A/N: So, after some thought, I've decided to unveil the general plan for this fic(s). I held back on this initially because I didn't want overpromise anything, but I also don't want anyone to get blindsided in the event that I do make it that far.
The plan is for this to be a trilogy of fics, and (maybe) a shorter novella to finish the series and wrap things up: A Brighter Future, Together and Apart (working title), Katashiro (working title). Each part is projected to be 9-10 chapters with a prologue and epilogue. A chapter should (hopefully) come out every two weeks, more or less, but there will be a hiatus between fics so that I can plan and get a headstart on writing. I know there was at least one person that was worried the fic was already DOA, so hopefully that clears things up.
Again, I can't promise I'll make it that far (I'll try), but this is the plan in the event that I do.
As always, thanks for the reviews/favs/follows, and enjoy the chapter.
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SOMEWHERE IN KANAGAWA PREFECTURE, JAPAN
SEPTEMBER 23RD, 2005
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The midday sun glinted off of a drawn pistol, as Yui Ikari was forced to her knees.
Like the Second Coming, Yui didn't know when the end would arrive; and they had arrived, like a thief in the night, abducting her from the laboratory where Yui spent most of her days. Worrying about when her assailants would come was akin dreading the sunrise – the woman's only concern was making sure she had something to offer when the time finally came.
Yui wasn't blindfolded, and the intention was clear. After all, what did secrets matter to a live corpse? Her abductors were dressed like anyone else – they weren't clad in military armor or dressed in black with opaque sunglasses; they were simply regular men hired to do a job.
It certainly made Yui rethink her strategy. A trump card was useless to those who couldn't read or understand it. If the men knew nothing other than: 'Take this woman, dispose of her', then Yui was dead. Men were desperate these days, and pulling the trigger to eat for another week was simplicity itself.
There were two cars in the field. Again, modest four-door coupes that anyone would be able to afford; especially a person working on the salary of a professor or researcher. Another reason why the men had been able to kidnap Yui so easily. Another mistake Yui had made.
The locale was lovely, at least. A random field of red flowers somewhere in Japan, the sun beating down on them as it began the slow descent below the horizon. Sweat dripped from Yui's brown onto her white lab coat. It was both poetic and pragmatic. Yui would be only one of the incalculable corpses left in the wake of Second Impact – dead from war, disease, famine. She hoped that Gendo and her baby, Shinji, would be spared. They needed Gendo; if her husband was indeed disposable, then they definitely could not go forward without Shinji. If Yui could leave her son anything, the gift of life was the most important of all.
Shinji was her life, her world. Without Shinji, nothing else mattered. Existence itself would be like chewing on ashes, every step would be lethargic, every word would lack meaning. Yui would flush the whole world down the drain before she willingly let any harm come to that child – a selfish desire, admittedly, but she hardly cared. Before Shinji, all the other children of the world were mere dolls made from paper or linen.
What was the gunman waiting for? Not that Yui minded the delay, but if they were truly assassins, then the job seemed a simple matter of pulling the trigger and heading back home. Yui had messed up somewhere along the line, or her work was no longer needed by men who preferred to clean house as opposed to leaving loose ends unattended.
One of the men, wearing a blue-and-white plaid blazer, pulled a phone from his pocket. A cell phone, which laid the theory about the men being cheap guns-for-hire to rest. Devices such as those were prohibitively expensive before Second Impact – now, the only way a simple goon would have access to cellular technology was if it was given to him, by someone who had more money than they knew what to do with.
Which meant Yui still had a card to play. Good.
The man spoke in whispers, so Yui couldn't make any of the words out. He wasn't a native Japanese speaker, Yui could tell that much. Japan's rise to prominence in the world came with a wave of egalitarianism. The number of foreigners who achieved fluency on the level of this particular captor remained low, however. It seemed the social and technical status of her kidnappers continued to elevate.
Obviously, the phone call itself was of importance; the man had hardly pulled out the phone to talk to his girlfriend, after all. In Yui's mind, there was either a sort of negotiation happening, or someone was on the way to this location. Perhaps ransom was the motive, or intimidation. Yui and her associates – Gendo, Doctor Fuyutsuki, Naoko - had been running afoul of some powerful people with intent. There were many different plays to determine the future of the world, all taking place concurrently. Conflicts of interest weren't a possibility, but rather an inevitability.
Nebulous, secret organizations were a dime-a-dozen these days. They all had their theories about why the world had nearly ended; any conclusions they drew which landed close to the truth were random, and ran along lines of thought so flimsy that Professor Fuyutsuki would have thrown them into his garbage bin, had a student given it to him for approval. However, while their minds were often dull, their teeth were not.
The only question was which Yui had offended. Then, afterwards, what did Yui need to do to assuage the wound.
Yui heard the distant roar of a car engine. The men surrounding Yui all shifted in the noise's direction, aside from the man holding her at gunpoint. Their postures weren't aggressive, the men were simply waiting to receive a package. So, this was a meeting, though whether it was final or not Yui could still not determine with the data at hand. Though, if they were going through all this trouble, this person of interest was someone who did not want to be seen or heard from through a phone tap.
A black Mercedes Benz drove into view – an open field with tall grass wasn't exactly welcome territory to luxury cars who had a tendency to break down on a whim, so the theory of this person being a moneyed individual moved from sound to near absolute.
Two men stepped out of the car. Severe burns marred the eyes of the first man Yui noticed, and his eyes lacked pupils entirely. His grey hair was flecked with black, and was curled and straightened towards the back of his head, like in the gangster movies Gendo liked to watch. Two of the hired guns holstered their weapons, helping to lower the man into a wheelchair - even the rich and powerful felt the aftereffects of Second Impact, it seemed. He wore a dark grey business suit with white pinstripes and black buttons, badges stuck to his lapel which indicated some sort of rank in the German government, though Yui's mind did not drum up any specifics.
A non-descript, black-haired man of modest height stood behind the blinded man; he grasped the scarred-face man's wheelchair and rolled him towards Yui. This man was of Japanese ancestry, though otherwise, Yui could have fell over him in the street and thought nothing of it. Perhaps the man was an official in the Japanese government, or an agent of it. Yui had never seen him, and the woman had met with her fair share since she worked out of the lab in Hakone, since it was partially their grant money which kept the facility running. Anonymity was a powerful tool in a world teetering on the edge of apocalypse; Yui did not chide him for it.
They stopped in front of Yui. The black-haired man met Yui's gaze, while the blind man looked off into the distance.
"Doctor Ikari," the blinded man said. "it's a pleasure to finally meet you. My name is Chairman Keel Lorenz."
Yui figured this would be a poor time to laugh. "The pleasure is mine. I'm sorry we aren't meeting under better circumstances, Chairman."
The man chuckled, a gravelly sound which indicated tracheal damage. "Oh, there's the sense of humor I've heard about."
"If I may be so blunt," Yui said. "who do you work for, and how exactly have I offended you? It must be grievous, to warrant such a trip."
"Don't trouble yourself, Miss Ikari. I have other business to attend to today, and this was on the way." The Chairman smirked, still looking in a different direction. "You might know me better as SEELE 01, Doctor Ikari. Does this help clear the issue up?"
Yui blinked. If the woman were to die here, she mused that – in a morbid, twisted sort of way – it was an honor to have her life end in the presence of one of the most important men in the planet. SEELE was the nebulous, secret organization; before them, all the others were but children, and their plans might as well have been made of crayon scribbles and finger paint. What Yui had done to make this man even detour for her sake, she did not know. The very thought sent chills down her spine.
"Do you intend to kill me, Chairman Keel?" Yui asked. "While death was an eventuality I had prepared for, I'm afraid I am at a loss as to why either of us are here."
The Chairman gave a deep chuckle. "I do intend to kill you, Doctor. But I wanted to meet you first, the woman whose brilliant mind made all our plans possible. Call it a whim, and indulge me in your last moments."
"How magnanimous of you," Yui said, mirthlessly.
The man tapped his fingers against the chair, as if he were sending a telegram. "As far as SEELE is concerned, the science is mostly finished and can be pushed forward through more controllable vectors."
Of course.
"So, you heard about what happened, I assume?"
"Nothing in that lab escapes our notice," the Chairman said. "but I must say that I respect the effort, Doctor. There aren't many, if any, who would go to the lengths you have to subvert the Human Instrumentality Project for your own ends. Some might call it insanity, but I think it was ingenious."
Again, Yui had to stifle a laugh. "You wouldn't be saying that if it had worked."
Chairman Keel smiled. "I suppose not. And I trust you understand why you cannot be allowed to have another attempt."
"With respect, I think you overestimate my abilities, Chairman," Yui said. "that was my one shot, and now it's gone. I don't have another card to play against you."
"Humility does you no favors, Miss Ikari," Chairman Keel said. "Gendo Ikari might be known for his shrewdness, but I know that you are no slouch in that department. Especially now."
"If I were truly as shrewd as my husband, I wouldn't be on my knees right now." She couldn't help but look away; if they had no designs on letting her live, she would rather they be done with it. This whole show was merely to gloat. "My son, Shinji. All I ask is that you let him live."
"You will have no concerns on that front, Doctor. We still have need of him, and your dear husband as well." The young Japanese man holding Keel's wheelchair nodded towards the gunman behind Yui, who then pressed the barrel into the back of her head. "Are there last words I can deliver to your husband or son?"
"No. But I have something to say to you."
"Oh? And what is that?"
"I know my continued presence complicates things for you. But if I nearly subverted the scenario without you even being aware of it, then you have to ask yourself what else I might know."
Yui looked up at Keel, her eyes narrowing. "Certain things have changed now, and without me, the whole scenario might go awry."
Chairman Keel's smile widened; after a time, the man rapped his knuckles against the chair-rest twice, and the gunman let his pistol arm drop.
While she didn't consider herself a particularly good manipulator, Yui could always tell when a man had acquiesced to her request. There was a subtle shift, the feeling of letting a kitten into the bird cage to play – after all, what harm could it possibly do? Appearing meek and harmless was a skill ignored by most men, blinded by pride or the timeless drive to assert their superiority over others. But the skill was, in fact, one of the most important to learn.
There was a moment in everyone's life when they would be at the mercy of someone else and at a complete loss as to why. Maintaining the illusion of being beneath notice would be the difference between life and death.
And furthermore, Keel was a man whose hands were in every pocket. He thrived on control and information, and there was nothing he hated more than being left in the dark. Yui didn't know if the man's curiousity would save her life or not, but nevertheless, he said the words she had been waiting to hear.
"I'm listening, Doctor."
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Chapter Two
"Cleaning House"
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"There is no distance I will not travel to keep you safe. Always remember that."
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DEBRIEFING ROOM, NERV HQ
AUGUST 5TH, 2016
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"With Commander Ikari organizing the clean-up in Aise, I will be conducting this meeting in his stead." Professor Fuyutsuki, whom Yui called Vice-Commander in public as to not embarrass him, stood before a holographic readout of the last Angel battle. "Being our first engagement with an Angel, and a successful one at that, I think everyone in this room is due no small amount of praise. We've elevated ourselves in the eyes of the government, and indeed the entire world."
In attendance in the cramped, dark de-briefing room were: the Doctors Akagi, Naoko and Ritsuko, both sitting cross-legged and expectant; the highest ranking bridge crew members – Maya Ibuki, Makoto Hyuga, and Shigeru Aoba; and Lieutenant-Colonel Misato Katsuragi, who was in a state of indignant anger because their special guest, Kaji Ryouji, was calling in from Germany.
Yui often wondered how the woman could be so childish, while simultaneously displaying the professionalism required of her rank. The Vice-Commander hadn't noticed Misato's crossed arms and the modest pout on her lips, but Yui certainly did, and the Doctors Akagi – being woman of intelligence and acutely in tune with Misato's moods – likely did as well. Misato and Kaji were old flames from college, an arrangement which had ended in a dramatic fashion, on the Lieutenant-Colonel's part.
"NERV Germany is practically over the moon for you guys," Kaji said, his easy-going voice having the effect of driving a spike through Misato's eye, judging by her expression. "the world's most expensive venture is officially justified, and we all get to live and breathe a little while longer."
"When will we be receiving the Second Child, Agent Ryouji?" Misato asked, her voice stone. "I believe NERV Japan was quite clear in their request for her immediate transfer, as well as that of Unit-02."
"Well, Lieutenant-Colonel Katsuragi, we're preparing for her departure as I speak. I'm sure the beautiful, intelligent women of NERV Japan can hold out for a little while longer." There was a smacking sound on the other line, almost certain to be Kaji blowing a kiss. "Perhaps we can discuss our future battle-plans against the Angels over dinner, once I arrive?"
"Honestly, why do we have this idiot on the line again?" Yui shot Misato a look which basically said 'behave yourself', and the black-haired woman calmed down. "I don't believe I will be available for such…after-hour fraternization."
A deep laugh echoed from the other end of the line. "You're assuming I'm talking about you, Lieutenant-Colonel, and I'm flattered, but you aren't the only beautiful and available woman at NERV. Perhaps Ritsuko, or even Naoko, if she were willing to stoop to – "
"Anyway," Misato said as Naoko and Ritsuko shared a chuckle over the situation. "do we an exact timeline of when Unit-02 and its pilot will be shipped?"
"I believe the current shipping date is August 12th, at 0800 JST. Obviously shipping an EVA unit without mishap is a…unique challenge, and we want to make sure it doesn't end up at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean."
"So, a little over a week?" Misato crossed her arms, her brows furrowing. "I suppose we can hold out until then. We have one pilot injured, and one injured and inexperienced, but they should be capable of piloting in a couple days' time."
"As I said, we've got some of the top minds in the world in that room. Naoko, Ritsuko, and the Chrysanthemum flower of NERV herself, of course. I trust NERV Japan to stave off planetary annihilation for a couple – " There was a girl's voice on the Kaji's end, young and high-pitched. " – yeah, it's Misato and some others, Asuka. Well, I didn't think you would be interested in this sort of stuff. Did you – "
Static crackled over the line, and then a different voice took over. " – stop flirting and let an adult take over. Hello, Miss Misato."
"Hi, Asuka." A bemused smile crossed her lips. "How have you been?"
"Good, just trying to corral this idiot and keep him from chasing after every skirt." Yui heard Kaji complain, but couldn't parse his words. "I saw the combat footage and thought, as an experienced EVA pilot, that I might have some tactical insight to offer."
"Go ahead. It's probably of more worth than anything your caretaker was about to say."
"Well, first of all, what was the moron piloting Unit-01 doing? I mean, falling over like that. It's not a toy, it's a piece of advanced military hardware."
"Hello there, Miss Soryu," Yui said in a sing-song tone, amused at the small squeak Asuka made at the sound of her voice. "It was my son's first time in an EVA, and I assure you such an error won't happen again. Pressing circumstances, you understand?"
"I-I didn't know you were there, Doctor Ikari. Uhm, well, I sure he did his best." A wave of stifled chuckling passed over the room as the German girl strung together a response. "I…I really enjoyed your latest thesis paper, i-it was really interesting."
"Thank you, dear. I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts in person."
"Y-yeah, of course…" Asuka said with a nervous hum in her voice. "Kaji, they want you back on the line. Here!"
There was static and sounds of shuffling on the other end, before Kaji's voice returned. "Well, Asuka certainly hasn't lost any of her spirit, as you all can tell."
"If we could get back on topic," the Vice-Commander said. "now that we have rough time-frame on the arrival of Unit-02 and its pilot, I think we should discuss the battle and its aftermath. While a successful operation, the fact that the Angel chose to bypass Tokyo-3 entirely should be an area of concern to everyone in this room."
Ritsuko Akagi cleared her throat. "Well, I don't think it will be a problem in the future, unless they intend to attack the NERV facility in Germany next. All the variables which would draw an Angel's interest are in Tokyo-3."
"We can't know for certain until the next Angel attack," Yui said. "though, Ritsuko probably is correct. Whatever the Angel's motives are, they now lack the means to start Third Impact without attacking Tokyo-3 directly."
Maya Ibuki clutched her notepad close to her chest, a worried look in her eyes. "I'd hate to think what would happen if they attacked another metropolitan area, like Tokyo-2 or Kyoto."
There was a long pause in the room; everyone knew the logical conclusion to Maya's question, but none seemed to want to vocalize the notion and give it life. Such was the plight of NERV, to confront and answer the cold equations surrounding humanity's continued survival against the onslaught of the Angels. The innocent at heart, such as the Children and poor Maya, were likely destined to hate them for some of those decisions, but they were necessary.
Yui's voice broke the silence.
"All that matters is Tokyo-3. Nothing else."
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LEAVING THE GEOFRONT, NERV HQ
AUGUST 5TH, 2016
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"It's like there's a whole world inside of here," Shinji said, his face nearly pressed against the glass. "this is amazing, Miss Misato."
Lieutenant Colonel Misato Katsuragi smiled at the boy from over her shoulder, leaning forward over the railing of the elevator. Sounds of wonder and awe escaped the boy's lips, but for the other three occupants – herself, Rei, and Doctor Ikari – the Geo-Front was a normal facet of life. The rolling hills, verdant valleys, and pristine lakes still should have inspired reverence in Misato, but after seeing the region around five-hundred times, the spectacle had long worn off.
For a boy who had been bed-ridden only two days ago, Shinji was doing well. Naoko insisted on a series of psychiatric and physical evaluations after the battle; she found the boy was remarkably healthy, though lanky and not in particularly good shape, and the psychiatric reviews hadn't found anything out of the ordinary. Shinji had a pre-existing anxiety disorder which he took medication for, according to Doctor Ikari, but the battle hadn't exacerbated the condition. Perhaps fighting giant alien monsters was more palatable to the boy than the rigors of normal, everyday life.
Shinji wore the same style of hospital gown he had been dressed in after arriving unconscious in Tokyo-3, with a leather baseball jacket draped over his shoulders courtesy of Misato, and a pair of Maya Ibuki's jeans which happened to fit Shinji. The clothes Shinji wore through the last Angel battle were ripped and torn, and the bulk of his luggage wouldn't be making it through the security cordon around his hometown. He needed a shopping trip, and soon.
Standing at his side was Rei, impassive as ever, through occasionally she would point out a feature of the Geo-Front or elaborate on a detail which Shinji had already noticed. Both kids looked worse for wear; Rei's left arm was in a sling again, per Doctor Ikari's orders, as the stress of battle had caused her previously hurt ulna to refracture.
Poor kids. The Angels would be gone, one day, and they would be free of the Evangelion's burden. Misato hoped the day would come soon, for their sake.
"The Diet and the UN weren't happy about how we handled the Angel," Yui said, flipping through photos on her phone. "they expected it to attack Tokyo-3, like we did. Now they have to work overtime to try and cover it up."
Misato shrugged. "We took care of the situation, didn't we? Maybe they should start production on their own EVAs, that way they can take care of it themselves the next time an Angel attacks."
"I suspect they've already started their own programs." Yui grimaced, as if the very thought of NERV's hegemony being challenged disgusted her, then gave a relived sigh; a ghost of a smile was on her lips. "But I guess it's not worth worrying about the past. No use trying to repair a vase after it's shattered, right?"
"What's going to happen to the town?" Misato asked. "I mean, that's you and Shinji's home, right?"
"I honestly don't know," Yui said. "They'll be cordoned off, at the very least. I'm going to try to get my parents and my little nephew out of Aise, but talking them into leaving home is going be…difficult."
The woman made the task sound like the most worrisome task in the world, but Misato knew that Yui Ikari could talk a cat off of a fish cart, if she set her mind to it. "They're good folks. Your father tried to hit on me, but otherwise they seem like reasonable people."
"Sounds about right for Dad." The phone in Yui's hand beeped; a picture popped up on the screen, presumably of the Angel's aftermath, judging from what Misato saw out of the corner of her eye. "The Commander is nominally in charge of the clean-up, but it's a balancing act between the JSSDF and the UN."
Among those 'in the know' at NERV – which was admittedly a small circle that Misato was not wholly a part of – it was an open secret that Commander Ikari almost always deferred to Yui, whenever she had an opinion about a potential problem or course of action. Gendo Ikari was the iron fist of NERV, but Yui had the final say. Of course, in public, Yui was the perfect picture of a deferential wife: beautiful, obedient, and welcoming. In private, however, it was a different story entirely.
And really, who would have suspected little Yui Ikari of being anything other than a scientist and dutiful wife? Even her style of dress was rather frumpy, unlike her husband, who knew how to cut a striking figure; she favored lab coats over long skirts, and blouses which were one size too large. She was still beautiful, in Misato's opinion, but the woman certainly went out of her way to appear unassuming.
Misato winked at Yui. "I'm sure the Commander will follow his orders to the letter."
"Come now, Misato," Yui said, clearly amused with herself. "I have to give my husband some autonomy. And even if they do mess something up, news getting out about the Angels is a question of when, not if. There's only so much you can hide from people."
When the Angel self-destructed, the creature left behind a crater about half-a-mile wide; thankfully, the town of Aise wasn't in the blast radius, and the explosion itself seemed to be pure energy, meaning no radiation or other side effects. In other words, the only problem with Aise was that they had clearly seen the Angel and its subsequent death, as well as the EVA series. Seemingly overnight, Yui Ikari's quaint hometown had become one of the most important places on Earth.
"The place is a powder keg," Yui said. Her eyes trailed to Shinji, who was excitedly pointing at the illuminated pyramid in the center of the Geo-Front. "and I don't want Shinji worrying about whether his grandparents are in danger, or whether he'll get to speak to them again. He's been through enough already."
A sudden chord of dread strummed through Misato's body. "He knows there's going to be more Angels, right? That he'll have to pilot EVA again?"
"I'm working up to telling him." The Doctor looked away. "Shinji and Rei, as well as Asuka whenever she arrives, they need to be cared for. Looked after. Piloting EVA will be herculean task in itself, we can't ask them to play politics or defend themselves."
Another thing Misato learned from shadowing Yui was that the woman rarely asked for anything. Which wasn't to say Yui didn't want anything of other people; whenever Yui wanted someone to accomplish a task for her, she would start by planting the idea in their head. If Yui made the person believe a particular notion was theirs in the first place, the idea became that much more agreeable to them. The timeframe varied: it might be an hour, a day, or even a week. But what was certain was that Doctor Ikari usually got what she wanted, without the person being any the wiser.
What irritated Misato was when she knew Yui was trying to manipulate her, and the ploy managed to work anyway; Shinji seemed a great kid – though vulnerable and withdrawn – and Misato had already made a subconscious decision to look out for him. And there were the boy's issues with his father, Commander Ikari, which Misato could definitely relate to. When Yui found a person's heartstring, she clamped down on it.
It was a distant solace that when Yui needed you, she usually had a good reason.
"I could look after Shinji," Misato said. "the Angels are hardly the only threat in Tokyo-3, after all. I…I don't know if I can bodyguard for both of you, though."
"The Commander will officially designate you as Shinji's guardian when he gets back." Which meant Yui would tell Commander Ikari to do so, of course. "You know, Shinji told me that he doesn't mind living on his own, but he's quite a good cook apparently. And he's handy around the house. I know my mother drilled more than a few good habits into him."
Damn it. Misato apartment did need a good tidying up. And probably a steam cleaning as well. "A roomie could be nice. Pen-Pen's fun and all, but his conversation skills leave a lot to be desired. I thought he would live with you, though."
"Where? In the lab?" Yui said with a chuckle. "It would be effectively the same as him living alone. Which I hate, but it is what it is. There's still a lot of work to be done on the Evangelions, and studying the Angels as well. And I can't count on Gendo to check up on him either."
A sad hum left Misato's lips. "They aren't really close, are they?"
"Gendo only just talked to him for the first time in years. Not to mention that he left Shinji with my parents in the first place. After…. You know, the incident."
Yui was talking about Unit-01's activation test, where she managed to somehow get sucked inside the EVA's core for nine months. An elephant in the room that was NERV HQ, Yui never seemed inclined to talk about the experience – though, Ritsuko had once said the aftermath of Gendo's decision to leave Shinji behind wasn't pretty.
Yui continued. "All Gendo ever says about it is that he 'wasn't meant to be a father', which is perhaps a sentiment he should have expressed before he finished inside of me. It's the only aspect about him that I don't understand."
Misato blanched, craning her head on instinct to make sure the two children hadn't heard her. "He's a mysterious man, our Commander."
"He's quite simple, actually. He just likes to appear intimidating." The elevator lurched forward a bit, which meant they were near the end of their ride. "Shinji, Rei, I think we're almost there."
The two children walked towards the elevator doors, Shinji whispering something to Rei; the girl gave a simple nod in reply and whispered back. They were getting along, at least; perhaps being EVA pilots produced the same war buddy bond which Misato had developed with her peers in the JSSDF. Both kids were the taciturn type, and related in the oddest sort of way. Birds of a feather, Misato supposed.
Misato remembered Shinji's surprise at Rei being a clone of his mother, and wondered whether the boy had asked the timeless question: 'What's it like being a clone?' To which Rei would shrug and dryly reply: 'Like being anyone else, I suppose.'
Yui and Misato approached them from behind as the elevator doors opened; soon they would be past NERV's multiple security checkpoints and on their way.
"We will need to hurry if we want to watch the buildings rise," Rei said. "I believe we have approximately twenty-one minutes before they plan to re-open the city."
"Oof," Misato said. "we should have left earlier, I guess."
Rei glanced at Misato, her voice entirely even. "I believe your driving will be sufficient to get us there, Lieutenant Colonel."
"W-what's that supposed to mean?!"
Shinji spoke to Rei in a low voice, though Misato could still hear him clearly. "She drives like that all the time?"
"Actually, it is far worse in the city."
Misato crossed her arms, almost feeling veins popping out of her forehead. "Sounds to me like there's a couple of EVA pilots who would like to run laps around the Geo-Front instead of going out on the town."
They crossed the checkpoints through the main entrance of the Geo-Front, which Misato hadn't used in months; HQ had more than a few 'secret' and high-level clearance entrances, and being the Operations Chief and in-good standing with the most powerful person at NERV, Misato figured she was privy to most of them. Shinji hadn't seen any of the entrances, since the boy was unconscious for his first trip into NERV, so Misato and Yui decided to get him acquainted with his new surroundings by giving him a short tour of NERV and the city of the Tokyo-3.
HQ had ample parking, both above and underground. In emergencies, Misato would use slide her little sports car into one of the car-train slots, and take the tram down close to Central Dogma. As much as the fact chagrined her, Misato's driving was likely the only way they would get to a proper viewpoint in time to see Tokyo-3 go out of lockdown mode. They found her 310 Alpine a few minutes after leaving checkpoint, the car decidedly crooked in the parking spot; the more prudent drivers parked around Misato's car had given her vehicle a wide berth.
After the battle with the third Angel, Misato made sure her baby was repaired and detailed, like before those idiots in the JSSDF dropped an EVA on it. For an average citizen, such a job would take up to week, but being employed by NERV had its perks; Misato had even pulled a few strings to get the JSSDF to front the bill, since they had damaged her car in the first place.
Misato grabbed her sunglasses from their compartment near the rear-view, as the children filed into the backseat and Yui in the passenger side. "Alright, I'll make sure to drive extra fast for my two special passengers today."
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.
Shinji figured there must have been a poetic element to Rei being a clone of his mother; the girl reminded him of a distant, long-lost twin sister in a way. Though Shinji had only spent a small portion of time with Rei, he could see three distinct aspects of his fellow pilot: her father's side, which was her clipped and mechanical way of speaking; her mother's side, which was her encyclopedic knowledge and subtle femininity; and Shinji's own side, which was her taciturn and passive nature.
Though he was ashamed of it, Shinji could not help feeling a twinge of unwarranted jealousy towards the girl. Rei had been here all along, like Shinji was a mere prototype that his parents were displeased with, and sought to build a better version – the Unit-01 to Shinji's Unit-00. The boy thought back to a simple phrase which his old therapist had told him once: 'You can't control your feelings, but you can control how you handle your feelings.' Recognizing his envy as immature and unfair to Rei was the first part of dispersing the feelings; Shinji was far from perfecting this, but he tried to be honest with his emotions, at least.
The girl's patience for Shinji's questions seemed limitless, so he learned as much as possible from her; any topic from synchronizing to the Angels to what school supplies he should buy was on the table. Rei, to her credit, responded to each in detail. And, as it turned out, the girl had a surprise for him.
"May I ask you a question, Ikari?" Rei asked, clutching the side of the car door to steady herself against one of Misato's wild turns.
Shinji rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed. "Uhm, yeah, of course. I suppose that's only fair."
"I noticed a couple of musical instruments when they were unloading Misato's car the other day. I cannot fathom they belong to Misato, so they must belong to you. Are you musically inclined?"
There was another hard turn of the car which rocked Rei nearly out of her seat. Misato looked at the girl from the rearview mirror, winking at her. "Oops. Sorry about that."
"Shinji is very musically inclined, Rei," Mother said, looking over her shoulder into the backseat. "he's been taking lessons since he was six or seven, I think? How many instruments do you play, Shinji?"
A flush of red crept up Shinji's cheeks. "Cello, violin, and guitar. I've taken a few singing lessons as well, but I didn't like how I sounded." The boy shrugged, his gaze turning towards the window. "I'm not that good, though. It's nothing to be impressed by."
Yui flicked her hand, as if throwing Shinji's comment into the garbage. "Don't listen to him, Rei. His teacher said he's never seen someone take to music like Shinji did. He's very good, especially for his age."
Shinji rolled his eyes. "You're supposed to say that, Mom."
Out of the corner of his eye, Shinji noticed an odd sort of rapture in Misato's expression; it was as if the woman was seeing Shinji for the first time. "Ooh, I remember this. Didn't you show Naoko and Ritsuko a recording of Shinji playing once, Miss Yui? Wasn't it Bach or something? Naoko said you were a prodigy."
If Shinji had a personal motto, it would be: "Under Promise, Over Deliver". The idea of boasting about whatever musical ability he possessed, or any other talents for that matter, was antithetical to his being and way of life. The thought of speaking in glowing terms about his music, and someone ending up disappointed when his ability didn't live up to the hype was soul-crushing; Shinji tended to avoid such conflicts whenever possible.
Furthermore, Shinji really didn't think his technical skills were anything to write home about; and he hadn't much practice at composing his own music at all. Playing music was a sort of busywork which Shinji did to keep his mind distracted whenever he was feeling down or stressed out. He didn't play music for any ulterior motives, like meeting girls or to make money – with his newfound status as a pilot of an Evangelion, his talent for music was growing more and more irrelevant by the day.
Not that Shinji wanted to pilot EVA, but he also liked the idea of humanity continuing to exist.
"I'm not a prodigy, Miss Misato," Shinji said, exasperated. "It's just something I do to pass the time, I'm not even good."
"Play something for me tonight, then. When we move you into my apartment?"
"Your apartment?" The question of living arrangements hadn't even occurred to Shinji. "Am I not moving in with you, Mom?"
Misato and Mom exchanged a glance, then Mom spoke. "Misato's going to be your guardian and personal bodyguard from now on, Shinji. With my work at the lab, I won't be able to check in with you as often as I would like, and your father…"
She trailed off, leaving the obvious unsaid. "…anyway, I'm not comfortable leaving you alone for unattended for long periods of time, so Misato's agreed to look after you."
"Mom, I can cook and clean all by myself. I don't need a babysitter."
"True, but Misato does," Mom said, earning a leer from the Lieutenant Colonel. "and you need someone who knows the city and can keep you safe as well. You're an EVA pilot now, Shinji, which makes you valuable to a great many people. We have to protect you, and Rei as well."
Shinji looked off to the side. "I just thought…"
"Shinji," Mom said. "this doesn't mean that I don't love you. I just want you in the best possible care in case something happens, and at NERV, Misato is the best. I don't know the first thing about defending myself, and your father isn't much better, the occasional bar-fight aside."
There was a momentary silence, and then Shinji and Misato exploded.
"W-what?"
"B-bar fight?" Misato stuttered over her words. "Our Commander? In a bar fight?"
Mom chuckled to herself. "Oh, all the time before we got married. Used to drive me up the wall. I told him the next time he came home with anything more than a papercut, I'd leave him."
"Have you ever let the Commander out of the doghouse, Miss Yui?" Misato asked. "He seems to have his foot surgically attached to his mouth when it comes to you."
"Not since you-know-what." Mom said the last part in the sing-song sort of way. "One thing I know how to do well is hold a grudge, Misato."
"W-what's you-know-what?" Shinji asked.
"You know." Misato took one hand off the wheel, flipping her wrist around as she tried to find the right words. "The little incident that left you at your grandparents."
Shinji saw Mom narrow her eyes at Misato. She gave a deep sigh. "I was trying not to bring it up, Lieutenant-Colonel."
"Oopsie."
The next question was, naturally, 'why did Father leave me with my grandparents in the first place'. After Mom's reappearance, it was a question Shinji had asked several times, but never received a straight answer to. Mom would say only say: 'Your father loves you, Shinji, and he regrets doing that.' And grandmother would simply say that Father was a knuckle-dragging thug, who didn't deserve Yui's hand or to be Shinji's father in the first place.
At this point, Shinji knew better than to ask, so he let the awkward silence play out until someone found another topic to change the subject.
"What about Rei?" Shinji said, surprised the question had even escaped his lips. "You said I needed protection, but what about Rei?"
"Why?" Misato asked, with a sly smirk on her lips. "You wanting another roommate? Pretty and more your age, perhaps?"
Bright red crept up Shinji's face; he wished to be anywhere but this car, all of the sudden.
"N-no…I mean, t-that's not what I was – "
"Rei has been combat-trained, Shinji," Yui said, saving him. "Misato saw to it personally."
Shinji looked over towards Rei. Her eyes met his, but they betrayed nothing, aside from perhaps a growing curiosity. Then, Rei turned her attention back towards the world outside the car's window.
"As I said when we first met," Rei said. "I will protect you if the need comes for it, Ikari. Do not worry about me."
"Combat-trained? Does that mean like…guns and stuff?"
"And hand-to-hand as well," Misato said. "she's like a mini version of me. Isn't that right, Rei?"
Rei did not deign the question with a response.
The car headed out of the city, and into the hills above Tokyo-3. As far as Shinji could tell, they were making great time, though Misato's driving made him wonder whether they would arrive at their destination in one piece.
"Ikari."
Shinji turned at the sound of Rei's voice; still, her attention was fixated outside.
"Play a piece for me as well." The girl didn't blush or show any visible emotion when she asked. "I have always had trouble with creative pursuits. It has always been an impediment for me at school, perhaps I may glean something from you."
Shinji nodded; out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Misato nudge Mom in the arm. "I-I suppose I could. It's the least I could do, after all the help you've given me."
Rei gave a satisfied hum. The boy wondered sort of thoughts were running through her mind, and how much Misato would tease him about her request later.
.
.
It was good to get outside of NERV HQ sometimes, especially if your mind was full up on politics, scientific theory, and keeping your son alive through a maze of lies and contradictions. In Yui's estimation, just like most regional and global catastrophes, it was not the disruption itself which caused the most problems, but rather the ineffectiveness and pettiness of human hands to combat it. God sending his Angels to punish humankind for their overreach was a cardinal threat, but as always, Yui figured humanity would be its own undoing.
But, unlike God, there was still work to be done on Yui's day off.
Misato had parked her car – and Yui used 'park' in the loosest way possible - on a nice ridge, so that the kids could see Tokyo-3 come to life. The lockdown mechanism that kept Tokyo-3's citizens safe had a mandatory twenty-four-hour limit after any potential dangers had passed before the safety protocols could be released, for clean-up and reconstruction. Before the Third Angel had played them all for fools, NERV had expected a decent-sized cleanup effort, in the event of a successful engagement. But the Angel had decided to self-destruct in the middle of nowhere instead.
As Yui stepped out of the door, she inwardly cursed herself for not wearing for more appropriate shoes as her heels dug into the ground. She gave Misato her 'I need a few minutes' look, and the Lieutenant-Colonel draped her arms around Shinji and Rei, leading them in the opposite direction. Yui flipped her phone open, and called her dearest husband.
Gendo picked up after one ring, as he always did for Yui. "Yes?"
"How's it looking?" Yui said, walking further out of earshot at a casual pace. "Anything we can use?"
"I'm afraid not, unless you have a pressing need for Angel blood."
Yui's mood soured a bit; she was looking forward to any sort of tangible material – aside from blood - which could be salvaged from the Angel. They couldn't expect the beast to leave its S2 drive fully intact, but any sort of skin or appendage would be useful.
"Market's over-saturated by Angel blood, I'm afraid. Have you had any trouble up there?"
"The JSSDF suggested wiping the town off the map and telling the media it was an armed N2 mine accidentally dropped from a transport on the way to Tokyo-3. I assumed you wouldn't be amenable to such a plan."
A smirk crossed Yui's lips. It wasn't a true suggestion, merely a way for the JSSDF to flex their muscles to NERV and the UN. Pitiful, really. "I'm fine with their plan, on the grounds that they let NERV drop Unit-00 and Unit-01 on top of Kyoto or Tokyo-2."
Gendo grunted to himself, which meant he thought the idea was amusing, but was surrounded by subordinates and representatives around whom he needed to maintain his air of sternness. "The town is in a state of lockdown, currently, and we are feeding disinformation to the local and national stations about the incident. Spin it as an odd climatic consequence of Second Impact and we should be able to keep it contained."
"I hope so. The government's going to be upset if we end up sending the whole country into a panic."
"It is hardly our fault that the Angel opted for a battlefield of its own choosing." There were muffled voices on the other side of the line, followed by Gendo doling out a few short orders which Yui could only half-understand. "All the different elements we have brought into play are within Tokyo-3 now, so there should be no more surprises of such a caliber."
"The first Angel we've fought has already shown a proclivity for tactical thinking, of a sort," Yui said. "is it possible they're working in concert with each other? Perhaps this Angel was not meant to reach Terminal Dogma."
"Impossible. Their very presence is the definition of mutual exclusivity. They all have their own vision of the world which should emerge from Third Impact, and I am sure they are all utterly incompatible."
Yui sighed, wiping a bead of sweat from her brow. "You all throw around the word 'impossible' so casually…what exactly is 'impossible' now, Gendo? In 1999, we would have thought Second Impact impossible; in 2002, we thought what would become the EVA series was impossible."
"I suppose you have a point, but such coordination would fly in the face of the scenario."
"SEELE might be powerful, dear, but in the face of what we're up against they're a bunch of decrepit men with an old paper they can barely decipher." Looking towards the cliff's edge, Yui could see Misato passing a pair of binoculars to Rei and Shinji. It wouldn't be long until their conversation would have to draw to a close. "Are you really going to tell the Earth's foremost expert on the Angels that she doesn't know what she's talking about?"
Gendo sighed. "You know that was not my intent, Yui."
"It's worth looking into, is all I'm saying. Preferably before the next one attacks and does something which catches us off-guard, again." Yui saw Shinji rocking on his heels with excitement; she had to bite back the urge to tell him to be more careful before he ended up tumbling down the cliff. "It's only our son and our adoptive daughter who have to fight these creatures, after all. Asuka as well, whenever she arrives."
Yui glanced over at Shinji, a pang of guilt tugging at her heart as he struggled to walk. "Gendo, do you think we should have brought Shinji to Tokyo-3 earlier? Like a year ago, maybe? It might not have been as hard on him if he had more time to acclimate."
"Rei's injury complicated the situation. We could have gotten valuable combat data against the Angel which would have been to Shinji's eventual benefit if she were in fighting shape."
"Putting our faith in one pilot for so long was an oversight, though. We can't afford these sorts of errors, and Shinji was hurt unnecessarily by it."
"Your mother was the one who kept him away for so long, Yui. And Shinji would have resent us all the more for uprooting him. He did well enough. With training and familiarity, he will only perform better. I wouldn't lose any sleep over it."
"Our son was injured, Gendo. How do I not lose sleep over it?"
Yui could hear the resigned amusement in her husband's voice. "You're worrying, Yui. Shinji is still alive, and the Angel was destroyed. All we can do is learn from the experience and move forward."
Yui heard only background noise for a few moments, distorted chatter which she couldn't make out. After about thirty seconds, Gendo spoke. "How…how is he?"
"He's doing well. His vitals were good, and there's no sign of psychological contamination or distress according to Naoko. Still, I think he might need a day or two more of bed rest."
"That is…as it should be."
For reasons Yui never quite understood, Gendo was always awkward around the subject of his own son; they had hardly spoken or communicated for years before a couple days ago, and when Yui came out of her EVA-induced coma, the construction of Tokyo-3 was already underway. Even though Shinji was only the tender age of five at the time, the damage had already been done. They had each other's numbers, but neither Gendo and Shinji had reached out to each other – though, being his father, the onus was more on Gendo to reach out to the boy.
Yui wondered if the reason was guilt, some kind of emotional sunk-cost fallacy which Gendo had dug himself into – perhaps the man figured the damage between them was too great to even think about repairing. If this were the reason, it was silly and without merit. Shinji would put up his typical walls at first, but if one applied even a menial amount of praise or positive attention, the boy turned into putty. Gendo was hardly an open book, but even his cold, stoic tone would suffice.
Or maybe Gendo thought he would only hurt Shinji by getting close to him; to him, perhaps the low, dull pain of not knowing a father's love was better than the sharp stab of possible anger and betrayal. A ludicrous reason on par with the first, in Yui's mind, but her husband's reasons were his own.
Yui knew she couldn't change the man's mind, but she tried anyway. "You are his father, Gendo. You could try calling him if you're worried."
Another pause, then a change of subject. As usual. "How are the sweeps going? Did they manage to find anyone?"
"There were a couple bogeys. Section Two is dealing with them as we speak." Yui saw Shinji beckoning her over; she waved and held up her index finger, indicating that she would be finished soon. "It was good timing that Shinji and Rei recovered as fast as they did. Seems unlikely any of the informants we caught would have tried anything, but I still didn't want them in HQ while Section Two was cleaning up."
"Good. We will need to tighten our security. Now that the first Angel has reared its head, there will only be more and more potential breaches in the coming days."
"I haven't gotten any information about whom sent them," Yui said. "SEELE or the Diet are the two obvious choices, but the Americans and Chinese are still in play as well. They don't want Japan to be in a hegemonic position when everything is said and done."
"Will you be making a personal visit?"
Yui shook her head. "Doesn't seem necessary. I care less about where they're from, and more about them not getting as much intelligence as they had hoped. Some leaks are inevitable, we just need to take care of them as fast as possible."
"A sound strategy."
Shinji was waving at Yui now. Misato and Rei were looking out over the city, the blue-haired girl with binoculars in hand. "I have to go. Will you be back before the week's out?"
"Possibly, if we can resolve this issue with the other two interested parties here."
"Well, we've got the Unit-02 transfer happening soon. The sooner you can be back, the better."
"I'll try my best. I can't move mountains though, Yui."
"I know." Yui tapped her finger against her lip. There was something nagging her, on the edge of her mind. "Speaking of…actually, never mind. It isn't relevant."
"What is it?"
"It's just…when I was sitting with Shinji the other day, before he woke up. I thought I heard him say 'Kyoko'."
Gendo didn't speak for a moment. "A classmate or friend, maybe. Shinji never met Kyoko to my knowledge."
"I know, Gendo, but…" Yui shook her head. "I still think about her, you know."
"Well, luckily we have the greatest mind of our generation in Tokyo-3 already."
Yui rolled her eyes. "Idiot. Call me if anything changes."
"Of course."
Clicking her phone shut, Yui walked back towards the group of people gathered at the cliff's edge. She could hear a distant rumbling as she approached, a consistent thundering from miles away. Shinji held Misato's bright red binoculars to his eyes, watching the buildings in the distance rise to their full height, the endless mechanisms and levers of Tokyo-3 lifting the city from underground. Yui was surprised the sight instilled a sense of wonder in her, even now, as she was one of the original architects of the fortress city.
Tokyo-3 was the only city in the world with the courtesy of having an adjustable skyline. A modern Constantinople, the city was designed from the ground up to withstand any siege; though, instead of Turks and Bulgarians, they fought a more existential enemy. The amount of money involved in building the city was mind-boggling, but then again, currency would have little use if the Angels won the war. Any amount of investment was acceptable when the alternative was complete and utter annihilation.
However, an unfortunate amount of their enemies were very much human. Below their feet, unbeknownst to the two excited children watching the city rise from the ground, the Intelligence Division conducted a routine sweep of all NERV personnel, removing individuals who had been deemed problematic over the last month or so. With the manpower required to keep NERV HQ and the EVA project running, and the prominence of these endeavors in the wider world, informants slipping between the cracks was simply an inevitability.
In this context, 'remove' had multiple meanings. There were individuals who were merely deemed 'suspicious', who would be subject to questioning and monitoring for aberrant activity afterwards – these people, if they could not be confirmed as an informant but were thought to be too much of a risk, would be asked not to return to HQ. Then, there were those people who were known to be informants or bad actors; these individuals, for the principal need to protect the deepest and darkest secrets of NERV, were promptly and humanely executed. It was dirty business, but necessary.
The children did not need to know such events were taking place, as their burden was already heavy enough.
"This is incredible," Shinji said, watching the last of the buildings emerge from the ground. "I knew you guys were working on something important…but nothing like this."
Yui placed her hands on the boy's shoulders. "Well, we needed a proper bastion against the Angels. Turns out building wonders is easy for humanity when their very survival is at stake."
"There's also multiple launching points for the EVAs," Misato said. "when the city is in defensive mode. Weapons delivery systems, escape routes, the works. You'll understand more when Ritsuko and the bridge crew walk you through them."
The weight in Shinji's shoulders dropped a bit; to be reassuring, Yui tightened her grip. "You'll be fine, Shinji. We've likely got the best team of scientists, engineers, and military tacticians in the world assembled in Tokyo-3. We've got your back, I promise."
"I just…" Shinji shook his head. "I've never felt pain like that ever, in my entire life.
There was a gentle smile on Misato's lips. The woman could be persuasive when she wanted to be, though Yui suspected being relatively young and pretty didn't hurt either, especially when the object of interest was a young boy with little experience with women.
"We need you, Shinji. I know it's difficult, but we need you."
"I still don't understand why you need me, specifically," Shinji said. "aren't there like…military guys who should handle this? I'm just a kid."
"It's a quirk of the Evangelions," Yui's every word was measured as if it were going into a titration filter. "they only function with those born after Second Impact. You, Rei, As – " The woman bit her tongue. "you guys are the only ones we can trust, Shinji. Unit-01 was built for you, it was always meant to be yours. Can you try and stick with it for now? For me?"
Shinji looked towards the silhouetted buildings of Tokyo-3, almost black against the backdrop of the evening sun. He nodded. "I…I guess. For now."
"That's my brave soldier," Yui said. "I think Naoko and Ritsuko want to start running tests within the next couple of days. Sync ratios, psychological profiles, basic training. The whole gamut. We should get dinner, and then you should get some rest, Shinji. You're still in recovery, remember?"
Wagging her finger, Misato winked at Shinji. "He's not going to get a whole lot of sleep tonight!"
Yui folded her arms and raised her eyebrow at Misato.
"I've got a new roomie, which needs we need to celebrate." Misato put her hands on her shoulders, her lips pouting. "I know better than that, Miss Yui. Give me some credit."
The older woman's expression did not move even a little.
"I'm not going to let him drink, either. Just wholesome, kid-friendly fun. Promise." Misato extended her hand towards Rei and Yui. "If you guys want to join us, you're more than welcome."
"I've got a few things to take care of at HQ," Yui said. "and Rei has a check-up with Ritsuko. Unfortunately, you'll have to endure it alone, Shinji."
An expression which said 'what have you gotten me into' was practically written across Shinji's face. Yui met her son with a conciliatory smile, and ruffled his hair.
.
.
They parted ways a little after viewing the buildings of Tokyo-3 rise out of the ground; Misato dropped Rei off at her apartment, and Mom back at the entrance to the Geo-Front. Mom gave Shinji a kiss on the cheek before leaving, which made the boy feel both appreciated and awkward, because Misato would undoubtedly tease him about it later.
Shinji wondered what was so important that kept Mom at the Geo-Front at all hours; the Evangelions were obviously there, but surely, they didn't need her constant attention to remain functional. Most of the damage from the last Angel battle had been between partially and fully repaired, and damage being worked on didn't have long before it was sorted out. Perhaps Mom was working on her next invention, though Shinji didn't know how she could top the EVA series.
Misato took Shinji to a small corner market close to her apartment. By the time the woman was done shopping, the cart was filled with enough junk and beer to make a nutritionist weep. Instant ramen, spicy curry, microwavable dinners, soda, and cans upon cans of beer. There was so much alcohol that Shinji almost thought Misato had bought half of it for him, though even Mom would be irate if she found out her son was drinking beer.
"Miss Misato?" Shinji asked, hesitant to know the answer to the question he was about to pose. "Is all this beer for you?"
Turning to look over her shoulder, Misato smiled and gave a shrug. "Of course. Who else would they be for, silly? Unless you want to drink a little?"
"No, Mom would kill me if she found out.' She would probably kill Misato first, though. "It's just a lot for one person."
"Yeah, I'm a pretty heavy drinker." Misato looked down at the veritable mountain of beer, and had the grace to blush. "I spend a lot of time in the gym burning it off. Would be pretty bad if Yui Ikari's bodyguard went walked around with a beer belly, huh?"
"I guess."
When the cashier was finished ringing up all of Misato's amenities, the Lieutenant-Colonel flashed her NERV card; the cashier swiped the card through the payment terminal, and a message on the monitor displaying Misato's total flashed onto the screen: 'AUTHORIZED'. After all of Misato's purchases were swiftly bagged and placed into her car, they were on the way to the woman's apartment.
"Uh, Misato?" Shinji asked. "do you just get everything for free here?"
Misato's lips formed a hard line. "It's not free, exactly. I'm a higher-ranking member of NERV, so I have what you might call a 'spending limit' per month. Anything under the limit is covered by NERV."
"And anything over you have to pay for."
"Yep." Misato twirled her wrist around, as if she were having trouble gathering her thoughts. "I have kind of a…special contract with NERV. I'm technically 'on-loan' from the JSSDF, as NERV doesn't really have any military jurisdiction."
"You were – " Right. Misato was a Lieutenant-Colonel, after all. "How did you end up joining NERV?"
"Your mother recruited me."
"Oh, really? Where?"
"In jail."
Shinji raised his eyebrow at Misato, wondering whether she was joking or not.
"I'm serious." Misato sported an embarrassed smile. "It's a long story."
Shinji didn't get the sense that Misato would be forthcoming with said story, so he let the topic die. For a second time, Shinji couldn't help but wonder at the interesting life Misato led. From jail to Operations Director of the most expensive endeavor in pretty much all of history. The woman had been on quite a ride.
"You know, there's a question most people ask me, that you haven't yet."
"Oh." He didn't have the slightest clue what Misato was talking about. "What's that?"
"If I've ever killed anyone."
"Oh. Have you?"
"I did two tours in Pakistan, after that region went hot after Second Impact, and another in Eastern Europe." Misato winked at Shinji. "So, yes, I have."
"I guess I haven't ever been put into a situation like that, Misato. I hadn't even seen a gun before you showed up."
"Well, you won't have to worry about it. Not while I'm here." Noticing Shinji's unease, Misato put her hand on his shoulder and shook it. "I'm going to keep you safe, Shinji. I won't let anything happen to you. Promise."
.
.
"Uhm, Miss Misato?" Shinji asked, peeking into the interior after Misato had already walked in. "Was there a typhoon in Tokyo-3 recently?"
The woman looked over her shoulder at Shinji, curious. "Not recently, why?"
"I-It's just…" The boy scratched the back of his head, trying to find the politest way of describing the apartment without being rude. "…it's a little untidy, is all."
"And that's part of why you're going to be living here." Misato smiled, grabbing Shinji by the wrist and pulling him into the apartment; the boy was in awe of how unaware the woman seemed to be of social lines or personal space. "Your mother said that you're extremely organized, and an excellent cook. And doing chores is, after all, a part of the moral framework of every growing boy."
"Not to be insensitive, Miss Misato, but can't you afford a maid on your salary?" The boy walked further into the apartment; the pyramid of beer cans stacked on the dining room table swiftly answered Shinji's questions about Misato's expenditures. "Or maybe not."
"I'm not a complete slob, Shinji," Misato said, throwing her red mini-coat on a couch already laden with clothes. "I'll help out, I just…with my job at NERV and everything, it's hard to find time to clean house."
Grandma always said the key to maintaining a pristine home was simply a matter of discipline. A pristine house usually stayed pristine because the occupant put the clothes in the hamper, and kept the sink empty on a regular basis; a messy home stayed messy because the occupant procrastinated when it came time to vacuum or dust, eventually letting the disorder build up until the owner decided the space would take too much time to clean, and gave up on maintaining their home entirely. It was a simple formula which Shinji's grandmother had proverbially beaten into him, until the boy did his tasks like clockwork.
Like many of Grandma's lessons, Shinji figured cleaning house could be applied to life as well. Discipline would keep a person going when their energy or interest had left them, and discipline would save them when one of life's many surprises cropped up.
Cleaning Misato's apartment would be a weekend job, perhaps two, and Shinji suspected drilling proper cleaning techniques into the older woman would prove as fruitful as spitting into the wind. Misato was already popping the tab off another beer, which would soon be another brick in the pyramid of cans on the table. And that didn't even touch the question of what to do with Misato's clothes, particularly her underwear, articles of which were strewn about the room.
"Let's go ahead and eat," Misato said. "and then we can divide up chores and relax for the night."
Shinji nodded. He grabbed the nearest trash-bag and slid the beer-can pyramid into the plastic sack, piece by piece. Misato grinned at him, a relieved sigh escaping her lips. "You're going to be useful to have around."
Dinner consisted of instant ramen and curry spicy enough to make Shinji's eyes water simply from smelling it. Shinji hadn't money to buy ingredients for a proper meal, and Misato had insisted on sharing her favorite nightly meal for their homecoming party; sitting across from Misato, who slammed her fifth beer into the table and belched, Shinji wondered what kind of guardian his mother had assigned him. Misato seemed to know what she was doing, and the woman had been nothing but open, friendly, and honest; her habits, however, left a lot to be desired, in Shinji's opinion.
As Shinji picked at his ramen with bits of curry dripped inside, Misato leaned over the shaky dinner table until their noses were almost touching. "What, is my food not good enough for you?"
"N-no," Shinji said, his voice a mere squeak. "I-It's perfectly adequate, Miss Misato."
"I told you not to call me Miss." Misato grabbed Shinji's collar; her breath was pungent with curry and beer. "I'm not that old. Am I?"
Shinji raised his hand in a peaceful gesture. "N-no, Misato, you look like y-you're about my age. Maybe younger."
Misato squinted at the boy; all of a sudden, the woman gave him a warm smile, ruffling his hair with the same hand she had seized his collar with. "You're a good roomie, Shinji. I think we're going to get along great."
"I-I do too."
After Misato returned to her chair, Shinji made a more concerted effort to eat – the food wasn't bad, it simply wasn't substantive. When the boy had an opportunity, he would stop by a grocery store and purchase some proper ingredients. Shinji figured Misato hadn't eaten a proper meal in quite some time, judging by the contents of her kitchen and waste bin.
"Misato," Shinji said. "I had a question for you."
Misato jutted her beer can into the air, leaning forward and nodding her head like a door with faulty hinges.
"Mother said you were supposed to be my bodyguard, as well as my guardian." Shinji looked to the window, where the lights of Tokyo-3 shone like stars in the night sky. "Is the city dangerous or something? I've only been here a day, but it doesn't seem like there's anything dangerous about it – aside from the potential Angel attacks, I guess."
"Ugh," Misato said, her tongue lolling out of her mouth. "why did you wait until I was drunk to ask me that?"
"Better chance of getting a straight answer."
The woman's face went blank, before busting out into a laugh. "Maybe you're more like your parents than I thought."
"Sorry, you don't have to answer if you don't want to."
"It's fine," Misato said, waving Shinji's concerns away. "well, Tokyo-3 is probably the safest city in the world from a public security standpoint, but there's a lot of different organizations watching what we're doing - like the UN, the government, and other countries. Some of them are okay with the direction we're going, some of them aren't, some of them are trying to steal our secrets to jumpstart their own EVA productions."
"There's other countries making their own EVAs?" Shinji asked. "Why? I thought the Angels were only attacking Japan."
"Because it's practically a nuclear bomb, in geo-political terms. After the Angels are defeated, the EVAs will likely determine the balance of power in the world." Misato gulped down another beer, smashing the can into the table; she was surprisingly cogent considering the amount of alcohol in her system. "Of course, I think we need to work around the fact they need to be piloted by fourteen-year-olds, or rather, people who were born after Second Impact.
She took another sip, and continued. "Anyway, there's likely a lot of individuals around who keep tabs on NERVs operations, and their employees. It's kind of like Berlin before the wall fell – and that's why you need a bodyguard, in-case someone finds an opportune moment to steal you and ship you to America or something."
"I didn't realize I had that much value," Shinji said.
"Well, you and Rei are the only people on Earth who have actually defeated an Angel, so far." In an instant, Misato had leaned over the table again, placing her hand on Shinji's shoulder. "I'm going to protect you, Shinji. You got that?"
Oddly enough, Shinji found Misato's words comforting. "You make it sound like you're swearing an oath or something."
Misato shrugged. "I guess I am."
"I-I just don't think I'm that important."
"Ugh." Misato tsked, tsked at Shinji. "Don't do that."
"Do what?"
"Sell yourself short like that." The older woman placed her hands on her hips, exhaling. "Whether you think so or not, you are a high-value target, Shinji. Your parents and the government would go to war to get you back. I mean, literally. Rei as well."
"Makes it sound like I'm Helen of Troy or something."
"That's not too far off. And all the major governments of the world are building their own Trojan horses, trying to steal our secrets." After a time, Misato gave a big yawn and grabbed another spare beer. "Well, enough serious talk, Shinji. Let's get back to partying."
"Yeah, sorry for bringing it up."
"Nah, it's good to be inquisitive like that," Misato said. "but you've got to take these moments to relax when you can, Shinji. Things won't always be this peaceful around here."
.
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ON THE WAY BACK TO TOKYO-3
SEPTEMBER 23RD, 2005
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The Chairman was hardly accommodating as far as transportation was concerned. Yui would need to find her way back to the lab on her own.
Her lab coat and clothing underneath ragged and dirty, Yui began her journey. It was noon, but if Yui didn't find transportation, there was no escaping the night. Perhaps Keel hoped that some opportunistic thug would jump her, and a loose end would be wrapped up naturally. No, Yui wouldn't give him the satisfaction. She wasn't particularly fit, and her skills in a fight were next to nil, but she would give the bastards a fight they wouldn't soon forget.
Eventually, there was a kind stranger who figured the five-foot-four Japanese woman on the side of the road was likely no threat. A construction worker in a tractor-trailer, delivering enough steel on his flatbed to encase Yui's old neighborhood. If the man had ill intent for Yui, as those who survived Second Impact often did, there was little she could do about it. But, Yui figured she had already escaped death once today. Why not try her luck once more?
They engaged in some light conversation on the way to Tokyo-3, but Yui's mind was obviously elsewhere. She had survived, but for what? SEELE's plans would continue unimpeded; her son would be used by them as a pawn, and then likely thrown away. Perhaps this was ultimately why Keel had let her live, as subtle revenge. To watch the slow, unrelenting death of the world; to watch Shinji bend and break before her eyes, and for her to weep until there were no tears left in her body.
What was the point of it all? To live as a marionette on a string, to have no free will or agency? An oddly morbid thought crossed Yui's mind to take Shinji, as well the family car, and drive them off the ravine near Aise. Better that, than to be used by a bunch of abhorrent bastards with too much power and too little decency.
Shinji was her boy. Hers. And they had no right to interfere in his life.
After about two or three hours, the truck pulled into the skeleton of what would – in the future – be known as Tokyo-3. Yui would always think of the town as picturesque Hakone, though; a small town where one of the most important undertakings in human history was underway. Unlike a city which grew naturally, Tokyo-3 was entirely pre-planned from the start. As such, the city was little more than a foundation in its current state, a blueprint grid wrought on the landscape of the town.
Yui asked the driver to drop her off about a ten-minute's walk from the lab, not wanting to inconvenience him any further. Although this part of Hakone was shifting even now, Yui knew the area like that back of her hand, and it wasn't long before she reached what remained of the Artificial Evolution Laboratory. The birthplace of Project E, and the second-most important part of her legacy.
Even in its dilapidated condition, the lab still usually served as a decent impromptu meeting place for the minds behind GEHIRN. Though, in light of recent events, it was obvious they would need to find a new place to convene. The complex itself wasn't too worse for wear; as Yui traversed the walkway around the small pond in front of the lab, she noticed that the facility still looked quite pristine from afar. There were four buildings in total: the Euphrates, the Tigris, the Nile, the Ganges. Of those, only the Ganges was fit to work or run any sort of tests in.
In Yui's absence, Gendo had let the facility fall into despair. A typhoon or two had hit Hakone since then. Several windows were cracked or shattered entirely, and more amusingly, there were various documents and research papers strewn across the lawn. The papers weren't in any sort of condition for any information to be gleaned from them, but Yui couldn't help but chuckle at the sight.
In the parking lot, Yui saw her small blue coupe still sitting where she had left it. There were two figures standing near, engaged in furious debate, and even from a distance Yui could tell who they were. Her dear husband and her former professor, Doctor Fuyutsuki.
Both of them turned as Yui approached, mouths agape at the casual way she strolled up to them. Then, they ran up to her, displaying an energy which she didn't know they possessed.
"Yui," Professor Fuyutsuki said. "what happened? When we didn't hear from you, we feared the worst."
"I…I met him."
"Met who?" Gendo asked. "What are you talking about?"
"Him. Keel Lorenz. SEELE-01." Yui chuckled; it was a matter of the utmost seriousness, but it had been a long day, and Yui was past caring. "They took me out into a field, far outside of town. He wanted to kill me, as punishment for…for what I tried to do."
Gendo's eyes narrowed; if there were a wall nearby, he surely would have punched it. "Old bastard."
"If he intended to kill you," Fuyutsuki said. "then why are you still alive?"
Yui shrugged. "I talked him out of it."
"How?"
"I managed to convince him that I was still useful." She averted her gaze; it wasn't a lie, but Yui wasn't exactly privy to Keel's thoughts either. "Or perhaps he found a sort of morbid curiousity in keeping me alive."
Fuyutsuki pressed his fingers against his temple. "This happened because we were negligent. Especially you, Ikari. The very least you could do is protect your own wife from these sorts of abductions."
"Professor," Yui said, stepping in front of her mentor to cut off sudden Gendo's advance towards the man. "I don't think either one of you would have been able to stop these men. They would have absconded with me, one way or the other."
Both men seemed to consider Yui's point, and they calmed down – Professor Fuyutsuki's eyes softened, and Gendo unballed his fists. Men could be so irrational when it came to the defense of 'their' women, as if Yui did not possess a shred of agency at all. If she were buried in a field outside of town, Yui was willing to accept it as a consequence of her own actions, no matter how noble or necessary they were.
"So," Professor Fuyutsuki said. "what happens now? What of the scenario?"
"I'm not sure. The project must continue on, that's all I'm sure of. But how we alter it, I don't know."
"It's not like you to simply give up, Yui."
"I gave it my best shot, Professor. If you have another solution, I'm all ears."
Gendo cleared his throat, and Yui locked eyes with her husband. The man knew he remained on Yui's bad side for abandoning Shinji, and the tilt of Yui's head would usually indicate that he was treading in dangerous waters; he must have felt strongly about whatever he was going to say, as he continued regardless.
"SEELE will be surely even more on-guard now. The old men are ever untrusting, and now we have given them reason to be." Her husband adjusted his glasses, which he only did when he was nervous. "That is to say, whatever we do, it must be together this time. No more need-to-know information or secrets between us. We must move forward as one, or accept our losses."
Yui and Professor Fuyutsuki exchanged a glance.
"If we told you," Yui said. "you would have stopped us."
"On that, you are correct."
"I did what I had to, Gendo." A flush rose on Yui's cheeks as her blood ran hot, but she tried to bite it down. "For the world. For Shinji. There was no other alternative."
A smirk crossed Gendo's cheek at that.
"There is always an alternative, Yui. We simply have yet to find it."