Disclaimer- don't own it
A/N Thanks to all of my Readers and Reviewers.
A/N post Edit - I understand the inital reaction th this stories original pairing of Shinji/Kyoko. after reviewing it i realized the that it was a BAD idea, so i fixed it.
Shinji ZERO
Chapter 4
Kyoko and Shinji
Ritsuko's staff were busy prepping Asuka for her plug entry attempt. The poor girl was still nearly catatonic so Maya and a nurse at the hospital had to physically dress her in her plug suit. Meanwhile Ritsuko had completed the modifications to the com system for unit 00 which would allow Shinji to talk to them and vice versa. Misato and Rei were to be the first to make the attempt while Kaoru, Commander Fuyutsuki, and the rest of her staff who were not working on the upcoming Asuka Entry test watched.
"It's ready, channel opened"
Ritsuko said as she opened the Com line. Misato calmly spoke
"Shinji, can you hear me"
There were a few moments of silence, and then all heard what they so desperately wanted. The rather excited/relived voice of Shinji Ikari, the MAGI had synthesized is voice from the records perfectly
"Misato is that you, oh god I almost didn't recognize you, is everyone ok"
"Calm down Shinji, its good to hear your ok"
Misato, try as she might, couldn't stop tears from forming in the corner of her eyes. She was happy to even hear his voice again; around the control room many of the technicians joined her sentiments. Even Ritsuko shed a few tears
"Misato…is Rei there"
"Yes she's here"
"Hello…sister"
"Hello brother, you are well I take it"
"Yes I'm fine"
"How is mother?"
"She's fine, how's Asuka"
Ritsuko chimed in
"They will be bringing her from the hospital in about 30 minuets we just wanted to make sure this modified com line was working"
"Ok, I'm ready when ever she gets here and Misato"
"Yes Shinji"
"Umm…just in case Dr Akagi cant get me out of here, thank you…for every thing"
"Don't say that Shinji, your coming home if I have anything to say about it"
"Well, either way, thanks, umm…I guess I'll talk to you later"
"Bye kid"
"Bye Misato, bye sister"
"Good bye for now brother"
The com line when dark, Ritsuko cut the connection and turned to the major and Rei
"Well I'd say that was successful"
Misato nodded and the said
"Please tell me you can get him back"
She just sighed
"Were not to sure at this point, it's not looking to hopeful"
Rei finally spoke up and asked
"Can we do anything?"
"Not a this point no, all we can do is wait and pray for a miracle"
If only she knew
Shinji sighed at the connection cut, he immediately began to miss everyone, he needed to talk to someone, but his mother was asleep
"Kyoko are you there"
He got an instant response
"Yeah, what's up?"
"I just talked to Misato"
"Is everyone ok?"
She asked a bit concerned with his depressed tone
"Yeah, in just a little depressed I guess, I want to go home"
"Don't worry Shinji, everything will be ok"
"Well I guess…ive got mom and…you…to talk to after all"
"Your mom will always be here for you, and so will I"
"Thanks, Kyoko"
"Don't worry about it; I remember how long it took me to get you to stop calling me Ms Soryu"
"Yeah…sorry"
"You've nothing to apologize for; you're a great person Shinji. What ever girl gets you will be really lucky"
Shinji knew who he wanted it to be, and seeing that he would probably spend the rest of his days in this Eva. He decided to follow the advice Kyoko had given him during their last conversation and speak his mind.
"Umm…if I do get out of here, can I ask Asuka out on a date?"
Kyoko didn't know what to say. She was a bit shocked but at the same time flattered
"Shinji, I don't know what to say…I…"
"She's the kind of person I want to be with Kyoko"
She paused and collected her thoughts, it would be nice for Asuka to be with someone who actually, genuinely cared for her the way he did.
"It would be nice, do you actually feel like that about her"
"Yes…I do"
"Well, if we get out of this when it's all over, I'll let you take her to dinner and we'll see how it goes"
"Thank you Kyoko"
Yui chose this moment to speak
"Hay you two, is this a budding romance I see"
If Shinji could have blushed, they would have
"Mother"
She stopped him
"Don't get me wrong, I think it's sweet"
Shinji relaxed a bit, Kyoko spoke up
"Don't worry Yui they'll be fine together"
"I know, I just want to make sure my son is alright"
Shinji added
"You're ok with this mom"
"Well, I don't see anything wrong as long as you both know what you're getting into. My son is going to have a Girlfriend"
"Mother…"
Ritsuko sat at her station. The nurses had just arrived with Asuka and had helped the Technical crew load her into the Entry plug for unit 00. The plug was then inserted and activation begun. Misato, Rei, Commander Fuyutsuki and the others sat back and watched.
"Maya how does it read"
"Looking good so far"
Shinji could feel Asuka inside of the Entry plug. Her mind and soul were a jumbled mess of memories, horrible ones. One stuck out though, her mother's suicide. Shinji turned to the one person who could help him
"Kyoko, did you really do that"
"No, that was after the first activation experiment. My soul was trapped in unit 02 while my body was left living. From what Yui told me, her body didn't make it"
"So it was just your body, no soul"
"That's about it"
"Ok, I'm going to try to talk to her"
Shinji steeled himself for what he knew would be the biggest emotional shock to Asuka's system since her mom died
"Asuka…are you their"
She didn't answer but he could tell he had her attention
"I'm here if you wana talk"
"Shut up Shinji"
Her voice was weak; one could tell she hadn't spoken in a while
"It's alright Asuka; you don't have to carry this anymore"
"I don't want to talk to you baka, I hate you"
She reached down to turn the com off, only to discover it wasn't on in the first place. So how was he talking to her?
"Where the hell are you baka?"
"I'm in the Eva"
"That's bull shit; I'm the only one in the plug"
Slowly she began to wonder if they had come up with a duel cockpit version, like a trainer Eva or something
"Umm…this will be kinda hard on you but…do you remember the 14th angel Zeruel"
"What about it"
Shinji could tell the old Asuka who loved to berate and bagger him at every turn was slowly returning
"Remember what happened to me"
"Yeah you got stuck in the plug; I better not get stuck in here with you, where ever you are"
"Your…misunderstanding me…I'm in the Eva's core…the red thing in its chest…it houses the Eva's soul"
"Eva's don't have souls, their just big toys"
"No…their not…I would know"
She could tell something was seriously wrong now, Shinji was never like this. He may have been a baka pervert to her but he never talked like this. Something was wrong
"What are you saying baka"
"The Eva's have souls Asuka…human ones"
A sick feeling formed in the pit of her stomach
"Human"
"Yeah, I'm in Unit 00, probably forever. My mom is in Unit 01, and Unit 02"
She could tell where he was taking this
"Shut up baka, don't you even lie to me about that"
"I'm not lying…I guess is should just tell you…your mom is in Unit 02, from what they told me that is why we were chosen to pilot in the first place"
She slumped forward in the seat, her whole world turned upside down. Her mom wasn't gone. She then did the one thing she swore she would never do again, she cried. She cried for her mother, For Shinji's mother and surprisingly to even her, though she would never admit she did, she cried for Shinji. All three of them had been taken by the Evas. But at least there was hope now.
"Then what was hanging in that hospital room"
She shouted through her tears
"It was…just a soulless body, she want into unit 02 during the accident"
"Is she there now"
She asked betwine sobs
"Yes…I've been talking to her"
Asuka became frantic now
"Eject this damn plug baka, I have to go"
He knew what she meant; she was going to unit 02. He told Kyoko she was coming, and then ejected the Entry plug. Asuka didn't even wait for the LCL to completely drain; she just bolted from Unit 00 and headed for Unit 02.
(At Shinji's insistence Ritsuko and her Techs had prepped Unit 02 just incase she did this sort of thing.)
She climbed into the Entry plug and began insertion. After the Eva had activated she called frantically looking for her mother, Shinji may be a pervert in her mind, but he wasn't a liar
"Mama"
She waited, yearning for what came next, her mother's response
"I'm here sweetheart"
Asuka cried like a baby for the next few minuets, her tears dissolving into the LCL. There it was, well there she was. Shinji had told the truth. Asuka had never cried harder in her life both from the sadness over her mother's death, but also from joy. She wasn't gone, she was in her Eva, she could talk to her again, maybe even get her to notice her now.
"Why mama, why"
"I had to, you were to pilot Unit 02 anyway. I just wanted you safe and this was the easiest was to do it, Im so sorry sweetie"
Asuka was smiling now, in the end the only thing her mother though of was her
"Is that why you really did it mama"
"Yes sweetheart, that's why Shinji's mother went into Unit 01, to protect him. His father tricked him into Unit 00. Yui mad him pay for that"
"Is there any way to bring you back?"
She was calmer now; she had no tears left to cry
"Their trying to find a way to save Shinji as we speak, if it works for him then when this is over we can be together"
"I'm glad, thank you mama"
"Can I ask you something sweetie"
"Yes mama"
"How do you feel about Shinji?"
"I don't know, I use to think he was just a pervert and a coward but, after this, I don't know what to think. I mean, he's just so confusing"
"Would you consider going out with his once to test the waters"
"Hmph he wouldn't ask me even if he wanted to"
"He already asked my permission"
"No way, the baka already ask you if he could take me out"
"Yep"
Asuka smiled a bit
"I guess all of this gave him a spine"
"Maybe"
"Now if he would just stop apologizing all the time he be alright"
"So you do like him"
Asuka was about to say no, but didn't, she knew how she felt about Shinji, and knew her mother did to. So instead she just blushed and smiled, it was time for her to finally admit it, not just to her mother but to her self
"He can be an idiot and a coward sometimes, but still, he's not always like that. He has his moments. Mama,
"yes sweetie"
"I think I love him"
"Then tell him"
"I will, once he comes back I will"
"Good, I'm glad you could finally admit it"
"Me to"
From behind a false panel in the Cages one of the clones watched the whole event unfold. Like Rei she could hear the words exchanged in the Evas, she could also hear Asuka's soul singing for joy that her mother was still around in some way. She decided it would be best to meet up with Lilith and the others as they made their way out of central dogma.
Ritsuko had released Asuka to Misato's care after her exams reveled she was fine. On the trip home Misato and Rei under orders from Commander Fuyutsuki breaded Asuka on Rei, her origins and anything to do with the angels. To say the least Asuka was confused
"Ok, ok let me get this strait. Rei is half angel clone of Shinji's mom making them brother and sister, the Kaoru kid is the 17th angel, the 1st angel that he and the other angels were looking for in the first place was in the bastard when unit 01 smashed him, there are more Rei's, and there's an angel in bottom of the base that was responsible for the human race even existing. Oh and lets not for get the glorious fact that LCL is angel blood. Is that everything I don't already know?"
Misato nodded
"Yep you took it better than I did"
Rei decided to comment
"Yes you were nearly livid when Dr Akagi Kaoru and I briefed you"
"Don't remind me"
Asuka at back taking it all in, well when she wasn't holding on for dear life that is
Once at the apartment they left the car, the first thing Asuka did was kiss the asphalt thanking go she was alive. Upon entering the apartment they noticed the lights were off. Misato flicked the switch by the door. As the lights came on they were greeted by a shocking sight. There on the couch sat 3 girls, two of them were Rei and Asuka's age but the 3rd was almost Misato's age. The older one who had long white hair and red eyes stood
"I'm sorry about the intrusion but we must discus something of great importance"
Then her eyes fell to rei
"Hello Rei, I haven't seen you in many years. Your sisters here tell me you are doing well"
Rei's eyes widened in shock, indeed the other tow girls bore a striking resemblance to her, and she also knew whom it was addressing them
"Lilith"
The name almost caught in her throat. Misato quickly pulled her pistol and brought it into line with the angel, but then thought better of it, if the pallet rifles couldn't hurt one, what could her 9mm do. Asuka just remained quiet
"I'm glad you remember, your sisters have told me of the events that have transpired over the last few days including the accident involving your brother, ive come here to offer my assistance"
Rei found her voice again
"How so"
Lilith motioned towards the living room
"Come, sit, I shall explain all"
In a dark circular chamber the monoliths of SEELE were discussing the recent change of events. All they knew was that commander Ikari was dead and that their trusted spy Tabris had failed to report in twice. They knew they would need to move soon if the scenario was to proceed as planed. Too much time and effort had gone into this and to hell if they would just sit back while a few children and a rouge angel stopped them.
Yes they would all pay soon.
A/N Whew, im done with this one now. The story is finally falling into place and things are about to come to the final conclusion in a few chapters, so stay tuned.
Credit to D-Wrecked for the pairing.
Glory to readers and reviewers alike
Later