+++++ Overlook outside of combat zone.

"Belay that order," a young woman sternly barked into a holographic phone. The sudden and unexpected appearance of Unit-01 and its opposition to the Adamite that had been destroying everything it could reach forced an equally sudden and unexpected change in her plans. "Maintain your position, continue to record this."

On the other end of the connection, a robotic voice responded brightly, "Understood. How should we mark your presence upon the planet for your mother?"

"Non-aligned military observer." From her position she had a perfect view of the engagement, and between her recording of the anticipated event and the recording her ship was going to provide they'd have enough data to determine just how large a threat humanity had just become.

The level of potential threat took a massive blow when the pilot of the purple titan simply took one step forward and then stood there until the Adamite had closed the distance and engaged from close range. A series of punches, assisted by what appeared to be an organic piston system in the Adamite's arm, wobbled the machine violently.

Frowning in confusion, she spoke aloud her thoughts for the recorder, "This may be the first deployment of this system, and either pilot inexperience or system failure is limiting the…."

A violent uppercut broke the hold the Adamite had over the human invention. A compartment on one shoulder of the machine opened, and the pilot pulled out a knife the length of a long-haul truck. With the knife in hand, a counter-offensive took place that mixed slashing and tearing motions with the knife and brute force bludgeoning with the other hand and both feet. The fight became a combination of animal fury and untrained weapons deployment as both the Adamite and machine vied for supremacy of the battlefield.

"It appears likely that the system was suffering from errors that prevented the pilot from taking the initiative earlier." Tightening the focus some, she scanned the machine for any form of pilot interface. "System deploys with an umbilical that likely provides it with energy. No…obvious hatches or viewports, meaning that the internal interface is likely dependent on exterior cameras to protect the pilot against radiation and biological attacks."

Seeing an opening, the Adamite grabbed one of the machine's arms and leveraged the elbow the wrong way. A sickening crack that she heard even from the distance between her and them was followed by a muffled roar of rage from within the machine that left her questioning what exactly it was that humanity had just unleashed.

"If it is not clear on the audio recording…the machine's arm made a sound similar to cartilage and bone in addition to the mechanical tearing. That was followed by evidence of a pain reaction, a…howl from within what I am now worried may be armor." She shuddered, attempting to think of how they could have developed the technology to grow a creature large enough to shatter the square-cubed law's restrictions. "Monstrous."

Dropping its shoulder down, the machine slammed into the Adamite and shoved it backwards before flexing its broken arm and reseating it with an equally grotesque popping sound. Crouching down in a hyper-aggressive stance, it unleashed another roar and leapt forward to assail its foe in the manner of any number of the forest primates she had seen in her time on this world and others. The difference came in when two curved planes made of what could only be described as rainbow gossamer came into existence inside a mutual zone of conflict. The Adamite attempted to gain distance, but the machine had somehow dug its fingers in and torn open a rift between the opposing planes. Rearing its head back and slamming it forward three times, the machine endeavored to use the protrusion from its mask to split and fracture the red orb that dominated the chest of the Adamite. With no options left, the Adamite malformed its own shape and enveloped the machine in a glob of flesh before self-destructing. Cruciform explosions devastated the nearby streets, buildings, and natural life. Left behind amidst a sea of nuclear flame, prowling back towards where it had come from, the purple titan radiated a level of universal menace that chilled the bones of any who beheld it.

"If…if it is not clear from the video," the young woman stopped, swallowing hard as the unfamiliar sensation of terror crept up her spine. "If it isn't clear…this is most likely the most horrifying thing I have ever witnessed in my life. Whether that is a psychological weapon, or simply a logical extension of witnessing a giant death machine walk away from an explosion that left a several hundred-meter crater in the street is up to the recipient of this recording." Turning off her recorder, she tapped in a few buttons to send it up to her vessel with instructions to include it in the report to her mother. The sense of 'wrong' that wriggled in her soul as she watched the machine retreat told her that there was more than was evidenced by this brief encounter. "Looks like I'm not going home quite yet."

+++++ NERV Tokyo-3.

"-beyond the reckless disregard for the safety of a minor you displayed by allowing him to wander around the city making every conceivable effort to contact you that he had available to him, your inability to manage your personal time led directly to our only operational pilot being in the blast zone of an N2 mine!" Setting the tone for future operations, Kozo Fuyutsuki was tearing into Misato publicly to make it clear to everyone that what had been allowed to happen would not be allowed to continue. "I want the AAR on my desk before the end of the day. Dismissed."

Waiting quietly for Misato to leave, Ritsuko internally groaned at the fact that her longtime friend really had chosen the worst possible day to blow off some steam. Her time to update the Sub-Commander was made apparent by the old man looking askance at her with a single raised eyebrow. "Psychosomatic pain caused by the interface and his synchronization ratio. His left arm feels like it's been broken and repaired without anesthesia, his epidermis is inflamed as a response to both the actual and perceived heat from the Angel's explosion, and his head is still ringing from being hit by two explosions from far too close a range. I don't think he has a concussion, but I believe that he should be monitored regardless."

Kozo closed his eyes to stop from rolling them like a younger man might have. "The Commander has determined that he may have the rest of today to himself, but he is expected to report for school tomorrow morning." Now more confident in his restraint, he turned to look at her properly. "I would like it if you had one of your people escort him to his new residence, and help him with the paperwork. I will make certain that his school is ready for him myself."

"His father isn't…never mind, I realized the question would be stupid as soon as I opened my mouth." Considering everything she'd seen and done, she held little doubt that Gendo Ikari held no affection for his son either. "I'll have Ibuki-kun take care of it. I can handle most of the post-combat evaluations on my own, and I'd rather he be cared for by someone who actually has a heart."

"A commendable choice. I would like the preliminary analysis available by tomorrow morning. We should have time, but we both know how much rides on our efforts, yes?"

Ritsuko took the hidden message. "She is my friend, but all that means is that it hurts me when she makes a fool of herself and our duty. I assure you, I am not Misato."

Kozo nodded, quietly confident that he'd made the point clear, before turning and walking towards the cavernous office that Gendo had retreated towards.

For her part, Ritsuko simply tapped out a quick text to her junior that asked her to 'help Shinji-kun however she can'. A long night of work was staring her in the face, and as much as she wanted to follow through on the oddity that was Shinji's synch ratio she had to prioritize the more mundane tasks of making sure that he could win another fight if forced to.

+++++ NERV Tokyo-3.

"District F, block six, apartment twenty-four." The Human Resources agent that provided Shinji with his new living arrangements did not seem to care in the slightest that he was sending the man who had just saved all of humanity to live in what represented the ass-end of roadkill. "Here's your pay card. You have been given an initial stipend to spend on clothing and food while your paycheck is calculated."

Unlike the man speaking to them, Maya cared a great deal about the safety of the only functioning pilot. "Alone? I mean…no offense, Shinji-kun, but at your age I wouldn't have been-"

"The apartment was chosen by The Commander, Lieutenant." The man turned away and started on some other task. "You may feel free to take any objections up with him."

"It's ok, ma'am." Shinji hadn't expected a warm reception, and his honest opinion was that he'd rather not be forced to live with his father anyway. "I prefer being alone. Every place is the same to me."

Maya wrung her hands, unable to think of anything to say before Shinji hefted his single bag onto his shoulder and turned to walk towards the exit. I don't think you like being alone, Shinji-kun…I think you just don't like being hurt.

+++++ Shinji's Apartment.

"I…don't think I'm super comfortable with you living here, Shinji-kun." Each street had become more broken down and trash-filled than the last as they made their way through the city to where he would now live. "You're going to have at least an hour walk to school each morning, and I'm pretty sure I saw several…uhm…." She lowered her volume, leaning in slightly, "Ladies of the night."

The single room apartment was unfurnished save for a Western-style bed in one corner. Shinji shrugged and set his bag down next to it. "I doubt they'll bother me, ma'am. Thank you for walking me here, I think I'll be able to find my way to school tomorrow morning."

"But, I-"

He'd tried polite, now it was time for honest. "I don't think you'll be able to convince my father of anything. If he's chosen this place for me to live, then this is where I'll live. I don't want you to get in trouble with anyone on my account." Bowing politely, he made the request for privacy clear. "I will be sure to tell Ritsuko-sensei that you did your job well, good night." Remaining in the bow until he heard the door shut, a process that took at least another half of a minute, he felt a small sting of pride for not losing control of himself in front of what he believed to be an exceedingly kind woman.

Walking over to the bed and laying down, he pulled out his S-DAT and queued up the only tape he'd ever owned. The playlist his mother had hidden somehow in the cello he'd inherited began to blot out the sounds from outside, and after five more seconds of holding them back…the tears began to soak his pillow.

+++++ Tokyo-3 Academy. +1

From an outside perspective, many people would think that Shinji had arrived to the school early in order to give a good first impression to the people he would be spending his last year of mandatory schooling with. The genesis of his timeliness, instead, lie in the nightmares that had collaborated to ensure that what little sleep he'd managed was anything but restful. He'd introduced himself to the teachers in the main office, been given his school-provided laptop MAGI interface, and was waiting patiently outside of the door to his classroom when two young women came up to him with matching looks of curious concern.

"Ikari-kun?" The first to speak, with shoulder length chestnut-colored hair, had the air of authority hanging easily off of her straight-backed shoulders.

"Yes, ma'am." Bowing in greeting, he introduced himself fully, "Shinji Ikari. I have been transferred here from Nagano."

"Oh, no no," she waved off his formality, "not ma'am. I'm Hikari Horaki, your class representative. You can call me class rep if just using my name is too informal for you." Gesturing to the woman at her side, long sky-blue hair kept back with bright red ribbons, she introduced his classmate, "This is Sasami Masaki, she transferred in last year."

Once more bowing to someone he considered far above him, Shinji repeated his name to maintain proprieties. "Shinji Ikari, it is a pleasure to meet you, ma'am."

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Shinji Ikari." Matching him bow for bow, she surprised Hikari with the sudden formality. "I hope that you find a new home here in our school and city."

"Ooook," Hikari dragged the sound out with a hint of sarcasm. "Let's get on inside Princess-chan, before you convince the new guy that everyone is wound up tight around here."

Shinji had regained his footing, and slid the door open before catching Sasami giving him a playful smile.

"He started it," the blue-haired beauty stated without rancor. "It's only fair that I match his formality with my own."

Stepping in and closing the door behind them, Shinji put forward the obvious request for clarification, "Uhm…Princess-chan?"

"I tease her with that because when she started here last year she was just as formal as you're being," Hikari replied with a warm laugh. "I don't mind manners, far from it. I'd just rather that everyone be comfortable here in class, you know?"

What he noticed, and Hikari didn't seem to pick up on, was that Sasami pointedly hadn't said anything. Shinji filed that information away, along with a note of concern that 'the new guy' was probably going to earn some defamatory nicknames before the day was over. "Oh…that makes sense." He gestured to the seats. "Where should I sit?"

"Why don't we put him there," Sasami pointed at the desk behind Hikari's. "It's been empty since Yoshizawa disappeared. We could help bring him up to speed on everything, if he runs into troubles."

Hikari nodded slowly. "Yeah, it's better than putting him over with Aida and Suzuhara. They're not as likely to be interested in helping him learn facts, and too interested in helping him learn how to get in trouble."

There was no real likelihood of him being seated where nobody else was around, and so he accepted his fate quietly. Placing his laptop on the desk and hanging his bag on the hook beneath it, he booted up the OS and logged in to make sure all of his passwords were set properly. "I don't plan on causing any trouble, ma…uhm, Class Rep."

Her laughter was the sound of silvery bells, full of joy and life. "Oh, I'm quite certain of that. I tend to have a good feel for people's character; it comes from being the class representative for every class I've ever been in." Seating herself sideways in her chair, she continued to engage with both him and Sasami, "You said you had come here from Nagano too, Sasami-chan, right?"

"Yes, but I moved to Nagano from Okayama after my sister married her long-time fiancé to give them space." She gave a hint of a shrug, making it clear that the topic wasn't one she wished to dwell on. "I moved in with a friend of the family for a while but, after I reached sixteen, I wanted to make my own way and moved here to go to school."

"So you two never crossed paths?" Hikari looked between Shinji and Sasami, keeping the conversation flowing.

Shinji shook his head. "I was home-schooled."

Something in the way he spoke drew a frown from Sasami. "I think I would remember seeing you, and I spent a lot of time wandering around the habitable portions of Nagano City. Was your teacher strict?"

The empty air as Shinji killed the question with silence shifted the subtle warning signs both women had seen to something more akin to warning sirens.

"Good morning!" Striding into the room, a woman with glowing red hair waved at the three students on her way to the teacher's lectern. "It's heartwarming to see that some of my new students are so diligent about punctuality."

"Wa-," Sasami choked off whatever she was about to say. "Hakubi-obāsan, what are you doing here?"

"I was hired on by the teaching staff here after your current instructor returned to Nebukawa to spend some time with his children and grandchildren." Clasping her hands together and laying her cheek against them, she gave a charmingly happy grin. "It's so wonderful that he'd won that lottery and could retire before he'd spent his golden years so far from home."

Gaining her feet, Hikari smoothed her skirt out and bowed properly to the teacher. "It is nice to meet you, Hakubi-sensei. I'm afraid that I hadn't received any information that a change was taking place, I would have made certain to prepare for your arrival."

"Oh pish-posh," the teacher waved away any concern, "I've read all about your management of your fellow students, Horaki-chan, and I have absolute confidence that between the two of us we'll manage the short-term changes just fine." Her eyes shifted to Shinji. "And who is this? The class roster I received didn't have a student in that desk."

Standing up, Shinji repeated the same ceremony he'd used earlier, "Shinji Ikari, it is a pleasure to meet you ma'am."

With a bow equal to the one he gave her, the teacher's voice became both more mature and filled with emotional pain, "The honor is mine, Ikari-san. I hope you are not pushing your recovery by being here today."

He straightened his spine and restrained the curiosity as to how she knew he'd been injured. "Here or at home, the pain will be the same, ma'am. It is no excuse to avoid my obligations."

"Recovery?" Hikari looked between their new teacher and their new classmate. "Are you ill, Ikari-kun?"

When Shinji didn't reply, clearly intending to kill another question with silence, the teacher spoke in his stead, "He was the pilot that stopped the monster from further destroying the nearby city last night." At that, both Sasami's and Hikari's heads snapped back towards Shinji, their eyes wide and their mouths slightly agape. "The son of the Commander of NERV's outpost here in Tokyo-3, and the only person capable of currently piloting that…beast."

It was clear to Shinji that his teacher had substituted that final word for another, even less endearing, term. With the cat out of the bag, and further unwanted attention, he shrugged his shoulders slightly and sat back in his seat. The last thing he wanted was to discuss what he'd gone through. He knew that everyone else had things that were bad in their lives. He knew his weren't special just because they were his. He knew that complaining only made the pain worse. "Akagi-sensei is monitoring me for a concussion, sensei. I will be fine."

Before anything else could be said, a number of other students began to filter into the room. Some took note of the 'new kid', others the new teacher, but all caught the aura of concern that permeated their class rep and class princess. With Shinji's head down and his attention on the laptop, none of the closer students felt courageous enough to venture a greeting, and that left everyone in the mindset of crisis control long enough for the room to fill and class to begin.

+++++ Tokyo-3 Academy.

During a class break, Sasami caught the signal from her teacher that they needed to talk. Both women made their way out of the room without drawing unwanted attention, both women also noticed that Shinji caught their actions but otherwise didn't act on it. Once they were out of sight, they stepped through a doorway into a pocket dimension created by the teacher, closing it behind them to prevent anyone else from seeing it.

"Washu," Sasami began, "what are you doing here? I can manage this investigation just fine on my own, and if things turn bad Tsunami-no-ki will make sure to get me to safety. You know that my mother will not be happy that you're interfering with Juraian affairs."

"Your mother asked me to come here, dear." The lively teacher handed Sasami a crystal with solemn concern. "This will explain everything, and you can review it later. For now, the Jurai Empire is no longer solely analyzing this planet's suitability to be admitted into the fold as an uplifted protectorate. Misaki-chan asked me to come in an official capacity as an expert in non-standard weapons platforms, in an unofficial capacity as your sister, and in a personal capacity as an advisor."

"Ah." Blowing out a long exhale through pursed lips, Sasami shook her head. "I had worried that I was overstating the issue in my report."

Washu snorted out a laugh. "Most of the Defense Ministers felt that you should be awarded a medal for bravery in standing your ground to gather this intelligence. They felt that your 'stoic understatement' lent the proper gravity to the report."

"…I was terrified."

"So were they." She set her hand on Sasami's shoulder, gripping it with confidence. "You did a good thing, sis. Nobody saw this coming, and if it weren't for you being brave enough to stand your ground it's possible that we wouldn't have known about it until it came knocking on someone else's door."

+++++ Author's Notes.

cortana5: RE: Personalities.

The interesting thing is, I didn't have to change Misato's dialogue at all to set the alternate perspective in. She started out in NGE chirping at him with digs like that, expecting him to be a 'normal' (if such a thing exists) teenage boy. It wasn't until later, after she'd had some experience with him, that she softened towards the playful teasing to draw him out of his shell. What always amazed me, and this is a product of both my upbringing and previous occupation, was that nobody actually took Misato to task for her failure.

She had one (1) combat-capable pilot, and she just leaves him wandering around the city during a citywide evacuation? What would have happened if he had gone to a shelter, instead of stood at the payphone trying to reach her? What would have happened if that N2 Mine had knocked them both unconscious, or killed them? She wasn't in position when she was supposed to be, and the entire unit nearly was wiped out because of her actions. Very few things will get you in as much trouble in a military as not being where you're supposed to be before you're supposed to be there. "Hurry up and wait" is a thing for a reason. With the severity of the potential consequences this time, she's lucky she didn't get demoted and/or jailed.