Disclaimer: I do NOT own Evangelion; Anno does...

Chapter 06: "Asuka Strikes!"

"Correct" commander Ikari said through the telephone "the committee just gave its approval, the cargo it's making its way over here."

Near the sun-bathed coast of Japan, a UN carrier helicopter made its way to open waters.

"Awesome! A MIG-55 transport helicopter! I never thought that I will be riding one of these!" Exclaimed an over excited Kensuke. "I'm so lucky to have you as my friend!" he said turning to a barely conscious Shinji.

"Yeah yeah, I'm amazing, now shut up and let me sleep damn it…" yawned Shinji, trying to find a comfortable position on his seat.

"That's the last time I let you watch TV 'til so late at night." Scolded Misato from the front seat.

"Whatever…" he replied drowsily, "Where are we going anyway?"

"Well, since I thought that you may be getting sick of your mountain trips, I decided to bring all of you to a date on that cute little boat down there!"

"Ah go…A what?" Shinji sat up alarmed and turned to see through the window, effectively, there where various ships visible, "ah crap…" he gulped, ignoring Touji's attempts to show of to his guardian or the exited remarks of his military-fanboy friend.

The helicopter finally landed on the carrier 'Over the Rainbow'. Touji was the first to hop out; he was in the middle of stretching from the long trip when one gust of wind created by the copter's propellers sent his cap flying through the deck. "What the…Hey come back here!"

The second one was Kensuke and his camera, who didn't waste a second before starting to record every inch of the ship.

The third one was Misato, who was clutching her jacket and beret to avoid something similar to what happened to the jock. Way behind her was Shinji, looking nervously around him and hoping that the ship would stay afloat. He was too distracted wondering why the lifeboats weren't visible that he didn't notice the approaching of a new member to their little group.

"Well hello Misato!" An arrogant, female voice cut him out of his mussing. He turned around and his breath caught in mid throat.

Before them was a young girl, around his age, her light yellow sun dress waving in the wind along with her long red hair. He also noticed a pair of red neural connector on her head, meaning that this was in fact the new pilot they were supposed to pick up, and his soon to be co-worker.

"Let me introduce you!" Said Misato, "This is the designated pilot of Eva Unit-02, Asuka Langley Sohryu"

"Whoa…" He lowered his gaze to see his friend Touji trying to free his cap from under the girl's foot, when a sudden gust of wind lifted the redhead skirt, giving the young men more than a little view of her panties.

Misato watched amused as Asuka slapped all three boys almost at the same time. "What the hell was that for?" Demanded a pained and very angry jock.

"That was the viewing few." She answered arrogantly, "Quite a bargain huh?"

"Yeah, right…" he replied "Here, I'll show you a bargain!" He said dropping his pants, and underwear.

"You disgusting pig!"

"Ouch…" Groaned Kensuke when his childhood friend was floored with a power-slap. "That's gonna leave a mark…"

"Oh man…" Shinji whined disgusted as the after image of the pretty girl's underwear was burned and replaced by the sight of Touji's bare ass. "Dude! I didn't want to see that!"

"Now tell me!" Asuka said approaching Misato, "Who's the famous Third Child?" She turned accusingly towards the twitching jock on the ground, "Ugh…don't tell me…"

"Don't worry…" the woman ensured, "This is the third child, Shinji Ikari" She said giving the nervous boy in question a little not so gentle push.

"Err…hmm…Hi! I'm Shinji, nice to meet ya!" He said, extending his hand to greet the redhead.

"Meh…Not much to look at…" She said nonchalantly, taking the offered hand, "Nice hair-do though."

"…Err…thanks?"

"When are you going to give us the transfer of Unit-02 then?" Asked Misato to the ship's captain.

"Once we arrive at New Yokosuko" answered the admiral.

"The ocean is our jurisdiction" added the captain, "you will follow our orders here!"

"I understand" replied Misato. "However I should remind you that in case of an Angel related emergency NERV's authority overrides yours."

"She's awesome…" Touji said staring dreamingly at the older woman.

"So she can act serious…" whispered Shinji in awe.

"Well well…" interrupted a smug voice, "I'm glad to see you're as gallant as always Katsuragi"

"Kaji!" squealed Asuka, rushing to his side and clinging happily to his arm.

Some of the other occupants of the room weren't as exited as her thought.

The captain of the ship was annoyed at the un-shaved man's constant self invitations to his bridge, Shinji was a little jealous at this guy for taking the full attention of the pretty

redhead and Misato was downright pissed at finding here, of all places, one of the very few people she honestly didn't want to see again.

"It's just me? …or is getting a bit cold here…" The agent thought, feeling the trio of not so friendly stares on him.

"What are you doing here?" Asked Misato as the little group descended in a miniature elevator towards a cafeteria below deck.

"I'm escorting Asuka from NERV's Third branch in Germany" Replied Kaji. "Don't you remember? That's where I've been working for a few years now."

"I should've known…" muttered the frustrated captain, "I should've anticipated this…"

"Don't touch me there!" both ladies on the little cart yelled as one when they felt a foreign touch on her bodies.

"I can' help it!" both Touji and Kaji shouted, trying in bane to defend themselves.

No one noticed Kensuke and Shinji's almost invisible blush and grin.

"So!" the unshaved man inquired once they reached the cafeteria. "Do you have a boyfriend now Katsuragi?"

"I don't think that's any of your concern…" she replied bitterly.

"You're so mean…" mocked the agent, then turned to the other male on his side of the table, "Hey Shinji, you live with Misato right?"

"Yeah?"

"So tell me…" the agent asked slyly resting his chin on his hands and his elbows on the table, "Is she still so wild on bed?"

Kaji then faced three pair of disgusted eyes, and other that was both offended and embarrassed. Shinji however looked a bit confused at first, before mimicking the un-shaved man's pose and look. "Of course…" he replied in the same low voice, "just give us some champagne and some whipped cream and we can have one heeell of a night…"

All eyes then turned to Shinji. Both he and Kaji keep looking at each other for a little while before laughter claimed them. "What the hell was all that about!" roared a very red faced, angry Misato.

"Ah man!" grinned Kaji, "She's still very easy to annoy, isn't she, Shinji?"

"Heh Heh! Tell me about it!" He agreed, "By the way, how do you know my name?"

"How couldn't I?" the agent retorted. "You're very famous in our business!"

"…I am?" The third child blinked in confusion.

"Of course!" he confirmed, "You're the famous Third Child! Who stopped single handed the third and fourth Angel and kept safe NERV's budget by stopping the J.A. Project."

"Heh Heh. That was just luck." Shinji replied nervously, ignoring Asuka's nasty, dirty glare.

"Luck is your special talent my friend" Kaji said wisely.

"Yeah, too bad is only for that…" Shinji thought lamely, remembering the money he owned to some seniors at school.

"So…" Kaji asked his redhead companion, "What do you think of Mr. Ikari?"

They were in one of the observation points of the carrier, after leaving the dinner room.

"The 'famous Third Child'?" Asuka responded bored "He's a disappointment…He seems irresponsible and immature and…"

"And he got an above 40 synch ratio in his first try without any training" Kaji interrupted. "Not to mention that he managed to keep in control of a rampant Eva."

"Really?" She exclaimed surprised, she looked thoughtful for a moment before turning around and leaving for parts unknown.

"The great Third Child? Yeah right!" Said Asuka as she looked around the ship for her fellow pilot. She was still mad at him for getting those words of praise from her Kaji.

"Just you wait; I'll show you…everyone who's the greatest pilot!" She finally found her target as the little group was climbing the escalators towards the main deck. "Hey! Third!" She said stepping in front of their path, "You're coming with me."

"Cool! A red Eva!" Shinji said excitedly as they reached the freighter where they held Unit-02. "Almost like a giant Ferrari!"

"Its colour is not the only difference…" Asuka said, ignoring his comment. "Units 00 and 01 where created during the developing stage of the project" she said climbing on the robot's back, "Unit-01 going out of control and you being able to pilot it are proof enough; however Unit-02 is different, being the Production Model, Unit-02 is the first real Evangelion created for actual combat conditions!"

"Whoa!" Shinji replied, "That soun…W-What the hell?" He yelled Alarmed when the boat rocked violently.

"An Underwater Explosion!" Asuka said, regaining her posture, "and it sounded close…" She quickly climbed down the Eva's back, and both pilots rushed out towards an observation point.

"Look!" Shouted the German. One of the various battleships exploded violently in a purple-blue explosion, soon another one found the same fate. "Could it be?" She said exited, "A real Angel?"

Shinji went pale. "A-a-an A-Angel?" He gulped loudly. "Why here? In the middle of the ocean? So far away from dry land?"

"Heh Heh…Now's my chance…"

"…And why I don't like that tone?"

"I can't believe it…" Shinji muttered. After Asuka had dragged him all the way back to Unit-02. "And what the hell is she doing in there?" he shouted exasperated after the redhead locked herself in a changing room a little while back. "Hey! Would you hur…ha…he…err…" He opened abruptly the door, only to find Asuka almost naked, with only her plug-suit around her thighs.

"Get the hell out of here!" She screamed, blushing in embarrassment and anger.

"S-Sorry!" He yelped, managing to dodge the shoe she threw at him and getting out of the room. He lay back on the door, catching his breath. "Oh God…" He shuddered when the ship was shaken by another explosion. "Well, if I die here…" he grinned, "At least I'll go happy."

Shortly after that, Asuka emerged from the changing room, fully clothed in her skin tight red plug-suit. "Here…" she said shoving a suit similar to her own in his arms. "Put this on."

Shinji held the offered suit from its shoulders. He eyed it from up to down and gave her an odd look "Are you insane?"

"What did you said?"

"Look. My plug-suit is a pain in the ass…Literally…" He hissed, "Who knows what this thing may do to me!"

"We don't have time for this bull shit!" She retorted, "Either you put that on or you stay in the ship! Your choice!"

Shinji was in a dilemma; in one hand he had the possibility of going in the same entry-plug with a good looking girl…while wearing a stupid plug-suit that would most certainly give him the most painful and humiliating wedgie of his young life. On the other hand, he also feared deeply the fact that he may die in the ship when the angel attacked it, but at least he would be comfy.

"Well?"

"All right! All right! I'll…I'll put this on…" he sighed in defeat and entered the room.

"Damn…" he sighed after putting the plug-suit on, "I haven't pressurized it yet and it's already bad…" He sighed again, eyeing the button on his left wrist "Well…here goes nothing…" and he pressed the button.

"And he dared complain that I took too long!" Asuka said, her hands on her hips and taping her foot impatiently, "What the hell is ta…"

"Oh my god! It burns!" Shinji got out of the changing room. His eyes near tears and his hands protectively over his crotch.

"You ready?" Asuka asked innocently, trying her best not to laugh.

"S-Shut…up…" Shinji said shaking. He managed to follow the red head up to the Eva's entry-plug, "By the way, does Misato know about this?"

"I'll get her permission after I've beaten it!" She replied entering the plug. "Now be ready to witness the definition of an Eva pilot!" She stated proudly, "Just be sure of not disturb me."

"Ok, what now, oh great leader?" Shinji asked, positioning himself next to the pilot's seat.

Asuka ignored him and proceeded with the start sequence. "LCL einleiten. Beginn der Bewegung. Beginn des Nervenanschlusses. Korrigiere Linksneigung. Synchronisation, Start!" (Fill in LCL. Begin of movement. Begin of neural connection. Correct left tilt. Synchronisation, Start!)

"Looks like whatever that was didn't work…" Shinji said nonchalantly when error messages flared across the plug.

"It's thought noise…I told you not to disturb me!"

"Wha…Me?"

"You're thinking in Japanese aren't you?" She questioned, "If you're going to think do it in German!"

He gave her an odd look, "How the hell I'm supposed to do that?"

"Idiot!" She growled, "Oh fine!" She sighed frustrated, "Switch language to basic Japanese!" The message errors disappeared, allowing view of the outside. "Eva Unit-02! Go!"

Back in the aircraft carrier, everything was in chaos. The unknown menace was disposing easily with the fleet, while all efforts for stopping it seemed in vain.

"Unit-02 is activating!" announced one of the marines at the bridge, making everyone look on the direction of the cargo ship holding the red Eva.

"Way to go Asuka!" Misato cheered as she watched the robot rising on the boat, still covered by the tent.

However, the ship's captain didn't look as pleased. "Abort the start sequence! That robot is operating without my autho…" He was interrupted when a certain purple haired woman snatched the microphone from his hands.

"Don't listen to that idiot! Go for it Asuka!"

"I never gave the order to activate that thing!" The captain said taking the microphone back. "You're violating my authority!"

"You're saying it as if I should care!"

"How dare you…"

"Excuse me…" Interrupted the admiral, "But, do you realize that Unit-02 is still using the B-type equipment?"

"What?"

"Please, whatever you do, do not fall in the water." Shinji begged, clutching the back of the pilot seat.

"Why, can't you swim?" Asuka grinned teasingly.

"…err…well…I…no." he answered lamely.

"…You're kidding right?"

"Shinji? Are you in there too?" The voice of one Misato Katsuragi through the comm. grabbed their attention.

"Not by choice that's for sure…"

"Will you stop complaining?"

"Asuka! Take of!" Commanded Misato

"Just what I was waiting for!" Asuka shouted, willing her mecha to jump from the ship it was standing on towards one of the nearby battle ships, just before the Angel destroyed the freighter.

"We have less than a minute of power left!" Said Shinji alarmed.

"I know that!" Asuka retorted "Misato! Get the power connector on the flight deck!"

"W-What are you planning t…"

"Let's play Hopscotch!"

"What?"

Unit-02 jumped surprisingly graciously between ships. Back in the aircraft carrier, every one was frantic, expecting the landing of the Evangelion.

"Eva Unit-02 preparing for landing!"

"Oh my God! We're gonna die!"

The Eva landed heavily on the carrier, sending numerous airplanes into the ocean as it regained its balance.

"Quick! The angel is approaching from…uh…three? …no…err…that way!"

"Unit-02 switching to external power." Asuka said after connecting the umbilical cable to the back of the Eva.

The Angel approached rapidly towards the carrier. "Now that's one big bastard…" Shinji said in awe when the angel exposed part of its back. "By the way, how are we gonna fight it?"

"The progressive knife should be enough!"

"That cardboard cutter? Are you serious?" The immense Angel landed heavily on the ship's main deck, crushing several airplanes. Unit-02 struggled with it after loosing the Prog. Knife, when suddenly, part of the deck gave away and the angel, along the Eva, sank in the ocean.

"Asuka, you can't fight underwater with the B-type equipment!" They heard Misato warning over the comm.

"You'll never know unless you try!" Asuka replied back confidently. The angel struggled to get the red Eva of its back through the submerged streets of what once was the city of Odawara.

"The cable is about to run out! Get ready for the Shock!" Misato warned. Seconds later the Eva was shacked violently, disengaging it from the Angel's body.

"Shit!" Cursed Asuka when the Angel got out of sight. "Where did it go?"

"There." Answered Shinji, pointing towards the Angel when it appeared once again on the screen, swimming rapidly in their direction.

"Great! I'll finish it of this time!" growled Asuka, pushing the robot's controls, willing it to move.

Nothing

"W-What the hell?" She yelped alarmed.

"B-type equipment, remember?"

"Well, what are you planning to do?"

"…Me?"

"You're the famous Third Child aren't you? Do something!"

"And what do you want me to do?" He gave her an odd look, "Get out and push?"

"You stu…"

"Look out!"

"Wu…tha…A Mouth?" Asuka went pale when the Angel opened its massive fang-armed jaws.

"Meh…It's less freaky than the last one…"

"What?" The angel closed its immense jaws around the Eva, trapping it between its long teeth.

"I dunno why, but this reminds me when we went fishing last summer." Touji commented. "Remember that time, Ken?"

"Yeah, it was nice, and I caught this huge…"

"That's it! Fishing!" Misato exclaimed. "Asuka! Shinji! Don't let the angel get away!" She closed the communication with Unit-02 before she could get any answer and turned towards the ship's captain with a serious look on her face.

"Shinji! Asuka! Do you understand the operation?"

"Who told you that you could pilot my Eva?"

"Cut that out! Don't worry, we got it!"

"All ships opening the Kingston valve!"

"Ok! Reverse the cable!"

Both battle ships started to sink at the same time the Eva, along with the Angel, were reeled upward.

"Get of my lap you pervert!" Said Asuka, hitting Shinji on his head.

"But if we don't open this thing's mouth before the ships reach us we're done for!" retorted Shinji.

"You're doing this on purpose aren't you?" replied Asuka, still trying to get him off her.

"Ah, of course, I'm using this 'live or die' situation while inside a giant tuna fish, which, is I might add, one of my worse nightmares, to try to feel you up." Shinji said deadpan. "What kind of idiot do you think I am? Give me a break will ya?"

"Whatever…" She sighed, "Just don't get any funny ideas..." she said bending on top of him to reach the controls.

"Didn't I tell you that…"

"Just concentrate your thoughts ok?"

"Oh alright…"

The battle ships approached rapidly towards the still closed mouth of the Angel.

Unit-02 struggled, almost in vain to open the beast's jabs. "Open… Open… Open…" Asuka though, pulling at the controls with all her strength, their time running out.

"Open… Open… Open Open Open Open Open …" Shinji thought getting desperate, "Open Open Open Your stupid mouth already! You stupid overgrown tadpole!"

Unit-02's eye shone brightly. The robot pushed with all its might, opening the Angel's mouth just in time for the battle ships to ram into it, and fire directly at the core at its bottom.

A huge explosion rocked the nearby surviving ships; the Eva fortunately landed on top of the aircraft carrier and collapsed, completely out of power.

"Wow…" said Maya in awe at the huge teeth marks along Unit-02's body.

"Yeah…" agreed Ritsuko, without looking up from her notes. "It's gonna take a while to repair it."

After the battle with the sixth Angel, Unit-02 had been transported to NERV Hq. "It's amazing it wasn't torn in half."

"Well, the Evas are very strong, but yeah, I guess they were lucky."

"By the way, do you know anything about the guy that came earlier today?" Asked Maya.

"Ah yes, He's Ryoji Kaji, he's an old friend of mine" said Ritsuko, "He's here to deliver something for the commander."

"Do you know what it could be ma'am?"

"Just some documents from the UN…" Ritsuko lied. "Well, we have a lot of work to do, lets go, Maya."

"Man! She was cute, but she was a real bitch!" Touji said, relaxing in his desk.

"She's not that bad…" Shinji objected.

"Did you forget that she pretty much forced you to wear a female plug suit?" Kensuke added, "I still have the pictures if you need a reminder."

"It still hurts…" Shinji thought, "Shut up...besides, I don't see why you are complaining."

"She slapped me! Twice!" Touji said offended.

"Well, you deserved it." Shinji retorted.

"What are y…?"

"Touji, I'm telling you this as a friend…" Shinji interrupted, putting a hand on the jock's shoulder, "You're an idiot."

"What?"

"Dude, you saw her panties up close!" Shinji shouted, "And she only slapped you! But nooo, you had to complain and take of you pants, embarrassing not only both me and Kensuke, but Misato as well!"

"True true…" Nodded Kensuke, "I mean, who with half a brain would like to see your sorry ass?"

"ACHOO!"

"Bless you."

"Thanks…" sniffed Hikari, "I may be catching a cold; I better take care of it before it gets worse…Oh, here we are!" The brunette opened the class room door, allowing her and her companion to enter.

The new student wrote her name on the blackboard, under two horrified glances, one in disbelief and lot of curious ones. Once finished she spun around, her long, red hair following graciously behind.

"Hi! I'm Asuka Langley Sohryu! Charm'd Huh?"

To be continued…

That was fun :)

Anyway, as always, thanks to StormOfDragons for prereading this thing.

Thanks to all of you who bother to read this thing too ;)

Any coment, opinion whatever, just let me know.

Till next time!