Neon Genesis: EVANGELION
Eva Wasn't Built in A Day.
v1.0 (final 'net release)
By Jared Waddell : rick_spiff@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters in this work except for Goku
Takagi and James Rahn.
This story takes place post-episode 18.
******** WARNING WARNING WARNING WARNING WARNING WARNING ********
This fanfic contains S P O I L E R S ! ! !
This fanfic contains material that may be offensive to some
readers, including material of a type never covered in the Eva
series. This is not a nice story; it's Eva material, so if you
didn't like some of the issues present in the series, don't even
think about reading this!
******** WARNING WARNING WARNING WARNING WARNING WARNING ********
Chapter 3:
---
Home. A place to call one's own. Home for Goku was a tiny second-story
apartment just large enough for one person. It was a minimalist's living
quarters, furnished in the same homely style as a buddist
monistary. Still, it was home, and to Takagi, is was a comfortable
one.
A sweet, inviting place all one's own. This home was simple, small
(not uncustomarily so), and was filled with only one person.
Goku Takagi sat utterly without movement in the main 'dinning' room.
Moonlight washed across his still figure silently, preying upon the
imagination in the deep night. He sighed and moved, looking at his
watch. Oh, seven forty-five.
Takagi went back to his moon-watching, an activity which normally filled
him with joy, trying to catch that relaxing peace that made his heart
pulse in calm regular rhythms that soothed his jangled nerves. He hadn't
a workout like that in a long time. Of course, that meant it was time to
consider the source of that particular good workout.
Asuka Langly Sohryu.
'What a tramp' didn't begin to describe her character. Or rather, Goku's
characterization of her. His characterization was more like
'second-rate, insecure, mentally fucked up unemotional bitch...' Well,
that didn't rate any further thought.
He sighed again, and reached out for the small cup of tea that was
conveniently at his elbow. He missed the first time, his arm too sore to
control properly. Taking a sip, he thought more carefully (and more
sedately) about the 'training.' In theory, it was simple. Practice on
speed and simultaneous offense and defense, and they might have a chance
at defeating the Angel. What he'd seen; what almost nobody else had
seen, was that the Angel couldn't focus the field in more than once
place at a time. The Evas had been practically on top of each other when
it flung them away during the first engagement. Hence, their failure.
This time, if they stayed apart, but fought as a team, three might keep
it from kicking them all out at the same time, but there was an
additional risk. What if the Angel 'warped' them into solid rock? What
if they ended up in the ocean? Outer space? How far could it fling them?
Another dimension?
An involuntary shudder. He didn't want to see a repeat of the twelfth
Angel. THAT was a certifiable disaster. To be honest, he really wasn't
in the mood to be sucked into an alternate dimension, left to die slowly
while cut off from the rest of the....
Well, there wouldn't be much constructive thinking if he was brooding
like this!
Asuka.
He had read her file. Well, browsed it. Misato could be a saint
sometimes. As could his skills at hacking government computers, not that
he was ready to tell Ikari that just yet. Now, the problem at hand.
Asuka was withdrawn. Not superficially, of course, but emotionally. She
hid behind a veil of anger, used it like a shield. After some quick
observation and investigation he deduced that she used anger as a way to
keep people at bay when they got to close. Kaji, he'd heard about, but
hadn't seen him around much. Still hanging out with Misato. He'd also
seen that gaijin, whatsisname, 'Rahn' talking to him too. Presumably,
Kaji knew more about Asuka than Misato, but Goku hadn't been able to
talk to him yet.
At this rate, he'd be figuring everything out by himself. Psychology
textbooks weren't hard to come by, and some staffers at NERV had
suitable backgrounds to answer a few questions in a... relaxed
atmosphere. Sometimes, it was useful to be so smart when you were only
fourteen. People didn't think you could be much of a 'threat.' After the
investigation part was over (two days, hell, even he should have been
faster than that), it was a simple matter of polishing the details of
the solution, then putting said solution into motion.
She used her anger to keep people at bay. Use that anger against her.
Not in the usual sense, but bring it into conflict her professional
skills as a pilot. Offer a way out. Make it look like you're not really
helping, and lay real low. Asuka had potential, skill and intelligence,
not to mention vigor. Now she needed control.
He wasn't looking forward to this plan, but what other choice did he
have?
With Shinji gone, it was him, Rei, and Asuka between now and the end of
the world.
Goku reached for his tea again, not aware he had set it down, and
knocked the cup over like a three year old. "As if things weren't bad
enough already." He growled.
Time for bed, he had school tomorrow.
---
Day after day passed without pause, time seemingly compressed... forcing
the remaining Eva pilots to train like there was no tomorrow amidst the
tests, school, and constant ground-shaking from Tokyo-3's latest
unwanted resident.
It was the Angel that drove them to train so hard, and the practice for
an inevitable battle that made training all the more unpleasant. On a
schedule, no less. Perfection and hordes of luck would be needed in this
assault if they were to live.
Indeed, the fruits of their labor were literally the fate of billions.
School wasn't too hard, with second impact bouncing off their heads like
cotton balls. Assignments seemed like welcome rest after hours of
banging forearms against fists...moving faster than sight could follow,
anticipating blows that could only be felt, not seen. Preparing to test
their mettle against something that already out-massed their mechas by a
factor of more than fifty, and rocked what was left of the city more and
more every day.
School was eventually canceled all together, leaving more time to brood,
train, and generally think about things which were best kept distant
from a trouble-conscious mind.
---
Takagi was awash with these thoughts a week further into the desperate
refitting of Unit-03. School was out until the Angel menace was taken
care of, which meant more time in the hanger.
Takagi loved being an engineer. He loved designing things which he could
see in his mind days, weeks, months before they came to fruition. It
was, in a way, giving birth. This time to ideas. Ingenious ideas that
were so unconventional he had to defend their merit no less than ten
times a day.
Dr. Akagi would have made a good interrogator, he mused. She got right
to the point, fishing for the right answer, thoroughly analyzing every
aspect of the answers she did not expect to receive. She was quick,
intelligent, and knew even more than he did about the Evas.
It was a little scary piloting something that you couldn't understand.
Kind of like jumping off a ledge with no idea where (if) the bottom lays
below you.
It was a rush.
It was scary.
It was painful.
Looking up at the black monstrosity he would soon walk into battle with,
Goku was struck with a montage of emotions. Conflicting thoughts that
tried, without success to choke one another out of existence. Lost in
the sea of colors behind his eyes, Takagi didn't notice Ritsuko walk up
behind him.
"Fancy meeting you here." A female voice announced her presence.
"Charmed." Takagi yawned.
"They keeping you busy?" Takagi glanced in Ritsuko's direction to see
her looking more haggled than he felt.
"Huh? Who?"
Ritsuko also looked in a daze. "The, ah, pilots. Asuka."
Funny she should mention the demon by name... "She's, well... determined
not to lose. There's something about her I don't like though... like
she's unstable or something."
"If you read her file, there's something that might explain that."
Takagi shifted, leaning out over the green railing a little. He had...
in a way. That was one angel he had overlooked. Hmmm, mental note: Read
files on the people who are going to watch your lousy back. "So how far
have you gotten?"
"Regeneration at 91%, nerves taking nicely. I think he likes you."
There was a pause as Takagi totally missed the joke.
"We're having some test done to the onboards right now. Basics and
stuff. It should be operational on time."
"Any guarantee it'll work?"
"Marginal. Do you really want to hear it?"
"No, lord no. I'm just here to save the world." He struck a mock-heroic
pose, eliciting a small laugh. "Just leave it all to, uh... what's my
name again?"
"Need Sleep, I believe. We'll have it ready for you, pilot."
Takagi's face darkened for a second. "Yes. Well, good luck, Doctor. Need
Sleep bids you farewell." Unit-03's pilot bowed deeply, then sauntered
off to the simulation Eva test cage, already cringing internally at the
thought of crawling into a plug suit for four hours of breathing a
viscous liquid that tasted like blood. It was only slightly less
pleasant than being beaten within an inch of his life, which he had
already gone through once. And getting beaten up didn't mess with your
head like piloting Eva did.
---
Day turned to night, and Takagi once again stood facing his 'students'
in the loosest sense of the word.
"We've come this far, but we're barely halfway there. The few next days
aren't going to be a picnic, but we'll get our just reward after this is
over."
"Which is..." Began Asuka in a patronizing tone.
"Whatever you desire." For once, Goku was actually in the mood for a
fight.
"Very funny, Rat-boy."
A discrepancy. "Well, miss strudel, it seems someone here fails to
understand humor." Well, that didn't exactly go as planned, she was just
laughing now.
Rei hadn't moved.
Takagi was _really_ in the mood for a fight. "Rei, attack Asuka. Now."
Rei and Goku moved as one, arms flashing out hundreds of time in an
endless stream of blows that rapidly pushed the no longer laughing Asuka
back with steamroller force.
"Hey!" A screechy voice rose. Takagi stopped dead in his tracks, arms
extended yet lose. Rei halted her attack, not sure what to do now that
Goku had halted his advance. Asuka took another measured step back, arms
shifting into a more efficient guard position as she slid sideways to
circle them.
Her opponents just stood there.
"Asuka."
"What is it now, Rat-boy."
He grinned. "You're learning, you almost blocked everything."
"ALMOST? What's the idea attacking me like that, and using Wondergirl
here to help you!"
"Enough talk." More fighting.
---
It was some time later, after many bruises and much sweating, that Goku
found himself cool down with Rei as the pair sat in front of an AC duct
thoughtfully placed at a convenient level for the aspiring (and
perspiring) Eva pilot. Ahh, the wonders of technology.
Takagi's thoughts drifted slightly, often to a place he was seeing less
and less of recently. On one hand, good riddance, the place gave him the
creeps sometimes. On the other hand, he'd made a living there. It was...
_his._ Ahh, sentimental nonsense.
Maybe.
"Hey, Rei."
"Yes?"
"What do you think of the Evas?" A little risky, as far as questions
went, but worth asking.
Her brow moved a fraction of a millimeter, showing concentration on
answering his question. "They are part of all things." Cryptic. "They
feel as one with the people we protect." Very cryptic. "They are...
unique." Strange. "Does that answer your question?" Ver...wha?
Red eyes met brown, and thoughts swirled where words dared not tread.
"I think. They seem..." Human? Alien? All weapons of destruction were
not always plainly so. Things created by humans to serve their form were
always a point of reference in Takagi's world. This was not exactly
artificial form to match human necessity.
It was...human?
"very unique."
No response.
He had, of course, tried to talk to Asuka earlier. Lots of shouting had
been the result. He wasn't much looking forward to talking to her again,
but it was a necessary evil, so to speak. You see, he had a plan. Well,
not really, but it was something to do. Get Asuka to loosen up a little
and see how the people around her could be genuinely beneficial to her
existence. It was _not_ going to be an easy task.
But then again, Rei had some awfully interesting things to say.
---
In a place not so real, where the imagined was fact...
SEELE-2: He has done well, his place in the scenario is acceptable.
SEELE-1: Ikari, you seem confident in his actions.
IKARI: The scenario can afford no failure. The pilots' performance will
be sufficient.
KEEL: Thus far, progress has been made. Pray it continues, Ikari.
The other SEELE members vanished, leaving Ikari and Keel to look at each
other one last time. A baited silence hung in the air for a moment.
KEEL: Do not forget, Ikari. The scenario WILL succeed, do not let him
fail. _Now_ is not the time...
And Ikari had no response, save to leave silently.
---
Another day came and went, then another.
Again, training was top priority, but that didn't keep a smooth,
constant line of b.s. from flowing out Asuka's mouth.
Timing was more important than endurance this time around, so no-one was
in too bad a shape after their ninety minute workout. It was late, and
perhaps because of the hour and Goku's diminishing sanity, he decided to
put his 'plan' for what it was worth, in to action.
How appropriate.
The sake was nearby, thank you Kaji. He smoothly opened the wooden
container the drink had been resting in, and removed the two associated
glasses. Asuka had gone in search of a sweet beverage somewhere, Rei had
gone home. As it was only seven, he expected the whole place to nearly
be buzzing.
But this was NERV. Life didn't operate by the normal rules in here. At
seven p.m., this place was tomb, while central command was _always_ open
for business.
Bottle in one hand, he silently exited the training room, and turned
left down the hall, where he knew Asuka would be attacking one of the
vending machines. The humming of recirculators and the hiss of
sodium-vapor lights guided his bare padding feet.
Sure enough, Asuka was... sitting peacefully on the bench, staring into
space. If you gave her a lot of credit however (and Takagi tried not to
give her too much), she could be intently concentrating on just one
kanji character printed in maniacal size on the vending machine directly
in front of her.
He paused at the door, painful memories flooding back into him. He
regarded Asuka again. She was... well, gorgeous. Flaming red hair, lithe
athletic frame. Not the best built he'd seen....
But her attitude. Well... it was a sight to be seen from a distance, not
to attempt a description.
How could he be doing this?
A throat cleared. "You want a drink?"
For a moment, time stood still. The moment passed without either being
aware, as their eyes locked for a second. "Is that sake?"
He made a big show of looking at the label. "Yes."
Her tired eyes looked back at him. Really _at_ him this time, as though
actually expecting to see him. Before, it had always seemed to him that
her eyes were just looking in his general direction before dismissing
him as unimportant to her majesty.
Boy, was she in for a shocker.
"All right, one glass."
He sat. He poured. He drowned the first glass in one shot.
She sipped.
A nameless silence stretched on and on. Goku became acutely aware of the
lights buzzing above him, pushing him onward. "Question."
Her eyes quickly narrowed on him. "What do you think of the training.?"
"I think you're being a baka about it." Well _that_ went downhill in a
hurry.
"That's how people are taught fighting."
"And how do you know?"
"I've talked to a few of the remaining masters. I learned a bit from my
father. I've also read some. Besides, it _is_ working."
"Working on _us_, you mean." She took another sip.
Even this was subdued for Asuka. "I'm train-"
"You're bitching us out because you think we're not good enough?!!"
He was so very tempted to just say 'yes', but that would have ruined the
point of him starting this. He had to finish it. Seizing opportunity, he
took another drink and answered quickly. "Is that what you hear me
say?!! Those are not the words that come out of my mouth!"
"Don't they?!! Corrections! Corrections to our form, to our speed, to
our-" Goku basically had two options here. One, kiss her to shut her up.
Two, shut her up anyway, and get her back to the mat so he could control
her.
Being this close to her shot down number one in a hurry. Such a shame,
option two was going to hurt a lot worse. He reconsidered. No it
wouldn't.
"Only because you want to! You think it isn't good enough for you? If
you take anything of value from those around you, do you see it as
charity?!!" Goku was practically screaming at this point, gesturing
wildly. "Does it fucking matter so much that someone might actually care
about you enough to share a piece of their lives with y-" Goku broke off
as a fist hit him solidly in the gut.
Wham. He'd hit a nerve too. He quickly caught his breath, looking away
from a furious Asuka, who was probably still ready to hit him. Glass
three went down with that same fury heating the room up. The stuff
really was way to strong, he'd be totally blasted in fifteen minutes or
so. And even though Asuka had barely touched hers, she'd be feeling it a
little pretty soon too.
Perfect.
He slammed his glass down and asked another loaded question. "Don't you
want people to...to..." Oh Gods, no! At a loss for words when now, more
than ever, he needed them.
"Want them to what?" Her voice was cold and strangely quiet.
Time to play another trump card and force out her anger. "Want someone
to care?"
Again, she managed to freeze perfectly in place, her emotions written
plainly on her face. Wary of the danger, Takagi put the cup down and
backed up a few steps.
For a second, she looked like she was going to cry. For a moment, the
arrogant, self-assured girl he had come to tolerate over the past week
or so seemed to evaporate right before his eyes. In it's place was
small, weak, scared, lost child. But only for a second. Her younger self
was pushed away quickly, exposing her anger once again. This, Takagi
could deal with.
"What do you know, you idiot!!!" The vehemence in her voice seemed more
direct, focused. Focused on him. This was going to hurt.
"I know you're better then you make yourself out to be in front of
others." Quickly making for the door, Takagi was suddenly stopped by
Asuka looking at him again with _that_ look. The one that asked him
silently, 'how do you know this?' and maybe 'Why do you care about
little old me?' He tried to move, but felt trapped by her gaze.
Silently, he wished her to fight, and to understand. Not to break down.
There was something major here, she was even worse off than he had
assumed from reading her file and being in close contact with her the
last few days.
The redhead lunged forward with a simple, direct punch. Takagi barely
jumped aside, thinking quickly. It would be just a while before the
alcohol hit.
"What the hell is WRONG with you?!!"
Wrong with me? He silently thought. She was much worse off than him, and
in his opinion, needed lots of help. They just didn't have the time to
provide that kind of help. So, as much as this was going to hurt, it was
important for him to go through with it. He needed her to burn off her
fear and fight side by side with him and Rei to beat the Angel, and that
was going to happen soon. Too soon.
"I'm smart, why do you ask." And if all else fails, insult her!
More punches, this time less direct. Goku got into a rhythm, then got
hit by a low kick that Asuka had aimed nicely at his shin. He barely
moved his foot aside but caught the greater force of the blow badly. He
pulled back, being struck in the face several times by a now flaming
Asuka (not literally).
He retreated further down the hall quickly with the redhead flat out on
his heals, cursing him and his entire family in German.
His response: "Catch me if you can!"
She took a right hook out of her arsenal, and gave him a go with it. He
ducked and returned by hitting the opening in her ribs hard enough to
leave a bruise. She staggered back, coughing violently. Now was the
point of no return. He had let her know that he was serious now, and if
she had any grievance with him, she could take it up with him now.
Takagi ducked back into their practice room, using some low kicks to
keep Asuka from charging him. Once safely inside, he let her come, but
started sprinting just out of range, exchanging long-range attacks with
ferocity that matched their intensity.
"Hold still!" But that didn't mean the insults couldn't stop.
"Make me!" Roundhouse.
"You baka!" Double left jab, right hook, reverse punch.
"Try harder!" Duck, dodge left, low sweep, double high kick.
"I am! You're cheating!" Low kick, backfist, ridgehand.
"Don't lecture me on fairness!" Elbow, spinning backfist.
"You bastard!!!" Block, block, hammerfist, reverse punch.
"Hah, thought I was 'Rat-Bastard' to you!!" Again they closed in and
exchanged blows, a quick inside punch hit Goku solidly in the lip. He
responded by finally kicking one leg out from under Asuka and kicking
her in the side on her trip to the mat.
"You're just-" She kicked his legs now, and rose to her feet. "a plain
old bastard!"
"Meanie!" He jumped to his feet, and grabbed Asuka's shin in mid-kick,
and sucker-punched her in the face at point-blank range while releasing
her leg.
Asuka reeled back, blood streaming loose from her broken nose. Then she
ducked her head, steadied her stance... and charged straight for Takagi.
He foolishly tried to take the blow, not expecting a fist to proceed it,
a fist hidden by Asuka's position. He gritted his teeth as he felt his
ribs crack under her assault.
They grappled fiercely, and Takagi took a hard hit from Asuka's elbow
right to his ear. He responded by stomping at her shin, she side-stepped
and did the same, but with crunching success. Goku was NOT in this for
broken ribs, but Asuka staggered out of his range before he could catch
hold of her.
Fighting off the nausea and dizziness, not to mention the pain exploding
throughout his head... Takagi looked harshly at the seven Asukas arrayed
in front on him. They didn't look so hot either. Then he stepped
forward, letting loose punch after punch at his varied targets. Much to
his annoyance, they were rather good at dodging, and his aim wasn't all
that. suddenly, everything solidified, and he snatched one of Asuka's
blocking arms like a rattlesnake.
Her eyes went wild and she lashed out again without thinking. Takagi's
reflexes, reflexes he didn't even know he had, kicked in and he moved
swiftly. Pulling back, he leaned off to one side, her strike missed by a
mile and his hand still holding hers jerked hard. The result wasn't what
he expected.
With the loss of balance, both parties landed roughly on the floor. The
problem this time, was that they landed on top of each other.
"Fancy meeting you here." Takagi slurred out.
A knee to the groin was his answer.
Both rolled away quickly, and Asuka struck again. Takagi grabbed her
fingers without thinking and twisted them back violently, eliciting more
crunching noises. A scream broke into his consciousness.
Both combatants paused, looking one another over carefully. Asuka was
breathing heavily, sweat glistening over her hot body. Blood flowed
freely from her broken nose and cut lip, soaking the undershirt she wore
under her gi. Takagi didn't look much better, favoring his broken toe,
barely balanced, and eyes slightly unfocused from the alcohol.
Thoroughly beaten, both backed away cautiously.
"If you don't mind-" Takagi broke off his line his line of thought, then
ran (or his drunk impersonation of the action) for the far corner and
began retching violently.
Asuka dropped heavily to the mat. How did this happen? And good God did
she hurt.
It was at that moment that Misato walked in. (
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