All three pilots were alive. Injured, exhausted - but alive.

Somehow, we all made it out of this battle. Shinji and Rei were now receiving treatment for the wounds they sustained. Unit-01 in particular had taken extensive damage to its arms and legs, leaving it in one of the worst states I've seen any of the Evas after battle during my time here. It just made me think about how lucky we were that the Angel fell where it did. A little bit off course, and maybe none of us would be standing here. It caused the Evas some unnecessary damage and the pilots some undue suffering, but we are alive.

The Angel itself was another situation altogether. We had hoped it would've stayed intact long enough to examine, but like some of its predecessors, it had detonated shortly after our celebration. The explosion didn't seem to've affected the Evas in any adverse ways, however it did put a nasty crater in one of Tokyo-3's more peaceful rural areas. Information on these creatures has been hard to come by, understandably so, and I don't see that becoming any easier.

"...these numbers can't be right, are they?" I scanned Asuka's synchronization performance readouts with my eyes a dozen times. The values didn't change. They were unlike any I had seen before, far beyond her recently recorded parameters. Not even the exceptional output recorded from the battle on the day we met managed to match up.

Dr. Akagi took the end of her cigarette out of her mouth, a thin trail of smoke exiting behind. She didn't look at me, her gaze steadily glued to the screen that projected the same numbers I was looking at. "There's no way they aren't. That's the real deal." I expected her to be ecstatic, to end up looking more excited for this data than the victory in general, but her subdued reaction ticked me the wrong way. After a short silence though, I realized why these numbers were the way they are.

"Dr. Akagi, these numbers are the result of Unit-02 going berserk, right?" She said nothing, continuing to look over the data without any hint of real interest at all. The end of her cigarette pushed back through her lips and she took a long draw. "...is there a reason why you aren't pleased with this data? This is what you wanted, wasn't it? To see numbers like these!?" Maybe I was just tired, or further worried about what Asuka was doing all this for, but seeing this woman not even give so much as a smile towards this data… confused me. Angered me.

Her eyes snapped over to meet my own, her expression still calm. "Lieutenant, I'd prefer it if you didn't yell at me."

I let out a short breath, realizing quickly that I had ramped up faster than I had intended to. "...I'm sorry. I just…" The knot in my throat didn't disappear when I swallowed. "I just don't understand any of this. Why was Unit-02 also able to move after its battery depleted? What the hell is an Evangelion? Nobody tells me anything!" Dr. Akagi stood up and turned to me, her face lowering into a scowl.

"Director Ikari already explained, it's not your place to know. The only job we're asking of you is to take care of the Second Child." She motioned towards the door behind me. "...so why don't you go do that. I have a lot of work to do."

I stared at her for a moment, relatively taken aback. Dr. Akagi never seemed like a bad person to me; aloof, sure, but the coldness with which she dismissed me felt different. She was under her own stresses here too, and maybe I should've been more patient with that. I slowly turned towards the door, but before exiting, I spun back towards her, just as she was returning to her chair. "My job is to keep Asuka safe, and I intend to do that to the fullest extent that I am able. I'm just becoming less and less sure that NERV has any intention of holding up her safety on their end."

Once more, she didn't respond.

Asuka looked so small, laying in that bed.

She had fully passed out just before we extracted her from her entry plug. It was nearly midnight now, and while her signs were stable, she hadn't awoken yet. I remembered the smile she wore when I looked at her through the plug's hatch. I don't even know if she heard me when I told her we'd get her out, but that smile... It was different from any one I had seen her wear, but I couldn't explain why it was sticking with me. I still haven't gotten any sleep either, so I'm just standing here in the hallway, like a zombie. I wasn't allowed to enter her room until she woke up, but I couldn't just leave her now, so... here I was, alone with my thoughts.

"Hey."

I snapped out of my focus. I was so absorbed in watching Asuka's heart monitor rhythmically tick through the door's window that I didn't notice Misato standing just a foot away from me. She looked disheveled, to put it best, with her dark hair looking hastily fixed and her red jacket wrinkled. I was almost willing to bet that once she found out the kids were stable, she passed out in her room or something. Her eyes pretty much confirmed that I was correct without her having to say a word.

She offered me a weak smile. "You shouldn't just be standing out here. It doesn't look good for you." I ran a hand back through my hair, chuckling lightly at her joke. "Seriously, go get some rest. I'll come get you as soon as she's awake."

"I'm fine."

"No, you aren't." Misato sighed. "I do understand how you feel, trust me, but she'll just end up laughing at you if you end up on a gurney yourself waiting for her."

"Misato…" I shuffled my feet. I knew she was right, but I couldn't accept that right now. I was worried. I wanted to see for myself that Asuka was okay when she woke up. Just let me be selfish like this right now, Major. If I pass out before that, then so be it.

I didn't say any of that to her though. She just stared at me judgingly with those tired eyes of hers, as if she was in a better state than I was.

"...honestly, I'm glad you're like this, Matsuo."

Can't say I was expecting her to say that.

"Oh? What do you mean?"

She leaned up against the wall next to Asuka's door, crossing her arms. "Mmh, not sure really. You'd think it'd be second nature to want to keep those kids safe, but given the severity of the battles and the feats of strength we require from them, I guess I just appreciate you're not here to throw Asuka into battles and nothing else."

"...ah." I had never really looked at myself as being special in that way. Though, with the way NERV works, where only results seem to matter, maybe that's what Misato's talking about. I looked at Asuka's door as I continued. "You're the same way, aren't you? With Shinji?"

"Of course I am. It's hard sometimes, but I really do want the best for, well, all of them. That's why I took care of Shinji in the first place. He was like a cute, lost puppy; I couldn't just leave him to get pushed around." She gave a soft smile to herself. "...sometimes it seems like everyone else here would just be fine treating them like tools."

Pausing for a second, I cleared my throat before I responded. "They aren't just a means to an end. They're human beings." Misato nodded softly. "They need to fight, but that doesn't mean they should be expected to do so without support. Though, I still feel… useless sometimes. When Asuka goes out to fight, how can I support her other than just being here when she gets back?"

She giggled. "Yeah, that sounds like something you'd worry about. Maybe you're not quite as out of it right now as you looked." As her face suddenly grew despondent, I tensed up. "I find myself feeling the same way, lately. Maybe it's just… guilt, for pushing them to fight, even when it's dangerous. Shinji's coming out of his shell more at home too, but his hesitation still when doing anything with the Eva… I get worried that I'm pushing too much."

"I think Shinji'll always have those reservations, no matter how thorough the plan. That's just how he is."

"I know." She played with her hair a bit, not meeting my eyes. "I've just been thinking about it a lot today. Ritsuko really gave me a good going over, and the worst part is I don't think I know why she was angry with me anymore. Was it because she was worried about me, or was she just worried about the Evas…?"

It was a little weird seeing Misato vulnerable like this, I hardly knew how to respond with how she caught me off guard. "Our... positions aren't easy."

"They aren't supposed to be, I guess." A sly smile quickly grew back onto her face, as she took the opportunity to poke fun again. "But mine is a lot harder than yours is, Mr. Stay-At-Home-Mom."

I felt my eye twitch in annoyance as she cackled softly.

We continued to shoot the breeze for a short while after, but eventually, my headache's growing pressure signaled that I really should get some rest. Not wanting to go to a different floor of the HQ, I decided to put up with the brightness of the medical wing that mimicked natural light to a disturbing degree of accuracy, and made myself comfortable in a chair in the small waiting area, two hallways away from Asuka's room. It didn't take long before I faded into rest.

I managed to get about three hours before Misato called for me.

"So, can I get out of this stupid bed, or what?" Asuka had been awake for mere minutes and was already trying to push past her grogginess and stand. I placed my hand on her shoulder and gently rested her back down onto her pillow.

"Hey, hey, just relax for now, alright? You'll feel much better, much sooner, if you do." Her annoyed eyes tossed daggers at me. Leave it to her to be ready to jump up and go in a state like this. Compared to Shinji and Rei, Asuka had gotten off easy, so she might be able to get cleared to leave after a full night's rest, but I wasn't about to let her start running around immediately. Surprisingly, she didn't try again, seemingly accepting my words.

Misato took a step forward from her place near the door. "Hey Asuka, how are you feeling?"

"Like I got hit by a truck, but knowing you owe me a steak is the strongest painkiller around~" Asuka's mockingly sweet tone made Misato take a deep breath like she was about to retort, but after a second, the Major realized her promise was ironclad and sighed.

"Okay, yeah, but did that really need to be the first thing you say to me?"

"Well, hey, you're the one who offered." The redhead folded her arms and let out a breath. "...but seriously, I feel fine. Like a million bucks. All I want is a shower and to sleep in my own bed tonight. Can I get that?"

I exchanged a worried look with Misato, something Asuka picked up on instantly. She groaned loudly, as her right arm draped across her face in a dramatic manner. Maybe she was fine after all?

"Asuka, there's something I'd like to ask you. A bit of business, and then I'll count this as your debriefing. That sound good?" Misato removed a small folder from her coat with a smile. It was one of those 'I'm smiling, but this next part isn't going to be easy' kinds of smiles.

She pondered the question briefly, still hiding her face underneath her arm. "You're not going to leave me alone until I answer anyway, so go on and get it over with."

Misato opened the folder and began thumbing her way through some sheets of paper. "...this is technically off the record, but I'm just curious for my own sake." Asuka lowered her arm and sat up slightly, her interest piqued at hearing Misato slipping into a confused tone. The Major raised her eyes, meeting the younger girl's gaze. "How much… do you remember about the moment the Angel was defeated?"

So she noticed the data readouts too, huh? Is this for Misato's peace of mind regarding her plan, I wonder.

Asuka's face went blank. She didn't even look like she was trying to remember anything, it was almost as if the question alone shocked her, pushing her into a thousand yard stare. The silence in the room was chilling, like a record had suddenly scratched to a halt.

"Asuka?"

When I spoke her name, she made a small jump. She brought a hand up and wiped it across her face in an apparent self-soothing gesture. It could've just been some of her exhaustion catching up with her after her lively start to this meeting, but… something definitely felt off to me. I don't know what happened inside Unit-02 to make it go berserk, and Asuka probably doesn't either.

"Uh… yeah, the Angel…" She looked down at her lap, puzzled. "I… I killed it, right? So, that's what I remember."

While the momentary silence caught Misato off guard, she didn't quite seem satisfied with that answer. The Major studied the papers in the folder for a minute or so before giving Asuka another smile like the one from earlier.

"I just want to know if you remember anything about Unit-02's movements… after the batteries were depleted."

Asuka's jaw clenched, and she began speaking rapidly. "I told you all I remember. I stabbed the stupid Angel in its core and it died. That was it, a textbook victory! I don't even know why you're here… trying to..." As her breathing became a bit more strained, she winced, as if struck by pain. Once again, I helped her lower herself back down onto the bed.

"I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to get you riled up. I thought it was just a straight-forward question." Misato quickly placed the folder back into her coat, a look of perplexity across her face. "It… doesn't matter anyway. It was just selfish curiosity on my part. Forget about it." She paused as Asuka caught her breath, before finishing up her debriefing. "You really did a wonderful job, Asuka. You, and the others too. I don't want to think about where we'd be right now if not for you guys.." She gave me a slight nod and exited, her heels clacking down the hall outside.

There were no chairs in the room with Asuka, so I just knelt on the floor beside her bed. I know I was hovering over her a lot right now, but that's normal, right? If Suzue had gotten hurt like this back then, I would've been…

...no, maybe it's because I wasn't there for Suzue like this that I feel the need to worry as much as I am right now. Asuka just stared at the ceiling intently, her jaw still clenched. Something just wasn't right. What happened to you? I didn't get to talk to Shinji after his first Angel fight. I just remember seeing him being ferried into the darkness on a stretcher, unconscious. As I began pondering the possible factors that might have occurred to link these two instances, Asuka spoke again.

"My head's just foggy, that's all. Oh, and I'm tired. That's why I can't remember exactly… what happened." With the way she spoke, it was as if she didn't fully believe her own reasoning.

I pushed a tuft of her bangs out of her eyes. "It's alright, Asuka, you don't need to worry about that tonight. We can talk about it when you're feeling better."

She mustered the strength to roll onto her side, away from me. "I am feeling better, dummkopf." Her irritability was understandable. I know I'd hate to be held captive in a bright, sanitized room like the one we were in, especially if I didn't necessarily feel injured. Knowing Asuka, though, she probably is hurting inside, no matter what she says on the surface.

I stood up and stretched. "...do you want me to let you get some sleep?"

Her body shifted in the bed slightly. "You can leave if you want to leave. I don't care."

"So you don't mind if I stay and talk with you a bit more, then?"

Asuka turned slightly to face me. "You're not gonna start trying to ask me questions I can't answer, are you?"

I gave a short chuckle. "Didn't I just tell you not to worry about that?" She turned back onto her pillow, staring straight at the wall now.

"...you mean you aren't curious like Misato was?"

"Of course I'm curious. I just don't want your answers if you're going to hurt yourself trying to get them right now. We can just focus on your victory." I sat on the edge of the bed, and softly patted her hair. "You did scare me for a minute, though. I almost choked on my heart, it jumped up so fast."

Her voice came as nothing more than a whisper. "...I was scared too." I'm sure that's what she said.

I sat there with her in silence for a while. I'm not sure how long. Eventually, I noticed she had fallen back asleep, and so I crept out of the room, softly shutting the door behind me.

Standing back in the hallway, I scratched my head. It felt like, for just that split second, it wasn't the same Asuka speaking to me. It was surreal, hearing her tremble like that. With the brave face she always wears, it's easy to forget she's essentially just a kid. Of course she must've been scared. I don't want her to feel like that...

...but there's nothing else I can do. That's just the way all of this is. I have to be here for her, to catch her when she falls, and to help her back up. No one else is going to be, and maybe I've just never given that role the credit it was due until now.

The next 24 hours came and went, and on the morning of October 15th, Asuka was cleared to leave NERV HQ's medical wing.

As soon as she re-entered the apartment, it was like the battle she had fought was a distant memory, and the only thing she had her eyes set upon now was the prospect of draining all of my hot water in an hour-long shower.

I didn't say a word about it, though. Letting her do that was the least I could do. Even when the steam billowed out from around the bathroom door and crept out into the den where I sat, I just turned a blind eye. She eventually exited the shower, patting her hair with a towel as she walked into the kitchen, I listened to her "satisfied" musings about how "Japanese showers aren't as good as the worst ones she's experienced in Germany, but they can get the job done in a pinch" and how she "couldn't believe" I still hadn't picked up any of that strawberry milk she liked (despite the fact that I've had 0 time to grocery shop in the past couple days, obviously), and I couldn't help but smile.

She's been fighting a lot lately. Having this return of normalcy felt long overdue. She plopped herself down on the couch beside me, sipping semi-angrily on plain milk, and grabbed the TV remote.

"Hey, did you know it's going to be Halloween soon?" She said quickly, before changing the channel I was half watching to some drama movie that was almost over.

I stared at her with a furrowed brow. I had heard of that before, but honestly I had no idea what it was in the slightest.

"That's… a holiday, right?" Asuka nearly spit her milk out.

"DO YOU NOT KNOW WHAT HALLOWEEN IS!?" The girl screamed into my face. "I knew you lived under a rock, but this is just... disgraceful! Halloween is a wonderful time of year! Everyone carves pumpkins and puts on costumes! It's spooky, and you can get a ton of candy! Kaji used to get me a bunch of goodies every year for it! Do you not have that here or something!?"

I scratched my chin, a little thrown off by the gusto at which she described the event. "W-Well, I've heard of it, at least?" Asuka's appalled look grew into one of pride.

"Well, don't you worry mister. Come the 31st, I'll have taught you all about it! Someone has to be the bringer of culture to your lacking home, and look no further than yours truly!~"

We both had a good laugh about it as the credits to the movie rolled. As we waited to see what the next program was going to be, a thought crossed my mind about something she had just mentioned.

"...y'know, I don't think I've ever even seen a pumpkin."

As Asuka exploded once more, it seemed like everything was really back to normal, at least for a little while. So maybe it was okay to relax, and maybe I'll let Asuka teach me about this strange candy celebration.

Who knows, it might be fun.

A couple weeks passed before Shinji and Rei were finally released. None of their injuries were permanent, thankfully, and they were both cleared to return to school, along with all of their usual activities.

However, one final thing stood in their way before the trio could relax.

The most important reward ever.

"So I guess it's too late to try talking you all out of this?" Misato pleaded, half-jokingly, as the five of us walked through one of the shopping districts near the complex. I had never been down this way, so I didn't really know what to expect from the place Asuka had picked out.

Shinji scratched his cheek sheepishly. "She's been moping about this to me for days now."

"Aw, that's so sad." Asuka mocked. "Maybe next time, you'll promise us something that won't steal a paycheck away in one fell swoop as a reward."

Giggling mischievously, Misato placed a hand on my shoulder. "Mmh, maybe it'll all turn out okay! I do have my backup wallet with me, after all!" I sighed.

"The most I can do for you is order something that doesn't cost much." I said with a smile.

Realizing what I meant, the Major yelled. "Hey! Who said I was paying for your meal here anyway!?"

As we chuckled amongst ourselves, the trio of pilots stopped outside an innocuous ramen noodle stand, tucked in the middle of the street. Misato glanced back and forth between the three of them, and I matched her bewildered look.

Asuka cleared her throat and stepped forward. "It was fun watching you squirm, but we're not cruel enough to take all your money on you. Besides, Wondergirl wasn't interested in coming if the main course was just meat, so…" She presented the stand with an outstretched hand. "We all collectively decided that this place would benefit all of us!"

Nearly bringing the woman to tears, Misato smiled. "Y-You guys…"

"We're all still going to order the biggest bowls we can get, just for our money's worth." Shinji added. With a nod, we all entered underneath the curtain and sat at the counter.

With our orders quickly being taken, and cooked up right before our eyes, the smells and the sights were a spectacle in their own right. It was hard to think a steakhouse could be better than this. With Rei ordering her ramen without meat, and Misato engaging in a conversation with Shinji next to me, I watched Asuka's eyes grow as she admired the large bowl of soup, noodles, shark fin, pork, egg and veggies that was placed in front of her.

"This is incredible! Look how much you get! If it tastes even half as good as it smells, I'm in for a treat!" The redhead gleefully exclaimed. As I got my own order, a smaller bowl of pork ramen, I experienced the divine sensations myself.

As the evening sky dimmed to darkness, the five of us ate our meals, talked, laughed, and honestly? I couldn't imagine a better way to put an end to these past few weeks.

Author's Note - The actual Halloween chapter is well into planning stages now, just give it a few more days! I have been busy with some autumn cleaning and Super Robot Wars 30 lately, so I couldn't get around to finishing this one on time, but I'm trying to make it up to you all by getting the next one finished up ASAP (I also wonder if Asuka'll make it into SRW30 as DLC somehow... hmm).

This was a pretty chill bridge chapter that will lead into my "relaxation period" for the next few chapters! I don't plan on touching any Angels again until the cast is good and recuperated! Anyway, hope you all enjoyed this one, peace!