"We're doing WHAT?" Asuka blinked in surprise as she and Rei caught up with Misato on another of their busy days. "Unarmed combat training," Misato said cheerfully, eyeing the orange haiered young woman thoughtfully, "we'll have the first session in a few days." Asuka shook her head as she admitted, "I'm not quite sure I get the point of that. The power we have in Evangelion kind of makes those sort of skills unnecessary." "Rei?" Misato looked over at her curiously, wanting to see how she would react. The blue haired girl looked thoughtful, her red eyes narrowed as she considered it. "There is the continuing possiblility that we may face one or more rogue EVAs," she finally said, "whom match us in physical power." "Very good," Misato flashed a smile. Asuka had a wry smile as she nodded too, "Point." Rei actually blushed slightly, looking down. "Thank you," she said softly, a slight smile tugging at her lips. The NERV complex around them was as busy as usual, staff rushing about the underground complex beneath the city. The motorized walkway that they were on was rapidly carrying them right through the science division towards personel, many of Ritsuko's staff bustling about around them. Even farther below them the construction of the new prototype Archangel system was moving ahead, the work seeming to fire up the place with a new energy. "So are we bringing someone new in to do the training?" Asuka asked, her long black pants swishing slightly as she moved. Beside her Rei was dressed in her usual girl's uniform, the two of them making a unique sort of couple. "New," Misato agreed, "she's already a NERV employee, but with the defensive corps rather than our staff here." She hesitated a few seconds, "Dr. Mizuno is here today to examine Yui and she also wanted the chance to look you over, Asuka." Asuka had a very wary look in her eye, her black eyepatch especially bold on her pale face as she asked, "Why?" "Your eye," Misato admitted just a bit sheepishly, "I was hoping that a second opinion might help. Mizuno's worked on neurology as well as general medicne..." Asuka was faintly surprised to see a faint bit of guilt in Misato's eyes and sighed. She had told Misato that her injuries weren't the other woman's responsibility, but it obviously hadn't sunk in. "All right," she conceded, "I'll go." "Thanks," Misato grinned. They passed through one of the armor sections that protected the underground base from any surface attacks as she continued, "I won't be home till late, can you order out some dinner?" "Of course," Rei said mildly. Asuka looked at Misato curiously, "Working late?" "Not exactly," Misato actually reddened slightly, "I have a date." Asuka and Rei both looked up at her in surprise. Suspiciously Asuka asked, "Ritsuko and Maya didn't talk you into a threesome or something, did they?" Misato blinked at Asuka in shock, "Where did you get THAT idea?" Asuka blushed slightly under both Misato and Rei's looks, "What, I remember our little trip to the hotsprings, Misato." A faint blush, "You two weren't exactly silent." "Eh?" Rei looked at Asuka curiously. Misato's face was beet red, literally, at the memories Asuka's comment had stirred up. "No, they didn't," she said with as much dignity as possible, "in fact it's your new trainer." "Is he cute?" Rei asked in a slightly detached way. Misato was moving off as she answered, "Yes, she is." Later on that day Asuka sat rather uncomfortably on a table as Dr. Ami Mizuno shone a light into her good eye and then into her nearly blind one. "Do you see anything?" Ami asked, the blue haired woman's hand gentle as she steadied Asuka's head. "Not really," Asuka admitted. Ami put the light down, sitting by Asuka as she studied her thoughtfully. The doctor seemed young for her age, maybe in her twenties, and there was a gentleness in her eyes. "You're presenting us with quite a puzzle," she finally said. "As much as Yui?" Asuka asked. "Nearly," Ami chuckled softly. Asuka took a nervous breath, "So what's the prognosis?" Ami picked up a report, her expression grave. "As you know both catscans and neurological exams were given after you were found unconscious with Shinji, and when you began to show signs of blindness," she said. "And?" Asuka asked with a touch of impatience. "We haven't been able to find a physical cause for your injury," Ami finished. Asuka looked at her blankly a few moments, trying to think about it a bit before blurting out something. "So what's going on?" she asked. "Talking with Ritsuko and Yui we've devised a working theory," Ami said gently, "your EVA was stabbed through the same eye in your battle with the mas production EVAs, correct?" Asuka winced in memory of the agony she had felt then, the event that had lead into the swarming and destruction of her EVA. Voice a bit choked she answered, "Yes." "It seems that the feedback from the EVA to your brain was so strong that it literally convinced you that you were blind in that eye," Ami explained. Asuka reached up, fingers gently resting against the black cloth as she quietly asked, "So how do we fix this?" "I don't know," Ami said honestly, "this isn't a simple situation. It's as much psychological as neurological, and it may not... be treatable." Asuka closed her eye, taking a deep breath. "All right," she said, "I don't think I was really expecting anything else." "I'll pass the information on to your staff doctors," Ami said, "and Ritsuko seems especially eager to help tackle the problem." "Misplaced guilt it a wonderful motivator," Asuka noted as they went out into the hall, Rei looking up with a happy smile from where she waited. "That it is," Ami agreed, noting with some amusement how Rei simply enfolded the startled Asuka in a hug. "I'll inform Misato when I give her the report on Yui," she said as she left, deciding to leave the girls alone. "How are you?" Rei asked, keeping a firmhold on Asuka. "They'ree not sure what's wrong with my eye," Asuka was surprised to find herself giving it a hopefull spin, "but they don't thik there's any physical damage." "I'm glad," Rei hugged her gently. The two walked by a hospital window, the sun outside begining to set behind the towers of Megatokyo. "I wonder if Misato's date has started yet?" Asuka wondered. Across town Misato nervously checked her watch, the little red dress she was wearing hugging her form. She couldn't believe she was out here, honestly, waiting around for a date to come by and pick her up. Still, since she had first interviewed the woman a few days ago Misato hadn't been able to get that handsome face out of her mind... The black european sportscar swung around the corner gracefully before sliding to a stop. The drivers side swung open as she got out, her short black hair styled in a boyish way, the crisp black suit hugging her slim form. She smiled warmly, brown eyes twinkling as she said, "I hope you weren't waiting long, Ms. Katsuragi." "It's Misato, please," she answered, "and can I call you Aoba?" Aoba Kinushima chuckled softlly as she opened the door for Misato, "I'd be honored." 'Gentlemanly, too,' Misato thought in pleasure, 'I think I'm going to enjoy tonight.' To be continued... Note: Aoba Kinushima is a character from the manga Maniac Road, and like most of the other EVA characters was named after a ship. I'd recomet the manga for the comedy value, as well ass the running joke involving Aoba being a bit of a babe magnet.
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