A/N ( Wow, I've been gone for so long that I actually feel guilty about it. Well, it's finally here, adding to the story that constantly refuses to die. So what if my writing started offc crappy, that's one of the reasons I started this fic in the first place. The chapter below is beefy-er, longer, and possbily more enjoyable. I don't know about that last part, that's up to the reader to decide. Sorry for only having two POV's, but I have to reserve some for the next chapter, so I'll just give them a comb over like the chapter below. Well, enjoy and I'll start working on the next one.)

Diclaimer: I don't own Halo, NGE, or Ace Combat...and that's all I got to say about that!

Chapter 18

Life's Meaning

(POV Brian 'Blaze' Merindi)

In the light of conflict, man will always retreat to a safe place. Whether to reflect over his existence or to hide from his problems, he seeks safe passage until the danger has passed. People always think they're different, that they hold the power to change the world around them. I am no exception, and it isn't until you've hit the ground that you realize just how far off the trail you've traveled.

I continue my wandering through the brush, the weeds grabbing at my legs, cutting into my flesh with each prickly stab. But even that does not stop my search for the answers that elude me. Though found at mind, I am lost at heart, seeking to replace the most vital part of me, that inexplicable hole that continues to grow and consume my thoughts. The light that once guided me, now faded into suffrage and despair, has led me down this road of torment all the way to hell. What the light has given me, the present threatens to tear away. My friends, my honor, and my soul. My isolation isn't just for the sake of the others, but to do battle with myself. The duel of life.

Seven times the sun has risen, and seven times it has fallen, leaving only a trail of fire and darkness in its wake. And with each rise and fall, my time grows shorter, while my treading becomes heavier still. No answers, not in sleep nor in travel, dare crest my mind at the pinnacle of need. So far, all I have seen in my hands is the power to destroy, and than create out of self-preservation. The food I hunted, the shelters I built, and even the ground I walk on. Something must either be damaged or destroyed in the name of selfish needs, for the sole purpose of wandering aimlessly once more, all the more proof that creation is beyond my one-sided comprehension.

However, despite the hollow joy of isolation this search brings, if I do not find my answer by the next sunrise I will be forced to turn around and return to NERV empty handed. Yet, I cannot return until the root of my problem is uncovered, or all will have been in vain. A predicament of whether to turn now or later has risen from the doubts in my travels, the point of taking an extra day now seeming more like a mistake than an idea.

The call of nature was just too tantalizing to ignore, a world where man's domain has yet to spread, where the answers he seeks lay hidden beneath the soil and foliage. A place of peace and unification, where a man can reflect in a calm and tranquil environment, suited almost for that exact purpose. The perfect illusion of paradise for the fool with nowhere else to run.

Another shrub moved aside, I maneuver to receive the next branch. But when my hand grasps nothing but space, my drawl and sorrowful self-searching come to a stop at the sound of a powerful roar. I rub my eyes, attempting to adjust them to the sudden strain and demand, struggling to regain control. Beyond the last shrub is a clearing of dry dirt and rock, the loud roar coming from behind an edge curved into the earth.

To keep from stumbling, I slowly maneuver across the terrain, measuring each step with light touches on the ground. Like walking through the dark, I feel the soil below shifting beneath my weight. Step after step passes beneath my aching body, with pain raging shooting through my limbs, almost as if in coherence with the deafening roar. Reaching the edge, the spray of salt and wind rushes up from below the drop, causing me to stumble back a little.

A vast oceanic view spreads panoramically from beyond the cliff edge, casting a soft, aquatic reflection of the sun as it rises in its early hours. This is the end of the road, nothing further ahead but water and a one way trip down a cliff edge. Seeing this is my last opportunity to rest, I swing my legs out above the ocean and allow the speckles of salt water to trickle over my bare feet.

To think, I spent a whole week walking through the woods, gradually losing my clothes, shoes, and eventually dulling my only knife into a useless metal chunk, just to massage my feet against the raging tide. But what was I to expect, it's not like the answer to my questions are all just going to pop right out of the…

"Hello there." The voice startles me, forcing me to sit up straight and stiff. I dare not even turn to face the intruder. I hadn't even heard him come through the brush, probably a side affect of the fatigue and hunger built up over the past few days. "You know, when somebody says hi, it's generally polite to say something back."

The voice, male in tone and rough in texture, appears to grow closer as the man it belongs to speaks. When I still don't give a reply, much to the belief that I will be ignored if I stay silent, the man instead takes a seat on the cliff edge right next to me.

"It's beautiful isn't it? I come out here every morning just to watch the sunrise. It helps me get through the day, knowing that I can count on something to show up every morning." What's this guy's problem? I come here looking for isolation, and than he comes bursting in through the brush like he owns the place. Some peace and tranquility, I must have stumbled too close to civilization without realizing it. "So, what brings you to my corner of the woods? Has to have been pretty harsh for you to come out looking like that."

It just doesn't get through to him, does it? I WANT to be left alone, what part of that does he not get? Maybe it's time to change venue, I've spent too much time here as it is!

When I start to get up, the man thrusts his hand out at me and just as I prepare to defend myself, it stops. He holds it out in front of him, waiting for a response on my part. "The name's Larry Foulk, but most people around these parts just call me Pixy."

The gesture confuses me, his random offer of acquaintance to a complete stranger found naked in the woods the most puzzling part. What's this man's game to be coming at me like this?

Much to my reluctance, I take his hand in mine with a firm shake. The only way to win the game is to play the game. But shortly into the shake, he quickly retracts his hand over to the safety of his other hand. "Ah…that's quite a grip you have there. Almost tore my hand right off."

He chuckles while soothing the pain in his hand. Although I had unintentionally hurt him, I guess it comes from my lack of control. Or maybe, deep down, I really did want to hurt him. My hands, weapons of destruction, claws of the monster, tools of the destroyer, both waiting to wring the life out of whatever they grasp. Their very sight brings back the face Ikari…that twisted look of fear lost in the vice of my anger.

"So…what's your story? I'd assume someone like you doesn't come out this far without so much as an interesting tale to tell." And still, the stranger wants me to give in! Yet the only way to dig closer to his intent is to 'play the game'.

"I…I'm here…because…I made a terrible mistake." My voice croaks from lack of use, my throat straining to fit the design for each sound. But despite the weak response, the man smiles at my drop of willpower, mocking me for giving in to his petty conversation.

"I see. Would you care to explain what happened?" He wants me to go on? What could he possibly gain from my tale, other than to just see me for who I really am? Maybe I'm no longer fit to walk among men, the loss of my clothes, tools, and mind all seem to fit together in order to reflect my true self. No longer man, but the beast born of man's strife. "You know, unless you don't really feel up to it…"

"I came out here…to isolate myself…from the rest of the world. Or more likely than that…to end the suffering of those I hurt." Nagase…because of me, I only dug up the wounds you have been trying so hard to heal. As for Ikari, I had no reason to do what I did…and as for the end result, this is what I deserve. "I made too many people suffer for my actions, so I came out here to cut the strings that cause me to do this."

"And so you believe that they'll be better off without you, is that it? That if you just get up and get lost, than everyone else's troubles will just burst out the window and never return?" He thinks I'm running away? There's a firm line between assessment and abandonment, and I have not crossed it!

"No, I would never leave them. Not for this or any other reason…no, this is just some alone time. To reflect; to dig up a solution."

"And so, you believed that by shutting yourself off and attributing to yourself without anyone else's support, you will just happen upon the answer?" Larry finally speaks up after listening to my tale, his sudden outburst surprises me. In fact, why does this even matter to him? They're MY problems, not his. "Listen, I'm going to tell you a little tale, one that I haven't told in almost a decade. In fact, I haven't told it in so long, that none of the village folk over there really know about this little piece of history. So for their sake, as well as mine, we're going to keep this between ourselves, understand?"

So that's his reason for being so kind and forthcoming, he's just been looking for an excuse to shed his own past. He never really felt concern for my story; he just wants to lecture me with his. And as for what a man like him and myself have in common, I see nothing between us that we could possibly share.

But still, I agree to keep his secret, and he begins to weave his tale. From the thresholds of his aging memory, he speaks of a time, no more than 15 years ago, when a meteor fell from the sky and struck the southern ice caps at one-tenth light speed. Unpredictable and unstoppable, the meteor struck with enough force to melt all of Antarctica, causing the subsequent floods and tidal waves to wipe out nearly all the coastal cities of the world. He even pointed into the crashing waves below, that not more than a couple hundred feet below us, there was once a small town at the foot of this cliff, buried by the melted ice.

In the end, the damage done by the meteors was enough to spark conflict between the world's nations, pulling them into a quick power struggle for resources and territory. But amidst the back room politics, threats, and outcries for all out war, the story comes to Larry Foulk's part. He was a soldier enlisted as part of a temporary unit sent in to secure the original Tokyo and hold off the inevitable invasion posed by the United States and Russia.

However, despite efforts made by the Japanese government to gather allies to push back against the threat of invasion, the country was invaded just the same. Forced to repel wave after wave of attacks from invading troops, he came to befriend a man in the same unit as his. Together, they fought to defend the capital while desperately waiting out for reinforcements to be sent from aiding nations. Days passed, weeks even, without reply over the radio and the reinforcements never showed up. Eventually, their numbers dwindled until only a few dozen men remained, Larry and friend included.

Despair and uneasiness had spread throughout the group, planting a seed of deception into every tired soldier's mind…all except for one. Word came in over the radio, through a pirate broadcast set up in the former USSR, of a group seeking mercenaries for the single purpose of putting an end to the war and all wars there after. This group called for a 'world with no boundaries', offering food, shelter, and back pay to all those who would join their cause. Tired and weary, the troops quickly gave in to the offers, willing to give their lives and souls for a world free of conflict and petty feuds like the one they were sitting in at that moment. Even Larry Foulk admitted to falling for the deception, joining the growing band preparing to leave their posts and set out for the Promised Land.

But the man that Larry had come to trust as a friend had held on to his ideals, stating 'that the people of the world cannot live with one another until they learn to trust each other.' He was immediately put down by the other soldiers, calling him a crazy basterd with no sense of where the world was heading, and than beat for his senseless preaching. They eventually tied him to a post and left him to die at the hands of the enemy soldiers.

But when Larry and the others had slipped past the surrounding enemy lines, they looked back in time to see Tokyo's final fate. The mushroom cloud soared high above the sky, towering over the cities ruins with its reddish-gray glow effectively leveling the city to the ground. As for what happened to the man they left for dead, Larry never found out. After the war, he was listed as MIA, his body having never been found amongst the steel girders and burning piles…buried beneath the ghost city of Larry's past.

"And so there you have it, the sins of my past. I hope I haven't bored you with the details of my story, I've been meaning to get them out for some time though. You have to understand, when a man has ghosts, he needs to let them out every now and than." He sits back up, having been laying on his back during the entire story, his face a slideshow of emotion as the mood of his story shifted and changed from one scene to another, finally settling on solemn understanding.

"Mr. Foulk…I think I need to do some more thinking before I can pass judgment over your tale. Unlike me, you've made peace with your past, while I still do battle with my own." Conflict, also in my nature, the unshakable binds of a man who calls himself a soldier, raised for nothing else, practically born holding a rifle. And here he is, spouting off about his own past which holds no…value…at…

"You think that it's your problems that you should worry about. Its people like you that only give a damn about yourselves and never about what anyone else thinks. The point of the story isn't about self-preservation, or learning the errors of your past. It's about coming to grips with the others you trust, before you turn and chase a wild fantasy that is nothing else but that, a wild fantasy.." His voice, tone, and facial expressions make a complete 180, changing to anger and frustration. "What you need to do is get off your high horse and start pulling yourself back together. Stop feeding yourself this self-pitiful shit, and stand up on your own two feet. For God's sake, you can carry your own weight; you came all this way without an inch of cloth to spare."

Why that little hypocrite, first he goes spouting off about his mistakes and now he goes accusing me of being self-pitied and high perched. "You're one to fucking talk, spouting on about how you killed your own best friend. In fact, if anyone was being self-centered, it was you for leaving him to die like that. You could have easily brought him along with you, but all you have to show for it a sad tale and your shitty war stories."

His face twists, as though I hit a sweet spot. But his anger slowly recycles and he rebounds for another attack. "I don't need lectures on justification from you, Young Buck. I've made my peace, I realize my mistakes and would gladly pay purgatory for the things I've done. Everything I did that day is beyond redemption, but sadly death is a long ways off for me, so I might as well tell you what I have to say before I finally keel over!"

"And why should I listen to the same old story twice. As if shouldering my own burden isn't tough enough, taking yours along for the ride would only weight me down, I'd…I'd…" I'd simply relive the same tale over and over again. Never once have I let the story go, never once have I even told the story. Only I carry my own tale, my own story and legacy, carried on my back, never stopping to share the load with anyone else. There's only one of me to hold the sins, but there are others who are willing to help me with that weight. What a damned fool I've been, carrying all of this alone.

"If you keep reliving the same story, you'll only end up with the same plights over and over again. It's time to move on, and focus on who you have with you. It's not about things you've lost, but what you've got left that counts in life. There's still time to turn around and walk the path back to where you started." Larry seems to have calmed down, as if…he had planned the whole act. The basterd played me like a card...molding me for this very moment. But while having me wrapped around his finger, why is it that he helped me when he could have just as easily done the opposite.

"Foulk…why are you doing this? You have no reason to put up with me the way you did! And yet, you're actually helping me. Why is that?" It's unexplainable, his selfless actions. They completely go against everything his story depicts, through the narrow-minded perspective he showed me earlier.

"People shouldn't make mistakes like mine. Too many others forsake their friends out of greed and power. Selfish gain promotes basterds like myself up to higher places, only to find out we never would have gotten their had we not stood on someone else's shoulders. No one should ever make that mistake. Go back, and learn the meaning of forgiveness!"

Forgiveness? Never have I so much as passed on the meaning of the word. Never preached to or from, the word existed in my mind just long enough to slide off into the back, forgotten and unused. Never once had I thought I'd need it, so never did I pass it on…to those who truly deserve it.

My hands…even if I can never change their iridescent destruction, I can control the mind that pulls the strings. And as for the fate of mankind, maybe there are answers that remain amongst the vast universe. Hidden throughout time, a vast sea of understanding awaits behind a seal of fate. And I will unlock each part of the path, one piece at a time.

"There's one more thing you should know." He smiles, seeing something that I fail to notice.

"Hm, and what's that?"

"Never go into the woods…" He averts his eyes from mine, shielding his eyes from something "…without an extra pair of pants. Follow me, I run an inn just beyond this brush." He points back into the nearby bushes, the disturbances in the brush and grass revealing his path of travel. "I'll loan you a pair of pants…if I can find a pair that'll fit you."

"You wouldn't happen to have a phone too?" Because there's one other item on the list to take care of.

(POV Shinji Ikari)

"Get up everybody! Rise and shine!" Yet another sleep torn apart by the over-jubilance of a sober Misato, bursting in through the door yelling at the top of her lungs. I don't think I'll ever get used to Misato without even the slightest bit of alcohol in her bloodstream.

"Just five more minutes?" I roll my face away from the door, trying to avoid the noise and return to the peaceful state of slumber.

Light and heat burn the surface of my face, Misato having pulled the blinds open enough to effectively end my latent attempts at slumbering. My eyes slowly force open, adjusting as fast as they can to the extreme luminosity of the room. I catch a glimpse out the window, cursing the sun for ruining such a restful lull. But no matter how much a shift or roll, I can't get the light out my eyes. I guess sleeping in, even just a little bit, is too much to ask for.

"Come on, get up, we need to get going if we're going to beat the crowds." Misato glides from the nearby window to my closet, quickly picking out my usual attire and tossing them onto my chest.

"Crowds…crowds for what? There isn't anybody but NERV personnel for almost fifty miles." Yes, despite the fact that the construction is nearing completion, not a single civilian has returned to Tokyo-3 or any of the nearby areas.

"Don't you remember, Shinji? I told you yesterday that I'm taking you and Asuka School shopping this morning." Yeah, that's right, she had told us the other day we were going out in the morning, but I couldn't recall the specific errand.

Still reluctant to the idea of beating Misato's ghost crowds, I still manage to crawl out from under the covers and scramble for the clothes at the foot of the bed. Out of the corner of my eye, Misato still stands perched over by the closet, unmoved by my lack of bodily attire.

"Um…if you don't mind…" Even though I shouldn't have to say anything, the message finally gets to Misato and she makes for the door, apologizing until I couldn't see her anymore.

Not giving the incident any further thought, I slip the clothes on over my undergarments, quickly fastening the buttons and tucking the shirt before rushing out the door and into the hall. Greeted by the sound of running water, it is safe to assume that Asuka holds the shower this morning. As appealing as a bath is, this does give me time to prepare breakfast before we set out.

Rushing into the kitchen, I reach for the bread and quickly shove it in the toaster, while simultaneously grabbing an egg from the fridge, all while listening to the water run. As soon as that water stops my preparation time is done, so I need to move as fast as I can or we'll be running out on fumes. It also guarantees the rest of the morning will be filled with an endless stream of complaints, which always ends with two aspirins and a glass of water.

"Here, let me give you a hand with that." A hand grabs the unnoticed toast and presses two more slices down into the toaster. Misato than begins work on beverages, pulling out cups from the cupboard and placing them in their respective spots on the table. "We need to hurry or we'll get beat out by the crowds."

Curious how she assumes that today, of all days, will be a crowded day at the shops. Besides the fact there are only two small general stores open in all of Tokyo-3, the NERV population comes down to about 1500 individuals, which would mean almost everyone would have to take the day off to crowd the stores. "Misato, what 'crowds' are you talking about. Are the NERV facilities closed today?"

"You'll see once we get outside. For now, let's focus on finishing breakfast, and don't let those eggs burn." I turn back to the eggs, which have indeed started to burn, stinging the air with a thick odor. Immediately, I take them out of the pan and place them onto one of the larger plates, handing it to Misato to put down on the table.

The wall behind me squeaks and the sounds of the shower cease, which only means it's a matter of time before Asuka comes out. Misato grabs the last pair of toast and blitzes it over to the table, setting it down just as the door swings open. As great as the timing may be, we're still not out of the house yet. Asuka barely makes it out the door before her wrist is ceased by Misato and yanked over to the kitchen.

"Dammit Misato, I can find my own way to the kitchen. I don't need you babysitting me all the way there!" Well, so much for a morning without complaints. I can almost feel all the effort put into breakfast slowly slip away.

"Come on, we need to eat and get the hell out of here." Misato, already seated in a chair, leans out over the table and begins to load food onto her plate while simultaneously shoveling it with her fork. The feat displayed at the other side of the table forces me to put my fork down and pass up breakfast.

Asuka takes one look at Misato and slowly slides her plate away, apparently having similar regards as myself towards Misato's table manners. With several large gulps, Misato washes it all down with a glass of water. I guess when she said we were in a hurry, she damn well meant it.

As soon as the glass comes down, we all rush from our seats, not even caring for the soiled dishes and glasses. We grab our shoes on our way through to the door and continue to race outside. However, it appears that the door was never designed for the ensuing photo finish.

"Oh this is just great!" Asuka, wedged between Misato and myself, screams bloody murder in my ear while trying to force her way out the door. At the same time, she presses her hand in on my face in an attempt to gain additional leverage.

"Mmm mhm mmm hmmm…" Translated it means 'stop pushing, you're not helping here!'

"Okay, let's just calm down and think for a second. Can any of you guys back out?" Misato's sudden hold on the situation causes Asuka to back down, thereby releasing my face from her palms.

"No, I'm pretty well pressed in here. How about you Shinji?"

"Nope, I can't move a muscle…or breathe for that matter…" Despite Asuka's small size, her elbows still manage to find their way into my lower rib cage, painfully crushing my lungs further into my chest.

"Great…just fucking great. First it's wake up in a hurry, than rushing through the shower. I couldn't even wash my hair properly! And than I couldn't eat breakfast because Misato was gorging it all down, which made me sick to my stomach by the way. And now we're stuck in the middle of the freaking door. Whose idea was it to rush this morning anyway?"

"Um…Misato?" Something sharp taps my ankle, piercing it with short shots of pain. I'd turn my head to find the culprit, but Asuka's shoulder is preventing me from making any movements above the neck.

"Quite Shinji, I'm trying to come up with a solution." The pecking increases in intensity before finally stopping. Whatever had caused it had decided to stop, for some unknown reason.

When Asuka's shoulder finally lets up, I turn to just in time to be nailed in the back by a little black ball. Caught off guard and unable to move, the ball makes contact and forces me out the door and onto the walkway. Misato and Asuka, no longer supported by my body, come crashing down into a big heap.

Forcing back the laughter, knowing full well that it would only send me to an early grave, I brush myself off and check for damage. Nothing's broken, obviously, but I would have at least expected a bruise or something after a hit like that. Speaking of which, what exactly did hit me?

"Wark?" Pen-Pen, the now obvious tool to our escape, cocks his head to one side in curiosity, staring at the two girls as they attempt to untangle themselves.

"Thanks Pen-Pen, we owe you one" Whether or not he understands the magnitude of his actions, I will never know. But even so, he deserves some thanks for freeing us from that bind.

"Wark." The penguin gets the last word before turning back into the house.

"Why, when I get my hands around that little…" And despite the help, Asuka continues to come up with…special ways to vent her frustration. Hey Asuka, he freed us and you don't hear me complaining!

"Enough Asuka, Pen-pen helped us, and you should be thankful for just that. Now come on, we have quite a ways to walk." Misato, back on her feet, brushes the dust from her red jacket and makes her way toward the stairs.

"What? You mean we're not taking the car?" Protests Asuka for probably the umpteenth time this morning. It was probably worse when she first woke up, but I don't even want to imagine what Misato had to go through.

"Nope, it's a beautiful day outside. We should enjoy it while we can!" Misato flashes back a smile before disappearing down the stairway.

"Of all the lamest…urgh, fine! Come on, Shinji!" Before I can react, Asuka storms off down the hallway, dragging me by the wrist the whole way. It seems that misery loves company.

When we do finally make it down the stairs and outside, I'm greeted with the cooling sensation of a summer breeze and temporary blindness caused by the sun's radiance. Down at the end of the parking lot, Misato hums to herself as she stares upward at the new architecture in the distance, the white buildings bleached with sunlight.

"It looks like we're going to be a lot closer to the center of the city. I wonder what they're going to do about the crater-lake above the Geo-front." Misato seems to talk to nobody else in particular. She finally turns around and notices us standing behind her. "Great, now that you two slow-pokes finally caught up, we can finally get moving."

Asuka groans yet again, once again testing the limits of my patience, and quite possibly Misato's. At least this time she's a bit quicker with picking up her steps, so we can both keep up with Misato's alarming walking pace. In fact, now that I think about it, she seems a more chipper than usual this morning. Actually, the past few mornings she's been getting up more easily. Just how much has she had to drink since we got back?

Yet, when I think of the past few weeks, Misato hasn't had one single alcoholic beverage of any sort since we moved back into the old apartment. Unless she's been doing it when I'm not looking, Misato Katsuragi has gone cold turkey with the beer…which I never thought I'd hear myself say in this lifetime. Better get a second opinion, even if she is a bit pissy this morning.

"Hey Asuka, did Misato have anything to drink this morning?" Wait, did she have one at the card game…no, that was just Nagase! Shoot, there has to be at least one…maybe two times that she took a drink!

"I saw her pouring herself a cup of coffee earlier this morning, but nothing out of the ordinary." And coffee isn't out of the ordinary for Misato? I guess it depends on how you ask the question.

"And just what are you two whispering about back there?" Misato peers back with a grin on her face and a gleam in her eye, all given signs for the impending verbal abuse.

"NOTHING!" Asuka suddenly bursts out and nearly shoves me to the ground in her attempt to create distance between us. So much for getting any more information out of her, but I don't think she'll say anything after that little episode. Gee, thanks Misato.

Mocking me with her smug satisfaction, Misato cocks her head back into its original position facing out in front. Nobody says anything over the time that it takes me to flush the embarrassment from my face, which doesn't make it any easier to focus on other things.

"Hey Shinji, where're you going?" Misato's voice snaps me out of my temporary trance, which makes me realize that I had missed a corner and instead walked right out into the street.

What a day this is quickly turning out to be! Misato keeps getting to me and if this keeps up, I'm going to end up smeared on the sidewalk…or worse. I just need to focus on where my own two feet are, and nothing else. Curiosity will only get me killed today.

Unfortunately, things have to get worse before they can get better. When Misato turns around the next bend, she leads us straight into a hidden mess. The first thing I notice is the street, filled with large trucks, assorted personal vehicles, and swarms of people carrying boxes and other items into the nearby buildings. Our group halts as we allow two men carrying a couch to pass in front of us and straddle into the flanking apartment.

A dull roar of voices yells and directs the oncoming of vehicles, turning them either into or away from the crowded street. Furniture either goes in the front door or up by hoist to the second level of these two story apartments. The level of noise is incredible, causing my ears to vibrate and I swear that the ground is shaking harder with each passing second. I'm surprised I wasn't able to hear this from our apartment, which is just a block away. With all the noise generated here, I could wake the dead from the cemetery located just up the mountain pass.

Finally peaked with curiosity, I decide to ask Misato what the entire clamor is all about. "Okay Misato, what's going on here? How come yesterday the streets were completely empty and today they look like somebody's having a parade?"

"Because yesterday the city wasn't open to civilians and class D personnel. This morning, the gates to the city were released and the streets just filled up." So the only reason this place was a ghost town for so long was because NERV said the city was closed? "I know what you're thinking, but nobody was forced to come back…per say. But we did give incentives to attract more people here."

"So you're paying people to stay here because of the constant threat of attack?"

"Actually, it's a little more complicated than that. In a nutshell, we give businesses the ability to practice freely within Tokyo-3, so they don't have to follow any real regulations. This attracts some of the larger firms and jobs are eventually shuffled over here, for which most of these people are here for!"

I scan about the gathered crowd, some of them engaged in labor while some others attempt to entertain a group of restless children. They go about their mornings with smiles and laughter. But do any of them truly know the risk they're placing their families at. As morbid as it is, some of these people might not make it through the next attack…did they take that into account when bringing their kids. How many countless others forfeited their jobs in order to stay outside of this brewing hot zone? And how many more lives will be lost to the 'greater good.'

"Look on the brightside; at least you'll see all your friends at school tomorrow. Last I heard, their parents were still listed as NERV engineers, so they should be back sometime today." I can't believe I forgot about Toji and Kensuke and didn't even realize it until just now! I must really be stupid to forget my friends so quickly…it WILL be nice to see them again. That is assuming that they come back with their families…but I mustn't focus on the what-ifs.

"Spying on our friends? Misato, just how much background stuff did you gather on them?" Asuka sure is quick to throw another jab at Misato, even though she wasn't so deserving of it this time.

"Enough to know what I want" It's chilling to know that Misato really can look up anything about anyone in Japan. But the question is when she will abuse this power…she's not exactly humble when it comes its usage!

"HEY! What's the holdup?" Misato comes to an abrupt stop, which causes me to stumble into her back.

My accident apparently goes unnoticed by Misato as she begins to argue with the group in front of us.

"Hey ma'am, if you want to get in, you'll just have to wait in line like the rest of us!" The man in front of us points to the group of people, which extends all the way down the street corner and around the bend to who knows where.

"You mean…wait, what are you in line for?" Misato looks down the street with a worried look.

"The general store that just opened down the street! There are only two in the whole city and everybody needs to buy supplies." Misato's face suddenly sags even more, the waste of an entire morning evident on her face.

"Well, looks like we wasted our morning getting here…might as well go home." Asuka starts to walk off in the other direction before having her collar ceased by Misato's hand.

"Oh, we're getting in, one way or another." Misato holds up her NERV ID card with a grin on her face. Case in point: Misato plus power equals public disturbance…and possibly much more! And our morning's about to get a whole lot worse!

A/N (Okay, I might as well have named this 'the story that never dies.' I hate authors who can't finish their stories, for any reason. Sure, some are more rational than others, but I really get ticked off at authors who promise to finish and than vanish off the face of the Earth without a trace. Sure, I may even become a hippocrit, but at least I'm trying to keep this going. With this as some proof, I'll leave you with another wait!)