So, review responses, which I have been somewhat neglecting because of my schedule.
Chunnin33: Is it really? I hope it is. I'm trying really hard to make sure it is.
Seeking Professional Help & Hellsink Bathhall (I'm still used to calling you Satanic Park of Madness): Yes, Asuka. Poor Asuka. She's getting to the point where she's going to get over him. I don't want to get to spoilery, but she's not completely done with him yet. There's actually going to be a bigger turning point for her that actually led to the very first scene I every wrote for this fic. But, yeah, she's still going to be tipping back and forth for awhile.
I muffin derpy: I'm happy you actually liked last chapter. It was hard for me to write. And, I was worried a good portion of it wasn't going to be good. Though, I'm at least hopeful that the end was stronger than the beginning.
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Also, real quick author's note...I hope you all fucking cry at the end of this chapter. I had a hard time getting it right. And, even now I'm not totally confident in it. But, I'm trying!
Oh, and, I almost forgot. Today is NGE's 22nd birthday. So, I was really trying to squeeze this chapter out today. (Though, I suppose for some of my readers, the 4th has already passed.)
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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 14
Rust and the Roses of Love
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It was a sunny Monday morning in Tokyo-3, and Ritsuko, Maya, and Shigeru had all stopped by a laundromat before heading in to work. Hyuga had also been on the train with them before it stopped near the laundromat, but he had decided to go on ahead to NERV and pick up some clothes for Misato, which he had offered to wash for her.
Shigeru had seen how red Makoto's face had become when Misato had texted him back and told him that it would be a great help indeed if he washed her clothes for her. Shigeru knew that he had a crush on Misato, and he could only imagine that he was just hoping for a chance to see her panties, but he figured that Misato would never hand those over to someone she didn't know more personally.
And so, he, Maya, and Ritsuko all stepped off the train and watched the doors slide shut in front of Makoto before it sped off along the elevated track high above the road.
"Well, I'm sure the children will be happy to get out of school today," Maya said with a smile.
"Hehe, yah think? Too bad we can't get off from work more often," Shigeru chuckled.
/
-The Day Tokyo-3 Stood Still-
/
"Come on, Shinji! We have to go!" Asuka growled as she pulled on Shinji's arm, trying to drag him out the classroom door.
"No, man! You gotta stay here with us! It's not fair that we have to do the math test and you don't! We're bros! We do it together!" Toji cried as he held onto Shinji's leg like a man dangling over a ravine desperately trying to not lose his grip
"HE HAS A TEST TOO, YOU KNOW!" Asuka shouted as she shoved her shoe into Toji's face and tried to push him away.
"Yeah, but his test is just sitting inside an Eva for hours on end. It sounds so boring for him. And next period will be boring for me without him."
"What are you!? Gay!?" Asuka growled once more.
"No! I just don't want to do my math test alone!"
"Uhh…I'm right here, Toji. You know, they guy who helped you study this morning?" Kensuke said to the bawling boy in an unenthused way.
"Yeah, I know! But, it'll still be lonely without Shinji.
"What do you mean!?" Asuka shouted as she pushed Toji's face a little harder, "All he ever does is sit quietly and never talk! What difference does it make?"
"Nah, man, you don't understand! It's the bro family, man! The bro family!"
"The bro family?" Shinji questioned as he was still uncomfortably pulled in two directions, though he chose not to complain about it.
"Yeah, man! The bro fam!"
"The bro fam?! Asuka also asked as she doubted the preposterous statement while she began kicking Toji's face to get him to let go.
"Yeah, the bro fam! You wouldn't understand, Asuka! You're not a bro! You're a bitch!"
"EXCUSE ME!" Asuka yelled at the jock as she started kicking him harder.
"Am I a part of the bro fam?" Rei asked curiously.
"Yeah, Rei! You're a part of the bro fam. You're a true bro!"
"EXCUSE YOU!" Asuka screamed again as she pulled her leg back and then swung it forward, preparing to deliver a wild kick.
"MISTER SUZUHARA! RELEASE MISTER IKARI RIGHT THIS MOMENT!" Hikari shouted right before Asuka could connect her kick to Toji's ribs, "…Please," she then added in sweetly.
"Y-y-yes, Ma'am!" Toji shivered as he hurried to his feet.
"Good. Now, since Mister Ikari has important business to attend to, I can sit next to you next period if you really don't want to be lonely. In fact, I might just be willing to sit next to you for the rest of the day," Hikari finished as she winked at the boy.
Asuka smiled at Hikari, but not for the reasons that everyone else would have thought.
'Heh, so she's actually gonna do it,' Asuka thought with a smirk.
"Noooooooo," Toji groaned slowly.
"No? What do you mean no?" Hikari demanded as she clenched her fists and glared at Toji, "Why don't you want to sit with me? I have food!"
"I mean, Yes!" Toji said, his face brightening as he failed to notice Asuka dragging off Shinji with Rei following shortly behind.
"Okay, come on you dopes. Doctor Akagi is probably already at the test plugs waiting for us to show up and we still have a ways to walk," Asuka snapped as she tugged at Shinji and pushed Rei forward.
"Did you really have to kick him so hard, Asuka?" Shinji sighed.
"Of course I did. He was interfering in government affairs. And he was being gay. And-"
Asuka stopped and looked down at her school uniform.
"And what?" Shinji asked, surprised that Asuka had stopped when she'd seemed so rushed only a few seconds before.
"He probably looked up my skirt too! OH MY GOD, YES, HE ABSOULUTLY DESERVED EVERY KICK. IN FACT, I BET HE WASN'T EVEN UPSET THAT YOU WERE LEAVING. I BET HE JUST WANTED TO SEE MY PANTIES, THE STUPID PERVERT! I can't believe I fell for that."
"Umm…maybe we should just go," Shinji said with a bashful smile, hoping to take her mind off of whatever scenario she was thinking up in her head.
"You know what, Shinji? That's a great idea. You go on ahead! I have something to talk to Wondergirl about," Asuka said as she slung Shinji in front of her and then shoved him forwards.
"Uh, um, well, if you say so," Shinji stammered as he slowly walked forward before looking back at the two girls.
"Well, go on!" Asuka said impatiently.
"But, what's Doctor Akagi going to think if I show up and you two aren't there?"
"Don't worry. It's only going to be a couple seconds. Now go! Rei and I need some private time. It's…girl talk."
"'G-girl talk?" Shinji stammered again with a blush before continuing on his way.
'I wonder what that could mean…'
Asuka watched Shinji walk down the hallway before he finally disappeared around a corner that led to an exit from the school building. And only after she'd heard the doors shut did she begin speaking with Rei.
She pushed Rei up against the wall of the hallway and leaned one of her arms against the cinderblock wall. She got very close to Rei's face, seemingly trying to invade her personal space, though Rei didn't seem uncomfortable in the least.
"So, did you tell him yet?" she whispered.
"No," Rei murmured.
"What?! Why not!?"
"Because…you told me to wait until the time was right."
"Yeah, and I also told you to not wait any longer than you had to."
Rei looked at the ground, seemingly thinking over the instructions Asuka had given her a few days prior.
"Your orders were…contradictory," Rei said as she looked back into Asuka's eyes.
Asuka put her free hand over her face and sighed.
"Well, did you at least figure out when you were going to tell him?"
"Yes."
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"Aaaaand, when was that going to be exactly," Asuka asked, breaking the silence between the two girls.
"After the test today."
"Well, good. You better not wait any longer than that. It seems like everyone is after him in one way or another. With the way things are going, Kaji will probably be the next one to hit on him. He'll probably buy him some Ueshima coffee out of a vending machine and use some gay pick up line on him. Then he'll probably make him tend to his…melons… Kaji and his damn melons. He gives so much attention to those stupid melons he planted when he could give his attention to my melons," Asuka seethed as she glared at the floor in disgust while placing her hands over her breasts.
Asuka then looked at Rei in alarm and grabbed her by the shoulders and started shaking the poor confused girl.
"You need to claim him, Rei. Now! You need to mark him as your territory before it's too late. You need to make him yours and you need to let everyone know it. You have to make sure that Shinji tends to your melons and not Kaji's melons."
"I must assume you are not speaking in a literal context. How would I do that, Pilot Sohryu?"
"Well, I dunno! Why are you asking me? It's up to you! Bite him! Rake your nails over him and leave scratches! Kiss him in public! Give him hickeys on his necks!"
"What is a… hickey?" Rei asked innocently.
Asuka looked up to the ceiling and sighed.
"A hickey is when you kiss someone someplace other that their lips and you kiss them so hard that you literally leave a bruise."
"That seems…excessive…but oddly arousing."
Asuka cringed a little.
'Did I just hear her right? Little Freakazoid here is aroused?'
"Trust me, you have no idea what excessive is, Rei. Your romantic life is just beginning, Wondergirl. And a hickey is hardly the kinkiest thing around."
"Kinky?"
"Okay, you know what? Never mind that! First things first! You need to make him yours. After you've done that, I'll tell you all about kinks and being a good lover. Now, we need to get going!"
/
Kaji sneezed as he was tending to his garden of melons. He had a bag of fertilizer and he was sprinkling it over some of his precious plants, most notable of which were his melons.
He took a glance back over at his house and saw his cat laying on the porch. Of course, Kaji was never the kind of person to claim ownership over another living being. He supposed he could have simply called the cat his companion rather than his cat. But, that seemed to do nothing more than further complicate his words. Though, there was no mistaking the cat was his companion.
When he'd first relocated to Tokyo-3, he'd taken up residence in an Apartment complex though he really didn't like it. He wanted to be closer to nature. And as though fate were trying to grant his wish, the cat he now looked at had appeared outside his apartment one morning.
Though, moving out of the city did mean a longer drive to work, he was content with his new home, and he was sure that the cat was grateful for the space as well.
It also brought Kaji some comfort knowing that the cat was less likely to get run over by a car all the way out here. Most of the time, he didn't see any cars other than his own fancy few. But, why did Kaji have more than one car? And, why were they so expensive? Well, you'd have to ask him. But he probably wouldn't tell you. Kaji always was a man of many mysteries. Who is he? Where did he come from? And what does he want from you today?
"Well, it would be nice to have someone to help me take care of my melons. I don't suppose I could ask Asuka though. She always hated my melons. And, I get the feeling Katsuragi would also be loath to help as well. I may be able to ask Shinji... But it could take some convincing. …I wonder how much he likes coffee."
Kaji looked up at the clear blue sky and stretched.
"Well, I suppose I better start heading into town. Work's starting soon and I'm sure it's just going to be a marvelous day."
/
"Oh, Ritsuko!" Maya gasped.
"Shh, now," Doctor Akagi said as she tried to hush Maya's aroused whimpering.
"P.D.A.," Shigeru jokingly mumbled as Ritsuko pinned Maya against a washing machine and kissed her neck.
Both of the women giggled.
"Well, it's not my fault that I can't find any other place to have fun with her," Ritsuko laughed.
"I don't know about that, but I suppose it's none of my business. Though I would suggest taking her to dinner," Shigeru smirked.
Maya blushed.
"Hmph, I didn't know you were the romantic type. You sound like you're trying to act like some kind of lady killer" Ritsuko responded.
"Oh, I'm not," Shigeru chuckled again, "I've never thought about women really."
"Wait, Shigeru. You're…" Maya questioned.
"I'd never have guessed you were into men," Ritsuko said as she finished Maya's thoughts.
"Oh, heheh, I'm not," Shigeru laughed as he scratched the back of his head, "I've never actually really considered…well, anyone really."
"Ooh…That's kinda sad," Maya mewled depressingly as she looked at Shigeru with sad eyes.
"Nah, not really. I'm just good at being alone. Anyways, I think your clothes are done, so I guess we should head to NERV now."
"Aww, already?" Maya pouted.
Ritsuko placed her hand under Maya's chin and kissed her on the lips.
"Don't worry. I'll see if I can take you to dinner sometime soon. I think that was a good idea on Shigeru's part. So, don't look so down, okay?"
"Okay!" Maya squeaked as a few tears of happiness washed over her cheeks before Ritsuko kissed them away.
Doctor Akagi then opened the dryer and pulled out some of the clothes and began folding them. Maya blushed when Ritsuko grabbed her panties. Ritsuko pretended not to notice, but she did and made sure to hide her smile.
/
After all their clothes had been folded, the Doctor and the two technicians headed back over to the train stop. They waited, but not for long, which was lucky for Ritsuko, who was starting to get a little anxious that she'd be late.
"Ah, finally," Ritsuko sighed as the train slid to a stop at the station.
"We've only been waiting for about twenty seconds," Shigeru mentioned.
"Oh, I know. But, I get stressed over simple things. I don't know why, but I do," Ritsuko sighed, trying to explain herself.
As the doors to the train opened however, everyone became silent rather quickly. And Ritsuko, who was holding Maya's hand, immediately let go after seeing who was sitting just inside the train car.
"Good morning, Fuyutsuki," Ritsuko said, trying to hide her tension.
She didn't think that Kozo knew about her relationship with Commander Ikari, but she could never be too careful.
"Good morning, Vice Commander Fuyutsuki!" the two NERV techs said in unison.
"Hmm, yes, good morning," Kozo said rather boredly, seemingly not paying much mind to the other three as he read a newspaper.
"So, what are you doing all the way out here, Kozo? Shouldn't you be down at the Geofront?" Ritsuko questioned, trying to take her mind off the stress of almost being seen with Maya in a more intimate way than she was comfortable with him or anyone close to Ikari witnessing.
"Ikari sent me downtown as his representative in the city council meeting today. He always gives me the most menial and tedious jobs. I'm honestly not sure why either he or I would be needed to attend to such a trivial matter. Hell, we don't need a city council anyways. The Magi basically call all the shots around here. In fact, I can already tell you all exactly how the meeting is going to happen. I'll be the last to arrive, but I won't quite be late. Then, we'll gloss over some problems. After that, we'll defer to the Magi for a solution and everyone will just go with it," Fuyutsuki sighed, sounding almost spiteful.
"Excuse me, Sir," Maya said in a questioning tone as her eyes lit up, "But, you said the Magi. You don't mean…"
"Yes, the same three Magi super computers that we make use of down at NERV," Ritsuko confirmed with a soft smile, which made Maya blush again.
"I'm honestly surprised more people don't know that the entirety of Tokyo-3 is governed by the Magi. It's not like it's a well-guarded secret," Fuyutsuki sighed once more as he folded the newspaper he was reading and threw it on his lap.
"Wow, that's so cool! Our city really is built on science!"
"Hmph, technophiles," Shigeru said quietly to himself, his tone somewhere between that of indignation and amusment.
"And apparently idiocy as well. You'd wonder how those two things got mixed together. I mean, don't they see that I have more important duties to attend to than deciding which children should be assigned to which schools or how we should go about economic reform or any of the other trifling matters that they bring up. If an angel attacks and we get destroyed because the Commander and I were dragged away from our posts, none of that would matter."
"My, my, you certainly are feeling rather talkative today, aren't you, Fuyutsuki?" Ritsuko stated, seeming teasing and concerned at the same time.
"Yes, I… I suppose you're right. I apologize. I'm not myself today."
"Oh, no, it's fine. I get it. I'm gonna be stressed out later too," Ritsuko smiled.
"You're doing tests on the Evas and children today, correct?"
"Yes. Sometimes it does seem rather pointless, but I suppose it is important to make sure that they, both the children and the Evas, are in top shape.
"I see… Well, good luck getting that Sohryu girl to stop bickering. I'd hate to be in your situation; needing to listen to her for however many hours on end," Kozo grumbled as he rubbed his temples simply imagining the fuming redhead's voice.
"Hah, she usually calms down after the first hour. The test is only supposed to be three hours. But, Miss Sohryu always extends it because she won't focus. It's passing strange. She always takes the tests so seriously before she actually gets in the test plug. But as soon as the LCL starts pouring in, she's always complaining about the temperature, or how hungry she is, or how everything is Pilot Ikari's fault. She even started singing once. It was actually more relaxing than I'd have expected from someone with a voice like hers. Though I do get the feeling she doesn't enjoy being in a plug unless she's actually piloting her Eva."
"Do you think it's something to look into?"
"Hmm, perhaps. But, she's rather vain given what Misato has told me and what I've observed. And, if she did have any personal problems, such as claustrophobia that caused discomfort to her while she was in a plug, she probably wouldn't divulge them to me. Unless it becomes a serious problem, hinderance, or keeps her from piloting, it's probably better to just leave well enough alone instead of giving her more reasons to lose focus."
"If you think that's for the best, I'll trust your judgement…"
/
"Hey, can we stop for a moment," Shinji pleaded to his redheaded acquaintance as she pushed him down the sidewalk
"What for, stupid Shinji?"
"Well, I needed to make a call real fast."
"Why can't that wait until later? The longer we take getting to NERV, the longer it'll be before we can take our tests! And the longer it is before we take our tests, the longer it'll be before we can go home! And the longer it takes for us to get home means less time for me to eat and watch movies and take a nice long shower before bed!"
"Says the one who's always making Doctor Akagi extend the testing periods…" Shinji mumbled under his breath.
"WHAT WAS THAT, THIRD CHILD?"
"N-nothing! I just said that there's a payphone right there and that I need to make a call for school!"
"Well, why don't you just use your cell phone?!"
"I'm out of data and Misato is going to get angry if we get charged extra."
"How did you use up all your data?! You never talk to anyone!"
"Toji and Kensuke are always texting me funny pictures and stuff."
"Funny pictures, huh? Like what? Memes? I bet that's not all they text you!"
"Come on, Asuka! Can't I just call real fast?"
Asuka finally quit shoving the boy and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Hmph, fine! But, make it snappy! Or I'm going to snap your neck!"
Shinji cowered away from the girl before regaining his composure and approaching the dull yellow telephone booth. Asuka glared at him expectantly, tapping her foot on the sidewalk as she watched the boy dial some numbers in on the pad.
Nobody picked up for a good seven seconds, and Shinji was about to come to the conclusion that nobody was going to, but right before Shinji decided to hang up the phone-
"Who is it?"
"F-father?"
"What do you want?"
"Um…father…"
"Speak! What is it?! What do you want?!"
"Um…there's a project at school happening next week. The teacher…he wants us to…to ask our parents to…speak to the class… and tell us about their careers…so that-"
"I have delegated all parental responsibilities to Commander Katsuragi. I'm very busy and do not have time for things like that. Do not bother me with anything like this ever again. In fact, don't bother the Captain with this either! She's needed at NERV! There's no reason for her to-"
Suddenly, the phone went completely silent and Shinji could no longer hear his father. He didn't know if he was disappointed or relieved.
'I... just wanted to be with you…father… Misato isn't you… She can't take your place no matter how hard she tries… I just want you to…appreciate me.'
"Man, sounds like he doesn't like you very much. Reminds me of my father. Hanging up on you like that," Asuka said, almost sounding like she was bragging.
Shinji glared at her for a second, but he soon lost the will to. It wasn't like she was wrong.
"Yeah, I guess he doesn't really like me. Though, it didn't really sound like he hung up either. It sounded more like the line dropped or something."
"Hah! Yeah, I'm sure. Men! They never have time for other people's feelings. Either your father is a real douche or you're an even bigger disappointment than you let on."
Rei glared at Asuka, though the redhead seemed to take no notice as she continued onwards to the train terminal.
"Come, Shinji. Everything will be okay. I have… a surprise for you after we've complete our tests," Rei said as she took his hand in hers and smiled at him.
'A surprise? She has a surprise?' Shinji questioned to himself as his heartbeat picked up.
Shinji's spirits were immediately mended and he nodded at the girl before they both began walking behind Asuka.
"Everything is kinda empty right now," Shinji commented after following Asuka for a few more minutes.
"Well, of course it is. It's the laziest part of the day," Asuka laughed with some amusement, "This is when everyone is at work, but no one is really working because they're too braindead. It's when everyone is still trying to wake up from the morning, but they're also thinking about sleeping later tonight."
"Yeah…I guess. But, it still seems quieter than when we usually come this way. There's nothing. There's almost no sound except for the cicadas and cars. I don't hear the trains. And, it's so hot out, but I don't hear any air conditioners."
"Hmm, I guess you're right. It is a little quieter than usual. But-"
"The traffic lights…" Rei mentioned.
Asuka looked surprised that Rei had the gall to interrupt her, but listened to what she had to say anyways.
"Hmm? The traffic lights? What about them?"
"They are not lit."
"Huuuh? Whaaaat? But that means…-"
Asuka looked at the traffic lights up ahead, and sure enough, none of them were lit.
Shinji sighed, annoyance growing on his face. And, at the back of his mind, he realized that he'd have to wait longer for Rei's surprise, whatever it may be.
"-NO! THAT MEANS WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO WALK ALL THE WAY TO NERV!" Asuka cried to the heavens.
/
"I have delegated all parental responsibilities to Commander Katsuragi. I'm very busy and do not have time for things like that. Do not bother me with anything like this ever again. In fact, don't bother the Captain with this either! She's needed at NERV! There's no reason for her to-"
Suddenly, the lights above the command bridge all flickered off and the previous idle chatter of the command room disappeared with the light as Commander Ikari sighed frustratedly and fell silent as well.
"Uuuugh, damn it. I bet that was one of Doctor Akagi's experiments gone awry," Fuyutsuki groaned in annoyance, as though his meeting with the city council earlier hadn't already done enough to interrupt his day.
"I don't think so, but we shall see," Gendo said as he tried to reclaim his composure and set the phone down in its dock before lacing his gloved fingers in front of his face.
/
Makoto Hyuga had luckily just finished washing Captain Katsuragi's clothes and was pulling the last of Misato's tank tops out of the drying machine when the lights in the laundromat went out.
He glanced up at the fluorescent lighting fixture above him and then returned his gaze back down and looked in some random direction, unhappy with his luck.
"Damn it, Doctor Akagi. I bet she was fooling around with another one of those pet projects of hers. And now Katsuragi is going to have to wait on her laundry. Hopefully nothing serious happens that'll cause me to discard any of it. But, I know it would be just my luck if an angel attacked right now."
/
'I wonder how much longer till Makoto is back with my laundry. I mean... I guess I shouldn't have expected Shinji to do it every week. But, I never expected to get this far behind on it either.
"HEY, KATSURAGI! HOLD THE ELEVATOR!" Kaji cried desperately, breaking Misato out of her thoughts as he sprinted for the slowly closing metal doors.
'No you don't. No you don't! You're not getting in this elevator!' Misato thought to herself as she repeatedly pressed the close button on the panel of the elevator.
But, it was too late. Kaji had already managed to get a hand through between the doors before they shut.
'Damn it all!' Misato cursed to herself.
"Phew, that was close. If I'd have been even a moment later, I'd have been left behind. Then I wouldn't have been getting anywhere anytime soon. And that would be a real shame with how vast our wonderful Geofront is."
Suddenly, the elevator lurched to a halt and a red emergency light came on at the top.
"What was that about not getting anywhere anytime soon?" Misato sarcastically questioned as she glared at Kaji.
Kaji smiled at Misato with an expression that positively exuded innocence.
"Heheh, Ritsu probably just shorted something out with one of her experiments. Maybe she was testing out a stun gun she could use to subdue Asuka. It would require an exceedingly high voltage. I'm sure the emergency power will kick on any minute now."
"I somehow doubt that this is Ritsu's doing. You on the other hand? I don't doubt that you might have a hand in this," Misato huffed.
"Me?! Whatever do you mean?" Kaji asked with a bashful shrug.
"I mean you probably cut the power just so you could be stuck in this elevator with me."
"Hah, what rot! Though I did have sufficient motive, 'tis true."
"Hmph, I just hope they get the power back on soon. And besides! The power shouldn't even be out anyways. It's near impossible for the power to go out for this long. It should have just switched over to one of the other two systems. I mean, this place is designed to survive for awhile even if it's completely cut off from the rest of the world. It's extremely unlikely that the reserve and emergency power supplies failed on their own."
"So that means…"
/
"So, Rei is doing a reactivation test for Unit-00 and the other two are just doing sync tests," Ritsuko mumbled to herself as she looked at her clipboard.
"It's kind of exciting, isn't it?" Maya said as she clapped her hands together, "This is going to be the first time that Unit-00 is going to be activated at full operational capacity since Operation Yashima."
"And on top of being repaired, it just got a new coat of paint as well. It looks pretty nice if I do say so myself," Ritsuko said dreamily as she gazed at the once orange and now blue Eva, "I almost wish I could pilot one myself. But…"
"But what?" Maya questioned.
"They're dangerous. The pilots take a tremendous risk when they sync with them, even without being pitted against an angel."
"Oh, how so? I mean, I always knew that there was some kind of danger. But, the details were never made explicitly clear to me."
"Listen, Maya," Ritsuko said as she gestured for the girl to come closer to her so that she could whisper into her ear, " I don't actually remember how secret this information is off the top of my head, but you can't go around telling this to everybody. Okay?"
"Oh, okay. I won't," Maya said, not sure if she should be excited or frightened.
"I'm sure you're aware of the basics. When a pilot syncs with an Eva, they share pain among other sensations such as texture, tension, temperature and so forth as well as things such as intentions. I'm sure you're also aware that, depending on the Eva, the minimum sync rate to actually be able to influence the Eva is about a twenty percent sync. If it's any lower than that, the Eva isn't going to respond to much, if any, input from the pilot."
"Well, yeah. I'm aware of most of that. The lower the sync rate, the less the sensations the pilot feels. But, I don't understand. I mean, yes, it's definitely painful for the children, but...that's not dangerous, is it?"
"That's the part that we don't exactly know. Listen, there's things I can't tell you, but the Evas; they aren't what you think they are. But, I have reason to believe that if one of the pilots achieved, say, a perfect one hundred percent sync ratio, that the Eva and the pilot would…basically become one being. And, at that point, they may share more than just feelings such as pain, but possibly any injuries inflicted on one would be mirrored in the other in a physical manifestation. And anything beyond a hundred percent sync…well, I'm sure it would be a very abstract experience."
"Wait, Ritsuko, are you saying that…at a one hundred percent sync rate, if the Eva got shot or stabbed and it broke through the armor…then the kids would also..."
"I don't know. No one has ever gone on record as having achieved a one hundred percent sync rate. But, I would assume that is…correct."
"Oh, Ritsuko, that…that's so cruel. How can we do that to these kids?" Maya asked as she held her hand over her mouth in astonishment.
"We're not going to do that to them. The Eva's have limiters in them. That's why we can lower their sync rate ourselves or even completely desync and disconnect them. So, try not to worry too much about it. If it ever came to that, we'd stop it."
"I know, but still. The thought isn't a pleasant one. It's just…isn't this abusive? Isn't this cruel? Isn't it already bad enough that we have kids fighting this war? Why kids, Ritsuko?"
"You already know why, Maya. They're…the only ones who can."
"But, why? Why is that?"
"Maya, I don't know," Ritsuko knowingly lied as she hugged the younger woman.
'Damn you, Ikari! Damn you! Making me keep these damn secrets! …No, this is my fault. I…shouldn't have said anything to her in the first place. Then I wouldn't have needed to worry about lying to her,' Ritsuko cursed to herself, trying to keep her cool as she calmed her protégé.
Suddenly, the lights went out, which caused Maya to hug Ritsuko even harder.
Even though she couldn't see, she had an odd feeling that all the other techies in the room were probably eyeing her right now.
"Uh, d-don't look at me! I didn't do anything." Ritsuko stammered in embarrassment.
She heard all the other people in the room groan like she'd just told some bad joke. She then reached into her lab coat and pulled out her lighter. It wasn't much, but it would be enough to at least find a flashlight.
"Well, time to get to work I suppose. Stay close to me, Maya. I'm going to need you nearby," Ritsuko said in a rather uncharacteristically sultry tone that made the younger woman wet with arousal and excitement.
/
-Lost in the Echo-
/
"Damn it all, I bet this is probably all Doctor Akagi's fault. She was probably trying to change the sync test up or something; throw us for a loop and make us score lower so that she can just call us right back in later. In fact, I think she enjoys making us sit in there all by our lonesome for hours on end. She's probably a sadist or something. And would you believe it? Look what happened! She went and fucked up everything just to sate her own sick personal desires! She reminds me so much of Misato, it makes me want to vomit."
Shinji looked at Rei with very apparent confusion.
'How could she ever think Misato and Doctor Akagi are anything alike? I think Asuka might be going off the deep end…'
"Asuka, I think you're being a little paranoid," Shinji tried to tell the girl, though she paid him no mind considering she was mostly just ranting to herself.
'Or maybe the heat is just getting to her…' he figured as he watched the girl go on and on, just talking to herself without really saying anything while occasionally throwing her arms in the air for emphasis on some point she was trying to make.
And, just as she wasn't listening to him, Shinji figured it was probably best if he didn't listen to her. Instead, he turned to Rei and smiled.
"Well, I guess we aren't going to be doing the tests anytime soon."
"Yes. That is…unfortunate."
"Well, um," Shinji started as he scratched the back of his head, "I don't know how long the power is going to be out. But, um…well, I don't know. It might be stupid to ask," Shinji laughed unsurely.
"To ask…about…the surprise?" Rei questioned.
"Haha, yeah! That! I guess asking about it kind of defeats the purpose."
"I believe it would," Rei mumbled as she put a finger to her lip in thought, "But, it is true. The power may be off for longer than is appropriate. And that would be…very bad for both of us."
Shinji's eyes widened and he flinched.
"Very bad? For both of us?" the boy questioned with a gulp
'Now I really want to ask what it is.'
"Yes, very bad."
"You're kinda scaring me, Rei."
"Am I? You should not worry. It's nothing to be scared of," she said as she grabbed the boy's hand and smiled at him.
"Hey, what are you two doing all the way back here? You're falling behind!" Asuka scolded.
"Sorry! We were- I mean, I was being distracting." Shinji apologized.
Asuka crossed her arms and eyed the two kids with an excessively scrutinizing gaze. Shinji backed away from her as she leaned towards him and then towards Rei.
"Stupid Shinji, keep walking! I need to talk to Wondergirl."
"Y-yes, Ma'am!" the boy said as he rigidly and awkwardly continued on ahead.
"And don't call me Ma'am, dummkopf! It makes me sound old!"
"Yes, Asuka!" he corrected himself.
After Shinji was a good twenty feet ahead of the girls, Asuka swung her arm around Rei's neck and pulled her close before whispering, "So, what are you going to do with the power out?"
"I will wait and see. The electricity may yet be restored today."
"Hey!, Don't speak so loud!," Asuka scolded Rei in response to her not lowering her voice, as though Rei actually needed to lower her voice any more than usual.
Regardless, Rei nodded seriously but awkwardly in Asuka's arm before the redhead continued questioning the girl.
"And, if the power isn't back up today, what are you going to do then?"
"I must assume Doctor Akagi will reschedule the tests. And I will tell him then or simply find another time."
Asuka let go of the girl and stared at her thoughtfully. Apparently, she was satisfied with the girl's answer or simply didn't have a better suggestion as the redhead resumed her more brisk pace and caught up with Shinji before punching him in the shoulder.
"Ow, what was that for?"
"You better not disappoint me!" Asuka growled at the boy angrily.
"Disappoint you how?" The boy asked as he winced while rubbing his shoulder, hoping he wouldn't get a bruise later.
"At the test, you idiot!"
"I don't get what you mean, Asuka."
"You don't need to, you idiot! Just don't disappoint me or Doctor Akagi or…or," Asuka looked back at Rei quickly, "Or anyone else!"
"Well, I'll try my best. But, I'm not really good at this Eva stuff."
Asuka stomped on the ground and grit her teeth.
"Uuuuurh! You don't get it! Just don't fuck up your chance, Third Child. Now, get back there with Wondergirl, where you belong!" Asuka said as she grabbed the boy's shirt and swung him behind her, sending him tumbling in to Rei's masterful grasp as the blue haired girl helped him find his balance again.
"R-Rei, is there something wrong with Asuka?" Shinji asked quietly after he'd straightened himself out.
She looked at him curiously and with wide eyes.
"I do not believe so."
Shinji frowned as he remembered Kaji's words from a few weeks ago back at the Marine Restoration Facility.
("Could you two do me a favor?" Kaji asked as he gazed up at the clear blue sky while smoking his cigarette.
"Um, yes," Shinji answered a little unsurely as Rei held his hand and the sea breeze blew through his hair.
Kaji turned his gaze to the two children and looked at them with an expression that hinted him to be pleading.
"Listen, I know better than anyone that Asuka can be difficult. But, could you two watch over her for me?")
"Asuka…"
"What?!" The girl snorted!
"Are you angry?"
"Do I look angry?"
Shinji wasn't entirely sure if he should answer with a yes or a no, but he was sure that no matter what he chose, it would probably still be the wrong answer. And, so, he tried to answer as truthfully as he could.
"Yes," Shinji blatantly confirmed.
"Well, I'm not! There's no reason for me to be!"
"That's not true. You seem kind of…angry," Shinji said, trying to sound assertive but failing in every way possible.
Asuka stopped in her tracks and turned around, fuming as she pierced Shinji's soul with her blue eyes. He never understood how such a calm color could look so menacing.
"WHAT DO YOU KNOW, SHINJI! YOU'RE JUST A JERK! YOU'RE PROBABLY JUST LIKE YOUR FATHER! YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT HOW PEOPLE REALLY FEEL! YOU CAN'T TELL IF THEY'RE HURT OR HAPPY! ALL YOU DO IS SIT IN YOUR STUPID BUBBLE AND YOU DON'T WORRY ABOUT ANYONE BUT YOURSELF! WHAT DO OUR FEELINGS AND WELLBEING MATTER TO YOU, SHINJI?"
"Asuka…th…that's not true...That's…not what I'm like," he claimed, but rather weakly as Asuka's words set off all kinds of thoughts in his mind.
"YES, IT IS! YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT PEOPLE! YOU'RE SO BLIND! YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT ME! YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT MISATO, OR YOUR FATHER, OR EVEN REI!"
Shinji's chest started to ache from Asuka's words and he couldn't really organize his thoughts well enough to try to counter what she had said. It was at this moment however, that Rei stepped in.
"That is enough, Pilot Sohryu!" the girl said much more strictly than usual.
The hair on the back of Asuka's neck stood on end. She suddenly had an urge to slap the girl she'd just been trying to help a few seconds prior. But, with just how assertive Rei had been, it had freaked Asuka out just enough to deter her.
The girl crossed her arms.
"Hmph, I'm sorry that I even bothered to help you, Wondergirl," Asuka said as she stuck her nose in the air and turned around before continuing her march to NERV.
"Asuka, wait!" Shinji cried out.
Asuka turned around, her nostrils flaring.
"Shinji, do not!" Rei pleaded to the boy.
"No, shut up, Wondergirl! Let him speak! Maybe he'll quit letting people push him around," Asuka taunted.
Shinji faltered for a moment before speaking.
"Asuka…is it your parents…or maybe mine? Is that why…you're upset? Because I called my father?"
Asuka looked angrier than she'd ever been as she calmly walked up to Shinji. Despite how quiet she was, Shinji could tell that she was livid with him. He could almost feel the sky pressing down on him as Asuka's malice thickened the air between him and her.
"What… exactly …are you trying to say?" Asuka seethed quietly as she grabbed Shinji's collar with both her hands.
"I…I don't know. It just seemed like…it seemed like you weren't happy with my father. And, I…I just. I DON'T KNOW, OKAY! I'M JUST TRYING TO HELP!" Shinji yelled, partially because his nerves were eating him alive and partially because he'd upset his friend and obviously hurt her.
"You. Can't. HELP!" Asuka screamed almost painfully, "I ALREADY TOLD YOU! YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING WHEN ALL YOU DO IS HIDE YOURSELF! YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING…WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW ME!"
"So, tell me," Shinji said gently as he placed his hands around Asuka's wrists and caressed them, trying to calm her, "Tell me about you. Help me help you."
Asuka looked down, hiding her eyes with her red bangs.
"…No."
She then let go of his collar and shoved the boy away from her.
"But, Asuka, we're Eva pilots."
"So, what?"
"Well, we should be able to…talk."
"Talk? Hah!" she laughed before spitting on the sidewalk next to Shinji's shoe.
"Asuka, please. What's wrong? Why won't you tell me? What happened?"
"Shut up, Shinji! Just, shut up!"
"Were you not the one who told him to speak? Did you not tell him to stand up for what he believes in?" Rei interjected.
"SHUT UP, YOU BITCH!"
"But, Asuka," Shinji continued.
"NO!"
"Asuka, please…did your father hurt you."
Asuka ran forward and tackled Shinji to the ground without any warning. Rei was about to step in, but paused when she saw that Asuka was not attacking Shinji any further.
She once again held Shinji by his collar and hoisted him up as she sat on top of him.
"You listen here, you piece of filth. My father…was a cheating bastard. And my mother…" Asuka paused as she took a trembling breath, "My mother was a fucking…psycho! So…just, SHUT UP! ALRIGHT? JUST, SHUT UP! YOU MEN ARE ALL ALIKE! NONE OF YOU CARE ABOUT HOW WE FEEL; HOW I FEEL! NONE OF YOU! SO QUIT PRETENDING LIKE YOU DO! IT PISSES ME OFF TO NO END!"
Asuka then smacked Shinji across the face and got up.
"Pilot Sohryu, do not do that ever again," Rei demanded, as she was too late to stop her from slapping Shinji.
"Hmph, make me!" Asuka said as she marched off towards the Geofront.
"Shinji, are you okay?" Rei asked as she looked down at the boy, who had so far refused to get up.
"I was just trying to help. I don't understand, Rei. I don't understand at all," he mumbled more to himself than her as he continued to stare at the sky.
/
"Why could they not be responding to our hails?" A man in a military uniform asked as sweat dripped down his brow, "You know what? Never mind! We need to find some other way to get word to our people at NERV HQ. The angel is still inbound on their position, correct?"
"Yes, Sir. The latest vectors show that it will arrive at Tokyo-3 within the hour."
"Damn it, scramble a helicopter over there now. We need to let them know."
"Yes, sir!"
"…Let's just hope it's not too late."
/
"Damn it, Ikari, I don't like this. Someone has obviously been tampering," Fuyutsuki whispered to his superior.
"I am aware," Gendo said, seemingly unworried.
"But who? And why?"
"I suspect SEELE," Gendo gruffly guessed.
"But why them? Why now?"
"They are trying to map our facilities and find out what takes priority."
Fuyutsuki balled his fists until his knuckles turned white.
Suddenly, a woman ran out onto the lower command bridge.
"Well, what's it look like?!" Fuyutsuki called down to her.
"Nine circuits are still functioning! Only the ones from Two-Five-Six-Seven!"
Fuyutsuki sighed.
"Okay, reconnect all functioning circuits to maintain the Magi and Central Dogma."
Shigeru looked up from his desk and objected.
"But, Sir. Couldn't that interfere with our life support systems?!"
"DO IT! We need the Magi!"
Shigeru frowned and quit protesting while the rest of the NERV techs went to work on executing Fuyutsuki's orders.
A few moments later, Ritsuko and Maya walked out onto the upper command bridge.
"Doctor Akagi! Come here, now!" Fuyutsuki furiously called out.
'Oh, god. I hope he doesn't think I did this.' Ritsuko groaned internally as she presented herself before Fuyutsuki and Ikari.
"Doctor Akagi," Commander Ikari started.
"Yes, sir?"
"I believe someone is trying to dissect our facilities," the Commander continued.
Maya gasped and Ritsuko's eyes temporarily expressed alarm before returning to their previous composure.
"Would you like me to run a dummy program through the Magi?" Ritsuko offered.
"Do it."
Fuyutsuki sighed as he watched Ritsuko walk off with Maya hot on her heels.
"Well, it would certainly be a tragedy if an Angel attacked right now," the older man mumbled as he tried to relight a candle that had just gone out.
/
"Oh, yes ma'am. Thank you!" Makoto said as he handed over some money to pay for the ice cream he'd just bought.
It was a rather hot day, and even though he was obviously going to be late getting back to work, Makoto figured he could at least treat himself and spend a few extra minutes buying a cold treat for himself.
"Haha, no! Thank you, Sir. I appreciate your patronage!" the young lady in the back of the ice cream truck smiled.
The two smiled at each other kindly, and then Makoto went on his way. However, before he could get more than a lick into the ice cream scoop, he heard…something. It sounded like a loudspeaker reciting some words he couldn't quit make out as the sound echoed off the tall buildings of Tokyo-3
"…tention all NE.. …el. Th...s… an an…l approch…g."
"Hmm?" the man questioned as he looked around, not noticing his ice cream had slipped off the cone and onto the sidewalk next to his boot.
He finally caught sight of a Helicopter overhead and noticed it was heading towards his position.
"I repeat! Attention all NERV personnel. There is an angel approaching. Please assume combat readiness."
"Oh no…this is bad. I-I have to get back to NERV right now! B-but how?!"
"Um, S-sir? Is something wrong?" the woman in the ice cream truck asked awkwardly.
"Yes! Yes! Something is very wrong!"
He repeatedly glanced left and right in a panic before pausing and remembering the ice cream truck.
"Um, excuse me ma'am. But, could I borrow your vehicle? It's an emergency," Makoto smiled sweetly.
"Borrow my…you want to? But!"
"Please, ma'am! I'm a government agent and I really must commandeer your vehicle as much as it pains me to admit it."
"Can I see your badge at least?"
Makoto happily pulled his badge out of his shirt pocket and presented it to the woman.
"Please?" Makoto smiled again.
"Okay, fine," the woman pouted.
/
A speeding Ice Cream truck just drove down a road a couple blocks from the three Eva pilots. A seemingly panicked girl spoke out over the loud speaker.
"Please, make way! Emergency Vehicle coming through! Please, I'm sorry! Emergency vehicle coming through!"
Asuka eyed the vehicle suspiciously as it disappeared into the distance.
"Since when do electricians ride around in ice cream trucks during a power outage?"
"I don't think that was an electrician, Asuka," Shinji said, meagerly offering his opinion.
"Would you shut up!?" she snapped back at him!
"I have a bad feeling," Rei mentioned quietly.
/
"S-sir! That's a dead end! We can't drive through that!" The ice cream girl squealed as she looked on in terror at the red and white barricade beam blocking one of the roads leading into NERV.
"Don't worry! I'll just ram the fucker! It's an emergency anyways!"
/
"Well, here we are! Route-7. The quickest way into the Geofront from school when people are masochists and actually want to walk all the way down to NERV...or when they just need to get there when the power is out and don't have a car," Asuka smiled.
Shinji looked around and saw a heavily armored door in what appeared to be some kind of personnel terminal for people trying to reach the Geofront without the assistance of a train.
"Um, Asuka. This door looks like it needs electricity to open."
"They do not," Rei corrected Shinji, "They can be opened manually."
Rei walked over to the door and began digging in her school bag before pulling out a small but rather robust and heavy looking key. She then inserted the key into a lock which secured a panel next to the door.
Asuka joined in as well and threw open the panel, revealing a mechanism of some kind. Shinji didn't know what exactly it was, but it looked like some kind of crank.
"Well, there yah go, Shinji! This is your department," Asuka said, obviously pleased with herself.
The boy looked deflated as he approached the crank and began turning it.
"Why is it that you always want to be in charge? But when the going gets tough, you always defer to me?" the boy groaned as he strained to operate the mechanism.
"Quit complaining. You're a man! You should stop letting every little thing get under your skin."
Shinji finally opened the door. And as Asuka stepped inside to examine the underground access provided by the door, Shinji became dizzy from the immediate exertion.
"Well, this is going to be problematic," Asuka mumbled as she stepped back out into the sunlight.
Rei didn't say anything, but she looked at the girl inquisitively.
"What's wrong?" Shinji asked as he regained his bearings.
"Well, it looks like there's two ways we can turn once we're inside. But, anyhow, time is being wasted if we sit here, so I say we just go on in and find our way ourselves. But, first, we need to choose who's going to be the leader. And I nominate myself! Any objections?" she asked as she confidently put her hands on her hips.
Both Shinji and Rei could only stare at the girl, not really caring.
"Well, good! Let's go!"
Asuka then marched back through the door followed by Rei, and Shinji who closed the door behind them.
"Damn it! I can't see anything! Thanks, stupid Shinji!"
"I have a flashlight," Rei casually mentioned as she reached into her school bag, and fumbled around in the dark until she felt said flashlight and turned it on.
"Ah, much better! Now, I say we take a left!" Asuka said confidently as she snatched the light out of Rei's hands.
"I believe NERV is to the right," Rei said, which caused Asuka to growl at her.
/
"Emergency vehicle coming though! Why are we driving inside this? Where even are we? It's so dark!"
The ice cream truck came to a stop on the lower command bridge.
"What is the meaning of this?!" Fuyutsuki asked, somewhat appalled.
Everyone on the command bridge looked at the ice cream truck, trying not to laugh or become worried. For the most part, everyone knew that it was possible for vehicles to enter and exit the command bridge and various other parts of NERV via the underground roads, but it was still somewhat comical seeing an ice cream truck roll up into what was supposed to be one of the most secure military facilities on the planet.
"Ow, Sir, please!"
Some general sounds of discomfort where projected out over the loudspeaker.
"Commander Ikari!," the familiar voice of Makoto Hyuga called out over the loudspeaker after stealing the mic from the girl, "There's an angel."
The entire command bridge went silent. And, Commander Ikari, seemingly not fazed by the Ice Cream truck, solemnly stood up from his seat.
"S-sir, where are you going?" Fuyutsuki asked in shock.
"To the Eva cages. I'm going to start them manually."
"B-b-but, can that be done?"
"We have a diesel generator in the Eva cages."
"Well, yes. But…who is going to pilot them?"
/
"I think we should go right!" Asuka said as she put her hands on her hips.
"The path to the right goes up though. Are we sure it doesn't just lead back to the surface?" Shinji suggested without trying to sound too commanding.
"I believe we should go left," Rei said.
The children had been wondering around in the dark for the past thirty minutes. None of them really knew where they were, especially since part of Route-7 had been caved in, most likely from a previous angel attack, and the fact that this part of NERV had obviously been neglected. Inevitably, the children had to take a few detours. And to make matters worse, the whole time, Asuka and Rei had been conflicted on which way they should be going.
"Quit contradicting me!" Asuka huffed, "I'm the leader! We're going right!"
Neither Shinji nor Rei said anything in protest, despite how much they wanted to. And so, Asuka continued confidently having made her choice. And the other two Eva pilots were left with little choice but to follow her.
While Asuka was in the lead and not paying much mind to him, Shinji decided to take the chance to talk with Rei.
"So, Rei."
"Yes, Shinji?"
"Um…well, are your parents going to come to school for career day? What do they do? I've never seen them. Do they travel a lot?"
"I…do not have parents, Shinji."
"You…you don't?" Shinji asked, suddenly becoming worried if he'd hurt another of his friend's feelings.
"No, I don't. I'm not like you."
"Not like me? What does that mean?"
"I…cannot say yet, Shinji. But, one day, I might."
"You can't say? I'm not sure I understand, Rei."
"Do not worry," she said as she reached for his hand with a smile he could barely see in the dark, "You will."
Ahead of them, Asuka was groaning as she twisted another crank next to a door.
"See," she struggled to pronounce, "I told you guys this was the right way! I bet we'll be right by the Eva cages after I get this door open."
Finally, the lock on the door clicked and Asuka shoved the door open…only to see sunlight… And something very large in the distance.
"Uh, guys…" Asuka said quietly.
"Yeah, we know. It's not NERV," Shinji sighed.
"No, that's not it. There's like…"
Asuka finally grabbed the other pilots' attention.
"There's what?" Shinji questioned as he too approached Asuka and looked out the door before becoming very quiet.
Rei could feel the ground shaking and could hear a lot of things shattering and getting destroyed, and the sounds were getting closer.
"OH SHIT, I THINK IT'S A GIANT SPIDER!" Asuka screamed as she pulled the door shut, trying not to trip over Shinji.
"IT HAS A HUGE EYE!" the boy also yelled, helping to pull the door shut.
After shutting the door, Asuka and Shinji tried to catch their breath. Both of their heartbeats were racing and they needed a moment to calm themselves.
"I must assume there is an Angel," Rei said, asking for confirmation.
"Yeah…yeah, that was an angel," Shinji said, trying to stop himself from shaking.
"Well, I guess now that I've personally verified that we have a problem, I guess we should…get to the Eva cages?" Asuka shrugged bashfully.
Rei then turned around and began making her way back to the last intersection with Asuka and Shinji following close behind.
"Hmph, so, I bet you're Commander Ikari's favorite," Asuka said, her words jabbing accusingly at Rei.
"Asuka, I don't really think this is the time for this. We really need to concentrate on where we're going," Shinji cut in while Rei remained silent.
Asuka obviously paid Shinji's words no mind as she continued.
"I bet he treats you better too. I bet you're spoiled like a little brat."
"Asuka, come on," Shinji begged to the girl as Rei continued to ignore Asuka.
"You'd do anything he says, which is why you're the favorite. You're just his obedient little doll."
Rei stopped abruptly, almost causing Asuka to walk into her.
"I am not his favorite. And I am not treated any better either. That much is clear."
"Is that so?" Asuka taunted as Rei resumed walking.
Before long, the group of kids came to yet another collapsed potion of tunnel.
"WELL, THIS IS JUST GREAT!" Asuka yelled as she stuffed her hands into her hair, about ready to pull out her golden-red locks," THERE'S A FUCKING ANGEL ATTACKING! WE HAVE NO POWER! THE WORLD COULD BE ENDING WITHOUT US KNOWING OR EVEN BEING ABLE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT! AND I'M STUCK HERE WITH YOU TWO SUB-HUMANS! GREAT JOB LEADING THE WAY, WONDERGIRL!" Asuka screamed as she glared at the girl, who was currently inspecting the wall next to the collapsed rubble.
"Rei, is everything alright?" Shinji asked.
"Yes," she said as she kneeled down and started fumbling with something.
"Hey, what are you doing?" Asuka asked accusingly as she walked up to the girl and shined the flashlight on her hands, seeing she was trying to use her NERV ID card to unscrew the cover of an air vent.
"I am finding a way," Rei said calmly.
"What?!" Asuka shrieked, "You mean you want us to go through that!?"
"Yes…"
"But…it's so small!"
"There is no other way." Rei said, still keeping calm as she pulled out the last screw causing the cover to clatter as it hit the ground.
"Would you like to lead?" Rei asked the girl behind her.
"No way! This is your crazy idea! If you get us killed, it's going to be on you! I'll go second!" Asuka said as she offered the flashlight to Rei.
"Fine," Rei mumbled as she took the flashlight from Asuka and crawled into the vent.
After Rei's feet had disappeared from sight, Asuka knelt down and prepared to crawl in as well.
"Actually, Asuka, would you mind if I went second?" Shinji asked innocently.
Asuka glared at the boy with her sharp blue eyes!
"What? You think you're better than me?!"
Shinji blushed.
"N-no! That's not it! I just…"
Asuka got up and grabbed the boy by the collar of his shirt for at least the third time that day.
"Listen, you! I'm starting to get real sick of you! You go third because you're third place out of us three!"
She then pushed him away from her and then knelt down and crawled into the vent.
'I'm going to regret this,' Shinji sighed as stared at the vent in deep contemplative thought before he too knelt down and entered it.
"And I swear, if you look up my skirt, third child…" Asuka's voice reverberated off the walls of the vent
"Th-that's why I wanted to go second!"
"I don't care!" Asuka snapped.
The children carried on uncomfortably through the vent for probably a good five minutes until Rei suddenly stopped. This didn't end well, as Asuka was directly behind the girl and basically ended up shoving her face squarely…or roundly, into Rei's butt.
"Hey! HEY! WH-WHAT ARE YOU DOING? YOU JUST SHOVED YOU BUTT IN BY FACE!" Asuka screamed as she backed up, trying to give herself some space between her and Rei.
However, this was destined to end poorly as well.
"Asuka! ASUKA, WA-" Shinji tried to protest before he was cut off by Asuka's own butt being backed into his face.
"EEEEEEEP! WHAT ARE YOU DOING? YOU STUPID, IDIOT, PERVERT, HENTAI, WEIRDO!" Asuka shrieked, "I TOLD YOU NOT TO LOOK UP MY SKIRT AND WHAT DO YOU DO?! YOU LOOK UP IT ANYWAYS!"
She then repeatedly kicked the boy as hard as she could while simultaneously trying, and failing, to hide her panties. Not that Shinji could really see them anyways with how dark it was. But then again, it' wasn't like Asuka cared either.
"Please, be quiet." Rei politely asked as she pressed her ear to the metal, seemingly trying to listen.
"Yeah! I'll be quiet! Just as soon as you get behind me!" Asuka shouted to Rei, "Here, duck down, would you!?" Asuka demanded as she started crawling back towards Rei.
"Asuka, what are you doing?" Shinji asked as he nursed his bruised face.
"I'm getting away from you!"
Asuka then placed her hand on Rei's butt, and began trying to squeeze above her in the now suddenly tighter vent.
"Hey, come on, Wondergirl! Give me some space!" Asuka growled as she tried to slide her head past Rei's butt.
"I am attempting to," Rei said boredly, almost sounding annoyed.
Asuka finally slid her head between Rei's butt and the wall.
"Okay…" Asuka breathed, "Okay…just give me like…a little more space."
Asuka put one of her hands on Rei's shoulder and tried to pull her breasts past Rei's butt as well. She could barely fit, but she did manage. Rei could feel the soft mounds of flesh on Asuka's chest slowly sliding up her back.
Suddenly, Asuka's hand let go of her shoulder and started grabbing for something in front of Rei's face. Eventually, Asuka's hand found Rei's and she grabbed it as she tried to pull herself forward again. Asuka's head popped up over Rei's shoulder.
"Wondergirl! Just give me some space! I know you're doing this on purpose!" Asuka growled as her cheek pressed up against Rei's face.
"I am doing no such thing," Rei coolly said in response.
Shinji tried to ignore the sight in front of him, but it was rather hard when two very round butts were stacked right on top of one another and said butts were concealed by nothing more than a pair of skirts. Granted, he couldn't see terribly well, but the light that was reflected off the walls from the flashlight was just barely enough to see the details.
The boy groaned and mumbled to himself, "Thermal expansion…"
"What was that, Shinji!? You better not be looking at our butts!" Asuka snapped.
Shinji didn't say anything, but he immediately smashed his head on the wall of the vent in frustration.
"Okay, Wondergirl! I just need you to lower your head a little," Asuka groaned as she put her other hand behind Rei's head and tried to push her down.
"There is no more space," Rei said boredly.
"It…it's okay, I think it's enough," Asuka said breathily as her head finally made it past Rei's.
"Okay, okay! This is good. This is good! -Wait, no! I'm stuck," Asuka said rather anticlimactically.
Asuka wiggled around, but it seemed there was no getting out of it. She just might have to ask for Shinji's help.
"Damn it, Wondergirl! Can't you make your ass any smaller? My hips can't fit past your fat fucking ass."
"I don't believe that is possible," Rei groaned; even she was finally starting to get visibly frustrated.
"DAMN IT! Shinji, would you push her butt down so I can have some space?"
"But… But!"
"YES, HER BUTT! PUSH IT!"
"No! I mean like…buuuut!" Shinji cried!
"DAMN IT, NO BUTS, SHINJI. ONLY BUTTS!
Shinji reluctantly did as he was told and started feeling around blindly, trying not to look at Asuka's butt while also trying to find Rei's! He finally felt something soft in front of him, and he pushed it a little, trying to make sure it was one of the girls.
"HEY, YOU IDIOT! I SAID TO PUSH HER BUTT, NOT MINE! GODDAMN PERVERT," Asuka screamed as she tried to kick Shinji despite being somewhat leg-locked with Rei.
"I'M SORRY, SOHRYU! You also told me not to look!"
"Damn idiot, always coming up with excuses! Fine! You can look! But, only because looking is better than touching!"
Asuka and Rei's figures weren't exactly a mystery to Shinji, especially with how often he saw them in their plug suits. But, actually being invited to look up not one, but two girl's skirts was and entire new world to Shinji. And, even if he wasn't trying to be perverted about it, it was hard to ignore how tantalizingly squished together Asuka hips were to Rei's butt.
They were so squished in fact, that Shinji feared that if he was going to touch Rei to give Asuka some leeway…well, he'd probably have to touch Asuka as well. And it wasn't going to be on her ass due to the angle at which she crawled over Rei.
"Uuuuuumm, Asuka," the boy asked, quivering with embarrassment and excitement.
"WHAT?! WHAT IS IT?!
"Um…it's not looking too good back here," Shinji laughed uneasily.
"Oh, god," Asuka rolled her eyes in disgust, "I don't know if I should take that as an insult, an innuendo, or actual helpful information. What! EXACTLY! Is wrong, Shinji!?"
"Um…well, it looks kinda…tight…" Shinji answered unsurely.
"YES! I CAN FEEL THAT! But, what is the problem!"
"I…I don't think there's enough room to get my hand between you and her without touching you too! I'm sorry!"
"WHAT?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! YOU PERVERT!"
"Calm yourself, Sohryu," Rei said, not quite sounding demanding but almost.
"Asuka, I don't know what to do."
"Awww, nooooo! This sucks!" Asuka whined.
"I'm sorry!"
"YEAH, RIGHT! I BET YOU ARE, YOU PERVERT!"
Shinji couldn't deny that he was going to inevitably get pleasure out of touching one or the other, but it did hurt him to know that Asuka didn't believe his apology was genuine. However, they had other problems at the moment and he tried to put his grief aside.
Asuka sighed. She knew full well that she'd gotten herself into this situation. Not that she would ever admit it, but she absolutely wasn't ignorant of the fact.
"Damn it! Shinji, is there really no other way? You're really gonna have to touch…it…to get me out?
"Uh? It?" Shinji blushed, pretending he didn't know what Asuka was talking about.
"Yes, it! You idiot! My…my…you know! My pussy! Do you really need to…touch it?"
"I…uh…it looks like… I do."
"Okay, fine! But let me try one thing before you do."
Asuka then attempted to back up. If Shinji was going to have to touch her so she could get on the other side of Rei…well, it basically defeated the point of even trying to clamber over Rei in the first place. However, much to Asuka's horror, she couldn't back up.
'Damn you, and your butt, Wondergirl!' Asuka cursed the girl internally.
"Fuck! FUCKING FUCK! Okay, fuck! Shinji! Just do it! But, I swear, you better not get any kind of ideas!"
Shinji gulped and slowly slid his hand between Rei's ass and the panties over Asuka's labia.
Asuka suddenly gasped, causing Shinji to blush.
He tried to focus back on the task at hand, which was mostly wedging his hand between the two girls. But, even that in itself was distracting. Even trying to ignore it, he couldn't help but notice the girls' panties. He couldn't see them terribly well, but it looked like Rei was wearing some of the white lace lingerie Misato had bought her. It was a little hard to tell what Asuka was wearing, but it looked like some kind of white panties with what appeared to be a repeating strawberry pattern printed on them, accented by a red frilly lining on the edges of the underwear.
The boy blushed and tried to be the least perverted he could, but he supposed that in this case, it was almost impossible to not think about the girls in front of him. His rapidly enlarging penis did not help matters either.
He pushed his hand between the girls a little harder. However, Asuka moaned loudly, which caused Shinji to pause, hoping he hadn't upset her.
"Damn it! What are you doing, Shinji?! Why'd you stop! Keep going! I, huh huh huh, don't, guh, want to be stuck here all day!" Asuka finished with another moan, even though she was trying to sound upset.
Shinji went back to trying to fit his hand between the girls. Meanwhile, Rei could feel Asuka's heartbeat pounding on her back. As well as that, Asuka was unwittingly grabbing Rei's hands and squeezing them.
"Pilot Sohryu, are you well?" Rei asked.
"I'm fine, Wondergirl! Just fine!" Asuka proclaimed through her panting.
A bit of drool started leaking out of Asuka's mouth and onto Rei's neck. And, Rei also took notice that her fellow pilot had begun shivering as well.
"You seem ill, Pilot Sohryu."
"Shut up! You don't know anything, Wondergirl! I'm not sick."
"You have a fever. Are you still capable of piloting?" Rei continued pressing on with her questions.
"It's not a fever! Uuugghhhhh! Mmm. Huh huh. Mmm." Asuka moaned again.
"Asuka, are…are… y-you okay?" Shinji choked embarassingly, having accidently inhaled some of his saliva.
"Yeeeesssss! Just…guh, keep going, damn it! Don't stop!"
'Damn it all! Why am I getting so horny over this? I shouldn't be aroused by this. This is basically rape, even if I did tell him he could touch it.'
In truth, Asuka wasn't feeling all that much pleasure. However, her mind had gone into overdrive with all kinds of sexual thoughts; so much so that she could feel herself getting wet. She often seemed much like a prude, but deep down, she was still only a hormonal and curious teen. And admittedly, this is probably the closest a boy had ever been to the most sacred part of her body. Even Kaji had never been this close, and she'd gone out of her way to throw herself at him on multiple occasions.
She felt Shinji's fingers dig a little deeper between her and Rei and she let out another moan while also drooling all over Rei's cheek.
Rei tried to rotate her head so that she could face Asuka directly.
"Pilot Sohryu, I am not convinced you are well!" Rei said, somehow managing to muster a glare that she shot at the girl.
"Nnngh, just shut up, Wondergirl. Enjoy yourself while you can, you slut. We both know you want this."
"Okay!" Shinji choked again, "I'm gonna do it!"
"Fuck!" Asuka growled.
Shinji squeezed Rei's butt down, and though there wasn't much more space, it was enough for Asuka to slither forward, rubbing her breasts against the top of Rei's head as she passed. Soon enough, Asuka's lower torso was also wriggling over her head, giving the girl an impeccable view of her strawberry panties, which now had a damp spot on them.
"Okay!" Asuka gasped, "Now, we just gotta-"
The vent the three children where sharing had suddenly shuddered.
"What was that?!" Shinji whimpered.
"Oh god, does anyone know what's below us?" Asuka asked, suddenly a lot more alarmed than she was when Shinji had been touching her.
"The command bridge, I assume," Rei said nonchalantly.
Asuka rotated onto her back, once again giving Rei an unobstructed view of her panties, and looked at the girl in surprise. It was then that she noticed something laying on the vent in front of Rei's boobs.
"Pliers? Why pliers?"
"I was trying to remove some screws," Rei slightly smiled.
"Where did you even get those?!"
"I procured them from my school bag."
The vent stared creaking and bending and what was happening finally hit Asuka.
"REI, YOU ASS! WHY'D YOU UNSCREW THE VENT?!"
The vent shuddered once more, causing Asuka and Shinji to gasp.
"Because I heard voices below. Some of which I was able to identify as belonging to Vice Commander Fuyutsuki and Doctor Ritsuko Akagi. I had originally intended to find a proper exit. But, after you became a hinderance to our progress, I assumed it would be for the best if we entered NERV though here instead of wasting anymore time," Rei said innocently.
"HINDERANCE?! WHY YOU! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO STOPPED IN THE FIRST PLACE!"
Asuka tried to get up to strangle the girl, even though there wasn't enough room for her to lean back and reach her. However, in her struggling, Asuka did finally loosen the vent segment enough to cause it to give way.
'Oh, shit,' was the only thing in Asuka's mind as she slid out of the vent and entered free fall.
/
"HEY, YOU IDIOT! I SAID TO PUSH HER BUTT, NOT MINE! GODDAMN PERVERT," the muffled voice of Asuka shrieked above the command bridge, causing Maya to blush.
"Just what is going on up there?" Ritsuko questioned as she gazed up at the vent.
"Well, I guess we've found the Pilots," Fuyutsuki sighed, "Now we just have the small matter of getting them out of there."
Suddenly, there was a small metallic sound on the floor.
Ritsuko bent over and held her lighter out. She saw a small steel screw on the floor and picked it up.
Suddenly, another screw landed a few inches away from where the last had.
"I think that problem is going to take care of itself," Ritsuko smirked as she held the screw close enough for Fuyutsuki to see.
"Well, I can't wait to see how this is going to turn out," the man said unenthusiastically.
Some metallic warping sounds echoed through the command room as the metal walls of the vent flexed back and forth as the kids shuffled around inside it.
"Damn it! What are you doing, Shinji?! Why'd you stop! Keep going! I, huh huh huh, don't, guh, want to be stuck here all day!" Asuka complained.
"Oh goodness!" Maya blushed as she hid her face behind her clipboard.
"Oh lord, I'm sure Misato would love to be here right now," Ritsuko groaned as she brought her hand to her face in embarrassment.
"This makes me happy I'm not a kid anymore," Fuyutsuki said as he tried to keep his composure.
"REI, YOU ASS! WHY'D YOU UNSCREW THE VENT?!"
"Oh, wonderful. Here it comes," Fuyutsuki mumbled while Ritsuko and Maya giggled uncontrollably.
"HINDERANCE?! WHY YOU! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO STOPPED IN THE FIRST PLACE!"
There was some shuffling, and a little bit of groaning, and then the vent collapsed and the three kids slid out one by one. Asuka came tumbling out first and consequently hit the floor first, though luckily it wasn't a very big fall. Then came Rei as she gracefully landed on the floor. And, finally, Shinji dropped out and fell right on top of Asuka.
Both Shinji and Asuka were a bit dazed, but the redhead was starting to come to. She looked around and saw Rei standing above her.
"Fuck you," she slurred as she held up her middle finger.
Asuka then noticed the Vice Commander, Doctor Akagi, and Maya Ibuki all curiously standing around her.
"Oh, hey guys. We have an angel!"
"Yes, we…we know…" Fuyutsuki sighed for probably the hundredth time that day.
Asuka looked around a little more, eventually gazing down at her own body to see Shinji laying right on top of her as he tried to regain his senses.
"EEEEYAAAAHHHH, SHINJI, YOU PERVERT! YOU HAVE A BONER AND YOUR HEAD IS RIGHT ON MY BOOBS! GEEEEET OOOOFFFFFFF!" Asuka shrieked.
/
"Um, Doctor Akagi?" Shinji questioned as he, Ritsuko, Maya, and the other two pilots headed towards the Eva cages.
"Yes?"
"How exactly are we going to…fight the angel without any power? How are we getting to the surface with the Evas? And how are we even going to-"
"Shinji, you don't need to worry. We have that all figured out. As soon as your father heard there was an angel, he came down here and started preparing them."
"But, how, there's no-"
"He did it by hand."
"By…hand."
"Yes, by hand. We always need something else to fall back on. Usually, that would be the other two power systems. But, since those aren't working, we had to prepare almost everything manually with a little help from a generator. And, as I just stated, yes, it is entirely possible to get the Eva's running without the main or even backup power. Now, as for how you'll get to the surface, there is actually an emergency shaft in the hanger that you can use to access one of a few catapult shafts. You will be using that to retaliate. Now, you three go get changed."
"In the dark?! You've gotta be joking!" Asuka whined.
/
"Remember you three," Ritsuko spoke over the com unit, "keep the Evas in half gain mode until you take the offense. We have no power, so you are going to have to rely solely on the battery packs. If you can't finish the fight, we will probably not be able to rescue you and we will all be doomed."
"Yeah, yeah,' Asuka said, blowing off Ritsuko's warning, "The timer says that if we activated full gain right now, we'd have about four minutes. That's plenty of time."
Shinji on the other hand, was being eaten alive by his nerves as him and the other pilots guided the Evas through the massive shaft.
Ritsuko was right. If they couldn't finish the fight after activating full gain mode, they'd be screwed. There'd be no way to get the Evas back to the hanger to recharge them. Which would mean that any help would have to come to them. Not a very comforting thought considering that they would probably be in the thick of it.
"Okay, everyone, this is it! Get ready to climb!" Asuka said as she came to the end of the giant Evangelion sized hall.
The red Eva leading the way grabbed a ginormous crank on the side of the wall, somewhat resembling the same cranks from earlier, only much larger. The Eva began turning it and the door slid open from top to bottom.
"Okay, it's open! Let's go!" Asuka said as her Eva jumped out of the shaft and braced itself against the walls of the EM catapult launcher's walls. Rei then Jumped out next. And, before long, Shinji got a handle on his nerves and crawled out too.
"Well, this is going to be awkward getting to the surface," Shinji laughed.
"Uh…we may not need to get to the surface!" Asuka said, sounding like she was trying to concentrate on something.
"Yeah? Why's that?" Shinji asked?
"Well…you're not gonna like this, but I think it's right above us."
"Wh-what?! Why didn't you say something?!"
"Hey! I only just now noticed, alright. I was thinking about other things," Asuka blushed, "It looks like it forced the catapult doors open and now its…well, I'm not sure what it's doing. It just kind of sitting above the entrance."
Suddenly, Rei let out a yelp.
"Hmm?" Asuka wondered before she too found herself in pain.
"Ouch! What the fuck?!" she said as she swat at herself as she felt a burning sensation, seemingly forgetting that she was above the other pilots before she lost her footing, and consequently dropped on top of Unit-00 which also lost its brace on the wall and dropped on Unit-01.
"Grrah, what are you doing up there?" Shinji struggled to say through the pain of the other two Evas collapsing right on top of his.
Asuka looked down at the torso of her Eva, which was still causing her pain and saw that there was some kind of liquid pouring over the glossy red armor of Unit-02 before watching it spill on to Unit-00.
"It is acid," Rei said, only sounding mildly alarmed.
"Shit, okay! Get back inside the emergency shaft," Asuka growled through the pain.
The Eva's all scrambled back into the shaft, Unit-01 almost losing its footing as it tried to clamber back into safety.
"Okay, so…I guess we're not going out this way," Asuka chuckled.
"But, we do not have the time to find another exit either," Rei added.
"I- I know that, Wondergirl!"
Asuka looked around the cockpit of her plug and saw that there were a few error messages, mostly just relating to the armor of her Eva. There was one that had her slightly more frustrated.
"Well, this is shit."
"What? What's wrong?" Shinji asked, getting more worried by the moment.
"Well, besides the fact that we're stuck and running out of battery, my pallet rifle is popping an error on my heads up display."
Asuka reached back and pulled the rifle out of its holster so she could examine it.
Sure enough, there was a large hole melted into both the upper and lower receiver as well as several other signs of corrosive damage on other parts of it.
"Well, that's garbage now..."
"My rifle is also damaged," Rei added as she pulled out hers and saw that it was also mostly destroyed.
Taking a hint from the others, Shinji looked on his own heads up display and found that, while his rifle wasn't damaged, it was missing.
Both Asuka and Rei expectantly awaited Shinji's own analysis, though he was embarrassed to share his findings.
"Well?" Asuka verbally prodded the boy?
"Um, I don't have mine," the boy said quickly, trying to get it over with.
"WHAT?! YOU PICKED ONE UP BEFORE WE SORTIED, DIDN'T YOU!?"
"Yes! Of course, I did. But…I think it got dislodged when you two fell on me."
Asuka sighed and put her hands over her face, as did her Eva.
"Ayanami, will you check the angel? Is it attacking? Do you think it noticed us?"
Rei leaned out of the shaft and examined the angel before returning her Eva's head back under the emergency shaft.
"It does not seem as if it is aware of our presence. It instead seems that it is attempting to breach NERV."
Asuka sighed again.
"Well, at least the acid looks like it's only coming down in trickles instead of showers. So…I guess that means we're gonna have to retrieve Shinji's pallet rifle. With some luck, hopefully that thing won't have its AT field up and we can just shoot it. That is…if his rifle is still intact."
"Hehehe," Shinji laughed, trying to not sound so embarrassed.
"Okay, so, here's how this is gonna go; there's gonna be three positions. Defense, offense, and support. Defense is going to stay up here near the emergency shaft and shield support and offense. Support is going to get to the bottom of the catapult shaft as fast as possible and retrieve the rifle. Meanwhile, offense will stop halfway down and wait in position until support tosses the rifle up for offense to use. After that, defense will retreat into the emergency shaft while offense fires up the catapult shaft and neutralizes the angel."
"I will be defense," Rei affirmed.
"Hah, sorry, no can do, Wondergirl! I already chose defense. You can be support. And, Shinji, you're offense. Just…don't miss, okay? I know how much you hate pain, so I purposely put you in the least painful position. However, it also carries the most responsibility, so don't let me down."
"Oh, um…thanks, Asuka," the boy said shyly.
"Alright, everyone! LET'S DO THIS!" Asuka jumped out of the emergency shaft and braced herself against the catapult shaft by pressing her Eva's arms and legs against the walls.
After it appeared that Asuka was in position, Rei gracefully dived down the shaft before slowing her decent by grinding her Eva's palms and soles against the side of the shaft.
Soon after, Shinji uneasily jumped out before stopping himself at a point he assumed was approximately half way down from Unit-02's position.
He could hear Asuka groaning in the com and his heart sank some. There was no doubt the acid was causing her a great deal of pain if it could melt through a pallet rifle in only a few seconds. And to make things worse, the AT field potency of the Evas was drastically minimized in half gain mode, and the acid had likely already eaten through Asuka's AT field.
"Shinji!" Rei shouted over the com.
Shinji looked down and saw the rifle flying up to his position. He held out his Eva's hand, barely managing to catch it.
"Asuka! Move! Get out of the way!"
"Got it!" she shouted in response before jumping back into the emergency shaft.
As soon as she was clear, Unit-01 pulled the trigger on the massive rifle and a sound like a stream of thunder resounded throughout the entire shaft. Before the angel knew what had happened, it had already been pierced by thirty one bullets precisely. The massive creature fell limp above the catapult entrance, only it's long and widespread legs preventing it from falling any further down the chute.
"Checkmate," Asuka spoke happily, "And we didn't even need to activate full gain."
"Well, that's gonna be a pain for the disposal crews to clean up," Ritsuko sighed over the com.
/
-All the Lights in the Sky are Stars-
/
It was nighttime, and once more, a curtain of darkness enveloped the children. But, this darkness was not dangerous or stressful or menacing; it was calm.
Misato had taken the children to an overlook of Tokyo-3, the same one she'd taken Shinji to when he'd first arrived in this city. Of course, that was after she'd gotten out of the elevator, and had been called a "sex fiend" by Maya, and had consequently beaten Kaji, even though she had no proof he had caused the power failure. And of course, Kaji, being the gentleman that he was, took the beating without question or complaint.
After spending more than a few hours with him, Misato had chosen to rest on the hood of her Renault while the kids were enjoying their time laying in the grass beneath the stars.
"It's so…ironic," Shinji said, breaking the silence between them, "Without electricity, the sky can look so...beautiful at night. It kind of reminds me…of my first deployment with Rei. …The power was out then too. And, I remember the sky was so clear and I could see the stars like I'd never seen them before," Shinji said with a fond smile on his face.
Rei looked at the boy and smiled as well, though he didn't notice.
"Yeah, but without the lights, it makes it seem like there's no humans…" Asuka said as she propped herself on her elbows and looked out over Tokyo-3
And, like magic, the lights of Tokyo-3 suddenly flickered to life as the power in the city was formally restored.
"There! That's much better," Asuka hummed as she crossed her arms behind her head and fell back onto the grass.
"Man fears the darkness," Rei declared as she looked at Tokyo-3 in the distance, "And so…he carves at the edges of it with fire."
"Hmph! Philosophy, huh?" Asuka responded contentedly to Rei's statement.
"So, is that what makes Mankind different? Is that what makes us special? Is that…why the angels try to kill us?" Shinji wondered aloud, a hint of sadness in his voice.
"What're you? Stupid?" Asuka giggled, "Who knows what they think?"
"Indeed. And it should not matter. We must protect each other," Rei said as she reached her hand out and grabbed Shinji's fingers as he rested next to her.
The boy looked at her, surprise woven across his face, but he quickly returned her gesture and tightened his grip on her hand.
The children once more became quiet and watched the lights of the city flicker.
However, Rei once again broke the silence as she stood up and looked down at the Third Child.
"Shinji, will you come with me?"
The boy looked up at her in surprise.
"Of course, Rei! Is something wrong?"
"No. I just wish to speak with you."
"Well, okay…" The boy said as he got up.
Rei took his hand and led him away from the overlook and towards a wall of foliage.
"Hey, where're you going?" Asuka asked jealously.
Rei looked over her shoulder and smiled at Asuka, choosing not to say anything.
/
Rei had guided Shinji to a small open area hidden behind some bushes. It was privacy she was striving for. And that was what had Shinji worried.
"Rei, is everything alright?"
"Yes. Everything is… better than alright."
Shinji laughed at her choice of words, though there was still a hint of worry in his eyes.
Rei leaned forward and rested her head against Shinji's chest, and though he was embarrassed by her affections, he didn't pull away.
"Shinji?"
"Hmm?"
"There is something… that I have been trying to figure out how to say. You must excuse me if I do not seem to make sense."
"Rei? You're starting to scare me again. You're making it sound like something is wrong. You don't have to say all this extra stuff. If you want to tell me something, you can just say it. We're…both Eva pilots and you're my friend."
"I know, Shinji. But, I believe this is more complicated to recite than our usual exchanges. But, please, do not be worried. I am simply… trying to find my words."
They both stood under the stars in silence for a few minutes before Rei spoke again, seeming to have decided how she wanted to carry on the conversation.
"Do you remember… when you told me to smile, Shinji?"
"I… yeah, right after Operation: Yashima."
"And, do you remember how that night… was just like tonight?"
"It is a lot like it, I guess," Shinji smiled.
Rei quit leaning on Shinji and stood up straight before grabbing both of his hands and holding them in front of her.
"It was these hands that came to aid me that night," Rei said as she looked down at Shinji's hands, her breathing becoming shallow.
"Rei?"
"And, it was I who swore to protect you," Rei whimpered as she looked back at Shinji, tears flooding out of her eyes.
Shinji's heartbeat sped up, becoming more and more doubtful of Rei's assurances that she was alright.
"Rei, what's wrong? Why… why are you crying?" Shinji sniffled, trying to hold back tears of his own.
"I…am not sure. I feel something in my chest. I failed to understand what it was for a long time. However, there was someone who helped me to understand. But, even now, I don't believe I realize what it is I am feeling."
"Rei," Shinji cried, no longer able to hold back his own tears, fearing the worst, "I don't understand, Rei. What's wrong. How…how can I help?"
"Nothing is wrong, Shinji. I think…I believe…that…I love you."
Shinji became dead silent and time seemed to slow down as he heard the words leave Rei's lips. Never in his life did he ever expect to hear such comforting words being conveyed directly to him.
And, before the boy knew what was happening, Rei's lips met his, her arms wrapping around his neck and cradling his head.
He brought his shaking hands up and placed them on Rei's waist before both of them collapsed to their knees, still kissing, and crying, with the heavens above as their witness.
.
*Eva credits roll and Fly Me to the Moon plays*
.
"Well, hi there everyone! Guess who just got out of the damn elevator? That's right! You're favorite Babe, Misato Katsuragi! And, I'm sure you've probably already guessed, but I'm here with the preview for next chapter. And, luckily, Kaji isn't here this time, so let's get to it!
In the next chapter, we get to take a peek at romance, school life, and jealousy; yes, that's right, jealousy, as the love between Shinji and Rei finally begins to bloom. But what sinister and jealous forces await to tear them and their happiness apart. Well, I can't say anymore, so you'll just have to wait until the next chapter is published. Next time, on Neon Genesis Evangelion: A Journey of Hate, Power, and Love; Petals and Everything Dear.
Oh, and we can't forget to mention the fanservice! I'm sure something will work it's way in there. Until next time!"
.
So, I'm sure there's probably someone wondering exactly how NERV's power supply got cut. And, I've seen lot of people all over the internet across the years with varying opinions on exactly how it happened. I've seen some people say Kaji did it. I've seen others say it was SEELE. Oddly enough, I've never actually seen anyone recommend that it was both Kaji an SEELE. I would assume that all the people who think it was Kaji probably assumed he probably did it on SEELE's command. But, like I said, no one that I've seen has ever actually suggested it was both of them.
I am gonna have to say it was probably Kaji being ordered to cut the power by SEELE.
Reason one; it just makes sense to me. That's like...partly the reason Kaji is at NERV. He's a triple agent. And, I somehow doubt that SEELE would go through the trouble (and risk) of trying to plant a second man when Kaji's already there.
Reason Two; there's hints in both the title of episode 11 and the actual actions that Kaji takes during the episode. The title "The Day Tokyo-3 Stood Still" is a reference to a movie called "The Day The Earth Stood Still." And, because of those hints, if you watch the movie...well, I don't want to spoil anything, so just watch damn movie! I mean, it's just unmistakable to take the hints any other way. I just have to assume that Kaji messed with the power on SEELE's behalf. Anyways...
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Update: Okay, I'm sure that everyone is going to be happy to hear this, but the next chapter should be out pretty soon. I'm expecting 4-7 days as of right now. This is actually going to be the first time I've posted two chapters in one month in...quite a while. Luckiness! Happy days! Marvelous! Any other synonym or phrase denoting feelings of joy!
Final Update: Chapter 15 will be up and published in a few short minutes.
