Disclaimer: Me no own anyone, cept maybe the exploding bulb.

How Much Nerv Personnel Does It Take to Change a Lightbulb?
by KizamiRoX0rZ

Major Katsuragi sighed for the ten thousandth time. The paperwork seemed to just pile up on her desk, especially since Eva Units 01 and 02 were badly damaged from the last battle with the Angel Of Music.

She sighed. "I'm never going to get through this. By the time I'm done, I'll either be nearsighted or--"

When it seemed as though there was no end in sight, the light bulb went out. "--blind. Things just can't get any worse." She rose up off of her chair and went into the hallway, where she spotted Ritsuko. "Hey, Ritsuko! Can you do me a little favor?"

The scientist looked at her strangely. "What?"

"I said, 'Can you do me--"

"What do you want?"

"Get a lightbulb and ladder for me." Misato smiled cutely, waving her hand as Ritsuko gave her a weird look. "Don't look at me like that, Ritsuko."

"Why can't you get it?"

"Too heavy."

Ritsuko sighed exasperatedly and walked down the opposite end of the hallway, only to come back a few moments later with a small bulb in her hand.

"That doesn't look like a ladder. Ritsuko, are you going blind?"

As soon as Misato had finished her sentence, she saw an exhausted Kaji following Ritsuko. He was carrying a ladder. Setting it down by her desk, Kaji stood on it and asked Ritsuko to hand him the lightbulb. As he twisted it in, the bulb exploded, sending little shards of glass scattering over the desk cluttered with papers.

"KAJI! YOU IDIOT! Can't you tell whether or not a lightbulb is defective, Ritsuko?"

"Kaji picked it out!"

Two pairs of eyes sent glares in Kaji's direction, catching him completely off-guard. Misato twitched, the key sign that she was pissed off, while Ritsuko seemed to make the office area even darker around her.

"How was I supposed to know?" he said, trying to make himself look as innocent as possible. "I'm not a scientist."

Misato and Ritsuko were ready to corner Kaji when Maya and Hyuuga suddenly appeared. They shook their heads sadly at their superiors.

"What happened?" Maya said as she stared at the little shards of glass on Misato's desk.

Instantly, the Major and scientist pointed a finger at Kaji, each fuming furiously.

"Long story short," Kaji explained, holding his hands up defensively. "Misato's lightbulb broke and we tried to fix it, but it was a defective bulb."

"KAJI PICKED IT OUT!"

"THAT IDIOT!"

Maya shook her head from embarrassment and turned on her heel. Tugging Hyuuga's sleeve, the two disappeared down the hall, leaving Misato, Ritsuko and Kaji standing amidst the tiny, glass shards.

"Where are they off to?" Ritsuko quipped wondrously, sending a glare in the direction her two subordinates had wandered to.

"I thought they were going to help us," Kaji commented, removing a tiny piece of glass from his hand.

"Don't be such a baby," Misato said dryly, arms crossed and lips pursed tightly together.

Within moments, Maya and Hyuuga returned, each holding a light bulb. Better to be prepared than to be sorry, right? Maya climbed up the ladder and screwed in the light bulb, muttering to herself, "Righty tighty, lefty loosy." She gave Hyuuga a curt nod, and he flicked on the light switch.

The light bulb flickered for a moment before sending solid light into the room. Maya beamed triumphantly, trying to ignore the fact that Ritsuko had started to mutter incoherent sayings under her breath.

"That's one crisis solved," Hyuuga commented.

"Now for one ten-times worse," Misato added, twitching visibly as she glanced back at the piles of folders awaiting her still lying on her desk.

A thought suddenly penetrating her mind, Misato turned on her heel and clasped her hands together. "Say, would any of you like to help me fill out some complaints in the form of important files?"

"You know what... I just remembered something. Commander Ikari and Vice Commander Fuyutsuki wanted to see me about something... Bye!" Before Misato could object, Kaji was already on the elevator, so she turned her attention to the scientist.

"I have to go check on Eva 00... you know... experiements..."

"Yeah.. uhh... we have to help her..." Hyuuga said, nudging Maya with his elbow.

"Ja ne!" (See ya!)

With everyone having ditched her, Misato looked back at her desk, a mischevious grin suddenly plastered on her face. "Well... technically I've already read these... I already know that they are complaints... Dakara..." (So...)

In one swift motion, all the files were on the floor.

"This is what I call cleanliness!"

(OWARI)

KizaRoX: xP I know... I know.. it's extremely, extremely short compared to my other fics... but I got bored! And it kind of turned out better than I originally thought. But anywho... you prolly already saw this coming... but.. Remember to review! It would make me feel better and I even might finish the third chapter (Fourth including prologue) of Watashitachi wa Nani? (Beyblade) Flamers too even!