Chapter 10 – Asuka Strikes!
Rei was beside the captain in the helicopter that was about to lift off and take them to the U.N. Pacific Fleet's flagship Over The Rainbow. It seemed odd to her that they were taking a cargo chopper instead of a VTOL jet, the trip was going to take quite a bit longer with their chosen mode of transport. She sat silently, her hands in her lap waiting for liftoff from the helipad as the pilots performed their final checks. No... correction, she was fiddling with the end of her skirt. Anxiety was running high, though this meeting was critical to changing the course of events, knowing she was about to see Soryu filled her with dread. Rei had to keep telling herself that the fiery girl had not yet said hurtful things to her and neither did she know Ikari-kun at present in this timeline. There was nothing to fear from her...
"Rei, are you alright?" the captain asked, apparently having noticed her fidgeting. "Nervous about flying?"
"I am fine, Misato-san," she replied. After getting to know her a little better and the few times over the last few weeks that she'd stayed for dinner at her apartment, she was finally starting to feel comfortable calling her that.
"I see you fussing with your skirt," Misato replied, holding up an accusatory finger. "Something's on your mind."
Rei looked out the window. It was so very difficult not being able to tell anyone about her... unique situation. Still, as she'd agonized over many a time, if she told anyone about her past lives then it would not bode well for future survival... At least in this situation she didn't really have to lie. "I am nervous..." she returned softly. "About meeting the Second Child..."
Misato's hard look softened. "Why's that?" she asked, her voice filling with concern. "I'm sure you'll get along just fine."
Rei looked down at her feet. "I don't know..." she replied while thinking of a lie that was a good excuse for her anxiety. "I have never been adept at socializing."
Misato smiled warmly. "Well you're certainly very social with Shinji-kun," she replied. "Heck, the two of you get along great! Asuka's an Eva pilot too, so I'm sure you'll get along just as well."
Her words did nothing to alleviate her fears. "Perhaps you're right..." she murmured softly, looking out the window.
"I mean it," Misato stated. "Don't be so worried about it, everything's gonna be fine. Just try to enjoy yourself and take in the beautiful ocean view!"
Now that she thought about it, she'd never seen the ocean close up... It would be an exciting thing to finally get a chance to see for real instead of just in photographs. Misato's cheer and charisma certainly had a confidence boosting effect. She couldn't help but wonder where she got such unrelenting confidence from. Rei turned back to the captain and nodded. "I will," she said.
Misato's smile widened. "Good," she replied warmly.
Rei went back to staring out the window. The helicopter's engine came to life and in moments they were lifting off from the helipad. "Hey.." Misato spoke, shaking her attention away from the scenery. "How come you decided to wear your school uniform?" she asked. "You're away from school, so why wear it?"
Rei scowled, her gaze remaining on the sights to be seen out the window. That's right... most normal girls her age had more clothing than just their school uniform. This was a new realization among all of the newly awakened thoughts she'd had since receiving Dr. Ikari's gift. The fact that she didn't possess any clothing of her choice was yet another reminder that her purpose was to be Commander Ikari's puppet, a position she was determined to break free of. "I do not own many outfits..." she replied softly.
Misato chuckled. "You're just like Shinji-kun..." she mused softly.
Silence fell between them and Rei took in the sight of Tokyo 3 drifting away into the distance. It would not be too long until she faced the Second Child...
Asuka stared off into the distance from her perch on the command structure of the Over The Rainbow on the level known by naval personnel as vulture's row. Misato would be arriving soon along with the First Child. Perhaps it would take her mind off of the incident the previous night with Kaji.
In the morning when she'd seen him she'd acted as if it had never happened, her meltdown that is. He seemed happy to play along with her charade of cheerfulness and did not mention the previous night's antics. The less she thought about his rejection the better, she'd gone to bed quite upset with herself. How could she, the illustrious Second Child, sink to such lows as she had? It was better if she pushed it out of her mind... In the distance she could see a helicopter approaching, it's fuselage glittering in the sunlight. That had to be her former guardian coming in for an approach.
She smirked as she beheld the aircraft. She couldn't wait until Misato saw just how much she'd grown up since she'd last seen her. Maybe she wouldn't treat her like a child then, like everyone else was wont to do. Oh, how she hated being treated like a little kid when she was the best of the best, the elite, the finest, an Evangelion pilot!
It was a shame, when she'd first heard that Misato was going to be flying out to meet her she'd hoped she would bring along the Third Child. After hearing the stories about him, how his father was the commander of NERV's First Branch, she had been looking forward to putting him in his place. She despised nepotism and all the things that went with it. She'd had to fight for everything she'd ever had after all... Instead, Misato was bringing along the First, someone she admittedly knew very little about other than she was the pilot of Unit 00.
It didn't matter, she was the best of all of them. Japan was hours away and her destiny awaited. She was going to be the best, an Angel killing ace, and show the world her merits! Everything she'd ever done in her life had been leading up to her arrival in Japan. If her mother could see her, how far she'd risen, she'd certainly be proud of her now...
The helicopter drew closer and Asuka waited, plotting her grand entrance...
Rei had to admit, the open ocean was beautiful. The grand sight of it had already made the trip worthwhile. It was a deep blue stretching out farther than she could comprehend, an endless plain of water from which all life had once arisen, yet, a desolate unforgiving place. From the sky it looked so peaceful but she knew from the books she'd read it was a harsh mistress. As the helicopter swung around for a landing on the aircraft carrier she couldn't help but think of how truly amazing it was that mankind could build such wonders as seafaring ships. The fact that people had built for centuries vehicles that could traverse the world's largest desert with ease was a powerful thought. The perseverance of humanity truly knew no bounds, and so she would persevere and greet the Second Child as a friend, as difficult as that would be to do...
The thought of Soryu's belittling and vicious words had occupied her thoughts through most of the flight. Now as they eased down onto the flight deck she had to force those thoughts from her mind. Internally she kept telling herself that it had not happened yet and it wasn't going to happen. It had not happened yet and it wasn't going to...
Except it had, for her...
The helicopter touched down, the engine started spooling down with a whine, and Misato nudged her with her elbow. "Hey," she said with a kind smile. "You ready?"
She nodded and unbuckled her seat belt. It was time... Misato opened the passenger cabin doors and stepped out of the helicopter. Rei stood and looked across the deck and... there she was, Asuka Langley Soryu in the flesh...
She froze when she laid eyes on her, her long red hair dancing in the wind. Asuka was wearing a yellow sundress that looked a bit familiar, perhaps she'd seen her wear it once... She looked as smug and arrogant as she remembered. Rei had to force herself to move. Her hands were shaking just a little. Part of her wanted to just stay in the helicopter. No... she couldn't let her apprehension get the best of her. She followed the captain a down the deck until they were a few paces away from each other, careful to keep the captain just a few steps in front. Am I really that afraid of her? Rei asked herself.
"Well hello, Misato," Soryu greeted, her tone as smug as she ever remembered it being. "How have you been?"
"I've been just fine," Misato replied cheerfully. "My goodness you've grown quite a bit since I last saw you."
"That's right," Soryu replied. "And I didn't just get taller, my figure has filled out as well!" Rei wasn't sure exactly why that should be a talking point but she recognized it as just another example of Soryu's vanity.
Misato giggled softly. "I've brought along a guest," she stated before turning to her. Rei felt her body stiffen. "Rei, this is the pilot of Unit 02, Asuka Langley Soryu," she continued, turning back to the fiery redhead. "This is Rei Ayanami, the First Child."
Rei's eyes widened as the redheaded pilot stomped over to her and sized her up. "So you're the pilot of Unit 00 huh?" she asked.
Rei nodded, fighting to retain her stoic appearance. "That is correct," she returned softly.
Soryu smirked. "That's kind of ironic isn't it?" she replied. "Considering your name."
Instantly all the memories of Soryu's antics and hateful words and gestures came back to her. Her words stung, having made such a cruel yet accurate pun on her name... It was indeed an irony that she had many times thought about but had never detested until after receiving her newest chance at life. She was not nothing, she was not just the commander's puppet anymore, she was not zero! Her eyes narrowed. "I do not see the humor in it," she returned darkly before she was able to compose herself. The words just... slipped out.
Soryu screwed her face up. She looked offended or surprised or both. "Relax," she said. "Can't you take a joke?"
Rei was beginning to assess that it had been a mistake in coming to the fleet. Forging a... friendship with Soryu perhaps was not a good idea after all. Her heart was heaving and the anger and jealousy was growing. "Again, I fail to see the humor in your statement," she replied, balling her fists.
Misato stepped up beside her. "Hey, Rei, it's just a joke," she said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Relax, she didn't mean anything by it, right Asuka?"
Perhaps the captain was right... maybe she was overreacting. "Yeah, First," Soryu piped up. "It's just a pun with your name. I'm not calling you worthless or anything."
Rei closed her eyes and steadied herself. She'd overreacted, an act that had been prompted by her negative experiences with the Second Child. Once again, she reminded herself that there was no need yet to let those feelings dictate her actions. She opened her eyes and gave a slight bow. "I apologize for taking offense, Soryu-san," she stated softly.
Soryu frowned at her. "Jeez, you Japanese are too uptight," she scoffed with a dismissive wave of her hand. "All these honorifics, bah! Just call me Asuka for heaven's sake! We're going to be working together, so let's be friends, okay?" As soon as she finished she extended her hand firmly with an open palm.
Rei stared at Soryu's extended hand and straightened herself up. It was quite peculiar, something that she had not expected at all. Instead of her having to work her way into Soryu's good graces, here she was literally extending a hand of friendship. It was something she had not expected to happen even in all the scenarios of this meeting that she'd envisioned. Perhaps... they could be friends after all. She extended her own hand and shook Soryu's firmly. "That would be... agreeable..." she timidly replied. "Asuka..."
Asuka... it was so hard calling her that. Rei was used to thinking of her as... anything else but her given name. Asuka grinned. "Good," she said after releasing her grip, her tone full of the arrogant bluster she knew too well. "I'm glad we can be good friends, Rei."
"Well, now that that's settled," Misato spoke, ending the moment between them. "Let's head to the bridge. I have business with the captain of the ship."
"Oh alright," Asuka huffed. "I guess I'll show Rei around later."
Rei fell in step next to Asuka as they followed Misato towards the carrier's command tower. She felt... surprisingly good. It had felt good to put her foot down and stand up to the Second Child. It was a huge relief that their relationship this time around had not begun as negatively as it had before. Rei couldn't help but smile softly to herself. Perhaps there was something in having been firm with the fiery redhead... Perhaps she... respected her now.
The innards of the Over The Rainbow were truly a labyrinth, one that the captain seemed determined to get lost in. After several minutes of wandering about the superstructure of the immense ship, it fell to Asuka to take the lead in heading to the bridge. Rei couldn't help but find a bit of humor in it. It seemed the stories of Misato getting lost in the bowels of NERV had some basis in fact. A few minutes after Asuka assumed the role as their guide they stood on the bridge in audience with the captain of the ship, an Admiral, if Rei's limited knowledge of rank insignia was correct.
"Good afternoon," Misato greeted him, handing him her credentials. "It's a pleasure to be aboard."
The admiral regarded Misato with a dour expression and his large gray mustache only accented his displeased look. From his complexion, he was not Japanese, that Rei was certain of. "Hmm..." the admiral spoke. From his accent, he sounded English. "NERV... So you've brought another child with you on your little visit. I will say this is not a Girls Scout camp. I do hope our newest guest is better behaved than the one who we've had to escort."
Rei glanced at Asuka who crossed her arms and scowled. From the admiral's words it would seem she'd given the ship's crew a hard time on the voyage... "Thank you for your hospitality," Misato replied to him. "I assure you, Rei is the picture of propriety."
Rei couldn't help but grin slightly at the compliment. The admiral scowled. "I do hope so," he returned. "This is the navy after all, not a daycare."
Misato smiled. "I assure you, you have nothing to worry about," she said before handing him some paperwork out of a dossier she carried. "Here are the specifications for the emergency power supply and instructions for installation."
So that was the reason for them taking such a massive cargo helicopter they'd traveled in, NERV had elected to bring a power supply for Unit 02 along... Rei knew that logically they'd have no way of knowing that an Angel attack was imminent but she had to admit it was sound tactical thinking, most likely the commander's idea. "You've wasted a trip," the admiral replied dismissively. "I'd never approve any request to activate that toy at sea, period."
"Think of it as a precaution in case of emergency, sir," Misato countered. "The Eva is quite valuable."
"So valuable that the entire U.N. Fleet has been tasked with its security?" the admiral returned incredulously. "At what juncture did we become merely a glorified cargo service?"
The ship's second in command spoke up. "If my memory serves me, it was just after a certain organization was established..." he hissed.
"Guarding a toy!" the admiral spat. "Such a ridiculous assignment for the entire Pacific Fleet to be tasked with!"
If Misato took any offense to her words she certainly did not show it. "It's a small price to pay considering the importance of the Evangelion," she replied. She handed him another set of documents. "Please, sign these transfer documents."
"Not yet," the admiral growled. "Eva Unit 02 has been entrusted to us by the Third Branch in Germany. I will not allow you to waltz in here and do as you please, Captain Katsuragi."
This seemed to upset the captain, but she composed herself after a moment. "When will you transfer them to us?" she asked politely. Rei found herself admiring her composure.
"As soon as we've unloaded in New Yokosuka," the first mate replied.
"The ocean remains our jurisdiction," the admiral added. "You will follow our orders here!"
"Understood," Misato returned. "However, I will remind you that NERV's authority overrides your own in the event of an emergency." Rei couldn't help but form a newfound respect for the captain. She was so cool and collected under pressure and seemingly immune to backlash...
"Well, you're as confident as always," a voice called out to her left. Rei turned and regarded the source of the voice. It was the spy...
She had never known him, only of him. In truth, she'd never interacted with him, but she did know about him. He had been close with the captain and had been a begrudging ally to the commander until his usefulness had run thin. From what she knew, Ikari-kun had also been close with him... Perhaps he could find a role in the plot she was forming...
Asuka immediately swiveled on her heel and gushed over the scruffy, long haired man. That was right... she had been enamored with him, hadn't she... "Kaji!" she exclaimed jubilantly.
The scruffy spy waved cheerfully to all attended in the command center. "Mr. Kaji, I insist that you stop inviting yourself onto the bridge!" the admiral exclaimed.
Rei noted how the captain grimaced upon seeing the spy. "Oh, sorry about that," the scruffy man replied cheerfully.
The captain glared at the long haired spy. "Please excuse us," she growled. "Continue escorting us to New Yokosuka as ordered..."
"As you wish," the admiral replied tersely.
The captain stomped past the spy and Rei followed after her while Asuka fell in step next to the scruffy man. She couldn't hep but find her behavior a bit curious. What was it about this fellow that rubbed her so much the wrong way? From what she remembered they had been close in her timeline... Though she'd certainly gotten better at normal social interaction and deciphering social queues, moments like this really made it clear how much of normal every day behavior was still a mystery to her...
Kaji had to admit, the elevator ride down to the galley was awkward. The thing was cramped, barely large enough to fit four people, thankfully Misato hadn't brought a larger party with her. He stood in one of the far corners while Misato stood close to the door scowling and unwilling to look him in the eye. Asuka stood a bit uncomfortably close to him for his liking and the other girl with blue hair stood staring stoically at the doors. Considering her appearance he didn't even have to ask who she was, Misato had brought along the mysterious First Child.
"What on earth are you doing here?" Misato hissed.
Here we go... he thought. No matter what, he couldn't be truly honest with her, not yet, not with so many people around... It was time to slip back into the playful persona he'd so carefully constructed. "I was accompanying her," he replied with a grin, tilting his head in Asuka's direction. "It's part of a business trip of sorts."
Misato's frown deepened. "I should have expected something like this..." she grumbled under her breath.
He smirked. "Oh?" he replied. "Something like what?"
"Oh, something like running into the likes of you!" she hissed.
Kaji put his hands to his chest and sighed dramatically. "I'm hurt," he replied. "Ow..."
"Whatever..." Misato grumbled.
Kaji stood there silently, observing her. Despite the playful way he'd said it, it truly did hurt that she being so closed off. Despite how long ago it was, he still looked back on the memories of the time they'd spent together with fondness. Then again, time makes the heart grow fonder... The part of him that was a spy knew Misato could be a valuable asset in his personal quest for the truth, but the part of him as a man just wanted to revisit those halcyon days. He grinned softly to himself and closed his eyes. Maybe those two things could intersect if he played his cards right...
Ever since Kaji had joined them it had been a series of long and uncomfortable silences. Asuka did not enjoy long and uncomfortable silence. When they'd exited the elevator the group had gone directly to the ship's officer galley where they awaited lunch to be served. Kaji sat beside her sipping his coffee while Rei and Misato sat across from her. Misato was scowling as she sipped her coffee, occasionally shooting Kaji a look of daggers. Asuka found it a bit ridiculous to see a woman that age acting like that. She couldn't bring herself to care about Misato's personal problems anyway. Her attention turned toward the First Child.
Asuka had spent a good amount of time since the flight deck studying the blue haired girl. The reaction she'd displayed to her joshing on the flight deck had really caught her off guard. She wasn't used to people standing up to her like that and, as much as she hated to admit it, that the look in the girl's crimson eyes had been just a bit intimidating. Ever since that conversation and her offer of friendship she'd been more or less silent and stoic, something that perplexed her. She seemed to be off in her own world of thought as she sipped the tea she'd requested in silence. From the rumors she'd heard of the last battle in Tokyo 3, she'd nearly sacrificed herself to protect the Third Child which nearly resulted in her Eva's destruction. Considering her quiet demeanor, Asuka found it a bit hard to believe that the blue haired girl could be such a dedicated soldier.
"So, Rei," Asuka spoke, breaking the silence. "I heard that your Eva got knocked out of commission in the last battle. Is that true?"
The blue haired girl nodded. "Yes," she replied coolly. "That is correct."
"I've heard about your battle as well," Kaji spoke up, grinning. "What you did in defending the Third Child so that Captain Katsuragi's plan could succeed was very brave."
Rei sipped her tea. "I simply did my duty," she replied while staring into her teacup, her voice a calm monotone. "Nothing more."
Asuka frowned. Why was Kaji giving her compliments? And why bring up the boy that was piloting Unit 01? She'd also heard about the battle and how he'd screwed up his first shot, which nearly got everyone killed. She crossed her arms. The only reason he'd been selected was because his father was Commander Ikari, an act of total and blatant nepotism! "From what I hear the Third Child is a total amateur," she said. "If he hadn't have missed his first shot then you wouldn't have had to defend him at all."
Rei looked up and met her gaze. "The Angel's energy beam interfered with Ikari-kun's shot placement," she returned in a level tone. "It was not his fault that he missed."
"Still," Asuka retorted. She hadn't even met the Third yet at just thinking about him pissed her off. The fact that the commander of NERV was his father being most likely the only reason he was a pilot like her was infuriating... "That idiot fell on his face in his first battle and was only saved when his Eva went berserk! How can you be okay fighting alongside such a complete rookie?"
Rei set her teacup down and her eyes narrowed. "Do not speak ill of Ikari-kun," she replied, her tone becoming not unlike how it had been on the flight deck. "It is not his fault that he did not receive the same amount of training that the two of us have had."
Asuka sneered. "Still, the only reason he's the Third Child is his father's nepotism!" she spat. "And yet you're still so quick to defend him! What? Do you like him or something?"
Rei did not budge. The fire in her eyes was made all the more clear by the fact that her irises were red. "Yes. I consider him a friend," she replied, her voice still even but taking on a dark edge.
The air in the room was thick with tension. Asuka knew when it wasn't to her advantage to continue an argument. She was already starting to make a scene and in front of Kaji no less... that was not a good look. She sat back in her seat and sighed, crossing her arms. "Whatever..." she grumbled in reply.
"So... it would seem that you have a fire forged friendship with Shinji Ikari," Kaji mused, glancing over at the blue haired girl. "Is that right, Ayanami-san?"
Rei nodded once again and sipped her tea, the ghost of a smile appearing on her face. "That is an accurate assessment," she replied softly.
Kaji laughed softly. "Cherish that," he returned. "Friendship born of shared experiences is the truly a wonderful thing." He turned his gaze and smirk toward Misato... "Right, Katsuragi-san?"
"Would you please stop trying to play footsie with me..." Misato hissed in response, glaring down at the tabletop.
Kaji only laughed. "Your legs are on my side of the table," he countered glibly.
"Liar..." Misato hissed.
Asuka wrinkled her nose at the display. Seeing Kaji and Misato act like children pissed her off, especially after Kaji had rejected her the previous night for being a child... She turned to the blue haired girl across from her. "Hey Rei," she began.
Rei met her gaze with a stoic expression. "Yes?" she replied.
Asuka stood up. "You wanna go somewhere where we can get to know each other better?" she asked. "I'm getting bored here."
"I would not mind," Rei stated softly, rising from her seat.
"But Asuka, we haven't eaten yet," Misato interjected.
Asuka scowled. Way to act like an adult when it's convenient to control a situation... she thought to herself. "It's fine, I'm not hungry anyway," she bit out, turning back to Rei. "You coming?"
Rei turned to Misato. "I would like to accompany the Second Child," she said. "Is that acceptable?"
Misato regarded her for a moment before scowling and looking down at her coffee mug. "Fine, if you girls want to leave then go ahead..." she grumbled. "Just don't cause any trouble!"
Asuka responded with an exaggerated and insincere grin. "Oh I promise that we won't!" she replied in a mocking tone.
Misato's eyebrow twitched. "What were you even planning to do?" she asked, clearly reaching the end of her patience.
Asuka smiled, this time a genuine one. "What else?" she replied. "I was going hitch a ride over to the cargo ship to show Rei my Unit 02."
Misato sighed and rested her forehead in her palm. "Fine..." she replied, waving her off with her free hand. "Whatever, do as you please..."
Asuka smirked and strode confidently to the exit of the galley with Rei falling in close behind her. Now that she had lost those idiots she could properly gauge her new coworker, and have a chance to show off how much better her unit was compared to the others. She was the best pilot in the world after all, might as well make that perfectly clear to those whom she'd have to serve with...
This day had to be a nightmare, it certainly had to be a nightmare that she was going to awaken from. Misato had never expected to run into him of all people. Seeing Ryouji Kaji again after she'd broken up with him eight years ago had immediately stirred uncomfortable feelings that she didn't even want to acknowledge. That arrogant, scruffy, no-good, dirty, rotten, handsome bastard hadn't changed in the slightest since they'd been dating... and that made her profoundly uncomfortable.
"Well well..." Kaji mused, smugly grinning at her from across the table. "Looks like we're all alone now."
Misato glared daggers at him. Oh how she hated when he would get this way, all flirty and stupid and... ugh! "Why? What does that matter?" she spat.
He folded his hands under his chin. "Well it's been a long time since we saw each other," he replied, his cheerful demeanor and playful tone never wavering. "Perhaps we can catch up."
Misato crossed her arms. No, she wasn't going to give in and let him into her life again. "What's there to catch up on?" she snarled.
"Well, I understand you're NERV's combat operations director," he returned calmly. "That's something to be proud of."
Misato sipped her coffee. "So you've read my file," she grumbled. "How charming..."
"I mean it," Kaji replied. "You've risen quite high, all due to your determination and your merits."
Misato's expression softened ever so slightly. As much as he caused her great angst, it was nice to hear him say that. She had indeed gotten where she was due to her efforts rather than any kind of connections as so many others at NERV had done. "Thanks for the compliment, I did work my butt off to get where I am," she muttered softly, bringing her coffee cup to her lips.
Kaji chuckled. "You've done well for yourself, Katsugagi-san," he replied, still wearing that stupid catlike grin of his. "But I suppose that its left you with little time for a boyfriend, right?"
Misato nearly choked on her coffee. "That's none of your business!" she snarled, slamming her fist on the table.
Kaji laughed and smirked back at her like a cat that had just killed a mouse. "Even though its been a long time, you haven't changed at all," he replied.
Misato clenched her fists and shot out of her seat. "Sh- shut up!" she stammered angrily.
The pony-tailed ruffian sighed and stood as well. "I have business to attend to," he said, that grin of his still unwavering. "It was good seeing you Katsuragi." He exited the galley moments later, leaving her alone with her thoughts.
Maybe he was right that she hadn't changed all that much, but who was he to talk? He was still the same as he was then, still the same man that reminded her too much of her distant and aloof father... She'd broken up with him in college because of that aspect of his personality, so why... why did she feel just a slight be drawn to him? Despite his smugness and his playboy attitude there was still that... spark that had drawn her to him back then. She hated that. She was angry at herself for even contemplating the possibility that they could have anything between them again... Misato punched the table, unable to keep her frustrations inside anymore."Dammit..." she hissed out to the empty room.
The trip via skiff to the ship containing Unit 02 had been an interesting one. It had given Rei ample opportunity to truly observe and study Asuka...
Through the trip she'd stayed mostly silent but for empty pleasantries as the redheaded girl ranted about Misato's immaturity and Kaji-san's merits as a, quote, real man. The skiff ride had been been quite enlightening for her into the kind of person Asuka was below her cocky and abrasive exterior. She had always suspected but now she was certain that the prickly demeanor that Asuka displayed was a mask, a defense mechanism she used to keep herself separate from others and retain control over how she was perceived and dealt with. In that regard she felt a bit more sympathy for her. It was not unlike how Ikari-kun constantly apologized and avoided people to keep himself from being hurt.
Now the pair stood beside one another before Unit 02 which was lying face down in a huge vat of stasis fluid. Clearly Asuka had brought her here to show it off. Typical Asuka behavior...
"So, what'cha think?" Asuka asked, smirking.
Rei had seen it many times before, it was nothing special to her. "It is red," she replied, hardly concealing her disinterest.
Asuka rolled her eyes. "It's way more than that," she stated, grinning smugly. "Yours is the prototype and the Third's is the test type but mine is the first production model Evangelion! It's the latest in technology, the best in class!"
Rei regarded her. Was this supposed to impress her? "Is that a subject of pride for you?" she asked.
Asuka laughed haughtily. "If you got it, flaunt it, right?" she countered.
Rei found this to be rather shallow, another product of Asuka's need to be seen and be praised by others. She turned her whole body to face her. "Do you pilot the Eva for the praise of others?" she asked. It was certainly a gamble, calling her out like that, but perhaps... it could help her be a bit more honest.
Asuka blinked in surprise before screwing her face up. Her words had clearly had an effect on her... "Yeah, of course!" she spat. "I got selected over everyone else in the whole world to be an Eva Pilot so I'm gonna prove that I deserve that status by being the best out of all of us!"
Though it was to be expected, Rei had a hard time understanding why she desired to put herself so high above others. What was it about the adulation of others that could drive a person? She understood how the affections of friends could be a motivation, her friendship with Ikari-kun came to mind, but why seek the praise of the world at large? Why would the affection of strangers matter to a person? "Why do you crave that attention?" she inquired, genuinely perplexed.
"Oh please..." Asuka scoffed, staring back at her with a smirk. "Are you dense? What kind of girl doesn't like attention? You can't tell me that you don't enjoy the praise that comes with being a pilot!"
Rei met the redhead's gaze, her eyes narrowing. Though she knew she had much to learn about human interaction, she was certainly not dense! As for her comments about the praise of others, there was a time when she enjoyed the commander's praise but it was long gone. Now all that mattered to her was her singular goal of thwarting his plans... And what did Asuka mean about all girls liking attention? "I do not let it effect my duties," she replied.
Asuka scowled at her. "So it's just a job to you?" she asked, her tone becoming a little aggressive. "Come on, there's no way you don't have some pride in it! What is it you pilot for, huh?"
Now it was Rei's turn to blink in disbelief. She had not expected Asuka to turn around and ask her what her motivations were. Under the weight of her stare she couldn't help but look down at the walkway on which she stood. She thought back on what she'd told Ikari-kun the night before she'd defended him against the Fifth Angel for the second time and slowly she steeled herself. She lifted her head and met Asuka's angry gaze. "I have a goal that I am pursuing," she replied. "And the Eva is my means to chase it."
They stared at each other, neither willing to bend. Then, slowly, Asuka's gaze softened and she smiled. That smile grew into a laugh and she fell back against the railing to brace herself. Rei tilted her head to the side, unsure as to what caused this most unexpected reaction. Asuka was laughing as if her words were funny but she had not intended them to be humorous. "What about my statement is so funny?" Rei asked, confused.
Asuka calmed herself, wiping her eye. "Mein Gott, you're way too serious!" she said with a giggle. "Are you always like this, all monotone and deadpan?"
Rei was not sure what to say to that. Why would her demeanor and personality be considered humorous? "I do not understand what you mean," she returned.
Asuka continued to chuckle softly. "The way you talk to people," she replied. "You're so blunt and to the point! You must not get out much, huh?"
Rei had heard this expression before. It was used to describe doing any sort of activities for ones own enjoyment outside of their home. With the exception of staying for dinner at the captain's apartment, Asuka's assessment was indeed correct. "I will admit that I don't," she replied, a frown coming over her face.
The amount of normal girl things she'd been denied access to seemed to grow all the time, something that she was only now beginning to come to terms with. In fact... until now, she realized, she'd never even had a female friend before. Ikari-kun had been her only friend in the previous life and in this life until meeting Asuka again. How ironic it was that the person who had been so dismissive and derisive of her in the past now wanted to be friends and was talking with her as she'd seen friends do...
Asuka's snickering stopped and her expression became a sympathetic frown but in mere seconds it was gone, replaced by a carefree grin. She leaned back against the railing and sighed. "Wonder-girl, you gotta live a little," she said softly. "We got a serious job to do but you can't be serious all the time, that's just depressing."
Rei let those words sink in. The redhead certainly had a point. Even though there were many unfortunate things yet to come that shouldn't keep her from living in the moment. Also, did she just receive an endearing nickname? "Perhaps you're right..." she murmured softly.
A comfortable silence fell between them for a moment. "So..." Asuka spoke. "What is this goal of yours that you're pursuing?"
The memories of Third Impact came whirling back to her mind's forefront. The memory of Yui Ikari and being sent to before Ikari-kun's arrival played out in her mind's eye. This was then replaced with Ikari-kun's smiling face and the thought of holding his hand again... Rei smiled softly at the thought. "I seek a better future than the past that I've lived through," she replied.
Asuka regarded her with a wide eyed expression before looking up to the ceiling with a grin, chuckling softly. "Y'know, I can get behind that..." she returned.
Suddenly there was a loud bang that shook the ship, nearly knocking Rei off her feet. Her stomach knotted and her heart skipped a beat as her eyes flashed wide. This must be the Angel beginning its attack on the fleet... Now she had to put her trust in her new friend to defeat it as she had in the old timeline.
"What the hell was that!?" Asuka exclaimed.
"I don't know," Rei lied, a hint of fear slipping into her tone of voice. "Perhaps we should go to the deck and find out?"
Asuka started dashing down the walkway to the nearest staircase. "Way ahead of you, Wonder-girl!" she shouted. "Come on, quick! Let's move!"
The pair rushed to the upper deck and Asuka flung herself to the railing at the edge. Rei watched as a large rippling wave sliced through a warship causing it to explode with a deafening roar. The sight was truly incredible to behold, the creature ripping through solid steel like tinfoil. It then raced through the water as if in search of something. It could have been Unit 02, Rei deduced, but more than likely the transfer of Unit 02 had been used as a cover for Commander Ikari's acquisition of Adam... Considering the creature was no where near the ship she stood on the deck of that must be the case! If they couldn't stop it from coming into contact with Adam... the thought filled her with fear.
"What is that?" Asuka gasped.
"It must be an Angel," Rei replied, barely able to keep her voice steady.
"An Angel?" Asuka returned, her voice full of surprise "Here?"
"It would seem so," Rei stated.
Rei watched as Asuka's look of surprise shifted into a maniacal grin. "Wunderbar..." she muttered gleefully before turning her attention back to her with a huge grin. "Hey, since you don't get out much, wanna have some fun?"
Rei's eyes widened in confusion. How could a battle to the death be considered fun? "What do you mean?" she replied.
Asuka's bloodthirsty grin widened. "Let's go fight it together!" she exclaimed. "You don't have your Eva with you so ride along with me!"
Rei stared back at the fiery girl with apprehension. Was she seriously suggesting putting two people in the entry plug? That would risk the Eva being less effective due to cog native noise but here Asuka was suggesting such an insane thing. The thought of it filled her with much anxiety. Perhaps her choice to come along to the U.N. Pacific fleet had been a mistake after all...
Misato was making her way back towards the bridge when she heard the first explosion and instantly raced the rest of the way there. She popped in while the admiral was beginning to coordinate a counter attack against whatever it was that had fallen upon the fleet and the general alarm klaxons began to sound.
"All ships fan out and take evasive action!" the vice captain of the Over The Rainbow called over the radio. "Radio room, status report!"
"Titus Andronicus is taking on water! We still can't confirm the target!" was what Misato overhead of the garbled transmission.
She watched as a large rippling jet of water raced through the fleet. Though she couldn't see what the enemy really looked like, from the speed and ease it was demolishing ships, it had to be an Angel...
"Damn it all!" the admiral growled as he stared through his binoculars out at the unfolding scene. "What in the hell is going on!"
Misato took that moment to let her presence be known. "Hello!" she called out in a sing-song voice. "You guys want to ask me about any countermeasures and strategies to assist in fighting the enemy?"
"This is a combat situation!" The admiral shouted. "Get the hell off my bridge!"
Misato scowled. Sooner or later this curmudgeonly old bastard was going to have to take her seriously. "This is just my professional opinion, but that appears to be an Angel out there," she growled.
The admiral completely ignored her. "All ships open fire at your discretion!" he commanded. "Weapons free!"
Small splashes from torpedo strikes hitting the target erupted from the water to no effect. This was to be expected, only an Eva could defeat it. She watched as it cut through a destroyer, causing it to explode in a tower of smoke and flame. While the chaos continued to unfold, Misato couldn't help but wonder why it had decided to attack here instead of Tokyo 3 as all the others had. Then, all of a sudden, it came to her... It must be after Unit 02! she thought to herself.
But... it wasn't going after the cargo ship that Unit 02 was on... it had to be searching for something else, but what? What was it searching for if not the Eva being transported? It was a question she could not answer and wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer to...
She glared at her sworn enemy as it continued on it's rampage. Why must the Angels make things so damned difficult?
Kaji sat in his room aboard the Over The Rainbow watching the chaos unfold through a set of binoculars with a growing sense of foreboding. It seemed that the Angel was slowly getting closer to its quarry, the cargo that he'd been tasked to escort for Commander Ikari. He dialed the number to the commander's office and waited for him to pick up. After the third ring he answered. "Yes?"
"I was not expecting an Angel to attack while at sea," he replied, cutting to the chase as he knew the commander was not one for idle chit-chat. "This was not part of the plan."
"That is why Unit 02 is there," Commander Ikari replied. "And I've generously allowed a reserve pilot to accompany Captain Katsuragi. If worse comes to worst, you can always escape by yourself."
Kaji lowered the binoculars and scowled. "Of course I can," he snapped. "It's me we're talking about."
"So what is your concern?" Commander Ikari returned, a hint of frustration in his voice.
Kaji chose his words carefully. "I wish to know what is so important about the package I'm so kindly delivering to you," he replied.
There was a pause on the other end. In the meantime yet another destroyer exploded in the distance. "Get to NERV headquarters," the commander returned. "I will explain once you're there."
Kaji smirked and stood from his seat. Now he was getting somewhere... "I'm already on my way..." he replied and hung up. He grabbed the suitcase that contained his special cargo and left his room.
Rei never thought in a million years that she would be undergoing an ordeal such as the one she now was faced with. She was sitting in the entry plug of Unit 02 with Asuka Langley Soryu about to be dragged into a combat situation. The Evangelions had been designed for single occupancy so there was no second seat for her to sit in. Instead she was forced to cling to the side of the pilot's seat and hope for the best. She frowned as she eyed the plug suit she'd been given by the Second Child. It was red. She disliked red. It was the color of blood... The suit also didn't fit her properly, being a little too tight at the waist and across the chest. "Are you sure it is necessary to for me to accompany you?" she asked.
"Why the hell not?" Asuka replied. "It's not like you have your Eva here to assist. Just ride along and watch what the future ace of Tokyo 3 can do!"
Rei scowled but said nothing in response. There was nothing she could say without causing an unnecessary argument. It seemed that no matter what Asuka would always be... Asuka.
The redheaded girl began initiating the activation sequence. She was speaking in German and Rei couldn't understand a single word that was being spoken. Moments after she finished speaking a red error message flashed in the cockpit.
"Thought noise..." Asuka grumbled before turning around to look at her. "You don't speak German, do you?"
"Japanese is the only language I am fluent in," Rei replied.
Asuka sighed. "Typical..." she muttered, shaking her head. "Set language to Japanese," she commanded the plug's voice interface. Moments later the error message disappeared and the Eva activated without further issue.
"Alright..." Asuka muttered. "Let's do this..."
The thought noise was not a problem, but Rei couldn't help but remain concerned about the operation. She'd noticed as she'd boarded the entry plug that the Eva was not equipped for seaborne or amphibious operations. Considering they were currently on the ocean, that could pose more than a few problems... "Asuka, Unit 02 is equipped with the B type equipment, correct?" she asked.
"Yeah, so?" Asuka replied in a way that showed her complete lack of caution.
Rei's frown deepened. "Our configuration does not bode well for this battle setting," she pressed. "If we become submerged it may spell disaster for us."
Asuka smirked. "Then we won't let that happen," she replied with that smug and arrogant tone of hers.
The radio in the cockpit crackled to life. "Abort!" the voice of the fleet's admiral issued forth. "Stop the Eva activation sequence!"
This was immediately followed by sounds of a scuffle on the frequency. "Don't listen to him, Asuka!" Misato shouted. "Go for it!"
Asuka wasted no time getting the Eva up and running. Rei clung to the side of the seat for dear life when Unit 02 leaped through the air and landed on a neighboring cruiser. The tarp that had been covering Unit 02 was now draped over it like an enormous cloak. "Misato!" Asuka called over the radio. "Get the external power ready!"
"On it!" Misato responded over the radio. "Be careful getting to it," she added. "You're using the B type equipment."
Rei decided to answer her. "I have already informed Pilot Soryu of the risk," she said.
"What the hell?" Misato exclaimed. "Rei? You're in there too?"
She cringed. The captain sounded rather surprised but not angry. Still, she knew that she was going to hear about how dangerous and reckless it had been to accompany Asuka from Dr. Akagi when she next saw her. There was also the commander's reaction which she shuddered to think about. He would either have a bad reaction or no reaction... "I am..." she replied nervously.
"I'm heading to the carrier with fifty eight seconds of remaining power," Asuka stated, squashing any conversation that might have arisen about having two people in the cockpit. "Make sure you got the external up and running when I get there."
"Copy that," Misato replied. "Already working on it."
Rei watched as Asuka glanced over her shoulder at her. "Better brace yourself," she said. "It's gonna be a rough ride."
She gripped the back of the pilot's chair with a white knuckle grip as Asuka drove the Eva high into the air with a powerful jump. Once in the air, Asuka tossed the tarp that wrapped the Eva's shoulders away with a dramatic motion. Unit 02 came crashing down on the deck of another ship in the fleet. Asuka then repeated the process over and over again until they finally reached the Over The Rainbow. Rei was completely dazed, more and more feeling regret at being talked in to riding with the Second Child... Thankfully the external power had somehow been prepared for them in time to keep the Eva running. Asuka hooked Unit 02 up to it and got into a fighting stance with progressive knife in hand.
The Angel raced towards them, it's sheer size becoming apparent as it protruded more and more above the waves. The core could not be seen and the Angel was closing fast. "Do you intend to fight it head on?" Rei asked the redheaded pilot nervously.
Asuka grinned. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained!" she cried jovially seconds before the Angel fell upon them.
The Angel slammed onto the deck with a crash that rocked the entire ship. Asuka managed to hold it back for a moment before tripping backwards on one of the hangar lifts at the rear of the carrier. Half a second later Unit 02 had fallen overboard and clung desperately to the side of the Angel as it raced toward the bottom of the sea. After what felt like an eternity to Rei, Misato called out over the radio. "The cable is about to run out!" she shouted. "Brace yourselves!"
Less than ten seconds later there was a massive jolt as the cable became taut. Unit 02 lost its grip on the Angel and it disappeared into the dark void of the ocean. As they hung in the water, drifting with the currents, Rei's stomach was doing flips. She knew they were in some serious trouble...
Misato knew that the situation was deteriorating fast. Unit 02 was practically helpless in an aquatic environment in its current configuration. She desperately needed to think of a plan to defeat the Angel but with the only available hundreds of meters below the waves and barely able to fight this was no easy task. She stared out the broken windows of the bridge which had been shattered when Unit 02 hand first landed on the ship as her mind raced to create a plan of action.
She caught sight of one of the hangar lifts bringing a jet up to the flight deck. From the looks of the thing it was a Soviet built VTOL craft built before Second Impact. This was rather strange that a jet would be readying to take off when there had been no orders for it as everyone in the ship's command center had been focusing on the Angel. She squinted and focused on the cockpit of the plane, having a strong suspicion as to who might be aboard... "Kaji-san?" she called out over the radio.
"Hey Katsuragi," came the scruffy man's reply over the channel. "I've got a delivery to make so I'll be taking off now. Take care of the rest of this, captain!"
The jet's engines roared and it lifted off the deck. Misato clenched her fist at her side as she watched it climb away. The nerve of that man, tucking his tail and running just because things were getting inconvenient! He really was still the same Ryouji Kaji she'd always known. She was certain to give him a real piece of her mind the next time she saw him...
"Admiral!" one of the officers on the bridge shouted. "The Angel is closing on the Evangelion!"
Misato swallowed the growing lump in her throat. Hopefully the two kids could survive and hold the enemy at bay despite the limitations of the B type equipment. If they didn't then it was safe to say that everyone was screwed...
"Did you see where it went?" Asuka asked, her eyes scanning the dark blue void around her for any sign of the Angel.
"10 o' clock high," Rei replied flatly.
Asuka instantly fixed her eyes in that direction and sure enough the blue haired girl was right. The enemy seemed to have them zeroed as well. Asuka steadied her breathing and focused on the job at had. "I'll finish you off now..." she growled under her breath and jerked the control sticks to lift the Eva's arms.
But was the Eva did not move...
"Our chances of victory are slim with the B type equipment," she heard Rei voice, her monotone words laced with fear and frustration in equal measure. "We must exit the water."
It was quite the statement of the obvious, a harsh reminder to her that she'd royally screwed up on the carrier flight deck during her initial engagement with the Angel. "You don't think I know that?" Asuka shot back, fear bleeding into her voice as well. The Angel kept drawing closer... "Any ideas on how to get back to the surface?"
Rei said nothing and kept staring at the Angel with wide but utterly focused eyes. Asuka looked back toward the Angel which was seconds away, its large mouth flashing open to reveal razor sharp teeth and a small red orb in the back of its throat. "The core is in its mouth..." her blue haired passenger murmured right as the Angel reached them.
It chomped down on Unit 02 sending a jolt of pain through her abdomen. She instantly yanked on the controls but they still would not respond. "This is really starting to piss me off!" she exclaimed. That was when Rei leaned over her and rested her finger on the radio talk button of her control stick. "What are you doing?" she bit out angrily. Who did she think she was just taking over like that?
Rei ignored her comment and keyed the radio anyway. "Captain Katsuragi, the core is in the Angel's mouth. We have no chance to destroy it while submerged. I suggest reeling Unit 02 to the surface using the umbilical cable once we manage to free ourselves," she said, her voice betraying her fear despite appearing mostly calm.
"Way to go, Rei! You just gave me an idea!" Misato shouted over the radio. "Whatever you do, don't you two lose grip of that Angel!"
Asuka scowled. She didn't like being left out of the plans. In fact, it aggravated her greatly to not grasp what was going on in full. "What's your plan, Misato?" she asked.
Misato's playful laughter could be heard through the speakers in the cockpit. "We're going fishin'!" she exclaimed jovially.
"So what do you plan to do?" the admiral asked, clearly overwhelmed by everything going on around him. "What other sort of destruction are you going to bring upon my fleet!"
Misato smirked. Rei's radio transmission had given her a brilliant idea of how to solve the issue and kill the target. "Hopefully nothing insurmountable," she replied. "I have plan."
"Do tell," the admiral spat. "What sort of scheme does NERV's operations director have in store."
"I intend to use the two remaining battleships," Misato returned with a confident grin. "We'll sink them along the path of Unit 02's umbilical cable and directly into the Angel's mouth. Once there, the bow turret cannons will be triggered via remote control, destroying the target."
The first officer chose that moment to butt in. "Impossible!" he shouted. "The magazines will be soaked and the guns will only have a slim chance of firing correctly!"
"Not to mention I'll be losing my two remaining battleships!" the admiral cried. "I will not allow it!"
Misato's confident grin became an angry frown. As if they could come up with a better idea! "Well what other options are there!?" she snarled. "The enemy's weak spot is in its mouth!"
The first officer scratched his chin. After a moment he turned to the admiral. "Sir, we have aircraft torpedoes in the ammunition storage hangar. Perhaps we could compromise with Ms. Katsuragi."
Misato understood where he was coming from but clearly he did not grasp the severity of the situation. "Those might not pack enough of a punch!" she protested. "You've seen what the Angel is capable of shrugging off!"
The admiral stood from his seat and turned to his second in command. "Remind me, before this deployment, did we take on any N2 weaponry?" he asked.
The first officer nodded. "Yes sir," he replied. "Last I recall, we posses seven N2 bunker busters aboard this ship, courtesy of U.N. Forces central command."
The admiral turned back to her. "Can you make use of those weapons, Katsuragi-san?" he asked.
Misato smiled. Clearly the admiral was trying to win her over by addressing her properly but even if his motives were shallow, he certainly did have a point. Yes, she could very much make use of those weapons. "Can you affix one to a torpedo?" she asked.
The first officer nodded. "If we start work now, our armorers can whip something up in less than five minutes," he replied.
Misato's grin widened. This was going to be satisfying, sending this Angel off with one hell of a bang...
"Make it happen in three," she returned before rushing back to grab the radio transmitter.
"You plan to do what!?" Asuka cried in disbelief.
"Exactly what I said, Asuka," Misato replied. "We'll be using an N2 equipped torpedo fired along the umbilical cable's path to destroy the target.
Rei was just as apprehensive as Asuka was. The power of the N2 was the same as a low yield nuclear weapon. She'd experienced it first hand against the Ninth Angel when she'd attempted to destroy it with a hand held N2 device. She also knew that it might not be very effective from the same engagement. "Your plan is quite risky, Captain Katsuragi," Rei replied.
"It's the only way," Misato replied. "We'll have to try it. We'll start reeling you in in thirty seconds."
Rei gritted her teeth. If there was anything she'd learned from her resurrection into an alternate reality, the possibilities were endless. She leaned over Asuka and grabbed the control sticks. She needed to figure out another way to kill it or else things could get ugly...
"What are you doing?" Asuka asked, clearly offended that she hadn't asked before grabbing the controls of her Eva.
"Freeing us from the Angels mouth," she returned flatly. "Will you help me?"
Asuka grabbed the sticks over her hands. "Get it right, Wonder-girl! You're helping me get its mouth open, not the other way around!"
Rei didn't let the comment phase her, she had a job to do. She began pulling on the sticks to get the Eva to move but nothing seemed to be working. Asuka was straining as well. The phantom pain of the Angel's teeth being embedded in Unit 02's torso seemed to be taking a toll on her as well. Things were not looking promising...
All of a sudden the umbilical cable jolted them and the transmission over the radio indicated they were nearly out of time. "Torpedo in the water!" a voice from the Over The Rainbow called. "twenty five seconds to impact!"
"Open!" Asuka growled as she strained with the Eva's controls. "Open, damn you!"
Rei focused on getting Unit 02 to move and pry the Angel's mouth open. It began to move ever so agonizingly slowly and the Angel's mouth began to open. All the while the countdown to impact drew closer and closer. She yanked on the sticks with all her strength and so did Asuka. Finally with less than a second to spare they freed themselves.
The torpedo zipped into the Angel's mouth. Asuka let the Angel's mouth snap shut again as she pushed off one of one of its huge teeth in order to escape its maw. Rei shut her eyes. Then a blinding white light filled the cockpit followed by a horrendous bang.
When Rei opened her eyes they had already exited the ocean, riding atop the colossal blast wave that had been generated by the bomb. Unit 02 tumbled through the air until Asuka managed to stop its rotation. She noted that the umbilical cable had been severed in the explosion. For a moment she seriously thought they were going to die, that is until they miraculously managed to crash down on the flight deck of the Over The Rainbow. After that, Unit 02 collapsed in a heap, its internal battery's charge depleted.
"Hell yeah! We did it!" Misato cheered over the radio before asking for their satus. "Are the both of you alright?"
Rei breathed a sigh of relief, her hands starting to shake. "We are uninjured," she replied, her voice coming out a bit ragged.
Asuka also seemed rather deflated from the ordeal. "What Wonder-girl said..." she grumbled softly.
It wouldn't be long until the recovery crew would extract them from the plug. Rei noted that perhaps of all the times she'd been in an Eva's cockpit, she had never wanted to get out of one more than she did now...
The sight that greeted Ritsuko when she arrived at New Yokosuka Harbor was certainly an incredible one to behold. It would seem that the report she'd received on the way had been correct about an Angel attack considering the damage to the ships in the bay. She was sitting beside Misato in an open top jeep while reading through the finer details of the after action report. From the way Misato was sprawled out in her seat, Ritsuko could tell that it was as intense an event as the report made it out to be...
"My my..." she murmured, glancing up at the damaged hull of the Over The Rainbow. "Must have been spectacular..."
"I should have anticipated something like this happening," Misato muttered. "How stupid of me..."
Ritsuko smirked at her friend. "You're apologizing?" she batted back. "That's quite unlike you. Are you alright?"
"Oh can it..." Misato groaned. "At least we gathered some valuable data..."
"Indeed we did," she replied, staring back at her packet of papers. "Asuka broke her record for her synchronization ratio and Rei's was almost as strong as it is in Unit 00."
"It was only for four seconds," Misato replied. "It was probably caused by the stress of the situation they were in."
Still, it was quite impressive none the less, especially in regards to Rei. The only Eva that she'd been reliably able to sync up with had been Unit 00 until now. It was theoretically possible for her to synchronize with Unit 01 but it had been untested. Considering the commander's plans for a future auto pilot based on Rei's thought patterns, the fact that Unit 02 had not rejected her opened incredible possibilities.
The jeep slammed on the breaks and the second child thrust herself over the door frame. "Hey!" she cried, a big grin on her face. "Where's Kaji?"
"He took off during the battle," Misato spat, sitting up to face Asuka. "He's probably back at headquarters by now, the jerk!"
Ritsuko chuckled. "So you're still pushing him away?" she asked.
Misato pouted and crossed her arms. Asuka sighed. "Oh..." she whined. "I was hoping he could see me in action..."
Ritsuko glanced up and noticed that Rei was with the Second Child. She was standing just a bit behind her, wearing the red plug suit for Unit 02. She had to admit, the blue haired girl looked a bit odd wearing red... "Did Pilot Soryu talk you into riding along with her?"
Rei met her gaze and nodded. "Yes, Dr. Akagi," she replied softly. "I was not offered much of a choice in the matter."
Asuka rolled her eyes. "Oh come on, Wonder-girl," she groaned. "You gotta loosen up!"
In a strange way, seeing the two girls behaving like that kind of reminded her of herself and Misato when they were younger. Ritsuko smiled. It seemed that the First Child had made yet another friend...
Kaji stepped calmly through the door to Commander Ikari's office. The man was there waiting for him in the large and imposing room sitting at his desk with his hands clasped in front of his face. Even he had to admit the man cut an intimidating figure. No matter, he had a job to do and a confidence game to play. He strode across the office with the case he'd brought from Germany in his hand. When he got within a few feet of the desk Commander Ikari stood up with a hint of a smile. Kaji plopped the case on the desk and stepped back, observing the commander's reaction.
He looked pleased, like a cat who'd just caught a mouse. Kaji knew that the commander of NERV would not give up his secrets easily but he was here for one purpose and that was learning the truth of things. What was the commander planning to do with the... thing he'd been assigned to transport? "My goodness that was an eventful trip, wasn't it?" he drawled with a grin.
The commander's grin faded just a bit. It would seem that Ikari knew that he knew that he was hiding something. "Could it have been caused by this?" Kaji murmured. "I wonder..."
Once again the commander said nothing in reply. Kaji opened the case and revealed the creature within. It looked very much like a human embryo but... not at the same time. It was like a twisted visage of a human fetus in its earliest stages possessing an enormous gaping eye. No matter how many times he looked at the thing it still disgusted him. Still, he had no place for such feelings, he was not about to give up on prodding Ikari for secrets. He smirked. "Well... it's already restored itself this far. It's frozen right now but still very much alive. It's quite amazing..." he continued. Now for the final question, all or nothing... "This is the key to the Human Instrumentality Project, isn't it?"
"Correct," Commander Ikari replied. "This is Adam, the first human being."
Kaji's eyes widened ever so slightly. He knew that the commander was trying to deceive him but he also knew that it was not a good idea to press the matter. So long as he didn't ask too many questions and remained useful to NERV and SEELE, he had nothing to fear from them. "I see," he replied with a cheerful grin, turning to leave the office and waving over his shoulder. "Well, glad I could be of service to you."
As soon as he shut the door behind him he scowled. If that's not the First Angel, then where is it? He asked himself. Things were certainly getting interesting as he became more and more entangled in the spider's web of lies...
Rei sat in the back of a NERV marked van on the ride from New Yokosuka back to Tokyo 3. Beside her sat the Second Child. Both of them were staring out the windows and not saying very much for which Rei was thankful for. It gave her a moment to reflect on the events at sea.
She still found it quite surreal that she'd allowed Asuka to talk her into riding in the Eva with her. In the past she despised the very idea of anyone piloting her beloved Unit 02 other than her. It was a testament to how different this reality was compared to the one she'd come from. Everything and everyone was slightly different but it wasn't all a negative thing. That said, she was worried about the reaction of Commander Ikari once he received news that she'd been aboard the Eva during the battle. He would probably start monitoring her actions more closely. On the other hand, Dr. Akagi had looked rather amused upon seeing her in Asuka's spare plug suit. That was reaction that even hours later felt odd to her...
"Hey," Asuka spoke, shaking her from her reverie. "Can I ask you something?"
Rei turned to face the redhead who was looking at her with a curious expression. She still didn't fully grasp why people ask for permission to ask a question when that itself was a question, but she nodded her head anyway. "Go ahead," she replied.
"Back on the ship, you got really defensive when I was talking smack about the Third," Asuka continued. "I'm guessing you're pretty close with him, huh?"
Rei nodded. "I am," she replied.
"What's he like?" Asuka asked.
Rei was taken completely by surprise. She was not prepared for a question such as that. She blinked. "What do you mean?" she asked, having no clue how to respond.
Asuka smirked. "There's gotta be something about him that made you defend him so fiercely back on the ship," she returned. "What's he like?"
Rei looked back out the window. How could she describe Ikari-kun? She smiled softly as she thought about him and the moments they'd shared together in the previous time and in the current one. She looked down at her hand and remembered what he'd said to her when he'd pulled her from the plug after the Fifth angel both in her past life and her current life, remembering the warmth of his hand and his words... She felt that warmth return to her at the memory and rise to her cheeks at the thought of his smile... "He is kind..." she murmured softly.
Asuka snickered. "So... do you like him?" she asked.
It was much like what the redhead had said back in the ship's galley but this time it wasn't a sneering accusation. She wondered why this question was being levied again when she had answered it concisely the first time it had been posed. Why would she ask the same thing twice? "I consider him a friend," Rei replied.
Asuka sighed and let out a wry chuckle. "Whatever..." she muttered.
Shinji Ikari walked side by side with Ayanami on the way to school. She appeared to be in a good mood, judging by how she was carrying herself. In the time he'd gotten to know her, he'd learned to read her slight changes in expression rather well, something he was a bit proud of. Still, the fact that she appeared to be in a good mood surprised him considering the ordeal that he knew she'd gone through the previous day. Misato had gotten home late in the evening before after returning from the fleet. She'd told him the story of the battle and he couldn't help but feel thankful that he wasn't there for that. Being as close as she was to an N2 warhead detonation as she had been sounded anything but pleasant...
"So how do you feel?" he asked. "After yesterday that is."
"I am alright," she replied in that soft tone of hers.
"I'm glad," he said softly. "From what Misato says, it was one heck of a battle."
"It was quite intense, yes," Rei replied softly.
Shinji smiled. A response like that was to be expected. He'd grown to enjoy her succinct responses to things. His thoughts drifted to the Second Child. Apparently she was a hot headed foreigner and had nearly gotten herself and Rei killed during the battle. If she was really as rash in battle as Misato had said, couldn't that pose a risk? "I'm curious about the other pilot," he blurted out.
Rei turned to him, her eyes widening just a bit in a look of surprise. "What about?" she responded.
Shinji scratched his chin, a frown coming over him. He hated that he was thinking more and more about Angels and battles... "Well... from what Misato said, she sounds a bit reckless," he continued. "Do you think that will cause problems for anyone in a battle?"
Rei's expression faded from surprise to a peaceful smile. She turned her head back to the path ahead of them. "Nothing that cannot be overcome," she replied with confidence in her voice.
Shinji chuckled softly and his smile returned. "I wish I had your confidence..." he murmured.
"You flatter me..." Rei replied, a hint of pink appearing on her cheeks.
Shinji's grin grew. Even if it was flattery it was the truth...
Gendo sat at his desk, stewing in the events of the previous day. Dealing with the spy had been annoying but necessary. His little misdirection seemed to have satisfied him and he'd left soon after. He'd then been able to relish in the knowledge that he now possessed the embryonic form of the First Angel, Adam, the key to all of his plans. Everything had been falling into place and his eventual victory all but secured...
That was until he received Captain Katsuragi's report on the battle at sea...
He had suspected that an Angel might attack the Pacific Fleet but he had not ever dreamed that Rei would have allowed the Second Child to talk her into the cockpit of Unit 02 with her. This was something completely outside of his scenario and it was quite worrisome. Ever since his son had gotten closer with her she'd been changing, that so much he could tell, but the fact she would do something so reckless and stupid as to get in Pilot Soryu's Eva... it placed him in quite a predicament.
What if she could no longer be brought to heel and obey his commands when the time came to fulfill her destiny for him? Considering how she'd managed to get close to his son if he replaced her with another clone it would certainly raise suspicions at this point. Not to mention he didn't want to replace her... If he had to, he would do it shortly before enacting his plans. Still, the whole idea of doing that to her was more and more unpleasant the more he thought about it.
Then a thought occurred to him and his eyes widened as the realization hit home. Unit 02 had... accepted her in the cockpit. This opened quite a few possibilities... He smirked to himself. Yes... it was certainly a good idea. He could accelerate his goals and perhaps keep the old men further blind to his plans... Perhaps something good had come out of Rei's little venture in the cockpit with her newest coworker.
It was decided. He was going to move up the timetable for development of the Dummy Plug System...
Author's Notes
Well... Asuka has arrived in Japan and the plot thickens. The battle with Israfel is coming up next which is something I've very much been looking forward to write. Expect plenty of character drama in the next installment. Then again, if you've stuck around this far, you probably expect it anyway.
As for the changes in this chapter and developments, I don't really have many comments... I just hope that I managed to write a believable (if vitriolic) friendship budding between Asuka and Rei. One thing I will address is the climax of the battle. As cool as it was in the original canon I always felt that the thing with the battleships was spectacle over substance. No military force would scuttle a ship unless there are no other options, not to mention the physics of a ship sinking does not work as it does in the show. As for the first officer piping up in protest when he didn't in the original canon? Maybe it was because they didn't have to deal with the frustration of Kensuke and Touji being on board but who's to say? Butterfly effect is a strange thing.
Taking an extra few days to get this one done was something I certainly needed. My day job has been absolutely kicking my ass. Being low level management in retail as the holidays draw close is positively cancerous and it's seriously been taking a toll on me. This said, I've had had a few days to get my shit together and get back on track with this. No matter what happens, I promise I won't leave you beautiful folks hanging.
I must say thank you for all your reviews and please keep them coming. I'm being completely honest when I say that seeing that notification in my email truly makes my day every time I see it.
Regards,
A.F.
