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Needs No Name

Chapter 3

"Curiosity Killed The Cat"

"…Nyaa! Nyaa! Nyaa! Nyaa!..."

"Ugghh…. *grumble*" – Misato emerged from under the sheets, not unlike a turtle out of its shell. Yawning, she looked around, blinking owlishly. Her first thought was that the alarm clock has gone off. But that thought was quickly proven wrong as she realized that the sound came from beyond her bedroom door. Yawning she slowly got up and headed out.

"…Nyaa! Nyaa! Nyaa! Nyaa!..."

Groaning and yawning she reached her fridge and pulled out a can of Yebisu.

"…Nyaa! Nyaa! Nyaa! Nyaa!..."

Plopping down on a chair, she took a gulp, letting out her customary morning cheer.

"Yeehah! *Burp* Now that's the way to start the morning!"

"…Nyaa! Nyaa! Nyaa! Nyaa!..."

After a few more gulps she got up and headed over to the living room, which was the source of the sounds. An interesting sight greeted her.

Shinji, clad only in a pair of grey shorts, was doing push-ups. On his back, cross-legged, sat Nyuka. After every push-up, she raised an arm and let out a "Nyaa!" cheering him on.

Seeing Misato coming in, Nyuka tapped Shinji's head and got off. Getting up and seeing his guardian, Shinji smiled at her.

"Morning Misato." – Shinji greeted. Putting on a white t-shirt, he headed off to the kitchen. – "I'll get the breakfast ready."

As they ate, Misato outlined the plans for the next couple of weeks. Plans, which pretty much consisted of training, training and more training. Oh and of course, maybe, some free time in between. And after those two weeks, he would start going to school for that bit of… how did Misato say it? Ah yes… 'normalcy'. Shinji snorted at the word.

"Say, Misato? I was wondering…"

"Yes?"

"Yesterday, Ritsuko called me.. ugh… the 'Third Child'…"

'Just rolls off your tongue, doesn't it?'

'It's demeaning'

'But oh so catchy, though.'

'*grumble*'

"… But that means that you people got two other pilots here as well, right?" – Shinji left it at that. The underlying questions were all to obvious.

"Yes." – Misato replied – "There is the First Child, Rei, who is the pilot of Unit-00. And there is the Second Child, Asuka, who is the pilot of Unit-02. Rei was injured in an accident involving Unit-00. She is still in the hospital, but she will be discharged soon. Asuka, along with Unit-02, is in Germany."

After breakfast they headed off to NERV. Shinji decided today to wear urban camo pants and a black T-Shirt. As usual he wore his swords and guns, but wore a plain black belt instead of his pouch filled one.

Misato was surprised by how quickly she got used to him carrying weapons on him all the time. But, she had to admit, it looked right somehow. She tried to imagine him without them and… failed miserably.

Most people hated, were terrified of, or at least disliked Misato's style of driving. Needless to say Shinji and Nyuka were not 'most people'. Nyuka happily looked out the window, her curious gaze capturing everything that happened beyond that sheet of glass. Shinji actually struck up a conversation with Misato. He asked general questions about who he was going to see an NERV, what his training going to be etc etc…

"… LEARN HOW TO DRIVE YOU DUMB #$#!... Ah and then there's Ritsuko. I've known her since college…"- and so on…

'Speak of the devil.'

'It's like… It's like… the was expecting us!'

'Of course she was, doofus. She's in charge of our training.'

'… I know that!'

"Ah, there's Ritsuko." – Misato called out cheerfully, waving to her friend. – "I will leave you in her good hands."

And with that she strode off into one of the branching corridors.

"Morning Shinji." – Ritsuko strode up to him, clipboard in hands.

Shinji bowed politely in greeting. Looking past him she expected to see Nyuka, but was surprised to see no-one. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Shinji smirk, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly. Clearing her throat she turned to face him.

"So, Shinji how do you feel after yesterday's battle?" – Ritsuko asked.

"As good as ever, I guess." – Shinji replied shrugging. A few more standard you-sure-you're-alright questions followed. Shinji answered them with single syllables, shrugs and various head movements.

"Alright. That's good." – Ritsuko said, ticking off something and writing a bit on her clipboard. – "First, I'll give you a complete physical…"

"Please, doctor. Is that the best pick-up line you could come up with?" – Shinji said, arching an eyebrow and grinning.

"… check and then we will need to take some standard measurements for your plug-suit." – Ritsukoa finished, unaffected by Shinji's remark.

'Cold, lady. Cold.'

'Playing hard to get, are we?'

"Heh you can take my… Wait. What's a plug-suit? – Shinji's curiosity won over the need to crack jokes.

"I'll explain later. Follow me."

A couple of hours or so later, in the plug-suit of Unit-01

'I swear. She enjoyed it waay too much.'

'Hah! Careful what you wish for?'

'Dude! I didn't know that it would be her doing the penetrating!'

'Hmm… Yeah, makes you wonder why those backstreet boys like it so much.'

"Shinji, that's enough for today" – he eventually heard through the com.

Just then Misato strode in onto the bridge.

"So, how's he doing?" – she enquired.

"See for yourself." – Ritsuko gestured over to the consoles.

"75% on the dot? Not bad at all."

"No, not bad at all…" – Ritsuko murmured, a strange tone creeping into her voice.

"Something bothering you, Rits?" – Misato looked at her friend.

"Ah, no it's nothing." – Ritsuko said non-challantly.

They both watched as Shinji leapt out of the plug and headed to the showers.

"Well, I'll see you later." – Misato waved good-bye and headed to wait for her ward.

Back in the male pilot shower, Shinji was unsurprised when a pair of slender arms encircled him from behind. Turning around in the embrace, he looked down at Nyuka's grinning face.

"So, had a good time?"

"Nyaa!"

"That's good." – Shinji said, smiling at her.

Misato's eyebrow twitched as she saw Shinji come out of the dressing room, arm in arm with Nyuka. He was chatting to her cheerfully.

"Oh hey Misato." – Shinji waved to his guardian with his free hand, smiling at her.

"Hey, Shinji. Had a good shower?" – she asked. Nyuka grinned and winked at her.

"Yeah, the quality of the NERV showers is not bad at all. And they seem to be cleaned regularly." – he replied, either missing or ignoring the connotation.

"Yeah, who'd think personal hygiene would be a high priority." – Misato said, half-laughing, deciding to let the issue drop. She did remember him warning about it. Though she was a little vexed her teasing had no effect on him.

"Say, Misato?"

"Yes, Shinji?"

"Can you take me to where Rei is staying? I'd like to meet her."

'Yeah, if we're gonna risk our neck with her out there, might as well get to know the girl.'

"Sure." – Misato replied after moment of pondering. – "This way."

Then she noticed the absence of the cat-girl.

"Ah, don't worry." – Shinji said, reading the question in her face. – "She's around. Somewhere. Probably found something curious."

And with that settled, they headed towards the medical wing.

"Well here we are" – Misato said as they reached the door. It was a plain white door without a number, but with a small plate with words "Ayanami Rei" printed on it. Shinji thanked her and stepped inside.

Inside was a plain room with a single bed. Its occupant was a girl with pal skin and short blue hair. Her right arm was in a sling and her head bandaged. She was just sitting there, staring blankly at the wall opposite her.

"Hello." – Shinji called out. As she turned, he saw that her left eye was bandaged over. She fixed her right one, red in colour, squarely on him.

"Say, why does it seem like I know you from somewhere?" – Shinji wondered out loud. Shaking his head and smiling he approached her.

"Hello, Rei. I'm Shinji Ikari. I'm the pilot of Unit-01." – He said, extending his hand.

"Yes. You're the Third Child." – Said Rei, nodding. She ignored his hand and continued to look at his face.

Shinji lowered his arm, but still smiled.

"Yup, that's me." – he said cheerfully.

"Why are you here?" – she asked.

"Well, I just thought I'd meet you before-hand. So that, you know, we can get to know each other?" – he replied. From what Misato told him about the girl, he was not the least bit surprised.

Rei nodded.

"I am Rei Ayanami. I am the pilot of Unit-00, the First Child." – Rei said. She thought for a bit. – "That is all there is, I think."

"Really? Nothing else?" – Shinji asked. He was not surprised when she shook her head. Wait a sec… what was that curious glance.

"Are those real?" – she asked, pointing with her uninjured hand. Smiling, Shinji was about to say that yes the weapons are real, that yes they are quite awesome and he would let maybe even let her hold his gun…

"Nyaa!" – Nyuka meowed in affirmation.

'Oh yes, my guns are real. Swords, too. Awesome, aren't they? I am so glad to find a girl who likes…'

"Oh be quiet." – he murmured, face-palming.

For the second time today, Misato felt her eyebrow twitch as she saw Shinji come out arm in arm with Nyuka.

'How the hell?!' – she wondered. – 'I was here all this time. There's no way she could have got in without me noticing!'

And yet, there she was.

"Ready to go, Misato?" – Shinji asked her. After she didn't respond, he waved a hand in front of her face, which he noticed was slightly twitchy. – "Misato?"

"What?" – the motion in front of her face, snapped her out of it. – "Oh yeah. Let's go."

"So how'd it go?" – Misato asked, curious, as they drove back home.

Shinji shrugged, non-commitally.

'Look at it this way. Would you prefer her to be a dominatrix, instead of a fetishist that she is?'

'What. The. Hell?'

"I guess it didn't go all bad." – he said finally, smiling.

As they drove past a dark alley, a car slowly made its way out. It was a black car, with black tinted windows and black wheels. Inside, in the black front seat in the black interior sat a black man in a black suit, wearing black sunglasses. Incidentally, he was wearing black shoes.

'You're having way too much fun with this.'

Sigh… alright. Fine. You want dark, ominous and generic?

'Yes, please.'

Fine. A black, unmarked sedan made slowly made its way out of an alley. Inside a man flipped open a mobile phone.

"Subject sighted, initiating pursuit." – and with that he inconspicuously followed Misato's Renault.