"What are you staring at me for? If you've got something to say, then say it." Asuka spoke provokingly towards the young man sitting next to her. The two, along with Rei, had just finished explaining to Misato the events that transpired less than an hour ago, events that resulted in the defeat of yet another Angel.
Shinji adjusted himself in his seat, continuing to drill holes into Asuka with his eyes as she sipped her drink, seemingly not paying him any actual attention.
"Why did you take the defensive role when it was so dangerous?"
An annoyed look grew quickly across the redhead's face, her lips breaking away from the straw after a quick huff. "Mein gott, your head's particularly empty today, isn't it? I already told you, I owed you one for not letting me sink in lava during the last fight." Shinji still didn't look pleased with the answer, but he turned away from her to take a sip of his own drink. "Besides, I am the leader, of course. I came up with the plan, so it was only natural I was going to take the most important role for myself!"
I leaned against the wall with my arms crossed, looking at the trio in front of me. From the way they described it, it actually sounded like they engaged in a modicum of proper teamwork; Asuka's grandiloquent intentions aside, of course. I had to admit, I was impressed. It actually seemed like she listened to what I had said about making it work under circumstances like these. Maybe I really had nothing to worry about after all.
"You're pretty smiley over there, mister. Care to share with the class?" Asuka gave me a smug look from across the small debriefing room. I didn't mind letting my feelings be known, so I stood up a bit straighter and returned her expression with a soft smile of my own.
"It's just that... you guys actually made a proper showing as a team in your first outing together, without having someone to keep you all on track over comms. I'm really proud of you guys, is what I'm trying to say, and I'm sure Misato and everyone else here is as well. You did good work." Both Shinji and Asuka's faces began turning red at the sudden praise.
They're good kids. They may bicker, and have difficulties seeing eye-to-eye, but even through that, as long as they have a common goal and work towards it together, no Angel is going to stop them. That's how I honestly feel, especially after their victory...
The target was designated the 9th Angel.
According to reports from the pilots and Makoto Hyuga (the only NERV member to see the Angel in full view), it was a relatively small lifeform compared to past Angels, albeit wielding extremely long, spindly legs. Those legs appeared to be in a constant crooked position, similar to that of a harvestman. Its entire being was jet black, save for one particular point: the large eye that protruded from its underside.
Said eye secreted a viscous solvent, which it had used to attempt entry into the Geofront, using it to eat through the armor plating that served as the ground layer above the dome. Had it been left for another hour, surely it would've descended to the HQ. We were lucky, yet again.
When the Evas left the hangar and made their way to the surface, they were equipped with the standard Pallet Rifles and the shoulder holsters for the Progressive Knives. However, not being privy to the Angel's main weapon rendered their initial approach fruitless, and caused a hasty retreat. The acidic secretion spilled down atop the Evas, causing them to drop most of their equipment further down into the shaft the Angel was attempting to enter through. With time running low on their battery packs, the pilots could only duck away in a side vent for a breather.
With the clock against them, Asuka displayed her quick-thinking, relaying a strategy that, by all accounts, was fool-hardy. This would be the only plan the group could agree on, and impressively, was the only plan they needed.
Asuka set it into action by using her Eva's body to create a protective shield above her allies, letting the solvent contact Unit-02 just long enough for Shinji and Rei to retrieve the dropped equipment. With the Pallet Rifle recovered, Unit-02 retreated back to the vent, as Unit-01 released a volley of ammunition upwards. The bullets tore through the Angel's exposed weak point, obliterating the core inside in one fell swoop.
Thus, the Angel crumpled to the streets of Tokyo-3, now as silent as the city itself.
Mission accomplished.
"Are you sure, Matsuo? I can deal with Shinji and Rei afterwards if you just want to go on home."
I gave Misato a reassuring head shake. "I really don't mind. You've got a lot to go over here tonight thanks to what's happened, so just leave the kids to me." Misato stared at me for a second before letting out a smooth whistle.
"Gee, skippy, I'm kinda liking this new you." She leaned back in her chair, clasping her hands comfortably behind her head. "...but if you really wanted to help out, you could take some of this paperwork and-"
"Not a chance." I cut her off with a smile as she began to pout, her eyes scanning over the brand new mountain of files had dropped off before I entered the office.
"It was worth a shot."
Leaving Ms. Katsuragi to her night of reading and writing, I promptly exited into the hallway, being met with the eager gazes of the three pilots (though I hesitate to call any expression I'd ever seen Rei give "eager").
"Well, how about we get out of here?"
Asuka let out a pleased sigh. "It's about time. I'm in serious need of fresh air and a shower." Shinji laughed softly before forming a curious look on his face.
"So you're bringing Rei home as well, Lieutenant?" I nodded, as we all started walking down the hallway, towards the proper exit of the HQ. "Her apartment is just west of our complex."
"West?" I had heard there was a lot of construction going on in that part of the city still. Heck, I had no idea there were apartments even there. Shinji seemingly understood why I was questioning and just gave a melancholic nod. I wonder what the story behind that look was about.
It was dark out when we reached the surface, and the air felt cool and refreshing, made even more terrific posed against the afternoon we experienced. The energy issues were being sorted down below, so the streetlights were still out, but with the moon as bright as it was, we had ample light to make our way towards my car without issue. Asuka stretched her arms high above her head, yawning softly as she did so.
"This is great!" However, quickly, she turned on her heel to face us all. "But, we can do better! Lieutenant, take us up to the park before we head home! I bet the air up there feels twice as amazing!" It was getting late in the evening now, but it was the least I could do as a reward for dealing with everything today.
With the other two members of the group agreeing to the prospect, we entered the car, and I drove up towards the park overlooking the city. The streets were empty, which made me wonder if Tokyo-3's inhabitants were inside the safety shelters, even now. With city-wide communication down with the power, relaying the message that everything was safe shouldn't be possible. It felt weird to be headed off for a relaxing moment in the night air while there were still people fearing for the worst coming to pass, but I suppose that's not really something I needed to worry about. Once power is restored to the city, they will be informed posthaste, surely.
I parked on the side of the road (not a big deal under the current circumstances, I figured), and the four of us walked towards the lookout. The stars brightly dotted the dusk sky, which made for a particularly intense scene without the city lights adding to the backdrop. As Asuka and the others found spots on the grass to lie back and relax, taking in the scene, I too found myself staring up towards this night sky, letting the wind blow past my face. I leaned against the lookout's railing.
It was nice.
"It's funny, isn't it?" Shinji spoke softly, breaking the silence. "If it wasn't for the power shutting down, we'd've never seen such a beautiful night sky…" He trailed off, getting caught up in the expanse of natural lights above him. Asuka made a small giggle.
"Yeah, I guess you're right." She sighed. "But it also makes everything feel so much more lonely, like there's no one living here at all."
The lights of Tokyo-3, almost as if hearing her words, slowly began to relight before our eyes, the warm glow of the city now silently retaking the center stage of the view.
"Well, these lights have their values too." I said with a smile. Asuka put her arms behind her head as she stretched into a far more relaxed position on the hill.
"I agree. Now the city feels like it's alive again, much more comfortable for me." She said with a smirk.
"Mankind fears the dark, and scrapes away at the edges of it with fire." Rei's cryptically deadpan statement saunters to our ears.
Another giggle from Asuka. "Philosophy, huh? You're full of surprises, Wondergirl."
"Is that what makes mankind... special?" Shinji started, almost sounding like he's talking to himself. "Is that why the Angels attack us?"
Asuka sits up and runs a hand across her head, letting the breeze blow through her hair. "What, are you stupid? The Angels don't think that hard about us, trust me. I doubt they think at all."
Angels, huh?
Maybe they were just like animals, acting on instinct. However, what was that instinct pushing them towards? Destroying the Evas? Destroying NERV? What did NERV have that was so important, important enough to continue attracting them even after repeated victories on our side? Something here must be so valuable to them that they would go against self-preservation in order to destroy it. Or… obtain it?
But what was "it"? Is it really the Evas? I mean, the 6th Angel attacked the UN's fleet rather than NERV itself, so that would lead me to believe it was after Unit-02. Is that really the full truth though? Am I even allowed to know the full truth? I don't even know what makes an Evangelion, and seemingly that's a secret NERV still wants to keep from me.
Maybe someday I'll know more. I want to know more. I want to understand why these monsters keep trying so hard to destroy us.
I want to understand exactly what Asuka is risking her life for.
Rei exited the car and walked in her usual slow pace towards her unfortunately dilapidated-looking apartment complex, offering no looks back towards us as she mounted the stairwell. The western side of Tokyo-3 had been in a state of construction since I had arrived months ago, and from the looks of things, had been almost completely forgotten about. Unfinished buildings and heavy equipment littered the area to a disturbing degree. Did the Angel attacks have something to do with the production halt?
"I feel bad for her." Shinji sighed. "I wish she'd move into our complex. At least then she'd be closer to all of us." In a way, I agreed with the sentiment. I had no idea she stayed out here like this, by herself no less. That's no way for a young girl to live. Although, knowing Rei, it likely doesn't matter to her where she lives, so something like this doesn't even bother her at all.
Poor thing.
"Aww, it's okay, loverboy. You get to see her enough as is, don't you think?" Asuka teased, as Shinji's cheeks burned red. "Girls don't like it when a guy is too clingy."
"H-Hey, it's not like that! I just... know that it's not fun being by yourself." He looked down towards his feet as I turned the car around, getting back onto the main road.
"Suuuuure. Whatever you say, idiot."
"Have a good night, Shinji." I spoke over my shoulder as Asuka and I stepped off the complex's elevator. The young boy waved back, the doors shutting in front of him as it took him up another few floors to Misato's place.
I unlocked my apartment's door and stepped in, with Asuka following, locking the door behind us. Without missing a beat, she let out a heavy sigh.
"Today was just awful, huh? I'm SO looking forward to melting myself in the shower and then jumping into bed." She walked briskly towards the den as I placed my unused work bag on the table. I wasn't about to let her just walk off, though.
"Asuka."
She looked back, a single eyebrow raised.
"I'm proud of your efforts today, I really am." It wasn't a lie, I was, truly. She put effort into working with her allies, she took a risk and it paid off. I swallowed hard, not really knowing where I was about to go with this. "...but that stunt you pulled, throwing yourself into the enemy's line of fire. I don't want you to do something like that again."
Her face curled into a mix of confusion and anger. "Oh? So what do you propose I should've done instead? Let Wondergirl or the wimp take that spot? As if I would leave such an important part of my plan to them." Her voice began to snap at me as if filled with venom.
"I understand that. In this case, you had no choice. The time was against you, and your plan was good. I'm just saying, in the future…"
She stood her ground instead of relenting to my, admittedly, exhaustion-affected attempt at telling her I was worried about her. "In the future, what? I sit on the sidelines to stay safe or something? Are you stupid?"
"I just don't want you getting hurt or throwing your life away when we don't even fully understand what we're fighting against!"
She growled. "What's up with you and Shinji lately!? What else is there to understand besides the fact that they are attacking us!? It's not complex, it's not rocket science, it's a battle of attrition that I don't plan on losing!" She stopped to take a deep breath as we're both quiet for a moment. I open my mouth to say something else, but she cuts me off with a surprisingly calm, level tone. "You just want me to stay safe, but I'm sorry. I will do whatever it takes to win. I just cannot afford to put anything above total victory."
I hated that she said that. I hated it because I know she's right. This is bigger than us. She has to do whatever is necessary to end this. I can't force my own confusion about what Angels are, and what NERV is about, onto her in an attempt to shield her from this fight. I can't do that for any of them, but especially not Asuka. She'd fight tooth and nail to put herself atop this conflict, regardless of if it was me holding her back or not.
It was her pride.
"...I'm sorry, I spoke too quickly. There's been a lot of thoughts in my head lately about all of this, but... " I sighed deeply, resigning. I partly regretted saying anything at all, but at least she heard what I had to say, even if it was poorly done. "You're right. You have to fight. That's not really something I can change. I just feel useless sometimes, when all I can do is cheer you on and hope for the best, it kinda makes me antsy."
Her expression softened. "...I know, and I… appreciate the worry. I just need you to keep on trusting my judgement. That's all, got it?" A small smirk began to poke through on the edges of her lips. "Not like I need it or anything, but I'd rather have you cheering me on than leaving me to deal with the other two any day of the week."
I chuckled. It was obvious she still had a little further to grow in the teamwork area, even after today's trials. However, I don't think I'm worried about that anymore.
"...you're strong, Asuka."
"...yeah, I know." She turned around, ending the conversation there as she proceeded around the corner.
"...and don't you forget it."
Author's Note: Gaaaahhhh, I've been so slow uploading this summer. Sorry, all. I've gotten carried away with video games the last couple of weeks, and this chapter kinda slipped away from me. I keep hoping I can get back on track, like in April and May, but who knows if that'll be possible. I'll keep giving it my best though!
Not a whole lot happens in this chapter. I will say, Asuka might seem a little distant sometimes, as one would expect from her, but she is starting to appreciate Matsuo's words a lot more than she's letting on. It's around this point in the fic, scenes related to the anime may start deviating even more than usual, so look forward to the coming developments!
I hope you all continue to enjoy this story, thanks!