Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Gendo, you need to see reason here! What do you think Yui would say about this idea? Abandoning your son over her!? This is insane!”

Despite her attitude and dislike for Yui, Naoko couldn’t let this just happen to the poor boy; she had grown too attached to him. All those long days in the GEHIRN Laboratories, watching over him and making sure he was ok and made her fond of him. He had brought happiness to her and Ritsuko in these brutalist and near-empty halls they called a lab.

Although Yui was a good mother, her work often took priority over her family. Naoko could empathize with this, as she was also a busy professional. However, something about little Shinji had a calming effect on her.

There was simply no actual logic behind Gendo’s actions here. As much as it pains her to think this, Yui probably would’ve rather had Gendo take care of Shinji and be his father over Naoko. 

Several prominent figures within GEHIRN stood around them, watching the tense interaction between the two parties. 

Maria Iscariot, a close friend of Gendo and Yui, stood there with an uneasy look, clearly upset with Gendo and his idea. She was there with all of them in the beginning, working with Yui on Project E with the LCL side of things, making sure it was safe for them to use and breathe in. She was there that day when Yui disappeared.

Kozo Fuyutsuki, an old professor to Gendo, Yui, and Maria, watched on with annoyance in his expression. For once, he was absolutely disgusted with his former pupil’s actions. He was too deep in this mess to drop everything and leave, so he could only stare in disgust. 

Ritsuko Akagi, Naoko, and Tanaka Akagi’s daughter simply watched as her mother gave the director a tongue-lashing. The 19-year-old was sometimes brought to stay at the labs after school. Her mother was busy at work, but ever since the toddler was left in their care- she had seemed to lighten up.

Shinji was torn between the two, trying to figure out who to go to and hide behind. Soft whimpers and soon a cry came from the 3-year-old boy as the adults had a stand-off.

“What Yui thinks is irrelevant now; I am doing what is best for him. I can not take care of him, so he must leave.”

Gendo’s voice was cold and hollow, empty of all humanity he used to have—a shell of the man he used to be.

Slap!

A quick hand struck Gendo on the side of his face, prompting him to recoil back slightly. A red handprint mark was left on his cheek.

Everyone else in the room was left shocked that Naoko struck him. 

Naoko scowled, anger and fury in her eyes as she stared him down, clearly not having any of his excuses for not being a father to the boy.

“That’s bullshit, Gendo, and you know it!”

Her words were full of venom and anger, with no sympathy for him. Shinji cowered even more, scared of everything in front of him. There was only so much a toddler could handle, and they couldn't take much.

"This is my choice. I am doing what is best for my son Naoko. You can not change my mind otherwise. Now, if you will excuse me -"

She shoved him back, getting even more physical and angry.

"Don't you fucking dare call him your son ever again! You lost that right when you made your decision to abandon him!"

She was about to yell even more at the pitiful man but soon heard the terrified and confused cries of the young boy, who was caught in the crossfire.

She held her tongue and sighed, realizing that she lost her temper again. She bent down and scoped Shinji into her arms, holding him close, trying to calm him down.

Rubbing circles on his back, he soon began to settle down, and his cries were reduced to sniffles. He clung to her, not wanting to let go of the woman who wanted him.

"It's ok Shinji… I won't leave you… I promise…"

Spoke Naoko softly. At this point, her only priority is ensuring Shinji is ok. Ritsuko and Naoko both cared for him deeply.

Gendo stood there momentarily before shifting his glasses back to their original spot.

"I see. I will begin the paperwork for your guardianship of him, and I will also see to it that his belongings are brought to your residence."

He took one last look at Shinji, no sympathy nor care in his eyes. Turning away, he began to walk off, to everyone’s relief. 

She turned away from Gendo and looked back down at Shinji, who was still worried and nervous. She smiled softly and wiped a few tears from his eyes. He sniffled and looked back at her, wondering what she would do now.

“I’ll be your mother, Shinji… I’ll ensure you are safe and loved…. Would you like that?...”

…

“Don’t leave me…”

Maternal Programming Revision 2

By DerpymanMT

"Stars shining bright above you

Night breezes seem to whisper "I love you"

Birds singin' in the sycamore trees

Dream a little dream of me"

2004

Atami

Akagi Residence 

Same day

Evening 

The drive was just a short distance, only 30 minutes from the GEHIRN Laboratories to their humble residence in the nearby town. Shinji had fallen asleep in the car, already exhausted from earlier events.

The car stopped in front of an apartment complex relatively more excellent than the rest of the town. Slowly he stirred around before waking up and seeing his surroundings had changed to an unfamiliar place.

Naoko and Ritsuko both exited the car, with Naoko going to the backseat, getting Shinji out, and carrying him in her arms, as he was too sleepy to walk that far.

"Where are we, Nana?..."

He asked, curiosity in his tired voice. She stopped her trek towards the apartment for a moment before continuing.

"We are at your new home. Far away from that bad man…."

They reached the front door, and Naoko unlocked her keys with her free hand. The door swung open, revealing a messy abode with computer parts and clothes everywhere. 

“Sorry it's a bit messy, but it’s home… In any case, though… Welcome home, Shinji…”

She set him down, allowing him to stand up on his own. He looked around this place she called home, and now he called home. Ritsuko came back with a backpack filled with toys and some clothes.

“This is home now, Nana?...”

She crouched down to meet him eye to eye, a smile forming on her face. He gazed back at her, sensing no malice from her.

“This is our home….”

"Say "Night-ie night" and kiss me

Just hold me tight and tell me you'll miss me

While I'm alone and blue as can be

Dream a little dream of me"

2005

Age 4

Tokyo-III Construction site

"What is this place, Nana?"

The four-year-old Shinji asked. Naoko had driven him over from Atami to the former region of Hakone, now called Tokyo-III. A large hole in the ground had sections covered up with plates.

He looked on in awe at the interesting sight before him. 

"This is the place where a big city will be built and a new safe place for people to live in a cool science city,"

Naoko replied, putting it into simple terms he could understand more easily. It took a moment for him to process it, but he soon somewhat understood. He stared at the site, taking it all in. But he still had trouble seeing how a giant hole could be a city.

“Soon, we’ll move here along with thousands of people, and we’ll live in a city of the future."

The crunching of gravel alerted the two to an oncoming person, which prompted them to turn and face them. It was the man there that day that Gendo abandoned him, someone Shinji thought was a good person.

"Uncle Koko!"

Exclaimed Shinji, who quickly rushed over to hug the aging man on the leg. 

"Hey there, Shinji, how are you?"

Kozo Fuyutsuki said tiredly. He had a slight smile on his face, albeit sad.

"I'm ok!"

Said the child. Fuyutsuki chuckled and patted him on the head before turning to face Naoko. He mouthed the words "We need to talk" to her. Nodding to him, Naoko crouched down to Shinji’s height to speak with him.

“Hey Shinji, could you go and find Ritsuko for me? I have to speak to Uncle Kozo for a bit.”

Shinji nodded and went to find his new big sister, happily going on an adventure.

Fuyutsuki sighed and approached Naoko, pulling a folded paper from his pocket and handing it to her. She took it, unfolded it, and examined the page's contents, and her expression soured immediately.

He saw her expression, and his face fell even more. 

“Another failed contact experiment, so it seems…."

She sighed and folded it back up, placing it in her pocket to save for later.

"Yes, and It seems like Kyoko survived, only to kill herself later on…."

The older man said, in a somber tone, clearly sorrowful over the loss of a colleague who didn't deserve such a fate.

"Soon, the contact experiment for Unit 00 will happen. But we have yet to find a candidate for it… They will also suffer a similar fate as Yui and Kyoko."

Naoko stayed silent, unable to respond, as she had nothing to say.

"Let's just go and take a look around the site."

"That would be nice."

“Stars fading but I linger on, dear

Still craving your kiss

I'm longing to linger 'til dawn, dear

Just saying this”

2008

Age 7

GEHIRN Labs

Primary Command Bridge

5 Months Into the construction of SuperComputer System MAGI

The heels clicking against stainless steel reverberated throughout the room as two women strode with pride in their steps. Naoko and Ritsuko wore GEHIRN-approved and marked lab coats, and they wore them proudly. This was Ritsuko’s first day working here, and she was taking her full tour of the facility, and her mother was the one to do so.

Construction workers and technicians roamed the Bridge, going to their next destination or talking to their coworkers about either work or life.

"I can't believe I'm actually working here now… All those times when you were at work, working on Cain and Abel, and now the MAGI… It all came to this…"

Said Ritsuko, looking around and seeing the fitting of the MAGI slots and cables. The pillars they would soon rest upon were being constructed themselves.

"Yes indeed, all our work will be put to the test soon…"

Naoko was about to reply more, but the sound of squeaky rubber prompted her to turn and face the source of the awful sound.

It was Shinji, standing in an early prototype plugsuit…

Immediately, Naoko frowned upon seeing the attire, a bit of disgust on her face.

"Is this the new plug suit?... It looks… horrid… And too revealing…."

She said, disgust in her voice. Ritsuko shared a similar feeling. Whoever designed this will most surely be fired…

"We need to redesign this. Pronto."

"Agreed"

"It feels uncomfortable…."

"Sweet dreams 'til sunbeams find you

Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you

But in your dreams, whatever they be

Dream a little dream of me"

2010

Age 9

Primary Command Bridge 

Main Command Deck

Dozens of technicians rushed around, trying to perform their duties as efficiently as possible while still being careful not to mess up.

Naoko shouted out orders while checking everything necessary to start the MAGI.

Shinji sat next to Fuyutsuki, who watched the teams hard at work.

Shinji kept his eyes fixed on his mother with wonder. She was impressive; she could yell and get all these people to work and do whatever she wanted. Fuyutsuki turned to face Shinji, a smile on his face.

“Your mother is an essential woman, along with your sister. She’s doing all this to ensure you have a bright future.”

Shinji took it all in and smiled, proud to have an intelligent mother. But something soon caught his eye. Within the crowd of tan suits, a girl with a red dress and blue hair walked in, along with a man he despised. Fuyutsuki took notice and frowned, knowing immediately who the blue-haired girl was.

“I'll be right back, Shinji; I need to speak with someone….”

With that, the older man got up and headed to the small lift to lower himself to the main operator deck to speak with Gendo. Naoko also saw the man and scowled but became confused as she saw the blue-haired girl.

Both of them approached Gendo, stopping him in his tracks.

“Ikari, who is this?”

She queried, confused and slightly annoyed at his presence. His face was smug as he touched the girl’s back.

“This is Rei Ayanami; she is the new pilot for Evangelion Unit 00. And I will be her new guardian from here on out.”

Naoko frowned while Fuyutsuki kept a neutral expression. Years ago, Gendo said he couldn’t care for Shinji, but now he cares for a young girl Naoko had never heard of before!

Just as Naoko was about to say something, Shinji pushed through to meet the girl while avoiding Gendo’s gaze.

“Ooh! You have pretty blue hair!”

Said Shinji bluntly, slightly startling Rei. She was taken aback momentarily before looking up at Gendo expectantly as if asking what to say. Gendo looked annoyed at Shinji before answering Rei’s unspoken question.

“Say Thank you, Rei. Whenever you receive a compliment, you say thank you.”

She nodded and faced Shinji once more.

“Thank you.”

Elated, Shinji gave the odd girl a smile, to which she gave an even smaller one back. Naoko couldn't help but share one but soon turned her focus to a technician who informed her of the final preparations to start up the MAGI.

“It’s time. Shinji, would you like to come to see the startup? I want you to play an extraordinary role!”

Asked Naoko, who handed Shinji a key that was worn on her neck. He examined the odd-looking key before clutching it in his hands tightly. She motioned him to follow, to which he complied. The crew on the bridge parted a path for her, her son, and her son’s new friend.

Once they reached a console, Naoko spoke into a microphone, the room quieting.

“Crew chiefs, I’m beginning the Go-No Go polling; state your status once I call on you.”

She let out a deep breath that she had been holding and began the polling sequence.

“Electrical Cheif?”

“Electrical systems are ready and at nominal ranges.”

“BioFluid Chief.?”

“BioFluid reserves and pumps are on standby, no anomalies detected, and it is a Go.”

“Coolant Chief?”

“Coolant reserves and pumps are also on standby, no irregularities detected, and are ready to go.”

“IO Chief?”

“All peripherals are ready for I/O connections.”

“Servers?”

“Servers are ready for initial boot-up data transfer.”

“Facility Control Chief?”

“Facility is on standby, and Cain and Abel are ready to transfer control over.”

“Director, do we have your consent for MAGI Start-up?”

…

…

“You have my go-ahead, Dr Akagi.”

Again, she sighed in relief, relieved that everything was going so well. She turned to Shinji, sitting on a chair beside her, still holding the key. Naoko smiled, now gesturing towards the key slot in the console.

“On the count of three, I want you to turn the key and hold it for three seconds. Can you do this for me, Shinji?”

Shinji enthusiastically nodded but stopped and turned to look at Rei, who simply looked at him curiously.

“Can she also turn the key with me?”

He asked innocently, wanting his new friend to join in on the excitement. Naoko gave it no thought before nodding.

“She may.”

He smiled and slid in the key, allowing Rei to hold it with him. Naoko slid in the other key across from him, preparing to take the next big step in her career. This was the moment that all her hard work would pay off. But this didn't mean she could genuinely relax; she had to remain diligent and ensure this fabulous computer kept running. 

“On my mark…”

Everyone watched on with anticipation, waiting for what could occur next.

“One.”

…

“Two.”

…

“Three!”

As quickly as they could, Naoko, Rei, and Shinji turned their separate keys at once and held them for the required time. Three seconds had passed, and soon alarms began to blare, followed by the not-so-subtle thuds of valves slamming open. The room began to hum as high-voltage electricity began to surge through the cables underneath them, with the lights flickering briefly.

The screen on the other side of the room turned from “No signal” to one filled with words that only the grown-ups understood.

Seconds passed, and the scrolling text disappeared, leaving only a red fig leaf logo with text embedded in it. Shinji and Rei watched with curiosity while the adults watched with overwhelming joy.

Naoko’s work had indeed paid off.

“7TH GENERATION BIOLOGICAL SUPERCOMPUTER SYSTEM MAGI”

“VERSION 2.7.2”

“NERV: GOD’S IN HIS HEAVEN, ALL’S RIGHT WITH THE WORLD.”

The Bridge erupted into cheers as the computer began regulating the facility and performing the diagnostic tasks given to them. Naoko went to a terminal and typed in a series of commands ending with a tap of the enter key.

A soft melody began to play over the speakers as everyone quieted down, their smiles never leaving their faces.

A trio of robotic yet feminine and melodic voices played along with the tune.

“Daisy, Daisy,

Give me your answer, do!

I'm half crazy,

All for the love of you!

It won't be a stylish marriage,

I can't afford a carriage,

But you'll look sweet upon the seat

Of a bicycle built for two!”

The tune faded out, and so did the voices. Naoko was simply overjoyed at the first real test performing wonderfully.

Simply nothing could ruin this moment!-

“Old Hag…”

Except him…

It was a small voice over the crowd of cheering engineers, but she heard it nonetheless, and she knew instantly who it was that dared to call her such an insult.

Her head snapped towards the man who spoke those words and marched over to him, getting nearly inches into his face.

"Gendo Rokubungi! I know for sure you are not calling me an old hag! Because I can bet you, I have some self-respect in being an 'old hag'! You say you can't care for Shinji, yet you are caring for Ayanami! I should report you to the authorities for such hypocrisy If I could! Don’t you dare call me an old hag again when you look pathetic! Maybe, Just Maybe, if you get rid of that perverted-looking stubble on your face, Yui might just magically come back! Rokubungi!”

He stood there stunned, simply unable to retort back. Naoko took a moment to regain herself as everyone stared at her for her outburst, except for Fuyutsuki, who was holding back a laugh.

“Stay out of the way. I don’t want you interfering with the rest of my son’s birthday today.”

She returned to Rei and Shinji, who talked to each other, ignorant of the moment around them. Placing a hand on both their backs, Naoko got their attention.

“Did you like your birthday gift Shinji?”

“Mhm! I loved it! Thanks, Mom!”

He wrapped his arms around her joyfully, with Naoko returning a hug.

“You’re welcome, Shinji! Say, would you and Rei like to go out and get some dinner? I talked to Ikari about this, and he says it's okay!”

Shinji instantly said yes, but it took a moment for Rei to decide.

“I would like that. Thank you.”

“Stars fading but I linger on, dear

Still craving your kiss

I'm longing to linger 'til dawn, dear

Just saying this”

2012

Age 11

December 24th

Christmas Eve

Akagi Residence

The doorbell rang, followed by the hurried footsteps of Ritsuko rushing over and answering the door. Turning the knob and opening it, the door revealed a purple-haired woman Shinji recognized as Misato and a red-headed, grumpy-looking girl.

“Guten Abend!”

Said Misato in a chipper voice, happy to see her friend again in time for Christmas. Ritsuko returned the cheery greeting with her own.

“Hello, Misato; it’s nice seeing you again! Hello, Asuka! I’ve heard a lot of good things about you!”

Asuka simply huffed and rolled her eyes. Ritsuko sensed the child’s grumpiness and sped up their introductions.

“Why don’t you both come in? I’ll make some drinks for us!”

Asuka didn’t wait for Ritsuko to finish and just walked past her. Walking into the house, not even bothering to take off her shoes. She walked into the modest-looking living room and saw a boy sitting in front of a beige keyboard hooked up to a similarly beige tv and rectangle object. It played a soft little song that Asuka could only assume was Christmas music, albeit in a crude way.

The boy took quick notice of her and smiled, waving her over. She hesitantly complied, her interest slowly growing as she watched the odd display on the screen.  Stopping beside the boy, she bent down and looked at the screen.

“What’s this?”

She asked in somewhat broken Japanese. She had learned quite a bit with Misato but didn’t fully master the pronunciations.

Shinji happily answered her question with enthusiasm, as this was his expertise. 

“It’s a Commodore 64! It’s an old computer that my mom bought. I put a Christmas demo in the disk drive because Sis said people would be coming over today!”

She stared at him before looking back at the screen. A mixture of high-voltage whining, 8-bit music and sounds, and the whirrs of a constantly moving disk drive filled the air.

“Interesting… Well then, Im Asuka, Asuka Langley Soryu. What’s your name?”

She asked, a hint of pride yet caution in her voice as she sat beside him. With a smile, Shinji gave her the answer.

“I’m Shinji Akagi! It’s nice to meet you, Soryu!”

Hearing him say her last name instead of saying Asuka somewhat annoyed her. She hated how the Japanese always said the last name instead.

“Just call me Asuka. And I suppose it’s nice to meet you too.”

“Sweet dreams 'til sunbeams find you

Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you

But in your dreams, whatever they be”

2014

Age 13 

NERV HQ

Evangelion Cage 01

“Mom, I’m ready.”

Shinji said from over the radio system. From what they saw on his vitals measured by the plug-suit, his heart rate was sky high. Worried at the potential dangers that may come if he freaks out, Naoko sighed and began to take off her lab coat.

Ritsuko stood nearby, wondering what her mother could be up to now. They had gone through the pre-activation checklist with everyone giving their go-ahead. She continued removing items from her body before exiting the control room and making her trek to the Evangelion itself.

Seeing what her mother was attempting to do, she quickly followed her.

“Lieutenant Ibuki, open the plug for me; I'm heading into the plug.”

Maya instantly carried out the order, as she did not want to incur the wraith of Naoko. With a click and thud, the neck plate opened up, allowing the entry plug to unlock, twist and slide out.

“Mother, come back here! You can’t board with him!”

Ritsuko reasoned, but it only fell on deaf ears as her mother entered through the hatch. Sighing, Ritsuko gave up and headed back to the control room, for she knew her mother was a stubborn woman.

Naoko scooted beside Shinji and held on to the crash couch. Shinji’s heart rate instantly returned to a more normal range, as his mother was one of the few things that could genuinely calm him down.

“Alright, lock us in and begin activation.”

Ordered Naoko, her voice full of authority. Complying, the plug swiftly carried out its sequence and locked itself back into place within the Evangelion’s body. A subtle hum filled the plug as life-support came on.

“Beginning entry-plug LCL flooding.”

Soon LCL began pouring in from below the two and reaching their torso within seconds. It smelled of a heavy iron scent that one could write off as blood if they didn’t know better.

It filled up past their heads and filled the entire plug. Hesitantly, they exhaled and breathed in the liquid with a gag.

“Note to self, add something to make this taste better…”

“Beginning LCL Ionization.”

The liquid quickly became transparent, albeit with a slight orange tint. Shinji had done the training before with the simulation body and had done this procedure before but hadn’t had the whole experience of activating within Unit 01.

“Beginning A10 connection.”

A slight tingle was felt throughout the two, with Shinji feeling most of it in his body. The Viewscreen within the plug displayed the view in front of the large head of the Evangelion. A wondrous cheer came over the radio as Shinji’s body soon felt much more extensive.

‘Activation complete! We are reading a 43.5% on your synch rate!”

Suddenly a wave of emotions filled Shinji’s very being.

Recognition.

.

Joy.

.

Confusion.

.

Sadness.

.

Acceptance.

He was soon snapped out of it once Naoko excitedly wrapped her arms around him, nearly smothering him. She was proud of him! But soon, a sense of dread filled her as she knew what events would follow. For now, she pushed it aside and kept embracing her son. 

“Congrats Shinji!”

Said a familiar voice over the radio. A live video feed from the control room showed Rei in her plugsuit, a proud smile on her face. She had a similar type of plugsuit as he did. It was covered in armor plates and equipment that could help in any scenario, although her plugsuit was predominantly white, while his plugsuit was primarily blue.

“Thanks, Rei! Once both our tests finish, we should go and celebrate!”

“Yeah!”

It was a joyous day for everyone. All is going great! And may the future stay great too!”

For God’s in his heaven, and All’s right with the world!

“Dream a little dream of me

Dream a little dream of me

Dream a little dream of me”

Well now… It’s been a long time coming! After rereading parts of the fic from the beginning and seeing all the areas I could improve on and the countless spelling errors when I rushed each chapter, I said, "It’s definitely time to rewrite this thing.”

I wanted to add more stuff in and more lore that I thought would be good for the fic. Things will be changed around, as you saw in the timeline and such, but it’ll be essentially the same. I’ll keep the original up for everyone to see, but I’ll be working on this one from here on out.

I’ll also try and work on some other fics as well, but this one was a priority for a good bit. I want to thank you all for your support over the past year or so.

I’ll try not to rush these from now on! ;)

Thank you for joining me on this new journey! 

And I’ll see you all in the next chapter!

-DerpymanMT

Rits

Crosspostwd from Fanfiction Dot Net

Chapter Text

ENTRY LOG

02/19/2014

The MAGI seem to be chattering amongst themselves even more than usual. They don't have much to do other than monitor the city and check test results.

Their processing power is essentially wasted so they mostly just put it as background processes and just talk amongst themselves.

I don't exactly know what they talk about most of the time and I don't exactly know why they talk so much.

It was only two years ago when they gained some sort of pseudo sapient intelligence when I finalized an update to them.

I sometimes do listen in, but they also kick me out…

I don't want to use my superuser mode to override them just to listen in on them. But I do notice that Balthazar does have a large distain for Ikari.

I don't really blame her to be honest… Bastard should be hated…

In other news that no one will read; Shinji has been working on a homebrew computer that I helped him design. He's already learning pretty fast. I guess he takes this after his momma…

I wonder what Yui would think of him… And I wonder how she'll feel about me… I need to stop both of them.

I need to save my son.

END LOG

Chapter Text

June 20th, 2015

Age 14

Tokyo-III

Akagi Residence

7:56 PM JST

"Shinji, have you seen my flash drive labeled VIC-1001? I can't find it anywhere!"

Naoko's exasperated voice rang throughout the house, accompanied by the clanking sounds of items rustling around. A sigh escaped the lips of a now fourteen-year-old Shinji Akagi. Putting the task of finishing his breakfast on hold, he got up and went over to help his mother.

"Have you checked your computer?"

He called out, getting ready to go over to her if he was wrong, But the sudden chime from her computer prompted him to sit back down and continue his meal immediately.

"Found It!"

Called out Naoko, who was suddenly cut off by a sleepy-sounding yawn and soft taps of bare footsteps. Coming down the stairs and into the living room was none other than his big sister: Ritsuko Akagi.

An exhausted look on her face meant that she only needed one thing: Coffee. And she only wanted it from none other than her little brother. She padded over to the kitchen, where on the counter was already a fresh cup of Hazelnut Coffee waiting for her to consume and enjoy.

"Thanks, Shinji…" groaned Ritsuko, her tiredness prominent in her voice and sluggish actions. She had a late night shift at HQ and was feeling the terrible effects of it.

"No problem. Another late night?"

"Mhmm…" Mumbled Ritsuko as she took a sip of sweet and caffeine-filled bean water. She soon slowly began waking up from each glass she took.

"The commander has me working extra on the Entry Plug additions requested a few months earlier."

The instant that the word Commander was said, Shinji sneered in annoyance at the word and knew who she was referring to.

"We are nearly complete and can be ready by tomorrow morning for testing. The LCL enhancers will be much more efficient once complete. We'll also need you there when we fully test."

Shinji nodded before taking one last bite of his breakfast and getting up from his seat. Satisfied with his meal, he sighed happily and began grabbing his stuff.

He was about to call out to his mother when he saw his sister reaching for a carton of cigarettes from her purse, which was on the counter already.

Immediately seeing it, he hopped on over and seized it from her, much to his sister's annoyance. She tried to swipe it back but only caught air as he yanked it further.

"Shinji…"

She said dangerously, narrowing her eyes and reaching out her hand expectantly.

"Give it back, or I'll tell Mom your browsing history…"

Shinji's eyes widened, knowing that she wasn't bluffing. He then tried to get her to reason.

"You said you'd stop…"

An annoyed grin formed on her, knowing he was right and she had said that before… Many times…

"... You know… The stuff you search up is pretty interesting… What would Asuka and Rei think?..."

She said teasingly, much to Shinji's chagrin, who only blushed in absolute embarrassment and frowned in annoyance.

"Fine… But don't come whining to us when you have black lungs…"

She simply scoffed and was quickly handed the pack of cigarettes. Pulling out a lighter, she made her way to the back porch to have her daily dose of nicotine.

The distinct sounds of heels clicking on the hardwood floor made their way to Shinji's ears. He knew instantly that it was time to head out and head to school.

Today was parent-teacher conference day, and he secretly dreaded this day for reasons the teacher would soon explain.

Naoko stepped out of the hallway leading from her room and stopped right in front of Shinji. She wore a simple outfit and a warm smile. She looked excited to see how her son was doing in school.

"Ready, Shinji?"

Asked Naoko softly, a joyful tone in her voice. Shinji gave a smile that hid his nervousness very well. She strutted to the entry hall and unlocked the door, waving to Shinji to follow her, to which he reluctantly complied.

Heading out the door and onto the driveway (which was an addition to the house), Naoko pulled out her keys and unlocked her new electric car.

"I still can't believe you bought this thing… How did you even get the money for it?"

As they both opened, entered, and closed the doors, Naoko just chuckled. A mischievous smile appeared on her face, which slightly unnerved Shinji.

"Let's just say your father doesn't use much of his money… And he wouldn't mind me using some…"

Chuckling in a mischievous tone, she started the car and put the car in reverse. Shinji felt even more nervous at his mother's admission of a crime.

…

"Let's just go to school…"

MATERNAL PROGRAMMING REVISION 2

EPISODE 1

"Introduction to the Snow."

Tokyo-III First Municipal Middle School

Teacher's Lounge

8:12 AM JST

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Ms. Akagi."

Said Mr. Takazaki, who was Shinji's homeroom teacher. He sat down in a chair across from the two others in the room with him, a desk separating the two parties.

"It's my pleasure as well. I always enjoy hearing about my son's progress in his education."

Replied Naoko proudly, glancing over to see Shinji's rather lackluster expression. Slight worry crept onto her face as she took it in.

"Shinji is a wonderful student with a bright mind. He always helps out when he can and seems to enjoy doing so."

The old teacher said, giving Naoko his honest opinion of Shinji. Her once slightly tense expression lightened up, and a small yet proud smile shone on her face.

Takazaki shifted slightly, grabbing some papers from the desk drawers and placing them on the top for her to examine.

The papers themselves were worksheets that Shinji had completed, along with the rambling style of note-taking that he had gotten from his mother.

"However, he also tends to get defensive and aggressive towards others who; Bad mouth you."

A look of shame befell Shinji as Naoko raised an eyebrow in response to such new information. A sigh escaped Takazaki's mouth as he shuffled another set of papers and sat them down on the desk.

"He's never gotten to the point of physical altercations, with credit of his two friends calming him down. It gets worrying at times."

Naoko took a look at the incident reports and saw the detailed information written up on Shinji. There was no anger in her eyes, just disappointment, and Shinji could see it.

"But all and all, he is a wonderful student, and I enjoy having him in my class. And I do hope to keep having him this year."

A small smile formed on Shinji's face, as did Naoko's. These simple words of praise changed the mood dramatically for the better.

"Well, I must get ready for the next parent-teacher session. Here are his grades, and I hope to see you once again, Ms Akagi."

He pulled out a final sheet of paper and handed it to her, a warm smile on his face as he did. The atmosphere was bright now between the two parties.

Classroom 2-A

A few minutes later

Shinji entered the rather noisy classroom where each student was chattering amongst themselves, talking with friends, and having free time before class.

Approaching his desk, Shinji spotted two very familiar and welcoming faces belonging to his two best friends.

Kensuke Aida and Toji Suzuhara.

Waving him over, they gave him a happy smile and joyful grin. Speeding up and making his way over, Shinji soon stopped in front of the two, a smile also on his face.

"Shin-Man, how'd the meetin' go?"

Toji asked, curious about his friend's results. Kensuke soon piped up as well.

"Yeah, what did your mom say?"

Getting close to his face, Shinji gave them a small pushback for space. A slightly annoyed look fell onto his face.

"It went well. I don't know why you'd want to know."

Kensuke just shrugged.

"Dunno, just curious. Say, when do you think we could see your sister again?"

Kensuke said mischievously, with Toji having a similar aura. Shinji knew why they wanted to see her, and it annoyed him.

"She's working a lot, and she sleeps in, soooo-"

His annoyance turned into a smug look, knowing their instant disappointment.

"She's also not your type…"

Groan

"Party pooper."

Groaned Toji. The tip taps of shoes walking on the hardwood floor grabbed the attention of the three boys. Turning to face the approaching person, they soon saw it was none other than Rei Ayanami themself!

"Heya, what are you guys up to?"

They had a cheerful tone in their voice and a playful smile on their face. They had this aura of happiness that seemed to come out when Shinji was around. Leaning over on the desk beside them, they asked their question.

"So. How'd it go?"

They already partially knew the answer but asked anyway, just to get a rise out of him. They always knew how to both calm him down and pester him at the same time.

Shinji just rolled his eyes and chuckled, a bit amused at their attempt to annoy him.

"Yeah, it went well enough. Dunno why you have to ask when you know how she'd react."

Just as Rei was about to retort, Mr Takazaki came back into the room, papers in hand and ready to start class. The students hurried back to their desks and sat down.

"Alright Class, I will begin now. Open your laptops and begin reading with me."

June 24th

Tokyo-III

NERV HQ

Primary Command Bridge

3:42 PM JST

Bridge crew scrambled about to their stations as alarms blared out all around them. Callouts from almost every operational station rang out, coordinating with one another as they tried to prepare for their main goal.

The large holographic map in the center of the room displayed a 3D topological map of the area of interest: Atami. People examined and studied it carefully, not leaving any details out, as this was their first encounter with their enemy.

An enemy they have been training and preparing for.

A group of angry Generals sat on the upper deck of the bridge, watching and barking orders into phones. Their eyes are glued to the viewer screen in front of them.

They tried almost every weapon they had available and were essentially just trying to throw everything they had at it.

Over the bridge radio, an annoyed voice came through the speakers.

"Jesus, have those old geezers thought about giving up yet? I'm getting antsy here."

"Shinji, they're old. They are gonna be gung ho about this until it's shoved in their faces."

"Quiet down you two, you'll hurt their fragile egos."

The two children snickered over the radio as their tactical officer joined in with a chuckle. She herself had to deal with the clueless old men for a few hours now and was already irritated at their ignorance.

Gendo and Fuyutsuki weren't exactly pleased either. Gendo may be a bastard, but he doesn't exactly enjoy watching resources be wasted and buildings needlessly destroyed.

Suddenly a secure direct line came through on a red landline, with a general immediately swiping a card and answering it. A smug look formed on his old face as he responded.

"Yes sir, we'll deploy at once."

Hanging up, he whispered to the other Generals who then shared the same look as the first.

"Deploy the N2 ordinance at once!"

An angered and confused sound came from over the radio. This one comes from Shinji. Two shocked faces were worn on the bridge from two others. Others that shared the last name of Akagi.

"T-They can't do that!"

Yet…

They just did.

The view screen showed VTOLs and Units pulling out rapidly, as a bomber overhead headed towards the drop point. The three Akagi's felt pain as they were about to see their former hometown be destroyed.

"Deploying N2 Mine."

"Bastards…"

For some reason, this chapter took forever to write… I was in a slump and I really just wanted to push a chapter out.

Anyway, I promise the next chapter will be longer!

I'll see you all soon again!

DerpymanMT

NOTICE: Crossposted from a while ago on Fanfiction dot net

Chapter Text

Same Day

Same Time

Same Place

The viewscreen showed the rapidly descending ordinance, seconds away from detonating onto the angel. As the angel stood unaware in the city's center, the bomb was meters away from its neckless and birdlike head. The moment it stuck, the raw matter disintegrated from existence. The air around it was now nonexistent and a huge wave of energy was dispersed, along with a powerful shockwave.

Monitoring Equipment quickly went offline and the shockwave shook the facility despite being kilometers away. Employees braced themselves as they shook and rattled, with some almost falling out of their seats.

Commander Ikari sat on the top of the highest pillar in the room, watching everyone stationed below. The Generals watched and waited, staring at the viewscreen.

"There is no way that thing would have survived that."

"Reestablishing connection."

A quick crackle of the speakers and the Viewscreen soon synced up with the outside view of the battlefield. Standing in the inferno was the angel, melted and damaged, but still standing, and still alive…

"God damn it! That was our only ace in the hole…"

Annoyed and frustrated, a General gave a side eye to Gendo, who was already approaching the group. Now standing before them, Gendo shifted his glasses into place and stared right at them, already knowing what they would say.

"Ikari, are you sure this weapon of yours will be able to handle this… thing?"

There was a brief moment of silence before Gendo gave a slight smug smile.

"Of course. This is our purpose."

With a grunt, the Generals lowered their platform and began to walk off with annoyed looks.

Turning around, he faced the rest of the Bridge and shouted their first official order in this new war.

"Begin preparing Units 00 and 01!"

Alarms blared within both cages, signaling to stand clear of the heavy machinery and to avoid the now draining cages.

Coolant poured in the hundreds of gallons out from drainage ducts into a collection tank below.

Ground crew nearby scrambled to their stations to monitor and carry out their skills to prepare the behemoth of a titan.

"Coolant drain complete, now releasing Cage restraints!"

A new set of alarms went off, and the loud thrum of heavy motors and machinery slid across a track designed to hold the weight of thousands of tons of heavy restraints.

A loud Ka-Chunk echoed over the chamber as it was fully retracted and away from the Evangelion.

CLANK!

"Lockdown bolts number one and two are unlocked, beginning umbilical cable attachments"

The Evangelion's shoulders slumped downward, settling into the launch platform and further securing it and readying for launch. An automated arm attached the high-voltage umbilical cable to the Evangelion's back. It carried over 100 amps of 360 volts AC behind it.

A slight tingle rushed throughout Shinji's body as he felt a phantom touch on his back. Soon enough he also felt a jolt of energy, now feeling invigorated.

"Beginning Entry Plug flooding and onboard Independent Computer Systems."

The loud rush of liquids being poured in echoed through the entry plug, followed by a quick high-pressure jet of sweet-smelling liquid being injected.

A simple system to make the flavor of LCL bearable for the young pilots, with Shinji taking cherry, and Rei having a butterscotch flavor for theirs.

"LCL Flooding complete. Beginning A10 Neural Synchronization."

A slight ringing in his ears began and a tingle went down his spine. A cascade of test patterns and colors filled the viewscreen, indicating his connection to the Evangelion's body and biological computers. Shinji felt as if he was now 80 meters tall. He felt strong and powerful, that he could now take on the rest of the battle ahead of him. Adrenaline pumping through his veins, and his mind was focused on synching up.

By this point, the Angel had already quickly made its way to Tokyo-III by levitating just enough into the air and past the mountains.

"A10 Synchronization complete, clearing paths for both Units 00 and 01 to their respective launch pads. All personnel, stand clear of the launch restraints."

Hobbling onto the bridge, with a cane clicking on the metal floor in tandem with heels clacking along, An aged woman with pink glasses walked up beside Naoko and laid a hand on her shoulder. Naoko placed her hand on hers and patted it, instantly knowing who it was and smiling softly.

"Naoko, are you ready? For the ensuing battles to come?"

The woman said, taking her hand back and adjusting her glasses back up. A concerned face was plastered on her, as she worried about how her colleague and old friend felt about all this. She had stuck with the Akagis and the Ikaris since the beginning of Project E, and even before Second Impact.

She made a personal promise to Yui to take care of Shinji as well…

"We'll be fine, Mari. We'll get through this, all of us, together. Shinji and Rei are strong kids."

There was hesitation and the smallest hint of doubt in her voice, a slight quiver too. Mari decided not to push her further and turned her attention and gaze back to the viewscreen where she saw the two Evangelions finally reach the launch tubes.

A series of beeps came from a technician's terminal, giving her the vital information needed for the safe and secure launch of the Titans.

"Launch path cleared. Unit 00 will take Exit 32B and Unit 01 will take Exit 32A."

Called out the tech, whose chair was labeled with their name 'Maya Ibuki'.

A woman in a red jacket and black skirt listened in closely to the Bridge, making sure there were no obstacles in their way of launch. Getting the general go-ahead from across the Bridge. One Misato Katsuragi moved her gaze up to the Commander's Pillar, staring and preparing to ask the big question everyone was anxiously awaiting.

"Commander Ikari, do we have your permission for launch?"

There was a brief silence for a moment. Everybody held their breath. They knew this man would not back down now. A hidden grin formed behind his hands.

"We are the final defense for humanity, and so, you have my permission for launch."

Without hesitation or delay, Misato spun around to the crew and barked her order. While she didn't show it, she was anxious and afraid of the uncertainty of the situation. Rei and Shinji have both trained hard and tirelessly for this very day, and she knew they would do their very best to beat the Angels that have finally arrived.

"LAUNCH EVAS!"

MATERNAL PROGRAMMING REVISION 2

EPISODE 2

"Military Precision"

Same Time

Same Day

A quick and swift move from the bridge crew initiated the launch, following Misato's orders without hesitation. A series of confirmation chirps blared out from the manned stations, letting everyone know the command was received and being carried out.

MET: +00:00:01

An almost earsplitting crackle emanated from the electromagnetically powered Catapults as they charged up and forced themselves off the ground and into the launch tubes at breakneck speeds. Forces reaching several Gs pushed Shinji and Rei down into the crash couches of the entry plug. Shinji steeled himself, and Rei gritted their teeth, resisting the urge to crumple and slump down.

MET: +00:00:09

It was a few seconds later and the two had already neared the zenith of the GeoFront. The Catapult was powerful, and more than capable of getting them to their destinations in less than it took to simply walk across the Primary Command Center.

MET: +00:00:11

With a slamming thud, the two Evangelion Units reached exit points, 32A and 32B respectively. Their heads jolted and locked into the operational position, allowing both pilots to see even more clearly, and to see their target staring at Unit 01 with a confused and curious look.

"Shinji, Rei, Are you ready?"

Asked Misato over TacNet, uncertainty finally exposing her true feelings in her voice.

"We're ready to begin!"

"I'm ready to kick some ass!"

Without saying a word to them, she gave her final order to the Bridge Crew to finally let Rei and Shinji perform their duties as Evangelion Pilots. They have been in years of training, just for this moment to inevitably happen.

They were ready.

"EVANGELION UNITS 00 and 01, LIFT OFF!"

KACHUNK!

MET: +00:00:25

The Catapult's Launch Tower restraints finally unlocked themselves and freed the two units from its grip. Neither Shinji nor Rei allowed themselves to rest from the uncomfortable ride, instead, they simply and cautiously walked up to the almost fully healed Angel. The duo studied it for a moment, trying to find any possible ways of catching it off guard and making a first-strike move.

The Angel also watched them closely, trying to see if they were a threat to it. However, something was off about these two "things". They smelled… Familiar… The Blue one especially… But, before the Angel could investigate, the two Evangelions made their first move, pulling out a weapon from buildings beside them.

Shinji and Rei now wielded an Evangelion-sized pistol that bore much resemblance to a Magnum Research Desert Eagle, which wasn't far from the truth, as Magnum Research did indeed design this for NERV.

"Rei, take point first, I'll go next!"

"Rodger!"

Rei took their aim at the Angel and fired. Massive shell casings were ejected out in synchronization with the actual bullets themselves. The loud bangs shattered windows and rattled anything that wasn't fully secured to the ground.

KATHUNG!

KATHUNG!

KATHUNG!

KATHUNG!

The first two out of four bullets that Rei had fired, struck the Angel in the shoulder, while the last two were intercepted by the Angel's AT Field. It simply bounced off, with its kinetic energy ignored as it fell to the ground. Unsurprised at the Angel's abilities, Rei kept firing, keeping its attention on them while Shinji could sneak up and strike.

But suddenly, the Angel charged towards Rei and deployed its white-hot plasma rods from its arms, taking a swing at Rei's pistol and cutting it in two, effectively making it useless. Seeing this, they stumbled backward and dropped the broken firearm on the ground where it cracked the road.

The angel strode towards Rei, its eyes now glowing a purplish glow. Fear grew inside Rei, as they didn't know what else to do. They didn't even know if such an attack could be evaded quickly enough in time.

Just as Rei was about to jump out of the way, a purple hand carrying a Prog Knife stabbed the Angel in the shoulder, prompting it to scream out in agony and anger. Its eyes were still in the process of charging up when it turned to face Shinji, who was already preparing to stab again. Seeing the immediate threat, he quickly struck the Angel upwards just enough to knock its face up toward the sky.

VEEZOM!

A brilliant purple beam shot into the sky, barely missing Unit 01, but just enough to melt its demon-like horn right off.

"Primary Telemetry Transceiver destroyed, switching over to Secondary Telemetry Transceiver."

A crackle and beep told both the Bridge crew and Shinji that the switch-over was successful, but that was the least of Shinji's concerns. Instead, he felt the searing heat of the blast on the front part of his head. Losing the horn burned a bit, but he tried to ignore the pain.

A struggle soon ensued, with the angel attempting to grab onto his Unit and Shinji fighting to make sure it didn't grab a hold of him. Just as Shinji was about to try for another strike, Rei called out to him.

"Shinji, spin him towards me!"

He didn't hesitate despite his mind doing so. Spinning it around to face Rei, it was soon met with a stab right into its core. Rei tried their best to keep pushing deeper and deeper with the Prog Knife they wielded.

The Angel let out a terrible and earsplitting screech, as it struggled to regain its freedom and escape the gut-wrenching pain it is now under.

Sparks flew from the incision, both from the hardened crystal material of the core and the vibrating nature of the Prog Knife.

Its struggle soon weakened the more time the knife was in the core.

The Screech turned into a whimper, which soon faded away into a dying sigh as its life was soon extinguished

.

.

.

Silence.

There were no words.

Nothing other than the thrum of the entry plug, the heavy breathing of both pilots and their hearts beating loudly inside them. Nothing broke the silence until a lone technician spoke up, to give out new information.

"Pattern Blue has disappeared and readings are silent… The Angel has been defeated."

…

"Mission Complete."

Total MET: 00:04:43

An eruption of cheers broke out all across the PCC. People who weren't native to Japan or originally didn't speak English cheered in their first language. A sense of hopefulness and joy could be felt across the facility as they now knew the Evangelion was indeed worthy and capable of defeating these new enemies of mankind.

A weak and tired chuckle came from both Rei and Shinji. Their mind and bodies are both exhausted from the now-completed and successful sortie against the Angel.

"We did it Rei… We fucking did it…"

"Yeah… We really did fucking did it…"

Tokyo-III

Recovery Base Camp

4:22 PM JST

Shinji and Rei sat next to each other with a mylar blanket wrapped around them. People in hazmat suits examined and took their vitals, making sure they were safe to be around unprotected. A group of four people in suits came up to them, with one walking with a cane.

Both of the children instantly knew who they were. A HazMat Specialist came up to the group and took off their helmet, giving them the go-ahead to do so as well, as Shinji and Rei were deemed healthy and uncontaminated.

A series of hisses came from the positive pressure suits as the group of woman took off their helmets. Standing before them were Mari, Ritsuko, Misato, and most importantly; Naoko. A proud and joyous look was plastered on her face as she rushed over to hug the two, giving them kisses on their foreheads.

None of them resisted, and instead happily accepted the displays of affection from the proud mother. Ritsuko walked over and gave the two a quick hug, not wanting to smother them.

"You have no idea how proud I am of you two! You both did absolutely wonderful out there!"

She was practically beaming with joy. She was now the proud momma of a savior of the human race.

Technicians also gave their cheers and thank yous from across the recovery site. Shinji and Rei have never been both so exhausted and proud in their entire lives. They knew the road ahead would be rough and exhausting, but such were the duties they had to perform. They really had no other choice.

"Shinji, Rei, you both did an amazing job out there today and I couldn't be more proud of how you both worked so well together."

Congratulated Misato, as she also had a proud look on her face. In fact, it would be a lie to say that the other two women didn't have a proud look on their faces. Mari stepped up next and patted both Shinji and Rei, her perpetually tired look also bearing a smile that she couldn't hide even if she wanted to.

Naoko soon let go and clasped her hands together, an idea in her head, and once she had such an idea, it was hard to convince her otherwise.

"How about we all go and get a special dinner? We can use the NERV Recreational funds for this. I'll treat you, and the rest of the bridge to it!"

Not wanting to turn down a free dinner, or disappoint Naoko, both of the children immediately nodded their heads and agreed.

"Yeah!"

"Of course!"

To be continued in the next Episode.

I am very very sorry for the lack of updates recently on any of my fics! I've been dealing with a lot of things and college classes. I really hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and I hope to see you all again in the next!

-DerpymanMT

Crossposted from Fanfiction Dot Net