Chapter 26 - NERV, Party Of Eight

Shinji growled softly as the pen fell from his bandaged fingers; it clattered to the floor and rolled away until it encountered a high heeled shoe. He reached down to try and pick it up, but the owner of the shoe raised a halting hand.

"Don't worry too much about it, Shinji," Doctor Akagi said as she reached down to pick up the pen, placing it on the examination bed between her two patients.

Asuka huffed in frustration, staring at her own uncooperative hands. Like Shinji, the fight against Sahaquiel, as the Tenth Angel had been designated, had left its mark on her as well: large circles of darkened skin in the centre of their palms and on the backs of their hands. The feedback from Unit-01's injuries had thankfully stopped short of fully bleeding through to its pilots, but only just. Considering that their sync ratios had apparently been pushing against the safety systems to the point that their plug depth had to be constantly reduced, things could have been a lot worse.

Shinji didn't want to think about what would have happened if they'd actually ended up with holes in their hands.

"The two of you should regain full motion in your hands in a day or two," Doctor Akagi continued, tapping away on her tablet. "But until then I'll inform your school that you're both staying home for medical reasons."

During the debriefing afterwards, the co-pilots of Unit-01 were stunned into silence when they saw a recording of what they had managed to accomplish just before catching the Angel. Shinji recalled reaching the hill in the blink of an eye, and now he knew why. Seconds after Asuka had harangued him to go faster, Unit-01 had gone supersonic; the recording showed shockwaves expanding out from Unit-01's body as it sprinted in excess of three hundred and fifty metres a second. But when they were asked how exactly they had accomplished such a feat, neither Shinji nor Asuka could offer up an explanation.

Eventually they were dismissed. Shinji, forgetting his injury for a moment, made to open the door out of the room, only for his bandaged and barely-functional hands to be incapable of gaining purchase on the smooth round door handle. He sighed and directed an expectant look at the two adults. Misato was the first to notice, and she hurried over to let them out.

"Thanks, Misato," said Shinji as he stepped out into the corridor.

"Damnit, the next few days are going to really suck if we can't even manage such a simple task," Asuka groused.

"I guess we'll have to postpone that victory dinner then," said Misato as she and Doctor Akagi followed them out.

"Afraid so, Misato," Akagi replied with a shrug, before turning to close the door. "If they can't even grip a pen, they certainly won't be able to hold chopsticks. It's certainly going to make their next few mealtimes interesting."

"Just give us something we can eat with a fork or spoon," said Asuka, raising a hand and pressing her index and middle fingers together. "I've at least got this much motion."

A bit of testing showed Shinji that he could do the same thing with his hands. "I suppose it's either that or finger food," he mused. He glanced at Asuka, who seemed to sense his gaze and turned her head to look at him. "So... what are we going to do for meals for the next couple days?"

Misato's face lit up. She grinned and raised a hand.

Akagi scoffed and batted it right back down. "No, Misato. They're already injured, I don't want to see a pilot back in the medical wing because you poisoned them. Or are you forgetting what happened when I came to visit?"

Misato's face fell.

XXX

In the end, Shinji and Asuka made do with take-out. Sitting on the lounge, cradling a carton of food in their arm with a towel on their lap and a fork that was only nominally under their control wasn't exactly easy, but it was the best they could manage.

Breakfast the next morning was a repeat of dinner, since Shinji and Asuka had ordered plenty of take-out. After taking off their bandages to shower, the two of them discovered they could, with some effort, hold cutlery much better than they could the night before. The discoloured skin hadn't faded at all, however; something that made Asuka begin to worry.

Doctor Akagi didn't make things any better on that front, speculating that the scarring could be permanent. Her blunt statement had almost sent Asuka into shock, lamenting about her beauty being ruined, but by the time she and Shinji got back to their apartment she was mostly back to normal, if angrier than usual.

That anger faded into simple grouchiness by the afternoon, but the sudden appearance of Misato with good news took care of that.

"Ritsuko reckons your hands have recovered enough for that celebration dinner," she said after sitting down in their lounge room. "Of course it remains up to you two, since you'd know best if you can manage a normal meal."

Shinji raised a hand and tried to clench it into a fist; he still couldn't quite manage that without receiving jolts of pain for his efforts, but he was at least able to hold things somewhat normally now. "I think we'll be fine," he answered, and Asuka nodded her agreement.

Misato smiled. "Good to hear. Apparently, Maya's been getting on Ritsuko's case a lot recently about taking a break from work. Today Rits responded by stating she's going to drag Maya along to the restaurant as well."

"So where are we going and when?" asked Asuka.

"We'll actually be going to Tokyo-2," Misato replied. "Ritsuko wrangled us the use of a high-speed VTOL in the unlikely event there's another Angel attack. It'll be dropping us off at a small airfield nearby, and a staff car will be taking us to the restaurant. Just in case there is an attack, there's a park nearby it can wait for us. Worst comes to worst it'll just land in the street outside the restaurant."

Asuka narrowed her eyes and folded her arms. "What the hell happened to 'not allowed to leave Tokyo-3 at all?" she asked, recalling the conversation -or rather argument- she had had with Misato over going to Okinawa.

"Well for starters, there's a difference between going to the next town over and going all the way to Okinawa," Misato retorted. "And secondly, so far there has never been a back-to-back Angel attack. Even the MAGI are confident that another Angel won't appear for at least another ten days."

"Have the MAGI never heard of Murphy?" Asuka rolled her eyes and turned away from Misato with a scoff.

"Who?" asked Shinji.

Asuka quirked an eyebrow. "You don't know Murphy's Law? Anything that can go wrong will go wrong?"

"Never heard of it," Shinji admitted. "But considering what piloting Eva has been like, I'll believe in that law."

"Anyway," Misato butted in, calling the attention of the teenagers back to her. "We may be going a bit far away, but we're still taking precautions. Hence the VTOL."

Asuka raised her hands. "Hey, I'm definitely not against a well-deserved free meal, I'm just making sure NERV isn't about to do something else stupid." She shot a pointed glance at Shinji.

Misato groaned theatrically. "Yeah yeah, NERV screwed up in recruiting Shinji as late as they did. Can we please move past that?"

"Fine. So what restaurant are we going to in Tokyo-2?"

Even more theatrically, Misato folded her arms and snootily turned her head away with a sniff. "Well since you're being so mean, you'll just have to wait til we get there to find out!"

"Oh no," groaned Shinji, bringing a hand up to palm his face. "It's another 'surprise'..."

XXX

After a quick stop next door to collect Rei, and another stop for Kensuke, the teenagers and Misato headed to a spot just outside the main Geofront entrance. There, they met up with Doctor Akagi and Lieutenant Ibuki... no, they were off-duty now so it was Ritsuko and Maya, who were standing near a parked aircraft. Kensuke, predictably, got incredibly enthusiastic about the 'YAGR-3T Rapid Transport VTOL Aircraft', and Asuka almost had to threaten physical violence to get the military nerd to settle down.

With seven people, the aircraft's passenger bay was just barely large enough for the three adults and four teenagers. The flight wasn't exactly the height of comfort either; there was no sound insulation and the climate control was barely adequate at warding off the summer heat.

Unfortunately, the journey involved passing over the site of yesterday's Angel attack again. The level of the... fluid in the valley hadn't subsided much, leaving a red stain wherever it had touched the earth, and the rice paddies Unit-01 had sprinted past were completely tainted.

"There's early indications that Sahaquiel's blood is contaminating the earth," Ritsuko grimly stated.

Rei, sitting next to the window, looked out at the once-pristine scenery with a look of disgust. "Even in death, the Angels seek to hurt us," she quietly said.

"There's not much we can do about this," Misato said with a scowl. "NERV doesn't have the funding or manpower to spare for humanitarian aid."

The aircraft flew on in silence, soon putting the grisly spectacle behind them. Eventually, they heard the pilot call for and get landing clearance, and soon the group had solid ground under their feet once more. There were two black sedans waiting for them, one of the drivers simply standing and waiting for them while the other smoked a cigarette while leaning on the opposite side of his car.

Misato headed directly for the smoker, practically stomping towards him. "And just what the hell are you doing here, Kaji?!" she growled.

"Kaji?"

"Kaji?!"

Shinji and Asuka spoke at the same time, but their reactions were completely different. Once again, Asuka was practically bouncing on the spot at the mere mention of the scruffy man. And once again, there was a pang in Shinji's chest.

"Katsuragi." Kaji turned around, dropping his cigarette to the ground and snuffing it out with the heel of his shoe. "Why the hostility? Hello Ritsuko. And I see you brought your protégé along as well."

Ritsuko sighed. "Hello Kaji. And I'm going to warn you now. Stop flirting with Maya."

The young woman blushed nervously, looking as if she wanted to hide behind Doctor Akagi. Misato turned to direct an inquisitive look at the two of them, before folding her arms and almost glaring at Kaji.

Shinji blinked at the scene. Yet another sign that adulthood was strange.

Whatever problems the women had with Kaji, that didn't stop them from getting into his car. The teenagers were directed towards the other vehicle by its driver, who simply gave a polite bow and waved a hand towards it. Asuka and Kensuke both headed for the front passenger seat, only to almost bump into each other as they reached for the door. They stared at each other for a moment before Kensuke raised a fist. Asuka smirked and raised one as well, and the two of them played Janken for the seat.

Kensuke won.

Asuka got into the back seat, grumbling German words that Shinji decided not to translate for Kensuke, and the car set off, following Kaji's vehicle as it left the airfield and entered the city.

Tokyo-2 was much different to Tokyo-3. Not having been designed as a fortress, the city felt much more... alive. Even in the evening light, people were practically crowding the walkways to capacity as they went about their daily lives. Buildings were lit with brilliant neon signs advertising everything from shogi to sushi. The cars stopped at a traffic light, and the pedestrians flowed like water onto the crosswalks. Nearby, Shinji saw an imposing man in a white suit stare down another man at least a head or two taller and packing a lot more muscle than him. The crowds simply passed by them despite the fact that it clearly seemed a fight was about to kick off. The light turned green and the cars pulled away, the strange scene disappearing into the distance.

A few minutes later, as the cars pulled into a parking lot, Asuka's head shot around to look at something, and a second later she muttered, "No way..." Rei was also looking in the same direction, looking at least mildly surprised.

"What is it?" Shinji asked, twisting in his seat to try and get a glimpse of whatever it was that had caught her attention. It wasn't very difficult; in a sea of Japanese signs, the western lettering stood out like like an Evangelion at a police lineup. His eyebrows went up in surprise. "Tokio Brauhaus? We're going to a German restaurant?"

The cars parked next to each other, and Asuka was the first one out, her eyes shining. "Not a restaurant, dummy. Brauhaus. Beer hall!" Misato got out of the other car, and Asuka rounded on her. "It had better be where we're going and not some kind of prank!" she said, pointing a finger at their guardian in warning.

Misato waved her hands. "Of course not!" she replied, before pointing at the German sign. "That is exactly where we're going!"

"But... what's a beer hall doing in Japan?!"

"There's quite a few of them throughout the country, actually," Ritsuko remarked. "This is just the closest one we found."

Kaji stepped up behind the confused girl, turning her around and gently propelling her towards the place in question. "Don't worry about it. Instead of standing around out here, let's go sit down."

The group headed inside, and some of them gasped in amazement at the interior. Several massive chandeliers took up most of the ceiling space, casting a warm light upon dozens of polished wooden tables; almost all of which were occupied. Staff bustled back and forth, weaving expertly between tables carrying full plates to patrons and ferrying empty ones away. One of them soon came up to the group and greeted them with a bow.

"NERV, party of eight," said Ritsuko.

Apparently they had been very much expected, as the waitress did not bother to check the book for their reservation. "Of course," she said with an even deeper bow, before gesturing behind her. "Right this way please."

They were seated at a semi-circular booth at the end of a row of them, the teenagers in the middle while the adults took the edges. Menus were already on the table, and Misato was the first to scoop one up. Predictably, she started checking out the various brews first, and her eyes widened. A second later, a predatory grin crossed her face.

"I know what I'm getting first!" she announced.

Ritsuko gave a good-natured scoff. "At least remember to save some space for food. You know what the drinks in a place like this will be like." She then looked at the teenagers. "You four will be allowed a drink as well, if-"

She didn't get time to finish her sentence. Asuka leaned back in her seat with a loud gasp. "You really mean that?!" She sounded like she'd just been given a surprise birthday present. Shinji, meanwhile, was as stunned as if he'd stepped out in front of an Angel with no Evangelion. Kensuke seemed rather cheerful at the news, but Rei remained unperturbed.

Ritsuko levelled a frosty expression at Asuka until the girl calmed back down again. "If," she continued, "you agree to these non-negotiable stipulations. First, you'll only be getting one drink. Second, you'll only be having what we decide is suitable for you. Third, if at any point one of us-" she pointed at the other three adults and herself, "-decides you're starting to get drunk, you're cut off immediately. Understood?"

Shinji, Kensuke and Asuka looked at each other for a few seconds, then nodded their agreement. Rei, on the other hand, spoke up. "I shall pass on the alcoholic drink."

Leaning forward to look past Shinji and Kensuke, Asuka directed a surprised look at Rei. "Really, Wondergirl? Turning down free beer?"

Rei stared back at her. "The offer is appreciated, but I simply do not feel like drinking alcohol."

Asuka blinked at her, then looked away and shrugged. "Eh, up to you. Personally I hate that the legal age over here is eighteen. In Germany it's fourteen."

Misato smirked. "It's only fourteen if accompanied by a guardian. Which, I might add, you are still not."

"I'm only a couple months off!" Asuka hotly protested.

Shinji wracked his brain. He and Asuka had compared birthdays in one of their early letters. 'Let's see if I can remember,' he thought to himself. 'It was... five? No, almost exactly six months after mine. Couple days either way. December...'

He decided to take a guess. "Fourth of December, right?" Asuka gave him a wide smile and a nod, and Shinji inwardly cheered even as he felt an odd sensation in his chest.

"So why are you letting us drink here and now?" Kensuke asked. "Is this some hidden NERV perk?"

Ritsuko sighed and shook her head, crossing her arms in front of her on the table. "No, but considering we're constantly sending you out into possible death, you at least deserve some pleasures in your downtime. After all, depending on how this damn war goes, you might not even make it to eighteen."

"Enough of all this unimportant chit-chat!" Misato announced. "Let's get down to what really matters!"

"What's that?" Maya said; the first words Shinji noticed from the lieutenant all evening.

Misato threw her arms out wide, almost hitting Kaji in the face. "It's time to order, of course!"

XXX

Forty-five minutes later, Shinji set his cutlery down and pushed his plate away, leaning back with a sigh. His injured hands had made things a little slower, but they were no longer as crippled as they were the day before.

To try and compensate for his lack of taste, Asuka had ordered the same as him, honey pork ribs, so that she could at least attempt to describe the flavours of their meals. He was certainly appreciative of the effort, even as he privately lamented the fact that he couldn't taste the food himself. Asuka seemed to sense this, as she promised to one day make a similar meal for him. This drew chuckles from Misato and Kaji, both enjoying some kind of beef dish, who got a scowl in response from Asuka.

Misato's first drink of choice had raised several eyebrows: black beer, in a glass so huge it could be used as a bucket. And yet, somehow, she had been the first of the table to finish her drink. Whereupon she immediately ordered more beer.

And more.

And more.

Shinji's beer had gone down like water which, considering his lack of taste, it may as well have been. He was constantly aware of four pairs of eyes on him as he drank at a speed that seemed to concern them, if Kaji's narrowed eyes were anything to go by, but as far as he could tell it wasn't having any effect on him. Of course, since this was the first time he'd consumed alcohol, there was nothing for him to compare it against.

Dessert was ordered, and as they waited Shinji heard Maya and Ritsuko talking quietly to each other. The younger woman seemed to have gradually shifted closer and closer to Ritsuko throughout the evening. Whatever they were discussing was evidently NERV-related, as he caught the words 'Pribnow Box'.

"Huh?" Asuka's head jerked around. Clearly she had heard them too. "Something happening with the Pribnow Box?"

"Oi," Misato warned, shaking a finger at the other two women. "We're off the clock. Yer not s'posed to be talking about work here!"

Ritsuko huffed in amusement. "Well now I think we'll have to, otherwise Asuka there is gonna get even more nosy."

"Hey, I'm just curious!" Asuka retorted. "That is where we did the dual sync tests that let Shinji pilot with me!"

"It's nothing major, really," said Ritsuko, giving Misato an 'I told you so' look that caused the woman to groan. "There's four pilots now, and there's some new tests we have planned for all of you, so we've been overhauling the Pribnow Box rather than building an entirely new test chamber."

"What kind of tests?" asked Rei.

"Well, I guess technically it'll more be tests for us," said Ritsuko, pointing to herself and Maya. "We'll be sticking you in simulation bodies and monitoring every scrap of data the MAGI can take in. We're hoping to be able to find ways of improving your synchronisation with the Evas, and at the same time help us develop a new autopilot system."

"A new what."

The tone of Asuka's voice caused Shinji to glance at her. Her hands, resting on the table, were trying to clench into fists despite their injuries.

Ritsuko immediately sought to defuse her. "Not as a replacement for you," she sighed, waving a hand in dismissal. "As an emergency backup. Right now if something catastrophic were to happen in combat that knocks you out, your Evas would essentially shut down. Not exactly an ideal situation."

Asuka continued staring flatly at the scientist, before finally looking away with a haughty sniff. "Damn right you're not replacing us. No computer could do what we can; even your vaunted MAGI."

The look Ritsuko gave Asuka was as chilly as the ice in their glasses.

"Um... she is right, in a way," Maya quietly stated, flinching slightly upon receiving the attention of everybody else at the table, but she recovered quickly. "Sure, the MAGI are the most powerful supercomputers in the world, but even they have limits. If we sent out an Eva controlled solely by autopilot, it's entirely likely that they would lose due to not being able to rapidly adapt to changing circumstances like a human can."

"Besides," Kensuke remarked. "A program can't project an AT-Field, can it? You still need us in the hot seat for that."

"Exactly," Asuka replied. "Jet Alone would have been screwed the first time it fought an Angel for both reasons."

"So like I said," Ritsuko interjected. "It'll be an emergency backup, nothing more. You have no need to worry about being sidelined."

Shinji didn't know whether or not to feel relieved about that statement. Thankfully their dessert arrived and the topic shifted back away from NERV.

XXX

"Uurrrgghhhh..."

"I knew this would happen," sighed Asuka as Misato vomited on the grass near the VTOL parked on the tarmac.

Shinji's full stomach wasn't reacting very well to the return flight to Tokyo-3 either. And though he knew she was trying her best to hide it, he could tell that Asuka was feeling at least a little queasy. It was clear now that NERV's rapid transport aircraft weren't exactly designed with comfort as a primary concern.

Ritsuko gave a despairing groan as she moved over to Misato, rubbing the drunk woman's back. Kaji had left them at the airfield in Tokyo-2, stating that his work was keeping him there for a few more days. Now there were three adults left, and two of them were clearly in no fit state to drive. Maya seemed dead on her feet, practically leaning on Ritsuko even while the scientist was tending to her friend.

"So, what are we gonna do about getting home?" asked Kensuke. "Misato drove us here but-" He was interrupted by a groan from the woman in question.

"I guess I'll have to call Section Two and get a second driver out here for you," Ritsuko mused, glancing over at the black NERV sedan parked next to Misato's car.

Asuka shot Shinji a meaningful look. He blinked, and then remembered what happened last time Misato couldn't drive. "Really? You want to take us home after you've been drinking? What about your hands, too?"

"Oh please!" replied Asuka, folding her arms in front of her. "For starters, my hands are perfectly capable of holding a steering wheel. And second, that's not the first time I've had alcohol. I know my own tolerances, and that single weak beer wasn't even close. It's either that, wait for Section Two, or have Akagi try and get us all home."

"Considering I don't even have a license, that's not going to happen," said Ritsuko. She stood up straight, running a hand through her hair and exhaling in exasperation as she looked at Misato's car and back to Asuka.

"Well... I can at least say she definitely knows how to drive safely," Shinji offered. "She was the one who took Misato and I home from the airport on her first day here."

"I do not believe Asuka is impaired by alcohol," said Rei. "I will place my trust in my fellow pilot."

"Me too," Kensuke added. "If I can trust her to watch my back in a fight, I can trust her to get us home."

Ritsuko waved a hand at them. "Oh, fine," she grumbled, before fishing Misato's keys out of the woman's pocket and tossing them to Asuka. "NERV will still be keeping an eye on you, however, so don't get any ideas about joyriding. All of our pilots in one vehicle makes me nervous as it is. Although..." She glanced at Misato. "Considering how she drives when carrying you kids around while sober... Whatever. I'll get her into the car, but you're on your own if she... makes a mess."

Shinji made a face at the thought. He, Rei and Kensuke clambered into the back seat of Misato's car, and Kensuke put the front passenger seat back into position so that Ritsuko could steer Misato, who seemed about to fall asleep, into the car.

"All set?" asked Ritsuko once Misato was buckled in. Asuka nodded, and got a return nod from the woman. "Good. I'll see you all at the next sync test in a couple of days."

With that farewell, Ritsuko backed away from the car. Maya stumbled over and latched onto her arm. The owner of said arm shot a frown at her, but Maya either didn't notice or didn't care as she gave the departing car a shaky farewell wave.

"...Huh," said Asuka once they were on the road. "I can't say I was expecting... that."

"What do you mean?" asked Shinji, looking fruitlessly over his shoulder into the night behind them.

"I am not surprised," said Rei. "In all the time I have known them, they seem to be most relaxed around each other."

"Oh, you mean the Doctor and the Lieutenant?" asked Kensuke. "I thought something might develop the first time I saw the two of them in the same room. It was the way Ibuki looked at Akagi when she wasn't looking that clued me in."

Rei nodded. "I have seen that same expression on some of our female classmates. However, I do not believe that Doctor Akagi has actually reciprocated Maya's romantic feelings yet. She seems... hesitant."

"Hold up a second," said Asuka as she glanced at the back seat through the rear view mirror. "Who's crushing on who in our class?"

"From my observations, there are at least five instances of unrequited romance in Class 2-A," said Rei, bringing a hand up to her chin. "Hanako Kamachi and Kiyoshi Kusumoto, Hikari Horaki and Toji Suzuhara, Mizuki Ozawa and Ryobe Fumihiko, and..." She paused, glancing at Shinji for a moment.

"Wait, the class rep and Toji?!" Kensuke interjected.

"Oh yeah," said Asuka, giving a small chuckle. "I can see that too. You spend a lot of time around Suzuhara, surely you must have noticed something."

Kensuke shrugged. "I... guess? But I thought she was just keeping a close eye on him for, you know, the trouble he tends to get into."

Asuka shook her head and tsked. "For someone with an obsession with photography you don't seem all that observant. Anyway, who are the last two pairs, Rei?"

Rei seemed somewhat hesitant, but with everybody's attention on her she eventually spoke. "...Juri Nakano and Naoko Takishida both look at... Shinji Ikari."

"What?!"

The twin shouts of surprise caused Misato to jerk into wakefulness. "Gimmmmee a sitrep!" she slurred in a drunken approximation of the tone she usually took while on duty. She then proceeded to panic and grasp at something in front of her, presumably the steering wheel she thought she was sitting behind.

"Oh settle down, Misato," Asuka ordered. Misato's hands froze in midair, and she turned her head to look at the girl. "I'm taking us home since you're drunk."

Misato blinked slowly, then relaxed in her seat a fraction. She shook her head to try and clear some of the fog from her brain. "Oh right," she mumbled. "Kaji taught you."

"Yeah. I just gotta drop Kensuke off then we'll be going back to the apartment."

"Speaking of which," said Kensuke. "How do you even know where to go?"

"Asuka seems to have a photographic memory of the Tokyo-3 area," said Shinji, still reeling somewhat from Rei's revelation. He caught Asuka's eye in the mirror. "I assume that also means she knows where you live."

"Well... actually I don't," Asuka corrected, tapping a finger on the steering wheel. "I'm still waiting on an address."

"Oh. Right."

Kensuke gave his address, and Asuka thought for a moment. "Only a few minutes away now, then."

In fact, it was four minutes before the Alpine pulled up in front of Kensuke's house. Rather than try to dislodge a dozing-off Misato to let him out, Asuka, Shinji and Rei got out the other side to let Kensuke exit the vehicle. He waved farewell at them as they piled back into the car, and soon the Alpine was off and running again.

"So." Shinji glanced at the rear view mirror. Asuka's eyes seemed to pierce into his. "Rei, you're sure about Nakano and Takishida?"

"Yes. I've often seen them both looking at Shinji when he passes by them."

"R-really?" Shinji stammered. "Um... but why, though?"

The sudden silence in the car was almost deafening. Even Misato seemed awake enough to be following the conversation, and she turned in her seat to give him a stare so flat it could be used to build a wall. In the rear view mirror, he could see one of Asuka's eyebrows very slowly ascend.

"I-I mean, I understand they're... um... i-interested in me," he eventually managed to say. "But, um... why are they interested?"

Misato snorted, turning away with a grin. "Gee, I don't know," she said, with slightly less of a slur to her words now. "Maybe it's 'cause yer an Eva pilot?"

Shinji blinked, and then grimaced. "Because I'm a pilot?" Was that it? Did two girls in his class really like him for so shallow a reason? He glared out the car window, almost resting his chin on his hand before remembering the current state of it. "Of course it's that..." he spat venomously.

His reaction seemed to bring the mood in the car down. He could still feel eyes on him, but he remained staring out at the night. Nothing more was said until they reached the apartment building.

Everybody exited the car, Misato much more unsteadily than the others, and Shinji and Asuka helped guide their guardian to her apartment without incident. Rei took over from there, promising to see Misato to bed and bidding her friends goodnight.

In their own apartment, Shinji and Asuka removed their shoes near the front door and headed for the lounge room. Asuka turned the television on and began channel surfing, while Shinji slouched in his seat staring at nothing.

"-is guaranteed to be at least no worse than what you're using now-"

"-if you think I'm signing that time card, forget it!-"

"-our special blend of catnip and steel-belted radial tyres holds up to the most determined feline destructive tendencies-"

"Ugh, the usual trash," Asuka remarked after several minutes. "So... Shinji?" He looked over to see her idly tapping the remote control on her leg. "Do you... hate being an Eva pilot?"

It took him a little while to reply, as he didn't have a straight answer. Practically the whole reason he was a pilot now was because he had almost begged to be allowed to do something besides sitting around. But at the same time...

"I don't... hate it," he finally said with a sigh. "But it's not something I'd want to do forever. We're risking our lives out there, and we've nearly died on several occasions. When this war is over I'll be happy if I never see the inside of an entry plug again."

Asuka stiffened, ceasing the tapping of the remote control. "Fine. You don't enjoy it like I do, I get that. Is that why were you so angry when you learned about two girls in our class liking you?"

"They don't like me," replied Shinji, slapping a hand against his chest for emphasis and ignoring the jolt of pain. "They like the pilot. The celebrity. I'd just be a... a trophy to them. Like dating a music star or something." He sighed in frustration. "What kind of relationship would that be? Just them showing off that they're dating an Eva pilot."

"How do you even know that that's why they're interested? Misato just said it as a possibility."

Shinji gave her a long stare. "Do you think they'd even look at me at all if I weren't a pilot?"

Asuka returned the stare with a sceptical one of her own. "They might. You don't know that for sure."

With a derisive scoff, Shinji got up and headed towards the kitchen. He was starting to get thirsty.

"Well then... what kind of person would you prefer to have an interest in you?" Asuka asked from behind him.

Shinji halted at the doorway. He glanced over his shoulder at her. She had sounded almost nervous, but he didn't know why. "I... um... I guess... somebody who likes me as a person, not just for what I do. Somebody who wouldn't just be with me because of my status. And somebody who..." He exhaled through pursed lips as he tried to think of the right words. "Who could... understand the kinds of things us pilots go through. Who knows that it's not all fun and games. Somebody like..." His face grew hot and he quickly looked away again. "Um... nevermind!"

He practically ran out into the kitchen, grabbing a glass and filling it at the tap. He drained the glass somewhat faster than he intended, just barely managing to not choke, and headed past the doorway to the lounge room as he made his way to his room. He caught a brief glimpse of Asuka on the way.

Had it just been his imagination, or did she look somewhat redder than usual?