Chapter 10: Crime Rides the Sea
Chapter 10 - Crime Rides the Sea
The morning following the Jet Alone incident seemed to be a return to form for the occupants of the Katsuragi residence. Shinji munched on some butter-and-jam-covered toast as he read through his new issue of the Japanese edition of Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine (a subscription that he managed to successfully continue even with his move), while Pen-Pen gobbled the tasty fishy breakfast the boy had prepared. The door to the kitchen/dining area opened, and in lumbered Misato in her sleepwear, unlike the vision of consummate professionalism that appeared in that same doorway the morning prior.
"Morning," she greeted blearily.
"Morning," Shinji nonchalantly replied between bites. "Sleep okay?"
Misato responded with a sigh as she fixed herself a cup of coffee. "Oh, the usual."
"Figured," Shinji said as he took a sip of his tea. Even with all the information he'd gone over regarding his guardian, he was still amazed how much of a shift she could make between the sleepyhead in front of him and the serious former soldier that greeted him yesterday morning. It was then he heard the doorbell ring. "I'll get it."
When he opened the front door, to the surprise of no one he found Toji and Kensuke on the other side, big smiles plastered on their faces.
"Morning, Ikari!" they both said over-enthusiastically.
"Gentlemen," he greeted in turn as he lifted one backpack strap over his right shoulder. "And apologies, but still not giving you a free show, no matter how many times you beg or no matter the amount offered." He then turned towards the hallway. "Heading to school now, Misato!"
On the other end, Misato, who'd just gotten up to go take a shower, replied with a small wave. "See you later! Don't flunk out on me, y'hear?"
Shinji chuckled as he quickly closed the door before either of his friends could try and push it open, proceeding to then gently push them back towards the elevator. Once ground-level, the three were soon on their way to school, Shinji teasing them by whistling "She's a Beauty" by the Tubes as they walked.
"Aww, quit rubbin' it in, man," Toji faux-lamented. "*Sigh* She is just too cool..."
"And quite out of your league, need I remind you?" Shinji posed.
"All the more reason why we both envy you," Kensuke said in turn.
"Still, I do give her this," Shinji began. "It's nice to know that whenever we clock out for the day, I manage to see her for herself at home, compared to my immediate superior officer. Lets me know that, in spite of both faces she wears every day, she's still as human as any of us."
Both Toji and Kensuke found themselves a tiny bit thrown off by Shinji's brief waxing philosophical, but ultimately shrugged and nodded in agreement when they started to get what he was saying.
The barracks at NERV-3, Berlin, Germany...
A young, redheaded girl had just finished packing her final suitcase, the last of a load that consisted of multiple boxes full of her things, most of which had already been shipped to a Tokyo-3 storage locker. In just a few hours, the girl--one Asuka Langley Sohryu, 14-year-old PhD--and her guardian, one Ryoji Kaji, would be handed their orders to head to Japan, accompanying the pride and joy of NERV-3: Evangelion Unit-02. Asuka was anxious to get to the land of the rising sun, as it was where the action was--where she'd prove herself as the best of the best, if all her years of training had anything to say about it.
"Mail call, Asuka!" Kaji called out in the foyer of the apartment they'd called home for the last few years. Ears immediately perking up at the sound of her crush's voice, Asuka zipped out of her room and just as quickly swiped the bundle of mail from Kaji's hand.
"Let's see--junk mail...junk mail..." she muttered as she perused the envelopes, "junk mail...credit card offer...A-HA! Letter to me!" With that she casually tossed the remaining envelopes onto the table as she held the focus of her attention between her fingers.
For the better part of a month and a half, Asuka had been trading letters back-and-forth with Shinji, all of which began with the first letter Shinji sent her in the aftermath of the Fourth Angel's defeat, to Asuka's surprise and confusion. Kaji stoked the flames of her curiosity further by pointing out the reputation Shinji had garnered at the other NERV branches, as well as dropping the detail of his sync rate the first time he stepped into an EVA--which was, incidentally, the first he'd ever heard of NERV or the Angels, period. That little revelation nearly made Asuka choke on the iced coffee she'd been drinking at the time. Now fully beset by curiosity, Asuka opened the letter, which also included a photo of Shinji himself; Rei, giving Asuka a first glimpse of the First Child; and Pen-Pen, which made her raise an eyebrow. When she read the letter itself, it revealed that Shinji had been learning German in the hopes of getting to know her better, and to ensure a good working relationship between the three pilots. A letter from Misato was also included, verifying Shinji's desire to make a good first impression when Asuka finally got to Japan. In all the days that followed, the two of them learned a bit more about the other, a development Kaji was glad to see with regards to his ward.
"From Shinji Ikari again?" Kaji casually asked while going through his cut of the mail.
"And Misato, thank you," Asuka clarified. Hearing that name drew Kaji's attention from his own pile of correspondence.
"Wait, as in Misato Katsuragi, by any chance?" the stubble-ridden man asked curiously.
Asuka, despite not liking the tone of his query, answered with a frown. "Yes, the same. My guardian before you, currently the Third Child's. Why, do you know her or something?"
Kaji, sensing the jealousy in Asuka's tone of voice, knew how to answer. "It's ancient history, let's say," he replied with a shrug, taking another sip of coffee.
The frown vanishing from her face, a semi-satisfied Asuka headed back to her room to open the letter and examine its contents. The letter this time served as Shinji's way of introducing her to Hikari, Toji, and Kensuke. He also threw in some detail about a small restaurant in Tokyo-3 specializing in European cuisine, with a very on-point German selection on the menu, of which he'd do a little 'recon' to let her know of its quality. After she finished reading the letter, she took a look at the included photo, showcasing the three friends Shinji had mentioned. Toji and Kensuke were clowning around, with Shinji giving a shrug in-between them, while Hikari giggling as she looked on.
Asuka then looked over Misato's letter, informing her of how the photo Asuka had included with her last letter definitely left its mark on Shinji. Misato, in her letter, also asked Asuka to treat Shinji nicely, reaffirming that he was a good and dependable kid. She also mentioned the progress he'd been making in his at-home German lessons, and suggested Asuka turn to Shinji for a little help in mastering her kanji, emphasizing his kindness and patience as qualifiers.
Asuka proceeded to then take out a pen and started working on her last letter to Shinji before her departure, but before she put a single word to paper, a thought struck her. It seemed like Shinji had a bit of a crush on her, and she wanted to let him down gently (or rather, she thought she wanted to let him down). Before she did anything else, she went back into the foyer of the apartment, snapped a photo of herself and a surprised Kaji (who she caught in a quite a hug) with her phone, and then ran back into her room to print the photo out.
Kaji blinked a couple of times, before, with a scratch of his head, he asked the obvious question: "Huh--now what was that about?"
Misato's apartment, about a week later...
Shinji was on the elevator heading towards his floor, the day's mail in his hands as he sorted each item by importance. Bills for the week were topmost, Misato's mail came secondary, and his own was third in importance. (Any junk mail would be headed for the recycling bin.) Shinji grinned a tiny bit upon noticing two letters from Asuka among the envelopes, one for him and one for Misato. When he entered the apartment, he set the mail on a table while he went to get started on dinner. Once everything was set for slow cooking, he removed and hung up his apron and got started on his homework. About an hour later, Misato walked through the front door, just as Shinji was tending to the food.
"I'm home!" she said.
"Welcome home," Shinji greeted in turn. "Give me about ten minutes and dinner will be served."
"Works for me," Misato replied as she made for the hallway. "I'll change and freshen up. Back in a bit!"
The moment Misato closed the door to her bedroom was when Pen-Pen came out of his fridge. Depositing the newspaper he was reading into the recycle bin, he watched as Shinji put his dish on the floor, full of a delicious-smelling marinated fish. The penguin nodded at the boy in approval before he started to dig in. A minute later, Misato, now in her usual evening casual wear, came back in, sat at the table, and started going through the mail, immediately sending the junk mail to the recycle bin. She made a slight grimace at the sight of the bills when she opened them; Shinji, as if already knowing what she'd say, quickly presented her with his portion of the rent for the month. A few more envelopes later, Misato finally got to her letter from Asuka.
"Say Shinji, where's yours?" Misato asked. Shinji idly whistled in response. "C'mooon, you got one from her too, didn't you?"
"I did," Shinji confirmed after dropping the coy act. "But I wanted to wait a bit. Y'know, listen in for what juicy details she sent your way."
"Hmm, a bit sassy now, are we?" Misato playfully teased.
"[Just a little bit]," Shinji answered in German, cuing Misato to switch languages as per the practice outline he proposed to her weeks ago.
"[Well, don't get ahead of yourself, young man]," Misato said. "[So, pop the question yet, or are you waiting until she gets here?]"
"[Now who's getting ahead of themselves?]" Shinji cleverly parried.
"[Spoilsport]," Misato said. "[Still, nice to see you two make good pen pals.]" Pen-Pen, upon hearing that last bit, looked up as if they were referring to him. "[Pen pals, buddy, not Pen-Pen.]" Pen-Pen tilted his head a bit, shrugged, and returned to his dinner. "[So go on, what're you waiting for? Open it! I'm not gonna look over your shoulder...much...]"
"[Later]," Shinji affirmed. "[For now, dinner is served.]"
Twenty minutes or so later, dinner was finished and Shinji and Misato worked on cleaning the dishes. Once done, Misato sat back at the table and opened up her letter from Asuka. While she did that, Shinji, his own letter in-hand, went to his room to open it. Upon examination of the contents, Shinji was informed by Asuka of her and her guardian's current in-transit status, and that any future letters would have to be sent by NERV's mobile courier. She also let him know he'd be receiving postcards of her 'globe-trotting exploits'. She mentioned her looking forward to meeting Rei and their friends. (Well, mainly Hikari, who she deemed to look more sensible than Toji and Kensuke, especially given her class rep status.)
It was then he looked at the picture she'd included, where he then saw the identity of her guardian. Shinji grinned, knowing full well who the man was, and amused when thinking of what the expression on Misato's face would look like once she saw it. With that in mind, he put the letter down and, picture in-hand, returned to the kitchen.
"[Well?]" Misato asked expectantly. "[Don't keep me in suspense, what'd she say?]"
"[Just that she, her guardian, and her EVA are currently in-transit]," Shinji replied casually. "[And that she's looking forward to seeing us.]"
"[Finally! We would've mobilized her and Unit-02 a long time ago if it weren't for the accounting department, among other folks,]" Misato. "[Any other details? She charmed by you already?]"
"[Not quite yet]," Shinji said. "[But that's fine, I'm good with playing the long game. Anyway, we should be expecting postcards from their long sojourn here, so don't be surprised. And she gave me her go-ahead to 'recon' that restaurant you recommended. Other than that...]" He then held up the picture, back facing Misato. "[She included this photo of herself and said guardian.]" He then handed it to her.
"[Hmmm]", Misato intoned. "[Now who could be brave enough to have looked after Asuka for all...this...time?!]" Shinji worked his hardest to stifle his chuckles as he saw Misato go pale upon looking at the photo. "[R-Ryoji?! Kaji?! HIM?!]"
"[Familiar with him, I'm guessing?]" Shinji slyly asked.
"[*Sigh* I wish I wasn't!]" Misato lamented. "[The guy's a pig-headed, chauvinistic, ego-stroking jerk of an-]"
"[Ex-boyfriend?]" Shinji fielded a guess, his smirk slightly widening. Misato shot him a quick, unamused glare. "[Figured as much. Let me guess...]" He then proceeded to do his best Bogie impression. "['Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine.' So, what're you going to do, considering we'll be meeting them at sea in the not-so-distant future?]"
Misato kept the glare going a little longer, before releasing a resigned sigh. "[Pray that he'll be gone as soon as we get Asuka and Unit-02 transferred to our custody. Or that a giant squid decides to randomly pop up and drag him off to Davy Jones's Locker with one of its tentacles...]" She then laid her head into her arms on the table. "[Unfortunately, for the former, it won't be until we enter Japanese waters.]"
"[Who knows? It might not be so bad]," Shinji optimistically offered up to her before he walked to the fridge. "[Tell you what-I'd originally saved this for Dr. Akagi and Lt. Ibuki tomorrow, but I don't think they'd mind one slice missing. Care for some cake?]"
Misato looked up, one eyebrow perked. "[...What kind of cake?]"
Shinji grinned slyly. "[Devil's food.]"
Misato licked her lips, got up from the table, walked over to a cabinet, and took out a plate, followed by a fork she retrieved from a drawer.
"[Hit me.]"
An MI-26 transport helicopter, over the Pacific Ocean, days later...
Shinji tuned out Kensuke gushing over their current ride as the chopper made their way to the rendezvous with the Pacific Fleet, as he looked upon the waters that, thankfully, weren't as sullied as the ones at the former site of Antarctica. Out of the corner of his eye, he noted that Toji only stole occasional looks at Misato instead of the lustful stare he would've expected a couple of months back. He figured Hikari must be having quite the effect on the jock, which was fine by him, considering he'd been subtly playing 'Cyrano de Bergerac' to help inch the two closer together. (He'd even roped Toji's sister Sakura into giving him a little bit of help in that regard.)
He was drawn out of his musings when Misato's voice grumbled a bit in the headphones he was wearing.
"You okay?" he asked.
Tensing for a moment, Misato settled down before she answered. "Still uneasy knowing you-know-who's going to be on-deck. *Sigh* I really could go with out seeing him ever again..."
Shinji, though not showing it, was a bit worried. He figured Kaji could be useful in the grand scheme of things, but if he and Misato were still on bad terms, it could complicate his plans. Still, he was nothing if not adaptive.
"Oh, I wouldn't worry about it," Shinji offered reassuringly. "Who knows, you might get your wish. Just not the one releasing any kind of kraken."
Misato chuckled on hearing this, feeling a bit better. It was then that she shifted her focus to something out the window, before addressing all three boys in her care. "Oh, gentlemen-feel like a little sea cruise?"
Shinji, Kensuke and Toji then looked out the window and saw just what Misato was pointing at. Of the three, Kensuke's face lit up the most at the sight that appeared once they cleared the clouds below them.
"AAAAAAAATHEPACIFICFLEET!" Kensuke loudly beamed. "I can't believe it! And led by the Super Carrier Over the Rainbow! This is just too AWESOME!"
Toji just stared at Kensuke, one eyebrow cocked. "All this for an old tub like that?"
Shinji and Misato threw each other knowing nods as they watched Kensuke make the case for the carrier, amused by how Toji was starting to zone out with each stat the otaku threw at him.
Meanwhile, down on the ship itself, a few different observers on three different levels cast their eyes towards the approaching aircraft.
Asuka, wearing a yellow sundress, eyed the chopper intently, getting ready to meet the one occupant she was eager to prove herself to...One that she also considered the closest thing to a friend her age she'd let herself gain for some time.
On the command bridge, combined fleet commander Admiral Grant Lester, and his subordinate, Over the Rainbow XO Captain Kenneth Walter, observed the chopper through binoculars, both personally offended over their assignment as over-qualified deliverymen for a ludicrously expensive kid's toy-and even more chagrined by how the person they'd be transferring it to was some glorified nanny with some kids on a field trip, as well as said toy's 'extension cord'.
And in the personal cabin of one Ryoji Kaji, the man himself, looking between his window blinds and knowing who it was coming in, got himself as presentable as he'd deemed, and before exiting his cabin, made sure that the heavily-reinforced metal briefcase was safe and secure under his bed.
The flight deck of the Over the Rainbow...
When the chopper touched down, the flight crew immediately got to work securing it while the passengers disembarked. Kensuke was the immediate first one out, ecstatically catching anything on film that his camera lens could see. Toji followed behind him, stretching to get the feeling back in his legs, as was Shinji, who followed him third. Misato was the last to disembark, smoothing out her hair as it was caught in the tailwind.
Shinji felt the sea breeze kick up a bit, and noticed Toji bounding after his ballcap, which had been blown off, in spite of all of Shinji's warnings ahead of time. Toji yelled at anyone who could hear him to stop the path of his runaway hat. Finally, the cap landed on the ground, where it was promptly stepped on by a red sandal that halted its path, just as Toji made to grab for it. It was the owner of that sandal (and its twin) that drew Shinji's eye, however.
The pictures he'd received from her didn't do Asuka Langley Sohryu justice, in his humble opinion. Her mane of auburn danced in the wind behind her, along with the sundress held by twin, bow-tied straps on her shoulders. On her neck was a small velvet strip of ribbon, and her brilliantly-hued sapphire-blue eyes were currently focused on Misato, who smiled back at her with recognition. On the top of Asuka's head, Shinji noticed, were red A-10 clips, and were matched by tiny red earrings in her ears. Shinji wondered mentally if this was how Allard felt the moment he met Margo Lane all those decades ago.
"Hullo, Misato," Asuka cheerfully greeted her former guardian, ignoring Toji trying to wrest his hat from underneath her foot. "Been a while, hasn't it?"
"Long time no see, Asuka!" Misato replied as she looked over. "Grown a bit more, have you?"
"It shows, doesn't it?" Asuka agreed, one hand on her hip. "I've certainly filled out as well as gotten taller."
Misato nodded, before speaking up a bit to get the three boys in her charge. "Boys, allow me to introduce you to the designated pilot of Evangelion Unit-02: the Second Child, Asuka Langley Sohryu."
Shinji then noticed, out of the corner of his eye, that the wind was going to pick up a bit, and given Asuka's attire (as well as what little he knew of her temper), it definitely wasn't a good time for a sea-borne recreation of The Seven-Year Itch. Thinking quickly, he immediately piped up.
"Look, over there!" he exclaimed while pointing towards the side. "A whale!"
Surprised, Misato, Asuka, Kensuke, and Toji turned to face the direction he was pointing, just as a gust of wind caused Asuka's dress to billow upwards. Were it not for Shinji's timely phrase, he and the other two boys would've gotten a good look at Asuka's legs and her underwear, leading to unpleasant consequences as near as he figured. When the four stopped searching with their eyes, they all looked back at Shinji, idly whistling without a care.
"Ummm...Just kidding?" he said with a shrug.
Asuka arched one eyebrow at him as she began to figure out what the point of his stunt was. She'd felt her dress billowing upward, yet his ultimately false whale sighting had kept the eyes of his two friends off her, saving her some embarrassment. Asuka then walked over to him and gave him a very up-close once-over (Shinji not flinching one bit), before stepping back.
"So, the famous Third Child, I presume?" Asuka posed.
"[You presume correctly, Fraulein Sohryu]," Shinji replied in near-flawless German, slightly surprising Asuka. He then gave her a slight bow. "[Shinji Ikari, Third Child. Enchanted to meet you at last.]" He then addressed Kensuke and Toji, who having now regained his hat, held onto it tightly. "Gentlemen, Asuka here is, of all the pilots, the most highly-trained, with over a decade's worth under her belt, to be precise. Plus, a prodigy who graduated top of her class from the University of Hamburg at only 14 years old--just last year, if I'm correct?"
"Indeed you are," Asuka answered haughtily. "Good to know you're maintaining the right amount of respect for someone with my skillset, intellect, and beauty. By the way, before I forget, thanks for the very generous stipend I heard you negotiated for on mine and the First's behalf. I genuinely didn't expect that. Something tells me you'll probably hear from the Fourth and Fifth soon, since they just got notice of theirs, per the emails I recceived from them the other day."
"Oh yes, I nearly forgot about those two," Shinji noted.
It was hearing this detail that got Kensuke's attention. "Wait, Fourth and Fifth?! There's two more pilots?!"
"Indeed there are," Shinji affirmed. "Both based at NERV-2 in the United States. I did a bit of reading up on them in my spare time. They're American Maria Vincennes, designated pilot of Unit-04 and a prodigy much like Asuka here (with a degree to match); and British-Japanese-born Mari "Illustrious" Makinami, designated pilot for Unit-03." His focus turned back to Asuka. "I take it the three of you chat often?"
"Yeah, even play co-op online multiplayer too," Asuka replied.
Misato chose that moment to clear her throat, getting their attention. "I believe we ought to head to the bridge and properly present ourselves, don't you think?"
Nodding in agreement, Shinji and Asuka, along with Toji and Kensuke, followed Misato to the bridge.
The bridge of the Over the Rainbow, moments later...
Contrary to what Misato had hoped, the transfer of custody for Unit-02 wasn't going as smoothly as she'd expected.
"NERV, eh?" Admiral Lester muttered, looking up from the card he'd been presented with at Misato with a hard glare partly-hidden by his sunglasses. "And I take it you're the den mother of this Cub Scout troop?"
Misato, not taking the bait, kept her expression calm and collected. "On behalf of NERV, we humbly thank you for your hospitality while transporting Unit-02, Admiral."
"Oh, no, my pleasure for playing babysitter to a whole bunch of kids, let alone the girl," Admiral Lester replied sarcastically, a roll of his eyes added for effect.
"We'd also like to thank you for assisting us in transporting Unit-02 to Japan," Misato replied in turn, unfazed by the admiral's barb; before joining up with NERV, as an 03 Captain in the UN forces she would've been greatly outranked by him, though now that she was with NERV, that matter tended to be a bit blurry. She then handed him a folder filled with documents. "Here are the specs for the EVA's emergency power supply."
Admiral Lester looked over the cover sheet, which had been signed by both his immediate superior officer, and NERV Commander Gendo Ikari himself, though he was unfamiliar with the latter. "Much as I'd like to say I hate to tell you this, but your whole trip out here's a waste of time--I'm not agreeing to any request to activate that overgrown toy at sea."
Out of the corner of his eye, Shinji saw Asuka's eyebrows twitch over Unit-02--her pride and joy--being insulted in such a manner, though she maintained as much sense of decorum as possible.
"It's not that much trouble, Sir," Misato offered up in an attempt to make peace with the Admiral. "Think of it as being prepared, just in case. The EVA's very valuable, Sir, I cannot reiterate that enough."
The admiral snorted at that. "So valuable it needed the entire Pacific Fleet?" he spit out. "Since when did the U.N. designate us as its stinking cargo service?"
"If I remember right," Captain Walter chimed in, "around the same time as a certain organization became active and began showing its clout."
Admiral Lester let out a slight chuff. "Couldn't have asked for a more glamorous duty," he sarcastically mused. "All for a king-sized toy robot, only able to be operated by kids! Ridiculous..."
"Easy for you to say..." Shinji muttered under his breath.
"You got something to say, young man?" the admiral asked him directly, disapproval in his voice.
Shinji briefly eyed him, then Misato's warning glance, before returning his gaze to the admiral.
"As a matter of fact, I do," Shinji replied. "Tell me, Admiral, you ever seen combat?" Before the admiral could respond, Shinji quickly clarified, "I'm talking actual, frontline, in-the-trenches combat, not from the relative safety of the bridge as you direct others from your far-off position." Shinji was met with a glare from the man. "Didn't think so. Well let me inform you, I have, as has the First Child back in Japan, and I assume, so too will the Second." He motioned with a slight jerk of his head in Asuka's direction. "In my first battle with these inhuman monstrosities, the creature I fought had previously decimated an entire tank battalion in only a few minutes, wiped out three dozen attack aircraft, and endured more firepower than what this entire fleet could bear--including N2 weapons. Conventional forces were used to the fullest extent on this creature, and all they did was barely slow it down, much like in your run-of-the-mill monster movie. Over a thousand lives and half a billion US dollars were wasted in that effort alone."
He paused before he continued. "And that was just the first one that stomped onto our shores; the two that followed only got nastier from there. My friend with the camera you see here? When the second Angel attack occurred, I had my other friend here strictly ensure he wouldn't get any funny ideas and sneak out of the shelter to film the attack. I shudder to think what would've happened to him had he done so." He paused again, taking note of the silence that emerged on the bridge. "The third Angel attack, just a month ago, nearly cost me and the First Child our lives. If it weren't for Captain Katsuragi and our bridge personnel's quick thinking, I would've been vaporized--I owe them that much. That monster in particular destroyed train car-mounted weaponry and reduced a mountain to rubble; topographers even now are still redrawing the maps of the area. Whether you like it or not, only the Evangelions are capable of not just hurting, but killing the Angels. Much as I'd like it if professionals like yourself were able to fight the Angels effectively, the reality is that you don't have EVAs or the people necessary to pilot them--NERV does, and us Children are the ones saddled with that duty, because we're the only ones capable. We don't exactly have a normal adolescence; we're wondering if we might die when we go into battle with these monsters, all with the added pressure of knowing that if any or all of us dies, then all of humanity dies too. You don't have to like us, we don't have to like you, all we ask is for your cooperation and respect, which we will gladly return in kind. Am I making myself clear here, Sir?"
The admiral, if not the entire group of people on the bridge, were stunned speechless. Admiral Lester lost the glare as he noted the look in Shinji's eyes, how it was like that of many sailors and soldiers under his command, the look of someone who'd been through hell and lived to tell the tale, and still keep fighting even then.
Shinji then looked up at Misato. "The man's right in one way--us kids probably shouldn't be here. We might as well get out of their hair for now." He then turned to leave, with Asuka (a fleeting look of admiration on her face) falling into step behind him, and Toji and even Kensuke following. Once out the door, he heard Admiral Lester clear his throat.
"Captain, permit me to apologize," Lester said as he started signing the documents before handing them back to Misato. "Truthfully, I was a bit out of line. We're all a bit frustrated, and I thought I found a good target to take it out on. If you can, please let the pilots know I'm sorry."
Misato nodded in turn. "I'd like to apologize, on behalf of Pilot Ikari as well," Misato said. "It's been a rough few months for him."
"I can tell," Lester concurred, before turning to one attending sailor. "Lt. Maxwell, take these copies to engineering, I want that extension cable installed yesterday!"
"Aye-aye, Sir!" Maxwell replied, before taking the papers and proceeding on his way off the bridge. Lester then faced Misato again.
"Captain, it's rare for a man of my experience to be truly reminded of his duties," Lester said, "let alone from the mouth of a young man like Ikari there. If that's the stuff your pilots are made of, you've got my congratulations." Hearing this stunned Misato for a minute. Regaining her composure, she and the admiral exchanged salutes before she herself exited the bridge.
Outside in the hallway, the kids were commiserating.
"Shin-man," Toji began, "that was so--so..."
"Completely BADASS," Kensuke finished. "I haven't seen anyone stand up to someone like that, let alone the commander of the entire Pacific Fleet. I'm surprised you didn't shake even once!"
Asuka, on the other hand, had a different reaction. "Thanks a lot, Third Child," she said, brows furrowed. "We probably won't be able to enter the bridge for the rest of the trip because of you!"
"Aw, come off it, Red, the old sea dog had it coming," Toji said in defense of Shinji. "What're you, jealous that he said it before you could?"
Asuka glared daggers at Toji, but before she could act, Misato joined them with a warning look that made both her and Toji back off. The group then made their way towards a small elevator, Misato addressing Shinji along the way. "Officially, as your superior officer, I need to tell you that the sort of behavior you showed to a senior U.N. officer isn't tolerated from NERV personnel, and that as a consequence..." Her stern look was then replaced by one of smiling satisfaction. "...Hell with it, best counter-argument I've ever seen! Something tells me you've got the makings of a good lawyer someday."
Shinji smiled in return. "Thanks, but I'd rather not be hated even more than I already am." The others chuckled at his reply, before a new voice inserted itself into their conversation.
"Looks like I was late for the party," the voice's owner said, revealed to be that who Misato was dreading to see.
"KAJI!" Asuka shouted with glee as her hands clasped together delightfully. Misato, on the other hand, blanched at the man's appearance, and eyed the elevator with a desperate hope.
She sighed before she deigned to respond to him. "Kaji. Just what the hell are you doing here?"
"Escorting Asuka, of course," the unshaven man answered as everyone piled into the elevator. "But primarily I'm also running an errand, of sorts, for the Third Branch."
"Of course," Misato said with a roll of her eyes, which she then closed--only to open them abruptly again.
"HEY! WHO TOUCHED ME?!" Misato and Asuka asked loudly with horrified protest.
"I DIDN'T MEAN TO DO IT!" Kaji and Toji shouted right back.
Shinji, with an eye roll of his own, hands firmly in his pockets, began whistling Aerosmith's "Love in an Elevator" (to the eyerolls of Asuka and Misato) as the elevator continued its descent, until they arrived at the level containing the ship's galley.
The party was soon seated at a small table near a TV hanging on the wall. Misato took one corner of the table, Toji sitting next to her, followed by Kensuke. Kaji purposefully sat opposite Misato, Asuka next to him, and Shinji next to her. All were served tea and coffee by a steward.
"So, how's everything going?" Kaji asked after a long, uncomfortable (to some) silence.
"Kaji, don't even think of even trying to pull any of those old, cheap moves on me," Misato answered, irritation in her voice and face. "It's different now."
"Oh no, you won't need to worry about that," Kaji replied. "I have all-new cheap moves." He then turned his focus to Shinji. "I hear you're living with Katsuragi now, aren't you?"
"You heard right," Shinji answered as he took a sip of his tea.
"Tell me...is she still wild in bed?" Kaji asked nonchalantly.
The others nearly spit out their drinks on hearing his words. Misato especially was shocked by them. "What in the HELL are you implying?!" she demanded, enraged. Kaji, unfazed, a sloppy grin on his face, flickered his eyes from Shinji to Misato and back. Shinji merely shrugged before responding.
"Depends," he said. "What kind of bait or traps did it take for you to tame her?"
Kaji blinked briefly on hearing this, then burst into laughter.
Misato glared at them both, before focusing on Shinji. "E tu, Shinji?" she muttered.
"So this is an example of your famous razor-sharp wit," Kaji noted.
Shinji raised an eyebrow at that remark. "Exactly what else am I famous for?"
"Well, other than that," Kaji casually elaborated, "around the grapevine you're known for piloting an EVA in your first battle, all while untrained."
Asuka, having regained her composure, glared at Shinji from the corner of her eyes over Kaji's words of praise.
"Honestly, in spite of all that," Shinji said, "and even with the training I received, at the end of the day, I got incredibly lucky in every one of those battles."
Asuka lost a bit of her glare, and then more of it as she decided that this was a decent excuse for his battlefield prowess.
"Ah, but sometimes, luck's a big part of one's destiny," Kaji said with a smile, observing the subtle interplay between the boy and Asuka. He had to admit, Shinji proved smarter than he estimated. It was then that he got up from the table. "If you'll all excuse me, I've got some business to take care of in my cabin. I'll see you later." As he made for the exit from the galley, Asuka followed him.
"*Sigh* This is just a nightmare. I'm sure I'll wake up any minute now..." Misato bemoaned to herself, palm meeting face.
In the hallway, Asuka chatted up Kaji as they walked.
"So, what do you think of Mr. Shinji Ikari so far?" Kaji asked, curious about his charge's reaction.
Asuka, on the other hand, didn't have an easy answer for him. She wasn't a fan of the modesty he displayed back in the galley, but she was amazed at how even earlier he willingly stuck up for all of them in the face of Admiral Lester's ire. Not to mention he appeared to hold her in the highest regard...
"He's pretty cavalier, but not insufferably, I'll give him that," Asuka finally decided on, though Kaji did pick up on the doubt underneath.
"True," he said in turn. "Still, his in-combat synch ratio's been a steady 80.4% following his first fight."
Asuka stopped in her tracks the moment his words registered with her.
"Himmel...!" she choked out. In that one sentence uttered by Kaji, she suddenly had the idea of all her years of work she put into her steady 77.1% being destroyed. "That little...Oh, it's on, Third Child!" Asuka, a look in her eyes that made Kaji want to pity Shinji, turned back around and stormed back towards the galley.
Looks like I'm in for an interesting back-and-forth, Kaji noted to himself. Hopefully without them killing each other...
When Asuka got back to the galley, she found one person missing from the group.
"Where's the Third?" she asked.
"Said he needed to hit the head," Toji replied.
Kaji's cabin, a few minutes later...
Kaji opened the door to his darkened cabin, and carefully looked over the room for any signs of a disturbance. Even when it became clear that no one had broken in, he still made sure to double-check the case as he removed it from under his bed, noting with relief that the seals were unbroken. It was then that Kaji heard a soft, sinister laughter coming from out of nowhere, causing Kaji to slowly reach for his sidearm as he became alert, until realizing that it was still resting on his bed.
"Who knows what evil lurks within that briefcase of yours?" a voice asked. "The Shadow knows..."
Kaji turned towards the source of that voice in his slightly-darkened room, and found himself face-to-face with, sitting in the lone armchair of the room, a man in an ebon suit, the lower half of his face covered by a crimson scarf, leaving only the man's aquiline gaze directed at him. Kaji calmed himself as he got into a more relaxed stance.
"Who knew I'd meet you before I even set foot in Tokyo-3?" Kaji mused, his hands in his pockets.
"My reputation precedes me," the Shadow said.
"Let's just say news of your particular exploits travels fast in my particular circles," Kaji said in turn.
"And which circles would those be?" the Shadow posed as he got up from the chair. "NERV? SEELE?" Kaji's grin fell from his face as a look of surprise replaced it. "Or perhaps...the Japanese Ministry of the Interior?"
Kaji was silent for a minute before he got serious. "How much do you know?"
"Just about everything," the Shadow replied, as he began drawing upon his briefings with Allard. "Narrowing it down to just you? Simple enough. Ryoji Kaji, born June 17, 1985. Along with your older brother, orphaned in the wake of Second Impact and subsequently banded together with other survivors to make it through the chaos. Threatened under penalty of death by soldiers for the JSDF into selling out your brother and friends, who then soon met their ends at the soldiers' hands, and has borne guilt over it ever since. In college, met and became lovers with Misato Katsuragi, as well as friends with Ritsuko Akagi, until the former broke up with you before your graduation. Joined up with the Ministry of the Interior as a covert agent, spying on both NERV and SEELE. Personally, you took the assignment in order to gain closure for your guilty conscience...by finding the truth behind Second Impact, as you'd long held suspicions over its real cause."
Kaji stood there, an astonished look on his face, disbelieving at how the mystery man managed to recite every important detail about himself, top-to-bottom.
"And I thought I was good..." Kaji mused darkly. "But enough about me--what do you want?"
The Shadow narrowed his eyes slightly before answering. "Simple, really: 'you scratch my back, I scratch yours'. I believe we can help each other, considering we have a mutual target." He then took from his pocket a business card. "We can speak freely at this place, once you arrive in Tokyo-3. I'm certain you'll love the atmosphere."
Kaji took the card, noting it was for a small establishment known as the Café Cat's Meow. He then just as quickly pocketed the card. The Shadow then handed him a small slip of paper. "What's this?" Kaji asked.
"A way to get our 'business relationship', as it were, off to a good start," the Shadow replied. "I want to know the significance behind that symbol. It was tattooed on a couple of thugs who attempted to kidnap the First Child. Given your position as a man in the intelligence field, I figured you would find it an interesting challenge."
Kaji unfolded the paper and took a brief look at the symbol. He'd heard about the kidnapping attempt, and grew a bit curious over the Shadow's implications by it. He then folded the paper back up and pocketed it as well. "Anything else?"
"For now, no," the Shadow answered as he began to walk away. "Oh and, before I forget, I believe it might be better to let Captain Katsuragi and Asuka know of your departure ahead of time. Wouldn't want to leave more of a sorry impression on your old flame now, would you? I'll be in touch..." With that, softly laughing as he went, the Shadow vanished into the darkness that permeated the cabin, leaving a Ryoji Kaji with his curiosity piqued more than ever before.
The ship's galley, minutes later...
Shinji, satisfied that he (or rather, his other self) had made quite a first impression on the agent, finally returned to the galley with Kaji in tow, finding the others just finishing lunch.
"Oh hey, I was wondering what was keeping you," Misato noted, before seeing that Kaji was wearing a green flight suit over his clothes, holding a flight helmet under one arm and a large, metal briefcase under the other. The gears in Misato's head began turning immediately. "Shinji, please tell me you convinced him to leave..." Misato implored eagerly.
"On the contrary," Kaji chimed in, sloppy grin aimed at Misato, "I'm off to finish that little errand I mentioned before. See you in Tokyo-3, hopefully?"
Misato turned away in a huff with her arms crossed. "It's a big city--don't count on it."
Kaji sighed as he turned to leave. "Ah well, tomorrow's another day, Katsuragi. For now, I must be off..."
"Can I come along?" Asuka said, just a bit of a pleading tone to her voice.
Kaji flashed her a slight smile. "Sorry--I'd let you, but someone from the Third Branch needs to stay and watch Unit-02."
"Oh...right," Asuka said, a bit embarrassed she'd nearly forgotten. "Well, don't worry, won't let you down!"
"I know you won't," Kaji said reassuringly. With that, he departed for the flight deck, where minutes later he was soon flying off, cargo secured, to Tokyo-3.
Back in the galley, Asuka, getting over her disappointment that Kaji wouldn't be around for the rest of the trip, turned her focus to a new matter, as she suddenly stood up from her seat with no warning.
"Third Child--come with me," she said, leaving no room for disobedience.
Shinji, one eyebrow raised slightly, turned to Misato, and dropped his voice to a lower tone. "Was wondering when she was going to say that..." he said.
Misato almost spit her coffee out as she tried stifling her laughter; in contrast, Toji and Kensuke were sent howling to the floor from their chairs. Asuka, however, felt a slight twitch in her eye.
"Watch it, baka..." she warned icily, though part of her wondered just how and why Shinji was able to get under her skin like that.
Minutes later, the two of them were dropped off by a smaller boat to the freighter carrying Unit-02, and had made their way to the top deck. Upon walking to the forward edge of the freighter, Asuka pulled up a section of tarpaulin and presented her pride and joy with the maximum amount of flourish.
Shinji looked over it with a discerning eye before he said anything. "*Whistle* Talk about a masque of the red death," he commented.
"Heh, 'I see you're a man of culture as well'," Asuka quoted back. "But's more than just aesthetics. While your Unit-01 and Unit-00 were built as the respective prototype and test-type, Unit-02 is much different. THIS unit was the first created for actual, real-life combat conditions: the first production model Evangelion! What do you think now, Third Child?"
Before he could offer a retort, the rumble of an explosion echoed, causing Asuka to nearly lose her balance thanks to the shockwave that passed through the hull of the freighter.
So much for Misato's pleasant little sea cruise, Shinji grimly thought to himself...
What followed from there was the first true test of Shinji and Asuka working together in battle against an Angel, as they were forced to board Unit-02 in its maiden fight against what would later be identified as the Sixth Angel, Gaghiel. In spite of the lack of B-type equipment and an initial language barrier problem in the entry plug (along with Shinji's slight discomfort over having to borrow Asuka's spare plugsuit), the two of them managed to put up a good fight, even when things got hairy. Ultimately, working off a strategy of Misato's devising, the two managed to hold the colossal maw of the aquatic terror open long enough to expose its core (hidden in the back of Gaghiel's throat) to two abandoned automated ships equipped with a cargo of N2 mines set on a crash dive. Unit-02 was reeled back up to the surface just in time before the Angel exploded, the massive shockwave sending the EVA flying into the air until it landed (with quick thinking by Asuka to deploy its integrated thrusters) on the deck of the Over the Rainbow, all of which made for an impressive closing shot caught on Kensuke's camera.
Port of New Yokosuka, some time later...
Misato was sitting with Ritsuko in a jeep, going over the data from the battle while the kids chatted off to the side as Unit-02 was moved and readied for the rest of its trip to NERV HQ. Thankfully, Ritsuko (at Shinji's request from a call he'd made via satellite phone ahead of time) had brought a change of clothes for himself and Asuka, who while not showing it, was appreciative of the gesture. It was in the middle of the scientist's explanation that Misato broke in with her attempt at getting to the gist of things.
"Their synch rates set a new record, didn't they?" Misato posed.
"Yes--albeit for only seven seconds," Ritsuko confirmed. "The direness of the situation is what probably provided the unexpected boost in their favor."
Misato grinned as she looked towards where the kids were. "Something tells me they'll do great things together, the more I think about it," she stated with the utmost optimism.
"Better hope so..." Ritsuko said. "On another note, Angel battle aside, how'd the rest of the trip go for you?"
Knowing full well that her friend wouldn't stop if she probed further, Misato, with a small grunt and a sigh that followed, went into detail over the other 'highlights' of the voyage. When she finished, after a short pause in-between, Ritsuko found herself laughing till she nearly collapsed.
End Chapter 10.
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