Disclaimer: I do not own Neon Genesis Evangelion or The Rebuild of Evangelion.

NEON GENESIS

EVANGELION: SUBSTANCE

Episode 10:

"Not Your Kind of People Pt. 3"

Shinji pressed the switch on the metal door. With a hiss, the door opened, revealing the short corridor that lead to Misato Katsuragi's Apartment.

Entering the living room, he was greeted with pretty much what he expected: beer cans scattered around on the table and floor, along with loads of insta-food packages just lying anywhere that wasn't the trash bin.

Shinji sighed: it seemed that his absence had left its mark. Dropping his bag on a chair, he grabbed a trashbag and began his work. Picking up one after one, the boy wondered how the woman managed to even stay alive.

As he picked up the last one, he took a good look at it: it feature the drawing of a man in a traditional japanese costume, with the words 'Premium Yebisu' below it. Shinji didn't knew a single thing about beer, but he hoped that Misato's favorite brand wasn't too expensive, considering how much of it she bought.

The woman had left him at the apartment while she was taking Mari to her new quarters, leaving the boy to make some food for them while she was out. No need to say it twice: Shinji was starving. He needed a lot of willpower to convince himself that the hospital food was actually edible.

After finishing the cleanup, he grabbed his bag and went to his room. The place, unsurprisingly, was the same way he left three days ago: neatly organized and clean. Misato could be nosy sometimes, but she knew her limits: enough to avoid messing with his room without is permission. Not that he wouldn't let her, of course: he had nothing to hide, and even if he did, he trusted her enough. She would just tease the boy endlessly, but that was it.

Because of that, he had been surprised at the scold he had received from her on the hospital. It seemed that there were many sides on Misato Katsuragi.

Shinji had thought about the woman's words earlier that day: they were harsh and commanding, something he expected to receive from someone like… like his father. He remembered the first conversation they had in years, back at Unit-01's cages: he thought about it often. It had been the day he started piloting, the day they had pushed him into a world and reality he had never expected to be part of.

Shinji frowned. Not from resentment at his father, or Misato or Dr. Akagi, but at himself.

He had chosen to pilot. When he made that decision, he wanted to protect people: at the time, he thought that he couldn't let that mysterious blue-haired girl pilot on his place. She was too injured. She would surely die facing the Angel. He knew it because he almost did.

With time, he realized that if he kept piloting, he could protect everyone: those he knew, and those he didn't. He piloted on his own volition, there was no one forcing him.

He piloted because he wanted it.

He could point fingers at anyone, blaming and accusing, but the truth would remain on his heart: it was his wish to do his best so no one would be hurt again.

He had assumed Misato didn't understand: that she had put on her cold military facade and scolded him for not following orders, simply fearing a reprimand from higher ups. For the mighty NERV, only results mattered. He was only a tool to be used, wasn't he?

But the more he heard the woman's words, the more he realized: she didn't do it because he had ignored her orders. She didn't say those words because she was a superior officer, expecting her soldier to follow every order she barked.

She did it because she was worried with him.

When he realized that, he felt like someone had punched his guts. He risked himself piloting, throwing his life to the line of fire with no regards for what other people thought.

Had he considered Misato's feeling when he turned off the comm? When he threw himself at the Angel, in an almost suicidal way?

He had only thought of himself, of what people would think of him if he had let anyone die. He was the only one who could avoid that, right? Misato would be happy as long as he had the job done, right? If he saved everyone, they wouldn't scold him, or beat him, or abandon him, right?

Shinji was disgusted with his own selfishness.

He rubbed his arm, feeling the cold metal of the object on his wrist. He shouldn't run away, he knew that. But maybe his reasons for not doing it were wrong. He wanted to protect them, but hadn't spent a second thinking about their perspectives: what would Misato think if he died in the battle? What would Uncle Akira think?

Misato had been nice to him, treating him like a friend, someone she genuinely enjoyed the company of. She had worried for him, the kid who she had welcomed to her home without blinking, the boy boy who she always joked with and warmly smiled to.

Akira had been like a father to him. He cared about him, and had been there for most of his life, supporting him at his lowest and cheering him at the highest. He didn't want to disappoint him.

But the truth was that if he kept acting like he did, he would surely do so. Shinji felt a pang of guilt: his selfishness could hurt all those he cared for. He needed to trust Misato. He needed to trust his uncle.

He would pilot for himself, the himself that cared about the closest to him. Instead of pleasing them for his own good, he would show them that they mattered. That he would do it for them and for all the bonds they shared. This was his decision.

He wasn't alone in the fight. And even if he were, he would fight anyway. He wouldn't run away.

Shinji sighed, his eyes wandering the room: his room. His clothes hanging on the wardrobe, the monochromatic nature of it not bothering him even slightly: he liked black and white, a somber combination that made him feel comfortable with himself, no matter what others thought. Some could accuse him of lacking style, but he favored confort over flashiness.

Even so, he had a few more casual clothes on it: removing his uniform, he switched it for a pair of jeans and a red t-shirt. Misato would be back soon, so he made his way to the kitchen thinking about his options on cooking. Maybe some katsudon.

He passed by the small fridge beside the normal one, and remembered something.

"Pen-Pen, you hungry?", he asked, leaning to open the fridge. Since arriving at Misato's residence, the boy had developed a strange relation with the penguin: at first, the creature had been suspicious of the boy, squinting its eyes whenever he passed by. In time, it realized that the boy would be a much better source of food than its owner, the strange woman who seemed to spent most of her time drunk on her ass.

Pen-Pen had took a liking for the boy. He wouldn't admit it even if he could speak, tough.

When Shinji opened the fridge, he was greeted with the sight of a penguin covered with many already eaten salmon, with only their bones as evidence. The penguin, on his end, was snoring loudly, its belly protuberant after what Shinji would call a banquet.

Shinji didn't knew if normal birds actually snored, but Pen-Pen was nothing like a normal bird.

He sighed and closed the small fridge, opening the the large one in search of the ingredients he needed. They were there, alright: pork, vegetables, eggs and etc.

Unfortunately, the smell gave it away: upon closer inspection, Shinji noticed the rotten nature of them. He groaned: Misato must've left the fridge open while drunk, spoiling the food. It seemed that the Katsuragi Household was unable to function without him.

Sighing, he removed the spoiled ingredients and threw them in the trash. He would have to make a run for the nearest market, and pray that it would be open at that hour of the night.

He entered his room in search of his wallet, finding it close to a cellphone. Something clicked on his mind: he had forgot about Misato's gift. Picking it up, the screen lightened up, with something Shinji didn't expect on it.

3 missed calls, unknown number. Shinji raised a brow, before placing the object on his pocket. If it wasn't Misato, he could check it later.

But when he turned to leave after getting his wallet, he noticed a rectangular object on his nightstand, an object he hadn't seen in many days. Smiling faintly, he went ahead and picked it up as well.

His SDAT was the same way he had left it: a bit worned out, but still functional. Shinji plugged the headphones on the small hole on the device and placed the plugs on his ears. He pressed the 'play' button.

Soon, he heard the faint sound of the cellos rise, almost like the calmness before the storm. It filled him with peace, a sentiment he often felt when listening to one of his favorite songs.

The orchestra made their way into the melody, Shinji humming along and moving his hands while he prepared to leave.

'Ode to Joy'. For him, it certainly was so. The first tape that he had heard on the SDAT, and the one he kept inside it for most of the time. It immediately brought him memories of his childhood, when Uncle Akira had heard of his accomplishments with a cello from his teacher. The man had bought him one as a gift, a gift Shinji was happy to use.

The instrument was now stored in his room, inside the wardrobe. Maybe he could practice some more when he had free time. His skills when he first started playing were laughable at best, but both his teacher and his uncle had seen potential on the boy.

At first, he played because he didn't want to waste the gift. It would be impolite to simply abandon it just like that. But eventually, Shinji noticed how much he had improved with it, being able to play his favorite symphonies with ease. That filled him with a sense of accomplishment: he was getting better at it, all on his own. He was happy when playing it.

He started to practice often. Not because of expectations, but for his own improvement. At each step of the way, he could feel the enjoyment he felt growing more and more.

His uncle was proud of him. But most importantly, Shinji was proud of himself.

Shinji locked the apartment's door behind him, feeling the warm wind breeze through him, coming from the darkness of the night. Even if the days in Tokyo-3 were hot like hell, the nights were somewhat pleasant. With the SDAT on his pocket and wearing its earbuds, he made his way towards the stairs.

The streets were mostly empty, with the exception of one or two passerby minding their own business. It reminded him of his first day in Tokyo-3: an empty city, like a ghost town that had just been abandoned. Obviously, this time was different: he could see the many lightened up windows of the city's homes, along with police officers making rounds, mostly looking out for homeless people sleeping where they shouldn't.

The city was in peaceful darkness, like it always did when an invasion was not happening. 'Guess people got used to it', Shinji thought. He couldn't lie: he enjoyed that feeling of calmness. It reminded him of home.

He made his way through the streets, humming Beethoven's melody. His objective was just around the corner: the local grocery shop, the one he was used to go whenever he needed. Good prices, too.

Turning on the corner, he was greeted with an unfortunate sight: the shop was closed, all lights out and a big metallic door covering it.

Shinji groaned. He scratched his head, thinking about his options. Maybe he could by some insta food on some 7/24 around the city, since it was the only option left.

"Hey."

Of course, Misato would probably tease him with a 'Surrendering yourself to the wonders of cheap food, Shin-chan?', or something like that. He would have to search for a place that was open around that time, of course. Being a newcomer to Tokyo-3, he wasn't very knowledgeable on the city's spots, so he could…

"Hey, dude", a voice called him. Shinji almost didn't heard it, the song on his earbuds louder than usual. Surprised, Shinji removed them from his ears and looked to his side, searching for the whoever had called him.

A few meters from him, stood a brown haired boy wearing a sports jacket. Hands on his pockets, he stared at Shinji with a strange expression: he frowned at the pilot, but there was something else on his eyes.

Shinji gasped in surprise, not knowing what to say. The boy beat him to it, raising his hand in dismissal.

"Relax, man. Didn't came here to punch you or anything", he explained.

Shinji stood still for a few seconds, before putting his hand on his sides, relaxing. He wasn't afraid of any aggression from the boy, he was just surprised to see him.

"I wasn't… well, I just didn't expect to see you here", he explained, letting out a small laugh.

The boy smirked, looking at his own feet. He pointed at the closed store besides them.

"Came to buy some stuff. The one we got on our street was closed, so I ran here to see if it was still open. Dad and grandpa are still working at the lab, so I'm on my own", he started to say, but stopped and looked at Shinji, snorting. "Sorry, ya didn't ask anything and I'm here blurting out stuff."

"No, it's okay", Shinji said, now raising his own hand. "Your parents work at NERV?"

The jock bit his lip and looked down. "Well, just my father and grandfather. Mom passed away a long time ago", he explained.

Something stung Shinji's insides and his eyes widened, but he kept quiet.

"Heh, they gave us a lecture after all that robot stuff we got involved", he continued, laughing softly. "But in the end they just busted Kensuke's camera and that was it. I was 'fraid they would fire dad, but we got lucky and they let us go."

Shinji snorted lightly. "He's the one with the glasses, right?"

"Yep. Bit of a nerd sometimes, but he's a good guy. You should…", he started, but suddenly frowned and scratched his head, looking down. He kept doing it for some time, as if he was thinking about something. He sighed and continued, looking at Shinji with a strange, but friendly, expression.

"Hey, look, I'm sorry about all that...beating and stuff", he told Shinji in an apologetic tone. "I was angry about my sister getting hurt, but… I know it's not your fault."

Shinji pressed his lips together. He understood what the boy meant, but it didn't free him from the guilt he felt when learning about the injured girl.

"It is my fault. If I had been better, that wouldn't have happened", he explained, his voice low.

"Dude, we had no idea how it was inside one of those things before we got on it!", the jock exclaimed, bothered by Shinji's sense of guilt. He crossed his arms, looking at the boy in front of him. "It hurts...doesn't it?"

Shinji kept quiet for a bit, thinking about the question. Did it? The EVA only brought the sensations of pain when the Unit was damaged. If he got hurt, it was his own fault.

"Only when the EVA suffers damage. It's… complicated", Shinji tried to explain, sighing.

"We saw you almost dying in that thing, man", the tall boy said, frowning. He didn't understand any of that EVA stuff (maybe Kensuke did), but he could figure that it wasn't a pleasant experience. "Can I ask ya something?"

Shinji raised his head, confused. "What is it?"

The boy scratched his cheek for a second. "Why… why do you pilot that thing?"

The question made Shinji freeze. It was the same question he had asked himself for some time, the one he struggled with. He thought it over some time, looking at his own feet as if they would give him a responde. None came.

He already had an answer. His answer.

"Because…", he started, hesitating. "Because I want to protect people. I want to do what is best for them. For those I care about", he explained, closing his eyes and rubbing his hand on his cheek. "I couldn't run away. If I did, I would never forgive myself."

The tall boy heard the response and kept silent for some time, gazing at Shinji while pressing his lips together. Slowly, he huffed and scratched his neck.

"Shit, so that's why", he said, laughing at himself. "Guess I should feel pretty dumb."

Shinji raised his hand, sighing at his own failure. "Don't. Your sister got hurt because I wasn't good enough. I didn't ran away, but… what good am I if I can't even do what I want to do? If I fail every step of the way?"

"My sister got hurt because of that monster, not because of you!", the boy exclaimed, frowning. "Listen, you can feel sorry for yourself because of it, but it ain't going to do any good."

Shinji's eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

The boy approached Shinji in a fast pace, a determined look on his face. For a second, Shinji thought he was going to punch him again, stepping back. But he simply stopped and stared at the the pilot.

"If you want to protect people, you hafta promise me!", he almost yelled. "Promise me that you won't give up. That ya won't let anything like what happened to my sister happen again."

Shinji gasped, surprised. He didn't expect those words. The tall boy continued:

"Look, I saw you inside that thing. You jumped at that monster like some crazy hero or something. You almost got wasted, and you didn't even flinch", he explained, grabbing Shinji by the shoulders. "I believe in ya, man. So promise me."

Shinji's eyes widened. The boy that had punched him because of his failure was right in front of him, begging him to not give up, to continue to fight, to improve and never let anyone else get hurt again. It was a heavy promise, one Shinji wasn't sure if he could keep.

But one he was willing to try.

"I… I promise", he responded, a soft smile on his face.

The boy looked at Shinji for a few seconds, before grinning and letting go of the pilot.

"Good", he said. "My sister believes in ya too. She almost beat my ass when she found out about the whole… punching thing", he continued, grunting and looking sideways, clearly uncomfortable. "So… I need you to do something else too."

Shinji raised a brow. "Do… what?"

The boy let out a long sigh, before stiffening and closing his eyes. "I need ya to punch me back."

Shinji blinked, not sure if he heard it right. "What?"

"Ya heard it! If you don't, I'll feel bad for the rest of my life!", he exclaimed, his eyes still closed. "Just do it!"

Shinji looked at the jock as if he had grown a second head out of nowhere. He wanted him to punch him? He got more confused as each second passed.

But seeing that the boy wouldn't let it go, as he was standing still, his eyes closed and readying himself for an incoming blow, Shinji sighed and decided to comply. He was the one who asked, after all. He felt no pleasure in doing so, however.

"O-okay, if you say so", Shinji answered, somewhat confused by the situation. He raised his fist, ready to punch. "Here I go, okay?"

The tall boy frowned, bothered by his hesitation. "Just do it! That's how men settle stuff!", he explained, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Shinji had serious doubts about that belief.

Pulling his arm back, Shinji swinged his fist towards the boy's face, landing on it with precision and strength. Even if Shinji didn't wanted to hurt him, he figured that he would get mad if Shinji didn't gave it his all.

The boy fell backwards, landing on his butt and rubbing his hand on his cheek. "Damn, for someone so scrawny, ya sure pack some punch", he said, whistling. He readied himself to get up, but Shinji had already extended a hand. The boy stared at it for a second, before grinning and accepting the help.

"Well, that settles stuff", he said, laughing. "Thanks, Ikari."

Shinji smiled. "Well, if you say so, uh…", he stopped after realizing he didn't even knew his name.

The boy raised his hand, smirking. "Relax, man. I'm Toji Suzuhara. Just call me Toji", he explained, extending his hand.

Shinji nodded in acknowledgement. "Well… call me Shinji, then", he said, smiling and shaking Toji's hand.

Suddenly, they heard a yell besides them. Turning to see who it was, they noticed an irate-looking police officer approaching them. Both kids got scared at the tall man marching at them.

"What is happening here?", he questioned, authority in his voice. He turned to Shinji: "That's physical aggression, are you aware of that?!"

Shinji gasped and raised his hands, trying to explain the situation, but Toji raised his own and budged in.

"Sorry, officer, we were just settling some stuff. It's all good now, I promise", he explained.

The officer stared at him, and seeing the sincerity in his eyes, he huffed.

"Well, alright", he said, putting his hands behind his back. "But I'll be watching you, young man", he said, piercing Shinji with his eyes. Shinji gulped.

After the officer left, Toji let out a small laugh. "Shit, guess we can't be doing that in public, huh?"

Shinji scratched his head. "Well, uh, there's probably some Section 2 agents watching over me, so…"

Toji's eyes widened in fear. "What?! There are dudes watching over you right now?", he exclaimed, looking around him worried. He found none. "Shit, what if they are stalking me after I beat you up that time?"

"N-no, relax! I didn't do anything", he tried to explain, but Toji just laughed.

"Calm down, man, I'm just screwing with ya", he said, smiling. He looked up to the darkness of the sky, sighing. "Shit, it's getting late. I should go home."

Shinji calmed down, sighing as well. "Yeah, me too."

Both boys stood there for a few seconds, not knowing what to say. After a while, Toji looked at the pilot, scratching his arm.

"Uh, look, I'll see you tomorrow at school, okay?", he told Shinji, seeming awkward for a second. "You can hang out with us or something."

Shinji mouthed an 'oh' in surprise, but nodded after a second. "Yeah, I will."

Toji smiled, turning to leave. Before he could do so, he hard Shinji calling him.

"Hey…", he said, seeming unsure of what he was going to say. "Can I… visit your sister at the hospital sometime?"

Toji looked back, surprised by the question. He lowered his head, thinking about it for a while. If he had asked it a few days before, he would've just given him another punch.

"Yeah… sure, you can come with me someday", he said, before groaning. "But ya gonna owe me: I'll have to listen to her fangirling over the famous NERV pilot or some shit."

Shinji laughed at the idea, and Toji smiled softly. This Ikari wasn't such a bad guy after all.

"Gotta go", he said, waving. "See ya, man."

Shinji waved back. "See you tomorrow."

After Toji went away, clouded by the night, Shinji stood there for some time. He's not such a bad guy, after all.

Remembering that he still needed to make Misato some food, he turned around and made his way home. He would figure out something to cook when he got there.

His earbuds hanged from his collar, the faint sound of the choir reaching Shinji's ears.

'Freude, schöner Götterfunken, Tochter aus Elysium, Wir betreten feuertrunken,

Himmlische, dein Heiligtum!'

Mari stopped in front of a metallic door, the apartment's number painted on it with an seemingly new coat of paint. Apparently, the building she would be living was recently constructed, something that made girl snicker in satisfaction. A nice place to live was a good change of pace.

Misato had dropped her right in front of the building, and wanted to accompany the girl on her first time entering her new quarters. Mari simply waved in dismissal, saying that she would take care of things herself. Misato simply shrugged, obviously happy with the prospect of going home and taking a good shower. After the goodbyes were said and done, Mari smiled: she had some inspections to make.

She opened the door, being greeted with the smell of paint on the walls. She groaned, knowing they would take a few days to get rid of. She opened her pack and took her old plugsuit out, sniffing it. The smell of LCL was much nicer.

She placed the bag on a wooden table in the middle of the living room, and took a good look around: it was a rather practical place, being clean and plain. But it had all the commodities she needed, like a fridge, a stove, a nice bathroom and a nice bed.

But it also had what would prove the best of all: a balcony.

Opening the glass door, she stepped out and breathed the warm air. From where she stood, she couldn't see much of a view, but there it was anyway: Tokyo-3, the city she had heard so much about. The most advanced city in the world, home to NERV, the first line of defense against Angels.

And home to the secrets who could destroy the entire world. It was time for Mari to begin her own efforts to prevent that.

The reason she couldn't get a god view was obvious: a large building blocking the view. It was a residential one, with many balconies just like hers. She noticed that the one right in front of her window was vacant, it drawers closed and no furniture to be seen inside.

Any person living there could easily communicate with her through the balcony without the chance of being seen.

This gave Mari an idea. She already needed to send some info, so she would be sure to add that to the message. Every bit of advantage was good to go, after all.

She giggled. "This is starting to get fun!"

Using her phone, she pressed a few buttons and hit 'send'.

No need to worry about interception: her phone's encryption would take care of it. She would need to get a normal one, tough, to make things less suspicious.

After doing her job, she threw herself on her bed, sighing and stretched herself, feeling sleepy all of the sudden.

It had been an interesting day: meeting Misato Katsuragi and the Third Child, and talking a little with Ayanami, the girl who was a focus of interest for her.

Was it curiosity? She didn't knew. But if she was close to the Commander, she could be a good lead.

It didn't hurt that she was good looking, too.

As for Ikari, he seemed like a nice guy. Got flustered easily, sure, but had more courage in him than he realized: that stunt he pulled against the Fourth Angel didn't passed by her unnoticed.

And, like Ayanami, it didn't hurt that he was also good looking.

All in all, all she needed was to keep being a simple EVA pilot. Eventually WILLE would send her specific orders, and they would be executed with swift professionalism. She was Agent Makinami, after all. Not many titles spelled 'bad-ass' for Mari like 'Agent' did.

She remembered that Misato had given her some papers she got with Ritsuko: an school emblem on top of the page, with some blanks to fill. Misato instructed her to present them tomorrow at the address written there. Picking them up, she grabbed a pen from her bag and began filling it.

Mari smirked at the prospect of attending school. Her mission on Tokyo-3 just kept getting better and better.

(Tokyo-2, Japan's Prime Minister Official Residence)

"From what I gathered from your explanation, Ms. Nakano", Shintaro Towada said, circling a small spoon on his cup of coffee. "Is that you have suspicions on NERV and its branches, and would like to take action on this suspicions. Suspicions, as of now, apparently unfounded."

Izumi Nakano shifted the weight on her legs. Conversations with the Prime Minister were always a bother for her: the large room held no chairs one could sit (except on official visits), making her stand straight up on the middle of the room.

On the end of the place, a wooden desk stood in the middle, with Minister Towada sitting on a large chair. He kept his gaze on the woman, fixing his coffee. He had offered her one, but she refused.

Above him, a large pendulum swinged left to right, similar to a clock, making the already huge room seem way bigger. She didn't knew the purpose of it, or if it even had one. Intimidation, maybe?

"What I mean, Mr. Prime Minister", she began, a professional tone on her voice. "Is that not all people on NERV are the epitome of righteousness. I am simply requesting the permission to make an investigation on my own. Surely, this could benefit all of us."

The man removed the spoon from the cup, raising it to his mouth and taking a sip.

"On your own? I was sure you were teaming up with Rokubungi on this", he said, frowning slightly. "We don't condone emotional actions here, Ms. Nakano. Mr. Rokubungi's ties with NERV and it's commander are not to be ignored."

"Akira's intentions have the goodwill of this country in mind, Mr. Prime Minister. His relation with Gendo Ikari may be troubled, but that is not the reason we suspect", she explained, hands behind her back.

The minister took another sip, this time cooling the drink with a soft blow.

"No bad blood between brothers, then?", he asked.

"That is not for me to say. Even so, he was involved with the creation of Gehirn. If he has suspicions, then I have suspicions as well", she told him. "We will not leave you without evidences, of course."

The Minister lowered his cup, placing it on the desk. He stared at Izumi for some time, apparently analyzing the woman for any signs of hesitation.

He found none.

"I see. So, if I were to give you permission for this operation, where would you start?", he asked her, curious.

Izumi cleared her throat.

"We need permission to access certain files outside the system", she began to explain. "We have knowledge that they are stored at an abandoned hospital building on Toyohashi City."

The Prime Minister raised his brows. "What could that have in connection to NERV?"

Izumi smiled. "They belonged to Kozo Fuyutsuki, NERV's sub-commander."

Towada put a hand on his chin, thinking. Even if he doubted that Agent Nakano and Rokubungi would find anything useful, he trusted her skills. If there was any dirt on NERV, she was the one capable of finding.

"I see. But that's not the end of it, is it?"

"It's not. My advice would be planting a mole on Tokyo-3, for guarantee. Someone they need, and that couldn't be disposed that easily", Izumi explained.

"You mean…"

"Yes", she confirmed. "Mr. Rokubungi will surely be requested by Gendo Ikari. He was a man of science, after all."

The Prime Minister let out a tired sigh.

"What about Agent Kaji?"

Izumi raised a brow.

"Do you trust him?"

Towada rose from his chair. Even if he wasn't fat, his age had caught up with him, as he was not at the peak of his physical condition. His grey receding hair was proof of it.

He walked towards the window, gazing at the city sprawled before him.

"Agent Kaji has some complications on his file, a few connections I'm not comfortable with", he explained, hand on his chin. "So to answer your question: no, I don't."

"Connections like that are inevitable to people like us", Izumi said. "Nobody is free from them. But I assure you, Mr. Prime Minister: we are loyal to Japan, and its people."

Towada turned his head and stared at her. Both Izumi and Akira had served him for years, and had to yet let him down. He trusted her instincts, for the lack of a better word.

"So you deny our nature as pawns?", he questioned. "It is a dangerous game, Izumi."

Izumi smirked.

"I do not, Mr. Prime Minister", she said. "But even pawns can win a game, if used correctly."

Towada kept his gaze on the woman, thinking. A dangerous person, for sure. If she set out on a objective, no one could stand on her way: he could say that from experience. The Prime Minister had always kept a glint of doubt: the nature of his job demanded that he never trusted anyone, so there were always suspicions on the back of his mind.

Especially in regards of his superiors.

Shintaro Towada decided to give them the benefit of the doubt. If Rokubungi and Akano had a lead, he would trust it, for now.

"Very well", he declared. "You'll be given permission to investigate. For now, gather those files you've spoken of."

"Yes, sir", Izumi said, bowing. "What about the mole?"

Towada returned to his chair, finishing his cup of coffee in one gulp.

"We'll have to wait for it", he said. "The Old Men are nothing if not patient."

"I assume it went well, judging by you face", Akira mocked the faint smile on Izumi's face when she left the room. The man was sitting outside the minister's office, reading a some complicated book that Izumi couldn't decipher even the title.

"Do not assume things so easily", she said rispitly. "But yes, we have permission for now, as well as the prospect of planting a spy on Gendo's Castle."

Akira stood up, holding his book on his side.

"That would be me?", he asked, smirking.

"Of course", she responded, walking through the corridors. Akira followed her. "Many gears are moving with the objective of transferring you to Tokyo-3. A strike of good luck, wouldn't you say?"

Akira hummed. "Sure."

"Don't lie to me. I'm sure you're eager to meet sensei after all those years. Not to mention the boy", she said, smirking. "And your brother, too. I bet there's going to be a big Welcome party."

"Didn't knew I was so popular", he mocked.

Izumi gazed at the man sideways. Wearing a dark suit, the man surely benefited from proper clothing. His brown hair was cut short, the bangs that used to get in the way of his dark eyes gone. She noticed that he had shaved as well, but dark circles on his eyes didn't lie: he was tired from all the work.

"You should. You look good on a suit, Akira", she told him playfully. "I'm glad that the years you spent on the countryside didn't strip you of your sense of style."

"Oh", he mouthed, before letting out a small laugh. "Some things never change. Some do, gladly, like your fashion tastes from college."

"Respect your senpai, Akira-kun", she said, smiling faintly. "Would you care for some coffee? I have some things to discuss."

"Of course, so do I. Bethmann passed this along", he said, handing the woman the book he carried. Opening it on the marked page, she found a series of dots and line scribbled on it.

After a minute of discreet translation, she understood its meaning.

'The forbidden fruit has been delivered. Awaiting orders. Point of interest: Kanto, 223, 303'.

Izumi nodded, looking at Akira. The man had a disappointed expression on his face, probably because there was no mention of his nephew condition after the battle against the Fourth Angel.

"Oh, stop moping. You can just call him", she said, nudging him with an elbow.

"I did, but he didn't answer", he explained, sighing. "Let an old man worry, Izumi."

"I'm sure you got the wrong number anyway. Classical Akira", she mocked, hand on her chin. She stared at the morse code message: simple and direct. "But I have to say, Bethmann chose well."

"Indeed", Akira responded, picking the book back. "For such a young girl, she has a lot of professionalism."

Izumi snorted.

"Just wait until you meet her."

(Germany, Berlin Branch of NERV)

Ryoji Kaji entered his room, an already lit cigarette on his mouth. The automatic door locked behind him, giving him the privacy he needed.

He approached his wardrobe, putting his hand on the space between it and the wall. After a second, he found what he was looking for: a small crack , which he pulled sideways. Placing the piece of metal away, he picked up an object inside the hole that was hidden: a heavy metallic suitcase.

After a few seconds analyzing it for any tampering, he pressed a button on its side, which made a small black screen to lighten up.

'No contamination. Vacuum procedures at 100%', read the green text.

Smiling to himself, he place the case back on the hiding place, putting everything back as it was before. Squeezing the cigarette butt on his ashtray, he unlocked the door and left the room.

Walking on the corridors, he passed by some technicians discussing things he had no knowledge about. One of them was a cute blonde girl, to which he gave one of his trademark smirks. The girl blushed and smiled, before going on her way.

Kaji snorted at his own hobby: he just couldn't help it.

"I see you're back in action, Mr. Kaji", a voice called from behind him.

Kaji turned to see Major Bethmann, hands on his back and wearing his ever present frown.

He couldn't blame the man: germans weren't know for their smiles, after all. At least, Bethmann could joke, better than most officers Kaji knew.

"Always am, Major", he responded, smiling. "What can I help you with?"

Bethmann extended his hand towards Kaji, holding something that confused the agent.

"Uh… chocolate?", he asked.

"Very observant", Bethmann retorted. The Major's humour came mostly from the lowest form of it: sarcasm.

Kaji snorted. "Well, Valentine's day is way ahead, Major."

"Perhaps. Maybe you could present yours to the fräulen back there", he said, pointing to the corridor where that blonde girl had passed. "But give the other to Miss Sohryu. I bought a few, and thought it would be courteous to give her one."

"Well, the thought is what counts", Kaji responded, picking the two bars. "But you'll need a lot more than chocolate to get on her good graces."

"Just a gift, Mr. Kaji", Bethmann explained. "I want to check on her status, if you don't mind. You were going to pay a visit to her, weren't you?"

Kaji smiled. "Very observant, Major", he mocked the man with his own words.

Bethmann smirked.

"Asuka, can I come in?", Kaji asked, pressing the doorbell.

No response. Kaji scratched his head.

"Asuka?", he pressed again.

After a few seconds, they heard muffled sounds, and steps coming towards the door.

The door opened, showing a redhead girl, with long hair tied down by two A-10 clips on both sides. Her soft white skin contrasted with the hair's fierce color, along with her shining blue eyes. She smiled brightly, bringing the best features of her face to display. Which was exactly why Kaji knew it wasn't a completely sincere one.

But looking down, both man noticed that the girl was wearing only a t-shirt and her undies, nothing more. Both looked away at the girl's state of undress, sighing.

Bethmann knew that the girl's behaviour tended to go to… unusual places when Mr. Kaji was involved.

"Kaji! I was waiting for you! I...", she began to say, before noticing Bethmann's presence. Her face turned in to a scowl, and she shrieked. "Scheisse! What is he doing here?", she hissed, trying to cover herself with her arms.

"Asuka! Put some clothes on, for god's sake!", Kaji ordered, tired of the frequent attempts the girl made.

Asuka Langley Sohryu closed the door at max speed, cursing and swearing at the Major. Since both were german, the man knew the weight of her choice of words, an amalgamon of 'Pervert!' and 'Asshole!'. He simply snickered.

Kaji groaned, glancing at the man. "I'm glad you're enjoying it, Major."

"Well, if the pilot is well enough to flash herself to you, I'm sure she will be fine for the synch test tomorrow", Bethmann said, laughing faintly. "Remind her of it, Mr. Kaji. Oh, and good luck", he said, before taking his leave.

Kaji sighed, watching the Major walk away with hands on his pocket. A strange man, that was. But Kaji didn't had to time to think of it, as Asuka opened the door, almost making him fall on her.

"Is he gone?", she asked, squinting her eyes.

"Yes, he is", he responded, noticing that the girl was now wearing some pants. Thank god.

"Well…", she said, smiling at the man and giving him puppy eyes. "Come in, Kaji."

Kaji sighed again, entering the room. "Just came to check on you, kid. How are things?"

The man sat at a chair besides her desk, something that upset Asuka: if he had sat on the bed, she could go beside him and snuggle on him.

Kaji was smarter, though.

The girl dropped on her bed, huffing. "It's been sooo boring!", she exclaimed. "You weren't here for the last weeks, so I had nothing to do!"

Kaji snickered. "Aren't you missing Mari too?"

Asuka frowned. "Why would I miss that four-eyed freak?"

"I don't know, you two seemed to at least tolerate each other", he explained. Or, at least, Mari did: Asuka seemed to reject the company of anyone but him, which was somewhat bothersome. Even so, it was good that Asuka had at least someone of her age to talk to. Even if by 'talking', he meant 'screaming' and 'bickering'.

"Hmpf, I don't need anyone but you, Kaji", she said, her smile back. "It's no fun without you."

"Really?", he mocked. "Well, our estimated Major has sent you a gift", he said, throwing the chocolate bar at the bed.

Asuka frowned and picked the bar, analyzing it. "Well, it could be worse", she concluded, placing it sideways.

"It could", Kaji said. He had given the chocolate a bit of an analysis earlier. There was nothing wrong with it, so the Major had apparently given it from the goodness of his heart. Strange man. "Anyway, what have you been doing?"

Asuka sat on the bed, hugging her legs. She pointed at a television set installed on a corner. Looking at the screen, she saw what it seemed to be recording of the battles against the Third and Fourth Angel.

Unit-01 ripping the Third's arms. Unit-01 jumping towards the Forth and making a deadly stand against the Angel. The Ikari kid had surprised Kaji: he had guts, that's for sure.

Kaji raised a brow. "Well, didn't knew you were interested on it."

"Yeah, I am", she said, sighing. Kaji analysed the girl: she rarely was on a bad mood around him, so it must have a good reason.

"What's wrong, Asuka?", he asked, worried.

She frowned at the screen for a bit, thinking.

"Isn't he an amateur?" she asked, venon on her words. "How can he pilot so well?"

Kaji put a hand on his chin. So that's why.

"I don't know. Maybe the kid has talent. Maybe it was just luck", he said, trying to defuse the situation. "You saw how he almost lost on the fight against the Fourth."

Asuka grinned. 'Good', Kaji thought in relief.

"Yeah, he almost got his arsch kicked", she said, snorting. "And he got really lucky: his cable was out, and he didn't even seemed to notice. This pilot is so stupid."

Kaji smiled. "Well, I wouldn't judge him by some videos. Someday you'll meet him", he said.

"Yeah, so I can teach that idiot how it's done!", she responded, her tone high and mighty.

The man laughed faintly at this. The girl was so proud and fierce… but also so fragile.

Over the years, he had learned how to interact with the girl. At first, she had been distant and rejective. Over time, she learned to trust the man, growing more and more attached.

More than he would wish for. At that, Kaji sighed.

"I gotta go, kid", he said, standing up. "I'll meet you later for dinner."

Asuka turned her head to him, her eyes shining. "A romantic dinner?", she asked, smiling cutely.

Kaji snorted. "No, just dinner. Sorry", he responded. "See ya, kid."

The man left the room, leaving Asuka on her own.

After a few seconds, Asuka threw her pillow on the wall in frustration. She hated when Kaji called her 'kid'. She wasn't a kid anymore.

Looking at the recordings, she huffed at the stupidity of the pilot: throwing himself at the battle, as if nothing mattered. Even with less than seconds left, he kept fighting.

And managed to destroy two Angels. Two.

Asuka growled, displeased. She would have a lot of catching up to do. Why didn't they send her to Tokyo-3 already? Her patience was at the limit.

She would make a triumphal entrance, of course. They had to know she was the best pilot around.

And she would show that stupid pilot how its done.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Author's Notes: The end of the "Not your Kind of People" arc, let's say.

Here we have a bit of Shinji's self reflections, one of the most interesting aspects of the series. Made a good efford to make my own version of it, so I hope you guys enjoy it. Funny, when I first wrote Izumi, i didn't expect her to be so 'proeminent' (even Akira got sidelined). But don't worry: Akira will appear a LOT more, and he won't just be "oh I'm a good adult and I fixed Shinji's problems". He won't be a bidimensional character, I promise: I believe you'll find his background and past quite interesting.

And finally, the big 'Shikinami or Sohryu' question is answered. Our dear Miss Sohryu is probably my favorite character ever, so I actually afraid of writing her. I care too much about it to screw it up.

Anyway, enough rambling. Thank you for accompanying me in the ruthless world of Eva Fics and on my journey. After all, I want to make just justice to the fics that inspired me to write this thing.

As always, leave a review and a favorite.

See you guys next time, and thanks for all your support.