This gets dark near the end and will contain spoilers.
Eagerly seeking C&C, comments, questions, pre-readers,
or anything else to make this fanfic better.

Modus Vivendi
(A NGE Alternate History)
By Ammadeau
Roy.Fokker@UNSpacy.org
http://members.tripod.com/~Ammadeau/fanfiction.htm

Episode 1:  First Incursion

	Making her way to the elevator, Misato sighed as her hand 
idly played with her keys in her pocket.  She had been working for 
Nerv for years now, practically right out of college, but she'd only 
really been 'on board' the last month when she moved to Tokyo-3.  
She hadn't even been there for the testing fiasco involving the First 
Child, who was now in the hospital due to what Ritsuko had called 
'an unfortunate malfunction.'
	Misato had visited Rei in the hospital about a week after the 
incident.  She wondered what kind of 'malfunction' could tear 
someone up so badly that they had to be wrapped head to toe in 
bandages like a mummy.  They were lucky that she was still in one 
piece.  Here it was a month later and Rei could barely move, but 
the doctors were all saying that she'd make a full recovery.  Misato 
wondered about the girl's mental state, but had found before that 
Ms. Ayanami was very hard to read, mainly due to the fact that she 
hardly spoke or wore anything else but a blank expression, except 
to the Commander.  Sometimes those indifferent eyes made Misato 
very uncomfortable, but never more so than in the hospital when 
only a single red orb was visible, staring at her as if she were no 
different from the ceiling.  Knowing what training the girl had 
undergone to be a Protector, she was glad that it wasn't her who 
lived with Rei.
	Ritsuko had said that it would be impossible for the error to 
occur in the Third Child's activation test, but Misato wasn't so sure.  
In her experience, just because something couldn't go wrong one 
way, didn't mean that it couldn't go wrong in so many others.  
Misato mentally debated the morality of not telling Shinji Ikari 
about the prior test.  Under normal circumstances he should be 
told, but these were far from normal circumstances.  If he found 
out about the tests, he would never agree to be a Protector.  
Everyone was sure that he wouldn't agree if he was told what his 
new job would entail.  Nerv couldn't afford that.  As corny as it 
sounded, they needed him to save the world.
	Misato was just about to leave the Geo-Front to pick up 
Shinji, when the Magi computers announced throughout the 
complex, "Warning:  Incoming incursion wave."
	"Damn it, not now!" she swore as she stepped back out of 
the elevator and made her way to Nerv central command.  "We're 
not ready for this!  Rei is still in the hospital and I haven't had time 
to pick up the new Protector yet!"
	"We might be able to pull this off after all, Captain," 
Ritsuko told her as she entered.  Misato didn't miss the irritation in 
the voice her old college roommate.  The good doctor only referred 
to people by their rank when she was truly pissed about something.  
Looks like she wasn't the only one who didn't like this little 
surprise.
	Misato turned to face Nerv's chief scientist.  "What do you 
mean?"
	Ritsuko gestured to one of the massive screens that 
occupied the large room.  On it was a map of the city with the 
probable impact point circled in red.  Misato idly wondered how 
the Magi could predict where the incursion would land with pin-
point accuracy, but only detected the incoming wave less than an 
hour before it would hit.  *I guess we're lucky that it can predict 
them at all.*
	"The Magi predict that the incursion wave will hit in the 
same district as the train station.  If Shinji's train is on time, he 
should already be waiting there.  All we have to do is use the city's 
external cameras to find him and air-drop him his plug suit.  I do 
have to wonder if this is all a coincidence or did the Angels know 
that our new Protector would be there?"
	Misato didn't even hear the last question.  "Are you crazy?  
He barely knows why he was called here, let alone being prepared 
to be a Protector.  Rei took nearly a month to synchronize with her 
plug suit and something obviously went wrong with her.  That's 
why she's in the hospital in the first place, which is why we need 
Shinji.  Besides, we haven't even begun to train him yet.  There's 
no way he'll be prepared for what we need him to do!"
	"We can talk him though everything from here.  We 
shouldn�t have the same problems with the plug-suit as we did 
with Rei.  We don't really have any other option, Captain.  Rei can 
barely move and the Second Child is still in Germany."
	Misato internally fumed over the red tape that was delaying 
the Second Child's arrival in Tokyo-3.  If it wasn't for that, they 
wouldn't have even needed Shinji.  She turned away from Ritsuko 
and addressed the figure above them on the observation platform.  
"Commander Ikari, what do you think about this?"
	"I see no reason to reject Dr. Akagi's proposal.  As she has 
said, we have no other choice.  Proceed at once."
	"Yes, Commander," Misato said with only a trace of 
hesitation in her voice as she began to organize the operation.  She 
had a bad feeling about this.

	The automated train reserved for Nerv personnel pulled into 
the station right on time.  Shinji was the only one on the train, and 
when he got off, he found himself to be the only one at the station.  
*Weird,* he thought.  *I've never been here before, but I'm sure 
that there should be some people around.*
	He eventually found a phone and tried the number he'd 
been given, but all he got was a recording saying that the phone 
lines were down due to the current emergency.
	*What emergency?* Shinji wondered as he looked around.  
*Everything seems to be fine to me.*
	"Warning: Incoming incursion wave," said a computerized 
voice similar to the one on the phone, echoing throughout the city 
block.  "Please evacuate this district."
	*That explains the absence of people,* Shinji thought.  
*What the heck is an 'incursion wave' anyway?*
	As he was just about to hang up the phone and follow the 
voice's advice, when another, more human voice came on the 
phone, shouting, "Wait, don't hang up!"
	"Huh?" responded Shinji as he turned back to the video-
phone to see the image of the woman that was supposed to be 
meeting him on the screen.  "I thought you're supposed to be 
picking me up."
	Misato looked vaguely embarrassed.  "Well, I can't right 
now."
	Shinji shrugged his shoulders; he didn't really care that he 
was such a low priority.  He'd been on his own since he was little 
when he only parent had abandoned him.  "Can you at least give 
me directions out of this district?  There seems to be some kind of 
emergency."
	"We know, that's why we need you to stay where you are.  
Don't worry, you won't be any danger once we air-drop something 
to you.  It's on its way now."
	"Why do you need me to stay here?"
	"Do you know why you were called you here?"
	"Not really," Shinji replied, shrugging.  He had gotten a 
somewhat mysterious message in the mail from the government 
that informed him that he was to move to Tokyo-3 and become a 
'Protector,' whatever that was.  It had been signed by and included 
a picture of the woman he was talking to now.  The only real 
reason he obeyed the letter's instructions was the fact that it 
referred to him by his real last name.  For some reason, he'd been 
using his sensei's last name ever since he was little.  No one would 
ever tell him why.
	"It's because we need your help.  An incursion wave is 
about to fall on the district you're in.  We need you to eliminate the 
nexus before it becomes a paradigm."
	"Huh?  What are you talking about?"
	"I was hoping to explain all this to you in depth, but there 
isn't time now . . . "
	Suddenly, there was the loud sound of an aircraft sweeping 
in low right above Shinji, drowning out the rest of what Misato had 
said.  He tried to ask her what was going on, but he couldn't even 
hear his own voice above the noise.  Finally, the plane passed by, 
dropping a large crate with a parachute attached.
	Shinji watched the crate as it slowly descended, only half-
noting Misato saying, "Good, it's finally there."
	The crate landed with the sound of metal falling on 
concrete.  It reminded Shinji of the sound when he closed the 
heavy lid of a dumpster.
	"Shinji?" Misato asked him, noticing that he was still 
staring at the crate as the parachute settled over it.
	"Yes?"
	"I want you to do exactly as I say.  Hang up this phone, go 
over and open up the crate.  There should be a button with the Nerv 
symbol on it, all you have to do is push that.  There will be a suit 
inside.  I want you to take off all you clothes and put the suit on.  
Don't forget the interface nodes, they go on your head.  Press the 
button on your left wrist so the suit conforms to your body.  I'll be 
able to talk to you again when you're done.  Now, do you got all 
that?"
	"You want me to strip right in the middle of the street?" 
Shinji asked, blushing horribly.
	Misato laughed a bit at his embarrassment.  "No one is 
going to see you Shinji, the whole district has been evacuated."  
This was not precisely true, since Nerv command was currently 
using the city's external cameras to watch him, but she wanted 
Shinji to feel as relaxed as possible so refrained from telling him.  
"You can duck into an alley if you have to.  Just hurry up, you 
need to get the plug suit on before the incursion wave hits."
	"But what is an incursion wave?"
	"No time for questions!  Shinji, you won't be safe unless 
you get that suit on!"
	Noting the urgency in the woman's voice, Shinji nodded, 
hung up the phone, and rushed over to the crate.  It wasn't hard to 
find the button and push it.  Inside, hanging up as if in a locker, 
was an odd-looking white and blue suit that seemed to be made of 
a thick rubber.  When Shinji picked it up, he noted that it was very 
smooth to the touch, but unlike rubber or plastic.  It kind of felt 
like solid water, as if it were moving all by itself under his hands.
	Grabbing the suit and the two things he guessed to be 
interface nodes, Shinji ducked into a dark alley and quickly got 
changed.  When he emerged out into the street again, he was 
sporting the tight-fitting plug suit with a very embarrassed look on 
his face.
	"Hello?" Shinji shouted after no one started talking to him 
for a few minutes.  "Can anyone hear me?"
	*Sorry about that, Shinji-kun,* said Misato's voice, 
seeming to come from inside his head.  *I was busy setting up 
some things here at Nerv command.  Incidentally, you should try 
thinking the words rather than saying them.  It isn't important now, 
but it will be when the incursion wave hits.  Don't worry, I'll still 
be able to hear you.*
	*Okay,* Shinji thought, *Can you tell me what's going on 
now?*
	*In a few minutes, an incursion wave is going to hit the 
district that you're in.  It's going to cause the whole place to 
change, perhaps even dramatically.  We can't be sure exactly what 
effect it will have until it hits.  Don't be alarmed.  That's what an 
incursion wave does, it establishes another reality in ours.*
	"Huh?" said Shinji, too confused to remember only to 
think.
	*Shinji, what do you know about the Second Impact?*
	*It was when a meteor hit the Antarctic, causing huge 
floods.  Every school kid knows that.*
	*Wrong, every school kid has been lied to.  The Second 
Impact was actually an incursion wave sent by the Angels in order 
to take over our planet.  We managed to contain it, but not without 
a great loss of life.*
	*Angels?  You mean like messengers sent from God?*
	Misato laughed a little about that.  *No, Angels is what we 
call the aliens that are trying to invade Earth.  The reason why we 
call them that . . . well, you should find out soon enough.  Don't 
worry about it.
	*The incursion wave establishes another reality, 
conforming the district to its rules rather than the rules we've come 
to know.  For instance, we all know that magic doesn't really work, 
but an incursion wave can make it so magic does work and 
technology doesn't.  It also changes the people there to conform to 
that reality and will even bring people with it.  The changes can be 
much more subtle than this though.  The only people with some 
immunity to the change are those conceived on the night of the 
Second Impact, which is why we need your help Shinji.*
	*My help?  What do--*  The thought instantly died when a 
giant rumbling began to echo throughout the empty district, nearly 
drowning out the computerized voice saying, "Warning:  incoming 
incursion wave."
	Shinji looked up to see a bright white light filling the entire 
sky, falling towards him fast.  The last thing he heard before it hit 
was Misato saying, *Shit, it's here already.*

***

	"Shinji, are you all right?"
	Shinji heard a woman's voice that seemed to come from 
both close by and far off at the same time.  There was a dull throb 
of pain coming from the back of his skull while he tasted the bitter 
salty tang of blood in his mouth.  His body felt strangely numb 
when he tried to move, as if he were underwater.
	Shinji opened his eyes to look up into the face of a purple-
haired young woman who looked somewhat familiar, but in his 
currently frazzled state he couldn't place it.  Her face was marked 
with some concern, but there was something about her eyes, as he 
peered closer into them, that chilled him to the bone.  He had to 
turn away.
	"Shinji," she said again, "are you okay?"
	"Huh?" Shinji managed to say as he forced his mouth to 
work.  "What happened?"
	"Looks like a support cable snapped and hit you in the 
head.  Good thing it wasn't a power cable or I wouldn�t be talking 
to you now."
	Shinji looked up and around him.  The place seemed 
familiar, but at the same time not, like it's colors were all slightly 
off.  There were also things missing while others that didn't belong.  
It frustrated him to know that things were off, but unable to 
remember how they should be.
	"You must have been out for several minutes, so some 
disorientation is only natural.  You probably had some kind of 
weird dream, right?"
	"Huh?"  Shinji said, absently rubbing the back of his head 
in an effort to clear the fog that seemed to hang around his mind.  
"I don't know, I don't remember."
	"Well, I wouldn't worry about it now.  We have to get you 
to the Geo-Front and fast!"
	"Why?"
	"Because of that."
	Shinji followed with his eyes to where this woman was 
pointing, only to be stunned to see a giant alien turn the corner.  
Though he could make out no eyes on the Goliath, it seemed to be 
staring right at him.

	"I guess I should introduce myself, since that blow to the 
head obviously made you forget some things.  I'm Captain Misato 
Katsuragi, and I work at Nerv for your father."
	After seeing the Angel, it had been easy to convince Shinji 
to get in her car and they were currently breaking the speed limit in 
a race to get to the Geo-Front before it did.
	"My father?"
	"Yeah, I guess you aren't looking forward to seeing him 
after he abandoned you and all.  I can sympathize.  My own father 
was like that too.  All work, no time for anything else."
	Shinji shook his head, wondering how he could have 
forgotten his own father abandoning him.  Misato was right, he 
wasn't looking forward to seeing him after all these years.

	*Shinji?*
	"Yes, Misato?"  Shinji asked the woman who was currently 
leading him around the labyrinth that was the Geo-Front.  She had 
insisted that he call her by her first name after the little incident 
with the N2 mine.  He blushed a little when he remembered he 
body pressed against his own.  He had never had that kind of 
experience with a girl before.
	"Huh?"  Misato replied, looking up from her map.
	"Didn't you just call my name?"
	The purple-haired Captain only looked more confused.  "It 
wasn't me."
	"But could have sworn--"
	*Shinji!  It's me, Misato!*
	Shinji had been watching Misato the entire time and hadn't 
seen her lips move.  Was she trying to freak him out for some 
reason with a ventriloquism act?
	*No, not out there!  Listen very carefully, Shinji.  The 
person that you are with isn't the real Misato.  I'll explain 
everything, but you have to get away from her first.  I don't want to 
make them more suspicious than they already are.*
	Shinji thought about this for a moment.  He didn't know 
what was going on, but he did know that he was hearing a voice 
that clearly sounded like the woman he was with, yet was also 
clearly not her.  Most likely, he was going crazy, but it would be 
better if he gave this voice a chance to explain.  Besides, he wasn't 
exactly looking forward to meeting his father.
	"Excuse me, Misato?"
	Her irritation with the map turned to a smile when she 
faced him.  "Yes, what is it?"
	"I need to go to the bathroom."
	"Are you sure it can't wait?  We're almost there."
	Shinji decided not to mention that she had been saying that 
for the last ten minutes.  "I really need to go now.  I've been 
holding it for a while."
	"All right, the map says that there's a bathroom right around 
that corner.  You hurry up and I'll wait here.  Maybe I can use the 
time to figure out this thing better."
	Shinji dashed off the indicated way and was more than a 
little surprised to actually find a men's room there.  He only 
thought for a moment on how strange it was that Misato could find 
a bathroom on request, but not where they were supposed to be, 
before ducking inside.
	The men's room gleamed with polished porcelain.  It was 
currently empty and looked as if it hadn't ever been used.  He 
wondered just how many janitors it took to keep the Geo-Front 
looking as clean as it was.
	*Good thinking, Shinji.*
	"Who are you?  What are you doing inside my head?"
	Shinji heard another, unfamiliar voice in the background, 
say *It sounds as if he doesn't remember anything.  The incursion 
has effected him more than we expected.*
	The Misato sound-alike asked, *So what do we do about 
it?*
	*Try to get him to remember or at least convince him that 
we're the ones that he should be listening to.  It's not going to be 
easy.*
	The Misato voice grew louder, obviously addressing him 
this time.  *Shinji, listen to me very carefully, for everything I'm 
about to tell you is true.  You are not in the Geo-Front, nor is the 
person with you Misato.  You are currently in one of the districts 
of Tokyo-3, under the influence of an incursion wave.  It prevented 
me from communicating with you until just now and is forcing you 
to forgot some things.  You have the power to resist its influence, 
but only if you realize and accept that everything around you is 
false.*
	"None of this is real?"  Shinji asked as he felt the smooth 
surface of the sink.  It certainly felt solid enough.  Should he 
believe it or the voices in his head?  Would he be mad for 
accepting what they told him, or was he already mad for hearing 
them at all?
	*I know this all seems crazy, but you have to believe me.  
The future of the Earth is at stake!*
	*He doesn't seem to be buying this,* whispered the Misato 
voice, just loud enough that Shinji could hear.
	*Maybe demonstrating some the features of the plug-suit 
will convince him.*
	*Can you talk him through it?  I don't really know it as well 
as you do.*
	*I'll try.*
	The second voice now clearly addressed him.  *Shinji, this 
is Doctor Ritsuko Akagi, Nerv's chief scientist and designer of the 
plug suit that you are now wearing.*
	Shinji looked at himself in the mirror, even going so far as 
to open up his shirt.  All he was wearing were the clothes that he 
put on this morning.  He told the voice so.
	*The plug suit has an automatic adaptation feature so it 
blends in with whatever incursion you're stuck in, since its better if 
the Angels don't know you're wearing it.  There's a way to 
temporally shut off this feature, but it only works if you 
remembered what the plug suit had looked like.  However, there is 
another test we can perform.
	*You were no doubt surprised by hearing two Misatos and 
are probably dubious that the one you only heard is the real one, 
since voice pattern would be much easier to fake than appearance.  
Besides, it's easier to believe the world around you than the voices 
in your head, right?*
	"Something like that," Shinji admitted.
	*I thought so.  Well, I'm going to show you how easy 
counterfeiting a Misato really is.*
	*Hey!*
	*Almost easy that is, trust me that there's nothing like the 
original.  All I need for you to do, Shinji, is close your eyes and 
concentrate on the image of Misato.  Focus on it and then imagine 
as if that was what you looked like, that her body was your body, 
that her voice was your voice.  Can you do that for me, Shinji?*
	The young boy thought for a moment.  It sounded insane, 
but then what did he expect from voices in his head?  If he 
humored them, they just might go away.  So he closed his eyes and 
concentrated on Misato.  Strangely enough, there were images of 
her that didn't fit anywhere in his memories.  Images of her on a 
video-phone screen.  Where had they come from?
	*Now, open your eyes.*  Ritsuko told him.
	Shinji did as he was told and jumped away from the mirror 
in shock, as he watched the image of Misato mirror his actions.  He 
looked over himself in surprise, or rather herself now since he was 
clearly now a she.  Not just any woman, but identical to the one 
who was waiting for him in the hall.  He even cupped the breast to 
see if this wasn't just some illusion.
	"Hey, these are real!"  Shinji shouted in amazement, not 
even noticing that even his voice matched Misato's.
	*Of course they're real!!*  The woman whose image he 
now wore shouted so loud that he was nearly made deaf.  *Watch 
who you're groping there!*
	The boy-turned-woman immediately put her hands down at 
her sides, a blush covering her cheeks.
	*Calm down, Misato.  I doubt Shinji meant it that way and 
besides, it's not really your body.  Okay, I think you should change 
back now.  Someone could walk in on you and the Misato out in 
the hall might be getting suspicious.  Close your eyes and 
concentrate on how you had been only a minute ago.  You should 
return to normal.*
	Shinji did as 'she' was told, and was greeted by his original 
body when he opened his eyes again.  He signed in relief.  Being a 
girl had been distinctly uncomfortable.
	*So do you believe us now, Shinji?* Misato asked.
	Slowly, Shinji nodded.  That had all been much too real to 
be madness or a simple day dream.
	*Good.  You should go back to the hall and not keep my 
doppleganger waiting any longer.  The last thing we need is for 
them to realize that we have a link to you.  I'll still be able to talk to 
you and all you have to do is think your reply.  We should try that 
now.  Respond to me, but just think it rather than saying it out 
loud.*
	*Um, I'm sorry for touching you earlier, Misato.*
	Shinji could hear the laughter of who he guessed to be 
Ritsuko in the background.
	*That's okay, Shinji,* Misato replied.  *Just don't let it 
happen again.  I'm a married woman.*

	Shinji was surprised to see that Misato wasn't alone now as 
she waited for him in the hall.  There was another woman there 
about her age, with short blonde hair and wearing a lab coat over a 
blue bathing suit.  Her expression was stern as she stared at Misato, 
while the purple-haired captain looked a bit embarrassed.
	"Ah, there you are, Shinji.  I'd like you to meet Nerv's head 
scientist, Doctor Ritsuko Akagi."
	"Nice to meet you,"  Shinji replied politely, though 
distracted by the name being the same as the second voice he heard 
in his head.  There was also something about her eyes, as she gazed 
unwavering at him, that made him feel distinctly uncomfortable, 
like the temperature of the room had suddenly dropped twenty 
degrees.
	*I don't believe this!* said that same voice, her tone 
outraged.  *They cloned me as well?*
	Shinji found it a bit eerie to hear Misato's laughter in his 
head while standing before a silent version of her.
	The false-Ritsuko nodded her head in acknowledgment and 
said,  "We'll have to hurry to the seventh cage now.  Thanks to you 
Misato, we're late in getting the Third Child there."

	Shinji fell down in surprise when the lights came back on 
and he was face to face with a giant purple robot.
	*What is that thing?*  Misato asked, her voice sounding 
disgusted.  Shinji had to admit that it wasn't exactly pretty to look 
at.  He did not like the way those huge yellow eyes were staring at 
him.
	*I have my suspicions, but I believe that we will find out 
soon enough.*  Ritsuko replied.
	"What is it?"  Shinji asked, more for their benefit than his 
own.  At this point, he only wanted this nightmare to end.
	"This is the synthetic life form evangelion,"  the false-
Ritsuko told him as she gazed into the thing's eyes.  "Unit-01."
	Remembering something the false-Misato had told him, 
Shinji asked, "Is this my father's work?"
	"Correct," rang out a male voice from somewhere above 
them.
	Shinji turned to see a man who looked to be in his mid-
forties, leaning over a rail.  He was dressed in a black uniform and 
his eyes were hidden by dark glasses.
	"Father?"  Shinji said almost a whisper, feeling that there 
was something very wrong with this.  At the same time, he heard a 
third female voice from inside his head that sounded oddly 
familiar.  *I should have known.*

	*What do I do?*  Shinji sent a panicked thought to the 
voices in his head.  His father, Ritsuko, and Misato (at least the 
ones out there) were all trying to pressure him into getting in that 
horrible-looking monster in order to fight the angel.  Misato was 
telling him that he mustn't run away, but every time he looked at 
that . . . thing they called Unit-01, he wanted to scream out in fear.  
The feeling of dread only grew in him the more he looked at it, like 
a rain cloud gathering above him.  He wanted to crawl away and 
hide somewhere, to pretend this was all a dream.
	According to the voices, none of it was real, but he couldn't 
believe that this was just a dream either.  It felt like more of a 
nightmare, but one that he couldn't wake up from.  The pain from 
when he had been hit by a support cable was still there, a dull throb 
that seemed all too real.  If he could hurt here, Shinji reasoned, 
then he could probably die here too.
	*Whatever you do, don't get in that EVA,* the voice that he 
identified as Ritsuko told him.  *Giving them what they want will 
only strengthen the incursion.  I also can't predict what effect it will 
have on your plug-suit or our link to you.*
	After Shinji remained silent for some time, Gendo sniffed 
disdainfully loud enough for him to hear, and then said to someone 
else he couldn't see,  "Fuyutsuki, summon Rei."
	Shinji couldn't hear what the other person said to this, only 
his father's reply.  "She's not dead yet."
	A short while afterward, Shinji watched as several people 
in white coats wheeled out a stretcher, on which lay a young girl 
about his age with pale skin and blue hair.
	*I should have expected something like this,* Ritsuko said, 
not sounding at all pleased.
	As the stretcher neared him, Shinji studied the girl 
curiously.  There was a flash of recognition when he noticed what 
she was wearing.  A plug-suit, he knew, just like the one he had put 
on before the incursion had hit.  The fog that had been hanging 
around his brain since he had awoken lifted somewhat at this 
relevation.
	*No, don't!*  Ritsuko shouted to him in a panic.  *If you 
reveal that you're wearing a plug-suit, you'll give everything 
away!*
	Shinji was closing his eyes, only to open them startled 
when he heard her voice.  He had been trying to revert to the plug-
suit just to make sure almost without thinking about it.  He took a 
deep breath and released it slowly, trying to stop the fear and panic 
that was rising up in him like bile.  The feeling of dread lessened 
somewhat, but before he could regain a sense of calm, the whole 
chamber trembled with the aftershocks of a nearby explosion.
	People were shouting and racing about, but their chaos 
seemed muted somehow, as if it were something he was watching 
on television.  Because of this, the sudden snap of a cable breaking 
was as loud as a gunshot to his ears.  He looked up to the source of 
the sound, only to see something large and black falling towards 
him.  The shape was blurred and it was falling so slowly that he 
idly thought that it would take forever to reach him.  He stood 
routed to the spot, unable to tear his eyes away.
	"*Shinji, no!*"  both Misatos shouted simultaneously.  The 
one who was there in body tried to get him out of the way in time, 
but she knew that she was too far away to reach him as the beam 
fell.
	With most people focused on Shinji, few noticed when 
alarm klaxons started to sound.  "The EVA, it's moving by itself!" 
one of the techs shouted in alarm as the massive purple hand 
interposed itself between the boy and the falling girder.
	Shinji blinked in surprise as the hand suddenly blocked his 
view.  He didn't even hear it when the beam bounced off the hand 
and smashed to pieces against the unbreaking glass that his father 
stood behind.  This giant robot, which scared him more than 
anything he had ever seen before, actually protected him?  It had 
saved his life?
	A nearby cry of pain distracted him from his thoughts.  
Shinji glanced over to see that the blue-haired girl had fallen off 
the stretcher.  Without thinking, he rushed over and helped her to 
sit up. Up close, he could see the fresh blood that smeared her 
bandages and her cries only seemed to worsen as he breathing 
came in ragged gulps of air.
	Shinji was drawn to the tear that fell from her single 
uncovered eye.  That red eye, so unnatural, yet he felt none of the 
chill that he had felt in looking into the eyes of others.  The eye 
seemed to plead to him, it's silent desire a hundred times stronger 
to him than everyone else's justifications.
	Shinji took another deep breath to clear his head.  He didn't 
know much at the moment.  He still couldn't fully separate what 
was real from what was illusion.  As far as he knew, the whole 
place, the Geo-Front, Unit-01, and most of the people in it could be 
just part of some nightmare.  But he also knew for certain that the 
girl he held in his arms was real, and someone who was in pain.  
He could not let them put her into that thing, even if it meant going 
in himself.
	"All right, I'll pilot it," he told them, ignoring the shouts of 
protest from the voices in his head.

	They had offered Shinji a plug-suit which looked exactly 
like the one he remembered putting on, but he refused to wear it.  It 
would mean taking off the real plug-suit and losing contact with 
the real Ritsuko and Misato.  Besides, he was afraid that the once 
he took it off, he'd forget what was real and give into the illusion 
again.  It scared him in how tempting it was to give into the lie.  
There were insistent that he wear the interface nodes though.  He 
tried them on and thought, *Hello?  Are you still with me?*
	*Still here, Shinji,* Misato responded.  *But I think that 
this is a really bad idea.*
	Shinji nodded absently.  He thought this was a bad idea too, 
but he didn't see that there was anything else that he could do.  He 
couldn't let someone get killed like that, not when he could do 
something to prevent it.
	Techs helped him into the entry plug and before he knew it, 
he was inserted into Unit-01.  He thought it was strange how all 
sense of menace had evaporated now that he was inside the beast 
that he had feared.  It seemed like a strange giant robot, but no 
longer a monster.  *Maybe this won't be so bad after all.*
	*I wouldn�t count on that, Shinji,* Misato told him.
	Shinji heard various people talking about preparation 
procedures that he didn't understand.  Then the entry plug began to 
fill with a yellowish liquid.  He began to panic when the stuff 
reached chest level.  Were they trying to drown him?
	"Hey, what is this stuff?  What's going on?"
	"Relax, Shinji," the false-Ritsuko told him.  "Once your 
lungs are filled with LCL, your blood will be oxygenated directly."
	Shinji held his breath for as long as he could, but eventually 
had no choice but to breathe the liquid in.  It tasted so foul that he 
wished he could just spit it out again.  "I think I'm going to be 
sick."
	"Stop complaining!" Misato shouted at him.  "You're just a 
boy, you know."
	Shinji didn't respond.  He just wanted to get this over with.

	They ran through the activation sequence without and 
problems and it wasn't long before Misato shouted, "EVA, 
launch!"
	Shinji soon found himself rocketing towards the surface at 
speeds that turned the walls of the chute into a vague blur.  
However, floating in the LCL he felt only a little of the 
acceleration, even as the ride came to an abrupt halt when he 
reached the surface.
	When they released the docking clamps, Shinji could feel 
the weight of the EVA as if it were his own body.  There was a 
strange duality, having control of two bodies at once, but for some 
reason he found it easy to keep one separate from the other in his 
mind.  He tried walking, as Ritsuko had instructed, and was able to 
make his first few steps before he lost his balance and fell.
	Shinji could feel the nearing doom in the form of the 
Angel, even though he could no longer see it.  Putting all he had 
into thoughts of standing up, he barely registered what people were 
saying to him.  Only the panic in Misato's voice managed to cut 
through this when she shouted, "Shinji, you've got to stand up!"
	He tried his best, but it was already too late.  The Angel 
picked him up and Shinji was forced to look directly into the 
thing's face.  From a distance, the Angel could have been dismissed 
as a giant rubber balloon, but up close he could see its dark skin 
and bone, small scars running like small rivers across its face.  It 
may have been his imagination, but there was suddenly the 
overwhelming odor of rotting meat.  But the worst thing was those 
dead eyes staring right at him.  He was paralyzed.
	The Angel breaking Unit-01's arm snapped Shinji out of his 
trance, mainly due to the pain he suddenly felt, as if it was his own 
arm that had been twisted until the muscles gave way.  He 
screamed, barely hearing Misato explain that it wasn't his real arm.  
Whatever the case, the pain was all too real.
	Shinji was distracted from this when it felt as if someone 
were jabbing a hundred needles into his right eye.  He covered his 
eye in vain hope of shutting out the pain, but it was not good.  The 
needles struck again and again, relentlessly.  Eventually, the pain 
was too much and Shinji blacked out.

	Shinji nearly leapt out of bed, startled, his breath coming in 
ragged gasps.  He looked all around in surprise.  The last thing he 
remembered was being in the entry plug, but now he was in what 
clearly was a hospital.  Had all of that been a dream?
	He left his room in order to get some sense of where he 
was.  He looked out the window to see the Geo-Front, 
remembering how he had first seen it riding in the car train with 
Misato.  Where was she?  He also wondered why he was in a 
hospital, since he seemed perfectly fine, other than his left arm 
being a bit sore and his right eye stinging a bit.
	As if summoned by his thoughts, Misato walked down the 
long hallway towards him, a slight smile on her face.  It was time 
to get changed and go home.  But where would home be?

	Shinji had been okay with the idea of living alone, but 
Misato wouldn't hear of it and invited him to live with her.  
Though the place was a mess and he ended up having to do most of 
the chores, it was starting to feel like home already.  It could have 
been the way that Misato made him feel welcome.  It was with a 
smile that Shinji settled down to sleep.

	*Shinji, wake up!*
	Shinji nearly jumped out of his futon in surprise.  It was a 
voice he had never expected to hear again, or at least not with the 
same tone.  It was Misato, though he could immediately tell that it 
was the real Misato and not the one he was currently living with.  
For one, only one of them talked inside his head, but their tone was 
the bigger difference to them.  The false-Misato was mostly happy 
go lucky, as if underneath everything she didn't really care what 
happened.  The real one's voice had the iron of determination to it.  
*You're back!*
	*Yes we are, no thanks to you, Shinji,* Ritsuko told him.  
*It took me forever to bypass the damage that LCL caused to the 
link.  I told you not to get in that thing.  What possessed you to 
ignore my advice?*
	*That girl Rei was hurt.  I just couldn't let them make her 
pilot the EVA, she would have died.*
	*Shinji, you should have known better.  None of that was 
real.  The real Rei is in a Nerv hospital right now.  There is no way 
should would have been harmed.*
	*But--*
	*No buts, Shinji.  The more you accept that false reality, 
the harder its going to be for you to escape from it.  Listen closely 
Shinji, because its very important you understand this.  Nothing 
within an incursion is real except for yourself.  Not the people you 
meet, that EVA you piloted, the angel that attacked, not even the 
room you're sleeping in.  None of it is real.  It's more like a dream 
than anything else.  The only reason that any of it seems real to you 
is because it's like you're dreaming.*
	*So how do I wake up then?!*
	Misato spoke this time.  Her voice lacked the confidence it 
normally did.  *Shinji, you've been in the incursion for too long.  
That means that if you don't eliminate the nexus soon, the 
incursion will become real and you'll never be able to escape from 
it.  What's more is in it lasting so long, the nexus has grown very 
powerful.  It will be very hard for you to beat it.*
	*What do I do?  Please tell me Misato!*
	*First, I want you to get up and very slowly open your 
door.  You have to be careful not to make the slightest sound.*
	Shinji didn't understand why, but he carefully made his way 
to the door, making sure that each footfall was silent.  The 
moonlight provided just enough illumination for him to avoid 
obstacles.  He silently made his way to the door and very slowly 
opened it to look out to the hall beyond.
	*Now what?* Shinji asked almost testily.  He felt like a 
thief that horrible punishment would await him if he were caught.
	*Good work so far, Shinji.  Now as quietly as you did that, 
make your way over to the door to my double's room and very 
carefully open the door to her room.*
	*Why?*
	*Just trust me on this, Shinji.  If I tell you now you might 
panic and fail.  This could be your last chance to escape this 
incursion.  Time is running out.*
	Shinji nodded.  It terrified him that he had almost accepted 
this nightmare as his life.  He would do anything to get out of it.
	Moving even more slowly and carefully than before, he 
made his way to the false-Misato's door.  He stood there for some 
moments, nearly shaking with the fear of getting caught.  And 
then, very slowly, he opened the door.
	The room he looked in on was a mess, even seeing it from 
dim moonlight.  There were clothes scattered everywhere.  The 
false-Misato was a large lump buried under blankets.  *I wonder if 
the real Misato is this big a slob.*
	Nervous laughter was the response. *Shinji, do you see the 
holster hanging from the chair?*
	Shinji looked around the room, his eyes finally settling on a 
chair near a desk, from which a holster hung.  *Yes.*
	*Good, I want you be especially careful to not make a 
sound and go over to the holster, taking out the gun you find 
there.*
	Shinji was shocked by her request.  *What?  Why?*
	*Just do it, Shinji!* Misato practically shouted at him.  He 
could tell her voice was strained.  *It's the only way out of this 
incursion.*
	Shinji nodded and made his way over to the holster, his 
mind on the unseen gun that rested there.  He moved so slowly that 
he thought it might take him forever to reach it.  Nervousness made 
him want to hurry along, but somehow he was able to keep his 
pace.  The last thing he wanted was for Misato to wake up.  
Eventually, he made it.
	Shinji reached into the holster and pulled out the gun, its 
black metal gleaming under the moonlight.  He didn't like the feel 
of it at all.  It felt too big for his hand, too heavy.  He also didn't 
like thinking about what it was for.
	*Now what?*
	There was a long silence before the reply came.  Misato's 
voice sounded even more strained than before.  For a moment he 
thought that she was going to tell him that he was trapped in the 
incursion without any hope of escape.  *I want you to point the gun 
at the figure on the futon and pull the trigger several times.*
	*What?!* Shinji nearly shouted out loud, but stopped 
himself at the last moment.
	*Yes, the Magi have determined that my doppleganger is 
the nexus.  Once you kill her, the incursion will end.*
	*No, I can�t do it!*
	*You have to do it, Shinji!  You're the only one who can.  
You have to, in order to escape the incursion.*
	*But there has to be some other way!*
	*There isn't.  This is the only way.*
	*But--*
	*Shinji, listen to me.  That's not me there, it's some twisted 
clone that the incursion invented so you'd give in to it.  It's her fault 
there you're still there, it's her fault that you almost forgot about the 
real world.  But it will be your fault, Shinji, if you don't end this 
right here and now.  Your fault that everyone else will die, 
swallowed up by the incursion.*
	*But--*
	*Shinji!* Misato's voice was filled with anger and 
desperation now.  *If you don't kill her, then you kill me!  If the 
incursion wins then the Third Impact will wipe out everyone!  I'm 
not ready to die yet, Shinji!  You have to do this!*
	Shinji didn't think about it because he knew that if he did he 
would just find more reasons not to go through with this.  He had 
to do it.  He felt as if his hands were frozen and it took all of his 
strength just to pull the trigger.  One, two, three times.  Each shot 
was like thunder in his ears, but he barely noticed them.  After the 
final shot, he dropped the gun to the floor with a soft thud.
	He heard a sound like several people who had been holding 
their breath release it all at once.  *Good work, Shinji.  I'm sorry 
you had to do that, but you saved all human kind.  You better make 
sure that she's dead.*
	Shinji took a very deep breath, wiped the tears from his 
eyes that he hadn't even noticed before, and slowly made his way 
over to the futon.  There was no reason to be quiet anymore after 
the gun shots, but Shinji wasn't looking forward to looking into 
Misato's dead eyes.
	As he was slowly lifting up the covers, a hand flashed out 
and caught him by the throat.  In moments, he was pinned to the 
wall by a disheveled Misato, wearing a bullet-proof vest and a 
manic grin.  Her eyes were different somehow, they almost seemed 
to burn with their intensity.
	"That wasn't very nice, Shinji-kun," she told him in her 
normal sweet tone that now had a definite edge to it, like candy 
coating hiding razor blades.  "I take you in to my apartment, feed 
you dinner, and you try to kill me.  Not very nice at all."  Her grip 
was like iron around his throat and he knew that if she squeezed a 
little tighter he wouldn't be able to breathe.
	*Shit!* the real Misato said.  *How did they know?*
	Shinji didn't even hear her, fully concentrating on the 
Misato who had him by the throat.  Her hair might have been 
comical, sticking out at all angles, if it wasn't for the expression on 
her face.  Her eyes and teeth gleamed in the moonlight, her skin 
seeming very pale.  She looked like someone who was already 
dead brought back to life.  A hungry ghoul or vampire, sizing up 
her prey.
	"Why do you fight us, Shinji?  This is where you belong.  
There are problems here, sure, but that would be true of any reality.  
Why do you listen to them, Shinji?  How can you be so sure that 
they are real, when all you hear are voices and I stand before you in 
the flesh?"
	While Shinji mentally struggled to deny that any of this 
was real, Misato removed the bullet-proof vest, careful not to 
loosen her grip on him.  She only wore a flimsy nightgown under 
it, which the moonlight accentuating her very female form.
	She pressed her body up against his and now spoke in a 
low, sultry tone.  "If you join with us, it would be very 
comfortable, Shinji."
	As the tension rose to high levels of fear and lust, 
something in Shinji snapped.  He howled incoherently in rage as he 
broke free from Misato's grip.  He ran out of her room and out to 
the kitchen.  Moonlight gleamed off a row of knives and without 
even thinking, he took one.  With another howl, he charged at her, 
knife drawn.  Misato didn't even have the time to move as the knife 
came at her again and again, Shinji stabbing into her body, deeper 
and deeper, in the grip of a manic strength that he didn't know he 
possessed.
	Shinji gained some hold on his sanity, only to see Misato's 
shocked eyes falling away from him, her body smeared with blood.  
He looked down in surprise to his own hand which held the bloody 
knife.  The blood was everywhere; on his hands, his clothes, the 
floor, and the corpse of Misato who now lay at his feet, looking up 
at him accusingly with empty eyes.
	Shinji started screaming and screaming, so it was a mercy 
when the darkness finally took him.

***

	Misato stood routed to the spot where she had watched 
through the eyes of enraged Shinji as he had stabbed her over and 
over.  She knew that it had not really been her, but felt as if she had 
just ordered the execution of her own twin sister.  There was also 
something more than a little frightening about the way that Shinji 
had acted, even though it had saved the world.
	Ritsuko's hand on her shoulder snapped her out of it.  "It 
had to be done," the scientist told her.  "We both know that."
	"I know, but I wish I never had to see that."
	"Imagine how Shinji feels.  Your double might have only 
been nice to him to establish the incursion, but he was still forced 
to kill someone who had done nothing but treat him well."
	"Yeah, poor Shinji-kun.  I told you he wasn't ready for 
this."
	"We all wish that there had been some other way, but there 
wasn't and besides, it's too late for that now.  You better hurry and 
pick him up."
	"Me?  But I thought--"
	"Don't tell me that you're nervous that he'll come after you 
with a knife, Captain?"
	Misato didn't answer for some moments.  "But would it be 
better for Commander Ikari to pick him up?"
	"Your the one whose image he's just killed.  It's you that he 
needs to be assured is still alive."
	"But--"
	"Captain, you are to retrieve my son immediately," 
Commander Ikari told her.  "That's an order."
	"Yes, commander," Misato reluctantly agreed and made her 
way to the elevator, as she had before this whole mess had begun.

	Misato found Shinji on the street where he had entered the 
incursion.  Still dressed in his plug-suit, he was curled up in a ball, 
apparently unconscious.  She shook his shoulder, softly saying, 
"Come on Shinji, snap out of it.  The nightmare is over."
	For some moments he didn't react, then his eyes opened.  
Seeing her, Shinji clung to her suddenly, whispering, "I'm sorry, 
I'm so sorry" over and over again between choked sobs.  Startled 
by this show of emotion, Misato could think of nothing to do but to 
hug him back and whisper, "It's all right, Shinji.  Everyone is 
okay."
	It was some time before Shinji had calmed down enough so 
he would let go of her.  He wiped away his tears as he looked at 
her, obviously surprised.  "You're okay," he said, mostly to 
himself.
	Misato smiled and nodded.  "I told you everyone would be 
all right. Now come one, there's someone who has been waiting to 
meet you."

	Commander Ikari paced nervously, waiting for Misato to 
return.  Most people couldn't tell, but Fuyutsuki had known the 
commander for a long time and also knew what this meeting 
meant.  They had gone back to the commander's office, mostly so 
Ikari could pace in private.
	"You did the right thing, you know," Fuyutsuki said.  "He'll 
come to understand that."
	"He might find it hard to believe that I sent him away for 
ten years for his own good."
	"But it's the truth, nonetheless.  We live in turbulent times.  
There are several groups who would not hesitate to use him against 
you.  Bringing him here now was not without risk."
	"Not that we had a choice, with the problems with Rei."
	"I don't understand why you didn't--"
	"There are problems with that too.  We can't be entirely 
certain what would happen at this point.  It would have been an 
even greater risk than using my son.  She very well could have 
chosen to stay."
	"Not in the incursion we saw."
	"No, but there was no way to predict what the incursion 
would be until it falls.  I admit I was most surprised to see the Nerv 
facility warped, it's purpose changed to fight giant alien monsters 
out of some B-movie."
	"Or a children's cartoon show, especially with those 
robots."
	Further conversation was interrupted by the buzzing of the 
intercom.  Commander Ikari hit the button and asked, "Yes?  What 
is it?"
	"Commander, you're son is here."
	"Understood.  I'll be right there."
	Fuyutsuki put a hand on the shoulder of his old friend.  
"He'll understand eventually.  Just give him time."
	"I hope you're right," the commander replied, door shutting 
behind.
	"Their first meeting in ten years," Fuyutsuki mused out 
loud with a smile.

	Shinji, changed back into his normal clothes and his bag 
slung over his shoulder, was walking through the Nerv facilities for 
the second time.  Or first time rather, since everything that had 
happened in the incursion hadn't been real.  It was an easier 
concept to accept with Misato leading the way.  He had killed her, 
he had seen her die.  He had watched the light in her eyes fade.  
Yet there she was, right beside him, looking no worse for wear.  
Certainly not looking like someone who had been just stabbed a 
half dozen times.
	Regardless, the sense of deja vu was very strong, since this 
Nerv facility was nearly identical to the other one.  There were 
some noticeable differences, it wasn't as large and looked more 
used than the pristine clean of the incursion version.  There was 
also the fact that this Misato clearly knew where she was going.
	"Looks a lot like that other one, doesn't it?" Misato 
commented.
	"Yeah, how did you know. . .?"
	"What you were thinking?  Well, you were looking around 
a lot.  Don't worry, I know this place pretty well, even though I've 
only been here a month."
	"No, what I was going to say is how did you know what the 
place inside the incursion looked like?"
	"Part of the features of you plug-suit is a built camera that 
broadcasts directly into Nerv central, so everything you saw, we 
saw.  Up until the LCL blocked the transmission."
	"Even . . .?"
	"Yup Shinji, everything," Misato told him in a somber tone 
and then changed the subject.  "Well, we're here."
	"Where is here?" Shinji asked, looking at the door they had 
stopped in front of, which was much like the rest.
	"Commissary.  You must be hungry about now, right?"
	Shinji couldn't shake the image of the woman he was 
looking at dying right before his eyes, the blood everywhere.  "No, 
not really."
	"Well, there's someone inside that has been waiting for you 
for some time now."
	"My father?" he asked.
	Misato looked at Shinji strangely for a while before saying, 
"That incursion must have effected you more than we thought."
	Wondering about the strange comment, Shinji entered the 
commissary, fully preparing himself to meet the man who had 
abandoned him, for the second time.  He hoped this time it would 
be a warmer reception.
	The commissary was mostly empty, all but a single person 
were up getting their food.  The remaining one sat a table looking 
directly at Shinji.  The black uniform was familiar, as well as the 
dark glasses that lay on the table beside white gloves.  The figure 
in that uniform, however, was not one Shinji had ever expected to 
see again.
	"Mother?" Shinji said in shock, absently dropping his bag 
to the floor.  This had to be some kind of dream.  His mother was 
dead.  Wasn't she?
	The Commander of Nerv, Yui Ikari, stood and slowly made 
her way over to her son.  She could not believe how much the boy 
had grown, the boy who she had been forced to hide away from the 
people who would use him against her.  It had been the hardest 
decision that she had ever made, and even knowing that it had been 
the right one, she still regretted it.  Slowly, Yui wrapped the still 
shocked Shinji in a hug.
	"I'm so sorry, Shinji.  I never wanted to abandon you, but it 
was the only way to keep you safe.  And I've brought you back, 
only to put you though that horrible incursion.  Can you ever 
forgive me?"
	"Mother?" Shinji repeated, too stunned to grasp what she 
had been saying.
	Yui broke off the hug and smiled at her son.  "Yes Shinji, I 
am your mother and I am alive.  Any memories you have of me 
being dead are just an after-effect of the incursion.  They should 
fade in a day or so."
	"Then father is . . .?"
	"Yes, your father is gone.  He died in a lab accident when 
you were still very young."
	"You better not let anyone else see you with that smile, 
Commander," Ritsuko commented as she came over with a tray of 
drinks and sandwiches.  "You could ruin your reputation that way."
	Yui's smile widened a bit.  "Shinji, I'd like you to meet the 
real Ritsuko Akagi, though her voice should already be familiar to 
you.  She is chief scientist of Nerv and responsible for the plug-suit 
you were wearing."
	"Pleased to meet you," Shinji said, bowing.
	"I don't know about the rest of you," Misato said, breaking 
into the conversation.  "But I'm starving.  Why don't we sit down 
and eat?"
	"Now I remember why I chose you to be operations 
director, Misato," Yui told her as she guided the still not fully 
recovered Shinji to a seat, taking one for herself.
	"And I just thought you hired me because I was Ritsuko's 
old college roommate," Misato said with a smile as she sat down.
	"It couldn't have been your sparkling personality," the 
former roommate in question quipped as she started passing out the 
drinks and sandwiches.
	The three woman dug into their meals like people who 
hadn't eaten since breakfast, which had been the case.  Shinji only 
stared at the sandwich that he held in his hands.
	"Aren't you going to eat it?" Misato asked.  "It's pretty 
good, even if it isn't home made or anything.  Still wish they 
served beer in the commissary though."
	Shinji stared up her in surprise, noticing the concerned 
looks of all three women there directed at him.  He tried to explain, 
"It's just that . . . well, a lot's happened to me and . . . "
	Yui placed a comforting hand over her son's shoulders.  
"Just put it into the back of your mind to think about later.  We can 
talk about it all you want some other time, but for now concentrate 
on eating."
	"All right . . . mom."

	"So where am I going to live?" Shinji asked after everyone 
had finished their small meal.
	"With me, of course," Yui told him, sounding somewhat 
indignant.  "I am your mother after all."
	"It's just . . ."
	"That he wants to see Misato in her nightgown," Ritsuko 
finished his sentence for him.
	"Ritsuko!" both Yui and Misato shouted simultaneously, 
outraged at her suggestion.  Shinji was beet red in embarrassment.
	"Need I remind you that I'm married," Misato told her.
	"Yes, but with your husband away . . ."
	Misato hefted the tray meaningfully.  "Complete that 
sentence and I'll brain you, old friend or not."
	Shinji turned to face his mother as the other two women 
continued their argument.  "Are they always like this?"
	"Most of the time, yes," Yui told him.  "They really are the 
best of friends, it's just they have an odd way of expressing their 
affection for one another."
	"I guess."
	"We better get going," she told him, then raised her voice to 
get the attention of the two women who were still arguing.  "In 
fact, I think most of us should go home and get some sleep.  The 
night crew can handle anything that needs to be done now."
	Ritsuko asked, "What about examining Shinji?  There still 
could be some residual effects of the incursion."
	"That's probably true, but you don't look fit to carry out 
such an examination and I doubt Maya is in much better shape.  
Even I'm nearly nodding off.  The examination can wait until 
morning and that's my final word on the matter."
	"Yes, Commander."
	Yui stood, absently fixing her uniform as she fetched he 
gloves and glasses.  "Come along, Shinji.  I'll take to your new 
home."
	Shinji nodded and followed her out of the commissary.  
Whatever energy he had before was nearly spent and each step was 
harder than the last.  He just hoped to make it to the car before 
exhaustion overwhelmed him.

Preview of Episode 2:
	Misato here.  Shinji moves in with his estranged mother, 
Yui Ikari, finding that having a mother again is a little more than 
he bargained for.  School will be no picnic either for the young 
Ikari as the class discovers that he's the new Protector.  Things 
become even more difficult when some kids from school get 
trapped in the next incursion with him.  All in the next episode, 
School Life.  And of course:  service, service, service!

Get Free Email, Anime News, and The Best Prices at http://AnimeNation.com