"You should have stayed home also today Misato, there's no Angel in sight; you should rest while it's possible."

Maya scolded Misato which was entering Nerv through the identification doors.

"Don't worry Maya, I'm fine."

The Commander cracked a smile, but every movement of her body was slow and stiff.

"You're forcing yourself. You need to rest"

"I said to not worry, this is just my morning dizziness"

"It's 3 P.M."

"Waking up is always a nightmare, whatever the hour"

Misato tried to walk past the younger girl, but tripped and was saved from the fall by the former.

"Well, it does not seem like you slept at all"

"I'm used to it. But yeah, this was not my best night"

"You sure you want be here?"

Her gaze did not meet Maya's. Instead was pointed to the ground, with a forced smile cracking up on the spent face murmured

"Yes, everywhere but home"

She didn't want to be heard, but at the same tiem couldn't stop from saying that. After shaking her head and patting her cheeks Misato stood up and said cheeringly

" I need to help here! I cannot just wait."

"I think you should though Senpai"

To close the argument with Maya, the Commander completely changed her tone and said simply.

" Shinji could be lost forever"

Saying that, Misato went silent until the two girls reached the test room, where the 01's cockpit was being analyzed. The room was dimly lit and completely empty, if not for the chief scientist, Ristuko Akagi, which was immersed in the data displayed by her computer.

"Hi Ristuko"

"Misato! What are you doing here? Even the commander Ikari advised on letting you rest for some time, you should take the opportunity"

"It's the one milionth time I heard this same phrase just today. Get off my back, I'm as fresh as a blooming rose"

"That…doesn't make sense but well"

Ristuko didn't insist on the matter, she glanced in Misato direction, and after seeing her tired eyes, no explanation was needed.

"Given that we're here, do you want to know how's the study to bring back Shinji's going right?"

"Yes"

Misato's tone was a mix of desperation and determination,a perfect match for her face, which was clearly showing the effect of the tears dropped.

"As we suspected, Shinji's disappearance is linked to the mental connection between the pilot and the Eva. When he was trying to save Rei, he surpassed the 300% threshold, becoming one with the mech. Rei claims to have seen Shinji reaching out to her while she was trapped in the angel, and I think that after that happened, the high concentration of LCL and the natural connection between Shinji and Unit-01 caused Shinji's body to unite with the Eva."

"Is there a way to save him?"

"Straight to the point huh? Well, I performed some tests with Unit-01, and I found out something interesting when trying to connect the Dummy System to it. The Dummy is rejected, the Unit starts putting of some light movements, like shaking, and while this is happening, I detect the wavelenght of Shinji's thoughts. I think he's alive, inside the Unit, but on how to retrieve him…I have no ideas. His body it's not physically contained in the Eva, but he entered the EVA structure as LCL."

"So, no way to retrieve him you say?"

"I'm working on it. But as of now, I can't say I'm optimistic about this."

Expecting another breakdown from Misato, Ristuko tried to put reality in the sweetest way possible. But the Commander didn't react with an outburst of rage like some days before. She stood there, watching the EVA in the other room, behind the wall of glass.

"So, you're somewhere in there…why don't you come back"

Ristuko could just make out the whispering.

"The glass won't reply"

"Just let me indulge in this for a bit would you?"

"I will continue working on this, but Shinji's life is not in danger. We just need to restore his body. Aside from this, I advice you go check the medical wing."

"Are you saying I should check out on Rei? I will"

"Well, yes. But there's a girl that's more important in your life that's currently being hospitalized."

"What do you mean?"

"They released Asuka from the quarantine, it's in the hospital. The doctor said she should wake up…."

Misato dashed out of the room

"..soon"

She run until she arrived in the hospital wing…

Damn I didn't ask for the room

NERV hospital wing helped Neo-Tokyo hospital after the Angel's attacks, so there were a lot of room occupied, even if no visitor was actually allowed in those rooms.

"Maybe Rei knows"

She opened the door for the first Children's room and entered

"Hi Rei, are you feeling better?"

Rei's bed was empty.

"Where did she go?"

There was another bed, hidden behind curtains which Misato pulled apart revealing the blue haired girl, sleeping while half hanging on the other bedridden girl. Her head was on her roomate chest, with small tears dropping out of the eyes and a little smile on her face. Over Rei's head was the hand of the other patient, the second Children, Asuka Shikinami Langley.

"Hello, Misato"

Cracking a little smile, a weak but awake Asuka greeted Misato. She just awoken, with confused memories and little energy, in the same situation Rei found herself in some days before. But the first thing she saw, was a girl needing her help, and by feeling needed, she mustered the strenght to be the light of relief for Rei first, and Misato now.

"I'm sorry Asuka, We should have done something to prevent the Angel attack"

She didn't answer and just watched Misato. No resentment was in her eyes against the one apologizing. There was simply a feint, little spark of kindness, something she never received, but was now able to give to the girls who needed her. Misato cracked herself a little smile, watching was basically was her faint, spark of light.

—

Some minutes later, Kaworu watched from the edge of the door, and saw Misato, sitting on a chair, watching Asuka and Rei sleeping. In that moment, it almost seemed like the three girls were able to rest.

"Those girls are essential for your happiness Shinji. I just hope they will be strong enough to resist until the day comes."

Kaworu walked away, only to meet another pilot.

"Were you stalking on them?"

"Well, it seems like I'm not the only one. Makinami Mari"

"I'm just keeping an eye on you. Making sure nothing happens, we risked a lot when Unit 01 awakened."

"Don't worry, I'm here to fight alongside you…and alongside them."

Kaworu started walking, leaving Mari behind, before whispering some words, that Mari couldn't really hear

"And you should be ready too, abnormal Children. The next angel will arrive soon"