EVANGELION: 2035

Sorry to all the fans of my (for now) blue haired muse, but he ain't doing my disclaimer for this chapter. You wanna now why? Cause he's so damn bum lazy! I waited two nights for him to write a single paragraph, but I'm impatient. So I guess it goes to me. I don't own NGE or any of Gainex's characters. But I own all of my characters. They are mine. So don't steal them! They are all I own of worth.

Anyways, onwards with the story!

CHAPTER FIVE: NEW BLOOD

Usagi stood in the training room, surveying her surroundings from the top of her vantage point atop one of the dozens of pillars that were huddled together in a roughly circular fashion. They had been designed to simulate the towering skyscrapers of Tokyo-3, but at a scale so that the pilots could have combat training without the need to use the Evangelions.

The teen clutched her training sword tighter in her grasp. While made of wood instead of steel, the slightly curved katana was every bit as heavy as the real thing.

And hurts like hell as well Usagi thought sourly.

Seeing a shadow move across a gap between the mock-up buildings, Usagi leapt gracefully from the pillar, landing softly on the rubber-matted floor.

Sidling up to a corner, she held her katana in a ready position and waited for a sound, her eyes half-lidded to allow her to concentrate.

Even with her mind set to the task, Usagi only discovered her opponent's presence when he pressed his sword up against her throat.

"You really shouldn't trust your hearing by itself, Usagi. If your eyes had have been open, you would have seen me." James stated in English, smiling slightly.

"Don't tell me how to fight, rookie!" shot back Usagi, with plenty of venom in her voice. She didn't think a lot of the newest pilot, and her opinion of him was getting worse.

Get over yourself, you aren't all that great… Usagi didn't say what was on her mind, however.

"Only in Eva piloting. However, when it comes to the art of swordplay, you are quite inept" came the cool reply. This statement cut more than usual, because Usagi knew he was right.

"Ok you two, time's up. You may go home now." Came the voice of Asuka over the com system.

Oh great thought Usagi as she made her way to the elevator, her bag hanging over one shoulder. Another night alone.

As her father was a teacher at Tokyo-3 high, Susami was always the first in her class to get to school. She usually spent her spare time doing the homework that she should have done the night before, or sleeping. This morning, however, the room was already occupied by the time Susami walked in.

When she had identified the sleeping form sprawled over the desk as Usagi, Susami walked over and gave her friend a gentle shake.

"Hey Usagi, wake up."

"Mmph. Whozzat?" came the groggy response. When the dishevelled girl rose her head and regarded the person who had interrupted her sleep, she let her head drop back into her arms.

"oh….it's you….."

"Why are you here so early?" inquired Susami. "Or should I ask what the hell happened to you?" she added, after a moment of thought.

"Didn't have anything else to do this morning." Usagi mumbled. "So I came to school."

Susami blinked in surprise. Usagi was the last person she would think to be early to come to school, knowing how much she liked to sleep in.

"What time did you get here, anyway?"

Usagi raised her head, and thought for a moment. "oh, about six o'clock"

Now Susami was really surprised. She could barely believe that Usagi had been here for an entire hour already.

"Why so early? Your dad usually…"

"Dad's not at home," Usagi interjected bitterly. "he hasn't been home for a good week."

Susami bit her lip at this. She knew that Usagi's dad spent a lot of time at the Hospital, but nowhere near this much. She decided that her friend looked too unhappy, and tried to cheer her up.

"You mean to say that you have been home by yourself all week, and haven't told me?" she asked incredulously. "Knowing how you cook, how could you have survived? You know that you are always welcome at my place."

"I know… but my cooking isn't that bad."

"Oh, sure. C'mon, if you and my dad had a cooking contest, he would win. And he can burn water."

"Shaddap. And I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

Susami rolled her eyes at this. "Said by someone who looks like their school uniform has gone through hell and back?"

Usagi growled. Her best friend always had the best comebacks. "And so what? Your mother did yours."

Susami grinned. "Ok, you've got me there. Well, if you are so stubborn that you refuse my hospitality, I'm coming over tonight."

Usagi began to splutter "But.."

"I'm bringing over some of mum's cooking…" Susami knew that she had just won the argument. Hikari Suzahara's cooking was legendary, and something that Usagi couldn't resist.

"Fine, then." She sighed. Usagi then plopped her head back down into her arms, and gave off a loud snore. Susami smiled lightly, then turned as the new exchange student walked into the room.

"Yo, James, another early bird, are you?" she asked in reasonably fluent English. She had always been good at English, mainly because she had grown up with her mother teaching her Basic English grammar.

James smiled at that. "I find that it is best to be awake early, and go to bed early. It's a healthy habit."

Susami glanced at her friend "not always, James, not always…"

The Englishman looked calmly at the still for of Usagi. He seemed to lighten up slightly as she stirred, a fact not lost on Susami.

"You like her, don't you?" she accused, a slight smirk forming. She didn't often have the chance to play cupid, and she wasn't about to pass this one up. James looked bashful for a moment, before his features again became stoic.

"She is a good friend. She works so hard at train…" he tried to stop himself before he formed the words, but it was too late. His eyes widened, and he winced.

"At training, eh?" Susami replied evenly. "Training for what, James? What do you know about her?" she already had deduced that he was an Evan pilot, but she wanted proof.

"Well, um… you see…" came the stuttered reply. Susami grinned.

"Don't worry. I already knew about Usagi, and you've just confirmed my suspicions about you."

A look of relief crossed James's face, as he realised that he didn't say too much to someone who didn't know. "you keep this a secret, won't you?"

Susami smirked "On one condition…"

The brown-haired teen narrowed his eyes. "And that would be…?"

"you take Usagi," she gestured to the oblivious form in front of her, "on a date."

END CHAPTER FIVE

What will become of Susami's meddling into the personal lives of the two Eva pilots? Will Usagi even survive her friend's visit?

And what of Tabris? Find out in the next instalment of EVANGELION: 2035!

Author's notes: a tiny chapter in comparison to my other ones, I know, but longer ones just take way too long to do. And I still don't have any reviews!!!! Gimmegimmegimme!

Pwese?