Chapter 2: Tests and Surprises

Disclaimer: Once again, I DO NOT own NGE, Gainax does, I do own all original characters though.

Nerv Headquarters

After breakfast at the apartment, the inhabitants left in order to head to Nerv for syncro tests. Currently, Asuka, Shinji, and Rei are in their respective test plugs undergoing syncro testing.

In the command room, the bridge crew is going about their respective tasks to ensure the survival of the human race.

Makoto noticed that Misato seemed a bit dazed and decided to inquire about it, "Hey Misato, are you okay? You seem tired"

"Yeah, I've had some busy nights" Misato replied in an evasive voice.

Ritsuko, the faux blond doctor, spoke quickly, "Kaji keeping you up late?"

"SHUT UP" Misato yelled back as the rest of the crew were laughing

Flushing, she attempted to change the direction of the current conversation by asking about the pilots.

"Hey, how are Shinji's scores?"

Maya pointed to the screen while replying, "Take a look for yourself"

Misato was surprised at scores she saw, Wow, I hadn't realized that Shinji was improving so much. I hope this gives him some more confidence.

"Hey Rits-chan, open a channel to the pilots, okay?"

"Hey, Shinji-kun"

In the plug, Shinji lifted his head as though coming from a deep sleep and looked up eagerly at the communications screen.

"Misato-san, how are my scores?"

With a big grin, Misato gave him a thumb's up and said, "Very good Shinji, you are number one in scores."

At this, Shinji's face lit up with joy and pride, something that is rarely seen by anyone.

I can't believe it, I'm the best, number one

At the same time Asuka was fuming in her plug at the news.

Later, in the locker room, we find Asuka in her plug suit yelling out her frustrations at being beaten by Shinji, "I can't believe it, I lost. It's really ticking me off at how easily he beat me"

She then to make increasingly sarcastic remarks about Shinji in a faux cheery tone,

"Oh wow, look it's the great Shinji Ikari, the best pilot of us all. No need to worry, Shinji will save us all from the Angels and protect all of humanity. It's the Invincible Shinji who's come to save us all!"

While Asuka was ranting, Rei had changed and was leaving.

"Good-bye, Pilot Sohryu" she said in her quiet voice, and closed the door behind her

When she left, Asuka punched the door to her locker, heedless of the pain it caused.

I can't believe it; I LOST, me, the great Asuka Langley Sohryu. I can't lose, I won't lose, and I'll show them that I am the best. Even that baka, Shinji.

With that thought, she finished changing and left the locker room in an angry huff, unaware of the other presence in the room. That presence was another person in a black hooded trench coat, standing in the locker room unregistered on any of Nerv's hi-tech security systems. The person then pulled out a cell phone and pressed some buttons.

"Hey", the person called in a raspy voice of someone who can't breathe that well, "the Second just left, and she doesn't seem all that happy"

Nodding at whatever the person on the other end was saying, he replied, "Can't we do it now? There's a surprisingly low amount of security here. Uh-huh … yeah … oh … alright"

As he was about to hang up, he heard something that he couldn't believe, "WHAT, DURING the attack! Are you sure? Oh…Right…Sure…Fine, I'll be ready." with that he hung up and with a slight fit of coughing.

"Oh well, you can't have everything. Though I'm sure most of the other's won't like this plan either; we'll just make do."

One last cough and the shrouded man faded from sight.

Later

Riding a bus because Misato had to work late at Nerv, Shinji was smiling broadly. His head was still reeling from the news that he'd received earlier that day after the syncro tests.

I still can't believe it, I'm the best

He couldn't stop the smile on his face as his euphoria from earlier still flowed through him and his confidence swelled.

"Be careful, overconfidence will lead to your downfall if you let it affect your judgment, Ikari"

Shinji looked up in surprise and looked to his right at the person who spoke. Next to him sat a man, shrouded in a hooded black coat, who had not been there before.

He asked in a scared voice, "Um, w-w-who are y-you?"

Turning to the scared boy, the man replied in a neutral voice, "My name is of no importance at this moment, but you should know that I wish to be of assistance to the pilots who work for a false cause."

Shinji didn't find much comfort in this, partly from the fact that he couldn't see the speaker's face andpartly from the factthat the person appeared to be talking nonsense.

Who is this person, and what is he talking about?, he thought

"The next Angel comes tomorrow, but instead of just the three of you, some of my associates will be there as well"

Surprised, Shinji was about to ask what he meant when he was distracted by the bus driver calling out the next stop. When he looked back, he was again shocked, this time by the fact that the person he was talking to had disappeared.

What was that all about?, he thought

Chapter 2 is all wrapped up. Please send in reviews.