Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion or anything associated with it. I have written this story solely because I enjoy writing.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything belonging to Marvel Comics or anything associated with it. I have written this story solely because I enjoy writing.
Superwomen of Eva: Emerald Fury
Chapter 8: The Day After
As Gendo sat at his desk, studying the people standing before him, he was painfully aware of the all-too-human exhaustion gnawing at him. He kept this weakness from revealing itself in his face and body language with practiced ease, but there was no denying the fact that this night and its many crises had taken their toll on him, as it had everyone else.
And the night is not yet done, Gendo knew as he studied the three subordinates before him. An hour had passed since they had succeeded in retrieving Misato and bringing her back to NERV, an hour that had been spent in dealing with the myriad problems caused by her transformed self's rampage. In fact, the real work is only just beginning.
With this thought, Gendo began the meeting. "Dr. Akagi, what is Katsuragi's current status?"
"Asleep. As soon as we had her on the ambulance, I gave her a strong sedative. She won't wake up before tomorrow morning," Ritsuko answered. "Given her emotional condition after everything that had happened, I felt that to tell her then would only serve to provoke another transformation and that it might be easier to break the news to her after she had some sleep." Sighing heavily, the doctor shrugged lamely before adding, "At the very least, it's given us a chance to prepare special quarters for her at NERV Medical."
"I see," Gendo muttered. "Then she is secure?"
"Yes, sir," Ritsuko confirmed. "Her room is rigged so that, if she shows any signs of transforming again, it will be flooded with sleeping gas."
Fuyutsuki nodded to this and added, "I've taken the liberty to arrange for two guards to be stationed outside. They're armed with tranquilizers, just in case."
"Very good," Gendo conceded as he turned towards the third subordinate present. "Chiron, you reported earlier that there were witnesses to Katsuragi's transformation in the alley?"
"Yes, sir," Chiron responded, his irritation over this night's events showing more than he likely intended. "However, they've already been taken into custody. They're in the special detention cells right now, ready and waiting to be…processed."
"Good. We'll have to make sure that they're disposed of as soon as possible," Gendo stated firmly. His face tensing dangerously as he added, "Just as we'll have to work swiftly in order to clean the mess we made last night." He gave this a moment to sink in, making sure they realized exactly whom he meant when he said 'we'. "This situation was supposed to have been handled discretely. What went wrong?"
Chiron frowned unhappily before responding, "To put it simply, sir, Dr. Akagi is what went wrong."
"Me?!" Ritsuko squawked indignantly. "Just what is that supposed to mean?!"
"This was supposed to be a clean operation, doctor. We went in, took down the target, and got her out. No fuss, no muss," Chiron muttered, giving Ritsuko a sideways glare. "Instead, Dr. Bleeding Heart insisted that Section 2 hold back. And because of that -!"
"Now, hold on!" Ritsuko broke in, pointing an accusing finger at the Captain. "I already told you -!"
"And because you did, a bunch of stupid punks wandered into the middle of what should have been a precision operation, and sent the entire thing up in smoke!" Chiron concluded, overpowering Ritsuko by force of volume. Folding his arms across his chest, he looked at her with an air of smug superiority. "Hmph. All we needed to do was put a single dart in the bitch, and the job would have been done. But because you went soft and tied our hands -!"
"I had full approval from Commander Ikari! We couldn't afford to take the chance of your people setting off a transformation before she could be secured! And in the state she was in, they would have set her off!" Ritsuko snarled vehemently. "And for that matter, why didn't your people manage to spot those kids? They should have been able to intercept them before they even got close!"
"We did spot them, Akagi! Unfortunately, because we were ordered to keep our distance, we weren't able to reach them before it was already too late!" Chiron sneered.
Rapidly losing patience with this impromptu blame game and sorely tempted to have the both of them shot rather than put up with them any longer, Gendo held up his hand and boomed, "Enough!" His voice echoed throughout his office, slamming into the both of them with explosive force and silencing them instantly. "Dr. Akagi had my approval when she gave you orders, Chiron. And I will be reviewing Section 2's logs, to make certain that everything happened as you say it did." Frowning heavily, Gendo assumed his trademark pose with his fingers steepled before his face. "For now, we have a great deal to do in order to effect cleanup of this situation. Spirit escaped from the battlefield, and there's no knowing how much she does or does not know about the Major and her transformation. We know the 3rd Child was in contact with her, and he may have told her something damaging to us." Shifting his eyes towards Ritsuko, he considered her for a moment before saying, "Dr. Akagi, I want you to talk to the boy. See if you can get him to tell you what went on between him and Spirit."
"Yes, sir," Ritsuko nodded, no trace of her former ill-tempered behavior.
"Sir, with all due respect, if you had let my men handle her, we wouldn't need to worry about Spirit at all now," Chiron broke in. "She was unconscious, and Lieutenant Misamaru, the agent in charge, had snipers in position and ready to go. All they would have needed was one shot, and -!"
"And they might have gotten her, but they would have sent Misato completely out of control!" Ritsuko broke in disdainfully. "At which point she would have probably turned half the city into a parking lot!"
Chiron was about to rebuke the doctor, but Gendo broke in, "Akagi is right. Securing Major Katsuragi was the priority, not taking a bad situation and making it even worse." Noting the barely-suppressed grimace Chiron sported, as well as the tiny smirk of triumph curling the doctor's lip, the Commander sat back and frowned that much more deeply. "However, it remains true that something must be done about Spirit, and as soon as possible. She's already destroyed some of the Angels before NERV could successfully intercept them, and her actions have brought considerable scrutiny from both the UN and the Committee down upon us." Pausing to send a deadly look at Ritsuko, he added, "If Spirit had been dealt with, that would have gone a long way to mitigating our situation. As it is, it will be extremely difficult to keep the Committee from finding out exactly what happened here. And that is something we cannot afford." While the three of them processed this, Gendo asked, "Dr. Akagi, you said earlier that you were able to retrieve the wings the Major tore off of Spirit?"
Nodding quickly, Ritsuko answered, "Yes, sir. I've already had them sent to my lab for analysis. With a little luck, they should give us a better idea of how her powers work, and possibly even who she really is."
"Very good. Have a team begin work on them immediately." When Ritsuko nodded, Gendo turned his attention elsewhere. "Sensei, you and I are going to have to arrange for a suitable cover for both ourselves and the Major. Too many people already know about her…other self, but if we can convince the public and the Committee that she and this creature are two separate entities, then it might give us an advantage in the future."
"Very well," Fuyutsuki intoned wearily.
"In the meantime, we have much work that needs to be done. Chiron, have Section 2 placed on the alert. If there is anyone else out there who knows that the Major is this creature, I want them found and silenced." Smiling unpleasantly at this, Chiron nodded as Gendo turned towards Ritsuko. "Dr. Akagi, we must learn everything we can about the Major's mutation, and how her transformation functions. As of this moment, that is your number one priority."
"Yes, sir," Ritsuko answered somberly. "However, sir, in order to conduct the full array of tests needed, I'm going to need a specialized laboratory." Heaving a deep sigh, she let her gaze fall momentarily before adding, "Also, I'd like permission to set up better living quarters for Misato. If we're going to have to keep her here, then…"
"Then the more comfortable she is, the less likely she is to have another…episode," Fuyutsuki concluded, to which Ritsuko nodded.
"So noted," Gendo agreed. "Work with Fuyutsuki, and make whatever arrangements you feel necessary."
"Yes, sir," Ritsuko replied, politely ignoring how Chiron rolled his eyes at this. "Thank you, sir."
Pleased that everyone was on task and ready to handle the damage control, Gendo considered the next move. "Now, it won't be long before Fuyutsuki and I have to leave on an important inspection, but before we go, I'd like to make a statement to the press, addressing this latest rampage," he decided, nauseated by the thought of having to deal with the media vultures. "Hopefully, we'll be able to defuse a bad situation before it gets worse."
"You'll never be able to satisfy all the newshounds, sir," Chiron muttered sourly. "Damned snoops, always trying to dig up stuff that's better off buried…"
"Perhaps, but we should try to quell any public concern before we are subjected to more scrutiny than we can avoid," Gendo countered. "We'll announce that we've captured the creature responsible for the destruction caused both last night and during her first transformation. We should also produce some footage of the battle as evidence of the capture."
"Very well," Fuyutsuki muttered, no entirely pleased with this. "And what about the creature? Should we declare her to be an Angel, or…?"
"No. To say that would be to declare than an Angel bypassed NERV's detection nets and caused massive amounts of destruction without any response on our part," Gendo muttered, not wanting to even think about what the media or the UN would do with such an admission of weakness. "We'll tell them that the creature is the result of an Angelic infection. That someone was…exposed to residue from the last Angel. Perhaps some form of virus, and that it's responsible for her condition." Nodding mostly to himself, the Commander scrutinized this idea for a moment longer before saying, "Dr. Akagi, I'll need you to make a statement to the press to confirm all of this. I want you prepared to back up anything you say with some…hard evidence."
"Understood," Ritsuko nodded somberly.
Gendo was about to say something else, but then he frowned in thought. "We should probably try and think of something to call this creature. Some name to give to the press…"
"Hmph. Knowing them, they'll probably think of something all on their own," Fuyutsuki noted with a weary sigh. "I even heard Lieutenant Hyuga referring to it as a She-Hulk, for pity's sake…"
"A…She-Hulk…?" Ritsuko repeated. When Fuyutsuki nodded, the doctor put her hand to her forehead. "Yeah, that sounds like something he would come up with…"
"Whatever you decide to call this thing, I want a statement made to the press today." The two of them swiveled their eyes at Gendo, who leaned in closer and muttered, "We need to deal with this situation swiftly. Get it under control."
As the two of them slowly nodded, the Commander shifted his eyes and considered another problem. "There's one other matter. With the Major presently…incapacitated, we'll need someone else to take her place. Someone responsible enough to oversee operations here at NERV."
Chiron's eyes took on a distinctive glint at this, and he looked like he was about to say something when Fuyutsuki suggested, "In that case, I would recommend Lieutenant Ibuki." Not appearing to notice the way Chiron's mouth popped open at this, Gendo's former teacher went on to say, "She's had officer's training, and has proven herself to be both competent and reliable in the past."
"Agreed. Maya may not have Misato's…aggressiveness, but she's very good at working under fire," Ritsuko interjected.
"I will take your suggestions under consideration," Gendo answered before Chiron could interrupt with some of his male chauvinist predilections. "For now, you're all dismissed."
"Yes, sir," Ritsuko and Fuyutsuki responded as one. Chiron paused to sneer at them before echoing their response.
As the three of them departed Gendo's office, he sat back in his seat and considered the events of that night. "A She-Hulk…" he commented, turning that name this way and that, considering it for a time. On the one hand, it sounded like something a cartoonist or sci-fi writer would cook up, and thus was something that Hyuga would very likely concoct. But at the same time, Gendo couldn't help but feel it appropriate. After all, the creature was like something right out of a comic book or a movie, so why not?
As Gendo continued to sit there, he thought of Dr. Akagi's analysis of Misato's blood, of the accident of nature and science that she had become. He thought of the battle that had taken place between the hulking beast and Spirit, and how the winged thorn in his side only survived because of the creature's unpredictability.
But the unpredictable could be made predictable. And many great inventions had been the results of accidents that had later been replicated, refined, and most importantly of all, controlled. And as Gendo thought of the battle once again, savoring Spirit's cries in his mind, he took the destructive power of one Hulk or She-Hulk…and doubled it. Two Hulks. And where there could be two Hulks…why not ten? Or twenty? Or a hundred?
Or an army?
Gendo thought of SEELE, of the JSSDF, of how they would move against him when his true agenda was unveiled. He thought of the already-planned mass-production Evangelions, of the massive armed forces that would be sent against him. Then he thought of those mighty powers, confronted with the horror of an army of Hulks and She-Hulks. Unimaginably powerful, nearly invincible, and virtually tireless. All of them acting according to the will of a single, guiding intelligence.
Chuckling lowly, Gendo thought of the irony of such madness spawning such bold new possibilities for him. But then, that was the beauty of unexpected happenings in perfect plans; they could do nothing that would ultimately change the final outcome…and might even add to it, when everything was said and done.
In NERV Medical, Shinji sat in one of the various hallways, hands clasped together and eyes boring into the floor. From time to time, he would look down the hall, at a door barred by two Section 2 agents. A door that held behind it the woman who had given Shinji everything in his life. A woman who now may be cursed for the rest of hers.
Jet Alone…sabotaged… Shinji thought again, allowing the anger to surge through him again, the thought that someone was personally responsible for the horrors of this night. And the horrors that he knew were still to come. How're we going to tell Misato about this? How will she…what will she…?
As he lost himself in the nightmarish images his imagination conjured up, every worst-case scenario he could dream up appearing before his eyes with terrifying clarity, a voice from off to his side said, "Hey, Third." Slowly sitting up, Shinji turned and saw Asuka standing there, a genuinely sympathetic expression on her face.
"Oh…hi Asuka," Shinji responded quietly. Unsure of what else to say, he hesitated and asked, "So, um…how're you feeling?"
"I'm fine. Nothing that won't heal soon enough," the German answered with a dismissive wave. Frowning wearily, she looked towards the guarded room. "So…how's Misato?"
"She's still asleep," Shinji answered sadly, not even wanting to think of what would happen when she woke up. Knowing that he had to think of it, all the same. "Asuka…how're we gonna tell her about this? I mean…how can we tell her…?"
Sighing heavily, Asuka shook her head and admitted, "I don't know." Exhaling sharply, she threw up her arms and declared, "I still don't believe this schisse! How the hell could this be happening, anyway?!"
Understanding the German's frustration all too well, Shinji shrugged and answered, "Akagi-san…she told me that this had something to with Jet Alone."
"Jet Alone?" Asuka repeated blankly. Then her eyes lit up with understanding and she nodded, "Oh, right, Hikari told me about that. She said that Misato went in and stopped it before it could explode."
"She did," Shinji nodded, again feeling a wave of guilt. "But…she cracked her helmet before she got inside, and then…the radiation…it did this to her…"
"Seriously?" Asuka gaped, raising an eyebrow at her fellow Child. Then she snorted in derisive laughter. "Oh, come on, Third! You can't seriously believe that crap! That's like something out of a pre-Impact comic book!"
"But…that's Akagi-san told me," Shinji replied, snapping Asuka out of her mirth. "She said that the radiation mutated her, or…or something like that."
"Really?" As Shinji nodded, Asuka considered this for a moment before shrugging and leaning back against the wall. "I guess comic book writers are smarter than you'd think." Pressing her lips together, the German studied him for a time before asking, "Soo…what exactly are you doing here, anyway?"
"Uh…Akagi-san told me to wait here for her," Shinji replied wearily. "She, uh…she said that she'd…explain everything that happened…when she got here, and…"
"And just when does she plan on coming here, anyway?" Asuka wondered with some of her usual temperament.
"Well, she said she had a meeting with Father, and…I guess she'll be down here as soon as she can," Shinji answered lamely. Asuka looked like she was going to say something to that, but ultimately shrugged and sat down near her fellow Child.
The two of them sat there in silence for what felt like hours. Silence that lasted until the sound of approaching footsteps caused them to look up and see Ritsuko and Maya approaching. "Hello, you two," the lieutenant smiled gently, looking about as tired as they felt. "How're you holding up?"
"Uh…okay, I guess," Shinji murmured, unsure of what else he could say.
"Okay?! I feel one of those damned bimbos you see in a horror movie who just got chased by the resident monster!" Asuka grumbled as she got to her feet and put her hands to her hips. "And as if that wasn't enough, I still don't have a clue as to how the hell all of this schisse is happening! Why in the -?!"
"That's one of the reasons we're here. So if you'll calm down for a moment, we'll tell you everything we've learned so far," Ritsuko told them gingerly. Pausing to look about, clearly not like the open hallway and the possible eyes and ears that could be there, she returned her focus to the children. "Come on, you two. Let's take this someplace private."
Lacking the will or the energy to contest this, Shinji obediently rose up and began following the two women, with Asuka doing the same a moment later. Without a word, the four of them made their way to an empty lounge. Once they were inside, Ritsuko closed the door and locked it, giving it a good shake afterward to make certain that it was secure. Only then did she turn towards the pilots and told them, "Sit down, please." Pausing just long enough to exchange a look, Shinji and Asuka did as they were told, both looking expectantly at the doctor. "Now, as you already know, Misato has undergone some kind of mutation. One that was apparently caused by two principle factors. As I've already explained to Shinji, one of those factors was Misato's exposure to gamma radiation from Jet Alone's nuclear reactor. However, the primary cause of her condition apparently happened fifteen years ago."
"Fifteen years ago?!" Asuka responded disbelievingly. The German continued to sit there, mentally chewing over this statement for a while, but then the wheels behind her eyes began to whir into high gear, sending her jaw plummeting to the floor. "Wait a minute! Are you talking about…Second Impact?!"
Ritsuko nodded in confirmation. "That's correct. Now, you already know the truth behind Second Impact. That the 1st Angel was discovered in Antarctica, and during the investigation, the Angel exploded." Pausing to give the two of them a moment to nod, the doctor sighed heavily. "However, what you might not know is that the research facility studying the 1st Angel was overseen by a Dr. Ryota Katsuragi."
"D-Dr….Katsuragi?!" Shinji spat out in disbelief. "Y-you mean…?!"
Maya nodded sadly. "Yes. He was Misato's father."
"That's right, and Misato was there when Second Impact occurred." The two teens were aghast at this, and both of them were about to ask the same question when Ritsuko answered it. "The only reason she survived that event was because her father managed to get her to a survival capsule before the final explosion of Adam's power occurred. However, that doesn't change the fact that she suffered a high level of physical and mental trauma as a result." Pausing to take a deep breath, the doctor seemed to consider how exactly to say what she needed to say next. "Now, as near as we've been able to determine, this exposure altered Misato's cellular structure, perhaps even on a genetic level. It's enabled her body to absorb tremendous amounts of energy without physical damage. In this case, the radiation from Jet Alone's nuclear reactor."
"So…that's what happened to her?! She got zapped by the 1st Angel?!" Asuka shrieked in shock and horror. "But…she never told us anything about any of this schisse!"
"I'm not surprised. It's not something Misato likes to talk about," Ritsuko informed them in a solemn tone of voice. "What she had to go through to recover from that…well, there's a lot there that she never talked about. Not with anyone."
For a long time, Shinji considered this, and he found himself slowly nodding his understanding. He recalled his own life and thought of the many things in it that he didn't talk about with anyone. Things that hurt too much, wounds that would bleed too easily, even after so many years. Then something in the doctor's explanation caused him to frown. "But…the mess with Jet Alone happened a while ago," he said, giving voice to his qualm. "So…why is this happening to Misato now?"
"We don't know, Shinji," Maya replied sadly. "Maybe because it took this long for the Major's physiology to reconfigure enough for such a transformation. Maybe…"
"There could be any hundreds of reasons as to why she hasn't transformed before now. We just don't have enough information to work with at this point," Ritsuko stated flatly, speaking like this was just another day at the office for her. "The MAGI are still analyzing samples of her blood, and as soon as she wakes up, I can start running more comprehensive evaluations, but for now…"
His stomach knotting up at the uncertainty in the doctor's voice, Shinji gulped nervously before saying, "Akagi-san, you…you said before that…that you could cure her."
"I think so. There's nothing to indicate that her condition can't be cured." As Shinji took heart in this, Ritsuko frowned and admitted, "But as I said before, Shinji, we need time to study Misato's condition. It's completely without precedent, and we have to be careful not to do anything to make her condition even worse." Heaving a weary sigh, she gave him a look of pure remorse before giving voice to what he had feared most. "In the meantime…I'm afraid Misato will have to stay here at NERV."
Shinji knew that this would likely be the case. He knew that the creature Misato became when angered was simply too dangerous to be allowed to roam freely. And he also knew that he should be grateful that Ritsuko genuinely wanted to help her, instead of simply gunning her down and ridding them of a potential threat. But none of these things made it any easier for him to deal with this reality as it clenched at his throat and twisted his insides. His mind went into overdrive, conjuring up awful images of his guardian's incarceration as if it were trying to top itself with each horror it spat out. "I…" Shinji began, only to very nearly choke on his own words. "I…understand…"
After silently sitting there for an unknown length of time, Shinji was startled out of his stupor by someone lightly bopping him over the head. "Hey, c'mon, Third! It's not like it's the end of the world here!" Asuka declared irritably. "At least Misato isn't stuck like that thing all the time! And besides, Akagi just said that they think they can cure her! So lighten up!"
Before Shinji could say anything in response, Maya agreed smilingly. "That's right. We'll find a cure for the Major, you two! I promise! We just need a little time, that's all."
"And in the meantime, we're already taking certain precautions to make sure that no one else learns of Misato's condition," Ritsuko explained. "Now, Shinji, I need to ask you for a favor here."
"Huh?" After a moment's confusion, Shinji shrugged and answered, "Oh, uh…sure. Of course. Uh…what is it?"
"When Misato recovers from the sedative I gave her, I'd like for you to be here," Ritsuko explained levelly. "I don't think I need to tell you that Misato's going to have a difficult time dealing with…what she's become. So I'd like for you to be here, to help comfort her." The doctor pressed her lips together, and added, "I get the feeling she's going to need all the comforting she can get."
"Huh. Now there's the understatement of the century," Asuka grumbled with a roll of her eyes.
"I know," Maya agreed. "Still, we could really use your help here. You were able to keep the Major under control, even in her She-Hulk state. If she were to wake up and get upset, or if she were to have a nightmare…"
"Wait, wait, wait!" Asuka broke in with a heavy frown. "She-Hulk? That's what you're calling this thing?!"
"Actually, that's what Makoto decided to call this…creature." Asuka groaned in disgust and dismay, prompting a tiny smile from Ritsuko. "Anyway, thank you, Shinji. I really do appreciate this."
"Oh, it's nothing, Akagi-san," Shinji replied with a deep smile. For although he genuinely disliked the idea of being in such a situation, felt completely out of his depth at the thought of trying to comfort someone or being in a position such as this, he still felt a measure of guilt at the role he had played in this nightmare. He still found himself imagining the things he could have done differently, things that could have spared his guardian this horror. "I…I just want to help her, and…"
"Oh, brother," Asuka groaned as Shinji trailed off. As three pairs of eyes settled on her, the German sighed and shrugged helplessly. "Well, I guess if he's staying, then I might as well stick around as well."
"But…Asuka, you don't have to…!" Shinji protested lamely. Then he sputtered a bit when something else occurred to him. "B-besides, someone needs to take care of PenPen!"
"Actually, it might be a good idea to have him here as well," Ritsuko mused, causing the others to look at her in surprise. "Misato's going to need a lot of support, and we could use all the friendly faces we can get."
"Good idea," Maya agreed. "They can even sleep in here, in the lounge."
"Right, good thinking. I'll have someone stop by your place and pick up PenPen," Ritsuko told them. With a weary sigh, she added, "In the meantime, you two, I suggest you get some sleep. I have a feeling tomorrow is not going to be pleasant."
Sighing, Shinji nodded, recalling the last time something horrible had happened to someone precious to him. A similar pit of despair opening in his stomach as he murmured, "I know, Akagi-san. I know…"
Groaning as the morning sun fell upon her closed eyes, Misato turned about on her bed, frowning as she slowly made her way to consciousness. As her head shifted one way, then the next, her eyes slowly fluttered open…and revealed an unfamiliar ceiling above her.
"What the…?!" Misato got out, staring hard a ceiling that clearly wasn't the one she usually woke up under. Struggling to clear the fog from her mind, she sat up in her bed and didn't see her room. Didn't see the familiar clutter. Didn't see anything that she associated with her home. "What the hell's going on?! Where am I?!"
As she became more and more awake, Misato began to process her surroundings and realized with a sharp gasp that she was wearing a medical gown. "Wait a minute…NERV Medical?!" she demanded of the empty air. "What is this?! How'd I get here?!"
Not even needing a can of the rocket fuel called Yebisu to fully awaken, Misato sat up and looked around, and soon realized that this wasn't like one of the examination rooms she was used to seeing, the kind that Shinji had already wound up in too many times. It was larger, with heavily padded walls, and there was a security camera mounted in one corner. A chill shooting up and down her spine, Misato carefully got out of the bed and went to the door. She tried to open it, but to her growing alarm, discovered it to be locked. "Hey!" she shouted, equal parts angry and scared. "What the hell is going on here?!"
As Misato stared at the door, giving serious consideration to kicking it into submission, a small door opened in the door, revealing a pair of sunglasses equipped eyes staring at her through reinforced glass. "Major Katsuragi," the sunglasses' owner spoke slowly. "Glad to see you're awake."
Section 2? What is all this?! Misato wondered, her bad feeling getting that much worse. "Hey! What the hell is going on?!" she demanded, rapidly losing what little patience she had. "What am I doing here?!"
"Please remain calm. We've already notified Dr. Akagi that you are awake," the agent informed her in that cool, in-charge tone that she had quickly learned to loathe. "Just relax, and she'll be here shortly."
"Yeah, well, she better!" Misato snarled and was surprised when the agent flinched nervously. "I would like to know what's going on here, you know!"
"Uh, yes, sir," the agent replied before quickly closing the small door.
Frowning, Misato stared at the closed door for several seconds. "Huh. That's weird," she noted. Section 2 was notoriously incompetent, but they weren't known for being skittish.
Deciding to just wait for Ritsuko to show up and clear everything up, Misato sat back in her bed and tried to figure her predicament out for herself. Let's see now… she began, trying to clear away the fog that still lingered in her brain. I remember falling over and bashing my head at the apartment, but…
Frowning, Misato struggled to recall what happened next, but her memories seemed to skip around. There were images of Shinji, some thugs, and…other things. Grimacing at the goosebumps that were rising up from her flesh, she fought to cull forth what happened next but failed. Another blackout, she realized, wrapping her arms about her torso. So…what happened? What was I doing?!
Misato had no answers. And to make it worse, she couldn't help but feel like she didn't truly want the answers to her questions. Something bad happened, she realized in her heart. She wasn't sure what, but the images that she was able to dredge up just made her certain that something…bad…had happened.
While Misato tried to claw more intact memories from her uncooperative subconscious, the door to her room suddenly opened. Whirling about to look at it, she watched as Ritsuko and Fuyutsuki entered her tiny room. "Greetings, Major Katsuragi," the old professor began gently. "It's good to see you up and around."
"Uh…Sub-Commander?" Misato gaped, taken aback by his appearance. "What are you…hey, what's going on around here?!" she demanded, her irritation showing more than she wanted. To her surprise, Fuyutsuki and Ritsuko jumped back a step, looking at her as if she was primed to explode at any second. "What the…?"
"Uh…now, Misato, please, try and stay calm here…" Ritsuko pleaded softly, holding up her hands in a disarming fashion.
"Stay calm?! Ritsuko, do you have any idea what I've been going through lately?!" Misato shrilled, her fuse burning away with each word. "Well, I sure as hell hope so! Because that would make one of us!"
Wincing at her friend's ire, Ritsuko gulped down a fresh breath of air. "Then…you don't remember…what happened last night?"
Frowning at this, even more upset at this confirmation that it was the now the next day, Misato sighed as she tried to find the words. "I…not really," she admitted, her anger dissipating before a growing mass of fear. "Just bits and pieces of things that don't make any sense," Misato responded, frowning as her confusion returned. Placing her hands to her temple, Misato struggled to get her brain to function a bit better. "The last thing I remember clearly was me tripping and falling back at my place…"
"And nothing else?" Ritsuko wondered in amazement.
"No…not really. Just…bits and snatches, that's all. Like I…I wasn't even here all the time. If that makes any sense." Taking a moment to massage her temples, Misato frowned before returning her full attention to the people before her. "So…what's going on here?! Did something happen last night?"
A deep knot began to form in Misato's stomach as the people before her looked at each other again, Fuyutsuki frowning deeply as he muttered, "You…could say that, Major." Turning towards the door, the old professor told the Section 2 guards, "Send them in."
Narrowing her eyes in confusion, Misato watched as one of the Section 2 agents wheeled in a cart with a large laptop on it. As soon as he had inside the small room, he took a glance at her before practically jumping back out the door. Before she ask about the case of spinelessness being displayed by NERV's secret police, two children and a penguin slid inside. "Misato! You're awake!" Shinji cried out upon his arrival, carrying PenPen in his arms while Asuka followed close behind. "Are you alright?"
"Am I…?" Misato struggled to get out as she studied the two children, her stomach twisting even more. Shinji was acting too cheerful, as if trying to compensate for something. And Asuka was standing a short distance behind the normally reserved 3rd Child, moving as he did. As if doing her best to keep him between herself and Misato.
Her heart clenching as the fact that something was horribly wrong was driven home as if it had been fired from a positron rifle, Misato looked desperately at the two children. "Shinji…Asuka…what's going on? And…why'd you bring PenPen? What is…?"
"Major Katsuragi," Fuyutsuki intoned in his famous tone of authority. As Misato looked up sharply and met the gaze of NERV's second-in-command, she saw in his eyes a deep sorrow. "I'm…afraid we have some bad news for you." The old professor seemed to age before her eyes as he added, "It's in regards to your…condition."
As these words sank down upon her shoulders, Misato slowly sat back on her bed, very much afraid…
By the time Ritsuko was done explaining to Misato exactly what had happened to her, what she had become, NERV's Head Scientist felt more horrible and ashamed than she had in more years than she could remember.
She began her explanation by telling Misato about her mutation, using the laptop to show her the specific changes her cells had gone through, her blood in the process of transforming, as well as the specific readings taken from her blood in its mutant condition. Ritsuko went on to show her video recorded by the helicopters during the failed attempt to capture the She-Hulk, including the battle against Spirit and the how the emerald savage had unleashed an earthquake throughout Tokyo-3. During this time, Shinji and Asuka offered testimony to the beast's actions and strengths, as well as told Misato of the various occurrences that had not been caught on camera.
With each revelation, Misato's features became more drawn and haggard. Shadows appeared beneath her eyes and she collapsed a little bit more beneath each piece of evidence. And despair filled her face as she looked at the repeating video of the She-Hulk's rampage.
"I think I'm going to throw up…" Misato finally moaned, her entire body trembling with horror as she slowly pointed at the screen, which showed the She-Hulk scaring the living daylights out of the crew of one of the helicopters she had destroyed. "I…I actually changed…into that…?"
"I'm…afraid so," Ritsuko admitted, even as Shinji and Asuka looked sadly at their guardian. "To make matters worse, the mutation is an automatic function that is triggered by heightened adrenaline levels in your body, so…every time you get angry or upset…it will happen again."
This was the final blow, a blow that caused Misato's head to fall, leaving her staring helplessly at the floor. She held out her sickly twitching hands, looking at them as if she didn't know what to do with them. "Then…this is real?" she gasped. "I'm really…that monster? I'm the one…that wrecked the train and…and all of it…?
"Yes, Misato. I'm afraid it is," Ritsuko told her, her voice laden with shame.
As they watched, tears began to fall from Misato's eyes, spattering upon the floor. "Misato?" Shinji started as his guardian sobbed loudly, shuddering as wave after wave of sorrow cascaded upon her. "Misato…?"
Sniffing loudly, Misato shook even more as she averted her eyes from the gentle boy. "Kill me…"
"Huh?" Shinji gasped loudly. His face making it clear the horror rushing through his veins at those two words. "Misato…what the -?!"
"You have to kill me!" Misato shrieked, bringing up her hands to claw at her own head, even as more tears fell from her face. "I'm a monster, Shinji! A goddamned monster!"
"No!" Shinji instantly cried in protest, horror and anger carving paths across his face. "No, you're not!"
"Yes, I am!" Misato wailed, covering her face as even more tears cascaded down her cheeks. "I could've killed you, Shinji! I attacked Asuka, I tried to kill Spirit, I killed God-knows-how many people out there!" Misery and self-loathing overflowing from her eyes, Misato curled up on the bed, as if trying to hide from their eyes. "I have Adam inside of me…oh, God, I'm just like a goddamned ANGEL!"
"H-hey, c'mon, Misato! You…you're no Angel!" Asuka protested, trying to grin despite everything. "And besides…you didn't actually…attack me. You just…knocked me around, that's all…!"
A tormented wail tore free of Misato lips and filled the room, sending the redhead scooting backwards and cringing. She cringed even more when Shinji turned his horrified gaze on her. "Asuka!"
Looking helplessly from Shinji to Misato and back again, Asuka sputtered, "I mean - well, that is -!" The German faltered, threw up her hands, and shouted, "Well, you tell her!"
Not allowing herself to be sidetracked by the children, Ritsuko went up to her friend and placed her hands squarely on her shoulders. "Misato, listen to me!" she spoke with as much force as she could muster, kneeling down so as to be able to look her friend in the eyes. "You're not a monster, and you're not an Angel!" When Misato didn't respond to this, the doctor took a deep breath and tried a different tact. "And just so you know, you didn't kill anyone last night!"
For several seconds, no one was sure if Misato even heard the doctor's words. However, the purple-haired woman eventually looked up from her hands and looked at Ritsuko with eyes filled with desperation. "What…?"
Nodding, Ritsuko gave her friend a tender smile. "You caused a lot of chaos out there, Misato, no arguments there. And you certainly banged up quite a few people…not to mention what you did to Chiron's car." Chuckling over that bit and deciding to go into further detail about it when the time was right, the doctor focused on telling Misato she needed to hear. "But no one died out there. You never killed anyone."
"That's right, Misato!" Shinji smiled with as much encouragement as he could muster, even as PenPen warked in agreement. "You're no killer. I know that!"
"I honestly don't know what was going through your mind while you were transformed, Misato, but I do know that you were holding back most of the time," Ritsuko continued, invoking scientific fact and analysis. "If you had really wanted to kill somebody, believe me, you could have. But you didn't. You thought that the people around you were putting Shinji in danger, and you were fighting to protect him, every step of the way." Watching as Misato focused on her, fear and disbelief and hope all swirling together in her still-tearing eyes, the doctor sighed wearily before attempting the most difficult part of her story. "And as for Spirit…well, you weren't entirely responsible for what happened with her."
"Wha…?" Misato wondered, confusion and hope warring in her eyes. "Wh-what do you mean…?"
"Here, we'll show you," Ritsuko answered. With a few quick keystrokes, she went to the part of the footage that showed Spirit's arrival. They watched as the She-Hulk studied the winged girl, various emotions warring across her face, even as the helicopter moved closer.
"When Spirit arrived on the battlefield, Ikari ordered the remaining helicopter to fire a rocket at her, in the hopes that she would deploy her AT-Field," Fuyutsuki explained evenly as the events played out on the screen. "It was only after that happened that you started attacking her."
"So she…I mean, I thought Spirit was an Angel?" Misato asked, even more hope creeping into her voice. When Fuyutsuki nodded, the Major frowned, the wheels rapidly turning in her mind. "Wait a minute…" In the span of a few seconds, Misato's grief and shame faded and were replaced by a rage that sent her eyes flashing with green. "Are you telling me that Gendo wanted me to kill Spirit?!"
"I'm…afraid so," Fuyutsuki replied, even as Shinji frowned scornfully. "He felt that, given the trouble Spirit has given us in the past, that we should take the opportunity to…" The older man never got the chance to finish his sentence, for before his eyes, the hatred and loathing in Misato's face intensified. Half-expecting her to transform right then and there, Ritsuko cringed as the furious Major shoved her down to the floor and started towards the door.
"Misato, what are you doing?!" Shinji asked as she grabbed hold of the door handle and pulled to no avail.
"I'm going to smash that goddamned bastard's evil head in!" Misato snarled, trying to force the door open.
Blanching at the image, Ritsuko shot up from the floor. "Misato, wait!" she cried out, grabbing hold of Misato's shoulder and forcing her to turn and look at her. Her courage almost failing her at the sight of the brilliant green shining in Misato's eyes, Ritsuko gulped and said, "Please, you don't want to do that!"
"Oh, yes I do!" Misato declared with zeal. "That bastard tried to turn me into a murderer! And if he wants that so badly, then I might as well give him exactly what he wants!"
"But, Misato! You…you can't!" Shinji protested.
"Why not? My life is over, anyway!" Misato shrilled incredulously. "If I'm going down, then I'm taking Gendo with me!"
Realizing that it was now or never, Ritsuko shouted, "But, Misato, we can cure you!"
These words hit Misato like a fist, instantly stilling her and prompting her to look up in surprise. "What?" Her eyes narrowing slightly, the purple-haired woman studied Ritsuko for a moment before saying, "Ritsuko…if this is some kind of joke or trick…"
"It's not a trick, Misato!" Shinji piped up enthusiastically. "T-tell her, Akagi-san!"
Ritsuko nodded confidently. "The MAGI have completed their diagnostic of your original blood sample, and all three have given an affirmative." Doing her best to say each word like she meant it, the doctor explained, "Given what we presently know about this mutation, we currently have a 63.4% probability of successfully neutralizing it."
Blinking once, twice, then three times, Misato got out, "That high, huh?" Backing away from the door a bit, she considered this for a moment before saying, "That's…pretty good, I guess." Giving Ritsuko a wan version of her typical smile, she added, "Heck…it makes the odds they gave the sniper job with the 5th Angel look like nothing."
"Yes, and…I think we can improve our chances even more," Ritsuko added, trying not to show how much she was bluffing. Of just how little she understood the processes at work within Misato's body. "We'll need some time to better study your condition, but I think we can increase the odds of success by another ten…maybe twenty percent."
"Hey, that sounds pretty good!" Asuka grinned. "I'm actually impressed here!"
"Yeah, it does…" Misato admitted, her anger fading, only to be replaced by a deeper pessimism. "But…my career, my life…"
"Are salvageable," Fuyutsuki cut in. As all eyes set on him, the Sub-Commander managed a smile of his own. "We've done everything in our power to keep your condition a secret. As far as we're aware, no one outside of a select few within NERV knows that you are the creature, and Ikari has already made it clear that your secret is to remain a secret." Giving Misato a moment to process this, Fuyutsuki took a step closer to her, speaking in a comforting, grandfatherly manner. "He's also agreed to keep you on as an advisor until your treatment is complete. You won't be our Operations Director, but you will retain a measure of authority, and you will still be paid in full. You will also keep your apartment, and the children will be free to stay there until you are cured and are able to return."
"Really?! That's great!" Shinji grinned as PenPen warked happily, raising his flippers in victory.
"Yeah!" Asuka smiled before looking up at their guardian. "See? Everything's going to be fine, Misato! So don't worry about it!"
"Yeah…it's very generous…" Misato noted, narrowing her eyes as she backed away from the door, looking at both Ritsuko and Fuyutsuki. "So…why is Gendo being so nice to me?"
"Huh?" Surprised by this shift in the conversation, Shinji looked at the three adults in confusion. "What…what are you…?" Finally, Misato's tone registered with him, and he frowned, lowering his gaze. "Oh. Father…wants something…doesn't he?"
"Huh?" Asuka got out, looking at Shinji in surprise.
"Well, come on. Out with it," Misato muttered, glaring her disdain at her superior and her friend. "What does Gendo get out of this?"
Same old Misato, Ritsuko thought with weary affection. Sighing, she forced herself to remain calm and collected. "In the course of…studying your mutation, we discovered something else about it. Something important," she explained, wishing she hadn't had to go into this. When the others looked at her, the doctor gathered herself together and continued. "According to the MAGI, there's a 78.1% chance that this…transformation process is compatible with the Evas."
"The Evas?!" Shinji and Asuka repeated at the same time.
"Yes. As you know, the Evas are synthetic, biomechanical life forms. They have cell structures fairly similar to humans," Ritsuko explained. "When Gendo found out about your…condition, Misato, he…ordered me to see if there was some way to use it amplify the Evas' strength."
"And you did," Misato stated flatly, her features creasing with disgust. "So? How much of a power-up are we talking about?"
"I…don't know. At this point, I'm not even sure that it's even feasible. That's one of the reasons…the Commander wants me to study this mutation," Ritsuko admitted, frowning unhappily. "Misato, I'm sorry, but…"
"So, let me see if I get this straight. I get my life back, and in return, Gendo gets to supercharge the Evas. Is that the deal?" Misato asked of the two of them.
Sighing, Fuyutsuki nodded. "Yes. That is the deal."
Looking down at the floor, various forms of anger, shame and hope rapidly flashing across his eyes, Shinji jumped slightly when Misato placed her hand on his head. "I…I guess I can live with that," she murmured as she ran her fingers through his hair. Heaving a deep, shaky breath, she forced herself to look at Ritsuko. "So…how long is this going to take?"
"I don't know," Ritsuko admitted, well aware that her friend was nearing the end of her emotional strength. "First, we'll have to set up a secure facility in which we can perform our studies if only to ensure your privacy. Then there's the actual analysis, and…" Almost able to see her friend's emotional armor cracking as she went on, the doctor abandoned her scientific explanations and sighed in exhaustion. "I…I'm sorry, Misato, but it…it could take a while."
"I…understand," Misato got out, the weight of her situation once again falling squarely upon her shoulders. "Look, I'd…like to be alone for a while. Is that okay?"
"Of course," Ritsuko smiled easily. "Just know that…as long as you're here, we'll be doing everything we can to make you comfortable. I promise."
Sighing, Misato nodded shakily. "Thanks, Rits. Sub-Commander," she fumbled out. "Would you mind…leaving the computer here? I'd…like something here. To help pass the time."
"I understand," Fuyutsuki smiled wanly as Misato moved to her bed, practically falling on it as she sat down.
"Misato…" Shinji murmured, sadness filling his face, even as Asuka looked onwards, grimacing in discomfort.
"Come on, you two," Misato spoke, barely managing to force a smile into place. "It's…going to be alright. I p-promise." Swallowing loudly as more tears forced their way free of her eyes, she visibly struggled to retain her composure, if only for a few more moments. "So…please, take care of yourselves. Okay?"
"Right," Asuka got out. She looked about the room, clearly uncertain as to what she should do next, and finally turned and fled the small space and all the pain and emotion seething in it.
Taking a moment to look at the departing redhead, Shinji allowed a tear to fall from his eye before returning his attention to Misato. "I…I'll come and visit you. Every day," he vowed, his voice cracking beneath the weight of his own words. "I…I promise! I…"
"I know, Shinji," Misato replied, slowly nodding as she reached out to embrace him. Gladly surrendering himself to being bear hugged, Shinji allowed a few more tears to fall down his cheeks. After a while, PenPen warked, as if wondering when his owner would get around to hugging him. "Oh, PenPen…you better behave yourself, okay?" she mock-scolded him as she relinquished her hold on Shinji to pick up the warm water penguin and caress him. "Please…both of you…take good care of yourselves..."
"We will," Shinji vowed. When his guardian finally let go of PenPen, she handed the waterfowl back to Shinji. "Misato…"
"Please…just go, Shinji…" Misato got out, her smile crumbling before an overwhelming wave of grief and exhaustion. "Please…just take care of yourselves. Please…"
"Uh…okay…" Shinji got out. He slowly turned and made his way to the door. Casting one last look at Misato, he and PenPen looked sadly at her for a long, silent moment, before finally departing.
As soon as Shinji departed, Misato allowed her smile to fail completely, a broken sob sounding as she collapsed beneath her overflowing emotions. "Misato…" Ritsuko began, not wanting to say what she was going to say, but knowing that she had to do so, all the same. "Just so you know…this room is rigged with sleeping gas…you know, just in case…"
"Yeah…I…thanks, Rits…" Misato got out as she brought up her legs and wrapped her arms about herself. "Now please…just leave me alone…"
Ritsuko considered saying something, anything…but the words simply wouldn't come to her. She simply couldn't think of anything to say as she watched her friend collapse onto her bed. "Let's leave her be," Fuyutsuki intoned, prompting Ritsuko to look and watch as he moved towards the door, his own emotions flowing about mercurially behind his deeply controlled features. "Come, Dr. Akagi. We have work to do."
"Right," Ritsuko agreed, looking back at her friend just long enough for her heart to very nearly be crushed by her own guilt before turning to follow him. As soon as the faux-blonde had passed through the door, the Section 2 agents there closed and locked it. Not quite containing the despairing wail Misato let loose when she was finally alone.
Ritsuko didn't want to look back. She didn't want to listen to cries of pain that were muted but not completely stifled by the padded walls and locked doors. She wanted no further reminder of just how filthy her hands and her soul had become.
You had come so far since that day, Fuyutsuki thought as he opened a tiny window in the door that led to Misato's room. A room that was as much a prison as her own body had become. And as he did, he looked at the woman that now sobbed in despair, and recalled a day over a decade ago. A day he had seen a sixteen-year-old girl with purple hair sitting still, mute, with a face haunted by horrors that should never be seen, let alone experienced. A girl who looked like she be out playing with her friends, or biting the eraser of her pencil as she struggled with a particularly difficult math problem. Not paying the price for humanity's sins.
You had worked so hard, reconstructing your life, Fuyutsuki continued to think as he studied the woman before her. For although her misery was no longer expressed in silence, the way she now sat on her bed was exactly the same way she had sat when he had first seen her. Just one of the many victims of the cruelty of humanity. You had come so far since that day. When I saw the woman you had become, I was amazed, the old professor mused sadly as he watched Misato sob uncontrollably. And now, after another day of horrors and destruction…you're right back to where you were before. Paying for our sins all over again.
"Sir?" came the voice of Ritsuko, a voice that was barely above a whisper as he turned to look at her. "Sir?"
Fuyutsuki sighed wearily, sounding far older than he actually was as he let the small window fall closed again. "Excuse me, Dr. Akagi," he muttered in a low, tired voice. "But...I have to be going."
"Sir?" Ritsuko frowned perplexedly. "And where are you going?"
His hands folded behind his back, Fuyutsuki sighed as he looked over his shoulder at her. "To hell, Dr. Akagi," he told her with a grieving smile. "Rest assured…I'm going to hell."
That said, the Sub-Commander once began making his way through the cesspool of secrets called NERV. Leaving Ritsuko to sigh in as weary and tired a manner as he had before muttering, "You're not alone in that. Trust me…you won't be going there alone..."
This totally sucks, Asuka thought bitterly as she and Shinji made their way from Misato's room. Feeling as if someone had just finished giving her a massage with sandpaper. Honestly, just how screwed up can life get, anyway?!
No matter how much she wished otherwise, Asuka couldn't help but be disturbed by what had happened with Misato. She didn't blame the Major for reacting the way she did to the revelation that she was the beast; if it had been Asuka, she would have been begging to die, rather than have her body used as a timeshare by some ugly green freak, to do with as the monster pleased. But at the same time, the whole situation of being confronted with someone who had been ravaged and broken by something out of her control brought back unpleasant memories of her own past. Things that she would much rather bury and forget.
As she struggled to push those things out of her mind, barely aware of the boy and penguin walking alongside her, a familiar voice cut through the gloom. "Well, hello, Asuka. Shinji."
Her dour thoughts instantly forgotten, Asuka whirled about to look at the voice's owner. "Kaji!" she squealed in girlish delight as she rushed up to grab the unshaven man by the arm. "So how are you doing?! You aren't hurt, are you?!"
"Well, I'm a little waterlogged, but I'll live," Kaji replied, taking Asuka's affectionate greeting in stride. Looking up from the German, he smiled, "Hey, there, Shinji. How are you doing?" A loud wark sounded at this, prompting the unshaven man to recoil somewhat. "Whoops! Sorry, how are you and PenPen doing?"
Satisfied that he had not been forgotten or ignored, PenPen continued forward as Shinji sighed in emotional exhaustion. "Um…we're okay…I guess…" he got out noncommittally. "But…Misato…"
"Yeah, I know. It's a bad situation," Kaji agreed, shaking his head slowly. "Still, I wouldn't worry too much. After all, Katsuragi's in the hands of the most brilliant scientists in the world. If Ritsuko and her people can't do anything to help her, then I don't know who could." Snorting a laugh, he then added, "Short of God, that is."
"I know, but…" Shinji moaned, even as PenPen let out a saddened wark.
Glancing over at the depressed 3rd Child, Asuka was sorely tempted to tell him to stop moaning and being pitiful and actually act like a man for once. But as quickly as she felt this desire, she clamped her mouth shut, knowing full well how hard it was to be strong in a situation like this. And while Misato wasn't his mother or any kind of relation, she knew that he did care deeply about her. The fact that Shinji had raced after her bestial other was hard evidence of that.
Shaking her head in memory of that, at that first real demonstration that the soft-spoken 3rd Child actually had a spine, Asuka frowned and focused her attention on the man whose arm she held. "So, Kaji-kun, what are you doing here?"
"Eh, Ritsy-poo insisted that I get brought here for a quick checkup. Just wanted to make sure that I didn't break anything important when She-Hulk sent me flying, I guess." Rolling his eyes at this, Kaji then smiled deeply at the German. "So, when I heard that you two were here, I figured I'd see how you were doing."
"Why, thank you, Kaji-kun! But as you can see, I'm just fine!" Suffering another urge to make a snippy remark about the so-called pilot for whom the glass was always half-empty, Asuka leaned in closer and asked, "But could you do me a favor, Kaji-kun? Please don't use that stupid name that dork Makoto came up with! Ugh!" Rolling her eyes in disdain at the title given Misato's other, she went on and grumbled, "Honestly! It's bad enough that we've got Akagi calling the big green freak that! Don't you start, too!"
Chuckling beneath his breath, Kaji shrugged and responded, "Aw, I'm sorry. But I'd rather not refer to that thing as being Katsuragi. She's already blaming herself enough without everyone else pinning every crazy thing that creature did on her." Glancing over at Shinji, he added, "After all, we all know that this isn't her fault, right?"
"Of course not," Shinji answered with a bit more strength, PenPen warking his agreement.
"Hmph," Asuka's sniffed irritably. "Well, whatever. But why can't we just call that thing 'the creature', or 'the monster'?" Privately deciding that the title 'big, ugly, green freak' was the most accurate description of them all, the German grumbled, "Seriously, She-Hulk?! Where the hell does that dork get this schisse from?!"
"Heh. Search me," Kaji answered with a casual shrug. "Say, I have an idea. Why don't I give you three a lift home?"
Instantly delighted by the suggestion, Asuka tightened her grip on the unshaven man's arm. "Oh, that would so sweet of you, Kaji-kun! Thanks!" When she didn't hear a certain voice seconding her opinion, she turned and glared at that voice's owner. "Isn't that right, Third?"
"Uh…well, sure, but…" Shinji fumbled nervously as he looked up at Kaji. "I…don't you want to see Misato?" Letting his gaze fall, he shrugged helplessly before saying, "I mean…I know she's upset and all, but…I – I just thought that…"
"Yeah, I know. Ritsy-poo filled me in," Kaji replied, unable to sugarcoat this in any way, shape, or form. "And normally, dropping by and given Katsuragi a serious cheering up would be the first thing on my 'to-do' list." Instinctively scowling at this admission, Asuka tightened her hold on Kaji's arm. "However, the Commanders decided that, given the situation and the way Sh- I mean, the creature reacted to me last night, that me dropping by might prove a little too…provocative."
Yeah, well, that's just fine by me! Asuka thought, not wanting to think of the history Misato and Kaji shared. Aloud, she cooed, "Yeah, well, I'm always happy to see you, Kaji-kun!"
"Uh, yeah. I know, Asuka, I know," Kaji responded with a bit of weariness. Not that she could blame him for being tired after such a long, wretched night. "So, are you two going to be okay?" A puzzled squeak sounding in her throat, Asuka frowned as Kaji explained, "With Katsuragi being stuck here, that leaves the two of you pretty much on your own."
"Aw, don't worry, Kaji-kun!" Asuka returned, speaking as maturely as she knew how. "I can take care of myself, no problem!"
"Hmm…maybe. But still, I'm not sure I like the idea of the two of you all on your own." As Kaji frowned in thought, Asuka was about to tell him that he didn't have to worry, that she was more than capable of handling day-to-day living all by herself when he smiled and decided, "Would it be okay with you two if I dropped by every now and again? Just to make sure that everything's okay?"
Asuka was about to protest this, to make abundantly clear that she was an adult and she didn't need a babysitter. But before she could do more than open her mouth, she gasped and realized what a golden opportunity she was being handed.
Kaji…dropping by? Looking in on us? Asuka thought, her mind whirring into overdrive as she pictured such a scenario. Maybe even…staying with us?
As this idea took shape in her mind, Asuka found herself studying it this way and that, and as she did, she realized the possibilities that were being given to her on a silver platter. There was no doubt that Misato would not be returning for some time. In fact, judging by what Ritsuko had told them, it could take months, possibly even longer for her to be cured, if she could truly be cured at all. And as much as she felt she didn't need a guardian, she knew that Japanese law required for her to have someone working in that capacity. And who better to have filling that role than the man who was her former guardian, and who just happened to be the man of her dreams?
The more Asuka thought about it, the more perfect the situation became. After all, Ritsuko had already forbidden Kaji to visit Misato because of the way her other self reacted to him, and it seemed likely that she would continue to refuse him visitation out of fear of that monster returning to wreak havoc within NERV itself. And in that time, he would probably need a companion, someone to comfort him and remind him that there were much superior fish in the ocean for him to catch. And as time went by, who knew? Perhaps NERV would decide to assign her to Kaji's care permanently, in which case…
As she lost herself more and more in those delightful images, Shinji's voice rudely intruded on her. "Asuka…what are you smiling about?"
"Hmm?" Asuka started, turning to glare at the forlorn boy, his dismal face hardening with something that could almost have been anger. "Hey, I'm not smiling about anything, okay?!" Shinji didn't say anything to this, but he didn't back away either. He just kept looking at her with his haunted eyes, until at last she looked away from him.
As much as she didn't want to, Asuka understood Shinji's reaction. She knew if that she saw anyone delighting in something bad happening to Kaji, that person would soon be swallowing his or her own teeth. And she didn't particularly like the idea of profiting from another person's suffering herself. But the fact was that this opportunity was too much for her to pass up. She wanted to be loved, and more to the point, she deserved it. She deserved to have a man like Kaji. She had spent the majority of her life earning that.
Besides, what am I supposed to?! Give up on Kaji because I feel bad for Misato?! Sniffing at the very idea, Asuka tightened her grip on her crush. It could take forever for her to be cured, assuming Akagi can pull it off at all! And if she can't be cured, then…
Asuka paused, stumbling on that thought. She would never wish such an abysmal fate on Misato, but she knew from personal experience that life wasn't always kind to a person. Sometimes, bad stuff happened, you lost people who were important to you. And all you could do was move on and deal with it.
As this thought ran its course, Kaji spoke up again. "Hey, come on, Shinji! Keep your head up!" he beamed, moving to place a reassuring hand on the boy's shoulder. When he didn't respond, Kaji's smile faded somewhat. "C'mon, you won't do Katsuragi or anybody else any good by letting this get you down. Ritsuko and her people will take care of everything." He gave Shinji a shake on his shoulder, and added, "Relax. Katsuragi will back home before you know it. It'll be as if She-Hulk – I mean, the creature – never even existed."
Hoping that her crush was right, at least in regards to Misato's condition being treatable, Asuka again winced at the name given the green beast. She-Hulk. Good Gott, where does Makoto come up with this stuff, anyway, she thought, rolling her eyes once again. Thank goodness that stupid name doesn't have a chance of sticking!
As Hikari staggered into her classroom that morning, she didn't bother with pausing to look at her fellow students to see if any of them was misbehaving. She didn't bother to glare at Kazu and see if he was setting up for yet another of his inane practical jokes. She didn't even attempt to look awake, alert, and in charge as she entered. The only thing she really wanted to do was collapse behind her desk and attempt to rest and relax for a few precious minutes before Mr. Takashima arrived and class officially began.
"Whoa, Class Rep! What the heck happened to you?!" Her attempt to rest already thwarted, Hikari swung her head towards Toji, who was standing a short distance away and looking at her like she was a total stranger.
"What, did you forget to sleep or something?!"
"Uh…" Hikari stalled, wishing she could just ignore the jock's question. But even as she considered that possibility, she discarded it, knowing that her lack of responsiveness would be completely out of character for her. "No, I just had a long night, that's all."
"Long night?!" Toji repeated incredulously. "Are you kidding me?! You look like you went toe-to-toe with a sumo wrestler and lost!"
Hmph. Not a bad guess, Hikari thought irritably, thinking back to the catastrophic battle she had fought and lost, as well as what happened when she got home.
After suffering a lecture from Kodama and vainly trying to sleep through it, Hikari had told her that she would explain everything later. When her elder sister failed to be placated by this, Hikari had gone on to add that to start talking about it then and there would have been to risk their father coming to her room and seeing her still in the remnants of her costume. And while this had succeeded in getting Kodama to back off for the moment, the freckle-faced girl knew that she would have to explain everything to her and Nozomi sooner or later. As soon as Kodama had departed, making it clear that she wanted an explanation sooner rather than later, Hikari had fallen back on her futon and gone instantly to sleep.
To Hikari's immense relief, she had managed to sleep all the way through to morning without any nightmares. But that didn't mean she could shake the memories of the battle. The pain of every bone in her body being ground into a pulp, of her wings being ripped away, of feeling like every breath of air she took would be her last. Memories that had been with her in the morning as she had tried to adhere to her usual routine of cooking breakfast and casually chatting with her family before they went about their day. Memories that had had her jumping at the sight of anything green, had her seeing the mindless savage in every shadow and behind every building.
As Hikari decided that she would much rather fight an Angel than go another round with Misato's monstrous alter ego, she realized that Toji was still looking at her. "Uh…" she began, deciding a change in subject was in order, "So…where's Kensuke at, anyway? I thought you two were always hanging around each other." Then she frowned and looked about, searching for any sign of the absent Stooge, and soon realized that there were two other faces missing. "And…wait. Where's Asuka? And…?"
"Shinji? Don't know. He and the Devil weren't at home this morning," Toji muttered worriedly. "When I stopped by their apartment building, there were cops crawling all over the place! I couldn't even get close!"
"The police were there?" Hikari asked as she sat up to look Toji right in the eye. "Wh-what happened?"
"What happened?! Haven't you heard?!" Toji demanded, looking at her like she was the biggest idiot in the known universe. "That crazy creature that was on the news? That hulking…whatever-it-was they called it?! It showed up again last night and went completely nuts throughout the entire city!" Folding his arms across his chest, the jock frowned and turned his gaze towards the world beyond the classroom windows. "The damned thing even set off this huge earthquake!"
"It…it did?!" Hikari squeaked out.
Swinging back to look at her, Toji frowned and demanded, "What, are you saying you didn't even notice?! It was all over the news this morning! Heck, me and my dad got tossed out of our beds by it!" Shaking his head in disbelief, the jock gestured out the window at the city beyond. "There were broken windows all over the place, and I saw a couple trashed cars and all kinds of stuff along the way to school this morning! Didn't you notice any of it?!"
Oh. Misato must've done something nasty when I was out cold, Hikari thought, glad that she had missed that part of the battle. Not even wanting to think of what could have provoked her into doing something like that, but certain that NERV was somehow responsible, the pigtailed girl sighed and answered, "Look, Toji, I…all I know right now is that I had a rotten night, okay? And to be quite honest, I usually don't watch the news in the morning, anyway. Nor do I really care about mysterious monsters or any of that." Heaving a deep sigh, Hikari averted her eyes and decided another change in subject was in order. "Whew…I sure hope nothing's wrong with Asuka."
Clearly displeased by the shift in topic, Toji sighed and sat back in his seat. "Yeah…I wonder if Shin-man and the others got called to NERV because of this thing?"
Despite the fact that she knew Shinji had been nowhere near NERV, Hikari realized that that was a probable explanation for Asuka's absence. Heck, I bet they've got all three Evas watching over Misato-sama right now! she thought, picturing such a scenario in her mind. Frowning at this, she leaned down on her desk, cushioning herself with her arms.
I shouldn't have just left them, Hikari frowned, recalling how she had departed the battlefield, leaving both Shinji and Misato surrounded by a veritable army of Section 2 agents. I mean, I know Shinji said that they would be okay, but…how can they be okay?! NERV knows that Misato is that…is that creature, and… But even as her stomach twisted in knots from guilt, she found that she simply couldn't think of anything else she could have done. And there was no doubt that the creature Misato had become was every bit as dangerous as an Angel. There was no way she could have helped such a monster escape to roam freely, destroying anything it happened upon.
Frowning, Hikari continued to consider these things. Okay. I'm gonna have to find some way of finding out what happened to Misato, make sure that she's okay, she decided, though she had no idea as to how to do so without attracting undue attention. And while I'm at it…I need see if I can learn more about the Angels...
Nodding mostly to herself, Hikari thought back to things Shinji had mentioned to her last night. Though she had been too drained to deal with them before, his words had come back to her later on. Though she had been too drained to deal with them before, his words had come back to her later on. I still can't believe that it was an Angel that caused Second Impact... she thought with a frown. So...if that thing that Shinji fought that first night…if it really was the 3rd Angel, and the one that caused Second Impact was the 1st Angel, then…what about the 2nd Angel? Does that mean it's still running around out there somewhere, or what?
The possibility of some rogue Angel roaming freely scaring her almost as much as the possibility of going another round with Misato's bestial self, Hikari sighed heavily…and almost jumped right of her skin when someone cried out, "Aw, man! Toji, this is so awesome! I swear to you, man, you won't believe this!"
Jolted to full alertness, Hikari looked about, only to grumble in pure disgust when Kensuke Aida made his way into the class, waving newspapers and his laptop about and grinning like an idiot on overdrive. "Hey, Ken, what the heck took you?!" Toji frowned as his fellow Stooge approached. "When I got to your place, your mom said that you'd already left, but -!"
"I got up extra early this morning to check out some of the attack sites! Here, check this out!" Not waiting for an invitation, Kensuke set down his laptop and opened it up. Within seconds, a series of pictures appeared, and though Hikari didn't have a good view of them, she could still make out what looked like upturned cars and shattered buildings. "That thing from before, that monster?! It showed up again!"
"I know about that, Ken!" Toji retorted gruffly. "Heck, everyone in the city knows about that!" Then he gave a wry smile and added, "Everyone but the Class Rep, that is!"
Wishing she had the energy to make a suitably cutting comeback, Hikari instead sat there and watched as Kensuke grinned even more. "Yeah, well, I bet you don't know about this part!" he declared, unfolding one of the newspapers in his hand. "That monster?! It's a woman!"
This succeeded in getting Toji's attention. "Wha -?!" he got out before Kensuke shoved the newspaper in his face. Narrowing his eyes sharply, the jock frowned and studied the headlines. "'Savage Destroyer Returns!'?!" he read. Then he raised his eyebrows and added, "'Hulking Monster Revealed to be a She-Hulk!'?!"
"What?!" Hikari gasped, craning her neck to get a better look at the paper. Aware that other students were getting up to do the same, she scanned the front page. There she saw the headlines mentioned, as well as a grainy picture of Misato's transformed self marching through what looked like a grocery store. Because of the angle and lackluster quality of the image, there was no danger of anyone being able to determine that the creature and Misato were the same person. However, it did provide a spectacular view of the creature's bare body.
"Aw, damn! Will you get a load of those gazongas!" a boy cried out in astonishment.
"Wait a minute! Is this even legal?" a girl protested irritably. "I thought there were laws against nudity in newspapers!"
"Would you look at the size of that thing?!" someone else commented. "I wouldn't want to run into her in a dark alley!"
"I would!" crowed another boy in a voice rife with hormones.
"Where the heck did they get this shot?" Toji wondered incredulously.
"They got it from security footage taken from that grocery! You know, when she first showed up? The police just released it!" Kensuke drooled. "And get this! I heard that NERV and Spirit got into this huge fight with this thing!"
Wincing at this, Hikari watched as Toji set aside the paper. "Spirit? Wait, you're saying she mixed it up with She-Hulk thing?!"
"Aw, yeah! I hear she really took a beating, too!" Kensuke went on with increasing excitement. "NERV's going to be holding a press release, and I hear they've even got footage of the battle!"
"For real?!" one of the other students cried out.
"Oh, wow! Two superbabes duking it out?!" another boy declared. "Now that I've got to see!"
Watching helplessly as the excitement of her fellow students grew exponentially, Hikari groaned in dismay. Painfully aware that, by the time she got home that evening, not only would she have had to deal with everyone talking about her battle with She-Hulk like it was the hottest movie in town, but she would have to deal with Kodama and Nozomi asking a lot of pointed questions that she didn't really didn't want to have to try and answer.
Why did I even bother coming in today? Hikari asked herself woefully as she buried her face in her arms.
It was early afternoon as Misato once again looked out the window in her room, the only portal she now had to the outside world. And though that world consisted solely of the artificial colony known as the Geofront, it was better than staring at the padded walls of her room, her prison.
I hate this... Misato thought mournfully as she thought of the hours she had already spent within her prison. Hours in which she had slept on and off, had exhausted what tears were left to her and eaten a feeble, tasteless lunch with no alcoholic refreshment. And had done all these things utterly, completely alone, trapped behind walls so much like the ones she had spent three years surrounded by as she strove to reconstruct her own mind after the devastation wreaked on her by Second Impact. I…I can't believe this happening. That Adam…and that monster…that they're inside of me!
These were the thoughts that ran through Misato's mind as she looked at the ceiling, thinking of Shinji, Asuka, of the life she had been building…and that the creature lurking inside of her had taken away. Another reason to hate the Angels, she thought bitterly, her features contorting with grief and despair. What, it wasn't enough they took away my family and life once before? Now Adam's putting the screws on me from inside my body, just to get the rest?!
There was no answer to her silent questions. Only a deeper, more hateful silence. "I hate them," Misato hissed aloud, just for the sake of hearing her own voice, of piercing that silence. "I hate them. I hate them. I hate them all…"
Misato didn't know how long she lay there, spitting into the darkness of her own self-pitying. All she knew was, as she lay there, she heard someone knocking on the door. "Huh?" she got out, looking at the door like it was an alien artifact. "Who…who is it?"
"Rei Ayanami," came the voice of the albino girl. "May I come in, Major Katsuragi?"
"Oh…of course," Misato got out, knotting her brows in confusion as she sat up. The door then opened, allowing the 1st Child to enter. "Hello, Rei," she murmured as the Section 2 agents beyond the door closed it behind her visitor. "I…wasn't expecting you," she got out clumsily. "So…what brings you here?"
"Commander Ikari has ordered me to remain here on standby," Rei explained, her tone carefully measured. "In the event you were to become She-Hulk again, and were to manage to escape this room."
"She-Hulk?" Misato asked blankly, narrowing an eye at the blue-haired girl.
"That is the designation that has been given to your…other self," Rei explained. "I understand that Lieutenant Hyuga was the one who came up with this name."
"Huh. He would," Misato smiled with weary affection…even as she felt something inside of her nebulously taking hold of that name, even seeming to welcome it. "I see. So…you're here to make sure that I…don't cause any more trouble."
Rei nodded. "That is correct. My orders are to restrain you in the event you attempt to escape. By…any means necessary."
"I understand," Misato answered, honestly grateful for this precaution. "That's a good idea. But…I hope it doesn't come to that."
"Nor I," Rei intoned, genuine emotion flickering behind her eyes. "It would…sadden me to have to fight you."
"Same here," Misato responded, her mind already conjuring up an image of a battle between her monstrous other and Unit 00. A battle she feared would not end well for the 1st Child.
"Aw, damn," Misato groaned, shuddering at the thought. That she was now a viable, physical threat to the Children she wanted to keep safe. "I still can't believe this is happening…"
"Such events do happen, nevertheless," Rei noted somberly. "Major Katsuragi, I…I have to return to my station. However, before I go…there is one other thing I wish to say."
"What is it?" Misato wondered, cocking her head at the albino.
"That…I'm sorry for what has happened to you," Rei answered, showing more emotion in that sentence than Misato had ever heard her display. "More than you may realize."
Misato's initial response to this statement was surprise. The fact that Rei had come there of her own will was astonishing in and of itself, but that she would feel the need to apologize for her predicament left the purple-haired woman dumbstruck. "I…uh…" Misato struggled to get out. Pausing to wonder if her confinement had negatively impacted her sanity, she sighed before forcing a tired smile for her unlikely visitor. "Thanks, Rei, but…it's not like you could have done anything to stop it."
Rei didn't say anything to this at first. Instead, she lowered her eyes, something almost sad lurking behind them. "Perhaps," the albino answered cryptically. "I hope…you recover soon."
"So do I, Rei," Misato nodded. "So do I."
Moments passed awkwardly before Rei spoke again. "May…I go now?"
Nodding, Misato answered, "Of course. Oh, and Rei?"
"Yes?" Rei spoke, narrowing her eyes somewhat.
"Thanks," Misato smiled weakly. "Thanks for…you know. Caring."
Blinking, Rei frowned slightly, averting her eyes before turning away. "You…are welcome," was all she said before knocking on the door. "You may let me out now."
As Misato watched the door open just long enough for Rei to disappear through it, she turned her gaze towards the cart with the laptop that had been left with her. Frowning, she rolled it next to her bed and began typing away at the keyboard. Before long, she was once again observing the recording of She-Hulk's battle with Spirit and Section 2.
"Know thy enemy and know thyself," the Major muttered as She-Hulk roared in triumph. When the creature looked directly at the camera, Misato paused the video, narrowing her eyes as she looked into the emerald orbs of her inner monster. "I think it's time to get to know you..."
"Thanks for the ride, Kaji!" Asuka grinned as she got out of the car.
"Well, it seems like the least I can do for you two," Kaji responded, shrugging helplessly as Shinji also got out, carrying PenPen to the elevator. As Asuka followed, the unshaven man stuck his head out the window. "Now, remember, if you need anything, anything at all, just call me, okay?"
"I will! Bye-bye!" Asuka called out as Shinji got on the elevator. Looking in disbelief at the cheerful, carefree attitudes displayed by the German and Kaji.
I don't believe this. Have they already forgotten what happened to Misato? Shinji wondered as he set PenPen down to stand next to him. Watching as Kaji drove off, he stood there, holding the 'open' button as he muttered, "Uh, Asuka…?"
"Hmm? Oh, right, right," Asuka grumbled in response. Watching Kaji even as he disappeared from view, she then turned and marched up to the elevator. As soon as she inside, Shinji pressed the button for their floor, closing the doors and sending them upwards. "Ah, Kaji is just such a gentleman!"
"Oh…yeah, I guess," Shinji muttered, not really caring about the unshaven man or Asuka's blatant crush on him. Not really caring about anything about the person that had been stolen from his life.
As the elevator rose up to their floor, Asuka frowned at her fellow pilot. "Hey, c'mon, Third! What's up with you?"
"Asuka…aren't you worried?" Shinji wondered even as PenPen looked at her. "About Misato?"
"What's to worry about?" Asuka returned, not a whiff of concern in her voice. "Akagi's gonna cure her, so everything's going to be alright!"
"Then…you're not worried about her? At all?" Shinji muttered unhappily. "You don't care about what's happened to her?"
"Hey! It's not that I don't care, okay?!" Asuka bristled, her cheery smile forgotten as she glared at Shinji. "But what am I supposed to do, put my life on hold every time something bad happens to somebody else?!" Snorting loudly as she folded her arms across her chest, the German turned away, only to glare at her fellow pilot out of the corner of her eyes. "Seriously! It's not like there's anything we can do for her, so what's the point of getting all worked up?!"
"Uh…oh," Shinji frowned, not sure of how to take this statement. After a moment's reflection, he supposed Asuka did have a point. The burden of actually curing Misato currently rested on Ritsuko and the rest of her staff. Shinji was no scientist, wouldn't even know how the mutation worked, let alone how to cure it. "Well…maybe…" he finally muttered. "But…I still feel like I should do…something…"
Asuka continued to glare at him, a glare that softened somewhat as she grumbled, "Yeah, well if you manage to think of something you can do to help, feel free to do it." The elevator dinged just then, opening up to their floor. "But right now, all I want to do is go inside, and get something to eat!"
As the German marched towards their apartment, muttering in German, Shinji paused just outside of the elevator, another thought occurring him. "Uh…Asuka?"
Groaning irritably as she came to a stop, Asuka turned about and planted her hands squarely on her hips. "Yeah, what is it now?"
"I was just thinking of something," Shinji began carefully, knowing that he would get nowhere if he annoyed the German too much. "Jet Alone. You know, how it went out of control?" Asuka gave an impatient nod to that. "Well…that was…an accident, right?"
"Well, yeah. That's what I heard, anyway." Rolling her head to the side, Asuka narrowed an eye before saying, "Anyway, I wasn't even here when that happened, remember?"
"Yeah, I know that," Shinji acknowledged. "But…anyway…what if it wasn't? An accident, I mean." Pausing to clear his throat, he shifted about on his feet before asking, "What if…somebody wanted Jet Alone to fail, and…?"
"What are you getting, at Third?" Asuka gathered with a raised eyebrow. A beat passed, and the German pulled back a bit, her eyes narrowing further. "Wait…are you saying that…you think somebody actually sabotaged that ridiculous piece of junk?! Who'd want to do that?"
"I…don't know," Shinji trailed off lamely. "I was just…thinking, that's all."
"Yeah, well, your thinking is crazy. Jet Alone sabotaged?" Asuka declared, turning about with a flourish of her hair as she started towards their apartment again. "C'mon, baka! Who'd want to do something like that?!"
As Asuka continued towards their home, Shinji sighed and looked down at his own feet. That's what I've been asking myself, he thought unhappily. Ever since Misato had confided in Shinji back in the alley, that question had been gnawing at him. And though it had been set aside for a time during She-Hulk's rampage of destruction, it had never been truly forgotten. Instead, it had eaten at him, forcing him to examine it again during his time at NERV, forcing him to ask that question again and again, searching for an answer. Examining it from every angle. Trying to figure out who would benefit from Jet Alone's failure. And no matter how he looked at it, no matter how he approached that question…he kept getting the same answer.
As that answer again burned in his mind, Shinji looked out over the guardrail, in the direction of the entrance to the Geofront, and scowled. Father…if you hurt Misato again…I'll never forgive you. Ever.
Author's Notes: Well, the aftermath is now done. Poor Misato. Please, read and review. And check out my other stories, please!
Now, I know I kind of went overboard with Misato's reign of destruction, but the fact is, having Section 2 just pick her up after Chapter 5 and leaving Gendo free to do whatever he wanted with her just seemed rather…anti-climactic to me. Besides, I was having a lot of fun, having a She-Hulk Misato running around naked, smashing everything in sight! (Come on, you can't tell me that I'm the only who thinks that's cool!) Also, and I hate to admit it, things are going to be a bit slow until the 10th Angel shows up. And boy, do I have plans for it!
Anyway, enough of this serious stuff! Time for some omakes!
Omake 1
"So…I thought she was an Angel?" Misato asked, even more hope creeping into her voice. When Fuyutsuki nodded, the Major frowned, the wheels turning in her mind. "Wait a minute…are you telling me that Gendo wanted me to kill Spirit?!"
"I'm…afraid so," Fuyutsuki replied, even as Shinji frowned scornfully. "He felt that, given the trouble Spirit has given us in the past…" The older man never got the chance to finish his sentence, for before his eyes, the despair and shame in Misato's face transformed into rage and hatred. The Major immediately stood from her bed, and with a spark of green in her eyes, shoved Ritsuko out of her way and started towards the door.
"Misato, what are you doing?" Shinji asked as the Major tried to open the door.
"I'm going to smash that bastard's goddamned evil head in!" Misato snarled, trying to force the door open.
Blanching at the image, Ritsuko went up to Misato's side and forced the Major to look at her. "Misato, wait! Please, you don't want to do that!"
"Oh, yes I do!" Misato declared with zeal. "That bastard tried to turn me into a murderer! And if he wants that so badly, I feel I might as well give him exactly what he wants!"
"But, Misato! You…you can't!" Shinji protested.
"Why not? My life is over, anyway!" Misato shrilled incredulously. "If I'm going down, then I'm taking Gendo with me!"
"But, Misato -!" Ritsuko started, only to look back in surprise when Fuyutsuki placed his hand upon her shoulder.
"Wait, Dr. Akagi," the older man hissed, watching as Misato grunted and growled, trying to force the door open. "I have an idea…"
"She-Hulk SMASH!" came a monstrous roar from Gendo's office, the doors of which had been torn apart.
"Arrrgh! Help meeee!" Gendo's own voice squealed from within, just before brutal sounds of violence were heard from within.
"Good idea!" Ritsuko purred, watching from a safe distance as the She-Hulk twisted the Commander of NERV into a pretzel. "You know, you're right! We can always tell Misato about curing her after she's done!"
"Precisely," Fuyutsuki nodded, smiling with deep satisfaction as his former student got what was coming to him. "After all, chances like this don't come along every day."
"I'll say!" Asuka grinned merrily at the show before her.
"So…" Shinji added, delighting in watching Misato at work. "Who's got popcorn?"
Omake 2
"I don't believe this schisse!" Asuka snarled as she marched into the kitchen, a newspaper clenched in her fist.
Wincing at the irate German's arrival, Shinji responded, "Look, I'm sorry, Asuka, but I already told you that the maintenance team couldn't get here today! So we're just gonna have to wait until the windows get fixed, and…"
"I'm not mad about that!" Asuka sneered. Then she frowned and shrugged, "Well, okay, I am, but that's not what I'm talking about right now!"
"Oh." Frowning somewhat, Shinji asked, "Well…what's the problem, then?"
"The problem is this!" Asuka snarled, slamming the newspaper down on the table. "It's not bad enough that Makoto decided to name that green freak She-Hulk, or that he's got people at NERV calling her that! No, now the press has gotten onboard and are calling her that as well!"
"Huh?!" Shinji squawked, his confusion mounting as he looked down at the newspaper. "Hulking Monster Revealed to be a…" His mouth falling open as he held up the paper and gave the headline a closer look. "But…wait, how did they start calling her She-Hulk, too?"
"How the hell should I know?!" Asuka grumbled. "Obviously, the local newspapers are being run by the same kind of loser dorks as Makoto! How else could they come up with such a stupid name?!"
"Alright, cool!" Makoto grinned as he lounged about at his desk at home, scrutinizing the various headlines and news stories online. "Looks we pulled it off, buddy! She-Hulk is now the official name of Tokyo-3's newest superwoman!"
"Or super-monster, depending on who you're talking to," his contact at the Japan Today! replied easily.
"Trust me when I say she's a superwoman, okay?" Makoto retorted.
"Whatever you say, buddy. Me, I don't care what she is as long as she sells newspapers!" his contact told him.
Not doubting that for an instant, Makoto sat back and asked, "Just out of curiosity, how did you manage to get your editor to use the name She-Hulk, anyway?"
"You make it sound like it was tough," his contact chuckled. "My editor didn't care what we called this thing, just long as it was big and tough-sounding, but made it clear that we were dealing with a female monster. And with all the papers and news shows calling her a hulking monster…"
"Right, gotcha," Makoto nodded. "So, anyway, now that you're done scratching my back, I'm guessing I have to scratch yours in return, right?"
"Got it in one, buddy," his contact chuckled knowingly. "So you slip me the inside scoop on some of NERV's operations, and maybe a little extra about this She-Hulk of yours, and we'll call it even."
Wishing that She-Hulk was his, every gorgeous green square inch of her, Makoto answered, "Not a problem. I'll send it to the usual spot. That work for you?"
"Sounds like a plan," his contact agreed. "Guess I'll be seeing you around, Hyuga."
"Will do," Makoto replied before hanging up. "Damn, this is cool! Just wait until all my online buddies find out about this! Forget naming a star! Just how many guys get to name an actual, flesh-and-blood superwoman, huh?!"
Omake 3
"Thanks for the ride, Kaji!" Asuka grinned as she got out of the car.
"Well, it seems like the least I can do for you two," Kaji responded, shrugging helplessly as Shinji also got out, carrying PenPen to the elevator. As Asuka followed, the unshaven man stuck his head out the window. "Now, remember, if you need anything, anything at all, just call me, okay?"
"Well," Asuka purred, rubbing her chin in deep thought. "Now that you mention it…I just bought this new little toy of mine, and…I'd like some help in trying it out?"
"Oh?" Kaji asked with a raised eyebrow. "And what kind of toy is it?"
"Um, Asuka…?" Kaji grimaced as he hung from the ceiling of Asuka's room, stripped down to his boxers as the German girl approached his, clad in dark leather and wielding a cattle prod.
"Relax, Kaji-kun. Just sit back, and enjoy the show…" the German grinned viciously. Asuka then burst into flames, flames that quickly reduced her to a bare skeleton!
"What the hell?!" Kaji gasped in horror as the flames that devoured Asuka's body turned into new flesh, and huge horns sprouted from her skull.
"Now…I'm going to show you why I'm called the Red Devil!" the Ghost Rider roared, flames spewing from her mouth as she slapped the cattle prod against the palm of her hand. "And why Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned!"
It was said that all of Tokyo-3 could hear Kaji screaming that day. Including Shinji and PenPen, despite the fact that both were hiding beneath Misato's bed, with several pillows covering their heads.
