A/N: To misquote Sally Field's acceptance speech for her Academy Award for best actress for Places in the heart, "You like me-you really like me!" (What Field really said was "I haven't had an orthodox career, and I've wanted more than anything your respect. The first time I didn't feel it, but this time I feel it, and I can't deny the fact that you like me, right now, you like me!"). In only a few days since I posted my first story "Quack". I received support, positive reviews and two people, the first not even twenty-four hours after I posted it added my first work to their favorite stories list. The I got just as much positivity for my second story "An Evangelion Beer Commercial". Encouraged by this success I now present my next story entitled "A Mother's Justice" and not to be confused with the Meredith Baxter movie of the same name. I hope this will be as well received as the my first story "Quack" was and I'm sorry it took so long but my Internet wouldn't work from February 7 to March 1 and after that virus and malware problems which I don't think were real (Windows servant system and Windows system defender are maleware and the 'infections' the warn of are not real so don't waste your money) but enough talking. Thanks to the Fifth Horseman for pointing out my stupidity and forcing me fix this chapter.
Thanks to my pre-readers Young Boch and gunman with a special thanks the latter for helping me fix this chapter before I posted it..
Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion it is the property of Gainax.
"Ahhhhh!" the loud cheer that could only mean one thing, Misato Katsuragi had finished another can of Yebisu beer which was her fourth that day.
It was noon at the Katsuragi/Ikari/Soryu residence and Misato had been drinking since she woke up an hour ago after the sun had found her and woken her from her blissful slumber.
It was Saturday and since there were no synch tests the kids had the day off. Asuka had left earlier to go to the mall with Hikari and Rei was doing what ever she did on her down time. Shinji was watching TV with Pen-Pen enjoying not having Asuka ordering him around. (But secretly wishing that she was there.)
The came a call from the kitchen "Hey Shinji! I'm starved can you cook something please? I've been working so hard at NERV."
Shinji rolled his eyes, being more mature than the guardian who was twice his age was very exhausting at times. "There are left overs in the fridge", came the response from the Third child.
Misato went over to the refrigerator and saw a plate of left over sushi from a few nights ago when Shinji was too tired to cook. (And there was thankfully no instant ramen so Misato couldn't whip up a batch of the biological waste she called "food".)
Then Misato asked "Hey Shinji, I found left over sushi you want some?"
Before he could respond, Shinji's stomach growled quickly betraying any resistance the boy could put up.
Shinji went over to the table leaving Pen-Pen to continue watching TV, Misato severed up the sushi and was about to eat when nature called. "Oh! Save me me some, I'll be back in a sec." said the female Major before heading off to the bathroom.
After relieving herself Misato returned to see Shinji at the table holding his stomach in pain as a half finished roll sat on his plate.
"What's wrong?" she asked in a concerned voice.
Shinji looked up at her and said "The sushi is bad", then looking away added "I'm sorry", in typical-'Shinji' fashion.
Misato responded with a calming smile and said "It must be food poisoning just lie down for now."
As Shinji went to his room Misato through out the sushi and after searching around found her precious curry powder in the cupboard. Mixing it with water a whole bunch of other odd ingredients she happened to find, she stuck it in the microwave and then hit "Power" before grabbing her fifth beer before and eventually joining Pen-Pen on the couch.
Thirty minutes later the phone rang, Misato was going to ask Shinji to get it before remembering his illness. Her next step was to call Asuka but after remembering she was gone looked to Pen-Pen before going to answer the phone saying "They won't understand penguin".
Misato picked up the phone and answered. "Hey Kat-" she started to say only to get preempted
(How did you like the sushi?) Said an unknown voice that was obviously scrambled and sounded sadistic.
"I threw it out a half hour ago. I think it had gone bad." responded Misato who was now very confused by the call.
(Wait! Are you Misato Katsuragi?) said the voice now more concerned than anything.
"Yes", Misato said before adding "Who is this and how did you get this number?" she demanded in the strict voice she used only during battles with the Angels.
The voice didn't answer right away as the owner started talking to himself and swearing. Then came the one statement that made Misato's heart stop.
(How are they not dead?) The voice said
"What the hell do you mean 'how are they not dead !'" yelled Misato to the unknown caller.
The only response she got was (Crap!) as the voice released the mistake it made and hung up.
"That was really weird" said Misato in her normal tone, before returning to the living room. "I wonder what they meant by..." , however, she paused halfway to the couch, dropping her beer as a sudden realization caught up to her. "Shinji" she said her eyes now as wide as saucers.
Misato ran to Shinji's room throwing the door open and seeing her ward in terrible pain as he hugged his stomach tightly.
"Dammit!" Misato yelled. Quickly grabbing Shinji, she lifted him up in her arms, she quickly put on her jacket with her NERV ID in it. She put her shoes and on ran out the apartment down the stairs and to her car all while carrying Shinji in her arms. Misato put Shinji in the passenger seat of her blue Renault Alpine before driving off like a bat out of hell, this time with a reason, before heading straight to NERV.
It was five hours later, and Misato paced in the waiting room at the NERV infirmary like someone waiting for the birth of a child. Dr. Akagi had been preforming all kinds of tests in those five hours and still no news. Word had spread through out NERV and everyone from Lieutenant Hyuga to Kaji and even Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki had come by to console her and ask on Shinji's progress. Commander Ikari had not shown up.
Finally Dr. Akagi walked into the waiting room with assistant Maya by her side, which was to be expected.
"Rits" Misato began "Is he...I mean will he...Is he going to be...", but she couldn't find the words.
"Misato" began Akagi, the Head of Project E was at a lose for word which for Ritsuko Akagi was foreign to her "Shinji has been poisoned, I don't know what type of poison though".
"I threw the sushi out but should still be in the trash." said an anxious Misato
"Good, Hyuga will drive you home tonight and pick up the poison, you need to rest. " said the doctor before adding "The MAGI will analyze the sushi, we will find out what poison it is and create an antidote for Shinji."
"Okay Rits, I'll see you tomorrow" said the worried Misato Before she left Misato turned back to the faux-blond "Rits, how is Shinji?"
"He has stabilized but... but nothing is sure. I can't tell if anything permanent will come of this. Shinji has had his stomach pumped and is currently resting. Only time will tell."
"This was deliberate" said Misato in anger voice "Someone was trying to kill him."
After saying this Misato bowed and thanked Ritsuko before leaving NERV.
Meanwhile in the dark abyss known as the office of Commander Ikari...
"Professor where have you been?" has the Commander sitting at his desk, signature pose already in place as he knew the answer to his own question.
"I was visiting your son, he was poisoned by a would-be assassin." replied Kozo. After returning from visiting Misato to check in on Shinji.
"Do you think it was SEELE?" asked Gendo
"No" replied the gray haired man "Keel and the rest of the committee have no reason to kill any pilot. And besides, if it was SEELE they would have targeted Rei."
"Who ever is responsible must be hell responsible for this." said Gendo sternly before getting up to go home. As he passed Fuyutsuki he said something that made the old professor smile "Nobody messes with my son."
As Hyuga drove Misato home she thought about the last 24 hours for clues. The kids had gone to school and she had gone to work, nothing unusual. There were the newly weds Yoshi and Ai Nohara who were always lovey-dove, the old married couple who argued like it and who Misato compared to Asuka and Shinji, Ms. Yoshida the elderly lady who could still remember the Japanese surrender to the U.S. on the USS Missouri September 2,1945 that ended WWII, even the Shinzo the delivery boy who had dropped off the belongings of one Asuka Langley Soryu when she arrived but nothing was odd or out of place.
"That's it then" decided Misato as she sat in the passenger seat with tears in her eyes "I swear... whoever is responsible for this will pay!"
A/N: That's chapter one of the story. This story is T for now but may change to M later for violence and language. Asuka and Rei will appear next chapter and may show up later but their roles will be small in this story. Yoshi Nohara (the surname is a a nod to Shin-Chan) and Ai (a nod to Hell girl and Briana Palencia who did a great job as Rei in the Rebuild) Matsumoto (a nod to Bleach though here she is Nohara) are mine and may appear in future stories as background characters. There will be five chapters total to this. Chapter 2, Misato begins to hunt down Shinji's would-be killer. Read and review!
"All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does. That is their tragedy"- Oscar Wilde The importance of being Ernest (1895).That just seems like a good quote for Neon Genesis Evangelion.