Wildcard Studios Presents

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Personal Humanity

Chapter Three

AN: Well, I've been sitting on this for a couple months now, working up the courage to submit it...then Dennisud updated Romance Concerito after so long and then I figgured, "What the hell?"

Disclaimer (again): I don't own Evangelion or The Flight of the Old Dog series. Lay off, alright?

Misato's Tavern, Tokyo 3

17 May 2024

The crowd inside the bar began to dissipate as the night began drawing to a close. The guys stood by the door for a few seconds before they piled into their taxis and left for the night. Kensuke was the first to make it back to his downtown apartment.

Despite his history of having many girlfriends, there was no evidence of females in his apartment. Various pictures lined the walls, most of them his own works, prominent magazine covers, nature shots, and pictures of the Eva Children. In his living room, in a place of honor was a picture of all the pilots, in plug suits with Unit Two in the background. This picture served as the cover for the biography that Kensuke himself wrote on the lives and times of the pilots.

Of the other pictures on the walls among them were; Toji and Hickari dancing at a school dance with Shinji and Asuka in the background, Shinji stepping on Asuka's foot and Asuka looking severely pissed. Another was one of Rei and Marc, at the same dance, Marc was asking Rei to dance and Rei looking like an animal caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. In his hallway was picture of Marc teaching Shinji martial arts and another of Marc, Shinji, and Rei in a music shop, Marc playing a guitar and the other two looking on.

"I've been a complete success in life," Kensuke thought to himself, pausing to look at the pictures on his way in, "So why am I not happy?"

He asked the question, and yet, he knew the answer. His many relationships failed to produce anything meaningful, "What good is success if you don't have anyone to share it with. What good is humanity..." Kensuke pinched the bridge of his nose, "Awe hell, I'm drunk."

He made his way to his bedroom and as he put himself to bed, the same nagging thought invaded his mind, "What did we fight for? What good is humanity if I have to be alone?"

Over the Pacific Ocean

2014

"Damn it's been a helluva week" Kensuke thought to himself as he, Toji, Hickari, Shinji, and Misato made their way over the water in a Russian built helicopter. The sun's reflection glared brightly off of the blue waters. He looked over to Misato who sat beside the pilot, "Miss Misato, just where are we going anyway?" "Oh, nowhere special." she commented, "Just to take a cruise on that cute little boat down there!"

This was Kensuke's que to freak out. "Cute boat? Are you crazy? That's the UN carrier 'Over the Rainbow'! It's the last of the old US Nimitz class…OH SOO AWESOME!" Toji clamped his hands over his ears to muffle Kensuke's outburst, "Alright already, that's enough! If I wanted a lesson in modern navel history, I could watch the history channel!" Hickari giggled quietly beside him as he continued, "I swear, do you ever turn off the otaku switch?" Kensuke scowled at his friend, "You know, you used to at least act interested when I talked about stuff like that. I guess now you'd rather play 'kissy-face' with your new girlfriend."

"WHAT WAS THAT?"

"YOU HEARD ME!"

In a seat in the rear of the passenger compartment, Shinji shook his head ruefully, "If they weren't my friends… I swear I would strangle them both."

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

On the deck of the carrier another helicopter was landing. As the wheels touched down, Marc slid open the door and stepped out onto the expansive flight deck. He was greeted by one of the carrier's personnel and escorted to the superstructure where Kaji waited.

"Hello Mr. Kaji, its been awhile," he said over the din of turbines and rotors. "Hello Marc, you've certainly grown in the last couple years. What've they been feeding you over there?"

"Only the best Marine chow," Marc chuckled, "that and I think there was something in the water, perhaps the air as well. How was Europe?" "Always a great time," Kaji replied as they made their way inside the carrier's superstructure, "Great beer, fast cars, and beautiful women… weather sucks though. Its like a perpetual autumn there, except when it snows of course."

They walked through the corridors and arrived in what appeared to be a conference room. "Eh, doesn't sound too bad, I might try it out someday. Nice change of pace from the desert. The place is murder on the sinuses, all that damned dust. But I have to say, the ocean agrees with me. I like it out here." Marc looked across the conference table and saw a familiar head of red hair in a high-backed chair that faced away from them.

"Hi Asuka."

The chair turned and Asuka met him with an icy glare, "Oh, so you've finally decided to grace us with your presence? What do I owe the pleasure?" "Nice to see you to," Marc returned, "I did say I was sorry I couldn't make it before, but I had other obligations. Namely my Eva." "Oh, that's right," Asuka's icy glare was replaced with a smug grin, "How is your Eva coming along? Did your techs finally find the directions to put it together for you? Perhaps if you're lucky it might be complete before the end of the war… but then again, do we REALLY want someone like you behind the controls of an Eva?"

This got Marc's attention as his demeanor shifted, "Couldn't be any worse than you, at least I know how to follow orders and unlike you I wasn't coddled throughout my training by a bunch of academic idiots…"

In all of this, Kaji stood by with a pained expression, "I should've known" "Well, I'm going back out. The others should have already landed by now," he said as he took his exit.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

On the flight deck the other helicopter did in fact already land and its occupants were already filing out. Kensuke madly filming everything that could be seen, Shinji stretching, Toji and Hickari behind him, and Misato looking like the trip dealt more damage to her than the others could know. "Alright," she mumbled grouchily, Let's get this over with. Perhaps I can get this done with out running into…"

"Hey Katsuragi, fancy meeting you here!"

The others heard a low grumble from the operations officer as the ponytailed agent made his way over to the group. "Well now, this is a surprise. Shinji Ikari, Toji Suzahara, and Hickari Horaki, I presume?" Shinji nodded in reply. "Yes, and the nutjob with the video camera is our friend, Kensuke Aida." Toji commented, "Don't mind him, he's just your run-of-the-mill otaku." Kaji gave Kensuke a cursory look as he nearly bounced from one piece of military hardware to the next, while rattling off various nomenclatures and specs, "I see..." "Um, excuse me sir," Shinji addressed him, "I was told that the others would be here."

"Oh yes, of course. And I'm sorry, my name's Ryoji Kaji. Just call me Kaji, everyone else does." He turned to Misato and smiled, "Well Katsuragi, if you'll follow me, I can fill you in on the status of the operation here."

The group followed him into the superstructure and down to the conferance room. In the back of the group Toji looked over at Shinji, "Whats up with this Kaji guy? It seems as if he and Misato know each other." Shinji just shrugged, "No idea, knowing Misato I'm not too sure if I want to know the details. I'm more worried about how the other pilots are going to be like." "Eh, it shouldn't be too bad. After all, they're fully trained Eva pilots, how bad can it be?"

As they entered the conferance room they noticed a redheaded girl at the end of the table with a smug expression on her face, "Oh, well now, so these are the pilots from Japan, I'm Asuka Langly Sorhyu, Second Child and best Eva Pilot. So don't forget it!" An annoyed sigh came from one of the other chairs as it siveled around to face them, " 'Best Pain in My Ass' is more like it. Hi, I'm Marc Taylor, Fifth Child and soon to be the pilot of Eva Four... whenever they get it working." Marc stood and walked over to the group, "Shinji Ikari, You've been doing a helluva job out there, its an honor to meet you." "Thanks," Shinji said as he shook Marc's hand, "And the others..." "Toji Suzahara and Hickari Horaki," Marc finished for him, "I've read the dossiers. Never would've imagined there would be a dual seater Eva, you two must be a great team."

Toji and Hickari blushed at his statement as he scanned the rest of the group, "Hello ma'am, and you are?"

"Captain Misato Katsuragi, I'm the NERV Chief Operations Officer." She smiled as they shook hands, "And I'll be the one in charge of the hand off of the Evas and anything else that should arise." "I see, well ma'am its my duty to inform you that Unit Four is in no way able to move under its own power and should any emergency arise will be a sitting duck." Marc sighed and looked annoyed, "Sorry I can't contribute, I'll do my best to assist in other operations."

Misato supressed a bewildered look, "What a strange kid,"she thought, "I would've figgured him to be more like Asuka." "The apology isn't nessesary, its not your fault that your Eva's not complete."

"Um, hello? Are you two going to BS all day?" Asuka snapped, "Don't you have things to do or something?" Marc whipped around at her, "Sorhyu! Have some respect, this woman is our commanding officer!" "I know exactly who she is, you stupid jarhead."

The others cringed as they waited for Marc's reaction but he forced himself to calm down, "Ma'am," he addressed Misato, "I'll be going back to the Cape Diamond, to my Eva. If you need me for anything you can contact me through the ship to ship comms. Excuse me everyone." "Coward." Asuka said smuggly as the door closed behind him.

Marc made his way above decks, through the hatches, corridors, and stairways. The random passerby sailor took notice and stayed well out of his way, as did an officer, and a few marine security personnel. Not that these people would normally be intimidated by a fourteen year old, but more by the enraged expression on his face. Marc looked mad enough to spit fire.

"That dumb broad, that stupid little bitch is going to get herself killed one day... fine, so be it. But I'll be damned if she drags down the rest of the team with her." Marc thought to himself as he boarded a warming helicopter. A few seconds later, he was airborne.

Author's notes: Well, it's been quite a while since I've written ANYTHING and posted it. Very sorry for the delay but there's a reason behind it...I have a life. Work, Home, Goals, all that stuff. That's just how it goes.