+++++ 5th Angel + 7 : Friday (36)

It was a much slower morning for Shinji that followed. His morning workout was assaulted with the same focus he always applied, but his instructors decided to cut the event short with a gentle admonition to not attempt to burn the candle at both ends. By the time he reached the hour he was requested at NERV for training, his mind was stuck in darkness as his well of energy began to finally run dry. Approaching the elevators up to the locker rooms, he spied one of his two remaining guardians and issued a subdued greeting, "Good morning, Maya-san."

"Where's Kodama-san?" Maya looked behind Shinji, her own troubles with the deluge of work requests sending her temper flaring, "She should be here today. What if something happens?"

"The Sub-Commander gave her the day off," he responded quietly. He began to fully feel the weight of his recent lack of sleep catching up to him as he found he couldn't even muster up the needed energy to defend his housemate, "Nozomi-chan woke up screaming." Watching the doors of the elevator, he shook his head, "It's just testing. If this goes wrong, I trust that you or Misato-san will be able to get one of Temple-san's people to help."

"Oh." Maya turned to face the elevator doors, "I…yeah." Shaking her head, she turned to face him as the doors swept open, "I'm sorry, Shinji. I shouldn't have snapped."

"It's fine," he held the door open so she could climb aboard. I'm not the only one going through tough times.

"No, it's not." Stepping on the car, she slumped against the wall, "I'm supposed to keep my temper in check, no matter what's happening, and I damn well know that they're all suffering." Noticing Shinji's listlessness, she stood and crossed to place the back of her hand against his forehead, "Are you coming down with something?"

"Mmm?" Blinking, he looked down at the much shorter captain, "I-I'm sorry. I…haven't slept."

Dropping her hand, Maya laughed ruefully, "That makes two of us, Shinji." With a sigh, she sagged against him, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry that Toshiro-san died, I'm sorry that you're stuck piloting when you should be home helping your family, I'm sorry that Akagi-san was…altered." Her head lay gently against his elbow, "I'm just sorry, Shinji."

"That…makes two of us," he echoed. Looking down at the morose Maya, he shifted his arm and pulled her into a side-hug, "I'm glad that I have people like you on my side, though." Smiling at her, the hopeful look he gave to those who he wanted to help, he squeezed her shoulder, "I don't know that I'd stay sane without you here at work to help me, Maya. I'm very fortunate that you have chosen to be a part of my life."

Maya curled into the embrace, the illicit pleasure of being embraced by one of the two people she'd fallen hard for overcoming the desire to place distance between her and the man she knew to be suffering tragedy after tragedy. She was tired, she was bone tired, and she let herself draw strength from someone who saw her in a way she knew she herself simply wasn't.

The doors whooshed open, revealing an enthusiastic Misato Katsuragi. "Hey!" Bouncing into the car, Rei following sedately behind her, she clapped both Shinji and Maya on the arms, "Good to see you two getting along. See, Rei-chan? There's nothing wrong with hugs!"

Maya separated from Shinji, glaring at her fellow Captain, "Why do you sound like you've managed to get sleep?"

"I haven't," Misato shrugged. "Coffee."

"Forty-eight fluid ounces," Rei floated over to Shinji, pulling him into a hug. "She emptied the carafe rapidly, and directly."

"Good morning, Rei-san," Shinji returned the hug with as much warmth as he could muster. "It's good to see you."

"What?" Misato blinked, "You'll hug him, but you go full deadwood when I try?! What gives?"

"He is my lead pilot, my sub-rep, and my friend." Rei stepped back, seeming to check Shinji's physical condition and assess his demeanor. Looking to Misato, she raised a single eyebrow, "He also has bathed recently, and allows me to engage in a level of physical affection that I am comfortable with." To further prove her point, she stood on her toes and pulled Shinji down to kiss him on the side of the mouth, "He has saved my life repeatedly, and I will not fail him again."

"You haven't failed me, Rei-san," Shinji blushed slightly at the show of affection. "Everything…." He trailed off as the doors opened to the floor where the lockers for the pilots were opened. "Maya," he looked over, fear written plain on his features, "her plugsuit…."

Maya instantly understood his trepidation, inwardly thrilling that the man she not-so-secretly adored continued to justify her adoration, "Standard. It's a lot like the one you had before everything happened." Momentarily set aside was her swell of irritation at seeing Rei so easily engage in physical affection with the man she herself had reluctantly chosen to let go of.

"Oh, right." Misato snapped her fingers, blocking the door, "I forgot that you didn't see her during the Fifth. Don't worry, Shinji. She won't be showing anywhere near as much skin as you."

"Nor will you, after I figure out how to fix it," Maya shooed everyone off the car. "Unlike Akagi-san, I'm not going to rest on 'good enough'. You deserve to pilot with as much dignity as we can give you, and just because you've become accustomed to it doesn't mean we get to ignore it."

"I do not mind," Rei shrugged, taking the lead towards the lockers. "If the style of plugsuit that my leader wears would help me in combat, then I will requisition one." Looking over her shoulder at Shinji, she stated bluntly, "You have already seen far more of me than the suit itself would show. I am unconcerned."

"Rei-san," Shinji hurried to walk alongside her, "I'm sorry that I saw you like that." He realized he'd never been given a chance to express his feelings about the matter, "You were being mistreated, and even though I'm glad I saved you, I'm not glad that I saw you like that. You shouldn't have to endure someone ogling you."

Stopping at the door to the female lockers, she turned to face him, her visage remonstrative, "Did you ogle me?"

"He most certainly did not," Maya scoffed.

"Then I have endured no such event." Rei nodded her thanks to Maya, "Please have a suit constructed of similar design for my use. While I understand the social concerns, I believe that combat efficiency needs to take priority." She looked to Misato, "I do not believe that our Tactical Commander will disagree."

Shinji caught the slight shift of the light in Rei's eyes, though it seemed no one else did.

"Unfortunately…she's right," Misato nodded slowly. "But," she raised her hand to beg Shinji for patience, "we'll keep bathrobes on hand. That way when you're going from lockers to Eva, and back, you won't have to parade in front of everyone. Does that work as a compromise for now?"

"If you say so," Shinji couldn't look away from Rei, worry that she was beginning to suffer from what had affected Ritsuko creeping into his thoughts.

"I will meet you by your changing room," Rei bowed to him, turning and moving gracefully into her own changing area.

Maya watched Shinji watching the door for a moment while Misato looked between the two. In the end, it was the energetic violet-haired wonder that broke the stasis, "All right, all right, let's get going. I know you don't like her shaking what she's got for everyone to see but it's her choice." Clapping, she ushered Shinji towards his own room, "C'mon. I want to get this over with so you can go home and support the ladies I tore you away from."

I need to talk to her. Shinji barely stopped himself from rolling his eyes, I need to talk to everyone! "Please make sure to have those robes for her, Misato-san." He looked furtively towards the room where Rei changed, "She deserves better."

"So do you," Misato reached up and patted his cheek. "But you're being a good leader, and I respect that. Now get changed. We've got a schedule."

Ducking into the lockers, Shinji was quick to put on his work clothes. The clothing he'd chosen for the day intentionally selected to be easy to remove and replace so that he wouldn't have to dawdle. A few moments to properly fold and stow everything was the only tangible delay and no sooner had he pressurized his suit than he was walking out of the lockers towards the gantries.

"I'm never going to be used to seeing you in that," Idunn's voice met him as he entered the hall. The powerful redhead smiled sadly, "They have the technology to build a robot that violates physical laws, but not to design a suit that doesn't violate your dignity."

"His dignity is not lessened by his impressive stature," Rei approached quietly. "Agent Haraldson," she nodded in greeting.

"Good morning, Rei," Idunn returned the gesture. "The Captains moved to get everything settled. My kids are all in place and so I thought I'd keep you company. Let's not keep them waiting, you'd have to rather be home taking care of your ladies than here." Moving so that she would be on Shinji's left, allowing Rei his right, she frowned when Rei instead shifted to stand on Shinji's left, "Something wrong?"

"The ranking officer is to stand on the right of any formation, no matter how informal." Rei started in motion, knowing Shinji would move to follow instinctively, "Shinji-san outranks me, and is deserving of my deference."

"I…n-no," he tried to wave the matter away.

"She's right," Idunn shrugged. "Standardized UN Military Regulations state that it's always Rank to the Right. I'm surprised you're familiar with them, though."

Rei spoke without turning to address the agent, "I was unaware that I appeared to be illiterate."

Shinji almost stumbled, That was the closest I've ever seen Rei come to being rude to anyone!

Idunn herself seemed surprised, dropping back from her position on Rei's left and instead walking silently behind the pair of pilots. The rest of the journey to the gantries was noiseless as Shinji considered what he'd seen. Rei herself seemed content to walk quietly at his side, her pace quick but stately. Once they reached the lift that would take them to the catwalks, the redheaded Agent finally spoke, "Glad I don't have vertigo."

"You get used to it," Shinji smiled listlessly. Please don't force me to stop you, Rei. "At least I did." As he turned back to face their direction of travel, he frowned, "That's odd."

Idunn became instantly defensive, reaching forward to slow him down, "What?"

"Hmm?" Looking back, he realized that he'd said something that any person guarding someone would automatically latch onto, "S-sorry."

"Less sorry, more talking," putting herself between him and the problem, she ignored that Rei blithely carried on, "what's 'odd'?"

"There's more people around my Eva than normal," Shinji leaned to the side and gestured towards Unit-01. "The middle stall, there. I don't normally have more than two or three engineers around to help me onto…the…lift." He trailed off as he saw the reason for the gathering, "What is my father doing here?"

Idunn pressed the side of her neck, a concealed microphone picking up the motion and beginning to transmit, "Copper Six-Six, what is Gendo Ikari doing near my principle's jævla robot?" Shinji saw one of the other people standing with the engineers startle, then look over in their direction, slap the side of his neck and start to speak. He couldn't make out any words over the distance, but he did see that the man was clearly surprised. "Get that man the hell away from that position, I want a full report…what do you mean 'you can't'?" Looking over to Idunn, Shinji saw her snarl, "Oh I don't think so."

"What's the hold up?" Misato's voice emanated from Shinji's wrist, "We're running behind schedule, Shinji."

Idunn took Shinji's wrist, "How do I reply?" Looking at the young pilot, she tilted her head at the bracelet, "Do I need to push anything?"

"The blue button," Shinji tapped by it, "if you flip it down it opens the circuit until you push it back up. If you push it up and hold it you can talk, it shuts the circuit back off when you release."

Nodding, she pushed the small switch up, "Gendo Ikari is positioned by Unit-01, Captain. My standing orders are no contact between Pilot Ikari and him during the investigation." Releasing the device, she kept her eyes locked on the biggest threat to the man she'd kill to protect. "Or ever again, if I can manage it."

"Who's this?" Misato's voice came back, "The cameras are out of focus, we're working on a solution."

"Agent Haraldson," Idunn pressed the button again and identified herself with a low growl. "Do you people have any functioning equipment around here?"

"Now now," Misato chided, "no need to be snappy. Shinji, are you ok?"

Flipping the switch down and holding his wrist out so that both could speak normally, "I'm fine, Misato. I'll just ignore him and climb in Unit-01. Once I'm inside it won't matter where he is."

"I can't take that risk, Shinji," Idunn moved to block him. "It's not only a legal matter, it's-" Cutting off, she touched her earpiece to cut out the background noise. After a second she shifted her hand to her throat-mic, "You what?"

"Shinji," Maya's tired voice came through the speaker on his wrist, "please don't argue with Idunn-san. I know you want to help, and I think it's wonderful that you're willing to help, but I can't condone you ignoring the directions of someone specifically here to keep you safe."

"It seems I've been outvoted," Idunn's face was the picture of perplexity. "General Benoit has agreed to give him five minutes alone, so long as it's in line of sight of me and the soon to be unemployed agent over there," she cast her thumb over her shoulder. "Predicated on the fact that you agree to speak to him, that is."

"Five minutes?" What on Earth would he want to talk to me about?

The tall redhead shrugged, a look of distaste evident, "It's what the General said."

"Fine," I won't be alone. I am not that Shinji anymore. His eyes hardened, If he threatens anyone…. Stepping past Idunn, he marched over, calling out, "What is it you want, father? I'm supposed to be training right now."

"To speak to my son." Gendo motioned for everyone else to step away. Glancing at Shinji's wrist, he gestured, "Would you please?"

It took a second for Shinji to realize he'd left the device on broadcast, and without taking his eyes off the snake before him he flicked it to the neutral setting, "Five minutes." He felt strangely powerful, he wasn't alone despite nobody being within hearing distance. He was also no longer the little boy that had to look up at the arrogant…. Calm. He can't do anything. You have a small army guarding the only people that matter.

Turning to face Unit-01, Gendo did the one thing Shinji'd never seen him do: he took off his glasses. "While you are on the 'Over the Rainbow', recovering Unit-02 and the Soryu girl, you will be attacked by an Angel. The Sixth Angel, Gaghiel, will appear and attempt to sink the entire Carrier Group." Folding the near-mythic lenses, he pocketed them and seemed to consider his words. "While Unit-02 is keyed nominally to accept only commands input in German, if you say 'Wechseln Sie die Sprachbefehlseingabe in Japanisch', it will recognize your authority."

Shinji was poleaxed. Gripping the rail with one hand, he couldn't even begin to formulate a rational thought as his father continued.

"Regardless of what she may say, the Second Child cannot be entrusted to defeat the Sixth Angel alone. She is reckless, naïve, and childish to a fault. Her presence is necessary to take pressure off of you, as the Angels will only become more complex and determined to end all life." Looking over at his son, Gendo's voice never changed pitch, "You must succeed. Failure will mean the final loss of humanity, it will mean your mother's sacrifice was meaningless."

"Y-you…you know?!" Shinji's arm tensed, and he felt the steel railing begin to sag under the sheer pressure he placed with his hand, "You know?!"

"Of course I do," standing, Gendo smirked. "The Seventh Angel will strike down the Crimson. The Eighth will appear from the womb of the world."

He doesn't know. Shinji relaxed slightly, "Why?"

Gendo's smirk faded, "Which version of that question do you want answered?"

"Why tell me?"

"Because I have failed," Gendo never blinked. "It is obvious that whatever providence changed you also altered the prophecies. You have changed everything, Shinji. There are forces far more powerful than anything I have control over racing to salvage what you've thrown into disarray. If I am to have any chance at success at my aims, I need your help. To secure your assistance I require some measure of your trust. I am no longer in any position to direct you towards where you must go without arousing far too much suspicion."

"You…need me?" Shinji coughed a laugh, then another. Doubling over, he crouched down and began to laugh as tears forced their way from his eyes.

Gendo snapped in irritation, "We have three minutes, would you please hold it together?"

"Why?" Shinji sat down, looking up at the man he was once terrified of, "Why would I ever help you?"

"Because you aren't helping me. You're helping her." He tilted his head towards Unit-01, dropping a bomb that Shinji had only tasted the edges of, "Your mother's soul resides inside this shell, Shinji."

Shinji's hands went cold as his laughter died.

"The contact experiment, the day we lost her. She was absorbed into Unit-01." Crouching so that he was closer, Gendo sensed that he had a chance and took it, "I have spent over a decade trying to find a way to return her to us…to me." He closed his eyes, pinching his nose, "I am not a good father, Shinji. I know. I'm not a good man. I gave up everything when she was absorbed." Looking past his hand at his son, Gendo shook his head, "I know that I have no right to forgiveness. I sent you away to live with someone I trusted, and he…failed. I believed the lies in the reports because I needed to. Because I couldn't be a father and drive this project forward. And then you show up here…you take to piloting like a duck to water. For a foolish moment I thought that I had made the right choice."

"You…didn't…. No. No, I don't believe you."

"MAGI terminal access to time-stamped diary files will be made available to you," Gendo shrugged. "I can't forge them, I'm not good enough with the MAGI system to do it, there are perhaps two people on Earth who are. If you don't believe me, trust Captain Ibuki. She's far more technologically savvy than I am." Looking past Shinji, he hurried, "I need you to cooperate with me, Shinji. But I need you to say nothing of my foreknowledge. In the wrong hands, we could hand SEELE everything. They only know parts of the prophecies and only those parts that they believe will make them gods. I am telling you to show you how desperate I am. I will do anything, give anything, to get you to aid me. I know you figured out as soon as you arrived here in Tokyo-3 that I can't succeed without you." A rare smile graced the man's face, "After all, you are your mother's son."

Shinji stood, slowly, as he heard Idunn approach. Holding his hand out to the side to stop her from coming closer, he narrowed his eyes, "I'll listen. And we'll see if you're telling the truth." Shinji, of course, meant this to mean that he'd see if Gendo wasn't trying a new angle. Some new way to try and control events despite the structure he'd been tied to collapsing around him.

Gendo, however, assumed that Shinji harbored doubts about the Sixth Angel. Smiling confidently, he slid his glasses back into place, "Be on your guard. You are the best defense against what they would do. Remember, 'Wechseln Sie die Sprachbefehlseingabe in Japanisch'." Locking eyes with Idunn, he let his smile fade, "And while you are gone, there will be blood in the streets should any threaten those you've come to love." Turning back to consider Shinji, he shook his head, "The cameras were unmonitored. The footage deleted so long as there were no reports of suspicious activity in the house. My only desire was to ensure your safety, not…distasteful leering. You can confirm this with Professor Fuyutsuki, I believe he has your confidence. Watch your back, Shinji."

Idunn glared daggers at the man, "Is that a threat, Mister Ikari?"

"Call it a friendly piece of advice." Walking past Shinji, he stated coldly, "I'm well aware of what the men in my family line will do to those who threaten the women they love." He laughed, a sharp short sound, "After all, I've already testified to that effect."

"Just ignore him, Shinji." Idunn patted the young pilot on the back, "He's just trying to get into your head. The Horaki family isn't in any danger, not as long as I have anything to say about it."

Shinji watched as his father walked away, ignoring what Idunn was saying, "…We'll see." Flipping the switch on his wrist, he stepped up on the lift, "I'm sorry for the delay. Let's get me up there." Riding up, he looked to the eye of Unit-01. Somewhere in there is my mother? Flashes of the odd happenings the first time through came to him, eventually settling on the Eleventh Angel. Was that…was that really her?

"If I may," one of the engineers said quietly, "I think it's good of you to at least try and listen to him."

"Sendo-kun," the other engineer grimaced, "this is the guy that goes out of his way to thank everyone. He's just being nice."

"Everyone knows that he's a bastard, sir." The first engineer ignored the second, "Just…when I had a falling out with my own old man, I always regretted that he died before I could tell him that the reason I hated him was that he never admitted fault when he was wrong. It's always burned me inside that I might have found a way to repair things with him if I had given him a chance to change."

Shinji turned to consider the man, "I'm sorry for your loss."

"You see?" The second engineer gestured, "He's called Paladin for a reason. He's a good person, Sendo-kun. Doesn't mean he forgives the man."

"That don't mean we should ignore it when he does what's right," Sendo sighed. "These pilots are short a lot of praise, and if I don't take the chance when I can, who will?"

Shinji nodded, understanding the urge to do what he could even if nobody else would. "Thank you." Bowing to the man, he smiled the hopeful smile he had taken to, "Please, be cautious today. I know that when we train there are a lot of tasks to perform. I'd hate to find out that because you had to work to cover for my errors you were hurt."

"Don't you worry, Paladin," the second engineer, an older Slavic woman laughed. "You focus on your task, you leave ours to us to worry over." Tapping the code in to open the plug, she gestured, "In you go."

Shinji climbed in, helping to seal the door behind him. As he settled into his seat, he heard Maya's voice through his wrist communicator, "Shinji?"

He looked around the chamber and wondered if his mother once sat where he was, "I'm here, Maya."

"…You know I'd still like to have dinner with you and Hikari, right?" Her voice carried fear, "I'd like the chance to get to know you both better." The LCL began to flood the capsule.

Breathing deeply as he readied to expel all the air from his lungs, he nodded, "I'd like that too, Maya." She's worried that I'm going to recoil from her, that I'm going to treat her like she thought I should treat Ritsuko, "Don't worry, no matter what…I'd like to have you in my life. After all," he sat back and let the LCL flow over his head. Blowing out the air in his lungs, he sucked in a lungful of the disgusting liquid, "Someone needs to hold my leash when I'm at work. You know how us pups can be, and Hikari can't be here to do it."

A short bark of laughter was his only response from the tired Captain. "Beginning nerve connections."

Are you really here, Mom? Shinji cast the thought out into the darkness around him, Have you…been fighting by my side all this time? The A-Ten connection clanked into place, and Shinji once more experienced the bizarre swelling sensation that accompanied the fight against Jet Alone. Gone was the cockpit, the display, the LCL. Instead, he saw as Unit-01 saw, felt as Unit-01 felt.

"Wow," Misato's voice was a presence in his mind. Sharp, like the scent of a burning campfire, "One-fifty-eight, Paladin! I mean…that's phenomenal. I guess you're really feeling it today."

"Maybe I should reduce the plug depth." To his surprise, Maya's voice resonated within him. He could hear the music reverberating off of her, though the source of the song remained a mystery.

"No," Shinji responded. "Leave it."

"Paladin?" Misato's tone was suddenly layered with concern, "I'm not excited by the prospect of a training accident taking you out of the fight. We have that business trip coming up, and while I want you both to go through some motions together, I'd rather you not break a limb through the sympathetic nerve connections if something goes wrong."

"I'm fine," he could feel the serenity beginning to flow through him. Much like the Proving Grounds, he felt as if nothing would ever bother him again. "I need to practice like this, Misato. It's like Rei says, combat effectiveness has to take priority. If the Angels attack, we're not going to reduce the plug depth and risk slow reaction times. If I don't learn how to fight like this, I'm putting myself and everyone with me in danger."

Maya whispered away from the microphone, but Shinji still heard her clearly, "No honorifics? Is he really ok?"

"Trust me," Shinji quietly urged. "If things start to look bad, we can address it then. For now, let me try." Don't take this away from me. "I'm go for launch, Misato."

"…All right." He felt the sled shift into place. Her voice carried her commanding presence, "Launch Unit-00." The sound of Rei climbing towards the sprawl brought a smile to his face, he'd be up there soon. With her. Together, as a team, they'd practice. Misato's voice became wary when she issued the next order, "Launch Unit-01."

Existing as a colossus being propelled at near-supersonic speed was thrilling. Never having been one for rollercoasters, Shinji suddenly had a distinct desire to ride one to see if it matched the feeling of being propelled head-first upwards at hundreds of kilometers an hour. When the world suddenly brightened, the forested hills near the lake plainly visible, he sighed in regret as his weight shifted with the death of momentum. Awe flushed the regret away, "It's so…clean."

Misato responded quickly, "Say again, Paladin?"

"The forest. Everything. You could hardly tell that I've fought up here three times already." Looking around from his new perspective, he stepped off the platform and just absorbed the atmosphere. "We're doing…good. Aren't we, Misato? We're keeping this safe."

"Yeah…Paladin, are you ok?" She muted the connection, but Shinji overheard regardless, "Is his LCL tainted or something? If I didn't know better I'd say he was…high, or drunk."

"Everything's showing normal," Maya was baffled. "Nothing, I mean…sure, there's the fact that he's almost grotesquely calm, but there isn't anything physical causing that. Wait," he heard her snap her fingers, "he said he hasn't slept well. He might be suffering from…no, that'd show up in his blood ox levels."

"Maya, I'm fine." Shinji sighed, "I'm just…I feel right. Like I'm where I should be." Watching Rei approach, he, and through him Unit-01, waved a greeting to his fellow pilot, "Rei's approaching. Let's start our practice. I've been waiting to cooperate with her, I want to give her a chance to show you what she can really do." Making twin fists, he pumped them slightly towards her, "I'm confident she'll prove to be even better at this than I am, if we just give her a chance."

"Thank you, sir," Rei pushed Unit-00 into a bow, her voice matching her pleasure. "I appreciate your confidence. I am in the AO, Captain. Awaiting commands."

The entirety of the bridge crew was dumbstruck. Shinji, anxious, cautious, retiring Shinji, had just given a motivational speech to the laconic bluenette, who responded with genuine emotion. The fluidity of Unit-01's motions, as if Shinji himself were standing at well over a hundred meters tall, caused a further tremor of terror. Even during the battles, the monstrous Eva moved like a machine ought to. Halting, exaggerated movements that showed the delay between man and machine. While the difference between Shinji as a pilot and Rei had been clear, it was never more so.

"Misato?" Shinji spoke into the pause, "Did the comm-link go dead? Rei, are you reading me?"

"I am," she responded cautiously. "I see everyone staring at the screen. Captain?"

"Shinji," Misato left radio discipline behind to address her concerns, "Maya-san says you haven't slept well. Can you confirm?"

"Hmm?" He tilted his head, an act that caused the engineers to wince as Unit-01 copied it perfectly, "No, not really. I haven't actually been able to sleep at all. Why? Is my ratio going down?"

"When you say 'at all', how long has it been?" The violet-haired Tactical Commander surreptitiously signaled for Maya to reduce the plug depth.

"Since…Monday?" Shinji pounded his fist into his palm, "Yeah. Because I didn't sleep on the train, and then Jet Alone, and then I…got the bad news." He shook his head as a spike of sorrow filled him with the memory of Toshiro's death, "I've been busy. That's probably bad, isn't it? I know I should sleep, Misato, and I've tried but I can't seem to get myself to shut off. Shouldn't we be practicing though?"

"His ratio's staying the same," Maya tapped her screen. "It's not changing at all!"

"Oh, that's good!" Shinji clapped his hands together. "I guess I can fight when I'm tired."

"Ok, first task is simple," Misato made a small gesture asking for patience from her counterpart. "Rei, I want you to try and poke at Shinji's chest. Right where the glowing orb was on the Third Angel. Shinji, defend your chest. No aggressive motions, nice and slow. We're going to build up speed with practice, so I don't want you going wild. This is to get you used to each other's movements in the Evas."

"Yes ma'am," both pilots intoned.

"Ok, Rei," Shinji assumed the same defensive position he used in training every morning. "You set the pace, and I'll limit my motions to your speed. On your go."

Misato leaned down and whispered into Maya's ear, "While he's distracted, I want you to reduce his plug depth all the way to just before losing A-Ten, ok? Nice and slow."

Watching two giant gods of death engaging in a time-honored childhood game, Misato began to run various scenarios through her head. Rei isn't good enough to stop him if he loses it. Even if we had Unit-02 it wouldn't stand a chance, regardless of her training Asuka-chan has zero combat experience. At his current level, he'd wax both of them even if they flanked him. He sounds stoned off his gourd, but all he's doing is encouraging her. It's not quite Shinji, but it also isn't bad. The only question, then, is how do I protect him if he needs me to stop him?

Maya tugged on Misato's jacket, gesturing with genuine disgust at the screen before her which listed the plug depth. If she moved the entry plug a micrometer more, he would theoretically lose the A-Ten connection. However, despite her actions Shinji's synchronization ratio had gone up three points. The more he engaged with Unit-00, the higher it climbed.

Misato nodded, gesturing for her to return the plug to its normal spot. He's different. We've treated him like he's still fully human, and in no small part due to the fact that he's the kindest person anyone could ever hope to meet. He's not acting like he's lulling us, and he's not faking anything. Even now, his face is lighting up with every tell in the book. He's happy. A sense of sadness invaded her thoughts, He's happy…and we're worried because of it. What's wrong with us?!

"Ok," she clapped. "Good job. Now, I'd like you to reverse roles. Shinji, instead of touching her chest, I want you to try and touch her shoulders. Imagine they're like the Fourth Angel's whips, ok? Touch the joint where the whip would have connected to the torso."

"Yes ma'am," the unified response came.

"Are you serious?" Maya's whisper was incredulous, "We're just going to ignore this?"

"Ignore that he's content?" Misato looked down to her fellow captain with a shrug, "That he's taking joy in cooperating with his fellow pilot? Yes, he sounds like he's been near my old dorm room a bit too long, but he's not in danger. I am going to order him to take some sleeping medication, though. We'll have Kodama administer it, and monitor his sleep. He needs rest."

Maya's voice became furious, though her volume remained low, "Misato, this could be the precursor to a psychotic break."

"Or it could be the precursor to a breakthrough," she countered with a tone that warned of anger. "He just told his father off, he just spoke to his father. Right now, he could simply be reacting to the fact that everything might just be getting better. He's had a lot of weight tossed onto him with no rest, but at the end of the day he's still here trying to fight it out. He's not giving up. Look at him, Maya. That's not psychosis…it's…I don't know, serenity."

Unit-00 slapped two attacks away, then shoved back slightly as Shinji tried to move under her guard, "Good job, Rei! Suzuka always smacks me with that one. Next time, though, try pushing slightly down. It forces your enemy to counter with more force, and you can use that to tip them over."

Misato shrugged, "I'm going to run with it. You find him some nighty-night pills, I'll keep them focused on training. We'll talk to him once he's out of the Eva, see how he's doing."

+++++ 5th Angel + 7 : Friday (36)

Five hours had passed, the two pilots fostering greater passion from the bridge staff as they happily took to whatever tasks were assigned to them. Shinji bolstered Rei's self-confidence in her abilities, and Rei returned that with gratitude and renewed enthusiasm. Maya fretted, her understanding of basic psychology and the panic produced by what she knew about Ritsuko Akagi feeding her growing concern at Shinji's behavior. Misato, on the other hand, began to develop even more confidence in the tactics and stratagems she'd be able to employ with two Eva pilots who showed as deep a connection as the two before her had after just one session.

Unit-00 was recovered first, and Shinji watched with a smile as Rei walked with greater poise than she had approached. "Rei did a great job today, Misato. If I had to guess, I'd say her synchronization ratio climbed during our practice at least ten points."

"Nine-point-two," the Tactical Commander nodded happily. "Hell of a job today, Paladin. Wish we had been able to have a training day like this earlier, you might not have had to struggle as hard to succeed."

"It's in the past," Shinji, and by extension Unit-01, shrugged it off. "She's here now, and I know that we can get even better with more time practicing. Maybe try that 'flood' exercise with two people, I bet with her help we can triple the score before we're overrun." His eyes narrowed as he stepped onto the platform that would take him back into the base, "It's a beautiful day…." Nodding to himself as he looked around the area that still teemed with life, he smiled, "I think I'm going to try something new tonight."

The ride down was slower, by design, and Shinji began to hum to pass the time. The Song of Morning echoed through his speakers, travelling to each endpoint just as powerful and effective as if he had been there in person. He was vaguely aware of the existence of the ancient presence that approved mightily of him calling upon its majesty, shifting the tune with the subtle encouragement the being provided.

Maya watched, aware of the power that Shinji was casually using but unable to say anything about its use without giving up the fact that he was doing it. She felt the soothing power wash over her, and while she was intellectually concerned at what he would be able to accomplish with a mass emotional healing, she marveled at the effect it had on her fellow employees. Shigeru and Makoto were happily chatting with the newest Bridge Bunny who was promoted to replace her when she was herself promoted. Misato was typing away frantically, trying to document all of the ideas that were coming to mind for improving their defensive and offensive standing. The security personnel weren't glowering, yet still managed to display lethal devotion to keeping everyone protected. In all, regardless of the concerning ability, Shinji wasn't misusing it.

"Misato," Maya stood, "I'm going to meet him at the gantries, ok? I want to run a few blood tests before I discuss prescriptions with Temple-san."

"Good plan," Misato nodded without looking, "do me a favor and tell him that I'm proud of how he handled the Commander, in case I forget later."

As she stepped off the bridge, taking the shortcut ladder that put her on the catwalks, Maya kept her mind active to avoid falling prey to the soothing music. Hurrying towards Shinji's pen, she was able to beat Unit-01 to the cage and watched as it settled firmly to the ground far below. As soon as the nerve connections were cut, she felt the song cease entirely. Stepping onto the lift with the engineers, she urged them to hurry, sensing that something was wrong.

Before the LCL was finished being pumped out, she typed in the override and opened up the hatch for the entry plug, "Shinji?"

"Here…kind of." Leaning forward, with his head in his hands, Shinji groaned, "I think…maybe…."

Climbing in quickly, Maya worked her way to where she could check his vitals, "Hold still."

"I'm fine, Maya-san," Shinji coughed the last of the LCL over his shoulder away from his…whatever she was. "I just…feel dizzy. It happened at Jet Alone, it only took a few moments to pass." Looking back, he grimaced, "Your clothes are all covered, now. If you want, I can try and wash them for you."

"This happened before?" Maya opened her mouth to chastise him for not mentioning anything, stopping when her brain reminded her of everything else that occurred that day, "Spirits protect us." With a sigh, she leaned her forehead against his shoulder, "Shinji Ikari, I swear I am at a loss as to how you manage to find the eye of every storm around you."

"It's a talent," he chuckled, his head lolling over to smile at her as she sat up to listen. "Some people are really good at science and teaching, like you. Others are really good at leadership and communication, like Hikari. Me? I'm good at getting into trouble." He blinked owlishly, fatigue turning off his filters, "Why am I surrounded by beautiful women, Maya? Why is it that all of the wonderfully impressive women I know are all so…just…gorgeous?" Reaching up with an unsteady hand, he thumbed a stray hair away from her eyes, "There's so much beauty in this world, and the Angels want to destroy it all. I won't let them." Letting his hand drop, he laid his head back against the rest and closed his eyes, "I won't let them hurt you." Taking a deep breath, he sat forward, "I think I can walk now. Let's make sure that Rei-san is ok."

Maya's heart was hammering in her chest. He thinks I'm…gorgeous. Shaking her head, she moved to the exit, He said 'no'. He's just attracted to me, and that doesn't mean anything. Helping him climb free, she was further surprised when he leaned against her, bracing himself on her shoulder, "Shinji? Are you sure you're ok to move around?"

"I'm fine, Maya-s…wait, Maya. Sorry. You asked me to stop, and I forgot." He smiled down at her, "I think I'm just more tired than I thought I was." Waving down at Rei, who had already made her way out of her Eva and to his pen, Shinji called to the bluenette, "Good work today, Rei-san. It felt good to have someone pushing me to work harder."

Patiently waiting for him to descend with the lift, Rei tilted her head a slight fraction when he was within normal conversational distance, "You have reverted to using an honorific. Is it because we are no longer in the Evangelion?"

"I…don't really know," Shinji puzzled. He couldn't quite remember why he chose not to, only that it felt…wrong.

"If at all possible, I would enjoy it if you continued to simply say my name." Slipping to the side opposite Maya, she helped brace him, "Your stance is unsteady, I will assist Captain Ibuki in moving you to the showers."

"Thank you, Rei-san," Maya smiled pleasantly at the young woman. "Please, feel free to just call me Maya, unless you're formally reporting something. I understand you prefer propriety where you believe it appropriate, and I don't want to ask you to do something you find distasteful."

"Understood, Maya-san," Rei bowed her head in recognition. "I, in turn, appreciate that you understand the manner in which Shinji and I are most comfortable. You are a far more approachable individual than your predecessor, and I do not fear working with you."

"Well…thank you again," Maya's smile transformed into one of wonder. One day in training, and she's already coming out of her shell. Maybe Misato's right, and Shinji's just coming into his own as a leader.

The trio walked on down the halls and passageways, Shinji managing to finally get his legs under him just as Idunn showed up at a trot, "Good afternoon, Idunn-san." He smiled warmly, hoping that whatever it was that was making her worried wouldn't be too painful to handle.

"Shinji," she grimaced, "please don't go wandering unattended. I know that this place is supposed to be safe, but it's very important that you always have an Agent around."

"Then where are your comrades?" Rei's voice became cold, "The declared training period ended, and none were to be seen. Is his own security now his responsibility, Agent Haraldson?"

"It's fine," Shinji lifted his hands free and held them out to settle everyone down. "Idunn-san is just being cautious. She's seen me…in some bad situations, she'd rather I not be subjected to further bad situations."

"Attempted rape is unlikely to occur again," Rei intoned calmly, shifting her tone as she faced Shinji. "I waited to walk you to the locker room specifically so that I would be able to intervene, if needed."

Shinji winced, the memory of the event colliding with the bald, open, manner in which Rei so casually stated the facts, "It's…fine." There goes the last of my calm. "Thank you, Rei. Now, I'm going to take a shower and go home. I need to check on Nozomi-chan."

"Let's go have a talk, Ayanami-san," Maya scooped up Rei's arm, marching her away towards the women's lockers. "I need to change into my non-work clothes anyway. Agent Haraldson, I need Shinji to stay for a few blood draws and a conversation with one of the Corpsmen, please keep him here after his shower," she nodded by way of farewell.

Shinji waited until both women were in the opposing lockers and out of hearing range, "I'm sorry, Idunn-san."

"I'm not sure what I did to her," Idunn frowned with a puzzled look, turning to face Shinji with a sad gaze, "but she does not like me at all."

"She's not had an easy life," Shinji hedged on the side of caution. "I think she's taken to protecting me, as a way of taking control over her own actions now that she's…free from my father."

"You're very forgiving, Shinji," the tall redhead nudged his shoulder with her knuckles. "I'm glad that you're keeping your spirits up. Go on," she waved him towards the showers. "I'll make sure nobody bothers you," she made a face, "least you deserve is a private shower without having to look at old men naked."