Disclaimer – don’t own Eva or Battletech or Mechwarrior

A/N

Battle Mech Evangelion

Chapter 6

New Introductions

It had been 4 weeks since the attack on the Clan Angel Assembly facility on Keid system. Misato had been using the time they were home to gently probe Shinji and Rei together. She hadn’t caught them kissing or anything, but she had seen them holding hands every once in a while. They were taking it slow, no reason to rush things.

Shinji and Rei were sitting in class enjoying their lunch break with Toji and Kensuke. The two boys had introduced the other two teens to a network based Mech game which, in Shinji’s opinion, was a half decent attempt to simulate actual Mech combat

Right now it was a game of 4 on 4. With Shinji, Rei, Toji and Kensuke on blue team and the enemy on red.

Shinji had modified an Uziel with the War Cat’s weapon load out and added heat synchs and upgraded the engine to match its speed.

Rei had picked an Awesome. With 3 PPC’s, an LRM 20 and 2 Medium Lasers, she was the group power house.

Kensuke was in a Catapult with 2 LRM20s and 2 large lasers.

Toji had chosen a classic Mauler decked out with 4 small lasers 2 AC5 auto cannons and 2 LRM20s.

Their opponents were using mostly medium and light Mechs, a Raven, a Fire Fly, an Enforcer 3 and a clan designed Pack Hunter. The pack hunter was designed similarly to the Hollander but instead of a Gauss rifle it mounted a single ER PPC over its shoulder.

Everyone was using their normal colors. Rei used the same 2 tone green as her normal Awesome. Toji’s Mauler carried the Black base and gold detail of the Wasp paint scheme. Kensuke used the desert paint and Shinji used his normal blue on a gray base.

They had chosen a forest area and had set the game up when Shinji’s phone went off.

“Yes…now, we just started something….alright we’ll be outside”

He turned to the others.

“We have to go; Misato is on her way to get us”

Rei nodded. The pair closed their computers up and gathered their things. Misato met them outside a few min later.

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The 3 arrived at Nerv a bit later to find their Mechs being loaded into a Dropship. Shinji looked over to Misato.

“What’s going on?”

Misato looked over at the pair, who were unknowingly holding hands, and smiled.

“Eva Unit 02 and the 2nd child are being transferred to Earth from our facility on Loxley in the Lyran Alliance. We were supposed to leave in a few more days and meet them half way but your uncle Peter wanted us to come all the way to Tharkad and meet up there. He said something about wanting you to see Tharkad at least once before you have to move there”

Shinji sighed.

“I figured I would have to eventually. I know it won’t be until all of this is over, but still. It seems once I call a place home I have to leave it”

Shinji gave a sad smile.

“But I probably won’t have to leave until something happens to Peter”

Rei must have realized they were holding hands. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze, one he returned before she spoke.

“Will we take our Mechs?”

Misato nodded.

“Yeah their loading them now, we’ll be on Tharkad for 2 days then leave with unit 02 for home. Ritsuko will leave with unit 01 for Tharkad the day after we do and meat up with us. Sound good to you two?”

The pair nodded and Misato continued.

“Good, now head home and pack for a week. I’ll be home later, we’ll leave tomorrow morning”

The pair nodded again and headed for home. Misato watched them walk off hand in hand. She smiled a bit, picturing Rei sitting beside of Shinji in the throne room on Tharkad.

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When the pair arrived at home they packed for the next week, whatever clothes they thought they would need. They also realized they would have to pick something a bit formal as they would be meeting with Peter and most likely some of the socialites of Tharkad. It helped that the 1st time they set foot on the planet, they would be wearing cooling vests and carrying Neural Helmets.

Thankfully it would be summertime at the palace when they arrived. Tharkad was always known for its winter like weather.

Shinji also placed a call to the class representative Hikari Horaki and told her not to expect them till at least the following Friday. Toji got the full story that he, Rei, and Misato were heading to Tharkad for a few days.

“So you’re all heading Tharkad for a while”

“Yeah, for a few days, wait to tell Kensuke tomorrow at school. If he heard there would be another Eva he’d never quit about it”

Toji chuckled a bit.

“Yeah no kidding”

“You know, you could go with us if you want”

“Dude I have to visit my sister after school in the hospital. If she wasn’t there I would still have to stay home to watch her”

Shinji thought for a moment.

“You could get Hikari to do it, I’m sure she could spend some time with her while you’re gone. You need to get out and unwind. How is Mari, anyway?”

“She’s doing really well now, they said she would be out in a few weeks and back in school in a little over a month”

“Well there ya go; she’ll be fine for a few days. Pack your stuff for a week and meet us at the space port unless you want us to pick you up. I’ll take care of permission and such”

Toji was a bit stunned.

“Umm, sure dude thanks. What time will you be here to get me?”

“About 7, just you, me Rei and Misato are going. I’ll ask Ritsuko if she’ll go visit Mari when she can as well”

Toji sighed.

“Sure I’ll be ready, you know Kensuke will flip”

“I know, but nothing can be done about it. And pack at least one set for formal cloths as well. You’ll be meeting my uncle Peter and probably some of the higher ups of the Alliance”

Toji’s jaw hit the floor.

“Wait you mean Peter Steiner, ARCHON Peter Steiner!”

“No, it’s Peter Steiner-Davion, but yeah him”

“Damn, well I’ll get ready then. When you call Hikari back tell her to hold off telling Kensuke I went with you as long as she can”

Shinji laughed a bit.

“Sure, I’ll see you in the morning”

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That night after Ritsuko and Misato had gone to bed. Rei once again slipped from her bed and slid into Shinji’s. Neither said a word for a few moments as they embraced each other, they didn’t need to. Rei finally spoke.

“Shinji”

“Yes”

“I would like to discus something with you”

He slid back a bit to look at her.

“What is it?”

Rei hesitated for a moment.

“I am, having feelings I don’t understand”

“Well describe them, maybe I can help”

Rei thought for a moment.

“Attachment, I feel extreme attachment towards you, care as well. I do not wish to see anything negative happen to you. What am I feeling?”

Shinji smiled, he knew exactly what she was feeling. With out a word he placed his hand on her cheek and smiled. She returned his smile and cupped his hand with her own. Gently he leaned in and softly pressed his lips to hers. Rei was in shock but only for a moment as she began to return the kiss in kind. They lay kissing for a few moments before Shinji pulled back. He pulled Rei to him and she snuggled against his chest.

“Its love Rei, that’s the feeling. I know because I feel it too”

Rei tightened her hold on him and nuzzled against his chest again, he got the message. She was asleep in moments, feeling safe and content in his arms.

“I love you Rei”

Shinji looked down at the girl in his arms and smiled as he gently stroked her azure hair before falling asleep himself.

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As promised Misato and company picked Toji up at around 7am, they made a quick trip to the hospital so Toji could see Mari before he left, and then headed for the space port and their waiting Dropship. Before they launched Shinji and Rei checked on their Mechs, insuring they were squared away for the trip.

Toji stood in the Mech bay of the Dropship looking around at the gigantic war machines. A blue Enforcer Shinji had said belonged to Misato, Shinji’s Tenchi, Rei’s Awesome, an olive drab green Cougar with a bit of red detailing, and a gray Wolfhound with some red details. There were also other assorted Mechs, an Atlas, a Warhammer, a Catapult and a Men Shen, all of which were blue with brown details, made up the rest of the dropships load out of Mechs. Shinji walked up to the other teen while Rei finished up with the Awesome.

“You know you’ve got pretty good instincts, you’ll probably make a good Mechwarrior”

Toji chuckled a bit.

“No way I’d make it, I might be good at the Sims but I’m not that good”

Shinji looked over at him.

“You want to give it a try”

Toji looked over at Shinji with a blank expression.

“Come again?”

Shinji sighed; Toji could be as dense as a rock sometimes.

“Do you want a chance, to see if you would make it as a Mechwarrior? The Wolfhound doesn’t have a pilot and there is a simulator on the Jumpship which will simulate actual combat. Its on the gravity deck so the simulator will throw you around just like the real thing. So do you want to see if you could? Once we get to Tharkad all you would have to do is move the thing into one of their Mechbays. And when we leave you would have to move it back. And once we got home you could go to after school training. And anyway, I need a 5th guy in my lance in a light mech. So what do you say?”

Toji was dumb founded.

“Damn, umm sure, I’d be an idiot to say no”

The pair just stood in silence for a moment until Shinji turned to his friend.

“Well, Mechwarrior-in-training Suzuhara lets meet up with Rei and get ready to go. We’ll check out your Mech after we launch”

Toji nodded and followed Shinji out of the Mech bay towards the Dropship’s bridge. He cast a quick glance back to the Wolfhound, no, his Wolfhound.

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Once the Dropship lifter off it had taken them 10 hours to reach the jumpship, Time Shinji, Misato and Rei spent familiarizing Toji with nearly everything about the Wolfhound. As Shinji had hoped Toji was a fast learner. With the Dropship moving along at nearly a full G it felt as though they had full earth gravity for a while. Toji took the Mech for a quick stroll around the Mech bay and locked it back in before they reached the Jumpship.

The Jump went like the last, Misato and Shinji got a bit nauseous and Rei lost her breakfast. Toji suffered a momentary migraine which subsided as the effects of jump sickness wore off. They needed to jump twice to reach Tharkad with a 16 hour recharge time in between. Shinji ran Toji through everything from simple maneuvers to a full out battle simulation in the ships Mech Simulators. He was confident Toji would be able to move the Wolfhound from the Dropship and into a Mech bay once they arrived. Everyone also took the chance to grab a few hours of sleep before they jumped again.

Once the Jumpship was ready and the solar sail stowed, they jumped again, this time jumping right on target. Once everyone was on board and ready the Dropship detached and made best speed for Tharkad, a 19 hour trip.

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Asuka straitened her sundress out on her chair for the next day. She, Kaji, and Unit 02 had arrived on Tharkad only a few hours before. She had been introduced to the Archon and told his nephew, the Archon Designate, would be arriving the next day. Surprisingly he was also the Third Child and pilot of unit 01. She would be meeting him tomorrow when he arrived. He defiantly wasn’t Kaji, but he was the next best thing.

He would be hers.

A/N I’m going to end this here for the next chapter. Please no calls of how short it is, its suppose to be. Otherwise this chapter would be ridiculously long.