Disclaimer: I do not own anything. Neon Genesis Evangelion is owned by Studio Gainax and Hideaki Anno and Utraman is owned by Tsuburaya Productions

Chapter 6: Magma Diver

With the lack of Angel activity, NERV's staff had a lot of free time in their hands. Ibuki was reading some romance novel, Hyuga Makoto a manga, and Aoba Shigeru was playing air guitar. Kirisaki, meanwhile, was keeping maintenance on the MAGI, making sure everything is in order and learning as much as he can on the supercomputer.

"Geez, you don't rest, do you, Kirisaki? Do you even have any hobbies?" Aoba snarked.

Although Kirisaki was never one to socialize, it would be a detriment to him and his work to appear rude, so he entertained these people. "This is my hobby."

"Really? Just this?" Hyuga jumped in.

"I do poetry sometimes," Kirisaki shrugged. It's been a long time since he did so. His traveling and scheming didn't allow much room for his childhood hobby. It didn't bother him that much. His current interests are entertaining as well.

"Poetry, huh?" said Aoba, surprised by that fact. "Say, you wouldn't mind writing a song for my band, would you?"

"I'll consider it." An activity like that might help broaden the mind. Though he wondered if he should do the usual non-Taro related that he writes or if he should do more cheery lyrics that are popular these days. The latter might make people less suspicious of him.

Screw it, he'll do the usual. It'll be funny.

But of course, he must put that aside and focus on his own plans. With an excess of researchable material taken from the Fifth Angel's corpse, they have made a few breakthroughs on Angel research. Just as he thought, Angels and humans have a very similar DNA pattern. With this confirmation, he can now move on to the next step of his plan.

There's no school today due to the class trip to Okinawa Island. However, the pilots are not a part of this trip as they are on standby in case an Angel appears. Unit-02's pilot was not happy with this. Ultraman Mebius was more understanding but disappointed as well. Nevertheless, with nothing to do, the three of them headed for the pool. Ikari, rather than swimming, was instead doing his science homework. Although Rei herself was swimming at first, she decided to help Ikari.

"And this. Thermal expansion. You understand this, correct?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"Good. Now, are you sure you don't want to take a break and swim, Ikari-kun?" asked Rei.

"I'd love to, but I don't know how to swim," Ikari admitted.

"I see. I can teach you if you want."

Ikirai thinks about it. "I don't mind. Maybe some other time?"

"If you wish," nodded Rei.

"Geez, you're such a goody two-shoes." The two looked up to see Unit-02's pilot looking down at them.

"Make fun of me all you want, but I need to do this," Ikari defended himself

"You should do yours too," Rei added. "I've learned about your achievements. This should be easy for you."

"What are you talking about?" asked Shinji. It was Unit-02's pilot who answered.

"I just graduated college last year," she boasted. "Like the First Child said, all of that is probably elementary to me."

"Really? Then how come you're flunking all our tests?"

"Oh, that. I can't understand what the tests say," Unit-02's pilot shrugged. "I haven't learned how to read kanji yet."

"Then you should probably use this time as an opportunity to learn, like Ikari-kun here."

Both pilots were surprised to hear Rei's compliment to Ikari. 'How dare she imply that Ikari-kun is better than her!' is what Unit-02's pilot is probably thinking.

"I can do that whenever I want. Now if you excuse me." Unit-02's pilot headed towards the pool. "Backroll entry!" she yelled as she jumped in.

"Ayanami, are you okay?" a concerned Ikari asked.

"Yes. Why wouldn't I be?" Rei questioned.

"Well, you seem more tense than usual. Are you bothered by missing out on the trip too?"

"Of course not. It's only natural. We are pilots."

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Ikari agreed. The two continued with Ikari's homework. Rei sensed Unit-02's pilot was watching them. For a brief moment, their eyes locked on each other, both sporting a slight glare. Unit-02's pilot looked away, and Rei decided to pay her no attention for now.

The three pilots were later called into the NERV base. An Angel has been spotted in Mt. Asama. Despite the dangers, NERV has decided to capture the Angel for research purposes.

"That's an Angel?" questioned Ikari. On the monitor is a creature that looks like a human embryo.

"Yes," Dr. Akagi confirmed. "It seems to be in a pupal stage, an undeveloped state prior to maturity. The top priority of this mission is to capture this Angel. You are to recover it alive with as little damage possible."

"And if we fail?" asked Unit-02's pilot.

"Immediate destruction. Understood?"

"Yes," answered the pilots.

"This operation's pilot will be–"

"Me, me! I'll do the dive!" Unit-02's pilot perked up.

Dr. Akagi agreed. "Asuka, carry out the operation in Unit-02."

"Yes ma'am!" Unit-02's pilot cheered. "This will be a piece of cake!"

"What about me?" asked Rei.

"Unit-00 is a prototype, so it's incompatible with special equipment," explained Lieutenant Ibuki.

"Rei, you and Unit-00 will stay at HQ on standby," ordered Dr. Akagi.

"Yes ma'am."

"Gee, that's too bad! You won't be able to go to the hot springs with us!" mocked Unit-02's pilot. Rei ignored her.

"The A-17 is already in effect, so we need to get to work right away. Go suit up"

"Yes ma'am."

After much whining from Unit-02's Pilot about the bulky special equipment, the operation commences. Rei waited in HQ. Using Ultraman Mebius' enhanced hearing, they listened in on the proceedings.

Unit-02 began its descent into the lava.

"Depth, 170. Rate of descent, 20." said Unit-02's pilot. "All systems show green. Visibility, zero. I can't make anything out. Switching to CT monitor."

"Depth, 400. Four hundred and fifty. Five hundred. Five hundred and fifty. Six hundred. Six hundred and fifty."

"Nine hundred. Nine hundred and fifty. One thousand. One thousand and twenty. Exceeding design depth!"

Eventually, Unit-02 reached the supposed location of the Angel.

"Asuka, can you see anything?" questioned Captain Katsuragi.

"I'm not reading anything. It's not here."

"The convection current must be stronger than expected," Dr. Akagi theorized.

"There's a deviation in the target's moving speed," added Lieutenant Hyuga.

"Recalculate it. Continue operation. Resume descent, please," Captain Katsuragi ordered

"Well, she's certainly dedicated," commented Ultraman Mebius, half-impressed, half-surprised.

"Should we go there?" asked Rei, considering the possibilities of the mission going awry.

"Not yet," Ultraman Mebius insisted.

Rei analyzed the situation, and she suggested, "we should be on standby out there. Failure of the mission can result in disastrous consequences." 'Like another Second Impact,' She left unsaid. There's also Unit-02's pilot. She doesn't like her, but she doesn't want her to die either.

"I wish we could, but we've got to conserve energy. If my time runs out and something goes wrong after…"

"I see. That's unfortunate."

"Yeah," Ultraman Mebius agreed.

"Depth, 1,350. Fourteen hundred."

"Cracks appearing in conduit pipe no. 2."

"Depth, 1480! We've exceeded operating depth!"

"This isn't good," said Ultraman Mebius, tense as Unit-02 kept on descending, even as the special equipment took more damage. She has even lost her prog knife.

"Then it's time to go?"

Ultraman Mebius hesitated for a moment. By that point, Captain Katsuragi has decided to continue on despite the risks. Unit-02's pilot agreed

"No. Let's have faith in them." decided Ultraman Mebius, apparently also agreeing with the Captain's decision.

"Depth, 1,780. Now at revised estimated target position."

"We have visual confirmation of target."

"Prepare for capture."

"You're both being swept along by convection currents, so you'll have one shot at this," reminded Dr. Akagi.

"I know. Leave it to me."

"T minus 30 to target contact!

Relative speed, 2.2. Our trajectories are matched.

"Super EM photon screen engaged. Systems green."

"Target captured!"

"They did it," said Rei. She was wrong to worry after all.

Ultraman Mebius however was not celebrating. "No. Something's wrong."

With the Angel captured, Unit-02 ascended. However, they heard something buzz.

"What's it doing?!" exclaimed Unit-02's pilot.

Dr. Ikagi explained it for them. "Oh no! It's starting to hatch! This is sooner than we predicted!"

The mission was promptly aborted, the Angel was now up for elimination.

"Ayanami-san, now!"

Mebius flew to Mt. Asama in high speeds. Things wouldn't be too bad if it weren't for the fact that Unit-02 has dropped its prog knife earlier.

Mebius reached the volcano. Ikari in Unit-01 was still on standby.

"Ayanami!" he heard Ikari say. Fortunately, his comms were off. Mebius acknowledged him.

"Shinji-kun, toss your prog knife down there," Captain Katsuragi ordered.

'No, it'll be too slow,' Mebius thought. So instead, he gestured for Ikari to give him the knife.

"A-Are you sure?" asked Ikari in concern, not knowing if he could safely go in there, but Mebius nodded in reassurance. Ikari hesitantly complied.

Flames surrounded Mebius like with the battle against the Seventh Angel, transforming him into his Burning Brave form. He jumped inside the volcano.

Burning Brave gave Mebius the ability to withstand this high pressure, making it down just in time to throw the Angel away as it advances towards Unit-02.

"What the–," Soryu began, before noticing Mebius. "You! Stay out of this!" she snarled.

Mebius handed her the knife. She stopped awkwardly for a second before taking it.

"Right. Thanks," Soryu stated.

Just then, Mebius sensed the Angel advance towards them again. Just before it got to Unit-02, Mebius grabbed on to it, making it focus its attacks on him.

Soryu saw this as her opportunity to strike, but the prog knife wasn't doing anything.

"It's adapted to this high-heat and high-pressure environment," Dr. Akagi realized. "The prog knife is useless."

"I've got it!" said Ayanami.

"That science problem!" Mebius finished the thought.

But it looks like they weren't the only ones who thought of it

"Asuka, thermal expansion!" yelled Ikari from the comms.

'He did understand it,' thought Mebius in amusement.

"Thermal expansion…?" Soryu repeated as she realized what he meant. "Of course!"

She proceeded to cut one of her coolant cables and blasted it towards the Angel. "Transfer all coolant pressure to coolant number 3!" she told the bridge.

Mebius felt the Angel's body freeze (while also ignoring his own discomfort from the cold). Unit-02 stabbed the Angel again, this time penetrating the skin, and the Angel began to shrivel.

However, As a last ditch effort, the Angel cut the cables keeping Unit-02 from falling down the depths of the volcano before its body disintegrated.

Mebius quickly held on to Unit-02 and flew outside of the volcano and into the hangar near its opening, where Ikari was waiting.

"Asuka!" Ikari inside Unit-01 cried out, rushing to their fellow pilot's aid.

"Are you alright?" he asked. However, despite their worries, the pilot looked to be in high spirits.

"Ha! I did it! I told you I didn't need your help!" she celebrated, directing that last part towards Mebius

"She's fine," Ikari sighed in relief. He turned to Mebius. "What about you?"

He gave Ikari a nod. He was finally able to relax for now. Mebius turned to Unit-02, where Soryu was watching them perplexed. He nodded to her as well, before extending a hand towards her.

Soryu paused for a moment, before deciding not to take it. "Save it! You don't have to worry about us. Now that I'm here, you won't have to keep snooping on our business anymore!"

Mebius and Ikari were taken aback.

"Asuka," Ikari sighed, but Mebius placed a hand on his shoulder to tell him that it's alright.

With one final nod he flew off and headed towards the base.

"What a pain," groaned Ayanami. "She didn't even thank Ikari for helping."

Although he didn't expect Ayanami to be objective on the matter, it was still odd hearing her talk like that.

"I think I get her now," said Mebius.

"What's not to get? She seeks attention and throws tantrums when either she doesn't get it or Ikari-kun gets it."

"Well, yeah," Mebius admitted. "But I know how I should interact with her now. She's not as bad as you think, Rei. If anything, she and Ikari-kun are very similar."

"That's ridiculous," she scoffed. "I don't understand how you can tolerate her."

Mebius thought about it as he drew nearer towards HQ. "I'm not really sure. But she reminds me of a few people that I know. Maybe that's why I believe in her despite herself. But that also makes me worried about her."

With the operation finished, Rei had nothing left to do and was allowed to go home. After a quick shower, she decided to go to Captain Katsuragi's place. It's likely that they wouldn't be home until tomorrow, so someone had to tend to it and Pen Pen.

She was surprised to find someone else already there.

She recognized the man. Inspector Kaji, recently appointed Special Inspector of NERV. He was also Unit-02's pilot's guardian apparently. He was interacting with a delivery man. He seems to be mailing a package off somewhere.

As the delivery man left, Inspector Kaji took notice of her. "The First Child. I didn't expect to see you here."

"Hello, Inspector," Rei greeted curtly. "I should say the same to you."

"Just mailing something to Misato's. They'll be out for a while, and I don't think her little friend would like it all alone here."

Rei understood the implication, as strange as it sounds. "Yes, that is why I'm here."

Inspector Kaji's mouth formed into a cheeky grin. "Although, you might get lonely here. If you want, I can mail you with Pen Pen as well."

Rei tilted her head. "You can do that?" She wouldn't mind being in the onsen with Ikari, although she wondered why she's suddenly feeling hot. Probably an effect of the volcano.

Inspector Kaji gave her a puzzled look. "Not good with jokes I see. Seriously though, I can book you a flight so you can be with the others. What do you say?"

As tempting as it was, Rei already knew her answer. "I would love to, but it would be better to have at least one pilot in here."

Inspector Kaji nodded in understanding. "Well, I'm heading off. Have fun in there."

Inspector Kaji left the premises, leaving Rei alone in the apartment.

"He's an interesting fellow," commented Ultraman Mebius.

"He reminds me of you."

"Eh?" he said in surprise. "I don't see it."

"Of course you don't," Rei sighed. She turned her attention to the messy living room. She's used to this setting. Her own apartment is admittedly not different. But it does feel different. This room reminds her of Ikari and the bond that they've shared. Even reminders of Captain Katsuragi are welcome. They've barely interacted, but she has been nothing but nice to her, even trying to persuade her to forget professionalism within the confines of this place. If it weren't for Unit-02's pilot plaguing this otherwise fine home, this would be a nice place to live in.

Yes, it would be nice to live here.