Rebirth Chapter 14: A Devil's Worth, an evangelion fanfic

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion or anything associated with it. I'm writing this story simply because I enjoy writing.

Chapter 14: A Devil's Worth

As Misato made her way into one of the cafes within the depths of NERV, a playful smile graced her lips. Several days had passed since the party breaking in the Ready Room, time in which she felt like she had genuinely felt as if she had managed to accomplish a few things. And time which the lovely time she had spent dancing with Shinji remained with her.

I know I can't really expect him to go for this sort of thing all that often, but... Misato thought as she wandered about, looking for a place to sit back and relax. It was so nice to just be able to...relax. Just be with someone and just have some fun. Nothing physical; just...enjoying being together. Even as she thought this, certain doubts and niggling concerns started chipping away at that moment. I mean...I know that it...can't go any further than that. But...

"Hello? Misato?" a familiar voice sounded, loudly enough that it cut through the voices of her inner demons. Pausing in her meanderings, the purple-haired woman looked about, trying to figure out who had spoken to her, when the voice was heard again. "What is it, Misato? Did your brain go out to lunch without you?"

That immediately settled the matter of who was addressing Misato. There was only one person at NERV that she knew that would speak in that friendly yet teasing manner. And after a few more visual sweeps of the cafe, Misato caught sight of her seated at one of the tables, a lowered newspaper in one hand, a cup of coffee nearby, and rambunctious little girl in her lap. "And hello to you, too, Rits," the Major replied in a sour manner. Then in a more pleasant fashion, she added, "Hi, there, Rika!"

"Hi, Misato-sama," Rika replied pleasantly with a girlish smile.

"So, how's everything going today?" Misato inquired as she took one of the available seats. "You feeling okay, Rika?"

"I'm fine, Misato-sama," Rika replied.

"Well, not exactly fine, but a lot better than she was," Ritsuko replied with her usual candor. "Spinal injuries are tricky, as I'm sure you're aware, but everything we've seen so far is pointing to a full recovery."

"That's great. You've done good, Rits," Misato stated, nodding as she examined the little girl.

Smiling excitedly, Rika chimed in with, "Akagi-san is the greatest!" Pausing for a beat, as if daring Misato to disagree with her, she then said, "She got me walking again, and gave Toji back his arm and leg…"

"Now, now," Ritsuko said evenly. "A lot of people helped with that, you know."

"Yeah, I know," Rika assured her. "But you're the one who came up with the idea for all of it."

While Ritsuko sat there, as if considering a suitable rebuttal for this statement, Misato decided a change in subject might be in order. "So, Rits," she began, indicating the newspaper with a nod of her head, "anything interesting in the news today?"

Clearly surprised by the sudden shift in topic, Ritsuko considered the matter before shrugging. "No, not," she replied in a bored fashion. "The government is discussing some changes to the Restoration Act, that's all."

"Really?" Misato inquired, taking a closer look at the headline. She was familiar enough with the subject material. The Restoration Act had been passed as measure to give greater focus to efforts towards repairing the damage done by Second Impact. Cloning and recreating lost animal species, habitat reclamation, reconstruction and salvaging of materials from the destroyed cities were amongst many of the things covered by the Act. "So…what kind of changes are they thinking of?"

"New marriage laws, as well as programs to encourage…um…" Ritsuko paused, looking at the little girl in her lap.

"Breeding and repopulation," Rika continued, eyeing the newspaper sagely. When the two older women shot her confused glances, she just smiled. "Don't worry. I know that babies aren't delivered by a stork!"

As Ritsuko rolled her eyes, Misato shook her head and smiled. "They grow up so quickly these days, don't they?" When this elicited the hoped-for laughter from the other two, the Major returned her attention to the paper. "Anyway, what are they planning on, anyway?"

Ritsuko opened her mouth to answer, but before she could get a word out, it was stilled on her tongue by a sullen, nasty voice saying, "Aw, what is it, Major Slut? Hoping they'll actually make it legal for you to jump the baka's little bones!?"

The three females turned towards the source of the voice, at which point Misato scowled irritably. "Asuka, what are you doing here?! You know you're not supposed to be this far away from the Ready Room while you're on standby!"

"Hmph! I'm not even supposed to be on standby, in case you've forgotten!" Asuka sneered. The German was clad in her plugsuit, and wearing an expression that would cause milk chocolate to sour before it turned into a solid lump of coal. "But of course, since when do the rules meaning anything to whores like you?!"

"Hey!" Rika shouted, her face turning overly-cute with anger. "You shouldn't talk like that to your elders!"

"I'll talk to her anyway I want, Lil' Miss Stooge!" Asuka snapped, walking towards a nearby magazine rack. "You'd think the dummkopfs here could at least stock that damned Ready Room with books in German!"

"Wait a second...what's Asuka doing here on standby?!" Ritsuko wondered, shocked by both the redhead's presence and her attitude. "I thought Shinji was scheduled to be here today!"

"Why don't you ask everybody's favorite hedonistic pervert where the baka is?" Asuka sneered viciously. "My guess; he's probably sleeping off whatever she did to him in her bed!"

"Alright, Asuka, that's enough!" Misato scolded, crossing her arms in that manner that meant business. "If this is about the bet, get over it. I won, you lost. So deal with it!"

"You cheated! That's the only way a drunken slut like you could ever have won!" Asuka whined painfully.

"Keep it up, Asuka, and you'll be here on standby tomorrow as well!" Misato vowed, the look in her eye and a raised finger adding emphasis to her promise. "And if you're not out of here within the next ten seconds, you can count on being on standby the day after that as well!"

Asuka's face creased with rage, metaphoric flames providing a backdrop for her as tufts of her hair curled into devil horns. "One, two, three..." Misato counted, daring the volatile redhead to say or do anything to challenge her. "Four, five, six, seven -!"

It was clear that there was nothing more that Asuka would have loved to have done more than challenge Misato's authority. But in the end, the German's desire to avoid further punishment forced her to swallow her pride. With seconds to spare and knowing that she wouldn't be winning this battle, Asuka snorted, grabbed a magazine that was written in English, and stomped off, various German profanities that Misato understood all too well drifting to their ears.

Wide-eyed with confusion, Ritsuko looked at Misato. "Excuse me? What was that all about? What bet?!"

Sighing in annoyance, Misato returned her attention to her friend. "You see, a couple days before the party, I told Shinji that I was cutting back on beer." When Ritsuko responded with a blank face, the purple-haired woman elaborated, "Remember? I mentioned that at the party?"

"Yes, I remember," Ritsuko assured her. "I still don't believe it, but I do remember. But what does that have to do with any bet?"

"Well, basically, Asuka said that I could never cut back on beer," Misato replied, knowing full well that she was leaving herself open to a shot from Ritsuko. "So we bet that, if I couldn't make it a week without a beer, I'd spring for a date between her and Kaji."

"I'm guessing that didn't happen, as impossible as it might seem," Ritsuko smiled. "So what did happen?"

"Well...it's like this," Misato hesitantly answered...

Flashback

It was a fairly typical morning in her apartment as Misato made her way to the dining room table, already looking forward to the culinary delights Shinji had prepared. Smiling broadly as she spotted Asuka already there, awaiting her own morning repast.

"Good morning, Asuka," Misato beamed as she came to stand by the table. When the German responded with a surly snort, the Major smirked that much more before holding up a large folder. "Here. I've got something to show you."

As Misato let the folder plop down upon the table, Asuka focused on it. "Huh?" the German muttered blearily. "What's this supposed to be?"

"Nothing much. Just a report from Section 2 on my activities for the past seven days," Misato replied, not bothering to even try to keep the triumph she was now feeling from her face as she went into the kitchen, curious to see what Shinji was putting together for breakfast. "Take all the time you need to read it."

"Huh?" Asuka replied, clearly confused by Misato's carefree attitude. But after a moment's consideration, the German picked up the folder and started looking through it. "Hey...what the -?!"

"In case you haven't figured it out yet, that's a report from Section 2 regarding my activities these past few days," Misato commented.

"A report?" Shinji repeated, giving Misato a querulous look.

"It'll make sense in a second, Shinji-kun," Misato assured him even as she glanced back towards the dining room table. Striving to look casual about it, she watched as Asuka leafed through what she knew to be a detailed account of Misato's day-today activities for a full week, including the results of various breathalyzer tests.

As she flipped through the pages, Asuka scowled, her expression becoming angrier and more disbelieving with each flip. Until at last she reached the end, her eyes ballooning with shock as she realized what the report was saying. "N-no way!" the German sputtered in horror. "It can't be! This is impossible!"

"Afraid not," Misato replied simply as she fetched a can of cola from the refrigerator, even as Shinji placed the pancakes on the table.

"What is it? What's wrong?" the 3rd Child wondered as he looked from Misato to Asuka, whose veins were exploding from her forehead as her teeth grinded mightily. "What's that report say, anyway?"

"It states, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I have been alcohol-free for more than seven days," Misato announced as she came to the table and sat down. "Which means that…I won the bet!"

"No!" Asuka snarled, looking hatefully at the older woman. "This can't be right! You drink like you breathe!"

"Not anymore, I don't," Misato declared, a hint of pride in her voice as she spoke. "So, tell me, Asuka…do you want to pack up your stuff its trip back to Germany…or should I?"

Her face falling in astonished outrage, Asuka could only stand there, staring at Misato. As the purple-haired woman allowed herself some pleasure in this victory, Shinji broke out in huge grin. "Th-that's great, Misato!" he burst happily. "I…I knew you could do it!"

"No! She can't! She DIDN'T!" Asuka howled in disbelief. "She's lying! She has to be!"

"Tell that to Section 2," Misato replied coolly, indicating the report Asuka still held with her cola just before chugging it down.

"Oh, sure! I'm supposed to believe a bunch of morons who work for you?!" Asuka sneered hatefully. "You probably just ordered them to make this schisse up, you lying slut!"

"But…Asuka, she hasn't touched any of the beer here," Shinji started, moving slowly towards the redhead. "We haven't seen her drinking or anything, so -"

"SHUT UP!" Asuka roared, lashing out at Shinji before either he or Misato could respond. The blow caught him across the jaw, sending him flying into a wall.

Out of her mind with rage, Asuka fell upon Shinji, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt and readying to pummel him for all she was worth. However, even as she readied to fire off the first blow, Misato leapt out of her chair and firmly gripped Asuka's wrist. "Asuka, what did I tell you before? About not bullying Shinji?"

"What?!" Asuka shrilled as she stared at Misato in disbelief. Not so much as a trace of remorse in her voice or face.

With this being the last straw in Misato's mind, she glared harshly at the redhead. "Congratulations, Asuka," she declared in a voice rife with authority. "You're taking Shinji's place for his next turn on standby."

End Flashback

"Oh, joy. It's times like this that I wonder why you brought those kids into your place in the first place," Ritsuko muttered incredulously.

"So Asuka really attacked Shinji?" Rika asked disbelievingly. "Then what happened?"

"Well, I won't go into details. But suffice it to say that things were pretty ugly," Misato assured them. "Asuka kept insisting that I had cheated somehow, and threw a tantrum - not to mention some of my furniture - before I threatened to have her put on permanent standby."

"Ugh," Ritsuko grimaced sourly. "Dare I ask what happened after that?"

"Not much. After a whole lot of shouting, Asuka stomped off to her room and locked herself in for the rest of the day." Giving a helpless shrug, Misato then added, "The rest you know."

"The sad thing is, I can't exactly blame Asuka for having a hard time believing that you actually won a bet like that," Ritsuko muttered with a touch of wry humor. "So just out of curiosity, what did she bet?"

"Her clothes. Since I won, Asuka now has to send all of her clothes that she couldn't fit in her room back to Germany," Misato informed her, to which the faux-blonde snickered. "Of course, Asuka is convinced that I cheated and that she should get that date with Kaji, anyway. Despite the fact that I've been taking breathalyzer tests and everything else to prove I'm clean."

"Unfortunately, that sounds about right for her," Ritsuko admitted. "Still, aren't you worried, Misato?"

"What do you mean?" Misato wondered.

"Asuka isn't exactly easy to deal with, even when she's in a good mood," Ritsuko explained candidly. "And now she's mad at you, and on standby? The only pilot we have on hand if we're attacked?"

Realizing the doctor's point, Misato gave a helpless shrug. "I know, but...I've been making some changes at home, and I told Asuka that every time she bullies Shinji or Rei, that she'd spend one day on standby."

"So basically, you're using standby duty as a way to get some better behavior out of her?" Ritsuko inquired.

"It's the best way I could think of to handle this sort of thing," Misato explained. "I've been pretty lax on discipline at home, Rits. And after everything Shinji went through for me...I can't just sit back and watch Asuka terrorize him anymore."

"I guess that makes sense," Ritsuko admitted. "But what about Shinji? What would you do if he were disobedient?"

Raising a purple eyebrow, Misato smiled knowingly. "And just how often does that happen?"

Ritsuko gave another short laugh at this. "Okay, you've got me there," she finally admitted. Then, taking a look at her watch, she smiled at the girl on her lap. "Sorry, Rika, but my break is almost over. I have to take you back to your room now."

"Oh...well, okay," Rika replied, an understanding frown on her face. "Will you visit me later?"

"Of course," Ritsuko replied with a pleasant nod.

As Rika slowly, reluctantly slid off of Ritsuko's lap, Misato smiled and asked, "Mind if I tag along, you two?"

A surprised look appearing on her face, Ritsuko raised an eyebrow. "Well...sure, but...why?"

"Do I really need a reason?" Then Misato smiled tiredly before asking, "Besides, just how often do we get nice, quiet, peaceful moments like this around here?"

Now it was Ritsuko who looked worn as she admitted, "Nowhere near often enough." Giving a self-depreciating smile at this, the doctor sighed before standing. "Alright. Be my guest, then."

Nodding to this, Misato glad followed her friend and Rika as they made their way out of the cafe.

"There you go, Rika," Ritsuko beamed as she helped the young girl into bed. "Now, I'll be back to check on you later. So for now, I want you to try and get some rest, okay?"

"Okay," Rika nodded, still smiling happily as she snuggled up beneath her blankets. "Bye, Akagi-san."

"Bye," Ritsuko nodded, and with that, she and Misato started making the trek back out of NERV Medical.

As the two of them walked along, Misato studied the expression her friend wore, something that was not lost on her. "What?" Ritsuko wondered somewhat suspiciously. "What is it?"

"Oh, nothing," Misato smiled thoughtfully. "It's just...I never thought I'd see you like this." When Ritsuko frowned her confusion, her purple-haired friend added, "You know...the way you've been with Rika and everything?"

Pausing to consider this, Ritsuko soon nodded, perfectly understanding her friend's confusion. She generally preferred not to get too close to others, such as the children. With everything that had happened in her life, all the secrets and nightmares that she had found herself mired in, she had done her all to further distance herself from her emotions. To keep everything at arm's length, where it was the least painful and the most manageable. To treat people as she would scientific equations.

Doing whatever she could to stay alive, to keep from collapsing. Because Ritsuko couldn't help but feel that, if she ever stopped doing that, if she allowed her emotions to get free of her and, gain control of her...then she would simply die.

"I don't know what to tell you, Misato," Ritsuko finally admitted. "I...I've never been in a situation with someone like this. Like with Rika." When the Major cocked her head to the side, the doctor shrugged helplessly. "When...when Toji agreed to pilot and Rika was admitted to NERV Medical...they asked me for help on coming up with treatment options for her. Her injuries were so severe that...they needed all the help they could get."

"And so they came to you," Misato nodded.

Ritsuko nodded as well, for in truth, the fact that she had been called in was not so surprising. Though not a medical doctor, she did have some basic medical knowledge, and her work with the Evangelions required her to deal with both human and Angelic life-forms on a regular basis. Medical knowledge had become of vital importance to her, as had coming up with ways of using it in ways that no one else had. "I mean...at first, it was just a job. Just like anything else," the faux-blonde explained. "But...I dunno. I...she was depending on me. On...on me."

"I know how that feels," Misato replied, giving a self-depreciating smile. "Strange as it might seem."

"Yeah." Pressing her lips together, Ritsuko considered her next words. "I...I wasn't expecting that, Misato. Not at all. But..." Heaving a deep breath, the doctor struggled to keep her emotions under control, all the while framing them in words that accurately conveyed them. "I...I don't know how it happened. But...after a few days of working with her...Rika stopped...just being a job for me."

"That does happen," Misato replied.

"Yeah, it does," Ritsuko admitted, unsure of what else she could say. "Maybe that's why I worked so hard...helping Toji." Despite herself, the faux-blonde felt a tugging at her lips. "It's...a good feeling. Isn't it?"

"No arguments here." Heaving a deep breath, Misato gave a playful shrug before saying, "Well, as much as I've enjoyed waxing philosophical with you, Rits, I've got to get back to my office. I've still got a few piles of paperwork on my desk, and I want to get them out of my office before they start breeding."

Without even thinking about, Ritsuko gave a nod to this, all too familiar with the breeding habits of bureaucratic bull. And so she stood there, watching as her friend started away.

A friend that had very nearly died, saving Ritsuko's own life. A friend that was in the dark about so much about NERV. A friend that...

"Wait," Ritsuko said, much to her surprise. She had not made a conscious decision to speak; the word had somehow forced its way out of her mouth on its own power.

While Ritsuko was trying to figure out what had prompted her to speak, Misato turned to face her. "Yes?" she asked, her eyes narrowed with concern. "What is it, Rits?"

For a long moment, Ritsuko looked uncertainly at Misato. On the one hand, she couldn't help but be afraid that she was making a mistake, disclosing information without Gendo's authorization in this place where Gendo's will and his will alone reigned supreme. But at the same time, talking about Toji and Rika had touched something inside of her, weakened some of the restraints she had placed on her own heart, allowing some of the guilt and concern she kept at bay to seep freely into her heart.

Caught between these two sensations, the rational, scientific part of Ritsuko's mind eventually chimed in, reminding that Misato would likely learn of this particular burden, sooner or later, anyway. And with this voice tipping the scales, the doctor looked at her friend. "There's...something I should tell you," Ritsuko began hesitantly. "It...has to do with Toji."

"What? What is it?" Misato wondered, her features creasing with concern. "Is something wrong with his casts?"

"No, no, it...this has nothing to do with that," Ritsuko replied, still struggling with her own fears and concerns. "It's about...Unit 03."

"Unit 03?" Misato repeated perplexedly. "What about it?"

A heavy silence fell on the two women as Ritsuko again struggled to speak her piece. As the silence grew more unbearable. Forcing the doctor to heave a deep breath, all so she could say, "Unit 03 is being repaired. We'll be ready to do reactivation tests about two weeks."

The instant these words were out of the doctor's mouth, Misato's eyes bulged clear out of their sockets as her jaw fell. Strange sounds escaped her lips as she tried to restore her vocal cords to functional status. Then, when she finally succeeded, she gasped out, "Wh-what...repaired?!" Then, as if waiting a few seconds to see any sign that Ritsuko would correct her, tell her that she had heard wrong, the Major shook her head in disbelief. "Are you kidding me?! But that thing was scrapped!"

"That's what I thought, at first," Ritsuko admitted, nodding her head in understanding. "But…later, when we brought Unit 03 back to be disposed of, I discovered that there had been a...side-effect of it being possessed by the 13th Angel."

"A…side-effect?" Misato repeated disbelievingly.

"Apparently, the Eva's own natural regenerative powers had been enhanced. Beyond anything we could have expected," Ritsuko continued, her voice shaking somewhat as she continued to give voice to these things. "The organic elements were even repairing some of Unit 03's mechanical components. Commander Ikari ordered me to study the process, in the hopes we could apply it to the other Evas."

A beat passed as Misato grimaced. "Dammit, I don't like this! That Eva has nothing but bad memories attached to it!" Shaking her head ruefully, the Major shot Ritsuko another look. "So what does this have to do with Toji?"

"Simple," Ritsuko replied, feeling that explaining this was anything but simple for her. "Once it's operational again, it's going to need a pilot."

"A pilot?! Who -?" Misato started. Only for her face to fall in horrified realization, stopping her in mid-sentence. "No," she then got out, her voice low with dread. "Not Toji! Not again! No!"

"The Commander said that he was the best choice," Ritsuko explained, the words coming out of their own accord now. Too shaky to even attempt to stop herself from speaking. "He's already been through most of the basic training, so we wouldn't have to waste time starting from scratch, and with the casts coming off at about the same time…"

"Ritsuko, are you crazy?!" Misato demanded, the doctor wincing in response. "Toji almost died once because of that thing, and you saw what it did to Shinji!"

"I know! I know!" Ritsuko shouted, heaving deep breaths as if desperate to retain control. "How do you think I feel about this?!" Sucking in another breath, the doctor felt her body trembling with all the emotion that she kept safely locked away, impinging upon her rational mind. "If only you'd seen the look on his face when I started the regenerative process, growing his new limbs. When he saw his new arm and leg for the very first time, even before we fitted him with the casts! They were just bones, Misato! Bones and some of the soft tissue! But when he saw them, saw that he was going to have his body back…he just lit up, Misato! Like that was the happiest day of his life!" Sniffing slightly, Ritsuko shook her head mournfully, the memory of that day clearly vivid in her mind's eye. "When he thanked me, he was looking at me like I was a goddess! And when I saw that face…when I saw how happy I'd made him, I…"

As the doctor trailed off, the intensity of emotion beyond her ability to give voice to, Misato studied her friend for a long time. "Ritsuko…" was all the Major said at first. Then, taking a deep breath, she said in somber manner, "Well, I guess it's not all bad." When Ritsuko responded with a disbelieving look, Misato added, "I mean...he can always refuse, right?"

Realizing her friend's point, Ritsuko shook her head sadly. "He won't."

Her brows furrowed, Misato asked, "What do you mean, he won't?"

Shame and guilt twisting her features, Ritsuko looked her friend in the eye. "Because Commander Ikari has ordered me to hold off on Rika's final treatment unless Toji agrees to return as the 4th Child."

At that moment, Misato's features twisted with consummate rage.. "He what?!" she shrieked, shuddering from the sudden fury. Fury that momentarily subsided into confusion as she asked, "But…she's already walking, so -?"

"Right now, she's dependant on the braces I built to supply her legs with nerve impulses her spine still can't send," Ritsuko explained, feeling like an Eva was standing on her shoulders. "Unless Toji agrees to pilot again, the Commander will cancel her final treatment and have her braces be removed. She'll be expelled from NERV Medical...and stuck in a wheelchair for the rest of her life."

Taking no comfort from the fact that the rest of Rika's life wouldn't be long if Gendo and SEELE got their way, Ritsuko felt a surge of fear as her friend reacted to this latest revelation. Almost pulsing with rage, Misato looked one way and the next, as if searching for something to vent her fury upon. "Why, that goddamned, evil, son of a -!"

Without warning, the world around Ritsuko was plunged into a deep, blood-red, followed shortly by the sound of the alarm blaring. Very nearly jumping out of her skin, the doctor looked wildly about, trying to figure out what was happening, until her eyes met Misato. "I'll be discussing this with the Commander later!" the Major declared, her rage momentarily put to the side as she took hold of Ritsuko's wrist. "Right now, let's get to the bridge!"

Still thrown by everything, Ritsuko could only nod and follow her friend as Misato turned and made a mad dash down the twisted network of corridors that would eventually lead them to the bridge.

As soon as Misato stepped through the doors, she surveyed the situation. The bridge crew was already in place, but that was all she could see. "Talk to me!" she demanded, determined to take control of whatever was happening. "Status! Is it an Angel?"

"Negative, Major!" Makoto reported, tapping at his controls like their lives depended on it. As they very well might. "We detected in explosion in the city! Section 2 has already reported sighting a cocoon growing from one of the buildings!" Pausing to glance at Misato over his shoulder, he made a face of grim concern before adding, "According to the MAGI, the energy readings indicate a high concentration of nanotech inside the target!"

"Confirmed!" Maya added as she worked her own station. "Readings are consistent with the data obtained from the 1st Fallen!"

Processing this information and suffering a sinking feeling as a result, Misato demanded, "Show it to me!"

"Bringing image on-screen now!" Shigeru stated as the holographic screen shifted. Before their eyes, a section of Tokyo 3 was displayed, shot from the air. The focus of the image was a skyscraper with a monstrous bulge growing from its side. A bulge that was visibly growing.

"This is it. The 2nd Fallen," Misato mused grimly. Dammit! We're supposed to fighting real Angels! Not these things! she added inwardly, cursing whatever idiots were responsible for these monstrosities with everything she was worth before returning her focus on the situation. "How long do we have until it hatches?!"

"Approximately nine minutes, sir!" Maya reported.

"I'm just glad that Shinji's the one on standby today!" Shigeru muttered, a slight grin on his face. "We sure lucked out there!"

"No, we didn't," Ritsuko muttered unhappily. As the bridge crew turned to look at her, the doctor shot her friend a wry glance. "Misato changed the schedule a bit. The pilot we have on standby today…is Asuka."

As the three crewmembers looked at the doctor, Makoto seemed to sag. "We're screwed."

"Belay that talk, mister!" Misato growled, determined to do the best with what she had. "Shigeru! Send the recall order to Shinji and Rei! Get them here immediately! Maya, send an emergency evacuation order to that part of the city! Makoto, keep monitoring that thing! I want to know exactly what it can do!" Once satisfied that her subordinates were complying with her orders, the purple-haired woman went to her station and hit the control that would instantly connect her with the Ready Room. "Asuka! Come in!"

"Don't bother me now, Major Slut!" came Asuka's bitter voice. "I'm just about to get a new high score!"

Her mouth falling in astonished horror, Misato's mind went completely blank as she processed the German's words. Wh-wh...what did she just say?! she thought disbelievingly, automatically bringing up the video feed from the Ready Room Sure enough, Asuka was seated before the TV, game controller in hand and a grimace on her face.

"Asuka! What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Misato furiously shrilled. "Report to the Eva Cages NOW!"

The German turned to look at the camera scornfully. "What's the matter, whore? Don't you want to wait for your precious baka-Shinji?!" Asuka sneered. "Or is he all tired out? Is that it? Has he been spending too much time warming the sheets with you?"

Misato's mouth fell to the floor in outright shock and outrage at the redhead's flagrant insubordination. "How dare you -!"

"Sir! Approximately eight minutes until the Fallen hatches!" Makoto reported, the fear in his eyes obvious.

Forcing herself to swallow her anger, Misato returned her furious gaze to Asuka, who was still sitting there like she hadn't a care in the world. "Did you hear that, Asuka?! Now hurry and get to Unit 02! Move it!"

"Why? So I can play 'Taxi' for the baka again?! Run over to your apartment and make sure he gets to his purple freak all nice and cozy?!" Asuka spat, not showing even the slightest interest in being cooperative. Then her lips twisted into a nasty smirk. "Of course, he was supposed to be on standby today. Huh! I wonder why he isn't?!"

"Goddammit, Asuka! We don't have time for this!" Misato snarled, suddenly at the end of her rope with the redhead. "We have only minutes before that Fallen hatches, and there's no way we'll be able to evacuate that part of the city in time! The only chance the people out there have is you! Now get off your dead ass and get ready to launch!"

Asuka then looked at the camera in mock-astonishment. "Oh, so now you need me! Is that it?" the German sneered. "Gee, isn't it amazing how popular I am when I'm the only pilot you've got?!"

"Seven minutes!" Makoto warned.

Struggling to keep her temper in check, Misato focused on Asuka. "What do you want, Asuka?! For me to beg? To grovel and say just how wonderful you are?!" the Major gritted wrathfully. "Well, forget it! But I will tell you this; that you are a skilled pilot! More skilled than Shinji!"

"Sure I am…" Asuka mocked, rolling her disbelieving eyes.

"It's true, Asuka! You've been in training ever since you were little, while Shinji's has only been training for less than a year! And, yes, you're brave pilot! But you also really piss me off! Why?! Because you keep making every battle about you! You and your precious ego!" When the redhead scowled even more at this, Misato forged onwards. "When the 14th Angel ripped off Unit 02's arms, you should have backed off! Instead, you just kept bulling ahead! If we hadn't disconnected your Eva, you'd be dead now!" Sucking in a furious breath, Misato was well aware that precious time was ticking away. "Yeah, you're brave, but dragging your pride into a fight is only going get you killed! You and who knows how many others?!"

Misato could see it Asuka's eyes, could see the approach working. "You want me to say we need you? We need you! You want me to say that people will die, and only you can do anything to stop it?! That's exactly what's going to happen!" she shrilled, eyeing the cocoon that was growing larger by the second. "I'll also say that you're probably the biggest pain in the ass I've ever met, and that if you don't stop trying to prove how 'great' you are, you're going to wind up dead! And I don't want you to die, got it?! You may be a stuck-up little bitch, but I do care about you, and if you died, it would kill me and a lot of others as well! But you still have a job to do, so you get to your Eva right now, or I swear I'll have you shipped back to Germany with your clothes! Got it?!"

Asuka blinked once, twice before smiling broadly. "Well…since you put it that way!"

Sighing with relief, Misato looked at the image before her. "Thanks, Asuka," she muttered tiredly, but the redhead was already gone. "Damn..."

Feeling a hand on her shoulder, the Major turned to see Ritsuko behind her. "Nicely done, Misato," the faux-blonde commented. "I have to admit; you're a much better guardian than I gave you credit for."

"If I were a better guardian, I would have gotten off my dead ass a long time ago," Misato commented sourly. "I never should have let things get this bad with her."

"It's not like we're dealing with an ideal situation, Misato," Ritsuko reminded her. "You know, you could have her brought up on insubordination."

"No. That would only make things worse," Misato declared grimly. "But…well, I do have an idea." Then she looked at the still-growing cocoon and muttered, "Assuming we make it through this."

After a flat-out sprint from the Ready Room, Asuka was inside of Unit 02, the Entry Plug flooded with LCL as she made the final preparations to launch the crimson titan.

As the German worked, a holographic screen with Misato's image suddenly appeared. "Asuka? Are you ready?!"

Looking at one of the many in the long list of idiots who constantly pandered to Shinji, thinking he was the only one they could rely on to fight the Angels, Asuka sneered hatefully. I'll show her! I'll show them all! Then the she directed a thought at her Eva, adding, And you better not embarrass me this time!

"Relax, Misato!" Asuka snorted derisively. "I'm good to go!"

"Good! We don't have much time before Fallen hatches," Misato informed her, somehow saying 'Though you would have had more time if you had moved when I told you to!' without actually saying it. "Asuka, I meant what I said before. You do not have permission to die out there, understood? I don't care how heroic you think it would make you look! If things go bad, you are to hold the Fallen off until reinforcements arrive!"

"Don't worry about me! The only thing dying today is that Fallen!" Asuka gritted, thanking all that was holy for this chance to prove herself.

"All systems are go!" Makoto reported.

"Right! Unit 02, moving out!" With Misato's words, Asuka felt the sudden acceleration as the Eva rocketed up to the surface. Even as the launch tube's egress deployed on the surface, the crimson beast was emerging from it, and right away was confronted with the hideous sight of the 2nd Fallen's cocoon in the final stages of development. It was the same color as the skyscraper it had emerged from, and pulsating as if in anticipation of the monster's birth.

"Asuka! I'm sending you the progressive lance!" Misato informed her. "Get ready!"

"Oh, I'm ready, alright!" Asuka grinned as a section of street opened up, the weapon deployment unit shooting up from it and opening up. With a thought, Unit 02 grabbed the promised prog lance, took it in both hands, and took a battle-ready stance, awaiting the moment the Fallen appeared.

Asuka didn't have to wait long. With one final pulsation, a leg sprouted from the cocoon and latched onto the side of the skyscraper. A second leg soon followed, then a third. Before long, a grand total of eight, multi-jointed legs had appeared, ripping apart the cocoon. The rest of the Fallen then stood revealed; somewhat spider-like in appearance, its body was protected by a round shell with spikes rising up from its sides, and a strange mound in the center. Its head consisted of a four-pronged mouth, with a small hole in the center, from which pus-like goo appeared. Just below the head was what looked like the barrel for a gatling gun, and like the cocoon, the monster was the color of the skyscraper it had grown from.

"Ugh! A spider!" Ritsuko groaned in abject disgust, grimacing at the sight of the monstrosity. "I hate spiders!"

"Well, don't you worry about it! Cause I'm gonna squish this one!" Asuka boasted, just before she narrowed her eyes in confusion. The Fallen's shell seemed to fold upwards slightly, pulsing, before the two halves of it slammed together twice in close succession, the spikes acting like teeth for a massive mouth. The Fallen repeated this action twice, as if testing the power of its own body.

"Terrific! And now we have the Bear Trap from Hell!" Misato groaned. "Asuka! Be careful! We still don't know what that thing can -!"

Misato was never given the chance to finish her sentence, because the Fallen took the initiative, firing a volley of missiles from its gun. Smiling at the ease of it, Asuka urged Unit 02 to leap skywards, leaving the missiles to pass harmlessly beneath her. "Ha! You missed!"

"No, it didn't!" Misato cried out, even as Unit 02's timer sounded, alerting Asuka that it had switched to its internal batteries. Looking about in confusion, the German saw that the missiles that she had just avoided had spiraled down into the launch tube, destroyed her umbilical. "Asuka! Go to your right! There's a cable port nearby!"

"Right!" Asuka responded, her red monster dashing in the direction of the port…only to be cut off short by another missile barrage. Her eyes wide with shock, the stunned redhead watched as the missiles impacted and detonated, leaving behind a crater. The hole was littered by the ruined pieces of the umbilical port.

"No way!" Misato gasped. "It's deliberately targeting the power cables?! Asuka -!"

"Don't even think of telling me to pull back, Misato!" Asuka grimaced, hating the Fallen for the humiliation it seemed determined to unleash upon her.

A beat passed before Misato replied, "Actually, I was going to say, be careful."

Surprised by the gentle tone in the older woman's voice, Asuka gaped momentarily before grinning viciously. "Like I said, Misato! Don't worry about me, because I'm not the one who's dying today!" Then, with Unit 02 twirling its prog lance like a quarterstaff, the redhead shouted, "Alright, freak! You've got some moves, but now I'm gonna show you what I can do! So get ready for it!"

Shinji was staring impatiently at the elevator's display, watching as the numbers slowly ticked towards their destination. With a quick glance at Rei, he found himself envying the 1st Child's composure. How does she do it? he wondered, panicking as every worst case scenario he could imagine flooded his mind. Asuka was out there, fighting the Fallen alone. He knew that her synch ability was weakening, despite her statements that it was just a temporary thing, and he well remembered what happened in the last two battles.

"I hope we get there in time," Shinji murmured, mostly to himself.

"It is fortunate that we heard the explosion," Rei noted, completely calm. Shinji sighed, thinking about it himself. They had been at school, going through their usual daily schedule, when an explosion had riveted their attention. The two of them had looked at each other, both recalling how an explosion had heralded the arrival of the 1st Fallen, and had immediately left class, not even wasting time with explanations.

Still somewhat out of breath from the mad dash that had brought them this far, Shinji glared impatiently as they slowly descended, only to jump somewhat at the sound of his cell phone ringing. "What the -?!" he got out, tempted to just shut the thing off before an idea occurred to him. Bringing it out, Shinji looked at the Caller ID, and then answered. "Misato?!"

"Shinji! Please tell me you're on way here!" Misato pleaded of him.

"I am!" Shinji quickly confirmed. "And Ayanami's with me!"

"Good! But you and Rei have to hurry! Asuka has less than five minutes until her batteries are used up!" Misato informed him. "The Fallen deliberately destroyed her power cable! These things know our weaknesses!"

"Understood!" Shinji replied, tucking away his cell phone. Please, Asuka, don't die, dammit! was his only thought before he relayed the information to the 1st Child.

Asuka didn't bother looking at the timer displaying how much power her Eva had left. The only thing that she was looking at was the 2nd Fallen, the only thing she thought of was how much she wanted to crush the spider-like monstrosity…and finally get out from under Shinji's shadow. It was standing in the streets, like it didn't have a care in the world, dissolving the concrete with acid secreted from its feet before absorbing the material.

"It's feeding on whatever it's standing on. Just like the 1st Fallen!" Ritsuko reported, analyzing the target.

"Well, I hope it's enjoyed its last meal!" Asuka growled, her eyes narrowed. With a battle-cry torn from the depth of her throat, the German charged the Fallen, Unit 02 raising its prog lance above its head.

Watching as the Fallen tensed its legs, shuddering in place, Asuka grinned in triumph. That's right! Say your prayers, bastard! she thought, bringing the lance down…on empty concrete.

"Asuka! Above you!" Misato cried out, but the 2nd Child was already doing so, looking up after the blur that had flown up from in front of her. The Fallen seemed to hang in mid-air for a few seconds before a wave of crud sprayed from its mouth. Asuka shrieked, anticipating the burning of acid as the slime rained down on her…but she felt nothing.

"Wha- This isn't acid!" Asuka commented, looking down at her Unit 02 in disgust. Then she returned her attention to the Fallen, which was already snacking on the spot where it had just landed. "Slime me, huh?! That's it, you're -!" The redhead sputtered out as she tried to charge the Fallen again…only to find that she was completely stuck. "Huh?! What in the -?!"

"Asuka! You've been hit with some kind of adhesive!" Ritsuko reported even as the German confirmed this with her own eyes. The paste that Unit 02 had been sprayed with had congealed about it, forming a crude web that left it stuck in place. "You have to - look out!"

Starting at the panic in Ritsuko's voice, Asuka looked up from the foul glue covering her Eva just in time to see a salvo of missiles hurtling at her. A sharp impact followed by a blast of pain and her monitors being momentarily blinded with the flash of the explosions sent the German screaming and Unit 02 stumbling backwards, still caught in the Fallen's web.

"Asuka!" Misato was heard crying out as the German continued to struggle. "What about the others. Are Shinji and Rei here yet?!"

"They're already on the base, sir!" Makoto was heard calling out, his relief apparent. "From the way they're moving, they should get to their Evas in three minutes!"

"Alright!" Misato replied even as Asuka recovered from the Fallen's assault. "Have Units 00 and 01 fitted with the modular battery packs and armed with pallet rifles! Now!"

While the bridge crew was carrying out Misato's orders, Asuka's attention was torn. While watching as the Fallen once again feasted, replenishing its stash of missiles, she was painfully aware that she had another time limit to deal with. I am not letting those two screw everything up for me! Not again! she thought furiously, her stomach clenching at the thought of another humiliating defeat. Baka Shinji! Albino whore! You are not going to take this away from me!

The volatile 2nd Child was shaken from her wrathful thoughts as the Fallen bent forward and angled its back towards her. As the trap-like jaws that formed its back pulsed up and down, a black, knife-like object extruded from the mound at its center. "What the -?" Asuka got out before a series of barbs stuck out from the sides of the object, just before it shot straight at her.

"Mein Gott!" Asuka screeched, urging Unit 02 with all her strength. Her panic spurring the Eva on, the sound of web tearing was heard just before it lurched to the side. She wasn't free, but she had moved just enough to avoid being impaled by the spear-like tongue. Watching in horror as it continued past, spearing a skyscraper a block behind her. Gulping at the nearness of her escape, she looked back at the Fallen…only to blanch as she saw it flying towards her, its trap-jaws filling her view.

Crying out in horror, Asuka acted on pure instinct and raised up her lance as best as she could. When the Fallen collided with her, she pushed back even as it attempted to wrap its trap-jaws about her, barely managing to force it away. Suffering a surge of relief, the redhead watched as the spider-like horror as it continued to pull itself along by its spear-tongue, crashing into several buildings before it continued towards the skyscraper it had hooked. Her eyes going wide as the Fallen slammed into the building and effortlessly crushed it between its massive jaws.

Oh...Gott in Himmel... Asuka thought, trembling as acid oozed out from between the Fallen's teeth as it quickly devoured the building. All too capable of imagining her and Unit 02 suffering that fate. If that had been me… Even as she thought this, however, the German shuddered, her face contorting with hatred. It won't be me! I won't let it happen! I'm gonna kill that thing…and I'm gonna do it alone!

"What is it doing?!" Ritsuko demanded as she and Misato continued to watch the one-sided battle. While Asuka was working, tearing herself free of the Fallen's web, the human-made monstrosity was busying itself at Tokyo-3's expense. Having finished eating the top of a skyscraper, the Fallen was now leaping from one building to another firing missiles and spraying more webbing seemingly at random as it went along.

"Sir! It's taking out all the umbilical ports!" Makoto reported, causing Misato to hiss in hatred. "The webbing is covering up most of the access hatches! We won't be able to send additional armaments to the Evas!"

"It's setting up for the other Evas!" Misato realized, immediately seeing the Fallen's strategy. "Asuka! Get moving already! If it keeps this up, we'll be completely defenseless!"

"Don't give me a lecture! I know what I'm doing!" Asuka shouted even as Unit 02 finally tore its way free of the remaining web and started towards the Fallen.

"Yeah, right!" Shigeru countered, rolling his eyes in distaste.

"Sir! We've got another problem!" Maya reported, her eyes widening as she worked her controls. "The web is emitting some kind of interference signal! If this keeps up, we won't be able to remain in contact with Unit 02!"

"Dammit! These things don't miss a trick!" Misato roared, wishing more than anything that it could be her out there, rather than a child. "Asuka! Did you hear that?!"

"Yeah, I heard!" Asuka countered as she navigated Unit 02 around the increasing amounts of web, trying to avoid getting stuck again. "Now, don't bother me! I'm busy here!"

"She has three minutes left!" Shigeru informed them.

"Status of the other Evas?" Misato demanded.

Looking from her panel, Maya replied, "They've been equipped with the battery packs, and -!"

"Asuka! Look out!" Misato screeched at the top of her lungs, for the Fallen had apparently decided to take a break from its labors and to have more fun with the big, red chew-toy NERV had sent it. Leaping towards Unit 02, the Fallen sent forth the spear-like tongue from its back and used it to latch onto the building it was standing upon. Then, like a bungee jumper, it leapt from the building and swung right towards the scarlet mecha, lashing out at with its legs. Small, claw-like blades appeared from its feet, tearing at Unit 02 as the Fallen flailed about madly.

"Aaahhhh!" Asuka cried out as numerous claw marks appeared in her Eva, then snarling in disgust as she sliced off the whip-like tongue with the prog lance. The Fallen screeched in pain at this affront before it fired more of its missiles at her.

"Asuka, NOOO!" Misato cried out Unit 02 recoiled from the various impacts, falling backwards into the massive web. Once again, the Eva was snarled amidst the strands of goo, unable to even its use its lance to cut its way out. Taking a moment to feed on the ground beneath it, the Fallen fired another salvo of missiles at Unit 02, shattering even more of its armor. Gritting her teeth as Asuka howled in agony, the Major looked towards Shigeru. "Where's Shinji and Rei?!"

"They're heading towards the Evas! They'll be ready to launch in about a minute!"

Returning her attention to the battle unfolding before her, Misato prayed that Asuka could hold out for that long.

Pain. It was ripping through Asuka's nerves, courtesy of her synchronization with Unit 02. It burned at her, draining her badly. And through it all, all she could do was stare hatefully at the Fallen that had thwarted her so far.

"They'll be ready to launch in about a minute!" Asuka heard Shigeru report. His voice was garbled, distorted by the interference created by the web, but the German heard it well enough. She knew what it meant; once again being a pathetic joke as Shinji was the big hero again…

Flashback

"Well done, Asuka!"

The little girl beamed as her instructor came towards her. It was her very first combat simulation, her first taste of what it would be like to go out and battle the Angels. Her heart was pounding, she was covered with sweat, and yet she had never before felt so alive. "Yeah. It sure was close, though," she admitted, nodding at the simulated Angel she had just defeated.

The older man just smiled more. "True, but for your first time, you did splendidly. Just keep up the good work, and I'm sure you'll be fine."

"Really, sir?" Asuka asked, almost afraid to believe him.

"Really."

"Looks like you've done it again," Kaji commented as he drove Asuka on her latest shopping trip. "Another perfect score for our number one trainee."

"Well, what did you expect, Kaji?" Asuka smirked, thinking of her latest combat simulation. It had been her biggest challenge to date, and yet, as always, she had proceeded to amaze her superiors with her talent. "I am the best, you know!"

"Yes, your teachers keep reminding me of that," Kaji noted with good humor. "And…it looks like Commander Ikari knows it, as well."

"Commander Ikari?" Asuka gaped, wide-eyed as she stared at her crush. "What about him?"

"Well, a man in my position, I hear things, you know," Kaji grinned noncommittally.

"And? What is it?!" Asuka demanded, wondering what Gendo Ikari, the head of NERV, had said about her.

"Oh, well. I was going to save this for later, but…" Kaji replied, looking hopelessly skyward before returning his attention to the redhead. "I heard from a friend of mine that Gendo's made his decision about his new pilot."

Her eyes wide, Asuka could only watch as Kaji moved in closer to her. "Congratulations…2nd Child."

"Asuka, allow me to present to you…your issue, and the first of the production model Evangelions," Kaji announced as he guided Asuka through the massive American NERV facility. There, towering before her, was a giant. A being so extraordinary that the girl was scarcely able to comprehend what she was seeing. "The final design for the Evangelions. Eva Unit 02."

"That's…mine…?" Asuka gaped as she examined the bio-mechanical weapon.

Kaji arched an eyebrow. "Aw, don't tell me you're…disappointed? What? Don't like the color, is that it?"

"Are you kidding?! It's perfect!" Asuka grinned, staring at the Eva in adoration. "It's red, just like me!"

Laughing, Kaji replied, "Yeah, it is, isn't it?" Then, moving closer and leaning down before the German, he winked at her. "Well, you better get packed. It won't be long before we're heading for Japan."

"Right!" Asuka replied enthusiastically. Already looking forward to the battles that were to come...and the chance to prove to the entire world what kind of person she truly was.

End Flashback

No! Asuka cried out inwardly, redoubling her efforts to free herself or take some kind of action against her enemy. I gave everything I had to be a pilot! Everything! I'm not gonna be a joke! Not again!

Even as she fought with everything she had, Asuka watched as the Fallen lunged at her, clamping down on Unit 02's leg with its four-pronged mouth. Even as she grunted in pain, the monster than fired its spear-tongue into Unit 02's shoulder. Now the German was screaming in pain, but she kept her focus on the battle. Knowing that the next blow could be all that was needed to finish her off, she hissed as the Fallen arched its back towards her, its trap-jaws swinging towards her. With a cry of pained hatred, she forced Unit 02 to reach out and intercept the jaws, taking hold of both sides even as the Fallen reeled itself in closer with its tongue, inch by merciless inch.

"Asuka!" came Misato's garbled voice, even as Asuka fought on. "Listen to me! Just hold on! Shinji and Rei are almost ready to launch! We just need thirty more seconds!"

"NO!" Asuka shrilled, staring at the Fallen like it was the embodiment of every shame, every torment she had ever experienced. "I don't need them! I don't need anyone!"

"Asuka, would you stop going on about your goddamned ego?!" Misato bellowed, her eyes closed in her fury. "Just bite the bullet already, and let us help you!"

Bite the bullet? Asuka thought, grinning as the words take root in her fertile mind, and grew into a plan. That's it!

With new inspiration and determination, Asuka pushed harder than ever, grinning dangerously as she drove the Fallen back. She was able to push it down just the tiniest of distances, but it was enough. "You wanna eat something?! she asked sadistically. "Then eat this!" With that, the German changed gears, and without warning slammed the Fallen's trap-jaws shut on its own tongue.

Once again, the artificial Angel howled in pain, falling to the ground as it lost both its supporting tongue and its grip on the Eva's leg. Shuffling about, the Fallen unleashed another barrage of missiles at Unit 02. Groaning as pain once again burned through her, Asuka endured, focusing on tearing free of the web, incidentally helped by the missiles the Fallen itself fired.

Once the Fallen expended its store of missiles, it hissed furiously, and gathered itself and leapt at Unit 02 again. It's jaws open and ready to devour the crimson Eva.

"Take this!" Asuka screeched, barely freeing Unit 02's upper body in time. Without a moment to spare, she rammed her prog lance right into the center of the Fallen's trap-mouth. Then, taking control of the creature's momentum, the fiery redhead pivoted the lance to send it and the Fallen flying into the air above her.

Her heart thundering in her chest and running solely on adrenaline, Asuka could only listen to the sound of her own panting as the Fallen crashed somewhere behind her. She was tired, her muscles were aching, and she was in more pain than she thought she had any right to be. Did…did I do it? she wondered helplessly to the sound of her own pulse rate, which echoed in her ears. That…that had to do it, right? It's dead, isn't it?! Then, as the silence grew too much for her to bear, she looked at the holographic display showing the signal from the bridge. C'mon, please! Say SOMETHING!

"Target status?!" Misato demanded just before Asuka would have given in and asked for it herself.

"Target neutralized…" Maya finally replied after what felt like an eternity. Then, looking up at Misato, she murmured, "She did it."

Even as Misato sighed in relief, seeming to collapse on her feet, Asuka's eyes practically popped out of her skull. I…I did it? I…did it?! I…did it! I did it! I killed it! she shrieked in her mind. "I did it! I won! Me! Not the Third! Not Wondergirl! ME! MEE!"

As Asuka ran out of breath, Shigeru mumbled under his breath, "Well, it looks like I'm out 2000 yen, doesn't it?"

"Same here," Makoto answered sheepishly.

Directing a suspicious look at the two of them, Misato returned her attention to Asuka. "Not what I had in mind, but…good work. Mission accomplished."

Suddenly, a second display appeared within Unit 02, showing Shinji's face. "You did it, Asuka!" he declared, already in his plug suit and within Unit 01. "You…you really did it."

"Yeah, I did, didn't I, 3rd Child?" Asuka sneered victoriously. "I sure didn't need help, now did I?!"

Shinji just lowered his gaze somewhat, smiling shyly. "No…no, I guess not."

What? That's all he has to say? Asuka thought, somewhat confused. She had been hoping for at least a little jealousy out of Shinji. To have him feel even a taste of what she felt, after all her humiliations. But even as she thought that, she sighed and settled back, and smiling deeply. Oh, well. You'd be proud of me…wouldn't you, Mama? A tear crept its way from her eye, even as her smile faded somewhat. Mama...

"Damn, what a mess!" Misato shook her head ruefully, examining the aftermath of the battle. "Well, Shinji, Rei, you may not have to fight, but you still have to pry Asuka free of that web."

"Roger!" Shinji responded while Rei nodded silently. Misato was about to speak again, but was cut off as another alarm went off. "Huh? What's that?!"

"What's going on?! I thought you said the target had been neutralized!" Misato demanded of the techies as Asuka shot up in her Entry Plug.

"It is, sir!" Maya replied, working frantically as fear reappeared on her face. "But we've detected a second blue pattern!"

"What?!" Asuka shrieked, looking one way and the other, as if realizing just how vulnerable she was.

"Dammit! An Angel decides to show up now?!" Misato bellowed hatefully.

"It's not an Angel, sir!" Maya replied, drawing stares from everyone there. "The MAGI have locked onto a cocoon! Nanotechnology has been confirmed!" Then, with all eyes glued to her, she shrieked, "It's another Fallen!"

Author's Notes: Oh, boy. Could this possibly get any worse? The answer, of course, is yes! Please, read and review! And take a look at my other stories, if you like!