Asuka was in the living room, chilling on the striped seat shaped somewhat like a beach chair and watching television. Misato was over in the kitchen babbling with Shinji about something she couldn't care less about.

"Asuka! Think fast!"

Asuka barely had time to turn her head before an empty beer can struck her in the eye. She leaned back and clutched at it, Shinji's good natured babbling about whether she was okay not helping matters.

"What the fuck , Misato!?"

"Are you okay? I didn't mean to get your eye like that, promise."

"I'm fine, no thanks to you. It's not like a blow with a simple can is gonna take me out."

"True, true." Another beer can was already in her hand, then at her lips for a sip. "That does get me to what I was trying to say, though. I can't deny that you're a great pilot, but you're reflexes leave something to be desired."

Not one to let an insult— at least, it was an insult to her — go by, she countered,

"Oh yeah? Try me again!"

Despite Shinji's complaints Misato had reached for another empty beer can, something which was certainly not in short supply, and chucked it at Asuka again. This time it only managed to hit her forehead, eliciting a "Damnit!" from the young girl, and some grumbling akin to "I wasn't ready…"

"You're not gonna be 'ready' in a combat situation. But don't worry, I have an idea~" She made a grin filled only slightly with malice.

"Great, another one of your 'wonderful' ideas…"

"From now until you're consistently catching them, every can I empty is headed your direction."

"WHAT!?"

"Misato-san, don't you think that's a bit harsh?"

With a giggle, she shut him down. "Oh, shut it kid, or you're going on the list of targets."

Determined, Misato continued dragging Shinji along. They came to a long, open walkway, not a good place to be in a time like this. She switched from a speed walk to a jog, betting that Shinji could handle being pulled a little faster. Once she came to the door she flicked her eyes up for a moment to see it did, in fact lead to the elevator, before rushing inside. She later thanked herself for her hastiness since as soon as they were in she heard gunshots and an explosion rattle the metal behind.

She opened the elevator door and shoved him in, then got in beside him. He still looked empty, and she couldn't let him stay that way. She shuffled over and pushed him against the elevator wall so that he was forced to look at some part of her.

"Listen, Shinji. Once you get in there, anything you do you need to decide on your own. No-one will be able to help."

He still kept his head aimed down at the floor.

"I can't. I'm worthless. Getting in the Eva, hurting or even killing people… I don't have the right. I thought piloting was all I had, but even that was wrong. It won't help for someone as ignorant as me to pilot. How could anything I do help anyone? I hurt Asuka, I killed Kaworu…There's nothing good in me. I'm a sneak. A coward. If all I do is hurt people, it's better I do nothing."

Now, Misato spoke.

"If you truly think that, then I can spare you my pity. The only way you can avoid pain is to curl up and die."

She couldn't see his eyes, but she could hear him tearing up.

"Crying won't help!"

She barked out that comment, but saw that it too did nothing to help. Her face and voice softened as she tried another tactic.

"You hate yourself, don't you? That's why you hurt others, the ones you care about. When you do, it hurts you more than them. But no matter what happens now, it'll be because of your choices. That means something! That means you can make a difference! Don't twist half truths about the past. Think about what you can do now, and make amends."

"What do you know? You're just a stranger."

Despite herself, she lost her temper.

"So what if I am? Are you just gonna give up!?

She grasped his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her while she spoke.

"I can't forgive you if you up and stop trying. You won't always be who you are now. You'll learn from your mistakes, and regret them. God knows I have. A seesaw between giddiness to self-loathing. But each time, I got a little further…"

She loosened her grip but kept her hands on his cheeks.

"Please, Listen to me Shinji. Pilot the Eva one last time, and figure yourself out. Why you came here, what you're meant to do here. Find out who you are now. And when you've worked it out, come back to me."

She brought her hands back to remove her cross necklace, the one her father gave to her, and passed it on in return to Shinji. Gently placing it in his palm, she looked to him with the calmest face she could muster.

"Promise me."

With a low voice, Shinji finally responded.

"I will."

She smiled.

"See you soon."

Her arms wrapped around Shinji's back, puling him into an embrace as she tilted her head down to softly kiss his forehead. She opened her arms when the doors did, guiding him to leave and speaking uncertainly.

"That's what a mother does… We'll do the rest when you come back."

She could feel the core of the Eva cracking in her closing fist, moments away from going out for good. Moments, unfortunately, she didn't have. Making matters worse, moments later she sensed something flying toward her. Acting on what had become instinct, she pulled her arms back and caught the object, another one of those bastards' blades. With her final seconds of power she used all her might to ram its tip into the damaged unit's core, causing it to shatter and freezing her still as a statue, a monument to her kill.

But this wasn't done, and neither was she. Like a child she tugged at the control sticks, kicked and screamed at the Eva- no, her Mama, to keep fighting. She kept going, even as she heard the impossible sounds of the 7 other Evas reactivating. Even as she feared it was the end, she didn't lose hope.
"Mama! I can't do this alone. I need you to help me.. Please, help me Mama…"

.

.

.

Unit-02's veins were filled with fury. The righteous anger of a mother scorned. A mother ready to send those bastards that dare hurt her daughter back to the gates of Hell where they belong. For a moment her daughter, daring to leave herself bare before her, became one with her. Their four monstrous eyes glowed once more, tearing the twin blades back just in time to strike one of the Evas. The Battle of Armageddon had only just begun.

"A mother… Mom.?"

Deep, deep below, Shinji's gaze lifted to Unit-01, frozen up to her chest in Bakelite. Despite the kilometer of rock between them, she was all too aware of Asuka's likely demise. She couldn't interfere yet, she reasoned. If she tried to stop them, they might destroy her, and it would all be for nothing. She had accepted this, though it still weighed heavy on her heart for both Asuka and Shinji's sake.

To her surprise, she heard a roar she had only ever heard from her own mouth. The again replaced jaw lock prevented her sigh of relief from escaping. She hastily broke free, took Shinji in her palm, and brought him to her nape.

'Prevention is the best medicine,' she thought to herself, as she joined with her son one final time. She blasted a hole straight to the new surface, using a fraction of her AT field to protect Major Katsuragi and the rest to ascend through it to the battlefield, confident in the safety of not only the two of them, but the world as a whole.

The Major, in return, laughed at the sight before her. At the center of the devastation again she no stood, bearing witness to a giant rising with wings of light. Now, however, she willed it along.