Disclaimer – Don't own Eva or Armored Core or anything in this chapter with a copy write on it, but you know that, don't you.
A/N well here s the redone 14…your probably noticing I'm not doing a whole lot, just upgrading the stats
But anyway…on we go
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Quote the Raven
Chapter 14
Ravens Ark
Shinji stood on the school roof watching as the numerous transports dropped off Ravens AC's from all over the world. Jack-O had called all of the surviving ravens to Tokyo 3 for some kind of announcement regarding a new location for the Nest.
Not a lot of details had flown the young Ravens way in the past 3 days; he had so far eluded Asuka
"Hey third child"
'Crap'
Till now…Shinji turned, there stood Asuka in her school uniform. She had a calm expression on her face, surprisingly. She walked up and stood beside of him
"What'cha doing"
He looked back up at the transports, still circling the Tokyo 3 null zone directly above HQ where the Ravens were touching down. Then riding the cargo lifts into the GeoFront itself
"Just thinking"
"About what happened the other day?"
He sighed
"Yeah, how could some one do that? Every one knew there were civilians at the nest"
'This is my chance' she thought. She placed her hand on his shoulder. He turned to look at her, her expression was soft. She wasn't smiling, but still. Shinji looked back at the circling transports; he gathered his courage and placed his hand onto hers
"Thanks Asuka"
His breath caught in his throat when she interlaced her fingers into his. She stepped forward and laid her cheek onto his shoulder, covering their hands. She took a breath and readied herself, she had to tell him now, if not, she wouldn't gather the courage again
"I've had some time to think about stuff while you were gone…I…I shouldn't have been such a bitch before…I'm sorry"
Before Shinji could even think he turned around and gathered Asuka into his arms
"You're not a bitch Asuka"
He froze a bit realizing what he did; Asuka had frozen as well seemingly from the shock that he had done that. Shinji knew he was in deep; he may as well get this over with
"…you just don't want to be hurt Asuka, no one does. I know I don't. I guess that's why I am the way I am, I just don't want to hurt people"
Asuka slowly wrapped her arms around him and buried her face into his chest
"…Shinji…"
She began to sniffle and shudder, Shinji knew what she was doing, she was crying
"…Damn it…why the hell…do I…have to cry…"
Shinji gently stroked her hair
"…sometimes, everybody needs to cry Asuka…there's nothing wrong about it, it's ok"
He laid his cheek onto the top of her head and just let the red head cry it out. Asuka slowly sank to her knees with Shinji gently guiding her down, still holding her. He just held her and let her cry to her hearts content, to just finally let everything go.
He kept reassuring her that everything would be alright, and if he could help it, he would make it so.
Hikari stood with Toji watching the scene play out from the stairway door, she with a soft smile. Happy that Asuka was finally letting go and accepting everything that had happened to her.
Though Asuka never told Hikari anything about her past, she knew it had to have been pretty bad. Now Asuka had someone she could confide in.
Toji just watched in disbelief. The demon girl could cry, who knew.
The pair left as not to ruin the moment
After a while Asuka's tears stopped, she eased back a bit and looked into Shinji's eyes, they were everything she knew they were, soft and caring. Slowly they came together, their lips gently brushing each other.
Suddenly Asuka wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed the living hell out of him. After a few seconds they parted, he smiled
"Are you going to be ok?"
She nodded and smiled a bit and laid her head back onto his chest
"I want to go home Shinji"
Shinji nodded
"We'll head back to Misato's for lunch and then just hang out…She's at work so we can just stay their until the meeting this evening alright"
She nodded
"Sure, I guess this means were dating now"
"I guess so"
"To tell the truth I've liked you for a long time. I was just to stuck up to notice"
"Asuka"
"No don't defend me this time. I was a brat Shinji, but I don't want to be anymore. You'll help me right"
He nodded
"Yeah, why wouldn't I help my girlfriend?"
Asuka smiled and chuckled a bit
"About time you grew a spine, my Baka"
Shinji helped Asuka to her feet. He froze when Asuka slipped her hand into his, they picked up their bags and headed home, he knew Misato would be pissed if she found out so he would call her when he got home.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Shinji and Asuka spent the rest of the day just sitting on the couch and talking. Eventually the pair tired and laid down for a nap, not knowing Misato was heading home early. She had been in meetings all day and hadn't had her cell phone turned on, she didn't know Asuka was with Shinji. He had set his clock for 4 pm and sat it beside of the couch so they would have time to get ready. This meeting was for all ravens and the Nerv command and primary staff, the pilots could attend should they choose
Misato walked in and was about to announce her presence when she noticed Shinji asleep on the couch…holding someone in his arms. Misato smirked
'So you have a girlfriend huh'
She creped over to the couch and looked over its arm. She gasped softly, their in Shinji's arms lay Asuka. Misato smiled and felt her eyes tear up a bit. She had been waiting for this for so long, and it finally happened. They were together. She had to call Yui to come home before they woke up…
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Fuyutsuki, Jack-o and Evangel stood in the rebuilt commander's office looking out into the Geo-Front, watching the Ravens arrive, no one said anything for a while. Until Fuyutsuki turned to Jack-o
"What will you do when an angel attacks?"
"How may are left"
Fuyutsuki looked back out into the Geo-Front
"Three, we don't know anything else"
Jack nodded
"We'll fight, this is our home now. And gods help anyone who thinks they can take it away again"
Fuyutsuki nodded
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Shinji and Asuka awoke at 10 min to 4 to the flash of a camera.
Both bolted up to see Yui and Misato standing at the door with Requiem and Rei. Yui just headed off to her room to put her camera away. Rei headed to her and her brother's room, Requiem followed her giving Shinji a pat on the shoulder on the way. Leaving the two with Misato, she smiled at the two teens
"About time you two, now get dressed it's almost time to go"
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Chairs and a podium had been set up on the floor of Eva Cage 7 for the meeting which was really just an announcement by jack. The titanic still form of Eva Unit 01 stood in the background, still locked in its bindings, never to move again.
Most of the ravens were milling about, may talking of the Eva, amazed it could even walk at its size much less fight.
Shinji stood with Requiem, Rei, Ritsuko, Misato, Yui, and surprisingly to everyone, Asuka. The later of who was arm in arm with the brown haired youth. Misato smiled seeing her young charges finally together. Yui smiled, she had missed a lot of Shinji and Rei's lives, but not seeing her children fall in love for the first time.
What really got Requiems attention was the presence of the A-2 Ranker Genobee pilot of AC Duel Face, the current A-3 ranker Agraya pilot of AC Red Star, and of the only raven that was a complete mystery to nearly everybody.
Standing in a corner, by himself, stood the only known survivor of the Human Plus experiment carried out by the corporation Murakumo Millennium, his Call Sign was Rebel 261, his name was Lantz Blades.
Several ravens had come up and spoken to them. Requiem was able to introduce some of the other ravens he knew such as Kaze, pilot of the newly built Hyperion II, Rogue Omega pilot of the Rogue Ena, Striker pilot of AC Overload, Kamion pilot of the Glaive, and Typhoon pilot of the Hurricane. She was a bit of a mystery as well; she had no real name to speak of as she couldn't remember it. She had suffered a rather nasty head injury and lost over 90 percent of her memory, she was rather cheerful. She was 5'8" with chestnut hair and green eyes, and average build, though as she walked off to talk to a few of the others Asuka realized something
"…she…she was checking me out…"
Rei looked over to her
"You could not tell"
Rei pointed across the room to where one of the surviving female operators stood talking to Typhoon…hand in hand
"They are lovers"
Requiem nodded
"Yeah, no really a secret either"
An announcement called over the inter com for everyone to sit.
The ravens then took their seats and waited as jack, and commander Fuyutsuki waked to the podium area along with a UN representative. The commander and the UN Rep took a seat as jack stepped up
"4 days ago, our home was savagely attacked by an unknown force of AI controlled MT's. Many of us, lost friends and loved ones, all of us are angered; Trust me when I say that we are hunting those responsible as we speak. As you all know the Canadian government has exiled us from the area the UN had set aside for us, leaving us nowhere to go to. For the past 2 days, myself and the remaining members of the administrative staff have been working tirelessly to find a new home for us and our families…we have found it. Far below this cavernous GeoFront, there is another cavern of similar size. We have been granted this area for our family's homes. I know some of you wont like the idea but it's the safest place on earth. Also, I along with the staff have voted to drop the name Ravens Nest, as that name will not reflect our new home…no…this will be a Ravens Ark. For more details I will turn this over to the UN's Representative"
Jack took his seat and UN Rep approached
"The UN had agreed to provide the funds to build the new Ravens Ark here in Tokyo 3. As the interior of the GeoFront is largely unused, the new garage facility and pilot dwellings will be built here, as will the Administrative facilities. Nerv HQ will remain in its current Area, occupying just below the GeoFront's surface and the few buildings there on. The cavern below Nerv HQ, which is of a similar size to the GeoFront its self, will house the Civilian District and one Arena. The rest will be added later by digging new additions onto the main cavern. A new elevator system will ferry people to and from the new civilian city, which after talks with the Ravens Administrators, ourselves and Nerv, will be called Layered, named so due to its construction. The ceiling city of Tokyo 3 will remain as is, as will all Eva related systems. I will now turn this meeting over to Jack-O"
Jack stepped back to the podium as the UN Rep, his job done, left.
"Though most buildings here in the city are empty, there wont be enough space for us all, for those who cant be housed inside the city above us the UN will be building temporary housing here in the GeoFront and Nerv will also allow some to take the unused quarters inside Nerv HQ itself. I know that may seem a bit odd, but the only thing that is actually reachable from that area is their office lounge and galley. These temporary prefabricated buildings will start arriving by tomorrow and should be done within the month. I know a few of you have children, thankfully none of whom were present during the attack. Though we didn't in the past, we will now permit you to bring them here once the temporary housing situation is dealt with. The Tokyo 3 school district had agreed to take them in and the UN has agreed to build a new school if necessary. Two levels down from here Nerv has a small garage area built. AC's needing repair will be sent there, the others will be placed here in this Eva cage, Lift 7 leads from the GeoFront to this cage and lift 10 leads from here to the repair area, once we leave here get your AC's and bring them back here. Thanks for your time ravens. We'll mail you all of the details"
With that the meeting adjourned, unsure of the situation with his, Orchid's and Zero's AC's Requiem sought out Jack to ask. He found him talking with Executioner and Evangel
"Hey jack I need to talk to you"
Jack turned to address the young raven
"What do you need Requiem?"
"Its about our AC's. Me, Zero and Orchid already have a small garage for our AC's next to Major Katsuragi's building, there's room for two more AC's so…"
"Where are you going to be staying?"
"With the Major, there's room so it shouldn't be a problem"
"Alright you 3 leave your AC's where they are. But once the GeoFront Garage is finished you have to move them"
"Understood"
"And Requiem"
"Yeah"
"You realize you have to start attending school right"
Requiem sighed
"I kind of figured I would, I know I'll be behind but will I at least be in Orchid and Zero's class"
Jack nodded
"I think I can arrange that, that would only put you a year behind"
"Ok, that's fine. Later"
Requiem headed off to catch up with Misato and the others. Life would get interesting from here on out.
A/n there you go…14…on to 15
The theme for that and the new soundtrack adds for this story
Armored Core 4 – Track 01 Overture
Armored Core 4 – Track 24 Mr. Adam
Onward to 15 – A Revelation of truth