I own nothing. This story is set in an alternate universe. There will be OOC. You have been warned.
While You Were Sleeping
Chapter Two: Getting Reacquainted
Asuka watched as the medic changed the IV in Shinji's arm. The man groaned a little, but didn't wake up. "That'll keep him out until we get back to base."
"We'll be arriving at the Company's base in ten minutes Miss Sohryu," the woman next to Asuka called over the VTOL's engines. Asuka nodded and glanced at the assault rifle in her hands. She hadn't let go of it since Shinji had given it to her. "Miss Sohryu!" the woman called. "Can I ask you a personal question?"
"Sure," Asuka said as she carefully laid her rifle down.
"Where do you know the Captain from?" the woman asked.
"I lived with him before I was frozen," Asuka asked.
"Well the mission specs said you'd been frozen since 2016," the woman said. "That's ten years."
"Ten years," Asuka said sadly. "The world has changed for ten years without me."
"So what was he like?" the woman asked.
"Calm down Lopez," the medic said. "She's had a long day."
"I'm fine," Asuka said. "So you want to know what Shinji was like when he was a teenager?"
"Was he like that?" the woman asked, jerking her thumb at Shinji's still form.
"Hell no," Asuka said with a laugh. "He was really shy. He would blush whenever Misato teased him."
"Misato Katsuragi?" the medic asked. "Did he live with her too?"
"Yeah," Asuka said. "We all lived together."
"What?" the woman asked. "Sounds like Captain had some wild teenage years."
"Misato was our guardian!" Asuka exclaimed as she felt her cheeks burn. "And NERV made us live together."
"Why would the Company boss around Captain when he was sixteen?" the medic wondered.
"We're landing," the pilot called back. "If anyone cares."
(:ii:)
"Get the wounded off first!" Asuka watched as a pair of medics lifted Shinji's body and put him on a stretcher. She glanced at the floor and felt sick. The cold metal was covered in blood.
"Come with me!" Asuka glanced up and saw that it was the woman speaking with her. She grabbed Asuka's arm and led her through the crowd of medics. Once they were through the woman let go and Asuka followed after her.
"Where are we going?"
"We're heading to the hospital wing," the woman said. "We'll see what the white coats can do for you."
"What's your name?" Asuka asked rather bluntly.
"First Sergeant Maria Lopez," the woman said with a smile. "Nice to meet you Miss. Sohryu."
"Same here," Asuka said. They stepped out of the large hangar and into a crowded hallway. Asuka couldn't help but notice that the other people seemed to get out of Maria's way quickly, maybe it was the massive assault rifle she carried. "What's been happening since I was frozen?" Asuka asked over the background noise.
"I'm not sure that I'm at liberty to discuss that Miss Sohryu," Maria answered. She opened a large door and walked in. "Hey Doc!" Asuka turned and noticed a tall Indian man walking towards them.
"Is this her?" he asked impatiently.
"That's her," Maria said. "Here's all the information that Captain copied down from her medical records." Asuka stared at the small black notebook as it was passed from soldier to doctor. There was a name printed on it in Kanji, but Asuka could only make out the first part. 'Shinji,' she thought. 'Shinji. . .' She wasn't sure, but the last part didn't look like Ikari. The doctor leafed through the notebook and nodded.
"Follow me please."
(:ii:)
"So how are you feeling Miss Sohryu?" Asuka glared at the Indian doctor and rubbed her arm.
"So all you needed to do was give me a bunch of shots?" she asked. "That seems kind of anticlimactic."
"It's gene therapy," the man said. Asuka could hear mild exasperation in his voice. "Those serums contained bits of healthy genes. They will repair the damaged genes in your body."
"So the disease I had was genetic?" Asuka asked.
"Yes," the doctor said. "It was a recessive trait. Both of your parents were apparently carriers. The Second Impact caused a mutation of the genes of some people. You were just unfortunate enough to have two of them for your parents."
"Okay," Asuka snapped. "I get it." To her surprise the man chuckled. He disposed of the used needle and stood up.
"Quite a temper," he commented. "Now if you'll just wait here, someone will come and take you to either the Commander or Sub-Commander."
"Actually," Asuka began. She couldn't get the thought of Shinji's bloody form out of her mind. She needed to make sure that he was all right. "I was wondering if I could see a certain soldier. He should have just come in."
"I don't see why not," the doctor said. "What's his name?"
"Shinji Ikari," Asuka answered.
"The Third Child?" the doctor asked in surprise. "I'm sorry Miss Sohryu, but he disappeared about eight years ago and hasn't been heard from since."
"But I just saw him," Asuka argued. "He's a Captain. That's his notebook for Christ's sake!" The doctor glanced at the notebook lying on the table.
"That doesn't belong to Shinji Ikari," he said. "That belongs to Captain Shinji Nagisa. You must have been mistaken."
"Maybe," Asuka admitted. "But I'd like to see him anyway." She knew that the Captain had been Shinji. He must have changed his name. The doctor glanced at his watch and shrugged.
"He should be out of surgery by now," he said. "You can ask one of the nurses which recovery room he's in."
(:ii:)
"Who are you?" Asuka demanded as she glared at the brown-haired woman sitting by Shinji's bedside.
"Who the hell are you?" the woman retorted angrily.
"I," Asuka began, "am Asuka Langley Sohryu!" Any further yelling was cut off as the brown-haired woman grabbed Asuka in a tight hug.
"Oh my God!" she said as she held Asuka at arm length. "I thought you were dead."
"Hikari?" Asuka asked, suddenly feeling dizzy. She sat down rather heavily and stared at her old friend.
"I didn't think I'd ever see you again." Asuka clutched her head in her hands. To her the last time she had seen Hikari was the party that had been held a few hours before she was frozen. She looked up at the smiling woman and could just barely recognize her as the young class representative.
"Did you hear about Touji?" Asuka asked.
"Yeah," Hikari said sadly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Ryan told me what happened."
"Ryan is the medic, right?" Asuka asked.
"Yeah," Hikari said. "And he's also the squad's new second-in-command. He was the junior officer, but he just got promoted." Asuka's eyes widened slightly in surprise at that sudden revelation. 'The stooge was their second in command?' she wondered. Of course it made sense seeing who the squad leader was.
"So how long will he be stuck in here?"
"Not very long," Hikari said. "A day at the most."
"But he was shot!" Asuka exclaimed.
"He has a lot more problems then just that," Hikari said as she picked up a clipboard. "He was shot twice in the chest, once in the abdomen, and once in the left thigh. He also managed to fracture both ankles, five ribs, and break his left arm rather badly.
"How can he be up and moving after that?" Asuka asked.
"NERV is extremely understaffed," Hikari explained. "We've had to develop whole new ways of treating injuries. We can't afford to loose anyone, especially not a seasoned veteran like Shinji."
"You mean you can heal broken bones in a few hours?" Asuka asked in amazement.
"It's a calcium synthesis," Hikari explained. "He'll be tender, but he'll be fine."
"Got the tender part right," a new voice growled. Asuka turned and watched in shock and Shinji sat up. He groaned in pain and clutched his left arm. "All these years," he muttered. "Never gets any easier." Asuka watched in surprise as Hikari wrapped her arms around Shinji. He managed to give her an awkward hug before pushing her away. "How's my squad?"
"No one else died," Hikari said sadly. She took a deep breath to steady herself. "By the way, Sub-Commander wants to see you both." Shinji nodded and slowly swung his legs off of the hospital bed. "I brought you some new clothes," Hikari added, nodding towards a pile of cloth sitting on one of the bedside chairs.
"Thanks," Shinji grumbled as he started to take off his hospital shirt.
"What are you doing?" Asuka shrieked.
"Changing," the man growled in annoyance as he pulled off his shirt to reveal his heavily bandaged, but very muscular chest. Asuka turned around quickly and tried to fight down the blush that had been rising on her cheeks. "Come on. We're going to see the Sub-Commander."
"Wonderful," Asuka said as she turned around. "I'll see you later Hikari."
"Count on it," the other woman said with a smile.
(:ii:)
"So, did Hikari date that stooge?" Asuka asked as she followed Shinji down another winding hallway. He made pretty good time for someone who had a bad limp and was wearing a heavy brace.
"They dated a little after you were frozen," Shinji said simply. "It didn't work out."
"So," Asuka began awkwardly. "Are you seeing anyone?"
"Affirmative," Shinji said calmly. For some reason knowing that the Captain was Shinji gave Asuka the courage to press on.
"Who?" she asked.
"Hikari." With that the conversation died away completely. Shinji stopped suddenly and Asuka almost walked into him again. He pushed one of the doors lining the hallway open and stepped inside. Asuka followed after him and found herself in a small room with a young woman behind the desk.
"The Sub-Commander is expecting you," the woman behind the desk said as she quickly busied herself. Asuka could easily spot the slight red color in her cheeks. 'What is wrong with these people?' she wondered. 'First it was Jessica and now her. Don't these women know that it's just Shinji?' She glanced at Shinji and decided to take that back. In ten years he had grown to about six feet flat. He still looked a little skinny, but his exposed forearms rippled with muscle. His face had also become more angular and there was a deep scar on his left cheekbone. That and his serious gaze gave him a very serious and dangerous air that he seemed to wear with pride. Shinji pushed the door on the other side of the room open and stepped inside.
"What are you waiting for?" he demanded. Asuka glared at him and quickly stepped into the room. "Captain Shinji Nagisa reporting as ordered ma'am." 'Ma'am?' Asuka wondered. She turned to look at the person walking around the room's desk.
"Misato!" She grabbed her guardian in a tight hug and stepped back to look at her. She had barely changed at all, except for a few gray streaks in her long raven hair.
"At ease Captain." Asuka glanced at Shinji and watched as his tense posture relaxed and he rolled his shoulders. "How are you feeling Shinji?"
"As good as can be expected," Shinji said.
"I heard you lost three men today," Misato said sadly. "I'd like to offer my apologies."
"There's no reason for you to apologize," Shinji said. "I am their leader in the field and they are my responsibility."
"You shouldn't take the blame," Misato said.
"Who else is there to blame?" Shinji asked rhetorically.
"So who was it?" Misato asked after a moment of silence.
"First Lieutenant Suzuhara, Sergeant Yamata, and Lance Corporal Hamilton," Shinji said. "I need two new rifleman and a breacher."
"I have a few candidates for you to choose from," Misato said. "But our supply of recruits is slacking off."
"I see," Shinji said. "Not too many people willing to work with the destroyers of the world, eh?"
"I also have a formal complaint lodged by the flight crew that picked you up," Misato said. "They are claiming that you're people assault them."
"I take full responsibility," Shinji said.
"Of course you do," Misato said. "You were up for Major again. I'll just cancel your promotion. That'll keep those chopper heads happy."
"Good," Shinji said. "I'll submit a report later today. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some important places to go to."
"The bar?" Misato asked.
"The bar," Shinji said calmly.
"And then to Hikari's quarters?" Misato pressed.
"Yes ma'am," Shinji said.
"Very well," Misato said. "Dismissed." Shinji saluted and turned to walk out. Asuka watched as the door closed.
"He's sleeping with Hikari?" she demanded after a moment.
"They're dating pretty heavily," Misato said. "There's even a pool going around about how long it'll take Shinji to propose." She grinned tiredly and leaned against her desk. "So, what do you want to know?"
"Everything."
(:ii:)
"So after the Third Impact everyone was fighting?" Asuka asked.
"Yes," Misato said. "Everyone tried to take over the world. Shinji left that same year and became a mercenary. He fought for whoever paid more."
"Spineless Shinji?" Asuka asked in surprise.
"He changed after you were frozen," Misato said. "He just closed off and acted like his father."
"So the Third Impact happened two years after I was frozen and Shinji just left?" Asuka asked.
"That's right," Misato said. "I didn't see him for six years after that."
"So he just showed up?" Asuka asked.
"Something like that," Misato said. "Seven years after the Third Impact happened a group of soldiers began to attack NERV."
"Why?" Asuka asked.
"They're religious fanatics," Misato said. "They believe that by destroying us God's favor will fall upon them. It's pretty much your standard crusade out to punish the heathens."
"So what happened with Shinji?" Asuka asked.
"He showed up in 2024 with a new name," Misato said. "No one except for me and his friends recognized him."
He's only been here for two years?" Asuka asked.
"Yeah," Misato said. "He's certainly made himself our most valuable asset quickly, eh?"
"So what happened after he came back?" Asuka asked.
"We were desperate for new soldiers and he enlisted," Misato said. "The first years of fighting the Crusaders awas pretty rough. That year Commander Ikari attempted to initiate a Forth Impact that would unfold in his favor. His attempt was ruined and he tried to set the Geo-Front to self destruct."
"What happened?" Asuka asked.
"I'm getting to that," Misato said in exasperation. "Now stop interrupting."
"Sorry."
"So Shinji found out about it," Misato began. "He also found out that the main door to the Commander's office was blockaded. So he found a way to get through the ventilation system. He crawled about a mile through freezing cold pipes. He got the drop on Commander Ikari, but the old man still got the first shot."
"The scar on Shinji's face?" Asuka guessed. Misato nodded. It was obvious that she enjoyed telling this story to someone who had never heard it.
"If you look close then you can see a little half circle punched out of the upper cartilage in his ear," Misato added. "Anyway. Shinji got hit, but he fired too. He hit the old man three times in the face with a .45-caliber pistol. Of course Ikari died on the spot. Then Shinji opened the barricade and a few programmers got in. They managed to stop the count down and save the whole base."
"So Shinji killed his father?" Asuka asked. Jessica had mentioned that, but Asuka hadn't made the link between what she said and Shinji at the time.
"He did," Misato said with a nod. "But the old man had managed to leak almost all the classified material we had. That includes the names and appearances of the Eva pilots."
"So that's why the Crusaders came after me?" Asuka asked.
"Those men in the hospital weren't Crusaders," Misato said. "They're Saviors. Before the Third Impact they were an international special operations team under UN jurisdiction. They specialized mainly in counter-terrorism. After the Third Impact they came here in 2024 to make sure that we can never do it again. They're the reason why our casualties spiked."
"If they're counter-terrorism soldiers," Asuka began, "then why are they working with the Crusaders?"
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend," Misato said. "We were lucky that Shinji got here in time to organize our own special forcers team before we were completely destroyed."
"He organized your special forces team?" Asuka asked.
"One of them," Misato said. "They're called the Genesis Force. They're probably the second best special operations group in existence right now. They specialize in everything."
"What do you mean by everything?" Asuka asked.
"I mean everything," Misato said. "They can conduct any operation you can thing of. Their real specialty is causing chaos though. They take special pride in their assassination, sabotage, and covert operations abilities."
"I want to join them," Asuka said. She noticed how Misato's eyebrow raised slightly. "I'm an Eva pilot so those guys out there would probably blame me above all others, right?"
"They do," Misato said. "Thanks to that bastard Ikari."
"And the rest of the world is in ruins," Asuka said. "So there's no real point in leaving."
"True," Misato said. "It's not going to be easy though. Genesis are very picky on who they even let attend boot camp. Only about three percent are actually NERV employees. The other ninety-seven percent are mercenaries with previous special forces training."
"I'm going to make it," Asuka said.
"Someone as stubborn as you could really be a real asset to the soldiers," Misato said.
"Is that an insult?" Asuka demanded angrily.
"No," Misato said. "I'm not going to try and discourage you from enlisting. I'm loosing soldiers at a faster rate then I can get new ones. Even if you fail the Genesis training then you'll be a commissioned NERV officer."
"I'm not going to fail the Genesis training," Asuka said. "I'm going to pass it."
"We'll see. I'll tell Shinji to talk to you about it."
End
(:ii:)
Author's notes. That's it. Ta-fucking-da.