You know you don't read these disclaimers anyway, so I'm not putting it in. You know what it should say by now. Go on already! Fizzy Pop, Inc. presents... A story by }=]DarkNate Knowledge is Power: Book One Know thy Enemy "She's callin, we're brawlin' This is the hell that is my life I'm laughin', she's cryin' This is the hell that is my life" -Zebrahead, The Hell That is My Life Chapter 4 The Purple Beast and Red Devil soared through the sky in their transport planes, as their pilots listened to Misato giving them orders. "Tokyo-3's intercept defenses were pretty much destroyed during the battle with the last angel. We have only managed to restore 27 percent of our defense capability so far, and none of it is actually usable in a real fight. Therefore, we will intercept the target at the water's edge, and destroy it here. The attack will be in a series of waves, one after the other. In other words, move in and take turns!" Askua pouted. "I can't believe this! My first battle over Japan and she won't let me do it solo! Why'd I have to drag him along anyway?" Shinji opened a comm window. "That's SOP, Asuka. We have to follow proceedure. If you want, you can even have the first shot!" Asuka smiled. "Sounds good to me. Just don't be surprised if there isn't any left for you, Third Child!" Shinji closed the window and sighed as they hit the ground and waited for their power cables. "Hey, Shizuka? Any advice today?" Shizuka was oddly silent for a while, then finally replied in a nervous voice, "Not really, no. Just do your best, and you should be fine. And try to keep near the water." "Is the angel weakened in the water?" Shinji wanted to know. "No, but do it anyway," Shizuka replied. "And if possible, try to keep Asuka in the deep water too. It will make clean up easier." Shinji opened his comm again. "Asuka, I know this sounds crazy, but lets try and keep this thing out to sea. If we can prevent a lot of damage on the coast, it will make clean up easier on the crews and there won't be a huge PR nightmare." Asuka smiled and tossed her hair back. "No problem, Third. Now, here I go! CHAAARRRRRRRGGGGEEEEEE!!" Shinji frowned as she lept out to sea using the pier like a hopscotch board. "Damn it, you dumb rookie! We're trying to PREVENT damage, not CAUSE it!" But he started firing his pallette rifle anyway, moving into the water slowly so Asuka could reach the target. It almost worked. She sliced the target cleanly down the middle, and Shinji gaped. "Well I'll be damned..." "A fight should be clean and elegent, with a minimum of waste." Asuka seemed highly pleased with herself. Just then, Shizuka groaned, "Get ready, Shinji, it's not dead yet!" "Asuka, MOVE!" Shinji yelled into his comm as the angel-halves began to twitch, forming into two smaller versions of the larger one. Asuka swore into her comm, and took one of the small things on. Shinji targeted the other, but they didn't seem to be doing much. He braced himself for a rough fight. Several hours later, in NERV HQ debriefing room 666 (don't you just love that number? }=])... Having seen the footage of their fight with the angel, where both of them had ended up face-down in the water, Shinji and Asuka began arguing. After they finished their spat, and went to the changing rooms, Shinji began rounding on Shizuka. "'Just try your best, and you'll be fine'!?!?! What the HELL was that?" Shinji screamed mentally, almost forgetting in his rage that he shouldn't speak aloud. "Calm down, Shinji!" Shizuka said. "I meant for this to happen! Really!" "And how does embarrasing NERV in front of the whole FUCKING WORLD fit in with your grand master plan, wise guy? Even worse, now Asuka hates me!" Shizuka sighed. "She doesn't hate you, she's just competative. She hates losing, not you. And you'll get to know her quite well very soon, I promise!" "What the hell are you talking about now?" Shinji worried at the hint of laughter in Shizuka's 'voice.' "Just hurry home," was Shizuka's advice. "You need to get there before the movers do." "Movers?" "Nope, no more hints today!" Shizuka sing-songed. "Besides, you called me names! I'm not speaking to you until you apologize." Shinji sighed. "Great, now my own voices are laughing at me. Can this get any worse?" Through the magic of irony, they did. Shinji arrived at his apartment to see stacks of cardboard boxes all over the place. With a sense of dread flooding his mind, he slowly opened the door, to more boxes, including... "My stuff!" he yelped, and grabbed the box containing his few possessions. Asuka stuck her head out of what had been his room. "Yep, that's right! You've been dumped for the new model! Guess you'll have to find somewhere else!" Shinji shook his head. "No way, Asuka! I was here FIRST, and you're crazy if you think I'm going to give up that easy!" Shizuka piped up in Shinji's head. "Nice one, Shinji! Now, Misato should be showing up any second. Just keep Asuka busy. Umm, oh yeah! Ask her if she really wants a room with no locks!" Shinji, setting advice to action, asked slyly, "Besides, can you really survive in a house with no locks on the doors, Second Child?" Asuka huffed. "What's wrong with you Japanese, anyway? You live in tiny shoe boxes! I couldn't get half my stuff in here! And doors with no locks?! how do you get any privacy?" "The Japanese way is to consider others before oneself!" Misato said with a grin as she suddenly snuck up on Asuka, who jumped slightly. "Right on schedule," Shizuka said with a hint of gloating. "Shut up," Shinji replied mentally. Out loud, he said, "I assume there's another bedroom hidden in the walls somewhere? Or are we sleeping together?" "Oh no, there's another room for your stuff, Shinji! Don't worry about that!" Misato said with a grin. "But, you WON'T be sleeping in it." "WHAT?!" Shinji and Asuka chorused. "Our intelligence has discoverd that the only way to beat this Angel is a coordinated attack by two Evas with totally synchronized timing on both cores. To that end," and now Misato was all professional, "the two of you are going to eat, breathe and sleep together until you are totally in synch." She held up a small SDAT tape. "The attack will be choreographed to this music, and you have four days to do it." "This SUCKS!" Asuka yelled, but Shinji just sighed. "When do we start?" he asked in a tired voice. "Right now! Change into these, and we'll begin!" Asuka was still pissed. "Who's damn-fool idea was this anyway?!" Misato smirked as she turned back to the main room. "This idea is all Kaji's. Blame him." Shinji closed the door to his new bedroom, and got changed. "This is gonna be a long few days, huh, Shizuka?" "Longer than you could believe, Shinji. But ultimately, they will be worth it. Don't worry too much, and just try to go with it. I'll help as much as I can." "Thanks, I apreciate it." Shizuka suddenly sounded sad. "I just hope Asuka does too..." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In the middle of their drills, both children heard the doorbell ring. In unison, just like they had been drilled, they went to answer it. Shizuka sounded a warning when he said, "Whatever you do, don't metion sleeping! This will be Hikari, Touji, and Kensuke at the door, and they'll take it the wrong way." Trusting Asuka to pick up on it while they talked, like she usually did, they slid open the door together, with a sighing, "Hello?" Kensuke immediately objected. "They're dressing alike again!" "Shinji! You've betrayed us!" Touji howled. Hikari, clearly embarrassed, hid her face in her hands. "I can't believe it!" "Neither can we!" Shinji and Asuka moaned, as though they were the same person in two bodies. "This is all Misato's fault! We have to eat, work, and-" At this point Shinji stopped talking, but Asuka continued with: "sleep together!" Shinji immediately amended, "Not like that, of course, just in the same room!" Hikari was not listening to him, though, and was apoplectic with rage. "That's terrible! You're living in SIN!" "No, it's not like that!" they shouted. "Then just what is it like?" Hikari moaned, as Touji looked disgusted and Kensuke looked sympathetic. Kensuke spoke up then as they all entered the apartment together. "So you have to sleep in the same room? What for?" he wanted to know. The pair answered, "We're doing synchronization drills to beat the new angel. We have to mirror each other perfectly to win. That means we have to work as closely as possible, and live together too!" They both sounded very much like they would like to be doing anything but the latter. Just then, Misato came in, Rei following steps behind her. Everyone was a bit surprised to see Rei, but they shook it off as Asuka and Shinji were directed back to their drills by their guardian. Shinji was still having trouble with Asuka's pace, however, and kept messing up despite Shizuka's help. Finally, she got fed up and kicked him as he fell yet again. "This is impossible! I can't possibly lower myself to this SLUG's level!" "Then you're giving up?" Misato said with a slight grin. "You don't have anyone else, do you?" Asuka said with a smugly superior tone. "Rei, would you like to try with me?" Shinji asked, surprising Auska and Misato. In his head, Shizuka was directing Shinji. "Now, try to match with Rei. She'll be looking to YOU to lead, so just follow the sequence. Don't worry, this will work much better, but take off after Asuka when she leaves." Shinji 'whispered' back, "Just follow the plan, right? Once Asuka realizes SHE needs to match with ME, not the other way around, this should go a lot smoother. I'll work out a slow pace with Rei, and try to get Asuka to match it when she comes back later." Outwardly, Shinji gave Rei a small smile, and took the starting position as the pale girl put on her headphones. "Ready, Rei?" "Hai." The music started, and the two performed flawlessly. Shinji lead the pace, and Rei kept up, neither moving ahead in the moves or behind. She had seen the timings Shinji used, and was using the same ones from memory. She didn't even have to look at him. She just seemed to KNOW when he would do something. Misato smiled as Asuka became more and more worried. "Well! Maybe I'll have to alter the operation to pair Shinji and Rei!" Asuka fled in tears. Shinji motioned for Rei to stop, and took off after his partner. "I can't say I'm surprised," he said as he put on his shoes. "Asuka's pretty proud." Shizuka responded with one line. "No, she's deathly afraid of her own mind." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- At the small convenience store Shizuka directed Shinji to, the young pilot spotted Asuka staring at a row of drinks through a cooler door. He aproached her quietly, and laid a hand on her shoulder when he came near. To her credit, she dind't flinch. "Asuka-chan," he said, hoping the familiarity suffix would help calm her down, "I didn't do that to spite you." "Oh?" she replied, whirling on him. "Well you did a pretty good job, Third Child! I've never been so insulted in my life!" "Asuka-chan, please! Let me finish, then you can beat me up all you want. And I DO have a name, you know..." Shinji took a deep breath to clear his mind. "I don't WANT Rei to fight with me on this one." Asuka was shocked. "Then... Why even ask her!?" "To prove that I can do this! Why else?" Shinji replied with a shrug, pulling a drink off the shelf for her and paying for it. "Asuka-chan, the reason I keep messing up is because you're just too good at this! You're a fully trained Pilot, for crying out loud! I got dragged in at the last minute, and I've only had a few months of crash courses. I just don't have the speed you do. If we're going to do this, we have to work WITH each other, not try to compete all the time. We both know you're the better Pilot, and that I'm just lucky enough that I was a perfect match for my Eva. You've worked too hard to let a stupid thing like my ineptitude get in your way." Asuka seemed to find this all quite interesting. "I'm not sure if you're just kissing up to me to save face, or if you really mean that, but thanks. I apreciate it." Then she glared at him. "But if you think for one second I'm going to fall all over you just because you said you prefer me over Doll-girl you're mistaken!" "I'd never have it any other way! You're much too fun when you get all angry like that!" "Why you little-!!! Hey, COME BACK HERE!!!! BAKA-SHINJI!!" ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- After several torturous days of hard training, loud arguments, and a bit of good -natured teasing, Shinji and Asuka were ready. They had performed the drills flawlessly ten times in a row, and even Asuka had to admit she was proud of Shinji for coming so far in just a few days. The evening before the battle, Misato was at Headquarters, checking over the tac-maps and making last minute checks on the plan. She had told the Children she wouldn't be home, and when Shinji reminded Asuka, the redhead grinned at him. She dragged her bed into the large closet which was now Shinji's room, and closed the door. When it opened again a second later, Shinji found himself unable to look at her. Shizuka explained, "Her shirt is a bit, um... _loose._ The LAST thing you need is a nosebleed." Asuka growled at her roommate. "This is the impenetrable wall of Jericho, Shinji! Cross this wall, and you're a dead man." Shinji nodded mechanically, still aparently staring at the ceiling. When the door shut, Shizuka allowed Shinji to see a mental picture of Asuka's previous position. Shinji had to admit, it _was_ a revealing pose, and he was glad he hadn't accidentally glanced at it. Now, however, he was tired, and he decided to try go to sleep. Later that night, he heard Asuka's door shut, and feigned unconciousness. When he heard the toilet flush, he expected her to drop back down in her room, but the thump next to him convinced him otherwise. "Shinji, if you value your sanity and want to avoid an embarresing scene, keep your eyes closed and stand up." Shinji, trusting Shizuka completely, stood. Then his eyes opened, and he realized just what Shizuka had meant. The position Asuka had chosen to fall asleep in couldn't have been more arousing if she had tried. Shinji fought to maintain his resolve, and then he had an idea. He grabbed his covers, and gently tucked Asuka in. As he did so, he heard her mumbling about her mother, but he decided not to pay attention. Moving himself out to the futon in the other room, minus his blankets, he got ready to go back to sleep. Pulling a spare pillow from the linen closet, he lay down and smiled. "Goodnight, Asuka-chan," he whispered, and fell alseep again. (And now, through the magic of fanfiction, we take you four hours into the future) Asuka awoke slowly, still tired from the nightmares that had plagued her all evening. She noticed that she was no longer in the closet where she had gone to bed, and that Shinji was nowhere to be seen. Getting up, she peeked out the door and saw him on the futon, with no blanket. She realized what must have happened, and she smiled slightly. "Thanks, Shinji," she whispered softly, then she went to get her shower before the battle began. Shinji awoke minutes later, and quickly prepared a light breakfast for them. The pair rushed through their meal, then grabbed their shoes and walked quickly to the nearest lifts to Central Dogma. On the way, Asuka had to ask, "Did I sleepwalk last night? I woke up in the wrong room." Shinji nodded. "I'm sorry, but you looked so peacful where you were, I left you alone. I hope you don't mind." "No worries, Thi- I mean, Shinji. I needed the rest. Now, are we ready to beat this Angel?" Shinji ground his fist into his palm. "This sucker is toast." Shizuka cheered Shinji on. "That's right Shinji! You're going to win, no matter what!" ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As the Red Devil and the Purple Beast sat on the launch catapults waiting to deploy, their pilots began trading verbal blows. "Remember Shinji, minimum waste, maximum performance." "I know! We'll be finished in exactly sixty-two seconds." Misato's voice floated over their comms. "The sequence begins when the music starts. We can't afford any mistakes! Stay focused out there!" The music began to play, and the twin monsters blazed up their pathways to the surface, launching into the sky as they left the tubes. They landed, and split the Angel in two. In a dizzying sequence of precision attacks, the Evas matched eachother exactly. As the climax played, both pilots ground their metalshod feet into the foe, crushing the cores in perfect time for the ending of the song. When the dust cleared, the two Evas were still standing, although Unit-01 was leaning on Unit-02's shoulder, and almost fell over, pulling the red one with it. Asuka grabbed Unit-01's arm, and managed to keep them upright, but the damage was done. She yelled at Shinji over the comm, "You BAKA! You screwed up again!" Shinji couldn't come up with a reply better than, "I did not! You're too close to me, so you knocked me off balance!" "Dummkopf! I landed right where I was supposed to! YOU'RE to close to ME!" Shinji pwas about to fire back another angry reply, then got a wicked idea. "Very well, I take full responsibility." "WHAT?!" Asuka yelled. Misato and the bridge crew were stunned. Was Shinji ACTUALLY going to take this like a man? Yes. "As pennance for my poor performance, I will treat you to dinner in any Tokyo-3 resraunt you wish. I have some money left over I can spend." Shinji sounded totally miserable, but there was a hint of mirth in his tone, which Asuka didn't notice. "Well, far be it from me to pass up a free meal. Tonight, or tomorrow?" Asuka asked. Misato interrupted them. "Can you two stay quiet for a minute?! We're going to extract you, and you can discuss this later. For now, good work." Shinji grinned. "You were absolutely right, Shizuka. She took the bait like a starving shark!" Shizuka replied with a laugh. "HAHAHAHAA! Shinji, just wait 'till we get home! We'll have Misato 'suggest' we go to a really expensive German place, and tell Asuka that it'll be a chance for her to show off her formal wear! We can even rent a car, and Asuka will be head over heels!" Shinji just smiled, as the plug spun open and he climbed out. "Well, at least she won't hate me! That's all I ask for." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Asuka was, of course, thrilled to be going to such a nice place, and hurridly dragged Misato to a clothing store the next morning when the shops reopened. Shinji, deciding not to spend the day by himself, spent some time in the arcade with the other two 'stooges,' as the whole school had come to call the group of friends. When he told them about his dinner plans, Touji went ballistic. "Are you crazy?! You've got balls of steel to take that demon out on a DATE!" Shinji tried to quiet him down. "It's not a date! Really!" Kensuke wasn't convinced either. "Dinner at a fancy restraunt, a rented car with driver, and a whole night alone? Sounds like a date to me!" Shinji sighed. "She needs this. Ever since she got here, she's been getting more and more annoying. She needs a nice evening to help her relax a little, that's all. I'm not making any passes at her, and since she could probably break my arm without trying too hard, there won't be any trouble on my end." Touji still wasn't giving up. "But COME ON! ASUKA?!?! She's evil, Shinji, plain and simple!" Shinji crossed his arms. "No she isn't Touji, and you know it. You deserved that smack in the face for flashing her, although maybe not the one before that. But she's still a human being, and we need to stick together. She's a great Pilot, strong-willed, and a little overcompetetive, but none of that is going to make me treat her any differently than anyone else." Kensuke rolled his eyes. "Next you'll have Rei going out for a night on the town with you." Shinji paused to think about that. "Nah, Rei's too quiet. We'd never say a word the whole time!" He laughed. Kensuke and Touji went white, staring over his shoulder. Shinji turned, and there she was! "I am quiet, Pilot Ikari?" Rei asked calmly. Shinji, still in shock, couldn't reply. Shizuka did it for him. "Well, it's just that you never seem to say anything unless you get asked a direct question. Sometimes it's nice to just talk to people about things for no real reason. It's called conversation." The last bit was a little sarcastic, but Rei didn't appear to notice. Rei pondered this for a moment, then said, "I see. What would be a good topic for a conversation?" Shinji sighed, back in control again. "Well, just about anything can be a good converstation, but some things are inappropriate. You just have to stay away from those things." Rei asked another stumper: "What would be an innapropriate topic?" "It differs from person to person. Like, I don't like to talk about my parents, because I don't know them very well. But some people really like their parents, so they love to talk about them. You just have to know a bit about the person you're talking to, I guess." Rei nodded. "So, what do you like to talk about, Pilot Ikari?" Shinji sighed. "Please Rei, just call me Shinji. We're friends, right? You don't need to be so formal all the time." If Shinji hadn't been looking right at her, he would have missed the tiny blush on Rei's face as she replied. "Hai, Shinji." Then, she looked at her watch. "I must leave now." Shinji smiled. "That's alright, Rei. Have a nice day!" As Rei left, Kensuke and Touji stared at him. Shinji turned and shrugged. "What's wrong?" Kensuke was shaking, he was so shocked. "You, you just had a _conversation_ with REI AYANAMI!!!" Touji was equally disturbed. "She said more than three words to you in a whole sentance, man! That's incredible! She's never replied with more than ten words even to a TEACHER, and you had a conversation with the girl?!" Shinji sighed, sweat-dropping. "Come on, guys! She's not THAT bad! She's just been brought up so deep in NERV she doesn't have the kind of things we have. Like friends..." Shinji trailed off, looking up at the noon sky. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shinji returned to the apartment, and immediately went to his room to change. He only had one formal outift, but the navy blue slacks and sport-coat were absolutely spotless. A clean white shirt and his only tie finished the look. His shoes were just his regular ones, but they had been cleaned up so they looked fairly new. While Shinji finished struggling with the tie, he heard Misato ask him if he needed any help. "Sure Misato! Come in!" Shizuka replied for him, despite Shinji's protests. Misato entered, and smiled at him. "Kaji might wear the loose tie look, but you are not!" She fixed the offending garment for him, and Shinji blushed. "Arigato, Misato-san." Misato winked. "Just be careful tonight, Shinji!" she said, and pressed a small package into his hand. Shinji looked down, and saw she had given him a... "What?! Misato, I-" Misato cut him off with the most serious look Shinji had ever seen. "Shinji, you can't deny Asuka is atractive. I just don't want any accidents. Better safe than sorry, they always say. Just put it in your wallet, under your ID cards, and make damn sure Asuka doesn't see it unless she needs to." Then she smiled. "And enjoy yourselves. You're way to young not to be having fun." Shinji gulped, and put the small condom package in his wallet as Misato had instructed, then walked out the door. The sight that greeted him made him wonder if an Angel, a real one, had suddenly landed in his living room. Asuka was, in a word, stunning. She was dressed in a pale yellow evening gown, which was modestly cut, but very form fitting, leaving little to the imagination. A pair of heels, not quite high enough to make her taller than he was, in the same color were visible as she turned around in place to show off. Her hair was down, brushed straight and totally undecorated, but it still looked wonderful. Hanging down, it seemed to draw the eyes to a thin gold choker with a dime-sized blue stone hanging at the hollow of her throat. Shinji had trouble finding words, but Shizuka was also at a total loss. In the end, it was Asuka who said the first words. "Well, how do I look?" Shinji just turned to Misato, and asked, "Are you SURE there aren't any Angels around tonight?" Then he quickly turned to face Asuka. "Because no mortal woman could look as beautiful as the one standing before me." Asuka blushed, looking down at her feet in embarrasment. "Th-thank you, Shinji," she whispered. Shinji bowed to her gallantly, and offered her his arm. "Well then, Miss Sohryu, shall we go? The night is young, and there is much to do!" Asuka giggled. "Yes, let us do!" She took Shinji's arm, and the pair went to the door. Misato called after them, "Just try to get home before noon tomorrow!" Shinji walked her to the elevators, but when the doors opened at the bottom, he was surprised to find a limo waiting for them. The driver motioned them over, and handed Shinji a letter. He had to supress the urge to laugh when he read the note. "Brave Shinji, I took the liberty of getting you better transportation for the evening. It simply wouldn't do for the lovely Asuka to drive around in just any old car, now would it? Think of it as my thanking you for getting her away from me for a night. Enjoy your evening! -Kaji Shinji folded the note up and put it in his pocket. Praying a silent thanks to Kaji, he helped Asuka in, and gave the driver their desination. As they rolled off, Shinji smiled at Asuka, who was exploring the limo's features. The firdge was fully stocked, but they decided to wait until after dinner to try anything alchoholic. When they arrived, Asuka was stunned. Sure, she'd heard Misato say it was a fancy place, but she was unprepared for the reality of that statement. This place was a five-star restraunt! She was surprised Shinji had even gotten reservations! Then, she saw that even with all the gorgeous women around, Shinji was only interested in her. "It gives me a very nice feeling to know that," she whispered to herself, so Shinji didn't hear. She smiled, secure in the knowledge he was hers for the night. As they walked up to the matre'd, Shinji casually flashed his NERV ID. The poor man actually cringed in fear, and hurridly sat them at the best table in the house. Asuka had to laugh when the man left. "What's got him so spooked?" Shinji smiled. "Misato made the reservations, and mentioned that if we weren't satisfied, I might have an 'accident.'" Asuka grinned back at him, and then looked over her menu. "Mein Gott! Half this food is German!" Shinji nodded. "That's precisely why we came here. So you could have something from your home for a change." Asuka smiled again, and somehow, Shinji thought there was something different about it. "Thanks, Shinji-kun." "Anytime, Asuka-chan." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- After dinner, the two Pilots climbed back into their limo, but before Shinji could tell the driver to take them home, Asuka asked him to make a loop around the city. She smiled at Shinji's confusion, and then reached into the fridge for a bottle of sake. "We," she said proudly, "are not going to end this outing without a drink." She opened the ceramic bottle, and poured a small amount into the two ceramic cups in their cupholders. Taking one, she asked Shinji, "Now, what should we toast to?" Shinji thought for a moment, and said, "How about to us, getting long?" "Sounds good to me!" They downed their toasts, and Shinji coughed a bit as the liquor burned his throat. "Strong..." he wheezed. Asuka was in similar straights, but didn't show it. "There's enough in here for at least a few more. Wanna go again?" She grinned at him in a way that said 'no is not an option.' "Why not?" They downed another shot, and this time, it wasn't so bad. Shizuka piped up then, quiet in Shinji's mind. "It'll be fine if you want to get drunk, I can watch out for you." Shinji thanked him. "Don't worry though. From what I've seen tonight, it'll be a while before I know Asuka enough to go further than being friends. She's still a great person, but she needs to open up a little more." Shizuka agreed, then sat back to watch. Shinji held up his last toast, and said, "This one's going to be special. This toast, is to the most wonderful night I've ever had, and the most perfect person to spend it with." Asuka blushed, then added, "And to the sweet baka who came up with the idea!" They laughed, and downed their drinks. Shinji looked over at Asuka, and she turned to look at him, smiling but curious. "Target the center, pull the switch," Shinji told himself, and moved in. The kiss started off like any other, lips lightly brushing as the two leaned in. Then, it slowly became a bit more passionate, as Asuka and Shinji pressed closer. Then, before it could become anything more, Shinji broke off gently. Asuka licked her lips, and asked sweetly, "What was that for?" Shinji smiled, blushing. "That's the goodnight kiss you're supposed to give at the end of a date. But can you imagine if we did that while Misato was around?" Asuka saw the logic in that. "We'd never hear the end of it." Then, she leaned closer. In a very soft voice, she whispered in that oh-so-sexy tone she had, "But I'll tell you what, Shinji-kun. If you're very good, we'll do this again." Shinji blushed, but kept his gaze steady. "I'd like that very much Asuka-chan. But I have to say, it's been enough for me just to see you happy." "Baka, you've been getting hints from Kaji. Everyone knows no girl can resist that!" She leaned in again and gave him a peck on the cheek. "But you don't get any more tonight." Shinji smiled, looking up out the sunroof. In his mind, he could hear Shizuka applauding him. "Excellent work, Shinji. You've done very well tonight!" Shinji thought back, "I just hope it lasts, Shizuka. I hope it lasts..." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ( }=]DarkNate suddenly appears from the shadows, brandishing his war axe and leaping around like a maniac.) Well, there you have it! Volume Four, and Shinji not only got a date, but a kiss! The axe, of course, is for fending off the inevitable flames that will come my way. However, I will warn you now: flamers may be made fun of on my webpage, and I'm not a nice person when I'm doing that. Criticism is fine, but flamers will be laughed at with extreme prejudice. Also note that flamers must put a huge amount of effort into their spelling and grammar, or they won't even get read. I don't read e-mails from people who can't spell. For those who are wondering just where Shinji got the nerve to kiss Asuka, let me point out a few things. First, although Asuka is still a snob and looks down on Shinji as a pilot, she has had very little reason to dislike him as a person in the revised story. He has been nothing but considerate to her, and is a far cry from the shinji who did nothing but apologize. Shizuka also knows Asuka fairly well, and has given Shinji plenty of advice about dealing with the German. Asuka, for her part, has also changed from her original character. She doesn't automatically assume Shinji is a pervert, since he has managed to avoid all such situations since he met her, again, thanks to Shizuka. Second, you might have noticed that we are now able to follow the actions (and see inside the thoughts) of someone other than Shinji! This is another of Shizuka's powers, that being the ability to read Asuka like a book. Rei is another kettle of fish altogether, but Asuka reveals quite a bit with her expressions. Shizuka can easily figure out what she's thinking, and his perceptions extend to what she's doing. For those who haven't noticed, Shizuka can, for short bursts, see anything having to do with Eva. I realized that there will be scenes where I need a more omnicient viewpoint, so I'm going to have to work on that. And while we're talking about Shizuka's expanding powers, Shinji and Shizuka are still working on Rei's personality. Expect some more work on her new characterization in the next volumes. And a bit more fan-service. After all, we're off to the hot springs, and the volcanoes! Next time on Know Thy Enemy: boiling lava, embarrasing suits (of many kinds), and killer angels. It's gonna be hot! So keep your blades sharp and your mind sharper! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- And now, the OMAKE!!! Shinji held up his last toast, and said, "This one's going to be special. This toast, is to the most wonderful night I've ever had, and the most perfect person to spend it with." Asuka blushed, then added, "And to the sweet baka who came up with the idea!" They laughed, and downed their drinks. Shinji looked over at Asuka, and she turned to look at him, smiling but curious. "Target the center, pull the switch," Shinji told himself, and moved in. When his hands collided with her breasts, Asuka screamed, opened the sunroof, and hurled Shinji out of it. As his body fell, broken and battered, to the asphault, Shizuka just sighed and shook his head. "Oh well, back to the drawing board!" }=]----------}=]
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