Disclaimer: All characters originally appearing in Neon Genesis Evangelion and Girlfriend of Steel contained in this fiction are copyright GAiNAX, Project EVA, Movic, AD Vision and Manga Entertainment and are used without permission. You have my permission to post this work, unmodified, on your own site provided you ask me first.

A/N: This fic takes place after Episode 16 of the series. Here there be spoilers! There are also some minor 'Girlfriend of Steel' spoilers as well, though nothing crucial in the game will be revealed. You have been warned.

Promises

Chapter One

The sun slowly rose over the mountains that surrounded the awakening metropolis of Tokyo-3 to herald the start of another day. The glowing rays stretched over the beleaguered city and reflected off of the glittering skyscrapers and armament buildings. They eventually shone down on a suburb that had been spared the ravages of the Angels and fell upon three young people walking casually down the street.

One of them, a girl of about fourteen, sported a head of close-cropped powder blue hair; she wore a teal pinafore dress over a simple white blouse. If one looked closely enough, one might have noticed a faint, almost imperceptible smile on her face and a tiny glint in her scarlet eyes as she walked down the street with a brisk, efficient gait.

The girl's female companion wore an outfit identical to hers, except that she had a pair of black shoes on her feet instead of the white ones the first girl wore. Her fiery copper hair flowed down past her shoulders, while a pair of shining red metal clips on her head kept it in place. Her bangs framed a pretty face that wore an expression of smug confidence.

The third member of the trio was a brown-haired boy of roughly the same age as the two girls. He wore a plain white shirt and slacks and, to the amusement of his red-haired colleague, juggled a backpack, two book bags, a briefcase, and three lunch bags as he walked. "This is the last time I walk to school with you, Asuka!" he puffed as he struggled to keep up to the two girls. "You know I'm not good at rock-paper-scissors!"

The redhead stopped and turned to face the boy with an irritated scowl on her face. "Oh, quit your whining and be a man, Shinji!" she replied. She placed her hands on her hips. "We agreed the loser would carry everyone's bags to the next telephone pole. Besides," she added as her mouth twisted into a wicked grin, "it's not my fault playing against you is so rock-paper-easy!"

"If you do not hurry," said a soft, distant voice that somehow managed to carry itself over the rumble of nearby traffic, "we will be late."

Asuka turned her head and saw her blue-haired classmate waiting for them half a block down the street. "Hey!" the redhead exclaimed. "How did you... Wait up, Wonder Girl!" Asuka dashed down the sidewalk after her classmate. "Hurry up, idiot!" she called back over her shoulder. "You don't want us to be late for class, do you?"

"Whatever you say," Shinji sighed as he trudged after the two girls.

* * *

"What? A new transfer student?" exclaimed Touji as he sat down at his desk.

Shinji nodded. "That's what Asuka said, anyway."

The lean, athletic boy couldn't contain his excitement. "I guess I'll have to greet her, then!" He removed his hat and ran his fingers through his mop of unruly black hair.

"Hey, Touji, what makes you think it's going to be a girl?" asked a sandy-haired youth behind him.

"Well..."

"Remember," he added as he adjusted his glasses, "the last time we got a transfer student, we got her." He nodded slightly at the volatile redhead chatting with Hikari on the other side of the classroom.

"Aw, shaddap!" Touji seemed to concentrate on setting up his laptop more than he usually did in the morning. "I'm just being optimistic. Nothing wrong with that, is there Kensuke?"

"I suppose-"

The conversation stopped as the familiar sound of chimes rang through the school. The students scrambled to their seats.

"Rise!!"

Hikari Horaki's voice cut through the classroom. Her classmates stood in unison as their elderly teacher entered the room and made his way to his desk.

"Bow!"

The class did as it was ordered.

"Be seated!"

The old man's face broke into a grin as the students took their seats. "Before we continue our discussion of the Second Impact's effects on Africa's socio-political climate, I'd like you to help me greet our new classmate. Please make her feel welcome." He turned to the open doorway. "Come in, Miss Kirishima."

At the teacher's words, a smiling girl walked into Classroom 2-A. Short, wispy brown hair surrounded her cute pixyish face; her steel-gray eyes gleamed in the classroom's fluorescent lights as she grinned at her new classmates. She picked up a piece of chalk, wrote her name on the blackboard, and turned back to the class. "My name is Mana Kirishima," she said in a sweet, chirpy voice. "I'm glad to meet you."

"Glad to meet you too!" shouted Touji from his seat in the back row. Several students sniggered at his outburst while Hikari looked to the ceiling and slapped her hand over her eyes.

"Doesn't that idiot have any shame?" she muttered to herself through gritted teeth.

"Now, class, settle down." The teacher looked around the classroom, searching for a spot for his new student. "Miss Kirishima, why don't you sit..." He spied an empty desk near the middle of the room. "Next to Ikari over there."

The new student nodded to the teacher and walked down the aisle toward the empty desk. She glanced at the young man fidgeting in the seat beside it as she passed; blue eyes met gray for an instant before Shinji looked at the floor again.

"Hi, cutie." She giggled as Shinji stuttered and his face turned crimson at her remark. "You must be Ikari. Nice to meet you."

As Shinji tried in vain to stammer out a reply, Asuka let out an annoyed growl that was drowned out by the whoops and catcalls from the rest of her male classmates--all but one of them, that is.

Touji sat at his desk in the back row and clutched his head with both hands as the teacher tried to restore order. "Damn it," he moaned to himself, "Why does Shinji get all the luck?"

* * *

"Mind if I join you?"

Shinji blinked and turned around to find himself looking into a pair of smiling gray eyes again. He nodded hesitantly, then turned back to gaze at the city skyline. A gentle afternoon breeze washed over the two classmates as they leaned against the rooftop railing and gazed at the skyscrapers gleaming in the distance. "It's beautiful," Mana sighed. "Don't you agree, Ikari?"

"What, the city?"

"No, not that. The mountains."

Shinji blinked. "The mountains?" He looked at the forested peaks on the horizon. "I suppose."

The new student looked at Shinji curiously, then smiled. "Well, I guess you're too busy to enjoy the scenery, with you being an Evangelion pilot and everything."

Shinji stared at her, shocked. "H-how do you know that, Kirishima?"

"Everyone here knows it. If that's supposed to be a secret, it's the worst-kept one in the whole school."

Shinji chuckled as he recalled the commotion he had caused on his first day of class. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"You know, I'm jealous."

"Really? Why?"

"You get to go out there and protect Mankind from these horrible... things like some gallant knight, and I'm just a helpless bystander. I'm frustrated that I can't do anything at all. "

"You don't have to put it that way."

There was an awkward silence between the two teenagers for a minute.

"Ikari..." asked Mana timidly, "would you mind if I call you by your first name?"

Shinji blinked, puzzled by Mana's directness. Still, despite his shyness, Shinji felt himself growing to like the effervescent brunette, so he couldn't see any problem with her request. "I suppose. You can call me Shinji."

"Good." She gave the reserved boy a glowing smile. "Glad to meet you, Shinji. You can call me Mana."

"Nice to meet you, too... Mana."

The two classmates smiled at each other until they were interrupted by a mocking voice from behind them.

"Well, look at you two just flirting away."

Both teenagers turned their heads to the source of the voice.

"Wh-what?" stammered Shinji. "What do you mean, Asuka?"

The fiery Eva pilot placed her hands on her hips. "You two are awfully close. She's not even here a day and you're already on a first-name basis." She cocked her head accusingly at them. "Are you two childhood friends or something?"

"N-no, we just happen to get along."

"Whatever. Must be nice to be popular. Anyway, let's go," she ordered. "We're needed at headquarters."

Shinji glanced at his watch. "What, already?"

The redhead folded her arms in front of her chest and scornfully looked at her new classmate. "Kirishima, please excuse us. We have important work to do."

Shinji's cheeks flushed slightly. "Asuka..." he asked as he glanced at Mana, "could you wait for me outside?"

Asuka's smug expression disappeared. She blinked in confusion, then scowled at her roommate. "I'm so sorry for interrupting you," she huffed.

The Second Child spun on her heel and marched back to the stairs. When she reached them she turned around, stuck her tongue out at the pair, and slammed the door.

* * *

"Out of my way, you morons!"

The furious redhead shoved her way past Touji and Kensuke, nearly sending the freckled boy reeling into the wall. As the two of them watched, she stormed down the corridor and disappeared among the lockers by the school's entrance.

"Hmph. What's with Asuka the Grouch?" asked Kensuke, straightening his glasses.

"Who knows?" Touji shrugged. "Maybe it's that time of-"

"I don't think so. She's been acting weird ever since Kirishima started hitting on Shinji..." Kensuke's voice trailed off as something dawned on him. "Hey... you don't suppose...?"

The two friends looked at each other thoughtfully.

"Naaah," they said in unison.

* * *

Doctor Akagi coldly walked up to the table and dejectedly threw her clipboard down onto it with a loud clack. "Well," she announced to the three pilots sitting in front of her in the briefing room, "I must say that this has been one of the most disappointing batch of test results I've ever seen."

"Were our synch scores unsatisfactory, Doctor?" Rei asked.

"That, Rei, is an understatement. I saw a slight improvement in your score, but Asuka's was down by seven points, and Shinji's score was down by thirteen." She glared at the purple-haired woman standing next to her. "Can anyone explain this?"

Misato blinked. "What are you looking at me for?"

"They're both in your care."

"That doesn't prove a thing."

"With the way you live, I'm surprised we haven't had to deal with anything more serious than low synch scores."

"Now see here-"

"If you ask me," interrupted Asuka, "it's all because of Shinji's lovesickness."

"Lovesickness!?" Misato and Ritsuko exclaimed together. They both stared at Shinji, who suddenly looked decidedly uncomfortable.

Ritsuko arched an eyebrow at the Third Child. "Care to explain?"

Shinji stared at the floor and blushed furiously. "Uh, um, well, there's this new girl in class... Mana Kirishima-"

"Who's been putting the moves on him ever since she arrived." The redhead scowled. "It's disgusting! She has no shame at all!"

Misato smirked. "Looks like you're jealous of having Shinji stolen, Asuka. Maybe that's why your synch score also dropped today."

Asuka huffed and folded her arms. "It's still better than his. What makes you think I'd be interested in a brat like him anyway?"

"Brat!?" Shinji protested. "I'm the same you age you are!"

"That's enough!" Ritsuko shouted as she tiredly rubbed her temples. "Okay, there's nothing more for you guys to do here, so you might as well go home. I want better results out of all of you tomorrow, understood?" The edge in her voice left no room for argument. The Children sullenly filed out of the room and headed for the showers.

Ritsuko picked her clipboard up from the table. "I'm getting too old to be babysitting those kids," she muttered to herself as she gathered her papers. She looked up and noticed Misato grinning at her. "What are you looking at?" she demanded.

"Oh, nothing. Welcome to my world."

* * *

For the Third Child, the next few days were a blur of school, homework, chores, and endless testing. He found that what little free time he had was being spent more and more with Mana. Not that he had any complaints.

About a week after her arrival, the two of them were on their way to the library for an after-school study session. As they walked down the street, Shinji spotted a familiar blue sports coupe parked in front of a supermarket, with an even more familiar person sitting behind the wheel.

"Misato!" he called. "What are you doing here?"

"Just doing a little shopping. Hey, is this your friend?"

"Yes." Mana bowed respectfully to the older woman. "I'm Mana Kirishima."

"Misato Katsuragi. Nice to meetcha." She smirked and looked at Mana slyly. "You're Shinji's girlfriend, aren't you?"

"Misato!" Shinji cried, shocked.

Shinji's guardian winked at the young woman. "I'm sure you'll lo-o-ve him. I hear he's a fabulous kisser..."

"Misato!!"

"Oh, you know I'm just teasing, Shinji. I just love it when you go ballistic like that." Misato giggled and turned back to Mana. "You know, you should come over sometime."

Mana looked at Shinji, confused. "You mean...?"

Shinji nodded. "I live with Misato and Asuka."

"Oh, really..." Mana cocked an eyebrow at her classmate.

Shinji's face turned scarlet. "It's not like that!"

Misato giggled again. "You're a fast learner, aren't you?"

Mana smiled mischievously. "You're right, this is fun."

The sound of the supermarket door sliding open saved the Third Child from any further damage to what was left of his dignity. Kaji strolled out of the store, weighed down by no less than six grocery bags filled with snack food.

"Why did you get this much?" Misato asked, puzzled.

The unkempt man grinned. "We've got a lot of work to do tonight. I figured this way we could feed everyone in the command center."

"Idiot. What'll happen if chips get in the computers?"

Kaji shrugged as he put the bags in the back seat. "Potato chips, memory chips, what's the difference?" He turned and saw the two teenagers standing next to the car. "Hi, Shinji," he called jovially. "How's our little Casanova?"

Shinji groaned. "Not you too, Kaji..."

"That's a cute friend you have there." He turned to Mana and gave her a charming smile. "You must be..."

"...Someone who shouldn't be talking with a man like you!" Misato cut in sharply. "Chasing after eighth graders! How low can you get, Kaji? Let's go!"

"Hey, what's wrong with a simple greeting?" Kaji protested as he climbed into the passenger seat. "I didn't even get her name yet!"

Misato started the car, waved at Shinji and Mana, and pulled out of the parking stall to the sound of screeching tires. The two friends watched them speed away.

"Misato seems like a very interesting person," Mana said.

Shinji nodded his head. "You don't know the half of it."

* * *

Deep within Terminal Dogma, two people stood in front of a slender, naked body suspended in a cylinder of LCL. The glowing amber lights from the floor cast an eerie glow within the dark, tomblike chamber.

"I've delegated the transportation of the Unit to the U.N.," rumbled a flat baritone voice clearly audible over the hum of machinery echoing through the room. "It will arrive by the end of the weekend." Gendo Ikari turned to the scientist next to him "You'll take care of it from there."

"Yes, sir," replied Ritsuko. "We'll perform the modifications and the activation test in Matsushiro."

Gendo grunted. "And the test pilot will be...?"

Ritsuko flipped through the papers on her clipboard and shook her head. "Use of the dummy plug is not recommended at this time. One of our prospective candidates..."

"...will be chosen as the Fourth Child?" finished Gendo.

"Yes. There are two children whose cores can be prepared immediately."

Gendo nodded, then let his gaze travel up to Rei's peaceful face. "Then I'll trust you to make it so."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

"Hi, Mana. What are you doing wasting your lunch break in here?" Shinji asked as he walked into the library.

"Oh, hi, Shinji." The brunette looked up from a map she had spread out on a table. "I'm just checking out things to do around town. I figured I might as well explore a little now that I'm settled in." She frowned and pointed to a large lake on the edge of the map. "Have you ever been here?"

"Lake Ashi? Just once, with Touji and Kensuke a while ago."

"What's it like there?"

"It's really popular. There's a hot spring there, a pirate ship that sails around the lake, a tram that goes up the side of the mountain, and a village with those little souvenir shops."

"It sounds like a nice place." Mana thoughtfully stared at the map. "It's supposed to be sunny on Sunday, but..." her voice trailed off sadly.

"But what?"

"It's no fun going by yourself."

"Well, I wouldn't mind going again either. Do you suppose..."

Mana's eyes widened; she brought her hand up to her open mouth in surprise. "Shinji!" she gasped. "It sounds like you're asking me out."

Shinji blushed as he suddenly realized that that was exactly what he had been doing without thinking. "W-well..."

She placed her hands on her hips and fixed the boy with a level gaze. "You are, aren't you?"

He looked at his feet and nodded timidly. "I..."

Mana smiled in delight, her gray eyes twinkling. "I'd love to go!"

"I-I mean, um, I'd understand if you don't, so..." Shinji paused for a second. "What?" he nearly shouted in disbelief as her words finally sank in.

"You should listen a little more. I said yes."

The Third Child's mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out for a few seconds. "R-really?" he asked when he finally found his voice again.

She nodded, blushing.

"That's great! I'll check the bus schedules after school."

"I'll pack a lunch for us, then!" Mana excitedly tore a page from her notebook, scribbled something on it, and handed it to Shinji. "Here's my number. Call me tonight when you figure everything out, okay?"

"Sure."

"Promise? I'll be waiting..."

"I promise-"

Just then, the sound of the chimes echoed through the school, signalling the start of afternoon classes. Shinji and Mana looked at each other.

"Damn!" they exclaimed together.

The two children scooped up their books and ran back to the classroom.

* * *

Muted instrumental music filled the air as the Third Child walked down the hallway on his way to the lounge. He stretched in a vain attempt to get the kinks out of his back. Shinji wasn't really scheduled for a break, but he just had to get something to wash the taste of LCL out of his mouth after spending four hours in a simulation plug.

He entered the lounge and saw Misato leaning against one of the machines. She waved enthusiastically at him and grinned.

"Misato! Hi!" he called, then walked over and was about to put a coin into a drink machine when she waved his hand away.

"Here, this one's on me." She bought two cans of tea and handed one to Shinji. "What's this I hear about you going on a date tomorrow?" she asked as she opened her drink.

"Huh?" Shinji stopped in mid-sip. "How did you know?"

"A little bird told me."

Probably a loud, red-plumed one, he thought to himself. "It's nothing, really. Mana and I are just going to spend the day at Lake Ashi."

"Really? Congrats, Romeo." She smiled and affectionately punched Shinji in the shoulder. "Ah, young love. My little Shinji's growing up so fast..." she sighed wistfully with an exaggerated dreamy look in her eyes.

"Misato..."

"You know, I expect to hear all the steamy details when you get home..."

Shinji defiantly closed his eyes and folded his arms in front of him. "Stop teasing me."

"Oh, all right." She paused, thinking, with a twinkle in her brown eyes. "But I'm still going to have to have that talk with you tonight..."

"Misato!!"

* * *

The wedge-shaped B-5 strategic bomber flew lazily westward high over the Pacific. The gigantic aircraft was designed to deliver enough destructive force to level a city, but for this mission it carried something far more devastating.

This is Neo Path 4-0-0," the pilot announced as he adjusted his radio gain slightly. "Cumulonimbus clouds confirmed." He glanced at his instruments. "Barometer indicates no hazard. We're on course and expect to arrive on schedule. Over."

There was a slight pause before the speaker crackled to life again. "This is Ecta 6-4," the disembodied voice said. "Over and out."

The pilot let out a breath and flipped a few switches until the red autopilot indicator flashed on, then looked over at the young woman sitting next to him. "So how do you like flying this crate so far?" he asked as he wearily undid his oxygen mask and scratched his salt-and-pepper beard.

"It's okay, I guess." The co-pilot looked out through the cockpit glass as the air around the bomber began to grow hazy. She drummed her fingers on her lap. "Boring, though."

The pilot grunted. "Get used to it. Japan's still four hours away." The outside world disappeared as the plane entered the cloudbank. "It isn't as glamorous as flying Raptors was back in my day, but-"

The co-pilot jumped in surprise and shielded her eyes as a burst of blinding cerulean light flashed across the cockpit windshield. "What the hell was that?"

"Just some electrical discharge, I suppose," her companion said as he checked the instruments again. Satisfied, he relaxed in his chair. "Nothing to worry about."

"If you say so." She stifled a yawn. "Boy, I could really use some coffee right about now."

The pilot grinned as he pulled a thermos out from behind his seat. "Now that you mention it..."

The jet-black aircraft continued on its way over the ocean. For a few seconds, faint traces of crackling energy played over the surface of the precious cargo suspended underneath its fuselage, then all was quiet again.

* * *

"Aaah..."

Shinji closed his eyes as he sank up to his chin in the warm mineral water. The steam rising from the surface tickled his nose while the heady smell of pine trees filled the air. He recalled the time he had visited a hot spring with Asuka and Misato, and idly wondered why he didn't do it more often.

This is what Heaven must feel like...

"Okay, Shinji, I'm coming in." Mana's voice came to him through the mist and brought him back to reality. He shifted his body so his back faced the dressing rooms; unlike most hot springs, this one had a single shared pool instead of separate ones for men and women.

"All right, I'm ready."

"And no peeking! Promise?"

Shinji grinned as he squeezed his eyes tighter. "I promise."

A faint splash and a subtle change in the rhythm of the ripples lapping against Shinji's body heralded Mana's arrival. Her shoulders brushed against his back as she settled down on the smooth rocks underneath. He gulped as his mind wandered; briefly, he concentrated to avoid the effects of thermal expansion on a certain part of his body. The contented sigh that came from behind him didn't help matters in that department much.

"Ooh, this is nice," Mana purred.

Shinji sighed as he let the water perform its magic on his body. The warmth surrounded him and worked its way inside, relieving the tension in places he didn't know he had any. Beads of sweat and condensation formed on his forehead and ran down his face to join the water in the spring.

The two teenagers relaxed for some time, facing away from each other, until Mana broke the peaceful silence.

"Shinji?"

"Yes?"

"My back's getting all itchy. Could you scrub it for me, please?"

She giggled as Shinji suddenly thrashed, sputtered, and nearly dunked his head under the water.

* * *

Misato leaned against a well-used metal filing cabinet and looked at her friend curiously. The smells of coffee and stale cigarette smoke surrounded her as she idly caressed the tiny porcelain cat figurine in her hands. "What is it?" she asked the blonde woman sitting at the desk. "You look so serious."

"It's Unit 03's activation test," Ritsuko said, her voice barely audible over the sound of the printers. "We'll be using the Fourth as the pilot."

"The Fourth?" Misato blinked in surprise as Ritsuko's words sank in. "The Fourth Child's been found?"

The blonde nodded. "Just yesterday."

Misato's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "But I haven't received a report from the Marduk Institute yet."

Ritsuko took a long drag from her cigarette. "The official documents will be delivered tomorrow." She exhaled and crushed out the cigarette in an overflowing ashtray next to the keyboard.

The violet-haired woman's brows furrowed as she gave her colleague a sidelong glance. "Doctor Akagi, are you hiding something from me again?"

"No, nothing at all."

"Well, okay." Misato set the figurine down, grabbed her half-finished cup of coffee, and peered at Ritsuko's terminal. "So, who's the kid?"

The doctor typed in a command. After a second, the computer beeped and flashed the Fourth Child's picture and profile on the screen.

"Christ!" Misato gasped and nearly dropped her mug. "It's her?"

* * *

Mana's white sunhat rested on her lap as the two teenagers began the long ride back to the city. The bright orange rays of the setting sun poured into the bus through the rear window, tinting everything inside with a deep amber cast. She quietly sat on the hard seat, playing the events of the day over in her mind.

All in all, the date had been almost perfect. The lake and hot springs, surrounded by pine trees and mountains, were as beautiful as she had imagined they would be. They had fun browsing in the quaint little stores in the shopping district; she had even convinced some passing tourists to take a picture of the two of them with her camera. Best of all, she enjoyed Shinji's company once she managed to coax him out of his shell. Then there was that shy, innocent smile of his...

Mana jumped a little as she felt something brush against her arm. She looked down to see Shinji's hand resting on the seat between them. Her gaze moved up to the boy's face; he sat there, staring out the window at the scenery as the forest slowly gave way to gently rolling fields. Hesitantly, the brunette reached down and gently placed her slender hand on top of his.

Shinji jerked at the unexpected contact. For a long moment, Mana worried that he would move his hand away, that she had pushed things too far too soon. Uncertainty filled her mind as his hand trembled at her touch.

After a long, awkward moment, his hand slowly turned itself over to rest against hers, its palm facing upward. Their fingers linked together. Mana smiled to herself and glanced at Shinji; she saw the same smile mirrored on his face as he sat peacefully with his eyes closed.

Now it was perfect.

* * *

"Bye, Shinji," Mana called as he climbed aboard another bus. "I had a great time. Call me!"

Shinji waved back at her from the window. "I will. See you at school."

Mana placed her hat back on her head as she watched Shinji's bus drive off into the traffic and disappear around a corner. She turned around and was about to make her way to her stop when a large man stepped in front of her.

"Are you Mana Kirishima?" he rumbled.

Startled, she looked up. A pair of men in identical dark suits loomed over her with stony expressions on their faces.

"Y-yes..." she replied timidly. "Is there something wrong?"

The men reached into their jacket pockets and flipped open their wallets. Mana's eyes went wide when she saw their identification.

"If you could come with us, please?"

The brunette nodded nervously and removed her sunhat. "Yes, of course," she replied.

The two men led the trembling young woman to a nondescript black sedan parked on the street beside the station. One of them opened the rear door for her and waited for her to climb inside.

* * *

"I'm home!" called Shinji as he kicked off his sneakers and placed them by the front door of the apartment.

"Mmm-hmm." Asuka lay on the living room floor, splitting her attention between a magazine and a soap opera. Beside her, Pen-pen was stretched out on the carpet next to a half-eaten bag of popcorn, snoozing.

He shrugged off his roommate's distracted response and looked around the apartment. "Hey, where's Misato?"

"Still at work. She called a little while ago. She should be back soon."

"She's working on a Sunday? That's odd." He picked up a manga from the floor and sat down at the little table in the living room. "What's for dinner?"

"Take-out."

"You really should learn to cook one of these days, you know."

"Hmph. Just be thankful it's not Misato's-"

"It's not Misato's what?" Major Katsuragi asked suspiciously as she poked her head around the front door.

"Nothing." Asuka kept watching the television as if nothing had happened.

Misato incredulously stared at the redhead for a moment before she saw Shinji sitting at the table. She smiled nervously. "Ah, there you are. Good. I need to talk to you."

"If it's about dinner, Asuka already ordered take-out."

"No, it's something more important than that." Her smile evaporated as she turned her head to the redhead lounging on the living room floor. "Asuka, could you give us a moment please?"

"I'm comfortable! Why should I have to move-"

Her objection was interrupted by the shrill warble of the phone's ringer.

"I'll get it."

Shinji stood up and grabbed the cordless phone off its cradle before Misato had a chance to object. "Hello, Katsuragi residence," he announced.

"Shinji?" The youthful voice on the other end of the line was practically bubbling over with excitement. His heart gave a little skip as he recognized the caller.

"Mana? Is that you?"

Asuka's eyes narrowed. Misato's widened.

"Oh, Shinji!" she said giddily. "I just got the most exciting news!"

"Really?"

"Guess what? Just after you left the station, some men from NERV picked me up and took me to your headquarters-"

"H-headquarters!?" Shinji's brow wrinkled in confusion. "What were you doing there?"

"I was just getting to that. Guess what! I'm going to be an Eva pilot! Just like you!"

Shinji blanched; the phone began to tremble in his hand. He stared at Misato with an expression of shock, dread, and disbelief. His guardian bit her lip and solemnly nodded at his unspoken question.

"I start my training tomorrow! Oh, this is so thrilling! We can go out there and make the world safe together! I can finally make a difference! Isn't that wonderful news, Shinji? Aren't you happy for me?"

The handset slipped from Shinji's shaking hand and bounced softly on the carpet. As he stood there, trying to make sense of everything, he heard Mana's tinny voice through the earpiece as it lay on the floor by his feet.

"Hello? Shinji? Are you there?"

"Hello?"

"Hello...?"

* * *