As the class prepared for their trip to Okinawa there was much rejoicing... except for four students, all of whom watched the giddy students with some annoyance. Shinji Ikari sighed as the slim, black haired girl sat back at her desk, "Why do ALL of us have to stay?" She looked over at Asuka and smiled slyly, "I bet you could take on a Angel all alone." Asuka gave him a look, the orange haired spitfire clearly aware that agreeing or disagreeing might be a trap. "That's right," she tossed her head, "but NERV has decided to have all it's pilots ready." "In case you need rescuing again?" Rei wondered softly, her light blue hair falling into her red eyes. Asuka scowled at the pale girl, "Shut up!" "You too?" Mana Kirishima asked, the redhead sitting nearby as she ate her lunch. She had recovered fairly quickly from the trouncing the Angel had given her and Jet Alone, only still bearing a few scrapes and bruises. "Yeah," Shinji agreed, "we're all on alert just in case." Mana looked annoyed, "Jet Alone hasn't even been repaired and I'm still being kept here." She pouted, "I wanna see Okinawa!" Asuka actually chuckled before recovering her poise. "Anyway, our duty requires us to stay here," she said firmly, "besides, I'm sure Okinawa isn't THAT good." Everyone other than Rei gave her a look. "Sun, sand and guys or girls in swimwear? Are you out of your mind?" Mana sighed. "We could always do it here." Rei noted mildly. This time, everyone looked at Rei. "You know," Mana sighed, "it's better if you have someone you want to... attract there." "Ah," Rei nodded. Later, after class Shinji, Asuka and Rei headed off, walking together as they talked quietly. "So how's the suite NERV set up for you?" Shinji asked Asuka, curious as she'd been tempted to look into such a option herself. "Lousy," Asuka shrugged, "there's no view, the reception is bad, the internet is dial-up and my nearest neighbor is her." "Rei?" Shinji blinked. "We're not far from each other," Rei calmly noted, "and as the building is owned by NERV it was probably convenient." "Not to me it's not," Asuka growled out as she continued, "as soon as possible I'm looking into a alternative." Shinji looked at Rei and noted the slightest sign of relief. 'Guess Asuka isn't that good of a neighbor,' she mused. As they reached her corner she nodded to them and said, "Well, I guess I'll see you at NERV later." Rei nodded as Asuka said, "When we do, try not to get in my way this time?" "Sure," Shinji waved as she let Asuka's miss-aimed barb slide off harmlessly. If anyone was to blame for their thrashing at the hands of the latest Angel it was Jet Alone, and even Asuka would have to concede the things' ability to split was unprecedented. "Oh yes, YES!" Shinji heard a familiar voice cry as she opened the door. 'Oh no,' she thought weakly as Shinji quietly slipped her shoes off. "Harder, faster!" Ritsuko shouted from the living room. "You're doing great!" Misato yelped. Dreading what she was going to see Shinji quietly made her way up the hall only to pause in surprise. Ritsuko and Misato were sitting in front of the TV, playing a older video game system Shinji had noticed was kept under the television. As they were about to start yelling again Shinji calmly noted, "If someone overheard they might get the wrong idea." "Oh, you're back Shin-chan," Misato said, the black haired woman in a slinky black skirt not turning away from the screen as she asked, "could you be a dear and get me a drink?" "Misato," Ritsuko scolded, the dyed blonde also not turning away from her gaming. Shinji chuckled as she retrieved a beer and a soda and set them by the correct parental figure. "You two do this often?" she asked, watching as armored figures shot at each other and the enemy on the screen. Misato grinned as she used a rocket launcher, "Every few weeks we dig this out and blow things up... I think it helps relieve the tension of working at NERV." "I guess that makes sense," Shinji conceded. After a few hours of dealing with her father, she probably would want to blow things up too. After a final burst of explosions they finished, MIsato bumping a fist in the air as she cackled evilly. "One of these days I'll get you," Ritsuko grumbled. "Promises, promises," Misato winked at her lover impishly. Shinji cleared her throat as she asked, "So, are we eating dinner here or getting something up at the base?" Reluctantly Ritsuko turned her attention to Shinji, "It's up to you, actually. I've got Maya monitoring some unusual readings in the mountains, but it's not too urgent..." ring The phone interrupted Ritsuko midsentence. "Spoke too soon," Misato muttered as she picked it up, "Katsuragi residence. Yes, Maya, she's here..." "Damn," Ritsuko muttered under her breath as she took it then brightly said, "Yes?" She listened, a frown appearing as she nodded slightly, "All right,continue to monitor the situation. We're coming in." "Angels?" Shinji wondered as she followed them to the door and hurriedly slipped her shoes on. Ritsuko hopped a bit as she yanked her runners on, her white lab coat fluttering, "It's possible, but the readings are... strange." "This is the volcano, right?" MIsato asked as she slung her usual jacket on. "Hmm," Ritsuko nodded as they headed out to the sports car Misato preferred, "We picked up odd, almost biological readings inside the mountain... and our latest probes imply it may be a Angel." "Imply and might doesn't sound so sure," Shinji noted as she climbed into the back seat. Ritsuko didn't seem bothered by the question as she belted in, "The reading we've been getting have been odd, so much so we sent in a remote probe." She sounded excited, "I'll need to go over Maya's data, but it could be a Angel egg!" "So what do we do about it?" Misato asked reasonably as they peeled out and sped on the way to NERV. "Crack it before it hatches?" Shinji suggested. Ritsuko looked shocked, "This could be a invaluable opportunity for research!" Shinji shook her head, "And it could try to kill us all." MIsato cleared her throat pointedly. "It isn't a decision that'll be made on our level anyway," she reminded them both as they ripped across the city then down through the tunnel access to NERV. Not long after they split off, Ritsuko hurrying off to run through the data as Misato and Shinji ordered takeout to be delivered to NERV. "It'll be about twenty minutes," Shinji reported, putting down the phone, "I ordered extra for Rei and Asuka, just in case." "Good thinking," Misato agreed as they walked to a unoccupied meeting room Ritsuko had reserved, "I hadn't realized you were so fierce about the Angels, Shinji." Shinji paused, her school skirt swirling around her legs as she looked up at Misato. "Having them try to kill me a few times," she said dryly, "has kind of influenced me a bit." With that she turned and walked on. Misato hurried after as she mused, 'I forget sometimes how different it is for her. All of us are in danger from the Angels, but Shinji and the other pilots face a more immediate, personal danger than we do.' "About time," Asuka looked up from where she had taken a seat, her eyes more welcoming than her tone of voice. "Welcome, Major," Rei addressed Misato but her gaze landed on Shinji and stayed there, lingering thoughtfully. "Dinner's on it's way thanks to Shinji," Misato said briskly, "and once Ritsuko finishes the data analysis she'll brief Gendo then us." "What did you order?" Asuna asked as Shinji took a open seat spaced evenly between Rei and Asuka. "Chinese," Shinji said, "they usually send extra in case any of the staff wants some, too." Asuna reluctantly said, "I suppose so." Misato watched with some amusement as Shinji attempted to keep the peace between the two polar opposite girls even as she included Misato. Thankfully Ritsuko arrived not long after, the set of her shoulders showing she was in her chief scientist mode. "We've confirmed that the entity is a unborn Angel," Ritsuko said briskly as she activated the monitor in the room to show a cut away simulation of the mountain's interior, "and Commander Ikari has ordered a retrieval mission."
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