Okay, before I say anything else, I know what you're thinking.
"Garmmer, where tf have you been for the past three months?"
Well, you see-
"Garmmer, why tf did you abandon your story? Why did you abandon us?"
Wait, guys, I didn't-
"You can't just make us care about your work and then walk out of our lives!"
I didn't-
"I THINK IT'S TIME WE ALL START A RIOT!"
WAIT! PLEASE, BEFORE YOU DO THAT!
So, a couple days after I posted my last chapter, my old asf computer died. I tried everything to fix it, but it wasn't happening. So, I decided it was finally time to start saving up for a new computer. Soooooo, I did... Except that, after my computer died, a bunch of other shit happened (so much shit that I'm not even going to bother listing all of it here because I've been up for three days typing this and I'm tired and I want to go to bed) and my house was basically falling apart on me and I had to pay to get tons of things fixed. After all that stuff was paid for/paid off, I could finally get back around to saving up for a new computer. But it still took awhile. So, that's why I've been gone for more than three months. I was finally able to get a new computer a few days ago.
I hope you'll all forgive me. I'm very sorry to all of you who've been waiting for this chapter. I've been up for a few days typing this. I've barely eaten anything. I just really wanted to get this chapter out for everyone who's been waiting.
Also, a little refresher, this chapter takes place during Shinji and Rei's date for the most part.
I guess that's about it. The only other thing I have to say is that this chapter gets pretty explicit. So, a warning to anyone who's sensitive, without spoiling anything, stuff get's real in this chapter. I cried typing a lot of it. Maybe I'm a softie. Maybe you'll be tougher than me or maybe you won't. Anyhow, big EXPLICIT warning here! Do not read this if you can't handle it.
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Text Guide
Standard Wording
"Spoken Dialogue/Speech"
'Internal Dialogue/Thoughts'
(Flashbacks)
/
[Slash denotes scene transition for the moment; this may be changed in the future so as to become more visible.]
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Disclaimer: I do not own or profit off of Neon Genesis Evangelion, End Of Evangelion, or the Rebuilds of Evangelion. I do not own Shinji Ikari, Rei Ayanami, Asuka Langley Sohryu, or any of the other characters/ideas from the Evangelion intellectual property collective. All licenses remain with the proper license holders. If asked to, I will formally remove this story from the hosting website.
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*Cruel Angel's Thesis and Eva intro starts playing*
Neon Genesis Evangelion
A Journey of Hate, Power, and Love
Chapter 09
On the Edge of the Dark Horizon
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"Asuka, I'm home!" Misato jovially called out as she closed the door to her apartment.
"Warrrrk" PenPen squawked from the living room.
"Finally! I was really starting to get hungry," Asuka groaned in relief.
Misato stepped into the kitchen and saw Asuka and PenPen watching TV on the couch in the living room.
"So, where do you want to go to eat?" Misato said as she continued to her room to get changed into something more classy.
"Any place that isn't going to put half a ton of rice on my plate and make me eat with a pair of twigs," Asuka snorted jokingly.
"There's an Italian place on the north end of town…I think. Or, maybe it was the South side?"
"But are they going to make me eat my ziti al forno with chopsticks?"
Misato stepped into her room and began replacing her casual clothes with something more elegant.
"Who knows? Maybe they might have those dick looking things you like so much."
Asuka sighed.
"A spoon, Misato. It's called a spoon. And you don't use spoons to eat pasta and more than that, they don't look like dicks."
"Of course they do," Misato said as she leaned part of her naked body out from her room with an amused smile on her face.
"Misato, please. I'm really hungry. I haven't eaten since last night. I don't want to lose my appetite."
"Your wish is my command, princess honeybunch," Misato teased as she leaned back into her room.
"Hey! I told you to not call me that!"
"Hmm? What was that! I didn't hear you?" Misato teased again.
Asuka snorted again and mumbled under her breath, "Yeah, right. I bet you didn't hear me the first time I said that either."
She directed her gaze back to the show she was watching; a documentary on what Antarctica was like before second impact. PenPen seemed to take special interest in the occasional shots with penguins, letting out a "wark," every time he saw one of the birds on the screen.
Misato stepped out of her room in a black dress with a repeating purple diamond pattern on it.
"So, how do I look?" Misato said as she posed.
"Ridiculous," Asuka mumbled without even looking at Misato.
"You could at least show a little enthusiasm," Misato huffed playfully.
Asuka sighed and begrudgingly examined Misato's dress.
"What's with you and purple?" Asuka mumbled.
"What's with you and red?" Misato retorted with a smile.
"Touché…"
"Anyways, you decided on where you want to go for food yet?"
"I dunno. Whatever place is the farthest away from Stupid Shinji and the Freakazoid; preferably some place on the other side of the world. Sheesh, I just can't stand the thought of them. He's probably still a virgin and probably drooling over the thought of her. Disgusting."
"He's not a virgin, Asuka. I know you're really fiery sometimes, but can you just chill so we can get something to eat?"
Asuka had gotten very quiet very quickly, and was glaring at Misato. But, it wasn't her usual glare. It wasn't anger in her eyes, but rather, a stunned expression.
"Heheh, what's with that look? Is there something on my face?" Misato asked a little awkwardly.
"What…did you say?" Asuka asked calmly, though it was obvious she was struggling to keep her composure.
"Is there…something on my face?" Misato repeated.
"No…before that. You said…he's not a virgin.-"
Misato's heart stopped, realizing the mistake she'd made.
"-How…do you know that?" Asuka finished as she looked into Misato's eyes with what might be called fear.
A blush appeared on Misato's flustered face and her heart was beating a million times a second. She knew that she was in big trouble if she didn't think of very good excuse very quickly.
"Asuka, I-"
"Did you fuck him? Did you fuck him like how you fucked Kaji?"
"No, Asuka, I didn't!"
"THEN HOW DO YOU KNOW?! HOW MISATO? HE'S SUCH A PANSY! THERE'S NO WAY HE'D TELL YOU SOMETHING LIKE THAT!"
"He sort of did… something happened between him and Rei and he came to me for advice. It kind of got out of hand after that and I might have done some things I shouldn't have done. But, I was only trying to help him, Asuka. I was trying to motivate him. You didn't see him before. He was scared of the angels, and he still is, and I was just trying to convince him to fight. And we were on the clock; I…I was trying to save the world."
"NO! THAT'S GOTTA BE THE BIGGEST LOAD OF BULLSHIT I'VE EVER HEARD! YOU'RE A FUCKING PERVERT! YOU'RE A PEDOPHILE! YOU RAPED A KID!"
"Asuka, I-I barely did anything to him," Misato said as she put her hands over her mouth and her voice started to waver.
"Yeah? And what about me? What about Pilot Ayanami? You grab us all the time! It's so fucking sick! I let it slide because you're my Superior Officer and it didn't seem serious but…Jesus…I think I'm going to be sick. I can't believe I let you touch me like that."
"Asuka…I was…I was just fooling around with you. I…didn't mean to…to hurt you," Misato said as fearful tears threatened to spill over her cheeks.
"I…I don't believe you. And, even if I did, it wouldn't change anything. I don't know what you did, but you did something really fucking weird and sick to that kid and I don't feel safe around you anymore. I'm…I'm going to have you COURT MARTIALED!" Asuka screamed.
"No, Asuka! Please, I'll do anything! Please, don't do this!"
Asuka was shaking in fear. She could fight an angel without flinching, but this was too strange. This fear was so different. She felt exposed and vulnerable just being around Misato. Asuka could feel her hands trembling as she curled her fingers into fists. She wished she had something to hold onto; a knife, a broken bottle, a fork, anything to defend herself with if Misato tried anything.
Misato fell to her knees and wrapped her arms around her chest. Tears slipped down her cheeks before falling onto her trembling thighs. Misato looked up at the couch where Asuka was sitting. Hear tears combined with the mid-day sun streaming through the balcony window behind Asuka served to silhouette the girl. But, Misato could still manage to make out Asuka's frightened eyes, even with her tear-blurred sight.
"Please, Asuka. Please. You're my friend. I care about you. I'll do anything to make it better. Please, you don't need to tell anyone."
Asuka's lips curled into a fierce snarl, her frown exposing her grit teeth. She stood up from the couch and walked towards Misato.
"Can't you see?-"
Asuka stopped in front of the kneeling woman and raised her still trembling right hand.
"-Can't you…-"
Asuka brought her hand forward and slapped Misato as hard as she could across her left cheek.
"-CAN'T YOU SEE THAT'S WHAT I'M AFRIAD OF, YOU FUCKING SICKO!?"
Misato's head recoiled from the burning hit before she looked back to Asuka and broke down.
"ASUKA, PLEASE!" Misato cried as she groveled before Asuka.
The searing redhead seethed as she looked at Misato with a combination of fear and anger. Asuka didn't know what she was feeling. She'd never experienced anything like this before, and she didn't know how to react. It was tearing her apart. What should she say? What could she do?
"You're…you're disgusting."
"I-I kn-know. P-please, I'll do anything," Misato sobbed uncontrollably.
Asuka panted and glared at Misato, begging for forgiveness at her feet. Strangely, it made Asuka…
…
…content.
It pleased her to see she had such control over someone who should rightly have control of her if their military ranks meant anything. It felt…good to have control over Misato. Asuka's heartbeat sped up and her trembling became less violent.
"Anything? …Do you mean that?" Asuka questioned, her voice wavering a little less than before.
"Yes, anything. Please! The Commander doesn't need to know."
Asuka stared at Misato with thoughtfully uncomfortable eyes. No doubt, she was thinking of ways she could abuse Misato's status and make it her own power trip.
After a few moments of silence, Asuka spoke.
"To start, you aren't going to touch me anymore. I will not stand for it. Do you understand?"
"Yes…" Misato choked out.
"Second, you will pull me out of school at least twice a week so that I can enjoy myself."
"But, Asuka. I already pull you out for sync tests and-"
"No. You will pull me out so that I can enjoy myself. While I love my precious darling Eva, I don't enjoy sitting in a dark fucking entry plug for three hours at a time. You WILL continue to pull me out for sync tests and for my own personal recreational purposes. This is non-negotiable. I do not need to be in school. I've already graduated college. You will excuse me from school twice a week! Is that understood?"
"Y-yes!" Misato cried.
"Third, you will do anything else I ask of you. If you don't, I will ensure that disciplinary action is taken against you. And with that, I have decided where we're going for lunch."
"Where?" Misato asked, sounding somewhat heartbroken.
"To the nearest liquor store. You're going to buy me whatever the hell I want."
"Asuka, I don't think that's a good idea."
"I DON'T GIVE A DAMN!"
"But, Asuka, what if someone finds out? I'd be in so much trouble-"
Asuka smirked at Misato
"Yeah, and I wouldn't because I'm an Eva pilot. But, what do you think is the better deal, Misato? The punishment that comes with sexually assaulting a minor or buying someone underage a couple drinks?"
"Asuka, I just-"
"Besides, it's not like anyone is going to find out as long as Stupid Shinji keeps his mouth shut, which shouldn't be a problem with a little intimidation. And you already buy so many drinks. It's not like anyone is going to think you're buying them for me."
"Asuka th-that's enough. The charges you're threatening to push against me don't even carry that heavily here compared to other countries," Misato said in an effort to retake control of the authority Asuka had stolen.
Asuka huffed.
"Hmph, maybe an adult having sex with a minor isn't as big a deal in Japan as it is in say, America or someplace. I don't know. I didn't grow up here. But, you don't work just for the Japanese government. You work for a military force under command of the U.N. And guess who has the biggest say in the U.N. right now."
Misato remained silent. She knew that Asuka had her beat. Fighting with her would only serve to worsen her situation.
"Hmmhmmhmm, yep. America. So, don't think that they won't go after you, Misato," Asuka said with a smug look.
Misato remained quiet as she kneeled before Asuka. Really, she didn't have much of a choice. She had to do what Asuka said; at least until she could think of a way to turn the tables back in her favor.
"Fine," Misato sighed, "I'll get you your drinks. But, I'm not bringing you into the store with me. So, you're gonna have to decide what you want before I go in."
"No problem," Asuka said with an agreeable shrug, "I've already decided. I've never had brandy before and it sounds nice, so I want some of that, some rum if they have any, and beer. I'm sure that's not too bad to start off with."
"As long as you don't puke on my floor…"
"Don't worry. I won't. I'm better than that. I can hold my drink."
"I'd hate to ask how to know that," Misato said with a depressed smirk as she and her ward made for the door of the apartment.
/
-Secrets, Prices, and the Threat of the Loose of Lip-
/
Misato was almost back home after her excursion. Asuka sat in the passenger seat of Misato's Renault holding a few bags of alcoholic beverages in her lap. She was shaking with excitement and glee. She'd never had her own alcohol before. She'd always been forced to steal from someone in the past. And besides that, she hadn't tasted much outside of beer so, she was happy she was going to get to try something else for a change.
Misato pulled into the parking lot of the apartment. The sun was still hanging high in the afternoon sky, but it would be dark in a couple hours. Shinji would probably be home soon and Misato was dreading having to explain this too him.
"So, Asuka, if you could just keep this contained, that would help me a whole lot."
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Let's just get this stuff up to the refrigerator so that it's ready for me to drink later tonight."
"Eh-heheh, you know that alcohol doesn't need to be cold to drink right?" Misato laughed awkwardly as she climbed out of the car.
"Hmm? Why? Unless it hot cocoa or something, a drink that isn't cold…just doesn't seem fit to drink," Asuka asked curiously as she too stepped out of the car.
"Well, lots of alcohol is served cold and some even hot. But, there are plenty of drinks that don't have to be refrigerated. That brandy I bought you for example, you might want to try it just the way it is. They're aromatic and sometimes changing the temperature can kill the smells it gives off."
"Hmm, didn't know that. Guess I'll think on it then…" Asuka said as she walked up the stairs to Misato's apartment.
After the two ladies got back inside, Misato pulled a few cans of her Yebisu out of the fridge and retreated to her room. Asuka on the other hand put her beers in the fridge and set her rum and brandy on the kitchen table before sitting down to admire them. The brandy in particular caught her eye. A gorgeous auburn, ruby, brown liquid and it was all hers.
'Gott, it looks so delicious. I wander what it tastes like…'
She reached for the bottle and brought it closer to her face before unscrewing the cap and smelling it.
'Ooooh, that doesn't smell like I thought it would. But, I suppose the unexpected should be expected when experiencing something new,' Asuka thought with a shrug.
She began to tilt her head back along with the bottle, but something was still nagging at Asuka. She paused and held the bottle in front of her lips.
'Misato…'
She screwed the cap back on, placed the bottle back on the table, and folded her hands in front of her mouth in thought.
'Am I really safe here? I mean…is this really the right place to get drunk?'
Asuka heard Misato crush a beer can and toss it at the door of her room. The older woman was definitely flustered and anxious, even though she was trying to hide it.
'No. Misato…she's not safe to be around. Especially not if I'm drunk. She could take advantage of me too easily. If I'm going to do this, I need to be more careful. Think Asuka, think! If you can't be responsible while you're drunk, then you need to be responsible before you get drunk. And that's exactly what I'm going to do.'
She glanced toward the hallway that lead to the exit of the apartment and then looked around the kitchen for anything that might give her an idea.
'But, where would I go if not here. And how would I get there without being found out? There's got to be some way, surely.'
She got up and searched a little more around the kitchen, looking for anything that would grant her the ability to safely depart from Misato's apartment with her alcohol without having a possible run in with the law.
'Ooh, this might work,' Asuka thought as she picked up a white plastic grocery bag setting on a counter top that Misato had probably neglected to throw away.
Asuka returned to the table and loosely slipped the brandy into the bag, making sure the plastic wouldn't press to hard against the label on the glass.
"Hah, it's perfect," she whispered to herself.
She then quickly scampered to her room to changed out of the more formal clothing she was wearing in anticipation for the canceled meal that Misato would have taken her to if things hadn't turned out the way they had.
She changed into a white button up shirt and a short red pleated skirt before returning to the kitchen and dashing out the door as quickly and quietly as she could, hoping that Misato would be none the wiser to her absence until she could get far enough away that her knowing wouldn't be a problem.
"I should hurry though. I don't want to be out here when it gets dark," Asuka mumbled boringly to herself before glancing off into the distant cloudy blue horizon.
"And it looks like a storm might come through tonight. Don't wanna be around for that either," she added as an afterthought as her skirt blew gently in the calm but noticeable wind.
/
'How could I let this happen? Me and my big mouth.'
Misato sobbed quietly in her room. In an effort to comfort herself, Misato did one of the only things she knew. She'd downed a can of beer and crushed it in her fist before tossing it at the door of her room in frustration. She felt a couple of stray drops land on her trembling hand after tossing the mostly empty can and she licked them away like an animal nursing its wounds.
She then cracked open another can and began drinking it. The normally soothing bubbles irritated her throat and only reminded her of her regrets.
'I fucked up. I inadvertently betrayed Shinji's trust. I ruined my already barely salvageable relationship with Asuka. And worst of all-'
Misato pulled the cold can away from her lips, trying to ignore her numb fingers.
'-I'm still here, doing what I do best.'
"Which is g-getting f-fucked up," Misato sobbed.
Her tears fell onto her shivering wrists before streaming down her arms and finally letting go of her skin by dripping off her elbows.
"I sho-should just g-go to bed. M-Maybe I can get this out of my head until the morning."
Misato set her beer aside and sat up in her futon before unzipping the back of her purple and black diamond print dress.
'So much for a fancy diner.'
But, before Misato could strip out of the dress in earnest, she heard shoes pattering against the floor.
'Asuka? What could she be doing?'
She then heard the front door opened and then shut.
'Oh no. Is she going to tell someone?'
Misato stumbled onto her feet and burst out of her room.
'She is! She's going to tell someone!'
Misato ran to the door as fast as she could, but her strappy heels slowed her significantly.
"Asuka, please don't do this," Misato whispered to herself as she barreled towards the door.
She twisted the door handle and forced it open. She was met with a windy silence and a cool stormy sky.
"Where? Where is she?"
She rushed to the nearest stairwell and saw one of Asuka's hands on the railing a few floors below.
"ASUKA, STOP! PLEASE!"
Misato's voice echoed up and down the stairwell and caused the red-haired girl to pause her decent for a moment only to speed up a second later.
Misato wouldn't be able to chase her in her heels. Asuka would have no competition at all. She was probably in tennis shoes with how fast she was rushing down the stairs. And so, Misato stood at the top of the stairs before stepping away and leaning over the balcony in front of the other usually vacant apartment rooms.
She saw Asuka sprinting across the parking lot, seemingly not breaking a sweat.
Misato couldn't help it, she had to call out to her. She had to try to stop her. Otherwise, Misato would never be able to fulfill her goals at NERV. She'd never be able to exact revenge against the angels after what they did to her, and her father, and everyone else she knew.
"ASUKA! PLEASE! WHERE ARE YOU GOING?"
Asuka's voice was almost carried away on the wind but Misato listened, and listened well.
"AWAY! AWAY FROM YOU! AWAY FROM EVERYONE!"
"WHY? WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?" Misato tremblingly cried again as tears started streaming down her face anew.
"BECAUSE YOU'RE SICK!"
Those words echoed across the walls of the apartment building and resonated within Misato's very soul. Misato watched as Asuka finally crossed the parking lot and sprinted out into the street. She almost got hit by an oncoming car, but she had momentum and barely managed to pass it as it skid to a halt. Misato finally lost sight of Asuka as she disappeared behind the corner of a building across the street.
"I'm…sick?" Misato mumbled to herself in shock.
She looked down at her hands and saw she was still holding her beer. She explicitly remembered setting it down when she was still in her room. But somehow...someway, she'd still managed to pick it up again. And, suddenly, it reminded her of all the bad habits she'd tried to get rid. And how she'd failed to purge them every time.
"I AM SICK!" Misato lamented as she threw her beer into the air and watched it plummet into the empty parking lot below.
Her legs felt weak and they gave out from under her as she leaned against the railing and cried abysmally into her arms.
/
Asuka felt free as she glided swiftly down the stairwell of Misato's apartment building.
Despite how scared and worried she was about what Misato had said earlier, she felt really good. The air was thankfully chilly today, the wind was at her back, the brilliant orange sunset shifted into a cool blue with the storm in the distance, and she was excited. For the first time, she was going to drink her own alcohol instead of stealing it from someone else in a petty manner.
She was proud. She was powerful. She was independent. She was successful. She was known the world over. She was beautiful. She had a monstrous machine as her plaything. She wasn't rich just yet though, but she was a woman now; there was no doubt about it. And she couldn't have felt better about it.
The experience gave her a natural high from a combination of the beautiful evening and her surging emotions. But it all came tumbling down in an instant.
"ASUKA, STOP! PLEASE!"
"Misato," Asuka growled quietly as she paused, "The stupid bitch heard me leave. I should have been more careful."
Asuka then scurried down the steps as quickly as she could, even though she knew Misato wouldn't catch her. She wanted to return to her previously state of bliss. And to do that, she had to be fast. She had to feel like she was flying. She had to feel like gravity couldn't touch her. She had to refuse the emotional weight that Misato wanted to place on her. And to do that, she needed to run. She needed to run as fast as she could until the wind blew away all her bad memories and everything that would remind her of them.
Before she realized just how far she'd ran, she was already halfway across the parking lot.
"ASUKA! PLEASE! WHERE ARE YOU GOING?"
Asuka grimaced before smiling to herself and screaming back.
"AWAY! AWAY FROM YOU! AWAY FROM EVERYONE!"
"WHY? WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?" Asuka heard Misato's shaky and unsure voice yell again.
Asuka's grin widened as an opportunity to land an emotional blow on Misato presented itself.
"BECAUSE YOU'RE SICK!"
Asuka didn't look back. She didn't want to and didn't care to. She continued running. She wanted to be free. She didn't want to be in danger.
She sprinted across a street. A car honked as it came to a halt, trying to stop before it hit the girl. She turned her head to face the car and spat on the driver's windshield before returning her gaze forward, towards her vague liberation.
She had done it. She was free.
/
-The Wandering Girl-
/
She ran. She didn't know how far, but she ran. She ran until her lungs burned and she was choking on her own spit. She ran until her legs hurt so bad that it felt like they weren't even there aside from the pain. She ran until her heart was pounding so hard, she feared it might give out. She ran until she simply couldn't breathe in enough air to keep herself conscious. She ran until she ended up in a park somewhere in the strange city of Tokyo-3.
She was disoriented and her vision was dark around the edges. She stumbled and tripped, welcoming the soft grass against her cheek as her face met the ground. The cool greenery was a relief against her burning flushed face.
Her long red hair covered her face, and though she was tired and fatigued, she was happy. And her hair couldn't hide her smile.
She dragged her arm across the grass, closer to her face. The brandy she was lugging with her was really starting to get heavy.
"I know I said I didn't want to stay out after dark," Asuka gasped through her panting, "but I'm so tired. And this feels so good."
The sun was quickly setting, and as soon as it disappeared, Asuka's eyes shut, exhaustion and contentedness finally taking hold as the world around her faded away.
/
'Where is she?' Misato wondered to herself.
After Misato had changed into some more mobile wear back at her apartment, she had been searching for Asuka for almost two hours. But, she'd had no luck in finding the girl. She'd checked every block around her apartment. She'd searched the video arcade down the street. And she'd investigated one of the restaurants nearby, but she couldn't find the girl. She might as well have vanished into thin air.
It would be dark soon and it was at this time, hopelessly sitting on a bench under a street lamp, that Misato decided that now might be the time to enlist the help of Section 2.
But, did she really want to involve them? If they found out about what happen between her and Shinji, if Asuka told them, surely, they would report their findings to the Commander. And then, Misato's life as she knew it would be over.
But what else was she to do? If Asuka was just left out in the streets of Tokyo-3 like some stray and unwanted animal, it had the potential to unfold into some very tragic tale.
"I've got to do it. No matter what happens to me, I should at least make sure she's safe. My future may be over, but hers isn't."
Misato reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. She flipped it open and scrolled through the numbers until she reached a Section 2 Operator. She took a deep breath and speed dialed the number.
The ringing phone seemed to last an eternity before a woman on the other side of the line picked up.
"Hello."
"Um, hello, um, this is Captain Katsuragi. I was wondering if anyone had tabs on the Second Child."
"We do not. The Agent assigned to her reported that he'd lost track of her just over two hours ago. We have assigned a search party to look for her."
"How big is this search party?"
"It's an eight man unit."
"Okay, well, could we triple that? But, make sure that no one, and I mean no one, is allowed to engage her in conversation. Only me. If you find her, you tell me, but do not talk to her or make your presence known unless absolutely necessary. She's…upset right now, and I fear that unwelcome intervention might…impact her piloting capabilities. If you find her, tell me immediately."
"Understood," the woman said before hanging up.
Misato sighed as she stuffed the phone back in her pocket.
'All I can do now is wait,' Misato sighed as she rested her face in her hands.
"I wonder if those poor kids know that they're always being watched," Misato wondered to herself as she got up and headed to her car to search for the disappearing girl herself.
/
Asuka awoke to the sound of thunder in the distance. Her eyes shot open and her heartbeat went through the roof. But, she quickly calmed herself and sat up in the still cool grass.
Her legs ached and she began rubbing them to try to soothe the pain deep in her bones.
"At least it's not raining yet," Asuka said as she looked up at the dark, cloudy, night sky above the city.
If it wasn't raining yet, it soon would be.
The girl finally stood up, the bottle of brandy causing her to stand slightly off balance along with the breeze. Her skirt whipped in the wind some as a gust blew between her legs, causing her to shiver.
"It's…kinda cold," Asuka said as she pulled the bottle of brandy out of the plastic bag, "But you'll warm me up, won't you?"
She unscrewed the cap from the bottle and took a sip of the fruity potion. The alcoholic fumes wafted over her face and she became a little dizzy.
"That…just tastes…really strange. Why have I never had this before now? I don't even know if I like it."
After getting over the strange wonder of her first ever taste of a spirit, Asuka remembered where she was; the middle of a park. A couple hundred paces away, she saw street lights. Looking around a little more however, and she saw a lonely stone bench a little deeper in the park's interior, illuminated by a single lamp.
"That looks like a nice quiet place where no one will bother me."
She carefully approached the bench. Though it was isolated, it was also well lit and she didn't particularly want to be seen. She kept an eye out for any signs of movement in the darkness before she stepped into the light.
The light glistened in her deep blue eyes, before she finally closed them in comfort and took another drink before finally reaching the bench and taking a seat on the cold hard stone.
She took another drink, the burn of the drink throwing her deep into thought.
'Should I…tell someone? I mean…would that be…right?'
She looked at the bottle in her hands, the amber liquid inside it almost looked gold in the dull yellow light.
'Of course it would be right! What am I thinking?'
She tilted her head back and took another drink.
'But would it? Would it actually be right to tell? I mean…I'm an honorable person, aren't I? Honorable enough anyways. It…it was a deal.'
She pulled the bottle away from her lips. Her legs felt heavy and her head felt light.
'Why am I even thinking about this? I mean, it's not like it happened to me. It happened to that stupid Shinji. So, why does it even bother me?'
Asuka exhaled, and she smelled the fruity alcohol on her breath.
'Would she really make a move on me?'
Asuka's lips started trembling and a disgusted scowl formed on her face.
'Of course she would. She already has. She's already touched me multiple times. There's no reason to think she wouldn't try to take it further.'
She lifted the bottle to her lips again and let the liquid slip down her throat even though she was starting to feel nauseous.
'And now, I'm acting just like her. I'm drinking to drown my problems, my fears. Disgusting.'
She spat the brandy that was still in her mouth onto the ground. All of the sudden, it wasn't just the alcohol that was making her sick. She clutched her mouth with her free hand and tried to keep herself from vomiting.
'No. NO! I AM NOT LIKE HER! She's… out of control! She's disgusting. She's a pervert. She's a slob. She's a rapist and a pedophile. She's barely a qualifiable woman. But I'm in control of myself. I'm not like her! NOT AT ALL!'
Asuka felt a drop fall onto her hand, and then her head.
"So…"
The clouds finally started pouring their tears onto the lone girl.
"I'll just keep being me. I won't let anyone tear me down. And if anyone stands in my way, I'll burn them down. I'll let you get away with this for now, Misato."
Asuka stood up from the bench, but the alcohol hit her all at once and she almost fell back down from losing her balance. She could barely see straight and the wind, rain, and darkness didn't make it any easier on her senses.
"Guh, damn it."
The girl started walking as her legs wobbled beneath her. She was trying her damnedest to find some kind of shelter that wouldn't also require her to abandon her alcohol. That would be tough to accomplish, but all she could do was keep walking forward.
"I might be soaked," she said as she tossed her wet hair over her shoulder, "but I got sunshine in a bag…or a bottle I guess."
Asuka chuckled but the chill caused her to shiver and refocus her attention.
"Still, I really need to find someplace to stay."
And so Asuka stumbled slowly but surely through the darkness.
/
-Harder Times Like These-
/
It was dark now. Misato was really starting to worry. Shinji was probably home by now, but Misato didn't know for sure; she hadn't been home for hours now. In fact, she didn't know if Asuka had perhaps returned. It had been raining for awhile now and maybe she hadn't decided to stay out.
As Misato drove up and down the streets looking for the lost girl, she made the decision to go back to her apartment on the off chance Asuka had returned on her own.
She came to a stop at a traffic light. The red light reflected off the surface of her blue Renault, causing a purple gleam to gently glare off the water-slicked hood.
'I hope you're okay, Asuka. I'm so sorry for…hurting you. I'll make it better. I swear. Just, please, come home.'
"Asuka…"
The car behind Misato honked. The light had turned green, but Misato, in her distracted and distraught musings, had failed to notice.
In an effort to fix her mistake, Misato pressed on the gas a little too hard. The tires didn't grip the wet street immediately and she didn't go anywhere for a moment.
"Damn it all! Why does everything have to end up like this?"
She continued down the street until taking a turn. From here, her apartment was only a couple minutes away.
"I just want to disappear right now. I just want to disappear and drink," Misato whined as a few struggling tears slipped down her cheeks and neck.
"These kids are going to make me kill myself. Why? Why did I take them in? I'm not cut out for kids. I can't even take care of myself."
Misato saw her apartment in the distance. Slowly getting closer, she gripped the steering wheel a little tighter. If Asuka was back, what would she say? If Shinji was there, how would she explain what was happening?
Before she realized it, she was in the parking lot. She exited the car and danced across the parking lot, trying to stay out of the rain puddles scattered about the place. Her cold shivering legs climbed up the stairs leading to her floor. And when she finally reached her apartment door, she pushed it open, afraid of what she would find.
The lights were on, so she assumed someone was home. She stepped inside and closed the door as quietly as she could. Her heart was pounding as she stepped around the corner of the foyer and into the kitchen.
She was relieved and disappointed that all she saw was Shinji sleeping on the couch, apparently having passed out from watching too much T.V. while waiting for her and Asuka to return.
Suddenly, Misato's phone rung, which once again caused her heartbeat to race. She rushed to pull it out of her pocket, almost dropping it in the process.
"Y-yes? …You found her!?"
/
Asuka barely knew where she was. She just knew she was very cold. She could barely feel her fingers from the numbing effects of both the cold and the alcohol. Water was constantly dripping into her eyes preventing her from seeing clearly, once again made worse by the effects of the brandy. She couldn't walk straight, but she didn't really know where she was going in the first place. She just knew she really wanted to be warm right now. The only part of her that actually felt to be a bearable temperature were her alcohol flushed cheeks, which starkly contrasted to that of her frigid nose.
She took another swig from the bottle. She'd drunk a fair, if not generous, portion of the liquid already. But, right now, the drink was the only thing keeping her warm at all.
"I…I coul real…ly use…use a bread that's fresh bake. Jus s'm'thingk warm," the girl slurred.
A drop of water clung to her lips, tickling them. She huffed and blew the irritation away.
"D'this sucks," she growled.
She looked down at the sidewalk to try to keep the rain out of her eyes. Looking into the puddles at her feet, she saw rippling reflections of the city and herself. She looked into her reflection's eyes.
Her eyes didn't have their usual bright luster. Usually they were so intense, she'd almost swear they could glow in the dark. But now, they just looked lifeless.
Her skin looked more pale than usual. It was normally soft looking and delicate. But in her reflection, it looked tight and dead.
Her voluminous and colorful hair looked washed out and heavy as it stuck to her shoulders and breasts.
But, Asuka wouldn't ever admit to herself that she looked like a frozen corpse, and so she kicked the water, scattering it in front of her.
"So st'pid."
A green car passed by her, seemingly not paying her any mind.
"Hmph, you'd thingk th't s'm'one woul be kind 'nuf to stop n' get me out'f the rain.-"
The cold girl sneezed and then continued shivering.
"-Not th't I'd get in'a car with s'm'one I dun know. Th't woul be st'pid. N' I'm not st'pid."
Asuka then stopped to think for a second.
"B't, if I'm not st'pid, th'n why'm I on the sidewhalk? N'd…like…why'm I t'lkin' to m's'lf?"
The girl stared into the distance for a few moments before coming up with her answer.
"'Cause I'm sm'rt. Heeheehee," she giggled.
She then continued forward, sure of...well, she didn't know what she was so sure of, but she was sure of something. Possibly herself, possibly the world, possibly the life of the night, or maybe she was just sure that the end would come eventually and that she should try to enjoy herself while she could. Though, being in the rain probably wasn't terribly enjoyable.
But, something broke the girl out of her positive thinking; a sudden pain in her head and a force pushing her back as she was trying to walk forward.
"WH'T THE F'CK!?"
Asuka looked up from the sidewalk and saw a lit sign displaying an advertisement for make-up. It had a beautiful Asian model on it with smoky eyes, long eye lashes, and silky black hair.
Asuka tried to set her bottle of Brandy down as gently as her dazed and tipsy body would allow her.
"DID YUH H'T ME YUH F'CKINGK B'TCH!?"
The woman on the advertisement only smiled back at Asuka.
"Ohhohohoh, I see. Yuh thingk yer bett'r th'n me, huh? WELL, YER A ST'PID F'CKIN' B'TCH."
Asuka drunkenly reeled her fist back and punched through the weak plastic, shattering it just above the woman's head.
She took a step back and examined the results of her efforts, but seeing her attack had missed its mark only served to enrage her further.
"YER A COCKS'CKER, YUH WHORE! I'LL SHOW YOU, guh. YUH THINGK YER PRETTYER TH'N ME? I'LL BEAT THE SH'T OUT'F YOU UNTIL I FUCKIN' D'SFIGURE YER D'SGUSTING FACE! "
She charged forward, tripping onto the sign more than body slamming it. She then grappled it, though, to any onlookers, it would have looked more like she was holding onto it for support to keep herself from falling. After she felt like she had a good grip, she repeatedly began smashing her fist into the plastic, pathetically beating the sign until she finally hit the lightbulb, causing the sign to go dim.
As her knuckles shattered the bulb, they came into contact with the hot wire inside it. Asuka's hand recoiled as she waved it around in pain
"OW, F'CK! H'W DARE YOU!" Asuka screamed as she then kicked the foot of the sign to land her final blow against it.
After judging if her beatdown was sufficient, and accepting proudly that it was, she noticed a sting in her hand. She looked down and noticed that she'd cut her hand in multiple places as well as burned it when she'd hit the light.
"H'llo old fr'nd. Th' night's d'rk n' I feel c'ld. Let's g't out'f here."
She turned around, almost tripping over her ankle for the hundredth time that night, and bent over to pick up her bottle of Brandy. She then crossed the empty street to get away from the scene of her petty crime, the warm blood leaking down her cold numb fingers bringing her some comfort.
A couple hundred feet down the sidewalk at the next intersection, Asuka could see what appeared to be a convenience store.
'Maybe there's something warm there.'
Every step she took made her feel farther away and more disoriented. Every second, the wind blew against her skin and soaked clothes. It was so cold it hurt and she just wanted to scream. She wanted to run, but she was still so tired and she could barely keep her footing just walking. And if she lost her balance, she'd just fall onto the cold hard cement, which wouldn't help her in any way.
She trekked towards the store drunkenly and difficultly but with sure deliberation.
"J'st…a lil' longer," she groaned into the wind.
She was finally close enough to be able to look into the window of the store. Inside, she saw many things; candy, chips, and sodas among other things. But, one thing on a warming oven caught her drunken eyes more than anything else.
"Cheezb'rg'r," she hungrily slurred.
Asuka set her bottle of brandy on the ground outside the store, figuring she might be able to pass as sober if she tried really hard.
She took a deep breath and finally stepped inside, though the warm air didn't provide instant relief. She was cold deep into her bones, and she wouldn't be staying here for long, so she figured she probably shouldn't get used to it anyways.
She tried as hard as she could to keep her feet straight, but the alcohol, the smells, and the pleasure of warmth was overwhelming to her.
"Good evening, Ma'am," the clerk said to her.
"Y-yeah, good eve..ning," Asuka mumbled while trying to sound sober.
Asuka already knew what she wanted, but she was stalling in an effort to warm herself and because she just remembered that she had absolutely no money on her. If she wanted that cheeseburger, she was either going to steal it, which would be hard having no purse or loose clothing, though she could probably find some way to sneak it out if she needed to. Or she'd have to convince the man at the counter to simply give it to her.
'I'm an honorable person. I don't steal. I'm not some lowly criminal. I'll just…I'll use my feminine charms to convince him. And I'll pretend to be homeless.'
Asuka thought to herself as she gazed at the burger before turning her attention back to some treats she was acting interested in.
'Actually,' Asuka thought as she grimaced, 'I may not need to pretend.'
She made up her mind and made for the oven to grab one of the burgers before awkwardly heading towards the counter.
"Um, ex-excuse me, Mister."
The man set down the magazine he was reading.
"Yes, Ma'am?"
"I…I d-don't have any money," Asuka whimpered. Still trying to hide her intoxication, she made sure not to be too breathy with her words. She didn't want the man smelling any alcohol if at all possible.
"Well, I suppose you're outta luck, kid. This isn't a charity. We don't cater to strays."
Asuka's temper was starting to flare, but she tried to keep control of herself.
"Oh, p-p-please, Mister. I'm s-so hungry. I d-don't remember the last time I had any food. Please? Can I please have it? I r-really need it."
The man sat and thought for a second, but it didn't seem like he was going to change his mind before he next responded.
"Look, kid, I run this store. I'm sorry you got it rough. But, I need to make a livin-"
"OH, PLEASE MISTER! PLEASE! I'M SO HUNGRY! I'M SO COLD! PLEASE! I REALLY NEED THIS!" Asuka screamed as she fell to the ground pretending to cry.
The man stood in silence for a moment, before he spoke.
"Well, you are a very pretty girl…"
Asuka cringed.
"I…I see," she said in mock defeat, "I...I don't want it. You…can keep it."
Asuka slowly walked back to the oven to place the wrapped burger back onto it.
'You made me do this. I hope you realize that, you disgusting perverted jerk. I gave you the chance to be kind. And, I would have left without the food. But, when you make a disgusting offer like that…as far as I'm concerned…YOU DESERVE TO LOSE MONEY TO ME, YOU DISGUSTING PRICK.'
Asuka turned around as quickly and precisely as her drunk legs would let her. She bolted for the door as fast as she could, but the alcohol caused her to lose her footing just short of the exit.
/
-Nowhere To Go | Fatal Sins-
/
The man ran towards her as soon as she turned to try to escape. He was on her almost before she hit the ground. Asuka felt the man's fingers wrap around her hair and start lifting her up.
"Guh, N-NO! LET GO OF ME!"
"You little bitch. YOU HAVE SOME NERVE TO TELL ME THAT AFTER TRYING TO STEAL FROM ME."
"Y-YOU DESERVE IT YOU PEDO FREAK!"
The man lifted the small girl up clean of the ground and brought her to eye level with himself before punching her in the cheek.
"AHHH," Asuka cried out.
The man wasted no time in punching her again.
"GaahhhHHHHHHHHHHHH," Asuka shrieked in pain and fear.
The man then punched her in the gut before tossing her away from the door.
Asuka's wet clothes grabbed the cold tile floor, stopping her from sliding.
She tried to get up but before she could, she was kicked in the gut and was knocked against the counter.
She had blood leaking from her mouth and nose, but despite the fear she felt, she was calm; like she was ready to accept her fate, whatever it may be.
"You piece of shit," Asuka said as she spat some blood out of her mouth.
"You little shit talker," the man said as he kicked her again right as a lightning strike lit up the sky outside the shop, followed shortly by thunder.
The air was kicked out of Asuka's lungs and she was left gasping for breath instead of screaming for salvation
The man knelt down in front of her and grabbed her shirt. Asuka, weak and dazed, put her hand on the man's arm to try to force him off of her, but she was losing consciousness rapidly and provided next to no opposition for the man as he tore her shirt open.
Asuka heard the buttons of her white shirt click and clatter across the floor in front of her, but it sounded distant, like she was in a dream.
Before she knew it, the man was punching her yet again. The pain spread across her entire body, her ribs, her jaw, her legs, her stomach. It was all the same. All of her essence devolved into pain.
The last thing she felt before slipping into unconsciousness was the sharp slap of the out of control man.
/
"Asuka."
The girl squinted her eyes shut as hard as she could.
"Asuka, my dear, it's time to wake up. You have training today."
"I don't want to train today, momma."
Kyoko pulled the warm covers off her young child.
"And, I want you to know how to protect yourself. Come now, Asuka. I already let you sleep in and Miss. Nozomi just arrived. It would be rude to keep her waiting. I'll take you somewhere nice to eat if you get up."
"Fine," Asuka grumbled as she climbed out of bed.
"That's my girl. I'll tell Miss Nozomi you'll be down in just a minute. You better not go back to bed young lady."
"I won't," Asuka said, obviously still tired and bored.
"Good, now get dressed," Kyoko smiled as she left and shut the door to Asuka's room.
Asuka pulled off her nightwear with an annoyed moan and then slipped into her physical training uniform as fast as she could, not wanting to keep her trainer or mother waiting any longer than needed. She was already up, and she'd rather just get her responsibilities done with so she could do something fun and maybe go someplace nice for lunch with her mother.
After tying her hair back, Asuka opened the door and went down stairs to face the day head on.
"She's progressing really well. She's a tiny thing, but she'd very fierce. I really think she has a lot of potential."
"Do you really? Oh, that makes me so proud of my little girl," Kyoko squealed.
"If she learns proper form and technique at this age, I really think she could become quite formidable as she grows. And, she picks most of it up very quickly. I have no doubt she'll-"
Asuka rounded the corner and appeared in the living room where the two women where conversing.
"-And there she is!" Miss Nozomi said proudly, "So, tell me Asuka. Are you ready to stand up and fight?"
The red headed girl looked at her trainer with the most determined smirk any person could imagine.
"What kind of question is that? Of course I am. I'm not weak."
/
-To Stand and To Fight-
/
"I'm…not weak…"
'Fight…'
The pain. Every part of her body ached as the man continued beating her.
"I'm not weak."
'Fight.'
Another fistful of force, another wave of pain.
"I'm not weak!" Asuka coughed as her eyes shot open.
'Fight!'
"Hmm, what was that, you bitch? I can't hear you. Speak up!" The man said as he drew his fist back.
"I…said…-"
'FIGHT!'
The man plunged his fist forward, ready to break every bone in the small girl's body if that's what it took to make her submit.
'FIGHT! DAMN IT ASUKA, GET UP AND FIGHT! DON'T LIE DOWN AND TAKE IT! FIGHT!'
"-I'M NOT WEAK!" Asuka screamed in rage.
Asuka raised her hand and caught the wretched man's fist, stopping it only a few inches from her bruised and bleeding face.
Both of them froze, in amazement, in awe, in fear, and they stared into each other's eyes.
"But you," Asuka coughed, "You're weak!"
The man growled at her.
"What was that you little whore?" he said as he wrapped his fingers around her neck and lifted her off the floor once again.
"You…you heard me. You're weak," Asuka choked, "You're attacking a cold, tired, hungry, abandoned girl. You're trying to fuck a girl against her will. YOU'R TRYING TO RAPE SOMEONE. YOU'RE TRYING TO TAKE THE VIRGINITY OF A FOURTEEN YEAR OLD GIRL. AND I WON'T STAND FOR IT! YOU'RE DISGUSTING! YOU'RE PATHEIC! AND YOU'RE WEAK! SO, COME ON! DO IT! HIT ME AGAIN! I WANT YOU TO DO IT! I'LL KILL YOU!"
The man sneered.
"You whore. Looks like you're a shit talker to the end."
The man once again pulled his fist back and prepared to strike with all his strength.
Asuka braced herself, waiting for the perfect moment while dangling helplessly in the air.
'Focus, Asuka. Just like you were taught. You might be drunk, but you can do this.'
The man's fist lunged forward, and Asuka made her move. She swung her heel up to meet the man's hand and brought her other leg up and pressed her foot against the man's chest. Using the man's punch to help push her, she launched herself away from him and broke his grasp around her neck before landing against the counter behind her. She then pushed off it and then then shoved the man as far away as possible with her other foot, desperately trying to give herself some breathing room.
The man fell backwards, but wasn't about to let Asuka go and was quickly scrambling to get back onto his feet.
Asuka wiped the blood from her face and tried to ignore the fact the buttons had been torn off her shirt.
By the time the man had gotten up, Asuka took up a fighting stance. She hoped that in her current state, if she gave her all, it would be just enough to finish this and get out alive and unviolated.
But, even with her fighting abilities, she was small, tired, and intoxicated. And she was fighting someone much larger than her who was sober and didn't seem to be fatigued at all.
"Come on then," the man said, raising his fists.
"After you, pussy," Asuka retorted as a fresh stream of blood dripped out of her nose and down her lips.
The two squared up, and the man threw a couple mock punches at the girl.
But, Asuka wasn't about to take any more humiliation and she retaliated, punching the man precisely in the center of the shit eating grin he had on his face, knocking loose two of his teeth.
Judging by the man's expression, he didn't even realize he'd lost his teeth; he was just upset he'd been hit.
Enraged, the man forewent trading blows, and instead charged Asuka, bringing the both of them to the ground with Asuka suffering the worst of both worlds between the floor and the weight of the man.
If Asuka hadn't been at a disadvantage before, she was now. The back of her head hit the floor and blood was shooting out the back of her head, dyeing her hair a darker red than it ever should have been.
"GAHHHHHHHHH! AHHHHHHHHHHHHH! AHHHHHHHHH! GAHHHHHHH!" she screamed in a pain-stricken daze.
Asuka's world was spinning and getting dark. She shrieked in pain over and over again. It was all she could feel. There was nothing else.
The man grimaced at the shrill sound of the girl's voice. To try to muffle her, he wrapped his fingers around her throat and began choking her. Immediately, the girl's horrific and bloodcurdling screams became nothing more than gargles and gasps as she struggled for air.
He reached down with his free hand and started yanking the girl's red skirt off her legs. It was challenging to do with one hand, but after about thirty seconds of struggling, he pulled her skirt over her ankles and tossed it away.
Immediately after that, he threaded his fingers into Asuka's red lace panties.
Asuka had to do something. She couldn't let this happen. She wasn't going to let it happen.
'FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!'
"Grh-…guh-... No!" Asuka choked out before she used all of her remaining strength to hit the man's throat as hard as she could.
But it wasn't enough
"FUCKING BITCH!" he yelled at her before punching her in the face again, finally knocking her out.
He tugged at her panties again, but he wasn't going to get far.
The door to the shop swished open.
"Put your hands in the air," a deadly quiet female's voice seethed.
The man chuckled malevolently.
"DO IT NOW! PUT YOUR HANDS IN THE FUCKING AIR RIGHT NOW AND GET OFF THE GIRL, YOU BASTARD."
The man released his grip on Asuka's unconscious body, put his hands in the air like he was told to, and stood up before edging away from the her.
A shot rang out and the man collapsed on the floor, motionless.
"You…you deserve worse, you fucking pig."
The woman refused to lower her gun. Instead, she depressed her finger on the trigger of her semi-auto 9mm until every round was spent, firing it at varying points of the man's chest. But, even that wasn't enough to satisfy her. She holstered her gun and walked up to the corpse before turning it over so that it was facing her. And then, she kneeled down next to it and began hitting it's face in rage, in vengeance, and in sadness.
The door to the shop opened again, and this time, a man came in. He rushed to the woman's side and wrapped his arm around the woman's waist, trying to pull her away from the corpse.
"Misato, stop! It's over!"
"NOOOOO! NO! HE NEED'S TO PAY FOR WHAT HE DID! I KILLED HIM! I'LL KILL HIM AGAIN! I'LL MAKE HIM REGRET WHAT HE'S DONE FOREVER! I'LL BE THE ONE TO MAKE HIM SUFFER!"
"Misato!"
"LET GO OF ME!"
"MISATO, LOOK AT ME!-"
The man grabbed the woman's cheeks and forced her to look at him.
"-There's someone who needs you more right now. Forget this piece of trash," the man said trying hard to hold back tears of his own.
Misato collapsed into the man's arms. Her entire body was trembling and she needed support.
"KAJI! OH, KAJI! ASUKAAAAA! SHE NEEDS TO BE HOSPITALIZED. WE NEED TO CALL-"
"I already did. They'll be here soon. I left the call when I heard you unload on him, because I thought maybe you needed help. But, I think the Commander got the message. NERV E.M.S. should be here in a few minutes."
"ASUKAAAA! AAAAAHHHH, ASUKAAAAA!" Misato screamed as she cried into Kaji's shirt.
"Momma…"
Both Misato and Kaji became very quiet with the exception of Misato's occasional sniffling.
"Asuk…Asuka?"
Misato crawled over to the poor girl, not minding the pool of blood she pressed her hands into to get closer to her.
"Mom…ma? Is…that you?"
Misato put her hands over her mouth in an effort to hold back her crying.
Kaji got up and walked to Misato's side to put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Misato looked up at him and he nodded to her as a few tears fell out of his eyes.
"Yes, Asuka. It's momma! Please, please, be okay for momma. You have to. Mommy needs you."
"I…I did it, Momma. I did it. I fought," Asuka whispered as one of her bruised eyes tried to open.
"Yes, I know, baby! You fought so bravely and momma loves you!" Misato squeaked out as more tears than she'd ever cried poured over her cheeks, mixing with Asuka's blood.
"I love you too momma. I love you so much." Asuka said as more blood slipped out of her nose.
The nearly unconscious girl raised her hand, and Misato clasped it in her own as yet more tears fell from her eyes.
"I love you, my little Asuka."
At that moment, a few NERV EMT's burst through the door and rushed towards the girl.
"I LOVE YOU ASUKA!"
"Momma?"
The EMT's laid out a gurney next to the girl and lifted her onto it.
"I LOVE YOU! PLEASE BE STRONG FOR ME!"
"Momma? Where are they taking me, momma?"
"To…TO SOME PLACE SAFE! THEY'RE TAKING YOU HOME!" Misato wailed, "I'LL SEE YOU SOON."
"Promise me!" Asuka loudly moaned as she was carried through the door out to the ambulance waiting for her.
"I PROMISE!" Misato screamed as she finally collapsed on the floor in tears.
She stayed there for a long time, longer than she knew, longer than she wanted to.
"Kaji! Tell me she's going to be okay!"
The man knelt down next to her and smiled at her.
"All we can do now is wait, but I know… I know she'll be okay," he said as he offered her a hand.
/
-Home-
/
"And that's when you called Chief Inspection Officer Ryoji Kaji for assistance?" the stern quiet voice of Commander Ikari inquired.
"Yes, Sir. I thought that he would be worried about Pilot Sohryu's wellbeing as much as I was. However, neither of us knew she had been attacked until I walked through the door. Which makes me wonder what Section 2 was doing during that time. I did tell them not to interact with her unless circumstances demanded it. But, I expected that if one of our pilots was being attacked, they would have stepped in."
Gendo shuffled through a couple papers looking for something, before finding a file and bringing it closer to his face..
"According to this report," he started, "Pilot Asuka Langley Sohryu spent approximately seven minutes browsing the products in the shop. She and the assailant fought for approximately three minutes after that, during which Sohryu displayed a degree of her martial prowess. By the time that the encounter had escalated to a degree that intervention was critically necessary, you and Officer Kaji too, coincidentally, were already within seconds of arriving. The agent observing pilot Sohryu was headed to her location from an alley across the street when you discharged your firearm. At that point there was nothing more for said agent to assist in, and so he departed as protocol dictates."
Misato was still trembling from the encounter. And she really didn't want to tell the story to the Commander and be forced to relive the events a second time. But, she continued.
"After I lethally engaged the man I fired-"
"That is enough, Captain Katsuragi. I'm aware of what happened after that. I will handle the rest of this. You have nothing to fear. You are not in trouble and will not face any disciplinary action. If you wish to leave, you are dismissed."
Misato stood up from the chair in front of Ikari's desk. She bowed as she tried to restrain her tears and then turned to leave.
Waiting expectantly outside the Commander's office was Kaji.
"Did everything go okay?"
"The Commander said he'd handle it," Misato said in a despondent voice.
"Hey, listen, you're a strong woman, Katsuragi. You're good at compartmentalizing," the man said in an effort to cheer her up.
"Th-thanks…"
"Come on. While you were in there, I got news. A doctor came by and said Asuka's not as bad off as she looked. There's no internal bleeding. The bit of blood that was in her mouth was just from a lesion that one of her teeth caused when he punched her. She does have a concussion and a little memory loss, but she's not in any danger. She's just tired and bruised. They said she might even be able to go home tonight. So…" the man smiled, "let's go see her."
"Y-yeah…let's," Misato said, trying to force a smile on her face.
/
Asuka rested quietly in a soft white hospital bed. Nurses and doctors had been in an out, but other than the headache and the pain, she really didn't feel like she needed to be in the hospital. She exhaled, which hurt her jaw a noticeable amount, even with the mild painkillers she was on and the alcohol still in her system, but it wasn't even enough to make her wince.
'If I wasn't drunk, I would have kicked his ass. It wouldn't have even been a competition.' Asuka thought with a smirk.
The handle on the door knob turned, and Asuka's eye's rolled in annoyance, expecting another nurse to come in and wrap another bandage she didn't need around her head, but she was surprised to see Kaji and…Misato walk in.
The purple haired woman almost immediately broke into tears and rushed to the girl's bed.
"Asuka! ASUKA! I'M SORRY!"
The redhead almost cringed, but tried to control herself even though she wasn't used to people showing this kind of emotion around her.
"Y-Yeah, yeah, okay. I get it!"
"I'LL NEVER LET YOU GET HURT AGAIN! I PROMISE! PLEASE, FORGIVE ME! I FAILED YOU!" Misato cried as she let her head fall into Asuka's bed pathetically.
"Okay, Misato, really, it's okay. I'm fine."
The older woman looked up at the girl somewhat stunned that she could be so cool after such a traumatic event.
"Misato, can…can we just go home? I want to take a hot shower and then go to bed in my own bed."
Misato wiped away her tears, and beamed at the girl.
"Yeah, of course. We can go home. Let's do that."
/
Asuka remained quiet most of the way home from the hospital. She really didn't have anything to say and had way too much to think about, as did Misato. But, Misato wasn't the one who experienced everything that happened tonight first hand, and she had lots of question that she was afraid to ask.
"A-…Asuka?"
"Hmm," the girl responded nonchalantly.
"Are we…. are we good?" Misato asked as she pulled into the parking lot of her apartment.
Asuka inhaled slowly, and then exhaled even slower.
'Don't cry, Asuka. You swore you'd never cry again,' the girl's mind screamed over and over.
"Yeah, I guess. Just…don't tell stupid Shinji about what happened," Asuka said coolly.
"Asuka…I…" Misato said, obviously still stunned by the girl, "I won't…. don't worry..."
"Good," Asuka said as she unbuckled her seatbelt, exited the car, and tore the bandages off of her head in one swift motion before discarding them in the middle of the parking lot.
/
Asuka had just finished washing the blood from her hair and turned off the nearly steaming water in the shower.
The doctors had suggested shaving some of her hair to have better access to the split flesh on the back of her head, but Asuka wouldn't have any of it and fiercely protested with multiple expletives and threats. She wanted to believe that the only reason the doctors didn't press her anymore afterwards was because they knew that if she was well enough to thrash and yell, she didn't need to be examined, but she knew that the real reason was because Doctor Akagi had ordered them not to and had arrived in Asuka's room to treat the injury herself.
Asuka reached back and rubbed the wound, which caused her to flinch a little. She still didn't like the feeling of stitches in the back of her head and assumed it would be annoying to sleep with, though, Doctor Akagi had seemingly taken great care to make sure they wouldn't be distracting.
After getting out of the shower and purposely avoiding looking in the mirror of Misato's bathroom, Asuka slipped into her nightie, which caused her to wince as it brushed against the bruises on her face. She then left the bathroom, hoping that she could go straight to bed.
She peeked out of the kitchen and saw Misato watching T.V. on the couch next to Shinji, who'd apparently been sleeping there before she and Misato had returned from the hospital.
Asuka carefully crept out of the kitchen, trying to get to her bedroom without Misato noticing, but it seemed that simply would not be the case.
"Asuka…"
"Y-yes?" Asuka sighed, somewhat frustrated that she was being prevented from sleeping through her headache.
Misato remained quiet for a few seconds before speaking.
"The report said…that…you fought him. …Do you…know how to fight, Asuka?"
Asuka's back straightened some. She was caught off guard by Misato's question.
"I…know some mixed martial arts. I had a trainer when I was younger."
"You know…some?" Misato asked, looking over her shoulder.
"Yeah. I quit after my mother fuckin' offed herself. I never completed my training. Why'd you ask?"
"I just…needed something to think about."
"Okaaaay…" Asuka said as she once again attempted to retreat to her room.
"Wait, Asuka."
"What?" the redhead sighed.
…
…
…
"I'm happy…you're back…" Misato's trembling voice spoke barely above a whisper.
"Yeah… It's… good to be back."
.
*Eva credits roll and Fly Me to the Moon plays*
.
"Hi everyone, it's Misato, as usual. Sorry for being a crybaby in this chapter. I couldn't help it. I guess I'll just give you all the chapter preview before I start weeping my little heart out again.
Lasers fly everywhere. Both tensions and stakes rise as Shinji, Rei, and Asuka must lock, load, and take aim to fight the onslaught of...Toji and Kensuke!? Wait, that can't be right... Oh, wait! Next chapter is the laser tag chapter! That's right. Silly me. That's pretty exciting, right? Of course, this will lead to bigger things, no doubt about it. But, for now, it's time to give me a break from crying. Next time, on Neon Genesis Evangelion: A Journey of Hate, Power, and Love; Action at The Speed of Light!
Can't wait to see you there! Who knows what kind of fanservice could await?"
.
Well, that got really dark really fast. This chapter was really mentally exhausting to write. I could barely stand doing that to one of my favorite characters of all time. I'm still kinda wondering if it was the right thing to do. I know it's just a piece of writing...but, damn.
Anyways, it's hard for me to think about and...I'm also just so tired. I've been listening to metal and electronic music for the past two days to keep me from falling asleep but now...I need to go to sleep. I can only imagine what kind of reviews I'll wake up to tomorrow.
.
Update: I intend to start writing Chapter 10 this evening.
Update: Okay everyone, I took some time off from work to try to work on the next chapter, but I found out my friend died, so I ended up going out of town and attending her funeral and a couple other honorary services and family events. I'm back now. The next chapter should be out this week or early next week at the latest depending on how much free time I can get.
Update: Okay, this next chapter might actually be a bit longer than expected. I have 7,900 words (Almost 8,000 actually) so far and...I haven't even gotten to the main part of the chapter yet. So, I dunno. It might be out a little later than expected because it's looking like it's going to be a long chapter. I'm definitely expecting more than 15,000 words at this point. Despite the fact it's supposed to be a more light-hearted chapter, there's a lot of stuff I'm trying to establish with it. I like to think I have a very clear idea of how these chapters are supposed to turn out, but sometimes, they just...aren't what I expect them to be. I literally have the whole plot in my head at this point. I could recite a summary of the entire thing right now. But, I still know that the story would probably change and take some turns that even I can't foresee at this point.
Update: Alright. Sorry, all. This chapter is just taking a long time to get out. Though, I'm hoping to have it out within the next few days. Holy shit, stuff is just piling up on me. I honestly intended to have this next chapter out way before now. Sorry for the long wait.
Final Update: Chapter ten will be published in a few minutes. Sorry for the long wait, everyone.
