Rei Ayanami analysed the aluminium instrument she had been handed with curiosity: it had a cylindrical shape, thinner at the bottom and wider towards the top, and possessed a type of grip that hinted towards sweeping or slashing motions as its intended means of use. The lack of a blade or wedge of any kind in its surface went against such a possibility, however.

Rei then theorised that the instrument could have been meant as a bludgeoning weapon, instead, but the light mass and poor density of the manufacturing material made that an unlikely assumption. So did the name that had been inscribed and decorated on the tool's side, as well, for it would have been senseless and pointless to so skilfully embellish a surface that would quickly degenerate under the stress of combat.

…

Unless the instrument wasn't meant for battle, as she had initially speculated. But what other purpose could such an inefficiently large and inertia-driven device have, then? What could it do that a simple and far more transportable hammer couldn't?

The name engraved upon the instrument itself, 'Home Run Hall', also failed to elicit any further insights into the purpose of the tool she was now in possession of, other than its coincidence in both content and design to the front of the store the group had recently entered. The rows of fenced in compartments within the building itself provided no hints as to the purpose of the facility, either, and neither did the numbered plaques that were set up at the other end of the large room.

Realising then that she was working with incomplete or faulty information, and that it was wasteful and pointless for her to continue trying to decipher the intended purpose of the instrument she had been given in such a manner, the First Child decided to ask the person who had handed it to her, instead.

"What am I to do with this?"

Something that caused the twin-tailed girl before her to pause and look at Rei as if she'd just grown a second head.

"What? You've never seen a baseball bat before, Bluebird?"

"'Baseball'?" the bluenette echoed, eyeing the so-called 'bat'. "I'm not familiar with that term."

"Really? Hard to believe that, considering which country you live in," Mari chuckled, picking up a bat of her own and doing a few demonstration swings. "In any case, let me explain it to you: as far as we care, this is a sport about hitting a flying ball with your bat and sending it back the way it came," she explained, before signalling towards the other end of the course with her bat. "For added difficulty, you need to aim for those markers over there and try to rack up as many points as possible."

"Points? For what purpose?"

"Purpose? I don't know. Having fun?" the Fifth Child shrugged. "That's what people practice sports for, right?"

"I engage in swimming to maintain a satisfactory state of health," Rei argued back. "I also find the activity remarkably soothing."

"I… guess you could roll like that, too. Different strokes for different folks, eh?" Mari smiled awkwardly, turning to look at the other two girls that were sitting at the back of the batting cages. "...Is she always like this?"

"Just you wait until she brings out the toilet philosophy," Asuka grumbled, scoffing angrily. "By the way, I'm not talking to you, remember?"

Mari rolled her eyes at the predictable answer. The Second Child had been crabby before, but her mood had reached an all-time low after whatever it was that the Hikari girl had told her. Something that Mari found quite surprising, considering that the new addition to the group had been anything if not pleasant up until now.

With a tired sigh, Mari turned to regard the novice batter.

"...Is she always like that?"

"No," Rei's reply was clipped and laced with a hint of irritation. "Pilot Sohryu is usually much louder."

"What did you say?!"

"Huh, go figure," Mari smirked, getting another rise out of the redhead. "And here I thought that she had the volume cranked up to eleven, already."

"Do you want to see how much louder I can get?!"

"Oh? So this isn't even your final form?" the Fifth Child continued with her teasing, before thinking better about her efforts. "Actually, don't answer that. I'd rather see if you can walk the walk," she then picked up another bat and threw it towards Asuka, the redhead easily catching it. "How about it, Asuka? Care for a match?"

Asuka looked down at the bat and then back at the smiling Pilot, a hint of doubt crossing her features for an instant before it vanished and was replaced by incensed determination, the Second Child's lips pressing into a thin line.

"…You're on," Asuka picked up the verbal glove, striding heavily towards an empty cage. "I've wanted to shut your mouth for a while now."

"That's the spirit!" Mari cheered, turning towards Hikari next. "Your turn now Piggy-chan, let's make this a two versus two! You team up with Asuka and I'll pair up with Bluebird here! May the best team win!"

"'P-Piggy-chan'…?" Hikari blinked at the strange nickname for a second, before she stood up from her seat with a resigned sigh. "…And how come I don't get a say in this?"

"Don't worry, Hikari," Asuka reassured her, glaring daggers at the back of her fellow Pilot. "I'm not going to lose against that stupid four-eyes."

Words that only prompted the Class Representative of 2-A to sigh deeper and mutter under her breath.

"…That's actually the part I'm worried about."

-O]|[O-

Ten innings and many swings later, the impromptu baseball match came to an end with a solid victory for Team Asuka, a match in which the Second and Fifth Children gave their all, butting heads and fighting evenly all the way to the last second. The two of them were so well matched, indeed, that the outcome of the game was arguably decided by the efforts of their teammates rather than their own.

Efforts in which the First Child had far more trouble competing than her direct opponent did: many a time did the baseballs swoosh by Rei Ayanami's bat without direct contact, or strike it indirectly enough that the small spheres would arc backwards rather than launch towards the targets she was aiming for. It got to the point that, despite some marked improvements by the last steps of the game, the usually inexpressive girl was narrowing her eyes and letting out short huffs of annoyance every time the baseball wouldn't comply with her wishes.

The Second Child's gloating had not helped in the slightest, either.

"I'm sorry. My lacking performance was the main cause of our defeat," Rei told her teammate as the group retreated to the building's cafeteria, eyebrows knitted closer than normal. "This… 'baseball' is difficult."

"It's fine, it's fine! Nobody's born knowing, Bluebird," Mari reassured her with a smile, clearing an errant droplet of sweat from her forehead at the same time. "What's important is that we had fun!"

"And that I put you in your place!"

Mari chuckled at the haughty voice that responded, turning towards the now confident looking Second Child. The girl's competitive streak was truly something to behold.

"Yeah, yeah… that, too. You've got some good arms there, Asuka," Mari praised, offering her hand for a belated post-game handshake. "I look forward to the next match."

Asuka paused for a second, staring at the outstretched limb as if it was completely out of place, or an unthinkable answer to what she had just said. As if the Fifth Child's actions didn't conform to whatever probable scenarios Asuka had envisioned.

It was a fleeting picture, however, the girl's expression morphing into a bold grin soon after.

"…And I look forward to kicking your ass again!" the Second Child exclaimed, firmly grabbing onto Mari's offered hand.

"You sure nailed those balls out there," an outsider voice suddenly cut in, breaking the moment. "How about a drink to recover?"

"...What the- ?" Asuka paused for an instant, recognizing the voice, before she jerked around. "Geek-stooge?! The hell are you doing here?!"

"Nice to see you, too," Kensuke Aida snarked, narrowing his eyes at Asuka. He then gestured at his work uniform. "And what does it look like I'm doing? Some of us have to work for our spending money, Red."

"Maybe you wouldn't need so much of it if you didn't always waste it on your useless-"

"Knock it off, Asuka," Hikari tiredly chided her friend, before she smiled at her classmate. "Good afternoon, Aida-kun."

"Hey, Class Rep, and Ayanami. Good effort out there! And…" Kensuke's eyes then landed on Mari, travelling downwards a little bit before he willed them back up. "…Friend of yours?"

The Fifth Child nodded her head before anyone could answer and strode towards Kensuke, stopping right in front of him.

"Hiya, I'm Mari!" she said, giving the now dumbfounded boy a kiss on each cheek. "Nice to meet you!"

It was then that Mari Makinami heard a weird, strangled gasp behind her. Stepping away from Kensuke, who had suddenly gone stiff as a board, the Fifth Child turned around to see Hikari do a fairly good impression of a shell-shocked goldfish and hold a shaky finger towards her.

"…What?"

"W-W-What are you doing, Makinami-san...?"

"Greeting the guy…?" Mari elaborated, expression clouding in confusion for a second. "…Oh, right. Japanese. Sorry, I guess I forgot about the culture shock thing for a moment, there," she shrugged, before turning to smile at the frozen Kensuke. "Old habits die hard. I hope I didn't make you uncomfortable, Aida-san?"

"N-No, i-it's fine!" The flustered boy quickly denied, jolting out of his shock. He then coughed into his hand to try and regain a modicum of composure, sending a dirty look towards Asuka in the process. "I mean… it's a lot better than how the other foreigner here greeted me."

Said foreigner answered the challenging stare with one of her own, crossing her arms in defiance.

"It was your own fault for staring at what you shouldn't have," Asuka scoffed. "You stupid pervert."

"Our fault?!" Kensuke protested. "Who was the genius who wore a sundress at sea?!"

Pre-emptively sighing in exasperation at the louder comeback that she knew was about to happen, the Class Representative of 2-A grabbed Rei and Mari by their wrists and strode towards one of the tables, leaving the other two to their devices. Sitting down, Hikari then proceeded to completely ignore the rapidly escalating argument just a few steps away.

She was tired, she was more than a bit miffed at her best friend, and she was in absolutely no mood to lay down the law for a while. As far as she was concerned, even Class Representatives deserved their breaks and it was time for Hikari to enjoy hers.

-O]|[O-

"Where are you from anyway, Makinami-san?" Hikari asked quite some time later, once everyone had seated and ordered their drinks. "I mean, I know you mentioned that you were from overseas, but some of your mannerisms seem very… well, foreign."

Mari smiled at that, appearing to take Hikari's words as a compliment.

"Well, I'm from England, technically. Although with how much time I've spent in Beijing you could call me Chinese by now, I guess."

"Beijing?" Kensuke echoed, his ears perking up. "Wait, you mean to say that you're with NERV, too?!"

"Yup!"

And, just like that, Kensuke's look went from one of interest all the way up to one of adoration.

'...Someone's got herself a fanboy,' Asuka thought at the sight, groaning at how the military nut's eyes had suddenly started to sparkle. Sparkles that, in true geek-stooge fashion, were soon followed by an inquisitive tirade as to the capabilities of the EVAs and the MO of NERV tactical operations. A sudden interrogation that Mari showed a remarkable amount of patience for, too.

Although, funnily enough, the boy didn't use the opportunity to beg for a chance at being made a Pilot in the way that Shinji had mentioned a couple of times before.

'He must have finally figured that they'd never let an idiot like him into the program.' Asuka promptly tuned Aida out, bringing her soda to her lips. 'Guess he can learn after all.'

"So you're another EVA Pilot, Makinami-san? Thank you for your hard work." Hikari bowed gratefully to the Fifth Child as soon as Kensuke gave her a chance, before she was suddenly reminded of something. The brunette then turned towards her friend. "And speaking of that, where is Ikari-kun? I had expected him to show up with you."

Asuka froze, the soda she'd been drinking slowly going back down the drink's straw. Before long, her eyebrows drew together in irritation.

"So that moron didn't tell you?"

"He's not a moron, Asuka!" Hikari angrily shot back, stabbing her friend with her eyes. "And no, he didn't tell me anything about Ikari-kun. Why?"

Asuka sighed and placed the soda back on the table, rubbing her temple for a few seconds while she searched for a way of explaining Shinji's status that didn't break any confidentiality boundaries. Something that was further complicated by the need for it to also leave her in a good light as far as the battle was concerned, and that using the usual 'Shinji screwed up' explanation that Asuka had employed for the longest time didn't exactly sit well with her at this point.

It was then that help arrived from an unlikely source.

"Ikari-kun is indisposed at the moment," the First Child explained, bringing Hikari's attention to her.

"Indisposed? As in he's sick?"

Red and blue shared a knowing look but remained silent, neither of them knowing how to further elaborate on the aftermath of the Fifteenth Angel.

"…No. You wouldn't have made such a big deal out of Toji not telling me if it was something that simple," Hikari reasoned, thinking things over for a second or two. And then, a look of realisation dawned on her face, the brunette's eyes quickly moving to Mari. "…Oh, no… Did something happen to Ikari-kun?!"

"Not to worry," Mari quickly explained before Rei or Asuka could jump in. "Sleeping Beauty is just doing as his namesake implies. I was brought here to be his backup until he wakes up."

"What?! He's-"

"Out of danger, yeah. He's just both mentally and physically exhausted, and he'll be up on his feet in the near future. Nothing to worry about," Mari gently interrupted, before smirking and sending a meaningful look Asuka's way. "I'm sure Ikari-kun's personal nurse agrees with me?"

"...Who exactly are you calling that idiot's personal nurse?" Asuka countered, glaring back.

"Oh, there's no need to be shy, Asuka-chan! I could feel the absolute depths of your worry when we first met in his room!" Mari smiled dreamily, bringing her hands together. "It was so moving! The devotion, the promises of undying love!"

Something that sounded very much like a young woman squeeing in delight sounded off from the Second Child's side, but the redhead ignored it in favour of setting the record straight as quickly as humanly possible.

"Okay, now I'm sure that you're just making stuff up," Asuka scoffed, her tone going dangerously low. "And that you're a masochist, too. You're asking for a real beating, you know?"

"Of course I'm making stuff up, but you could cut it with the threats of violence, too." Mari rolled her eyes with a groan, turning to face Asuka with a serious face. "Lighten up, girl! Learn to take a joke or two. It's not a personal attack and nobody likes a stick in the mud."

"I do have a sense of humour, your stupid jokes just don't fall inside of it," the redhead countered, indignantly crossing her arms. "But even if I didn't, so what? I'm an EVA Pilot, and I'm here to pilot my EVA, not to make friends."

"So now we are an aloof professional? Strictly business? Give me a break," Mari sighed, throwing her hands up in the air. She then leant forward on the table, staring intently at the Second Child. "In any case, I do want to make some friends while I'm here. And I guess that means that I'll be starting with you, whether you like it or not."

"I'd love to see you try," Asuka replied with a barely concealed snarl.

To which Mari merely smiled widely.

"Challenge accepted."

-O]|[O-

"Well, that was a short-lived bet. Don't you think so, Ayanami-san?"

Rei Ayanami stared at the girl by her side, offering little in the way of response. After all, the bluenette was unsure as to what bet it was that Hikari was referring to, and also failed to understand why her opinion on the length of said wager could have possibly been of any importance.

Whatever that reason may be, the First Child suspected it to be tied in some manner to the way in which Class Representative Horaki had been silently inspecting the Second and Fifth Children for some time now, who had taken to walking a few metres ahead of them, immersed in a discussion about the events of the afternoon. Both of them were exceedingly loud in their speech, easily catching the attention of passing pedestrians and keeping it for several seconds, to the point that Rei had believed Hikari's previous observation to have been preparation for her well-known disciplinary measures.

Up until that point, anyway.

"Just look at her. They haven't known each other for even one day and they're already bickering as if they'd met years ago. It took me weeks before Asuka opened up to me like that," Hikari continued, shaking her head in amusement. "She's a bit strange, but that girl is good. It actually makes me a little jealous."

"I disagree," Rei replied. "They appear to be constantly at odds with each other."

"It looks like that to you, Ayanami-san?" Hikari questioned, clearly surprised. "I guess it would to anyone who doesn't fully understand how Asuka works."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not too sure about how to explain it. Asuka is… explosive, but she is also very socially lazy outside of keeping up appearances, I guess," Hikari elaborated with a shrug. "Like, if she really despised Makinami-san, she would just limit herself to not giving her the time of day unless provoked, like she does with countless other people. But instead, look at them, butting heads over this and that, competing just like Asuka loves to so much. They're fighting, but not really fighting. They're arguing like friends sometimes do," the brunette then sighed softly, her gaze going distant for a moment. "…Just like she tried to do with Ikari-kun."

"Is that why you argued with Pilot Sohryu earlier today?"

"…You could say that. Even if that one was a bit more serious," Hikari replied, unable to hide a small wince. "I thought I had disguised it a little bit better than that, though."

"You didn't."

Hikari blinked for a moment, not having expected such a brusque answer. It wasn't long before she broke into chuckles, though.

"You're blunt, Ayanami-san," she continued. "Yeah, I had a small fight with Asuka. She didn't agree with a decision I've recently made, but that's fine, that's just people being people and she'll get over it before long. It's the underlying bonds that are important and, if there's something I've learned from my sisters, it's that those sorts of hiccups tend to make relationships between individuals stronger."

Rei's expression turned pensive, the First Child turning the explanations that the Class Representative had shared inside her head. Admittedly, a lot of the wording Hikari had used sounded somewhat out of place to her, but she caught enough to understand the basic logic behind the other girl's words.

"…I see." Rei nodded her head, staring at the two girls in front of them. "Does your previous question mean to imply that you believe the Second and Fifth to share such a social bond between them?"

"And the First Child, too. If not now, then soon enough," Hikari replied with a smile, before bringing her attention to the front, as well. "Maybe when Ikari-kun wakes up he'll have room to join in, too."

The pair fell into a comfortable silence after that, the Class Representative intently examining the Second and Fifth Children as they continued to argue with one another. Then, and little by little, a small smile began to blossom on her face.

"Yeah, I definitely like her," Hikari eventually whispered under her breath, believing herself unheard. "She seems like a dependable person. Exactly the kind of person Asuka needs right now."

Rei wasn't certain about whether 'dependable' was a label that could have been applied to the Fifth Child, but the newcomer's physical prowess did indeed appear to be indicative of an adequate potential to Pilot EVA. It still remained to be seen whether that potential would translate into an actual proficiency towards piloting, but Rei did agree with Hikari's outlook on how necessary Makinami-san's presence would be for the upcoming battles.

"Still," the Class Representative continued, this time in a proper and audible tone. "Even after everything that's happened Asuka can't bring herself to say it yet, huh?"

"Say what?"

"That she likes Ikari-kun. She's so obvious about it that it's actually a bit painful to watch," the brunette sighed, making a face. "The same goes in the opposite direction, too, though. Well, not right now, but you know what I mean."

Rei Ayanami stared quizzically at the class representative, struggling to make sense of Hikari's last statement. After all, what was it about being fond of something or someone that it required a public admission, as if it was some sort of mistake? As a matter of fact, Rei herself enjoyed many things, like the feeling of water against her skin or the simple pleasure of reading. Obviously, Ikari-kun's company also qualified for that, but the First Child didn't understand the reasoning behind needing to announce such a thing.

Nevertheless, the Second's habitual insistence not on hiding her enjoyment of Ikari-kun's company, but on outright denying it, was the one thing that had always struck Rei as odd about her.

"Then again," Hikari continued, breaking the bluenette's train of thought. "I also believed that Ikari-kun was into you for the longest time, Ayanami-san, so it's not like I'm infallible."

Rei frowned, trying to wrap her head around the impossibility that the other girl's latest words suggested. It was a proven fact that two physical bodies couldn't co-exist in the same exact space, after all.

"I... don't understand."

Her reply earned the First Child a strange look from Hikari for a few moments, but it wasn't long before it shifted into one of amusement.

"That's fine," Hikari responded, smiling in a way that suggested an intention to let the topic rest. "I guess I have my reason for why that ship didn't sail, after all."

…And now navigation came into the picture? To say that Rei Ayanami felt utterly perplexed at Class Representative Horaki's bizarre conversational skills would have been selling it short. Then again, and since the conversation didn't seem to be at all relevant towards either her purpose or Ikari-kun's wishes, it wasn't like the First Child felt a special need to inform Hikari of her personal shortcomings.

Instead, Rei was simply content to silently follow her lead all the way back to NERV.

-O]|[O-

"How did your day go?" Ritsuko Akagi questioned when she heard the door to her NERV apartment open, never lifting her gaze from the documents she was analysing. "I was told that you managed to meet up with the First and Second Children?"

Her visitor grunted in response, shutting the door and unceremoniously plopping herself on Ritsuko's couch. She then let out a tired sigh, looking for all intents and purposes as if she'd just run a marathon.

"Suuure did," the Fifth Child mumbled. "But I never knew that being an actual teenager could be this damn exhausting."

Ritsuko paused in her reading for an instant, lifting her eyes to look at her visitor with whimsical interest.

"I take it that the Second was her usual abrasive self?"

"You could say that," Mari groaned, rolling her eyes. "Still, for someone that prickly she sure gets attached to people pretty darn quick."

"The Second Child suffers from severe self-esteem and abandonment issues," Ritsuko explained, going back to her reading. "That's hardly surprising."

The doctor's words were followed by a bout of quiet, thoughtful humming coming out of her guest. Mari relaxed herself even more on Ritsuko's couch, closing her eyes and giving the illusion that she was about to doze off.

"...Hmm, is that so?" the Fifth Child eventually muttered. "Well, I kinda already figured that her deal was something along those lines. Whose bright idea was it to give her a giant robot, anyway?"

"Things just worked out that way, as far as I'm aware."

"Can you elaborate a bit on that?"

Ritsuko's gaze separated from the report for a second time, now turning to look curiously (and with a bit of concern) at the unwinding young woman.

"…That's strange. I expected you to be in the know about these sorts of things, already."

"My insertion was a rush-job, so they only briefed me on the top of the line need-to-know stuff, with later reports or on-site intel gathering covering everything else," Mari shrugged nonchalantly. "The Pilots and their idiosyncrasies didn't fall into that initial lump, I guess."

"Fair enough," Ritsuko replied, mostly satisfied with the explanation. She then put the report aside and swivelled her chair around to address the agent directly. "Did your initial briefing cover the manner in which the EVAs function?"

"Something about souls and filio-maternal instincts and stuff like that?" Mari provided, eyes still closed but proving that she was giving the conversation her full attention, despite appearances.

Even if her explanation wasn't as in-depth as Ritsuko would have liked.

"…More or less." Ritsuko acknowledged, pinching the bridge of her nose with a sigh as a show of her own exhaustion. "I'll give you the short of it: Synchronisation is achieved by a link between the soul in the EVA and that of its Pilot, hence, the name. For this synchronisation to be effective, however, the basis of the bond must be one of strong cooperation, or protective in nature. There are other ways for the synchronisation link to be formed, of course, but their potential efficiency is theorised to be lower."

The doctor then paused for a second, making sure that she still had the girl's attention. It seemed to be the case.

"In that sense, being that Kyoko Sohryu Zeppelin's soul inhabits Unit-02's current core, it stands to reason that her daughter would be the best Pilot candidate, referring to the strength of the filio-maternal instincts, as you put it, before. The same stands true for Unit-01, but not for 00."

"Hm-mm. Being the Pilot of a giant robot doesn't explain that girl's issues, though."

"Kyoko Sohryu Zeppelin committed suicide a few weeks after her failed contact experiment, following a period of severe dementia in which she mistook a doll for her own daughter, amongst other symptoms," Ritsuko elaborated, before exhaling somberly and falling silent. She then stood from her seat, pacing a few steps around the room before she continued. "...Asuka was the one who found the body. What remained of her mother had also tried to kill 'her' at the time of her suicide, too, and that wasn't a detail that escaped the Second Child's young mind. Add a complete lack of psychiatric or medical care of any sort following Asuka's incident and some other drastic changes over the years within her immediate social and familial circle, as well as the pressure and responsibility from her personal achievements and her role as an EVA Pilot... and you end up with our very own Second Child."

A heavy silence settled on the apartment following the Doctor's explanation, with the rustling of the couch as the Fifth Child manoeuvred into a sitting position and Ritsuko's lethargic walking being the only sounds that managed to break through for a few moments.

"…Ouch," Mari eventually provided with a wince, now fully 'awake'. "Girl needs a hug, I guess."

"A valiant hypothesis, although testing it would require accepting extensive bodily harm. I'll leave that to your own discretion," Ritsuko replied, prior to walking over and tapping her hand on top of the discarded report. "But that explanation brings us up to the issues the Second Child's sudden recovery has caused us."

"Namely?"

"That we can't put you in Unit-02, as we had originally envisioned."

"I'm aware. Which means that I'm going with Unit-01, instead," Mari agreed, bringing a finger to softly pat at her right ear. "I was told about that while I was with the girls."

"If only it were that simple, I wouldn't be wracking my mind finding a way to transplant the method I'd been planning to use with Unit-02, onto Unit-01." The doctor grumbled bitterly, shaking her head.

"...Talk to me, Doc. Maybe I can help."

"...I seriously doubt that, but it won't do you any harm to know about it, anyway," Ritsuko agreed with another exhausted sigh, resuming her pacing and taking another moment to think of the best way to proceed with her next explanation.

"I had planned on using a modified version of our existing Dummy Plugs to aid in your synchronisation, one that would have formed a 'screen' between you and the soul in the EVA and fooled it into believing that the intended Pilot was there, as per the Dummy's original purpose, but without taking full control of the Evangelion."

Ritsuko stopped in place and turned towards the agent, snapping her fingers as she struggled to find her next words.

"It would have served as a... phantasm of the Second Child, if you may, one that would have allowed you to command Unit-02 as if you were Asuka herself. It would have likely resulted in a small hit to the potential synchronisation ratio, but that was a small price to pay for the ability to switch Pilots on a whim."

"Okay, I think I get that," Mari replied with a nod of her head. "But why can't you do that with Unit-01?"

"We should have been able to, in theory. But Unit-01's soul has shown herself to be far more adverse to the use of Dummy Plugs after their one and only successful activation during combat. I doubt she would allow for the wool to be pulled over her eyes, so to speak," Ritsuko elaborated, her words taking on a hint of bitterness at some points. "Due to the fragmented nature of Unit-02's soul, such a strategy would have probably been far easier to implement on it."

"...Right. That sure sounds like it makes things more complicated."

"That's quite the understatement," Ritsuko grunted in response. "Should the modified Dummy Plugs fail to function as intended, this predicament could have the potential to completely upturn our plans. Worse come to worst, I hope your diplomatic skills are up to par."

"Parleying with a ghost, huh?" Mari chuckled, quickly catching on to the woman's meaning. "That's gotta be up there in the list of weird things I've had to do. Anything you can tell me about this Ikari woman?"

"Nothing that's not in the reports you might have been handed, I'm afraid," Ritsuko sighed, sending a meaningful look the agent's way. The twin-tailed girl nodded her head, indicating that she had indeed been briefed on it. "I never knew her. She was dead by the time I came here, and the Commander never was forthcoming on the topic."

"Well, that's great," the Fifth Child replied, her body language indicating that it was anything but. "Any Plan Bs in mind for a worst case scenario?"

"Only one at this point, I'm afraid," Ritsuko nodded her head and crossed her arms. "We can always fabricate a report that would allow us to rid ourselves of the Second Child, but I'd prefer to leave that as a last resort. Tactical benefits of an extra EVA aside, such a course of action has quite the potential to backfire on us."

"As well as to destroy what little self-esteem the Second has managed to scrounge up together?" Mari wittingly completed with a raised eyebrow. "I'm impressed, Doctor. I didn't peg you for the compassionate type."

"And I'm not. But I'm not a completely amoral monster, either, if that's what you're implying. Not at this time, anyway," Ritsuko waved the girl's half-hearted praise away, choosing instead to go into the kitchen and fetch a glass of wine for herself. "I'm of course more than willing to do whatever needs to be done if the situation calls for it, but I'd rather destroy as few lives as possible if I can help it."

"That takes a load off my mind, then, Doctor, I approve. And don't worry, I'm sure things will work out just fine," the Fifth Child sprawled back against her seat, going back into her faux-sleep mode. "In any case, though, and since you've known them for far longer than I have, what do you think are our chances of subverting the active Pilots to our cause?"

"Exceedingly unlikely, I would say. One is a psychological wreck holding herself by the thinnest of threads, and the other is a construct tailor-made to serve a unique purpose. I'd be more than shocked if you managed to succeed with such a plan."

"…That bad, huh? Well, it's a good thing I like my challenges, then," Mari shot back with a grin. "But seriously, does NERV have a grudge against healthy mindsets, or something?"

"I've wondered about that myself more often than I would like, believe me." Ritsuko agreed with a deep sigh. She then walked back to the living room and sat across from Mari, sipping her wine as she contemplated the Fifth Child's words.

"Still, there is no harm in subtly probing the Pilots, I suppose, considering that you'll be spending a sizable amount of time in their company should your synchronisation test prove successful," the doctor concurred after some time. "For that purpose, I'll work towards offering you chances to further influence the Second Child starting with tomorrow's simulation training. Since she already despises me, I have no issue with further playing to her expectations."

"Thanks a lot, Doc."

"Think nothing of it," Ritsuko waved the gratitude away in favour of sticking to the topic, and it wasn't long before her expression clouded substantially. "The First will be a more complicated matter, however."

"Not necessarily," Mari disagreed, eliciting a raised eyebrow from the blonde. "Ayanami's thought process seems fairly simplistic and overly naïve. That's something we can exploit."

"I'm not nearly as optimistic but, again, I have no issue with your trying," Ritsuko acquiesced, but not before sending the young woman a warning look over her glass. "Just remember to be careful when you're playing with the Commander's toy."

Advice that only made the Fifth Child smile, her relaxed posture continuing to belie even the slightest hint of trepidation.

"Noted. I'll watch my back while I'm hanging around the old man's pet," Mari easily acknowledged, humming in thought. "Hmm… I wonder what I should teach Bluebird about next time?"

"'Bluebird'?" Ritsuko echoed, not amused. "Is that your moniker for the First?"

"Sure! I mean, it's kinda obvious, isn't it?" the agent chuckled, causing the Doctor's frown to become more pronounced. "I'd come up with 'Kitten' too, since she's so standoffish and seems to know so little about the world, but thought better of changing her nickname since I'd already taken to calling her Bluebird before that. Wouldn't want to overload her untrained brain with too many new things now, would we?"

"I'd rather you didn't do that at all. Such inane name-calling hardly sounds befitting of a professional of your supposed calibre," Ritsuko chastised the twin-tailed girl with words made of ice. "It certainly doesn't fill me with confidence."

"…And I'd say my personal quirks and potential capabilities are completely separate from one another, but at least it's fairly clear why you have so few friends, now."

"I'll have you know that my personal priorities at this time lie in preventing a worldwide conspiracy threatening to end mankind as we know it, as should yours," the doctor shot back. "I am not here to make friends."

A response that had Mari raise an amused eyebrow.

"...Now where have I heard that before?" she muttered to herself, thinking back to the afternoon's events.

"What was that?"

"Nothing important," the Fifth Child deflected with a sigh, returning to her usual persona. "But come now, don't be so stuffy, Doc. Nobody ever said saving the world couldn't be fun!"

"And I wasn't told that the infiltrator I'd be provided with wouldn't be capable of taking her duty seriously, either," Ritsuko bemoaned, throwing her hands in the air. "Then again, I was the one that agreed to your proposal of using the 'Power of Friendship' as a way of achieving our objectives, wasn't I? I should have seen this coming."

"You do you, and I'll do me, Doc. Besides, why do you think it so far-fetched? Camaraderie has been a thing since the times of the ancient empires, and been known to contribute towards toppling overwhelming odds, before," the agent argued, before her voice turned mocking. "Who knows, maybe if the non-corrupt upper echelons of NERV had embraced such a concept, we wouldn't be dealing with the mess that is the Pilot Corps, right now~"

"Perhaps. Although I'm afraid you'll have to bring that criticism to Major Katsuragi, difficult as it may be at the moment," Ritsuko replied, indicating with a turn and a beckoning hand that her inclination towards discussing the topic was over. "For now, follow me. I've got a whiteboard with a diagram set up in the next room to walk you through the main differences of the modified Dummy Plug you should know about, on the off-chance that it will actually work."

Ritsuko soon disappeared through one of the adjoining doors, flicking the lights in the living room off as she did so and expecting the Fifth Child to quickly follow her. Mari didn't immediately do as had been foreseen of her, though, instead deciding to linger on the couch for a few moments, gaze turned skywards.

"...With Major Katsuragi, huh?" the Fifth Child eventually mouthed with apparent distaste, eyes narrowing at a nondescript spot of the ceiling. "Oh, you better believe that I will."