IT'S ABOUT TIME – CH 10
SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
NERV HEADQUARTERS:
Misato, Maya, Dr. Akagi, and three whole squadrons of NERV personnel, all in professional military attire, were lined up on the main deck hall. They were all exhausted as they had spent the past week searching for Shinji under the order of Gendo. Everyone was ready to pack it up and call it quits. Well...all but one.
"We have to keep looking! We'll find him soon enough!" Misato sternly suggested, trying her best to sound like the major she was.
"Sorry Ma'am, but if we ain't getting' paid, we ain't trying" one of the soldiers replied. While that said, the squads started to clear off and leave, leaving the Major, the Doctor, and the Bridge Bunny alone.
"You tried your best Misato, but there is nothing we can do anymore." Ristuko said as she looked to see if anyone was still around. "Let's talk more in my office, I'd rather be comfortable, not so much here."
TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
DR. AKAGI'S OFFICE
Ristuko took her pack of cigarettes and took one out. She lit it and puffed, blowing out smoke into Misato's face.
"Do you mind!?"
"Sorry, Misato."
"So how do the plans for the hunt of the First Child look?" Maya inquired.
"Grim as of now." the Doctor replied.
"How grim?" Misato demanded.
"The Commander is thinking about aborting the mission. While I'm sad we can't find Shinji, I'll finally be able to get some real sleep for the first time in months."
"All you can think about is sleep!? He could be starving, dirty, or worse yet dead!" Maya blasted.
"Why are you so concerned, Maya? I expected this from Misato..."
"Hey!"
"...but nor from you Maya."
"He's been gone for months and suddenly he's valuable again? Are you doing it because you care or is it just your job?"
"It's whatever the commander decides."
"You gotta help me find him!"
"Maya..."
"You should put more effort in" Misato interjected solemnly. Ritsuko scoffed at the very idea.
"I don't see you putting in more effort that I do."
"Every day for the past five months I've been the one making the route and locations to search."
"No wonder we can't find him" Ristuko retorted.
"At least I'm trying!"
"Not good enough."
Maya slammed her fist against the desk, denting it, capturing the attention of the two bickering women.
"What happened to you, Senpai? You were always on top of you work, and this is no different. This is an assignment and a mission. It's all of our duty to complete it. Especially you, considering your ties to the Commander" Maya spewed. With that said, Maya walked out, along with Misato.
TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
Misato was driving full speed and silent to drop of the Bridge Bunny who knew too much.
"Misa..."
Maya stopped herself from completely saying her name. The two kept on driving for quite some time. Then a loud noise ruptured the silence. GLUUURG!
"I just realized it didn't eat anything since breakfast" the Major laughed.
"I think I know a place."
TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
The two sat in the darkness of a park. Misato pulled out a cereal bar she had bought earlier that day, or at least as much a drunk Misato could eat due to her impaired sense
"How many beers have you had?" A concerned Maya asked.
"Seven...I think" She then pulled another Yebisu can out of her purse, opened it, and chugged it all down.
'I'm surprised she's even alive considering how much she drinks. I'm surprised Kaji and Senpai bother to put up with her.' the lieutenant thought to herself.
Suddenly a few sobs broke out of Misato; she dropped her food and covered her face with her hands.
"I'm a horrible Major...a horrible person...I'm..." Misato said between her sniffles.
"Misato..." she placed her hand on the major's shoulder "no you're not."
"I can't get anything right! It's my fault we can't find Shinji."
Maya felt a pang of guilt wash over her. She felt conflicted, to say the least.
'What do I do? Should I let her in? If I do, will she snap if interrogated?'Maya pondered. She tried her hardest and made a choice.
"Major, it's not your fault. We'll find him. I know he meant a lot to-"
"YOU HAVE NO FUCKING IDEA WHAT HE MEANT TO ME!" she snapped. Drunk Misato was bad, angry Misato was worse, but combined...third, fourth, fifth and sixth impact would happen at once. "He was like a son. A brother. A love-UGH! I don't know how I felt about him! All I know is that I care and I want him back" She bawled and broke down on the floor, sobbing her heart out.
"Major!" Misato kept on sobbing. "Major!" Maya yelled, a little more loud. Still no change. "MISATO!" She looked up. "Get up!" Maya commanded. "I'm taking you home now!"
'I hope I made the right choice' Maya thought to herself as they both walked to the car.
TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
Maya opened the door to her apartment and walked in, tired from lugging Misato home.
"I'm ho—Shinji" she gasped as Shinji hugged her from behind without warning.
'Something isn't right. He's hugging tighter than usual' she thought.
"It's been a while since I've seen you, almost a month."
"It's been that long?" she asked.
Maya had been deployed by NERV to help on the search mission for the "missing" Shinji. Being second-in-command allowed her to put everything and everybody on a chase to nowhere to keep her unofficial boyfriend safe. That did, however, cost her one precious month away from her.
"While I'm glad you're back, I'm sorry dinner isn't cooked".
"It's fine, Shinji. I think I can fix that"
[SEVERAL HOURS LATER]
Maya and Shinji sat happily on the floor with Thai take-out in their hands.
"How did everything go?"
"Ugh. Tiring. It was tricky trying to set them on the wrong path without getting suspicious. And I'm not sure, but I think Ritsuko may have caught on."
His eyes widened at the thought. He didn't want to be separated from her and would fear anybody who could make that nightmare a reality. Hr couldn't bear the thought anymore.
"I haven't eaten take-out like this since I lived with Misato" he chuckled, trying to change the subject.
"About Misato..."
"What about her?"
"Well...It's..." She took a deep breath. "Misato hates herself, constantly beating herself up"
"What for?"
"Shinji. There's no easy way to put it. She's beating blames herself for leading the mission to failure"
"Misato...?"
"And I don't know what to do, Shinji! If I tell her, someone may find out."
"I don't want to lose you. But I..I would tell her."
"You'd take that chance?"
"I'd tell Misato because I couldn't stand to see her depressed and try to drink her problems away."
The first thing that popped into her mind was the god-like task of dragging a bipolar, drunk, passed out Misato from the car across the street to her front porch, open the door and make sure she stay inside.
"Did you ever..um...have to-"
"Drag her around? Yep. Every other night... if she wasn't around with Kaji."
'No wonder she cares that much. It's all she has left. And considering how Shinji is as a person, I can't blame her' she thought to herself.
Silence overtook the two for a while as they stared at each other. Maya broke the silence.
"Are you sure you want to tell her?" Maya asked again.
"I have to. She'll be lost if I don't" he replied.
"I understand."
'I was hoping he'd say "no" dammit! I don't know what I'd do if I had to deal with the higher ups of NERV, especially the Commander' Maya thought to herself. 'But if that's what Shinji wants...'
TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! I can't believe it's really youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!" Misato yelled in excitement as swung Shinji around while suffocating him with her breasts.
"LEMME GO!" a very muffled Shinji pleaded. Maya had to get between the two and break them apart to keep Shinji from asphyxiating.
"Can't I hold him just a bit longer?" Misato asked.
"Not if it means crushing his face like you just did" the Bridge Bunny retorted.
"Fine" Misato gave in. "Shinji, we have to spend some time together soon, okay?"
"Sure thing, Misato."
"Good" She then turned her gaze to Maya. "Lieutenant Ibuki!" Misato sternly scolded. "If you knew he was here, WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME ANYTHING!?"
"I wasn't going to let NERV abuse him like a toy. Not him. Not after all he's been through." She turned and looked at him sitting. "Not my boyfriend."
"BOYFRIEND!? Since—Since when?"
"Since the beginning of the search mission."
"Is that-"
"Yes. I truly am sorry that what I did hurt-"
"Apology accepted. But only because it's Shinji."
"Thanks."
"Since you helped me I know how to help you out."
"What's your plan Misato?"
TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
In the inner depths of Commander Ikari's office, the Pomander wasn't at all pleased that the search mission had failed.
"Send her in" he commanded to the intercom.
A door woodshed open and a familiar female presence neared him.
"Rei..."
"Yes, Commander?"
"I believe there may be information withheld within the group as suspected by Miss Akagi."
"What is there for me to do?"
He leaned in further, clasped his hands in his trademark position, and lowered his head so their eyes could meet.
"Do you anything of the whereabouts of the Third Child?
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Sorry for not updating in FOREVER. 3 AP classes. Finally got time this spring break. This story isn't dead yet. I will try my best to continue this.
Thanks to everyone who is favoriting and following this story. It means a lot to me.
next.story
Until Next time:
MARIOMAN247