The Birth of Marvels

Tokyo-3 looked beautiful from the outside.

It had seen better days, without a doubt. The city showed some wear and tear from all the Angel battles it had partaken in, with construction crews no longer working on the clock to fix it. But even with that, Tokyo-3 still resembled the shape of the future, more so than Kokoro at the moment. With all the Angels gone, maybe there was hope left.

Some families, notably hired by NERV, have chosen to stay in the city. Most, however, were ready to move back into their homes, including the still rebuilding Kokoro. Anywhere was better than Tokyo-3, and nobody dared enter the city, not without a good reason to be there.

One red haired woman, estimated to be nineteen years old, stood atop the cliffside, watching the city with her binoculars. Her motorcycle rested on a tree.

The official reason was simple. She was there to check in on an agent from her organization, ask her for any information she dug up, and leave for Germany the next morning. She would do good on that. But there was someone else Noriko Takaya had come to see. She had to be sure he was on the up and up.

"This is the place where Spider-Man is." Noriko said to no one in particular. Her japanese was good, but her western accent was easy to parse. "I hope he's ready to answer my questions."

She put down the binocular, putting them inside the large trenchcoat she wore, covering the red, white and blue suit underneath. It would be a bad idea to walk around the city in her uniform in Japan; Most certainly, she'd be run out of this country if she was spotted wearing it, so Noriko had to go in disguise as a civilian, hiding in the crowd. It wasn't easy, especially with the weight on her back making it hard to move safely.

But that didn't matter to Noriko, really. She had never felt right since she was pulled out of the ice those months ago.

So, taking her motorcycle, she drove past the cliffside, hoping that whoever Spider-Man was, he was the sort willing to have a chat with her.

Marie Vincennes didn't know how long she stared at herself in the mirror.

All she knew was that instead of the beautiful white-haired amazon she was supposed to be, Marie could only see her puny normal self in the reflection. Anxious. Sweating. Afraid. She promised to bury her fear the moment she figured out the pendant's powers, but in moments like these Marie couldn't help but shake.

With the way her life turned upside down in Tokyo-3, maybe she was entitled to this moment. Maybe she did need to vent out her frustrations like this.

"How bad did I have it in a past life, to be in the center of crazy-town!" Marie softly yelled at the mirror. "I thought palling around with Spider-Man would be fun, but this is nuts! Evangelions are alive, Angels can mind rape people, Asuka has super powers, Rei has clones- no, had clones- conspiracies- just…"

She splashed herself with water before she could go further. Truly, the universe had a cruel sense of humor to drop a tiny cat into a large pond, threatening to drown her. It had to be a joke placed on her, because then Marie would never have to wonder if her life was truly so worthless that she could be thrown through the loop and not matter. She had to be careful not to scratch her face.

"I mustn't run away." Marie told herself. "I can't run away, not yet, not…" She sighed. "Not right now."

Marie brought the fingers to her arms. The water wasn't working, as she closed her eyes, breathing heavily. She dug her nails through her skin, trying to feel something, anything to keep her mind off of her situation. It only caused some bleeding.

"Fuck!" She swore to no one. "Just let me fix this, just… just let me feel something."

She took some toilet paper and cleaned the arms. The nerves were starting to get to her. Marie thought all the Angels being dead would mean the end, and she'd go home. But where was home exactly? Not here, it was going to be invaded some time soon, according to the Major. Not in America, because that home had been gone too long.

If NERV wanted a chance to survive, they could do well without her anyway. Black Cat no more, here. She was done.

"Just keep a pretty face. Keep smiling." Marie breathed. "Keep calm. You'll request a transfer tomorrow and leave the first chance I get…"

Venom pounding her onto the street pavement. Venom throwing a car, only saved at the last minute by Asuka's sudden arrival.

Asuka's screams as she is mind raped by Arael.

Unit 01 seemingly being lost for a moment.

Being prepped up for war against human beings in the simulator.

Coming up on an empty road and realizing everyone was gone…

The rush of insulting Asuka and beating Spider-Man had long since wore off. It was a nightmare she was living through, and Marie wasn't interested in being a part of it any longer.

But she couldn't leave just yet. First, she had to attend a meeting with the rest of the guys in a few minutes.

So, Marie washed herself again, and left with a practiced, happy step. Maybe, if she pretended a little bit more, it could be real. Maybe if she pretended just a little more… maybe she won't feel so bad about herself.

The MAGI estimated they had five days until SEELE would launch an attack on the base, and this was what she was spending time doing.

Ritsuko Akagi had indulged in many insane requests over the years of working as NERV's head scientist. Anything Gendo wanted done, she would do so, no matter what her feelings on the matter were. Similarly, if Misato wanted something from her, she'd gladly do it regardless of the sanity points she'd have to sacrifice to make it happen, because she trusted her judgement.

She wondered how many of those she had to cash in to agree to this, however.

They were children, for Gods' sakes she thought to herself, watching the students striding inside for attendance. Shinji Ikari, aka Spider-Man, Asuka Langley Soryuu, the Scarlet Spider, Rei Ayanami, had been accompanied by their friends from school, Hikari Horaki, Kensuke Aida and Touji Suzuhara… the latter, she's met twice before, and it was for recruitment to Unit 03. Ritsuko went to shake his hand to apologize.

"No hard feelings. Thanks to you, my sister's being released tomorrow." Touji told her, "So long as I never get inside of one of those damn Evas, we're good."

Ritsuko agreed to those terms.

Under Shinji's insistence, the kids were permitted into the top secret NERV facility for this meeting. So, Maya Ibuki pulled up a holographic projector for the demonstration. Ritsuko cleared her throat, grabbing everyone's attention.

"Alright, against my better judgement, we're all gathered here to decide on something a relatively banal matter. Does anyone have questions?"

Kensuke raised a hand.

"No, Aida, you're not allowed to get your camera back until it's over."

He kept his arm raised.

"You're not allowed to touch anything at NERV while you're here. Not even the Evas."

Pouting, Kensuke pulled his arm down, getting elbowed in the stomach by Hikari and Touji together. That brought a tiny smile from Ritsuko's lips.

"Unless you have further questions, we're here to decide on a new costume for Spider-Man."

Maya turned on the projector, pulling out a static 3D model of Spider-Man's costume from the past few months he had been working in Tokyo-3. Kensuke couldn't help but shake in his seat at what was transpiring.

"Wow, a chance to make history!" Kensuke said excitedly. "This is gonna be a masterpiece!"

Touji rolled his eyes. "Drop it, Ken. It's just a costume, who really cares?"

"Who cares? Touji, the costume makes the man! It's like a uniform, you have to show who you are to the people!"

"Don't listen to this butthead, he never has good ideas."

"Come on!"

Touji grabbed Kensuke by the neck and performed a noogie on top of his head, the sight of which made Maya giggle. Ritsuko's heart fluttered upon hearing it.

"Um, well." Ritsuko forced down a blush. "We have a mock-up alternative design ready to go. Here it is."

The Spider-Man suit was replaced by a jet black, more armored suit fitting for the military. The mask had standard white lenses that could see out, but not could not see in, along with a belt that could carry a gun, and fingerless gloves that would allow for easier wall-crawling.

"What do you think?" Ritsuko tried to smile. "Neat, huh? More useful for stealth and espionage, certainly."

Much to Ritsuko's surprise, everyone gave it a withering glare.

"Um, I don't really like it." Shinji said. "Black doesn't suit me."

"It is not an appropriate design for Spider-Man." Rei shook her head. "Asuka?"

"Crap." Asuka nodded to Rei's answer. "You need to go back to college if you think this is anywhere remotely acceptable."

Kensuke and Touji kept silent, letting their faces show their disgust with the design. Instead, Hikari stood up in protest.

"With all due respect, Doctor…" Hikari shook her head. "We're out here designing a superhero, not a super soldier! That is not what Spider-Man should be wearing."

"B-but that's the point!" Ritsuko said, flustered by the response. "We're trying to improve the design!"

"It's not an improvement, it's a sham!" Hikari crossed her arms. "We need to do better if we want Shinji to look good."

Ritsuko turned towards Maya, who gave her a sympathetic grin.

"I think you, uh missed the assignment on this one." Maya shrugged. "It does look more like a Night Monkey than it does Spider-Man, to be honest."

At that, Ritsuko pouted. "Et tú, Maya?"

The door opened suddenly, and Marie entered. She was confused at the looks being given to her.

"Sorry everyone, I had cramps." Marie waved it off. "What's going on here?"

"We're deciding on a new costume for me." Shinji said. "Dr. Akagi's idea isn't very good."

Marie glanced at the hologram. She gave it a good look-over, examining the design with careful precision.

"Now hold on, we can work with this…" Marie smirked. "See, I was thinking maybe a trenchcoat and a hat would do and… whoa!"

The trenchcoat and hat appeared on the suit, which mildly shocked Marie.

"It can do that?" Marie whistled. "Nice, he'd be scary with that! Now, he sort of looks like the Shadow, scaring the crap out of criminals with his insane laughter. "

"Did you just put Shinji and scary in the same sentence? Get outta here." Asuka rolled her eyes. "Me? I think a full-on red with a gold spider would do… hm, maybe some spider legs along with that."

The design changed, matching Asuka's specifications. A red bodysuit with narrow golden lenses and sharp, technological spider-legs opening from the back, ready to attack; it was a fearsome design, one that met Asuka's approval. However, Touji had to object.

"No way, that shit looks like he's ripping off Iron Lady! No self respecting Spider-Man wants to be labeled an Iron Boy Jr!"

"I dunno, it has a nice look…" Kensuke chuckled. "I like the spider-legs!"

"It ain't what you want, it's crap!" Touji grit his teeth. "Besides, the colors are more your speed, Red-Devil. Maybe you should use it instead!"

"Come on you knucklehead, that's…" Asuka's expression became thoughtful. "Actually a good idea. I'll steal this one!"

"Aren't you you afraid of being labeled Iron-Girl Jr?" Hikari raised an eyebrow. "The design is suspicious…"

Asuka rolled her eyes. "They can call me whatever they want. They're wrong, and I'll prove them wrong as many times as I need to shut them up. Or I'll web them off a bridge."

"Asuka."

"I was just kidding, Rei!"

"Hold on, hold on." Shinji waved his hands. "Maybe we should start simple, before we change everything? Let's go back to the original."

The design changed again, back to where it started with the past costume. Shinji thoughtfully looked over it.

"Hm… I like the wide lenses and the colors… but what to add? That's the question."

"Hm, maybe the sleeves should be longer?" Hikari's eyes widened when the hologram changed it to her design. "Oh, and get rid of those bandages! You already have super strength. I don't think you need the extra punch."

Touji scratched his chin. "The logo should be bigger… make it stand out!"

"MAKE IT HUGE AND WHITE! Wait no, that's a bit much." Kensuke yelped. "Oh, oh, maybe the back can have a big round spider, and you can add some web wings underneath your armpits, you know, to glide!"

"I don't think he can do that, Ken."

"He should!"

"I've been thinking about giving him some upgraded web shooters." Asuka said. "Yeah, his webbing's organic, ugh, but I think I can give him options he wouldn't normally have."

"The lenses should move." Rei also put in her two cents. "It would add more character to the suit."

"You know, maybe a spider-signal wouldn't be too bad." Marie also mentioned. "Scare enemies and let 'em know you're coming."

The hologram took those suggestions into account. The new Spider-Man costume was as close to classic as it could get, mostly being blue with red gloves, red midsection, red boots and mask; the front logo was black, while the one on the back was a larger red oval spider; the web wings made a surprisingly solid choice, as well as the more visible web shooters on top of the gloves. Shinji approved of the general look of the suit. It was absolutely a stunning marvel, perfect for a superhero.

However… he felt like it needed something else. Something more him.

"Replace the blue with white." Shinji said firmly. "Make the lenses yellow, too, like my actual first suit. The shoes should be sneakers too. I actually prefer those over boots. Wait, also make the front logo and the webbing patterns around the red parts white instead of black."

With those changes, it felt more right for Shinji. The suit used each suggestion from his friends in its creation, now resembling something akin to Ultraman. It gave him a surge of confidence.

"Voila! A costume that didn't completely suck!" Asuka grinned. "All it took was you listening to my suggestions." At Rei's cough, which made Asuka frown. "Okay, our suggestions."

"About as good a design as any, I suppose." Ritsuko still pouted over her preferred choice not getting in. "We'll get to work on this very soon."

"Hey! Make the red and gold one for me!"

"Sure." Ritsuko rolled her eyes. "That one will take at least two days though, with the design sensibilities."

"Good." Asuka crossed her arms. "I want to be there for the process. I need that shit to look good on me!"

"Nothing looks good on you, Red." Touji smirked. "You drain the soul out of anything close by."

"WHY YOU LITTLE-!"

After breaking up the fight, everyone filed out to leave NERV HQ. Touji was taking Hikari out on a date later, Kensuke had more military figures to assemble, Asuka decided to work on more of the specs design for her upgrade with Rei; that left Shinji and Marie walking by themselves to the exit.

"You seemed… determined." Shinji pointed out. "Another heist planned out?"

"Maybe." Marie pursed her lips. "You know how I like to surprise you, Spider."

"That you do." Shinji nodded. "Thanks for coming, by the way."

Marie shrugged. "You caught me in a good mood. It was just costume designing. I'm kind of pretty good at that, as you keep seeing."

"That's right. You've been pretty helpful too. We're lucky to have you."

"Not the best choice of words for a Black Cat." Marie gave him a playful hiss. "Aren't you gonna run off and do your Spider-Man thing or something?"

"Actually, I'm going to wait around until the suit's ready." Shinji shrugged. "Dr. Akagi said it will take about an hour, given its using the same material as the plugsuit. Unstable molecules… do you know that even works?"

"According to… my old boss…" Marie hesitated on the line. "Basically, the suits are made of a synthetic material resilient to heat, cold, pressure, all sorts of stuff. The molecules making the suits were altered through cosmic radiation so it's… unstable."

Shinji raised an eyebrow. "You mean our suits are irradiated?"

"Something like that. It's nowhere near as crazy as you think. Most of everything gives off a very, very low level radiation. Unstable molecules aren't much different than that."

"I see… gonna have a hard time wrapping around that." Shinji scratched the back of his head. "Want to hang out later? Maybe talk about it some more."

Marie laughed. "Nah. I have a bunch of things to do at my quarters." She winked at him. "Catch you later on the streets! I might just cross your path… you might get bad luck!"

She strode off to her room, with Shinji left a bit confused by himself. As per normal.

"Life's pretty weird sometimes." He shrugged. "I wonder if Kirishima is close by…"

It didn't take all that long to find her. When she wasn't at the hospital, Nurse Mana Kirishima tended to be transporting documents over to Ritsuko's office for pilot evaluations. As Shinji was heading there anyway, he ran into her.

"Hey." Shinji said. "H-how are you, Miss Kirishima?"

Surprisingly, she warmly smiled at him.

"Hey, Shinji! I told you to call me Mana." Mana pouted. "We're not gonna go through that awkward song and dance again, are we?"

"No, no, I can- um, I mean I'd like to talk. To you. I mean, Mana." Shinji blinked. "How am I doing?"

Mana waved it off. "Awkwardly endearing, Romeo. I didn't expect to see you here, though. How can I help you?"

"Well, Dr. Akagi is helping design my new suit, so I have to wait… as for you…" Shinji grabbed his own arm. "This is gonna sound awkward, but… I was wondering if maybe we could… you know, get coffee or something? When you're ready, I mean."

Her reaction was not what he expected. Mana's eyes widened quite a bit, her pupils dancing left and right, as if utterly bewildered by the situation she was placed in. Did he come out too strong.

"Nevermind, maybe I should get going-"

"No, no, wait." Mana pinched the brook of her nose. "I was just sort of stunned for a moment… just gimme a sec." She gathered herself. "You're asking me out?"

"Um, yeah." Shinji blushed a bit. "It's a bit out of the blue, given everything, but… You seem nice and I don't really know a lot of people here, to be honest… if it's not fine then I can back off."

"Sure!"

"I mean it, if it's a bit much."

"You just caught me off guard, honest." Mana smiled. "Nobody really notices me, nor do I usually have the time… and, you're a superhero, so that was a bit intimidating."

"Really?"

"A bit, but you're also a nice guy. I'm not worried at all." She shyly turned her head to the right. "I do want to… but maybe tomorrow? I actually have to meet someone later tonight. An old friend."

"Uh, well sure!" Shinji smiled. "Just let me know, and… we'll see how it goes?"

"Sure!

"Great! Thanks!"

"No problem." Mana blinked. "Ooh, I need to go send these to Dr. Akagi. See you later!"

As Mana walked off, a noticeable skip in her beat, Shinji was again left by himself. He smiled triumphantly, raising a fist towards the ceiling.

"Yes!"

He felt plenty good about himself already. Now, all Shinji needed to do was wait an hour and he'd be free for swinging.

The usual web swinging, not the other kind. He couldn't flirt with people very well, anyway.

First Lt. Makoto Hyuuga was a rather simple man, all things considered. He graduated college with high honors, took a desk job, and was waiting it out until the next phase of his life could really begin.

He had never expected to be working towards saving humanity by helping to fight the Angels. He certainly never expected to be spying against the military; even if they were being sent in a few days thanks to SEELE's manipulations, and if he was working towards his own survival. Meeting a bunch of superhero children was just the icing on the cake as far as Makoto was concerned. Spider-Man may have scared him, but Shinji Ikari was just a kid. Makoto could relax, knowing the kid could probably save the day.

Asuka was more of a fifty fifty split depending on the mood. He did not want to get on her bad side.

Makoto would never be so brave as to go out there and fight on his own. But when Misato Katsuragi asked him to help her hack into the German MAGI system, really, how could he say no to that? He obediently typed in command phrases to bypass MAGI firewalls.

"Are you sure we're going to find anything, Major?" Makoto asked. "This is top secret stuff. Wouldn't Dr. Akagi be more useful for this?"

"Positive." Misato shook her head. "She's working on defenses for our MAGI in case we get hacked."

"… Like we're doing now to the other base?"

"Yeah. Think of it as a systems check." Misato smirked. "You're the guinea pig for our little experiment."

"Joy." Makoto rolled his eyes. "Ah, I think I got something, Major."

Sure enough, the process quickly revealed large encrypted files. These were dating back months in advance, taken from NERV facilities around the globe. Clearly, something was up.

"You think we can decrypt this?" Misato asked. "I don't want to put you through any unnecessary risk."

"Major." Makoto smirked. "That's why we work at NERV."

His fingers worked fast. For all the grief Shigeru, and even Maya sometimes, gave him, Makoto was far from bad at his job. Given the proper motivation, he could work his way through the computer. Everyone made fun of him for staring at a screen for long periods of time. Who's laughing now, Makoto thought to himself as he revealed the files.

"There we go. What do you make of this, Major?"

"Incredible. I can't thank you enough, Hyuuga." Misato stared at the monitor, glaring at it. "What's going on here…?"

There were designs for prototype Evangelion Units. At least, that's what they were labeled. Misato couldn't, wouldn't, see them as anything other than monsters; giant, humanoid with big red lips, no eyes, their mouths filled with razor sharp teeth. They were supposed to have wings that extended from their backs, as if the old men were confident their Angels would override the will of everyone else.

They were to be remote controlled using an enhanced dummy plug system, borrowed from NERV Japan. Funds were being allocated towards their construction, evidently not been halted due to the death of the last Angel.

"Funding for more Eva units, remote controlled… is that even possible?" Misato's eyes widened. "Oh God…"

The brainwave patterns being used were Kaworu Nagisa's own. He had been experimented on for over a decade… Misato shook her head.

"I won't tell Shinji about this." She decided. "He doesn't need to know… hold on."

Curiously, there were also specs for a secret room inside her base of operations. Apparently during the months they were retrieving Shinji from Unit 01, the MAGI was undergoing significant upgrades that even Dr. Akagi was not given permission to verify. The question was, which Dr. Akagi?

"All that shit was going down while we were busy?!" Misato had to yell. "Shit, shit, shit. Hyuuga, tell Aoba and Maya what you found, then get to work on finding out where that room is located. We can't risk a Trojan Horse infecting our systems!"

"Roger." Makoto nodded, making sure to copy the files into the databanks. "From my estimation, we'll probably get something done in a few days."

"We're not going to have much time…"

"We'll work as fast as we can." Makoto raised an eyebrow. "Gotta say, it's strange going against the military like this… it must be harder for you. You're prepping up your kids for war."

Misato let out a deep, reluctant sigh. "If I had my way, none of them would be fighting. We'd just get out of here and go home. But if we all want to get out of here alive, we don't have a choice." She closed her eyes. "None of us do."

Makoto silently pondered this. It would probably be unwise to say anything to that. But… this was Misato. He had to try to say something, if only to help the woman who's kept them alive all this time.

"Well, I'm with you all the way." He blinked. "We all are, I mean. We won't stop fighting until we save the world. By then… well, we'll see what happens."

He wasn't sure if that was the right thing to say. Judging from Misato's smile, however, it was exactly what she needed to hear.

"Thanks Hyuuga. I hope this works out for all of us…"

With that, she gave him a tiny peck on the cheek, marching off to talk about the results with Dr. Akagi. That's what Makoto assumed anyway.

It didn't matter much to him at the moment. Not with the lingering feeling on his cheek, that he brushed with his fingers in an effort to prove it really happened. Makoto smiled.

"Katsuragi… You tease."

The sun started to set during the afternoon. Marie couldn't help but be invisible walking through the crowded streets.

It was refreshing in a way, to not captivate anyone's attention. One of the best parts about living in the city was that you could disappear and no one would even notice. That was part of the thrill of stealing, to be a quirky little thief in control of her chosen victim. It wasn't a healthy way to deal with her kleptomania, Marie knew, but it made for some stimulating exercises; really, when you spend days cooked up in the base for synch tests or the like, you do anything to feel alive.

What's the point of survival if there's nothing to look forward to? That's what Marie didn't understand about NERV, or her fellow pilots. The only friend she used to know, Mari Makinami, didn't seem to live for anything past being an Eva pilot or sniffing the LCL like it was a drug, instead of blood. Mari Makinami had always freaked her out then, and thinking about her freaked her out now.

(She misses her, though. She loved how the base would keep confusing them for one another due to the names, even though Makinami was a brunette and had those stupid glasses and that chest. Mari was a nightmare, but one she wouldn't have minded reliving, just one more time.)

It wasn't much better with Asuka, or Kaworu. Asuka was too obsessed with being the best, and Kaworu made it his life's purpose to be as mysterious as possible. It made sense for him given he was an Angel, but that didn't really give Marie much options for friendship. Really, Shinji was the most normal by comparison. At least he had goals, even if they frustratingly pitted him against her. Marie wondered if they could have worked together as a criminal duo.

"Hm, maybe, maybe not." She said softly. "We could have been great. Oh well."

He was fun while it lasted. Then it became about Venom, about Angels and sacrifice, and… Marie couldn't take that. She wasn't Captain America, or a superhero, really; she stepped up because no one else wanted to. Asuka had to be pushed into doing something, unlike her. That was what set Marie apart from the rest. She was a good pilot! A good girl… when she wanted to be.

She heard the sound of children playing. Marie turned her head towards a basketball court, where some kids were dribbling the ball in a messy game where she couldn't tell which team was which. At one point, one of them fell over, scratching the knee. The other kids, surprising considering how cruel they can be at that age, quickly brought out the band aid and helped their friend. One of them said it was what Spider-Man would have done.

Those children were innocent, Marie decided. They had no idea what was coming, the bloodbath Spider-Man and Scarlet Spider or anyone else were going to get into in a few days.

"They don't know the horrible things that are about to happen, now…" Marie said with some venom. "Lucky them."

She didn't feel so lucky. Marie fought hard to be good all her life, but it still went to hell. Not because of fate; in fact, she was too jaded to believe in that.

Sometimes, bad things happen because they do.

Marie Vincennes couldn't fight the grin off of her face as she patted her pocket filled with wallets of cash.

It wasn't a very big party. The Bar with No Name was home to the biggest crooks in town, all gathered in one place. The rules were simple: don't cause trouble; don't snitch, and don't say names to the cops. Anyone who broke the rules, never came back with their fingers intact. Marie found herself inside, having successfully robbed several of the drunk and stupid patrons without any threat to herself.

It wasn't hard either. A pocket snatch here, an accessory steal there, silently nabbing a watch from the wrist at points; Marie had it practiced to a science.

Now she was aiming for the big time; she planned to rob the Big Man himself, Frederick Foswell.

By day, he was a reporter for the DB, owned by Dexter Bennet for a decade now. By night, Foswell operated a small, but strong gang that roughed up civilians for protection money. Foswell hadn't been subtle with connections a secret, but no one really cared enough to investigate him. His Enforcers, Fancy Dan, Ox, and Montana, were off to the side, watching whoever came their boss' way. Marie wanted to play with fire tonight, so she had to play it cool.

That sounded a lot better in her head than it did out loud, honestly.

Some would say she was biting off more than she could chew, and maybe they were right. Wading through the crowd to get Foswell was a tense enough experience; the sneaky little pick pocket carefully looked to the sides, hoping no one was watching her. Foswell had a short temper, so Marie had no illusions about what would happen if she was caught.

She was so close, though, that was the thing. The rush of robbing someone blind… Marie let greed guide her while his back was turned. He laughed along with some other drunk folks, bragging about nabbing some old lady blind, as Marie reached out her hand.

Closer… ever so closer…

A sudden grasp of her hand startled her. Marie was quickly forced to turn, finding herself face to face with a much older woman. She glared at Marie, forcing her back.

"Playing it hard is nothing but trouble." She spoke with venom. "You could have gotten yourself killed over there."

Marie glared back. "You ruined my night. It was the biggest heist I've ever done, and you ruined it."

"Thieves know better than to bite off more than they could chew. Come with me."

Marie hadn't seen this woman in the bar before. She had platinum blond hair, and had a white dress that fit snugly her. The curious little cat pendant hung around her neck clear as day, for anyone's taking. The woman had seen better days, but there was steel glinting inside her eyes. A spirit that hadn't been taken from her.

Either way, the older woman led Marie outside, where the moon's light didn't reach the dark alleyway

"I've been watching you all night." She said like it wasn't a big deal. "Gotta say, not bad for a rookie. You snatched up everyone else's wad like it was no problem. You're quite the natural."

"Really? If I'm so natural, then why pull me out of the Big Man? He was the score!"

"It's too much trouble for someone like you. All it does it get you hurt."

"And you would know something about it?" Marie crossed her arms. "You've had a whole life to figure yourself out! I barely lived mine, being cooped up at the ba- I mean, my home!"

The older woman raised an eyebrow. "Do tell?"

"Like I'd tell you my life story!" Marie turned around. "I get enough grief from Sue as is. I just want some freedom from this miserable hellhole! No one to tell me no, or what to do…"

She proceeded to march out of the alleyway, hoping to get as far away from this woman and the bar as possible. There would be a new synch test tomorrow, which would determine whether she or Makinami would be sent off to Tokyo-3 for battle. Marie didn't want anything to do with it, but had no choice. She hoped that at least one more night of thieving would be good. That was twice she had been disappointed.

"Wait!"

Marie turned, watching the older woman approach her. She could feel a sneer coming from the older woman, as she gave her a curious grin.

"I think I understand… you're obviously feeling caged, wherever you are. You want to prowl the nights, go to town, truly be free… is that right?"

"… yes." Marie raised an eyebrow. "Where are you going with this, you creepy old crone?"

The older woman laughed. "Creepy old kitty more like. I'd like you to have something."

Interestingly, she took off the pendant around her neck, handing it over to Marie. She took it into her hands, gazing at it.

"It looks cool and all." Marie turned her head back towards the woman. "But I don't see what I'm going to do with this, Miss…?"

"Hardy." She smiled. "Let's just say I was like you, once upon a time. The pendant's brought me all sorts of luck over the years, good and bad, but I don't regret the way my life turned out. Keep it on you, and maybe you'll find a way to make life more interesting for yourself."

Marie was naturally skeptical. She clutched the pendant over her own neck, letting it dangle freely just above her chest. "Could have been more of a reward if I impressed you so much…"

"Give it time, you'll appreciate it." Hardy frowned. "I'll warn you though. It comes with terrible sacrifices… You have to be really sure if it's what you really want."

"Why give it to me then?"

"Because like me, you can't resist what you can't have." Hardy smirked. "I'll see you on the other side, some day."

She left it at that, going back to the bar they just came from, leaving Marie slightly bewildered.

"Okaaaaaay?" She whispered to no one. "Fine. I guess I'll just go somewhere else."

Marie casually walked somewhere else. A different alleyway than the one she left. The city was smaller than something like New York, and Marie would rather be in an area where she wasn't so recognizable. She sat on the pavement, taking the time to examine the pendant closely. A puddle, left over from the rain much earlier during the day, kept her company.

Somehow, the pendant seemed fresh and newly made, in spite of apparently being in the woman's possession for years. She was very careful in maintaining it, Marie thought, rubbing the eyes of the cat. Marie pouted.

"What's the use of this thing? It's probably not worth much."

She looked away, closing her eyes for a moment. She didn't see the way the pendant glowed between her fingers.

"I don't even know why I accepted it… I should head back there and give it back to her. Maybe I'll some actual cash from- AAAAAAAAHHHH!"

The pain! Her arms, her legs, her body trembled, an invisible pressure pulsing through her veins. Marie clutched her head, trying to maintain sanity as an unfamiliar power flowed through her. She could feel the way her muscles expanded, her hair burned and extended, and her eyes…

Suddenly, it all stopped. Marie was confused and dazed, the pain having disappeared as if it never existed.

"Holy shit, holy shit what…?"

Marie glanced at her fingers, only to find them covered in clawed gloves. She inspected her arms, only to find them covered in leather. Panicked, she gazed at the puddle, and found the pupils in her eyes became narrow.

"What is…" She spoke. "Why did- how did?"

She mewled out of nowhere, causing her to blush at herself. Marie scratched her hair, her fingers pulling a bit of it into her line of sight, revealing them to be platinum blond.

"Just like that crone! Kitty. Whatever." She rolled her eyes. "When I get my hands on her I'll- I don't know, I'll do something"

As if by instinct, she used her newly formed claws to scale the building she was on. Marie realized she had great agility, as she jumped over the rooftop and gazed at the view below. No one noticed her approach, nor did the cars stop to find her. It was only Marie, atop of the world.

"M-Maybe… maybe this isn't so bad." She muttered. "This is kind of like what Noriko Takaya used to do right? Super strength? What else can I do?"

She looked over to another rooftop. Glancing at the space between her building and the other, Marie felt a tinge of fear. It quickly subsided, as she ran towards the ledge, and jumped across it.

No screaming. No yelling. Not a word. Like a cat landing on its feet, Marie landed on the other side without even a scratch. It was true. The pendant gave her this newfound power. It changed her, into someone capable of amazing feats such as this.

There was, naturally, only one reaction she could give.

She grinned.

"Alright, FREEDOM HERE I COME, WHOOOOO!"

Now, Marie thought, she was as badass as Captain America.

The All-New, All-Different Marie Vincennes spent the rest of the night impressing herself. She would dance along the rooftops like she owned them; stole the brightest trinkets, cash and jewels from all the good little boys and girls in town, and eventually, she'd stop to mewl a nothing. At last, Marie was no longer a slave to the whims of uncaring, passionless adults who wanted her to pilot a death machine; she was a woman, first and foremost.

The Black Cat was born into the night, and Marie loved herself for it.

As she lay on another rooftop, Marie counted the money between her fingers, delighted in tonight's outcome.

"Five hundred… six hundred…" She whistled. "Oh wow, I guess they don't trust banks these days. Probably the right idea too, more for me!"

She had to laugh. Tomorrow could be whatever it wanted for all she cared. Marie was living free, tonight. No one would ever call her out like this…

Shaking her head, Marie realized she had forgotten her phone. She pulled it out of her pocket.

"Missed calls… hm." Marie looked at the text. "Mari?"

Her friend, Mari Makinami. The crazy one. The bloodthirsty one. The warrior.

She left behind text messages, sharing that Unit 04 was to undergo a procedure to insert an S-2 Organ. Whatever it was. Dr. Richards had noticed Marie herself was absent from her room, so he demanded she be brought back..

"More work for her, I guess." Marie rolled her eyes. "Of course, something had to ruin my fun. Ugh, I'm sooo going to get reprimanded. Fine then."

She looked over herself again. "Wait, how do I change back? Is it an unconscious thing or…?"

Another flash of light. Marie Vincennes went back to her old form, bewildered once again.

"Wow… so this is how it works…." She looked down from the rooftop. "Eh, maybe I should've actually gotten down first…"

After several minutes, Marie managed to find a taxi that would take her back to NERV HQ. It was a very long drive through the desert. By the time they were nearing the area, the sun had started to rise.

"You sure the place is here?" The cab driver rubbed his eyes. "Damn, you live far…"

"Positive." She said. "It's a military thing. Top secret. Can't say."

"Oh… damn military."

Indeed.

Marie found it strange how the base seemed to be absent from her view. By now, there was usually military guards surrounded by gates past a mile. She became more worried as the driver drew closer, her eyes widening.

"I… oh wait… no…".

There was supposed to be a street lane past this point. The taxi stopped at the almost perfectly cut road in front of it. A whole stretch of land, gone. A hole was all that was left now.

"You sure this is the place, ma'am?" The driver spoke again. "It's, um, awfully deserted."

"No… no, it can't be like this!" She yelled. "NO!"

Marie got out of the cab, trying desperately to find something out in this desert. A sign of life, or an airplane, something, anything.

But there wasn't.

In that moment, before she would be picked up by a military helicopter and informed about the S-2 engine's failure and destruction of the base, Marie realized that the people she knew, including Dr. Richards, Sue, all the others… including Makinami…

They were all gone. She would never get them back.

"No… no no NO!"

She screamed into the air, in a futile attempt to call them back. For a long time, Marie thought she was responsible for what had happened; that somehow, based on the older woman's words, that she sacrificed them when she accepted the pendant. It took over a month to realize that it wasn't true.

It was just bad luck.

"Look, here comes Spider-Man!"

Marie was disturbed from her reverie by the crowd. She looked up, only to find Spider-Man swinging through the air, as if he owned the skyline. With the audience cheering for their hero, perhaps he did.

Even from her corner of the world, she could pick up on how the pluguit was used as the basis for this costume; the vents that would normally be on his chest were instead worked into the back, to allow better maneuverability. The chest and upper shoulders were painted, along with his set of gloves, while being brushed with silver web lines; the pants and stripes along the shoulders and torso were also white, and now he possessed a set of web wings underneath his armpits, installed for potential gliding.

His mask was attached to the back of the collar, having the same web lines as the chest, and his yellow lenses replaced the white ones he used to have. The chest spider insignia is a thick white, while the back has a round red spider symbol with four legs on each side.

From her point of view, Spider-Man looked like a godling, manifested from myth or legend. Or like a cheaply drawn comic book character. No one knew the difference these days.

Even as the hero retreated from view, the crowd continued to clap, trying to get a glimpse of Spider-Man. Even if they didn't know him, or his reasons for fighting, they still supported him all the way like he was a celebrity. They thanked him just for existing, even if he wasn't helping.

Marie couldn't help but envy him for it. How could Shinji have it easy, without trying? How could he be so put together, while she was falling apart at the seams? Maybe he was never normal at all. Maybe he was a chosen one fate decided to bless with good fortune.

She decided that she hated him for it.

"I'm going to get revenge, Spider." She said to no one. "I'll pull out the stops on the next caper, going after you. Only when I've beaten you, then I'll allow myself to go."

Only then.

Marie turned around, only to accidentally bump into someone else. She gave the stranger an apologetic frown.

"Oh sorry," She said. "I wasn't watching where I was going."

"It's okay. It seems everyone's a touch distracted today." Noriko glanced up, watching Spider-Man swing away. "He seems like a big deal."

"What, you don't know about Spider-Man?"

"I've heard of him. Not much about him, though." Noriko smiled. "Maybe you know something? I'm just a passing visitor after all."

Marie laughed ruefully. "He's a rotten jerk who had it easy. That's all I ever need to know."

She dashed off, not even bothering to spot Noriko's eyebrow crease. Marie wasn't in the mood for a solid conversation. She was angry, and she needed an outlet.

So began another battle between the Black Cat and Spider-Man. They would cross paths again, and this time, there would be no prisoners.

Commander Kozou Fuyutski poured himself a drink, and stared.

The bright sunset flowing from the window made the office look much darker than normal. Or maybe it was a trick of the eyes. Fuyutski didn't care as much, letting the alcohol enter his system. It was all he could do to not fall apart.

"Yui… it seems you won't ascend after all.

None of the scenarios had gone as planned. None of them were anywhere near the way they were supposed to. Without an S-2 engine for Unit 01, it meant that it couldn't run indefinitely like the Angels could. That already meant that Gendo Ikari's scenario failed, but that same part would have also allowed Yui Ikari to hijack the ceremony and control Instrumentality to her liking. Yui's plan was left in the dust.

It was all because of her son. Everything came down to the boy, whether anyone knew it or not. Yui wanted to show him a brighter future. Instead, Shinji chose humanity.

Hell, that's what this planet is. That's what NERV will go through in five days.

In five days, SEELE would immobilize the JSSDF to attack NERV. In five days, the grand ritual will be activated, and the old men may get their wish. In five days, everyone will be dead, and it came down to hubris. Gendo's hubris, Yui's hubris; his own, for thinking he would survive any of this.

"It was all a twist of fate." Fuyutski spat out. "We are ruined."

Maybe at one point he might have been distraught with what had become of him. Sorrow at how the relatively hopeful college professor became an accessory to one of mankind's greatest horrors ever produced. Anger at how Gendo had betrayed everything he and Yui stood for, in his quest to relieve his loneliness.

But none of that mattered anymore. Fuyutski made his bed, and he will die lying on it. He consumed more alcohol.

"I will continue fighting for you, Yui." Fuyutski whispered. "Perhaps with Rei, I can help Humanity reach its rightful end. No matter what your son does, he will be forced to see the truth."

He disgusted himself, but not enough to regret his choices… Somehow, Fuyutski will make Shinji, Gendo, Katsuragi, and all the others at NERV pay for their indiscretions. He'll see Yui's will through to the end.

But first, he needed to stop SEELE from achieving their plans. No matter what he thought, they were a threat to everyone. First, NERV had to finish them off for good, along with Gendo. Fuyutski had to make sure to secure the first Angel from his hand, somehow.

Then, when the dust was settled, maybe he'll see what Rei's face would look like once he plunged Adam into her core.

Here and back again. The same jewelry store she broke into the day she met Spider-Man. A perfect book end.

The Black Cat was more brazen in her break-in compared to the first one. Subtlety didn't matter anymore; She had already proven to herself how easily she could get inside. This wasn't so much a heist, but a blunt force robbery, disguising a more personal mission.

The owner of the store bulged his eyes upon seeing her. He made a warning about calling the police. Needless to say, he had to be silenced.

Not killed, that'd be way too far for what amounted to a petty revenge plot. Marie simply knocked the owner out and tied him up, while she looked around the store.

"Hmmm… What would be valuable enough to take for the trip… aha!"

Marie spotted a ruby behind a glass case. She grinned, marching towards it with purpose.

She even passed through the security beams, even if they triggered the alarm system. Honestly, it was just as much fun triggering it now as it had been the first time. If Spider-Man were to come, Marie had to make sure he'd knew to find her here. The blazing alarm bell was the icing on this already fine tribute cover she had concocted, along with smashing the glass containing a ruby.

"Well, look at you." Marie grinned. "Shiny, red, mesmerizing… I wonder what it'd be like to keep you."

"Actually, you can't leave with that thing unless you have a hall pass!"

Smirking, Marie put the Ruby inside her pocket, turning towards the voice. Like the speed of light, Spider-Man arrived just in time. He looked so confident, the way he had his arms crossed facing her, as if he knew what to expect from her. The Black Cat would make him regret his folly.

"I can get through anything, Spider. I don't need anyone's permission." Marie said. "You have a lot of confidence for someone who lost the first time."

"That was when I didn't know about your powers." Spider-Man replied. His lenses moved, as if they were his eyes, narrowing after saying it. Ayanami said it would add character. Marie agreed with her; it made him more unsettling. "Now, I think I've got a better handle."

He glanced at the poor owner, tied up against the wall. Shinji pouted.

"Did you really have to knock him out?"

"He was in the way." Black Cat got into a fighting stance. "Besides, I got you right in my sights."

Spider-Sense!

She made a mad dash for him, aiming her legs to drop kick Spider-Man. However, he swiftly dodged the attack, striking her with a kick to her side. Marie grabbed the floor with her hands, though, and threw herself at Spider-Man to kick him down. She straddled him, trying to smear his face onto the floor.

Spider-Man moved his head away from the fists, however, as he gained the upper hand by grabbing her waist and throwing her against the wall. He tried punching her, but Black Cat swiped at his chest, then kicked him into a glass display, knocking over some diamond rings in the process. It raised more of the alarms.

"Ouch! You're being unusually brutal today, Cat."

"Maybe I just wanted to play it rough."

She made a run for him again. This time, Shinji aimed his newly constructed web shooter towards her, shooting out a concentrated ball of webbing towards her eyes.

"Hey, no fair!"

"Sorry, Cat." Shinji shrugged. "Asuka didn't let me go without her gadgets."

She ripped it off, but not in time for Spider-Man to kick her towards the ground. She avoided another kick to swipe his legs, only for him to dodge that too, and block a punch she was about to give him. It went on like this for a while, each block from Spider-Man serving to infuriate the Black Cat even further.

"Why won't you just stay down, Spider!"

"I like to disappoint!"

"Yeah, you do, don't you?!"

Black Cat jumped atop his head, wrapping her legs around him to send him to the floor. However, Spider-Man didn't take it, as he grabbed onto her legs and spun her towards the wall. She hit it, disorienting her long enough for Spider-Man to place one arm just below her neck, and the other holding both her hands, so she wouldn't get away.

"Something tells me this isn't a game, Cat." Spider-Man said. "What's really going on?"

"Oh, wouldn't you like to know?" Black Cat growled. "You were never a curious spider."

"Try me. I think I might understand, more than you think."

"No." She frowned. "You wouldn't."

The Black Cat grabbed his waist with her legs, then smashed his body through the wall, into the alleyway. Marie scratched the back of her head as she got up, not too eager to repeat that technique. It wasn't subtle, but it got Spider-Man off of her.

"Chase me if you can, Spider!" She yelled out. "I got the Ruby in my pocket, and you're not going to get it!"

As Spider-Man's vision returned, he realized that Marie was making a get away. She jumped between the walls using her acrobatics, and then made a jump to the rooftop.

He clutched his head. "Oh, you're getting it now!"

Spider-Man launched a web line to reach the rooftop, in hot pursuit of the Black Cat. She had already jumped towards the next rooftop with ease, so Shinji had to hasten the pace. He web-zipped across to the next building.

"Hold on, Marie! What's happening to you?"

"None of your business!"

He was fast, but Marie was faster, her experienced acrobatics making a clean shift across rooftops. Shinji narrowed his eyes, deciding to try a different tactic. He swung from one of his webs to chase her across the buildings, instead of trying to catch her directly.

"I noticed you were kind of mad!"

"Geez, what else did you find, Captain Obvious?"

"Maybe if you tell me what's the matter, we could actually get a chance to fix whatever's gone wrong."

"It's not something you can do. It's everything!"

"Everything, that's a solid starting point. Now let's try some specifics!"

"That's about as much as you're getting!"

"Less that satisfying, you're being." Spider-Man stuck to the side of one building, rushing to lunge at her. "Maybe if we a bit personal, hm?"

As he did so, Black Cat amazingly managed to grab him mid-flight, smashing him into an air conditioning box. Even Shinji was left dazed after that.

"How about you just stay lost?!" Marie said. "Didn't you hear about seven years of bad luck?"

She made another dash, but suddenly felt a weight fall on top of her. Soon, both careened down the building, towards the alleyway.

"I've had almost a year's worth of bad luck!" Shinji yelled. "What's six more?"

Marie glared at him. "What would you know about bad luck! You got it made!"

Immediately after saying it, they crashed to the floor. The Black Cat clutched her head, lying on top of Spider-Man, who went underneath her to help cushion the fall for her. She was not grateful for it, as when she slowly did get up, she began to lash out in disgust.

"I had to lose everything before coming here!" Marie screamed. "Why should I give a shit about your opinion! What did you ever lose?! You lost Kaworu, boo-hoo, I lost my home, my family, my friend, everything I ever cared about! You may be okay with dying to those old bastards, but I'm sick of being anyone's puppet! I'm not going to be the one to bring bad luck wherever I go!"

She hoped that would have given her some satisfaction. Vindication, at least, from having beaten Spider-Man so thoroughly yet again. Instead, Marie didn't feel… anything. It was a hollow accomplishment, made worse when she realized what she had said.

"Wait, no… sorry, Kaworu didn't deserve that… fuck…"

Marie shook her head, feeling disgusted with herself. It wasn't helped by Spider-Man's groaning, as he also was clutched his back getting up.

"You're scared. So am I." Spider-Man said. "Believe me, I've lost people, too. Not just him. It haunts me a lot, just as you probably feel."

"…" Marie frowned. "You do a good job hiding it… the invincible hero, saving the day. How could anyone live up to that?"

He snickered at her, making Marie confused. She glared at him.

"What's so funny?!"

"Sorry, it's just… you sounded a bit like Asuka just now." Shinji said. "She said something similar the first few weeks she was here. You two are more alike than you think."

Before Marie could respond further, they heard yelling behind them.

"WELL, WELL, WELL, looks like the bug boy's in town!"

The two suddenly noticed there were people in the alleyway. They carried weapons with them, bats and guns, aiming straight for them. The criminals began to jeer at them, clearly confident in their numbers against the two costumed vigilantes.

"With that girlfriend of his! Are they boyfriend and girlfriend?"

"I think so. I mean, they look kinda hot together."

"Gross. They're, like, kids."

"She's clearly a kid; her bust size is too small. Spider-Man could be, well, a man."

"You don't know that!"

"Who cares about that shit?" The lead crook yelled. "End 'em!"

Spider-Man and Black Cat looked at each other. They nodded.

"Truce?"

"Truce."

At that moment, a red blur was thrown towards the crowd of criminals. It hit one goon, knocking him out and forcing him to drop the gun to the floor. The blur began taking several of them down, bouncing around the alley walls as if possessed by a ghost; it was the only reason it miraculously did not attack either of the superpowered teenagers, before returning to its rightful owner, clutching it in her arm.

"Hey there." A new voice spoke. "Room for one more?"

Spider-Man and Black Cat found a woman not too much older than them. She was dressed in the colors of the American flag; another star stitched at the center of her along the scale mail-armored chest, red and white strands on her abdomen, and a helmet with wings attached to the sides. She held the shield as if it were a part of her body, the five-pointed star at the center of blue, white and red concentric circles, complimenting her design. Her eyes and nose were covered in a blue ribbon, tied into a knot that blew in the wind.

She crossed her arms together, her legs split in a striking pose. It sent fear down to the goons in the alleyway.

Shinji had no frame of reference for this new character. He looked at her, confused. "Ummm who are you?"

Marie, on the other hand, knew exactly who she was. She squealed. "Holy shit, it's Noriko Takaya, THE Captain America! I know that Takaya pose anywhere! I read about you in the history books!"

"I hope they printed the truth." Noriko sheepishly smiled. "Now, shall we get started?"

One of the goons was bewildered at the newcomer. "What is she, some kind of cosplayer? That shit is tacky!"

"We got this one in da bag! CHARGE!"

The fight was barely a blimp on their radar. The moment they worked together, the goons didn't stand a chance. Spider-Man kicked one straight for Marie to punch him out, while Captain America bashed several more with her shield, throwing it to block a gun shot aimed at Spider-Man. He then ran across a wall, webbing several more goons as Black Cat and the Captain punched them out. Marie grinned wildly, as she kicked more goons down, taking the Captain's arm, and throwing her at more in the crowd.

It was the best team-up Marie had ever been on, she decided. How many times could someone say they were next to a living legend, seemingly preserved in amber?

"Keep it up!" Noriko yelled. "There's only a few stragglers left."

As the numbers began to lessen, Spider-Man decided to take this opportunity to talk. He punched out his goon.

"Sooooo… Black Cat, you're nervous."

"I'm not!"

"That's not how I read it!"

"Okay, I am. You don't seem all that worried that we're going to get attacked in five days! How crazy are you?!"

"Is that what this is about? Ma- I mean, Black Cat. I'm going crazy worried about what could happen!"

"Could have fooled me!"

"That's because I've had months to practice hiding my worries. That doesn't mean I never got 'em!"

"Months?!"

"Let's finish up these guys and I'll tell you about it."

"Good." Noriko spoke. "I don't like being the third wheel in these things."

By the time they were done, the alleyway was filled with dropped goons and busted guns. Shinji, Marie, and even Noriko panted heavily, tired from their long fight. Marie looked at her fellow pilot.

"Ha… I wish we had met sooner, honestly." She admitted. "I liked having fun with you."

"Hm. I liked this too." Spider-Man clutched his shoulder. "Could use less beatings in my life, but you know, what can you do really?"

"Not get involved?"

"Nah. I lost someone because I looked the other way once. Never again."

Marie frowned. "You did…?"

"It seems you have a lot to talk about." Noriko piped in. "Want me to come back later, or…?"

"Oh no no, stay!" Marie said. "We'll finish this a bit later. Why don't we, uh, I don't know, talk somewhere? Privately, I mean, not in this smelly alley."

Captain America glanced around the defeated goons, and shrugged.

"If you say so." Noriko said. "Want to grab a bite to eat?"

"Yum, this is so good!" Marie munched on her food. "If this is reward for good behavior, I accept it!"

"Hm, it's just me being nice." Noriko smiled, her mask off as a show of good faith. "You two deserve a treat after what you got into. I was saving it for a friend, but I don't think she'd like it."

The three sat on a rooftop, satisfied with the bento Takaya had brought them. Shinji wondered if she had cooked it herself, or if she had bought them; the taste was a bit bitter, like it had been overheated. Marie, however, didn't really care, as she had different questions.

"Holy crap, I can't believe we actually got to fight with you!" She almost yelled. "How did we do? I mean, obviously you've fought a lot worse than that, but- I mean, we're practically crime fighters already!"

Shinji had to roll his eyes, as Noriko laughed. "I thought you both did alright. I thought to step in, but you seemed to have a rhythm going."

"We work together well." Spider-Man said plainly. "I did hear about you from one of my friends… so, with all due respect, what is someone called Captain America doing here in Japan? I don't think a lot of people would like you."

"I'd like to say I was visiting a beautiful country." Noriko smiled. "It is, by the way. Truth is, I was actually here to see you, Spider-Man." She turned towards Black Cat. "Not that meeting you wasn't a pleasure, though."

Black Cat grimaced. "Of course it'd have something to do with him. Anything weird or amazing, they come to him."

"That's just part of my luck, Cat." Spider-Man stood up from the floor. "Alright, Captain. You found me. What are you here for?"

"Calm down, soldier. I'm just here to talk."

Noriko also stood up, making small steps towards the ledge. She was wistful over the view, not bothered by the shield she carried around her back.

"Hmm, Kasumi told me a lot about Japan. She wanted to come back here after the war, to help rebuild it into something better." Noriko blinked some tears away. "It's a shame she isn't here to see it."

Spider-Man's lenses widened a bit in concern. "Captain…?"

Noriko shook her head. "Sorry. Just reminiscing." She turned towards him, her frown tightening. "Believe it or not, Spider-Man, you've made quite the impact in the States."

"Me?" Shinji pointed at himself. "I'm just a guy in a costume-"

"Who could climb walls, shoot webs, and prance around fighting crime." Noriko waved her hands. "No judging! It's clearly working out for you. But the first thing I noticed when they carved me out of the ice and I returned to service was the amount of costumed weirdoes running around trying to be you."

"I don't get why. I didn't ask them do it!"

"Didn't say you did. Just that you clearly left an impact. You can't help who you inspire." Noriko frowned. "To tell you the truth, I'm a little jealous."

That made Marie raise her eyebrows. "What- but, you're like CAPTAIN AMERICA! What do you have to be jealous about?! You helped save the world!"

"I did. They also scrubbed the information clean for years." Noriko shook her head. "I lost so many friends during the war… I thought we'd at least be remembered, but that didn't even happen. The world's changed a lot since my day, some of it for the better… but otherwise it feels like it's been regressed. We're still trying to take land, hurt people for old bigotries, make ourselves richer, backstab each other, even though we had those Angels on our doorstep."

Spider-Man and Black Cat twinged, fully understanding what she meant. They've had their fair share of experiences with bad guys trying to be big shots.

"I got myself enlisted so I could follow in my dad's footsteps. I wanted to become a soldier to serve my country and do it proud. But now America and the world make less sense than in my time, if they ever did…" Noriko pointed at Spider-Man. "And then I heard about you."

"Me?"

"They called me a superhero too, once upon a time. From what I heard, you're the first in this era." Noriko scratched the back of her head. "I guess I was curious to see what kind of person you were. Why you fought." She looked at Black Cat. "Although, I think I also gained some insight on why someone would want to commit crime too."

Marie nervously chuckled. "Heh heh, sorry! I'm usually a good kitty."

"It's… humbling to hear that, Captain. But I think you've got the wrong guy." Spider-Man said. "I'm not all that special in the grand scheme of things. I'm just one person."

"One person can make all the difference, even if it takes a people to fight a war." Noriko smiled. "Our sacrifices, who we save, what we leave behind is just as important as who we were in life. We all need to know what we stand for."

"You've probably done a lot more than I did. I'm just trying to help."

"It's not about impact. It's about what you give. When I heard about the horrible things Japan and the Nazis were doing to their own people, as well as ours, I fought to get into the military. I was never the first choice to be Captain America, but thanks to the Coach and Kasumi, I was able to fight them on the front lines. The things they did to get me there, I hold them precious t me. You're at a similar crossroads now… You're there, doing your thing, and changing people, for the better and worse. So if you don't mind me asking, what are you fighting for? What do you hope to leave behind?"

It was a big question. Shinji was left puzzled, trying to think of what he could say to the living legend who stood before him. She fought and gave herself to the battlefield to an extend no would understand, while he was just some boy, following in her footsteps.

He glanced at Marie, who was also stunned at the questioning occurring. She had no answers on her face. Whatever Shinji had to say, he had to come up with it himself. So, Spider-Man chose to be honest.

"What I leave behind…" Shinji started. "To tell you the truth, I hadn't thought much about it. When I first became… this, I was swept up in the power, and I lost someone important to me. My teacher, who raised me the best he could even if I didn't understand how much he cared half the time. For a long time, I thought I was fighting out of guilt, to soothe my ego. Maybe I still am."

He shook his head. "But there was a bigger lesson, one my teacher never said in words, but tried to show me: with great power, there must also come great responsibility. My actions don't happen in a vacuum; they affect everyone, in this large, messy web of life… It's not just personal responsibility; it's our shared duty to mankind.

"I want to protect my friends. My family. Complete strangers. I also want to show them that we can look out for each other and help. That's what I'm hoping to leave behind."

It wasn't much, but it was the truth. That was all Shinji could say.

Evidently, it was what she needed to hear. At that speech, Captain America smiled ever so widely. "You have a good head on your shoulders, Spider-Man. You carry your teacher's spirit proudly in you, just like Coach's beating heart lies in my shield."

"Thanks, Captain!" Spider-Man laughed. "But you're pushing it quite a bit. You're a legend! You don't need advice from me."

"I know heroism when I see it. You? You're on your way."

With that, the heroes shook hands. There was a special feeling to this moment, as if a monumental chapter in their lives had begun, even if neither were aware of where it led. All they did know, however, was that for one moment they were comrades, and they could trust each other if they faced another threat.

They heard sniffing beside them. Noriko and Shinji sharply turned to find Marie tearing up.

"Sorry, that moment was incredibly beautiful." She wiped tears from her eyes. "I ruined it didn't I?"

"Ha, no." Noriko continued smiling at her. "You didn't mean to offend." She started to stretch. "I better be off soon. I don't want to get chased off by an angry mob."

"Wait, Miss Takaya!"

Noriko raised an eyebrow at Black Cat, puzzled by the way she seemed to wobble towards her. Until the Cat brought out a small notebook from her fight pocket.

"Um, sorry, but-" Marie brought out a notebook. "Can I have an autograph? It's for, uh, my sister, you see."

Noriko smirked. "Sure thing! Who do I make this out to?"

"Marie. She's, well, a fan."

"Sure."

Captain America signed it without issue. Marie had to keep herself from squealing even further, as the Captain got her shield, climbing the ledge.

"There's a threat coming." Spider-Man said. "Do you know about SEELE?"

"I do." Noriko said. "The people I work, we're aiming to take them down. We'll be seeing each other soon enough."

The Captain jumped away, leaving for parts unknown. Both Spider-Man and Black Cat felt a lot more reassured.

"So, want to continue where we left off or…?" Shinji asked. "I don't really want to continue fighting, honestly."

"Nah." Marie waved it off. "It was pretty dumb what happened."

"Oh?"

"I was going through a lot. Scared out of my mind, over… everything. But this moment, it showed me what I need to do."

"You sure? Nobody would blame you if you left."

"I would. I already lost a home once. I won't let this one be destroyed too."

She raised her hand towards him. "What do you, partner? Want to start over?"

"I say," Shinji smiled. "That works out fine for me."

They shook their hands on it, reaffirmed in their shared purpose. No matter what lay on the horizon, they weren't alone in their struggle. They would survive, all of them will, no matter what it took to make it happen. Their lives may have been shaped by bad luck, but their future will be what they make of it.

"So, Cat, you going to return that ruby now?"

"…"

"Marie, please, I'm tired-"

"Race you to the base!"

"OH COME ON, MARIE!"

At night, Noriko Takaya rode to a small café, content at what transpired.

She took her seat on one of the tables next to the window. Nobody would really pay attention to some random girl, not out here. Noriko ordered coffee, waiting for one of her agents to arrive.

The Captain came to Japan, not just to make contact with the agent, but to find her answers on Spider-Man. She needed to know what kind of person he was; Thankfully, he passed her inspection with flying colors. With his sense of responsibility and commitment to the cause, Noriko knew that if she saw him on the battlefield, she could trust him to have her back.

"A few more minutes," Noriko said. "I might as well call back to base."

She activated the communicator around her ear. The most boring part of the day, in her opinion, but she was used to calling back to her superiors.

"Director Fury, I made contact with Spider-Man." Noriko told him. "He was amazing; we'll be lucky to have him on our side."

"Damn straight. That kid's made waves. We need him."

"I'm not so sure about recruiting him, however." She was blunt. "He's still a boy. Far too young for this sort of thing."

"And you weren't?"

"I know I was. I'd rather we wait a few years before we make contact."

"Fair enough. Did you get in touch with Agent 42?"

"Not yet. She should be around here soon."

"Report back immediately when you do. We're getting ready to assault the NERV Germany compound with Agent Mockingbird."

"And Fujikawa?"

"Work in progress. She said she was tracking down a man who stole her armor designs. When you're done, get your ass straight to Germany. Roger out."

Noriko shook her head. That man could be a piece of work, but she guessed he had to be, when he was in charge of the only spy organization that SEELE hadn't managed to infiltrate.

S.H.I.E.L.D. had been busy keeping track of the Committee, gathering mountains of evidence against them while sabotaging other operations around the world. Fury had made the decision to attack the German compound in five days, when the Committee would least expect it. At that point, they would be so busy focusing on NERV Japan that their defenses would be weakened.

So long as NERV Japan held out against the onslaught, S.H.I.E.L.D. would be barge in, arrest the SEELE members, and bring them to court for prosecution. She didn't like the plan, even less now that she got to know Spider-Man, aka Shinji Ikari, but they didn't have a choice.

The door opened. Noriko sipped her coffee, gazing at the new arrival. She smiled at the agent.

"How are you doing tonight, Agent 42?"

"Fine, just a bit frazzled…" Mana Kirishima sat down, seemingly shaken. "You're not going to believe what happened earlier today!"

Author's Notes:

Dun dun dUUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNN!

If this were Mass Effect, the chapter would effectively be the Marie Vincennes Loyalty Mission. Thankfully, Shinji's managed to win her over. Maybe the Suicide Mission will go well, after all!

This was a chapter ultimately saved by Marie. Originally, it didn't really have much going for it aside from the costume designing and the Captain Takaya cameo, and I had trouble coming up with ideas for it; however, as Marie hadn't really been explored too much by this point, I decided to shift the focus a bit towards her, and the chapter managed to gain substance it needed, the way I liked it. I hope you all did as well!

It's funny. I spend so much time building up to Shinji getting the classic suit, but once I finally got there I ended up giving him a new suit instead. After all of Kaworu's talk about Shinji being his own person, it felt more right for Shinji to have his own outfit. Now, it's this weird mix of his first homemade suit, the plugsuit, the classic Spider-Man suit, and Mary Jane's Spinnerette suit from Renew Your Vows. I wonder what it would look like if someone would actually drew it…

If you liked Marie's little Shadow reference, you might enjoy Author0fntent's

Evangelion: Shadō Wa Shitte Imasu, to see Shinji being the infamous Shadow as Marie would have wanted. Or, if you're nostalgic for Superwomen of Eva, they have a sort of sequel/crossover fic as well, where the Marvel Superwomen have to fight Galactus. Lots of characters wound up there!

Time for Reviews:

Author0fntent: You have an idea now… but beware! Don't expect it to go the way you think. I hope you liked what I did with Marie here.

Z-King: Define "new."

Lautaro94: Well, now I know what I'll be reading for the week.

Keybladelight: You're in luck, the romance is kind of starting now! Will they kiss? No, they literally just started, and as you see, there may be sone problems. We'll see where it goes.

Nostalgia Fiction: We shall see where It heads. Thanks for leaving this review, your comments always seem to warm my tiny, precious heart.

Next Chapter: Date Night.

Omake:

"THE DEATH OF CRINGEY IKARI" by Johnny Freeman

Two voices hummed as one, on their way to the apartment.

It all seemed to be going Shinji's way: He got his revenge on the neighborhood bully, stole a someone's girlfriend at the bar, along with chocolate bar from the drugstore, and he even managed to cause a traffic jam. Bardiel may have gotten Shinji into some trouble with the police, but like any good friendship, it's a worth the pain. And nothing rounded up a good day like going home to a nice apartment with his hot mother figure and mean roommate.

As Shinji slid the door open, he was immediately besieged by an army of squirrels.

"Uhhh… Misato?!" Shinji exclaimed, "I think we have a rodent infestation!"

The squirrels rushed to him like a living tsunami of fur and chittering. They all held Shinji down as Bardiel tried to swipe them off his host; It was too late, however, as the squirrels formed into the shape of a hand, grabbing onto Shinji like an action figure.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!?" Bardiel shrieked out, "WHAT IS GOING ON!?"

"This is an intervention." Kaworu spoke. He stepped into the room, carrying a weird rifle with a trumpet like barrel. "You will trouble us no more."

"Kaworu, what's going on? Why are the Squirrels doing this? And what's with that gun?!" Shinji screamed out. "Help me!"

"BROTHER?! WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?! YOU WILL SORELY REGRET THIS." Bardiel joined Shinji. "MOM WOULDN'T HAVE WANTED US TO FIGHT!"

"Sorry about this…" Kaworu pulled the trigger. "I hope the ringing is only temporary.

And they say that a HERO WOULD SAVE US, I'M NOT GONNA STAND HERE AND WAAAAAAAIT…

Shinji and Bardiel didn't know what was worse. The painful singing playing from the sound cannon, or the fact that the music was so loud. The words drowned out by the sound of the Bass at high volume. While it did scare away the Squirrels to free Shinji, both him and Bardiel were caught at the mercy of Chad Kroeger.

I'LL HOLD ON TO THE WINGS OF THE EAGLES

AND WATCH THEM AS THEY ALL FLY AWAAAAAAAAAAYYY!

Kaworu, thanks to his godlike alien abilities, was protected from the intense distorted music as he watched Bardiel explode out of Shinji like a web of black liquid fabric, perhaps squealing in pain as it crawled away him and, more importantly, the sound.

AND THEY'RE WATCHING US, WATCHING

THEY'RE WATCHING US,

AS WE ALL FLY AWAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYY

YEAH, YEAH, YEAH… WHOOAAAAAHHHH

Kaworu let go of the trigger, the lead singer of Nickleback's voice fading as Bardiel screeched in anger. Bardiel squealed in pain as it slithered past the deaf Shinji. It made a lot of gurgling noises.

If a human were there to guess what happened, Bardiel was probably chewing out Tabris for earraping him out of his host, trying to slither for escape. Kaworu raised the sound cannon's barrel at the direction Bardiel was, to make sure it didn't escape through the windoes.

It almost reached into the hallway… only to be greeted by an intense fire, courtesy of Squirrel Rei's an air freshener and match.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Tippy Toe chittered into Rei's shoulder. Rei smiled.

"The angel has been eliminated." Rei said to Kaworu. "We are free from the cringe."

"Excellent."

As Rei and Kaworu sat down, they watched Shinji still grab his ears in pain. Kaworu held his shoulder, feeling terrible for the predicament. It was may have been a shame to put himse;f and Rei's squirrels at risk, but it was a brutal necessity.

"I hope you forgive me, Shinji..." Kaworu said softly, even though it was obvious that he didn't hear a word. "We will help you."

"What?" Shinji yelled. "I can't hear you!"

"It is for the best you didn't." Kaworu smiled. "I suppose it could be worse. We could be invaded by superhero zombies from another dimension."

The front door swung open to reveal Mari Makinami, looking like a day old corpse; crimson coated her happy face, with the milky eyes replacing the life in her brown colored eyes.

"HEY GUYS, WANNA JOIN MY HUNGER GOS-"

Kaworu immediately pointed the sound cannon at Mari Makinami, her head exploding into a crimson mist. The sound of Chad Kroeger died again, as Kaworu dropped his weapon to the floor. The corpse of Maripool dropped to the floor, hopefully destroying her brain.

"The brain does not have a healing factor, right?" Squirrel Rei asked. "We will not suffer her?

"It does not." Kaworu shook his head. "We are not going to do Marvel Evangelion Zombies. Never in a thousand years…"

Mari's finger twitched at that.