Chapter 10.2: [If I fall, will you catch me?]
Rei Ayanami opened her eyes at 0630 exactly. Silence reigned in her apartment as she rose, quickly washed, and got dressed for the day. As she held the first dose of her pills with a glass of water in her hand, however, she hesitated.
Asuka's words continued to echo through her mind. She was as surprised as she could be at how lasting an impression what she said left. "Just… just start by going off a few of these over the next little while. You won't be a doll."
She mulled over the words. She had conducted some research at a library nearby later that night. They were more than happy to accommodate one of the pilots. And her brief research had thus far proven pilot Soryu… no, now she was Asuka, right.
Most all of her medications were of a depressive or dissociative nature in one way or another. Doctor Akagi had given these to her for what seemed that express purpose. But Doctor Akagi didn't give this to her because she cared. She knew that much. Only Commander Ikari's recommendation made her do what she did.
Shinji and Asuka, on the other hand, cared for her. Even if one of them had odd ways of showing that they cared about her state of existence. But the Commander also cared, whenever he spoke to her. And he made Doctor Akagi give her these pills. Disobeying him, in any way, felt… wrong. Almost fundamentally so. But if it helped her prove she wasn't a doll…
She looked over at the concentric rings of pill bottles. Choosing an arbitrary one-fifth of them, she decided that she would withhold the doses for now, until she did more research on them. If the research she did later made Asuka's fears unfounded, then the doses would be taken later tonight. It was simple really. She popped the chalky pills she had in her hand into her mouth and washed them down.
As she finished getting ready, she looked at the phone that sat on her bare nightstand. She had received one text notification late last night. She reached for the phone and flipped it open. It was from Asuka. She had invited her to Major Katsuragi's promotion celebration.
Rei thought of simply not replying and moving on. They did not need to have her there to properly celebrate. But… if Asuka had invited her… if she was concerned for her well-being…
Rei typed in a quick message with practiced speed and efficiency. 'I accept.'
. . .
Asuka slowly woke, opening her eyes to the back of a messy head of black hair. She felt… good. Really good. She smiled slightly. "Thank you." she said in a whisper, slowly unfolding herself and getting out of bed. If this was what it felt like just to sleep next to him… a small smile touched her lips. 'We'll get there when we get there.'
Shinji himself stirred after a moment, looking up at Asuka with bleary, but calm eyes. "G'd morning, Asuka." he murmured.
Asuka's smile widened slightly. "Good morning, Shinji. If you slept as well as I did, you probably feel amazing, don't you?"
Shinji snorted slightly as he sat up. "Yeah. No nightmares?"
Asuka shook her head. "No. Not one. You must be a good luck charm or something. Come on. Let's get ready for school before Misato catches us and gets the chance to rib us eternally."
Shinji nodded, making his way out of her room and across the hall. Asuka looked after him for a moment as the door closed behind him. Whatever she felt about him before, he had become something… more. Something greater than just a fellow pilot, or even a friend. He was… well, he probably only had the slightest idea of what she felt about him now.
As she got dressed, she looked over to her phone and saw the new notification. It was from Rei's number, saying that she would come to the party tonight. As she looked at it, she contemplated her feelings on Rei for a moment. Was she still a… no. No, if she was indeed going to try to go off those drugs, then she was already less of a doll than she was before.
As she put the phone away, a ring of the doorbell signaled Rei's arrival. Asuka and Shinji emerged, looking at each other with no small amount of expectation in their eyes, as they made their way past Misato, saying their goodbyes, and opened the door to find Rei, as they expected. "Good morning." Rei said calmly.
"Hello, W… Rei." Asuka replied. An eyebrow rose a fraction on Rei's face as they walked out, the door shutting behind them.
As they walked away from the closed door and into the elevator, Asuka looked into Rei's eyes intently. Rei looked back coolly. "I have decided to begin by not taking one-fifth of my current dosage until further research. I believe that is what you are wondering." Rei surmised.
Asuka nodded, a small smile accompanying a slight sigh. "Okay. Smart decision, by the way, not going cold turkey on such a wild cocktail like that. Thank you, Wondergirl."
Rei gave a slight nod back. "And thank you for your concern, Asuka. And yours as well, Shinji."
Both nodded, somewhat surprised by Rei's use of their names. That was somewhat unexpected.
As the elevator doors opened, Rei turned to Asuka. "I have a question."
Asuka looked sideways at her. "Yeah? What is it?"
Rei spoke without inflection. "When Shinji fell on me while he visited my apartment, how important was feeling 'shame'?"
Asuka and Shinji both turned beet red as they stepped out into the street. They both looked around, ensuring that their walk would be one only they would take.
Asuka turned to Shinji after a moment, an odd look on her face. "Shinji, you might want to hang back a little if you don't want blood shooting out of your nose."
Shinji nodded, an equally odd look on his. "Sounds good." he said weakly.
"Alright," Asuka said with a sigh, "I guess I have to start somewhere…"
As they reached the gates of the school, Asuka breathed a sigh, partially to catch her breath, partially in relief at finally escaping what had become the most awkward question and answer session of her life.
Rei had been surprisingly inquisitive, delving into many of the sometimes very, very intimate intricacies of what exactly one was supposed to be shameful of, and what exactly some of it meant biologically and socially. She had expected needing to train Shinji in how to be a better pilot, but never in her wildest dreams could she have expected to train Rei in how to be a better human being.
"Alright," Asuka said, as the trio paused in front of the gate, "the Q&A is going to have to wait for a while until after school. You're coming to Misato's promotion party, correct?"
Rei nodded. "I plan on attending."
Asuka nodded in turn. "Okay. If there are any more burning questions, you can ask them to me after the party."
Rei nodded slightly again. "Very well. Thank you." with that, she began to walk towards the building proper.
Asuka's eyebrows rose. "And you're welcome, I guess."
The day went much smoother than the last week had been, as each of the pilots readjusted their views of each other. Asuka particularly took heart as she saw Rei looking intently at a laptop during one of their rare free periods. As she looked, however, she began to notice the sweat beading on Rei's face. The slight tremor she seemed to suppress. Asuka scooted over to her. "Hey, Wondergirl?"
Rei looked up at her. "Yes, Asuka?"
Asuka's brow furrowed as she saw Rei shiver slightly. "Are you… okay?"
Rei glanced down at herself, then back up again. "I believe I am experiencing the beginnings of withdrawal symptoms. According to my research, I will need some form of palliatives, as well as drugs that will help reduce the oncoming symptoms if I am to overcome these effects."
Asuka nodded seriously as Shinji noticed their conversation, and his own brow creased as he noticed Rei's symptoms. "How complicated is that going to be?"
Rei's brow furrowed slightly in concentration. "We cannot turn to Doctor Akagi, obviously. Being the one who issued me these medications, she will likely not react as we wish if she finds out that I have been going off of any medications. Or provide any of the necessary agents for counteracting any symptoms. Also, few pharmacies in the city proper are likely to be willing to offer any of the needed medications to a minor, even if they were a pilot."
She paused for a moment. "Which leaves us no choice but to try and procure these things through other means."
Shinji nodded. "Okay… and how bad are these symptoms going to be?"
Rei looked down for a moment. "I am currently experiencing nausea and slight tremors," she said without inflection, "and notable symptoms of many of the medications I take include mood swings, panic attacks, paresthesia, oversensitivity to some or all stimuli, and the potential to lapse into a coma or suffer death."
She paused, and Asuka and Shinji's eyes grew wide. After a moment of stunned silence, Rei looked at the two of them with a surprisingly serious look. "Along with these physical symptoms, there are many mental and emotional symptoms as well. My research indicates that support from friends and family is useful in combating these symptoms."
Rei paused again as her eyes softened slightly. "I have no family, and you two are the only people I can begin to call friends in any capacity. Can I rely on the two of you for help with such symptoms?"
Another moment of silence passed between the pilots before Shinji nodded. "Of course, Rei. You know that we're concerned for you. We'll be here for you."
Rei was silent for a moment as she looked at Shinji, then at Asuka, who nodded silently. "Thank you." she said softly.
"Now," Asuka said after a moment, "how are we going to get these medications and palliatives 'through other means'?"
Rei shook her head slightly. "I am unsure. However, we must begin to collect them soon, before more serious symptoms begin to appear."
Asuka nodded. "Okay. I have an idea of who to talk to first. Daniel was American military at one point. Perhaps the U.S. military presence out in Okinawa has some resources he could use. I'll ask him tonight."
Rei nodded. "Very well."
Before they could speak any further, the bell for classes rang, drawing all the children back into the building. Any further conversation would have to wait until after school.
And wait after school it did, as the children, and the Children, streamed out of the school, and past the gates. The sight that greeted the Children, however, was not the one they were expecting, as a familiar blue sports car rolled down its window to reveal Misato.
"Hello!" Misato said with a cheery air as the three Children approached the car. "I'm going to be your chauffeur today. Had a little free time after everything got done, so I figured I'd help you out!"
As they all got into the car, Misato turned to Rei. "Alright. I've been meaning to check out your place sometime, so it might as well be now."
Her eyes narrowed at Rei's apparent discomfort, and Shinji and Asuka quietly held their breaths. "Rei," Misato said after a moment, "are you doing alright?"
Rei nodded slightly. "Physical Fitness period was taxing today. I am still recovering."
Misato shrugged after a moment more. "Makes sense. What's your address?"
As Rei relayed it to Misato, Shinji and Asuka quietly breathed a sigh of relief. That was close. Then, they shared a knowing look with each other, guessing at what came next with no small amount of accuracy.
Misato fumed as she drove home, all three Children in tow. If anything, she felt that Asuka and Shinji had understated the condition of Rei's home somewhat. She was shocked as they stepped into a residence that seemed likely to fall apart at any moment now, with nothing to do, save lying in bed and stare at the ceiling. This, she decided, was no place to stay.
So, in a snap decision, most of Rei's personal effects were now in the back of the car, either in the trunk or in Shinji and Asuka's lap, as they made their way across the city to Misato's apartment. Misato held her phone in her hand, a particular number dialed in and ringing.
As she waited for it to pick up, Asuka looked over at Rei. "I know you probably didn't care about how you looked, but your wardrobe is the definition of boring. Wondergirl, you and I are going shopping. I've needed an excuse for it anyways. We'll do it sometime soon."
Rei nodded. "Thank you, Asuka."
Asuka shrugged. "Don't mention it. I need something to do with our pay."
Shinji looked over in confusion. "Wait, we get paid?"
Asuka rolled her eyes. "Shinji, I think I could count on one hand how many things NERV has told you about. It's sad really. Yes, we do, in fact, get paid. Quite handsomely, too."
As Asuka elucidated to a wide-eyed Shinji just how much he really made, the line Misato was calling picked up.
"What's up, Misato?" Daniel said.
"Oh, nothing much," Misato said with a forced air of cheeriness, "I'm doing alright."
Her tone became more serious as she continued. "How about you? How are you feeling?"
Daniel sighed on the end of the line, as those around him strove to be quiet. "I'm doing alright. The fever and chills have gone down, and the hallucinations are few enough that I actually feel good about coming into work soon."
Misato smiled as she heard this. "Well, that's good! I'm glad."
Her smile faded as she continued. "Buckle up, because I have some news for you. Rei will be staying with you and Eleanor."
She paused to let Daniel have a moment to process this. After a moment, she heard an "Oh" from the other line. "So why will she be moving in?" Daniel asked slowly.
Misato rolled her eyes slightly. "Her place was an absolute wreck, barely even capable of being called housing. I talked to Eleanor about what she saw before I went to pick the Children up this afternoon. She needs a place to stay. I'll figure out the details later. We're on our way home now."
Daniel nodded as he heard this. Eleanor had told him about what had happened, or at least, what she heard from Misato. It was going to be a given that Rei moved out of there. Both he and Eleanor felt each other's surprise as they found out that Rei would be moving into someplace other than an empty apartment.
Daniel nodded. "Alright. Our door is open when you want to drop her stuff off. We'll be ready when you arrive."
Misato nodded on the other line. "Excellent! See you then." She hung up the phone, pocketing it as she glanced over at Rei. She hesitated for a moment. She didn't miss, couldn't more like it, the frankly terrifying amount of pill bottles that were on Rei's dresser top. Or who prescribed them. She had more than a few questions for Ritsuko.
. . .
Eventually, as the sun set, they reached the apartment building, the Children and Misato carrying as much as they could of Rei's possessions. As the elevator dinged, disgorging the group, they made their way over to their doors and stopped in front of Misato's.
On her door was taped a piece of paper, with the words 'Congratulations on your Promotion, Major Katsuragi!/Celebration Center/Reserved for Invited Guests'.
A small smile came to Misato's lips as she looked back at the Children. "Aw, you shouldn't have."
Asuka chuckled slightly. "Surprise." she said, with a little less excitement than she had planned to. "Kensuke was very insistent on celebrating your promotion. So, we invited a few people and had them start setting stuff up while you were at work."
Misato shook her head. "You kids…" She hefted the assorted effects of Rei's that she carried, nodding to next door. "Well," she said, "let's get Rei's stuff sorted out first. Then I can go get a much more enthusiastic surprise."
The Children nodded, as Asuka let them in with a spare keycard that Daniel had given her, and after situating what they had in their hands in the most appropriate places they could find, they found themselves stepping through Misato's door and into darkness.
Traveling with some care down the entry hall, as they stepped into the kitchen, a light turned on, and a gathered group of people shouted as one "Congratulations!"
Misato's eyes widened in surprise and delight, as Kaji and Ritsuko, along with Daniel and Eleanor, Kensuke, Toji, Hikari, and even Penpen, stood under a seemingly hastily made banner that read 'Congratulations, MAJOR Katsuragi'.
"Aw," she said once again, tears starting to fill her eyes, "you guys…" She accepted a sash that mirrored the message on the banner, and the party flowed into the living room.
As the festivities commenced, and drinks and snacks began to flow freely, Misato turned to Kensuke. "It seems I have you to thank for putting on this celebration." she said in amusement.
Kensuke blushed. "Oh, Ms. Misato, it's nothing. I mean, climbing up from where you were before deserves to be recognized, doesn't it?"
Misato looked up into the middle distance for a moment, a peculiar look in her eyes. "Yeah." she said after a moment. "Yeah, I guess it does."
After a moment more, Ritsuko and Kaji made their way over to Misato. "So, Major Katsuragi," Kaji said with an easy smile, "how's being in charge of the most powerful organization on the planet feeling?"
Misato rolled her eyes. "About as well as it can. I still don't even know why both the Commander and the Deputy-Commander had to go to Antarctica."
She looked over at Ritsuko. "Did the Commander tell you anything?"
Ritsuko shrugged. "No, he didn't. It's as much a mystery to me as it is to anyone else."
Misato looked at Ritsuko silently for a moment, her mind whirling with questions. Why was she drugging one of her pilots so heavily? Why put Rei in such dismal housing? Was it to keep her safe? Or to hide her? What did Ritsuko know that she didn't?
She couldn't ask those questions yet, though. In a little while, perhaps, but not here, in the middle of a party.
While the three of them conversed, Asuka made her way to Daniel, giving him a quick hug. "It's good to see you up and about, Bruder."
Daniel chuckled. "It feels good to be up, Asuka. How are you? Holding up to the task of sticking with Rei all day?"
Asuka stepped back from the hug, looking down. Daniel got a concerned look in his eyes as Asuka lowered her gaze to the floor. "I actually wanted to talk to you about her." she said quietly. "Can we go somewhere private?"
Daniel nodded. "Okay. Just down the entryway hall should give us some space to talk."
Asuka nodded in turn. "Okay." she said, turning and going towards the kitchen, Daniel following close behind.
As they got into the dim entry hall, satisfied they wouldn't be disturbed, Daniel looked at Asuka intently. "So, what's up?"
Asuka held herself as if the very air had cooled around her. "Daniel… Rei's been juiced up on a horrendous potion of medications. Dissociatives, depressants, real mean stuff. All prescribed by Doctor Akagi back in there." she nodded back in the direction of the rest of the party.
"She's started to go off them, but the withdrawal is going to be touchy, possibly even dangerous. She needs help." She looked into Daniel's eyes desperately. "I know I've not been the best of people to her, but she doesn't deserve to be a doll. No one does. You know how much I hate something like that."
Daniel nodded slowly. "Okay. I might be able to help you out. Do you have something like a list of the drugs she's been taking?"
Asuka shook her head. "No, but they'll be there in your apartment. All of them." she said with no small amount of disgust.
Daniel nodded again, chewing his bottom lip absentmindedly. "Okay, that helps. I have some contacts I could use at the Army VA station out in Okinawa to try and get some of the things she needs. Eleanor has some friends that are doctors that could offer advice, too. We'll do our best to help, Jünger. Promise."
Asuka smiled at Daniel. "Thank you, Bruder. You have no idea how much that means."
Daniel snorted softly as he smirked. "Yeah, but I bet I could make a really good guess."
Asuka rolled her eyes. "Alright, then. Come on, let's get back to celebrating Misato."
Back at the party, as the night progressed, Shinji found himself next to Misato, both swirling their respective drinks as the rest of the party continued around them. He looked up at her, noticing now that she had a distant, somewhat sad look in her eyes.
Misato glanced over at him, noticing the apprehensive look in Shinji's eyes. "So," Misato said quietly, "you don't seem very comfortable here. Are you okay?"
Shinji shook his head slightly. "Not really, no. Even with all of these being people that I know, I still don't really like crowds."
He looked back over at Misato. "I'm just glad that you happen to be the center of attention here, and not me. I don't know what I would do."
As Misato nodded quietly and sipped her drink, Shinji thought for a moment. 'Even with all these people I like here, I just wish it wasn't so loud.'
Then another thought came to Shinji's mind as he looked back at Misato. "With this promotion," he said, "doesn't that mean that you're being recognized for what you do for us? For everyone here?"
Misato nodded slightly. "Yeah. I guess that works."
Shinji shrugged slightly as she said this. "So that's why everyone's here. That's why everyone's happy for you. So… why aren't you happy too?"
"Oh no, Shinji," Misato said, "it's not that I'm unhappy. I am happy, at least a little. It's just… I didn't come here to just climb the ladder and get a slightly bigger amount of money earned every few months."
"So," Shinji said with no small amount of confusion, "why are you here then? Why join NERV?"
Misato shrugged. "Well, it's been long enough that I've kind of forgotten why. Either way, I'm here and I'm ready to do what needs to be done." She smiled slightly, then the smile dimmed as she looked at Shinji.
They both looked away then, both separately, yet together, wondering just what Commander Ikari was doing in Antarctica.
Antarctican Dead Sea
Far from any sort of levity, Gendo Ikari and Kozo Fuyutsuki stood aboard the observation tower of an aircraft carrier as it made its way through a silent sea of crimson and ice, its escort more like a funeral procession than any military affair. On the deck of the carrier lay their precious cargo, long and thin, wrapped in cloth like a mummy to hide its true nature from the rest of the world.
"Here we are, the living traveling through the realm of the dead with our prize. Or perhaps we really travel through Hell on earth." Fuyutsuki mused.
He snorted softly. "It's almost mythical, really."
"This may be the realm of the dead, sensei, but we are still alive. Humanity is still alive." Gendo said simply.
"That would be because we have been protected by science and its fruits." Fuyutsuki replied.
Gendo shrugged. "Science is what we have made to make ourselves greater than our mere mortal forms, after all."
Fuyutsuki looked on uneasily. "That sort of thinking is what made this place, Gendo. Our hubris outmatched our caution. That's what woke him up. That's what caused Second Impact, only 15 years ago. And look at where we are now. Afloat in a sea of blood and ice. Our hubris gained us a punishment almost wildly out of proportion to its crime. There's a reason people call this place 'the True Dead Sea'."
"And yet it is pristine in its silence. Untainted by the human touch. By human sin." Gendo replied.
Fuyutsuki shrugged. "I prefer a world with the human touch. Even if it is imperfect."
Before Gendo could reply, a harsh buzzer broke the silence, and a voice came over the intercom. "Sir, dispatch from NERV HQ. An Angel has been detected in orbit above the Indian Ocean."
As the intercom clicked off, Fuyutsuki shook his head. "Speaking of the mythical…"
Misato stared at the screen of Central Dogma, the chatter around her a distant buzz as she looked at the Angel that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere only a few moments ago. A map of the orbit the Angel had taken up glowed on the main screen, as a blinking dot representing OBSAT 6, one of their reconnaissance satellites, slowly made its way towards it.
"Establishing visual contact now." Hyuga said as the screen switched its view to show the Angel's form.
A gasp and murmurs followed as the command center marveled at its strange, winglike appearance, the center of its body and the wide growths at its ends showing a pattern seeming to mimic eyes. "Wow…" Hyuga said after a moment. "It's huge!"
Misato shook her head. "First the sea, then a volcano, now space. What's next?"
Aoba's voice didn't offer any answer to her question. "We're about to make contact with the target."
Ritsuko stepped up beside Misato, looking intently at the Angel's form. "I do hope that there won't be acid coming from those eyes," she said in a slightly sardonic tone, "because it's going to be a little difficult to get any of the Evas in orbit."
"Don't I know it." Misato said, continuing to look at the screen as satellites slowly began to encircle the Angel, beginning a probing survey of its potential capabilities and makeup.
As the data streamed in, the satellites studying it suddenly crumpled and exploded, the sight of the Angel lost in the snow of a disrupted video feed.
Misato's eyes hardened. "That was its AT Field, I'm sure of it."
Ritsuko nodded. "That was quite an inventive use of it, as a way to generate physical force. Even without looking at the readings on it, I can tell this one's going to be powerful."
Time passed, and Misato and Ritsuko, along with Maya, Hyuga, and Aoba, found themselves in the fortified command bunker, deep in the Geofront. They intently watched the screen inset into the tabletop as it showed footage of the Angel seemingly breaking pieces of itself off, then launching them at the world below it.
"This thing is launching what equates to meteors at us, with seemingly no loss of mass to show for it." Misato said wonderingly.
Ritsuko shook her head. "The Angels continue to not make any logical sense at all. Why am I not surprised?"
Maya chimed in. "It's using its AT Field to augment the destructive power of its projectiles. Its orbit also seems to be decaying slowly as well. More than likely, that makes it a sort of suicide bomber."
Ritsuko spoke again. "It seems to be ranging its shots towards us. The first strike landed harmlessly in the Pacific. The next series of shots, however, have been getting closer and closer to Tokyo-3. As First Lieutenant Ibuki said, it will likely make itself into the final projectile. Destroying the city as it falls."
Hyuga shook his head. "The N2 missile strikes that were sent against it have had no effect on it."
Aoba spoke up. "And since then, it's dropped off the sensors. But I think we can all guess as to where it's heading."
Misato shook her head, snorting softly as a wry grin came to her. "So," she said sardonically, turning to Ritsuko, "do you think it would create another Lake Ashi?"
Ritsuko narrowed her eyes slightly at Misato. "The impact would link the Sea of Japan and the Pacific, essentially creating a new island with us as the channel for the ocean. Not that we would notice, of course."
A now much more sober Misato nodded slightly as she took this information in. "No pressure." she said sardonically, as she turned to Aoba and Hyuga. "And is there any word from Commander Ikari?"
Aoba looked down to a note on the tablet that he carried. "Due to the Angel's ECM, we haven't been able to get through to the Commander. It's in your hands, Major."
Misato nodded, then turned to Ritsuko and Maya. "What are the Magi telling us in the way of recommendations?"
Maya turned to her own tablet. "They're unanimous in their recommendation for a complete evacuation of the area. Other than that, nothing."
Ritsuko nodded, then turned to Misato. "So, what's the plan?"
Misato thought hard for a moment. "We'll start with following the Magi's advice." she said, turning to Hyuga and Aoba. "Contact the government and all the relevant agencies. We're going to put Special Order D-17 into effect out to a 50-kilometer radius, effective immediately."
She turned to Maya and Ritsuko. "Have Matsushiro begin creating a backup of the Magi."
Hyuga's eyes widened slightly. "Ma'am, are we abandoning the Geofront?"
She swept her gaze across all of them. "No. But I see no need to endanger everyone needlessly. Get the pilots ready to sortie out in the Evas as well. We'll most likely be needing them."
As evacuation efforts swirled around them, the highways clogged with outgoing traffic as the skies were darkened with the passing shadows of helicopters, one car was not driving away from the city.
As it pulled up to the NERV checkpoint, its window rolled down, and Eleanor, with Daniel and all three Children in tow, swiped her card, gaining access to the car lifts that ran to the Geofront.
Soon enough, however, the towers of the city began to do as they always did, slowly lowering into the earth for their protection. Soon enough, the city, and the towns that surrounded it, were silent and empty.
Equally silent was one of the women's restrooms in the Geofront after Misato explained to Ritsuko what she planned to have the pilots do to combat the Angel. The silence was finally broken as Ritsuko collected her wits to give the first counterargument towards such a plan. "That's insane. You're actually going to have them do that?"
Misato's eyes were filled with determination. "Yes. Yes, I am." she replied simply.
Ritsuko shook her head. "So, you're going to deploy every Evangelion we have in an operation that has a ridiculously high chance of seeing them destroyed, and failing in the process. Am I hearing you correctly? Or actually, are you hearing me? The odds are astronomically high. I'm talking '5 digits and a point before 0' high."
Misato closed a makeup mirror, the clack echoing in the empty bathroom. "Maybe the odds are high, but I'm willing to bet on the Evas and their pilots. They've carried us through before. They can do it again."
Ritsuko turned bodily to face Misato, frustration evident in every part of her. "Major Katsuragi!"
Before she could go any further, Misato gave a serious glance. "Ritsuko, I am the commanding officer here. I have to make this decision. It's in the job description, after all. It's either that, or we run around in abject confusion until this Angel smashes into us."
She turned towards the door as whatever Ritsuko had to say died on her lips. Before she walked out, Misato looked back at Ritsuko. "I'll see you at Central Dogma."
Before she could walk away, Ritsuko seemed to find the words she wanted to say again. "The job description, Misato? Give me a break. The only reason you even take these risks at all is to try and make sure that these Angels are destroyed, completely and utterly. You want revenge, and I can't blame you. But you can't let it get in the way of keeping everyone safe."
Misato paused, Daniel's warning echoing from her memory. She was right. And he was right. This was a lot of risk. However, it was her job to put people at risk for the safety of the world. But... that didn't mean she couldn't reduce that risk as much as possible.
Misato turned to Ritsuko and nodded. "Alright. I'll try and make sure that we keep it as safe as we can. But I can't promise it'll be risk-free."
Ritsuko sighed, relaxing from her tense posture. "I never expected it to be."
Misato nodded. "I'll call Daniel in for the setup. He should have some insights on how far we can push the boundaries of the zone, where it comes to the Eva's capabilities."
Ritsuko nodded. "He's going to need all the data he can get on where this thing might land, then. I'll have the Magi focus on predicting possible landing areas."
Misato smiled grimly. "Excellent. I knew I could count on you, Ritsky. As I said, I'll see you at Central Dogma."
Ritsuko nodded. "I'll see you there."
In Central Dogma, some of the brightest minds in the world, dedicated to its defense, were clustered around a large holographic table, usually hidden away in the floor of the command deck, watching a projection of the Angel, floating high above their heads, and the representation of the currently estimated impact area, which stretched almost hundreds of kilometers across Japan.
Daniel studied the map with a critical eye. He knew the Eva's capabilities and trusted that they would be up to the task of carrying out Misato's plan. They just needed to get the area the Eva's needed to cover as small as they possibly could.
"Alright," he said after a moment's study, "do we have an estimated trajectory?"
Maya nodded, tapping a few commands that made a graceful arc originate from the Angel, turning into a wide cone covering the area it could impact. "It's based on what we could get before we started losing the Angel from sensors, but the Magi is very confident in it."
"Good." Daniel said, nodding slightly. "Hmm… can we see what that trajectory might look like at, say… t-10 to impact?"
Maya tapped on her tablet a few more times, and the Angel's image seemed to speed up, then slow dramatically as it reached the estimated point where it would be 10 minutes until it collided with Japan. The circle within which it could strike grew dramatically smaller. Now, it was only about 50 kilometers in diameter.
"Alright." Daniel nodded as he murmured. He looked up at Ritsuko. "How much of this thing are we considering? The whole body?"
Ritsuko nodded. "Yes. It's all going to come crashing down on us, in the end."
Misato shook her head. "The only part we need to worry about is the center. Make it so the Magi only consider the center mass of the Angel, not the arms."
With the parameters given, the area was a third of its size now. Now, there was only an area of a little over 15 kilometers wide within which the Angel was reasonably sure to fall. Daniel nodded as he looked at this. At least it was smaller than he remembered.
"Alright. We'll need to place the Evas… here, here, and... here." Misato said, leaning over and marking three areas where the Evas would be stationed.
She looked up at Daniel. "What's the top speed of the Evas?"
Daniel cupped his chin thoughtfully. "Running at full tilt, I'd say… 150, 200 miles per hour. Any one of them could cross the length of this circle in under 3 minutes in a dead sprint."
Misato nodded. "We only need them to get to the center. They should have more than enough power then to do what they need to do."
Maya raised a tentative hand. "So, all of this data and planning is great, but… what exactly are we doing with the Evas?"
In an office suspended above the Geofront, Misato explained what, exactly, they would be doing to stop the Angel to the Children. Two of them stared in slack-jawed awe, while the last simply had her eyes widened slightly more than usual. Asuka finally broke the silence that had entered when Misato finished her explanation.
"So, let me get this straight. You're asking us to catch the Angel? With our bare hands?" She nearly shouted; arms flung wide to accentuate her statement.
Misato nodded without hesitation. "Yes, that's exactly what I want you three to do. Working together, and using the full power of your AT Fields, you are going to hold up the Angel until you destroy its core."
Shinji gathered himself after leaning away from Asuka's display. "What if the Angel veers off course, and we can't get to it in time?"
Misato shrugged. "Unlikely with the preparations we've made, but if that were to happen, then it's game over for us."
Asuka put her hands to her hips, leaning forward slightly. "And what if the Evas can't withstand the force of the impact?"
Misato nodded. "Well, that would be game over for us, too."
A far less combative Shinji spoke again. "Well… what are our chances?"
Misato shrugged once again. "Ritsuko probably has a general idea of the number, but Heaven only knows, really."
Asuka sighed, closing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose as she looked down. "If this works, I won't call it anything less than a miracle..." she muttered.
Misato looked at Asuka with a gaze filled with determination. "Asuka, we make miracles every time we fight one of these Angels. Our miracles only matter because we make them worth it ourselves."
Asuka looked back up at Misato, matching her gaze silently for a moment. "So," she said, "it all boils down to 'make it work', then?"
Misato shrugged. "If there were any other way, I'd take it. But now, this is the only operation with any chance of working."
Asuka scoffed. "Operation? I'd call this a mean joke before I'd call it an operation."
Misato sighed. "You're not the only one that's thought that. Which is why I'm offering a choice. You can not take part in this operation if you want. We'll ensure that you're out of the area and that we'll try and work with whoever's left."
Silence battered its way into the room with that statement, as all three of the pilot's eyes widened. None of the Children offered any response. Misato decided to usher the silence out with her next question. "So, are you all on board then, or not?"
Silence decided to make a return as the pilots offered no answer. Misato nodded, then continued. "So, the regulations say that all of you will need to draft a will. Standard procedure, really. Will you go ahead and do a quick one now?"
Asuka stood straight. "No, thanks. I have no plans on dying today. Or anytime soon, for that matter."
Rei spoke up for the first time. "Neither do I. I have no valuable possessions to pass down."
Asuka grumbled quietly to herself that such wouldn't be the case soon enough as Shinji spoke up. "I'll pass on it too."
Misato sighed after a moment. "Thank you. Really." she said earnestly.
A cheery expression came to her face. "We'll go out for a nice steak dinner to celebrate once this is all done! It'll be my treat!"
Asuka's eyes widened at the promise of such a delicacy, rare to find in this day and age. "Really! Something that expensive?"
Misato nodded. "For something like this, I shouldn't do anything less."
Shinji chuckled. "Man, what a deal."
Asuka nodded. "He's right. You better not forget!"
Misato turned and began to walk out. "I won't. I promise. I'll see you in Central Dogma for the rest of the briefing." She exited the room, leaving the Children to contemplate their task.
After a moment, Shinji spoke up. "She likes to do steak dinners as a reward. It's her special treat, I guess."
Asuka sighed. "She's lived with us for a while. She should know that kids these days care about more than just steaks."
She rolled her eyes. "This really doesn't help the 'impoverished' image that the Second Impact generation gets, really."
Shinji glanced over at Asuka. "Cut her some slack, Asuka. It takes a lot to shake that sort of thinking off."
Asuka elbowed him. "Oh? Then what's 'Man, what a deal'? Laying it on a little thick there, weren't we?"
Shinji rolled his eyes. "If it puts her at ease and helps her run the operation better, then I don't see why I shouldn't say something like that."
Asuka barely listened as she dug out her phone, looking for a good steakhouse in her maps app. "Well, if she says that it's special… There's no reason not to take advantage of that."
Shinji sighed as Asuka looked at Rei. "And this time, you're coming with us, Wondergirl. I haven't had the chance to really see you relax after a well-deserved victory."
Rei simply looked ahead. "I won't be joining you."
Both Shinji and Asuka tilted their heads in confusion. "Well, why not?" Shinji asked after a moment.
Rei spoke haltingly. "I... don't like eating meat."
Silence hung over the three for longer than most any of the Children were comfortable with. "Well," Shinji finally said, "we should probably suit up. I think that we shouldn't keep Misato too long."
Asuka nodded. "Agreed. Let's go."
In Central Dogma the Children stood on the command bridge in their Plugsuits as a red warning flashed on Maya's monitor. "We've lost the Angel from sensors completely, Major!" she said as she looked over at Misato.
Misato nodded. "Alright," she said, turning to the vast holographic display, "we can't get a precise fix on its position, but based on calculations, the Angel is estimated to land somewhere in…"
She trailed off as she tapped in a few commands on the console, bringing up the area where the Angel might land. "Here."
Two of the Children stared in slack-jawed shock. "It's that big of an area?" Asuka shouted.
Daniel, at the console monitoring the Evas as they were being prepped to move, turned in his chair to face them. "Chin up, Asuka," Daniel said with a small smile, "it could have been much larger."
Asuka took a moment to digest this, grumbling slightly as she did. Shinji simply studied the map. "Even still, edge to edge, that's a lot of ground for only 3 Evas to cover."
Ritsuko, who was standing next to the Children, sighed. "And if the Angel lands anywhere in that area, its AT Field is strong enough to wipe all of us out."
As the Children digested that positively delightful piece of information, Misato pulled up the next part of the plan. "Which is why I've placed the Evas in these positions." Three dots, forming a triangle, came into existence on the edges of the circle.
Rei spoke up, an eyebrow slightly arched. "How were these positions calculated?"
Misato turned to sweep her gaze across all three pilots. "Intuition." she said, without a shred of hesitation.
"Intuition?" all three pilots said at once, with varying degrees of incredulity.
Misato nodded. "That's right. A woman's intuition."
As Misato looked back at the main screen, Asuka glanced at Shinji. "Man, talk about a stab in the dark." she muttered. "This is looking more and more like it needs a miracle to happen by the second."
Shinji sighed slightly. "And the kicker is that Misato is ridiculously unlucky." he replied quietly. "She hasn't even won a scratch card." Asuka groaned.
. . .
Eventually, though, the time came, and the Children found themselves on an elevator towards the Eva bays. Each stood silently, contemplating what was ahead of them in one way or another.
After a moment, though, Shinji turned to Asuka. "So." he said, a question obvious in the word.
Asuka glanced at him. "What?"
Shinji proceeded; there was a tone of genuine curiosity evident in his voice. "Why are you here? I mean, why do you pilot an Eva?"
Asuka looked at him like he had just asked why she breathed. "Because, Shinji, I have a talent, and the world deserves to see and appreciate it as I save it. Obviously."
Shinji nodded. "So, you're doing it mainly to be seen."
Asuka nodded. "Something like that, at least."
She fully looked over at Shinji. "So, why aren't you asking Rei?"
Shinji looked over at his fellow pilot. "Well, I already asked her."
Asuka's brow rose slightly. "Oh? And what did she say?"
Shinji shrugged. "Because she was ordered to. Unsurprising, really."
Asuka suppressed a slight shiver. She still wasn't quite over what NERV did to make so she was that way. She leaned over slightly. "Hey, Rei." she said softly.
Rei looked at Asuka. "Yes?"
A sympathetic look entered Asuka's eyes. "How is the withdrawal going? How do you feel?"
Rei looked back ahead, a small smile on her lips. "The symptoms are lessened, due to the palliatives and medications that Mr. and Mrs. Theisman have procured. I should be able to begin ceasing another portion of my doses soon."
"And…" Rei paused for a moment as she pondered. "I feel… more."
Asuka nodded. "Good. I'd hate to have you drugged out of your mind when going into combat with us."
Rei nodded, saying nothing more.
After a moment, Asuka turned back to Shinji. "So, why do you pilot then? Why are you here?"
Shinji looked down for a moment. "I haven't really thought about it that much." he admitted.
Asuka looked at him incredulously. "Well, there has to be some reason. Right?"
Shinji was silent as the Evas came rapidly into view, his mind wandering to another person's reason for being where she was, and the reason he had begun to think about the question he asked so much.
Misato had taken Shinji to the lookout with the view of the city. The first place he had seen the majesty of Tokyo-3. She took him there often. She called it a 'meditative getaway', whatever that meant. Regardless, it was quiet. That quiet left as Misato began to speak, her gaze fixed on the city.
"So, Shinji," she said, a hint of melancholy in her voice, "do you remember what you asked me at the party?"
Shinji nodded. "Yes?" he replied plaintively.
Misato sighed. "I wasn't completely honest with you about why I wanted to join NERV." she sighed again before she continued. "My father… was a researcher. A brilliant one. About the only dumb thing I ever knew him to do was to get wrapped up in his work, and leave his family behind."
She scoffed softly. "The man lived with his head in the clouds. Lived in his dreams." her head dipped. "And I couldn't forgive him for being like that. None of our family could. I even began to hate him for it."
Shinji pondered on how similar their stories were as Misato continued. "He was barely present for his family. His own wife and daughter. I can't even begin to count how many celebrations he was absent from. And yet, the people who knew him said he was a sensitive, careful man. But I came to the conclusion that he was just spineless, unwilling to face the reality that he had created."
Misato's head dipped. "The reality of his own wife and child. He may have been a middle-aged man, but we figured him for a child. When my mom finally divorced him, I decided to go with her. My father had nothing to offer me, after all. And he made my mother cry so much. I couldn't stand it."
Misato shook her head. "The divorce seemed to blindside him. But he deserved every moment of such a rude awakening."
Shinji came to Misato's side by the guard rail. He watched her grab the cross necklace she wore, saw the tears begin to well in her eyes. "But… in the end, he saved me. He gave his life to do it."
A pause. "That was during Second Impact. When the first Angel woke up and made all this a reality. I've never forgiven the Angels for what they took from me. The chance to know if I hated my father… or if I loved him. But I knew for sure that day that I had to take everything from the Angels, destroy them utterly. Because they took so much from me. It's only natural to want justice, after all."
Misato looked up from her cross, out towards the city with hard eyes glinting with tears. "That's why I joined NERV, Shinji. Justice. For my father, and for everyone else who lost something, lost someone, because of the Angels. So that I can finally be free of the hold my father has on me."
Shinji's mind whirled with memories of his own father. Was that why he was here? Family? His own father? Or was it much more than that?
The elevator buzzer sounded, snapping him from his memories, and a loudspeaker announced that the Angel would be impacting in 120 minutes. Shinji shook his head. "If we live through this, I'll try and give you an answer, okay?"
Asuka nodded soberly. "I'll hold you to it, Shinji."
The Children boarded their Units and prepared to move out.
Misato watched on the massive main screen of Central Dogma as the Units got into position. She nodded, turning to the rest of the command bridge staff. "Alright. I can handle the rest of this operation myself. You should evacuate, get out of the way of the blast zone while there's still time to do so."
Aoba scoffed. "There's no way we're abandoning our posts, Major."
Hyuga nodded. "That's right, ma'am. We're a part of NERV as much as anyone else here, and it would be shameful to have the Children face this danger alone. This is our duty."
Misato shook her head. "Oh, you don't have to worry about them. They're here much like you are. Because they know it's what's needed. Besides, the inside of an Eva is the safest place to be. Even if the Units do get destroyed, the AT Fields will protect them."
Scattered across 16 kilometers of ground, the three pilots, secure in their Evas, waited, supporting units all around them preparing them for the inevitable start of the mission. Two of them, Rei and Asuka, had the two current copies of the Progressive Spike on their arms, hastily made special modifications keeping the grips out of the way until they needed to be used.
All the pilots sat in silence, thinking one thing or another. Shinji, in particular, closed his eyes as he pondered.
Why was he here? Or more accurately, why did he stay? Was his father really the be-all, end all of this question? If that was the case, he would have run away and stayed away long ago, regardless of what the black-suited goons of Section 2 could have done, regardless of what his father could have done. Family couldn't be the answer. Not anymore.
Or was it, just from a different perspective? He thought to Daniel, then to Misato and Rei and Asuka and all the rest of his friends. They were more a family to him than the man who he was born to could ever be. They supported him. They loved him. More than it seemed his father ever could.
So, it was decided. They were his family now. And as Shinji Ikari opened his eyes, he knew why he was here. He was here to protect his family. To protect the ones he loved, and who loved him.
At Central Dogma, the screen now showed the glowing, flaming form of the Angel undergoing atmospheric entry. "Visual confirmation on the target at maximum magnification." Aoba said.
"Distance is 25,000 meters and falling fast." Hyuga continued.
Misato looked at the image with determination brimming in her eyes. "So, our guest is on its way in. No turning back now. All Evas, prepare for the beginning of the operation."
Seemingly true to their lanky builds, all the Evas took their positions, a sprinter's stance at the starting block, and waited for the metaphorical pistol to fire.
Misato's voice rang through the links to the pilots. "Remember, our trajectory calculations now are based entirely on visual observation. So, the Magi will guide you until the target gets to 10,000 meters. After that, it's up to your judgment. We're trusting everything to you."
The pilots waited tensely as they listened over their links to Central Dogma. "Target is now at 20,000 meters. It is within the zone of impact."
In Central Dogma, a monitor showcased the now rapidly diminishing circle of the zone of impact, and a dot, showcasing the calculated landing point based on what visual data they could gather, swayed gently to and from the center of that circle. Perfect.
"Alright," Misato said, her voice echoing the command she held, "begin the operation!"
Shinji nodded. "Alright." He opened a link to the other two pilots. "Let's go save the world."
The sound of the umbilical cables became a starting pistol, the displays in their cockpits showing 5 minutes of operation time. Shinji leaned forward. "Mission start!"
And then, the Units were off, each thundering step sending them rocketing forward. As they settled into a dead sprint, the world that began to blur around them became an obstacle course.
Shinji encountered a hill nearly as tall as he was, and taking a single step up its height, crushing the road below his foot, he leaped over it with all the grace of an athlete, landing with a literally earthshaking boom as he continued his run.
Unit-00 and 02 hurdled over wires as easily as any track runner could. In their focus, the voice of Hyuga became a distant but no less important alarm. "Target is at 12,000 meters!"
Shinji furrowed his brow. He needed to go faster. Be faster. With this thought, no, this consuming desire pounding through Shinji's head, his AT Field responded in kind, and the sound barrier popped and thundered as he promptly broke it.
As the Angel sent the cloud cover below it billowing away, Shinji, first to the finish line that would save the world or destroy it, skidded to a halt as he looked up at the Angel, all too briefly marveling at just how massive it was. Somehow, 80 meters did not feel as big as it used to.
But that thought disappeared as Asuka and Rei soon joined him. As one they shouted. "AT Fields to maximum!"
A mad whir pierced the air, as the activation of the AT Fields full potential drenched the world in a hellish purple light. The Angel loomed over them as they raised their arms to the heavens, the glowing rainbow barrier of an AT Field realized in the physical world springing into existence.
As the Angel collided with their Field, the weight of the whole world seemed to fall on them. Slowly, but surely, the ground began to buckle beneath their feet. Within sight, the core of the Angel hung suspended in the center of its massive body.
With a crash, the ground underneath their feet began to give way further, driving home the speed at which they needed to accomplish their task.
"Shinji," Asuka said into the pilot's link, "you're going to need to hold this on your own while we destroy the core!"
Shinji simply nodded, and Unit-00 and Unit-02 slowly lowered their arms, the full weight of the Angel settling on Shinji. Unit-01 sunk still further, but held fast, as the other two Eva's got to work.
Unit-00 retrieved a Progressive Knife from its shoulder pylon, slicing an opening through the Angel's AT Field.
As she grabbed at it to tear it open, Asuka looked up and noticed the flesh of the Angel bubbling, the bubble creating a spike. "Rei, look out!" she said, as the spike came bolting down to try and impale Unit-00.
Unit-00 dodged out of the way in the nick of time, the Angel's attack lancing the ground below, throwing up clods of dirt nearly to the Eva's hips with its force. "This is rather unexpected." Rei said, her brow furled on a mostly neutral expression.
"No kidding!" Asuka said. "Every time, it's something new with these verdammt things."
Shinji grimaced as Asuka narrowly avoided an attack aimed at her as well. If they had to contend with the Angel's AT Field alongside this, they wouldn't be able to destroy it before it touched the ground. The Angels' slow, but steady progress made a point of that as Unit-01's arms began to split, blood running from them as Shinji's own arms screamed in pain.
He had to do something. Otherwise, all of this would be for nothing. He had to push, and push further than he had ever gone before. He strained his mind as he pushed against the controls with all his might, the attacks of the Angel on his friends becoming a distant, muffled thing as he put all his focus into nullifying the AT Field.
It was strong, stronger than any he had encountered previously, but he had to break it. He couldn't afford not to. And as he strained, his synch level slowly rising, he could almost see the AT Field slowly falling apart.
As Unit-01 went to one knee, forcing the other Units to crouch, it finally happened. The Angel's protective AT Field flew apart, and the way was clear.
"Asuka! Rei!" he bit out, every fiber of his being screaming into his mind in pain. "GO!"
Even as the Angel's attacks increased in frequency, the pilots dodged around them deftly, heading for one target as their Progressive Spike's handles swung down into a ready position. After a moment more of dancing in between attacks, and with the Eva's operational timers down to seconds, Asuka and Rei connected a punch to the Angel's core, squeezing the handles of their Spikes.
Two blasts of sound almost overshadowed the crack of the Angel's core shattering, and all force left the Angel's descent as its arms flopped down, its body covering the Evas like a blanket, before promptly exploding.
A cheer died on the lips of all at Central Dogma, and they watched with bated breath as the explosion slowly dissipated. Misato leaned on the low wall, trying desperately to quash the fear and anxiety that had suddenly invaded her mind.
As the blast cloud finally faded away, a forward observer drone slowly made its way toward the site. As it crested the lip of the crater formed by the Angel's demise, a cheer once again went up as it found the Units laying down, but whole.
Misato exhaled. It worked. Even she couldn't quite believe it as she began tasking units for the retrieval of the Evangelion.
Many hours, and some very much enjoyed showers later, the Children stood once again on the command bridge of Central Dogma, all smiling to one degree or another, as Misato looked to them with pride in her eyes.
Before she could speak, Aoba leaned over. "Communications have been reestablished. I have Commander Ikari on one of the lines from the South Pole."
Shinji gasped slightly as Misato turned to look at Aoba. "Alright," she said, "patch him through now."
Aoba nodded, and a screen popped into existence, 'Sound Only' being the only thing that could be viewed on it.
Misato straightened to attention regardless. "Sir, I'd like to offer my apologies for the damage Unit-01 suffered during the operation against the Angel. It was due to my reckless decisions, and I take full responsibility."
The line was silent for a moment. "No matter, Major," Fuyutsuki said, "such is a small price to pay to destroy an Angel. The Evangelion can be repaired easily. The world, not so much. We've been blessed by the fact that such a minor amount of damage occurred."
Gendo Ikari finally spoke. "Agreed. You performed admirably, Major Katsuragi."
Misato nodded, for what it was worth. "Thank you very much, sir."
Silence came to the room for a moment before Commander Ikari spoke again. "Is the pilot of Unit-01 present?"
Shinji suppressed the flare of resentment that appeared in his stomach as he spoke. "Yes, sir."
What came next surprised everyone, Shinji especially. "I heard the details of the operation. You performed admirably. Good work, Shinji."
Shinji gasped slightly. "Uh, thank you, sir."
And like that, the moment was gone, as Gendo continued to speak. "Major, I'm putting you in charge of post-mission cleanup. I trust that you'll see to it."
Misato nodded. "Yes, sir." And without another word, the call ended.
As all present processed what had happened, the words that his father said had already begun to ring hollow to Shinji. After all that he did for him, this was when his father decided to congratulate him, in the most passing of ways? There were other people he could turn to for far better praise. And yet, a small part of him treasured the words, the rarest jewel of all.
The city suddenly, but surely, came back to life. As the evacuation order was lifted, people came flooding back by any means possible. The highways were flooded with cars, airports played host to dozens of helicopters at a time, and, most pertinent to the pilots and Misato, people crammed into the subway cars and overland trains.
The pilots and Major were crammed in between dozens of people on the Tokyo-3 loop line, and Misato sighed slightly as Asuka poked her. "Alright, Misato, it's time to keep up your end of the bargain."
"I know, I know," Misato said, a cheery look in her eyes and a slight smile on her lips. "I am a woman of my word. I have enough cash to give you guys a full course meal of whatever you like!"
In Misato's mind, however, she grimaced. 'Payday still can't come soon enough.'
As the four of them got off and followed Asuka, who had chosen where they would have their dinner, Misato's brows rose sharply as she stopped in front of a ramen cart, a far cry from any of the restaurants that Misato was thinking she would choose.
Asuka looked over at Misato. "I know you're usually in a pinch financially, so don't sweat it this time. Besides, Rei was able to come because they serve vegetarian here."
Misato's surprise turned into a slight smile as the Children stepped up to order their promised meals for saving the world again.
Rei nodded, then turned to the chef. "I'll have the garlic ramen, please. Hold the pork."
Asuka stepped forward as she considered. "I'll have the shark fin ramen with her portion of pork. Make it large!"
Shinji cupped his chin thoughtfully. "You can go ahead and surprise me with your best. I like to find new recipes."
The chef nodded, and turned to prepare their meal as Misato ordered a bowl she thought sounded interesting, and the four of them sat down.
As they enjoyed their meal, Shinji looked over at Asuka. "So, you asked me why I piloted an Eva before the operation."
Asuka leaned over to look at Shinji past Misato. "Yeah, I did. Soo… why do you do it?"
Shinji considered his ramen for a moment. "Well, I do it because it makes my family proud. Because I figured out why people are so happy when they're praised. I do it to protect them."
Asuka looked back over at him. "So, you're doing it for your father?" she said in a deadpan voice.
Shinji shook his head. "No. Because I've found a different definition for family. There's Daniel, for one. Then there's you, Misato." he said, nodding to her as she looked over at Shinji. "And you and Rei are closer to me as friends than I think I'll ever be with my father. That's family, in a sense. So, really, family in my case means I do it for the people that I love."
Misato, Asuka, and Rei all looked at him, a smile on their faces to one degree or another. "You know, Shinji, you can be so sappy sometimes." Asuka said as she shook her head slightly. "It's kind of nice."
Rei looked back at her ramen, the smile lingering. "Yes. It is… nice."
Misato laid a hand on Shinji's shoulder. "That is the best reason for doing what you do I've heard. Don't ever let that get away from you. Alright?"
Shinji shook his head. "I don't think I ever will."
Daniel followed the instructions given to him by Doctor Akagi closely and ended up in front of her clinic, a rare sight indeed. She had wanted to do a check-up on him herself, keep him out of the outside system in order to keep the news that a break-in had occurred as deep as the Geofront from spreading. It was common sense, really.
He also studiously ignored the other person who tagged along behind him. She had her own questions to ask. So did he.
As he entered the room, Ritsuko looked up from behind a desk. "Ah, Mr. Theisman. How are you feeling today?"
Daniel shrugged as she stood and led him to an examination table. "About as well as I can feel now. The fevers and chills have basically gone away, and the tremors are basically nonexistent."
Ritsuko nodded. "And the hallucinations?"
Daniel nodded in turn, a small smile on his face. "Gone. Like they never existed."
A smile tugged at a corner of Ritsuko's mouth. "And they never did. Still, there is some work I'd like to do, maybe try to catch what little of the poison might still be in your bloodstream."
As the examination progressed, and Ritsuko failed to notice the door open again over their conversation, Daniel finally decided to make his move. "So, I'm sure you've noticed that Rei moved in with us. It was some terrible housing she had before that."
Ritsuko shrugged. "That one isn't on me. The Commander put her up there. Not much I can do about that."
Daniel shrugged in turn as his slight smile disappeared. "Perhaps. But there is something that you would be able to answer. Why is she taking so many medications?"
As Ritsuko looked up from the blood sample she had taken and turned to look at Daniel with narrowed eyes, another voice spoke up. "Yeah, Ritsky. What's one of my pilots doing juiced to the gills on your meds?"
Ritsuko spun around to see Misato, leaned against the desk, a discerning look in her eyes as Ritsuko's own eyes widened slightly.
Misato sighed and shook her head as Ritsuko stood silent for a moment. "Come on, Ritsuko, I helped her move out. I'd have to have been blind to not see the mountain of drugs she's taking, all from you. So, why?"
Ritsuko, having seemed to regain her wits, stood straight. "That is being done at the request of the Commander."
Misato straightened up herself, an incredulous look in her eyes. "Why would Commander Ikari request a cocktail that would more likely be fed to the criminally insane be given to a 15-year-old girl?"
Ritsuko stood firm. "So that she can remain stable and able to carry out her orders."
Daniel hopped to his feet, circling around to face Ritsuko. "Stable compared to what? And what orders beyond what she and the other pilots already do could justify this?"
Ritsuko looked at Daniel with hard eyes. "That's classified."
Misato sighed, shaking her head. "Regardless of whatever orders she has, she's stopping the medication."
Ritsuko's eyes widened. "You can't do that. The Commander-"
Misato stopped her with a raised hand. "Ritsuko, at this point, I don't care what the Commander says. Rei deserves better than to be a barely feeling puppet. And so do the other pilots. So, the point stands. Rei is going off her medications, and she will not be taking any more doses from you."
"And," Misato said as she got close to Ritsuko, her tone becoming deathly calm, "if either of us finds out that you're doing the same thing to any of the other pilots, I will personally come down and kick your ass, Ritsuko. Past and consequences be damned."
She stepped back from a Ritsuko whose eyes were wide with shock and more than a little fear and turned to Daniel. "So, clean bill of health?"
Daniel nodded. "As clean as I think I can be."
Misato nodded in turn. "Good. Let's go."
And Daniel and Misato left Ritsuko standing in her office. After a moment, Ritsuko regained her wits, her shock becoming anger as she slammed a fist down on her desk. They had no idea what they were messing with.
But as she turned to her phone, she couldn't help but hesitate. Why wouldn't she call Gendo and tell him what happened? That question would last far past the end of the day.
March of Angels will conclude in (Command and Control).