Kaji stood on the deck of Nimitz-class carrier. I know she got home alright, that's what the report from the team watching Asuka indicated, at least.
Soon enough, a blue car plodded up toward the passenger car gangplank. He put his phone back in his pocket. "Twenty minutes. Somehow, I don't think the Commanders care about a menial delay." Not with going to Antarctica. "They would be chewing my ass off if they really gave a shit." The former spy's words were drowned out by an aircraft waiting to take off. The car below crawled into the ship. Moments later, it raced out, tires squealing. Oh don't tell me... Kaji observed the car racing back towards Tokoyo-3, "Never a dull moment!"
Misato drifted around a corner in desperation. Her brand new rank insignia glinted in the sunlight. Why now?! She downshifted and punched the accelerator, the speedometer was topping out past one-hundred forty miles per hour. At least the evacuation was over before I got Asuka to the ship.
Inside the headquarters pyramid, NERV personnel were loading Unit 01 onto the repaired fifth catapult.
Shinji sat on the catwalk, a holographic-screened laptop in his lap. He failed to hear Rei walking up behind him, "What are you doing, Pilot Ikari?"
He jumped a bit, clamping down on the board, "Gah! ... Oh, it's just you, Ayanami. ...Waiting for the order to load up. I was hoping for some useful data on what I'll be up against."
"The lack of information is irrelevant, someone has to find out." Her soft voice remained cryptic.
Shinji looked at the screen again, quietly uttering, "Israfel."
Rei bent forward, peering over Shinji's right shoulder at the screen, "For lack of better data, it's 'face' is reminiscent of a Yin-Yang symbol."
Out of the corner of his eye, he glimpsed over her form. She's really kinda cute. Hard to imagine an intellect like that going to waste; but for what, I wonder?
She straightened herself, "We should get going, Pilot Ikari."
"Yeah, won't be long before I get shot out of a cannon again." He shut down the laptop and slung it over his shoulder.
The two walked onward, towards the Evangelion cages.
"Long time no see." Kaji greeted a sunglasses-clad Asuka.
She turned to the female sergeant carrying her bag, "Would you mind taking those to my bunk? I'd like to know what's going on at headquarters."
The woman nodded to the redhead, "Sure thing, ma'am."
Asuka stepped from the elevator, putting her shades away. "Feels like I was out for a week."
Kaji proffered a hand to the girl, "Been there before. Let's go check on Shinji."
The bridge was dark; any window Asuka looked at, seemed like sunglasses: blocking the brightness of the sunlight from blinding the crew. The ship's captain and the battle groupl's commanding officer, stood in a central position of the bridge, overlooking an under-lit table displaying the position of the battle group. Various crew members were calling out commands or reading aloud relevant data. Not that I haven't been on a ship before, but I see where NERV got the idea. Asuka and Kaji plodded toward the table, the redhead observing the chorus around them.
Kaji greeted the two men, "Gentlemen. If you don't mind, my young colleague would like to listen in on some radio traffic."
The grizzled admiral barely turned his head toward the captain beside him, who turned toward Asuka and Kaji, "NERV hasn't deployed any Evas yet, come 'ere." He lifted his wired headset, offering it to the girl.
What does he mean 'any', I thought only the two were repaired enough to sortie. She stepped up to the table, accepting the headset. "Thanks, Captain."
Kaji noted a man with the words 'Air Boss' on the back of his shirt talking to the incoming, landing aircraft. "No, Charlie Sierra, you should be fine to land on the deck vertically. Right." The Air Boss pushed and held a button on to console before him, "This is the Air Boss, clear Charlie Sierra for vertical landing. Yes, try for Mark One Four."
Most of the bridge chatter was drowned out by the scream of a JSF F-35 touching down on the carrier's main deck.
Asuka peeked over at Kaji, "Just in case you need to get away again?"
"Boy Scouts taught me one thing: be prepared!" Kaji was grinning again.
Asuka pressed the headset over her ear.
'Major Katsuragi, if necessary, you are authorized to deploy Unit 00, even if only as a decoy.' He's really willing to sacrifice anyone to make sure humanity survives. Shinji was right, his dad really -is- the only man for that job.
Hyuga's voice chimed in, 'Target sighted exiting Sagami Bay using the Sagami River; the Angel shredded the bridge with one swipe.'
The admiral tapped a button on the screen, popping up a picture of the target. It wasn't really human; long arms sprouting from either side of a 'face', which had two holes like a yin-yang symbol. The legs of the creature were tapered to almost nothing at the ground. Various helicopters and other flight-capable craft were launching long-range weapons at the Angel; its armor ignoring their assault.
'It's no use! Our ordinance can't penetrate that armor.'
'This is JSOC Overlord. All call signs Needle and Hellhound, evac along two-niner-zero and rally at Hotel Gamma. I repeat, 290, Hotel Gamma. That's not a request, bug out!'
On the screen, a mass of blue and green triangles moved west-north west, away from a red 'x'. Meanwhile, a purple circle designated '01' blinked into existence in Tokoyo-3.
'Eva Unit 01 is on the surface. Time to intercept three point seven minutes, maintaining current speed.'
That's Maya...
'If all else fails, we have an N2 mine on a fighter jet circling the city. It can be here within thirty seconds.'
Shigeru...
Another officer, wearing a badge with the letters 'X-O' opposite his name badge, approached the table, "Captain, we're turned and now under way. Radio jamming from the target will make further communication impossible from here on. Everything's detailed in the report here." He slid a touch pad device across to the Admiral.
"Thank you, Exec." Said the Captain to the X-O who saluted the two naval officers and went back to the ship's business.
Asuka growled again, "Jamming?!" She looked over at the Captain and Admiral. "May I see that?"
"Yes, in a moment." The Admiral read through the report before handing it over to the redhead. "Here."
Gendo and Kozo entered the bridge. Gendo's made sure his voice carried over everything, "We're enroute?"
The Admiral turned to Gendo, "Yes, -sir-. Radio silence for the duration, but the Angel we left behind is somehow interfering with all transmissions in a one hundred mile radius of itself. Keeping tabs on that situation is soon to be impossible."
He nodded to the Admiral, "I see. Our objective is paramount, Admiral. Everything else we encounter is to be ignored."
"I read the initial orders." The admiral swiveled back to the table.
Asuka's face bore all of confusion, worry, and hope, as she listened to the radio's static.
Shinji abruptly woke from another hospital bed. "Ugh, not again..." His bandaged chest hurt.
He spotted a manila file folder laying on the table beside the bed. "I hope that's not paperwork, I'm not in the shape to think."
Grabbing the folder, Shinji read:
Shinji,
Omedeto! You survived. This operation will require two Eva's working together in perfect sync to one another. In essence, a duet of twins. We're going to set off a second pair of mines on the Angel to give us more time to prep for the fight. You and Ayanami will have learn to work together. We still haven't heard from the battle group, but satellite surveillance shows they should be near what's left of the continent of Antarctica tomorrow morning. We may be able to transmit something to them, but they're in a comms blackout. We won't know anything until they're headed back and break radio silence.
Where the hell did you end up that night anyway? I came by to check on you and you weren't around. I bet I know!
Misato
He cringed a bit. You'd skin me alive if you really knew.
Shinji couldn't help seeing a few images burned into his memory.
Helping her up to her apartment, Shinji breathed in the scent from her red hair. "You smell really good, you know that?" "Of course I know that, it's why I picked out that sham... shampoo. But thanks." She tripped on the steps, but even with his help, her flailing about only helped her tear his shirt right down the front. "Ficken! S-sorry." "You're gorgeous when you blush like that." He'd blurted that out. Somehow, her face reddened further, but she stayed quiet.
They managed to get her to the couch. "I... feel like I've got something on my face, Shinji." As he looked her over, the hand on his shoulder that had prevented him from running off slipped behind his neck. She surprised him with a kiss. "Mmph!" was all he could get out for the duration.
He lay back on the bed, trying to relax. I never expected her to be so incredibly soft. She's been really edgy at school, even threatening people if they pissed her off. I'm glad Kensuke never went through with that stupid picture crap.
The door to the room opened, Rei and Ritsuko hovering close by. The scientist entered first, "I see you've read Misato's note, so you know what the plan is."
He kept staring at the backs of his eyelids, trying to hold onto the soft feel of Asuka's skin. ".. yeah... I imagine we have time due to an N2 mine?"
Rei followingly stepped into the room, "Yes, Ikari. For six days before the Angel is fully regenerated, we are to train to fight side-by-side as twins. Misato will burn the Angel once more if we need more time."
He opened his eyes, returning to the present, "I just... want to get back to my apartment for a little time alone first."
Ritsuko nodded, "Three hours, Shinji. If this is going to work, you two will need to mirror eachother as perfectly as possible." Unless Asuka gets back in time.
The blonde scientist turned anew to Rei, "Gives us time to run that test, come on."
As they left Shinji alone, he glimpsed their forms once more. I see why He likes her. Still no idea what the hell Rei really is, other than really, really creepy, but still somehow cute. No sooner did the door close, than did he start getting dressed. This would be easier with Asuka, but there isn't another option yet.
Asuka stood before her bunk, casing the establishment that would be 'home' for a few days. Kaji stood in the doorway, facing outside. The redhead pulled back the curtain, revealing her assigned living space, "There's no room here. They can't expect me to live in only three cubic meters!"
Kaji stepped back into the room closing the door, "You're an Eva pilot. You're going to have to adapt to ever-changing conditions."
"Yeah, yeah. Tomorrow I could be living in an entry plug. At least there's some -space- in that thing!" She began unpacking a new uniform: a red plugsuit with black shoulder guards, a pleated, knee-length skirt, black wrist locks, a pair of black stripes on the outside of each arm and leg, and it was supposedly built for cold weather, too, as it was completed by a matching hooded jacket. "Someone paid attention to all that complaining about pilot uniforms?"
As she changed Kaji pulled a touch pad from his pocket and read. "I -am- the Chief of Section 2. -Someone- has to hear everything that goes on within Tokoyo-3."
"How the hell did you get that job, anyway?" As she zipped up her new suit, she shifted herself around to fit into it better, muttering and cursing ensued, albeit quietly.
The former spy turned off his tablet and turned to face the redhead, "Turn off the laptop."
She curiously peeked over at him, then complied; reaching into her pack, she pulled the battery from the laptop within and indicatively lifted it for him to see.
He crossed his arms, "When Shinji was taken from New York, the phasic cloak was assumed to be lost. The case you were handed, the one you turned over to me a bit later, contained Adam. It was never discovered 'how' Shinji got his hands on Adam, but the fact that the Third Branch never checked on the container, coupled with how sloppy the initial sweep of that base went, were deciding factors in replacing the previous Chief."
Asuka stared wide-eyed at Kaji, "Mein gott. But..?"
"Fuyutsuki said something in passing once, about the base needing someone who... knew all the tricks Seele would use against Gendo and NERV. I used to think Seele wasn't that bad, until I was handed a chip by Shinji. 'Everything you never wanted to know about Seele.' That's what he named what he gave me. I had to destroy it, of course, but having met the monoliths they use to communicate personally? I guess I'd always known something was really weird about them." He temporarily retrieved a cigarette from his upper left pocket, "So there it is. I don't trust a lot of people. Probably not even Gendo. But Kozo, I see him as an honorable man." Even if he does help Gendo. The Angels may be the enemy at the gates, but Seele is the enemy of all of us, disguised as humans. He rolled the cigarette in his fingers for a moment, before returning it to the pocket whence it came.
The redhead went back to unpacking. Finally taking a light jacket from her personal effects, she turned to him with a slight smile, "I regret to inquire, but I need help putting the empty luggage case up near the ceiling..."
Some time later, but still daylight, the pair stood in an observation area fore of the flight elevator, facing east.
Asuka had a cup of something warm enough to have steam rising from the liquid, "If this trip keeps going like it has, I would rather have stayed in Tokoyo-3."
Kaji flicked a cigarette butt out into the ocean, "The Angels have proven they're after targets of opportunity. We can't take the chance that they wouldn't go for the ultimate weapon. Hell, it's what I would have done first."
"I don't know anything past a name, Lance of Longinus." Asuka turned her back to the chain railing. "I don't even know what it looks like."
"Your orders are to live together for the next several days. There isn't anything standard in war, get used to changing conditions. In six days, Unit 00's repairs will be compete. If for one second Rei, you, or myself think that you two need more time, I'll order another mine drop on the Angel. I don't think we'll get six more days; even the Magi predict the target will protect itself better against a second blast. Unit 01 will be back on standby tomorrow evening." Misato's words rang in Shinji's head as he sat with his head on his kitchen table. Closing his eyes, the memory of Asuka's soft skin against his own crept back into his mind.
The redhead pulled him toward herself, clutching his head and right side. Planting a hand beside her on the couch, she released his mouth as they separated. She opened her eyes to find Shinji's lips tracing her cheek; all she could do was cling to him and enjoy the experience.
The cellular phone on the table arrogantly interrupted Shinji's pleasant memory. He let it ring a few times before picking up the call, "Moshi moshi. Huh? Yeah Misato. I'll be down in a few minutes. Okay, bye." He stared at the phone for a moment, "Did I really just waste the better part of three hours?" The wall clock didn't lie. Three hours and twenty minutes. Damn. Shinji was going to throw on some clothes that looked fairly clean, except ... "Where did my boxers go..." He trudged into the bedroom.
Rei and Misato leaned against the Major's blue sports car. As soon as Shinji stepped from the stairs within the open atrium of the building, Rei wondered aloud to her current companion, "Do all males take so little effort in their appearance?"
"Some people just take forever. Asuka usually does, except for yesterday. Thank God she was packed already." Misato just watched the boy approach them. "Let's go, Wonder Boy." She turned around, opened the driver's door, and hopped in. Rei went to the back seat, while Shinji took the passenger-side front seat. Rei had a smirk on her face she wasn't aware of; apparently neither did Shinji or Misato, as they didn't offer any comment. None of the three spoke during the ride to Misato's apartment.
::: "Bob", research indicates you're correct. I did find some cannon references to 'Liepkin' but the translation team from the O.S. did get other pieces of language wrong. I'll correct mine because Liebkind makes a hell of a lot more sense. To be honest, I could see a child using a non-nonsensical word that's close to translatable to name something special. For example, 'Pallet' for the Pallet Gun, I'd been reading that as Pellet Gun ever since I first saw the show; upon reading about the show in Wikia and other sites, it would seem I read it wrong the whole time. PM me if I miss any instances of the meaningless word.
::: P.S. By the way, I'm glad you like it!
::: P.S.S. Readers reviewing works is a great way for us authors to know how much you like what we're doing. Even if you hate it, we secretly love that you took the effort to tell us!