A/N: Just a reminder, a couple scenes from the last chapter have been redone or shifted around (the last couple scenes). Enjoy the chapter.
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Chapter Seven
"The Red Messenger"
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"Only one direction to go from here."
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COMMANDER'S OFFICE, NERV HQ
AUGUST 20TH, 2015
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"Are you certain of this course of action, Yui?"
Gendo's office was a cavernous space whose floor was decorated with an ostentatious depiction of the Tree of Life; Yui had always found the room a bit gouache, but her dearest husband felt that it sufficiently intimidated those whom had the misfortune of being called here. The woman sat on the edge of the sole desk in the room, her legs crossed, casually making a mockery of Gendo's carefully crafted charade.
On the desk were various notes, scribbles, and diagrams. Like the railgun which had thrust a tungsten slug through Ramiel's core, the assembly of papers in front of Gendo represented the beginning stages of yet another weapon; only this time, instead of an Angel's core, the slug would be going through Keel Lorenz's black heart.
"It's as good an opportunity as any," Yui said. "a gamble, yes. But if we can pull it off, the rewards would be enormous. Enough to give us an edge over SEELE."
"I don't know if we're in a position to challenge SEELE, even indirectly. Even if this operation is successful, they will react in some fashion." Gendo grimaced, like he had just swallowed a bug. "There's still the matter of them questioning Shinji, as well. It will only make things more precarious for the boy, when they catch wind of this."
"We need to study the Angels in order to more effectively defeat them, right? And they weren't too bent out of shape about the last battle, unorthodox as it was. We can buy ourselves some time with SEELE if we use the cover of running tests and analysis on the Angel."
He wouldn't refuse her, in the end, but the man merely wanted to kick and scream before accepting the inevitable. It was theatrics, and Yui was more than willing to dress up and play along, so long as the outcome was in her favor.
Gendo blew air out of his nose. "You gamble too much, Yui."
"And you plan too much. We've been at a disadvantage ever since I came out of Unit-01, just following a template that someone else laid down for us."
"A template can be perverted, made to suit our own ends. What you propose…perhaps this will get us ahead, or it could throw out the template entirely."
"Yeah, I would have perverted yours easily enough, had I stayed inside of the EVA."
The man turned away. To the rest of NERV, Gendo seemed a statue, but Yui's statement had chipped him. "There's still a few favors I can call in at the UN, even with NERV's reduced capacity. The rest of the operation I leave up to yours and Katsuragi's discretion. I trust that – "
"No, of course not. Misato only needs to know some things."
"Good." Gendo nodded. "Be safe, Yui. Keep Shinji safe."
Pushing herself off Gendo's desk, Yui's shoes clacked against the hard floor as she made her exit. She spoke as she neared the exit. "Try not to fuck Naoko while I'm gone this time."
Though she couldn't see it, Yui could practically feel Gendo smirking from behind his white gloves.
"I only have room in my heart for you."
-[[[]]]-
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IN ROUTE TO UN FLAGSHIP OVER THE RAINBOW
AUGUST 21th, 2015
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Misato hadn't pictured herself hitching a ride on a military helicopter anytime soon; nevertheless, here she was, strapped into these all-too-familiar seats.
Endless cerulean stretched out beneath them, far enough down to break bones if someone on board was keen on jumping out. Ever since Second Impact, Misato had always felt uneasy about traveling across the open water. Seeing those beautiful tides, and knowing nothing but silence lied beneath deeply unnerved her, a natural tombstone of a world which was effectively dead.
She had listened to the roar of the rotors long enough that her mind had tagged the cacophony as 'background noise', accepting it as a normal and everyday sound for the moment. The two civvie passengers sitting across from Misato couldn't have looked more uncomfortable, but the cause? It was hardly from the straps of coarse fabric digging into their skin, Misato knew.
Miss Yui and Shinji hadn't shared so much as a conversation since leaving Tokyo-3, though it wasn't for lack of trying on the Doctor's end. Her observations and attempts to check on Shinji's well-being were met with curt, one-word answers. Even now, Yui's twiddling thumbs and uncertain eyes told Misato that the woman was hastily trying to identify the problem, one which she had no solution for.
Shit. Yui's face was practically a picture of suppressed panic, just like the battle with the last Angel. Hadn't the woman ever learned how to compartmentalize over her tenure as a scientist? At this rate, Misato was going to have to call Naoko to give her another pep talk.
"We'll be touching down in about ten minutes," Misato said, raising her voice loud enough to be heard over the rotors. "Asuka and Kaji should be waiting for us on deck when we land."
Yui nodded. "Unit-02 has been outfitted with the Type-A equipment, correct?"
"Yeah, I sent word. It's being strapped on as we speak." An oddly specific request. Misato supposed Miss Yui's mind was still plugging away. "You really expecting an Angel all the way out here?"
"After the past three engagements, we can't be too careful. There's only so many times we can get caught off-guard and pull through mostly unscathed. It's time we started thinking ahead a little."
Shinji's turned away, and Misato knew why. Hell, Misato felt the same way. Rei wasn't unscathed. The girl needed a whole new body, and still didn't remember the events of the battle, one where she was pivotal in turning the tide.
"Shinji," Misato said, wrinkling her nose at him. "you're meeting Asuka for the first time. You nervous?"
"A little." With the low tone of the boy's voice, Misato more read his lips than heard him. "I don't know whether she's going to hug me or smack me in the face."
"You wouldn't have as much to worry about if you actually called her back."
Yui placed her hand on Shinji's knee, and the boy tensed. "Just be yourself, Shinji. And apologize profusely if you have to."
"Sure."
A pang of guilt tugged at Misato's heart. She had encouraged the boy to open up to his father, to open his heart up to forgive and move on. Now, any chance of Shinji and his father coming to terms seemed infinitesimal, and a rift was forming between him and his mother as well. If Yui didn't try to see her son through different eyes, and not just from her perspective as a scientist, she was going to lose him.
The chopper set down on the deck of the Over the Rainbow on schedule, about ten minutes later. Asuka and Kaji were easy to spot, the sole bogeys in civilian clothes among the backdrop of bustling soldiers and sailors. Asuka's red hair and cream-colored sundress billowed in the draft of the helicopter's landing; for a moment, Misato thought the dress was going to fly up and give the whole deck a show, but the girl's modesty was preserved for now.
Kaji's typical easy-going smile widened as they approached. Idiot. He hadn't changed at all since the last time Misato saw him in person. The man always had something to grin about, perhaps amused by the imaginary pleasures of his own mind, or the far-fetched hope that he could reignite a spark long stamped out.
"Bout time you showed up, Katsuragi," Kaji said as they entered speaking distance. "I was starting to worry about my little Misato-chan."
Misato scowled, jerking her head away. "Do not call me that. And why are you here anyway? Asuka's more than capable of travelling alone."
"Same thing you're doing for the Third Child there." Kaji met Shinji's eyes and greeted the boy with a short wave. "Can't have some other country running off with our precious EVA pilots, after all."
Placing her hands on Shinji's shoulders, Yui smiled and started to introduce her son to Kaji and Asuka, but Shinji shrugged his mother's hands off and stepped forward. He extended his hand towards Asuka, as if to shake hands, but the girl looked at the gesture like Shinji was offering her a dead fish.
"It's nice to finally meet you, Asuka. I hope we'll – "
Asuka reached past Shinji's hand and grabbed his wrist, pulling him away from the rest of the adults. She spoke under her breath in German, something to the effect of: 'This boy, honestly.'
"Just shut up and come with me." It was amusing watching Shinji's face turn into a picture of shock as he was caught up in the riptide that was Asuka. "I've got a lot to show you and not a whole lot of time."
As the children's voices faded away, Misato felt a familiar arm slide around her waist, followed by the aroma of expensive cologne. The kind Kaji practically bathed in when they were dating in college. Perhaps the man had changed a little, if only because he had gleamed the meaning of the world 'moderation'.
Certain other aspects of his personality, however…
"Yowch!" Kaji squealed as Misato brought the heel of her foot down on the man's toes. "I see you're as temperamental as ever, Katsuragi."
"And I see that you're as much as of a creep as ever," Misato said. "if we could get back to official business, Miss Yui and I need to go over potential battle plans with the Admiral of this fleet."
Kaji bowed in Miss Yui's direction, like a butler would to his mistress. "Of course. It's our pleasure to have the Chrysanthemum flower of NERV grace us with her presence."
Even at a glance, Misato could tell Miss Yui's mind was elsewhere, halfway between Kaji's honeyed words and the sudden absence of Shinji's warmth. She shook her head as if to ward off the negative thoughts clouding her mind, her mask slipping back on as she addressed Kaji.
"I think you should save the flirting for someone else." Miss Yui gestured towards Misato, and she felt a flare of anger rise towards the woman. "Rather than an old woman like me, Agent Ryoji. Besides, I'm not sure the Commander would be pleased by your behavior."
"What the Commander doesn't know can't – "
Misato grabbed Kaji by the ear, dragging him towards the bridge of the ship. "You're disgusting. Let's go already."
-[[[]]]-
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Shinji quickly realized that Asuka didn't have the gentlest hand, judging by how she was nearly pulling his arm out of its socket as she dragged him through the holding bay of Evangelion Unit-02. He decided against voicing any complaints. The girl would probably just tell him to 'man up', and perhaps tug on his wrist even harder for good measure.
The holding bay was abuzz with activity, technicians and sailors passing them by as they walked. Every so often, a strong gale off the ocean would sweep through the bay, filling Shinji's nostrils with the scent of acrid salt and whipping Asuka's red hair into his face.
"Sit over there," Asuka said as she pulled Shinji into a small side-room, pointing at one of the gunmetal grey chairs in the room. "I've got some things to go over with you before we get back to Tokyo-3."
Shinji noticed an expensive tablet on a nearby table; with the hard, opaque plastic around the device, save for the screen, the boy figured someone could drive a tank over the tablet and not make so much as a scratch.
"Um," Shinji said, rubbing the back of his head. "what do we have to go over, exactly?"
"Your performance in your previous Angel battles, if it can be called such." Asuka pointed her index finger at him, her lips curling; she seemed agitated, even more than usual. "I told you already that you're not going to trip me up when we're fighting an Angel together. If Rei wasn't there, NERV would be finding some other kid to pilot Unit-01 by now."
"This isn't exactly how I pictured our first in-person meeting going."
"You thought I'd fall into your arms, head over heels for you, I bet. Keep dreaming." Pulling the tablet close, Asuka's fingertips raced across the touchscreen. Her eyes lit up for a brief moment, before showing the device into Shinji's hands. "This is the most acceptable engagement I could find. You actually acted like you possessed half a brain here, so I'm assuming Rei was telling you what to do."
The girl was correct, as the footage playing on the screen was from the fight with the Second Angel – Shamshel. Before the other Angel blew a giant hole in Unit-01's chest.
"I've run simulations against the first two Angels," Asuka said. "in case you're wondering. NERV Berlin has better VR equipment, but I brought a headset with me. You still don't move half as well as you should when you're piloting, compared to Rei. And she's still using the Test type."
"Test type?"
"Unit-00 was the test model for the EVA series, just like Unit-01 is the prototype for Unit-02 and subsequent models. If the thing didn't cost about one-thirtieth of the world's combined wealth to build, they probably would have scuttled it."
"So, Rei's using an outdated EVA?"
"Essentially, yes. And she's still outperforming you. How does that make you feel?"
The realization didn't hit Shinji with any sort of profound shame or anger. He only piloted EVA to please Mom, and to keep his loved ones safe – and he didn't even know if the former reason was true anymore. If Rei was using worse tools to greater effect, then good for her. The girl was far smarter than he was.
Come to think of it, all the women currently in Shinji's life seemed to possess some sort of genius or expertise. Hikari was the only normal one, and perhaps Mari, though Shinji didn't know much about the girl. And judging by the way Mari hung off the school building, when she mistakenly took Hikari and Shinji for teachers looking for students hanging out on the roof, she seemed to possess some considerable dexterity.
"I don't know. It's not really a competition to me, Asuka. I just want to beat the Angels and then never have to pilot Unit-01 again."
"That's dumb. Competition is what makes life worth living. If you aren't constantly pushing yourself to be the best, then what's the point?" Asuka tapped the screen, bringing up rapidly oscillating graphs depicting Rei and Shinji's heartrate and vitals. "How is the First Child still alive after that stunt she pulled with the Fifth Angel, though? I was actually a little worried, but Kaji said she was fine."
"It's...it's complicated." Shinji tried changing the subject, quickly. "So, what's your recommendation? For piloting better?"
"More practice. You should have been running simulations every day since you got to Tokyo-3, since you're so far behind Rei and I."
"I did a couple simulations before. They didn't really go well."
"Yeah, I heard. Like I said, being an EVA pilot doesn't suit you, but this is a beggars-choosers kind of situation."
Again, Shinji noticed a tinge of agitation, one which seemed unrelated to his lack of piloting skills. "Asuka, are you upset with me about something?"
"No, why would I be?"
"It's just – " Shinji shook his head, trying to change the subject. "never mind. I must have imagined it."
"Speaking of being upset, what's with you and Doctor Ikari?" Asuka raised her eyebrow at Shinji, and the ghost of a smile tugged at her lips. "You wouldn't even let her touch you when we were all on deck. Things that bad between you two?"
A strange mix of anger and shame swirled in Shinji's gut. Anger at his mother, and shame for being upset at her in the first place.
"No. I don't know. It's complicated. When I imagined living in Tokyo-3 with her, I thought everything would be different. I thought she would be different. I always looked up to her, but now…I don't know. Everything's messed up now."
"Geez, everything's complicated with you, isn't it?"
"She's lied to me about some things. A lot of things, maybe."
Asuka scoffed, shaking her head. "She's probably just trying to keep you safe, dummy. If Doctor Ikari was lying to you about something, she had a good reason."
"I don't know if there's ever a good reason to lie."
"You're such a kid, honestly," Asuka said. "Doctor Ikari worked so hard during the last battle to keep you safe. I know, because I helped her. I wish my mother loved me half as much, if she were around."
"You don't understand. I know she works hard to protect me, but what you call 'keeping me safe', it's suffocating. And…it hurts other people, sometimes."
"Hurts other people? What do you mean?"
He had said too much. "Nothing. Never mind. I just…it's complicated, like I said."
The girl sighed and grabbed the headset. "Whatever. Like I said, we've got a lot to go over, so let's get started."
"I don't really want to, Asuka."
"Look, this is your job now,right? For better or worse." Mostly for worse, Shinji stopped himself from saying as Asuka continued speaking. "It's not going to go away just because you want to crawl into a closet and hide.
"Whether you like it or not, whether or not it's fair or not, you've got a lot of people counting on you. The whole of the human race, in fact. So, let's practice and make sure you get it right."
Asuka jabbed the headset towards Shinji, the most conciliatory gesture the girl had made since they met today.
"Okay?"
With a heavy sigh, Shinji took the headset and placed it on. She was right. The boy didn't want to hear it, but Asuka was right. "Alright, fine. Let's do this."
-[[[]]]-
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The wheels were spinning in Yui's mind, so fast that they threatened to roll off their axles. About how to get an edge over the Angels, about keeping SEELE placated for the moment, and about how to get her son to stop hating her. As she watched the moon's reflection against the abyssal waters surrounding the flagship, Yui reflected herself on the events that had taken place since Shinji first dropped into Unit-01's cockpit.
Considering everthing that would be taking place in the near future, Shinji's mixed feelings toward her should have been a much lower priority in her mind, but there was the rub: Shinji was always number one in her mind. And there was nothing Yui could do to change it.
She knew her actions would have consequences. It was an insidious fact that Yui had long come to terms with; even though her actions were necessary, the people who would benefit from those actions might never see the fruits of her labor, or even thank her for them. But trying to reconcile the evils she committed with their supposed necessity hardly lightened the weight on her heart.
Yui placed her fingers against the fabric between her breasts. Oh, Shinji. If only he could know the world Yui was trying to build for him.
"Flowers wilt if they don't get enough sunlight, Doctor."
She heard hard footsteps against the deck; Kaji Ryoji approached, with that easy-going smile of his, carrying a black briefcase. If Yui were Misato's age, she could see her heart beating faster after feasting upon his rugged good looks. Alas, there was only space for one man in Yui's life now.
"I'm surprised your husband let you out of the garden," Kaji said, leaning against the railing beside her. "he should keep closer watch over you, in my humble opinion."
Yui chuckled. "You're going to have to find a way to stop flirting with me, when we get back to Tokyo-3."
"A habit I haven't yet learned to turn off, Doctor. My apologies."
"I'm sure there's other people who would appreciate your charm."
"I know you're not talking about a certain Lieutenant-Colonel." There was a subtle shift in Kaji's face; at even the mention of Misato's name, Kaji's careful mask always cracked a little, exposing the vulnerable skin underneath. "Misato won't have anything to do with me, no matter how hard I try. Though, if anyone should be mad, I feel like it should be me. She's the one who broke it off, after all."
"I think Misato's angrier at herself than anyone else. She just projects it onto you." Yui shrugged, as if the words were the ramblings of a madwoman. "But I've been out of the game awhile, what do I know?"
Kaji raised the briefcase up for Yui to see. "On the contrary, I'd say you're still quite the player, Doctor Ikari. And you've only gotten better since Unit-01 spit you out, especially since some pieces of your mind elected to stay with the Evangelion."
A bemused smile crossed Yui's lips. "You know about that as well, do you?"
"Did I say too much? I'd hate to go through all this trouble to retrieve this little present for you, only to be rewarded by being thrown overboard."
"Luckily, you're still too useful to depose of." Funnily enough, Yui didn't know whether she was joking or not. Kaji always had a habit of straying out of his lane. "Regardless, thank you for finding this for me. I know it must have been troublesome."
"That's putting it lightly," Kaji said. "what exactly do you plan on doing with it?"
"We're at sea, aren't we? I've got the fisherman, the fishing rod, and the line. All I needed was the bait, which you've just brought to me."
"And what are we catching, exactly?"
Yui cocked her head and met Kaji's eyes. It took a moment, but Kaji whistled high when his mind finally connected the dots.
"So, that's why the sailors doing makeshift modifications to the ship," Kaji said. "I've always heard you were a little unbalanced, Doctor, but this…what do you intend to do with it, if this plan works?"
"What all good scientists do, Agent Ryoji. Watch and observe."
Kaji spared Yui a worried glance. "You know SEELE isn't going to like this. And they're already looking for a reason to, you know, have you disappeared. You're putting your son and husband in the line of fire, for what?"
"A conflict between SEELE and NERV is inevitable, Kaji, which my husband and I have been acutely aware of. Being that NERV is already at a considerable disadvantage, we're going to need to take a few risks to make sure we have the right pieces on the board, before the first shot is fired."
Hanging his head for a moment, Kaji sighed and laid the briefcase near Yui's feet. "I think this would be considered the opening shot. But I didn't write multiple thesis papers about the machinery of God and his servants, so I leave it to your discretion."
"You'll be stationed in Tokyo-3 for the time being, correct? I'm certain we'll have need of your services again."
Kaji bowed, placing his hand across his chest as he did.
"I am ever at your beck and call, Doctor."
-[[[]]]-
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The breakfast afforded to the visitors aboard the Over the Rainbow wasn't the worst that Misato had eaten; compared to what constituted a morning meal in the JSSDF, it was quite good. However, the company that Misato shared said meal with was a different story.
Namely, Kaji, and the fact that he wouldn't stop trying to play footsy with her under the table.
Misato took a bite of her omelet, trying the ignore the idiot making goo-goo eyes across from her. It was certainly a more western breakfast than Misato was used to, though she hardly minded, personally. Only the best for the wife of Gendo Ikari, or rather, the best a UN carrier two weeks into its voyage could offer.
The air between Shinji and Miss Yui was remained tense. Asuka was animated and excited when Yui spared any attention on her, though the girl practically idolized Yui, so no surprise there. But whenever Yui asked Shinji a question or tried to probe into his feelings, she received the same icy one-word answers as she did aboard the helicopter. The woman tried to mask her hurt feelings, and did a very poor job, in Misato's opinion.
It was going to take more than flowers and trinkets to bring Shinji back around. Why couldn't Miss Yui see that?
"…I thought the conclusion was the most interesting part," Asuka said, headlong into a discussion about Yui's latest thesis paper. "I mean, we've always tried to find an explanation or tangible proof for the human soul, but you're positing that there's actual evidence of its existence now. And we never would have known without Second Impact or the development of the EVA series."
Yui nodded; her heart wasn't truly in the conversation, Misato could tell. "I suppose you could say I've had…first-hand experience with this. It's actually something I discussed with your mother at some length, and she shared a similar opinion. I've just never had the time to put my thoughts down on the matter until recently."
"Do you think the soul could be split? What would even happen?"
Shinji glanced at his mother for a mere moment, catching Yui's eye.
"I don't see why not," Yui said. "though I don't think the effects on the person in question would be too pleasant. It's uncharted territory, and we don't exactly have people lining up to have their souls experimented on, if you could even convince them of its existence as a tangible object."
"I wonder where the soul goes after the death of the host body?"
Kaji tapped a spoon against the glass of water in front of him, a shrill ring echoing throughout the room. "Asuka, I think it's time to give the good Doctor a little space to think. She's got a job to do here, same as you."
"Oh, it's fine, Kaji." And Miss Yui waved her hand at him, as if swatting a fly; Asuka stuck her tongue out at the man. "I don't really have many people to discuss actual theorem with anymore. It's almost like I'm talking to Kyoko again."
Asuka spared a brief glance on Shinji. "Your son and I had a very productive session yesterday."
"Oh, did you?" Kaji asked, with a playfully accusatory tone. "Kids these days grow up faster and faster, I tell you."
Misato threw a nearby spoon at the man.
"Not like that." With a blush on her face, Asuka looked at Miss Yui, who held an eyebrow raised in a mocking way. "I was running him through some simulations, against the last three Angels. He's made a lot of progress, I think."
Knowing Asuka, the girl was more bragging to Miss Yui, rather than lifting Shinji's spirits in any meaningful way. Regardless, Misato was happy to accept any help on that front, especially since her last training exercise with the boy hardly ended well.
"Really?" Miss Yui asked. "you've certainly shown a lot of initiative, Asuka, thank you. And I'm glad you've made some strides in your EVA training, Shinji. I knew you could do it."
Shinji gave an absent nod, responding in a lifeless tone. "Thanks."
"Seems like you were already doing pretty well, Mister Ikari," Kaji said. "you've already fought three Angels and come out alive, with little training at that."
"Thanks, but that was mostly Rei. I was just helping."
"Well, keep at it." Kaji shot a teasing smile at Asuka. "Though with Princess Soryu here, I'm not sure there's going to much spotlight to share."
"Oh, be quiet," Asuka said, turning her nose up. "besides, the star of the show should have the most spotlight. That's just the way it's supposed to be."
Kaji looked the watch on his wrist, grimacing as he stood from his seat. "If you say so, kid. Well, I've got a few business calls to make, so I'll have to excuse myself from this riveting conversation."
The rest of the table took Kaji's exit as an invitation to excuse themselves, and the sound of chairs sliding against the floor pervaded the room. Misato caught Yui's eye for moment, and gestured towards the woman's son with a quick movement of her head. Her last attempt to interfere with Shinji's relationship with his parents went down in flames, so Misato went for a more subtle touch this time.
Fortunately, the woman intuited her meaning, and reached her hand out towards her son.
"Shinji," Yui said. "do you mind hanging back a bit?"
-[[[]]]-
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"Shinji, what's wrong? Are you upset with me?"
Clearly uncomfortable being alone with Yui, Shinji tried to hide his face – meaning the answer to her question was a yes. Yui already knew Shinji was cross with her, so this was more confirmation than anything; the confirmation still hurt. He had never been upset with her before, not since he was a little boy, and was just likely because he couldn't have a treat or a toy he wanted.
She tried pressing him again. He would give her a proper answer, eventually. "Are you going to talk to me about this? How can I make it right if you won't even speak to me?"
His lips moved, but no sound came out. Almost like his words retreated back down his throat at the sight of Yui.
"You can say it, Shinji." Yui kept her distance for now. If she crowded him, the boy would pull away, and then she'd be right back at square one. "I'm not going to get angry at you. I just want to know what's wrong."
"I…" He was trying to coax the words from his throat, like a fawn in the woods. "I'm not mad at you, Mom. I just…I don't know what to think anymore."
Yui spoke the unsaid part aloud. "About me? You don't know what to think about me anymore?"
Shinji deigned not to answer; another yes. The realization that his mother wasn't the peerless saint he always thought would be a certain shock. If they survived this ordeal, and the scenario was successful, Yui figured Shinji would see her differently. He might not even want to speak with her, even see her again. As long as he was alive, Yui could carry that weight.
Or, so she thought. Shinji's disapproval affected her more than Yui was willing to admit, more than it should have.
"What else have you lied to me about, Mom?" Shinji looked Yui in the eye, for the briefest of moments. "You lied about the activation test, about your disappearance. You lied at dinner before we left, so that Father and I would speak to each other."
"What do you think I lied about?"
Shinji shrugged. "I don't know. But if you're willing to lie to leave dinner, I'm just…I'm guessing there's more."
A twisted sort of pride flared in Yui's gut; she tried to bite the feeling back down. Why was Yui proud of seeing Shinji become more like her, before her very eyes? What was wrong with her?
"Do you really want to know?" Yui asked. "I'll tell you, if you want. Like I told you about Rei."
The boy let out a small gasp, meaning her jab had hit the mark. A small reminder of the hard truth behind Rei's existence, which Shinji had barely bit down, and a warning of what his probing might bring up. Then, Shinji balled his fists and grit his teeth, and Yui knew his answer.
Damn it. Yui didn't want to hurt him.
"I want to know, Mom."
With a pause and then a deep breath, Yui began to speak. "I lied to get you to pilot Unit-01 in the first place. A little. Unit-00 went berserk about a month ago, that's why Rei still had a sling on when you met her for the first time. Getting you to pilot was already going to be a hard sell, Shinji. I didn't want to scare you further."
Shinji gulped, and nodded. He was hurt by her answer, but didn't want to admit it to himself, or Yui.
"What if I had said no anyway?"
"I don't know. I might have trotted Rei out to convince you." She hated saying the words, but if Shinji wanted honesty, then he was going to get it. Within reason, anyway. "With the way you were raised, and Rei bandaged as bad as she was, would you have been able to refuse?"
"That's wrong."
"It is, but also necessary." Yui saw the boy trying to look away, trying to hide from her answers, but she continued. "Lies and truth aren't moral concepts, Shinji, they're tools to be used. Sometimes people lie for the wrong reason, sometimes people tell a truth which breaks everything apart."
"I don't believe that, Mom."
"I know you don't, dear. But you will one day."
Yui walked forward. The boy was mentally off-balance now, the weight of her words keeping him pinned to where he stood. She placed both of her hands on his shoulders, and Shinji didn't shy away, trying not to meet her gaze. Yui had challenged her son's view of the world; her son having the wisdom of a fourteen-year-old, Shinji had no rebuttal to steady himself with.
He would fight her words, contend with them as he went to bed each night. But he would think about them. And that would make less eager to ask for the truth, next time. Yui didn't want Shinji to know the truth of this world. Not right now. He couldn't know the mountains of nameless dead sacrificed in the name of a better world, not until the end.
"I want you to know one thing, Shinji. There is no deed I will not commit, and no distance I will not travel to keep you safe. Always remember that." Yui cradled Shinji's chin with her fingers, lifting his head up to look at her. "I know it doesn't all make sense right now, but it will. When this is all over. I'll tell you everything then, if you want, if you even want to speak to me. Okay?"
Shinji pulled away. "I don't know how to feel about that."
"I know. And I'm sorry, about everything." And she truly was. If only they existed in another time, another life. "I wanted to save the world, Shinji, but I want to save you most of all. I know it's a failing of mine, one I've tried to fight, but I – "
Alarms blared throughout the room. As the klaxons bore through their eardrums, Yui both cursed and praised the timing of their expected guest. Her time with her son was over, for now, but any more uncomfortable questions would be delayed, if the boy even had the stomach for them. But there was one thing Yui had to know, merely for her own sanity.
"Shinji, you still love me, right?"
The boy met her eyes, and Yui knew the answer before he even opened his mouth. "You're my mother. I'll still care about you, no matter what."
"That's all I needed to hear. Now go find somewhere safe, things are going to get a little rough."
"Somewhere safe? Where's that?"
Yui put her finger to her lips, certain that Shinji wouldn't like this answer either.
-[[[]]]-
-[[[]]]-
Coincidentally, the safest place aboard the Over the Rainbow turned out to be the one place Shinji least wanted to be: inside of an EVA's cockpit.
"B-but I didn't bring a plugsuit." The words stammered out of Shinji's mouth as he braced himself against the deck, trying to walk himself out of sharing a cockpit with Asuka. "It will interfere with the neural data connectors, or something."
"Oh, I've got that covered." Asuka raised an eyebrow at the boy. "Not the neural data connector part, or whatever gibberish you were trying say."
Mom's face was a picture of bemused pity. "Shinji, I know you don't like being around the Evangelions, but it really is the safest place. If the Angel happens to rip through the ship, then there's really no place to hide, is there?"
Once again, Mom was right, but he hated her answer at the same time. It was frustrating. Like with Rei, like with her lies to get him to pilot. It felt wrong to Shinji, but he had no better alternative to offer up. Somehow, Shinji never thought he would regret not finishing college before the age of fourteen.
"Fine, I'll do it."
"It's not like you even have to do anything," Asuka said. "I was going to come find you, anyway. It's the perfect chance for a hands-on tutorial."
Mom sighed, a tired smile crossing her lips. "Asuka, be a little nicer, please. He hasn't been trained for this like you. Okay?"
"O-of course, Doctor Ikari." The feeling of watching Mom turn other people into puddy with her words wasn't a sensation Shinji knew he needed in his life. He was happy to watch it happen to someone else for once, rather than him. "I was only joking around, didn't mean anything by it."
Mom leaned down and kissed Shinji on the cheek; he almost turned away. He still wasn't entirely on good terms with her, but a tense peace would do for now.
"Be safe," Mom said, meeting Asuka's eyes after. "take care of him, Asuka. I'm counting on you."
"Yeah, sure." And, once again, Asuka grabbed Shinji by the wrist and began pulling him away. "Let's go, Third, we don't have all day."
The boy was mortified to discover what Asuka meant by having the plugsuit situation 'covered'.
"I can't wear this, Asuka." Holding the red plugsuit in front of himself, Shinji flushed at the thought of wearing it. Asuka's plugsuit, much like Rei's, was – to put it politely – clearly made with a girl's proportions in mind. "You don't have any plugsuits for guys stashed away somewhere?"
As she leaned against the wall of the cramped stairwell, Asuka huffed and crossed her arms. "Are we really going to let this Angel get away because you won't wear a girl's plugsuit? Who cares if it has boob slots on the front? Just put it on."
"You could just fight it yourself."
"Listen, I told Doctor Ikari that I would keep you safe, and that's what I intend to do."
A picture of Rei sitting up in her hospital bed flashed through Shinji's head, and he shuddered, feeling the sudden phantom pain of Rei's fingers digging to his flesh.
"Alright, fine."
"And you better not peek while I'm changing into mine."
"Okay."
"I'm serious. I'll tell Doctor Ikari if you do."
Explaining to his mother why he was caught peeking on his new co-pilot while she was changing wasn't particularly high up on Shinji's bucket list. He nodded, wondering why Asuka was harping on this point so much.
"I promise I won't peek, Asuka," Shinji said, hands raised in a peaceful gesture. "I've got to change into my…plugsuit too, right?"
After a moment, Asuka huffed and scurried down the stairwell, out of sight. Upon disrobing to his underwear and staring at the red and yellow plugsuit for a minute, Asuka's insistence on privacy seemed even sillier. How could Shinji have time to peek at her, if simply steeling himself to put on this plugsuit took so long?
He sighed and slipped the plugsuit on; by the time the plugsuit tightened around his body, Asuka was walking back up the stairs, the strap of a bag for spare clothes slung over her shoulder.
"Couple things," Asuka said. "first, can you speak German?"
"Uhm. I know a few words. Gesundheit. Strudel. Guten – "
"Ugh. I'll just take that as a no. So, we'll have to switch to Japanese once we enter the cockpit." The girl placed her hands on her hips, a slight furrow in her brow displaying her disappointment. "Honestly, your mother is one of the top scientists in the world, and you can't even speak another language. How did that happen?"
"I don't know. I can sort of speak English, if that helps."
"Anyway, try to keep the thought-noise to a minimum when we get inside. Should be easy for you. My sync ratio's going to be out of whack, but that can't be helped."
"I'm not supposed to have any thoughts? That's going to be hard."
"I could just knock you out and dump you in the entry plug, if that helps."
"No, that's alright." Shinji rubbed the back of his neck; she didn't seem this irritable when they talked on the phone before. "Is everything good between us, Asuka?"
Asuka crossed her arms. "How many times are you going to ask me that?"
"It just seems like you're mad about something."
"Well, I'm not." A familiar hand slipped around Shinji's wrist, followed by a whip of red hair hitting him in the face as he was dragged away. "Let's go already, before the Angel tears through the whole fleet."
-[[[]]]-
-[[[]]]-
The all-too-familiar stench of blood flooded Shinji's nostrils Unit-02's entry plug slid into the back of the Evangelion. Shinji stood hunched down behind Asuka's cockpit chair as she settled into her seat, a singular focus in her eyes.
Asuka's hands gripped the controls of Unit-02. From one of the internal speakers, Misato's voice filtered through, the tone indicating that Misato was fully in 'Lieutenant-Colonel' mode.
"Alright, Asuka. We obviously didn't bring the entirety of Central Dogma along with us, so you'll have to run your own startup diagnostics. I'm sure you can handle it."
"That won't be a problem," Asuka said. "I'm sure you've been told I have a passenger with me, so the readout's going to look a little weird."
"I've been told. You'll be able to adjust, right?"
"Of course."
"Alright. Start it up, Asuka. And hurry, the Angel's already sunk two more ships."
A kaleidoscope of color swirled past the cockpit, readouts and data graphs populating the screen in front of them. With a flash, the formerly opaque view in front of them gave way, giving them a view of the crystal-clear waters below the ship.
"Sure is deep," Shinji said. "I thought we'd have to dive in or something."
Asuka shook her head. "The Over the Rainbow has been specifically modified to accommodate an EVA unit over the past couple months."
"I'm surprised it wasn't brought to NERV Japan already."
"Got held up," Asuka said with a shrug. "some sort of political nonsense. Never really looked into the situation."
"Asuka, you ready to go?"
"Yes, Lieutenant-Colonel. Evangelion Unit-02, launch!"
Much like how Unit-00 and Unit-01 fell out of the sky just before Shinji's maiden voyage, Unit-02 was released from the hatches holding it in place, dropping into the deep blue. With a command word, the Evangelion hovered in place, then jetted underneath the ocean's surface. Some sort of propulsion system had been activated, as far as Shinji could tell, making it possible for the hefty beast to maneuver easily underwater.
Asuka's boast about Unit-02 being the first production model seemed accurate, to Shinji's eyes. The data being streamed into the EVA's real-time display was well organized, though Shinji couldn't make heads-or-tails of the information, and was generally more streamlined.
"Sync ratio at 67.438 percent, but erratic," Asuka said, more to herself and the makeshift bridge crew on the Over the Rainbow. "Likely my passenger's fault, but there's nothing to be done about it."
"Can you read all of that?" Shinji said, trying to make sense of the screen. "On the screen?"
"Yeah, we'll go over that some other time." Asuka punctuated the statement by placing her finger to her lips. "I don't have visual on the target yet, Lieutenant-Colonel."
Only the undersides of the UN Fleet poking beneath the waves could be seen in the vicinity. Whenever Unit-02's head looked down, Shinji could see the remains of a city below, swallowed by the rapid rising tide of Second Impact. A harrowing sight, but not the one they were looking for.
Mom's voice echoed throughout the cockpit now. "The Angel just took out one of the ships in the rear. See if you can spot it sinking into the ocean. And make sure you keep your bearings on the flagship, Asuka."
Unit-02's head turned, spying a hint of wreckage in the distance. "I see it. Moving closer."
The Evangelion swam towards the remains of the rear ship, gliding through the water as if the ocean was the machine's natural habitat. Asuka kept her head on a swivel, scoping out any possible angles for attack; reaching towards Unit-02's back, Asuka grasped what looked like a giant harpoon gun, aiming the weapon as she would a rifle.
"You've always got to be on your guard, Third," Asuka said. "one thing that idiot Kaji actually taught me. You never know – "
A flash of white leapt out. It nearly grabbed Unit-02's leg, though Asuka's quick reflexes saved them. The girl gasped as the creature swam past, regaining her composure and whirling to get a good look at the Angel. To Shinji's eye, the creature seemed a cross between a sting-ray and a swordfish, writ large. It could have bit through Unit-02's leg given half a chance.
"Bastard," Misato said. "it was hiding in the ruins. Be careful, Asuka."
"See, Third? We could have been fish food right there."
Mom's tone was laced with worry; to her credit, she was keeping herself together well. "I need you to draw its attention towards the Over the Rainbow, Asuka. We're going to lower the chain."
"A chain?" That didn't make sense in the slightest to Shinji. "Mom, shouldn't we be finding where the Angel's core is?"
"We will if it comes to that, Shinji, but that isn't the primary goal here." Shinji practically see the satisfied smile on his mother's voice. "We're going to capture this Angel, not destroy it."
"But won't that pull the ship under?"
"Before we caught visual of the Angel, that was a concern, but the Over the Rainbow should have enough strength to drag it back to Tokyo-3. Do you concur, Asuka?"
"Sure, but it already brought down a few ships, Doctor. It was practically tugboat compared to the flagship, but still." Asuka nodded to herself, as if working out an equation in her head. "At cursory glance, yeah, it should be enough. But I think we'll need to add another ship or two to be sure."
"We're on it. Go ahead and rile the Angel up a little, Asuka."
"Got it."
A shot fired from the harpoon gun, sending a steel shaft hurling through the water and into the Angel's flesh. A small gout of crimson erupted from the Angel's side. After all the trouble getting through the last Angel's AT Field, Shinji was surprised that the harpoon made contact at all.
"Not much of an AT Field to speak of," Asuka said. "and it seems like I've got its attention."
The Angel darted towards Unit-02, nearly catching the Evangelion in the chest as it whirled past. Asuka cut and run back towards what Shinji assumed was the underside of the Over the Rainbow, as he had long last track, bringing all hell behind her as the Angel barreled through the water. Shinji tried to reserve judgment about his mother's choice of a safe spot for him, but it was awfully hard to do right now.
"Asuka," Misato said. "we're dropping the chain. You ever been fishing?"
"Uh, no. I haven't."
"Oh, well, just hook it from the inside of its mouth. You'll see."
A chain dangling from the holding bay, Asuka grabbing hold and twirling the hooked end. The Angel bared its rows of serrated teeth as it closed in, its mouth opening for the kill; Asuka quickly stashed the harpoon gun, and caught the roof and floor of the creature's mouth. From behind, Shinji saw the girl struggling to keep the Angel's jaws from snapping shut.
Shinji skirted around the seat and practically dropped into Asuka's lap, his hands covering Asuka's as he gripped the controls. The boy couldn't attempt any finer movements, but he figured it was enough to keep the Angel's mouth open.
"What are you doing?" Asuka asked.
"Let me help. You can't do it alone."
The girl huffed. "Fine. But don't mess anything up."
Unit-02 maneuvered its feet into the Angel's mouth, using itself into as a makeshift wedge to keep the creature's maw wide open. With one of the Evangelion's arms free, Asuka grabbed the chain, and dug the hook into the juicy flesh of the Angel's mouth. A string of blood spurted out, wafting through the water as Unit-02 kept pushing, until the point emerged on the opposite side.
With Asuka's task complete, Unit-02 slipped out of the Angel's mouth, the jaws snapping shut. Shinji spied Asuka eyeing him out of the corner of his vision, and made the wise decision to untangle himself from the girl.
"Getting a little shaky up here," Misato said. "we've got two ships approaching on each side of the Over the Rainbow. Think you can pull off that trick a couple more times?"
Asuka smirked, running her hand through her red hair as she whipped it around.
"Of course I can, Lieutenant-Colonel. I can do anything I put my mind to."
Shinji saw the silhouette of another chain descend in the distance, though Asuka's attention was elsewhere. The Angel fought and warred against its lone restraint, biting and pulling the iron line with every ounce of strength in its body; the Over the Rainbow tilted back at a dangerous angle, a small shower of short-range aircraft and service vehicles falling around Unit-02 as they slid from the ship.
With one vicious tug, the chain snapped. The Angel was free, with a long metallic whip still hooked into its mouth. The creature seemed to bide its time, swimming around in a predatory manner, waiting for an opening.
"That's not good," Misato said. "Miss Yui, we just need to put this one down, I think."
"Not yet, Misato. Asuka, how much auxiliary power does Unit-02 have left?"
"Enough to make a couple more plays, Doctor."
"Splendid. Misato, I need the umbilical cable dropped into the water."
A few seconds later, the familiar sight of a power cable sized for an Evangelion dropped into the ocean. As the cord wasn't designed with any hooked protrusions, to Shinji's knowledge, he wondered what sort of 'play' Mom had in mind.
"Now, unfortunately," Mom said. "we're not going to get anymore use out of this cable. So if this works, you're going to have to high-tail it back to the ship, after attaching the chains from the other ships."
"You're going to overheat the cable, aren't you?"
"With the nuclear reactor abroad this ship, we've got a considerable amount of energy to work with. We're going to redirect the lion's share of power into the cord, and fuse the broken chain onto it."
Asuka said something under her breath, though only was likely the only one who Shinji understood the reference. "Episode twelve. When they're stranded in space and have to – "
"Come again?"
"Uhm, nothing," the girl said, flushing red. "re-approaching the Angel now."
With ease, Asuka glided back towards the Angel, grabbing the chain as the creature lashed out and bit seawater. The creature continued its assault as Asuka swam back to the flagship, not pulling so much as baiting the Angel back towards the right direction.
"We're switching power now, Asuka. The connection will likely cut out, you'll be on your own for a bit."
"Got it."
Unit-02 ripped the harpoon gun from its back and fired another shot. The bolt struck home, giving Asuka the precious seconds she needed to wrap the chain around the power cable. Bubbles rose around the cord as the seawater boiled, and Shinji could see his co-pilot gritting her teeth to help absorb the pain.
"She didn't mention this part," Asuka said. "I'm going to have to hold the damn thing in place."
"Let me do it."
Asuka looked at Shinji as if he had grown another head.
"Look, I can probably sync with Unit-02 enough to hold the chain steady."
Shinji looped a couple of his fingers into the collar of his plugsuit and pulled down, exposing the scabbed-over flesh from the last battle.
"I know I'm hardly the best pilot, but I think we can both agree that I've got more experience in nearly being burned alive. Should be like putting my hand on a stove, in comparison."
After a small silence, Asuka jumped out of the cockpit. "Go. Now."
Shinji slid into the seat, grabbing the controls and bracing himself. Internally, the boy was cursing himself, but he couldn't sit here and watch Asuka burn the skin off her hands. Call it a chivalrous impulse at the oddest time.
"Unit-02," Asuka said. "re-sync based off current pilot's profile."
The EVA's screen went awash in red as the machine threw up errors; then, the errors cleared, and the machine did a system reset of sorts as a kaleidoscopic spray of color briefly flew past the cockpit. A surge of scalding pain throughout Shinji's hands signaled Unit-02's successful reboot.
"How's my sync ratio?" Shinji asked, trying to distract himself. "Any good?"
"It's horrible. 31-point-342 percent. But I'm surprised you're getting that much, normally you'd need cross-synch tests to reconfigure the EVA for your profile. And you're not even wearing a headset."
"I'll try to do better, I guess."
"You don't want to do better right now, dummy. Higher sync rate means higher sensory output, right?" Despite her words, Shinji could tell Asuka was smiling from her tone; or, she was content, at least. "That's the only reason I let your chivalrous nonsense slide. It was a good idea, even if you did it for the wrong reason."
Misato's voice crackled back over the comms. "We're about to de-power the cable, is it done?"
"Should be. Time to switch back, Third."
Shinji flew from Unit-02's seat, wishing desperately he could grow a new set of hands. He hadn't spared the power cord much of a glance; the cord was an angry black mass of frayed and fused cables now, the chain melted into the cables.
As for the Angel, the creature seemed oblivious to its current predicament, snapping at Unit-02 once more before descending back into the blue. Once the line went taut, however, they could see the Angel struggling and biting the chain. The makeshift line was holding, for now.
"Good job, you guys," Misato said. "we just need to grab the chains from the other ships to secure the thing, and I think we'll be done."
Asuka glanced at Shinji out of the corner of her eye. "I'm not mad at you anymore, by the way."
"What?"
"For not calling me back. Now let's finish this up before we're stranded out here."
Shinji, formerly ignorant of the reason why Asuka was upset, wisely nodded and decided to keep his mouth shut.
-[[[]]]-
-[[[]]]-
The night was oddly peaceful, especially considering that most of the UN was dragging one of God's creatures along the seabed like a captured whale. Misato crossed her arms as looked out over the waters the Angel was lurking beneath, halfway expecting the Over the Rainbow be pulled under the waves at any second, taking half of NERV's talent and any hope of humanity's survival along with it.
Back in the JSSDF, Misato had her fair share of crazy ideas, some that were shot down for good reason and others that happened to work, despite how hair-brained they seemed. Anyone in their right mind would have called the plan to capture the Angel bonkers, and rightly torpedoed the idea. Insanity had its benefits, Misato supposed. At least for now.
But somehow, Asuka had pulled it off. And with minimal loss of life from the UN Fleet. The girl was truly a wonder.
A watershed moment had passed, and aside from herself, the Commander, and Miss Yui, Misato wasn't certain anyone had noticed. Anxiety tingled throughout Misato's body. For NERV, for defeating the Angels, for protecting the pilots, and for whatever sort of game Miss Yui was playing at.
In the distance, Misato heard a voice. A male voice. As Misato approached, the voice was obviously Kaji's, talking to someone over a satellite phone she assumed. Though, the topic of conversation was nebulous to her. Being counter-intelligence for NERV, Kaji likely had his nose in everyone's business. Subtlety was a lost art to Misato, but she knew all too well that underneath Kaji's faux-charming exterior was a different, more calculating man.
Misato leaned against a nearby corner, curiousity getting the better of her as she listened into Kaji's conversation. She would've killed to hear the person on the other line, instead of only Kaji's voice.
"Yeah, two of them are here."
"Made a new friend, did you?"
"We play nice for now, I think. No need to get handsy just yet."
"We don't have any field trips planned for now, but things could be getting interesting in town soon. I'll run it up the chain, see what she says. We might be able to schedule one in."
"It's about seeing opportunities, you know that. Just learn what you can for now. Field trip right now isn't a good idea, I want him to be at least amenable to the idea first."
"There's been a little shake-up there. Some tension. Learn what you can then play it how you see fit."
"I'll be doing my thing at HQ, of course. Likely an angle or two I can work from that end."
"Yeah. Gotta go. You be careful, alright?"
As Misato walked around the corner, a sharp beep from the satellite phone signaled the end of the call. Kaji gave an easy smile as he spied Misato, stashing the phone in a small briefcase, then turning to face her.
"A little late to be conducting business, isn't it?" Misato asked, crossing her arms. "truly no rest for the wicked, is there?"
"I'm no less wicked than you, Lieutenant-Colonel. Our halcyon college days together should be more than proof of that."
Misato wanted to vomit. "One of my greatest mistakes. What were you talking about, anyway?"
"You know that's classified."
"Just thought I'd ask. Who you extracting?"
"I don't know what you're referring to."
"Kaji, I know what a 'field trip' refers to. You think other people can't see through your cheesy 80s spy lingo?"
"Good for you." Kaji took a lighter from his pocket and a cigarette from a nearby box, a spout of flame burning the end of the cigarette with a flick of his thumb. He offered a cigarette to Misato, and she shook her head. "It's some business the Commander wanted me to take care of personally, if you must know. That's all I can say."
Misato would be lying if she said the 'need-to-know' method of distributing information at NERV didn't bother her. She understood the theory, of course, but Misato wore so many hats at NERV right now that she figured most of the information that flowed through Central Dogma was pertinent to her position.
Then again, Kaji could have been lying to deflect anymore questions. You just never truly knew with him.
"I'm assuming you have a contact in Tokyo-3."
Kaji looked at Misato, and chuckled. "You know, it's funny."
"What's funny?"
"The questions people ask. About my position and my operations." Kaji puffed on his cigarette, blowing out a cloud of smoke. "If someone ever asked the right questions, I would be so surprised that I might actually indulge them. Alas, all I ever get are queries befitting the 80s spy movies to which you just referred."
Kaji dashed the cigarette against the railing, but refrained from simply throwing it into the ocean. "But, to answer your question, Katsuragi…yes, out of the fifty-thousand or so people currently living in Tokyo-3, one or more of them is my contact."
"Didn't know you were so prickly about it. Sorry."
"I'm not prickly, Katsuragi. I'm worried."
That was a shock to Misato, though she tried not to let it show. "Worried? You?"
"Yes, I am capable of that emotion." Kaji looked off to the side, his gaze leading him to same ominous stretch of ocean that Misato was eyeing before. "What do you think about this business with the Angel, Katsuragi? Does it sit right with you?"
Misato walked up beside Kaji, leaning against the rail. "Not really, but there's not a whole lot at NERV that does. I assume Miss Yui is keen on harvesting the core, she talks about the thing like it's the Philosopher's Stone or something. But why?"
"Well, were she to wrap the core up and gift it to the Committee like a good girl, then it might go a long way towards soothing troubled waters." Kaji's gaze dropped low, a smirk forming on his lips. "Problem is, I don't think the good Doctor intends on doing that."
"I've heard there's bad blood between her and the Committee. What happened?"
"Let's just say her little disappearing act ruffled some feathers. Chairman had a gun to her head at one point, literally."
Misato hadn't expected anything so dramatic. "And how'd she get out of that one?"
"Threw him a juicier bone," Kaji said. "can't say anymore, unfortunately. If they knew I knew, I'd be disappeared faster than you can blink."
"You need to be more careful, Kaji, about cutting too many deals under the table. It's going to bite you in the ass one day."
"Funny, I was about to tell you the same thing. Though about a different issue." The man slid closer, almost too much so. "Thing is, it feels like the Commander and Doctor Ikari are trying to piss the Committee off, like they want to bait a reaction. Then they're likely to get one, but it might be a stronger reaction than they think, than they can handle."
"I'm sure Miss Yui has a plan, Kaji." As the words came out, Misato wondered whether she was speaking truth or merely reassuring herself. "She always does."
Misato put a finger to her lips. She had shadowed Yui Ikari for years now, but was always kept one step away from the true machinations of the Commander and herself. Within earshot, but far enough away that she only gleaned mere table scraps from their conversations, if she heard anything at all.
Kaji was throwing out a lot of questions and theories, but Misato didn't know the exact reason why the Committee would be angry. For not destroying the Angel, perhaps, but Misato felt it was something more.
For once, Misato thought she might have an idea. "Have you ever heard of something called an S2 Engine, Kaji?"
"Vaguely, considering who came up the initial theory. It's always been a touchy subject for you."
"I know, but..." A long breath escaped Misato's lips. "my father once posited it as a source of infinite energy. He spent his life working on recreating a device to showcase his theory, but then – "
"World got turned upside down."
"Yeah." Misato crossed her arms, drawing her jacket close. "Thing is, while we were drawing up a plan to defeat the last Angel, Asuka said something about the core allowing the Angels to 'cheat'. Basically, skirt the laws of physics as we know them."
"And now you're worried."
"I'm not."
"Yes, you are," Kaji said. "you always cross your arms like that when you're nervous, Katsuragi."
Misato snapped her head away. "Fine. Whatever. I'm just wondering about the possibilities. A limitless amount of energy harvested by Miss Yui's mind, and her questionable-at-best sanity."
"And now you see why the Chairman will be more than a little unnerved when someone whispers today's events into his ear." The man twiddled his fingers, his lips curling a bit. "You need to watch yourself, Katsuragi. If things go south, I don't want you getting caught in the crossfire. The kids either. You don't have to go with the ship, not if you don't want to."
"I don't know if I'll have a choice," Misato said. "if it comes to that. I'm going to protect those kids, no matter what. But whatever the Yui and Commander are doing, that's above me, I can only deal with what comes."
The silence stretched out, punctuated by the occasional wave crashing against the hull. Kaji pushed off the railing, slinging his jacket over his shoulder as he began walking away, and giving Misato a parting wave.
"If it makes you feel any better, the Commander and Miss Ikari aren't the only ones with irons in the fire, Katsuragi."