Disclaimer : I do not own Evangelion. Please do not sue me.

Chapter One

When a Demon Falls from the Sky

"Due to the present state of emergency, all phone lines are currently disabled. Please seek the nearest shelter-" Thud.

Ikari Shinji let out a sigh.

"So much for that plan..." Shinji muttered to himself.

Tokyo-3 has been called many things: the 'Shining Jewel of Humanity', 'Bastion of Hope', 'Bulwark of Mankind'. But after three hours since last seeing another living soul, Shinji thought of another epithet for the Eternal City of Technology - 'Largest-City-on-Earth-But-Really-It's-Pretty-Empty '. Okay, Shinji is not very clever with names.

Taking care to walk around an innocent can an otherwise normal teenager would have kicked down the deserted streets, Shinji sat on a bus bench. With public transit ceasing all operations, phone services disabled and not a soul in sight, Shinji was a bit lost at what to do.

After arriving, he did not find the lack of people disturbing. Rather, it was inconvenient. After all, when he tried to get enter a nearby community shelter to ask for directions, the power-drunk volunteer shelter leader demanded bribes and tits. Neither of which Shinji had to offer.

"I could... " Shinji wondered to himself aloud as he surveyed the area. "...just run away..."

Around him he saw nothing that could help his situation. A flock of doves taking flight from the power lines. The traffic lights flickered yellow heralding caution. A cute blue-haired girl down the middle of the street distorted by the heat haze...

Wait.

Cute blue-haired girl?

"H-hey!" Shinji shouted as he ran towards the figure in the middle of the empty street.

And in a blink of an eye, she was gone.

"Oh... must have been my imagination," Shinji told himself as he stood where the girl should be. "She did look a bit like mother..."

Sighing for the seventeenth time this past hour, Shinji withdrew a photo from his pocket. The image showed a woman at the beach in loose fitting clothes with an ample demonstration of superior cleavage. Over the top of the photo was the title 'image for reference! Misato!' with a smaller note and arrow pointed towards her chest that read 'important assets to note!'

Shinji tilted his head at the picture and remembered why he was here in the first place.

After nearly three years of silence between himself and his father, Ikari Gendo, Shinji received a simple command: come immediately to Tokyo-3. I have a use for you.

It was a bit embarrassing to describe the emotions Shinji felt as he read it. A mixture of anger and anguish of the first words from his sole living parent being orders. Yet, there was a slight tinge of happiness. At least his father wanted to meet him. At least his father wanted to see him. At least his father... wanted... him.

Shinji closed his eyes and sighed for the eighteenth time this hour, before he felt the warm rays of the sun cease shining on his head.

Shade.

Huh? Was it a cloud? Shinji looked up.

"Hey! Watch out! Get out of the way-"

And saw a pair of white panties as they collided with his face.

"Umphf! Watch where you're standing, dork! Goddamn. Are you an idiot or something?" Shinji attempted to muster a retort.

"Get... off-air!" Shinji begged from beneath Asuka's panties.

"Gah! Pervert! Sexual deviant! Disgusting degenerate!" A female's voice screamed at him as she leaped off him. Shinji breathed a sigh of relief as his oxygen crisis was resolved. Struggling to get himself to his feet, Shinji felt through a sheet of plastic and cloth wrapped around him.

"Mind getting out of my parachute now?" the fiery girl snapped.

Shinji stood speechless as he looked up at her. The girl was a goddess to the normal plebeians that walked this earth. Flowing strawberry blonde hair with a pair of exotic clips on either side of her head. Blue eyes that were reeked of anger. And wearing a rather adorable Catholic schoolgirl uniform complete with tie and green-red plaid skirt.

"Beautiful..." Shinji whispered to himself.

Much to the horror of the girl.

Slap!

"What did you say? Beautiful? Sicko pervert deviant. I'll see it you're added to the sex-offender registry with a shock collar attached to your ankles for the rest of your miserable life!" The girl was now covering herself with her arms as though Shinji was eagerly undressing her with his eyes.

"What? No-no! Sorry. I mean-What I meant was... sorry- never mind... parachute...?" Shinji held up the plastic sheet with one hand and his cheek in the other.

The girl narrowed her eyes. "Don't apologize," she said as she tossed back her hair. "I shouldn't have gotten so angry. It was rather ungraceful to be so bothered by the universal truth that I am God's greatest gift to humankind. So naturally I'm beautiful," she finished with a smirk.

That's a not so big of a stretch, Shinji thought silently to himself.

"What were you doing parachuting in like that?"

The girl's rage had nearly subsided. It was now replaced with an irritated mood and she began explaining in an annoyed tone. "The city's suppose to be in a state of emergency and everyone to the shelters. I can parachute in where I want. Not like I was expecting someone to be standing in the middle of the street," she snapped.

"S-sorry."

"You better be sorry. Shouldn't you be in a shelter or something?"

"They're all full and won't let me in... s-sorry-"

"Stop apologizing for every little thing. Do you even have a spine?"

"Y-yes. Doesn't every-"

"Not that one! The metaphorical one!" The girl rolled her eyes at Shinji's attempt to point to his backbone. God, this wimpy boy would have better off as a jellyfish. No one in their right minds would bother being around his kid for a second. Better off having him sent to the pound and put to sleep and pray to whatever Hindu god that reincarnates people to tape worms and slugs. Better get rid of him quic-

"Soryu Asuka Langley. You can address me as Soryu." Asuka's eyes widened slightly from shock as her mouth betrayed her. She just introduced herself to this worthless boy. A boy who wouldn't hold a candle to the love-of-her-life, Kaji.

"A-ah. Miss Soryu. I am Ikari Shinji." Asuka wiggled her nose at the name. Sounded awfully familiar... oh well, probably not important.

"Alright sex offender Shinji, where are you off to on this fine totally-not-dangerous day in this totally-not-dangerous place?" Asuka mused.

"I'm not a sex offender," Shinji replied with a hint of annoyance.

"You're absolutely right! You're not a sexy offender yet. Hey don't give me that look. Alright, alright. Bad joke. What are you doing here anyways, sex-deviant Ikari?"

Sighing, the poor boy replied. "I'm suppose to meet someone but she never showed up. Then I wandered around for a few hours. Then you landed on me-"

"Excuse me?"

"What?"

"You mean you got in the way of my landing."

"What? No, I didn't- Oh never mind. Yes, I got in the way of your landing. And now I'm here with you, Miss Soryu."

Asuka brought a hand up to her chin in deep thought. Her situation wasn't much different from the boy's. A few hours ago she was in NERV-Branch in Berlin enjoying the comforts of being a distinguished Evangelion pilot - an elite position offered only to the most deserving and selective of candidates. Then she received word that the NERV-HQ in Tokyo-3 desperately requiring her presence ahead of schedule.

Asuka was not told the exact specifics of the situation. But she was prepared for the worst.

A two hour flight in the fastest jet the German Air Force could offer followed by an emergency jettison due to engine failure resulted in her current situation.

"Well, people are looking for me," Asuka assured, though to who in particular was not certain. "I've got to get to NERV-HQ. I'll have you know I'm a pretty important person-"

"NERV-HQ? I'm trying to find my way there too. We're heading the same direction, then. The Geofront, right?" Catching the mortified look of Asuka, Shinji began to profusely apologize.

What? This wimpy kid is heading towards NERV-HQ? What the hell for? Asuka thought to herself. Looking the boy once over, she determined to herself he would be of no use militarily in such an emergency. Civilians would have been sent to shelters or evacuated. Only reason she could think of for some kid like him heading to NERVHQ during a crisis was...

And before Shinji knew it, he was on his chest with his arms pinned to his backpack.

"Ha! I knew there were extremist elements out in this backwater country trying to infiltrate NERV-HQ. Seizing an opportunity in a moment of crisis, huh? Clever... but you didn't factor in Soryu Asuka Langley! Didn't think I'd find a spy so quickly! Luckily, I'm constantly vigilante for scum like you," Asuka congratulated to herself as she sat down on her prey. Asuka pulled off her necktie and used it to tie Shinji's arms together.

"W-what? I really was told to go to NERV-HQ! I'm not a spy!"

"Ha! Precisely what a spy would say!"

"No! It's precisely what a normal person would say!" Asuka would hear none of it as she finished the knots and kicked the boy back up on his feet.

"Come on. Get up, criminal scum. First notorious pervert and now traitor-spy of humanity. How low can you sink?" Asuka began kicking the back of Shinji's knees towards a random direction.

"I'm telling you I'm not a spy!"

"I'm... telling you... I'm not a spy... Miss Soryu please..." Shinji begged with a watery mouth and weary eyes.

Beside him, the Red Demon was seated on a bench enjoying a nice late lunch.

It was over two hours since the red demon began leading them, painfully directionless, towards NERV-HQ. The afternoon march through dead ends and empty streets in the eternal summer heat was devastating to the already poorly athletic Shinji. He was thirsty, exhausted and hungry from nearly a day's worth of travel and lack of adequate meals. Asuka had just finished looting-correction, appropriated from-a convenience store. She decided to enjoy three packed lunches, a few energy drinks and a hearty helping of packaged cookies.

And Shinji's eyes begged each time Asuka took a clump of rice and fried chicken into her mouth.

"What is it, criminal scum? Hungry?" Shinji nodded eagerly. "Well sorry, you lost your right to food the moment you decided to spy."

"I'm telling you... Miss Soryu... I'm not a spy. Please... just some water..." Shinji eyed the mineral water standing idle beside the girl.

Asuka eyed him carefully. Then sighed to herself as she went back into the store feeling Shinji's needy eyes following her.

Spy or not, he was a human being. And prisoners of war must be treated humanely...

"M-miss Soryu? W-what's this?"

Asuka smirked to herself as she set the piece down in front of her. She could stretch the definition of humanely.

"It's a doggie bowl," Asuka stated confidently as she unscrewed the mineral water. "Luckily the convenience store had a few on shelf."

"B-but I'm not a dog."

"Be happy you're even getting this," Asuka said as she filled the bowl. Shinji sighed in utter defeat before leaning over to drink with whatever little dignity he had left.

Asuka found it amusing to see the spectacle but grew bored of it quick. Realizing the wimp had a backpack that she neglected to scrounge through the contents of, Asuka reached over and began sorting through it while Shinji was still face deep in the bowl.

"Hmm... SDAT player. Some books on cooking... Ew, underwear... oh ho oh, what's this?" Asuka mused to herself as she found an interesting object. A picture...

"Hey! Miss Soryu please! Don't touch that!" Shinji barked as he did his best to retrieve the picture with his teeth. He began chomping in the air as he edged close towards the picture which Asuka held above her head.

Shinji's face was dripping from his earlier attempts to drink water. Droplets of mineral water fell onto her white cotton shirt, gently dampening it. Had Shinji continued this, it may have revealed the white bra that encased the rather disappointing bust size of Soryu Asuka Langley.

None of this really bothered Asuka, the teasing was far too fun.

"Please-chomp!-Miss Soryu-chomp!-It's not funny! Chomp, chomp, chomp!"

Asuka was all smiles. "This is far too fun you-"

Then Shinji's mouth got dangerously close to Asuka's face. His breath tickled her nose and lips.

Slap!

"-sexual... deviant..." Asuka muttered to herself as she panted. She looked over at the boy crumpled up on the ground struggling to get up. Ignoring his plight, Asuka looked at the picture.

It was a beautiful woman.

The woman in the photo appeared young and vibrant. Full of life with short brown hair and kind eyes. She looked... angelic.

"Hey sex-deviant. Who's this?" Asuka brought a hand to her chin in an attempt to disguise her curiosity as she waved the picture at the boy laying on the ground.

"That's my mother..."

Asuka's eyes widened. For such a beautiful woman to have such a wimpy kid... his dad must have brought down the genetic quality hard.

"Where is she now?"

"She's dead, Miss Soryu," Shinji stated as managed to sit upright and attempted to balance his shaken legs to stand up.

What is this sensation? Asuka wondered to herself. A sense of pity? Was it... condolences? No... it was something else entirely... A feeling someone can feel only if they've experienced what you've experienced... a connection that binds two souls.

Empathy.

"Here. I'll tease your urges just this once," Asuka sighed watching Shinji struggle vainly to stand up. Putting the photo back into her skirt pocket, she walked over to the boy.

"Just don't throw away the photo. It's the only one I have. And I don't have any urges to teas-ah!" Shinji felt Asuka's slender arms underneath his armpits as she helped him up and sat him down on the bench.

Shinji watched in silent shock as Asuka began opening the last of the packed lunch meals. A fried chicken set consisting of a macaroni salad, slice of cucumber, tomato and egg with the titular fried chicken pieces resting on a bed of lettuce. The sight of such deliciousness made Shinji realize his persistent hunger.

At least Asuka didn't have to tell Shinji to open his gaping mouth.

"Asuka what are-dommfgh!"

"Don't talk with your mouth full, idiot," as Asuka averted her eyes back down to the lunch, preparing a second delivery of a mouth of delicious goodness.

"Miss Soryu?" Shinji's bewildered eyes widened. Did a pretty girl just...

"Enjoy it, idiot. You're the first person I've ever had to feed. You know mortals would kill for the honor," Asuka huffed smugly as she sent expedition number two into Shinji's open mouth.

"I a-appreciate it, Miss Soryu," Shinji thanked.

Asuka rolled her eyes. "Can't have the Geneva Conventions get on my case about starving a prisoner of war."

"P-prisoner of war? What?"

Asuka brought a finger to her bottom lip and looked up thoughtfully.

"Then again, spies aren't considered lawful combatants you aren't afforded such protection... I suppose I could torture you..."

"T-torture!? Miss Soryu, please..."

"Ah, but then all that blood... I don't want to smell like a corpse for a week..."

Shinji froze in horror, his eyes going to a distant dream world visualizing in great detail the terror this woman could unleash. Images of whips and spikes in a dungeon where Miss Soryu demanded she be called The Mistress. And today The Mistress was wearing black lace...

"Black lace..." Shinji said absentmindedly.

"Black... lace...? W-what...? Pervert!" Slap!

"Ow!"

"I knew it! I knew it! This country is full of disgusting criminal deviants that run around amok trying to get every girl to fit their sick twisted fantasies!"

"Says the girl in the Catholic schoolgirl outfit..." Slap!

"I happened to be in school when I was called over here to this frickin' country."

"'This' country? Where are you from?" Slap!

"Germany, you deviant-idiot. I was enjoying a nice lecture on the inner workings of metaphysical biology in Munich a few hours ago-"

"''Munich'? You went from Germany to Japan in like an hour? Who are you?" Shinji winced and cowered in anticipation of a retribution slap.

Instead, Asuka tossed back her hair with an arrogant smirk.

"I am Soryu Asuka Langley, pilot of Evangelion Unit-02, first combat model Eva-"

"What's an Evangelion?"

Asuka's eyes widened. Oh crap, she realized. That wasn't suppose to be publicly known. That of course being the multi-trillion dollar secret bio-organic weapon: Evangelion.

Looking at the boy once over, she shrugged.

Even if he was a spy, everyone will know about the Evas sooner or later.

"The Evangelion is a secret weapon developed by NERV meant to combat the Angels. The Angels of course being-"

"Giant floating alien humanoid-like monsters that are out to destroy mankind?"

"Stop interrupting me." Asuka squinted her eyes. "You sure you're not a spy?" Asuka accused as she gave Shinji a glare.

"S-sorry...b-but..." Shinji began nodding his head, as his arms were still tied behind his back, in the direction behind Asuka.

Asuka turned around. Some twenty blocks away, loomed a giant humanoid being with a bone-like mask floating in midair. A red orb on its chest and strange organs were breathing on its thigh. A small fleet of helicopters surrounded it and a screeching hail of missiles began approaching it.

The Third Angel - Sachiel.

In an instant came an onslaught of missiles, rockets and heavy ordinance from the UN-JSSDF Combined Third Army.

"Asuka! Run!"

Booom!

"Go faster damn you!" Asuka screamed at the steering wheel as though it were a steed that heeded the frustrated commands of its owner.

The desperate pair of teenagers were now driving through the windy hill roads away from the giant monster. Asuka, through quick thinking, managed to shove her captive-or is it hostage?-into a nearby red car and quickly hot-wired it. Although a rather simple skill acquired for the sake of practical emergencies, the situation at hand unhinged her nerves causing the action to take a few seconds longer than it should have.

And this took quite a toll on her sanity.

"Alright... that thing being here explains a lot," Asuka muttered to herself. Now she realized why she was urgently needed at NERV-HQ in this godforsaken country filled with perverts. The sole Japanese person she found in this foreign land was currently huddled in the passenger seat, arms still bound behind him, with his knees brought up to his face.

"What's wrong with you?" Asuka cursed herself afterwards. The intensity of the situation made her come off as harsh.

"We forgot my backpack..." Shinji stated dejectedly.

"There wasn't anything important in there, just some underwear and an outdated SDAT player. I can buy you a new one if you want. Hell, I'll even sing a few songs for you."

Shinji shook his head. "It's not that."

"Then what the hell could it be?"

"That was the only photo I had my mother, Miss Soryu."

Asuka's grip on the steering wheel loosened. Her fingers turned cold. That feeling again. That feeling of empathy. Asuka looked over at the boy. Poor kid lost his mom, might have knew her better than Asuka knew her own mother.

Then Asuka remembered.

Parking the car on the side, Asuka removed the bindings on Shinji's arms.

"Thanks for undoing these out of pity," Shinji thanked soft as he held up his wrist. "But it... s-sorry."

"Stop apologizing and stop being so gloomy, idiot. And it wasn't for pity," Asuka said as she fumbled through her skirt pocket. Shinji's eyes widened in amazement.

"M-miss Soryu!" Shinji's eyes began tearing as his hands shivered. He gently took hold of the photo, holding it as it were made of ethereal cloth that would dissipate in a moment of rough contact.

Asuka rolled her eyes. "I-it's not l-like I kept s-safe it for you or a-anything," she stuttered. A strange tingly sensation in her chest was getting on her nerves and affecting her speech mannerisms. She made a mental note to get it checked out.

"Thank you, Miss Soryu. It means a lot to me. I'm in your debt." Asuka blushed a crimson hue as her mind raced to the many different ways she could be repaid...

"Y-you can c-call me A-Asuka," she stated looking away from him as she worked began restarting the car.

"Why?"

Asuka nearly ran off a cliff, realizing she just offered such intimacy with a boy she barely met.

"B-because it's my treat. Y-you called me Asuka when that Angel attacked right? I owe you for the heads up. B-but in exchange I get to call you whatever I w-want."

"S-sure," Shinji smiled as he went back to admiring the treasured photo. "Thank you, Asuka."

Asuka breathed a sigh of relief. Out of the corner of the eye she saw Shinji still looking at the photo, no doubt trying to scorch the image into his mind.

"You know you can get that scanned and uploaded into some databank. So you can never lose it."

Shinji blinked.

"I'm not very good with computers," Shinji admitted with embarrassment.

"I'll hold your hands through it," Asuka offered quietly. Was that a Freudian slip...

"R-really? Thank you again, Miss Sor-I mean-Asuka."

Asuka breathed in deeply as she sunk back into the seat as they drove into a tunnel that read 'Entrance to NERV-HQ'. The leather was irritating her sweaty backside.

"Are you sure we aren't lost, Asuka?" Though Shinji had to admit Asuka was an impressive beauty with an eccentric array of skills and hobbies, he found her to be lacking directionally.

The entrance to NERV-HQ had given them an elevator ride to the Geofront, a massive subterranean cavity that housed the headquarters of NERV, Central Dogma.

"Of course we're not lost, idiot! We just don't know where we are."

You realize how bad that looks on paper, Shinji thought to himself. Sighing, he continued following her until she began screaming curses.

"Another dead-end! Are you kidding me? I memorized the entire map of this place! This should be the main transit hub!"

Then Asuka let loose a furious scream that would wake the dead from hell."I swear with God as my witness I'll axe murder the architects who designed this damned place!"

"R-really, Asuka?" Asuka looked back in fury and Shinji was met with two demonic-possessed blue eyes.

"Axe. Murder."

"O-okay..."The pair continued down a catwalk overlooking what appeared to be a bottomless pit.

"I swear, if this were NERV-Branch Germany, we'd at least find someone by now. You know, we actually have people to staff our bases. Not endless dead-ends and mazes for hallways."

Asuka was fuming as she looked back towards her traveling partner who was a good distance was grasping the handrails with both arms, eyes shut and moving slowly.

"What's holding you up?" Asuka inquired, doing her best to mellow out her anger at the situation towards Shinji.

"S-sorry," Shinji apologized as he slowly opened his eyes towards Asuka's approach.

"Afraid of heights, idiot?"

"Y-yeah... s-sorry," Shinji apologized. Asuka rolled her eyes.

Then she began stomping on the catwalk.

"A-Asuka! Asuka, please!" Shinji cried as he desperately clung to the handrails as the shock waves emanating from Asuka's foot reached him.

Laughing menacingly to herself she let out one final stomp.

Before she herself toppled onto the ground from the earthquake landing on her back, grabbing the handrail for support. Shinji clung to them even more furiously on his knees.

The fighting is getting closer to the Central Dogma, Asuka thought to herself. Just when I was having fun-oh wait. Now's not the time to be having fun. Something something, Angel's attacking and saving the world and crap, Asuka thought to herself. Best not waste anymore time finding someone...

Asuka eyed her rather heavy baggage of a companion and decided perhaps her teasing was beginning to be detrimental.

"Here," Asuka looked away in the distance as she offered her hand to the terrified boy.

Shinji blinked at her soft hand with slender digits. Confusion to the situation was all over his face.

"Be grateful. You must surely be blessed by the heavens themselves. Not only do you get the honor of being fed by me, I'm letting you hold my hand," Asuka huffed.

"T-thank you," Shinji reached for it and clasped it tightly.

"Ugh," Asuka muttered to herself. Shinji apologized immediately. "Sweaty palms..." Shinji immediately attempted to release Asuka's hand.

"S-sorry, Asuka. You don't have to-"

"Shut it. Apologize one more time and I'll throw you into the bottomless pit," Asuka stated as she tugged Shinji along. Her grip on his hand tightened and her fingers intertwined with his.

This is nice, the pair of teenagers thought. The consensus they reached was independently achieved. Shinji kept his gaze low and smiled, it was the first time he's ever held a girl's hand. Asuka herself gave an arrogant smirk. Holding a guy's hand isn't so hard, she assured herself who was just as inexperienced as Shinji. First this little wimps, next will be her destined spouse, Kaji!

"You're no Kaji..." Asuka muttered under her breath as they neared the end of the catwalk.

"I'm not Kaju-what now?" Shinji inquired.

"Kaji. He's... H-he's my...b-boyfriend back in NERV-Branch Germany." Shinji's eyes widened in horror and he began releasing his grip from Asuka's hand.

"What's wrong, idiot?" Asuka brought both her hands to her hips as she stared down the idiot who stepped back away from her.

"S-sorry. I didn't know you had a b-b-b-bo-bo-"

"A boyfriend?" Asuka tilted her head innocently. "What a boring kid you are," Asuka scoffed as she tossed her hair back. "Of course someone as beautiful as myself would have a boyfriend." Asuka closed her eyes and smiled arrogantly.

"S-s-sorry. I just didn't think it was right to-"

"It's fine. It's just holding hands. After all my Kaji is thirty years old and mature. Rich too. He'll understand. Not like I was sleeping with you or anything."

Shinji's eyes went low. Ah, he realized. Of course a girl like her would be doing things like that. With someone... older and mature. Not a spineless wimp like himself who's afraid of heights. Shinji looked at her again. She was beautiful, he admitted to himself and she was in a relationship with someone named Kaji.

For some reason, he felt hurt.

"H-hey. Come on, idiot. Don't be like that." Asuka nervously attempted to assure him as she reached out her hand again. "It's alright. He'll understand. Just take my hand-"

"No!" Shinji cried.

And then, another earthquake shattered the structure.

The catwalk was breaking apart, and Asuka stood teetering on the slowly breaking edge, her balance lost by the shock and speed of the quake. And Shinji whispered his personal mantra to himself.

"I mustn't run away."

His fear of the heights had dulled the strength of his legs but Shinji found something to drive him. A taste of courage to empower him. Adrenaline and blood rushed through his body as he marshaled his strength.

And pushed Asuka off the collapsing catwalk and onto the stable ridge of the pit.

"You idiot!" Auska screamed as Shinji realized what he had just miraculously accomplished.

In an instant, a twinkling, Shinji had vanished from Asuka's view deep into the darkness of the pit.

"You idiot! You idiot, you idiot, you idiot... You idiot!" Asuka looked over the edge and screamed into the darkness, only to be replied with by echoes.

"Dirty disgusting deviant! You goddamn moron! Unlovable jellyfish coward! Goddamn you! Goddamn you, you idiot!" Asuka's voice was coarse from the screaming.

"You... idiot..." Asuka muttered to herself as tears welled up in her eyes. She knew this was not the time to cry. Humanity's survival was on the line. She couldn't be here worrying about some potential pervert, spy, wimpy coward little...no, not those things... she didn't have time to mourn a lost friend.

Soryu Asuka Langley owed Ikari Shinji her life.

Asuka sat at the ridge. A minute, she told herself. She needed a minute to collect her thoughts. A minute to grieve about the boy who she had nearly starved during the last few hours of his life. The boy whom she kept tied up. The boy whom she promised to scan the picture of her dead mother with... the first boy to hold her hand.

Asuka laid down on her back and didn't notice the swooshing of automatic doors and a stampede of footsteps approach her.

"Asuka? Asuka! Oh thank God, we found you," came a elder female voice.

"M-Misato?" Asuka whimpered as she hastily dried her red eyes. The familiar face of Captain Misato Katsuragi, a former handler of hers, graced Asuka's vision.

"Yeah, it's me. Damn it was a bad idea to put you on the experimental jet. When we heard the engine overheated and you had to eject we thought you were gone."

Asuka mumbled a few words.

"At least you're safe... sorry about not sending any search parties. We're a bit stretched in staff as it is. Technicians! Check for damages!" Misato barked orders to the small group with her as they began hastily running towards terminals and nodes to check for damages.

"How'd you find me?"

"You realize how loud you screamed just now?"

Asuka blushed with embarrassment.

"Sorry... I found someone to tag along with me... and now he's..." Asuka's eyes followed the destroyed catwalk.

"I'm sorry, we can have a nice funeral for him later but for now we have to get going."

Asuka quickly dried her tears. "Let's go then, Captain."

"I'll tell you the situation once we hit the Unit-01 cage." Asuka had a fair idea of what to expect. She was going to pilot...

They left the technicians to their work as Misato guided Asuka deeper into the innermost sanctums of Central Dogma. After a lull in silence, Misato decided to break it with a simple question.

"What was your companion's name?" Misato asked politely.

"Ikari Shinji..." Asuka replied.

"Shinji... Ikari?" It did not escape Asuka's notice as a look of fear and shock crept on Misato's face.

"Oh goddamn shi-"

"Wait, let me get this straight," Asuka said as she followed along a visibly shaken Misato down through the corridors towards the cages.

"You were suppose to pick up this Ikari Shinji, son of Commander Ikari, to use as a reserve pilot in case I didn't arrive in time. But you forgot to pick him up?"

"It really slipped my mind," Misato said absentmindedly with a twinge of guilt in her voice. "Kind of busy and all here..."

"Are you serious, Misato?"

"That's Captain Misato. Thank you very much," Misato replied irritably.

Asuka sighed. Her perceptions of that wimpy kid from before were quite ruined. Commander Ikari was known for his fearsome reputation as heartless and calculating strategist. He was capable of political intrigue, sound military tactics and brutally efficient command. Perhaps spines didn't run in the family...

"You sure this kid wasn't some kind of spy?"

"Psych profile said he could barely talk to kids his age. Can't imagine him communicating secrets that well."

"Massive idiot?"

"He passed the exams for a rather prestigious high school with a top five score."

"Sex deviant?"

"Kid squirms around girls like they're the plague. Had a panic attack when he got Valentines chocolates in fourth grade from a rather cute girl." Asuka choked town a tinge of jealousy.

"Oh and then there was that time in junior high when Shinagawa Eriko took him out behind the school gym to confess-"

"Enough!" Asuka roared, not wanting to hear more about Ikari Shinji's past romantic misadventures.

"Oh ho oh! Jealous are we?" Misato commented with a hand over mouth, poorly hiding her massive grin. "You know... psych profiles says the First Child, Rei, is much more compatible with Shinji as a potential mate. We even ran a few scenarios through MAGI on the possibility-"

"Shut up. No!" Asuka cringed and fumed at the prospect of mating with that idiot.

"Well, it's probably not much a competition considering Rei is still in the infirmary. She got roughed up a bit with the Unit-00 test trials..." Asuka rolled her eyes and continued her criticism of the whole scenario being played out by supposedly the most competent organization to ever exists ever: NERV.

"So knowing all this about the kid, you somehow thought that since I may not have arrived in time, which I did by the way, you'd use an untested, untrained boy who has as much of a backbone as a jellyfish to pilot a giant bio-organic robot he's never seen or heard before of in his entire life against the greatest threat humankind has ever faced?"

"Well, when you put it like that, anything would sound stupid," Misato smoothly replied as she opened the door to the cages.

"That's because it is!" Asuka screeched as they entered the cages into the shadow of the great purple humanoid battle system: the Evangelion Unit-01.

"We didn't have much of a choice..." Misato looked back at the young red-haired teenager as they walked down the center of the catwalk. "Oh god," Misato moaned as a realization struck her. "Oh god...dammit."

"What?"

"I'm going to have to tell the Commander his son passed away."

"Unfortunate," a voice commented. "But I'm sure the Commander will endure." The owner was a short-haired blonde in a lab coat who carried a strict air of professionalism.

"Doctor Akagi," Asuka recognized the face and immediately bowed. Though she had never met her personally, Asuka was immensely respectful towards the famous genius, Akagi Ritsuko, who continued the work of her equally-genius mother, Akagi Naoko, in producing the MAGI supercomputer and the Evangelion development.

But the comment left a poor first impression on Asuka.

"Ritsuko..." Misato muttered. "Look, I know I messed up-"

"You were careless. No matter, we can feel sad about the tragedy later. We have more pressing concerns at hand right now. We have to get Asuka's metrics into Unit-01 and calibrated."

Misato sighed and looked over at the young red-haired girl.

"You ready to go?"

The Second Child looked up at the giant purple Evangelion Unit-01 before her.

"Yeah," Asuka complied as both older women began making preparations to get Unit-01 operational.

"Alright, Unit-01. I heard you're kind of a bitch to work with but so I am..." Asuka's voice trailed off. "But help me this one time," Asuka's voice lowered. "For that idiot..."

Her eyes glowed with an infernal determination, a insatiable thirst to prove her worth... and a dollop of vengeance for a certain wimpy perverted boy-wonder idiot..

"Okay, sorry for the lack of plug-suit. It really slipped our minds. Sorry," Ritsuko apologized over the intercom.

"It's fine," Asuka muttered as the LCL began filling the entry-plug. Well, I'm never wearing this outfit again, Asuka thought to herself.

"How come you get to be forgiven for neglecting the plug-suit?" Misato retorted.

"My forgetfulness didn't cost the Commander his only son."

Silence over Rituko's brutally sharp retort.

"It is fine... he was expendable and an unreliable factor," Commander Ikari broke the momentary silence. Asuka noted to herself his cold and distant tone. That comment, much like Dr. Akagi's, left a poor impression on the red-haired demon. "Second Child, I'm sure you're fully aware of what awaits you."

"Yes," Asuka affirmed with absolute determination.

"Good, begin the harmonics calibrations and initiation sequences."

"Sir, I must insist. The chances of it actually operating, even with Asuka as the pilot, is less than a percent. Unit-01 hasn't actually been operable for years-"

"We will continue the initiation sequences. We can conduct the preliminary tests later, Dr. Akagi."

"MAGI predicts a solid forty percent chance of Unit-01 going berserk or potentially self destructing from forced apoptosis," Ritsuko stated.

"I'm fully aware."

"Very well then... Asuka, we're beginning the sequence," Ritsuko's voice sounded worried over the intercom. Heh, Asuka thought. Pre-battle nerves must be hitting everyone hard on the command bridge.

Asuka tuned out the intercom noise as various bridge officers began announcing the initiation and ceasing of sequences. All of which were familiar and memorized by the Second Child, well-equipped in knowledge on the Evangelion unit.

"Beginning harmonic synchronization sequence."

"Increasing power supply to max charge."

"Cutting first-order restraints in three, two one... first-order restraints restraints cut. Begin cutting second-order restraints..."

So far, nothing out of the ordinary as the mechanical wonder of the world was slowly released from its cage, Asuka thought smugly to herself. She snuggled deep into the seat as she mused to herself if she could get the Evangelion Unit-01 painted her favorite red.

"Doctor, it seems the Unit-01 is rejecting the pilot," came the reply from bridge bunny, Maya.

"These synchronization scores are poor... Asuka would be lucky to move a finger."

"Just give me a second. I'll get Unit-01 skipping in no ti-"

"Shock wave from surface explosion incoming!"

"Wait, what?" Asuka didn't have time to brace herself as she felt the rumble hit her cockpit in full force. She clutched the control-sticks as she felt the wrath of God come in all its fury. She nearly bit her tongue.

"Gah! Wahhh!"

Asuka opened her eyes and in a brief instant she saw him, Ikari Shinji, falling down before her. Separating them was a pool of LCL, the Evangelion and several meters of air as he fell down along with debris and wreckage.

Oh god, Asuka thought. Move damn you, Asuka cursed at Unit-01. Move!

And so it moved.

In a flash, the remaining restraints where torn from its bolts and sockets. Shinji landed in the palm of the massive Eva Unit-01. The soft metallic membrane mimicking tender fleshy tissue qualities softening his fall while a protective finger shielded him from further dust and debris.

"An absolute miracle," Ritsuko muttered over the intercom. "It appears your son is alive, Commander Ikari."

"Doctor! Unit-01 is acting on its own!"

"W-what? Impossible!" Asuka watched as she felt the entry-plug eject itself and the massive hand brought near the entry-plug opening.

Shinji fell over onto Asuka's lap into the pool of LCL with a splash.

"Garble-garble! Garble..." Shinji held his breath as he struggled on Asuka's lap for air.

"Breath you idiot..." Asuka commanded in a low voice, unsure to reprimand the idiot buffoon or hug him.

"Gah! Air!"

"LCL actually," Asuka corrected. "You know a type of direct-blood oxygen delivery fluid."

"How can I-"

"LCL brings oxygen directly to your lungs. Weren't you listening? Whatever. Can you get off my lap now?"

Shinji leaped from Asuka's comfortable lap like it was a heated rock.

"Asuka... were you crying?" Shinji boldly inquired.

"What?" Asuka realized droplets of salty liquid was forming on the edges of her eyes which she quickly wiped away. "No! Just sleepy... you know how it is. Busy and all that."

"Oh. Sorry," came Shinji's flat reply. "You should get some sleep when you can," Shini suggested.

"Whatever, idiot. How the hell did you survive that fall down the bottomless pit anyways?"

"Oh, turns out I landed a rather large mountain of moldy stuffed NERV-limited-edition teddy bears and rolled down some ventilation shaft. Followed it around until an earthquake knocked me down. Then I fell into this robot's hand-"

"Excuse me?"

"What?"

"You mean I caught you."

"I guess-Oh never mind. Sorry. Yes, then you caught me, and then you put me into this LCL room-"

"No I didn't," Asuka puffed.

"Then how did the giant robot you appear to piloting put me into this LCL room-place-thingy?"

"Not me," Asuka shrugged.

Then, chatter from the command bridge filled the entry-plug as it was re-inserted into Eva Unit-01.

"Doctor...," Maya began in amazement as her voice filled the LCL room. "Asuka's synch scores shot up from two points to eighty-five for an instant. In addition, with Ikari Shinji in there now... it seems Unit-01 is stabilizing Asuka's synch rate at seventy points."

"Maya, use the modified Dummy Plug interface for twin pilot synchronization and calibration. Have Asuka as primary pilot with Shinji as secondary pilot. With this... Unit-01 might actually start moving."

"Duo-piloting, Ritsuko? Are you mad?" Misato interjected.

"It's stabilizing Asuka's synch rate with Unit-01. So unless you can get Unit-01 to behave or fly Unit-02 from Germany within two minutes, this is the best shot we have."

"I-I... this..."

"It appears," Commander Ikari interjected in the argument between the two senior bridge officers. "That the reserve pilot, Ikari Shinji, may have some use. Move Eva Unit-01 to the catapult. Prepare for sortie."

"But sir your son-" Misato attempted to protest.

"Will do well to learn firsthand how to pilot an Eva," Commander Ikari finished.

"Asuka, hand Shinji the spare neural clips. We haven't got much time," Ritsuko ordered.

"The Angel is directly above the Geofront. We're deploying you guys now," Misato added.

"Affirmative... Here, put these on, idiot," Asuka plucked a hair of identical white neural clips like the ones she was currently wearing from the side compartment. "You're about to see me do work."

"D-do work? You mean you're piloting the giant robot?"

"Precisely, idiot," Asuka said. "Ugh, this is cramped. Here," Asuka said as she got out of her seat and moved to the side.

"Sit," came her stiff command.

"W-what?"

"Do you want to get tossed around like a rag-doll? Sit on the seat and I'll sit on you," Asuka explained averting her gaze from Shinji's.

"O-oh. O-okay. S-sorry for being a bother," Shinji apologized as he lowered himself onto the seat.

"It's n-not like you're that m-much of a b-bother," Asuka nervously replied as she brought herself onto Shinji's lap.

"Sorry."

"Stop apologizing, dork," Asuka ordered as she fastened the restraints over herself and Shinji. "And I swear if you get a hard-on with me on your lap...I'll..."

Shinji got the hint. "Yes ma'am."

"Good boy," Asuka grinned as she felt the Unit-01 finished being moved to the catapult.

"Yeah, Shinji," Misato concurred through the intercom. "Best leave the wife to do the work. This also applies in bed!" Misato added jokingly.

"Misato!" Asuka raged as she and Shinji both blushed a soft crimson.

"Knock 'em dead, Asuka," Misato encouraged, ignoring her earlier comment and the Second Child's rage. "You too Shinji. Sorry for not picking you up on time. If you come out of this alive, I'll even throw in a big smooch for ya."

"Mi-sa-to!" A flustered Asuka shouted over the intercom. "That's completely inappropri-"

"Launch the Eva!"

Asuka nearly bit her tongue.

"The Angel doesn't look so scary in this giant mech thing..." Shinji commented as his arms tightened around Asuka's slim waist.

The Angel stood there passively, almost in wonder, of the being before it now. Only a few blocks was all that stood in between them.

"Heh. Damn straight," Asuka growled as she began flexing both hers and the Eva Unit-01's massive arms. There were so many kinks and joints to crack in this rusty old thing... "Hold on tight, boy-wonder. You're about to see an ace pilot-Wah!"

Shinji had did just as told, startling the red demon.

"No so tight, idiot..." Asuka whimpered softly.

"S-sorry."

"The umbilical cable is locked in. Power supply looks good. Alright you two, go get 'em!" Misato ordered.

"Alright," Asuka agreed having regained her composure. "Brace yourself... Asuka is coming!"

"Gah-Wah-Ahhh!" Shinji cried as Asuka flung the massive Eva Unit-01 across the battlefield, closing few city blocks that separated themselves and the Angel.

Shinji could barely keep his eyes opened during the fight. Asuka was moving Unit-01 at blindingly fast speed dodging the empowered tendrils from the Angel's arms while returning attacks of her own. Had his eyes been opened, he would have realized Asuka maneuvered the Eva with a magnificent grace, ducking through buildings and terrain. Asuka dodged every blow the Angel threw and when the opening presented itself, she punched right back.

And the strangest part was, Shinji felt a strange pressure on his knuckles every time Asuka landed a punch, as if it he himself were punching the monster...

Asuka was visibly panting on Shinji's lap as she began to catch her breath.

"Dammit Unit-01. It's a been rough around the edges. Like it hasn't exercised in years."

"It has been in cold storage for nearly a decade," Ritsuko commented. "Some of the joints may still be a tad frozen but..."

"Whatever," Asuka panted. "I'll break that Angel in two... How you holding up, idiot?" Asuka turned her attention towards her unwitting pilot-partner.

"I feel weird... every time you land a punch I feel it too..."

"Heh, you feel everything the Eva does," Asuka said turning around to back, seeing mortified Shinji. "Don't worry about it, idiot. Nothing's going to happ-"

"Asuka! Watch out!" Shinji exclaimed pointing back to the front.

"What? Shi-!" Asuka winced as the left arm of Unit-01 was caught in a vice grip of the Angel. The sudden burst of speed from the formerly sluggish beast caught Asuka off guard and now the Angel was in the process if twisting the arm to have a second elbow. But whereas Asuka winced through the intense pain, Shinji screamed.

"Reduce the synch threshold, reduce the pain synaptic for both pilots!" Ritsuko ordered.

"Negative," Commander Ikari intervened. "Transfer all pain synaptic messages towards the secondary pilot, Ikari Shinji. Allow the Second Child to fight without fear of pain."

"B-but sir! If Asuka doesn't feel the pain synapses, it'll dull her instinctual ability to anticipate enemy movement."

"I'm fully aware, but with the handicap of having two pilots as it is, we best use our advantages to its fullest," Commander Ikari said without a pause. "A beast without fear of pain is more dangerous than a beast weighed down by dead meat."

Asuka winced again, but not in pain. That comment was cold, even for Asuka, for the Commander to refer to his own son.

Shinji himself now was more silent than before. With his eyes closed he, was too focused holding down his tongue to notice.

I can't distract Asuka. Have to be as quiet as possible...

Asuka blinked. A voice flooded her head but it was not through her ears. It felt as if she was directly communicating with someone close... Someone whom she was sitting on the lap of.

"Thanks, idiot," Asuka muttered.

Shinji opened an eye,"F-for what?"

"Pain synapse transfer complete. All pain transmissions going towards secondary pilot, Ikari Shinji."

And with that, Shinji unleashed a massive roar of pain.

Argh! The pain... The pain! It hurts. IT HURTS!

"Just hold out a little bit, Shinji..." Asuka whispered as she brought the Eva's right arm to bear onto the Angel's face.

One punch. Two punch. Twenty punches later and the Angel's grip would not loosen. It held on with a tenacious fury like two atoms bound with absolute lowest energy. This was now a contest between Shinji's and the Angel's tolerance for pain and punishment.

"Goddammit! Let go you goddamn thing!" Asuka did not feel a new surge of liberty in her piloting ability as the Commander predicted. If anything, she fought without pause or objective other than to have Unit-01 suffer as little as possible.

"Since every goddamn hit this Eva takes, Shinji feels..." Asuka muttered to herself.

Then the Angel finally scored a minor victory and gave Eva Unit-01 a second joint on the arm. The arm cracked below the elbow and above the wrist, shattering the armor and revealing a mesh of vein and shattered bio-synthetic flesh.

ARGH! It hurts. IT HURTS! IT HURST SO DAMN MUCH!

No audible sounds could be heard from the entry-plug cockpit but Asuka knew precisely how Shinji felt. He was being quiet to avoid distracting her. He was tolerating all this pain involuntarily so she could fight unhindered. He took the full brunt of pain from the broken arm for her. Heh, Asuka thought to herself. He's not so wimpy after all...

But that didn't mean she could lax in this fight.

"Sir! Secondary pilot Ikari is beginning to phase in and out of consciousness! The shock is causing him to red out!"

"Asuka! Pull back! The UN is going in with close air support!" Misato roared over the intercom.

"What? Alright, got it." Asuka finally managed to slip away from the Angel's grip and retreat a farther distance away as the UN-JSSDF forces began a diversionary assault to occupy the Angel. A massive number of bombs and ordinance were dropped as jets screeched across the air unleashing hellish payloads and devastating gifts of fire and incendiary ammunition to divert the Angel's attention. Positioning the Eva behind a blast shield, Asuka turned her attention to her partner-pilot.

"Come on idiot, stay with me..." Asuka undid the harness that bound both her and Shinji to the cockpit and brought a warm hand to Shinji's cold face, flushed with pain and agony. "Come on... hold out," Asuka whispered as we saw Shinji wince with pain to even the slightest touch.

"That kid just had his arm broken..." Misato commented softly.

"If the secondary pilot passes out?" Commander Ikari inquired without a shred of sympathy.

"Then the secondary pilot may suffer a mental backlash and Unit-01 will cease functioning until we reroute pain synapses to the primary pilot. MAGI predicts a month-to-three-year-long coma for the secondary pilot the most likely outcome should this continue," Ritsuko answered.

"Those consequences are acceptable," was the Commander's response.

"What are your orders?" Ritsuko grimaced.

"Keep the pain synapses on secondary pilot Ikari Shinji until he does pass out. Then switch it to the Second Child immediately afterwards to resume functional operations for the Eva Unit-01."

Have to... stay awake... Have to... keep Asuka away from this... pain...

Asuka's eyes were full of concern and worry.

"Second Child," the voice of Commander Ikari flooded the cockpit. "The UN air bombardment is almost over, prepare for sortie again."

"Yes sir," Asuka said with determination as she returned to Shinji's lap and readjusting the harness. "I'll finish this quick."

"Make it so," came the Commander's command of fortune without a hint of warmth.

And with that, Asuka roared back into fight across the burning city that was her battleground.

And she was met with an empowered tendril to the eye of Unit-01.

Perhaps it was the over-eagerness in finishing this quickly that allowed the opening. Maybe it was the frustration of the situation or the hope that the Angel would have been preoccupied with the sudden display of firepower from the UN air support. But in any case, what occurred had occurred and Asuka could only blame herself.

But of course, she didn't scream. After all, she felt no pain from the Eva's actions. No repercussions for however reckless Asuka chose to fight.

Shinji, however, did feel the pain.

And scream he did.

"Shinji! You idiot come on... wake up..."

Asuka had unfastened the harness and was now a top the young boy. His eyes were closed and a small trickle of blood floating in emulsion within the LCL hovered above his nostril. His heart beat was sound but he wouldn't wake up. The boy would not speak to her and she could no longer hear the thoughts in his head.

Asuka felt something strange... something she hadn't felt in years... not since she found her mothers corpse...

Fear.

Her worst fears had been realized. The situation was... desperate. Ikari Shinji had suffered a red out and mental backlash from the pain synaptic overload. At best, he was unconscious and at worst... a coma that would span months to years.

And here, Asuka believed, that slapping his face a few times would wake him up.

"Wake up, idiot! Don't leave me! You boring idiot-deviant-ugh," Asuka twisted her tongue struggling to find insults. "Stooge!"

"Asuka! Asuka! Can you read me?" Asuka sighed towards the static of black-and-white screen. Yes, I can hear you but...

"We still can't get a visual or audio feed on the entry-plug! Last moments of recordings suggest Ikari passed out from the excessive pain."

"Goddammit. Asuka!"

"She can't send out messages. Misato, that's enough. The Angel's piercing attack through Unit-01's eye socket and cranium crippled the output relay feed. She can't communicate with the command bridge."

"But can she hear us?"

"Most likely. However, since the command feed has been FUBAR'd... we can't switch the synapses from Ikari to Asuka... meaning..."

The horror was keenly etched into Misato's voice.

"The Eva's dead in the water..."

Asuka was panicking. All her training in the NERV-Branch Germany had never prepared her for a situation like this. A pilot was usually a solo job, but there would always be the support of the command bridge. But here, the command bridge could only guess at what she was doing and with a half-dead body in the entry-plug with her the situation appeared...desperate.

"Eva Unit-01 is not moving. It's lost ten percent of its bio-fluid. The automated coagulation systems are keeping it from bleeding to death. Umbilical cable power supply is still stable..." Maya began ticking off a list through the intercom.

"And yet, the Eva still does not move," interjected Commander Ikari.

"At this time, sir, I recommend emergency retrieval of the Eva Unit-01 and conducting hasty repairs," Misato recommended.

"That won't be necessary, Captain. I have faith that Pilot Soryu will come through for us... Request the UN to commence a second wave of close air support."

"Sir, MAGI predicts UN air support would only buy us another thirty seconds before the Angel wipes out the remaining bomber squadrons," Ritsuko advised.

"Enough time for Pilot Soryu to think of something. Commence close air support."

Asuka held tightly onto Shinji as she braced both of them for the coming onslaught. The young red-haired pilot knew she had to take this opportunity and think... think through the shock waves of explosions and destructive force being unleashed only a few miles away from her Evangelion.

"Asuka. This is Ritsuko. If you can hear me, you have to open up the user-interface and manually switch the synapses from Shinji to yourself. The Eva won't operate unless the synapses are being received by a conscious pilot."

"Argh! Don't you think I've tried that? Goddammit!" Asuka cursed. For whatever reason, Unit-01 was rejecting any input commands from the cockpit. In her frustration, Asuka tightened her hold on Shinji.

"I'm sorry, idiot," Asuka apologized, realizing the irony of apologizing to Lord-Shinji-of-the-Apologies. "Guess this was a crappy demonstration of my piloting skills..."

"Well, it's not so bad," a soft voice giggled behind her. Asuka's grip on Shinji tightened before she looked at origin of the voice.

And Asuka looked in wonder.

"Y-you're..." Impossible, Asuka thought to herself. She should be dead... even if she were alive she must have aged...

But yet there she was, the mother of Ikari Shinji, floating in the middle of the cockpit as beautiful as the aged photo Asuka first glimpsed at her in.

Asuka, by instinct and curiosity, reached out to touch her...and felt nothing but the emptiness of LCL.

"Ah! Sorry!" The woman clasped her hands in apology. "I'm kind of in my ghost form so this is a hologram? Sort of?"

"You're t-the idiot's m-mother..." Asuka stammered.

"In the flesh! Well, not really... Don't tell him about the I'm-stuck-possessing-Unit-01-thing-though. It'd freak him out quite a bit."

"Look. This is a great fantastic revelation and all, Mrs. Ikari," Asuka rushed coddling the unconscious boy in her arms, "but there's kind of an Angel out there..."

"Oh that... I'll take care of it. You just watch my little sweetheart for me... my dear future daughter-in-law," Shinji's mother winked.

"W-what? W-we're not l-like that!"

"And for future reference, it's either mother or Yui!" The woman cheered as Asuka clung tightly to Shinji. She felt Unit-01 begin moving on its own preparing for an epic charge against the Angel, fresh and unfazed from an otherwise brutally sustained series of air strikes.

The shocked red-haired pilot didn't even have time to come up with a curt reply.

Evangelion Unit-01 had gone berserk.

The fury of humankind surged through the wires and veins of the bio-synthetic combat system Evangelion Unit-01. There was a rush of adrenaline, the marvel of miracles and the thunderous power in the machine. Nothing could withstand its unhindered might. The once broken arm had been mended and reformed. Eva Unit-01 fought with strength thought unfathomable moments ago.

Here came the wrath of Man in all its fury.

And Asuka finally bit her tongue

It was over.

"Ow! ow! ow..." Asuka was rubbing her cheek. Her tongue still sore from being bitten.

The fight had lasted barely a minute and Unit-01 had cease operations. The Angel's core was destroyed with a piece of hardened bone ripped from the monster's own rib cage. After a climatic explosion, Evangelion Unit-01 walked out of the blazing inferno and took pause.

The pair of pilots were now awaiting to be picked up by NERV personnel. Ikari Yui, the strangely eccentric mother of Shinji Ikari, had vanished with a simple "Ta ta for now, my beloved daughter-in-law!"

"That's not the last I'm going to see of her", Asuka prophetically muttered to herself.

Though she wasn't entirely displeased by Yui's title for Asuka...

Shaking her head, Asuka looked down at the boy she was nursing. In the fiery red-head's arms, Asuka was cradling the aforementioned Ikari Shinji like a newborn baby with his head resting gently on her rather disappointing bosom.

"Idiot's kind of cute when he's not apologizing..." Asuka commented on the sight, then blushed red when she realized her comment. "T-then again anyone looks cute when they're asleep and in my arms... and not apologizing over every little thing..." ...Right?

But as cute as the idiot was in her arms, Asuka realized the young boy could be in a coma for months or years.

Such is the price of his sacrifice for her.

Asuka knew what he did entailed. To the young Ikari Shinji, sacrifice is the greatest tribute one can offer someone. To bleed for another, to suffer for another...

That was how one such as he shows affection.

And Asuka stroked the young boy's cheek gently.

Then he stirred.

"A-Asuka?" Shinji's eyes opened slightly to see a mesh of red hair.

"Sh-Shinji!" Asuka exclaimed. "You're alright!"

"I th-think. I'm a bit sore though..." Shinji's face did not lift from Asuka's chest. Rather he snuggled deeper into it.

Asuka's face turned a deep red hue but held back her embarrassment.

"What's this soft thing... it's so warm... I can sleep here forever..." Shinji mumbled as he nuzzled his head to a more comfortable position.

"Heh, it's my treat, runt," Asuka joked. "If you're tired just take a nap," and she gently tightened her hold on the young boy.

"Thanks..."

And the young boy drifted off to sleep.

"No... thank you," Asuka mumbled. She had a new found respect for the boy. Idiot he may be, coward he was not.

Then the entry-plug opened.

"Asuka!" It was Captain Misato, peering from the opening, who was now head of pilot retrieval operations.

"Hey Misato," Asuka smiled, a tinge of regret forming on her lips as she realized Shinji wouldn't be in her arms for much longer.

"Well if you're that disappointed to see me I can come back in like an hour," Misato grinned with her arms on her hips.

"No!"

But Asuka really wanted to say Yes! Yes!

Chapter One Fin

Do not expect fast updates.