This is a work of fiction. All rights reserved by Gainax, Studio Khara and Hideaki Anno.
Mari tried to stifle a yawn, unsuccessfully, for the tenth time. After using the memories of Shinji's warmth and scent to stabilize her sync rate at a new high, 79%, the mother of all adrenaline crashes had hit her, and hard. Granted, she had no idea how much energy bringing up a combat-grade AT-Field supposedly used, but she could probably...
At a new realization, her eyes went wide open for the first time in more than half an hour. Ayanami. The assassin definitely didn't feel exactly like her, but close enough. Not to mention she could swear on Unit-02 that whoever it was, they were unfurling their AT-Field on her direction. Normal people couldn't do that. She could, but only because-
"Oh." The brunette felt stupid for a second. The exact red hue of the eye, the pale skin of the arm, there we too many coincidences.
"Yes Makinami?" Ritsuko answered, both Maya and her paying close attention to the sync test of the girl. The first one after the incident with the pilot meant her new abilities could affect the link with her Evangelion in any number of ways. So far, individual readings were less stable, if leading to a higher average.
"Nothing Doc, sorry. Just getting hard to concentrate, I think that matrix business took more out of me than I thought." To be fair, she wasn't necessarily lying, but 'also, I just realized that the First Child is part-angel like me' wasn't something she could bring up casually. She needed to do at least one test to be sure. Then have a serious talk with Kaji.
At Maya's nod, Ritsuko opened the channel to all three pilots. "Alright, we can cut this test a bit earlier today, there's enough data for now. I'm rescheduling the next one for the start of next week. You're all free to go." At her earlier request, the MAGI were already sorting through the mountains of numbers from the second remote sync plug, looking for any patterns that showed similarity to the archival data of one First Child.
Mari sighed as she felt the warm water starting the long process of removing the brunt of the LCL scent. While she did enjoy it, it felt better as a hint than an overpowering stench; she had her rose-scented products to lead the bouquet.
That, and she had to figure how to breach the subject of 'hey, why did you never tell me you're part angel?' to one of her only friends currently showering in the stall next to her. To which she decided two things: Fuck it, and Do it.
"Hey, Rei?" She asked over the sound of the shower.
"Yes?" Came the somewhat reluctant reply.
"Can I check something?" Rei could tell that the Second's voice sounded... expectant? Slightly nervous? Pink? Wait, why did she attribute a colour to a voice? After filing it under 'questions for later', the bluenette figured there was likely no harm in it. She greatly enjoyed interactions with both other pilots, it let her experience feelings she had long abandoned. "You may."
What she wasn't prepared for took the form of a probing, almost gentle pressure to cascade onto her AT-Field from the direction of her tentative friend. Distracted by both the pleasant feeling of warm water on her skin and her own internal musings about friends and feelings, she didn't stop her own AT-Field from softly pushing back, balancing the metaphysical forces. By the time the Nephilim had realized just what she'd done, it was too late.
Slowly, like trying to keep a tiger from pouncing, Rei Ayanami leaned her face out from her shower stall. To her horror, she met the face of one Mari Illustrious Makinami who grinned from ear to ear. The standoff broke when the British girl all but literally pounced on Rei, lifting her in a bear hug. While they were both naked. While screaming (squeeing?) something about 'Angel buddies'.
When she finally felt the floor beneath her feet again, it still took a moment for other senses to come back online. Shinji's touch, the few times she had felt it, felt very pleasant. Mari's felt electrifying, as if their own AT-Fields sparked in contact. Her skin also felt warm. Soft. If anything, Rei's longing for someone to be close like the other two pilots were had just increased threefold.
"-id then?"
Apparently her friend – friend? Close friend. Had asked her something. Time for a full mental reboot. Shaking her head gently, Ayanami blushed slightly. "I'm sorry, I did not quite hear the question."
"I asked if it happened in that Unit-00 activation accident Shinji told me about. You were hurt pretty badly in it, right? Did your Eva heal you like mine did then?" Mari's smile held untold joy. She wasn't alone! Rei really was just like her! If anything, she knew how to wield her field far better, even! She had a *Sensei*! While a small voice in the back of her mind reminded her of the whole 'conspiracies and talking to Kaji' bit, right now she felt too happy to care.
"It.." Rei hesitated. She couldn't really tell Mari about her origins, but outright lying to one of the very, very few people she cared about didn't make her feel any better. So she settled for a half-truth.
"I've had more incidents with Unit-00 in the past. I did not suffer any significant changes to my biological makeup thanks to this last one." Not anything close to the entire truth, but it'd have to do.
"Ouch. Touchy Unit, eh? Still, she's kept you in one piece, that counts for something, right?" Her honest compassion and worry only made Rei feel even guiltier.
"Hey." Mari leaned closer, almost conspiratorially. "You've handled AT-Fields for way longer than I have. Can you teach me how to use them in combat outside the Evas?" Despite the implied need for secrecy, her mismatched eyes were almost shining.
"I... the Commander has given me express orders to not display anything that could identify me as not entirely human in public." Rei Ayanami had faced many things in her life. Gendo Ikari, Supreme Commander of NERV. Unit-00, a cyclopean beast filled with barely restrained rage. She even took the full power of Ramiel, the Thunder of God head-on, and never once wavered.
None of those could possibly have prepared her for the puppy eyes currently displayed by her fellow pilot. Makinami broke in 5 seconds what a plasma beam from an eldritch abomination couldn't break in 30.
"...however, given that you already know, an exception could possibly be made. If the Commander clears it, I will help where I can." Before Mari's smile could make her lose the train of thought, she continued.
"If you don't tell anyone." Mari knowing her secret already caused worry. While her somewhat similar condition gave Rei a plausible alibi if more people did learn, each one that did created more and more issues with the facade she had to maintain.
"Well, I felt sure because I could feel your AT-Field respond to mine, but I already had a suspicion. I mean..." Makinami held her still wet hair back, showing a particular strand on the right side where the root had started to grow a bluish silver instead of the chocolate brown like the rest of her hair. At Ayanami's visible surprise, she shrugged.
"Not that big of a logic leap. But! I promise I won't outright tell anyone. In exchange, you teach me. Deal, Ayanami-Sensei?" She held her pinkie finger extended while winking.
"...deal." With a faint smile, the more experienced Nephilim emulated the motion, their fingers wrapping around eachother before Mari nodded to herself and went back into her stall to finish showering.
Rei stood in place for a second longer, an odd feeling deep within her mind coming out like a whisper to herself.
"Why did this feel so familiar?"
While Section 2's black Sedan quietly crossed the streets of Tokyo-03, Shinji smiled as his girlfriend nuzzled closer, leaning into him across the backseat.
"Trrd. Hnngr. Wnnt m' Shinji." Mari mumbled into his shoulder, her weight and warmth on the young Ikari's arms soothing to his very soul. She had managed to go from even more energetic than usual to cuddle zombie in 20 minutes. Smiling, he caressed her hair and whispered back.
"It's alright Mari, we're almost home. I'll make a late lunch for us." If he could, the boy would probably spoil her to the ends of the universe and back. Not that she demanded it from him, although he didn't think he'd even mind, but he wanted to. Seeing her smile, feeling her warmth, knowing that he helped her feel happy or content in any way just, felt right. It made him happy. That she actually wanted to do the same for him still felt like a dream sometimes, but the soft breathing against his neck reminded him that this was, indeed, real life.
'Screw the angels. Screw my father. This... us. I'll fight for Us. I'll fight for this happiness.' His eyes widened a fraction with how he managed to surprise himself. Did he just use the wording he thought he did? Blinking, he looked again at the girl he could now accept he truly, desperately loved. Not just liked or lusted after, but loved with all his being. 'I guess I'm catching some of her fire.' He smiled at the thought. She certainly made him feel warm inside.
Shinji's introspection broke when the vehicle pulled over at the same parking lot where one of them had almost died this morning. Kaji climbed out, but when the boy turned to Mari, he found her very, very asleep. The thought of waking her up needlessly hurt his heart, and so he decided to return a certain favor that he still remembered fondly.
Kaji watched bemusedly while the Third Child, his... pseudo-ward? Son-in-law? Yes, he'd settle for son-in-law, did his best to not wake the sleeping girl on his arms as he carefully got her out of the car in a bridal carry. His muscles were visibly straining.
"Want help, Shinji-kun? Wouldn't be the first time I carry that sack of potatoes disguised like a girl to bed. She goes from 0 to 100 back to 0 really quick." The ex-triple agent offered. He used to think paternal instincts were something alien to someone like him. Life taught him otherwise.
"No, it's fine Mr Kaji. Thank you. You're still injured, and she did this for me before. So I want to do it for her." His voice sounded clipped while he strained muscles he didn't normally use to take heavy steps to the elevator. Shinji could have sworn that Mari wasn't normally this heavy. Maybe because she was unconscious? His self-image did take a bit of a hit at the difference to the ease with which she had done this before. Granted, Makinami had him beat on height and certainly on curves, but still...
Chuckling, the older man patted his shoulder after opening the door to the apartment. "You can do it, Pilot. Just a few more steps." Not that the encouragement felt necessary. From what he knew about the boy, he'd sooner tear every muscle in his body than let Mari fall. She could certainly do worse on partner choice.
'I just have to help keep them and the world alive against SEELE and Gendo. No big deal.' Watching Shinji carefully open the door to Mari's room, Kaji sighed wearily to himself. How he wished they could just go to a pub, grab a pint, and wait until it all blew over. That thought jostled his memory enough to remember that he had an assignment to report on.
"I'll get started on a late lunch, any requests?" Shinji smiled at him. Kaji wondered just how many girls would be fighting for the boy's affections had Makinami not swooped in. At least 3, maybe more.
"Tell you what, do you have the ingredients to make chicken pot pie? It's one of Mari's favorites, and she definitely deserves it after today." He smiled. Hells, once the smell spread around the house she'd likely rise from bed like something out of a Romero movie. Maybe they should have a classic movie night one of these days.
Shinji rolled the foreign name around his mind for a second or two before answering. "I... think? We should be well-stocked for now. I remember the name from when I looked into english recipes before. I don't fully remember how to make the dough, though." Seeing the boy's uncertain look, Kaji had an amusing idea.
"Mari's laptop is in the living room, feel free to use it to look up a recipe. I need to make a phone call, will be back in a minute." Waving to the boy, he did his best to hide the grin that wanted to come through. He knew his ward did nothing to hide her internet searches. Or her favorites bar, for that matter.
Focusing back on his main duty for the afternoon, Kaji pulled up his secure flip-phone when he got to the roof of the building.
CALLING – ASUKA SHIKINAMI LANGLEY
*Insert maniacal laughter* Mari did replace Asuka as the Second Child in this timeline. That doesn't mean there isn't an Asuka around. I'm sure some of you already know where she fits into the story, and to those that don't... well, try reading some old chapters again ;) A lot of this one has been a set up for the story as it goes on, and more hints as to where everything and everyone fits. Next chapter has more revelations, and Mari introducing Shinji to a wonderful new world of Online Thin Books.