and secondary link ups complete. All green" the same tech reported again, he turned around awaiting Ritsuko's orders.
"Commence third and final connection" Ritsuko nodded her head with Gendo's order and the techs begun the count-down.
---
"Moment of truth Shinji-boy" Asuka stressed the last word but stayed silent after that. Eva 01 had accepted Shinji without prior training or having even heard of an eva before. Shinji was going to do his test first and if he failed then that meant Asuka would have little chance in hell. 'Who are they kidding... I'll do this easily'
She started paying attention as the count down started nearing the 'now or never' mark.
"...done, continuing connections 180 to 255" another tech spoke louder then the first.
"Borderline crossed in 0.9... 0.7 , 0.6... 0.5... 0.4 , 0.3 , 0.2"
"Come on Shinji..." Misato wondered who said that. For all she knew it could have been her.
" 0.1... "
--?--?--
CLIFF-HANGER!!!!!!! OH MY GOD. I must be the cruellest guy in the world!!!! Probably not but I try.
I had a hard time putting Rei in this chapter... I don't know maybe it's me... And no I am not a Rei hater! I love all the characters of NGE. In no way have I purposely bashed any characters viciously (though Shinji's good for laugh). I just find Rei is a headache to type in character.
I hope to post the 6th chapter before (dare I say it?) school (OW who hit me?!@) but if not I hope to finish it soon. Perhaps a lot of reviews would encourage my lazy arse to type... that or a large sum of 20 dollar bills in unmarked green garbage bags placed at this location(hands out a folded paper) Paper reads: Eat at Joes.
...Ok so I gave out the wrong note...
Well, that's that for chapter 5. Perhaps you liked it? Perhaps you hated it? Review it if you read it (I accept all forms of reviews whether they are paper, plastic, good or flamed) and if you absolutely, have to, MUST reach me... DrakeforBake@hotmail.com is my address (not that you couldn't have seen that in my profile)
---Omake---
Shinji was just finished putting on his new Red plug-suit (or Asuka's old one you pick) when Rei walked into the change room.
"So *Asuka*. Shall we continue from where we left off?" The way Rei's voice rolled off her tongue sounded like honey.
"ah... what?" Rei giggled and clasped Shinji.
"Playing hard to get again? We did that last Tuesday" Rei started undoing her shirt.
"Ahhh... ah Rei? I think I'm needed...err REI!!!"
Across the light curtain that separated the change rooms Asuka suddenly wondered if perhaps maybe she should have told Shinji some of the little 'innocent' things they hid in their lockers.
"OOHHHHH THAT'S SOOOO GOOOODDD!!!"
"OH YEAH GIMME SOME MORE OF THAT!!!"
"Rei do you really think this is appropriate... I mean *Shinji's* on the other side... what if he catches us... He might be mad... or worse..."
"If pilot *Ikari* wishes to join us in sharing a tub of double hot fudge triple decadent rainbow ice cream then he may join... but I get first dibs"
Shinji blinked... who knew they hid ice cream in the locker room. He always thought they were doing some thing else.
---end Omake--- Rigghhhhhttttt......