Nineteen: Asuka Strikes!

Philippine Sea. 40 miles southeast of Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.

August 30th, 2015.

Shinji stumbled over one of the steps and nearly broke his neck. "Slow down!" he wheezed.

Asuka dragged him onto the landing. "Are you trying to get us trapped? The watertight hatches close in three minutes."

They emerged onto the flight deck, where the air wing was scrambling the remaining aircraft. Asuka flagged down one of the helicopters. "Take me to Titus Andronicus. "

The pilot stuck his head out the window. "No civvies on the flight deck—"

Asuka flashed her NERV ID. "I am the pilot of Unit-02. Take me to Titus Andronicus! "

Shinji followed her into the helicopter and pulled the door shut.

His stomach dropped into his shoes as the helicopter lurched into the air.

Smoke rose from Othello. A frigate covered in bite marks leaked oil. "Why is there an Angel out here?" Shinji muttered. "All the other ones went straight for Tokyo-3."

Asuka shrugged. "Who cares? This is my chance to score a kill."

"Aren't you scared?"

"I'm not a coward. This Angel is about to be sashimi."

Shinji looked out the window. A dark shape circled below the fleet. I'm not a coward. Anyone in their right mind would be afraid of that.

She tapped her foot impatiently on the floor. "Can't you fly any faster?"

The pilot ignored her. A series of loud bangs rang out below. "They're wasting their shells," Asuka muttered.

"What are we going to do?" Shinji said.

"We aren't doing anything. I am going to gut this overgrown guppy, you are going to watch and clap."

She's so bossy.

The helicopter closed in on Titus Andronicus . The cruiser Baltimore fired a salvo under them—Shinji felt the shockwaves buffet the chopper. The pilot mumbled a stream of rapid-fire curses and hauled back on the cyclic—the skids impacted the helipad with a hard jolt. Asuka pulled the door open. "Get out, idiot!"

"Thank you," Shinji yelled over his shoulder at the pilot. They sprinted towards the ship's bow. "Where are we going?"

"Unit-02. I just need to grab my suit."

The stitch in Shinji's side felt like a broadsword wound. Every breath brought a sharp stab of pain. He slowed down. "Go ahead without me—"

Asuka shot him a murderous glare. "Run."

Shinji ran.

Asuka opened the locker and pulled out two rubber plugsuits. This is bullshit. That idiot had a two hour warning, I got twenty minutes. She closed her eyes. No time. There's no time to lose it, not with that idiot as backup. Control yourself, Second Child. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes. It'll take 30 seconds to reconfigure Unit-02 for combat. I can do that while the plug is warming up.

Asuka quickly undressed and crammed her clothes into the locker. She stepped into her plugsuit. Now, where's that idi— She turned around and shrieked. "Idiot, don't peek!" Shinji's eyes disappeared behind the bulkhead. "Why are all men dumb perverts?!"

She tapped the wrist button and the suit sealed to her body. She gathered up the second suit and walked out.

Shinji sat on a stool, staring at the smooth red shell of Unit-02. The Evangelion lay on its face in the tarp-covered hangar, half-submerged in LCL.

He straightened up. "Sohryu-san, you're—"

Asuka thrust the second plugsuit into his arms. "Put this on."

Shinji looked at the rubber suit, then back up at her. "Why are we changing into plugsuits?"

"What are you, stupid? I'm going to fight the Angel with Unit-02!"

"But Misato-san hasn't given us the go-ahead yet."

She brushed him off. "I'll ask for forgiveness later."

"Why do I have to wear a plugsuit?"

Asuka stepped quickly across the floating bridge and onto the Evangelion's shoulders.

"You're coming with me, obviously. I'm going to show you how a real pilot does it."

Shinji looked back at the suit. "Seriously?"

Asuka inserted her key into the shoulder slot. The entry plug sprang out of the Evangelion's nape with a pneumatic hiss. She pulled the hatch down and slid the door open. She heard footsteps behind her. "What took you so long?" Shinji slunk across the bridge, ears as red as the suit. Asuka snickered. I definitely wear it better. I need to get a picture later for blackmail.

She climbed into the plug, settling into the seat. "Consider yourself lucky, idiot-Shinji. Very few people get to see the Great Sohryu Asuka Langley pilot up close and personal. If you touch anything I'll break your hands. Touch me and I'll break your neck."

Shinji gave her an annoyed look. "I get it already." He climbed into the plug behind her. "We really should ask Misato—"

"Like hell I will. I'm not letting you or her steal my glory." She pressed the start switch on the chair. The lights inside the plug flickered to life. Asuka held down the command button and spoke in German. "Begin deep-thaw sequence. Initialize A-10 parasympathetic link. Begin boot sequence Bremen, set system language to German." She turned to Shinji, switching back to Japanese. "No thinking. Keep your mind blank—it shouldn't be too hard for someone like you." Shinji scowled but complied nonetheless.

Asuka pressed another button. "Flood entry plug, prepare synchronization array."

Red liquid poured from a set of ducts and flooded the plug. Asuka took a deep breath of LCL as the plug filled with rainbow light. You can do this. You've done it a hundred times in the simulator. She reached out and placed her hands on the control levers. Mama, I hope you're watching.

Alarms flashed inside the plug. "Cognitive error—" She whirled to face Shinji. "Idiot! If you're going to think, think in German!"

"Um, okay. Baumkuchen, Lederhosen, Oktoberfest—"

"Shut up! I'll switch the language to Japanese, so just shut up!" Asuka switched the language and the alarms winked out, replaced by a dull beige screen. She tensed the Evangelion's legs for a leap. Showtime.

Misato watched the Angel breach over the deck of Midsummer's Night. The battleship fired a volley of 16" shells into its belly. An orange shield flickered into existence under the creature—a sea breeze carried the powerful odor of creosote to the bridge. Fire bloomed across the deck of Midsummer's Night, scorched by her own shells. The whale's descent knocked the conning tower to the deck.

The Captain swore quietly. "That's another one disabled."

Misato shrugged. "I told you, it's useless. If the UN Army couldn't scratch any of the first three Angels, you had no chance against the fourth."

He scowled. "I don't see your beloved Evangelion anywhere—"

A blur of red shot across the sky, and both officers whipped around to look. Misato slowly grinned. Perfect timing. Unit-02 landed in a perfect gymnastic pose atop the deck of Admiral Kuznetsov, then slowly straightened up. Misato could've sworn it was smiling back.

The Captain's eyes widened. "Impossible."

Misato laughed. "She activated the Evangelion."

The Captain shook his head, picking up the microphone. "Unit-02, shut down. You were not cleared to launch!"

Misato snatched the mike away. "Belay that order, Asuka. Destroy the Angel!"

The Captain and Misato wrestled over the mike. The officer hit Misato with his newspaper, pulling on the microphone with all his might. "How—" THWACK "Dare—" THWACK "You!"

Misato yanked the paper away and chucked it across the room. Kensuke ducked to avoid the projectile, glued still to his camcorder.

Misato shoved the CO back. "My authority supersedes yours, Captain!"

"I am the ranking officer of the Pacific Fleet! I outrank anyone—"

"Well, call me the Archangel Michael, because I outrank everyone who isn't God or Jesus—and I don't see either of them on this bridge!"

The Executive Officer, a burly man of about forty years old, took the Captain firmly by the arm. "Sir, you're making a scene."

Misato picked up the fallen mike. "Asuka, you can't fight underwater in Type-B gear."

"Then I won't fall in," she replied. "I need the power cable on the Over the Rainbow."

The pale-faced deck officer nodded. "I'll relay the order." He picked up the telephone and punched in a number. Kensuke fumbled with his tapes, slotting in a new one and returning to the recorder. "This is the BEST day of my life and it just keeps getting BETTER!"

Misato returned to the mike. "Did you get that, Asuka? The cable's here."

"Roger. Coming to you."

Asuka leaped across the sky, aiming for a cruiser. That otaku's probably pissing mad at the damage. Good. She landed with a crunch on its bow, flattening a turret. 30 seconds left. Two more jumps. Shinji peered over her shoulder. "The Angel's coming this way." She glanced quickly at the sea, where a line of bubbles slithered towards the cruiser. She leapt again, jumping high and clear. The Angel surfaced an instant later, tearing the ship in two. Unit-02 landed on one foot atop the Othello—she paused, getting her bearings, then flipped backwards over the Coriolanus. Baltimore's magazine detonated with a chain of blinding flashes, forcing Asuka to twist midair and land on a frigate. The blast sent a wave cresting over the ship's prow. The smell of salt spray and creosote perfumed the sea air. Unit-02 strode across the gap onto a destroyer, gathered up its bulk, and took a flying jump at the Over the Rainbow.

The Evangelion crashed down onto the fleet carrier, crouching low. Asuka looked over at the tower. Misato flashed her a thumbs up from the window, while a single terrified figure gawked up at her from the flag bridge. Misato, nerd kid, idiot-Shinji, and perv boy…good, the Tokyo gang's all here.

"Switching to secondary power." Asuka grabbed the cable off the deck, plugging it into the small of her back. The counter froze at ten seconds and vanished. She drew the progressive knife from Unit-02's pylon and took up a knife-fighter's stance.

"You're going to stab it mid-breach?" Shinji asked. "It's a lot bigger than the other Angels."

Asuka snorted. "My knife's big enough."

Misato's voice hissed over the comms channel. "Do you need fire support? They've finally gotten a wing of Hornets into the air."

Asuka shook her head. "No, this is my kill. Tell the fighters to stand down."

"Here it comes," Shinji muttered. The Angel sped towards the Over the Rainbow, the top of its head just barely breaking the surface.

Asuka shifted her stance and took a deep breath. Time to make Mama proud.

The Angel breached the surface, lunging straight at Unit-02. Sheets of seawater poured from its bony jaws, flooding the deck. Asuka braced herself and stared the monster down. Its bulk came crashing down upon Unit-02, trying to bowl her over the side; she caught it between her knife and free arm and pushed it down onto the carrier. The whale writhed and fought. At least three hundred meters long, the Angel's skull alone covered half the carrier. Its gaping, fanged mouth chomped at the air, its green skin lumpy and diseased.

Asuka aimed a ferocious overhead chop at its head—the knife glanced off in a stream of sparks. The whale's head lolled sideways, wriggling towards her. Its teeth tore deep furrows in the asphalt. She held the Angel's jaws open, stabbing with all her might at the core shining in its slimy gullet. An orange AT-Field bloomed over the crimson orb. The stench of creosote caught in her throat. The idiot's first was piney fresh; mine smells like tar. Great. The Angel jerked forward, jaws opening wide. Unit-02 stepped quickly backward and hit the edge of the deck. The ship listed sharply to port; the Angel slid down and knocked Unit-02 into the water.

Asuka hit the cold seawater and felt the Evangelion get a thousand times heavier. The whale dragged them along the seabed, teeth locked around Unit-02's shoulder. Little jolts of pain poked along her back as Unit-02 scraped through a stony reef. The cable tore a boulder from the seabed, which shattered against the monster's face.

She kicked clumsily at the Angel, connecting with its nose. The dazed creature swam blindly past, disappearing into the blue. The seabed dropped sharply off a few hundred meters away into a tumbled cliff, descending into a broad ravine. She tried to paddle for the hull of the Admiral Kuznetsov, but Unit-02 wouldn't obey.

"Damn it." Asuka hauled back on the joysticks to no avail. "Which moron decided to transport Unit-02 in B-type gear, over the ocean? "

The Angel circled in the distance, a shadow against the eerie blue haze. Asuka thought furiously. There's a way out of this. Unit-02 can't move, the Angel's coming straight at me, and I'm tethered…wait, I'm tethered to the ship . A half dozen thrashes of its tail sent the Angel gliding at great speed towards Unit-02. The demon whale's jaws opened wide. Asuka opened the comms channel. "Move the ship! The direction doesn't matter, just hurry!" She reached out with great effort and gripped the tether.

Misato's voice spoke through the muffled speakers. "Working on it. Why?"

"It'll yank the Evangelion up and clear. The Angel can't exactly turn on a dime."

A pause. "That's a good plan."

Asuka stared down the terrible creature. It was as sleek and streamlined underwater as it was unwieldy and grotesque on the deck. The nodules on its leathery skin emitted a pale light. It might have even been beautiful, if not for the rows of sword-length teeth lining its wide maw.

She looked up at the outline of the Over the Rainbow. The Angel got closer with every blink, jaws opening to rip her apart. At that moment, the tether went taut. A sudden force yanked the Evangelion up and away, gliding over the Angel. Asuka kicked down at its snout; the Angel crashed down into the seabed, drifting off into the dark expanse at a slowing clip. Asuka cast a quick look around. The burning cruiser lay dead in the water, getting closer by the moment as the carrier picked up speed. Its anchor hung down into the sea.

Chance.

"I have a plan."

Misato took a deep breath. "This is an awful plan. I hate this plan."

Asuka scoffed. "You're not the one getting eaten by a giant fish. Either it works or we all die horribly, so quit worrying about it."

Asuka is lecturing me about patience. The world's been turned on its ass.

The XO cleared his throat. "What does the Pilot say?"

Misato let out a little laugh. "She wants to dive into the Angel's mouth, stick the Baltimore's anchor in its gullet, then sink the Baltimore. If this plan works, Unit-02'll rip the Angel's heart out through its mouth. Otherwise the whale's gonna eat us, then spit corium clear to Manila."

"Oh…is there an option that doesn't wreck our ship?"

"Nope. Operation 'Atomic Jonah' is now commencing. Get everyone off the deck, clear the bridge of unnecessary personnel, and get the infirmary ready for a mass casualty event. Tie yourself to something sturdy. If we're lucky, Over the Rainbow will be able to limp to port under her own power."

The Executive Officer's expression was now very dour. "Understood. Anything else?"

Misato frowned. "Might as well order the other ships to stand by to fire…Kaji?"

Sure enough, Ryoji Kaji was running down the flight deck towards a scrambled F/A-18 fighter. She grinned. "At least someone's watching our skies." Kaji hopped into the fighter and the pilot took off…and promptly fled the scene. Misato's smile melted off. "Did he just…bail on us?" She clenched her fists. "That son of a—"

Toji sidled up to her. "Sucks about Kaji-san, huh? Guess he didn't shape up—"

She rounded on him. "Shouldn't you be under the deck? No children allowed on the bridge!"

Toji scurried for cover. Misato returned to staring at the hulk of the burning cruiser.

Asuka frowned at the readouts. "It's too hard to track everything this way. Do you know FORTRAN?"

"What?"

Asuka clicked her tongue irritably. "Of course you don't. Here, take the helm." She slipped out of the chair. "Don't move anything. Just hold the Evangelion in place."

Shinji sat down, gripping the sticks. "Wait, I'm not synched—"

"Idiot-Shinji, of course you aren't. I'm currently synced to Unit-02. Just don't move." Asuka pressed another switch. A keyboard extended out of the side of the chair—she typed in a quick sequence of commands. Four trackers should be good; the Angel, the cruiser, its anchor, and the carrier. The Second Child felt the extremely strange feeling of the Evangelion tugging on her limbs and shuddered. "Set heterogenous sync rate limiter, parameters 4, 7, 10, 0." The sensation dimmed. Asuka typed in one last line, hit enter, and stowed the keyboard. A set of four crosshairs appeared onscreen, accompanied by a datastream.

She prodded Shinji. "Get out." Shinji climbed out of the seat and Asuka took his place.

"Are you ready?" Misato asked.

"Start moving the O.T.R . towards Baltimore. " Asuka glanced back at Shinji. "Ikari, start reading the Angel's position—the third row—out loud. I can't watch everything at once."

Shinji nodded. "Got it. 3,200 meters, -21° declination, 121° azimuth."

The cable drew taut and Unit-02 began to pick up speed. Asuka adjusted her posture, gliding flat through the water.

"3,400 meters, -11° declination, 116° azimuth." Gaining distance, that's good.

She checked the cruiser's position. Less than a kilometer left.

"We'll winch you up to the right depth." Misato said. "Try not to move."

"4,200 meters, -1° declination, 172° azimuth."

The shadow of Baltimore loomed over the water.

Misato spoke into the comms. "Asuka, we're diverting now to avoid a collision."

"Got it. Tell me when you let the winch fly."

"3…2…1…now!" The force yanking on the small of her back vanished. Unit-02 flew through the water, curving downward under its weight. Asuka shifted her torso and tried to aim for the swinging anchor. The tracker read 30 meters dead ahead.

A shock passed through the water. "They've collided!" Shinji yelled.

The anchor chain jolted back. Asuka's hand missed the anchor by a foot. She felt her heart stop.

She thrust the arm out with all her might. The tips of her fingers managed to close around the chain. Asuka pulled her hand to her chest, the anchor knocking against her hip. That was too damned close. She glanced over at Shinji—judging by his paleness, the Third Child was having similar thoughts. The umbilical tightened again and yanked Unit-02 upward.

Shinji squinted at the readouts over her shoulder. "5900 meters, -2° declination, 193° azimuth."

"I've got the anchor." Asuka said.

"Good," Misato replied. "We've run into a bit of trouble, we'll handle it on our end. Stand by."

Misato picked up the phone. "Katsuragi Misato, Director of NERV Operations."

"This is Damage Control."

"Well? How bad is it?"

"Twelve missing as of last count. Two compartments are flooded, but the watertight doors held. We've got a few dozen injuries, no fatalities recorded."

Better than I expected. Half of the twelve will probably turn up somewhere.

"Alright. One more shock to go."

The Captain walked back onto the bridge. Ugh, this guy again.

"Katsuragi. Hendrikson told me you plan to 'pull a Jonah.' What do you need?"

She glanced over at him—the man seemed earnest enough. He's finally come around.

"We have to sink Baltimore once the Angel bites. The drag force will tear the Angel apart. Can you coordinate the other ships in the fleet?"

The Captain nodded. "They'll be ready to fire on command." He picked up the telephone.

Misato returned to the mike. "Hang on, Asuka. Nearly done."

Asuka tightened her grip on the anchor. They passed over a seamount crowned with the wreck of a capsized oil tanker. Nothing swam or crawled around them, all life fleeing at the approach of the monster.

"4300 meters, 5° declination, 192° azimuth."

"Is it approaching us?"

Shinji checked the instruments. "Yes, it is. The Angel's coming in fast, too."

"Forget the angles, just read off the range and velocity—that's in the last column."

"4000 meters. Velocity currently…200 km/h."

Asuka's eyes widened. "Impossible." She checked the gauge. "That's not physically possible."

"Well, neither are energy fields and laser diamonds."

"Angels are bullshit."

"3000 meters. 240 km/h."

She pulled hard on the tether. Agonizingly slowly, the Evangelion began to twist around.

"2000 meters. 300 km/h. Asuka—"

"I see it. Come on, move!" The Angel glowed an eerie, phosphorescent green now, bright enough to cast a hazy light against the rocky seabed. The speed of its rush boiled the water into a veil of bubbles against the AT-field. Asuka felt the heat of the creature warm Unit-02's skin.

"1000 meters. 200 km/h—Is it slowing down?" The core's in its mouth. It doesn't want to hit us too fast.

"Let the tether run," she yelled. "It'll drag the ship!"

The Angel's maw opened wide to devour her; Asuka stretched her body out and aimed for the jewel gleaming over the opening of its gullet.

"500 meters. 100 km/h." Shinji shoved the stick forward. "You'll miss it!"

"Hands off my Eva, idiot!" Asuka head-butted his shoulder, but Shinji kept his grip on the controller. She swung an elbow at his mouth, which the Third Child ducked.

Rings of teeth blotted out the distant Sun. Unit-02 crashed into the fleshy back of the Angel's mouth; Asuka gritted her teeth as her shoulder popped out of its socket. The jaws slammed shut and plunged them into darkness. Asuka glared at Shinji. "This is your fault!"

"You were going to hit the teeth!"

"Like hell I was, you made me miss the core—"

Shinji glowered. "You—"

Misato's voice broke through. "Asuka, can you hear me?"

She shot Shinji an acid look. "Yes, I'm here. We're in the mouth."

"Got it. Are you both intact?"

"I'm fine, the Third wet himself."

Shinji leaned over the chair. "I did not!"

Misato sighed. "Cut it out, Asuka. Is the anchor chain intact?"

Asuka flipped on the external lights. The monster's teeth gleamed like marble columns in the beam, protruding from pink, scarred gums. "Looks like it." Unit-02 stood up—the crown of its head now stuck past the falling water level. She gripped the Evangelion's limp right arm with her left and forced it back into the socket, choking back a scream. "I'll stick the anchor in. Is the fleet ready to fire?"

"On command."

"How are you going to get it to stick?" Shinji asked.

Asuka hefted the heavy iron anchor. "I'm going to ram it down Fishy's throat into its gut. A few cuts from the prog knife will get us behind the core, then Newton-kun will do the rest of the work."

The water fell to below the Evangelion's knees. Asuka took a shaky step forward, dragging the anchor along. The floor of the cavity was strewn with detritus from the fleet above: torn hull plates, twisted beams, and even a chewn-up helicopter.

Unit-02 reached the back of its mouth. The core shone wetly, half buried in flesh. Asuka strained against the anchor's weight, leveling it with the narrow opening to the Angel's gullet.

"Ein, zwei, drei!" She set her feet and pushed forward with all of Unit-02's weight. The point sank a meter or so in, then stalled. Asuka felt the Angel shudder, nearly losing her own footing.

A little more. Come on… She shifted her grip and pressed harder. Slowly, meter by meter, the anchor disappeared down the tunnel. Blood trickled from the torn tissues as the barbs dug into the flesh. The ground shook as the Angel swallowed the anchor whole, knocking Unit-02 to the ground. The chain jerked forward, flying into its throat.

"Anchor's set."

"Get tied in," Misato said. "We're running out of tether."

"Is Baltimore—"

"Sinking fast. We're probably going to get yanked along for the ride."

Asuka got up, brushing monster slime from Unit-02's pylons. "That's not coming off."

She gave the core an appraising look. "Now, how do I get a grip on you?" She stabbed the progressive knife under the crystal surface. The blade cut easily through the flesh, but the Angel's flesh regrew behind the knife. She withdrew the weapon—the wound closed without leaving a mark. It can regenerate faster than I can cut.

"Push the tether through."

Asuka turned to Shinji. "What?"

"Push the tether through the hole. It won't be able to close—"

"—and then pull it through on the other side. That just might work."

Asuka gathered up the slack in the tether. That should be enough. She wrapped it once around her waist and set to her bloody work. The AT-Field flickered around the jewel, the odor of creosote filling the cavern. She pulled her right arm free with a squelching sound; the tissue closed around the tether.

"You're almost out of tether—"

"Half done, Misato."

Asuka switched the knife to her left. "Either the core comes out or the tether cuts us in half."

"You didn't mention the second part in your pitch."

Asuka shrugged. "I know what I'm doing."

"I sure hope so."

Asuka pulled the tether through the cut, looping it under her arms. "Tied in. How much longer?"

"I'd say…forty seconds, give or take ten. Try to land on the flight deck, we've cleared the berths below."

"Got it." Asuka flipped the mute switch and let go of the controls. Either this works or it doesn't. She drew in a slow, shaky breath, feeling her chest tighten. The simulations didn't cover this. The worst Angel I fought took a dozen rounds to kill. I could die here, and they'd never find my—no, stop thinking.

She looked over at Shinji. He had his eyes shut tight.

"Um, Ikari?"

He looked over at her. "Yeah?"

"Are you scared?"

Shinji scowled. "Quit calling me a coward, Sohryu."

That's not what I meant—forget it. "This is easy. I don't know what you were crying about, idiot-Shinji."

He didn't reply. Asuka gripped the tether with both hands and waited. It's been forty seconds—

The tether tightened violently around Unit-02; Asuka felt the Evangelion's ribs cracking under the pressure. A moment later, the Angel jerked downward. Shinji was thrown violently against the side of the plug; Asuka held back a wave of nausea as Unit-02's feet dangled down into space. For a moment she hung there. The tether tightened again, making it impossible to breathe.

Finally, the core broke free with the awful sound of flesh and bone tearing apart. Unit-02 shot backward like a bullet and smashed through the Angel's teeth. Asuka nearly blacked out as Unit-02's bones crunched. The world resolved to a field of rapidly brightening blue. Asuka felt the water scouring the loose paint from her armor. Unit-02 burst from the depths in an inverted rain.

Asuka blinked hard. We're about to crash…We're about to crash! She twisted the Evangelion midair. The ocean glimmered in the afternoon sun. Wind blew the seawater from Unit-02's chestplate, the warm sun soaking into her bones. Asuka aimed for the rapidly approaching gray blur that was the Over the Rainbow. This is going to hurt, isn't it?

Unit-02 plunged through the flight deck. The abused asphalt and steel finally gave up the ghost and split before the Evangelion's weight. Every part of Asuka's body exploded at once. I should have turned down the sync rate. Shinji lay crumpled on the floor of the plug, out cold—a shallow cut over his temple was starting to swell up.

Asuka managed to roll onto her back and blinked hazily up at the hole. We're in the hangar.

She flipped the mike on. Misato's frantic voice came through. "Are you two all right?!"

Asuka smiled faintly. "Fine. Angel's dead."

Beat that, idiot-Shinji.

Everything went black.

New Yokosuka Harbor, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.

August 31st, 2015.

Misato cracked open her umpteenth can of baked beans. Well, it's better than going hungry. She ate a spoonful. Not that much better, though. That first beer in port's gonna be manna from heaven.

Asuka pulled a face. "Beans again?"

Misato clicked her tongue. "Last I remember, you were the one who crushed our provisions. Look at Shinji, he isn't complaining about the food."

Shinji blew an experimental note into his harmonica, absentmindedly scratching at his bandaged head. "It's not that bad, Asuka."

Misato grinned. "Oh, you two are on a first name basis now?"

"He calls me Asuka, I call him idiot-Shinji. Fair enough." Asuka stabbed at her can with the opener. "Honorifics are for people with honor."

Misato took it away and opened it for her. "I haven't had any beer in two days. We must all make sacrifices."

Asuka turned to Shinji. "How do you still have that thing? Titus Andronicus sank."

Shinji shrugged. "Just stuck it in the plugsuit. I didn't have any pockets."

"Oh, so that's what that lump was…"

"What?"

Asuka shoveled beans into her mouth. "Nothing. Misato, I want a beer when we get to port. A nice lager—"

"Nice try. I'll consider it when you're fifteen."

"No fair. Kaji let me have—"

Misato's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Let you have what?"

"Never mind."

Notes:

PREVIEW:

The First Child says goodbye to her benefactor. The true story of Second Case Valkyrie comes to light. SEELE unleashes its most fearsome fighters. Next time on Herz und Seele, Chapter Twenty: The Vampire of the Mosquito Coast. Don't worry, there'll be plenty of fanservice!