I don't own anything.
Intelligence
-Chapter Three: Too Perfect
Asuka stared at the man standing a few feet away from her as he kicked his boots into a slightly neater pile. "It's been a while," she commented.
"Yeah," Shinji replied. Misato laughed at them.
"Well this is awkward," she stated. "When was the last time you changed?"
"When I woke up," Shinji replied. Misato stared at him for a moment.
"And when was that? No, wait, don't tell me. I don't want to know."
"Nope," Shinji answered. "I'll be right back." He picked up his duffel bag and made his way to his old room without a second look at Asuka. She scowled at his lack of interest. She had many scenarios planned out. The three main categories were them fighting, them making out, or him gawking at her radiance, or some combination of the previous three. She had not even thought about indifference.
"This is Asuka Sohryu," Misato continued. "She used to live here with Shinji." Asuka turned and saw that Misato was introducing her to a young-looking man. "This is Takeo Yoshikawa."
"It's nice to meet you," Asuka stated absently.
"So, you're Shinji's new partner?" Misato pressed.
"Technically, he's my superior ma'am," Takeo corrected.
"So, he's climbing the ranks, huh?" Misato asked.
"He's been a fairly high ranking person for a while now," Takeo explained. Asuka quickly turned her full attention of this little conversation. Shinji with a subordinate? Shinji as a high ranking anything? This could prove useful.
"Really?"
"Really." Asuka turned and saw Shinji leaning against the wall dressed in a pair of khaki slacks and a black polo shirt. "Now don't go telling her much more than that."
"But Shinji," Misato whined.
"Nope," Shinji stated. "I'm here to have a little peak at NERV's workings and you're working for them."
"You make me sound like the enemy!" Misato exclaimed with a pout. Asuka was happy to see that the man didn't show a single reaction to their former guardian's expression.
"You are, for now," Shinji stated teasingly as a smile spread across his lips. Asuka was stunned by the difference between the boy she knew and the man before her. The hair was shorter, the body larger and more muscular; the face more angular, and the eyes sharper, but the true change was simply the smile on his face. "Maybe you'll be the enemy later too if we turning up anything."
"And what makes you think I'm stealing money?" Misato demanded.
"Your car insurance bill," Shinji shot back.
(:ii:)
"She's a foreigner."
"Notice that, did you?" Shinji asked as he sipped the beer in his hand. Asuka and Misato had gone out to have some girl time or something. "And she's German."
"Should we put the thumb screws to her?" Takeo asked. Shinji chuckled.
"Come on now. You know as well as I do that thumb screws haven't been used in decades," he commented.
"Yeah," Takeo agreed. "After all, electricity doesn't leave marks."
"It does," Shinji corrected. "Just not bad ones." He tugged out his cell phone and flipped it open. He punches in a few numbers and raised it to his ear.
"Hello?"
"It's Ikari," Shinji stated. "I need a background check on a German citizen."
"Name?"
"Sohryu, Asuka Langley," Shinji stated. "That's the maiden name, I don't know if she's married or not. You guys have my number. Call when you get some results."
"Alright, sir." Shinji flipped his phone shut and laid it on the coffee table.
"You really think she's an officer?" Takeo asked. Shinji stood and stretched.
"Maybe. You can't deny that her eyes lit up when you were mentioning my standing in the agency," Shinji stated. "Come on. We need to go investigate."
"Investigate what?" Takeo asked.
"Somebody has been probing NERV's computers," Shinji stated. "They have no clue that we're tracing them."
"When did you hear about this?"
"You'll find that out when you become a senior officer."
(:ii:)
Shinji stared at the computer store and frowned. This was a good cover for an electronic warfare staging ground. "There are a lot of civilians, sir."
"I know," Shinji stated as he fiddled with his Mk. 23's holster. He moved forward in his seat so he could clip it to his belt. He drew his Mk. 23 and quickly screwed the long suppressor onto the muzzle before returning it to its carrier. "Keep it quiet."
"Blades, sir?"
"No," Shinji replied. Blades were tricky. It was better to make a little noise than to have a wounded man stagger into the public and start a gunfight.
"What if we're wrong?" Takeo asked. "What if we bust in there and kill half a dozen innocent computer repairmen?"
"That's not our problem," Shinji stated. Takeo was just learning. He didn't know the ins and the outs of the business yet. "Our job is to go where we're told. If they're innocent than its on the guys from Counter Intel."
"Right." Shinji climbed out of the sedan and scanned the area again. Damn it was crowded. Didn't civilians have anything better to do? If push came to shove, he'd have to draw first and end the fight. Shinji grabbed a gray sports jacket and pulled it on to help conceal the weapon hidden under his shirt on the small of his back.
(:ii:)
Asuka stared at the dress in her hands and laid it down. "So, you're still working for NERV?"
"That's right," Misato replied. "I like that one. It matches your eyes."
"I like it too," Asuka replied as she absently picked up another article of clothing. "What do you doing? I mean, there aren't any more angels, are there?"
"Nope," Misato replied as she turned. A grin shot across her face. "Well, that'll get his attention."
"What?" Asuka looked more closely at the garment she was holding and nearly dropped it. Why was the lingerie section so close to the normal clothes? "What do you mean?"
"Shinji!" Misato exclaimed with a conspirational grin. "Don't think I didn't notice how you scowled when he breezed by you."
"I don't care about that idiot!"
"Alright," Misato replied peaceably. "Calm down. I was just kidding." Asuka glared at her for a moment before looking away.
"Why did Shinji ignore me?"
"He has his reasons," Misato stated. "Shinji hasn't really looked at any woman like that since. . ." the older woman trailed off, looking aghast. "I. . .I mean. . ."
"It's alright," Asuka stated smoothly. Whatever the reason Shinji didn't look at women was obviously not one of the Misato's favorite topics. Asuka would try to coax it out of her later after a few drinks. That information might prove useful. "So, what's he doing now?"
"He works for the government," Misato explained. Asuka nearly dropped the dress she had been examining. The government? 'This is almost too perfect!' Asuka thought ecstatically. She was sure she could get him to come around to her side easily enough. With all the things she'd done for her job, flirting with Shinji and maybe a little more would definitely not be the worse.
"Do you know what he does?"
"He travels around checking financial records for government agencies," Misato explained. 'He would have access to a great deal of information,' Asuka noted. Shinji Ikari was definitely someone she would have to have in her burgeoning ring of agents. "He used to work for the GSDF, too."
"Wow," Asuka replied, still a little star struck at what an awesome find her former roommate had turned out to be.
"You should ask him about it," Misato replied.
"I never really pictured him for the patriotic type," Asuka noted. "Why would he work for the government?" Misato looked around quickly. Asuka could tell she was trying to decide whether telling her was a good idea. Finally Misato's inner gossip won out.
"I don't think he's really the patriotic type," she stated. "I think it's just a job to him." This statement almost made Asuka dizzy. A find this good was indeed a rare thing. "I don't like what it's done to him." Asuka was so excited that she nearly missed the absently-added statement.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"It's his mentality," Misato explained. "Shinji believes that the ends justify the means. It scares me just how deeply he believes that. I hate it."
"People change," Asuka stated, still humming over her discovery.
(:ii:)
Shinji glanced around the store and calmly pushed the door to the backroom open. He and Takeo stepped inside and shut the door again. If you acted like you belonged, people had a funny way of thinking you did. "Wow."
"Yeah," Shinji agreed as he stared at the mass of computers inside. "Either these guys are fixing for some major Counter Strike, or we've got our hackers."
"Counter Strike?" Takeo repeated.
"What?" Shinji asked. "Kids still play videogames, don't they?"
"Yeah," Takeo replied. "But that game is ancient." Shinji frowned as his age was thrown in his face again. He wasn't that old damn it! Was he? 'And I'm getting so sick of those little bastards saying I should dye the gray in my hair. One more and I'll. . .'
"Excuse me, sirs. This area is for employees only." Shinji turned and stared at the young man.
"I am an employee," Shinji stated. "I'm an employee of the Japanese government. We'd like to ask you a few questions." One of the men snatched for something and Shinji grabbed his Mk. 23. The massive pistol cleared the holster and Shinji swung it up. The weapon bucked and the man crumbled to the ground as the massive .45-caliber projectile evacuated his brains across the wall behind him.
"Anyone else?" Takeo asked, toeing the sawed off shotgun away from their would be assailant's hand. "We have plenty of bullets." No one spoke.
"Good," Shinji stated. "Now about those questions."
(:ii:)
Misato glanced up and smiled as Shinji walked into the apartment. "Where have you two been?"
"Computer store," Shinji replied as he shrugged off his sports jacket and sat at the kitchen table.
"Beer?"
"Please." Misato handed the can to him and watched as he opened it absently. She frowned at the far away expression on his face. He got like that every once in a while. Her frown deepened as she noticed the pale color of his skin. 'I hope he isn't getting sick,' she thought. "Have fun shopping?"
"Yep," Misato replied. "I bought a couple of interesting little numbers, including one I think you'll enjoy." Shinji's attention seemed to snap back to the present.
"Oh? Do tell."
"Well, it's so tight you'll just have to peel it right off," Misato replied, grinning seductively. Shinji smiled at that and drained his beer in one shot, much to Misato's pride. "I'll show it to you on our date, although you'll have to wait till we get home. It's not something a modest person like me would wear in public."
"You, modest?" Misato shot a glare at Asuka as she walked into the kitchen.
"I'm very modest! Tell her Shinji!"
"Do I have to do it with a strait face?" Shinji asked. Misato pouted.
"I hate it when you two gang up one me!" Shinji grinned at her and stood up.
"I'm hungry."
"I'll make something," Misato offered.
"No!" She stared at her two former charges.
"Takeout," Shinji stated.
"Takeout," Asuka agreed.
"Uh. . .takeout?" Takeo called from somewhere else in the apartment.
"Takeout," Misato gritted. "Lousy little bastards."
"I can't hear you when you mumble," Shinji commented.
"Nothing," Misato replied sweetly.
"Yeah, right," Asuka stated.
-End
(:ii:)
-Author's notes. Resistance Fall of Man has my soul and it won't give it back! You know, in this story, Shinji seems to be a fairly cheerful and well-adjusted person. I know, it scares me too.
P.S. DI2 will be out when its done. Just kick back and smoke 'em if you got 'em in the mean time.