A/N: Got a couple of reviews saying I picked on Shinji and his friends too much. Well then I'd like to tell you right now that poor Kensuke's getting his ass handed to him in this chapter. I knew I was picking on Kensuke too much, but Shinji I didn't really know I was picking on that much. Well, whatever I'll lighten up or try to.
Day Three: The Best Day Ever...
A group of seven fourteen year olds made their way down the street with no intended destination in mind.
Shinji Ikari looked at each of his companions for a moment then looked up to the sky in thought. "Ugh...so we're suppose to go to NERV, right?"
"For what?" Touji and Asuka chorused.
"For that whole non-neglecting thing. They are still doing it, right?"
"Oh, yeah, that, I guess we should be still doing that." Touji replied, scratching his head in thought.
Kaworu, who was paying the conversation no attention at all, turned his head around and watched the black SUV slowly cruise behind them. At first he thought it was Section-2 doing a real bad job at following them, but then he had seen the Section-2 agents' car just as it pulled off the curve and went elsewhere to watch them. Now this other black vehicle was following them.
'I could just use my AT field and eliminate the threat before the others even catch wind of it.'
"Whose the lame ass doing a bad job at following us?" Asuka grunted, gesturing at the very same SUV Kaworu was looking at with a tilt of her head.
"Oh, so you've notice them as well." Kaworu replied. 'Damn, so much for the AT field idea.'
"Maybe we should run." Hikari suggested.
"We could all stare blankly at them and see if they enjoy that!" Asuka thought up. While saying said statement she was clearly giving the First Child a glare. "I know I get freaked when certain persons stare at me that way."
Rei stared at her blankly. Asuka growled in frustration. Rei turned away with a small grin on her face.
Getting over Rei staring at her, Asuka looked back at the SUV. "That," she started, her temper rising, as she pointed at the vehicle, "is getting on my nerves."
Touji, was not to happy with what he was about to say, said it anyways, "Yeah, I have to agree."
Because of said agreement between Touji and Asuka, Kensuke trip over himself and stumble into Shinji. Who almost stumble into Hikari had he not caught himself.
"Hey, Kensuke, watch what your doing!" Shinji yelled. He turned to Hikari and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, Class Rep."
"Oh, I get a 'watch what your doing', but she gets a smile and an apology. Never mind the fact that I could have died!"
Shinji shifted his eyes in Kensuke's direction. "Are you going anywhere with this?"
"Yes, actually I am!" came the growled reply. "You see, I have someone that would have a broken heart if I die."
"Who's that?" Kaworu asked honestly, blinking in confusion.
Kensuke stopped for a second and then pointed at none other than Rei Ayanami.
"Why the beautiful and mysterious Rei Ayanami, that's who."
Unless Shinji's eyes were playing tricks on him, he was sure Rei started walking faster.
Asuka, who couldn't figure out why she had let this go on for as long as it did, grabbed Kensuke by the back of his shirt and pulled him in a headlock.
"Ow....hey, Asuka! Let go!"
"Anyways, what were we discussing before this stooge decided to annoy us with his obsessive stalking behavior."
"HEEEEEY, I'm not a stalker."
'I think he's a stalker.' Shinji admitted to himself.
"Ignoring YOU now." Asuka interrupted. "What were we talking about?"
"Oh, NERV!" Hikari remembered. "You guys were trying to remember if you had to go there for the program today."
"Oh yeah...."
Shinji sighed and looked at his injuries. "I don't know...."
"Well, that's a first," Asuka said, mockingly. "The Third Child doesn't know."
Shinji just choose to glare at her and not comment.
"Anyway, do you think we even should be doing anything with these injuries?"
"You act like they're bad." Touji admitted, poking at one of his. "Just a bunch of scratches."
Kensuke, who was still in the headlock by Asuka, huffed angrily at him. "Speak for yourself. I hurt my ankle and as happy as I am to get out of P.E. for it, a injured ankle keeps you from doing fun activities."
"That's okay, you're not invited." Asuka replied, adding a noogie to the torture.
"Ahh, stop it Asuka!"
"Kensuke's just mad 'cause Ayanami was the one to push him out the plane." Kaworu added.
Kensuke groaned. "Hey, don't remind me and the wife about our little arguments."
Shinji chuckled as the mental image of Kensuke flying out the plane's door came to mind. "But it was funny!"
Asuka frowned and tighten her hold on Kensuke, and looked at the ever silent Rei as she walked a little ahead. "Hey, you owe me for what I'm about to do for you Wondergirl."
Rei glanced back and watch as Asuka gave Kensuke a serious of noogies that drill into his scape.
"AHH! Stop that Asuka, it hurts!"
"Ahh," Kaworu sighed, from his position next to Rei. "the noogie, one of the worst possible tortures one could place on another human being." He grinned and turned to Rei who was giving him her attention. "You should be grateful to Asuka, Rei. She's going through a lot of trouble giving Kensuke that noogie."
Rei looked back at Asuka. "It looks as if she is enjoying herself more so than I."
There was a sniff from Rei's other side and she turned to see Shinji and Touji bowing there heads in respect towards Kensuke while fake crying, well she assumed they were faking anyway.
"And let God be with your head, Kensuke." Touji prayed.
"He was a good man." Shinji started raising his head to look at the abuse their friend was getting. "A little perverted, A little obsessive. A little too much of a fanatic. A little stupid too."
Touji stared at the Third Child for a moment. Thinking he was done, Touji began.
"Even though he was all those-..."
"A little weird. And I really am starting to worry for Ayanami's safety with the way he's been going about planning to marry her. Mistato's too."
Touji's left eyebrow twitched as he listen to Shinji rambled.
"He's also very noisy. And what with that camera all the damn time."
Touji's fist began to twitch because of Shinji's rambling.
Shinji looked at Kensuke at length before turning to Touji with a slight smile.
"But even though he's all that, he's a stooge and one that can take a noogie from Asuka." With that he saluted, turned around and began his march off into the sunset.
"Ugh.....Ikari, don't think me rude or anything, but isn't NERV the other way?" Hikari asked, when she noticed Shinji walking off.
"WILL SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP ME!?" Kensuke cried, waving his frantically. "Oh my God, my head is on fire!"
"Oooh, sorry, Ken, if it were anybody but the Class Rep's best friend." Touji replied.
"If you didn't deserve it." Hikari explained.
"If it wasn't so funny." Kaworu admitted.
"If it were anyone but Asuka." Shinji muttered, rejoining the group.
Rei stood there for a minute watching the scene unfold before her eyes. Finally she said:
"If I cared."
Asuka smiled a very evil smile after Rei's comment. She looked down at Kensuke and stopped for a second. "Wow, if you weren't a pervert." She chuckled out.
Kensuke looked up at Asuka in horror as he tried to squirm free. No such luck. The torture continued.
Several minutes later....
Rei blinked and looked at her watch, then she glanced to her left at the NERV SUV parked near the curve. She then turned her attention to the torture Asuka was giving Kensuke.
"Pardon my intrusion on your fun, Second Child, but I think we should find out why that SUV is still there."
Asuka stopped and stared at Rei. Kensuke beamed like a little child.
Shinji and Kaworu shook there heads.
"You just put yourself in a bad position, Ayanami." Shinji explained to her. Rei blinked at him for a whole two seconds.
"What do you mean?"
"Well....Kensuke's now gonna think you stopped Asuka to save him. And considering he's got that crush on you and everything."
Blink. Blank stare. Blink.
Shinji sighed and stared back at the blue haired girl. "You've got no idea what I'm talking, huh?"
"I would if you explain yourself a little better." came the reply.
Shinji groaned and looked at Kaworu. "You explain. I tried."
"So easy to give up, aren't you Shinji?"
Shinji glared at him. "Shut-up."
"Yeah, well, I hate to interrupt, but if I have to stop torturing the stooge here, then we're gonna go check out the stupid car over there." Asuka stated.
Hikari held her breath. "I don't think we should go over there, Asuka?"
Asuka stopped and turned to her. "Why not?"
"It may not be safe."
"Oh, please." Touji choose to reply. "If whoever's in that car hasn't done anything yet, then I think they're more scare of us than we are of them."
"Yeah, unfortunately I have to agree with the monkey."
Hikari stared at the two of them for a moment before turning around to face the others.
"....now you see Rei when the bird and the bee come together...."
"Kaworu!" Shinji growled. "I told you to explain what the hell I just said to her not teach her the birds and the bees!"
Kaworu looked at the Third Child blankly. "But Shinji to explain that to her she must understand the origin of it all."
'You have problems.' Shinji stared at his silver haired friend for a minute and then finally he let a deep breath and looked at the others. "Can I help you with something? Right now we are currently learning about the Birds and the Bees. Later on today, we'll be learning how to hit on the opposite sex." Shinji clicked his tongue, grinned and winked at Asuka while shooting her with a finger gun. "How ya doin', sexy?"
Six pairs of eyes landed on him.
"Third Child," Asuka began calmly, starting towards the vehicle. "I'm kicking your ass for that comment later on."
Shinji looked at the ground with a sigh. 'I imagined you would.'
"Shin-man, I didn't think you had it in you to say something like that!" Touji teased, giving him a punch on the arm.
"So anyways, the bird opens its.....hm?"
Rei, who had just been staring ahead the whole time Kaworu was explaining, finally looked at him. "Is something wrong?"
"Yes, actually there is."
"What's the problem then?" Touji spoke. "You were doing a fine job explaining."
"The thought just occur to me. How exactly can a bird and a bee mate? I learned that one could not mate outside of their species."
There was a silence.
"Why is it that every time we try to go to this car, you idiots stop to ponder the universe?" Asuka wondered.
"I like the universe." Kaworu grinned at his answer.
"Yea, well, like it later, I wanna find out who's in the car."
-----------
"Oh, no!" Maya gasped, "They're coming over...."
Shigeru snapped his attention to Makoto, who was the driver. "Start the car, retreat, retreat, we'll pretend to be spending time with them later."
Makoto was stretching his hand down near his feet, straining to reach for something.
"What's taking so long? Go." Shigeru cried.
"I dropped the keys."
"How'd you do that!?" Screamed a distressed Maya.
"I was using the nail clipper and pulled them out." came the strained reply.
"OH GOD!"
"C'mon, where are you?"
"What the hell are you three doing?" a new voice inquired.
The three bridge bunnies froze in their spots.
'They can't see me, they can't see me, they can't see me.' Maya shrank further into the backseat. 'They can't see me, they can't see me, they can't see me.'
Shigeru's eye and mouth twitch simultaneously as he stared at the glaring Asuka out his window. "Ugh....Second Child, a pleasure, as always."
'I can try and sneak away. I'll leave the others to this punishment.' Makoto, cautiously reached for his door handle, but when he turned around he found Touji and Kaworu standing next to his door.
'We're trap!' Three minds screamed.
There was a moment of still silence as the children waited for one of the Bridge Bunnies to deliver a reply to Asuka's question.
"I'm going to ask you again and then I'm going to get those Section-2 guys to handle you." Asuka warned, narrowing her eyes in a very threatening matter, "What are you doing?"
Three pairs of eyes exchanged fearful glances. They were sure they were in a similar situation as the Sub-Commander. They huddled together.
"Better explain ourselves." Makoto spoke, right when they circled up.
"Yea....who's knows what'll happen if we don't." Maya admitted. "We might end up like the Sub-Commander."
"Okay, then." Shigeru started, "Let's just tell them what's going on."
The three broke their circle and looked back at the group.
"We're here to spend time with you." Shigeru answered, happily.
"Cause we appreciate and love you!" Maya added, quickly.
Makoto smiled and gave Touji and Kaworu the peace sign.
A very long pregnant silence followed.
"Right..." Started Touji, unsure of what else to say. "So you're stuck doing it today, eh?" The grin he plastered on his face following that comment didn't make the three technicians comfortable and safe.
The back door suddenly flew open, nearly giving Maya a heart attack, and in climbed Shinji, followed by Kensuke and the two of them got in the far back.
Touji and Kaworu came in from the other side, Kaworu joining the other two in the back, to Kensuke's dismay as he was trying to coax Rei into joining him. Touji closed his door.
"Fourth, crawl in the back!" Asuka ordered.
"Wha..? Why!?" He barked back.
"Because, moron, the rest of us have to get in that seat and all five of us can't fit there."
"Well, four guys can't fit in the back!" He pointed out. "One of you will have to go."
"Oh, Rei can come!" Kensuke offered, quickly. "She's small enough."
Asuka's left eye twitch. "No matter how much I dislike Wondergirl, I would never subject her to sitting back there with a bunch of perverts."
"Well, someone's gotta go. I can't fit." Touji admitted.
Hikari promptly popped up from behind Asuka.
"You'll find a way, Suzahara or face my wrath!"
Touji sat there for a moment, weighing his options. 'Squeeze in the back or face Hikari's wrath, and probably Asuka's.' He gave both girls a long look. 'Hikari's...andAsuka's wrath or the back.'
Finally coming to a decision, Touji turned to his fellow men and shrugged.
"Sorry guys, it's gonna be a tight fit."
With that he climbed over the seat and forced his way back there.
"I hate you, Touji!" Kensuke cried.
Shinji rolled his eyes in Kensuke's direction. "Can you get your mind off of Ayanami for one minute?"
Kensuke pouted slightly. "No...I've tried...it's very hard."
Shinji rolled his eyes up. "Well, at least you've tried." 'God damn stalker!'
Makoto and Shigeru were staring at the back with confused stares.
"Hey, why did you get in the car?" Makoto wondered.
"So you can take us to where ever it is you're taking us and let this day be over with." Asuka answered.
"Right..."
"So, where are you taking us anyway?" Kaworu asked. "The museum, I hope."
He received several glares before anyone answered.
"Well, actually," Maya chuckled. "We were actually just planning on following you in the car and pretend to do this."
"In that case, I shall leave." Rei announced, reaching for the door handle.
"Hold your horses, Wondergirl." Asuka stopped, grabbing the girl's hand. "We're in here, uncomfortable might I add, and we're suppose to be treated to a day of fun activities, so we're getting treated to a day of fun or someone's gonna get fired in the morning."
And the three bridge bunnies believed it so.
"Ahh....give us a sec. will ya?" Shigeru motioned for the other two to huddle together.
"Where can we take them?"
"I don't wanna lose my job." whined Makoto.
"Me neither." Maya added.
"Well, we gotta think quick." Shigeru reminded.
"Ugh...well, let's just drive around and see if we can find anything."
"That...umm...sounds okay, I guess."
"Sounds fine to me. Let's just hope they don't get grumpy."
Thirty Minutes Later...
Makoto was sweating bullets. Thirty minutes and they still had found nothing to do and the kids were starting....no they were upset and very uncomfortable apparently. Being upset and uncomfortable meant that he and his two compatriots were about to lose their jobs.
"There!" screamed a frantic Maya, jabbing her hand in the direction of whatever she had found. "Let's go there!"
Shigeru and Makoto followed her finger and both smiled. "What a great idea Maya!"
-----------
{Price check on Tampons, can I get a price check on Tampons...}
Kaworu's eyebrow rose as high as it could go. "Why are we at the grocery store?"
His confusion was countered with a squeal from both Asuka and Shinji as they ran towards the produce aisle.
"FOOOOOOD!" they cried in delight.
"Beautiful real food." Shinji cried out as he picked up an apple holding for Asuka to see.
She looked at it in a loving matter as a tear ran down her cheek. "Is it...is it real?"
"Should we worried that the Second and Third Children are going on about being here as if they were suffering from starvation?" Maya asked Shigeru.
"Somehow I think we are suppose to worry, but I really just want to get this over with."
"Again I ask: Why are we at the grocery store?"
Shigeru turned to the other children who weren't beaming with excitement like Shinji and Asuka.
"We decided that you all should learn how to shop for yourselves."
Kaworu stared at the three technicians like they were stupid. "Ugh...I kinda know how to do that already. I live alone."
Makoto patted Kaworu on the back. "Well, good for you, the others can learn something."
"That's right." Maya agreed, "and besides there are other things here besides food. Like this for example." She plucked the stuffed cat from it spot on the shelf and motion in Rei's direction. "Isn't it cute, Rei?" She brushed the stuff cat on Rei's face, earning at small frown from the girl. "Ooooh, I think someone likes you."
Rei just choose not to reply to that. 'Mental note: Kill Lt. Ibuki.'
"Who wants a little kitty kiss? I think you do..." Maya continued, her voice sounding as if she was talking to a little baby.
Shigeru and Makoto just ignored that altogether and turned to the others. "Well, anyways, the first lesson in shopping is to get a basket. Now everyone get a basket."
"Oh my GOD! Look Asuka, its not instant!" Screamed a very happy Shinji.
Everyone turned to see Shinji holding up some lettuce as he showed it off to Asuka who was hovering over the grapes with a smile plastered on her face.
Makoto blinked and tried to ignored what was going on while he reached for a basket.
"I still can't believe we're at the grocery store." Kaworu brought up again.
"Shut-up and grab a basket." Touji growled. "At least we're gettin' free food outta of this."
Shigeru turned from the happy Second and Third Children back to the others. "Okay, now partner up and get to shopping. Who wants to come with me?"
Shigeru frowned when he saw the lack of volunteers jumping to go with him.
"Yeah, since I already know how to do this, can I just go somewhere else?" Kaworu wondered. "Like away from you nut jobs..." he added silently to himself.
"No! And that's final Kaworu." snapped Shigeru.
Kaworu rolled his eyes. "You don't have to be mean about it."
"I'll go with you, Mr. Aoba." Hikari spoke up.
"Yeah, yeah I guess I'll go with you too." grumbled Kaworu.
"I'll take Rei and Touji!" Maya cheered waving her little stuffed cat in the air.
Touji grinned a little pervert grin, Rei frowned. Maya didn't catch either reaction.
"So I guess that leaves Makoto with those two and him." Shigeru finished.
Makoto turned around from watching Shinji and Asuka to the others. "Huh?"
"You got those two and him." Maya explained, pointing first at 'those two' and Kensuke.
"Oh, well, that's fine."
"Why can't I come with you, Miss Ibuki?" Kensuke whined.
Maya looked at him for a moment. "Umm....that is because....err...I don't..."
Rei decided to intervene before she had more trouble and a murder charge on her hands.
"Maybe Lt. Ibuki does not wish to handle children that are not under her command."
"Yea!" Maya agreed, "That's the reason. Whew couldn't explain that one very well." 'That and you're a damn stalker, you damn stalker!'
"Well, anyways, see ya at the check-out line." Makoto waved and he and Kensuke set off to join Shinji and Asuka in the produce aisle.
-----------
"Man," sighed Shinji as he stared down at the orange in his hand. "I wish I could just eat you."
"Umm...you know you can throw it in the basket and we can buy it." Makoto informed them.
Makoto had never seen Shinji so happy before. The boy's eyes lit up like a fire cracker and his grin actually reached his ears. Asuka was also extremely happy to hear this news. Maybe they should be worried about the Children's welfare.
"We....we....we can buy this stuff?" Shinji confirmed. When Makoto nodded, they danced in a circle, electing a groan of annoyance from the already annoyed Kensuke, and thanked God.
"Oh, geeze, they act like they don't eat nothing."
"I consider eating instant food eating nothing." Asuka replied, dropping three bags of grapes into the basket. Shinji followed her with a bunch of fresh vegetables.
"This has got to be the best trip all week." Asuka commented as she walked ahead. "How much can we get?"
"Well...." Makoto thought, pulling out a rather large wad of cash. "I really don't know how much money is here, but I'm betting we could probably buy the store if we wanted to." Noticing the looks Shinji and Asuka were giving him he continued on. "No, we're not buying the store."
Both looked slightly heartbroken, but were quick to recover when they entered the meat aisle.
-----------
There were only three people in this aisle, Rei noticed. Touji, who was at the other end shopping with a jubilant attitude, Lt. Ibuki, who was in the middle reading the back of a can, and herself, standing farther away from the other two as much as possible.
Rei was already quite frustrated with the young tech. Adding the already built up frustration with the new level of annoyance Maya had manage to reach with that stupid stuff cat Rei was on the verge of doing one of two things: Killing herself or killing Maya.
Trying to get her mind off of the subject, now that Maya had decided to stop bugging her with the cat, Rei turned to the shelf filled with various can of food. It was just her ever so present luck that the whole shelf contain canned meat products.
Rei's left eye twitched. Had someone seen it, they would have died from surprise.
'This...this is not...' Sighing, Rei reached absently for something on the shelf. 'I am getting annoyed.'
"You look a bit lonely, Rei." Maya called, giving a small grin in the blue-haired girl's direction. "Wanna friend?" While saying this comment she brought up into view the stuffed cat.
Rei turned her to face the shelf. She looked down at the can in her hand, doing her best to ignore Maya.
-----------
"Hey, if we can find the ingredients I can make it." Hikari spoke, finishing up a conversation she was having with Shigeru and Kaworu.
"Really? Wow, that sounds great." Shigeru commented, grinning. "How come your not a Child? We could use more normal, FRIENDLY, kids."
Kaworu cast him a very solid, very deadly glare before turning his attention to the magazine he grabbed.
'Stupid humans...I swear!'
"So all we need is some frozen squid, chopped onions, or whole ones, I'm just trying to make life easier on you guys." Hikari continued, holding her fingers up so she could go down the list.
"Look whatever we need, you can have, I just wanna try that pizza!" Shigeru agreed. "The Children never offered to do things for us. And we monitor their heart rates and stuff.
"We don't have to do anything for you!" Kaworu argued back. "We save the world, that's all the favors you get."
Hikari sighed and walked ahead; she was trying to stop them from going back to THAT particular argument, but it look like all she did was make it worse.
"And whose bright idea was it to bring us to a damn grocery store? I got a good mind to just wipe out existence!"
"You crazy boy, you're babbling again about wiping out existence and stuff. Get some help."
Kaworu growled. "I'll get some help oh right, I'll get some help."
Shigeru growled back, taking the challenge.
The stare down began. Again, Hikari noted with a loud sigh.
-----------
Maya continued to read the contents on the back of the packages and cans before either putting them back or placing them in her basket.
"No...no...too many calories." She whispered to herself and leaned to place the box back down on its spot on the lower shelf.
Just as she leaned a heavy, very solid can like object breezed over her head and continued on. There was a yelp of surprise and Touji Suzahara was the unfortunate victim that got hit in the head with said can like object.
Hearing the scream, Maya snapped her head in that direction and watched as Touji sat up and rubbed his head while searching the area in confusion.
"...who the hell threw that?"
Maya started to rush forward to the younger boy when a can whizzed by her face. She froze in fear as she literally felt the air brush pass as the can continued its trip down the aisle nearly hitting Touji again. Before she could move again another can flew this time brushing against her hair and went down the aisle and causing the newly raised Touji to double over in pain and collapsed back to the ground clutching his gut.
'Oh...my...God...someone is trying to kill the poor boy with cans.' Maya thought, watching in fear.
Rei Ayanami adjusted her aim and tried again...
-----------
Shinji Ikari ducked a flying can as he entered the canned food aisle and looked around in confusion.
"Get down!" Touji yelled, grabbing Shinji by his shirt before quickly dropping to the floor as another barrage of flying cans was sent.
"Shinji?" Asuka called walking into view only to jump to the side to avoid cans. "What the hell is going on!?"
"Runaway Asuka!" Maya cried, "The First Child has gone completely mad!"
'I'm not mad!' Rei thought, angrily, 'Just highly annoyed. Why can't I hit you!?'
"What's wrong, Asuka?" Kensuke asked, "And what's all the..."
THUNK!
Kensuke grinned a stupid grin and fell to the ground.
Everyone froze as they watched the unconscious boy sprawled on the ground.
Rei stopped in mid-throw and put the can down. The shelf she stood next to a bit more empty than it had been before.
'I feel unusually satisfied, even if it wasn't the person I wanted to hit.'
"Umm..." Makoto's voice sounded from around the corner. "Is it okay to come out now? She's not still tossing cans is she?"
Shinji dared to raise his head from the ground and stole a look in Rei's direction. "Err...I think she's done."
Rei stood there for a minute took a deep breath and then cast a very deadly glare at Maya. "I am allergic to cats, Lt. Ibuki, therefore I do not like them. Do you understand?"
It should be noted that Maya had not moved from the spot she was standing in and was only a few seconds from peeing on herself, but she understood and to show that she understood she squeaked and nodded her head vigorously.
Shinji and Touji pulled themselves off the floor and looked at Rei in disbelief.
"Wow, never piss Ayanami off." Touji commented, with Shinji agreeing whole heartily.
"Is someone going to tell me what the hell is going on!?" demanded an irritated Asuka, as she peeped around the corner. "Wondergirl are you quite done trying to kill us all?"
'No.' Rei thought. Outwardly she gave no reply and gave Asuka a blank stare.
That very same blank stare that just pissed Asuka off to no end. Asuka was happy before Rei gave her that stare. Now, she just wanted to wipe that damn stare off of Rei's face.
A can was picked up. Shinji and Touji found themselves back on the ground, covering their heads.
-----------
In the relativity quiet part of the grand store, Kaworu picked out a few assorted items and dropped them in the basket. Not too far ahead was Hikari and Shigeru shopping for the ingredients to Hikari super deluxe pizza that she offered to make him.
Kaworu grumbled and looked back at the shelf. 'Man, this is so boring! We never get to do what I want to do. It must have something to do with the fact that I'm not the dominate male.'
Kaworu grinned in a very evil like manner. Many who passed by swear the boy was a devil in disuse and they weren't that far off. Even if he hadn't done anything evil like just yet, Kaworu was an angel and he was sent to fuse himself with Adam and end the world. Though his origins true, Kaworu's thoughts were far from fusing with Adam and ending the world. He actually had no intention. Well right now anyways.
'I shall make it my sole duty to put these others males in their place and get what I want out of this week before its, well, over.' With his plan somewhat formed, Kaworu grinned again and balled his hand into a fist, crushing the contents of what he was holding in the process.
"What? Oh shit! This stupid jello is on my pants now!"
-----------
Rei gracefully stepped out of the way of an incoming can of what appeared to be tuna.
Said action did not make Asuka any happier and she picked up another and tried her luck again.
"Stand still, so I can wipe that blank look off your face!" She shouted.
Shinji looked over at Asuka. "C'mon, Asuka, let's not ruin our day with violence."
"That has already been done." Makoto commented.
Another can flew, another can was dodged. The process continued till Asuka screamed as loud as she could.
"AHHH! Wondergirl, stop staring at me like that?"
Rei blinked. "Staring at you like what?" she inquired.
"Like that! Stop staring at me like that!" Asuka screamed. "Smirk at me, laugh at me, glare at me. Do anything but stare at me with that blank look."
"She's asking a bit much, isn't she?" Touji spoke. "Asking Ayanami to actually express her emotion. The polar ice caps will melt before that happens."
Shinji chuckled nervously as he listen to Touji. "I...don't know....Ayanami expresses herself. Just differently."
"Okay, Wondergirl," Asuka started in a bargaining tone. "I'll..umm be nicer to you if every time you look at me you grin like a psycho. How's that?"
Rei quirked her eyebrow, giving Asuka a look that apparently said 'I think YOU'RE the psycho'. "Why would I want to do that?"
Asuka sighed and turned around. "That's better than nothing." Satisfied that Rei gave her some kind of facial expression Asuka started her trip out of the aisle. "C'mon, idiot, let's go get our food."
-----------
"Wai...wait...calm down!" Shigeru shouted. "What do you mean my friends are in the next aisle over destroying the place?"
The manager, a short puffy kind of man, nodded as he took deep breaths. "That's right, your friends are destroying MY store."
Hikari and Kaworu exchanged glances. Neither were filled with disbelief. They actually had looks that said: 'I was expecting this'
Shigeru exchange glances at them before speaking to the manager again. "How do you know they're my friends?"
"Because I saw you come in with them!" the already irritated man yelled.
Shigeru sweat dropped. "Oh, that makes sense."
There was a brief silence. The manager tapped his foot on the ground in a sign of impatience.
"Well!?" He finally said.
"Well what!?" Shigeru shouted back, shaking his arms in the air.
"Are you going to do something?"
"I just want pizza!" came the cry.
-----------
Maya was pressed again one of the shelves, teeth chattering and body shaking like she was suffering from a seizure. Makoto was trying to calm her down by assuring her that nothing else was going to fly at her head.
"Maya, trust me, nothing else will happen. Isn't that right guys?"
The replies were nonexistent and Makoto turned to relies that the four Children had gone elsewhere, leaving him with a unconscious Kensuke and frighten to death Maya.
Groaning, Makoto smacked himself with a box of noodles. "Oh...man...."
Maya managed to squeak out a reply. "What's wrong?"
"Lost the kids."
Maya knew she shouldn't have felt relieved to loose the only means of saving the world, but she couldn't help herself. She let out the breath she was holding and then thanked every God that still loved her that things were finally looking up.
-----------
"Let's get these!"
"Oh, and these!"
"We have to get these!"
'Why did I follow them?' Rei asked herself, watching as Touji, Shinji, and Asuka ran like children from shelf to shelf grabbing items and tossing them into the basket she had somehow gotten stooped into pushing.
Touji stopped running for a second as he stared at the box of rice-a-roni in his hand. "The San Francisco treat? Where the hell is San Francisco?"
Asuka walked passed him on her way to the basket. "America." she answered, half-heartily.
Touji placed the box back where he got it.
"Oh, I just got this neat idea!" Shinji exclaimed. "How about I grab a bunch of stuff and when we get home I'll see what I can whip up and make us all some good o'l real food?"
Asuka started nodding while jumping from one foot to the next. "Oooh, ooh, and then we can make shakes and cookies."
"Uh-hun, uh-hun!" Shinji agreed, the excitement evident in his face and tone.
"And then we can make food from other countries?"
Shinji nodded again. "Uh-hun, uh-hun!"
Asuka suddenly stopped jumping and her expression turned flat. "I was already going to make you do that."
Shinji would have face faulted if he didn't know it would hurt.
"Oooo, burned, she got you good, Shin-man."
'Yes, the Second Child did execute that well.'
-----------
Maya had stopped screaming with happiness and now was just crying her eyes out. Makoto was kneeling and patting her on the back. An old lady just so happen to be passing by to see the scene and being old she was naturally noisy.
"Ooooh, what's wrong sweety?" she asked, bending over as much as she could.
Makoto glanced at her over his shoulder and then looked back at Maya. "Oh, we lost the Children."
The woman mistaking the code name 'Children' for their actual children gasped. "Oh, dear, do you want me to go get security while you gather your wife?"
Makoto sweatdropped. "Ugh....."
Just at that moment another woman, this one a bit younger than the other, came trotting along. She stopped just as the previous one did. "What's going on? Is she all right?"
"It's just horrible!" the old woman exclaimed. "They've lost their children!"
The younger woman glared at Maya and Makoto. "How could you lose your children!? You neglectful, horrible people!"
Makoto shook his head and hands while grinning nervously. "No...no...you have it all wrong. They're not our kids. We're not even married!"
His comment did not help the situation. It only made both women's eyes widen in shock and narrow at the two.
"You lost someone else's kids!?" they shouted.
Makoto started to shake his head, but then stopped. "Well, yeah, we did, didn't we?"
Maya lifted her tear streaked face. "And what a glorious day it is!"
"You horrible, horrible people!" gasped the old woman.
The younger woman pulled out her cell phone. "I'm calling the police!"
Shrieking Makoto jumped to his feet. "No! Please no! I mean we're going to go find them right now. Besides they're big kids, I'm sure they're just fine."
"And....look!" started the distressed young woman, pointing at the unconscious Kensuke that was hidden behind Makoto. "You've knocked him out."
The older woman shook her finger at the two techs. "You horrible, horrible people!"
Makoto hung his head low. Maya was still filled with too much bliss to even comprehend the situation she was in.
-----------
Ten Minutes Later....
"Ibuki! Hyuuga!" Shigeru screamed as he stomped down the aisle looking for his two bridge crew members. "Where the hell are you?"
"I still don't see how they managed to get in trouble." Hikari said, shaking her head.
"Anything's possible." Kaworu replied with a shrug.
"Hey there they are!" shouted a gleeful black haired boy as he slide into aisle.
"Touji?" Hikari and Kaworu chorused.
"Class Rep, Nagisa," Touji looked at Aoba. "Ugh...guy that makes sure my eva works."
"Aoba." he growled.
"Right, Aoba." Touji repeated. "Well, anyways, we're glad we found you 'cause we're all ready to go and the other two are no where to be seen."
There was a dark gleam in Shigeru's eyes as he turned to follow Touji.
'So they decided to dump the whole lot of em on me, eh? I'll get both of them when this is over.'
Exiting the aisle brought Shinji, Asuka, and Rei into view. Shinji and Rei were both pushing baskets full of food while Asuka was leaning against a shelf reading a magazine.
"Found em'!" Touji exclaimed.
Asuka looked up, tossed aside her magazine and grunted. "Finally. Took you long enough."
Shigeru looked at their two baskets and then at the one Hikari was pushing. "Do I have enough for all of this?"
"You better!" Asuka warned.
"Where's Maya and Makoto?"
He received blank stares from each of the them. Frowning at the lack of respect these kids had to even bother to try and remember his and his friend's names he tried again.
"The other two? Where are they?"
"Ooooooh!" came the collective reply.
"Their last whereabouts were in the canned food aisle." Rei answered.
"Where Wondergirl decided to try and kill us!" Asuka happily added.
Kaworu quirked an eyebrow while Hikari gasped in surprise.
"Ayanami! You didn't!?" Hikari managed through her surprise.
"I did not try to eliminate all of you." Rei corrected.
Kaworu smirked. "But you admit trying to eliminate someone."
"And poor Kensuke was the one that got eliminated." Touji explained, shaking his head at his fallen friend in the now dubbed 'Death By Canned Food'.
Shigeru decided that he did not want to know more than that and stopped Touji before he could go into the story by his next comment. "Well, anyways, let's see if I can pay for this."
Five minutes of waiting in line later....
The cashier smiled when she saw Shigeru walk up. He smiled back and then turned to the kids.
"All right guys get in position." He announced.
You see in those five minutes of waiting Shigeru appointed everyone a job. Touji and Asuka were to send the stuff down while Rei and Hikari bagged and handed the bags off to Shinji and Kaworu who would then load them in the basket. He did this for two reasons. 1) He didn't want to do it himself and 2) If the kids were busy they were less likely to wander off.
The cashier was no longer smiling. In fact she was about close to fainting. She chuckled as she looked at Shigeru and he smiled in a apologetic fashion.
-----------
Another ten or so minutes went by and Shigeru discovered the money he had was more than enough. Apparently NERV just handed them over large wades of cash and probably didn't count it. So Shigeru with six children set out of the grocery store. Because of the impeccably neat way the baskets were set up each one of the kids had a basket to be pushed.
Shigeru took a deep breath as they exited the store and coughed it out when he saw the scene in front of him.
"What the hell!?"
"Cool." Touji exclaimed and laughed. "The other two are getting arrested!"
Indeed that was the scene in front of their very eyes. Makoto and Maya were being forcefully dragged to the police cars awaiting them.
"We...we didn't do anything!" Makoto cried.
The officer holding him only pushed him harder. "Then why'd we get a call saying that you two beat a kid, which we have proof of and then lost someone else's kids?"
"You act like they're five year olds. They're plenty old to wander around by themselves." he argued.
"Although we rarely do." Kaworu grumbled, glancing in the direction of the ever present section-2 agents that guarded the Children.
"It wasn't my fault! One of them tried to kill me!" Maya exclaimed. "I swear it. I've got witnesses!"
The officers laughed and pushed the two in the car. "Yea like some kid's gonna try and kill you."
"Umm...Mr. Aoba, maybe we should help them." Shinji said.
Shigeru looked at him first in amazement that he remembered his name then with a evil glean in his eyes.
"Ahh, let em' rot for a day. NERV'll bail them out tomorrow." With that he set off for the car waving happily at the two techs as he did.
"Now there's just one thing left unanswered." Hikari started, searching the area. "Where's Aida?"
And to answer her question Kensuke came stumbling from behind a wall, an ice pack on the spot the canned collided with his head.
"Rei, my love, I know you didn't mean that and just remember I still love you." was the first thing he said.
And everyone but Rei groaned and rolled their eyes at him. Rei was a little too busy to do this for she was searching the basket she was pushing for something.
Hikari noticed this out of the corner of her eye. "What are you looking for Ayanami?" she inquired her eyebrows creased in confusion.
Rei abruptly stopped her search and placed her hands behind her back. "Nothing, Class Representative Horaki." She replied, calmly.
Hikari was about to counter that Rei was indeed looking for something but decided she didn't want to get on the bad side of the pilot of Unit-Zero.
Shigeru walked back up to the now seven children. "Hey, c'mon! We can't stay here all day, some of that food'll spoil."
And with that he set off with the children in tow this time. Makoto and Maya were banging on the police car window, pleading for help but only got glances and chuckles from some of the children and a cheesy grin from Shigeru.
And on that day Makoto and Maya swore revenge of all eight of them.
-End Day Three-
1.
Anyone else but me find this new quick edit program annoying. How come I lost my scene separators. I had to do this four times! Four freakin' times I hate having to do things over and over. I get frustrated and then I stop and that's the end of it for awhile.