CHAPTER 1

It had been a long for day for Misato.

First there was a blackout that affected the entire city of Tokyo-3 and even NERV. Something that shouldn't have even been possible, given the triple-redundant backup circuits that could not all fail at once. Which naturally suggested sabotage by a powerful third party... To make matters worse, an Angel then showed up on that very day and tried to make its way down to Terminal Dogma. Luckily, the staff and Commander Ikari were there to prepare the Evas for manual launch. The Angel's AT Field was surprisingly weak and hadn't even been able to resist a volley from a pallet gun. It was still too close for her taste.

'Too damn close. I wouldn't mind if the rest of those things would go down as easily as this one... but I'm not that stupid to think that would happen.'

Yet... worse than the Angel catching them with their pants down, worse than the attempted backstabbing by the US or the JDF or whoever else wished to have her boot up their ass, was the fact that she was trapped in an elevator with that man, of all the people working at the facility.

She had been caught in a rather compromising position when she was found by Rits, Hyuga and Maya, none of whom were particularly interested in her (entirely true) explanation of having tried to get to the emergency hatch by way of his shoulders as her stepping stone. Reckless, yes... but tell that to her bladder.

'Ugh, I need a beer... or twenty. Anything to make this day just a foggy memory.'

All in all it had been a very tiring day made worse by paperwork she had to fill out chronicling the day's events (some of which she's planning on leave out)

"Finally, I'm finished! God writing reports is such a pain. I would rather deal with Asuka in her more bombastic moments than do this all day. Sub-commander Fuyutsuki has my deepest sympathies." She chuckled.

Now that all the dreaded paperwork was done she could finally head home. On her way home in her car (which was still mostly wrecked due to the 3rd Angel) she watched as the power returned to the city and the disposal crew tore away at the spider-like Angel's body.

Misato smiled. "That's seven down, eight to go."

After a long drive, Misato was at the door of her apartment and heard screaming coming from inside. At first she was worried that it might be trouble. After all, it was believed that someone caused the blackout and NERV was most likely the target; but as she listened more closely she realized it was her two wards yelling at each other. She smirked a bit and with that she went in knowing whatever they were arguing about was bound to be a headache.

When she came in, Misato found Shinji and Asuka in each other's faces. At first glance one may think they were just about to kiss given how close they were, if it weren't for the utter disdain on both their faces.

"You're a cheater! I can't believe that the Third would stoop to such lows, but I suppose it should be expected! After all: I am the superior fighter with years of training under my belt compared to your meager few—"

"I didn't cheat! I beat you fair and square and something tells me that your 'years of training' didn't cover video games given how well you played."

"What! What did you just say?!"

Misato, amused, didn't know whether to get a beer and watch the argument play out or break up the fight. In the end she decided on a compromise. She grabbed a beer from the fridge, took a swig, and said to the two, "Well, now it's a bit early for you to start arguing like an old married couple I had hoped it wouldn't happen this soon but better now than never."

She watched as their faces turned redder than a tomato and then both of them said,"We are not a couple—"

"Like I would ever lower myself to be with Baka Shinji! Kaji is the only man for—"

"Asuka, even if you were old enough for him, Kaji is not worth the trouble trust me on that." A vein then appeared on Misato's forehead that looked like it was about to burst.

"Yeah, said Shinji "I don't think Mister Kaji wants people thinking that he is interested in children."

"I am not a child! I'm grown. Look at me." Shinji started to look towards her body but then he put his head down in shame as other thoughts came to mind.. At the same time, Asuka glanced back to Shinji and realized he wasn't looking at her, which caused her to get annoyed. "You know what, I have had a long day I am going bed. Don't wake me."

Asuka then slammed the door to her room, hard. Shinji himself, feeling tired, decided it was time for him to retire to his room too. But before he could do so, he wanted to know one thing.

"Misato, do you need something to eat? I know it's late but I wanted to ask."

"No thanks, kiddo. I'm not very hungry tonight and I know you're tired. You can go to bed if you want."

"Thank you."

Shinji then went into his room and proceeded to close the door slowly so he wouldn't wake Asuka.

Misato also decided it was time for her to hit the sack, but in order to sleep she needed a little bit of help. So, she grabbed a case of beer and headed to her room.

"Ten should be enough for me to get a good night's rest," she said quietly to herself.

As Misato began to undress she heard her Nerv-issued cell phone ring. She immediately answered, thinking it must be another angel attack or something just as bad.

"Katsuragi here, what's the situation?"

"Heey there Misa, you answered! I was worrying that you had blacked... blacked out by now". The caller hiccupped.

"What the-? Misato yelled, disbelieving what she was hearing. Rits are…are you drunk?"

"Maa~ybe..." She slurred.

"Hey, quiet! I am trying to get some shut-eye here!" Asuka shouted.

"Sorry," Misato called as she headed out of her room and into the hallway so the kids could sleep.

On the phone was Ritsuko Akagi, Nerv's chief scientist and her best friend and from the sound of it, completely wasted. It was something she never saw her do before. (except once during college).

"Rits, what going on? Why are you loaded in the middle of the night, calling me? The line is reserved for emergencies only."

"...The em... emer... that one? Huh. I thought it was my normal one."

Misato sighed, wondering if she was this annoying when drunk.

"Ash to whyyy 'm callin', iz becaushe that now that youuuu an' Kaji hav gotten back t'gether I," HIC~! "wan' some relatshoo... relationship avdice 'bout a man I am seeing... fucking... havvin' an 'ffair with... I dunno, depends on how ya look at it."

If it was possible for Misato's jaw to hit the floor it would have, ignoring the fact she thought that (sigh) Kaji and her were back together (which wasn't going to happen even if hell froze over) it was the idea that Ritsuko was seeing someone was unthinkable. She had to know more about this.

"Rits, what do you mean you're having an affair?! If the man you're seeing is married you should kick his ass to the curb— those types of relationships never end out well.

"He'z... he'z only technically married," she said bitterly. "His wife died years ago, but he won' move on from her n' I want him to move from her." Misato could tell over the phone that her friend was barely holding it together. "To be only with m-me, to... to only need me, but he's... so cold to me. He only thinks 'f her."

"...I don't want to f-feel 'lone anymore. 'Cause lately, I'm not happy anymore, not even when he makez luv t' me. Misa... will you help me?""

For Misato, this was a lot to take in. Most of the time, Ritsuko was calm and collected—To hear her be so open, so vulnerable was something very new to her indeed.

"...Sure Rits, I'll help you."

"R-really?"

"Yes, really. You're my friend, Rits—you do the same for me, and even if you didn't I'll still help you."

"Thanksh... c-can we talk more about this tomorrow? 'n person?"

"Sure. Where do you want to meet up?"

"How 'bout... that new café— th' one that opened up last week, an's like two blocks frum your apartment? 'bout... ten 'n the morning-ish?"

"Sounds like a plan, Rits."

"An' Misato... now that you and Kaji are an item again, I hope you two will have lovemaking on a schedule~, she slurred. "We don't want an incident with you two like—" *click*

Misato hung up her phone.

"I really hope that drunk Ritsuko is not going to become a thing now." Shaking her head, she quietly walked back into her apartment.

After undressing and getting into her bed, Misato stared up at the ceiling, wondering.

'So Rits is asking my help to save her relationship, she must be around 0.5% if she asking me, the failure who couldn't save her own relationship.'

Misato took another swig of beer. All of this was bringing up some old buried feelings about Ryoji Kaji, a man who both infuriated her and brought out the best in her, a man whom she broke things off with for reasons (to this day) she wasn't entirely sure of.

She started to wonder that maybe they could rekindle that old flame of theirs before shovingthat thought to the back of her mind.

'It's all ancient history now. It ought let it go.' Something she remembered telling Asuka before the 9th arrived.

Misato started to get drowsy, finding it hard to keep her eyes open. "The beer must finally be kicking in now," she said softly. As she started to fall asleep, Misato hoped that when the nightmares came (as they always do) they wouldn't be too bad this time.

As dawn broke, Misato finally woke from her slumber, then yawned. "Wow that was great. That had to be the best night I've got since…ever."

While getting dressed, she heard Asuka yell to her, "Hey Misato, me and the baka are heading to school pick us up by four, got it?" Then she slammed the door on her way out. Misato could tell that Asuka was still very unhappy about last night.

'Sigh, I need to find someone her own age for her to obsess about. Maybe Shinji. Those two are pretty cute together especially when their faces turn bright red.' She grinned.

"Sorry about Asuka," Shinji said. "I'll see you later Misato."

Later, fully dressed, Misato looked to see what time it was as she had the feeling she's missing something. "Huh it's 9:00 but I can't help but feel like I'm forg….RITS!"

It had completely slipped her mind that she was supposed to meet with Ritsuko at the café to talk about her problems with some 'married' man she was seeing. Wasting no time, she grabbed her keys, locked the door, and headed out to her car. As she ran down the stairs, Misato still felt like she was missing something, but whatever what it was it couldn't be more important than this.

Back in the apartment, a very angry Pen-Pen tapped his foot, looking at two empty bowls of water and food. (The latter he wasn't really mad about if it was going to come from Misato.)

After 40 minutes or so, she finally arrived. Misato would have been here sooner but she was trying to prove to Shinji that she was not a reckless driver.

'Something he (falsely) believes me to be after our first meeting even though the reason I was driving so crazy was that there was a frigging angel trying to kill us. He'd rather walk than get into a car when I'm the one driving.' She thought with a frown.

Ordering a table, she sat down and waited for her friend. While she waited, Misato wondered what exactly she was going to say to Ritsuko when the other woman got there, since she hadn't much experience in this sort of thing.

'The best that I can tell her is to break things off now before things get worse. If he isn't willing to move on from someone who's long dead than he's not worth the effort.'

It was now 10:00 and Misato was starting to get worried. Twenty minutes had passed and Ritsuko still had not arrived which was unlike her as Ritsuko usually showed up anywhere early rather than be late, but then again it was unlike her to call her for help with personal problems while being completely wasted.

"Either Rits is screwing with me or suffering from a massive hangover." Misato frowned "Probably the latter, Rits was never one to hold her liquor." She snorted and then chuckled.

As Misato was about to get up and leave to check on her friend, a little girl wearing a dress that was very out-of-place in Japan (let alone Asia) walked in. The waiter just about spilled scalding coffee as he refilled a woman's mug, a prim girl who wouldn't have noticed anyway while adjusting her thin-wired glasses, just in case she was seeing things. Other patrons, in an effort to be more polite, tried to go back to their meals or start half-hearted small talk with their companion's, eyes drawn back again and again to the girl and her frilly fiery-red dress.

Misato, also shocked by the strange scene, felt her brow dip and blinked, like one did when catching the sun in their eyes, at the rigid quality of the fabric, which moved as though someone had taken a steam iron to it one too many times or baked it in the oven.

"Huh," "I haven't seen that type of dress in a long time... not since Asuka wore something similar when she was a child, the kid must be European... and a tourist since she's wearing something so... over the top in a place like japan."

To Misato's surprise the girl began to walk up to her table and sat in the seat she had reserved for her friend.

"Ah, you came early Miss Katsuragi. To tell the truth, I was half-expecting you to be ten or twenty minutes late. I guess you decided not to drink that much beer so you can meet Miss Akagi on time, am I right?" She smiled.

"I'm sorry, kid, but that seat is taken for a friend of mine but I'm guessing you know where she is?"

The girl smiled. "She's at Nerv right now, so she won't be joining us, I'm afraid. Besides, she has no clue you're even here right now."

"What? That impossible, she told me to come here. I know my own best friend's voice, it was her."

The girl shrugged and then she pulled out a small black device that looked similar to a two way handheld radio from the pocket of her dress. The child flipped a switch on it, put the device close to her mouth and from it said—

"Hey, Misato, what're you doing?"

Misato was shocked. In an instant the girl sounded like a 30-year-old adult with no trouble at all and with the voice of a woman who she (presumably) never met before.

'Oh crap, this brat's working for someone, there's no way a child could get their hands on tech this advance without someone pulling her strings.'

"Sorry about the fib, but I wanted to meet you in a place where we can have a somewhat private chat."

"You mean you wanted to meet in a place where there are plenty of witnesses to make sure I don't try anything."

"Well..." she shrugged.

"I don't know what you heard about me, but I don't hurt kids."

"Well, I know you don't. Or, at least, not the same way other people think of hurt."

"And just what do you mean by that?"

The girl simply smiled at her.

'There's something off about this child and yet something familiar about her too…No matter I have to do something to gain control the situation. I know! I'll confront her over who she may be working for, that should catch her off.'

"So I'm guessing that the United States or maybe the JDF sent you. To think that they would stoop so low as to use a child for their dirty work."

However, instead of being caught off guard, the girl just laughed at that. "Sorry, I'm not working with anyone. I'm here on my own and I just want to talk to you about something bad that's going to happen."

'Not working with anyone... I doubt that's true but she doesn't appear to give off any signs that she's lying and the fact she lost her smile when she said that. Then again she could be very well-trained and what could be so bad, the Angels or something else? Whatever this threat I need to know if it's true.'

"Ok then, fine. Tell me what's the big danger."

"Third Impact, everyone, for most part, at the end of the year is going to die."

"…"

The smile returns to the kid's face. "Huh, you're taking this better than I thought you would."

'What, third impact? How does she know about it? That's one of the biggest secrets on the planet. Who is this girl…? Calm down, Misato, you need to find a way to get some clear answers out her. I'd rather not involve the commander; knowing him he'll just order Section 2 to cart her off to some undisclosed location where they will use whatever means to get answers from her.

'Hmm, I got it.'

"Ok, that's it." Misato pretended to look frustrated. "I'm not going to sit here and listen to an insane lying child who thinks that the world is coming to an end.

"Hey." The girl put on a pouty face. "I am not insane or worse a liar."

"Oh? What about the phone call you made pretending to be Ritsuko and saying that she was having an affair?"

"That was a fib to get you to come. It's different from a lie and everything I said on the phone about Miss Akagi was true. She really is sleeping with someone who treats her like that."

"Oh, really? Who's she sleeping with then?"

"Gendo Ikari."

"…"

"Ahahahahahahahahahaha RITS and the Commander hahahahahahahah, you're screwing with me, right?"

To Misato's surprise the girl wasn't laughing, in fact, her face was completely serious.

"Listen, there's no way Rits would be doing that with Gendo, I know her she would do better."

The girl sighed. "Looks like you don't know your 'best' friend as much as you thought."

The girl got up from the chair and came right up next to Misato.

"I can prove it to you. Confront her about it."

"Ha, even if it was true and I ask her about it, Rits would simply deny it."

"I guarantee you if you say this to her you'll know it's true because her reaction won't be pretty once she hears this." She smiled.

The girl then proceeds to use her finger to beckon Misato to come closer.

'Huh, she must want to say something to me she doesn't want the other customers to hear. Fine I'll play along but she better not try anything.'

Misato then allows the girl to whisper something in her ear. "Tell her that Gendo can't******"

"You want me to tell her that?" Misato yelled.

"Trust me, as soon as you tell her, you'll see I'm right from the reaction she will give."

"There's no way in hell that I'm going to tell Ritsuko that! It's sick because it would mean that the commander has been-"

"They aren't, and it isn't true what you're thinking about your boss and her." "And of course you will ask her. You can't resist knowing if it's true or not."

"Enough of this, tell me what you know about Third Impact NOW!"

She sighed again. "I see you're not yet ready for this. I'm leaving and-oh, I'll scream saying you're trying to kidnap me if you try to stop me." That statement caused Misato to be both stunned and angry. The girl started to walk away but stopped at the entrance and faced her. "Don't worry, though, we'll talk again when Sahaquiel comes, has one eye and kind of wears orange, by then you should take me more seriously." And with that, the girl left the café.

Misato then got out of her chair to go after the girl but, as she opened the door, she found that the girl had vanished.

"Where the hell did she go? She couldn't gone far…" just as Misato was about to search for the child, she realized that she was going to be late for work and didn't have the time to search for the kid.

Misato got in her car and proceeded to head straight to Nerv.

'I wonder who that kid was. I didn't even get her name. How was she able to call me on my work phone, knows about Third Impact, claims that everyone (mostly) will be dead by the end of the year, and most unbelievably, accuse my best friend who I know for years is sleeping with Gendo Ikari! A man who does not even give a crap about his own son.'

"There's no way in hell that's true. I'll talk to Rits and get this cleared right up."

It took some time searching, but Misato was finally able to find Ritsuko after getting slightly lost, she was still getting used to finding her way around Nerv.

Ritsuko was doing a routine check on the Magi to see if the systems were compromised during the black-out.

'So far nothing yet.'

She then noticed Misato walking up to her.

"Hey Rits, can you come here I want to talk to you for a second."

Hmm, I wonder what Misato wants, probably for me not to talk about what happened with her and Kaji in the elevator with the other employees, though I doubt they did anything.'

After finding an empty room for them to talk, Misato decided to be blunt and come right out with it.

"Tell me Rits… are you fucking Gendo Ikari?"

Ritsuko's eyes went wide and her skin slightly pale upon hearing that.

'No Rits, don't let this be true, please!'

Ritsuko mind began to race. 'What! How does she know? We were so careful. Wait, she's asking me if am I having sex with him… which means she isn't sure that it's true or not. Good, maybe I can convince her that it's a lie or rumor. I need to find out where she heard this.'

Ritsuko quickly composed herself and then looked Misato straight in the eyes, putting her best poker face, and then erupted with laughter.

"Are you serious Misato? Of course not." Her 'laughter' died down. "Why in the world would I be sleeping with that man? I know my love life isn't very exciting, but I still have standards. Where in the world did you hear that rumor? Tell me so I will be able to make sure it won't spread throughout Nerv."

Misato glared at her friend. She knew that Rits would never laugh at something like this, as she would just simply brush it off and not do an obviously fake laugh. Plus she seemed more interested in where she heard it came from than anything else.

"Hmm, I got it from an anonymous phone call." Which was true from a certain point view, Misato thought.

"Do you know who it is?" Ritsuko asked.

"No, don't know who she is."

'She' Ritsuko thought. 'Could it be her?'

"Well, what did the mysterious caller say?" Ritsuko asked.

"Just that you two were sleeping together for quite some time and are engaging in some odd sexual activities…"

"She raised an eyebrow. "What kind of activities?"

Misato paused. She knew what she was about to say was crossing a line if it turned out Ritsuko was not sleeping with the commander. 'That little brat was right. I have to know if she is telling the truth.'

"According to the caller, Gendo has a problem keeping it up as it were."

Ritsuko was trying very hard not to burst out laughing at that. Gendo Ikari was many things, but a man having performance issues was not one of them. 'Oh, Misato I wish I could tell you that it's the complete opposite of that. Hahahaha.'

"Because he has to sleep with you and to solve that problem he has you put on a schoolgirl uniform, wear a blue wig, and you have to let him call you Rei when you fuck."

In a flash, Ritsuko had grabbed Misato by the collar, giving her a look a pure unadulterated rage —something she never saw in her old friend.

"Who the hell told that filthy lie?!, I would never make myself look like that pale-faced emotionless freak, I'd rather die. Tell me Misato— it was her, wasn't it? That bitch is just jealous that he's mine and that she means nothing to him."

Then Ritsuko got a good look at Misato's face— and all the color drained from hers. The other woman glared at her. Thanks to her little outburst, she knew Misato would never believe her now, Reluctantly, Ritsuko let go.

'Oh Rits… so it's true'

Ritsuko Akagi then preceded to turn her eyes sideways unable to look her friend in the face, out of shame.

"Rits..."

"No, I don't want to talk about this."

"Rits don't do this, don't tune me out. We have gone through too much together for something like this to drive us apart, I know you must be feeling very…alone if you're going to him for solace and I wish you had gone to me instead, I would have actually help you, not take advantage of you."

Ritsuko faced Misato, she was shocked when she heard that statement.

"But Rits, please I am asking you, leave Gendo, before this all ends in tears."

Akagi frowned at that.

'No… I won't do that Misato, you don't understand, because he's truly…'

"I said I don't want to talk about this!" Ritsuko said. "Misato, for your own good, just drop it."

"...Then you leave me no choice, because if you won't talk to me, I guess I won't be able to keep the so-called rumor from spreading throughout Nerv."

Ritsuko shrugged.

"Go ahead, but you may just find yourself out of a job for spreading lies."

"Lies?" the other woman replied. "Bullshit, you know those aren't—"

"Misato, you and I both know that whoever told you about… that didn't give you any prove— so all you really be doing would be absolutely nothing but put your job at risk. The Commander would have no time for silly little 'rumors' that would distract him from his job.

Ristuko smirked.

'… There's no getting through to her, she's serious about being with him.'

"Fine I won't say anything... even though I tried to help you." Misato said, turning to walk out. Stopping at the door momentarily, she turned to Ritsuko. "Rits… even though I know you're in bad place right now but and don't want to talk, but if you do, you know where I'll be. "

"Yeah, sure whatever."

With that, Misato Katsuragi left the room.

And there, alone in the room, Ritsuko had just one thought and it was one thing, and one thing only.

'Who told her about us? Who is she? I have to find out.'

The drive home had been longer than usual.

For Misato to say that the rest of the day had been long was an understatement— since she'd just learned that her former best friend was in a loveless relationship... and who probably thought that Rei is her rival for Gendo… given by the 'little' outburst she had.

'That kid was right. Ritsuko must be very unhappy and alone, if she's willing to throw away our friendship for something that's obviously doomed to fail.'

"Dammit! She yelled. "How wasn't I able to see it?! I was her best friend for God sakes!"

Arriving at her Apartment, Misato was greeted not by Shinji or even Asuka but a very angry-looking Pen-Pen, tapping his foot.

"What's wrong now?" Misato sighed, exhausted.

Just then, Shinji poked out from the entrance to the kitchen, clad in an apron.

"Hey Misat-" Shinji cut off. Just looking at his guardian was enough to tell him that something was bothering her.

"… Are you okay? You seem upset. Did something happen at Nerv?" The boy asked.

"No, just some... personal crap with Ritsuko. I'll be fine." She gave a weak smile, and looked down at the glaring Pen-Pen. "Say, Shinji? Do you know why Pen-Pen's upset with me?"

"Well..." The boy then pointed towards the empty bowls— where food and water should have been.

Misato blinked, awkwardly realizing what it was. 'Oh. That must have been the other thing I forgot about this morning.'

"...Sorry?"

Thankfully, the bird accepted her apology.

"It's okay, Misato," the boy explained. "I should have remembered to check to see if he had food and water before I left, so I'm making it up to him by cooking up something just for him. And it was that which brought something else to Misato's mind."

"Hey Shinji, where's Asuka? I expected her to be out here, demanding you make something special just for her as well or something."

"...Oh," Shinji said, frowning. "She went straight to her room, said she had a lot of homework to do."

"Kanji?"

"Yeah, she's having trouble with it."

"Oh boy. She's going to be in there all night, isn't she?"

"I... think so?"

The aforementioned girl's bedroom door slid open audibly, the redhead fixing both of them with a death glare.

"I can hear you both you know just fine from here you know," Asuka said, before the door slowly slid shut once more.

That sent a chill down Shinji's spine, while Misato just smirked cheerfully.

'Heh I'm starting to feel better already. These two, there's something about them that brightens my life.'

Then Misato's stomach growled, the woman catching a whiff of the delicious smell coming from the kitchen.

"Hey Shinji, you mind making something extra for me?"

"Me too!" Asuka yelled from her room.

"...Sure, I don't mind."

After dinner everyone retired to their rooms— except Asuka, who'd already brought her meal back to her room.

After getting undressed, getting into bed and drinking a case of beer, Misato pondered about the day's events— about the strange red-headed girl who knew that Gendo and Ritsuko were a 'thing', knew that Second Impact was caused by an angel and not a meteor, and claimed that by the end of the year everyone (mostly) would be dead from the Third Impact. It sounded unbelievable.

'But she knew about Gendo and Ritsuko... so if there's any chance she could be right about that, I have to know— and find a way to stop it.'

But according to her, the next time they would talk again is when someone name 'Sahaquiel'— who supposedly had one eye and wore orange- came around.

'That's a weird name to give to someone... and orange as well? His parents must have been hippies or something like that.' She took a swig of beer.

Misato then yawned, as her last dregs finally gave out.

'I better check... on Rei tomorrow. Make sure nothing is going on with her and Gendo...'

And with than Misato Katsuragi drifted off to sleep, not knowing how much her life would change.