EVA: Shinji Ikari Returns from Tiga

Chapter 89: I'm leaving it all up to you, Misato [Second update 500010000]

"Mr. Kenzaki. How did you find us so accurately?"

Climbing onto the SUV and relaxing in the passenger seat, Shinji Ikari's exhausted body finally got a short rest.

"Shinji-kun, since the start-up test of Unit 03 began, all communication between headquarters and the Second Branch has been severed. Misato-san can't reach you... I'm very worried."

Kenzaki Kyo did not answer Shinji Ikari's question, but instead glanced at Suzuhara Touji who was sitting in the back seat out of the corner of his eye... without being noticed.

Signaled to Shinji Ikari...it's better not to discuss this issue in front of Suzuhara Touji...It seems that Kenzaki Kyoya found him because he found Suzuhara Touji.

Then he handed over a black retro satellite phone... and calmly brought up the topic.

"Is that so... Thank you for your hard work."

Shinji Ikari understood what he meant and didn't ask any more questions... Instead, he took the phone and pressed the call button.

"Kenzaki! Finally got in touch... How's the situation over there? What happened at Matsushiro Base?"

Misato Katsuragi's urgent voice came from the other end of the phone.

"Miss Misato, it's me—"

"Shinji-kun?! That's great!! Are you...are you okay?! Have you reunited with Kenzaki?! What's going on at Matsushiro Base?! Why are all the communication systems down? - How's Suzuhara-kun?! Did something go wrong with Unit 03's startup test?! And...traces of an Angel have been detected here! Is the Ninth Angel attacking?! Are Asuka, Rei, and the others okay..."

Tsk—this woman, does she really think she can answer ten questions at once?

"Calm down, idiot. Report the situation now. You're the primary person in charge of the battlefield after all... Don't lose your composure so easily!"

“…Oh, oh… sorry…”

After being mercilessly scolded by Shinji Ikari, Misato Katsuragi also realized her own mistake... There was nothing she could do. When she found out that Shinji Ikari and Ryoji Kaji, the two men she trusted the most, had both lost contact...

An unprecedented feeling of helplessness and powerlessness almost took away Misato Katsuragi's ability to breathe.

Now... she finally heard Shinji Ikari's voice again, and he was as calm and confident as ever... The sense of security that swept away her inner uneasiness made her rely on Shinji Ikari like a child again... and she lost all her judgment.

"We are all safe and sound, on our way back... The Ninth Angel attacked, a parasitic Angel that took possession of Unit 03... and was defeated by Tiga. During the battle, the Second Branch was paralyzed, Ikari Gendō disappeared, and now NERV is in a power vacuum."

After a brief thought... Ikari Shinji told Misato Katsuragi the current situation as concisely as possible... These two short sentences left Misato Katsuragi silent for a long time.

She couldn't imagine how tragic the experience was contained in these two simple sentences.

Furthermore, Shinji Ikari emphasized that NERV's power is currently in a vacuum.

"…Shinji-kun, what do you mean?"

"We can't confirm Ikari Gendō's death yet. I'm not clear on NERV's procedures. If Ikari Gendō, the supreme commander, were to disappear... would Vice Commander Fuyutsuki Kozo automatically assume command? Or..."

Shinji Ikari didn't say it explicitly... but the hints were already quite obvious - he hoped that Misato Katsuragi could take advantage of Gendo Ikari's disappearance to increase her voice within NERV.

"Shinji-kun...what exactly happened?"

Katsuragi Misato asked again... This time, she wasn't asking about the changes in the Second Branch, but about the change in Shinji Ikari's mentality. If it were the previous Shinji Ikari... he wouldn't have been so blatant in his struggle for power.

"...Ayanami will bring another Ayanami back, and...Suzuhara's situation isn't normal either. I hope you can provide protection for these two by increasing your control over the NERV base."

"Bring another Ayanami? What does that mean...!?"

The moment she realized that this was the literal meaning, Katsuragi Misato was enlightened... And, Suzuhara's abnormal meaning—wait, Shinji just said that the Ninth Angel is parasitic on Unit 03! ​​Isn't Unit 03 Suzuhara Touji's unit... In other words...!
"...Shinji-kun, you didn't specify... because Rei or Suzuhara-kun were in the car right now... you didn't want to upset them, right?"

"…Ichiko Katsuragi Misato, the commander of the Tactical Command, has finally regained his proper judgment."

“Really?! Don’t tease me at this critical moment!!”

Misato Katsuragi sighed and solemnly confirmed the true situation with Shinji Ikari.

"...Ayanami Rei brought back a clone of her, and then...Suzuhara Touji was parasitized by the Ninth Angel... and contaminated. Although there are no abnormalities now, it was indeed devoured by the Angel—"

If left alone... these two people are likely to be controlled by other NERV branches... You hope that I can take advantage of the absence of Commander-in-Chief Ikari Gendō... to increase my influence and keep them in Tokyo-3 - is that correct?"

Katsuragi Misato's voice... grew more serious as she spoke—she herself realized how arduous and difficult this task was. "...Yes, can I ask you, Miss Misato?"

Shinji Ikari's voice also became serious... Misato Katsuragi's authority is higher than Ryoji Kaji and Kyoya Kenzaki... When Kozo Fuyutsuki didn't know whether she was an enemy or a friend... Misato Katsuragi had become the NERV staff member with the highest authority that he could trust.

"What a willful request..."

Katsuragi Misato's voice suddenly became cheerful... It was no longer the oppression of being a NERV manager, but the pampering of a family member - a sister to her willful brother.

"But... since this is Shinji-kun's unprecedented request to me, I understand. I will give it a try. However, in exchange... after you return, you must tell me everything you know... without holding back. Okay, Shinji-kun?"

"Ah... I understand. Don't worry, I promise."

"Thank you... I'm leaving it all to you, Misato."

Just as she was about to hang up the phone, Misato Katsuragi suddenly thought of something.

"Ah! By the way, Shinji-kun... can you tell this to... the Fifth Qualified Person? She's always been very concerned about the developments here."

The fifth qualified person——Mahipo Mari Elantrias... Can this guy be trusted?

Next... after losing the buffer layer of Ikari Gendo, I will probably have to directly face SEELE, the organization hiding behind everyone.

A battle without gunpowder with SEELE... Can Makiwa be trusted?

Shinji Ikari was not sure whether she was the same as Kaworu Nagisa... a Trojan horse sent by SEELE to monitor and control NERV.

even so……

"It's okay…if she's really curious, just tell her."

"Okay, I understand."

Finally, I chose to trust her... After all, I asked her to guard the house... I was able to escape so easily, and I also wanted to give some compensation to the guard dog.

"Okay, no need to keep glancing at my expression in the rearview mirror... I've already promised you, nothing will happen, Touji."

“Ugh…!!”

His little trick was easily exposed by Shinji Ikari, causing Suzuhara Touji to blush.

"I'm not uneasy, I'm just afraid that I'll give you..."

"I've already told you, you don't have to be afraid of anything... You just need to think carefully about how to apologize to the class monitor and Sakura when you get back. They're both really worried about you."

"…I see."

Shinji Ikari closed his eyes and finally took a nap... to relieve the dual fatigue of body and mind.

"By the way, Dongzhi... do you still remember? When did you become infected?"

"……what!"

Suzuhara Touji looked embarrassed. Such an important matter... he didn't even report it to Ikari Shinji in time.

"Yesterday... the night before yesterday. I walked into the elevator... and then, that Professor Kaburagi followed me in... and after that—I don't remember a single thing."

"Kaburaki...huh?"

After confirming the name of the enemy he needed to defeat, Shinji Ikari finally closed his eyes.

The Ninth Apostle was defeated... According to what Kaji Ryoji revealed... the contents of the Dead Sea Scrolls in SEELE, there should be thirteen apostles in total.

If... Nagisa Kaworu is really one of the apostles, then that means there are only three apostles left to defeat!
Defeating all the apostles is not the end... it's just the beginning.

Ikari Gendō and SEELE will both show their fangs at that time... Before that, I need to gather forces I can trust.

(End of this chapter)