Asuka hated the silence, it was awkward but neither she nor Misato dared make the next statement. There didn't seem to be a good way to say, 'Oh hey Shinji, that person you saw. That was the man who attempted to start Third Impact, namely your father.'

One of them was going to have to say it, Asuka had originally wanted to. So she could be there for Shinji when he heard the news but now she was growing more comfortable with the idea of Misato doing it.

'Damn that idiot, making things more complicated. Who does he think he is? Shinji needs to hear it from me... It'd be easier to let Misato do it but it'd be better for me to say it.'

Misato on the other hand was now really hoping for that beer she was craving. She had secretly hoped that Asuka might have told him already but she had barely given them an hour since hearing he had awoken, not exactly enough time to drop such a bombshell.

'These kids have been through so much already god only knows what they're thinking or feeling right now. Shinji can't deal with this right now, it isn't right to tell him yet… but he has a right to know doesn't he?'

Misato thanked her luck when Asuka finally broke the silence, "I'll tell him Misato, just not now and not here."

Shinji was confused and kept looking between the two of them. Whatever had happened they weren't willing to let him know just yet, he sensed that something was very wrong. What were they keeping from him and why were they so hesitant to tell him.

"What haven't you told me?"

Asuka cut him off sharply, "Weren't you listening Shinji, not right now. Look let's get out of here, I think you could do with some fresh air Shinji."

There was a knock on the door, Misato opened it to greet one of the ships officers, "Captain Katsuragi, we got word that you might be here. The Vice Commander wishes to discuss the current situation with you, there has been a development regarding Tokyo-3."

Misato nodded, "I'll be right there."

She turned towards Shinji and Asuka, "I'm sorry but turns out I don't even get a break after surviving Third Impact, look I'll be back along later take care of each other, please?"

The two of them nodded and watched as Misato exited the room, after which Asuka released a large sigh and slumped back into her seat.

"Well that was awkward…"

Shinji assumed she must have been talking about this thing that neither of them were willing to tell him yet, "I'm glad she is alright…"

"Yeah, it's nice to see the old drunk made it through Third Impact relatively unscathed. Although it looks like she took some damage, wonder what happened."

Shinji knew what happened, "It… was my fault."

"Huh?"

Shinji averted his eyes from Asuka's, "Her… injury was my fault. It was when… we got attacked, after I visited you in the hospital I was…"

Shinji swallowed before continuing, he noticed Asuka flinch when he mentioned the hospital. He wiped any trace of tears from his eyes before continuing recalling the painful memory, "I wanted to die Asuka, so I just picked a place in NERV and sat there waiting for the JSSDF to find me. I didn't care what happened to me anymore, anything I tried to do just hadn't worked and I… I reached my lowest point when I…"

Asuka stopped him not wishing to be reminded of what had happened, "I know Shinji, let's forget about it for now. What happened to Misato?"

"The JSSDF… they found me and one of them held a gun to my head. I thought I wanted to die but when I felt the gun there I realized something… I didn't want to die but it was too late. I was so scared I couldn't move, I couldn't fight back. I got lucky and Misato saved me from them."

Shinji had stopped wiping tears from his eyes and instead was letting them fall freely, "She… she had to drag me, she told me what SEELE had done and told me I had to pilot again to save us. She said… that you needed my help but I couldn't do anything. She was dragging me to one of the service elevators and she got hit."

Asuka had moved over to his bedside and had placed both her hands around his, "What happened next?"

"I tried to argue with her, told her that she didn't understand me and her and everyone else only cared about themselves. She slapped me and forced me into the service elevator. Then she… kissed me."

Asuka was more than a little bit shocked, "She kissed you!?"

"Huh?"

Asuka felt a sharp pang of anger within her, "What do you mean she kissed you? I knew she was a pervert but…"

Asuka stopped herself, "Actually it doesn't matter, that isn't important."

'Gah, why does that make me so angry? She was just being regular perverted Misato. Probably teasing him one last time before she snuffed it. Besides it's not like it was his first kiss or anything, I got that one.'

"I think she… was just trying to make me feel better or something… then she closed the elevator door with her still on the outside…. I heard her fall to the floor Asuka. If… If I hadn't have been that way if I hadn't have been so pathetic…"

Once upon a time the way Shinji was speaking would have angered Asuka but now she felt nothing but sympathy for him, she knelt down and held him. "Shinji… it doesn't matter now, she is alright…"

"I know that but… she's still hurt from it… I could have done more Asuka, I should have done more to help her and you…"

She shushed him and held him closer to her, "Shinji, you idiot. What do you think you could have done? The Eva series were near enough invincible, I had ran out of power and your Dad and Rei were doing god knows what underground. You might have bought us a few more minutes but you couldn't have prevented it, Misato was probably going to get hurt regardless of your actions. They'd have found her, and… well I'm fine now aren't I?"

"You don't blame me?"

She looked him in the eyes and teasingly smiled, "I might have done at first but not anymore. Don't think however that this means you're off the hook, as soon as we're both better you're paying me back somehow."

Asuka was thankful that her teasing had seemed to cheer him up, it was one of a few times she had seen him smile since their return.

"Thank you Asuka."

She nodded and without thinking leaned in and kissed him gently on the cheek.


Gendo nervously handed the folder to Misato before turning to the Vice Commander. What he had seen within those pages was disturbing. It was a series of images from the surviving members of the recon team that had been sent to Tokyo 3. He waited for Misato to scan through the pages and finally spoke.

"How many?"

"We can't be sure, we sent in a team of six and have lost four. One of which is in critical condition in our medical bay, the other has been sent to their quarters to get some rest. As the images show there are at least fifteen, they're very strong, agile and most disturbing of all they're capable of projecting an A.T. Field."

Misato glanced up, "Are they Angels?"

"No." Gendo shook his head, "All of the Angels were destroyed. This is something else entirely, these were human once but something happened during the Impact."

"You realize Ikari I have to report this to my superiors? It's bad enough that Tokyo-3 has been destroyed and we've somehow avoided Third Impact but now these things are running around there. I don't even know where to start here."

Vice Commander Adlers' head was spinning, a couple of days ago everything was peaceful and calm. Her air carrier was stationed, performing standard drills and then all of a sudden the call came from the UN shutting down NERV in Tokyo-3, the Japanese Government labelling Gendo Ikari a criminal and Third Impact itself occurring in Tokyo-3. She was still awaiting an explaination from Gendo on what exactly Third Impact and the Instrumentality Project was.

Misato had another question, "How could this have happened, is this going to affect anyone who returns?"

Gendo shook his head, "I'm not sure."

He studied the photo again, more carefully this time looking for any sort of detail they might have missed regarding the creatures. They were all of varying heights and builds but had the same features, their hands had formed into claws with one being large than the other. Their face bore the markings of the first Angel spotted in Tokyo-3 and a black armour had formed around sections of their body. Remnants of their humanity could be seen in sections, traces of skin and uniforms. In all of the pictures the uniforms were the same, this was the detail he was looking for.

"JSSDF… all these creatures are wearing uniforms of the JSSDF."

Misato and Adler looked at each other, Adler questioned them "Didn't you say the JSSDF attacked NERV before the impact?"

Misato nodded, "That's correct, they were ordered to assassinate the pilots and all NERV personnel. They were ruthless, that's now I got this." Misato pointed to the bandage around her waist.

Adler took the folder back off of Gendo, she needed answers quickly before deciding on her next move. If the Japanese Government had ordered the assassination of the pilots that put her in a serious predicament as far as contacting her superiors went. It would seem there were other forces at work within the UN and there was the matter of the organization known as SEELE which had been mentioned.

"I need to think about my next move, I was hoping to set up a base camp to rescue survivors but this new situation with these creatures has changed all of that. I also need to think about what to say to the UN representatives."

"What is the UNs relationship with the other NERV branches?" Gendo questioned.

"As of now unstable, since shutting down Tokyo-3 the other commanders have been locked in meetings and interrogations constantly by all accounts, the only reason I've been spared from it because of the cargo we're transporting and being stationed all the way out here. They're breathing down my neck though, rumours are spreading of the communications out of the area."

"That means others might send in teams to investigate…"

"Exactly, my main concern is the safety of yourselves and the pilots. Certain groups may wish to finish the job started by the JSSDF and I won't allow that."

Adler stood up, "Wait here, I need to consult a few of my officers before we decide on a next step."

Adler left the room.

"So… how is he?"

Misato glared at Gendo, her words were cold. "He's as well as can be expected."

"I see…"

She turned away from him, wanting to change the subject from Shinji. She didn't want to discuss Shinji in front of Gendo, she distrusted him greatly and decided to question him, "So… what do you know about those things Gendo?"

"Nothing."

Gendo realized something, "You don't believe me do you?"

"Of course I don't. I saw first-hand some of what you had in those headquarters, how can you expect me to believe you don't know anything about this?"

Gendo didn't blame her but he didn't have the answers this time. Everything since returning was new to him and that included this. The answers for once lay with others and all Gendo could do was observe, guess and be as helpless as the others.

"I can guess if that'd make you feel better."

"It wouldn't." She snarled.

An uneasy silence developed between them. Gendo continued to flick through the folder of photos trying to find any detail he could relating to the creatures. Unfortunately he was unable to do so, aside from all creatures seeming to have mutated from JSSDF personnel there was nothing. If this was anything to do with NERV it was completely new to him and this was a fact that scared him. Could this be man's doing or an unfortunate side effect of the Third Impact?

"What about your friends in SEELE?"

Gendo shrugged off obvious jab. "Doubtful, the old men of SEELE won't have anything to do with this. They were focused on starting Third Impact and the Human Instrumentality Project. If it didn't fit their scenario they weren't interested."

"Then what? Whatever those things are they're related to the Angels, NERV or SEELE in some way Gendo. The A.T. Fields, the way they look and turning up in Tokyo-3."

Gendo was thankful for interruption from one of the ships officers at that moment, "Commander Ikari, Captain Katsuragi, the Vice Commander has asked that I escort you both to the bridge, there has been an incident."

Misato sighed, 'When will this end.'


Shinji took a deep breath and looked out across the endless blue ocean, the air smelt fresh and despite them being on a military carrier it was calming. A sense of normality, of things that used to be from weeks ago. Here there were no ruins, no monsters and no reminders of the pain he had suffered.

"I forgotten what this had looked like, it feels like we're in a completely different world from Tokyo 3."

Asuka nodded and smiled at him, "We first met on a carrier like this didn't we?"

Shinji remembered it all too well, it was shortly after the Jet Alone incident and when he Toji and Kensuke were becoming closer as friends. He hadn't really liked Asuka at first, he thought she was arrogant and his cheek stung for ages after the initial meeting.

'She never did apologize for that, as if I have control over gusts of wind.'

"I remember, you had to fight an Angel that day as well."

Asuka laughed, "Yeah, and you had to wear one of my plugsuits too because you didn't have one of your own. You looked ridiculous."

Shinji blushed, "Gee, thanks…"

"I on the other hand looked fantastic, and dispatched the Angel in no time at all."

It was hard to argue with that, out of all the pilots Asuka was by far the most talented. She had been selected to be a pilot from a young age, trained from that age and was able to handle he Eva with a finesse Shinji and Rei could never achieve. It was just a shame the Angels never played by conventional rules, half of the time they relied on luck rather than skill to beat them.

Shinji nodded as Asuka continued, "Of course I would have dispatched the one afterwards just as easily if…"

Shinji was waiting for her to blame him, she did that at the time but she didn't. "If it didn't cheat and split into two… still we got it thanks to my leadership."

Shinji laughed, "You mean thanks to Misato making us learn that dance."

Asuka turned to face him, "A dance… I'll remind you, that you learned only because I took the time to teach you it properly."

Shinji didn't quite remember it like that but he wasn't going to argue the point, he remembers her only slowing down when Misato threatened to put Rei on the mission instead. Still she had taken the time to teach him properly and was patient with him from then onwards.

"We did kick its ass though didn't we?"

Shinji smiled, he didn't have too many happy memories of being in Eva or fighting the Angels but fighting alongside Asuka in those days would probably be the closest thing to happiness he had in there. It was a time before everything started to go to hell for them all.

Shinji looked at Asuka thinking about everything they had gone through and wondered that if either of them had acted even a little bit differently things might not have turned out as they had. He had seen glimpses of the real Asuka during their dance training, and every now and then cracks in her wall would reveal bits of her true self. He had heard he call for her mother in her sleep, he had tried to help but his own issues had prevented him from going the one step she needed because he was scared.

'She'd probably call me an idiot if she knew what I was thinking, I need to accept that no matter what, and the things that happened were unavoidable. I just… never realized… how pretty she was until now.'

Shinji felt his face burn a bit red as Asuka looked at him quizzically, "Huh, did you say something?"

'I said that out loud? Where did that even come from? I've always known how…'

"Um, Earth to Shinji, your face is turning red is everything alright?"

Shinji wasn't sure why his brain had suddenly went down this path. He had always thought Asuka was pretty, from the day they met he thought that although he did have issues back then with her personality. Something felt different at this moment in time though, it was a realization but he wasn't able to piece together what it was. This was beyond just finding her attractive or cute, he felt butterflies in his stomach.

He swallowed, "I'm fine, just thinking about… things."

She eyed him curiously before shaking her head and laughing, "Idiot."


"Every active NERV Headquarters received the same video at the same time, senior U.N. Officials also received it. They're an organization calling themselves Körper and they're taking responsibility for the creatures we saw in Tokyo-3. They sent a video showing them mauling one of our recon teams along. We haven't received any information on who they are beyond the name or what they want."

Gendo sat watching the screen, his hands folded in front of his face and his expression had not changed since the start of the video. It reminded Misato a lot of the Gendo Ikari she had known throughout her NERV career, the cold, emotionless one.

He spoke, "Körper… the German word for body. How apt."

He looked at Adler, "Has NERV Germany ever encountered this name before?"

"No, never but all the NERV Commanders and U.N Officials are treating this very seriously. We've confirmed that the event in Tokyo-3 took place and they're asking about survivors. I cannot hide your existence any longer."

"Understood, I will face the rest of NERV and the U.N, Captain Katsuragi, may I ask a favour of you."

Misato merely nodded not wishing to give Gendo the satisfaction of an answer. For the moment, until the pilots were guaranteed safety and things could be explained properly they had to continue the façade that there was a command hierarchy.

"Assist the Vice Commander in any way you can but the Pilots safety is to be your priority. If there is any danger to them you are given permission to leave with them and find somewhere safe. Vice Commander Adler, I have another question."

"Yes?"

"The people you were contacted by, was a man called Keel amongst any of them?"

Adler shook her head, "Not that I recall? Why?"

"Good, then this will be easier than I expected."