Author's Notes: Once again, thanks to all of those who reviewed, including Rahhel. Please enjoy the next chapter!
---
Chapter 7
---
The Katsuragi household, late at night, in Shinji and Jason's room
Jason is lying wide awake on his futon and is listening to his CD player
Jason: (thinking) Jeez, that's the most food I've ever made! Potato Dumplings, Sauerbraten, Spaetzle, Hasenpfeffer, Pork with Vegetable Sauce, and for dessert, a German Chocolate Cake! How can Asuka eat so much and be so thin!
Jason rolls onto his side and winces in pain
Jason: (thinking) Ow! Stupid burns... What the hell happened inside Unit-14 anyways?
Jason sighs and skips to track 14 on his CD
Jason: (thinking) And... What did Ritsuko mean... When she said I didn't remember? She sounded so... Sad...
Jason rolls back onto his backside and winces inpain again
Jason: (thinking) I'll ask her about it the next time I get a chance to talk to her alone... I better get to sleep, it's my first day of Japanese High School tommorow...
Jason slowly closes his eyes and drifts off to sleep
---
The sound of shuffling wakes Jason from his sleep. Shinji is making his bed
Jason: (groggily) Hey, Shin-man... What are you doing?
Shinji jumps a little in surprise, then quickly bows to Jason
Shinji: S-sorry, Jason... I didn't meant to wake you up...
Jason yawns and slowly crawls out of bed
Jason: Don't worry about it, Shinji. So, why are you up so early?
Shinji: Well, I have to get everything ready. There's breakfast, our lunches, I have to feed Pen-Pen. I also have to make sure some coffee is ready for you and Asuka.
Jason smirks a little
Jason: (slyly) Asuka, huh?
Shinji: Y-yeah... I mean, she'd kill me if there wasn't any coffee...
Jason: Ok... Whatever you say...
Shinji: I also have to get the newspaper for Pen-Pen, take a shower, get dressed, help you get ready for school and-
Jason clamps his hand over Shinji's mouth
Jason: Hold it! Hold it! That's a lot for one person to take on... Now, I can get ready for school myself... And I'll make breakfast, feed Pen-Pen and make the coffee while you take a shower. Then, after that, you can make our lunches, get the newspaper for Pen-Pen and get our school stuff together, deal?
Jason removes his hand from Shinji's mouth and Shinji smiles and nods
Shinji: Ok... Pen-Pen's food is in the fridge. It's the salmon. He likes it fried with a pinch of seasoning.
Jason nods
Jason: Ok, and I know where most of the other food is, thanks to last night.
Shinji laughs
Shinji: You thought that was a lot? Asuka usually eats more than that.
Jason: She probably just likes your cooking.
Shinji blushes
Jason: Well, we better get started!
---
Jason smiles as he sips his coffee. Everything turned out good. Pen-Pen was reading his newspaper with a content look, Asuka had enjoyed the breakfast he made, thought commented on how it didn't compare to Shinji's cooking. He and Shinji were ready for school, and were just waiting for Asuka to get done getting ready
Asuka walks into the kitchen
Asuka: Ok, you two, let's go!
Shinji and Jason stand up and follow Asuka out the door and start to walk to school. About halfway there, a girl meets up with them
Asuka: (happily) Hikari!
Hikari: Asuka!
The two girls greet eachother with a hug and start to talk about anything and everything
Jason: Well, it looks like we'll just get in the way here. Come on, let's walk ahead, Shinji.
Shinji nods and the two go ahead, leaving the two girls to talk to eachother
Hikari: So, Asuka. Who was that?
Asuka looks towards where Hikari is staring
Asuka: Oh, him? That's Jason, a new pilot.
Hikari: He's kind of cute...
Asuka: I thought you liked that stooge, Touji?
Hikari blushes
Hikari: Well, yeah... But I can look, can't I?
Asuka: Of course! It's not like you and Touji are going out... Actually, I'd rather you date Jason than that stooge... Jason's alot smarter than Touji... Of course, a rock is more intelligent than Touji...
Hikari: Asuka! Touji isn't stupid!
Asuka: (sarcastically)Right... I don't know what you see in him...
Hikari: He's handsome, kind, funny, caring...
Asuka: Alright already! You're going to make me puke... Come on, we better hurry, it'd be bad if the Class Representative was late.
Asuka and Hikari quickly run towards the school
---
Kensuke and Touji are standing in front of the school, waiting for Shinji. They are both surprised when they see Shinji walking up with another guy
Touji: Yo, Shinji! Who's the new guy?
Shinji: Oh, this is Jason...
Kensuke: Hmm... You look like an American... What brings you all the way here to Japan?
Jason: Well, I guess it's because of me being the designated pilot of Evangelion Unit-14...
Both Touji and Kensuke give a surprised look
Kensuke: You mean I was passed up, AGAIN? Why doesn't Miss Misato want me to be a pilot?
Touji: (playfully) Probably because you're such a wimp, Kensuke!
Kensuke: HEY!
Kensuke turns towards Jason
Kensuke: Well, I'm Kensuke Aida. Why don't you tell me more about Unit-14?
Jason: Well, I guess so...
Touji pulls Shinji off to the side
Touji: (whispering) Shinji... I don't trust this guy...
Shinji: (whispering) What? You mean Jason? Why?
Touji: (whispering) He's too nice... I'd keep an eye on him if I were you...
Shinji: (whispering) He really isn't a bad guy, Touji... You should try to get to know him.
Touji: (whispering) Yeah, well... I'm keeping an eye on him... I don't trust him...
Jason: Um, Shinji?
Shinji jumps in surprise and turns to Jason
Shinji: Yeah, Jason?
Jason: I'm going to go to the main office to report in... I'll see you later.
Shinji: Oh. Ok, Jason.
Jason turns around and heads into the building
---
Later in the Sophomore homeroom
Hikari: Rise, bow, sit.
The class follows Hikari's instructions quickly, and the teacher clears his throat
Teacher: Class, today we have a new student from the United States.
The teacher turns to the classroom door and motions for the student to come forward. Jason slowly walks in and stands in front of the class
Teacher: Please introduce yourself to the class.
Jason: I'm Jason Fellers, a transfer student from the U.S.
Jason quickly bows
Jason: It is an honor to be here.
Teacher: Thank you, Mr. Fellers. Please sit behind Mr. Aida.
Jason nods slightly and and walks down the rows and sits behind Kensuke. Jason then pulls out his school laptop and turns it on. Almost as soon as it's on, a message pops up that reads 'I'm keeping an eye on you!' Jason looks up and notices Touji staring at him with a menacing look. Jason gulps and looks back at his computer. Another message pops up, from someone called 'Class Rep' it reads 'Hi. You're really cute... I'm watching you.' Jason looks up but doesn't see anyone looking at him. He returns to his laptop and begins taking notes on the teacher's lecture
Jason: (thinking) What a weird way to start school...
---
In the Sophomore Homeroom, during lunchtime
Jason sighs and continues to type on his laptop. Suddenly, a shadow falls over his desk and Jason looks up to see Shinji standing beside him
Jason: Yeah, what can I do for you, Shinji?
Shinji: I was wondering if you wanted to eat lunch with us?
Jason looks behind Shinji to see Kensuke and Touji standing there. Kensuke is smiling, but Touji is frowning and shaking his head
Jason: Y-you know... I really need to get some work done... Maybe some other time, huh Shinji?
Shinji frowns slightly, but nods
Shinji: Ok... See ya, Jason.
Jason: See ya...
Jason watches as Shinji walks off with Kensuke and Touji, then sighs and turns back to his laptop. Before he is able to resume working, another shadow falls over his desk. Looking up, Jason finds Asuka standing by his desk
Jason: Oh, hi Asuka, what's up?
Asuka: Hey, how about having lunch with me and Hikari?
Jason looks behind Asuka to see the girl from earlier, obviously Hikari
Jason: I don't know... I mean... I have alot of work to do...
Asuka: You would pass up a chance to eat with the two most popular girls in the Sophomore class to work? I don't think so!
Asuka grabs Jason's arm and yanks him outside
---
Shinji, Kensuke and Touji are standing in their normal spot during lunch, on top of the school building. Touji is looking out over the school yard when he suddenly jumps and points
Touji: Hey, guys! Look! That new kid is walking with Asuka and Hikari!
Shinji looks down and sees Jason being yanked down a sidewalk by Asuka. He scratches his head in confusion
Shinji: I thought he said he was busy...
Touji: (angrily) Yeah, I bet he just wanted to put the moves on the girls! He better stay away from Hikari...
Kensuke: (teasingly) Why, Touji? Do you have a thing for the Class Rep?
Touji: Uh, no! It's... She's just... My friend! And I'm worried about her!
Kensuke: (sarcastically) Right...
Asuka, Hikari and Jason sit down on a bench. Touji notices Hikari scooting closer to Jason
Touji: (thinking) I am going to kick his ASS!
---
Laterthat day at the Geo-Front
Ritsuko: How are the children?
Maya: Shinji is currently rewiring the Geo-Front's emergency power, Asuka is finished reconstructing Building 495-65-B up on the surface and Jason is staged just outside Central Dogma with the E-Type Equipment.
Ritsuko nods and turns to Darren and Kyle
Ritsuko: Begin Jason's task...
---
Inside Unit-14
Jason sighs as hestares ahead at the terrain of the Geo-Front through his viewscreen
Jason: (thinking) Shinji's friends don't seem to like me very much, especially Touji...
The comm system crackles to life
Kyle: (over comm) Jason? You ready?
Jason: Huh? Oh, y-yeah...
Kyle: (over comm) Ok. Let me tell you about the E-Type Equipment. The E-Type Equipment allows an Eva to fly by increasing booster power. Currently, Unit-14 is the only Eva that is capable of using the E-Type Equipment. The main downside to the E-Type Equipment is that an Umbilical Cable is not usable, due to the fact that the E-Type Equipment's main booster, when extended, covers the Umbilical acces port. Also because the Umbilical Cable would hamper flight and control in flight.
Jason nods
Jason: So, I only have five minutes of activation while using the E-Type Equipment, correct?
Kyle: (over comm) Um, no. The E-Type Equipment drains a lot of power from the battery. You only have an activation time of two and a half minutes while using it.
Jason: That's stupid...
Kyle chuckles
Kyle (over comm) Perhaps... Anyways, we need you to fly up to the surface with that load of metal beside you.
Jason: What's it for?
Kyle: (over comm) To repair the hole in the Geo-Front.
Jason: Ok. I'm ready.
---
In the command center
Darren: Beggining activation of Arial Gear.
Kyle: Arial Gear?
Darren: It's shorter than E-Type Equipment...
Kyle: Oh...
Darren: Beggining stage 1.
Kyle: Power back-flow is stable...
Darren: Secondary boosters locking into place...
Kyle: LCL pressure changed to designated comfort zone.
Darren: Initiating Stage 2.
Kyle: Nerve connections between pilot, Eva and Arial Gear all green.
Darren: Booster start-up engaged. Pre-heating turbines... Turbines to speed...
Kyle: Main coolant and emergency coolant tanks both read full. Emergency Ejection Hydraulic Systems are operational.
Darren: Starting main booster.
Kyle: Disengaging the Umbilical Cable. It's all yours, Jason!
---
Jason smirks and quickly grabs the pile of metal next to his Eva. He then concentrates and the Eva begins to rise through the air
---
Ritsuko stares up at the viewscreen
Ritsuko: (thinking) Only man would be foolish enough to turn a Demon into an Angel...
---
Jason easily makes it to the surface with time to spare. He quickly attaches an Umbilical Cable to his Eva after turning the Arial Gear off
Jason: Piece of cake...
---
Off the coast of Japan, a four-legged, gigantic creature slowly ambles inland. Its red eyes begin glowing and it suddenly speeds off at a speed of over five hundred kilometers an hour, straight towards Tokyo-3
---
Inside the Control Center in Central Dogma, alarms start to go off
Shigeru: AT Field detected! It's originating from 100 meters off the coast, and is rapidly approaching!
Ritsuko: What? Is it an Angel?
Maya: The Magi cannot confirm. Target is moving too fast!
Shigeru: Target has reached Tokyo-3! It's headed for-huh?
All of the alarms suddenly stop
Ritsuko: What happened?
Makoto: The target just... Dissappeared...
Misato: Asuka, keep an eye out! Kyle, tell Jason the same.
Kyle: Yes, ma'am.
---
Up on the surface, both Asuka and Jason slowly scan the surrounding area
Jason: So, what are we looking for?
Kyle: (over comm) We don't know, just keep an eye out for anything suspicious...
A few minutes pass in silence
Asuka: (agitated) So, what? Was it a false ala-
Suddenly, a giant four legged creature rips through a building and lands on Unit-14, knocking it to the ground. The mosnter looks like a mix between an anteater and a weasel and is covered in brown fur. What looks to be armor covers its head, back, front upper leg joints, front ankles, back shins, back feet and the tip of its tail. The monster lets out a screech and bites into Unit-14's left shoulder
Jason: AHHH! OH GOD!
Jason clutches his left shoulder, feeling the destruction of his Eva. The monster pulls back, ripping a chunk from Unit-14's shoulder
---
Back in the Control Center, people are running around, trying to figure what's going on
Misato: Asuka! Help Jason!
Ritsuko: Misato, none of their equipment is made for combat!
Misato: Just... Um... Damn it! Use the Rivet Gun Asuka!
---
Back up on the surface, Asuka picks up the Rivet Gun. The Rivet Gun is a large gun that shoots large rivets at high speeds and heat. It's used for construction by Evas. Asuka pulls the trigger and five rivets fly towards the monster. With lightning quick reflexes, the monster does a backflip over the rivets. The rivets fly into a nearby building and the monster lands several hundred feet away from Unit-14
Misato: (over comm) That can't be good...
---
Inside the building, a man is walking through his apartment, holding
a tray of food. Suddenly, a large rivet flies through the wall to his
right, just in front of him, and knocks the tray of food out of his
hands, but leaves the man uninjured. Another rivet flies through the
right wall, just behind the man. It passes close enough to catch his
shirt and rip it off. Another pierces the wall, just above the man,
and takes a few inches of his hair.
Man: (shakily) I h-have a b-b-bad feeling ab-b-bout this...
---
Asuka: Oops...
Jason's Eva slowly stands up, but the monster attacks again, knocking the Eva to the ground again
Jason: God damn it!
---
In the control center, everyone watches in horror as the monster rips parts from Unit-14's face, takes off half of the left arm and begins to claw and chew at
Unit-14's chest, apparently trying to tear into it
Ritsuko: (thinking) Why is it only attacking Jason?
Misato: SHINJI! Report back to the cage to receive combat equipment!
Kyle: Jason's life signs are fading!
Darren: Nerve connections won't cut off!
Mistato: Hurry, Shinji!
---
Unit-01 rushes to a nearby launch pad and the Eva is recovered. Back in the cage, the construction shoulder packs are quickly replaced with the combat shoulder packs
Technician: Unit-01's ready for launch!
Misato: Right! LAUNCH EVA!
---
Back on the surface, Unit-02 is pounding its fists on the back of the monster. The creature ignores the Eva and continues to attack Unit-14
Jason: (thinking) I have to get it off of me!
Using all of his strength, Jason kicks the monster off of him and into the building Asuka had just finished
Asuka: Wha- YOU IDIOT!
At this time, Unit-01 rises from an elevator. Without any hesitation, Unit-01 charges at the monster, pulling its prog knife out as it rushes towards its target.
The monster flew from the wreckage of the building right at Unit-01 and slammed it into a nearby building.
Misato: (over comm) Shinji, be careful! We haven't had time to evacuate anybody!
Shinji: Right! I'll try to keep it away from the buildings, Misato!
Unit-01 rears back its arm and delivers a tremendous punch to the monster's face. The monster flies back and skids along the ground, tearing up pavement and knocking cars to the left and right. Unit-01 stands up and rushes towards the monster, prog knife at the ready. Suddenly, the monster seems to vanish. Unit-01 skids to a halt and looks around
Shinji: W-where'd it go?
Without warning, the monster reappears behind Unit-01 in the air and thrusts its tail straight throught Unit-01's upper left shoulder.
Shinji: AHHHH!
Misato: Quickly! Disconnect Unit-01's Nerve Connections!
Just as the Nerve Connections were broken, the monster angled its tail and sliced Unit-01's head off
Misato: What's Shinji's status?
Makoto: Pilot is alive!
Asuka: SHINJI! (to monster) YOU BASTARD!
Unit-02 turns to the monster and starts to try to attack it. The monster continually seems to teleport around Unit-02, keeping out of the Evas reach
By this time, Unit-14 had crawled back to the launch pad
Kyle: Unit-14 is ready for recovery!
Misator: Right! Bring it back in!
After Unit-14 is brought back in, Jason starts to yell at the entire Command Center
Jason: GIVE ME SOME COMBAT GEAR! I NEED TO HELP SHINJI AND ASUKA!
Kyle: Jason, you can't! Unit-14 isn't in good enough condition to relaunch it...
Jason: I DON'T CARE! I CAN'T LEAVE THEM OUT THERE TO DIE!
Kyle: JASON! There is NOTHING you can do! We can't even touch this thing!
Darren: Actually, I've been monitoring the battle from a NERV sattellite, and I believe I know how to defeat it.
Ritsuko: What do you mean?
Darren: Well, look at this...
Darren calls up a video of the battle from the sattelite
Darren: Do you see what's wrong in this video?
Ritsuko: The Evas are moving well below their maximum speed...
Darren: Exactly, and yet our instruments read that they are moving at the maximum speed allowable...
Maya: Does it mean our instruments are wrong? Or maybe the sattelite?
Darren: No... It means-
Kyle: That for us, time has slowed down!
Darren: Exactly. I believe that the monsters AT Field is slowing down time.
Maya: But why isn't the sattelite affected by the AT Field?
Darren: Well, I believe that the monster can affect the size of it's AT Field and has currently compressed it to the size of Tokyo-3.
Kyle: I've also got readings from outside the city. The actual size of the AT Field is less than fifty feet tall.
Darren: Yes... And it is also weaker at the top... So if we attack from above...
Kyle: We might be able to destroy the AT Field!
Ritsuko: Wait, that means we need to use...
Darren: Correct... Unit-14
Ritsuko: I don't know... Jason shouldn't be put back into danger in his condi-
Jason: I'll do it...
Ritsuko: WHAT? Jason you can't!
Jason smiles on the viewscreen
Jason: I'm not dead yet...
Ritsuko: But...
Jason: Please... I need to save my friends...
Ritsuko: ... Alright Jason... Prepare Unit-14 for launch!
Technician: Roger, ma'am!
A light appears on the Magi screen
Maya: Magi deliberation complete! Target has been identified!
Ritsuko: Is it an Angel?
Maya: No, ma'am... Blood Pattern is Orange... It's...
Ritsuko: ... Human...