A/N: I have to send thanks out to Joke4Joker for the help with the German bits. I can grasp some of the German Asuka says in the series but for the tidbits unique to my story I'm kind of at a loss. Danke schön, Joke4Joker.

CHAPTER 17: PRESSURE DOWN BELOW

Late one evening, Gendo Ikari found himself waiting inside a small hanger at the Tokyo-3 airstrip. A chartered Gulfstream had just arrived by Beijing, having picked up a passenger who had traveled there by rail from Russia. The doorway opened and said passenger strode down.

"Greetings, Comrade Captain," Ikari said but did not extend his hand.

"Greetings, Commander," the passenger replied. "It's a pleasure to meet my most recent employer face to face."

"The pleasure is mine, Sergei Tokarev," the commander of NERV replied with no emotion in his voice. "I understand you're still recovering?" Ikari asked noting the eye patch the Captain wore over his left eye.

"Da, the migraines have subsided," he nodded. "But, more importantly, my mind is not affected. Therefore, I am still of use to you."

"About that," Ikari said motioning to his waiting car. He continued after the car exited the hanger. "I need you to conduct an investigation into one of my personnel. He has an…interesting aura about him. He's proven his reliability in similar matters to yours."

"But you have suspicions?"

"Yes."

"Then I will see what I can do. I assume you want this under the radar, da?"

"Da."

XXXXX

Asuka was pissed. What else was new?

Their class was going off for Okinawa without them because they were on permanent stand-by. As Asuka continued to argue with Misato about the trip Shinji was doing pushups on the porch. "Seventy-six…seventy-seven…seventy-eight…seventy-nine…"

"Shinji!" Asuka yelled at him.

"Eighty-one…eighty-two…"

"Shinji, stop doing those damn pushups and get over here!" Asuka snapped. "Talk some sense into this woman."

"Eighty-five…" Shinji continued to ignore her. "Eighty-six…"
"Hey! Dumbkopf! I'm talking to you!"

"And I'm…eighty-eight…ignoring you…eighty-nine…ninety." And with that he was finished. "Come on, Asuka," he said walking back in. "Don't tell me you didn't expect this."

"You mean you've already given up?"

"I didn't give up shit," Shinji said as he headed for the bathroom. "I had only figured we'd have to stay here in case an angel attacks." He then closed the door and started to disrobe. "Doesn't take someone with a genius-level IQ to figure that out."

"Well, why are we always on defense?" Asuka asked. "A good commander knows that a good offense is better than defense. Why don't we attack them instead?"

"Excellent proposal, Field Marshall Rommel!" Shinji shouted through the door. "Just one question: where the fuck do we attack? And furthermore, just how effective can we attack with a weapon system that only operates for five minutes without external power? The EVAs were built as defensive weapons, Asuka."

"He's right, you know," Misato nodded. "Besides, Asuka, think of this as an opportunity to get ahead on your studies. Or," she held up a disk. "Did you think I didn't see your report card?"

"I guess she didn't know her grades would automatically get forwarded to your terminal at NERV," Shinji said from the bathroom. A second later, the toilet flushed.

"Ha!" Asuka laughed. "This is just stupid. Besides the old fashioned numeric grading scale the school uses is obsolete and dumb."

"When in Rome, Asuka," Misato countered. "The least you could do is to try to adjust to it. Shinji has been keeping up with his studies but you've slipped behind and I am very disappointed in you. So, you're staying here and you are going to get caught up on your work. Understood?"

"Geeeez!" Asuka squealed as Shinji started the shower. "This sucks!"

XXXXX

The next day Misato had to fly out on a Top Secret mission. While she was gone the three pilots decided to make use of the day for recreation. Since she was so hyped up about going scuba diving in Okinawa Asuka decided she was going to do it in the NERV pool instead. She just had to get some equipment first.

Shinji also decided to go diving. He had learned to scuba dive when he was twelve and so he rented some gear and decided to polish up. "I'm impressed, Shinji," Asuka said as he packed his gear in the apartment. "I never figured you'd be one for diving."

"I like the water just as much as anybody," Shinji replied. "Funny thing is I used to be afraid of the water. But, you're not the only one who's bummed about missing out on the Okinawa trip. I would kill for a chance to explore the submerged war wreckage off its coast."

"Well why didn't you say something to Misato?"

"It would've been pointless," he said. "We've already gone over this, Asuka."

But, unlike Asuka who was going to dive in the pool Shinji decided to dive in the lake that was out in the Geo-Front. He donned his plugsuit, since it made for a good wetsuit, and his gear and went for it. He brought his water-proof digital photo/video-combination camera to fully document his dive. When he was done he had spent nearly a full thirty minutes below the water.

He dried off, hung up his gear and changed back into his regular clothes. He then joined Rei who was casually swimming laps in the pool. He sat down at the table along the pool and set up his laptop. "What have you got there, Shinji?" He heard Asuka as she entered the pool area. He switched the laptop over from the secondary program he had running. He also placed his camera in his bag.

"Just going over some Pre-Second Impact History," he said as he read about George Rogers Clark.

"You're such an obedient student, Mr. Big Shot," Asuka teased.

"Hey, I like reading about history, okay?" She then stepped up to him and he looked up. "What the…?"

"Well," Asuka said. "If I can't go diving in Okinawa, I'll just have to do it here." She was wearing a very revealing red and white striped two piece and the top was secured on the front by a large zipper.

"Help yourself," Shinji replied. "I just finished up diving in the lake. Not much down there, just a couple rusted out cars, but it was better than a marble white pool."

"Whatever, I'd much rather dive some coral reefs than a pool or lake," she then bent over to look at his computer. "The Battle of Vincennes?"

"Like I said," Shinji explained. "I like reading history. Were you expecting hentai to be on there instead?"

"Perverse idiot," Asuka grumbled. "I don't even understand why I have to go to school. I mean I already graduated college last year."
"You went to college?" Shinji asked. "I'm impressed. What's your degree?"

"Physics. I just love it. It's so simple. For example take Thermal Expansion: most things expand as they get hotter…"

"And they shrink when they get cold," Shinji nodded. "Yeah I know it too."

"Is that so? Well then," she turned to the side. "Answer me this: if I were to warm up my breasts with my hands do you think they'd get bigger, or smaller?"

"You know," Shinji said rolling his eyes. "For someone who complains about everyone around her being perverts your brain sure spends a lot of time in the gutter. Besides, if you went to college how come your grades suck? Let me guess. You can't read the kanji?" Asuka shook her head.

"No. I never had to learn it."

"Figures," Shinji shook his head turning back to his computer.

"Pheh," Asuka spat before leaving. Shinji just shook his head and turned back to his computer. He heard water splash behind him and he turned to see Rei getting out of the pool.

Asuka noticed his glance as well. Rei was drying her hair and Shinji was still looking over in her direction. On one hand she thought it was disgusting but on the other she didn't like it when attention wasn't on her. "Hey, Shinji!" She called his attention over to her. "Lookie! Lookie!" She then positioned herself on the edge of the pool. "Back roll entry!" She then went over the side. And when she came back up she was screaming "AAAHHH!" And she was rubbing her eyes too since they were burning from the chlorine.

"Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!" Shinji couldn't help but fall out of his chair. "Looks like Miss Physics Major forgot to don her goggles! Ha! Ha! Ha!"

XXXXX

"What the hell?" Shinji asked when he saw the screen shot. "Is that an angel?" The three pilots had been called in early the next day and were now being briefed on the discovery of an angel that was still in its larvae form deep in the magma of Mount Asama.

"That's correct, Shinji," Ritsuko nodded.

"How the hell can anything other than extremophile bacteria be alive in there?"

"It's AT field keeps it shrouded in a cocoon like envelope," Ritsuko explained. "We believe it's still in a form of larvae state. Now our primary mission is to capture the angel alive for further study. Examination of a live sample will further our knowledge of the angels and may even allow us to develop more effective counter-measures."

"And what if we fail to capture it?" Asuka asked. Her eyes were still red from their chlorine bath earlier that day.

"Then you'll destroy it immediately."

"But how are we going to capture this thing?" Shinji asked. "It's buried beneath nearly a kilometer and a half of liquid hot magma."

"An EVA unit equipped with D-Type equipment will be lowered into the volcano and down to the angel. There it will engage an electromagnetic field and capture the angel at which point both will be brought to the surface."

'Lowered into the volcano?' Shinji's mind instantly flashed to his first encounter with the Fifth Angel. 'Fuck me…'

"The designated pilot for this mission will be…"

"Oh! Oh!" Asuka jumped at the opportunity. "Pick me! I love to go diving!"

"Asuka," Ritsuko spoke up. "You're Unit-02 will be making the dive. Unit-01 will deploy at the volcano rim as backup. Unit-00 will remain here on standby." Inwardly, Shinji relaxed.

"The reason for this is that Unit-00 isn't configured for the Type-D equipment," Maya explained further. "And while Unit-01 can be retrofitted Unit-02 was designed specifically to use all types of equipment."

"Aw," Asuka said looking over at Rei. "Poor little, Rei. She doesn't get to have any fun." Rei said nothing she just looked over at Shinji who just stood there with his arms crossed looking down at the floor. And though his face was blank, she knew what he was thinking about.

He could still recall what it felt like to have boiling liquid filling your lungs. He also remembered what it felt like to feel parts of his plug suit melting onto his skin. And all of that was in a flash boil, too. Just the thought of plunging into a pool of hot lava, even with a protective suit, was enough to humble even him. His first encounter with the Fifth Angel was still a very sobering memory.

-Flashback-

"GAAAAAAHHHH!" Shinji's screams of utter pain echoed through the bridge and caused everyone's spine to rattle. He was literally being boiled alive. "AAAAAAAHHHHH!"

-End Flashback-

Later, as Shinji was waiting in the EVA hanger, he was interested in seeing Asuka's reaction to Unit-02. To Shinji it looked like the Stay-Puffed Marshmallow Man's retarded cousin. 'Asuka is going to freak when she…'

"NO!" He almost lost it when she shrieked at the sight. "No way! How could you!" Shinji started giggling when she stepped into the hanger. She looked like a walking Gobstopper with a bad attitude.

"This Exosuit was designed for use with the EVAs in extreme environment conditions, not high fashion," Ritsuko reminded the German pilot.

"Is that…my Unit-02?" Asuka whimpered. "The poor thing…Forget it!" Asuka snapped around defiantly. "I won't do it! I'm not appearing in public in this stupid thing! This is the sort of thing you have Shinji for!"

"Hey!" Shinji snapped.

"Or better yet, Wondergirl!"

"You volunteered for this shit," Shinji replied. "Besides, both me and Rei have been cooked once already. I think it's your turn in the hot seat now."

"Humph," Asuka grunted, holding her nose up high. That's when Shinji spotted someone on the catwalks.

'Oh, this will be good,' he smiled to himself.

"I'm so disappointed," Kaji said announcing his presence in an 'oh so smooth' tone. Asuka whipped around with an extremely horrified look on her face. "I was looking forward to seeing you in action!" Shinji could tell Kaji had a big shit eating grin on his face.

"Nein, dass kann doch nicht war sein!" Asuka screamed as she darted back into the hallway out of sight. "Dr. Akagi! I just can't let Kaji see me in this awful looking thing!" Shinji was doubling over in giggle fits at the circus before him.

"Are we having problems down there?" Maya asked over the P.A.

"Oh, no, Maya," Shinji smiled. "This is actually very entertaining!"
"Shut up, scheistkopf!" Asuka snapped at him from the hallway.

"Excuse me," Rei held her hand up. "I will go in Unit-02." And just like that Asuka was back out of the hall and smacked Rei's hand down.

"Oh, no you don't!" She snapped at the other girl. "The only way you're using my Unit-02 is over my dead body! I'd rather do it than let her take my place!" Asuka turned around defiantly. Shinji looked over at Rei who gave him the slightest of smiles. He smiled back and nodded approvingly.

'Way to go, Rei,' he chuckled to himself.

Asuka then walked up to her EVA and gave it a sad look. "I'm sorry but they made me do it."

XXXXX

As Shinji and Asuka were being flown out to Mount Asama Kaji was elsewhere, but still in the area. "An A-17 has been ordered," his Japanese government contact said. "This will include a freeze of all assets."

"So that means that some people will be in trouble. Doesn't it?" Kaji replied as they rode the cable car across the landscape.

"Why didn't you try and stop them?"

"And just how could I do that? This was an official order, you know. Besides…"

"Besides, what? If NERV fails the entire world will perish."

"Not even they are that arrogant," Kaji said reassuringly. "On another note, my man, 'Ronin', has found something interesting at NERV HQ."

"Who is this 'Ronin' contact of yours?" The contact asked. "And how does he come by this information."

"Need to know, my friend. And all you need to know is that I trust him." And with that his contact reluctantly accepted that fact.

"What has he found?"

"He's not sure. But he says it's worth checking out. Could be a back door to Gendo Ikari's skeleton collection."

Up on the volcano itself Shinji spotted a flight of Mitsubishi F-2 fighters. "Ritsuko," he called out. "What are those fighters here for?"

"The UN and JASDF are on stand-by," she replied.

"Until this mission is over at least," Maya added.

"Are they here to help us?" Asuka asked happily.

'I doubt it,' Shinji said to himself.

"No," Ritsuko replied. "They're just here to clean up the mess…in case we fail."

"How thoughtful of them," Shinji added. "Define: 'clean up'."

"They'll use N2 depth charges to destroy the angel along with us."

"Dass kann doch nicht sein!"Asuka shrieked.

"What kind of bastard would order something like that?" Shinji asked as well. Then it hit him. "Wait…"

"Commander Ikari," was the doctor's reply.

"I should've known."

"No offense, Shinji," Asuka said to him on a pop up. "But your dad's an arschloch."

"You can say that again."