Started May 6, 2001
Finished May 21, 2001
As usual I don't have any claim to EVA or its characters. Just borrowing
them for the story.
The Game: Prey
Red Horseman
There is no hunting like the hunting of
man, and those who have hunted armed men
long enough and liked it, never care for
anything else thereafter
-Ernest Hemmingway
* * * * *
The weather suited the dark man as he threaded his way through the crowd.
The cold, overcast day always made the hunt more enjoyable and this hunt
would be one of the best. For six months he had been tracking the prey as
they moved from city to city. He always read the newspapers and watched
specific message boards for anything. The death of one of his competitors
had led him to this city in northern Japan. What made him come here was
that there had been multiple blood types at the crime scene. So one or both
of the bounties was wounded and they wouldn't move until they were healed.
All this did not matter as the hunter focused on a tall, young man a
block ahead of him. He had stumbled upon him purely by luck and he wasn't
going to lose him. The crowded streets and low lighting made it difficult
not to lose him, but the hunter was skilled in his trade. The man was easy
to keep track of because his head was in constant motion, looking from side
to side in windows to spot a potential trail. Curling his hands the hunter
tried to keep his eagerness under control.
"Damn it." A rush of people caused him to momentarily lose track of the
man. As the hunter stood there he looked at the surroundings for any closing
doors or loitering people who had not been there before. The man smiled as
he saw an alleyway right around where the bounty disappeared. A weak attempt
at evasion and the mark of an amateur thought the hunter. He had been hoping
for more of a challenge from this person.
Reaching into his jacket he pulled out a silenced, semi-automatic pistol.
The conditions of the bounty were to keep them alive and relatively intact.
A shot to the knee and shoulder would incapacitate the man while the bounty
hunter went after his companion. Putting his back against the wall the hunter
quickly slid into the alleyway.
"What the?" The alley was empty for almost two hundred feet, except for
dumpsters. Looking back the way he had come confirmed there was no one
waiting before he slowly advanced down the narrow confines. His pulse
quickened as he approached the first dumpster, and quickly checked the
opposite end.
Clear.
With his senses heightened, the hunter continued checking the few hiding
spots. As he was nearing the middle of the alleyway his anger built. How had
the bounty spotted him with the crowd and low lighting? He had successfully
tracked many bounties over the years and never lost one. As the tension
built and the sense of failing fell upon him the hunter stopped.
"There's no need to get worked up," He told to himself. He was joyed at
the thought of tracking down the two pilots. What had seemed an overly easy
job, when he had spotted Shinji Ikari, was now becoming a challenge. He was
so caught up in thought that he had let his guard down and had not heard the
approaching footsteps.
"Were you looking for me?" was the last thing the hunter heard as a
barrel of a pistol crashed into the base of his skull.
Shinji stood behind the man and watched him crumple to the ground in a
noiseless heap. On his face was look of indifference and mild annoyance.
Sighing lightly, he quickly got to work on the bounty hunter.
Turning the guy over, Shinji went through his pockets for any money and
credit cards. Also any kind of papers would be useful to the couple. Finally
Shinji found a couple pairs of handcuffs, then cuffed the man's hands and
legs together. Before leaving Shinji stuffed a gag into the man's mouth and
dragged him over behind a dumpster, covering him with some garbage.
Returning to the entrance of the alley, Shinji ran a hand through his
hair and zipped up his jacket to hide the pistol. After he had calmed,
Shinji picked up the supplies he had bought earlier and stepped out into
traffic. He had some place to be and this had sidetracked him for close to
an hour. Taking a few turns Shinji made sure there was no one else following
him before making his way to the train station.
Half an hour after boarding the train, Shinji was on the opposite side
of the city, approaching their apartment. Shifting the bags onto one hand
Shinji reached into his jacket to loosen the pistol. The dark hallway
combined with the previous encounter had him more on edge then normal.
Slowing his pace so his footsteps wouldn't mask anyone behind him, Shinji
dug out the key card.
Turning around, he looked down the hallway as he worked by touch to
slide the card into the reader. Relaxing a little as the locks released, he
quickly stepped through the door and closed it. Before leaving the small
entranceway he reached into a hole in the wall and disabled the reader. He
was rewarded by the sound of the regular locks and dead bolts engaging.
Shinji stood there listening for any out of place noises, but the only thing
that greeted him was the low noise of the television and city beyond the
windows.
"I'm home," He announced as he entered the small, modest apartment that
they could barely afford.
Shinji walked past the living area to the kitchen area to start putting
away the supplies. Their stock was small since money was tight. A careless
withdrawal or overspending could lead to a deadly situation. Keeping the
necessary ingredients out for dinner, Shinji went to check on his companion
but not before putting out something he had bought on a whim.
Approaching the couch Shinji was a little worried. His companion and
fellow survivor never slept through his arrival, but his worries were
unjustified. The slow rise and fall of her chest reassured him but the trace
of sweat on her face was not good. He stood there looking at her for a
moment and reaffirmed his opinion of her.
Shaking his head, Shinji bent over and slowly removed the pistol from
her grip. She gripped it a little harder before giving it up to him. After
she was disarmed, Shinji started to lift her shirt to check on her wound.
He had barely started when a strong hand caught his wrist and stopped him.
"Pervert! I always knew you were waiting to take advantage of me." With
that Asuka sat up against the arm of the couch. She brushed some of her hair
out of her face and yawned. Asuka had refused to dye her hair, instead
settling for half its original length. Loosing the scowl, she looked up at
Shinji and gave him a small smile.
"You know I would never do anything like that to you." He was flustered
at her statement. Though it was a joke to her, Shinji could never laugh at
the thought. "You were just." He went silent for a moment, unable to look at
her. "May I?"
Asuka nodded and unabashedly removed her shirt so her bandage was
exposed. Shinji blushed at the sight of Asuka in just her bra, but got over
it. It was not the first time he had seen her like that. Kneeling to the
floor, he slowly peeled the medical tape off and removed the slightly bloody
bandages from Asuka's side. Shinji trembled at the sight of her damaged body
and to save him no less.
The knife cut was approximately eight inches long and traveled from front
to back at an upward angle. As he looked at it, Shinji saw that the scab had
broken open in a couple places. No matter how well he treated it a scar
would result. What was not a good sign was the redness around the wound and
the veins of red radiating away.
"It's infected." It was a statement not a question. Asuka had felt the
changes in temperature and a nauseous feeling had come over her a couple of
days ago.
Shinji looked at her and nodded, "We need you to see a doctor."
"We can't afford one," Asuka sighed a little. "Also it would give away
our location." She did not see Shinji start at that comment.
"Well, how about you go take a bath."
"A bath isn't going to cure this," She replied in a quiet, firm voice.
They weren't arguing and she wouldn't escalate it. "I need some
antibiotics."
Smiling a little, Shinji reached down and pulled Asuka to her feet. The
quickness of his action left Asuka lightheaded and she rested against him
for support. She did not protest Shinji's actions or her own reaction since
he was all she had left. Over the last years her anger towards him had been
replaced by acceptance. They were working well as a team instead of against
each other.
"Just go take a bath, please," Shinji suggested to the young woman.
"It'll relax you and I can cook dinner while you're in the tub."
Asuka sighed and nodded at the firmness in his voice. Besides acceptance
they had changed in other ways. Shinji had grown a spine and matured into a
steady person. She on the other hand had lost the spoiled and arrogant
attitude in dealing with him and others. Both had also picked up other
skills ordinary people would not learn in school.
"Did you pick up some clothes?" Shinji nodded a little. "What about the
other stuff?" This time they both blushed and looked down.
"Yes, and they're blue."
"That's fine." A smirk appeared on Asuka's face. "At least you got away
from plain white."
With that Asuka laughed at his reaction and walked down the hall, only
stopping to pick up the bag of clothes. Despite their situation it would be
worse if she lost her sense of humor. It helped them stay out of depression,
which could lead to mistakes.
A few minutes later Asuka was immersed in her only pleasure, a hot bath.
Five years of running had given her the chance to appreciate the little
things in life. A hot bath, clothes, a good meal and someone close to her
were all she needed now. As the hot water took the tension out of her body,
Asuka's mind began to wander through random memories and thoughts. Closing
her eyes, she leaned back, not forcing the memories or emotions down from
her conscious mind. She had learned that lesson well, with her mother and
vowed not to repeat it. The memories held no rhythm as they appeared and
disappeared at random intervals, some stayed for a few minutes, and others
were just fleeting. They varied from her childhood and the early days of the
Angel war to more recent memories of bounty hunters. Others were
bittersweet, like her first kiss with Shinji before the 12th and him saving
her after the 8th.
The painful memories also appeared and she did not shy away from them.
Her multiple defeats and attempted suicide were just a couple. As all this
was going through her mind, the water was turning colder just like her
memories. The coldness and fear of hearing gunfire over the phone as Misato
died in the purges, warning them to run. Asuka shuddered and opened her eyes
at that memory. The feeling of losing someone she loved again had hit her
hard, but then survival took over. Misato's death had hit Shinji even harder
and a couple of times she had been tempted to leave him. Now she could never
do such a thing to Shinji. If something happened to him she could never
forgive herself.
She frowned at the image in the mirror as she toweled herself off after
the bath. She was very pale and thin compared to her oldself. Them running
never gave her time to tan and the money situation meant meals were kept
simple and small, usually carry-out. Another thing that Asuka did not like
about her body was the accumulation of small scars. The knife wound was the
most recent damage to her body. Scars crossed her arms and upper body, but
they were small and hardly noticeable. The two of them had become adept at
close quarter fighting. As she pulled on her clothes Asuka mused that she
was not the only one with physical and emotional scars. Shinji had more than
his fair share of them. Opening the door she headed to the kitchen and a
regular cooked meal instead of carryout.
"Still trying to court me, Shinji?" Asuka's quiet voice startled Shinji
from his cooking.
The sight of Asuka standing in the entrance of the hall greeted him as
he turned around. She was still beautiful to him no matter what happened or
how she looked. It was these thoughts that caused him to blush as he picked
up the medical kit off of the counter. This time he sat in a chair to
bandage the cut.
"I never did thank you for saving me," Shinji stated as he looked up to
her eyes and smiled. Asuka fidgeted under his gaze as she spoke.
"It was nothing. You would have done the same for me."
"I know, but it was very risky." Shinji applied some iodine to the wound
and Asuka flinched. "He could have killed you."
"Well he didn't," Asuka flatly replied. "Anyway, I owed you for all the
times you saved me."
He finished putting the bandage on and taped it before replying to that
statement. "Is that the only reason?"
"No."
Shinji stopped in his actions and turned around. A look of hurt was on
Asuka's face. It pained him to see her like that and because of him. Shinji
felt ashamed because he knew it wasn't duty that caused Asuka to push him
out of the way. He quickly shook his head and went back to getting dinner in
order not to think about that. They both hardly breached that subject.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be." Asuka had put her shirt on and was setting the table. "You
didn't answer my question."
"A little." Shinji had a small smile on his face as he turned around and
brought the soup over. "I know what you're going to say."
"And that would be?" She was also smiling. On the table were two red
roses.
"It's too dangerous and could work against us." Both sighed at that.
They had discussed that at best they could only have a working relationship,
not a romantic one. So far it was working out decently. "They could use one
of us against the other."
"We both know that isn't true any more. Neither of us would allow the
other to get hurt. Right?" Asuka asked his back as he retrieved the
meal and drinks. "So what are the roses for?"
"Our seventh year together."
"Oh." She looked over at him. "We've been through so much together. When
you met me did you ever think any of this would happen?"
"No. I don't think either of us could have envisioned what we would go
through with the Angels or us being on the run from SEELE."
Both went silent at that, deciding to concentrate on dinner.
Conversation had run out a long time ago and they talked about trivial
things. Neither had attended school nor classes for years but taught
themselves the necessary skills. Asuka put her education to work teaching
Shinji as much as she could remember from college. Communicating with their
friends was far and in between with the danger flowing both ways. Also
nothing was currently happening with Hikari and Touji, or Kensuke so there
wasn't any recent news and gossip to discuss. They knew Hikari was expecting
and Touji was busy with the store they owned. Kensuke was in NERV and fed
them reports when Asuka and Shinji could contact him.
"Anyway I got something else for you." Shinji was the first to break the
silence. Asuka looked up at that since both had agreed they couldn't buy
gifts.
"I thought we agreed on stuff like that."
Shinji ignored her and went to cabinet next to the stove. It took him a
few moments to retrieve what he had bought earlier in the day, but soon he
turned around. Whatever he had retrieved Asuka couldn't see. Shinji sat back
down and extended his hand that was closed around a bottle of some sort.
When he opened his hand Asuka had to gasp in surprise.
"How did you get that?" Asuka had to ask. Shinji's held two vials of
medicine in his hand. As she read the labels Asuka saw they were the most
potent antibiotics on the market. The black market charged outrageous prices
to get this because it wasn't profitable, unlike the illegal drugs. To the
people that needed it the drugs were a lifesaver and what she held in her
hand was more than enough to kill the infection.
"I hacked into the pharmacy using one of Kensuke's programs and doubled
the prescription," Shinji stated to her.
"Prescription?" Asuka noticed how Shinji had kept his long-sleeved shirt
on instead of changing. She narrowed her eyes and asked the obvious. "What
did you do?"
"You needed the medicine so," Shinji sighed. He unbuttoned his sleeve
and rolled it back. On his forearm was a long bandage that he was removing.
Asuka saw the stitched up arm and the redness around the wound. Tears of
anger came to her eyes.
"Damn it Shinji. I take a knife in the side so you wouldn't get hurt
and.." She trailed off unable to continue. Shinji reached across and gripped
her hand. Looking up in surprise she saw him smile. He rarely touched her
and the way he was holding her hand showed he was sincere.
"It's not as bad as it looks. The cut looks infected but I used some of
the effect make-up to dress it up. Then I went to an old doctor who stitched
it up with no questions asked. So no problems," Shinji told her before
rolling up his sleeve. Asuka could only shake her head in amazement at what
Shinji had done. Again and again Shinji had show his ability to think on his
feet and respond to any situation. A change from the shy quiet boy she had
met years ago.
"Fine just don't ever do anything like that again." She looked at him
with clear eyes. "I don't need that kind of scare." Shinji nodded at that
and they went back to eating quietly.
Later the storm brought much needed moisture and relief from the heat to
the city, but Asuka didn't care as she sat on a chair. She had cleaned up
the small mess in the kitchen before retiring to the living area after
dinner. Two capsules had been taken before Shinji told her to sleep first
after they both watched a little television. Now she kept guard for any
intruders or people that might have found them. It was an arrangement set up
at the beginning of their flight.
She looked over at her sleeping companion and smiled at how he looked.
He always looked serious and worried while awake but once a sleep his
features relaxed and he looked like trouble free young man. Asuka chuckled
at that thought while she rubbed the silver bracelet on her wrist. She had
woken to find a small box next to her. When she opened it she was shocked
to find the bracelet inside. Shinji refused to explain how he had paid for
it as his small income went to rent.
Asuka had to smile sadly as she played with the bracelet. Despite their
agreement not to get romantic it had been going on for some time if you knew
where to look. The little looks, smiles and touches they had shared starting
back at NERV had continued even in the most desperate of times. Neither
really had any hopes of it ever getting better to where they could settle
down to a normal life.
Her eyes narrowed and her features hardened as Asuka thought that. She
wanted a future free of running and knew Shinji wanted the same. Setting
that dream in her mind Asuka ran through ideas for several hours debating
the merits and feasibility of carrying them out. Finally just as the sun was
rising she remembered an solution that suited their situation perfectly.
Looking over at Shinji as she rose and started to the kitchen Asuka
nodded to herself, promising to talk to Shinji about it. She would do
nothing without his consent but hoped he would go along with it. A person
had a right to dream and she wanted at least one of hers to be fulfilled.
- - - - -
They had been sitting eating with neither of them speaking. Like
everything in their lives now duties were shared between the pair. Shinji
cooked dinner while Asuka had breakfast. The same was with work in they
both alternated workdays if at all. Asuka sat thinking of how to put forth
her idea in a less direct method before he left again for the day.
"Shinji," Asuka spoke before waiting for him to acknowledge her. "Have
you ever thought of what it would be like to have a future?"
"What do mean?" The question had come out of no where and surprised him.
Neither of them had ever talked about the past or future, just concentrating
on the present.
"I mean." Asuka paused to eat a sausage off her plate. "A future without
running from bounty hunters. Or worrying about the past." She looked down
and blushed. "Getting married and having children. Being able to see our
friends without worrying if we'll get caught or them getting in trouble."
"I used to." Shinji stared at his plate. "When I first came to NERV I
hoped father and I would be a family. That turned out false." Shinji looked
up and blushed redder than Asuka. "A couple of times I thought about if I
ever had the courage to ask you out what would happen." He shook his head
sadly. "Now I just worry about living and that's not how I want to raise a
child. But it's just a dream. A impossible dream that I wish could happen."
"Good." Shinji looked up to see Asuka smiling at him and with fire in
her eyes.
"What?"
"Last night I was thinking about that and realized I want the same."
Asuka rested her arms on the table and leaned closer. "I want a future.
NERV and EVA stole our childhoods from us and SEELE is stealing our futures.
I'm tired of running, Shinji. I'm tired of others deciding my future for
me."
Her voice had become hard at the end and Shinji had to swallow at the
hate evident in it. "But what can we do Asuka?"
"There's a saying about our situation Shinji." Asuka smiled again, and
it wasn't friendly. Shinji was nervous at how evil her smile looked but
nodded for her to continue. Asuka's voice was low and deadly as she spoke.
"It's time for the hunted to become the hunters."
* * * * *
Now I'm not sure if I have the saying correct since I can't remember
where I read it.
This will not become two people taking down SEELE, since that would not
make a believable story. Asuka and Shinji will still be the focus of the
story but help will find them. The purges and why Third Impact has not
happened will be explained. Other things will also need to be explained so
bear with me.
C&C is always welcome.
[email protected]
Finished May 21, 2001
As usual I don't have any claim to EVA or its characters. Just borrowing
them for the story.
The Game: Prey
Red Horseman
There is no hunting like the hunting of
man, and those who have hunted armed men
long enough and liked it, never care for
anything else thereafter
-Ernest Hemmingway
* * * * *
The weather suited the dark man as he threaded his way through the crowd.
The cold, overcast day always made the hunt more enjoyable and this hunt
would be one of the best. For six months he had been tracking the prey as
they moved from city to city. He always read the newspapers and watched
specific message boards for anything. The death of one of his competitors
had led him to this city in northern Japan. What made him come here was
that there had been multiple blood types at the crime scene. So one or both
of the bounties was wounded and they wouldn't move until they were healed.
All this did not matter as the hunter focused on a tall, young man a
block ahead of him. He had stumbled upon him purely by luck and he wasn't
going to lose him. The crowded streets and low lighting made it difficult
not to lose him, but the hunter was skilled in his trade. The man was easy
to keep track of because his head was in constant motion, looking from side
to side in windows to spot a potential trail. Curling his hands the hunter
tried to keep his eagerness under control.
"Damn it." A rush of people caused him to momentarily lose track of the
man. As the hunter stood there he looked at the surroundings for any closing
doors or loitering people who had not been there before. The man smiled as
he saw an alleyway right around where the bounty disappeared. A weak attempt
at evasion and the mark of an amateur thought the hunter. He had been hoping
for more of a challenge from this person.
Reaching into his jacket he pulled out a silenced, semi-automatic pistol.
The conditions of the bounty were to keep them alive and relatively intact.
A shot to the knee and shoulder would incapacitate the man while the bounty
hunter went after his companion. Putting his back against the wall the hunter
quickly slid into the alleyway.
"What the?" The alley was empty for almost two hundred feet, except for
dumpsters. Looking back the way he had come confirmed there was no one
waiting before he slowly advanced down the narrow confines. His pulse
quickened as he approached the first dumpster, and quickly checked the
opposite end.
Clear.
With his senses heightened, the hunter continued checking the few hiding
spots. As he was nearing the middle of the alleyway his anger built. How had
the bounty spotted him with the crowd and low lighting? He had successfully
tracked many bounties over the years and never lost one. As the tension
built and the sense of failing fell upon him the hunter stopped.
"There's no need to get worked up," He told to himself. He was joyed at
the thought of tracking down the two pilots. What had seemed an overly easy
job, when he had spotted Shinji Ikari, was now becoming a challenge. He was
so caught up in thought that he had let his guard down and had not heard the
approaching footsteps.
"Were you looking for me?" was the last thing the hunter heard as a
barrel of a pistol crashed into the base of his skull.
Shinji stood behind the man and watched him crumple to the ground in a
noiseless heap. On his face was look of indifference and mild annoyance.
Sighing lightly, he quickly got to work on the bounty hunter.
Turning the guy over, Shinji went through his pockets for any money and
credit cards. Also any kind of papers would be useful to the couple. Finally
Shinji found a couple pairs of handcuffs, then cuffed the man's hands and
legs together. Before leaving Shinji stuffed a gag into the man's mouth and
dragged him over behind a dumpster, covering him with some garbage.
Returning to the entrance of the alley, Shinji ran a hand through his
hair and zipped up his jacket to hide the pistol. After he had calmed,
Shinji picked up the supplies he had bought earlier and stepped out into
traffic. He had some place to be and this had sidetracked him for close to
an hour. Taking a few turns Shinji made sure there was no one else following
him before making his way to the train station.
Half an hour after boarding the train, Shinji was on the opposite side
of the city, approaching their apartment. Shifting the bags onto one hand
Shinji reached into his jacket to loosen the pistol. The dark hallway
combined with the previous encounter had him more on edge then normal.
Slowing his pace so his footsteps wouldn't mask anyone behind him, Shinji
dug out the key card.
Turning around, he looked down the hallway as he worked by touch to
slide the card into the reader. Relaxing a little as the locks released, he
quickly stepped through the door and closed it. Before leaving the small
entranceway he reached into a hole in the wall and disabled the reader. He
was rewarded by the sound of the regular locks and dead bolts engaging.
Shinji stood there listening for any out of place noises, but the only thing
that greeted him was the low noise of the television and city beyond the
windows.
"I'm home," He announced as he entered the small, modest apartment that
they could barely afford.
Shinji walked past the living area to the kitchen area to start putting
away the supplies. Their stock was small since money was tight. A careless
withdrawal or overspending could lead to a deadly situation. Keeping the
necessary ingredients out for dinner, Shinji went to check on his companion
but not before putting out something he had bought on a whim.
Approaching the couch Shinji was a little worried. His companion and
fellow survivor never slept through his arrival, but his worries were
unjustified. The slow rise and fall of her chest reassured him but the trace
of sweat on her face was not good. He stood there looking at her for a
moment and reaffirmed his opinion of her.
Shaking his head, Shinji bent over and slowly removed the pistol from
her grip. She gripped it a little harder before giving it up to him. After
she was disarmed, Shinji started to lift her shirt to check on her wound.
He had barely started when a strong hand caught his wrist and stopped him.
"Pervert! I always knew you were waiting to take advantage of me." With
that Asuka sat up against the arm of the couch. She brushed some of her hair
out of her face and yawned. Asuka had refused to dye her hair, instead
settling for half its original length. Loosing the scowl, she looked up at
Shinji and gave him a small smile.
"You know I would never do anything like that to you." He was flustered
at her statement. Though it was a joke to her, Shinji could never laugh at
the thought. "You were just." He went silent for a moment, unable to look at
her. "May I?"
Asuka nodded and unabashedly removed her shirt so her bandage was
exposed. Shinji blushed at the sight of Asuka in just her bra, but got over
it. It was not the first time he had seen her like that. Kneeling to the
floor, he slowly peeled the medical tape off and removed the slightly bloody
bandages from Asuka's side. Shinji trembled at the sight of her damaged body
and to save him no less.
The knife cut was approximately eight inches long and traveled from front
to back at an upward angle. As he looked at it, Shinji saw that the scab had
broken open in a couple places. No matter how well he treated it a scar
would result. What was not a good sign was the redness around the wound and
the veins of red radiating away.
"It's infected." It was a statement not a question. Asuka had felt the
changes in temperature and a nauseous feeling had come over her a couple of
days ago.
Shinji looked at her and nodded, "We need you to see a doctor."
"We can't afford one," Asuka sighed a little. "Also it would give away
our location." She did not see Shinji start at that comment.
"Well, how about you go take a bath."
"A bath isn't going to cure this," She replied in a quiet, firm voice.
They weren't arguing and she wouldn't escalate it. "I need some
antibiotics."
Smiling a little, Shinji reached down and pulled Asuka to her feet. The
quickness of his action left Asuka lightheaded and she rested against him
for support. She did not protest Shinji's actions or her own reaction since
he was all she had left. Over the last years her anger towards him had been
replaced by acceptance. They were working well as a team instead of against
each other.
"Just go take a bath, please," Shinji suggested to the young woman.
"It'll relax you and I can cook dinner while you're in the tub."
Asuka sighed and nodded at the firmness in his voice. Besides acceptance
they had changed in other ways. Shinji had grown a spine and matured into a
steady person. She on the other hand had lost the spoiled and arrogant
attitude in dealing with him and others. Both had also picked up other
skills ordinary people would not learn in school.
"Did you pick up some clothes?" Shinji nodded a little. "What about the
other stuff?" This time they both blushed and looked down.
"Yes, and they're blue."
"That's fine." A smirk appeared on Asuka's face. "At least you got away
from plain white."
With that Asuka laughed at his reaction and walked down the hall, only
stopping to pick up the bag of clothes. Despite their situation it would be
worse if she lost her sense of humor. It helped them stay out of depression,
which could lead to mistakes.
A few minutes later Asuka was immersed in her only pleasure, a hot bath.
Five years of running had given her the chance to appreciate the little
things in life. A hot bath, clothes, a good meal and someone close to her
were all she needed now. As the hot water took the tension out of her body,
Asuka's mind began to wander through random memories and thoughts. Closing
her eyes, she leaned back, not forcing the memories or emotions down from
her conscious mind. She had learned that lesson well, with her mother and
vowed not to repeat it. The memories held no rhythm as they appeared and
disappeared at random intervals, some stayed for a few minutes, and others
were just fleeting. They varied from her childhood and the early days of the
Angel war to more recent memories of bounty hunters. Others were
bittersweet, like her first kiss with Shinji before the 12th and him saving
her after the 8th.
The painful memories also appeared and she did not shy away from them.
Her multiple defeats and attempted suicide were just a couple. As all this
was going through her mind, the water was turning colder just like her
memories. The coldness and fear of hearing gunfire over the phone as Misato
died in the purges, warning them to run. Asuka shuddered and opened her eyes
at that memory. The feeling of losing someone she loved again had hit her
hard, but then survival took over. Misato's death had hit Shinji even harder
and a couple of times she had been tempted to leave him. Now she could never
do such a thing to Shinji. If something happened to him she could never
forgive herself.
She frowned at the image in the mirror as she toweled herself off after
the bath. She was very pale and thin compared to her oldself. Them running
never gave her time to tan and the money situation meant meals were kept
simple and small, usually carry-out. Another thing that Asuka did not like
about her body was the accumulation of small scars. The knife wound was the
most recent damage to her body. Scars crossed her arms and upper body, but
they were small and hardly noticeable. The two of them had become adept at
close quarter fighting. As she pulled on her clothes Asuka mused that she
was not the only one with physical and emotional scars. Shinji had more than
his fair share of them. Opening the door she headed to the kitchen and a
regular cooked meal instead of carryout.
"Still trying to court me, Shinji?" Asuka's quiet voice startled Shinji
from his cooking.
The sight of Asuka standing in the entrance of the hall greeted him as
he turned around. She was still beautiful to him no matter what happened or
how she looked. It was these thoughts that caused him to blush as he picked
up the medical kit off of the counter. This time he sat in a chair to
bandage the cut.
"I never did thank you for saving me," Shinji stated as he looked up to
her eyes and smiled. Asuka fidgeted under his gaze as she spoke.
"It was nothing. You would have done the same for me."
"I know, but it was very risky." Shinji applied some iodine to the wound
and Asuka flinched. "He could have killed you."
"Well he didn't," Asuka flatly replied. "Anyway, I owed you for all the
times you saved me."
He finished putting the bandage on and taped it before replying to that
statement. "Is that the only reason?"
"No."
Shinji stopped in his actions and turned around. A look of hurt was on
Asuka's face. It pained him to see her like that and because of him. Shinji
felt ashamed because he knew it wasn't duty that caused Asuka to push him
out of the way. He quickly shook his head and went back to getting dinner in
order not to think about that. They both hardly breached that subject.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be." Asuka had put her shirt on and was setting the table. "You
didn't answer my question."
"A little." Shinji had a small smile on his face as he turned around and
brought the soup over. "I know what you're going to say."
"And that would be?" She was also smiling. On the table were two red
roses.
"It's too dangerous and could work against us." Both sighed at that.
They had discussed that at best they could only have a working relationship,
not a romantic one. So far it was working out decently. "They could use one
of us against the other."
"We both know that isn't true any more. Neither of us would allow the
other to get hurt. Right?" Asuka asked his back as he retrieved the
meal and drinks. "So what are the roses for?"
"Our seventh year together."
"Oh." She looked over at him. "We've been through so much together. When
you met me did you ever think any of this would happen?"
"No. I don't think either of us could have envisioned what we would go
through with the Angels or us being on the run from SEELE."
Both went silent at that, deciding to concentrate on dinner.
Conversation had run out a long time ago and they talked about trivial
things. Neither had attended school nor classes for years but taught
themselves the necessary skills. Asuka put her education to work teaching
Shinji as much as she could remember from college. Communicating with their
friends was far and in between with the danger flowing both ways. Also
nothing was currently happening with Hikari and Touji, or Kensuke so there
wasn't any recent news and gossip to discuss. They knew Hikari was expecting
and Touji was busy with the store they owned. Kensuke was in NERV and fed
them reports when Asuka and Shinji could contact him.
"Anyway I got something else for you." Shinji was the first to break the
silence. Asuka looked up at that since both had agreed they couldn't buy
gifts.
"I thought we agreed on stuff like that."
Shinji ignored her and went to cabinet next to the stove. It took him a
few moments to retrieve what he had bought earlier in the day, but soon he
turned around. Whatever he had retrieved Asuka couldn't see. Shinji sat back
down and extended his hand that was closed around a bottle of some sort.
When he opened his hand Asuka had to gasp in surprise.
"How did you get that?" Asuka had to ask. Shinji's held two vials of
medicine in his hand. As she read the labels Asuka saw they were the most
potent antibiotics on the market. The black market charged outrageous prices
to get this because it wasn't profitable, unlike the illegal drugs. To the
people that needed it the drugs were a lifesaver and what she held in her
hand was more than enough to kill the infection.
"I hacked into the pharmacy using one of Kensuke's programs and doubled
the prescription," Shinji stated to her.
"Prescription?" Asuka noticed how Shinji had kept his long-sleeved shirt
on instead of changing. She narrowed her eyes and asked the obvious. "What
did you do?"
"You needed the medicine so," Shinji sighed. He unbuttoned his sleeve
and rolled it back. On his forearm was a long bandage that he was removing.
Asuka saw the stitched up arm and the redness around the wound. Tears of
anger came to her eyes.
"Damn it Shinji. I take a knife in the side so you wouldn't get hurt
and.." She trailed off unable to continue. Shinji reached across and gripped
her hand. Looking up in surprise she saw him smile. He rarely touched her
and the way he was holding her hand showed he was sincere.
"It's not as bad as it looks. The cut looks infected but I used some of
the effect make-up to dress it up. Then I went to an old doctor who stitched
it up with no questions asked. So no problems," Shinji told her before
rolling up his sleeve. Asuka could only shake her head in amazement at what
Shinji had done. Again and again Shinji had show his ability to think on his
feet and respond to any situation. A change from the shy quiet boy she had
met years ago.
"Fine just don't ever do anything like that again." She looked at him
with clear eyes. "I don't need that kind of scare." Shinji nodded at that
and they went back to eating quietly.
Later the storm brought much needed moisture and relief from the heat to
the city, but Asuka didn't care as she sat on a chair. She had cleaned up
the small mess in the kitchen before retiring to the living area after
dinner. Two capsules had been taken before Shinji told her to sleep first
after they both watched a little television. Now she kept guard for any
intruders or people that might have found them. It was an arrangement set up
at the beginning of their flight.
She looked over at her sleeping companion and smiled at how he looked.
He always looked serious and worried while awake but once a sleep his
features relaxed and he looked like trouble free young man. Asuka chuckled
at that thought while she rubbed the silver bracelet on her wrist. She had
woken to find a small box next to her. When she opened it she was shocked
to find the bracelet inside. Shinji refused to explain how he had paid for
it as his small income went to rent.
Asuka had to smile sadly as she played with the bracelet. Despite their
agreement not to get romantic it had been going on for some time if you knew
where to look. The little looks, smiles and touches they had shared starting
back at NERV had continued even in the most desperate of times. Neither
really had any hopes of it ever getting better to where they could settle
down to a normal life.
Her eyes narrowed and her features hardened as Asuka thought that. She
wanted a future free of running and knew Shinji wanted the same. Setting
that dream in her mind Asuka ran through ideas for several hours debating
the merits and feasibility of carrying them out. Finally just as the sun was
rising she remembered an solution that suited their situation perfectly.
Looking over at Shinji as she rose and started to the kitchen Asuka
nodded to herself, promising to talk to Shinji about it. She would do
nothing without his consent but hoped he would go along with it. A person
had a right to dream and she wanted at least one of hers to be fulfilled.
- - - - -
They had been sitting eating with neither of them speaking. Like
everything in their lives now duties were shared between the pair. Shinji
cooked dinner while Asuka had breakfast. The same was with work in they
both alternated workdays if at all. Asuka sat thinking of how to put forth
her idea in a less direct method before he left again for the day.
"Shinji," Asuka spoke before waiting for him to acknowledge her. "Have
you ever thought of what it would be like to have a future?"
"What do mean?" The question had come out of no where and surprised him.
Neither of them had ever talked about the past or future, just concentrating
on the present.
"I mean." Asuka paused to eat a sausage off her plate. "A future without
running from bounty hunters. Or worrying about the past." She looked down
and blushed. "Getting married and having children. Being able to see our
friends without worrying if we'll get caught or them getting in trouble."
"I used to." Shinji stared at his plate. "When I first came to NERV I
hoped father and I would be a family. That turned out false." Shinji looked
up and blushed redder than Asuka. "A couple of times I thought about if I
ever had the courage to ask you out what would happen." He shook his head
sadly. "Now I just worry about living and that's not how I want to raise a
child. But it's just a dream. A impossible dream that I wish could happen."
"Good." Shinji looked up to see Asuka smiling at him and with fire in
her eyes.
"What?"
"Last night I was thinking about that and realized I want the same."
Asuka rested her arms on the table and leaned closer. "I want a future.
NERV and EVA stole our childhoods from us and SEELE is stealing our futures.
I'm tired of running, Shinji. I'm tired of others deciding my future for
me."
Her voice had become hard at the end and Shinji had to swallow at the
hate evident in it. "But what can we do Asuka?"
"There's a saying about our situation Shinji." Asuka smiled again, and
it wasn't friendly. Shinji was nervous at how evil her smile looked but
nodded for her to continue. Asuka's voice was low and deadly as she spoke.
"It's time for the hunted to become the hunters."
* * * * *
Now I'm not sure if I have the saying correct since I can't remember
where I read it.
This will not become two people taking down SEELE, since that would not
make a believable story. Asuka and Shinji will still be the focus of the
story but help will find them. The purges and why Third Impact has not
happened will be explained. Other things will also need to be explained so
bear with me.
C&C is always welcome.
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