February 12, 2027 - Unit-02 Containment Paddock, Evangelion Center, Tokyo-3

Naoko stepped on the platform and sighed. Martin had been staring at Unit-02 for the last hour, a bottle of wine in his hand. She grimaced, and wondered what Kyoko was thinking right now. How are we going to tell Martin? Should we even try to tell him? She gazed up at Kyoko's grim visage, and shrugged. She then approached Martin and cleared her throat.

"I said give me a minute," he grunted.

"Is it possible," Naoko began, and Martin whirled in surprise, "that the technicians could return to work in a timely manner?"

"Ah…Naoko. Sorry, I thought you were that pencil-necked—"

"Martin," she said patiently, "Please don't verbally abuse my subordinates."

"…Sorry." He sniffed, and looked at the bottle. "It's a 2015 merlot. Could I tempt you?"

"I don't drink wine from the bottle, or while I'm on the clock," Naoko scolded. She crossed the remaining distance and took the bottle. "However, I will make an exception for old friends."

"It's Doric. A good brand. It was Kyoko's favorite," he added. Naoko drank a little mouthful, and made a face. Without the opportunity to breathe properly, it left a lot to be desired, but it was a good wine.

"So…Martin," she said.

"Naoko," he replied, gazing up at the Eva.

"Shall we talk?"

"Nothing to talk about," he grunted. "My daughter saw this thing, had a fit, and won't come up for air. Other than that, everything is peachy."

"Isn't it, though?" Naoko teased.

"I don't like that tone."

"I don't like moping friends." She handed him the bottle. "What would Kyoko do if she saw you right now?"

"…That's irrelevant."

"Martin, she would call you an idiot and scold you," Naoko continued.

"I continue to cite irrelevance," Martin snapped. He rubbed his eyes. "God, I hate that thing."

"Don't be that way," Naoko said. Martin, don't you even know who's listening?

"I do. I shouldn't, it's Kyoko's legacy, but God help me, I hate it. It took her away from me. I can hate it for that reason, right? I know that it may be a useful thing someday, but for now…I just loathe it." He took a long draw from the bottle, and sniffed. "I won't always, you know. Just right now…right now…I miss her a lot." He rubbed his eyes. Naoko touched his elbow.

"You have Asuka," she said.

"I do. I do," Martin agreed, flicking at his eye-lids with his thumb. "And then there's…that."

"Ah…that," Naoko said, understanding what he was referring to. "Well…we can get a workaround, I'm sure."

"You think her presence will…jump start it?"

"Maybe. Maybe not. We can see what happens, though, but we feel Unit-02 is the one with most promise. If we didn't…we would never have tried to put you through this."

"I just don't understand why they won't move," Martin mumbled. "They're activated, right? They're…whole. Why won't they get up when we tell them to?"

"We know that they…fixate on the children. Unit-00 is fixated on Rei, this one on Asuka. Unit-01 is focused on Shinji. It's like they've…chosen who they want to pilot them."

"I can understand, I guess, why 02 and 01 are the way they are. But…00. That's odd," Maritn mused.

"You think so, too?" Naoko said. "It's not, really. We used Rei's cells in an effort to jump-start a self-awareness in Unit-00. It worked, but…now it wants Rei."

"I see," Martin said. "Have you…considered…." He trailed off.

"No, because Yui won't allow it," Naoko said. "For any of the units: no children are to be involved."

"Good," Martin said, but his tone sounded…conflicted.

"Martin, you're not seriously thinking of putting your daughter in there. Not after the big scene you just made," she said, accusingly.

"I know I made a big scene, don't push me on that," Martin grumbled. "But…we need these things working. They need to move. What if…the kid's can…I don't know…reason with them or something? Convince them to let other people pilot them?"

Naoko felt guilty. Hearing Martin say that was better than anything she could have hoped for. It made persuading him to allow a synchronization test all the easier. And yet, after seeing Asuka's reaction to Unit-02…Naoko had doubts about her own ideas. She rubbed her eyes. Unit-01 was…dicey. Rei actually knew about the problems they had (she spent far too much time around her mother) and was good at keeping those secrets to herself. That being said, Unit-00 was…unpredictable. Unit-02 was stable. It was Kyoko.

And it had terrified Asuka into near catatonia. Naoko sighed. It was still a big thing for Martin to suggest, without her having to lead him to it. She began to doubt her own logic….

Her phone vibrated in her pocket. She glanced at it to see she had received a text. We need to talk. -K. Naoko glanced at the Eva and rolled her eyes. "Martin, I have an emergency I have to go handle. I want to talk about this later, when we have time…and you aren't terrifying our technicians."

Martin scoffed, but he turned to leave with her. "I'll go see if I can persuade Asuka to come up for air," he said. "Let her know everything is okay."

"You could go down. I'm sure the mermaids would be fascinated to meet you," Naoko offered.

"No," he grumped. Naoko snickered at his bluntness, leaving the Eva in its paddock.


As soon as the door to Naoko's office slid shut, the speaker on her computer squawked.

"You hussy," the familiar voice said, accusing.

"I beg your pardon?" Naoko asked, perturbed.

"I saw that," Kyoko said through the speaker. "I saw you have that little moment with Martin."

"Oh, spare me," Naoko snorted. "You pick a time like this to get jealous?"

"Actually, I was thinking of trying to set the two of you up, as I am legally deceased," Kyoko said. Naoko blanched at both the suggestion and the casual playfulness with which it was made.

"You can't be serious!" Naoko gasped.

"Kind of am, actually," Kyoko said. "I hate seeing him alone, and you two do get along well."

"Kyoko, you're not dead, stop making such ridiculous suggestions," Naoko snapped. "Besides, if Martin finds out you're in there…maybe it'll be like a fetish."

"I am not a fetish!" Kyoko snapped. "Stop being difficult and date my husband!"

Naoko rubbed her eyes, and sat down at the computer. "Kyoko…I have a hunch you're trying to get me to lust after your husband for another reason."

"And, pray tell, what reason would that be?"

"Asuka." There was a hissing sound over the speakers. Aah, Naoko thought, That's the bullseye. Trying to distract herself from one problem by inventing and solving another. That was Kyoko.

"I didn't want her to see me…not yet," Kyoko mumbled.

"It wasn't anyone's fault except for MAGI and it's little viruses. We've stopped the leak, cleared up the problems…we think. Seele is getting aggressive in their probing."

"She was so scared!" Kyoko moaned. "I…I don't want to see that again!"

"Kyoko, it was just…this was the worst way she could have seen you again. We can arrange another…meet. Unless you change you're mind…."

"No…no. I don't want to, but it's really the best way, isn't it?" Kyoko sighed. "I never imagined I would have to face a parenting crisis like this one."

"Give yourself some credit, Kyoko: only insane people imagine things like this happening."

"Since when did reality become so…surreal?"

"Couldn't tell you, hon, but we're the folks who'll sort it out," Naoko said happily. "Now…who's my unstoppable, godlike being?"

Kyoko giggled. "I am," she said, with mock modesty.

"And who's going to meet her daughter again?"

"I am," Kyoko said, a little more firmly.

"Good. Now, let's distract ourselves in other ways…when she was in the room, did you feel anything besides mortification?"

"Like, the urge to get up and walk around? No. Not a thing. Of course, you know that a sync test would be necessary for that…."

"Yes. Yes, I do. I wasn't going to ask."

"You don't have to. I…let's just…work up to that. Slowly."

"I agree," Naoko said. "Now, we have some other things to go over…."


Rei rested on the padded futon, Asuka's head in her lap. It was something Rei's mother did for her, whenever she was low. She would sit on the couch at home, have Rei lay her head on her lap, and then stroke her hair, or rub her scalp. It would always soothe Rei, and it seemed to work for Asuka, as well. Her eyes were closed, and she nuzzled against Rei's leg.

"I think your Daddy is waiting," Rei said.

"He can wait," Asuka grumbled.

"Don't be mean," Rei scolded. "He's probably worried about you."

"Probably?"

"I dunno," Rei murmured. "He'd be a crappy dad if he wasn't."

"He probably is," Asuka conceded.

"Then why don't you want to go up, yet?"

"I like having my hair stroked," Asuka said.

"Is that all?"

"…I'm embarrassed." Rei leaned over her friend, looking down at her.

"Why?"

"I freaked out like…I don't know." The red-haired girl sat up. "I don't even remember what happened. I just….when I saw…that…I…I don't want Dad to see me, right now. It was bad enough you saw me."

"You did scare me," Rei admitted. "I don't think bad of you, though. I mean…it was…well…." Rei became uncomfortable, uncertain how to continue.

"It killed my mom," Asuka said quietly. Rei nodded, but said nothing. "It was an accident, though. It didn't…mean to, right? It's like a car crash, or a house fire."

"It still scared you, though."

"I hadn't seen it in a while. I guess I'm okay now, though. I just wish I hadn't…done that. That was dumb."

"I'm sorry, Asuka."

"Why are you sorry?" Asuka gave Rei a quizzical look.

"I feel like it's my fault…somehow."

"It's not…you said you didn't know what was in there."

"And I didn't! I swear!" Rei's eyes were wide and earnest, and she grabbed Asuka's hand.

"I didn't say you did!" Asuka insisted, a little irritated, but she didn't withdraw her hand. She glanced towards the porthole that led back to the entrance lock. Her shoulders sagged a bit. "I need to go back up."

"I'll go with you. We'll still need to unpack your stuff."

"I can't believe we forgot about that. Geeze, it's all still in boxes," Asuka sighed.

"And I bet Pen-Pen is lonely."

"Really, now…."

"All by himself, wondering when his Asuka will come back."

"Stop being weird."

"Or when Shinji will find him."

"Don't say that!"

"I can see it now!" Rei clasped her hands in mock glee. "He'll realize the flame that you've held for him all these years! And it will be when he finds Pen-Pen sitting right out in the open, because you have no idea how to hide him." Asuka reached over and tweaked one of Rei's ears. She yelped. "That hurt," she mumbled.

"Serves you right," Asuka sniffed, kicking off of the futon and swimming towards the porthole. "Let's go say bye to the mermaids and unpack my stuff." Rei followed, satisfied that Asuka seemed, for the moment, in a better mood. Happily, that mood ought to last. All Rei had to do was ensure that, one way or the other.


Martin stood at the edge of the tank with his hands in his pockets, watching the surface of the LCL slowly ripple from the movement beneath. He saw shadows, and a familiar red head popped through the surface, followed by a mob of silvery blue. He stepped back slightly to avoid being splashed.

Asuka looked up at him, and blinked. "Hi," she said quietly.

"Hi," he replied. It was as though he had opened a floodgate: a cacophony of greeting swashed over him as the identical siblings spoke as one. One of them detached herself from the rest and climbed out. That had to Rei.

"I'm sorry," she said, sheepishly. "They get excited when they meet new people." Martin blinked in surprise, and realize that, yes, he was a new person: he had never actually met the mermaids face-to-face, before.

"Are you going to come down for a visit?" one of them asked.

"Another time," he said, waving vaguely. "Asuka, are you ready to come up?"

"…Yes. I'm sorry," she mumbled, climbing out of the tank. For a moment, she looked unsteady. Before Martin could help her, Rei was already next to the girl, propping her up.

"Sleeping in LCL can feel good, but it makes walking around weird afterward," Rei explained, partially to Asuka and partially to Martin. "You'll feel better in a bit." As if on cue, Asuka bent forward with a 'huk' and a long stream of pink goo spilled over the floor. Some of the girls made audible sounds of shock. One of them seemed utterly amazed and excited by it, and was offering Asuka compliments on performing such an amazing trick.

"You probably swallowed it without thinking about it," Rei offered.

"Probably not the best time to explain this stuff, Rei," Martin advised, as Asuka continued to retch. The girl opened her mouth to apologize, then popped it closed, deciding silence was the best apology she could offer.

"I feel funny," Asuka mumbled.

"I bet," Martin chided. "Go clean up."

"Okay," she mumbled, listing sideways and almost falling back into the tank. A few of the girls vanished beneath the surface like minnows, expecting her to fall on them. Rei still had a firm grip on her, and walked Asuka across the entrance lock as the tech on duty called for a cleaning crew to sanitize the floor. He rubbed his eyes, feeling a bit tired…and realized he was still being watched.

Ten sets of eyes were on him.

"Yes?" he asked.

"What's your name?" one of them asked.

"I'm…" he coughed, "I'm Martin. Martin Langley, I'm Asuka's father."

"We know that," one of them said a bit snidely. "We didn't know your name."

"Don't be rude, Tsukiko," one of them scolded loudly.

Another one (the same one impressed by Asuka vomiting) bobbed over to the edge. "Can you do things like catch knives in mid-air and shoot bullets by squeezing them?"

"…Huh?"

"Rei and Asuka said you're like, this super-awesome, beat-up-the-world, fighting soldier guy," the girl said, becoming more and more excited. Frankly, it made Martin a little concerned: she was rising further and further out of the tank, and clearly becoming dizzier and dizzier the more she extracted herself from the LCL. "So, what things can you do?"

"Um…well…." He thought for a moment. How does one explain it? He could offer a technical explanation of his talents, but that might bore the girl. He didn't feel comfortable sharing the more brutal details of what he knew. "Uh…well, I know how…to…hurt…people…?"

That was a terrible explanation. Still, the little girl seemed amazed by it. "Could you show me how?" she asked, enraptured.

"Don't!" all of the other girls said, practically as one. The first one seemed oblivious to the plea.

"I want…I want to be able to break boards with my forehead and eat glass and stuff like that. Do you know anything like that?"

"No…but I do know how to peel a man's arm in half."

"Wow!" the girl said. "Show me how!"

"Don't!" the other girls insisted, a bit more shrill than the first time.

"Maybe later," Martin offered.

"Have you…ever actually…done that?" one of the girls asked, mortified.

He lied. "No. Never. Just know how, you see."

"Then how do you know it works?" she asked, suspiciously. Martin glanced at the technician near the desk.

"How about I try it with him and we see if it works?" Martin offered.

"No!" the girls cried out.

"Do it!" the rowdy one cheered.

"Majority rules," Martin said, smiling. The girl gave a moan of disappointment as her sisters began scolding her. Martin winked at the technician, who gave a gesture that incicated, 'I'm not involved.' Martin let his mind wander, above the sound of the babbling girls, back to the Eva. The red Unit-02, that Kyoko had worked so hard to bring to existence. Had given her life to activate it.

Given her soul….

It had bothered him, all these years. That thing that Yui had tried to tell him at the funeral. He knew what she was going to suggest, and to this day, he knew all he had to do was ask. Is Kyoko in that thing? Yui and Naoko were geniuses. They would have figured it out within a month of it happening. A week, even. They would certainly know now. All he had to do was ask….

And he couldn't. He didn't know how. Didn't think he wanted to know…because that would mean his wife was here, alive in a fashion, and he had run. Taken their daughter and abandoned Kyoko, to that…existence. Alone.

What a son of a bitch he would be if that were true. He couldn't let it be true. And yet…what if it was? How does one begin to ask that? Say, Yui, rumor has it my wife is a giant cyborg. What's your take on that? He closed his eyes and willed himself back in the paddock, back to gazing at those eyes…those jewel eyes…wondering…searching…trying to see if there was some sort of spark in them. Something familiar.

He didn't know. He just didn't know.