OK, OK... looks like I have to do it like this... This IS NOT a complete chapter, maybe even 1/3... but then again, something is better than nothing... as for the first chapter... I want to thank everyone who didn't spare their time on reading my story... 4 reviews, 3 story alerts and 2 favorite stories... not that bad, ne?
SolidJJ, I myself wish that i had more time... but I'm university student... so, if I can write - I will, if not - sorry... as for S/R - nothing serious... Asuka is everywhere ^_^
Incognoto girl, what type of formatting do you want? I think, re-editing won't take much time... and having one more reader is always good.
Venomancer and Paladin13, thanks!
~~~***~~~
disclaimer and everything else are the same as they were in chapter one... so... here we go, chapter 2, part 1.
and... WARNING! heavy sarcasm in chapter title...
Angels help
chapter 2: Perfect union
part 1.
"Shinji, you should go home." Ayanami Rei was standing beside the door of hospital room, where Asuka was put after the battle with fifteenth Angel. Second child was sleeping. For two days since that battle already. And all the time Shinji was there, sitting beside Asuka's bed.
"No. I have to be there."
"But you need better rest, than sleeping on the chair."
"And what if Asuka wakes up and needs my help? I have to be there."
"Why do you do this for her?" Shinji shifted on his chair before answering question.
"Asuka is my roommate, my comrade pilot and my friend. And friends should be there for each other."
"Hmm... I see..." Rei opened the door and stepped outside. There she stopped and turned back to Third Child. "And if it was not Soryu, but me, who was attacked by Angel, would you do the same?" Rei raised her eyebrow in question. This question caught Shinji off guard and he couldn't manage to answer for couple of seconds.
"...Yes, if Asuka wouldn't kill me for making her eat Misato-san's cooking..." He laughed bitterly. Rei silently stood in the doorway for some time. Then, without a word, she left. Shinji... Shinji was still sitting in the same chair beside Asuka's bed...
***
It was dark outside, when Asuka woke up. She could tell it without opening her eyes... She was still very tired, although she knew she'd slept for quiet a long time... Maybe a couple of days even...
Finally she decided to open her eyes. Indeed, it was night there, in Tokio-3. Asuka looked to the left and saw a very familiar boy sleeping half seated in the chair with his head on his arms, which were on the edge of hospital bed, but still close to her.
'Baka-Shinji?! Why is he there? And... why do I feel good because of that?' Asked redhead to herself.
'For the second... I already told you why...' Arael said inside Asuka's mind.
'And I already told you, Angel-girl, that I DO NOT LOVE HIM!!!'
'But you do... Anyway... As for the first one... Isn't it obvious? He cares for you... And I am Arael!'
'Hmm...' Asuka reached for Shinji's hand and took it into hers. It was surprisingly warm for a bit cold hospital room. And it sent some warm feeling through her entire body.
'Physical contact?' Arael broke the silence inside Asuka's mind.
'A bit...' Asuka put Shunji's hand over her heart with both her hands on the top of it. '...But nevertheless it feels good...' Redhead closed her eyes, giving herself up to the warmth spreading through her body.
'Yes, that really is incredible!' Asuka's eyes immediately shot open and Arael haven't missed that.
'What? I'm second soul in your body now. And i can sense everything that you sense... OK I'll leave you to yourself now...'
'...No, you ...don't have to. As you're saying... We are together now, aren't we?'
'Thanks.' Silence... After a couple of minutes, lulled by the warmth of Shinji's hand over her heart, Asuka drifted back to sleep...
Asuka woke up in the early morning. With something warm encircled by her arms under her body. And 'it' was straight between her breasts... Simple look to the right told Asuka, that that something was Shinji's arm... And Second Child reacted in the only way she knew...
"PERVERT!!!" Shinji got very hard hit on his head and fell to the floor. Now out cold. Not a second passed, before Asuka found herself on already familiar invisible platform, floating high above the Earth. Arael stood in front of her. But this time Angel looked angry.
'Why Have You Done That?!' Asuka's left cheek flashed with pain. Girl tried to counterattack, but found herself in Arael's clinch in no time.
'But...'
'What 'but'?! Weren't that you, who was shifting in the bed this night? And weren't that you, who put his hand on your chest?' Asuka dumbly nodded. 'Then why the hell you think that this was his mistake?!'
'But...'
'No 'buts'!!! Listen here, Lilim, if you want to be with him, you should stop acting this way!
Understood?' Arael was really angry...
'But I want to be...' started Asuka, but second slap shut her mouth.
'Kaji? Hell no!!! I've already shown you, that THIS boy is yours love! And you seemed to be OK with that! Than why are you pushing him away with your attitude?!'
'Rrrr' Suddenly Second Child found out that she had nothing to say against those words... Arael understood this instantly and counted this as her victory on the subject.
'You should be much more kind with him. OK?' with this hospital room reappeared in front of Asuka's eyes...
'Damn you, Angel-girl!' Instantly image of Arael putting out her tongue flashed through redhead's mind. 'Damn you!!!' Asuka was lying motionless for a minute, before the door opened, revealing doctor Ritsuko Akagi. Woman looked inside and noticed, that Second Child was now conscious.
"Asuka-kun, you finally awake. Good..." Then doctor noticed unconscious Shinji lying on the floor with big bump on his forehead "And it looks like you are back to norm. How do you feel?"
"Like my brain was raped at least dozen times. And my feeling and emotions are still tangled..."
'Was that really that bad?' Asked Arael inside Asuka's mind.
'As if you don't know, miss I-will-fuck-your-brain!'
'Sorry... I didn't...'
'Shut up!' "And I overslept for at least a day... Maybe that's why I have little giddiness... But other than these, I think, I'm OK."
"Good. Than I think we'll have a physical for you now and if it shows no problem, you can check out of here and go home... But first of all we should wake up this sleeping beauty." Ritsuko pointed to still out cold Shinji.
"So, Asuka-kun, your psychical health is much better than expected after such an attack on your mind and your body seems to be in perfect health. You have weak radiation in blue pattern, but it should be remaining from the battle, so neither of us have to worry about it now." Doctor Akagi moved to her table and took syringe from the upper box. "But still I've to take blood sample from you. If it is OK, than you're free to go." With a trained hand Ritsuko took said sample from the girl and put it into machine for tests. After a minute results were ready and doctor Akagi scanned trough them. "Looks like you are the same Asuka we knew, so you are free for now. But i want you to come for another physical in two weeks, OK?"
"Hai."
"Good. Take care of yourself."
"Thanks, Akagi-shouza." Second Child stood up and left the room. 'Looks like we are lucky, Angel-girl...'
"So, how're you, Asuka?" That was Shinji.
'...Not THAT lucky...' redhead ignored Arael. "Fine. I think I'll go home NOW."
"Are you sure?" Asuka looked down and found that the only thing she was wearing at the moment was hospital gown. Her normal clothes should be sent home after the battle and plugsuit was not an option... "I can..."
"IDIOT!!!" Asuka ones again hit Shinji on his head. "I will never let you into my wardrobe, pervert! I'm calling Misato!" And for the second time today Asuka found herself in front of angry Angel...
'Didn't you understand what I said?!' Arael tried to slap Asuka, but this time Second Child managed to dodge attack. First attack. Almost at the same moment with first, there was second strike from the Angel. And this strike reached its target, sending a shot of pain through Asuka's right cheek.
'This time he isn't out cold...' To this Arael took redhead by her collar and slammed girl to the invisible platform under her feet.
'That is not what I meant!!!'
'OK, OK...'
'You must apologize. And if you will not do that, I will. Understood?!' Asuka nodded. 'Good...' With that said real world returned to Second Child... Bringing worried Shinji with it.
"Are you OK Asuka? You spaced out..." Asked said boy nervously.
"Of course I'm OK, baka!"
'You already forgot, Lilim?!'
'No!' Asuka stepped forward, so now her mouth was in a few inches from boy's ear. "Did i hit you hard?" Shinji's eyes widened in shock, and the only thing he could do at the moment was nodding.
"Suma."
When Third Child recovered from the shock of apologetic Asuka, she was already gone...
***
"Can I have one more plate?" Asuka swallowed lasts of her dinner and pleadingly looked at Shinji. Boy immediately raised his surprised gaze at her.
"Asuka-kun, are you OK? This will be yours third helping!"
"Ja, I'm as good as ever. Just very hungry. You know, i ate nothing since before last battle."
"As you say..." Shinji took her plate and went to get her helping when flat door opened and Misato revealed herself with loud 'Tadaima (i'm home)'
"Okaeri nasai (welcome home)!" Both children replied in sync.
"Good that you are both there. Commander just told me that tomorrow both of you will have sync. test."
"Hai" Replied Third Child, giving Asuka her forth portion.
"And why commander wants me? I just checked out from hospital today! Isn't it too early for piloting tests?"
"I think, they want to know how latest encounter with Angel affected your piloting abilities..." Misato reached refrigerator and took out six-pack of beer. "And that's an order, you can't do anything about it."
"OK, OK, Understood..." With the background sound of major's 'IEaaaaahooo' Asuka finished her food.
'I want more, but I think, I should stop now or I'll get fat. What do you think, Angel-girl?'
'ARAEL!!!'
'Whatever...'
'You haven't eaten anything for almost three days. And with me inside you'll need more energy, so it's OK if you eat more than usually.'
'You'd better be right. And I think I should sleep some more today. Tomorrow will be a long day...' Asuka stood up and head to her room.
In the morning Asuka was again hungry and, although it made her worry, it wasn't that bad, so Second Child decided to go with it for now. After quick two portion breakfast, Asuka, with Shunji and Misato, headed for NERV HQ. The closer they were to HQ, the more nervous Arael was, and Asuka could feel than.
'What's going on?'
'They are here.'
'Who?' Second Child couldn't understand who could made Angel so frightened.
'Tarbis... and... Lilith...'
'Angels?'
'That is how you call us, Lilim. Yes.'
'But... Why there is no siren than?' Asuka was really puzzled now.
'They are just like me. Souls in Lilim bodies... I need to be quiet. Maybe they won't sense me...' With this Arael disappeared from Asuka's mind.
'Oh, shit, what's going on in this crazy world?..'
Arriving at EVA cages, Asuka found that Rei was already there in her plugsuit. And there was unfamiliar boy with platinum-grey hair and red eyes, also in plugsuit, casually leaning on the wall. He smiled when Second Child entered cages.
"Hm... Asuka Langley Soryu, Second Child, nice to meet you."
"And who are you?"
"Kaworu Nagisa, Fifth Child." Then Asuka heard this boy inside her head. 'Are you here, sis?' There was silence. Asuka decided not to answer Kaworu's question, and Arael as she said, was hiding... The tension was broken when Shinji finally arrived to the cages.
""OK. Pilots Ayanami and Ikari will have shooting practice today. Pilot Soryu, you will have only a brief sync. test and then we will have sync. test for pilot Nagisa with all Evas."" Said doctor Akagi's voice through intercom.
'OK, here we go!' In mere seconds Asuka was on her Eva's shoulder. She quickly sat in entry plug and got ready. 'I need to do my best now!!!' After entry plug took its place inside red behemoth, Second Child started concentrating on sync with her EVA, but that was much harder, than she thought.
""Pilot Soryu, only 23 for now."" After a brief pause voice changed to Misato's ""Asuka-chan, i know you can do better! Prove this!""
"i'll try..." 'Damn machine...'
'This is not machine!' Arael's voice sounded in Asuka's mind. And before Second Child could ask anything, Angel continued 'Clone of Father and Lilim soul...'
'Father?'
'Adam.' Asuka for a moment returned to reality, just to face something she'd never seen before - blue glow inside her entry plug. Glow grew stronger and took form of a woman. At least before this glow shot into Asuka's body. Asuka was again on that strange platform. There also was Arael, as usual, and one more person. That was woman in early thirties with long red hair...
"WHAT?!" Ritsuko was shocked by instruments' statements. "Impossible... I thought that they fixed berserk problem after prototype's creation."
"BERSERK?!" Now whole crew in the command center was shocked.
"What's with Asuka-chan? Is she OK?" Asked Misato.
"I hope she is... I hope..."
'YOU!!!' Woman tried to attack Arael, but Angel dodged with no problems. 'WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY PRECIOUS DAUGHTER!!!' There were more hits coming... But they also were dodged.
'Your daughter... Mother?!' Woman instantly stopped, not forgetting about Arael, who seemed not wanting to counterattack.
'Asuka-chan, are you OK? What that bitch did to you?'
'Nothing bad.' Angel answered, calling Kyoko's wrath to her head.
'I'm not talking to you, ANGEL!!!' This time woman obviously wanted Arael to burn to ash under her glare, but that didn't work.
'Angel-girl really did nothing bad to me...'
'My name is ARAEL!!!' Stated Angel. More annoyed than angry.
'I wish I could believe you...'
'You can.'
'OK, but if I ever find out that YOU did something to my Asuka-chan, I'll send you back wherever you came from in the box from matches!' Arael swallowed nervously and nodded. Somehow Kyoko scared her... Woman sat beside Second Child. 'Asuka-chan... I know, you blame and hate me for what happened to you because of me... But I want you to know... After that failed activation experiment I was here... And when I could, I helped you... I know that I was bad mother...'
'You... were there... in my Eva... all the time?..' Kyoko nodded.
'If you could ever forgi...' She was crying... Even without angelic powers Asuka could feel pain, her mother was in because of that damn Evangelion project...
'Mama?..' Kyoko roused herself at daughter's voice. 'Promise, that you'll always be with me, when i'm here, inside EVA.'
'...Of course!' Asuka jumped into mother's embrace, crying happily.
'Mama...'
chapter 2 part 1, edited version. 20 july 2009