Answers:
Ulyces: thanks for reading, and I completely agree
Fanus: You've figured me out...crap. Rebuild 1 and 2 fixed every problem the series had in my opinion, which is why I was so disappoint at 3.0 being an incoherent mess. And, in reality, I don't have anything against Shinji/Asuka as a pairing or concept, I just don't accept the way Asuka treats people who haven't done anything bad to her.

Disclaimer: See prologue
Chapter 10: Red Hair

Siberia, 2014

'Plug insertion complete'

"All systems are green, Problem Child is activated."

Time to face the day!

Gotta make it snappy!

But you know, first you gotta make it outta bed!

Hello Mr. Sunshine today you're gonna be mine!

Make him pinky swear there's only sunny skies ahead!

Take on the day with a one-two punch-

"There he is! Eva Unit 5, AT field up!"

Several stories above Eva Unit 05's active duty activation, Russian NERV personnel were arguing the effectiveness of their facilities. "This facility was built in the Siberian tundra for a reason! How could it have escaped a containment system as fortified as we are!?

"Not only was it possible, it was inevitable. Fact is, humanity is completely incapable of restricting the Angels on its own. We extracted this thing from the permafrost and carved it down to the bone...which only served to make it angry. It's wreaking havoc on your research facilities as we speak. Have fun with it!"

A ruggedly handsome United Nations Inspector left the Russian Bethany Base with a suitcase he did not enter with, while a strangely cheerful English girl was operating the Unit 5, a battle robot specifically designed for close-combat in caves and tunnels. She was pursuing the skeletal remains of the somehow still alive Third Angel. It cratered itself in Antarctica fifteen years before this moment, and had endured a decade and a half of vivisections before breaking free of its subterranean prison.

The Third Angel used a psionic wave to carve out a section of the underground fortress' roof and began to flee upwards as Unit 05 activated a cluster of rocket engines attached to its quadrupedal chassis. The Angel started climbing a large antenna array at the surface when it was speared and impaled by Unit 05's sharp hydraulic lance.

"And just where do you think you're going?" The girl asked as it thrashed against the antenna, until the Angel's eyes lit bright red and two lasers severed Unit 05's four legs. She groaned in pain as she felt the fake sensation of the leg amputations. "That would have really hurt if this wasn't So. MUCH. FUN!" She grappled with the Angel's glowing red core organ inside its throat as it burned into Unit 05's shoulder joint. "You want the arm? You can have it if you'll just. Fucking. DIE!" She crushed the Core inside Unit 05's one functional arm and pulled her ejection lever as the Angel exploded and vaporized the body of Unit 05 and a large portion of Bethany Base with it.

The UN Chief Inspector was flying over the Arctic Sea on a Beriev B-200 as he witnessed the explosion and saw the splashdown of the Unit 05 entry plug several kilometers away from his flight path.

"I hate the way we suits resort to using children to do our dirty work..." he said as the young woman on the water's surface repeated his sentiments.

"I hate needing these adults to have all my fun..."

He brought the seaplane down and opened the wet entry as the young woman climbed aboard.

"Why thank you, Ryouji. You always are a gentleman."

"What can I say, I have a way with unstable Eva pilots. But, when we get to our destination, I'm going to have to ask you to disembark a little early..."

A young boy laid a bouquet of flowers over one grave of thousands. "I know it's been 11 years, but I still have trouble knowing she's gone."

His father answered him. "That's a reality that I too was once too weak to grasp. There's not a day that goes by that I don't wish that I could return in time to attempt to prevent your mother's death. She taught me to hold onto every moment; back then I didn't understand the value of each moment like she did, and it's something I admit I failed to pass on to you."

"...Do you still have any pictures?"

Commander Ikari's eyes descended, a surprisingly emotional response from the hardened leader. "No, most of her belongings were destroyed in the Impact's flooding, and what survived was placed in secure storage. Everything we need of her must be kept in our hearts and minds. It's just what will have to do for now."

A jet engine roared above their heads. "It seems that I am needed, Lieutenant Colonel Katsuragi should be available to return you home."

"...Thank you for coming today, Dad."

"Yes."

Shinji watched his father climb into the NERV VTOL jet, and he noticed a particular teenage girl had flown in on it to meet him. = Why is she still so loyal to dad? Even since I told her about him... =

He walked back to the waiting sports car, got in, and was bombarded by cheerful prodding from its driver.

"See, you were acting so mopey about coming out here this morning. Now isn't it better that you did?"

"I only came out here because you brought me."

"Shinji, I can see right through you. You're happy you and your father actually spent time together; you're just too stubborn to admit it."

A piece of a warship's bridge fell into the middle of the road. "Katsuragi here, what is it now?!"

A birdlike geodesic monstrosity was striding across the Sea of Japan, ignoring the naval bombardment directed at it. With a twist of it's head, a psionic wave caused blades of water to slice the once-proud Japanese Navy to ribbons on the water.

"All right, the Unit 00 Pilot should already be on base, and I'm bringing in the Unit 01 Pilot as we speak, prep both units for launch!"

"Negative ma'am, Task Project 02 has just been authorized."

"Project 02? That means Unit 02 is already here!" Misato stuck her head outside the car windows and looked up, tuning her radio to military air-band.

"What channel is it? ...One Forty-One point One Five Mhz..."

The radio crackled to life with a thick German-accented report. 'Tokyo Control, Werner inbound, Von Braun is attached.'

'Roger Werner, release Von Braun when ready.'

Meanwhile at 45,000 Feet.

A Daimler-Benz Project C flying wing was smoothly traveling over Japanese ocean when the order to release came.

'Werner here, Von Braun is away, returning to Kadena.'

The flying-wing's umbilical clamps released the red nightmare, and the flight of Sukhoi 35 escorts peeled off before Unit 02's crossbow-railgun was dropped to it. As the Eva skydove to earth, it was attacked by ribbon-like projectiles generated by the Angel's AT field. It was gymnastically flown around and through the ribbons as Unit 02 caught the crossbow and fired a shot through the Angel's needle-thin throat. The Angel's head exploded, and Shinji was astonished.

"It went down in one shot?!"

"There's no way! That head must be a decoy!"

Misato was proven right as the decapitated neck swung down for the Angel's spherical abdomen to take its place. Unit 02 fired a string of bolts that stacked themselves onto the sphere; the pilot let out a high-pitched warcry as the Unit swung into a falling dropkick at near-sonic speed. One Eva-sized boot connected with the crossbow bolts, riding them down into the Angel's AT field, puncturing it and the spherical abdomen. Unit 02 exited the other side with the core stabbed through. It and the Angel exploded in a shower of blood and LCL. Unit 02 hovered on its shoulder jets and landed in the parking space beside Misato's abused car, knocking it into Unit 00's foot, just standing around without much to do.

The pilot issued a situation clear over her loudspeaker, and her feminine voice told Shinji that this pilot was another teenage girl.

Unit 02 was being delivered into NERV by a rail harness, with Shinji, Rei, Touji and Kensuke watching from the train junction.

"That red paint job looks seriously cool!" Kensuke exclaimed, loud enough for the Unit 02 Pilot to hear.

"That's not the only thing that's 'cool'!" She shouted. "Unit 01 and Unit 00 are nothing compared to Unit 02, they're just beta testing prototypes! Unit 02 is the real deal, it's the first real Evangelion! You Japanese pilots are no longer necessary!"

Misato, amused at the fiery redhead's attitude, finally announced, "That would be the pride of the German Air Force, Captain Asuka Langely Soryu, Pilot of Evangelion Unit 02."

Seeing the dark-haired Officer, Asuka acrobatically ran down the side of her Unit, freerunning over the fence, concrete wall and several safety railings before jumping and landing next to Misato.

"Misato! It's been too long!"

"Asuka, welcome to Tokyo 3-"

"That blue haired one must be the Unit 00 Pilot, right? The Commander's pet herself."

Rei had lost interest and was walking away as Asuka stared daggers into her back.

"Asuka-"

She turned her eyes towards the three boys. "And which one of you idiots is the Commander's little embarrassment? I know one of you sucked your way into Unit 01's cockpit."

Shinji tensed at those words, and Asuka stomped her way up to him. "So it's you, wimp?"

She foot-swept him and Shinji tumbled backwards, his body reflexively landing in a breakfall position. He reluctantly steeled his mind to defend himself = Why the hell is she attacking me!? = He rolled backwards and stood up quickly. "What are you doing?! Leave me alone!"

"I really should, just like you left me alone to fight that bastard all by myself!"

"What are you talking about? I was on my way in to NERV; you looked like you handled it well enough-"

"I most certainly did! I don't need you or your outdated Units!"

Misato looked downtrodden, Shinji wasn't a difficult person; Rei is so static that she simply vanishes from conflict, but Asuka hates competition, especially when those around her weren't competing. = How do I get her to work with them? They've done nothing to her. =

"Who the hell does that bitch think she is?" Touji asked with his usual grating voice.

"Well, she is an Air Force Captain at her age, that's like a 10 year old going to med school! Maybe she's earned it?" Kensuke responded.

"So what? Shinji's a First Lieutenant and he's never acted like that to anybody-"

"Hey, you kids! Can you help a guy with some directions? I'm trying to make it to the NERV surface entrance, but I'm totally lost."

Shinji answered the man walking up to them, "You're at the right station, but you have to take the Secure Connector Train, it requires a passcard."

"Then I hope mine is still valid...Tell me, is Major Katsuragi still Commissioned?"

"Actually, she's been promoted, but yeah."

"Great, Shinji, when we get there we can swap stories about Misato's snoring!" He gave a friendly smile and walked away.

"Who was that guy, Shinji?"

"...I have no idea."

A/N: Sheeee's heeeere!