A/N: Wow, thanks for all of those reviews. I greatly love what you guys think and yes I know many of my mistakes lol. I think I'll stick with the third person for now. Ok. So this story is far from the ending as such I still have a lot of plot to go through. But hey I still really don't know if anyone is enjoying the fic. I guess some are if they are still reviewing right? Anyway this chapter took a while because i remember someone saying the last was too short which by the way was 3000+ words lol. So here you go. Keep your thoughts coming!

The Chase Begins

Snow fell silently. The trees stirred. And in the open a pair of teens sat huddled close to one another. However. This time of solace will end. A chase would begin and it will all begin with a bang... literally.

A shot rang out.

The two teens look in fear, both wide eyed, both sharing the same sense of dread as they both realized that single shot had come from the direction of the wooden home they had recently taken residence. They quickly got to their feet kicking snow into the air and sprinted full force through the trees. The female led the way as she skillfully maneuvered through the vast numbers of trees and jumped over several small streams. She occasionally glanced over her shoulder to see the boy at her heel not relenting on his pursuit. The two of them appeared moments later, out of breath, on a hill overlooking the wooden home.

Several men, soldiers maybe, stood aiming at the home. The boy was petrified but the girl merely treaded downward towards the home, her seemingly strong will not caring of the consequences of being found. The boy followed suit but fear treaded the same ground with him and he couldn't shake it off.

Then the gunfire began as it was now being directed at the two teenagers. Asuka and Shinji planted their backs against two nearby trees and waited out the onslaught. The heat of the bullets still evident despite the cold. The soldiers closed in.

"How many of them are there?" Asuka whispered. The boy looked swiftly to the sky and then back at her before replying, "I think I saw five of them."

She took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Leaning over she tilted her head to get a better view but that would prove to be extremely fatal... a feeling of dejavu washed over her heart.

A bang erupted, wooden shards from the tree trunk blasted off and Asuka who was hidden behind it fell to the ground like a puppet with severed strings. The boy watched this unfold and a moment later his mind could not by any means calculate the extent of what had just happened. All that could be seen was the shaking of his head and the heavy rise and fall of his chest. He hadn't realized it but he was suffering another anxiety attack.

Asuka felt herself fall and land squarely on her back. Her own breathing became shallow and but erratic. The right side of her face felt numb but it was the giant pressure she felt that made her head spin. Her ears were ringing but she could hear the faint beating of her heart and with every beat it felt as if more and more pressure was being pushed into her skull.

She tried to sit up but her good eye looked up and caught sight of a man. His face was hidden behind a black mask and his eyes were two orbs of red. The man pointed the barrel of a rifle only inches from her head.

Shinji knocked the man out of the way forcing him to pull the trigger prematurely. Asuka shrieked in pain as the misguided bullet became lodged into her arm. The man fell backward, his rifle falling beside him. Without thinking the boy took the rifle and retreated back to Asuka who was writhing painfully on the ground, dirty leaves sticking to her face.

"Asuka!"

He got behind her and pulled her onto his lap. Armed men appeared, their movements slow like a predator stalking its prey. They held up their guns but did not fire, only waited and surrounded. Shinji shivered and trembled as he held up the man's rifle in his hands with Asuka on his lap. She was now crying but he couldn't hear her. His attention was focused on the four men that surrounded him with silent stares.

"Sniper!" One of the men yelled in a robot like tone. Two of the armed men fell to the ground after two shots trembled the earth. The remaining two men turned in rapid fashion to identify the source of the fire but another pair of shots rang out and they too succumbed to death. Shinji looked up and there standing at the side of the house, her front side completely bathed in blood was Nana, she held a stainless steel rifle and judging by its length it could have indeed been a sniper rifle. She waddled towards him, she must have broken her foot, she used the rifle as a crutch but once she reached the man Shinji had knocked down she lifted herself off her makeshift crutch and shot him.

"N-Nana?" Shinji breathed. She nodded but her once cheerful face was now one of seriousness. Her entire night gown was bloody and her face was cut in several places. She took one look at the teens and shook her head slowly. She then walked over to a pile of leaves that were stacked a decent height.

"Come over here boy." she said harsh, her voice coarse.

"B—but what about Asuka?" he answered back. She took a glance at him.

"She's going to be alright, I've seen worse."

She swiped the air and the leaves dispersed revealing an old 1970's motorcycle. Shinji looked at it and then at the old woman who was breathing very heavily, so much that he could hear it.

"Get out of here and don't come back. You can't wait for my granddaughter to get you. More of them are coming." said the old woman. Shinji looked back towards Asuka who was breathing rapidly. He knew she was going into shock. Nana lifted her bloody sleeve and exposed an elastic band around her arm that stored several syringes. She undid the band and handed it to Shinji.

"Give her one of these and put her on the bike." she said. Shinji did so, he took Asuka in his arms and gently placed her on the seat and made her leaned her over the handles. She seemed to be relaxed after he had given her the drug. Shinji looked back and saw Nana sitting on the ground. The old woman had endured much and she was very last leg.

"Do you know how to ride one of those?" she asked him, panting. He told her no and she merely sighed.

"Thought you wouldn't." she breathed. She lifted her gown halfway up her leg exposing a strapped SMG weapon from her leg. Shinji's eyes widened. She took the SMG and handed it to Shinji, a black strap dangling from its hinges.

"Take it, you'll need it." she said. Shinji took it and looked at it, "Who are you?"

The old woman smiled.

"US Army Infantry. Served the The United States of America for thirty years. I am a solider, honey. I fought in World War 1 and 2. I fought in Vietnam. I fought in the Persian Gulf War and the Iraqi War. I fought in the wars after Second Impact. But never mind that. Just listen to me carefully. It's not that hard to drive her. The right handle is the throttle and the bar above it is the brake. Just wing it, boy. Just wing it and that's all you have to do. I made some modifications to her in 2009 during the world's energy crisis. That engine is 95 percent efficient and the gas tank will last you for a week if you take care of her. Now... go. Get to wherever you need to go."

Shinji stared as the woman spoke. His eyes traveled from the SMG to the old woman as she sat with her sniper across her lap. He then took the elastic band with the remaining syringes. He knelt down beside her and held up the syringes and asked, "What are these?"

The old woman chuckled.

"You'll know in due time. It's not mine to tell you what is it but I wager you have encountered it before. Just know that these things can and will save your life. These are the elixirs of life and they have what been keeping me alive for so long. They can heal any of your wounds and extend your life. Just keep them save and use them sparingly. I lived for so long. Now you need them. My time is done here."

"Wait, how did you fight in those wars? I read that women didn't fight in those early wars." Shinji asked.

"I had my ways, boy. Now go."

The teen boy turned to the bike where Asuka's body was sprawled over the bikes handle bars. He was walking on thin ground. He slid the SMG's strap over her shoulder and sat on the bike. He looked over to his right and he saw Nana standing beside him. She tore a piece of her long night gown off and bent over the side of the bike. She tied it around Shinji like a sling but instead of placing an arm in it she leaned Asuka's upper body into the linen crease.

"It will take several hours before the contents of the syringe courses through her. Until then take her far away and take care of her." Nana whispered. Shinji only nodded. The old woman took a deep breath and kissed his forehead, she then kissed Asuka's forehead and said to him, "I wish you were my children. Take good care of each other. Remember, this is your story. You began the book when you were born. The story won't end until you make it. Take care of this world and when the day comes and you have children of your own bring them to my grave... so I may not be forgotten."

The words touched Shinji in a way he felt a tense feeling of sorrow. He was saying goodbye to someone who acted like his mother even if only it were a day and a half. He was going to miss her. He quickly turned to her and kissed her cheek.

"I'll miss you." he said.

"Trust me, you and I both. Now go. Follow the road. When you get a few hundred miles from here you will find a fork in the road. The right heads north into Canada. The south heads towards Pennsylvania state. Find the path you need and follow it. Go on. Get of out here." said Nana. He nodded but he didn't know how to turn on the bike. Nana noticed this and quickly slammed her foot into a switch on the side making the bike's engine roar to life. He took a quick of note that. He twisted back on the right handle and the bike jumped forward in a quick jerk. He smiled innocently.

"You'll be fine. Just take it easy on the engine." she said, "I trust you'll be fine."

Shinji slowly backed up and pushed forward on the handle slightly. The bike roared and it swiftly made its way to the road in front of the house. Shinji sighed. He could do this. He turned the bike in the opposite direction in which he came yesterday, he could tell a long journey was ahead.

The sound of bullets firing echoed. Shinji glanced behind him as so did Nana. Several black jeeps came roaring towards them, all of them wielding gunners in each window.

"Go! Go now!" yelled Nana.

"I won't forget you." he says to her. She looks at him and smiles.

"Think of me when you can."

He nods and slowly shifts forward on the handle, the bike jerks forward once but then begins to steadily take off. As the bike picks up speed he takes a quick glance behind him. Nana stands in the middle of road. Her sniper rifle cocked and ready to go.

"Come on, my friend." she whispers to her rifle, "There's still fight in the old bird. Just lend me your strength one last time."

She gets to one knee and steadies her rifle to her shoulder. She adjusts the sights. The black jeeps raced at her. One, two, three, four she counts. Four black jeeps. She takes aim. The driver visible through the front window.

"I'm on my way, Artemis. Your wife is on her way."

The men on the truck begin to fire at her.

Bullets soar passed her fragile frame but she doesn't shoot back... not yet.

Wait... she thought, just wait.

Her left shoulder goes numb as she feels a searing piece of metal puncture it. She regains her composure and steadies her rifle once again.

Wait, she thinks, have patience.

Two more bullets find their way through her abdomen and she doubles over in pain, blood falling from her aged lips. She uses the muzzle of her rifle to halt her falling and she picks herself up. In deep agony she lifts the rifle to her shoulder again.

Just... wait.

The driver of the first jeep pokes his head out with a pistol in hand. His head in plain view.

Right there...

She pulls the trigger.

A scream is heard.

The first black jeep swerves sideways and tumbles.

The rest of the convey collides with it.

A steady stream of explosions begin to rock the Earth.

Nana drops her rifle as the fire engulfed vans begin to slide at her, its fiery wrath was her ticket to the other side.

She smiles...

Shinji at first couldn't hear the explosions. The purr of the bike was loud enough to overcome that. The street ahead was long and so there was nothing in the distance but trees and sky. He takes a quick glance over his shoulder and the only thing visible now was a cloud of black smoke. He looked back in front, he didn't want to think of it.

He peered down at Asuka, her injury was gruesome to look at but by looking at her chest which was rising and falling steadily he knew she was... alright... for the time being. At this point he felt he could go a little bit faster. He pushed the handle forward and the bike raced on. As long as he kept it going straight and made some slight directional changes here and there he would be alright.

He drove for another hour.

The weather changed drastically as the sun began to beat down on his back. He also noticed the trees became scarce but the ground changed from rocky soil to a slab of white. The road now only visible by the slight hue change from its surroundings. The sky was open and in the distance he noticed a lake and some mountains but no where did he see the fork in the road, just vastness. He continued on until he spotted a band of people on the side of the road. He relented his grip on the handle and he slowed to a stop before them.

He asked them his location and he was surprised he was close to the Canadian border. They also informed him that there was a refuge camp if he continued to follow the road north. As a sign of good faith several women offered him food which they placed in a leather pouch. He happily thanked them as he slung the bag over his shoulder where the SMG hung. Right before he took off they merrily wished him a safe trip. For some reason he had a sense of dejavu.

It was another hour before Asuka woke. Her cringing almost caused Shinji to lose control of the bike. They soon stopped in a secluded area underneath an old concrete bridge.

"How long was I out?" she whispered, her throat dry. Shinji was ripping the strip of linen Nana had used for Asuka's supportive sling as a bandage.

"About nearly two hours. I know this may sound stupid but I'm going to assume you can't see out of that eye?" he asked.

Her left eye looked at him crossly.

"Sorry I asked." he stated. He stood and went over to the lake which was only feet away. For some reason the air was hot but the wind was cold. Being under the bridge served them for shade as the sun took no mercy on their tired backs.

He dipped the linen into the water and came back to her. She was leaning against the wall, her right arm hung lifelessly on her side and the right side of her face was covered in dried blood especially around where her eye was...or used to be.

He knelt down beside her and began to wipe away the dry blood.

She cringes.

As he cleans her up he finds several gashes and deep bruising but he's relieved it's no longer bleeding.

"Alright, Asuka, don't get mad at me but I'm going to try and open your eyelid." he says. The girl glares at him and says, "Why the hell for?"

"Don't you want to know if you still have an eye?" he asks, his tone flat. She looks down with her good eye and nods subtly. He gets closer to her and gently places his index and middle finger on the upper and lower eyelids respectively.

He slowly pulls at them.

Asuka cringes and breathes in through her teeth making a wispy sound.

"Can you see?" he asks.

"A little." she remarks. He lets go and her eyelids close again.

"I have to wait for the bruising to go down to really see what's up but other than that you'll live." he says. He takes the damp linen and wraps it around her head and over her eye.

"That hurts." she whispers to him. The linen was quite coarse so he looks at the sweater he just pried from his chest and rips the edge of it. It was much softer than the linen to his surprise. He folds the piece of the sweater in a square and slides it under the linen and over her eye.

"Better?" he asks her.

"A little." she responds.

He then tends to her arm but then the question pops up, "Do you know if the bullet went through?"

She looks at him and says, "No, I can feel it."

"Where?"

"It's not that deep. I can feel it under the skin." she says.

"Alright, you trust me right?"

"Do I have a choice?"

That wasn't the answer he was looking for. He took the second strip that he created and went to the lake to dampen it. When he returned he wrapped it around his finger and lifted the sleeve of Asuka's shirt.

It more like a gash than a hole. He slowly slid his finger into the wound. She let out a gasp of pain.

"Up or down?" he asks.

"Down, towards the joint." she gasps. He searches for the culprit and soon after the tip of his finger hit something completely solid and slightly rigid.

"I'm going to pull it out." he says.

"Do you know what you're doing?" she says to him panting.

"Absolutely not but it's better than risking infection."

"Just do it, Third."

That remark took him back. He had not expected it. In retaliation he gripped the foreign metal from her arm and pried it loose causing her to shout an explicative into the air and nailing a punch across his face.

"Dammit!" she screamed. She took the damp linen he had from his finger and wrapped it around her arm and fastened it. She forced herself to stand and with that she went over to the water. Shinji stared crossly at the red head and rubbed his neck. He wasn't sorry he did it. He had a right to be mad. He didn't like to be called by rank. He was called it enough and he thought the progress they made was enough to relinquish the habit but apparently he was wrong.

He watched her splash water onto her face and then look over her shoulder.

"Shinji. Where are we going?" she asked, her voice demanding. Shinji didn't answer. He merely slung his gun and bag of food on his shoulder. Hopefully this would be enough to scare her. From the corner of Asuka's eye she could see the boy taking the items and heading over to the motorbike. The girl quickly got to her feet and said, "Where the hell are you going?"

"Away from you?" he answered flatly.

"What are you talking about? We are in this together!" she exclaimed.

"Relax, I was only kidding."

"What?"

"I was only kidding," he said, even though he really wanted to show her how annoyed he was by what she called him, " I'm just putting the things on the bike. We can't stay here. We have to find Misato."

"How are we going to do that?" she asked.

"I think they're headed to Nevada. Isn't there a secret Nerv base there?"

"What? I don't think so. Didn't it get destroyed by that S2 bomb?" she said.

"Maybe but right now that's are only lead. There's people out there to kill us. We need to get our hands on our Eva's and the closest thing to them is a Nerv base."

"Why not go to that base in Mass-a-chu-settes? I know there's a base there." she said. Shinji thought for a minute before saying to her, "There's two things wrong with that. One we would have to backtrack and most likely be might run into either Rose or Seele. And two I think the one in Mass-a-chu-settes would be head to toe with authorities. I think if we go to Nevada there might be people willing to help us. And you know how this world works, a lot of things don't appear to be what it seems. I say we give it a shot and hope Misato is on her way there."

"I guess you're right. But I'm driving this bike."

"Actually that's a good idea, I'm beginning to have a heart attack every time I turn this thing on. Can you see?"

"I can see well enough. I'm surprised I don't feel a lot of pain."

Shinji looks in his bag where the band full of syringes were placed.

"Yeah, you can say that again."

A.N: So this is the start of a much larger story but let me tell you the ending is incredible i promise. Also don't think I'm diverging from the story of the very first chapter because that is not the case. The first chapter will play a significant role in towards the ending. Anyway hope you enjoyed this newest installment. Next chapter is another relationship chapter mixed with plot elements. Look for it soon. Later.

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