...I'M BACk..for now. Sorry bout the wait. In my defense I'll say that its hard to right a story like this and I have to be in a particular mood to get everything across. Anyway I'm hoping to work on this more so expect updates more frequently. (instead of four month's like this time) So for all those people that thought I died or abandoned this I apologize. I never abandon my stories, no matter how long it takes to get them done, I will get them done. And...I'm done
Shinji sat bolt upright on his futon, breathing heavily as though he had just ran a mile. Rubbing his temples wearily he let out a low sigh and tried to remember what he had just dreamt.
Again, he suspected, that it had to do with the random visions that he had been having. Most of them, with the exception of Asuka's, had been completely irrelevant. This one though confused him.
In it, he was standing in the middle of a large crater, in the center of Tokyo 3. Around him many corpses of people that he had no affiliation with. However in the middle of it all was Eva Unit 01.
Shinji had stood there for a good while before he walked slowly over to what remained of the unit. The entry plug was laying a good few yards away from it and as he slowly approached it he realized that an arm was dangling out of it. Now running towards, it he pried it open as best he could. From what he could see from the small opening that he had made a girl laid inside.
At this point Shinji felt nauseous, not necessarily from the fact that another child was forced to fight in the demonic Eva's, but more of the fact that her left side was torn apart, leaving brain matter hanging out of the side of her skull. From what he could see, apart from all the blood, was that she had light blue hair.
Shinji had then put out a hand grab her wrist and see if she had a pulse. At this point the dying pilot had grabbed his hand forcefully and her eyes had flown open, revealing two blood red globes looking back at him. Shinji had attempted to wrench free of her grip but she simply frowned back at him and whispered, "Why did you let everyone die?"
Shinji had then turned shakily around to see everybody that he had ever met, piled in a bloody heap behind him. It was thanks to this last part that he had sat bolt upright in his futon. Seeing Asuka and Misato torn to shreds was not something that he didn't consider pleasant. Then again, who would?
Forcing himself to sit up, he trudged to the bathroom, willing himself not to vomit until he reached the toilet. Several minutes later he had his back to the bathroom door as he had just thrown up a large portion of the stir fry that he had made. Grimacing at the taste of bile he looked down at his hands and realized they were shaking.
What confused him most about this dream, or vision, was that the blue haired girl with red eyes had never met him, as far as he could remember. He thought that only people that he had met before, or were always around were people that he would have the visions for.
Leaning his head back against he bathroom door he banged it lightly against it. 'I'm really going insane, aren't I?' He paused, as he fully expected someone to answer him. Without any kind of confirmation to his sanity he open the bathroom door and walked slowly back to his futon, where he immediately fell down and fell asleep.
Shinji walked slowly into the kitchen the next morning already to find Asuka and Misato sitting there, chatting animately. Though when Shinji walked in Asuka frowned at him for a minute before turning back towards Misato.
In truth Shinji didn't feel that good. Even though he had fallen asleep instantly last night after his dream, he had a splitting headache this morning. Misato therefore realized this, as she watched Shinji try to put the cereal back in the fridge.
"Err Shinji, are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine, just a little tired is all."
Misato frowned at him and said, "No your not, you've got bags under your eyes as if you didn't sleep last night." Standing up she walked over to Shinji and put a hand to his forehead. "You've got a fever, Shinji."
"Well, I suppose that explains why I feel like shit," murmured Shinji. Sighing he sat down at the table then and rested his head on the table.
"Shinji your gonna stay home from school."
Shinji smirked, 'Fantastic.'
"And Asuka will stay and take care of you," she finished.
'Not fantastic,' Shinji corrected. Thankfully that didn't seem to be the case, as Asuka stood up quickly and threw Shinji a scowl. Picking up her plate she dumped it in the sink, turned around and walked towards the front door.
"Asuka-" Asuka walked outside and slammed the door, "-wait." Misato stood there for a minute with an annoyed look on her face but started slightly as she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Don't worry about it, Misato. I've taken care of myself my entire life so one day isn't going to make a difference. Besides I think I'd get worse if Asuka took care of me. Probably poison me or something."
"She may dislike you but thats going far even for her."
Shinji thought that it was a lot more than just dislike but didn't feel like saying anything.
"Well, Shinji, if you think that you'll be fine on your own that I guess that I'll try not to worry. I'd stay home myself but I've got to work at Nerv."
"Thanks, Misato."
Misato smiled then and patted Shinji gently on the shoulder and then walked out the door.
Shinji would have gladly liked to tell her how much it ment to him that she had considered staying home with him but found that something was stuck in his throat. Wheeling around he decided that the best course of action was to try and force himself to get some sleep.
At school, Asuka was bored to the limit. Everything that the teacher was talking about she had already learned. Several times she had turned around to make some comment about the stupidity of the teacher, only to remember that Shinji was at home sick.
'Tch, probably forced himself to throw up so he could skip school. Sick fuck,' she thought with a grimace. Even so without him here she was bored. At least he wasn't like all the other boys in the class, who seemed to get disgusting thoughts every time she walked in front of them. Though she was torn away from her thoughts to find a very disgusting reality awaiting him.
"Oh yes," yes said the teacher as he saw the door opening. "I had forgotten that you would be returning today."
Asuka narrowed her eyes to those of a hawk as she saw the light blue haired girl with red eyes walk in.
"As I'm sure everyone remembers Ayanami Rei, I see no reason in reintroducing her. Anyway Ayanami, go ahead and take your usual seat."
At this Asuka had spun around to look around the room, only to find out that the only empty desk was the one next to hers.
'This day just keeps getting shittier and shittier,' she thought as Ayanami sat down next to her.
'Where am I?'
'Where else but where you truly belong.'
It was then that Shinji inhaled a large amount of fluid. He felt like he was going to drown but next second realized that he was floating in LCL fluid and felt his body relax as oxygen filled his lungs.
The first thing he realized that he was naked as he floated helplessly, though that didn't seem to bother him. Around him was total blackness and he tried to spin around to look below him. Finding out that he was unable to move he continued looking up, where it all looked the same.
'This is where you truly belong.'
Shinji started slightly, as he had forgotten entirely about the eerie voice.
'Who are you? What do you mean by this is were I belong? I hate this place.'
'Oh I think you'll grow to love it. Once you get used to the smell its quite pleasant to float there forever.'
'I don't care, I have no reason to enjoy being here.'
'So you don't care if something like this were to happen.'
The blackness became whiteness and then turned to crimson as the scene unfolded. It was similar to what Shinji had dreamt, except it was worse...far worse. Blood and gore was strung across Tokyo-3. There was so much blood and bodily fluids that the drainage systems were overflowing. It looked as though someone had spilled several thousand gallons of fruit punch and let it sit there. Except this fruit punch had pieces in it.
Shinji stared in horror as the scene unfolded and he was shown a rewound version of the events. The fifth angel appeared and Eva Unit-02 was deployed along with a blue and orange Eva that Shinji had not seen. Shinji watch, stunned, as the angel slashed through the earth with its energy whips, missing the two Eva's several times. Soon the Eva's lost their umbilical cord and were forced to fight on reserve power.
After that it was a battle of attrition. Soon Eva Unit-02 lost one of its arms and was sliced down the middle. Shinji had to turn away as he could almost hear Asuka's scream of pain and anger. The angel approached the Eva, to finish it off, when the blue and orange one came from the side and knocked the angel off balance. Pulling something that looked remarkably like a knife, it stabbed the angel in the chest. Repeating this several times, to no affect, the angel pushed the Eva off itself and proceeding to slashing it several more times.
Dodging was all the blue and orange Eva could do as its energy slowly drained. Charging forward in stabbed outwards only to have its hand sliced off and fall to the ground. Red blood flew from the angels hand as it dropped to one knee as its energy ran out. The angel observed it for a moment before looping off its head.
What followed next was random flashes of things that happened. Shinji watched as the angel sliced into a building, incinerating many humans but for the most part cutting of body parts and leaving them to bleed. Shinji watched as people from his class were killed or crushed. Toji and Kensuke where both crushed by falling rubble and Shinji had a strong urge to vomit after he heard their bones crunching. A particular painful moment happened as he watched Misato cradling a broken arm and crawling forward. A sharp piece of metal had sliced her leg off, just above the knee, preventing her from moving far.
Hardest of all was watching as Asuka slowly died. To the bitter end she tried to fight back, even though her Eva wasn't responding. When the angel had sliced her Eva in half it had only pierced part of the entry. Thanks to this Asuka didn't die immediately but it would have been kinder. She had been pierced in the stomach and now a mixture of blood and stomach acid was flowing from the open wound. Several times Shinji heard his own named mentioned in the mixture of swear words from the different languages she had learned.
Now Shinji hovered over the remains of what remained of the other Eva unit. Its entry plug had not been crushed surprisingly and Shinji found himself remembering more and more of his dream as events from it unfolded before his eyes. He saw the arm of the pilot sticking out, but now he saw something else...he was approaching it. His self from the vision was approaching the arm as it dangled lifelessly out of the Eva, and Shinji understood.
Once again this was something that may or may not happen, and this time his decision controlled all of Tokyo-3.
"Figure it out yet?"
Shinji felt his body move on its own as he turned around and looked up at the Asuka from his dreams.
"Nice little battle, to bad you weren't there, might have made a difference."
"Are you here to give my advice or mock me?" Asked Shinji.
"Oh, I'm done giving advice, I'm just here for the show.
"Thoughtful of you."
Shinji's body turned then as if to show what happened one final time. 'I know what I've got to do, its just doing it is the problem.'
"If your done feeling sorry for yourself I suggest you go back."
"Why? I thought you weren't giving advice anymore."
"Don't think of it so much as advice. More of a friendly reminder."
"Your my friend?"
Asuka scratched her chin thoughtfully, "Hmmm, I suppose, for now at least I am. Put it this way I don't want you to die."
"Thanks...I think."
Shinji felt his eyes open and if not for the fact that he heard the slamming of a door he would have thought thats what woke him up. Sitting up straighter he assumed that it wasn't Misato and could only guess that it had to be Asuka. Looking over, he noticed that it was a few minutes after noon. So she had left school early again.
Standing up, Shinji walked towards his bedroom door and slid it open slightly. Next second the door was slammed shut and Shinji was forced to take a step back.
Slightly worried about her he took a hesitant step and said, "Err, Asuka...is everything okay?"
Without getting an answer he slid the door open again and this time without it getting shut in his face. Looking around quickly he didn't see her sitting at the kitchen table but heard talking coming from the living room.
Walking into it, slightly nervous, he saw her laying on the couch, eating a bag of potato chips and flipping through the channels.
Opening his mouth, Shinji was about to ask if anything had happened at school when he got rude answer.
"Shut it Shinji, I don't want to talk you!"
Shinji raised an eyebrow at her. Did he do something that had made her angry? For the life of him he couldn't remember. Maybe it was what Misato had said about her staying home and looking after him. Shinji really couldn't care if she was there or not. It didn't make any difference to him whatsoever. Even so though he was annoyed that she was angry at him for something that he probably didn't even do.
Smirking slightly he said, "What, did someone sneak a peak while you were at the drinking fountain again?"
Asuka tore her eyes away from the T.V. briefly to give Shinji a heart piercing stare. Without replying to his comment she turned her gaze back towards the T.V.
'Guess she really doesn't want to talk, but I know one thing she will want to discuss.'
Walking out of the living room he walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge door. Yelling over he shoulder he said, "So what does your highness want for dinner tonight?"
Shinji thought he heard something between a snarl and half a laugh.
Replying back she said, "Whatever the fuck you feel like. I don't give a shit right now."
'Wow,' thought Shinji. 'If she didn't care about dinner than something pretty bad must have happened.
Ignoring dinner for now he walked back into the living room and stood directly in front of him.
"Move it ass-hole."
"No. If you don't even care about dinner than something obviously happened."
"It doesn't concern you!"
"It might not but the Asuka I see in front of me is one that I certainly don't like living with."
"As if you enjoy living with me anyway," she whispered.
"On occasion I do, if you must know," mumbled Shinji.
Asuka seemed rather taken aback at this and her expression soften slightly. "Fine baka, if you must know I have to sit next to my least favorite person in the world at school now."
Shinji almost laughed, "I thought I was your least favorite person in the world."
"Its close, but your my second least favorite."
"Glad to hear it. So why the hell is this such a problem?"
"Because I also have to-" Asuka paused, mentioning that Rei was the pilot of Eva Unit-00 wouldn't be smart. Shinji was supposed to know as little as possible if he wouldn't pilot Unit-01, at least thats what Misato said.
"I just don't like people like her, she's stuck up, thinks she's so great."
Shinji frowned, "You act as though you know her personally."
Thankfully Asuka was saved the need of replying when her phone vibrated briefly. Flipping it open she read a very short message from Misato. Flipping it closed she bit her lip slightly and stood up.
"Anything wrong, Asuka?"
"No, I just have to go to Nerv and do some tests, its standard."
Shinji nodded, "Then what do you want for dinner?"
This time Asuka gave him a long list of German foods and told him to just make one every night and to start at the top of the list. Shinji frowned down at it not liking some of the choices.
"I'll be back late, with Misato most likely."
"Okay..." Shinji felt like he had to say something but couldn't quite get his tongue wrapped around it.
"Cya later then."
"Yeah bye," Shinji mumbled.
When Asuka closed the door she flipped open her phone and called Misato as she started to run slightly. The first thing that she heard was a lot of rambling in the back round when Misato answered the phone.
"Asuka are you on your way."
"Yeah."
"Good, we don't have much time. It will hit land fall in thirty minutes. I'll brief you quickly and then we'll send you up." Here Misato paused and asked, "What did you tell Shinji?"
"Tests," she said simply.
"Good, having two kids to worry about will just make me age faster."
Even though the joke had good intentions Asuka wasn't in the mood for joking around. The last thing she intended to do was tell Shinji what she really was doing, though she guessed he'd realize it in half an hour.
Shinji had guessed that something was wrong, judging by the brief worried look that had passed over Asuka's face the moment she had gotten off the phone with Misato. Completely ignoring thoughts of dinner he sat down on the couch where Asuka had recently laid. The first thing that had come to his mind was an angel attack, though she had shot that idea down quickly with her mention of tests. But he didn't believe her, tests couldn't make a person go from calm to nervous in the span of seconds, and Asuka was not someone to get riled up easily.
Rolling off the couch he stood up and walked over to the nearest window and looked briefly.
'Well, if an angel was to show I'd feel it before I saw it,' he thought.
Turning around he was about to walk to the kitchen to make a half hearted attempt on one of the many things that Asuka had give him to cook when he noticed the ceiling fan shake. Pausing for a moment he looked up at it again and it gave another small wobble, slightly larger than last time.
Next, Shinji felt the ground beneath him shake violently and he had to brace himself so as not to fall on his face. When the tremors had settled he immediately bolted towards the door. Only then did he realize that an alarm had gone off and people were crowding around on the streets below, looking for a suitable shelter.
"Damn it, she didn't have to lie to me."
Taking off down the stairs he had to weave in and out of the sea of people that were trying to get to the shelter first. In the back round a cool female voice was telling everyone not to panic and to enter the shelters in an orderly fashion. Shinji had to smirk at the calmness in her voice. It was obviously a pre-recording and whoever had done it was miles away by now.
Fighting his way out of the mass of people he managed to recognize two people from his class, Touji and Kensuke. Shinji was almost tempted to approach them but was deterred when he remembered what they had done to both him and Asuka. It seemed though that they had something they wanted to discuss as they both ran up to him.
"Hey fuck face!"
Shinji had a sudden urge to rip Touji's skull out of his head but restrained himself. Asking in as calm a voice as he could muster he said, "What?"
"Where's Asuka, you live with her right, sleaze ball?"
'Of course, they only wanted to know where she was.'
"No idea where she went, she took off immediately after she got home." Even though he wasn't a part of Nerv, telling other people what Asuka was involved with was not something that he considered telling.
"Tch, dick head you just want her all yo yourself."
"Yeah, whatever," said Shinji not caring at all at this point.
Turning around he started walking away when he felt a strong hand on his shoulder.
"Hey where you even listening to me!"
Shinji scowled back, "I tend to ignore people who bother the shit out of me."
"Why you bastard!"
Touji brought his hand back to punch Shinji in the face again when he heard another voice over the loud speaker, this time slightly different.
"Those that have not entered a shelter block please do so immediately, the city will descend in five minutes."
"Touji we should get to one," said a worried Kensuke.
"Fine."
Touji backed away from Shinji and threw a scowl at him before turning towards the shelter blocks only to find that none now remained.
"God damn it, look at what you made us do."
"Its your one fault for harassing me, so if you die don't expect me to cry over your body"
"Thats it fuck face I'm beating the shit out of you."
Touji took several steps forward and probably would have knocked Shinji out again if Kensuke hadn't stepped in between them.
"Guys this isn't the time to be fighting, we need to find another shelter before Tokyo-3 goes into lockdown."
As much as Shinji hated these two, Kensuke had a point. If Tokyo-3 sank into the Geofront then they'd fall several hundred feet to there death.
"Whatever, just stay out of my way," said Touji.
'Likewise,' though Shinji.
Together the trio ran through the streets of Tokyo-3 quickly searching for a shelter, though without much luck.
"Hey Shinji I'm rather surprised that your not with Asuka actually," said Kensuke.
Shinji blinked back at him, rather surprised, "What makes you say that?"
Kensuke shrugged, "Well, you certainly know her better than anybody else at the school so it seems natural that you'd be with her more."
"I...suppose," Shinji said slowly.
"But what are you doing out here. Where you looking for her?"
Shinji had to think about that for a second. What was he really doing out here? He already knew where and what Asuka was doing and he didn't have any inclination to go to where she was. Even so though, there was something akin to a driving force pushing him forward.
Shaking his head he said, "Not sure, can't give you a correct answer."
"Hmm I see," nodded Kensuke thoughtfully.
Shinji was slightly annoyed at how Kensuke was acting around him right now. It was almost as if he was somebody that he had just met and everything that he had done to him was completely thrown out the window. If he thought they were friends he was sorely wrong.
"Come on lets check over here."
As soon as Shinji got the words out of his mouth the earth shook violently as the angel made landfall. Simultaneously Eva Unit-02 was brought up the elevator and broke the surface just to see the angel make landfall.
Kensuke and Touji stood in a slight daze as they watched the Eva charge towards the oncoming angel.
"Wha-what is that?" Stuttered the stupid jock.
Shinji didn't feel like explaining and just yelled over his shoulder, "Forget it we need to find a shelter."
As the two ran they could here the crumbling of buildings as the ones not brought into the Geofront crumble while the two fought.
Several seconds later the three of them found a shelter that still had some room left in it, however it could only hold two more people. The trio stood there briefly while the person holding the door open waited at the argument that was soon going to break out. Touji was prepared to fight for his if he had to when he heard someone laugh and say, "Get in you idiots, I never intended on entering a shelter anyway."
Spinning around, Touji and Kensuke saw Shinji smirking back at them.
"Get your asses in, this is what we've been walking around for haven't we."
Touji hoped directly in but Kensuke was a little hesitant. "Shinji you are going to look for another one, right?"
Shinji shrugged, "Maybe..." He already knew he wouldn't.
Kensuke nodded and walked in behind Touji and the door was closed.
Shinji had already turned around when Kensuke entered the shelter and was already walking in the opposite direction, to where the two demons were fighting, as he saw them.
'That Eva is definitely Asuka's, I just hope she can take that thing on.'
Turning around a corner he was hit in the face by a whirlwind of dust and small debris as a building had just collapsed that the angel had fallen in. Coughing slightly he looked up just to see the Eva flying through the air as the angel had counterattacked and wrapped several energy whips around the Eva's arm, and thrown it.
Quickly darting into an alley way Shinji just barely managed to dodge a car as it went soaring directly over where he had been standing moments before. Looking around the corner he saw the Eva get back up quickly and stare down its enemy. Grabbing something from a holster in its back it brought a small knife out which glowed white and charged at the angel.
Slicing across what would be considered its chest, the angel took several steps back to avoid it. Grabbing the arm that had the knife in it, it quickly twisted it and Shinji heard several pops as the arm joints disconnected.
Shinji was starting to become worried as the angel was repeatedly slashing at Unit-02. Next second though the ground shook again and several feet in front of him soared up the one that he had pilot Eva Unit-01.
Shinji stared at it and could almost hear that voice in the back of his head. What he couldn't understand though was how someone else was able to pilot it. He had thought that anybody else that tried to pilot it would immediately die.
Next second though, as the Eva tried to take several clumsy steps forward, it fell directly on its side and fell silent.
Shinji was several hundred feet away from where the Eva fell and hesitated as he looked at its motionless body. He felt as though some unnatural force was pulling him towards the Eva. Inching closer he hesitated as he reached the entry plug and glanced around at anything that would open it.
Reaching out for it a gust of wind threatened to knock him over as Unit 02 sent the angel backwards against a building collapsing it several blocks away from where Shinji stood. Looking behind himself hesitantly, he reached out for the handle for which he thought opened the entry plug. Though at the first touch of it he pulled back quickly as blisters erupted all over his skin. It was well over oven temperature.
Grimacing at the pain now racking his right hand he took a deep breath, and for the life of him couldn't understand why he was doing it, and gripped both hands on the valve and twisted it.
Ignoring the steadily increasing pain on his hands he turned the valve until it was all the way on the other side.
As the entry plug opened several gallons of LCL fluid leaked out, showering Shinji in it. Spitting a mouthful of the disgusting liquid he got his first look at the first child, Ayanami Rei.
Shinji didn't know what he had expected but not this. She was the person that he'd dreamt about. She had light blue hair and dark blue eyes, but the face...puzzled him. It seemed familiar somehow.
Hesitating slightly Shinji asked in a voice that sounded like it didn't want to be answered, "Hey, are you okay?"
The girl shifted slightly at first and then slowly looked to where Shinji was looking in from the outside. Her expression was unreadable, neither happy nor angry that someone had asked her if she was all right.
Sitting slowly up in the plug Shinji then noticed that beads of sweat were on her eyes brows and she seemed to be clutching her side slightly.
Shinji bit his tongue. Here was this completely weird girl, who he had been dreaming about, and now he had just met her. What's more she seemed to be clutching her side as though she was injured.
Shinji was about to open his mouth though when the girl, surprisingly beat him to it.
"Are you Ikari Shinji?"
For some reason the mention of his last named seemed to anger him and a slight crease appeared on his forehead before he said, "Yeah I am."
The girl nodded slightly and then got up shakily from the Eva Unit and hobbled slowly over to the opening in the plug.
"Hey what are you doing?" Asked Shinji as the girl got out.
Either she didn't here him or ignored his comment, either way she didn't answer.
Shinji backed out of the way slightly as she took several steps forward and then seemed to loose her balance. Expecting something of this nature to happen, Shinji took several steps forward and caught her around the waist before she was able to hit the ground. It was then that Shinji realized that large amounts of blood were flowing from her side, which apparently had a large wound.
Shinji had a strong urge then to yell at her, to ask why the hell she was piloting that thing in her condition. He never got the words out though as he assumed she wouldn't care.
"Come on, lets get out of here."
"No."
Shinji had to do a double take as he saw her looking over at the Eva Unit.
With a frown on his face Shinji said, "Come on, your hurt, I don't want to be here, and those things are capable of leveling a city."
"No."
Shinji was starting to get annoyed and was about to retort angrily back at the girl when she said, "The Eva, it wants you to pilot it."
Shinji blinked twice before he understood what she was talking about. Shaking his head he said, "No, I can't."
"And why is that?"
"Because I..."
The girl looked blankly back at him as he turned his head the other way, biting down on his lip, unsure of what to say.
"I don't like it," he finally whispered.
"Why don't you like it?"
"I don't know damn it!"
His outburst didn't even seemed to faze her as she looked calmly back at him. Turning towards the Eva she said, "Only you can pilot that Eva, I tried and wasn't able to."
Shinji grumbled slightly at her words. He didn't want to, hell no, but the visions. He couldn't get the damn things out of his head.
"It's asking you to go, why don't you?"
Shinji maybe thought it would be worth it just to get away from this girls questions.
Looking over at the Eva briefly he could have sworn he felt a tug on his shirt as though it was pulling him towards itself.
Sighing in a dejected way he said, "Do I have a choice." It wasn't a question, it was acknowledgement.
Letting go of the girl she watched him as he slowly walked over to the Eva took a few hesitating moments and climbed in. Almost at once the entry plug resealed itself as though it had found what it wanted.
Inside the entry plug Shinji immediately felt the voice talking to him again.
"Glad to see that your back."
"Don't expect me for long."
"You sure? I feel like I'm getting to know you better every time you climb in. Only I know what is deep in your heart."
"Thats great but how about we get moving."
"Gonna save that red Eva."
"Something like that," Shinji mumbled.
Trying to remember how he had done it before he put everyone ounce of his thought it making the Eva stand up. Slowly but surely it did.
From the right Asuka saw this and smirked into the transceivers that were built into the entry plug. "Might as well stay down first child, I'm almost done."
"Err, hey...Asuka."
Silence greeted Shinji's sudden intrusion at into battle. Asuka didn't reply, whether she was glad or angry Shinji didn't find out. However in the command center of Nerv Misato was beside herself with worry when she heard Shinji's voice over the intercom.
"Shinji what the hell do you think your doing," yelled Misato straight into the entry plug. Shinji felt like his ears were going to explode.
"Helping, I think."
"You get out this instance."
"No. I'm in and staying, for now."
Suddenly a new voice came over the intercom and Shinji recognized it to be his father.
"Am I to understand that you wont run away this time," he said in his usual drawl.
"I'm here until I leave, and only I decide that."
"Nerv does not employee selfish people."
'Then why the hell are you here,' Shinji felt like saying.
Ignoring his dad and everybody else at the command center he turned to see the angel flying through the air again as Asuka had just hit it with a metal light post.
"Heh, try getting up after that you bastard."
"Asuka, I don't think thats enough to-"
Once again she completely ignored him.
Sighing to himself he thought he should have suspected this attitude. Likely she wanted all the glory and didn't care what his thoughts were on the matter, typical.
"Aren't you going to do anything?"
"I didn't do anything last time, you took over."
"Thats right, I had fun. All right since I had my fun I'll help you this time."
The Eva's nerves suddenly bore into the metal of the entry plug and burst through into sea of LCL fluid were they started floating. Shinji eyed them worriedly and said, "Why are you using those things again?"
"I've told you its easier to sync with you, because it is particularly you."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Something that doesn't concern you."
Without warning the nerves pierced Shinji's skin and dug into his body where they wrapped around his own nerves. Slowly blood started to leak from the wounds.
"Hmm, the mixing of the blood and LCL fluid isn't going as well as I'd hoped. Their is a shortage of the LCL fluid since you opened it earlier. Guess it can't be helped will have to rely on your blood."
"And what does my blood have to do with anything."
"You ask to many questions, just sit there and watch."
Eva Unit 01 then let out a roar that shattered the windows of the buildings around it. Crouching down on all fours it dashed quickly off against the ground and hurled itself at the angel. The angel, completely focused on Unit 02 was caught of guard and sent hurling into the nearest building. Jumping up and down, Eva Unit 01 let out another loud roar as it charged at the angel again.
Grabbing one of the energy whips it squeezed it quickly and broke it in a shower of blood and gore. Letting out a wounded howl the angel took several clumsy steps back only to be greet by a savage punch from Eva Unit 02.
"Take that Bastard."
Shinji was almost felt like he was in a drunken rage as he watched things unfold from inside the entry plug. He hated not knowing what to do and being at the mercy of the voice in the Eva, or what he wast starting to call the Devil.
As the angel backed slowly away from Tokyo-3, planning to retreat, Unit 01 quickly pounced on it and grabbed it by the neck and twisted it savagely until it broke with the sound of a battleship bombardment.
"That was dull, I didn't even have to use berserk mode."
Shinji felt himself slowly blacking out as he had lost to much blood. "At least its over."
"For now at least."
"This constant cycle of bleeding and healing is going to affect him."
"How bad?"
"I can't say for sure but he seems to heal surprisingly quickly, which worries me since it could be a side effect of being in that Eva."
"Do you really think its that bad."
"Judging by the fact that Rei couldn't pilot it I can assure you that it's very different."
"I suppose...at least it didn't go berserk."
"No, Shinji seemed to be more in control that last time, but still far from a decent sync. At times he far out passes Asuka's records and at times he barely meets the minimum sync levels."
"Any ideas?"
"None."
Misato sighed, "Thanks Ritsuko for all the help."
"No problem, he shouldn't be in any immediate danger though so when he gets up you should be able to go home."
"Thanks again."
Ritsuko simply waived a hand as she walked out of the hospital room.
Several minutes later Shinji felt his eyes open slowly. It felt like they had been crusted shut.
"Shinji you're awake!"
It took Shinji several minutes to figure out who was talking then...
"Misato?"
"Yeah how do you feel."
"Sore, like I had needles drilled into me."
"Well, you did have the Eva's nerves connected with yours."
"Yeah..."
"So ready to go home."
Shinji looked up hopefully, "I can leave."
"Yeah, nothing's wrong with you so we can leave whenever."
"Okay, yeah I'm ready."
Shinji got out of bed and changed quickly while Misato waited by the door.
"All ready then?"
Shinji nodded.
"Good, I'm sure Asuka is wanting food right about now."
Shinji felt a little sweat dripped from his chin then. He had forgotten about Asuka.
Shinji had thought that he had finally gotten used to Misato's driving but he had to look back at the drive home as he walked into the apartment clutching his stomach.
"About time," said an angry voice.
Shinji looked up to see Asuka in short blue shorts and a pink tank-top standing in front of the door with her foot tapping impatiently.
"Do you have any idea how hungry I've gotten waiting for you."
"Gomen Asuka, I didn't want to wake Shinji up."
"Whatever I want something for dinner, now."
Even though she still hadn't said anything to him since she left earlier or looked at him for that matter, he took this as an indirect way of asking him to make dinner.
"Yeah, I'll get right on it."
"But Shinji you just got out of the hospital, surely-"
"Its fine Misato."
Asuka meanwhile had retreated to the couch and turned on the T.V. and turned the volume up so she couldn't here Shinji whistling in the kitchen.
It was probably the first time since they all three started to live together that not a word was spoken at the dinner table. Shinji for the most part kept to himself and only talked when addressed, but Asuka and Misato talked a lot. Not today.
The air itself seemed to be unsocial and half way through dinner Asuka couldn't take any more of it and stood up, planting both palms on the table, and walked over to the living room with her half eaten plate.
When Asuka finally left Shinji stopped playing with his food and asked Misato. "Err, is she angry that I killed he angel and not her?"
Misato shrugged, "No idea."
Sighing Shinji pushed his half eaten plate of food away from himself and walked into the living room.
Predictably Asuka was watching something in German and taking up the whole couch. Shinji stood there for several seconds, listening to whatever she was watching and was about to turn around when a harsh voice said, "What do you want?"
Shinji looked over his shoulder to see Asuka still looking at the T.V. even though she had just asked him a question.
Shaking his head he said, "Why are you mad at me."
"Because you're a baka, plain and simple."
"You tell me I'm an idiot at least twice a day, if not more, its something more important than that."
"Fine then, I'm angry that you left the house and then started fighting the angel without giving a thought about it."
"Asuka I didn't have a choice, it just happened in front of me. It's not like I wanted that to happen."
"Baka!"
"Whatever, be that way. You're too stubborn as it is."
As Shinji turned away he heard the shifting of something and next second heard a crash as something exploded over his head.
Being careful not to step on the broken plate he turned around to see a red faced, angry Asuka glaring poisonously back at him.
"DON'T YOU DARE ACT LIKE YOUR THE ONLY ONE THAT DOESN-" Asuka got a hold of her feeling then as she realized that she'd be making herself vulnerable.
Shinji meanwhile was looking curiously back at her, unsure what to make of this sudden outburst and subsequent retreat.
"If it makes you feel any better I'm sorry, for whatever I did. Now I'm going to bed, night."
Shinji then turned and walked down the hall leaving Asuka alone in the living room. Biting her lip slightly she slumped back down into the couch cushions and thought, 'Sorry, you could have died. Baka!'