Disclaimer
The series, Neon Genesis Evangelion, from which this work of fiction is based, is owned by GAINAX. Characters presented in this document that come directly from the series are also owned by GAINAX. I own all original characters.

Evangelion: Primum Revelation
Chapter 3: Broadcast
Written by T.S. a.k.a. "Kain Tempest"

Asuka often enjoyed traveling, particularly the aspect of exploring a new place. Of course, some places were a bit too foreign. Japan for example was a completely different culture from what Asuka was used to. Spain or Brazil, on the other hand, was foreign and yet not too far out that she would feel too out of her element. Asuka reclined against the sun-warmed rock and listened as a guitar played a spicy little number somewhere nearby. She smiled, allowing the music and the sounds of the waves crashing against the shore to take her away to a foreign land crafted in her imagination.

"Why again are we just sitting here?" Asuka cracked an eye open. The mood was lost forever as far as she was concerned. She turned her head to look at the party-pooping Shinji.

"It's a nice day, dumb ass, and it's been a week since we just relaxed."

"But shouldn't we be moving on and trying to find some more people? If Shigeru is here, then there must be more."

"For the love of God, Shinji, lighten up! We have been traveling for weeks in all kind of pitiful weather. This is the first time that the sun is shining, music is playing, and we are on a nice beach."

"But-"

"You know, you sure are pale for a Japanese person. Go over somewhere and get a tan."

"She's right, a kid like you could use a good dose of sun once in awhile." Shigeru quipped, ending his serenade from atop the cluster of rocks. Asuka had been a little worried that her comment would have angered Shigeru. The fact that he agreed, on the other hand, only empowered her argument.

"See? Even Mr. Aoba thinks you're afraid of the sun." Shinji glared at the redhead and then up at the musician who immediately began ignoring the argument, retuning to his instrument. After a few moments, Shinji looked away with a sigh, defeated. Asuka returned to reading the leather bound notebook she had found.

Asuka glanced over at her backpack. As always, she had Misato's jacket draped over it. There wasn't very much in the backpack of any incredible value. At most her plug suit, and a set or two of spare clothes, filled the piece of luggage. Shinji had warned that they should only bring clothes for traveling and nothing ostentatious. Shinji was sulking because his orders went unheard. Asuka had decided to treat herself to a loose, comfortable summer dress. Just because they were going to be survivalists, didn't mean that Asuka had to sacrifice fashion. Besides, the apparel didn't take up too much room in her pack and it just felt good to where something cool on a nice warm day.

Asuka reclined lower, stretching his legs out over the beach towel and burying her bare toes in the warm sand. Shigeru began to play again, a simple, slow, soothing melody, but all the while enjoyable in developing a mood. A small smile of satisfaction played on her face, her short bout with Shinji quickly disappearing from her mind.

Shinji ignored the two as they enjoyed the day, he looked out to the sea and the sickening red stain in what had once between tranquil blue. Both Shigeru and Asuka were fooling themselves into thinking that everything was all right. Nothing was all right, one look at the ocean and the red stain proved it. Even looking skyward, on clear nights, they could see the ribbon of red particles illuminated in the moonlight. If they averted their eyes from the sea and the sky, the world was rife with the pools of LCL and the evidence of a civilization now forever gone. The only thing they could do was search for more people, but his two companions couldn't seem to grasp the importance of it all. It frustrated Shinji and his head sank deeper in his crossed arms.

In retrospect, it seemed completely understandable that neither of them would understand his position on things. Neither of them really did experience the things he had gone through. Asuka was catatonic, and Shigeru... Although he had seen what he had done during the battle with the Seventeenth Angel, he could never understand the emotions that went through Shinji at the time.

Shinji recalled the nightmare he had of when he killed Kaworu. Never before did he realize that his very own subconscious would construct something so disturbing. However, at the same time, all dreams had a reason for being. Shinji remembered several times when he had dreamt something and days or weeks later, an instance of it occurred. He could easily dismiss many of them as coincidence, but what did the future entail in the case of the nightmare, if anything at all?

"Are either of you as hungry as I am?" Shigeru asked, the music being interrupted again. Asuka heaved a sigh and looked up at the musician.

"You know, it may be why I don't feel sick, but I admit that I feel kind of hungry too. Hey Shinji!" He looked over his shoulder at the German girl.

"What?" He grumbled.

"Since you're not going to enjoy the beach like the rest of us, why don't you put your survivalist instincts to good use? Go find us something to eat."

"Why do I always have to do the work, around here? Dammit, I deserve a break once in awhile too." Asuka leered at Shinji from the corner of her eye. It really pissed her off when Shinji whined like this.

"Oh, now you're complaining about getting a break. Well you forfeit because you were going to be such a downer for Mr. Aoba and I. Besides, I am sure that you'll have a good time shopping, cooking, and all the other chores like you always do."

"I didn't have a choice! I ended up getting practically the whole week to do the chores and we'd all be dead if I didn't take over Misato's days in the kitchen." Asuka had to give him that one. "Besides, you never have happened to be in the kitchen for anything but to grab some junk food." Asuka jumped up and put her hands of her hips, her patience already wearing thin.

"So what is it now? You expect a woman to always be in the kitchen making the meals for YOU, except when they are inadvertently poisoning you? You are such a chauvinist!" Asuka spun around with a huff. Shinji jumped up to his feet, taking the shouting match further.

"I'm the chauvinist? What about, Kaji! He al-" The surrounding area was treated to a change in air pressure, and everyone could feel it, Shinji more so than Shigeru. The boy's mouth had just caused him to cross a very dangerous line. Asuka turned around slowly, as if every muscle was working with careful precision. This wasn't the same kind of fiery whirlwind of rage Asuka was capable of flying into, it was something different, something that Shinji only encountered in his mind.

"How dare you." Her voice quivered with emotion as she approached. Fear trickled down the boy's spine as she drew near. "How dare you call Kaji such horrible things when he died protecting us. He died trying to ensure that NERV's enemies would not attack. He managed to hold them off until the last Angel was dead. He sacrificed himself to protect me where you failed me and you are wiping his name in the dirt. He was more of a man that a little spoiled brat like you could ever be!"

Asuka tried to keep her emotions in check, even though all the anger that she had for the Third Child was reaching a level that she found extremely difficult to contain. Kaji was as close to a real family member that she could imagine. He rarely talked down to her and considered her an equal. He was also attractive in his rugged sense, a model of an individualist, something she wanted to attain herself. She was aware that at the very most she and Kaji had a brother and sister kind of relationship, but she was dogged that one day there could have been more between them. But, the fact that he was bad mouthing Kaji was only the start.

Asuka despised every part of Shinji. He was naturally capable at piloting an Evangelion and had all the luck in massacring the Angels. She had spent years in Hell, constantly getting ulcers over trying to outdo the other pilot candidate from Germany. She had to fight tooth and nail in order to become a pilot and here was the upstart whose achievements were a hard slap in her face. When she heard about his exploits in defeating three previous Angels, she could grudgingly accept his superiority, at the time. When they met however, he was nothing more than a scrawny, weak-willed boy who just so happened to hide behind the shield of humble mediocrity. As far as she was concerned, he didn't deserve the prestige of being an EVA pilot.

Shinji could sense the rising anger in Asuka, however, the emotion was coming at a startlingly different angle and he knew he had to choose his next action careful. What Shinji didn't realize though, was that even the movement of a single muscle was grounds to cause Asuka to explode. It was far too late to realize that though, as Shinji took a step back. Asuka noticed it immediately.

"What's this? Your statement is defied and you back down? You must be some kind of pile of quivering horseshit! You have no backbone at all! You don't even stand by what you say!"

"But I didn't mean it like that!" Shinji cried, scrambling to try and get a proper apology out.

"So now you're going to try and take back what you said? Hell, no! It's time you actually lived with your choices Shinji and start taking responsibility for them. I am sick of you backing down." Asuka's fists tightened and Shinji tensed.

"I'm sorry, Asuka!" Shinji cried, but this finally pushed Asuka over the edge.

"Not as sorry as I'm going to be!" She roared. Asuka lunged forward and grabbed a handful of the boy's shirt and her other arm cocked back to throw a swift punch to his face. In the same instance as she released her balled fist, a large hand grabbed her arm, stopping the blow mid-flight.

"That's enough! Both of you!" Shigeru bellowed in an authoritative tone. Both of the children froze and looked wide-eyed at the young man that scowled down at them. He roughly pushed Asuka and Shinji away from each other and stood between them. "I've been dealing with you two bickering for weeks and I'm sick of it, God dammit!

"Asuka, you had better stow that bitchy attitude of yours before I get upset. I may not be your father, but I will damn well set you straight. So God help me!

"Shinji, I suggest you quit whining and think about the situation. Asuka is constantly sick and I'm the most experienced in first aid so I should stick by her. You're not trying to relax so you might as well get work and find some food because there's no point for you to stick around here if you're going to complain." Shigeru looked back and forth at the two kids as they slowly lowered their heads. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes sir." The children answered simultaneously. Both turned away. Asuka to her blanket and book to sulk. Shinji walked away from the coast at back into the town to start foraging. Shigeru finally took a breath as the tension finally came to a low simmer and recovered his guitar, shaking out the sand and putting it down on his lap.

It was hard for Shigeru to accept at Asuka and Shinji were still only children. The way they constantly did battle with the Angels and managed to get by even the most traumatizing of experiences often helped build the illusion that they were just adults of smaller stature. When Shigeru had first met the two former pilots in the cabin they shared several days ago, he had believed that they had finally matured in some way that they could peacefully coexist without coming to blows. Indeed Asuka was still hot headed and Shinji's strength of personality was lacking, but they had managed to come this far without killing each other.

Shigeru never really knew how to raise children. Being only in his mid twenties, children were the last thing on his mind. What he was really thinking about in the terms of the future was what direction his career would go after NERV was disbanded. But now things had changed. The safe world that Shigeru was introduced to had been swept away. He now found himself in a world of uncertainty, where everything could end again. Doubt festered in Shigeru's mind as to what the real purpose of living in such a world was. It seemed all of humanity's efforts in staying alive were futile.

Shigeru looked down from his perch to Asuka on her beach towel. She had gotten over the fight with Shinji but hadn't returned to the book she had found, now taking interest in the red scar running down her right arm. Shigeru tried not to mention it or bring it up, believing that the girl still had unpleasant memories about how the wound came to be. Obviously, it had come from the butchering of Unit-02 at the hands of the EVA series. Shigeru turned his attention back to his guitar and ran his fingers down the strings. He started playing a slow, soft song. He didn't feel like anything lively, despite the warm sun and cool air. Asuka didn't complain.

Shinji kicked a lonely pebble down the empty streets, listening to it clatter and click over the asphalt in his wake. It felt frustrating to be the one always getting the short end of the stick on this mess. With Asuka being constantly sick and Shigeru having greater qualifications in order to take care of her, Shinji was always the one to be sent out on all sorts of errands. In retrospect, however, he often did all of the work in Misato's apartment just as well. However, they were not in an apartment and Misato wasn't present, so it didn't seem right that such treatment felt justified. He hated to admit it, but he was the 'Invincible Shinji', so he should get at least something from it.

What the Hell was he thinking? It was that same overconfident attitude that almost got him killed when facing the Twelfth Angel. Shinji couldn't even remember how he had managed to get out of that situation. The last thing he could remember was his body slackening as the LCL started to become viscous. With a jolt, Shinji shook the memories and thoughts from his head. Death was not something that Shinji wanted to experience. He didn't want to see Kaworu again.

Shinji squeezed his eyes just and gritted his teeth. Even the very thought of that Angel drove him almost to the brink of insanity. The boy was an Angel of all things, however Shinji continued to regard him as a human being and as a friend. Shinji knew that he had done the right thing. Killing Kaworu was the only way he could protect humanity. But then humanity fell away, all the same. He failed in his duty as an EVA pilot. He failed Misato, Kaji, Rei, and Touji... And Asuka was fully aware of his failure too. They all deserved to reprimand him. But he didn't want to hear it.

Covering his ears and with his eyes firmly sealed, Shinji ran. Pushing down the thoughts and memories, Shinji settled himself down. Focusing on the beating of his heart, the rhythmic movement of his lungs, and the movement of his legs. Drowning out the harsh words and criticism with the noise of his body, Shinji managed to find solace in the cacophony. Slowing his pace and coming to a stop, Shinji opened his eyes and uncovered his ears and looked around.

Behind him, Shinji could see the road stretch farther away from the beach. The buildings had gotten smaller, a tiny suburbia with slanted roof houses, wooden fences, and small squares of thick green grass in front of the structures. It was as if Shinji had stepped into a small piece of his old life before Tokyo-3. Slowly he walked down the street, taking in the look and the silence of the environment. It was like a distant memory now. His teacher was gone; the place where he used to live was likewise nothing more than a bone yard for the Evangelions or the grotesque monster that took on Rei's features.

Shinji looked away from the buildings and at the road again. She was gone and he didn't want to think about her, or anything that had to do with her. Rather, Shinji refocused on what he was intending to do here. He and his companions needed to find food, but again, there was only a limited amount of food left. Over the days they kept finding food that was in varying but increasing levels of spoilage. Apples, tomatoes, and most other fruits and vegetables were now brown or black, and the occasional potato was nested in a jungle of it's own roots.

Shinji stopped and looked sidelong at something beyond a chain link fence and his eyes lit up. On the other side of the fence was a thick, wild growing vegetable garden. Somewhat in shock at his good fortune, Shinji staggered over to the fence and peered through at the small, edible paradise. All other gardens that he had found for awhile now had become wilted with neglect, having only managed to survive with the constant help an individual with a green thumb. But this place must have been having a very successful month of weather in order to survive so well.

Shinji climbed over the fence and approached the garden in order to admire it. There were so many different kinds of produce sprouting from the ground and it was difficult to determine what plant was what. Shinji decided not to bother with the details and unbuttoned his shirt. It felt good to have his shirt off again, losing the weight off of his shoulders and feel the cool sea air touch his back. But he was also happy that he had made a wise choice in his selection of apparel. The red shirt was similar to the one he originally wore most of the time, however, that one was lost somewhere in the depths of Asuka's possessions. Considering what the shirt had gone through and whom it was with now, he had opted to let Asuka keep it.

Laying out the shirt on the ground, Shinji began to carefully pick foods off of the vine, stem, branch, or whatever else they hung on and pulled up a couple of others from the ground. He then took the four corners of the shirt and the sleeves and tied them together to from a makeshift sack. Shinji started to make his way back to the beach where Shigeru and Asuka were waiting, only deviating into a convenience store in order to pick up some water.

When Shinji reached the beach, he found Shigeru and Asuka relatively quiet. The music was softer and less energetic than it was earlier and was simply a cool melody. Asuka had finally gotten over the argument and now was quietly reading her book. There was often a saying that when things are quiet in the jungle, something unpleasant was going to happen, and although the amount of vegetation on the shore was sparse, Shinji couldn't help but imagine that this too was a jungle of sorts. He approached.

"Took you long enough." Asuka grumbled, sitting up. "So what did you get anyway?"

"It's strange, but I found a garden that wasn't dried up and dead." Shinji put the shirt full of vegetables down on the sand and undid the knot, revealing the bounty for his companions to see.

"Yes, it seems that this area has been getting some pretty good weather, unlike the rest of the coast line." Shigeru tapped his chin, observing Shinji's harvest from the rock. "But to have weather like this long enough for these vegetables to grow so well..."

"Forget about it, let's just eat." Asuka reached into the pile and grabbed a carrot. Although it wasn't a foreign food to her, she didn't like the black clods of dirt still clinging to it. She grabbed a corner of the shirt the rest of the food rested on and wiped away the soil.

"Hey! Don't do that!" Shinji blurted out. Asuka glanced up at him but continued to clean the carrot off, despite that it bothered him.

"What's the problem? This shirt is already dirty anyway. Besides, this gives you a perfect reason to get a tan." Asuka remarked. Shigeru plopped down on the sand, grabbed a tomato and took a bite out of the red flesh.

"Besides, I'm sure there isn't going to be shortage of shirts wherever we go." Shigeru added, after finishing his mouthful and wiping the fruit's jelly-like innards off his chin. Shinji sighed, it seemed that this was a battle he wasn't going to win.

"Hey, Shinji. Why is it that you keep buying that canned water? I'm sure we keep drinking the same brand every place that we go." Shinji blinked and looked to the six-pack he had brought along. "Couldn't you have brought some juice, or soda, or something?"

"You know, for someone who graduated from college, you really don't seem to know much."

"What the Hell does that mean stupid? I'm talking about your choice of beverage, not my education!" Asuka hurled what was left of a cucumber at Shinji's head.

"Corrosion." Both Shinji and Asuka looked to Shigeru and hung onto his interjection while he finished his third tomato. "Cans or bottles of most kinds of beverages will still go bad over time. The acids added to sodas and juices for example can slowly start breaking down until it's undrinkable. And of course, certain kinds of beverages must be refrigerated to keep properly. By about this time, I'd say quite a bit of what we usually drink is no longer any good and since water is as close to neutral as it can be... Well. I think it's a excellent decision of Shinji's." Asuka gave the lieutenant an incredulous look.

"With all due respect, Mr. Aoba. I don't need a science lesson." Asuka turned back to eating when a chilling breeze swept across the shore causing the trio to shiver.

"The weather sure changed quickly." Shinji muttered, looking out to the ocean and at a formidable wall of dark clouds in the distance. The faint rumble of thunder met their ears. The vicious roar of a coming storm. Barely even glancing at one another, the trio broke camp, grabbing their things and taking their lunch to somewhere a little more secure for the inclement weather that was about to arrive.

The thunderclaps had grown louder and the last one felt as if it had shaken the concrete building down to its foundation. Shinji watched anxiously as the water in his glass trembled on the table.

"It sounds as if it's right above the building." Shigeru murmured, looking up at the ceiling.

"I never imagined a thunderstorm could get this violent." Asuka observed. She looked away from her companions and out the window where the rain pounded against the street and flickers of electricity illuminated the sky for mere moments, heralded the roar of the black clouds above.

"It's a product of Second Impact, the shifting of the poles. Even after so many years, the atmosphere is still trying to recover its original air currents. Storms like this and places that never see a cloud in weeks are common now. It'll probably be that way for several more decades." Shigeru leaned back in his seat and sighed, listening to the rain and the thunder.

"I sure hope you were just explaining that for Shinji's sake." Asuka grumbled. Shinji glared at Asuka.

"I don't need a lesson on it either. I already understand it."

"Yeah, only after he explained it to you."

"This is really getting annoying, Asuka."

"I don't know. I think it's kind of fun, myself."

"Why don't both of you take it easy? You don't have to fight all the time." Shigeru muttered.

"We're not fighting. Just so long as this idiot doesn't put down Kaji." Shinji snapped his head away from Shigeru and back at Asuka.

"I didn't mean it like that, so lay off!"

"Then what did you mean?" Asuka and Shinji's voices were beginning to rise again and Shigeru sighed.

"Both of you just stop arguing. I'm sick and tired of you two acting like little children. Grow up, for God's sake." Shinji and Asuka glared at each other for several more minutes before Asuka snapped her head away with a snort and Shinji eased back down into his seat.

Shigeru got up out of his chair and left the two where they were, wandering over to a window seat to continue to watch nature's show. The group had settled for finding shelter in a ground floor restaurant. Should complication occur, it was the easiest place to leave. Shigeru stared out at the stormy evening and the hypnotizing fall of the rain, listening to it lightly rap against the window and drown out the sound of Asuka and Shinji bickering. The young man opted not to intervene anymore, it seemed as though it was in their nature to fight, and he wasn't going to be one that would upset such a ritual.

The rattling of the window caused Shigeru to look at it curiously, at first not registering what it meant. Something flickered out of the corner of his eye and he glance over to see a red traffic sign sliding down the street, propelled by an unseen force. Shigeru watched silently as the plate of metal skittered across the asphalt, seeing it pass gutters overflowing with rain. The intensity of the storm finally dawned on him as the sign finally reached the middle of an intersecting street and was lifted into the air. He snapped his head away from the window as the flat piece of metal burst through the glass, preceding the shriek of the wind. The last thing Shigeru saw was the look of surprise on Asuka and Shinji's faces as they whipped their heads around to see the explosion of glass. The metal disk struck Shigeru in the temple and everything spun into darkness.

The traffic sign settled with a clatter in a corner of the dining room, seeming to sound louder that the howl of the window. Instinctively, Shinji wanted to flee, scrambling towards the bar and the kitchen. Shinji halted at the door and looked over to Shigeru's motionless form on the floor. Asuka yelled something to him, but the wind muffled it with another piercing shriek. The boy crawled on his hands and knees across the floor, using the tables and chairs and cover should more debris suddenly careen into the building.

The wind tore at Shinji's clothes, seeming to try and take him away from the lieutenant's side. Kneeling over him, Shinji tried to turn Shigeru's head to look at him. The man's eyes were half-lidded and hazed. Shinji didn't exactly know what he was doing. He was not trained to treat a head injury and so something was warning him that moving the young man would be just as dangerous, but considering the speed at which the traffic sign had come, many more things could come and bring Shigeru to great jeopardy.

Getting up and hunching down below the tabletops, Shinji grabbed hold of Shigeru's arm and started dragging him across the floor towards the kitchen. He could hear glass tinkling and feel small shards in his hand as they began to dig in. Shigeru was covered in the glittering pieces, but few had cut him, rather they seemed to be there to bar his rescuer. Shinji stumbled backwards and fell on his rump after getting Shigeru into the kitchen as Asuka slammed the door shut behind them. She then took over and dragged the young man clear from the doors.

Asuka glared at Shinji in the dim light. She wanted to yell at him and tell him how stupid he was to do something that risky when all Hell was breaking loose. However, he did the right thing by getting Shigeru out of harm's way. Shinji knelt down beside Asuka to examine Shigeru's injuries, wincing as his hands, tender from the cuts caused by the glass after touching his thighs.

Asuka looked down at the cuts on his hands and grunted. She turned away for a few moments and dragged over the bag that Shigeru always carried around. The lieutenant said he had stocked it with first aid supplies and Shinji was surprised that Asuka had found it. Apparently, she must have grabbed it as soon as the window shattered. It was amazing how quick and ready she was to get what was most important.

"Stop whimpering and don't put anymore pressure on your hands or else the glass will go in deeper." Asuka said in an even tone. It didn't even sound like her, that even order didn't have any sort of anger or exasperation. If anything, Shinji would have expected Asuka to throw in a 'stupid' or 'idiot' at the end. She lightly lifted the hair on the side of Shigeru's head, allowing wave after wave of it come down until a dark line could be seen on his temple. "Scheiße!" She cursed in German. "Shigeru, if you can hear me, do not move."

Digging around in the bag again she produced a flashlight and started checking for more injuries in a hurried but careful fashion. Shinji watched with fascination as Asuka hurriedly ran this medical diagnostic. He had never caught her watching any sort of medical show, her defense being that watching non-movie guts made her potato chips taste bitter. In other words, either she was doing this by ear or she actually knew what she was doing. Grabbing a bundle of clothing, Asuka slipped it under Shigeru's head as a makeshift pillow.

"Shigeru? Can you hear me?" Shigeru responded with a grunt, something in Asuka's eyes flickered. She checked his pulse and asked him several more questions. Murmurs. Holding her hair back, Asuka listened to Shigeru's airway. She jumped back as he coughed.

"Ouch." Shigeru wheezed.

"Take it easy. I need to dress your cut." Shigeru grunted in acknowledgement. Asuka folded some gauze and pressed it against the head wound. She reached for another bandaged to tie the gauze around the lieutenants head. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Yeah." Shigeru responded.

"Get some rest right now, you're going to be okay." Asuka finalized the notion but taking a sweater from the bag and placing it across Shigeru's torso. Taking a long breath, Asuka wiped the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand.

"Thanks." Shigeru murmured. Asuka grabbed the first aid kit and flashlight, turning to Shinji.

"Now sit still. I have to get that glass out." Shinji blinked for a moment, but the look of determination on Asuka's face showed that Shinji did not have any say in the matter. Palms pointed to the ceiling, Shinji awkwardly switched from a kneeling to a sitting position. Asuka manhandled Shinji's left arm into a lock so keep him from moving it. "And don't you dare squirm or start crying, this doesn't have to get harder than it already is." Using her arresting arm to hold the flashlight to see the boy's cut hand, Asuka produced a pair of tweezers and carefully started to pick out glass. Shinji winced and took a sharp intake of breath. "Shut up, suck it up, and deal with this like a man, stupid." Shinji relaxed, both by the red headed girl's orders but also the fact that she was starting to sound like her old self.

Several moments later and Asuka was done and Shinji's hands were bandaged up. The boy looked down at the strips of white cloth bound over his palms. He could still feel the sting of the antiseptic spray and winced as he moved his wrist. Asuka rested her back against a counter, listening to the wind shriek outside. Shigeru was still lying where Asuka had left him, his breath slow and even in a light sleep.

"I didn't know you knew first aid." Shinji whispered, not wanting to disturb Shigeru's rest. Asuka glanced up at him but immediately looked away, finding the toe of Shigeru's shoe a more interesting subject to look at.

"You really don't know anything, do you?" She grumbled.

"What do you mean?"

"About being an EVA pilot." Shinji blinked. Where on Earth did this subject come up?

"Pardon?"

"All properly-trained EVA pilots are supposed to know the basics of first aid. At least Wonder Girl and I knew." She glared at Shinji with that same look of hatred that came from a cryptic source. It was frustrating to deal with Asuka especially when she got like this because it meant she was getting worked up all over something he had no control over. Shinji was tempted to change the subject, but that was a tricky endeavor.

"Well, I never really got the chance. I was just thrown into the entry plug without-"

"Don't start bragging." Asuka hissed. "You're already unbearable enough as it is. I don't need you to be anymore of a jackass." Shinji looked to Shigeru.

"Is he going to be alright?" Asuka shrugged and Shinji caught it out of the corner of his eye. It seemed disturbing that Asuka seemed to care so little for the well being of their companion.

"He took a projectile to the head. Looked like it only gave him a cut and knocked him silly. I can only guess he'll be okay unless we find a physician that can properly take care of him."

"And maybe see why you're always sick." Shinji added. Asuka wanted to shoot something back, but she conceded with a sigh. She then looked away for a moment.

"You hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"The wind just stopped. I think the worst part of the storm is over." Asuka began to rise.

"Wait, Asuka, what if this is-"

"Scheiße!" Asuka hissed as her armed bumped into a small radio. Clattering onto the tile floor, the thing squealed to life.

"-'Love für Sie', wir fangen jetzt einen minuziösen lernabschnitt dreißig für ankommende sendungen an. Dieses ist Radio Wien, Österreich. Heraus unterzeichnen." Shinji and Asuka's jaws struck the floor at relatively the same time. Asuka slowly knelt down to the now silent radio and picked it up with trembling hands.

"That was in German?" Asuka nodded to Shinji's question.

"They're under radio silence for the next thirty minutes, they're waiting for incoming calls from other sources."

"So this means that there are other people somewhere?" Asuka rolled her eyes.

"Obviously."

"So... What do we do now?"

"You really are stupid. We now wait for Shigeru to rest up, the storm to pass, and then we pack up and get and move on."

"'And move on'? To where?"

"Austria. That's where this broadcast is from." Shinji blinked.

"A-are you serious? That's half a world away."

"Going to someplace where they are people is better than waiting for them to show up." Shinji nodded. It made sense. Shinji leaned back with a sigh and looked up at the ceiling for a moment before lolling back to looking to Asuka, who seemed to be staring intently at the radio. She seemed more energized after hearing that radio broadcast. As if new life had been breathed into her. Shinji had always sensed I kind of growing reluctance in Asuka to go back to Germany when they were in Tokyo-3. But it seemed as thought the promise of returning to Europe was good news.

She must have been homesick and Shinji envied her. At least she had a place she really could recognize as her home. As for Shinji, he never felt as though he was ever home. Even though Misato had convinced him that his home was in Tokyo-3, with her and Asuka, it never felt quite right. The only comfort it gave was the feeling of familiarity, but he could see through the transparent fact that Tokyo-3 was only a temporary safe haven. Many nights he often would lie there, stark awake, wondering what the future would hold when NERV and Misato finally abandoned him. Though he never expected this.

Shinji never expected to find himself in this world that seemed so familiar and inviting, but was all the while alien and, in some ways, hostile. And now he was going to a place where there were people. But they were likely those he didn't know, and probably would never know. He was going to be going to where Asuka had grown up. Although there were thousands of miles between where they were and where Austria was, Shinji could not help sensing a deep foreboding. This was the kind of feeling he got when he received his summons to come to Tokyo-3.

If this deep foreboding was like it was when he first came to the home of Unit-01, then Shinji knew many more challenges awaited him in the future.

To Be Continued...

Author's Note
First and foremost, for those of you who speak German fluently, I apologize for my horrid mangling of the language in this fan fiction. And for those of you who don't know a lick of German beyond Asuka's outbursts, you don't need to get worked up either. I believe language will take on a large role in the later chapters, and it helps to maintain some mystery.
I also like to thank those of you who sent in reviews. Thank you for your support.