Ritsuko frowned as she looked at the data in front of her. This was bad. Already, the rest of HQ had witnessed, on video, how Eva-04 vanished, along with NERV-02. With the other branches in disarray, it was up to Tokyo-3 to take in Eva-03. She flipped through the list of potential candidates for the activation test. She had two names in mind. She just wondered who would ultimately become the pilot of the new unit. Although she was the one to decide, Misato mustn't know of this, she thought. She placed the two profiles side by side. It was then that she noticed that it was a boy and a girl...

Back in school, Shinji got a little shock when he saw Mana's pendant. Like him, she couldn't figure out why it cracked. The boy promised to find a replacement for it. Touji digged his elbow into Kensuke's ribs.

"I can't stand it anymore. Why can't we find ourselves some proper dates?"

"Looks like some jock here is being blind to his own situation." Asuka couldn't resist a joke at Touji's expense. Besides, she was beginning to enjoy her new role as matchmaker. As expected, Hikari blushed, even as Touji was puzzled.

"What do you mean, you grouch?" The reply was merely a shrug of Asuka's shoulders.

"Go figure yourself. Let's go, Hikari. The air around here is getting dumber by the second." As Touji was being restrained by Kensuke, Shinji and Mana noticed the class monitoress' flaming red cheeks. The couple looked at each other, and smiled. Love was certainly in the air...

At NERV HQ, Ritsuko finally made her choice. As she typed away at the keyboard, a knock came on the door.

"Come in." It was Misato.

"What are you busy with?" Despite the major's efforts, it ended up sounding a little frosty. If Ritsuko had noticed it, she had no comment.

"Nothing much in particular. Just looking through the Fourth Child's data."

"Fourth Child? If I remembered correctly, the Marduk Institute hadn't sent its report yet."

"Official word would come tomorrow." Misato decided to ask the question again.

"Ritsuko, are you hiding something from me?" The tapping stopped. The scientist turned and looked at her friend straight in the eye.

"No." Ritsuko knew that it was a lie. But, this was the only way to stop more questions from her friend, and an attempt to keep their friendship, now strained, intact. For now, Misato decided to trust her one more time. She looked at the computer monitor, and had the shock of her life.

"This.. is the Fourth Child?"

It was lunch-time, and as usual, Shinji and Mana were having their bentos up at the rooftop. However, today, there were unexpected guests who needed their help.

"Asuka..." Hikari didn't think that it was such a good idea after all.

"Hikari, trust me." She opened the door. The couple turned their heads to see who it was.

"Asuka?"

"Hikari-chan?" Now, this was surprising.

"Shinji, Mana, Hikari needs your help."

"Does it have something to do with Touji-kun," suggested Mana. Asuka nodded, while Hikari's face turned red for the second time that day.

"Can you guys help her? I'm at loggerheads with Jock Boy, and Hikari is too shy to approach him. Besides, you two should be better at this than I am." This time, it was the couple's turn to blush.

"Well, Hikari-chan always have little fights with him," observed Mana.

"Touji's weakness is food. Maybe, you might want to start from there. For instance, you can make him a bento," suggested Shinji.

"Hmmm... For once, your plan might work, baka Shinji." The boy winced, even as Mana giggled.

"...Thank you, Ikari-kun." Hikari thought that the idea wasn't so bad after all.

Later, during class, Mana was called to the principal's office. Waiting there, was Akagi Ritsuko. As she explained the purpose of her visit, the girl's heart beat a little faster...

"Mana, what was that about," asked Shinji, as the class was dismissed for the day. After she had returned from the office, Shinji couldn't tell if it was something good, or bad.

"Shinji..." The girl didn't know how to break the news to him. She thought for a while.

"Can I walk you to your place, just for today?" The boy was puzzled by the request, but he agreed. On the way, Mana had wanted to tell him; she remained silent instead. Shinji decided that it had to be something bad. Before they knew it, they were outside the apartment.

"Do you want to come in," asked Shinji. Mana nodded. To their surprise, both Misato and Asuka were there. The older lady had just wanted to take a break. It'll be a busy week ahead for her. She stiffened when she saw her guest. While she had the sense not to tell Asuka what she had saw at HQ, she certainly didn't expect a visit from the girl in question.

"Misato, what's wrong with you," asked the redhead.

"Nothing," lied the guardian, as she quickly lifted the beer can to her lips. Mana decided that she could tell Shinji what had happened in front of them.

"I'm going to be an EVA pilot." Misato choked on her beer, while Asuka and Shinji stared at their classmate.

"A-re? I heard that 03 is coming to Tokyo-3. But, you're the pilot?" Asuka couldn't believe what she had just heard. Shinji was too stunned to speak.

"I know it sounds crazy, but I really want to become a pilot, to fight alongside you guys..."

"Mana, it's dangerous!" Shinji pointed out the obvious, as always.

"Besides, after I agreed, Ritsuko-san told me that she was a little surprised when I accepted. She had expected to fall back on the second choice, which was Touji-kun." Misato was sure that she didn't hear Mana wrongly. A second choice was already being considered? The older lady knew then that her friend was lying. She was deeply disappointed.

"That jock was the other candidate?" Asuka didn't know if this piece of news was the more shocking one out of the two. Mana nodded. She then turned to Shinji.

"At least, I knew about NERV and the EVAs. Hikari-chan doesn't, and she and Touji-kun..." Shinji understood what she tried to get at.

"Don't worry. I won't let anything happen to you." Shinji remembered his promise. Meanwhile, Asuka eyed her guardian warily.

"Nice work, Misato, keeping such a big secret from us. What else are you hiding?"

"The activation test is scheduled for tomorrow. I thought I'll tell you guys then, before I set off." Mana confirmed it with another nod. Shinji put his hands on her shoulders.

"You'll be safe. Misato-san and Ritsuko-san would guide you along. It's not too difficult to move the EVA." Shinji knew that it was a white lie, but, what the heck, he thought.

"That's right. So, go home and get some rest. It will be a tiring week ahead. Shinji, you know what to do."

"We're off, then!" With that, the couple set off for Mana's place. It would be their last moments together before the test...

The next day, at the test site, Misato found it hard to look at her former best friend. But, she could not neglect her duties. Besides, Mana was also counting on her. But, when the sirens went off, her nightmare was about to begin...

It was lunch-time, and Shinji and Kensuke were having their lunch on the rooftop. They were not alone. Hikari and Touji were eating their bentos a short distance away. The jock was all flustered that she had actually prepared a bento for him. Shinji smiled thinly as he saw the couple. Already, he missed Mana. Suddenly, his handphone beeped. It was Ibuki Maya.

"Shinji, get all the pilots back to HQ! There has been an accident!" The phone nearly slipped from the boy's hand...

The situation was bad. Without Misato or Ritsuko to direct the battle, the pilots were on their own against the enemy. Worse things were to come when they saw that it was an...

"EVA?" Shinji was now sick to his guts. Before they knew it, 02 was already out for the count.

"Rei, keep your distance. Fire when the target stops moving," ordered Gendo. Shinji panicked, as 01 ran towards 00.

"Hold your fire! There's someone in there!"

Someone, thought Ayanami.

"Mana... Mana-chan is inside!" In the end, it was all for nothing. 03 took down 00 with little effort. As Rei winced at the pain of having an arm torn off from her, the rogue unit was now standing right in front of Shinji. His father's orders brought no comfort to him. Then, he remembered his promise. But, how...

"Shinji, attack it," came a voice in his head.

"Okasan? But, Mana-chan..."

"That thing in front of you is not Mana-chan. She's waiting for you to save her, in her Entry Plug." Entry Plug? Shinji got the hint.

"Arigato, okasan."

"Shinji, what are you..." Gendo was surprised when 01 snapped out of its slumber, and charged towards the Angel.

"Ikari, this..." For once, both commanders couldn't explain the scene that was now unfolding before them.

Sensing danger, 03 lashed out an extended arm at 01. The purple unit stepped aside, and caught the limb. With a cry, Shinji concentrated his mind on tearing the limb. Blood gushed out from the wound as 01 tossed the useless arm aside. Without missing a beat, Shinji moved 01 within range. The unit gave the Angel a hard punch to the head, and another. 03 fell to the ground. It's time to end this, thought the boy, as he smashed 03's head to a pulp. Then, 01 flipped the beaten unit. The plug was there, still caught in a web when it tried to eject. Tearing the plug free, 01 gently held it in its hand. Shinji got his unit far away from 03, and rested the tube in 01's hand on the ground.

"The target shows no signs of activity," reported Shigeru, as he recovered from that show of exceptional control. Maya, despite feeling a little sick due to the brain smashing, felt as if she had just witnessed a perfect fight from 01.

"Send out the recovery teams," ordered the commander, with just the hint of a smile on his lips.

After "parking" 01, Shinji came out from his Entry Plug. Please, let her be alright, prayed the teen, as he opened 03's plug. Stepping inside, there was a deadly silence. Then...

"Shinji? Is that you?" The boy never thought that he could be so glad to hear that voice again.

"Are you alright?" Mana nodded. When the Angel took over, it had sent her to sleep.

"I'm sorry," whispered the girl.

"For what?"

"For... letting you worry."

"Don't be silly. It's an Angel. It's our job to take it down." Did I just sound like Asuka, wondered Shinji. Anyway, Mana tried to stand up. As Shinji gave her a hand, for the first time, he noticed her appearance. Those clips, and her plug suit... Shinji blushed. Although he's comfortable with Rei and Asuka wearing them, somehow, on Mana...

"Shinji, why are you blushing?

"Nothing." The answer came too quickly to be convincing. But then, Mana remembered something.

"Before I passed out, there was a huge explosion. I wonder how Misato-san and Ritsuko-san are now?" A beam of light came shining into the plug.

"Oi! Are you guys alright?" It was the leader of the recovery team. After he saw the answer for himself, he ordered the team to begin their job...

"Well, well, if it isn't baka Shinji and his girl," teased Asuka, as she met the pair outside the changing room. Despite her ordeal, she was fine. Behind her, Rei was also waiting. It was as if she was worried about Shinji... or Mana.

"Asuka, are you alright," asked Mana. She gave the girl a thumbs-up.

"I'm fine, although I wouldn't want to step near 03 again," she joked. She then cocked the thumb at Rei.

"She's ok too. I can't say the same for 00, though." Shinji then remembered his guardian.

"Misato and Ritsuko-san? I'm not sure. Kaji-san should be with them now. The test site is still pretty chaotic. But, that's none of our business." After shrugging her shoulders, Asuka took a closer look at Mana.

"Mana, this colour really suits you. Right, baka Shinji?" The boy went crimson red again, along with Mana. The redhead resisted laughing out loud. Even Rei had a thin smile.

"Relax! It's just a joke. Anyway, I'm changing out. Ja!" With that, she went into the ladies' changing room, followed by Rei. The couple was now alone again.

"Well, so much for your first day as a pilot," said Shinji wryly.

"It could have been a lot worse," reminded Mana. That was true, thought the boy, and his mind was on the person who had helped the most.

"Arigato, okasan..." said the boy in a soft whisper.

Afterthoughts

-I'm SO sorry about the delay. Laziness, side tracks, Granado Espada...

-RnRs are welcome, as always.