Misato Katsuragi stared at the public phone. A little plastic cover protected it from the elements, but it was nothing unusual. Her eyes chased the cord - it still had a cord, and a thick one for transmission, not the slim ones used just to make sure the receiver wasn't stolen - from the phone box itself along a thin grey stripe. As her eyes passed the receiver, then the cover, she noted that it was incredibly usual. Tokyo-3 had been called the "Fortress City" for years now, but it really didn't live up to the name in Misato's eyes. If anything, it was the "We Want To Be Just Like Old Tokyo" city.

She sighed, and reached for the receiver. Holding it up to her ear, she waited for the operator to come on the line. It was a computerized operator, of course - that was one of the amazing things that the city did live up to. "I'm sorry, due to the state of emergency for the Kanto and Chubu regions, we are not able to place your call. Please call at a later date."

That was a hundred yen down the drain. Nothing she could do about that now, however. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out the picture she'd been sent. A redhead grinned back, vaguely German-American features dotting a otherwise Japanese face. The woman - clad in a decidedly not Japanese yellow sundress - was standing with her chest facing somewhere off to the side, but her head was pointed at the camera. To top the clearly staged picture off, she was giving a big thumbs-up to the cameraman.

According to the malshapen kanji sprinkled on the picture - with no small dosage of hiragana for the slightly more difficult words - she was Lieutenant Asuka Langley-Soryu. Nothing to do but wait, I suppose. Misato looked up the street to see if anyone else was there. A flash of sky-blue hair caught her eye, and she refocused on it. There was nobody there.

Shaking her head to ward away the unceasing forces of crazy, she gazed at the skyline. What's that big, black- Her thoughts took backseat as a giant something emerged from the buildings. It was humanoid, proportionally tall, and it had shoulder blades that reached its head. It was also black as night, and instead of a face, it had a mask that looked like a bird straight from the pits.

"Hey, kid!" Misato was jolted from her shocked observations by a woman's voice. Looking at the source, she saw a grinning woman in a car - the woman from the picture. "Are you Misato Katsuragi?"

"That's me!" Misato took pride in her name. Not everyone, she knew, could claim their father actually predicted Second Impact. Not that it did him much good, but still...

The woman pulled down blue-black sunglasses to reveal blue eyes the shade of sapphires. "Asuka Langley-Soryu, at your service. Hop in."

"You work at Nerv, right?"

"That's right. Oh! Commander Ikari told me to tell you this as proof. 'Frank Sinatra still lives.'"

Misato smirked. Only Dad's friends would know that one. She nodded sharply. "Alright." She pulled open the door, and she slid in.

"No luggage?"

"No luggage."

The car sped away - and just in time, too; the monster leapt in their direction. Thankfully, a few choice swerves by the driver beside her got them out A-OK. "What was that thing?"

"That, Miss Katsuragi, was an Angel. Our job is to show those creatures who's boss."

"Hmm." Well it certainly didn't seem very angelic, but there was a reason for that term. Probably not one any civilian would understand, Misato gathered, but a reason nevertheless. "Nerv's job, Lieutenant?"

"Yep, aside from environmental rebuilding, walking around like ninjas, a whole lot of things. Commander Ikari has...eclectic interests." She grinned. "Also, call me Asuka. All these titles and honorifics...back home it was nice and simple. Your name was your name."

Finally, a kindred spirit! "Misato, then. Where did you grow up?"

"German-" Asuka looked out the window, and her shoulders rose within the time span of a split second. "Get down!"

If there was any command Misato knew how to obey, it was that one. "What's going on?" It was a bit hard to talk with her head between her knees, but not dying was worth it.

"They're going to drop an N2 Mine!"

The N2 Mine, technically the Non-Nuclear Detonation Device, was the pride and joy of the JSSDF, and they were not quiet about it - that's actually the only reason Misato knew of it. If they were deploying an N2, then just what was that thing?

The world grew white, and the accompanying silence worried Misato. Had she died? That question was solved by the shaking, then tipping, then outright rolling of the car. As with most detonations, this was followed immediately by a loud boom. This refers to loud as "the loudest sound Misato had ever heard, bar none," rather than the more common "my speakers are at max" level.

The car bounced once and twice and three times, before skidding to a stop. On its side. "Are you alright, Misato?"

"I'm currently being used as a landing mattress. What do you think?" It was a little known and seldom used fact that Misato grew sassy when caught in the wake of a Weapon of Mass Destruction. Now, she had only ever been caught in a WMD this once as of yet, but that didn't justify ignorance.

Asuka just laughed, before reaching for the door handle above her. She pulled it open, then reached through the opening. She grabbed on to something up there, as she was able to pull herself out without touching anything with her feet. Said feet vanished, only to be replaced by a cascade of orange hair, and an extended arm. "Need a hand?" Not too proud to accept help, Misato clasped the older woman's wrist, and she grabbed the side of a chair to pull herself...up. She was going up already. Apparently Asuka was insanely strong.

When they were standing on the dirt, Asuka asked again. "Are you okay?"

Misato nodded. "Bit bruised, but I'll live."

"Good." The orange-haired woman glanced at her wrist, and her eyes widened. "We're a bit behind schedule. Could I have a hand?" A flick of the hair indicated she was talking about the car.

"Sure." They each took an end of the beat-up car, and pushed. It wasn't all that heavy - heavy cars were a waste of money, for the most part, unless you were exploring Australia or Africa or someplace - so it tipped easily, and it only shook once or twice before steadying.

"I can't - I can't believe it did nothing!"

"We threw everything at it!"

"We can't maintain this. Casualties are off the charts."

A long silence reigned before the three JSSDF commanders glanced at each other. They must have agreed on something, as they turned as one to look at Gendo Ikari. "Our weapons had no effect. We leave command of this operation to you. Can you defeat this abomination?" spoke one.

"Of course." Gendo Ikari pushed up his LCL-orange glasses by the bridge. "That is the sole reason Nerv exists."

The platform with the three men sank into the floor, and Gendo glanced at his Chief of Science - one Doctor Rei Ayanami. "Prepare Unit-01 for deployment."

His second-in-command spoke softly, so rest of the bridge staff would not hear him. "How? The First Child is still injured."

"A spare is being delivered as we speak, Professor."

"Alright..."

Rei was already gone, and the activity at the bridge had skyrocketed compared to before.

In terms of trust in the vehicle she was in, Misato was at an all-time low. The car was falling apart, the driver was of debatable mental stability, and half of the parts had to have been stolen. Also, they were near a monster that put Godzilla to shame - it survived an N2 for heaven's sake! Therefore, Misato found herself more than justified in not trusting the car.

"Can you patch me through to Doctor Ayanami?" Asuka was talking on the phone to somebody, presumably at Nerv, as she drove. Probably not the safest thing in the world, but there must be a reason, Misato assumed. The lieutenant was quiet for a moment, before her eyes widened a sliver. "Maya? Oh, hey. Is Wondergirl there?"

Wondergirl? "Why is she swimming in the LCL? It's not like we can deploy at the moment. Anyway, could you tell her I've got the Third Child? Also, I need a car-train queued. Could you do that? Thanks." She hung up and turned towards Misato. "And we should be good."

Misato looked at her, then at the car, then at the road, and finally back at her. "Could you keep your eyes on the road? I rather enjoy not dying."

"You're no fun." She turned back. Then her knee flew down and the car jerked to a stop.

"Ouch! What was that for?"

Asuka just stuck out her tongue and continued to drive.

The elevator dinged to a stop, and white-washed metal doors slid open to reveal a lab coat. Of course, as with most lab coats, this lab coat was surrounding a human being. Blue hair reached most of the way down the woman's head, stopping just above the chin, delineating a thin, almost sculpted face. The slightly smaller than usual features were nowhere near as odd as her hair color. Well, bar her eyes. Her eyes were red, the shade of blood, spilt blood. "Lieutenant Langley-Soryu," she greeted - though greeted was probably the wrong word for it, as it seemed more like a statement of Asuka's existence.

"Wondergirl." The response was equally as impassive, if not quite as inhuman. "This is Misato Katsuragi."

"The Third Child, according to the most recent Marduk Institute report. Welcome to Nerv." The phrase sounded worn-out, as if she had memorized it. Misato was at a loss as to what that meant, however. "You are late, Lieutenant."

"It's not my fault this place is a maze. Nerv-Germany made so much more sense - no halls that lead to halls that just lead to more halls."

"You are aware of the history of this place, and why it is designed as so."

"Yeah, yeah." The incredibly civil argument that was brewing was stopped by the elevator dinging again. "Wondergirl" was the first person out, followed by Asuka. Misato followed beside her, a bounce in her step. She was in one of the most secret places in the world, after all.

After they walked for a few minutes, a door slid open, but the light from the ceiling lamp above scattered without revealing a thing. "Watch your step, Misato." Misato followed her voice until it stopped, when Misato did the same.

A moment passed. Then the room glowed white. Blinking to adjust her eyes, she looked around. Most notably, she saw a giant, purple head. It was fairly anatomically correct as giants go, except for the giant horn sticking out of it. That wasn't on humans, except those that magically fused with unicorns. However, those still haven't been discovered, so this thing was unique in that aspect. "Is that a robot?"

"Wondergirl" nodded. "Yes, this is the synthetic lifeform Evangelion: Unit-01. It is the only being currently able to fight the beings called Angels."

Misato stared for a second, before Asuka filled in the gaps. "It's a giant robot for fighting aliens." That was simpler and much more concise.

"So this is what you do here?"

"Correct," spoke an unfamiliar voice. Misato turned to see a man who was probably taller than anyone else she'd ever met. Certainly, he was taller than the average Japanese man. He had black hair surrounding his entire face, though it formed a very precise outline, which was odd. Usually, Misato had found, facial hair was at least a bit unwieldy. However, neither his height nor his pileous care were the most notable of his physical characteristics. No, the most notable where his hands - specifically, the pure white gloves that enclosed them, making him look like a government investigator or something like that - and the glasses he wore. The frames were thin, nothing unusual, but the lenses were orange - a light orange, rather than the more deep orange of Asuka's hair.

"Sir." Said woman nodded in his direction. "Why is Unit-01 out of cryostasis? We don't have a pilot, right?"

"One has just been delivered."

Asuka's response aloud mirrored Misato's silent one. "You don't mean...?"

The man turned towards Misato. "Misato Katsuragi, the monster above us wants nothing more than to bring about a Third Impact." He pushed up his glasses, a gleam of light sliding across them as he did so. "Nobody will survive another Impact, and you are the only one who can stop that Angel. Will you pilot the Evangelion?"

Darkness and silence - that was what it was like in the Entry Plug. She was jostled a bit, but not much. For the most part, she was simply alone.

However, that stopped once the Plug stopped moving. "Alright, Misato, can you hear me?" The voice coming through the Plug's speakers was Asuka's. "Doctor Ayanami will guide you through the activation process."

"I'm ready."

"Alright," spoke the soft voice of the doctor. "First, we're going to fill the Plug with LCL. It's a liquid - your lungs will be oxygenated directly, and it will be a cushion against any injury. Understand?"

Following Misato's affirmation, she noticed her toes were growing wet.

"Hold your breath in, then release. It makes it easier."

Surprisingly, when she did that after the LCL reached her chin, it actually worked. However, the LCL smelled horrible. "Ugh...this is disgusting."

"I know, but you'll have to live with it. You'll adjust eventually." That was Asuka speaking that time.

"Alright, we're about to begin activation."

Other voices began to speak. "Nerve connection confirmed." "Heart monitor, active."

"Ready, Misato? Start synchronization!"

Red, then orange, then yellow the Plug glowed. It spun through the rainbow - and even flashed through some sights that were clearly only modern art - before settling on a view of the room around her. The LCL had become clear, making it look as if she was sitting in a chair in midair. "Amazing! Synchronization rate is at fifty-six percent!"

"Nice job, Misato. Are you ready?"

"Do I have a choice?"

Asuka's reply was way too cheerful. "Nope!"

Misato sighed as her surroundings began to move. Eventually, the walls themselves slid away to reveal the Evangelion's full body - a complete human, albeit the size of a skyscraper. Or maybe only ten stories - it seemed to change every time she guessed. "We're moving you to a launch pad." That helped to know; this place was strange. When she stopped, Asuka checked in once more. "You're about to deploy. Get ready."

"Gateways open!"

"Transmission halted!"

"Evangelion, Unit-01! Launch!"

"Alright, Misato, just focus on walking. Just picture the Evangelion, feel the Evangelion taking a step."

Misato closed her eyes, trying to ignore the giant monster before her. Just take a step. Just take a step. Just take a step...Her leg rose, and she put it back down. She was trying to move the robot, not herself!

"She's walking! She took a step!" A veritable riot came through the speakers, which was odd. What had she done? Her eyes popping open against her volition, she looked down and noticed three things. First, she was tall. Second, her left leg was extended out. Finally, she was purple. Synchronization...wait, does that mean I become the robot? Evidently, it did. Tentatively, her other foot reached out - and her weight was off balance. A scream tore itself out of her throat as the ground rose up. Her head snapped back as she hit the ground. "Misato!"

My head... Misato groaned, and tried to put her arms - the Evangelion's arms - on the ground to pull herself up. As the robot's fingers extended across the concrete, she felt a tightening around her upper arm, as if someone was checking her blood pressure. Except, instead of smooth cloth, it felt like fingers. "Misato! Get up!" Asuka was yelling now.

Misato got up, but not of her own volition. The Angel pulled her up, firm grasps still maintained on the robot's arms. Then it pulled. "Agh!" Her heart pounded at the speed of light as she tried - futilely - to get free.

"It's not your real arm!"

Breath and breath and breath and breath. Gasps chained together rushed out like kindergarteners at recess.

A snap rang through the Entry Plug. Pain pain pain pain pain pain pain. All Misato knew was pain.

"The pilot's heart rate is erratic!"

"I had no idea!" The director of Operations for Nerv-HQ slammed down a fist on the intercom button. "Misato, get out of there!"

All that came from the Entry Plug was primal screaming, a scream not of pain but of sheer, unbridled fear.

The cameras showed the Angel was adjusting its grasp. A hand was removed from the now broken arm, and placed on the neck. "Oh God oh God oh God-" Asuka's eyes were erratic, her body twitching. "Misato! It's going to kill you!"

"It says something, Gendo, that the most stable individual on our staff is Maya Ibuki." Left unspoken was the obvious - including Gendo and Kozo himself.

"It does indeed, Professor."

Slams rang through the room as the Third Angel bashed the Evangelion with an energy lance once and twice and three times. It stumbled back - fell back, really - and lay against the building. It was still. Blood rushed out of the head, and then it collapsed.

Misato awoke to complete silence, which was odd. According to biologists, no species benefited more in Japan from Second Impact than the cicada; eternal summer, in general, was just good for insects. So, Misato always knew something was wrong when the cicadas were silent. Peeling her eyes open, she was greeted by a whitewashed ceiling. An unfamiliar ceiling. A blink, then a blink, then memories returned. She snapped up in her bed, and her head spun left and right around the room. It was more-or-less identical to the ceiling in terms of the architecture - which is to say, it was all white. Except for the door, obviously, which had one of those odd door-attached folder holders. Inside that was indeed a folder, which settled Misato's panic a bit. If she was in a hospital, then the Angel must be dead. The furniture in the room agreed with that conclusion, from the quintessential metal-framed hospital bed to the simple bedside table.

A quick self-evaluation revealed no injuries, so Misato swung her legs down to the ground and stood up. It was much more comfortable to walk on her own two legs than those of a giant robot, she found.

The door opened with nary a sound, and Misato emerged into a hallway with a long window on the opposing side. She looked out for a while, in sheer awe at the Geofront. She felt a certain measure of pride in that mankind could make such a thing. Eventually, the erratic rumbling of a gurney broke the silence, and it rolled into view after a short time. On it lay a girl her age, blond hair the only physical feature revealed. Well, only permanent feature, at least - she had a plethora of bandages covering a part of her skin-tight, jumpsuit-esque clothing, but a bit of red peeked through. Blood peeked through. But then the gurney rolled away, and all was silent once more.

"The Third Angel has finally come. It's more...abrupt than expected."

"Such is the way of earth-shattering disasters, Chairman." One of the council members' left eyebrow slid up, forcing a hint of a smile. "Such was the way of the Second Impact."

"It's fortunate the Angel has finally come. Maintenance costs for the Units were quickly becoming too large."

"Too large? No price is too large to protect the crux of the Project."

"You speak true, Chairman."

"On that note, Ikari, you must remember: the Angels are mere pittances in the eyes of the Human Instrumentality Project."

"I understand, Chairman." Gendo took off his glasses and stared into the man's eyes. "As always, sir, Nerv is the committee's humble servant."

"Japan is way too hot."

"You don't have anything complementary to say about this country, do you, ma'am?" Passive-aggressiveness was a beautiful thing, Maya had found. It was like the gift that, well, it keeping on giving would be the right thing for it to do, but it doesn't always.

"No, no I don't." And Asuka always seemed to effortlessly barge through. "At least not anymore. My father once took me here to see the cherry blossoms, but that was before the Impact."

Thinking about what had been lost in the Impact was never fun, but it happened from time to time. "We still do have cherry blossoms sometimes."

"Really?"

"Down in the Geofront. They bloom every six months or so."

"They do? I haven't seen them."

"You came two months ago, ma'am. You haven't seen everything."

Asuka very pointedly ignored Maya and turned to Doctor Ayanami. Everybody called her Doctor Ayanami, it seemed, except Asuka - infamously so - and the Supreme Commander. He usually called her just "Ayanami," which made some sense; she was his cousin-in-law once removed or something like that, if Maya remembered correctly.

"Wondergirl, are we even really needed here?"

The blue-haired woman gazed around, inching across the site, before turning to Asuka. "No, I do not believe so. Section Five has it well in hand."

The half-western woman popped up. "Finally! I need an air conditioner."

"You also have a duty to check on the health of the Third Child, ma'am. Or did you forget?"

"Yeah, yeah, I know."

It was nighttime when Misato emerged from Nerv alongside Asuka. Apparently, Asuka was her guardian, so Misato would stay with her for the foreseeable future. The car rumbled along the road as Asuka drove; it still hadn't been repaired, or if it had then Asuka should have looked into a better mechanic.

"You did well today, Misato."

"I didn't really do much."

"Nonsense. Take pride in what you did." She sighed, before glancing at the inset digital clock on the dashboard. The car sped up a fair bit, though Misato couldn't tell exactly, as she wasn't able to see the speedometer.

So! Generation swap between Misato et al and the pilots. In case it isn't clear, it's Misato takes Shinji's place, Shinji takes Kaji's, Kaji takes Asuka's, Asuka takes Misato's, and Rei and Ritsuko switch. Now, they aren't entirely swapped - their relatives are just as canon, and have the same roles, deaths, and dates of death as canon, and that has effects (a la Asuka's losing it when Eva-01 is being strangled, 'cause of the...flashbacks). Also, I kept one thing very similar to canon that it would seem obvious to change, I'd like to see if anybody noticed it.