Sitting, or rather, chained to a chair in the lowest level of the research laboratory's labyrinthian maze of corridors, Mana Kirishima was beaming. By all accounts, many other people would be, for want of a better phrase, crapping themselves.
But not Mana. And she wondered why he had always seen her as a bit of an oddball.
"I suppose you're still in blissful shock over how good of a kisser I can be, huh?"
"Mana!"
"What? It's true isn't it? Why else are you bright red and trying your hardest not to to look at me in the eyes. Why is there a pyramid in your trousers, and why do Asuka and Rei look like they want to disembowel me from behind the bulletproof glass?"
"Can we please stay on topic? I'm supposed to be here to interrogate you..." Shinji sheepishly mumbled, wondering if this really was a good idea.
But if Misato, his parents and the tech crew all agreed that it was, then apparently they saw something in him that he wasn't seeing.
The two sets of eyes watching his every move that were not particularly pleased he was locked in a room with Mana were making him feel incredibly uncomfortable though.
"What the hell is he doing?" Asuka forced through gritted teeth. She pressed a button next to a microphone in front of her.
"CAN YOU PLEASE GET ON WITH IT STUPID SHINJI!? I'VE GOT BETTER THINGS TO DO TODAY THAN WATCH YOU FLIRT WITH THAT EXPLODING ASSHAT!"
Looking less than amused, Shinji sighed deeply before continuing his failing interrogation. But before he even had the chance to open his mouth, Mana was straight back on the attack.
"You know Shinji, all you gotta do is say those three magical words that every girl wants to hear, and I tell you absolutely everything."
"Like who you're working for?"
"Who I'm working for, my three sizes, what I would be doing to you right now if it was you tied to this chair and how you would love every second of it..."
"I'M GONNA RIP HER FACE OFF AND FRAME IT IN MY BEDROOM-Ack..." He could distinctly hear Rei wrestling Asuka away from the microphone behind him, and sighed deeply again. If you lost a piece of happiness every time you sighed out loud, he should have been a depressed wreck years ago.
"Mana... Today, you managed to basically blow up my school, almost killed two of my best friends-"
"OH NO YOU DON'T! WE ARE NOT GETTING RELEGATED TO THE FRIEND ZONE THIS EARLY IN THE GAME!" Somehow Asuka had managed to get back to the microphone.
"I agree with Soryu this time. We are more than just friends Shinji."
Turning around to face the window the girls were irritating him from, Shinji glared at them both.
"Girls, I will do whatever you want me to for a week if you can let me finish what I'm supposed to be doing here. At some point, I would like to go home and eat something before some ungodly hour in the morning. Go and buy me a coffee or something."
"He likes Cafe au Lait, let's go Rei!" And like that, the two girls sped off to the nearest vending machine in the facility, all smiles and evil giggles.
"Finally, some peace..." His thought process enjoyed the blissful seconds of quiet, before his mind reminded him he had something important to do.
Turning back around to face Mana on the chair, he wasn't expecting her to suddenly look so... depressed.
Just like she had in those last few moments in the gym storage room.
"Shinji..." Cerulean eyes looked up at him, almost pleading with him as she spoke.
"Do you remember eight years ago?"
---
"Shinji!"
A six-year-old Mana Kirishima came flying at him, not five seconds after he had stepped foot inside her parents apartment.
"I'm sorry to bother you like this..." Yui apologized to Mana's mother.
It was clear who Mana got her crimson hair from, as her mother's own red locks flowed around as she shook her head. A long ponytail dangled a considerable length down her back as Natsuru Kirishima's green eyes practically sparkled as she ruffled six-year-old Shinji's hair.
"No, it's fine Yui! I'd happily look after this adorable ball of fluff anyday!"
Yui smiled at her long time friend.
"This takes me back to when we were in school together."
"Ah, when we were talking about the day we would eventually have children and that we'd make sure they were the best of friends."
"I'm pretty sure it was more of a contest over who would have kids first, if I remember correctly." Yui giggled at the memories.
"We used to fight over just about everything, huh? Natsuru Takahashi and Yui Ayanami, the friendliest rivals you'd ever meet." Natsuru smiled as she glanced over towards a photo on a nearby mantelpiece, portraying their graduation memory.
Yui was standing next to a smiling Gendo, holding her hand out in a cheesy peace sign, complete with a goofy grin, whilst Natsuru hung off the neck of her soon to be husband.
"I guess at some point we became 'Kirishima' and 'Ikari', but otherwise, not much has changed, has it?"
"Apart from you becoming a hermit mangaka and me going into mad science as our chosen professions." Yui pointed out cheekily.
"Hey, you can't call the author of your beloved series a hermit!"
"Speaking of which, hurry up and finish the next volume! I could have killed you for leaving the last book on a cliffhanger!"
"Haha, I'm sorry! It was a necessary evil, but..." Going over to her desk, Natsuru picked up a book and brought it over to Yui.
"It's not supposed to be on sale until the day after tomorrow but consider this a promotional copy." She grinned as she thrust the sequel to her series into a stunned Yui's hands.
"D-d you mean it? Are you serious?"
"It's the least I can do for my biggest fan, especially as you've given me an even more precious treasure all these years."
"What have I given you that even compares to this?" A stunned Yui asked.
Natsuru smiled fondly as she turned to the two playing children in her front room.
"You gave my daughter her very first and most treasured friend."
Half an hour passed by, with the adults lost in reminiscing the past. Whilst the adults were busy, Mana had gone to her room and brought some toys back.
"Shinji, let's play with these next!"
Mana had brought four robot-looking objects with her, each a different colour, and with an individual number on them.
A white model with two zero's. A purple-green model with zero-one. A red model with zero-two and the last was a mix of black and dark blue, with zero-four embellished on it.
Looking at them, Shinji felt a little scared by their intimidating forms. Even if they were only the size of his forearm.
"W-what are they?"
"They're called Evangelions!"
"E-evan... gelions?"
"Yeah!" Mana stood up and thrust her chest out proudly. "I'm writing a book, with a little bit of Mama's help, and these super-cool Evangelions save the world in it!"
"I designed them, and Mama did some magic with the 3D printer, after she fixed some of my scribbles, and they came out looking awesome, don't you think?!"
Shinji sat in awe as he watched Mana explain her somewhat roundabout plot about evil Angels attacking humanity, and how kids had to get into these robots to fight them and save the world. As he listened, he began to feel less intimidated by them.
"They sound so cool!" Mana giggled as she heard his enthusiastic approval.
"Well then... How would you like to be the pilot of Unit One?"
"W-what?"
"I'll write you into the story! You'll be the one who saves the world, whilst rescuing me from a nasty Angel! And then everyone can party, and be happy ever after!"
As Shinji cheered along with Mana, Yui suddenly gasped from the table as she looked at her watch.
"Is that the time!? I gotta go, Gendo is going to kill me!" She quickly stood up as she gathered her things. "Thanks for the coffee Natsuru!" She turned back as she ran to the front door.
"Shinji, make sure you behave! And no playing doctor or anything silly, you hear me!"
"Yes mama..." Shinji mumbled sheepishly at his embarrassing mother.
"Thanks for looking after him Natsuru!" Yui said as she fumbled with her shoes at the entrance.
"It's no problem at all Yui! Be safe!" Natsuru giggled as she watched her friend scamper. "Dear god, she can be so scatterbrained sometimes."
---
"I love my wife, but dear god she sure knows how to keep a man waiting." Gendo mumbled from his desk. A familiar woman was standing behind him, holding a clipboard and going through her notes, whilst trying not to giggle and failing.
"I'm sure she got caught up in her memories of the past with her friend. They barely get to meet these days, you can't be too hard on her."
"That's fine and all Dr. Soryu, but humanity isn't going to save itself and this research seems to be the key to our survival. Which is going nowhere, fast!"
"Relax. Humanity has pulled through worse scrapes before, we can do it again. And this research will be ready in time, I can guarantee it." Dr. Kyoko Soryu smiled softly. If not for her, then she would make sure the future was safe for her child. Her precious little Asuka.
"Yeah, but...!" Gendo jumped as Yui suddenly scrambled into existence behind him, wheezing.
"Sorry... Late... Natsuru... Bleargh, I'msounfit." Yui caught her breath and stood up.
"At some point, we are going to a gym and sorting out our cardio, Gendo."
"We have a gym though..."
"Since when?!"
"Since you designed the majority of the architecture of this place. I seem to remember you saying something along the lines of, "We may be super-genius scientists, but we also need to keep our health at its optimal levels." Gendo sighed. "You do remember we have like a swimming pool and an indoor hot spring on the base too, right?"
Yui's shocked face was a sight to behold, causing Kyoko to giggle once again.
"But enough about the facilities, which I can see your absolutely dying to try now that you've remembered about them. We have a job to do."
"You're such a party pooper Gendo..." Yui pouted as she sat down at her desk, firing up her computer whilst watching her gloomy expression on the monitor's reflection.
"Don't fret Yui, we can enjoy the indoor baths together if you'd like?" Kyoko said as she sat down next to the depressed Ikari.
"I'm gonna hold you to that." Yui typed in her login with practiced ease as she slid a sidelong look to the blond doctor.
"By the way, how's Shinji doing?"
"He's okay. I left him having fun with Mana, and he was all smiles and giggles when I was leaving."
"Oh my! Asuka won't be too happy when she hears that. All that girl ever talks about is Shinji, and when will she get to play with him again."
"I feel like Shinji's going to grow up with no clue how to deal with them when they start fighting over him." Yui laughed. "At least I know he's going to have two beautiful girls fighting over him when they get older."
"Three." Gendo mumbled behind his clasped hands. "It seems he has bonded very quickly with Rei as well."
"He's not even ten years old and he's already set-up with his own harem."
"I didn't plan it that way Kyoko!" Yui groaned, suddenly realizing she may have inadvertently made Shinji's teenage years a living hell before they had even begun.
"I have faith my little Asuka will be the one to steal his heart away, like the little phantom thief she is." Kyoko grinned. "I'm looking forward to the day they bring me a grandchild."
"They're not even out of grade school yet Kyoko..." Yui thought to herself, grimacing at the prospect that she'll be a fair bit older when that time did eventually come around.
Several hours passed by with the three scientists making good progress on the day's work. When break time finally rolled around, Yui decided her system was in a severe lack of caffeine and made her way to the canteen.
"I mean, I'm looking forward to kids too. But definitely still too early to be thinking of them now... right?" Yui said to herself, whilst simultaneously imagining what the kids would look like, depending on who Shinji eventually chose. The kettle was bubbling away happily as Yui switched on the television.
She made her coffee quickly, and was enjoying its aromatic flavour just as the afternoon news flickered on.
"Breaking news! As of 2.30pm this afternoon, a level nine earthquake has decimated a residential area in Tokyo-3's fourth district. Substantial damage has been caused to many of the buildings in the area, with many feared dead. There is currently no news on potential fatalities-..."
CRASH
The coffee cup went flying, destroying itself all over the canteen floor as Yui ran back to the lab as fast as she could. The footage on the news had shown the area that Yui had been at only a few hours beforehand.
And she saw something else. A sight that had sent every nerve in her body into meltdown.
Her best friends apartment block, in ruins.
"SHINJI!"