The next morning, they could've sworn they were awoken by a horn coming from afar. And later, from a tapping on the metal sheet which divided the clothing store from the rest of the train station. Just then, the covering moved to reveal a familiar face.
"Fancy seeing you two here."
The Russian smiled as he stood in his new set of clothing, which consisted of a flannel shirt, jeans, and some adidas. It seemed like he had recently gotten himself a slight makeover. But where?
"As soon as you're done taking your sweet time, let's get moving. Captain Battlehorne is waiting for us."
The girl eventually awoke, standing up and opening the metal sheet as someone tapped on it. She was prepared for anything, but, surprisingly, it was Danya. She blinked. Well, it was good to see him again. Though, the clothes he wore were surprisingly fancy. Asuka was just wearing some raggedy steel-toed boots for her shoes. She had also put on a jacket as well, though, right after she shook Shinji awake and right as she picked up her bag, she heard him refer to a 'Captain Battlehorne'. Asuka let out a slight chuckle. That was a... pretty dumb name, in her opinion.
"Battlehorne? Who's that?"
"My commanding officer. Apparently he's made a return, and now he's leading a rescue operation with the US and Russian fleet." He said to them as Shinji got up. "I'll show you."
Shinji at first was hesitant, but if this rescue operation meant doing some good, he wouldn't mind at least trying. Having a lack of purpose apart from being a pilot like he was forced to...
He stood up and followed Danya outside.
Outside of the train station, a few amphibious armored vehicles were parked. A squad of Navy Seals had come alongside to dish out a relief effort for the California coastline, an operation which had been a go since about a week ago. Among them...none other than the distinguished American Captain, who like a Shonen hero, wore his thick white naval coat around with pride, not bothering to wear the sleeves. He was quite muscular, and elderly for that matter. He had a mustache and a stern look about him.
"Captain Battlehorne! Sir!" Danya said as he stood at attention.
"As you were, sailor."
Asuka looked at Battlehorne. Jeez, this guy looked like he was straight out of a shonen anime or something. Asuka looked at the armored vehicles. Huh... well, at least some form of military existed. The girl extended her non-scarred hand out to Battlehorne for a handshake, a small smile on her face.
"Name's Asuka Langley Soryu. Nice to meet'cha."
She said. She was slightly bubbly- finally being able to get some sleep was something she was waiting for for days now. She'd also used her full name- force of habit when introducing herself; it probably wasn't too much of an issue, considering that Battlehorne was a military official and it was... likely custom for a person to greet him with their full name. She didn't exactly know- she wasn't really aware of many American customs.
Shinji just sat there and didn't say anything. He was shy. In the presence of such an esteemed Captain like Battlehorne, he couldn't help but feel pathetic...but he had to try his best.
Rather than speaking, he simply extended his hand to the Captain. He was rather confused, as he thought a person like him would seem disappointed and begrudging to a person like Shinji. But...it didn't seem like that at all. Rather, Battlehorne seemed to simply nod and shake their hands.
Captain Husdon Carter Battlehorne was essentially the antithesis of Gendo Ikari. Despite his stoic appearance and thousand-yard stare, he housed great concern for the well being of his pilots. He was drafted into the Navy during the height of the Vietnam War, and unlike Shinji's father, knew full well the price of war, and the trauma it took on the young and inexperienced like he once was.
At first, Battlehorne and Danya were at odds, as the Captain, given his nationality and patriotism, was skeptical of the Russians during the Cold War. Putting trust into the hands of the captain wasn't easy given Danya's traumatic loss of Nikolai, but in hindsight, it was worth the effort.
"As said, this is Asuka Langely Soryu, designated pilot of Unit 02. And this here...is Shinji Ikari, designated pilot of Unit 01."
"Honored to meet you two. Normally I'd commend the both of you for your efforts and relieve you of your duty. Under the circumstances however, we have other matters to discuss."
He said as he shook their hands.
Asuka shook his hand firmly before placing it on her hip, looking at Battlehorne. She already didn't have a good feeling about anybody that had control of the Eva Units, but Battlehorne was at least a step ahead for saying that he would commend them for their efforts.
Hearing that she was the pilot of Unit 2- and the Evas in general... it brought back unsavory memories. Of her fight against Arael, her inactivity in the fight against Armisael, and despite her insane effort, her death at the hands of the MP Evangelions. Asuka squeezed her eyes closed for a moment before opening them again. What were the 'other matters'?
"It's an honor to meet you as well; though, what 'other matters' are we gonna be discussing?"
She had... a feeling that it would involve the Evangelion, considering that he said that normally, he'd relieve them of their duties.
The Captain sighed as he tilted his hat. "As much as it galls me to say this...we need you three, to pilot once more time."
Shinji felt his heart sink deep into his chest. Of all the things to have happened to him, why this? He couldn't help but have a flashback to the times he was forced to pilot, and the trauma he was forced to endure. All the worse still while suffering neglect and manipulation from his Machiavellian father.
"...no...'" He uttered as his face slowly drooped towards the ground. He never thought he'd ever have to pilot again. He never wanted to, ever. He didn't want to have to suffer all this over again, not again.
"Captain? I thought this was a rescue operation we were running."
"Son-"
"Don't call me son." Danya said. This was one of the things that irked Danya in his relationship with the Admiral. Although Battlehorne treated the pilot like a surrogate son, Danya didn't want to be reminded of the loss of his parents.
And so, it did. Asuka looked down, clenching her fist slightly. Memories - of what had happened while she was a pilot- flashed and spread throughout her mind. Asuka's slight smile immediately drops to a slight frown as she steps back. No, she... didn't want to do it again. She didn't want to pilot one of those again. But, if she absolutely had to... if it were to prevent something absolutely catastrophic... she wanted to at least know why.
"... And why's that?"
She said. Her tone was audibly less cheery- almost annoyed as she stood back, moving next to Shinji and occasionally shooting him a concerned glare.
Once more, Captain Battlehorne sighed as he adjusted his cap. Being the veteran he was, he knew full well what he was asking, and the burden that it carried upon the children, as they were all asked to sacrifice so much, only to be neglected by the very people who should've taken care of them.
"I know I am asking a lot from you three. You've all risked life and limb, and considering the hell you've been through, you have every right to refuse. However, if you do, then the chances of success are next to none."
"Success? Sir, the world had practically ended. What are we even up against this time?"
"...The Abaddon Protocol."
—
EVANGELION: WESTSIDE STORY
Episode 6:
"No Retreat, No Surrender"
—
Shinji's worry began to increase upon hearing that term. Whatever it was, it couldn't have been good. His anxiety grew as did his concern. What was this new threat they were faced with? Another Angel? Another threat from SEELE? Something worse? What could be worse than the Third Impact?
Nothing much, and that idea alone terrified him, and with good reason.
"...The Abaddon Protocol? What's that?"
She asked. She felt like she had to- if... she didn't, then whatever they were up against was going to win. And if it were anything like the Third Impact, then things were certainly about to get a lot worse. Asuka's facial features tighten up as she attempts to place a hand on Shinji's shoulder to comfort him.
"Before I go any further, I need you to understand that this...is of unparalleled importance to the survival of our species and the rebuilding of our world. We've gathered plenty of intel on SEELE during our raid at ALCOM not long after I resurfaced. Instead of telling you, I'd rather show you on board my ship." He said as he noticed all their facial expressions.
The only one who didn't seem fully affected by piloting an EVA was Danya. Even though he suffered much, he never was faced with anything as the rest of the two...but soon...who knows?
"Bring him out." Battlehorne called out to one of his Seals as one of them brought a bag out from an armored vehicle.
When the bag opened, a small beak seemed to peek its way from out of it. It wasn't long until the owner of it was revealed to be none other than Pen-Pen, who also had apparently returned.
"Either someone spiked my oatmeal or I'm seeing a Penguin with a red mohawk..."
Asuka nodded before looking as one of the Seals opened a bag. She saw... Pen-Pen? She walked up to the penguin, patting its head. Even if it wasn't Misato, Rei, Hikari or anybody else, at least it was... something. She steps back, smiling slightly before looking back at Battlehorne and Danya.
"It's just Pen-Pen. He was Misato's pet before he got sent to Hikari's place. I'm... pretty sure he was a NERV experiment. Anyways -"
"May we go ahead and head to the ship...?"
She asked. She... wanted to know more about SEELE- perhaps it could provide her some closure about everything- about NERV, Gendo, and Rei.
After so many weeks of separation, Pen Pen seemed to be pleased to see a familiar face again. Shinji never thought he'd see the day to be so relieved to see Misato's pet again. He knelt down and patted its head as well as the penguin gave an affectionate coo.
"Hey...buddy..." He said. Reuniting with him made him realize how much he missed the rest of NERV, his friends...and the regret he harbored for isolating himself from him out of fear of being hurt again.
"Follow me, I'll make sure you get there safely." The Captain said as he boarded one of the military vehicles along with the rest of the children before it drove down the hill towards the coastline.
Danya couldn't help but smile as he saw two familiar ships come into view. "That's the USS Fairbanks; the crown jewel of the Anchorage Fleet." He said before turning his attention to another. "And...that's the Russian Supercarrier Yamantau. I thought it was decommissioned."
Asuka hopped in and buckled her seat-belt, gazing off into the distance. She looked at the ships coming into the distance. They were amazing, but she still couldn't shake the feeling. Piloting the Eva again... she... she didn't want to. To possibly endure something worse than what she had been through scared even a pretty hardened girl like herself. Asuka looks at Shinji.
"...Hey, uh... If anything goes wrong- while we're piloting and all, I'll have your back."
She said, looking at Shinji and attempting to reaffirm him. She was being truthful as well- not just because she didn't want Shinji injured, but because losing him would mean losing a third of the pilots.
Shinji couldn't help but look up at Asuka after hearing that. He wished he could feel a sense of comfort from hearing that, but he didn't. At the very least, he was somewhat grateful that she would have his back, especially when everyone else he knew seemingly abandoned him, and those who didn't abandon him, died.
Shinji, always the passive type, but then again, being passive wasn't inherently a bad thing, it just meant he was more humble. It's only that people as malicious as SEELE or Gendo would use Shinji like a doormat; a scapegoat. Little else was as frightening or unsettling as the rage of a passive man.
"Thanks..." He said to her, trying to crack a smile. It wasn't long before they arrived at the beach and took the boat to the USS Fairbanks and onto the bridge, which was quite different compared with the JDSAF battleships used against the Angels.
The girl looked around the ship after they exited their vehicle. This wasn't like anything she'd seen in Japan, and she'd never been on any German boats right now. She'd bet that Kensuke would be losing his mind if he were here- if only... she still missed everyone back from the old junior high, especially Hikari.
"Nothing like the boats in Japan-"
She uttered, looking around. She'd eventually just stand to the side of wherever Battlehorne was- she wanted to see everything involving SEELE. It would certainly provide the two with context for their experiences as Evangelion pilots.
Battlehorne wished to be at the front line with his soldiers. He was never one to leave his men behind, or hold himself in any higher regard to those who gave their lives in defense of his country, especially in Vietnam. He stood alongside Danya, Shinji, Asuka, and Pen Pen around the holographic mapping table, which was quite advanced in comparison with the rest of the impressive tech of the ship, courtesy of ALCOM.
"After the Second Impact, SEELE created a contingency plan, should the Human Instrumentality Project be compromised. With their funds from the UN, they launched an excavation project on the surface of the moon in secret, within a region they named, "Mare Infernae". The Captain said as he showed a hologram of the earth and its orbiting moon, zooming in onto the natural satellite.
"But SEELE's gone, right?"
"Gone, but they have ways. They set up an alarm in an undisclosed location to respond to any molecular alterations within the sea of LCL. Now that the process has been reversed, it's only a matter of time before the Abaddon Protocol commences." He said as he brought up another hologram, showing the subatomic structure of LCL, gathered from the information from NERV-U's counterassault on ALCOM.
"What's buried at the excavation site?"
"Unknown, but our collective research indicates that whatever lies underneath the surface is potentially worse than the Third Impact. According to our collective research, and the precise orbit of the moon...we have three days..."
Danya blinked. Three...just three days to prepare for an attack worse than the Third Impact? What in the name of all that is holy had SEELE done?
Something worse than Third Impact... Asuka shivered. And the fact that they only had three days to prepare, was pretty horrifying to her- but she had to be brave. She couldn't just pussy out! Asuka closes her eyes, before opening them again. She seemed pretty serious about the whole thing- who wouldn't be?
"Is there anything we can do to prepare ourselves?"
Captain Battlehorne nodded. "I've had my Lieutenant assign each of you three to speak with our military psychologist tonight. Pen-pen will accompany you during your sessions. It's the least I can do." He replied.
Shinji had a thought on his mind, if Pen-Pen had returned, then...there must've been hope that someone from Japan had resurfaced from the sea. He tugged on the coat of the Captain. "What about...Misato...Rei...anyone?"
"Negative. Any attempts to establish long range contact with NERV have been unsuccessful. As far as we know, Tokyo-3 is still in the dark."
"And...Adeline. Is she…?" Danya asked, wondering about the fate of his girlfriend.
"I'm sorry. But there has been no sign of her."
Danya couldn't help but feel disheartened, as did Shinji, both of who looked downward, feeling the burdening weight of their actions.
"This was neither your fault. None of this was. I was only given the minor details of the Human Instrumentality Project. I should've guessed that my superiors were hiding the truth behind it. All things considered, perhaps the Third Impact was inevitable." He said as he placed his hands on both their shoulders, both boys feeling the same thing.
"As soon as we gather enough allies, I promise you, we will find more answers. For now, my Lieutenant will lead you to the medical bay for evaluation." He said as he gave the command, and Danya followed suit.
NERV was, well, obviously under the water for now. She sighed- it looked like she'd have to wait for the answers she wanted- maybe, after stopping the Abaddon Protocol. As they were sent off for evaluation, Asuka nodded and walked off, trailing behind Danya and Shinji.
The Eva... she... didn't want to pilot again. There wasn't anything motivating her to- hell, the last few times she did, she got critically injured and began spiraling mentally. Asuka sighed. This was to save the planet, so she had to- she'd be just like that damned Commander Ikari if she didn't. Taking another breath, she quickly caught up to Danya and Shinji.
On the topic of Eva... how would they even pilot? Unit 0 obliterated itself in the fight against Armisael, Unit 1 was nowhere, and Unit 2... was gutted. She shivered and nearly gagged just thinking about what happened to her mother- and herself... she hated thinking about it, how euphoric she was to see her mother again, only for it to be ripped away with one strike of a lance. Asuka squeezed her hands shut, trying to get her mind off things. She eventually just blurts something out- trying to start a conversation.
"Well... the view is nice, isn't it-?"
"I guess..." Shinji said as he was led to the medical bay. Truth be told, this was the first time he had to see a psychologist. He was nervous. He often questioned why NERV hadn't bothered to hire one in the first place given the nature of the conflict.
The answer was simple, SEELE was using psychological warfare on its own; and by the time they launched their attack on NERV, it was too late to turn back. Quite possibly, the only salvation to be found, the only way forward in the midst of mankind's self destruction, was in the hands of one Shinji Ikari, and Lillith. Even then, the world was still in ruins, and happiness...was almost unreachable, almost.
They took turns each when visiting the psychologist, who, much like Rei, was nonjudgmental. It was a strange case of deja vu for Shinji and Asuka, both unnerving and comforting at the same time. Their sessions lasted an hour, maybe more, and as they talked, they felt an odd sense of familiarity. Pen Pen acted as an emotional support animal whenever they felt a panic attack oncoming. By the time they all finished, they felt...strange. They knew they had their own individual traumas, but for the most part, they were often too absorbed in it to...think outside the box per se.
As she walked outside, she leaned against a wall. She felt strange- that psychologist... she reminded her of Rei. Sighing, she looked out into the distance. Though, finally opening up fully to someone... it felt nice. At least someone besides Shinji knew the extent of her pain.
She still yearned for answers. Thoughts ran through her mind- maybe she could do some research on her own, like Kaji used to do- though, she immediately shook her head. It'd be more trouble than it was worth, and besides, she probably needed to get training. She would have to pilot the Eva again, after all. She slowly began wandering around, looking for some sort of training deck or something along those lines.
Fortunately for them, there was a small gymnasium in the ship itself, where they could train if they wanted. And considering the circumstances, it was probably best if they put their mind to something to gain a sense of confidence for the upcoming conflict. They had nothing else better to do. Danya changed into his gym clothing before looking around for Shinji. When he did, he was sulking on the bench. He sat down next to him. "How do you feel?"
Shinji...shy as ever...still felt quite rattled by the revelation that he'd have to pilot again. Even though speaking with the psychologist helped him gain a better understanding of his inner turmoil...he couldn't help but feel powerless to do anything but simply exist. "Fine..."
"I know you've probably heard this already...but it's not your fault." Danya said. If anything, he knew that Shinji was a victim of manipulation, which ended up breaking his psyche, and God knows what else.
She simply dug through her bag, slipping back into her Plugsuit in the changing room before coming out. She grabs her own SDAT and earbuds from her bag, placing them in and playing... surprisingly calm music through them. Asuka worked out ruthlessly and pretty vigorously, doing leg, chest, and arm workouts. She of course made sure to bring some water, occasionally taking 1-minute breaks to catch her breath and gulp down some water.
She was clearly wanting to get at least slightly back into shape again. One of the few perks of being an Evangelion pilot was physical enhancements- Asuka's become much more pain resistant and tough due to her battles in Evangelion Unit 2. She remained... oddly silent throughout- she was still contemplating things and getting adjusted. She eventually finishes up, sitting down on the floor and chugging the rest of her water bottle. Her body stung, but that was good, it meant that she'd strained and actually gotten some sort of workout in. She eventually goes and quickly washes herself up in the changing room, simply rinsing herself off and then applying deodorant. She slipped back into her normal clothes, and then simply sat down on one of the benches in the gymnasium, sliding one of her earbuds into her left ear as she awaited Danya and Shinji.
"I'm no pilot..." Shinji said to him, still sulking, even after therapy.
Danya sighed. "As much as I hate to admit it, I'm no soldier either. I'm just a kid...but you know what?"
Shinji looked at him.
"I don't think that's such a bad thing." He said to him as he extended his hand. Shinji hesitantly, but willingly, took it. "Let's make this count."
While waiting for Shinji to get into some gym clothes, Danya took outa few old cassette tapes from the recreation room, of which Captain Battlehorne lended to him. He loaded the soundtrack for Rocky IV into the player before working up a sweat.
Shinji attempted to smile. Having something else to listen to other than the same two tracks he had on his old cassette player was good for a change, albeit a small one. Something to take his mind off of coping with current events was also a benefit. Danya asked Shinji to partake in some sparring practice with him, so they could prepare themselves for the fight ahead. It didn't take long for Shinji to forfeit, but Danya was nonetheless proud he tried.
After that, they made their way to the recreation room. There, Danya invited them to watch a film with him called Kung Fury, an old 80's B-movie that was nonsensically cheesy, but amid the bleakness of their reality, he felt it would do them some good. Danya was a nerd for these things.
The girl didn't care to watch the movie, eventually just stepping out of the room. She didn't care for the movie much- it was way too cheesy and nonsensical for her tastes. As she walked out, she leaned against the boat's railing, placing her arms on it and staring off at the red sea- still a bleak reminder on what had happened on that fateful day.
Asuka looked down- it was hard to think about- it would always be hard to, but... being around Danya and Shinji- the two people she'd finally connected with after so long of shutting herself off with her fake personality for so long- felt good.
She looked at Lilith's body in the distance, head facing in the direction of the boat. Asuka looked on- she hoped that she could get the closure she wanted- she wanted to tie things up with Rei, like she did Shinji. She wanted to talk to Hikari and Misato again. Maybe...after all of this, she'd get the chance.
She continued to stare out into the sea, her hair freely flowing in the light wind. She was... obviously a bit bad at letting things go, even today. She took another deep breath before eventually walking back into the recreation room. She wanted to spend at least some time with Danya and Shinji... and so, she sat down next to Shinji, looking at the screen.
The movie was about a flamboyant freelance cop known for his superhuman karate skills, accidently sent back in time and ends up fighting vikings riding dinosaurs. Nonsensical as it was, it was at least uplifting.
The next couple of days consisted of a similar routine; Breakfast, studying, sparring, lunch, guided workout, psychotherapy, dinner, recreation, bed. Everything else in between, anything went.
For those couple of days, they didn't have to be pilots, for those couple days, they didn't have to worry about survival, for those couple of days, they didn't have to worry about...anything...save for the impending doom that was soon to arrive. They could be children.
This time, they'd be prepared as best as they could, and this time, there wouldn't be anyone trying to undermine their efforts from the shadows.
Or so they thought...