Chapter 14: A Fateful Feast
It's been a while since I've cooked like this, as Asuka has been keen to let me know. It's probably been the most relaxing thing that I've done on this ship. As much as getting to know the ins and outs of the Evangelions has been an interesting, even fascinating process, it's good to fall into something… familiar again.
But, of course, with this familiarity, there's a feeling of… foreboding that I can't fully shake. Something's going to happen. If nothing else, the dramatic timing is right for it, however much Asuka insists that we don't exactly live in that sort of world. If nothing else, however, Commander Ikari has a flair for the theatrical in him. Regardless of whatever's happened to him here.
- From the personal journal of Captain Shinji Ikari-Soryu, currently Shawn Ishihara
AAA Wunder, March 8th, 2028
Captain Maya Ibuki of WILLE, a woman who had what most would call an unprecedented mastery of computer systems and programming, still stepped into the Achiral System's main core room, thankfully empty at the moment, with no small amount of apprehension.
It wasn't due to any unfamiliarity with the system. Her time spent with Senpai working on the original Magi had made her comfortable with working with systems that were this complex. The way it worked, a connected hive of hundreds, thousands of nodes that, even if only about half as powerful as one of the Magi's, made up for it in their sheer bulk, numbers outweighing the quality of their predecessor, still made her marvel at the sight.
No, she thought as she marshaled her mind back to the task at hand, she was anxious because of an entirely different reason. As she logged into the console, she glanced behind her every once in a while to ensure that someone wouldn't walk in. Especially if that someone was Senpai.
As she looked back at her screen, she nodded slightly as she broke into the database that held the program files for the DSS Chokers.
She should have done something before. Said something, at least. But… Senpai… even if the world could end because of the Children in the Evas…
'It's wrong. We crossed a line we shouldn't have. We crossed it a long time ago. I have to do something now.'
But she couldn't brick the Chokers themselves, not now at least. That would be too easy to spot, even if she did try and hide it. But Shinji stepping into an Eva, however slim, didn't deserve to be met with his head exploding. However…
She paused for a moment as she became queasy at the thought. 'Focus.'
She searched for the files pertaining to the operation of Shinji and Rei's collars. There. And with Asuka and Mari's unchanged files concerning theirs, this would at least be quick.
As she worked on copying the files over to Shinji and Rei's Chokers, covering her tracks as best she could from every angle she could think of, she found an odd, almost hidden report that made her raise a brow in confusion, its sister joining it in concern.
The Achiral System had gotten a ping from one of the NERV Magi nodes. It was quick and basic, but it was recent. Very recent. 'Did it do this the last time we were attacked by NERV?' she wondered.
Confident in the fact that the transfer would be fine on its own for the moment, she decided to do a little searching through the logs that the ping had gone in, scrawling through a list of transmission and receipt logs. Sure enough, March 2nd had more than a few pings from NERV as well, the same Casper node, the last one that day just 2 hours before the Marks had made their attack.
'Then we'll need to be expecting company.' Maya mused as she filed away the ping for later, noting the system that had sent out the response and resolving to cut it off from NERV later. 'That much, at least, deserves mentioning.'
But how did Senpai not catch that before now? Granted, she also had the duties of being an XO, but…
She blinked as she found another ping from one of the Magi nodes, a ping that had done nothing, not even sent anything back. But it wasn't Casper this time. No, Balthazar had pinged the ship several days ago, back in February. 'Why did it ping on its own? Did someone decouple the nodes of the Magi? And who? Maybe more importantly, what does that mean for us?'
What didn't matter much right now, she thought as she turned her focus back to the process of updating the software of the Chokers. What mattered was the fact that someone had caught these two very interesting pieces of information.
Then, the Choker programming finished its upload to Shinji and Rei's collars. Or its reversion, rather. Maya, satisfied that she'd covered her tracks, logged out of the system and turned to make her way out.
As she stepped away from the console, the doors opened, and her heart stopped for a second as Ritsuko walked in. "What are you doing in here?" she asked, her tone thankfully only that of slight confusion.
"I was checking the main database to see if there was anything more about the White Cells that we could figure out. If anything about them wasn't on the other consoles, it'd be in here." Maya replied, hoping the cover story would appear convincing. Then she realized she didn't fully need it to be as she turned back to the console. "But there's something else important that I've found."
Ritsuko came to Maya's side as she pulled up the ping log. "Here in the logs for our communication systems, past the parts that are generally accessed. We got these three pings from the old Magi system in the Geofront."
She watched Ritsuko's lips pursed in concern. "The Magi's still active? How have they been able to maintain it thus far? It took teams of technicians, all of them under my supervision, to keep it in good working order before Near-Third Impact. How can, from what little I can infer, two people keep it from succumbing to any number of physical or digital demises?"
"Maybe SEELE has something to do with it?"
Ritsuko shook her head slightly. "Perhaps so."
"Anyways," Maya continued, "Look at the dates. The ones from Casper, at least the first ones from the 2nd, are from just before the Marks attacked. And we just got our first ping today while I was working."
"So we should be expecting something today," Ritsuko said darkly.
Before Maya could continue, Ritsuko raised a brow. "So, what about Balthazar, then? We've only seemed to have gotten a single ping from them. Nothing else since. Why would the two nodes ping us separately in the first place?"
"Your guess is as good as mine, Senpai."
Ritsuko regarded the logs silently for a moment before she sighed, beginning to step away. "We'll need to inform the Captain we've found an early warning system. She'll likely either task us on making sure it's visible to us or make sure we can't be pinged by NERV in order to throw them off our tracks."
Maya nodded, following Ritsuko out of the room, and thankful that she could keep the conflicted emotions she felt off her face.
. . .
Daniel, wrapped in more than a few fresh bandages from this morning, at least on the areas that were most likely to peek out from his jacket and pants, stepped onto the bridge to take his part in the main duty watch. More than a few faces looked at him with no small amount of amazement as he climbed up to the station with no small amount of effort. Though his wounds were, for the most part, healed, the aches and pain remained as he cleared out the Flux he'd built up.
"I'll be damned," Koji said slowly. "You're up and kicking the next day. You really are a supersoldier."
Daniel shook his head slightly. "It's about the only part of me that is super, really. I'm still human under all this nonsense, I can promise you that."
He could sense even without looking at them that they were still somewhat skeptical. He couldn't really blame them.
As they went through their shift, Daniel finally found the nerve to bring up what he and the Children had talked about last night. "We're hosting a dinner tonight. The Children are putting it on, at least. You're all invited. Shinji and Rei have been spearheading the cooking."
Daniel paused as he chuckled. "And from what I can tell, they've been looking forward to this for a long, long time."
He looked around at the other bridge crew members, clearly still apprehensive from what had happened yesterday, and smiled slightly. "And I can at least guarantee that there won't be anything like those things again. Eleanor and Esmeralda are running a thorough sweep of the ship after yesterday to make sure none of those things are left running around the ship. We'll make sure that there won't be any interruptions today."
"I'd reconsider that statement, Mr. Theisman."
The rest of the crew looked back at the command platform, Katsuragi and Akagi looking back down at them as Katsuragi continued. "We uncovered a ping from one of the NERV Magi's old nodes just this morning. The first in what are now a few pings of our location that follow the same trend from the day when we were attacked by the Mark swarm."
The crew looked at each other for a moment, concern dawning on their faces, before Daniel looked back up at Katsuragi. "Do we have a guess as to where the Marks came from?"
"Likely from a base out in China or Japan," Akagi replied.
"And how many pings were there before they made contact?"
Akagi queried the system for a moment. "10, spread out over 30-minute intervals."
"With that in mind, and considering our current location over the Atlantic," Daniel continued, "How long would it take then for a swarm of Marks to reach us?"
Katsuragi and Akagi looked at each other for a moment before Akagi began her calculations. "Well, seeing as the closest NERV factory to us would be the one in Japan… about 12 hours. So at about 9 to 10 pm tonight."
"Oh joy. A night battle." Aoba said with a grimace. "And all the way up here in the air, too."
"Maybe so," Katsuragi said. "But it will be what it will be. We'll have the sensors on high alert an hour before that time, with a ready level kept throughout the day."
"Mr. Theisman," Katsuagi continued, "see to it that the Evas are ready to go at a moment's notice. Once those Marks are on sensors, we need Asuka and Mari out to meet them."
Daniel nodded. "Yes, ma'am."
As the crew set themselves to their various tasks, Daniel couldn't help but wonder. 'Is Commander Ikari finally making his move?'
If he was, what could they do to fully stop it?
. . .
The day progressed, and the threat of another impending attack hung heavy on some people's shoulders as the duty shift changed, and Daniel and company went to get some lunch.
As they sat in the nearest mess hall, eating and chatting amicably as Eleanor and his kids joined them, Daniel continued to think about their circumstances. 'Sometimes knowing is almost worse than not, isn't it?' he mused as he took in the anxiety, some people's hidden more than others, that was even still pervasive at the table as they prepared mentally, one way or another, for what was coming tonight.
As Hideki and Sumire talked with him about their readings of the latest chapter of their new book club book, the rest of the table listening with varying degrees of intent, the door swished open, all conversation faltering to silence as Captain Katsuragi stepped in.
All eyes were on her as she grabbed a meal and sat down close to Daniel, beginning to eat as she kept her gaze locked on her meal. After a few moments, she looked over at Daniel, and he could see the anxiety in her eyes, however skillfully hidden, was perhaps deeper than all of theirs.
"Mr. Theisman…" she paused for a moment as she seemed to try at finding the words she wanted to say next. "When tonight was… Shinji and Rei planning their dinner?"
Hope flickered in Daniel's chest as his brow rose, a slight smile rising with it. "Well, we were generally planning on doing it in the evening, but with the impending attack… We can do 5, I'm sure."
Katsuragi nodded. "Very well. I look forward to it."
She paused again, and Misato's expression softened, a look of almost fond recollection beginning to gleam in her eyes. "And… I've got to admit, it'll be nice to sit down and eat a prepared meal again."
Koji nodded. "And hey, it'll be a treat to see you relax for the first time since… what, college?"
Misato chuckled. "Well, I don't know how much I'll be able to relax, but I'm sure I'll enjoy the time spent, nonetheless."
The floodgates opened as the others began to talk to her, and Daniel watched as Misato, finally, began to step somewhat out of that shell. Began to connect again. 'Just a little more,' he thought. 'If we can keep her like this when the dinner happens…'
So much could be accomplished. Shinji and Rei could even, quite possibly, have their Chokers taken off.
A bold dream, to be sure. But it seemed much closer now than it had ever been before.
. . .
Out across the ocean, speeding towards the North American coast faster than any other vehicle at NERV's disposal, the Ayanami unit sat back in the seat of her Entry Plug and watched the world go by, a completely neutral expression on her face.
She would reach the target vessel in 5 hours, drop the cloaking capability of her AT Field, extract the asset Shinji Ikari, and return to base to await further orders.
It was the sum of her existence. It had been since her inception. She would follow the orders of Commander Ikari and ensure that his plans were fulfilled to his satisfaction.
Except…
She felt something… alien. Something she hadn't felt since… when had she felt before?
Her brow furrowed slightly as she flew above what the guidance system of the Mark.09 said was the North American continent at 80,000 feet, the ground below her little different from the sea. There was something at the edge of her perception. Something that felt… protective of Shinji Ikari.
The feeling felt familiar, somehow. Orderly, calm, even as it began to grow chaotic. It felt like… her.
'How?' she wondered. 'Where is this coming from? Is it connected to someone?'
It didn't matter to the mission in any meaningful fashion. So right now, it didn't matter at all. But even for all her efforts to put it out of her mind, it still remained at the edges of her thoughts, almost whispering wordlessly.
. . .
Mess Hall 14, 4:30 PM
The mess hall was alive with the sounds of hurried preparations, the sound of sizzling meats and bubbling stews filling the air as much as their aromas did, their stewards hurrying to make sure that everything was just right for what was coming next.
Daniel did his best to stay out of the way, mostly at the insistence of Shinji, and watched as the meal neared completion, his mouth watering at the variety. He'd chipped into the selection as best he could, a few humble stews joining what could be considered far finer wares, ready to be eaten in full fellowship with as much of the rest of the crew as Shinji (both of them) could tolerate.
And, at the end of the day, he mused as he helped set up placemats, that was the most important part of this whole affair. Connecting people, for the first time or the first time in a long time. Building and rebuilding bridges, some lost a decade and a half ago.
Daniel felt anxious and excited as he settled into his place, Eleanor at his left and Shinji at his right, with Shawn and Anna across from them and Misato across from Shinji. There was, he mused as they settled in and waited, a weight of importance draped over this meal. Something big was going to happen today. Whether for good or ill, he couldn't quite say.
He knew what he hoped for. And he knew what he feared.
But, at 4:55, the first guests streamed in, Sumire and Midori taking their places. "Wow…" Midori said, looking over at the table of food set up buffet style. "You guys cooked all of this?"
Daniel nodded. "Yep. All masterminded by our dear Shinji here," he said with a slight chuckle.
"I'm looking forward to eating it," Sumire replied with a nice smile as the two women sat in their places. "Even if it doesn't live up to the rather high expectations you've all set for me, I haven't had a nice home-cooked meal in ages. There's just… something special about it, you know?"
Shinji nodded. "Yeah. There is, isn't there?" he said quietly.
As their conversation continued, more people started to stream in, the rest of the bridge crew, a few from the Avatar gangs that had gotten to know the Children well, Sakura, and Maya joining them in short order, one conversation becoming many.
As Midori lamented the fate of their last jam session, strange creatures aside, Daniel looked up as Ymris stepped through the door, looking as hesitant as she had when Daniel had first extended the invitation to her — and only her — to attend the dinner with everyone.
She sat down a few seats away from Daniel, next to Mari and Hideki, and looked over at Daniel. "Thank you," she said through a quick link between their souls. "I'm still not sure I deserve this with things being what they are between us."
"Oh, please,"
Daniel replied, a patient tone to his words. "If it was about deserving, I wouldn't be here in the first place. Enjoy yourself. We've got more than enough food and friendship to share."
Ymris smiled slightly, Daniel smiling back as they waited for the last two guests to arrive.
And, at 4:59 almost exactly, the room fell silent for a moment as Misato and Ritsuko stepped in. Misato simply wore the black pants and turtleneck sweater that lay underneath her usual coat, the sleeves rolled up and the gloves missing from her hands, scanning the room with eyes uncovered by her shades. Ritsuko had also abandoned her usual white lab coat, showing off a sleeveless turtleneck and black skirt.
The two walked into the room as Daniel stood. "We're glad that you made the time to come and eat with us, Captain. You as well, XO. Now, let's not let the food go cold, shall we?"
With that, the room filled with chatter as everyone plated up, the light clatter of plastic utensils and the slight scraping of paper plates and bowls filling the air for several minutes as the group settled back in their seats and dug in.
Ritsuko was seated next to Maya, sipping at the soup that went with her meal as Maya looked over at her. "This is… good. Really good." Ritsuko said after a moment, chuckling softly. "If I'd known this sort of cooking was waiting for me, I'd have gone over to Misato's apartment more often."
"You and me both," Maya said as she got through a mouthful of ramen. "Did you ever cook, Senpai?"
Ritsuko shrugged. "Not much, really, beyond instant ramen and a few other things. Our jobs didn't really allow time for me to do it."
Maya nodded silently, and it was a moment more before Ritsuko chuckled. "What is it?" Maya asked.
"Misato had it good," Ritsuko replied. "This, instead of her own 'cooking'? It might as well be heaven compared to before."
Maya's brows rose. "Was it really that bad?"
"It made Penpen, Misato's pet penguin, nearly vomit when she decided to invite me over to try her own cooking. I'd hoped Shinji's cooking, what little I'd heard of it, had rubbed off, but…" she trailed off as she shrugged.
"Wait a minute," Maya said, her eyes going wide, "Misato had a pet penguin?"
Ritsuko chuckled. "Let me explain…"
As Ritsuko waxed on to an intent Maya about Penpen, Misato sat across the way, thoughtfully eating the ramen that she had gotten. "Did you make this one, Shinji?" she asked quietly after she swallowed.
Shinji nodded. "Yeah."
Misato smiled slightly. "I wondered. Your ramen always tasted good."
Her smile faded after a moment. "It…"
She trailed off, and Shinji looked up from his meal to see Misato staring into hers, unwilling to meet his gaze. "It hurts, doesn't it?" he asked.
Misato nodded silently.
"Yeah…" Shinji nodded, memories of the apartment, of their days in Tokyo-3 together, of the meals and the school, of the scenic outlook she'd taken him to when he'd first arrived, all of them swirling through his mind as he pondered on what he would say next. "Well, I understand, somewhat. It hurts for me, too."
"But…" he paused again as he considered what to say. "I'm glad we could do this together now. Whatever else might have happened before."
Misato nodded, then shook her head slightly as she sighed. "If only we could turn back time…"
Shinji chuckled softly. "If only. But, if there's anything I know about you, and from what I've seen about the ship, it's that, even with everything that's happened, you've made the most out of it. Brought people together to help each other out in a way I don't think others could."
Misato looked up at Shinji, a look of amazement in her eyes. "Were you always this wise? Or was I just not paying attention back then?"
Shinji chuckled as he scratched the back of his head. "Well… I wasn't exactly the most talkative back then. Or now. This is… a lot for me."
Misato continued to regard Shinji before she nodded. "Yeah… and I wasn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed back then, either."
"Look at that." Shinji chuckled. "We're both human."
The two shared a quiet chuckle. "At least we've both got that much," Misato said.
Shinji smiled slightly as he nodded.
Then, the room shook, all conversations stuttering into silence as they steadied themselves and their food as best they could. "What the hell was that?" Toph said, more than a few mutters of agreement and confusion going through the compartment.
Daniel looked around, his Sight flickering on. 'Did we miss something bigger than I expected? Did the Marks come too soon?'
Then, he remembered that this mess hall was near the hull, his gaze slowly turning towards the wall behind him. 'Or… is it time?'
As he took in the massive spire of Frames that came rushing towards the wall, he was fairly confident he had his answer.
Fingers the size of a person crushed into the compartment's wall like it was wet cardboard, tearing it off with contemptuous ease as they all heard the deep thunder of an Evangelion stepping back on the wing it stood on, looking out to see a sight they had never seen before.
"What?" Misato said in shock as they all stood and witnessed the orange and white giant, wearing a backpack that seemed to be made of three white undulating tentacles, begin to reach out a hand towards the hole it had made. "Unit-00? How…"
"No," Ritsuko replied, coming over to Misato's side. "That isn't Unit-00. Look at its head."
They all turned their focus towards the head. While the general design was much the same, the mono-eye was now bulbous, the red lens shifting to sweep its gaze across them before it settled on a single target. "Shinji Ikari." a familiar voice said, and Shinji's eyes went wide as he looked over at Rei.
"Wait a minute…" Shinji said. "Another clone?"
Rei's eyes went wide as her voice echoed from the Eva again. "Come with me, Shinji Ikari. You are needed."
Shinji looked at the outstretched hand, now only a few meters in front of him. "Why?" he asked aloud.
"You are needed to assist Commander Ikari." Ayanami's voice said.
Before Shinji could enquire further, Misato's voice cut through the murmurs, loud and clear. "I need as many ships firing on this thing as possible! Precision shots, center mass!"
In seconds, the fleet that surrounded them began to fire, the distant booms of cannons and missiles only seconds ahead of the explosions that rippled harmlessly off of the Eva's AT Field.
Shinji was silent as he considered the words, heedless of the others beginning to clear out of the room. 'My father wants me to come back and assist him… how?'
More than likely, it would involve piloting an Eva to try and do something. Maybe even something like he did before, when he started Near-Third Impact. Daniel had told him about what his father's plans were, before that point. Was he trying again?
And how could he stop him?
'Maybe… I can finally do something to make up for my mistake 14 years ago.'
"Rei!" he shouted out at the Eva, shrugging Daniel's hand off his shoulder. "Does my father want me to pilot the Eva?"
It was a moment before Ayanami responded. "Yes."
"You can't!" Misato said from behind him. "You'll die, and nothing will change."
"Maybe so," Shinji said. "But I can at least try."
"If you somehow pilot an Eva and attempt to start another Impact," Ritsuko said, a warning edge to her voice, "you'll do nothing but make the world worse. You could even destroy the rest of humanity."
Shinji considered this for a moment, then looked back at the Eva, standing unmoved by the weight of fire on its back. "If I start another Impact, could I control it?" he shouted out.
It was silent for a few moments before Ayanami replied. "I do not know. Commander Ikari might."
Shinji sighed quietly, then nodded. "Alright then."
"You idiot!"
Shinji looked over at Asuka, being held back by Mari. "You're trying to be a selfish damn hero again, going off like this! You'll actually die this time! Or did you just ignore Misato?"
Shinji shook his head. "No. I'm not doing this for me this time. I'll go try and fix my mistake. If it ends with me dying, then…" he paused as he looked out at the Eva. "At least I tried. And if I succeed…"
He looked back at Asuka, and saw the tear welling in her eye even as he smiled slightly. "Then I'll make a world where we can all smile again."
With that, he walked forward, stepping onto the fingers of the Eva.
"Shinji…"
He paused at the threshold of the Eva's palm, turning back to see Misato pointing something at him. The remote for the DSS Choker, he realized. And the look that he saw in her eyes, dead and cold…
"I won't let you end the world again. I'm sorry."
Before he could respond, the fist closed, and he was wrapped in darkness as he heard an AT Field spring to life around him.
. . .
Daniel watched the Eva draw back, its tendril backpack forming into what he knew was a rocket booster, and looked over at Captain Katsuragi. His senses sharpened as he looked at the detonator in Katsuragi's hand, primed and ready. Her thumb had depressed the trackball, locking in the selection that would allow her to blow Shinji's head off.
His eyes went wide as he saw her finger begin to squeeze the trigger, the boom of the boosters activating a long rumble as time slowed. 'I'll be damned. She's actually going to do it.'
'I have to stop her.'
His hand went up, middle, index finger, and thumb forming into a gun as he wove an utterly simple Expression with a single purpose. Destroy the detonator.
And as the tiny star flew forward, he was assured that much, at least, would come to pass.
Katsuragi jumped as the front part of the detonator burst apart, the pieces flying to her right as she dropped the now useless remote and looked over at Daniel, the utter shock in her eyes matching Sakura, Maya, Akagi, and the Children's.
"I'm sorry, Misato," he said levelly. "But I can't allow you to kill him."
"What have you done?" Akagi asked, pulling a small revolver out from a hidden holster and leveling it at Daniel's head.
"Made it so that I can actually go after Shinji, for one," he replied before sighing. "Stow the pistol, sakura bloom. Even if I let you get a clean shot, it wouldn't matter."
He used the moment of utter shock he knew Ritsuko would have to move over to the opening the Mark.09 had made. "I'll be going now."
"And why are you leaving now?" Sakura said, utterly lost.
"To keep doing my job," Daniel replied as he looked over at Katsuragi. "To do the job you've been afraid of doing for the last month. I'm going to ensure Shinji has a guardian in Tokyo-3."
He looked over at Eleanor as he began weaving another expression, deep red stars flaring to life on his back. "Watch over the rest of the kids while I'm gone, darling?"
Eleanor nodded, and Daniel turned, stepping out of the hole and onto the surface of the wing as he felt her soul connect to his. "So, I'm guessing the gloves are off now and we can start telling them the truth, then?"
"That, I leave up to you, dear,"
Daniel replied. "My recommendation, however, is to take it slow. They'll have enough to juggle in the coming days."
He felt Eleanor's assent, and her wish to be safe, before she cut off her link, and Daniel looked up at the twinkling dot in the day sky, flying away from him as he set his jaw. 'I'm coming, Shinji.'
With that promise, his walk became a run, his heart pounding in his ears as the stars on his shoulders expanded into a brilliant red cape, and he leaped into the air, the liftoff creating more than a few sonic booms as he chased the rocket and its precious cargo.
He didn't quite know how far he'd flown as he saw the glint become a dot, then a shape outlining flames. He was close. But he wasn't fast enough. 'Come on.' he thought as he willed his armor into being around him, the Vent Frames giving him the breathing room that he needed to push himself even further. 'Come on, Clark. I need a little more of you now.'
As he thought this, he sent a burst of power into his Expression, the red stars and their connecting lines spreading into a diamond on his chest, the man feeling the tug of acceleration grow even stronger as he pulled forward. Now the Mark.09's arms and legs were legible, and soon, he rolled up and around towards the top of the booster. 'I'm close… come on…'
The Flux and strain were starting to get to him as he found himself over the booster, seemingly inching towards the connection point where Eva met backpack. Then, he was there, dipping into the cleft as his Expression, the cape and diamond, disappeared, and he found himself shoved by acceleration against the wall of the booster pack.
Immediately, crystals grew along his back and limbs, locking him into place on his ride as he took a deep breath. He'd made it. Now… all he had to do was strap in for the long ride.
He trusted his kids and Eleanor to take care of themselves. He just hoped that Misato wouldn't force them to have to do that much. To say nothing of Ymris' cohorts.
But right now, that wasn't the most important thing that he needed to figure out. Now, he needed to reconnoiter the ruined Geofront and ascertain what Gendo and Kaworu were going to do. Once he got there, of course.