The disclaimer is still applicable. It's elsewhere, though. Saves space. Fizzy Pop, Inc. presents: a story by }=]DarkNate Knowledge is Power: Book 1 Know thy Enemy "Stood alone on a mountaintop staring out at the great divide. I could go east I could go west It was all up to me to decide. Just then I saw a young hawk flying and my soul began to rise. And pretty soon, my heart was singing. Roll, roll me away, wanna roll me away tonight. Gotta keep rollin' gotta keep ridin' Keep searchin' till I find what's right. And as the sunset faded, I spoke to the faintest, first starlight. I said 'next time, Next time we'll get it right!'" -Bob Segar, 'Roll me Away' Chapter 3 Shinji climbed out of bed at his normal time, for once not waking to Shizuka's promptings. He debated waking Misato, and decided he preffered his head attached to his neck. As the young Pilot went about his morning tasks, he queried his guardian. "Say, Shizuka?" "Yeah?" came the mental reply. "Well, I was just wondering... Was there anything we could have done to help Misato with the Jet Alone? I mean, yeah we kept it in place, but couldn't we have just ripped its legs off and done the same thing? Or stopped the reactor ourselves?" Shizuka didn't reply at first, but after a long pause replied, "I honestly don't think we could have. Destroying its legs might have caused the meltdown to occur right away. And the only way to get at the reactor would have been to rip off the outer shell and press on the control rods, which again could have easily started a meltdown. This was one of those times where there is no 'good' choice. Remember, you don't always have a right and wrong. Sometimes there's just bad and worse." Shinji shook his head, and shot back, "No, there has to be a right choice! Otherwise, every decision we make as human beings is just going to make things worse! One of the possibilities has to be the one that saves everyone!" Shizuka sighed. "Not always. Let's say, hypothetically, you are on a date with your girlfriend-" "G-g-girl f-f-fr-friend?" "It's HYPOTHETICAL! Now, the two of you are walking home, and a psycho-killer grabs your girl. He has a gun, you don't. He says, 'One of you is going to die. You choose.' What decision can you make that saves you both?" Shinji stops to think, his toast halfway to his mouth. "Um, grab for the gun and take it away?" "He'll pull the trigger long before you can stop him. Then one of you is dead anyway. Try again, if you can." Shinji takes a bite of his toast, and thinks hard. "I could... No, that wouldn't work either. Um, what about...? No." He sets his glass down, and swears. "Damn, I can't think of one!" Shizuka said softly, "Life's like that, Shinji. The only possibility you have that has a hope of success is stalling for time. If chance intervenes, someone might walk by and help. However, when you are in an Eva, fighting the Angels, you don't always have the luxury of time. You only have seconds to make a choice, and if its a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't, you just have to try one. If someone gets hurt, well, at least you tried." And with that, Shizuka was silent, leaving Shinji to ponder this new outlook on life. * * * That evening at dinner, Misato gave Shinji some shocking news. "The day after tommorrow, we're going to meet the Second Child. Her Eva is being sent with her from the German Branch. We'll be heading out to meet them at sea. Pack a small bag, and try to look nice. The young lady may be from Germany, but she has some Japanese blood in her. Who knows, she might think you're cute!" Shinji's blush was bright enough to increase the light level of the room. "Another girl?" Misato giggled. "Yep! You're getting a regular little harem going, ain't ya?" Shinji sighed, and slumped down. "Why oh why did I have to move in with you?" Misato frowned. "Because you need SOMEONE to talk to besides those two friends of yours at school, especially about classified things. Plus, this helps us monitor your wellbeing!" Then she plasters a 100% cheshire cat grin on her face. "Besides, why wouldn't you want to live with a sexy older woman?" Shinji's blush threatened to return, but he felt Shizuka taking over. With a silent, "allow me", Shizuka took control and replied aloud to Misato, "Well, I dunno. But, I don't think you're as pretty as you seem to think I do." Misato's rage created a heat-burn on the table as she smacked her hands down on it to reach out for Shinji. He scooted back, and finished his remark as he shot to his feet. "I think you're much more beautiful than you think I do. But, there's already someone out there for you, I can see it in your eyes. Who knows, maybe you'll see him again soon!" Shinji leaned down, planted a kiss on Misato's forehead, and went to his room, leaving a stunned Misato to ponder just what her charge had meant. Then, coming back to herself, she hollered. "Shinji! Invite your friends to come along too!" * * * Shinji, now safely in his room, rounded on his guide. "What the HELL was THAT all about!?" Shizuka frantically tried to soothe his friend. "Calm down! Just listen to me, okay?" After Shinji stopped muttering under his breath, Shizuka continued. "Better. Now, Misato had a boyfriend when she was in college. She left him just when they were getting very close. She still loves him, but she won't admit it, even to herself. As it turns out, she'll see him again when we go on our little trip. I was just trying to et her to stop flirting with you so she can focus on her true love. I think it worked, too." Shinji frowned. "But did you have to KISS her?" Shizuka made the mental equivalent of a smile. "Why not? Didn't you like it?" Shinji had to smile at that. "Who wouldn't?" As Shinji got into bed for the night, Shizuka added one last thing. "Shinji? When you pack, bring a Plugsuit. Don't ask why, just do it." "Yes, master! Whatever the almighty one commands!" * * * At school the next day, Shinji sat with his two friends at lunch, and told them about the trip. "So, we're going by helicopter, I assume. You'll probably get a sneak peek at the new Eva, and the new pilot. Misato says she's German-Japanese." Kensuke was practically drooling at the thought. "Wow, and it'll probably be escorted by all kinds of warships! This is awesome! I can't believe Misato's letting us come with you?" Touji had other things on his mind. "A whole day with Misato! That's so great! I can't wait!" Shinji smiled, then felt his guide whisper something to him. "Oh, and Touji?" Touji's goofy grin was still there. "Yeah?" "Don't wear a hat. It's really windy out at sea, and you wouldn't want to loose it." * * * The next day, the group arrived on the Over the Rainbow. Kensuke, true to his military otaku nature, was filming everything in sight. He ran around at random, filming jets, towers, other ships, and even begging questions from Navy personelle onboard. He was in the proverbial otaku heaven. Touji, on the other hand, simply basked in the glory that was Misato. He followed her like a dog on a leash, never looking away. Shinji, who was trailing behind somewhat, snickered at Misato's treatment of his friend. Touji didn't have a clue that she didn't even notice he was there. Shinji himself was busily making himself informed on his new co-worker. "So, what's her name?" Shizuka replied with just a trace of wistfulness. "Auska Langely Sohryu. She's a natural redhead, blue eyes, light tan. She should be wearing a yellow sundress, but watch it. I don't think she's wearing panties today." Shinji blushed slightly, but cleared it quickly as Shizuka continued. "Remember, she speaks Japanese fluently, but German is her first language. I know most of her common swear phrases, so don't worry too much. However, she doesn't read Kanji too well. Give her some help if she needs it. But she's a very proud girl, so she won't ask you. You have to give it to her, sometimes forcefully." Shinji was a bit surprised at the last remark. "What's her problem?" Shizuka paused for a long time, then replied slowly, "When the time comes, I'll have you ask her. But not until then. Never ask about her past, unless you feel the need to have your bones broken." Then, Shizuka's tone brightened. "And, she is a fully trained Pilot! Despite her lack of combat experience, she is still fairly good. Don't let her get to you, she can be an asshole at times but she really is a nice girl at heart. Unfortunately for you, she's got a huge crush on an older guy, who just happens to be Miasto's old flame. It's all quite mixed up. Just don't mention it for a while, until she adjusts to living here." Just then, they came up over some steps onto the upper decks and Shizuka directed Shinji's eyes to the far end. "There she is! Your new partner. Just remember to look away when a breeze comes up. Pretend to ask Misato a question or something. Just avoid getting slapped." Shinji nodded, and set out across the deck to the yellow-dressed figure. Finally getting a good look at her, his breath caught in his throat. "She's beautiful!" he mentally whispers to his guide. Then, without waiting for a response, he walks swiftly to her. She looks at him curiously as he bows to her in greeting, then says, "Konichiwa. I am Shinji Ikari, the Third Child and Pilot of Evangelion Unit One. A pleasure to meet you, Pilot Sohryu." Just then, he feels a gust of wind come up, and spins 180 to face Misato, who has come up behind him. Mock scolding her as the gust blows past them, he says, "You told me she was a girl, but you could have warned me she was drop-dead gorgeous!" Just then, two loud 'SLAP's ring out, and Touji and Kensuke have bright red hand-shaped marks on their faces. Shinji cringes involuntarily, as Touji yells, "What the hell was THAT for, bitch?" Shinji turns to face the grinning Asuka. She replies with a smirk. "That's my viewing fee! Good deal, nicht?" Shinji's body leaves his control again, as Shizuka interrupts with, "Well, I can't say it wouldn't be worth it, with a pretty girl like you." He glances back at the sullen Touji, the mark still bright red. He winces, and grimaces, "Then again, maybe not! My compliments on your physical fitness, Asuka!" Shinji gains control again, and he covers his mouth quickly. "Gomen! Am I allowed to call you Asuka?" Asuka smiles her most charming smile. "I don't see why not. You appear to be quite a gentleman, Shinji. You should consider yourself fortunate our relationship will be professional but friendly." Just then, Misato realizes something as the pair walk off towards a small transport boat to see the Eva. "Wait a minute!" the confused guardian thinks to herself. "I never told Shinji her name..." * * * On the transport ship under the tarps covering the Eva, Asuka was bragging about her Eva's superiority. Shinji just smiled and nodded for a moment, but when she said that the reason he synched with his Eva at combat levels his first time, he interrupted her. "Now hold on a sec! Your Eva may be more well-equipped, better armored, and have a superior interface, but none of that matters." Asuka was indignent. "How dare you insult me!" Shinji waved his arms in a warding gesture. "I didn't mean it like that! I just meant that even the best weapons are useless without the human to direct them. Maybe your Eva is better, and you may be better trained than me, but I have the one thing you don't, and it makes all the difference in the world in a battle, not to mention makes me your superior." "Oh?" Asuka said, not believing she is hearing this. "And what might that be, THIRD child?" "One word: experience!" Shinji shot back, a smug grin on his face. "I've fought two Angels all on my own, and won. I fought another with the help of Ayanami and Unit Zero. I won then too. That's two and a half kills to my credit, with my puny little 'Test Type' Eva. What do you have to match that? A really big gun?" Asuka was fuming now, but she realized he was right. She stamped her foot, and just then the entire ship shook. Shizuka screamed in shinji's mind, "ANGEL ATTACK! Get ready, this is gonna get rough!" Shinji, noting the look of confusion on Asuka's face, yells, "There's nothing out here but open water! That must have been an Angel! It has to be after Unit Two!" Asuka's face set in a determined line. "Then I suppose we have a battle to fight, don't we?" She jumped down, and grabbed a duffel bag. Grabbing Shinji's hand, she stalked off towards a stairwell. "Come on!" In the stairwell, she went down a flight, and said, "Don't peek, or I'll kill you!" Shinji just stood there, confused until another voice assailed him. "Damnit Shinji! Get moving! Why the hell do you think I made you pack a plugsuit now?" Shinji quickly strips, and has his suit on and is just vacuuming it tight when asuka comes back up the stairs. She notes his apparel, and comments, "You're smarter than you look, Shinji. Why did you have YOUR plugsuit, though, hmm? Not planning to steal my Eva, were you?" "Nope. Just trying to be prepared for all situations. Besides, this is waterproof. I'd hate to get saoking wet." Shinji grinned apologetically. Asuka grinned back. "No problems there, you're coming with me!" She grabs his hand and rushes him to Unit Two. As they climb into the Plug, Shizuka takes over again for a second. "Asuka!" he said urgently. "Can we run this if you think in German and I think in Japanese? I don't know ANY German!" Asuka sighed and shook her head. "Fine, I don't care. Beginning startup sequence, language mode Japanese." The Eva powered up and Asuka took the controls, and scooted forward on the seat. "Now, you just sit down behind me and watch how a PRO does it!" Shinji sat down, and she slid back into him. Then, she thrust forward on the control yokes and the Eva leaped to its feet. "Evangelion Unit Two, go for launch!" Misato's voice crackled in over the radio. "Good going Asuka! Let's show these Navy slugs what an Eva can do! Move OUT!" Shinji glanced at a display, and whispered in Asuka's ear, "Only a few minutes of battery power. We need to get to the Umbilical Cable on the Carrier!" Asuka's face screwed up in a death's-head grin, her eyes slitted. "Then let's play some hopscotch!" She sent the Eva into a leap, and bounded off the transport onto a destroyer. Landing lightly, she continued on with a yell, until they reached the carrier. Grabbing the cable, she hooked it in and got ready. Shinji rapidly queried Shizuka for advice. "Shizuka, what do we do!? Shat kind of Angel is it?" he yelled in his mind. Shizuka growled back at him. "It's very big, and very fast underwater. It's core is inside its body. The weapons on the Eva won't do any good unless you get eaten. And remember, you're using B-Type equpiment, so you can't fight underwater. You can't swim, you don't float, and you can only go down a few dozen meters. Don't get cocky. You have to keep the neural connection stable while Asuka fights." Shinji nodded, and spoke aloud. "Asuka, check your sonar, radar, whatever you've got. We have to find this thing!" "Way ahead of you, Third Child! It's coming straight for us! The Progressive Knife should do the trick!" Asuka's grin got impossibly broader. Shinji glanced at the radar, and gasped. "Watch out! It's huge!" The massive Angel of Fish breached the surface of the water, and leaped onto the heaving surface of the carrier. It made several noises, then slid off the side, the sudden shift in weight causing the Eva to slip and fall of the ship. As Asuka'sEva sank under the waves, Misato called out over the radio, "Asuka, are you still using the B-Type equipment?" Shinji replied for her. "Yes. We're sunk, literally!" Then, he had an idea. "Reel in the cable! We can climb back aboard!" "Too late!" Asuka yelled, as the Angel came back around and bit down onto the Eva hard. She let out a yelp as the pain registered over the mental connection, but Shinji only grunted and grabbed the controls. A fight erupted as both Pilots tried to take control of the battle robot, with Shinji finally getting a grip on them. He pointed to a spot on the monitor. "Look, there's the Progressive Knife!" He moved the Eva to grab it, but Asuka headbutted him and took the controls again. "Move over, Third Child! I'll win this one myself!" She crowed triumphantly as she grabbed the weapon. Then, she looked around blindly. Finally, she groaned. "Where's the target!?" Shinji smacked her on the head and pointed at the red orb just ahead of them. "The core, straight ahead! We can't reach it from here!" Asuka hit him back, and gripped the control handles tighter. "Well, I guess we just have to make this big fish let go of the hook!" She tried to make the Eva open the Angel's mouth, but couldn't. "It's just too strong! And underwater, it's almost impossible to move anyway!" she whined, giving up. Shinji, on the other hand, leaned over and grabbed the handles himself. "Come on, Asuka! If we just work together, we can do this! Together now!" The two concentrated on their task, and Shinji could hear Shizuka chanting, "Open, open, open, open!" Only then did he realize he had been doing the same thing. Then, with a growl, the Eva levered open the beast's jaws, and climbed even deeper into its gullet. A few steps, and the core was in range. Shinji, Asuka, and Shizuka were all concentrating on one thing: bury the knife in the pulsing red sphere. With a primal scream, the two Pilots and the invisible Guide threw all their will into the mental command, shoving the knife so far into the core they split it in twain. As the Angel detonated around them, their scream echoed in the water, sending waves of sound through the ocean. As they were being reeled in, Asuka turned to Shinji, puzzled. "Was it just me, or did it seem like there were THREE of us here for a second?" Shinji laughed nervously, "Why do you say that? Think your Eva is haunted?" This got a laugh out of Asuka. She promptly forgot the whole thing. * * * As Asuka climbed out of the Eva and met up with Misato in the jeep that was waiting for them at the dock, she asked, "So where's Kaji?" "Mr. Kaji," Misato growled, "flew the coop when the fight started. He didn't even see you." Her face twisted into a snarl. Asuka began to pout. "Ohhh, I wanted him to see my premier battle!" Shinji, seeing another opportunity to get himself in Asuka's good graces, jogged over to her. He smiled, and said, "Well, HE may have missed it, but I was right there with you. And I would like to let you know that you were absolutely amazing. Much better than me in my first fight, even ignoring my not being trained! Congratulations, Pilot Sohryu, on your first kill!" He took her hand gently, and kissed it, ignoring the taste of LCL and plugsuit rubber. Asuka blushed a bit, then yanked her hand away. "Stop that, you stooge!" Shinji just sighed, and heard an echo of it in his head. He grinned as Shizuka said, "That girl is going to take some work!" * * * The next day at school, Shinji, Touji, and Kensuke were talking about their trip amongst each other, and Shinji was telling them what Misato had told him about her. "She's already graduated from college! She has a bachelors degree for crying out loud!" he said. "I don't care how pretty and smart she is, she's a royal bitch!" Touji raged. Kensuke just shook his head, muttering, "And they confiscated my camera again. There was a lot of footage on there!" Touji nodded in agreement, and laughed, "Well, at least we'll never see her again!" Kensuke also nodded. "Poor Shinji! He has to work with her every day!" Shizuka then whispered, "Here it comes... Turn around, Shinji." Shinji turned around just in time to see a familiar head of red hair walk through the door. Groaning, he watched as the girl began to write her name on the board. He tapped Touji and Kensuke on the shoulders, and pointed. They both let out low moans. Asuka turned to face the class. "Hi! My name is Asuka Langely Sohryu! Charmed, huh?" Shizuka just chuckled as Shinji and his friends all groaned in unison and smacked their heads down on their desks. "Well, at least life won't be boring, right Shinji?" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ WEEEEEEEEE!! Author's notes time! I can't believe how fast this went! I owe it all to a couple of nights of insomnia! It is now 10:39, and I am done! I don't believe I've ever written something so quickly. Well, there was a lot more action in this one, right? As much as I love Angel battles, I don't expect to be writing too many more of them. Unless it is a central plot point, Angel fights are going to be a bit glossed over. This is so I can focus on the relationships between the characters. Asuka, in particular, is going to require a lot of my attention. She is undergoing the most radical change of all the pilots in this new world, and I need to try very hard not to let things get out of hand. Attentive readers (as well as hardcore Asuka fans) may have noticed that Asuka was not as hostile to Shinji as she was in the original timeline. This is the direct result of Shinji doing certain things. One is looking the other way when she 'accidentally' flashes everyone. Another is that Shinji doesn't peep on her while she's changing (because he is doing the same, HA). She doesn't automatically think of him as a pervert at the beginning, and this will go a long way towards making their relationship a better one. However, this won't solve all their problems. As for Shinji being so assertive, it's the spine implant he got back in Book 1. He's not the pansy wuss he was before. Get used to more things like this, except in really embarrasing situations. (which are going to be coming a lot more very soon *evil hentai grin*) For now though, get ready. 'Cause next time on Know thy Enemy: Israfel, Angel of Music vs. Evas 1 and 2! Keep your blades sharp, and your mind sharper! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Aaaaaaanndddd noooooowwwwwww......... OMAKE TIME!!!!!!!!! }=] Shinji nodded, and set out across the deck to the yellow-dressed figure. Finally getting a good look at her, his breath caught in his throat. "She's beautiful!" he mentally whispers to his guide. Then, without waiting for a response, he walks swiftly to her. She looks at him curiously as he bows to her in greeting, then says, "Konichiwa. I am Shinji Ikari, the Third Child and Pilot of Evangelion Unit One. A pleasure to meet you, Pilot Sohryu." Just then, he feels a gust of wind come up, and spins 180 to face Misato, who has come up behind him. Mock scolding her as the gust blows past them, he says, "You told me she was a girl, but you could have warned me she was drop-dead gorgeous!" Just then, two loud 'SLAP's ring out, and Touji and Kensuke have bright red hand-shaped marks on their faces. Shinji cringes involuntarily, as Touji yells, "What the hell was THAT for, bitch?" Shinji turns to face the grinning Asuka. She replies with a smirk. "That's my viewing fee! Good deal, nicht?" Shinji's body leaves his control again, as Shizuka interrupts with, "Well, I can't say it wouldn't be worth it, with a pretty girl like you." He glances back at the sullen Touji, the mark still bright red. He winces, and grimaces, "Then again, maybe not! My compliments on your physical fitness, Asuka!" Shinji gains control again, then grins. "May I ask you for a favor?" Shinji asked, carefully blanking his mind. Asuka looked askance at him. "What sort of favor?" Shinji grinned maniacaly. "FLASH MEEE TOOOOO!!!!" Shizkua just sighed as Asuka ripped Shinji apart and threw the pieces over the side of the ship. "Once again... Back to the drawing board!"
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