Top Girls!

Chapter 16

"Hey, this is actually pretty nice," Asuka noted as the group sat down in the Tokyo-3 branch of Anna Millers.

"I DID promise to take you all out," Misato pouted.

"I was expecting a food cart," Mari smirked.

"I only did that once!" Misato complained.

"Twice," Rei deadpanned.

"isn't this where Hikari's sister Kodama works?" Shinji wondered quietly.

"Yup," Misato smiled, "she gives NERV staff a discount."

"I KNEW there was a reason you picked here," Mari laughed.

"Welcome to Anna Millers," Kodama greeted them, bustling over with menus. The glasses wearing woman had a warm smile, and seemed pleased to see them.

"Hi," Asuka smiled, "how's your little sister, Nozomi?"

"Being a pain, as usual," Kodama said affectionately. "Would you like drinks, first?" she offered to Misato.

"Sodas for everybody, give us a bit to decide on orders," Misato noted.

Kodama took the drink orders, "I'll be right back."

"Don't TOTALLY break my budget," Misato told the girls and Shinji as they poured over the menu and suggested dinner ideas.

"It's not like you can't bill it to NERV," Mari pointed out.

"She'll get a lecture from Gendo, though," Shinji pointed out.

Misato nodded, "Please space me from long, boring Gendo lectures."

"Poor Gendo," Mari snickered as the food arrived,

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

In another part of Tokyo-3, Gendo sneezed.

"Got a cold?" his second in command, Kozo asked.

(Note that the author did NOT completely forget about Kozo. He was just away. For fifteen chapters or so. And now he's back.)

Both characters ignored the fourth wall breaking as Gendo noted, "No, I just suddenly really had to sneeze."

"Someone's talking about you," Kozo smirked.

"Yeah, yeah." Gendo sighed.

"When can we expect the next angel?" Kozo asked.

Both knew the answer, but checking never hurt. "A little over three weeks," Gendo smiled, "just enough time for the US trip."

"So who's going?" Kozo asked. "We'll need to make sure at least one pilot is at Tokyo-3, just in case," he noted.

"Hmm, agreed," Gendo nodded. He liked to 'tweak' his superiors, but he did take seriously their job of protecting Tokyo-3 and what was beneath NERV. He would not just leave and take all the pilots and staff with him.

"And I assume I'll be left in charge," Kozo added wryly.

"I'm sure you can handle it," Gendo said mildly. He thought for a moment, "I think I'll leave you with Mari."

"Have I done something to piss you off?" Kozo wondered aloud.

Gendo snickered.

"She's going to be pissed being left here," Kozo added.

"Compliment her. Tell her that we trust her to protect NERV all on her own," Gendo calmly suggested.

Kozo grunted, but knew he had a point.

"We'll be taking Satsuki as well," Gendo mused aloud, "but Makoto, Aoba, Kaede and Aoi can run the bridge for you, and I trust Ritsuko's juniors to handle things in the labs."

"Hmph," Kozo nodded. "And if Keel complains?"

Gendo smiled coldly, "He can call me."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Why do I have to go?" Ryoji Kaji demanded of his mysterious employers.

"They're going to NERV USA and visiting the Area 51 facility," the distorted voice said, "we want you to get inside."

"I had heard Maria Vincennes had been talking to Gendo," Kaji mused. He had not found this out via spying, instead just heard gossip.

"She apparently likes Maya Ibuki," the voice noted.

"Huh," Kaji grunted.

"We want whatever data you can get on Unit-04," his boss noted, "and the S2 engine that they're developing."

"How am I...?" Kaji wondered.

"Be creative," the voice said then the call ended.

"Well, hell," Kaji sighed, then wiped the terminal's data before he got up. He clearly had people he was going to have to convince.

"Why should we have you along?" Gendo asked, frowning at him.

"Because you want me where you can keep an eye on me," Kaji shrugged. "Or do you want to leave me here at NERV?"

Gendo frowned, but it was a good point.

"You're going to need camera people, gofers, etc etc," Kaji added.

"All right, all right," Gendo finally conceded. "Don't antagonize Ritsuko or Misato too much," he added.

"Would I do that," Kaji smiled charmingly.

Gendo just snorted.

After that, Kaji went to check in with Misato, who was helping oversee the US trip.

"You," Misato sighed.

"Me," Kaji agreed, "anything I can do to help get things organized? I understand we're leaving in two days."

"We're packing fairly light," Misato noted. She sighed loudly, "Hell, we're still getting the cars set up for this..."

"Well, give me a task list and I'll do what I can," Kaji nodded.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Ritsuko finished going over the three Evangelion, scowling tiredly.

"Ma'am, we can handle it," ome of her assistants, Sylia Matsukaze said. The tall redhead had worked in the labs for awhile, but had been recently promoted.

"I know, it's just..," Ritsuko started.

"You're going to be away for three weeks, and they're kind of your babies," Sylia noted.

"Well, yes," Ritsuko conceded.

"Trust me, it will be okay," Sylia reassured her. "Now, we;ve got the job orders and maintenance checklist you prepared," she said briskly, "all eighty pages of it."

"I went a bit far, huh?" Ritsuko sighed.

"A bit," Sylia said mildly.

"Sorry," Ritsuko sighed.

"Anything else we need to cover?" Sylia asked mildly.

"No, I think it should be fine," Ritsuko conceded reluctantly. She paused, "I will be available via sat-phone if anything comes up."

"MA'AM," Sylia frowned at her.

"Okay, okay," Ritsuko gave in.

"I know you'll all be fairly busy filming," Sylia noted as they left the lab together, "but are you sight seeing?"

"I don't expect we'll have time, but who knows?" Ritsuko admitted.

"Well, I hope you enjoy the trip," Sylia said as they stopped at Ritsuko's office. "Try to look at it as a vacation, ma'am," she encouraged.

Ritsuko snorted, "Not likely..."

To be continued...

Notes:

I mentioned Misato was gonna take the pilots out, so there ya go.

Are there ANY canon staffers named who work under Ritsuko? Because I couldn't find any. Other than Maya Ibuki, anyway. Sylia Matsukaze is a OC, her daughter Nene Matsukaze is a canon character from the Evangelion games.