Disclaimer: I do not own Ah! My goddess or NGE!
Chapter 9
Opening his eyes Kou found him self looking up at the ceiling of the apartment. 'Why dose this place make me feel like this?' Kou thought to him self.
He just lay there looking up for several minutes, then he heard the door open up, sitting up in the bed he saw Fiona and Anata walk in.
"Good afternoon." Kou greeted with a yawn.
"About time you woke up… So how was your day?" Anata asked.
Kou shrugged his shoulders. "Well had an interview, but that's about it… mind if I ask you something? You too Fiona?"
"Sure what is it?"
"Has this city make you feel depressed or anything?" Asked Kou.
"No… what about you sis?" Anata asked, looking over at Fiona.
"Nope."
"Kou what's wrong? Are you feeling down?" Anata asked.
"Not really but it seems this place takes a lot out of me… I should be fine. Well what will sister like for dinner?" Kou asked as he walked in to the kitchen.
At an outdoor shopping mall across the city, Shinji had found out what Asuka likes to do for fun. It was something that he should have known. Something so simple that it made Shinji feel stupid for not knowing this one thing about Asuka.
"…… Come on Shinji!" Asuka called to the boy. "Or are those little boxes to much for my poor little Baka Shinji to handle?" She went on to ask in a pouting tone.
There lagging behind Asuka, Shinji was carrying a huge arm load of boxes piled well over his head. "…. A-Asuka wait…. I can't see where…. I'm going…." Shinji managed to say as he thought not only gravity, his failing since of balance, the mass of other shoppers, and of course the impatience of the reed head he's willing to go through all that for. "… Can you just wait for a moment…..? Asuka…."
Resting her arms on her hips, "Oh very well…"
Finding a little street side diner with outdoor seating, the two teens ordered and was waiting for their drinks. They two just sat there looking at the other… each waiting for the other to say something. But each was also going over what the other was going to say in their own head. Asuka rested her chin on her and let out a heavy sigh as she looked even more closely at Shinji this made him sit up some more.
'Why is she looking at me like that? I can't tell is she's going to do something or not…' Shinji thought to himself as he looked back at Asuka trying to tell just what the hell was going through her head. But little did Shinji know, Asuka was thinking of things along the same lines…
'Just what's going through his head? One day he can barely talk to me with out stuttering, then now he can go and ask me out of date… now two dates… wait! My god that means we're a couple!' Asuka mentally screamed. 'I bet he's been talking to Kaji.'
It was a well known face among both male and female employees of NERV that Kaji was the man to go to in the matters of love and related subjects.
"Shinji?" Asuka said making Shinji jump.
"Y-yes?"
"Why?" She asked.
"Why what?" Shinji asked back.
the weightier then walked by and placed their drinks in front of them, Asuka then took her straw and started to stir it slowly; trying to subdue Shinji in some way on another.
"Why the change? You asked me out twice and in both times as far as I can tell you hadn't done anything perverted. To be honest they went pretty well. So again why the change?"
Shinji thought about it for a moment. Then Kou's words came in to his head again. If one knows where to look… then he can find the answers he's looking for. Smiling, Shinji looked at Asuka. Letting her see his smile. "I'm looking for something."
"Looking for something? Looking for what?" Asuka asked back slightly lost.
"I'll know it when I find it." Shinji answered.
'He'll know when he finds it?' Asuka asked her self. 'After thinking about it… He dose seem to he a lot more cuter with this newly found self confidence.' Thought Asuka as she took a sip of her coke.
Back across town, Kou stood in the kitchen fixing dinner for Anata and Fiona, he could hear them talking in the other room about some of the other students in their class.
"… Kensuke Aida is well how do I put this………… umm… what's the word?" Fiona said placing her finger on her chin.
"Geek." Anata said as she looked through that days homework.
"That's not too nice, but yes I guess that would be the word."
"Yeah but Toji is the typical jock, notice how when ever the class rep get on his case he'll do what she says." Anata said. "I'm sure they have a thing for each other."
"No kidding… talked about whipped. But the most interesting is Shinji Ikari. But I wonder why he's so quite?" Fiona stated.
"He is rather cute too." Anata added with a giggle. "You know if I didn't know Kou and I was two years younger I would try to be with him."
Hearing this Kou dropped what he was doing and jumped out in to the living room slightly scared. "What was that!"
"Kou I'm just talking. There is no one that can replace you. Nor would I want to. I love you to much to do that." Anata said getting up then she gave him a hug.
"And besides she would have to contend with Asuka. She may not openly admit but she really dose care for Shinji, and if someone got in her way… who knows what she'll do." Said Fiona, glancing up from her work.
"See Kou you have nothing to worry about." Anata said with a smile.
Kou looked to Anata and was able to see that she was telling the truth. "Well…okay."
"Love you."
"Love you too… I'll be in the kitchen…." Kou said as he went back in to the kitchen to finish dinner, just then Raziel walked in to getting home for the evening from work.
"I'm back... we learn anything new?" he asked.
Sitting up, Fiona let out a sigh. "More of the same… again nothing makes any since." Fiona answered. "We need some real information….. We need to do some hacking."
"Maybe we just need to look a little bit harder…."
Anata looked over at her sister and shrugged her shoulders. "I guess at school we'll ask around, maybe someone will know about this NERV thing we keep on hearing about."
Mean while out side the city, in the shadows of a mountain, something starts to form something as big as an Eva; but three times stronger. Something so fearsome… that if an angle would come across it, the Angle would bow down to it….
At the Geo Front alarms blared as people ran to their stations.
"Is it an Angle?" Misato asked looking over at anyone that could answer her.
Maya read over her computer screen providing the answers. "Negative, but it shows readings like the thing that attacked the other night, but only bigger."
"I'm calling the kids and declaring a state of emergency!" Misato said as she picked up a phone. "Get the Eva's ready for combat!"
"We can get Unit's 00 and 01 ready in three hundred seconds, but unit 02 isn't combat ready yet. We still need to finish repairs." Ritsuko said over the intercom from the cage.
Speeding through the city, Shinji and Asuka sat in the back of a section two car. "Come on can't this ten can go any faster!" Asuka demanded from the back.
"We're two minutes from the main entrance to the Geo Front. Just hold on!" The driver shouted back. Just then the driver's cell phone went off. When he answered it he handed it back to one of the children in the back.
Being closer to it, Shinji took the phone. "Hello?"
"Shinji, it's Misato. We have you guy's Eva's ready to go. They just need their pilots." Misato said from the other side of the phone.
"Is it an angle?" Shinji asked.
"No Maya seems to think that it's something from the other night, just bigger." Answered Misato.
Before Shinji was able to ask another question, Asuka snatched the phone from his hands. "What about my unit 02? Is she ready?"
"What! Who's in charge of repairing her! I demand to know why it isn't fixed yet!" Asuka screamed over the phone making Misato pull away from her end of the phone.
Once the yelling was done, Misato put her head to the phone again. "That would be the UN and they have been taking their sweet time on getting us the parts. Sorry Asuka you're sitting this one out. Shinji and Rei will take care of this one."
Across town Anata and Fiona was still doing that night's home work when Anata felt something come over her. Putting her pen down she looked up and around the room. Fiona apparently didn't feel a thing, looking down in to the kitchen she saw that Raziel and Kou where talking about some game that Raziel had found on his way home…. Why hadn't any of them felt it? It was clearly shadow, normally Kou would have felt it too, and something was different about this one. Anata couldn't see it yet but this one was meant just for her. Standing up from the floor she straightened out her cloths and stretched.
"I'm going out for some fresh air…." Anata said as she started to walk to the door.
"Dinner will be ready shortly." Kou informed his love but all he got was the door closing.
Fiona then came in to the kitchen looking worried. "What was that all about?"
Raziel shrugged his shoulders. "Her time of the month maybe?"
That answer only got Kou and Fiona glairing at him. "Okay, maybe not…."
Back at the Geo Front, Misato had just gotten word that Rei had arrived there at NERV.
"… Rei as soon as you're suited up in your plug suit, get to your Eva and launch as soon as you're ready." Misato ordered over the intercom.
In the locker room Rei quickly got her plug suit on, pressing the button on her wrist; the air was sucked out of her suit making it skin tight. "Yes Major, will Pilot Ikari and Sohyru be accompanying me in this mission?" Rei asked as she left the locker room on her way to the elevator that will take her to the cage for launch.
"Shinji and Asuka are just about there, But Asuka's unit 02 is out of action. So it's just going to be you and Shinji against this one." Misato replied.
When the doors to the elevator doors opened, Rei could see workers getting her unit 00 ready. "Miss Ayanami, Unit 00 is ready!" A worker yelled from the shoulder of her Eva.
She then ran to where the chair was placed to her entry plug. She sat in it and waited for the arm to carry her over to the plug. Once inside she started up her Eva. Light came systems came on one by one. Once powered up the cat walk moved from in front of her Eva allowing it to be rolled over o the launch tube. "Eva unit 00 ready for launch." Rei said over the com link.
IN the command room, Misato ran to launch controller. "Right Rei we'll be putting you just one thousand meters from the targets location, we'll also have your rifle there and waiting." Misato said. "Good luck. Eva units 00 LAUNCH!"
Misato watched on the screen as Rei's Eva was sent through the launch tube, and then she looked over at Maya. "Where are Shinji and Asuka?"
"Both the children are getting suited up right now, ma'am!"
"Shinji as soon as you're ready get to your Eva and launch. Rei is already out there fighting."
In the locker Shinji fought with his plug suit trying to get it on, but he was having problems with is for some reason. "Ahhh Damn it I'm just going to go in my normal cloths! I'm on my way Misato!" With that Shinji was out the doors to the locker room buttoning up his shirt.
"Asuka I'm going to need you here in the control room."
Just getting her plug suit on her self. "I'm going to my Eva! Like hell I'm just going to sit around up here."
"Asuka think about it like this, you'll be getting some command experience." Misato said. "And besides Your Eva is busted up, now get your ass here to the command room!"
Doing what she was told and not liking it in the slightest, Asuka rushed to the control room. "Stupid UN… can't get my Eva working right…. Stupid, stupid, stupid UN!"
Back at the surface, Anata stood on top of a telephone pole scanning the edge of the city. "Where are you….. I know you're there….. " stopping at the light side of a mountain, Anata knew that it was there on the other side. Lifting off the pole, she started for the mountain, knowing that there was a shadow waiting for her.
On that other side of the mountain Rei was already fighting the beast. Having her rifle already knocked from her Eva's hands, she's forced to fight hand to hand.
"Rei hold out just ten more seconds! Shinji is in the launch tube now!" Misato yelled over the com link.
Being able to knock her attacker back Rei drew a progressive knife, and was able to give the beast a stab in its side. "Great job Rei keep it up!"
"Ayanami! Get down!"
Hearing Shinji, Rei controlled her Eva to drop to the round. Just as a volley of shells went flying in to their target, knocking it back. "Rei are you alright!"
"I am unharmed….." Before Rei could say anything else, the beast was able to grab Unit 00 by the neck and lift it off the ground.
IN the control room, Misato looked over at Ritsuko. "Disconnect all nerve connections!"
"I'm on it!" Typing as fast as her fingers could move, Ritsuko was able to finish the command on the key board Misato watched in horror on the screen as unit 00's neck went limp.
"REI!"
"She's still alive!" Ritsuko yelled over at Misato.
Back at the battle, Shinji soon found himself in a had to hand fight. "Misato…. I could use some help……"
"We have air force planes on their way loaded with some heavy weapons! Just hold on Shinji!"
Knocking the beast to the ground Shinji took the chance to ready him self and his Eva for another attack. "Misato where is Asuka!"
"My Eva isn't fixed yet, so I'm helping here in the control room!" Asuka answered over the COM link.
Shinji watched as the beast brought its arm up and pointed it at Shinji and his unit 01. "What the….."
Shinji watched as a ball of energy started to form in its hand. Noticing what was going on Shinji had seconds to bring up his AT field. Even the blunt of the blast was taken up from the AT field, Unit 01 was still knocked back in to the near by mountain.
In the Geo Front Asuka watched on the main screen as Shinji and his Eva getting thrown around like a rag doll. "Damn it Misato Shinji's getting his ass kicked out there! Let me go!"
"Asuka I told you…."
"To hell with a busted Eva!" Asuka yelled at Misato then she ran for the cage.
"Damn it Asuka!" not getting any answer from the red head, Misato picked up a phone. "This is Major Katsuragi look out for the second child, she isn't to board Eva unit 02….. Just restrain her….."
Hanging up the phone, Misato saw that the command center crew and Ritsuko looking at her. "You sure that was a good idea?" Ritsuko asked.
"I busted Eva is no more good then a wounded solder."
Running as fast as she can, Asuka saw there were a couple guards there waiting for her. "Pilot Sohyru! Major Katsuragi has ordered you back to the NERV central!" one of the Guards yelled as he watched the red head ran closer and loser to where he and his partner stood guard.
"You're not keeping me from my Eva!"
Before the two guards could pull out a can of pepper spray, Asuka had jumped in to the air, placing her right foot on to the knee of the first guard then using her own speed and momentum her left foot went flying in to the head of the same guard. Knocking him out cold. Hitting the ground and doing a roll Asuka didn't slow down much. The second guard ran to a set of buttons and smashed a bit red button down. Making the blast doors to the cage, but it wasn't fast enough. Asuka had rolled under the doors and slid past them just before they closed.
"Damn it Asuka your Eva has a missing plate of chest armor! That exposes critical parts, it's stupid!"
Asuka knew that what she was doing was dumb, but she didn't care. Something came over Asuka, something that if she was asked why today. She would know. All she knew was that Shinji was in trouble ad she needed to help him.
Reaching the cage, She quickly got in to her Eva and started it up. As she did she noticed two things. One, Misato yelled over the COM link. Two, a machine gun to an Eva laying there on the ground. Controlling her Eva to move the cat walk out of the way she then picked up the gun and started to walk her Eva over to the launch tubes.
"Misato, bring me up as close as you can. Have the launcher set for the maximum speed and have the breaks turned off at the top!" Asuka said as she piloted her Eva in to place.
"No breaks! Asuka that will make you air born…" Misato said, and then it hit her. "At lest hold on let us get you some more ammo!"
"No time just launch me!"
"Do it now! Asuka just don't screw this up!"
Back on the surface, Shinji was still locked in combat with the beast when he got the word from Misato. "Shinji! Incoming!"
In the tube, Asuka sat in her Eva getting slammed hard in to her seat. "Almost there!"
Looking up just in time to see Unit 02 bust through a launch building, then go air born. Shinji watched as Unit 02 brought up its gun and take aim. Then it started to fall back to the earth firing all the remaining ammo to its gun. Each shell hit its mark, along with Asuka and her unit 02 crashing in to their target knocking it hard to the ground. Rolling clear of the beast Asuka took the now empty machine gun and swung it right in the side of the beast's head smashing the gun in to several thousand peaces and knocking it clear in to the side of the mountain.
When the dust cleared, Asuka's unit 02 turned to Shinji. "I had to make sure that you didn't end up in the hospital, because I would have to eat Misato's cooking."
Shinji sat there and glared back at the red unit 02. "I didn't know you cared….."
"Don't let your guard down now! Look that thing is still moving." Misato said over the comm link. "If you two can hold it off we have a mass driver on its way. When it get there who ever is closer take it and blast it point blank! You two got that?"
"Yes Ma'am!" Both children replied.
"And Asuka remember you have a unprotected left chest. Make sure that you guard that at all costs."
"Asuka I've got an extra prog knife!"
Taking it from the shoulder hold her of Unit 01, Shinji tossed it over to Unit 02 where Asuka cough it and took her prog knife stance; with the knife held firmly in her Eva's right hand and it's left just behind the blade.
"Shinji if we do this right we're be home in no time making me a stake dinner." Asuka said as she and Shinji faced off with the monster.
"Stake dinner?" Asked Shinji, slightly confused by the comment.
"That's right before this thing came around we where out."
"Right… Rei how are you doing?" Shinji asked looking over at the motionless Unit 00.
"My Eva is not functioning, but I am fine."
"Alright Shinji… take the left, I'll take the right." Asuka ordered then she charged head on at the beast.
Anata cleared the mountain just in time to see the two Eva's charge in to battle, each doing what they can against the well trained Shadow. But this one was bigger from the ones she was use to fighting. The biggest one she's ever taken on was no bigger then a city bus. Anata needed to think fast. Coming up with an idea, Anata brought her hands together and forced all her power to form in to several force bolts. First one formed in front of her, and then one by one others started to appear around her. Five, six, seven… eight, nine then ten in al formed around her. Sweat was started to drip down her fore head as she focused on her target. "There…. Monster EAT THIS!"
One the ground just as Rei was climbing out of her Eva she heard the warning over the radio. 'High energy reading directly to the north!' looking to the north Rei watched as ten balls of energy shot past her and each hit the monster she was just fighting. What ever those where they had vast amounts of power. Rei could see this because one of the balls went through Unit 01's AT field like it wasn't even up and it made the monster stagger around.
Anata smirked as she watched as the monster turned at her showing some fangs. "That's right…. I'm the one you want."
Bring her hands over her chest, a force bolt started to form, then it started to rotate. "You are not getting this world."
Rings started to form around the now spinning force bolt. Just as she was about to finish her divine beam, her power hit it's peek, then it miss fired.
Shinji and Asuka watched as the beam hit the monster in its arm. It let out a scream that made the pilots cover their ears but they watched on as the monsters arm started to turn in to stone.
"Asuka! Shinji! The mass driver is there! One of you two get it!" Misato ordered.
Looking over Asuka saw that the mass driver was there and waited. She piloted her Eva over to the massive weapon. Picking it up she then ran her Eva over to the monsters. Just as the arm finished turning to stone, Unit 02 formed a fist and shattered the arm making the monster turn back around to see the barrel of the mass driver pointed right in its face.
"You're mine!" Asuka said just as she pulled the trigger.
Every one in NERV covered their eyes from the flash on the screen. "Asuka! Shinji! Rei! Say something!"
Everyone waited for something from the children. "Status!"
"I'm still getting life signs from the children. And there is power reading from the other night, the same one that fired that strange beam! It's back." Ritsuko said looking over her shoulder.
"Asuka, Shinji if you can go after that other power reading!" Misato ordered.
"I'm already on top of it Misato…." Asuka said as she and her Eva stood over Anata with the mass driver pointed right at Anata. Asuka couldn't make out who it was but she could tell that it was a woman. The screens to her entry plug faded on and off from the lack of power and damage.
Anata formed two force bolts, ready for anything from this Red Eva. "What now….."
Asuka aimed her mass driver then she started to feel that this person helped them so they couldn't be bad if they helped. Asuka then lowered her weapon. "Never mind Misato, my screens are screwing up on me I thought I had her….."
Misato quaked her eye brawl. 'Her… How did Asuka know it's a her… ?' Misato thought to her self. "Alright Asuka, Shinji return back to HQ. Rei a recovery team is on their way to get you and your Eva."
Shinji and Asuka walked their Eva's back to a recovery point. "Asuka I thought you're Eva wasn't able to fight?" Shinji asked. "Did things look that bad?"
"Well yeah about that… I just took her out. Misato tried to have guards stop me." Asuka replied with a shrug of her shoulders. "I'll more then likely get written up so a reduction in pay…"
"You stole your Eva?" Shinji asked more then shocked.
"Yep sure did."
Anata flew as fast as she back to the apartments. She knew by now the others knew, and they would be mad at her for not saying anything… Kou would be the even madder about the whole thing. "Damn it that took longer then I thought it would…"
Getting to the roof of the apartment she found that Kou was there waiting for her. He watched as she landed.
"Take care of things?" He asked with a tone.
"It was taken care of…. Look Kou sorry about not telling you guys…… It's just something I had……" Before Anata could finish Kou turned around and started for the stairs.
"Your dinner is getting cold." Was all that Kou said.
"Wait Kou!"
Turning around Kou had a look that told Anata that he was pissed. A look that he had never given her before. "Not now….. Just not now."
Anata at that moment knew for sure that Kou was pissed. She just walked behind him with her head lowered. When she returned back to the apartment, Anata found that Fiona and Raziel were looking at her slightly disappointed. "Look Kou I'm sorry, but I'm just not going to let the Shadow trash this world like they got to ours."
"I said not now."
"Apparently we do need to talk about this! Kou please talk to me!" Anata said running up to Kou as he did dishes.
"Umm Raziel I think that we better get out of here so they can talk…" Fiona whispered.
Raziel nodded. "Yeah no kidding."
Silently Raziel and Fiona slipped out of the apartment as Anata tried to talk to Kou. "Damn it Kou say something!"
He again turned to Anata. "It's hot I'm taking a shower…." Then with that he folded up the wash cloth he was using then walked to the bathroom and closed the door behind him. Anata jumped slightly when she heard the door clock.
Back at NERV headquarters Asuka, Shinji and Rei all sat in an office. Misato was walking back and forth. "Rei, Shinji you two did things great… to the books even, But Asuka. I told you that your Eva was not capable of combat. But yet you took her out anyways… That was stupid!"
"Misato Shinji and wonder girl was getting their asses kicked I needed to do something." Asuka said sitting up in her chair.
"We're just lucky that nothing else happened to Unit 02…. And that the Commander was in the research lab during the battle or he would want to have you kicked out of the Eva program." Misato said making Asuka's eyes go wide. "You three go on home, Asuka and Shinji I'll be home late."
Leaving the office, the children made their way to the surface. "Ikari-kun… thank you for coming." Rei said in almost a whisper.
"It was really nothing Ayanami, but we should really thank Asuka she saved us." Shinji said looking over at Asuka.
"Of course… I am the best pilot after all."
Shinji and Rei sweat dropped after hearing that. "Sure Asuka…"
Back at the apartment, Anata waited for Kou to get out of the shower. She sat there on the floor of the one bedroom/living room with her back against the wall. When she water shut off Anata sat up some. When Kou walked out he was in little more then a set of boxers and a towel was over covering his hair. When he removed it he found that Anata was there waiting for him. "Ready to talk now?" She asked.
He didn't say anything, all he did was pulled out the folded up futon and blanket that they had gotten from Rei. When it was unfolded she crawled under the blanket, Anata soon joined him under the blanket.
"Why?" He asked.
"This one called to me… I felt it being made from something that smart…. Something more evil then itself, its voice I heard before but at the same time I couldn't place it." Anata replied in a whisper. "I didn't want you; Fiona and Raziel get in the middle of this one besides I had a run in with those huge Evangelion."
Hearing this Kou sat up some. "What happened?"
"The red one aimed some huge gun thing at me… for a second I thought that it was going to shoot, but for some reason it lowered the gun and walked away." Anata said. "Maybe since I helped them they let me go?"
"Just next time bring someone with you… come here." Kou said as he rolled over facing Anata. "I can't stay mad at you, you know that. Let's get some sleep."
Anata snuggled close to her love and pulled the blanket close to the both of them. "Kou…."
"Yeah?"
"Don't give me that look again, that scared the hell out of me…." Anata whispered. "I love you."
"Kimi o ai shiteru." Kou said in Anata's natural language making her smile.
Just down the street, Fiona and Raziel walked in to a corner store looking for something cool to drink. "I didn't think those two would ever fight." Fiona said as she opened a cooler.
Opening the one next to Fiona, Raziel looked for something to sooth that caffeine craving. "I wouldn't call it a fight." Raziel stated. "This looks good….." Grabbing a drink he looked over at Fiona who had already picked out something for her self. "I mean they're a couple, they're bound to have a disagreement or two now and then."
"If Anata could just tell us what's going on that wouldn't have happened."
Raziel shrugged his shoulders and took Fiona's drink so he could pay for them. "True… but I'm sure that she had her reasons."
"Raziel you just don't get it do you? Kou was worried sick."
Paying for their drinks, he and Fiona started back to the apartment. "Maybe I don't get it. Maybe I wont until I come across the something, but until then Anata our sister some times needs her space. I'm sure that you can understand that?"
"I guess I can't…. Besides have you noticed that Anata has been acting strange?" Fiona asked.
"No." Raziel replied quickly. "I think you're just reading to much in to others emotions."
"Or maybe you're not reading enough in to them?" Fiona said back making Raziel think.
"Umm maybe not…. Come on maybe they stopped and things are quite."
Minutes later Fiona and Raziel returned back to the apartment to find Anata and Kou sound asleep on the futon like nothing had happened. They both seemed happy just being like that with each other. Kou had his arms around Anata like he was holding on to her like he wasn't going to let her go again.
T.B.C.