"So Eva Unit-02 and its pilot are coming this Sunday?"
Shinji looked at the report and asked Misato.
"Mmm... yes, from Germany..."
Misato looked a little haggard after the medical team had dragged her off for several days of observation.
Ritsuko had examined her inside and out at least ten times. She was going out of her mind.
"Then do you know what Unit-02's pilot is like, Miss Misato?" Shinji asked curiously.
"She's a girl your age, named Asuka."
"Asuka?! What a coincidence! I know an Asuka too!" Zero, who had been lying on the couch, abruptly sat up.
He remembered the battles he had fought alongside that miraculous warrior. Oh, and there had been a compassionate warrior too.
They had even fused into the mysterious Ultra Warrior Saga, defeating the legendary Hyper Zetton, which Alien Bat had created by absorbing the life of an entire universe.
Unfortunately, that encounter with a human hadn't gone very smoothly... in fact, it had been downright aggravating...
It was thanks to that guy that Zero had learned to control a human body...
Zero stopped dwelling on those unpleasant memories and turned to Shinji.
"We should make a good impression on our German guest. Shinji, how about I teach you some German before she gets here?"
Shinji gave Zero a resentful look.
"Can you really do it, Zero?" Shinji hadn't forgotten Zero's glorious achievement of helping with his homework and getting practically everything wrong.
"Can I do it? What a joke! You're twenty thousand years too early to stump me with a language problem!"
"Why do you think I can talk to you so fluently when I'm from another planet?"
Zero wasn't wrong. The Ultra Race had an exceptional aptitude for languages.
Once you joined the Space Garrison, you would be embarrassed to call yourself a member if you didn't know a hundred cosmic languages.
As for Zero, he had already learned Earth's languages from his father before coming to Earth.
He knew most human languages.
With that, Zero spoke a sentence in fluent German, leaving Shinji stunned.
"But I still can't learn it in just a few days."
An idea struck Zero. "I think... since we're sharing one heart and body now..."
"It shouldn't be hard to use a little of my power to teach you German."
Zero reached toward Shinji's head, and Shinji suddenly felt something being poured into his mind.
"Was ist das? (What is this?)"
"Huh? What did I just say?"
"Ich habe dir mit meinen Fähigkeiten grundlegendes Deutsch beigebracht. (I used my abilities to teach you some basic German.)"
"Wow! That's amazing!"
After a short period of adjustment, Shinji could more or less converse with Zero in German.
That night, Zero saw an Ultra Sign in the sky. It carried instructions from the Land of Light.
Over the next few days, Zero gave Shinji more training whenever he had free time.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the Pacific Ocean, an agent placed a small object in his briefcase.
"Success. Now, let me guess what that guy wants this thing for."
Shinji had mostly learned Zero's Attack Beam technique, and he had also become fairly proficient with Zero's Twin Slugger.
The degree of fusion between Shinji and Zero continued to rise, strengthening them both.
Zero felt his injuries gradually healing, while Shinji discovered that he could now use some psychokinesis even without transforming.
Of course, Shinji always made sure he had finished his homework before training.
After all, once training was over, he fell asleep the moment he hit the bed.
The day before they went to collect Unit-02, Gendo Ikari called a certain number.
"I've spoken to the committee. The cargo set sail yesterday. It's already on the Pacific Ocean."
Sunday arrived. Shinji put on his trench coat and hat, then boarded a United Nations helicopter with Misato to collect Unit-02 from the Pacific Fleet.
They weren't alone. Shinji's friends Kensuke and Toji boarded the helicopter too.
"A MiG-55D Transport Helicopter! If it weren't for this chance, I'd never get to ride one in my whole life." Kensuke, a military enthusiast with a camera in hand, was thrilled.
"It's great having friends, isn't it, Shinji?"
Shinji didn't answer. He was talking to Zero again.
"If he's sent you along this time, that old bastard must be expecting trouble. Most likely an Angel attack."
"But an Angel definitely wouldn't attack the fleet because of Eva. The only possibility is the Adam Embryo."
"Looks like I'll have to confront Father after today."
"We'll play it by ear. Whatever happens, I won't let you get hurt."
The Pacific Fleet came into view ahead of the helicopter. They were nearly there.
"Five aircraft carriers and four battleships! Wow!"
Zero wasn't impressed by the sight. The space fleet that had filled the sky like rain during the decisive battle against Belial's Ginga Empire had been truly breathtaking.
As the helicopter landed on the aircraft carrier, a girl stood on the bridge, looking down haughtily at it.
The four of them walked across the deck. By then, Zero had sensed a faint Angel signal and taken control of Shinji's body, scanning the entire carrier.
A girl in a beige dress stood before them, her long brown hair flowing freely, with two red clips on top of her head.
"Hello, Misato. How have you been?"
"Fine."
Misato turned to the three boys.
"Let me introduce you. This is Unit-02's pilot, the Second Child."
-Asuka Langley Soryu.
A strong gust of wind swept past.
Smack!
Both Kensuke and Toji were left with handprints on their faces.
"Shinji," however, firmly caught the hand Asuka swung at him.
With a wicked smile and roguish charm, he said:
"Schlagen ist keine gute Gewohnheit, Miss. (Hitting people isn't a good habit, miss.)"
"Besides, I didn't see anything."
That was true. Zero had closed his eyes the moment he felt the wind.
"Hmph!" Asuka pulled her hand back and shook it.
Then she looked "Shinji" up and down.
"Hmph. You look the part. Trying to act mature, are you?" Asuka eyed Shinji's trench coat. Although she secretly thought he was rather handsome, her pride wouldn't let her admit it.
Just then, Zero finally pinpointed the location of the object he suspected was the Adam Embryo.
Zero returned control of the body to Shinji and left, tossing out, "Wait for me. Handle this young lady properly, and don't embarrass yourself."
Shinji suddenly seemed like a different person, much of his imposing presence gone.
"Who's trying to act mature? You're the one pretending to be an adult!" The blunt Shinji hit the nail on the head.
"Are you stupid?!"
Even as she grew angry, Asuka keenly noticed that Shinji's demeanor was completely different from a moment ago.
Does the Third Child have schizophrenia or something? she wondered.
In a cabin aboard the aircraft carrier, a man in blue clothes with his hair tied back was sorting through the briefcase and suitcase he had brought.
NERV agent-Ryoji Kaji.
He opened the briefcase and checked its contents.
"This thing is bound to attract an Angel. I'd better keep it safe."
Officially, he was a NERV agent, but he was also Gendo Ikari's spy. His mission this time was to protect the Adam Embryo and deliver it to Gendo Ikari.
As for what Gendo Ikari intended to do with it, he didn't need to know.
He was just about to close the briefcase.
"What's this thing?"
Kaji drew his pistol in alarm, but he couldn't see anyone.
The voice came from behind him.
"Hey, can you calm down? I'm here to settle this peacefully."
Kaji spun around. A life-sized projection of Zero appeared, and he aimed his pistol at it.
"Why is everyone so fond of violence?"
"Who are you?" Before Kaji had finished speaking, Zero extended a hand. Kaji's pistol flew away, and then an immense force struck him.
Kaji was pinned against the wall.
"I'll ask you again. What is this?"
"Cough... I don't know."
Kaji thought he was done for. He intended to keep the secret even in death.
"Honestly, what's there to hide? Isn't this Adam's embryo?" Zero said after sensing its wavelength.
"Do you know what Gendo Ikari plans to do with this thing?"
Kaji jolted at the words "Adam Embryo." He finally calmed down and realized that the projection before him was the giant from the reports.
But he still had no intention of telling him anything.
"Who knows? Maybe he's planning to eat it."
Zero was irritated... he hated people who spoke in riddles.
"Forget it. You can't get away with me watching you anyway."
"Sooner or later, you'll learn the truth. I hope you'll make the right choice when that happens."
Zero didn't think Kaji was trustworthy yet, so he didn't reveal what he knew.
"Just remember that I'm neither with NERV nor SEELE, and I'm certainly not here to kill you."
"And my goal is to help all of humanity."
"That's all. I'm leaving."
He had already confirmed the Adam Embryo's location. Even if Kaji ran, he could track it down by its unique wavelength.
Zero's projection vanished.
Kaji fell from the wall.
"Huh?"
He couldn't quite make sense of what had just happened.
He thought as he straightened his clothes and sorted out his luggage.
"Looks like things have gone completely off-plan, whether it's SEELE's plan or Ikari's."
We're all going to have to face an unexpected outcome.
Before you continue