Disclaimer: Neon Genesis Evangelion is the creation of Anno and Gainax. I don't own it, make no claims to it, and am making no profit from the fan fiction. No infringement of copyright is intended. In other words, please don't sue.


Chapter Two: Transformation/Avalanche

The next morning, Misato awoke, feeling groggy but not the least bit hung over, to her surprise. Yawning hugely, she threw her arms out and stretched…and as she did, she noticed that something didn't quite feel right.

She looked down at herself and realized that her uniform, which had fit her perfectly when she'd gone to sleep, was now hanging very loosely on her frame.

Her first thought was that someone was playing some kind of prank on her, changing her into a larger version of her outfit while she'd slept. She'd certainly been out deeply enough to remain asleep while someone did as much.

However, she soon discarded the idea. She knew she'd locked the door to her apartment, and nobody besides herself and Shinji had a key. She didn't for a moment entertain the possibility that the Third Child might have stripped her down and changed her in her sleep. Even discounting the fact that Shinji had been clearly exhausted and feeling even less playful than usual last night, he lacked both the nerve and probably the physical strength necessary to pull off such a stunt.

She looked down at her hands and realized that they looked different than they had the previous day. A bit smoother, and perhaps even a little smaller.

Feeling trepidation rising within her rapidly, she turned her gaze toward her kitchen, realizing that everything looked just a little bit bigger than it had before.

What is going on? She wondered.

Suddenly, Misato caught sight of her reflection in the glass door of one of her kitchen cabinets. Her eyes widened to the size of saucers and an earsplitting shriek escaped her.


Within his "lovely suite" Shinji Ikari jumped nearly a foot in the air, which was quite a feat considering that he'd been laying asleep in his futon when the loud cry had made it to his ears.

Instantly wide awake, Shinji leapt out of his futon and rushed to kitchen, where the scream had come from, his heart pounding in his chest. But when he got there, the sight that greeted him brought him up short.

A teenaged girl with purple hair sat at the kitchen table, looking shocked and panicked. What was especially strange, though, was the fact that the girl was wearing what looked like one of Misato's NERV uniforms, which was comically large on her.

The girl seemed not to notice his presence, looking down at herself in mute shock. After several uncomfortable seconds, Shinji cleared his throat to get her attention. "Excuse me…miss?"

Her gaze snapped up to meet his. "S-Shinji-kun?" she stammered.

He recoiled slightly in surprise. "How do you know my name?" he asked.

"What do you mean, how do I know your name?!" the girl demanded. "I'm your guardian! It's me! Misato!"

"Uh, right," Shinji said, playing along. "Excuse me for a moment."

The boy, not taking his eyes off the seemingly crazy intruder, retreated back to the hallway toward Misato's room. Given the fact that she hadn't come running, she was probably really hung over or even still drunk, he deduced. Still, he wasn't sure what else to do other than get her.

He opened the door to her room, only to find her futon empty. Misato was nowhere in sight.

Uh oh.

He slowly returned to the kitchen, where the teenage girl, though still looking rather panicky, also had a rather smug expression on her face now.

"See, Shinji-kun, it's really me," she said.

"B-But that's impossible!" Shinji exclaimed.

The girl rolled her eyes. "Fine, I'll prove it to you. Remember the first night you were here, and you went to take a bath and ran into Pen-Pen? You were so scared that you ran out here in your birthday suit!"

Shinji's face reddened. "I thought you agreed never to bring that up again," he muttered, embarrassed all over again by the memory.

Misato smirked. "Desperate times call for desperate measures," she said, then quickly sobered again. "So you believe me?"

"Yeah, I believe you, but…how did this happen?" Shinji asked. "You look my age."

"How should I know?" Misato snapped, suddenly seeming on the verge of hysteria, not that Shinji could blame her.

Shinji sighed. "I'm sorry," he said. "Look, let's go to headquarters and have Dr. Akagi look at you. I'm sure she'll be able to figure out what happened."

"Right," Misato said, composing herself slightly before a new problem occurred to her. "But I don't have any clothes that fit me! I can't go out like this!"

Shinji frowned. He hadn't thought of that. "Uh, you can borrow some of mine. They should fit you decently enough."

"Thanks, Shinji-kun," Misato said. "I'd better go shower first, though. Just leave some clothes outside the door, please."

She left, and Shinji went to his room. The boy changed his own clothes, slipping into a school uniform, before grabbing a pair of blue jeans and his salmon colored shirt and leaving them outside the bathroom door. He had showered the previous night while Misato had been at headquarters, so there was no pressing need for him to take another, fortunately.

Since Misato was still in the shower when he was done with these simple tasks, Shinji decided to make some toast. He was hungry, and hopefully this bit of normalcy would further calm his guardian.

This is insane, he thought. Even more insane than being called in by Father to pilot a giant robot. I hope Misato's all right. She must be terrified. I know I would be if I woke up one morning and was suddenly half my age.

The only silver lining to this situation that Shinji could see was that it had happened on the weekend, so he wouldn't miss any more school by going to NERV with Misato. And Shinji freely admitted that this was a pretty pathetic silver lining.

Maybe I'm missing something, he thought as the toast popped, aware that he didn't tend to look on the bright side all that often.

Misato emerged a few minutes later, wearing the clothing he'd set out for her. Shinji was momentarily stunned by her appearance. Her curves had been diminished by her transformation, of course, but she still had more than enough to get his attention. Also, seeing her wearing his clothes caused a strange fluttering in his chest, some small part of him deciding for whatever reason to interpret it as a symbol of her being his.

Which was nuts, of course, but still, it was a surprisingly poignant illusion.

"This stinks," Misato complained. "I don't have any underwear!"

Needless to say, this proclamation caused Shinji to blush furiously. Misato caught sight of his burning face and giggled.

"Here," Shinji said, handing her a slice of toast and making a point of not looking at her. "We can eat on the train."

Misato blinked. "The train? Why would we…" she trailed off, realizing that she was quite likely to get pulled over if she tried to drive in her current state. "Oh, right."

"Come on, let's go," Shinji said, heading for the door and grabbing his keys.

"Hang on a sec, Shinji-kun, just let me grab a beer," she said. "I have a feeling that I'm going to need it."

"Misato," Shinji chided.

"What? I…oh, right," Misato groaned loudly. "I'll just drink it here then."

"I, uh, don't think that's a good idea, Misato," Shinji said.

"Why not?" she demanded, opening the fridge and seizing a can.

"For one, it's probably not a good idea for someone who looks about fourteen to go around with beer on her breath," Shinji pointed out. "For another, you might not be used to it any more. Do you want to be tipsy when we see Dr. Akagi?"

Misato looked at the can she had clutched in her grip for a long moment, desperately searching for some counterargument to Shinji's point. Unfortunately, there were none to be found. If Ritsuko smelled beer on her or she was noticeably feeling the effects of the alcohol when they went to see her old friend, the blond scientist would never let Misato live it down.

"Oh, fine," she grumbled, putting the can back. "Why did you have to be right?"


Dr. Akagi was not amused when Shinji arrived in her office with a teenage girl she didn't recognize in tow. At first she suspected that the Third Child had put his status as an EVA pilot to use and was now in need of some method of birth control. However, when Shinji started trying to explain the situation, her patience began to dwindle even more rapidly than it would have if he actually were trying to get his girlfriend a prescription for the pill.

"The day after an Angel attack is hardly the time to pull a prank, Shinji," Ritsuko scolded.

"I'm not pulling any kind of prank, Akagi-san!" Shinji insisted. "This really is Misato, I swear!"

Ritsuko sighed, clearly not believing it for a moment. "What did she have to do to make you go along with this, Shinji?"

"I didn't do anything!" Misato protested.

"As for you, young lady," Ritsuko said, turning to face Misato. "You should know that unauthorized entry into NERV Headquarters is a serious offense. You could get into a lot of trouble for this."

"I'm authorized to be here!" Misato snapped. "I'm the Operations Director!"

Ritsuko shook her head, exasperated. "You really do look a lot like her. Act like her, too," she said. "What are you? Her cousin? Niece?"

Misato balled her hands into fists. "It's me! Misato!" she exclaimed. "I don't even have any cousins or nieces! I thought you knew that, Rits!"

Akagi just glared at her in response. Misato sighed, then leaned in and whispered something in the doctor's ear. Ritsuko's eyes widened. "You promised we'd never speak of that again," she said, scowling.

Misato smirked, and even Shinji couldn't hold back a tiny snicker. "Desperate times call for desperate measures, Rits," Misato said. "So now do you believe me?"

"Yes, I do. But what could have possibly caused this?" Ritsuko asked. "Has anything...unusual happened to you recently?"

Misato suddenly looked rather sheepish, and Akagi's eyes narrowed. "What did you do?" the scientist demanded.

The purple haired girl swallowed, suddenly flashing back to the aftermath of a few particularly unpleasant situations she'd gotten herself back into during college.

This is the part where she yells at me for how goddamn stupid I've been, Misato thought with a grimace, suddenly feeling rather like a child in addition to looking like one.

"Uh, last night, I kind of got curious about what it felt like to sit inside the entry plug of EVA," Misato confessed.

Shinji and Ritsuko both gaped dumbly at her, the two of them obviously incredulous in the extreme, though for somewhat different reasons.

"You did what!?" Ritsuko shrieked, abruptly finding her voice.

Slowly, and with her eyes cast downwards the entire time, Misato explained what had happened the previous night. Ritsuko's eyes grew wider and wider with every detail the Operations Director added.

"Let me get this straight," Ritsuko said, when Misato had finally finished. The blonde looked very pale. "You climbed into Unit One's entry plug, put Shinji's connector clips on, and the EVA suddenly inserted the plug. And it began to activate?"

"I…I think so," Misato said weakly. "The walls got all colorful anyway."

Ritsuko sank down into her chair. "My god, do you have any idea how dangerous that was?" she demanded, her anger rising. "For that matter, do you have any idea what happened during the first contact experiments? Back before we really knew how to judge whether or not a pilot candidate was suitable? People have gone insane! People have died!"

Shinji cleared his throat and both women looked at him, mildly surprised. They had more or less forgotten he was there. "Misato didn't die or go mad, Dr. Akagi," he pointed out timidly.

Ritsuko sighed. "I guess you're right," she said. "But this…this is just bizarre. I'm going to have to check the records to see if Unit One really did begin to activate last night. And I'm going to have to run a full battery of tests on you, Misato."

"Great," Misato groaned.

"You too, Shinji," Akagi said, turned to the Third Child. "You've been exposed to Unit One far more than she has, after all."

Yatta, Shinji thought sourly.


"Well, that was embarrassing," Misato grumbled as they left the medical wing of NERV headquarters.

At least you're the same gender as the doctor, Shinji thought, shuddering slightly. Some of the tests the two had been put through were rather invasive, to put it mildly.

"Ritsuko said it would take about an hour for the MAGI to get back with the results of the tests," Shinji said. "Let's go get something to eat while we're waiting."

"All right," Misato said with a small sigh.

The pair headed toward the cafeteria, Misato getting more than a few looks from the various NERV employees they passed by in the halls. Shinji silently hoped that it was the unusualness of having a child who wasn't an EVA pilot around headquarters that was drawing people's eyes. Otherwise it would just be really creepy, as the youngest male besides himself inside the building was at least in his late twenties.

The two arrived at the cafeteria and were relieved to find it mostly empty. Not that many NERV personnel actually ate there, and it wasn't quite the lunch hour yet besides.

Getting some food, the two sat down at an out of the way table and began to pick at their snacks. Neither of them was all that hungry, having eaten breakfast not too long ago, but they didn't know what else to do with themselves to kill time.

Several minutes passed in uncomfortable silence.

"So…" Shinji began nervously as he poked at his small bowl of rice and pickled vegetables with a chopstick. "How are you?"

Misato couldn't help but smirk at that. Shinji was just so painfully awkward it was cute sometimes. "Okay, I guess. I'm trying not to start freaking out again until I get the prognosis. What about you? After all, for all we know, you could start getting younger soon, too."

Shinji shrugged. "If I haven't yet, I don't think I will," he said.

Misato chuckled. "That's the spirit, Shinji-kun!"

He blushed slightly at the praise. "I hope I won't get younger, anyway. Waking up and finding myself half my age isn't something I'd like. I really wouldn't want to relive those years," he commented softly.

Misato arched an eyebrow. "You really wouldn't want to be a little kid again at all?" she asked.

Even she sometimes grew wistful and nostalgic about her childhood, just so long as she focused on the pre-Second Impact part of it. Her parent's troubled marriage had taken a lot of the potential joy out of that part of her life even before Adam had struck, but she sometimes missed being as naïve and relatively carefree as she had back then.

"No," Shinji said, with an unusual level of conviction in his voice.

Misato arched an eyebrow but decided against questioning him further about it.

After that, the conversation turned toward unimportant topics. They made small talk until Shinji glanced at the clock on the cafeteria wall and saw that an hour had nearly passed. "It's almost time," he said. "Let's head back and see if Ritsuko has our test results."

Misato nodded and followed him toward her friend's office with all the enthusiasm of a student off to find out how she did on that exam she forgot to study for.


"All right, what's the diagnosis, doc?" Misato asked the moment she walked into Ritsuko's office. "Give it to me straight, I can take it!"

Ritsuko threw her friend a half-annoyed, half-amused look before she picked up a clipboard. "According to the MAGI, every sample we took from you indicates that you're no more than fourteen years old," she said.

"Gee, you think?" Misato snapped.

"This isn't just a superficial change, Misato," Ritsuko said, nonplussed. "In addition to your outward appearance changing, your internal organs, skeletal structure, all indicate a lower level of wear and tear. Even the MRI scan we took of your brain is indistinguishable from one of a true fourteen year old. Physically, you are fourteen in every possible respect."

"But why?" Misato asked.

"I'm not…exactly sure about that," Ritsuko confessed slowly, looking uncomfortable.

"But you do have some idea," Misato pressed.

"Yes," Ritsuko said, "but it makes so little sense!"

"Tell me," Misato demanded sternly. "I think I have a right to know."

"All right," Ritsuko said with a sigh.

The blonde rummaged around her cluttered office, producing several charts that neither Misato nor Shinji could make any sense of, propping them up against the wall her desk was pressed up against.

"You're familiar with the radiation produced during Second Impact, correct?" Ritsuko asked Misato.

"Of course," Misato replied.

"Radiation?" Shinji frowned, confused. "Why would the impact from a meteor create radiation?"

Ritsuko turned toward Misato and frowned. "You still haven't told him?" she asked.

"It's been a busy few weeks, okay?" Misato grumbled.

Akagi sighed. "Second Impact wasn't caused by a meteor, Shinji. That was just the public story that the UN released to prevent a panic. In reality, Second Impact was caused when the Katsuragi Expedition accidentally woke Adam, the First Angel."

Shinji's eyes widened. "Katsuragi Expedition?"

"It was led by my father," Misato said.

"Your—"

"I don't want to talk about it," Misato cut him off, her tone icy.

Shinji immediately shut up.

Ritsuko cleared her throat. "While Adam was dying, he emitted an exotic type of radiation that even CERN has yet to successfully duplicate. Everyone on Earth was irradiated. Fortunately, it has no negative effects on a person's health, not even the massive dose Misato received, having been very near to ground zero at the time of Second Impact."

Shinji's eyes widened. "You were—?"

Misato glared at him, and Shinji got the hint and shut up again.

"We believe that this radiation was Adam's way of marking every human on Earth as his enemy," Ritsuko continued. "It's the reason that only people born after Second Impact can pilot EVA. Evangelion has some Angelic properties, you see."

"But what does this have to do with me shrinking?" Misato suddenly demanded, clearly not pleased with where the conversation had gone.

"I'm getting to that," Ritsuko said. "You see, Evangelion emits a similar type of radiation, albeit at a much lower intensity. Similar, but different. The type emitted by Unit One is especially…unique."

"Why?" Shinji asked.

Because it's made from Lilith, not Adam, Ritsuko thought.

"We don't know," Ritsuko lied. "That EVA has always been rather, ah, quirky. Anyway, when Misato climbed in there, she was irradiated by Unit One, much more so than you've ever been, despite you having spent more time in there. The lingering radiation from Adam in her body was, for lack of a better word, neutralized by Unit One's. I believe that Misato's strange transformation was a side effect of this process."

"Does radiation work that way?" Misato asked.

"No!" Ritsuko exclaimed, her frustration clear in her voice. "Radiation isn't antimatter; it's not like alpha radiation will annihilate gamma radiation or anything like that. This whole thing doesn't make any sense."

Scientists like Ritsuko hated it when things didn't make sense; it was just part of their nature. However, Evangelion was so far beyond the ability of humans to fully comprehend that the bottle blonde was almost tempted to just say it was magic and leave it at that. Not that she really even had that option.

"The good news, however, is that Shinji won't be getting younger, since he was never exposed to the Second Impact radiation," Ritsuko added.

"Well, that's a relief," Misato said. "So, what's my prognosis, Rits? Can you change me back?"

Ritsuko shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I don't even have any idea how I would go about attempting such a thing."

Misato grimaced, disappointed but unsurprised. "So I'm stuck as a teenager?"

Ritsuko couldn't help but smirk slightly. "Well, no more than Shinji," she said. "Which is to say I can't reverse the process, but you should grow up naturally again in time like any other teenager."

"Sugoi," Misato said sarcastically, sighing and exhaling a mushroom shaped cloud. "Anything else?"

"Yes," Ritsuko said. "With the radiation from Adam completely gone from your body, you are now completely indistinguishable from someone born post-Second Impact."

Misato's eyes widened. "Does that mean—?"

The NERV PA system cut her off. "Will Operations Director Captain Misato Katsuragi and Head of Project-E Doctor Ritsuko Akagi please report to the Commander's office at once? Repeat, Captain Katsuragi and Doctor Akagi, report to Commander Ikari's office immediately."

Misato turned a sharp look at her friend.

"What?" Ritsuko asked defensively. "Something like this happens to the Operations Director, and I'm supposed to keep it from the Commander?"

"No, but it would've been nice if I got to know what happened to me before the brass did," Misato grumbled. "I've got to go face the Commander, and I'm not even wearing any underwear!"

"Misato!" Shinji and Ritsuko exclaimed, the former embarrassed and the latter scolding.

"It's not my fault! I didn't have anything that would fit me!" Misato snapped at Ritsuko, then sighed. "Let's get this over with."

Ritsuko nodded, and they began heading to Gendo's office. Shinji had learned recently that most of the people who had been to the place called it "the lair." The Third Child had to admit that it was a fitting name.

"You don't have to come, Shinji-kun," Misato said. "I'm sure this will only take a few minutes."

"No, that's all right, I'll come," he said, surprising Misato…and himself.

Goodness knew that Shinji had absolutely no desire to venture back into his father's cavernous office and again be placed under the man's unwavering, frigid gaze. And yet…and yet, Shinji found himself feeling strangely protective of Misato, and he didn't want her to have to go in there without him for backup.

Which was totally ludicrous. Shinji didn't even have the guts to maintain eye contact with his father for more than a few consecutive seconds. There was nothing he could do to defend her from Gendo that she couldn't do herself, and he knew it.

But still, he walked along with Misato and Ritsuko, swallowing his terror as they opened the huge door to his father's office and walking in with them.

Gendo looked up as the trio entered. "Come in, Doctor. Captain," he said, totally ignoring Shinji.

The Vice Commander, standing next to Gendo's chair, didn't say anything, merely giving the three a slight nod.

"You wanted to see us, sir?" Misato asked, doing her best to maintain her professional tone and manner, despite how stupid she felt, addressing her commanding officer in a fourteen-year-old body and clad in his son's street clothes.

"Yes," Gendo said, entwining his fingers and leaning his face on them. "I must admit that despite Dr. Akagi's report, I am still somewhat startled to see it for myself."

"That's perfectly understandable, sir," Misato replied, deciding it was wiser not to point out that he didn't sound the least bit shocked.

Gendo nodded slightly. "Yes, well, in light of your recent…transformation, I see little choice but to relieve you of your position as the NERV Operations Director."

Misato recoiled as if struck. "B-But, sir, my mental facilities are completely intact! I—"

Gendo raised a hand and Misato fell silent. "I'm aware of that," he said. "Dr. Akagi included it in her report. However, though your skill remains and you have performed…adequately—"

Shinji tightened his fist, annoyed with his father for being so stingy with praise. Misato was going through a crisis, and a bizarre one at that, yet Gendo couldn't even spare a few kind words.

"—the fact is that the Operations Director is the face NERV presents to the UN military and the JSSDF whenever we need to cooperate with them," Gendo continued. "Asking them to obey the orders of a child officer is simply asking for trouble."

"I understand, sir," Misato said, looking at her feet. Shinji felt sympathy for her welling up inside him. "So, I'm being discharged from NERV?"

"No, not yet at any rate," Gendo replied. "This could cause quite a stir if it ever got out, and NERV's public image is delicate enough as it is right now. This must be kept quiet, so you are going to have to assume a new identity. I'm going to ask you to sign a vow of secrecy about all this, and NERV will help you get your new life set up. However, I'd rather keep you on the payroll. So, in light of Dr. Akagi's report, you are going to be tested for compatibility with the EVA's."

"You mean, you're making me a pilot?" Misato asked, wide eyed.

"If you can sync with the EVA's, you will be designated the Fourth Child," Gendo said, nodding. "Any objections, Miss Katsuragi?"

"N-no, sir," Misato stammered.

"Head down to the test plugs, then," Gendo said. "Dr. Akagi will oversee the tests after I've spoken with her."

"Yes, sir," Misato said.

She saluted crisply and left, Shinji following silently behind her. Once the door had shut behind them, Gendo turned to Akagi.

"Do you really believe she can pilot?" he asked.

"I can detect no reason why she shouldn't be able to," Ritsuko answered. "But there are so many things we still don't understand about EVA…"

Gendo waved this off, aware that she was simply hedging. "Do you believe that NERV can find some way to replicate what happened to her?" he asked.

"I'm not sure, sir," Akagi replied. "Given time, and Adam, we may be able to figure out how to duplicate the types of radiation that caused this. However, we'd need to find a way to control it to ensure it doesn't reduce people to infants, or worse, regress them far enough to kill them. Also, I have no way of knowing if everyone would react the same way Misato did."

Gendo nodded. "The dummy system still takes precedence, but I want you to work on this as well. I will attempt to have more funds allotted to your department."

NERV wouldn't have to go crawling to the old men of SEELE for money ever again if they could control the fountain of youth, after all. That kind of independence could only strengthen Gendo's hand and increase the likelihood of his scenario coming to fruition.

"Yes, sir," Akagi said.

"You're dismissed," Gendo said. "Go and oversee Miss Katsuragi's tests."

Ritsuko nodded and departed.

"Do you really think it's wise to make Katsuragi a pilot, Ikari?" the Vice Commander asked.

"She has a vendetta against the Angels and is trained in battlefield tactics," Gendo said. "I see no reason not to designate her the Fourth, and many reasons to do so. And stripped of her military rank, she cannot probe into the secrets of this organization."

Not that she was ever very curious about them before, which is probably why you picked her to be the Operations Director to begin with, the Vice Commander thought.


Misato Katsuragi, the Fourth Child, she thought as she and Shinji walked silently toward the test plugs.

She was quite pleased with this development. If she became an EVA pilot, it would put her on the front lines of the war against the Angels, and she'd be able to take her revenge personally. Not to mention the fact that she could take the place of one of the true children. The use of kids as pilots was total madness, after all, even if it was necessary madness.

Shinji, on the other hand, was far less cheerful. He didn't want Misato to become a pilot. She was the first person who had shown him the slightest bit of affection in years, and she could be put in mortal danger if she became a pilot.

Besides, she just seemed…too pure for EVA.

He smirked slightly as he realized that "pure" was not a word that many would use to describe Misato Katsuragi. All the same, it felt right.

Thanks to the oddness of Rei Ayanami, his own sorry state, and certain memories which dwelled in the dark depths of his subconscious, Shinji Ikari had began to attribute an almost supernatural power to Evangelion, a dark power. He saw them as harbingers of misery.

Misato was just so happy and lively that he didn't want her to be touched by something like that. He didn't want her to change. She was supposed to be cheerful and carefree…

Not a total mess like me, Shinji thought dourly.

He took a deep breath, and silently prayed to a god he didn't really believe in that Misato would fail to be able to sync with the EVA units.

They arrived at the test plugs, a trio of large metal tubes that were partly immersed in pink coolant in which the Children took sync tests. The two waited silently together until Ritsuko arrived, both having a thousand thoughts they wanted to share with the other and unable to voice a single one.

"All right, let's get started," Ritsuko said without preamble as she walked into the room. "We'll put you in Unit Zero's test plug first, Misato. Shinji, since you're here anyway, we'll have you undergo a harmonics test as well. You two go get changed. I'll get Maya here while you're gone."

"What am I supposed to wear?" Misato asked. "I don't have a plug suit."

"I'll have someone bring you one of Rei's," Akagi said. "That should do until you're confirmed as the Fourth Child."

Misato nodded, and the two headed off to the locker rooms.


Shinji grimaced slightly as his plug suit pressurized with a hiss; he'd always found the sensation of the elastic material conforming tightly to his body to be uncomfortable. He then walked over to the area where the pilots entered the test plugs, waiting for Misato.

Maybe it's just nuts of me to think that anyone who pilots EVA will inevitably become miserable, he thought, looking distantly at the waiting plug. But I still really hope Misato can't sync.

"Hey, Shinji-kun!" Misato called cheerfully, knocking him out of his thoughts.

He looked up and did a double take as he saw Misato striding toward him in one of Rei's white plug suits, feeling his face heat slightly. The skin tight garment left very little to the imagination, and despite looking half her real age, Misato was still impressively built.

Not that Shinji hadn't more or less known that already, but right now it was just so glaringly obvious

"So how do I look?" Misato asked, doing a quick 360 degree turn, totally aware of the effect she was having on him.

"Y-you look nice, M-Misato," Shinji forced out.

"Get in the plugs, you two," the exasperated voice of Dr. Akagi came over a nearby loudspeaker.

"Hai!" Shinji said, doing as ordered at once, glad for a chance to escape.

"Spoil sport," Misato grumbled, but also complied, getting into Unit Zero's test plug, noticing that she fit comfortably inside now.

The plugs were sealed, and soon LCL began to rush inside, filling them. Unlike Shinji during his first time inside EVA, Misato knew that she wouldn't drown in the stuff, but she still found it difficult to overcome her instinctual aversion to inhaling liquid for the first time.

However, the LCL soon rose above her head, leaving her with little choice in the matter. She opened her mouth and took a deep "breath" of the stuff, trying to do it all at once.

"Ugh, this stuff is gross!" she complained with a disgusted expression.

Hit by a rare burst of humor, Shinji opened up a communications link to Misato's plug and snapped, "Quit complaining! You're an adult, aren't you?"

Misato responded with a look of wide eyed shock, which instantly made Shinji feel guilty. Her world had been turned upside down, and him making fun of her couldn't be making things easier for her, he knew. He decided to apologize.

Then she burst out laughing before he could even open his mouth. "I guess I deserved that, didn't I?" she chortled.

He smiled, relieved. "Not really, but the opportunity was too good for even me to pass up."

"All right, that's enough playing around," Ritsuko said, though even she sounded amused. "Both of you concentrate on syncing."

"Uh, Rits, how do I do that?" Misato asked.

Ritsuko hesitated, unsure on how to answer that question. Rei, being Rei, had never asked that question. Shinji had learned in his trial by fire against the Third Angel, and Asuka had been trained at the Third Branch. How could she explain a process even she herself didn't fully understand, never having done it herself?

"In the test plug, it's best just to let your mind go blank," Shinji provided, unknowingly coming to Ritsuko's rescue. "In EVA, though, it works better if you try and think of yourself as the EVA and forget that you're you, instead of it."

Misato nodded. "Thanks, Shinji-kun," she said, then closed her communications windows.


"So how were my test scores, Rits?" Misato asked two hours later, once her first harmonics test had concluded.

"Twelve percent," Akagi said flatly, "barely above the absolute borderline."

Inside their respective test plugs, Misato's cheerful smile fell while Shinji's usual frown twisted upwards.

"That's better than Asuka was able to do when she first started training to pilot Unit Two," Maya pointed out, careful to keep far enough from the microphone so that her words wouldn't be picked up and heard by the pilots.

"I know," Akagi said, placing her hand over the mike. "But Asuka was five at the time. Besides, the Angels are coming now. We don't have the luxury of time any longer."

She took her hand off the mike. "All right, Misato, we're going to test you for Unit One now," she said. "Shinji, you're finished for the day."

The pilots acknowledged, and the plugs began to open up. Shinji's small smile faded when he saw Misato's downcast expression. She looked so disappointed that the urge to comfort her was almost overwhelming.

"Good luck with Unit One, Misato," he said, almost despite himself, as he got out of the plug.

She forced a small grin. "Thanks, Shinji-kun."


"You don't have to be here, you know," Ritsuko said.

"Yes, I know," Shinji said softly, not taking his eyes away from the Unit One test plug, inside which Misato was currently located.

The teen had showered, changed back into his school uniform, and then gone straight to the control room. His presence irritated Ritsuko, though she didn't quite understand why. He certainly wasn't making a nuisance of himself; Shinji remained perfectly silent unless spoken to, just looking at the test plug.

Only ten more minutes until this test is done, anyway, Ritsuko thought to herself. I can put up with him until then.

The door suddenly hissed open, and Gendo entered. Shinji instantly stiffened, his skin breaking out into goose bumps as he was exposed to the feeling of coldness his father seemed to carry with him wherever he went.

"Commander," Ritsuko and Maya acknowledged in unison.

"As you were," Gendo replied, walking over to his son and standing next to him, gazing at the test plug.

Shinji looked up at his father, who soon turned his gaze downward to silently regard his son, contempt seeming to radiate off of Gendo Ikari in waves, as usual. Shinji quickly looked away, turning his eyes back to the test plug. That reduced the effect but didn't eliminate it, and Shinji suddenly wanted to get away very much.

No, he thought, clenching and unclenching his right hand. I can't leave and let Misato come out to find only him waiting for her. I mustn't run away. I mustn't run away. I mustn't run away!

Shinji silently chanted his mantra to himself for what had to be the longest ten minutes of his short life, feeling as though he could barely remain standing by the time Misato's second harmonics test was completed.

"So how'd I do, Rits?" Misato asked, sounding considerably less enthused than she had two hours ago.

"Your synchronization ratio with Unit One is 38 percent," Akagi answered, visibly surprised. "Not the best we've ever seen, but still very impressive for your first time."

Shinji's eyes widened. He'd been fairly confident Misato wouldn't do well with Unit One after her less than stellar performance with Unit Zero, which made this revelation all the worse.

"So I can pilot?" Misato asked.

"Correct," Gendo said, moving over the microphone. "Report to the control room, Fourth Child."

"Yes, sir!" Misato said cheerfully, saluting.

The test plu opened up, and Misato quickly scurried out of it. Minutes later, she entered the control room. Her hair was damp but not dripping, leading Shinji to think she'd toweled it off before showing up. She looked a bit less buoyant than she had moments before, but Shinji could guess why.

Expelling the LCL is even worse than inhaling it, he thought with a flash of sympathy.

"Commander Ikari, sir," she greeted Gendo.

"Pilot Katsuragi," he said. "In light of your test scores, I am designating you the backup pilot for Unit One."

"Backup pilot?" Misato frowned. "Sir, with all due respect, I believe that in light of—"

"Synchronization ratio is the most important factor in controlling EVA," Gendo interrupted. "So long as the Third's scores remain higher than yours, he will remain Unit One's primary pilot."

"Yes, sir," Misato agreed, her smile returning, if not as brilliant as it had been before.

"I've discussed your situation a bit more with the Vice Commander," Gendo continued. "Since we need to maintain the illusion of you being a different individual than our previous Operations Director, we've decided that you will attend school with the other pilots. It would appear strange to an outsider if you didn't go and they did."

Misato's happy expression wavered noticeably. "Y-Yes, sir."

"Additionally, since you are now a minor, you obviously can no longer serve as the Third Child's guardian," Gendo continued, causing Shinji and Misato's eyes to widen as they wondered where this might be going, "I am transferring guardianship of you both to Dr. Akagi."

"S-sir?!" Ritsuko sputtered.

"You will be their guardian in name only," Gendo said calmly to Ritsuko before turning back to the pilots. "As Pilot Katsuragi is still an adult in mind if not in body, I have decided not to bother moving the two of you from your current residence. If anyone asks why Dr. Akagi is never around, tell them she spends most of her time in the Geofront, working."

The best way to strengthen lies is to mix in some truth, Ritsuko thought sourly, rolling her eyes from the safety of her position behind the Commander's back.

Misato nodded. "I understand, sir."

"Also," Gendo added, "EVA pilots have to maintain their health and are on call twenty-four hours a day, so, if need be, modify your diet accordingly."

"That means no more beer and cutting way back on that instant junk," Ritsuko added with a small smirk.

"Yes, sir," Misato said, the look of devastation now plain on her face.

Gendo nodded. "Very well, then. The Vice Commander has taken care of the legal niceties for you, so report to him after you've cleaned up. He's convinced me to give you the weekend off so you can adapt to your new circumstances. You begin pilot training Monday afternoon after school."

"Yes, sir," Misato said, having composed herself somewhat. "Sir, if I may ask, who is going to be replacing me as the Operations Director?"

"I have not yet decided, but I am currently leaning toward Lieutenant Ibuki," Gendo answered, causing Maya to start.

Misato nodded. Maya didn't strike her as optimal command material; the technician was far too timid, in her opinion. But then, inducting new people into high level positions in an organizations as secret as NERV was a very long process, and they couldn't afford to leave the position empty for that long. Besides, Maya would doubtlessly listen to Misato's input, which could only be a good thing in her mind.

"If that's all, sir?"

Gendo nodded. "Dismissed."


"This is great, isn't it, Shinji-kun?" Misato asked as she made her way to the Vice Commander's office, once again in Shinji's street clothes. "Even though I'm not the Operations Director anymore, we'll still be working together. Maybe more than before, since I'm your backup pilot."

"Yeah, Misato, great," he said, less than thrilled.

Given the whirlwind of the last several hours, Misato could be forgiven for not noticing her fellow pilot's glum mood, especially considering it sometimes seemed that it was his default state.

"And if my sync ratio rises enough, maybe they'll switch us and make you the backup. Then you won't have to pilot EVA anymore," Misato said cheerfully.

"Right," he said. "Good."

I wanted that, he thought grimly. I still want that…but not at the cost of putting Misato in my place. She doesn't deserve that.

They reached the door to the Vice Commander's office and were admitted by his smiling secretary. Shinji, who had never been inside it before, blinked at the sight of the place.

Kozo Fuyutski's personnel workspace was as different from Gendo Ikari's as night was from day. It was well lit, considerably smaller, and so far as neatness was concerned, it was best described as organized chaos, with papers and various books on biology, chemistry, and metaphysics scattered around. The various degrees and accolades that he'd accumulated from his career in academia hung on the far wall.

He favored Misato with a grandfatherly smile that he'd never turned on Shinji when they came in. "Hello, Pilot Katsuragi. Ikari."

"Vice Commander," Misato greeted, while Shinji simply nodded in reply. "Commander Ikari said you'd taken care of the legal matters for my new identity."

"Indeed, I have," Fuyutski said, handing her a folder. "Here, this contains your new NERV card, your school registration, and a little background information on your new identity."

Misato opened the folder and read curiously. "Misao Katsuragi, younger cousin to Misato Katsuragi, formally from Kyoto-2. Brought here to be the Fourth Child…Misato Katsuragi transferred to the Fourth Branch in China the same day I arrived?" she sweat dropped. "Sir, with all due respect, do you really believe people will buy this story?"

"People will be suspicious, to be sure," the Vice Commander said with a small grin, "but no one will guess the truth, as it's simply too fantastic. As for why you—Captain Katsuragi—were transferred when you—Pilot Katsuragi—arrived, well, the unofficial story we'll be spreading around to the lower level personnel in NERV is that the two of you absolutely can't stand one another and trying to get you to work together could only be disastrous. And since EVA pilots are a bit harder to come by than tacticians…"

"I see," Misato with a small grin. "That's actually quite clever, sir."

Kozo smiled. "It was the best we could do on such short notice," he said. "Now, I'm going to need you to sign this vow of secrecy…"

Misato looked over the document, which stipulated that she wasn't to tell this to anyone but members of NERV who had Gamma level clearance or higher. She wondered briefly if such a document could be legally binding for her, considering she was effectively a minor again. She then gave a mental shrug and signed it.

"I'll also need you to hand over your old NERV ID card," Kozo said. "And you'll need to turn in your firearm when you come in on Monday for tests."

Misato gave him the card, grimacing as she was reminded that she was losing yet another of the pleasures of adulthood. No more going down to the firing range and putting holes in targets to relieve stress for me…

"Right, then, just a couple more things," Fuyutski said. "First of all, as you are now a pilot, you will be paid a pilot's salary."

"How much is that?" Misato asked with some trepidation.

"A half million yen per month, tax free," Fuyutski answered.

She gaped at the Vice Commander in naked shock for a full five seconds before spinning around to face Shinji. "You make more than I did?!" she demanded.

"I'm sorry!" Shinji replied out of reflex, before blinking and turning to the Vice Commander. "I get paid here?"

Fuyutski frowned. "Yes, of course. You didn't know that?"

Shinji shook his head. "Nobody ever told me."

The older man gave a small sigh. "Yes, Pilot Ikari, you get paid. Your salary is deposited into an account in your name every month. You can use your NERV ID as a debit card," he said, then turned back to Misato. "In light of the fact that NERV is responsible for your transformation, and that you'll obviously be needing new things, such as clothes, I've transferred a bonus into your account. One month's salary."

"Thank you, sir!" Misato said, clasping her hands together in an almost prayer-like gesture.

"Think nothing of it," Fuyutski said magnanimously. "That will be all, you two, you're dismissed."

They said good-bye and then made good their escape.

Just before they were out of earshot, Fuyutski heard Misato exclaim, "You are so splitting the rent with me from now on, Shinji-kun!"

The old man couldn't hold back a chuckle as he got back to work.


"Where are you going, Misato?" Shinji asked as they were leaving NERV, wondering if she was lost again.

"You should start calling me Misao, Shinji-kun. That way you're less likely to slip later when it matters," she said. "And I'm going to the parking deck, of course, why…oh, right."

Damnit! She thought, again having to face the reality of just how truly a mixed bag this situation was.

"Yeah," Shinji said with a small smile.

The duo headed for one of the access points that would take them from the Geofront to the street, from where they could hop a train or bus.

I wonder how many free rides I can get out of Section Two, now that I'm the Fourth Child, she mused as they went.

"C'mon, Shinji-kun!" she cheered as they entered the train station. "Let's get to the mall! I need new clothes! All my old stuff is too big now!"

Shinji Ikari was, all in all, a male who had lived in the absence of the female for nearly his entire life. His mother dead at four, his guardian from that time a man until his arrival in Tokyo-3, and having had no more than the most casual of acquaintances with girls in what he thought of as his "old life," much of the feminine was a total mystery to him, even more so than it was to most men.

But that particular statement set alarm bells ringing even in his mind.

"Uh, actually, Misat…um, Misao, I was thinking that I would head to the grocery store, since, well, you know," he stammered, desperate for an escape. "Why don't you head to the mall without me?"

She pouted. "Oh, fine," she sighed theatrically. "Go, I'll be fine…all on my lonesome…"

He squirmed guiltily. "Uh, well, I guess I could come with you, if you really want me to, that is."

She smirked. "You are way, too easy, Shinji-kun," she declared. "You'll have to work on that, or else every girl you date will wrap you around her little finger in a second."

Shinji just blushed deeply in response.

"Go," she said when it became clear he wasn't going to say anything. "I'll be fine on my own, and I guess we do need some fresh food now that Rits and the Commander had to meddle."

"Right," he said, frankly admitting to himself that he was very relieved to have gotten off the hook. "I'll see you back at the apartment, then."


Misato, or Misao as she now was to all but a few, returned to the apartment a few hours later, now wearing a white summer dress (and, finally, underwear).

"Mmm," she said, sniffing the air as she walked in, "what's cooking, Shinji-kun?"

"Beer battered shrimp," he answered with a small smile. "Not exactly the healthiest meal in the world, but since you couldn't drink your beer, I figured I might as well put it to use instead of pouring it down the drain."

To say that Misao was pleased with the way Shinji had avoided wasting the golden nectar of the gods would be an understatement. Shinji had expected her to appreciate his little gesture, but he was rather unprepared for just how much she appreciated it.

"I love you," Misao proclaimed, her eyes looking decidedly liquid as she said it.

Shinji blushed furiously. "Uh, um…th-thank you."

She grinned. "Well, I'm going to put my new stuff away," she said, bouncing off toward her room, carrying what looked like, to Shinji's eye, a suspiciously small number of bags.

Shinji sighed softly as she left, then turned to Pen-Pen, who was standing by his feet. "I told you that your mistress hadn't changed a bit, didn't I?" he asked smugly.

"Wark!" the penguin agreed.

Misao returned a few minutes later, and the two of them sat down and got to the task of reducing the pile of shrimp Shinji had cooking into a pile of shrimp tails. Pen-Pen sat on the floor, eating his sardines and fervently hoping the boy had just been kidding when he said there would be no more beer in the apartment after today.

"So what do you plan to do on Sunday?" Shinji asked as they ate.

"Hmm, well, I'll have to get my car put into long term storage…or something," Misao said. "I like that car way too much to just sell it. Then, I'm going back to the mall, and you're coming with me!"

"Huh? But I thought—"

"That was just a little preliminary shopping, silly boy," Misao said, wagging a finger at him. "Did you really think I could fit a whole new wardrobe into those few bags? Besides, I've had a very rough day, and I can't drink anymore. I need some retail therapy."

Shinji sighed, realizing he should have known he couldn't escape being her pack mule so easily. "Yes, Misao."

"After that, I think I'll donate most of my current clothes to charity, since they're too big for me," she said. "I'll want to save a couple of my favorites for when I grow back into them, of course…"

Shinji listened to her ramble, contemplating that in many ways, she really hadn't changed a bit.


Fate could be ironic at times.

Sometimes, a huge event, by itself, had little power to alter destiny, but the addition of another small thing could cause an enormous shift. Like the falling of a single snowflake setting off an avalanche a day after a great blizzard, the small event would have done nothing and been soon forgotten had it had not chanced upon exactly the right time and place.

That night, as Shinji Ikari lay down in bed, his SDAT player's batteries died on him.

Without the melodies of Bach and Mozart to occupy his mind as he settled into slumber, unpleasant thoughts inevitably crept into it.

At first, Shinji stumbled out to the kitchen, opening up the junk draw in search of fresh—or at least, not dead—batteries. This search proved ultimately fruitless, however, and he was forced to return to his futon without a means of reviving his music.

I'll get new batteries tomorrow, he thought, laying down.

He shut his eyes and tried to blank his mind, but this worked even less than it usually did, thanks to the events of the day.

("Pilot Katsuragi, in light of your test scores, I am designating you the backup pilot for Unit One.")

Shinji tossed and turned a bit, trying and failing to get such snippets of memories out of his head.

("And if my sync ratio rises enough, maybe they'll switch us and make you the backup. Then you won't have to pilot EVA anymore.".)

Misato was always so happy and cheerful, so alive and vital. And she was kind to him, even if she did tease him incessantly. She didn't have to take him in after the First Battle of Tokyo-3, after all.

She did it because she wanted to, wanted him.

A part of him tried to reject that out of hand, afraid of where such a belief could lead, afraid of the possibility of him forming a connection with someone and the pain it made him vulnerable to. That part of him scrambled to find a reason, any reason for her wanting him in her home besides the possibility that she might actually like him and care about him to at least some degree.

Ultimately, it could find none that Shinji really believed.

("And if my sync ratio rises enough, maybe they'll switch us and make you the backup. Then you won't have to pilot EVA anymore.")

God, he didn't want Misao to pilot EVA, to be tainted by that infernal thing's dark power.

He remembered hearing the story of the monkey's paw, which granted wishes, but did so in only the worst ways possible. Shinji felt a sudden swell of guilt for having wished, seemingly thousands upon thousands of times, to escape from NERV and EVA.

There had to be something he could do.

("Synchronization ratio is the most important factor in controlling EVA. So long as the Third's scores remain higher than yours, he will remain Unit One's primary pilot.")

His eyes widened as it finally hit him. It was so simple he wondered how he'd managed to overlook it until now. Misao was the backup pilot for Unit One and would remain so unless her sync ratio rose higher than his own, or he otherwise became unfit to pilot.

All he had to do was keep his sync ratio above hers and not screw up in any terrible way, and Misao would be safe. That way, EVA Unit One's effects would remain contained to the already screwed up Shinji Ikari, leaving the happy and vital Misao Katsuragi untouched. And just once, he would protect another from pain rather than hurting those around him and being a burden.

The idea of such martyrdom fitting far too comfortably into Shinji's mind, he closed his eyes, finally getting to sleep.

And just like that, some dead batteries helped the Third Child finally discover something to fight for.

Author's Notes: This chapter probably looks fairly familar to anyone who's read "Misato's Second Childhood," but as I said, I wanted the same setup, and this is as close as the resemblence will ever get.

Not that this was exactly the same. I've always wondered how Shinji would have fared if he'd chosen a reason for piloting other than earning daddy's love. I guess we're going to find out. Of course, Shinji did screw up quite hard a few times in the course of canon Eva, so I wouldn't abandon hope of seeing our heroine piloting Unit One yet if I were you.

Also, I never felt the need to move them out of their apartment. It just wouldn't add anything to my plans for this story, plus I really don't think Gendo gives a damn what his son does so long as he pilots Unit One and doesn't mess with the scenario, so I didn't see him making them move due to finding the current living arrangements inappropriate.

Anyway, next chapter will be fun, with our heroine trying to get settled into her new life with Shinji's help (Misao: and of course, more fan service!)

Thanks to all my readers and reviewers.

Omakes

Just Take It and Go

Dr. Akagi was not amused when Shinji arrived in her office with a teenage girl she didn't recognize in tow. She suspected that the Third Child had put his status as an EVA pilot to use and was now in need of some method of birth control.

Ritsuko sighed. She decided that she just could not deal with this crap at the moment, and that what the Third Child did on his own time really wasn't her problem.

"Don't say anything," she commanded before either teenager could say a thing.

She opened one of her drawers and pulled out a prescription pad and quickly scribbled something down on one of the sheets of paper. "Here," she said, handing it to Shinji. "Just take it and go. I'm busy."

Shinji blinked stupidly at the paper. "What is it?"

Akagi heaved a sigh of annoyance. "It's a prescription for birth control pills for your new girlfriend," she explained. "Have all the fun you want, but please try to be discreet and keep NERV's public image in mind."

Shinji's eyes widened. "N-No, that's not--!"

"Thank you, Dr. Akagi!" Misato interupted. "You're even cooler than Shinji-kun said! Well, let's go, Shinji-kun! We have a 500 spring sonata to perform!"

"NANI?!"

Chain of Command

NERV was perhaps one of the most screwed up organizations ever made by man. The place was a cesspit of secrets, it consumed massive amounts of taxpayer money with little or no money, and its leaders were plotting to bring about the end of the world.

However, people still gathered around the watercooler during breaks to exchange gossip, just like any normal business or organization.

"So, have you heard that Ikari's planning on giving Maya the Captain's job?" Aoba asked.

"Yeah, what's up with that?" Makoto replied.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Aoba asked.

"Well, in the later episodes of Evangelion, when an Angel showed up and Misato hadn't shown up yet, I was the one who was giving out orders," Makoto explained, cheerfully ignoring the fourth wall. "So should I get the Ops Director job?"

"Uh, maybe."

"I mean, I'd totally understand if Dr. Akagi left and Maya became the new Project-E Chairperson," Makoto continued, "but the Operations Director? I just don't get why Commander Ikari would do that."

"It's not so much Ikari as it is the author," Aoba explained, figuring that if Makoto was going to breach the fourth wall, he might as well, too. "You see, Maya is cute and female, which automatically makes her more interesting than you."

Makoto scowled. "Damn superficial anime fans," he grumbled.

Aoba's eyes narrowed. "So, tell me, why were you so into Captain Katsuragi?"

"Why?" Makoto echoed, looking surprised. "Because she had really, really big...oh, I see what you did there."

Aoba smirked. "Pot, meet kettle."