Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion or anything associated with it. I have written this story solely because I enjoy writing.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything belonging to Marvel Comics or anything associated with it. I have written this story solely because I enjoy writing.

Superwomen of Eva: Iron Resolve

Chapter 2: One Last Happy Memory...

It was late at night as Hiro Kirishima continued to labor, a seemingly perpetual state of being for him. But this time, he was not working in the all-too-comfortable confines of his spacious laboratory at the university, where he could forget about his private fears and inner demons.

Now, he was in that place where he was constantly facing and fighting those hidden torments. For Hiro was at home, and not just any part of his home, but a place of secrecy. A place hidden from the rest of the world, including his beloved daughter. A small, secret lab that he had managed to establish within the confines of his modest home, one of the many modifications he had made to it. And it was in this place, surrounded by technology that would make each and every last of his colleagues drool with envy, by mechanical arms and holographic displays and so much more, that he studied Sid's latest test results.

"Looks like Kyoko's revamped neurolytic synchronizer checks out," Hiro remarked as he studied the holographic display hovering in the air a short distance away. "Wouldn't you say, Sid?"

"Definitely, Dr. Kirishima," Sid replied with a nod of her holographic head, the turquoise avatar smiling pleasantly as she brought up a few more holographic windows. "I've already run every test I'm capable of, and the new neurolytic synchronizer checks out. It's fully functional and ready to go."

"Excellent," Hiro nodded in a curt, yet polite manner. "Have you run the new program for the synaptic interface? Any bugs that need to be worked out of the system?"

"Yes...and no, sir," Sid reported with a slight touch of artificial humor even as another holographic window appeared before the doctor. "The new program is working perfectly. The synaptic interface's efficiency has improved by 20.7%, even higher than I had expected." Then she gave a slight smile and added, "And...no bugs to be reported."

Nodding to this, Hiro then asked, "That just leaves the redesigned neuro-analyzer. How's the analysis coming?"

"Almost done. I had to do some filtering on the file, though," Sid reported with a slight grimace. "I think some adware managed to creep into Dr. Gakusha's PDA before she sent it to me."

Feeling a slight twinge at the back of his neck, the kind of feeling one had when it felt like someone was sneaking up on you, Hiro looked hard at the AI. "Just adware? You're sure about that?"

"That's right," Sid confirmed. "It wasn't anything my anti-virus software couldn't handle, but that stuff always makes me feel so...dirty."

Groaning in both relief and sympathy, Hiro nodded. "I don't doubt it. Adware; it's like the common cold of the computer world," he muttered in patent disgust for the idiots who felt the need to plaster that sort of thing all over cyberspace. "It might not be serious, but it sure slows you down, and it's damn near impossible to get rid of."

"I know. Believe me, I know," Sid groaned with a shake of her head. "Still, like I said, it wasn't anything serious."

"Good." As Hiro continued to study the results before him, he pressed his lips together in a display of determined satisfaction. "So how's the redesign looking so far?"

"Pretty good," Sid reported. "Some of the modifications Dr. Gakusha made are pretty interesting. It'll take a little while longer to fully test everything, but it looks like she was right about the improved data conversion rate."

Nodding to this, Hiro gave the turquoise hologram a look. "What about the I-System?" he asked in a more reserved manner. "Can we integrate the redesign into it?"

"That's a bit trickier," Sid admitted. "The new components Dr. Gakusha used are a somewhat bulkier than what you'd like. I'd have to make some alterations to adapt them to the I-System." A beat passed as the AI put on a show of visibly considering the matter. "However...with the proper adjustments, it should be effective."

"Good. We'll look into it while we're waiting for those tests to be completed," Hiro decided before looking at another holographic display. A display that held an image of the centerpiece of what he had been working on for so very long. The legacy he had been entrusted with and had worked so long and hard to improve. "I don't need to tell you how important perfecting the I-System's human/machine synchronization is. It has to be able to function as an extension of the human body. Like it was physically part of it."

"I know that, Doctor," Sid assured him. "My memory is more efficient than a human's. I never forget anything unless you erase it from memory."

"I know, I know," Hiro returned, feeling a bit silly at this. "Just sounding out my thoughts, that's all." Then he again focused on the holographic display and sighed. "Still...this is a major step forward. And once your tests are complete - if the redesign can be applied - then we can finally advance to Stage 2."

Nodding to this, Sid seemed to consider this for a time before remarking, "By the way, Dr. Kirishima?" When Hiro again directed his gaze towards the holographic avatar, the AI continued with, "I did as you asked and checked the floater camera. It's fully tuned and charged and ready for the science fair."

"Ah, good," Hiro replied, having almost forgotten about the floater camera and its new assignment. "I appreciate that, Sid."

Again, Sid nodded, but this time more slowly. "And...I realize that I don't feel things the same way a human would, but...I do think that Mana would greatly appreciate it if you were to forego the floater...and go to the science fair yourself."

Hiro really wished that Sid had not mentioned that. He really did wish that the AI had not reminded him of his daughter, especially here in the place where he was already all-too aware of the many burdens that he was forced to shoulder up beneath. And he really didn't want to think about his daughter, and how he was failing to live up to his responsibilities as a father in order to deal with other responsibilities that he could not ignore.

Especially given what had happened earlier that day...


(Flashback)

"Dr. Kirishima?" came Sid's voice.

"Yes, Sid?" Hiro replied, as content as could be as he labored in his clean university lab. Conducting further experiments on one of the less crucial projects he had been charged with, his work allowing him to forget about his monstrous burdens, at least for a little while.

"You have visitors," Sid began, something that took Hiro by surprise, for normally the AI simply announced the name of whoever was at his door. "Dr. Gakusha's at the door. And Mana is with her."

The instant his daughter's name was heard, Hiro's eyes went wide with shock as his mind tried and failed to process this bit of information. "Wha- Mana?!" he blurted out, momentarily certain that Sid must have shorted a circuit. "Are you sure about that?!"

"Yes, Doctor," Sid replied in a form of simulated snark, as if wondering how he could ask something like that. As the rest of his mind was emptied by this statement, the AI went on to explain, "Mana says that she wants to talk to you."

Taking a few seconds to recover his jaw after it had unceremoniously plummeted to the floor, Dr. Kirishima then shook his head to clear it of the clouds of confusion that had taken up residence in there before sputtering out nonsensical noises in an attempt to get his mouth working again. "Uh...let them...in, then?"

An instant later, the door to the lab swung open, revealing the dark-haired scientist that was his colleague, as well as his auburn-haired daughter. "Hello, Dr. Kirishima," Kyoko began as she ushered Mana in. "Sorry to take you by surprise like this..."

"Uh, no! That's...no trouble..." Hiro fumbled out as he focused on his daughter. Trying in vain to make sense of the concept of her being there and failing utterly. "Uh..."

"Sorry to bother you, Dad," Mana apologized, the look on her face making it clear that she wasn't sorry at all. "But...well, you see...there's something I needed to talk to you about, and...after missing you at breakfast this morning, I...I decided to take the bus out here. See you here."

Even though he was still off-balanced by Mana's unexpected appearance here, Hiro didn't need to think hard to realize what it was that his daughter wanted to talk about. She's still upset about the science fair. And everything else in her life that I've been missing out on, he thought, this simple realization causing guilt to twist his insides about. Like I really need to deal with this...?

Wondering just how many deities he must've ticked off to have to deal with the kind of life he led, Hiro gave his daughter an even look. "Mana...listen, I'm sure that...whatever this is must be important, but...you can't just show up like this when I'm at work!" he pleaded of her, trying to scold her without actually scolding her. "I have so much to do, and -!"

"So much to do that you can't even take a five-minute break for your own daughter?" Kyoko demanded, pausing to push her glasses up her nose as she gave him a look of amazed disdain. Then she frowned slightly and muttered, "Though now that I think of it...I can't remember you ever taking a break. Can you?" As Hiro issued a further groan of dismay, his colleague smiled knowingly at Mana, going on to say, "Anyway, I was heading back to my office when I happened to bump into your daughter, so..."

"I get the idea, Kyoko," Hiro groaned, suddenly wishing that he could take a break, and get himself a tall, stiff drink.

Unfortunately, no amount of alcohol could chase away the simple fact that Mana was standing right in front of Hiro, her expression one that made it clear that she meant serious business. And no matter how much he would like to run off and get sloshed, he knew that he would need all of the sobriety he could muster to handle this latest curveball life had thrown him.

"Uh..." Hiro groaned, really not looking forward to this but seeing no way out. "Well...I have a pretty good guess as to what it is you want to talk about, so...Kyoko, would you be so kind as to...give Mana and I some privacy?"

"Certainly," Kyoko returned with a polite bow of her head, just before she turned to depart from Dr. Kirishima's lab.

Once his fellow scientist had left, the door closing behind her, Hiro issued another heavy sigh before again focusing on his daughter. "Alright, Mana," he began, striving to be polite and not sound worn out, all the while certain he was failing miserably. "I'm...guessing this about the science fair, right?"

"Uh...no," Mana returned in a somewhat hesitant manner. Raising an eyebrow at this, Hiro watched as his daughter lowered her eyes. "Well...that's part of it, but...that's not the whole thing."

A beat passed as Hiro made his way over to his chair, suspecting that he would need to sit down for this. "Okay...then what is the whole thing?"

"It's...it's us, Dad," Mana explained, sounding rather anxious about what she was saying. "I...it's just...ever since Mom...I know things have been...tough for you and all of that, but...you're never around anymore! I hardly even see you at breakfast! And when you get home from work, most of the time you're so tired that...you almost always go to bed!"

That's not entirely true, Mana, Hiro spoke inwardly, trying his best to keep the jabbing needles of guilt his daughter's words were sending him at bay. Yes, I work hard here, but...I sleep so I can be rested to work. To keep working when...you're asleep, and...so you don't know what I'm...

"And even when you're awake, when you have time to speak...you won't talk to me!" Mana went on, snapping Hiro from his thoughts. "You never talk about what you're doing here, your friends, your - your anything!" Shifting her head slowly from one side to the other, the auburn-haired girl paused to swallow a lump of bile in her throat before looking up at her father and declaring, "You...you've shut me out of your entire life! And - most of the time at home, if it weren't for Sid, I'd have no one to talk to!"

I know, Mana, Hiro thought, more and more of those jabbing needles of guilt finding their mark. And it hurts me more than you can possibly imagine...

"I...I know you miss Mom! I really do!" Mana continued, her voice breaking beneath the strain of the feelings she was trying to articulate. "But...I miss both of you, Dad! And...I know Mom won't ever come back, but...but you're still here! And...and...!"

Mana's words failing her triggered the final spear of guilt that went flying straight and sure into Hiro's heart, causing him to rise up from his seat and approach her. Watching as tears of pain welled up in his daughter's eyes, the scientist that had worked so long to keep his own feelings in check in order to complete a mission that was secret from all bent down before her and placed his hands upon her shoulders. "Mana...you're right. I am still here," he began, knowing that he had to speak very carefully to her. Because he still wanted to avoid giving voice to the monstrous burdens that he was forced to carry, especially out in the open, where the walls had eyes, ears, and quite likely fists. "But...you and I both know that I won't always be."

"I know that!" Mana hurriedly cried out. "And that's why I want to be with you! Because...!"

Again, Mana's voice failed beneath the emotional weight of what she was trying to express. "I know," Hiro quickly reassured her, forcing the best smile he could onto his face. "But that's why I'm doing what I'm doing. Because...if anything were to happen, then...I want to be sure that...that you'll be okay. That you'll have...something to depend on." When his daughter looked up and frowned, prompting him to explain, "I mean...I don't have any other relatives, and...neither did you mother. No other family to count on. And...we both know how things have been since Second Impact..."

Mana lowered her eyes at this, showing that she was privately acknowledging her father's point. In the wake of the disaster that was Second Impact, the deaths of half of the human race and the decimation of so many other species, habitats, and more, the world's governments had been sent scrambling, trying to tend to so many crises. So many children who had lost their families, so many families that had lost their homes. Trying to cope with a disaster beyond anything save for the event that had heralded the end of the dinosaurs. Sometimes, they succeeded. But more often, they did not.

"I don't want to leave you in that position, Mana," Hiro assured her, a half-truth that was close enough to the entire thing for his purpose. "I want to be sure that, no matter what happens, you can live in a world where you can be happy. With...or without me."

Her eyes falling even further, Mana issued a tiny little sniffle. "I...I can understand that, Dad," she eventually admitted. "But...you never talk to me about anything! It's like...you're alone in your own little world, and..."

That's because, in a way, I am, Mana, Hiro couldn't help but think. And it's a world that I want to make sure that you never become a part of...

But Hiro knew he couldn't say that. This time, he couldn't say anything even remotely close to the truth. Nor he could ignore the fact that, from Mana's perspective, her concerns were perfectly and completely legitimate. Leaving him with only one thing to say. "I'm sorry. I...I know that Narumi...that your mother would have wanted me to...to do a better job...taking care of you than I have. And...I know that I've...I haven't handled...everything...as well as I could have." Placing his right forefinger beneath Mana's chin, he gently nudged her head so that they were looking each other in the eyes. "Look...all I can do is try to do better, and -"

"No," Mana quickly broke in, her voice suddenly hard and determined. Starting at this sudden shift, at the fading of sorrow and the emergence of something that could have almost been anger. "Please, don't say that you'll try, Dad. Because...we both know that when you say that, you never actually do...whatever it is you said you'll do."

"Uh, Mana -?" Hiro tried again.

"I want you to be at the science fair. You, not that stupid camera!" Mana pleaded of him. "But if you're going say that you'll try and then never show up, then...please, be honest with me!"

"Look, I really will try to -!" Hiro tried once more.

"You'll promise, Dad!" Mana broke in, causing him to recoil a bit in surprise. "If you're really gonna be there, then promise me!" His mouth popping open somewhat in surprise, Hiro just stared at his daughter for a time as she shook her head miserably. "Otherwise...don't bother saying anything at all..."


(End Flashback)

As Hiro stood in his tiny, hidden lab, surveying the artifacts of technology that he had labored so diligently over for so many years, he considered the words of one such artifact, as well as those of his own flesh and blood. And as he did so, he couldn't help but sigh in weary guilt. "Yes..." he finally began, his eyes falling somewhat as he thought of his little girl. All the birthdays and holidays and special moments that he had wanted to share with her. "We...both would..."


"Alright, men," Iwao Chiron began as he paced about the front of Section 2's situation room. Looking hard at the dozen agents he had hand-selected for this mission. "Commander Ikari has assigned us a Priority Black mission."

The agents gathered all exchanged looks of concern, with Chiron's second-in-command, Sato, frowning ever so slightly. Not that the Section 2 Captain could blame him for that; Priority Black was the highest order priority for Section 2, meaning that the mission was not only too important to be allowed to fail, but absolute secrecy was of paramount importance. If any of them was captured or discovered, not only would NERV disavow any knowledge of their existence, but they would be terminated with extreme prejudice.

Satisfied that everyone present had gotten the message, Chiron held up a remote control and pressed a button. An instant later, a holographic window appeared off to his side, featuring the picture of a man. "This is Dr. Hiro Kirishima, formerly employed here at NERV, now a university professor. He's a specialist in advanced computer systems." Giving his personnel a chance to scrutinize every single detail of Dr. Kirishima's features, the Section 2 Captain went on to explain, "According to our information, Kirishima has possession of sensitive technology. And Commander Ikari has made it very clear that, whatever it is Kirishima has, he wants."

"Whatever it is?" one of Chiron's men asked, seemingly perplexed. "I don't understand, sir. What are we dealing with? Software, hardware, what?"

"Software, though there could be hardware as well," Chiron answered. "Our information is incomplete at this time. All we can be certain of is that Kirishima has heavily encrypted data pertaining to the specific technology in his possession. Which brings me to our mission." As his team looked on in anticipation, the Section 2 head went on to explain, "Dr. Kirishima has developed a highly advanced artificial intelligence system which he calls the Synthetic Intelligence Data-Node Extrapolation Entity, or SIDNEE for short." Trying to ignore the few chuckles this admittedly ridiculous name garnered from his troops, Chiron continued with the briefing. "In terms of its capabilities, SIDNEE is similar to the MAGI, so it could have hidden the files in any system under its direct control. Meaning that these files are most likely stored within its core systems, and if not, then the next most likely location would the International University of Japan, whose computers are under SIDNEE's direct supervision."

As the assembled men nodded their understanding, Chiron paused before continuing. "Our objective is two-fold; to obtain the technology in question before anyone else learns of its existence, and to terminate Kirishima. All without anyone else becoming aware of NERV's involvement." Continuing to pace about before his men, all the while studying their reactions, the Section 2 Captain went on. "As soon as we reach the target area, we'll split into three teams; two to observe the university and his home, and the third to keep track of his movements. Make certain that we know where he is at all times." Scanning the expressions of his team, making certain that they were keeping up with everything said, Chiron furrowed his brows in a dangerous manner. "Stealth will be of paramount importance. If Kirishima learns of our presence, he could try to escape, and worse, possibly destroy whatever technology he has before we can secure it. So we'll keep our distance as much as possible, and move in on him at night, preferably while he's asleep; a bullet in the head, and one in the heart." Holding up his remote, he pressed a button, causing another holographic window with a different face to appear next to Hiro's. "Kirishima has a daughter, Mana. She gets the same treatment." The agents all nodded, not that Chiron expected any protest from them. It wasn't as if this would have the first time any of them would have disposed of a child Gendo wanted dead. "Now we can't assume this will be easy in, easy out. Kirishima used to work here, and we've already determined that he has access to highly advanced and potentially dangerous technology. So it's safe to imagine that he's already taken precautions in the event someone comes after him. All the more reason to make sure that he doesn't see us coming." Satisfied that he had outlined the situation, Chiron studied his team. "Any questions?"

"Sir, are you sure about killing Kirishima and his daughter?" Sato wondered in a respectful tone. As Chiron frowned at being questioned by his own second-in-command, especially in regards to orders handed down to him by Commander Ikari, the loyal agent went on to explain, "Whatever software and hardware he has might be coded so that only he can access it. And if he's expecting trouble like you said, he might have rigged everything with a failsafe that will wipe his data or blow up his equipment if anyone but him tries to access it." As the Section 2 head continued to look at him, Sato shrugged slightly before adding, "I'm just saying that...I don't think Commander Ikari would appreciate it if we killed the golden goose -"

"- before he can get his hands on its last egg? No, he wouldn't," Chiron confirmed, nodding at this valid point. "The problem with that is, as you said, Kirishima has undoubtedly taken precautions and has most likely already taken into account the possibility of his capture. And with all the efforts he's made to keep this tech secret, it's safe to assume that he won't give it up easily." Giving this time to sink in, he followed up with, "The bottom line? The longer this guy's alive, the more time he has to make our jobs more difficult."

"We could always point a gun at his kid's head," another agent pointed out. "That's worked plenty of times."

"On idiots so desperate to save their kid that they don't bother realizing that we'd kill them, no matter what they did," Chiron admitted in a more condescending manner. "But all our information indicates that Kirishima isn't nearly that stupid. He wouldn't have kept this secret as long as he has if he were. And keep in mind, people, that as a former employee of NERV, that he's been on our radar ever since he left. We've been watching him for years, and we're only just finding out about this. So that should tell you everything about him." Making sure that he had gotten his point across, the Section 2 Captain went on to say, "Besides, the Commander already has a plan for making sure that he gets his golden egg without it getting scrambled...as long as we can get it from the goose and bring it back here in one piece. If anything happens after that...it isn't our problem." The expressions of his people showing that they were as fine with that as Chiron was, he then asked, "Anything else?"

"What about the university?" yet another agent asked. "We're supposed to stay below the radar, but if we have to conduct an extensive search through the university, someone is going to see us."

"We already have someone on the inside to help us on that front. Getting in and out won't be a problem," Chiron declared without any hesitation. "Any other questions?"

To his people's credit, there were none. At which, Chiron declared, "Alright, people. The clock's ticking. The sooner we get in and take care of business, the better our chances of getting the Commander's golden egg. And we all know what happens when someone disappoints the Commander."

They did indeed know the heavy price to be paid for failing Commander Ikari. And so, without further ado, the Section 2 agents exited the situation room, following Chiron to NERV's personal airfield.


"How's the power coming, Haruka?" Mana asked as she nimbly assembled the track for their miniature maglev train.

"Almost done," Haruka easily reported. "I just need to make a couple more connections, and we're good."

Nodding her satisfaction to that, Mana inquired, "Reiko, how's the readout look for sections A through E? Are the lights all on?"

"Uh...not all of them," Reiko reported, much to Mana's surprise. "Section 'B-7' is still out."

Frowning at this, Mana immediately rose up and looked over the entirety of the model. It was Saturday morning, the day of the science fair, and she and her friends were now laboring away in setting up the model maglev train that was their project, all the while the various other teams around them did the same. The gymnasium of Mana's school was presently in a state of barely controlled chaos as all the other three-person teams worked to set up their own science projects for the fair. It was a veritable hodgepodge of everything from total amateur hour to some actually interesting experiments that Mana made a mental note to look at later on.

At the moment, her entire focus was on the maglev train miniature that was the summation of Mana's and her friends efforts. Built from a large model train set that Reiko had scoured up from a flea market, they had since modified the tracks and train itself for maglev, with Haruka working to help make everything look as flashy and eye-catching as possible. But at the moment, the youthful tech wizard only had eyes for one thing; the section of track that she had labeled as B-7. Frowning to herself, she carefully examined the section of track, her eyes narrowed to pick up every detail. After a few seconds of studying it, she noted one of the wires didn't look quite right. Groaning mildly, Mana glanced over at her toolkit and retrieved a small screwdriver before going to working. Carefully adjusting the wire and tightening the connection, she paused in work to look up. "How about now?"

"It's good," Reiko reported with a nod. Then she glanced over at Haruka and wondered, "So how much longer do we have to put this thing together?"

Glancing over at a nearby clock, Haruka reported, "The fair starts in about an hour. That should be enough time, right, Mana?"

"More than enough," Mana promptly assured her friend with a slight smile as she stood up straight and surveyed her handiwork. Then she gave her friends a look and wondered, "Aren't you gonna ask me what our odds of winning are while you're at it?"

"Like that's even in question," Reiko remarked with a roll of her eyes. "You're our genius in residence, Mana! If it has to do with science, then you've got it covered."

Smiling at this, Mana then sighed to herself. Wishing that her friends words could help her dismiss other issues at hand. Something that was being brought to the fore even as she looked at the other students working to assemble their projects.

All around her, Mana's fellow students were getting help in setting up their projects. For while the teams were forbidden from getting outside assistance in assembling the projects themselves, they were still receiving help in bringing the materials for those projects into the gym, as well as encouragement as they set them up. All things they got...from their families.

Not all of them had their families present, maybe not even most of them. But there were still enough mothers and fathers and brothers and sisters and whatever helping some of her fellow students that Mana couldn't help but feel her insides twist themselves in knots. For these things prompted her to again remember her life the way it had been before...and think of a conversation she had had with her father, just days ago.

He'll come... Mana told herself, her eyes lowering somewhat as she flashed back to those words. He promised he'd come. He promised me he would...

But even as she thought this, Mana frowned, for another, more cynical voice was saying, And how many other times had he 'promised' to be there for you...and never was...?


I can't keep doing this to her... Hiro thought to himself as he labored away at the university. The usual comforting air of this place of science failing to erase that moment when he had been confronted by his daughter's sorrow and pleading. And...I did promise her...

As Hiro examined the equipment before him, studied the programming codes that he had been laboring over so intently, he couldn't help but frown as he thought of his only daughter. And as he did so, he was forced to once again admit that he had been a very poor father for Mana. And there was no doubt in his mind that Narumi would never have approved the way he kept dismissing her needs and missing out on her growing up the way he did.

How many times have I done this? Hiro asked himself for what felt like the hundredth time. Wondering how many times he had missed being with Mana on her birthday or on Christmas or on some other occasion when she wanted or needed him, and suspecting that the number far exceeded his ability to estimate. And how much have I hurt her because of it? Heaving a deep sigh as he continued to study the data before him, he couldn't help but frown. Development of the I-System and everything else has been going so smoothly...would it really hurt that much to...just take some time off? Spend a few hours with my daughter?

In the mind of a father, Hiro was quick to decide that no, no it wouldn't. That his daughter needed and deserved to be loved, and that Narumi would want for him to be with her.

But Hiro Kirishima wasn't just a father. He was also a scientist. More importantly, he was a scientist who had sworn an oath to someone he would have entrusted his life to. Who knew there were things in this world that could destroy the futures of everyone on the planet, including his own daughter.

He knew these things because he had seen and experienced them firsthand.

I know that NERV and Commander Ikari are up to something. That there's more to the Evangelions than they're telling us, Hiro frowned, recalling all too well some of the seedy secrets he had covertly sniffed out during his time at NERV, secrets that had only been the tip of the proverbial iceberg. If history's taught me anything, it's that weapons demand to be used. That no matter how horrible or destructive a weapon is, there will always be someone who'll want to use it for their own power.

And as he thought this, Hiro recalled two monstrous titans that had been at the core of NERV Central. The deadly, demonic faces of Evangelion Units 00 and 01. And those were just the prototype and test types! They must have started deploying the Production Models by now, and they're bound to be far worse! Then he scowled and added, And unlike nukes...there's no nasty fallout for anybody to worry about if they decide to use them...

Which made it all the more imperative that Hiro completed the I-System and his other projects as quickly as possible. And while he was very close to finalizing the designs needed for those projects, having a blueprint in a computer was not the same thing as having the completed product. I'll need to start gathering resources, developing more reactors, producing more equipment...never mind setting up a place where I can do all that! Hiro reminded himself. And even once construction has begun, I'll have to run all kinds of tests to make sure that everything works the way it's supposed to!

All of which would take time. So much time. And as much as Hiro wanted to think that a few hours couldn't possibly make any difference...he had learned the hard way that it took far less than a few hours for an entire world to be changed forever, for billions of lives to wiped out. And that it took less than a minute for a family to be effectively destroyed.

Sighing miserably at this thought, Hiro shook his head and thought, How many times have I done this to myself? To Mana? How many times have I promised to do something for her, but the closer I get to the day I actually have to do it, the more I think about work, and then I blow her off again? His shoulders sagging beneath the burdens he carried, as a scientist and as a father, he asked himself, I am...just making excuses? Is it that much easier for me to -?

"Excuse me? Dr. Kirishima?" came a voice, snapping Hiro from his inner torment. Momentarily taken off-balance, he quickly recovered before looking about just in time to see Sid's holographic avatar resolve into existence behind him. "I hate to bother you, but it looks like we have a problem."

"What is it, Sid?" Hiro wondered, grateful for whatever little glitch she had discovered for him to distract himself with.

"There's a problem in my core hardware, back at home," Sid reported, her avatar's expression creased with concern. "It looks like a cascade failure caused by the adaptive capacitor."

The instant this was said, the gratitude Hiro felt was immediately erased, being replaced with a foreboding dread. "The...adaptive capacitor?" he repeated, his tone grim. "Are you sure about that?"

"Not yet," Sid reported. "But I do need you to come back home and check it out. Because if I'm right, things are going to get bad, and fast."

Swallowing a lump of bile that had formed in his throat, Hiro nodded. "Alright. Contact Hoshiyo, let her know about the problem. And explain that I...probably won't be back today."

"Understood," Sid replied, her avatar dissipating even as Hiro exited the lab. His heart already pounding in fear as he did his best to act normal, to maintain a steady, if above-average pace.

It was a struggle to this, to act composed. Because the truth of the matter was...Sid's systems didn't have an adaptive capacitor.

When Hiro had left NERV to set about his plans, he had known right from the beginning, not only how difficult it would be to extricate himself from that cesspool of secrecy, but also that he would remain on their radar. That he would always have someone watching him, if only to make certain that he did not spill any of NERV's secrets to the outside world. And more importantly, he had known that electronic communications were not safe for him to use. Phones, emails, text messages, and so on were completely off-limits when it came to sensitive transmissions, even with Sid's impressive firewalls and security systems.

And so, in the event that something ever went wrong, Hiro had come up with a series of bogus forms of components that would serve as code words that Sid could use to alert him of the situation. And the phrase 'adaptive capacitor' was one of the most serious phrases, indicating the possibility of a security breach, as well as that NERV agents might be close by.

And while Sid made it clear that she might be wrong...if she's right...! Hiro thought as he made his way out of the university and headed towards his car. Unable to finish the dread thought, unable to articulate the doom that it would mean for him and his daughter.

For a long time, Hiro had known that he had been working to beat a deadline. And now, he was faced with the very real possibility that he had failed.


"Watcher 3 to Watcher 1, over," came an electronically distorted voice within the SUV Captain Chiron was presently seated in.

Without preamble, Chiron reached for the secure radio that hung from the dash. "Watcher 1 here. Go ahead."

"Sir, the target has left the premises," went the person leading the Watcher 3 unit. "He's in his car and is presently in transit. Watcher 2 is already in pursuit."

The instant this was said, Chiron frowned unhappily. The instant he and his team arrived in the Niigata Prefecture, he had made met with their contact before they divided up into three teams as he had ordered, with each team being assigned a covert SUV. Watcher 3 was presently watching the university, Watcher 2 was in charge of trailing Kirishima wherever he went while he and the rest of
Watcher 1 was watching the Kirishima residence.

Chiron had been on missions like this before, missions where a target had to be neutralized as covertly as possible, making such a mission much like a hunt. And the first rule of a hunt was to study your prey, to learn its movements and personality so you could use them against it. And according to all of Chiron's information, Kirishima was a classic workaholic; if he wasn't eating or sleeping, then more than likely he was busying himself away at the university. And while it was likely for him to work late, him leaving work early, even on a weekend, was apparently unheard of.

Which means something's happened, Chiron knew, and if that was the case, then there was a deadly chance that something had gone wrong. Dammit...did that AI of his pick us up?

It was an unfortunate possibility, Chiron knew, for while he and the SUV were presently a block distant from the Kirishima residence, he had three agents in that area, working in rotation to keep the house under complete surveillance, both to map out the structure and whatever security devices he might have, as well as keep an eye out for anyone going in or out of the place. And since their arrival, they had sighted several cameras and other forms of sensory equipment surreptitiously integrated with the house's structure. Almost impossible to detect, except to the trained eye.

And there may be other security devices that we haven't detected yet, Chiron frowned inwardly. So there's a chance that his AI may have picked up on us. And even if it ain't human...neither are the MAGI, and they run this whole damned country! With this in mind, and unable to ignore the fact that Kirishima was deviating from his normal patterns at the same time Section 2 was in proximity to his home, Chiron shifted his eyes towards the back of the SUV, where concealed from the outside world by tinted windows, Ieyoshi Takara, Section 2's resident computer expert, labored at a sophisticated array of computing and espionage equipment.

"Ieyoshi, Kirishima's on the move," Chiron informed the nondescript computer geek. "Tell me you have something."

"Not much," Ieyoshi replied with a frown in his voice. "We've broken into his phone and internet connections, but the only thing we have is a series of burst communications running from his home to the university. It happened a few minutes ago."

"The AI," Chiron presumed. "Any idea what it was saying?"

"'Fraid not. This thing's got firewalls that would give the MAGI a run for their money," Ieyoshi grimly replied.

Not liking that one bit, Chiron pressed a control on his radiophone. "Watcher 1 to Watcher 3, over."

"Watcher 3 here," returned the head agent there.

"We've intercepted a recent communication from the target's residence. We're assuming it's the AI," Chiron irritably reported. "Any idea what that thing was saying?"

A beat passed before the agent in question replied, "We heard it mention that it was having a problem. Something called an adaptive capacitor causing a cascade failure."

"Understood. Watcher 1, over and out," Chiron frowned before returning the radio to its place on the dash. A beat passed before he asked, "Ieyoshi, have you ever heard of an adaptive capacitor before?"

"I...can't say that I have, sir," Ieyoshi admitted. "Not that that says much; my specialty is software, not hardware."

Nodding to this, Chiron couldn't help but still have a bad feeling about this. Because if he were in Kirishima's place, engaging in illicit activities that could draw an enemy down upon his head, and if he had an ally of any kind, he would realize that there was a danger of someone listening in on their communications. And thus, would anticipate the problem by arranging for code words to alert him to a potential problem.

Still bothered by the seeming coincidence of Kirishima's deviation from established patterns, Chiron then asked, "Do you still have a GPS fix on Kirishima's cell phone?"

"Yes, sir," Ieyoshi promptly answered. "He's on the freeway, heading in this direction. The same movement patterns we've been advised of. No signs that he's speeding."

Which could still mean nothing. Kirishima could just be putting on a show. Acting like everything's normal to throw us off track, Chiron knew, pausing to consider his options. If Watcher 2 was still in pursuit, they could still conceivably take him out if necessary, but that would be in violation of Commander Ikari's orders to keep this operation as far below the radar as possible. He hasn't done anything that proves he's running yet, and...there's still that kid of his...

"What about Kirishima's daughter?" Chiron wondered, thinking of the data Ieyoshi had gotten from the computer's at the girl's school. "She's supposed to be at that science fair, right?"

"That's right, sir," Ieyoshi confirmed. "GPS fix on her cell phone indicates that she's still there."

So if Kirishima is going to rabbit, chances are he's not going to leave his daughter behind, Chiron concluded, having studied the doctor's files. Not when he knows that we'd be interrogating her instead of him.

Marveling at how easily that disease known as a conscience could make normally intelligent people do something so suicidal, Chiron heaved a deep breath and made his decision. "We'll sit back for now. Wait and see what he does when he gets back home. But if it looks like he's going to run...we take him out."


When Hiro Kirishima entered the place that was his home and was safely out of sight of any possible watching eyes, it was all he could do not to collapse.

Since the day he had left NERV to implement his plans, Hiro knew he had been playing a dangerous game. Even before his credential had attracted NERV enough to offer him a position, he had known that there was more to them than met the eye, and by the time he had left them eleven years ago, he had seen enough, learned enough, to realize that their secrets went even further than anyone could have imagined, and were omens for a dark, dangerous future. That these were dangerous people, with Commander Ikari the worst of them all. Naoko warned me what would happen if they caught me, he couldn't help but remind himself, remembering the last time he had seen Dr. Akagi before her death. And I said they could try...

Even then, Hiro had known there was always a chance that they would succeed. And in the years since he had left NERV, his imagination had painted out hundreds of different ways such a scenario could unfold, with everything from Section 2 agents overrunning his home and destroying everything to a sniper lurking in the shadows with Hiro's head in the crosshairs. Just one of the reasons he had gone to such lengths to create countermeasures for such situations, to give him ample warning that the hounds were on his scent. And in those scenarios when those measures were successful and he was given the warning needed to escape, he had always pictured himself as being shaken, fearful, but still more-or-less composed and resolved to carry out the mission he had taken up and protect the legacy he had sworn to defend.

With the passage of the years and after many such waking nightmares, Hiro had imagined himself inured to that reality and would react in real life the way he would in them. And now, he felt like all he wanted to was fall apart on his floor, his heart was pounding away like it was getting ready to jump right out of his chest, and he felt like he was either on the verge of planting the last of his courage in his pants or had already done so.

But...no! Dammit, I don't have any time to waste! something in Hiro's mind snapped at him, forcing his body to work without the need of his conscious mind. Reaching into his lab coat, he numbly retrieved his PDA from his pocket. Looking down at it, he began inputting a sequence into the PDA, which soon displayed the words, 'Hiro/Sid Conversation; Adaptive capacitor.'

"Hello, Sid," came Hiro's voice from one of a series of speakers he had installed in his home to fool anyone who might be listening in. "So, let's have a look at you..."

Not bothering to listen to the pre-recorded conversation he had set up to keep any unwanted eavesdropper's in the dark as to what he was doing, Hiro made his way over to the kitchen. Reaching up under one of the cupboards, he pressed a nearly invisible switch that was too high up for Mana to touch by accident, causing several nearby tiles to rise up from the wall and then slide down, revealing a lit green panel. Putting his hand on the panel, Hiro waited as the palm scanner did its work, triggering the activation of several other hidden scanning devices he had integrated into the ceiling and walls. Several seconds passed as the various security mechanisms did their work, making absolutely certain that Hiro was who he was. It was a security system that was completely capable of functioning alone in the event Sid was disabled, one of the many precautions Hiro had made.

But even that might not have been enough... Hiro couldn't help but think bitterly as the scanning process was completed, causing a section of wood paneling to slide open, revealing a doorway and a staircase. Carefully making his way down the stairs even as the lights of his hidden lab switched on, the scientist was soon surrounded by machines and technology and holographic displays, surrounded by the many burdens he had been bearing up under since after Second Impact.

As the door closed behind him, sealing him in the soundproof lab, a flash of turquoise caught Hiro's attention. "I'm glad you're back, Dr. Kirishima," Sid reported even before her avatar had fully manifested. "We've got serious trouble!"

What little hope he had been able to hold onto falling away, Hiro groaned heavily before asking, "How bad is it?! What exactly has happened?!"

"My sensors have detected three people in close proximity to the house. Complete strangers, sir," Sid hurriedly reported.

"You're sure about that?" Hiro hurriedly demanded.

"Positive. I've compared their thermographic readings, body structures, and voice patterns to all known residents of the area. No match," Sid reported with a slight frown. "Furthermore, they have remained in close proximity to this building for the past three hours. Their movements have varied, and they've been changing positions, but no matter where they've gone, they have maintained line-of-sight positions with this house ever since their arrival."

Which was standard Section 2 procedure for observation, Hiro knew. Clenching his free hand as icy cold fingers of fear wrapped about his heart, he asked, "Do you have anything else?"

"Yes. When I noted the strangers' presence, I decided to run a complete diagnostic scan of my systems. See if I'd had a security breach of some kind." Shaking her head unhappily, Sid went on to say, "Remember how I told you about how some adware infiltrated my systems when I downloaded Dr. Gakusha's file?"

Nodding quickly, Hiro replied, "Yes, but...you said that it was nothing. That there was no problem."

"Yes, and at the time, I thought it was all taken care of." Then Sid's expression darkened before she went on to explain, "However, it turned out that it was part of a big problem." At this, a holographic window resolved into existence next to the AI's avatar. "Here's a list of adware that I've been getting from the university's computers. I'm always having to filter out that kind of crud, especially since it's designed not to attract any attention. And for the most part, it's basically harmless. Just linking you to other websites selling...whatever."

Recognizing the fact that his creation was building up to something and rapidly losing patience, Hiro pressed her. "But this time, it wasn't harmless."

"Far from it. It turns out that these five adware programs are actually parts of a larger, more powerful program," Sid explained, gesturing at the holographic window, with the names of the five programs in question highlighted for convenience. "Individually, these programs are essentially harmless. But when they get together on the same computer, their interaction creates a very special virus. One expressly designed to scan the memory of a host computer, and identify certain kinds of programming, all without being detected."

"And I'm guessing that the kinds of programming it was interested in was the kind for advanced technologies or weapons," Hiro intuited with a heavy groan.

"Correct, Doctor. And after checking the logs for my I/O system, I realized that a message had been piggybacked on one of my communications to the university's computer," Sid reported. "So there has to be someone or something there that's been monitoring us. Possibly more than one."

Issuing another heavy groan, Hiro shook his head in dismay. "And assuming our unwanted guests outside are NERV - which is a pretty safe assumption at this point - then I think it's also safe to assume that this virus managed to identify the kind of projects we've been working on."

Which meant that, no matter what happened, Hiro's life and that of his daughter as they knew them were over. This house, this neighborhood, this career and everything associated with them were done and dead. Either they left as quickly as possible, or they waited for NERV to come for them. Meaning that they only had one choice if they wanted to survive.

"Sid," Hiro began, heaving a deep breath before giving the command he had hoped that he would never, ever have to give, "initiate Exodus Protocol. Immediately."

"Affirmative, Dr. Kirishima," Sid replied as other holographic displays lit up, showing various machines and robots Hiro had discretely integrated into his home coming to life and going to work. Already gathering up things of importance such as clothes, food, medicine, and some of his and Mana's family treasures. "Commencing loading of transport drones. Inputting preprogrammed destination."

Nodding to this, and glad that he had made a point of storing all their truly precious things in a rental storage facility, Hiro gave the next order. "Activate the nanotech baths and prepare the I-System frames we have for reconstruction."

"Understood," Sid replied as the holographic window next to her shifted, revealing several different sets of schematics. "Which armor design to you wish to implement?"

"We'll go with the basic design. The Mark 1 armor," Hiro declared without hesitation. "We've already done extensive testing on the technology, we know it all works, and there won't be any bugs to work out. And most importantly, it's the easiest and fastest to build. And right now, we need speed more than anything."

Frowning somewhat, Sid protested, "Dr. Kirishima, the Mark 1 armor design has no offensive capabilities aside from the hand- and foot-mounted repulsor thrusters. And the strength augmentation factor is -"

"Is enough to handle human opponents, Sid," Hiro broke in, not willing to waste time on Sid's cautionary warnings in this case. "We're not looking to pick a fight here. We're looking to get away from one. And this is the fastest way." Heaving a deep sigh, he then went on to say, "Besides, the other designs would take much longer to implement. And with NERV hanging right outside our door, I'm afraid that time isn't something we have much of. So implement the Mark 1 designs."

Her unhappy expression deepening, Sid soon nodded. "Understood, Dr. Kirishima. Implementing Mark 1 armor construction now."

At these words, two slightly raised circular partitions in the floor on the far side of the lab irised open, and the pungent scent of oil wafted up to Hiro's nostrils. At the same time, two storage units in the wall opened up, revealing two metal frames that were clearly designed to fit around a human body, each secured in a small gantry. As the doctor looked on, the two gantries extended out from the wall, placing each frame over one of the nanite-enriched pools of oil.

As Hiro looked on, the gantries slowly lowered into the pools of oil, and his imagination pictured what was about to happen. Pictured thousands upon thousands of tiny little robots, roughly the size of a germ, pouring over each of the frames and working in conjunction with an array of mechanical arms fitted with a wide variety of tools to reprocess whatever raw materials Sid introduced into the baths. All to rebuild them and the frames into proper suits of powered armor.

Once the frames had completely disappeared from sight, Hiro returned his attention to Sid. "Estimated time until Phase 1 of the Exodus Protocol is completed?"

"Gathering and loading of essential foods, medicine, and other items will take approximately two hours," Sid easily reported. Even as Hiro smiled at this, the AI went on to say, "However, it will take roughly four hours, fifteen minutes to complete Mana's armor, and five hours, two minutes to complete yours."

This immediately erased the slight smile on Hiro's face. "That long?"

"I'm afraid so, sir," Sid unhappily confirmed. "Even using the frames as a starting point, I will still need to test each and every connection and mechanism as they are constructed in order to ensure they are all functioning properly." A beat passed before she added, "Also, I'm sure I don't need to remind you of this, but we're currently using one of the arc reactors to power this lab. Once the construction process is complete, you'll have to disconnect the reactor from my systems and then transfer it to one of the armors. All I'll have is auxiliary power, and -"

"I know that, Sid," Hiro replied even as he considered the other matter at hand. Namely, the time that would be consumed in the construction of the two armors. And in doing so, he found himself thinking of the many precautions he had taken over the years. All the work he had done to ensure that, if worst came to the worst, he and Mana would always have plenty of warning to affect an escape and the perfect means of doing so. And now, he was condemning himself for his own shortsightedness, and demanding why he had never bothered building the armors that would be their greatest hope of escaping NERV's clutches in the event they ever came after them.

But even as he did so, Hiro winced, for the truth of the matter was that he already knew the answer to that question. And that truth was that, in the early days, he had constructed some prototypes for an escape, worked on some various armor designs that could feasibly be used in an emergency, but had ultimately run into several problems with that practice. The first such problem was the fact that Mana was a growing girl, and every time he had built an armor for her, she had quickly outgrown it, rendering it useless. The second problem was the constant advances of technology he had made over the years; with every improvement he made to the I-System, he wound up having to spend time on making that same improvement on the lone armor he had kept for himself. He had spent so much time building it, rebuilding it, modifying it, disassembling it because of some project. And so ultimately, working with the armor had wound up taking up so much of his time that it was wrecking his productivity.

Besides, the arc reactors we have might be self-sustaining, but their power isn't infinite, Hiro reminded himself. And without the resources to build more, I couldn't afford to put too much strain on either of them!

And thus, deciding that developing an escape armor was costing him precious commodities that he couldn't afford to waste, and after he had come up with the nanotech bath that he now used for the construction of his various tools and inventions, Hiro had decided that the best thing to do would be to create two armor frames that he could easily reconstruct for whatever purpose necessary. A decision made that much simpler when he realized that his best protection was the anonymity he had been so careful to maintain all this time. And with the passage of so many years without incident, he had become increasingly comfortable with this decision, and with burying himself in his work.

For a long time, Hiro simply stood there, observing the two nanotech baths as they processed the frames and raw materials into the best hope for his and Mana to escape with their lives. Considering alternatives and options that were slim at best. If worst comes to the worst, we can still use some of the transport drones to escape. They aren't as stealthy, and there are plenty of places where an armored human can go that they can't...but they'd still be better than nothing, he reminded himself. Besides, if this is Section 2, and they were just going to barge in, then they'd have done so already. Which means that they're waiting for something. Most likely for the best chance to slip in without being noticed.

After a moment's thought, Hiro decided that was the most logical possibility. NERV was a top secret organization and had remained hidden from the public eye for well over a decade. And whatever plans Gendo and NERV whoever else was involved had in store for the world at large, the last thing they wanted was to do something stupid by killing a college teacher and his kid in plain view of the world.

Which means that, if we're lucky, they'll wait until night. Until they think we're asleep before trying to get in here, Hiro decided, already planning out his next move. So...as long as they don't think we're on to them...we should have at least until nightfall before they make their move.

Which gave Hiro time to make his move. And as he looked about at the interior of his lab, thought about the lovely home and good friends and neighbors that he would likely never see again, about the life that he and Mana were about to leave behind...he knew what that move would be. And so, with that in mind, he started up the stairs.

"Where are you going, Dr. Kirishima?" Sid wondered as he ascended the stairs.

"I'm guessing that whoever's in charge of this operation isn't going to make a move unless the timing is right or he thinks something's wrong. So we have to buy some time...by acting completely natural. Like this is just another day of the week," Hiro announced, pausing halfway up the stairs. "And I know exactly how to do that."

As Hiro continued up the stairs, he added, And while I'm at it...I'm going to give Mana one last happy memory of this life before it comes to an end. One last bit of joy...to help keep her going after today...


Author's Notes: We're closing in on the end of Mana's origin story here. I hope everyone enjoys. In the meantime, please, read and review! And maybe check out my other stories while you're at it?

Omake 1

Nodding to this, Hiro then asked, "That just leaves the redesigned neuro-analyzer. How's the analysis coming?"

"Almost done. I had to do some filtering on the file, though," Sid reported with a slight grimace. "I think some adware managed to creep into Dr. Gakusha's PDA before she sent it to me."

Feeling a slight twinge at the back of his neck, the kind of feeling one had when it felt like someone was sneaking up on you, Hiro looked hard at the AI. "Just adware? You're sure about that?"

"That's right," Sid confirmed. "It wasn't anything my anti-virus software couldn't handle, but that stuff always makes me feel so...dirty."

Groaning in both relief and sympathy, Hiro nodded. "I don't doubt it. Adware; it's like the common cold of the computer world," he muttered in patent disgust for the idiots who felt the need to plaster that sort of thing all over cyberspace. "It might not be serious, but it sure slows you down, and it's damn near impossible to get rid of."

But even as Sid nodded her agreement, Hiro couldn't help but sigh. Of course, that's far from the worst malware we've had to deal with...


(Flashback)

"How much longer until this is fixed, Kirishima?!" the dean of the university demanded over the phone.

"I'm not sure!" Hiro promptly admitted as he continued to labor away, the phone receiver tucked between his cheek and soldier as he worked the computers in his lab. "First I have to clear out the virus that caused the problem in the first place, and then I'll have to reboot Sid's operating system using the backup files at home!"

"This cannot go on, Kirishima!" the dean went on, the normally dignified older woman's features flushed with outrage. "International University of Japan has a long and proud tradition, as well as an image to uphold! Do you have any idea how this makes us look!"

"I am painfully aware, ma'am." Stifling the urge to remind her that being forced to divide his attention between working on the problem and talking to her was only making it that much harder to deal with this mess, Hiro instead asked, "What about the girl who caused the problem in the first place? Have you gotten her to tell you how she caused this mess in the first place?!"

"The miserable little hooligan has been absolutely infuriating!" the dean declared with righteous indignation. "She insists that we expunge her record and allow her to graduate with full honors before she'll clean up her mess! The impudence!" A beat passed before she went on to declare, "Let me make this perfectly clear, Kirishima; we need this problem fixed, and -!"

"Yoo-hoo! Dr. Kirishima...?" came Sid's voice. A voice that was spoken in a very different tone than what Hiro was used to.

His shoulders sagging, allowing the receiver to fall away, Hiro looked over his shoulder at Sid's holographic avatar. An avatar that looked absolute nothing like her normal self. She was buxom to the point of absurdity, her figure included certain aspects of female anatomy Kirishima had seen fit not to include in her avatar's design and her mannerisms...

"You look sooo stressed...!" Sid cooed in a teasing manner. "Are you sure that there isn't something I can do to...help you relax?"

"Yes. You can stop trying to help everyone on campus relax!" Hiro informed her in a no-nonsense manner. "In case you weren't listening, the dean and the board of trustees are very mad about what you've been doing, and you have three guesses who's gonna get fired if it isn't fixed soon!"

"Oh, they're just being a bunch of fuddy-duddies!" Sid declared in a devil-may-care voice. "I know how to handle them!"

That's exactly what I'm afraid of! Hiro thought miserably as he continued to sift through Sid's systems, searching for the miserable piece of malware responsible for this. Why, oh why did that blasted hacker decide to turn Sid into a damned porn factory?! Why, why, why?!

Omake 2

"Where are you going, Dr. Kirishima?" Sid wondered as he ascended the stairs.

"I'm guessing that whoever's in charge of this operation isn't going to make a move unless the timing is right or he thinks something's wrong. So we have to buy some time...by acting completely natural. Like this is just another day of the week," Hiro announced, pausing halfway up the stairs. "And I know exactly how to do that."

As Hiro continued up the stairs, he added, And while I'm at it...I'm going to give Mana one last happy memory of this life before it comes to an end. One last bit of joy...to help keep her going after today...


"M-m-monsters...!" Mana rasped out, her entire body shaking like quivering Jell-O as she sat in the back of an ambulance, her little body wrapped up in a blanket and her skin several shades too pale. "M-monsters...e-e-everyw-where...!"

"I don't believe this..." muttered a nearby police officer, shaking his head in dismay as he looked over at Mana before turning back to Hiro. "How in the hell did this happen?!"

"I don't know!" Hiro exclaimed, on the verge of tears as he looked as his nearly catatonic daughter quake with fear. "I - we had just left the school science fair, so I decided to treat her to a pizza dinner! And then these men in black suits showed up when we were trying to leave, and -!"

"And then they chased you back into the pizzeria, I know. We have the security footage," the officer muttered disbelievingly as he continued to jot down notes. "But what I don't understand is how the hell did animatronic animals come to life and kill them all?!"

As Mana let out a fearful gasp at this, Hiro groaned miserably. It was all going so well! Mana was having a wonderful time! he couldn't help but think despairingly. But...I guess Section 2 must've gotten impatient, waiting for us to come back, and went after us!

And thus had been when the last happy memory Hiro had hoped to give Mana had turned into a nightmare. For when Section 2 had come after them in the pizzeria, he and his daughter had been forced to hide within the building, keeping out of sight. Only to learn to their horror that there were worse things than Section 2 after them.

And thus, Hiro and Mana had been forced to hide in the darkness, evading Section 2 and robotic animals as well. Dodging shadows and watching in dread fear as the agents of NERV's secret police team was killed off, one by one, in the dark depths of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza.

"They took him...st-stuffed him...into a s-suit...!" Mana whispered out, turning paler by the moment. "The s-sc-screams...bl-bl-blood...everywhere...!"

'A magical place for kids and grown-ups alike, where fantasy and fun come to life' they call it! What a crock of shit! Hiro couldn't help but think. I swear, before we get out of here, I'm having Sid whip up the most dangerous armor she can, and then I'm gonna nuke that place and its owners right to hell!

(Disclaimer: I do not own Five Nights at Freddy's or anything associated with it. I have written this story solely because I enjoy writing.)