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Episode 2:04 Awakenings: Two by Two
Takes place after 1st season, and the End of Evangelion Movie.
Presumed date is Tuesday May 31st, 2016
Toji Suzuhara blinked his eyes open and sat up slowly. The red sea of LCL before him seemed like something out of a half forgotten dream. He looked down at himself, and immediately noticed that his arm and leg were no longer missing. Then it all came back to him. Shinji's Unit-01 crucified, and going into orbit, Rei, a monstrous creature rising up. Then there was a terrible/wonderful pain/exaltation, and his mind was suddenly joined with the minds of billions.
And now here he was on a beach, under the rising sun and the two moons. Two moons? Yes, two moons, the seconds smaller one was actually Lilith's egg, and home to the united consciousness of mankind. The hope/hell of human instrumentality, and the physical embodiment of the 'God' Seele had tried to create.
"Pthu! Great, I've got sand in my mouth," Toji heard someone to his right say. Turning his head he saw Kensuke Aida, sitting up and spitting sand from his mouth.
"Hey brain, nice to see you're here too," he said.
"Whoa, Toji, you look great. Hikari told us that they had to amputate, but you look fine now," the young man observed.
"Yeah, but don't ask me how, cause I have no idea," Toji said.
"Well, we've been reborn, you Baka. I'd say that whatever power brought us back, wanted to make sure we were whole," Kensuke observed.
"Yeah, I guess so. I wonder if anyone else is alive."
"Oh, I'm sure they are. In fact I'd bet money on it. I seem to recall seeing Shinji and Asuka waking up on a beach like this, only I don't know where or when. I don't even know HOW I know that, come to think of it."
"I think it has something to do with being part of that," Toji said, pointing at the black moon, which was setting over the far horizon.
"Yeah, I bet you're right. Well what do you know, the jock isn't totally stupid after all," Kensuke jibbed.
Toji turned and shook a fist at Kensuke. "Wanna go back?" he threatened.
"No, No, that's quite alright," Kensuke waved, smiling. "Still I wonder where we are, and where everyone else is."
"And I wonder where we can get something to eat?"
"Toji the Stomach strikes again," Kensuke chimed.
Suddenly a loud rumble and high-pitched whine sounded on the horizon. Both boys turned to look towards the sound and saw one of the UN VTOL transports coming up the coast towards them.
"Hey look, I think it's a rescue party," said Kensuke.
"Good, they can save me from killing you. And they'd better have food."
Both boys stood up, and watched the aircraft approach; it did a brief fly- by and then headed inland behind them, and descended. Seeing where it had landed, the two boys sprinted over the sand and dunes until they crested a rise, and looked down on a parking lot, and the VTOL as it's engines maintained idle. Suddenly the large door in the side slid open, and two men jumped out, wearing NERV uniforms, and carrying blankets. The two youths ran down to the VTOL, and were bundled up, and placed inside the craft.
"Welcome back guys," they heard, and both boys snapped around. Sitting in the Cockpit, at the Pilots station was Shinji Ikari.
"Whoa! Shinji, I didn't think we'd see YOU this soon," Kensuke shouted, running up to shake Shinji's hand, and bow.
"Actually, I've been waiting and watching for you two for over six months," he laughed. "It's good to see you again. Hey, Toji, you look great, any after affects from the regeneration?"
"Regen... Oh, the leg and the arm, nah, it's just weird, you know. I remember losing them, and now, here they are."
"That's cause these aren't are old bodies. They're new and improved. But we'll get into all that later. Anyhow, hang on; we're heading back to HQ. There are some people there who are going to be very glad to see you." Shinji turned back to the controls, and Kensuke and Toji watched as he poured power to the engines, and lifted the VTOL off the pavement, heading for the sky. Behind them the two NERV officers closed the hatch, and locked it down before taking their seats at the rear of the aircraft.
It was a quick ride back to the NERV base at Nagoya-2, and the two young men marveled at Shinji's piloting abilities, as he brought the craft into a brief hover, and descended to the designated area of the landing tarmac. Shinji stayed with them, refusing to hand them over to the orientation crew, but instead walking them through what had happened during Instrumentality, and during their time away. He boarded a Shuttle Bus with them, and took them to the NERV Monorail station, continuing to bring them up to date as he went.
"... so after we got the main power turned on, we started checking things out. It took Asuka and I about a week to figure it all out, but we got the place up and running pretty quick. We were having breakfast one morning, a couple days later, when all hell broke loose. Alarms and sirens started going off, and we rushed into the control room, thinking there was some kind of Angel attack happening. Instead the controls said we had a 'Pattern Red.' When we looked up what exactly that meant, it turns out that it was something programmed into the sensors, just in case. A 'Pattern Red' announces that a spike in the local AT fields has occurred, without the presence of an EVA or an Angel. We went to investigate the area that was pinpointed on the map, and found Professor Fuyutsuki and Doctor Akagi walking up the highway, not far from where we found you."
Shinji held open a door to the monorail train, and his two friends entered swiftly. Walking forward he tapped a button on a flat panel display, and the train began to descend into the earth.
"So after we brought them back here, Ritsuko figured out that if we'd come back, even more people might be coming back, so we'd better get organized. Professor Fuyutsuki got us organized, and we got things ready for our next new arrivals. After a couple weeks we'd managed to rescue a few more people and, once we finished cleaning up the NERV command facility, it started to feel like it really was home."
Shinji reached into his flight suit and pulled out a water bottle and took a swig.
"Anyhow, we started having these 'red alerts' every couple of days after that. Then it was every morning, and more and more people began to appear. The first couple times it happened there was only a single couple appearing each morning. Then on the fourth week following Asuka's and my awakening we had four alerts go in a single day. We had to send out recovery teams far and wide to get them, but we've been bringing everyone we could find back here. Of course our sensors are only good for a little over a five hundred kilometers, so we're pretty sure there's other's Awakening across the globe, but we can't get to them right now. We can only hope and pray that they make it on their own until we can send out contact teams."
"So how many people have you found so far?" Toji asked.
"A little over three thousand so far," Shinji said. "The numbers have peaked over the last few weeks though. Professor Fuyutsuki thinks that when the numbers start to decline it will signal the end of the Awakening period. If it holds true to his projections, we' start finding fewer and fewer people until the last of them appear, probably sometime next year. By then we should be up around six or eight thousand here in Japan. Fuyutsuki thinks the total world population will probably stabilize at around 300,000 to 600,000"
"Wow, talk about population control. That's less and 0.02% of the earths population before all this happened," Kensuke said.
"Not that I'm complaining too much, Shinji, but why a NERV base?" Toji asked.
"Self contained power grid. The hydrothermal vents provide all the power to the base, and a few small outlying buildings. We've got some crews working on trying to tie us into the Nagoya-2 grid, so we can light the city, but we don't dare fire up any of the old coal, gas, or nuclear plants. Not enough people in the right fields to run things. It's not to bad, really. When NERV built this underground facility, there was already a substantial JSDF Airbase on the site. They dug the holes they needed, built the facilities here, and kept everything else. So there are plenty of homes and other amenities nearby."
Toji's eyes glazed over, as Shinji talked, the explanation beyond him. "Oh. Okay, so now what?" he asked, as the monorail came to a stop.
"Now this," Shinji said, opening the doors to the platform the train was stopped at.
"WELCOME BACK AIDA AND SUZAHARA!" the crowd of people gathered there shouted.
The two teens were staggered by the thunder of cheers and applause, and Toji suddenly found himself crushed within the embrace of Hikari Horaki, Former Class II-A Rep, and the girl Toji had a crush on.
"I'm so glad you're back, Toji-Chan, I was starting to worry I'd never see you again," she cried. Grabbing his face between her hands, she planted a kiss on his lips, and pulled him into a hug, whispering into his ear, "I love you."
Stunned by her declaration, Toji found himself at a loss for words, until he realized, what he had to say, what he had wanted to say before, but never had the courage. "I love you too Hikari-Chan."
"Whoa, Toji, where'd THAT come from?" Kensuke asked.
"I don't know, but it felt great," Toji said, holding Hikari, and grinning like an idiot.
"Hey, Dork, let her breathe," said a snide voice Toji had really hoped he wouldn't hear again.
"Hey Asuka, take a long walk off a short pier," Toji said.
Asuka smirked at the four other teenagers at the door of the monorail, and said, "Well come on, Misato's got this party ready to roll, and we're just waiting for the two guests of honor."
"Wow! Misato's back too?" Kensuke asked.
"Yup, and you're never going to guess who we found her with."
"Ayanami?" Kensuke asked excitedly.
"Ah, no Kensuke," said Shinji, "While most of us were absorbed into the egg of Lilith, Ayanami BECAME Lilith. Actually, according to Professor Fuyutsuki, I guess she always was Lilith, and my mother, and maybe part something else."
"Then who'd you find Misato with?"
"Me," cried a deep laughing voice next to them.
"Kaji? Wow, you came back too. But Shinji said you were dead, how is that possible?"
"Well, I didn't actually die until Third Impact. I was shot and left for dead, suffering from massive head trauma, but a passerby found my body in the park where the Section Two agents had left me. I spent my last days in Hospital at Tokyo-2," Kaji Ryoji said.
"I bet that made Misato happy," Kensuke said.
"More than happy, it made me a Fiancée," came the sultry reply.
Kaji and the three teenage boys turned their heads, and watched Misato Katsuragi approach, her dark blue jacket pulled tight over her black knit shirt, and emphasizing her breasts. Blood began to trickle out of all four noses.
"Boys," grunted Asuka.
Misato laughed. "Well, who can blame them, I know I certainly don't," she said flirtatiously, before planting a passionate kiss on Kaji Ryoji. Kaji's nosebleed stopped, but the three teen boys just got worse.
'I wish that was me,' thought Kensuke Aida.
'I wish that was me,' thought Toji Suzuhara.
'I wish that was me and Asuka,' thought Shinji Ikari, remembering their first kiss.
Misato broke the kiss, and looked over at the two new arrivals. "Well what are you waiting for, lets get this party started," Misato hollered, and immediately music began to play, and people began to talk excitedly.
After making the rounds, and shaking hands with over 400 people, Kensuke took a break to find Shinji and talk to him.
"So when did you learn to pilot a UN VTOL?"
"Oh a few months ago. It took days of training in the VR Cockpit simulators for me to figure out the controls. They really aren't all that different that the controls of a couple video games I've played. Heck after piloting and EVA, that thing's a piece of cake. Anyway, I had to qualify before they felt I was competent to pilot. We don't have any real 'Laws' yet, but it seems common sense that we complete some form of training before trying to fly a VTOL."
"Can I do it?"
"Sure, we'll get Misato to put you down as a Pilot Trainee during orientation," said Shinji.
"Orientation?" asked Aida.
"Yeah, most people are pretty confused after they come back, so we try to bring them in, give them something to do, and train them to help us out."
"And we're all members of NERV?"
Shinji laughed, "Well no, not really, at least not the NERV we all remember and loathe, but we had all these uniforms here, so that's what we dressed everyone in. When you're off duty, you can wear whatever you want. Duty Uniforms let the people around you know that you're doing you're job. It also helps with new arrivals to see some form of authority, even though we're a rather casual group of people."
"So who's in charge?" Kensuke asked.
"Well Professor Fuyutsuki resigned as the ranking officer of NERV, so that left Misato and Doctor Akagi as the most likely choices for leader. Doctor Akagi declined, saying she's a physician, and is tired of giving orders, so it was left to Misato. She's in charge of Operations and the NERV Command Center, and Doctor Akagi and Professor Fuyutsuki have taken over the management of the Civilian Sectors."
Suddenly Asuka's laugh broke over the noise of the party.
"And Asuka?" Kensuke asked, turning to look at Shinji. Kensuke saw the longing, yet sad look on his friends face, and shook his head, 'Man he's got it bad. Too bad it's for someone like her. He deserves better."
"Asuka, and myself, are both in charge of our own Retrieval squads. Every morning we scramble before dawn, and head out, waiting for people like you to come back."
"How has she handled all of this?"
"She's the invincible Asuka Langley Soryu. Nothing affects her, you know?" Shinji sighed, drawing a concerned look from his friend. Shinji noticed Kensuke's look and waved him off. "It's nothing, you know. I just have to accept it. At least we don't live together anymore. I've got my own place, pretty nice too. Used to belong to a Colonel, so it's big, with lots of room, a huge TV, game center, and lots of other stuff. One of the first things Kaji helped me do after he came back was to get a pool table from town and put it in my living room."
"Wow, I can't wait to see it,' Kensuke said. "Speaking of homes, where will Toji and I be staying?"
"Well, I was hoping that you'd stay with me for a while, until we find a place for the two of you to stay by yourselves, unless you decide to stay and live with me?"
"Hey, that might be cool. You me and Toji, living together; it'll be like we're the three musketeers."
"More like the three Stooges," Asuka sniped, over-hearing Kensuke.
"And where are you staying Hikari-Chan," Toji asked his girlfriend.
"Oh, I live together with my little sister, Nazomi, at Asuka's, it's a really great house. It's got a huge kitchen, a piano, and a huge deck with a hot tub," Hikari said. "And it's right next to Shinji's so you won't have far to go if you want to visit me."
'They live next door to each other? I'd have thought Asuka would want to be as far from Shinji as she could get. What gives?" Kensuke Aida thought to himself.
"Hey Ikari, does your place have a hot-tub?" Toji asked.
"Well, no, actually it doesn't, but that doesn't mean we can't go get one," Shinji said.
"Great, make sure to put that on your list of things to do immediately," Toji ordered.
"Yes Sir, Mister Suzuhara, Sir!" Shinji said, snapping a salute.
The five friends laughed.
"Anyhow, I was about to tell you guys, that you came back just in time," Hikari said.
"Really? How so?" Kensuke asked.
"Misato and Kaji silly. They're getting married A week from Saturday," she answered.
"And today is?" Kensuke prompted.
"Tuesday," Shinji said. "And you'll never guess who's gonna be best man?"
"Not YOU?" Kensuke asked incredulously.
"Yup, and Doctor Akagi is the Maid of Honor, and Professor Fuyutsuki is performing the ceremony."
"Wow, well, things certainly have changed. I'd have never though Misato would settle down," Toji said.
"Lots of things change when you die and come back to life," Shinji said. "Most of us have dropped the emotional baggage that has held us back all our lives, and we're now more honest and open people."
"Everyone except good old Shinji here that is," Asuka sneered, "He's still as boring and introverted as ever."
'I bet if you'd let him, Asuka, Shinji might have something to tell you,' Kensuke thought quietly, 'but you'd probably just browbeat him back into his shell, just like you're doing now.' Kensuke noticed that Shinji was indeed pulling back away from the abrasive Asuka, and seemed to be trying to get out of her line of sight.
Meanwhile, Hikari was also having thoughts about her friend. 'Oh Asuka, why can't you just let go of YOUR baggage. I keep trying to get you to talk to Shinji, but you're just so stubborn."
The five friends continued to talk about their new lives, old memories, and friends who had yet to, and might never return to the world of the living. It was the wee hours of the morning when the shuttle bus dropped Shinji, Kensuke, and Toji, at Shinji's new place. The three tumbled into his house, and Shinji directed them to the two bedrooms where Futons awaited them, already made up with covers.
"Jeez Shinji, when'd you have time to get the beds made up?" Toji asked with a yawn.
"Oh, about two months ago. Right after I moved in," he said with a tired grin. "I knew you guys would come back sooner or later. Anyhow, I'm on duty in 3 hours, so I gotta crash. 'Night."
"Goodnight Shinji," both boys said, and headed off to their own beds.
When the two boys awoke the next morning the sun was shining brightly overhead, and Shinji was gone.
They walked downstairs, through the entertainment room, past the pool table, and into the dining room. There was a small note hanging from a chandelier over the large oak table.
"Dear Guys,
Had duty this morning, so I won't be back until around 3 o'clock. There's plenty of food in the fridge and pantry for your lunch or snacks, and I made breakfast for you. It's in the fridge on the top shelf.
Shinji"
Toji opened the refrigerator and looked at the food. In a series of glass containers were several breakfast items. Toji pulled the first one out, and looked at it. Soft rice. The next one had Miso Soup in it.
'Ugh,' he thought, 'who'd eat this junk?'
"Wow, Miso soup," Aida said, taking the two dishes from Suzuhara, and popping them into the microwave.
"You actually eat that junk?" he asked.
"Of course, it's a traditional breakfast. Why? What do you like?" Kensuke asked.
"This," he said, pointing to the two dishes he'd pulled out of the refrigerator for himself. One contained scrambled eggs, and the second had a large ham slice and four link sausages.
"Kinda heavy," Kensuke commented.
"No it's just filling."
"Whatever you want to clog your arteries with is your business I guess."
The two finished heating their dishes and moved back into the dining room, choosing to sit at the bar overlooking the kitchen, rather than the dining room table.
"So," Toji said, "Now what?"
"I don't know, I don't remember Shinji saying exactly what it is we were supposed to do now. I guess we just relax and take it easy until Shinji gets home, then we'll find out from him what's going on," Kensuke said.
"Sounds good to me. I think I saw an HDTV with MY name on it," he said, getting up and putting his dishes in the sink. He walked out into the entertainment room, and was quickly joined by Kensuke. The two boys spent the remainder of the day playing games, and waiting for their friend to come home. Hikari came over a little after noon, escorting her little sister.
"Well, we don't have schools anymore, so I'm home schooling her, until we can find something we want to do. We finished out lessons for the day, so I figured I'd come over and check up on you two."
"Thanks for coming over Hikari-chan, Aida and I were kind of at a loss for what else to do," Toji said.
Hikari blushed at the loving tone in Suzuhara's voice.
"No problem. Toji-chan," and Hikari's little sister giggled at her big sister. Glaring at her to shut her up, she turned back to Toji and Kensuke. "So, would you boys like lunch?"
"Would we ever," Toji said.
"Yeah, that would be great," Kensuke said.
"Okay, well get cleaned up, set the table, and I'll have something ready in about 20 minutes, alright."
It took Toji and Kensuke about ten minutes to get the table set, mostly because they weren't familiar with the layout of the cabinets in Shinji's kitchen. Hikari, however, seemed to know where everything was, and was almost done with their lunch. Toji came in and sampled a bit of the cooking, and she had to shoo him out before he could make a nuisance of himself.
She finished up the cooking, and brought out the wok, placing it on the stand in the middle of the table. Toji took the serving spoon, and dished up the chicken and soba for everyone else, before serving himself. They ate a pleasant meal, talking and laughing, and remembering the times they'd had back in Tokyo-3.
After lunch, they cleaned their dishes, and went back to the Entertainment Room, and sat around watching the younger Horaki sister play 'Mario Forever' on one of the game systems.
"So how long have you and your sister been here Hikari?" Kensuke asked.
"Almost 2 months. We awoke a couple days before Shinji moved in here in fact."
"Really. Where was Asuka at the time?" Kensuke asked.
"Oh, she and Shinji had been sharing a condo in the VOQ. (Visiting Officers Quarters) After my sister and I showed up, Shinji insisted on moving out, so that Asuka and I could live together. I tried to tell him it wasn't necessary, but he insisted. I guess that he'd had his eyes on this place for a couple weeks, but hadn't found a way to tell Asuka he didn't want to live in the VOQ anymore. She seemed quite comfortable there. The thing is, that once Shinji said he was moving out, Asuka got real depressed. She wouldn't show it to anyone else, but she seemed really upset by it, know what I mean."
Both boys nodded, finding it hard to believe the ice queen could be depressed by anything Shinji did. Disgusted and pissed off, yes, depressed no.
"Anyhow, I offered to help Shinji move his stuff in here. He really didn't have a lot yet, but I thought it would be good to help. When we got here, I realized that of course there were other houses nearby, so I suggested to Asuka that we pick one she might like. She didn't even look our place over before she chose it."
"Wow," Kensuke said, impressed.
Hikari giggled, "You want to know something funny? But if I tell you, you can't say a word of it to Shinji or Asuka. Well, it was about a week after we'd moved in before I realized that the bedroom Asuka had chosen faced Shinji's house, and that Shinji's bedroom was the closest to us. One night I was out taking a walk around the block after Nazomi had gone to bed, and I saw it."
"Saw what?" Kensuke asked, excitedly.
"There was Asuka, standing out on her balcony, all her lights off, looking over at Shinji's. When I looked over at Shinji's house, I could see him through the large French doors that open onto his balcony. His doors were closed and his lights were on, and there he was, in just his boxers, playing his cello."
"He's still playing?" Kensuke asked.
"Yeah. Anyway, so I walked over under Asuka's window, and quietly listened. He was playing the most beautiful song I'd ever heard, but he wasn't using any sheet music. He played for more than half an hour, before finally laying down his bow, and putting the cello in the stand. Asuka quietly went into her room, shut her doors and went to sleep. Well the next day I told Shinji I'd heard him playing his Cello, and wanted to know what the song was. And do you know what he said? He said it was just something he'd made up, and that it expressed all his feelings and emotions about someone he really cared about."
"Like you wouldn't know who he was talking about?" Toji said.
"Really," she grinned.
"But that's not the best part. Want to see what I found when I was cleaning his house a couple weeks later?"
Both boys nodded.
She motioned them to follow her, and they quickly ascended the staircase, and entered Shinji's room. There in the corner was his Cello, and on the desk were spread out several sheets of oddly lined paper.
"Oh, he's left it out, he must have been working on it recently. Look," she said, holding up the papers, which Kensuke recognized as sheet music. On the top of the first page was the title "Ode to Asuka, in d major."
"Oh yeah, he's got it bad alright," Kensuke said.
"For the ice queen? Seriously? That's sick, I wondered when that happened?" Toji said.
"Well, they were alone here for quite a while, after they woke up," Kensuke said.
"Actually it was a long time before that. Remember when they had to do those synchronization drills to fight that weird angel? Well I remember Asuka telling me that Shinji tried to kiss her on their last night of training."
"Wow, almost a year ago, and he didn't say a thing? Talk about closed off," Kensuke said.
"Well, not so much any more. You haven't had a chance to see much, but he's actually changed quite a bit. For one thing, he's not running around apologizing for everything any more," Hikari said.
"And Asuka?" Toji asked.
"Well, she's changed outwardly very little, but there are some things. For instance, she actually enjoys spending time with Shinji, but only when no one else is looking. As soon as she notices someone, she immediately becomes what you two quaintly refer to as the Ice Queen."
"Poor Shinji," Kensuke said.
Hikari shifted her head, listening. "Quick, Shinji's home, we've got to get out of here," she said, rushing them out of the bedroom, and back downstairs to where her sister was still playing games.
They had just relaxed into their seats when Shinji walked in the front door. He was dressed in a black leather pants and jacket, and was holding a black motorcycle helmet.
"Whoa, Ikari, is that really you?" Toji asked.
"Oh, that's right, you two haven't seen Shinji's bike, come on. Shinji, show us your motorcycle will you?" Hikari said.
"Uh, sure, Hikari, Hey guys, just let me hang this stuff up,' he said, stripping off his jacket, and unzipping the legs of his pants so he could take them off. He was still wearing his NERV pilot's jumpsuit underneath everything. Running his hand through his damp hair, put his riding gear in the hall closet, and turned to lead the others outside. There, parked in the driveway was the most beautiful motorcycle Toji or Kensuke had ever seen. Sleek, streamlined, and built for speed its black and gold lines seemed to scream power.
"Whoa, Shinji, where did you get this?" Kensuke asked.
"Asuka and I found it the day we woke up. We needed transportation, and since neither of us knew how to drive a car at the time, we took this. Asuka has her own car now, but I kept this. It suits me."
Kensuke and Toji stared at him. An incredible motorcycle like THIS suited SHINJI IKARI?
"I told you he's changed," Hikari whispered to them.
Just then the sound of a powerful engine could be heard coming down the street, revving hard. A bright red blur and the sound of squealing brakes heralded the arrival of a shiny new BMW sports car in the driveway next door. The door opened and slammed shut, and Asuka stormed across the intervening yard, radiating irritation.
'SHINJI IKARI! WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO YOU IF YOU WERE TO WRECK THAT THING GOING THAT FAST?"
"Yeah, Asuka, I'd lose the race, and you'd beat me home for the first time since you got your car," Shinji grinned.
'THAT is not Shinji Ikari,' thought Kensuke Aida.
'Whoa! Normally Shinji'd be apologizing for even breathing if Asuka were yelling at him like this,' Toji Suzuhara thought.
Hikari, however was laughing, and managed to finally gasp out, "How much of a head start did she have Shinji?"
"Almost four minutes, I passed her coming through the roundabout in front of the Commissary."
"How fast were you going at the time Ikari?" Toji asked.
"About two hundred kph. I had to slow down a little, so I could make the corner."
Toji goggled, "an how fast were you going before THAT?"
"About three hundred and fifteen."
"That's incredible!" Kensuke exclaimed.
"No, that's an average day," Hikari said.
"He still could have killed himself," Asuka grumped.
"You never complained when we used to ride together," Shinji commented.
"Oh! You! How dare you!" Asuka fumed, storming off to her house.
"She's only upset because you're right," Hikari grinned.
Shinji smiled and said, "Lets go back inside. I need to get out of this uniform, and take a shower."
They headed back into the house, and Shinji went upstairs to change and shower.
'Well today has certainly been a revelation,' Kensuke Aida thought as he watched his friend go upstairs. 'I wonder what's next.'
Next on Episode 2:05 of Neon Genesis Evangelion the friends share an evening together, and Toji and Kensuke spend the next few days getting used to their new lives. Shinji's Birthday arrives, and everyone gathers to celebrate, while preparations are underway for the Wedding they've all been waiting for.
It's Evangelion Episode 2:05 Beginnings, Birthdays, and Bombshells.
Episode 2:04 Awakenings: Two by Two
Takes place after 1st season, and the End of Evangelion Movie.
Presumed date is Tuesday May 31st, 2016
Toji Suzuhara blinked his eyes open and sat up slowly. The red sea of LCL before him seemed like something out of a half forgotten dream. He looked down at himself, and immediately noticed that his arm and leg were no longer missing. Then it all came back to him. Shinji's Unit-01 crucified, and going into orbit, Rei, a monstrous creature rising up. Then there was a terrible/wonderful pain/exaltation, and his mind was suddenly joined with the minds of billions.
And now here he was on a beach, under the rising sun and the two moons. Two moons? Yes, two moons, the seconds smaller one was actually Lilith's egg, and home to the united consciousness of mankind. The hope/hell of human instrumentality, and the physical embodiment of the 'God' Seele had tried to create.
"Pthu! Great, I've got sand in my mouth," Toji heard someone to his right say. Turning his head he saw Kensuke Aida, sitting up and spitting sand from his mouth.
"Hey brain, nice to see you're here too," he said.
"Whoa, Toji, you look great. Hikari told us that they had to amputate, but you look fine now," the young man observed.
"Yeah, but don't ask me how, cause I have no idea," Toji said.
"Well, we've been reborn, you Baka. I'd say that whatever power brought us back, wanted to make sure we were whole," Kensuke observed.
"Yeah, I guess so. I wonder if anyone else is alive."
"Oh, I'm sure they are. In fact I'd bet money on it. I seem to recall seeing Shinji and Asuka waking up on a beach like this, only I don't know where or when. I don't even know HOW I know that, come to think of it."
"I think it has something to do with being part of that," Toji said, pointing at the black moon, which was setting over the far horizon.
"Yeah, I bet you're right. Well what do you know, the jock isn't totally stupid after all," Kensuke jibbed.
Toji turned and shook a fist at Kensuke. "Wanna go back?" he threatened.
"No, No, that's quite alright," Kensuke waved, smiling. "Still I wonder where we are, and where everyone else is."
"And I wonder where we can get something to eat?"
"Toji the Stomach strikes again," Kensuke chimed.
Suddenly a loud rumble and high-pitched whine sounded on the horizon. Both boys turned to look towards the sound and saw one of the UN VTOL transports coming up the coast towards them.
"Hey look, I think it's a rescue party," said Kensuke.
"Good, they can save me from killing you. And they'd better have food."
Both boys stood up, and watched the aircraft approach; it did a brief fly- by and then headed inland behind them, and descended. Seeing where it had landed, the two boys sprinted over the sand and dunes until they crested a rise, and looked down on a parking lot, and the VTOL as it's engines maintained idle. Suddenly the large door in the side slid open, and two men jumped out, wearing NERV uniforms, and carrying blankets. The two youths ran down to the VTOL, and were bundled up, and placed inside the craft.
"Welcome back guys," they heard, and both boys snapped around. Sitting in the Cockpit, at the Pilots station was Shinji Ikari.
"Whoa! Shinji, I didn't think we'd see YOU this soon," Kensuke shouted, running up to shake Shinji's hand, and bow.
"Actually, I've been waiting and watching for you two for over six months," he laughed. "It's good to see you again. Hey, Toji, you look great, any after affects from the regeneration?"
"Regen... Oh, the leg and the arm, nah, it's just weird, you know. I remember losing them, and now, here they are."
"That's cause these aren't are old bodies. They're new and improved. But we'll get into all that later. Anyhow, hang on; we're heading back to HQ. There are some people there who are going to be very glad to see you." Shinji turned back to the controls, and Kensuke and Toji watched as he poured power to the engines, and lifted the VTOL off the pavement, heading for the sky. Behind them the two NERV officers closed the hatch, and locked it down before taking their seats at the rear of the aircraft.
It was a quick ride back to the NERV base at Nagoya-2, and the two young men marveled at Shinji's piloting abilities, as he brought the craft into a brief hover, and descended to the designated area of the landing tarmac. Shinji stayed with them, refusing to hand them over to the orientation crew, but instead walking them through what had happened during Instrumentality, and during their time away. He boarded a Shuttle Bus with them, and took them to the NERV Monorail station, continuing to bring them up to date as he went.
"... so after we got the main power turned on, we started checking things out. It took Asuka and I about a week to figure it all out, but we got the place up and running pretty quick. We were having breakfast one morning, a couple days later, when all hell broke loose. Alarms and sirens started going off, and we rushed into the control room, thinking there was some kind of Angel attack happening. Instead the controls said we had a 'Pattern Red.' When we looked up what exactly that meant, it turns out that it was something programmed into the sensors, just in case. A 'Pattern Red' announces that a spike in the local AT fields has occurred, without the presence of an EVA or an Angel. We went to investigate the area that was pinpointed on the map, and found Professor Fuyutsuki and Doctor Akagi walking up the highway, not far from where we found you."
Shinji held open a door to the monorail train, and his two friends entered swiftly. Walking forward he tapped a button on a flat panel display, and the train began to descend into the earth.
"So after we brought them back here, Ritsuko figured out that if we'd come back, even more people might be coming back, so we'd better get organized. Professor Fuyutsuki got us organized, and we got things ready for our next new arrivals. After a couple weeks we'd managed to rescue a few more people and, once we finished cleaning up the NERV command facility, it started to feel like it really was home."
Shinji reached into his flight suit and pulled out a water bottle and took a swig.
"Anyhow, we started having these 'red alerts' every couple of days after that. Then it was every morning, and more and more people began to appear. The first couple times it happened there was only a single couple appearing each morning. Then on the fourth week following Asuka's and my awakening we had four alerts go in a single day. We had to send out recovery teams far and wide to get them, but we've been bringing everyone we could find back here. Of course our sensors are only good for a little over a five hundred kilometers, so we're pretty sure there's other's Awakening across the globe, but we can't get to them right now. We can only hope and pray that they make it on their own until we can send out contact teams."
"So how many people have you found so far?" Toji asked.
"A little over three thousand so far," Shinji said. "The numbers have peaked over the last few weeks though. Professor Fuyutsuki thinks that when the numbers start to decline it will signal the end of the Awakening period. If it holds true to his projections, we' start finding fewer and fewer people until the last of them appear, probably sometime next year. By then we should be up around six or eight thousand here in Japan. Fuyutsuki thinks the total world population will probably stabilize at around 300,000 to 600,000"
"Wow, talk about population control. That's less and 0.02% of the earths population before all this happened," Kensuke said.
"Not that I'm complaining too much, Shinji, but why a NERV base?" Toji asked.
"Self contained power grid. The hydrothermal vents provide all the power to the base, and a few small outlying buildings. We've got some crews working on trying to tie us into the Nagoya-2 grid, so we can light the city, but we don't dare fire up any of the old coal, gas, or nuclear plants. Not enough people in the right fields to run things. It's not to bad, really. When NERV built this underground facility, there was already a substantial JSDF Airbase on the site. They dug the holes they needed, built the facilities here, and kept everything else. So there are plenty of homes and other amenities nearby."
Toji's eyes glazed over, as Shinji talked, the explanation beyond him. "Oh. Okay, so now what?" he asked, as the monorail came to a stop.
"Now this," Shinji said, opening the doors to the platform the train was stopped at.
"WELCOME BACK AIDA AND SUZAHARA!" the crowd of people gathered there shouted.
The two teens were staggered by the thunder of cheers and applause, and Toji suddenly found himself crushed within the embrace of Hikari Horaki, Former Class II-A Rep, and the girl Toji had a crush on.
"I'm so glad you're back, Toji-Chan, I was starting to worry I'd never see you again," she cried. Grabbing his face between her hands, she planted a kiss on his lips, and pulled him into a hug, whispering into his ear, "I love you."
Stunned by her declaration, Toji found himself at a loss for words, until he realized, what he had to say, what he had wanted to say before, but never had the courage. "I love you too Hikari-Chan."
"Whoa, Toji, where'd THAT come from?" Kensuke asked.
"I don't know, but it felt great," Toji said, holding Hikari, and grinning like an idiot.
"Hey, Dork, let her breathe," said a snide voice Toji had really hoped he wouldn't hear again.
"Hey Asuka, take a long walk off a short pier," Toji said.
Asuka smirked at the four other teenagers at the door of the monorail, and said, "Well come on, Misato's got this party ready to roll, and we're just waiting for the two guests of honor."
"Wow! Misato's back too?" Kensuke asked.
"Yup, and you're never going to guess who we found her with."
"Ayanami?" Kensuke asked excitedly.
"Ah, no Kensuke," said Shinji, "While most of us were absorbed into the egg of Lilith, Ayanami BECAME Lilith. Actually, according to Professor Fuyutsuki, I guess she always was Lilith, and my mother, and maybe part something else."
"Then who'd you find Misato with?"
"Me," cried a deep laughing voice next to them.
"Kaji? Wow, you came back too. But Shinji said you were dead, how is that possible?"
"Well, I didn't actually die until Third Impact. I was shot and left for dead, suffering from massive head trauma, but a passerby found my body in the park where the Section Two agents had left me. I spent my last days in Hospital at Tokyo-2," Kaji Ryoji said.
"I bet that made Misato happy," Kensuke said.
"More than happy, it made me a Fiancée," came the sultry reply.
Kaji and the three teenage boys turned their heads, and watched Misato Katsuragi approach, her dark blue jacket pulled tight over her black knit shirt, and emphasizing her breasts. Blood began to trickle out of all four noses.
"Boys," grunted Asuka.
Misato laughed. "Well, who can blame them, I know I certainly don't," she said flirtatiously, before planting a passionate kiss on Kaji Ryoji. Kaji's nosebleed stopped, but the three teen boys just got worse.
'I wish that was me,' thought Kensuke Aida.
'I wish that was me,' thought Toji Suzuhara.
'I wish that was me and Asuka,' thought Shinji Ikari, remembering their first kiss.
Misato broke the kiss, and looked over at the two new arrivals. "Well what are you waiting for, lets get this party started," Misato hollered, and immediately music began to play, and people began to talk excitedly.
After making the rounds, and shaking hands with over 400 people, Kensuke took a break to find Shinji and talk to him.
"So when did you learn to pilot a UN VTOL?"
"Oh a few months ago. It took days of training in the VR Cockpit simulators for me to figure out the controls. They really aren't all that different that the controls of a couple video games I've played. Heck after piloting and EVA, that thing's a piece of cake. Anyway, I had to qualify before they felt I was competent to pilot. We don't have any real 'Laws' yet, but it seems common sense that we complete some form of training before trying to fly a VTOL."
"Can I do it?"
"Sure, we'll get Misato to put you down as a Pilot Trainee during orientation," said Shinji.
"Orientation?" asked Aida.
"Yeah, most people are pretty confused after they come back, so we try to bring them in, give them something to do, and train them to help us out."
"And we're all members of NERV?"
Shinji laughed, "Well no, not really, at least not the NERV we all remember and loathe, but we had all these uniforms here, so that's what we dressed everyone in. When you're off duty, you can wear whatever you want. Duty Uniforms let the people around you know that you're doing you're job. It also helps with new arrivals to see some form of authority, even though we're a rather casual group of people."
"So who's in charge?" Kensuke asked.
"Well Professor Fuyutsuki resigned as the ranking officer of NERV, so that left Misato and Doctor Akagi as the most likely choices for leader. Doctor Akagi declined, saying she's a physician, and is tired of giving orders, so it was left to Misato. She's in charge of Operations and the NERV Command Center, and Doctor Akagi and Professor Fuyutsuki have taken over the management of the Civilian Sectors."
Suddenly Asuka's laugh broke over the noise of the party.
"And Asuka?" Kensuke asked, turning to look at Shinji. Kensuke saw the longing, yet sad look on his friends face, and shook his head, 'Man he's got it bad. Too bad it's for someone like her. He deserves better."
"Asuka, and myself, are both in charge of our own Retrieval squads. Every morning we scramble before dawn, and head out, waiting for people like you to come back."
"How has she handled all of this?"
"She's the invincible Asuka Langley Soryu. Nothing affects her, you know?" Shinji sighed, drawing a concerned look from his friend. Shinji noticed Kensuke's look and waved him off. "It's nothing, you know. I just have to accept it. At least we don't live together anymore. I've got my own place, pretty nice too. Used to belong to a Colonel, so it's big, with lots of room, a huge TV, game center, and lots of other stuff. One of the first things Kaji helped me do after he came back was to get a pool table from town and put it in my living room."
"Wow, I can't wait to see it,' Kensuke said. "Speaking of homes, where will Toji and I be staying?"
"Well, I was hoping that you'd stay with me for a while, until we find a place for the two of you to stay by yourselves, unless you decide to stay and live with me?"
"Hey, that might be cool. You me and Toji, living together; it'll be like we're the three musketeers."
"More like the three Stooges," Asuka sniped, over-hearing Kensuke.
"And where are you staying Hikari-Chan," Toji asked his girlfriend.
"Oh, I live together with my little sister, Nazomi, at Asuka's, it's a really great house. It's got a huge kitchen, a piano, and a huge deck with a hot tub," Hikari said. "And it's right next to Shinji's so you won't have far to go if you want to visit me."
'They live next door to each other? I'd have thought Asuka would want to be as far from Shinji as she could get. What gives?" Kensuke Aida thought to himself.
"Hey Ikari, does your place have a hot-tub?" Toji asked.
"Well, no, actually it doesn't, but that doesn't mean we can't go get one," Shinji said.
"Great, make sure to put that on your list of things to do immediately," Toji ordered.
"Yes Sir, Mister Suzuhara, Sir!" Shinji said, snapping a salute.
The five friends laughed.
"Anyhow, I was about to tell you guys, that you came back just in time," Hikari said.
"Really? How so?" Kensuke asked.
"Misato and Kaji silly. They're getting married A week from Saturday," she answered.
"And today is?" Kensuke prompted.
"Tuesday," Shinji said. "And you'll never guess who's gonna be best man?"
"Not YOU?" Kensuke asked incredulously.
"Yup, and Doctor Akagi is the Maid of Honor, and Professor Fuyutsuki is performing the ceremony."
"Wow, well, things certainly have changed. I'd have never though Misato would settle down," Toji said.
"Lots of things change when you die and come back to life," Shinji said. "Most of us have dropped the emotional baggage that has held us back all our lives, and we're now more honest and open people."
"Everyone except good old Shinji here that is," Asuka sneered, "He's still as boring and introverted as ever."
'I bet if you'd let him, Asuka, Shinji might have something to tell you,' Kensuke thought quietly, 'but you'd probably just browbeat him back into his shell, just like you're doing now.' Kensuke noticed that Shinji was indeed pulling back away from the abrasive Asuka, and seemed to be trying to get out of her line of sight.
Meanwhile, Hikari was also having thoughts about her friend. 'Oh Asuka, why can't you just let go of YOUR baggage. I keep trying to get you to talk to Shinji, but you're just so stubborn."
The five friends continued to talk about their new lives, old memories, and friends who had yet to, and might never return to the world of the living. It was the wee hours of the morning when the shuttle bus dropped Shinji, Kensuke, and Toji, at Shinji's new place. The three tumbled into his house, and Shinji directed them to the two bedrooms where Futons awaited them, already made up with covers.
"Jeez Shinji, when'd you have time to get the beds made up?" Toji asked with a yawn.
"Oh, about two months ago. Right after I moved in," he said with a tired grin. "I knew you guys would come back sooner or later. Anyhow, I'm on duty in 3 hours, so I gotta crash. 'Night."
"Goodnight Shinji," both boys said, and headed off to their own beds.
When the two boys awoke the next morning the sun was shining brightly overhead, and Shinji was gone.
They walked downstairs, through the entertainment room, past the pool table, and into the dining room. There was a small note hanging from a chandelier over the large oak table.
"Dear Guys,
Had duty this morning, so I won't be back until around 3 o'clock. There's plenty of food in the fridge and pantry for your lunch or snacks, and I made breakfast for you. It's in the fridge on the top shelf.
Shinji"
Toji opened the refrigerator and looked at the food. In a series of glass containers were several breakfast items. Toji pulled the first one out, and looked at it. Soft rice. The next one had Miso Soup in it.
'Ugh,' he thought, 'who'd eat this junk?'
"Wow, Miso soup," Aida said, taking the two dishes from Suzuhara, and popping them into the microwave.
"You actually eat that junk?" he asked.
"Of course, it's a traditional breakfast. Why? What do you like?" Kensuke asked.
"This," he said, pointing to the two dishes he'd pulled out of the refrigerator for himself. One contained scrambled eggs, and the second had a large ham slice and four link sausages.
"Kinda heavy," Kensuke commented.
"No it's just filling."
"Whatever you want to clog your arteries with is your business I guess."
The two finished heating their dishes and moved back into the dining room, choosing to sit at the bar overlooking the kitchen, rather than the dining room table.
"So," Toji said, "Now what?"
"I don't know, I don't remember Shinji saying exactly what it is we were supposed to do now. I guess we just relax and take it easy until Shinji gets home, then we'll find out from him what's going on," Kensuke said.
"Sounds good to me. I think I saw an HDTV with MY name on it," he said, getting up and putting his dishes in the sink. He walked out into the entertainment room, and was quickly joined by Kensuke. The two boys spent the remainder of the day playing games, and waiting for their friend to come home. Hikari came over a little after noon, escorting her little sister.
"Well, we don't have schools anymore, so I'm home schooling her, until we can find something we want to do. We finished out lessons for the day, so I figured I'd come over and check up on you two."
"Thanks for coming over Hikari-chan, Aida and I were kind of at a loss for what else to do," Toji said.
Hikari blushed at the loving tone in Suzuhara's voice.
"No problem. Toji-chan," and Hikari's little sister giggled at her big sister. Glaring at her to shut her up, she turned back to Toji and Kensuke. "So, would you boys like lunch?"
"Would we ever," Toji said.
"Yeah, that would be great," Kensuke said.
"Okay, well get cleaned up, set the table, and I'll have something ready in about 20 minutes, alright."
It took Toji and Kensuke about ten minutes to get the table set, mostly because they weren't familiar with the layout of the cabinets in Shinji's kitchen. Hikari, however, seemed to know where everything was, and was almost done with their lunch. Toji came in and sampled a bit of the cooking, and she had to shoo him out before he could make a nuisance of himself.
She finished up the cooking, and brought out the wok, placing it on the stand in the middle of the table. Toji took the serving spoon, and dished up the chicken and soba for everyone else, before serving himself. They ate a pleasant meal, talking and laughing, and remembering the times they'd had back in Tokyo-3.
After lunch, they cleaned their dishes, and went back to the Entertainment Room, and sat around watching the younger Horaki sister play 'Mario Forever' on one of the game systems.
"So how long have you and your sister been here Hikari?" Kensuke asked.
"Almost 2 months. We awoke a couple days before Shinji moved in here in fact."
"Really. Where was Asuka at the time?" Kensuke asked.
"Oh, she and Shinji had been sharing a condo in the VOQ. (Visiting Officers Quarters) After my sister and I showed up, Shinji insisted on moving out, so that Asuka and I could live together. I tried to tell him it wasn't necessary, but he insisted. I guess that he'd had his eyes on this place for a couple weeks, but hadn't found a way to tell Asuka he didn't want to live in the VOQ anymore. She seemed quite comfortable there. The thing is, that once Shinji said he was moving out, Asuka got real depressed. She wouldn't show it to anyone else, but she seemed really upset by it, know what I mean."
Both boys nodded, finding it hard to believe the ice queen could be depressed by anything Shinji did. Disgusted and pissed off, yes, depressed no.
"Anyhow, I offered to help Shinji move his stuff in here. He really didn't have a lot yet, but I thought it would be good to help. When we got here, I realized that of course there were other houses nearby, so I suggested to Asuka that we pick one she might like. She didn't even look our place over before she chose it."
"Wow," Kensuke said, impressed.
Hikari giggled, "You want to know something funny? But if I tell you, you can't say a word of it to Shinji or Asuka. Well, it was about a week after we'd moved in before I realized that the bedroom Asuka had chosen faced Shinji's house, and that Shinji's bedroom was the closest to us. One night I was out taking a walk around the block after Nazomi had gone to bed, and I saw it."
"Saw what?" Kensuke asked, excitedly.
"There was Asuka, standing out on her balcony, all her lights off, looking over at Shinji's. When I looked over at Shinji's house, I could see him through the large French doors that open onto his balcony. His doors were closed and his lights were on, and there he was, in just his boxers, playing his cello."
"He's still playing?" Kensuke asked.
"Yeah. Anyway, so I walked over under Asuka's window, and quietly listened. He was playing the most beautiful song I'd ever heard, but he wasn't using any sheet music. He played for more than half an hour, before finally laying down his bow, and putting the cello in the stand. Asuka quietly went into her room, shut her doors and went to sleep. Well the next day I told Shinji I'd heard him playing his Cello, and wanted to know what the song was. And do you know what he said? He said it was just something he'd made up, and that it expressed all his feelings and emotions about someone he really cared about."
"Like you wouldn't know who he was talking about?" Toji said.
"Really," she grinned.
"But that's not the best part. Want to see what I found when I was cleaning his house a couple weeks later?"
Both boys nodded.
She motioned them to follow her, and they quickly ascended the staircase, and entered Shinji's room. There in the corner was his Cello, and on the desk were spread out several sheets of oddly lined paper.
"Oh, he's left it out, he must have been working on it recently. Look," she said, holding up the papers, which Kensuke recognized as sheet music. On the top of the first page was the title "Ode to Asuka, in d major."
"Oh yeah, he's got it bad alright," Kensuke said.
"For the ice queen? Seriously? That's sick, I wondered when that happened?" Toji said.
"Well, they were alone here for quite a while, after they woke up," Kensuke said.
"Actually it was a long time before that. Remember when they had to do those synchronization drills to fight that weird angel? Well I remember Asuka telling me that Shinji tried to kiss her on their last night of training."
"Wow, almost a year ago, and he didn't say a thing? Talk about closed off," Kensuke said.
"Well, not so much any more. You haven't had a chance to see much, but he's actually changed quite a bit. For one thing, he's not running around apologizing for everything any more," Hikari said.
"And Asuka?" Toji asked.
"Well, she's changed outwardly very little, but there are some things. For instance, she actually enjoys spending time with Shinji, but only when no one else is looking. As soon as she notices someone, she immediately becomes what you two quaintly refer to as the Ice Queen."
"Poor Shinji," Kensuke said.
Hikari shifted her head, listening. "Quick, Shinji's home, we've got to get out of here," she said, rushing them out of the bedroom, and back downstairs to where her sister was still playing games.
They had just relaxed into their seats when Shinji walked in the front door. He was dressed in a black leather pants and jacket, and was holding a black motorcycle helmet.
"Whoa, Ikari, is that really you?" Toji asked.
"Oh, that's right, you two haven't seen Shinji's bike, come on. Shinji, show us your motorcycle will you?" Hikari said.
"Uh, sure, Hikari, Hey guys, just let me hang this stuff up,' he said, stripping off his jacket, and unzipping the legs of his pants so he could take them off. He was still wearing his NERV pilot's jumpsuit underneath everything. Running his hand through his damp hair, put his riding gear in the hall closet, and turned to lead the others outside. There, parked in the driveway was the most beautiful motorcycle Toji or Kensuke had ever seen. Sleek, streamlined, and built for speed its black and gold lines seemed to scream power.
"Whoa, Shinji, where did you get this?" Kensuke asked.
"Asuka and I found it the day we woke up. We needed transportation, and since neither of us knew how to drive a car at the time, we took this. Asuka has her own car now, but I kept this. It suits me."
Kensuke and Toji stared at him. An incredible motorcycle like THIS suited SHINJI IKARI?
"I told you he's changed," Hikari whispered to them.
Just then the sound of a powerful engine could be heard coming down the street, revving hard. A bright red blur and the sound of squealing brakes heralded the arrival of a shiny new BMW sports car in the driveway next door. The door opened and slammed shut, and Asuka stormed across the intervening yard, radiating irritation.
'SHINJI IKARI! WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO YOU IF YOU WERE TO WRECK THAT THING GOING THAT FAST?"
"Yeah, Asuka, I'd lose the race, and you'd beat me home for the first time since you got your car," Shinji grinned.
'THAT is not Shinji Ikari,' thought Kensuke Aida.
'Whoa! Normally Shinji'd be apologizing for even breathing if Asuka were yelling at him like this,' Toji Suzuhara thought.
Hikari, however was laughing, and managed to finally gasp out, "How much of a head start did she have Shinji?"
"Almost four minutes, I passed her coming through the roundabout in front of the Commissary."
"How fast were you going at the time Ikari?" Toji asked.
"About two hundred kph. I had to slow down a little, so I could make the corner."
Toji goggled, "an how fast were you going before THAT?"
"About three hundred and fifteen."
"That's incredible!" Kensuke exclaimed.
"No, that's an average day," Hikari said.
"He still could have killed himself," Asuka grumped.
"You never complained when we used to ride together," Shinji commented.
"Oh! You! How dare you!" Asuka fumed, storming off to her house.
"She's only upset because you're right," Hikari grinned.
Shinji smiled and said, "Lets go back inside. I need to get out of this uniform, and take a shower."
They headed back into the house, and Shinji went upstairs to change and shower.
'Well today has certainly been a revelation,' Kensuke Aida thought as he watched his friend go upstairs. 'I wonder what's next.'
Next on Episode 2:05 of Neon Genesis Evangelion the friends share an evening together, and Toji and Kensuke spend the next few days getting used to their new lives. Shinji's Birthday arrives, and everyone gathers to celebrate, while preparations are underway for the Wedding they've all been waiting for.
It's Evangelion Episode 2:05 Beginnings, Birthdays, and Bombshells.