Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction ❯ Duo Awakenings ❯ A New Goal, Survival ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimers:

Neon Genesis Evangelion and all related characters, concepts, etc. are Property of ADVision and Gainax. I only *wish* they were mine. This is a "what if" story, so take it as a divergence from the EoE Movie. So, it is an A/U story as well.

Duo Awakenings

Chapter 2: A New Goal, Survival

As the four survivors meet and make plans, they start to interact with each other. This leads to serious discussions, not the least of which is, where do they go from here. Now, on to the story.

A meeting to remember

There are many words that can describe Asuka Langley Soryu. Quiet wasn't one of them. "How can this happen! Of all the dimbulbs for me to end up with, I had to get YOU! "It was the first time she was really mad at Shinji since they're rebirth, and it was evident that it wouldn't be the last.

Maya and Shigeru knew they found who had left the footprints leading off of the beach, two very familiar children to them to be exact.

"I, ... I'm sorry Asuka. This is all I could find and not leave you alone for long."

"That would be Mr. Shinji Ikari former Third Child," said a smirking Shigeru Aoba.

"And the second voice can be none other than the one belonging to Asuka Langley Soryu," Added a smiling Maya Ibuki, shaking her head

Both children looked back at them with stunned expressions as they heard both adults' comments. Then all hell broke loose as both of them started asking questions of the two adults a mile a minute.

"Ok, ok! Just wait a minute will you!" Maya took a breath and then recounted their rebirth from the LCL just an hour before.

"Well, we woke up in the Devil's vacationland here yesterday." Asuka then gestured from her seated position, to show their current surroundings.

"Since we're here, I guess Shinji and I will survey the area while Maya takes care of your wounds Asuka." Shigeru then turned to Shinji. "We'll need to look for food, clothing for all of us, and some shelter from the elements so follow me and keep your eyes open." Shinji just nodded in agreement.

"Hey, who died and made you boss?" Asuka had a perturbed look on her face, her one good arm on her hip in defiance.

What happened next can only be clarified by saying that Shigeru isn't Shinji.

He walked slowly and deliberately towards the red headed former pilot. He looked down on her defiant glare and stated in an authoritative tone. "Let me make this perfectly clear Miss Soryu, as I am ranked above you and Shinji per UN regulations, and with permission of my superior Lt. Maya Ibuki here, you will do what I say so we all can survive this situation. Is that perfectly clear Miss Soryu!" Asuka was steaming, but bit her now quivering lip straining to keep her temper while glaring at the man before her. Then she and slightly nodded a yes.

"IS THAT CLEAR!" Shigeru yelled and now a foot from Asuka's face.

"YES SIR!" She said though the anger was painfully evident.

"Good, It's so nice we got that cleared up, now Shinji…"

"Yes Sir!" Shinji was standing straight and shaking a bit in his shoes. Shigeru rolled his eyes, shook his head, and then simply motioned Shinji to follow him as they left the girls in the simple encampment the children had put together the day before.

After they left Asuka turns to Maya and spouts out, "Who the hell does he think he is!"

Maya gave a stern look to the girl who got quiet very quickly. "He's taken survival training and knows what he's doing, so that is why I gave him authority to take charge." Asuka lost some of her fire, but still she questioned her.

"But, Shinji and I have had survival training as well, he could at least have asked us before he gave us the Gendo wanna-be routine." Asuka said grumbling.

Maya laughed at Asuka's comments. She could just picture the longhaired tech behind that big foreboding desk in the Commander's office, with his customary stare behind his entwined hands. She smiled with some mirth. She then looked at the younger woman. " I'll make sure he knows that." She took a moment before continuing. "It's just that he wants to do what's best for us. Just look around Asuka, there's no vegetation, no safe shelter at least from where we can see here. And with the buildings so unstable as well as all the rubble and devastation here, we'll be lucky to survive."

Asuka shrugged her shoulders, knowing the older woman was right. "Hmm, Ok, I agree with you on that … Ouch! Hey watch what you're doing there!" Maya had been treating Asuka's wounds while they talked.

"It's just some gauze sticking to your skin. Now let me see how deep that wound is." Maya then looked at Asuka's arm and gasped. There was a long singular deep wound running up the center of her arm. Though, it was healing, there were signs that the former second child may not have full use of her arm for the rest of her life. Many of the important tendons that allow the arm to lift objects looked like they were severed. Maya then made her move her arm in various positions to evaluate just how much movement and strength the arm could take.

"Maya, hey Maya. What's the matter?" Asuka looked nervously at the older woman's clear reaction.

"Asuka, I don't know how to tell you this but…" Her voice became a whisper as the weight of the realization set into the two women. Nothing would be the same for both, especially the spiritually broken former pilot of Eva unit 02.

A minute later and a half-mile down from where they had left the girls, a loud wail was heard by the two whom had left a few minutes before. They both turned and rushed back to the encampment. It took another hour until the two left again, but now with a much more somber mood.

"Asuka, she's not going to … get better is she?" A disheartened Shinji asked.

Shigeru simply put his hand on the younger man's shoulder squeezing slightly. "No." He then turned to look at the disheartened boy, "You'll need to be there for her Shinji, even if she tells you to you face to leave her alone, you'll have to stay and take it." He stopped and put his remaining hand on Shinji's other shoulder, now facing him. "She won't have full use of that arm anymore, so many things that we take for granted, she'll have to learn another way to do. And she'll need a friend close by, not just only for physical support, but emotional support as well."

"Bu-but I'm not sure I can…" Shigeru cut Shinji off.

"I'll be doing the same thing Shinji." Then as they continued their walk he told Shinji of his mission that Ritsuko asked him to complete.

"So, so you're going to be there for Maya, even though you don't have any feelings for…." Shinji was sometimes a bit dense, but he saw in Shigeru's eyes that he actually did have feelings for Maya. Shinji unconsciously nodded his head. "It wasn't just for Ritsuko that you did this for, was it?"

The older man looked at him with concern. "I need you not to tell her Shinji, don't even tell Asuka, please." The once powerful and confidant NERV officer now showed his true feelings to a boy who knew too well what the man was going through.

"I won't tell anyone, a…and I'll be there for Asuka as well, … if you can do the same for Maya." The man smiled and shook Shinji's hand in agreement. They then continued to the ruins of Tokyo-3 to find the essentials of survival with a new resolve in both their minds. The idea that they had someone to protect, and to care for, made them push on. It took most of the day so they returned to the woman around sunset.

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Shelter, Food and a good talk

After they returned, it took Shigeru and Shinji another hour to move Asuka and Maya to they're newly found shelter, at the bottom of a staircase of what was once a three-story office building. They had found some futons and pillows and had made two makeshift beds. They then moved all the supplies they found into that same area as well. Most of it was bottled water from dispensing machines they broke open, and some canned food they found at a nearby semi-collapsed grocery store.

Asuka was carried on Shigeru's back this time. He didn't want to chance her falling if Shinji had carried her again as he had stumbled the day before, when they left the beach. Maya and Shigeru saw the hurt look on Shinji's face and Maya quietly agreed to talk to Asuka privately about her comments, and her attitude towards the despondent boy. Both of which had gotten worse since she found out about the severity of her arm injury, which possibly hastened her apparent retaliations at her friend, and her subsequent depression shown now in her unusual silence and emotionless look on her face.

As the four made it to their new shelter, the night started to get cold. Shinji and Asuka had to huddle together the night before to simply keep warm. Shigeru had remembered them mentioning this, and had several blankets for each of them this time. So after they had a dinner of cooked canned meat and vegetables, the settled down to sleep.

Each had a blanket to keep the cold out. But it was colder than the night before, so the four who started out on the two futons, men on one and women on the other, and each with a single blanket, each still grew to shiver within minutes. Finally Shigeru got up, moved and quietly snuggled next to Maya who looked up to him with a surprised and nervous look. "I'm only doing this to keep from freezing to death, OK."

She slightly nodded and he wrapped his blanket around her, while she still had her own blanket still tightly wrapped around her. "It's Ok, I understand, … and thanks Shigeru, I was freezing too." She smiled and snuggled into Shigeru's chest and shut her eyes trying to get to sleep. The warmth of their bodies seemed to increase the warmth she was feeling for the tall, longhaired man. Her smile seemed to increase in size, and intent.

Within a few minutes Maya Ibuki was sleeping soundly as Shigeru Aoba held her close, smiling contently at the woman he was slowly falling in love with. 'Thanks Ritsu, I owe you one!' He thought to himself and to whom he hoped had heard him. He gathered the sleeping woman closer, in his arms as he himself fell into a contented sleep.

Meanwhile, on the other futon;

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Confessions and forgiveness

When Shigeru moved to Maya's side, which left Shinji alone, on a single futon, while Asuka was now laying right next to the two cuddling adults. After she heard what Shigeru had said to Maya, she scooted to the edge of the futon. "Don't get any ideas pervert, I just don't want to be next to those two lovebirds." Asuka then tried to get to sleep. But that was not to be, as she shivered more than the night before. Shinji was already getting to sleep on his end of the futon.

Then without warning Shinji felt a weight next to, and behind him, wiggling under his blanket. Before he could say anything Asuka said in a clear voice, yet quietly enough not to wake the two next to them, causing Shinji to simply freeze in place. "I'm cold, shivering, and miserable, I just want to be warm and go to sleep." After the shock wore off, Shinji turned his head towards her, and was about to reply when Asuka put a single finger on his quivering cold lips. "Before you say anything Shinji, just please shut up and keep me warm." She smiled slightly, enough for the nervous boy to understand. Then, Shinji remembered what Shigeru had said before, and after situating themselves, with Asuka behind him in a spooning position, he wrapped his blanket around the young shivering girl, and snuggled quietly, slowly getting warm, and slowly falling asleep.

But a few minutes later; "Shinji, you still awake?" Asuka asked in a whisper, while her face was still snuggled to the boy's back.

"Mmm, yeah, what do you want Asuka?" The semi-sleepy boy responded.

"Well, uh I just … wanted to … say … Thanks, ok." She bit her lip, as she had to swallow her pride to say her thanks.

He smiled, knowing it was hard for his friend to acknowledge this, and becoming proud of her effort for change. "It's not a problem Asuka, we're friends, … right."

"Yeah, I guess." The girl was saying that with less enthusiasm than he would have liked, which did deflate him a bit.

He sighed. "It's ok… I can understand you don't think much of me. So, let's just get some sleep," was Shinji's weak reply. Asuka then replied in her own way.

"No, it's not OK… She turned him around to face herself. "You need to say what you mean. Oh, that's what gets me so mad at you all the time. You don't stick up for yourself" She sighed then looked at the hurt look on his now despondent face. She took his face in her hands causing him to turn half way towards her. Then smiled and said, "Well starting tomorrow I will make it my job to get you a spine whether it be the easy way, or the hard way." He swallowed audibly, then she then gave the boy a sharp hug, more to make her point of him gaining a spine.

"Ok, ok I'll do what you ask, Asuka, just stop squeezing me so hard!" his twisted back was now hurting him terribly under the onslaught of Asuka's hug.

"See, your doing it again, you need to think for yours…"

Shinji then gave a hard squeeze to the mouthy German girl, quickly silencing her. "Now, let's get to sleep, OK!" Shinji said eye to eye to his red headed friend oh now faced each other.

"Ok, ok, I'll give for now. But don't think to make this a habit, Third Child." She smiled at him and bopped him playfully. While Shinji started growing annoyed at her antics.

He then sternly looked at her. "If you don't stop talking you'll find yourself in the cold, alone. Now go to sleep." After Shinji said that, Asuka shut her mouth. She set her head on his chest, though some grumbling was heard. "I said quiet." Shinji then lifted his blanket letting in the cold air, which hit the warming body of the former second child.

"OK, ok, I'll shut up." She then snuggled close to the boy's chest, without a sound heard except for their steady breathing. In the dark Shinji was smiling knowing he had gotten Asuka to shut up, and not get hit in the process. Asuka was smiling, at the warmth she now had, not just physically, but in her heart as she was now realizing her feelings for her erstwhile teammate. She was also grudgingly happy at Shinji finally showing some spine. Though, she was slightly upset that it was at her expense. But she kept smiling. She had gotten a glimpse of the Shinji who she admired, the one who fought beside her against the seventh angel, the one who saved her after the eight, the one who wanted her to come back with him, even if it was to a devastated world. She knew what she wanted now. But he didn't need to know that yet. She then snuggled closer to Shinji as the warmth generated helped both children finally find sleep. It was a fitful sleep, it was a pleasant sleep empty of the nightmares they both had fought through before. All they thought of that night was each other and how they felt about themselves, and their future.

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Where to go!

The morning sun peaked over the crumbling expanse around where most of the city of Tokyo-3 and the Geo-front once stood. After the black moon rose during Third Impact, it took the whole of the Geo-front, from the remnants of the city above to the area known as Terminal Dogma at the bottom. All that was left was a giant hole in the ground surrounded by the edges of the once great city. There, nearer to the beaches slept the only people left in Japan, and probably the Planet Earth. The sun started to shine on two of the faces. Those facing the opening, Maya and Shigeru slowly started to wake up.

"I don't want to get up." Maya said aloud more to herself that to anyone in particular. Both children seemed to wiggle for a second, but seemed to become motionless after a few moments. Shigeru finally stretched where upon Maya snuggled closer since some of they're shared warmth seeped away when he stretched. He simply smiled and wrapped an arm around the slightly shivering former NERV Tech. She looked up at his smiling face and smiled back then buried her face in his chest, almost like a ground hog burrowing into its burrow.

"Maybe a few more hours won't hurt" Shigeru said as he brought both arms around Maya's small frame. They napped for another hour before it became warm enough for them to get up comfortably.

Within two hours, Maya and Shigeru had left the sleeping children a note and made their way around the buildings farthest away from the huge hole left by Lillith's accession. They stuck to mainly single story houses and stores, staying away from any building over two stories tall, and nearer to the edge of the gigantic abyss. They feared either being buried under a collapsed building, or falling into the huge cavern building an all, as they scavenged for medical supplies, food and clothing. They got lucky when they found a semi-collapsed pharmacy, where medication and some food were found. They then found a nearly in tact strip mall, which gave them more food and clothing. They also found a child's' red wagon, and a shopping cart to take their supplies back to where they had left the children. They then took a good look at what remained of the area. It looked like a thin line of buildings and roads that led right off the edge of the deep and circular chasm to an empty abyss that symbolized the results of man's folly to be god, and not in the image of god. Maya took Shigeru's arm and held it tight as they gazed into the emptiness, thinking their own thoughts of a future that would be. Their hands clasped each other and held on tight as they comforted each other as they stood there.

"Let's get this back to the kids and then after Asuka's better, we're heading to Tokyo-2."

"Why there, Shigeru?" Maya looked at him with a perplexed look.

"Because I see very little vegetation here, and since this was the epicenter of the destruction, it's only logical to head for the nearest place where we should find suitable and adequate shelter. Plus we need a place for Asuka to recuperate and rehabilitate." He then looked down at Maya. "How long will she need to recover from her injuries?"

She had a sad look on her face. "About six to eight weeks, but the psychological trauma will take a lot longer"

"That would be for all of us Maya, not just Asuka" His mind became a jumble of images seen from his an others perspectives. When they were in Instrumentality, they were one, and he had a view of many who witnessed Lillith's ascension.

He knew of what Maya saw, and remembered her fear as well as his. The multiple Rei's, and the Giant Rei/Lillith, floating through the Geo-Front, and themselves. Then he remembered the fleeting glimpses of Asuka's, and Shinji final moments. He resolved then and there to protect Maya and the children, and help them to survive. Shigeru then started making his way back to the building where they had left to two sleeping children, as Maya followed.

By now, it was past midday.

{Earlier: while Maya and Shigeru were out}

About an hour after they left, Shinji woke up a bit disoriented, but he feels the weight of another in his arms, as he looks up to see a mass of red hair. He smiles as under the blankets he starts to rub one of Asuka's earlobes. She moves her hand to deal with it swatting at his fingers as to ward off a bothersome fly. She then slowly wakes up as well. She opens her eyes to the smiling face of the former third child. She smiles back, then moves away from him allowing the cool air in around them. Both shiver and she quickly reverses what she is doing and snuggles onto Shinji again, still facing his smiling face. He chuckles as she shivers in his arms. "Laugh it up baka, and you'll see what I can do this close!" Asuka gets that evil smirk she had when she was about to do something … naughty. Before Shinji could react, she then gets a hand full of his skin through his shirt, and squeezes.

His chuckle becomes a yelp as the lanky boy feels the pain. "Ouch, hey that hurt Asuka." His smile gone, an angry glare replaces it.

"Just remember that the next time you laugh at me Baka Shinji. Now stay still so I can rest some more." An air of arrogance surrounds the German girl. Then Shinji realizes that they are alone, Shigeru and Maya are gone. He then looks back at the girl in his arms.

"Aren't you curious that we're alone, Asuka, They left us alone."

She looked at him shaking her head. "Look next to us and you'll see a note, they probably went out to scavenge for some more food and supplies, so I think we should stay here, be nice, warm and enjoy my company." She laughs and he groans while rolling his eyes, as they settle back to their original position.

After a few minutes, Shinji has a nagging question that he wants an answer for, but he doesn't want to be hurt again by the fiery girl in his arms. But she does notice his concerned looks as he moves his head to and frough. The movement makes his nervousness obvious.

He was thinking if Porcupines had this problem when a small hand taps his chin. He looks down to see her deep blue eyes looking at him with a calmness, yet still intense in their gaze. Mesmerized for a few moments, Asuka enjoys the singular adoration of Shinji Ikari before she taps his chin, this time with a bit more force. That got his attention. "Yes, Asuka?"

"Shinji, you have that face I always see when you want to ask me a question, but are afraid to. And before you deny it, I'll promise not to hurt you, cause I don't want to see you waiting to ask me until next week, and piss me off even more, OK."

He simply nodded. Then Asuka waited for Shinji to gather his thoughts and courage. After another minute, and Asuka slowly simmering some more, he finally asked. "Asuka, Why did you come back? And before you answer, I know it wasn't just my wanting you here. My mom made it clear to me, that those who wanted to come back could."

Asuka 's expression changed from miffed to confused in a wink. She then waited a few more moments as she thought of a proper answer. Shinji waited patiently as she finally answered him. "I don't like lies and what we were given back in Third Impact were fantasies, lies, and … not the reality that we knew was here."

She sighed, remembering her fantasy world where her parents were together, The stooges were the butt of every joke she pulled off them, Rei her normal friend, and Shinji's sister. And, Shinji, oh Shinji was her confidant and caring boyfriend, and acted like he did when he had rescued her all those times before. It was very enticing, … but she knew deep down that it wasn't real. One of the things she shared with Shinji was the idea that life had to have not only its joys, but its sorrows as well. That realization, and her newfound feelings for the boy, were what brought her back. "So, I came back here because I want to have a life that's real, and not a fake, … a lie I can't live in a lie. You know what I mean, right?" She looked up at his face for his response.

It didn't take very long, "I understand Asuka, I came back for the same reasons, though I originally wanted just me coming back, alone." She looked at him with a queer look. She was confused.

"But, why did you want to come back alone. Why?" She looked now with a bit of hurt in her expression.

"Because, … because I was given the chance for everyone to either live, or die. So I though why not give everyone the choice to have a happy life with no pain, no chance at being hurt, while I, having made that decision deserved to take all the punishment that brought on. I alone to bare the guilt of them all, and I deserved it." He had that dejected look on his face again. Before she could react to that, he continued. "I felt it was my fault that this all happened, So, I felt guilty for it. And before you get mad at me and hit me, I had wished everyone would get their wish for their lives. So, I thought I would be alone, as those I had considered my friends would be with those they loved. Misato with Kaji, Hikari, with Touji, and you in your world, with your Mom, and so on, but I wasn't totally right there. So, I guess that's why you're here then, right." He put his hand behind his head scratching it.

"Mmmm, you saved yourself that time Baka, so for now I won't brain you." She smiled at him to calm him down. "But, don't you see that by allowing everyone their wishes you allowed yours as well. That means all the wishes. So, when some wishes clashed, Lillith seemed to allow those that would benefit you more. Do you get it now." She looked at him with a genuine and caring look.

A slow look of acknowledgement overcame his sad face as he finally realized what Asuka was saying. "Thanks, Asuka, that made it a lot clearer for me, … and not hitting me helped too." He smiled at her again, she relished the feeling she got in that, but she didn't want to lift all her emotional walls just yet.

"Like I said, don't think I'm letting you off the hook." She then settled down and they rested but didn't go back to sleep in each other's arms. They took advantage of this time, as they knew it would be harder for them as their future was theirs to make, and theirs to lose. Now they would be determining that, and not some shadow group or an obsessed man who stooped at nothing to get what he wanted.

They both unconsciously rubbed each other's back, and shoulder as they waited for Maya and Shigeru's return. They knew when they returned they would have to let each other go, and deal with survival. The sharing of warm feelings was all they wanted now. They stayed that way until just after midday when the two former NERV techs finally returned.

Now What? Well as we see both couples have feelings for each other, but survival becomes the main issue as a cold winter sets in and hampers their trek to Tokyo-2. See what happens in Chapter 3: Challenges and Feelings Revealed. Hope you continue to R&R, dennisud