A note from the Hime no Argh herself-
First and foremost, I just want to thank everyone for the onslaught of positive feedback. I never dreamed this story would get so much attention for just a few short chapters. I wonder if maybe people remember me from the Family Counseling (which also got a lot of attention) days, or if the subject material just catches the eye. It's probably the latter; I wrote F.C. so long ago that I doubt many people recall it.
Anyway, thanks again for all the feedback, it's very stimulating. On par with your requests, I have made this chapter longer, though for future chapters I may have to shorten the length and/or cut back on updates, since I'm not that far ahead in the story (only on the second act- there will likely be three or four). But I'm not at that point yet, and I do write this story very quickly when I get myself going, so we'll see what happens.
Enjoy the chapter.
* * *
When Misato woke the following morning, the first thing she did was thank God that today wasn't a school day. Shinji's classmates had been briefed about his new identity, but Misato doubted not that they, like everyone, needed some time to get used to the idea.
In the kitchen Misato found Shinji and Asuka eating breakfast in silence. Asuka was stubbornly avoiding meeting Shinji's eyes, despite the glances he kept throwing at her. A plate was already laid out in Misato's place at the table- fried eggs and steamed vegetables over white rice.
At least he didn't forget that today is his turn to cook, Misato thought as she grabbed a beer to have with her breakfast. She wondered if she would ever stop comparing the old Shinji to the new one.
"Good morning, guys," she said, plopping into a seat at the table.
"Good morning, Mom," Shinji replied with a smile.
"Morning," Asuka muttered, obviously still angry.
"Well, do you know what day today is?" Misato asked. Not waiting for an answer, she went on, as though it were a big surprise, "It's grocery day! Now, I made a really big list for this week so I want you both to go."
"What?" Asuka bellowed. "But it's Shinji's turn! Besides, I'm...um..." She hesitated, swiftly casting around for an excuse not to go anywhere with Shinji, "It's laundry day too! My job's the laundry this week!"
"I'll take care of it," Misato said brightly. Asuka has to get used to him, and no better way than to spend a lot of time with him, she thought.
"But- but-" Asuka sputtered.
"No arguing, Asuka. Here's the grocery money-" Misato handed over an envelope, which Shinji took. "-and the list." She gave to Asuka the grocery list she'd revised just last night, adding on about a million items so that she would have an excuse to send them together. "Get going as soon as you're finished with breakfast, okay?"
Asuka stared at the list. "What the hell do we need five boxes of condoms for?!" she cried. But Misato, chowing down on her eggs, pretended not to hear.
* * *
"Asuka, are you mad at me?"
Asuka, deliberately walking several paces ahead of Shinji on the way to the grocery store, rolled her eyes at the question. "What makes you think that?" she said sardonically.
"Well, you've been pretty bitchy lately. I thought we were past that stage where you had to pretend you hated me."
"Well, I guess we aren't, are we?"
Shinji sighed. "Just hormones," he muttered to himself.
"What was that?!"
"Nothing!"
Asuka stopped walking and whirled to face him. "Don't play games with me! Just because you're suddenly Misato's golden boy doesn't mean I-"
The emergency alarm blared suddenly, cutting her off. Asuka and Shinji froze, looking around instinctively for a sign of danger.
"Attention. A special state of emergency has been declared for Tokyo 3. All residents please evacuate to the nearest shelter. Repeat: a special state of emergency-"
"An Angel?" Asuka demanded.
"Probably. Come on, let's get to HQ!" Shinji took off in the direction of the nearest elevator, Asuka close on his heels.
* * *
Misato burst into NERV's main control center and halted beside Ritsuko, the emergency alarm ringing in her ears.
"Late again, Major Katsuragi!" Ritsuko snapped.
"I was in the can!" Misato snapped back, then assumed a command stance. "What's the situation?"
"An unidentified flying object appeared about twenty minutes ago heading rapidly toward HQ," Aoba reported. "Currently it's hovering over Tokyo 3, directly over the Geofront. We can't confirm-"
A loud explosion cut him off, shaking NERV Central. "Oh my God!" Hyuga yelled in a panic. "It just broke through the first eighteen layers of defense!"
"Blood pattern blue!" Aoba added. "It's an Angel!"
Misato cursed. "Where are the pilots?"
"Right here!" That was Shinji's voice, from behind her; Misato turned to see Shinji, Rei, and Asuka ready in their plug suits, all three panting hard as though they'd been running. Misato smiled at them, a smile of relief, then turned.
"Eva status!"
"Units 01 and 02 are ready for launch," Maya reported. "Unit 00 is still in cryostasis. It can be ready for launch in five minutes, but the left arm is missing."
"Shinji and Asuka, get to your respective cages and prepare for entry into the Evas." As they nodded and dashed off, Misato turned to Rei. "Rei, I don't want to ask you to pilot a damaged Eva, but we need everyone we have to defend NERV. Can you handle it?"
"Yes, Major," Rei said without even a tremor.
"Good. Get to your cage. Get Unit 00 out of cryostasis and prepare it for launch!"
"Yes, ma'am," said Maya, her fingers flying over the keys.
"The Angel?" Misato demanded.
A resonating crash answered her. Misato and Ritsuko struggled to stay on their feet as the floor shook violently. "Angel has breached the Geofront!" Hyuga reported.
"Shit. What's the status of the Evas?"
"Units 01 and 02 are standing by at the launch bay."
The floor shook then so violently that Misato fell hard on her backside. "The Angel is attacking NERV HQ!" Aoba yelled, sounding panicked.
"Dammit!" Misato leaped to her feet. "Get those Evas launched!"
"The entry plugs for Units 01 and 02 are now being inserted," Maya reported. "Unit 00 is ready at the launch bay."
"Hurry it up!" Misato snapped. "If that Angel breaches NERV's defenses it's our lives!"
"Rei is entering Unit 00. Filling Units 01 and 02 with LCL. Harmonics connecting..." Maya stared at the screen, eyes wide. "Wait a minute, what's happening to Unit 01?!"
"Ungh!" It was Shinji from inside the Eva. "What...the hell...?"
"Shinji, what's wrong?" Misato yelled.
"There's...some kind...of pressure..." Shinji coughed and gagged. "Can't...breathe..."
"Harmonics are disconnecting!" Maya cried. Ritsuko hurried over to stare at her screen.
"Oh, no," The scientist whispered, paling. "I was afraid of this..."
Misato rushed to her side and grabbed her shoulder hard. "Afraid of what?" she snarled. "What the hell is going on?!"
"Eva 01 is rejecting Shinji," Ritsuko said in a whisper that Shinji couldn't hear.
"What?! Rejecting...?!"
"Keep your voice down!" Ritsuko hissed. "The Eva doesn't recognize Shinji as its pilot because of his new memories. It thinks he's someone else, and is rejecting him."
Misato stared at her, filled with sudden loathing. "You knew this would happen, didn't you?" she said so venomously that Ritsuko stepped back.
"We- we knew there might be a possibility-"
"Mom...what's happening?! Unnngh...I can't...breathe in here!"
"Hang on, Shinji! Dammit, Ritsuko, what do we do?!"
"What the hell's going on in there?" It was Asuka. "Why aren't we being launched, and what's happening to Shinji?!"
"Never mind!" Misato snapped. "Launch Units 00 and 02 to the Geofront! You two, hold off that Angel!"
"Right!" said Asuka and Rei as their Evas were launched.
"There must be some way," Ritsuko muttered softly, staring off into space. "Some way to make her see-"
Misato cursed and thought fast. "Shinji! Can you hear me?"
"Yes," he croaked.
"Listen very carefully. I want you to tell the Eva that you are Shinji Ikari."
"What?!" Ritsuko shrieked, but Misato ignored her.
"Tell it that you're Shinji Ikari! Say it, 'I am Shinji Ikari', and think it too, do you understand?"
"But...but why?"
"For God's sake, Shinji, just do it!"
Shinji gagged, and Misato winced at his painful efforts to breathe. "I am...I am...Shinji Ikari..."
"Louder, Shinji!"
"I am...Shinji Ikari..."
"Louder!"
"I am Shinji Ikari!"
"Dammit, Shinji, say it like you mean it!"
"I AM SHINJI IKARI!"
There was a silence as fragile as glass. Then...
"Harmonics being restored!"
"Nerve links connecting!"
"Synch ratio at forty percent...sixty percent...eighty percent!"
"Reaching absolute borderline...and clear!"
"Are you okay, Shinji?" Misato demanded.
"I'm fine," was the clipped reply. "Launch me."
Misato closed her eyes briefly. "I was getting to that," she muttered, filled with relief and, oddly, sorrow. She opened her eyes again. "Launch Eva!"
* * *
"Misato! Misato!"
Charging angrily down the hall on the way to see the pilots in the hospital, Misato ignored the sound of Ritsuko's voice. But a moment later the scientist caught up to her and planted herself firmly in Misato's path.
"Move, Ritsuko," Misato said curtly.
Ritsuko glared at her, breathing hard. "I want to know," she said between breaths, "just what the hell made you tell Shinji to say that he was Shinji Ikari."
"The need for Eva 01 to work, that's what," Misato snapped.
"You could've ruined everything, Misato!"
Misato lost her temper. Grabbing Ritsuko by the front of her lab coat, Misato slammed the scientist against the wall.
"Don't you dare blame me for this," she said murderously. "You're the one who rewrote Shinji's memory. Anything that goes wrong is your responsibility!"
"This is childish, Misato!"
"Did Commander Ikari tell you to confront me?" Misato demanded.
"No. He's perfectly fine with the situation. As long as the Angel was defeated, that's all that matters to him!"
Misato released her. "That is the objective, isn't it?" she said sardonically.
Ritsuko glared. "You still didn't have to-"
"And what would you have had me do?!"
"Eject the entry plug! Let Shinji fight after we fixed the problem!"
"Did you care to notice how that battle was going, Dr. Akagi?!" Misato roared. "Did you notice that Asuka and Rei were both severely injured and would probably have died had Shinji been unable to fight? Did you notice that Shinji was the one who took down the Angel? Did you notice that he tore it apart, limb from fucking limb? THAT'S NOT THE SHINJI I KNEW!"
"Of course he isn't the Shinji you knew! He never will be!"
The women stared at each other in silence.
"Different memory but same person, huh?" Misato said tightly at last. "You lie like a mattress, Ritsuko."
Ritsuko took a deep breath. "Misato, listen to me. I know it's hard, but you have to get used to-"
"Fuck that shit!" Misato snapped. "You might be fine living this shitty lie but I'm not! And if you think for a second that I'm going to let you or the commander use Shinji- or did you think I didn't know that you just want him as your pawn?"
Ritsuko colored hotly. "That's unfair and untrue."
Misato laughed bitterly. "More lies, huh? Admit it, you and the commander were so afraid of insubordination that you had to take his memory at the first sign of some backbone. No, you couldn't try to help him through his grief, you who made him almost murder that poor kid-"
"Misato-"
"No, you had to erase his memory and make him what he is today-"
"Misato, listen-"
"Just use him for your own sadistic measures-"
"Please!"
"WHAT DID YOU CREATE, DOCTOR, A MAN OR MACHINE?!"
"Shut up!" Ritsuko cried, losing her temper. "Your claims are completely unfounded and uncalled for!"
"I'm sorry, at what point did I give the impression that I gave a crap?!"
Ritsuko clenched her fists, breathing hard as she attempted to get herself under control. "Think what you want," she said tersely. "You'd just better not-"
"Oh, don't you dare start telling me what to do. Save that for the big cats." Misato turned her back on the scientist and began walking away.
Ritsuko yelled, "If you presume to disobey us and tell him the truth, we will remove him from your custody!"
Misato halted in her tracks, white-hot anger coursing through her. Then, in a deathly soft voice that rang through the cold silence:
"Go to hell, Ritsuko."
She walked away without a glance back.
* * *