A Brighter Future

by Blessed Are The Sick

Yui Ikari makes an unplanned reappearance after the Contact Experiment with EVA Unit-01. But all the best plans have their quirks, and even the most amateur player knows when to re-evaluate and re-adjust. With Yui to temper the worst impulses of NERV's staff, the future seems brighter than before, but how far will she go to protect her interests: namely, one Shinji Ikari?

4. Chapter 3: A Mother and Her Child

A/N: Thanks for the reviews/favs/follows. Enjoy. This was a difficult chapter to write/edit, mostly for reasons that will be made clear next chapter.

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OFFICE OF NAOKO AKAGI, NERV HQ

AUGUST 11TH, 2016

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"Do you feel like your prescription is at the correct dosage? Any side-effects?"

If Shinji hadn't known any better, he would have thought Naoko Akagi's office was transplanted into HQ from a Tokyo-2 penthouse. Aside from the myriad of screens everywhere, it hardly resembled Shinji's mental picture of a scientist's study. Even the floors were polished hard wood, a rug with immaculate woven designs underneath Naoko's main desk and the three chairs in front of it; the lights were currently low, and there was soft music playing in the background.

Her office was close to Mom's study, but she wasn't there right now. Mom certainly didn't lie about how busy she was.

Shinji sat in a chair directly across from Doctor Akagi; a pad and a pen laid in her lap, which she would scribble some quick words onto every so often. It was his second psychological evaluation, but it seemed Miss Akagi would be taking over for Shinji's regular therapist. He didn't mind Doctor Akagi, though; the woman had tried her best to help Shinji adjust to NERV and Tokyo-3, and she appeared nice enough.

"It's fine, I think. I haven't noticed anything weird, though with all the changes, it's kind of hard to tell."

"Well, that's good. I see no reason to change it, then." Doctor Akagi leaned forward, a soft smile on her lips. "You've got my phone number, right? I want you to be able to call if you're in crisis, or just need to talk."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Were you this quiet with your last therapist, dear?"

"I, uh…"

"It's fine if you were. We can talk, or we can sit here for the rest of our time together. It all depends on your level of comfort, Shinji."

"I just…" He tried to force the words out. "…my last therapist didn't know my parents. And my guardian. They were separate."

"Shinji, whatever you say stays in this room."

Shinji nodded.

"But," Naoko continued. "I understand that you might not trust only my word."

Doctor Akagi grabbed her notepad, and offered it to Shinji. After a moment's hesitation, the boy took the notepad, reading the contents. A clear delineation ran through the middle of page; underneath the line was labeled 'private', and the top was labeled 'if asked/for records'. The top-most section seemed more general Shinji, describing his overall mood and whether he required a stronger or weaker dosage or not. The bottom-most part was sparse; considering Shinji hadn't given Miss Akagi much in the way to talk about, that seemed hardly a surprise.

"So," Shinji said, handing the pad back. "even if both my parents asked, you still wouldn't tell?"

"I wouldn't." Doctor Akagi winked at him. "It's a perk of having job security here. Any other therapist you could find in Tokyo-3, NERV could probably lean on them to release their records, if they wanted. But they need me, to continue work on the MAGI and the EVA series."

"That's nice, I guess."

"The bottom line is that, right now, I'm here for you. Not for Doctor Ikari or the Commander. Understand?"

"Yeah."

"So, you've been in Tokyo-3 for a week now. How are you feeling?"

"Out of place." Shinji glanced at the window display in the room, which showed a real-time image of the Geo-front; the light in the Geo-Front was changing, growing darker. "And worried. I still haven't heard anything from home. My grandparents, and my little cousin live there."

"And you don't believe in Commander Ikari's ability to resolve the situation?"

"I…I'm not sure. My grandma hardly had anything good to say about him, and he left me there in the first place. I don't know. Mom says they're alright, but it would be nice to talk to them."

"Well, there's no communication in or out, unfortunately." The woman reached over and placed her hand on Shinji's knee for a moment. "The best thing you can do for them right now is to be happy and well, Shinji. Alright?"

"I guess."

"Speaking of your mother, you must be happy to see her on a regular basis now. How are things between the two of you?"

"I haven't seen her as much as I thought I would. She calls to check up on me, but I think she spends most of her time working." A heavy weight lifted itself off Shinji's chest, one that he hadn't known was there. "I…I don't know, I thought things would be different. I thought I'd be happier living with Mom, that some of the anxiety and nothingness would go away."

"But things seem mostly the same, right?"

"Yeah. The only thing that's really changed is the giant robot."

"I see."

"It's like…when I was in the infirmary, after I woke up. Both Mom and Father were there." A wave of embarrassment washed over Shinji; he felt he was opening up too much, but the words kept coming. "I didn't think much of it at the time, mostly because I was just tired and sore. But that felt right. It was one of the only times in my life I could remember where we were all together."

"Your family has been split for a long time, Shinji. It's going to take some work to put things back together."

"I…I'm seeing that now. But it's hard, dealing with the reality of the situation."

"There's no silver bullet, unfortunately." Miss Akagi's smile soured a bit. "For your condition, or putting your family back together. Recognizing the problem is only the first step, it's going to take a lot of effort and hard work to move past it. Okay?"

"I understand."

"At the risk of getting too personal, I know your mother loves you, Shinji. The things she's done and sacrificed for you, that you'll never know about…" The woman averted her eyes, and her lips curled. "if your mother is busy, it's probably to keep NERV running and to keep you safe. That goes for the Commander as well."

"Thanks, that make me feel better," Shinji said. "Miss Misato said you and Mom didn't really get along, but it seems like you think highly of her."

"Your mother isn't my favorite person; I won't lie to you there. But that doesn't change the facts on the ground. She would do anything for you, Shinji, so don't worry about whether her love is real or not."

"Alright." Strangely enough, the sentiment made Shinji feel better. "Thanks, Doctor Akagi."

"Oh, call me Naoko, dear."

"Okay, Doc…I mean, Naoko."

"Good." She crossed her legs and leaned forward a bit. "Do you feel as if your parents…sorry, as if your mother is neglecting you, Shinji?"

It took a moment for Shinji to respond, as he had to suppress a chuckle. Doctor Akagi had backtracked on mentioning his father, because the answer to that question was plain as day.

"I'm not sure. Like, I'm starting school tomorrow, and Mom has all these stipulations. Misato's supposed to take pictures of the notes I take in class to send to her, and she gets a copy of any quiz or test I take from the school. And I can't take the train or walk there for right now. Misato's supposed to drop me off, and Rei's supposed to check up on me while I'm there."

"That's quite a lot."

"Yeah, and there's more as well. Did you do anything like that with Miss Ritsuko?"

"Ritsuko was very self-motivated," Miss Naoko said. "and she's resolved herself to out-do and surpass me in our field. But no, I never had to nag Ritsuko about her schoolwork."

"Oh."

"Like I said, Shinji, your mother is trying to protect you in the best way she can." Miss Naoko leaned back, her eyes rolling up as if she was thinking hard about her response. "I would have a talk with her, as I do have a bit more experience in this department than her. But as you mentioned before, we aren't on the best terms."

"Why is that?"

Naoko let out a laugh, and tapped her nails against each other.

"Oh…just a little disagreement over your father, dear."

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Chapter Three

"A Mother and Her Child"

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"We're all a little screwed up in the head."

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UNLISTED MEETING ROOM, NERV HQ

AUGUST 12TH, 2016

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Yui didn't usually meet with SEELE. To say that the old conservative men of the council were behind the times would be the understatement of the century, and frankly, Yui didn't care to talk to them face-to-face. It was a task Yui was more than happy to delegate to her dear husband, but Gendo was still away in Aise, and the world's most nebulous group of men understandably didn't want to have their weekly clandestine meeting with NERV over a cell-phone.

SEELE had decided to appear in corporeal form, this time. Keel Lorenz was the most distinctive member; with his trademark visor, he looked to be borrowed straight from a science-fiction novel. As of the others, if Yui could credit SEELE for one thing, it was that they did not lack for creed or race.

The setup was similar to a boardroom, though in a void of black aside from the color-coded tables of the different members. Keel sat leaned forward, the American and Chinese representatives were pacing on their respective sides of the room, and the Indian had kicked his feet onto his desk. And the Russian sat on the edge of his table, casting the occasional glare in the Yui's direction.

Keel Lorenz cleared his throat. "We've managed to secure funding for the additional amenities NERV has requested for Tokyo-3. But our backers are starting to get cold feet. They all watched the Third Angel waltz right by the city, mind you."

Professor Fuyutsuki sat at the opposite side from Keel, with Yui standing behind for support. SEELE unnerved her mentor, but nowadays, Yui simply viewed them as an obstacle. They balanced each other out in that way.

"Rest assured," Professor Fuyutsuki said. "the Committee and the rest of its backers will find their money well-spent the next time an Angel attacks."

"Then we are of one mind, Vice Commander. But if one of our backers grow impatient and pull out of the program, we're going to have a real bank run on our hands."

Yui took a step forward. "I would think the security of the world would – "

The Chinese representative melded into the black, appearing behind Yui and still walking as if he had simply stepped through a door. His voice was a snake's hiss.

"You have not been given leave to speak, traitress."

He disappeared again, materializing in his original position moments later.

A bead of sweat dripped down from Fuyutsuki's brow. "I believe what my colleague was trying to say is you cannot attach a price to the survival of the human race. If we do not win this war, we are finished as a species. Perhaps stress the importance of this to your backers."

"SEELE created NERV to enforce our will," the American said. "and it is all well and good to talk about survival, but the people we are talking about won't care until the writing is on the wall. The next time an Angel attacks Japan, it must be near or within the confines of the city, or NERV is finished."

The Indian nodded in agreement. "Deal with the specifics as you see fit. Tie a robe around the creature and drag it back, if you must."

A gulp went down Professor Fuyutsuki's throat, and he then straightened his shoulders. He was buckling; Yui placed her hand on his shoulder to keep the man from folding.

"And our final topic of discussion," Keel said. "on the topic of the Evangelions, we received a report that the pilot of Unit-01 achieved an unusually high sync ratio in his first battle. Is there any conclusive data that points to the source of this outlier?"

The Russian shifted; in the blink of an eye, he was sitting on the edge of Fuyutsuki's table. "The Evangelions are tools wrought from the flesh of God. We would not want one of them to grow out of Man's control."

"NERV is still looking into the outlier," Professor Fuyutsuki said. "we genuinely believe it to be an aberration, the boy has started doing synchronization tests within the last week, and his scores have fallen into a more normal range."

Keel Lorenz steepled his fingers. "Still, tests do not equate to performance in the field. We would like to talk to the boy, alone. To make sure his priorities are in the right place."

Professor Fuyutsuki must have felt Yui shift forward, as his hand stopped her before she could move. SEELE were a group of old bastards, and Keel most of all. What on earth did SEELE need to talk to a fourteen-year-old boy for? Shinji hadn't a clue as to the inner workings of NERV, never mind the Human Instrumentality Committee.

So, because of Yui's so-called treachery, her flesh and blood was to be scrutinized and distrusted as well? For the supposed sins of his mother? What a sick joke. SEELE were nothing more than a council of cowardly old men, who trembled at the shadow of a child.

"Surely that is not necessary," Professor Fuyutsuki said. "he is merely a child. What purpose would this serve?"

"It is not for you to discern its purpose, Vice Commander, just as your arm does not question what your mind tells it to do. It needn't be today, but we will speak to the boy in the near future. And then we will learn where his heart lies."

"It will be done, Chairman."

"Good. See that it happens quickly." Keel locked eyes with Yui. "Do you have an issue with this, Miss Ikari? The look in your eyes is not encouraging, to say the least."

Yui said nothing.

"You may speak if you wish."

"If you want to speak to him, then it will be done." Yui gave a subtle smirk. "We are to have no free will or thoughts of our own, as you said. What else is there to say?"

"I would watch your tongue," the Indian representative said. "the fact that you still live and breathe is merely because of the mercy and compassion of our Chairman. Be content with your place in life, it is far better than you rightly deserve."

None of the words hanging on the edge of Yui's tongue would help their situation, so she held her peace.

"I think we can call this meeting concluded," Keel said. "perhaps we will catch up with Commander Ikari next time. We are watching NERV with great interest. Do not fail us."

One by one, the members of the Human Instrumentality Committee flicked out of existence, until Yui and Professor Fuyutsuki were left in a void of black barely illuminated by the soft light of Fuyutsuki's table. As the final member – Keel Lorenz – phased out, Yui spit on the ground in front of the man, a scowl forming on her face.

"It isn't like they can hurt him, Yui. Once Ikari gets back, we'll talk. Perhaps we can coach the boy beforehand."

Yui pivoted and walked out of the room. Her thoughts were a storm. Chaotic, confused, and furious. Her current emotions must have been readily apparent on her face, because the faces of Naoko and Ritsuko Akagi, as well as Maya Ibuki, shifted from surprised to worried as Yui walked from the meeting. The women waited at their request in an adjacent room, ready to discuss the particulars of the council's whims.

"Everything alright?" Naoko asked. "How did the meeting go?"

An answer to Naoko's question was provided by Yui grabbing the nearest computer monitor and throwing it clear through the plate glass surrounding the room. Maya winced as the glass shattered and fell to the ground in a sheet.

As Yui walked off, she heard Ritsuko Akagi's voice.

"Poorly, I'm guessing."

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MISATO'S APARTMENT, TOKYO-3

AUGUST 12TH, 2016

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In terms of difficulty and danger, Shinji figured piloting an EVA for the first time took the top spot in both categories. Who wouldn't consider commandeering a one-hundred-and-forty-foot death machine against alien creatures to be the height of terror? Shinji still had troubling believing the incident was real, but the boy was in Tokyo-3, sleeping in the apartment of an unfamiliar woman who had the cleaning habits of a five-year-old.

Standing outside of Misato's closed door, Shinji wondered how the top-spot had been overtaken so easily. He rapped on Misato's door again; there was no telling what state of undress his guardian was in, so Shinji decided not to chance it for now.

"M-Miss Misato? Mom said you were supposed to take me to school today." Shinji scratched the back of his head, hoping Misato would slide the door open any second. "I-I mean, I would just take the train, but she insisted I go with you."

No response. Shinji decided there was no helping the situation; he didn't want to intrude on Misato's privacy, but neither did the boy want his guardian to get into trouble with his mother.

Misato's room as close to being an epitome of uncleanliness as possible, without being outright disgusting. There were beer bottles and cans scattered about, articles of women's clothing and underwear were strewn on top of chairs, her bed palette in the middle of the room, and even atop the ceiling fan. There was a small pile of computer and car magazines in a corner of the room, several more issues thrown about the room in a haphazard fashion.

The thought of cleaning Misato's room hadn't occurred to Shinji, though in hindsight, the boy supposed he wouldn't have organized the woman's private space without her express permission. Shinji shuddered at a sudden vision of explaining why he was holding her underwear, rattling off an answer which sounded weak even to him, though it happened to be true.

Lieutenant-Colonel Misato Katsuragi was, thankfully, dressed in a somewhat modest fashion. She wore a yellow tank-top and faded denim shorts; her shirt was hiked up more than the woman would have liked, if she were awake, but none of the unmentionable parts of her body were particularly exposed. A thin blanket was clutched in her right hand; with how scarcely the cloth covered her body, Shinji would have been surprised if she drew any heat from it at all.

Soft snores escaped Misato's lips, oblivious to any of Shinji's meager attempts to rouse her. Her left hand held a bottle of beer which had emptied onto the floor beside her bed palette. The light of the morning sun filtering in behind Shinji seemed to have little effect on Misato's drunken stupor.

"Misato?" Shinji knelt down beside Misato, giving her shoulder a gentle shake. "Misato, you have to wake up."

After a short moment, Misato's arms sprung out and grabbed Shinji by the shoulders; the boy yelped as he was dragged into a mess of sheets and skin, the woman's arms slipping around his chest to hold him.

"M-Misato?"

There was a short, rough laugh from the woman. Her voice was hoarse as sandpaper, her words slurred. "Good morning, Shinji."

"Miss Misato," Shinji said, squeaking like a mouse. "y-you're a little TOO close."

"Yeah…" The woman released her grip, outstretching her arms as she yawned. "You came to wake me up? How sweet of you."

Shinji scrambled to his feet, his body stiffening like a wooden board. "Mom said you needed to take me to school today. I-I would have taken the train, but she insisted."

"Oh yeah," Misato said, slapping her hand against her forehead. "she did tell me about that."

"We've got about forty-five minutes until school starts. I can make you some coffee, or heat up something in the microwave for you."

The boy noticed a sly grin on Misato's lips; the woman fell back onto her bed, stretching the length of her body across the mattress. "Play me a song, Shinji."

"W-what?" A sudden chill ran down Shinji's spine as he wondered if Misato was still drunk. "A song?"

"Yeah…I want to wake up to beautiful music filling my apartment."

"Miss Misato, we're going to be late."

"I guess you better get that violin, then."

A frustrated groan escaped Shinji's lips. Within the space of a minute, the boy was standing in Misato's doorway, playing a rendition of Mozart that he thought would be appropriate for a person to wake up to. As Shinji's fingers carefully guided the violin's bow, a sweaty and half-dressed Misato Katsuragi stepped out of her room, yawning, and scratching herself in places wholly inappropriate. A blush pasted itself on Shinji's face, inadvertently making an error and skipping a few notes of the piece.

Shinji wondered how a person could have two personalities so utterly separated from one another. Colonel Katsuragi was business-like, professional, and polite in a clipped sort of way - akin to a store clerk or a waiter. In the television dramas which his grandparents spent every night watching, the Colonel was the sort of woman who: if she married at all, wedded a man for status; chose career over family; and sought romance as only a means to an end. At least, until some rough, handsome man managed to melt her heart and sweep her off her feet.

The Colonel didn't happen to be married, to the best of Shinji's knowledge, but that was likely because of Misato rather than being any sort of conscious, career-minded choice. Misato was, to put it bluntly, a grown child. Misato woke up late, didn't clean or cook, and indulged herself in alcohol, cars, and the occasional ballgame on television. She walked around in dress entirely inappropriate for a person co-habituating with a fourteen-year-old boy, made said boy the subject of incessant teasing, and was lacking in any sort of home-training at all.

If Misato possessed a more temperamental nature, Shinji might have recommended therapy, but her different work and home lifestyles didn't seem anymore than a minor annoyance to him. Both Misato and the Colonel also possessed a certain raw charisma, which earned her many friends, even if they spent their time exasperated at her antics.

"You can stop now," Misato said, a cup of coffee in her hands as she picked through a pile of clothes to find an outfit. "you're such a doll, Shinji. Thanks."

Shinji pouted as he lowered his violin. "Don't expect this to happen every morning."

"Why not? It's good practice, isn't it?" Misato lifted a pair of blue panties from the pile; from mere reflex, Shinji shied away. "How did you learn how to play like that?"

"Practice and repetition," Shinji said. "like anything else. Not any sort of secret to learning to play, it just takes work."

"Oh? What about talent?"

Shinji shrugged. "I think it's a myth, personally, or that it's secondary to effort."

"Hmm." Whipping a red blouse and black mini-skirt over her shoulder, Misato winked at Shinji over her shoulder. "You've got a pretty mature opinion about this, for a fourteen-year-od."

"It's mostly what my teacher would say, whenever people asked him. But I agree with him."

A sad thought twinged at the back of Shinji's mind. Still no word from Aise since Shinji had fought the Angel, though admittedly he had been too busy settling into Tokyo-3 to call anyone. His grandparents, his friends, and his music teacher; Mom had said they were all okay, and Shinji didn't have a reason to disbelieve her – it was Mom's hometown, after all.

"Misato, has there been any word from – " Shinji's face burned with embarrassment as he noticed Misato starting to pull her shirt over her head in the middle of the living room. "M-Miss Misato?"

"Huh?" The woman looked down at herself, noticing her state of undress for the first time. "Oh, sorry. Still getting used to having a roommate, I guess."

Shinji skirted towards his room, shutting the door behind him. "J-just let me know me when you're done!"

After a chaotic half-hour, Misato and Shinji were speeding towards Tokyo-3 Technical Secondary School; there was a part of Shinji which dreaded going to this new school, even more than anything related to the Evangelions or NERV. He would be starting from square-one, socially, and Shinji was self-aware enough to realize that he didn't make friends easily. He wasn't the worst at making new friends, but the gesture would take a lot of work; after all his responsibilities at NERV, Shinji wondered if he would even have time for friends.

Rei Ayanami went to the same school, though Shinji worried about bothering the girl too much; he tried to be cognizant of using Rei as a crutch, spending time researching the Evangelions on his own, as well as reading the NERV Employee and Operations manual. Would Rei avoid him, or perhaps her personality at school would perform a 180, like Misato at NERV. The thought of stoic, methodical Rei transforming into a social butterfly within the confines of school was unlikely, but he still didn't know the girl well enough to tell.

The question of Rei brought another issue to Shinji's mind. How much were the other students allowed to know about Shinji's…other job? Rei had been enrolled for a while, but she betrayed little of her thoughts; did the other students know that Ayanami was an EVA pilot? Shinji figured divulging his pilot status to his fellow classmates would be an easy way to make friends, though it would make him the center of attention, a position he wanted nothing to do with.

"Whatcha thinking about?" Misato asked, her eyes focused on the road. "you've been quiet. Even more than normal."

Shinji nodded. "A lot."

"Come on, I won't spill. I promise."

The boy sighed. Better to give Misato something, as she would pester him for the whole ride if he didn't tell. "If NERV has a non-disclosure policy."

"Non-disclosure?" Misato put her finger to her lip. "You're asking if you can tell people that you're an EVA pilot, aren't you?"

"Yeah. I mean, I don't really plan to, but I'm not good at keeping secrets."

"Well, even if you do," Misato said. "you happen to have the best job security out of anyone at NERV. So there's that."

"I just don't want to cause anyone at NERV to freak out about it, or get someone in trouble." Shinji turned towards the window, a sudden sense of melancholy overtaking him. "Those secret service guys at NERV probably mean business, right? I wouldn't want them to have to question anyone."

"If it makes you feel any better, I think those kids already suspect Rei of being an EVA pilot already, or having some kind of secret job at NERV anyway."

"W-what? Really?"

"The girl's got blue hair and red eyes, goes to school bandaged up every so often, and has Section Two following her around constantly. They aren't stupid, Shinji."

"Hm." Shinji put his finger to his chin. "So, I'll have Section Two following me around, too?"

"No, you've just got me." And Misato winked at him. "To answer your question, officially, you aren't allowed to disclose your status as an EVA pilot. But, it's not like we can fire you, so it's effectively meaningless. And, no offense, but you simply don't know enough about NERV or the EVA series for Section Two to worry about questioning anyone you talk to."

"Well, that's a load off my mind."

As Misato veered onto an off-ramp, Shinji could see Tokyo-3 Tech in the distance as they exited the highway. According to Misato, Tokyo-3 Tech was one of the most guarded places in the whole city, as far as defending against an Angel attack went. The school even had its own underground bullet train and railway, a one-stop line which went directly into the Geo-Front. You needed the high-level of clearance to use the train, but in the event of an emergency, it was nice to know the option of sling-shotting Shinji and Rei to Central Dogma was there.

"Speaking of your piloting duties…you know you're starting combat training today, right?"

Shinji nodded, not looking at her.

"And I'll be your primary instructor."

"Yeah."

"Well," Misato said. "I want you to know that if I'm strict with you during your training, it doesn't mean I'm mad at you, or that I think less of you, Shinji. We all have a job to do here, and mine is to make sure you make it out of your engagements alive, while neutralizing the Angels. Understand?"

"Yeah, I get it." Shinji leaned his head against the car window. "I'm not…I wasn't raised to fight or anything like that, Misato. I'm not a soldier."

"I know. And I'm aware that it's an insurmountable weight to put on your shoulders. But if we don't defeat the Angels, when they come, then humanity doesn't stand a chance."

"I understand." Shinji side-eyed Misato for a moment. "Do I have to call you Lieutenant-Colonel when we're on missions, or…?"

"You're real funny." The woman ruffled Shinji's hair. "I just want you come out alive and in one piece, that's all, Shinji. We all do."

Students were still filtering into Tokyo-3 Tech when Misato pulled up to the school; now that he was closer, Shinji could see that the school consisted of four steel-grey box-shaped buildings arranged perpendicular to each other, with a smaller circular building in the middle. Three sets of stairs separated the road from the front doors of the school, and there was a circular area right out front with benches, greenery, and a fountain in the center.

While she didn't take any credit for it, Shinji knew that Mom was the one who advocated for Tokyo-3 having proper schools. Originally, according to Grandma, the only reason Tokyo-3 was slated to build a school was to fulfill the government's quota of necessary amenities and services for a town to have. It was there simply to give the kids of those working at NERV something to do.

"We're here." Misato gave Shinji a tap on the shoulder. "Knock 'em dead, Shinji."

"Sure."

The boy grabbed his school bag, slung it over his shoulder, and exited the car. He hadn't made it five feet towards the school before Misato rolled down the window, and called out to him.

"Have a good day, Shin-chan." She blew a kiss towards him. "Byeee."

A high-pitched whine rang out as the wheels of Misato's car rubbed against the pavement, the vehicle shooting off down the road. As Shinji tried to compose himself and stop blushing, he heard several of the students around him whispering between themselves.

"Is she that kid's mom? She's a total babe."

"No, she works at NERV. My dad's seen her around."

"Is he a transfer student? I've never seen him before."

Shinji ignored them and walked past. Luckily, they didn't stop and try to talk to him, as he doubted - with all the circumstantial evidence Misato had just created –he could keep the fact that he piloted a fourteen-story-tall combat robot a secret for very long. He felt their stares on his back, though, watching and wondering about him.

There was a girl waving at Shinji, once he reached the top of the stairs. Her brown hair was tied into two pig-tails, and freckles dotted her cheeks. She ran towards him as he approached.

"Are you Shinji Ikari?" the girl asked. "My name's Hikari Horaki. I'm the class representative of…well, your class."

"Yes, that's me."

"It's nice to meet you." Hikari bowed, and Shinji did the same. "As you can see, our school is on the larger side, so I thought I would make sure you don't get lost. Oh, Ayanami, it's good to you again."

Over his shoulder, Shinji saw Rei walking up behind them. A few stray bandages were still wrapped around her elbows, knees, and one of her fingers was in a brace. But the girl seemed to be healing up, as there were fewer bruises and gauze wrap on her body than a couple days ago, when they left the Geo-Front to see the buildings rise.

Rei nodded towards them both as she walked by. "Ikari. Class Rep."

"Oh, you know each other?"

Shinji noticed Rei's eyes widen for a split second; it took the boy a moment to realize that Rei might have just blown his cover, though he didn't really care. As Misato said, it wasn't like NERV could fire him for revealing his identity.

"Yes." Rei said, finally. "See you both upstairs."

Hikari watched Rei disappear through the doors, her brows arching with confusion. "Ayanami works at NERV…do you work at NERV as well, Ikari?"

"That's…" Shinji didn't want to lie to the girl, she seemed nice. "how do you know she works at NERV? Did she tell you?"

"Ayanami? She doesn't tell anyone anything. But…people talk. Kids, parents. I don't think they're supposed to, but they talk. And…Ayanami's hair and eyes, you know. She stands out." Hikari turned back towards Shinji, beaming at him. "But I understand if it's classified. Don't worry, your secret's safe with me."

"Thanks."

"No problem." The Class Rep walked towards the doors, holding one of them open. "Come on, let's not be late on your first day."

.

---

.

"So, when you planning on starting combat training with Shinji?"

Misato held a vivid image of Shinji holding a pistol before she cued in on what Ritsuko meant, and shook her head. The boy could use some self-defense training as well, but the image in her mind simply looked wrong.

She was traveling up one of the many escalators in NERV HQ, along with Ritsuko and her assistant, Maya Ibuki. An air of usual indifference covered Ritsuko, but Maya held her notepad close and her eyes seemed distracted. The girl was always the nervous type, but today, she was practically on edge. Perhaps she and Ritsuko had been fighting.

"Today, after he gets outs of school, I think. No need to wait, right?"

"Just throwing him in the deep end, huh?"

Misato scoffed. "We already did that, a week-and-a-half ago. Remember?"

"I suppose so." Ritsuko frowned. "We're asking a lot of him."

"Yeah, piloting an EVA is no joke."

A shadow passed over Ritsuko's face. "I certainly don't envy you, Misato."

"Really? I thought being younger, prettier, and more likeable were fairly enviable traits."

"You're only younger by like two months. And it's your current job I don't envy."

That threw Misato for a loop. "Hm? Why do you say that?"

"When another Angel attacks in earnest, you're going to have to willingly put those children in harm's way." Ritsuko clicked her nails together, which she only did when she was nervous or worried; a habit she had picked up from Naoko, Misato noticed. "Some people might take issue with that. You understand?"

"Oh. You mean Miss Yui?" Misato crossed her arms. "I'm already aware of that. And besides, she's the one who talked Shinji into piloting Unit-01 in the first place. I imagine I've got at least a little leeway."

"Yes, but that was her. She's fine putting the boy in harm's way if she's the one doing it, but for someone else, it might be different."

"Why you bringing this up anyway, Ritz?" The black-haired woman stuck her tongue out at Ritsuko. "You trying to rattle me? You're going to have do better than inflicting Mama Yui on me to do that."

A sudden look passed between Ritsuko and Maya, and then the younger girl flinched.

"Did you not hear about the incident this morning, Lieutenant-Colonel?"

"I was dropping Shinji off for his first day of school. Why, what happened?"

"Well," Ritsuko started. "NERV had its weekly meeting with the Human Instrumentality Committee this morning. But, with the Commander still away, Vice Commander Fuyutsuki and Yui attended in his stead."

"Sure. But those are usually pretty routine, right?"

Ritsuko nodded. "Normally, yes. But there's bad blood between them and Yui. I haven't been able to figure out why, but apparently the committee requested to talk to Shinji. Alone."

"What? Why?"

"Don't know. But Yui took issue with it, obviously."

"What did she say?"

A sheepish smile crossed Maya's lips. "Doctor Ikari came out of the meeting room and threw a computer monitor through a window."

Misato blinked. She hadn't ever heard about Miss Yui getting that upset about anything; well, aside from Gendo essentially abandoning Shinji. "Well, Shinji's her baby boy. I can't blame her for getting upset, she just wants to protect him."

"I know, but Doctor Ikari's normally the nicest person you'll ever meet. She's kind, accommodating, and brilliant. But when it comes to Shinji…"

Ritsuko clicked with her tongue, and trailed her finger around her ear. "She goes nuts. No other way to put it. I mean, I understand that Shinji's her son, but I think we can all agree that this is beyond the pale."

The top of the escalator was coming up fast. All of the women stepped off when they reached its apex, continuing on their way; as far as Misato knew, Miss Yui and her were usually on good terms. She couldn't picture the woman becoming physically violet with her, even over Shinji, and such an attempt wouldn't work in her favor anyway – Misato was taller, stronger, and was significantly more well-trained in hand-to-hand combat than Miss Yui.

"Ritsuko, I can handle Miss Yui. I've been her bodyguard for years; I know what's she capable of."

"I'm just…" A wistful expression crossed Ritsuko's face. "I'm not trying to rattle you. It's just a delicate balance is all. You're used to delegating orders to grunts and specialists, but getting between a mother and her child is different."

Misato rubbed her chin for a moment. "I could lock Miss Yui in her office the next time an Angel attacks."

"If you think you can explain it to the Commander, go ahead."

"That might be a good idea," Maya said. "I mean, perhaps in a more diplomatic way. Like if there was something to keep Doctor Ikari occupied during an Angel attack. She's only going to worry if she's in Central Dogma."

"Maya's trying to nicely say that she's a liability in that situation, Misato."

"I…I wasn't trying to – "

"Miss Yui just needs to believe in him, I think," Misato said. "or be content with the fact that he's going to take a bullet or two in the line of duty."

Ritsuko laughed, walking ahead of Misato.

"Small chance of that."

.

---

.

"Try it again, Shinji." Misato's face popped up in a video feed in the bottom-right corner. "Remember, it's not real, it's a simulation."

Sighing, Shinji lifted his weapon against the simulated Angel again – the same one which had attacked him near Aise, though set against the backdrop of Tokyo-3. He waited for the crosshairs to light up, and pulled the trigger. Sixty-seven percent accuracy when the clip emptied.

Of all the aspects of piloting an Evangelion, there were several which Shinji figured he would never get adjusted to. The liquid air – 'LCL', they called it – or the stiff seat of the cockpit, not designed for comfort or accessibility at all. When Shinji showed up for his first synchronization test, a couple days ago, he discovered another uncomfortable adjustment that he would have to get used to: the plug suit. The boy had shown up in casual wear – sweat pants and a t-shirt – and was disappointed when the Doctors Akagi handed him a blue-and-white suit which was a tad too form-fitting.

After Rei came striding into the room with her own plug-suit, which left only her bare skin to the young boy's imagination and nothing else, Shinji's beet-red face lit up the whole control room with laughter. Rei had tilted her head in confusion at the boy's reaction, though Shinji could hardly blame her. For the longest time, Rei was the only EVA pilot at NERV HQ – if the girl felt any discomfort or embarrassment from wearing the plug-suit, the sensation was likely long gone.

But, most of all, it was the incessant droning of the entry plug that drove Shinji nuts.

"That's a little better," Misato said. "but your accuracy needs to be higher. It's exceedingly likely that there will be future Angel engagements which will require pin-point precision. There will be little room for error, understand?"

"It worked out last time," Shinji said. "and it's been two hours and I've barely gotten better."

Misato frowned at his comment. "You got lucky last time, Shinji. If the Evangelion hadn't reacted the way it did…things could have turned out differently. You need to work at this until it's purely muscle memory, okay?"

"But – "

"Shinji, I'm your operations director. We're staying until either the sun goes down, or you've shown satisfactory improvement."

The simulation restarted. Shinji took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves, and brought his rifle to bear against the Angel once again. Seventy-percent accuracy once the clip was fully emptied. A little better, but not by much.

"It's climbing," Misato said. "but try again. Fire in shorter bursts this time, that should improve your accuracy some."

Shinji heard Naoko Akagi's voice. "Perhaps a break is in order? Shinji's been in the cockpit for at least two hours now."

"There won't be any breaks when an Angel attacks, Doctor." There was a short pause; Misato was looking towards someone off-screen. "What, Ritz?"

"You know what," Ritsuko Akagi said. "Lieutenant-Colonel."

"…alright, fine. Shinji, let's take about thirty minutes, but then we're running drills for the next two hours. Got it?"

"Yes, Miss Misato."

Once the entry plug was ejected and Shinji was hoisted down from Unit-01, he made his way to the nearest snack dispenser and bought himself a canned coffee and an energy bar. Misato had been of a mind to show Shinji graphs and charts of his simulated accuracy and sync ratio, but the boy wanted nothing more than to be as far away as possible from Central Dogma; fortunately, the Doctors Akagi manage to hold Misato off.

He didn't want to do this. He had agreed to pilot Unit-01, but he didn't want to. Shinji wanted to practice his Chopin, or try to play a riff from the newest cassette he had bought, or maybe even learn a new recipe. It was important, yes, perhaps the most important job in the world. But Shinji didn't understand why it had to be dropped into his lap. Surely there were other kids out there, ones much more talented than him?

Shinji received a call to return to the simulation chamber, exactly thirty minutes after the break had been recalled; after a minute's reluctance, Shinji managed to pick himself up and return to the training area, his feet dragging every step of the way.

Misato eyed him as he walked back into the control room. "Thirty minutes means thirty minutes, Shinji."

"Yes, ma'am."

"It's only five minutes, Misato," Naoko Akagi said. "nothing to fret over."

The Lieutenant-Colonel shook her head. "If I told my CO back at the academy that I was 'only five minutes late', he'd make me run only an extra three miles. Time matters."

"Well, we aren't at the academy, Lieutenant-Colonel. And Shinji's only fourteen."

"Yeah, we're only safeguarding humanity's future here, I suppose." Misato arched an eyebrow at the brunette doctor. "But when Shinji gets maimed or killed out there, I'll let you explain to Miss Yui why her son wasn't sufficiently ready for the task."

Miss Naoko went silent.

"After some discussion, I've decided to run you through a mock battle against the last Angel." Back in the familiar LCL soup of the EVA's plug, Shinji couldn't help but make a face at the thought of enduring the last battle again. "Don't worry, there will be some simulated pain, but your nerve feedback will only be running at around 20%. Not enough to cause significant pain, but enough to have some sort of negative feedback. Alright?"

"Yes, Miss Misato."

"The purpose of this exercise is to think on your feet and react on the fly. I'll offer advice after the exercise has concluded, but how you choose to engage the Angel will be up to you. Understand?"

"I do." At this point, Shinji figured whatever strategy he chose would be wrong. "A-are you sure about this, Miss Misato? I-I don't know the first thing about strategy."

"That's why we're here, Shinji. Remember what I told you yesterday? I realize that you're fourteen and you don't know the first thing about combat, but that doesn't change reality. You and Rei are all we have right now."

"O-okay."

The simulation loaded. In a change from the previous exercise, Shinji was still in the EVA's launch bay, as if he were waiting to be deployed. There were even maintenance crews running around, prepping the bay and making sure all the mechanisms were working at peak efficiency. Shinji didn't like EVA training all that much, but he had to admit: this part was pretty cool.

Misato's voice rang out over the audio feed. "The Angel is in the south-side of Tokyo-3, near the port. Which entry point do you want to use?"

Shinji tried recalling the map of entry and exit points he had been studying. His memory wasn't perfect, but he would choose the closest one he could remember.

"Entry 7B, I think."

"You think? Or are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

"Alright. Evangelion Unit-01, launch."

The Evangelion shot up, the rails grinding behind the mechanical beast, guiding the machine towards its final destination. In a matter of moments, Shinji was topside, the Evangelion sliding out of a metal container large enough to be a skyscraper. The Evangelion lurched forward, the ground shaking below the beast as it took its first step forward.

Shinji hadn't emerged exactly where he wanted, but it was close enough for the Angel to turn and notice him. The Angel's face, as far as Shinji could tell, contorted in a way that made his skin crawl. The boy blanked for a moment. A weapon, he needed a weapon.

"I need a weapon."

"That you do. But which one?"

"The gun. The one I was just using."

"Which gun?"

"The Assault Rifle."

Nearby, another metal container popped from the ground. It slid open, revealing an assault rifle sized for an Evangelion inside. Shinji took the rifle, and pointed at the Angel…

…which was already upon him.

The Angel grabbed the EVA back the neck, lifting the machine into the air; likewise, Shinji felt pressure around his own neck, though much reduced from the first encounter with the Angel. Shinji unloaded his rifle into the Angel, towards its red core. The bullets bounced off the AT Field, and were so ineffective that the field did not even visually manifest.

Shinji dropped the rifle; his internal sensors were yelling at him, warning him that he was in mortal danger unless the Angel was untangled from him. He called for his progressive knife, as Rei had taught him, and jabbed the blade into the Angel's arm. The creature reeled back, dropping the Evangelion to the ground. A long arc of blood shot out from the Angel's arm.

A small chorus of cheers erupted from the control room comms. Shinji smiled.

Staggering back, the Angel's face twisted again. The Angel's arm began to bubble and boil where the progressive knife had penetrated its skin, repairing the damage done as if it had never been injured in the first place.

Shinji jabbed his knife towards the Angel's core; this time, the AT Field was clearly visible as the blade bounced off. He tried again, the blade vibrating to such a degree that it began to blur as the boy tried to cut through the AT Field.

The Angel reached out. One of its hands grabbed Unit-01's head; the familiar lance of purple lance pumped like a piston, straight through the Evangelion's skull. A sudden dull pain pierced Shinji's skull, again and again, as the Angel continued driving the lance through Unit-01's head.

Not again, not again.

Shinji's breath left him as his heart palpated; his hands and arms became stiff as boards. The readouts and emergency warnings inside of Unit-01's cockpit were dire: pilot severely injured, Evangelion Unit-01 asynchronization imminent, damage to Unit-01's skull-plating critical. The noise was too much, and Shinji didn't know how to turn it off. He wanted nothing more than to be elsewhere, away from here.

"Shinji," Misato said. "you have to calm down. It's not real, remember?"

"Neural connections are being severed," one of the technicians, Maya Ibuki, said. "Evangelion Unit-01 is beginning asynchronization."

Another voice rang out. "Pilot is losing consciousness. Sync ratio falling."

"Lieutenant-Colonel," Miss Naoko said. "I think that's enough. Shut it off."

"No. Shinji, you have to push through. Focus. If this happens in battle with an actual Angel, you won't get a second chance."

"I-I can't." A cacophony of noise blared throughout the cockpit. Voices, alarms, readouts. It was all too much to deal with. "I need to get out of here, Misato. I can't do this."

"Yes, you can. Think. Focus."

Shinji tried. His counselor had taught him grounding techniques to calm himself, but obviously, they were ill-suited to fighting inhuman monsters. The boy inhaled and exhaled, tried controlling his breathing, He almost wished he were in the actual Unit-01, not a simulation version; in the real Evangelion, he could calm himself and cut down on the noise if need be, but there was no hiding from it all here.

In the simulated Tokyo-3, Unit-01 reached out and grabbed the Angel by the chest; it hardly seemed worried by the attack, not even bothering to activate its AT Field. The Angel grabbed Unit-01's arm with its spare arm, pressed down. The Evangelion's arm snapped.

"I-I can't! Misato!" Shinji was yelling at the top of his lungs now. "I want out!"

"Lieutenant-Colonel," Ritsuko said. "Enough."

Tokyo-3 faded from existence, leaving only the pale white walls of the simulation chamber. Shinji's breath came easier, his pulse dropping from erratic to somewhat stable. In an actual battle, Shinji would be dead, but he didn't care now. It was over.

Once Shinji dried off and returned to the control room, the three technicians working under Naoko and Ritsuko scrambled up to Shinji: Maya Ibuki, Shigeru Aoba, and Makoto Hyuga. All of them wore roughly the same uniform: grey, and almost like the military uniforms Shinji had seen on Hyperdrive. Maya had her hair cut short, and in the right light, bore a resemblance to an older and female version of Shinji; Makoto was medium-height, with glasses and gelled hair; and Shigeru had long, straightened hair and angular facial features.

Mom had introduced Shinji to all of them before, but the boy didn't really know them; they all seemed nice, though, and Shinji wanted to like them.

Maya knelt down and put her hands on Shinji's shoulders, her eyes quivering with worry. "Are you alright, Shinji? We didn't know you would have that sort of reaction in there."

"I-I think so," Shinji said. "I-I just…there was a lot going on."

Makoto made a fist and upper-cutted the air, winking at Shinji. "You were really letting that Angel have it for a minute there. It was a really good first try."

"Some more practice," Shigeru added. "and you'll be a force of nature out there. Isn't that right, Lieutenant-Colonel?"

Misato was standing behind him, her arms folded; Shinji expected her to be disappointed, but her expression didn't betray anything at all. What Shinji could see, however, was Doctor Naoko Akagi staring daggers at the black-haired woman.

"We'll try again in a couple days," Misato said, oblivious to Miss Naoko. "go get changed. You've got school in the morning."

.

---

.

Misato was officially between a rock and a hard place.

Watching the simulation footage of Shinji's mock battle with the Angel, it was clear to Misato that the boy wasn't the worst candidate to be an EVA pilot - for a boy who hadn't seen a day of real combat before last week, at least. He didn't win the battle, but he remembered techniques and resources which he had picked up from the last battle, and on the fly at that. In addition, battles between Evangelions and Angels were obviously something of a new frontier, tactically. Shinji did his best with what he had to work with.

On the other hand, Shinji had forgotten to try and corrode the Angel's AT Field; the progressive knife could theoretically cut through the AT Field, but it would take longer, and time wasn't a luxury he had. The boy also showed a lack of discipline, at least, in areas that were important but uninteresting to him, such as piloting an EVA.

And the most glaring issue: it seemed Shinji, at any time, had a chance to lock up in the midst of a battle and become a sitting duck. Misato wondered what had triggered that reaction, but psychology wasn't exactly her field of expertise.

If they were in the JSSDF, Shinji might have been moved to a non-combat role. But they didn't have that option. Shinji and Rei were the pilots NERV had to work with, for better or for worse. Misato would simply have to make do.

Heels clicked against the ground behind Misato, and a familiar mop of blonde hair walked into her vision. "Mother says Shinji is mostly okay. And you're about to have a situation on your hands, so get ready."

"Wha – "

"Lieutenant-Colonel." Misato saw Naoko Akagi walking up out of the corner of her eye. "I would like a word with you."

Inwardly, Misato groaned. "Yes, Doctor Akagi?"

"I'd like you to explain why you saw fit to induce a panic attack in one of your pilots."

As if Shinji having one mother at NERV wasn't enough.

"I didn't induce anything, Doctor Akagi. I did try to prepare my pilot for a situation which could happen in the field. Coddling him isn't going to bring him back home."

"Exacerbating his condition isn't going to help, either. It's not something you can simply beat out of him." Naoko pressed her fingers against her temple. "He's not a soldier, Misato. He's a fourteen-year-old boy who hadn't seen a day of combat in his life before recently."

"I understand that, Naoko, but it is what it is. The next Angel could attack at any time, and he needs to ready when it comes. If the choice is between Shinji being upset with me now and coming back alive, or being happy with me and dying in the field, I'm going to choose the first option every time."

"It's not him being upset, it's a mental condition that he has no control over. This might cause him to toughen up, or it could cause him repeat attacks because of this incident, Misato, and over a simulated battle no less."

Misato's eyes met the floor. The woman had a point, she supposed, but it didn't change the situation at hand. Better to freeze up in a simulated battle and learn to deal with it now, rather than in a live battle when there's no pulling the plug.

"I won't apologize for trying to prepare him for what's out there, Doctor. You can bring it to Miss Yui's attention if you want, but I have an obligation to train them to the best of my ability."

"If this happens again, I just might." The senior Doctor Akagi looked towards one of the doorways, worry darkening her features. "I'm going to go check on Shinji. Hopefully, he's calmed down by now."

After Naoko walked off to check on Shinji again, Ritsuko walked in front of Misato and leaned against one of the desks, meeting her eyes.

"What?" Misato asked.

"You know, the last time I told you 'it is what it is', you threatened to shove your heels up my ass."

"That was different."

"How?"

"Because…it just was, okay?"

"Mother isn't wrong, you know," Ritsuko said. "it was just a simulation. If Shinji's screaming bloody murder inside of the entry plug, maybe call it a day and try again tomorrow."

Misato exhaled hard. "The one time you agree with Naoko about something, it's this?"

"When she has a good point, yes."

"But if an Angel attacks – "

"Misato, if we lose the EVAs and the Angel initiates Third Impact, there's likely a hundred things we could blame it on. Timing and pilot inexperience are just two of those."

"But those are factors we can mitigate now." Misato fixed Ritsuko with a glare. "I'm just trying to do my job, Ritsuko. It's not like I hate Shinji and want to see him suffer. Quite the opposite, actually."

"My point is, we've got ample opportunities to train Shinji and improve his performance in the cockpit. Don't pile it all on him in one day, is all." Ritsuko wrinkled her nose at Misato, wistfully looking away. "You don't want Mother to sic Mama Yui on you, right?"

"Oh, shut up."

"I thought you could handle her?"

"I can, and I will if it comes to it."

The blonde scientist casted a glance towards the doorway Naoko had retreated through, clicking her red nails together.

"I wonder what it is about him?" Ritsuko asked. "Before Shinji arrived, I didn't even know Mother had a particularly strong maternal side."

"Maybe she's making up for lost time."

,

---

.

.

.

TOKYO-3 TECHNICAL ACADEMY

AUGUST 13TH, 2016

.

.

School life in Tokyo-3 wasn't so bad. Aside from having a little more homework and a little less freedom, Shinji figured it wasn't too different from his school in Aise.

Hikari Horaki, the Class Rep of 2A, had gone out of her way to show Shinji the ropes at Tokyo-3 Tech; Shinji was grateful for any help he could get. Before Shinji had started school, Mom and Miss Misato had both made it clear to him that piloting EVA was no excuse for falling behind on his studies. Unless he was injured or unconscious from fighting an Angel, of course.

In his World History class, Shinji diligently took notes about rise and fall of the Western Roman Empire. Many of the other students were whispering back and forth, or pretending to pay attention while playing games on their school-issued laptops. Shinji didn't have the luxury of messing around like his peers, so he kept scribbling the teacher's words down, trying to paraphrase as best he could.

The boy didn't consider himself a bad student, but there was certainly room for improvement in Mother's eyes – Shinji pretty much used school as an excuse to visit the band room and practice his music, honestly.

Shinji's phone buzzed again.

He didn't bother looking at the number. He had been receiving calls from a different exchange that he didn't recognize. With the talk about spies and potential dangers that Misato had given him, Shinji aired on the side of caution and ignored the calls. Perhaps someone was trying to locate him, thought truthfully Shinji still had a hard time believing he was that valuable.

If the Americans or the Chinese had their own EVA programs, surely they had their own kids to pilot them as well. A bog-standard Japanese kid wasn't going to give them any sort of edge.

After class adjourned for lunch, Shinji managed to catch Rei on her way out the classroom. The blue-haired girl gave him an impassive look, as always, as if she were in constant ambiguity about whether she minded his presence or not.

"Ikari." Rei didn't stop, continuing on her way to wherever she enjoyed her lunch. "I trust you enjoyed the lecture."

"Not really."

"You took extensive notes on it."

"I – " Shinji decided to ignore the part where Rei was watching him, apparently. "Mom makes Misato take pictures of the notes I've taken for the day, as well as my homework. To make sure I'm doing it, I guess."

"Curious."

"Why?" Shinji asked. "Doesn't she make you do the same thing?"

"No." There was the barest hint of smirk on Rei's lips. "I suppose Doctor Ikari has more faith in my fastidiousness than you."

Shinji didn't know what fastidiousness meant, so he just nodded. "I suppose so."

"Did you intend on eating lunch with me?"

"We can if you want, but I had something to ask you."

"Is it work related?"

"Um." Honestly, Shinji didn't have the faintest clue. "Maybe?"

"Wait until we have sat down, then."

Looking around, Shinji supposed this was a poor spot to talk about potential government secrets. Even now there were students all over them, walking to class in pairs or trios; their conversations melded into a sort of white noise. There was no one loitering in the halls, though, which was a change from Shinji's old school. The teachers here were big on students getting from Point A to Point B in a timely fashion, and hallway conversations were obviously not conducive to that purpose.

Rei picked a spot on the ground floor, next to a fence overlooking one of the mass-transits trains, as well as the small neighborhood below the rails. There was a kid with wide-rimmed glasses barely out of earshot, typing away on a school laptop; by his lack of a reaction, he hadn't even noticed Rei and Shinji sit down near him. Shinji flipped his phone open as Rei opened her box lunch, showing her the number.

"Do you recognize it?" Shinji asked. "I didn't want to answer, just in case, but they keep calling. I think it's from outside Japan."

The girl glanced at the number. "No. Perhaps you should show it to the Lieutenant-Colonel."

"Yeah, I guess."

"You getting called by weird numbers, new kid?"

Shinji turned. The kid with the glasses was standing over him.

"How did you – "

"I could trace the call for you," the kid said, smiling. "maybe get you a little more information. Don't worry, I won't read any of your texts or anything."

"Um…" Shinji looked towards Rei, who seemed nonplussed by the situation. "Well, it's kind of…I mean, I can't really – "

"Oh, I know you're an EVA pilot, it's cool." The kid sat down beside Shinji, a little too close for comfort. "My dad's a junior technician on the MAGI system. All of them were talking about some new kid who broke all their sync records, and then you showed up, in the middle of a semester. Talk about a coincidence, huh? My name's Aida, by the way. Kensuke Aida."

"Uh," Shinji said. "Rei? Is this…okay?"

Rei didn't even bother looking up from her bento. "It is fine. If I believed him to be a threat to you, Ikari, you would be made aware of it in short order."

An image of Rei flipping Kensuke over her shoulder flashed through Shinji's mind; it was oddly amusing to him, though he didn't particularly want any harm to come to the boy.

Kensuke held his hand out. "So, you want me to trace the call? Won't take but a second."

"Sure, if you want."

Shinji handed the phone over. He didn't really know anyone else outside of Kanagawa Prefecture, so he wasn't sure how useful knowing where the call was placed or who it was would be to him. As if he were prepared for this moment, Kensuke whipped out a cord from one of his pockets, connecting Shinji's flip-phone to one of the ports on his laptop.

"I got a new phone when I got to Tokyo-3," Shinji said. "you know, from NERV. They probably encrypted it or something, so I'm not sure how much information you'll be able to get."

Kensuke waved the comment away. "As long as it's not MAGI, it won't be a problem. Will just take me an extra minute if anything."

"Is the MAGI really that tough to break into?"

"Is it?" The brown-haired boy snorted at Shinji's question as he tapped away on his keyboard. "One person breaking into a system administrated by the MAGI would be like trying to cut through a sequoia tree with a dull pocket-knife. You could have every student in this school trying to crack into the MAGI system at once and still not make a dent."

"Wow," Shinji said. "Miss Naoko and Ritsuko must be really smart to make something like that."

"Naoko Akagi's been working on the thing since before Second Impact. She's one of the top scientists in the world when it comes to computer science, maybe even the top scientist." Kensuke gave Shinji a knowing side-eye. "Kind of like your mother, Ikari. Now that Kyoko Langley Soryu is presumed dead, she's pretty much the leading authority on building cool giant robots."

Kyoko. For reasons the boy couldn't fathom, the name sounded familiar to him.

Rei shot a quick glance towards Kensuke. "We are going to have a conversation one day about your knowledge of NERV, Mister Aida. Perhaps with a couple of men from Section Two."

"I don't know all that much," Kensuke said, his face turning red as he stuttered his words. "it's a lot of conjecture and off-hand talk from my dad, as well as second-hand info from internet forums. Honest, Ayanami, it's nothing you couldn't find with a few hours of digging."

"Hm."

"Oh, I got a ping."

Looking over at Kensuke's screen, he could see lines of code in one window and a world map which constantly changed location. It settled on a spot over Europe; a small red dot blinked on and off, before expanding into an open circle.

"It looks like it's from Germany," Kensuke said. "but I can't get an exact location or identity. This level of security is way beyond my paygrade."

"I don't know anyone in Germany. Hell, I don't even know anyone outside of Japan."

"Well, you've got someone's attention on that side of the world." Kensuke put his finger to his chin, biting his lip. "Come to think of it, isn't there a branch of NERV in Germany?"

Shinji looked towards Rei, who confirmed the existence of another branch there with a nod.

"It might be from there. Or…it could be some secret spy organization trying to track your location. Could go either way in my opinion."

"There is another pilot in Germany," Rei said. "though why she would be calling you directly is beyond me."

The fact that there could be other EVA pilots in the world had eluded Shinji until now. "Really? What's she like?"

"She is…" Rei looked like she had swallowed a bug. "I believe the elder Doctor Akagi has called her a handful before. She is very…loud and abrasive from what I have seen."

"Have you talked to her personally?"

"Yes."

"And?"

"She thinks I am weird and boring."

So, the mysterious caller had been narrowed down to 'secret spy organization' or 'rude and loud EVA pilot'. Shinji didn't particularly want to deal with either one. "If it means anything, I don't think you're weird or boring at all, Rei."

"Thank you, but it did not particularly bother me." For a second, however, Shinji thought he saw a faint blush on Rei's cheeks. "Again, I would ask Lieutenant-Colonel Katsuragi or Doctor Ikari before you proceed. It could be someone with dubious intent, as Aida said."

"That's who dropped you off the other day, right?" Kensuke asked, his eyes practically swimming. "Man, she's a real babe. How lucky can you get?"

"You should try living with her. She can't cook, clean, or do any sort of chores at all. It's like she's five-years-old or something."

"Man, you live with a beautiful woman like Katsuragi, and you're complaining about having to do chores for her?" Kensuke shook his head at Shinji, closing his laptop. "Talk about priorities. I'd do all her chores and volunteer to be her personal footstool if I got to live with a babe like that."

"She's like twenty-eight, Aida."

"So? Seriously, it's like you're from another planet or something, Ikari." The boy leaned over in Rei's direction. "What do you think, Ayanami? Think I got a shot?"

Over the past couple of days, Shinji liked to think that he had become somewhat familiar with Rei's mannerisms and ways of communicating non-verbally. The look Rei gave Aida, if Shinji had to guess, basically said: 'Not even if you both were the last surviving people on Earth, and also, you're a complete idiot'.

"Ah, whatever." Kensuke stood up, re-adjusting his glasses. "Anyway, if you need anything else computer related, let me know. I usually hang out with Suzahara."

"Suzahara?"

"Yeah, he's like eight-feet tall and only wears track-suits. You can't miss him." The boy threw Shinji a casual salute before leaving. "I'm sure I'll see you around, Ikari."

.

---

.

Following his mother's instructions, Rei accompanied Shinji from school after they were let out for the day.

Sitting on the train beside him, Rei Ayanami seemed the image of a perfect schoolgirl; she held her satchel of books against her chest, and her posture was perfectly feminine, almost as if she had practiced it. Shinji wondered how much of the world Rei had picked up from his mother, and to what extent her personality had rubbed off on the girl; Rei Ayanami was a clone of his mother, and even to those who weren't familiar with that fact, the resemblance was certainly striking.

But the similarities seemed to end there. Mom was open, willing to talk to almost anyone about anything, and was always smiling; Rei was taciturn, blunt, and didn't seem to part with any of her thoughts without being asked first. Growing up around a bunch of scientists and NERV employees wasn't like to produce the most talkative and gregarious of people, but Shinji still found the difference to be…profound.

"I heard about your training yesterday," Rei said, out of nowhere. "the Akagis seem to think you did well for your first time."

"I'm glad someone thinks so."

"Was the Lieutenant-Colonel not happy with your performance?"

"I don't know what she thought of it." He hadn't talked to Misato about the incident at all, really; they had both turned in after Shinji cooked dinner, and Misato filled out paperwork while Shinji was busy in the kitchen. "Misato was really pushy while I was in the simulation, and we called it off early, after…"

"After your panic attack?"

"Yeah. That."

"Fighting an Angel is a frightening thing. It is nothing to be ashamed of."

Leaning back against his seat, Shinji wondered what would happen the next time an Angel attacked them. The first engagement with an Angel as an absolute fluke, clearly; Rei had acquitted herself well against the creature, but Shinji's success was pure dumb luck, after the Angel had almost killed him and the EVA had decided to cooperate with him out of pity or remorse.

"Rei, what did you feel? When we were fighting the Angel?" A bell went off over the speaker system, meaning that they would arrive at their destination in thirty seconds. "Were you scared? Angry? Excited?"

"I was…a bit anxious," Rei said. "and there were some feelings of pain and discomfort."

"But you weren't scared?"

"No." Rei stood, going towards one of the doors as the train slowed; Shinji walked up beside her. "As I said, it is a perfectly reasonable response to be scared. But I was not."

"How? That's some nerve you have, Rei."

Another bell rang out over the speakers, and the doors opened. Shinji and Rei walked out, a couple NERV employees who Shinji didn't know walked out behind them, gossiping by the way they were whispering to each other. It was an underground terminal, so they would have to walk up several flights of stairs to get to the surface or take an elevator to get to the surface.

Mom had said the underground terminals were secured with the same kind of plates that were between the Geo-Front and the ground level of Tokyo-3, so that in the event of an Angel attack, there weren't masses of people stuck underground. In her words, Tokyo-3 was built to be fully operational 'even in the middle of a war'. In the event of a state of emergency which lasted longer than a day, Tokyo-3 simply inverted itself into the ground, and business could continue as normal.

"Either something is going to happen, or it is not," Rei said, as she opted to take the stairs. "I have practiced since Doctor Ikari and the Commander deemed it appropriate for me to do so, both inside the EVA and out. If I fell in battle against the Angel, then there is nothing more I could have done. I think, in this particular case, that it is better to focus on the possibility of succeeding; as EVA pilots, we likely will not be around to experience the alternative anyway."

"I guess that's true. But a lot of the fear I have isn't…rational. Like, I know a lot of it isn't worth worrying about, but it's still there."

Rei gave a subtle nod in response. "I understand, and I hope you do not mistake my intentions. I do not believe there is an easy answer to your predicament, Ikari, I can only offer my perspective and hope it helps."

"Well, thanks."

Shinji noticed Rei standing awfully close to him, but not in an intimate way; more like to protect him, if anything.

"Not that I don't appreciate it, Rei, but you didn't have to walk me home if you didn't want to. With all the NERV employees between here and Misato's apartment, I don't think anything's going to happen to me."

"You still owe me."

"Owe me?"

"Yes. You promised to play me a song. Remember?"

"Oh." Honestly, Shinji had forgotten all about that. "Yeah, I can do that. And you can join Misato and I for dinner, if you want."

"I would like that." Rei shot a worried glance at Shinji. "It will be you cooking, yes? Not the Lieutenant-Colonel?"

Even Rei had heard about Misato's cooking. "You don't have to worry about Misato touching a stove tonight, don't worry."

"That is good."

A nagging question popped into Shinji's mind, though he couldn't fathom why. "Rei, how much do you and the Commander talk? Does he act different around you?"

"I am not certain of how the Commander acts around you," Rei said. "so, I have no basis of comparison. I spend more time with Doctor Ikari than him, though, and she often speaks quite…freely about him."

"I'm pretty sure that runs in the family, Rei. You should hear how my grandma speaks about him."

Rei met Shinji's eyes. Even if the girl didn't have bright red eyes, Shinji figured her gaze would still be quite striking.

"How do you feel about him, Ikari?"

It was a question that Shinji hadn't thought about, or didn't want to think about, honestly. Shinji didn't hate him, but when he planted his shovel down and tried to dig his feelings out on the matter, the boy came up with nothing. But they were there, somewhere. He knew it.

"Ikari." There was a hand around Shinji's wrist. Rei's hand, without him noticing. "Are you alright? Your hands are shaking."

Shinji looked down. His hands were balled into fists.

"I'm fine," Shinji said as he let his hands loosen. "I don't really want to talk about that, Rei, if you don't mind."

"Are you angry with him?"

"I'm not – " Shinji jerked his head away. "Rei. Please."

"I am sorry." The remorse in Rei's voice was apparent, and Shinji felt bad for it. "I have a hard time telling when I am making others uncomfortable. Please forgive me."

"It's fine, Rei. Don't worry about it."

"Are you certain?"

"Yeah. It's alright."

Shinji was quiet for a moment, and then the words came pouring out of his mouth.

"The thing with my father…I don't just want to open it up again, Rei. If caring about him and what he thinks of me is just going to hurt me again, then I'd rather let that part of myself die. But it won't. And I don't know why."

.

---

.

Misato wasn't exactly in proper dress when Shinji and Rei arrived at her apartment, which was quite the surprise for Rei and a source of defeated exasperation for Shinji. Apparently, a pair of pajamas that consisted of little more than silk short-shorts and a top that left Misato's mid-section exposed was perfectly fine for Shinji, but was completely inappropriate for Rei. Not for the first time, Shinji was left wondering if there were some wires crossed Misato's brain when she was born.

"You didn't tell me Rei was coming over." Misato hurriedly hiked up a pair of pants over her bare legs; Shinji pivoted, bright red plastered on his face. "You gotta give me some warning, Shinji, so I'm not opening the door in my nighties for two fourteen-year-olds."

Shinji folded his arms. "I didn't expect an adult your age to sleep in until five-o'clock. And you wear that kind of stuff all the time around me."

"I know, but…" The obvious double standard was completely skipped over in Misato's mind. "Let's say that when we had dinner last night, I leaned over and kissed you on the mouth. And then, let's say the next day, your mother asked what you did last night. What would you tell her?"

"That I cooked a very nice meat and vegetable dinner for Misato last night."

"Exactly. Rei's a nice girl, but she doesn't know how to do that." Misato chuckled to herself. "Alright, I'm ready. You can turn around now."

Misato had thrown on a black t-shirt with a band's name on it. While the woman's attire wasn't exactly professional, Shinji judged the ensemble was good enough.

"While Rei's outside," Shinji said. "we didn't talk about yesterday at all."

Wasting no time, Misato had already gone over to the coffee machine to prepare a fresh cup. A beer seemed to have spontaneously appeared in her hand.

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"I mean, you seemed upset yesterday when we left NERV. I don't know whether my performance yesterday was up to standard, but I tried my best."

The woman waved off Shinji's worries. "Silly boy. What did I tell you in the car yesterday?"

"That you wouldn't be mad at me, or think less of me."

"Right." She motioned towards the door. "Now let Rei in. It isn't polite to keep a girl waiting."

Rei seemed entirely nonplussed at having to wait for Misato to put on some decent clothing. She stepped into the apartment, still holding her school satchel against her chest; her eyes scanned the apartment, taking in the entire space. A thought occurred to Shinji that Rei simply wasn't aware of what to do, as she stood at the entrance to the living room as if she were waiting to be directed.

"Welcome to our humble abode," Misato said. "I bet you're surprised, huh? It's so tidy and organized."

If Rei was shocked, she hid it well. "Yes, Ikari seems to have cleaned this space up quite nicely."

"Shinji isn't the only person who lives here, Rei."

"Yes, I am aware of that."

The funny part – to Shinji, at least – was that Rei wasn't even trying to disparage Misato. He knew Rei well enough to know that she was simply stating facts in her usual blunt way, but seeing Misato stew over the perceived insult was too humorous for Shinji to injure.

"Ikari, where is the best place to observe your performance?"

That piqued Misato's interest. "Performance? You're really putting those skills to good use, aren't you, Shinji? You just arrived to Tokyo-3 a week ago and you're already inviting girls over."

"It's not like that," Shinji said. "Rei asked to hear me play last week, remember? In the car?"

"Well, just make sure you're being safe."

Rei and Shinji both met Misato with a blank look.

"You know, if things get…intimate with you guys, or another girl at school." A cheshire grin sliced Misato's face. "I don't mind myself, but Miss Yui would freak if she found out."

"I told you it's not like that," Shinji said, a furious blush on his face. "Rei just wanted to see me play, that's all."

"I'm just teasing. He gets so worked up, doesn't he, Rei?"

"Ikari does have a tendency to overreact."

"I don't – " Shinji stopped himself before he proved the girls' point. "I-I'm going to get my cello."

When Shinji returned with his cello case, Rei and Misato were in deep conversation about something, though he couldn't tell what. They whirled towards his direction; Misato held her hand out towards Shinji, and for a split second, the boy thought Misato was going to play a piece for him.

"Let me see your phone," Misato said. "Rei says you've been getting weird calls."

Moments later, Misato was digging through Shinji's cell-phone, flipping through his contacts and private information without a care in the world. Shinji figured he didn't have much privacy at NERV, but this seemed to effectively take any confidentiality he had out back to be shot. Luckily, the boy didn't have any secrets of actual importance, as far as he knew.

Misato's eyes lit up as she found the offending number. "Ah. Yeah, it's her."

"It's who? What's going on?"

"The other pilot. Asuka Langley Soryu."

"Oh." Shinji scratched the side of his head, trying to think of why such a person would be calling him. "Why does she want to talk to me, though?"

"It's possible that my…counterpart in Germany might have given her your number, but that's just a guess. She's a…curious girl, and she's seen footage from your first battle."

"That is Ryoji Kaji," Rei explained. "he works in the counter-intelligence division of NERV. But he is also Asuka's guardian."

"She might want to give you some tips, Shinji." Misato gave a sheepish shrug. "She's really a nice girl, she's just very…spirited and blunt."

"Rei said she called her weird and boring."

"I think you should answer her next time," Misato said, side-stepping Shinji's statement. "might be nice to talk to another person with some shared work experience."

"Sure." Shinji gestured towards his violin. "Well, I guess I'll get started."

On the way to his room and back, Shinji had decided to play another Bach piece, since that was his most studied classical musician and he didn't want to mess up in front of Misato and Rei. They both sat expectantly as Shinji began to play, filling Misato's small apartment with what he hoped was beautiful music.

For a time that seemed an eternity, Shinji lost himself in the concert; Tokyo-3, NERV, the Angels, and the worries of his parents all faded away. His world consisted only of himself, his instrument, and his audience. In this room, Second Impact never happened, and awe-inspiring creatures such as the Angels were mere words on scripture.

While Shinji had only planned on reciting a small portion of the suite, he found himself so enraptured and so unexpectantly starved of the emotional release of playing music, that the boy was certain he played for an hour or more. He hadn't known that he had needed this, and only the sudden realization that he was likely playing for longer than Misato and Rei had intended dropped the bow from the cello.

A bated breath escaped Misato's lips. "Why did you stop, Shinji?"

"I…I hadn't expected to play for that long," Shinji said. "sorry, I got wrapped up in it. I should get dinner started."

There was slow clapping; both Misato and Rei were applauding him. Shinji hadn't ever had an actual audience, aside from whoever was occupying the music room back in Aise. The sensation was oddly pleasant to him.

"You…you are very talented, Ikari."

"Yeah, that was amazing, Shinji." Misato nudged Rei in the arm. "Hey, isn't there a classical club or something at the academy, Rei? I'm sure they have a music room like your old school."

"I believe there is," Rei said. "however, the club president is quite…eccentric. And I believe she's an unknown, as well."

Shinji looked towards Misato.

"Someone who hasn't been vetted by Section Two. Everyone you've interacted with so far either has connections to NERV, or has a file in Section Two's database."

"Oh. Is that bad?"

"No, it only means that Section Two hasn't assigned someone to do a background check on them. But, if you do interact with them, someone will be assigned to do so." Misato winked at Shinji, smiling. "I'm pretty sure they wouldn't flag in any of our systems, though. They're just a kid, after all."

Misato stood up, reaching over and ruffling Shinji's hair. "Anyway, it would be shame to let all that talent go to waste. I know piloting makes it so that you can't practice and perform as much as you want."

"Yeah. Grandma and my music teacher back home always talked about me getting a scholarship, maybe going to college for music, but I guess that's not possible now."

The woman reeled back a bit, like she had been struck. She lowered her head, and all of a sudden Shinji wondered what he had said, and if he could stuff the words back inside of his mouth.

"Misato, I didn't mean anything by what I said. It's just – "

"No, it's not that," Misato said. "I just feel like I've taken you for granted, Shinji, is all. I said some things yesterday, not just to you, but I didn't realize…"

"Realize what?"

"I didn't understand what you were giving up to pilot EVA and fight the Angels, that's all. Knowing the cost, it makes me see things in a different light."

"Thanks. I didn't think much of it myself. I was doing what my parents wanted. What Mom wanted, mostly."

"That's the gift of carefree youth, I suppose." Misato put her hands on Shinji's shoulders. "I'm not going to go any easier on you, by the way. I want you and Rei to come home safe, and I still think a little tough love is the best way to do that. But I'll try to be more…accommodating in the future. Okay?"

The three cell-phones in the room vibrated at once. Rei and Misato exchanged glances, seeming to know what the signal meant on instinct; as the emergency storm sirens blared outside, even Shinji could hazard a guess as to what was going on.

Misato grabbed her phone from her coat pocket, flipping it open.

"Speak of the devil." The black-haired woman frowned as she read a message from her phone. "Dinner will have to wait. We've got a Pattern Blue approaching Tokyo-3. It's an Angel."

.