Chapter 2 – The Unknown
Misato glanced down at her can for the umpteenth time then back to the scene that pretty much assured that the end of the world has come.
Sitting in the living room were three girls. Sure, normally this concept wouldn't be considered strange or taboo but two of these three girls have been known to be oil and water. One of which even Misato wasn't even aware knew what the term 'hang out' was till she came to the door a short while after Asuka and her friend Hikari arrived. "I need to stop drinking…" Misato whispered before downing the can.
Misato shook her head and approached the girls sitting on the floor at the coffee table. "Can I… um get you girls more soda, anything to eat?" Asuka's guardian asked, and mentally added 'An appointment for a CAT scan?'
"No thank you, C- Misato," Rei said, shocking Misato with the use of first names.
"Yeah, we're good, now go drink some more or something," Asuka said waving her hands signaling for Misato to leave. "We're in the middle of some girl talk so get lost."
Normally Misato would scold Asuka for rude behavior but considering the strange behavior all three have been showing Misato just nodded and left.
Hikari watched Misato go back into the kitchen area before turning to Asuka clinging the pink puffball to her chest, "That wasn't very nice, Asuka, in fact that was down right rude!"
"Yeah," Chu-Chu agreed, "Chu was very mean!"
"Listen here, you little pink… thing, this is my apartment so I'll be as mean as I want to be." Asuka snapped at the furry thing, before looking up at Hikari, "Where'd you find that little freak again?"
"SHE has a name, Asuka, her name is Chu-Chu," Hikari stated defensively, "And I… found her in an alley."
"Did you check it for rabies?" Asuka inquired taking a closer look at the timid little thing.
"It seems harmless enough…" Rei mused also looking at the pink fur ball in interest.
"Haven't you ever seen that old Pre-Second Impact movie, Gremlins?" Asuka asked, tugging on Chu-Chu's ear making it squeal. "They started out cute and lovable too, then all of the sudden they were killing everybody and their grandmother."
Chu-Chu wiggled in Hikari's arms trying to get away from the German girl picking at her ears and fur. "Chu good, Chu not hurt anyone!"
"So you say, little one," Rei crinkled her nose, buying Asuka's explanation hook, line, and sinker.
"Just don't feed it after midnight." Asuka advised, flicking Chu-Chu's pink nose.
"Ok, did we meet to pick on my new friend, or do we have more pressing matters." Hikari said trying to pull Chu-Chu from the two curious girls.
"I've searched all of the Commander's files that I could," Rei stated, a slight hint of anger in her voice when she said 'commander'. "All records of Ikari Shinji have been deleted with the exception of the date he was brought into NERV and the date he was terminated."
"T-Terminated?" Asuka paled slightly as her eyes widened.
"As in fired, Asuka," Hikari rolled her eyes, "Honestly …What happened to tough girl that was a pain in the rear end toward everyone?"
"What do you mean pain in the rear end?" Asuka snapped, glaring daggers at her friend.
"Apparently she is still among us," Rei said in a monotone voice, staring at the quickly blushing Asuka.
"Anyway, I've asked around the school and no one has seen him around." Hikari stated, bringing her thumb to her lip to nibble on her nail, "Not surprising the only friends he had were Touji and Kensuki and Kensuke's been missing for some time now… and Touji's…" She added drifting off with a sad look crossing her features.
"That's it? He had to have had more friends then that…" Asuka asked in a small voice a faint guilty expression dancing in her eyes.
"Pilot Ik… Shinji was a quiet person, Asuka," Rei stated, absently glancing toward his room, "He had few friends because he kept to himself, not unlike myself. He is ok though."
"How do you know?" Hikari asked curiously.
"When has he ever not been?" Rei asked, "I believe what Asuka has called him has some ground in reality: Invincible Shinji."
"He's not invincible though," Asuka said quietly, taking a quick swig from her drink. "He lost…"
"The Angel was destroyed," Rei stated, "and though Shinji's Eva was destroyed, he lived. He survived a situation I feel I could not."
The room was quiet for several moments before Hikari startled both girls and Chu-Chu by sitting up and slamming her palms on the table, "What is with you two?" She snapped, glaring alternately from Asuka to Rei, "You're both acting like he's gone for good. Lets stop this he survived, he was, he did, and lets think about where is and what he is doing now."
"So …" Asuka asked, blinking at the red-faced Hikari.
"What do you suggest?" Rei asked, blinking curiously.
Hikari glanced from girl to girl before sitting back dejectedly, "I got nothin'."
The room was dark, the only light coming from the screens of various computers lit up around an object in the center of the room. The slight illumination coming from the screens lit the area just enough to see the object, which looked like nothing more than a futuristic coffin.
For a moment, light entered the room more fully as the door to the outside opened with a hiss, then closed off just as suddenly. A figure entered the room, the glare from the monitors reflecting off the glasses the person wore.
Without bothering to check the other screens, the person closed slowly to the coffin like object in the center of the room, and laid a hand lovingly on it.
"I miss you. You were the closest thing to a daughter I ever had."
The person then turned and quickly pulled a chair up to one of the monitors and fiddled with it momentarily.
Password:
The figure hesitated briefly, before typing in the correct sequence.
Password: Ye Shall Be As Gods
The screen flashed momentarily, before it began bringing up the information requested.
KP-X/Serial No. 000000002Asuka laid in her bed staring at the ceiling. Despite their valiant efforts discovering Shinji's whereabouts were next to impossible.
"Stooge number two would be handy right about now…" Asuka mumbled, thinking about how useful Kensuke Aida's computer know-how would be in the search.
"Mein Gott!" Asuka whined, rolling over to lay on her belly, "all three of the Stooges have gotten themselves lost …" Asuka then flinched, "Well… two lost and one pushing up daises… I really have to watch what I say…" She scolded herself. Last time she absentmindedly picked fun of the late Touji, Hikari heard her and cried for forty-eight hours straight.
Asuka stiffened as she heard a sound outside her door. She listened for a moment and as she heard what sounded like footsteps she sat up. Misato would be at work till morning, so it would have to be…
Asuka jumped out of bed and slung the door open, "SHINJI!" She cried out, making the warm water penguin throw his beer can in the air and jump in fright.
The can fell on Pen-Pen's head, spilling its contents all over the black and white bird. Asuka smiled apologetically as the bird gave the girl the mother of all death glares before waddling toward the bathroom to clean itself up with the beer can still resting like a top hat on his head.
"Ikari Shinji where are you?" Asuka called out as she threw herself back on her bed. Her mind wondered back to earlier events like her first meeting of Shinji, Touji, and Kensuke on the Over the Rainbow'. She smiled at that. Though she never treated him as such he was the only real gentleman there; blushing and looking away when she accidentally flashed them. When Shinji, with no protection what so ever, saved her life in that volcano; risking his own life for hers. It was the only time she was happy to have a knight in shinning armor.
A sad smile spread on her face when she remembered when she, Shinji, and Wondergirl took on the spider-like Angel not too long ago. When he caught her from falling, that was actually an enjoyable battle. Then there was the time Shinji painted that beautiful picture of her. And the time they made love in his quarters … how gentle and loving he was … how his touch was so feather light and… "WHAAAAT?"
Asuka sat up with wide eyes, "Where in EVA's name did THAT come from?" She asked rubbing her face roughly. Shinji's never painted a picture of her, and she doubted Shinji could draw a convincing stick man. Or could he… "Maybe I'll ask when he gets back…" She mused, before blush at the second unfamiliar memory. She knew for a fact her and the Baka hadn't had sex. She then threw herself on the bed convincing herself that it was just a teenage hormone induced wet dream she's had mixing with reality. She rolled onto her back and let her hand wonder over her body a bit, remembering 'the dream'. "No way could the Baka be THAT good in the sack."
Kaji Ryoji whistled a nameless, but happy tune as he wandered down NERV's halls towards the command center. He'd been gone a while, but now he was back, and ready to find Misato, the love of his life.
Or at least the love of moment, it was often hard to tell.
But, be that as it may, the point was, Kaji was back at NERV, and looking for Misato.
Thus, he was distracted, and surprised, when two strong arms reached out from a doorway and yanked him in suddenly. Still off balance, he allowed himself to be spun around and slammed against the wall.
When he saw his captor, his eyes brightened. "Hey, babe! I was just looking for you!"
Misato growled, and kept him pinned. "Where's Shinji?"
Kaji blinked, then smiled a little. "I heard through the grape vine he'd been fired and he'd run off again. Probably the smartest thing he ever did."
Misato narrowed her eyes. "Bullshit. You know where he is. You always know where he is. It's been that way since the beginning. You always keep track of him. Now. Where. Is. He?"
Kaji kept his smile. "First of all, I it hasn't always been that way, and there have been several times that I failed to keep track of him, as you well know. Who's to say now isn't one of those times?"
Misato growled again, then let the matter drop. This isn't over Kaji.
As she stormed out of the room, Kaji chased after her. "Hey! Are you free for dinner?"
A few moments later, Kaji ran the other direction down the corridor, Misato chasing him with her pistol drawn.
Some two months later, Gendo called Ritsuko into Central Dogma. Upon arrival, she noted two others in the room apart from herself and the commander were present.
One, Fuyutsuki was easily identified, but the other stood in the shadows and watched quietly. Ritsuko stood quietly, waiting for the Commander to explain why she was called in. She did not wait long.
"Doctor… What do you think our chances are, now that we are down one pilot?"
Ritsuko paused, then answered. "Not the greatest. The Magi predict very low odds of success now that we are down one pilot. Well, it's not the pilot, really, it's the Evangelion."
Gendo nodded. "Yes, the pilots are replaceable, but the Evangelions nearly priceless."
Fuyutsuki cleared his throat. "What about SEELE? Can't they get a hold of another core for us?"
Gendo grunted. "No. And not only that, they lost the fifth child and his unit in an explosion a while back."
Fuyutsuki gaped. "But… why weren't we informed?"
Gendo snorted. "The old men chose to keep it from us until now. Convenient, isn't it?"
The dark figure in the back spoke then, his voice eerily calm, ghost like. "That is why I am here."
Ritsuko raised an eyebrow. "You have a pilot and Evangelion?"
The figure said nothing for a short time, then spoke again. "No. Instead I bring you… this." Gendo placed a small vial on the table as the other figure spoke, so that no part of the stranger left the shadows. "It can exponentially increase the sync-ratios of your pilots. It must, however, be mixed with the LCL to take proper effect."
Gendo nodded. "Doctor, you will oversee the proper mix." He placed a small disk next to the vial. "On the disk are the proper ratios for the mixture, as well as how to synthesize more as needed."
Ritsuko arched an eyebrow. They'd searched for years to find something other than LCL that could allow the pilots to sync more easily with the Evas. "And just what is this wonder drug?"
Gendo smiled a cruel smile under his hands, but all in the room could see it in their minds. "It is called Drive, my dear doctor. It is called Drive."
The Alarm rang throughout the base as Misato watched the monitor carefully on the Command Center. The Angel in question was just floating in just inside orbit above the city as if it was patiently waiting for something. "What's it doing up there?" she asked out loud as the two Evas were prepared to be launched.
"Are the Evas equipped with the long range weaponry?" Misato asked turning to the bridge crew, and got a affirmative response. "Alright then, send um up and blow that thing out of the sky."
"OK, Asuka, Rei, when you reach the surface, get tone and fire at will." Misato ordered when Rei and Asuka's faces appeared on the screen, "Let's do this one for Shinji-kun."
The two Evangelions rocketed to the city streets and stepped out with the large long range canons on their arms. "Ok, you stupid Angel, get in my sights…" Asuka said as she tried to line up her sights with the distant enemy. "Still out of range…"
"What the…" Asuka had to look away as a blinding light shot down over her. "What's it… wha… no… stay out… Get out!" Asuka whimpered, holding her head as she felt a strange energy poking and prodding through her memories, through her mind. It started as a simple digging but slowly grew in intensity, and the more Asuka fought to push her psychic invader out the more painful its exploration became.
"No… not that… Get out of my head!" Asuka grunted, as the Angel dug out painful memories Asuka wanted to forget: memories of her childhood, memories of her mother, memories of Shinji, "Ahhh! It's… IT'S RAPING MY MIND!" Asuka screamed gripping the sides of her head, curling into a ball in her entry plug. "Misato! Wonder-Girl! Shinji… please… help me, HELP ME!"
Inside the command center was chaos trying to find some way to help the tortured Asuka. "Only one way to stop this now," Command Ikari spoke up making his presence known, "Send Rei after the Lance."
"Um… Dr. Akagi, Major Misato, Commander Ikari," Maya spoke up nervously, glancing up at the group, "We've got something coming in supersonic. I've never seen readings like this before."
"What… is that thing? Oh no …" Misato's eyes widened, seeing the rapidly approaching object.
"Weltall…" Gendo breathed under his breath.
Asuka's screamed as pain grew more and more in her mind when suddenly it stopped and she fell forward panting for air. "Thank Gott … what …"
"Gott had nothing to do with it, oh bitchy one." Asuka's eyes widened at the cold voice and glanced up to see a red haze surrounding her Eva.
Asuka glanced up to see a flame-winged, blood red mecha floating before her Eva radiating a eerie red glow that cut off the blinding light from the Angel.
"Ok, you bastard, you want to see inside my head, huh?" the blood-red machine's pilot asked angrily, "Go ahead, you son of a bitch, you won't last two seconds!"
"Hey, baby, you wait your sexy ass right there," he said, his red hair and eyes appearing on Asuka's view screen. "The Devil's gotta go kick some angelic ass. Be back in a second."
A moment later the red machine shot into the skies, its pilot roaring like a crazed berserker.
"It … is going into orbit…" Rei said softly as the Red Machine disappeared out of range of the naked eye. A moment later the glimmer that was the Angel and the light coming from it ceased.
After a few moments, the machine returned rocketing toward the red Unit 02, the angel's bodily fluids dripping from the machine's arms, as it didn't even begin to slow down. Asuka screamed as it flew right up to her, stopping on a dime less then a foot from the Eva. "Hi." The pilot said overconfidently.
Asuka's eyes widened staring into the machine's glowing optics, its eerie light making the machine look alive. "Sorry, baby, but I can't stick around. Maybe next time I'll have time to stick around for the pre-fight kiss you owe me for saving your damned ass so many times. Keep that cute ass clean, Asuka-chan," the pilot said moving to the side and rocketing forward, pausing a split second to slap Unit 02's posterior. "Buh-bye!"
The Bridge crew was silent glancing from each other, to the screen, none really paying attention to Asuka's rants and curses. "Commander, what was that thing?" Ritsuko asked staring at the captured footage of the blood red machine, "How could it destroy an angel, or even move that fast … Commander?" Ritsuko asked turning to find both Gendo and Misato missing. "The Commander… that would be expected… but Misato?"
C. Cowboy: Not much to really say that won't spoil the story so just enjoy, review, and give us the grand respect we greatly deserve! (just kiddin' but we like nice reviews)
Neverwhere: Humility isn't his strong suit. Neither is the skill of timely updates. Though I can't really say anything either.